Friday, May 23, 2014, Sam Ezersky

Theme: "I'll have the usual."

Let's start with the reveal today:
56-Across. Pub purchases, and a hint to this puzzle's circled letters : MIXED DRINKS. If you had the circles, it was a pretty easy scrambled letter theme to spot.

11-Down. Refuse transports : DRAIN PIPES. Pepsi - overwhelmed by the competition in this puzzle?

17-Across. No ordinary creation : MASTERPIECE. Sprite - made by Coca-Cola Co.

27-Down. Record player : DISC JOCKEY. Coke - Coca-Cola's original.

35-Across. Colonial environment? : ANT FARM. Fanta - also made by the Coca-Cola Co.

Marti here, switching with Lemony who was kind enough to blog my puzzle yesterday. In this one, well-known brands are mixed up inside the theme entries. I thought the theme was well-done, and enjoyed seeing the spiral pattern with a bonus 7-letter themer smack in the middle. And just missing a Q for a pangram. Let's see what else Sam is offering today.

Across:

1. Meddle, in a way : KIBITZ. Great word to start off!

7. Regarding : AS TO.

11. Shakes at rehab : DTS. Not the ice cream drinks, but Delirium Tremens.  Not nearly as fun.

14. Carelessness? : APATHY. Great misdirection. Not caring makes you apathetic.

15. Skater Michelle : KWAN.

16. P-like letter : RHO. I can kind of see the similarity…

Greek RHO

19. 2008 govt. bailout recipient : AIG.

20. Some Super Bowl highlights : ADS.

21. Typical leader? : STEREO. Stereotypical.

22. Send an IM to : PING. IM = Instant Message.

23. More than glance over : PEER AT.

24. "__ Tonk Women" : HONKY. Rolling Stones classic, but I'm saving my music link for a better one.

25. Golfer's concern : BAD BACK. Do you think Tiger will ever…

28. Get ready on the golf course : TEE UP. …again?

30. Pelican relative : IBIS.

31. Like the action in "High Noon" : REAL TIME.

34. NFL's Jim Brown et al. : FBS. Fullbacks. Before he was an actor, he played for the Cleveland Browns his entire career 1957-65, and set several records. His 1,863 rushing yards in the 1963 season remains the all-time record for that franchise to this day.

38. __ patch : PEA.

39. Walls are an important part of it : FACEBOOK.

41. Drop-down item : MENU.

42. Cartoon mouse : JERRY.

Tom's nemesis

43. Instrument for Jimmy Dorsey : ALTO SAX. Here's my choice for today. Classic! 1:25

46. "The Hot Zone" subject : EBOLA.

48. '90s sitcom neighborhood : BEL AIR. "The Fresh Prince of BEL AIR."

50. Gossamer : LACY. A bit of gossamer lace for the guys.

51. Like some livestock : BOVINE. And it's only fair to have some BEEFcake for the ladies.

52. "__ Am": 2007 Alicia Keys album : AS I.

55. "For shame!" : TSK.

58. Pickax picking : ORE.

59. Yemeni seaport : ADEN.

60. Tout's tidbit : HOT TIP.

61. "Opposed" : NAY.

62. Kid : JEST.

63. Entry for Ripley : ODDITY.


Down:

1. Hindu god of desire : KAMA. The Sanskrit term also means pleasure and love - one of the four goals of life.

2. Air, for one : IPAD. The iPad Air was CNet's 2013 Editors' Top Pick for the best full-size tablet.

3. Largemouth __ : BASS.

4. Long-haired cousin : ITT. From "The Addams Family."

5. Debussy work, across the English Channel : THE SEA. In French, "La Mer."

6. Allergy medication brand : ZYRTEC.

7. Director Kurosawa : AKIRA. 1910-1988. Prolific and influential film maker. I remember his "Seven Samurai."

8. Southern brew : SWEET TEA.

9. __ salad : TACO.

10. "Story of My Life" band __ Direction : ONE. Also initialized as 1D, a boy band that was propelled to instant success via social media. Their first three albums debuted at number 1.

12. Aptly named Final Jeopardy! theme song : THINK. Anyone watch Ken Jennings and Roger Craig lose to Brad Rutter?

13. "Never eat __ waffles"" compass point mnemonic : SOGGY. N-E-S-W.

18. Exec's extra : PERK.

22. Show some lip? : POUT.

23. TV pledge drive holder : PBS. Do you support them?

24. Navigation location : HELM.

25. "Back to the Future" bully : BIFF.

26. Group whose second letter is often written backwards : ABBA.

Registered Trademark

29. Exaggerated feature in Obama caricatures : EAR.

31. '60s atty. general : RFK. Robert Francis "Bobby" Kennedy.

32. Suvari of "American Pie" : MENA.

So pretty!

33. __ de vie: French brandies : EAUX. Singular: Eau de vie.

35. Spelling word? : ABRA.cadabra.  Magic spell. Minor nit: it's only part of the word.

36. Neither partner : NOR.

37. Places for action figures : TOY BOXES.

40. Serpentine : EELY.

41. "Eat __ chikin": Chick-fil-A slogan : MOR. I love their ads, but don't think I have ever eaten at one.

43. "Put __ on it!" : A LID.

