Wednesday, August 13, 2014 Kurt Krauss

Theme: Critic's Nightmare - The last word of each theme entry indicates a less-than-stellar assessment of a production.

17A. High-jump style named for 1968 Olympic gold medalist Dick : FOSBURY FLOP. Revolutionary (!) technique introduced by this OSU student:

23A. Morning-after shot : HAIR OF THE DOG. I swear I've never felt like I've needed one, honestly. No, really. Oh well, maybe once.

36A. Last Martin/Lewis film : HOLLYWOOD OR BUST. Dean and Jerry road caper also starring Anita Ekberg. She gets the picture honors.

49A. Subject of 1950s testing : HYDROGEN BOMB.

58A. Lays it on the line : TALKS TURKEY. A curious expression, with no truly believable explanation as to it's origins (apostrophe uncertainty precedes).

Hi everyone - Steve here with Kurt's latest midweeker. I enjoyed the theme and, as convention allows, there's no reveal required as the link between the entries is reasonably obvious. Some nice long downs too. Although there were quite a few 3's, the grid was thankfully light on abbreviations. Nice job!

Let's see what else jumps out.

Across:

1. AARP concern : AGEISM

7. Other, in Oaxaca : OTRA

11. AOL chats : IM'S. Instant messages, IMHO.

14. Quick look : GLANCE

15. Need to retake in summer school, say : FAIL

16. Sylvester, to Tweety : TAT. More usually "Puddy Tat".

19. Andean vegetable : OCA. They call it a yam in New Zealand, for absolutely no good reason that I can see. Popeye in New Zealand says "I oca what I oca". No, I made that up. Food!

20. Adams of "American Hustle" : AMY. Thank you, crosses. 2013 comedy drama which never even blipped on my radar, I had to go look it up.

21. Sitter's handful : BRAT

22. Signal to stop, with "down" : FLAG

27. Spoke out against : OPPOSED

30. Zany : LOONY. Tweety's "Tunes" brand name is spelled with an additional "E".

31. Lobster part : CLAW. Not if you're a spiny lobster. Food!

32. "Wish you __ here!" : WERE

33. Expose, in verse : OPE. Romeo, on the subject of Juliet:

"She will not stay the siege of loving terms,

Nor bide th' encounter of assailing eyes,

Nor ope her lap to saint-seducing gold."

She sounds like one tough cookie!

41. Cold War missile prog. : S.D.I. Strategic Defense Initiative, or derisively "Star Wars".

42. Sound from a pen : OINK

43. Former VOA overseer : USIA. Unknown to me - thank you, crosses! I now know that the United States Information Agency was the overseer of the Voice of America broadcasts.

44. "Bye Bye Bye" boy band : 'N SYNC. No music links yet - I'll spare you this one.

46. Stumped : AT A LOSS

52. Big-grin borders : EARS. Fun clue. Grinning from ear to ear.

53. Flying prefix : AERO

54. Unlike a spring chicken : OLD

57. "Alice" waitress : FLO. 70's-80's CBS sitcom.

62. San Antonio NBA star Duncan : TIM. A very pleasant, self-effacing man if you've ever seen him interviewed.

63. Skin soother : ALOE

64. Daily special, e.g. : ENTRÉE. When I moved to the US I was confused by this being the main course - in England and France it means a course between the appetizer and the main. Marti would not bat an eyelid at three courses, but wonder why we don't all have aperitivo, antipasto, primo, secondo e contorno, insalata, formaggi et fruti, dolce, caffè and digestivo every Wednesday. And that doesn't even include the wine! Fooood! I'm moving to Italy.

65. "Comprende?" : SEE? The more I think about this, the more it seems odd - wouldn't we expect a Spanish answer here (except that the only one I can think of is "Entiende?" and that doesn't fit!)?

66. Remain up in the air : PEND

67. Swordfish servings : STEAKS. Food-fest today.

Down:

1. Former Belgian camera brand : AGFA. Knew the name, but didn't know it was a Belgian company.

2. Steal, slangily : GLOM. Crosses helped here - I thought GLOM meant "cling to, annoyingly".

3. Simple : EASY

4. Having five sharps, musically : IN 'B'

5. Dives with a tank : SCUBAS

6. Like olde England : MERRIE. Quite a lot of times not so much; plenty of wars, famine, pestilence and London catching fire to keep you on your toes.

7. __ a good start : OFF TO

8. 1960s chess champ Mikhail : TAL. Crosses again. This might be a little obscure, what do you think?

9. Ebro, por ejemplo : RIO. 578 miles long, it drains into the Mediterranean Sea. Pretty!

10. Swiss skyline sight : ALP

11. "Shoulda listened to me!" : I TOLD YOU SO

12. Region on the South China Sea : MACAO. A short ferry ride from Hong Kong and popular with gamblers.

13. Immortal college coach Amos Alonzo __ : STAGG

18. Farm attachment? : YARD

22. Bog : FEN. This seems to have cropped up a few times recently.

23. Lupine cry : HOWL

24. Took it on the lam : FLED

25. Deere competitor : TORO

26. Field worker : HOER. Hmmmm. I'll leave it at that.

27. Adolph of publishing : OCHS. Former "New York Times" owner. I never made the connection before, but when Ochs built a new headquarters in 1904 for the Times on what was then Longacre Square in Manhattan, the city renamed it "Times Square".

