Sunday, Jim Holland, March 5, 2017

TITLE: IN OTHER WORDS

What a hoot! Jim has taken seven common phrases that have the word IN as the second word and he has conjured up the fun gimmick of placing the first word IN the phrase. We solvers had to parse the fact that the phrase's first word was indeed enclosed  by the fill and had to be repositioned to made sense. A lovely idea and very apropos title, don't you think?

As is my occasional wont, I have put the grid at the top of the write-up to highlight the theme. You can see the first word of the correct phrase is IN yellow and ENFOLDED by the muddled phrase. You must mentally move that word to the front or top of the fill to get the desired, common expression with IN taking its implied, correct position as the desired second word. You can also see that Jim moved both one and two words to make this work for the seven phrases.

I think Jim's puzzle was A ONE MILLION and the rest of the puzzle was pretty much THE A WALK PARK.

Let's start with the theme fill:

23. At center stage, literally : THE THICK RIGHT OF THINGS/RIGHT IN THE THICK OF THINGS - Example

36. Start the day cheerfully, literally : A GOOD WAKE UP MOOD/WAKE UP IN A GOOD MOOD - Yeah, right!

70. Stinging rebuke, literally : THE SLAP FACE/SLAP IN THE FACE - Hey Spock, No means No on her planet too

104. Request reassignment, literally : FOR A PUT TRANSFER/PUT IN FOR A TRANSFER - He PUT IN FOR A TRANSFER many times

121. Delivers, literally : THE COMES THROUGH CLUTCH/COMES THROUGH IN THE CLUTCH - Mason Crosby COMES THROUGH IN THE CLUTCH to beat the Cowboys

35. Now and then, literally : A ONCE WHILE/ONCE IN A WHILE - No matter what he does the rest of his career, Blair Walsh will be remembered for one of those ONCE IN A WHILE moments where he didn't come through in the clutch for the Vikings

48. Pay no admission price, literally : FOR GET FREE/GET IN FOR FREE - "Papa, tell me again what this place is and how did you GET IN FOR FREE"

Let's see what else Jim did as he HIS PUT TIME:

Across

1. For every one : A POP

5. Attempts : STABS - Casca, Brutus, et al each wearing a 29. Floor-length garment : TOGA

10. Asian vine leaf : BETEL

15. Came down to earth : ALIT  Ma and Pa Kent find Clark after he ALIT from Krypton

19. Cadenza, e.g. : SOLO - An improvised or written-out ornamental passage played or sung by a soloist or soloists. You're welcome

20. Kidney-related : RENAL

21. Together : AS ONE

22. Suvari of "American Beauty" : MENA - Mena Suvari. You can google her famous picture lying on a bed of roses

27. Pond buildup : ALGAE

28. Talk about incessantly : HARP ON - I heard you the fourth time!

30. Asian New Year : TET 

31. Lao Tzu principle : TAO

33. Apple core, for short? : IOS - My phone runs on Internet Operating System 10.2.1


34. Chopin work : POLONAISE - I heard a familiar melody while walking by  our radio last week and used the SHAZAM app to find out it was this Chopin work. Do you Shazam?

42. Numskulls : DOLTS

43. Rock's __ Lobos : LOS - La Bamba

44. Start a pot : ANTE

45. Tazo offerings : TEAS - C.C. is our resident expert and I suspect she is familiar with this brand

46. CPO's org. : USN - A Chief Petty Officer equals a 1st sergeant in the US Army

47. Links transport : GOLF CART - They are now street legal in my home town

49. Smart Simpson : LISA

51. Made out : NECKED - See Drive-In above

55. Milne character : POOH

56. Elevator innovator : OTIS

59. Pic(ture) source : NEG(ative)


60. "A Streetcar Named Desire" wife : STELLA - One site rated this as the 33rd best movie moment of all time

61. Gather : REAP

63. Collar : NAB

65. "What's the __?" : USE

67. Withdraw by degrees : WEAN 

68. Track runner, to a tout : NAG - Theater-savvy people will know the tout who sang, "I've got the horse right  here, the name is Paul Revere..." and the play that produced it

74. Farm house dweller : HEN

75. Get into shape, with "up" : TONE

76. "Not __ long shot" : BY A 

77. Gob : TAR - Also sailor, mariner, sea dog or salt

78. Start to freeze? : ANTI


80. 1956 Triple Crown winner : MANTLE - C.C., what do you and Doug estimate this signed 1956 picture written to Ted Williams would be worth?

