Tuesday, January 27, 2015 Ed Sessa

Theme: Tuesday Toadies - All are dupes that get used.

57A. Classic comedy team, with "The" ... and what the last words of 20-, 38- and 44-Across comprise : THREE STOOGES

20A. Rock used for hammering, e.g. : STONE AGE TOOL

38A. Shari Lewis' Lamb Chop, memorably : SOCK PUPPET

44A. First piece moved in chess, often : QUEEN'S PAWN

Argyle here. Eighty words but it although it didn't feel like that many. All the letters except J Z.

Across:

1. Many an Amman man : ARAB

5. Grab, as ice cubes : TONG

9. Seuss character who "speaks for the trees" : LORAX

14. Ship bottom : HULL. Perhaps Spitzboov can elaborate.

15. Auth. unknown : ANON. But we know anons; they're not all bad.

16. Fit to be tied : IRATE

17. Opposed to : ANTI

18. Flat-topped elevation : MESA

19. Consumerist Ralph : NADER

23. Mousse kin : GEL

24. NBC skit show : SNL. (Saturday Night Live)

25. Neighbor of Can. : USA

28. Seasoned veteran : PRO

31. Sneaker brand : KEDS

34. Sharper, as vision : KEENER

36. One that falls in the fall : LEAF

40. Media workers' org. : AFTRA. (American Federation of Television and Radio Artists)

42. Mentalist Geller : URI

43. Home of baseball's Marlins : MIAMI

47. Takes a load off : SITS

48. "Incredible!" : "UNREAL!"

49. __ Piper : PIED. Def. having two or more different colors.

51. Half a colon : DOT

52. Blog VIPs : EDs. (editor)

53. Bubble bath spot : TUB

55. Arctic sea bird : AUK

63. Mexican mom : MADRE. (madre política : mother-in-law) Plus 63D. Mother's Day month : MAY. (el día de la madre, diez de mayo)

66. Wrap for a sprain : TAPE

67. Agatha Christie's title : DAME. She was made a Dame by Queen Elizabeth in 1971.

68. Universal principle : AXIOM

69. Letter-named thoroughfares in Bklyn. : AVEs. Full of snow, I suppose.

70. Soprano Gluck : ALMA

71. Gossipmonger : YENTA

72. Religious offshoot : SECT

73. Ringful on a belt : KEYS

Down:

1. Triumphant cries : A-HAs. When I 'got' 73-Across.

2. Littlest of a litter : RUNT

3. Voice below soprano : ALTO

4. Showy jewelry : BLING

5. Fare steamed in corn husks : TAMALEs

6. Ten C-notes : ONE G. 10 x $100 = $1,000

7. Wine quality : NOSE

8. Annoying swarm : GNATS

9. Kitchen flooring : LINOLEUM and 41D. Detested thing : ANATHEMA. I had trouble spelling these two climbers.

10. Like much early history : ORAL

11. "Cool!" : "RAD!" (radical)

12. Had a bite : ATE

13. Gen-__: boomer's kid, usually : Xer

21. Surprised scream : [EEK!]

22. Cleaning up after the mess? : ON KP. in the service.

25. Still owed : UNPAID

26. Appear that way : SEEM TO

27. Palette user : ARTIST

28. Inscribed award : PLAQUE

29. Check from the IRS : REFUND. They may be late this year.

30. Films featuring chaps in chaps : OATERS. (Westerns)

32. Fasten, as buttons : DO UP

33. Junkyard metal : SCRAP

35. Protestant denom. : EPIS. (Episcopal)

37. Let loose : FREE

39. Fuzzy fruit : KIWI

45. Insult : SLUR

46. Most shipshape : NEATEST

50. Lovebirds, e.g. : DUO

54. Software test versions : BETAs

56. George Eastman's camera : KODAK

57. Easy race pace : TROT

58. Whence icicles hang : EAVE

59. Building detail, briefly : SPEC. Specification, different from on spec: Speculation.

60. Big windstorm : GALE

61. Award for a sitcom : EMMY

62. Red and Coral : SEAs. The Coral Sea.

64. Bough breaker : AXE. Axe must have been too dull to chop it.

65. Racket : DIN

Argyle

Monday, January 26, 2015 Clement McKay

Theme: It's Clobberin' Time! - Just read the first words of the entries and you have Batman meeting The Thing.

