Saturday, Sep 20th, 2014 Brad Wilber

Theme: BW

Words: 72 (missing Q,X)

Blocks: 35

  Another solo Saturday from Brad Wilber, with a deceptively easy-looking grid.  I found today's puzzle had what I would call "reverse solvability" - that is, the long answers filled in with little effort, but the shorter ones really baffled me.  8- and 6-letter triple stack corners that did not look intimidating, and just two 10-letter phrases crossing two of the four 9-letter runs rounding out the longer spans;

6d. Moles may cross them : ENEMY LINES

30d. One might include "Go skydiving" : BUCKET LIST

o, a, r d n w....?!?!

ACROSS:

1. Pirate inducted at Cooperstown in 1988 : STARGELL - Ah, Baseball to start; took some perps for me to WAG this one; I am sure C.C. nailed it - she can elaborate (From C.C.: I think he's TTP's favorite player, lifelong Pirate.)

9. Tuning shortcut : PRESET - I was in a guitar frame of mind; this is more like your AM/FM, Sirius and Pandora kind of tuning; I call my Pandora station "Myynde Wax" - there's a story behind it....

15. Try to pick up : COME ON TO - There's a girl at the restaurant where I built the benches that likes to scratch my back; do you think it's an attempt to "come on to" me~??

16. Make wrinkly : RUMPLE - I was tempted to try "CREASE"

17. Auto safety feature : HEADREST - simple, but effective

18. Capital with an Algonquin name : OTTAWA - Albany (NY) fit, too, but....

19. Abound : TEEM

20. Many a jayvee athlete : SOPH - tried "TEEN" first

22. Org. with an online Patriot Index : D.A.R. - Daughters of the American Revolution

23. Loan applicant's asset : STEADY JOB - It's getting close to new car time; I have a steady job, a high credit score, and a Dodge with 251,000 miles on it

26. Barnyard cries : BRAYS

28. Much of the New Testament is attributed to him : PAUL - I waited on perps

29. Longtime Ivory rival : LIFEBUOY - soap makers - makes me think of "A Christmas Story"

31. 11-Down skill : CPR - circumreferential, ugh; 11. 31-Across pro : EMT

32. Ins. giant : AIG

33. Citrus whose juice is used in Asian cuisine : YUZU - new to me; the Wiki

34. Give as a task : ASSIGN - Don't get me started on "tasks"....

36. Brno natives : CZECHs

40. 1960s role for Bamboo Harvester : Mr. ED - I had 'M-ED' and had to duck to avoid the V-8 can

42. Word with run or jump : SKI - ski run, ski jump

43. Self-satisfied sound : "HEH~!"

44. Requiem Mass segment : DIES IRAE - the full phrase

46. "The Phantom Tollbooth" protagonist : MILO - all perps

47. Loin cut : T-BONE - toyed with throwing this in to start; then the "N" showed

49. Words of resignation : C'EST LA VIE - Frawnche - but it does remind me of this video

51. URL ending : ORG - uhhh, .com, .edu, .biz....

52. Did a sendup of : APED - mimicry

54. Heroine with notable buns : LEIA - hey now, these buns

55. Pungent condiment : WASABI

57. Took for a ride : SWINDLED

61. Standoffish type : ICICLE - back in college, there was a girl all the guys referred to as the "ice princess" - ironically, she asked ME out....

62. Like the trade winds : EASTERLY

63. Hitching post attachment : TETHER

64. Stop and go, say : ANTONYMS

DOWN:

1. Ivy, e.g.: Abbr. : SCH - meh. 

2. Part of Italy where Calabria is, figuratively : TOE

3. Curtis Cup contenders : AMATEURS - Golf - sort of like the Ryder Cup; more here

4. Bridge do-over : RE-DEAL

5. Hurt in a ring : GORED - Ask Evander Holyfield

7. West Point grads: Abbr. : LTs

8. Much : LOTS OF

9. Hold (up) : PROP

10. Performer in every episode of "Laugh-In" : RUTH BUZZI

12. Relaxing outing : SPA DAY

13. Super Bowl XXXIII MVP : ELWAY

14. Drops during lows : TEARS - my last fill was the "R"; took a moment to see 'drops' as a noun and not a verb

21. Jump, in a way : OBEY

23. Employer of vets: Abbr. : SPCA - ah, those kind of vets

24. Four-note piece : TAPS

25. It may be up : JIG - "Surrender...the jig is up"

27. Casanova : ROUE

32. Accommodating : AGREEABLE

35. Hacker's cry : "I'M IN~!"

37. Knight life ideal : CHIVALRY - it's not dead

38. Port opener : HELI - heliport

39. Braking system component : SHOE - I think they need replacing on my van, but I am still working on the leaf spring

41. Ones spotted in casinos : DICE - this could have been very deceptive, indeed; ones, spotted, dice....lots to work with