82. Pampering place : SPA

85. Linguist Chomsky : NOAM

87. Logician Turing : ALAN - Portrayed by Benedict Cumberbatch in The Imitation Game

90. Rubs the wrong way : CHAFES

91. Johnny's 2014 Olympics figure skating co-commentator : TARA - Lipinski

93. Fills with cigarette output, as a room : SMOKES UP - Home of many a political decision back in the day

96. Squealer : RAT

97. Part of DMV: Abbr. : DEPT - Much of their work can be done online now

99. Withered : SERE

100. "Sweet as apple cider" girl of song : IDA

101. Spirited mount : STEED


108. Iron-attracting magnetite : LODESTONE - This was a compass from 200 B.C. China made from naturally-occuring magnetic LODESTONE

110. Byron's "before" : ERE

111. Sass : LIP

112. Sentimental sounds : AWS

113. Heavy reading? : TOME

114. Is incapable of : CANNOT - CAN NOT is also acceptable

117. Comes up short: LOSES if your tout give you a, uh, 130. Bum __ : STEER 

125. Skinny fish : EELS

126. Sambuca flavoring : ANISE - Sambuca didn't even make the list

127. "On Narcissism" author : FREUD

128. Went lickety-split : TORE

129. Staff symbol : REST

131. Nourishes : FEEDS

132. See 4-Down : SPUD






DOWN

1. Movie role played by Skippy : ASTA

2. Sci-fi writer Frederik : POHL

3. First name in fashion : OLEG

4. Oft-fried food : POTATO - It is not the potatoes!!

5. Indian title of respect : SRI

6. High-__ : TECH

7. "Diana" singer : ANKA

8. Tinker Bell's creator : BARRIE - A lovely character for him and a corporate symbol for Disney

9. Make a subtle exit : SLIP OUT

10. German road : BAHN - Only areas near congested cities have a speed limit on the AUTOBAHN 

11. Approx. repair cost : EST

12. Oh so very : TOO TOO

13. Surround : ENFOLD

14. Release : LET GO

15. Pal of Pierre : AMI

16. Soup bean : LENTIL

17. Swallow : INGEST

18. Preferences : TASTES

24. Annoying situation : HEADACHE

25. Mark, for one : GOSPEL - Some didn't make the cut

26. Office phone unit : HANDSET

32. "__ piece of the rock": Prudential slogan : OWN A

34. Support for the sheriff : POSSE

36. Subj. with x's : ALG - BTW, x = 5 in this 3/4/5 right triangle.

37. Yucky stuff : GOOP

38. Nobel Peace Prize city : OSLO

39. Degenerate from disuse : ATROPHY - A big issue when returning from prolonged weightlessness on the ISS

40. Toon flapper Etta : KETT

41. Primary : MAIN

46. Hidden : UNSEEN

50. Río contents : AGUA

52. "Red Balloon" painter : KLEE

53. Dash : ELAN - As I said before, I think Sean Connery had more ELAN than the other 007's

54. Blocker of "Bonanza" : DAN - DAN might want to forget some of his earlier work

57. Elite group : INS

58. '40s-'50s pitcher Maglie : SAL

62. Ideally : AT BEST - This seems more like "The best you can hope for under the circumstances" 

64. Cricket club : BAT

66. Brooklyn Bridge seller, say : SCAMMER

68. First captain? : NOAH - Uh, Captain Noah, who's going to clean out the bottom of the ark?

69. Vogue editor-in-chief Dame __ Wintour : ANNA - I'm sure Ms. Wintour is always just TOO TOO chic!

71. Bridge position : EAST

72. Mythical flutist : PAN

73. Back again : FRO

75. Film watcher's channel : TMC - The Movie Channel (edited from Turner Movie Classics - Gary)

79. (Has) come down with something : TAKEN ILL

81. Causes : LEADS TO

83. San Diego player : PADRE

84. __ code : AREA - 212 is still very coveted here

86. Little helper? : ASST

88. "Yeah, right!" : AS IF

89. Art class subject : NUDE

92. Show up : APPEAR

94. Word with hygiene or history : ORAL

95. Two more than an eagle : PAR 


98. Disgust : TURN OFF - 'nuff said/shown

101. "The Name of the Rose" actor Christian : SLATER

102. American sparrow relative : TOWHEE - Unknown to me but is a cutie!

103. Citation and Corsair : EDSELS

104. Stir up : FOMENT 

105. Toddler's outfit : ONESIE

106. Academic security : TENURE - Once you've got it...

107. Parts of kettles : SPOUTS

109. Inquisitor __ de Torquemada : TOMAS - Being around him is torture!

114. "Moonstruck" Oscar winner : CHER



115. Arch style : OGEE - A plethora of OGEEs in Venice

116. Sound of a flop : THUD - Also poor acting in the NBA

118. Train station : STOP

119. Stocking shade : ECRU

120. Wood finisher? : SHED

122. Chicago winter hrs. : CST - Also true for  Indiana around Chicago but otherwise, who knows?

123. "Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats" monogram : TSE - Any book that inspired the song Memory is great to me!

