Thursday, May 8, 2014, David Poole

Theme: "One of these things is not like the other."

16. "Atonement" actress : KEIRA KNIGHTLEY. I remember her from this famous movie series.

Pirates of the Caribbean Cast

23. Aviation pioneer : WILBUR WRIGHT. Ever the salesman, he had hundreds of postcards on the plane he flew at a show in Boston, then sold them to raise money for his next project.

Signed Postcard

37. Dr. Phil, e.g. : POP PSYCHOLOGIST. His methods have garnered some controversy. But he looks a lot like Wilbur Wright, don't you think?

Dr. Phil

52. Kitschy lawn decorations : GARDEN GNOMES. Not just for gardens any more...

Travelocity Gnome

61. Captains of industry : CORPORATE CZARS. I'm not sure this is an "in the language" phrase. I am more familiar with the term "Energy Czar."

Did you spot the theme when solving? I have to admit, it was not apparent to me until I wrote out the five theme entries above.  How clever of David Poole to find two word entries with the same letter beginning both words, but in the second word the letter is silent.

Marti here, to check out the rest.

Across

1. Fast money sources : ATMs. Automated Teller Machine(s). I grit my teeth when I hear someone say they took money from the "ATM machine." (You'll notice a lot of red in the "Across" portion of my write-up…)

5. First name in jazz : ELLA. One song today, and it's a beaut!

9. "The Kite Runner" boy : AMIR.

13. Police jacket acronym : SWAT. Special Weapons and Tactics.

14. Place : LIEU.

15. Peace Nobelist Walesa : LECH.

19. Many a car : SEDAN. Like 21-Across.

20. Abu Dhabi is its cap. : UAE. United Arab Emirates.

21. Cadillac compact : ATS. Attitude Tweaking Sedan.

28. Dickens pen name : BOZ.

31. Motown team : LIONS. LinkedIn Open Networker(s). (Sorry, I got carried away for a moment there…I'm back now.)

32. The Joker, to Batman : ENEMY.

33. Kentucky border river : OHIO.

35. Some four-year degs. : BSs. Bachelor of Science(s). And that's no BS!

36. Cinematic FX : CGI. Computer Generated Imagery.

43. "Up, up and away" carrier : TWA. Trans World Airlines.

44. Suffix in taxonomy : -OTA. Basidiomycota, eukaryota and the like.

45. Slobbering toon dog : ODIE.

46. Host : EMCEE.

49. Maker of XX antiperspirants : ARRID.

51. Fire : AXE.

55. Test for srs. : GRE. Graduate Record Exam.

56. Chargers linebacker Manti __ : TEO.

57. Matthew Broderick originally provided his adult voice : SIMBA.

66. Apiarist in a 1997 film : ULEE. Welcome back, old friend.

67. Lady's business? : AVON. Um, excuse me. Isn't that a little un-PC? There are over 12,000 men who also sell AVON products.

68. Work in the cutting room : EDIT.

69. Genesis creator : SEGA. Service Games. (True!)

70. Email : SEND.

71. Circle opening? : SEMI. Semi-circle.


Down

(Nary a bit of red to be found in this bunch!)

1. Petitions : ASKS.

2. Oh-so-dainty, in Devon : TWEE. I was not familiar with this British definition. But I have heard of "TWEE Pop" referring to certain Indie music.

3. Hotel employee : MAID. Because the more PC term "housekeeper" would not fit.

4. Soda fountain freebie : STRAW.

5. Lodge logo animal : ELK.

6. Vietnam Veterans Memorial designer : LIN. Maya Lin's structure evokes an almost universally emotional response from visitors. And we have another architect in our midst at 27-Down. Covent Garden architect Jones : INIGO. He was slightly before Maya Lin's time.

7. Welcoming ring : LEI. Oh, I was thinking of cell phone ring tones. I always love to hear the one that plays when DH calls me.

8. Bodes : AUGURS.

9. Superhero's cover : ALTER EGO.

10. Blanc who voiced Bugs : MEL.

11. When mammoths roamed : ICE AGE.

12. Musician's asset : RHYTHM.

17. Indigo source : ANIL. INIGO's father?

18. Half a bray : HAW.

22. Place for a mud bath? : STY. I almost put "spa" but then I saw the question mark.

24. Chad neighbor : LIBYA. Chad has lots of neighbors. And four of them are five letters. Eeny, meeny, miny, moe...

25. Anjou cousin : BOSC.

26. Still woolly, perhaps : UNSHORN.

28. Conk : BOP.

29. "So that's your game!" : OHO!

30. Speed : ZIP.

34. Went (for) : OPTED.

36. Demand as due : CLAIM.

38. Fragrant climbing plant : SWEET PEA.

39. Another, in Acapulco : OTRO.

40. Director Lupino : IDA.

41. Milne's "Now We Are __" : SIX. A book of children's verses.

42. Where a driver is often needed : TEE. HG, do you always use a driver off the tee?

46. Frittata ingredient : EGG. Yumm!

47. Neiman's partner : MARCUS. Instead of investing in the fledgling Coca-Cola company in 1907, they decided to start a department store, because "sugary pop" was too risky. Hah!

