Sunday March 16, 2014 C.C. Burnikel

Theme: "Foresees" - Each theme entry has Four C's.

23A. South Temperate Zone border : ANTARCTIC CIRCLE

34A. Pope's realm : CATHOLIC CHURCH

50A. NFL wide receiver who once changed his name to match his uniform number : CHAD OCHOCINCO. Now back to Chad Johnson. Ocho Cino is 8 & 5 rather than 85.

73A. Challenge for Henry Higgins : COCKNEY ACCENT

93A. Proof of payment : CANCELED CHECK

111A. It's barely legible : CHICKEN SCRATCH

124A. Current path : ELECTRIC CIRCUIT

As usual, lots of clue changes. Rich always makes me look smarter than I really am.

Click here to see my original submissions. I actually had CHAD OCHOCINCO clued as "6-time NFL Pro Bowl wild receiver" initially.  Rich said:

"... I had to chuckle at your "wild receiver" typo--an apt one for Mr. Ochocinco, I'd say.  ;-)..."

 Across:

1. Data theft target: Abbr. : SSN

4. Bowler feature : BRIM. Hat.

8. Instant, in product names : REDI

12. Brightly colored foam shoes : CROCS

17. Traffic noise : TOOT

19. It may be cracked: CODE

20. Green shampoo : PRELL. So what's your favorite shampoo?

22. Like most of western China : RURAL. Xi'An, my hometown, means "Western Peace". It's the gate to Western China.

26. Ma-__ store : AND PA. Dreaded 5-letter partial. Owen said last Thursday"...Every puzzle must have nits, its a LAW!". I've got to obey the law. Owen's Law.

27. Do without : FORGO

28. Outfielder Crisp : COCO. He has 3 C's.

29. Helps with a job : ABETS

31. Some Caltech grads : EES

32. Sprite Zero alternative : FRESCA

38. Airline that co-founded Star Alliance : SAS. See here. United is a founding member also.

39. Maker of Total Effects skin care products : OLAY

41. Colin Hanks, to Tom : SON

42. Common article : THE

43. Gin fizz fruit : SLOE

44. Wore out the carpet : PACED

46. Ready to eat : RIPE. So ready for the nectarine/peach season.

48. Company that insured Bruce Springsteen's voice : LLOYDS

55. Tiger's 2004 bride : ELIN. Tiger is now dating Linsey Vonn, a Minnesota Native.

56. Sly tactic : RUSE

57. Pickle pick : DILL

58. Island near Corsica : ELBA

60. NASA moon landers : LEMs. I'm not sure Rich will accept YUTU, China's moon rover. It means "Jade Rabbit".  In Chinese myth, there's a rabbit living in the moon.

63. Haunt : OBSESS

66. Gullible one : NAIF

68. Actor Morales : ESAI. I missed the last episode of "NYPD Blue".

70. "__ open!" : IT'S

72. Asian sash : OBI. This one is so elaborate. I bet it costs a fortune.

77. Wood cutter : SAW

78. Sister : NUN

79. Online magazine with a "Runway" section : ELLE.  I referenced Elle Fanning.

80. With 102-Across, Japanese golfer : ISAO. And 102. See 80-Across : AOKI

81. Cascades peak : SHASTA

83. Bug-__: Ortho garden product : B-GON. Owen's law.

85. Glorifying poems : ODES

88. Boy with a bow : EROS

90. Quick ride : SPIN

91. Guinness serving : PINT

97. Sam's rival : COSTCO. Not my type. Everything is so big.

100. Morro Castle site : CUBA. Never heard of the castle.

101. "Over the Rainbow" composer : ARLEN (Harold)

103. Picasso's aunt : TIA. And 65D. Picasso's sun : SOL. 123D. Picasso's here : ACA

105. Some Bronx trains : ELS

107. Palm Pre predecessor : TREO. Look how Rich simplified my wordiness.

108. Tiny songbird : TIT

115. Call-to-action response to one's own rhetorical question : I SAY NO

117. Merged Dutch carrier : KLM. Owen's Law. One airline per puzzle is enough.

118. Daisylike flower : ASTER

119. Et __ : ALIA

121. Wear down : ERODE

122. East Texas university : LAMAR. My clue is too gossipy.

128. Put in : ELECT

129. Drink from a bowl : LAP UP

130. Pod veggie : OKRA

131. Other, in a bodega : OTRA

132. Pops, to tots : DADAs

133. Intricate patterns : WEBS. Are you surprised by Bill Gates' comment on Snowden, Jayce?

134. Caught, as a show : SEEN

135. Occurrence : HAP

Down:

