Friday, October 7, 2016, Jeffrey Wechsler

Title: Jack's are wild!

Once again a big thanks to Tom for taking you through Joseph Groat last week.  I am back and our Friday phenom JW is back as well. We have an add-a-letter theme BUT it is not 1 letter; no, not 2 letters; not even 3; BUT a four letter word -JACK- is added to a two-word phrase. Two are tacked on the first word, two added to the second. I love some of the new phrases with Seventh Jackson and Jackal Fresco my favorites. As always with JW we have some fun fill like MIDLAND,  ONE ACRE, ANTOINE,  YEARNED, LINGER AT,  EDGINESS,  CAROUSES and OCCIDENT. Not easy, lots of fresh fill, but a fun ride. Let's go!

16A. Item on a certain thief's rap sheet? : PAST CARJACKING (14). Past caring.

32A. Dinner for a lottery winner? : JACKPOT ROAST (12). Pot roast. This gave it away to me.

39A. Mural of a wild canine? : JACKAL FRESCO (12). Al fresco. Jackal was hard to parse but the most creative fill.

56A. Last of a $140 stack? : SEVENTH JACKSON (14). Seventh son. If you can divide 140 by 7...


Across:

1. City NE of Odessa : MIDLAND. Texas. When you work your way west from Dallas through Abilene on you way to El Paso.  They are only about 20 miles apart.

8. American Pharoah accoutrement : BRIDLE. Some of you may bridle at the use of the French based accoutrement, or the need to know the HORSE that won the Triple Crown in 2015, but it is a very apt clue/fill.

14. Like many lots : ONE ACRE. Not down here.

15. Like bad butter : RANCID. From Latin meaning smelling bad.

18. Party planner's compilation : E-LIST. We must learn to accept these made up words for our electronic world.

19. Big Island entertainment : UKES.

20. Tour stop : GIG.

22. Put down : DIS. I see it more spelled DISS, but since the word comes from DISrespect, this makes sense.

23. Sequential exercise : SCALES. While I have never played, I have worked with many guitarists and they explained to  me this CONCEPT.

26. Name on the 1983 album "More Music for Films" : ENO.

27. Long-distance calling org.? : SETI. Complain, complain.

29. Linguistic ending : ESE. This is so easy after Splynter's comment about languages last Saturday.

30. Graceful wader : EGRET. Here  is a snowy one.

36. "C U When U Get There" rapper : COOLIO. I do not care much for rap, but this interesting.

38. Cans on a Lowe's shelf : PAINTS.

41. Flew like a birdie : ARCED.

42. Minn. neighbor : ONTario, Canada.

43. Zachary Taylor, e.g. : WHIG.
The Whig Party was a political party active in the middle of the 19th century in the United States. Four Presidents belonged to the Party while in office. Along with the rival Democratic Party, it was central to the Second Party System from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s.

47. Affected denial : MOI.

48. Held up : PAUSED.

51. With 48-Down, judging with others : ON A. 48D. See 51-Across : PANEL. This seems like much work for two simple fill. E.g. _____wing and a prayer, but I guess that might be the dreaded partial. I do get confused about CW constructing rules.

52. Sign of spring : BUD. In the south people drink Bud year round.

53. Prominent feature of "Twilight" films? : FANG. Funny, I wonder if any would have answered this to "Phyllis Diller's husband."

54. Query in Matthew : IS IT I? Matthew 26:22...
King James Bible
And they were exceeding sorrowful, 
and began every one of them to say unto him, 
Lord, is it I?

60. Follows : ENSUES.

61. "The Little Prince" author Saint-Exupéry : ANTOINE. I will always have a soft spot for this MAN as it was his Vol de Nuit that I read with my father (who did not speak great French). My father would quote random and incomprehensible lines from the book. It was fun.

62. Like hunks : STUDLY. gratuitous pic. Loved him in True Blood.

63. Ached (for) : YEARNED. Any yearning PK, Yellowrocks?

Down:

1. Economical bikes : MOPEDS. This should have been easy, I forgot about them..

2. Not a good way to be caught : IN A LIE. A fun multi-word fill.

3. Call it off : DESIST.

4. Pullover beneficiaries : LATS. Latissimi dorsi.

5. Bookkeeper's concerns: Abbr. : ACCTS.

6. Gp. with many arms : NRA.

7. Strauss' "__ Rosenkavalier" : DER. The rose knight (or something like that in German, whence our word cavalier)

8. Slow down : BRAKE. We all like cute. HELP!

9. Hurries : RACES.

10. Tattoo parlor supplies : INKS.

11. Roman 601 : DCI.

12. Not hurry home from : LINGER AT. JW like his multi-word fill.

13. Avant-garde quality : EDGINESS. Nice fill.

17. Aromatic cocktail : JULEP. From the Mint. RECIPE.

21. Düsseldorf deity : GOTT. More German.

24. Director DeMille : CECIL. B.

25. "I'll kneel down / And ___ thee forgiveness": King Lear : ASK OF. Our drop of Will words from JW. Speaking to Cordelia Act V, Scene III
LEAR
No, no, no, no! Come, let’s away to prison.
We two alone will sing like birds i' th' cage.
When thou dost ask me blessing, I’ll kneel down
And ask of thee forgiveness. So we’ll live,
And pray, and sing, and tell old tales, and laugh
At gilded butterflies, and hear poor rogues...