17A. Like the 1920s-'30s, economically : BOOM OR BUST  BOOM!

24A. Excellent work : BANG UP JOB                                       BANG!

35A. Dramatic weight-loss program : CRASH DIET              CRASH!

49A. Deadeye with a rifle : CRACK SHOT.(or crackshot)     CRACK!

59A. Hectic pre-deadline period : CRUNCH TIME               CRUNCH!

No reveal.

Argyle here with what appears to be a new constructor. The theme probably has been done before but if so, I doubt it was done as well. Impressive grid with the seven letter risers in two corners. I'm running late and I have some linkin' to so, so here goes.

Across:

1. Parking lot fillers : CARS. Too easy?

5. "Me too!" : "SO AM I!"

10. Cutlass automaker : OLDS

14. Nike competitor : AVIA

15. Valuable violin, for short : STRAD. (Stradivarius)

16. Genesis or Exodus, e.g. : BOOK

19. Wild revelry : ORGY

20. Audition hopefuls : ACTORS

21. Enjoyed a sail, say : BOATED

23. Indian melodies : RAGAs

27. Dean's email suffix : .EDU

28. Japanese sash : OBI

30. Back of a flipped coin : TAILS

31. 2,000 pounds : TON

32. Uncooked : RAW

34. Greek messenger of the gods : HERMES. Hermès, if you're fashionable.

38. Geek Squad member : TECHIE. The boys at Best Buy.

41. Fireworks reaction : [OOH!]

42. EPA-banned pesticide : DDT. Some controversy now that maybe an out-right ban was too strong for the good that it does.

45. Roger who broke Babe Ruth's record : MARIS

46. Refusals : NOs

48. Prior to, in poems : ERE

53. "A Doll's House" playwright : IBSEN

55. Decorative inlaid work : MOSAIC

56. Watchful Japanese canines : AKITAs

57. Comet Hale-__ : BOPP

61. Thought from la tête : IDÉE

62. Hayes or Hunt : HELEN. Both great actresses but from different eras.

63. Slaughter in the Baseball Hall of Fame : ENOS

64. Surrender, as territory : CEDE

65. Grab : SEIZE

66. Emailed : SENT

Down:

1. Musical set at the Kit Kat Club : CABARET

2. Guacamole fruit : AVOCADO

3. Tear gas weapon : RIOT GUN

4. Margaret Mead subject : SAMOA. "Coming of Age in Samoa"

5. Georgia and Latvia, once: Abbr. : SSRs. (Soviet Socialist Republic)

6. Horseplayer's haunt, for short : OTB. (Off Track Betting)

7. Island near Curaçao : ARUBA. Win enough at OTB and you can be here.

8. Perry in court : MASON. With Della Street at his side.

9. Convention pin-on : ID TAG

10. Section of a woodwind quintet score : OBOE PART

11. Conrad classic : "LORD JIM". A novel by Joseph Conrad originally published as a serial in Blackwood's Magazine from October 1899 to November 1900. I missed it. My subscription lapsed.

12. Guard that barks : DOG

13. Big __ Country: Montana : SKY. Big shout out.

18. Approximately : OR SO

22. One-to-one student : TUTEE

24. Prejudice : BIAS

25. Corrida cry : ¡OLÉ!

26. Undergraduate degrees in biol., e.g. : BSs. (Bachelor of Science)

29. Scottish hillside : BRAE

33. Detective's question : WHO

34. Sunshine cracker : HI HO

35. Massachusetts city crossed by four Interstates : CHICOPEE. Two are auxiliary Interstates.

36. Insurance covers them : RISKS

37. "Please stop that" : "DON'T!"

38. Film lover's TV choice : TMC. The Movie Channel is on Showtime. Yes, I tried TCM.

39. Corn serving : EAR

40. Hardly roomy, as much airline seating : CRAMPED

42. Preordain : DESTINE

43. "It'll never happen!" : "DREAM ON!"

