Wednesday, October 19, 2016 Bruce Haight

Theme: NUMBERS GAME.  The theme answers can be parsed by splitting off the last few letters, which in each case then constitute the spelt out name of a number.  These also appear in numerical order, which is a nice, elegant touch.  For some of them the pronunciation changes.  Fun theme for me, since I get a kick out of alternate parsings.

17 A. Does well at the casino? : BREAKS EVEN.   Since the house has a persistent advantage, one who BREAKS EVEN actually is doing well.  SEVEN is considered by some to be a lucky number.  So parsing this letter grouping to split off the number SEVEN might actually be a lucky BREAK.

25 A. Cereal box factoid : NET WEIGHT.   This is the WEIGHT of the contents of the box.  The weight of the container is called the tare, and added together they give you the total WEIGHT.  Maybe you'll get EIGHT servings, and eating them might affect your WEIGHT.

50 A. Opera house level : MEZZANINE.  This traces back to the Latin word for median, and refers to a building level between two floors, in this case the main auditorium and the balcony.  NINE is the number of either ladies dancing on the stage, or the Nazgul, though I'm not sure how that is relevant.

60 A. Bullied : BROW-BEATEN.  Influenced by verbal or psychological intimidation and abuse, rather than physical harm, though that might be threatened.   This can happen because the TEN Commandments did not include "Thou Salt Not BROW BEAT."

And the unifier -- 37 A. Concert finale ... and what 17-, 25-, 50- and 60-Across have in common: CLOSING NUMBER.  That's the last song of the performance, and points us to the tail end of each theme answer.  Having the unifier in the middle makes for nice symmetry, but can give away too much too soon, if you're filling in with top down sequence.

Good closing number - but we're just getting started!

Hi gang, JazzBumba on the job, though I'm not much of a numerologist.  Let's go check out the words and letters.  That's more my speed.

Across

1. Unlike this clue, obviously : LAST.  So, the LAST really will be first - at least in the context of this grid.

5. Driving force? : MOTOR.  Usually this phrase is figurative, but here, it is literal, since a MOTOR provides the driving force for a vehicle or some other kind of machine.  So why the question mark?

10. Bar regulars, and then some : SOTS.  Habitual drunkards.  The word originates in medieval Latin, coming to us via late Old English, where it referred to a foolish person.  The current meaning dates from the late 16th century.

14. Bible book before Romans : ACTS. Of The Apostles.

15. One-named singer with 10 Grammys : ADELE.

16. William of "Broadcast News" : HURT. [b 1950]

19. On : ATOP.  Sitting upon.

20. URL ending : COM.  For a commercial enterprise. Others are EDU for schools and ORG for organizations.

21. Bridge call : AHOY.   The bridge of a ship, not something uttered in a card game.

22. Hang loosely : DRAPE.  

23. Star's statuette : OSCAR.  For Academy Award winners.

28. Mushroom cloud makers : A-TESTS.    Of explosive nuclear devices.

30. Pale : WAN.  Strangely, this traces back to an Old English word meaning dark black.  Go figure.

31. __ shadow : EYE.   Cosmetic type.

32. Tip to one side : TILT.  Lean over.

33. Etiquette expert Baldrige who was Jackie Kennedy's social secretary : LETITIA. [1926-2012]  Author of 20 books and a newspaper column who also ran her own PR firm.

41. Comes back with : REPLIES.  Not RETORTS, I discovered.

42. Hardly scads : A DAB.  Some undefined small quantity

44. Beer choice, briefly : IPA.  India Pale Ale - a hoppy brew originally formulated to be stable on the long sea voyage from Mother England.

47. Part of un mes : DIA.   Spanish month and day.

48. Ready for the piano recital : IN TUNE.  I could go on and on about this, but the comma of Pythagorus is too difficult to explain.

54. "Ugh!" : YECCH.  An expression of disgust, and my reaction to this fill.

55. Climbed aboard : GOT ON.   Could also be GOT IN.

56. Some Neruda poems : ODES.  Pablo Neruda was the pen name and later legal name of Chilean poet, diplomat and politician Ricardo Eliécer Neftalí Reyes Basoalto [1904 - 1973.]

58. Hawaiian tuna : AHI.  Yellowfin tuna.

59. Snack since 1912 : OREO.   Creme filling between two chocolate cookie layers.

63. Musée Marc Chagall city : NICE.  In France.

64. Ancient Greek region : IONIA.  In present day Turkey.

65. Conversation piece? : WORD.  Sentence fragment.  Make sure you parse it properly.

66. __ chair : EASY.  A place to relax.

67. Minute : TEENY. Tiny.

68. Archer of myth : EROS. Bringer of love.  This is why it's called arrowticism.

Down

1. Researcher's garb : LAB COAT.  For chemists, doctors, and lab workers.

Protects your clothes from blood and chemicals

2. Puzzle with a quote : ACROSTIC.  Explained here.

3. Recent medical research subject : STEM CELL.  An undifferentiated cell that is capable of developing into any of a variety of specific cell types.

4. Org. operating full-body scanners : TSA.  The Transportation Security Administration.

5. Prepare, as avocados for guacamole : MASH.  Guac a al Bumpa:  Two avocados, mashed; one 10 oz can diced tomatoes with green chilies; two tomatillas, finely diced; chopped cilantro, onion and garlic to taste.  Magnifico!

6. Ancient theater : ODEON.   Greek.

7. "Tradition" singer : TEVYE.  From Fiddler On The Roof.

