Friday, March 11, 2016, Jeffrey Wechsler

Theme: Pull up a chair and sit a spell at my table.

We are back to having a Friday JW challenge and this one is a visual that really demands having the circles. The reveal; 61A. Item graphically depicted by this puzzle's circles : TABLE, advises that you are looking for a representation of a table. The letters in the circles describe a type of table. You must do this on paper or a site with circles. The six tables, running in three sets of pairs West to East are: BACCARAT-DRESSING, PARLOR-DINNER, DRAFTING-BILLIARD.  The top two pair of tables and bottom two are 4 across with three down legs, while the middle are four by two. We have triple seven stacks in every corner and have a total of 19! seven letter fill. PC CARDS,  DRONE ON, SPOILER,  PER DIEM,  TARTARE, HESSIAN, ABETTOR, ORIENTS,  PACKS ON,  HE'S A MAN,  CODEINE,  POOL BOY, LOFTING, LOAF TIN, GILLIAN,  CARTING, UNITARD,  OLD GAGS and. REBINDS. No fill is more than seven letters. JW still likes multi-word fill, so let's see what he did to fool you today.

Across:

1. Notebook memory devices : PC CARDS. We start with a tricky phrase. A PC Card (previously known as a PCMCIA card) is a credit card-size memory or I/O device that fits into a personal computer, usually a notebook or laptop computer. Probably the most common use of a PC Card is the telecommunications modem for notebook computers. Per whatis.techtarget.com.

8. "The butler did it," maybe : SPOILER. Alert, poor Carson.

15. Tuna preparation : TARTARE. The latest RECIPE.

16. Revolutionary War mercenary : HESSIAN. The German mercenaries hired by the British.

17. Getaway driver, e.g. : ABETTOR.

18. Sets right : ORIENTS. This was hard, though accurate when you think align or position (something) relative to the points of a compass or other specified positions.

19. Suitor : SWAIN. An old timey word, which in keeping with Jerome's comments  derives from Old Norse sveinn ‘lad.’

20. Sediment : DREGS.

21. War on Poverty org. : OEO. Office of Economic Opportunity, part of LBJ's Great Society.

23. __ Chess: video game : WII. Their promotion, ""Wii sounds like 'we,' which emphasizes this console is for everyone. Wii can easily be remembered by people around the world, no matter what language they speak. No confusion. No need to abbreviate. Just Wii."

24. Gains quickly, as weight : PACKS ON.

28. Opening track on Madonna's album "I'm Breathless" : HE' S A MAN.

33. First name in folk : ARLO.

34. Book after Micah : NAHUM. The prophets. LINK.

36. Simba's mate : NALA. Lion King.

37. Fruit cocktail ingredients : PEARS. I like the cherries, but there were never enough.

39. Little troublemaker : IMP. He's coming back soon. LINK.

40. __ child : INNER. Bradshaw was a smash for a while.

41. Symposium group : PANEL.

42. Children's author Asquith : ROS.  ASQUITH is an important name in British political history but Ros does CARTOONS and kiddie books.

43. Raison __ : D'ETRE.  Similar to one's mission in life, literally French for "reason to be."

44. Attack : ASSAIL.

46. Aids to sure footing : CLEATS. Important for football, both kinds.

47. Employee with a skimmer : POOL BOY. Apparently a number of movies have been about this profession. This ONE is supposed to be fun starring Hercules.

51. Sputnik reporter : TASS.

55. Target of blue sky laws : FRAUD. Securities laws which require many layers of disclosures for both registered and unregistered  shares. They are enacted by the states.

56. Egg holders : SACS.

60. __ chamber : ECHO.

62. Tennis legend : ASHE. Arthur.

63. Bakeware item : LOAF TIN. I use them more for meat loaf than bread.

65. David's "X-Files" co-star : GILLIAN. Duchovny and Anderson.

67. Sanitation service : CARTING. Huh? Here we call those bulk pick up days.

68. Gym suit : UNITARD.Oh, we did make fun of them, but had to wear them to wrestle. Ours were not so creative.

69. Inducers of more groans than guffaws : OLD GAGS.

70. Strengthens the spine of : REBINDS.

Down:

1. Educational gp. : PTA. Parent Teachers Association.

2. Fleet on the street : CABS. Nice imagery.

3. J. follower : CREW. This retailer started as a catalog store.

4. "__ girl!" : ATTA.

5. Pi and others : RATIOS. Nice clue.

6. Lecture boringly : DRONE ON.

7. Sun. delivery : SERmon.

8. "Nurse Jackie" network, in TV listings : SHOwtime. Edie Falco again this week.

9. Fixed expense : PER DIEM. Fixed in the sense of being for a day. Latin.

10. Underworld deity : OSIRIS. Know your Egyptian gods.

11. "Of course" : I SEE.