28. "Kidding" : I JOKE.

30. Former attorney general Holder : ERIC.

31. Moody Blues hit with an exclamation point in its title : GO NOW!

33. "When I was __ ... ": "H.M.S. Pinafore" lyric : A LAD.

34. Starts the day : OPENS. really vague...one's eyes? the mail? the bathroom door?

35. Sample : TASTE.

36. Whoops it up : CAROUSES.

37. West : OCCIDENT. Orient.

39. Hinge holder : JAMB.

40. Like stormy seas : ROUGH. Damn you Matthew!!

44. Sauce served with mu shu pork : HOISIN. Popular all over Asia. The Thai add crushed peanuts.
4 tablespoons soy sauce.
2 tablespoons smooth peanut butter.
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar.
2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar.
1 garlic clove, finely minced.
2 teaspoons sesame seed oil.
1 teaspoon hot sauce (more or less to taste)
1/8 teaspoon black pepper.

45. Chant : INTONE.Good Friday fill.

46. Profited : GAINED.

49. Not at all calm : ANTSY. Ants in your pants.

50. Judge's decrees : DICTA. Hmm, what do you mean by decree? Dicta are the opinion(s) of a judge that do not embody the resolution or determination of the specific case before the court.

53. It might be resolved through mediation : FEUD. Not likely, many lawyers including the one I work with are licensed and skilled mediators. Much faster and cheaper than litigation.

55. Candy bar with a Nordic name : SKOR.

57. Sch. near the Appomattox River : VSU. Virginia State, home of much joy and tragedy.

58. Noisy bird : JAY.

59. Chemical suffix : ANE.

With our hurricane howling I may not be able to read your comments for a while.  Be safe all in the path and see you next time. Lemonade out.

Thursday, October 6th 2016 Ed Sessa

Theme: Monster Munch - the Cookie Monster chomps through an Oreo

17A. OREO : CHILD'S SNACK. All the theme entries with the exception of 38A have a repeated letter in the middle which can sometimes make for tricky parsing.

24A. ORE : MINED DEPOSIT.

38A. OR : SURGERY. The place, not the procedure. An operating room can also be called a surgery.

52A. O : ANTHEM'S START. Not "Oh say can you see ..."

62A. Muppet's explanation of the four all-caps clues : ME EAT COOKIE. He looks mighty dapper in this picture.

Welcome to Thursday, everyone. Tricky puzzle from Ed, I got a little bogged down in the New Mexico region but eventually things worked out. The odd letter combinations in the four of the theme entries contributed to a little of the crunch in this puzzle for me. Nice idea with the theme, I love the OREO gradually disappearing as we work down the puzzle.

Let's see what else jumps out.

Across:

1. Full of beans : PEPPY. Not gassy?

6. "I don't need __": regular patron's comment : A MENU

11. Sellout letters : SRO. Standing Room Only. I still don't think this is a sell-out if you can still get  a standing ticket - unless standing is free.

14. Apple app mostly replaced by Messages : ICHAT

15. Connoisseur : MAVEN

16. Recyclable item : CAN

19. TSA requests : ID'S

20. Aria, usually : SOLO

21. Suffix with social : -ITE

22. Bovine icon : ELSIE. The Borden spokes-cow.

28. Crème brûlée topping : CARAMEL

31. Defensive comeback : AM TOO. Took me a while to see this. I was on the "punt return" train of thought for a long time.

32. Little pill : TWERP

33. When workers may be dressed down?: Abbr. : FRI.

34. Terminal conveyance : TRAM. Tried TAXI and then tried to convince myself that Guy Friday was one of the X-Men.

37. Nicki Minaj genre : RAP

42. Langley org. : C.I.A.

43. City on the Rhône : LYON. Beautiful city, and home to the notable French chef Daniel Boulud. They say Lyon has the best food in all of France - it that's the case, it's going to be spectacular. I was young and broke when I visited, so I stuck to bread and cheese. I have to say, I still remember the bread.

45. Apartment bldg. info : NOS.

46. Medina native : SAUDI. I was thinking of the golf club in Illinois for a while, but then realized that's spelled "Medinah".

48. Offer a contrary opinion : REBUT

50. Reduced to pure metal : SMELTED

55. Saint __: Caribbean island : LUCIA

56. Card game using the entire deck : WAR. Not played this game, but I know of it.

57. Goof reaction : OOPS

61. Mont. neighbor : IDA. Aha! Here's a good excuse for some musical wackiness from the B-52's.

66. Title for Anthony Hopkins : SIR.

67. Serviceable : UTILE. I actually used this word the other day - I was rather proud of myself, until I had to explain what it meant. Defeats the purpose somewhat.

