Wednesday, May 13, 2015 Gail Grabowski and Bruce Venske

Theme:  ONE THING LEADS TO ANOTHER.  A catchy ad phrase is reinterpreted as statements that can lead to a continuing conversation.  Do any of you have friends who can ramble on and on? If so, you might dread hearing these words. 

17. "Wait, there's more ... " : COME TO THINK OF IT.  Darn, he thought of something else.

27. "Wait, there's more ... " : BEFORE I FORGET.  Drat, too late.

50. "Wait, there's more ... " : THAT REMINDS ME.  Well, doesn't everything?

65. "Wait, there's more ... " : AND ANOTHER THING.  Uh-oh.  Now he's on a roll.

No unifier, but the common clue fills that function.  And the theme entries really need no explanation.

Today's Theme Song

Hi, Gang -- JazzBumpa here with a nice puzzle by the veteran team of Gail and Bruce.  I'll try not to get carried away with a boring exposition.

Across

1. Windows precursor : MS DOS.  PC operating systems.

6. Hard-to-control groups : MOBS.  Large and disorderly crowds.

10. Forensic investigator's item : SWAB.  An absorbent pad or other item used for collecting samples to be analyzed. 

14. Advil alternative : ALEVE.  Analgesics.  Advil is ibuprofen; ALEVE is naproxen.

15. Pair on a lake : OARS.  In a boat on a lake.

16. Place to slog through : MIRE.  Swamp, bog, fen.

20. Hullabaloo : STIR.  Much ado about something.

21. Barry White genre : SOUL.

22. Dossier cover? : ALIAS.    A dossier is a collection of documents about a particular event, subject, or, in this case, person.  An ALIAS is an alternate name or false identity, which is, in some sense, a cover.  Still, this entry is not working for me.  Am I being dumb?

23. "Boy, am I dumb!" : D'OH.

25. Touch the ground : LAND.   In an aircraft, presumably at an airport.  Vide infra.

33. Airline with the MileagePlus frequent flier prog. : UAL.  Formerly United Airlines.

34. Ole Miss rival : 'BAMA.  Universities on Mississippi and Alabama, respectively.  I think they might have football teams.

35. Customs collection : TARIFF.  An import tax

38. Golf lesson subject : GRIP.  The proper way of holding the club.

There's more than one

40. Charmin layer : PLY.  Tissue layers.

42. Black & Decker rival : SKIL.  Power tools.

43. Dapper : SPRUCE.  I was familiar with the usage as noun and verb, but not adjective.  It is, however, legit.  Neat, smart, or stylish in appearance.

46. Gave up for money : SOLD.  Past tense of the verb "to sell."  Curiously, in Old English, ca. 10th century, this verb meant to give as a gift.

49. Irritated state : IRE.   Having one's dander up.

53. Brainy Simpson : LISA.  Sadly, I could not find a video to verify this concept.

So we'll settle for a still

54. Not within walking distance : FAR.  You might need a lift

55. One needing a lift : SKIER.   Clever.  Besides, neither hitchhiker nor Arthur Dent fit.

58. "__ Girl": 2014 Affleck film : GONE.

Does not look like a lot of fun

61. Battery terminal sign : PLUS.  Indicates the positive terminal.

68. D.C. dealers : POLS.  politicians.

69. Hawaiian coffee district : KONA.   On the western part of the Big Island.

70. Put a cap on : LIMIT.

71. Eye woe : STYE.  A bacterial infection of an oil gland at the edge of the eyelid.

72. Kiddie-lit dog : SPOT.

When I was a kid, the next door neighbors actually had a dog named Spot.

73. Stops bleeding : CLOTS.  Clotting is part of homeostasis.

Down

1. Apple Store array : MACS.  Along with iPads, iPods, and iWatches.   I am blogging from my Macbook Pro with Retina Display.

2. Job opening : SLOT.  A position to be filled.  Derived from the Old French word for bosom cleavage.

3. Prefix with goddess : DEMI.  A lower ranking divine personage.

4. Go to extremes : OVERDO.  As, for example, a speaker exemplifying today's theme.

5. Complete collection : SET.  

6. Con __: briskly, on scores : MOTO.  Literally, with motion, thus, to be performed in a lively manner.   I just do whatever the conductor wants.

7. Iolani Palace site : OAHU.  In Honolulu.

8. Estracell sponge brand : BRILLO.  Soap infused steel wool pad.

9. Phishing fig. : SSN.   Social Security Number.  Phishing is a particular kind of internet scam, where the perp poses as legitimate financial company to extract one's personal data, such as SS number.

10. Does a slow burn : SMOLDERS.  Generates smoke, but no flame.  Figuratively, is experiencing but [more or less] containing anger. 

11. Surfing convenience : WIFI.   For internet surfing.  The term refers to a wireless connection, and is derived from "wireless" plus "fi," an arbitrary second element, thus similar in form to hi-fi.

