Sunday, March 20, 2016 Rebecca Durant

Theme: "Border Pairs" - Two vowels bookend each theme answer.

23A. *Part of a Quaker recipe batch : OATMEAL COOKIE. Tried the oatmeal raisin cookie recipe in the Quaker box kid once. So so result.

37A. *It attracts koalas : EUCALYPTUS TREE. Yum!

56A. *Beverage made from sun-withered leaves : OOLONG TEA. In Chinese, it's called Wu Long. Long = Dragon.

79A. *Cyclades setting : AEGEAN SEA

94A. *Financial oversight group : AUDIT COMMITTEE

 

17D. *Too much to handle : OUT OF ONE'S LEAGUE

45D. *Forced to apologize : EATING HUMBLE PIE

 

113A. Answers to starred clues, as hinted by this puzzle's title? : VOWEL LANGUAGE. Play on "foul language".

When I first read the title, I thought this might be a "border states" puzzle. Nope. Just vowels. I then emailed Argyle to see if I missed anything. Nope. This is it.

It'd be great if those vowels are of different combos, but we have three EAs', two EE's. I do realize however, double-vowel starting/ending words are limited.

I think this is an LAT debut. Congratulations, Rebecca!

Across:

1. Beauty pageant accessories : SASHES

7. Won't take no for an answer : INSIST

13. Information unit : FACTOID. We also have 53A. Data measure : BYTE

20. Grammar class subject : CLAUSE. Did I ever tell you my very first English word is FACE? We were not taught how to pronounce it properly. We just wrote down the closest Chinese pronunciation, so FACE becomes Fei Si. BUS is Ba Si. Totally lost when RESTAURANT came long. No equivalent for R-starting multi syllable word.

21. More malicious : MEANER. Not EVILER.

22. Not done externally : IN HOUSE

25. Shock : STARTLE

26. Thurman of film : UMA

27. New Mexico county or its seat : TAOS

28. Alicia's son in "The Good Wife" : ZACH. Gimme for JD. She likes the series.

30. Golf tournament kickoff : PRO-AM

31. Schroeder's most prized possession : TOY PIANO

34. Vatican City statue : PIETA

36. Character on a staff : CLEF. Got via crosses.

40. Corvallis sch. : OSU (Oregon State University)

43. First-stringers : A TEAM

46. Each : A POP

47. Ristorante desserts : TORTONIS. Never had one.

49. One not honoring an oath : LIAR. Anagram of the next answer 50. Hideaway : LAIR

 

54. Big Ten athlete since 2014, briefly : TERP. Maryland Terrapins. With ACC pre-2014. We also have 87. South Carolina athlete : GAMECOCK

55. Slugger Mel : OTT

60. Absorption process : OSMOSIS

62. Buzz and trim : HAIRCUTS. Here is my new haircut. Chopped a few inches off the messy long hair. Spring is not here yet. Everything is so brown. I woke up to a dusting of snow yesterday morning.

64. Assessment : LEVY

65. 2015 Verizon acquisition : AOL

66. With 48-Down, Martha Kent portrayer on "Smallville" : ANNETTE. 48. See 66-Across :

O'TOOLE. Is she very famous? Never heard of the lady. We also have 24. Lang on "Smallville" : LANA

67. Divine rings : HALOS

68. Sole food : FILLETS. Lovely clue.

72. "Today" rival, initially : GMA (Good Morning America)

73. Bk. before Daniel : EZEK. You've got to commit this to your memory. This clue & fill will appear again and again.

74. "Don't worry" : REST EASY

75. Many a text writer : SCHOLAR

81. Roadside sign : GAS

82. Été month : AOUT (August)

83. Outdo : BEST

85. Check numbers : DATE

86. Songwriter Bacharach : BURT. Very successful career.

89. Start of a solution : IDEA

92. Get ready for work : DRESS

93. Wagering letters : OTB. Also 71. Betting aids: Abbr. : SYSTs. Tiny dupe.

99. Sequence of 106-Across : LIST. And 106. 99-Across things : ITEMS. Not fond of no-clue clues.

101. English city that's home to Kirkgate Market : LEEDS. Easy guess.

 

