Monday, October 6, 2014 Jerome Gunderson

Theme: You'll never get rich by digging a ditch - Four places that need ditches dug. Because We're in the Army Now!

17A. Letter-routing number : POSTAL CODE. Harrisburg Military Post.

27A. Can in an Andy Warhol painting : CAMPBELL'S SOUP. Camp Beauregard.

47A. World Series setting : BASEBALL FIELD. Naval Base Point Loma.

62A. California Gold Rush figure : FORTY-NINER. Fort Gordon.

60D. Soldier's group, a member of which might be stationed at the start of 17-, 27-, 47- or 62-Across : ARMY. Two states have no Army posts: New Hampshire and Rhode Island.

Cpl. Argyle here. Let's see, we had Fort Dix and we broke camp. We have plenty of posts. I'm not off base saying this cruciverbalistic army has got this Monday down. Thanks, Jerome. Tight themeage; first part of a two word entries. Good pace.

Across:

1. Club joke teller : COMIC

6. Misfortunes : ILLS

10. Motel worker : MAID

14. Traditional Pennsylvania barn raisers : AMISH

15. Tide type : NEAP

16. Ploy : RUSE

19. Overly submissive : MEEK

20. Poker hand prize : POT

21. Thai language : LAO

22. Baker that "nobody doesn't like" : SARA LEE

24. __ cum laude : SUMMA. (with highest honor)

26. Beer barrel : KEG

32. __ New Guinea : PAPUA

                        World Atlas

33. Hairy Addams cousin : ITT

34. Norwegian capital : OSLO

36. Fancy flower vase : URN

37. Hat for a Western hero : STETSON

41. Former Mideast alliance: Abbr. : UAR. (United Arab Republic)

42. Emily Dickinson, e.g. : POET

44. Apt name for a painter : ART

45. How the elated walk : ON AIR

51. "2001" computer : HAL

52. Mars neighbor : EARTH

53. Traveled around 52-Across, say : ORBITED

57. Mates for mas : PAs

58. Chicken __ king : À LA

61. Fight-or-flight emotion : FEAR

65. Fly like a butterfly : FLIT

66. Reverse : UNDO

67. Early morning hr. : ONE AM

68. Heavy drinkers : SOTS

69. Jump : LEAP

70. Yellowish-brown : TAWNY

Down:

1. Dogpatch creator Al : CAPP

2. Melville novel : OMOO

3. Light fog : MIST

4. Suffix with Marx : IST

5. Fried Taco Bell offerings : CHALUPAS. Chalupas are made by pressing a thin layer of masa dough around the outside of a small mold, in the process creating a concave container resembling the boat of the same name, and then deep frying the result to produce crisp, shallow corn cups. These are filled with various ingredients such as shredded chicken, pork, chopped onion, chipotle pepper, red salsa, or green salsa. ~ Wikipedia. Any resemblance to the Taco Bell offering?

6. It may be gross or net : INCOME

7. MGM mascot : LEO, the Lion.

8. Boys : LADS

9. Has a talk with : SPEAKS TO

10. Nearsighted toon : MR MAGOO

11. "The Mammoth Hunters" author Jean : AUEL

12. "Got it" : "I SEE"

13. Fake on the ice : DEKE. 'Juke" on the gridiron.

18. Ram's offspring : LAMB

23. Hi-__ monitor : RES

24. Church-owned Texas sch. : SMU. (Southern Methodist University)

25. Not very much : A LITTLE

27. Chocolate substitute : CAROB

28. Sleep disorder : APNEA

29. Ranks for Columbo and Kojak: Abbr. : LTs. (lieutenants) TV detectives.

30. Customary : USUAL

31. Tartan pattern : PLAID. Maybe you can find your tartan here.

32. Coyote's offspring : PUP

35. Hockey legend Bobby : ORR

38. Enough food for a feast : TABLEFUL

39. Mesozoic or Paleozoic : ERA

40. "That's a fact" rebuttal : "NO, IT'S NOT"

43. Saloon souvenirs : T-SHIRTS

46. Old Testament book before Esth. : NEH. (Nehemiah)

48. Break bread : EAT

49. Computer on an airplane tray table : LAPTOP

50. Unravel at the edge, as threads : FRAY

53. Switch positions : OFFs

54. Move, in real estate lingo : RELO. (ReLocate)

55. Switch partner : BAIT

56. Fully cooked : DONE

58. All over again : ANEW

59. Low in fat : LEAN

63. Old vitamin bottle no. : RDA. (Recommended Dietary Allowances)

64. Once __ while : IN A

Argyle

Sunday October 4, 2014 Jake Braun

Theme: "Say Ah" - "Ah" sound is added to each theme entry.

23A. Haggling over a parrot purchase? : POLLY BARGAINING. Plea bargaining.

48A. Hug in the pool? : WATER CARESS. Watercress. The added sound is a schwa sound for me.

73A. Excitement about boxing practice? : SPARRING FEVER. Spring fever.

97A. Venue for unwise investments? : FOLLY MARKET. Flea market. Similar to 23A.

126A. Post-Renaissance gal pals? : TWO BAROQUE GIRLS. 2 Broken Girl. Also a schwa sound for me.

16D. Walden Pond headrest? : THOREAU PILLOW. Throw pillow.

60D. Cold spell in Manama? : BAHRAIN FREEZE. Brain freeze.

Hey, we have another new constructor!  I did not find Jake Braun's name in our blog labels. Sunday puzzles are very challenging to make, the sheer size is daunting. I'm always in awe when others make their debut on a Sunday.

This type of sound change is always hard for me, as my English is very Chinese. I pronounce ISIS as "Asses".  I wish the White House and newspapers would stop dignifying those thugs with ISIL.

