Friday, July 11, 2014, Jacob Stulberg

Theme: Welcome to Crossword CORNER! Leave your STAND over there.

A quick turnaround in Friday puzzles for Jacob, as we just had him on June 20, with his BETCHA CAN'T EAT JUST ONE puzzle..Today we have a visual where the reveal tells us to look at the corners and the circled spaces. Obviously, the theme is impossible without the circles. Each set makes a word when read around the corner; each describes a type of stand. (Stand in the corner...get it?). The visual of the puzzle almost shows the various stands in the corners, if you use your imagination. I confess the connection between the four circled answers eluded me. But with a little help from my friends... Ringo turned 74 on Monday! With so few words dedicated to the theme there was plenty of room for fun and Jacob gives us 30! seven (7) letter fill. Some of the best are ANODYNE,  A PRIORI, BROMINE,  DEDUCES,  DEMERIT, FLAT TAX,  FLICKER, GONE MAD,  GRENADE,  HIND END,  IMITATE,  INK PADS, RADIATE, ROGAINE, ROLODEX,  SEXLESS, SPLAYED, SUMATRA. Anyway, here we go...

21A. With 55-Across, be punished at school, old-style ... and a hint to this puzzle's circled letters : STAND IN.(7). 55A. See 21-Across : A CORNER.(7) This was a common punishment in grammar school when i was young. The revealed words in the circles are:

NW: MUSIC (5) Music stand.
NE: DISPLAY (7).Display stand.
SW: TAXI  (4).Taxi stand.
SE: WITNESS (7).Witness stand.

Across:

1. Often-bracketed word : SIC. Does (sic) you often get this wrong?

4. Lot's uncle : ABRAHAM. His wife got in a lot of trouble with too much sodium. Bible. 43D. Whence "salt of the earth" : MATTHEW. More bible, 5:13. Salt appears again (after Ms. Lot's transformation) as early as Leviticus 2:13.

11. Put down : DIS. The modern shortcut speak of DISRESPECT, not related to the negative prefix DYS. Surprised by the inclusion of 45D. Object : DISSENT, which does come from the same base.

14. Dotted line? : URL. Uniform Resource Locator, another modern clue/fill.

15. One of the halogens : BROMINE. Old knowledge here, (Br) along with fluorine (F), chlorine (Cl), iodine (I), and astatine (At) are elements.I did not recall At, meaning I guess I no longer know where it is At.

16. Diocletian, e.g.: Abbr. : EMPeror. Old, old KNOWLEDGE. Thanks to my Classics major son, I am aware this one was the last in the chain to severely persecute Christians.

17. 1972 host to Nixon : MAO. I remember it well.

18. Color in four-color printing : MAGENTA. One of the CYMK colors, Cyan, Yellow, Magenta and the Key color Black.. Maybe marti will be nice enough to explain color printing.

19. 1,000 thou : MIL.

20. T or F, maybe : ANSwer.

22. Itinerary abbr. : ETA. Estimated Time of Arrival.

23. Knotted : TIED. The score was....

25. Begets : SIRES. Now some biblical wording.

26. Tea holder : TRAY. Tea the service, not the bag or the drink.

27. Deserve : RATE.

28. Family nickname : NAN. I presume he is referring to the common nickname for grandmothers.

29. Bar mitzvah, for one : RITE. Ritual.

30. Pain reliever : ANODYNE.I am not sure where I learned the word, but Martha Grimes, Anodyne Necklace placed it firmly in my memory banks.

33. Charged, as an account : DEBITED.

36. OPEC member : UAE.United Arab Emirates.

37. Certain clip-on, briefly : MIC. This clue at least tells you it is an abbreviation.

38. Start to go out : FLICKER. Light bulbs and humans are good examples.

42. Lost it : GONE MAD. Sounds like a drama queen to me.

46. Unassisted : LONE.

47. Galley item : OAR. The ship not the kitchen on a ship.

49. Big __: Red Sox slugger's nickname : PAPI. Not much joy in Beantown this year for any of the defending World Series champs. Chemistry really seems to matter.

50. Aquatic birds : AUKS. WATCH. (2:18) Anyone been to Auckland? Not related.

51. Stephen King's "Doctor __" : SLEEP. His recent sequel to THE SHINING. LINK.

53. Orch. section : STRS. I guess this means strings, JzB, help me out?

54. Hot info? : TIP. From the track touts next to....

57. "___ not for you to hear what I can speak": "Macbeth" : TIS. The ironic greeting MacDuff gives Lady Macbeth as she comes upon Duncan's lifeless body.

58. Gatekeeping org.? : TSA. Transportation Security Administration.

59. Give off : RADIATE.Pregnant women are said to glow, what do you think? Talented?

60. Prepare for planting : HOE. No Don Imus jokes.

61. Lend a hand : AID.

62. Like new tires : TREADED. Really?

63. Directional suffix : ERN.

64. Frat letters : XIS.

65. Neuter : SEXLESS. Hey, let's not get personal.

66. One skilled in repartee : WIT. Well we are half way home, and perhaps the same can be said for the wit here.

Down:

1. Island on the Equator : SUMATRA. My favorite Starbuck's coffee. This is the largest purely Indonesian Island, and sixth largest island in the world. (per wiki).

2. Ahvaz native : IRANIAN. A city from ancient Persia with a new NAME.

3. Within reach of : CLOSE TO. All perps.

4. Subj. of a 1972 defense treaty : ABMS. Anti-Ballistic MissileS.

5. Regular sources of annoyance : BRATS. Well those Chicago Cub and Bear fans can get very rowdy.

6. Growth industry brand? : ROGAINE. Funny, hair growth industry.

7. Egyptian god : AMEN RA. Also spelled AMON and AMUN. More religion.

8. Rear : HIND END. What we often think of when dealing with...

9. Naysayers : ANTIS, who are often bad-spirited or down right...

10. Small-minded : MEAN. If we run things we can give them a ...

11. Black mark : DEMERIT.

12. Ape : IMITATE. I am excited about tonight's opening of this new franchise LINK.

13. Spread out : SPLAYED. Sounds cute but very serious for ANIMALS.

24. Concludes : DEDUCES. Interesting as this is part of understanding 44D. Like some knowledge : A PRIORI and deductive reasoning. Go Sherlock.