124. Burnable media : CDS



Don't THE THROW TOWEL  yet, you THE DYED WOOL solvers should now comment!

Saturday March 4, 2017 Pawel Fludzinski

Theme: None

Words: 72 (missing J,Q,X,Z)

Blocks: 28

Another Saturday struggle from Pawel, but unlike his construction from Jan of this year, I did not succeed without a fair amount of cheating - but then again, I am also in the middle of a lot of projects, so my mind was not entirely focused on the puzzle.  One too many proper names, normal for the author, as well.  Today's grid, somewhat like a snake, is another example of how to make it difficult to work one area with no hope of getting in to another - for me, I could not get anything going in the NW.  Triple 9- and 10-letter corners, the longest answers in the grid;

15. Land across the Baltic from Sweden : LITHUANIA - OK, cheated - I looked at a map of Europe

14. Federal subsidy : GRANT-IN-AID - never heard the term before

53. Crash and burn : HIT BOTTOM

26. Nevada's Area 51, notably : OPEN SECRET

The

Files~!

ACROSS:

1. Picture with a surprise ending? : PHOTO BOMB

10. Cheaply, with "for" : A SONG

16. Organ __ : DONOR 

17. Burden to bear : ALBATROSS - Iron Maiden turned a classic poem into a 13minute song;

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner

18. Lead-in for here or nowhere : OUTTA - outta here, outta nowhere

19. Much data: Abbr. : NOs - technically, it's just "two" numbers; 1, and 0

20. River of Tuscany : ARNO

21. Oliver Twist, for one : ORPHAN

22. Architectural molding : OGEE - I have not seen this in a Saturday puzzle for a while

23. Cut twice, perhaps : TRISECT - I was thinking someone measured wrong in the first place....

24. Clear of snow : PLOWED - my "private road" does not get plowed

27. The King's middle name : ARON - Elvis, thank you, thank you very much

28. McBride of "Draft Day" : CHI

29. Metz meal : REPAS - too much Frawnche for me today

30. __ vote : SWING

31. Wi-Fi relative : LAN

32. Eisner's successor at Disney : IGER - filled via perps

33. Org. formed in Manila in 1954 : SEATO - good WAG

34. Pulitzer poet Van Duyn : MONA - filled via perps

35. With 22-Down, immortal 20th-century racer : MAN circumreferential to; 22. See 35-Across : O' WAR - dah~! I was looking for someONE, like Richard Petty, not a horse....

36. British county : SHIRE - generic, not specific

37. Spherical bacteria : COCCI - perps got me --CCI

38. Racing Unsers : ALs

39. Make sound : MEND

40. Quenched : SLAKED

41. Downwind current : LEE TIDE

43. Improvisational style : SCAT

44. Aspects : FACETS

45. Sainted pope called "the Great" : LEO I - LEO (Roman numeral), JOHN or PIUS~? Had to wait

46. Masterpiece : GEM

49. Heron relative : EGRET

50. Product announced but never produced or canceled : VAPORWARE - I finally caved in to peer pressure and bought a vaporizer, so I can hang with the "cool" kids at UPS - they're all half my age anyway, so I find it all amusing.  I do however, think there's a chance I might quit smoking with this thing - I like the ash-less,no-more-stank-in-the-car 'just like smoking candy' aspects of the thing....