12. Opera showstopper : ARIA.  Featured vocal solo.

13. Gets in the pool, maybe : BETS.  Makes a wager in a  betting pool.

18. Milo of the movies : O'SHEA.

Passed away two years ago at age 86

19. She adopted Tigger : KANGA.   Friends of a certain silly bear.  I do not Pooh-pooh this kind of trivia.

24. Top of a scepter, perhaps : ORB.   Not every scepter has one.

The good ones are illuminated

26. Part of MoMA : ART.  Museum of Modern ART

27. Perturbs : BUGS.

Like this, perhaps

28. O.K. Corral gunfighter : EARP.  The EARP brothers, Virgil, Morgan and Wyatt along with Doc Holliday were on one side against Billy Claiborn, Ike and Billy Clanton and Tom and Frank McLaury. The combatants were only a few feet apart, and the incident was over in a matter of seconds.  It took place at a narrow vacant lot next to a photographer's shop, not at or adjacent to the eponymous corral. Probably the most famous gunfight in the history of the old west, but it was not well known to the American people until 50 years later.

29. Toy (with), as an idea : FLIRT.   Not the first thing that comes to mind when I consider the word "FLIRT."   I guess this is the point where the idea is playfully suggestive [or suggestively playful] but not yet given serious consideration. 

30. Sitter's challenge : IMP.   In Middle English, a child of a noble family.  Somehow, this morphed into a child of The Devil - sort of a demi-daemon.  Now diluted to mean an unruly child. 

31. Quiz answer : FALSE.  If the question is of the True-FALSE variety.

32. Maori carvings : TIKIS.  Check them out.

36. Unshakable : FIRM.   Literally, to physical objects; figuratively to resolute concepts and those who hold them.

37. Cut and run : FLEE.  Escape

A flea and a fly in a flue

Were imprisoned, so what could they do?

Said the fly, "let us FLEE!"

"Let us fly!" said the flea.

So they flew through a flaw in the flue.

--Ogden Nash

39. "Don't make me laugh!" : PUH-LEASE.  Exaggerated pronunciation of PLEASE, for dramatically dismissive affect.

41. __ Kippur : YOM.  Falling on the 10th day of Tishri, this is among the most important high holidays of the Jewish faith.  It is the day of judgement, remembrance and atonement.  [Help me out here if I didn't get this quite right.]

44. Stone monument : CAIRN.  For millennia, they have been used as landmarks, grave markers, in astronomy, or for other ceremonial purposes.

Source

45. UFO fliers, purportedly : ETS.   Extra-Terrestrials in Unidentified Flying Objects.

47. Career officer : LIFER.

48. Forensic investigator's molecule : DNA.  Deoxyribonucleic Acid.  It's in all your cells, and you leave it everywhere, perhaps to be collected on SWABS.

51. Convertible, in slang : RAGTOP.

Classic

52. Adviser who was a regular "Oprah" guest : DR. PHIL McGraw.

55. Enervates : SAPS.  Depletes of energy.

56. Feature of some paneling : KNOT.

I wood; wood you?

57. In a laid-back manner : IDLY.

59. Words of dismay : OH NO.

60. Straightened up : NEAT.  SPRUCE; or even better -- without ice.  Oh, yes!

62. Wedding rental : LIMO.  Fancy, multi-passenger hired car, complete with driver.

63. Combat group : UNIT.

64. LAPD ranks : SGTS.  Sergeants in the Los Angeles Police Department 

66. Puts one's initials on : OK'S.  Short form seal of approval.

67. Pampering, for short : TLC.  Tender Loving Care - mom's specialty.

There it is, as succinct as I could make it.  'Nuff said?  Hope it gets your seal of approval.

Cool regards!

JzB [my ALIAS]

Note from C.C.:

I'm excited to tell you that Jazzbumpa (Ron) just got his first puzzle accepted by the New York Times. He got a "Yes" on his second submission. Ron is very creative and works extremely hard on all of the puzzles we've collaborated. It's been a extraordinarily fun journey, Ron!

Tuesday, May 12, 2015 Bruce Haight

Theme: It's the berries

39A. Word that can follow the starts of 17-, 26-, 50- and 58-Across : BERRIES

17A. Scary R.L. Stine series for kids : GOOSEBUMPS. Gooseberry - Wiki.

26A. Panamas, e.g. : STRAW HATS. Strawberry.

50A. Witchcraft and such : BLACK ARTS. Blackberry.

58A. Symbols of Democratic victories : BLUE STATES. Blueberry.

Argyle here. All theme entries are in plural form. Very consistent.

The two longest entries are not theme related but are in the columns so not a problem. Three of the berries may be on your breakfast table but gooseberry, not so much.

Across:

1. Like a sluggard : LAZY

5. Bottomless pit : ABYSS

10. Diving duck : SMEW

14. Woodwind with nearly a three-octave range : OBOE

15. Popeye's nemesis : BLUTO

16. Water-draining aid : EAVE. Perhaps in the sense it spaces the rain out from the base of the wall.

19. Barely makes, with "out" : EKES

20. Construction beam : I-BAR

21. Invention protection : PATENT

23. __ the races : OFF TO. Preakness prediction?

29. Crossword constructor's chore : CLUING

31. "Fiddlesticks!" : "OH, DARN!"

32. Small boys : TADS

33. Scoundrel : ROUE

35. New York governor before Pataki : CUOMO. Tricky...Mario is the father of current governor Andrew.

38. Hosp. heart test : EKG. Here we go again.

41. Squishy lowland : FEN

42. R&B singer __ Marie : TEENA

44. Toon Snorkasaurus : DINO. The Flintstones' pet.

45. Way off in the distance : AFAR

46. Magazine with an annual list of the world's 2,000 biggest public companies : FORBES

48. In a wise way : SAGELY

53. Succinct : TERSE

54. Get a new actor for : RECAST

55. Fictional reporter Lane : LOIS

57. Memo abbr. : ATTN.

64. Like racehorses : SHOD

65. Grimm brutes : OGREs

66. Smitten to the max : GAGA

67. Parade honoree : HERO

68. Meddlesome sort : YENTA

69. Unrestrained indulgence : ORGY

Down:

1. Shipboard diary : LOG

2. Blood typing system : A-B-O

3. Field trip destination : ZOO

4. Adamant affirmation : "YES, IT IS!"

5. "Take a Chance on Me" group : ABBA

6. Makes fuzzy : BLURS

7. "Delicious!" : "YUM!"

