Sunday September 14, 2014 Matt Skoczen

 Theme:  "You Oughta Be in Pictures" - U is added to each movie.

 23A. Heroic medal whose recipient didn't feel worthy of it? : THE RUED BADGE OF COURAGE. The Red Badge of Courage. 

37A. Formal acknowledgment of the end of the calla season? : A FAREWELL TO ARUMS. A Farewell to Arms.

 

50A. Warnings for Rio sailors? : BUOYS FROM BRAZIL. Boys from Brazil. Unfamiliar to me. Google shows this entry misses "The".

71A. Not a colorful restaurant list? : MENU IN BLACK. Men in Black.

94A. Midnight distress call? : A SHOUT IN THE DARK. A Shot in the Dark.

104A. Clever maneuver by a grade school class? : KINDERGARTEN COUP. Kindergarten Cop.

  

127A. Classy vehicle for actor Elliott? : THE SOLID GOULD CADILLAC. The Solid Gold Cadillac. Elliott Gould.

Very tight and focused theme set, all movies.

Construction-wise, this grid is very demanding, with 115 theme squares (I can handle up to 100). And 6 of the 7 theme entries are pretty long. Often grid-spanning 15's make things easier on a weekday grid, but grid-spanning 21's are nightmares.

    

Across:    

1. Impedes : RETARDS.  Put in ?E???DS, then moved on.

8. Trendy : A LA MODE

15. Break the law, in a way : SPEED. Nice clue.

20. Like some reasoning : A PRIORI. I like everything in the NW corner, except LOTTED (30A. Divided into groups for auction). Not a word I use.

21. In vino __ : VERITAS. In wine, there's truth. Similar to a Chinese saying "Drink in, truth out".

22. Threshold : VERGE

26. Distinguishing quality : TRAIT

27. "Mangia!" : EAT

28. Heavy weight : ONE TON. ONE Dupe with 107D. A hundred bucks : ONE C.

29. Cognac bottle letters : VSOP. Very Special Old Pale or Very Superior Old Pale.

32. Argue : JAW 

34. Rampant : RIFE

36. "And Winter Came..." album maker : ENYA. Guessed.

46. Game with marriage and kids : LIFE. Never played it.

48. Count in music : BASIE. Count Basie.

49. River rat : NUTRIA. This guy probably knows D-Otto's various cats. How many are in your care now, Tom?

56. Hurdles for future attys. : LSATS

57. Justice Dept. arm : ATF

58. Wonder Woman portrayer Carter : LYNDA

59. __ historique: opera genre : FAIT.  Complete stranger.

61. USN officers : LTS. Lieutenants.

62. Jackie's predecessor : MAMIE

64. Bay, say : INLET
 

68. Role for Ingrid : ILSA. "Casablanca".

70. Throat-clearing sound : AHEM

75. Stat for getting people home : RBIs.  Where were you thinking?

 

79. Like D's, gradewise : POOR

81. __ buddy : BOSOM

82. Body __ : IMAGE

83. Shade of blue : SKY
 

86. Capital overlooking the Pacific : LIMA

88. Breeze (through) : COAST

91. Garden tool : HOE

92. Save like mad : HOARD. I don't waste stuff, but I don't hoard either.

100. Many a ski house : A-FRAME

102. Tasteless : TACKY

103. Weary : TIRE

108. Cat in a casa : GATO

112. About, legally : IN RE. I used to be stumped by INRI all the time.

113. South end? : ERN. Southern.

114. Pitcher known as "Tom Terrific" : SEAVER. The only Hall of Famer wearing a Mets cap.

116. Doesn't seed, perhaps : SODS

119. 1998 Masters champion : O'MEARA (Mark). Tiger's old buddy. Good old times. Been to the Masters, Husker Gary/Big Easy/Chairman Moe?

124. NRC forerunner : AEC. Atomic Energy Commission. NRC is Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

126. One of the Allmans : DUANE. Same letter count as GREGG, ex of Cher.

131. Cravat cousin : ASCOT

132. Not on any side : NEUTRAL

133. Folksy TV attorney : MATLOCK. Played by Andy Griffith. I drew a blank.

134. Benefits : BOONS

135. Where some ticket selling is done : IN A CAGE. Oh, this is like how they sell tickets at our state fair.

136. Ancient ascetics : ESSENES. Learned from doing crosswords.

 

Down:

1. Jar : RATTLE

2. Either "You've Got Mail" co-screenwriter : EPHRON. Nora and Delia.

3. Accord : TREATY

4. Carrier that merged with Meridiana in 2013 : AIR ITALY. Got via crosses.

5. Itinerary component : ROUTE

6. Rap Dr. : DRE

7. Team : SIDE

8. Online self-image : AVATAR.  Hi there "Stud Chicken"!

9. Conducted : LED

10. Vessel for Jason : ARGO. Hi there, Charlotte's grandpa! Lucky you, Thai chef girlfriend!

11. Countenance : MIEN. This looks like it should be French for "mine", doesn't it?

12. Native Nebraskan : OTOE

13. Foolish : DAFT

14. Usher : ESCORT

15. "Law & Order: __" : SVU

16. Deliberately misconstrues : PERVERTS. Always use this word as a noun.

17. Big times : ERAS

18. "WARMING! Keep within reach of children" brand : EGGO. Never had Eggo. Jayce, I  saw a box of eggless mooncakes in our Asian store two weeks ago. It's like having salsa without tomatoes.

