Wednesday February 1, 2017 Ed Sessa

Theme: POPTASTIC (64A) Portmanteau word describing some great music ... or, initially, four answers in this puzzle)- This seems like a word made up by a balloon seller.

17A. Type of film industry contract : PAY OR PLAY

24A. M&M's choice : PLAIN OR PEANUTS. This one puzzled me.  Cocktail hour has Peanuts, but M&M choices are Plain or Peanut used as adjectives.  No "S" but I suppose it was added to keep the grid symmetric.

39A. Academic ultimatum : PUBLISH OR PERISH. Academic excuse - "My dog ate my homework"

51A. Shopper's decision : PAPER OR PLASTIC. When I was younger, the choices were "Paper or Paper"

Hello puzzle masters.  Boomer here.  I know you all want to know how I bowled Monday night. 258-299-254-239 in the Twin City Masters League. The first three game set (811) was only my 5th career 800 series.  Rare set for many bowlers.  On with the show ....

Across:  

1. Memo phrase : IN RE. Usually I just see "RE" on business letters and memos

5. Music-playing Apple : iPOD

9. Improvises musically : SCATS. I have never heard this - "Have Simon and Garfunkel play it" did not fit in the grid.

14. Primary : MAIN

15. "__ Lisa" : MONA. Have Nat King Cole sing this

16. Many a jukebox tune : OLDIE. Actually a mere Jukebox is an Oldie, but I remember dropping a few quarters in them because I am an oldie also.

19. Capital south of Moscow : BOISE. Yeah, I did a double take too.  This Moscow is a city in Northern Idaho near the Washington border.  Like you all, I have never heard of it.  (Used Google).

20. Former justice Antonin : SCALIA. May he rest in peace.

21. Musician's suffix : IST.  Cleverist use of a non-word.

23. Make (one's way) : WEND. A poet's favorite but I don't normally hear it.

27. Solidify : SET. Ladies, think twice before you go to the beauty parlor to get your hair set.

28. "High Voltage" band : AC/DC. Very popular among people younger than I.

29. Starting on : AS OF.  Not my favorite two word fill.

33. Soft shot : LOB. You don't see this much in tennis.  I watched a match the other day and most shots were 100 mph.

35. Mothers of Invention leader : ZAPPA. The only person who has children named Dweezil and Moon Unit.

43. Early computer : ENIAC

44. Quite small : WEE. Aye Scottie! Wear a kilt when using this word.

45. Gear on slopes : SKIS. Credit Chad Mitchell Trio. "Well they called him super skier, when he sat upon the sun deck, for they thought that he would never take a spill.  When they finally brought him down they had to use three toboggans, to carry all the pieces off the hill."

46. Coral formation : REEF

49. Cavity filler's org. : ADA. If they can use Moscow, Idaho... Why not clue this as a small town in northern Minnesota ??

58. Smelting waste : SLAG

59. Neighbor of Turk. : SYR

60. Poke fun at : NEEDLE

62. Dutch city, with "The" : HAGUE. I think the UN has a court there (not tennis or basketball).  For serious international business.

66. Modify : AMEND

67. Not yours, in Tours : A MOI. Seems like crossword constructors always have to toss a couple of foreign words at us.

68. Singer k.d. : LANG

69. Superlatively bad : WORST

70. Short period of time, for short : NSEC. Another non word copout.

71. Long period of time : AGES. Or 100,000 billion NSECs.

Down:

1. They're hard to sit for : IMPS. Unless this is an anagram, I assume they are talking about babysitting.

2. Rights org. since 1909 : NAACP

3. Saudi currency : RIYAL  There are 100 Halalas in a Riyal.  Not sure how many Halalas needed to buy a barrel of oil.

4. Name on a 1945 bomber : ENOLA. The actual name on this B-29 was Enola Gay.  Not a great chapter in American History as the plane carried an atomic bomb which was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan.

5. Populates, as a grand jury : IMPANELS

6. D.C. insider : POL. An abbreviation mostly used by CNN, FOX. and MSNBC.

7. Studio sign : ON AIR

8. Place for some serious me-time : DAY SPA. Not sure about "Day Spa".  Is there also a "Night Spa"??

9. Break down : SOB.  Crying - can also be an anagram (oh never mind)

10. High-occupancy vehicles? : CLOWN CARS. I have never heard of these.  Someone hit the Comments section and tell me what a Clown Car is.  Does Ronald McDonald own one??