8. "The Racer's Edge" : STP

9. Steel-wool scrubber : SOS PAD

10. Sheer, informally : SEE-THRU

11. Seller's suggestion : MAKE AN OFFER

12. Javelin throw, for one : EVENT

13. Adam and Mae : WESTs

18. "... the __ blackness of the floors": Poe : EBON

22. Gulf War defense acronym : AWACS. A(irborne) W(arning) A(nd) C(ontrol) S(ystem)

23. Nonet minus one : OCTET. 9-1=8

24. Speck of snow : FLAKE

25. Experimental margin of error : FUDGE FACTOR

27. Trap victim? : TOURIST

28. Germany's longest river, to Germans : RHEIN. (the Rhine)

30. Univ. senior's exam : GRE. (Graduate Record Examination)

34. Ham sandwich and a soda, e.g. : ORDER. "Would you like some fries or chips with that?"

36. Lunch and dinner : MEALS

37. How ham may be served : ON RYE

39. Sounds from pounds : BARKS

40. Daybreak goddess : EOS

43. "Sorry, that's impossible" : "NO CAN DO"

45. In the distant past : AGES AGO

47. Dugout assistant : BATBOY

49. Quarreling : AT IT

50. In-your-face : BRASH

51. River in Hades : LETHE. Its water caused forgetfulness of the past.

52. Wintry precipitation : SLEET

56. Peak of Greek myth : OSSA. In Greek mythology, the Aloadaes are said to have attempted to pile Mount Pelion on top of Mount Ossa in their attempt to scale Olympus.

59. Shirt size abbr. : LGE

60. Coffee dispenser : URN

61. Roofing sealer : TAR

62. __ on your face : EGG

63. Put into words : SAY

Argyle

Monday, May 11, 2015 C.C. Burnikel

Theme: This could be awhile - How long is awhile? Einstein wants to know.

18A. Place for legislative debate : HOUSE FLOOR. HOUR

24A. Tinkers-to-Evers-to-Chance baseball event : DOUBLE PLAY. DAY

40A. Fairies and pixies, e.g. : WEE FOLK. WEEK

51A. Work on casually, as an engine : MONKEY WITH. MONTH

61A. Durations ... and what this puzzle's circles literally represent : TIME FRAMES

Argyle here. This is a C.C. book end puzzle. Obvious if you have the circles but still doable if you don't. Neat progression of the time frames, too. I felt it could have worked as a Tuesday puzzle also. An alternate reveal could have been SPLIT TIMES but I'm not sure how large a segment of our solvers are familiar with the term.

Baseball's Sad Lexicon. Tinkers-to-Evers-to-Chance were baseball players for the 1910 Chicago Cubs and excelled at the double play. Shortstop to second baseman and on to the first baseman. Two outs.

Across:

1. Hardy's "__ of the D'Urbervilles" : TESS. She gets her full billing today.

5. Diva delivery : ARIA

9. Conform as needed : ADAPT

14. Ancient mystical letter : RUNE

15. Put on staff : HIRE

16. Like the '80s look, now : RETRO. The metro look started in the 90's.

17. Kirkuk's country : IRAQ

20. Infield fly : POP UP

22. Online ha-ha : LOL

23. Firing range purchase : AMMO

28. Arctic deer : CARIBOU. New studies show that Caribou and Reindeer are actually two different animals. I knew that.

30. Make corrections to : EMEND

33. Bracketology org. : NCAA. The famous college basketball playoffs.

34. Clobber : DRUB

37. Dump emanations : ODORS. I gotta bite my tongue.

39. Computer program glitch : BUG

42. Pirouette point : TOE

43. "Operator" singer Jim : CROCE

45. Fair to middling : SO-SO

46. Scourge : BANE

47. Battery current entry point : ANODE

49. Played the siren : SEDUCED

54. How-to segment : STEP

57. Snaky swimmer : EEL

58. Look daggers (at) : GLARE

65. Irish New Age singer : ENYA. Enya's manager said that she is working on a new album but that was 2011.

66. Get together : UNITE

67. Furniture hardwood : TEAK

68. Some flat-screen TVs : RCAs

69. Exposed : BARED

70. Miss from Mex. : SRTA. (señorita)

71. Email folder : SENT

Down:

1. Lose one's footing : TRIP

2. 100 cents, in Germany : EURO

3. Spring bloom named for its resemblance to a mythical creature : SNAPDRAGON

4. Giant redwood : SEQUOIA

5. "That feels good!" : "AHH!"

6. __ Grande : RIO

7. "Good for me!" : "I RULE!"

