Monday, February 15, 2016 Robert E. Lee Morris

Theme: Not for the shallow - The first word in the theme answers can be the end of a phrase starting with DEEP.

38. Pool diving area ... and, literally, what the start of each answer to a starred clue can be : DEEP END

17. *The president's annual salary, e.g. : SIX FIGURES. Deep Six, I'm going with the naval use of the term for a measure of six fathoms; a depth suitable for burial at sea.

61. *Prince film featuring "When Doves Cry" : PURPLE RAIN. Deep Purple. It seems unclear what Prince meant by 'Purple Rain'. Deep Purple is a rock band but what I like best is the use in the opening line of this remake of "Star Dust" by Nino Tempo & April Stevens. Deep Purple

11. *"Sweet dreams" : "SLEEP TIGHT". Deep Sleep. 'Sleep tight' may just mean 'sleep soundly'.

29. *Scatterbrain : SPACE CADET. Deep Space, the final frontier.

Argyle here in the deep freeze. At least we didn't get the wind they were predicting. A musical Monday, not theme related though. Standard pinwheel grid, some standard crosswordese and some c/a from recent puzzles. All-in-all, a good day.

Across:

1. Diplomat Henry __ Lodge : CABOT. (1850 - 1924) or (1902–1985)(Jr. or II) He was the grandson of Henry Cabot Lodge.

6. Former Ford division, briefly : MERC. (Mercury, 1938 - 2011)

10. "Kindly let us know," on invites : RSVP. (French: répondez s'il vous plaît). And 10D. English translation of the start of 10-Across : RESPOND

14. Like a noisy stadium : AROAR

15. Length times width : AREA

16. Israeli airline : EL AL

19. Lily that's Utah's state flower : SEGO

20. Mary __ cosmetics : KAY

21. Agree silently : NOD

22. Avoid shipping out? : SHAPE UP. Ultimatum: Shape up or ship out!

24. Electrically connected : WIRED

26. Weds in secret : ELOPES

27. Kind of football kick : ONSIDE. Deliberately kicked short in an attempt to recover the ball.

30. Prairie dog or squirrel : RODENT

32. Brown photo tone : SEPIA

33. Long skirt : MAXI. Not demure when it is see-thru or has a thigh-high slit.

34. Carpe __: seize the day : DIEM

37. Hawaii's Mauna __ : LOA

41. Dean's list fig. : GPA. (grade point average)

42. How some audiobooks are recorded : ON CD

44. Prayer ending : AMEN

45. Autumn shade : OCHER

47. Pencil mark remover : ERASER

49. PC memos : E-NOTES

50. Say yes (to) : ACCEDE

52. Arabian Peninsula country : YEMEN

54. Thick fog metaphor : PEA SOUP

56. Prefix with east or west : MID

57. Comedian Margaret : CHO

60. X-ray units : RADs. (obsolete?)

64. "Understood" : "I SEE"

65. Flanged fastener : T-NUT

66. It's measured in degrees : ANGLE

67. "Why don't we?" : "LET'S"

68. "__-dokey!" : OKEY

69. 1971 Eric Clapton hit : LAYLA

Down:

1. Wine barrel : CASK

2. Operatic solo : ARIA

3. Squarish, as some cars : BOXY

4. Lummox : OAF

5. __ and Tobago: West Indies nation : TRINIDAD

6. "All in the Family" spin-off : "MAUDE"

7. Make a typo, say : ERR

8. "Cheers" actor Roger : REES. (1944 - 2015)

9. Redeemed, as casino chips : CASHED IN

12. Unclear : VAGUE. Purple Rain?

13. Lands heavily : PLOPS

18. 2000 Bush opponent : GORE

23. Pub potable : ALE

24. Nintendo game system : Wii

25. Window treatment : DRAPERY

27. Capital of Norway : OSLO

28. Gas used in signs : NEON

31. Team on the farm : OXEN

33. Viral video, e.g. : MEME

35. Fencing sword : EPEE

36. Fourth planet : MARS

39. Approach cautiously : EASE UP TO

40. Fait accompli : DONE DEAL

43. Puts on clothes : DRESSES

46. "Vaya __ Dios" : CON

48. Commotion : ADO

49. Actor Jannings : EMIL

50. Tax deadline month : APRIL

51. Put an end to : CEASE

53. "E" on a gas gauge : EMPTY

55. Rock genre : PUNK

57. Clever : CAGY

58. Sledding slope : HILL

59. Most fit for military duty : ONE-A

62. Regret : RUE

63. Genetic stuff : RNA

 Argyle

Note from C. C.:

Happy Birthday to Hondo (Skip), whose comments often crack me up, esp the grouchy ones :-). Hope Lucy makes today extra special for you, Hondo!

Left to right: Marti, Dudley, Hondo & Montana (Sept 2013)

 

Sunday February 14, 2016 Jake Braun

Theme: "Cherish the Thought" - Valentine's Day puzzle.

33A. With 35- and 60-Across, request for today : BE.  And 35A. See 33-Across : MY

60A. Today's honoree, nicknames for whom begin the answers to starred clues : VALENTINE

25D. Informal message for one's 60-Across: I LUV U. The only entry point to the heart formed by the black squares in the middle.

