Saturday, Jul 23rd, 2016, Ed Sessa

Theme: None

Words: 68 (missing F,J,Q,X,Y)

Blocks: 28

     A little over a month since we had a puzzle from Mr. Sessa, and I reviewed that construction after I completed this one.  Similar solving experience, again, with getting a few of the long fills quick, but struggling with the proper names, again.  I did find some of the "definition" clues to be somewhat off-base, but I let them slide, and finished under my personal time.  Grids were very similar, too - triple 9's in the across, and paired 11- and 10-letter fills on the 'inside' downs.  The 11-letter answers;

11. Informal talk : BULL SESSION

22. Plane lane : AIR CORRIDOR - I learned there were "lanes" when I went flying with the architect I used to work for; we flew out of ISP (MacArthur airport, Islip, LI, NY) and being so close to JFK and LGA, you really had to stay in "your" lane....

Winona, MN -> Wales, AK -> Rincón de los Sauces, Argentina~!

ACROSS:

1. One not to upset? : APPLE CART - my first pass I read this as "too"; with some crossings filled in, I realized the difference

10. Title from the Aramaic for "father" : ABBOT - seen this before in crosswords, but it didn't come to me without some crossings first

15. Subject of the 2015 Erik Larson nonfiction bestseller "Dead Wake" : LUSITANIA

16. Hurricane peril : SURGE - thought there might be a slight deception with singular/plural, and pondered WINDS

17. Perilous situation : PRECIPICE

18. Water park attraction : SLIDE - Splish Splash is right around the corner from my place, and I have been, but only once

19. Saruman soldier in "The Lord of the Rings" : ORC - this or ENT, so I left it blank

20. Guttural utterance : CROAK - not GROAN; that shows up later at 40a.

21. Bygone : OLDEN - made me change my "ASSIGNS" to ASSORTS

22. Similar : AKIN

23. Goes downhill : WORSENS - I had LESSENS at first

25. Flat-bottomed boats : DORIES - this came to mind, but I hesitated to fill it in

28. 19th-century dancer Lola : MONTEZ - no clue; this middle right section had me baffled for too long

29. Still : INERT

30. Takeout order? : MINUS SIGN

33. Poolroom powder : TALC

34. Capital of South Africa : RANDS - OK, I cheated - I have a 'money' chart in my dictionary

35. Fizz flavoring : SLOE

36. Used in an undignified way : STOOPED TO - eh.  Around here, it's more like "behaved" than "used"

38. Test on the air : PILOT - always reminds me of the post-titles scene from Pulp Fiction

39. Hags : CRONES

40. Pained reactions : GROANS

41. Four-time Depp role : SPARROW - Captain Jack, of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" films

43. Either 2010 "True Grit" director : COEN - didn't see the movie, but this was a good WAG

44. Musical instruction : "HIT IT~!"

45. Even slightly : AT ALL

47. Justice Fortas : ABE - filled via perps

50. Indicator of a private thought : ASIDE

51. Riddick portrayer : VIN DIESEL - Pitch Black was a great movie; the Chronicles not so much; did not see "Riddick" from 2013

53. __ house : MANOR - oops, not OPERA

54. They often precede garage sales : ESTIMATES - I threw in "CLEAN OUTS"; but this is the 'other' reason for emptying the garage - the future man-cave

55. Some RPI grads : ENGRs - a Spitz and Splynter shout-out

56. Fitting place for sneaks : SHOE STORE - there's a "friend of Bill W." I know who calls the last row of chairs at a 12-step meeting the "Shoe Store" - sneakers, loafers and slippers; I went on to add flip-flops

DOWN:

1. Maker of TBONZ treats : ALPO - oops, not IAMS

2. Run well : PURR

3. Minute part of a minute, for short : PSEC - I tried NSEC; a picosecond falls between a nanosecond and a femtosecond; billionth, trillionth and quadrillionth of a second

4. ID with a photo : LICense

5. iPhone movie purchase : eTICKET

6. Garb named for an island : CAPRIS - somewhere between short and pants, and now like this~!

Wolford Bella Capri

7. Cation's opposite : ANION - way too easy, so I filled it in and expected it to be wrong

8. Costa __ : RICA

9. Art form offering plenty of kicks? : TAEKWONDO - the Wiki

10. Puts into groups : ASSORTS

12. Wedding planner's nightmare : BRIDEZILLA

13. City near the Great Salt Lake : OGDEN

14. Many Beliebers : TEENS - Justin Bieber fans

24. Sisyphus' stone, e.g. : ONUS - a "pointless task" just came up in a conversation recently, and I was curious to know where the story originated - this is why I do crosswords~!  The Wiki

25. Morse "H" quartet : DITS

26. Go __ great length : ON AT

27. Changing places : RELOCATING

28. They may be thin : MINTS - red lines didn't fit

30. Stirred things up : MADE WAVES

31. "And?" : GO ON....

32. Realizes : NETS - another "eh" - I prefer GETS or SEES; 'realizes' was a s-t-r-e-t-c-h in another recent puzzle

34. First female attorney general : RENO - WAG, had the "O"

37. Pub orders : PORTERS - semi-referential to; 48d. 37-Down, e.g. : BEER

38. Minor matches : PRELIMS - funny - I switched "CLEAN OUTS" to "ESTATE---", which left the "T" at the end of this answer - and I thought a prelit match was sort of dangerous....

oh, that kind of match....

40. Best Supporting Actress two years before Cloris : GOLDIE - clues phrased like this, which are great if you know the answers, are useless if you don't - like I was.  The movie was Cactus Flower from 1969 - I'm from 1971.  IMDb

41. Disgrace : SHAME

42. Fibonacci or Galileo : PISAN - from this city....

43. Poem division : CANTO

46. Mrs. Addams, to Gomez : 'TISH - Morticia

Tish, that's Frawnche~!