Across:

1. Rush order shorthand : ASAP

5. Heart, basically : PUMP

9. Expand : SWELL

14. Prefix with sexual : METRO. Metrosexual like Clooney. Armani all the way.

19. 1944 invasion city : ST LO

20. Eye part containing the iris : UVEA

21. Salk vaccine target : POLIO

22. "... O, be some __ name": Juliet : OTHER

 

26. Soprano Kiri Te Kanawa, e.g. : MAORI

27. Domestic sci. : HOME EC

28. Crunch's rank : CAP'N

29. Get real? : COME TRUE. Nice clue/answer.

31. In the style of : A LA

32. MGM motto word : ARS

34. Acknowledge quietly : NOD TO

37. Last word of Kipling's "If—" : SON. Can you recite the whole poem, Yellowrocks? Also, have you tried long beans? They're very good with almonds too. You should find them at Asian grocery stores.

38. Big picture?: Abbr. : ENL (Enlarged)

39. Rapper __ Jon : LIL

40. Sounds of uncertainty : HAWS

42. Pizazz : OOMPH

44. Bluesy James : ETTA

46. Overflow : TEEM

51. Forgets the words, maybe : HUMS. What's your favorite song to sing in the shower?

54. Story set to music : BALLAD

56. One may be wired : NARC

57. Each : A POP

58. Capital near Casablanca : RABAT

61. Easy-to-make breakfast brand : EGGOS

64. Ding Dong relative : HO HO

66. Cairo's river : NILE

67. Does a classroom chore : ERASES

69. Gutter locale : EAVE

70. Saintly : ANGELIC. That's Argyle, who just got his second puzzle accepted by the NY Times. His first one was published last Oct. He has a 100% acceptance rate with the NYT!

72. "Phooey!" : BAH

78. Tennis do-over : LET

79. DVD box caution : UNRATED

81. Takei role : SULU

82. Capital of Pakistan's Punjab province : LAHORE

84. North __ : STAR

85. Something you break when you leave it : CAMP. Tricky for me. Never been to a camp.

88. Goolagong rival : EVERT (Chris)

90. World __ : POWER

91. Leave : EXIT

92. Kindle competitor : NOOK

94. More spine-tingling : EERIER

96. Level-headed : SANE

100. Makes a move : ACTS

104. Diamond irregularity : FLAW

106. Alpine Austrian state : TYROL. We just had this yesterday. Innsbruck is its capital. Marti mentioned she stayed there last year.

107. Entry level pos. : ASST

109. Item on a Billboard list : HIT

110. Certain camera, for short : SLR

112. Hamm of soccer : MIA. Bill G, next time you bump into her, just say "Hello Mia, my name is Bill, do you solve crosswords? Your name appear there often." Maybe you should print out this puzzle and get her autographed.

114. Medicare section : PART B

116. Spotted : SAW

117. Physician's org. : AMA

118. Lively folk dances : HOEDOWNS

121. Fictional plantation : TARA

123. More risky : DICIER

125. "It's my concern ..." : I FEAR

130. "Zoom-Zoom" sloganeer : MAZDA

131. Artist's aid : EASEL

132. "I'm __ here!" : OUTA

133. Durable wood : TEAK

134. Great buy : STEAL. I normally find some spectacular stuff at flea markets, not this year.

135. Fries-to-be : SPUDS

136. Movie critic Pauline : KAEL. Never read her reviews. Was she harsh?

137. Pacing, perhaps : EDGY

Down:

1. Road crew supply : ASPHALT

2. Info provider : STOOLIE

3. Like many barbershop quartets : ALL MALE. And4. Barbershop symbol : POLE

5. Barhopping tour : PUB CRAWL. I used to barhop all the time. Guangzhou is full of great bars & great food.

6. Sch. founded by Jefferson : UVA

7. Grand Marquis, for short : MERC

8. Certain polytheist : PAGAN

9. PR specialist: SPIN DOC

10. Acquired : WON

11. Connecticut Ivy Leaguer : ELI

12. Omar's "Mod Squad" role : LINC

13. Firm symbols : LOGOS

14. Point in time : MOMENT

15. State, to Jacques : ETAT

17. "Breaking Bad" marathon component, e.g. : RERUN

18. Cantilevered window : ORIEL

24. Word repeated after "She loves you," in a '60s hit : YEAH

25. "It's __ sort of memory that only works backward": Carroll : A POOR

30. Homer's watering hole : MOE'S. I'm amazed by Chairman Moe's prediction on Ryder Cup. He said on Sept 26: "My not so welcome or popular prediction: Final Score after Sunday, Euro's 17, Yank's 11".  The result: 16½ points vs 11½.

33. Low area : SWALE

35. IRS employee : T-MAN

36. Long-running talk show : OPRAH

41. Play producer : STAGER

43. Sub in a bag : HERO

45. Macbeth, vis-à-vis Glamis : THANE. The Thane of Glamis.

47. Grad school degs. : MBAs

49. Award named for a mystery writer : EDGAR

50. Chilled soup : SCHAV. Cold sorrel dish. Never had it. I don't think I've had sorrel before.

52. "Le Misanthrope" playwright : MOLIERE. His Chinese name sounds very sad.

