Theme: Soupçons and Smidgeons, or five featured fractions!
17A. Abe's youngest son : TAD LINCOLN. The presidents have been getting a crossword work-out over the last couple of days or so. "Tad" was Abe's nickname for his son - he was "wiggly as a tadpole" as a baby.
25A. Exhortation from Santa, in Moore's poem : DASH AWAY ALL. Clement Clarke Moore's father was the Bishop of New York, and officiated at the inauguration of George Washington. More presidential trivia!
38A. Halls product : COUGH DROP. I needed these last week, I get the mentholyptus variety.
54A. Late-inning substitute : PINCH HITTER. Tinbeni's our resident pinch-hitting specialist.
63A. Gets the unspoken message ... which includes one of five synonyms found in this puzzle's longest answers : TAKES A HINT. I rather like how the "hint" entry is literally a hint.
Today's Wednesday Workout courtesy of Jeff Stillman. A neat enough theme, and plenty of nice fill to enjoy along the way.
Let's get to the rest ...
Across:
1. Recitals showing promise : OATHS. I enjoy how "swearing an oath" can be a good or a bad thing, depending on context and circumstance.
6. A way off : AFAR
10. Big name in PCs : ACER. I can't remember the last time I saw one of these - I confess I thought the company was long-defunct.
14. Braid : PLAIT
15. Where to get a bite on the street : CAFE. One of the great pleasures in life is people-watching from a table at a Parisian pavement café over a cup of coffee.
16. Clue weapon : ROPE. I tried "PIPE" first, that didn't work out so well.
19. Friend on "Friends" : ROSS
20. West Point newbie : PLEBE
21. Latin phrase usually shortened : ET ALIA
23. Old hand : PRO
28. Wrestling maneuver : HOLD
30. Term of respect : SIR. Especially when a wrestler has got you in a full-nelson and is trying to dislocate both your shoulders.
31. "Liar!" in a playground : IS NOT
32. Nerdy types : DWEEBS
35. Target : GOAL
37. Shipping wts. : TNS. I'm guessing this refers to the tonnage of the vessel, not the cargo, but I could be wrong. It wouldn't be the first time.
41. NCR product : ATM. Does anyone else make them? NCR are certainly the crossword-friendliest.
44. Reed in a hall : OBOE. We seem to have seen a lot of oboes recently.
45. Stable rides for kids : TRIKES. Fun rides for adult too.
49. Whodunit surprise : TWIST. I spell "dunnit" with a double-n. It reads like "who dune-it" to me when the "n" is singled.
51. Org. with Eagles : B.S.A. Boy Scouts of America have Eagle Scouts. It took a moment for the penny to drop here - when I see "BSA" I think motorcycles, and when I see "Eagles" I think NFL.
53. Coin with 12 stars on its reverse side : EURO. The stars are often erroneously thought to represent the number of countries in the European Community or the members of the Eurozone - they don't.
58. Like some grins : WRY
59. Crate up : ENCASE. Ready for weighing and shipping per 37A.
60. Organisms of a region : BIOTA. A learning moment for me. I'll add it to my lexicon.
62. Not fer : AGIN
68. 53-Across fraction : CENT
69. Maui music makers : UKES. The crossword orchestra comprises ukes and oboes accompanying diva arias.
70. Lingerie fabric : SATIN
71. Envelope-pushing : EDGY
72. Huff and puff : PANT
73. Bard's "between" : TWIXT. Juliet: "Give me some present counsel, or, behold, 'Twixt my extremes and me this bloody knife"
Down:
1. Go (for) : OPT
2. __ française : A LA. I was surprised when I learned that "Service à la française" in a restaurant means that all the courses are served at once, rather than one at a time. "Service à la russe"describes the serial method. Who knew that Russia created this concept? Not me.
3. Pond juvenile : TADPOLE. Wow, this is very close to breaking one of the cardinal rules of not duplicating an answer in a puzzle, especially as it crosses "TAD", which, as we've learned, was derived from TADPOLE. Maybe this was done intentionally but I'm a little uncomfortable with it. What do you all think?
4. "This Kiss" singer Faith : HILL
5. Kept in a pen : STIED
6. Tap into : ACCESS
7. __ Schwarz : FAO. Frederick August Otto founded the store in Baltimore.
8. CIO partner : AFL. Not CIO in the top-banana geek sense of the word. The Congress of Industrial Organizations.
9. Keep up on the issues? : RENEW
10. Neat arrangements : ARRAYS
11. Nuclear reactor need : COOLANT. I'm a little sketchy on the physics involved, but given a cocktail of carbon rods, enriched uranium and water, I'm voting for plenty of water.
12. Delta-zeta connection : EPSILON. The "Alphabet Song" is a little different in Greek. Or E-Z-er?
13. Seasons a bit more : RE-SALTS. My "Oh no, really?" of the day. You don't "re-salt" an under-seasoned dish, you add more salt. Straw poll - have you ever asked anyone to re-salt something? I've asked for salt, I've mentioned that a dish needs more salt, I've wondered if I've under-seasoned something - but- re-salt? Maybe a frozen road needs to be re-salted. Best I can come up with.
18. Pistons' org. : NBA. Detroit hoopsters.
22. Worker who gives people fits? : TAILOR
23. Honorary deg., perhaps : PH.D. Shaquille O'Neal earned his the hard way. That's a big gown.
24. Fracas : ROW
26. Uppermost : HIGHEST
27. Three-time MLB home run king : A-ROD. He gave what seemed to be a genuine apology yesterday regarding his suspension for PED usage.
