Thursday, October 27th, 2015 David Poole

Theme: Team Games - Each of the five theme entries begins with a player from a professional sports franchise.

17A. Investment return for a New York basketball player? : NET PROFIT. Brooklyn Nets of the NBA.

22A. Reception room for a Texas hockey player? : STAR CHAMBER. Dallas Stars of the NHL. The Star Chamber was a court in Tudor & Elizabethan England where cases against primarily high-powered individuals or groups would be heard, to guard against the possibility that lower courts would be fearful to convict.

37A. Sudden fear for a California soccer player? : EARTHQUAKE ALARM San Jose Earthquakes of MLS. I learned two things here - I thought the team name was the "Quakes" (it's not, but that's what's on the badge) and I'd never heard of an earthquake alarm even though I live in an area of quite lively seismic activity. The only earthquake alarm I need is the sound of the house shaking and the glasses rattling around in the cupboards.

43A. Serious lapse for a Missouri baseball player? : CARDINAL SIN. St. Louis Cardinals of MLB.

57A. Luggage for an Ohio football player? : BROWN BAGS. Cleveland Browns of the NFL. The only plural of the bunch.

Morning! Steve here with a second-David-Poole-Thursday-in-a-row puzzle. David's going to think I'm a grump, but I've got a small issue with a little inconsistency - the first part of the clues for 17A and 43A could refer to the entire answer (investment return = net profit and serious lapse = cardinal sin) - the other three only clue the second word with that initial part (e.g. reception room = chamber).

Other than that, I think this was very nicely done - the sports references came pretty easily to me, I liked that each of the major professional leagues was represented and some great longer fill - ORATORIO; ACROPHOBIA/DISCOURSES stacked either side of the central grid-spanner. Good stuff.

Across:

1. Mall entrance features : MAPS. "You Are Here"

5. Bandstand boosters : AMPS

9. Big zoo attraction : HIPPO. Someone forgot the "potamus" - this one's a short zoo attraction.

14. Bee's relative : OPIE. Oh! Aunt Bee from the Andy Griffith Show.

15. Empty : BARE

16. Dot in the ocean : ISLET. Here's one where I've been scuba diving - Molokini crater off Maui.

19. Grind to __ : A HALT

20. "Messiah," e.g. : ORATORIO. Let's crank up the volume and rock out to some Handel

21. Gershwin title river : SWANEE

24. Capital on the Gulf of Guinea : ACCRA

28. Panama, for one : HAT

29. Bush Labor secretary Elaine : CHAO. Another name I was unfamiliar with.  Good crosses bailed me out.

30. High anxiety? : ACROPHOBIA. Fun clue. The fear of heights.

39. Conversations : DISCOURSES

40. Grab (onto) : GLOM

41. Nintendo's __ Sports : WII

42. Big name in transmission repair : AAMCO. Franchise operation named for the founder, Anthony A. Martino.

50. Wine city north of Lisbon : OPORTO. From whence comes port, the aperitif and digestif. The Portuguese call the city "Porto", of course we English-speakers decided to add an "O" to it for no good reason at all.

51. Forced to leave home : UPROOTED

56. All-nighter pill : NO-DOZ. NO-CLU in my case. Thank you, crosses.

58. "The L Word" co-creator Chaiken : ILENE. More crosses to the rescue.

59. Alien-seeking agcy. : SETI. Not the UFO-seeking clue that causes the Corner conniptions. Yay!

60. Fox hit since 2002, familiarly : IDOL

61. One whispering sweet nothings : COOER. I had "WOOER" first, slowed me down a bit with the volcano thing at 43D.

62. Part of AMA: Abbr. : ASSN. American Medical Association.

63. Get smart with : SASS

Down:

1. Like early Elvis albums : MONO

2. Mimic : APER. I think this is one of my least-favorite examples of crosswordese.

3. Gyro bread : PITA. Food! I love these sandwiches. One of the best I've had is from a truck stop on the I-15 near Las Vegas - The Mad Greek in Baker, NV.

4. Equinox mo. : SEPT.

5. Scrub : ABORT

6. Group at some crime scenes : MAFIA

7. Old conviction : PRIOR

8. Spike preceder, in volleyball : SET. The setter lays the ball up for the killer shot.

9. Longfellow hero : HIAWATHA. It took weeks to learn this back in my high school days:

"On the shores of Gitche Gumee,
Of the shining Big-Sea-Water,
Stood Nokomis, the old woman,
Pointing with her finger westward,
O'er the water pointing westward,
To the purple clouds of sunset."

10. Trumpeter/film composer Mark : ISHAM. I think I needed every cross for all the proper names today. Never natick'ed though, so all's good. This was my last section to complete.