53. Ghost : SPECTER

55. '50s nuclear trial : A TEST

58. Puzzles in the game show "Concentration" : REBUSES

59. Three-time French Open champ __ Sánchez Vicario : ARANTXA. No idea. Looks harder to pronounce than my Zhouqin.

62. Prefix with sac : OVI

63. Sixth __ : SENSE

65. Scott Turow work : ONE L. One of the few English books I've read.

68. Job detail : SPEC

71. Pinot, for one : GRAPE

74. Fictional bell town : ADANO

75. Mate : GUV

76. Baseball card brand : FLEER. Bygone brand. Nowadays only Topps and Upper Deck.

77. "I have it!" : EUREKA

80. Soviet cooperative : ARTEL. I forgot. Wiki said this term was used "between the 1860s through 1950s".

83. Circle dance : HORA

86. Jump out of one's skin? : MOLT. Cute clue.

87. Coral component : POLYP

89. Head lock : TRESS

 

93. Sedgwick of "The Closer" : KYRA

95. "I'm ready to sign" : IT'S A DEAL

97. Text message qualifier : FWIW (For What it's Worth)

98. Fools, to Puck : MORTALS. Lord, what fools these mortals be!

99. Wedding site : ALTAR

101. Led : CHAIRED

102. Interval between related events : TIME LAG

103. TV partner of Hutch : STARSKY

105. Unconcerned with right and wrong : AMORAL

108. Branch branch : TWIG. Tree branch.

110. Leveling wedges : SHIMS

111. Dieter's catchword : LoFat

113. Pot starters : ANTES

115. Runner in the woods : BROOK. Lovely clue.

119. Arp genre : DADA

120. Switch : SWAP

122. Cyan shade : AQUA

124. Use as a reference : CITE

127. The Beavers of the Pac-12 : OSU. The Oregon State.

128. Breakfast companion? : BED. Bed and breakfast.

129. Colorado native : UTE

C.C.

Saturday, Oct 4th, 2014, Barry C. Silk

Theme: Saturday Silkie~!

Words: 72 (missing H,K,Q,Z)

Blocks: 28

  Starting off the month with a Silkie was what I expected, and this one seemed a bit tougher than the last two we had from him - but some healthy WAGs got me just close enough to get a foothold, and with a few corrections, was able to finish in 2/3 my personal time.  Triple 9's and almost triple 10's in the corners, a pair of 11-letter climbers, and one grid spanner;

35a. "Define your world" online reference : URBAN DICTIONARY - Nailed it; some of the entries are funny, but much of it is vulgar, even for me - but I do like this one, only because I work at UPS

7d. Bit : BINARY DIGIT - Ah.  I was of the mindset that it was going to be "TOOK A STAB AT"

23. Male cartoon character voiced by Nancy Cartwright : BART SIMPSON - I think most people who know the Simpsons know that Bart is done by a woman

oooooooooo n nn ww wa aa arr d rrrdd~!

ACROSS:

1. 1961 Jerry Lewis film, with "The" : ERRAND BOY - never even heard of it; I had ERRA---, and from the little bit I know about what J.L. did in most of his movies, this was a sensible WAG

10. In its entirety : UNCUT - I liked the UNCUT versions of the "Alien" movies, and the director's cut of "The Butterfly Effect" - anyone here see that~?

15. Peach variety : NECTARINE - Learn something new every day; but then again, when I think about it....

16. Indiana state flower : PEONY - a WAG with -E-N-

17. Availability indicators : DIAL TONES - Ah, availability on the phone

18. Certain candle : TAPER - threw it in, and it stayed

19. Activist gp. with a clenched fist in its logo : SDS

20. Super Bowl highlight, for many : TV AD - I do actually like the football, too, and last year, we got off to an exciting start with the safety - threw the pool numbers off something fierce

21. Heavy-duty soap brand : BORAXO - I have heard of Borax, and the 20-mule team, but this one is new to me; I had the "X", too

22. Open court hearing, in law : OYER - I started with OYEZ, and that was good enough

23. Monk music : BOP - ummm...makes me think of the monks from Monty Python, and the "bop" on the forehead with the wooden boards

24. Certain NCO : CPL

25. Pacer and Medallion : AMCs - I had two AMCs myself; the Hornet Sportabout, which did have huge potential to be a cool ride - and the Concorde - which was not quite the SST mentioned in 4d.

AMC Hornet Sportabout

28. 1963 Top 10 hit for Paul Petersen : MY DAD - Link away~! Way before my time

30. Function opening? : MAL - You get it this time, HeartRx~? I went with "DYS" again

31. Speculator of a sort : DAY TRADER

33. Early business language : COBOL - Another "throw it in there, and it sticks" answer

37. '50s-'60s civil rights activist : EVERS

38. Saturn, for one : GAS PLANET - I had the PLANET part, but for some reason, was really trying to get "EXO" in there - and I knew that 23d was dead on, so the "S" had to stay - duh

39. Sched. maker : IRS - Dah~! I was just talking to my accountant friend today, and this did not occur to me - the Internal Revenue Service and their 1040 breakdowns

40. Eyelashes : CILIA - Ooops....put the ol' "S" in there at the end for the plural, neglecting the Latin - does anyone know some one who is "uno-supercilium"~?

41. ID'ed : MADE - Like undercovers in cop shows

42. Org. chaired by Reince Priebus : RNC - Republican National Convention; perps

43. Scribble : JOT

44. Year Columbus began his fourth voyage : MDII - Hey~!!  My Roman numeral WAG was right on~!  I knew that it would be post-MCDXCII....