26. Arm straightener : TRICEPS. The muscle you use, and if exercised creates a nice horseshoe.

31. Long-haired grazer : YAK.

32. Formerly : NEE.

34. Genre of the band Jimmy Eat World : EMO. Do you want to LISTEN?

35. Storage container : BIN.

38. 1992 Jerry Brown campaign proposal : FLAT TAX. Many have proposed flat taxes, but to discuss would be politics.

39. French king known as "the Stammerer" : LOUIS II. Poor guy! I wonder if he saw this MOVIE.

40. Stamp suppliers : INK PADS. Nice misdirection.

41. Circular file? : ROLODEX. We think of the garbage can as the circular file, but the old Rolodex certainly were.

42. It has a safety pin : GRENADE. My favorite clue/fill, so far from my first thought of DIAPER.

48. Passé rooftop sight : AERIAL. Same thin as an ANTENNA.

51. Alarm : SCARE. I do not mean to alarm you, but we are almost done.

52. "For __ sake!" : PETE'S. According to the phrase finder, this was developed as a substitute oath much like JEEZ, FOR PETE'S SAKE - The phrase is simply a polite version of a common and profane expression involving the name of Christ. We'd surmise that the original 'Pete' was St. Peter."

55. Fine __ : ARTS. What is a coarse art? Exotic dancing? Finger painting?

Ah, the grand mysteries of life all explored here on the ultimate Las Vegas day (7-11 was famous before convenience stores). Well I hope you had the circles and had fun. Thanks Jacob and thank you all. lemonade out.

Thursday, July 10, 2014 Steve Blais

Theme: "What Are You Wearing?"

17. Like him or her : THIRD PERSON.

30. Reagan/Carter debate catchphrase : THERE YOU GO AGAIN.

44. Fail completely : TAKE IT ON THE CHIN.

57. Weakening, in a way, or what 17-, 30- and 44-Across are literally doing : WEARING THIN. Each of the theme entries is "wrapped" in the word THIN.  The word is broken in three different ways, which is a good thing. Let's see what else Steve has thrown at us this week.

Across:

1. Limo rider : CELEB.rity. Short limosine, short VIP.

6. Skilled : ADEPT.

11. Old map letters : SSR.

14. Smetana's "The Bartered Bride," e.g. : OPERA. "Aida" would have been too easy for a Thursday. But this comic opera is one of the Czech Republic's most famous.  Although I personally enjoy the overture, Act II features lovely Czech folk music. 4:14

15. Super Mario World dinosaur : YOSHI. No clue.

16. Own, to Burns : HA'E.

19. Morticia's cousin : ITT. "The Addam's Family."

20. Roman sun god : SOL.

21. Bon __ : MOT. French for "witty remark."

22. Years in Madrid : ANOS.

23. Campfire remains : ASH.

26. Cleaning tool : MOP.

28. Easily perturbed : ORNERY. I think of ORNERY as mean-tempered or stubborn.

34. Disney film based on Chinese folklore : MULAN.

35. Steed's partner : MRS. PEEL. Great misdirection for "The Avengers."

36. Giant thing in a kids' game : STEP. Complete instructions for "Mother May I?" here.

37. Problem with pictures : REBUS. Another great misdirection.  Literally, a problem, that uses pictures. Narragansett beer put out a series of coasters with rebus puzzles on them. See how many you can figure out here. (***Answers, below.)

38. Neeson of "Taken" : LIAM.

41. "Dead Souls" novelist Gogol : NIKOLAI.

43. Summation symbol in math : SIGMA.

47. Mobster's code of honor : OMERTA.

48. Bart, to Homer : SON. Man, will I ever sort out all these characters?

49. __-Mex : TEX. Burritos and tacos and chili (Oh my!)

50. "Alice" diner : MEL'S.

51. Nonetheless, briefly : THO.

54. "Oedipus __" : REX.

56. Completely : ALL.

62. Inconclusive result : TIE.

63. Edmonton skater : OILER. Do you follow hockey, CanadianEh! ?

64. Gladiator's venue : ARENA.

65. Row : OAR.

66. First name on a historic B-29 : ENOLA.

67. Long and lean : LANKY.


Down:

1. Base bed : COT. Aha!  Here's the COT I was looking for at 1-A on Tuesday!

2. Bk. before Philippians : EPH.esians.

3. Hawaiian ring : LEI.

4. Messes up : ERRS.

5. 13, to many : BAD OMEN.

6. Sailor's agreement : AYE.

7. Temporary quarters : DORM.

8. Canadian gas brand : ESSO. It's Exxon in the US of A.

9. Occasions for shooting stars? : PHOTO OPS. Cute clue.

10. Its chemical symbol is Sn : TIN.

11. Illuminate, with "on" : SHINE A LIGHT.

12. Zen enlightenment : SATORI.

13. Certs ingredient : RETSYN. Remember these ads?

18. Sneaky tactic : PLOY.

22. Like cherubs : ANGELIC.

23. Alternatives to tellers, briefly : ATMs.

24. Close : SHUT.

25. "Light in My Darkness" author : HELEN KELLER.

27. Grapefruit cousin : POMELO. Have you ever had Pomelo wine? Very fresh and zingy.

29. Singer Carly __ Jepsen : RAE. "Call Me Maybe."

31. Slender swords : RAPIERS.

32. Like some legends : URBAN.

33. Columbia garb : G SUITS. The space shuttle Columbia, not the school in NY. Not to be confused with G Strings.

37. Add gradually to a cycle : ROTATE IN.

39. Gallic girlfriend : AMIE.

40. Tailless feline : MANX.

42. Young fox : KIT.

43. Dakar is its capital : SENEGAL.

44. __ paste : TOMATO. I used to always end up with half a can of tomato paste that would just turn moldy and eventually get thrown out.  Now I take a piece of saran wrap, plop tablespoons of paste onto it, cover with another piece of saran wrap,  and stick it in the freezer. Once frozen, I put it into a freezer bag - whenever I need a tbsp of paste, I just cut one of the blobs off the saran warp and put the rest back in the freezer.

