Saturday, June 14th, 2014, Mark Bickham

Theme: None

Words: 70 (missing Q,W,X,Z )

Blocks: 36

    I usually cringe when I see Mark's name on the title of a Saturday LAT puzzle, but my first pass garnered some results, so I was encouraged and kept going.  The SW corner, however, did me in, and I had to use red-letters to find my mistake.  Oh well.  Awkward set of blocks today, left us with a stair pattern in the middle, and the SW and NE corners dangling from just two crossings.  Triple 10's and 9's, and two 10-letter climbers on the inside;

10. High-flying group : JET-SETTERS

27d. Classic spy comedy : MEN IN BLACK - Um, spy comedy?  I guess the comic book might have been more of a spy comedy, but I really love the movies with Tommy Lee Jones & Will Smith.  My personal favoritest scene below; Vincent D'Onofrio should have gotten an Oscar for playing a "bug" wearing an "Edgar suit".  Brilliant.

31d. Early invasion participant : THE STONES - Argh~!  Now I get it - British Invasion; I was thinking it was THISTINES, and was going to Google if there was even a tribe or civilization of that name; PHILIstines, yes, but.... I think I would have tied it to the next clue/answer, too

32d. Dive : HONKY-TONK - Musical interlude - and I am NOT a Stones fan, but I just learned how to play this riff on the guitar while looking for the link; it's a pain because it's open G tuning, not standard

ONWARD~!

ACROSS:

1. Screwdriver parts : VODKA AND O.J. - as a carpenter, I was curious to know if this was going to be the drink or the tool

11. __ Dea: Roman fertility goddess : BONA

15. Like John Cage's music : AVANT GARDE - Don't know John Cage, but I do know what Avant Garde means - Frawnche

16. Numerical column : ONES - tried TENS to start

17. Order with hot milk : CAFE AU LAIT - Straight up Frawnche, "coffee with milk"

18. Off-rd. rides : ATVs

19. Sour fruit : SLOE - LIME, UGLI(?)

20. Eponymous furniture designer : EAMES - Some design and creativity here

21. Cassowary cousin : RHEA

22. Frequent service station attendant? : SELF - there are a few places around here where they pump gas for me, and I actually don't care for it; I like to try for the 'perfect pump'

24. Some council members : ELDERS - WAG

26. South Pacific island nation : SAMOA - another WAG

30. Sweet and sour : TASTES - and yet a third WAG

31. Article in some modern music : THA' - I went with "TRA", and that got me started; can't say I know anything with "Tha" in the song or the group's name

34. 15-Across Irish playwright : BECKETT - the only Beckett I know is Det. Kate Beckett, from "Castle" - love that show

36. Prefix with fauna : AVI

37. Vert. opposite : HORizontal

38. Artless : NAIVE

39. Boy toy? : KEN - HAR-HAR~!!!

40. Student of Elves, in Tolkien : ENT - Three letters?  Tolkien?  Go with ORC or ENT

41. Twins, at times : SISTERS

43. Vocal stumbles : ERs....

44. View from a lodge : SKI RUN - I knew we were looking for some sort of snow reference

46. __ Adams Wilderness: Sierra Nevada region : ANSEL - educated WAG

48. Georgia-born Hall of Famer : TY COBB - the last "B" filled, and that gave it away for me

49. Shooter's ammo : PEAS

52. Emperor before Vitellius : OTHO - Short-lived reign; the Wiki

53. Pliés may precede them : LEAPS - Ballet/dance moves

58. Mountain transport : T-BAR - I tried TRAM, was 50% correct

60. Breakfast __ : NOOK

61. Write tongue twisters, perhaps : ALLITERATE - Owen, if you would, please~!

63. 1980s speed skating gold medalist Karin : ENKE - Link

64. San José resident : COSTA RICAN - took a second to parse this; the capital city of the Meso-American nation, not the city in Cali

65. Tube lineup : SKED - Tube short for television, SKED short for Schedule

66. Rustic building material : KNOTTY PINE - I dig castles and the look of stone; some wood is nice, but overdone it reminds me too much of a coffin

DOWN:

1. Short suckers? : VACs - Vacuums; I tried LOLS for lollipop first

2. Places to run : OVALS

3. "Platoon" Oscar nominee for Best Supporting Actor : DAFOE

4. Prepares for an engagement? : KNEELS

5. One-time bridge : AT A - One AT A time kind of bridge.  V-8 can, duck~!!!

6. Feverish chills : AGUE

7. "The Lion King" character : NALA

8. Nip at a bar : DRAM - A SHOT is a bit more than a 'nip', I guess

9. Dog of comics : ODIE - Garfield's drooling buddy

11. College __ : BOARDS

12. Crooked : ON THE TAKE

13. Not once : NEVER EVER

14. Ninjas, perhaps : ASSASSINS

23. Swell : FAB - I tried FAT first

25. Short muscle? : LATissimus dorsi

28. Tuberous Andean plants : OCAs - Learned from doing crosswords

29. Guard dog breed : AKITA

33. Edible thistle : ARTICHOKE - Did not know it was a "thistle"

35. Not odd : EVEN - gimme

41. Nautilus, e.g. : SUBmarine

42. Michaelmas mo. : SEP

45. Cheated : ROOKED - new to me

47. Deliver a rant : LET RIP

50. Eastern adders? : ABACI - we've seen this before; abacus pluralized, and ADD-ers

51. Black Mass idol : SATAN - I had a package yesterday for one of my UPS trucks, and its shelf No. was 6666 - I told the driver he had to go to hell to deliver it; he said he was already there....

54. North Carolina school : ELON

55. And : ALSO

56. Pennsylvania school : PITT

57. "Now!" : STAT - Dah, not ASAP

59. Peace Nobelist Cassin : RENE - filled in with Perps

62. Brew finish : ERY - BREWery - I went to the Brickhouse Brewery last night with my buddies, and then dinner at Bobbiques

Splynter

 
Note from C.C.:
 
Happy 45th wedding anniversary to dear JD and her husband Bob! I bet a big party is planned for today.

Friday, June 13, 2014, Gareth Bain

Theme: How did the ANT get in here?

A week where ants showed up all over the place, and now they are at the heart of this Friday from Gareth. I am not expert on gridding, but this grid with the five theme answers set up as here, is to me the most common layout, and we all know add a letter, or a few letters or a word is a common theme convention. It is visually very pleasing with three ANTs added to the end of the second word, 2 added to the end of the first word (one at the central row). Overall, with many 3 or 4 letter fill this did not feel like a Friday, though there were some challenges like BELLOWS,  BUGABOO,  MINIBUS, ORIGAMI, SHAKEUP. HOSANNAS and the very difficult for me EUSTACIA. Well let's see the latest from across the Atlantic.

18A. Roadside sign for sticklers? : PEDANT XING. (10). Ped Xing (pedestrian crossing brings out the Pedant who often stops by to correct us all.

30A. Lower-class bovine? : COW PEASANT. (10). Cow PEAS show how much I do not know, as I have learned all about black-eyed peas (married an Alabama girl) and field peas. Anyway, you know GB will get animals in his grids one way or another.

36A. "Tarzan" character at an Imax? : GIANT JANE.(9). The Demi Moore character gets blown up on the big screen. LINK.(1:44). If you have never been to an IMAX theater, you should go, the experience of 3D movies is great.

46A. Coat waterproofing application? : FUR SEALANT.(10). I was a bit reluctant to accept fur seal because to me all seals have fur, but as this LINK shows more of what I do not know;  he is a veterinarian and will know these things.

57A. Spiders' talent show? : WEB PAGEANT. (10). Great visual, Gareth puts a nice spin on this clue; also timely as we have begun Pageant time with the Miss USA last weekend.
And the rather difficult reveal:

56D. Classic 1954 horror film whose title creatures have invaded this puzzle : THEM. I wonder how many of you ever have seen or heard of this movie? I grew up watching these creations. In addition to big stars, James Whitmore, Edmuns Gwenn, and James Arness, pre- Gunsmoke, the movies has Fess Parker and  Leonard Nimoy and William Schallert in uncredited appearances.