44. Most uptight : TENSEST

47. Many a Punjabi : SIKH

50. Goldman __: investment banking giant : SACHS

51. New employee : HIREE

52. Eyelike openings : OCULI. Oculus, singular.

54. Tugs at a fishing line : BITES

56. Clearasil target : ACNE

57. Clic Stic pen maker : BIC

58. Poem that extols : ODE

60. Pince-__ glasses : NEZ

Argyle

Sunday, January 25, 2015 C.C. Burnikel

Theme: 4-G Network. Every theme answer contains 4 G's sprinkled throughout the fill. 

Our lovely hostess is working weekends again and has acquired the services of GreGarious Guy Gary to blog for her very nice Sunday puzzle. Having  six theme answers across and two down supplied a nice element too. She produced some real learning for me with some of the theme fill and as usual provided entertainment with her always sparkling cluing.

I'm sure it was just serendipity that Don G had GettinG GoinG in his great Thursday puzzle! 

23A. What winners earn : BRAGGING RIGHTS - Texas and Oklahoma fight for these each October in Dallas  (1/2 orange, 1/2 red in Cotton Bowl)

41A. Search feature that tries to finish your thought : GOOGLE SUGGEST - New to this digital cowboy

60A. Grounded V-formation fliers : GAGGLE OF GEESE - Hey, once they take off they're a flock 

83A. Completely : BAG AND BAGGAGE - "I threw him out, BAG AND BAGGAGE"

96A. Way to generate fresh website content : GUEST BLOGGING - I think that's what all of us do

120A. Flamboyant '40s-'50s wrestler : GORGEOUS GEORGE - George Wagner from Butte Nebraska cut quite a figure in the 50's rasslin' game

40D. Kellogg's product slogan : LEGGO MY EGGO 

44D. Revelation nations : GOG AND MAGOG - Not a clue

Across     
    
1. Give up : CEDE - The land Mexico CEDED to the U.S.A. after the Mexican-American War

5. 27 for Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata," e.g. : OPUS 

9. Body sci. : ANAT 

13. Fingers-in-one's-ears syllables : LA LA LA - If I can't hear you, it doesn't count... 

19. Subtle vibe : AURA

20. "Hogwash!" : BOSH - Would Rich have allowed "Chris of the Miami Heat"?

21. Rao's competitor : RAGU

22. Polling place sticker : I VOTED 

26. Pan creator : BARRIE - Mary Martin as Pan on NBC in 1955  is a fond memory for me

27. Like a designated driver : SOBER - I don't think driving drunk is taken lightly any more

28. Coptic Museum city : CAIRO - tradition has it that the Holy Family visited this part of Cairo while fleeing from Herod

29. Toffee bar with a crown in its logo : SKOR - one of my favorite candy bars as long as my teeth are good!

31. Bread sometimes prepared with chutney : NAAN - I've yet to sample either

32. Bowler Mark who was four-time PBA Player of the Year : ROTH - along with Boomer, a man who has had a lot 127A. Alley pickups : SPARES

34. Trellis piece : LATH

36. Wipe clean : ERASE 

38. The NFL's Falcons : ATL - They got an NFL expansion franchise in 1965 so they wouldn't go to the pre-merger AFL

44. Coll. transcript stat : GPA 

47. Rake's look : LEER 

49. Big diamond-mining country: Abbr. : RSA - a 507.55 carat white diamond taken from the Cullinan Diamond Mine in South Africa in 2009

50. Tells a tall tale : LIES - George Costanza, "Jerry, it's not a LIE, if you don't think it's a LIE"

51. Melodious winds : OBOES - As mentioned on Monday, also the voice of the duck in Peter And The Wolf 

53. Ready to drive : IN GEAR

55. "Fear not!" : BE BRAVE - It's probably not as bad as you think it will be

59. Aptly named baby carrier brand : SNUGLI 

62. Usher in : HERALD - Hark!

63. Drudgery : MOIL - I will learn this word. I will learn this word. I will... 

64. Ninth-century pope : LEO IV  - Served from DCCCXLVII - DCCCLV

65. Ousted Iranian ruler : SHAH - he was a despot but, by God, he was our despot

67. Dundee denial : NAE - "Nae, I did na think she was bonny"

68. ''Chances Are'' crooner : MATHIS - You can't be my age and not have, uh, "pitched woo" to this record