45. Bloomer of bloomers fame : AMELIA.

The Bloomer Suit

46. __ of plenty : HORN. I always have one of these on my Thanksgiving table.

52. Radiant ring : HALO.

53. Hershiser of ESPN : OREL.

55. Ad come-on word : XTRA.

57. Angst : WOE.

58. Portfolio holding, briefly : IRA.

59. Egg layer : HEN.

60. Octopus' defense : INK.

61. Bit of Senate dissension : NAY.

***Click here for the answers to the Narragansett rebus puzzles.

'Til next week!
Marti

Note from C.C.:

Happy Birthday to Don G, who turns 60 years old today! I was so lucky and privileged to be mentored by Don.

Don & his wife Barbie

Wednesday, July 9th 2014 Gary J. Whitehead

Theme: Mélanges, Mash-ups and Minglings. Each theme entry is a noun that amalgamates. There -  four synonyms avoiding the word "mix" which is in the reveal:

20A. Recording industry technician : SOUND ENGINEER

The often unsung hero of the music industry. Here's the supremely talented Bill Price's mix for the Sex Pistol's "Pretty Vacant" including the curious "false start" at the three-second mark. Time Magazine in 2006 named the album "One of the 100 greatest, ever".

38A. One with a busy engagement calendar : SOCIAL BUTTERFLY. Hopefully not in the "betrothal" sense of the word "engagement"!


57A. Kitchen appliance : FOOD PROCESSOR. Food! My kitchen has five varieties in regular use - an electric whisk, a whizz-it up liquidizer, a stick blender big enough to mix concrete, a Cuisinart processor and when I need the big guns, a KitchenAid.

And now the twin unifiers:

68A. With 69-Across, what 20-, 38- and 57-Across do : THEY

69A. See 68-Across : MIX

Greetings, Earthlings. Steve here on either Wednesday or Miércoles depending on where exactly I am at 38,000 feet above the planet. Due to either alchemy or electro-magic I find myself connected to the interwebs and I don't see an ethernet cable trailing out of the back of the plane. Wonders will never cease. And Germany with a 7-1 trouncing over Brasil? Not quite sure what to say about that so I'm saying nothing! Let's move on ...

A nice Wednesday from Gary - a grid-spanner and two 13's, a couple of nice long downs and some other sparkle in the fill. Let's check out the rest.

Across:

1. Subway map abbr. : STA. Station. One of my all-time favorite bits of trivia concerns the London Underground. I've no idea how anyone actually came up with this, but there is only one Tube station on the entire system that does not contain any of the letters in the word "Mackerel". Wow!

4. Early fifth-century year : CDIV. 404. Emperor Flavius's web browser error message: "HTML CDIV. Page non est".

8. Dreadlocks wearer : RASTA. Rastafarian more formally.

13. Bud : PAL. Here's my pal:

14. Mechanical recitations : ROTES

16. Singer John : ELTON. Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE to be precise.

17. Transfusion letters : ABO. Not a good thing to get your blood types mixed up.

18. Stave off : AVERT

19. Nonsense : HOOEY. I needed the crosses for the ending of this - not a word with which I was familiar.

23. Tin Lizzie : MODEL T. "Any color you like as long as it's black".

24. Director Kazan : ELIA

25. Kingston Trio hit with the lyric "Fight the fare increase!" : M.T.A.

28. Fray, e.g. : WEAR

30. Santa __: Southwestern mountains : TERESAS. An obscure little range in Arizona.

32. Obsessed whale hunter : AHAB

35. It's not free of charge : ION. Nice clue!

37. Hoity-toity types : SNOBS

42. Take in or let out : ALTER

43. Petal puller's pronoun : SHE ... loves me, she loves me not.

44. Way out there : AFAR

45. Sicilian seaport : MESSINA

48. SOS responder : USCG. The US Coast Guard. Motto: "Semper Paratus", "Always Ready".

50. Prefix with thermal : ISO

51. Actress Catherine __-Jones : ZETA

53. Belief in one god : THEISM

60. Family car : WAGON. I hear a clecho.

62. Turkish titles : AGHAS

63. Galadriel in "The Lord of the Rings," e.g. : ELF. Not one to be messed with, either.

64. Deadly virus : EBOLA

65. Ruled perch? : ROOST. More nice cluing.

66. Ike's 1940s command : E.T.O. European Theater of Operations, as I'm sure most of us know by now.

67. Family car : SEDAN. I hear a clecho.

Down

1. Jerk : SPASM. I looked at SPAS_ for quite a while before I realized I wasn't trying to find some vaguely non-PC word for an annoying person.

2. Forbidden thing : TABOO

3. One way to read : ALOUD

4. Nursery need : CRADLE

5. Woodworking joint : DOVETAIL. We had to make these by hand in woodworking class back in school. I think it took most of one semester to join two small boards together.

6. Santa Monica-to-Jacksonville rte. : I-TEN

7. Threshold : VERGE

8. Run through lines : REHEARSE

9. Soothing succulent : ALOE. I needed some of this yesterday - I spent about 10 minutes too long in the sun.

10. Leaves in a huff : STORMS OFF

11. Pump part : TOE

12. Vague amount : ANY

15. Circus support : STILT

21. Ones with much to learn : NEWBIES

22. German's "never" : NIE. I must have known this at some point, but it slipped my mind. Crosses to the rescue.

26. Indian drum : TABLA

27. Nineveh's land: Abbr. : ASSYR. Nineveh was the capital of the Assyrian empire.

29. Hold up : ROB

31. Brings to a boil : ENRAGES.

32. "Same here" : AS AM I

33. Green targets : HOLES. Oh - golf! I was scratching my head for a moment with this one.

34. Hurricanes and tornadoes, in insurance policies : ACTS OF GOD

36. School sweater letters : NUS. The lowercase letter looks like a "v". Who Nu?

39. Grand Canyon State native : ARIZONAN

40. Calendar abbr. : THU

41. Precedent-setting trial : TEST CASE

46. Outlaw Kelly : NED

47. Bond trader's phrase : AT PAR

49. Well-developed, in a way : CHESTY. I'll leave the linking to someone else for this one!

52. Shop jargon : ARGOT

54. "__ to recall ..." : I SEEM

55. Conductor Sir Georg : SOLTI. Let's link to a wonderful view of "Nimrod" from the perspective of a third (?) violin with the London Philharmonic conducted by Sir Georg. What a treat.