12. Duck tail? : LING. Cute and better than half a Panda.

13. Greasy spoon sign word : EATS.

14. OR personnel : RNS. Registered Nurses.

22. Studio caution : ON AIR. Twice this week.

23. Gives a Dixie lickin' : WHUPS.

24. __ al pomodoro: Tuscan soup : PAPPA.  I like soups. RECIPE 2.

25. Regions : AREAS.

26. Blood groups? : CLANS. Tricky.

27. Former country on its own peninsula : KOREA. The two countries were created by the post-WWII power brokering of the US and the Soviets when they stripped the country from Japan.

29. Year abroad : ANNEE. More French.

30. Wide swimmer : MANTA. I have a video of me petting them last summer.

31. Warn : ALERT.

32. Rhinoplasty concerns : NARES. Just the Latin plural of Naris, the nostril.

35. Aetna offering : HMO.

38. Omission, say : SLIP.

40. How casual thoughts are offered : IDLY.

45. Hitting up : LOFTING. The best golf shot of my life was a 60 degree over a tree landing on the green at La Costa. After watching me play mediocre golf all day, my caddy was amazed.

46. Tylenol 3 component : CODEINE. A natural part of the poppy, the name is derived from the Greek word kodeia (κώδεια) for "poppy head".

48. Sumatran swingers : ORANGS.

49. Curie workplace : LAB. Madame.This Polish born chemist/physicist was a trly amazing person.

50. Durum wheat cereal : BULGUR. I think these are two different kinds of wheat, but then I never ate my Wheaties.

51. A T & T e.g. : TELCO.

52. "His nose ... is like __ of fire": "Henry V" : A COAL. JW gets his Shakespeare.

53. Broken piece : SHARD. 58D. White option, briefly : CHARDonnay. I prefer the beet clue.

54. Generous feature? : SOFT G. A simple but effective deception.

56. 1972 missile pact : SALT I. From memory, Strategic Arms Limitation Talks.

57. Like India and Pakistan : ASIAN. The 26th annual Asian Festival at Fruit and Spice Park in Homestead this past week end was great. This GROUP with a full complement of 18 drummers wowed us and the rest of the crowd there.

59. FedExes : SENDS.

64. __ Maria : TIA.

66. Bldg. where much research is done : LIBrary.

Welcome back to Friday JW and thank you for another creative work. Don't forget to turn your clocks ahead everyone and we will see you next week. Lemonade out.

Thursday, March 10th 2016 C.C. Burnikel

Theme: Chatterboxes - the ends of the four entries are described thus:

41D. Ultimate authority ... or what's hidden in the answers to starred clues : FINAL SAY

Which are: 

17A. *Star of Comedy Central's "Insomniac" : DAVE ATTELL. The mark of a good crossword is great crosses, or, as some say, solid perps. I don't know this gentleman, but I didn't miss a beat. Most of it was filled in for me when I went back to it.

61A. *Home business? : REAL ESTATE. Seems to have been boom or bust in my neighborhood over the last 20 years. Right now it seems to be tear down, build the biggest house on the smallest lot and wonder why you're having an open house every weekend for months.

11D. *Popular cosmetic moisturizer : SHEA BUTTER. Making a comeback? Just cropped up last week.

28D. *Leonardo DiCaprio feature : WIDOW'S PEAK. Didn't see it, not sure I'd heard of it. I parsed it as WIDOW SPEAK until I saw sense. Leo got his Oscar for "The Revenant" a couple of weeks ago, to the relief of all his fans.

Salut! Here's a C.C. Thursday with an interesting across/down theme layout. Two 10's horizontally, two 10's vertically mix things up a little. I really liked that the reveal didn't come until way late in the process and helped me with the missing De Caprio entry.

Let's see what else we've got:

Across:

1. Aboveboard : LEGIT. Had LEGAL first, as I wasn't expecting slangy/something from the clue. Fixed it quickly, but caused a hesitation.

6. Triumphant cries : HAHS. AHAS went in, AHAS came out. This was my tough section. I really need to remember how to spell ACAI (not with a "K") and RUNS LAPS just slotted right in there. Good Thursday stuff.

10. Hurdle for a jr. : PSAT. I was never a jr., let alone a sr. so this whole xSAT thing was alien to me. I'm slowly getting to grips with it now.

14. Lose some ground : ERODE

15. Berry rich in antioxidants : ACAI. Not K. Self-slap upside the head.

16. "Pygmalion" author : SHAW. GBS, or George Bernard. Adapted for a screenplay for the musical "My Fair Lady" with the lovely Audrey Hepburn.

19. Sleek, in car talk : AERO-

20. Best replacement? : STARR. Pete Best. Ringo Starr. We had a chat about "Fifth Beatles" last week. Another of the "Fifth Beatles", producer George Martin, passed away yesterday.

21. Exercises, in a way : DOES LAPS. RUNS LAPS caused me a wobble.

23. Daily Planet VIP : LOIS. I think VIP is a stretch for Lois. She's a beat reporter for the paper.

25. Insensitive : NUMB

26. "The Good Wife" field : LAW. Perps, I salute you.