47. Concerning : AS TO

49. Besides that : ELSE

52. Parental encouragement : "EAT~!!!"

Splynter

Friday, July 22, 2016, Jeffrey Wechsler

Title: Ah HA!

My Friday foil is back with an add a word edition that leaves us laughing. First, I had a blast working with Jeffrey in creating the Mel Brooks tribute puzzle. Mel certainly is one who can elicit much laugh-out-loud response. JW also has been concentrating on light-hearted themes, puns and and a good time had by all. I am getting very used to his style, his use of multiple word fill and his sense of humor. With 67 squares in the theme, and with three grid-spanners there are not many long sparkly fill, but he does squeeze in AVALANCHE,  WEB FOOTED,  THREE PUTT, and  BALD EAGLE.

17A. Convent seamstress' workshop items? : HABITS AND PIECES (15). I grew up near a convent and watched many nuns march on my street. They wore the full habit.

When my niece was three, and when she saw them walking, she asked who all the kings were.

24A. Enlightened kid? : BILLY BUDDHA (11). How cool is it that Monday's puzzle made this fill so much easier. This is my favorite theme fill--Billy Buddha...classic.

36A. Bichon Frise pack leaders? : THE FRENCH ALPHAS (15). A CSO to our now busy and hopefully rich marti who loves skiing the Alps.

48A. Sandwich in the desert? : SAHARAN WRAP (11). This seems the least inventive and most obvious pun, but perhaps the seed entry.
And the hint..(not a reveal)

57A. Request for relief, and a hint to the formation of this puzzle's four other longest answers :
I COULD USE A LAUGH (15). JW seems intent on making us laugh while we cry over some of the tougher clues.

Across:

1. It reportedly had an impact on beachgoers in 1975 : JAWS. But they forgot...

5. Pyle player : NABORS. The slackjaw picture link recently also made this easy. Raymond Burr's other half.

11. Seventh of 24 : ETA. I remembered that the greek alphabet had 24 letters.

14. Finished : OVER.

15. Got away from : EVADED.

16. Rented : LET. There were signs, room to let when I was child.

20. Viet Cong org. : NLF. National Liberation Front.


21. Zagros Mountains locale : ASIA. In Iran, a fact which I did not know, but the perps made it an easy guess.

22. Period in ads : NITE. A made-up word.

23. __ Paulo : SAO. Part of the 2016 Olympic controversy where Brazil will host 28 Olympic sports — including rugby sevens and golf, which were added by the International Olympic Committee in 2009. These sporting events will take place at 33 venues in the host city of Rio and at 5 venues in the cities of São Paulo (Brazil's largest city), Belo Horizonte, Salvador, Brasília (Brazil's capital), and Manaus. Wiki. Also, 60D. Braz. neighbor : URUguay. Uruguay is ranked first in Latin America in democracy, peace, lack of corruption, e-government,and is first in South America when it comes to press freedom, size of the middle class and prosperity. Wiki.

28. Rodeo loops, essentially : NOOSES. How macabre.

30. Cranial projections : EARS. So soon after C.C. and Tony's puzzle.

31. Deca- minus two : OCTA. This should be "minus duo."

32. Goya subject : MAJA. She is back with or without her clothes. And 26D. Gulf of California peninsula : BAJA.

33. Not yet on the sched. : TBA. To Be Announced.

41. Resting place : BED. This was so obvious that it was hard.

42. Laudatory lines : ODES.

43. 1968 self-titled folk album : ARLO. I get him often, and I never tire of complaining about his performance at Woodstock.

44. Hindu sovereign : RANI. And,  4D. Indian honorific : SRI. There was much I did not know about this WORD.

45. Called : PHONED. Home?

52. Thom McAn spec : EEE.

54. Obstruct : CLOG. Another shoe clue?

55. Suffix for those who are flush : AIRE. Flush with money, honey, Billion....

56. To the point : PAT. Another Friday I do not completely get; maybe from the definition like in a pat answer..." having been already prepared and therefore said without thinking much about the question."Dictionary.

62. Alley end? : OOP. Hyphenated in the dictionary and the mini-theme of my write up.

63. Spanning : ACROSS. Sneaky crossword clue/fill.

64. WWII Normandy battle site : ST. LO.

65. "Life Is Good" rapper : NAS. A crossword regular.

66. Weakens : BLUNTS. Definition: 2. To make less effective; weaken: blunting the criticism with a smile. v.intr.

67. Historical Cheyenne rivals : UTES. Native American Tribes.

Down:

1. St. __ University : JOHNS. I know them from Big East basketball.

2. Dramatic influx, as of fan mail : AVALANCHE. A very convoluted clue.

3. Ducky? : WEBFOOTED. A very literal clue.

5. Mysterious monster, familiarly : NESSIE.  Do you Loch these monsters?

6. Fulfills a need : AVAILS.

7. Everyday : BANAL. Followed by...

8. Not everyday : ODD.

9. Commission recipient, often : REPresentative. Generally a sales rep.

10. Deterrent announced in 1983: Abbr. : SDI. Strategic Defense Initiative.

11. Legendary Castilian hero : EL CID. I remembered the name from the Movie.

12. Effectiveness : TEETH. It is time they put some teeth into the helmet-to-helmet rule.

13. Bamboozled : AT SEA.

18. File extensions : TABS.

19. Loose __ : ENDS.

25. "Okey-doke" : YEAH.

27. River through Orsk : URAL. Twice this week.

29. Stumblebum : OAF.

31. Nev. option for pony players : OTB.  They shut down in New York, but are still out in the MECCA for gamblers.

32. Podium VIPs : MCS. Emcees, or Master of Ceremonies.

33. Green disappointment : THREE PUTT.  When Stenson three-putted the first green for bogey on Sunday, I thought that the pressure was going to get to him and Phil (who birdied) was going to get his second Claret Jug.