48. Like jambalaya : CREOLE. Yumm! (Anyone else getting hungry?)

49. Old gathering places : AGORAS.

50. Fam. tree member : DESC.endant.

53. Con lead-in : NEO. Neoconservative. No politics!

54. King and queen, but not prince : SIZES. "Beds" was too short.

58. Identified, as an undercover cop : MADE.

59. Beret's lack : BRIM.

60. European wine area : ASTI.

62. Pump spec. : REG.ular.

63. Blvd. relative : AVE.nue. Kissing cousins to sts.

64. Whole bunch : TON.

65. Remnant : END. And that's exactly what this is!

Marti

Wednesday, May 7, 2014 John Dunn

Theme: "Sends up to" a Beach Boys' album remix?

17A. Chinese noodle dish : CHICKEN CHOW MEIN. Food! Off to a great grid-spanning start, although it wouldn't span the grid in Mandarin with just these two characters: 炒面

Yum!

23A. 1995 Shania Twain album : THE WOMAN IN ME. This Canadian (who knew?) singer is credited with having a scientifically-perfect face based on "golden ratio" proportions.

47A. Greeter of new homeowners : WELCOME WAGON. New to me. I didn't know the next theme entry either, so very reliant on crosses down in this area.

57A. Will Schuester portrayer on "Glee" : MATTHEW MORRISON. I needed to be introduced to him today.

and the reveal tucked away in the middle of the grid:

38A. Whiskas alternative ... or, literally, what's hidden in 17-, 23-, 47- and 57-Across : MEOW MIX

Welcome to Wednesday everyone! Steve here with a fine anagram-themed puzzle from John Dunn. I love anagrams and so I threw in an extra one with my posting title. Extra credit for the solution to that!

This puzzle gave me fits for a Wednesday - it took me quite some time; in fact longer than last Saturday's Silkie. Finally I had to WAG the "U" for the UBOATS/UGARTE intersect - EGARTE would have looked equally correct to me. When we opened up with "Z" I was looking out for a pangram but in the end we're missing a Q.

Across:

1. Takes out in an arcade, as bad guys : ZAPS

5. Longtime AFL president Gompers : SAMUEL. I was surprised I'd not heard of him as I'm such a sports fan, but then I discovered that the clue refers to the American Federation of Labor, not the American Football League.

11. Rank above cpl. : SGT

14. Spread unit : ACRE

15. Really enjoys : IS INTO

16. Quattro meno uno : TRE. Spanish math class today!

20. Clothes line : HEM. Check the clecho at 43A

21. Antiquing agent : AGER. For faux antiques. The genuine agent is time.

22. "A Farewell to __" : ARMS

27. Lincoln Town Cars, e.g. : SEDANS. Almost always black, for some reason.

30. Highest point : ACME. Apex went in first, then came out just as quickly.

31. "Jeopardy!" name : ALEX. Mr. Trebek one of only two names in the puzzle today that I knew. I didn't know that he is part Canadian.

32. Hanging around : LOITERING. Doing this "with intent" used to be a crime in the UK. It's still not actually legal, but you now violate the wider "Criminal Attempts Act".

37. Org. for Hawks but not Eagles : NBA. The purist in me would have liked to have seen this clued this as "Org. for Hawks but not Falcons" as they're both Atlanta-based teams.

40. Pivotal : KEY

41. Commonly yellow blooms : DAFFODILS. I thought all daffodils were yellow, but I'm not a horticulturist. I thought the white/yellow varieties were narcissi.

43. Clothes line : SEAM

44. Not quite closed : AJAR

45. WWII fleet : U-BOATS. As I mentioned earlier, I could easily have put E in place of U.

52. Missouri River tribe : OTOE

53. "Dies __" : IRAE

54. Deluge refuge : ARK. Loved the clue.

62. Was tricked by a worm? : BIT. It took a few beats to see this one - from the perspective of a fish.

63. Pull into, as a motel : STOP AT

64. Late-night rival of Jimmy and Jimmy : DAVE. Letterman, to Fallon and Kimmel.

65. Pavement warning : SLO. If you drive on the pavement in the UK you'll get arrested - that's what Brits call the sidewalk.

66. "__ here": "Poltergeist" : THEY'RE. I've never seen it and never will - I can't watch horror movies, they scare the bejasus out of me. I snuck into "The Exorcist" when I was about 14 and I had to sleep with the light on for a month.

67. Expel with force : SPEW

Down:

1. "The Hangover" actor Galifianakis : ZACH. I'm terrible with actors' names. I saw the movie but didn't have a clue with this one.

2. Workout consequence : ACHE

3. Schoolmarmish : PRIM.

4. "Hold on a __!" : SEC

5. Extended attacks : SIEGES

6. Good __: fully restored : AS NEW

7. Start to manage? : MICRO. Micromanage. Another fun clue/answer.

8. The Wildcats of the America East Conf. : U.N.H.

9. 1940s mil. zone : E.T.O. The European Theater of Operations. I think it should be "theatre" being as it's Europe.

10. Cattle call : LOW. Hand up for MOO first.

11. Back at sea : STERN

12. Fairy tale brother : GRIMM

13. High-strung : TENSE

18. Lyricist Gus : KAHN. I had to look him up, he has quite a body of work including this gem.

19. Champion skier known as the "Herminator": MAIER. The other name that I knew. He is famous for getting up after this amazing crash during the Nagano Olympics downhill event and winning gold medals in giant slalom and Super-G a couple of days later.