11. "Farewell, ma chère" : ADIEU. Okay, a foreign word that everyone knows.  Many people wish they would have said "ADIEU" instead of "I DO".  Nah Just kidding.

12. Naysayer's contraction : 'TISN'T - Looks made up to me.

13. Future flowers : SEEDS

18. Social reformer Jacob : RIIS.  Some historical guy from the 19th Century.

22. Noir sleuth : TEC  ??? Got me again

25. Texter's "however" : OTOH.  I do not tweet or text - and if you do please do not text and drive at the same time.  "On the other hand" if you do, I don't think I can make it to your funeral.

26. Cooper's tool : ADZE - this is a big ax.  I have no idea what a cooper is unless it's a farmer building a home for chickens.

 
29. Lummox : APE

30. Source of awakening rays : SUN

31. Back-tied sash : OBI. Also Mr. Wan Kenobi in Star Wars.

32. Distress signal devices : FLARE GUNS

34. Fiddler's need : BOW

36. Dental suffix with Water : PIK. Independent company founded in 1962.

37. Pressure meas. : PSI. Per Square Inch, I think

38. Sounds of relief : AHs

40. Cupcake finisher : ICER. Finish making or finish eating?

41. Twitter handle word for a celeb, perhaps : REAL, Sorry I do not tweet, nor do I follow @real others

42. Overly focused on minor rules : PEDANTIC. Never heard this word.  Sorry

47. Lip balm brand derived from "evolution of smooth" : EOS. Same with this one. Google Images show this.

48. Skillet : FRY PAN

50. On a cruise : ASEA

51. Dismissive word : PSHAW. This is an interesting word.  Not sure why the "P" is there 

52. Mission on a commemorative 1936 stamp : ALAMO. "High up Santa Ana, we're killing your soldiers below, so the rest of Texas will know .... and remember the Alamo."

53. Beeper : PAGER

54. Providers of senior moments? : PROMS. Of course this refers to High School Seniors, not Medicare seniors (like me).

55. Inventor Nikola : TESLA. My career was with an Electric Company, and I have heard of this guy.  He was an inventor who diddled with alternating current. 

56. "Hi! I'm ... " badge : ID TAG

57. Patsy of country : CLINE.  It's Crazy to go Walkin' After Midnight.  You may Fall To Pieces.

61. Heart tests, briefly : ECGs. Also known as an EKG but the puzzle needed a C.

63. Del. summer hrs. : EDT. Daylight Saving Time will be here again shortly.  I am so old that I remember when Minnesota did not have Daylight time, so when the East Coast set their clocks ahead, we had to adjust our TV viewing time.  (Channel 4 or 5)

65. "The Fall of the House of Usher" author : POE. The last clue on this recap- "Quoth the Raven - Nevermore".

Boomer

Note from C.C.:

Melissa just visited her daughter and granddaughter, who was born last August. Look at these adorable pictures. So cute!

Tuesday January 31 2017, C.C. Burnikel

Theme: The Royal Treatment

18. TV's "The Practice," e.g. : LEGAL DRAMA. Drama Queen

20. "Bummer!" : WHAT A DRAG. Drag Queen

38. Door holder's witticism : AGE BEFORE BEAUTY. Beauty Queen

55. Procter & Gamble laundry detergent : IVORY SNOW. Snow Queen

60. Australia's "Sunshine State" ... or where you might find the ends of 18-, 20-, 38- and 55-Across? : QUEENSLAND

Melissa here. Another fun one from our queen, C.C. This one almost filled in by itself for me, a  nice way to start the morning. Love to see the grid-spanner in the middle.