29. Advent mo. : DEC
33. Voting enclosures : BOOTHS
34. Deli order : SUB
36. Word with modern or cave : ART
39. Mongolian expanse : GOBI
40. Key lime __ : PIE. Could this fill be anything else?
41. Free from strife : AT PEACE
42. Hurt suddenly, as a muscle : TWINGED
43. Preparing garlic, in a way : MINCING. I wallop my garlic cloves on the chopping board with the side of a chef's knife. It peels and minces them all in one go, and is thoroughly satisfying.
46. Persian Gulf native : KUWAITI
47. Make a faux pas : ERR
48. Traditional Asian sauce base : SOY.
50. Like a string bikini : SCANTY. Scanty bikinis and satin lingerie in the same puzzle? How salacious!
52. If all goes according to plan : AT BEST
55. Hopping mad : HET UP
56. Frozen Wasser : EIS. Just right to drop in your schnapps. Look away, Tinbeni
57. Holiday entrée : ROAST. Not just for holidays in my native UK. The Sunday roast was a traditional highlight of the week's meals.
61. Turn to slush : THAW
64. Letters in a police record : A.K.A. I was originally "also known as" "Stephen", my given name. My mother always refused to take a phone call asking for "Steve".
65. Novelist Kesey : KEN
66. Eighty-six : NIX
67. Explosive stuff : TNT. Boom! Trinitritoluene. Here's the recipe:
And with that I'm done! Here's the grid, with "TAD" causing me problems:
Steve
Advertisements
Feb 18, 2015
Feb 17, 2015
Tuesday, February 17, 2015 Gail Grabowski and Bruce Venzke
Theme: Tao - As Steven Tyler sang, "Walk This WAY".
18A. Particularly welcome casino visitor : HIGH ROLLER. Highway.
23A. Court case that generates a media frenzy, say : CAUSE CÉLÈBRE. Causeway.
52A. Abe Lincoln nickname : RAIL SPLITTER. Railway.
60A. Irritate to the breaking point : DRIVE CRAZY. Driveway.
39A. "Nice job!" ... and, in another sense, a hint about the first words of 18-, 23-, 52- and 60-Across : WAY TO GO
Argyle here. What with the golf clues, I thought I'd find a fairway but like my drives, nope. The reveal was right in the middle though. Still a little crunch to 1-Across but Gail and Bruce's offering seems a tad easier than Monday's.
Across:
1. Command from a bailiff : "OYEZ"
5. Circle calculation : AREA
9. They smell : NOSES. lol
14. Like Mini Coopers : BOXY. The new BMW version and the old Austin Mini.
15. Pond croaker : TOAD. "Ribbit!"
16. Swine squeals : OINKS
17. Gave the once-over : EYED
20. Alpine song : YODEL
22. Ear-splitting : LOUD
30. Handsome god : APOLLO. 47A. Handsome god : ADONIS. Greeks.
32. Get really angry : SEE RED
33. Granada gold : ORO
34. Irritate : ANNOY
37. "CSI" facilities : LABS
38. Tee sizes, for short : SML. (small, medium, large)
42. Geese formation : VEE
43. Leafy veggie baked for chips : KALE
45. Bitten by bees : STUNG
46. Angled pipe fitting : ELL
50. __ Raiders: consumer advocates : NADER'S. (Ralph Nader)
55. Principal role : LEAD
56. Diet food phrase : [NO FAT]
66. Shredded : TORE
67. Construction beam fastener : RIVET
68. Former South Korean leader Syngman __ : RHEE
69. Golf club used for chipping : IRON. 7D. One below birdie : EAGLE. 57D. Warning from a driver? : "FORE!"
70. Blissful settings : EDENS
71. Jedi guru : YODA
72. Small change : CENT
Down:
1. Do as directed : OBEY
2. Toy with a spool : YOYO
3. Deleted, with "out" : EXed
4. Louisiana music style : ZYDECO
5. Olympics fig. : ATH. (athlete)
6. French monarch : ROI
8. Specialized, committee-wise : AD HOC
9. Bit of pasta : NOODLE
10. Frying liquid : OIL
11. NBC show since 1975, briefly : SNL
12. Barely manage, with "out" : EKE
13. Ukr. or Lith., once : SSR. (Soviet Socialist Republic)
19. Feels remorse over : RUEs
21. Bochco legal series : "L.A. LAW"
24. Forearm bone : ULNA
25. Some DVD players : SONYs
26. Sinuous swimmer : EEL
27. Less cowardly : BRAVER
28. Insurgent group : REBELS
29. '50s four-wheeled flop : EDSEL
30. 16th-century Spanish fleet : ARMADA
31. Hoi __: the masses : POLLOI
33. Heroic Schindler : OSKAR. He had a list.
35. Giants Hall of Famer Mel : OTT
36. Brewers Hall of Famer Robin : YOUNT. Shortstop and center fielder.
40. Pest in a swarm : GNAT
41. Utah city near the Golden Spike : OGDEN. The "Golden Spike" at Promontory Summit, north-west of Ogden, is where the ceremonial final spike joined the Central Pacific and Union Pacific railroads on May 10, 1869.
44. Photo blowup: Abbr. : ENL. (enlargement)
48. Sea spots? : ISLETs
49. Blueprint detail, for short : SPEC. (specification)
51. Sexy : EROTIC
53. Cable Guy of comedy : LARRY
54. The Gem State : IDAHO. It is the "Gem State" because nearly every known type of gemstone has been found there.
58. Elvis __ Presley : ARON
59. No-frills shelter : TENT. Thrown up by a pitcher.
60. Hip-hop Dr. : DRE
61. Free (of) : RID
62. "__ changed my mind" : I'VE
63. Caracas' country, to the IOC : VEN. (Venezuela)
64. Athens : omega :: London : __ : ZED. The end of the alphabet in Greek and English.
65. Assenting vote : YEA
Argyle
Note from C.C.:
Happy Birthday to Chairman Moe, who has been quiet lately. What's up, pal?
