Thursday, August 13, 2015 Mark Bickham

Theme: "Holding Company" 4:01


18-Across. "Hang on for a sec" : BE RIGHT BACK. I'm not holding back, I'll tell it like it is!

23-Across.. It can be white or red : BLOOD CELL. Oops - don't want to ever see the inside of a holding cell.

31-Across.. Way with words? : SPEECH PATTERN. Sometimes I feel as if my life were in a holding pattern: same old, same old every day.

40-Across.. Cry from a daring biker : LOOK MA NO HANDS. I just finished a great book, "Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands" by Chris Bohjalian.

50-Across.. French Open surface : CLAY COURT. I enjoy holding court here every Thursday!

57-Across.. Type of tax ... or how the ends of the other five longest across answers might be seen? :
WITHHOLDING.  You have to read it a different way to see the connection: They might be seen "with" HOLDING. Lots of themage from Mark today, with six entires. It's not easy to do that without compromising the fill. Lets see how he did.

Across

1. Hypotheticals : IFs. No ands or buts?

4. Casino conveniences : ATMs.

8. Painfully bright : AGLARE. I'll let it go this time, since I enjoyed the puzzle so much.

14. Medical research org. : NIH. National Institutes of Health.

15. Cool, in '90s slang : PHAT.

16. Military builder : SEABEE.  Their name is from "C.B." - Construction Battalion.

17. Subject of many 10-Downs : DNA. And 10-Down. Doctor's order : LAB TEST. Ummm, "bed rest" also fit. Just sayin'...

20. Banjo virtuoso Scruggs : EARL.

22. Most slimy : OILIEST.

25. "Better information. Better health" resource : WEB MD. I have blocked this site from DH's computer.  He keeps thinking the worst every time he gets a rash, ache, ingrown toenail, gas pain...

29. Barbershop voice : TENOR. Hmmm, Husker Gary. Which one do I choose? 4:13

30. Run for again, as office : RESEEK.

36. Act decisively : OPT.

38. Capital near Casablanca : RABAT.

39. "30 Rock" star : FEY. Tina. I loved her book, "Bossypants."

45. Literary breakdown : GENRES.

46. Actress Sonia : BRAGA. She was in "Kiss of the Spider Woman." No wonder I had no clue - all perps.

49. Had leftovers, say : ATE IN.

54. Checking the parts list, e.g. : STEP ONE.

56. Jr.'s exam: PSAT. Preliminary SAT. SAT was Scholastic Aptitude Test, then the Scholastic Assessment Test, then the SAT Reasoning Test, and now simply the SAT.

61. Oaf : APE.

62. Jeans appliqué : IRON ON.

63. Words to a double-crosser : ET TU?

64. Some fridges : GEs.

65. Nickel and cadmium : METALS.

66. Frequent fast food flavoring : SALT.

67. Ballpark fig. : EST.imate.  I never know whether to put in RBI or ERA or EST. But ERA got ruled out with 32-Down. Bullpen stats : ERAs. Earned Run Average(s).


Down

1. Financially behind : IN DEBT.

2. Often-dramatic movement : FINALE.  Like this famous one played in Boston every Fourth of July. 1:56

3. "Casino" Best Actress nominee : SHARON STONE.

4. BOLO equivalent : APB. "Be on the lookout" and "All Points Bulletin."

5. 2000s teen drama set in Newport Beach : THE O.C.. The "O.C." stands for Orange County.

6. Callender in the food business : MARIE.

7. To this day : STILL.

8. "A Hard Road to Glory" writer : ASHE.

9. Jumps in the pool : GETS WET. Duh, I was thinking of a different kind of pool, and wanted "antes up."

11. Esq. group : ABA. American Bar Association.

12. DirecTV remote button : REC.ord.

13. "A spider!" : EEK.

19. Hodges of the Dodgers : GIL. I actually remembered his name!

21. Chicago area, with "the" : LOOP.

24. Dr. who founded the Aftermath label : DRE.

26. Link often smoked : BEEF SAUSAGE. Hmmm...anyone else think of "brat" sausages?

27. Just : MERE.

28. High-fashion letters : DKNY. Donna Karan New York.

30. Pro __ : RATA.

33. Preservation container : CAN. Ummm..."jar"???

34. "True Detective" network : HBO.

35. "Phooey!" : PAH...."bAH"??

36. 10th-century Russian Orthodox saint : OLGA....Olaf? Sheesh!!

37. Well-versed one? : POET.

41. Avatar of Vishnu : KRISHNA.

42. Lozenge flavor : MENTHOL.

43. "30 Rock" network : NBC.

44. Word before kick or pass : DROP.

47. Market bunch : GRAPES. We will be traveling through the Wachau wine region in Austria, where we will see acres and acres of these.

48. Declare to be genuine : ATTEST.

50. Mil. rank : CPL. CoL??

51. Rich veins : LODES.

52. "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" novelist Loos : ANITA.

53. 1983 Streisand film : YENTL.

55. Geologic periods : EONS.

57. Director Wenders : WIM.

58. Soreness? : IRE.

59. Tater __ : TOT.

60. Instinctive, as a reaction : GUT. As you can see, I went with my GUT reaction on a lot of answers, and had to back-pedal.

I finally fixed them all, and had fun doing it!
Marti

Wednesday, August 12th 2015 C.C. Burnikel & Gary Schlapfer

Theme: Bug Bonanza - four bacteria are lurking in the theme entries

17A. *Temper-tempering strategy : ANGER MANAGEMENT. According to the American Psychological Association "Anger is a completely normal, usually healthy, human emotion" so just remember that when I'm yelling at you, buster. It's you, not me.

23A. *Toon rodent superhero with a hamster assistant named Penfold : DANGER MOUSE. UK animated series from 1981-1992, scheduled to make a comeback in September.

30D. *Insect with patterned wings : TIGER MOTH. Also a training biplane used by the RAF in the 1930's. I remember standing next to one, awestruck, at an airshow when I was about five - the name has stuck in my mind ever since.