Across       

1. Greek sandwich : GYRO. Pronounced "YEEros."

5. Happy gatherings : FESTS

10. Baby cow : CALF

14. Control for an equestrian : REIN

15. In full view : OVERT

16. Buckeye State : OHIO

17. Horse feed : OATS

22. Ford fiasco : EDSEL

23. Provides staff for : MANS

24. "That makes sense" : I SEE

26. Champagne stopper or popper : CORK

27. Genius Bar pro : TECH. In Apple stores.

29. JFK's successor : LBJ

32. High-card-wins game : WAR

33. Enjoy : LIKE

35. Submitted tax returns with a click : E-FILED. It's that time again.

41. Part of Congress : SENATE

42. Somali-born supermodel : IMAN. She lost her husband David Bowie a year ago.

43. Wide shoe size : EEE

44. Frat. counterpart : SOR

45. Aid in a felony : ABET

47. Traps in an attic? : WEBS. Nice clue.

49. Deborah of "The King and I" : KERR

51. Fictional Hawaiian police nickname : DANO. From TV show Hawaii Five-O.

52. Rage : ANGER

62. "Go back" computer command : UNDO

63. Sch. near the U.S.-Mexico border : UTEP. University of Texas at El Paso.

64. Tweak, say : ALTER

65. Raise a big stink? : REEK

66. Pops a question : ASKS

67. Outlaw chasers : POSSE

68. Hours next to flight nos. : ETD'S. Estimated Time of Departure.

Down 

1. Branch out : GROW

2. "Okey-dokey" : YEAH

3. Second actress to win an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony : RITA MORENO

4. GM system with an AtYourService app : ONSTAR

5. Helps with the laundry : FOLDS

6. Happily __ after : EVER

7. Maker of the Genesis game system : SEGA

8. Like many Shakespeare plays : TRAGIC

9. MLB Cardinal's cap letters : STL

10. Lear's youngest daughter : CORDELIA

11. "I get it" cries : AHAS

12. Green citrus fruit : LIME

13. Baby horse : FOAL

19. Lousy grade : DEE

21. Sock that covers the joint it's named for : ANKLET

25. Biblical queendom : SHEBA

26. Pet store enclosures : CAGES

27. Ref's ring decision : TKO

28. Spine-tingling : EERIE

30. Margarine that shares its name with Texas' state flower : BLUEBONNET

31. Ballet leaps : JETES

32. "Now, where __ I?" : WAS

34. "Sadly ... " : I FEAR

36. Red Sox ballpark : FENWAY

37. Hair coloring : DYE

39. Cocktail makers : BARKEEPS

40. Ambulance fig. : EMT

46. S.O.S shelfmate : BRILLO

48. Make certain of : ENSURE

50. Fish-eating eagle : ERN

51. Rapper with a title : DR. DRE

52. Poolside shade : AQUA

53. Pecans and cashews : NUTS

54. Nerdy type : GEEK

56. 37-Down containers : VATS

57. Singles : ONES

58. Binged (on), as snacks : ODED

59. Pans for potstickers : WOKS

61. Maple extract : SAP

Notes from C.C.:

1) Happy Birthday to dear Bill G, who's been with this blog since August 2009. Bill's posts are always lighthearted and warm, even his comments to the mean anons are polite. So glad Barbara's ordeal is over, Bill. Now you can start sharing your mouthwatering lunch order again. Thanks for the steady presence on our blog. 

Barbara & Bill

2) Here is picture of dear Santa Argyle playing cards. It's taken last Sunday Jan 29, 2017.

Monday, January 30, 2017 Kevin Christian and Andrea Carla Michaels

Theme: Homophonous Endings - but you knew that.

20A. Mork's sign-off: NANU NANU

28A. Eastside Manhattan thoroughfare: FIRST AVENUE

35A. Confidentially, in Cannes: ENTRE NOUS

46A. Boat made from a hollowed tree trunk: DUGOUT CANOE

55A. Request for the latest update: WHAT'S NEW

Argyle here. Good start for a new week, eh?

Across:

1. Song of praise: PSALM

6. Madagascar primate: LEMUR

11. "Norma __": RAE

14. Fiber-__ cable: OPTIC

15. Last Olds model: ALERO

16. Make a decision: OPT

17. Massachusetts witch trial town: SALEM

18. Frenzied: MANIC

19. Speedometer reading: Abbr.: MPH

22. Cute Aussie "bear": KOALA

24. What we breathe: AIR

25. In favor of: FOR

26. Native of Damascus: SYRIAN

27. Chinese menu letters: MSG. (monosodium glutamate)

31. Dijon darling: CHERI

33. Brain scan: Abbr.: EEG. (electroencephalogram)

34. Had the best record in: LED

39. Univ. near Harvard: MIT. (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

41. Unspecified number: ANY

42. Choppers: TEETH. Slang.

50. Ship, to a sailor: SHE

51. Zambia neighbor: ANGOLA. Enlarge if you can; great detail.

52. Suffix with east: ERN

53. Male or female: SEX

54. Pastoral poem: IDYLL

58. Cozy cat seat: LAP

59. Kind of Boy Scout badge: MERIT

61. Ancient region of Asia Minor: IONIA

63. "Lux" composer Brian: ENO. "Lux" is a 2012 album by Brian Eno.