1. Fills vacancies in : STAFFS

2. Mexico's second-largest state : SONORA

3. Warning sign : NO TRESPASSING. The kids in our neighborhood just ignore the sign.

4. Discreetly send a dupe email to : BCC

5. Campus military gp. : ROTC

6. Folly : IDIOCY

7. Muslim holy city : MECCA

8. Troy, N.Y., tech sch. : RPI. Hi there Spitzboov & Splynter. By the way, Irish Miss, where were you born?

9. Bungle : ERR

10. Tattoo alternative for the squeamish : DECAL

11. "No more guesses, just tell me" : I'LL BITE

12. Computer problem : CRASH

13. Download option : RUN

14. Well-organized : ORDERLY

15. Its southern shore is on Nantucket Sound : CAPE COD

16. Budget overhauls : SLASHES

18. Diamond thieves' undoings? : TAGS. Baseball diamond. Rich's doing. Loved the clue.

21. Hanger-on : LEECH

24. Like Louis XV chairs : ROCOCO

25. Private beds? : COTS

30. Immune system defender : T CELL

33. D'Urberville who seduced Tess : ALEC. Real jerk.

35. Cornucopia shape : HORN

36. Not neat : ON ICE

37. Me.-to-Fla. route : US ONE

40. Condition that affects focusing, briefly : ADHD

45. ''Zip-__-Doo-Dah'' : A-DEE. Owen's law

47. C-SPAN figure : POL

49. Bebe's "Cheers" role : LILITH

50. Sing like Michael Bublé : CROON. Do you like him, CanadianEh!?

51. Noisy disturbance : HUBBUB

52. Grunted, in a way : OINKED

53. Group sharing a crest : CLAN

54. French Open winner before Björn : ILIE (Nastase)

55. Alleviate : EASE

59. "Chill out!" : BE COOL

61. Squandered early years : MISSPENT YOUTH. Santa gave me this clue. Must be from his personal experiences. He looks so innocent in this 1960 photo.

15-year-old Argyle

62. Reception disruption : STATIC

64. Like California's 17-Mile-Drive : SCENIC. Oh, I'm not familiar with the drive. Pebble Beach is there. No wonder. JJM might have played there.

67. Memo opener : FYI

69. Brief reply? : ANS (Answer)

71. Posh : SWANK

74. Thicken, as cream : CLOT

75. "Gimme __" : A SEC

76. Feel concern : CARE

82. "I don't want to be remembered for my tennis accomplishments" speaker : ASHE

84. __ nerve : OPTIC

86. Old French coin : ECU

87. Civil War weapon : SABER

89. Slightly burn : SEAR

92. Jots down : NOTES. I still write my notes in Chinese. Strange, isn't it? I also count in Chinese.

94. Simba's love : NALA

95. A third of neun : DREI (3)

96. Dennis Eckersley, e.g. : CLOSER. Gimme!!

97. Laughed demonically : CACKLED

98. "Très chic!" : OOH LA LA

99. Went over cursorily : SKIMMED

100. Source of legal precedents : CASE LAW

104. Inside company? : INTEL. Intel Inside.

106. Headliner : STAR

107. "Blurred Lines" singer Robin : THICKE. He and Miley Cyrus performed this infamous song at the 2013 MTV VMA Awards. Too much for me to link. Very gifted. He's the son of Alan Thicke.

109. Former Indian prime minister Gandhi : INDIRA

110. Dance click : TOE TAP

112. Mini racers : KARTS

113. Breakfast treat : CREPE. Oh, I have a question for D-Otto or other foodies on our blog:  How do you prepare your oatmeal? I've only used the quick-cooking rolled oats. Alton Brown's steel cut  looks quite creamy.

114. Advertising awards : CLIOs

116. Gas acronym : ARCO

120. Corn maze measure : ACRE

125. Young lion : CUB

126. Decorates with Angel Soft, briefly : TPs. Where are you, TTP?

127. Actor Holm : IAN

C.C.

Saturday, Mar 15th, 2014, Barry C. Silk

Theme: Saturday Silkie~!

Words: 72   (missing J,Q)

Blocks: 30

  Today's challenge from Mr. Silk took some intuitive thinking, as quite a few clues gave me fits. With the chunky triple 7-letter corners, I find this type of grid to be the most difficult, especially when you can't get a foothold.  In my case, I struggled a bit in the SW, and bad WAGs made some other spots slow to solve - and I had one wrong letter.  One grid-spanner, and let's hope that it's a thing of the past for the next 12 months~!

35. Winter forecast : FREEZING DRIZZLE - I got the DRIZZLE part from MAZDA, so I tried "--- AND DRIZZLE", but that didn't help

Aw, Dr. NO~!

 ACROSS:

1. Instrument played with mallets : MARIMBA - BAM~! Nailed it, not that I'm saying much - but hey, XYLOPHONE wouldn't fit

8. Pitcher's coup : PICK-OFF - I don't watch baseball, but this is one of those nifty little plays that make the game interesting - along with the "hidden ball" trick

15. Mine carriers : ORE CARS - Funny, ORE CARTS didn't fit, so I skipped it the first time around - and I was 114% correct

16. Orwell superstate : OCEANIA

17. 1980s Hollywood sex symbol : BO DEREK - I was trying to think of a popular male, and when the "K" appeared, I was stumped - oh, her - still looking good

18. Hang : SUSPEND

19. Meas. seen on a tee : YDs - Argh~!  My first thought was golf, but then I thought "nope, he's going with T-shirt here", and tried "XXL"

20. Beguile : TEMPT - not TEASE, not GET AT

22. Warthog features : TUSKS - made the "Top 10 List" for ugliest animal~!

23. Screened conversation? : VIDEO CHAT - I was thinking this could be "CONFESSION", but it's one letter too many

25. 28-Across natives, e.g. : ASIANS - circular clues -->

28. The Mekong flows along its border : LAOS

29. Fighter acronym : MiG - Mikoyan-Gurevich, the Russian military aircraft company

32. Going downhill : WORSE

33. "The __ Affair": Jasper Fforde novel : EYRE - never heard of it; Saturday cluing