24A. *120-year-old candy : TOOTSIE ROLL

95A. *Ingénue's benefactor : SUGAR DADDY

98A. *Venezuelan wonder : ANGEL FALLS. Wiki says "they are named after Jimmie Angel, a US aviator, who was the first person to fly over the falls. Angel's ashes were scattered over the falls on 2 July 1960."

115A. *Weasel relative : HONEY BADGER.  Looks mean and scary. Nothing "honey" about it. 

16D. *Innocent : BABE IN THE WOODS

3D. *Offer that can't be refused : SWEETHEART DEAL

  

C.C. here. Thanks to dear Gary for covering me the past two Sundays.

I figured we might get a Valentine's Day puzzle after Rich ran the "Presidential Firsts" last Sunday. Presidents' Day tribute puzzle is normally run today or tomorrow.

What a sweet puzzle. So deftly designed. We have two two-letter entries and an unchecked letter U in I LOVE U. But all theme answers are placed symmetrically in this left to right mirror grid. 

Across:      

1. Kitchen qty. : TBSP. Steve might have this. Cute bamboo salt box.

5. Band of schemers : CABAL. Like China's Gang of Four, led by Chairman Mao's wife.

10. Orgs. on 84-Across signs : AGCYS. All crosses. 84. Sign of success : SOLD. Real estate agencies.

15. Touch : ABUT

19. Swerves at sea : YAWS

20. Pine Tree State campus town : ORONO

21. One who gives you chills : CREEP

22. Taberna snack : TAPA.I wonder if someday we'll see Banchan, the Korean appetizers.  Most are veggies and seaweeds. Looks like roasted eel on the top left, Jayce.

23. Hunter's target : PREY

26. Way to the top : T-BAR

27. Put together : ERECTED

29. Chicago rumblers : ELS

30. Like a good waiter : PATIENT. And attentive.

32. Dumas duelist : ATHOS. "The Three Musketeers".

37. Withdrawn : TIMID

38. Hurt : ACHED

39. Puts on the air : TELEVISES

43. Isn't resolved : PENDS

45. Brought to court : SUED

46. Dishonesty : FRAUDULENCE. Sparkly one-word entry.

48. Cut it out : STOP

49. St. with both Lewis and Clark counties : IDA. We also have Clark County here in MN. But no Lewis. We have a city called ORONO (20A) also.

50. Rolls up, as a flag : FURLS

51. Covered with spots, in a way : ACNED

52. I-road? : HWY.  No abbr. mark? Or is I- enough?

53. Jamie of "M*A*S*H" : FARR

55. Consumer protection org. : FTC

56. __ quandary : IN A

57. Coop group : HENS. Also 5. Farm houses : COTES. Not BARNS.

58. Butter container : TUB

66. Methodology word : HOW

67. Vet : OLD PRO

70. Runway activity : TAXIING

71. Jai alai ball : PELOTA. Nailed it. That basket is called CESTA.

74. Intensifies : DEEPENS

76. Get up : WAKEN

77. Indistinct : SHADOWY

78. Some trial evidence : DNA

79. Where she blows : THAR

81. Sea of France : MER. Also the brand of  pricey facial cream. Brad Pitt knows.

82. It was orig. the State School of Mines and Metallurgy : UTEP. Unknown trivia to me.

83. Place for pips : DIE

  

86. Over : ANEW

88. Birth announcement words : A SON. 102A. "__ today is better than a hen tomorrow": Franklin : AN EGG. 113D. Take __: swing hard : A RIP. Three partials. Rich allows four in a Sunday grid.

89. IRS IDs : SSNS

90. Agree to pay later : RUN A TAB

93. Code : ENCRYPT

103. Gave one's word : SWORE

105. Clinton's FBI chief : FREEH. Learned from doing crosswords.

106. Start of a project : PHASE ONE

110. 1995 World Series winner: Abbr. : ATL. Not CLE. Two more baseball entries: 6D. Shortstop who made his MLB debut at age 18 : A-ROD And 59D. Two-time A.L. Cy Young Award winner Saberhagen : BRET. Easy crosses for non-baseball fans.

111. When many fans come out : HEAT WAVE. Not sports fans.

114. Dutch astronomer who lent his name to a cloud : OORT. You can't put this in Monday/Tuesday grid. Rich will ask you to remove it.

118. "Permit Me Voyage" poet James : AGEE. Avoided Tommie.

