Monday July 13, 2015 Gail Grabowski & Bruce Venzke

Theme: >      <

20A. Place for a brewski : WATERING HOLE

35A. No longer valid : NULL AND VOID

42A. Imbalance of income distribution : ECONOMIC GAP

59A. Introductory remarks ... and, in a different sense, what the ends of 20-, 35- and 42-Across are : OPENING WORDS. Like many platitudes, there's really nothing there.

Argyle was here.

Across:

1. Crossword hint : CLUE. 78 in this puzzle.

5. Three-sided sails : JIBS

9. Crook : THIEF

14. Home plate crossings : RUNS. And 50. Crosses home plate : SCOREs

15. Middle layer of the eye : UVEA

16. Main blood vessel : AORTA

17. "Put a lid __!" : ON IT

18. Pickle containers : JARS

19. "No bid," in bridge : I PASS

23. Wood decay : DRY ROT

24. Keep in reserve : SAVE

25. Scientist Wernher __ Braun : VON

28. Ms. enclosure : SASE. Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope.

30. Affluent Los Angeles district : ENCINO

32. Bygone intl. carrier : TWA

38. "The __ of the Ancient Mariner" : RIME

40. Linden or Holbrook : HAL

41. Opening for a coin : SLOT

47. "That's __-brainer" : A NO

48. Credit card ID : ACCT NO

49. Feels poorly : AILS

51. Confucian "path" : TAO

52. Northern Nevada county or its seat : ELKO

55. Launched capsule : ROCKET

61. Insurance giant : AETNA

64. Baseball family name : ALOU

65. "The Scarlet Letter" letter : RED 'A'

66. '70s New York congresswoman Bella : ABZUG

67. Ore layer : VEIN

68. Qatari bigwig : EMIR

69. Rough up : ABUSE

70. Plays the wrong golf ball, say : ERRs

71. Witnesses : SEEs

Down:

1. Two : company :: three : __ : CROWD

2. __ Module: moon lander : LUNAR

3. Togetherness : UNITY

4. Fragrant compounds : ESTERS

5. Japanese self-defense method : JUJITSU.  Literally, Soft Technique.

6. Netman Lendl : IVAN

7. Antarctic floaters : BERGs

8. Youngest Obama : SASHA

9. Caboose's place : TAIL END

10. Cross one's fingers : HOPE

11. Golden-yrs. income source : IRA

12. "Mars Attacks!" enemies, for short : ETs

13. Notes before sols : FAs

21. Reddish equine : ROAN

22. Where baguettes bake : OVEN

25. String quartet member : VIOLA

26. Vidalia veggie : ONION

27. Acknowledge with a head gesture : NOD TO

29. Pre-college, for short : EL-HI. Elementary- High.

31. Walgreens rival : CVS

32. Reward for a pet trick : TREAT

33. Modern witch's religion : WICCA

34. BP merger partner : AMOCO

36. Fond du __, Wisconsin : LAC

37. Pond organism : ALGA

39. Tonsillitis-treating MD : ENT

43. Recommended résumé length : ONE PAGE

44. Burrowing animal : MOLE

45. Pellet shooters : AIR GUNS

46. Work the fields : PLOW

53. Jack in a deck : KNAVE

54. Crude carrier : OILER

56. Krispy __: doughnut chain : KREME

57. Actor Redmayne of "The Theory of Everything" : EDDIE

58. Old Russian rulers : TSARs

59. Burden : ONUS

60. Gritty film genre : NOIR

61. Duracell size : AAA

62. Flow back : EBB

63. Shih __: Tibetan dog : TZU

Argyle

Sunday, July 12, 2015 Donna S. Levin & Bruce Venzke

Theme:  "Th-, Th-, That's All, Folks - TH sound is added to the end of each theme entry, adjusting spellings as needed.

23A. Unflattering nickname for a boastful corporate bigwig? : CHAIRMAN MOUTH. Chairman Mao.

46A. Belief at the heart of “Miracle on 34th Street”? : SANTA FAITH. Santa Fe.

68A. Actor Colin's body double? : FAUX FIRTH. Faux fur. Colin Firth (The King's Speech).

91A. Momentous event in baseball history, as it turned out? : AARON BIRTH. Base phrase Aaron Burr. The AARON in the clue refers to Hank Aaron.

112A. Hoping for a winning lottery ticket? : WISHING WEALTH. Wishing well.

15D. Old king's slow-moving pet? : COLE SLOTH. Coleslaw. Only one-word entry.

31D. Olbermann at a karaoke bar? : MUSICAL KEITH. Musical key. ESPN just let go of Keith Olbermann.

42D. AMA motto? : GIVE 'EM HEALTH. Give 'em hell. Reminds me of that heartless Michigan cancer doctor.

78D. Smokey's trouser material? : BEAR CLOTH. Bear claw.

After I did Tea Party with Don G, I fully appreciated the creativity & complexity behind this type of sound addition theme. It's so much harder than simply adding a T, or a TH.

I think this is the first collaboration of Donna S. Levin and Bruce Venzke, who often teams up with Gail Grabowski for LAT.  

Gail told me a while ago that they title their puzzle as GAB (Gail and Bruce) if Gail's byline comes up first, and BAG (Bruce and Gail) if Bruce's byline comes up first. So this puzzle might be titled DAB.