11. Backup strategy : PLAN B

12. Point __: southernmost point of mainland Canada : PELEE. Extends into Lake Erie.

13. Aquatic frolicker : OTTER

18. Activist Parks : ROSA

21. Cookie cutter assortment : SHAPES

23. Fail under pressure : CHOKE

24. Nailed, as an exam : ACED

25. Starbucks offering : CHAI. Flavored with cardamom and other spices. At least I assume it is - I've never had their version.

26. Train units : CARS

27. Campus recruiting gp. : R.O.T.C.

30. Marcos' successor : AQUINO. I'm not sure how I remembered this, I didn't realize I was quite so up on my presidents of the Philippines.

31. Vatican administrative body : CURIA. Dug this one out of the inner recesses too - or should that be inner apses in this context?

32. Dorm mgrs. : R.A.S

33. One of Chekhov's "Three Sisters" : OLGA

34. Soothing ointment : BALM

35. __-Z: classic Camaro : IROC. Named for the now-defunct International Race of Champions

36. Magazine insert : AMMO Often fired by ...

38. Field artillery weapon : HOWITZER. More nice fill.

42. Erelong : ANON

43. Like volcanoes : CONIC. Is the "al" in "conical" redundant, or is there a different between conic/conical?

44. Speed skater __ Anton Ohno : APOLO. He cut a pretty good ballroom rug too, he won Season 4 of Dancing with the Stars paired with Julianne Hough.

45. Cowboy contest : RODEO

46. High-tech surveillance tool : DRONE

47. Worms and flies, at times : LURES

48. Ladybug features : SPOTS

49. "The Poseidon Adventure" producer Allen : IRWIN

52. Asian sashes : OBIS

53. Triumphant cry : TADA. Welcome sound for the online crossword-solvers.

54. They may clash in Hollywood : EGOS

55. Fast PC connections : DSL'S. Digital Something-or-others. Wait - Digital Subscriber Lines

57. "Be Prepared" org. : B.S.A. Boy Scouts of America.

Here's the grid and my work here is done!

Steve

Wednesday, October 28, 2015 Al Hollmer and C. C. Burnikel

Theme: ON THE BEACH.  The first word of common two-word phrases is, as we shall see, also the name of a specific U. S. BEACH.

Today's Theme Song

17 A. Dodge Chargers, e.g. : MUSCLE CARS.  These are American made high-powered two door vehicles that not only look the part, but perform it as well. 

Quickest and fastest

MUSCLE BEACH, located at the south side of Santa Monica Pier, is known for its gymnastics and physical fitness activities.

Get fit or go home

25 A. Hyundai's home : SOUTH KOREA.  The country of origin for this vehicle.  At this point you might think we had an auto-related theme, but it was not to be.  

Yes, I like red cars

SOUTH BEACH is a major entertainment destination, high rent district and jet set playground on Florida's Atlantic coast near Miami.

Top tourist attraction

35 A. Warm underwear : LONG JOHNS.  Full body underclothing.

Some features are optional

LONG BEACH Is a city in Los Angeles County, CA.  Can anyone figure out why it is so named?

Maybe Short Beach was already taken

49 A. Easter season feast : PALM SUNDAY.   This is a moveable feast falling the Sunday before Easter and marking the beginning of Holy Week.  It celebrates the arrival of Jesus in Jerusalem on a donkey, symbolizing peace.

Pietro Lorenzetti (1320)

PALM BEACH is the easternmost town in FLA, located on a 16 mile long barrier island.  

Yes, there is sand

And the unifier -- 60 A. Shindig by the shore, and a hint to the starts of 17-, 25-, 35- and 49-Across : BEACH PARTY.

Frankie and Annette

Hi gang, Jazzbumpa here, playing life guard today.  Happy to have the unifier, since I was asea without it.  Interesting entry by our fearless leader, along with long-time Corner regular and nautical expert, Al, aka Spitzboov.  Congrats on your first puzzle, Al!  Now, let's all have a stroll along the BEACH, get some sand between our toes, and see if we can avoid getting it in other places.

Across

1. Political statistician Silver : NATE.  He almost always gets it right.

5. Sell for : COST.  What does it COST to buy?

9. Learn : HEAR.  I've HEARD of this.

13. Lacking company : ALONE.  All by myself.

15. "__ way!" : ATTA.  Usually boy or girl.  Here, it's gender neutral.

16. Indian mausoleum city : AGRA.  Home of the structure that I thought was called the Tajma Hall when I was a kid.

Marble mausoleum for a favorite wife

19. Doesn't keep : ROTS.  Decays due to the action of bacteria and fungi.

20. Rescue squad pro : EMT.  Emergency Medical Technician.

21. Gerald of Tara : O'HARA.  Lord of the manor, and father of Scarlett and her sisters.

22. Vision-related : OPTIC.  I see.

23. Take __ the waist : IN AT.  Alter an article of apparel for a better fit.  Sadly, I'd be giving the opposite instruction.