28. Walk with effort : PLOD

29. Mom or dad, e.g. : PALINDROME. Nice word, fun clue.

32. Bowl-shaped pan : WOK

34. Greek consonants : PSIS

35. Greek vowels : ETAS

37. Ma with a cello : YO-YO. Great stuff.

38. Annex : WING

39. "If I told you __ ..." : ONCE

40. Tulip-to-be : BULB

45. Soon-to-be alumni: Abbr. : SRS

46. Fivers : ABES. "Lady Godivas" in UK rhyming slang (she's not on the note, alas!)

47. Flourless cakes : TORTES. Food!

48. Invoice figure : AMOUNT

49. Lifts with effort : HEFTS

50. Connecticut collegian : YALIE. We had the plural on Monday.

51. In one's birthday suit : NAKED. Just like Lady Godiva.

54. Pickled or deep-fried veggie : OKRA. Food!

55. Onion relative : LEEK. Food!

56. Colorist's supplies : DYES

58. Bug on a wire : TAP

59. Microbrew choice : ALE. Comes out of a 58D!

60. Horror star Chaney : LON

61. Driver's decision: Abbr. : RTE. I let Google Maps make those decisions for me now, it does a much better job than I ever did.

And, in the words of Sylvester and Tweety: That's all, Folks!

Steve

Notes from C.C.:

1) Happy Birthday to our Jam Master Chickie! Chickie has a loving & tight-knit family. Her kids and grandkids will probably celebrate her birthday this weekend.

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

2) Happy Birthday to Spitzboov's wife Betty as well! Don't miss this "It Matters Where You Put the Tag" & this Christ the Redeemer construction work links Spitzboov got for us the past couple of days. This vacuum one made me laugh out loud also.

Spitzboov & Betty at the reunion dinner held at the US Coast Guard Academy, New London, CT, 2012

Tuesday, August 12, 2014 Ellen Leuschner and Jeff Chen

Theme: Friends - Although there are circles, it's doubtful they helped in solving.

39A. Close associates, and a hint to this puzzle's highlighted squares : CIRCLE OF FRIENDS

1D. 39-Across, in slang : PEEPS. Short for the people one considers friends or close pals.

57D. 39-Across, in slang : POSSE. Short for the people that congregate around a leader of sorts.

Argyle here. Starting at 12 o'clock, PAISANO, COMRADE, BRO, and AMI. Friends around the orb. Four beefy corners to the puzzle. Ellen Leuschner is a new name to us; hope she stops by.

Across:

1. Aerospace giant __ & Whitney : PRATT

6. Oft-mispunctuated word : ITS. or is it IT'S?

9. Bravery in battle : VALOR

14. Like a foggy graveyard : EERIE

15. Letters in a graveyard : RIP. Finding regular letters in a graveyard might be considered EERIE.

16. Love a lot : ADORE

17. Name on a WWII bomber : ENOLA

18. Brewpub offering, for short : IPA. (India Pale Ale)

19. Actress Watts : NAOMI. Here with her little buddy.

20. Garden mulch : PEAT MOSS

22. Monkeylike : SIMIAN. or King Kong like.

23. Evening in Parma : SERA. Parma is near the top of the Italia boot.

24. Like shrinking violets : SHY

25. Fashion-designing twins : OLSENS. Famous for being famous.

26. "Conan" channel : TBS

28. Puerto Rico, por ejemplo : ISLA

29. Musical genre related to punk : EMO

32. Actor Quinn : AIDAN. Captain Gregson on TV's "Elementary"

35. Startle : ALARM

42. Become sour : GO BAD. But not bad if talking about some pickles.

43. Hard to startle : STOIC. Really?

44. Granola grain : OAT

45. Brest beast : BÊTE. As in bête noire.

47. Eponymous guitarist Paul : LES. Many guitars bear his name.

49. Smartphone feature : CAMERA

52. Vino opener? : VEE

54. Show appreciation, in a way : CLAP

58. Exaggerate : OVERDO

59. Legendary city of gold : EL DORADO

61. Heaven-sent food : MANNA

62. Usher's offering : ARM

63. Angler's bucketful : WORMS

64. Heaps : PILES

65. Pennsylvania, for one: Abbr. : AVEnue

66. Singer Costello : ELVIS

67. Slow-moving arboreal critter : SLOTH

68. "On __ Majesty's Secret Service" : HER

69. Blue-gray : SLATE

Down:

2. Three-time Golden Globe winner Zellweger : RENÉE

3. Riotous, as a crowd : AROAR

4. Charge, in a joust : TILT AT

5. Jets, Mets or Nets : TEAM

6. From Donegal, say : IRISH. Although born in Chicago, Aidan Quinn had Irish parents and spent time growing up in Ireland.

7. A bit buzzed : TIPSY

8. Place to chill : SPA. 62D. "Yeah, that's the spot!" : "AAH!"

9. Rapper whose name sounds like a dessert : VANILLA ICE

10. Water, facetiously : ADAM'S ALE

11. Sarge's superior : LOOIE. (Lieutenant)

12. Finance guru Suze : ORMAN. Often seen on PBS.

13. Buckboard controls : REINS

21. Davis who was married to Ruby Dee : OSSIE

22. Letters in the sand, perhaps : SOS. On a deserted isla, ok; in a cemetery, eerie.

27. "Horsefeathers!" : "BALDERDASH!". A nice long entry partnered with Vanilla ice. Hmm.