32D. *CBS weekend anchor during the Cronkite era : ROGER MUDD. No idea - thank you, crosses. When he was passed over in favor of Dan Rather to succeed Cronkite as the nightly news anchor he left for NBC.

69A. Popular disinfectant brand that fights what's hidden in the answers to starred clues : LYSOL. I use Clorox. Apparently I prefer benzalkonium chloride to sodium hypochlorite. Who knew?

Hail fellows, well met. Steve here forming a very minor part of a "Corner" trifecta - C.C. and Husker Gary put their heads together to come up with this one. The theme entries run both across and down, and the grid has vertical rather than the usual rotational symmetry which makes for an interesting grid design. All the GERMs are split in the same place, which is nicely consistent.

Let's see what else jumps out:

Across:

1. Tight-fitting : SNUG. Time to get back to the gym when my pants feel this way.

5. Office subs : TEMPS

10. Jogger's challenge : HILL. TEN-K went in. And came out.

14. Snapper rival : TORO. Battle of the lawnmowers and my last fill. I don't have a lawn, therefore no mower and no idea.

15. Walled Spanish city : AVILA. Pretty much slap-dab in the middle of the Iberian Peninsula too.

16. Cookie that has its own day every March 6 : OREO. Today is "National Middle Child" day. I'd better call my brother and congratulate him.

20. Holiday song sextet : GEESE. A-laying.

21. Hairstyles : DOS

22. Big tops, e.g. : TENTS

26. Lawn problem : WEED. So is a TORO with an oil leak.

27. Q5 automaker : AUDI. I thought it was an acronym for Auto Union Dortmund Industrie, but I can't find any corroboration of that. It's a good story though, so I'll stick to it. What does Google know anyway?

28. Detroit record label : MOTOWN

31. For only a select few : SECRET. Where does "Top Secret" come from? You'd have thought there would be a "Middle Secret" and "Bottom Secret" also, but apparently not.

35. Really bad : EVIL

36. Blink, say : REACT

40. Big Island coffee region : KONA

41. Baseball word with out or up : TAG. It's wouldn't be a C.C. puzzle without at least one baseball reference. Here's her homeboy Kennys Vargas tagging up from second. Sounds like I almost know what I'm talking about.

42. Floral industry hybrid : TEA ROSE

44. Jungle __ : GYM

45. Snowy 10-Across sights : SLEDS

47. Something worth waiting for? : TIP. We had "NO TIP" a couple of weeks ago - here's the balancing entry.

48. For a song : CHEAP

50. TV host Kelly : RIPA

52. Secure in a harbor : MOOR

53. Polished rocks : GEMS

55. Pipe cleaner : DRANO. More kitchen cleaning product.

59. Magazine contents : AMMO

62. Graceland middle name : ARON. Elvis "thank you thank you very much" Presley.

63. __ parking : VALET. Very common here in LA. If you want to steal a really nice car, put on a pair of black pants, a white shirt and red vest and stand outside a posh restaurant. Within two minutes someone will pull up in a $100,000 ride and toss you the keys.

64. U.S. territory since the Spanish-American War : GUAM

65. Delayed : LATE

66. "You’ve got a friend" : I CARE

67. Out of work : IDLE

68. Pasty-faced : ASHY. Ashy? I'd use "ashen" I think.

70. Paradise : EDEN

Down:

1. Dateless : STAG. In the UK, this is used more in the "men only" context rather than "solo".

2. What the fourth little piggy had : NONE. Either because the third piggy ate all the roast beef, or Number Four was vegetarian.

3. Prodded : URGED

4. Risks being caught off base : GOES AWOL. The military, not the baseball sense this time.

5. Tartan topper : TAM. The hat named for the Robert Burns character:

"... This truth fand honest Tam o' Shanter,

As he frae Ayr ae night did canter:

(Auld Ayr, wham ne'er a town surpasses,

For honest men and bonie lasses.) ..."

6. Sidestepped : EVADED

7. One with a fake ID, maybe : MINOR. You have to memorize how old you're pretending to be, and the star sign of your alleged birth date. Apparently.

8. Flat panel TV type : PLASMA

9. Give under pressure : SAG

10. Like a camp kid missing mom and dad : HOMESICK. "Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah ..."

11. Dancer Castle : IRENE. Who? Thank you, crosses. I'm not really a ballroom dancing aficionado. Here she is in 1912.

12. Period of sacrifice : LENT

13. Quite a bit : LOTS

18. Keep from expiring : RENEW

19. Piano showpiece : ETUDE

24. Britcom, e.g. : GENRE. Nice portmanteau word to boot.

25. Kicks out : OUSTS

28. Citi Field squad : METS. New York baseball.

29. Almond-shaped : OVAL. In the pointy-oval, almond-shaped kind of way.

33. One-named Irish singer : ENYA. She was born Eithne Ní Bhraonáin. Cue some new age music.

34. Pack (down) : TAMP. The (clue) relationship with 37D is cute.

37. Gobble (up) : EAT

38. Former press secretary Fleischer : ARI

39. Arresting figure? : COP

42. Recipe meas. : TSP. My measures usually are along the lines of "a pinch", "some", "a whole lot" and occasionally "a boatload".

43. Green prefix : ECO

46. "Steamboat Willie" studio : DISNEY

49. Sub in Philly : HOAGIE. Food! I didn't know the origin of the word was from Philadelphia. No-one seems to be able to agree on the exact etymology though.

51. Ibuprofen brand : ADVIL. I use generics. Cheaper, and the same stuff, I think. Marti?

52. "Psycho" setting : MOTEL

53. Fete : GALA

54. Important times : ERAS

56. Provocative : RACY

57. "Regrettably ..." : ALAS

58. Detective Wolfe : NERO. Crosses filled this in for me, which is just as well, as I'd no idea who he was. Proper names from US politics or pop culture often defeat me.

60. Guy : MALE

61. Broken mirror, to some : OMEN. Ladders, black cats, umbrellas, all kinds of dangerous stuff out there. Be careful, folks.

