Saturday, Jun 21st, 2014, Barry C. Silk

Theme: Saturday Silkie~!

Words: 70 (missing Q,X)

Blocks: 32

  Yes, it was feeling like we'd get a Silkie today - and the first day of summer, officially 6:51am EDT.  Not a terribly daunting puzzle, with a different looking grid.  Three-letter fill to start, which didn't help me much, but there were a few fills on the first pass, and even more on the Downs. Triple 11- and 7-letter corners, and two 10-letter fills on the inside;

33. Cocktail with rum : BAHAMA MAMA - My friends and I came up with the drink name "Gilligan's Island", which was a total misnomer - the drink consisted of Captain Morgan and Ginger Ale, but the show had a Skipper, not a Captain....and I preferred Mary Ann anyway

37. Crusaded : CAMPAIGNED - Great fill, considering the silent "G"

oooh, uh, Onward?!?!?

ACROSS:

1. Image on many Oregon license plates : FIR - Makes sense now

4. Drink containing the antioxidant lycopene : TOMATO JUICE - shoulda had a V-8

15. Rock genre : EMO - Rock? Meh.

16. "I'd have never guessed!" : "IMAGINE THAT"~!

17. Male __ : EGO - Can't believe Mr. Silk threw us all under the bus with this clue

18. Fight site : BATTLEFIELD

19. Doesn't start well? : HOT WIRES - Nice

21. Georgia-based insurance giant : AFLAC - Huh - not AETNA, not GEICO

22. One way to shrink : IN FEAR - made me think of this song, with the lyric "shrinking violet"

23. "Lassie Come-Home" author Knight : ERIC

25. Nautical units : KNOTS - Sort of a 'freebie' for a Saturday

26. Soup served with sour cream : SCHAV - Total WAG; I had SC-A-; never heard of this soup, never had it

31. "You betcha" : YUP - My first thought, and considered it too easy

32. Bring in : EARN

35. Cocktail with sweet vermouth : AMERICANO - never had one

40. Old Venetian judge : DOGE

44. Food franchise initials : IGA - another fill I hesitated on

45. Enjoy on the sly : SNEAK

46. Rancor : VENOM

47. Magazine fig. : CIRCulation

49. Menace at sea : PIRATE - I really wanted to put in KRAKEN

50. Words to un caro : TI AMO - "I love you"....one of these days

53. Nassau Coliseum player : ISLANDER - Mr. Silk rocks~!  Home town fill - and yes, I AM a Ranger fan, but I will root for the Islanders, just because

55. First Bond actor born after the Bond films began : DANIEL CRAIG - Most logical, and it fit; gratuitous image for one C.C.

57. Charlton's "Earthquake" co-star : AVA - IMDb

58. Redealt, say : STARTED OVER

59. No. with a prefix : TELephone

60. It includes the Jurassic period : MESOZOIC ERA

61. Close : END - Great way to "end" the Across clues

DOWN:

1. Budget-squeezing announcement : FEE HIKE - we had this discussion at Home Depot yesterday while building grills; we are trapped on Long Island, unless we're willing to pay $15 to cross the Geo. Washington Bridge - highway robbery?

2. Response to "Did you clean your room yet?" : I'M GONNA - Aww, ma~

3. Support : ROOT FOR - I don't care that the Rangers lost in the Stanley Cup - they played ALL the games they could have played this season.  Not much to "rebuild", either.  Rick Nash, however....

4. Fibula neighbors : TIBIAS

5. Astrologer Sydney : OMARR - I read my daily and love horoscopes before starting work at UPS each morning

6. King's demise : MATE - Chess finale - that kind of king, not "The King" ( Elvis ) or Martin Luther

7. CIA employees : AGTs - ah, not G-Men

8. Up to, in ads : TIL - unTIL

9. Most fit to serve : ONE-A

10. Lynne of ELO : JEFF - forced me to change my insurance company (21a.)

11. Not worthless : UTILE

12. "Gotcha" : "I HEAR YA"

13. Element #20 : CALCIUM - semi-cheat; I have a Periodic Chart app on my phone - can you say nerd?

14. JFK announcement : ETD - Dah~!  not e.t.A

20. Brand used with wings : WET-NAP - Thought it might be "HOT-NIP" or something like that, for a spicy sauce

24. Pro concerned with losses : CPA - my CPA got me a huge return this year - thank you Home Inspection classes~!

26. Military nickname : SARGE

27. 20th-anniversary gift : CHINA - A list, for those curious

28. Czech diacritical sometimes called an inverted circumflex : HAČEK - not a clue, but I WAGed it right the first time. "Little hook", according to Wiki

29. Make __ dash : A MAD

30. Police vehicle : VAN - so vague; this is Saturday cluing

33. "__ Green": Kermit's song : BEIN' - I prefer the Rainbow Connection

34. Today : MODERN

36. More, in Mexico : MAS

37. Title for Obama: Abbr. : CIC - Commander In Chief

38. Shake up : AGITATE - Nailed it, but that's not sayin' much

39. Mooring areas : MARINAs

41. Out, perhaps : ON A DATE - One of these days....

42. Didn't let bygones be bygones : GOT EVEN

43. Shade of green : EMERALD

46. Levitra competitor : VIAGRA - Left out Cialis....I don't watch TV, but when I am at mom's house after hockey, I end up watching Jeopardy, and I can't stand the commercials for these drugs - but really, what else can they depict?

48. 2011 revolution locale : CAIRO

49. Diligent worker : PLIER

51. City on the Moselle : METZ

52. Bar in the kitchen : OLEO - margarine

53. Camaro __-Z : IROC

54. Statistic in baseball and hockey : SAVE - so here's another thing C.C. & I have in common~!

55. Mil. honor : DSM - Distinguished Service Medal

56. Fifth-century date : CDI - 401 in Roman numerals

Splynter

Friday, June 20, 2014, Jacob Stulberg

Theme: One is the loneliest number. I am avoiding any politically incorrect reference to LAY'S, in deference to the breakfast rule.