119. Learning method : ROTE

120. Frequently framed words : MOTTO

121. Lab dish eponym : PETRI

122. Sorry sort : RUER

123. Hershey's toffee bar : SKOR

124. Improv bit : SPOOF

125. Online admin : SYSOP

126. Mtg. with a therapist : SESS (Session)

Down:

1. Kind : TYPE

2. Double-dealer : BARRACUDA. Only know the fish meaning. Lovely entry.

4. Motivated, with "up" : PSYCHED

7. Cause of a start : BOO. That "start".

8. Tiny worker : ANT

9. Drop a game : LOSE

10. Hard-to-beat foursome : ACES. Cards.

11. "Get out of my yard!" : GRR

12. Corp. top banana : CEO

13. TripAdvisor alternative : YELP. Both sites review restaurants, hotels, etc.

14. Snowball impact sound : SPLAT

15. On occasion : AT TIMES

17. Fluctuating : UP AND DOWN. As I'm writing this post, Boomer's nerve pain flares up. The pain is like someone stabs at your foot with a needle every few seconds. This normally lasts 3 days. He just can't get much sleep. Breaks my heart to see him suffer.

18. Sharp-tasting : TART

 

28. "Dracula" (1931) director Browning : TOD

31. Racetrack edge : TIP. Learning moment for me.

33. University of Cincinnati athlete : BEARCAT

34. Month after Av : ELUL. Regular in our Wayne R. Williams days.

35. PC time meas. : MSEC

36. Craving : YENNING. Yen can be a verb??

38. "I sincerely doubt it!" : AS IF

39. "Storage Hunters" network : TRUTV. Unfamiliar with the show.

40. Masthead VIPs : EDs

41. Pier gp. : ILA

42. It may require a set change : SCENE. Nice clue.

44. 1974 CIA parody : S*P*Y*S. Wiki says this: The asterisks in the title are designed to remind users of M*A*S*H, which also starred Gould and Sutherland, and whose title is generally rendered with the same asterisks. Beyond this, there is no connection between the films.

46. Musical climax letters : FFF. Opposite of PPP, right?

47. Author LeShan : EDA

54. College basketball coach with a trophy named for him : RUPP. Gimme for PK. I drew a blank.

57. Frustrating thing to be on : HOLD

61. __ firm : LAW

62. It's taken sitting down : EXAM. I smiled once I got it.

63. Swoosh company : NIKE

64. Level : TIER

65. Room renter : INN And 72. Hotel choice : TWIN. Beds.

66. Jalopy : HEAP

67. They may be long : ODDS. And 104. 67-Down poster, briefly : OTB

68. Carson's successor : LENO. Who's your current favorite comedian? I subscribed then unsubscribed to Nick DiPaolo's podcast in one day. So many F words.

69. In stock : ON HAND

71. Derived from benzene : PHENYL. Learning moment to me as well.

73. Agreements aboard : AYES

75. Capital near the Red Sea : SANA'A

77. Put away : STORE

80. Getting a pension: Abbr. : RET'D

82. Hurricane Katrina rescue gp. : USCG. Also 100. Overflow protection : LEVEES

85. Fast racer : DRAGSTER

87. Dough amounts : WADS

88. Poet Sexton : ANNE

89. 1977 film retitled in 1981 : STAR WARS. No idea. What was it called in 1977 then?

91. Push : URGE

92. Via : BY WAY OF

93. Winter warmers : EARLAPS

94. Sputtering sound : PFFT

95. Flavors : SAPORS. Did not know it's plurable, D-Otto!

96. Detach, as a trailer : UNHOOK

97. Tailor for : GEAR TO

99. Confederacy : LEAGUE

101. Changes course, as a ship : SHEERS. Did not know it can be a verb, Spitzboov!

107. Resistance units : OHMs

108. Slangy refusal : NOOP

109. Opposite of ecto- : ENTO. Prefix for "Inner". Also ENDO.

111. APB stats : HGTS (Heights)

112. Architect Saarinen : EERO

116. WWII command : ETO. European Theater of Operations.

117. Elder Partridge daughter player : DEY (Susan)

  

Happy Birthday to dear Marti, who brought so much joy and love to us when she was active on the blog. I thought of you the whole time while solving this puzzle, Marti. We all miss you.

Allen and Marti

C.C.

Saturday, Feb 13th, 2016, Mark Bickham

Theme: None

Words: 70 (missing J,Q)

Blocks: 30

Our first Saturday offering in 2016 from Mr. Bickham - his last one, back in September, was easy; I breezed through.  Not so much today.  I had to cheat one proper name, but for the most part, I prevailed, and within my personal allotted time.  Today was one of those days when I truly took advantage of the "Wild-A** Guess".  Had two entries that were featured in recent puzzles, too, which I thought was odd; one clued the same, the other, differently.   Triple 8/6 corners, two spanners, and two 9-letter answers today;

26. Philosophers in the news since 1985 : CALVIN AND HOBBES - One of my all-time favorite comic strips, and I know BarryG is a huge fan as well

46. Basics : BARE NECESSITIES - also a lingerie shopping site - one of their ads....

O be miNe WARD~!