Across:

1. Album with the hit "Mamma Mia" : ABBA. I like an easy 1A fill.

5. They won't last : FADS. Nice simple clue.

9. Little bits : ATOMS.

14. Combat with seconds : DUEL. I could not find any good duels on June 13, with the July 11 Burr/Hamilton duel the closest. Maybe there is a crossword puzzle theme buried in there.

15. Sashimi fish : OPAH. Unlike Sushi, Sashimi does refer to the raw fish.

16. Shinto temple gateway : TORII. Along with baseball player Hunter, we see this fill yearly.

17. Look like a wolf : OGLE. I think this one should be "as" a wolf.

20. Bar round : ALES. Yay, Tin, booze clecho. 23A. Bar staple : GIN

22. One may be restricted : AREA. Never a good idea to ignore this sign when you are in a movie. See above.

24. Blood-typing letters : ABO.

25. Priest in 1 Samuel : ELI. This is another biblical story of a barren woman who is blessed with a child (Samuel) and the role of the priest of Shiloh. Meanwhile, the name ELI mean to ascend to G-d, with the Greek equivalent HELI, from which we get helicopter etc.

28. Yacht club hanging : OAR.

29. Homer's father, on "The Simpsons" : ABE.

33. Blue stuff : SMUT. Interesting word BLUE, it can mean off-color, like smut or blue humor, or it can mean rigidly moral as in the Blue Laws of Puritan New England (and my childhood).

34. Church cheers : HOSANNAS. More religious cluing, and a very nice alliterative clue.

35. "Respect" songwriter Redding : OTIS. Really popularized by ARETHA (2:30).

39. Jazzy style : SCAT.

41. "The Return of the Native" heroine __ Vye : EUSTACIA. A book by THOMAS HARDY; the latest Martha Grimes which I am now reading is set in "Hardy" country.

45. Comparative word : THAN.

48. Macklemore's genre : RAP. You all can listen on your own.

49. Bernina Range peak : ALP. marti, tell us more. please.

50. Bojangles' art : TAP. So many great links.

51. Jeanne d'Arc, e.g.: Abbr. : STE. French for Saint.

52. Blotter letters : AKA. Also Known As. The police blotter.

53. Boxy transports : VANS.

55. Fix permanently : ETCH. I know etching is a permanent process, but fix?

61. Mata __ : HARI.

63. Lollapaloozas : LULUS.

64. Present day, for short : XMAS. A cute way to clue the holiday with some misdirection.

65. Land west of Nod, in Genesis : EDEN. Ruled no doubt by Wynken, Blynken. For crossword fans, the poem was written by Eugene Field who perhaps is most famous because his father represented Dred Scott before the Supreme Court, or maybe that is just a law school fact.

66. Tuckered out : SPENT. Such connotations....

67. Vacation sub : TEMP. Temporary employee.

68. Like a doormat : MEEK. Still waiting to inherit the earth.

Down:

1. Fuss : ADO. Along with ALEE, ASEA, APE, EDEN, ATE, ELI, AREA some very common fill used in this effort.

2. Cause of worry : BUGABOO. On the other hand this may the first appearance of this fill in the LAT.

3. Air delivery method? : BELLOWS. Am I the only one thinking about FedEx and Amazon's new drone service? You just don't see many blacksmiths any more.

4. On the quieter side : ALEE.

5. Fashion plate : FOP. Not a compliment,  the dictionary suggests it comes from the German foppen "jeer at, make a fool of." I defer to our many German experts.

6. Mimic : APE.

7. Opening word? : DADA. My first said DADA as his first word, my youngest was 'Pizza Hut'...go figure.

8. Rose of __ : SHARON. A nice CSO to our dear ARBAON. Another biblical reference in the puzzle from the Song of Solomon. The flower is actually an Hibiscus, which are common in So.Fla. Paired with a mini-clecho 9. Rose oil : ATTAR, which I know only from puzzle solving.

10. __ screen: medical test : TOX. Same derivation as inTOXicants and TOXic.