34. Lighten : EASE - a burden, for example

38. Servers at affairs : URNS

39. Ballpark figs. : MGRs - Ah, the guy in the dugout, not ESTs

40. Needles : RIDES

41. Food-curing chemical : LYE - not MSG

42. "__ Mia": 1965 hit : CARA - I tried MAMA, and that's 50% right, but I knew the date was wrong

43. Give away : DONATE

44. Funk band instrument : SAXOPHONE - I think this is funky

46. When to see die Sterne : NACHT - 'the star(s)' in German, and 'night'; there's also a band by the same name, so I guess you could see them at night, too

49. Pasta bit : SHELL

50. Card quality : WIT - Card as in ham, clown, cut-up, etc.

53. Odorless fuels : ETHANES - all the light ones are pretty much odorless; the stink from propane is actually ethyl percaptan, which is added to warn you of a leak - it was a gas explosion that leveled the two buildings in Harlem NYC this week.

55. Tennessee neighbor : ALABAMA - GEORGIA fit, too; KENTUCKY, ARKANSAS, MISSOURI, and VIRGINIA are all 8-letters long

57. Zip up : ANIMATE - I was in "winter clothing" mode on this one, so this answer was slow to show

58. Extreme : RADICAL

59. Surfing annoyance : POP-UP AD - tell me about it; I hate that little 'hiccup' you get from ads on computers and mobile devices that shifts everything down one line JUST as you tap to move to the next link

60. Ship maintenance site : DRY DOCK - my Dodge Stratus and Ford Van are in 'dry dock' right now; today will be the first warm, dry day with no snow on the ground, allowing me to finally take a look and see what's wrong

DOWN:

1. Colorado State's __ Arena : MOBY

2. MLB nickname in recent news : A-ROD

3. Cabs, e.g. : REDS - DAH~! Wines, not Taxis

4. Winter coat : ICE - I've seen enough

5. Two-time 1990s A.L. batting champ Edgar : MARTINEZ - C.C. has more (From C.C.: He spent his whole career with the Mariners. He'll remain in the Hall of Fame ballot next year. Look at what I found:)

2-Down, Ken Griffey Jr, 5-Down

6. Procreates : BREEDS - Ah, not the Biblical BEGETS

7. Help desk sign : ASK ME

8. Deltiologist's collection : POSTCARDS - learning moment

9. Post-op area : ICU

10. Basque baskets : CESTAS

11. Shot : KAPUT

12. People : ONES - As in "the ones waiting for spring to arrive"

13. Rat : FINK

14. They come and go : FADS

21. Storyteller? : POLYGRAPH - TATTLE-TALE didn't fit

23. Arrangements may be made in them : VASES

24. Weed killer : HOER - my one missed letter; I had HOAR - hey, that could kill weeds, too - it kills the grass....

25. Horrific : AWFUL - not SCARY

26. Classic board game : SORRY!
 

27. Daughter of Queen Juliana of the Netherlands : IRENE - Saturday cluing for a popular crossword name; this one goes back a bit, as Queen Juliana passed at 94 ten years ago

29. Tribute maker : MAZDA

30. Key : ISLET - ah, not iNSet

31. Inane ones : GEESE - "You silly gooses~!"

33. Absorbed : ENGROSSED - I did NOT try "---- UP" to start, as in "SOAKED"

34. Salon, for one : E-ZINE

36. Big name in movies? : IMAX - yep, that's a big screen

37. Nickname in 20th-century British leadership : IRON LADY - Margaret Thatcher - that's the second "Iron" to come out of Britain - I prefer Iron Maiden....

42. Short time out? : CAT-NAP

43. Word on a Canadian loonie : DOLLAR - no animals were tattooed in the making of this crossword

44. San Diego attraction : SHAMU - not ZOOOO....

45. Picked up : HEARD

46. Tide table term : NEAP

47. Words before time or point : AT NO

48. Wood __ : CHIP - ah, not SHED

50. City on the Brazos : WACO

51. Apple product : iMAC - It's going to be "i" something....

52. Converse : TALK

54. Touchdown info : ETA - airplanes, not football

56. Nod, at times : BID

Splynter

Friday, March 14, 2014, Marti Duguay-Carpenter

Theme: Shhh, The change in sound when marti has too much Cabernet.

Our divine miss m is back on a Friday, and I really appreciated having this puzzle awaiting me as I return from Jamaica. This is a straightforward 5 theme puzzle with the CH in each 'in the language' phrase changed to SH and clued with her normal wit and charm. I found it easier than most of her Fridays but maybe the rest and rum gave me clarity. I enjoyed the six letter stacks at the top and bottom juxtaposed to the theme and the balance of PRIME TIME and CERTIFIED.  So come along for a walk through the fertile Friday mind of marti.

17A. Liner with Intel inside? : SILICON SHIP. (11)(CHIP). Ocean liners are ships and Intel is the largest maker of Silicon chips. 'Intel inside' is their advertising mantra.

22A. Nylon notable? : SHEER LEADER.(11)(CHEER). Cheerleaders seldom wear hose until they get to the Cowboys. My favorite one.

37A. Get one's kicks in a painful way? : TAKE IT ON THE SHIN.(15)(CHIN). Shins are so sensitive and then again a chin can be too.

47A. Principal plant? : THE BIG SHILL. (11)(CHILL).We just had SHILL and the MOVIE  was a big success.

60A. Surprise the neighborhood? : SHOCK A BLOCK.(11)(CHOCK).CHOCKABLOCK is a wonderful word meaning filled up with, really creative.