42. Carrier to Copenhagen : SAS - Airline

44. Lallygags : DOGS IT

45. Site with an important part in a 1956 film? : RED SEA - part?  Har-HAR~!!!

46. Winless horse : MAIDEN

47. Specifically : TO WIT

48. Reinforce : BRACE

50. Measures taken slowly? : LENTO - musical direction

53. Seaside strolling spot : PIER

56. Rats along the Rhine? : ACH - exclamations; "Rats~!" and "Ach~!"

58. Peaked : WAN - skin color, 'to wit'

59. London's earliest water pipes were made with it : ELM - I wanted "WOOD"; did not realize we were looking for a specific type

60. Beginning to function? : DYS - DYSfunction(al) - don't I know it

Splynter

Friday, September 19, 2014 Jacob Stulberg

Theme: Happy Talk like a pirate day. 9/19/2014. The HISTORY.

It is not uncommon for certain holiday or special days to have puzzles constructed to honor these occasions, and I have my first to blog. This one involves a quip leading to a grid spanning very silly reveal. Structurally, I have not written up a quote/quip type so  this will be interesting. I do like vertical grid spanning fill. Oddly Jacob's very first LAT was a Friday quote puzzle, but marti and I had switched so she did the write up of that effort.  Some nice fill like ENAMEL, ENMESH, HAT TIP, PAPAYA, PESETA, STIFLE, ELATEDLY,  ENTRYWAY, HEAT RASH, HIGH BEAM,  RYE BEERS,  SABOTEUR, but still many 3,4 and 5 letter fill for a Friday. I guess the question the audience will answer is whether the reveal was witty enough. This is my third Jacob this year, and usually I work very hard to solve his words. I guess like potato chips, I can't solve just one.


17A. Start of a riddle : WHAT'S. (5)
30A. Riddle, part two : A PIRATE'S. (8)
49A. Riddle, part three : FAVORITE. (8)
64A. End of the riddle : MOVIE. (5)

Well the favorite movie is of course; TA DAH!

7A. Answer to the riddle : ARRRRRRRRRRRRGO. (15). Of course there is a degree of poetic license in determining the 12 "R"s but either it is funny or it is not. LINK.


Across:
        
1. Caesar in "Rise of the Planet of the Apes," for one : CHIMP. Also in the Dawn.

6. Road __ : MAP.

9. Long-legged wader : HERON. Door ONE or Door TWO.

14. Halos : AURAE. When you develop cataracts you have halos dominate your visual field.

15. Bold alternative : ERA. Detergent brand names; did not fool me this time.

16. Really ticked : IRATE.

18. "Shirt Front and Fork" artist : ARP. We get Jean often; like the painting?

19. Well-mannered fellows : GENTS. Old fashioned and likely to remember the 35A. Polite gesture : HAT TIP.

20. Summertime woe : HEAT RASH. On the edge of the breakfast test?

23. "__ Shorty": Elmore Leonard novel : GET. Get reappears; if you did not read the book, you can watch the MOVIE.  (2:34). 20 years already.

24. Sumptuous meals : FEASTS.

27. Some microbrews : RYE BEERS. As implied the beer is made from rye rather than barley malt. If you need suggestions, my son reads the BEER ADVOCATE.

29. Rm. coolers : ACS. Air Conditioners.

32. Big piece : SLAB. Good term when ordering beef.

34. Kazakhstan, once: Abbr. : SSR.

39. Chevrolet SUV : TAHOE. Actually a well regarded product, part of Chevrolet's post bankruptcy recovery.

41. Mystery guest moniker : MR X.

43. Highs and lows, perhaps : MOODS.

44. Suppress : STIFLE. Did you all thinks of this lovely couple?

46. KOA visitors : RVS. Kampground of America. Recreational Vehicles.

48. Mice, to owls : PREY. This has a definite cruel tinge to it.

52. Buddy : MAC.

53. Monkey wrench wielder? : SABOTEUR. The one who sabotages your endeavors.

56. Catch in a web : ENMESH.

58. Many a lap dog : TOY.

59. Coat closet locale, often : ENTRYWAY. For all you northerners who actually own and wear coats.

61. Dropped the ball : ERRED. To forgive divine.

63. Sellout sign, briefly : SRO. Standing Room Only.

68. Lagoon border : ATOLL. Did someone say LAGOON? (2:47).

69. Goad, with "on" : EGG.

70. Heroic stories : EPICS.

71. Like a string bean : LANKY. They are often left-handed pitchers, unless they were Mickey Lolich.

72. Burnt __ crisp : TO A.

73. Unauthorized disclosures : LEAKS.  The WIKIPEDIA on Wiki Leaks.


Down:

1. Farm field cry : CAW. Crows hunting the corn.

2. "That's a surprise" : HUH.