19. __ South : DEEP

24. Cabo's peninsula : BAJA

25. Cause of kitchen tears : ONION. So, what's your signature dish, Anon-T? You sound like a great cook.

31. 77-year-old duck : DAFFY. He was born in 1937 then.

33. Friday player : WEBB (Jack)

35. Groundbreaking discoveries? : FAULTS. Great clue.

38. Fronded plant : FERN

39. Major conflict : WAR

40. That, in Taxco : ESA

41. Tina's "30 Rock" role : LIZ

42. First name in exploring : LEIF. Son of Eric the Red.

43. Kazakhstan river : URAL

44. Diamond tool : MITT. Baseball diamond.

45. Get wise with : SASS

47. Vacation site : ISLE

50. Ole Miss rival : BAMA

51. Where I-15 and I-80 intersect : UTAH

52. "For the life __ ..." : OF ME

53. Asgard head : ODIN

54. Premier League soccer team, briefly : MANU. Short for Manchester United?

55. Nonclerical : LAIC

60. Sort : ILK

63. Devil : IMP

65. Lending inst. : LIB

66. Bowie's "Berlin Trilogy" collaborator : ENO (Brian). I was unaware of this trivia.

67. "Very funny" TV station : TBS

69. Slot machine's one : ARM

71. Word spoken in mock indignation : MOI

72. Funny Bombeck : ERMA

73. Places : LOCI

74. Main Theban deity : AMON. Quite a few 4-letter Egyptian deities.

76. Island band The __ Men : BAHA. Famous for their "Who Let the Dogs Out?".

77. Composer Stravinsky : IGOR

78. Go for : SEEK

80. "Grumpy" film title characters : OLD MEN

82. Old Roman road : ITER. Nailed it!

83. Often-seen abbr. in English drama : SHAK. I sure need a "Bard" hint.

84. Ex-UN chief Annan : KOFI

85. Tale : YARN

87. Film dog : ASTA

89. Alaskan site of the only WWII battle on U.S. soil : ATTU. No idea. See here. 

90. Sends, in a way : SHIPS

93. Minnesota-based hotel chain : RADISSON. Yay! For me.

95. Laughing sound : HAR

96. Birth mo. for some Scorpios : OCT

97. Island strings : UKE

98. Actress Daly : TYNE

99. President with an airport named for him : DE GAULLE. Did not expect a French president.

101. Flynn of film : ERROL

105. Sign of spring : GEMINI

106. Rocking place : CRADLE

109. Toyota model : AVALON

110. Bridge holding : TENACE. I can never remember this word, Spitzboov!

111. Hoover rivals : ORECKS 

115. Fixes a column, say : EDITS

116. Try : STAB

117. Very : OH SO

118. Like San Francisco's Coit Tower : DECO. Pretty in the evening.

120. Paradise : EDEN

121. South-of-the-border water : AGUA

122. Univ. military program : ROTC

123. Ghostly glow : AURA

125. Occurred : CAME

128. 5-min. NHL periods : OTs

129. Fall behind : LAG

130. "Law & Order" figs. : DAs

 

C.C. 

Saturday, Sep 13th, 2014, Barry C. Silk

Theme: Saturday Silkie~!

Words: 70 (missing J,K)

Blocks: 30

   I felt pretty confident when I started this Silkie, and I am happy to say, I did not disappoint myself.  VALE at 18a. was my first fill, but I hit quite a few of the Downs with only a letter or two in place.  Just one complete write-over, and I got my "Ta-DA~!" on a total WAG.  Triple 10-letter corners, though the downs are set inside by one column today.  Two 8s and two 9s wrap up the long answers;

1. Auto discontinued in 1974 and relaunched in 2004 : PONTIAC GTO - I did not know this was coming back for 2014 - at least we get more than just "GTO" in the answer

37a. Range-finding apparatus : TELEMETER - I did not know this, either; in fact, never heard the word before

13. '80s West Coast stereotype : VALLEY GIRL - "ehmegawd, like, totally, I mean was this, um, puzzle like to the max, or did it barf you out~!?"

28. 1988 Radio Hall of Fame inductee, with "The" : LONE RANGER - I have started watching my "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century" box set; man is the acting hard on the eyes - and to think I ate this up as a teenager

onwaRd

ACROSS:

11. Short reply : RSVP

15. One pushing the limit : SPEED DEMON

16. Space-saving term : ET AL.

17. Words of resignation : "IT'S TOO LATE" - it's never too late....for ice cream~!

18. Low area : VALE

19. Bygone boomers : SSTs

20. __ curls : BICEP

21. Touring the Getty Center Museum, briefly : IN L.A. - I've since come to recognize this style of clue as meaning "in -- " some abbreviated city

22. Arthur with a Tony : BEA

23. Order with many options : OMELET - I like mine on a bacon burger

25. Stain causes : SPILLS

29. "Follow me" : "THIS WAY"

31. "... but perhaps I'm mistaken" : "...OR NOT"