 

Across:

  

1. Cap treated by an orthopedist : PATELLA. Love when I can nail a 7-letter fill. Today's grid is very clean and smooth.

8. Hajji's destination : MECCA. Can non-Muslims visit the city?

13. Enthusiastic approval : ACCLAIM

20. Like amoeba reproduction : ASEXUAL
 

21. Show that had an annual "Favorite Things" segment : OPRAH. Got via crosses. Not a fan.

22. Part of a colloquial lament : SHOULDA

25. Counterattacks : SALLIES

26. Coquette : TEASE

27. Ruby in films : DEE

28. Mr. Mistoffelees' creator : T. S. ELIOT. Got via crosses also. And 63. 28-Across, e.g. : POET
 

29. Packing : ARMED. Packing heat, I suppose.

32. Clark Kent, on Krypton : KALEL

34. Relatives of medians : MODES

36. Garish : LOUD

37. Give a hoot : CARE

38. Two-mile-high city : LHASA. And 6D. Tibetan priest : LAMA

40. Sign on : LOG IN

45. Allied gp. since 1948 : OAS (Organization of American States)

48. Sheepish? : OVINE. Nailed it.

49. Tests : TRIALS

51. Unlock, to a bard : OPE

52. Little legume : PEA

53. Fended (off) : STAVED

54. G-rated : CLEAN

56. Benevolent order : ELKS. Headquartered in Chicago, as I learned last week.

58. "Symphony of a Thousand" composer : MAHLER (Gustav)

59. Grammarian's topic : USAGE

61. "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" setting : INDIA

65. LAX posting : ETD
 

67. Brilliance : ECLAT

70. Rigs on long hauls : SEMIs

72. Guffaw : YUK

73. Flight segment : STEP

74. California berry farm founder : KNOTT. Knott's Berry Farm.

75. Taj __ : MAHAL

76. Without vigor : FEEBLY

79. "Birdman" actor Galifianakis : ZACH. Hope we don't see his surname in a grid.  Known for his Between Two Ferns.

80. Licorice-flavored seed : ANISE

82. Big Pharma name : PFIZER

83. Faline in "Bambi," e.g. : DOE. Ha ha, I put in ENA. Never saw "Bambi".

85. Leg up : AID

87. Dan Aykroyd's birthplace : OTTAWA

90. Very very : ULTRA

94. Pot cover : LID

95. Former "The View" co-host : BEHAR (Joy)

96. Rock trio with long-bearded vocalists : ZZ TOP. The "Long-bearded" hint handed us a big fat gimme.  

97. "Got it" : I SEE

98. First razor with a pivoting head : ATRA

99. Sheds a tear : CRIES. "The Bridges of Madison County"!

101. Spanish "these" : ESTOS

103. Change from maxi to midi, say : RE-HEM

104. "Idylls of the King" setting : CAMELOT

108. Party org. : DNC. Crossing 108. Urgent : DIRE. Easy elimination of RNC.

109. More experienced : WISER
 

111. Quaint "Jeepers!" : OMIGOSH

117. Western neckwear : BOLO TIE. Boomer bought two at our State Fair long time ago. Never worn them again. 

118. Smooth one's feathers : PREEN
 

119. More icky : NASTIER

120. Less introverted : BRASHER

121. Fermented honey quaffs : MEADS

122. They usually inspire blessings : SNEEZES

Down:

1. Lobbying gp. : PAC

2. Cinders : ASH
 

3. Major Sri Lankan export : TEA
 

4. Left : EXITED

5. Enticed : LURED

7. __ king crab : ALASKAN

8. May honoree : MOM

9. Lyric poem : EPODE. Learned from doing crosswords.

10. First name in dognapping : CRUELLA

11. Actress Blanchett : CATE

12. "That's the spot!" : AHH

13. Courtroom fig. : ASST. D.A.. Or ADAs. Jack McCoy has quite a few.

14. Pursue : CHASE

16. Down time : LULL

17. Ovid's others : ALII

18. Thought: Pref. : IDEO

19. Spar : MAST

24. Not far from : NEAR TO. Boomer bowled 634 & 607 at the National Senior Games on Friday/Saturday. Not good enough. He still has a chance at the Doubles event today.

29. Scads : A LOT

30. Savanna warning : ROAR

33. Jumped out of one's seat : LEAPED UP. UP feels unnecessary.

34. Friend of Sydney : MATE. Sydney, Australia.

35. Worker welfare org. : OSHA

37. Acapulco abode : CASA

39. Rose __ : HIPS. My birthday gift. A bottle of Rose hip oil. Total luxury.

41. Like some mirrors : OVAL
 

43. Subject of Newton's first law : INERTIA

44. Author Buntline : NED

46. Winter woe : SLEET

47. Given name meaning "happy" : FELIX. King Felix.

50. Bit of pond scum : ALGA

53. Was in session : SAT

 55. "Swell!" : NIFTY!

