Wednesday, January 14, 2015, Harald Hornung

Theme: BLOODY HELL!   Common two-word adjective-plus-noun phrases are re-imagined in such a way that the adjective is used as a British pejorative.  Clever use of alternate meanings.  The word "confounded" in all the theme clues had me on the wrong track right away, thinking that the modified word would be mixed up rather than a cause of anger or annoyance.   So this additional use of an alternate meaning in the clue confounded me from the get go.

20 A. Confounded British illumination? : BLINKING LIGHTS.  Lights that flash on and off or lights that cause consternation. You decide

40 A. Confounded British posies? : BLOOMING FLOWERS.  Who could be annoyed by these buds opening up and showing off their beauty?  Someone with a pollen allergy, perhaps.

56 A. Confounded British residences? : FLIPPING HOUSES.   To flip a house is an attempt at real estate arbitrage: buying it for a [presumed] cheap price and then selling it quickly for dear.  During the bubble a decade or so ago, properties could be flipped repeatedly in the same day.  Not so much any more.  After the crash [pro tip: bubbles ALWAYS crash] FLIPPING those FLIPPING HOUSES got a lot harder, more risky and less profitable.

Hi gang, JazzBumpa here.  Maybe Steve should have had this one.  I'll admit, solving it was not a doodle for me.  Excellent theme, with a grid-spanner and two 14's.  Also, some impressive long downs.   Let's see if I can get through this write up without making a dog's dinner of it.

Across

1. Monday Night Football regular until 1983 : COSELL.  Howard.  He was a good announcer - for boxing, and by all accounts a fine human being who did a lot to promote the appreciation of black athletes in all sports.   Sadly, though, he knew bugger all about American football and his presence in the press box on Monday nights was a flipping embarrassment.  

7. Gobbled, as a turkey : ATE.  An American tradition is to gobble the gobbler and fall asleep on the couch watching football.

10. Site with a "Buy It Now" option : EBAY.  Etail pioneer.

14. Mecca's peninsula : ARABIA.  Geography

15. In the bath : WET.  Or in car wash.  Soapy, too. 

16. "__ Rock" : I AM A.  Feeling no pain.

17. Hires a new crew for : REMANS.

18. Styled after : A LA.

19. Shot up : GREW.  Quickly.  Not to be confused with launched, did drugs, or filled with bullets.

23. Jamaican genre : SKA.

24. Walkway material : SLATE.  Alternative to concrete.  It has a very smooth surface that can be hazardous in winter.

25. Meter or liter : UNIT of measurement.

29. Med. plan option : HMO.  Health Maintenance Organization.

31. "Twin Peaks" co-creator David : LYNCH.   It's coming back next year. 

34. White House maiden name between Pierce and Welch : RODHAM.  Recent first ladies.  One of these ladies could also be the first at something else.

37. Dr. J hairstyle : AFRO.  Julius Erving was a basketball star in the 70's and early 80's.

 Source

39. Lone Ranger and Tonto, e.g. : DUO.  Like Batman and Robin.

43. First __ : AID.  Amateur medical treatment for minor injuries.

44. Horner's find : PLUM.  Jack in a corner, with pie.

45. Have a strong desire (for) : STARVE for attention, maybe.

46. Things to fulfill : NEEDS.  Or wishes.

48. It's on the streets : TAR.   Macadam pavement.

50. Flanders river : YSER.  Map.

51. Vinegar vessel : CRUET.  A flat bottom, narrow-necked vessel, often with an integral spout and handle.

53. Dangerous snake : ASP.  The infamous Egyptian cobra.

62. Actor Bean of "Game of Thrones" : SEAN.   Lord Eddard Stark, like every character SEAN Bean plays, dies on screen.  Mercifully, you will not see it in this clip from season 1.   Embedding disabled.  You can see it here.

63. Aegean __ : SEA.  Between Greece and Turkey.

64. Give one's word : ASSURE.

65. Stock options, e.g. : PERK.   Short for perquisite, an extra prize given to someone due to their position.  Note that there is no consideration of merit.

66. WWII intel agcy. : O. S. S.  Office of Strategic Services.

67. Look through partially open curtains, say : PEER IN.   Peer out and peep in seem more likely.

68. Round components : ALES.  Rounds of drinks.  Nice deception.  Also making the rounds:
11 D. Round servers : BARTENDERS.   A round is one drink for everyone in the party.
47 D. Round components : DRINKS.   Steps toward getting loaded.
It's a clecho-go-round.

69. Vague degree : NTH.  Yes, it is not specified, but it means to whatever degree is necessary, generally assumed to be a very high degree indeed.

70. Flowed in circles : EDDIED.   You can see it happening early in the video taken where the pacific Ocean meets the Sea of Japan.




Down

1. Prep for a marathon, with "up" : CARB.  Carbohydrate loading to boost the energy reserve.

2. N.L. Cy Young Award winner three years after Dwight : OREL.  In 1985 Dwight Gooden of the N. Y. Mets went 24-4 with an amazing 1.53 ERA and 269 K's.   That's Earned Run Average, and strikeouts, for the uninitiated.  In 1988 OREL Hershiser of the L. A. Dodgers went 23-8 with a 2.26 ERA and 178 K's.  He also recorded 1 save.  Since 1967, 5 N. L. relief pitchers have won the award.  Among N. L. starters, only Hershiser recorded a save.

