Wednesday, October 8, 2014 Jeff Stillman

Theme: Dark Matters - or who turned the light out?

17A. Rooftop energy generators : SOLAR PANELS. If there's one part of the country where it should be a no-brainer installing these it's where I live, Southern California.

27A. Removable denture : PARTIAL PLATE. You probably don't want to go and Google the images of one of these.

43A. Apollo 11 achievement : LUNAR LANDING. This was the first time that BBC Television broadcast live at night in the UK, so huge excitement for us kids. It was about 4AM GMT that Neil Armstrong stepped down the ladder.

58A. Eidetic memory : TOTAL RECALL. A phrase-learning moment for me. Eidetic: "relating to or denoting mental images having unusual vividness and detail, as if actually visible.". I'd resolve to use it in a sentence today but that's probably going to be a bit of a stretch.

35D. 17-, 27-, 43- and 58-Across begin with types of them : ECLIPSES

Oh wait - wrong kinds of Eclipse!

There, that's better.

Morning all - Steve here, with the pleasure of introducing Jeff's own "Game of Shadows". It took me a little longer than usual - I had to leave the NW corner alone and go back to it at the end. The "1919" reference at 1A had me thinking of the World Series scandal for some reason and it took every cross to stop me trying to shoehorn (!) "Shoeless Joe" in there somehow. Eventually sanity prevailed, but it wasn't an eidetic moment.

Let's see what else we've got.

Across:

1. Subject of a historic 1919 sports deal, with "The" : BABE. The beginning of "The Curse" for the Red Sox.

5. Type of large TV : PLASMA. It's funny how quickly "hot" technology is superseded these days. Panasonic are closing their last plasma TV production facility this year.

11. Pre-LCD screen : CRT. Coincidence? It's LCD technology that's putting plasma out to grass.

14. Enthusiastic : AVID. TV tech mini-theme. Avid is also one of the world's leading manufacturers of TV post-production editing equipment.

15. Virgil epic : AENEID. Nailed it!

16. Informal greeting : HEY

19. Hieroglyphics snake : ASP. New-to-me clue which is much fresher than the "Nile biter" of yore.

20. Standard deviation symbol : SIGMA. Had to dig into my statistics class memory for this one.

21. Picked-up pickup, perhaps : REPO. Crosses filled this, I didn't see the cute clue until just now.

22. On the level : TRUE

23. Keats' "__ to a Nightingale" : ODE. The nightingale's song is a lovely part of the dawn chorus

24. Hopper : BIN

26. Markets : SELLS

31. Marseille menu : CARTE. Food! You'll find bouillabaisse on a Marseille menu. Now there's a handy crossword word, no?

33. College Football Playoff gp. : NCAA. We've seen a lot of this recently. It is a darn handy abbreviation though.

34. Image on a 42-Down, briefly : TAT. "If you're getting one, I'll get a tat too".

35. TV hillbilly __ May Clampett : ELLY. Thank you crosses. Before my (USA) time.

36. Looks toward : FACES

38. Opening night nightmares : PANS. Not bouillabaisse cook pots? Darn!

39. Lovey-dovey murmur : COO

40. Surrounding glow : AURA. The corona around a full solar eclipse could be described as an aura.

41. Peter or Paul : SAINT

46. Latin clarifier : ID EST. i.e. an additional explanation.

47. Fearful squeal : EEK

48. Dr.'s group : A.M.A. American Medical Association.

51. Medium rare : PINK. Food! You order a steak medium-rare, you order your lamb pink. Why? Because! If you're in Marseille you'd call it "à point". If you want to get thrown out of the restaurant and chased down the street by the chef brandishing a sharp knife, you'd order it well-done ("bien cuit") and then ask for ketchup.

52. Farrier's file : RASP

55. Restrict : LIMIT

57. Witness : SEE

60. Kin of -trix : ESS. I was trying to think of how to explain this to a family audience and decided I can't. So I'm left with "Dominatrix Goddess" which I think sums it up rather nicely.

61. Geometric figure with equal angles : ISOGON. I think I learned this today. I don't think I ever knew there was a word to describe a regular polygon beyond an equilateral triangle.