That's it from me - here's the grid:

Steve

Tuesday, August 11, 2015 Gareth Bain

Theme: WoW - Three-word phrases with W-O-W starting letters.

17A. Argument : WAR OF WORDS

24A. 1960 hit for Dion and the Belmonts : WHERE OR WHEN. Clip with a detailed write-up.(2:39)

35A. Extremely impressive quality, informally ... or, when read differently, what the four longest puzzle answers all have : WOW FACTOR

49A. Do the seemingly impossible, à la Jesus : WALK ON WATER

59A. 1937 Laurel and Hardy film involving a prospector's daughter and a gold mine : WAY OUT WEST. Clip, the dance scene.(2:50)

Argyle here. This being a Gareth puzzle, I guess I was expecting something harder. The NW filled in so easily I kept waiting for the second shoe to drop. I then realized the complexity wasn't in the solve but in the construction. Like yesterday, we see the strong columns in the corners with two less cheater squares. The reveal is still in the middle but did you note all the 'O' words are different. A nice touch.

Across:

1. Lute-like Indian instrument : SITAR

6. Genesis brother : ABEL and 30A. Genesis mother : EVE

10. Golfers' goals : PARS

14. Technique-sharpening Chopin piece : ÉTUDE

15. __ fide : BONA. (genuine)

16. From scratch : ANEW

19. Response to "Marco!" in a pool game : "POLO!"

20. Spreading tree : ELM

21. Chicago's Michigan, e.g.: Abbr. : AVE.

 

22. Hibachi spot : PATIO

23. __ de Janeiro : RIO

27. H.G. Wells genre : SCI-FI

29. Have regrets about : RUE

31. Bias : SLANT. Cute connection with 2D. Slanted letters : ITALICS

33. Skin blemish : ZIT

34. Raised, as horses : BRED

38. Cooking oil source : CORN

41. Many a mountain whose name ends in "horn" : ALP. Is this true, Marti?

42. Tickle : AMUSE

45. Bauxite, e.g. : ORE

46. Michelle of the LPGA : WIE

47. Scarfed down : ATE UP

54. Uni- + bi- : TRI-. Adding up prefixes.

55. Smelled a lot : STANK. Grammarist.

56. Bikini top : BRA

57. Skin art, for short : TAT

58. Pueblo-dwelling people : HOPI

63. Old-style "once" : ERST

64. Sunup direction : EAST

65. Eagle's home : AERIE

66. Tinting agents : DYES

67. Jazz group instrument : BASS

68. Actor Romero : CESAR

Down:

1. Underground waste conduits : SEWERS

3. Confused state : TURMOIL

4. "Much __ About Nothing" : ADO

5. NFL official : REF. (referee)

6. Higher in rank than : ABOVE

7. Destructive beetle : BORER

8. Conclude : END

9. __ Vegas : LAS

10. Large edible fruit : PAPAW. Pictured first is papaya or papaw or pawpaw. Slightly bigger than our Southern fruit, variously spelled pawpaw, paw paw, paw-paw, and papaw and pictured second.

 

 

11. One more : ANOTHER

12. Ease, as pain : RELIEVE

13. Fainted : SWOONED

18. Stroller cry : [WAH!]

22. Lead-in for heat or cook : PRE-

24. Derelict overdoing the grape : WINO

25. Idle of Monty Python : ERIC

26. "I'm __ here!": "Bye!" : OUTTA

28. Baby deer : FAWN

32. Creator of Finn and Sawyer : TWAIN

33. Microwave : ZAP

34. Very dry, as Champagne : BRUT

36. Aviated : FLEW

37. Poet Khayyám : OMAR

38. Bovine shelter : COW SHED

39. Cicero's skill : ORATORY

40. Health setback : RELAPSE

43. Hunting dogs : SETTERS

44. Landmass divided by the Urals : EURASIA

46. Stir-fry pan : WOK

48. Half of a rain rhythm : PITTER followed by patter...and it's headed this way.

50. Gentle washer setting : KNITS

51. Vast chasm : ABYSS

52. Runs easily : TROTS

53. __ de Cologne : EAU

59. Spider's creation : WEB

60. Little battery size : AAA

61. Tic-toe filler : TAC

62. Very little, to a Scot : WEE

 

Argyle

Monday, August 10, 2015 Kevin Christian

Theme: The Cousteau Collection - the latest thing in swimwear.

16A. Ineffective executive, metaphorically : EMPTY SUIT

20A. Flashy '40s-'60s Cadillac features : TAIL FINS or one word, tailfins.

35A. Underwater activity that requires the ends of 16-, 20-, 53- and 58-Across : SCUBA DIVING

53A. Identity-concealing attire, in a Dumas novel : IRON MASK. (Further info: Wiki)

58A. Brainstorming institution : THINK TANK

Argyle here. A thinking man's puzzle, although I overthought many clues yet there were some I couldn't think of the answer with out perps. 6,7,8 columns in the corners gives the grid an interesting look.

Across:

1. __ as a bird : FREE

5. Marina vessel : BOAT

9. Sudden fancy : WHIM

13. Civil rights icon Parks : ROSA

14. Scandinavian capital : OSLO

15. Ballerina Shearer : MOIRA. We had Moira Kelly last month and Moira Shearer in June. She has been clued as a ballet dancer and/or an actress.

18. Greek i's : IOTAs

19. Window insert : SCREEN

22. Creates, as a word : COINS

23. "Bad" cholesterol letters : LDL. (low-density lipoprotein)

24. Acapulco aunt : TIA. Spanish

25. Qty. : AMT. (amount)

26. Olden times : YORE

30. Auto collision safety device : AIRBAG

32. Ninnies : MORONS

34. Mozart's "__ kleine Nachtmusik" : EINE

38. TV's "__-Team" : THE A

40. Move around an axis : ROTATE

41. Ouija board event : SEANCE

44. Mess (with), in slang : FUTZ. I'm not touching this one.

45. Saint-Tropez sea : MER

48. End of a bray : HAW. Hee-Haw.

49. Egg cells : OVA

51. Fling with effort : HEAVE

56. Got money for, as a check : CASHED

57. Composer Ned : ROREM

60. City NW of Muskogee : TULSA

61. Steakhouse request : RARE

62. "What __ is new?" : ELSE

63. Criteria: Abbr. : STDS. (standards)

64. Med. school subject : ANATomy.

65. In a little while : SOON

Down:

1. Citrus-flavored diet drink : FRESCA. Fresca, a diet lime and grapefruit citrus soft drink made by Coca-Cola, relies on a relatively small but loyal customer base.

