Wednesday, January 7th 2015 Gareth Bain

Theme:  Papal Staples – each of the theme answers ends with a name adopted by multiple pontiffs.

18A. Black-eyed peas dish : HOPPIN’ JOHN. Food! A traditional good-luck New Year’s Day dish from the southern states. Any left-overs served the next day are called “Skippin’ Jenny”. How much of this did I know before I looked it up? None of it.

27A. Pretend nothing's going on : LOOK INNOCENT. Usually accompanied by whistling with your hands behind your back and drawing circles in the dirt with your toe.What? Me?

47A. Brunch fare : EGGS BENEDICT. More Food! Allegedly, one hungover New Yorker,  Lemuel Benedict, ordered the first incarnation of this dish at the Waldorf Hotel in 1894.

The bacon on the side is probably a tad unnecessary

 59A. Country star with an un-countrylike name : KEITH URBAN. He’s a real mixture – an Australian, born in New Zealand, who sings country. He’s also married to Nicole Kidman.

... tucked away at the bottom is the reveal:

56D. Religious leader associated with the ends of the four longest puzzle answers : POPE

Wow, Wednesday’s upon us already! Steve here with Gareth’s first LAT of 2015 (that didn’t take long, did it?) He slips in a couple of references to his native continent with RAND and MOGAMBO. I liked the theme and the tucked-away reveal. I did think the KEITH URBAN entry was just a little too close to POPE URBAN, whereas the other three were not people, but it didn’t bother me unduly.

Let's see what else we've got.

Across:

1. Neutral hue : ECRU. Seen in two places - the crossword and the hosiery department.

5. Book of legends? : ATLAS

10. Irreverent radio host : IMUS. I've never listened to him. From what I read, I've not missed much.

14. Become painfully dry : CHAP

15. Airboat area : SWAMP

16. Narrow margin : NOSE. How long is a nose in horse-racing parlance? At some point you stop winning by a head and start winning by a nose. I'm not sure where a horse's nose begins.

17. Hardly noticeable amount : HINT

20. Like some Netflix movies : ON DISC. A ever-dwindling proportion of their distribution.

22. Wore a belittling look : SNEERED

23. Notable gap : CHASM

26. More pleasant : NICER

31. Empty the recycle bin, e.g. : ERASE

32. Petri dish gel : AGAR

33. Cast off : SHED

37. Informal pass : NAH. I'd have gotten a clip around the ear from my Mom if she ever heard me say "nah" rather than "no thank you".

38. "Also sprach Zarathustra" composer : STRAUSS. Richard, in this case. Famously the overture music to "2001 A Space Odyssey".

41. Miner issue : ORE

42. Reunion attendee : ALUM

44. Third Pillar of Islam subject : ALMS. Sounds a little more pleasant than "compulsory charity" which is how I've seen it written before.

45. Short stroke : TAP-IN

50. Bygone Detroit brewery : STROH. I just finished reading a fascinating book about the USA's great brewing families, mostly of German origin. Stroh were one of the biggest brewers; eventually they sold out to Pabst and Miller.

52. Gas leak warnings : ODORS

53. Starts a revolution : UPRISES. I don't buy this one. I just can't hear a revolutionary leader saying "I think I'll uprise tomorrow and see who else wants to uprise with me". Nope.

55. Comparable to, with "with" : ON A PAR

62. What "will keep us together," in a 1975 hit : LOVE

63. Hamburg's river : ELBE. The town of Plzen is part of the Elbe watershed, and gives its name to Pilsner beer, which was the style of beer brewed by Bernhard Stroh when he opened his Detroit operation in 1850. I claim the prize for linking two totally unrelated clues.

64. "Transcendental" Liszt piece : ETUDE

65. Blunted blade : EPEE.

66. Downhill coaster : SLED

67. Pitching scout's device : RADAR. Official opinion varies, but the fastest pitches in Major League Baseball have been delivered at around 106 mph. That's some heat!

68. Lowly worker : SERF

Down:

1. Bounce back : ECHO. And how a RADAR gun works.

2. Uppercut target : CHIN

3. It's tender in Johannesburg : RAND

4. Market advances : UPTICKS. Are there downticks? I've only heard "downturns" - hmmm.

5. Picnic area barrel : ASHCAN

6. __-Face: duplicitous Batman foe : TWO. Harvey Dent, as portrayed by Aaron Eckhart in "The Dark Knight Rises"

 

"You really should get that looked at"

7. __ cat : LAP

8. Rock concert gear : AMPS

9. Dreidels and pinwheels : SPINNERS

10. Adds to a conversation, as a remark : INJECTS. I would use "interject" in this context, but probably that's just me.

11. "A Visit From St. Nicholas" poet Clement Clarke __ : MOORE. Also known as, and perhaps better known as, "'Twas the Night before Christmas". I had no idea of the poet's name. Thank you, crosses.