57. "The Metamorphosis" writer : KAFKA

58. Maestro Zubin : MEHTA. Born in Bombay (Mumbai).

59. One-eighty : UEY

60. Scrap : SCUFFLE

62. Captain Kidd's refusal : NAE

63. Ban : PROHIBIT

64. Hubbell teammate : OTT. Carl Hubbell. Hall-of-Famer. Big Easy sent me this picture in March. He said "Next time OTT appears in a puzzle you can insert this. I was passing there today and stopped and took this picture. It is right down the street from ZYDECOs, which occasionally showed up."

66. High-speed letters : DSL

69. Like most Quechua speakers : INCAN

 

70. Partner of Wesson : SMITH. Easy crosses.

71. From Liverpool to Manchester : EAST
 

73. Camera letters : SLR

77. Biblical reformer : EZRA. Friendly crosses again.

79. Nothing at all : ZERO

81. Observe closely : NOTE

82. Black and tan seller : PUB

83. Stupefaction : DAZE. Thought the noun for Stupefy is just "Stupor".

84. Granola grain : OATS

86. Cut out of the will : DISOWN

88. Send electronically, as funds : WIRE

89. Sixth-day creation : ADAM

92. Bounding main : OPEN SEA

93. Gives up : RESIGNS
 

96. Instrument sometimes played in one's lap : ZITHER
 

98. Make fizzy : AERATE

100. Riveting icon : ROSIE. Rosie the Riveter.

102. RR station posting : SCHED (Schedule)

103. Actress Witherspoon : REESE
 

104. __ salad : COBB

105. Cupid : AMOR

106. Ashton's partner : MILA. Yay! They're a cute couple. Just married last weekend.

107. They may be bruised : EGOS

110. Long-necked trumpeter : SWAN

112. Typing stat. : WPM

113. Former green-card-issuing agcy. : INS (Immigration and Naturalization Service). They  issued me a green card with an extra U after Q. I guess Zhouqin looks incomplete.

114. Claiborne of fashion : LIZ

115. Casual wear : TEE

116. Retail posting: Abbr. : HRS

Happy 85th Birthday to Sallie! I bet both of her sons made special plans to be with her today. How are you doing lately, Sallie?

 

C.C.

Saturday, Jul 11th, 2015, Barry C. Silk

Theme: Saturday Silkie~!

Words: 70 (missing Q,X,Z)

Blocks: 26

Dammit~!  I can't remember the last time I solved a Saturday puzzle without red-letters, and it's starting to annoy me.  I got stumped in the NE corner this time, with bad fills on my part.  Ugh - oh well.   I was really looking forward to finishing this Silkie unassisted - it did have some great fills.  Triple 10-letter corners, with triple 7-letter corners in the down paired to a pair of 11-letter climbers;

24. Cutting, as a thick steak : SLICING INTO

11. Dynamic : HIGH VOLTAGE

onweirrrrrrd....

ACROSS:

1. Band conductor? : COPPER WIRE - I got it, but it's not Mr. Silk's most wittiest; since most electric guitar, mic cables, etc., are copper wire....

11. Burlap source : HEMP

15. Kindle owner, often : AVID READER

16. Logical introduction : IDEO - ideological

17. Shipped out : SENT ABROAD

18. Beaufort scale word : GALE - here's my first cheat; I Googled the scale; could have been "CALM" as well, with 50% still correct

19. Half of sei : TRE

20. Briefly, with "in" : SUM - "in sum"

21. Drying convenience : BATH MAT - ah.  All I could think of was "towel rack"

23. Proposal figs. : ESTs

25. Head makeup : SUDS - Beer heads, that is

27. Grand Prince of Moscow, 1328-1340 : IVAN I - I tried "PETR I", figuring it would be Russian and Latin combined

28. Sphere : REALM - ah, not ARENA

30. Harpo Marx or Carrot Top : PROP COMIC - was pondering something about red-heads

32. Soap, e.g. : SERIAL - the TV soaps, that is

34. Cen. parts : YRs - centuries and years

35. River through Yakutsk : LENA - perps

36. Eye-catching link designed to generate ad revenue : CLICK BAIT

39. Sith foe : JEDI - Star Wars

42. Thanksgiving follower: Abbr. : FRI - true; it is always followed by Friday, and a Black one at that

43. Rogues : SCAMPS

47. "Beats me" : I CAN'T TELL

50. The same, in Sauternes : EGALE - our weekly dose of Frawnche

51. "In the Summertime" rock group __ Jerry : MUNGO

52. Biol. branch : ANATomy

54. Company name based on a passage from Hosea : EL AL - learning moment; Saturday cluing for "Israel airline" - Wiki says it's Hebrew for "To the Skies"

55. Most suggestive : RACIEST

57. 21st Greek letter : PHI - yeah.  I had to wait on perps

59. "Rugrats" infant : DIL - OK, cheated here, too; didn't know the last letter

60. God in both Eddas : ODIN

61. Doesn't wait one's turn : CUTS IN LINE - gives me a chance to link this Paul Simon song, third verse

The Afterlife - "no one here likes a sneak"

64. __-Tremblant, Quebec : MONT - Frawnche, deux

65. Unauthorized underground city explorer : URBAN CAVER - there was a Law & Order: Criminal Intent episode that opened with a young man into something similar

66. "And so ..." : ERGO

67. Deli counter customers, as a rule : MEAT EATERS

DOWN:   

1. Moving aids : CASTERS - I stripped off the casters of an old BBQ last week to mount them on a refrigerator at one of the restaurants.  Also building a new 'side stand' for water and a computer terminal - I hope to get done before vacation next week; off to Delaware to scout out UPS, the tech school, and apartments - my friend Mike is officially a Delawarian.