The major challenge in this puzzle was sussing a theme, which appears to be four items found at the end of fill,  which do not appear by themselves when eaten (i.e, they're always in plural form). I may be all wrong as after some 200 puzzles write ups, I just am not sure. I blogged Jacob's first publication last year (a quote theme)  and see he has had a NYT as well as another here in March since then. The long fill was the theme and reveal, but there also were: AMENITY, ASIATIC, LABELED, ORATION, GO TO SEED, HABITATS which are nice. Remarkably few proper name references so this should be doable by most. Left handed reliever Jesse Orosco was probably the most obscure along with the YMCA reference to Geneva but I know baseball and the perps were easy because it had to be a place, so it was all good.  I also do not want to rock the boat, so let us head out into the sea of clues/fill.

24A Source of much government history : NATIONAL ARCHIVE. (15) It have been featured in many action movies, and you always get chives with your baked potato or cream cheese, not a chive.

32A Tax-exempt outlet : DUTY-FREE SHOP. (12) Having the Bahamas close by helps getting some great buys on imports without paying the excise tax. Well a beer related clue; I learned so much about hops in the past few years.

40A. Theme of many a ballad : ROMANTIC LOVE. (12) This is the odd one out as like the others it is the end of the fill, but it alone spans two words.

50A. Warning to a would-be rebel : DON'T ROCK THE BOAT.(15) One oat...nah. One girl....no clue.

18A. With 56-Across, memorable snack food slogan ... or a hint to what's hidden at the end of 24-, 32-, 40- and 50-Across : BETCHA CAN'T.(10) and 56A. See 18-Across : EAT JUST ONE.(10) I grew up eating Wise potato chips, so when this campaign started I gladly ate just one.

Across:

1. "Good one!" : HA HA.

5. See 55-Across : PAUL. More cross-referencing.55A. With 5-Across, musician for whom a classic Gibson guitar model is named : LES. The inventor of the electric guitar, and pioneer with his wife Mary Ford.

9. Lexicographer's concern : USAGE.They write dictionaries, not much plot but lots of big words.

14. Dutch export : EDAM. Cheesy answer.

15. Big Apple sch. : CCNY. The City College New York. Actually part of the CUNY system, so the full name is the The City College of the City University New York LINK.

16. Procreates : SIRES. The word  procreate sounds biblical to me.

17. Monk's wear : ROBE. More biblical stuff.

20. Company name tag? : INC. Cute , as most states require INC., Co.  etc at the end of the name.

22. Glass on a radio : IRA. From This American Life. We have had this a number of times, I had in in March in a John Guzzetta puzzle. I think Gershwin is being retired.

23. Symbol of industry : BEE. Busy as a...

30. Campaign staple : ORATION. Has anyone read much Cicero?

31. Surveillance device : SPYCAM. You are on camera half of your life now; get used to it.

35. Crash site initials : EMS.  Emergency Medical Service

36. Eggs that may be served with grits : ROE. This clue was fishy.

37. Roadside purchase : GAS. Which you get from the burrito you foolishly bought at the 7 11.

46. 1980s Mets relief star Jesse : OROSCO.  World Series HERO. Started I believe with the Twins.

49. Like some elephants : ASIATIC. They come in African and Asiatic? Why not ASIAN?

53. Souse's woe : DTS. Delerium Tremens. Not just a beer, but the shakes and eventually the pink elephants which are neither African or Asian.

54. A little light : RAY. A DO(E), a female deer?

61. Bound : LEAP. Tall buildings...

64. Desolate : STARK. Where they lived, Winterfell, was all of that. 19D. Desolate : HARSH. A mini-theme as well as clecho.

65. Series curtailer : ET AL.

66. They lack pelvic fins : EELS. Well, I have a pelvis but no pelvic fin

67. Short and sweet : TERSE. Sweet in a not very sweet way.

68. Deprives (of) : ROBS. Tempted to write ROBB just to be consistent.

69. June observance : D-DAY. We always should thank the soldiers and their families,


Down:

1. Start of some royal titles : HER. Does PIA count as the rest of the expression?

2. Flap : ADO. Is quiet 'adont'?

3. Rainforests, for many : HABITATS. Wonderful people building and helping others.

4. Hotel pool, say : AMENITY.

5. Banned chem. pollutant : PCB. All you wanted to know and more about these Polychlorinated Biphenyls

6. More than just pass : ACE.

7. No later than : UNTIL.

8. Wet suit material : LYCRA. Gratuitous

9. "Covert Affairs" airer : USA. The network not the country.

10. [Not my typo] : SIC. Latin for thus.

11. Like some numerals : ARABIC. Like 1, 2, 3 etc.

12. YMCA world headquarters city : GENEVA. Never knew this but it makes sense..

13. Value : ESTEEM. How do Italians remove wrinkles?

21. Do : COIF.

24. Bump on a branch : NODE. Much better than being a bump on a log.

25. Calla lily family : ARUM.

26. Logical connector : NOR.

27. End of __ : AN ERA.

28. Nav. noncom : CPO. Chief Petty Officer.

29. Right triangle part: Abbr. : HYPotenuse.

33. Quite a stretch : EON.

34. Ripped into : SET AT.

37. Deteriorate : GO TO SEED. Always wondered about this expression since seeds begin life, but then as vegetables go bad..

38. Adidas competitor : AVIA.

39. Religious faction : SECT.

40. Queue after Q : RST. A cute way for an alphabet string.

41. Text-scanning technology, briefly : OCR. Optical character recognition,

42. Secures, in a way : MOORS. How many own boats?

43. Native suffix : ISH. Moorish, Turkish, Spanish

44. Sky, to Sarkozy : CIEL.  Simple French.

45. Called : LABELED.

46. Most unusual : ODDEST.

47. Perform a pirouette, say : ROTATE.

48. GM navigation system : ONSTAR. They advertise often. LINK. (0:54) I guess we are to forget about the recalls and non-recalls.

51. Supply with a spread : CATER.

52. City near Lake Biwa : KYOTO. A new way to clue an old answer.

57. PSAT takers : JRS. In high school.

58. Luau entertainment feature : UKE. CSO to our lost battalion of Hawaii posters.

59. Pinch : NAB.

60. Some Bronx lines : ELS. We couldn't have Ernie again so soon.

62. Like : A LA. as Splynter would say, frawnch.

63. Would-be social worker's major: PSY. My undergraduate and graduate field.

Well, tomorrow starts summer and the days start getting shorter. We do get closer to the NFL season. Today is 5 year wedding anniversary for son one, so I get to babysit my grandpuppy. LPGA playing their open at Pinehurst number 2 this week, should be fun. Thanks for the puzzle Jacob and thanks for the rest Corner. L714 out.