27. House of Henry VIII : TUDOR.  British royalty.

29. Camera named for a Greek goddess : EOS.  Cannon product, and the Goddess of dawn.

30. One of the Canaries: Abbr. : ISLand.

31. Cyber Monday events : SALES. But at what COST?

33. Previously : AGO. Once upon a time

34. Backs (out) : OPTS.  Makes a choice from a range of possibilities.

38. Edges : RIMS.  Of craters or drinking vessels.

41. Notre Dame's Parseghian : ARA.  Under his guidance, they won national football championships in 1966 and 1973.

42. Had a bug : AILED.  

45. Dashboard Confessional rock genre : EMO.   As in EMOtional.

46. Painter's deg. : MFA.  Master of Fine Arts.

47. Root beer brand : HIRES.  Once a triumph of marketing, it is now unavailable in Canada and has limited availability in the U. S., since its current owner, Dr. Pepper Snapple Group, also owns A&W.

54. 1492 caravel : NINA.   One of Christopher Columbus's ships.

55. "Peace out, Pablo!" : ADIOS.  B-Bye, guy.

56. Like ham in some omelets : DICED.  Cut into little cubes.

58. Little one : TOT.   Small child.

59. Future flower : SEED.   If plants had TOTs  .  .  .

62. Run out of steam : TIRE.   Get worn out.

63. Smallest of the litter : RUNT.  

64. Derisive look : SNEER.

Grey character

65. Rose support : STEM.  Thorny appendage.

66. Rich rocks : ORES.

67. Root beer brand : DAD'S.   Not to be confused with this:

Popular brew, but I'm not a fan

Down

1. "Whatever you want" : NAME IT.    We aim to please

2. Fund-raising target : ALUMNUS.   One who graduated from a school.

3. Food truck order : TOSTADA.  Food item based on a fried or toasted flat or bowl shaped tortilla.

4. Wedding RSVP card, e.g. : ENClosure.

5. Chocoholic's favorite tree? : CACAO.   Source of cocoa beans.

6. Hokkaido seaport : OTARU.  On the west coast of Japan's northernmost island.

7. Battlefield board game : STRATEGO.

The object of the game is to win

8. Prof's aides : TAS.  Teaching Assistants

9. Marx playing with strings : HARPO.   You weren't think of Karl, were you?

Not put off by the SNEER

10. Narcissistic indulgence : EGO TRIP.   I like me.  Who do you like?

11. Most pretentious : ARTIEST.   Not necessarily the craftiest.

12. Imps : RASCALS.  Trouble makers.

14. Gp. with the album "Secret Messages" : ELO.  Electric Light Orchestra.

18. Uncertain responses : EHS.  Hmmmm  .  .  .

22. Signs off on : OKS.  

24. Trucker's expense : TOLLS.   The PA Turnpike is very expensive.

26. To-do : HOOHA.  This word has other meanings.

28. Stutz contemporary : REO.   Harry C. Stutz and Ransom E. Olds, makers of classic cars.

32. Huge mess : SNAFU.  Situation Normal - All Fouled Up.

33. 1977 Steely Dan album : AJA.  Pronounced Ayzha.  I hadn't thought about this album in years, and it shows up 2 days in a row.  Odd.   [8 min. title track vid]

34. Country singer K.T. : OSLIN.   No idea.

36. Awesome quality, as of mountains : GRANDEUR.   Purple mountains majesty.

37. Bethesda-based medical research org. : NIH.   National Institutes of Health.

38. Lunches and brunches : REPASTS.  Meals.  This is a word with Latin roots whose use has been in decline for 200 years.

39. Cry of success : I MADE IT.

40. "Tartuffe" playwright : MOLIERE.  I know him from The Bourgeois Gentleman.

43. Horn of Africa nation : ERITREA.   The horn is a projection along the east coast.  ERITREA is on the northern edge, between Sudan and Ethiopia.

44. Signified : DENOTED.

46. Submissions to eds. : MSS.  Manuscripts.

48. Nymph chasers : SATYRS.

Caught

50. Data transmitter : MODEM.   Modulator-demodulator.

51. "Cheers" waitress : DIANE.

Played by the cute but rather annoying Shelly Long

52. Savings and checking: Abbr. : ACCTS.  Accounts.

53. Slangy affirmative : YEH.   Yep, Uh-huh.

57. Around-the-horn MLB plays : DPS.  Double Plays.  Baseball, of course.  The World Series is now under way.  This is the first time that neither qualifying team was in existence in 1903, the year of the first World Series.