He does have quite a bit of help

8. "Bravo!" : OLE. Cheers heard in sports arenas where Spanish is spoken.

9. "You eediot!" speaker of cartoons : REN.  Stimpy's costar.

10. Ventriloquist Lewis : SHARI.  

11. Delighted state? : OUTAGE.  Now this is clever.  When the electricity is out, you are left in the dark, powerless.

12. Prize in a case : TROPHY.   An OSCAR, frex.

13. Fla. city : ST. PETErsburg.

18. Go-__ : KART.  A small racing car with a lightweight or skeleton body.

22. Overalls material : DENIM.  Also blue jeans.

24. Financier aboard the Titanic : ASTOR.  John Jacob. [1864-1912]  He went down with the ship.

26. Strong string : TWINE.  From the same root as two and twin, a strong string made from two or more strands twisted together.

27. 1960s dance : WATUSI.

29. Add sneakily : SLIP IN.  As when late for a meeting, hoping to not be noticed.

34. China's Zhou __ : EN LAI. [1898 - 1976]   First Premier of the People's Republic of China, serving from 1949 until his death.

35. "In Here, It's Always Friday" letters : TGI.  From the Restaurant chain TGI Friday's.

36. Diminish : ABATE.  Reduce in magnitude or intensity.

38. Enterprise choice : SEDAN.   Rental car, having nothing to do with Star Trek.

39. Academic figure : EDUCATOR.  Teacher.

40. Southwestern farm owner : RANCHERO.  Spanish for rancher.  

43. Rear ends : BEHINDS.

Everybody has one

44. "See ya!" : I'M GONE.  Not quite - gotta finish the downs.

45. Everycity, USA : PEORIA.   This idea originated in one of Horatio Alger's plays.

46. Tenochtitlán natives : AZTECS.   They dominated meso-America in the 14th through 16th centuries and are noted for the practice of human sacrifice.

49. Where to see IBM and JNJ : NYSE.   Stock symbols on the New York Stock Exchange.

51. Deschanel of the musical duo She & Him : ZOOEY.

52. Whom to trust, in "The X-Files" : NO ONE.  Closing tag line used in certain episodes.

53. Astronomer Hubble : EDWIN. [1889 - 1953]  American astronomer who showed that the universe is expanding, and provided evidence that far off objects considered to be nebulae were actually galaxies. 

57. PayPal's former parent : EBAY.  

60. Morsel : BIT.  Or bite, perhaps an ort.

61. Salmon eggs : ROE.  Fish eggs, in general are referred to as ROE.

62. More than impress : AWE.  A reaction of wonder to something grand, sublime or powerful.

And thus ends this little number.  Hope you enjoyed it.  Mind your traditions and go in peace, my friends.

Cool regards!
JzB

 
Note from C.C.:

Anon T (Tony) and I made today's WSJ. You can click here to print out pdf. Read Jim's review after you're done. Congrats on your WSJ debut, Tony!
 
 

Anon T, Giza, Feb 2014

Tuesday, October 18, 2016 Agnes Davidson & C.C. Burnikel

Theme: Fry a brain - trying to think of a good theme title for this puzzle.

18A. Mug for the camera: MAKE A FACE

23A. Pitch in: LEND A HAND

37A. Do the slightest thing: LIFT A FINGER

50A. What the winning quarterback may do as time runs out: TAKE A KNEE

57A. Theatrical "Good luck!": BREAK A LEG

Argyle here. Very tight theme construction from C.C. and Irish Miss but I am at a loss at what to call it. Help me, please.

Across:

1. With 66-Across, crisp serving with pâté: MELBA. 66-Across. See 1-Across: TOAST

6. Gush forth: SPEW

10. Australian gem: OPAL

14. Mountains between Europe and Asia: URALS. How many euros to visit the Urals?

15. Singer Guthrie: ARLO

16. Bring on board, workwise: HIRE

17. Enjoy to the max: EAT UP

20. Govt. assistance program: SSI. (Supplemental Security Income)

21. "Holy smokes!": "WOW!". What you might say when you see how much we pay for SSI.

22. Hot spot: SAUNA

27. Battery post: ANODE

29. Aggressive poker words: "I RAISE". Non-aggressive, "I fold."

30. Some iTunes downloads, briefly: EPs. Extended play. It usually has 3-5 tracks.

32. Queen __: BEE. Every hive has one.

33. Road problem needing patching: POTHOLE

36. Catcher's protection: MASK

39. Aware of: IN ON

41. Voice of Carl Fredricksen in "Up": ED ASNER

42. "What's up, __?": DOC. "Carl Fredricksen"

43. iPhone, e.g., briefly: PDA. (personal digital assistant)

44. HOW THIS IS TYPED: IN CAPS

48. Shoulder wrap: STOLE

53. Contemptible sort: TWERP

55. Prosecutors, for short: DAs, (District Attorney)

56. Seine season: ÉTÉ. Save up your euros and take a boat trip on the Seine next summer.

59. "Really, bro?!": "AW, MAN!"