8. Greek fable writer : AESOP

9. Kennel cry : [ARF!]

10. Postponed : DELAYED

11. Tiny bit of matter : ATOM

12. School year-end dance : PROM

13. Snowblower brand : TORO. Company Web Site.

19. Vogue rival : ELLE

21. Pint server : PUB

25. Foreshadow : BODE

26. Fishing decoys : LURES

27. Wild way to run : AMOK

28. ''Fast Money'' channel : CNBC

29. Integra automaker : ACURA. A division of Honda.

31. "Forget about it!" : "NOT A CHANCE!"

32. Unmanned spy plane : DRONE

35. Blurry craft in tabloid pics : UFO

36. Given to micromanaging : BOSSY

38. Papaya discard : SEED

40. "The Things __ for Love" : WE DO

41. MGM co-founder : LOEW. Founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures and Louis B. Mayer Pictures.

44. Vie : COMPETE

46. "Downton Abbey" servers : BUTLERS

48. Cabinet dept. concerned with power : ENER.

50. Archaeologist's project : DIG

52. Shelley contemporary : KEATS

53. Hunter Fudd : ELMER. "Shhh! Be vewy vewy quiet, I'm hunting wabbits".

54. Concert re-entry request : STUB

55. Singer Turner : TINA

56. Arab League bigwig : EMIR

59. Seacrest of "American Idol" : RYAN

60. Los Angeles-to-Atlanta direction : EAST

62. Prepared dinner for : FED

63. Have dinner : EAT

64. Calypso cousin : SKA

Argyle

Sunday May 10, 2015 Melanie Miller

Theme: "L-iminated"- L is removed from each theme answer.

23A. Comment after a big raise? : THE POT THICKENS. The plot thickens.

42A. Faux furs left out in the cold? : FROSTED FAKES. Frosted Flakes.

60A. Chicago athlete in Denver? : MILE HIGH CUB. Mile high club.

84A. Gem named for a dinosaur? : BARNEY STONE. Blarney Stone.

99A. Fair-haired castaway? : BEACHED BLOND. Bleached blond. Lots of girls sported silver hair last summer. Not easy to be DYED (Covered the gray, say) in silver gray. Very complicated procedures. 

120A. Running buddy's question? : YOUR PACE OR MINE? Your place or mine?

33D. Green Giant deal? : PEA BARGAIN. Plea bargain.

56D. Slacks for the boardroom? : POWER PANTS. Power plant.

 

The stray L's in MILE HIGH CUB  and BEACHED BLOND might bother some purists, but they're fun phrases.

Lovely grid arrangement. No cheater square! Hard to do that on a Sunday.

Across:

1. Padlock part : HASP

5. Boldly forward : PERT. 18D. Gets boldly forward with : SASSES. Clue echoes.

9. Yrs. before college : EL-HI

13. Only major league team without a no-hitter to its credit : PADRES. I did not know this trivia. I asked Boomer. He answered "Marlins". We're no good.

19. Polynesian getaway : OAHU

20. Small number : A FEW.

21. Aslan of Narnia, e.g. : LION. As Marti linked last week, Met Gala featured a China theme this year. So much fun for me to watch each red carpet interpretation of various Chinese flowers/animals.

22. Parthenon dedicatee : ATHENA

26. Range ropes : REATAS. Or RIATAS.

27. Mosaic part : TESSERA. New word to me. Its plural is Tesserae. Not *S.

28. Didn't let go of : KEPT

30. Takes the wrong way? : ROBS. Fun clue.

31. Scholarly piece : PAPER

34. Assign : ALLOT

37. Express sorrow : CRY. So is SOB.

38. Garden annoyance : MOLE

39. Dark clouds, perhaps : OMEN

40. Prison canary? : RAT. Nailed it. We also have 77. Field scurrier : MOUSE

45. Row : SPAT

46. Recess retort : AM SO

48. Cargo unit : TON

49. "Pshaw!" : FIE

50. Dwindle : SUBSIDE

52. Start of many a tribute : ODE TO

54. Pertinent : APROPOS

59. Greenhouse gas regulator: Abbr. : EPA

63. Pad : ABODE

64. Satisfied, as a debt : REPAID

66. Yucatán native : MAYAN

67. Arrived suddenly : BLEW IN

68. Bit of kelp, say : ALGA. I eat Wakame often. Kelp is too tough. It's good for veggie miso stock though.

70. Come down hard : TEEM. Like rain. Not a word I use.

72. Asian cuisine : THAI. Lemonade is lucky.

74. Do a farming job : SEED

75. Uncouth : COARSE

81. One hoping to find a school : ANGLER. School of fish!

83. Skylark sound : TRILL

86. Life : PEP

89. Physically aware : SENSATE. Not a word I use.

91. Fathered : SIRED

92. Unprocessed information : RAW DATA. Big gimme for all of us.

94. Hatch, e.g.: Abbr. : SEN. Orrin Hatch.

95. Helena-to-Lincoln dir. : ESE

96. Islamic official : IMAM

98. Rural roadside stops : INNS

105. Don Ho's instrument : UKE

106. Doctor's order : STAT

107. Bonnie Raitt, for one : ALTO. Got via crosses.

108. Gathering that may involve a wagon : TEA. What wagon? We call it tea cart. 

109. Calls for : NEEDS

111. So last week : PASSE

112. Captures : NABS

113. Sea raptors : ERNS

115. Computer output device : PRINTER. What printer are you using? Ours is HP Envy. So so.

118. Food label reader, perhaps : DIETER. I cook by feel and instinct.

126. Preposterous, as an idea : INSANE

127. Shipbuilding tool : ADZE

128. Little red schoolhouse lady : MARM

129. Steady : EVEN

130. Brahms' symphonies, e.g. : TETRAD. No idea. I'm a classic music idiot.

131. Tenderfoot : NAIF

132. Shampoo additive : ALOE. I tried this clue for ACAI once. Rich did not use it.

Down:

1. Like some wings : HOT

2. Warm-bath reaction : AAH. I'll say "Ahh" only when it's hot.

3. Yachting pronoun : SHE

4. Out-of-style Boy Scout shelters : PUP TENTS. By the way, do any of you remember the big Chinese earthquake in 1976? Over half a million people died. I have faint memory of sleeping outside in a big tent. Wiki mentioned under Damage that "Tremors were felt as far away as Xi'an approximately 760 km (470 mi) away."  I was 5 at the time.