60. Good bud : BRO.

61. "Wait, there's more" : AND.  But, there isn't any more.  We've run out of beach.

OK, kids - time to shake the sand out of our shoes and call it a day. Hope nothing here was out of your depth.  I'm a little disappointed we didn't have jellyfish nor sharks, but I won't carp about it. And with that, I'll wave good-bye.

Cool regards!
JzB

Notes from C.C.:

As Jazzbumpa mentioned earlier, this is Spitzboov's debut. So pleased to have RASCALS in the grid, since Spitzboov = Rascal. Al is a fast learner, super efficient and fun to work with.

Rich revised our grid a bit. We had DEPARTS in 36D. Rich changed it to REPASTS, as DEPARTS shares a root with PARTY. Thanks for catching it (and my other various errors), Rich!

Spitzboov & his lovely wife Betty, US Coast Guard Academy, New London, CT,
August 2012

Tuesday, October 27, 2015 David Phillips

Theme: Jumbled - Shifting the letters of the word DAY (within the circles if you have them). All six permutations are used.

17A. Lois Lane portrayer in "Man of Steel" : AMY ADAMS

21A. Earliest recorded Chinese ruling group : XIA DYNASTY

33A. Kevlar-lined vest, e.g. : BODY ARMOR

44A. "Reelin' in the Years" rock group : STEELY DAN

55A. High-definition medium : BLU- RAY DISC

63A. What a nine-to-fiver works ... or, literally, what each set of circled letters represents : DAY SHIFT

Argyle here. No other connection between the answers but a little overlap on two sets. Two big corners. David's second puzzle with us but he has several with NYT. Their loss, our gain today.

Across:

1. "The Affair" network, briefly : SHO. The effects of an affair between a married waitress at a Hamptons diner and a teacher who spends his summer at his in-laws' estate on the island. Network: Showtime

4. Feel the pain : ACHE

8. Connect (with) : LIAISE. Taken from the French. I first heard it used in the military; the liaison officer.

14. "How's that again?" : "HUH?"

15. The season to be jolly : NOEL. Ho, Ho, Ho!

16. Sprain application : ICE BAG

19. Accruing very little interest? : BORING

20. Put one over on : FOOL

23. Ranking card suit : TRUMP. No politics. (It will be tough.)

25. Sunrise direction : EAST. Except on Venus and Uranus.

26. Tavern brew : ALE

28. Pantyhose shade : TAN. Not ecru today.

29. Heavenly balls : ORBS

37. Pet's reward : TREAT

38. Blood typing letters : A-B-O

39. Holy threesome : TRINITY

41. Multi-platinum 44-Across album pronounced like a continent : "AJA"

42. Abrasive : ROUGH

46. Frat party barrels : KEGS

47. Shine, in ads : GLO

48. Opposite of paleo- : NEO

49. Arboretum sight : TREE

51. Big name in cubes : RUBIK. Ern̈o Rubik

61. Melt fish : TUNA

62. Spring tweeters : ROBINS. My first thought was peepers.

65. Get payback : AVENGE

66. "I hear you" : "OKAY"

67. See 32-Down : LEE. See 32D. With 67-Across, co-creator of Spider-Man : STAN. Stan Lee makes another appearance.

68. Corporate consolidation : MERGER

69. Give for a while : LEND

70. Make an effort : TRY

Down:

1. Mining tunnel : SHAFT. "She Got The Goldmine (I Got The Shaft)"

Video(live)[3:08]

2. Funny business : HUMOR

3. "What a joker!" : "OH, YOU!"

4. "Then what happened?" : "AND?"

5. Sweet-talk : COAX

6. Prefix with sphere : HEMI

7. "Frozen" princess : ELSA

8. Tripoli native : LIBYAN

9. Clickable pictures : ICONS

10. Lawn maintenance tool : AERATOR

11. Nile wader : IBIS

12. Director Gus Van __ : SANT. I had a Z at the cross with LIAIsE.

13. Like French toast : EGGY

18. "The American Look" cosmetics brand : ALMAY

22. Luv : DEARIE

24. "The Bell Jar" author Sylvia : PLATH. Wiki (about the book.)