62. Sicilian rumbler : ETNA

63. AL and MO : STS. I've visited the fine states of both Missouri and Alabama.

64. Tropical fruit : PAPAYA. Food! I like Jeff's puzzles.

65. Peters out : DIES

Down:

1. Opera villain, often : BASSO. If he's deeply villainous, is he a basso profondo?

2. Skirt : AVOID

3. Poppycock : BILGE

4. Dutch export : EDAM. And a mighty fine export it is.

5. Mushy food : PAP. Aaaw, burst my Food! bubble. I put POI first.

6. Absorbed, as lessons : LEARNT. I think this is much more elegant than LEARNED, in a similar way that I prefer DREAMT to DREAMED.

7. Ill-fated Boleyn : ANNE

8. Ooze : SEEP

9. "Bloom County" reporter : MILO

10. They often adorn city buses : ADS

11. Fraud : CHARLATAN. Great word.

12. Consequential : RESULTANT

13. Prepares for printing : TYPESETS. Does anyone actually typeset any more with the disappearance of hot metal, or is the process of computer-based layout design still called typesetting?

18. Morocco's capital : RABAT. A short ocean voyage through the Straits of Gibraltar and a scenic cruise off the south-east coast of Spain and before you know it you'll be waving at Les Marseillaises eating bouillabaisse.

22. __ Aviv : TEL. At the opposite end of the Mediterranean from Marseille.

25. Filled with rage : IREFUL. Hmmm. Not convinced about this one.

26. Relaxing getaway : SPA

27. Get too personal : PRY

28. Peruvian of yore : INCAN

29. Big shot in the sky : ACE.  A fighter ace, like this one:

30. Glasgow gal : LASSIE

31. Least fair, in a way : CLOUDIEST. Weather-related.

32. State of seclusion : ALONENESS. Had ANONYMITY first, which fit with the A**N* that was already there.

37. Constellation near Scorpius : ARA. Parseghian has a star cluster named after him? Awesome! Go Irish! :)

38. Oinker : PIG

40. Museum filler : ART. I think the artists might be miffed to discover their masterworks are mere "filler".

42. Common 34-Across site : ANKLE

44. Query : ASK

45. Position strategically : DEPLOY

48. Cremona craftsman : AMATI. One day, I'm going to be able to unerringly fill this one in without waiting for perps, nor wondering if I'm confusing it with that darn bell town.

49. "Now We Are Six" author : MILNE. I will never forgive Disney for what they did to A.A.Milne's wonderful prose and verse and E.H.Shepard's whimsical illustrations.

50. Geography volume : ATLAS

52. Santa __: Sonoma County seat : ROSA. I'm heading up north for a few days of food and wine tasting at the Santa Barbara Vintner's Festival of Harvest in Santa Ynez this weekend. Food! Wine! Yay!

53. At the apex of : ATOP

54. The "Star Wars" films, e.g. : SAGA

56. Like most cupcakes : ICED. Tinbeni - call it "frosting" and you'll be fine

58. Helpful hint : TIP

59. Messenger __ : RNA

That's me done - hope you enjoyed the puzzle as much as I did. See you all next time!

Steve

Notes from C.C.:

Happy Birthday to dear Jayce, whose presence here on the blog is a huge comfort to me. Jayce speaks Mandarin Chinese and is married to a lovely lady from Hong Kong where Cantonese is spoken. 

Jayce is super observant and caring. His comment yesterday "You, Ron, great job again!" is a good example. Ron likes to write "I, Ron" when he sees IRON in a puzzle.

Click here for a few more photos of Jayce and his wife, both serious foodies like our Steve. Something is going on in Marseille :-)

Wedding Day

Tuesday, October 7, 2014 Ron Toth & C.C. Burnikel

Theme: And here's the pitch - Musically, that is. I think.

26D. Sheet music quintet, and with 31-Down, what the first letters of 16-, 22-, 36-, 45- and 56-Across represent : STAFF. 31D. See 26-Down : LINES

16A. Symbol of a good try : E FOR EFFORT

22A. Movie for all : G-RATED FILM

36A. Straight-A student's bane : B-PLUS

45A. "Lady Chatterley's Lover" author : D. H. LAWRENCE

56A. Noted O.J. Simpson attorney : F. LEE BAILEY

Argyle here. A lot of entries for a Tuesday but not a problem for our constructors a due. If you don't recognize Ron, it's our own JzB. The two climbers are as long as the theme entries but not much chance of mistaking them for theme. Good job on the fill. The quintet is in order but I still don't understand musical notation, though. Your results may vary.