32. Weather station instrument : RAIN GAUGE

34. Spotted : SEEN

35. Sign of availability : TO LET

36. Filling limit : BRIM

39. Warn : ALERT

40. Reproduces, in a way : XEROXES - nice fill; XEROX was in another Saturday puzzle not too long ago

41. Puffs up : SWELLS

42. Explorer who landed at Calicut in 1498 : Da GAMA

43. Old platters : LPs

44. Saudi Arabia neighbor : OMAN

45. Thai appetizer : SATAY - never heard of it; my 'other' buddy Mike suggested we go get Chinese last Friday; instead he took me to a Japanese restaurant - I tried Kani salad, and it was great ( WAGed the "T")

48. Style involving a pick : AFRO

52. Annex : WING - I can never remember this "other" word for "ELL"

53. Impasse : BLIND ALLEY

55. Suffix with exist : ENCE - existENCE

56. Decisive factor : BOTTOM LINE

57. Suggestive look : LEER

58. One asking a lot of questions : QUIZ MASTER

DOWN:
       
1. Frat letters : PSIs

2. Accepts, with "in" : OPTS

3. Spot for a snake : NEST - I once had a Ball Python; ate live mice - such a trip to watch the litte fellow as it scurried about in the snake's nest, and then - BAM~!

4. Eastern holidays : TETs

5. Binding agreement : I DO - I was told Thursday repeatedly by several older women that I was charming, vulnerable, and good-looking; one went so far as to say I'd be married in a year - we will see....there's not even a girlfriend right now

6. Some brick houses : ADOBEs - very big bricks, in some cases

7. "As You Like It" character : CELIA - A little Wiki for those interested

8. Ally Financial Inc., formerly : GMAC - From the financial bailout of 2008; more Wiki

9. Schlep : TOTE

10. Heart, in hearts : ONE POINT

11. Like some umps' calls : REVIEWABLE - I did not know they reviewed calls in baseball now; I know they review any questionable goal in hockey - in Toronto

12. 1961 recipient of an Honorary Award Oscar : STAN LAUREL

14. Fold : PLEAT - like this~? ( hey, I toned it down....)

22. Deli selection : BLT

24. No __: menu notice : MSG

25. __ ped.: piano music instruction : SOST - sostenuto, "sustained"; the middle pedal of a grand piano

26. Go over beforehand : PRE-EXAMINE

27. Lack of refinement : INELEGANCE

29. Lore : TALES

30. Yesterday, in Paris : HIER - meh, Frawnche

32. Mechanical method : ROTE

33. Init. response team : EMTs

35. Some slow-cooked cuisine, for short : TEXAS BBQ - more good fill

38. Hockey __ : MOM - because "TISSUE" did not fit; anyone care to guess at what a hockey tissue is?

39. Nursery reactions : AWs...

41. World of bugs and plants? : SPYDOM - nailed it with just the "Y" in place

42. Wooden peg : DOWEL -that it is

43. Woody Woodpecker's creator : LANTZ - Walter

46. Jesus of baseball : ALOU

47. Long-tailed monkey : TITI - "Awww...." - hey, this picture led me to some interesting reading on dating

48. "__ well ..." : ALL'S

49. Pass quickly : FLIT

50. Artist Magritte : RENÉ - I think this one's my favorite

51. Open hearing, in law : OYER

54. Chicago-based professional org. : AMA

Splynter

Friday, September 12, 2014, Jeff Stillman

Theme: Define this...how to build a puzzle.

A return to a variation of the definition puzzle, where one phrase is used as the clue for all theme answers and evokes varied fill but a punny second half is added to each clue to get the same fill but with different meaning. Each fill is a two word description of work on a house which might be on a blueprint, as well as a phrase clued with wit.  The really challenging part of the theme is the resulting different meanings of the words in the fill. I will let Splynter, our resident builder, discuss the various work involved in each construction creation. Once again, beyond the entertaining theme, the fill is mostly 3,4 or 5 letter words, leaving a non-Friday feel to the puzzle. We do have NEGATED,  PARAGON,  STIRRED, DES MOINES,  SERENADER to ponder on and much fun misdirection to ratchet the difficulty to a Friday level, so let us see what you all think of the latest from Jeff, adding to my string of Jeff(rey) puzzles to blog. JS has been appearing every month this summer. Very music intensive day, I hope there is something for everyone.

17A. Blueprint spec ... or, allowable hours for hound sounds? : BAY WINDOWS (10). The window of opportunity for the doggies to howl at the moon. 

24A. Blueprint spec ... or, job fit for a king's silversmith? : CROWN MOLDING (12). Molding a crown from silver is very different from the work of a mill worker.

48A. Blueprint spec ... or a '60s-'70s rock group conceding a poker hand? : FOLDING DOORS (12). We introduce the ill fated musicians who give up their hands in a card game, becoming a fancy way in and out.

58A. Blueprint spec ... or an MGM heartthrob's cousin from the Netherlands? : DUTCH GABLE (10). Poor Clark probably did not have any cousins in Amsterdam.

Across:

1. Short pants? : GASPS. I like a Friday starting with misdirection as long as it is not too obscure. This one popped immediately for me.

6. Boston or Chicago : BAND. Sure CITY may fit, but it is Friday; which do you like better?
BOSTON. (4:18)      CHICAGO. (7:24).

