Wednesday, June 11, 2014 Gail Gabowski

Theme:  Verkehrs-marmelade.   Decades ago, when I was in German class, we invented this Teutonic psuedo-portmanteau for today's hidden word theme.  To dispel whatever mystery there might be, let's start with the unifier.

64A. Rush-hour headache, components of which are hidden in the answers to starred clues : TRAFFIC JAM.   Of course, here JAM means a condition of being stuck and unable to move, not a confection made of smashed fruit cooked with sugar.  Let's check out the components.

17 A. *Big name in veggie patties : BOCA BURGER.   The original vegan version is mostly soy protein and wheat gluten, but there are variations.  The hidden word is a CAB, aka Taxi, a ride for hire.

40 A. *Certain surfer : WEB USER.  We're all WEB USERS on this BUS.   WI FI?  WI not?

11 D. *Passé reception aid : TV ANTENNA.   Gone the way of the rotary phone.  Now it's cable, U-verse or satellite.  You might even get reception in your VAN. 

35. *Steamy gallery display : EROTIC ART.  Putting a CAR into EROTIC ART is a somewhat different take on auto-eroticism.  I wasted a few good moments trying to find something worth posting, and finally had to settle for this.

Source

Hi gang,  JzB here.  Let's get it in gear and see if we can motor through this puzzle without mashing up too much fruit.

Across:

1. Finch or falcon : BIRD.  One would probably eat the other.

5. Heart-to-hearts : TALKS.  Serious business

10. City southwest of Bayeux : ST LO.  Timely with the 70th anniversary of D-Day this past week.  The town was reduced to rubble by the fighting.

14. Actor Ladd : ALAN.  Appeared mainly in westerns and film noir, where he was often paired with Veronica Lake.

 Source

15. Intermediary : AGENT.  Cut taker.

16. It bakes the cake : OVEN.   Hot spot.

19. Great __ : DANE.   Going to the dogs.

20. Invite for : ASK TO.   Our two oldest grandchildren got ASKed TO Prom for the first time this spring.  [Back in the day, it was THE Prom but not so now.]  They are both Juniors, and Danny's date had to ASK him, because she's a Senior.

21. Land in the ocean : ISLE.   Speck of land, not a splash.

22. "Fire" bugs : ANTS.  Ants work so hard.  Why would anybody fire them?   The stinging omnivorous variety also popped up in C.C.'s puzzle the last time I blogged.

23. Get one's back up about : RESENT.  Odd, phrase that.  Any INPUT from out linguists?

25. Went for a rebound, say : LEAPT.   Pretty much the antithesis of this.

27. Letter flourish : SERIF.   With Serif.   Sans Serif.  Check under the R and the F.

30. Like some omelets : TWO EGG.  Breakfast!

33. Borscht base : BEET.   As they once said on The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show, when it come to Borscht, you can't beat soup!

36. Sch. with 110 NCAA titles : UCLA.  University of California, Los Angeles

38. Snorer's problem, perhaps : APNEA.  A momentary lull in breathing, while asleep.  The most effect preventive is insomnia.

39. "__ Town" : OUR.  Play about early 20th century Americana by Thornton Wilder.  Oscar was Wilde, but Thornton was Wilder.

42. Time out? : NAP.  Out, as in asleep.  Potenital apnea venue.

43. Pledge of fidelity : TROTH.  Solemn pledge, and that's the truth.

45. Chef's protection : MITT.  Hand in glove, as we say here  in MI.

Hot stuff

46. Take the risk : DARE.  Dare to be [fill in the blank.]

47. Blowhard's output : HOT AIR. Nope.  No politics.

49. Playground comeback : DID SO.   Did not!

51. Feedback : INPUT.  Do you input my output, or is there too much FEEDBACK?

53. Unattached : SINGLE.  Unmarried.

57. Clock sound : TICK.  We have ways of making you tock!

59. Spot for a 42-Across : SOFA.  Not for me.  Phooey on SOFA NAPS.  I do it right, and take me to bed!

62. "Even so ..." : STILL.  But, anyway .  .  .

63. Berry promoted as a superfood : ACAI.  There are no known health benefits that are specific to this fruit.

66. In a dilemma : TORN.  Could be a clash of ideas.

67. Actress Lenya : LOTTE.  Wife of Kurt Weill

68. "La Dolce Vita" setting : ROME.   Doesn't really seem that sweet.

69. One opposed : ANTI.  The anti-bellum are opposed to war.

70. College paper : ESSAY.   Write on.

71. Timeline component : YEAR.

Down:

1. Elephant in picture books : BABAR.

 TV, too

2. "Guess you beat me" : I LOSE.  Something the Tigers are saying far too often these days.

3. Clothing store fixtures : RACKS. 

Everything on sale

4. Paternity suit procedure : DNA TEST.  The most reliable method to prove or disprove if there's a parent-child relationship.

5. Sigma follower : TAU.  It's all Greek [letters] to me

6. Business opening? : AGRI-   Bah! Agribusiness.

7. Chair parts : LEGS.  I see.

Quite a feet

8. Solemn ring : KNELL.  Ask not for whom the bell KNELLS.

9. Main drag, e.g. : STREET. You know its a small town if Main Street is the main street.

10. Picnic drink : SODA POP.  Carbonated.

12. Advanced : LENT.  An advance of money is a loan.

13. Tip jar fillers : ONES.  Dollar bills.  Different sense of the word SINGLE.

18. Dog biscuit shape : BONE. As if the dog cares.

24. "I can't deny that" : TRUE.  It's a fact

26. Wage __ of words : A WAR.   A long argument.

28. Long-range weapon, for short : ICBM.  Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile for long.

29. Gin or tonic : FLUID.  Any liquid. These two work together rather well.

31. Paraphernalia : GEAR.  Stuff.

32. Hang open : GAPE.  As a mouth

Bearded Dragon

33. The pair : BOTH.  The one and the other one.

34. Continental cash : EURO.

37. Piedmont wine area : ASTI.

40. Prepare quickly, with "up" : WHIP.

41. LAX data : ETDS.  ETD or ETA always takes perp help.

44. Beachwear portmanteau : TANKINI.  A portmanteau of TANK top and biKINI, refering to an article of swim wear consisting of a TANK top [imagine that] and biKINI bottom.