44. Cry from a nest? : LAND HO. Crow's nest.

45. Steering system component : TIE ROD.

46. Entertainer John whose middle name is Hercules : ELTON. Né: Reginald Kenneth Dwight.

47. Iraqi seaport : BASRA.

49. It happens : EVENT.

51. Tarry : BIDE.

52. Lock opening? : ANTI. Anti-lock, as brakes.

53. Satiric bit : SKIT.

54. Traveling game : I SPY. with my little eye...

56. Coll. focus : MAJ.or.

57. "__ be an honor" : IT'D…to blog again sometime for the Friday crowd!

Marti

Thursday, May 22, 2014, Marti Duguay-Carpenter

Theme: Put an end to the fight.

Well I (Lemonade) am back, not on Friday, but pinch hitting for the ubiquitous Marti Duguay-Carpenter, who has asked me to explain her latest publication. The theme was readily apparent and seemed appropriate for me who used to be a trial lawyer and presented many closing arguments. The end of the three theme answers describe a minor dispute. I found this fun, though it seemed like a Wednesday with just a few clues toughened up. Or perhaps I just understand the divine miss m's mind...The difficulty for me was in some of the proper names, not all of whom came immediately to mind, but without any long deceptive fill, the puzzle was done in normal time. It features a great triple clecho in the middle, a mental tour of the Italian Alps and marti's wit. Let's see if the glove fits and how I acquit myself.

17A. "The Goodbye Girl" Oscar winner : RICHARD DREYFUSS.(15). You want to WATCH? (1:24) You cannot forget the second S.

29A. Short-muzzled dog breed : BULL MASTIFF (11). They are massive, over 50 kg.

46A. Futuristic car unveiled at the 1933 New York Auto Show : SILVER ARROW (11).

62A. Court wrap-up ... and what's hidden in 17-, 29- and 46-Across? : CLOSING ARGUMENT. I love when a unifier works this well.

ACROSS:

1. Kazantzakis title hero : ZORBA. The author of the Zorba the Greek and the Last Temptation of Christ. I did not recall the name, but what else starts ZORB_?

6. Singer James : ETTA. Supply your own favorite link.

10. Apple variety : iMAC.

14. "Water is life" brand : EVIAN. Interesting STUFF.

15. Bishop's rte. : DIAGonal. The chess piece not Tutu. 

16. Jet Propulsion Lab org. : NASA, National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

20. Classical theaters : ODEA. The plural of Odeum, from the Latin, which comes from Italy.

21. Private __ : EYE.

22. Has no obligation to : NEEDN'T.

23. Org. with an interlocking rings logo : IOC. International Olympic Committee.

25. Journalist Tarbell et al. : IDAS. The WOMAN was a very admirable journalist even if a bit of a muckraker.

26. CD precursors : LPS. Long Plays. 

35. Shoe box letters : EEE. When in doubt, trot it out.

36. Devoured : ATE UP. This one was a piece of cake.

37. French 101 word : ETRE. To be.

38. West Coast natl. monument since 2012 : FT. ORD. Monument? FT to start a word? This took a while.

40. Disney doe : ENA.

41. Times for action : D-DAYS. They are not just for war. Cute how this follows disney doe

42. Honorable : TRUE.

43. Rear : RAISE. Not where your minds were going?

45. Disappoint, with "down" : LET.

49. "... good witch, __ bad witch?" : OR A. Do you recall this scene (0:30) from Wizard of Oz

50. Part of Q.E.F. : ERAT. By now this should be in everyone's memory banks. More Latin.

51. Tourney pass : BYE. The French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros is coming close with the best getting 1st round byes.

53. Hallowed : SACRED. Just don't have a cow about this clue/fill.

56. __ alai : JAI. J also clued with a game down.

58. City on the Rhône : LYON.  In the Rhone-Alpes region, Very important ever since the Romans conquered Gaul. 

65. Puma rival : AVIA. Latin for a way.

66. Pull down : EARN.

67. Two-masted craft : KETCH.  My oldest brother is the sailor in my family, my only experience with a ketch was ketchup.

68. Stores in a large building? : MALL. Gee, I never thought about it being a single building.

69. Till opener : ROTO. Windhover, do you use one on your farm?

70. Iroquois foes : ERIES. Best know your native tribes.

Down:

1. Shutout score feature : ZERO.

2. "Ars amatoria" poet : OVID.  The Roman take on the Art of Love.  LINK.

3. It might be sticky or dirty : RICE. Interestingly the center of Asian and Mexican cuisine.

4. Religion founded in Persia : Bahá'í. One of the newest Judeo-Christian Muslim fusion religions. I think this is the religion of Vic Damone.

5. Actress Gasteyer : ANA. If you are a die hard SNL fan you will know this performer, or maybe you watch the odd show Suburgatory  which follows Modern Family.

6. Current event : EDDY. Tricky beginning to the triclecho, as eddys appear in water.  7. Current influence : TIDE. Still in the water. and, 8. Current observer : TAR. Our old sailor reappears.

9. Things to do : AGENDA.

10. Pest-ridden : INFESTED.

11. Irish revolutionary __ Gonne MacBride : MAUD. She was not in my memory banks; beyond Michael Collins, I know not much about Irish revolutionaries, especially since Branson wimped out.  READ.