68. Pointless : INANE

69. "The Splendid Splinter" Williams : TED. New one for me, but I guessed baseball and I only think I know one Williams in the game.

70. Having glass sections : PANED

71. Hen, for one : LAYER

Down:

1. Short shots? : PICS. They don't seem to be called "snaps" any more.

2. Off-the-wall answer? : ECHO. Nicely done.

3. Dad of Haley, Alex and Luke on "Modern Family" : PHIL. Crosses for me. I've never seen the show, but I hear it is (was?) great.

4. California observatory site : PALOMAR. Owned and operated by Caltech. They're nice and let Cornell and the JPL play with it from time to time.

5. Annual rpt. column : YTD. Year To Date.

6. Dutch beer brand : AMSTEL. Named for Amsterdam's river. Here's a pic (snap!) I took in Amsterdam a couple of years ago - I tried for the grand slam of bicycles, trams, canals and the Heineken brewery in one fell swoop. I could have got extra credits for a windmill, Edam cheese, a pair of clogs or a weed shop.

7. Like lions, but not tigers : MANED

8. Actress Longoria : EVA

9. Japanese tech company : NEC

10. Broken, as promises : UNKEPT

11. Hair salon technique : SCISSOR CUT. My hairdresser uses scissors rather than the clippers.

12. Two of three sides of a typical pie slice : RADII. Because "straight" didn't fit

13. First stage : ONSET

18. __ wave : SINE

23. Crook's haul : LOOT

25. Little devils : IMPS

26. Take a chance : DARE

27. Mideast dignitary : EMIR

28. PC key : CTRL

29. Like the visiting team : AWAY

30. Course record? : REPORT CARD

33. NFL scores : FG'S. Field goals. Three points, or "wide right" if you live in Buffalo.

35. Guy Friday, for one : AIDE, yeah, not X-MAN.

36. Servant for the inn crowd : MAID. Barmaid, maybe. "Serving wench" went out of style in 1708.

39. E pluribus __ : UNUM

40. Spoils : ROTS

41. 1914 battle river : YSER

44. Radar O'Reilly's pop brand : NEHI.

47. City with a Penn State campus : ALTOONA. I'm assuming we're talking about the town in Pennsylvania, not the ones in any of Alabama, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Washington and Wisconsin.

49. Admit to the Enterprise, in a way : BEAM UP. Another famous phrase that was never actually spoken was "Beam me up, Scottie".

50. Pronounced : STATED

51. Singer Anthony : MARC

52. Top-tier invitees : A-LIST

53. Show that shows too much? : NUDIE. The L.A. Times Crossword is getting racier by the decade.

54. Marshy lowland : SWALE. The obvious SWAMP put a spanner in my works

58. Acceptable : OKAY

59. Fragrant wood : PINE

60. Reader of tea leaves : SEER

63. It may be delayed by rain: Abbr. : E.T.A. Rain? It'd better be a pretty biblical rainstorm to delay my E.T.A is this referring to travel arrivals.

64. German article : EIN

65. Black gold : OIL. AKA Texas Tea.

Wednesday, October 5, 2016 Julian Lim

Theme: GRAVITY, MAGNETISM and FRICTION, or MASS x ACCELERATION.  The 2nd word of common two-word phrases combines with the word FORCE to indicate a body of people organized for a particular activity.   I FORCED those physics related ideas on you, but will not apologize.

17 A. *Project with many obstacles : UPHILL TASK.  Something difficult to accomplish.  I suppose the referent here is Sisyphus.  You might need some helpers to accomplish that thing - hence a TASK FORCE, an ad hoc group devoted to completing a specific assignment.

22 A. *E! talk show focused on celebrity outfits : FASHION POLICE.   Clothing critics, and a TV show based on their commentary about the dress modes of celebrities.  It's amazing how much time some people have on their hands.  Police FORCES are units of government charged with the prevention or detection of crime and the maintenance of public order.

47 A. *Britannica, e.g. : REFERENCE WORK.  A book or other repository of useful information.  Many years ago I contributed a chapter on automotive plastics and elastomers to such a book.  The WORK FORCE refers to people engaged in or available as labor within some geographic unit, industry, or business.

And the unifier -- 55 A. Team up ... or, literally, what the last words of the answers to starred clues can do : JOIN FORCES.  As indicated in 17 A,  to get together for some purpose.  The target words JOIN with FORCE to fulfill the theme concept.

UPDATE --

As was pointed out in comments, I missed the vertical theme entries.  Mea culpa.  Lo siento.

21 D. *1997 movie partly set on a plane called the Jailbird : CONAIR.  This gives us the AIR FORCE, a branch of the military with lots of air planes

30. *High-speed skiing event, familiarly : SUPER G.   Giving us G FORCE - the FORCE equivalent to a multiple of the natural force of gravitation due to high linear or angular acceleration.