12. Seat finder : USHER

13. Delight : SEND

19. Frau's refusal : NEIN

21. Draws back in fear : SHIES

24. Hairbrush targets : SNARLS

25. Gable/Gardner classic set in Africa : MOGAMBO. More a Gardner/Kelly classic to be honest - Ava and Grace both received Oscar nominations for Best Supporting Actress.

27. Actress Olin : LENA. Who? I left her until the end.

28. __ hygiene : ORAL

29. Pearl Harbor locale : OAHU

30. Led to : CAUSED

34. Native Arizonans : HOPI

35. Obama attorney general Holder : ERIC

36. Bit of hail damage : DENT. DING went in, then came out.

39. Swiss luxury watchmaker : TAG HEUER. I thought they were German, but now I know better.

Yours for a mere $14,000, give or take a couple of hundred

40. Strict : STERN. IMUS and STERN in the same puzzle? Don't let them get too close to each other, they're not the best of friends.

43. Deserved : MERITED

46. Source of TV revenue : AD SALES

48. "Crikey!" : GOSH!

49. Midday tryst : NOONER

50. Compete in a bee : SPELL

51. 34-Down, e.g. : TRIBE

53. Luau strings : UKES

54. Arg. miss : SRTA. This abbr. falls into my "that's a bit 'orrible" category, but it's common enough in crosswords. A young woman in Argentina is a senorita, hence a yng. wm. in Arg. is a Srta.

57. State as fact : AVER

58. Great Barrier __ : REEF

60. Future bloom : BUD. BUD and STROH in the same puzzle? Cheers! *clink*

61. Oral health org. : A.D.A.

That's it from me. I'm off to Google "SRTA" and see what comes up first, apparently that's the way to explain crossword clues.

Steve 

Note from C.C.:

Here are two pictures from Bill G, who's been with our blog since 2009. His dog Sammy is no longer with them. Bill's wife Barbara is a retired teacher also, and an avid quilter.

Bill & Sammy

Bill & Barbara

Tuesday, January 6, 2015 Gail Grabowski and Bruce Venzke

Theme: Beyond Lincoln Logs - Items that can be built from a kit.

20A. Guideline for standard operating procedures : POLICY FRAMEWORK

26A. Weightlifter's practice : BODY BUILDING

50A. Frequent feeling of culpability : GUILT COMPLEX

58A. Box of Lego bricks, e.g., or a hint to the last words of 20-, 26- and 50-Across : CONSTRUCTION SET

Argyle here. No C.C. but still two grid spanners. I hope I can get some help on the theme.

Tinkertoy construction set would build a good for frameworks.

There are lots of building construction sets out there, even a "The Walking Dead" one. LINK

You may be familiar with a "complex construction kit" if engage in X3: Terran Conflict, a computer simulation. The kit is used to link your factories.

Any other ideas?

Across:

1. Six-footer at a Super Bowl party? : HERO. Fun thing to get home in a small car.

5. Leveling wedge : SHIM

9. Trojan War epic : ILIAD

14. Sailed through : ACED

15. Oompah instrument : TUBA

16. For the __: temporarily : NONCE. That's all she wrote. Not used elsewhere.

17. Storage structure : SHED

18. Requiring a two-day trip, say : AFAR. Odd usage.

19. Ultrasound image, perhaps : FETUS

23. Go one better than : TOP

24. Old Mideast org. : U.A.R. (United Arab Republic)

25. "Papa __ a Rollin' Stone" : WAS. A tick faster version.

32. Log-splitting tool : AXE

33. Houston player, informally : STRO. Houston Astros, baseball.

34. Common rental restriction : [NO PETS]

38. Plumbing problem : LEAK

40. Toward the tiller : AFT

42. "College GameDay" number : STAT. College GameDay is an ESPN program that covers college basketball and football, going over the STATistics.

43. Still making payments : IN DEBT

46. __ mater : ALMA

49. "Little Women" woman : AMY. Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy

53. Kwik-E-Mart owner on "The Simpsons" : APU

56. Assenting vote : YEA

57. Ratio involving ht. and wt. : BMI. (Body Mass Index)

65. Designer Nina : RICCI. She got her start in the Thirties.

Don't let the cold stop you from being fashionable.

66. Retro phone feature : DIAL

67. "Do __ others ..." : UNTO

68. Sunni's faith : ISLAM

69. Simplify : EASE

70. Falafel holder : PITA

71. Mower handle? : DEERE. (name)

72. Mates for bucks : DOEs

73. Small earring : STUD

Down:

1. Hinged fastener : HASP

2. Sound on the rebound : ECHO

3. Rod attachment : REEL

4. Quirk : ODDITY

5. "Don't budge!" : "STAY PUT!"