102. Diamond gem : NO-HITTER. Nailed it.

108. Monthly pmt. : ELEC

109. "Un-shareable since 1972" breakfast food : EGGO

 

110. "Norma __" : RAE

111. Dover diapers : NAPPIES. Alliterative clue.

118. Buds in a circle : FRIENDS. I was picturing flowers.

119. Slide by : ELAPSE

120. Adorned : GRACED

121. The least bit : ONE IOTA

122. Circular currents : EDDIES

123. Underground maze : SEWERS

  

Down:

1. One getting ahead? : SCOUT. Oh, recon.

2. Texas mission : ALAMO

3. Skewered Thai dish : SATAY. Very popular street food. Bangkok has the second best street food. Guangzhou has the best!

 

4. Run smoothly : HUM Also 11. Stop running, as an engine : SEIZE UP

5. Language suffix : ESE

6. Washington airport : SEA-TAC.  Seattle & Tacoma.

7. "It's all good, dude" : I'M COOL

8. Revivalists : NEOs

9. __ Tomé : SAO

10. Fluid applied through a nib : INK

12. Rewards for tricks : TREATS

13. Seek sneakily, with "for" : FISH

14. Tiny crawler : ANT

15. Rosary relative : CHAPLET. Learning moment to me also. I've always just called this rosary.

16. Yankee manager after Showalter : TORRE. I bet many of you nailed this with the R in PRO-AM in place.

18. Land in un lago : ISLA

19. Regard : DEEM

29. Slyly spiteful : CATTY

32. Apple cousin : PEAR

33. End of chem class? : IUM. Tricky clue.

34. "Moonlight Sonata" directive : PPP.  Got via crosses. Did any of you hear the "Let's go Peay" cheer segment on NPR? I never heard of Austin Peay until we had it in a puzzle last December. Turns out Peay and Pee have the same pronunciation. 

35. "How was __ know?" : I TO

 

36. Demeter's Roman counterpart : CERES. Goddess of agriculture.

38. Tale : YARN

39. Prefix with tiller : ROTO

41. Acronymic Apple assistant : SIRI. We also have IOS, though clued differently: 52D. Cyclades island

42. Gp. putting letters in boxes : USPS

43. Maui ciao : ALOHA

44. Business bigwig : TITAN. Weirdest election cycle I've ever seen.

50. Boor : LOUT

51. Old, in Oberhausen : ALTE

 

53. Bights, e.g. : BAYS. "Bight" is a new word to me.

56. In base eight : OCTAL

57. Cruller coating : GLAZE

58. Comm. with STOP signs : TELEG. Got via crosses also.

59. Call to mind : EVOKE

61. Mediterranean island country : MALTA

63. 95-Down convenience : REMOTE. 95D. Den fixture : TEEVEE.

67. What culinary alarms measure : HEAT. Have any of you tried Hunan food? Incredibly hot. It's Chairman Mao's favorite. He grew up in Hunan and loved spicy hot food.

68. Ending for song or slug : FEST

69. "Right you are" : I SEE

70. Old Russian monarchs : TSARS

 

74. Genetics lab subject : RNA

75. Palm starch : SAGO

76. Dredge, as with flour : COAT

77. Partner of up : ABOUT. Up and about.

78. In, on a stamp : REC'D.

80. Inspector Dalgliesh in P.D. James novels : ADAM

84. Ability : SKILL

86. Poker Flat chronicler Harte : BRET

88. City NNW of Naples : CASSINO. Never heard of the city. See Napoli?

89. Freezing : ICE COLD

90. Pentagon org. : DOD (Department of Defense). Don't google. Who's the current Secretary of Defense?

91. Ambulance initials : EMS

92. Agnus __ : DEI

96. Hearths : INGLES

97. Frat party garment : TOGA

98. Flip-flops : THONGS

100. Louvre Pyramid architect : I. M. PEI. He'll be 99 years next month.

103. Vestige : TRACE

104. Like one who can't wait : EAGER

105. Wetland stalks : REEDS

106. What FAQs offer : INFO

107. Mountain lake : TARN. I always have trouble remembering this word.

108. She, in Salerno : ESSA. ELA in Portuguese.

109. In addition : ELSE. Wanted ALSO.

112. Mount Washington summer hrs. : EDT

114. Tidy sum : WAD

115. Prefix with dermis : EPI

116. Univ. senior's exam : GRE

117. Motor City org. : UAW (United Automobile Workers)

Happy Birthday to Spitzboov (Al), my dear friend and occasional puzzle collaborator. Al served in the Navy Reserve for over 20 years. He retired as Commander and continues to support the Navy in any way he can. I love reading stories of his farm boy childhood & later Navy days.