2. "You've Got Mail" genre : ROM-COM. Romantic Comedy.

3. __ de corps: camaraderie : ESPRIT

4. All gone, dinnerwise : EATEN

5. Cap'n's underling : BOS'N

6. Sch. in Columbus : OSU. (Ohio State University)

7. Landed : ALIT

8. Sum : TOTAL

9. "Arf!" : [WOOF!]

10. Had a huge success : HIT IT BIG

11. Tehran native : IRANIAN

12. Part of many a spa package : MASSAGE

15. Pop music's __ Vanilli : MILLI

17. "Who me?" reply : "YES, YOU!"

21. Boise's state: Abbr. : IDAho, the "Gem State".

27. Heavenly sphere : ORB

28. Stadium din : ROAR

29. __ an era : END OF

31. Thinker Descartes : RENÉ. A thinking man.

32. Thom of shoes : McAN

33. In __: as found : SITU

35. San Diego marine mammal park : SEAWORLD. (SeaWorld)

36. Winery container : VAT

37. Violinist Perlman : ITZHAK

38. Some have V-necks : T-SHIRTS

39. Listen to without interrupting : HEAR OUT

42. Punctuation in many lists : COMMA

43. Actress Longoria : EVA

45. Hawaiian thank-you : MAHALO

46. Be that as it may : EVEN SO

47. L'Oréal hair care brand : REDKEN

50. Stars, to Caesar : ASTRA

52. Politician Kefauver : ESTES. Running mate of presidential nominee Adlai Stevenson.

54. Loch of legend : NESS

55. Kublai __ : KHAN

56. Tech news website : CNET. It is not (Centre National d'Études des Télécommunications), it is C|net Networks but what that means, I don't know.

59. Fund for the golden yrs. : IRA. (Individual Retirement Account)

Argyle

Sunday August 9, 2015 Gail Grabowski

 Theme:  "Forgotten"- EN is removed from each theme entry.

 

23A. Seasonally decorated doorways? : FALL ARCHES. Fallen arches.

25A. Inept burger joint cook? : BUNS BURNER. Bunsen burner.

47A. Prospector's pooch? : GOLD RETRIEVER. Golden retriever.

97A. Uncultivated area in Roseanne's back forty? : BARR WASTELAND. Barren wasteland.

122A. Snake looking scared? : QUAKING ASP. Quaking aspen.

126A. Sales pitch for an Austrian pistol? : GLOCK SPIEL. Glockenspiel. Learning moment to me. I also did not know Glock's Austria connection.

36D. Gals' gathering before the flick? : CHICK DINNER. Chicken dinner.

46D. Allergen survey? : RAGWEED POLL. Ragweed pollen.

Another classic Gail G grid. 6 theme entries  are placed in Across slots and 2 in Down spots. Gail also made sure that none of her fill (non-theme answers) was 10-letters or longer. Sometimes long fill can confuse solvers about the theme entries.

Gail is all about smoothness. She's not one to surprise you with long splashy fill.
 

Across:       

1. Dramatist Connelly : MARC. Stumped immediately. Wiki said "He was a key member of the Algonquin Round Table, and received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1930." Gail also gave us new clues for KEANE (87A. Award-winning Disney animator Glen) and RENE (95A. Peace Nobelist Cassin).  Crossings made the last two easy to obtain.

5. Invite to enter : ASK IN

10. Mall draw : SALE

14. "Take a chance!" : TRY IT

19. 1997 film apiarist : ULEE. Ulee's Gold.

20. Glittery stone : GEODE

21. Available : OPEN

22. Reason for wobbling, perhaps : HEELS. Drew a blank on the intersecting THURBER (14D. Longtime New Yorker cartoonist James). Been forever since I wore heels.

27. One begins "Rhapsody in Blue" : TRILL. For a whole while, I only had ULEE in this  whole left corner.

28. Casual wear : SLACKS

30. Sword-wielding legend : ZORRO

31. "No worries, dude" : I'M COOL

33. Viewpoints : SLANTS. And 58. Viewpoint : ANGLE

35. Crime-fighting film cyborg : ROBOCOP

39. Condescending sort : SNOB. Also 112D. Supercilious sort : SNOOT

41. Hoodwinks : FOOLS

43. Prefix with centric : ETHNO

44. "Have You Ever Seen the Rain" band, briefly : CCR (Creedence Clearwater Revival). I knew the crossing CLARO (44D. Mild smoke), so CCR was in. Otherwise, ELO, my other go-to band.

52. Sch. in Ames : ISU

53. Rye buy : LOAF

55. Whittle (down) : PARE

56. Some fitness ctrs. : YMCAs

57. Maker of Veriton computers : ACER. My screen is Acer.

 

60. "What a shame!" : SO SAD

63. Carol contraction : 'TIS

64. Sign on a B'way booth : TKTs

65. Not as experienced : RAWER

66. Digital jewelry : TOE RING. Great clue.

69. Identified : NAMED

71. Like he-man push-ups : ONE-ARM

73. Ill-fated woman? : PANDORA

75. The Clintons, notably : YALIES

78. Citation or Corsair : EDSEL. I wanted HORSE.

80. Lets out a bit : LOOSENS

82. Small amount : PINCH

83. Dry riverbed : WADI

85. Victim of curiosity : CAT

88. Tijuana title : SENOR. 102. 88-Across feature : TILDE. Señor.

89. Longtime Kentucky hoops coach : RUPP

90. Deep depression : CHASM

93. Registered, with "in" : SANK

96. Excitement : ADO 

101. Casting aid : ROD

104. "The Great Dictator" Oscar nominee : OAKIE. I need "Jack" in the clue.