I guess a complete tank is optional

46. Comforting words : DON'T CRY.  I don't see a lot of comfort here.

48. Prepare quickly, with "up" : RUSTLE.  As in dinner.

50. Emphatic Spanish assent : SI SI!  We all say "SI SI!" to C.C.

52. Pamplona runners : TOROS.  That's a lot of bull.

54. WWII enlistee : GI JOE.  Before he became an action figure and then a cartoon character.

55. Andean hauler : LLAMA.  South American humpless camelid.

No extra charge for the GAPE

56. Wabbit hunter : ELMER. Fudd.

Image found here

57. "Toodle-oo!" : TATA.   Bye, now.  No - wait.  Four more to go.

58. Screen image : ICON.  Kinda-sorta.

60. They may be saturated : FATS.  The ones from animals and avocados.

61. Colgate-Palmolive shaving lotion : AFTA.

65. Baldwin's "30 Rock" co-star : FEY.  Tina.

I never watched it

There We made it to the finish line.  Hope you all enjoyed the trip.

Cool regards!
JzB

Tuesday, June 10, 2014 Jerry Edelstein

Theme: Send in the Cons - Take a word starting with C O N and parse it as two words with 'con' meaning to scam.

18A. Fool check writers? : CON SIGNERS. Consigners - Those that hand over, such as goods, to another's care as in a consignment shop.

23A. Hoodwink companies? : CON FIRMS. Confirms - Verifies.

36A. Swindle court appointees? : CON JURORS. Conjurors - Ones who practice magic.

52A. Mislead groups of vacationers? : CON TOURS. Contours - The outlines of an object.

57A. Pull a fast one on proctors? : CON TESTERS. Contesters - Ones who dispute an issue.

Argyle here, no lie. I like the five synonyms Jerry came up with for "con". Very similar to last fall's puzzle gimmick except for that. (Sept.)

Across:

1. Corp.-partnership hybrids : LLCs. (Limited Liability Company )

5. Turkish title : AGA

8. Prepare for a trip : PACK

12. Icy-road application : SALT. related; 68A. Word before fall or ball : SNOW

13. Intravenous substance : FLUID

16. Final or midterm : EXAM

17. Reader of product instructions : USER

20. Verbalized : SAID

22. "Do unto __ ..." : OTHERS

25. High spirits : GAIETY

29. Take out, as text : DELETE

30. Award recipient : HONOREE

31. "Give it a shot" : "TRY"

32. Papal crown : TIARA

35. Bank teller's call : "NEXT!"

39. Pail-of-water fetcher of rhyme : JILL

42. Japanese cartoon art : ANIME

43. Kenny G's horn : SAX

46. Como or Crosby, notably : CROONER. Perry or Bing.

49. Infuriate : ENRAGE

51. Prom attendee : SENIOR

54. Visit briefly : STOP IN

56. Certain : SURE

61. Evens up : TIES

63. Away from the wind : ALEE

64. Dog-__: folded at the corner : EARED

65. Grabs a bite : EATS

66. Change direction : VEER

67. Classified messages : ADS

Down:

1. Pelican State sch. : LSU. (Louisiana State University)

2. Cowboy using a rope : LASSOER

3. In a tidy way : CLEANLY

4. Bitter discord : STRIFE

5. Org. with Titans and Chiefs : AFC. (American Football Conference)

6. Doom partner : GLOOM

7. Em and Bee : AUNTS

8. Income sources for retirees : PENSIONS

9. Cut with a pink slip : AXE. Whoa! Don't like seeing cuts and pensions so close together.

10. 52-Down, for one : CAR. 52D. 1980s-'90s Olds : CIERA

11. Metric measures: Abbr. : KMs

14. "Kinda" suffix : ISH

15. California's San __ Padres : DIEGO. Baseball team in the National League Western Division. (fourth place)

19. Nana : GRAN

21. "Me, too" : "DITTO"

23. Ill. summer hrs. : CDT. (Central Daylight Time)

24. Jockey's strap : REIN

26. Before, to Byron : ERE

27. Nickname on the range : TEX

28. Nevertheless : YET

30. Big name in spydom : HARI

33. Partly open : AJAR

34. Hosiery mishap : RUN

36. Religious place of seclusion : CLOISTER

37. Black cat crossing one's path, to some : OMEN

38. Rates on Monopoly deeds : RENTS

39. Store founder Penney and golfer Snead : JCs. Snead is the nephew of the legendary Sam Snead.

40. Wrath : IRE

41. Actor Chaney : LON

43. Lizardlike : SAURIAN. from Greek (and still Greek to me.)

44. Go along with : AGREE TO

45. Ballot box fillers? : Xes

47. Quick message : NOTE

48. Unevenly notched, as leaves : EROSE

50. Paths to take : ROUTES

53. When right turns may be allowed : ON RED

55. Educ. fundraiser : PTA

57. Ohio NBAer : CAV. (Cleveland Cavaliers)

58. Cheer for a matador : ¡OLÉ!

59. Born, in wedding announcements : NÉE

60. '60s activist gp. : SDS. (Students for a Democratic Society)

62. U-turn from NNE : SSW

Argyle

Monday, June 9, 2014 Jerome Gunderson

Theme: Ultimate Business/Leisure Suit - Two word entries starting with the same two letters but not just any two letters. The two letters stand for pajamas but not just any pajamas. They represent the attire that publisher Hugh Hefner wore while conducting his business from the Playboy mansion.