Argyle and Spitzboov

(August 23, 2014, Washington County Fair)

2) Happy Birthday to John28man as well! How are you doing, John? Where did you spend the winter? Colorado or Arizona?

C.C.

Saturday, Mar 19th, 2016, Gail Grabowski

Theme: GG

Words: 72 (missing J,K,Q,X,Z)

Blocks: 28

An enjoyable puzzle from Mrs. Grabowski, though it might have had a few too many proper names for some - I would have been included, except I knew enough of them to get a foot hold, and the rest were helped along nicely by perps.  One or two WAGs, and nary a Google search nor red-letter exposed.  Nothing intimidating about the grid, with triple 10- and 9-letter corners, and two more 9-letter entries in the middle across;

15a. Meteorological record : ALL-TIME LOW - my personal all-time low here on Long Island was going to work overnight at Roadway Express when it was -4° and snowing inside the covered dock

13d. It's beside the point : ONES PLACE - clever; number 'locations'  _ _ . _ _

67a. 1998 National Toy Hall of Fame inductee : ERECTOR SET - once I had the "-S-T" at the end, I got it, though I never actually had an Erector Set - it was all Lego when I grew up

35d. Church music source : ORGAN LOFT

ONWARDski~!

ACROSS:

1. Some kids' parties : SLEEPOVERS - I once had a two-friend sleepover for my B-day in February, about 1980; it snowed, and I was depressed because I figured it was all off, but the moms of the two kids made it to my house ( I'm guessing they wanted some peace and quiet themselves in their houses~!)

11. Tag word : FROM

16. Driving area : LANE - I suppose that's how you'd describe it....

17. Can't imagine : HAVE NO IDEA

18. Available : OPEN - tried FREE, had one "E" correct

19. Longtime Parlophone record label owner : EMI - RCA, RKO~?; I waited

20. Edge : HONE - think verb, and it works

21. Document preparer : TYPIST

23. Roundup line : LASSO - good guess; could have been RIATA

25. Chicago mayor after Richard : RAHM

27. Start to cure? : EPI - epicure

28. Minnesota's St. __ College : OLAF - close by, C.C.~? (From C.C.: About an hour's away from our home.)

31. "The Munsters" actress Yvonne : DE CARLO - I thought it was spelled with an "I"; her Wiki; had it been clued with a different role, I would not have known.

33. Supplies site : STOREROOM

37. City in southern Egypt : ASWAN - The Nile makes two appearances today

38. Catnip, e.g. : HERB - good WAG for me, but then again....

39. Spam, perhaps : EMAIL - all my SPAM is in email form

41. They sit on pads : MICE - whoops, I had Rice, and well, uh, that is technically correct

42. Flowed furiously : RAGED

44. Tossed out a number : ESTIMATED - hah~! Nailed it

46. High spirits : ELATION

48. Provoke : SPUR

49. __ mother : DEN

50. They might be hard to crack : NUTS - I put in SAFE, tho the pluralizing didn't match

52. Awestruck sort : GAPER

56. Stars home : DALLAS - NHL - hockey.  We're closing in on the playoffs

58. Caps, say : TOPS

61. Satisfied sigh : AAH - I put in the first "A", then I waited to see if it was AAH or AHH

62. Cooking staple, to Rachael Ray : EVOO - Extra Virgin Olive Oil - learned from crosswords

63. City on the Wabash : TERRE HAUTE

66. Money-raising option, briefly : RE-FI - it is time to refinance my mother's house, and start the process of fixing it up; it's in a bad way