23. Strain : TAX

24. Seriously injures : MAIMS

25. Overture follower : ACT I

26. "Breaking Bad" setting: Abbr. : N.MEX. I just stared watching season 1 - I'm a tad behind the times when it comes to popular TV culture.

27. Beach pailful : SAND

28. Where Napoleon was exiled : ELBA. He was able, ere he saw it.

29. Like The Who's Tommy : DEAF. Also mute and blind; he wasn't dealt a good hand. Did you know his last name was Walker?

Elton John exercising his usual understated restraint in "Tommy"

32. River through Tours : LOIRE. The Loire Valley is one of the most beautiful parts of Europe.

33. Head-rotating bird : OWL

34. Source of much dorm furniture : IKEA

35. "Groovy!" : NEAT

36. Fitness centers : GYMS

38. Magic amulet : MOJO

39. Mild cheese : EDAM

42. Gem surface : FACET

43. George W., to George : SON

45. Lorre's "Casablanca" role : UGARTE. No idea, and came close to having me stumped as I mentioned before.

46. Certain Afrikaner : BOER. I thought all Afrikaners were Boers? This seems to suggest that there are Afrikaners who are not.

47. Areas for development : WOMBS

48. Cybercommerce : ETAIL. It took me a while to shake E-TRADE out of my head.

49. Numbers game : LOTTO

50. Not macho at all : WIMPY. It's a fast food chain in the UK and pre-McDonald's invasion it was pretty much the only place to get a burger. Take my word for it - they were not good.

51. Like a loud crowd : AROAR

54. "By yesterday!" letters : ASAP. Tempted by STAT, resisted.

55. Gad about : ROVE. I'd like to see Karl do this, so I could say I saw Rove rove.

56. Had down cold : KNEW

58. FDR successor : HST.  Hunter S. Thompson? Wait, no, Harry S. Truman

59. Biblical verb suffix : -ETH

60. Misfortune : WOE

61. They may be checked at the door : ID'S. This was my first US driver's license before the stress of living in California turned my hair gray.

... and with that I'm done, or as the ruler said to the knuckles - it's a rap!

Tuesday, May 6, 2014 Pam Amick Klawitter

Theme: What's between your ears? - I think my mother might have chosen any one of these synonyms that start our theme entries to answer that question.

17A. Fill-in-the-amount document : BLANK CHECK

25A. Expanding bullet : HOLLOW POINT

37A. Uncomprehending look : VACANT STARE

52A. Like men modeling swimming trunks : BARE-CHESTED

61A. Insincere talk, and a hint to the starts of this puzzle's four other longest entries : EMPTY WORDS

Argyle here. This seemed easy when I solved it but after writing up the blog, there seems to be some wicked entries. Whether or not they formed some Naticks remains to be seen. Two strong corners are nice. Good in-the-language entries makes up for the random obscurity.

Across:

1. SoCal enforcement squad : LAPD

5. "12 Angry Men" star Henry : FONDA. (1957)

10. Swimming spot : POOL

14. Seat of Allen County, Kansas : IOLA. Motto: "Come home to Iola, Kansas...it's time"

15. Queen __ lace : ANNE'S

16. Cherub, in Chambéry : ANGE. Chambéry is a city in southeastern France.

19. Actress Ward : SELA

20. Made sure of : SAW TO

21. Dines at home : EATS IN

23. Place to check your balance, briefly : ATM

28. Feathery scarves : BOAs

30. Put down, in slang : DIS

31. Marinara sauce brand : PREGO

32. Bear witness : ATTEST

35. Stun, as a perp : TASE

41. French girlfriend : AMIE

42. Soviet newspaper : PRAVDA

45. Horoscope columnist Sydney : OMARR. (1926 – 2003)

49. Opening for a chorus line : TRA

51. Free from bias : FAIR

56. Family animal : PET

57. With perfection : TO A TEE

58. Roofing piece : SLATE

60. Prefix with sphere : ATMO

66. Wife and sister of Osiris : ISIS

67. Seated yoga position : LOTUS. And he is bare chested.

68. Increase, as prices : GO UP

69. Loch with a monster : NESS

70. Garden tool : SPADE

71. Crooner Williams : ANDY

Down:

1. Ad-__: improvise : LIB

2. Internet giant : AOL

3. Flat panel in many a sports bar : PLASMA TV

4. Funnyman Carvey : DANA

5. Ipso __ : FACTO

6. Waiting to talk to a real person, say : ON HOLD

7. Peoria-to-Green Bay dir. : NNE

8. End-of-year abbr. : DEC.

9. Out of kilter : ASKEW

10. Sunday speaker : PASTOR

11. Baby shower bodysuit : ONESIE

12. Leering at : OGLING

13. Makeshift shelter : LEAN-TO

18. Electric bill meas. : KWH. (kilowatt hour)

22. Pop up : APPEAR

23. Lawyer's gp. : ABA. (American Bar Association)

24. Day care attendee : TOT

26. Ignores the trash can : LITTERS

27. Mama bears, in Spain : OSAs

29. Dead __ Scrolls : SEA. The Dead Sea Scrolls are a collection of texts discovered inside caves about a mile from the shore of the Dead Sea.