Across:

1. Set count : REPS. Repetitions, another of those pesky mini-words, an abbreviation that has become a word. This is from working out at the gym, which I did everyday I was in Jamaica.

5. Ally of Sun : CHIANG. The post Imperialistic China was ruled initially by SUN YAT-SEN  and later his ally CHIANG KAI-CHECK.  They were both frequent topics for the grown ups I observed as a small child.

11. Relocation aid : VAN. Really?

14. Unrestrainedly : AMOK. Do you need to be running?

15. Divulges : LETS ON. Whatever you do, do not let on that you know she is pregnant.

16. As per : A LA. French.

19. One may be flipped : LID.This expression comes from a time when everyone wore hats?

20. When many night visions occur? : PRIME TIME. Nice clue.

21. Revealing garb : MINI. The short skirt returned the same year I started college, oh my the distractions.

25. Bag : VALISE. A nice old fashioned word.

29. High mountain : ALP. Now you know this is a marti creation.

30. "Yikes!" : EGAD. Another of her favorites, she based an entire puzzle on the word.

31. Lock : TRESS.

34. "Gerontion" poet's monogram : TSE. Don't know the work (I am terrible at titles) but it is always Eliot.

41. Rush participant's prize : ORE. Rush like a gold rush, nice deception even if 'prize' is a bit misleading.

42. Fields : AREAS.

43. Give for a while : LEND. Interesting definition.

44. Music-licensing org. : BMI. ASCAP and BMI are the two biggest.HOW IT WORKS.

45. Meshes : AGREES.

53. Playground bouncer : BALL.

54. Like some important letters : CERTIFIED.

59. Pay stub? : OLA. Payola.

62. Take home : NET.

63. University of Minnesota mascot Goldy __ : GOPHER. My first post here was discussing college team names, like golden gophers; and, 56D. New York college with a mascot named Killian : IONA. Now this is obscure.

64. Unsigned, briefly : ANON. The ultimate SO to our biggest fans.

65. Private __ : EYE.

66. Professorial duds : TWEEDS. Don't forget the patches on the elbows.

67. Numerous : MANY.

Down:

1. Scrape : RASP.

2. Mideast VIP : EMIR.

3. __ sci : POLI. This used to be a popular major for pre-law, but no longer in favor.

4. Take from the top : SKIM. Skimming profits is still a problem.

5. Dress : CLOTHE.

6. '20s-'30s skating gold medalist : HENIE. For you CA (3:30)

7. Personal answer : IT'S ME. I hope our English teachers do not cringe too badly. 9D. "__ can't" : NO I. yes you can! 38D. "__ Said": Neil Diamond hit : I AM I. Not familiar with this song. (mini-theme?)

8. "My Name Is __ Lev": Chaim Potok novel : ASHER. One of Hahtoolah's favorite books.

10. 57-Down measure : GNP. Gross National Product. Isn't it interesting that GROSS has three such disparate meanings.

11. Bona fide : VALID. From the Latin.

12. Dress style : A-LINE. Your new star? At least Miley has some clothes on.

13. Floor : NADIR. Oh come on marti (Rich) I know it is the opposite of Zenith (highest point) but I would not call a ceiling a zenith. Frankly it makes me want to Ralph.

18. Pool lead-in : CESS. Drat, I do not want any cess in my pool!

21. Tourist's guide : MAP.

23. Secure at the dock : LASH. Such a fun word. Reminds me of LaRue.

24. Otherwise : ELSE.

25. Highest power? : VETO. veto power being the ultimate control.

26. Petri dish filler : AGAR.

27. Vacation destination : LAKE. miss m lives not far from Webster Lake, which is also known as Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg. LINK.

28. Chemical suffix : IDE.

31. Digital temperature gauge? : TOE. A great visual of people approaching the Ocean.

32. Genetic messenger : RNA. RIBONUCLEIC ACID.

33. Unexpected fictional visitors : ETS. Extra Terrestrials, I am not sure how unexpected they are anymore.

34. You, to a Friend : THEE. Friends are how Quakers address each other.

35. Function in 39-Down : SINE. 39D. It involves angles, for short : TRIGonometry.

36. Scraps : ENDS. As in, scrapping a project.

40. 35mm camera option : SLR. Single Lens Reflex.

44. Marathon unit: Abbr. : BBL. 42 gallons of oil make one Barrel.

45. Trains may stop at them : ALTARS. Another typical fun visual, the train on the wedding dress. The wedding in Jamaica was informal for all but the bride, who wore the formal white dress with train.

46. Smooth-talking : GLIB. MW says it comes from Low German glibberig slippery.

47. Chophouse choice : T-BONE. What are the steaks of choice here, or are we all vegans?

48. Tin Man actor Jack : HALEY. A wonderful SO for our own.

49. Make merry : ELATE.

50. Breadth : SCOPE. Is that why they named the product which makes your BREATH smell good.

51. "Wag the Dog" actress : HECHE. Anne, ex-companion of Ellen. The TRAILER. (2:28) Good cast.

52. Ticked : IRKED.

55. Hoax : FLAM. Flim? I have never seen or heard this word without FLIM attached.

57. Coll. major : ECONomics.

58. Fashion letters : DKNY. Donna Karan New York.

60. York, for one: Abbr. : SGT. WWI hero.

61. Do-it-yourselfer's concern : HOW.  Yes the books are often HOW TO....... I wonder if I can get C.C. to write a how to do a crossword blog. There are books on solving and on constructing, but...