68. Old Atl. crossers : SSTs - you know it's been so long since I've seen this answer in a crossword that I had to look up what it was~?  Granted, I was thinking boats, not planes, and I don't get the chance to do many puzzles in the week; editor Rich has probably tried to avoid it. Super-Sonic Transport, like the Concorde

69. Section : DEPARTMENT

DOWN:

1. Saharan region : SAHEL - all perps

2. Wool source : LLAMA - WAG, and it stuck

3. Newsworthy inductee of March 24, 1958 : ELVIS - US Army induction - there's a dedicated Wiki page; before my time, and I am now older than the age at which he died

4. Évry summer : ÉTÉ - Frawnche

5. Elementary camera feature : PINHOLE

6. 1847 work with the chapter "Life at Loohooloo" : OMOO - Once the last "O" appeared, this was crosswordese

7. Marble characteristic : VEIN

8. Tribal leader : ELDER

9. Eggs sometimes served with grits : ROE - didn't know this, but it did fit

10. Wrap up : SWATHE

11. Probably not a really good show : FLOP

12. Joan Rivers' asset : RAPIER WIT

14. Touched on : MENTIONED - it's been "mentioned" that I like legs pics

it's art....get it~?

22. Interactive party song : YMCA - did my fair share of this drunken dance

24. Frozen dessert : SORBET

26. Doesn't turn away : ADMITS  - think bouncers

29. Lionel Richie's "You __" : ARE

30. Inflame : FOMENT

32. Capital east of Khartoum : ASMARA - Eritrea

33. Tracks-covering vehicles : SHREDDERS - I understand the need for a little deception on a Saturday, but shredder as a "vehicle" is a bit of a s-t-r-e-t-c-h

34. Reading material? : TEA LEAVES

36. Western alliance: Abbr. : OAS

40. Edge : LIP - dah~! Not RIM

43. Manzo of "The Real Housewives of New Jersey" : DINA - no desire to watch

45. It's usually not a pretty picture : MUGSHOT

Mr. Larry King, in the year I was born

47. Sent packing : OUSTED

51. __ throat : STREP

53. Breathing spell : PAUSE

54. All gone : EATEN

55. "Never, at any crisis of your life, have I known you to have a handkerchief" speaker : RHETT

57. "The Giver" author Lowry : LOIS - perps

59. Subject of the 2013 documentary "Blackfish" : ORCA - never heard of the film, but the title makes sense, now

60. '80s-'90s tennis star Korda : PETR

64. Poetic preposition : ERE

65. Coat part : ARM

Splynter

Friday, March 18, 2016, Jeffrey Wechsler

Theme: If you don't snooze, you lose, you need to catch those zzs.

JW in back-to-back Friday appearances. Today he inserts  'ZZ' into expressions and clues the result with levity. Of course using double Zs requires lots of z words so there is some very challenging fill. Much of the non-theme long fill is rarely if ever used including REAL BAD,  ADRIAN I,   JIMENEZ,  GALLONS, RADIOED, CERAMIC, ZAMBIAN, LIBERIA, ERODING, GARTERS, AN EARFUL, SEA TO AIR. There are some complete unknowns for me (ATWOOD, JIMENEZ etc.) The triple sevens in the NW and SE make for an interesting grid with only the 13 letter themers requiring some cheater squares. The humor is clear in all the theme fill, with Semper Fizz my favorite. Well, you gave mixed reviews last week; let's look at this week.

18A. Syncopated gaits? : JAZZY WALKS (10). A Jaywalker ups his game by dancing to the music.

33A. Rube Goldberg machines, e.g.? : DIZZY PROJECTS (13). Rube Goldberg was famous for his unnecessarily complex machines, like the beginning to Elementary. He was a CARTOONIST, inventor and so much more. The choice of the DIY (do it yourself) phrase is awesome.

36A. Impress around the green? : CHIP AND DAZZLE (13). More cartoons with those lovable CHIPMUNKS and maybe the golfers recall this shot. LINK.

55A. Cocktail that never goes flat? : SEMPER FIZZ (10). Semper is Latin for always so the joke is great and the shout to Dennis and our other marines is nice.