64. Tylenol alternative: ALEVE

65. "Filthy" moolah: LUCRE

66. "Sure thing": "YEP"

67. Eight plus one, to aviators: NINER

68. Disdainful grin: SNEER

Down:

1. Places to buy stamps: Abbr.: POs. (POST OFFICES)

2. Language of Chile: SPANISH

3. On the loose: AT LARGE

4. Property encumbrance: LIEN

5. Golden Arches egg sandwich: McMUFFIN

6. Hollywood's Hedy: LAMARR

7. Stylish vigor: ELAN

8. Café chalkboard listing: MENU

9. Ocean State sch.: URI. (University of Rhode Island)

10. 1990 Stallone boxing film which at the time was thought to be the conclusion of its series: ROCKY V

11. Caesar salad lettuce: ROMAINE

12. Give a hand to: APPLAUD

13. Flammable hydrocarbon: ETHANE

21. There's __ in "team": NO I 23. Bully's threat ender: OR ELSE

24. "Breaking Bad" channel: AMC. The name originally stood for "American Movie Classics".

26. Palm starch: SAGO

29. "Later, bro": "SEE YA'"

30. X, to Cato: TEN

32. Update factory machinery: RETOOL

36. "Toodles!": "TA-TA!"

37. GOP fundraising org.: RNC. (Republican National Committee)

38. Kitchen implements: UTENSILS

39. Humdrum: MUNDANE

40. "Lust for Life" punk rocker: IGGY POP

43. Defining quality: ESSENCE

44. 2000s crime drama set in Baltimore: "THE WIRE"

45. Cast a spell on: HEX

46. Dan of old MGM musicals: DAILEY

47. Tracey on whose show "The Simpsons" debuted: ULLMAN

48. More orderly: NEATER

49. Dinner plate scrap: ORT

55. Chirpy bird: WREN

56. Home with drones: HIVE. A male bee is a drone.

57. Sentence subject, as a rule: NOUN

60. Yale collegian: ELI

62. __ Lingus: Irish carrier: AER

Argyle

Sunday January 29, 2017 Robyn Weintraub

Theme:  "Nowhere"- Parse it as No W Here. W is removed from each theme entry.

23A. Black kitten crossing your path? : LITTLE WOMEN. Little Women.

34A. Transgressions timeline? : THE WAGES OF SIN. The wages of sin. Not a familiar phrase to me.

49A. Matching food containers? : IDENTICAL TWINS. Identical twins.

64A. New England proceedings concerning allergic reactions? : SALEM WITCH TRIALS. Salem Witch Trials.

86A. Cheating millionaire? : WHEEL OF FORTUNE. Wheel of Fortune.

99A. Tony Soprano's quilt? : DOWN COMFORTER. Down comforter.

14A. Wrigley's in-house hip-hop group? : GUM WRAPPERS. Gum wrapper. 

There are no stray W's in this whole grid. Very nice.

I think this is Robyn Weintraub's first Sunday puzzle. Congratulations, Robyn! It's a beauty. Only 138 words. No cheater squares. In a grid like this, you'd expect a few obscure abbrs or boring EST/ER ending fill, but all her long fill (8+) shine, some intersect or parallel another long fill, or both. Just amazing.

Across:    

1. Where there's smoke : FLUE. Not FIRE.

5. Happy, in Juárez : FELIZ. Happy Año Nuevo! Any of you were born in the Year of the Rooster? (1921, 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005...). This site says "Rooster is almost the epitome of fidelity and punctuality." True for Argyle (1945), who's a Rooster.

10. They go with the flow : RAFTS. Nice clue.

15. Misplace : LOSE

19. Ninth Greek letter : IOTA. I used to have a cheat sheet.

20. Girl who obeyed 4-Down : ALICE. And 4. Fictional words written in currants : EAT ME

21. Courtier in "Hamlet" : OSRIC

22. Gem for some Libras : OPAL. I'm not into this birthstone thing.

25. Wedding registry category : CHINA

26. Old TV knob : VERT. Don't feel TV is enough of an Abbr. hint.

27. Aftershock : TREMOR

28. Exhilarating : BRISK

30. Princess Peach creator : NINTENDO. Needed crossing help.

32. Words often etched in stone : HERE LIES

36. Villain Luthor : LEX

37. "Boston Legal" co-star : SHATNER (William)

38. Name change indicator : NEE

39. It's done in Paris : FINI

43. Superfund agcy. : EPA

45. Clears : RIDS

46. Bad-mouthed : DISSED

53. Summer getaway : COTTAGE. Nice and quiet.

54. Worked one's fingers to the bone : SLAVED

55. One may be jam-packed : JAR. So simple in retrospect.

56. Angler's shout : GOT ONE. Also 39. 56-Across object : FISH. We used to catch carp in the small lake near our home. Carp is a popular dish in Asia. We steam it. Then sprinkle with slices of green onions & ginger, which are marinated in a sweet soy sauce.