34. Image on cabbage? : BALD EAGLE. So many terms for MONEY.

35. Japan's largest active volcano : ASO. I really am not up on my knowledge of VOLCANOES.

37. Stormy ocean output : ROAR.

38. __ Valley: San Luis Obispo County wine region : EDNA. Nope, means nothing to me. CHAIRMAN?

39. Freudian denial : NEIN.

40. Legendary man-goat : PAN.

44. Old World Style sauce brand : RAGU. A cute old one.  LINK.

45. Vivaldi was ordained as one : PRIEST. Ordained kinda gives it away, but who knew? A puzzle with nuns and priests...How many of you recall that Vivaldi was known as "il Prete Rosso," or "the Red Priest?"  LINK.

46. Beset : HARASS.

47. Berliner's wheels, perhaps : OPEL. A German car.

48. Descendant : SCION. Also an automobile.

49. Heavy hitter in the light metals industry : ALCOA. Aluminum Company of America,

50. Court activity : HOOPS. Basketball...

51. Aired, as a sitcom : WAS ON. Endeavour which is set in the 60's, was on Sunday nights.

53. Value system : ETHOS.

58. Black __ : LAB. My son's dog is half black lab, half boxer. He is a big sweetie.

59. CXXX quintupled : DCL.

61. Sun Devils' sch. : ASU. Arizona State University,

I can't believe it is all over so soon. Welcome home Jeffrey after your foray into other days of the week. Also welcome to summer all; it is quite steamy here is So. Fla. Come visit. Lemonade out.

Thursday, July 21st, 2016 Scott Ober & Peter Koetters

Theme: A-yee, I owe you! A vowel progression runs through the five variants of the first word of the theme entries.

17A. King of the Hill winner : LAST MAN STANDING. I've been watching coverage of the Tour de France cycling race and couldn't figure out how to shoehorn a reference to the spotted jersey winner in here.

20A. Repeated phrase in Kipling's "Recessional" : LEST WE FORGET

"The tumult and the shouting dies;

   The Captains and the Kings depart:

Still stands Thine ancient sacrifice,

   An humble and a contrite heart.

Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,

Lest we forget—lest we forget!"

31A. It's rarely paid to a car dealer : LIST PRICE

48A. Recovery site? : LOST AND FOUND. Fun clue.

52A. Scholar's motivation : LUST FOR LEARNING. I had lust for other things when I was a scholar at an all-boys school. That might explain a lot.

I think this is an LAT debut for Scott Ober. We've seen Peter before, so a new collaboration  A very clean vowel progression with these five, two grid-spanners, and the double-stacking of the 15's with 12's is very neatly done. When you see stacked themers like that, you expect some less than stellar fill, but Scott and Peter managed to stack another seven-letter on the theme pair, and for a final flourish managed to interlock the three with triple seven-letter downs. Bravo!

Let's see what else we've got:

Across:

1. Alloy component : METAL

6. Twosomes : DYADS. I always pause between NYADS and DYADS. One is a water nymph, the other is what the clue is asking for.

11. Time for preparations : EVE. A little late for the majority of preparations. The eve is for last-minute refinements, or panic.

14. "It was you," in a Verdi aria : ERI TU. "It was you ... who stained the soul". From "A Masked Ball".

15. Word on mail from Spain : AEREO. Air mail.

16. Unit of RAM : MEG. A little dated now, I count my laptop RAM in gigs - 16 as we speak.

21. Certain balloter : ABSENTEE

24. "Milk's favorite cookie" : OREO

25. Phil Collins' old group : GENESIS. Here's Phil singing on the first post-Peter Gabriel Genesis album. I owned the gate-fold vinyl edition, and I think it's now safe to reveal that I used to roll cigarettes of a herbal nature on it back in 1976.

26. Grilling aids : SKEWERS

29. Bigheadedness : EGO

30. Adjust for the new tax year : RE-ASSESS

35. Large merchant ships : ARGOSIES. Loved this. I struggled a little as I'd filled in RPM at 30D. We'll come back to that one.

38. Chihuahua cheer : OLÉ

41. Spread all over : PERVADE

42. Persian Gulf island nation : BAHRAIN. I didn't know it was an island. Now I do.

46. Instrument to which an orchestra tunes : OBOE

47. Turned down for easy reference : DOG-EARED. My local library used to try to fine you if a book was returned in this condition. Tough to prove it was you though.

56. Single : ONE

57. Make dim : BLEAR. SMEAR went in as a first try. Didn't feel right. Wasn't.

58. Mello __ : YELLO

59. '60s radical gp. : S.D.S. Those pesky Students for a Democratic Society.

60. Buttonholes, e.g. : SLITS

61. Teed off : IRKED

Down:

1. "Alice" diner owner : MEL.

2. Factor in MLB's Cy Young Award : E.R.A. Baseball's annual pitching award. A low Earned Run Average factors into the voting. Right, C.C?

3. Quaint contraction : 'TIS. We read John Ford's 'Tis Pity She's a Whore at school. Cue schoolboy sniggering.

4. Prime minister after and before Churchill : ATTLEE

5. Light bulb units : LUMENS

6. Edmond __: the Count of Monte Cristo : DANTES. Thank you, crosses. Never read it.

7. "__ Can": 2008 slogan : YES WE. Did we?

8. Prado hangings : ARTE. Here's "La Maja Vestida" by Goya in the Prado collection. There's another version with a lot fewer "vestidas". I'll leave you to find that for yourselves.

9. Like many Gallaudet College students : DEAF. The first learning institute for the deaf in the USA.

10. Prefix with gram : SONO-

11. Female political refugee : EMIGRÉE. I didn't know that the term referred to a political refugee. I wouldn't bother with the second "E" nowadays.

12. Thin layers : VENEERS

13. Picnic game that can get messy : EGG TOSS

18. Piedmont city : ASTI

19. Be half-asleep : DROWSE

21. Candle count, perhaps : AGE. Candles on the cake. Didn't see that at first.

22. Ask to be excused, with "off" : BEG

23. __-Cat : SNO. Tried KIT. Was Wrong.