12. NCAA member?: Abbr. : ASSN.

13. Play group : CAST.

18. Saw again : RECUT. That saw!

19. Words said in passing? : YEAS. Legislation for example.

24. O.T. book after Amos : OBADiah is not one of the famous PROPHETS. The history is interesting.
                    
25. Damage : IMPAIR. A  tricky definition.

26. Some jabs : LEFTS.

27. Lab dish inventor : PETRI. Named for the German bacteriologist who invented it.

28. Capital city on the Han River : SEOUL. You know your Korean Geography? 

1. The Han River is a major river in South Korea and the fourth longest river on the Korean peninsula after the Amrok, Tuman, and Nakdong rivers. Wikipedia

30. Ogle : LEER AT. Looking at the Moon?  For SPLYNTER

31. Like some eclipses : LUNAR.

32. Author Calvino : ITALO. I am unfamiliar with this Italian author who was born outside of Havana, Cuba. READ.

33. Fritter maker : FRYER. I wonder if the food is related to the wasting of time.

34. Pisa party : FESTA. More Italian, I guess marti is back in Europe, in her mind.

39. About-face : REVERSAL.

41. Like early morning links : DEWY. HG, I bet you like the dewy morning fairways.

44. Pulitzer-winning Ferber novel : SO BIG. This Novel won the Pulitzer Prize in 1925, and was made into a MOVIE 1:03 in 1932.

47. "... harken __ die": Tennyson : ERE I. From the poem "Œnone" by a poet whose work I have never appreciated. Perhaps our resident rhymer has better things to say.

48. Portrayer of Wawa and Litella : RADNER. Gilda, who died so young. Post your favorite from her SNL days.

52. Film composer Bernstein : ELMER. Not to be confused with Leonard, no relation, Berstein. Elmer did so many wonderful movie scores like  The Magnificent Seven, The Ten Commandments, The Great Escape, To Kill a Mockingbird, Ghostbusters, The Black Cauldron, and The Rookies. He finally won an Oscar for Thoroughly Modern Millie.

53. Phishing lure : SCAM. Internet scamming.

54. Menlo Park middle name : ALVA. Mr. Edison.

55. Slinky, e.g. : COIL. I was unpacking some stuff my boys left behind and was quite distressed to see theirs had rusted.

56. Lawn game projectile : JART. Thanks for the J, miss m, you seem to like the pointedly dangerous game.

57. River under the Ponte Vecchio : ARNO. More Italian, literally the 'Old Bridge' crosses the Arno at its narrowest point and goes back many centuries.

59. Mountain legend : YETI. 

60. Grimm start : ONCE upon a time. Anyone watch that show?

61. Unspecified degrees : NTHS.

63. Agcy. concerned with the federal fiscal outlook : GAO. Government Accountability Office

64. Island strings : UKE.  Not strings of islands, hey to our old Hawaiians. 

Well Maud and Italo and some others slowed me down, but hopefully you did not stumble. the good news is that you have marti's puzzle today and her write up tomorrow.  All that and amazing it is already time for Memorial Day; be safe and do not speed. L714, out. 

Wednesday, May 21, 2014 Gareth Bain

Theme: Four-Pack - "pack" can follow the first word of each of the four theme answers.

Guten Morgen! Steve here with Gareth's latest and a fun solve it was. A few unknowns for me, but these were taken care of by the crossings so no complaints at all. I had a couple of corrections as I went; for example SWEET led me to SWEETHEART at first but that didn't stay wrong for too long, the same for APEX and EARRINGS.

I did think the face pack/powder entry was somewhat the odd man out as the two different items are somewhat similar, and there's no such similarity with the other theme entries. Let's take a look.

17A. Barbra Streisand's "Funny Girl" role : FANNY BRICE. Fanny packs are called "bum bags" in England due to the fact that "fanny" is slang for a quite different part of the anatomy.

24A. "The Situation Room" host : WOLF BLITZER.

Uh-oh

38A. 1964 Shangri-Las hit ... or a hint to this puzzle's theme found in 17-, 24-, 47- and 59-Across : LEADER OF THE PACK. Spectacularly awful lip-syncing, acting and dancing can be found here.

47A. Like reptiles and amphibians : COLD BLOODED. I'd rather have a cold six-pack.

59A. Shine-minimizing makeup layer : FACE POWDER.

Cucumbers appear to be compulsory with a face-pack

Across:

1. National Museum of Afghanistan city : KABUL

6. High point : ACME

10. Hit : SWAT

14. Greek market : AGORA. This word is now finally part of my puzzle vocabulary. Only took mumble-mumble years.

15. Really good, in '90s slang : PHAT

16. Salary : WAGE. I don't personally see these as synonyms. The wiki entry also makes the distinction.

19. Flair : ELAN

20. Nanny's charge : KID

21. Singer India.__ : ARIE. Crossing help needed here, but the crosses were solid.

22. Short fight : SET TO

23. Comeback: Abbr. : ANS.

27. Dick Tracy has a square one : JAW

Also the inventor of the Apple iWatch

28. Daughter of Lyndon : LUCI. Another unknown for me. Thank you crosses!

29. Permanent UN Security Council member, familiarly : THE UK. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a bit of a mouthful.