3. Lyricist Gershwin : IRA. George was the music.

4. British subject? : MATHS. Cute misdirection; we say math or mathematics.

5. Currency replaced by the euro : PESETA. Only a billion choices.

6. Beef, e.g. : MEAT.

8. Melonlike fruit : PAPAYA. Never thought of papaya that way.

9. Headlight setting : HIGH BEAM. Can you believe he has melons and high beams juxtaposed? I have to LINK. (6:36)

10. "Let us part, __ the season of passion forget us": Yeats : ERE. Short and sweet:
THE FALLING OF THE LEAVES
by: William Butler Yeats (1865-1939)

UTUMN is over the long leaves that love us,

And over the mice in the barley sheaves;

Yellow the leaves of the rowan above us,

And yellow the wet wild-strawberry leaves.

 

The hour of the waning of love has beset us,

And weary and worn are our sad souls now;

Let us part, ere the season of passion forget us,

With a kiss and a tear on thy drooping brow

11. Singer's asset : RANGE. We had a discussion on range this summer.

12. River mammal : OTTER.  Playful creatures.

13. Makes a home : NESTS.

21. Egyptian snakes : ASPS. Snakes nest as well.

22. Actor Green of "Robot Chicken" : SETH. Did you ever WATCH?

24. Doesn't take anything in : FASTS. No food is hard but okay, it is the no liquid that makes fasting so difficult; just a few weeks away.

25. Fanfare : ECLAT.

26. Tokyo-based brewery : ASAHI. An obligatory BEER link.

28. Bar, in law : ESTOP. You are estopped from asking me about the "E."

31. Suffix with Mao : ISM. Never thought of this as a separate doctrine BUT.

33. Smashing, at the box office : BOFFO.

36. Singer with the Mel-Tones : TORME.

 37. A muse may inspire them : IDEAS.

38. "Fooled you!" : PSYCH. Anybody watch the TV show?

40. With joy : ELATEDLY. If you get happy after everyone else are you belateldly elatedley?

42. Louis __, eponym of the Kentucky city : XVI. The specific French king the city was named after.

45. All square : EVEN. Right Steven?

47. Lose sleep (over) : STEW.

50. Square one : OUTSET. You see it is the first square not a square square.

51. Tooth covering : ENAMEL.

53. Pinch : STEAL. Tinman, he tried but it just did not make it.

54. Cardiologist's concern : AORTA. And getting paid.

55. Lakers coach __ Scott : BYRON.

57. Nearsighted one : MYOPE. My 'ope you see better when you get older.

60. Activity on a mat : YOGA. Not my favorite, but I guess since you must BYOM....

62. Image on the Michigan state flag : ELK. Maybe Sheldon will elaborate this fall.

65. Through : VIA. Just Latin.

66. "Gross!" : ICK.

67. Small opening? : ESS. We end with a beginning letter of a word clue.

Ahoy, time for me to shove off for another week; be careful out there and see you next time. Lemonade out.

Note from C.C.:

Today we celebrate Allen's birthday! I'll have to associate him with a pirate so next year I won't make the same mistake again. 

Marti mentioned yesterday that they'll celebrate this coming Sunday "by attending an Oktoberfest event at The Vienna restaurant. The food is bound to be authentic, and I believe The Stratton Mountain Boys will be taking up their oom-pah instruments to provide music. Should be lots of fun!!"

Allen & Marti

Dave sent Allen the cake ingredients yesterday :-). Let's see what he comes up today.

Thursday, September 18, 2014 Julian Lim

Theme:

"Good and Plenty"

18-Across. "Take your time" : NICE AND EASY. I immediately thought of this.

24-Across. 1993 film loosely based on the Jamaican bobsled team : COOL RUNNINGS. I never saw the film, but who doesn't know the team?!?

46-Across. NCAA regional semifinals, familiarly : SWEET SIXTEEN. National Collegiate Athletic Association. Basketball.

55-Across. Green-skinned movie villain : WICKED WITCH. From "The Wizard of Oz."

In this puzzle, the reveal is placed smack in the middle of the grid:
37-Across. Beginning auspiciously ... like 18-, 24-, 46- and 55-Across? : OFF TO A GOOD START. The theme refers to synonyms, or slang terms, for "GOOD."  NICE is easily substituted for GOOD. COOL and SWEET are relatively modern slang terms.  But I was surprised to find out that WICKED as a synonym for "good" is regional to Boston! (OK, I confess - I have used the term.)


Across

1. Scavenging seabird : ERN.

4. "You gotta be kidding me!" : AW, MAN!