Happy Birthday to Chairman Moe, who has been quiet lately. What's up, pal?
Feb 16, 2015
Monday, February 16, 2015 Garry Morse
Theme: Huh? I must have dozed off - which might be excused because of all the Z's.(9)
17A. Teen's budding facial hair, informally : PEACH FUZZ
56A. Speculation leading up to a February 22 awards extravaganza : OSCAR BUZZ
11D. Semi-autobiographical 1979 Fosse film : "ALL THAT JAZZ"
25D. Bubbly plum-flavored drink : SLOE GIN FIZZ
Argyle [yawn] here. Garry returns after his debut back in July last year. That was a Sunday but now he tackles the always tough Monday. Two 3-word 11's in the verticals and two 2-word 9's in the horizontals. I do wonder if the timely reference to the Oscars was the seed entry or just Rich's reason to publish it now.
Across:
1. Ray Charles' genre : R AND B. (rhythm and blues)
6. "Thank God" day: Abbr. : FRI.
9. Swedish autos : SAABs
14. Borden mascot : ELSIE
15. Cereal grain : OAT
16. Come from behind : RALLY
19. Place for a perm : SALON
20. One of many in a Lipton bag : TEA LEAF
22. Home buyer's debt: Abbr. : MTGE. (Mortgage)
23. Ceases : DESISTS. Cease and Desist partners; stop what you're doing and don't try it again.
26. Sister of Rachel : LEAH. Rachel and Leah were two sisters who married the same man - Jacob. Their father, Laban, was Jacob's uncle.
28. Distributes by shares : ALLOTS
29. Group nickname for Ringwald, Sheedy, Lowe, Estevez et al. : BRAT PACK
33. "Let's go!" : "C'MON!". "What do I have to do? Goose you?"
34. Name of 18 French kings : LOUIS
35. "Toto, __?": Dorothy : TOO
36. Caviar, e.g. : ROE
37. Country-drive view : SCENERY
39. Jam holder : JAR
40. Nonprofit URL ending : .ORG (organization)
41. Carpentry bit : AUGER. Type of drill.
42. Uncommon : RARE
43. Next-door resident : NEIGHBOR
45. Gabor with an echoic name : ZSA ZSA
47. Florida State player, for short : NOLE. (Seminoles)
48. Native : CITIZEN
49. Living room piece : SOFA
51. "No chance of that happening!" : "DREAM ON!"
54. Relax, in slang : CHILL
60. Open, as a jacket : UNZIP
61. Tex. clock setting : CST
62. Theater offering : MOVIE
63. Takes a nap : DOZES
64. Fancy carp : KOI
65. Former Steeler star Lynn __, who ran for governor of Pennsylvania in 2006 : SWANN. Swann ran as a Republican against the Democratic incumbent Ed Rendell. He lost by almost 850,000 votes.
Down:
1. Sales agent : REP. (Representative)
2. Bass brew : ALE
3. Govt. intel org. : NSA. [no such agency]
4. Style of wording : DICTION
5. Command : BEHEST. It would behoove you to remember this word.
6. Hoops ref's calls : FOULS Hoops=basketball
7. Demolish, as a building : RAZE
8. Chichén __ : ITZÁ
9. Yearbook sect. : SRs
10. Road travel org. freebie : AAA MAP
12. Opinion website : BLOG
13. "Auld Lang __" : SYNE
18. Pool legend Minnesota __ : FATS
21. Natural aptitude : FLAIR
23. Wrinkle-resistant synthetic : DACRON
24. Author Leonard : ELMORE. Elmore John Leonard, Jr.
Raylan - Get Shorty - Three-Ten to Yuma - Mr. Majestyk
27. Online market for handmade crafts : ETSY. Link
29. Dumb mistake : BONER
30. Penitent sort : RUER
31. Like a woodworker's rasp : COARSE
32. Seoul native : KOREAN
34. Toy block brand : LEGO
37. Humorist Mort who wrote jokes for Kennedy : SAHL
38. To the third power : CUBED
42. Colorful post-cloudburst phenomenon : RAINBOW
44. Hockey mask wearer : GOALIE
45. Alcopop brand : ZIMA
46. Hurricanes, e.g. : STORMS
48. Spiny desert plants : CACTI
49. Gulf War missile : SCUD
50. "Don't tell me!" : "OH NO!"
52. Relax on a porch chair, perhaps : ROCK
53. Standard Oil brand : ESSO
55. Hi-fi platters : LPs
57. Charlottesville sch. : UVA. (University of Virginia)
58. Red or blush wine, familiarly : ZIN
59. Buddhist sect : ZEN
How many CSO's did you count?
Argyle
Feb 15, 2015
Sunday February 15, 2015 Amy Johnson
Theme: "Hail to the Chief" - Each theme answer is clued as if it's related to a US president.
24A. Presidential thoroughfare? : MADISON AVENUE. Wiki says that Madison Square is named after President Madison. I presume it's the same for the Avenue.
39A. Presidential records? : LINCOLN LOGS. Named after President Lincoln.
54A. Presidential teams? : BUSH LEAGUE. Unrelated to President Bush. So works perfectly as a theme answer.
71A. Presidential horse? : FORD BRONCO. Ditto this one.
83A. Presidential quintet? : JACKSON FIVE. Ditto this one.
102A. Presidential resistance? : GRANT IMMUNITY. This one is the best with the original "Grant" as a verb.