56. Dahl's "Fantastic" title critter : MR FOX

58. "Return of the Jedi" dancing girl : OOLA. Thank you, crosses.

59. "This is bad!" : OH-OH

60. "Rushmore" director Anderson : WES

61. Civil War prez : ABE

That about wraps it up, and just as "we are now commencing our final descent into Los Angeles International Airport and the captain has turned on the fasten seat belts sign" I'd better "power down my portable electronic device and stow it safely for landing". See you all next time!

Steve.

Tuesday, July 8, 2014 Gail Grabowski and Bruce Venzke

Theme: y'all - Dixie diversion.

20A. Conflicting goals : CROSS PURPOSES. Southern Cross Song(4:49)

35A. "Bandit Queen" of the Wild West : BELLE STARR. Southern Belle (Our own)

41A. Best Western rival : COMFORT INN. Southern Comfort. CSO Tinbeni

59A. Like dishes with collard greens, and a hint to the starts of 20-, 35- and 41-Across : SOUTHERN STYLE

Argyle here, doing the best I can for a Northerner. Another interesting theme without some of the little nits from Monday. Some entries may be considered a bit stiff for a Tuesday but doable.

Across:

1. Barracks array : BEDS. Hands up for COTS.

5. Highlights segment : RECAP

10. Civil rights icon Parks : ROSA

14. Shepard who walked on the moon : ALAN

15. Get away from : EVADE

16. North Carolina university : ELON

17. Pitchfork point : TINE

18. 1995 Reform Party founder : PEROT. Ross

19. Charging result : DEBT

23. Odin, for one : DEITY. Odin is the major Norse god. Plus 55D. Odin's race : AESIR. The gods under the leadership of Odin in Asgard.

25. Plains native : OTOE

26. __-tip: beef cut : TRI. To go with the mess of collard greens?

27. Dessert table vessel : URN. After-dinner coffee.

28. Disney's "__ & Stitch" : LILO

31. Blender option : PURÉE

33. Sacks : BAGS. The literal, not the figurative sack.

38. Latin 101 verb : AMAS

40. Diva's number : ARIA

45. "Love It or List It" cable channel : HGTV. (initials for Home & Garden Television)

49. Martian, e.g. : ALIEN

50. Not as : LESS

52. Once-sacred snake : ASP

53. Countdown starter : TEN

54. Follow, or the one doing the following : TAIL

57. Tamale wrappers : HUSKS

63. __ dixit: unfounded assertion : IPSE. Latin for "He, himself, said it".

64. Look after : SEE TO

65. Hairdo : COIF

68. Prehistoric predator, for short : T-REX

69. Map in a map : INSET

70. New coin of 2002 : EURO

71. Part of CNS: Abbr. : SYST. (central nervous system)(not a TV channel)

72. Kicks back : RESTS

73. Initials on invitations : RSVP

Down:

1. Cavern critter : BAT. Great alliteration.

2. Manning of the Giants : ELI

3. Martha Graham forte : DANCING

4. Helmet-sporting comics hound : SNERT. Hägar the Horrible's dog.

5. Weightlifter's count : REPs

6. Pre-holiday times : EVES

7. Arrangement among commuters : CARPOOL

8. Score after deuce : AD OUT. (or ad in, depending)

9. Prefix with chemical : PETRO

10. Update, as the bathroom : REDO

11. Fake fat : OLESTRA. Beware the side affects.

12. Less tipsy : SOBERER

13. More prone to fidgeting : ANTSIER

21. Spindly Olive : OYL. Popeye's 'goyl'.

22. Cola choice : PEPSI

23. Name : DUB

24. Period sometimes named for a statesman : ERA

29. Support beam : I-BAR

30. "__ we forget" : LEST

32. Zion National Park state : UTAH

34. Out of danger : SAFE

36. Roped-off pool part : LANE

37. Coastal divers : ERNs

39. One of a dozen : MONTH

41. Watches a pet : CAT-SITS

42. Grand Tennessee entertainment : OLE OPRY

43. Negative aspects : MINUSes

44. Malady : ILLNESS

46. Like neon or nitrogen : GASEOUS

47. "That's a no-no" : "TSK!"

48. Nixon and Ford, once: Abbr. : VPs. (vice-president)

51. Timid : SHY

56. "I'll see you in my dreams" girl of song : IRENE

58. Stomach woe : ULCER

60. Book bag book : TEXT

61. Editor's "leave it in" : STET

62. Preschoolers : TOTS

66. Sportscaster Cross : IRV. Former NFL cornerback, he became the first African-American to work full-time as a sports analyst on national television.(CBS)

67. One dressing to be noticed : FOP. A real dandy.

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

Let's meet Anon-T,  another serious foodie! He went to Egypt last February for a computer project (He actually posted a few comments while frolicking there). As you have glimpsed from his remarks on the blog, Anon-T is a totally devoted family man. He solves LA Times with his mother-in-law at times.

Anon T, Giza, Feb 2014

Monday, July 7, 2014 Jerry Edelstein

Theme: Songs in the key of ME

1A. With 66-Across, 1967 Petula Clark hit, and a hint to the three longest puzzle answers : "THIS IS...