29. Man cave fixture : SMART TV. Does this mean my home office is a man cave? Maybe I'd better install a couple of beer taps and a refrigerator.

32. Caller in a mask : UMPire. If someone argues a call and he gets mad, is that Ump ire?

35. Get up : ARISE

37. Dupe : FOOL

38. "bye 4 now" : TTYL. Talk To You Later. Although I generally h8 txtspeak, this one is handy.

39. Praise : KUDOS

40. Big letters in home security : ADT. The big question is how many homes displaying the warning signs are actually connected to the network?

41. Islamic decree : FATWA. "Satanic Verses" author Salman Rushdie was a high-profile recipient of a fatwa against his life. If you've not read "Midnight's Children" that won him the Booker Prize for fiction,  you might like to try it out. It's quite amazing.

42. "Of __ curls on calmed brows": E.B. Browning : EBON

43. City where Perry's flagship Niagara is exhibited : ERIE. Three times this week - popular place!

44. "Which is to say ... " : I MEAN

45. Viewed : SAW

46. 1988 Oscar winner for Best Picture : RAIN MAN

48. Bread for Reubens : RYE. Hmmmm - capitalized "R" seems a little bit ... not quite right. That reminds me - next Thursday is St. Patrick's Day, and I've got 12lbs of brisket brining in the refrigerator for corned beef. I'll let you know how it turns out!

49. Roasting aid : SPIT

51. Shutter piece : SLAT

53. Smooches : LIP LOCKS. Fun, slangy entry.

57. Justice Kagan : ELENA

60. Snack with a Thins variety : OREO. Snack/Treat/Sandwich staple.

64. Layer on a wall : COAT

65. Not again? : ONCE

66. Mall map symbol : ARROW

67. Press supplies : INKS. Long may there be presses and ink. Nothing beats a book to hold or a newspaper to fold.

68. Got up : WOKE

69. "I rock!" : YAY ME! I got this answer! Woo Hoo!

Down:

1. Spearheaded : LED

2. Big Band and Swing : ERAS

3. C-SPAN subject : GOVT. Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network - no wonder there's an abbreviation for that. Cool that they kept the hyphen.

4. Often unreachable goal : IDEAL

5. Fragrant hybrid blooms : TEA ROSES. A seemingly unending array of names can be found here. In honor of my home state, this is "California Dreamin'":

6. Bean topper? : HAT

7. Didn't have to putt on : ACED. Hole-in-one. In a touching moment, this last Monday pro golfer Ricky Fowler made an ace for $1M playing in Ernie Els' charity tournament in aid of autism research. Els has an autistic son and almost bear-hugged Fowler to death before throwing him into the crowd.

8. Angel hair topper : HALO. Great clue. I made pesto on Saturday and wanted that that to fit! Basil, pine nuts, garlic, olive oil, parmesan cheese. (Psst! Add blanched spinach leaves and you'll have the greenest pesto you've ever seen).

9. 10-Down feature : SILENT "L"

10. Item in a five-section Bible book : PSALM. Nice pairing.

12. Boomer advocacy group : AARP. Baby Boomers. It's not abbreviated any more - the company name is AARP, not A.A.R.P.

13. Ark units : TWOS. Don't cubits some into play somewhere as well?

18. Tidy cut : TRIM

22. Lexus GX, e.g. : S.U.V.

24. Exotic vacation : SAFARI. I'm currently reading Paul Theroux's "Dark Star Safari" and learned that the word simply means "journey" in Swahili. Nothing to do with wildlife.

26. Lures for anglers? : LAKES. Lovely clue.

27. Its capital is Oranjestad : ARUBA. This is one great example of a clue. My thought process was as follows: You can probably surmise that "Orangestad" might be Dutch, although this is not a city you've ever heard of. So you're narrowing down the possibilities to the Netherlands themselves or the Dutch colonies. The East Indies, Indonesia, East Africa - nope, drawing a blank. Then - whoa! The Caribbean! Didn't the Dutch have .... yeah! Aruba! 69A!

30. "The Kiss" sculptor : RODIN. LIP LOCK!

31. Symbols on poles : TOTEMS

33. Classic hit that begins "And now, the end is near" : MY WAY. Frank Sinatra. Thumper.

34. Control tower concern : PLANE

36. Lad : SON

38. Highland cap : TAM

43. Issue an embarrassing retraction : EAT CROW. Someday I'm going to try crow to see if it's so bad.

46. 2016 Olympics city : RIO

47. On the safer side : ALEE. The quiet side of the island.

50. Maps out : PLOTS

52. Aquarium fish : TETRA

53. Point sets, in math : LOCI. There's a reason my head hit the desk in math classes.

"... ellipses with foci (a,0), (-a, 0) whose generic member we pass through the point (0,t). We look at the locus of the points of intersection of the tangent through the point (b,0)."

On the upside, I did remember enough that when I met Buzz Aldrin at a football game I could casually mention that I was impressed that he basically did a doctorate in orbital physics without ever having to write anything down.