61. Was sorry for: RUED

62. Grand soirée: GALA

63. Super Bowl party bowlful: CHILI. Any Super Bowl pools started yet?

64. Chianti and cabernet: REDs. Wines; good with chili?

65. Paradise: EDEN

Down:

1. Granola kin: MUESLI

2. Error remover: ERASER

3. Rita Moreno or Gloria Estefan: LATINA

4. __-ray Disc: BLU

5. Snake that bit Cleopatra: ASP

6. South Pacific island nation: SAMOA

7. Shrimp kin: PRAWN

8. Fraternal club member: ELK. Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.

9. Misfortunes: WOES

10. "Terrific ... not!": "OH, FUN"

11. Lounge with keyboard music: PIANO BAR

12. Video game spots: ARCADEs

13. Dixie general: LEE. We haven't seen much of the General in some time.

19. Remote batteries: AAAs

21. Stimulated, as one's appetite: WHETTED

24. Scoop up, as salsa with a chip: DIP IN. Don't be a George.

25. Starting on: AS OF

26. Meat markets: DELIs

28. Cry of fright: [EEK!]

31. Cents: PENNIES

34. Attacked: HAD AT

35. All __ sudden: OF A

36. Pfizer rival: MERCK. (pharmaceutical companies)

37. Plant that is poisonous to livestock: LOCOWEED

38. Rowlands of "The Notebook": GENA. IMBd Gena portrays an old woman and Rachel McAdams has the role of the same character when she was young.

39. Crooks may have fake ones: IDs. (identification card)

40. "You lie!": "NOT TRUE!"

43. Company car, e.g.: PERK

45. Lack of vim and vigor: ANEMIA

46. Colorful flower parts: PETALS

47. "Caught that movie last week": "SEEN IT"

49. Detectives follow them: LEADS

51. Singer with the albums "19," "21" and "25": ADELE. Albums were named for how old she was when she made them.

52. Sotomayor colleague: KAGAN. Associate Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan.

54. Senate aide: PAGE

57. "I'm freezing!": [BRR!]. Not here, not this week. Eighties predicted.

58. Young fellow: LAD

59. Fake it: ACT

60. "__ goes there?": WHO

Argyle

Monday, October 17, 2016 Carolyn Farmer & Mary Lou Guizzo

Theme: Four Letter Jumble - The word is FATE.

17. Noir film temptress: FEMME FATALE

28. Football-like sport played with a disc: ULTIMATE FRISBEE

43. Close kin: IMMEDIATE FAMILY

56. Ironic change in destiny ... and, literally, what happens in this puzzle's circles: TWIST OF FATE

Argyle here. We have a lot to like here. No stretching of the 'in language' themes to make them fit even though two are grid spanners. Many six letter fill and a good mix overall.

These two partnered before on a BuzzFeed crossword last year. Food-themed Star Wars puns. LINK

Across:

1. Solidifies: GELS

5. Extends, as a building: ADDS TO

11. Triple __: liqueur: SEC. An orange flavored clear liqueur.

14. Golfer Aoki: ISAO. Isao Aoki, crossword regular.

15. Unfortunate event: MISHAP

16. Thurman of "Kill Bill": UMA. Also a regular.

19. Writing implement: PEN

20. Therapeutic ointment: BALM. I swear by it.

21. Tenants: RENTERs

23. Engineer Nikola: TESLA. A former regular.

25. "__F!": pre-weekend cry: TGI. A bit early for Thank God It's Friday.

27. Homer Simpson's wife: MARGE. She of the blue hair.

31. Falsehood: LIE

32. __ Angeles: LOS

33. '50s prez: IKE. DDE, Dwight D. Eisenhower, the 34th President.

34. Kareem's former name: LEW. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was Lew Alcindor. (Basketball)

35. Dangerous current: RIPTIDE. I know you should swim perpendicular to one if caught in it. Don't try to swim straight back to shore. Today's PSA.

37. Female pronoun: SHE

40. Cupid's mo.: FEB. Valentine's Day, Tuesday, February 14, 2017.

41. Year, in Spain: ANO. 6-Down. Day, in Spain: DIA

42. Ate: HAD

49. "__ Rae": NORMA. Norma Rae is a 1979 American drama film.

50. "__ who?!": SEZ "Sez IMDb, that's who!"

51. Execs, or outfits hanging in their closets: SUITS

52. Goes on the offensive: ATTACKS

54. Gentle: SOFT

55. Life story, briefly: BIO. (biography)

61. Egg cells: OVA

62. Transition slowly: EASE IN

63. __ out a living: EKEs

64. Crossed (out): Xed

65. Same-as-above marks: DITTOs. "

66. Fender damage: DENT

Down:

1. Animated Internet file suffix: GIF. (Graphics Interchange Format)

2. Suffix with Siam: ESE

3. Meaty dish that would make Mary sad?: LAMB STEW

4. Mogadishu native: SOMALI

5. Radio band-switching switch: AM/FM

7. Hrs. that begin when we "spring forward": DST. Daylight Saving Time 2016 began at 2:00 AM on Sunday, March 13 and ends at 2:00 AM on Sunday, November 6. Another Public Service Announcement.

8. "Doctor Zhivago" actor Omar: SHARIF

9. "Tall" story: TALE

10. Amateur night at a comedy club, e.g.: OPEN MIKE

11. Exquisite: SUPERB

12. Come into view: EMERGE

13. As far as the eye __: CAN SEE

18. Jack of old Westerns: ELAM. Just one of his many deaths.

22. Stun with a gun: TASE. Jack was being shot long before tasers.

23. Rock's Jethro __: TULL

24. Nobelist Wiesel: ELIE

25. Sporty sunroof: T-TOP

26. Develop in the womb: GESTATE

29. "I was with my girlfriend all night," say: ALIBI

30. No longer encumbered by: RID OF

35. Edited: REDACTED

36. "Mockingbird" singer Foxx: INEZ. A different video for Splynter here.