32. Some CNBC interviewees : CEO'S. There seem to be more and more Chief "something" Officers. I encountered my first CCXO recently, CX standing for "Customer Experience". I hope every company gets one and then we can start using the abbreviation in crosswords!

34. K thru 12 : EL-HI

41. Drink quickly : CHUG. Where's my cold six-pack?

42. Sinusitis docs : E.N.T.S. I'd love to find a Dr. Treebeard who's an ENT.

43. Supermarket division : AISLE

44. "Zounds!" : EGAD. Gadzooks and foresooth! We just had this recently! Huzzah!

46. Ante- kin : PRE-

52. "Not on a __" : BET. Not a phrase I'd heard before.

55. Password creators : USERS

56. Palmist, e.g. : SEER

57. "__ Been Thinking About You": 1991 Londonbeat chart-topper : I'VE. And I've never heard of either the song or the band before. If you've got the Shangri-La's stuck in in your head then maybe this will stop the agony.

58. Was charitable : GAVE

62. Kept in a vat, say : AGED. Then bottled "under Government supervision" and shipped to Tinbeni.

Cheers!

63. Lab medium : AGAR

64. House of Lords members : PEERS. The UK parliament's upper house comprising Peers of the Realm. Legislation passed by House of Commons must be ratified by the Lords before the Queen rubber-stamps it.

65. Angry, with "off" : TEED. With 'EED' my first thought wasn't a T.

66. Yawner : BORE

67. Feel : SENSE

Down:

1. "Metamorphosis" author : KAFKA. Relentlessly upbeat tale (!) about a man who wakes up to find himself transformed into a "monstrous vermin".

2. One more time : AGAIN

3. Connects emotionally : BONDS

4. Buffet table server : URN

5. Suffered from insomnia : LAY AWAKE. Kafka's chap probably did this often.

6. Earth Day month : APRIL

7. Top cop : CHIEF

8. Bub : MAC

9. Parisian summer : ÉTÉ

10. Honey : SWEETIE PIE

11. Ballroom dance : WALTZ. A friend and I took beginner's ballroom dancing classes once. We obviously weren't very good because we weren't allowed to graduate up to intermediate. We still laugh about it.

12. Quartz variety : AGATE

13. Voice above baritone : TENOR

18. It may be knitted : BROW. Are brows ever anything but knitted or furrowed?

22. [Not my mistake] : SIC.

That's sic!

25. Absorbs with a towel : BLOTS

26. Verdant : LUSH

27. 1995 Stallone film : JUDGE DREDD

29. Treatment from Dr. Mom : TLC

30. Sneaky laugh : HEH

31. __ de Cologne : EAU. I never get why we have to use the French term for this stuff when the German original is perfectly serviceable. What's wrong with Kölnisch Wasser? I also get the sniggers when I hear that "English is the lingua franca of international trade".

32. Homebuyer's option : CONDO. Other options are HOU or TOWNH.

33. Little newt : EFT

35. Vegas intro? : LAS

36. Stomach acid, chemically : HCL. Hydrochloric Acid. Good job the stomach lining is usually up to the job.

37. Well-liked prez : IKE

39. Very : REAL

40. Dangling jewelry : EAR DROPS. EAR RINGS first. I thought ear drops were to help with infections and what-not.

45. "Pygmalion" playwright's monogram : G.B.S. Inspiration for the musical "My Fair Lady".

46. Hatchery sound : PEEP

47. Bandleader Xavier : CUGAT. No clue, thank you crosses. That's four new names for me today.

48. Missouri tributary : OSAGE

49. River barrier : LEVEE

50. Witty Wilde : OSCAR. Famously turned up for his indecency trial wearing a green carnation in his lapel, which didn't exactly endear him to the judge.

51. "It's __ Season": agricultural supply slogan : DEERE. Because "International Harvesters" wouldn't quite fit.

52. Longtime Delaware senator : BIDEN

53. '50s-'60s civil rights leader : EVERS

54. Hardly talkative : TERSE

59. British Invasion adjective : FAB

60. In the past : AGO

61. Like a bairn : WEE. Bairns are always wee. Big bairns are adults behaving like babies.

And that, mes amis, est cette.

Steve

Tuesday, May 20, 2014 Jeff Chen

Theme: Name That Tune - Probably the first song we ever learned.

20A. "Twinkle, twinkle, little star" : ABCDEFG

28A. "How I wonder what you are" : HIJKLMNOP

36A. "Up above the ..." : QRS

41A. "... world so high" : TUV

44. "Like a diamond in the sky" : WXY AND Z

58A. Ditty sharing a melody with "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" : THE ALPHABET SONG

Argyle here. The puzzle has mirror (left to right) symmetry and is a pangram. Plus: the reveal spans the grid.