33. Not widely available : SCARCE

34. Scottish hat : TAM

36. Gas additive brand : STP

38. Nick at __ : NITE

39. WWII fliers : RAF. (Royal Air Force)

40. Tony-winning role for Patti LuPone : EVA PERON. Evita opened at the Broadway Theatre on 25 September 1979 and closed on 26 June 1983, after 1,567 performances.

43. Roller with pips : DIE. The little square that rolls.

44. Gallery showing : ART

45. Gain possession of : OBTAIN

46. China's __-tung : MAO TSE. (Mao Zedong)

47. One of the Musketeers : ARAMIS. His fellow Musketeers are Athos and Porthos.

48. Freshen, as the salad : RETOSS

50. Available for breeding : AT STUD

53. Sexy-looking shoes : HEELS

54. Steven's wife on "Family Ties" : ELYSE

55. Margery of kids' rhyme : DAW. Stopped in for a second visit.

59. Frat party wrap : TOGA

62. Unruly head of hair : MOP

63. School support org. : PTA

64. Flop : DUD

65. Undercover agent : SPY

Argyle

Monday, May 5, 2014 Kevin Christian

Theme: You may have a concussion - Are you seeing stars everywhere?

20A. Where to see stars in school : ASTRONOMY CLASS

37A. Where to see stars in the service : MILITARY UNIFORM

53A. Where to see stars in theaters : HOLLYWOOD MOVIE

¡Hola! Argyle here on Cinco de Mayo. This near pangram(missing a Q), has the unifier in the clues today, like a little twist of lime to give it some zest.

Across:

1. Mar. 17th honoree : ST. PAT.

6. Amazed : AWED

10. Gray timber wolf : LOBO

14. Pasta sauce brand : PREGO

15. Sonny's partner : CHER

16. Et __: and others : ALIA. (neuter plural)

17. Word before PG or PG-13 : RATED

18. Sacred : HOLY

19. Bismarck is its cap. : N. DAK

23. "__ will be done ...": Lord's Prayer : THY

24. Summer zodiac sign : LEO. The big cat in the sky.

25. Of the flock : LAIC

26. Actress Taylor, familiarly : LIZ. I had LIV at first. Must have been thinking Tyler.

27. Hearty dish : STEW. Is there a special dish for Cinco de Mayo?

29. Concealed : HID

32. Knives' sharp sides : EDGES

35. "Gone With the Wind" plantation : TARA

36. Yoko from Tokyo : ONO

41. Chinese chairman : MAO

42. Get beaten : LOSE

43. "Honest!" : "NO LIE!"

44. Capone and Capp : ALs

45. Voice below soprano : ALTO

46. Pres. between HST and JFK : DDE

47. __ gin fizz : SLOE

49. Regret : RUE

50. Unit of work : ERG

57. Coffee, in slang : JAVA

58. __ Crunch: cereal brand : CAP'N

59. Tolerate : ABIDE

60. "Um, excuse me ..." : "AHEM..."

61. Fired : AXED

62. Memoranda : NOTES

63. __ avis : RARA

64. One lacking experience : TYRO

65. John of tractors : DEERE

Down:

1. Jack who ate no fat : SPRAT. His wife ate no lean.

2. Garbage : TRASH

3. Trivial, as a complaint : PETTY

4. New __: modern spiritualist : AGER

5. Slate of errands and chores : 'TO DO' LIST

6. Sound evoking "Gesundheit!" : "ACHOO!"

7. Hemingway's "For __ the Bell Tolls" : WHOM

8. Slippery : EELY

9. Launder, as a suit : DRY CLEAN

10. Polynesian porch : LANAI

11. Like some conservative teaching methods : OLD SCHOOL

12. Prejudice : BIAS

13. Mighty tree : OAK. I hear he was just an acorn when he started.

21. Pince-__ glasses : NEZ

22. Attorney's field : LAW

26. Floral necklace : LEI

27. Authority : SAY SO

28. "That's a good point" : "TRUE". Usually followed by "but".

30. Crucifix letters : INRI. (Latin: Iesus Nazarenus, Rex Iudaeorum)

31. Bowl-shaped roof : DOME

32. Actress Thompson : EMMA

33. Rotary phone part : DIAL

34. Handle superficially : GLOSS OVER

35. Home run jog : TROT

38. Prowling feline : ALLEY CAT

39. Extremely popular : IN DEMAND

40. Enemy : FOE

45. "You've got mail" company : AOL

46. Firecracker that doesn't crack : DUD

48. Andean animal : LLAMA

49. Sonata movement : RONDO. English from Italian, from French (a little circle, appropriately)

50. Online party request : EVITE

51. One on horseback : RIDER

52. Canada honkers : GEESE

53. "That's funny!" : "HA-HA"

54. Like crayons : WAXY

55. Abbr. on a phone's "0" button : OPER. (operator) Do they still exist live?

56. Double-reed instrument : OBOE

57. Cookie container : JAR

Argyle

Sunday May 4, 2014 Wren Schultz

Theme: "Never Mind" - IT is removed from each theme entry.

23A. Mashed potatoes feature? : CENTER OF GRAVY. Center of gravity.

34A. Signature clothes-washing move? : CREATIVE WRING. Creative writing.