Well I guess this is the end of another edition of the Idiot's Guide to a Friday LAT. Great to be back! (Nah, Jamaica and all-inclusive was awesome, I even was putting Rum in my coffee.) Lemonade (spiked of course) out.

Notes from C.C.:

1) Here is a wonderful photo of JD & her husband Bob, all bundled up in layers. Click here for more pictures from JD's Yellowstone trip. She's now frolicking in Costa Rica.

2) Click here for a few Before & After pictures of Marti's renovation project for her next door house. The tenants move in tomorrow.

 Top Floor Stairs, Before

  Top Floor Stairs, After

3) Here is a great picture from Lemonade's Jamaica trip. Click here for more. I'm intrigued by the words on Charlott's T-shirt. Looks like "I am..."?

4) I made a mistake yesterday. Today we celebrate Pi Day & JJM's 56th birthday. He sent me these two cool pictures yesterday.

Thursday, March 13, 2014 Jeffrey Wechsler

Theme: "I am not a crook"*

17. Cookies named for their flavor : NILLA WAFERS. Vanilla flavored.

28. Flu sufferer's complaint : I FEEL AWFUL. DH's complaint for the entire month of January!

34. Fib : TELL A WHITE LIE. Would I lie to you?

40. Washington county or its seat : WALLA WALLA. Love the name of that city. I'll have to visit it one day.

And the reveal:

55. Ones often in custody ... and what 17-, 28-, 34- and 40-Across are? : LAW BREAKERS. The word LAW is "broken" in the theme entries.

My old friend Jeffrey is back in the Thursday lineup with a buried word theme.  I wasn't looking for the theme, but spotted LAW in the first two entries, and confirmed it with the third and fourth. I liked the reveal, because it describes the phrases perfectly.  I finished this one in about my typical Wednesday time, so slightly easier than normal for a Thursday. Let's see why I was on Jeffrey's wavelength.

*(Bonus points if you can name the source of the quote.)

Across:

1. Move suddenly : DART. Filled immediately.

5. Art style emphasizing gritty reality : VERISM. In old Roman art, it could be described as "warts and all," for busts that represent the subject realistically instead of romanticized.

11. Cut, as a branch : LOP.

14. Maker of BESTÅ storage products : IKEA. Odd-looking diacritical marks? Probably Swedish...

15. G8 member country : FRANCE.

16. "__ Got No Strings": Pinocchio : I'VE.

19. Chemin de __ : FER. French for railroad. Literally, "road of iron." Much better clue than "Not agin'…"

20. First name in American poetry : EMILY. Dickinson.

21. Carrier with a hub in Oslo : SAS. Scandinavian Airlines System.  I wonder how many BESTÅs they carry each week?

22. Physics unit : ERG.

23. Toed the line : OBEYED.

25. Modesto-to-San Jose dir. : WSW. 1 hour and 23 minutes, depending on the route you take.

26. __ speak : SO TO.

27. Agree, in a way : NOD.

31. Trig ratios : SINES.

33. "It's a Wonderful Life" director : CAPRA. One of the all-time greatest movies ever, and my personal motto!

38. Some stereos : SONYS.

39. Stage device : ASIDE.

43. Spooner, for one: Abbr. : REV.erend.

46. "Perhaps" : I MAY.

47. Have the flu : AIL. Kinda sorta clecho with one of the theme entries.

48. Plant with edible seeds : SESAME.

51. On behalf of : FOR.

52. Initials on old globes : SSR. Soviet Socialist Republic.

53. Stingy one : PIKER.

54. Yank : TUG.

59. Computer add-on? : ESE. (Why not "Crossword add-on?") He could not clue it as a direction, since WSW was also in the grid.

60. Brought down : ABASED.

61. Really important : HUGE.

62. Blushing : RED.

63. Desert shimmer : MIRAGE.

64. Shot : SPED.

Down:

1. Eat at the main meal : DINE ON.

2. Like Superman's arms, often : AKIMBO.

Superman

3. Leaned (on) : RELIED.

4. Running amount : TALLY.

5. Group for ex-GIs : VFW. Veterans of Foreign Wars.

6. Stat that's better if it's lower : ERA. Earned Run Average.  Baseball.  I wanted "par."

7. Luftwaffe foe: Abbr. : RAF. Royal Air Force.

8. Actually existing: Lat. : IN ESSE.

9. Poor penmanship : SCRAWL. DH needs me to read his "notes to self" sometimes, because he cannot make them out.

10. Fool (with) : MESS.

11. 2012 film for which Ang Lee won Best Director : LIFE OF PI. Read the book. Saw the movie. Loved them both.

12. Operatic opening : OVERTURE. Recognize this one? 3:06

13. Vine-covered walkway : PERGOLA. Pretty!

18. Assent to a captain : AYE.

24. Actress Merrill : DINA. I remember her from "Operation Petticoat."

25. Formal group assent : WE SHALL...overco-o-ome

26. Soggy lowland : SWALE.

29. Handful : FEW.

30. Completed with one stroke : ACED. Golf. If you hit the ball into the hole in one stroke on a par three, it is called an ACE. I have had exactly one in my life.

31. In a foxy way : SLYLY.

32. "As Time Goes By" requester : ILSA.