46. Corresponds : AGREES

48. Bandy words : SPAR - bandy, the verb; having a verbal dispute

49. Mint : NEW

52. Tanks, so to speak : FAILS - again the verb, not the armored vehicle, nor the armless shirt

53. Distinct : DISPARATE

55. "So Much in Love" pop group, with "The" : TYMES - not familiar to me, perps and a WAG

56. Non-profit whose corporate sponsors include Purina : ADOPT-A-PET

57. Words often evoking 58-Across : SEE ME - Circumferential on a Saturday....Teacher needs to see me after school....my buddy from UPS let me borrow his bootleg VH DVD from 1982 - wow

58. Common reaction to 57-Across : TENSENESS

DOWN:

1. Boundaries : ENDS

2. Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy : REID - I knew I spelled his name wrong ( E, not I )

3. Colortrak TVs, e.g. : RCAs - an educated WAG

4. SSTs flew over it : ATLantic - Ocean; JFK NY to London or Paris - used to rocket over my first house here on L.I.

5. Smart : NATTY - ah, not WITTY, but 60% correct

6. Annoyed big time : DROVE MAD - DAH~!  I had put ---ERED in, thinking we might be looking for something like 'ANGERED', and that was no help at all....

8. Linear, briefly : ONE-D - this one keeps fooling me; One dimensional

9. "Roundabout" band : YES - I did not much care for anything but "Owner of a Lonely Heart" from them; too progressive, even for a 70's band

10. In the brain, to a Brit : UP TOP - Funny, but my parents are/were from England, and I have not heard this from them - ever.

11. In proximity : NEAR

12. Competitor of NYC's Latin Quarter : COPACABANA - Her name was Lola - oh, sorry, that's the Copa I know - and then I remembered this scene from Goodfellas

13. Like much of the Mariana Trench : UNEXPLORED - Bang~!  Got it

14. Innsbruck's state : TYROL - mostly perps, and a WAG - Austria

21. Hunk's asset : BOD(y) - I went with ABS - BSSZZZT~!!

22. Very hot celestial orbs : O STARS - our sun is a G-type, 'yellow dwarf'

25. Together, musically : ADUE

26. Posthumous 1987 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee : MARVIN GAYE

27. Phishing, e.g. : CYBERCRIME

29. Modeling accessory : DECAL - the kind of modeling I did as a child - the scale model cars and Star Wars vehicles

30. French address : MON AMI

32. Shot providers, briefly : RNs - because BARTENDERS did not fit

33. S.A. country : COLumbia - South America

34. Suffix with electro- : LYTE - ElectroLYTE, as in Gatorade

36. Tweetbot and GoodReader : iPAD APPS - I'll take Barry's word for it; I have a Samsung

40. Nasdaq listings : COs - COmpanies; seems silly I did not get this on the first pass

42. They may be rubber : RAFTS - oh, uh....not um, TREES

43. Aaron's "Breaking Bad" role : JESSE - have not seen the show (gasp~!) but I have heard enough to know something about it; I am done with my Buck Rogers box set - I think it's on to "Dexter" now

45. Steamed : IRATE

47. B or C, but not A or D : ELEMent - Dang~!  Took too long for me to recognize this old fooler - B = Boron, C = Carbon, but no elements for A or D

48. Faction : SIDE - Dah~! Not SECT

49. View from behind? : NAPE - my first thought with the "N" in place, but I waited

50. Nice summers : ETEs

51. Moistens : WETS

53. Brooklynese pronoun : DAT

54. Appeared in print : RAN

Splynter

Friday, October 3, 2014, Mark McClain

Theme: Doctor Dennis, I just want to feel like a real woman, help me please, I need double Ds added! Ironic isn't that Doctor Dennis can be abbreviated DD.

A fun letter addition puzzle from what appears to be a first time constructor. DD is inserted into in the last word of an in the language phrase (2 three word phrases and 1 two word phrase) and is often the case when double Ds are introduced, the fun ensues. As with many Fridays these days, lots of 4 letter words, though ADDED UP, FT. DIX, NJ,  KIDNEYS, SANTA FE, TSETSES offer some sparkle. Always nice to welcome a new creative mind.

17A. Duck royalty? : PRINCE OF WADDLES. Really cute visual, as the Prince of Wales morphs into a duck. Can you see George's daddy waddling about? Steve. NC?

26A. Heck of a pop? : ONE FINE DADDY. One fine day...LINK. (2:15)

48A. Trader who doesn't take the market seriously? : STOCK PIDDLER. Another great visual; the word is synonymous with DIDDLE.

63A. Classified instrument? : TOP SECRET FIDDLE. Another really fun fill.

Across:

1. Wine order : GLASS. I tend to drink by the glass, though most real wine drinkers order the bottle.
22A. In the cooler : ON ICE, most whites are chilled. 29D. Quaff : DRINK. 58D. Wine opener? : OENOphile.

6. NFL linemen : CTRS. CenTeRS.

10. European capital : KIEV. Capital of the troubled Ukraine.

14. Kind of comprehension : AURAL. We know AURAL relates to the ear, so this THEORY of learning makes sense.

15. Basket : HOOP. Sports terminology from basketball.

16. Land in un lago : ISLA. An island in a Spanish Lake.

20. It may be taken : SEAT. Teachers always want students to take these.

21. French 101 pronoun : VOUS. The less intimate you.

23. Iowa city on I-35 : AMES.

25. Highly skilled ones : ADEPTS. A little stretch here..."oh here come the adepts."

31. Symbol seen in viola music : C CLEF. I defer to anyone and everyone on musical information.

32. Parisian map line : RUE. French for Street.

33. Oracle : SEER.

37. Edinburgh souvenir : TAM o shanter, the cap.

38. Army post merged with McGuire AFB and Naval Air Engineering Station Lakehurst : FT DIX NJ.  Obscure fact but great consonants.