105. Shredded : TORE

107. Most sacred : HOLIEST. And 119. Sacred structure : SHRINE

110. Potpourri pieces : PETALS

113. Fragrant resin : BALSAM

117. Modern storage area, with "the" : CLOUD

  

121. Choose to play for pay : GO PRO

128. A lot : OFTEN

129. Wasatch Mountains resort : ALTA. 131. Sight from Taormina : ETNA. Instinctive fill for me.

130. __ shirt : ALOHA

  

132. Bond player before Dalton : MOORE

133. Level : TIER

134. "Dragonwyck" author : SETON (Anya)

135. Cherished : DEAR

  

Down:

1. Civilian attire : MUFTI. I used it once in my own grid before.

2. Thing to set : ALARM. And 3. Thing of the past : RELIC

4. Ensemble of eight in the score of Villa-Lobos' "Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5" : CELLOS. No idea. Might be Rich's clue.

5. Cabinet dept. : AGR

6. Brief times : SECS

7. "Expect great things" retailer : KOHL'S.  I wish they would give me the final price instead of percent off gimmick.

8. Perfect : IDEAL

9. Brand that includes Taster's Choice : NESCAFE

10. Often-exaggerated tale : SOB STORY. Have you guys read or watched "The Bridges of the Madison County"?

11. Calcutta Tech grad on "The Simpsons" : APU

12. Kay of "Rich Man, Poor Man" : LENZ. Stranger to me.

13. Belgian painter James : ENSOR. This has become a gimme.

15. Establish a fresh foothold : RE-ROOT

16. Hankering : YEN

17. Key for Satie? : ILE. Erik Satie was French, hence ILE. But he was also a musician. Very tricky "Key" clue.

18. Original D&D co. : TSR. Appeared in yesterday's grid. I'll copy what Splyter said "- Tactical Studies Rules - ah yes, how I spent my junior high school days....I liked being Dungeon Master - is that TMI~?"

24. During : ALONG

26. Dude : BRO

29. Granny __ : KNOT

32. Aerial stunt : LOOP

34. Poor, chance-wise : SLIM

37. Advent : ONSET

38. Does some bartending : POURS

40. Big blowout : BLAST

42. The Amish, e.g. : SECT

 

45. Mystery middle name : CONAN. Arthur Conan Doyle. ALLAN won't fit.

48. React to humidity, in a way : DROOP

49. Close again : RE-SEAL

50. Ineffectual : VAIN

51. "Me Talk Pretty One Day" piece : ESSAY. Love that piece. Reminds me of my own spoken English. 

54. Pet parasite treatment : FLEA DIP. Never had a flea dip. Don't own pets.

57. Artist's studio : ATELIER

59. Throws wildly, say : ERRS

61. River of Tuscany : ARNO

62. Was fairly successful : DID OK

67. Narrow margin : NOSE

68. "Summer Nights" musical : GREASE

70. Weather reporters : MAPS. 84. Speaker's output : AUDIO. No people here.

72. Tourist attraction : MECCA. Xi'an is a tourist mecca.

74. Year's record : ANNAL

76. Money-saving, commercially : ECONO

77. Scintilla : SHRED

79. "If I Only Had the Nerve" singer : LAHR (Bert).  "The Wizard of Oz".

81. French governing group : SENAT

83. Fury : WRATH

 

86. Islands staple : TARO. Dim sum staple as well.

91. Kids' baseball card deal : SWAP. Not many kids collect baseball nowadays. The prices are getting ridiculous.

92. Matches the scorecard, so to speak : MAKES PAR. So I followed Tom Watson for a few holes at the 3M Championships (Senior Tour) two weeks ago. Alas, the thrill was gone.

94. A lock may be in one : KNOB. Got via crosses as well.

97. No-nonsense route : BEELINE

98. "Dark side" sci-fi group : SITH

99. SWAT team supply : TEAR GAS

100. Fast races : DRAGS

103. Haggle : DICKER

106. Took off to team up : ELOPED

108. Hamlet, to Gertrude : SON

109. Pull with effort : TUG AT

 

111. De Gaulle's birth city : LILLE. Gimme.

114. Ill will : SPITE

115. "The Hunger Games" setting : ARENA. I was worried that the answer was an exotic place unknown to me.

116. Back biter? : MOLAR. Nailed as well.

118. "Lobster Telephone" artist : DALI

120. Lovelorn nymph : ECHO

122. Iranian pilgrimage site : QOM. Or QUM.

123. Tabloid pic subject : UFO

124. From __ Z : A TO

125. Fr. holy woman : STE

127. Leavenworth locale: Abbr. : KAN

Boomer and I met with crossword constructors Andrea Carla Michaels, Tom Pepper and Andrea's friend Lori last Wednesday. Andrea was gorgeous and cheerful as ever. She really is an angel. Gary/TTP, Tom Pepper has two holes-in-one. And he speaks Latin. Lori is an avid golfer as well. You can click here for more pictures. That dog is Tevah.

Andrea, Tom, C.C. and Boomer

Lori and Andrea

Lake Calhoun, August 5, 2015

C.C.

Saturday, Aug 8th, 2015, Alan Olschwang

Theme: None

Words: 72 (missing J, X)

Blocks: 28

Whenever I see Alan's name, I cringe - and the grid looked intimidating, to boot ( saw that answer in Thursdays puzzle ).  So my Across pass did not yield much, but then I smoked thru quite a bit of the Downs.  Had to re-work the SE corner, but ultimately, I was really irritated by the crossing of TWO Frawnche words/phrases - ugh, please, Alan.  Triple 9-letter corners in the down, and double 11-letter across corners riding along with two spanners;

17. Celebration of a future union : ENGAGEMENT PARTY - I've been told there's a bachelorette party at the restaurant today; gonna have to show up and "work" for a little while  ;7))

I'll take the third one from the right....