5. Gently touches : PATS

6. Little newts : EFTS

7. Zaps : REHEATS

8. Dancer's move : TWIRL

9. FDR was one : ELK. Unknown trivia. Because the clue is an abbreviation, I though the answer might be DEM.

10. Moment of dishonesty : LIE

11. Protest on the road : HONK

12. Cricket, for one : INSECT

13. Bowlful next to the chips : PARTY DIP

14. Put away : ATE. I put EAT first. Fooled by the tense.

15. Hindu duty : DHARMA. How do they decide where to put H? I have trouble spelling Gandhi also.

16. Seized again : RETOOK

17. Allow : ENABLE

24. "... sadness comes __ me": Longfellow : O'ER

25. Baby moose : CALF

29. Factory-built home : PREFAB

31. Western chasers : POSSE. And 99. 31-Down quarry : BANDIT

32. Energize : AMP UP. I tried PEP UP.

35. Former Sandinista leader : ORTEGA

36. Like the Cheshire Cat's grin : TOOTHY

40. Send forth : RADIATE

41. 2001 French romantic comedy : AMELIE. Loved the movie.

43. Tracked winter vehicle : SNO-CAT

44. Wild : FERAL

47. Trick reaction : OOH. Did you try "Doh"?

51. Bart Simpson, e.g. : IMP. Hi there Spitzboov!

53. Reduce in intensity : DIM

55. Quite hefty : OBESE. And 117. Hefty volume : TOME. One of our blog readers read "Dream of the Red Chamber", a hefty Chinese classic. I was totally impressed.

57. Jim Davis canine : ODIE

58. Summon, with "for" : SEND

61. Buildup of fluid : EDEMA

62. Tip a tam : UNHAT. Not a word I use.

65. British noblemen : EARLS

67. Standout : BIG NAME. I just learned that our Steve lives in the same area as Miley Cyrus. And he sees her from time to time at their local coffee shop & Trader Joe's.

68. 97-Down pair, frequently : ACTS. And 97. Play with songs : MUSICAL

69. Passed-down learning : LORE

71. Smidgen : MORSEL

73. Inuit wear : ANORAK

76. Cut back : SLASH

78. Choral parts may be sung in it : UNISON

79. Not agitated : SERENE

80. Discriminating ability : EYE

82. Jack __, treasury secretary since 2013 : LEW. Known for his loopy signature.

84. Spree : BENDER

85. Cold War missile prog. : SDI (Strategic Defense Initiative)

87. Old lab heaters : ETNAS

88. Kid's adhesive : PASTE

90. Struggled for balance : TEETERED

93. Removed pieces from : DISARMED

100. Five-time Tony nominee Stritch : ELAINE

101. Ideally : AT BEST

102. Marquee partner : CO-STAR

103. Fig tree variety : BANYAN. Have you seen fig trees in person?

104. "Transcendence" actor : DEPP. Never saw the movie. Johnny Depp & Brad Pitt are not my type.

110. Many a TV series : DRAMA

111. In accordance with : PER

114. Vending machine buy : SODA

116. First-century emperor : NERO

119. Bambi family member : ENA. Aunt Ena.

121. Israeli weapon : UZI

122. Field official : REF

123. Creeping evergreen : IVY

124. Wedding page word : NEE

125. Stamp out : END

C.C.

Saturday, May 9th, 2015, Barry C. Silk

Theme: Saturday Silkie~!

Words: 70 (missing J,X)

Blocks: 30

Dammit~!  I was doing so well with this one, but the NE corner had too many proper names for me to get any kind of start, and therefore, I had to cheat - and still struggled.  Oh well.  What a shame, too, because the SW corner had such a warm, fuzzy* feel to it.  I was feeling pretty sure we were getting a Silkie, and I did well on the last one, so I was overly confident today.  Triple 10-letter corners across, and triple 8-letter downs.  Two 12-letter spanners;

30a. Character in "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?" : QUESTION MARK - I got this via perps, but I got fooled by the "?" in the title - not the name of a person from the film....

39a*. Pie order : ANCHOVY PIZZA - I do love pizza, but have to admit, I have not had anchovy

Delaward~!

ACROSS:

1. Grooming tool : RAZOR BLADE - I let this one go to start; my friend Heather is a very popular dog groomer here on the North Fork of L.I., and so I was "sorta" stuck in that frame of mind

11. Holding pattern nos. : ALTs - Altitudes, the height in feet that a plane 'holds' over an airport - who else went with "ETAs"~?

15. Disappears : EVAPORATES - like my confidence in finishing without a cheat

16. 1974 N.L. batting champ Ralph : GARR - baseball for C.C.