Across:

1. Indian bigwig : RAJA.

5. Short club : CUDGEL. I may be a day late but this is an example.

11. With 28-Across, was read the riot act : GOT. 28A. See 11-Across : AN EARFUL.

14. Find the right words, say : EDIT. Puzzles clues are often more than 50% changed by editors.

15. With 54-Across, common dorm room phenomenon : UNMADE.  54A. See 15-Across : BED.

16. 55 million-member service org. : AAA. American Automobile Association.

17. Treaty subject : ARMS. Salt I from last week.

20. Bit of duplicity : LIE.

21. Broadway choreographer for "Chicago" : FOSSE. His CAREER. People forget he was a dancer first.

22. Fr. address : MLLE. Not a street but to a young lady, mademoiselle.

23. Zulu or Kikuyu : BANTU.

25. Called the tower : RADIOED. I only thought of this.

32. Sack stuff : GUNNY. Want to know WHY?

35. Like tandoori cuisine : ASIAN.

44. Annoyance : PEEVE. Many keep them as pets.

45. Like some naval missiles : SEA TO AIR.

46. Holdup bands? : GARTERS. Nice challenging Friday clue and excuse to link for Splynter....

48. Gym dance in "West Side Story" : MAMBO.

49. Genesis twin : ESAU. Jacob is his conniving brother.

50. Dumpster habitués : FLIES. I did not know until last Sunday that DUMPSTER was a trade name.

58. Helpful, if impersonal, voice : SIRI. Not to Raj. WATCH.

59. Nous minus moi? : TOI. Us minus me equals you in French.

60. Fill with passion : ENAMOR.

61. "Game of Thrones" actor __ Glen : IAIN. Sir Jorah Mormont.

62. F1 neighbor : ESC.

63. Margaret Atwood's homeland : CANADA. Eh! She is accomplished. LINK.

64. Hitch : SNAG.

Down:

1. Desperately : REAL BAD. I wanted that new car....

2. Eighth-century pope : ADRIAN I. Yo, another random Pope? No, a rather significant ONE.

3. 1956 literature Nobelist Juan Ramón __ : JIMENEZ. A celebrated Spanish poet, but not in my ken. I am sure Clear Ayes could have told us much.

4. Cadillac compact : ATS.

5. King dog : CUJO. Not a nice puppy.

6. Some, in Sevilla : UNAS.  Spanish: Un and una mean 'a,' and unos and unas mean 'some.' 

7. Neutral areas, briefly : DMZS. We grew up with DeMitiliarizedZones on the news nightly.

8. Star attachment? : GAZER.

9. Name on an ice cream container : EDY. And a way to buy...11D. Dairy case choices : GALLONS.

10. "Ben-Hur" author Wallace : LEW.

12. Headliner in Buffalo Bill's Wild West show : OAKLEY. Annie.

13. Shocked, in a way : TASED.

19. Something made by millionaires? : A MINT. Where millions are made as well.

21. " ... a tale / ... full of sound and __": Macbeth : FURY. Our Shakespeare quote of the day. Sound and fury has become a phrase meant to signify a whole lot of nothing.
'Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more: it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.' -- Macbeth

24. Whirling toon : TAZ.  The cartoon Tasmanian Devil. I have had him on Friday before.

26. Meeting staple : AGENDA.

27. French noble : DUC. Duke.

29. Bad news from the professor : F PAPER.  I wonder how and when grading A-F started?

30. __ Major : URSA. The constellation that holds the big dipper. Latin for Bear.

31. Butcher's cuts : LOINS.

34. Ming dynasty art source : JADE. Clecho. 36D. Ming dynasty art source : CERAMIC.

37. Excited : HET UP.

38. "__ gotta run!" : I'VE.

39. Date night destinations : ATMS. B's cost money! (Babes?)

40. Suffix with proto- : ZOA.

41. Lusaka native : ZAMBIAN. Not up on my African CAPITALS.

42. Africa country whose official language is English : LIBERIA. I now know that this was Africa's first republic, founded in 1822 as a result of the efforts of the American Colonization Society to settle freed American slaves in West Africa. The society contended that the emigration of blacks to Africa was an answer to the problem of slavery and the then prevalent perception of the incompatibility of the races. This settlement dates back to 1847. If you want you can read MORE.