23A. 1927 soft-shoe classic : "ME AND MY SHADOW"

35A. 1971 Janis Joplin chart-topper : "ME AND BOBBY MCGEE"

47A. 1972 Billy Paul #1 hit : "ME AND MRS. JONES"

66A. See 1-Across : ...MY SONG"

Argyle here. Well, it was tough listening to all these songs but I did it for our blog's sake. ;~)

Across:

7. Address book no. : TEL.

10. Bal. sheet expert : CPA

13. Lure : SEDUCE

14. Gas station machine : PUMP

15. Amtrak and B&O, e.g. : RRs

16. Readied for new paint : PRIMED

17. Thing left out : OMISSION

19. __ Paulo, Brazil : SAO

 

20. Web surfing devices : MODEMS

22. Baseball's Rose : PETE

26. Body sci. : ANAT. (anatomy)

27. Charlotte and Norma : RAEs. A character actress and a character.

28. Swear to be true : AVER

31. Singer Ives : BURL. Almost made the cut. For Me And My Gal(2:26)

32. Suitable : APT

40. __ diem : PER. (for each day)

41. Morning brew : JAVA

42. Excellent : A ONE

43. "Pretty Woman" co-star Richard : GERE

44. Med. plan options : PPOs. (preferred provider organization)

52. "The Thin Man" dog : ASTA

53. Andre of tennis : AGASSI

54. Fall back, as a tide : EBB

57. On the floor above : UPSTAIRS

59. Johannesburg section : SOWETO. A bit easier cluing, especially if you remembered it from Saturday.

61. Coloring agent : DYE

62. Pledges exchanged at the altar : "I DO"s

63. "I'm a __, not a divider": Bush : UNITER. Dubya, based on a Texas pronunciation of "W".

64. Spanish "that" : ESA. (feminine)

65. Guidance counselor's deg. : MSW. (Master of Social Work)

Down:

1. Recipe amts. : TSPs

2. Wife of Zeus : HERA

3. "Pound the pavement" or "break the ice" : IDIOM

4. Addition result : SUM

5. O'Neill's "The __ Cometh" : ICEMAN

6. "Red Rocks" resort near Flagstaff : SEDONA. A little confusion here; mixed up with Red Rocks Amphitheater, Colorado. Probably should have been just "Red Rock resort area".

7. Upside-down puppy's massage : TUMMY RUB. OK, let's see your favorite tummy rub video.

8. Diplomatic representative : EMISSARY

9. Hi-fi spinners : LPs. (Long Play) and 36D. Spun 9-Down at a party, say : DJed

10. Sobbed : CRIED

11. Prefix with plasm : PROTO. Famous scene in "Ghost Busters".

12. Good __: fixed : AS NEW

14. Ode, for one : POEM

18. Health resorts : SPAs

21. Banned bug killer : DDT. (dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane)(Don't ask again)

24. Make, as money : EARN

25. Ship's wheel : HELM

28. Current unit : AMP

29. Gesture from a winner : VEE

30. Corn serving : EAR

31. Finance major's deg. : BBA. (Bachelor of Business Administration)(If you remembered it from Wednesday, June 25.)

32. In times past : AGO

33. Calligraphy tool : PEN

34. Golf ball raiser : TEE

37. Some tavern workers : BARMAIDS

38. Crowd with foliage : OVERGROW

39. 24 cans of beer, e.g. : CASE

43. Annoying bug : GNAT

44. Nightwear, briefly : PJs

45. Death-feigning critter : POSSUM

46. Like some dips : ONIONY

47. Bea Arthur title role : "MAUDE". "...and then there's Maude."

48. Cable sports awards : ESPYs. (short for Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Award)(if you remember it from Monday, June 9.)

49. On a freighter : AT SEA

50. Smart-alecky talk : SASS

51. Deal with : SEE TO

55. Bingo call : B TEN

56. Bjorn with five Wimbledon wins : BORG

58. Goal : AIM

60. Green Bay's st. : WIS. (Wisconsin) One for the road. Everybody sing!

Argyle

Sunday July 6, 2014 Frank Virzi

Theme:  "ET Trading" - E is changed into T in each theme entry.

23A. Pair of pooches' synchronized dash? : DOUBLE DOG DART. Double dog dare is a new expression to me.

34A. Boss' personal brewing ingredient? : ALPHA MALT. Alpha male.

50A. Blast off? : START INTO SPACE. Stare into space.

66A. "We're boarding the elevator now, chaps!" : GOT TO GET YOU INTO MY LIFT.

 Got to Get You into My Life

87A. Natural source of a Massachusetts dairy product? : BOSTON CREAM PIT. Boston cream pie.

99A. Result of washing political dirty laundry? : PARTY LINT. Party line.

118A. Course that covers crop circles? : PLANT GEOMETRY. Plane geometry.

Did you grok the gimmick immediately? The puzzle title is quite literal.

I think this is Frank Virzi's first Sunday. Congratulations! The grid has 93 theme squares, but only 138 words & 66 black squares. More often our Sunday grids have 142 or 144 words. Every extra word/black squar is a luxury on Sundays.

Across:

1. Final approvals : SAY-SOS

7. Had to repay for : OWED ON

13. Come into : INHERIT. This is similar to my mom's wedding chest. Hers had pretty bed sheets and quilts she and her mom made.

20. Total : AMOUNT

21. Bread for burritos? : DINERO. Clever clue.

22. Break, as laws : VIOLATE

25. Lee of poetry : ANNABEL. Poe's Annabel Lee.

26. Altar boy : ACOLYTE

27. Broke the tape : WON

28. Language of southern China : CANTONESE. Spoken in Guangdong province & Hong Kong & Macau area.

30. Vegas tip : TOKE

31. Angle iron : L-BAR

33. Cold response : SHIVER. What's your room temperature in the summer? Ours is 74.

38. Malachite and magnetite : MINERALS

43. Shoves off : SETS SAIL

46. "Swans Reflecting Elephants" artist : DALI

48. Dredge, say : DEEPEN

49. Guiding principles : CREEDS

54. Super Bowl XXXIV champs : RAMS. Wish they would stop using Roman numerals.

55. "With a Little Help From My Friends" singer : STARR (Ringo)