18A. *Wealthy executive's plane : PRIVATE JET

39A. *Preparation using crushed Bartletts, say : PEAR JAM

63A. *Cheese with a bite : PEPPER JACK

3D. *Pizza Hut rival : PAPA JOHN'S

35D. *Ordinary-looking gal : PLAIN JANE

65D. Magazine mogul, familiarly, known for dressing in the sleepwear hinted at by the answers to starred clues : HEF

Argyle here. I felt the theme was a little flat with the feeling I'd seen it before. Still, it's tough getting all those jays in there. No complaints. The lack of long non-theme entries kicks up the word count.(80)

Across:

1. Have the blues : MOPE

5. Blackens : CHARS

10. Time gone by : PAST

14. Historical times : ERAs

15. Cooperstown's "Hammerin' Hank" : AARON. Cooperstown is the Baseball Hall of Fame location.

16. Mystical old letter : RUNE

17. Ductwork sealer : TAPE

20. Commercial suffix with Motor : OLA. (Motorola)

21. Barfly : SOT

22. Gourmand : EPICURE. Tuesday words.

23. Took issue : OBJECTED

26. Sheets with shopping reminders : LISTS

27. Midwest tribe : OTOE

28. Sea eagles : ERNEs

31. Search engine giant : YAHOO

33. Meadow bleats : BAAs

34. Omar of "House" : EPPS

38. Writer Rand : AYN

42. Lav, in Bath : LOO

43. Slob's creation : MESS

45. Zone : AREA

46. Online business : E-TAIL

48. Breath mint with Retsyn : CERTS

50. Indian garment : SARI

51. Episcopal chapel leader : VICAR. I watch "The Vicar of Dibley" ocasionally.

54. Emulate Gregory Hines : TAP DANCE

58. Kazakh-Uzbek border lake : ARAL SEA

61. Help-wanted notice? : SOS

62. __ in Juliet : J AS

65. Heavenly instrument : HARP

66. As to : IN RE

67. California/Nevada border lake : TAHOE

68. Covetousness : ENVY

69. Like a useless battery : DEAD

70. Leaves : EXITS

71. Lawyer's charges : FEES

Down:

1. "Ditto" : "ME TOO"

2. Pulsonic toothbrush brand : ORAL B

4. Opposite of WNW : ESE

5. "In Cold Blood" writer Truman : CAPOTE

6. Western writer Bret : HARTE

7. Shipping magnate Onassis : ARI

8. Wander : ROVE

9. Go ballistic : SNAP

10. Accurate : PRECISE

11. Served in its natural gravy, as roast beef : AU JUS

12. Viking family dog of comics : SNERT. He is Hägar's pet; Helga's pet is Kvack, the duck.

13. French heads : TÊTÊs

19. Roofing material : TILE

21. Exclusive story : SCOOP

24. DDE's command : ETO. Dwight D. Eisenhower / European Theater of Operations

25. Most loved : DEAREST

29. Hindu prince : RAJA

30. Govt. intel org. : NSA. (National Security Agency)

31. Thanksgiving veggie : YAM

32. Yeoman's "yes" : "AYE"

33. Bratty Simpson kid : BART

36. Hawaiian food staple : POI

37. Note before la : SOL and 47D. Syllable before la : TRA

40. Organ with a canal : EAR

41. Fermented honey beverages : MEADS

44. Sold for a big profit, as tickets : SCALPED

49. Celtic language : ERSE

50. Bike wheel radii : SPOKES

51. Lacking zip : VAPID

52. "Fame" singer Cara : IRENE

53. "It's a Wonderful Life" director Frank : CAPRA

55. Broad tie : ASCOT

56. Work on a totem pole : CARVE

57. Sports awards : ESPYs. (short for Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Award)

59. One-named Deco master : ERTÉ. Romain de Tirtoff, initials R.T. (Erté)

60. "Iliad" warrior : AJAX. He came to a tragic end.

64. Sashimi tuna : AHI. Hawaiian name.

Argyle

Sunday June 8, 2014 Alan Olschwang

 Theme: "You Too" -U is added to each theme entry

23A. Being on hands and knees? : SCOURING POSITION. Scoring position.

45A. Follow the proverbial crowd? : VENTURE FOURTH. Venture forth. 

  

67A. Soda fountain? : SWEET SPOUT. Sweet spot.

71A. Town boor in a western capital? : SALEM'S LOUT. Salem's Lot.

92A. Auto equipment supplier? : RADIATOR HOUSE. Radiator hose.

117A. Prescription for extremely potent medicine? : OUNCE IN A BLUE MOON. Once in a blue moon.

14D. One hyping the spud industry? : TATER TOUT. Tater tot.

78D. Court case involving a British tennis player and a rake? : ROUE V. WADE. Roe V. Wade. Not familiar with Virginia Wade. Very accomplished career.

Alan Olschwang is the constructor who used to give us a quote/quip puzzle every Thursday in our old Tribune Media Daily days.

Read my interview with him here. He retired 4 years ago.