42. Youngest goal scorer in MLS history : ADU.

43. Hops kiln : OAST. By now everyone should be familiar with this brewery necessity.

45. Took top honors : WON.

46. Exasperated cry : AARGH.

52. Some runners : MILERS. So?

55. Betrayed, in a way : USED.

56. Like most tupelo leaves : OVATE. It means egg shaped, but I could not find any pictures.

57. His epitaph reads "And the beat goes on" : BONO. Sonny

59. Part of a roof : EAVE.

66. Language that gave us "plaid" : ERSE. Since they wear it, I guess it makes sense.

67. Green Gables girl : ANNE. Published: June 1908, Author: Lucy Maud Montgomery, Preceded by: Before Green Gables, Followed by: Anne of Avonlea, Characters: Anne Shirley, Gilbert Blythe, Marilla Cuthbert (per wiki).

68. Provider of store melodies : MUZAK. HISTORY.

69. Caustic cleaners : LYES.

70. __ swings : MOOD. Be happy, therefore...

71. Slanted columns : OP-EDS. No arguments this time, okay?

Down:

1. Mountain passes : GAPS. Isn't amazing how much Michael Strahan we get on TV these days.

2. Angler's item : LURE.

3. The "Toreador Song," for one : ARIA. From Carmen. LINK. (5:47).

4. 19th-century trail terminus : SANTA FE. It started in Franklin Missouri.

5. Utah luggage tag initials : SLC. Salt Lake City. A correct airport code.

6. Pick : CHOOSE.

7. Vegan menu item : TOFU. Soy or no soy? Lucina?

8. Garden divisions : ROWS.

9. Spring resort : SPA. Hot springs, perhaps.

10. Vital pair : KIDNEYS.

11. Town including part of Fire Island : ISLIP. Also home of an airport.

12. Pick : ELECT.

13. Florist's inventory : VASES.

18. Not-one link : EVEN. Not even one person came to the yard sale.

19. Longtime Connecticut senator : DODD. A bonus DD.  He was CONTROVERSIAL  but his son went on and became a senator also. He only served two terms, so long time is an exaggeration. He initially lost to George HW Bush's father Prescott in a race for senate. My childhood was in Connecticut. (From C.C.: I think the clue refers to Chris Dodd.)

24. Offend : MIFF.

25. Gulf of __ : ADEN.

26. Numerical prefix : OCTO. Like doc ock, 8.

27. Sports regulatory org. : NCAA. National Collegiate Athletic Association.

28. Canopy components at the Mall in Central Park : ELMS. They are really impressive. READ.

30. Verb type: Abbr. : AUX. Teachers, we have Action, Linking and Auxiliary Verbs, correct?

34. One titled "Lord" : EARL.

35. Do lawn work : EDGE.

36. River past Duisburg : RUHR. A name you need to memorize.

39. Uncommon bills : TWOS. We have a young man at work who always carries them.

40. Bashful companion? : DOC. The Seven Dwarfs. Did this fool you?

41. Green stone : JADE.

44. Sleeping sickness carriers : TSETSES.

47. Seemed logical : ADDED UP.

49. Place for a nest egg : TREE. Nice misdirection with a very literal clue/fill.

50. Gave up the ball : PUNTED. Football.

51. "Time __ the essence" : IS OF. Never when I am blogging.

52. Roadside business : MOTEL. $40.00 a night, or $20.00 if you make your own bed.

53. Creamy white : IVORY. Like the soap, or the wedding dress?

54. Memory problem : LAPSE.

57. Czech Republic's second-largest city : BRNO. A name you need to memorize.

60. Carving tool : ADZE.

61. Historic "Impaler" : VLAD. Dracula.

62. Comics screams : EEKS.

64. Carolina quarterback Newton : CAM. Carolina Panther quarterback out of Auburn. Was initially a Gator along with Tim Tebow.

65. Letters before a view, maybe : IMO. In my opinion it is time to go.

Wow another new constructor starting here, and another new month, this one will feature another 25 hour fast (starting sundown tonight) my Charlotte's second birthday and maybe a hint of fall in the air. Enjoy all. Lemonade out.

Thursday, October 2, 2014 Jeffrey Wechsler

Theme: "Climb Ev'ry Mountain"

3-Down. Classic music hall song that lent its melody to the "Howdy Doody" theme : TA-RA-RA BOOM-DE-AY. Sung by the character Winnie-Woopsie Tapatit. I never knew the words until I looked it up.

5-Down. Lake Erie city : TOLEDO, OHIO. Home of Katie Holmes, Jamie Farr and Danny Thomas, among others.

13-Down. Unalaska, e.g. : ALEUTIAN ISLAND. Map.

30-Down. "No one knows" : WHO CAN TELL?

And the reveal:

7-Down. Apt challenger of this puzzle's circled locations : MOUNTAIN CLIMBER. Four mountains appear, if you read the circles from bottom to top: A-R-A-R-A-T, H-O-O-D, S-I-N-A-I and E-T-N-A. I know from personal experience, that getting to the top is only half the battle!

Marti (L) and friend Erica in the Italian Alps, ca. 2008

I solved the NW corner before stumbling onto the reveal at 7-Down, so I could immediately fill in that grid spanner, with T-A-R-A-R-A in place!  That's probably why this felt more like a Tuesday puzzle to me.

Across

1. Hint : GET AT.

6. Insincere flattery : SMARM. The origin of the word is unknown, but may stem from the early 1900s. Possibly from "smear" or "smooth," as in smearing hair with pomade to make it slick.