26. Inspiring msg. : SER. Sermon. On the Mount, or on Sunday, or when you did something which didn't please your mother. The latter was not particular inspiring.

27. Ryssdal of NPR's "Marketplace" : KAI. Thank you, crosses.

28. Corner key : ESC. Top-left on your keyboard.

30. Turning meas. : RPS. Revolutions Per Second. The penny finally dropped, but I was convinced that RPM was solid.

31. "Cowboy Man" singer : LOVETT. Lyle.

32. Rose-rose link : IS A. A rose is a rose is a rose. Seems like a "stating the obvious" phrase from Gertrude Stein.

33. Caesar known for being funny : SID

34. Fore site? : TEE

35. Many moon missions : APOLLOS. 17, to be exact.Six landed on the moon.

36. Make a comeback : REBOUND

37. Makes before deductions : GROSSES. The disparity between gross and net can be rather startling, to put it politely.

38. Galley tool : OAR. Row, you scum!

39. Twist facts : LIE

40. Pull the plug on : END

42. Jeer leaders : BOOERS. Least favorite today, but with the rest of the fill, I'll give.

43. Lago contents : AGUA

44. English king who was a son of William the Conqueror : HENRY I

45. Original "SNL" cast member : RADNER

47. Key above C : D FLAT.

49. HQs for B-2s : AFB'S. Air Force Bases. Andrews is the nearest one to me.

50. Longtime Steelers coach Chuck : NOLL

51. Half of sechs : DREI. In Salzbürg, for example.

53. Kind : ILK

54. N.Y. Mets' div. : NLE. National League East. I guessed American League, but LEARNIAG didn't quite look right.

55. Word on U.S. coins : GOD. We Trust.

That about does it for me. I'm on Day Five of remembering how to drive a stick-shift on the wrong side of the road. So far so good! Back on Friday. Here's a quick taste of the Lake District, we just visited Wordsworth's cottage where he wrote a lot of his "greatest hits".

Steve.

Wednesday, July 20, 2016 Janice Luttrell

Theme - HIGH TIMES.   The first word of common two-word phrases can follow the word HIGH to make other recognizable, in-the-language phrases.

Lets start with the unifier --  24 D. Top-of-the-line, and what each of the four longest puzzle answers begins with? : HIGH END.   Indicating merchandise with a large price tag, presumably justified by comparable quality or some other mark of desirability.  Let's see how it fits with the theme entries

3 D. Contact skating sport : ROLLER DERBY.   A roller skating race on a track between two 5-member teams.   Each team has a designated jammer, who attempts to score points by lapping members of the other team.  The teams attempt to assist their own jammer while hindering the other teams jammer.  The result is mayhem.

A HIGH ROLLER is a big spender or one who places large bets.

9. Act too quickly : JUMP THE GUN.   An expression derived from racing events, where the start of the race is announced with a piston shot.  One who starts too soon acts too quickly and can be disqualified.

The HIGH JUMP is an athletic event in which competitors jump over a horizontal bar.

27. Kind of tackle made illegal in the NFL in 2005 : HORSE COLLAR.   A dangerous method of tacking consisting of grabbing inside the back of another player's collar or shoulder pads and dragging him backwards to the ground.

To be on one's HIGH HORSE is to act in an arrogant and disdainful manner.

31. Cartoon bird that first appeared in "Fast and Furry-ous" : ROAD RUNNER.  Here's a clip from the 1949 cartoon.

To take the HIGH ROAD is to behave in a morally superior manner, as for example, to avoid being drawn into acting negatively.   Probably not compatible with the previous theme entry.

Hi gang - JazzBumpa here to explore today's offering.  Janice Luttrell has given us a rather unusual grid with a couple horizontal 9-stacks.  But the theme answers are all vertical 10's and 11's.   This inevitably leads to a large number [25] of three-letter fill, due to grid constraints.  But the average word length is 4.92, solidly in the Wednesday pocket.  Why arrange it this way?  Each theme word that combines with the unifier is at the HIGH END of its fill.   So the theme not only works on its own; it also illustrates itself graphically.  Most elegant!

Let's see what other goodies we can uncover.

Across

1. Dropped the ball : ERRED.   Misplaying the ball is one way to make an ERROR in baseball.  Throwing inaccurately is another.

6. Pantry pest : ANT.   They bug me.

9. Puts in a cooler : JAILS.  American slang

14. Successor of Pope John X : LEO VI.   His term ran from ca. June, 928 until his death in ca. February 929.  

15. Like many indie films : LOW BUDGET.

17. "You Be __": 1986 Run-D.M.C. hit : ILLIN'.   Whateva'.

18. Dr. Brown's classic drink : CREAM SODA.   Rated good, not great.

19. Pasadena institute : CAL TECH.   The California Istitute of Technology, a private university specializing in science and engineering.

21. Mysterious power : ESP.   Extra-Sensory Perception.   The ability - if you believe that sort of thing - to acquire information without using the known physical senses, including such psychic phenomena as telepathy, clairvoyance and precognition.

22. Slush Puppie maker : ICEE.   Producer of frozen beverages under the ICEE and Slush Puppie brand names.

23. Little snicker : HEH.   Not to be confused with a small candy bar.

25. Cries out for calamine : ITCHES.   As from a bug bite or other skin irritation.

30. Three times, in an Rx : TER.

31. Notes after do : RE-MI.   In the English language version of solmization, these are among certain syllables assignment to musical scale steps.  

32. Prefix for "time" : CHRONO -.   From the Greek god CHRONOS, a personification of time.

33. __-wop music : DOO.  A pop music vocal style originating in the U.S. during the 50's characterized by close harmonies and often using nonsense syllables in the main line or the accompaniment.