37. Asian mushroom with an odd spelling: SHIITAKE

38. "Freeze!": "HALT!"

39. Breyers competitor: EDY'S Ice cream.

40. Storm relief org.: FEMA. (Federal Emergency Management Agency)

43. Packed up for shipping: IN A BOX

44. Whodunit reason: MOTIVE

45. "The Wind in the Willows" croaker: MR. TOAD

46. Help out: ASSIST

47. Dating from: AS OF

48. Bungled: MUFFED

53. "The Bridge on the River __": KWAI. 1957 British-American epic war film.

54. Daughters' brothers: SONS

57. Part of a tennis match: SET

58. Padre's hermano: TIO. father's brother/uncle

59. On a scale of one to __: TEN

60. Approx. figure: ESTimate.

Argyle

Sunday, October 16, 2016 Matt McKinley

Theme: "Get With It" - You need to add "Get" to each clue to make sense of the answer.

23A. Away : EVADE THE POLICE. Get away.

42A. By : MAKE ENDS MEET. Get by.

50A. Hitched : TIE THE KNOT. Get hitched. This and 42A are solid "in the language" phrases.

68A. Wise : ACT ARROGANTLY. Get wise.

89A. On : JUMP ABOARD. Get on. "In the language" also.

96A. Even : AVENGE A WRONG. Get even.

 

118A. Ahead : ACHIEVE SUCCESS. Get ahead.

17D. Through : BECOME CLEAR. Get through. Two of the Down themers intersect two Aross entries. Nice.

 

67D. Over : RECOVER FROM. Get over. 

I grokked the gimmick immediately, having encountered Alex Boisvert's "Get It?" puzzle in my theme brainstorm a while ago.

This is basically a Definition puzzle with key part of the clue missing, so not all the phrases are idiomatic. But trust me, it's not easy to come up with a set of entries that work perfectly letter-wise and definition-wise.

Across:

1. Using currency : IN CASH. Lots of solid 6s in this grid.

7. Reacted to a late night out : SLEPT IN

14. Frozen dessert : SORBET. Sorbet/sherbet used to confuse me.

20. Snack chip : DORITO

21. Derogatory statement : CALUMNY. Not a word I use.

22. Puddy tat's quarry : TWEETY

25. Baggage porter : REDCAP

26. "__ difference" : SAME

27. Throat tissue : TONSIL

28. Org. associated with long lines : TSA

30. 2016 Olympics golf gold medalist Justin __ : ROSE. Met him & Adam Scott at the PGA long time ago. They had the same coach then.

31. Honey brand : SUE BEE. I just learned that drinking a cup of hot water with honey before bed helps sleep.

33. Something to soak in : TUB

36. "Recapping ... " : IN SUM

38. Blanc with many voices : MEL

41. Resort NE of Los Alamos : TAOS. Also 44. City south of Salem : EUGENE. Also 85. Russian city northeast of Kiev : OREL

 46. Pizza parlor lure : AROMA

48. "Duh!" evoker : NO BRAINER. Duh!

49. Stick in a parlor : CUE

54. Street __ : CRED. Not FAIR/FOOD.

55. Pond growth : ALGA

56. Hanging on by a thread : SEWN. I like this clue.

57. Vintage autos : REOs

58. Throbbed : ACHED, Sorry for the unpleasant experience on Thursday, Agnes!

60. Frozen drinks : ICEEs

61. Ounce : SCINTILLA

64. Patriot Silas : DEANE

65. Round fig. : CIR (Circle). Not EST.

73. In medias __ : RES

74. In full view : OVERT

76. Literary motto words : ONE FOR ALL. The Three Musketeers.

78. Securing strings : LACES

79. See 51-Down : GAGNE. And 51. With 79-Across, 2003 N.L. Cy Young Award winner : ERIC. One of the very few who wear glasses on the field.

82. Setting of Camus' "The Plague" : ORAN. Guilty of putting this in my own grids before.

83. Wind with keys : OBOE. Tricky clue.

87. Soon, in verse : ANON

88. One way to fly : SOLO. We also have 58. Unaccompanied : ALONE

 91. AFC South, e.g. : DIV (Division)

92. Typical fast-food offering : CHEAP MEAL. KFC was a luxury place in my college years. Xi'an had no McDonald's then.

95. Tossed in a chip : ANTED

 

98. Bedside toggle switch : AM/FM

101. Crafty : SLY

102. Fence pieces : RAILS

103. Case in Eng. class : OBJ (Objective)

104. Like some dress patterns : FLORAL. So pretty.

 

106. Only president who was also chief justice : TAFT. Learned a ton while making the  CHIEF JUSTICE puzzle with Big Easy.