27. Make a boo-boo : ERR

28. Pinto-riding sidekick : TONTO. "Giddy-up, Scout!"

30. Enjoy a book : READ

31. Tijuana's peninsula : BAJA

33. Announce a visitor, dog-style : [BARK!]

34. Bassoon kin : OBOE

35. Magician Henning : DOUG

36. Sent on a wild-goose chase : MISLED

37. Polk's predecessor : TYLER. 10th and 11th Presidents.

40. Rightmost bowling pin : TEN

43. Stripper's bottom line? : G-STRING. [snicker, giggle]

45. Kid : YOUTH

47. Old Faithful, e.g. : GEYSER

50. Cooking stove : RANGE

52. Constructed : BUILT

53. Figure out : INFER

54. "Sons of Anarchy" actress Sagal : KATEY

55. Novelist Stoker : BRAM

56. Romcom subject : LOVE. (romantic comedy)

57. Over, in Germany : ÜBER

58. Celeb with a big fan base : IDOL

59. "Oh, for Pete's __!" : SAKE

60. Color similar to teal : CYAN. from Greek kuanos.

64. Guitarist Barrett : SYD. The original front man and songwriter for Pink Floyd. Web Site.

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

Hey, a shout-out from David to my husband Doug (35D), who celebrates his 68th birthday today. Happy Birthday, Boomer!

C.C. & Boomer, Sept 5, 2009

Monday October 26, 2015 Gail Grabowski and Bruce Venzke

Theme: So Bright I have To Wear Shades

20A. Carbonated beverage : SPARKLING WATER

25A. Bright, photogenic grin : DAZZLING SMILE

41A. Excellent year-end review, say : GLOWING REPORT

47A. Epitome : SHINING EXAMPLE

Argyle here. A very pleasant start to the week.

Across:

1. Singapore's continent : ASIA

5. Arches National Park state : UTAH

9. Spread out, as one's fingers : SPLAY

14. Amorphous mass : BLOB

15. By way of, briefly : THRU

16. Leave no doubt about : PROVE

17. Name as a source : CITE

18. Club often used for chipping : IRON

19. Procedures to learn, informally, with "the" : ROPES

23. Track section : RAIL

24. Assent to a captain : AYE

31. Boat not to rock : CANOE

32. Miler Sebastian : COE. It's Lord Coe now, British politician.

33. Grazing area : LEA

34. Charged toward : RAN TO

35. Fairy tale home builder : PIG. One of three.

36. Note equivalent to E : F FLAT

38. Catering dispenser : URN

39. Galoot : APE

40. Online finance company : E-LOAN

45. Tiny farm denizen : ANT

46. Ripped up : TORE

54. Italian violin maker : AMATI. Not just violins.

55. Cross inscription : INRI. Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum (Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews)

56. Bar from a dairy case : OLEO

57. Slow-witted one : MORON

58. Walking stick : CANE

59. Actor Penn of "Mystic River" : SEAN. In 2015, Penn starred in The Gunman, a French-American action thriller.

60. Getting on in years : AGING

61. Fleecy farm females : EWEs Now that's some alliteration.

62. Repertoire requirement for a military bugler : TAPS

Down:

1. Preschool lessons : ABC's

2. Lose traction : SLIP

3. Greek "i" : IOTA

4. Deviating from the norm : ABERRANT. 50¢

5. Employ : UTILIZE

6. Roller coaster excitement : THRILL

7. Elvis __ Presley : ARON

8. Suspended on the wall : HUNG

9. Wets with a hose : SPRAYS

10. President __: Senate bigwig : PRO TEM

11. More than trot : LOPE

12. State firmly : AVER

13. "You bet!" : "YES!"

21. Hummed-into instrument : KAZOO

22. "Living" compensation : WAGE

25. "Hawaii Five-O" nickname : DANNO

26. More standoffish : ICIER

27. Spiked yuletide beverage : NOG

28. __ ease: anxious : ILL AT

29. Tilt to one side : LEAN

30. Have a bite : EAT

31. Astronomer Sagan : CARL

34. Persian on the living room floor : RUG

35. NBA scoring stat : PPG. (Points Per Game)

36. Horticulturist's study : FLORA

37. First and __: most important : FOREMOST

39. Objector : ANTI

40. Model kit glues : EPOXIES

42. Serve, as diner patrons : WAIT ON

43. Baseball game ninth : INNING. But it may only be half an inning.

44. Without end, in poetry : ETERNE

47. Skyline haze : SMOG

48. Big name in spydom : HARI. Mata Hari.

49. "__ going!": "Good job!" : NICE

50. Work on a bone : GNAW

51. Intense request : PLEA

52. Jump : LEAP

53. Very long time : EONS

54. Org. with many specialists : AMA. (American Medical Association)

Argyle

Sunday Oct 25, 2015 Mike Peluso

Theme: "Now You See It ..." - C is removed from each theme answer.

22A. Coleridge love poem? : RIME OF PASSION. Crime of passion.

34A. Knight's comment when he was mistakenly put in the corner? : I'M NOT A ROOK. I'm not a crook. Nixon.

49A. King of the sea? : LEAR SAILING. Clear sailing. Does this answer sound a bit stretched to you?

