Wednesday, September 17, 2014 Gareth Bain

Theme: COCONUT - what else?  The first word of each two-word theme answer relates to something derived from the fruit - which botanically is a drupe, not a nut - of the COCONUT tree, cocos nucifera.

Source

 16. *Butcher's appliance : MEAT GRINDER.   A device used make big chunks into small chunks for burgers and sausages.  COCONUT MEAT  is the rich white lining that is contained within the shell of a coconut.

 24. *Prankster's balloon : WATER BOMB.  You can get your friends as mad as wet hens.  Here are instruction for making one out of paper.  COCONUT WATER is the clear liquid inside young, green coconuts.  It has been marketed as a natural energy drink.

50. *Allowance for the cafeteria : MILK MONEY.  Literally, money to be spent on MILK, or figuratively for the entire lunch.  COCONUT MILK is a rich, high fat liquid extracted from grated COCONUT MEAT.

 57. *Monet work : OIL PAINTING.  Made with oil based rather than water based paints.

Twilight Venice

COCONUT OIL, derived from dried COCONUT MEAT is used as a cooking oil and flavoring in South-east Asian cooking, and in beauty products. 

And the unifier -- 36. Fruit that can be the source of the starts of the answers to starred clues : COCONUT.  So many uses for this versatile, healthful and nutritious tropical fruit.

Source

Hi gang, JzB here, once again united with Gareth on a Wednesday.  Seems like old times. Let's see what he has in store for us.

Across

1. Expensive : HIGH.  Priced

5. GUM rival : ORAL-B.  Oral care products.   News to me. 

10. Conference with UVA and UNC : ACC.  The Universities of Virginia and North Carolina are in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

13. Guthrie at Woodstock : ARLO.  Woody's Boy

14. "__ Unchained": 2012 Tarantino film : DJANGO.  From IMDB:  "With the help of a German bounty hunter, a freed slave sets out to rescue his wife from a brutal Mississippi plantation owner." 

15. Arctic explorer John : RAE.  He roamed all over the far northern reaches of Canada.  Interesting fellow.

18. Not just some : ALL.  Every one, without exception.

19. Square peg, socially speaking : DWEEB.  Misfit. Sheldon Cooper is the prototype.

20. Sharp-eyed hunter : EAGLE.  Raptor

22. Time for fools? : APRIL.  Only for a day

28. Ride the wind : SOAR.  Like an EAGLE.

29. Lip applications : BALMS.  To protect and to sooth.

30. Persons : ONES.  Are you one of the ones who got this right away?

31. Ready to be driven : IN GEAR.  Cars and trucks.

33. "Cagney and __": '80s cop show : LACEY.  This show, starring Sharon Gless as Christine Cagney and Tyne Daly as Mary Beth LACEY, ran from 1982-1988.

35. Newspaper filler : ADS.  Revenue sources, too.

38. "No more details, please!" : TMI. Too Much Information.

41. "Right?!" : I KNOW.  Yeah, right.

42. Ruined, as hopes : DASHED.

44. Picture on a screen : ICON.  On your computer, phone or tablet.

47. Fast food package deal : COMBO.  Have it their way, for a special price.

49. Sock part : HEEL.  The part of the sock that covers the same part of the foot.

52. "A Change Is Gonna Come" singer/songwriter Sam : COOKE.  I remember Sam, but not this song.  What a voice.

53. Catch on the range : LASSO.  Capture with a looped rope.

54. Time to attack : H-HOUR.  I've heard of D-Day, but not H-HOUR.  What about M-Minute? 

56. Bass brew : ALE.  Nothing fishy about it.

Source

 63. Pewter component : TIN.  An alloy of 85-99% TIN with copper, antimony, bismuth or lead.  But maybe the previous entry is for our TIN man.

Down

1. Amateur radio operator : HAM.  Per Wikipedia:  "The term 'ham radio' was first a pejorative that mocked amateur radio operators with a 19th-century term for being bad at something, like 'ham-fisted' or 'ham actor'. It had already been used for bad wired telegraph operators.  Subsequently, the community adopted it as a welcome moniker"

2. Fury : IRE. 

3. Nice duds : GLAD RAGS.  One's best dress-up clothing.  I can't find anything on the origin of this phrase.

4. Start the wrong way? : HOT WIRE.  "The wrong way" meaning illegally, since hot wiring is a way to start up and steal a parked car.