3. Nordic language : SAMI.  The SAMI people, speakers of this language, also known as Lapplanders, are the northernmost indigenous people of Europe.

4. "Voice of Israel" author : EBAN.    This book by Abba EBAN was published in 1969.

5. Rory McIlroy's milieu : LINKS.   Famous for McIlroy's sweet 'n' spicy maple chipotle sausages.  No, wait - he's a golfer.

Brassed off or cheeky?

6. Big name in vision correction : LASIK.   Laser eye surgery.

7. Like an excited puppy's tail : AWAG.  The dreaded a- word.  I'm not chased off, nor am I chuffed.  A bit of meh! perhaps; not my cup of tea.

8. Takes to task : TELLS OFF.  Scolds

9. Web business : ETAIL.  Electronic retail portmanteau.

10. San Francisco-to-Teaneck interstate : EIGHTY.   I-80 includes the OH and PA turnpikes.

Source

12. Iowa State city : AMES.   Iowa State University is in AMES.

13. Swerve from a course : YAW.   An unwanted right or left off-course deviation.

21. "I'll pass" : NAH.   Informal, slangy negation.

22. Clumsy sort : GALOOT.  I picture a rather large, nice but socially awkward guy in a western movie.

25. Citified : URBAN.  Ironically clued the other day as country singer Keith.

26. "Cross my heart" : NO LIE.  Declaration of honesty

27. "Bless my soul!" : I DO DECLARE.   Gor blimey! An exclamation of surprise.

28. Howe'er : THO.  But, but, but . . . abbreviated.

30. Molten rock : MAGMA.  While underground.  Above ground it's lava.

32. Bend : CURVE.  An arc.

33. Car wash employee, at times : HOSER.   Hose operator.

Source

 Equal time

 35. Excites : AMPS UP.   Amplifies anything, so I guess excitement could be included.  Not a rock solid connection, though.

36. Wire thickness unit : MIL.   Thousandth of an inch.

38. "Kidnapped" author's monogram : RLS.   Did Robert Louis Stevenson have restless leg syndrome?

41. Most eccentric : NUTTIEST.   Bonkers!

42. Manner : WAY.  Behavioral norms.

49. Cloth remnant : RAG.

52. HP competitor : EPSON.  Printers

54. Configure : SHAPE.

55. Prepared for a shot : POSED.  Like this.

56. Texture : FEEL.   The tactile quality of a surface or object.

57. "I don't mind eels / Except as meals / And the way they feels" poet : NASH.  A texture thing, I suppose; from Ogden NASH, who also gave us "Candy is dandy/ But liquor is quicker.

58. Previously driven, say : USED.  Cars

59. TomKat's daughter : SURI.  Modern couple portmanteau construction mashes the two names together, thus Tom and Katie give us TomKat, even long after they have split.   Katie comes from my home town, along the shore of  .  .  .

 In happier days

60. Lake at one end of the Niagara River : ERIE.

61. Final email step : SEND.   Once you push that button, it's too late to say, "Ooops!"

62. Place for a pedi : SPA.  Pedicure at a commercial establishment offering health and beauty treatments.

Well, there it is.  Not easy peasy by any means.  Looks like this might be the first L. A. Times puzzle for Harald Hornung, so congrats to him.   I thought the theme was brill, the whole puzzle was ace, and Bob's your uncle.

Cool regards!
JzB

P. S.  If you want to brush up your British slang, it can be found here.

Note from C.C.:

Happy Birthday to dear JD, who's exploring the Great Barrier Reef at the moment. She and her husband Bob have been visiting New Zealand (very beautiful, she said) and Australia.  She was in Melbourne when she emailed me two days ago. Have any of you been to Melbourne?

 

Left to Right: Cameron, Truman, Grady, JD & Dylan 

Tuesday, January 13, 2015 Tom Uttormark & C.C. Burnikel

Theme: WHO'S DA MAN? - T.A.'s the man.

17A. *Miracle Mets center fielder : TOMMIE AGEE

26A. *Creator of Daffy and Bugs : TEX AVERY

37A. *"Songs About Me" country singer : TRACE ADKINS

49A. *He voiced Buzz Lightyear in "Toy Story" : TIM ALLEN

58A. *Three-time Super Bowl-winning Cowboys quarterback : TROY AIKMAN

47D. Husk-wrapped Mexican dish, and when divided in three parts, a hint to the answers to starred clues : TAMALE. T A MALE

Argyle here, also Tom (desper-otto) Uttormark and C.C. Quite a few CSO's today; to be expected, I guess, given who our constructors are. The unifier ties it all together and quantifies it as a Tuesday puzzle.