70. Japanese IT services giant : NEC 

72. Map feature : LEGEND - This map and its LEGEND tell you where most people live in my, Joe's and Ergo's state.

74. Stable diet? : HAY - cute

76. Trace : HINT 

77. 2008 Jordin Sparks/Chris Brown duet : NO AIR

79. Letters on the back of a jersey : NAME - Coachspeak: 

81. Certain daisies : OXEYES

87. Trials and tribulations : RIGORS

88. Rhine temptress : LORELEI - I listened for her while floating down the Rhine, but all I heard were people at the ship's bar

89. "Under Siege" star : SEAGAL

90. Church doctrine : DOGMA - The Golden Rule is all I need

91. Kiara's mother in "The Lion King" : NALA 

92. Org. promoting hunter safety : NRA 

94. Fuss : TO-DO - Miss Bunting seems intent on creating a TO-DO whenever she is at Downton Abbey

95. Comic Philips : EMO - I always thought he was an odd little man

102. Airer of "Family Feud" reruns, briefly : GSN - How much Family Feud can you really watch? 

103. Hulu service : NET TV - Now that we have a "smart TV"...

104. Palm starch : SAGO - Harvesting the pith from the Sago Palm to make starch

105. Besties : PALS - BFF's (which last about a week in middle school)

107. It can precede Bravo : ALFA - Take it from Golf Alfa Romeo Yankee

110. "If that's true ..." : THEN - Simple If/Then flow chart

112. Dupe : REPRO - If a brother can be "bro",  a reproduction can be a REPRO

114. Online savings accounts offerer : E-LOAN - I've seen 391% APR on those babies

118. Text file with instructions : READ ME 

123. Blini topper : CAVIAR - EGADS! You eat caviar with a metal spoon! How gauche! 

124. Sweetie, in Tahiti : AMIE - Parlez vous Français in Tahiti? Mais oui!

125. In the know about : ONTO - Yeah, no one was ONTO Tony and Jack

126. Glimpses : SEES

128. Scorch : SEAR

129. Reflexology targets : FEET

130. Throw, as a party : HOST

Down:

1. Train station waiters : CABS - Our resident oenophile Marti might have clued this differently!

2. Vatican City coin : EURO - The cheapest tour of the Vatican will set you back €32,00

3. Lackluster : DRAB 

4. Champing at the bit : EAGER

5. Kimono closer : OBI

6. Wet weather wear : PONCHOS - The Pope wore the same cheap rain PONCHO when visiting the faithful in the Philippines. A true man of the people.