6. Peeved mood : HUFF and 62D. Peeved mood : SNIT

7. Letter-shaped support piece : I-BAR

8. Plunder : MARAUD

9. Hot spot for Dante : INFERNO

10. Big name in movie theaters : LOEW

11. On its way to the body shop : [IN TOW]

12. Legend automaker : ACURA, which is a division of Honda.

13. Newsroom furniture : DESKS

21. Corn cores : COBs

22. Most important : MAIN

26. Vacation island south of Borneo : BALI

27. Farm team : OXEN

28. Word before tired or heat : DEAD

29. Fund for the golden yrs. : IRA

30. Lite : LO FAT

31. Navig. aid : GPS

35. Catchall abbr. : ET AL.

36. Domesticate : TAME

37. Mythological underworld boundary river : STYX

39. Tapped vessel : KEG

41. Treatment for a broken heart, briefly : TLC. (Tender Loving Care)

44. Postpone the inevitable : BUY TIME

45. Stadium section : TIER

47. Delicately balanced sculptures : MOBILES. Put away for another year.

48. Gun filler : AMMO

51. Praised : LAUDED

52. Man cave hangings : PIN-UPS

53. Bitterly pungent : ACRID

54. Self-assurance : POISE

55. Cry of concession : "UNCLE!"

59. Surgery reminder : SCAR

60. "So long," on the Lido : "CIAO"

61. Shock, in a way : TASE

63. "__, Brute?" : ET TU

64. Warty hopper : TOAD

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

To blog regulars:

Please send your photo to me (crosswordc@gmail.com) if you want to be included in our Blog Photos archive. We'd love to "see" you.

Monday, January 5, 2015 C.C. Burnikel

Theme: No-no's

17. Easy orchard pickings : LOW HANGING FRUIT. Forbidden fruit. It all started with the apple.

27. Bankrupt Best Buy competitor : CIRCUIT CITY. Forbidden City, the Chinese imperial palace.

49. Best-selling 2006 memoir subtitled "One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India, and Indonesia" : "EAT PRAY LOVE". Forbidden love which starts a lot of trouble.

65. Groundbreaking 1956 sci-fi film ... or where you might find the ends of 17-, 27- and 49-Across? : FORBIDDEN PLANET. Redux of CED's clip.

Argyle here. And C.C. And two grid spanners.

Across:

1. Jab : POKE

5. Ran, as dye : BLED

9. Cola choice : PEPSI

14. Work with words : EDIT

15. Pervasive glow : AURA

16. Secluded valleys : DELLS

20. Test run : TRIAL

21. Char : SEAR

22. Little tricksters : IMPS

23. "Fat chance!" : "NOT!"

25. "__ the picture" : I GET

33. Approves : OKs

36. Small Chevy model : AVEO

37. Deserve : EARN

38. Copy in fun : MIMIC

40. "__ That Tune": classic game show : NAME

41. Mild oaths : DRATs

43. Full-grown filly : MARE

44. Without a break : ON END

46. Sign that might bode ill : OMEN

47. Heavy amount, as of homework : A TON

48. "Platoon" war zone : NAM

52. Gunshot sound : [BANG!]

54. Toothpaste option : GEL

55. Stand watch for, say : ABET

57. Lira replacement : EURO

61. Is in first place : LEADS

68. Caesar or Brutus : ROMAN

69. Dedicated poems : ODEs

70. Part in a play : ROLE

71. Follows orders : OBEYS

72. Overly inquisitive : NOSY

73. Barbershop sound : SNIP snip snip snip snip snip...

Down:

1. Animal's hide : PELT

2. Scent : ODOR

3. New Zealand bird : KIWI

4. One of two directing brothers : ETHAN COEN. The other is Joel.

5. Prohibit : BAN

6. Hauls with effort : LUGs

7. The "E" in HOMES : ERIE. A mnemonic for remembering Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie and Superior Lakes.

8. Comic Carvey : DANA

9. Adobe document suffix : PDF. (Portable Document Format)

10. Bone-chilling : EERIE

11. Spaghetti sauce ingredient : PLUM TOMATO

12. Lose one's footing : SLIP

13. Believers: Suff. : ISTs

18. Felipe of baseball : ALOU. Did you know his name was really Felipe Rojas. The Giants' scout who signed him got it wrong.

19. "True __": Wayne film : GRIT

24. In a dead heat : TIED

26. Athletic center : GYM

27. Popular Pachelbel work : CANON

28. The first Mrs. Trump : IVANA

29. "Isn't my face familiar?" : "REMEMBER ME?"