34. Burns' "tim'rous beastie" ode : TO A MOUSE.

35. Blew up : ENLARGED. Nice misdirection. I wanted "exploded" at first.

36. Catalina, for one: Abbr. : ISL.and.

37. Familia members : TIAS. Spanish "aunts."  Uncles = tios.

38. More rapid : SWIFTER. I get housework done SWIFTER with my Swiffer.

Swiffer

41. Horseradish relative : WASABI. Yesterday, I bought some WASABI peas. Healthy and yummy!

42. Elevated conflict : AIR WAR.

43. Gather, as fallen leaves : RAKE UP. As opposed to "Gather, as money": RAKE in.

44. Come out : EMERGE.

45. Skilled : VERSED.

49. Pollution-fighting org. : EPA. Environmental Protection Agency.

50. Followers of Guru Nanak : SIKHS.

52. Bang on the way out : SLAM. (the door)

56. Merit badge gp. : BSA. Boy Scouts of America.

57. Short rule? : REG.ulation

58. Stamp ending : EDE. Stampede

And that's it from me for this week!

Marti

Notes from C.C.:

1) Here is a photo of Mike Alpern & George Barany at the ACPT. Mike organizes the annual Cru Dinner. Our own Minnesotan George was the judge this year. You can click here and view Mike's ACPT 2013 pictures. See Marti and Rich? Hopefully Mike will have a 2014 Picasa album to share with us.

March 9, 2014 ACPT

2) Happy Birthday to JJM, who has been posting here on our blog for quite some time. Yet I don't feel I quite know him. So, use your imagination for the cake picture, Dave! (Added later: JJM's birthday is tomorrow. Sorry for the mistake.)

Wednesday, March 12, 2014 Pam Amick Klawitter

Theme: "There's a funny echo in here". The first word (all have 7 letters) of each theme answer is repeated and split into two to form a punning new phrase.

20A. Signed agreement mailed by someone in prison? : CONSENT CON SENT

24A. Backs a fashion venture? : INVESTS IN VESTS

41A. Authorize two bros' get-together? : MANDATE MAN DATE

47A. Songwriter's dream? : FORTUNE FOR TUNE

Top o' the Morning to you all! Steve here with Pam's latest outing. It took me a little while to get moving with this one, I was picking around the flyover states for some time before the penny dropped with MANDATE MAN DATE. The theme definitely helped me by providing crosses in more a few places. I thought was a fun puzzle nicely put together.

Let's see what else we've got.

Across:

1. Deer guy : STAG

5. Dian Fossey subjects : APES.  Because you can't cram "Gorillas" into four squares.

9. Walking tall : ERECT

14. Snoop (around) : POKE

15. Son of Leah and Jacob : LEVI. Thank you perps, Biblical characters are not one of my strong suits.

16. One unlikely to bring home the bacon? : VEGAN

17. Work on galleys : EDIT

18. Works by Raphael and Michelangelo, e.g. : ITALIAN ART. Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni and Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino are thankfully known by their shortened names.

22. "... kissed thee __ killed thee": Othello : ERE I. I thought this could be a Cockney "I kissed thee 'ere; I killed thee over there" but then I saw sense.

23. NYC-based insurance co. : A.I.G. Recipient of the biggest government bailout in US history.

31. Eyelid inflammations : STYES

32. Dogwood, e.g. : TREE

33. Sock part : TOE

34. Pottery oven : KILN

35. Drag through the mud : SMEAR

37. Gardener's bagful : SOIL

38. Rescuer of Odysseus : INO. The Goddess gave him a protective cloak after his ship was wrecked. Seems an odd thing to give him - why not another ship? Curious folk, those Greek gods.

39. Irene of "Fame" : CARA. Legwarmers, leotards and big hair can be found here.

40. Gainesville is about halfway between it and Jacksonville : OCALA. Who knew the world had a horse capital?

45. "Double Fantasy" artist : ONO

46. Measurement named for a body part : FOOT. The original standardized yard was the distance from Henry I's nose to the tip of his thumb when his arm was outstretched. History does not report on the length of his feet, but if you're going to use a King to provide standard measurements you may as well make the most of it and use whatever else he's got handy.

54. Rites of passage : MILESTONES

55. Heathrow postings: Abbr. : E.T.A.s. When I fly into Heathrow on United, we usually park at a gate so far away from the terminal building that you need to factor in about half an hour to walk from the plane to Immigration.

56. Point a finger at : BLAME

57. Dark purple : PUCE. A learning moment. I always thought it was a pale color.

58. Charlie Brown cry : RATS

59. Title role for Michael or Jude : ALFIE. Caine in the original, Law in the remake.

60. New newts : EFTS

61. "Off with you!" : SHOO

Down:

1. Job detail : SPEC

2. Commotion : TO-DO

3. Analogous : AKIN

4. Avenges a wrong : GETS EVEN

5. Runway shapes : A-LINES. Runway as in catwalk.

6. Bob __, first NBA player to be named MVP (1956) : PETTIT. Crosses, crosses and more crosses.

7. FEMA recommendation, maybe : EVAC. Hmmmmm. Not thrilled with this one, but the "maybe" gives fair warning.

8. Storage structure : SILO

9. Like some press conference answers : EVASIVE. Usually, ALL of Bill Belichick's answers are evasive, whether the Patriots win or lose.