52. Coeur d'__ : ALENE

54. Treat again, as leather : RE-TAN - my preferred kind of "tan"

55. Relax : STAY LOOSE

DOWN:

1. Work on one's vacation, say : PLAN - oh, like booking a room and a flight - I am on "vacation" from UPS, but for me, it meant putting in 40+ hours at both restaurants to get them back into shape - one from the fireproofing mess, the other for grand re-opening in two weeks

2. Hawaii's __ Bay : HILO - good WAG

3. Places with indoor windows, briefly : OTBs - ah.  Filled via perps; clever, though

4. Rap article : THA'

5. Storm problems : OUTAGES - SURGES was too short

6. Kept out : BARRED - dah~! Not baNNed

7. Two __: fast-break advantage : ON-ONE - love them in hockey; I finally saw a three-on-three OT game - and I like the fact that a 2-on-1 or breakaway is always imminent

8. Protein-rich paste : MISO - not TOFU

9. Humanities degs. : BAs

10. Like most grandparents : ADORING

11. Stock options? : SOUPS

12. Facing a deadline : ON THE CLOCK

13. "In your dreams!" : NOT A CHANCE

21. College town about 100 miles NE of Portland : ORONO - seen this in enough crosswords

23. Hackneyed : TRITE

24. 1993 William Diehl thriller on which a 1996 film was based : PRIMAL FEAR

25. Formidable court figure : LEGAL EAGLE - also a movie, but it was "eagleS"

27. Agatha or Edgar : AWARD - nailed it, but then again, I had A-A--

30. The Pont Neuf spans it : SEINE - Frawnche

33. Molts : SHEDS

34. Defense that may be all wet : MOAT - my dream home has a moat

36. Gaga : SMITTEN

37. "Does she ... or doesn't she?" brand : CLAIROL

40. Part of a fictional dog name inspired by Sinatra's "Strangers in the Night" : SCOOBY

42. R&B singer __ Marie : TEENA

43. Dividing walls : SEPTA - biology

45. Café supply : LAIT - Frawnche, again

46. León relative : GATO - Frawnche, encore

47. Piccadilly Circus statue : EROS

48. Hand raiser's attention-getter : ME~! ME~!

50. Beta rival : VHS

51. Org. that complements the IMF : WTO - oh.  The International Monetary Fund and World Trade Organization - I was stuck on "Impossible Mission Force....

Splynter

Friday, March 3, 2017, Alex Eaton-Salners

Title: Look up! It's a bird, a plane - Superman!?! No, sorry, not this time.

Alex E-S makes a quick return to Friday with an imaginative "no clue" puzzle.  Each theme fill is a type of flying machine. Thus, each one becomes an Unidentified Flying Object  as they are flying objects not identified in a clue. This approach requires the solver to get the down fill to get at least one of the theme filled. Because of the difficulty of seeing the theme, the puzzle doe have lots of doable, short fill. He did squeeze in OOMPAHS, CARLS JR.,  BUTT PACK and  HER HONOR. The flying machines are diverse, but otherwise I see no other common element.

18A. No Clue : HELICOPTER (10).

23A. No Clue : GOODYEAR BLIMP (13).

38A. No Clue : BIPLANE (7).

53A. No Clue : HOT AIR BALLOON (13).

61A. No Clue : HANG GLIDER (10).

70A. Area 51 phenomena ... or what five puzzle answers are? : UFOS (4). In the purest sense and not relating to aliens. So how did we get the grid filled.....

Across:

1. Outdo : BEST.

5. So far : TO DATE.

11. "Happy Valley" airer : BBC. I never saw or heard of this SHOW which generated such wonderful reviews.

14. Joie de vivre : ELAN. Interesting as this positive sounding approach to life, can lead to one becoming...

15. Ethically indifferent : AMORAL.

16. Spat ending : ULA. Don't flip over this bizarre clue/fill. Spatula.

17. Dart : FLIT.

20. Friction reducer : OIL.

21. Benin neighbor : TOGO. Not to be confused with 64A. When repeated, an "Animal House" chant : TOGA.

22. Most Rwandans : HUTUS. Some of the HISTORY.

27. Snowboard feature : STRAP. No idea; my Colorado son snowboards. I used to ski.

28. Brass band sounds : OOMPAHS. Tuba or not tuba, that is the question.

31. Money in Miyazaki : YEN.

33. Free org. for law students : ABA. They figure if you join in law school, you stay and pay once you are out in the world.

34. Rob Roy, for one : SCOT. I was fixated on the DRINK for a while, then the book and MOVIE until I left it and came back. The LINK.

35. "Whatevs" : MEH. A regular Corner comment.

41. Poet inspired by the Battle of Baltimore : KEY. Francis Scott, and the Star Spangled Banner. When I saw poet, three letter fill and Baltimore, my mind went to Mr. Poe. Or did it?.

42. Trapezoid measure : AREA.

44. Brooklyn pro : NET. The current worst team in Basketball.

45. Droop : SAG.  No chance I will say anything here.

47. Home of the "All-Natural Burger" : CARL'S JR. This West Coast Hamburger CHAIN is famous for its raunchy  COMMERCIALS. 