28. Facts and figures, for short : INFO

29. Heart chart: Abbr. : ECG. (electrocardiogram)

30. "O Sole __" : MIO

31. Mars or Venus : ORB

33. Two pills, e.g. : DOSE

34. Toward the back of the boat : AFT

36. "It's __-brainer" : A NO

37. Nutritional qty. : RDA. (Recommended Daily Allowance)

38. Hours in Tempe, Ariz. : MST. (Mountain Standard Time)

40. Popular wine grape : CABERNET

41. Hot under the collar : RILED

46. Lao Tzu's "path" : TAO

48. Move with a mouse wheel : SCROLL

49. Freebies : COMPS. Items received free of charge, complimentary.

50. Be of help to : AVAIL

51. __ Park, N.J. : MENLO. Thomas Edison set up his home and lab on the site of an unsuccessful real estate development, "Menlo Park".

52. Enthusiasm : VERVE

53. Toon hunter who has twouble with some wanguage : ELMER. Bugs called him, "poor little Nimrod".

55. Immature insect : LARVA

56. Let in or let on : ADMIT. Neat clue.

60. Is in the red : OWES

Argyle

Monday, August 11, 2014 Kevin Christian and Andrea Carla Michaels

Theme: How are you? - “Everyone Is a House with Four Rooms, a Physical, a Mental, an Emotional, and a Spiritual.” Indian proverb

17A. What regular exercise helps maintain : PHYSICAL FITNESS

27A. Mindreader's claim : MENTAL TELEPATHY

44A. 1980 Rolling Stones hit : "EMOTIONAL RESCUE"

56A. Priest or lama, e.g. : SPIRITUAL LEADER

Argyle here, in the room with padded walls. Thank goodness Google was here to give me the theme. All four themes were grid spanners, too. The fill didn't suffer either. Our constructors should show some 38-Across for this offering.

Across:

1. Jiggly see-through dish : ASPIC

6. Character deficiency : FLAW

10. Cutting remark : BARB

14. Formal "will" : SHALL

15. 1970 Kinks hit : LOLA. Live(4:31)

16. Matty or Felipe of baseball : ALOU. Our usual baseball family.

20. Run __ of the law : A FOUL

21. Like very cheap merchandise : TRASHY

22. Part of CBS: Abbr. : SYStem

25. "__ voyage!" : BON

26. Solo who loved Leia : HAN

34. Delta rival, as it was formerly known : USAIR. US Airways now.

35. TiVo predecessors : VCRs

36. Actor Stephen : REA

37. Cocktail hour bowlfuls : DIPS

38. __ and joy : PRIDE. Often found in little bundles.

40. Corridor : HALL

41. Gun for a gangster : GAT

42. Completely closed : SHUT

43. Language of India : HINDI

48. Quaint lodging : INN

49. Author Fleming : IAN

50. Mini-albums, for short : EPs. An extended play (EP) is a musical recording that contains more music than a single, but is usually too short to qualify as a full studio album or LP.

51. Bob Marley's music : REGGAE

54. Signs on for another stint : RE-UPs

61. Start of Caesar's boast : VENI. "Veni, vidi, vici" ("I came, I saw, I conquered")

62. Jason's ship : ARGO

63. Religious belief : CREED

64. Black-eyed veggies : PEAs

65. Eat, as ribs : GNAW

66. "The Metamorphosis" writer Franz : KAFKA

Down:

1. Egyptian slitherer : ASP

2. "Pipe down!" : "SHH!"

3. Foot the bill : PAY

4. "Casablanca" heroine : ILSA

5. Energy-boosting organic snack brand : CLIF BAR

6. Show off shamelessly : FLAUNT

7. Lounge about : LOLL

8. Furry TV E.T. : ALF. (Alien Life Form)

9. "Sit tight while I get help" : "WAIT HERE"

10. Fruit often sliced onto cereal : BANANA

11. Tavern orders : ALEs

12. __ Hashanah : ROSH

13. Like bees or beavers : BUSY

18. Chilly : COOL

19. Snares : TRAPS

22. Mark from an old eraser : SMUDGE

23. "No, you're not" retort : "YES, I AM"

24. Stand at attention : SNAP TO

28. "__ the season to be jolly ..." : 'TIS

29. Musical set in Argentina : EVITA

30. HDTV feature : LCD. (liquid crystal display)

31. Hypnotic state : TRANCE

32. Delayed : HELD UP

33. New Haven Ivy Leaguers : YALIES

38. Series of voice mail messages, say : PHONE TAG

39. Beat a retreat : RUN

40. Old what's-__-name : HIS

42. Mount for Moses : SINAI

43. Nag, nag, nag : HENPECK

45. Baghdad's river : TIGRIS

46. Hide out : LIE LOW

47. __ Julia of "The Addams Family" : RAUL

51. "Let me know," on invitations : RSVP

52. Fencing sword : EPEE

53. Actress Gershon : GINA

54. Music from India : RAGA

55. "Nobody doesn't like __ Lee" : SARA

57. Coffee hour server : URN

58. Phone letters on the "3" button : DEF

59. Cartoon scream : "EEK!"

60. No. formerly on vitamin labels : RDA. (Recommended Daily Allowance)

I left out a lot of musical options; feel free to link your favorites. I'll be in the music room.