11. Art requiring a folder : ORIGAMI. Oh, one who folds...

12. Airport transport : MINIBUS.

13. Ring seal : SIGNET. Signet rings are not too popular anymore, and I thought the clue would make more sense as Seal ring, but it was still obvious.

19. Unlike Oscar Madison : NEAT. Are you Walter Matthau or Jack Klugman fans?

21. "Already caught that film!" : SEEN IT. Another English teacher's nightmare.

24. Weimar word of woe : ACH. I again defer to our German speakers, I recall there was some controversy.

26. Turner on a screen : LANA. Beautiful girl....

27. "Winning ... __ all-the-time thing": Lombardi : IS AN.Vince of Packer fame

31. Missionary's concern : PAGAN.This clue seems off as well, as Pagan rites, or beliefs might be a concern.

32. Starlike flower : ASTER.

33. Bargain : STEAL. Man, Jimmy Choo's for $500.00. What a steal!

35. Recorded, in a way : ON TAPE. An old way.

37. A moment ago : JUST. We just had that fill...

38. Like Phileas Fogg during much of his journey : ASEA.

39. Overhaul : SHAKE UP. I liked what this SONG (2:47) did.

40. Fit : CAPABLE.

42. Dishwasher brand : CASCADE. I wonder if Gareth gets a placement fee from them. Hmm, maybe we could start a new trend here to get constructors more money for their efforts.

43. Trisected : IN THREE. Often what happens to a pizza at my house.

44. Bolted : ATE. See more food.

45. Fishes, in a way : TRAWLS. I always associate this word with single people...

46. A ref may throw one : FLAG.

47. "Right after this show ..." : UP NEXT.

49. Captain's order : AVAST. A much misunderstood term. So I asked a GEEK.

54. "__ here" : SAME.

58. Many a bon mot : PUN. Where would we be without PUNS! How wonderful for John Lampkin to stop by and say hello.

59. '60s arena : NAM. Abbreviated clue begets abbreviated answer.

60. 1/48 cup: Abbr. : TSP. How many knew that there were 48 TSP in a cup of sugar?

62. Cartridge contents : INK. Well, my brain is running out of INK, so I guess it is time to say, do not be afraid, Friday the 13th is just another Friday of a great week where we had a puzzle from an old friend Jerome, one from our own discovery C.C. and Don G.. George Barany, John Lampkin and Mary Lou Guizzo stopping by and now finishing with GB. Happy Father's Day to all of us.

Thursday, June 12, 2014 Don Gagliardo & C.C. Burnikel

Theme: "That's A Lot Of Bunk!"

45-D. Summer camp sight, and a hint to what each contiguous pair of answers to starred clues graphically represents : BUNK BED. Pairs of types of bed are stacked on each other like bunk beds.

My cats would love this one!

Kitty Bunk Bed

1-A. *Place to cuddle : SOFA. I think a SOFA bed is punishment for being a mother-in-law.
13-A. *Minnesota player : TWIN. Of course, a reference to C.C.'s team!

21-A. *__ stop : TRUCK. A TRUCK bed is the business end of a pickup.
26-A. *Tend to the garden : WATER. WATER BEDs were big in the '70s.

54-A. *Actor Phoenix : RIVER. You can see a lot of dry RIVER beds in CA.
59-A. *Consolation for one who doesn't strike : SPARE. A SPARE bed is sometimes only a shade more comfortable than a SOFA bed.

69-A. *London rental : FLAT. FLAT bed trucks are designed to hold wrecked cars.
72-A. *Lawn party rental : TENT. I never heard of a TENT bed, but apparently they are appealing to children.

Our Dynamic Duo is back again with another visually interesting theme. Five of the stacked entries reference types of literal beds, two reference trucks and one a geologic phenomenon. Quite a mix! But no flowers or oysters? Let's see what else is on our plates today.

Across:

5. Gush : SPEW.

9. As well : ALSO.

14. Dominoes unit : TILE.

15. False god : BAAL. The term most often refers to a local spirit deity in the Hebrew Bible, which would be viewed as a false god.