43. Whittling away, as support : ERODING.

44. Former Toyotas : PASEOS. More Spanish, and a short lived sporty car of the 90's.

46. Beau __ : GESTE. A character in a P.C. Wren book and many movies, it also is French for grand gesture.

47. Trekkie, e.g., for short : S F FAN. Science Fiction Fan.

51. Capital south of Quito : LIMA. Ecuador and Peru.

52. Sportswear brand : IZOD. The complete HISTORY.

53. Biblical scribe : EZRA. He was part of the first return to Jerusalem and the return of the Torah to the Holy Land. LINK.

56. 1957 Treaty of Rome org. : EEC. European Economic Community, precursor to the European Union.

57. Genetic messenger : RNA.

58. Member of the fam : SISter.

Wow, that was a workout. I do enjoy JW 's creations very much and appreciate his humor and consistency;  having blogged so many that I think I can see where the puzzle is headed when I begin solving a JW Friday. Hope you enjoyed your St. Paddy's Day.  Spring is near. Lemonade out

Thursday, March 17th, 2016 Jerry Edelstein

Theme: "Rooting around"

36A. Patrick Creadon documentary about SpongeBob ... and what's found in this puzzle's circles : SQUARE ROOTS

Happy St. Patrick's Day, everyone! Don't drink green beer! (the Irish don't). However, they would enjoy this little ditty from the Dropkick Murphys.

Four sets of circles show four ROOTs with nice symmetry - the "R" occupies the NW, NE, SE, SW in turn. The reveal was fun, I'd not heard of the book but it filled itself in quite nicely.

A friend of mine is the voice of Squidward in the series. It became apparent how successful it was becoming when he bought a Corvette.

Right then - let's see what else we've got of note.

Across:

1. Family nickname : MAMA

5. Religion with Five Pillars : ISLAM. Faith, Prayer, Fasting, Charity and making the pilgrimage to Mecca.

10. NCO rank : MSGT. SSGT went in first. This one is Master Sergeant.

14. Word with man or horse : IRON. Iron horse is now an almost-archaic term for a steam locomotive. It's also a great winery in Sonoma, much more up my alley.

15. Black Panthers co-founder : SEALE. Unknown to me. Crosses bailed me out.

16. Gillette product : ATRA

17. Stub __ : A TOE

18. Strains : TAXES. Taxes strain my feelings of goodwill towards the IRS.

19. Go fast : ZOOM

20. Concerning : INRE. I learned this from reading Hunter S. Thompson's "Gonzo Letters" books.

22. Postgame postmortem : RECAP

24. Baby seal : PUP

25. Oahu resident, for example : ISLANDER. I tried HAWAIIAN first. Saw the error of my ways eventually.

27. Wake : ROUSE

29. AAA suggestion : RTE.

30. Source of a nutritious oil : COD. Cod liver, particularly

31. Sorted homogeneously : GROUPED

33. Rearward : ASTERN

35. Dirty money : GRIFT. Tried GRAFT. Changed it.

39. "¿Cómo está __?" : USTED

40. Emergency room concern : TRAUMA

43. Supposed : REPUTED

46. What -ess may denote: Abbr. : FEM. Feminine. Some PC-types get affronted by actress, heiress and the like. Me, not so much,

47. Spoiled : BAD

48. Licorice-flavored seed : ANISE

49. Animals that fight by necking : GIRAFFES

51. V x CCXXI : MCV. Roman math. Computers would never have been able to cope.

52. Bemused states : DAZES

55. Mineo and Maglie : SALS. Mineo I knew. Maglie, not so much.I discover he was a baseball pitcher in the '40s and '50s. C.C. would have known this.

56. It may be caught in the flue : SOOT

58. 2014 Olympics city : SOCHI. The hotels were all falling to pieces before they'd even been built. I wonder what the place looks like now?