3D. Presidential tweet? : WASHINGTON POST
50D. Presidential stand-ups? : GARFIELD COMICS
This
type of theme works the best when the key words in the original phrases
have nothing to do with the presidents. But it's impossible to come up
with a set for Sundays.
I like the clue angle, and the grid only has 140 words (same as Marti's last week). You can be assured that I'll rack it up to 144.
Across:
1. Chauffeur's ride : TOWN CAR. Lincoln!
8. Glass-tinting element : COBALT
14. Pin sites : ALLEYS. Bowling pins.
20. Otter's prey : ABALONE. I don't think I had abalones before. You?
21. Key of Beethoven's "Für Elise" : A MINOR. Had ?MINOR. Then waited.
22. Fly under the radar : LIE LOW
23. Splits evenly : BISECTS
26. __Kosh B'gosh : OSH
27. Bigger fish to fry? : KEEPERS. Nice clue.
29. Ask : POSE. As a question.
30. Chem class suffix : IDE
31. Mayberry kid : OPIE
33. Bard's "bleak" : DREAR
34. Dieting setback : GAIN
36. Surname preceder, perhaps: Abbr. : INIT. Oh, middle initial.
37. It may be a hit : SONG
38. Brewery container : VAT
42. Spurs to action : GOOSES
45. Rookie rockers' recordings : DEMOS
46. Major __: Sherwood Forest attraction : OAK. Hey, I know it.
47. Beach house features : STILTS. I did not know those supporting posts are called stilts also.
48. Subdued : MUTED
49. Dome of the Rock floor plan shape : OCTAGON.
Wiki said Dome of the Rock is "Jerusalem's most recognizable
landmark". Hahtoola & Yellowrocks must have visited the place.
53. Horatian works : EPODES
56. Botanist Gray : ASA
57. "Writing on the wall" word : MENE. Full message here:
58. What some buds detect : TASTE. Taste buds.
59. Fed. collection agency : IRS. Boomer had to get D-Otto's advice for some deduction issue.
60. Hugging duo : ARMS
61. Sandra Denton, in a hip-hop trio : PEPA. I always thought Salt-N-Pepa is a duo. No idea about their real names. So which one is Pepa?
62. Hunting wear : VESTS
63. Irish nationalist Robert : EMMET. Unknown to me.
65. Usually fuzzy tabloid pics : UFOs
66. Seacrest's show, to fans : IDOL. Ryan Seacrest.
67. Bend's state: Abbr. : ORE. Hope the ousted governor is not from Bend.
68. Mild oaths : DRATS
69. 1492 Bahamas lander : NINA
70. Children's author Asquith : ROS
74. College address ending : DOT EDU
76. Poncherello portrayer on "CHiPs" : ESTRADA (Erik)
78. Itty-bitty : EENSY
79. Trail-making mollusks : SNAILS
80. "... further __ ..." : ADO
81. Word with free or secret : AGENT
82. Addressed the nation, say : ORATED
87. SADD concern : DWI
88. Like raw silk : ECRU. I haven't had mulberries for years.
91. 1997 film apiarist : ULEE. Ulee's Gold.
92. Camembert's department : ORNE. Got via crosses. I know it starts with O though.
93. Obsessed (on) : DWELT
95. Springfield's only tavern : MOE'S
96. H.S. equivalency test : GED
97. Poet Teasdale : SARA
99. "Cloud Shepherd" sculptor : JEAN ARP. Full name for a change.
101. Spartan Stadium sch. : MSU
106. Less likely to be named homecoming king : NERDIER
108. "Because you're worth it" company : L'OREAL. Do you have The Body Shop in your area? It's owned by L’Oréal. Wish we had one in MN.
109. Late news time : ELEVEN
110. A pad may protect it : KNEECAP
111. English assignments : ESSAYS
112. Like subarctic winters : SEVERE. I wonder how those pioneers survived the Minnesota winters.
113. Certifies : ATTESTS
Down:
1. They're off-limits : TABOOS. And 25. It's off-limits : NO NO
2. San Luis __, Calif. : OBISPO
4. Marlins' div. : NLE. National League East.
5. Prepare to fire : COCK
6. Got in the game : ANTED
7. Books : RESERVES
8. Charged : CAME AT
9. Horoscope columnist Sydney : OMARR. Learned from doing xwords.
10. eBay offers : BIDS
11. "Star Wars" saga nickname : ANI. Darth Vader's boyhood nickname.
12. Spanish article : LOS
13. Hot spot, with "the" : TROPICS
14. Troubled word : ALAS
15. Like much radio : LIVE
16. Boo Radley creator Harper : LEE. Now we have a better way to clue the dreaded partial SET A.
17. Current phenomenon : EL NINO
18. Cat's "Get it?" : YOU DIG?
19. Gummy bears and such : SWEETS
28. Snow __ : PEAS
32. Perfect self, in psychoanalysis : EGO IDEAL. Too sophisticated for me.
34. Dreidel letter : GIMEL. Another unknown. One of the four Hebrew letters.
35. Battery terminal : ANODE
36. "Past Imperfect" memoirist Chase : ILKA
39. Underworld river : LETHE
40. Exodus insect : LOCUST
41. Hoops Hall of Famer Thurmond : NATE
43. Fútbol cheer : OLE
44. OH and OK : STS (States)
45. Cleans with Old English : DUSTS. Holy smokes! Never heard of Old English.
47. Olympic pool sights : SPEEDOS
48. Requirement : MUST
49. Fiends of fantasy : OGRES
51. Notable Mormon family : OSMONDS. The Donny & Marie show in Flamingo costs $90.
52. Junkanoo parade city : NASSAU. OK,
Wiki says Junkanoo is "a street parade with music, dance and costumes
in many towns across The Bahamas every Boxing Day & New Year's
Day". Learning moment for me also.