108. Norse war god : TYR. Learned from doing crosswords. Tuesday god.

110. Algonquin kin : OJIBWA. I use OJIBWE.

112. "Exodus" novelist : URIS

116. Land, say : ARRIVE. Verb "Land".

122. Metaphor for the good life : CLOVER. In clover.

123. Explorer of new territory : PIONEER

124. Connecticut town on Long Island Sound : DARIEN. No idea. What's it famous for?

125. Hits involving trots : HOMERS. Home run trot.

126. Leading position : TOP SPOT

127. Bergman and Borg : SWEDES

 

Down:

 

1. Middle March : IDES

2. Smoked salmon : NOVA. Kind of lox.

3. Compensate for prior laziness, perhaps : CRAM. Simple in retrospect.

4. Hill workers : AIDES

5. Sault __ Marie : STE

6. It may be herbal : HOT TEA. Mine is always hot, even in summer.

7. Discomfiting displays : SCENES. I just realize the clue is not "Discomforting".

8. Oversight : LAPSE

9. Fair-haired sci-fi race : ELOI. It's back!

10. Soda can feature : PULL TAB

11. "That's more than enough!" : TMI

12. Business issue : INC.  The magazine.

13. Natasha's no : NYET. Don't think Trump understands the clue.

14. Broken down, say : STRANDED

15. Must pay : OWE

16. "The Shining" word with two mirror-image letters : REDRUM. "Murder" spelled backwards.

18. T-storms may delay them : ETAs

19. Sort : TYPE

24. Bindle carrier : HOBO

29. Broke a Commandment : SINNED

32. "Point Break" FBI agent Johnny : UTAH. Aleppo moment. No idea.

34. Former 37-Down : UKR. And 37. Abbr. on Cold War maps : SSR

35. Vacation spot : BEACH

38. Shoes may be left on them : MATS

39. Lake that anagrams 43-Down : ERIE. And 43. Land that anagrams 39-Down : EIRE

40. Movie mogul Marcus : LOEW

42. Clever remark : MOT

 

45. Kids : TEASES

47. Ozarks, e.g.: Abbr. : MTNs

48. Polite refusal : NO SIR

52. Lane co-worker : KENT. Lois Lane. See also 72. Lois' "Superboy" counterpart : LANA

 

53. "It's __ good sign" : NOT A

55. Golfer's thrill : ACE

59. Put behind bars : CAGE

60. Country poem : IDYL. I use IDYLL.

62. Scratching post users : CATS

63. Dianetics creator Hubbard : L. RON. Lawrence Wright talked in depth about him and Scientology a few years ago.

 65. Piña __ : COLADA

66. "Terrible" tsar : IVAN IV

69. On the bad side (of) : AFOUL

70. Expected result : NORM

71. Deceitful lure : TRAP

75. Stimpy's chum : REN

77. Bird on Canada's dollar coin : LOON

79. Give some slack, with "on" : GO EASY. Slight GO dupe with 81. Relinquish amateur status : GO PRO

80. What there oughta be : A LAW

84. Nocturnal mammals : BATS

86. Hot tub feature : EDDY

88. Stray caretakers : SHELTERS. The Ottos' in Texas.

89. Spree : JAG

90. Auburn rival, familiarly : BAMA

92. Cinematic FX : CGI

93. Criminal element, with "the" : MOB

94. Legally prohibits : ENJOINS

97. Indigenous : NATIVE

98. Uncle in a McCartney hit : ALBERT. Unfamiliar with the song.

99. Trims the lawn : MOWS

100. Phonies : FRAUDS

104. McGarrett's force, familiarly : FIVE-O

105. Immoral profit : LUCRE. I need the "Filthy" hint.

106. Dash instrument : TACH

107. Woody's son : ARLO

109. Absorbed : RAPT

111. "Go Anywhere. Do Anything" vehicle : JEEP

113. Senate minority leader : REID (Harry)

114. "Of course" : I SEE

115. Tax form IDs : SSNs

117. Bible transl., e.g. : VER. Version?

119. 1955 labor merger gp. : CIO

120. I follower : HOP. Not BET or KID.

121. Cry close to the ears : CAW. Corn. Nice clue also.

Happy Birthday to our CrossEyedDave & Blue Hen! Thank you for the fun, laughter and various life hacks you two have brought to our blog. Soaking Porcini/Shiitake in stock instead of water has made my mushrooms extra tasty, Blue Hen!

Saturday, Oct 15th, 2016, Mark Diehl

Theme: None

Words: 70 (missing J,Q,X)

Blocks: 27

  A new Saturday struggle from Mr. Diehl - his last offering being just a month previous, and I fared better with that construction - but then again, I was awake longer than I usually am before starting today's puzzle and blog, so a 'mental fade' might have had something to do with my need to cave in to Google.  Just too many proper names, especially in the NE.  Oh well.  A grid similar to the last puzzle, with 6x10 corners in a nearly spiral pattern, and two 9-letter climbers;

11d. Stinging builder of mud nests : MASON WASP - I should hire these guys for my next tiling job~!

32. Like tournament favorites : TOP-SEEDED

~!

ACROSS:

1. Raid units? : SPRAYS - Kills bugs dead

7. Pass after all else failed? : HAIL MARY - football reference

15. Mine shaft tool : TREPAN - I can see how this would be a rocks tool - the only "trepanning" I was aware of involved the skull