68A. North African hops drier? : BARBARY OAST. Barbary Coast.

85A. Citrus high? : ORANGE RUSH. Orange Crush. I grokked the theme gimmick here.

102A. Encouraging simian? : APE OF GOOD HOPE. Cape of Good Hope.

2D. Backtalk in the Everglades? : ALLIGATOR LIP. Alligator clip. New term to me.

 

55D. John and Peter's woodwind? : APOSTLES' REED. Apostles' Creed.

Look, no stray C 's in the theme answers. You know Mike put extra effort in getting us this tight set. Three deletions occur at the first words, five the last words,  but all removed C's are consistently the starts of the key words. Pure letter deletion, no spelling changes involved.

Most of our Sunday grids have 144-words. This one only has 140, with four intimidating corners. Even with cheaters in four corners, those space are very hard to fill cleanly. I'd have chickened out and broken 20D/74D into two.

Across:

1. Varnish resin : MASTIC. New word to me.

7. Online cash-back deal : E-BATE. Never got an e-bate. You? I seldom shop on line.

12. God for whom Wednesday was named : WODEN. I forgot. We had this a while ago.

17. Peru's El Misti, e.g. : VOLCANO. Got via crosses. And 74. 17-Across output : ASH

18. Submit servilely : GROVEL

19. Sounded alike : RHYMED

21. Not kosher : ILLEGAL. I was thinking of TREF.

24. Problems for parades : RAINS

25. Nerds : DWEEBS

27. Quick way to reduce fat? : LIPO. Thought DIET first.

28. N.Y. engineering sch. : RPI. Why did you quit after one year, Splynter?

29. Yen : URGE

30. Form : SHAPE

 

31. NFL great Brown and meteorologist Cantore : JIMs

32. Bern's river : AARE

33. Fed. benefits agency : SSA

 

37. Words after lost or missed : A STEP

38. Hardly laid-back : TYPE A

40. La Corse, par exemple : ILE. La Corse is French for Corsica.

 

41. Early ascetic : ESSENE. Nailed it.

42. "Ain't gonna happen!" : NO SOAP

43. Serious oil problem : SPILL

46. To's partner : FRO

47. Sun. delivery : SER

48. Sides in a Wells—or Welles—war : WORLDS. The War of the Worlds. Orson Welles. H. G. Wells. We also have 77. 1938 broadcaster of Welles radio dramas : CBS

52. Workers' gp. in a 1955 merger : AFL

53. Step : PHASE

54. Easy chore : CAKEWALK

58. Welcoming rings : LEIS. So happy that they're now married.

60. Actor Kinski : KLAUS. Crossing 60. Pink Nintendo icon : KIRBY. The crossing K is knotty. I'd go with this KIRBY, of course!

 61. Sporty Nissans : Z-CARS. Not into sports cars, so draw a blank on this entry.

63. Lodge letters : BPOE

64. Sheriff's assistants : DEPUTIES

66. Sierra __ : LEONE

67. Charity's URL ending : ORG

71. Equilibrium : STASIS

78. "Jersey Boys" role : VALLI

79. Bikini blasts, briefly : N-TESTS

80. Like some protein drinks : CHALKY. All crosses. Never had protein drinks.

82. Vocalized "Psst!" : HEY

83. Ford flop : EDSEL

84. Maguire of "Spider-Man" : TOBEY

90. Waffle center? : EFS. Waffle.

93. Permeate : SOAK. Tried SEEP first.

94. Alternatives to fries : TOTS. I call them full name "Tater tots". You?

96. Ripley's closing words : OR NOT

97. GM sticker datum : MSRP (Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price).

98. RR stop : STN

99. Celestial sci. : ASTR

100. Little burger : SLIDER

101. Natalie's "West Side Story" role : MARIA

105. How gazelles bound : AGILELY

107. "Dang!" : DARN IT. Same root, no?

108. Put out : DOUSED

109. Mistletoe may hang from them : LINTELS. Also a learning moment to me. The empty spot is called LINTEL?

110. Original environment : ROOTS

111. Energetic mount : STEED

112. Reliable : STEADY

 

Down:

1. Canine cousins : MOLARS. I"m seeing the periodontist on Nov 24. My poor teeth!

3. Crime __ : SCENE

4. Facebook links : TAGS. Photo tagging. I don't associate tags with "links".  They actually are. 

5. Like Beethoven's Symphony No. 7 : IN A. Put in IN?, then waited.

6. Winter time : COLD SNAP

7. Port NE of Canton, OH : ERIE PA

8. B-47, for one : BOMBER

9. Madison et al.: Abbr. : AVEs

10. Racer Fabi : TEO. This has become a gimme.

11. Diminutive : ELFLIKE

12. Deli offerings : WRAPS

13. Very : OH SO. Tricky little words.

14. Start to function? : DYS. Dysfunction.

15. Dubai-based airline : EMIRATES. The answer filled itself.

16. Synthetic used to insulate wet suits : NEOPRENE. Fashion world's new fabric darling.

17. Bug : VIRUS

18. Awe-inspiring : GREAT

20. Kiev's river : DNIEPER. Totally stranger.

23. Absent-minded Milne title character : PIM. Mr. Pim.

26. Immortal first baseman : WHO. "Who's on First?".  I loved this clue so much that I shouted at Boomer who was watching TV downstairs:

Me: Lao Gong, the clue is "Immortal first baseman", three-letter answer,  who's the guy?

Boomer: OTT.

Me: Who?

Boomer: OTT, O-T-T...

31. La __: San Diego resort area : JOLLA

32. Intractable beast : ASS

34. Apple product : IPOD.  The only Apple stuff I have.  

35. Ft. or in. : MEAS (Measurement)

36. Essential __ : OILS

37. In unison : AS ONE

39. Haute couture monogram : YSL

41. Composer Satie et al. : ERIKS. Et this Erik.

Erik Agard

42. Free, as a checking account : NO FEE

43. Hall of Fame linebacker Junior : SEAU

 44. Mountain route : PASS

45. Where Gubbeen Cheese is made: Abbr. : IRE. Never heard of the cheese. I had I?? and figured it might be Italian.

46. Highway warning : FLARE

48. Saxony woodland : WALD. German for "wood". New to me also.

49. High capital : LHASA

50. Risky boot camp response : I CAN'T

51. BHO's predecessor : GWB. Oh, hello, I drew a blank on your initials.

53. Common people : PLEBS

56. Nocturnal Indian primate : LORIS. Oh, hello, I don't know your name.

57. Powder holders : KEGS

59. Hero : SUB

61. Ardor : ZEAL

62. Mozart's "__ fan tutte" : COSI

65. Like paint when it's nearly dry : TACKY. Had STICKY first.

66. Texter's guffaw : LOL

69. KOA users : RVers

70. Sisterhood name in a Rebecca Wells novel : YA-YA

71. Regs. : STDs

72. Radio host John : TESH

73. Enzyme ending : ASE

74. Mopes : ACTS SAD

75. What duffers don't expect to do : SHOOT PAR. True for me.

76. Hot, hot pepper : HABANERO. You'll lose your mind eating these peppers.

79. Gray and tan : NEUTRALS

81. Coin in Tirana : LEK

82. Souped-up cars : HOT RODS

86. Like an ideal negotiation : NO-LOSE

87. Complained : GRIPED

88. Done : ENDED

89. Sturgeon delicacy : ROE

91. Ruffled : FRILLY

92. Renders unproductive? : SPAYS. Nailed it.

94. Some NCOs : TSGTS (Technical Sergeants). SSGTS fit the clue also. So you have to wait.

95. Plains tribe : OTO

97. European island nation : MALTA

99. Have __: lose it : A FIT

100. "Adventures in Babysitting" co-star : SHUE. Again, the answer filled in itself.

101. Cry under a pop-up : MINE

103. Plastic __ Band : ONO

104. Ellipsis element : DOT

106. "Scram, ya varmint!" : GIT

 

So I finally got my enhanced ID yesterday. It looks the same as my last driver's license, but with an American flag to the right of Class D. I needed birth certificate, my citizenship papers and some tax return stuff. All forms have to be original.

Boomer is still waiting for his, after several visits to the place. He lost his SSN card some time ago, and just did not have the correct document.

Do you have enhanced IDs in your state?

C.C.

Saturday, Oct 24th, 2015, Barry C. Silk

Theme: Saturday Silkie~!

Words: 72  (pangram~!)

Blocks: 28

 Still recovering from last week's brutal offering, so I was very happy to see a Saturday Silkie today.  Not that it was any walk in the park, but I did manage to finish in my personal allotted time, tho I have to admit to one Google cheat, and several "type"-overs.  Still, it was very satisfying to get thru a puzzle without feeling totally beaten up.  Triple 10-letter across corners, triple 8-letter down corners, and a bunch of 7-letter fill, too.  

17. Threading tool : SCREW PLATE

37. Aptly named sleep aid : ZzzQUIL - I started with NyQuil, which was too short, so I Googled to see what their 'other' drug was; I loved taking NyQuil, but I'm "not allowed to" anymore

60. Sawdust producer : BELT SANDER - I found this, and thought it was pretty funny - and hey~!  oooh~!  I did not know they had races~!!!

  NWAR~!