Note from C.C.:

Happy 60th Anniversary to dear Chickie and her husband Bill! Chickie has a backyard full of fruit trees. I saw a bag of dried persimmon at Trader Joe's the other day and thought of you.

Thursday, June 19, 2014 Jerry Edelstein

Theme:  Michael Jackson

17. Harebrained schemes : CRAZY IDEAS. They are often off the wall.

22. Noted sitter : HUMPTY DUMPTY. He fell off the wall and cracked himself up.

36. With 37- and 38-Across, big hit : LONG.
37. See 36-Across : FLY.
38. See 36-Across : BALL. If it's not a home run, it probably bounced off the wall.

47. Cause of bad luck, so they say : BROKEN MIRROR. All I have to do is look in one to break it - it doesn't have to fall off the wall.

56. Bizarre, and what 17-, 22-, 36/37/38- and 47-Across can be, in one way or another : OFF THE WALL.

There are lots of ways to be off the wall. Here we have one figurative off the wall reference, one fictional, and two that could literally either bounce or drop off the wall.  Marti here, to pick up the pieces.

Across:

1. Licensed med. personnel : RNS. Checking the perps didn't help much - between RALPH, NAURU and SALEM, all I got was the "S"!!! Cross referenced at 64-Across. Workplaces for 1-Across : ERS.

4. Heavens : EDENS. Edens to Betsy!

9. Relations : KIN.

12. Wireless mouse batteries : AAAs.

14. Fuzzy __ : NAVEL. Peach schnapps and OJ. Great for brunch.

15. How-to presentation : DEMO.

16. One of a kind : LULU.

19. Lay the groundwork : PREPARE.

21. Live-in help, perhaps : NANNY.

26. Squirt : IMP.

27. Hardly a deadeye : POOR SHOT. Any takers?

Deadeye Cupid

31. "We __ amused" : ARE NOT. (Oh yes, we are!)

34. Role for Liz : CLEO.patra. Elizabeth Taylor.

35. Personality part : EGO.

39. Catchall abbr. : ETC.

40. Miscellany : OLIO.

42. Pushed : GOADED.

44. Makes tawdry : CHEAPENS.

46. Acct. datum : AMT. I wish the amount in my account were a little higher...

52. __ New Guinea : PAPUA.

55. Gets : OBTAINS.

60. Half DX : CCLV. I prefer this type of clue much more than "Year in so and so's reign…"

61. Campaign funders, briefly : PACS. Political Action Committees.

62. Guts : MOXIE.

63. 1980s surgeon general : KOOP. The only surgeon-general to become a household name. Do you remember why?

65. Jacket material : TWEED.

66. Elevs. : HTS.


Down:

1. "Invisible Man" writer Ellison : RALPH. Full name RALPH Waldo Ellison, named for - (guess who?)

2. World's smallest island nation : NAURU. Map.

3. Capital south of Olympia : SALEM.

4. Protect, in a way : ENCRYPT. I am fascinated by the Navajo Code Talkers of WWII.

5. Challenged : DARED.

6. Perón of Argentina : EVA.

7. Pince-__ : NEZ.

8. Like some dogs and devils : SLY.

9. Sharp : KEEN.

10. One-named supermodel : IMAN. I can never remember if it IMAm, InAm or IMAN.

11. Prone to prying : NOSY.

13. Dining : SUPPING.

15. Decisive times : D-DAYS. Do you know what the "D" stands for? Spoiler here.

18. Short beginning : INTRO.

20. Sphere lead-in : ATMO. Meh. And another: 33-Down. Confer ending : ENCE.

23. Able to give a firsthand account : UP CLOSE…and personal.

24. "Holy __!" : MOLY!

25. "The Pit and the Pendulum" author : POE. Would you believe, I filled it in as "EAP" at first? D'uh!!

28. Proceed : HEAD.

29. Stare rudely at : OGLE.

30. Related : TOLD.

31. Baldwin of "The Cooler" : ALEC. In gambling parlance, a "cooler" is a player who seems to cause other players to get unlucky, thus "cooling" down their hot streaks.

32. "Portnoy's Complaint" novelist : ROTH. It came out in 1969 - and immediately created a public outrage.

37. Informer : FINK.

38. Dugout convenience : BAT RACK. It's where they hang their keys.

Bat Rack

40. Talk show tycoon : OPRAH.

41. Durocher of baseball : LEO. "The Lip."

42. Bet : GAMBLED.

43. Skip past : OMIT.

45. Is up against : ABUTS.

48. "Cross my heart!" : NO LIE!

49. Maker of Caplio cameras : RICOH. Never heard of this camera:

50. Like septic tanks : ON LOT. Anyone else scratch their heads over this one? Septic tanks are always located ON the LOT of land that they serve.  Town sewer systems draw sewage through sewer lines to a central processing system at another central location. All you want to know, here. (Really, you actually clicked that link???)

51. SASE inserts, often : RSVPS. I used to get invited to a lot of weddings. Now I look through the obituaries to plan my social calendar.

52. Leader who wears the Ring of the Fisherman : POPE. Also called the "Piscatory Ring."

53. Quite a way off : AFAR.

54. Low-ranking GIs : PFCs.

57. CPR pro : EMT.

58. "Man!" : WOW.

59. Tool often swung : AXE. "Give me six hours to chop down a tree, and I will spend the first four sharpening the AXE.": Abraham Lincoln.

That's all I have for now!

Marti

Wednesday, June 18, 2014 Andrew J. Ries

Theme: O's Only. Each name has no vowels other than "O".

17A. Rolling Stones guitarist : RON WOOD. Prior to the Stones, he was Rod Stewart's sideman with "The Faces". Tearing it up in 1972 in London.

25A. Harpers Ferry raider : JOHN BROWN. His soul goes marching on.

50A. Legendary Manhattan restaurateur : TOOTS SHOR. When Charlie Chaplin complained about having to stand in line, Toots told him to entertain the others while they were waiting.

61A. "The Joy of Painting" artist : BOB ROSS. Ron Wood may have started with one of Bob's kits, he's an accomplished water-colorist.