30. Futurist's deck : TAROT

31. Calf muscle malady : CRAMP

32. Entomb : INTER

34. Big name in Russian ballet : KIROV. The Soviet Ballet in 1934 was named to honor Sergey Kirov, an assassinated revolutionary. Officially, it is now the Mariinsky Ballet.

35. Drama division : SCENE

39. "Please tell me" : "I'M ALL EARS"

42. Stocking tear : SNAG

45. Bear's home : DEN

50. Like much wine and cheese : AGED

51. Holler : YELL

53. Cornered : AT BAY

55. Jackson 5 hair style : AFRO

56. __ tube: TV : BOOB

58. Japanese noodle : UDON. Often in your soup.

59. Make over : REDO

60. Snake eyes pair : ONEs

62. Soon, to a bard : ANON

63. Supermarket section : DELI

64. Dance movement : STEP

66. __ and outs: particulars : INS

67. Aspiring therapist's maj. : PSY. (Psychology)

Argyle

Sunday, January 4, 2015 Marilyn Lieb

Theme: "Single-Minded" - Short vowel in each *ING-ending word is changed into a long vowel, hence one of double consonants is dropped. (Added later: Barry G is correct. The gimmick is simply dropping one of the double letters.  50A has the same vowel before and after).

 

23A. Manicurist's work area? : FILING STATION. Filling station.

 

27A. Jilted "dear" lover who hasn't given up? : HOPING JOHN. Hopping John. The first and last Across theme answers have an impressive 5-letter overlap.

50A. Grand Canal? : POLING PLACE. Polling place.

66A. Providing extra digital support? : TOE TAPING. Toe-tapping.

84A. Finding a home for an Anaheim team? : SITING DUCKS. Sitting duck.

105A. Making hay when the sun doesn't shine? : SNOW BALING. Snowballing.

112A. Furniture-weaving facility? : CANING FACTORY. Canning factory.

31D. Regally dressing aristocrats? : ROBING THE RICH. Robbing the rich.

35D. Making a patio out of a garden? : TILING THE SOIL. Tilling the soil. Both Downs have 3-words. Consistent.

Looks like another debut! We only have a John Lieb in our blog labels.

It's challenging to start with a 13-letter theme entry, as this results in a stacked 7's on the right immediately. The constructor can further break those  7's into two 3's, but then she'd exceed Rich's 144 word limit.

The top 8/3 break can be changed into  6/6 or 5/7 or 7/5, all posing a challenge to fill in cleanly.

Across:

1. Military competition : ARMS RACE. This puzzle has eight 8-letter entries.

9. "Excuse me ..." : AHEM

13. Tab : BAR BILL

20. Visit briefly, as a sick friend : LOOK IN ON

21. In __ land : LA LA. Hello to our sweet LaLaLinda. Hope her health improves in 2015.

22. Frightened : ALARMED

25. Still puzzled : NO WISER

26. Beaut : GEM

29. Like some bird calls : SHRILL

33. Tie securely : LASH

34. Kachina doll maker : HOPI. I see Kachina dolls at flea market from time to time. They kind of look scary.

35. Parlor design, perhaps : TAT. Tattoo parlor.

38. "Cupid" singer Sam : COOKE

39. Belittle : DIS

40. Place to get refreshed : OASIS

43. How deadpan humor is delivered : DRILY

45. Dispute settlers : ARBITERS

47. "Put your money away" : ON ME. Crossing ONSET (47D. First stage). Dupe of ON.

48. Reiki practitioner : HEALER. Have any of you had Reiki treatments?

49. Surprise attack : RAID

54. Board game staples : DICE

55. Smoker's buy: Abbr. : CTN. I was astonished to find out that every casino in Las Vegas allows smoking.

56. Shoe parts : UPPERS

57. Cyberguffaw : LOL

58. Flowers in pens? : INKS. OK, Flow-er. Ink flows.

59. Figures on a rink : EIGHTS

61. Understanding : KEN. Beyond my ken.

63. Purse : HANDBAG. I used to be very good judging fake designer bags. 

65. Platte River tribe : OTOE

69. Tiny colonists : ANTS

71. Conserve : HUSBAND

73. Marine eagle : ERN

74. Book read during the Jewish holiday Purim : ESTHER. Gimme for Hahtoola/Lemonade.

76. Dog follower : SLED. Dog sled. Great clue.

78. Yale alum : ELI

79. Milk sources : UDDERS

82. Lac filler : EAU

83. Dean's "Lois & Clark" co-star : TERI (Hatcher). Dean Cain.

88. Grounded fleet : SSTS

89. Joins the debate : OPINES

91. Bit of sneakiness : RUSE

92. Hole starters : TEE SHOTS

94. Rhodes with a scholarship : CECIL

95. Words to strike up the band : HIT IT

97. French possessive : SES. TES also.

98. Scenically patterned fabric : TOILE

99. Utility co. unit : KWH

100. College town east of Greensboro : ELON. Got via crosses. Anything Musk related will be a gimme.

102. Destruction : RUIN

104. Oval-shaped dose : CAPLET

108. Asian-American actor Philip known for war movie roles : AHN. Of Korean root. I mentioned before that his Ahn is the same as Chinese Ang (Ang Lee).