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

For those who missed the Andrea Carla Michaels interview I linked last time, here it is again.

Sunday August 10, 2014 Melanie Miller

Theme: "Catchy Phrases" -Y is added to the end of the first word or first part of the first word. Catch-Y phrases indeed.

25A. What determines when the bash ends? : PARTY TIMER. Part-timer.

27A. Awkward work period? : STICKY SHIFT. Stick shift.

46A. Chess great keeping warm? : TOASTY MASTER. Toastmaster. Four one-word base phrases in the set.

71A. Containers for some pork cuts? : BELLY JARS. Bell jars. The only one in plural form.

94A. Hoedown official having a bad day? : CRANKY CALLER. Crank caller.

113A. Demand for fabric softener? : DOWNY MARKET. Downmarket.

118A. Yellowstone roughneck? : BULLY MOOSE. Bull Moose, the party.

35D. Chauffeur who's off his rocker? : SCREWY DRIVER. Screwdriver.

40D. Agent in need of Weight Watchers? : STOCKY BROKER. Stockbroker.

Classical 9-themer grid design. 7 Across & 2 Down.

I had an easy time, probably because the grid is very solver-friendly (lots of 4 & 5 letter words) and super clean. No obscure words or strange abbreviations. In fact, there are a limited few abbreviations in this puzzle, that's hard to achieve with a 21 & 21 grid.

Across:

1. Place with canoes : CAMP

5. Tableland : MESA

9. Groups of foxhounds : PACKS. Oh, I only know wolves/lies.

14. Little one on a board : PAWN. Chessboard.

18. Sashes with bows : OBIS

19. Skating maneuvers : AXELS

21. Interwoven hair : PLAIT. Pretty braid.

22. "Wonderfilled" cookie : OREO.  3D. 22-Across variety : MINI

23. Unimposing : PUNY

24. Wrangler's rope : RIATA. Just fill in R?ATA, then you wait.

30. Walks leisurely : MOSEYS

31. Must : HAS TO

32. "The Thin Blue Line" director Morris : ERROL. Forgot. I googled him before.

34. Outlaw tracker : POSSE

38. Vision-correcting aid : LASER

41. Student-teacher calculation, say : RATIO

43. Savanna newborn : LION CUB

45. Acct. posting : INT. 23-Across, if any.

51. "For that reason ..." : ERGO

52. Uncultured sort : BOOR

54. Chevy subcompact : AVEO. Hi there Gary!

55. Soap staple : DRAMA

56. Superman portrayer Cain : DEAN. With Terri Hatcher.

57. Italian cheesecake cheese : RICOTTA

59. Crisp quality : NIP

62. Sudden burst : SPATE

64. Like Thurber's humor : WRY.  James Thurber.

65. Tattoo sites, perhaps : ANKLES

66. Course often taken first : SALAD. Lovely clue.

68. Thermal __ : ENERGY

70. Modus operandi : STYLE

73. '50s sci-fi flier : RODAN

76. Unlikely to be talked out of : BENT ON

78. Looks : SEEMS

79. Reporter's need : SOURCE. I miss Anthony Shadid.

80. Disfigure : MAR

82. Planter : SOWER

84. R.I. summer hours : EDT

85. Bullet propellant : CORDITE. New word to me.

86. Macbeth, for one : SCOT

88. Prompt, as a forgetful actor : RE-CUE

90. Give a tongue-lashing, with "out" : REAM

92. Passionate : AVID

93. Reheat, in a way : NUKE

98. Pre-event period : EVE

99. Like Marilyn Monroe's voice : BREATHY. Jackie Kennedy's voice too.

101. Stoppers of spirits : CORKS. I need to stop thinking of ghosts when I see "spirits".

102. Paddled : OARED

104. __ Rossi: wine brand : CARLO. Gimme for Marti.

105. Was brilliant : SHONE

107. Pastry bag filler : ICING. I know the tool, D-Otto, not the term pastry bag.

110. Mile High player : BRONCO. Mile High Stadium.

122. Diving birds : LOONS

123. Take the edge off : EASE

124. Biblical barterer : ESAU

125. Actor with seven Emmys : ASNER. It's a record for a male actor.

126. Causing shudders, maybe : EERIE

127. "Slippery" trees : ELMS

128. Stare : GAPE

129. Swamp growths : REEDS

130. Ones breaking away : SECT. Stupidly put S in the last square.

131. Bug repellent ingredient : DEET

Down:

1. Cruiser drivers : COPS

2. Bump up against : ABUT

4. Freudian concern : PSYCHE

5. "The Bells of St. __" : MARY'S. Did any of you see this movie?

6. Be real : EXIST

7. Fish that swims upright : SEAHORSE

8. Voices in il coro : ALTI. Used Google Translate: il coro = the choir.

9. Very quietly, in music : PPP

10. 1836 battle site : ALAMO

11. December number : CAROL

12. Hobbyists' purchases : KITS

13. Eyelid irritation : STYE

14. Like a certain fairy tale apple : POISONED. Putin only eats food prepared by his Russian chefs, even if he's traveling abroad.