Across:

1. Gallery exhibitors : ARTISTS

8. NFL great "Boomer" : ESIASON

15. Dada pioneer : JEAN ARP

16. Heavenly : SUBLIME

17. "Hamlet" woman at whose grave Gertrude says "Sweets to the sweet" : OPHELIA

18. Flowing locks : TRESSES

19. Rain-__ Pops: gum-filled candy : BLO

22. LAPD rank : SGT.

23. Polite country assent : YES'M

25. Language suffix : ESE

26. "Divine Secrets of the __ Sisterhood" : YA-YA

31. First of 12 popes : PIUS I

33. Mark or markka replacements : EUROs

37. Rock bottom : NADIR

43. Carrier with a hub at DEN : UAL. Denver is the fourth-largest hub for United Airlines.

46. Brewed drink : TEA

47. Very little, in recipes : A DASH

49. Put the kibosh on : END

50. Agenda listings : ITEMS

52. "Divine Comedy" poet : DANTE

53. Cagey : SLY

54. "Gay" capital of song : PAREE

55. Forest foragers : DEER

57. Finger of smoke : WISP

65. New Year's Eve popper : CORK

66. Gumption : MOXIE

67. Fencing sword : EPEE

68. Untidy situation : MESS

69. Throw money around : SPEND

70. Atty.-to-be's exam : LSAT. (Law School Admission Test)

Down:

1. "This looks like __ for Superman!" : A JOB

2. Email option : REPLY

3. California/Nevada resort lake : TAHOE

4. Suffix with elephant or serpent : INE

5. Deli display : SALAMIs

6. Chicago paper, familiarly : TRIB. Chicago Tribune

7. See 12-Down : SPACEK 12D. With 7-Down, "Coal Miner's Daughter" star : SISSY

8. Hold in high regard : ESTEEM

9. Poke around the Web : SURF

10. Pleading remark : "I BEG YOU"

11. Racing Unsers : ALs

13. Horseshoe-shaped letter : OMEGA

14. Place for a jay : NEST

21. ISP option : DSL. (digital subscriber line)

24. Moo __ pork : SHU

27. Busy mo. for a CPA : APR.

29. Hex : JINX

30. Many a Pi Day celebrant : NERD. Pi Day is March 14 (or 3/14) celebrating the mathematical constant π since 3, 1, and 4 are the first three significant digits of π.

31. Big name in high fashion : PRADA

32. 1980s four-peat Stanley Cup champs : ISLANDERS

34. Frozen fruit-juice treats : OTTER POPS

35. "I was wrong. So what" : "SUE ME!"

36. Campus hangout : QUAD

38. Yeses at sea : AYEs

39. Pioneer Boone, folksily : DAN'L

40. 200-lap race, briefly : INDY. Indianapolis 500.

42. Place for posies : VASE

44. Ferris __ : WHEEL

45. "Shh!" : "ZIP IT!"

48. Chophouse fare : STEAKS

51. Loafer adornment : TASSEL

56. Tach measures: Abbr. : RPMs

57. Invasive plant : WEED 59D. 57-Down killer : HOE

58. Channel for old films : TCM. (Turner Classic Movies)

60. Short flight : HOP

61. Lumberjack's tool : AXE

62. Composting receptacle : BIN

63. PBS supporter : NEA. (National Endowment for the Arts)

64. Understand : GET

Argyle

Monday, May 19, 2014 Kevin Christian

Theme: Above the Shoulders - At the start of the longest entries are parts of the human found at the top of the body (except maybe, the second one).

20A. Local area : NECK OF THE WOODS

26A. Hangover cure, so they say : HAIR OF THE DOG

43A. Way things are legally viewed : EYES OF THE LAW

52A. Valedictorian : HEAD OF THE CLASS

Argyle here. No reveal Monday but the theme is right in your face. Fourteen 3-letter words but seemed like less and 2 letters shy of a pangram. I wonder what Tuesday will bring.

Across:

1. Omega's opposite : ALPHA

6. Hundred Acre Wood bear : POOH

10. "And another thing ..." : "ALSO"

14. Fable conclusion : MORAL

15. With 16-Across, money to buy a car : AUTO

16. See 15-Across : LOAN

17. Oust : EVICT

18. Glasgow native : SCOT

19. Checkers or chess, e.g. : GAME

23. Rapper Dr. __ : DRE

24. B'way full-house sign : SRO. (Standing Room Only)

25. One of the back forty : ACRE

31. Mail dely. compartment : P.O. BOX

34. Vegetable oil-based spread : OLEO

35. Fed. property overseer : GSA. (General Services Administration)

36. Vogue shelfmate : ELLE. Fashion magazines.

37. Madagascar tree dweller : LEMUR. With the big eyes.

39. Fourth of __ : JULY. No sequester cuts to spoil the fireworks this year.

40. Greek "T" : TAU

41. Junky car : HEAP

42. Tippy boat : CANOE

47. Shoulder muscle, for short : DELT. The deltoid muscle. Today's theme is above them.

48. Small songbird : TIT

49. Sheep sound : BAA

56. Poli sci subj. : GOVT.

57. Eight, on a sundial : VIII

58. Hard thing to break : HABIT

59. Tony Award relative : OBIE. The Tony Award is for Broadway theatre and the OBIE is for off-Broadway theatre.

60. Util. supply : ELECtric

61. Throw off one's trail : EVADE

62. Type option for emphasis : BOLD

63. Cincinnati team : REDS

64. Less likely to be a bargain on eBay : RARER

Down:

1. Change, as a constitution : AMEND

2. Romantic partner : LOVER

3. Five dollars a pound, e.g. : PRICE

4. Access illegally, as a database : HACK

5. Jazz combo instrument : ALTO SAX

6. Church leader : PASTOR

7. "That hurt!" : "OUCH!"