20D. Regular on Bob Newhart sitcoms : TOM POSTON. He played the bumbling George Utley.

and the reveal

39A. 1976 horror classic ... and, read another way, group that appears at 17-, 25-, 50- and 61-Across and 20-Down : THE OMEN. Alternatively, THE O-MEN. Flashback nightmares for me; after watching The Exorcist and this terror-fest at an early age, I swore off horror movies for ever.

Good morning all! Steve here with Andrew's Wednesday Workout, and I confess this was a real tester for me. Bob Ross and Tom Poston were both unknowns, and there was some real crunch in the fill. I thought this was a tremendous puzzle. Six theme entries, some sparkly non-themers and not much wince-worthy made for a really fun test. One of the highlights in the fill that I loved was the OMEGA/OMICRON pair - not only a shout-out to the main theme, but I'd never made the "Mega" and "Micron" connection before. A great learning moment.

Across:

1. Part of a Genesis-inspired costume : FIG LEAF

8. Tom in an alley : MALE CAT. Hanna-Barbera's version. I can still remember the theme song pretty much word-for-word.

15. Good-natured : AMIABLE. I had to leave this alone and go back to it - I couldn't understand why AMICABLE wouldn't work when I had the "AM" and the "LE"

16. Vivid language : IMAGERY

18. Fuddy-duddies : CODGERS

19. "__ said it!" : YOU

20. Cross at a frat : TAU

21. Bloke's bathroom : LOO. I tried "LAV" first against all common sense.

22. "RUR" playwright : CAPEK. This was about as tough pulling this from the inner recesses of my brain as pushing a strand of wet spaghetti uphill.

28. Trash emanation : ODOR. Not PONG, which was my first thought. I seemed to have my English head screwed on today, it might be a side-effect of watching the World Cup and calling "soccer" "football" again.

29. Sponge, as a smoke : BUM

30. TNT part : TRI. Nitrotoluene is the rest. Makes a big bang when it's all put together.

31. Chain including the Matterhorn : SWISS ALPS. I've skied the Matterhorn. Well, the ski-able bits at the bottom. It looks mightily impressive from the Swiss side, but from the Italian side it just looks like a craggy lump.

Matterhorn, Italian-style

34. Cancel, NASA-style : ABORT

38. "Oh, wow!" : MAN

41. "Hunh?" : WHA'?

42. Weed control giant : ORTHO

44. George Orwell or George Eliot : PSEUDONYM. Eric Blair and Mary Evans. Evans used a man's name to ensure her works would be taken seriously. Orwell is famously known for Animal Farm and 1984, his other books are also worth exploring, he was a wonderful writer.

46. Hoppy brew, for short : I.P.A. India Pale Ale. Beer shipped to the British troops in India in the 1800's would often arrive spoiled due to the long sea journey and the heat. Faced with a lot of sulky faces in the ranks, the IPA recipe was developed - it increased the hops and alcohol content to act as natural preservatives.

48. Road surface : TAR

49. Re-re-re-re-shared link on Facebook, e.g. : MEME

54. Fall beverage : CIDER

55. Roadie's unit : AMP. Jackson Browne's homage to the roadies and the fans.

56. Dawson in the first Super Bowl : LEN

57. Soft slip-on : MOC. I'm not sure if I knew this or WAG'd it. The latter, I think.

58. More prepared : READIER

65. Suitable for tweens, usually : PG-RATED. The more common usage is "Rated PG" but this variant is perfectly OK.

66. Weaken from disuse : ATROPHY

67. Ancient provincial governors : SATRAPS. Dear Perps. Thank You. Kind Regards, Steve.

68. Suffragist Elizabeth Cady __ : STANTON. You'd better be up on your suffragists today. There's a potential Natick with 57D if you're not careful.

Down:

1. Not within walking distance : FAR. Kind of an odd clue here - something can be far, but still walkable, just a long walk. No? The Proclaimers didn't think 500 miles was too far.

2. "I'd say," in texts : IMO. In My Opinion. Usually seen with an embedded H for 'Humble".

3. Rickey ingredient : GIN. Perps all the way. I'd never heard of a Rickey. I discover it is gin (originally bourbon), lime juice and soda. Cover your ears, Tinman - it's got one cube of ice in it.

4. Ones doing case studies : LAWYERS

5. Tablet download : EBOOK. Tortuous brain-path from apps, through painkiller pill scripts to the final result.

6. Baseball's Moises : ALOU. I knew the name, but little about the man. I looked him up, and discovered he had a rather novel way of toughening his hands as he didn't wear batting gloves. I'll let you read it for yourselves if you're interested. Not over breakfast, probably. C.C. surely knows all about him.

7. Gave lunch to : FED

8. Old Testament prophet : MICAH

9. PayPal figure : AMOUNT

10. Young chap : LAD

11. Quiche base : EGG. Food! And is this a misdirection or - shhhhhh - a mistake? The base of the quiche filling is egg, but the base of the quiche itself is pastry. What say all y'all?

12. Hip-hop star Green : CEE-LO. I sat next to Mr. Green on a flight from New York to London. Bizarrely, I was listening to "Crazy" on my iPod when he boarded and sat next to me.

13. "This way" symbol : ARROW

14. "The Pluto Files" author Neil deGrasse __ : TYSON.

22. Fruity cocktail, familiarly : COSMO. It's a cocktail-fest in the downs today!

23. Pitching duel? : AD WAR. Loved it.

24. Writing end : POINT

25. Minty Derby cocktail : JULEP. That makes three cocktails in five minutes, I'd better slow down *hiccup*

26. Product name : BRAND

27. Baby-back goodie : RIB. Perfect, ribs and quiche to go with the cocktails.

29. "Dang it!" : BAH

32. Local stations : STOPS. Yeah, I guess so. Local stops could also be stations.

33. Makeup mishap : SMEAR

35. Didn't lease : OWNED

36. Sample, for example : RHYME. Lovely clue.

37. Worker with show tigers : TAMER

40. 31-Across locale: Abbr. : EUR

43. Bomb opposite : HIT

45. Greek for "little O" : OMICRON. As I mentioned at the top, I loved this pairing with 51D and the cunning tie-in to the theme. When I realized O-micron and O-mega indicated the size of the letter I was thoroughly entertained and educated. Bravo, Andrew!