53. Ottoman, e.g. : EMPIRE
54. Predicated : BASED
55. "We __ please" : AIM TO. A special "Thank you" to Gary for blogging last Sunday's puzzle and Argyle for snipping several Answer Grids and taking care of the
blog while I was away.
58. __ cotta : TERRA. A must-see if you visit Xi'an.
60. Uncle Henry's wife : AUNTIE EM
62. Practice with dolls : VOODOO
63. Physicist Mach or artist Max : ERNST
64. Eponymous store founder : MACY. Macy's left our ghetto area a while ago.
68. "No man is an island" poet : DONNE
71. Rages : FADS
72. Word from a proctor : BEGIN
73. Kent portrayer on the big screen : REEVE
74. Modern evidence : DNA
75. Muffin grain : OAT
77. Toothed tool : RAKE
79. Major tea exporter : SRI LANKA. Look at this list. I'm surprised that Kenya is a major tea exporter as well.
81. Some chalets : A-FRAMES
82. John Irving's "A Prayer for __ Meany" : OWEN. Hi there Owen!
83. Manage, as multiple tasks : JUGGLE. I can only focus on one thing at a time.
84. Final Olds models : ALEROS
85. Sources of aromatic wood : CEDARS
86. "Cheers" shout : NORM
87. Wrestler Johnson, a.k.a. The Rock : DWAYNE. I often confuse him with Vin Diesel.
89. Move to a new table : RE-SEAT
90. Takes by force : USURPS
93. Hardly encourage : DETER
94. Nottingham's river : TRENT
97. Court postponement : STAY
98. Needs a doctor, maybe : AILS
99. Baloney : JIVE
100. __-à-porter: ready-to-wear : PRET. I also loved the movie. Our crossword buddy Stephen Rea is in it.
103. Teachers' org. : NEA
104. Suffix meaning "little" : ULE. As in globule.
105. Calif. neighbor : NEV
107. Fourth grade? : DEE. The fourth letter in grade. (Edited letter: ABCDF grading! Holy smokes!)
Happy
Birthday to Hondo (Skip)! Are you still attending the card shows in
winter time? Hope you can cruise away from the cold winter soon.
Left to Right: Marti, Dudley, Hondo & Montana |
C.C.
Feb 14, 2015
Saturday, Feb 14th, 2015, Brad Wilber
Theme: None
Words: 72 (missing J,Q,Z)
Blocks: 30
3. Campaign team member : SPIN DOCTOR
44. "__ in April never came so sweet": Shak. : A DAY - do you know the connection to this video~?
Words: 72 (missing J,Q,Z)
Blocks: 30
Oh well, no theme this week. So I will make one up. We're going with a "romantic" music montage for today; Triple
11-letter and almost triple 10-letter corners, nothing longer, and just a few proper
names to annoy today - and a lot of French. Happy Valentine's Day - for those who celebrate.... ;7P [ note: I had some trouble with the video links when I was posting the blog. ]
63. Soft Cell hit with the lyric, "Once I ran to you, / Now I'll run from you" : TAINTED LOVE
3. Campaign team member : SPIN DOCTOR
Two Princes - Spin Doctors
44. "__ in April never came so sweet": Shak. : A DAY - do you know the connection to this video~?
Ugh. Saturday, the 14th
DRAWNO
DRAWNO
ACROSS:
1. Airline to Trondheim : SAS - I went with KLM to start
4. Grounds for an umpire's warning : RACKET ABUSE - thought this was a baseball umpire at first; then I thought of John McEnroe, but this guy - I've been there, only it's a goalie stick and a defenseless post
15. Nile Valley threat : ASP
16. What beeps may be : EMAIL ALERTS
17. Pandora's Tower platform : Wii - Don't know this game, but I do love Pandora - the internet radio - not the jewelry; my new phone has a L-O-O-o-o-n-g lasting battery, so I can listen for hours - makes me sad that I spent $75 on an MP3 player a month ago
18. Collar attachments : DOG LICENSES
19. Jackson's second vice president : VAN BUREN - I knew this; watched the History channel series on the presidents, and these two men had a run that was seen again with Reagan/Bush; the VP just couldn't live up to the "original"
21. Packed in more than : OUT ATE
22. One whose work is at an end? : INDEXER
23. Respecting : AS TO
24. Winnings, eventually : POT - and a referential clue at; 56d. 24-Across starter : ANTE
25. Eleanor's mother-in-law : SARA - this to me was utterly vague; I guess you had to be there to understand this was the Roosevelts. I thought it might have been Biblical, for all I know
27. Home of Appalachian State Univ. : N CAR - been a rough academic year
31. Georgia crop : PECANS - OK, so I put COTTON in to start - does my "C" count at all, D-Otto?
34. Celebratory : GALA
36. Emulating : À LA
37. Tell : RAT
38. Triceps-strengthening equipment : CURL BAR
40. Small magazine inserts : BBs - ah. Not ADS - the gun kind of magazine
41. Montana motto word : ORO - I seem to get this a lot
42. Soloist in Tchaikovsky's "Swan's Theme" : OBOE - WAG; I doubt it was "DRUM"
43. Old connection method : DIAL-UP
45. Amt. rarely charged : MSRP - Manufacturer's "Suggested" Retail Price
47. Classic film curtain tugger : TOTO - Wizard of Oz
49. JFK, but not LAX : DEMocrat; JFK, the man, not the airport
50. "Keep dreaming!" : "AS IF~!" - sha~!