58. Dept. head : MGR

59. Straight : HETERO

60. Biblical prophet : AMOS. Got via crosses.

62. Medium power? : ESP

63. It feels like forever : AEON

69. Indication to stop playing : REST. Musical rest.

72. Letters for 94-Across : AKA. 94. Crook's creations : ALIASES

 

73. Get the message : HEAR

74. Brand whose ads feature alpenhorns : RICOLA

78. Pipe plastic : PVC

79. Arms treaty subjects, briefly : N-TESTs

82. 2001 boxing biopic : ALI

83. Went on and on : DRONED

84. Places for reflection : MIRRORS. This clue makes me smile.

 

89. Doc's pal : SLEEPY. Seven Dwarfs. Same letter count as SNEEZY.

90. Kings, e.g. : BEDS

91. TV's "Science Guy" : NYE

92. Go across : SPAN

93. Canal site : EAR

96. Gardner of old Hollywood : AVA

 

102. Emergency supplies delivery point : DROP ZONE. Followed by another 8: 107. Area of severe industrial decline : RUST BELT

108. Brainless : INANE

110. Like typical laundromats : COIN-OP

111. First century Roman emperor : OTHO. Newbies probably want OTTO. 

112. When "eye of newt" is mentioned in "Macbeth" : ACT IV

 

116. It could be fishy : ODOR

117. Feudal lord : LIEGE

118. Two-time N.L. batting champ Lefty : O'DOUL. Way before my time. There's another Lefty in baseball. Lefty Grove. Pitcher.

119. __ facto : IPSO

120. Nursery stock : POTS

 

121. Fountain fare : SODAS

122. Tweeting locales : NESTS. We also have 7. Branches : LIMBS

123. IRS agents : T-MEN

Down:

1. Laundry challenge : FILTH. Not STAIN or GRIME.

2. Chateau-dotted valley : LOIRE

3. Consummate : UTTER

5. Spenser's "The __ Queene" : FAERIE

6. "Don't Bring Me Down" gp. : ELO

8. Bakery artist : ICER

9. Apex : ZENITH

10. Speeding : ROCKETING. Never used the verb form of ROCKET.

11. Camel debris : ASH. Not the desert animal.

12. Peripheries : FRINGES

13. Even smaller : TINIER

14. Digitizes, in a way : SCANS

15. Affectionate celebration : LOVEFEST

16. "Let me in," facetiously : OPEN SESAME. Two gorgeous entries side by side.

17. Restaurateur with an honorary Tony : SARDI (Vincent). Unaware of this fact, though I do know Sardi's is the birthplace of Tony Awards.

18. "The Lion King" co-composer John : ELTON

24. Lounge about : LOLL

29. Puppeteer Lewis : SHARI

31. Marquee time : TONITE. Also got via crosses.

33. Biz bigwig : EXEC

35. Conclusion beginning : AND SO

37. Hero material? : SALAMI. Think of Sandwich whenever you see Hero with a ?

40. Frivolous : IDLE

41. Like a pin? : NEAT

42. Get some Intel, say : INVEST. Intel stock. Also 44. Undercover attire? : PAJAMAS. Two great clues.

46. Longtime "SNL" announcer : DON PARDO. Not often we see his full name.

47. Freezer aisle breakfast brand : EGGO

48. "Jurassic Park" co-star : DERN (Laura)

50. Prefix with hertz : TERA

51. Blind reverence : IDOLATRY. Banned in Islam. But so many boys are called Muhammed.

52. Relaxed pace : TROT

53. Mozart's "__ fan tutte" : COSI

57. Scare stiff : TERRIFY

61. Destination for many srs. : SCH. I was thinking of Florida.

63. Natty neckwear : ASCOTS

65. Just about makes, with "out" : EKES

66. Get better : HEAL

67. Raptor features : TALONS

68. NYC line to the Hamptons : LIRR

69. Record speeds, for short : RPMS (Revolutions Per Minute)

70. Really bad : EVIL

71. Picture of a picture : SCREENSHOT. Got via crosses, despite grabbing screenshots for all my blogging posts.

75. "Movin' __": "The Jeffersons" theme : ON UP

76. Contemporary of Ella : LENA (Horne)

77. Mideast seaport : ADEN

79. "Piece o' cake!" : NO PROB!