ACROSS:

1. Candy in a strawlike container : PIXY STIX - I knew this, but all I could recall of the spelling was "-STIX".  The rest I had to WAG 

pure sugar

9. "The Great Santini" Oscar nominee Michael : O'KEEFE - caved in to Google on this one - before my time - IMDb

15. Do-it-yourself style : HOME PERM - ah.  The important thing to recognize here is that "style" refers to 'hair', not 'manner'

16. One often checking boxes : POLLER - I considered "TESTEE" at first

17. Partly : IN A SENSE - oops.  Had ONE SENSE

18. He broke Walter's NFL career rushing record : EMMITT - Once I had half the letters, I recalled this guy - but I am not such a fan of football that I know the players all that well; in fact, I was told that he won Dancing With The Stars, too

19. Was sharply critical, with "out" : LASHED - not CHEWED

20. Adopted great-nephew of Claudius : NERO

22. Everyday list ender : ZEE - dang~!  Not ETC

23. Common pledge : I DO

24. Composer/conductor Boulanger : NADIA - the "D" was my last fill - funny story; more at 10d.

33. Like many fliers : AVIAN - Dah~!  Had A-I-N, so I tried aLiEn first - as in unidentified fliers

34. Fictional place near Atlanta : TARA - Gone With The Wind

35. Internet __ : MEME - CAFE was wrong, but 25% correct 100%ly

36. Put one's foot down? : REV - and then see 5 Down

37. What smart alecks do : GET CUTE - WISE OFF was wrong

40. Swift of fiction : TOM - WAG

41. Binged (on) : ODed - total WAG

43. Fabrication : YARN - LIE was too short, but I was on that wavelength

44. "Running on Empty" (1988) actress : LAHTI - WAG

49. Ruin partner : WRACK - not an idiom I am familiar with

50. Metaphor words : IS A - ugh.  I had AS A, and nothing was working in the SE.  "Life IS A Journey" - I get it now

51. Dept. in a "Law & Order" spin-off : SVU - I put in MCS first, Major Case Squad

53. Piece of work : TASK - not OPUS

55. Like Miss Congeniality : NICEST

59. Compression-utilizing weapon : AIRGUN

61. Forbidden zone : NO-GO AREA - sounds made up

63. Beckett genre, with "the" : ABSURD - WAG.  I had to find out what makes up the genre - the Wiki

64. Whirlpool protection, perhaps : OVEN MITT - clever; Whirlpool, the manufacturer of fine ranges

65. Designer Johnson : BETSEY

66. 2003 film with the tagline "He doesn't care if you're naughty or nice" : BAD SANTA - never saw it, and have no desire to do so in the future, even at (clecho); 3d. 66-Across setting, briefly : XMAS

DOWN:

1. Dr. __ : PHIL - took just a little too long for this one to occur to me; J, No, Who, Spock, Pepper, Zhivago - letter by letter, I missed the four-letter one

2. New York school : IONA - true clecho to follow; this one is Catholic....

4. New York school : YESHIVA - this one is Jewish

5. Ticket generator : SPEEDING - eh.  I like speed TRAP better

6. Body stretcher? : TENDON

7. Agcy. with complicated schedules : IRS

8. Colossus and Cyclops, e.g. : X-MEN

9. Collapsible topper : OPERA HAT

10. Dragon habitat : KOMODO - OK, so I was thinking FOREST first, and then DUNGEON ( I was a huge D&D fan ).  Then I had --O-O, and filled in KIMONO.  Yeah, I know that's wrong

11. Tree that can form natural tunnels : ELM

12. Daughter of Anne Boleyn : ELIZABETH I - this one we had back on Jan 16

13. Blowout : FETE - not ROUT

14. Deco pseudonym : ERTE - I like Art Deco, and I like this bronze

21. Sweeps on a gridiron : END RUNS - 18a. was probably good for this

25. Watson's creator : IBM

26. Evergreen with edible pods : CAROB - and this one we had on Jan 30

27. Estée Lauder subsidiary : AVEDA

28. Spreadable sausage : LIVERWURST

29. Goes after : ATTACKS

30. Pearly coating : NACRE

31. Behave theatrically : EMOTE

32. They come before finals : SEMIs

38. Superficially attractive thing : EYE CANDY - I learned this term when I worked on the movie set back in '97

39. Colloquial language features : ELISIONS - wanna, gonna, etc.

42. __ Spiegel: German magazine : DER

45. South American desert : ATACAMA - WAG

47. Human __ : NATURE - I thought there might be a slight misdirection, so I went with BEINGS, being in the plural

48. Burned a little : SINGED

51. Scandinavian import : SAAB - SAADLY, they're no more

52. Vague feeling : VIBE

54. Turner of old TV? : KNOB - Mr. Bickham GOT CUTE on this one (37a.)

56. Land near Albion : ERIN - WAG

57. Paving stone : SETT - learning moment for me; I have heard of a Belgian block

58. Casual farewell : TA-TA

60. The Theatre Cat in "Cats" : GUS

62. Tiny tube travelers : OVA - another one that took too long to occur to me

Thank you for all the birthday comments this week - no time to do the puzzle that day, but I did get a chance to read the comments~!

Splynter

Friday, February 12th, 2016 Jeffrey Wechsler

Theme: Eye-YO of the Tiger?

17A . Generic City Hall dog? : MAYORS ROVER. Mars Rover. Does anyone actually call their dog Rover? Or Rex, or Fido? We should be told.