52. The Thrilla in Manila, notably : REMATCH
56. View from Yerevan, Armenia : ARARAT - the mount(ain), which is a dormant volcano, and resting place of Noah's Ark (but not the "lost" ark of the covenant)
59. Hype : BALLYHOO - OK, here's some blatant V-day hype
60. Hourly-rate offerer, often : NO-TELL MOTEL - think they're as booked as the restaurants today~?
62. Girl rescued by Uncle Tom : EVA
64. Chemin de __ : FER - um, OK. I had to know, so I looked it up; literally, it's Frawnche for "lane of iron" - a railway
65. Dreamy looks : EMPTY STARES - meh, not quite the same in my book. I'd like to see a girl get a dreamy look when she thinks about me - and would rather it not be an empty stare....
66. Venture : TRY
DOWN:
1. 2009 horror film sequel : SAW VI
2. Far East fruit : ASIAN PEARS
4. Updike's "Rabbit __" : REDUX - this followed up with the next clue = Rrrrr
5. "L'elisir d'__": Donizetti opera : AMORE
6. Heat or Magic : CAGERS - I went with NBAers first; the Miami Heat and Orlando Magic, two basketball teams in Florida - neither are doing well, but then again, the Knicks....I don't care for the game, but the owner of the restaurant I'm working at does
7. Potter's heat source : KILN
8. Biblical mentor of Samuel : ELI - oh, here's the Bible clue....
9. Dish served in an edible bowl : TACO SALAD - nailed it; I like the one from Taco Bell
10. Early seal hunter : ALEUT - educated WAG, since ESKIMO wouldn't fit
11. "Kramer vs. Kramer" Oscar-winning director : BENTON
12. __ Major : URSA
13. Editorial cancellation : STET - oops, went with DELE first
14. Forum infinitive : ESSE
20. Software version : BETA
23. Desert mount : ARAB - not the desert mountain - q.v. 56a.
26. Lace protector : AGLET - that thingy on the end of your shoelaces
28. Bad reception? : CABLE THEFT - clever
29. Record protector : ALBUM COVER - what's your favorite~?
I am trying to decide; this one's up there
30. Speak like Vito Corleone : RASP - didn't think it would be "LISP"
31. Limo destination : PROM
32. Many a PX customer : NCO
33. DVD menu option : SUBTITLES
35. 1968 groom, familiarly : ARIstotle, JFK's 'replacement'
39. It may be pitched : ROOF
46. Rear : PARENT - I get it, but....
48. One on the stump : ORATOR
51. Off-color : SALTY
53. Sorbonne enrollee : ELEVE - more Frawnche (student)
54. Lille lasses: Abbr. : MLLES - still more Frawnche (mademoiselles)
55. Grizzled : HOARY
57. Leave the path : ROAM
58. Left __: rewarded : A TIP - eh.
59. Incan army weapon : BOLA - well, there you have it, Lemonade~!
61. Colorado Rockies schedule letters : MDT - more mountains, but in daylight saving time now
4. Grounds for an umpire's warning : RACKET ABUSE - thought this was a baseball umpire at first; then I thought of John McEnroe, but this guy - I've been there, only it's a goalie stick and a defenseless post
15. Nile Valley threat : ASP
16. What beeps may be : EMAIL ALERTS
17. Pandora's Tower platform : Wii - Don't know this game, but I do love Pandora - the internet radio - not the jewelry; my new phone has a L-O-O-o-o-n-g lasting battery, so I can listen for hours - makes me sad that I spent $75 on an MP3 player a month ago
18. Collar attachments : DOG LICENSES
19. Jackson's second vice president : VAN BUREN - I knew this; watched the History channel series on the presidents, and these two men had a run that was seen again with Reagan/Bush; the VP just couldn't live up to the "original"
21. Packed in more than : OUT ATE
22. One whose work is at an end? : INDEXER
23. Respecting : AS TO
24. Winnings, eventually : POT - and a referential clue at; 56d. 24-Across starter : ANTE
25. Eleanor's mother-in-law : SARA - this to me was utterly vague; I guess you had to be there to understand this was the Roosevelts. I thought it might have been Biblical, for all I know
27. Home of Appalachian State Univ. : N CAR - been a rough academic year
31. Georgia crop : PECANS - OK, so I put COTTON in to start - does my "C" count at all, D-Otto?
34. Celebratory : GALA
36. Emulating : À LA
37. Tell : RAT
38. Triceps-strengthening equipment : CURL BAR
40. Small magazine inserts : BBs - ah. Not ADS - the gun kind of magazine
41. Montana motto word : ORO - I seem to get this a lot
42. Soloist in Tchaikovsky's "Swan's Theme" : OBOE - WAG; I doubt it was "DRUM"
43. Old connection method : DIAL-UP
45. Amt. rarely charged : MSRP - Manufacturer's "Suggested" Retail Price
47. Classic film curtain tugger : TOTO - Wizard of Oz
49. JFK, but not LAX : DEMocrat; JFK, the man, not the airport
50. "Keep dreaming!" : "AS IF~!" - sha~!
52. The Thrilla in Manila, notably : REMATCH
56. View from Yerevan, Armenia : ARARAT - the mount(ain), which is a dormant volcano, and resting place of Noah's Ark (but not the "lost" ark of the covenant)
59. Hype : BALLYHOO - OK, here's some blatant V-day hype
60. Hourly-rate offerer, often : NO-TELL MOTEL - think they're as booked as the restaurants today~?
62. Girl rescued by Uncle Tom : EVA
64. Chemin de __ : FER - um, OK. I had to know, so I looked it up; literally, it's Frawnche for "lane of iron" - a railway
65. Dreamy looks : EMPTY STARES - meh, not quite the same in my book. I'd like to see a girl get a dreamy look when she thinks about me - and would rather it not be an empty stare....