8. Native Nebraskan : OTOE

9. Serious trouble : HOT WATER

10. '90s veep : AL GORE

11. Weapon with ammo : LOADED GUN

12. __ Club: Costco rival : SAM'S

13. Number of gods in a monotheistic faith : ONE

21. "Thank God" day: Abbr. : FRI.

22. Cuatro times dos : OCHO. Spanish 4x2=8

26. Clod chopper : HOE

27. Get-up-and-go : OOMPH!

28. Ailment with a "season" : FLU

29. Norwegian capital : OSLO

30. "What's Going On" singer Marvin : GAYE

31. Sampras of tennis : PETE

32. Moisturizer brand : OLAY

33. Duke University athlete : BLUE DEVIL

37. Like doggy bag contents : LEFTOVER. Should it be plural? Discuss.

38. Have a bite : EAT

39. Knockout punch target : JAW

41. Place for cargo : HOLD

42. Buster Posey's position : CATCHER. For the San Francisco Giants.

44. On a chair : SEATED

45. Moral standards : ETHICS

46. Stretch the truth : LIE

49. Kiddie lit elephant : BABAR

50. Comment meant only for the audience : ASIDE

51. Daisylike flower : ASTER

52. Vagrant : HOBO

53. Use an emery board on : FILE

54. Even, as a score : TIED

55. Etna output : LAVA

56. Lump : GOB

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

Happy Birthday to dear Grumpy, who has not posted on the blog for a long while. What's up, Grumpy?  Click here to see more of Grumpy, Sallie & Spitzboov.

Grumpy & his lovely wife Wilda

Sunday May 18, 2014 John Lampkin

Theme:  "Addressing the Crowd" - Each theme answer ends with a street address, all clued appropriate for the profession mentioned in each clue.

23A. Apt address for hit men? : VICIOUS CIRCLE

28A. Apt address for prizefighters? : BELT LOOP

41A. Apt address for petrologists? : ROCKY ROAD. Misty's husband is a petrologist, I think.

50A. Apt address for surgeons? : INSIDE LANE

68A. Apt address for an Orlando team? : MAGIC SQUARE

 

86A. Apt address for photographers? : FLASH DRIVE. We all know John is a nature photographer.

94A. Apt address for gossip columnists? : DIRT TRAIL. Miss the old MSNBC Entertainment coverage.

109A. Apt address for dairymen? : MILKY WAY

118A. Apt address for Australian zookeepers? : KANGAROO COURT

What a great title!

Not a pangram as John's typical Sunday puzzles. 9 theme entries are not easy to deal with, esp if the first one starts with a 13, as you're forced with deep stacks of 7's on the upper right immediately. John could put another black square in square 22, but then he would have exceeded the word limit. 

Same with square 19. This is a potentially 3-letter heavy puzzle (I could easily see 20 in the top and bottom three rows alone), but John is a grid master.

Across:

 

1. Braying beast : ASS. Alliteration.

4. PC display : LCD

7. Places for prayer leaders : APSES

12. Bourbon barrel wood : OAK

15. "Silly me!" : D'OH!. And 18. Silly talk : TWADDLE. I like this word.

20. Collar attachment : LEASH. And 26. Helmet attachments : STRAPS

21. Certify : SWEAR TO

25. "Get busy!" : HOP TO IT!

   

27. Porcine cry : OINK

29. Overjoys : ELATES

31. "C'est magnifique!" : OO LA LA. Hi there Linda!

34. "Besides that ..." : ALSO

35. i follower : POD. iPod.

37. Capable, kiddingly : EPT

38. Chiapas chaperon : DUENA. New word to me. Also not familiar with the Mexican state Chiapas. Another Mexican state in the clue of AMIGA (122. Jalisco gal pal).

39. Mollycoddle : COSSET. No idea. Never been cosseted. 

45. Basic dance : TWO-STEP

47. It's a gas : OZONE

48. Native Canadian : CREE

55. Put under a spell : BEWITCH

57. Liberal group? : ARTS. Good old clue.

59. Scientific map subjects : GENOMES

60. "Three Days of the Condor" org. : CIA. I liked the movie. I like Robert Redford.

61. Scena segment : ARIA

62. Miler Sebastian : COE

64. Bug user : SNOOP. Wiretap bug.

65. Jerk : DORK.  Nope. Dorks are not jerks.

72. Football Hall of Famer Marchetti : GINO. Look, he even attached HOF in his signature.

73. Projecting window : ORIEL

75. Finder's reward : FEE

76. It may be artificial : TURF

77. Grate stuff : ASH

79. Pull back, as talons : RETRACT. Vivid clue.

81. Two in seventy-five? : VEES. Two letter V's.

82. Aaron Burr was once tried for it : TREASON. He was? This guy was so problematic.

89. Africa's Mobutu __ Seko : SESE

91. Kiddie lit redhead : PIPPI

92. Car deal component : TRADE-IN

96. Synagogue leaders : RABBIS

100. Two-time US Open winner : SELES (Monica). 

102. Burn at the beach : FRY. Shout-out to a blog regular, who loves his Pirates.

103. Bee follower : CEE

104. Jai __ : ALAI

105. Ankle-related : TARSAL

106. What burglars may walk on : TIPTOE

112. Hummable bit : TUNE. So simple, so beautiful. Make me think of the young Spitzboov, Argyle & PK.

114. Fairy tale brother : HANSEL. And Gretel.

117. Searches for anew : RE-SEEKS

121. For kicks : ON A LARK

123. Missing more marbles : LOONIER. Fun clue.

124. Mil. award : DSM (Distinguished Service Medal)

125. Turning meas. : RPS

126. River to the Bering Sea : YUKON

 

127. USCG officer : ENS (Ensigns)

128. Carol contraction : 'TIS

Down:

1. Some three-wheelers, briefly : ATVs

2. "M*A*S*H" actress : SWIT. "Hot Lips".