109. Labor dispute tactic : LOCKOUT

118. London locale : ONTARIO

119. Bilko's mil. rank : MSGT (Master sergeant).

120. Enter carefully : EASE INTO

121. Features of Lincoln and Uncle Sam : GOATEES

122. Online crafts store : ETSY. Lots of neat stuff there.

123. Sin : TRESPASS

Down:

1. '80s sitcom puppet : ALF

2. Palais resident : ROI

3. Gretchen of "Boardwalk Empire" : MOL. Not familiar with this lady. Does MOL pronounce the same as Mole?

4. __ mask : SKI

5. Hairstyle curl : RINGLET

6. 2014 A.L. MVP Mike Trout, for one : ANGEL. Big gimme.

7. Micro- ending : COSM

8. Dr.'s specialty : ENT

9. Choral parts : ALTOS. And BASS (64D. Choral part).

10. Vietnamese port : HAIPHONG. No idea about this port city. Click on this map, can you see Hong Kong? Wiki said "The city's name means "coastal defense" and it is nicknamed the Flamboyant City because of the many Delonix regia planted throughout it." Gosh, I did not know what "Delonix regia" is either. Pretty red.

11. They "had decayed to a mere beautiful futility": Wells : ELOI

12. "Buddenbrooks" author : MANN (Thomas)

13. Duelers in a 1973 hit : BANJOS. This refers to the banjos in "Deliverance", right?

14. Thrown for __ : A LOOP

15. Untanned animal skin : RAWHIDE

16. Google co-founder Sergey : BRIN

17. Web chat exchange : IMs

18. Director Spike : LEE

19. Pres. or gov. : LDR (Leader)

24. Enlightened cries : AHAs

28. Letters seen next to a 4 : GHI. On your phone.

29. Seldom seen : SCARCE

30. "Good night, sweet prince" speaker : HORATIO

32. "Not serious" : I KID

33. Hosiery thread : LISLE

36. Smart __ : ALECK

37. Spares in boots : TYRES. They call trunks "boots".

39. Go down : DROP

41. Band booster : AMP

42. Poivre companion : SEL

44. Glowing : RADIANT

46. Omar of "House" : EPPS

48. Had in one's portfolio : HELD. And 76D. Portfolio component : STOCK

51. Displeased : IRKED

52. Oscar-winning composer Menken : ALAN. What I called Marti's husband the first time. Then I called him Allan. Then Allen. Then Allan again. Hopeless!

53. Capitol Hill gp. : CONG. OK, congress.

56. One of the teams that made the Pac-10 the Pac-12 : UTES. Got via crosses also.

60. Budapest-born magician : HOUDINI

62. "Sorry, laddie" : NAE

63. Vishnu worshiper : HINDU

66. Tibiae supporters : TALI

67. Doing the job : ON IT.  AT IT as well.

68. Very proper sort : PRUDE

70. Mariners' home : SEATTLE

72. First lady after Eleanor : BESS

74. Skye writing : ERSE

75. Potato often used for fries : RUSSET

77. Romantic skunk : LE PEW

80. It made its last commercial flight in February 2014 : DC-TEN.  Gimme for Dudley,  Rainman (Yay! You made it!) and maybe Dave. I was unwary of this trivia. Did you ever fly your own plane, Dave? 

81. Squeezes (out) : EKES

85. NYC subway : IRT

86. Rapa __ : NUI

87. D neighbors on most guitars : G-STRINGS. Got via crosses as well. One of two entries that cross 3 theme answers.

88. Store : SHOP

90. Title girl in a 1968 Turtles hit : ELENORE

93. Batting postures : STANCES

95. Manuals, e.g. : HOW-TOS

96. Liszt's "Piano Sonata __ Minor" : IN B

97. Indication : SIGN. HINT won't work.

101. "Taxi" dispatcher : LOUIE

103. Cohesion : UNITY

104. Dramatic movie scene : CHASE

105. 32-card game : SKAT

106. Pinnacle : ACME

107. Tenth of ten, say : LAST

108. Miles away : AFAR

109. Keep a record of : LOG

110. John Lennon's middle name : ONO

111. Windy City "L" runner : CTA (Chicago Transit Authority)

113. Become ill with : GET. I sure don't want to get flu again. What an ordeal!

114. Advice from a pro : TIP

115. Words with hunch or bet : ON A

116. Some NFL linemen : RTs (Right Tackles)

117. Howdies : YOs

I set up a Blog Recipes post under Olio on the blog front page. Several regulars have shared their cherished family recipes over the years on the blog (Ham & Pea soup, e.g.), but I failed to locate them accurately. Would you mind copying and pasting the recipes on the blog again? Or just send me an email. I will put them in the Blog Recipes folder. Thanks.