54. One is often used in the rough : IRON. Not me. I had a magic club made by a friend of mine in England that was basically a 5-wood with some voodoo built into it. Unless I couldn't actually see the ball, this thing would work wonders.

55. Ball game : KENO

56. Santa's burden : SACK

58. __ a one : NARY

59. Tiny energy source : ATOM. Packs a punch, though. It's almost 30 years since the Chernobyl power plant almost made the through-the-earth trip to the antipodes.

62. Finch creator : LEE. Atticus. Harper. "Go Set A Watchman" topped the 2015 Publisher's Weekly bestseller list for fiction.

63. Woolly mom : EWE

And ....... I think that about covers it.

Except .. here's the grid.

Steve

Wednesday, March 9, 2016 Bruce Haight

Theme: Will my do do for you? The second words of common two-word phrases are relocated to a common location, as indicated by the unifier, so let's start there.

62. Permanent place, and a hint to the ends of the answers to starred clues : HAIR SALON.  Nice play on "permanent" indicating something of long duration, or, as in this case, a coif treatment. The SALON, of course, is the place where it all happens.

17. *Seriously indoctrinate : BRAIN WASH.  Generally BRAIN WASHING involves some radical or extreme set of ideas, and some powerful coaxing.  A HAIR WASH might be the first step in the SALON's process.

21. *Improvised rap : FREE STYLE.  New usage to me, but it's a real thing.  HAIR STYLE is the way the actual tresses are arranged.

28. *Risqué : OFF COLOR.  Of questionable taste, not suitable for polite company, or as we say here: DF.  The phrase evidently arose ca. 1860 in the diamond industry, referring to stones that are not pure white or of any definite color, and therefore of poor quality.  Hair COLORing is a SALON service.

37. *Weight-training exercise : BICEP CURL.   Demonstrated below.  People with straight HAIR want to acquire a CURL.  This seems to work the other way, as well.

49. *Markdown : PRICE CUT.  Of course, those of us with HAIR need to have it CUT occasionally, even if, as in my case, there's not a lot of it.  A PRICE CUT means you can save money on your purchase - but not as much as if you opt not to make it.

56. *Brand created in Toronto in 1904 : CANADA DRY.  Soft drinks.  And drying the HAIR is what completes the process.

Hi gang - JazzBumpa here, doing my part, so to speak.  With 6 theme entries plus a unifier, this puzzle is unusually thematically rich.  Let's see if we can make it through without getting either clipped or locked up.

Across

1. Computer whose 27-inch version has a Retina 5K display : I-MAC.  Apple product.

5. Down in the mouth : BLUE.  As in "I haz a sad."

9. Rum-soaked cakes : BABAS.  Yo ho ho!

14. Part of rock's CSNY : NASH.  Graham, of Crosby, Stills, NASH and Young.

15. Midterm, e.g. : TEST.  Usually we get EXAM.

16. Eel, to a sushi chef : UNAGI.   If you say so.

19. 13-Down actress Normand : MABEL. [1892-1930]  She collaborated with Mack Sennett.

The Queen of Comedy

20. Miracle-__ : GRO.  Plant food.

23. Medical screening system : TRIAGE.   The assignment of degrees of urgency to prioritize the treatment of a large number of patients.

26. Tell (on) : RAT.  Spill the beans.

27. Fiver : FIN.  Slang for a $5 bill.

31. Hill-building stinger : RED ANT.

Not only that - they're also communists

33. LAX summer setting : Pacific Daylight Time.

34. Director Kazan : ELIA.   Elias Kazantzoglou [September 7, 1909 – September 28, 2003] brought us On The Waterfront, East of Eden, and many more films.

36. "Blue Bloods" actor Will : ESTES.

Will testament

40. Nurse at a bar : SIP ON.   Another nice word play.

43. 1956 Mideast crisis site : SUEZ.  Seems like it's always a crisis in that part of the world.

44. Mensa concerns : IQ'S.  Intelligence Quotient.

47. Hometown of the Ivy League's Big Red : ITHACA.  Cornell University.

52. Chinese menu general : TSO.  Of chicken fame.

53. Nev. neighbor : IDAho.

55. Binges : SPREES.

60. Chow line? : ARF.   Chow is a dog variety, and ARF is the line it speaks.

61. More than chubby : OBESE.  Seriously over weight.

66. "__ Black" : MEN IN.   Will Smith movie.

67. River to the English Channel : ORNE.  In French Normandy.  

68. "Don't look at me" : NOT I.   Somebody else did it.

69. Brown ermine : STOAT.  Either way, it's a weasel.

70. Hard to box in, ironically : CAGY.  Secretive, cautious, wary, noncommittal.

71. 52 Pickup need : DECK.  Playing cards. 

Down

1. Having five sharps, musically : IN B.  B Major, specifically - not a common key, and quite awkward on the trombone.  The notes in the scale are B, C#, D#, E, F#, G#, A#, B.  