57. Utah lily : SEGO

58. Rock follower? : ETTE. Rockette.

59. Molecule that carries energy: Abbr. : ATP (Adenosine triphosphate). Total stranger to me.

60. "Go, team!" : RAH

61. Not to mention : AND

63. Cub Scout leader : AKELA

74. One-celled critter : AMEBA. Amoeba is more common.

75. Rock producer Brian : ENO

76. Temperamental TV pooch : REN Ren and Stimpy.

77. Water, chemically : HOH

78. Old orchard spray : ALAR

81. Gp. led by a Grand Exalted Ruler : BPOE. Gimme for Abejo.

84. Part of a flight : STAIR

86. Scared, maybe : PALE

91. Cry of triumph : I DID IT!

93. Yogurt flavor : BANANA

94. Dutch astronomer who lent his name to a cloud : OORT. Gimme!

95. South American border lake : TITICACA. Peru/Bolivia border lake.

97. Valentine figure : AMORETTO. The plural is Amoretti.

102. They're stuck in corners : STAMPS. I like this clue also.

104. Flying A rival : ESSO. Never saw a Flying A sign.

105. "Breaking __ Hard to Do" : UP IS

109. "0 calories. 0 carbs" drink : DIET PEPSI. They have big presence in China.

113. Prompt : CUE

114. Tramp : VAGRANT

117. Trap : ENSNARE

121. More puffed up : PROUDER

122. Way out : EGRESS

123. Harvey of "The Piano" : KEITEL. With Holly Hunter. I liked the movie.

124. Joan Fontaine and Olivia de Havilland, e.g. : SISTERS

125. Exodus challenge : RED SEA

126. Eventually : IN TIME

Down:

1. 1978 Peace co-Nobelist : SADAT. Still waiting for el-Sisi.

2. Big name in gas : AMOCO

3. Concerned query : YOU OK?

4. Some rental agreements : SUB-LEASES

5. Just : ONLY

6. "Let it be" : STET

7. Prefix with meter : ODO

8. Nipmuc home : WIGWAM. Never heard of Nipmuc. Looks so crude.

9. "Bewitched" witch : ENDORA

10. Faculty boss : DEAN

11. There's a statue of him outside TD Garden : ORR. 

12. V-shaped slit : NOTCH

13. Russian infant emperor, 1740-'41 : IVAN VI. Here is what Wiki says: "... although he never actually reigned. Within less than a year, he was overthrown by the Empress Elizabeth of Russia, Peter I's daughter. Ivan spent the rest of his life as a prisoner and was killed by his guards during an attempt made to free him."

14. Video game giant : NINTENDO

15. They may be roasted : HONOREES

16. Panache : ELAN

17. Broccoli __ : RABE. Not sure our local Cub carries this veggie. Very soon I'm going to enjoy the local water spinach the Hmong farmers here grow.

18. Ending for residents : ITEs. Like Brooklynites.

19. TV segment? : TELE

24. Yamuna River city : DELHI

29. Drawing a bead on : AIMING AT

32. Light wood : BALSA

33. ESPN figures : STATS

35. Dr. Leary's turn-on : LSD

36. Bible reading : PASSAGE

37. CEO, e.g. : LDR (Leader)

39. Formally end : REPEAL

40. Give __ on the back : A PAT

41. Univ. staff title : LECT. Oh, lecturer.

42. Bygone blade : SNEE

43. One who's all skin and bones : SCRAG

44. Pindar's Muse : ERATO

45. Tantalize : TEMPT

47. One in a pack? : LIE. Excellent clue also.

51. Cafeteria carrier : TRAY

52. River of Florence : ARNO

53. Michener's "The Bridges at __" : TOKO-RI. Also unknown to me. I probably should see it just for Grace Kelly. I love her in To Catch a Thief.

56. English channel : THE BBC

60. CD-__ : ROM

62. Bill word : DUE

64. Some retired faculty : EMERITI

65. Reagan adviser Nofziger : LYN. Another unknown. I'm pretty hopeless when it comes to pre-2001 US politics.

67. Sauce with sole : TARTAR

68. Brew servers : TAP ROOMS

69. Dirty Harry's rank: Abbr. : INSP

70. "Don't look at me!" : NOT I

71. "If __ Hammer" : I HAD A

72. Type of acid found in Brussels sprouts : FOLIC. Hard to make Brussels sprouts tasty.

73. Letter after eta : THETA

78. "SOS" singers : ABBA

79. Good earth : LOAM

80. "It will come __ surprise ..." : AS NO

82. War on Poverty org. : OEO. OK, Office of Economic Opportunity. LBJ.

83. O.K. Corral brothers : EARPS

85. Justice Dept. staffers : ATTYS

86. "Just think" : PICTURE IT

88. Bridge opening : ONE SPADE. Same letter count as ONE HEART.

89. One going on and on : NATTERER

90. L.A. bus-and-rail org. : MTA

92. Cacophony : DIN

96. "__ a Rainy Night": 1981 chart-topper : I LOVE

98. Slim candles : TAPERS

100. Catches up with old classmates : REUNES. Only in crosswords.

101. African insect attracted to the color blue : TSETSE

103. Pepper picker : PIPER

106. Page of music : PATTI

107. Against a thing, to a judge : IN REM

108. Panache : STYLE

109. ATM transactions : DEPS (Deposits)

110. Cross inscription : INRI

111. Those caballeros : ESOS.  Caballeros  sound like hot peppers.

112. Hardware item : T-NUT

113. Pick in a trick : CARD

115. Golfer Isao : AOKI. Don't google. Guess how tall he is.

116. FBI agents : G-MEN

119. Soft drink ord. : LGE

120. Govt. property org. : GSA (General Services Administration)

C.C.