17. Huge success : MONSTER HIT - Everything seems to be a 'monster hit' today

18. Morales of "Criminal Minds" : ESAI - doubled up from yesterday

19. In Paris, in Paris : ICI - Frawnche for "here"

20. For whom New York's Queensboro Bridge was renamed : ED KOCH - took me a second to remember this

21. Diamond discovered in the '60s : NEIL - ugh.  duped.  big time. 

22. Tight ends? : TEES - T ighT, get it~?

24. Weather report abbr. : SSE

25. Casual qualifier : SORTA

26. Child player : STREEP - oh.  JULIA Child, got it.  IMDb

29. "Camelot" Tony winner, 1961 : BURTON - OK, I cheated.  Shoulda known this

34*. Try to win : WOO - I tried to win the blue-eyed beauty who worked at the 39a. restaurant

37. Do a fixer-upper job : REPAINT - I am done with the repaint job at aMano restaurant, but there's more to be done at A Lure

38. Fed. property overseer : GSA - General Services Administration - the Wiki - I was thinking "HUD", but was pretty sure the "U" was not going to work

42. Family secret, perhaps : RECIPE

43. Best in a restaurant : OUTEAT

47. Creator of Heffalumps : MILNE - Winnie the Pooh

48. Fighter acronym : MIG - and more Cold War initials at 53d. Sputnik letters : CCCP

51. "M*A*S*H" actor : FARR - I think HuskerG is a big fan of "Klinger"

52. Surfeit : GLUT

53. Warning : CAVEAT - Latin "let him beware"

56. Realize : SEE

57. Bonanza : LODE

58. Capital on I-77 : CHARLESTON - West Virginia; takes me about 7mins to do the I-70 thru Wheeling on my way to Cincinnati

60. Through : OVER

61. Term coined by Hugh Hefner : CENTERFOLD - I did not know this

62*. Bonds : WEDS

63. Winnings : PRIZE MONEY

DOWN:

1. Pays : REMITS

2. Relative of a stilt : AVOCET - this bird has legs; and this one; and this one

3. Comparatively kooky : ZANIER

4. Photo __ : OPs - "opportunities"; I so hesitated to put this in, but it was correct

5. Learning method : ROTE

6. Gave rise to : BRED

7. Literary symbols of daybreak : LARKS - ah, not "COCKS"

8. One of a literary trio : ATHOS - The Three Musketeers

9. Prepare for takeoff, maybe : DE-ICE

10. O.T. book : ESTHer

11. 18 for graduating high school, e.g. : AGE NORM - today's "fun sponge"; I get it, but it just would not come to me, being in the 'down'

12. Combat game : LASER TAG - I have played the game in a local arena, played it in the woods with friends, but I find paintball to be a lot more exciting

13. Quislings : TRAITORS - Cheated.  I did, however, use the actual dictionary, and not Google

14. Colombo's country : SRI LANKA - Dah~!  I was stuck in South America for too long

23. Et __ : SEQ - more Latin, used in law, "and the following"

25. "Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak" writer : SUN-TZU

27. Atlas section : EUROPE

28. Bug : PEEVE

29. 1951 Reagan co-star : BONZO

31. Mole, maybe : SPY

32. 31-Down strategy : TAP - Wiretap, e.g.

33. Only Super Bowl won by the Jets : III

34*. Virtuous feeling : WARM GLOW

35*. R.E.M. hit, with "The" : "ONE I LOVE"

36. Blocked : OCCLUDED - like clouds

40. Ones saying "warmer," perhaps : HINTERS - "you're getting cold, colder, ice cold, warm, warmer, warmer...."

41. Justice Dept. agency : ATF

44. City near Bethlehem : EASTON

45. Specialized cactus branch : AREOLE

46. In : TRENDY

48. "Real Time" host : MAHER

49. 14th-century Russian prince : IVAN I

50. "Still Standing" co-star Jami : GERTZ

54. Sailor's direction : ALEE

55. Time spent in one's seat : TERM - political term

59. It's nearly 700 mi. south of Sea-Tac : SFO - Nailed it, but I knew Sea-Tac is the airport in Washington state

Splynter

Friday, May 8, 2015, Jeffrey Wechsler

Theme: Cast your bread upon the water and out comes a pun puzzle.

Well after marti had another puzzle run with Jeffrey ending last Thursday, he is back to Friday with a puzzle right up my carbohydrate loving alley. As we discussed earlier in the week with the WHERE/WARE/WEAR/WERE  sound, a puzzle based on sound-alike humor can be under-appreciated by those who speak very differently from the constructor. For me, while 16 across was easy, I do not say 'HALLA' I use the "CHHH" sound, so the HOLIDAY transfer was not there, but it really did not slow me down. All of the puns require some regional accent but I found them all very entertaining, especially in the context of the limited field of types of bread. Jeffrey fills out the theme with two grid-spanners (my guess is RYE sense of humor was the inspiration) and a built-in reveal which I did not need. The rest is fairly straight-forward with lots of 6's and a couple of 7s and 8s. The list is ACTION, ARARAT,  HANNAH,  LOOK TO,  MISHAP,  NOISES,  OOLALA,  OPPOSE, ORANGE,  PASTOR,  RAMMED,  RIYADH,  ARCHAIC,  BETIDES, ARRANGED, ERIC IDLE, with some also returning fill from recent puzzles. It played like a Thursday for me.