16. Ambiguous part : GRAY AREA

17. Cab Calloway catchphrase : HI-DE-HO - knew this from "The Blues Brothers"

18. Jonathan's cousins : WINESAPS - learning moment for me, on both varieties

19. She plays Hermione in "Harry Potter" films : EMMA - the one proper name I knew

not the Hermione you knew

20. Falls behind, perhaps : OWES - dah~! Not LAGS

22. Some sleepers : SOFAS - Dah~!  Took too long to get this answer - I was thinking trains

23. Soup vegetable : LEEK - um, is there such a thing as BEET soup~? ( I looked; it could have been correct....)

24. Big name in diamonds : ZALES

26. Parishioner's place : NAVE

27. Reagan __ : ERA - grew up during this time frame

28. Word on a business card : CELL - ugh; CORP, CALL, then CELL

29. Old tankard material : PEWTER - even clued just as "tankard material" would have worked

found this one, as well

31. Stallone, in "Capone" : NITTI - hiding in my noggin from doing past crosswords

33. Name on some euros : ESPAÑA - wondered if it was a person's name at first

35. Takes in : ABSORBS

37. Replacement for unlisted items : AND SO ON - could be parsed as AND SOON, clued as an ultimatum

41. Charity tourneys : PRO-AMS

43. Throw out an idea : OPINE

44. Takes root : SETS IN

47. Eats : CHOW - ah, the 'plural' misdirection

49. Brief subject : LAW - pondered RES, but waited

50. Spot for a scrape : KNEE

tragedy~!!!

51. Starbucks order : DECAF - oops, not LATTE

53. "__-daisy!" : UPSY

54. Thumb twiddler : IDLER

56. Dough : CASH - hesitated, thought it was too easy to be "CASH"

57. Pickup spot? : NAPE - think cats, etc.

58. Baloney : FOLDEROL - never heard the term; according to the online etymology, it's derived from song refrains

60. Where Mark Twain married Olivia Langdon : ELMIRA - perps and WAGs

62. Paratrooper's start : FREEFALL

63. Like beef loin, vis-à-vis chuck : LEANER

64. Commuting metaphor : SARDINES - think subways, and people packed into a silver can

65. Bands of cerebral nerve fibers : PONTES - not the first thing that comes up on a Google search

DOWN:

1. Napa County city that's home to Beringer Vineyards : St. HELENA - the website

2. Pricey cut : PRIME RIB

3. 2-Down and others : RED MEATS

4. Vertical, more or less : APEAK - one of those "A" words; seems to be closely associated with anchor lines - Spitz~?

5. Slangy agreement : YAH

6. Loser's mistake? : SNOOZE - "you snooze...."

7. "The Shape of Things to Come" author : H.G. WELLS - I did not know this

8. Develop : ARISE

9. Ziering of "Sharknado" : IAN

10. Soapmaking compounds : LYES

12. See 14-Down : ARAFAT - circumreferential to 14d. With 12-Down, 1994 Peace Prize sharer : YASSER

13. Work on, as a road : REPAVE

21. Peace Nobelist of 1983 : WALESA - cheated.  Googled.

25. Bridge : SPAN

28. High clouds : CIRRI

30. Fund : ENDOW

34. Ottoman officials : PASHAS

36. Craig role : BOND - he will return (as of today) for "James Bond 25"

38. Medium for da Vinci : OIL PAINT

39. Rampaging : ON A SPREE

40. Day of resolve : NEW YEAR'S

42. Magazine renamed Rosie in 2001 : McCALLS - no clue, but got it with half the letters from perps.  I do "ReCALL" McCalls; began in 1873, "apeaked" in the 60's, changed names, and was defunct one year later....

44. One-person boats : SKIFFS

45. "Bewitched" role : ENDORA - I am not too young to remember this show, even if I saw it in syndication

46. Worker in a cage : TELLER - ah, here's my "cage" from last week

48. Useful : OF HELP

52. Nice school : ÉCOLE

53. Dispirit : UNMAN

55. S&L offering : RE-FInance

59. Fared poorly in the wash : RAN

61. Early August arrival : LEO

Splynter

Friday, October 14, 2016, Jeffrey Wechsler

Title: BY THE OUNCE (as proclaimed by the clue for 57A).



This week, JW is the Wizard of OZ, giving us four phrases which add the abbreviation for Ounce (OZ), creating new and humorously clued expressions. I find it interesting he chose the ounce abbreviation which I think is a more revealing hint, as the wizard might have led people to look for the AAHS sound when the letters are added. Like last week where JACK was added, coming up with 4 phrases which have room for OZ is a challenge, and having two added to the first word and two to the second adds a level of consistency. There also is left room for many fresh fill like TRIODES, OTTOMAN, RICE BAR, ONE MAN ON, FEMININE, TOPOLOGY, AMAZONIA. Also a real undercurrent of the 50's.






Okay, time is a wastin'



17A. Doughnut order from a king? : LION'S DOZEN (10). The king part was tricky, though we all know the Lion is King of the Jungle whether or not in its den.



25A. Musicians given to tippling? : BOOZY BAND (9). Many boy bands do face problems with alcohol and drugs. LINK.



34A. Set of data within an atmospheric analysis? : TABLE FOR OZONE (13). A nice layered clue with a really fun base phrase, that is often a bit sad.



48A. Occupants of a well-insulated nest? : COZY YOUNG (9). CY YOUNG was statistically the greatest pitcher of all time and the man for whom the pitching award is named.



57A. How perfume is sold ... and this puzzle's title : BY THE OUNCE (10)


Across:


1. Talked into, with "on" : SOLD.


5. Calyx part : SEPAL. So a calyx is the sepals of a flower, typically forming a whorl that encloses the petals and forms a protective layer around a flower in bud.