51. Lets have it : LOWERS THE BOOM ON - seems to have nautical origins, though I saw an online discussion which begged to differ

ACROSS:

1. Show that won 16 Primetime Emmys : BREAKING BAD - have to admit, I have not watched the show - but there's always the DVD set

12. Sno-__ : CAT

15. Doesn't bother : LEAVES ALONE

16. Z preceder : A TO --

19. "Vous __ ici" : ETES - Frawnche "You Are Here"

20. Some tech sch. grads : EEs

21. French department __-Maritimes : ALPES - and yet more Frawnche

22. Allotment word : PER

23. Roasts : RIBS - as in jokes, joshes, ridicules

24. Mass figure : PRIEST

25. More familiar role for the portrayer of George in "Bringing Up Baby" : ASTA - phew~!  That's a lo-o-o-ong way to go to avoid a weekday clue/answer.  Took 3 perps and a WAG to get this dog actor

26. Embedded below the surface of : SET INTO - funny, I just spent yesterday working with some outdoor wiring at A Lure; the lines got SET INTO the rock garden next to the deck

27. AMPAS' London counterpart : BAFTA - The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, along with the British Academy of Film and Television Arts

30. Code subject : DRESS - ah, dress code, not spies

32. Original Dungeons & Dragons co. : TSR - Tactical Studies Rules - ah yes, how I spent my junior high school days....I liked being Dungeon Master - is that TMI~?

33. Sinister : EVIL

34. Fed, say : AGENT

35. Seahawks coach Carroll : PETE - oh, what were you thinking, Pete~?

36. __ Bund: Swiss newspaper : DER

37. Family member : NIECE - oops, not UNCLE; my Uncle Phil died Wednesday, 80yrs old

38. A.L. West team, familiarly : 'STROS - Houston Astros

39. Shakes : TREMORS - today marks exactly 10-1/2 years since I had one of "those" tremors

41. Classic muscle cars : GTOs

43. Meat garnishes : ASPICS

44. Interstate H-1 locale : OAHU and an interstate semi-clecho with; 49a. Airport near I-480, on itineraries : CLEveland

45. TV "Tool Man" Taylor : TIM - Home Improvement

48. Local life : BIOTA - I had FAUNA, then BIOME.  Only after I started the write-up did I notice it changed via perps

50. City SW of Bogotá : CALI

55. Chemical suffix : ENE - hey, this WAG I got right~!

56. Considers : BEARS IN MIND

57. Georgia, once: Abbr. : SSR - Pocchi, that is

58. Pressure tactic : SQUEEZE PLAY

DOWN:

1. Censor : BLEEP - huh. This was my guess, but I didn't fill it in

2. French annuity : RENTE - Really, Alan, really~?

3. Beaverlike? : EAGER

4. Actress Gardner et al. : AVAs

5. Frat bash staple : KEG

6. Response to a pointer : I SEE IT - reminds me of this scene from "Predator"

7. Convention handouts : NAME BADGES - Hi My Name Is...

8. "Burn Notice" actress : GLESS - Ha~! Got it~! Happened to be on TV one morning at breakfast in Delaware

9. Early AC/DC frontman Scott : BON - I liked his voice

10. Worker in an Aesop tale : ANT

11. Sails, say : DEPARTS

12. Chiseler, at times : CARPENTER - yup, been there, done that

13. Corroborates : ATTESTS TO

14. Top sellers : TOY STORES - ah - the toy itself, a top

18. Others, in Latin : ALII - as in "et al.", and others

23. Pretoria's home: Abbr. : RSA - dah~! I thought RUSsia first

24. Vexatious sort : PEST

25. View from Eng.'s Land's End : ATLantic Ocean

26. West African cuisine : SENEGALESE - great fill, but not a clue on my part - the Wiki

27. Stands where we lie : BED TABLES - clever; more common for me to call it bedSIDE

28. Opposite of predilections : AVERSIONS - nailed it~!

29. Military might : FIREPOWER

31. __ center : REC

34. Vents : AIRS

35. NBA tally : PTs

37. Certain dieter's credo : NO CARBS

38. Trifle : SOU - derived from the Frawnche (ugh) coin, 'of little value'

40. Bit : MITE

42. Hollywood, casually : THE BIZ

44. Autumn color : OCHRE - we are almost there - not a big fan of summer

45. Certain Sri Lankan : TAMIL

46. Massey of "Balalaika" (1939) : ILONA - I WAGed IRENE - Bzzzt~!

47. Fred McConnell's daughter, in an old sitcom : MINDY - ah, from Mork & Mindy

50. Provide gratis : COMP - did you hear that Apple is remodeling a casino in Vegas~? It's called the "iWynn"

52. "The Empire Strikes Back," e.g.: Abbr. : SEQuel, and one of my personal favorites - I happen to like the fact that it was "dark", and that the bad guys prevailed

53. 19th Greek letter : TAU

54. 1300 hours : ONE - PM, military time

Splynter

Friday, August 7, 2015, Bruce Haight

Theme: The Key is on the Board

Three theme answers are common phrases with the first word replaced with the abbreviation for a word whose abbreviation appears on a standard computer keyboard. Does Apple had the same keys? Nope Option key.... Apple in 3 days. If only Bruce had worked in CAPS LOCK he would have managed all the abbreviations on the standard keyboard (ignoring stuff like NUM LOCK, PG DN on the little part). I did Bruce's first LAT, which had no E's as well as a Latin Pun, so this one seemed easy in comparison. My only stumbling block was the mental meltdown that left me grasping for AFTA, which was my last fill, coming from 'FRAID SO. Speaking of which, it was the seven letter fill, much of which was fun, that opened up the grid for me. ALABAMA,  ESTRADA, LA LAKER,  OIL HEAT,  OTHELLO,  PIG IRON, PRY OPEN,  SLED DOG,  TEAPOTS,  WHAT THE,  WIN BACK gave me footholds in each region.