49. Bobby who lost to Billie Jean in the Battle of the Sexes : RIGGS. Bobby was an aged star who defeated Margaret Court in the first battle of the Tennis Sexes.

57. Riksbank currency : KRONA. The currency of Sweden's central bank.

59. Flower from the Greek for "rainbow" : IRIS.

60. "Lenore" poet : POE.  And guess who appeared! Not a poem I know well.

65. Latin trio word : AMO, amas amat.

66. Epoch when modern mammals emerged : EOCENE. LEARN.

67. Swindle : ROOK.

68. Its debut Apr. 1971 broadcast covered Senate hearings on the Vietnam War : NPR. Imagine, this started in our lifetime.

69. Periods of growth : SPURTS. I am still waiting for mine.


Down:

1. Muddles : BEFOGS.

2. Family name in Jane Austen's "Persuasion" : ELLIOT.  Her final NOVEL. You can read it online for free.

3. Hand : SAILOR.

4. Explosive stuff : TNT.

5. Lake straddling a Western border : TAHOE. One of the most beautiful places on earth.

6. Tag Heuer competitor : OMEGA. Watches.

7. Sorrow : DOLOR.  Latin.

8. "Entourage" agent Gold : ARI. I did not hear much about the MOVIE.

9. Sea follower? : TAC. The airport, Sea-tac. - Seattle Tacoma.

10. Hebrew G-d : ELOHIM. Transliteration is so hard.

11. Infantry equipment carrier : BUTT PACK. LINK.

12. Color on le drapeau français : BLEU. The blue on the flag of France.

13. Animated film primarily set in Radiator Springs : CARS. WATCH.

19. Some heels : PUMPS. Love the clue/fill.

21. Laid-back : TYPE B.

24. V-J __ : DAY.

25. Taiwanese tea drink : BOBA. We are more used to it being called Bubble tea - Taiwanese tea-based drink invented in Taichung in the 1980s. Most bubble tea recipes contain a tea base mixed/shaken with fruit or milk, to which chewy tapioca balls and fruit jelly are often added. It has been embraced by most Asian restaurants.Various sources and personal experience.

26. Quicken product : LOANS. They started out with accounting software, but are major player in the mortgage field.

29. Plot device? : HOE. Getting it reading for planting, not a prostitute movie..

30. Bachelor pad, perhaps : STY.  Men tend to be messy when left alone.

32. Raphael or Leonardo, in fiction : NINJA. Of the hard shelled kind.

33. __-rock music : ALTernative.

35. Cheese go-with : MAC.

36. Dead-ball __: early baseball period : ERA. Before Babe Ruth.

37. Judge's address : HER HONOR.I am sure this caught all the sexists.

39. Prefix with scope : PERI.

40. Sandwich and Salisbury VIPs : EARLS. Or Grantham.

43. As company : ALONG.

46. Jazz pianist Evans : GIL. The letters were easy, but I never knew of this somewhat  TRAGIC man.

48. Play grounds? : STAGES. Very nice misdirection.

50. Disappear : GO POOF. Good thing he added the F.

51. Bit of baby talk : GOO GOO. Ga Ga?

52. Tiptoes, say : SNEAKS.

54. Backseat driver, e.g. : RIDER. meh.

55. Spiner of "Star Trek: T.N.G." : BRENT. He played the android - DATA - and also appears in both Independence Day movies. ODD.

56. Buenos __ : AIRES.

57. Mongol sovereign : KHAN.

58. Increase, with "up" : RAMP.

62. Hack : LOP.

63. "ER" setting : ICU. The TV show often had the doctors and patients in ICU.

64. Play about Capote : TRU. He died young, a month short of his 60th birthday.

Well golly, we are the end already. Too many short fill to be difficult but there are some challenging fill. It was very hard if you did not understand the gimmick. Alex is showing off his versatility and I expect to see him often this year. I also expect you all to let me know your thoughts. I am off to another new doctor. Will catch up with you after that.
Lemonade out.

Thursday, March 2, 2017 Kevin Christian

Theme: Regal Roosts - five places where various kinds of "Queens" can be found:

17A. Queen's domain : CHESS GAME. White is checkmated by the black queen in two moves, known as "Fool's Mate".

26A. Queen's domain : BEEHIVE. Hopefully not the hairstyle!

36A. Queen's domain : DECK OF CARDS. Four of these in your poker hand wouldn't be too shabby.