47. Dreaming, say : ASLEEP

50. Canvas covers : TARPS

51. Greek for "big O" : OMEGA

52. Mesmerizing designs : OP-ART. This was a gimme for CrossEyedDave!

53. Steers the steers : HERDS. Another nice clue.

54. Deadly snake : COBRA

57. Suffragist Lucretia : MOTT. I'm up on my British suffragettes, not so much the US suffragists. Crosses took care of most of Mott, and I think I knew Ms. Stanton, so potential Natick nastiness avoided.

59. Patriotic women's org. : D.A.R. I'm blindly going to call this one: "Daughters of the American Revolution" and not fact-check to see if I really have learned this one from crosswords. How did I do?

60. Feminizing Spanish suffix : ITA

61. English lit degrees : BAs Bachelor of Arts-es (way to make an ugly-looking plural!)

62. Choose : OPT

63. "Homeland" airer, briefly : SHO. Showtime, usually part of a premium cable package.

64. Specimen, for example: Abbr. : SYN. I got the answer through crosses, but I stared at this for ages trying to understand it before the penny FINALLY dropped. SYN is an abbreviation for "synonym", and "specimen" & "example" are synonyms. Devious!

 Well, that's it from me. I'm in sports junkie heaven. World Cup soccer! GO USA!

Steve

Note from C.C.:

1) Today's constructor Andrew J. Ries is from St. Cloud, Minnesota. Andrew also made a puzzle for the the third Minnesota Crossword Tournament which will be held on June 22, 2014  at The Landmark Center in Saint Paul. Please click here for more information.

2) In case some of you skipped the comments yesterday, Steve linked a fantastic picture of him at the bike leg of the 1989 Winchester Triathlon.

 

Tuesday, June 17, 2014 C.C. Burnikel

Theme: Race originally held in Kailua-Kona - The events of the race in the order in which they are held.

19A. Pool session for grown-ups : ADULT SWIM. 2.4-mile

39A. Motorcycle designed for acrobatic maneuvers : STUNT BIKE. 112-mile

58A. Baseball play that may be foiled by a pitchout : HIT AND RUN. 26.2-mile

20D. Ironman event comprised of the last words of 19-, 39- and 58-Across : TRIATHLON. You have to complete the race in 17 hours to be an Ironman.

Argyle here, no Ironman though. We do have a stunning Tuesday puzzle. Certainly a unique grid for any day of the week.

Across:

1. Fish often dipped in wasabi : SASHIMI. "Thin slices of raw fish", from Japanese.

8. Pasadena institute where most of "The Big Bang Theory" characters work : CALTECH. (California Institute of Technology in Pasadena)

15. Meeting expectations : UP TO PAR

16. Late : OVERDUE. A punch line, "And they're all overdue".

17. Florida NASCAR city : DAYTONA

18. "Absolutely!" : "NO DOUBT!"

21. "Well, hello there" : "OH, HI"

24. Land of the Incas : PERU

25. Hoops cable channel : NBA TV

29. Catch on : LEARN

31. Disgusting : VILE. and its anagram, 32D. Wicked : EVIL

33. Aunt Bee's charge : OPIE

34. Dishwasher cycle : DRY. Is "You wash, I'll dry" a thing of the past?

35. Operatic solo : ARIA

37. City with canals : VENICE

41. What flower girls toss : PETALS. For those women followed by a train.

44. In good health : HALE

45. Underwire garment : BRA. Love a healthy bra!

                No wires here.

48. Mounted on : ATOP

49. Post-shower powder : TALC

51. More than just a good buy : STEAL

53. Local news hr. : TEN PM

55. Left dreamland : WOKE

57. Slight advantage : EDGE

61. Double-crosser : TRAITOR

64. Freeway entrances : ON RAMPS

68. Bump from behind : REAR END. What can happen if someone doesn't merge smoothly on the above.

69. Champions : WINNERS. What anybody that can complete a triathlon is, no matter in what time.

70. Sticks : ADHERES

71. Cuddles : NESTLES

Down:

1. South, at the Sorbonne : SUD. French and more French, 42D. Summer, at the Sorbonne : ÉTÉ

2. Org. for shrinks : APA. (American Psychological Association)

3. Barnyard pen : STY

4. Malarkey : HOT AIR

5. Shuffle or nano : iPOD

6. "Don't be a wuss!" : "MAN UP!"

7. "The Stepford Wives" novelist : IRA LEVIN

8. Foreign service officer : CONSUL

9. Declare to be true : AVOW

10. Showed the way : LED IN

11. Glenn Miller's instrument : TROMBONE

12. Prof's email suffix : .EDU

13. Baby bear : CUB

14. Riled (up) : HET

21. Passé : OLD. Yes, you don't hear "het up" much anymore.

22. That woman : HER

23. Stable diet? : HAY. Cute.

26. Bee: Pref. : API

27. Nervous mannerism : TIC

28. Crew neck alternative : VEE

30. Part of NIH: Abbr. : NATL. (National Institutes of Health)

36. Auto body concern : RUST. More so here in the NE. Related 46D. Car-cleaning cloth : RAG

38. Scratches (out) : EKEs

39. Deep blue gem : SAPPHIRE

40. Retreat : BACK DOWN

41. Gentle touch : PAT

43. Huge amount : TON

45. Resting place : BED

47. Bar brew : ALE

50. Medals and trophies : AWARDS

52. Rent payer : TENANT

54. Bishop's hat : MITER

56. "How to Build a Classic Golf Swing" author Els : ERNIE. He tied for 35th in the US Open.

59. Sound of music : TONE. TUNE was close but....

60. Footed vases : URNS

61. __-la-la : TRA

62. Color to stop at : RED

63. "That feels good!" : "AAH!"

65. "Spaceballs" director Brooks : MEL

66. Start to heat? : PRE

67. Cobra's warning : [SSS!]

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

Below is my original skeletal grid. Rich suggested me to intersect theme entries. He made me look clever. Thanks, Rich!

Monday, June 16, 2014 David W. Cromer

Theme: Tempus Fugit - Yes, how time flies...all around this grid, landing in front of the first word of the starred answers.