17A. DVD extras, perhaps : ALTernate ENDINGS (10). Don't you wonder about a movie that has different endings filmed; make up your mind!

29A. Ones getting away often : ESCape ARTISTS (10). Is there artistry in escaping?

45A. Hardly team players : ConTRoL FREAKS (10). A term that emerged in the 60's.

58A. Place to see part of 17-, 29- and 45-Across : Personal Computer KEYBOARD (10). So all you had do was look down and you had the theme at your fingertips- literally!


Across:

1. Lamentations : WOES. Sounds religious. 50D. Sound of lament : SOB.  Safer than using the initialism.

5. Handle indelicately : PAW AT. I am sure the cats and dogs of the world would disagree; CED link away (manac where are you?).

10. Mennen skin product : AFTA. I do not use shaving products anymore.

14. That ol' boy's : HIS'N. With my wife's family from Alabama, Kentucky and Tennessee, this was a gimme.

15. PABA part : AMINO. para-aminobenzoic acid, a natural ingredient in sunscreen no longer in favor.

16. Ready : PREP.

19. Allen contemporary : PAAR. Jack Paar replace Steve Allen on the Tonight Show when I was quite young and we had no television.

20. Court long shots : THREES. Three point shots in basketball; the most famous in Miami history...

21. Order : BOSS. I expect "around" to be around.

23. SEC concern : IPO. Initial Public Offering.

24. Wrenches : TEARS. I expect "from" to be around.

25. Wave catcher? : EAR. Sound waves; very tricky.

26. Aftermarket item : ADD ON.

28. "I've been __!" : HAD. A mini-theme? 33A. "Don't __" : ASK. And...48A. "What a kidder!" : OH YOU. 1D. "Huh?" : WHAT THE....or wtf in textspeak. 11D. "Hate to be the one to tell ya" : 'FRAID SO.

31. Letters from Greece : ETAS.

34. Jam ingredients? : AUTOS. Very tricky; traffic jam.

35. "Women and Love" author Shere : HITE.

37. Nurses at a bar : SIPS. Not your pick up target....

38. Hold forth : OPINE.

40. Shaver : LAD. Are you familiar with the 'little shaver?' 47A. Rap name adjective : LIL. Wayne?

41. Blathers : YAPS.

49. Some tees : XLS. Extra Large.

50. Old West transport : STAGE Coach. We took a ride in one at Old Sturbidge Village while up north in June? Any of our other New Englanders made that ride?

52. Modernist's prefix : NEO. Seems redundant.

53. Bracketology org. : NCAA. The process of rating the college basketball teams for March Madness.

55. More than gloomy : MORBID.

56. Yodeler's range? : ALPS. Not his/her vocal range but the mountain range. Do you yodel while skiing the Alps miss m.?

60. Parts of Polynésie française : ILES. The islands in Polynesia.

61. Alamogordo event : A-TEST. Not sure why I get so many references to bomb testing.

62. 19th-century novel with the chapter "How They Dress in Tahiti" : OMOO. Memo to self: Avoid Moby Dick comments!!

63. Novelist Jaffe : RONA. Many of her BOOKS became movies.

64. Fergie's given name : SARAH. This took a very long time because I thought of HER not HER.

65. Twinge : PANG. Jealousy?

Down:

2. Alternative to gas : OIL HEAT. We had an oil burning furnace in our home when I was growing up. We were shocked  to learn one winter in Fort Lauderdale that our office building had NO heating system at all.

3. "CHiPs" actor : ESTRADA. Poor Larry Wilcox gets no love.

4. Unpleasant look : SNEER. Nobody did that better than Snidely.

5. Inflates improperly : PADS. More deception; the expense account, not Tom Brady's footballs.

6. Cherbourg chum : AMI. Just French.

7. Recover : WIN BACK. Often the goal at a casino.

8. Wool variety : ANGORA. Do not get your rabbits and goats confused. READ.

9. Evict : TOSS.

10. Kindle download : APP. This was so easy I had trouble with it.

12. Brewing vessels : TEA POTS. Too much beer in my life, another easy one gone wrong.

13. They have strings attached : APRONS. Cute.

18. Super __: game console : NES. I loved playing Mario with my sons.

22. Suddenly became interested : SAT UP. And took notice.

25. Latin being : ESSE. From when we get essence.

27. Like a flibbertigibbet : DITSY. My favorite ONE. (4:00)

29. Peter, pumpkinwise : EATER. Talk about your weird poetry; luckily we have Owen and Moe.
Peter, Peter, pumpkin-eater
Had a wife, and couldn't keep her.
He put her in a pumpkin shell,
And there he kept her very well.

30. Invades : RAIDS.

32. Imaginary playmate in a Neil Diamond title : SHILO.

36. For kicks : IN FUN.

37. Upscale retail chain : SAKS. Fifth Avenue.

38. "Then must you speak / Of one that loved not wisely but too well" speaker : OTHELLO. Love Shakespeare, feel bad for foolish Othello.

39. Jimmy : PRY OPEN.

40. Shaq, for eight seasons : LA LAKER. Now he and George Foreman are competing for the most commercials.

42. First state, in a way : ALABAMA. Alphabetically.

43. Smelting intermediary : PIG IRON. Did you know this HISTORY?

44. Iditarod sight : SLED DOG.

45. 1997 Nicolas Cage thriller : CON AIR.

46. Handicapper's option : EXACTA. Along with the Trifecta and the Pick 6, favorites of the gamblers. You pick the horse that finish 1/2, in order.

51. Company : TROOP. Still my favorite.

54. Frequent e-Filers : CPAS. Court papers are no almost all e-filed.

55. Bit of lore : MYTH.

57. Org. issuing nine-digit numbers :  SSA. Social Security Administration.

59. That, in Spain : ESA. how perfect a place to finish. I enjoyed this immensely. Thanks Bruce and for the rest of you Lemonade out.