10. Sound of relief : PHEW. Finally, a direct clue.

14. Mendelssohn's Opus 20, e.g. : OCTET. This was written when he was 16! Be warned this is a 35 minute concert.

15. One-on-one sport : EPEE. Is Epee the sport or an event of the sport of fencing?

16. Con artist, for one : LIAR. Whatever happened to Jim Carrey and his career?

19. Naysayer : ANTI.

20. LeBron's Miami uniform number : SIX. This was how many championships he promised the city.

21. Mr. __!: old whodunit game : REE. I never played this one, only Clue,  but the name of this one is fun. LINK.

22. Initial : MAIDEN. Tricky, but fair; we had a Maiden solo publication this week for constructor Steve, so awesome. My favorite MAIDEN. 4:22.

27. The __, Netherlands : HAGUE. I just drafted a contract with a provision for dispute resolution by this BODY.

30. Regular TV show : SERIES.

31. Bestows : AWARDS.

33. __ splicing : GENE. Wire fits also.

34. "Top Gear" airer : BBC. British Broadcasting Corporation.

37. Gets ready for lunch, maybe : ZAPS. Ah, the handy microwave. My Thai friend calls it the 'wave.'

38. Scrub : ERASE. This was not an easy one for me, I needed perps to see where it was going.

40. "__ We Are": Estefan hit : HERE.

41. Look over : EYE.

42. "How now? __?": Hamlet, before mistakenly slaying Polonius : A RAT.

43. __ column : SPINAL. Doric and Ionic and Corinthian did not work.

45. Used a plane on : EVENED. Smoothed?

47. Useful quality : ASSET.

52. Tater Tots maker : ORE-IDA. Last week it was the ONEIDA tribe; you can see the choices constructors must make.

53. __ fault : TO A. A partial?

54. Words of agreement : I AM. A partial?

57. Improvisational style : SCAT. Listen to one of the BEST.(3:54).

62. Manuscript encl. : SASE. Self Addressed Stamped Envelope.

63. Shell competitor : ESSO. Standard Oil, now I remember.

64. Soul singer Adams : OLETA. More MUSIC. (3:53).

65. Begun: Abbr. : ESTD. Established.

66. Study, say : ROOM. The noun, not the verb.

67. Name on a Yorba Linda library : NIXON. Some HISTORY. I am looking forward to the PBS series about the Roosevelts.

Down:

1. Slew : GOBS. We are not killing, but have lots of them.

2. Berry rich in antioxidants : ACAI. They have gobs of anti-oxidants.

3. "Come Sail Away" band : STYX.

4. Service station? : PEW. Alliteration and misdirection, what makes Fridays so much fun.

5. Inflamed : STIRRED. 50 shades of grey? Gaga's current hair color?

6. Moistens, in a way : BEDEWS. Sounds like a word from a romance novel.

7. GI's mail drop : APO. Army Post Office.

8. Unfamiliar : NEW.

9. "State Fair" setting : DES MOINES. Filmed at least 4 times, this is from 1962. (1:33).

10. Crisscross patterns : PLAIDS.

11. Rajah's tongue : HINDI.

12. Downed : EATEN. Hmm, mine are more often drunk.

13. Twist and compress : WRING.

18. Revival prefix : NEO.

23. Sheltered, nautically : ALEE.

24. Contemptible ones : CURS. Good alliteration, but why?

25. Ruled out : NEGATED.

26. GI chow : MRES. Meals Ready to Eat. Another non-existent plural.

27. Cloud : HAZE. Makes sense if you think of your brain.

28. Out of town : AWAY.

29. Yawn : GAPE.

32. One who might play under a balcony : SERENADER. Romeo, wherefore art thou?

34. Uncle __ : BEN'S. I used to use their 90 second jasmine rice all the time.

35. "Up hill, down __ ...": Burns : BRAE. Not familiar with the POEM.

36. Bird was one, briefly : CELT. The briefly here is especially tricky because it suggests an abbreviation, and Larry was a Celtic fro many years.

39. Took its toll? : RANG. Last week knelled, this week tolled. Fun Friday cluing.

40. Kettle emission : HISS.

42. Ardent : AVID.

44. Ideal : PARAGON. Of virtue, of course.

45. Ready to be printed : EDITED.

46. Many a late '90s startup : DOT COM.

48. "Pippin" Tony winner : FOSSE. SING and DANCE. (7:26)

49. Ocean predators : ORCAS.

50. Numerical extreme : LEAST.

51. Circus sound : OOH.Ahh, I guessed correctly.

54. Goat with Iberian and Siberian species : IBEX.

55. Like some saxes : ALTO. Battle of the SAXES? (3:54).

56. Inconsequential : MEAN. Not familiar with that meaning of mean. I know it can signify cheap...

59. GI show gp. : USO. United Service Organizations Inc.

60. General on a takeout menu : TSO.

61. Will Smith title role : ALI. Muhammad Ali. Fine movie, interesting man. Ali appeared in a puzzle Jeff did last year where I AM was part of the theme.

Well, here we are again, finished with another Friday work out.  A nice tight theme and some expert cluing left me happy, now if I could only sing. I guess I am music intensive because, if you are in Denver tonight you can hear my son sing at Tennyson's Tap with the band Hangman's Hymnal. Lemonade out, but first- once again great job Steve.

Note from C.C.:

Happy Birthday to our Steve, who's traveling on the road. Might be in Dearborn now. When was this photo taken, Steve? Did Herbalife sponsor your run or something?

Thursday, September 11, 2014 Steve Marron

Theme: "To the Point"

18-Across. Zero degrees Celsius, for water : FREEZING. We'll be freezing soon enough (see 50- and 51-Down!)