 Alan Olschwang, ACPT 2005

Across:

     

1. Bar stock : RYES. So many fun bars in Guangzhou/Hong Kong.

5. Work on copy : EDIT. And 46D. Work on copy : REVISE

9. Student of Socrates : PLATO

14. Lemony characteristic : TANG. Also the name of the big Chinese dynasty whose capital was in Xi'An.

18. Carefree walk : AMBLE

20. Cowboy quarterback Tony : ROMO

21. Red River capital : HANOI

22. Botanical cover : ARIL. Interested to see when Rich will clue it as "pomegranate seed".

26. Small monkey : TITI

27. Closet accessory : HANGER

28. Fill fully : SATE

29. Ain't the way it should be? : ISN'T.  Nice clue.

30. Bring home : EARN

 

31. Schooner drivers : SAILS

33. Many an outdoor eatery : CAFE

35. Red in a cellar : MERLOT

37. Story surprise : TWIST. Like the end of "Call Me Maybe". I think only Jayce watched the whole thing when I linked it two years ago.

41. Remains on the shelf : SITS

43. Beginning to exist : NASCENT

48. To such an extent : INSOFAR

52. '70s Israeli prime minister : MEIR. My "Call Me Maybe" guy Daniel Craig is in "Munich" too. Who is your "Call Me Maybe" guy or girl? 

53. Ahead of, in verse : ERE

54. Honey source : BEE

55. Seuss's "The 5000 Fingers of ___" : DR T

56. Indic language : URDU

57. Clear : ABSOLVE

59. Enduring work : CLASSIC

61. "The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas" author : STEIN. Who else could it be? I support some sex marriage!

62. High crime, briefly : DUI

63. Asserted one's innocence, perhaps : PLED

64. Frequent co-star of Sylvester : TALIA (Shire)

66. Bust gp. : DEA

73. __ de mer : MAL

74. Not natural : EERIE

75. Low wetlands : FENS

76. Little, in Lille : PEU. Un peu.

77. Activist Medgar : EVERS. I only learned today that he was assassinated.

79. Place to go when it rains : INDOORS

81. Stomach-related : GASTRIC

85. His show had a "Jaywalking" segment : LENO

86. "Haven't we __?" : MET. Our Splynter is too shy.

87. Family that's not kin : MOB. Great clue as well.

88. Hindu honorific : SRI

89. Lanford Wilson's "The __ Baltimore" : HOT L

90. Emotional wounds : TRAUMAS

95. Like clay pots : EARTHEN

97. "Right away!" : ASAP

98. Cohort of Threepio : ARTOO. 3PO &  R2-D2.

99. Support for the Lone Ranger? : SILVER. His horse.

 102. Finished a flight : ALIT

104. Leaves alone, in a way : STETS

106. Once more : ANEW

107. Pelvic bones : ILIA

109. Pouting grimace : MOUE

111. Butting heads : AT ODDS

116. Dial alternative : LAVA. Dove for me.

120. Toy on a hill : SLED

121. Stuck up? : TREED. Tricky clue.

122. Alike, to Alain : EGAL. Somehow Alain Delon was very popular in China in the late 1980s.

123. American of Japanese descent : NISEI. Ni=Two/Second. ISSEI is First-generation Japanese-American. Is = One/First. SANSEI is third-generation. San = Three/Third. SEI means "birth" literally.

124. Sailor's direction : ALEE

125. "The Gondoliers" lass : TESSA. Total unknown.

126. Idea beginning : GERM

127. __ pilot : TEST

Down:

1. Headlong : RASH

2. 1979 disco hit : YMCA

3. Odist's deep black : EBON

4. Vending machine tricker : SLUG

5. Directional finish : ERN. Like western.

6. Less-than-happy lot : DOG'S LIFE. Oh, I've got to share with you a story of how Jose Armenta, an ex-Marine dog handler, eventually adopted his dog Zenit. Nat Geo has a great article.  Click here.

7. Thickly applied paint : IMPASTO. This is a new word to me.

8. Binge : TOOT

9. Key letter : PHI

10. Queen of rap : LATIFAH. Queen Latifah.

11. Cordial flavorings : ANISES

12. Homer, for one : TOON

13. Topical medication : OINTMENT

15. Sans serif typeface : ARIAL

16. Big bang material : NITRO

17. Flash : GLINT

19. 1974 Top 10 hit whose title means "You are" : ERES TU

24. "The Stepford Wives" novelist Levin : IRA

25. Flash : SEC

32. Rhone feeder : ISERE

34. Gets in on the deal : ANTES

36. Neon borders? : ENS. Neon.

37. "Game of Thrones" rating : TV-MA

38. Super Bowl III coach Ewbank : WEEB. He stumped me last time. Here he was with Joe Namath (1965).

39. "Last one __ a rotten egg!" : IN IS

40. Proceeded confidently : STRODE

42. Lease prohibition : SUBLET

44. Group of friends : CIRCLE

47. Interpret : READ

49. Corleone traitor : FREDO. Michael Corleone's traitor.

50. It may be bid : ADIEU

51. Charge : RUN AT

55. Calls on a retro phone : DIALS

58. Guitar ancestors : LUTES

59. Filled (in) : CLUED

60. Getz and Kenton : STANS

61. Freelancer's supply: Abbr. : SASEs (Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope)

63. Act rudely, maybe : POINT

65. Render less effective : IMPAIR

67. Extract metal from : SMELT

68. Be in doubt : WAVER

69. "Uncle Vanya" woman : ELENA. Has any of you read "Uncle Vanya"?