16A. Good feelings during Jewish bread celebrations?:  CHALLAH DAY CHEER (15).  HOLIDAY Cheer was enough for me to get his idea, if you have not had French Toast made from Challa you are missing a real treat.

25A. Cautionary tale about Greek bread? : PITA AND THE WOLF (14). PETER and the Wolf is a crossword regular (see yesterday)  and the boy who cried wolf still gets much play. My favorite of the fill, if not of the bread. Pita is so thick.

45A. Baker of only one type of Indian bread? : NAAN CONFORMIST (14). NONconformist. Is there a variation in saying NAAN? I like it infrequently.

62A. Ability to laugh at deli bread ... and at three other answers in this puzzle? : RYE SENSE OF HUMOR (15). WRY Sense of Humor. I grew up with caraway seeds.

 I cannot think of any English muffin, brioche, croissant, baguette or focaccia pun so on to the rest.

(ooo, maybe something about a CROSS AUNT?!?)

Across:

1. Flock leader : PASTOR. Not of sheep...no religion no politics, no picture of Tammy Faye. This was easier because of yesterdays clue/fill.

7. Old : ARCHAIC. What a nice old word.

14. Film genre : ACTION. When asked who the best present day action movie star is, Dolph Lundgren suggested perhaps it is this STAR.

15. Co-creator of the Rutles, a parodic band : ERIC IDLE. The parodic addition seems unnecessary.

18. iComfort maker : SERTA. SEALY has the same number of letters. Anyone else tempted to put in APPLE?

19. Spiritualist's sighting : AURA.

20. Greek peak : OSSA. I do not associate Greece with snow; this is near Mt. Olympus?

21. Vietnam Veterans Memorial designer : LIN. The now almost forgotten Jeremy is replaced by MAYA.  Not to be confused with 40A. Draw, as a portrait : LIMN.

23. Newspaper thickener : ADS. Especially on Sundays.

33. Scores : MANY.

34. Big opening : MAW. Usually associated with a voracious animal's mouth.

35. Calf neighbor : TIBIA. Muscle and bone.

36. Scraps : ORTS. Those little leftover pieces of food, I think from German. Not to be confused with 49A. Conquistador's treasure : ORO. Spanish for Gold.

37. Commandment word : SHALT.

41. Home of minor league baseball's RubberDucks : AKRON. A cool unknown. LINK. Damn, Styx is playing there tonight.

43. Friend of Eeyore : ROO. Kanga's little one in Pooh's world.

44. Signs of island hospitality : LEIS. The bad double entendres are too easy.

50. Decorative swimmer : KOI. They often look like huge goldfish but are variations of Carp.

51. Mont Blanc, par exemple : ALPE. Fill for marti.

55. "A good deed __ ever forgot": "Huckleberry Finn" : AIN'T. Unremembered but easy fill.

57. Blush cause : SHAME. "Man is the only animal that blushes. Or needs to."  Mark Twain,

65. Planned : ARRANGED.

66. Hit with force : RAMMED.

67. Happens to : BETIDES. Another great word from the past, often with woe, "One of these was punctuality and woe betide anyone who arrived late in school without a very good reason for being so." Fraser, Christine Marion NOBLE BEGINNNINGS

68. Fight : OPPOSE.

Down:

1. D.C. fundraisers : PACS. Political Action Committees are already gearing up for 2016.

2. Pine : ACHE. Not the tree, the yearning.

3. Take the lead : STAR.

4. Slope : TILT.

5. "C'est magnifique!" : OO LA LA. Linda.

6. Genetic messenger : RNA.

7. Ancient landing spot : ARARAT. We had this Mount back in a Gareth Thursday in April.

8. King Saud University city : RIYADH. Did you remember where the H goes?

9. Speculative bond rating : CCC. Oh my, not a good bond, but an extra C shout out for the Corner?

10. Jaunty greeting : HI HO. Be careful...

11. Summer quaffs : ADES. A CSO; thanks JW!

12. Martinique et Réunion : ILES. We have volcanoes and islands this week.

13. Michael of "Arrested Development" : CERA.

15. URL ending : EDUcation.

17. Disney's Montana : HANNAH.    THEN.       NOW.

22. Pet food creator Paul : IAMS. The story. LINK.


24. Place for quiet, at times : SET. Quiet on the set! Rolling!

25. Yukon warmer : PARKA. Last week ANORAK, this week...

26. Mural beginning : INTRA. I was playing intramural tag football when Kennedy was shot.

27. 1980s-'90s heavyweight champ : TYSON. He was not impressed with PACQUIAO MAYWEATHER fight, and consumers have filed a class action LAWSUIT based on the undisclosed shoulder injury.

28. Grumpy, say : DWARF. More Disney; or not Disney

29. Hesitant thought : WILL I. or won't I?

30. Theatrical honors : OBIES. Off Broadway. (OB)

31. Control, in a way : LIMIT.

32. Followers : FANS.

33. Halloween effect : MOAN. I hope more often than that in your home.

38. Seek guidance from : LOOK TO.

39. Brand for greenskeepers : TORO. Lawnmowers etc.

42. Sgt., for one : NCO.

46. Grand Marnier flavor : ORANGE. A shout out to Amy?

47. Malfunction indicators, perhaps : NOISES. When you start your car and you hear things it often leads to a ...

48. Thing gone wrong : MISHAP.

51. Many an 8-Down native : ARAB.

52. Harp relative : LYRE. Back after LYRA yesterday.

53. Sassy : PERT.

54. Actor Morales : ESAI. He is crossword staple.

56. Composer Rorem : NED. He is crossword staple also.

58. Hardest part : HUMP. Get over the....

59. It's used in rounds : AMMO.

60. Springfield watering hole : MOE'S. Speaking of rounds...CSOs abound for our Chairman.

61. Paris : terre :: Bonn : __ : ERDE. Earth.

63. Word with game or point : END. Which we are near....as we pace...

64. Not to : FRO. Cute

When  you have a bread puzzle you are bound to have some crumby clues (LMAO), but I had a fine time and one of my faster Fridays. Damn, I am missing Styx, lemonade out.