22-Across. Capacity limit : SATURATION. OK, I get it, but shouldn't there be something else?

52-Across. Moment of change : TRANSITION. This works alone, too, but...

58-Across. Sensitive spot : PRESSURE. OK, this one really needs to get to the point!!

38-Across. Not getting it, and, in a different way, what 18-, 22-, 52- and 58-Across are : MISSING THE POINT. Oh, I GET IT!!  Wonderful reveal, and elegant theme, when it's all put together.

So we have FREEZING [point], SATURATION [point], TRANSITION [point] and PRESSURE [point]. Ahhh, much better!

HaHa, I get to blog our Wednesday Sherpa Steve's debut solo puzzle. His first was a collaboration with C.C. just last month. Well done, Steve!  And a credit to C.C.'s caring guidance and enthusiasm for crossword puzzles and puzzlers, how many people on this blog are constructors! Let's see what other fun Steve has for us today.


Across

1. Wildlife photographs may be a memento of one : SAFARI...sa-goodie.

7. Visit Overstock.com, say : SHOP.

11. It's near Miss. : ALA. Cute clue. Yours, Steve?

14. Reebok rival : ADIDAS.

15. Piece of glass : PANE. (In the A**?)

16. "Collages" novelist : NIN. Anais. Absolutely nailed it - it's about the statues in Vienna, Austria.

17. Triangular chip : DORITO.

Yes, indeed.

20. Go out with : SEE.

21. Synthetic rubber, for one : POLYMER.

27. Turn down : DENY.

28. Bathroom fixtures : TUBS.

29. Airline seat pocket item, briefly : MAG.azine (not "wheel.")

30. Word with ball or cup : EYE.

32. Molar mender's org. : ADA. American Dental Association. But also, American Diabetes Association, American Dietetic Association, adenosine deaminase, Americans for Democratic Action...

33. University of Nevada city : RENO.

34. Pinnacles : ACMES.

42. Pound and Poe : POETS. I like how POETS contains "Poe."

43. Bounders : CADS.

44. Santa __, California : ANA. Barbara, Clara, Cruz, Clarita, Fe Springs, Maria, Monica, Paula and Rosa were all too long!

45. Attorney's thing : RES. Lemony, what's your "thing"?

47. I-5, for one : HWY. It runs north from Mexico to Canada.

48. Salt Lake City Winter Olympics year : MMII. 2002.

49. Abbey recess : APSE. Not to be confused with Benedictine monks taking a refreshing break.

55. Viruses, worms, etc. : MALWARE.

57. Bk. after Ezra : NEH.emiah.

60. Be unable to stand : DETEST. Because "drunk" was too short...

63. Squeeze (out) : EKE.

64. Govt. agent : T-MAN. Treasury-man.

65. Like most wedding cakes : ORNATE.

66. Who __ Nation: New Orleans Saints fans : DAT. The phrase "Who Dat" originated in minstrel shows!

67. Exists no more : ISN'T.

68. Said : STATED.


Down

1. In a funk : SAD.

2. Stir : ADO.

3. Diamond corner : FIRST BASE.

4. Parting words : ADIEUS.

5. Olympic judge, e.g. : RATER.

6. Equi- kin : ISO. Is an equi-lateral triangle the same as an iso-sceles one? (I didn't think so)  ;-)

7. Beach lotion letters : SPF. Sun Protection Factor. As I have said in the past, I don't think the "sun" needs protecting, but the "skin" does!!

8. Horn honker of classic comedy : HARPO. Marx.

9. Score that often requires overtime : ONE-ONE.

10. Spa treatment : PEEL.

11. Cartoon genre : ANIME.

Like this.

12. Hotel housekeeping supply : LINEN.

13. Fuming : ANGRY.

19. Louisiana music style : ZYDECO. Love the music! Can any of you dance like this? 3:17

22. Forever __ : STAMP. Hands up for wanting "yours"?

23. TV feed component : AUDIO. or "video"??? (Wait for perp help!)

24. Hymn ender : AMEN.

25. Cranberry quality : TANG. One of my cats has urinary tract issues. I feed her a cranberry tablet every morning, and she just gobbles it up. Maybe she likes the "tang"???

26. Practical joker's cry : I GOTCHA.

31. Kennel sounds : YAPS. I wanted "yips," but 34-A had to be ACMES. ("There is no ' I ' in ACME!")

33. Opposite of set : RISE.

35. American Airlines Arena team : MIAMI HEAT.

36. Film composer Morricone : ENNIO. We've had him before, but I still needed all perps to remember his name!

37. Carpet blemish : STAIN. With three cats, I don't even want to go there with you...

39. Scatters, as petals : STREWS. I envisioned a cute little flower girl, but NOT like this!! 1:14

40. "Private Benjamin" star : HAWN. Goldie.