29A. Why some seek a certain cactus? : FOR PEYOTE'S SAKE. For Pete's sake. I remember reading a couple of Carlos Castaneda's books back in the day in which he wrote of some wonderful out-of-body experiences after taking peyote. In hindsight, he was just stoned out of his gourd.

35A. Essay on meditation? : YOGI TRACT. GI Tract. If you want an amazing journey through the human gastrointestinal tract, read Mary Roach's book "Gulp". Tell her Steve sent you.

45A. Eschew medical attention? : STAY OFF DOCTORS. Staff Doctors. Also known as Attending Physicians.

58A. Fighter whose stock greeting affects 17-, 29-, 35- and 45-Across : ROCKY BALBOA. Hero of the "Rocky" movie series of which I have seen - none of them.

Yo Corner!  Nice enough theme - before I got down to the reveal I'd already started to uncover the theme answers and was trying to find a common punning pronunciation-change when I saw the actual connection. The purist in me isn't terribly fond of YOGI TRACT - the YO at the beginning is the odd man out of the four and I'm not sure that "GI Tract" is particularly "in the language". I didn't have a problem filling it in, so as they say, no harm, no foul.

The puzzle is quite heavy on the themeage which sometimes makes for scrappy fill, but this one was pretty smooth. Let's see what pops out:

Across:

1. Item in a '60s drug bust : LSD TAB. Doesn't anyone get busted for LSD any more, or is that so last century?

7. Marshal Tito, for one : SLAV. His middle name was "Broz", which is rather nice considering the next entry ....

11. Friendly address : BRO

14. Make effervescent : AERATE. Nice word.

15. Queen's place : HIVE

16. Move on water : OAR

19. Caustic chemical : LYE

20. __ Toy Barn: "Toy Story 2" setting : AL'S. I cried in Toy Story 2. There, I admitted it.

21. Japanese volcano Mount __ : ASO. Japan's tallest active volcano erupted last year.

22. Guzzle : SWILL. I wanted SWIG until I had a square left over.

24. Half a prison? : SING. Sing. Maximum security correctional facility in New York State.

26. Suffix for professionals : -IST. I'd have said "some professionals". Attornist? Accountist? Not really.

28. Toon who often wore a Metallica T-shirt : BEAVIS. Definitely not to everyone's sense of humor. Most printable: "Did you know when you eat rump roast you’re eating a cow’s butt?"

32. Bacchanal vessel : EWER

33. Rested : SAT

34. Choler : IRE. I always try to convince myself that "choler" is a type of bread.

39. Arboreal critter : APE

41. "__ believer!" : I'M A. Here's Neil Diamond's song played by the very young-looking Monkees.

42. Icon with a curved arrow : UNDO

49. Certify : ATTEST

50. LAX stat : ARR

51. "Let her not say __ that keep you here": "Antony and Cleopatra" : 'TIS I. Guessed. Guessed right! Yay!

53. Language from which "julep" is derived : FARSI. Persian gul-āb, rose-water. I'm not sure Kentucky Derby-goers would recognize it.

54. Centrifuge site : LAB

56. Rosamund's "Gone Girl" co-star : BEN

57. Green beginning? : ECO-, as in eco-friendly.

63. However, to texters : THO. I never abbreviate when I text, it's just anathema to me. I tease my friend's mom (who is in her 70's) that she sounds like a teenager when she texts - it's all "OMG, Ur so LOL 2 funny". It's almost pathetic :)

64. __ dixit : IPSE. Came close to a personal natick'ed with the "S". I didn't know the abbreviation for the Confederate army, and my Latin deserted me for a while. After a quick alphabet run I decided IPSE was more likely than any of the others, although IPRE was tempting for a while.

65. Shape, as dough for cloverleaf rolls : BALL UP. Food!

66. Strong desire : YEN

67. Lacking a date : STAG

68. Adam, of the "Bonanza" brothers : ELDEST

Down:

1. Holy men who turn prayer wheels : LAMAS

2. Cousteau's concern : SEA LIFE. I tried to make SEALING (as in seal-hunting) work for a while.

3. Oxymoronic skiing condition : DRY SNOW. I've called it dry powder, or powder snow. Today, for the first time, I'm calling it dry snow.

4. All-encompassing concept : TAO

5. Gillette brand : ATRA

6. "Empress of the Blues" Smith : BESSIE

7. "The Tudors" sta. : SHO

8. Actress Tyler : LIV. Talented actress. She's a lot better looking than her dad, that's for sure.

9. GPS datum : AVE

10. Frost output : VERSES

11. Eponymous South American leader : BOLIVAR

12. Beamish? : RAY-LIKE. Wonderful to see a Lewis Carroll nonsense word in a truly ingenious setting. Best clue/answer of the week for me.

“And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?

      Come to my arms, my beamish boy!

O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!”

      He chortled in his joy.

’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves

      Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:

All mimsy were the borogoves,

      And the mome raths outgrabe.

13. Warning words : OR ELSE

18. Upbeat : ROSY

23. "Obviously, right?" : WAS IT NOT?

25. Their colour is affected by melanin : GREY EYES. Note the "colour" to clue "grey". "Color" would clue "gray". Awesomeness! I didn't know that melanin affected the eye color, but there's plenty of fascinating reading out there on the Interwebs.