16. Occult symbols : PENTAGRAMS. A wiccan pentacle contains a PENTAGRAM:

Wiccan Pentacle With PENTAGRAM

18. Like some audiobooks : ON CD.

19. Porter's "__ Girls" : LES. 1957 film with Gene Kelly and Mitzi Gaynor.

20. Scooby-Doo, e.g. : TOON.

23. Reunion attendee : ALUM. Why do we never see this word clued as "Styptic pencil ingredient"??

25. "Memoirs of a Geisha" sash : OBI.

27. Versatile blood donor : TYPE O. O neg is the "Universal Donor."

29. Impede legally : ESTOP…immediately followed by 31-A. Area with briefs and cases : LAW.

33. __ Arbor : ANN.

35. One may be rolled up : TARP. I love the new Fruit of the Loom commercial!

36. Tuber cultivated in the Andes : OCA.

37. Memorized, perhaps : DOWN PAT.

41. Police record : BLOTTER.

43. Egg: Pref. : OVI.

44. Simple step : A TO B.

46. Word on a deodorant label : DRI. It also might contain ALUM.

47. Surprised cry : EEK. A bat!!

48. Accommodate : PUT UP. On the sofa bed?

50. Contract details : TERMS.

56. Gist : NUB.

58. Philosophical : DEEP.

60. Barnacle site, perhaps : KEEL.

62. "Arabian Nights" name : ALI.

63. Just slightly : A TAD.

64. Full of nonsense talk : BABBLING ON.

67. Undertake : WAGE.

68. German wheels : OPEL. I had Audi at first.

70. Rubberneck : EYER. Noun form. "After the accident in the south-bound lane, traffic was tied up on the other side by RUBBERNECKs."

71. "Anger, fear, aggression; the dark side of the Force are they" speaker : YODA.

Down:

1. Like a cold stare : STEELY. Do these stares look Steely, Dan?

2. Comes clean : OWNS UP.

3. Clothier's concern : FIT.

4. Med sch. class : ANAT.omy.

5. Disco device : STROBE. Because "ball" was too short.

6. Benched player? : PIANIST. Cute clue!

7. Suburban tree : ELM.

8. 1973 thriller featuring Yul Brynner as an android gunman : WESTWORLD. Theme park gone bad movie.

9. Roughly : ABOUT.

10. Knight of note : LANCELOT.

11. Picnic competition : SACK RACE. Nailed it.

12. Tiresome : OLD.

16. Land map : PLAT. A plat is a plan of a plot.

17. Gunk : GOO.

22. Sympathetic connection : RAPPORT.

24. Malicious : MEAN. Like some of our least favorite anons.

28. Theoretically : ON PAPER…it always looks good.

30. Picked-up item : TAB.

32. Mars' realm : WAR.

34. Title wanderer in a 1948 Nat King Cole hit : NATURE BOY.

37. Bunny's mom : DOE.

38. Abuse, as one's welcome : OVERSTAY. On the SOFA bed?

39. User-edited reference entry : WIKI PAGE.

40. Tyke : TOT.

42. Leaderless? : TIED.

49. Mexican state or its capital : PUEBLA. Map.

51. "Man is not free unless government is limited" speaker : REAGAN. No politics on this blog, President Reagan!

52. First National Leaguer to hit 500 homers : MEL OTT. More baseball. I know him from crosswords.

53. Game show turn : SPIN.

55. "Star Wars" villain : VADER. Darth, to friends.

57. __-esprit: wit : BEL. English borrowed word from French.

61. Stop, as an embargo : LIFT.

63. Bedazzle : AWE.

65. Mil. address : APO.

66. Phillies' div. : NLE. National League East, Philadelphia. They are playing the last of a three-game series against the San Diego Padres this afternoon in Philly.

'Til next week!

Marti

Notes from C.C.: 

1) This is my 50th LA Times puzzle with Don G. As I dabbled into collaborating with a few blog friends who are new to crossword construction, I found out that it's not an easy job to explain why a theme would not work, why some certain entries had to be discarded and why some clues had to be changed. Now I'm fully aware of the tremendous amount of time and efforts Don put on me. Thank you so much, Don!

Don & his wife Barbie, Summer 2009

2) Don and I 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.

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