41. Nestlé ice cream brand : EDYS.

46. Plays chords, in a way : STRUMS.

48. Medit. hot spot : MT. ETNA.

49. Unlike rock bands on MTV's "Unplugged" : AMPED. I like this "REM" unplugged version. 4:45

50. Insulated jacket : PARKA. Ooohhh, it's too soon to be thinking of those!

51. Winter fall : SLEET. NOOOOOOOOooooooooohhhhh!!! WAY too soon.

53. Aired again : RERAN.

54. Not reactive : INERT.

56. Wine from Italy : ASTI.

59. Otitis-treating MD : ENT. Ear-Nose-and-Throat specialist. Otitis is inflammation of the ear.

60. Uno y uno : DOS. 1 + 1 = 2 in Spanish. (Funny...it adds up to the same thing in English!)

61. Law firm office, perhaps: Abbr. : STE. Suite. Sweet!

62. Journalist Koppel : TED. I used to love him on "Nightline." Which reminds me, time to say night-night!

Marti, over and out.

Notes from C.C.:

1) I'll echo What Marti said earlier Steve: "Well done!". I'm so incredibly proud of what you accomplished in such a short period of time.

2) Happy Birthday to Husker Gary! Shortly before we met, Gary and I exchanged over 40 emails in one morning, just to get the blog format correct. His attention to detail and "never quit" spirit is inspiring.

Left to Right: Boomer, Gary, CC & Joann

August 22, 2014

Wednesday, September 10th 2014 C.C.Burnikel

Theme: Riotous Assembly - the word "FUNNY" can prefix the first word of each theme answer giving a new phrase.

17A. Par, for stock : FACE VALUE. Funny Face. Most gargoyles don't look particularly funny - this one is pretty cute though.

25A. Delicate tableware : BONE CHINA. Funny Bone. I haven't banged mine for quite some time - it seemed as a kid I was always doing it

39A. Same old same old : BUSINESS AS USUAL. Funny Business

51A. Special effects scene in a summer blockbuster, say : MONEY SHOT. Funny Money. I read recently that they had to re-shoot the "blowing the bridge" scene from "Bridge on the River Kwai" because a cameraman couldn't get out of the way of the train in time. I'm guessing that they managed to "CUT!" before they hit the detonator.

64A. Slogan for TV channel TBS, and a hint to the first word of 17-, 25-, 39- and 51-Across : VERY FUNNY. I have it, but never watch it.

A C.C. Wednesday, so here's a great middle of the week. Tight theme and always great fill and a couple of long downs. I've got a minor snit about the cluing of 39A but I'll leave that to the comments. A couple of unknowns for me, but that's what solid crosses are for and what she does so well. Let's see what else we've got.

Across:

1. City with a Viking Ship Museum : OSLO. This should get you off to a good start.

5. Booking agents? : COPS. Nice!

9. Boardroom graphic : CHART. Could a bakery menu be called a pie chart?

14. Goof up : FLUB

15. Cheerful tune : LILT

16. "Thus with a kiss I die" speaker : ROMEO

19. "No thanks" : I PASS

20. Spend an evening at home : STAY IN. And listening to Stayin' Alive, per the Bee Gees.

21. Spam holders : TINS. Not email inboxes?

23. Minor facial spasm, say : TIC

24. Wanna-__: poseurs : BES

27. Friendly : CORDIAL

30. Rival of Peyton : TOM. I put "TIM" first, and was wondering how Mr. Tebow could be descibed a rival of Peyton Manning, then sanity prevailed and I realized we were looking for Tom Brady, of the New England Patriots.

31. A, in Assisi : UNA. Italian, and a gimme for Marti.

32. Best : ONE-UP

35. Workplace protection agcy. : OSHA

43. Craigslist caveat : AS IS. Probably means it's all banged up or it doesn't work. My favorite CL ad is here - mild profanity warning.

44. University of Alabama head coach Nick : SABAN. Famously buttoned-up. Once described as "..rolling into the house wearing Armani and looking like he'd been dipped in lip-gloss" during one visit to the home of a prospect.

45. Tear : RIP

46. Some commuter lines : ELS

49. Web designers : SPIDERS

56. Silent __: Coolidge nickname : CAL. I typo'd "CAT" on the run across and had to fix it when I ran into 36D. No harm, no foul. "Cat" Coolidge though? I wonder if he played the sax.

57. Year in Mexico : ANO

58. Bring in : REAP

59. Many a marathon winner since the '90s : KENYAN. You're not kidding - in the 25 times the Men's Boston Marathon has been run since 1990, a Kenyan has won it 19 times.

62. Talmud scholar : RABBI

66. Pastel shade : LILAC

67. Word-of-mouth : ORAL

68. Beethoven's birth city : BONN

69. Spheres : AREAS

70. Pound enclosure : CAGE. Oh - Dog Pound! [penny drops]

71. Online crafts store : ETSY. Didn't have a clue on this one - crosses to the rescue.

Down:

1. Does in : OFFS

2. Blind piece : SLAT. As in Venetian blinds.

3. "The Godfather" hatchet man : LUCA BRASI. Victim of being OFFED. He ended up "sleeping with the fishes".

4. Did as directed : OBEYED

5. Tartan-wearing group : CLAN. Men in plaid skirts can be pretty scary.

6. Canola __ : OIL

7. Demoted planet : PLUTO. The demotion seemed a shame. It's not like it had been doing anything differently since it was discovered, just orbiting the sun once every now and then and whistling "Dixie".

8. Stout holder : STEIN

9. Shortening brand since 1911 : CRISCO

10. Short flight : HOP

11. Vintage violin : AMATI. Let's listen to one.

12. Pine secretion : RESIN

13. Puccini classic : TOSCA. More Puccini to come shortly.

18. Asset of successful entrepreneurs : VISION

22. Monarch catcher : NET

25. Hallow : BLESS. Interesting - I knew the term "hallowed ground" but it never crossed my mind that there was a verb form. Nice learning moment.