5. "The Song of Hiawatha" tribe : OJIBWA.  Also know as the Chippewa, they were living in the Lake Superior region when Europeans arrived.

6. Operated : RAN.  As a vacuum cleaner.

7. "Your point is ...?" : AND.   Explain yourself.

8. T size : LGE.  Large shirt.  Cf. 12 D.

9. Tree-damaging insect : BORER.  Elm bane

10. Catherine's home : ARAGON.   Catherine, the daughter of Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon, was betrothed to Prince Arthur, heir to the English throne, at the age of 3.  They were married when she was 16, but Arthur died 5 months later.  She then went on to marry his younger brother, Henry VIII.  Eventually, he grew tired of her inability to bear him a son, and set her aside in favor of his mistress Anne Boleyn.  None of this ended well. 

11. "I hope to hear from you" : CALL ME.  Or text.  Maybe we'll face time.

12. People people : CELEBS.  People in People magazine.

Source

14. Dr. with Grammys : DRE. 

17. Salon supply : GEL.  Hair goo

21. "About __": Hugh Grant film : A BOY.   From IMDB: "Based on Nick Hornby's best-selling novel, About A Boy is the story of a cynical, immature young man* who is taught how to act like a grown-up by a little boy."  *Portrayed by the insufferable Hugh Grant.

22. Oman locale : ASIA.  At the South-east extremity of the Arabian peninsula.

23. Fishing spot : POND.  Small body of water.

25. "It'd be my pleasure" : ALLOW ME.   Let me help you.

26. Eliot Ness, e.g. : T-MAN.   A special agent of the U.S. Treasury Department.

27. Pre-euro Iberian coin : ESCUDO.  Spanish and Portuguese for shield.  At different times in history Spain had gold and then silver Escudos.  It was the currency of Portugal until the introduction of the Euro.

29. Rodeo horse : BRONCO.  A feral or untrained horse prone to unpredictable behavior, used in rough riding events.

32. Comic strip cry : ACK.

Source

34. Greek vowel : ETA.  Seventh letter of the Greek alphabet, uppercase Η, lowercase η. 

37. Ring-tailed scavenger, to Crockett : COON.  Aka RACOON, a medium sized North American mammal noted for its dexterous front paws, facial mask, ringed tail, and appearing in Crockett's hat.

38. Formulate a possible explanation : THEORIZE.  Let me see  .  .  .

39. Overly compliant : MEEK. 

40. Doing nothing : IDLE.

41. Cartoonist's supply : INKS.

43. Called out : SHOUTED. 

44. Behind-schedule comment : I'M LATE.   Or something a zombie should say.

45. Viagra alternative : CIALIS. Bathtubs are optional, I think.

46. "Full House" twins : OLSENS.   They were born in 1986 and shared the role of Michelle Tanner in 191 episodes from 1987 (!) to 1995.  They went on to appear in various other roles, then reappear as fashionistas.

48. Manually : BY HAND.  As opposed to by machine

51. Freeloader : MOOCH.  Or this.

52. Put one over on : CON.

55. "__ Master's Voice" : HIS.  Nipper the dog in an iconic conic ad for RCA Victor, representing their record label and the Victor Talking Machine.

58. Nest egg item, for short : IRA.  Individual Retirement Account

59. Auction unit : LOT.  By way of illustration, one last video.

Pretty smooth Wednesday ride I thought.  Hope you got through without straining your coconut.

 Source

Cool regards!

 JzB 

Tuesday, September 16, 2014 Gail Grabowski and Bruce Venzke

Theme: Stay Behind the Line - A police show staple, "Get Back!" except today it is GET that is back, backwards that is. TE ends the first word and G begins the second word.