Across:

1. Tie with a cord : BOLO

5. Acute anxiety : ANGST

10. Miss from Madrid: Abbr. : SRTA. (Señorita)

14. Texter's "That being said ..." : OTOH. (on the other hand...)

15. Get on the phone, say : REACH

16. Lustful look : LEER

19. ''If all __ fails ...'' : ELSE

20. Weed whacker : HOE

21. Friskies eater : CAT

22. "Your choice" : "NAME IT"

24. Skip over in pronunciation : ELIDE

28. Nevada gambling city : RENO

29. __ for the course : PAR

31. Variety show : REVUE

32. Dressing component : OLIVE OIL

36. Nav. rank : ENS. (Ensign)

39. Dashboard meas. : MPH. (miles per hour)

41. Unsettled detail : LOOSE END

42. Island near Venezuela : ARUBA. Wish I was there.

44. Mexican mama bear : OSA

45. Official records : ACTA. (plural noun)

52. European toast : SKOAL. English spelling of Skål or skál.

53. Come by : OBTAIN

54. Fraternal club member : ELK. CED provided this link of their secret meetings.

56. CCV x X : MML. 205x10=2050

57. Roughly : OR SO

61. Dumbfound : STUN

62. Wished (for) : HOPED

63. Odometer unit : MILE

64. Pajama parts : TOPS

65. Line in a ledger : ENTRY

66. Fret : STEW

Down:

1. Pester : BOTHER

2. Peter of "Goodbye, Mr. Chips" (1969) : O'TOOLE

3. Chinese noodle dish : LO MEIN

4. Unit of resistance : OHM

5. Bay __: Oakland's locale : AREA

6. Tidy : NEAT

7. Joke : GAG

8. Bad thing to make in public : SCENE

9. Bad thing to get at work : THE AX. It might be the result of 8D.

10. Record protector : SLEEVE. Some sleeves and album covers are worth more than the record itself.

11. Takes over for : RELIEVES

12. Trial in simulated conditions : TEST RUN

13. "You __ My Sunshine" : ARE

18. Skating surface : ICE

23. Large game fish : MARLIN

25. Way in : DOOR

26. High-level betrayal : TREASON

27. "You betcha!" : "YES!"

29. __ de gallo: salsa fresca : PICO

30. Chevy hatchback : AVEO

33. [I don't remember the words] : LA LA LA

34. Laudatory poems : ODEs

35. Swedish furniture giant : IKEA

37. Good sign from Ebert : THUMBS UP

38. Fargo's state: Abbr. : N. DAK. (North Dakota)

39. Yoga class rental : MAT

40. Before : PRIOR TO

43. They're waved by conductors : BATONS

46. Say "I do," say : COMMIT

48. Never seen before : ALL NEW

50. Supple : LITHE

51. Scandal-plagued energy giant : ENRON

52. Enjoy the slopes : SKI

54. Watcher : EYER

55. Title for Godiva : LADY

57. East, to Ernst : OST

59. Make a choice : OPT

60. Metric distances: Abbr. : KMs. (kilometer)

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

1) As Argyle mentioned, Tom Uttormark is our own Desper-otto (D-Otto), who's super efficient and fun to work with. I led him in the wrong paths a few times, but he never complained or gave up. Thanks for the trust, Tom! Thanks also for being a trusted friend. Click here for Tom's potato dumpling recipe (Bluehen, your Sawmill Gravy is not in the Blog Recipe archive also).

2) We had TICO ("Costa Rican native") for 29D in our original submission. Rich changed it PICO to fit the Tuesday difficulty level. He also made the reveal entry easier to grasp. 8D is also Rich's (and lots of others as well), 9D's is Tom's. I love that  "Bad thing to ..." clue echo.

 Tom Uttormark (D-Otto)

Monday, January 12, 2015 Marti DuGuay-Carpenter

Theme: It's all hush-hush _ I can't tell you anymore; I'm sworn to secrecy.

18A. Grand Prix series designation : FORMULA ONE. Secret Formula (Every product has one.)

23A. Controversial Vietnam War defoliant : AGENT ORANGE. Secret Agent Song(3:05)

37A. Avon or Fuller Brush work, e.g. : DOOR TO DOOR SALES. Secret Door. Song "Green Door"(2:15)

52A. What Al Capone led : LIFE OF CRIME. Secret Life. Walter Mitty had one.

58A. "Shh! Don't tell!" and hint to what can precede the starts of 18-, 23-, 37- and 52-Across : IT'S A SECRET

Argyle here; that's no secret. No secret the grid spanner is a dying occupation. Marti, any secret insights on the puzzle's construction.

Across:

1. "Say it isn't so!" : "OH NO!". The "Say It Ain't So, Joe" story was most likely not true.