3. Untouchable : SACRED COW. Lovely entry.

4. Parkinson's treatment : L-DOPA

5. Tight gathering : CLUSTER

6. __ Plaines, Illinois : DES

7. Et __ : ALII

8. Anise-flavored liqueur : PERNOD. Gimme for Argyle, not me.

9. Grab some z's : SACK OUT

10. Subj. for aliens : ESL

11. Boater's pronoun : SHE. Not "Boater" hat.

12. Irish actor Milo : O'SHEA

13. Like a GI who missed the boat? : AWOL. On purpose then.

14. Didn't trash : KEPT

15. Responds to kitchen aromas : DROOLS. Do you miss your grandma's kitchen? I do.

16. Futile : OTIOSE. This word looks fat to me.

17. British stew : HOT POT. Chinese too.

19. Where to see hands on a wrist : DIAL. Another fun clue.

22. Traveler's aid : ATLAS

24. Credit sharer : CO-STAR

28. Coty Award winner Bill : BLASS. See here. He won in 1983. The Award was discontinued in 1985.

30. Big period : EPOCH

32. 2013 Women's British Open winner Stacy : LEWIS. Old course at St. Andrews. JD was there once.

33. Auth. unknown : ANON

35. SAT item : PROB. And 70. SAT item : QUES. Problem and Questions.

36. Exude : OOZE

39. Hand over : CEDE

40. Pops the top off : OPENS

42. Old-style golf wear : KNICKERS

43. Sasquatch kin : YETI

44. Honey substitute? : DEARIE. Sweet!

46. Member of the Panthera genus : TIGER

49. Spy novelist Ambler : ERIC

51. Classical music lover, facetiously : LONG HAIR. Both John & Rich are long hair(s) then!

52. Mine, in Monaco : A MOI

53. Vegas light : NEON

54. Beantown hockey hero : ESPO. Phil Esposito.

56. Nanny follower : CAM. Nanny cam.

58. Aesthetic attitude : TASTE

61. Negotiate a figurative hill? : AGE. I don't get this clue.

62. Put under a spell : CURSED

63. Klutz : OAF

65. German village : DORF. Learning moment for me.

66. Sportscaster Hershiser : OREL

67. Poet Dove : RITA

69. Performers' union acronym : AFTRA (American Federation of Television and Radio Artists)

71. Wing for Dumbo : EAR

74. "Chicago Hope" Emmy winner : LAHTI (Christine)

78. Equinox mo. : SEPT

80. Burned media, for short : CD-Rs. CD-R = Compact Disc-Recordable.

81. Salome septet : VEILS

82. Country singer Clark : TERRI

83. Apollo protection : SPACE SUIT. I was thinking of Greek god Apollo, Gary!

84. Mayberry moppet : OPIE

85. River to the Mediterranean : NILE

87. "In my opinion ..." : I'D SAY

88. Deviate : VEER

90. Bakery tool : SIFTER

93. One who's bound to order? : NEATNIK. Loved the clue and answer.

95. Tropical blow : TYPHOON

96. Muzzleloading aid : RAMROD

97. Far-out bunch? : ALIENS

98. Holiday tree : BALSAM

99. Theodore of "The Defiant Ones" : BIKEL. He looks familiar. I must have googled him before.

101. Nancy's buddy : SLUGGO

105. Things to do : TASKS

107. Mexican restaurant staples : TACOS

108. "__, you noblest English": "Henry V" : ON, ON

110. Coin datum : YEAR

111. Sitcom radio station : WKRP

113. Tandoori bread : NAAN

115. "... __ saw Elba" : ERE I

116. P.O. deliveries : LTRS

118. Kick starter? : KAY. Letter K. Or our Kazie's real name.

119. __ Darya River : AMU

120. Corrida kudos : OLE

C.C.

Saturday, May 17th, 2014, Mark Bickham

Theme: None

Words: 72 (missing J,Q,V)

Blocks: 28

  Today's puzzle from Mark had lots of clues that were right up my alley, and I thought I was going to cruise to a quick end - but then the SE corner just wouldn't fill in - and I had to switch to red-letter to see what mistakes I made.  When I did, I was disappointed with myself for not giving it more time....oh well.  Triple-9 pinwheel design with a couple of 10's on the inside, and one grid climber;

8. Inducing a nod, perhaps : DULL AS DISHWATER

and some of the other long fill;

29. Heavy metal band with the album "The Final Frontier" : IRON MAIDEN - One of the first (and best) bands I ever got into; even more interesting is that my favorite guitar player in the band, Adrian Smith, did a solo project, "Adrian Smith & Project", which featured:

38. __ Starkey, longtime drummer for The Who : ZAK - Ringo Starr's son, who appeared on the A.S.a.P. album "Silver & Gold"

38. BOLO clarification, perhaps : Z AS IN ZEBRA - Great fill; two non-connected "Z"s; Police term for "Be On the Look-Out"

Ugh, guess I have to move onward :>( ....