56A. Store posting, and what the first words of the answers to starred clues could literally be doing : CLOSING TIME. The first word can close a "time" phrase.

18A. *Mood : FRAME OF MIND. Time frame - A period of time during which something has taken or will take place.

37A. *Philatelist's prize possession : STAMP COLLECTION. Time stamp - A device for stamping the date and time of day.

3D. *Like a baseball fouled into the seats : OUT OF PLAY. Time out - Suspension of play, sports or kids.

34D. *Solid baseball hit : LINE DRIVE. Time line - A linear representation of important events in the order in which they occurred, like a baseball scorecard.

Argyle here, for the time being. David has been providing us with early week puzzles for some time now. Had a good time with this one. I looked at an early write-up of David and I mentioned my dial-up was giving me trouble. Boy, was that back in the dark ages.

Across:

1. "Little Red Book" chairman : MAO

4. Hardly enough : SCANT. As in scantily clad.

9. Online memo : E NOTE. or like online Cliff Notes.

14. School URL ending : .EDU

15. Like most white bears : POLAR

16. Bedsheet material : LINEN

17. Body art, briefly : TAT

20. Self-images : EGOs. Interesting, following tat.

22. Scornful look : SNEER

23. One of a Valentine's Day dozen : ROSE. CSO, by any other name.

24. Vandalizes : DEFACES. Graffiti.

26. Made amends : ATONED. They were made to scrub off the graffiti.

28. Map that may show land subdivisions : PLAT

29. Longed (for) : PINED

31. Conger catcher : EELER. No conger picture before breakfast.

33. River through Russia : VOLGA. Volga-Matushka (Mother Volga)

34. Auburn rival in the SEC : LSU. Southeastern Conference(SEC)/Louisiana State University(LSU)

40. Salary : PAY

41. Author Joyce Carol __ : OATES. She was born in Lockport, NY and grew up in Millersport, NY. (Looks like that's as close as we'll get to Erie today.)

42. One of India's official languages : HINDI

43. Hang in midair : HOVER

44. Surrender, as territory : CEDE

45. Words that attract shoppers : *ON SALE*

48. Nothing-to-do feeling : BOREDOM. Two weeks after school gets out.

51. Planted : SOWN. Got your gardens sown?

52. Equip with new weapons : REARM

55. Lass of La Mancha: Abbr. : SRTA. (señorita)

59. "__ now or never" : IT'S

60. Put on the radio : AIRED

61. Waited-for show character who never showed : GODOT. Play by Saturday's Irish playwright, Samuel Beckett. A waste of time?

62. Pet doc : VET

63. Angling gear : REELS

64. Signs of things to come : OMENS

65. EMTs' destinations : ERs

Down:

(I hope this takes less time.)

1. Doled (out) : METED

2. Old saw : ADAGE

4. Tanning lotion letters : SPF. (sun protection factor)

5. Constricting garment : CORSET

6. Greenspan and Ladd : ALANs

7. Title : NAME

8. Genealogical chart : TREE. With lots of names on it.

9. Santa subordinate : ELF. Sorry, it isn't pc to call them that. (subordinate)

10. Idiot : NIMROD

11. Bermuda veggie : ONION

12. On edge : TENSE

13. Concluded : ENDED

19. Southern California county : ORANGE

21. Witch trials setting : SALEM

25. Commuting convenience : CAR POOL. Certainly so when they have their own lanes.

27. One working with pupils : TEACHER. Not Lois anymore.

29. Gondola helmsman : POLER. A pole is used to propel the boat.

30. Pandora's boxful : ILLS

31. So-called sixth sense : ESP

32. Letter after zeta : ETA

33. Go to the polls : VOTE

35. Ready-to-go lawn starter : SOD

36. Prefix with cycle : UNI

38. Spot for spelunkers : CAVERN

39. In-and-out ocean phenomena : TIDES

43. Gretel's brother : HANSEL

44. Ordinary : COMMON

45. Actor's prize : OSCAR

46. "I kid you not!" : "NO LIE!"

47. Took an oath : SWORE. Another interesting follow up.

48. Woman often followed by a train : BRIDE

49. Aquatic frolicker : OTTER

50. Sail supports : MASTS

53. Frozen waffle brand : EGGO

54. Quark locale : ATOM. No images of Quark from Deep Space Nine before breakfast either.

57. SSNs, e.g. : IDs

58. UFO crew, supposedly : ETs

Ahh! My time has ended.

Argyle

Interview with Elizabeth C. Gorski

Since 1995, Elizabeth C. Gorski has 211 puzzles published by the New York Times, making her the second most-published crossword constructor under Will Shortz's editorship. Liz is also a regular contributor to the LA Times & The Wall Street Journal.

Liz is also the Managing Editor of Crossword Nation, which provides quintessential Liz- style puzzle every week: inventive themes, contemporary & adventurous fill & fantastic clues.  It's not unusual to see a 72-worder in her puzzles. See here as an example.

I've said this before: Liz sees what others can't. She does what others can't or won't.

What's your philosophy when it comes to grid design? Those stacked 6's & 7's on the upper right & lower left look daunting to fill, esp when crossed by 9/7/6. I might have also chickened out and broken 18-Across & 126-Across into two. 

My grid design philosophy is: literacy, humor and novelty. Once I position the themed entries and surround them with a good fill, I try to “open” the grid (reduce the word count) and introduce a new-and-better fill. The challenge is: to improve the fill and preserve accessibility. Perhaps the prospect of including WINEGLASS encouraged me to open up the grid!

Writing a puzzle fill takes time and repeated attempts -- lots of them. I keeping trying until the fill fits the bill.  Constructing “by hand” is an invaluable skill and I’ll use that method for tricky grid areas, such as 126-Across. Sometimes I’ll chicken out completely, reposition the themed entries and start over again. Perseverance is key.

Which part do you normally spend the most time on in the construction process: theme brainstorming, grid designing or cluing?

When I was starting out, I spent a lot of time on grid design, but today – the most time-consuming task is theme brainstorming. It takes time to develop themes that haven’t been done before. Since the ‘90s I’ve tried to find puzzle software that eliminates the repetitive drudge work (managing word lists, making grid templates, numbering etc.).  I love Crossword Compiler – it’s the best, in my opinion. I’ve written my own programs to manage word lists and automate uncreative tasks. 