Saturday, Jul 5th, 2014, Melanie Miller

Theme: None

Words: 68 (missing B,F,J,Q,X,Y,Z)

Blocks: 25

   We have us a new Saturday constructor~!  Melanie has had 5 LAT puzzles, with the last one coming in Feb on a Monday.  Today's offering had some similar clues/answers to that grid, I noticed.  Chunky corners of 9's and 8's, with two 11-letter fills on the inside.  Fairly difficult for a Saturday, IMHO, but I was able to solve without any look-ups or cheating, and only the SW corner requiring some WAGs to complete.  The two longer answers:

20a. Ranks achieved by Armstrong and Lovell : EAGLE SCOUTS - Two astronauts who reached the highest 'rank' in the Boy Scouts - Wiki

53a. Events after shootings : WRAP PARTIES - Melanie's last puzzle was a "party" theme, and this in not the violent kind of shooting, but the movie set type - I worked on a made-for-TV film way back in '97, and we had us a Wrap Party the following summer with a preview of the finished show.

"OM" ward~! (working my 60a.)

ACROSS:

1. Harassed, in a way : HEN-PECKED

10. Lenox brand : DANSK - their enameled steel cookware looks familar

15. Busy state to go into : OVERDRIVE

16. Boiling : IRATE

17. Made for the tube : TELEGENIC

18. Decalogue delivery site : SINAI

19. They may hook you up, briefly : RNs - Hook you up to IVs, tho I have seen certain movies....

22. Los __, city near San Luis Obispo : OSOS

24. Greenland capital : KRONE - this being the money kind of capital, not the city

25. Flanged bit of hardware : T-NUT

26. Powder holder : DONUT - Cute

28. Added a little to the pot : ANTED

30. Took in takeout : ATE - Nice clue alliteration

31. First lady after Bess : MAMIE - Truman and Eisenhower

33. Kind : MANNER

35. Kind of support : SPOUSAL

38. "Tritsch-Tratsch-Polka" composer : STRAUSS

39. "The Fox and the Hound" hound : COPPER - What does the fox say?

40. Stops running? : CLOTS - Ah, like wounds

41. Beluga output : ROE

42. Arabian capital : SANA'A - Yemen

44. "__ luego" : HASTA

48. Bald eagle cousins : ERNS

50. Settles : CALMS

52. Start of many a prayer : LORD

56. Crib cry : WAH - Two cries, and it's a guitar effects pedal....

57. Gugino of "Night at the Museum" : CARLA - a WAG with the --RL- in place

58. Exterminator's target : CENTIPEDE - among other creepy-crawlies; 'round here, it's ants, crickets and lately, wasps

60. Hindu principle of life : ĀTMAN - this was a WAG for me, too

61. "The Raven" feature : OCTAMETER

62. Pains : PESTS

63. Pump house? : SHOE STORE - Nailed it; I love women in platform pumps - so sexy - and if they zip up at the back....ha-muna ha-muna

DOWN:

1. Zoom : HOT-ROD - the verb, not the noun

2. Yet : EVEN SO

3. Hold on a mat : NELSON - Educated WAG

4. Start to date? : PRE - predate, as in 'comes before'

5. It's uncomfortable to be on it : EDGE

6. Sign of age : CREAK - I had CRACK to start, pretty close; that's 80% right

7. Large, long-billed marsh bird : KING RAIL

8. Satan : EVIL ONE - because MIROSLAV was too long; shoulda played for the NJ Devils....

9. Respectable : DECENT - Are you dressed?

10. Round snow toy : DISC - I had a wood and metal sled as a kid

11. "That's __!": "Funny!" : A RIOT

12. Otherworldly greeting? : NANU-NANU - Mork from Ork's greeting

13. Former bills : STATUTES

14. Bums' American counterparts : KEISTERS - anyone else see this as "B-u-r-n-s" first?  Once I had the K----STER, I figured out my eyes were getting a bit wacky

21. Look that way : SEEM TO

23. Recap : SUM UP

27. Stuns in an arrest : TASEs

29. Sith title : DARTH - Star Wars reference, which I won't miss~! Vader, Maul, and others

32. Rumba shaker : MARACA - shaking like your keister

34. Cavity opening? : NASAL

35. Cork alternative : SCREW-CAP - DAH~! I wanted TWIST-CAP, but I knew ROE was correct

36. Elizabethan property tax to benefit the disadvantaged : POOR RATE - the "T" was my last fill

37. Title words before "Nothing to hide," in a Journey hit : OPEN ARMS - Link away~!

38. Collide with : SLAM INTO

40. MIT rival, despite the distance : CALTECH

43. Some agents : NARCOs

45. Site of a 1976 anti-apartheid uprising : SOWETO - Part of Johannesburg, South Africa

46. Broker's customer : TRADER

47. Hold tight : ADHERE

49. Fall sound : "SPLAT~!"

51. Spiders' sensors, e.g. : SETAE - Latin for bristle, it's the hairs on a spider's legs, e.g.

54. Sweeps the set : PANS - another movie-making term

55. Virtual people, in a popular game series : SIMs - I love Sim City, but couldn't get into the virtual reality of the individual people version of the game (but I do have it).  Here's the crop circles that UFOs left on my farm in my last Sim City game

59. Ferret, for one : PET - My roomie in Cincinnati, OH had one - they bite...literally

Splynter

Friday July 4, 2014 Jeffrey Wechsler

Theme: A Fourth of July tribute to America and to Ralph Ellison and the Invisible (American) Man

Oh, Jeffrey Wechsler, what did you do to me? When a puzzle begins with 1A as part of the theme you know you are going to have to work for your supper. Confidently putting in AMERICAN (the airline of the Admirals Club) and then ATL as 1D and MAD as 2D, I got slapped in the face with 3D which had to be RET(ired). Scuttling along like a beetle, I went to the next starred clue and knew Centurion was one of many AmEx cards, which gave me the theme; revived, I went back and fixed the beginning and had a mostly smooth solve. I loved the theme for this holiday with AMERICAN the unsaid beginning to each starred answer. The thought of the invisible American in each answer brought me to Mr. Ellison. Without any politics or religion subplot, there are so many reasons I am proud to be an American and proud to blog this fun work from JW.  A few unknowns and some  distant memories, but it all filled. Aside from the 9 short theme fill (if you see asterisks you know there are fill longer than the designated theme fill in the grid) there are some crunchy, yummy fill. INGENUE, PUMMELS, SNEERED,  TIEPOLO, UNTAMED, BIO-DOME, LET ME TRY, LUTENIST, TREE BARK all are great. Of course to get this many interesting things in the fill, you are going to need some short fill and JW goes the acronym route, I hope that does not make you acrimonious. So let's get to the fireworks.