51A. Queen's domain : ENGLAND. Here's the splendid Miranda Richardson with a reminder to Lord Melchett from Blackadder II.

60A. Queen's domain : ARENA ROCK. Here's Queen singing about another Queen, which seems appropriate. Not in an arena though, from the BBC's studios at Wood Lane in London.

Nice clecho theme from Kevin. There are four cheater (aka helper) squares padding out the middle theme entry but you can't help that when you're working with one 11-letter phrase across the center.

Across:

1. Bleach container : JUG. I'd never thought of my Clorox container as a jug before, but so it is.

4. Shed door attachments : HASPS

9. Like iceberg lettuce : CRISP. Due to the 96% water content. Food! - almost.

14. Freudian topic : EGO. Went for SEX first, that didn't work.

15. Marginally ahead : ONE UP

16. Relative of bongos : TABLA

19. Cause of a skid, perhaps : SLEET

20. Tom Jones' "__ a Lady" : SHE'S

21. Payroll service co. : ADP

23. __-à-porter: ready-to-wear : PRET. There's a chain of ready-made sandwich stores based in the UK, and now expanding, called Pret A Manger (Ready to Eat) which I think is clever. The sandwiches are great too.

24. Keep from happening : THWART

28. Corporate big shots : SUITS

29. With false modesty : COYLY

31. Bubbly opener? : AER-ated. Popping corks.

32. Hide from a hunter : PELT. Nice.

33. Coppertone's 30, e.g. : SPF

34. Bit of IM mirth : HEE. Went with LOL first. Was wrong.

40. Versailles monarch : ROI. Here's Louis XIV, the "Sun King":

41. West __: high-end furniture retailer : ELM. New to me. Part of the Williams-Sonoma/Pottery Barn group.

42. Related : AKIN

45. Actress Arthur : BEA

48. Slyly disparaging : SNIDE

50. Back of a single : B-SIDE

53. Picked up : SENSED

54. De Matteo of "Sons of Anarchy" : DREA. Crosses all the way.

55. One in favor : YEA

57. Baseball analyst Hershiser : OREL

58. Odyssey on the road : HONDA

64. Of yesteryear : OLDEN

65. Keep down : LIMIT

66. Writer who inspired the Raven Award : POE

67. Pineal or pituitary : GLAND

68. Chef's creation : SAUCE

69. Soufflé need : EGG. That's going to be one small soufflé with one egg.

Down:

1. 39th pres. : JEC. Jimmy Carter. Not one of the most common presidential monograms that we see - rarely appears in crosswords.

2. "Bummer" : UGH

3. Runs amok : GOES WILD. Fresh entry.

4. Uncouth types, in Canadian slang : HOSERS. I'm sure Canadian Eh! can enlighten us, but I understand the origin of the term is unclear, and it has nothing to do with resurfacing hockey rinks, siphoning gasoline or getting drunk.

5. Severe anxiety : ANGST

6. Yellow __ : SEA

7. Adidas rival : PUMA. My first pair of soccer boots were made by Puma. The company's been around for quite some time, evidently.

8. Left in the dust : SPED BY

9. Nos. that are beside the point : CTS. The cents in a price tag after the decimal point.

10. Actor Fiennes : RALPH. The splendidly-monikered Ralph Nathaniel Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes to give him is full credit.

11. It's across the Pyrenees from France : IBERIA. The Iberian Peninsula comprising Spain, Portugal, Gibraltar and Andorra. There's also little sliver of France at the southern side of the Pyrenees

12. Tailor's measure : SLEEVE. You need to get this measured correctly to keep your cuffs out of your soup.

13. Auction spiel : PATTER.

CANIGETA10geta10geta10getanow15now1520attheback202020anymore25thankyouinthebalcony30onthe phone30itsonyousireanymoregoingonceat30goingtwiceSOLD.

18. Destroy : SHATTER

22. New York suburb bordering New Rochelle : PELHAM. I only know this from the book/movie "The Taking of Pelham One Two Three".

24. Recipe amt. : TSP.

25. Tinge : HUE

27. Once-over giver : EYER. Really?

29. USCG rank : CPO. Chief Petty Officer.

30. Took out : OFFED. I just saw this when I came to write up the puzzle, crosses filled it in for me.

33. Gossip : SKINNY

35. Santa portrayer in "Elf" : ED ASNER

37. Alguna __: something, in Spain : COSA. New one on me. Thanks you, crosses.

38. Cavs, on a scoreboard : CLE. Cleveland's NBA franchise, the Cavaliers.

39. White way : SKI SLOPE

43. Chem class suffix : -IDE

44. "Game of Thrones" patriarch Stark : NED. Finally remembered this! Yay me!