(O--------D)

ACROSS:

1. Mystery novel cover-up? : DUST JACKET - the "?" gave it away - but I started with BOOK jacket for some reason

11. Window component : JAMB - ugh, like there's just one 4-letter window part; sash, sill, stop, rail, trim, lock, head....

15. Bad way to leave someone : IN THE LURCH

16. Harpsichordist Kipnis : IGOR - half perps, half WAG

18. Ax : FIRE - I figured it was the verb and not the noun

19. Gets really high : SOARS

20. Reverent : PIOUS

22. Sum (up) : TOT - this is more prevalent in British circles

23. Tahari of fashion : ELIE - I knew this name (and it was a background feature in a Law & Order episode)

24. Slurred pronoun : DAT - "who dat~?!"

25. Game invented at Harrow School around 1830 : SQUASH - and a cross-referenced 57. 25-Across starter : SERVE - my new house-mate Garry plays a game called "pickleball", which is tennis played on a smaller court with a wiffleball - it looks really fun, and you get more volleys going

27. Grandchild of Japanese immigrants : SANSEI - started with NISSEI, and that was enough to work from

29. Amble : SAUNTER - she has permission to saunter thru my new front door

30. Its website includes a Headache Center : ANACIN - Aleve and Advil were just too short; took a while to recall this brand name

33. Mr. Rochester's ward : ADELE - no clue; all perps - from Jane Eyre

34. John of England : LOO - the porcelain perch

39. Case, for example: Abbr. : SYNonym - case = example

40. "No way!" : IXNAY - Pig Latin; the "rules" are here

42. Comparable in quality : AS GOOD

44. Where the Irrawaddy flows : MYANMAR - again, no clue, but once I got "--MAR"....

46. High pitch : TREBLE

50. Netherlands river : AMSTEL

51. "V for Vendetta" actor : REA

53. Blow : TOOT - were you thinking horn, or 'nose candy'~!?

54. Professional runner : POLitician

55. Place to see a hit : SIDE A - music hit, that is

58. Proof word : ERAT - part of "Q.E.D"

62. First name in gossip : RONA - Barrett - her Wiki

63. Musician with the autobiography "My First 79 Years" : ISAAC STERN - I don't know how I knew this, but I got it after just a few crossings

64. "Once more __ the breach": Shak. : UNTO

65. Hunch source : SIXTH SENSE - great movie, too

DOWN:

1. Bad-mouths : DISSES

2. Beverage nickname introduced in 1967 : UNCOLA - 7-up; I liked their more recent promotion

3. Filter : STRAIN

4. Television personality Caputo : THERESA - all but the "A" were perps

5. Yeshiva students : JEWS

6. Sight from the Brenner Pass : ALP - WAG

7. Apology ender : CULPA - mea for starters

8. Venomous Asian snake : KRAIT - for those who are ophidiophobes, I will not post a picture, but offer a link instead

9. Prefix with plasm : ECTO - this made last week's puzzle, too

10. Springsteen's birthplace? : THE USA - sorry, not a big fan of the song, but here's one I do like

The Rising

11. Peter Pan rival : JIF - peanut butters

12. Shakes up : AGITATES

13. In a sullen manner : MOROSELY

14. Fellow members : BRETHREN - nice group of $2 words in this corner

21. Filth : SQUALOR

24. Seven-term Mexican president Porfirio __ : DIAZ - 50% perps, the rest seemed logical

26. Hamburger's link : UND - German "and"

28. Food processors : ENZYMES

29. New Orleans jazz club __ Harbor : SNUG - their website

31. Industry authority : CZAR

32. Brightness measures : IQs - intelligence brightness - I was stuck on lumens for awhile

34. Planned 2019 Pan American Games host : LIMA, PERU - I was reluctant to put UNTO" in at 64a. because of the "U", but then it made sense

35. Open secret, e.g. : OXYMORON - here's a really funny webpage; I consider traffic to be a one word oxymoron; by definition, it's "driving, stopped"

36. Inclined : ON A SLANT

38. Shred : IOTA - dah~! not TEAR

41. Social worker? : ANT

43. Thaw : DETENTE - not DEFROST, but it was enough to get started in this corner

45. Outs : ALIBIS

47. Dairy giant : BORDEN

48. Flames : LOVERS

49. Timeless, in verse : ETERNE

51. Chill : RELAX - ah, the "hip" definition

52. Bother : EAT AT

56. '50s sitcom name : DESI

57. Challenge for a babysitter : SASS

59. Eastern ideal : TAO

61. Auburn, for one: Abbr. : SCHool - took some thought, because I was stuck on hair color

Splynter

Note from C.C.:

Good luck to Kevin and our other readers who take part in today's Crosswords LA Tournaments!