41A. Regain, and hint to a hidden letter arrangement in 20- and 59-Across and 11- and 35-Down : GET BACK

20A. Hockey player's blade cover : SKATE GUARD

59A. Meticulous, as premium service : WHITE GLOVE

11D. Roofing color : SLATE GRAY

35D. Rather nice : QUITE GOOD

Argyle here. It seems rather flat to me. A couple of tens and nines that lack sparkle. I hope you enjoyed it.

Across:

1. Fraternal title for a fictional fox : BR'ER. from the Uncle Remus folktales.

5. Easily bamboozled sort : PATSY

10. Former Mach 2 fliers, briefly : SSTs

14. Top-rated : A-ONE

15. Hawaii hello : "ALOHA"

16. Butterlike spread : OLEO

17. Steak cut : LOIN

18. U.S.-Canada defense letters : NORAD. (North American Aerospace Defense Command)

19. With 54-Down, longtime Jeep competitor : LAND 54D. See 19-Across : ROVER

22. __ Place: Butch and Sundance companion : ETTA

                            Source

 

23. Music rights gp. : ASCAP. (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers)

24. Wonderland cake words : [EAT ME]

26. Bolivian capital : LA PAZ. An elevation of roughly 3,650 meter (11,975 feet).

30. Ticked off : ANGRY

33. www help pages : FAQs. (Frequently asked questions)

36. Old vendor of cold blocks : ICEMAN

39. French king : ROI

40. Sch. in Columbus : OSU. (Ohio State University)

42. Sound system part : AMP

43. Xbox 360 competitor : Wii. (Nintendo)

44. Log-on requirement : USER ID

45. Work on a keyboard : TYPE

46. Mechanic on TV's "Taxi" : LATKA. Portrayed by Andy Kaufman.

                            Source

 

48. Foil maker : ALCOA

50. Sinclair Lewis' "__ Gantry" : ELMER

53. Swampy areas : MIREs

57. Senate gofer : PAGE

63. Swine's supper : SLOP

64. No longer squeaking : OILED

65. Fifty-fifty : EVEN

66. Get a glimpse of : SPOT

67. Do a bakery job : KNEAD

68. Socially awkward type : NERD

69. Bustle : TO DO

70. "My apologies" : "SORRY"

71. Prohibitionists : DRYS. Opponents of the WETS.

Down:

1. Lightweight wood : BALSA

2. Corner chessmen : ROOKS. How's the table, Splynter?

3. Room-size computer unveiled in 1946 : ENIAC. (Electronic Numerical Integrator And Computer)

4. U-Haul vans, e.g. : RENTALS

5. Sign of hunger : PANG

6. Baseball family name : ALOU

7. Afghanistan's __ Bora : TORA

 

8. Divvy up : SHARE

9. When tripled, "and so on" : "YADDA..."

10. Serious : SOLEMN

12. No-frills shelter : TENT

13. Fountain drink : SODA

21. Org. concerned with greenhouse gases : EPA

25. Gas holder : TANK

27. Bakery array : PIES

28. French play part : ACTE

29. Striped equine : ZEBRA

31. One-sided win : ROMP

32. "Holy cow!" : YIPE

33. Pheasant or turkey : FOWL

34. Sri Lanka setting : ASIA. Travelogue

37. Letters in a box : MAIL

38. Electrical adapter letters : AC/DC

41. Largest of the Mariana Islands : GUAM

45. Final part : TAIL END

47. Compulsive thief, for short : KLEPTO. Kleptomania is the inability to refrain from the urge to steal items and is done for reasons other than personal use or financial gain.

49. Texter's "Zounds!" : [OMG!]

51. Furry "Star Wars" creatures : EWOKS

52. Thick-skinned beast : RHINO

55. All-inclusive adjective : EVERY

56. Ships : SENDS

57. Subtle "Over here!" : "PSST!"

58. Kibbles 'n Bits alternative : ALPO

60. Robert of "The Sopranos" : ILER. Where is he NOW?

61. Fabric mishap : TEAR

62. Whirling current : EDDY

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

Happy Birthday to D-Otto, who has been quietly helping me and this blog the past few years. Our team blogging would be very stressful had Tom not taught me the basic know-how. He is always caring and patient, though he did become a loving Desper-otto when we brainstormed a very demanding theme set a few months ago :-)

  

Monday, September 15, 2014 Don Rosenthal

Theme: Cheers! - A take on how you take your brewski.