15. Give pieces to : ARM

16. Very early: WEE

17. Scand. land : NOR

20. Rare football result : SAFETY.  I don't follow football. How rare?

26. Dash for cash, e.g. : TYPO. So easy in retrospect.

28. Go-__ : KART

29. Remove fat from : TRIM

33. Teams are often on it, with "the" : ROAD

36. Baking staple : SUGAR

37. Key wood : EBONY. Did you read it as "Key word"?

38. Ones who are astrologically balanced? : LIBRAS. Scales.

39. Honor with oil : ANOINT

42. Unkeyed : ATONAL

43. Racing's 24 Hours of __ : LE MANS. Held in the French city Le Mans.

44. On the warpath : IRATE

47. Feed bag feed : OATS

48. Clark's "Mogambo" co-star : AVA

49. Most retirees: Abbr. : SRS

50. Winds down, with "off" : TAPERS

53. "Good Times" star : ROLLE (Esther)

58. Romeo and Juliet, e.g. : TEENS.  Also a great clue for  ROLES.

60. Afflictions : ILLS

61. Word on a check : PAYEE

63. Eraser target : ERROR

66. Adviser to Nero : SENECA

67. Worked a dance, for short : DJ'ED

69. Cheese from the Netherlands : GOUDA

71. Manhattan area, with "the" : BOWERY

72. Sunset Limited operator : AMTRAK. Did you nail this, Anon T?  I'm not familiar with Sunset Limited.

74. Busy : ACTIVE

75. More than wanted : NEEDED

77. Liberty Island symbol : TORCH

79. Not all : SOME

80. Cable news station : MSNBC

81. Legend creator : ACURA. Can't fool me.

83. Preside over : RUN

85. 20th-century White House nickname : CAL

87. Crayola color retired in 2003 : TEAL BLUE

89. Kitchen gadget brand : EKCO

91. Kronborg Castle, in Shakespeare : ELSINORE. "Hamlet".

95. Over there, to Shakespeare : YOND

96. Big Easy cuisine : CREOLE. Hi there, Big Easy on our blog.

97. Author Jaffe : RONA

100. British Conservative : TORY

103. Was like-minded : AGREED

105. Quick bread choice : SCONE. I made sweet potato scones last year. Not as good as they look here.

106. Took for a ride : HOSED

108. Pessimist : CYNIC

109. "Nothing more required here" : I'M SET

111. Epps of "The Mod Squad" : OMAR

112. Wine taster's concern : NOSE

114. Hardships : WOES

115. Leafy vegetable : KALE

116. Salinger's "With Love and Squalor" girl : ESME

117. __ pilot : TEST

118. Mooch : BEG

119. "White Collar" network : USA. Irish Miss & JD might be following this show.

120. Full circuit : LAP

121. Waffling sounds : ERs

C.C.

Saturday, Aug 9th, 2014, Mark Bickham

Theme: None

Words: 74 (missing J )

Blocks: 35

   Mr. Bickham has been on a roll - one Saturday puzzle each of the last four months now, but this one beat me up pretty good - had to use red-letters, and went over my personal time limit, too.  However, unlike most Saturday strains that rattle my brains, this one was actually a pretty satisfying solve~!  A relatively simple mid-week-looking grid, with just two 9- and 10-letter climbers, it took several passes before the SW finally gave way, and the NW was last to fall.  Some fill;

17. Darby Conley comic strip : GET FUZZY - I like this comic strip

30. It's never right : ACUTE ANGLE - nor Obtuse, either

 70. What an apostrophe may stand for : NINETEEN- as in "Summer of '69"

Ah-ah-ah-ah-ON-ward~!!! (69a.)

ACROSS:

1. Setting in the musical "Two By Two" : NOAH'S ARK - Dah~!  I had to dodge a whole 6-pack of V-8 cans when this finally dawned on me

9. Brightness measure : IQ TEST - LUMENS fit, and the "E" worked as well

15. Comer : ATTENDEE - I thought this was c-o-r-n-e-r, not c-o-m-e-r

16. Colorful attire : MUUMUU

18. It's just one thing after another : SERIES - yep

19. Marlins' div. : NLE - Baseball; I know they are in Florida, and that helped; National League East

20. Rock fan's subj. : GEOLogy - because "METAL" was too long....oh, that kind of rock

21. "Naughty!" : "TSK TSK~!"

22. Start of an addition : ALSO - so vague....

24. Controvert : NEGATE

26. Dark-eyed subculturists : GOTHS

28. Spot : ESPY

29. Opening at a long lecture? : YAWN - nice

33. Salon, e.g. : E-MAG

35. Move easily : SAIL

37. Cool __ : CAT - my brother's email address, though it's Kool Kat Kev, a moniker my uncle Ray gave him

38. "Candle in the Wind" dedicatee : LADY DI - MONROE fit, too - the song's original subject