5. Slick : OILY

9. Japanese poem with 17 syllables : HAIKU. so limericks today take a backseat to haiku will they entertain

14. More than simmer : BOIL

15. Natural skin soother : ALOE

16. Caravan stop : OASIS

17. '50s-'60s Ramblers, briefly : AMCs. (American Motors Corporation)

20. Brings in, as salary : MAKES

22. Geeky types : NERDS

26. Onetime Leno announcer Hall : EDD

29. Salt, in France : SEL

30. "__ we there yet?" : ARE

31. Add to the staff : EMPLOY

33. Serving at Popeyes : BREAST. Which piece?

36. Gutter site : EAVE

42. Too : ALSO

43. Country bumpkins : YOKELS

44. "I hope you've learned your __!" : LESSON

47. Pro vote : YEA

48. Little white lie : FIB

51. "__-hoo! Over here!" : YOO

56. Collar attachment for Spot : ID TAG

57. "MASH" setting : KOREA

63. Cheesy sandwich : MELT

64. Dance in a line : CONGA

65. Actress Garr : TERI

66. Autobahn auto : AUDI

67. Like a truck climbing a steep hill : IN LOW

68. Flower part : STEM

69. Tiff : SPAT

Down:

1. White House family : OBAMAs

2. Respect that's "paid" : HOMAGE

3. Coin with a buffalo, once : NICKEL

4. Designer Mary-Kate or Ashley : OLSEN

5. Klutzy fellow : OAF

6. U.N. worker protection gp. : ILO. (International Labour Organization)

7. Doone of Exmoor : LORNA. Lorna Doone: A Romance of Exmoor is a novel.

8. Red Sea republic : YEMEN

9. "Texas" poker variety : HOLD'EM. A little search thru the TV channels should turn up a game.

10. Very small batteries : AAAs

11. Prefix with metric : ISO. (isometric)

12. Kith and __ : KIN. Friends and Relatives

13. Exploit : USE

19. Hankering : URGE

21. Button that gets things going : START

24. Sandwich cookie : OREO

25. Raring to go : READY

26. Airline with famously tight security : EL AL

27. Symbol of peace : DOVE

28. Hair colorings : DYES

32. Vegetables in pods : PEAS

33. The "B" in TV's former The WB network : BROS. (Warner Bros.)

34. "Your point being ... ?" : "SOO...?" The "what" is implied.

35. Target city for Godzilla : TOKYO

37. Tyne of "Judging Amy" : DALY

38. Margarine : OLEO

39. __ buco: veal dish : OSSO

40. Scuba diving area : REEF

41. Not tight : SLACK

45. Familiar adage : OLD SAW

46. Evening, in ads : NITE

48. Inflame with enthusiasm : FIRE UP

49. Marcos with a shoe collection : IMELDA

50. "Take a hike!" : "BEAT IT!"

53. Verifiable findings : FACTS

54. "Snowy" wader : EGRET

55. Sauce tomatoes : ROMAS

56. "Othello" conspirator : IAGO

58. Here, in Le Havre : ICI

59. Truck weight unit : TON

60. NBC late-night comedy hit : SNL

61. Before, in poetry : ERE

62. Tiny Dickens boy : TIM

Argyle

Sunday January 11, 2015 Pam Amick Klawitter

 Theme: "D-Activated" -D is added to each theme entry.

23A. Excavation that went on and on? : SEVEN-YEAR DITCH. Seven-year itch. Three D's are added to starts of the second words, 4 to the first words.

44A. One-way chauffeur? : DRIVER OF NO RETURN. River of No Return. Not a familiar movie to me.

69A. Board game expert? : DART HISTORIAN. Art historian.

94A. Required course for stunt performers? : DANGER MANAGEMENT. Anger management.

117A. Stanley Cup filler? : ICE HOCKEY DRINK. Ice hockey rink.

15D. Effort to get pop elected? : DAD CAMPAIGN. Ad campaign. The only theme entry with a stray D.

68D. Moon-based cattleman? : LUNAR DROVER. Lunar rover.

Three of the original phrases in the theme set are movies. Wouldn't be cool if the other four are also movies?  That would be an incredibly tight set.

Pam used a classic Sunday grid set-up: 7 theme entries (total 95 squares), 5 Across and 2 Down.  No shock and awe non-theme fill, just clean & solid answers.

Across:

1. "__ and Son": storytelling segment on "The Bullwinkle Show" : AESOP.  No idea. All crosses.

6. Racetrack letters : STP

9. Chihuahua cheer : OLE

12. Coughed up, so to speak : PAID IN

18. In the loop : AWARE

19. Pad __: stir-fried noodles : THAI. Rice noodles.

 

21. O'Hare initials : UAL

22. Parish priest's subordinate : CURATE. I only know the verb meaning.

26. Frat newbie : PLEDGE

27. Leftover : REMNANT

 

28. Small-capped mushrooms : ENOKIS. This might be a difficult answer for some. But I use them in stir-fries occasionally.

30. Accessory for Beau Brummell : ASCOT. Wiki said "Beau Brummell is credited with introducing, and establishing as fashion, the modern men's suit, worn with a necktie. He claimed he took five hours a day to dress, and recommended that boots be polished with champagne." Nuts!