Across:

1. 18th Greek letter : SIGMA. Carries the 's' sound.

6. Instagram account creator : USER. I know as little about Instagram as I do music.

10. Gunpowder container : KEG. The number of kegs we've had lately, Zed may have it wrong.

13. Contest submission : ENTRY

14. Campus sports gp. : NCAA. (National Collegiate Athletic Association)

15. Call, retro-style : DIAL

18. To be, to Cato : ESSE. Some Latin.

19. Just okay : SO-SO

20. Place to apply gloss : LIP

21. Use unwisely, as time : WASTE

26. Organ near the stomach : SPLEEN

29. Playground threat : "I'LL TELL!"

32. Rips : TEARS

33. Clash of clans : FEUD

34. Ornamental pond fish : KOI

35. JFK postings : ARRs. (arrivals)

38. Show sleepiness : YAWN

39. Christmas tree : FIR

40. Follow one's new job, in Realtor-speak : RELO

41. Private student : TUTEE

42. Go up alone : FLY SOLO

44. Persian Gulf ships : OILERS

48. Gaze intently : STARE

50. Before, to Frost : ERE

51. Like skyscrapers : TALL

55. Bee flat? : HIVE. Cute.

59. Bone-dry : ARID

60. Bartlett cousin : BOSC Pears.

61. Like the man of one's dreams : IDEAL

62. Marry : WED

63. ''Yeah, sure!'' : "I BET!"

64. Tractor maker : DEERE

Down:

1. Goes out with : SEES

2. Data : INFO

3. Classic Pontiacs : GTOs

4. "Won't you be my neighbor?" TV host : MR. ROGERS

5. Nautical consent : AYE

6. Not up to the job : UNFIT

7. Check (out) : SCOPE

8. Musical skill : EAR. Another theme reference.

9. Singer in an interrogation room? : RAT. Ok, this "singer" isn't musically related.

10. Musical inspired by "The Taming of the Shrew" : "KISS ME KATE". Originally produced in 1948 on Broadway. It garnered five Tony Awards in 1949.

11. Fort Worth-to-Dallas direction : EAST

12. Merriment : GLEE

15. Passed out cards : DEALT

17. Caramel-topped custard dessert : FLAN

21. Like some very bad pitches : WILD. And here we combine music and baseball.

23. Legal matter : RES

24. God, in Grenoble : DIEU

25. Reasons for school absences : FLUs. Shortened form of influenzas.

27. Danger : PERIL

28. "Seinfeld" co-creator : LARRY DAVID

30. Farther down : LOWER

33. Progressive Insurance spokeswoman : FLO. If you haven't seen Flo, I won't be the one to break your bliss.

36. "Dracula" star Lugosi : BELA

37. Furrow the fields : PLOW

38. Christmas season : YULETIDE

40. Part on stage : ROLE

41. Muscle spasm : TIC

43. Destroy, as files : SHRED

44. Premium plane seat, usually : ONE B

46. Pee Wee in Brooklyn : REESE. Great shortstop.

47. Upright : ERECT

48. "Pygmalion" playwright : SHAW. George Bernard Shaw.

49. Radial __ : TIRE

52. Out of the wind : ALEE

53. Goneril's father : LEAR

54. Country singer Lovett : LYLE. He's more than just country.

56. Source of DVD warnings : FBI

57. Easy throw : LOB

58. Help out : AID

Argyle


Notes from C.C.:

As Argyle mentioned earlier, Ron Toth is our own Jazzbumpa. We made two puzzles earlier this year, and were lucky to get both accepted. This is actually our first puzzle. The second one was published in August.

We initially had NOTES  as a reveal entry. Rich, who is a pianist, pointed out (via Patti) that "EGBDF are more than just NOTES... they represent the LINES on the treble clef STAFF. Happily, those two words are 5 letters; hopefully you can find symmetric places for them in the grid."


As his blog write-ups show, Ron is very creative, witty and hardworking. I had fun working with him.

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