11. Town in a Hersey title : ADANO.

12. Book before Joel : HOSEA.

13. Roadie's burden : AMP. Three letters? Roadie? Fill in AMP and move on...

16. Like some ALS Ice Bucket Challenge videos : VIRAL. Here are some hilarious "fails." (Caution: some f-bombs.)

17. Home of the bush ballad : AUSTRALIA. Bush? 9 letters? Enter AUSTRALIA and move on!

19. Greek letter : ETA. ETA, rho, tau, phi, chi or psi? (Check perps!)

20. Take in : EARN.

22. Hardest to get close to : ICIEST. Like Splynter's college "ice princess."

23. Rocky pinnacle : TOR. Another challenge to a MOUNTAIN CLIMBER?

24. Brit who might lose a stone? : DIETER.  Should be a gimme for Steve and Nice Cuppa! The British stone is used for measuring weight, and is equal to 14 lbs.

26. __ tape : DUCT. It was first developed by Johnson and Johnson in WWII to help waterproof ammo cans.  The soldiers dubbed it "duck" tape for that reason. After the war, JandJ developed a silver version to seal heating ducts, among other things. That is when the name morphed into DUCT.

27. Cicero, for one : ORATOR.

29. From the top : ANEW.

31. Half a drink : -TAI. Mai-TAI.

32. CV component : BIO.graphy - Curriculum Vitae.

33. Three sheets to the wind : LIT.

34. Selassie of Ethiopia : HAILE.

36. Stew base : BROTH.

38. Snake eye? : ONE. I assume this refers to a die. In craps, a pair of ones is referred to as "snake eyes."

39. Doctoral candidate's hurdle : ORALS.

40. Seventh-century pope : LEO II.

41. Blu-ray player ancestor : VCR. Ancestor?  Boy, do I feel old!!

42. Swindle : CON.

43. Sturdy tree : ELM.

44. Astra or Insignia : OPEL. No clue - four perps helped me nail it, though!

46. Salad vegetable : RADISH.

49. DWI-fighting gp. : SADD. Driving While Intoxicated is fought by Students Against Destructive Decisions (formerly: Students Against Driving Drunk.)

51. Genesis : ORIGIN.

53. "__ Cried": 1962 hit for Jay and the Americans : SHE. You remember this?

54. Prepares (oneself), as for combat : STEELS.

56. Pooch sans papers : MUTT.

57. Diminutive, diminutively : LI'L. As in "L'IL Abner."

58. Fated : MEANT TO BE.

60. Send, in a way : EMAIL.

62. Ice cream maker Joseph : EDY. Three letters? Ice cream? Fill in EDY and move on...

63. Bars with character, to some : DIVES.

64. Slower than adagio : LENTO. And another musical term at 46-Down. Slowing, in scores : RIT.ardando.

65. Act surprised : START.

66. Puts on cargo : LADES.


Down

1. Donated for the benefit of : GAVE TO.

2. One checking stories : EDITOR.

4. Santa __ Mountains : ANA.

6. Trading unit : SHARE. Oops - not "stock."

8. Long-eared beast : ASS.

9. Hit the hay : RETIRE.

10. Painter Chagall : MARC. His "The Fiddler" is the painting that inspired the title for "Fiddler on the Roof."

14. Name incorrectly : MISCALL.

15. McDonald's supply : PATTIES.

18. Succor : AID.

21. Service station offering : AIR.

25. Wide key : ENTER.

28. Small South American monkey : TITI. "Titi" is also the French nickname for "Tweety Bird."

33. Enthusiast : LOVER.

35. Yankee suspended for the 2014 season : A-ROD. Suspended for use of performace-enhancing drugs. Tsk tsk.

36. Start of a confession :"BLESS ME...father, for I have sinned." And 61-Down. __ culpa : MEA.  ("My fault!")

37. Like family : RELATED.

45. Reminder of a kind : POST-IT.

47. Certain Muslim : SHI'ITE. I never know whether is should be spelled with an apostrophe or not. I've seen it both ways.

48. Greetings : HELLOS.

50. Room with a remote, often : DEN.

52. Letterman interviewee, say : GUEST. Pick your favorite!

55. Old Fords : LTDs. EL-TEE-DEE. (Not "limited.")"Luxury Trim Decor?" "Limited Trim Designation?" "Lincoln Type Design?" It's a mystery...

59. Reproductive cells : OVA. Plural of "ovum." Don't put them all in one basket!

I'm done - your turn!

Marti

Wednesday, Oct 1, 2014 Gail Grabowski and Bruce Venzke

Theme: PO BOX.  The theme answers are all two word entries beginning with the letter P and ending with the letter O, so that the P and O BOX in the other letters - a type of bookend theme.

18 A. System with a Porte de Versailles station : PARIS METRO.   The rapid transit system of Paris, France, with 16 lines consisting of 133 miles of rail and 303 stations.

25 A. Instrument using rolls : PLAYER PIANO.   A mechanically driven piano whose playing is controlled by perforated paper rolls.  Sales peaked in 1924, then fell off as phonograph record and radio broadcast music became more common.

47 A. In the U.S., it has more than 950 stations : PUBLIC RADIO.  Radio broadcasting whose primary mission is public service.  Funding sources include license fees, individual contributions, public financing and commercial financing.

63 A. Pasta sauce ingredient : PLUM TOMATO.  A type of oval tomato well suited for sauce making because it is denser and has fewer seed compartments than other tomatoes. Roma is a well known variety. 

And the unifier - 55 D. Many a bus. address, and a literal hint to 18-, 25-, 47- and 63-Across : P. O. BOX.  A Post Office BOX is a locked box with a unique address located at a post office.  Many countries do not have door to door delivery, and this is the only way residents can receive mail.

All the theme answers are straightforward, in-the-language phrases with easily recognizable meanings.  No humor or twists this time.

Hi gang, and rabbit rabbit.  JzB here.  Let's see what the rest of this posting has for us.

Across

1. Lollobrigida of film : GINA. An Italian film star of the 50's, perhaps best known for her ample bosom, who went on to become a photographer and journalist.