Thursday, May 7, 2015 Gareth Bain

Theme: Anagram

17-Across. Washington landmark : CAPITOL BUILDING.

Night image

38-Across. Escher's "Relativity" is an example of it : OPTICAL ILLUSION.

Kind of like the stairs at Hogwarts

61-Across. 9-Across treatments : TOPICAL STEROIDS.

What else can I say?

Did you see the common letters as you were solving? I had to go back and look for the theme when I was done. Pretty straight forward, and just a hint of deviousness in the clueing, so I was wondering if I had the wrong day of the week?!

Across

1. __ of Cleves : ANNE.

5. Ink, so to speak : TATS.

9. Skin problem : RASH. Get out those TOPICAL STEROIDS.

13. Genuine : REAL.

14. "How much wood __ a woodchuck chuck ..." : WOULD. ("...if a woodchuck could chuck wood. A woodchuck would chuck as much wood as a woodchuck could chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood.")

16. "__ Wood sawed wood": tongue twister opening : ESAU. Did he beat the woodchuck, though? I wonder if our resident thespian Ol' Man Keith knows this one?

20. Hidden supply : STASH.

21. Major installation? : ARMY BASE. Here's a bit of that devious clueing I mentioned. Not an art exhibit or a new kitchen, but the home of a high ranking officer.

22. Pianist Dame Myra __ : HESS. Most famous for her luncheon concerts during the London blitz.

25. Site of South America's westernmost mainland point : PERU. The key word is "mainland."

26. Fairy tale patriarch : PAPA BEAR.

30. Latin dances : SALSAS.

34. Saccharide suffix : OSE. Glucose...fructose...sucrose...(am I being verbose?)

35. Legal write-up : BRIEF.

37. Elizabethan strings : LUTE.

42. Provided with an email dupe : CC'ed. Shoutout to our leader!

43. Poke around : SNOOP.

44. Many corp. logos : TMs. Trademarks

45. Apollo home : HARLEM. The Apollo Theater in Harlem.

48. "The Wolf of Wall Street" director : SCORSESE. I didn't catch that one - any good?

50. Prominent theater sign : EXIT.

52. Suture securer : KNOT.

53. Impeded : SLOWED UP.

57. Bandleader Shaw : ARTIE.

64. NASCAR route : OVAL.

65. Incline : SLANT.

66. __ school : PREP.

67. Use a blowtorch on : WELD.

68. James of jazz : ETTA. And a partial clecho:

69. James portrayer : SEAN. Connery. Bond.


Down

1. Hammer-throw trajectories : ARCS.

2. With 59-Down, "Very clever!" : NEAT. And 59-Down. See 2-Down : IDEA.

3. Popular wine source : NAPA. Lately I have latched onto Chilean wines - their Carménères originate from Bordeaux.

4. Prophet in 2 Kings : ELISHA.

5. "Tea for __" : TWO.

6. Former Time Warner division : AOL.

7. Big wind : TUBA. Another little misdirection.

8. Drink noisily : SLURP.

9. Popular energy drinks : RED BULLS.

10. China setting : ASIA. Were you fooled? We have had this clue many times before.

11. Comic __: typeface : SANS. Hint: Unless you are applying for clown college, do not use this font for your resume!

12. Whopping : HUGE.

15. Places to see FDR : DIMES.

18. "Doctor Who" broadcaster : THE BBC.

19. Constellation named for an instrument : LYRA. Beautiful old celestial map showing Lyra on the right.

23. Shot contents : SERA. Did you really want "ryes," Tin?

24. Some voyages : SAILS.

26. Shelter resident : POOCH. And another partial clecho:

27. Shelter org. : ASPCA.

28. Hero in a Prokofiev work : PETER. The wolf always gets second billing.

29. Rider's handful : REINS.

31. Hotel choice : SUITE.

32. Elemental bits : ATOMS.

33. "Common" asset : SENSE. It' s the least common one...

36. Congregation : FLOCK.

39. New York airport name until 1963 : IDLEWILD. It was renamed after the assassination of JFK.

40. "On Golden Pond" bird : LOON.

41. Big fuss : UPROAR.

46. Suit : EXEC.

47. Mythical gold maker : MIDAS.

49. Barbershop sharpeners : STROPS.

51. Bridal shop netting : TULLE. I always wonder what they are hiding under there?

53. Put in the overhead bin : STOW.

54. "All you need," in a Beatles song : LOVE.

55. Australian export : OPAL.

56. Hurdle for a jr. : PSAT.

58. Flag : TIRE.

60. "World Series of Poker" channel : ESPN.

62. Explosive initials : TNT.

63. Greek vowel : ETA.

After Zeta

Marti, over and out!