2. Supervise : OVERSEE - too bad the supervisor at my UPS is a micro-managing moron; maybe they're better in Dover (actually, Harrington - hey, Bluehen, where are the other terminals~?)

3. Subject of a 1983 incident in which a George Brett homer was originally nullified : PINE TAR - ah yes, I recall this incident, and Brett thundering out of the dugout

4. L.A. summer setting : PDT

5. Big times : ERAs

6. "Concentration" feature : REBUS

7. Throw in a pen : WARM UP - ah, more baseball

8. ''Yes'' : I DO - [sigh] some day

9. Take in again : REABSORB

10. Mother of the Valkyries : ERDA

12. Sushi bar appetizer : EDAMAME

13. Albino's lack : MELANIN - argh~!  Not PIGMENT

14. Horace's "Ars __" : POETICA - all I could think of was 'ars gratia artis'

22. Mannerism : TIC

26. Lumber processing equipment : DRY KILN - meh.  dryING kiln works better for me

29. __ du pays: homesickness : MAL - trois Frawnche

31. Free spots, briefly : PSAs

33. Pick up : LIFT

37. Animal : CREATURE

38. It may be shaved : ICE - Run away, Tin~!

39. CBS Sports Radio host : JIM ROME - his show was called "Jim Rome is Burning" - har-har

40. Gran Colombia successor state : ECUADOR - half perps

41. Like the queen in a 1977 #1 hit : DANCING - ABBA

44. __ Islands: former name of an Indian Ocean republic : MALDIVE

45. Less pretentious : PLAINER

46. Bears, often : SELLERS - Stock Exchange lingo

48. Nail holder : TOE

49. Washes against : LAPS AT

53. Biblical possessive : THINE

56. Pond problem : SCUM

58. Pachacuti, for one : INCA - perps; didn't see this until I was working on the write-up

62. TV Guide abbr. : TBA

63. Small muscle? : LAT - dah! Not PEC

One for the ladies

Self portrait ( NOT~!!)

Splynter

Friday, July 10, 2015, Mark Bickham

Theme: Order in the Court! Courtroom DRAMA?

A quick revisit from Mark Bickham who provided Sunday's 21x21. Mark is one of my favorites and this puzzle was happily easy for me based on the subject matter, but it is an odd one. Each of 4 common legal phrases is re-clued in witty fashion and then tied together with an equally deceptive but amusing reveal. I cannot tell if the terminology is tricky for those who do not have a legal background, so I am not sure if the puzzle will be hard for anyone, but it was a quicker than normal solve for me.  The 5 theme related answers use 67 letters, so like last week, we have lots of short fill to balance. Overall this one has a very un-Friday like average word length under 5 letters with lots of black squares. The few non-themers over 5- ALYSSA,  GROSSE,  LIED TO,  NATION,  SPEARS,  SUMMON, INSECTS, INTERNS, BEQUEATHS and  PRE-ASSIGN are okay, and none seem too obscure. Let's look at what happened.

17A. Rating for a recap? : SUMMARY JUDGMENT (15). A recap is a summary; a rating is a judgment; a summary judgment is a legal term referring to the disposition of a case without a trial.

29A. Advice on paper size? : LEGAL COUNSEL (12). I do not use apple computers (at least not until the end of the month) but on all of my print functions, one of the decisions one must make is paper size, letter or legal. If you ask someone to suggest one...legal counsel is one phrase for the attorney.

44A. Dibs on kitchen space? : COUNTERCLAIM (12). Dibs is a great invention, like calling shotgun; while kitchens all have counters. A counterclaim is where a Defendant files an action against the original Plaintiff in a law suit.

58A. Displeased wave of the hand? : MOTION TO DISMISS (15). I can picture many famous hand wave dismissals, while a Motion to Dismiss is a pleading to end a case based sole on deficiencies in the language of the original complaint.

and the reveal:

36A. Fooled by one's imagination ... or, another way, what the four other longest puzzle answers are? : HEARING THINGS (13). All relate to matters which will go to a hearing before a judge.

Okay let's plunge in the rest....

Across:

1. Hybrid carriers : MULES. Great misdirection to begin Friday, if you did not think about cars you are smarter than I.

6. Hardly next door : AFAR.

10. Shelter gp. : SPCA. Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has a long HISTORY worldwide.

14. Functional : UTILE. One of those words that sounds like more trouble than it is worth.

15. Winter Olympics event : LUGE.

16. __ Mountains: European border range : URAL.

20. Start to state? : TRIstate. I just did the New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania part after Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island part.

21. Land east of the Suez Canal : ASIA.

22. June portrayer in "Henry & June" : UMA. Do we like her or not? LINK. (1:28).

23. Trainees : INTERNS. We have a summer intern at the office this year. Her name is Stephanie, we now call her Charlie.

26. __ Pointe: Detroit suburb : GROSSE. An old COMMUNITY.