40. Stat opposite : NO RUSH

42. Rear-end indicator : AFT - Indicator?  Here's what I have to say

43. Common crossword clue ending : ABBReviation

46. Attack : GO AT

47. 2001 Microsoft debut : XBOX

49. Tired-sounding veggie : BEET - Har-har~!

51. They often include materials : SPECS - Construction plans; here's the progress on my latest project

54. "A Touch of Class" actress Jackson : GLENDA - a WAG with GL--D- in place

56. Druids' sacred hill : TARA - A Saturday alternative to a "Gone With the Wind" reference; more here

57. Bald statement? : NO HAIR - OK, here's one for the ladies

60. Face with hands, maybe : DIAL

63. Composer Rorem : NED

64. Former associates : ALUMNI

65. Liability factor, in contracts : ACT OF GOD - I hope an Act of God strikes me, soon

67. Runs : BLEEDS - like colors in the wash

68. Cindy Lou's hometown, in kiddie lit : WHOVILLE - Nailed it, but that was about it on the first pass - "How The Grinch Stole Christmas"

69. Exhales during a physical? : SAYS "AH"

DOWN:

1. "Enough criticism!" : "NAG, NAG~!"

2. Verdi's penultimate opera : OTELLO

3. Substantiated : ATTESTED TO

4. Publishing nickname : HEFner - a WAG that stayed.  Hugh of Playboy fame

5. Unloose? : SNUG - Cute

6. Cutting tool : ADZE - Toyed with this for a long time, and then the "Z" from GET FUZZY came into play

7. Do a city planner's job : RE-ZONE

8. __ entry : KEYLESS

9. "But you need me!" : "I'M STAYING~!"

10. Pursuit : QUEST

11. Bomb : TURKEY - Not the bowling kind of turkey

12. Broadcast : EMIT

13. Tries to get money from, maybe : SUES

14. Certain canine : TUSK

23. "Goodness!" : "OH MY"~!

25. No. with a decimal : GPA

27. Actress Thompson : SADA

31. Used to be : WAS

32. Vowelless adjective : nth

34. Mumbo jumbo : GIBBERISH - love this scene

36. "Gigi" playwright : LOOS - Perps got me the "L"

38. Loose : LAX

39. Test center at Edwards, Calif., e.g. : AFB - Air Force Base - made me give up on MONROE

41. Hardly daydreaming : RAPT

44. Former Fed chairman Bernanke : BEN

45. 2012 war film remake : RED DAWN - IMDb on the original

48. Competition that includes motocross : X GAMES

50. Stress-reducing discipline : TAI CHI

52. Spicy cuisine : CREOLE

53. Bring down : SADDEN

55. Sarah Connor portrayer Hamilton : LINDA - Terminator 2: Judgement Day - nailed it - IMDb

57. Collars : NABS

58. Ceramic cooker : OLLA

59. Long in old politics : HUEY - all perps

61. Scores : A TON

62. Word with bird or nest : LOVE

66. Working out well? : FIT - I'm fit(ter) - lost 30lbs working two jobs this summer

Splynter

Friday, August 8, 2014, David Poole

Theme: Double your fun,  A?

Each of the 5 theme answers has the last letter of the last word in a phrase doubled and an A is added to create a totally different phrase, clued with wit. With no intention to offend anyone, since I live in a community that is 60% 1st generation Italians, the rhythm of the new word created sounds to me like an Italian speaking English. For me that enhanced the whimsy and enjoyment of the puzzle. David is more than 5 years into his second career in making puzzles, and has made some really great ones; read his INTERVIEW. While I loved the theme, the word count, blocks and fill are mostly a Thursday feel for me. The sparkle was present in ALOMAR,  AMULET,  C-NOTES,  MOGULS, SERENE,  UGANDA,  VOODOO, LIBERIA, COMANECI, and KICKED IN without too many 3/4 letter fill and only a few omnipresent ones like ATE and ANTE.  Let's see how it all sounded to you.


17A. Oversized European import? : JUMBO JETTA (10) We recently had the VW Jetta clued as model since 1979, and we all know Jumbo Jets, pioneered by the 747.

25A. Summer known for kitchen supplies? : TEFLON DONNA (11). He was the TEFLON DON because no charges brought against him would stick.  Like other teflon, it wore out and he died in prison. I wonder if this was the seed answer inspired by GOTTI.  Love to Love You Baby.

37A. Be nostalgic for old Nordic currency? : MISS THE MARKKA (13).  I know nothing of this FINNISH currency but Finns double vowels often, I hope you did not Miss the Mark on this one. .

52A. Poignant game show personality? : MOVING VANNA. (11) Other than a turn as Al's dream girl on Married With Children, I have never seen Vanna White express any emotion, but i love the clue/fill almost as much as I hate moving.

61A. Expert on Icelandic sagas? : MISTER EDDA (10) We have seen Edda so often and Mister Ed, now they are together...well I am cold just reading about Iceland and Finland, let's move on.


Across:

1. Type type : PICA. Once upon a time I knew pica and elite and no more.

5. He was originally called Dippy Dawg : GOOFY.I did not know this but with Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck it was not hard to guess that Walt like double letters.

10. Plastic option : VISA. Good Friday clue/fill.

14. Doofus : BOOB. No one commented on my Thong link last week, so I think this is safe... LINK.

15. Navel observation : INNIE. Loved the simple misdirection.

16. Turow book set at Harvard : ONE-L.

19. Other, in Oaxaca : OTRO. Spanish.

20. Half a sci-fi name : ARTOO. According to WOOKIEEPEDIA.

21. Cash in : REDEEM. Reminds me of the old Sperry and Hutchinson green stamps.

23. "Wow!" : MAN. Really vague, but so are our children.