Hi, Gang, JazzBumpa here, getting together with you to make our way through today's puzzle.  Let's have at it.

Across

1. One of seven in "Jabberwocky" : STANZA.   A nonsense poem include in Lewis Carroll's action-adventure novel Though The Looking Glass.  You can read all 7 quatrains here.

7. Shabbat celebrant : JEW.   Shabbat is the biblical day of rest, and the source of the English word sabbath.  Rosh Hashana, the JEWish New Year celebration was from Sunday through Tuesday this week, so l'shana tova to all.

10. "Baby __": 2008 Fey/Poehler comedy : MAMA.   A conflict comedy involving an adoptive mother and the surrogate mother she hires.  That's more than I know about it.

14. Like some classroom aids : VISUAL.

15. Angst-filled rock genre : EMO.  Quasi-punkish emotion-laden pop music.

16. Disembarked : ALIT.  To descend, land or dismount, in past tense form.

19. Wheels for a star : LIMO.  

20. __ Grey tea : EARL.  My fav!

21. Vacation abode : CABIN.  If you can't afford a resort or luxury hotel.

26. Longest reigning Brit. monarch : ELIZabeth II.  born in 1926, and still goin'.

28. Neighbor of Venezuela : GUYANA.  A small, English-speaking country on the north coast of South America, nestled among Venezuela, Surinam, Brazil and the Atlantic Ocean, but culturally connected to the Caribbean Islands.

29. Discriminatory, as in hiring : SEXIST.  One of several possible discrimination types.  This one is gender based.

32. Pet adoption org. : SPCA. Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

33. Deg. for a suit : MBA.  Masters of Business Administration.  I have one, but never qualified as a suit.

36. Annexation : SEIZURE.  Taking something by FORCE.

38. Put on a pedestal : DEIFIED.

40. Morsel : ORT.  Specifically, one left over from a meal.

41. Printed scorecard numbers : PARS.  PAR indicates the expected number of strokes a first class player would require to complete a particular golf hole or course.

43. Went (on) monotonously : DRONED.  Spoke at length in a boring manner.

44. Monotony : TEDIUM.  Possibly the result of the previous.

46. Gp. with mail trucks : USPS.  United States Postal Service.   Several of my relatives worked there.

52. Cutting : AXING.  In my 7 decades of existence on this planet, I have never heard anyone use the word AX as a verb.

53. Leaderless : TIED.  This is tricky.  With the score TIED, neither competing team is in the lead.

54. Strengthen : GIRD.   This is not quite right.  To gird is to encircle, or secure with a belt or a sash.  You can kind of see where the error comes from.

61. Giggly Muppet : ELMO.

62. To and __ : FRO.  Back and forth.

63. Poker challenge : I RAISE.  This increases the size of an existing bet in any round.  Other players must match the total bet or fold.

64. Academic leader in NBC's "Community" : DEAN.   A sit-com with an ensemble cast based on life and experiences in a fictional small junior college town in Colorado.

65. Author Kesey : KEN. [1935-2001]  Counter-culture figure, experimental drug user and author of the novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. 

66. Kind of tax : ESTATE.  A tax levied on inheritances totaling more than $5.45 million in value. 

Down

1. "Law & Order: __" : Special Victims Unit.  Never watched it

2. It often comes to those who wait : TIP.  For the restaurant wait staff.  Nice misdirection.

3. Volcanic fallout : ASH.   Solid residue from an eruption, Cf Pompeii.

4. Rapa __: Easter Island : NUI.  This name refers to the island itself, the Polynesian inhabitants of the island, and the language that they speak.

5. Popular mall jewelry store : ZALES.  U. S. jewelry retailer started in 1924 in Wichita Falls, Texas.

6. Mosque-goer's deity : ALLAH.  Same God, different language.

7. Like Cain, of Abel : JEALOUS.  The adjectival form of a destructive emotion relating to desire about someone else's position, possessions, or relationships.

8. Leading characters in "Mork & Mindy"? : EMS.  Characters, as in the repeated alphabet letter beginning the two subject words.  I am deeply annoyed by this type of self-referential clue.

9. Stir-fry pan : WOK.  Shallow round bottomed cook ware item.

10. __ Yousafzai, sharer of the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize : MALALA.   Pakistani activist for female education.

11. Cover story : ALIBI.   A claim that you were not at a crime scene when the event took place

12. Copycat : MIMIC.  One who lacks originality in thought and action.

13. Make things right : ATONE.   Make amends.  But will it erase hard feelings?

18. Course where tangents are relevant : TRIG.   No indication that trigonometry should be abbreviated? This is not the sort of tangent off upon which one may go rambling, but rather the mathematic function that is equal to the ratio of the lengths of the sides opposite and adjacent to an angle in a right triangle.

21. *1997 movie partly set on a plane called the Jailbird : CONAIR.