66. Venture : TRY
DOWN:
1. 2009 horror film sequel : SAW VI
2. Far East fruit : ASIAN PEARS
4. Updike's "Rabbit __" : REDUX - this followed up with the next clue = Rrrrr
5. "L'elisir d'__": Donizetti opera : AMORE
6. Heat or Magic : CAGERS - I went with NBAers first; the Miami Heat and Orlando Magic, two basketball teams in Florida - neither are doing well, but then again, the Knicks....I don't care for the game, but the owner of the restaurant I'm working at does
7. Potter's heat source : KILN
8. Biblical mentor of Samuel : ELI - oh, here's the Bible clue....
9. Dish served in an edible bowl : TACO SALAD - nailed it; I like the one from Taco Bell
10. Early seal hunter : ALEUT - educated WAG, since ESKIMO wouldn't fit
11. "Kramer vs. Kramer" Oscar-winning director : BENTON
12. __ Major : URSA
13. Editorial cancellation : STET - oops, went with DELE first
14. Forum infinitive : ESSE
20. Software version : BETA
23. Desert mount : ARAB - not the desert mountain - q.v. 56a.
26. Lace protector : AGLET - that thingy on the end of your shoelaces
28. Bad reception? : CABLE THEFT - clever
29. Record protector : ALBUM COVER - what's your favorite~?
I am trying to decide; this one's up there
31. Limo destination : PROM
32. Many a PX customer : NCO
33. DVD menu option : SUBTITLES
35. 1968 groom, familiarly : ARIstotle, JFK's 'replacement'
39. It may be pitched : ROOF
46. Rear : PARENT - I get it, but....
48. One on the stump : ORATOR
51. Off-color : SALTY
53. Sorbonne enrollee : ELEVE - more Frawnche (student)
54. Lille lasses: Abbr. : MLLES - still more Frawnche (mademoiselles)
55. Grizzled : HOARY
57. Leave the path : ROAM
58. Left __: rewarded : A TIP - eh.
59. Incan army weapon : BOLA - well, there you have it, Lemonade~!
61. Colorado Rockies schedule letters : MDT - more mountains, but in daylight saving time now
Splynter
Note from C.C.:
Happy Birthday to dear Marti, our multi-talented & loving Thursday Sherpa and friend. I'll forever cherish a thoughtful letter Marti wrote to me when I asked her a rather personal question "Do you believe in God?"
Marti
has been through a lot in life. She probably went through more pains
than most of us did. Yet she remains optimistic and positive. Her mere
presence on the blog is a huge comfort to me.
I'm so lucky to have you on our team, Marti. You're our sunshine.
Oh, look at this! Allen bought Marti these beautiful red roses. The cat thought it's for her.
|
Feb 13, 2015
Friday, February 13, 2015, Mark McClain
THEME: This is one of those times where the reveal is better than anything I can think of to describe this letter replacement puzzle, which only requires remembering how to parse reveal clues.
63A. Modernize, in a way ... and when divided into three parts, a hint to the answers to starred clues : RE TO OL (6).
This is Mark's second puzzle for me to blog; his first publication was an LAT I wrote about on October 3, 2014 which involved adding DD into phrases. He since has had other publications, and while he stopped by to introduce himself, he did so a week after the puzzle, so in case you missed it, here are his words. About myself? I've enjoyed xwords for many years, but just started tinkering around with constructing late in 2013 and started submitting puzzles early this year. This puzzle was actually made in March 2013, but went through a revision with Rich and was finally approved in June. I've had 8 puzzles approved for publication, including one in collaboration with Brad Wilber, who has been a great source of encouragement and knowledge. We started our dialog a few months ago when he approved one of my puzzles (scheduled for December). I live in Salem, Virginia, in the mountains near the Appalachian Trail and Blue Ridge Parkway. Both my long-time partner Diana Christopulos and I and do volunteer work for a number of local organizations. He has a website: LINK.
In every theme answer an 'in the language' phrase which includes the letters RE together in that order, are replaced with OL, in that order- RE to OL. The placement of the RE/OL is different in each of the theme answer; some of the fill is humorous, some functional.. The inclusion of the asterisks and the reveal made this one of my faster Friday solves, but then again, I am not a very fast solver, so....Many three and four letter fill for a Friday, with some nice medium fill like AIR RAID, ‘FRAID SO, IRIDIUM, MIRAMAR, SEE THRU, SORRIER, LHASA APSO, OUT SHOOTS. let's see the theme and more....
19A. *Site of preserved ancient gaucho weapons? :LA BOLA TAR PITS (13). La BREA Tar Pits
are in one form or another very common in crosswords. BOLAS is a nasty weapon; I am not sure if the singular is a legitimate word.
32A. *Hip curriculum? : COOL COURSES (11). CORE Courses are the basic ones you need for your degree.
41A. *Second-hand seat? : THRIFT STOOL (11). The Thrift STORE has become big business in the US. They used to be second hand stores when I was a kid.
54A. *Heroine in a reprised fairy tale? : OLD RIDING HOOD (13). My favorite of the theme, and I am sure by now she is the one in bed waiting for her granddaughter.
We revealed the reveal above...
Across:
1. Word with cake or meal : OAT.
4. Doctrinal suffix : ISM.
7. Pat Nixon's real first name : THELMA. I guess she chose Pat, because like most Thelmas, she hated her name. LINK. My ex-mil, Sue, is also a Thelma.