28. News __ : ITEM.

30. Christmas purchase : FIR. Tree.

31. Campaign target : VOTER.

32. Tamper with : DOCTOR.

35. In development, as software : BETA. By now you all must know about Beta testers, and even constructors use them. (Hey Annette hope you are feeling better).

42. Cath. honorific : MSGR. Monseigneur. From the French. LINK.

43. Running without moving : IDLING. Especially for cars.

45. Pal of Picasso : AMIGO. Spanish.

49. Mannerism : TIC.

51. Classic name in shoes : MCAN.Thom?

56. Sunflower St. school : KSU. This is the third different clue for KSU in the last few weeks. Notice the flower on the flag.

57. Lake Victoria country : UGANDA. There are more than one. This is one of Africa's GREAT LAKES.

58. Tapenade ingredient : OLIVE. If you like olives and capers with a hint of anchovy...any recipes out there?

60. Breather : LUNG. This clue is how you make 4 letter fill Friday hard.

66. "A Shot in the Dark" actress Sommer : ELKE. She is back, and the nude scene with Peter Sellers has been linked enough.

67. Lead in the theater? : USHER. Not the star, but the one who takes you to your seat. I did that at the Candlewood Lake Theater.

68. Knee-slapper : RIOT. Funnnnnnnnnnnny.

69. Winter Palace resident : TSAR.

70. Head lock : TRESS. The space eliminates the wrestling hold.

71. Join the game : ANTE. One that requires betting.

Down:

1. Lunchbox staple, casually : PBJ. My first fill. Peanut Butter & Jelly.

2. Marker : IOU. Another Friday repeat.

3. Gymnast with five Olympic golds : COMANECI. The C from pica gave me this 10 all growed up.

4. E.g., e.g. : ABBReviation.

5. Boy toy : G I JOE. Did you like the movie?

6. Unrepeated event, in England : ONE OFF. David used this 1/18/2013 in a Friday where marti blogged and linked to the expression.

7. Mich. neighbor : ONTario, Canada. I believe David is from Canada, eh? Eh?

8. Qualified : FIT.

9. Long : YEARN. I long for the perfect write-up.

10. Gris-gris wearer's practice : VOODOO. Who do the voodoo like you do? A partial clecho:45D. Gris-gris, for one : AMULET. All you need to know about this TALISMAN.

11. Aim : INTENT.

12. Composed : SERENE.

13. Baseball family name : ALOMAR. Sandy Jr., Roberto a Hall of Famer and Sandy Sr., Nice to see someone other than the Alous.

18. Giant star : OTT. More baseball.

22. Composer Grieg : EDVARD. A Norwegian. We all know Peer Gynt.

23. Season opener? : MID-season form.

24. Tiny bit : ATOM.

26. Country settled by freed American slaves : LIBERIA. This is a HISTORY that was not taught when I was in school.

27. Home of Utah Valley University : OREM.

29. High pts. : MTS. Mounts, or Mountains. 46D. Downhill challenges : MOGULS. A little early skiing CSO for marti.

33. Performing siblings' surname : OSMOND. Donnie and Marie? I met marie in 1979 when this was filmed.

34. ACLU concerns : RTS.

36. __ chi : TAI.

38. "Curb Appeal" network : HGTV. Home and Garden Television.

39. Airline to Amsterdam : KLM. Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij N.V.

40. Began to take effect : KICKED IN. Have the drugs kicked in yet?

41. Santa __: West Coast winds : ANAS.

44. Horned grazer : GNU. Who knew?

47. Fashionista Trump : IVANKA. It is good to be born rich. LINK.

48. Turmeric relative : GINGER.  Want to know ALL?
 
50. Bills featuring Ben : C-NOTES. One Hundred Dollar bills, so nicknamed as Century Notes

53. Full extent : GAMUT. Like Amazon, from A to Z.

54. Cards, e.g. : NLERS, The baseball St. Louis version, not the football Arizona ones.

55. Broadcast : AIR.

59. Designer Wang : VERA.  Some of the Fall Collection.

62. Neighbor of Leb. : ISRael.

63. Dam or madam : SHE. Nope, no safe way to comment.

64. Part of a modern address : DOT. How com you did not know this?

65. Had : ATE. I had grilled salmon, you?

Well I often eat when I am writing this, so it is fitting that I leave you on a food note (sounds like...?) Thanks David. Nice week end all and be sure and stop in and visit with Splynter as he unravels the mystery of the themeless Saturday: lemonade out.

Thursday, August 7, 2014 Johanna Fenimore

Theme: "We're In the Money!" 2:35

I'll start with the reveal:
55-Across. Basics of business, or a hint to the end of the answers to starred clues : DOLLARS AND CENTS. The theme was pretty obvious to me after seeing SCRATCH and DOUGH.  My confidence was a little shaken by JACK, but BREAD nailed it.

17-Across. *Like Grandma's pancakes, say : MADE FROM SCRATCH. This slang is probably based on the fact that you have to scratch out a living to earn money.

24-Across. *It's rolled with a pin and put in a tin : PIE DOUGH. Common slang term in the US, similar to BREAD.