C.C.

Saturday, Jan 3rd, 2015, Brad Wilber

Theme: None

Words: 70 (missing J,K,V,Z)

Blocks: 30

 Welcome to another year of Saturday setbacks~!  I was so pleased to be able to fill in the first four across answers, sensing I might be on Brad's wavelength, only to crash and burn at the longer fills and caving in to red-letter help in the bottom half. [sigh] Oh well....Still, a great challenge, a little heavy on the proper nouns(*), and some clever misdirection, but all in all, a fun puzzle.  6x8 triple-word corners, two 11-letter, and one 13-letter spanners;

33. Carolina bisque tinted orange by roe : SHE-CRAB SOUP - Once the "--SOUP" part appeared, it was only a matter of time before I remembered this - the Wiki

36. Popular news group : MEDIA DARLINGS

39. It can be used to make gin : DISCARD PILE - Clever; alternative version of "gin", this time the card game; the clecho at 32a. "It can be used to make gin : SLOE" refers to the fruit used in drinks such as "Sloe Gin Fizz"

 ~!

ACROSS:

1.* Its construction created Lake Nasser : ASWAN DAM - nailed it; always good to start off with the correct fill at 1a.~!

9. Certify : ATTEST - and again....

15.* "Wuthering Heights" backdrop : THE MOORS - and then "fail" - went with "CIVIL WAR", since I have no clue when, where or what this book is about

16. Want : DEARTH - "fail" - went with DESIRE - but was 28.5% correct

17. Word not usable with an indefinite article, such as "magic" or "dust" : MASS NOUN - I had the two "N"s, and that led to --NOUN, and from there it was an educated WAG; you don't vacuum up "a" dust, or use "a" magic ( but you might have 'a' magic wand - but now it's changed to an adjective.)

18. Made up : UNTRUE - ah, not UNITED - this is the pretend, 'fake' made up, not the end-of-a-tiff made up

19. Heave-hos : OUSTERS - meh

20. Word with level or devil : SEA - I started with "SUB", which half worked

21. Bizarre : ODD

22. Snicker follower : SNEE - snickersnee - a large knife; unrelated to the next clue

23. [snicker] : HEH - which is a mini-laugh

25.* Skyler's sister on "Breaking Bad" : MARIE - if you say so; all perps

27. CPA's concern : TAX LAW

30. Darn things : SEW - cute

40.* Bobby Darin record label : ATCO

41. "Shame on thee!" : "FIE~!" - whoops, went with "TSK~!"

42. Weightlifting technique : SNATCH - clean and jerk did not fit; I have to admit to a little "snicker" at this answer - such a DF mind....

47. Academic administrators : DEANS

49. Lofty letterhead abbr. : ESQuire

51. Tolerated : BORE

52. LAX posting : ARRival - duped; went with ETA

53. Smidge : TAD

55. Business, informally : BEE'S WAX - As in the phrase "Mind your own ---"

58. Chemical relative : ISOMER - isoTOPE did not fit, and it took waaay too long to remember this word

60. Act out, say : RE-CREATE - I always get a laugh out of shows like "UFO files" that always include a "dramatic re-creation" of the events occurring on 'that night'

61. Deferential bow : SALAAM

62. Ravel, vis-à-vis "Pictures at an Exhibition" : ARRANGER - here's the Wiki; if you play the "promenade", you'll recognize it

63. Like Miss Marple's attire : TWEEDY - uh, OK

64. Speech disruptions : STUTTERS - Dah~!  I had this, changed it to stAMMers

DOWN:    

1. No greater than : AT MOST

2.* "Entourage" publicist played by Debi Mazar : SHAUNA - I watched the show - liked it - but it never seemed to get 'dramatic'; this character I don't recall - but when I saw her pic, I remembered her from "Goodfellas" - IMDb

3.* "Far From the Madding Crowd" region : WESSEX - this is where the puzzle started to bog down on me with the proper nouns, and that sucks the life out of it when you don't have a clue

4.* Brewery bought out by Heineken : AMSTEL - a WAG from the "A"