13. Classic sci-fi play : RUR.
14. Tres equivalent : DREI. Spanish to German number 3. An outlier....(sorry brain semi-functional)
15. Clinton's birth name : RODHAM. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing, did any others recall that Bill was born William BLYTHE, also 6 letters?
16. Bush spokesman Fleischer : ARI. Staying with politics, Alex....
17. Part of DAR: Abbr. : AMERican. Daughters of the American Revolution. My third and fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Sochor was a proud member; she was in her 80's, frail, and as a very small child I thought the name was literal.
18. Busy enterprise? : APIARY. It be where they have bees and Sherlock Holmes. Leading to...
22. Grouse : BEEF. Can't complain about this clue/fill.
23. Humana option : HMO. Health Maintenance Organization; I just joined their gold plus plan.
24. Cut (it) : HACK. He just couldn't hack it as a salesman.
27. Blitz : AIR RAID.
31. MLB "minors" : AAA. Triple A baseball is the highest of the minor leagues which now go from rookie to A, AA and AAA; no more D leagues.
36. Banned chem. pollutant : PCB. PolyChlorinated Biphenyl; the initialisms adding up.
37. Protective bauble : AMULET.
38. Capital SE of Tallahassee : NASSAU. Capital of the Bahamas.
40. GPS datum : LATitude. Not a CSO to the LA Times.
45. Canadian sentence enders? : EHS. But a CSO to our resident Canadian.
46. Worse : SORRIER. State of affairs?
47. __ Men: "Who Let the Dogs Out" band : BAHA.
49. Andalusian aunt : TIA. Spanish.
50. Emerald City princess : OZMA. The dedicated fans of L. Frank know this half-human, half fairy GIRL.
59. "Ditto" : I DO TOO.
61. Thought : IDEA. Not to be parsed I, DEA.
62. French handle? : NOM. Just French meaning "name." 21D. Versailles rulers of old : ROIS. French for kings. And42D. Roast, in Rouen : ROTI. This is one time where the accent would help. Rôti.We all remember that the accent is replaced with an "s" in many americanized versions of French words as explained by Kazie..
64. Functions : USES.
65. One of quarterback Archie's boys : ELI. With Peyton, the fading Manning brothers.
66. Lover's request : KISS ME. Often followed by, "you fool."
67. Stylish, once : MOD. Ah, the days of the mods and rockers.
68. Symbiont on "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" : DAX. probably the most interesting and complicated CHARACTER(s) in the Star Trek universe. Realy only one DAX but two hosts....And the similar 14D. Indian lentil stew : DAL. A much harder clue than Delta. All perps. A CSO to my twin Vidwan and Mangesh Sakharam Ghogre.
Down:
1. Colgate competitor : ORAL B. Even with the O from OAT, my inclination was CREST.
2. Halos : AURAE.
4. Culinary author Rombauer : IRMA. So many to chose from.
5. Sexy, in some ads : SEE THRU. Click if you want to see an EXAMPLE. (for the guys)
6. San Diego Marine Corps station whose name means "sea view" : MIRAMAR. Living in So.FLa. this is a gimme (a) we have a city with the name (b) you hear "mira" a billion times when people want you to look at something or understand something.
7. Trick : TRAP. Not synonymous for me, but it was easy fill.
8. Arizona natives : HOPI. We studied this tribe extensively in my undergraduate sociology classes. And a token cross reference. 3D. 8-Down, e.g. : TRIBE.
9. Archie's wife : EDITH.
10. Himalayan canine : LHASA APSO. This breed's HISTORY is interesting. Also see Caleb and Baha men.
11. Spoil : MAR. Mira! Another one.
12. '70s White House daughter : AMY. Where is she NOW?
20. Taking everything into account : OF ALL. Huh?
25. Evergreen bean : CACAO. Of course we love chocolate, and especially the fine aroma beans from Ecuador.
26. Capital where Pashto is spoken : KABUL. With all the years of war, this should be easy.
28. Rhyme $yndicate Records founder : ICE-T. Not to be confused with Grammy host ICE CUBE. Sorry Tin.
29. Certain IRAs : ROTHS. Names for Senator William from Delaware, also home to Joe Biden.
30. Driller's prefix? : DENTI.
32. Biblical spy : CALEB. Interesting and CONFUSING part of the story of Moses, which happens to be where the cycle of reading the Torah is now. Caleb (which means dog; see Baha Men) was perhaps one of the 12 spies.
33. Home of the Beef, an indoor football team : OMAHA. How perfect; I must get an email per week from Omaha Steaks. Now we would know how to answer when Clara Peller asked her famous question.
34. Makes more baskets than : OUTSHOOTS.
35. Fund drive appeal encl. : SASE. Self Addressed Stamped Envelope.
39. Eponymous brewer Bernhard : STROH.
43. Atomic number 77 : IRIDIUM. Was that easy for you science guys? Not the part of the periodic table that I remember.
44. "'Tis true, sorry to say" : FRAID SO.
48. Certain choristers : ALTOS. Why not chorusters?
51. Subdivided : ZONED. Zoning is part of the process, but a previously zoned property can be subdivided.
52. Scratch : MOOLA. Another interesting word, and one of questionable HERITAGE.
53. Blend : ADMIX. This is a real word, on its own, why I do not know.
55. Not a happy fate : DOOM. Doctor, doctor...
56. Function : ROLE. Super-villain.
57. Mandatory item : NEED. The Avengers? Fantastic Four?
58. It can be natural : GAS. Crepitation? LISTEN? (15:17).
59. Vex : IRK. Yes, vexsome.
60. Agnus __ : DEI. Ah, we finish with classic crosswordese.
Well this was a real admix of information which brought out the linker in me; thanks Mark and I hope you all aol golat. Lemonade, out.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)