31. St. Thomas hours : AST

32. Tips to a lady, perhaps : DOFFS. Hat!

33. "Don't Cry For Me, Argentina" musical : EVITA

35. C, D and E, perhaps : DO RE MI. Tricky clue for me. I'm musically illiterate.

39. First name in folk : ARLO

40. Remarkable deed : FEAT

41. L.A. commuter org. : MTA

48. Work : OPUS

49. Carte postale mountains : ALPES

50. Promote aggressively, in slang : FLOG

51. Expected 2015 Sue Grafton title starter : X IS. For what?

52. Mystery awards : EDGARS

54. Revolution period? : YEAR. Nailed it. Saw similar clue before.

55. Fiscal VIP : CFO

56. "Whee!" : YIPPEE

59. The same way : ALIKE

60. Ripped into : TORE AT

63. Carlsbad Cavern critter : BAT

64. Goes back (on) : RENEGES

66. Berkeley school, familiarly : CAL

72. Gov. Cuomo's domain : NYS. New York State.

73. Get the old gang together : RE-UNITE

75. Afore : ERE

76. Jaguar filler : PETROL

78. Dancer de Mille : AGNES. Here is our Agnes (Irish Miss)

Left to Right: Eileen (Agnes' sister) & Agnes, Nov 22, 2013

79. Stick up for : DEFEND

82. H.S. VIPs : SRs

83. O'Neill's daughter : OONA

87. Serious shortage : DEARTH

89. Bass tail? : OON. Bassoon.

90. New York county whose seat is Buffalo : ERIE. Shout-out to Abejo almost every week.

92. That is : TO WIT

93. Pie shortening : LARD

98. "Tight" NFL position : END

99. Brief missives? : LTRS. "Brief" suggests an abbreviated answer.

100. NASA approvals : A-OKS

101. Bit of education : LESSON

102. "Still Me" memoirist : REEVE. Never read it. The cover is haunting.

104. "Warrior" Oscar nominee : NOLTE (Nick)

106. Stewart of "The Daily Show" : JON

107. Fabled extraction : THORN. Which fable?

109. Shrimp dish : SCAMPI. This looks delicious. Barry G has a great seafood linguini. Click here for recipe. D-Otto, can you post your potato dumplings recipe again?

111. Soaps, say : SERIALS

115. Caribbean metropolis : HAVANA

120. Pickup capacity : ONE TON

121. Piece of work? : ERG. Gimme for all our regulars.

122. Film __ : NOIR

123. Like much beer : ON TAP

124. It's a wrap : SARONG

125. Pastoral place : LEA

126. Whitney and others: Abbr. : MTS (Mountains)

127. Sudden transitions : LEAPS

Down:

 

1. Remote cells? : AAS

2. Painting pitcher : EWER

 

3. Set aside : SAVE

4. City on Utah Lake : OREM

5. Ayn Rand and Mark Twain : PEN NAMES. Holy moley. I had no idea Ayne Rand is a pen name.

6. Surgical tube : STENT

7. "Name __ Tune" : THAT

8. Scorecard number : PAR. Golf scorecard.

9. Giving rain checks for : OUT OF. I'd prefer a partial clue.

10. Wants for : LACKS

11. Pre-coll. : EL-HI. Here it is again.

12. General MD, to insurers : PCP (Primary Care Physician)

13. Café order : AU LAIT

14. "Soon will __, yes, forever sleep": Yoda : I REST

16. "Let __" : IT GO

17. Hair removal choice : NEET

20. Socialism, e.g. : IDEOLOGY

24. He shared the peace prize with Shimon and Yitzhak : YASIR

25. About to endure : IN FOR

29. Psychic : SEER

32. Crab Key villain : DR. NO. I had no idea where he lives. It's located off the coast of Jamaica, Google shows.

34. Rooftop spinner : VANE

35. Time of reckoning : D-DAY

36. Heraldic border : ORLE. I learned from doing xwords.

37. Big name in TV talk : RIPA. So cheerful.

38. Six-time U.S. Open winner : EVERT (Chris)

39. Solvent : AFLOAT

40. Coalesce : FUSE

42. Opposite of smash : TURKEY. Easy in retrospect.

43. Value : ASSESS

45. Put on the block : OFFERED

46. Brief exile? : EX-PAT

47. Best of the best : TIPTOP

48. Look in a bad way : OGLE

53. TV booking agent? : DANNO. "Book 'em, Danno!"

55. Pluto suffix : CRAT

57. "Peer Gynt" playwright : IBSEN

58. Land on the Red Sea : ERITREA

61. Shelley or Milton : ODIST

62. What "it" is in Sandburg's "It sits looking over harbor and city" : THE FOG

65. Corny cookout plateful : EARS. Ha ha, corny indeed!

 

66. Phone home? : CRADLE. I had to google. Did not know there's a term for that item.

67. Mediterranean arm : AEGEAN

 70. Castle of dance : IRENE. Irene Castle.

71. Pine products : RESINS

74. "The Big Bang Theory" type : NERD

77. Towers : LOOMS. Towers/Looms large.

80. Long spans : EONS

81. Involuntary downward movement : DEMOTION. The possible charge for Petraeus makes me sad. He suffered enough.

84. Is shy, in a way : OWES

 

85. Bogotá boy : NINO

86. FYI kin : ATTN

88. Man cave centerpiece : HDTV

91. Do a fall chore : RAKE

92. Tiger Beat subject : TEEN IDOL

95. Greek war god : ARES

96. Ed's pal of classic TV : RALPH. "The Honeymooners".

97. Morning __ : GLORY

99. Sean with the album "Friendly Fire" : LENNON. Not familial with the song.

103. Sister of Clio : ERATO

104. Shell lining : NACRE

105. Greek ending : OMEGA

106. Taunts : JEERS

107. Pres. Jefferson : THOS. Glue entry.

108. Juliette's role in "The English Patient" : HANA. I already forgot the plot of "The English Patient".

110. Where to see étoiles : CIEL. French for "sky".

111. Satiric segment : SKIT

112. "Alfred" composer : ARNE. Only know his "Rule, Britannia".