10. Go back (on) : RENEGE

11. "A Summer Place" co-star Richard : EGAN

12. Dessert conveyance : CART. 

I said "Dessert" not "Desert"

13. "Rizzoli & Isles" airer : TNT. I can't say I've ever watched this. Anyone?

19. More ridiculous : INANER

21. Spanish 101 word : ERES

24. 1986 rock autobiography : I, TINA. She still looks great.

25. Windbreaker fabric : NYLON

26. Cook, as dumplings : STEAM

27. One may be rolled over : IRA

28. Weasel kin : STOAT

29. Patterned fabric : TOILE

30. Ward of "CSI: NY" : SELA. I finally remembered her name without having to wait for crosses today! Yay!

31. Two percent alternative : SKIM. In the UK, Gold Top milk from Channel Island cows contains an eye-popping 6% fat. It is delicious though!

Guernsey Cow

35. Skipped : SAT OUT

36. C-ration successor : MRE. Officially, "Meals, Ready to Eat". Unofficially "Meals, Rarely Edible"; "Meals, Rejected by the Enemy" and "Materiel Resembling Edibles".

37. Throws here and there : SCATTERS

39. Fails to understand : CAN'T SEE

40. Funk : ODOR. Does this mean that when I'm in a funk I smell?

42. Musical scale sequence : DO-RE-MI.  We had the full scale in last Sunday's puzzle.

43. Produce a change in : AFFECT

44. Scary Wild West circles? : NOOSES

47. Meet, as needs : FILL

48. Norwegian saint : OLAF. I need the cross for OLAF/OLAV

49. "Won't do it" : NOPE

50. Plenty, in slang : ENUF

51. Bonneville Salt Flats site : UTAH. Setting for the wonderful movie "The World's Fastest Indian". If you've not seen it, check it out, it's great. You don't have to be into motorcycles or speed records to enjoy it.

52. Peacekeeping acronym : NATO. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Describing a military alliance as a peacekeeping acronym may seem a little strange, but NATO forces are deployed to areas of civil or military unrest as a "peacekeeping force".

53. Name on a Canadian pump : ESSO. The Exxon Mobil brand name used outside the US.

54. Mgmt. degree : M.B.A.

That's pretty much it for today. As the French probably don't say "C'est une wrappe".

Steve

Tuesday, March 11, 2014 Kurt Mengel and Jan-Michele Gianette

Theme: Vowel Progression - First word starts with FL followed by vowels A to U, then T.

17A. Penniless : FLAT BROKE

26A. Like champion sprinters : FLEET-FOOTED

41A. Worker in the sky : FLIGHT ATTENDANT

52A. Suggest something tentatively : FLOAT AN IDEA

64A. Piece for two winds : FLUTE DUET. "The Flower Duet" May it inspire some flowers to make an appearance soon.

Argyle here. A straightforward puzzle today. Nice grid spanner. I can't help but wonder how much trouble it would have been to include an FLY.... A couple of long crossing columns.

Across:

1. Pi r squared, for a circle : AREA

5. Encyclopedia tidbit : FACT

9. Big-time : MAJOR

14. Speeds (up) : REVs

15. __ about: roughly : ON OR

16. Render speechless : AMAZE

19. Powerful person : NABOB. "nattering nabobs of negativism" : voiced by Spiro Agnew, coined by William Safire.

20. Cozy corner : NOOK

21. Monogram part: Abbr. : INITial

23. Singer DiFranco : ANI

24. Crone : HAG

29. Capri suffix : OTE. "A Capriote" by John Singer Sargent.

30. Little lie : FIB. 52D. Like lies : FALSE

31. Church-founded Dallas sch. : SMU. (Southern Methodist University)

32. FDR's dog : FALA. Scottish Terrier.

34. Confused mental states : FOGs

37. Mythological sky holder : ATLAS

44. Foil maker : ALCOA

45. Struggling to decide : TORN

46. Bone: Pref. : OSTE

47. Queue after Q : RST. Quite cute clue.

49. 20s dispenser, for short : ATM

51. Darjeeling, for one : TEA

57. "Bad" cholesterol letters : LDL. The "good" is HDL and the ratio between them is important. An optimum ratio is 3.5-to-1. Mayo Clinic

58. Key next to the space bar : ALT

59. "A Visit From the Goon Squad" Pulitzer-winning novelist Jennifer : EGAN

60. March Madness org. : NCAA. Basketball.

62. Pig __ : LATIN

68. Pillar from a fire : SMOKE

69. Film director's unit : TAKE. Tricky. A scene is made up of different units or takes.

70. Look at rudely : OGLE

71. Slipped gently (into) : EASED

72. Renders speechless : AWES

73. Wobbly table stabilizer : SHIM

Down:

1. "Bowwow!" : "ARF!"