If you're into that sort of a thing

22. Handy "Mr." : FIXIT.   Home improvement and DIY maven.  I do not qualify.

23. "Master of None" star __ Ansari : AZIZ.  He also created and writes this Netflix series, the G-Man tells me.

24. "Law & Order" gp. : NYPD.  New York Police Department, in custody of a chlecho.

25. Couldn't sit still, say : PACED.  Walked nervously in some relatively small space.

26. Exxon, once : ESSO.  Mega corporation and petroleum products retail outlet.

27. Lustful look : LEER.  I prefer to Ogle.

30. *High-speed skiing event, familiarly : SUPER G.   Set on a down hill course with widely set gates, with more turns than the down hill event, and greater speed than the giant slalom.

31. Discipline : TRADE.   The only sense I can make of this is that one definition of "discipline" is "a branch of knowledge," and a trade is a job category requiring skills and training, so there is that kind of a connection.  Still seems like a stretch.  Do you think of plumbing as a discipline?

33. Capital of Belarus : MINSK.  This city has existed for over 1000 years and now has a population over 2 million.   Belarus is located east of Poland and south of Lithuania and Latvia. 

34. Honk : BEEP.  Blow your own horn.  

35. Tacks on : ADDS.

37. Green land? : ERIN.  The Emerald Isle, The Auld Sod, etc.

39. Bridge table quorum : FOUR.  A four-handed card game.

42. Vacuum effect : SUCTION.

44. Ligament kin : TENDON.  Both are types of connective tissue. Ligaments connect bones or cartilages, or hold joints together.  Tendons connect muscle tissue to bones. 

45. Lo __: noodle dish : MEIN.   Mein refers to noodles made from wheat flour.  Maybe someone who knows more about it should elaborate.

47. Threw a fit : RAGED.  Anger

48. Forced absence : EXILE.   An order to go away and stay away, banishment, as punishment for some offense.

49. Terra __ : FIRMA.   Sold ground, good old Mother Earth.

50. Cellphone self-pic of a group, slangily : WEFIE.  Evidently the collective equivalent of a selfie.  Who knew?   But here is an example.

51. Smells : ODORS.  Aromas.  All suggest different nuances of meaning.

55. N.Y. airport since 1963 : JFK.  The eponym was president during the 60's and assassinated while in office.

56. Miner's matter : ORE.  Pay dirt.  Can you dig it?

57. Chinese zodiac animal : RAT.  By this reckoning, my Lovely Wife is a RAT and I am a dog.  Arf!

58. "The World Factbook" org. : CIA.  Central Intelligence Agency, where the word "Intelligence" refers to gathered information, not intellectual capability.

59. Inexact fig. : ESTimate.  An approximation that should be better than a guess.

60. Get : SEE.  Understand.  Do you see it?

Well, that ends this little get together.  I had my nits, but overall - not bad.

Cool regards!
JzB

Tuesday, October 4, 2016 Sam Buchbinder

Theme: Field Sobriety Test - "Don't move your head and follow the tip of my pen with just your eyes"

20A. "Bro, I thought you were gonna help": "LEFT ME HANGIN"

49A. Follow the ethical path: DO WHAT'S RIGHT

10D. Moving around: UP AND ABOUT

30D. "You're talking too loud": "TONE IT DOWN"

Argyle here. The theme entries are placed in their appropriate places but still rather bland Tuesday.

Across:

1. Home for Pogo: SWAMP

6. Affirmative answer: YES

9. Silences, as a TV: MUTES

14. Artist's prop: EASEL

15. Pie __ mode: À LA

16. Wagnerian work: OPERA

17. "Farewell, chérie": "ADIEU"

18. CBS forensic drama: CSI. (Crime Scene Investigation)

19. Antianxiety drug: XANAX

23. Many a GI: PVT

24. Jerry Garcia's band, familiarly: THE DEAD

28. Socializing with the queen, maybe: AT TEA

31. Avril Lavigne's "Sk8er __": BOI

32. Bullets and such: AMMO

33. Lots and lots: A GOOD DEAL

35. Accessories for the highchair set: BIBS

36. Decide in advance: PLAN

37. Gonzalez boy in 2000 headlines: ELIAN. Where is he now?

39. Look at lasciviously: OGLE

40. Hourly charge: RATE

41. "I expected as much": "IT FIGURES"

43. "... __ saw Elba": ERE I. “Aibohphobia” : a fear of palindromes.

44. Owns: HAS

45. More like a button?: CUTER. Clue doesn't sit quite right for me. Close enough.

46. Is really boiling: SEETHES

48. Reggae kin: SKA

55. Set to simmer, as a burner: ON LOW. Won't get 46-Across that way.

58. Spanish eye: OJO

59. Sag: DROOP

60. Southern inflection: DRAWL

61. Looking sickly: WAN

62. Novelist Zola: EMILE. The artist is nothing without the gift, but the gift is nothing without work. ~ Emile Zola

63. Suddenly occurs to, with "on": DAWNS

64. Computer program suffix: .EXE

65. Went out with: DATED

Down:

1. Close securely: SEAL

2. Stroll in the shallows: WADE

3. "Yeah, sure!": "AS IF!"