37-Across. *"What a dummy!" : YOU DON'T KNOW JACK. I assume this refers to Jackson on the $20 bill? I don't think I have ever heard this term for money.

46-Across. *Deli supply : RYE BREAD. Based on the analogy of money being a staple of life.

Pretty easy for a Thursday. On a few "huhs" and "duhs" today. So lets spring right in.

Across

1. Spring : JUMP. Epic (and hilarious) JUMP fail. 0:25

5. Goes kaput : DIES.

9. Buckle opener? : SWASH. Can you talk like a pirate?

14. With passion : AMOROUSLY.

16. Chekhov's "__ Sisters" : THREE.

19. Capt.'s heading : SSE. Not sure why "Capt." here.  I wanted something like "aft" based on the clue, but the perps wouldn't allow it. (From C.C.: Capt. hints an abbreviated answer.)

20. Wetland : FEN.

21. Director's headache : HAM.

22. Deli supplies : SLAWS. Are they really "supplies" or just "offerings"?

29. DDE opponent : AES. Adlai Ewing Stevenson.

30. They may be rolled over, briefly : IRAS.

31. Gun lobby org. : NRA. If the NRA rolls over their IRA can they take over IRAN?

32. Barely-there underwear : THONG.

Proof of global warming

35. "Rent-__" : A-COP.

36. "__ Holden": Irving Bacheller novel : EBEN. The book was based in the author's home town of Pierrepont, NY.

40. Solitary : LONE.

41. Alternative to de Gaulle : ORLY.

42. Houston hockey team : AEROS. I don't follow hockey or baseball, so I was thinking "Astro" here.

43. Common Mkt. : EEC. European Economic Community.

44. Actress Falco : EDIE.

45. Hobbit enemy : ORC. Nasty little beasts, they are.

48. Extreme : ULTRA.

51. Bush __ : ERA. Really vague clue that had me scrambling for perps. (Anyone else think "rat"?)

52. Simpson judge : ITO. The (in)famous O.J. Simpson trial.

53. Fury : IRE.

61. "She __ among the untrodden ways": Wordsworth : DWELT. This is one of his "Lucy" poems. No one knows exactly who Lucy was:

     She dwelt among the untrodden ways
            Beside the springs of Dove,
          A Maid whom there were none to praise
            And very few to love:

          A violet by a mossy stone
            Half hidden from the eye!
          --Fair as a star, when only one
            Is shining in the sky.

          She lived unknown, and few could know
            When Lucy ceased to be;                                   
          But she is in her grave, and, oh,
            The difference to me!

62. Begins, as a conversation : STRIKES UP. Or a band.

63. "Ciao!" : SEE YA.

64. Must have : NEED.

65. "Ol' Man River" composer : KERN.


Down:

1. Rough spots : JAMS.

2. Amherst sch. : U-MASS. This was a gimme.

3. Poser : MODEL. Literally, someone who is posing.

4. Start to text? : PRE. Pretext. What a poseur might use.

5. Arm-twisting : DURESS.

6. Takes the stage : IS ON.

7. Stately shader : ELM.

8. Part of CBS: Abbr. : SYS.tem.

9. Valuable violins : STRADS. Stradivarius.

10. Frisbee maker : WHAM-O.

11. Works at an exhibit : ART. The works on the wall, not what the docent does.

12. Champagne word : SEC. French for "dry." Actually, these champagnes are much sweeter than "brut" champagnes.

13. "Clever" : HEH.

15. "Let's hit the road!" : OFF WE GO!

18. Shoddy : CHEAPO. Fun word.

23. "Bates Motel" airer : A AND E. First aired in March of 2013, the TV series is based on the lives of Norman Bates and his mother, of "Psycho" fame.

24. Preserved, in a way : PICKLED.

25. Literary twist : IRONY.

26. Open, as a gate latch : UNBAR.

27. El __ : GRECO. Spanish Renaissance artist.

28. Gump player : HANKS. "Forrest Gump."

32. First president who wasn't elected : TYLER. The tenth president, he assumed the office when Harrison (Tippecanoe) died.

33. Bunk : HOOEY. Another fun word.

34. Gold unit : OUNCE.

35. Some hotel lobbies : ATRIA.

36. Escape on the way down : EJECT.

38. Loving rejection : NO DEAR.  Yes dear. I don't know dear...

39. Dungeons & Dragons role : WARLOCK. Not very nice critters.

44. Listing in a revision, perhaps : ERRATA.

45. Bested : OUTDID.

47. Spare tire : BELLY.

49. Salon job : RINSE.

50. Keyboard contemporary of Vladimir : ARTUR. Rubinstein. Vladimir Horowitz. Just look at those hands! 6:47 (BTW, although he was called ARTUR in his native Polish, he preferred to be known as "Arthur.")

52. Memo header : IN RE.

54. World Cup broadcaster : ESPN.

55. Driller's deg. : DDS. Doctor of Dental Surgery.

56. Postpone paying : OWE.

57. Civil War figure : LEE.

58. Govt.-issued ID : SSN.

59. Absorbed, as a cost : ATE.

60. "A mouse!" : EEK. It just might be what these cats are saying from 0:05 to 0:12.

That wraps it up for this week!
Marti