32. Rock and Roll Hall of Famers since 2010 : ABBA. This would have been hard except that the only bands I could only think of with four letters were ABBA and TOTO which was mentioned yesterday, and TOTO never made it to the hall.

34. Word with sick or cold : OUT. Out sick, or out cold.

35. Press : INK. A term I learned from reading where comments were made about how much ink did a story get.

41. __ au vin : COQ. Who makes this at home?  RECIPE.

42. Ornamental fish : KOI. let's not carp about what they are.

43. Stapes, for one : BONE. Earie?

49. Artist with the 2011 album "Femme Fatale" : SPEARS. A little glimpse of dear BRITNEY. (3:33).

50. Antennae holders : INSECTS. A very fun clue, hey John Lampkin.

54. Took in : ATE. Reminds me of this LIST.

55. Cooperate with in a caper : ABET.

57. Eggs : OVA.

63. Point-of-view intro : IMHO. In My Humble Opinion.

64. It may need cobbling : BOOT. I really like this one.

65. Shafts on the road : AXLES. Don't get cranky if you think they are actually above the road.

66. AAA part: Abbr. : ASSN.

67. Magazine filler : AMMO. Nice classic clue.

68. Erroll Garner classic : MISTY. Worth a LISTEN. (2:48)

Down:

1. "Can't you get someone else?" : MUST I?

2. Political surprise : U-TURN. I had trouble parsing this one. Flip flopping?

3. Cap : LIMIT.

4. Shade provider : ELM.

5. Source of shells : SEA. So simple, I was afraid it was wrong.

6. "Mistresses" co-star Milano : ALYSSA. She and ex co-star Shannen Doherty supposedly cannot be in the same room.

7. Big name in film : FUJI.

8. Río contents : AGUA. A River holds water (Sp.).

9. __ cell : RED. A clue out of the 50's and 60's when people saw communists everywhere.

10. Call : SUMMON. Sounds like a word to use with demons.

11. Designate in advance : PRE-ASSIGN.

12. Has the power : CAN.

13. Either of two space bar flankers : ALT. For the online solvers a gimme, but did you have to look?

18. Checked out of the store, with "up" : RANG.

19. Wise teacher : GURU.

24. Island off Tuscany : ELBA. I was able to get this.

25. Bottom : REAR. PC, PC!

26. Black-clad subculturist : GOTH. My youngest hung out with the goths in early high school, but i believe it was the girl goths who got him.

27. Sight, say : SENSE.

28. Image on Idaho's state flag : ELK.  If you want to see, LOOK.

30. Detective's skill : LOGIC. Elementary my dear Watson.

31. Song on a record : CUT. This used to be literally true.

32. Renoir's "Girl With __" : A HOOP. This was before they realized you could do the Hula with it.

33. Wills : BEQUEATHS. A bonus legal term.

37. A Clanton and a president : IKES. Quite the logical pair. IKE 1. IKE 2.

38. Fish-fowl link : NOR.

39. Sacred wader of ancient Egypt : IBIS. The Miami Hurricanes like this bird, which I did not know comes in red.

40. Seward Peninsula city : NOME. How many of the Corner have been to this Alaskan CITY?

41. Engine units: Abbr. : CCS. Cubic centimeters.

45. Turkey, for one : NATION. Fooled me at first.

46. Old Smartphone : TREO. I had a friend who loved hers, until Blackberry came along.

47. Betrayed, in a way : LIED TO.

48. Unwilling to stand up for : ANTI. Iffn you aint fer me, yer agin me.

51. Some are tightly wound : COILS.

52. Den focal point : TV SET. More from the 50s and 60's.

53. Impudent : SASSY.

55. Smashing target : ATOM. My favorite clue.

56. Mike holder : BOOM. Hand held.

58. Girl's name that's a verb spelled backwards : MIA. This is a really obscure clue; are there other possibilities?

59. Serene sounds : OMS. For those who meditate.

60. Org. with Kings and Wizards : NBA. National Basketball Association. And the free agent parade continues.

61. "I can't remember it, Miss Ilsa" speaker : SAM. Great movie.

62. 11th-century year : MXI. 1011, a kind of pun?

Thank you Mark B. and thank you all for tuning in. Hard to believe we are already in the second half of the year. Lemonade out.

Notes from C.C.:

1) Belated Happy 45th Birthday to our Anon-T (Tony), the computer geek, foodie and an incredibly caring friend, on and off the blog. He also solves LA Times puzzle with his mother-in-law at times. So sweet!

 

Anon T, Giza, Feb 2014

2) Happy Birthday to my mentor and close friend Don G, who turns 61 years old today! We've collaborated on over 100 puzzles for various venues the past few years. The time and attention he's given me are truly unparallelled.

Don & his wife Barbie

Thursday, July 9, 2015 Jerry Edelstein

Theme: Somersaults.

We have an acrobatic theme, and are given the reveal immediately at 1-Down:

1-Down. With 57-Down, reverse ... and a hint to hidden letters in 6-, 9-, 15- and 21-Down : FLIP.
57-Down. See 1-Down : SIDE.