70. Clerical worker : PRIEST

71. Montenegro neighbor : SERBIA

72. Superman nemesis : LUTHOR (Lex)

75. Meat and potatoes : FOOD

80. Arabian peninsula native : OMANI

81. Feel (for) : GROPE

82. Game ended by the mercy rule : ROUT. I know the concept, not the term "Mercy rule".

83. "Wishing won't make __" : IT SO

84. Old African queen, familiarly : CLEO

86. Residence Inn company : MARRIOTT

88. Attorney regulator : STATE BAR

91. Author Rita __ Brown : MAE

92. Tightens, perhaps : RELACES

93. Take the edge off : ASSUAGE

94. Accelerate : HASTEN

96. Alaska Panhandle city : HAINES. Never heard of it. I don't even know that Alaska has a Panhandle as well.

99. Burrito dressing : SALSA. I love Pace Chunky salsa.

100. As a whole : IN ALL

101. Bad place for a breach : LEVEE

103. "I didn't need to hear that!" : TMI (Too Much Information)

105. Cross shape : TAU

108. End-of-the-line item : LURE. Oh, fishing.

110. Universal donor's type, briefly : O NEG

112. Don't mention : OMIT

113. Capsule contents : DOSE

114. Forest prancers : DOES

115. Agitated state : SNIT

118. Child expert LeShan : EDA

119. Advanced attorney's deg. : LLM. Master of Laws. LLD is Doctorate of Laws. LLB is Bachelor of Laws.

 

C.C. 

Saturday, Jun 7th, 2014, Steven Riley and Charlie & Lauren Pollak

Theme: 2 triple-stacks

Words: 66 (missing J,Q,Y)

Blocks: 21

   I was preoccupied with the authors of today's puzzle, and did not immediately look at the grid - but when I did, I was taken aback by the expanse of white.  Very low word and block count today, with the two triple-stacks top and bottom.  I am unfamiliar with these constructors, but clearly, it's a collaboration.  I found today's cluing to be less of a Saturday level; the only reason this was not a speed run was because I just didn't know what we were looking for, especially in the triple spanners;

1a. Nocturnal desert lizards : WEB-FOOTED GECKOS

16a. Column opening : I NEED SOME ADVICE

17a. Gave everything to : TRIED ONE'S BEST AT

46a. Novel republished to commemorate its
2012 centennial : TARZAN OF THE APES

49a. Text following "@" : EMAIL DOMAIN NAME

50a. Appliance used in orthodontics : PALATAL EXPANDER - argh~! right smack in the middle of this clue....

70yrs Onward from D-Day

ACROSS:

18. Crew members : HANDS

19. Actor Flynn : ERROL - Um, this one was just a little too easy for Saturday

20. Demonstrate one's humanity : ERR - To Err is Human

21. They're subject to inflation : EGOs

22. On-call accessory : PAGER

23. Mid-sixth-century year : DLII - Do you know I actually put D-L-I-I in, and said, "no, I better not WAG this and throw off my downs"~?

24. Bug-eyed cartoon dog : REN

25. "Yes __!" : SIREE

26. Convey : BRING

27. Reactions to throat tickles : AHEMs

28. Carroll's caterpillar smokes one : HOOKAH

29. Restaurant with an owl logo : HOOTERS - revised logo

32. Most like a slasher movie : GORIEST - not my genre

33. They might be twisted : ANKLES

34. Sure competitor : ARRID - Deodorants

35. The Renault 5, in North America : Le CAR

36. Common hymn word : BLESS - I can see this being common

37. Recipe meas. : TSP - Teaspoon

40. Circulate : FLOW

41. Martinique volcano : PELEE - I WAGed the "P"

42. Rachel's sister : LEAH - I put BETH in - and that was 50% correct; not up on my Bible "begats"

43. Nikon D3S, e.g., briefly : SLR - Single-Lens Reflex - 35mm camera style

44. "The Heart of Georgia" : MACON - again, I threw this in, took it out, and then ended up putting it back in

45. New, in Nogales : NUEVA - how do you say "easy" in Spanish~?


DOWN:        


1. Shrivel : WITHER - in the down position, I thought I needed an "H" [ whither, which is a totally different word; 'to what place?' ]

2. Madden : ENRAGE

3. Share knowledge of : BE IN ON - does anyone else feel the clue/answer don't quite agree?  Share knowledge of - LET in on, that makes sense

4. Gratifies : FEEDS - ah, not SATES

5. Betting figures : ODDS

6. Baja bear : OSO

7. Swingers with pickups : TONE ARMS - for those with an extensive vinyl LP collection

8. Comes out : EMERGES

9. "You Gotta Be" soul singer : DES'REE

10. Show biz sisters' surname : GABOR - ah, Eva & Zsa-Zsa

11. Biographer Leon : EDEL - the only true unknown for me; all perps

12. Walgreens rival : CVS

13. Resembling a high flier : KITE-LIKE

14. Egg-shaped wind instruments : OCARINAS

15. Correct : SET RIGHT

22. Docks : PIERS

23. iPhone competitor : DROID - I have had my Droid now for two+ years, and all I need is a new screen-saver, which I ordered this past week; I replaced the battery last year because it got wet

25. Complete : SHEER - Aw, you know me, I can think of a MUCH better way to clue this~!!!

26. Rocky nemesis : BORIS - from the cartoon, not the boxing movie

27. Attorney chaser? : AT-LAW - Ambulance Chaser humor

28. Silver, e.g. : HORSE - nice misdirection that did not get past me

29. Semitone : HALF-STEP - Like from B to C, and E to F in the key of C

30. Nash priest, not beast : ONE-L LAMA

The one-l lama,
 He's a priest.
 The two-l llama,
 He's a beast.
 And I will bet
 A silk pajama
 There isn't any
 Three-l lllama.