2. Scratch, say : MAR.  Cause a defect.

3. At no cost : AS A GIFT.  Freebie.

4. President before Sarkozy : CHIRAC.   Jaques, b. 1932, president from 1995 - 2007.

5. Digression lead-in, in texts : By The Way.

6. Table extension : LEAF.

7. Cold War initials : USSR.  Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, where many of the residents had red aunts.

8. Early anesthetic : ETHER.

9. Foul tip? : BUM STEER.   Word play for a bit of bad advice.

10. Med. school subject : ANATomy.

11. Newborn's natural insulator : BABY FAT.   Still - you shouldn't leave them out in the cold.

12. Botox target : AGE LINE.   Wrinkle.

13. Films that usually had live music : SILENTS.

18. Scrubbed, at NASA : NO GO.

22. Word with bud or flap : EAR.  For a personal music device or hat.

23. Bikini part : TOP.   Usually it's BRA.

24. Country mail svc. : Rural Free Delivery.

25. Utility abbr. : ELECtricity.

29. Chihuahua cheers : OLES.   Not a dog this time, but a state in the United States of Mexico, or the capital city of that state.

30. Tear to pieces : RIP UP.

32. ISP option : Digital Subscriber Line - technology used to transmit data over phone lines..

35. Service pro : ACER.  Tennis, I assume.

37. Feathery neckwear : BOA.

38. Contentious border happening : INCIDENT.

39. Israeli guns : UZIS.

40. "Maude," "Phyllis" and "Rhoda" : SIT-COMS.

41. "You're on!" : IT'S A BET.   Wagering agreement.

42. Dir. assistance info : PHONE NO.

44. Frozen floater : ICE FLOE.   Berg also fits.

45. "¿__ pasa?" : QUE.  What's happening? in Chihuahua.

46. Beale and Bourbon: Abbr. : STreetS.  Bourbon is in Nashville, Beale is in Memphis.

48. Canine care gp.? : American Dental Association, which apparently is not going to the dogs.

50. Tax time VIPs : CPAS.  Certified Public Accountants.

51. Thing to run : ERRAND.  Places to go, things to do, people to see.

54. For this purpose : AD HOC, as a committee.

57. Pacific Rim continent : ASIA.  Large, with lots of people.

58. Avis modifier : RARA.   Rare bird.

59. Hip-hop's __ Yang Twins : YING.   Of whom I know nothing.

63. King of Spain : REY.

64. Non-Rx : Over The Counter.

65. Neat ending? : -NIK.  Referring to someone overly fussy about keeping things in order.  Well, I'm not fond of this type of affix clue, so we end on my nit-NIK.

We have 22 each of 3 and 4 letter fill, giving the puzzle a Monday-level average word length.  But that's the kind of trade off you face with so much themeage. Nothing ever comes for free.  Overall, a nicely done puzzle.

Cool regards!
JzB

Tuesday, March 8, 2016 C.W. Stewart

Theme: Where there's smoke... - The reveal word is split open and bookends the theme entries.

17A. *Motorist's headache : FLAT TIRE

23A. *Enjoy, with "in" : FIND PLEASURE

30A. *Recap on a sports crawl line : FINAL SCORE

42A. *Kids' introduction to a full school day : FIRST GRADE

46A. *Red-carpet movie event : FILM PREMIERE

60A. "Chestnuts roasting" spot ... and a hint to a divided word found in the answers to starred clues : OPEN FIRE

Argyle here. 1 F-IRE, 3 FI-RE, and 1 FIR-E. A clean looking grid. Easy-peasy but not condescending. A good fit for a Tuesday.

Across:

1. Succotash bean : LIMA. Fresh corn, lima beans and other shelled beans of your choosing.

5. Make a decision : OPT

8. Within reach : AT HAND

14. Tree of Life garden : EDEN

15. Like much sushi : RAW

16. Set of lines on personal stationery : HEADER

19. DNA sample source : SALIVA

20. Vietnamese New Year : TET. Tết Nguyên Đán

21. Dutch South African : BOER. (Dutch: “husbandman,” or “farmer”)

22. Censor's cover-up : [BLEEP!]

26. Counting everything : IN ALL

29. Part of DJIA: Abbr. : AVG. (Dow Jones Industrial Average)

34. Phi __ Kappa : BETA

38. Took wing : FLEW

39. Toward the back of the boat : AREAR

40. Physics class subject : ATOM

41. Evergreen shrubs : YEWS. Ireland's oldest tree, the Silken Thomas Yew, is 700–800 years old.



National Seminary - St. Patricks College Maynooth



44. Religious sch. : SEM. (seminary)

45. Wrinkle-resistant synthetic : ORLON

53. TV studio sign : [ON AIR]

54. Either of two Henry VIII wives : ANNE. Anne Boleyn or Anne of Cleves.

55. Lacking light : DIM

58. Victimized lieutenant in "Othello" : CASSIO. Iago(bad guy) insinuates that Cassio(young stud) is having an affair with Othello's wife(untrue).