10. Typical artist's apartment : LOFT.


14. Samoan capital : APIA. Apia is the capital and the largest city of Samoa.




15. Amtrak option : ACELA. *


16. Cabinet dept. formed under Carter : ENER.


19. Fifty percent up front? : DEMI. Brilliant, the prefix (up front) like demitasse. *


20. Recorded : ON TAPE. Reel to reel?


21. GPS info : RTE.


23. Pisa possessive : MIO. Italian for my.


24. Recording device : METER. Okay, like your electric meter?


28. Writer LeShan : EDA. A CW regular.




29. Is next to : ABUTS.


31. Sergeant Bilko, to friends : ERNIE. Very popular when we first got a tv.




32. Tapestry thread : WEFT. My first thought was WTF!?! I am not much of a weaver and missed the APRIL 12, 2015 puzzle where it last surfaced. I note that both ACELA and DEMI are in that one. I thought it a bit cruel to have Demi Moore and Mila Kunis in the same grid. *


33. Saturn models : IONS. I owned a black one, with the odd doors.


40. Quarterback Tony : ROMO. Has his career been Dakked? LINK. Drew Bledsoe who lost his job first to Tom Brady and then to Tony Romo knows all about it.


41. Swamplike : MIRY.


42. Protection against Mr. Decay Germ, in old ads : IPANA. More from the 50's.




44. Continued violently : RAGED.


45. MDX ÷ X : CLI. Roman math not myth.


50. One of the Coen brothers : ETHAN. Movie making brothers.


52. "10538 Overture" gp. : ELO.




53. Ocean bird : ERN.


54. Gets rid of : SCRAPS. Plans, ideas etc.


55. M's favorite agent : BOND. Is Daniel Craig out C.C. ? NEW?


60. Commercial exchange fee : AGIO. Way beyond me. LEARN.


61. Ames native : IOWAN.


62. Future ENT's exam : MCAT. Medical College Admission Test.


63. "You've Got Mail" co-star : RYAN. Meg.


64. Grabs : SNAGS. I snagged the last piece of pizza.


65. Turtles, sometimes : PETS. We had one stay with us recently. He was quiet.


Down:


1. Biblical seductress : SALOME. OLD FASHIONED.


2. Offered a view : OPINED.


3. Shoeless Joe Jackson portrayer in "Field of Dreams" : LIOTTA.







4. Mother of Perseus : DANAE. The sad story of a slipped DISCUS.


5. Marquis de __ : SADE. Breakfast anyone?


6. Prefix with friendly : ECO.


7. Product with a Simpsons set : PEZ.




8. Last Olds models : ALEROS.


9. Andy Panda creator : LANTZ. After Woody Woodpecker yesterday you should know Walter Lantz who became well known to me narrating the TV version of his Woody Woodpecker cartoons. They took over the first half hour time slot of the Mickey Mouse Club in 1957. ANDY was one of the cartoons that ran on the show. I learned today that Lantz' first hit cartoon character was Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, a creation stolen from Walt Disney.


10. Took charge : LED.


11. Two-run homer situation : ONE MAN ON. Simple phrase, but maybe not for non-baseball fans.


12. Like "executrix," e.g. : FEMININE. Testatrix...there are many.


13. Old TV parts : TRIODES. The old three pronged vacuum tubes. Triodes were widely used in consumer electronics devices such as radios and televisions until the 1970s, when transistors replaced them.


18. Urban __ : SPRAWL.


22. "Beauty is bought by judgement of the __": Shakespeare : EYE. Love's Labour's Lost | Act 2, Scene 1

PRINCESS

"Good Lord Boyet, my beauty, though but mean,

Needs not the painted flourish of your praise:

Beauty is bought by judgement of the eye,

Not utter'd by base sale of chapmen's tongues:"


25. Fit and muscular : BUFF. I should let someone else pick




26. Certain footrest : OTTOMAN. They must be good. They named an empire after them.


27. Verve : BRIO. Maybe for Steve. LINK.


30. Quilting party : BEE.


34. Math branch concerned with surfaces : TOPOLOGY. It is the study of geometric properties and spatial relations unaffected by the continuous change of shape or size of figures. Please explain math people.


35. Rain forest region : AMAZONIA. Not a documentary?...LINK.




36. Beyond slender : BONY.Maronie?




37. Former PBS "Mystery!" host : RIGG. The woman I have linked the most often.


38. Extractable natural resource : ORE.


39. Louisiana genre featuring the accordion : ZYDECO. We have enough cornerites to do this justice without me.


40. Grain-based treat : RICE BAR.




43. "Understood, Cap'n" : AYE.


44. His stories inspired "Guys and Dolls" : RUNYON. I have always had an appreciation for this transplanted Kansas REPORTER.


45. Luck : CHANCE. The French word.


46. Pet that needs a sitter? : LAP CAT. A CSO to all of our cat lovers (CED!) and a well crafted Friday clue. Apparently this can be TAUGHT.


47. Many Alaska maps : INSETS.


49. "__ non sufficit": the world is not enough : ORBIS. LINK.


51. Outdo : TRUMP. No doubt a tongue-in-cheek non-political choice by our New Jersey constructor.


54. Beltway VIPs : SENS.


56. Put on : DON. Our gay apparel....


58. BOAC competitor : TWA. Now both gone.


59. Storied cauldron stirrer : HAG. Despite the contribution of Elizabeth Montgomery, witches are still generally depicted as old crones. This seems silly since they can (in that magical world) make themselves look like whatever they want. So why Aunt Clara?


Well JW does it again, providing a simple tight theme and a whole bunch of interesting things to challenge and amuse. What a week of holidays, hurricanes and holy days but we are done again. Thanks all. Lemonade out.