4. Track event: MEET

5. Made fluffy, as pillows: PLUMPED

6. Millionaire's boat: YACHT

7. "Frozen" princess: ELSA

8. Minnesota college named for Norway's patron: SAINT OLAF

9. Spunk: MOXIE. The soda came first, before the "spunk" meaning. Moxie History

11. Morning break hour: TEN

12. Historical period: ERA

13. Classic doo-wop horn: SAX. It takes me back to slow dancing in the gymnasium.

21. Slip past: EVADE

22. Phone button letters next to a 4: GHI

25. Political fugitive: ÉMIGRÉ

26. One strolling: AMBLER. Back in the gym.

27. Medicine measures: DOSES

28. Harshly bright: AGLARE

29. Perfectly: TO A TEE

31. Puts the worm on: BAITS

33. __-ski: APRÈS

34. Sewing machine inventor: ELIAS HOWE

38. Shaving mishaps: NICKS

42. Covered, as in a man-to-man defense: GUARDED

44. Axe: HEW

47. Coyote cries: HOWLS

48. Rosetta __: STONE

50. "Stronger than dirt!" cleanser: AJAX

51. "Joy of Cooking" writer Rombauer: IRMA

52. __ alone: have no help: GO IT

53. Putting target: HOLE

54. Adorned with Angel Soft, say: TP'ed. Strewn with toilet paper.

55. Like every other number: ODD

56. Food service trade org.: NRA. (National Restaurant Association)

57. Attorney's field: LAW

Argyle

Monday, October 3, 2016 Jake Braun

Theme: By The Way - Three letter combos.

16A. Expose wrongdoing: BLOW THE WHISTLE

37A. With the breeze at your back, in sailing: BEFORE THE WIND

60A. Where the driver sits: BEHIND THE WHEEL

69A. Incidentally, in texting ... and a hint to three long puzzle answers: BTW

Argyle here. Jake's given up the easy stuff, four Sunday puzzles, and produced a credible Monday offering.

Across:

1. Hospital IV amts.: CC's. (Cubic Centimetre)

4. Irrational fear sufferer's suffix: PHOBE.. The fear itself would have a phobia suffix.

9. Texas city: WACO

13. Until now: YET

14. Specialized language: ARGOT. There is some interesting word origin if you care to look it up.

15. Dashing style: ELAN

19. Gymnast Korbut: OLGA

20. Choose by majority vote: ELECT

21. Wok cook's flavoring: MSG. (monosodium glutamate)

23. Attacked by surprise: RAIDED

26. Baseball card stat: RBI. (run batted in)

27. Day, in Durango: DÍA

28. MBA hopeful's test: GRE. (Graduate Record Examination)

29. Take a break: REST

32. Lead singer's part: MELODY

34. "No need to explain the joke": "I GET IT"

36. Is obliged to pay: OWES

41. Creative fields: ARTS

42. Feathers: PLUMEs

43. Hot chocolate drinks: COCOAs

46. Actor Morales: ESAI

47. Braz. neighbor: ARGentina. I counted ten neighbors.

50. Astounded state: AWE

51. What it takes to tango: TWO

53. Maple syrup rating: GRADE A

55. Bank acct. earnings: INT. (interest)

56. Peddler's merchandise: WARES

59. Like "Supergirl," ratings-wise: TV PG

64. Decimated Asian sea: ARAL

65. Budget prefix: ECONO

66. Genetics lab subj.: RNA

67. Audacity: GALL

68. __ Island: RHODE

Down:

1. RoboCop is one: CYBORG. RoboCop · ‎RoboCop 2 · ‎RoboCop 3 · ‎RoboCop (2014 film). Can't keep a good cyborg down.

2. Wine storage area: CELLAR

3. Inferior cigar: STOGIE. I smoke old stogies I have found short, but not too big around. Who am I?

4. Compliment "on the back": PAT

5. Princely letters: HRH. (His Royal Highness)

6. S-shaped molding: OGEE

7. Soup serving: BOWL

8. Out-of-use anesthetic: ETHER

9. White terrier, familiarly: WESTIE

10. Ctrl-__-Del: PC reboot combo: ALT

11. "You're getting too excited": "CALM DOWN!"