I’m always adding interesting words (BESTIE) and removing terrible words (UNHAT) in an effort to create a “human” vocabulary. I don’t waste time assigning number values to words – that’s where I draw the line with software. By automating essential tasks, there's more time to focus on duties that call for a human brain – theme brainstorming and clue writing.  When used effectively, technology improves the quality of puzzles by freeing up more “think” time. It’s that simple.

Like many other solvers, I love the originality & extra visuals in your puzzles. I also love your clues. What tools do you use to make the clues fresh, creative and fun?

Thank you for the compliment!  After I finish a puzzle, I will revisit it over a period of a few days; that’s when I fold, spindle, mutilate or rewrite the clues.  It helps to let a puzzle breathe for a while. Think of a bottle of wine that needs to breathe.  There’s no secret sauce.  I just write and then rewrite. 

My favorite brain exercise is: thinking of new clues for plain words.  Like … GOTHS (Men and women in black); CHEEK (Moon unit?); SOCIETY (Human body?); POLKA DOTS (They’re spotted on dresses?); OAKS (They were nuts); DINOSAURS (Layer of jumbo eggs?)

One important note: of course, today’s puzzle was greatly improved by Rich Norris’ amazing talents. Rich proposed the puzzle title “Pas de Deux.” What a smashing play on words, with a Father’s Day twist! (Much better than “Pop Duo” – my title). His title is literate, artistic and thoughtful.  I love it.   

What kind of theme and fill excite you and what kind do you try to avoid in your grids? 

Above all, I try to avoid making puzzles with themes that have been done before. Puzzle databases (Jim Horne’s xwordinfo.com and Matt Ginsberg’s puzzledatabase) are enormously helpful; I use them to rule out ideas. I’m surprised to see puzzles with overdone themes these days. Like the MOA, that should be a thing of the past. 

When a constructor is brainstorming themes, it’s just as important to rule out certain themes, as it is to create new ones.  Solvers are smart – they know when a puzzle is old or a re-hash. As editors and constructors, it’s our responsibility to work harder for our customers.

 

When I make the weekly Crossword Nation puzzle, I have an turnaround-time advantage -- the work is published within days of creation.  We use technology to provide a fresh puzzle-solving experience for our subscribers. Puzzles are new and current – never kept on a shelf. This is the future of puzzle distribution and it’s radically different from the traditional model. I like to think of independent crossword providers as mom-and-pop stores that offer a high-quality alternative for to their customers. As a puzzle producer and consumer, I am a proponent of using technology to improve puzzle quality and distribution. We owe our customers – puzzle solvers -- a good product based on fresh content.   

Of all the puzzles you've constructed, which are you most proud of?

Because of its unusual asymmetric design, puzzle solvers often ask about the GuggenheimMuseum puzzle (“Ahead of the Curve”: October 2009, The New York Times). It was architectural – a simple spiral that echoed the shape of Frank Lloyd Wright’s prescient design. And it celebrated the Museum’s 50^th anniversary.  What delighted me most was that, on the Sunday the puzzle was published, visitors to the Museum were seen walking the spiral with the crossword puzzle in hand! A puzzle within a puzzle. That was an unexpected honor.

What puzzles do you solve every day and which constructors constantly inspire you?

I regard “constructing” puzzles as a form of problem solving. You’re creating a problem for yourself (“Gee, I’d like to make a puzzle that looks like Secretariat or a double helix …”), and then you have to make the puzzle. (You’ve created a big problem for yourself!) That keeps my synapses firing.  As for daily puzzles, I try to keep up with Puzzle Social puzzles, if I have the time. 

If I were to choose a constructor who influenced me as a solver, it would be: Maura Jacobson.  Her New York Magazine puzzles were autobiographical – cute, funny, literate and accessible.  She wrote a Sunday-sized masterpiece (without software) every week, for 30 years. I admire her discipline and unique ability to challenge solvers without dumbing-down the puzzle.  Based on her ideas and clues, you sensed that Maura had many interests: books, travel, family, pets, cooking, films, punnery, popular culture, Broadway, classical music.  You came away from her puzzle feeling good and liking the person who made it … and counting the days until her next puzzle appeared. She is one of the most important crossword constructors ever. A true original.    

Besides crosswords, what else do you do for fun?

I am a trained musician (violin and viola) and I love to play chamber music, especially string quintets.  I’ve been a tennis player since high school and I have a passion for exploring New York City on foot. I like the music of Rob Thomas, Ed Sheeran and Frederic Chopin.  Other interests: flamenco dancing, root vegetables, air craft carriers (there’s one in NYC) and crop circles.

Sunday June 15, 2014 Elizabeth C. Gorski

Theme: "Pa de Deux" -  All theme entries are two-word answers in the pattern of PA* PA*.

22A. Van Eyck's "Ghent Altarpiece," for one : PANEL PAINTING

32A. Baking pan liner : PARCHMENT PAPER

49A. Eaten or drunk : PAST PARTICIPLE. Chinese is so simple. No "a", "an", "the", no conjugation for verbs either.

 

66A. Restaurante cookware : PAELLA PANS. Never had paella before.

73A. Comedian the Smothers Brothers convinced to run for President : PAT PAULSEN

90A. Swirly fabric design : PAISLEY PATTERN

104A. Breakdancing garb : PARACHUTE PANTS

120A. Sleepovers with pillow fights : PAJAMA PARTIES

Timely theme from Liz to celebrate Father's Day!  I mentioned in the interview how I love Liz's clues. Look at these few:

55A. Messages from Mozart? : NOTES 

75A. Private organization? : ARMY

1D. Fat head?: LIPO. "Head" because LIPO is a prefix for "fat", correct?

52D. Fowl language? : PEEP

103D. Acts inappropriately? : EMOTES

Across:

1. Judges' concerns : LAWS

5. 2002 Winter Games host, initially : SLC. Mitt Romney was really in his element then.

8. Pyramid, to Tut : TOMB

12. Has because of : OWES TO

18. Ape : IMITATOR

20. Auction site : EBAY. Has any of you tried uBid?

21. More eminent : GREATER

24. Learning experiences : LESSONS

25. "SNL" alum Cheri : OTERI

26. 2001, in letters : MMI. The year I came to the US.