60. Carry : TOTE

62. Uffizi hangings : ARTE

63. Where to find a full house : POKER

64. Past its prime : WORN

65. Rural agreement : YES'M

66. Long-legged wader : STORK

67. Yank who missed the 2014 season : A-ROD. Not voluntarily, I might add.

Down:

1. Hamm with a kick : MIA. US Women's National Team legendary soccer player

2. Recording pros : ARTISTS

3. Saturn ring components : MOONLETS

4. End of __ : AN ERA

5. Real end : IST

6. Scorched : SEARED

7. More lenient : LAXER. I think I'd say "more lax" than "laxer". Seems more proper.

8. Knighted Guinness : ALEC. Obi-Wan Kenobi portrayer in Star Wars, amongst other great roles.

9. Plateau cousin : MESA

10. 1960 Pirate World Series hero, familiarly : MAZ. Bill Mazeroski hit the series-winning home run against the Yankees in the ninth inning of Game 7. Impressive stuff. People still gather at the site of the old stadium (the campus of the University of Pittsburgh) on the anniversary of the game, and listen to a recording of the play-by-play.

11. Clog : STOP UP

12. Complain : GROUSE

13. Packed tightly : TAMPED

21. Covered with a hard coating : ENCRUSTED

23. Projected financial statements : PRO FORMAS

25. Author Levin : IRA

26. Give : DONATE

28. Word in a home run call : OUTTA. "It's up, it's long and it's OUTTA here!". Maz's home run probably got similar treatment.

31. Watchdog warning : GRR

32. Mob member : RIOTER

34. Top-of-the-line Hyundai whose name means "horse" in Latin : EQUUS

35. H.S. equivalency test : G.E.D. General Equivalency Diploma.

37. Arizona Cardinal mascot Big __ : RED. Here's my quibble of the day - the team name is Arizona Cardinals, with an "s". It's the NCAA's Stanford who are the Cardinal (the color, not the bird).

38. It's under the hardwood : SUBFLOOR

41. Baton user : MAESTRO

42. They can be classified : ADS

43. "Kitchen Nightmares" host Gordon : RAMSAY. He was a professional soccer prospect in his native Scotland when he suffered a ligament injury at aged 16. Owners of unhygienic restaurants and Hell's Kitchen contestants have come to regret that fact.

44. "Play it again, Sam!" : ENCORE

45. Dance turns : PIVOTS

46. Toy company co-founder Herman : FISHER. Along with Irving Price, Herman's wife Helen, and Helen Schelle. History does not record why Schelle was left off the naming roster.

49. Insurance spokeslizard : GECKO. Annoying little bugger, I have to say.

50. Islamic ruling : FATWA

53. Lethal snakes : ASPS

54. Type of baggy '40s suit : ZOOT. Sharp!

57. President pro __ : TEM. From the Latin "pro tempore" "for the time being".

59. Annoy : IRK

61. Apt answer for this puzzle location : END. I *think* this clue was probably intended to read "Apt answer for this clue location". It doesn't make a whole lot of sense otherwise.

That's about it. No St. Patrick's jollity for me today - I'll be en route between San Jose and San Diego. I'll save my fun for the weekend when I get back to LA.

Be careful out there!

Steve

Aaaaanddddd ... here's the grid.

Wednesday, March 16 2016, Kurt Krauss

Theme:  

 16. Venue that keeps you up-to-date : NEWS CHANNEL. Channel Islands. Chain of eight islands off the coast of Southern California.

27. Tropical cocktail whose color comes from curaçao liqueur : BLUE HAWAIIAN. Hawaiian Islands.

47. Chaste priestess of ancient Rome : VESTAL VIRGIN. Virgin Islands. Wikipedia: The Virgin Islands are the western island group of the Leeward Islands, which are the northern part of the Lesser Antilles, and form the border between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.

61. Biblical wise man : KING SOLOMON. Solomon Islands. Interesting.

37. This puzzle's theme, as suggested by the ends of 16-, 27-, 47- and 61-Across : ISLANDS

Melissa here. Very do-able but messed myself up a bit in the west with a few too-eager guesses. Didn't catch the theme until I had all but one theme answer filled in. Nicely done 37a ISLANDS right in the center.