51A. Bear with backup musicians? : SMOKEY AND THE BAND. Smokey and the Bandit.

69A. Heads-up from your co-star about a former mate in the wings? : EX STAGE LEFT. Exit stage left.

87A. Home of robot jugglers and digital clowns? : ELECTRONIC CIRCUS. Electronic circuits.

104A. Stylist's jobs? : BUILDING PERMS. Building permits. 

Reveal entry:

118A. "Never mind," and a hint to this puzzle's theme : FORGET ABOUT IT

69A is an odd man out in that it's the only them entry where the first word has IT dropped. Rich must like the answer a lot to allow for the inconsistency. Argyle sent me this clip to share with you.

I think this is Wren Schultz's debut puzzle. Congratulations! Sunday's grid is at least twice as hard to make as the weekday grids. Not sure if this is our Wren.

Across:

1. "100 Years...100 Movies" org. : AFI (American Film Institute)

4. Bill and Hillary, e.g. : ELIs. They met at Yale.

8. Gives a boost, say : AIDs

12. Direction from Columbus, Ohio, to Columbia, S.C. : SSE

15. Mister Rogers' network : PBS

18. Fall back on : RESORT TO

20. "True __": 2010 Best Picture nominee : GRIT. By the Cohen Brothers. Native Minnesotans.

21. Sound qualities : TIMBRES

25. Board at a station : ENTRAIN

26. Prefix with meter : ALTI

27. Nebraska native : OTOE

28. Martini garnish : OLIVE

30. Wheat whiskers : AWNS. Does Quinoa have AWNs also? Our local Star Tribune has a fantastic Quinoa Salad the other day.

31. Jefferson and others, religiously : DEISTS

37. Marine eagle : ERN

38. Rap sheet letters : AKA

40. BTWs, in letters : PSS

41. Casually considered, with "with" : TOYED

42. Walk unsteadily : LIMP

44. Takei role : SULU

47. "__ I know ..." : AS FAR

58. Simpson judge : ITO (Lance)

59. Cookie sellers : SCOUTS. Wish they would find some other creative outlets.

60. Night sky feline : LEO

61. Stoked : FUELED

62. 86-Across, overseas : LTD. And 86. 62-Across, in the States : INC

63. Shot : PHOTO

64. Poker variety : OMAHA. Ben Affleck was just caught counting cards at the Hard Rock Casino last Thursday.

66. Dismissal : OUSTER

68. Picturesque Japanese peak : FUJI

69.  "A Jug of Wine ..." poet: OMAR

75. Granola cousin : MUESLI. Sweet Argyle sent me a bottle of New York maple syrup. I used a bit to marinate my salmon the other day. Delicious! Will make some granola next week.

77. Take in : ADOPT

78. Put up : ERECT

79. China's Chou En-__ : LAI. Loved him.

80. Tried it : HAD A GO (at)

84. Innovative musician Brian : ENO

85. Crime scene clues : PRINTS

90. Sweater type : V NECK

92. In : COOL

93. Decimal opening : HEXA. Six.

94. "Peg Woffington" author : READE (Charles). Never heard of the book or the author.

97. Flips, e.g. : DOS. Flip is hairstyle?

100. Have some grub : EAT

101. Moon and Starr: Abbr. : QBs. Bart Starr. Warren Moon. Great clue.

109. Tennis rival of Roger : RAFAEL (Nadal)

111. Sticky situation : MESS

112. Helicopter part : ROTOR

113. Wide sizes : EEES

115. O'Neill's "__ Christie" : ANNA

116. Briefs : CLUES IN. Not underwear.

122. Nomeite, for one : ALASKAN

123. Salad dressing initialism, à la Rachael Ray : EVOO. Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

124. Cut off : ALIENATE

125. Business card abbr. : TEL

126. Game show purchase : AN "E"

127. Bring under control, with "in" : REIN

128. Watch over : TEND

129. Lawn roll : SOD

Down:

1. Skee-Ball locale : ARCADE

2. Antenna : FEELER

3. Left for the day, maybe : ISN'T IN

4. Poetic preposition : ERE

5. Copier size: Abbr. : LTR

6. Accord starter : I, TOO. I'd prefer this clued as a partial.

7. Start to celebrate? : SOFT C. The first letter in celebrate.

8. Goes along : AGREES

9. George's lyrical brother : IRA (Gershwin)

10. Torn-up turf piece : DIVOT

11. PDA pokers : STYLI. Parse it as "Poke-rs".

12. "Wildboyz" co-host : STEVE-O. No idea. They look ridiculous.

13. Muscular : SINEWY

14. CPR pro : EMT

15. Shrimp kin : PRAWN

16. "__ John Malkovich" : BEING

17. Govt. nos. : SSNs

19. Spunkmeyer of cookie fame : OTIS

22. Pippi's do : BRAIDS

24. Trail food : GORP.  Read here. "Good Old Raisins and Peanuts" makes sense to me.

29. ICU sight : IV TUBE

32. Chat up : TALK TO

33. What's up? : SKIES. The clue is calling for singular SKY, isn't it?

35. Right hand: Abbr. : ASST

36. Checks in the accounting office : RE-ADDS

39. Actress Poehler : AMY

43. Where to get dates : PALMS. Date palms.

45. Old TV dial letters : UHF

46. Romanian coin : LEU. Learned from doing crosswords.

48. List on the left : FILE MENU

49. Acts like an opposite? : ATTRACTS. Nice clue.

50. Piece for a hood : ROD

51. "Kinderszenen" composer : SCHUMANN. Got via crosses. I know nothing about classical music. Anything western was forbidden when I grew up.