27. Fare on a flat tortilla : TOSTADA. Food! Tostada= Toasted. Here's a Mexico City breakfast. Yum!

28. __ test : BETA. Usually for software before it ships commercially. Be prepared for loads of "undocumented features" (a.k.a. bugs).

30. Master : PRO

31. Roofing sealer : TAR

36. One of a biblical trio : GIFT. Another nice clue/answer. KING didn't work with what I already had filled in, so I was looking along the MAGI lines for some translation of king/wise man, then - aha! There were three gifts, gold, frankincense and myrrh.

37. Global financial org. : I.M.F.

38. Tournament elimination point : CUT

39. Diplomatic case : ATTACHÉ

40. Dutch landowner in colonial America : PATROON. Solid crosses got this one for me.

43. Court action : DRIBBLE. Like a no-look pass - great misdirection here!

44. Bony : OSSEOUS

45. __ pin : SAFETY

46. Pluto's Egyptian counterpart : OSIRIS. This came in dribs and drabs via the crosses. I'll file this one away for future reference.

47. Alternative to de Gaulle : ORLY. I was at CDG a couple of weeks ago. ORY used to be the main Paris airport until CDG opened and now handles mainly domestic traffic.

48. Buster who portrayed Flash Gordon : CRABBE

52. Uncalled for : INAPT

55. Canaanite deity : BAAL

59. Decide : OPT

60. Lee side: Abbr. : CSA. The Confederate States of America. I didn't know that until today.

61. Cooper's creation : KEG

62. Honorary legal deg. : LL.D. The "LL" is an interesting hangover from the degree awarded by the University of Cambridge in the UK - it denoted the holder was qualified to practice both branches of law - Canon (church) Law and Civil Law, so "Doctor of Laws".

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

Steve.

Note from C.C.:

Happy Birthday to our sweet LaLaLinda! Linda used to post daily and shared with us many fun facts of her life, her cats and her Red Sox. She still reads our blog, but her health issue & the flareups have prevented her from participating actively. If anyone has tips on how to lessen the arthritic pain, please share with us on the blog. I've heard great stories about the apple cider vinegar and honey combo. Our local Target actually carries the Bragg brand.

Thursday, February 11, 2016, Steve Marron and C.C. Burnikel

Theme: Where did he hide that jumble?

Well I am back on Thursday to blog the 5th published LAT by our own Thursday Steve (3 collaborations with C.C.) Today we have the wonderful reveal of PLOT TWIST which tells us the letters in PLOT are rearranged. It did not tell us how they are hidden in the theme fill, but that came out early, even before the reveal. They use lots of 2 and 3 word fill and include RAT TRAPS,  SILK TIES and ADIOS AMIGOS as long sparkly ones. Adios amigos is ten letters which is longer than two of the theme answers which some solvers do not like, but to me that is just a 1A. It is always extra fun to blog one of our own. I will stop talking and go to solving.

17A. Drop the original strategy : GO TO PLAN-B (9). Not Plan 9.

21A. Nickname for Basketball Hall of Famer Maravich : PISTOL PETE (10). An LSU star who averaged 44 point per game!!!!!

36A. One always looking up : ETERNAL OPTIMIST (15). Watch out for birds and keep your mouth closed.

49A. Shield bearers : RIOT POLICE (10). Very common in the late 60s on college campuses.

59A. Novel surprise ... and a hint to what's hidden in 17-, 21-, 36- and 49-Across : PLOT TWIST (9).

Across:

1. Quibble : NIT. A bit of an inside joke to begin.

4. Like the NCAA basketball three-point line : ARCED. The NBA uses a more complicated grid.

9. Phantom's place? : OPERA. Well for me, it was the comics page for many years.  But I am familiar with the MUSICAL. Is that the delightful Emmy Rossum now on SHAMELESS?

14. Toothpaste tube letters : ADA. American Dental Association.

15. Chevy SUV : TAHOE. They have others but this is the only one with 5 letters.

16. Honeydew, for one : MELON. Food.

19. Printing heavyweight : EPSON.

20. Aspersion : SLUR.

23. Euler's forte : MATH.

25. Commencement opening? : CEE. Not the speech or the event, just the word.

26. Online reminders : E-NOTES. I do not like the E words.

28. Dilapidated digs : RAT TRAPS. Where even the rodents want out.

33. Attribute to, as blame : PIN ON. One of many two word fills that require skill.

34. Fish order : SOLE. Do you like this RECIPE? Food.

35. "What __ care?" : DO I. DK DC.

40. Zeta follower : ETA. In the Greek Alphabet.

41. Soccer followers? : MOMS.

42. Causes of many Alaskan road accidents : MOOSE. More new INFO. They always looked so cute here.

43. High-end neckwear : SILK TIES.

46. Declines to raise : PASSES. The term for me is 'checks'.

47. Bard's bedtime : EEN. I get a teeny drop of Shakespeare.

48. Machu Picchu denizen : INCA.

55. Leave out : OMIT.

58. Hot : IRATE.

61. Cardinal, e.g. : TITLE. Not baseball football or birds, but religion.

62. "Friend Like Me" singer in "Aladdin" : GENIE.