113. Words with match or fire : LIT A.  I did not see the plural s.

 

114. Selfie, e.g. : SNAP

116. "The Ice Storm" director Lee : ANG

118. Dot follower? : COM

119. Some GI duties : KPs. KP = Kitchen Police.

Let's meet Rainman, who used to own a Cessna as well. Rainman is an avid tennis player. Please click here for a few more pictures.

 Ray and Linda

 Transit of Venus, June 2012.  It was cold at 6,000 feet near Tehachapi.

C.C.

Saturday, Jan 10th, 2015, Alan DerKazarian

Theme: None

Words: 72 (missing Q, Z)

Blocks: 34

 I have not seen this constructor before, but I have seen a grid like this before - and typically not on Saturday.  Very few long-letter fills and simple corners, but a complex array of answers and clues that needed to be mined for hints made this one a healthy challenge.  Have to admit to two bad cells, both relating to "country" music - oh well.  We have two 9-letter crossings, and two 10's crossing 12-letter spanners;

21A. Quantum theory pioneer : MAX PLANCK

10D. Disaster : CATACLYSM

6D. "... forswear thin potations and to addict __ to sack": Falstaff : THEMSELVES - that's a long way to go for a personal pronoun

32A. Facetious Appalachian portmanteau : PENNSYLTUCKY - I am familiar with this type of slanderous nick-name; I lived just north of Cincinnati, near a town called Hamilton; the local yokels were said to be from "Hamiltucky"

30D. Safari coverings : SUN HELMETS - see here

41A. Smart alecks : WISENHEIMERS - learned from watching cartoons

33D. Kind of telescope : NEWTONIAN - see here

53A. Rare pro golf feat : GRAND SLAM - there's some ambiguity on this one; the Wiki

So, what do 10 and 12 have in common, but skips 11~?

ONWARD~!

ACROSS:

1. Handhold : CLASP - don't like that we start with a 'meh'; I think of a CLasp as the little thingy that closes a necklace; a handhold is more of a GRasp

6. Part of a comparison : THAN

10. Montreal Protocol concerns : CFCs - here's a little from the UN environment programme

14. "Men in Trees" star : HECHE - Anne; did not know of this TV series

15. Roadside chain, for short : HO JO - Howard Johnson's - they've vanished out my way

16. Take __ at: try to wallop : A RIP - tried "A RUN" - 50% correct

17. Sean who played Samwise Gamgee : ASTIN - that would be the character from "Lord of the Rings", which sadly I could not get in to

18. Dash : ELAN - this could also be "A RUN"

19. Arum family tuber : TARO - a crossword educated WAG

20. Egyptian menace : ASP

23. Glides : SASHAYS

26. Heart part? : COCKLE - I am still looking for the girl who will "warm the cockles of my heart"

27. Texter's "... but that may just be me" : IMO - In My Opinion

28. Fertile deposit : LOESS - WAGed

31. Elizabeth of "Martha Marcy May Marlene" : OLSEN

35. Old blade : SNEE - had this last week

36. Like some grazers : OVINE - I went with VEGAN first, and I like it better

37. Span. girl : SRTA

44. Complexity : DEPTH

47. Inscribed marker : STELA - dah~! I had an "E" at the end first

48. High-tech worker : 'BOT - Robot

49. Taken out, in a way : ON LOAN

51. Back in the day : LONG AGO

56. Daughter of Loki : HEL - unknown to me, hence one bad cell....

57. "We Three Kings" kings : MAGI

58. Joining device : YOKE

59. Ring material : ONION - semi-fooled me, but once the "---ON" was in place

62. Desierto's lack : AGUA - once I figured out this was not a personal name, but Spanish for desert....

63. Ravel's "Gaspard de la __" : NUIT - considered to be one of the most complex solo piano pieces - watch here at about 16:30 to see how he crosses his hands back and forth

64. Nice book : LIVRE - French for "book". Ugh, enough with the  foreign stuff, OK~?

65. Treated : SEEN - like doctors; I was thinking "ON ME"

66. Mdse. containers : CTNs - I C a lt f ctns @ UPS

67. Pool events : MEETS

DOWN:       