So it was no secret that we would be looking for the word "SIDE" appearing from the bottom-up. We are even given the theme locations right away.  That took away from the fun of figuring it out on my own, but others may appreciate the leg up. Simple theme entries:

6-Down. Subject of debate : CONTESTED ISSUE.

9-Down. Retail promotion : STORE DISPLAY.

15-Down. Shipwreck movie staple : DESERTED ISLAND.

21-Down. General Electric co-founder : THOMAS EDISON.

Now, let's look at the rest.


Across

1. NFL threes : FGS. Field goals.

4. S&L offering : ACCT. 2 Abbr. to start...

8. Daisylike flower : ASTER.

13. Waikiki wreath : LEI.

14. Overwhelm in abundance : FLOOD.

16. Shoulder accessory : STOLE. At first, all I could think of was shoulder pads. Remember those from the '80s?

17. Place for the night : INN.

18. "Blue Sky" Oscar winner : LANGE. Jessica also won many other awards for her role.

19. Reliable : SOLID.

20. Wear a long face : POUT.

22. "Take __ a sign" : IT AS.

23. Geometric products : AREAS.

24. Having left the water : ASHORE.

26. '70s "Laugh-In" regular Ann : ELDER. I don't remember her.

28. Fat substitute : OLESTRA. It lost favor due to the side effects.

30. Panel with gauges : DASH.

33. Love interest : FLAME.

36. "Rosanna" band : TOTO. The video. 5:28

37. Empire founded by Manco Cápac, in legend : INCA. He was believed to be a fire and sun god.

38. Baltic capital : RIGA. Map.

39. Feints : DEKES.

40. Leave a lasting mark on : SCAR.

41. Energy measures : ERGS.

42. Picked out of a lineup : ID'ed.

43. Used : SPENT.

44. Throw down the gauntlet : DARE.

45. Barely enough : MINIMAL.
Followed by a semi-clecho:
47. Barely bests : EDGES.

49. Staid : SEDATE.

52. Bacall's love, informally : BOGIE. Listen here.

54. Ward of "Sisters" : SELA. I don't think I ever watched that show. She's the one at the upper left.

56. Some raised hands : YEAS.

58. Clear in class : ERASE.

59. __ about: recuperating : UP AND.

61. Pent- minus two : TRI-.

62. You might pass one in a race : BATON.

63. Choosing word : EENIE. meenie, miney, mo...

64. Like too many jokes : OLD.

65. Colleague of Ruth and Sonia : ELENA. Supreme Court Justices Bader Ginsburg, Sotomayor and Kagan.

66. Blissful place : EDEN.

67. Emmy-winning scientist : NYE. Bill Nye, the Science Guy.


Down

2. Italian port : GENOA.

3. Paranasal space : SINUS.

4. Gp. in a historic 1970 sports merger : AFL. The American Football League merged with the National Football League.

5. Actress Danes : CLAIRE.

7. Roman robe : TOGA.

8. Big name in Syrian politics : ASSAD. Bashar Al-Assad is the Syrian president.

10. Permissible variation : TOLERANCE.

11. Charles Lamb pen name : ELIA. "Essays of Elia."

12. Great American Ball Park team : REDS. The Cincinnati Reds, that is.

25. Bullfight cheer : OLE.

27. Thailand neighbor : LAOS.

29. Evidence of esteem? : TOKEN.

31. Do a cashier's job : SCAN. At our local supermarket, you can grab a wand on your way in and scan and bag your groceries as you go through the aisles.  Thus totally eliminating the need for cashiers.

32. Roxie __, Zellweger's "Chicago" role : HART. The name on everyone's lips.

33. Barney's friend : FRED. The Flintstones.  I was torn between Barney Rubble and Barney Fife, because "Andy" also fit.

34. Capital of Turkey : LIRA. The money type of capital, not the principle city.

35. Combined : AGGREGATE.

39. Old phone booth user's need : DIME. Good lord, I feel old!

43. __ sack : SAD.

46. Nasty sort : MEANIE.

48. Davis of "A League of Their Own" : GEENA. I loved her in that movie.

50. Wyoming's __ Range : TETON. Breathtaking.

51. Ahead of time : EARLY.

52. Tiny tot, in Toledo : BEBE. Good thing this was already filled by perps. My mind would have been on Tater Tots and Toledo, Ohio, I'm sure.

53. __ exam : ORAL.

55. Parrier's tool : EPEE.

60. Place to solve a puzzle : DEN. My go to places are the deck in summer, or the solarium in winter.


See you on the FLIP SIDE!

Marti

Wednesday, July 8th, 2015 Jack McInturff

Theme: Meeting your Match

20A. Formal education : BOOK KNOWLEDGE. Matchbook. I was unfamiliar with the clued definition; I understood it to allude (in a somewhat derogatory fashion) to a person who has no practical knowledge of a subject but got everything out of a book.

31A. Hold firm : STICK TO ONE'S GUNS. Matchstick. The English artist L.S.Lowry, who was famous for depicting scenes from the industrial north, was sometimes derided by art critics for painting "matchstick men and matchstick cats and dogs". One of his paintings sold at auction in 2011 for around $8.6m. Not bad for a "Sunday artist".