35. Starting device: Abbr. : IGN.   Ignition, for internal combustion engine powered vehicles.

37. Belgian banknotes : EUROS.   All over Europe.

38. Speedmaster watchmaker : OMEGA.  This is a line of CHRONOGRAPH [time display plus stop watch] wrist watches.  They have been worn by U. S. astronauts during NASA's Gemini 4 and Apollo 11 missions.  It is the only watch qualified for extra-vehicular activity.

40. __ Na Na : SHA.  A retro doo-wap singing group, and also their TV show of the same name, that ran from 1977 to '81.   Their name is derived from this song, originally recorded by the Silhouettes in 1957.

Are you picking up some mini-themes?

41. Gypsum painting surface : GESSO.   A mixture of pigment, gypsum and/or chalk with a binder used a primer to prepare a wood of canvas painting surface.

42. Whittled : PARED.  Trimmed down, either literally or figuratively.

43. President pro __ : TEM.   The second highest ranking official in the U. S. Senate, typically the most senior member of the majority party.  According to the Constitution, the Vice president of the U. S. is the President of the Senate.   Theoretically, the President Pro Tem acts in his absence. In practice, though, neither person actually presides over the Senate.   This responsibility is rotated among junior senators of the majority party, to give them procedural experience - or, more likely, because the senior members foist it upon them..

44. Salt Lake City collegian : UTE.   One who matriculates at the University of Utah.

45. Remains in the fire? : EMBERS.  Last glowing bits that will soon be ashes.   Nice play on "remains."

47. Wolfgang's veto : NEIN.   No in Germany - or Austria.

49. Baseball uniform part : CAP.

Kate Upton is clearly a Tigers fan

52. Doesn't go for the green, in golf : LAYS UP.   Deliberately shoots short of the green, or to avoid a hazard, as a safety play, hoping to have a better opportunity on the next shot.

53. U.K. military award : DSO.   Distinguished Service Order, a military decoration awarded to officers for meritorious service in wartime.

54. Buckwheat noodle : SOBA.   From the Japanese word for buckwheat.

That Rascal!

55. Earn after taxes : NET.   Take home pay.

57. "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" autobiographer Maya : ANGELOU.  [1928-1914]  American poet, playwright and civil rights activist.

59. Writer of medical thrillers : ROBIN COOK. [b 1940] His novels, many of which have become best sellers, sometimes explore controversial topics.

64. Book with interstates : ATLAS.    Book of maps

65. Like California, to a Hawaiian : STATESIDE.   Referring to the continental U. S. from outside the country, or from the detached States.

66. Gape : STARE.   Specifically to do so open-mouthed, as from amazement.  Vide supra.

67. One in a cast : ACTOR.  It's traditional to tell an actor "break a leg" before the performance.  If taken literally, could lead to a double meaning.

68. WKRP's Nessman : LES.  portrayed by actor  Richard Sanders.

69. Pasture groups : HERDS.   Of cattle, presumably.

Down

1. Draw out : ELICIT.  To cause a reaction by one's own action.

2. Tighten, as sneakers : RELACE.  And retie.

4. Party-planning site : EVITE.   Check it out.

5. Use the good china, say : DINE.   As opposed to chowing down, which could just as easily involve paper plates and plasticware, or merely hovering over the sink.

6. Lead-into-gold practitioner : ALCHEMIST.  Using the BASIC principle of purification to achieve gnossis [mystical enlightenment,]  an ALCHEMIST strove to transmute base metals into noble metals, create panaceas, and achieve immortality,   Not sure any was ever successful.

7. Negative connector : NOR.   Neither's companion.

8. Overly cute, to a Brit : TWEE.  What would we say, STATESIDE?  Cutesy?

10. Source of much website revenue : ADS.   Annoyances, to my way of thinking.

11. "Need __ on?" : I GO.   Yes - tell me more!

12. Had no one to catch : LED.  As in a race of some sort.

13. BART stop, e.g. : STAtion.

16. Rudimentary : BASIC.   Or fundamental.

20. Revolutionary Guevara : CHE. [1928 - 1967] An Argentine Marxist revolutionary, diplomat and military theorist who became a major figure in the Cuban revolution. 

26. Dressing holder : CRUET.    A flat-bottomed vessel with a narrow neck, a stopper, and possibly an integral spout.

28. Hall of Famer Slaughter : ENOS. [1916-2002]   His career spanned 1938-1959, interrupted by military service from 1943-5.   He was a 10-time all star and played in the World Series 5 times.

29. Only fair : SOSO.  Mediocre.  

34. Fancy moldings : OGEES. S-shaped double curves.

36. Some first-born children : NAMESAKES.  They are named after ancestors or older relatives.

38. Volkswagen rival : OPEL.  A German auto company that is a subsidiary of GM, headquartered in Rüsselsheim.

39. Doll's cry : MAMA.

46. Short job details? : SPECS.   Here, it's the designation of the job details that is short, not the job itself.

48. Electrified particle : ION.   Hydrogen atom: "I seem to have lost my electron."  Chemist:  "Are you sure?"   Hydrogen atom: "I'm positive."

50. On the train : ABOARD.  On board, probably influenced by Old French.

51. Stops to think, say : PAUSES.  Causes a slight break in the action.

54. Luigi's lucky number? : SETTE.   Seven in Italian.

56. Work very hard : TOIL.  

58. Deep cut : GASH.

59. Zimbabwe neighbor: Abbr. : Republic of South Africa.

60. Non-Rx : Over The Counter.

61. Night flier : BAT.   Effective mosquito controller, too.

62. Olympics skater Midori : ITO.   The first female to complete the triple axel in competition in 1988.  It became her signature move.



63. Neruda wrote one to salt : ODE.   .  .  .  sprinkling vital light upon our food .  .  .

There you have it.   Very nicely done puzzle, with some extra treats inside.  I liked a lot.  Hope you did, too.

Cool Regards!
JzB

Tuesday, July 19 2016, Tony Caruso & C.C. Burnikel

Theme: All Ears  -  EAR is in the exact middle of each odd-lettered theme entry.