31. Tombstone location : OK CORRAL

32. Pollution control assessment : GREEN TAX

34. 2013 John Legend hit : ALL OF ME - OK, so here's another complete unknown

36. "Relax, dude" : BE COOL - I can think of two movies with the line "Be Cool"; Pulp Fiction, and the other is Dusk Til Dawn

37. Frisbee golf starting point : TEE PAD - I have played Frisbee golf, but did not know it was called the tee "pad"

38. Helpless heroine's plea : "SAVE ME~!" - I'm looking for a damsel in distress - "I'll save you~!"

39. Electric guitar effect : PHASER - The sound effect produced by this resembles a wah-wah/chorus mix; I have it built into my guitar stompbox, but prefer the flanger sound; there are numerous Van Halen songs that utilize the sound; it's most effective at the intro of Atomic Punk, but I just don't like the song, so I'll give you Eruption instead

41. It eats shoots and leaves : PANDA - ah, not KOALA

42. Comics daughter of Nancy and Frank DeGroot : LUANN

44. Shake alternative : MALT

45. "99 Luftballons" singer : NENA

 

47. Bhutto's overthrower : ZIA - President of Pakistan; more from Wiki

48. Unlike nerds : HIP

Splynter

Friday, June 6, 2014, Frank Virzi

Theme: Beware of rip currents!

Well after you zipped through yesterday's puzzle and marti's fun write up, we have a more normal Friday with smaller word count, but with a visual theme. The reveal is in the middle of the grid, across, and the three theme answers in the Down clues, This requires the solver to read the hidden word from bottom to top, as TIDE is hidden in each of the three theme answers, and the letters are 'rising.'  We have had bottom to top theme answers before, so I do not expect this to be as polarizing a puzzle as last week, especially as the puzzle has so many 7,8 and 9 letter fill. ANILINE, ARIANNA, ARMADAS, DIETARY, VIRGINS, YES MA'AM, AVOIDING, INNATELY, PILSNERS, REMNANTS, ANNAPOLIS and DANDELION, three of which are new to the LA Times. Comparatively light on proper names, you all should have some fun here. This is Maryland's Frank VIRZI's third LAT, I blogged his first back in 2010, but he is obviously very prolific.

35A. Boat lifters found in this puzzle's three longest answers : RISING TIDES.(11).I like the definition of 'boat lifter' to be the rising tide; Alabama under Nick Satan was a rising tide, now we will see if they will ebb.

4D. Bank offerings : CREDIT LINES.(11). Many years ago these loans were unsecured, not any more. Picture reading from right to left and the TIDE emerges.

7D. Journalism bigwigs : MANAGING EDITORS. (15). I know our learned audience will help me understand the dynamic of the Managing Editor and the Publisher in a working newspaper.

26D. Journeys of discovery : EXPEDITIONS. (11). Another nice definition which required perp help, but as it was down, it was there.

Across:

1. Gush forth, as chimney smoke : BELCH. Really, how PC. As a child we had 24 hour smoke billowing  from the textile mill furnaces, I have read about smoke being belched out, but never seen it.  We lost our factories, the air was better but there were no jobs.

6. Coldplay gear : AMPS. bye bye, Gwyneth.  LISTEN.

10. Fix, in a way : SPAY. Never understood this euphemism; I certainly would not feel fixed, and would...

14. Foil : AVERT. any such plan, as it would ruin my...

15. Pace : GAIT. No desire to be an Unsullied, no thank you.

16. Old Milano moola : LIRE. Personally, being paid in Milano cookies sounds appealing.

17. Shakes, as a tail : LOSES. These days, with drones and tracking devices and gps in your phone, a detective's life sounds easier. It reminds me how with the advent of caller ID, television mysteries had to resort to the 'burner' phones to explain why they did not catch the bad guy when he called.

18. Capital on Chesapeake Bay : ANNAPOLIS, One of the new fill, and odd that no mention of the capital of Maryland, or the home of the Naval Academy ever appeared in a LA Times puzzle. How many love  the Maryland crabs from the bay?

20. Lost traction : SLID.

21. Drug initially studied for use in treating angina : VIAGRA. After hanging their clip boards of data gingerly for a while, it occurred to the Pharma that the other use might be profitable. Is it me, or was pairing with 21D. Vestal __: Roman flame tenders : VIRGINS a Freudian gesture from Mr. Virzi? More virgins? 33A. Carmelite, e.g. : NUN. The mountain from which they were founded. LINK.

22. To whom Ilsa said "I'll hum it for you" : SAM. She was so beautiful. (4:05).

23. Shying away from : AVOIDING.

25. Natural dye : HENNA. I was thinking about getting a Henna tattoo to freak my kids out, what with father's day coming up and all.

27. Advise : MENTOR. A favorite word and a lost art.

28. Nest egg item, for short : IRA. Individual Retirement Account.

31. Spinoff of TV's "Hercules" : XENA. Lucy Lawless, what a great name!

32. Place for a cast : LEG. Not at the end of the movie.

34. Buckingham buggy : PRAM. The benefit of all the British mystery fiction is knowing what Steve grew up learning in person. A new Martha Grimes hit the stands yesterday. Welcome back Richard Jury.

38. Port near the Red Sea : ADEN.

40. Alumni directory word : NEE. Is this fair, or should it have said ALUMNAE directory word?

41. Chap : LAD.

42. Winter coat : RIME. Not related to:

43. Nursery supply : SOD. Not Desitin, or talcum powder.

44. Reply to "No, you couldn't have!" : I DID SO.

48. It was founded in Oxford in 1946 : MENSA. I did not know this, do I have to give up my membership?

50. From the start : INNATELY.

52. One-time connection : AT A. Not a connection that has been lost, but one that connects one and time.

53. White terrier, for short : WESTIE. They look odd. LINK.(2:48).

56. California's Mission Santa __ : INES. Not up on my California Missions but have been to many really old ones in Florida.