17A. Window material : PANE GLASS

28A. "The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas" author : GERTRUDE STEIN

47A. One coming in from the bullpen : RELIEF PITCHER

64A. Explosive situation : POWDER KEG

71A. Brew found in increasing quantities in the ends of 17-, 28-, 47- and 64-Across : BEER

Argyle here...under the table. I don't know this constructor but I like him already. Great debut but forgot the ultimate beer container. "NORM!!"

Across:

1. Story : TALE

5. Gauge on a dash : TACH. Shortened tachometer.

9. Lowest opera voice : BASSO. With just *S*SO in place, I briefly thought FATSO.

14. Landed on the runway : ALIT

15. Sunburn soother : ALOE

16. Starting squad : A TEAM

19. Beauty at the ball : BELLE

20. French friend : AMI

21. Rapture : ECSTASY

23. Marshland : FEN

24. Legendary skater Henie : SONJA. Three-time Ladies' Singles Olympic Champion and ten-time World Champion.

26. "If it only could be" : "I WISH..."

34. Indian or Chinese, e.g. : ASIAN

35. Nametag greeting : HELLO

36. Harbinger : SIGN

39. Hindu guru : SWAMI

42. Imitated : APED

43. Images on a desktop : ICONS

45. Bride's beloved : GROOM

51. Thigh bone : FEMUR

52. Feel around in the dark : GROPE

55. N.C. State's conference : ACC. (Atlantic Coast Conference)

57. Early metalworking period : IRON AGE

61. Hush-hush fed. org. : CIA. Shh, that's all I can tell you.

62. Centrally managed store group : CHAIN. That's why the IGA is an alliance; no central management.

66. Metamorphosis stage : LARVA. Metamorphosis - a profound change in form from one stage to the next.

67. Scat legend Fitzgerald : ELLA

68. "__ upon a time ..." : ONCE

69. Speak : UTTER

70. Optimistic : ROSY

Down:

1. Spanish appetizers : TAPAS

2. Texas mission : ALAMO

3. Every cloud's silver feature? : LINING

4. Somme summer : ÉTÉ. French summer.

5. Soft mineral : TALC

6. "Ah, me!" : "ALAS!"

7. What you pay : COST

8. Half a guy-gal argument : HE SAID. Other half, SHE SAID.

9. Infantile : BABYISH. The above argument, often.

10. Had dinner : ATE

11. "For Dummies" bookstore section : SELF-HELP

12. Reduced-price event : SALE

13. Harbinger : OMEN

18. Drive and reverse : GEARS

22. Stockholm's land: Abbr. : SWE. (Sweden)

25. Lady in the 1965 sitcom pilot episode "The Lady in the Bottle" : JEANNIE

27. Pot for clams : STEAMER

29. "__ better to have loved ...": Tennyson : 'TIS

30. How half-shell clams are eaten : RAW

31. Eel, at sushi bars : UNAGI

32. Land in la mer : ÎLE

33. Silent agreement : NOD

36. Knight's title : SIR

37. Cubes in a bucket : ICE

38. Wheels on the links : GOLF CART

40. Mohawk-sporting actor : MR. T

41. Biennial games gp. : IOC. (International Olympic Committee)

44. Advanced college course : SEMINAR

46. "Golly" : "OH GEE"

48. Cat's coat : FUR and on your coat, too.

49. Like capitalized nouns : PROPER

50. Legendary football coach Knute : ROCKNE. Knute Rockne (1888 – 1931) was a football player and coach, both at the University of Notre Dame.

53. Cake serving : PIECE

54. Like the idiomatic beaver : EAGER

55. Civil rights org. : ACLU. (American Civil Liberties Union)

56. Online dialogue : CHAT

58. __ contendere: court plea : NOLO. Doesn't admit guilt but doesn't fight it either.

59. Leatherworking tools : AWLS

60. Down Under greeting : G'DAY

63. "__ got it!" : I'VE

65. Director Reiner : ROB

Argyle

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?