17. *"The San Francisco Treat" : RICE-A-RONI


38. *Decor for part of a floor : AREA RUG

11. *Question to a stranded driver : WHERE ARE YOU


26. *Confinement that might involve an ankle monitor : HOUSE ARREST

58. Site of the hammer, anvil and stirrup ... and a hint to the hidden word in the answers to starred clues : MIDDLE EAR

Melissa here. I found this a Tuesday-plus, or Wednesday level. Did not get the theme until it was over - was looking for something to connect the last words instead of the hidden word gimmick. Very clever MIDDLE EAR reveal.

Across 



1. Accessory for Batman or Robin : CAPE
. Got off on the wrong foot right away by plugging in MASK here.

5. Bleating babies : KIDS


9. Nasty marketing campaign : AD WAR. Needed perps for this one - all I could think of was SMEAR.

14. "Jeopardy!" first name : ALEX
. What is a gimme?

15. Run __: go haywire : AMOK


16. Kind of jacket named for a Hindu leader : NEHRU
. The jacket takes its name from India's first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. A profile of the Nehru jacket.

19. Ordered pizza, say : ATE IN


20. Covert fed. group : CIA
. Tried FBI first.

21. Current "American Dad!" network : TBS
. Had to guess.

23. Slices of history : ERAS


24. "Ouch!" : IT HURTS


28. Makes up (for) : ATONES


30. Life-of-the-party types : RIOTS
. Needed perps here, too.

31. Color in four-color printing : MAGENTA


33. Fever and chills : AGUE


34. Spider trap : WEB


35. Jury makeup : PEERS


37. Super __: game console : NES
. Nintendo Entertainment Center.


40. Moose kin : ELK


42. Actress Witherspoon : REESE


44. Half-pint : CUP. Or her nickname.

45. Color in four-color printing : CYAN


46. "This bears repeating ... " : AS I SAID


48. Solitary : ALONE


49. Zagreb natives : CROATS


 

50. On the way : EN ROUTE


52. Sharp comment : BARB


53. Taste : SIP


55. Batteries in TV remotes : AA'S


56. Frozen pop treats : ICEES


63. Deep opera voice : BASSO


64. Ronny Howard role : OPIE


65. Category : TYPE


66. Anti-wrinkle treatment : BOTOX


67. Swerve : VEER


68. Start of an idea : SEED




Down




1. Jaguar, e.g. : CAR
. Sometimes the simplest ones are the hardest. D'oh.

2. "Rumble in the Jungle" champ : ALI. From Wikipedia: "Attendance was about 60,000. Ali won by knockout, putting Foreman down just before the end of the eighth round. It has been called "arguably the greatest sporting event of the 20th century." Rumble in the Jungle in pictures.

 

3. Bench press target, briefly : PEC


4. Carry out, as a task : EXECUTE


5. Gold purity unit : KARAT


6. Texter's "I feel" : IMO
. In My Opinion.

7. "Please stop!" : DON'T


8. Commonly seen Colorado airport luggage : SKI BAG


9. Santa __ winds : ANA


10. Cold War thaw : DETENTE
. Definition: "The easing of hostility or strained relations, especially between countries."

12. Operatic solos : ARIAS. Can't wait to the movie based on this true story, trailer below.

 
13. Stocking woes : RUNS


18. Makes public : AIRS


22. Take on a challenge : STEP UP


24. Shah's realm, once : IRAN


25. Kellogg's Tony, e.g. : TIGER



27. Neverland pirate : SMEE


29. 10 C-notes : ONE G
. One Grand, or a thousand dollars. The word detective.

32. Ancient counters : ABACI


34. Takes forcibly (from) : WRESTS
. Not STEALS.

36. Slope : SLANT
. Not ANGLE.

38. Home to billions : ASIA


39. Short on manners : RUDE


41. Leg joint : KNEE


43. Paul Anka title meaning "That Kiss" : ESO BESO


 45. Hanger hangouts : CLOSETS


47. "I, Robot" author Isaac : ASIMOV


48. Severely damaged sea : ARAL
. From Wikipedia: Formerly one of the four largest lakes in the world with an area of 68,000 km² (26,300 sq mi), the Aral Sea has been steadily shrinking since the 1960s after the rivers that fed it were diverted by Soviet irrigation projects.

49. Chocolate source : CACAO


51. Consumer advocate Ralph : NADER


52. Tender lettuce : BIBB


54. Sherlock Holmes' smoke : PIPE


57. Chicago team, for short : SOX


59. Yahtzee cube : DIE


60. Hurricane center : EYE


61. Gorilla, for one : APE


62. Embarrassed : RED

Monday, July 18, 2016 Joel Mackerry

Theme: No C's - You only need learn your A,B's.

70A. Hitter's statistic, and, when abbreviated, a hint to the six longest puzzle answers : AT BAT. A B

17A. Fancy burger meat : ANGUS BEEF

35A. Powerful northern cold front : ARCTIC BLAST

44A. "30 Rock" co-star : ALEC BALDWIN

63A. Color of a clear sky : AZURE BLUE

11D. "Good Eats" series creator : ALTON BROWN

29D. Injury treatment brand : ACE BANDAGE

Argyle here. Joel's first two puzzles left me expecting more but they can't all be jewels. Interesting open slash from SW corner to NE corner. The theme entries certainly are a diverse group and some of the fill have a small bite to them.

Across:

1. Chicken piece : THIGH

6. "Amazing!" : "WOW!"