Source

5. Just for laughs : IN FUN.  For kicks and giggles.

10. Stand watch for, say : ABET.  Assist in a criminal activity

14. Kosher food carrier : EL AL.  Israeli airline.

15. Half a classic comedy team : MEARA. Anne, along with husband Jerry Stiller.  They are also the parents of actors Ben Stiller and Amy Stiller.

16. Sound from an Abyssinian : PURR.  Cat stuff.

Source

17. Twice-monthly tide : NEAP.  This tide occurs when the moon is in first or third quarter, and the the gravitational forces of sun and moon are operating at right angles, and thus oppose each other.  This is the time when the difference between high and low tides is the least.

20. Not pure : UNCHASTE.  CHASTE refers either to sexual abstinence or being austere and unadorned. UNCHASTE is the opposite.   But some of the most UNCHASTE are the most chased.  Go figure.

22. Respectful bow : CURTSY.  Specifically a type of bow performed by a female in which the knee is bent [in a gesture of submission] while the head is bowed, distinct from the male bow at the waste.

23. Flower part : SEPAL. Anatomy of a bud.

Source

24. River blocker : DAM.

 Look at that dammed river

33. Acapulco dough : PESO.  Mexican money.

37. Six-Day War statesman : EBAN.  Originally Aubrey Solomon, born in So. Africa, Feb 2, 1915, died in Tel Aviv, Nov 17, 2002.

38. Ending for bobby : SOXER.  A teen age girl or young woman following the fashion fad of the 40's and 50's that included rolled down white socks with saddle shoes, loafers or oxfords.  The poodle skirt was an optional accessory.

Source

39. Tech support caller : USER. Of computer hardware and software.

40. Long Island airport town : ISLIP.  Near the middle of the south shore.

42. "What __ you thinking?" : WERE.  Well, sometimes I have these brain fades . . .

43. NFLer until 1994 : L A RAM.  The Rams were in Cleveland from 1937 to 1945.  They moved to L.A. in 1946, and thence to St. Louis in 1994.  I guess I'd rather see NFLer in the clue than the fill.

46. Fusses : ADOS. Yesterday, we only had one of them.

50. Defective firecracker : DUD.  Actually, anything that fails to work properly, and is unsatisfactory or useless.

51. Defeat decisively : WHOMP.

56. Most joyful : GAYEST.  In an earlier, simpler time.

60. Vegas hotel known for its fountains : BELLAGIO.

Source

65. Bacon buy : SLAB.  Rasher doesn't fit.

66. Longfellow's "The Bell of __" : ATRI.  Too long to quote in full and too run-on to excerpt.  You can read it here.

67. Knighted golf analyst : FALDO.  Sir Nicholas Alexander Faldo (born 18 July 1957) has 40 professional wins to his credit, including 30 on the European tour, three British opens, and three Masters.  In 2006 he became the lead golf analyst for CBS Sports.

68. Fictional submariner : NEMO.  From Jules Verne's novel 20,000 Leagues Beneath the Sea.

69. Nursery supply : SOIL.  It's a dirty job.

70. Impose unjustifiably : FOIST.

71. Cereal "for kids" : TRIX.

 Silly Rabbit Rabbit

Down

1. Biological group : GENUS.  A principal taxonomic category that ranks above species and below family.

2. Graff of "Mr. Belvedere" : ILENE. She played Marsha Owens, the wife of Bob Uecker's character, George.

3. Anti-discrimination org. : NAACP. National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.  

4. Dominant, among animals : ALPHA.  The leader of the pack.

5. Rascals : IMPS. Little devils

6. In order : NEAT. On this blog, as was pointed out yesterday, it means without ice.

7. Cab __ : FARE.  The price of transportation.

8. Ocean State coll. : URI. University of Rhode Island.

9. Daytona 500 org. : NASCAR.  National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing.  What's a little redundancy when you're going 195 miles per?

10. One making impressions : APER.  Impressions being the actions of mimicking someone. Thus, an APER is a copy cat. 

11. Intrude, with "in" : BUTT.  To push into a conversation, frex, when not invited, from the head butting actions of  [not necessarily the L. A.]  rams.

12. Blunders : ERRS.  Goofs, drops the ball.

13. "Iliad" setting : TROY. Ancient city in northwest Anatolia [modern Turkey] south of the western end of The Dardenelles.

19. Childhood ailment, typically : MUMPS.  A viral disease characterized by painful swelling of the salivary glands.  Usually it's not serious, but some uncommon complications can be.

21. Wildspitze, for one : ALP. European mountain.

24. Didn't allow : DENIED.

26. Aromatic garland : LEI.  Does everyone who goes to Hawaii get LEIed?

 Well, do they?

27. Ridiculous : ABSURD.

28. 1945 conference city : YALTA.  Feb 4 - 11.   Franklin D. Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, And Joseph Stalin met to discuss Europe's post WW II reorganization.

29. Home to Cedar Falls and Cedar Rapids : IOWA.

30. Chopped down : AXED.

31. "I, Claudius" role : NERO.  Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus; 15 December 37 – 9 June 68) was Roman Emperor from 54 to 68, and the last in the Julio-Claudian dynasty.

32. Unrefined finds : ORES.

33. Juicer refuse : PULP.  The stringy content of the fruit’s endocarp, from which the juice is removed.

34. Son of Isaac : ESAU.  He sold his birthright to his twin brother for a bowl of red pottage.  Nothing good came of this.