57. Aster relative : DANDELION. I did not know this. Wild Flower or WEED?

59. Schubert's "Eine kleine Trauermusik," e.g. : NONET. From the Latin meaning 9, as they require 9 instruments. Otherwise, JzB, please HELP!

60. Martial __ : ARTS.

61. French 101 infinitive : ETRE. être ou ne pas être.

62. Make nasty comments : SNIPE. The kind that hurt people. Clecho: 64A. Make nasty comments : CUSS. The kind where the words are unacceptable, but not necessarily mean.

63. GPS part: Abbr. : SYSTem. Global Positioning System.

65. From Nineveh: Abbr. : ASSYR. Eeeeek. Is this an abbreviation of Assyrian? Am I an Americ?  Assyria is now known as Iraq.

Down:

1. Fragrant fir : BALSAM. A common choice for Christmas TREE.

2. Develop gradually : EVOLVE.Like the various Corner blogging styles.

3. Sore spot : LESION. I like this clue/fill a lot and I am not sure why

5. Abbr. after Cleveland or Brooklyn : HTS. In my schools they came from Shaker Heights.

6. "Come __?" : AGAIN? I did not hear you.

8. Sign of engine trouble, perhaps : PING.

9. One billed higher than the rest : STAR. In my world they are called senior partners.

10. Traffic warning : SLO. Is it really worth removing the 'W?" Two days in  a roW?

11. Pale lagers : PILSNERS. My beer brewing sons would be very unhappy with this clue/fill. All Beer is either Lager (cold bottom fermentation) or Ale (warm top fermentation). Pilsners (named after the city in Czechoslovakia  where the style was created) are a form of lager, though most are golden in color. They are pale compared to the more robust lagers. Your basic Beck's, Heineken and the like are pilsners.

12. Author Huffington : ARIANNA. Her Huffington Post was bought by AOL for $315 Million; if interested you go to this LINK.

13. Polite assent : YES MA'AM. Many women under 35 find this greeting very offensive.

19. Tuba note : PAH. And its friend OOM.

24. Executes : DOES.

29. Track : RUT.

30. Dye-making compound : ANILINE.

35. Leftovers : REMNANTS. Hi honey, let's have some remnants for supper.

36D. Natal opening : NEOnatal.

37. Word from a crib : DADA. Or the now familiar TV staple, "get off my turf, mofo."

38. Seagoing forces : ARMADAS. The tale of the defeat of the SPANISH ARMADA in 1588 was a riveting one when I was in grammar school.

39. Like many supplements : DIETARY.

45. Hall of Fame pitcher Eckersley : DENNIS. Eck who went from being a successful starter to being a great reliever when he was traded to Oakland and manager Tony LaRussa and pitching coach Dave Duncan. STATS. He started with Cleveland but was traded when his wife had an affair with another Cleveland player. He also was traded from the RedSox to the Cubs in the deal that brought Bill Buckner to Boston.

46. Nodding : SLEEPY. Which makes me want to go to bed, but then...

47. Bed denizen : OYSTER. if ever I wake up and find an oyster in my bed I am going to be livid.

49. Leave dumbstruck : AWE.

51. Dressing extreme? : NINES. Origin per askville: "Dressed to the nines, or dressed up to the nines are merely a version of the phrase that is applied to clothing. That is first cited in John C. Hotten's A Dictionary of Modern Slang, Cant, and Vulgar Words, 1859 as: 'DRESSED UP TO THE NINES', in a showy 'recherché' manner."

54. Monthly pmt. : ELECtricity. This is an extruded clue/fill as you do not pay your Elec, you pay the bill.

55. As found, with "in" : SITU. Latin, and familiar to all from the TV CSI type shows.

58. Source of addl. evening light : DST. Daylight Savings Time.

59. Surveillance org. : NSA. National Security Agency  A timely fill that keeps coming up in the puzzles and the news.

June is here, soon it will be summer and the days will start getting shorter again; in the meantime I hope you enjoyed this puzzle and have a pleasant week end. Father's Day is coming

Lemonade out.
  

Notes from C.C.:

1) The third Minnesota Crossword Tournament will be held on June 22, 2014  at The Landmark Center in Saint Paul. Please click here for more information. Now they have a short bio of each constructor.

 

2) JD emailed me these two wonderful pictures. She said:

"Yesterday (June 4 Wednesday) the coven had our yearly trek over to Dodo's, and had a lovely time. Dodo was in good spirits and seeing Lucina makes this trip extra special. We could have spent the whole afternoon, after a delicious lunch, chatting, but unfortunately the drive takes us 2 1/2 hours if we get on the road before the commuters.

BTW, Garlic Gal did a spectacular job of weaving thru the truck traffic and the back seat in her car was most comfortable. Couldn't even tell it was 92 outside with the AC."

L to R: Chickie, Lucina, Garlic Gal, JD, and Dodo.

 Dodo, who will be 89 years old this coming Oct

Thursday, June 5, 2014 C.W. Stewart

Theme: "D.I.Y. Network"

In-the-language terms are transformed into renovation tips from people in the field.

20. Ballplayer's home renovation advice about the bare hallway floor? : PUT A RUNNER OUT.

27. Tech's home renovation advice about a dark basement? : INSTALL WINDOWS.

44. Housekeeper's home renovation advice about a cheap fourposter offer? : TURN DOWN THE BED.

54. Bartender's home renovation advice about the tiny kitchen sink? : MAKE IT A DOUBLE.
My favorite entry. A double drink becomes a double sink!

This was by far the easiest Thursday puzzle I can remember. I think I finished it in under 10 minutes.