9. Vineyard picking : GRAPE. Labor intensive, picking one at a time.

14. Reddish-orange salon dye : HENNA

15. Cleanup hitter's stat : RBI

16. More sick-looking : PALER

19. Athlete on a Houston diamond : ASTRO. Not STROs today.

20. When repeated, an African fly : TSE

21. Gretel's brother : HANSEL

23. Jumps on one foot : HOPS

24. Opposite of NNW : SSE

25. Begin serving customers : OPEN

27. Ristorante shrimp dish : SCAMPI

32. Spoils, as food : GOES BAD

38. "Messenger" molecule : RNA

39. Musical inadequacy : "NO EAR"

40. Underinflated tire's need : AIR

41. Sch. east of Hartford : U.CONN. (University of Connecticut) The Huskies.

43. Bit of gel : DAB

47. One throwing the first pitch : STARTER. Not the ceremonial first pitcher.

49. Art of "The Honeymooners" : CARNEY. Ed Norton.

50. Must have : NEED

51. Juvenile newt : EFT

53. Melville sailor Billy : BUDD. Wiki LINK.

55. Flowering : ABLOOM

58. Happy hour place : BAR

61. Remove from the whiteboard : ERASE

65. Raring to go : EAGER

66. "__ Abner" : LI'L

67. Blackens, as tuna : SEARS

68. Earnest requests : PLEAS

69. "__ Miz" : LES. Popular name for the musical, Les Miserables.

Down:

1. "How about __!" : THAT

2. Farm layers : HENS

3. "Picnic" playwright : INGE

4. Bearded antelope : GNU

5. Dish of chopped-up leftovers : HASH

6. Small songbirds : WRENS

7. More than pudgy : OBESE

8. Michelle, to Barack : WIFE

9. Valedictorian's 4.0, e.g.: Abbr. : GPA. (grade point average)

10. Itchy skin conditions : RASHES

12. One sought by cops : PERP. (perpetrator)

13. Love deity : EROS

18. Army private's training, familiarly : BASIC

22. Johns, to Elton : LOOs. (bathrooms)

26. "Downtown" singer Clark : PETULA. A slightly different version. I believe it's 1984 with a new piano and trumpet intro that leads into the song's original opening.

27. Smooths in wood shop : SANDS. Or in Gibbs' basement, on NCIS.

28. Certain Balkan : CROAT

30. NYC subway org. : MTA. (Metropolitan Transportation Authority)

31. Stereotypical "Arrr!" shouter : PIRATE. Talk Like A Pirate Day - 19th Sep, 2016, mark it on your calendar.

32. Attire : GARB

33. Broadway title orphan : ANNIE

34. Boy in a classic Irish ballad : DANNY

36. Boxer Max : BAER. His son played Jethro Bodine on The Beverly Hillbillies.

37. State-issued driver ID : LICense

42. USN officer : CDR. (Commander)

45. Mother of Castor and Pollux : LEDA. Castor and Pollux Wikipedia LINK.

46. Stage performer : ACTOR

48. Watery obstacle for Moses : RED SEA

51. Popeye creator Segar : ELZIE

Elzie Name Meaning: Altered spelling of English Elsey. Americanized spelling of German Eltze, probably a habitational name for someone from either of two places named Eltz, on the Mosel and the Neckar.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press

52. Tips caught by a catcher, e.g. : FOULS

53. Honk cousin : BEEP

54. Eurasian border river : URAL

56. Strike's opposite : BALL

57. Flat-topped hill : MESA

58. Spill secrets : BLAB

59. Vague emanation : AURA

60. Part of R and R : REST. The second R? recuperation or relaxation or recreation (or, the truth, revelry).

62. Ambulance destinations, for short : ERs. (Emergency Room)

64. Gambling action : BET

 

Argyle

Sunday July 17th, 2016 Matt McKinley

Theme:  "Crescendo" - P is changed into F. All key words go through spelling changes. 

23A. Brilliant bit of deception? : LUMINOUS FEINT. Luminous paint.

37A. Taciturn circus entertainers? : QUIET FLEAS. Quiet please.

 

66A. Panel judging phobic reactions? : JURY OF ONE'S FEARS. Jury of one's peers.

95A. Award ceremony side dish? : NOBEL FRIES. Nobel prizes.

 

113A. Gradually doze during a long meeting? : FADE BY THE HOUR. Paid by the hour.

 

14D. Charge in an Everglades water taxi? : ALLIGATOR FARE. Alligator pear. Avocado.

56D. "Charlie's Angels" actress on her sloop? : FARRAH SAILING. Parasailing. Two of the changes happen with the first word.

Matt, are you reading our blog? Great title! The more I solve/make Sunday puzzles, the more I realize how hard it is to find an apt title, esp with sound addition/deletion/replacement theme.

It's a fantastic feeling when you find out that you can make the themers intersect. Intersecting often makes filling easier. But it takes skills and luck to make the intersection happen. Matt also breaks the top.botto edges into 5/7/7 rather than our conventional four parts (4/4/5/5, e.g.) like the left/right edges. 

Across:

1. Concentrate : FOCUS

6. Impose restraints on : SHACKLE. Great entry.

13. Talladega sight : RACE CAR

20. Creamy white : IVORY

21. Assemble at a theater, say : QUEUE UP. Crossing its pluralized homophone CUES (9. They often precede entrances).

22. Like Hobart College : ALL-MALE. Unfamiliar with Hobart College.
 
25. Goes by : ELAPSES

26. Roadie's burden : AMP

27. Source of many med. terms : LAT. OK, Latin.

28. Toledo title: Abbr. : SRA. Notice the alliteration, a common cluing feature for foreign words. Also 98. Brest "but" : MAIS. Also  17. Roberto's residence : CASA
            
29. Unhurt : INTACT

30. Mississippi explorer : LA SALLE

34. Clemson U. is in it : ACC

36. Like a brioche : EGGY

 40. Joshua trees, e.g. : YUCCAS

42. Variety of tricks? : BAG. OK, bag of tricks.

45. Baseball news : TRADES. A few more baseball entries: 93. Switch-hitter with the most career homers : MANTLE. Eddie MURRAY has the same letter count. 117. League championship : PENNANT. And 84D. '60s-'70s bullpen star Sparky : LYLE

46. Skater Babilonia : TAI. And 49. 19th-century French composer Édouard : LALO. I learned both from doing crosswords.

48. Predicament metaphor : BOAT. I don't get this one, D-Otto.


50. "This came as no surprise" : I KNEW

51. Domain : REALM

53. Okay : SO SO

54. Sci. with biomes : ECOL

55. Muscle mag display : PECs

56. On the occasion of : FOR

57. "Breaking Bad" channel : AMC. Also 106. "Breaking Bad" drug : METH. Rich normally eschews the drug reference.