52. Milk for kids? : MOO JUICE

53. Unlikely lint-gatherer : OUTIE

54. "No ice, please" : NEAT

55. Qatar's capital : DOHA

56. Calling for a lookup? : ALOFT. Oh, like this. Are you going to get a new cat, Dave?

57. Not masc. or fem. : NEUT

59. Sunscreen letters : SPF

64. Rust, e.g. : OXIDE

65. Turkish bigwig : AGA. Or BEY.

67. Like an inner tube : TORIC

69. Mideast flier : EL AL

70. Legendary tree site : EDEN. Tree of Knowledge & Tree of Life.

71. Anderson of "WKRP in Cincinnati" : LONI

72. Distinctive time : EPOCH

74. Some NFL linemen : RTd (Right Tackles)

76. Mideast currency : SHEKEL. Israeli currency.

78. List in a subsequent printing, perhaps : ERRATA

79. Actress Tyler : LIV

81. Sound common to Boston and New York : ACCENT. I can't tell the distinctions between those two. 

82. Pontiac muscle car : GTO

83. Goal for explorer Coronado : ORO. Gold is "Kim" in Korean, as in Kim Jong-Il or Kim Jong-un.

85. "Up" studio : PIXAR

88. Ye follower, often : OLDE

89. Average mark : CEE

91. War precipitators : CRISES

95. Name of six popes : ADRIAN

96. Singer Warwick : DIONNE

98. Old trail terminus : OREGON

99. Barrie baddie : SMEE

101. City of Botany Bay flier : QANTAS. Acronym for "Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services".

102. 1800s Mexican leader Juárez : BENITO. I forgot this guy. We had him before.

103. Scheduled : SLATED

104. Ball focus : BELLE

105. Standard : USUAL

106. Errand runner : GOFER

107. Erase all doubt about : PROVE. Have any of you seen "Doubt"?  Is Father Flynn bad or innocent?

108. Attack : SET AT

110. Man-goat deity : FAUN. Satyr in Greek.

111. Doc-to-be's exam : MCAT

114. Clearance event : SALE

117. Reggae relative : SKA

119. "Vive le __!" : ROI

120. Rubbish receptacle : BIN

121. Heavy ref. : OED (Oxford English Dictionary)

C.C.

Saturday, May 3rd, 2014, Barry C. Silk

Theme: Saturday Silkie

Words: 70 (missing J,Q,X)

Blocks: 33

    A great puzzle from our Saturday Stalwart, Sr. Silk - we had to wait a bit since his last (Apr 5th; almost a month~!)  I liked this puzzle because I cheated, W.A.G.ed and actually knew some things, too - and that means I learned something.  Nifty little pinwheel design with double-word-only stacks in a spiral pattern, plus a couple more 9- and 10-letter words on the inside as well.  The "it looks easy" 4-4-5 across the top was deceiving, to say the least; some of the longer fill:

18a. Bonobo, e.g. : CHIMPANZEE - Also a musician

28d. Australian red formerly called Hermitage : SHIRAZ WINE - a guide for those who can partake of the alcoholic grape

47a. It needs to be refined : CRUDE METAL - Because CRUDE OIL was not enough - how about some crude metal hair band music?

3d. Out of order : ON THE BLINK - When I was growing up, it was usually the TV that suffered this malady

Flowers Onward~! (From C.C.: The blue-eyed girl?)

ACROSS:

1. Trudge : PLOD - Um, OK, so, TREK, WALK, STEP....

5. Sonoma County seat Santa __ : ROSA - A WAG off the "O"

9. Square : PLAZA - anyone else in "dweeb" mode here?  Oh, that kind of square

14. Late great? : LENO - Ah, the V-8 can - DUCK~!

15. Sci. subject : ASTRonomy - For some reason, I was pre-qualifying this as a "high school" subject, and not Science in general

16. Eponymous golf promoter Samuel : RYDER - His famous Ryder Cup is the prize for the winning team of USA vs. Europe players

17. FYI relative : ATTN.

20. Brief disclaimer : IMHO - Seen frequently here at the Blog, "In My Humble Opinion"

21. Provider of sound testimony? : EAR-WITNESS

22. Saw things : TEETH - Nailed it - did not fool me with "seeing"

24. Priceless? : FREE - Yup

25. Crayola color since 1949 : BRICK RED

28. Diving duck : SMEW - I tried TEAL

32. Uses a management training technique : ROLE PLAYS

34. Title imaginary friend in a Neil Diamond hit : SHILO - I have spent my music links

35. Fast ship : CLIPPER - "Fast ship? You've never heard of the Millennium Falcon?"

36. DVD staple : TRAILER - Annoying, actually - and I do not have Star Wars on DVD - just VHS ( for shame )

38. Silicon Valley college : MENLO - all perps

39. Tempo notation : ALLA BREVE

41. Slow : POKY

42. Liver delicacy : FOIE GRAS

43. "The Wizard of Oz" farmhand : ZEKE

44. San Diego State athlete : AZTEC - Total cheat on my part - Googled it

53. Policy pro : WONK - New word for me; these two across clues messed up the whole SE

54. Transcends : RISES ABOVE

55. Prefix with Aryan : INDO

56. Free __ : AGENT

57. "The Last King of Scotland" tyrant : AMIN

58. Caution to a German shepherd, say : NEIN - Ah, not "HEEL" - that would be a German Shepherd - ah, you deceiver, Barry Silk~!