26. Med. plan choices : HMOS. Heath Maintenance Organizations. Like you didn't know.

27. Largest Caribbean island : CUBA

28. Burden : ONUS

29. "Wheel of Fortune" request : AN 'E'

33. Solheim Cup team : USA. The women's biennial golf challenge tournament between the USA and Europe. The men's version, the Ryder Cup, begins on September 23rd.

34. Brew brand with a ribbon logo : PABST

36. Formal "Uh-uh!" : SURELY NOT. I like that finally I know "Uh-Huh!" means "Of course, you knucklehead" and "Uh-uh" means "Are you kidding me?" Tough language to learn, this 'Murican.

37. Kojak's lack : HAIR

38. Lake Geneva backdrop : ALPS

40. ''Got it" : I SEE

41. Gullible one : SAP

42. Intl. relief agency since 1946 : UNICEF. An acronym from the original name - United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund. A number of soccer teams around the world, notably F.C. Barcelona in Spain have a "reverse sponsorship" agreement with the agency where the club donates 1.5M Euros annually to display the Unicef logo on their shirts.

Lionel Messi, Unicef Global Goodwill Ambassador

47. Karaoke machine display : LYRICS

48. Spokane-to-Boise dir. : SSE

50. Vienna's river : DANUBE

51. "A League of Their Own" infielder __ Hooch : MARLA. Did not know. Thank you, crosses!

52. Studio alert : ON AIR

53. Duke or earl : NOBLE

54. Utter chaos : HAVOC. Cry "Havoc" and let loose the dogs of war!" Shakespeare had a way with words, you have to admit.

55. Puccini work : OPERA. Two Puccini's today.

59. Stan's pal on "South Park" : KYLE. You pretty much either love this show or hate it. I'm in the former camp.

60. Landers and Richards : ANNS

61. Part of a SoHo address : NY NY. Unless you're in London, then it would be "City of Westminster, W1". Doesn't fit too well into a crossword grid though.

63. Petting zoo cry : BAA. Not "Ouch" when you get bitten by the goat?

65. Dust collector : RAG. Home exercise bikes and treadmills also fall into this category.

That's it from me - I'm hitting the road this week for a couple of quick trips - Las Vegas and Dearborn, MI. Try to keep safe in the weird weather.

Steve

Tuesday, September 9, 2014 Michael Dewey

Theme: Who let you in? - Unwanted groups.

20A. Uninvited guests : PARTY CRASHERS

27A. Gold rush bad guys : CLAIM JUMPERS

49A. Thieves in the tombs of the pharaohs, say : GRAVE ROBBERS

58A. Early arcade game with pixelated aliens, and, in a way, what 20-, 27- and 49-Across all are : SPACE INVADERS

Argyle here. Just a Q short of a pangram. Everything worked out nicely; no strain to get words to pffft. A little step up from Monday.

Across:

1. Rhubarb desserts : PIES

5. Blue cartoon critter : SMURF

10. Spoiled one : BRAT

14. Mount of Greek myth : OSSA. A real mountain.

15. Old Testament prophet : HOSEA

16. Move like slime : OOZE

17. St. Bernard's bark : [WOOF!]

18. German WWII threat : U-BOAT. The submarine one.

19. Cowboy boot attachment : SPUR

23. '70s-'80s Olympic skier Phil : MAHRE. Remember?

25. Suffix with glob : ULE

26. "Just as I predicted!" : "SEE!"

32. Irish dance : JIG

33. Right triangle ratio : SINE

34. Minor quarrels : TIFFS

38. Egg cell : OVUM

40. "May the __ be with you" : FORCE

43. Fizzy drink : COLA

44. Hemmed in : BESET

46. Pop's Lady __ : GAGA

48. Flashlight output : RAY

53. Immigrant's subj. : ESL. (English as a Second Language)

56. Miss Teen __ : USA

57. "John Brown's Body" poet : BENÉT. Stephen Vincent Benét

63. 1974 Peace Nobelist from Japan : SATŌ. Eisaku Satō was the 39th Prime Minister of Japan and shared the Nobel Peace Prize with Seán MacBride in 1974.

 64. Hersey's bell town : ADANO

65. Athletic equipment giant that sponsors golfer Rory McIlroy : NIKE

68. This, in Tijuana : ESTO

69. Twangy : NASAL

70. Like summer tea : ICED

71. Marvel Comics mutants : X-MEN

72. Succumbed to the sandman : SLEPT

73. Jacob's twin : ESAU

Down:

1. "Wham!" : "POW!"

2. Prefix with metric : ISO

3. Gullet : ESOPHAGUS. Whoa! Not a common word for any day of the week(but common enough for TV ads).

4. Jungle journey : SAFARI

5. Boarded up : SHUT

6. "__-Dick" : MOBY

7. Biennial games org. : USOC. (United States Olympic Committee)

8. Rise on hind legs, as a horse : REAR UP

9. Femme __ : FATALE

10. "Fiddlesticks!" : "BOSH!"