1A. *Admirals Club carrier : AIRLINES. (8). American Airlines.

9A. *Rose variety : BEAUTY. (6). American Beauty.

29A. *Centurion card issuer : EXPRESS. (7). American Express. Worked for them for a while.

37A. *Entertainment phenomenon since 2002 : IDOL. (4). American Idol.

38A. *TV show that had a 50th anniversary celebration in 2002 : BANDSTAND. (9). American Bandstand.

41A. *Line of 18-inch dolls : GIRL. (4). American Girl.  This was 4 letters but the one I needed the most help on.

51A. *PBS cultural documentary series : MASTERS. (7). American Masters. I do appreciate PBS.

70A. *Armed forces support group : LEGION. (6). American Legion. Very important in New England where I grew up.

and the reveal

71A. Apt adjective for today that's needed to make sense of eight puzzle answers : AMERICAN. (8).

Across:

15. Cork, essentially : TREE BARK. I bet you did not know all of THIS.

16. "Right away, boss!" : I'M ON IT. An interesting vowel consonant progression, with its partner...

17. "I'd like a shot" : LET ME TRY.

18. Like some windshields : TINTED.

19. Condescends : STOOPS. These are not synonymous for me at all. How could you STOOP so low, does not equate to he CONDESCENDED to speak to the crowd. IMO.

21. __ tide : NEAP.

22. Toot : JAG. A bender.

25. River in Hades : LETHE. For Greek scholars, I guess I forgot about this ONE, not as famous as STYX. (4:28).

27. Stylish '60s Londoner : MOD. The mods and the rockers ruled my teen age years.

33. Beats badly : PUMMELS. Not to be confused with Pommel.

35. Know : BE SURE. My mind went here....

36. Kitchen spray : PAM. Did you this is  an acronym for Product of Arthur Meyerhoff?

44. Word with job or laborer : DAY.

45. Bahamian capital : NASSAU. A real gimme for us here in So.Fla.

49. Showed contempt : SNEERED.

52. Turkish honorific : AGA. Not a British cook stove.

53. Speak : ORATE. Not related to O Ration the favorite food for Orangutans.

55. Woven thing : WEB. Tangled usually...

56. Wax-wrapped import : EDAM. Cheesy. Sub theme? 50D. Parmesan alternative : ROMANO. I get them together.

58. Wiser partner? : SADDER. There are many things we all learn the hard way.

62. The NFL's "Golden Arm" : UNITAS. Loved those high tops.

64. Closed ecosystems : BIODOMES.

68. They're likely to be edited : RUN-ONS.

69. Renaissance musician : LUTENIST. New word for me. Just don't see that many Lutes outside of GOT.

Down:

1. N.L. East team : ATLanta Braves.  Are they and Cleveland next after the Washington Redskins?

2. Choler : IRE.

3. Like Gen. Powell : RETired.

4. NASA moon landers : LEMS. An unintentional SO to this blogger, and a reference to a junked name for the Lunar Excursion Module which is apparently now just LM.

5. "That's doubtful" : I BET. She asked you out?

6. Intl. alliance since 1949 : NATO. North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Acronym time. part II ( I do not count PAM as so few know this is an acronym).

7. Director Morris et al. : ERROLS. Flynn is too easy but is this one too HARD?

8. Video chat choice : SKYPE. Great tool for overseas business. Not an acronym, not a portmanteau, but close.

9. Small amount : BIT.

10. "8 Mile" star : EMINEM. Marshall Bruce Mathers, III is among the top ten in career album sales. He is an twisted acronym.

11. Top-notch : A-ONE. Do you like their steak sauce?

12. Wild : UNTAMED.

13. 18th-century Venetian painter : TIEPOLO. Just as Erroll Morris is arguably the greatest documentary director, this prolific PAINTER may be the best of his time, but is also not a household name.

14. Until now, to CPAs : YTD. Year To Date.

20. Mar. honoree : ST. PATrick.

22. Son and brother of George : JEB. Clearly Bush league cluing here. John Ellis Bush.

23. Tool for fellers? : AXE. More SSO here.

24. Tracking aid: Abbr. : GPS. Global Positioning System.

26. Wellpoint competitor : HUMANA. Health care giants.

28. Broadband letters : DSL. Digital Subscriber Line. Beginning to see red? 48D. PC port : USB. Universal Serial Bus. 62D. High-tech address : URL. Uniform Resource Locator.

30. Belarus currency : RUBLE. A lucky guess.

31. Historical period : ERA.

32. Shipping worker : SENDER.

34. Core : MIDST.

36. Korean musician with the hit "Gangnam Style" : PSY. 15 minutes over? Do you want a Link?

39. Certain parents, to their tots : DADAS.

40. __ in November : N AS.

41. Fed. procurement agency : GSA. General Services Administration.

42. Vamp opposite : INGENUE. Ah, all the poor ingenues who flocked to Hollywood.

43. Grade school focus : READING. 'Riting and 'Rithmatic.

46. Darn, say : SEW. Socks, not curses.

47. "There you __!" : ARE. Yes I am right here.

51. Pizza order : MEDIUM. Not in my house.

54. Drum with a sitar : TABLA. A total learning experience. Join and READ.

57. Yours, in Tours : A TOI.

59. Lavish attention : DOTE.

60. Linda of Broadway's "Jekyll & Hyde" : EDER.

61. Rice-A-__ : RONI. Still a San Francisco treat.

63. Federal ID : SSN. Social Security Number.

65. Karaoke need, briefly : MICrophone. Not always are you told it is an abbreviation.

66. That: Sp. : ESA.

67. Where many stand and wait: Abbr. : STN. Station. A little POETRY dear to me to end the day. MILTON.

A Happy Fourth of July to all of you, happy birthday America and many more; 238 candles! and thank you JW for another challenge which both suits the day but also shows the diversity of clues and life.  Lemonade out.