Across         
 
1. Latte option : MOCHA. If you add chocolate syrup to a latte, you get a mocha.

6. Difficult position : SPOT

10. It's cut and dried : HAY. Love this clue.

13. Loud, as a crowd : AROAR
 
14. African city where pounds are spent : CAIRO. Capital of Egypt.

15. Tree feller : AXE
 
18. __ Tin Tin : RIN
 
19. Hunk : SLAB
 
20. Really bother : IRK
 
21. Bus terminal : DEPOT
 
23. "Beaches" actress Midler : BETTE
 
25. Canadian stadium renamed Rogers Centre in 2005 : SKY DOME
 
30. First name in game shows : VANNA. Fooled me, was reaching for a male's name, like Monte.
 
31. Work-wk. start : MON
 
32. Basic Latin conjugation word : AMAT
 
36. "Got it, man?" : DIG
 
41. Big heart? : ACE. Nice clue.
 
42. Ladies of Sp. : SRA'S. Senoritas.
 
44. Chicago's __ Center : AON. I had no idea about this building.
 
45. Elena of the Supreme Court : KAGAN
 
51. Record covers : SLEEVES
 
54. "__ a stinker?": Bugs Bunny : AINT I
 
55. Upright, e.g. : PIANO. Fooled me. Tried ERECT first.
 
56. Bow (out) : OPT
 
57. Disaster relief org. : FEMA
 
60. Longtime football commentator Cross : IRV
 
65. Actress Charlotte : RAE
 
66. Where to learn une leçon : ECOLE. French. Une leçon = a lesson; ecole = school.

67. Practical joke : PRANK
 
68. CIA forerunner : OSS
 
69. "Man, you are not serious!" : DUDE
 
70. Rocker Patty married to John McEnroe : SMYTH
 
Down
 
1. 24 Hours of Le __: auto race : MANS. Oldest active sports car endurance race, held annually since 1923 near the town of Le Mans, France.
 
2. Hurler Hershiser : OREL
 
3. Ninja Turtle's "Awesome!" : COWABUNGA
 
4. Faded star : HAS BEEN
 
5. Curved part : ARC
 
6. Went under : SANK
 
7. Alley target : PIN
 
8. Load from a lode : ORE
 
9. "Shoulda listened to me!" : TOLD 'YA
 
10. Silent Marx : HARPO
 
11. Assumed truth : AXIOM
 
12. "Fiddler on the Roof" matchmaker : YENTE. Always try to put an A or L at the end.

14. Hall of Fame infielder Rod : CAREW
 
17. Words before homer or brick wall : HIT A
 
22. Novelist Ferber : EDNA
 
24. Takeout option : THAI. Tried To Go, which makes no sense, then Taco ...
 
25. "The Da Vinci Code" priory : SION. I'm probably the only person who never read any of Dan Brown's books. Wikipedia.

26. Warm-hearted : KIND
 
27. Some undies : BVD'S
 
28. Lion's den : LAIR
 
29. Range maker : AMANA
 
33. Rod Stewart classic with the line "You stole my heart but I love you anyway" : MAGGIE MAY
 
34. Trendy berry : ACAI
 
35. Ky. neighbor : TENN
 
38. Postage-paid enc. : SASE. Self-addressed stamped envelope.
 
39. Gobs : LOTS
 
40. Banana peel : SKIN
 
43. Kristoff's reindeer in "Frozen" : SVEN
 
46. Sculpture or ballet : ART FORM
 
48. Brought forth : EVOKED
 
49. Run out : LAPSE
 
50. Corleone patriarch : VITO
 
51. Veep between Hubert and Gerald : SPIRO
 
52. Turkish coins : LIRAS
 
53. Some nest sites : EAVES. Barn swallows like to nest in eaves.

 56. Give the eye : OGLE
 
58. __ Blanc: tallest Alp : MONT
 
59. Egyptian cross : ANKH
 
62. Post-ER area : ICU. Intensive Care Unit.

63. Sign of approval : NOD
 
64. Old DJ's records : LP'S

Note from C.C.:

Please click here to see a few pretty azalea pictures D-Otto took yesterday. What did you see in the first two pictures? D-Otto said "The one with the cat under it isn't an azalea, but it is spectacular looking."