59. Longtime NFL coach Schottenheimer : MARTY - WAG/perp for me

60. Stop : REST

61. Uruguay's Punta del __ : ESTE

DOWN:


1. Braid : PLAIT

2. "I can do it" : LET ME

4. Phrase in much computer-generated mail : DO NOT REPLY

5. Speed : RACE - RUSH was my first try

6. Federal inspection org. : OSHA

7. Cook quickly : STIR FRY

8. Compete in a strength contest : ARM WRESTLE

9. Jabber : PRATE

10. "Coal Miner's Daughter" subject : LYNN - Loretta

11. Shop shaper : ADZE - LATHE was too long, so I pondered RASP and FILE

12. You might catch a few : ZEES - Had it, removed it, put it back in

13. Father of Deimos : ARES - Greek Gods

19. Patchy : PIED - when this filled, I had to duck again

23. Semiaquatic heavyweight : HIPPO

26. Largest OH airport : CLEveland - Cincinnati's airport is actually in Covington, KY

27. Place to enjoy a sharp drinker? : KARAOKE BAR - musically "sharp", but most of the time, 'atonal' is a better way to describe it

29. Noteworthy events : MILESTONES

30. Abbr. on some city limit signs : ELEVation

31. Had on : WORE

32. Ottawa-based law gp. : RCMP - One of those "ooh, I know this one~!" answers

33. Stick on a fridge door : OLEO - another bit of misdirection that did not get past me - a stick of margarine, not a magnet

34. Tel Aviv native : SABRA

37. Syncopated piece : RAG

40. 1962 hit with the lyrics "the truth could mean I'd lose you" : LIE TO ME

42. Disaster relief org. : FEMA

43. Piquant : ZESTY

45. Split up : END IT

46. Designer fragrance : ck ONE

47. Squeeze : CRAM

48. Baltic seaport : RIGA - No more maps for you~!

49. End __ : USER

50. Noticeable progress : DENT - I am making a dent in my list of things to get done around here, and it feels good, too.  The rental apartment at mom's house is vacant again, so that needs to be cleaned up, I just replaced the valve cover gasket on my car, and changed the plugs; today I tackle the thermostat.  Now the battery idiot light came on in the other car -  the list never seems to get shorter....

51. Dollar alternative : AVIS - Rental car places

52. Nearly six-week period : LENT - An educated WAG

Splynter

Friday, May 2, 2014, Gareth Bain

Theme: C'mon boys, saddle up and let's go get 'em.

The letters EM are added to 4 in the language phrases with an extremely clever reveal. We are back basking in the complicated mind of our favorite South African veterinarian, GARETH Bain, who as you can see from the Interview linked has been with us almost from the beginning of the switch to the LA Times, which coincided with his getting published in the US. The reveal HOLD 'EM, is reminiscent of his first puzzle where the letters ON were removed, with the reveal NIXON. I really enjoy how he locks onto these words and phrases and builds a puzzle. He also obviously works very hard to use a varied fill drawing from many parts of pop and historic culture. He also manages to make the puzzles very accessible to Americans despite his own background. We also get some interesting animal information. Finally, there is some really fun long down fill (to keep from being confused with the across where the theme is) like DAIRY FARMER, KODAK MOMENT. It is so obvious how much effort he puts in to his grid, still finding time for his work and blogging at Crossword Fiend.

19A. Organized group of female monarchs? : EMPRESS CORPS (12). A nice visual of Queen Elizabeth hosting a bunch of female world leaders; more interesting than a bunch of news people.

30A. Ingredient in a concrete American flag? : RED CEMENT (9). A simple penny becomes another visual.

40A. Plastic leg bone? : FAKE FEMUR.(9).Fake fur no more.

53A. Line of hunky monarchs? : HEMAN DYNASTY.(12). I am not an expert on the Han Dynasty, but we have C.C. and others to fill in the blanks. (Note from C.C.: My hometown Xi'An (called Chang'An then) was the capital city of Han Dynasty. Xi'An was the capital city to four Chinese dynasties: Zhou, Qin, Han, Tang. Hence my given name Zhouqin. Chinese written characters are called "Han characters", and over 90% of Chinese are ethically Han people). (Correction: ethnically. Thanks, Big Easy!)

and the reveal

57A. Poker variety ... and what the four longest across answers do? : HOLD 'EM.

Across:

1. It comes from goats : MOHAIR. We begin in the animal kingdom, but my mind goes to this LINK.

7. Old hand : PRO. Gareth was 22 and just beginning in 2009, now he is an old pro.

10. Margery of nursery rhyme : DAW. An old time British (Steve?) nursery rhyme that I heard in my early days. WATCH. (0:53).