1. Chinese tea : CHA

2. Nessman of WKRP : LES

3. Be a team : ACT AS ONE

4. Turkish skewer : SHISH - kebabs~!

5. Friends you may never see : PEN-PALS - I saw that this was part of a popular discussion this week

7. Havana "How do" : HOLA

8. Trojan War hero : AJAX

9. Like some rude jokes, briefly : NON-PC

11. Cookout fare : FRANKS

12. Wait to land, perhaps : CIRCLE

13. Reserved, with "for" : SPOKEN

22. Style : LOOK - here's where I twas thinking "ELAN" first

23. Takes it slow, in a way : SIPS - I don't take it at all - Jan 8th was my 10-yr AA anniversary

24. "Yes!" : AMEN - huh; I had the "M" and "N", so I went with "I'm In"

25. Chuckleheads : YO-YOs

29. Hitch : STINT - Got it this time

34. Songwriter Green : CeeLo - had a huge hit with "F*** You"

38. 1991 "Favorite Album - Country" American Music Award winner : REBA LIVE - Reba TIME~!? Nope.  Reba VIBE~!?  Uh-uh.  Dang. 

39. 1970 sci-fi film starring Joan Crawford in her last big-screen performance : TROG - Never heard of it - IMDb       

Blue Oyster Cult had fun with her, tho ( more piano, too~! )

40. Regarding : AS TO

42. Start of a favorite-meal reminiscence : I HAD

43. 1998 "King Lear" Olivier Award winner : IAN HOLM - I know him from "Alien"

44. Doctrines : DOGMAS

45. Anger : ENRAGE

46. Harass : PLAGUE

50. "This I Promise You" band : *NSYNC - not that I heard the song, but with the "C" in place....

52. Bottled-up type? : GENIE - har-har

54. Boor : LOUT

55. Similar : AKIN

60. Scrap for Fido : ORT

61. Video game letters : NES - Nintendo Entertainment System

Splynter

Note from C.C.:

Please click here for a Caesar coleslaw recipe Yellowrocks (Kathy) sent to me last night. Here is what a savoy cabbage looks like. As Kathy says, you have slice it thinly, the leaf has a kale-like quality.

Friday January 9, 2015, Frank Virzi

Theme: If you go to Chicago you must add the ELL to your plans.

Frank is back to Friday in 2015, and his first since his coincidental LEM ON ADE puzzle two days after my birthday. This is a sound rather than a visual challenge, with the last word in a common phrase altered by adding an ELL sound to create a new last word. The difficulty in constructing was enhanced by the themers all being grid spanners. Some nice 6 letter fill like DC AREA, GETS UP, I DO I DO, LYRICS and SITS ON as well as some sparkly longer ones: SHINERS, UPLIFTS, EINSTEIN, HIDEAWAY, DIET PEPSI, TRIES HARD.  As with all punny themes, you need to find humor, and I did. Let's take a look.

17A. "Pardon my sword fight"? : DON'T MIND IF I DUEL  (15). 'Don't mind if I do' is the phrase that transforms. I sussed the theme here, always good on a Friday to get the theme early.

26A. "The good news: mostly A-OK. The bad news: __"? : TEN PERCENT AWFUL (15). 'Ten percent off...'

47A. Tool for putting a Ping-Pong ball in orbit? : LAUNCHING PADDLE (15). 'Launching pad.' My favorite of the theme, as the image in my brain is cool.

62A. Big affair for E.T.? : ALIEN LIFE FORMAL (15). 'Alien life form.'  Another fun visual, and my way of always remembering the spelling of Allen's name.

Across:

1. Like some restrictive dinners : STAG. Men only, dearie. Very un-pc.

5. Andrew of "Melrose Place" : SHUE. He played Billy Campbell I am told by wiki, but I knew he has a famous older sister.

9. First, for now : AHEAD. Yes, the 5 horse was there at the top of the stretch, but...

14. Strives : TRIES HARD. Also an un-pc term when parents use this phrase to describe their disappointing child.

16. Brewery prefix : MICRO. Not to be confused with CRAFT brewery. Who would ever guess I would end up knowing about beer?

19. Refuses to release : SITS ON. I assume this clue is in the context of information, though this pic came to mind.

20. "Lifts the spirits" gp. : USO.

21. Eau Claire-to-Green Bay direction : EAST. They will all be going in that direction for the big game against Dallas, Sunday at 1:05PM, EST. The Dallas/Green Bay match-ups of the 60's were awesome. Back at the 'frozen tundra of Lambeau Field.'

22. All-purpose rides : UTES. I have never heard a person in real life use this term.

24. Ocean predator : ORCA.

33. Singer Carly __ Jepsen : RAE. She has apparently supplanted Norma and Charlotte in puzzledom. I was introduced to this Canadian by Gareth in 2013.

34. Start of some Texas city names : SAN. And some California cities as well.

35. Mrs. Robinson's daughter : ELAINE. A Friday clue for this name, though the actress should be remembered, quite the face. Coo coo ca choo.

36. Milo of "The Verdict" : O' SHEA. He died this past year.

39. Play about Capote : TRU.

41. With an __: mindful of : EYE TO

42. Words : LYRICS. Nice new fill.

44. Okla. campus with a Prayer Tower : ORU. For newer solvers, the fact that OKLA. is an abbreviation is a clue that the answer is also an abbreviation.  Oral Roberts University.