9. "Cast Away" star : HANKS. Other than "Wilson," his basketball volleyball sidekick, Tom HANKS was basically a one-man show in that movie. [Correction - thanks to Anon. @ 11:24]

14. With 12-Down, Rodin sculpture : THE. and 12-Down. See 14-Across : KISS.

"The Kiss"

15. "__ the big deal?" : WHAT'S.

16. Bustling : ABOIL.

17. Sound that may be averted by holding one's breath : HIC. Or not drinking the whole bottle...

20. Machu Picchu dweller : INCA.

22. Mashed taro, mostly : POI. The only other ingredient is water!

23. Promising words : OATHS.

27. Cry : WEEP.

28. Graphic beginning? : GEO.graphic.

29. Sass : LIP.

32. Watch carefully : GUARD.

34. Equipped : ABLE.

36. __ wave : SINE.

40. Works on, as homework : DOES.

41. Vocalist Vannelli : GINO. Never heard of him.

42. Heavy reading? : TOMES. Literally!

43. Ukr., once : SSR. Soviet Socialist Republic. Ukraine ceased to be one with the dissolution in 1991.

44. Disney World visitor's airport, on bag tags : ORL.ando.

45. Bluish hue : CYAN. RGB = 0, 255, 255.

51. Acadia National Park locale : MAINE. Gimme!

53. Word with game or room : WAR.

54. Like lingerie models : SEXY. I would have added the word "most" before "lingerie models."

58. __City: computer game : SIM.

59. Bull on a glue container : ELMER. Borden's originally made ELMER's glue. Elmer was so named because he was supposedly the mate of "Elsie" the cow, another Borden's logo.

60. Beaufort __ : SCALE. Measurement of wind force.

61. World Cup cheer : OLÉ.

62. Anoint : BLESS.

63. Celebrated 2014 sports retiree : JETER. Derek is playing his 20th (and final) season with the New York Yankees, winning many awards during his stint.

64. Site site : NET.


Down

1. Moral code : ETHIC.

2. Safari sight : RHINO.

3. Colorful candy since 1847 : NECCO WAFER. NECCO = New England Confectionary Company. Their plant in Revere, MA is unmistakeable.

4. Grass bristle : AWN.

5. Throw together : WHIP UP. I like to WHIP UP a frittata every so often, throwing together whatever I have in the 'fridg.

6. Georgia's __-Bibb County : MACON. Bibb county just merged with MACON this year, after the referendum was approved in 2012.

7. Enjoyed some home cooking : ATE IN.

8. Codebreaker's org. : NSA. National Security Agency.

9. Tried one's hand : HAD A GO.

10. Provides inside information for, say : ABETS.

11. 2014 Russell Crowe title role : NOAH. Have not seen this latest epic from director Aronofsky.

13. Foxy : SLY.

19. "You don't have to" : NO NEED.

21. They may be red : ALERTS.

25. More than modify : REDO. Would that be a "mulligan," Husker G.?

26. Dome-shaped abode : IGLOO.

29. "Love Actually" co-star : LIAM NEESON. It's all about love...actually.

30. Memo words : IN RE.

31. Chinchillas, at times : PETS.

32. "American __": Neil Gaiman novel : GODS. Hugo and Nebula award-winning fantasy novel. Anyone read it?

33. Sci-fi staples : UFOS.

34. Like acrobats : AGILE. I would have added the word "most" before "acrobats."

35. "__ appétit!" : BON.

36. Weasel kin : STOATS.

38. "It's a deal!" : AGREED.

39. Charon's river : STYX.

44. Title holders : OWNERS.

45. Group with a common bond : CIRCLE.

46. "Oliver Twist" bad guy : SIKES. Despicable "friend" of Fagan's, who beat his dog until the dog needed stitches. He got his just desserts in the end, though.

47. Double : TWICE.

48. Grabbed a stool next to : SAT AT.

49. Banishment : EXILE.

50. Queens athlete, for short : NY MET.

51. Flour producer : MILL.

52. Peak : ACME. It's always an apex/ACME dilemma for me.

55. Site site : WEB.

56. Paper with NYSE news : WSJ. New York Stock Exchange news is covered in the Wall Street Journal.

57. Part of HRH : HER. Royal Highness.

That's all for now!
Marti

Note from C.C.:

Happy Birthday to Marti's husband Allen! Hope you can take a day off working on the next door house and enjoy this special day.

Allen (Ole Miss alum) mentioned he yelled this when he was 8 years old:

Hotty Toddy
Are you ready?
Hell yea!
Damn right!
Hotty Toddy, gosh almighty,
Who the hell are we?
HEY!
Flim Flam, Bim Bam, OLE MISS GOD DAMN!

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