45. Covers stealer : BED HOG.  I don't remember seeing this before - nice phrase.

46. Join the club : ENROLL

47. Guide for a chair : AGENDA. The road-map for a meeting chair.

49. High standards : IDEALS

50. Scold : BERATE

52. Weighted down : LADEN

53. __ boom : SONIC

56. Met delivery : ARIA

59. "Then what happened?" : AND?

61. Critter on the Australian 50-cent coin : EMU

62. Machine part : COG

63. Beer source : KEG. I liked the COG/KEG/POE/EGG corner.

I think I'll go and see if you can make a soufflé with one egg.

Bon appétit and heeeere's the grid!

Steve

Wednesday March 1, 2017 Ed Sessa

Theme: J CREW (53D. Clothing chain ... or what the answers to starred clues comprise?) - All theme entries are well-known people with J ? initials.

17A. *U.S. Steel co-founder : J.P. MORGAN

36A. *"Whiplash" Best Supporting Actor : J. K. SIMMONS. Know him as Dr. Skoda on Law & Order.

59A. *Peter Pan creator : J. M. BARRIE

10D. *"Lost" co-creator : J. J. ABRAMS. So talented.

36D. *Retail chain founder : J. C. PENNEY

C.C. here.

Total six J's in this puzzle. This is tricky to design and fill, as I learned from my own J ? puzzle five years ago (the last one is so inconsistent!). Puzzles involved lots of J's, Q's, X'es and Z's are all challenging.

Ed's reveal is perfect and gives a solid rationale for this puzzle.  His fill is great too. None of the J's are stretched. All real words.

Across:

      

1. Article : ITEM

5. Die down : EBB

8. Military action toys : G I JOEs. We used to own three GI Joe style Jesse Ventura action dolls.

14. Something frowned upon : NO NO. Tiny dupe with  64. "Almost ready" : NOT YET

15. Graphic introduction? : GEO. Geographic.

16. Harm : INJURE

19. Roofer's supply : SLATES

20. "August: __ County": Meryl Streep film : OSAGE

21. Spinal column part : VERTEBRA. I used to confuse this word with VERBENA.

23. Words on a candy heart : KISS ME. Not BE MINE.

25. "CHiPs" co-star Erik : ESTRADA

27. Newspaper VIPs : EDs (Editors)

28. Crèche figure : LAMB

31. Like Parmesan cheese : AGED

32. "Didn't I tell you?" : SEE

33. Peas, for shooters : AMMO

34. Racetrack equipment : TIMERS

38. Wealthy campaign donor : FAT CAT. Thought of Bundler.

41. Picture framing materials : MATS

42. Orch. section : STR, OK, string.

45. "It's not too early to call" : I'M UP. Also got via crosses.

46. Sprain support : TAPE

47. Dove's call : COO

48. New York brewery known for its cream ale : GENESEE. Learning moment for me.

51. College choices : MAJORs

54. Turncoat : RENEGADE. Code name for President Obama.

57. "Pardon me," in Palermo : SCUSI. Or SCUSA.

58. Singer Warwick : DIONNE

61. "Imagine so" : I GUESS

62. Bird on Australia's coat of arms : EMU

63. Some celebs have delicate ones : EGOS

65. Dollop : DAB

66. Took off : WENT

Down:

1. Humor for a select few : IN JOKES. To avoid the IN dupe, INS. is clued as (35. MetLife's business: Abbr.). Insurance.

2. On the open deck : TOPSIDE. Also got via crosses.

3. All together : EN MASSE

4. Classic music synthesizers : MOOGS

5. __ McMuffin : EGG. 86-year-old Warren Buffett goes to McDonald's for breakfast every morning. This lady is 105 years old, and she eats bacon every day. So what's the secret to long life?

6. Cleaver nickname : BEAV

7. Talus or radius : BONE

8. Central points : GISTS

9. Small bay : INLET

11. Serious injustice : OUTRAGE

12. What may be charged for books? : E-READER. Nice clue.

13. French possessive : SES. We also have 29. Bordeaux buddy : AMI

18. Sleep acronym : REM

22. Pickett's Charge soldier : REB (Rebels)

24. Nightmare loc. of film : ELM ST

26. Website pop-ups, e.g. : ADs

30. Matriarchal nickname : MOMMA

33. Wanted poster initials : AKA

34. __ pole : TOTEM

37. AAA handout : MAP

38. Newton fruit : FIG

39. Explorer Vespucci for whom the New World was named : AMERIGO. Chinese characters for United States is below, literally "Beautiful Country".