62. Election surprises : UPSETS

63. 1921 robot play : R.U.R. [Rossumovi Univerzální Roboti (Rossum's Universal Robots)]

64. Pennsylvania port : ERIE

65. Mall directory listings : STORES

66. "What was __ do?" : I TO

67. Lemon peel : ZEST

Down:

1. It's not right : LEFT

2. Just hanging around : IDLE

3. Vegan no-no : MEAT. 57D. Swimming event : MEET

4. Wee hill builder : ANT. The builder may be wee but the hill, not so much.

5. Hunter constellation : ORION

6. Peeled with a knife : PARED

7. Punk : TWERP

8. Massage responses : AHs

9. Lipton packet : TEA BAG

10. Concert auditoriums : HALLS

11. Bordeaux bye : ADIEU

12. Not even once : NEVER

13. Hang loosely, as on a clothesline : DRAPE

18. Govt. security : T-BILL

23. Character weaknesses : FLAWS

24. "__ Theme": "Doctor Zhivago" song : LARA'S

25. Three-time Wimbledon champ Chris : EVERT. Three-time married, now single, living in Florida.

26. Up in the air : IFFY

27. Aswan High Dam river : NILE

28. Once again : ANEW

31. Less dangerous : SAFER

32. Burglary, for one : CRIME

33. "The Star-Spangled Banner" contraction : O'ER

34. Ballerina's rail : BARRE

35. List-ending abbr. : ET AL.

36. __ list: chores : TO DO

37. "I'm with you!" : "AMEN!"

43. "The Elements of Bridge" author Charles : GOREN

44. 7UP rival : SPRITE

46. Sharpen the image in the viewfinder : FOCUS

47. Ill-suited : INAPT. Better than UNAPT, eh?

48. Rodeo rope : LASSO

49. Penny pincher : MISER

50. New Zealand native : MAORI

51. Data to be entered : INPUT

52. January, to José : ENERO. March, to José : MARZO

55. Desperate : DIRE

56. Commonly purple bloom : IRIS

59. '40s spy org. : OSS. (Office of Strategic Services)

61. Shriner's hat : FEZ

Argyle

Monday, March 7, 2016 David Poole

Theme: M C. The theme is two words; first begins with M and the second begins with C.

17A. C-E-G triad, e.g. : MAJOR CHORD

25A. 20th-century Greek-American soprano : MARIA CALLAS

35A. Asian language spoken by nearly a billion people : MANDARIN CHINESE

47A. Aladdin's transport : MAGIC CARPET

56A. Rochester medical center : MAYO CLINIC

62A. Toastmaster, and a homophonic hint to this puzzle's five longest answers : EMCEE

Argyle here. I wonder if MAC was the original theme but didn't work out.

Across:

1. Garbage : TRASH

6. Ziploc bag feature : SEAL

10. Catcher's glove : MITT

14. "Slumdog Millionaire" country : INDIA

15. Electrically flexible : AC/DC

16. Not-so-nice smell : ODOR

19. Bandleader Arnaz : DESI

20. Certain Himalayan : NEPALI

21. __ Corps : PEACE

22. High dudgeon : IRE. Haven't seen this old timer in awhile.

27. Singer Etheridge : MELISSA

29. Little fruit pie : TART

30. Prayer ender : AMEN

31. Commercial suffix with Sun and Star : KIST. OJ and tuna.

32. __ Angeles : LOS

40. Place for a mani-pedi : SPA

41. Trent of politics : LOTT. Mississippian.

42. Make a soufflé : BAKE

43. Accompanied by : WITH

44. "Get lost!" : "AMSCRAY!". (Pig Latin)

51. FDR agency : NRA. (National Recovery Administration)

52. Make up (for) : ATONE

53. Orange veggie : CARROT

55. Allow to borrow : LEND

60. Starbucks tea brand : TAZO. Any partakers?

61. Unknown author: Abbr. : ANON

63. Load in a hold : STOW

64. Nine-digit IDs : SSNs. (Social Security Number)

65. Uncool group : NERDS

Down:

1. Buzz Lightyear voice actor __ Allen : TIM

2. Genetic material : RNA

3. Wd. modifying a noun : ADJective

4. Priory of __: "The Da Vinci Code" conspirators : SION. French fraternal organization.

5. Women-only residences : HAREMs

6. Nearly one-third of Africa : SAHARA

7. Often harmful bacteria : E-COLI

8. Sea between Italy and Albania : ADRIATIC

9. Calculator image, for short : LCD. (liquid-crystal display)

10. Ford made only in black from 1914-1925 : MODEL T

11. Perfect : IDEAL

12. Puccini opera : TOSCA

13. Makes an effort : TRIES

18. IRS pros : CPAs. (Certified Public Accountant)

21. Trilogy's first section : PART I

22. Mosque leaders : IMAMs

23. Chart anew : REMAP

24. Kagan of the Supreme Court : ELENA

26. Bills and coins : CASH

28. Not Rep. or Dem. : INDependent

31. Only chess piece that can jump others: Abbr. : KNT. (Knight)

32. Hear (of) : LEARN

33. Schindler of "Schindler's List" : OSKAR

34. "Ta-ta" : "SEE YA"