41A. Sweets for one's sweet : BOX OF CHOCOLATES. Matchbox. When I've got some time on my hands I like to make dark chocolate truffles. I have to give most of them away or I'd eat the lot myself, and you have to make quite a few (at least five dozen) to justify the effort. That's a lot of chocolates!

57A. Smoker's superstitious no-no ... and hint to the starts of 20-, 31- and 41-Across : THREE ON A MATCH. I was familiar with the superstition, but not the actual phrase (In the UK, we referred to the superstition as "third light".) I discover that it was also a 1932 movie and a 70's daytime game show airing on NBC.

Jack Mac is back! When I blogged his previous puzzle on June 17th he commented that it was "probably" going to be his last puzzle. This one was fun - a lot of learning moments for me, and I didn't have my grumpy trousers on either, unlike the prior time blogging Jack, so I'm glad for the opportunity to let him go out on a happier note if this turns out to be his last.

Let's see what else we've got going on here.

Across:

1. One in a semi circle? : CB-ER. Great clue. One of a group of truckers.

5. "Peer Gynt" playwright : IBSEN

10. Chopped-up fare : HASH. Food! If you're ever anywhere near Napa, make a bee-line for the Boon Fly Cafe for breakfast. They make the world's best corned beef hash (in my humble opinion, of course). Here's the evidence before I ate it:

14. In the style of, on trattoria menus : ALLA. Two Food! in a row! Thanks, Jack.

15. Mount in Exodus : SINAI

16. Mighty Dog alternative : ALPO

17. Links star McIlroy : RORY. He tore a ligament in his ankle last weekend playing a pick-up soccer game with his buddies. He's probably going to miss the next four tournaments, including the Open Championship at St. Andrews next week. That's an expensive game of footie.

18. Court star Borg : BJORN. A very topical name as the Wimbledon tournament is currently underway. He won the Men's Singles there five times in a row.

19. Spiffy : NEAT

23. "Heidi" author Johanna : SPYRI. Crosses - I can never remember how to spell this name.

24. Entry before a password : USER ID

25. Mil. training academy : O.C.S. Officer Candidate School.

27. Legendary 15-Across climber : MOSES. He apparently came down with the Ten Commandments, which have been causing us miserable sinners trouble ever since.

38. Rent alternative : OWN

39. Pasty : ASHEN

40. Quaint quarters : INN

46. "Ah, Wilderness!" mother : ESSIE. This Eugene O'Neill play was completely unknown to me, so thank you, crosses.

47. Fifth scale note : SOL

48. 1950s-'70s TV heroine : LASSIE

53. Collect : AMASS

59. All-birds comic strip : SHOE

61. Matter of fact : DATUM

62. Big Apple neighborhood above Houston Street : NOHO. North of Houston. Soho is south. My next-door neighborhood here in LA is also a NOHO - North Hollywood.

63. New Rochelle college : IONA

64. Reason to wear shades : GLARE

65. __ mater : ALMA

66. Bird's place : NEST. 59A locale.

67. Ruhr Valley city : ESSEN. My first German text book in high school featured the Müller family who lived in Essen. I recall they were proud of the zoo and the river.

68. Congeal : CLOT. I  had "CLOG" first, which made my final entry a "what on earth is a shoag? moment."

Down:

1. Pasta nutrients : CARBS. My pasta nutrients are much more likely to be San Marzano tomatoes, olive oil and grated pecorino.

2. Hit just over the infield : BLOOP

3. Judy Jetson's brother : ELROY

4. Fast-food tycoon : RAY KROC. Dire Straits frontman Mark Knopfler wrote this song about him.

5. Dust jacket ID : ISBN. The International Standard Book Number.

6. Delicate piece of jewelry : BIJOU

7. Bamboozles : SNOWS. Learning moment for me. I don't recall  seeing "snow" used in this context before.

8. Country star Steve : EARLE

9. Former Candlestick Park NFLer : NINER. The 49ers have decamped to a new stadium at the southern end of the bay in Santa Clara. I saw Paul McCartney playing the final concert at Candlestick last year. I couldn't hear the music though - I was on a plane taking off from SFO heading home to LA. Great timing!

10. Intimidated, as a look : HANGDOG

11. Protected from gusts : ALEE

12. Place to relax : SPA

13. On a streak : HOT

21. Fourth-down call : KICK. Strictly speaking, it's usually called a punt on fourth down, but we'll let this one slide.

22. Lowers with a switch : DIMS

26. Like a dotted note, in mus. : STAC. Staccato. One of these things:

28. Court filing : SUIT

29. Kin of -ess : -ENNE

30. Fed. IDs : SSNS

31. Drink brand with a lizard logo : SOBE

32. Bills with Jefferson on them : TWOS. When I first got one of these when I moved to the US I thought it was a fake.

33. "What You Need" band : INXS. I thought the band name was pronounced "Ink-sis" when I first saw it in a music magazine.

34. __Kosh B'gosh : OSH. Kid's clothing chain, the clothes are no longer made in Oshkosh, which seems a shame.

35. "My, my!" : OHO!