63. Author Talese : GAY. A respected author and journalist who just celebrated his 84th  birthday, Sunday. Perhaps most famous for this BOOK.

64. Fire sign : ASHES.

65. Gladiator's milieu : ARENA.

66. Olive shaped like a stick : OYL. Tricky. Popeye's girl. For Splynter: LINK.

Down:

1. Complainers : NAGS.

2. "People" person : IDOL. The magazine.

3. She beat out Madeline Kahn, with whom she shared the screen, for Best Supporting Actress : TATUM O'NEAL. Who did not love Paper Moon.

4. Org. that publishes weekly player rankings : ATP. Tennis anyone?

5. Lauren et al. : RALPHS. Also a food market in LA.

6. Tazo choice : CHAI. Foodish. Available in K-cups.

7. Long spans : EONS.

8. Collector's target : DEBT.

9. Filled, folded fare : OMELET. Food.

10. Sneeze cause : PEPPER. Foodish.

11. Ultimatum word : ELSE.

12. Jícama or ginger : ROOT. Ginger is big at my house. Foodish.

13. Actress Hathaway : ANNE. So many different looks. 
18. Stumper? : ORATOR. Tricky, someone who gets up on a stump and talks to you.

22. Rowing crew, perhaps : OCTET. There are 8 of them plus the coxswain.

24. St. formed from the Southwest Territory : TENN. How times change.

26. Duel tools : EPEES. And its a sport too!!!!!!

27. "The Untouchables" gangster : NITTI. My favorite actor to play the part.

28. Hotel reservations : ROOMS. So literal.

29. View from Lake Geneva : ALPS. I wonder if marti is there now schussing away?

30. Chihuahua "Ciao!" : ADIOS AMIGO. Well, the friend part is added, but this is a fun fill.

31. Oater group : POSSE.

32. Locations : SITES.

34. Sour fruit : SLOE. Foodish.

37. Acid type : AMINO.

38. Bowie's bride : IMAN. Timely but sad reminder of his recent passing.

39. __ Mule: vodka cocktail in a copper mug : MOSCOW. It is amazing how many things I do not know.

44. Hot whistler : KETTLE.

45. Plains homes : TEPEES. I wanted teepee (1.6MM google hits).

46. Tart container : PIE TIN.

49. Cosby of "Inside Edition" : RITA. She is most IMPRESSIVE but I have no awareness of her.

50. Place for a pupil : IRIS. I had my eye on you.

51. Pledge : OATH.

52. Rolex Player of the Year-awarding org. : LPGA. Ladies Professional Gold Association. They just played last week in Ocala where yet another South Korean won. She had a hole in one on a par 4 the week before.

53. "The Sopranos" actor Robert : ILER. After playing Tony Jr., he has disappeared though apparently he is part of a new project out of Las Vegas call The Four Kings.

54. Gelato holder : CONE. I always use a dish. Foodish.

56. Words to Holmes : I SAY.

57. Texter's toodle-oo : TTYL. Talk To You Later.

60. Dim sum beverage : TEA. Green tea most likely. It is so perfect that a Steve puzzle end with food.

It has been a while since I had to blog a Thursday to avoid self-analysis (this time by Steve) but it is a nice change. Nothing too difficult -a nice work out. Hope you enjoyed as much as I did. See you next time, Lemonade pinch hitting, out.

 

Note from C.C.:

This is the very first puzzle Steve (aka Steamed Red Mullet) and I made. It was accepted in June 2014. We figure Rich must have quite a few anagram puzzles in queue. Thanks for the inspiration and fun, Steve. You seriously rock!

Steve also gave me a tip on how to make creamy scrambled eggs. You can click here for details. You need to cook the eggs in really low heat. So good with chives sprinkled in.

Wednesday Feb 10, 2016 Bruce Venzke and Gail Grabowski

Title: Up, Up and Away!

Hi, after only a two day respite - it's Husker Gary again! Bruce and Gail LIFT our winter spirits with a fun Wednesday puzzle featuring variations of the word LIFT as a single clue. The fill on this amusing theme resulted in top and bottom grid spanners and a thirteen-letter entry gracing the middle. WINGTIP INSERT, BARBELL ACTIVITY and CAFFEINE EFFECT didn't make the cut. 

First the theme answers:

17. Lift : SKIERS TRANSPORT - Or WEDDING PARTY TRANSPORT to this summer event on a mountain in Aspen

38. Lift : BRIT'S ELEVATOR - A Cheshire-based British company called LIFTstyle is marketing these for around  £13,000 

61. Lift : HITCHHIKERS RIDE - All right, would you or wouldn't you give this hitchhiker a LIFT

Across:
1. Roasting bird : CAPON

6. Kennel racket : ARFS

10. Doze, with "out" : ZONK

14. How writers often work : ALONE - I can't blog unless I am ALONE

15. NATO alphabet ender : ZULU - Her latest movie uses the NATO alphabet and stands for...

16. Ancient Andean : INCA

20. Bar sing-along : KARAOKE - Yeah, that's what I was just thinking about you

21. Quasi-convertible option : T-TOP

22. Rock gp. with winds and strings : ELO

23. Mil. training site : OCS - Zac Mayo getting harassed in Office Candidate School by Gunnery Sgt. Foley. BTW, do you remember the wonderful song from this movie with LIFTs in the title?