5. Zilch : NONE - not NADA

6. Access point : DOOR

7. Frantic, perhaps, with "in" : A RUSH - "in a rush"

8. ISP with a butterfly logo : MSN

9. In tandem, musically : A DUE

10. Brunch hr. : TEN A.M.

11. Pic on a pec : TATtoo

12. Computer self-diagnostics list : ERROR LOG

13. Bookish : STUDIOUS

14.* Benchley novel : THE DEEP

20.* Shepherd of "The View" : SHERRI - mostly perps

24. Joint risks? : ESCAPES - ah - the "joint" here being jail; I had knees in mind first, then I thought this was a reference to eloping - that kind of joint 'escape'

26. LPGA part: Abbr. : ASSN - Ladies Professional Golfing Association

28. One side of the Bering Strait : ASIA - I threw in USSR, but that's kinda dated now

29. Berth place : WHARF

31. Squash court features : WALLS

34. Whirled : EDDIED

35. __-aimé: beloved, in French : BIEN - can't get away from the Frawnche

36. Tool for making precise crosscuts : MITER SAW - yeah, true, but I tend to associate a 'miter' with 'angle' cuts; my Sliding Compound Miter Saw

37. Salad green : ESCAROLE - whoops - I put in CURTSY for deferential bow, and forgot to change it, so the "R" was blocking my "L" ( and be careful when spelling curTSy )

38. No View, No Touch Trap maker : D-CON - becoming a crossword staple

39.* Max Ernst, for one : DADAIST

43. Without : ABSENT

44. Tugboat's fee : TOWAGE

45. Evidence of major impact? : CRATER

46. Bewitching types : HEXERS - ah, just the spell-casters, not the "hot girl" kind

48. Farm addition? : STEAD - Dah~! Went with STAND (60% correct) - more popular, and aggravating, down here on L.I. - I'll be upstate in Spitboov country today

50. Pyramid hopper in a 1980s arcade game : Q*BERT

54. Multitude : ARMY

56. Almond relative : ECRU - ah, the color, and usually associated with my favorite gratuitous image

 ecru pantyhose

57. Sum, in a different form : ERAT - remember your Latin; Sum, Esse (which I went with first), Fui, Futurus - "state of being" - I am so pleased I recalled that this is known as "declension"

59.* Novelist Rita __ Brown : MAE

60. Univ. peer leaders : RAs - Resident Assistants

Splynter

Friday, January 2, 2015, John Lampkin

Theme: You had to be a big shot didn't ya. LISTEN. (4:03)

I ended the year with John Lampkin, and I begin with another from the clecho king. This time the theme seems simple, the second word, or second part of a known word or phrase is a synonym for boss. The clecho part is that each are clued with "TOP" meaning the best or the boss. The grid is filled with sparkly stuff like  AT FAULT, AURORAS, BAD CALL, DOLLS UP, HAYSEED, I’M TOAST, SPARROW, SPEEDOS, TEARFUL, COPY DESK and SUSPENSE.

17A. Top horticulturist? : BUSHMASTER. This SNAKE breaks into parts for the theme. It is part of the viper family.

27A. Top orthopedist? : BONEHEAD. Any bonehead know orthopedists deal with bones.

36A. Top dairyman? : CREAM CHEESE. Like wheel below, this one needs a "Big" before it to project the same meaning as the rest of the theme.

47A. Top entomologist? : FLYWHEEL. You had to know John would get something buggy into the grid. A flywheel is a rotating mechanical device that is used to store rotational energy. Flywheels have a significant moment of inertia and thus resist changes in rotational speed. The amount of energy stored in a flywheel is proportional to the square of its rotational speed. Energy is transferred to a flywheel by applying torque to it, thereby increasing its rotational speed, and hence its stored energy. Conversely, a flywheel releases stored energy by applying torque to a mechanical load, thereby decreasing the flywheel's rotational speed. per wiki.

Picture and captions from John Lampkin: 

I don't pretend to be a FLY WHEEL myself, but I do enjoy photographing them! This bee-mimic Robber Fly captured a beetle and landed on my friend Doug's pant leg. The other members of our group who were 20 feet away were wondering why I was photographing Doug's crotch. Anything for a shot.

57A. Top cinematographer? : FILM LEADER. The TERM is also about movies but I did not know it.

Across:

1. Like Sherlock's game : AFOOT. An A word that is really used, and for a detective story lover, this was a great way to start.

6. Jerk : BOOB. This meaning for the word boob has long been supplanted by the slang word for female breast, which makes JL's intersecting 6D. Museum work : BUST so amusing. The king of the cross-reference strikes again. I found the clue/fill slowed me down big time.

10. Medical ending : OSIS. For some reason HALITOSIS popped into my head, even though HYPNOSIS, OSMOSIS and TUBERCULOSIS are clearly more common.

14. Sierra Nevada tourist attraction : TAHOE. A truly awesome place to visit with the mountains, the lake and the casinos.