12. Like a 45-10 football game: ONE-SIDED

17. Roll of bills: WAD

18. Long-range nuke: ICBM. (intercontinental ballistic missile)

22. Many pride parade participants: GAYS

24. Therefore: ERGO

25. Bucks and does: DEER

30. Instructions component: STEP

31. "Superman," e.g.: TITLE

33. Superman lover Lane: LOIS

34. "In that case ... ": "IF SO ... "

35. Consequently: THUS

37. Lunchbox alternative: BROWN BAG

38. And so forth: ET CETERA

39. Cyberzine: E-MAG

40. Small dam: WEIR

41. Berry rich in antioxidants: ACAI

44. Whenever you want to: AT WILL

45. Ugly duckling, as we learn later: SWAN

47. "-ly" word, usually: ADVERB

48. Admonition to a sinner: REPENT

49. Act that suppresses free speech: GAG LAW

52. What an unruly courtroom lacks: ORDER

54. Part of NCAA: Abbr.: ATH. (National Collegiate ATHletic Association)

57. Carve in stone: ETCH

58. Chase off: SHOO

61. Evil film computer: HAL. 2001: A Space Odyssey:

62. Last in a sequence: END

63. "__ is me!": WOE. The end until tomorrow.

Argyle

Sunday, October 2, 2016 Thomas Bianchi & Patti Varol

Theme: "Beatles Mash-up" - Each theme entry is a mash-up of two Beatles' songs.

27A. Cold War defector's observation? : I'M A LOSER BACK IN THE USSR. I'm a Loser. Back in the USSR.  Defectors tend to have high esteem.

43A. Promise to the IRS? : WE CAN WORK IT OUT, TAXMAN. We Can Work It Out. Taxman.

67A. "Please take the van, dear"? : HONEY, DON'T DRIVE MY CAR. Honey Don't. Drive My Car.  Not familiar with "Honey Don't". But the mashup is fantastic.

90A. Agreement with a Scandinavian furniture maker? : LET IT BE NORWEGIAN WOOD. Let It Be. Norwegian Wood. The latter is also a very popular Japanese novel we all secretly read in high school. So mild by today's standards.

108A. Words from the brokenhearted? : TELL ME WHY YOU WON'T SEE ME. Tell Me Why. You Won't See Me. The latter is unknown to me.

Only 5 theme entries, but they're all very long, occupying a total of 101 theme squares. I mentioned before that somehow grid spanners for a 21*21 are tougher to deal with than spanners for 15*15.  19 & 20 are tricky too. 15 or under are friendlier.

Congratulations on your LAT debut, Thomas Bianchi! Are you this professor? The six characters on the podium says Ocean University of China, which is based in Tsingtao, famous for its beer.

Patti is Rich's assistant and editor for The Crossword Club. She taught me by example what a clean puzzle is. Don't miss this great interview. Patti is also a super fast solver. She probably nails every Sunday puzzle in 8 to 10 minutes, or even faster.

Across:

      

1. Really silly : APISH. Not a word I use.

6. All-__: high-end cookware : CLAD. Holy smokes, D-Otto/Steve/TTP, look at the price.

10. Scribble : JOT

13. Chows down : EATS

17. Looie's underling : NON-COM

19. Mata __ : HARI

20. Condo, say : UNIT

22. Work for a captain : CREW

23. Transfer, in a way : DECANT. Oh, wine.

24. "The Rachel Papers" novelist : AMIS (Martin)

25. Attorney general after William Barr : JANET RENO. We also have HARPER LEE (116. 1961 Pulitzer-winning novelist) and ANAIS NIN (89. "A Spy in the House of Love" novelist). Three full names. Wonderful. All women.

30. Physicist Mach : ERNST

31. Double-crosser : RAT

32. Pommes frites sprinkling : SEL

33. Shelf-filling bks. : OED (Oxford English Dictionary). 20 volumes.

34. Accident initials : EMS

37. Platform for Apple mobile devices : IOS

38. Disinclined : AVERSE. I used to think CenturyLink's 1 Gig package is ridiculous. Man, how time has changed!

41. Antique auto : REO

49. In a crowd of : AMONG

50. Cover up : HIDE

51. Have : OWN

52. "You got that right!" : AMEN

54. Colorful salamander : NEWT. Looks like a plastic toy.

55. Bias : SPIN

57. Dublin-born rocker/activist : BONO

59. "Fantastic!" : BRAVO

60. Facetious way to vote : OFTEN.  Not really "facetious" for All-Star fan voting. You can vote up to 30 times.

62. Volvo competitor : SAAB

64. Holiday evergreen : FIR

66. Entomologist's tool : NET

72. Netizen's guffaw : LOL

73. Agnus __ : DEI

74. Follow : HEED

75. "Gladiator" setting : ARENA

76. Traveler's aid : ATLAS. Today's kids probably will never touch a real atlas.

78. Druid, for one : CELT

80. Formerly, formerly : ERST

81. Pizza Quick sauce brand : RAGU. Staple in our house.

85. Layer of ore : VEIN

86. Beheld : SAW

87. Vehicle for hire : TAXI. And 56. Human-powered 87-Across : PEDICAB

89. Creator of a cocky hare : AESOP

96. In-flight info : ETA

97. Leans (on) : RELIES

98. Nashville awards org. : CMA

99. Storied abduction craft : UFO

100. Barely make, with "out" : EKE

103. Sign of a hit : SRO (Standing Room Only)

105. WWII female : WAC

106. Assume as fact : POSIT

117. Aspiring atty.'s exam : LSAT

118. Protective finish : ENAMEL

119. Many a folk song writer: Abbr. : ANON. Or many a blog commenter.

120. Hospital fluids : SERA

121. Forget about : OMIT

122. Highway postings : LIMITS

123. Van __, Calif. : NUYS. What's it famous for?

124. Gravel alternative : TAR

125. IRS auditor's requests : RCTS (Receipts)

126. Longship language : NORSE. Wiki says "Longships were a type of ship invented and used by the Norsemen for trade, commerce, exploration, and warfare during the Viking Age."