36. "Through the Looking-Glass" girl : ALICE

37. Univ. military org. : ROTC

38. Cornell University townies : ITHACANS

39. "The Blacklist" network : NBC

43. Place for a pane : WINDOW

44. Cooks' splatter protectors : APRONS

45. Sable automaker, briefly : MERC. Gone the way of the Model T now.

46. Pilfered : STOLEN

47. Fountain treats : MALTS

48. Really got to : ATE AT

49. Purple-blue Muppet with a hooked nose : GONZO

50. Silky synthetic : RAYON

54. "Person of the Year" magazine : TIME

56. Bell and Barker : MAs

57. ATM maker : NCR

58. Mil. roadside hazard : IED. (improvised explosive device)

59. These, in France : CES

Argyle

Sunday March 6, 2016 Ed Sessa

Theme:  "Bull Session" - BLE is added to each theme answer. My *BLE pronunciation is different from the "bull" sound. How about yours?

11A. Lowly glowworm? : HUMBLE BUG. Humbug.

23A. Turkey's affectionate peck? : GOBBLE SMACK. Gobsmack. I've only used "gobsmacked".

36A. Beach brawl? : MALIBU RUMBLE. Malibu rum.

44A. Lens cover for a low Earth orbiter? : HUBBLE CAP. Hubcap.

65A. "Those are stone fragments, all right"? : AY, THERE'S THE RUBBLE. Ay, there's the rub.

88A. Mogul mishap? : SKI BUMBLE. Ski bum. Great clue.

93A. Slip while washing dishes? : SPONGE BOBBLE. SpongeBob.

112A. Warning about an escaped horse? : STABLE ALERT. Stay alert. This is the only one that has spelling change.

119A. Henry VI's "O, God forgive my sins, and pardon thee!"? : NOBLE EXIT. No Exit.

Unusual first themer placement today. Normally HUMBLE BUG will be placed in 25-Across spot. 11A and 22A are broken into two. 

Mr. Ed, who has  plenty of themeless experiences, took a bold approach. Those triple stacks of 9's on the top right and lower left are hard to fill in cleanly.

Across:

1. Fours, on most Augusta National holes : PARS. On most other courses as well.

5. Gauguin's island retreat : TAHITI

20. Mine, in Montreal : A MOI Also 61A. French postcard word : AVION. 13D. Marne moms : MERES And 104. To be, to a Breton : ETRE. Hello Splynter!

21. Old block seller : ICEMAN. Ice block.

22. Spy : OPERATIVE. And 30. Spy mission, for short : RECON

 

25. Source of a fond melody : SERENADER. Needed crosses for both of the 9's.

26. Prefix with arthritis : OSTEO. Other than apple cider vinegar and honey a try, Knox gelatin is said to be good for arthritis also.

27. Sharer of the prize : CO-WINNER

29. D, for a driver : GEAR

34. News anchor Burnett et al. : ERINs

35. Ross on a commemorative 3-cent stamp : BETSY

41. Service station offering : AIR

42. Blue-and-yellow megastore : IKEA. Sweden's national colors.

43. Snap back : RECOIL

50. Merged labor org. : CIO

51. Letter-shaped bike locks : U-BOLTS. It's just called U-locks, right?

52. Bit of information : DETAIL

53. Chicken-king link : A LA

54. Former U.N. chief : ANNAN (Kofi). Studied here at the Macalester College.

56. Three times due : SEI. Due is "two" in Italian.  Also  71A. New, to Dante : NUOVA. I only knew the Spanish NUEVO.

57. Far from choice : LOW END

58. Adds a soundtrack to : DUBS

59. Command to a boxer : SIT

63. Rips into : TEARS  AT

69. What the god Mars' symbol represents : MALE SEX. I did not know this.

72. Vote in favor : YEA

73. Leave out : OMIT

74. Some dorm accommodations : SUITES. Not my college dorm.

77. Ernest J. Keebler, for one : ELF

79. Arcade coin : TOKEN

83. Story opening? : SOB. Sob story. I was thinking of "ONCE upon a time...".

84. Early cinema sex symbol : HARLOW (Jean). Don't think I saw any of her movies. Quite severe eyebrows.

85. Makes fuzzy, as one's vision : BLEARS. Not a word I use.

87. Actress Gardner : AVA

90. Tie the knot : SAY I DO

91. Ended a flight : ALIT

92. Map abbr. : RTE

95. Footnote ref. : OP. CIT.

98. Dirty money : LUCRE

101. Reform Party candidate Perot : H. ROSS. Minnesota is a caucus state. We gave Marco Rubio his only win so far.

102. Narrow inlets : RIAs

103. Orthodontic appliance : RETAINER

106. Sources of heavenly strains? : HARPS. Great clue. Got me.

110. Halite extraction worker : SALT MINER

116. Whatever number : ONE OR MORE

117. Port SW of Buffalo, N.Y. : ERIE, PA. Nailed it.

118. Reeded instrument : OBOE

120. Stinging crawler : RED ANT

121. Crow's-nest support : MAST

Down:

1. When repeated, a Samoan port : PAGO

2. Cookie man Wally : AMOS

3. Gen. __ E. Lee : ROBT

4. Site of the world's longest railway : SIBERIA. The answer filled in itself.

5. Sudden death cause : TIE

6. Some window extensions, for short : ACs

7. Hesitant sound : HEM

8. Apple for the teacher : iMAC. Not going to touch this brand after what D-Otto went through.

9. Nogales nosh : TACO

10. Where there's a quill? : INKWELL. Another great clue.

11. Mubarak of Egypt : HOSNI. He's still alive.

12. Ivy League sch. : U PENN

14. Fox's title : BR'ER

15. PC interconnection : LAN

16. Curio case : ETAGERE. Nothing on it. But this one looks quite fancy.

17. Plumbing fixture uncommon in North America : BIDET. Kazie has one in her home.

18. Iris locations : UVEAs

19. Redistricting eponym : GERRY. Gerrymandering.

24. 1924 co-defendant : LOEB. Drew a blank, though I've heard of Leopold and Loeb.

28. Dander : IRE

31. Bus stop spot : CURB

32. Embossed cookies : OREOs

33. Berserk : NUCLEAR. New meaning of "nuclear" to me.

35. One in a wallet : BILL

36. Flaky mineral : MICA

37. Related : AKIN

38. "Worthy Fights" co-author Panetta : LEON. Don't know the book, but Panetta alone is enough.

39. Whodunit why : MOTIVE

40. Grafton's "__ for Burglar" : B IS

41. Comply with : ABIDE BY

44. Emulate Paul Bunyan : HEW

45. 4 x 4, briefly : UTE

46. Language of southern Africa : BANTU

47. Thing to fight for : CAUSE

48. Jessica of "Barely Lethal" : ALBA. She also founded The Honest Company.

49. Ago : PAST

51. Blood amounts : UNITS

52. "Pearly Shells" singer : DON HO

55. Up to now : AS YET

57. Yoga position : LOTUS

58. "The Circus of __": 1935 novel adapted into a 1964 Tony Randall film : DR LAO

60. "Ditto" : THE SAME

62. "What else __?" : IS NEW

64. Sticks by, as a stickup man : ABETS

65. Court defense : ALIBI. Not basketball court.

66. Bedroom community : EXURB

67. Soprano Lear : EVELYN. Stranger to me.

68. Capital on Interstate 40 : RALEIGH

69. Tree-hugging greenery : MOSS

70. Out of control : AMOK

75. In bed, maybe : ILL. Lots of fresh but tricky clues in this puzzle.

76. Part of a foot : TOE

78. Sound engineer's device : FADER

80. Political pundit Marvin : KALB. Wiki said he hosted "Meet the Press" for a few years. I miss David Gregory.

81. Like some film geniuses : EVIL

82. Hoopster Archibald : NATE

84. Jabba, for one : HUTT

85. Chinese steamed bun : BAO. It's Baozi. No one calls it BAO alone. Often round in shape. Actually Chinese call "steamed bun" Mantou, which are rectangular and served with every meal in Xi'an.

Baozi

Mantou

86. Prefix with call : ROBO

89. __-Myers Squibb: Big Pharma firm : BRISTOL

90. "For Hire" detective : SPENSER

91. Son of David : ABSALOM. This grid has quite a few names.

93. Mumbai mister : SRI

94. DOL division : OSHA. Department of Labor.

95. Welles of "War of the Worlds" : ORSON

96. Grand on stage : PIANO

97. Biblical spy : CALEB

98. Fine china : LENOX

99. Biological incubators : UTERI

100. Proofing mark : CARET. Also 109. Proofing mark : STET

103. Ancient mariner's story, e.g. : RIME

105. Sneak attack : RAID

107. Self-named sitcom : REBA

108. Ones in a league of their own : PROS. Another great clue.

111. GI fare : MRE

113. Emmy recipient Arthur : BEA

114. Hosp. staffer : LPN

115. Put away : EAT. Look at this Japanese New Year's food spread Martin Herbach prepared two months ago. I spotted lotus roots immediately. Sashimi on the lower right.  See the black beans on the red lacquer plate? Martin told me he soaked them for 8 hours, then simmered for 6 hours with rusty nails. I'm not kidding, Steve/Jayce. Real rusty nails. He said "I string them on pine needles from my garden and dust them with gold flakes." He's a real food connoisseur (and test-solver for the New York Times crosswords).

C.C.