Note from C.C.:


Big Easy asked me to include this comic strip (Drabble, October 7, 2016) in today's writeup.

Thursday, October 13th 2016 Doug Petersen & Patti Virol

Theme: Three-Ring Themer: Circus-related entries for the three long acrosses ..

20A. Circus barker turned hurler known for brushbacks? : INSIDE PITCHMAN. The inside pitch in baseball is to encourage the batter to stop encroaching on the strike zone. Also known as "buzzing the lighthouse" when the ball comes close to the batter's head.

40A. Circus emcee turned fry cook? : ONION RING MASTER. I've never cooked onion rings. I've got a feeling that I never will.

55A. Circus performer turned gardener? : DANDELION TAMER. The only "added" word that isn't a word in and of itself. We loved dandelions as kids, but drove our Dad mad when we blew the seeds all over the lawn.

Hi all! This is going to be a little brief today - I'm running up against the deadline to get this published so I'll stick to the salient points. In the wonderful words of Douglas Adams: "I like deadlines, I love the sound of them rushing by". I'm in Jacksonville, just missed the hurricane rushing by too. Phew.

Three weighty theme entries in this one from Doug and Patti. Add to the start of a circus-related person and you get a whole new profession.

Really clean fill in the rest of the puzzle, not much to even think about wincing at. Great stuff.

Have at it if you see anything you want to link!

Across:

1. "__ Secretary": CBS drama : MADAM. Never saw it, but didn't hesitate with this one.

6. Tense period? : PAST. Past tense. Very nice.

10. Studio payment : RENT. Residual didn't fit

14. Anaheim's Honda Center, e.g. : ARENA

15. West Coast sch. : UCLA. Down the street from me in Westwood. Nice campus.

16. Harbinger : OMEN

17. Woody Woodpecker's creator : LANTZ. Crosses, thanks.

18. Commuter option : RAIL

19. Skip over : OMIT

23. Auditorium : HALL

24. Sound sometimes choked back : SOB

25. Harvest-ready : RIPE

28. Wooded valley : DELL

31. Olympics volleyball great Kerri __ Jennings : WALSH Beach volleyball great with Misty May-Trainor. She was still competing in this year's Summer Games in Rio after goodness knows how long in the sport.

35. Like fans after a tough win, probably : HOARSE

37. Pro words : YEAS

39. 29-Down's rock gp. : E.L.O. Jeff Lynne makes an appearance in the downs. Nice.

43. Reason to wear earplugs : DIN. Not E.L.O.

44. A, in many orgs. : ASSN.

45. Saws : ADAGES

46. Emmy contender : ACTOR

48. French cathedral city : METZ. The "TZ" might make you think German or Belgian. Close to the Germany border, but solidly French.

50. "Not gonna happen" : NOPE

51. With 27-Down, sign on a damp bench : WET. Cue groans from the cross-referential clue haters.

53. Party leader : HOST

62. Disturbs : JARS

63. Button on some remotes : MENU. I tried MUTE briefly, but I think they all have those

64. Family name in a 1936 classic : O'HARA

65. Dramatic accusation : ET TU

66. Send a quick message to : PING

67. Contribute, as to a kitty : PAY IN

68. Stinging insect : WASP. I got one of these little buggers inside my shirt once and got about 20 stings before I could get my shirt off.

69. Merit badge holder : SASH

70. Baton, say : STICK

Down:

1. West African country : MALI

2. Ireland's __ Islands : ARAN. Not to be confused with Scotland's Arran Island.

3. Lairs : DENS

4. Film noir protagonist : ANTI HERO

5. Miata maker : MAZDA

6. Prince's "__ Rain" : PURPLE. Live performance from 2007

7. Berry at health food stores : ACAI

8. Narrow cut : SLIT

9. Soft minerals : TALCS

10. Disc-shaped robotic vacuum : ROOMBA. Don't read the articles about what happens if your pet leaves a "present" when you're out and Roomba is around.

11. Austen classic : EMMA

12. Nuremberg no : NEIN

13. Blasted stuff : TNT

21. Respected tribe members : ELDERS

22. Tearful words : HOW SAD

25. Sitcom with a 1974 wedding episode : RHODA. Guessed. Guessed right!

26. Greek column style : IONIC

27. See 51-Across : PAINT

29. Jeff of 39-Across : LYNNE

30. Chair part : LEG

32. Release : LET GO

33. "To __: perchance to dream": Hamlet : SLEEP

34. Epsom Downs racer : HORSE

36. Caught : SNARED

38. __ Prime : AMAZON. Great deal if you're a regular Amazon shopper. Prime membership costs around $80/year and gets you free two-day delivery on many items.

41. Ideology : ISM

42. Red-and-white topper : SANTA HAT

47. Admits (to) : OWNS UP

49. Yet : THOUGH

52. Estimates on weather maps : TEMPS

54. Dots on a subway map : STOPS

55. Excel input : DATA. I've been doing a lot of that over the last couple of weeks, hence the late deadline.

56. Graphic __ : ARTS

57. General Organa in "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" : LEIA

58. Days and Holiday : INNS

59. Permission-seeking phrase : MAY I

60. "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" writer Carle : ERIC. A wonderful book that I remember reading to my young daughter.

61. Military status : RANK

62. Hanukkah celebrator : JEW

And here's the grid!


Apologies again for the brevity this week!

Steve