11. What rookies are shown, with "the" : ROPES

12. Sky shade : AZURE

13. To the point : TERSE

21. Radiation measures : REMS. Straight from the NRC Library, meaning.

22. Rockefeller Center muralist José María : SERT

23. Low-paying employment, slangily : McJOB

24. Partner of kicking : ALIVE

28. Peter Pan rival : JIF. Peanut butter.(#1 brand Jif)

29. Numero __ : UNO

30. Road sign with a double-tailed arrow : MERGE

31. Attack command word : SIC

35. "CSI" science : FORENSICS

36. Distress signal : FLARE

37. Speak, biblical-style : SAY'ST. "Than ours, a friend to man, to whom thou say'st, "Beauty is truth, truth beauty, — that is all." - Ode on a Grecian Urn - John Keats

39. Ryan of "When Harry Met Sally..." : MEG

41. Bronco or Mustang : CAR

42. Self-regard : EGO

45. Factual : TRUE

47. French cleric : ABBÉ

50. Chinese and Thai, e.g. : ASIANS

51. Property destroyer : VANDAL

52. Elton John collaborator Taupin : BERNIE

53. County near London : ESSEX

54. Twitch : SPASM

55. Drink with steamed milk : LATTE

59. Maine __ cat : COON. Aww!

60. Flower holder : VASE

61. Take __: doze : A NAP

62. Simpleton : DOLT

66. Hawaii's Mauna __ : KEA

67. College URL ending : .EDU

Argyle

Monday, September 8, 2014 Brock Wilson

Theme: Desktop Adjunct - Multifunctional device that goes with a computer.

18A. Dodger pitcher with three 1960s Cy Young Awards : SANDY KOUFAX

31A. Friar from Assisi : FRANCISCAN. Friar Alessandro, the "Singing Monk" of Assisi.

41A. Short exercise dash : WIND SPRINT. Usually sprint to a point and sprint back; repeat.

56A. X-ray imaging technique : FLUOROSCOPY. FDA rap on the subject. LINK

46D. With 57-Down, multifunctional office machine suggested by this puzzle's circles : ALL-IN-. 57D. See 46-Down : ONE. I'm happy with my Brothers.

Argyle here with a debut constructor, I believe. Well done; a touch more difficult than our usual fare but fair none-the-less. The circles weren't necessary to solve it.

Across:

1. In addition : AND

4. Infielder's statistic : ASSIST

10. Mop for a deck : SWAB

14. "The Tell-Tale Heart" author : POE, Edgar Allan.

15. Casual slacks : CHINOS. Out of favor? Chinos vs Khakis

16. __ San Lucas: Baja resort : CABO

17. Frying pan spray : PAM

20. Compare prices : SHOP

22. Classic autos : REOs

23. Very overweight : OBESE

24. Blokes : CHAPS

26. Replacements for flat tires : SPARES

27. Prison sentence shortener : PAROLE

29. Restful resorts : SPAs

33. "Over here!" : "PSST!"

37. Honors with a fancy party : FETES

38. National Gallery architect I.M. __ : PEI

39. Second film in a 2000s horror franchise : SAW II

40. Soviet news source : TASS. Launched December 30, 1902.

43. Charge per day, e.g. : RATE

44. Mall booths : KIOSKS

45. Late-night pioneer Johnny : CARSON

49. Tight spots : BINDS

50. Hilo howdy : ALOHA

51. 50-and-over org. : AARP

53. Sign of sleepiness : YAWN

59. Zodiac lion : LEO

60. "Put up your dukes" duke : FIST. I thought of Bert Lahr first.

61. Cut while shaving : NICKED

62. Faux __: blunder : PAS. "My bad"

63. Middle-earth creatures : ENTs. The good tree people.

64. Diners : EATERS. Never heard it used for the building but for those inside, ok.

65. Cloud locale : SKY

Down:

1. iPhone add-ons : APPs. 21D. Text messaging devices : PHONES

2. Ark captain : NOAH

3. Blue-staters : DEMOCRATS

4. Cooling units, briefly : ACs. Only need them for a few more days in the NorthEast.

5. Wrinkly Chinese dog : SHAR PEI. Aww!

6. Trig ratios : SINES

7. Prefix with European : INDO

8. Versatile beans : SOYS

9. Cluck of reproach : TSK

10. __ diver : SCUBA

11. Communion bread : WAFER

12. Degrade : ABASE

13. They're stacked in moving vans : BOXES

19. "How clumsy of me!" : "OOPS!"

25. Oct. contest whose winner goes to the World Series : ALCS. (American League Championship Series)

26. __ Diego : SAN

27. Dying-out sound : [PFFT!]

28. Region : AREA

29. Heated argument in public, say : SCENE

30. Settled up : PAID

32. Rotating cooking rod : SPIT. What's cooking?

33. Make fun of : PARODY

34. Region including the Matterhorn : SWISS ALPS

35. Kitchen fixture : SINK

36. Little songbirds : TITs

39. Rotate like a top : SPIN but not like a spit.

41. Pale : WAN

42. Ship's captain : SKIPPER

43. Waterfall sound : ROAR

45. Luigi's drink with latte : CAFFÈ

47. Yank out of bed : ROUST

48. Flu season precautions : SHOTS. The next round will be here soon.

49. Penniless : BROKE

51. India's continent : ASIA

52. Bank holding: Abbr. : ACCT.

54. Frail from the flu, say : WEAK

55. Minding business that's not your own : NOSY

58. NFL gains : YDs. (yards)

Argyle