35. Belgrade native : SERB.  Belgrade is the capital and largest city in Serbia.

36. Like some presentations : ORAL.   Spoken

41. Letters on tires : PSI.  Pressure, in Pounds per Square Inch.

44. Center : MIDST.   Like this

48. Discontinued : CUTOFF.

49. Nocturnal bird of prey : OWL.

 Australian Barking Owl

52. Lacks : HASN'T.

53. Obvious flirt : OGLER.  To OGLE is to stare in a lecherous manner.  Not sure this is quite the same thing as flirting.

54. Biscayne Bay city : MIAMI.  Florida.

 If you can't stand the Heat  .  .  .

56. Data in coll. transcripts : GPAs.  Grade Point Averages.

57. Middle harmony choral part : ALTO.   From the bottom up bass, tenor, ALTO, soprano.

58. Doctor Zhivago : YURI.  His given name

59. Jannings of "The Blue Angel" : EMIL. He received the first Oscar ever presented, for Best Actor in 1929.

60. Indonesian resort island : BALI. 

Not necessarily an island paradise

61. LAX data : ETDs.  Estimated Time of Departure.  Or arrival.  Always need perp help.

62. Burglar's haul : LOOT. 

64. "Little Red Book" writer : MAO.  Zedong or Tse-tung, depending on how the Chinese is anglicized  (December 26, 1893 – September 9, 1976.)  He founded the People's Republic of China in 1949, which he ruled until his death.  He was either a great leader who modernized China or a brutal dictator, depending on one's point of view.

Thus ends this missive.  Hope you all enjoyed it.

Cool regards!
JzB

Tuesday, September 30, 2014 Steve Blais

Theme: You can keep your shirt on - Themes start with things you might lose.

17A. Reminder to be polite : MIND YOUR MANNERS. Lose your mind.

23A. Assets-and-liabilities statement : BALANCE SHEET. Lose your balance.

40A. "Congratulations!" : "WAY TO GO!". Lose your way.

51A. 1993 film about a novice Olympic bobsled team : "COOL RUNNINGS" (They were from Jamaica.). Lose your cool.

62A. What risktakers have ... and what the starts of 17-, 23-, 40- and 51-Across can be? : SOMETHING TO LOSE

Argyle here. A lot of names again but fewer abbreviations. (I didn't count them.) Two spanners also. All in all, quite like Monday.

Across:

1. Cross in some hieroglyphics : ANKH

5. Guinness of "Star Wars" : ALEC. and 14A. "Star Wars" princess : LEIA

9. Most of its panhandle is in the Pacific Time Zone : IDAHO. Note some of (update) Oregon is Mountain Time Zone.

15. "Hawaii Five-O" nickname : DANO. "Book 'em, Dano!"

16. At lunch, say : NOT IN

20. Pond growth : ALGAE

21. Churn up : ROIL

22. "__-haw!" : YEE. YEE or HEE, gotta wait on the perp.

27. Judge at a base : UMPIRE

30. Flower pot filler : SOIL

31. Something to brag about : FEAT

32. Perform perfectly : NAIL

36. Dance movements : STEPS

39. Rower's blade : OAR

42. Be a contender : VIE

43. Word with whisper or fright : STAGE

45. It's a gas in Canada : ESSO

46. Copper-plated coin : CENT

47. Without ice : NEAT. Finally, right Tin?

49. Millionaire's accumulation : WEALTH

56. Incoming flight info: Abbr. : ARR. (arrivals)

57. Any minute now : SOON

58. Hop out of bed : GET UP

66. Nursery rhyme tart taker : KNAVE. Who knew?

67. Large cross : ROOD

68. Blessing ender : AMEN

69. Repaired, as a shoe : SOLED. From a bygone era.

70. Approximate figs. : ESTs

71. Ties the knot : WEDS

Down:

1. __ mater : ALMA

2. Astronaut Armstrong : NEIL

3. Checkmate victim : KING

4. Tasted, with "of" : HAD A BIT

5. "And now, without further __ ..." : ADO

6. 2000s first lady Bush : LAURA

7. 2001 bankruptcy filer : ENRON

8. Stand-up individual? : COMIC

9. Road trip stopover : INN

10. Crime family boss : DON

11. Right in front of one's face : AT EYE LEVEL

12. New recruit : HIREE

13. Beginning : ONSET

18. Magazine subscription period : YEAR

19. Many microbrews : ALEs

24. "Stormy Weather" singer Horne : LENA

25. "Nothing special" : "SO-SO"

26. Bit of Google success : HIT. Easier on your teeth than Bit-O-Honey.

27. Sci-fi transports : UFOs

28. Veggie platter's lack : MEAT

29. Like "The X-Files" cases : PARANORMAL

33. Thumbs-up vote : AYE

34. For what __ worth : IT'S

35. Part of LAPD : LOS. (Los Angeles Police Department)

37. Ice cream buy : PINT. It still could be Edy's.

38. "Family Guy" creator MacFarlane : SETH

40. Wash-and-__ : WEAR

41. Prom attire : GOWN

44. Hair goo : GEL

46. Source of legal precedents : CASE LAW

48. Rear end : TUSH. I still LOL at the end of the clip.

50. "Thick & Fluffy" breakfast brand : EGGO

51. Big barrels : CASKS

52. Maine campus town : ORONO

53. Bete __ : NOIRE

54. Verboten things : NO-NOs

55. Weighty gold bar : INGOT

59. Weighty work : TOME

60. Pre-owned : USED

61. Rollerballs, e.g. : PENS

63. First lady? : EVE

64. Actor Danson : TED. He has gone from Cheers to CSI.

65. QB's scores : TDs

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

Happy Birthday to Pje (Pat), the milk man's daughter :-). You can read more about Pat here. She's been a quiet influence in our blog, always offering comfort when someone needs help.