59. Mislead : THROW OFF

61. Crafty : SLY

62. Scotch and soda, e.g. : BAR ORDERS. When was the last time you went to a bar?

65. Passes out : FAINTS

69. Co-star of Boyer in "Algiers" : LAMARR (Hedy)

72. FEMA concerns : DISASTERS

73. Org. found in alleys : PBA. Here is Boomer with Walter Ray Williams, arguably the best bowler in the world. Boomer was attending Walter Ray's clinic yesterday, TTP. He'll bowl the Pro-Am this afternoon. PBA50 stops at Treasure Island (MN) every year.

76. Good place for views : OP-ED PAGE. Nice clue/answer.

79. Service inaccuracy : LET

80. T size : LGE

81. Many a Mideast native : ARAB

82. Florida's __ City : DADE

83. Lanford Wilson's "The __ Baltimore" : HOTL

85. An arm and a leg : LIMBS. Literal. Not PRICEY.

87. Cutting : ACERB

88. Crossword component : GRID

89. Influence : SWAY

90. "__-hoo!" : YOO

91. Makeup mishap : SMUDGE

92. Sequence-shortening letters : ETC
 
99. Eponymous tree, streetwise : ELM. Do you know most streets in Japan do not have names?


101. Triage priorities : TRAUMAS

102. Get to bubble over? : RE-BOIL. Fun clue for a blah answer.

105. Milne's absent-minded Mr. : PIM

107. Supergirl's symbol : ESS

108. Enlisted mil. rank : PFC

111. Not bright at all : IDIOTIC. Also 11. Folly : LUNACY


118. Its NYSE symbol is "X" : US STEEL. Gimme!

119. Commemorative 1999 Broadway revue : FOSSE. Got via crosses.

120. Part of Procter & Gamble : AND SIGN

121. Savings vehicle named for a sen. : ROTH IRA

122. Jacket material : TWEED. Not SUEDE.


Down:

1. Nike competitor : FILA

2. Reproductive cell : OVUM

3. Cooperation : COMPLIANCY. Compliance is more common.

4. Sch. near Providence : URI

5. Unit, for one: Abbr. : SYN. Unit is a synonym of "one"?

6. Sudden wind increase : SQUALL

7. Disco activity : HUSTLE

8. Pershing's WWI command : AEF. American Expeditionary Forces. We see ETO more often.


10. Actress Knightley : KEIRA


12. Capable, jokingly : EPT

13. Arctic coast explorer : RAE

15. Metallic noises : CLANGS

16. Like some promises, alas : EMPTY. Alas!


18. Oldest Baldwin brother : ALEC. Always dueling with paparazzi.

19. Others : REST. OK, and others (the rest).

24. Five Norse kings : OLAFS

31. Yellow fever mosquito : AEDES. Very irrational spelling.

32. Cioppino, e.g. : STEW

33. "Do I dare to __ peach?": Eliot : EAT A. Peaches are in season now. So good.

35. Bear young : CUBS. Shouldn't it be "Bears young"?

36. Online payment : E-CASH

37. Versatile Unilever brand : Q-TIPS

38. "Family Matters" nerd : URKEL

39. Dressing ingredient : SALAD OIL. My standard dressing is sesame oil & apple cider vinegar & this mustard combo.

41. Ducklike bird : COOT

42. "Almost anything can be improved with the addition of __": Jasper Fforde : BACON. Boomer agrees.

43. In the air : ALOFT

44. Enjoys the links : GOLFS. And 51. Links star McIlroy : RORY

47. Quite a lot : IMMENSELY

49. Martin's partner : LEWIS. Dean Martin. Jerry Lewis.


52. Sock ending : EROO
 
58. First act? : CREATION. Nice clue as well.

60. Crew members : OARS

62. Tupperware sound : BURP

63. Mail svc. in the sticks : RFD

64. Derisive sound : SSS

66. Burned-out : JADED

67. Unit of work: Abbr. : FT-LB

68. Neurol. readouts : EEGs

69. Ski resort centerpiece : LODGE

70. Split : APART

71. Doc : MEDIC

73. Make susceptible : PREDISPOSE. Not a fill we see often.

74. Canal transport : BARGE

75. Supérieurs des moines : ABBES. Went all French.

77. They often have matching caps : GOWNS

78. State of France : ETAT

81. Honda luxury brand : ACURA


86. No longer relevant : MOOT. Point.

87. Radio option : AM FM

91. Snow remnants : SLUSH

93. Cocktail with an umbrella : MAI TAI

94. Rio Grande city : EL PASO

96. Ice cream company founder : BREYER. Not EDY today.


97. Locale in a 1987 Cheech Marin title : EAST LA. Born in East LA.

98. Mars' pair : MOONS

100. Thick : MIDST

102. Kelly of talk : RIPA

103. First place? : EDEN. Not GOLD.

104. Firmly attach : BIND

109. Protection in a box : FUSE. Boomer and I fixed our garbage disposal without calling the repair guy. Yay! We just put a hex wrench in that hex-shaped hole and turned it back and forth a few times. Don't put potato peels in the disposal!

110. Street __ : CRED

112. UPS unit : CTN. What Splynter deals with daily. Keen eye on the grid pattern yesterday, by the way!

113. Natural coat : FUR

114. In Chinese, the "north" part of China's "northern capital" : BEI. As in Beijing. I mentioned this a while ago. Bei=North. Jing = Capital. Nan= South. So Nanjing is "Southern capital".

115. Terrestrial newt : EFT

116. Question as to technique : HOW?

C.C.