13. Reason to be at sea? : ENIGMA. This is the idiom, being at sea, as lost confused.

14. Leak slowly : SEEP.

15. Pub choice : ALE. For Tin and my children.

16. Colorful freshwater fish : TETRAS.

17. 1994 Schwarzenegger film : TRUE LIES. Some very funny parts with Jamie Lee Curtis.

21. Waterskiing challenges : WAKES. from the boat pulling you.

24. Role for Ronny : OPIE. The old Andy Griffith Show gets lots of puzzle exposure.

25. Blood __ : TYPE. Clecho alert!

26. Blood system letters : A B O.

27. Pelion neighbor : MT. OSSA. There is also one in Tasmania, but we climb here in GREECE.

29. Vulpine critter : FOX. More animal info, one of the many groups ending in INE, reminiscent of a recent puzzle.

33. Overwhelming amount : SEA.

35. Feel a strong desire (for) : STARVE. Affection anyone?

36. Former German chancellor Adenauer : KONRAD. I do remember DER ALTE.

39. Fancy carp : KOI. The goldfish of the rich.

43. Mooch : BUM When I smoked it was often OP cigarettes.

45. "Cows of Our Planet" cartoonist : LARSON. The far Side guy.

47. Mesozoic, e.g. : ERA.

48. Old folk song composer, often: Abbr. : ANON. A shout out to our trolls.

50. Bread often served with ghee : NAAN.

51. Hat material : STRAW.

56. Catholic recitation phrase : AVE MARIA. Latin.

61. Chess components : MEN. Even the Queen; very un-pc.

62. Parker array : PENS. Old time company.  LINK.

63. Restless feeling : UNEASE.

64. Hill occupant : ANT. If it is three letters, it is ant.

65. Anti-aging treatment target : SAG. I will not link any pictures out of respect.

66. Named : TERMED. This was tricky, even thought it makes sense.

Down:

1. Ran into : MET.

2. 1992 U2 song : ONE. Do you really remember songs by the year? LISTEN.(4:36).

3. Popular song : HIT. Perfect follow up to the song. Do you...

4. Correspond : AGREE.

5. Mosque VIPs : IMAMS.

6. Gravelly sound : RASP. Janis Joplin?

7. Don't give up : PERSIST.

8. Practices one of the environmental three R's : RE-USES. I was not familiar with this CONCEPT.

9. Barrel-conscious gp. : OPEC. Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries

10. Jersey owner, maybe : DAIRY FARMER. Jersey Cows, unrelated to Gary Larson, but nicer clue/fill.

11. Syria's most populous city : ALEPPO. Not Damascus. LEARN.

12. Thomas Hardy setting : WESSEX. All you need to know and MORE.

14. Squish : STEP ON.

18. Nephew of Abraham : LOT. I wonder if he learned to hate salt? Anyway, did anyone see NOAH?

20. Dull repetition : ROTE. Not Kyle or Tobin....

21. Cola __ : WARS.

22. Help in a heist : ABET.

23. Ideal time to snap? : KODAK MOMENT. Really great fill.

27. Bovary title: Abbr. : MME. Abbreviation of the French Madame.

28. Starting from : AS OF.

31. HUN neighbor, to the IOC : CROatia. The International Olympic Committee like three letter Country names.

32. Baleful : EVIL.

34. Capt.'s course : ENE.

36. Knowledge : KEN. From the Scottish I believe and unrelated to Barbie.

37. Mystique : AURA.

38. Billiards backspin : DRAW. Another example of the wonderfully diverse knowledge in a GB puzzle.

40. Wearing a lot : FRAYING. A fun reverse clue, where the wear is on a tear.

41. Yoga class regimen : ASANAS. A new yoga STUDIO opened 100 feet from my apartment.

42. Hawaiian coffee-growing region : KONA. I wonder where all of our Hawaii readers are hiding.

43. Grand __ : BAHAMA. Freeport, very close to Fort Lauderdale.

44. Spotty : UNEVEN.

46. Lead singer of the Irish rock group The Corrs : ANDREA. Hmm, U2, the Corrs...

49. Where many vets served : NAM. Too many died.

51. Peach pit : STONE.

52. "House of Payne" creator __ Perry : TYLER. TV show from the very successful producer/actor. LINK.(2:37)

54. Snoozes : NAPS.

55. Turned (off) : SHUT.

58. Sire's mate : DAM. Our final animal clue of the day.

59. Legal closing? : ESE. Legalese.

60. Club __ : MED. Short for Mediterranean and the first of the all-inclusive vacation sites.

I had such a good time I may have gotten carried away; thanks Gareth and I hope you all enjoy the tour.  Lemonade out.

Note from C.C.:

The third Minnesota Crossword Tournament will be held on June 22 at The Landmark Center in Saint Paul. Please click here for more information. The puzzles are all made by our local constructors or constructors with MN ties (Andrea Carla Michaels, e.g.).  The local constructors include Tom Pepper, George Barany, David Hanson, David Liben-Nowell, Dan Kantor, Jay Kaskel & Victor Barocas (also our editor). Don G and Andy Kravis also took part in the effort. A few are our LA Times constructors. All have been published by the NY Times.

I look forward to seeing some of you there. You'll love this year's puzzles!

Left to right: Tom Pepper; Marcia J. Brott; George Barany; David Hanson; DK, C.C.; Andrea; Boomer & Victor Barocas

June 2013