46. Author Yutang : LIN. A very interesting MAN; I wonder what he was thought of in the China of C.C.'s childhood? A Friday name. (From C.C.: Probably because Lin spent most of his time in the US, his essays were not featured in our school books then. Actually most people with relatives in the US suffered during Cultural Revolution.)

51. Boer village : STAD. From their Dutch German heritage. I am sure Gareth Bain could give a more complete perspective on these people.

52. Monthly pmt. : ELECtricity.

53. Boom holder : MAST. Not a microphone.

56. Court : WOO. Not where judges hang out.

58. "Magic Hour" author Susan : ISAACS. I did not know that book, but I love the book and movie Compromising Positions. LINK. Susan Sarandon and Raul Julia were great.

65. McGwire broke his record : MARIS. Roger whose 61 home run record went the way of Mark McGuire's bat during the dawning of the steroid age. Roger ended as a beer distributor living in Gainesville.

66. "Love every sip" sloganeer : DIET PEPSI.

67. Concert venue : ARENA.

68. Poems of praise : ODES.

69. Memo demand : ASAP. As Soon As Possible.

Down:

1. Stylebook entries: Abbr. : STDS. Standards. Like this  GUIDE.

2. Picard's counselor : TROI. She's back.

3. "__ No Sunshine": Bill Withers hit : AIN'T.

4. Averts a knockout : GETS UP. Such a simple answer. Paired with 5D. Fight souvenirs : SHINERS. Not what you buy at the concession stand.

6. Solo in space : HAN. Episode VII is on its way.

7. Source of khaki? : URDU. The word, not the cloth.

8. New Jersey township with the motto "Let There Be Light" : EDISON. Thomas Alva will live on always, especially in puzzles.

9. "Moi?" : AM I? Which is often the clue in French.

10. Retreat : HIDEAWAY. My recollection was THIS. My parents loved Broadway musicals which helped with 48D. "My Cup Runneth Over" musical : I DO, I DO. Mary Martin and Robert Preston, 1967.(6:53).

11. S.A. country at 0 degrees latitude : ECUAdor. Odd, once again. Last time we learned that the name came because it is at the Equator.

12. Father of Phobos : ARES. The Greek who who gave us our word PHOBIA.

13. Fool : DOLT.

15. Whacked, biblically : SMOTE.

18. Strong suit : FORTE. Fort or fortay?

23. "Beat it!" : SCAT. For all the non-lovers of cats.

25. NASCAR's Yarborough : CALE.

26. Chat room persona non grata : TROLL. Don't feed the trolls.

27. GPA booster : EASY A.

28. Big name in Indian politics : NEHRU. And jackets.

29. With 30-Down, a former name of Minute Maid Park : ENRON. We just had this referenced last week.

30. See 29-Down : FIELD.

31. No later than : UNTIL.

32. Freetown currency : LEONE. Freetown, the capital is used to clue the Leone, the capital of Sierra Leone.

37. Matthau's "I.Q." role : EINSTEIN. This odd movie with Meg Ryan.

38. Passbook abbr. : ACCT.

40. Drive : URGE.

43. Loosely worn garment : SHAWL. My youngest son's girlfriend knitted one for Oo for the holidays.

45. Buoys : UPLIFTS. Girls ? Up____?

49. "The Fox and the Grapes" writer : AESOP. Fabulous fox fable.

50. Beltway environs : DC AREA.

53. Household nickname : MAMA. No Papa today.

54. Apple application no longer in use : ALAR.

55. Filly's father : SIRE. DAM this was easy.

57. "The Wizard __" : OF ID. The same number of letters as OZ. Coincidence? I think not. LINK.

59. Cranks (up) : AMPS. From amplifier, or the original ampere?

60. Julio's home : CASA. Some Spanish for Lucina et al.

61. Faux pas : SLIP. And of course, French for Splynter.

63. Org. whose seal includes an eagle perched on a key : NSA. So much controversy in 2014.

64. Really big shoe : EEE. I must end with this.

Frank V. thanks for the ride. Enjoy all. Lemonade out.

Notes from C.C.:

1) Let's meet the real Big Easy, whose witty and funny comments often make me smile. Big Easy is a volunteer at a New Orleans PGA event and he gets to meet Ernie Els every year. He's one of the lucky few to have the locker room access. Now we know his beautiful wife Diane "can't eat any beans or black-eyed peas without rice."

Big Easy and his wife Diane

2) Marti sent me this incredible picture. She said:

"I made a Raw Veggie Christmas Tree for my party last week (left side of my sideboard).  The styrofoam "tree" was covered with kale, and then the veggies were anchored with toothpicks. It really was cute, but I had bought way too much kale from the local farm stand that is famous for it.  I have only had kale in salads or as a garnish, but the owner told me that you can cook it, just like any other "green."  I know you like veggies, so thought you might like the recipe I found from Bobby Flay. It was absolutely delicious, and I am going to insist on kale instead of spinach as my "go-to" side dish from now on!! (See recipe here)