27. Adorable to the max : CUTEST

29. Sugary finish : OSE

30. Mongolian wild ass habitat : GOBI. Onager (Asian wild ass) guess! See, Liz found new angle to clue an old stand-by.

36. Not averse : WILLING

39. "... boy __ girl?" : OR A

40. Classical music hall : ODEON

41. Maestro __-Pekka Salonen : ESA. No idea. Wiki said "He is currently Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor of the Philharmonia Orchestra in London and Conductor Laureate of the Los Angeles Philharmonic". Finnish.

42. Cork, for one : COUNTY

45. Utterly ridiculous : ASININE

56. Captain's command : TO SEA

57. Buddy : PAL

58. Can refuse to : NEED NOT

61. Airline to Oslo : SAS

62. Showed happiness, with "up" : LIT

64. Easy to like : GENIAL

65. Tightly bound bundle : BALE

76. All-in-one component : COPIER

78. Storm dir. : NNE

79. Lobster eater's protection : BIB. Too bad these four people stole others' hard-earned bib numbers in Boston Marathon.

80. City on Lake Ontario : TORONTO

81. Casual greetings : YOS

84. "Heart Shaped World" singer Chris : ISAAK

88. Infection cause : STAPH

93. Tried to bean : THREW AT

96. Mr. and Mrs. : TITLES

97. 1970s court alias : ROE

98. Cheese-topped chip : NACHO. Never had nachos.

100. No-seats-available shorthand : SRO (Standing Room Only)

101. Cough medicine additive : CODEINE. Addictive drug.

110. Hurricane response org. : FEMA

111. Ipanema locale : RIO

112. 1999 Top 10 hit for Sixpence None the Richer : KISS ME. I know the song, not the singers.

113. Net exchange : IMs

115. Pocahontas' husband John : ROLFE

118. Teach bit by bit : INSTILL

124. In a no-nonsense manner : STERNLY

125. Enterprise counselor : TROI (Deanna)

 

126. Approve of : SAY YES TO

127. Guide the team : MANAGE

128. Belgian river : YSER

129. Otto I's realm: Abbr. : HRE. D-Otto, did your ancestors come from Germany?

130. D.C. Metro stops : STAs

Down:

  

2. Bit of beginning Latin : AMAT. "Amo, amas, amat"

3. Red or white container : WINE GLASS. Oh, red or white wine container.

4. Waxy compound : STEROL

5. Indy additive : STP

6. Fertile soil : LOAM

7. Pinch and press, as pie crust edges : CRIMP. Chinese dumplings also take lots of pinching and pressing along the edges.

8. Lunar Asian holiday : TET. And 9D. Asian sash : OBI

10. La __: Spanish region : MANCHA

11. Old-fashioned oath : BY GUM!

12. Electra's brother : ORESTES

13. Academy since 1802 : WEST POINT. So glad the VA scandal was exposed. The VA here in MN drove me nuts.

14. __ in echo : E AS

15. Urban hangout : STOOP. I was thinking of  mall style "hangout".

16. In a knot : TENSE

17. "Carmen on Ice" Emmy sharer Brian : ORSER. Here is a clip. New to me. 

19. Tall story, often : ALIBI

21. Jackson of "Mary, Queen of Scots" : GLENDA

23. Actress Vardalos : NIA

28. Racecar driver Fabi : TEO

31. Empire that stretched as far south as Chile : INCA

33. School mil. program : ROTC

34. In tears : CRYING. And 36. Was in tears : WEPT

35. A.D. part : ANNO

37. Senior golfer Aoki : ISAO. Champions Tour (Senior PGA) has a stop in MN. They play at a course fairly close to our home. Never saw him.

38. Nutty trail snack : GORP

43. Acting teacher Hagen : UTA

44. None : NIL

46. "__ I said ..." : IT'S AS.  Sunday puzzles will always have a few undesirable entries, even if the constructor is Liz.

47. Hall of Fame football coach Earle "Greasy" __ : NEALE.  Escaped me. We had him before.

48. Ruhr city : ESSEN

50. William and Kate's set : TELLY

51. Water carrier : PAIL

53. Contemporary of Ella : LENA (Horne)

54. Add or delete, say : EDIT

59. Little break : NAP

60. "The Good Earth" wife : O-LAN. Loved the book. Very compassionate portrayal of the China my grandma grew up.

63. Snack in a shell : TACO

65. Favored : BLEST

66. Owner of Lone Star Beer : PABST

67. Grade sch. subject : ARITH

68. Put in prison : EMBAR

69. __ favor : POR

70. Per : APOP

71. Jazz singer Simone : NINA

72. "The X-Files" gp. : SETI

74. Storage __ : UNIT

77. Talking points? : ROSTRA. Nice clue also.

80. What a piñata gets at a kids' party : THWACKING. Cool word.

81. So far : YET

82. Popeye's "goil" Olive : OYL

83. What some build on : SPEC

85. Circus performer : AERIALIST

86. "Moses und __": Schoenberg opera : ARON. Click here. So, is Aaron spelled as Aron in German?

87. Guitar support : KNEE

89. Transportation secretary under Clinton : PENA (Federico)

91. Feline king : LION

92. Since : AS OF

94. __ Lauro: ship in 1985 news : ACHILLE. No memory of the incident at all.

95. Like so : THUSLY

99. Extra NFL periods : OTS

100. Plant shoots : SPEARS

102. Fictional town in Stephen King works : DERRY

104. Spectroscope part : PRISM

105. AC/DC's "Hell __ Bad Place to Be" : AIN'T A

106. Cleveland Indians legend Al : ROSEN. Hondo can recognize the year of this card immediately.

107. Ready for a refill : EMPTY

108. "Make it work" fashion mogul Gunn : TIM. "Make it work" is his signature catchphrase. He has a great column at "StyleWatch". 

109. Big hit : SMASH

114. Practice for a prizefight : SPAR

116. Salad cheese : FETA

117. Those, to Jorge : ESOS

119. Singing syllable : TRA

121. Morning cup : JOE

122. Lung filler : AIR

123. Word a captain likes to hear : AYE

Happy 49th wedding anniversary to Bill G and his wife Barbara! Bill, where are you doing today?

Barbara & Bill