80. His and hers : THEIR. The clue is asking for THEIRS, no?

81. Calming agents : SEDATIVES. Boomer is now calming his foot nerve problem with Scotch tape. I'm amazed that it works. He also rubs the Therapeutic Blue Ice Gel on his legs for the sciatic nerve pain. He does it every time before he goes bowling. It stinks, but again, it works for him. Similar to below bottle, but Health Smart brand. Boomer gets his at the Dollar Store.

85. Powerful power sources : REACTORS

87. Ruhr Valley city : ESSEN

88. Cause of white knuckles : FEAR

90. Fixed, as one's lipstick : BLOTTED. How many lipsticks do you think an average woman own?

94. Union union : AFL-CIO

95. Christopher Paolini fantasy best-seller : ERAGON. Friendly letter combo. I always want DRAGON.
 

97. They may be recorded separately : VOCALS

98. Each : A POP

99. Succumb to gravity : DROOP

100. Surpass : OUTDO

101. Board with a room? : MEALS. Another tricky clue.

102. Reps' promotions : DEMOS

103. "Not another word!" : ZIP IT!

104. Latish lunch hr. : ONE PM

105. Like the mythological Aesir-Vanir War : NORSE

106. HP competitor : EPSON

109. Hosiery shade : NUDE. No ECRU today.

113. Supermarket chain with a red-and-white logo : IGA. Never been to one.

115. Hard thing to get out of : RUT

C.C.

Saturday, Jan 28th, 2017, Pawel Fludzinski

Theme: "hashtag"

Words: 70 (missing Q,W,X,Z)

Blocks: 32

HA~!!!  This one was looking bleak for the longest time, with a lot of proper names and vague clues, but I surprised myself by getting it done with nary a single cheat, Google, or red-letter peek.  And within my personal allotted time, as well.  The puzzle itself had to be a truly difficult one to construct, with triple spanners crossing triple climbers, in a "#"-like pattern.  Very clever.  I have to admire constructors who can pull this off without "meh" fill.  In retrospect there was a lot of 'crosswordese' which I have seen before, including a repeat of last week's 'keeping it real'.  The long fills;

20. Quantum mechanics symbol : SCHRODINGER'S CAT - I've posted a link to this before, and the more I try to understand it, the more my brain hurts.  I get it, but the more I read, the more I don't get it

37. Herbie and Christine : SELF-DRIVING CARS - one friendly, one no so friendly; Christine was one of the first 'adult' books I ever read, and as a result, the Buick Cutlass Supreme Brougham that I was driving at the time earned the name "Christine"; the new Dodge is "Daphne"

52. Game with a disc : ULTIMATE FRISBEE - my first thought was Frisbee, but the 'ultimate' part eluded me

4. Like the Toyota Prius : ENERGY EFFICIENT - a"repeat" from last week

7. Gadget affected by waves : SOUND LEVEL METER

10. Like some aquariums : CLOSED ECOSYSTEM

ACROSS:

1. Spent : JADED - there are days when I am definitely "jaded" at UPS

6. Wine city SSE of the Matterhorn : ASTI - looking back, I shoulda recognized this as merely Saturday cluing for a common crossword fill

10. Pasta alle vongole ingredient : CLAM - no clue; had two crossings, and the other two letters were WAGs

14. 1955 Dior innovation : A LINE - I remembered this from previous puzzles, too, but I needed two crossings to jog my memory

15. Create, in a way : COIN - one of the line supervisors claims to have "coined" the term DERP, which ended up being the route name of one of my UPS trucks - until the driver looked it up, and said he didn't like the name anymore; so we changed the name of the route to DOUG

16. Actress Loughlin : LORI - I thought it was SARA - and of course, I had the "R" in place

17. Plague : BESET - "beset" always reminds me of the Pulp Fiction scene where Jules recites Ezekiel 25:17 - with a little embellishment from Quentin, naturally

18. Vintage vessels : TUNS - dah~!  Not URNS nor TUGS

19. Silver sources : ORES

23. __ wire : GUY - the sound effects guys on Star Wars used one to create the sound of the lasers in the movie

24. "Piece of cake!" : "DEAD EASY~!"