36. Japanese chip maker : NEC. Microchips, not these cheeseburger-flavor ones from Tokyo:

37. Grandson of Eve : ENOS

42. Homeowner's winter option : OIL HEAT. Never heard of it until today. Heating oil, yes.

43. Reaction from a chicken : FEAR. Nothing to worry about from the Muppet's Swedish Chef though.

44. Rich topsoil : LOAM

45. Annual reference volume : ALMANAC

49. Marsh plant : SEDGE

50. "Captain Phillips" military group : SEALS. U.S. Navy Special Forces. Not to be trifled with.

51. Greek vowels : IOTAS

52. Harden : ENURE. Variant of the more common INURE.

54. Ring-shaped reef : ATOLL

55. Noodlehead : SCHMO

56. Young pig : SHOAT. My erroneous CLOG had me wondering what a SHOAG was. Then I read the clue. Aha!

57. A whole lot : TONS

58. Response to a sermon : AMEN

59. Offense : SIN

60. Ground breaker : HOE

That's Game, Set and Match from me! Here's the grid:

Steve

Tuesday, July 7, 2015 David Poole

Theme: Enough to make your head spin. - The sets of four circles are in the four corners spelling out DOOR.

49A. Hotel entrance, often, and, literally, what each set of four puzzle 35-Across contains : REVOLVING DOOR

23A. How a 49-Across goes : ROUND AND ROUND

35A. Paths described when things go 23-Across : CIRCLES

Argyle herereh elygrA. Quite the go-around. Note how the D revolves to be in the four corners so as to make a complete revolution. The reveal may have led to some head-scratching, I dare say, especially if you're missing the circles because the clue doesn't seem very clear.

Across:

1. Rope-a-__: Ali boxing style : DOPE

5. French wine valley : LOIRE

10. Tough : HARD

14. Agile deer : ROEs

15. Widish computer key : ENTER

16. "Typee" sequel : "OMOO"

17. Craggy outcroppings : TORs

18. Fielder's gear : GLOVE. (baseball)

19. Goes down in the west : SETS. The action, not the thing.

20. Nautical distance unit : SEA MILE. 1,852 metres(about 6,076 feet).

22. Twyla Tharp forte : DANCE. Wiki link

26. Weaver turned into a spider by Athena : ARACHNE. Spiders are the largest order of arachnids.

27. Zodiac division : SIGN

28. Roping and riding contest : RODEO

29. Daddies : PAs

30. Height: Pref. : ACRO. From Ancient Greek for “highest, at the extremity”.

34. L.A.-to-N.Y. direction : ENE

39. Rowing need : OAR

40. Flag maker Betsy : ROSS

42. Bon __: quip : MOT

43. Much of Santa's mail : LISTS

45. Big name in hair trimmers : WAHL. Not on many lists.

47. Marshmallowy treat : MOON PIE

51. Actress Kelly of "The Cutting Edge" : MOIRA. (Moira Kelly)

Filmed mostly in Canada

53. Earns : TAKES IN

54. Airing, as a miniseries : ON TV

55. Some plum tomatoes : ROMAs

56. Concerning : AS TO

59. Move like sludge : OOZE

60. China company based in Stoke-on-Trent : SPODE

61. Jordan's Queen __ : NOOR. The widow of King Hussein of Jordan. Wiki link.

62. Prohibitionists : DRYs as opposed to the WETs.

63. The "A" in YMCA: Abbr. : ASSOC. (Young Men's Christian Association)

64. Yankee who passed Willie Mays on the career HR list on 5/7/2015 : A-ROD

Down:

1. "__ & the Women": 2000 Gere film : DR. T

2. "Hollywood Squares" win : O-O-O

3. Convinces : PERSUADES

4. Basic nature : ESSENCE

5. Errand runner : LEGMAN. Using one's shanks' mare.

6. Ready to chat, nowadays : ONLINE

7. "__ you so!" : I TOLD

8. Unfavorable change of fortune : REVERSAL

9. Before, in verse : ERE

10. Hallelujah kin : HOSANNA

11. Improve : AMEND

12. Campus recruiting org. : ROTC. (Reserve Officers' Training Corps)

13. Medicinal measure : DOSE

21. Like a specially formed committee : AD HOC

22. Grooved on : DUG

23. Not as well-done : RARER

24. University of Maine town : ORONO

25. Seine tributary : OISE

29. Cut for an agt. : PCT. (%)

31. Jointly underwrite : CO-SPONSOR

32. Math relationship : RATIO

33. Skater Brian : ORSER. He is the 1984 and 1988 Olympic silver medalist, 1987 World champion and eight-time Canadian national champion. ~ Wikipedia

36. "As I see it," in textspeak : IMHO. (in my humble opinion)

37. Popular antique desks : ROLLTOPS. Out of my price range.

38. Trudges (through) : SLOGS

41. Tries to avoid a pothole : SWERVES

44. State whose name is part of its capital : INDIANA. (Indianapolis)

46. Actress Gardner : AVA

47. Operetta set in Japan, with "The" : MIKADO. (An archaic name for the Emperor of Japan.)

48. "Be right there!" : "ONE SEC!"

49. Swanky : RITZY

50. "Let's go, amigo!" : "¡VAMOS!"

51. Frame of mind : MOOD

52. __ about: approximately : ON OR

55. Pres. Mandela's land : RSA. (Republic of South Africa)

57. Also : TOO

58. Command from a maj. : ORD. (order) (ick!)

Argyle