15. Bruin's home : UCLA. This took much longer than it should have, perhaps a product of growing up near Boston, though my first answer was CAVE.

16. Leave in a bad way : DUMP. Ah the heartbreak of it all. Any great stories of broken romances? 35D. Like some goodbyes : TEARFUL.

19. East in Ecuador : ESTE. How odd that of all the Spanish speaking countries, JL picked Ecuador. We have clients involved in a big project there.

20. Puncture opening? : ACUpuncture.

21. Lay : PUT. Not sure, Lay Down?

22. Main signal : SOS. In this case the bounding main of the open seas.

24. "I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity" writer : POE. An interesting and tragic figure. You can read more HERE.

25. Less inclined to ramble : TERSER.

29. Get a leg up ... and down : STEP.

30. Pearl Buck heroine : OLAN. How lucky can I get, we just had this.

32. Playground retort : CAN SO. Can not.

33. Comparable to a beet : AS RED.

35. Private meetings : TRYSTS. Well usually private and naughty.

38. Emulates a fan : ADORES.

40. Lessen : ABATE.

41. Go __ : TO POT. Or Colorado?

42. Rosa's rosa, e.g. : FLOR. Is this flower in both Spanish and Italian?

43. Cut, in a way : ETCH.

49. Homburg kin : FEDORA. Hats off to John, who actually wears hats for getting this fill in the grid.

51. City VIP : ALDerman.

52. Lamp opening? : ELL. The letter, silly.

53. Cannes confirmation : OUI. Must have some French for Splynter.

54. Even so : YET.

55. Applications : USES.

60. Verdant : LUSH. Usually associated with growing things.

61. "Young Frankenstein" Fräulein : INGA. The incomparable Teri Garr and her knockers.

62. "If only!" : I HOPE.

63. I-76 in Penn., e.g. : TPKE.

64. Handy : NEAR.

65. "Good Lord!" : OH GOD.

Down:

 1. Chances for a walk in the park? : AT BATS. Some baseball misdirection as the park is the ball park. It is safe to say John likes to be misleading, as in another baseball clue 27D. Mistake at home, perhaps : BAD CALL.

2. Tap : FAUCET. So simple but I started out struggling in the NW corner.

3. "And I'm Cleopatra" : OH SURE. followed by...

4. Awed response : OOH. Now if the next clue were Buckeye state, we would have quite a progression. We also have 59D. Spa sound : AHH.

5. Home of Arizona State : TEMPE. I have quite a few cousins who got degrees there.

7. Calendar pg. : OCTober.

8. Nellie __, character in Laura Ingalls Wilder's "Little House" books : OLESON. This was all guesswork.

9. Low-grade peer : BARON. Downton Abbey will be back soon.

10. Lyric tribute : ODE.

11. Film genre : SUSPENSE.

12. "My goose is cooked" : I'M TOAST. Two cooking references. Two I references.

13. Small trunks : SPEEDOS. Joe Manganiello anyone?

18. Dawns : AURORAS. Better than my old friend Eos.

23. It may be told in anger : SECRET. 34D. Rage below the surface : SEETHE. 46D. More than dislike : HATRED. Mini-theme? Hmm, some issues JL?

26. Field chirper : SPARROW.

28. Yokel : HAYSEED. Fun fill.

31. Apollo 11's Eagle, briefly : LEM. Thanks JL for the CSO.

36. News editing site : COPY DESK. Where is our newswoman? Do they still have these.

37. Starz rival : HBO. Is this still an initialism for Home Box Office?

38. Liable : AT FAULT. Florida has no fault divorce and car insurance.

39. Dons fancy duds : DOLLS UP. Fun phrase.

42. One may be in your lap : FELINE. The perfect clecho for the Corner. For CED.

44. One may be in your lap : TOY DOG. For Manac.

45. Sleazeball : CREEPO. So many variations of the word creep, but I did not know this one.

48. Puckish : ELFIN. Just watched the final of the Hobbit Trilogy. Filled with Elves who were not ELFIN. I also rewatched ELF for Christmas.

50. Farm sequence? : EIEIO. Old MacDonald would be proud of so many O words.

53. "A Book of Verses underneath the Bough" poet : OMAR.

56. Ship, to the captain : SHE. On the bounding main.

58. JFK alternative : LGA. Three letter airport codes. MSY, MCO, ORD are trickier to suss.

Well another year has begun with a challenging but doable Friday (only 74 words and 34 blocks, so we had to work hard). Thank all for the good wishes after my wedding and have a great year.

Lemonade out.

Donation Address

To donate by mail, please send check to 


Crossword Corner

c/o C.C. Burnikel
5503 - 84 1/2 Ave N.
Brooklyn Park
MN 55443

Thank you for the generosity.  Thanks for supporting this blog.

C.C.