25. Be true to oneself : STAY REAL - another 'repeat' from last week

29. Poor, as an excuse : SAD

30. Roast runner : EMCEE

31. Dramatic start? : MELO - melodramatic

33. Place with Sundance : ETTA - crafty - I did not know Etta Place was Sundance Kid's wife - the Wiki

40. Adequate, in texts : ENUF

41. Tablet operator : USER

42. Capital at the foot of Vitosha Mountain : SOFIA - Saturday cluing

43. Network with a lot of reruns : ION - they started running Burn Notice, which I got hooked on - glad I have a Firestick so I can watch the episodes in sequence now

Love the sunglasses

45. End of the line : LAST STOP

47. Shore scavenger : BEACH BUM - I was thinking "birds" for some reason

51. Crowbar, e.g. : PRY

57. Architect Mies van der __ : ROHE - knew it, just couldn't remember how to spell it

58. Big name in credit : CITI

59. It's quite a blast : N-TEST

60. Reinterpret : SPIN

61. "Ad Parnassum" painter : KLEE - again, no clue.  WAG

uh-huh....

62. Pass without flying colors : GET a C

63. __ dress : TENT - not as appealing as an A LINE dress, IMHO

64. Vassal : SERF  semi-clecho with; 53d. Vassal's venue : FIEF

65. Line drive, say : SMASH - baseball

DOWN:

1. Sharp criticisms : JABS

2. Smart guy? : ALEC - har-har

3. Bobby Flay creation : DISH - a blank WAG on my part, and clearly a good one

5. Avoided traffic, perhaps : DETOURED

6. When Valjean is released from prison : ACT I - I have learned how to interpret clues like this; fill in "ACT" and wait; it was most likely going to be "I".  From Les Misérables, which I know little about

8. Soupçon : TINGE

9. Like Halloween pumpkins : IN SEASON

11. "Oda a Salvador Dalí" poet García __ : LORCA - no clue again

12. Domains : AREAS

13. Indistinct : MISTY

21. Batik need : DYE

22. Dietary no. : RDA

25. Zaire's Mobutu __ Seko : SESE - got it because it's crosswordese again

26. Counterfeit cops? : T-MEN - Treasury agents

27. Scopes Trial gp. : ACLU

28. Nice friends : AMIs - Frawnche

32. Late Ottoman currency : LIRA - I first read this as "LIKE", not "LATE", so I didn't get it

34. Chief justice before Hughes : TAFT

35. Small club group : TRIO

36. "Pronto!" : ASAP

38. Football plays with special teams : RUNBACKS

39. D neighbors on most guitars : G-STRINGS - because the "other" G-string definition is unacceptable here

44. Bit of resistance : OHM - unit of measure for resistance

46. Easter time: Abbr. : SPRing

47. Star or cloud follower : BURST -Starburst, cloudburst; we had plenty of that here Tuesday

48. Cut out for a union? : ELOPE - ah, that kind of union

49. Walk __ line : A THIN

50. Handy : UTILE

54. Test release : BETA

55. Those, in Tenerife : ESAS

56. Permanently mark : ETCH - oops, not SCAR

Splynter

Friday, January 27, 2017, Patti Varol

Title: Tennis Anyone?  The real reveal?

Patti is here with her first 2017 puzzle, which structurally is like her last Friday effort. LINK. Using the inspiration of Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes who wrote all of his legal works standing, I am here typing at my makeshift standing desk. This may end up being brief, but then brevity is the soul of wit I am told. The theme are all one word clues, which are brought together on the tennis court.

17A. POINT : TAPERING END ( 11). The fill are literal responses to the clue.

23A. GAME : SAFARI ANIMALS (13). There does not appear to be any relation in the fill.

50A. SET : FILMING LOCALE (13). A little more difficult for me.

59A. MATCH : FIRE STARTER (11). Then the unmarked reveal...

34A. With 36-Across, question for the court : TENNIS  (6) and 36A. See 34-Across : ANYONE (6).

For anyone who has played or watched Tennis (the amazing Williams sister are playing for the Australian Open title as I type) point, game, set and match track how a tennis match progresses, and they are skillfully in order here. An appropriate puzzle for the first grand slam event of the year.

Not much else in the longer fill, SEE PAST, IN A RUSH,  HAIRCUT,  EGG DROP, IMPOSE ON and  ORIENTAL but some tricky proper names to be addressed.