Across

1. Email for the spam folder, probably : SCAM. I can't help thinking of this clip every time I hear the word "spam." 3:19

5. Comparable : AKIN.

9. Indy participant : RACER. I had to check perps to be sure we were not looking for a specific one, like "Unser."

14. __ socks : TUBE. Had to leave this one for a couple perps, too.  All I could come up with at first was "Argyle."

15. Fiddling emperor : NERO. The violin wasn't invented until 1500 years after Nero.

16. Drop names, maybe? : ERASE.

17. Flightless flock : EMUS.

18. Swarm member : GNAT.

19. Nodding off at a meeting, say : BORED.

23. Caution to drivers : SLO.

Slo down!

24. Flamenco cheer : OLE.

25. "... but I could be wrong" : OR NOT.

32. Bygone TV control : HOR.izontal. I wonder if NERO used to fiddle with this knob?

33. Reef denizen : EEL.

34. Small drink : NIP.

35. Autumn bloom : ASTER.

38. Nursery rhyme fiddler : CAT. CATs can't really fiddle - they don't have opposable thumbs.

Hey Diddle, Diddle

39. Pleasing to the palate : TASTY. Yumm!

41. Luau bowlful : POI. Yuck!

42. Wheels : CAR.

43. Limit : CAP.

50. Joyous hymn : PAEAN.

51. Lee follower : REB. General Robert E. Lee, and his REBel army.

52. Cold War jet : MiG. Named after the two inventors Mikoyan and Gurevich. The "i" is small because it is the Russian word for "and."

58. Capital on the 30th parallel : CAIRO.

60. Mill site : POND. I would venture to say that the mill was usually sited on a stream. Ponds don't move water wheels very well.

61. Sticky stuff : GLUE.

62. Day one : ONSET.

63. Aquatic predator : ORCA.

64. Catches : GETS. "Catch my drift?" "Get it?"

65. Mild cheese : GOUDA.

66. Bucks, perhaps : DEER.

67. Hook's right hand : SMEE.


Down

1. Mother May I? movements : STEPS. Did any of you play this game as children?

2. Fluffy clouds : CUMULI.

3. Lie alongside : ABUT ON. OK, Grammar Nazis.  Is it proper to say ABUT ON, or just "abut?"

4. Monument Valley sight : MESA.

5. Sharp-cornered : ANGULAR.

6. Boxer's hotel : KENNEL. I had "dog spa" at first, which gave me fits with the first theme entry.

7. Caspian Sea land : IRAN.

8. Sticky writing? : NOTE. We just had "Yellow sticky, often" for NOTE TO SELF last Saturday, so this was a gimme.

9. Energized anew : REBORN.

10. In the vicinity : AROUND.

11. They may be political : CARTOONS. I've linked Daumier before, so this time I'll go with Nast.

Tammany Hall 

12. Chicago-to-D.C. dir. : ESE.

13. Former Riverfront Stadium player : RED. Home of the Cincinnati Reds (baseball), it was later renamed "Cinergy Field" until it was demolished in 2001.

21. Chopper topper : ROTOR.  I was off on a whole different tangent...

22. Provoke : ROIL.

26. Flibbertigibbet : TWIT. Love the word "flibbertigibbet," but I would have had a tough time coming up with the correct spelling. Now I know!

28. Ewe or doe : SHE.

29. Pay attention in class : LEARN.

30. Drizzly : WET.

31. Many a character in TV's "The Americans" : SPY. Never saw the show.

35. Quick on the uptake : APT. As in, "He was an apt student."

36. Opposite of nuts? : SOUP.

37. Italian dessert : TIRAMISU.

38. Raucous call : CAW.

39. Popular exercise regimen : TAE BO. TAE BO  is a portmanteau of tae kwon do and boxing. Total body fitness, really intense. I will stick to t'ai chi, thank you very much.

40. LAPD alert : APB. All points bulletin. It may also be a BOLO: "Be On the Lookout." Or an ATL: "Attempt to locate."

42. Cold Stone Creamery purchase : CONE. Last week we had A&P, which is a local chain in the Northeast, and now we have Cold Stone Creamery, which only has locations in MA, CT and RI.  I guess Häagen-Dazs would be too easy for a Thursday? [Update: Cold Stone Creamery is nationwide.]

43. It may be extra sharp : CHEDDAR. "That's the way (uh-huh, uh-huh) I like it!"

45. Came closer to : NEARED.

46. Territory divided in 1889 : DAKOTA.

47. Spell : TRANCE.

48. Infiniti's infinity symbol, e.g. : EMBLEM. Oh, so that's what it's supposed to be!  I always thought it was an Alp...

Infiniti

49. Weaken : DILUTE. Scotch and soda, anyone?

53. Formation fliers : GEESE.

55. Apple product : iPOD.

56. Zoomed : TORE.

57. Fleece-lined boot brand : UGGS. So named because of their ugliness.

58. Gear tooth : COG.

59. Mayo to mayo : ANO. Spanish May to May, and year.

Hasta la próxima semana!

Marti

Note from C.C.:

1) Happy 20th wedding anniversary to our sweet Misty and her husband Rowland! What's the special planning today, Misty? (Sorry I goofed, Irish Miss.)

Misty & Rowland 2009 (15th Anniversary Party)

2) Happy Birthday to dear TTP (Took The Plunge), the unsung hero of our blog. TTP patiently guided me through each trouble this blog faced the past few years and is always there when I'm in need. He's one of the very few regulars that I've talked on the phone. Don't know if he hooks or slices on the golf course, but he used to be a good bowler until he hurt his back. He served Uncle Sam as well.