ACROSS:

1. Outlaw : DESPERADO

10. City on the Shatt al-Arab river : BASRA - Educated WAG with a couple of letters in place

15. Lady of the Lake's gift : EXCALIBUR - NAILED it - love this Monty Python scene (@ 1:05)

16. Web-footed animal : OTTER - Tried GOOSE first

17. Term popularized by physicist John Wheeler : BLACK HOLE

18. Spring sound : BOING - A WAG that stayed

19. Fully prepared : RIPE

20. Alice's chronicler : ARLO - The Alice of the 'restaurant', not 'Through the Looking Glass' - Arlo Guthrie

21. Italian nobleman : CONTE

22. Presidential nickname : ABE - Went with "IKE" first

23. Member of a bygone empire : INCA

24. 23-Down competitor : KAL-KAN - X-ref with; 23d. "Home 4 the Holidays" adoption sponsor : IAMS - Dog foods

25. Scottish John : IAN - John, Sean, Ian, Jan, Yanni

26. Sketch : SKIT - anyone else throw in "DRAW"?  Too easy for Saturday

28. Club alternative : BLT - The club sandwich, that is

33. Convergence points : FOCI

34. Some iPods : NANOs - I have a 30GB that I use every morning at UPS

35. It fell in 2001 : MIR - Russian space station

36. Heifetz contemporary : ELMAN - Violinists; more here

37. Old school : ETON - ah, an actual school, not a decription of how one "does things"

40. A, in Austria : EIN

41. Mass producer : BACH - Nice misdirection; mass as in church, not a production company

42. 16-symbol system, for short : HEX - Had no idea; 0-9 + a-f; the Wiki

43. Gets a C, say : DOES OK

45. TV musical host in four decades : WELK - Lawrence~!

47. Like a slim chance, oddly : FAT - Yes, how ironic

50. Egyptian signs of life : ANKHs

51. Latvian, for one : BALT - a bit meh for me

52. Unite by treaty : ALLY

53. Family nicknames : NANAs - I WAG-ed MAMAS, and was 60% right

54. Old Bethlehem sight : STEEL MILL - Ah, Bethlehem PA, that is

56. Coeur d'__ : ALENE - Idaho

57. Where the wild things are : MENAGERIE

58. Forbidden looks : PEEKS - Tried LEERS

59. Gestation period : TRIMESTER

DOWN:


1. "Everybody Loves Raymond" wife : DEBRA - Ray's wife

2. Book inscription abbr. : EX LIB - Latin, Ex Libris - "From the books of..."

3. Dream follower : SCAPE - Dreamscape. Not "ALARM"....I am pretty good at recalling my dreams

4. Duel unit : PACE

5. Order member : ELK

6. "Take a Bow" R&B singer : RIHANNA

7. Test options, at times : A, B, OR C - Another great fill

9. Breyers __ Cookies & Cream : OREO

10. Beginning Cub Scout : BOBCAT - Everything you need to know, here;   I was not a Boy Scout, Cub Scout or Bobcat

11. "Tragedy is __ for the living to gain wisdom": RFK : A TOOL

12. Smelly prank : STINK BOMB

13. Airport pickup : RENTAL CAR

14. San Martín was its liberator : ARGENTINA - half perps, half WAG

24. People : KIN

25. Advised of : IN ON

27. Skin lotion brand : KERI - I once dated a Kerry, and I was mocking her with this brand's slogan, which went "Keri, is so very..." and ironically, she threw the next phrase at me, which is "Rich, in emollients" - and Rich is MY name

29. New parent's complaint : I NEED A NAP

30. Thinking : RATIONALE

31. Making a proposal, perhaps : ON ONE KNEE - not any time soon

32. Non-PC purchase : iMAC - I am PC

33. Show off, in a way : FLEX

36. O.T. book before Daniel : EZEKiel

39. Blues or Blue Jackets : NHL TEAM - All me~!  I was hoping the Blue Jackets of Columbus OH would defeat the Penguins, but it didn't matter - my Rangers took care of a second PA team in 7 games.  Montreal next.  LET'S GO RANGERS~!!!

41. Big shots : BOSSES

44. Beef cut : SHANK

46. 1985 Malkovich movie : ELENI - never saw it; IMDb

47. Trifle (with), as an idea : FLIRT - I flirted with an idea for three weeks, and it turned out to be a mistake

48. '80s sitcom title woman : ALLIE - I put in "MAUDE", which ended in '78....oops.  "Kate and Allie", never watched the show

49. Seat of Texas' Smith County : TYLER

51. Realty ad abbr. : BSMT - I require a 'basement' as I carry on my search for my own house - need a place to play the drums

52. City near Des Moines : AMES - Name two cities in Iowa....

55. T size : LGE - T-shirt

Splynter