7. Org. that tests balls and clubs : USGA

8. Piercing : SHRILL

9. Specialized idioms : ARGOTS - We have 'em here! 

10. "Pass" : NAH - Coupled with NAE today

11. NSA figures : AGTS 

12. Rosa Parks' birth city : TUSKEGEE - She'd had enough, decided to BE BRAVE and showed true courage 

13. Some fall babies : LIBRAS 

14. Clark's "Mogambo" co-star : AVA - She was forced on director John Ford who wanted Maureen O'Hara

15. "SNL" creator Michaels : LORNE

16. Hair removal brand : ATRA - I guess shaving is hair removal

17. "Well, I guess you don't know everything about women yet" speaker : LEIA

18. Yemeni port : ADEN

24. Pirate's brew : GROG - A staple for Captain Hook in Pan?

25. Wrath, in a hymn : IRAE

30. Tram loads : ORES - Gold ORE in a slightly bigger mode of transportation

33. Manager with four World Series wins : TORRE - Four Yankee titles

35. Expressive dances : HULAS

37. Salisbury Plain monument : STONEHENGE - YouTube has many great theories about how STONEHENGE was built

38. Irreverent Sacha Baron Cohen alter ego : ALI G - Not my (Nice) Cuppa tea!

39. Break hr. : TEN AM 

42. Talky get-together : GABFEST

43. Hand over : GIVE

45. Big name in windows and doors : PELLA - In Iowa, it's a town with a fabulous Tulip Festival

46. Private remark : ASIDE - Bob Hope was a master at this in the "Road Films"

48. Aqua __: gold dissolver : REGIA - Literally Royal Water. Nitro-hydrochloric acid

52. Rough case : BUR

54. Extremely hot : ALL THE RAGE 

56. Locker room problem : EGO - A crossword stalwart with a huge EGO

57. '60s counterculture event : BE IN

58. Common crime drama theme : REVENGE

59. Plush carpet : SHAG

61. Ken of "thirtysomething" : OLIN - Another stalwart here

65. On the skids : SLIDING

66. Sage, say : HERB

69. Bad reception? : HISS - My MIL's radio HISSES constantly but it was a gift from her late son

71. Shade of black : COAL 

73. Pester : NAG AT - LA LA LA... 

74. Large crowd : HORDE

75. Geometry basic : AXIOM

78. Hydrocarbon suffix : ANE - It's been very warm this week and so I refilled my proPANE tank earlier than usual to BBQ

80. "Oh my goodness!" : EGADS

82. __ Kippur : YOM - Will 9/23 - 9/24, 2015 be long enough for me to atone for all my sins?

83. Hightail it : BOLT - Col. Pickering, "Where's Eliza?" Professor Higgins, "She's BOLTED!"

84. Spirited horses : ARABS 

85. Yoga posture : ASANA - I can do some of these 

86. Tesla Motors CEO Musk : ELON - He's building space vehicles too

88. City on I-15 : LAS VEGAS - 5 hr and 49 min north and you'd be in Salt Lake City. Hmmm...

91. Rembrandt's home: Abbr. : NETH

93. Comeback : RIPOSTE - here's one with our crossword weapon of choice

97. States : UTTERS

98. Minnesota, vis-à-vis Nebraska : LARGER - C.C. said she originally had Missouri but Rich put in Nebraska. Yeah right! ;-)

99. Arch in some Gothic architecture : OGEE

100. Vanish : GO POOF

101. __ club : GLEE

103. It's the pits : NADIR 

106. Play in the tub : SLOSH

107. Lob paths : ARCS - The result of many a Lob pass

108. Bound : LEAP  - See above

109. Bean variety : FAVA

111. Alaskan gold rush town : NOME - What great 1960 song has the lyric, "Below that old white mountain, Just a little southeast of NOME"?

113. Mysterious letter : RUNE - Early Germanic writing system

115. Snack sometimes fried : OREO 

116. Long stretches : AGES 

117. Place to find eggs : NEST

119. West in pictures : MAE - She really knew her, uh, assets

121. Coastal inlet : RIA

122. Figured out : GOT - I was so happy I GOT to blog this fine puzzle for my friend C.C.!

Thanks for this great puzzle C.C.! This site is now charging into its 8th year with you firmly ensconced in the position of leadership. How fortunate we are!

Husker Gary

Note from C.C.:

Ralph Bunker, the co-constructor of George Barany's "Enigma Variations" meta puzzle, visited MN yesterday, so our local constructors had another gathering at the University of Minnesota. The conference room we were at is named after George's parents, both Holocaust survivors. George also gave us a tour of their chemistry department and showed us this huge periodic table where you can touch some of the elements.

Marcia Brott, C.C., Tom Pepper, David Hanson & Nancy Herther

  Tariq Samad, George Barany, Ralph Bunker, Tom Pepper, C.C., David Hanson, Marcia Brott & Nancy Herther

George Barany, Nancy Herther, Tom Pepper, Marcia Brott, David Hanson, C.C.m, Victor Barocas,  Tariq Samad & Ralph Bunker

Click here for a few more pictures.

Also, the Fourth Minnesota Crossword Tournament will be held on Sunday, June 14, 2015. Please click here for more info.