Thursday, August 6, 2015 Loren Muse & Mary Lou Guizzo

Theme: "Spread it Around"

36-Across. Home theater feature, and a hint to this puzzle's 10 border answers : SURROUND SOUND. The reveal says it all. Words that can follow SOUND march around the perimeter of the puzzle.

So, here they are, as they appear (clockwise) in the grid:

1-Across. Group working together : CREW. Sound crew. This could include a "python wrangler." Can you guess what position that might be, without looking it up? (If you give up, you can go here for the answer.)

5-Across. Evaluation : TEST. Sound test. To see if your speakers are working.

9-Across. Surf : WAVES. Sound waves.

13-Down. Vegas strategy : SYSTEM. Sound system. All the speakers, mics, wires and amps needed to get the music heard in the last row.

53-Down. Performance place : STAGE. Sound stage. Usually a SOUND-proof building on a studio lot, used for movie productions.

66-Across. Small meal : BITE. Sound bite. "Mr. Gorbachev, tear...down...this...wall!"

65-Across. Aperture : HOLE. I was wondering what a SOUND HOLE was, and then remembered
this from my misspent youth.

64-Across. Album segment : TRACK. Sound track. How about this one from the "SOUND of Music"?

42-Down. Outcome : EFFECT. Sound effect. Like this, at Halloween.

1-Down. Verify : CHECK. Sound check.  "Check...1...2...3..." To check the microphone's level. So, I guess I have your attention now? Let's proceed with the rest!

Across

14. Actress Lamarr : HEDY. Not just a pretty face, she invented groundbreaking technology to get around Germans jamming the SOUND WAVEs. The principles of her technology are the basis of WiFi and Bluetooth communication.

15. Sharp product : HDTV. These are often hooked up to SURROUND SOUND.

16. Opera's birthplace : ITALY. Now often performed on a SOUND STAGE for TV production.

17. Christian denom. : EPIS.copal. Could involve a SOUND CHECK to make sure the sermon is heard in the back row.

18. EKTORP sofa seller : IKEA. EKTORP is a line of sofas and chairs. They also sell cabinets for your SOUND SYSTEM.

19. Ninnies : DOLTS. Umm, SOUNDS like "colts"??

20. Simply marvelous, with "the" : CATS MEOW. In the alley, at midnight, they create a cacophonous SOUND.

22. Besides : TO BOOT. OK, "Uncle." I can't think of any way to relate this to SOUND...

23. Kipling title orphan : KIM.

24. Pro Bowl team, briefly : AFC. American Football Conference.

25. General-turned-author Wallace : LEW. He wrote "Ben-Hur:A Tale of the Christ."

26. Cult following? : -URE. Culture. It was my first thought.  I think I have been doing waaaaay too many crossword puzzles!

27. Soft drink that sounds like a bit of footwear : NEHI. Haha. "Knee-high," get it?

29. Get wind of : HEAR.

31. Sent by : FROM.

32. Some bolt holders : T NUTS.

34. "The Fisher King" Oscar winner Mercedes : RUEHL. I remember her face from "Frasier." She played the station manager in some episodes.  Darned if I could remember her name though: all perps.

40. Shades of blue : TEALS. Here are some TEALS from Benjamin Moore.

41. Southern Russia's __ Republic : ALTAI.

42. Pair of giraffes? : EFFS. Again, my first thought.

45. Actress Hudson : KATE. She is Goldie Hawn's daughter.

47. Seas, to Sartre : MERS. French.

48. Common reason for absence : FLU.

49. Card game cry : GIN!

50. Never, in Nuremberg : NIE. German.

52. No. after a period : CTS. Cents.

54. Discovered by accident : FELL ON.

56. Is humbled : EATS DIRT.

58. Formerly employed by The Company : EX-CIA.

59. Charity : ALMS.

60. Nepal locale : ASIA.

61. Preserves, in a way : CORNS. Learning moment for me.  CORN originally meant any grain. You use "grains" of salt to make CORNed beef.

62. Skelton's Kadiddlehopper : CLEM.

63. It operates under the Dept. of Homeland Security : USCG. I put in US** and waited for perps.


Down

2. Changes the color of, maybe : REPAINTS. Hoo-boy, I've been doing a lot of that lately.

3. Where to find paste? : EDIT MENU. Because "Mrs. Roberts' first grade classroom" wouldn't fit.

4. "The Swiss Family Robinson" author : WYSS. First published in 1812, and made into a hit 1960 Disney movie. Unfortunately, the screenwriters junked about 90% of the book's content, and made up their own adventures for the family.

5. Pickup artist? : THIEF. Fun clue!

6. Three-term New York City mayor : ED KOCH.

7. Pot-au-feu, e.g. : STEW.

8. New Deal dam org. : TVA. Tennessee Valley Authority.

9. Black or golf follower : WIDOW.

10. Small step : A TO B.

11. Bravery, in the RAF : VALOUR. British spelling.

12. Banderillero's target : EL TORO. I went to a bullfight in Mexico once. Never again.

21. French teacher : MAÎTRE. More French

22. Mother __ : TERESA.

25. Sing the praises of : LAUD.

28. Wounds : HURTS.

30. Dadaist Max : ERNST. Our German friend returns.

The painting "Celebes" was pivotal to his career.

31. Magical item in a 1791 opera : FLUTE. Die Zauberflöte by Mozart.


33. Permeate : SOAK IN.

35. Elementary fellow? : HOLMES. Sherlock, I presume?

37. __ Bator : ULAN.

38. Jonquils and daffodils : NARCISSI.

39. D.C. part : DISTRICT. of Columbia.

43. Bending muscle : FLEXOR.

44. Pivot points : FULCRA.

46. Nail covering : ENAMEL. I was on the galvanized variety of nail at first.

49. "Find out" : GO ASK. In our house, those words were always followed by "...your father."

51. Reply from outside a door : IT'S ME.

55. Friend of Pete and Julie on "The Mod Squad" : LINC.

56. Cockney greeting : 'ELLO.

57. Smear : DAUB.

59. Berlin beef? : ACH.

My only beef? All my fun is over!
Marti