Across:

1. Like much of the Southwest : ARID. Deserts are dry; desserts sweet.

5. Summer music? : DISCO. Wonderful old deception but I was a big Donna Summer fan.

10. Org. funded by FICA : SSA. Social Security Administration.

13. Under-the-sink brand : COMET.

15. "Paper Moon" Oscar winner : O'NEAL. Tatum O'Neal won the 1973 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

16. Like ibuprofen, briefly : OTC. Over The Counter.

19. Jiff : SEC.

20. "Nothing planned that day" : I'M OPEN. To suggestion, maybe, or I'm free.

21. Engineering sch. on the Hudson : RPI. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, a cso to some of our own. Putting it nest to...

22. Sport with masks : EPEE. Might trick some to think of a hockey goalie.

26. Move a finger or two, maybe : PEEK. a-boo.

28. Physics units : RADS. You cacc call Sheldon to explain THESE.

29. Signs over : CEDES.

30. 1945 Pacific battle site, familiarly : IWO. Jima.

31. Superfan : NUT.

32. Superhero played by Chris Hemsworth : THOR.. So many named Chris.

40. Exercise woe : ACHE.

42. Alex Dunphy, to Luke, on "Modern Family" : SIS. She has grown up.

43. Mojito ingredient : RUM.

44. "Not a problem" : IT'S OK.

47. Stuff in a backpack : GEAR. Not any more.

49. Little stretches : FIBS. Just like the clue/fill.

53. Captain Picard's counselor : TROI. Star Trek:TNG

54. Unexpectedly by itself, as in the dryer : ODD.

55. Kenya neighbor : UGANDA. EAST AFRICA.

58. Storybook baddie : HAG. The ugly witches.

61. Programming pioneer Lovelace : ADA. A gimme for our math and Computer people, but I only knew of Linda. LINK.

62. Stopped lying : AROSE. To tell you the truth, this was trocky.

63. Sphere : REALM.

64. Common scale extreme : TEN. From one to....

65. Org. chart headings : DEPTS. Org. tells you the answer is an abbr.

66. Crack up : SLAY. Comedy.

Down:

1. When Lear disinherits Cordelia : ACT I.  More friday Shakespeare.

2. "Home on the Range" verb : ROAM.
Oh give me a home where the buffalo roam,
Where the deer and the antelope play,
Where seldom is heard a discouraging word,
And the skies are not cloudy all day.

3. Take unfair advantage of : IMPOSE ON.

4. "Quantum Healing" author Chopra : DEEPAK. So stale, you might day 9D. Dated : OLD.

5. Throw on : DON. And his gay apparel.

6. Ilsa portrayer : INGRID.

7. Overlook, as a fault : SEE PAST.

8. "A Doubter's Almanac" novelist Ethan : CANIN. I guess I no longer read the NYT Book section on Sunday. This  MAN.

10. Under-the-sink brand : SOS PAD. Or did your family use Brillo?

11. "Remington __" : STEELE.

12. Hacker's goal : ACCESS.

14. Nonkosher : TREF. An americanized word pronounced TRAYF.

18. Pressed for time : IN A RUSH.

22. Manicurist's tool : EMERY. Only when they are bored?

24. Expose, with "on" : RAT.

25. Desktop assortment : ICONS.

26. Cherry center : PIT.

27. Lamb parent : EWE. Not me.

31. "Pink Friday" singer Minaj : NICKI. Lots of names.

33. Coiffure : HAIRCUT. $150.00 /$10.00

35. "The End of America" author Wolf : NAOMI. Too POLITICAL for here.

37. Avenue after Reading Railroad : ORIENTAL. Monopoly.

38. Worn end : NUB. Pencil

39. Scrabble three-pointers : EMS.

41. Wonton alternative : EGGDROP. Soup choices.

42. Brazilian map word : SAO. Paulo.

44. "Maybe less" : IF THAT.

45. Intemperate speech : TIRADE. That was almost a trap.

46. Apple's "Think different," e.g. : SLOGAN.

48. Like Meg March, in "Little Women" : ELDEST.

49. Emergency signals : FLARES.

51. Bete __ : NOIRE. I had this recently.

52. Food thickener : AGAR.

56. Poet Walter __ Mare : DELA. Missed him when studying Poetry. LINK.

57. Large number : ARMY.

59. Pokémon Go, e.g. : FAD.

60. French possessive : SES.

Well the month is almost done; this was slow going as some of the proper names were hidden from my brain. Hey it is Friday. My six week wait for an epidural is almost done so maybe I will have more to say next week.  Lemonade out. Thanks Patti.