   

Down:

1. "The King __" : AND I

2. Work with a writer of its ilk contained in it : POEM. Can you explain this clue to me?

3. South American native : INCA

4. Deli sight : SCALE

5. In tribute to : HONORING

6. Meeting illustration : CHART

7. Moussaka meat : LAMB. Never had Moussaka. Wiki says it's eggplant-based.

8. The Habanera from "Carmen," e.g. : ARIA

9. Separate : DISCRETE

10. Self-defense method : JUJITSU. Which one do you use: Jujitsu, Jiu-Jitsu or Jujutsu? The Ju part is the same as the Ju in Judo, meaning "gentle". Jitsu means "technique".  Below is how Jujitsu & Judo are written out in Japanese/Chinese. Notice the first character Ju is exactly the same? The Do in Judo is the same as Chinese "tao", meaning "way".

Judo

11. "... roasting __ open fire" : ON AN

12. Salon supply : TINTS

13. Light brown : ECRU

14. Childish comeback : ARE SO

15. Needing a chill pill : TENSE

16. War metaphor : SWORD

18. Aptly named Vt. ski resort : MT. SNOW

21. Braves' All-Star pitcher Julio : TEHERAN. Easily obtainable via crosses. It's also the alternative spelling of Tehran, I think.

26. Fax predecessor : TELEX

28. "Put a tiger in your tank" brand : ESSO

29. Big name in corn syrup : KARO. Some Korean Hot Pepper Paste (Gochujang) have corn syrup. Some have rice syrup. I can't tell the difference. They're just delicious.

34. McGregor of "Trainspotting" : EWAN

35. Internet __: viral item : MEME

36. Garbage barge : SCOW

38. Analogous : AKIN

39. YouTube clip, for short : VID. I recently discovered this song. Lovely.

40. School for some princes : ETON

42. He played Yuri in "Doctor Zhivago" : OMAR

44. Composer Bruckner : ANTON

45. Savanna heavyweight : RHINO

46. Some bargains : TWOFERS

47. Freezer maker : AMANA

48. "When pigs fly!" : NEVER. Followed by NOT (53. Word in most Commandments)

55. Eye problem : STYE

57. Meter writer : BARD

58. Japanese sash : OBI

59. __ Mawr : BRYN

61. Agents of Uncle Sam : FEDs

62. Leave in, to an editor : STET

63. Sports drink suffix : ADE

65. "How __ Your Mother": CBS sitcom : I MET. Not a dupe of METS (114. 2015 National League champs). Patti's team.

67. Most of the RMS Queen Mary, now : HOTEL. Have any of you boarded that ship?

68. Skateboarding leap : OLLIE. We just had this a few months ago.

69. Red Wings' org. : NHL

70. Brazilian airline : VARIG. Total stranger to me.

71. Panama-born MLB Hall of Famer : CAREW (Rod). Used to bowl in Boomer's league.

72. Head, for short : LAV

77. Price of hand delivery? : ANTE. Oh, poker hand.

79. Decorative pitcher : EWER

80. They're no longer together : EXES. I really like Jennifer Aniston. She's so sweet and kind.

82. Not worth __: valueless : A SOU

83. Loaf, with "off" : GOOF

84. Beehive, e.g. : UPDO

86. Rubberneckers : STARERS

87. Like some pasta : TRICOLOR

88. Amaze : AWE

91. Caller ID? : IT'S ME. Fun clue.

92. When a ball may be dropped : NEW YEAR

93. "Challenge What's Possible" skin care brand : OLAY. Been using it since college.

94. Computer image : ICON

95. Dutch brewery : AMSTEL

100. "__ Frome" : ETHAN

101. Sandra's "Speed" co-star : KEANU

102. "The Jetsons" boy : ELROY

104. Young hooter : OWLET

106. Annie of "Ghostbusters" : POTTS. We just had her recently.

107. Día de San Valentín sentiment : TE AMO. It's these three characters in Chinese.

109. ICU caregivers : LPNs

110. Mount Olympus VIP : HERA. VIP made me think the answer might be abbreviated.

111. Letters at Camp Lejeune : USMC

112. "Stop right there!" : WAIT

113. Qatari chieftain : EMIR

115. "If all __ fails ... " : ELSE

C.C.