25. Pizzeria attractions : AROMAS

29. Nervous giggle : TITTER

32. "Cure Ignorance" online reader : UTNE - I have never UTNEd

34. Glamorous Gardner : AVA - Mrs. Frank Sinatra II, Mrs. Mickey Rooney I and Mrs. Artie Shaw V

35. Windy-day window noise : RATTLE

37. Strummed strings : UKES

42. Linen fiber source : FLAX

43. Newspaper space measurement : LINAGE - alt. Lineage. Is this replacing LINAGE?

44. So last week : OUT

45. Take in the wrong way? : OGLE - What's the time limit before a peek becomes an OGLE?

47. Split with the band : GO SOLO - How'd that Ross girl's career work out after she left The Supremes?

51. Pet shelter mission : RESCUE - Bless shelters for the work they do. Joann'd take all the kitties home.

53. Apt name for a cook? : STU 

55. Put the cuffs on : NAB

56. Does one's part? : ACTS

58. Elves, at times : HELPERS - Will Stockdale line: "It's just that the infantry is the real soldiers, and the Air Force ain't nothin' but HELPERS." And, for the game, the movie is...

65. Curved entrance adornment : ARCH

66. Drop : OMIT

67. Nautical table listing : TIDES - The Navy wanted low TIDES on D-Day to see the beach obstacles for its LST'S and other ships  and the Army wanted high TIDES to lessen the distance men had to run on the beach. They compromised on 1 - 3 hrs after low TIDE

68. "Okay, granted" : TRUE

69. "Bossypants" memoirist Fey : TINA- See her new movie at 15 Across

70. Mail-order-only company until 1925 : SEARS - Alvah Roebuck never said publicly he regretted the fortune he missed by leaving the business he helped found
 

Down:

1. Small jewelry box : CASKET - Bigger than a box, smaller than a chest

2. Acid neutralizer : ALKALI - Adding ALKALI to acidic soil to "sweeten" it

3. "Little grey cells" detective : POIROT - A Netflix BBC addiction of mine

4. Draft category : ONE-A - A dreaded 60's - 70's classification 

5. "Quo Vadis" emperor : NERO - "Where are you going?" A film showing NERO's Rome vs Christians

6. Tenochtitlán native : AZTEC 

7. Play about automatons : RUR

8. Like much desert : FLAT

9. Acquisition on a blanket, perhaps : SUNTAN

10. Brand with a flame over the "i" in its logo : ZIPPO - ZIPPO Ad

11. Artist Yoko : ONO 

12. Big name in bar code scanners : NCR

13. Dennings of "2 Broke Girls" : KAT - It took me 60 seconds to get a sense I didn't like this show where wit is replaced by crudity. Different strokes... 

18. Hybrid tennis attire : SKORTS - With an improvised storage area

19. Ticked off : SORE

24. Besmirches : SULLIES

26. Powerful shark : MAKO - MAKO is Maori for "shark" or "shark's tooth"

27. Say with certainty : AVER

28. Carrier to Oslo : SAS

30. Cereal "for kids" : TRIX

31. Work on a course : EAT 

33. Many a "Hunger Games" fan : TEEN 

36. Bluffer's giveaway : TELL - In M*A*S*H, Winchester whistles arias while playing poker and the louder he whistles, the more he is bluffing. He gets wiped out!

37. Colorado natives : UTES

38. Cobalt __ : BLUE

39. "Aw, shucks!" : RATS

40. Harder to see, as shapes : VAGUER

41. Have-at link : A GO - I had A GO at unicyling once. Yikes!

42. Voting yes on : FOR

45. "That stings!" : OUCH

46. Hit a winning streak : GET HOT - Some Super Bowl winners just GET HOT at the end of the season

48. New York lake near Utica : ONEIDA - After 9/11 ONEIDA Mfg. lost $25M after the airlines discontinued flatware on planes 

49. Pantry : LARDER

50. Dominate the thoughts of : OBSESS - Michael Douglas and OBSESSED Glen Close have a steamy LIFT scene in Fatal Attraction

52. Hidden stockpile : CACHE

54. Iota preceder : THETA - ...zeta, eta, THETA, iota...

57. California's __ Valley : SIMI - A beautiful place to visit at 40 Presidential Drive, SIMI Valley CA. 93065

59. D-Day transports : LSTS

60. __-dieu: kneeler : PRIE - Literally "Pray God". Here are two at JFK's casket in White House East Room

61. New Year's party handout : HAT

62. Clearance rack abbr. : IRR

63. Fort Worth sch. : TCU

64. Many holiday guests : KIN - After two days, guests and fish... 

 Let's hope all of you can raise the level of discourse here to a higher level than I just did -