2. Belief sys. : RELigion

3. Pertaining to the gospel : EVANGELIC

4. Concerning : AS TO

5. Warehouse vehicle : FORKLIFT

6. "It's __-win situation" : A NO

7. Newswoman Roberts : COKIE. Mary Martha Corinne Morrison Claiborne Roberts.

8. River through Nottingham : TRENT

9. Direct, as a father-son conversation : MAN TO MAN

10. Doctors' org. : AMA

11. Try to punch : JAB AT

12. Layer with "holes" in it : OZONE

13. Opener's second call, in bridge : REBID

18. Big Broadway hit, slangily : BOFF. Shortened from BOFFO, slang for a hit on Broadway

22. Stipulations : IFs. There is always an IF, eh?

24. Teamsters president James : HOFFA

25. For any reason : AT ALL

27. WWII torpedo craft : EBOAT. On the water, eboat; under the water, uboat

28. One-up : OUT-DO

33. Greek marketplace : AGORA

35. Pontiac muscle car relaunched briefly in 2004 : GTO. It was an Australian car. Link I had no idea!

36. Valuable violin : STRAD

38. Comeback victor's vindication : LAST LAUGH. "He who laughs last, laughs best"(or longest)

39. Fed the kitty : ANTED

40. Filch : STEAL

42. Hurried : HASTENED

43. International accords : ENTENTES. [French: understanding]

48. Schoolyard game : TAG

50. Riot control weapon : MACE

53. Alpaca kin : LLAMA

54. Director Preminger and others : OTTOs

55. U.S.-Mexico-Canada commerce pact : NAFTA. (North American Free Trade Agreement, 1994)

56. Bride's new relative, say : IN-LAW

61. Hullabaloos : ADOs

63. Eisenhower nickname : IKE

65. Guitar cousin : UKE

66. Brother of Peyton Manning : ELI

67. President pro __ : TEM

 

 

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

Happy Birthday to our lovely Mari! Hope it's a beautiful day in Chicago. Snow has been melting steadily here in MN. (To Dave: Cats (obviously) & needlepoint.)

Monday, March 10, 2014 Brom Hart

Theme: PP - Just two words starting with P? It seems so. Update: "In addition to two P's, each theme entry ends with some kind of animal." Thank you, HeartRx.

17A. Porky's girlfriend : PETUNIA PIG

24A. Feigns sleep, say : PLAYS POSSUM

52A. Either of two of the Inspector Clouseau films, with "The" : PINK PANTHER

61A. Yipping adoptee : POUND PUPPY

Argyle here. Debut constructor...unless it's an anagram.

Across:

1. "Famous Potatoes" state : IDAHO

6. Speak drunkenly : SLUR

10. Addition word : PLUS

14. "__ what?": "What next?" : SO NOW

15. Adhesive strip : TAPE

16. Shopper's memory aid : LIST

19. Impressionist : APER

20. Very __ yours : TRULY

21. Utter mess : SNAFU

22. Tire inflater : AIR

28. Pitt of "Troy" : BRAD

30. Three-note chord : TRIAD

31. Aboveground trains : ELS

32. Per __: for each person, as income : CAPITA

35. Got one's uniform dirty, perhaps : SLID. Baseball. The other timely entry: 4D. Semiannual time-change amount : HOUR

36. Runs away from military duty : DESERTS

38. Israeli parliament : KNESSET. (the gathering)

43. "Exodus" author Leon : URIS. Neat pairing.

45. Haughtily terse : SNIPPY

46. "From __ Zinc": vitamin slogan : A TO

49. Skimpy skirts : MINIs. Do we need to see more? (yes)

51. Cut out, as coupons : CLIP

56. Cooler cubes : ICE OH, NO!

57. World book : ATLAS

58. Like a lummox : INEPT

60. Lamb serving : CHOP

66. Pile : HEAP

67. Undersized 61-Across : RUNT. (pound puppy)

68. Sharp-crested ridge : ARÊTE

69. Novelist Ferber : EDNA

70. Twistable cookie : OREO

71. Leavening agent : YEAST

Down:

1. AOL, for one : ISP. (internet service provider)

2. Deer girl : DOE

3. Devices to stop tiny invading armies : ANT TRAPS

5. Admit (to) : OWN UP

6. Patronize, as a hotel : STAY AT

7. Spot for a cat, or drink like a cat : LAP

8. Wire service initials : UPI. (United Press International)

9. Coffee order: Abbr. : REGular

10. Thinks ahead : PLANS

11. Enzyme that breaks down fats : LIPASE. Is there a pill for that?

12. Handy : USEFUL

13. Plays the banjo, like someone "in the kitchen with Dinah" : STRUMS. Here, I'll sing it for you.

        LINK (Montana, this is embedded so I think you shouldn't need the LINK.

18. Unwell : ILL

21. Wetter than wet : SODDEN

22. "The Alphabet Song" start : ABCD

23. "Dies __": Latin hymn : IRAE

25. Mos. and mos. : YRs

26. Fancy tie fabric : SILK

27. "Growing" difficulties : PAINS

29. Craps cube : DIE

33. Spades in a four-spades bridge contract, say : TRUMPS

34. Sunlit courtyards : ATRIA

37. Ireland's __ Féin : SINN. (we ourselves)

39. [error left as is] : [SIC]

40. Soup legume : SPLIT PEA

41. Many a DeMille movie : EPIC

42. Use a keyboard : TYPE

44. Command to Rover : SIT

46. Tribe for which a helicopter is named : APACHE

47. Gave 10% to the church : TITHED

48. Borrowed, as a library book : ON LOAN

50. Japanese religion : SHINTO

53. Phi Beta __ : KAPPA

54. Put a stop to : END

55. Settle, as a debt : REPAY

59. Chaste : PURE

61. NHL player, e.g. : PRO

62. "__ Father, who art ..." : OUR

63. One in Québec : UNE

64. Qt. halves : PTs

65. Nonetheless : YET

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

Happy Birthday to dear Avg Joe, a very observant and no-nonsense guy. Joe is another foodie on our blog and he knows all about soup (well, maybe not miso soup, Gary!).