40. Turn a deaf ear to : TUNE OUT

42. Cause of calamity : SCOURGE. Another great word.

43. Twisting force : TORSION

44. Most cheerful : ROSIEST

46. Twinings product : TEA. Some tea bags can be toxic. Drink loose tea.

49. Sixth __ : SENSE

50. Cast out : EGEST

52. Simile words : AS A

55. Played mixes at mixers, briefly : DJ'ED

56. Jane Austen novel : EMMA

58. Racket : DIN

60. Mac : BUB

Two crossword notes:

1) The 40th American Crossword Puzzle Tournament (March 24-26, 2017) will be held at the Stamford Marriott in Stamford, Connecticut. For those who attend, I hope you won't miss the Cru Dinner organized by the great Mike Alpern. Always makes me smile to see the Crossword Pope.

The Cru Dinner officially kicks off the tournament and is a great opportunity to meet with constructors and fellow solvers. And as a newbie, you'll always get a welcome gift! The space is limited, so be sure to contact with Mike (alpernm@aol.com) as soon as possible.

Not sure if Rich competes this year. He was absent last year.

Rich Norris, Mike & Kim,  ACPT, 2008

2) A few days left to sign up for Peter Gordon's 2017-18 Fireball Newsflash Crosswords. You get 20 puzzles from the master for $7. As I mentioned last year, Fireball Newsflash are mostly of LAT Tuesday level difficulty. Every puzzle features super fresh entries and fun clues.

3) Happy 90-year old birthday to Jean, a long-time crossword solver. Her local paper in Fargo carries LAT crosswords, and she solves it every day.

Tuesday, February 28, 2017 C.C. Burnikel

Theme: Owies - The answers to the starred clues each contain two "OW"s.

18A. *In Hades, euphemistically: DOWN BELOW

30A. *Puffy Chinese dog: CHOW CHOW

49A. *Bovine yogurt brand: BROWN COW

3D. *Auto feature that doesn't need a crank: POWER WINDOW

27D. *Head rest on a sofa: THROW PILLOW

60A. Pained expression, and a hint to two cries hidden in each answer to a starred clue: THAT HURTS

Argyle here. C.C. has given us a neat Tuesday puzzle. The reveal may have not given actual answers but may have disproved an answer already entered.

Across:

1. __ New Guinea: PAPUA

6. Closest buddies, for short: BFFs. (Best Friends Forever)

10. Cleaning cloths: RAGS

14. Three through nine, in many golf club sets: IRONS

15. On the sheltered side, at sea: ALEE

16. Old flames: EXes

17. "The Daily Show" regular Black: LEWIS

20. Back to square __: ONE

21. Ballet skirt: TUTU

23. Every bit: ALL

24. Béarnaise sauce herb: TARRAGON. Edible leaves with a distinctive anise or licorice flavor.

26. Pearly whites: TEETH

29. Escorted by: WITH

33. Where to find a sleeper hit, perhaps: B SIDE

35. Lascivious look: LEER

36. "Good point!": "TRUE!"

37. "Raggedy" doll: ANN

38. 601, to Seneca: DCI

40. Obstinate mount: ASS

42. East, in Essen: OST. Essen, Germany.

43. Fishing poles: RODs

45. Leave out: OMIT

47. Actor Cary __ of "Kiss the Girls": ELWES

51. Part of a process: STEP

52. Adjust just a bit: TWEAK

53. "Way to go, sister!": "ATTA GIRL!"

57. Hook shape: ESS

58. "Very cool!": "NEAT!"

59. Where bovines graze: LEA. Cows, cattle, kine.

64. Makes angry, with "up": RILES

66. German automaker: AUDI

67. Commuter's choice: RAIL

68. Popped up: AROSE

69. Fountain of jazz: PETE

70. Poet St. Vincent Millay: EDNA

71. Poked at, cat-style: PAWED

Down:

1. First sitcom episode: PILOT

2. Hockey venue: ARENA

4. College, to Aussies: UNI. (University)

5. Per what was previously mentioned: AS STATED

6. Mistreating: BAD TO

7. Frilly addition to a skirt: FLOUNCE

8. "A __ Good Men": FEW

9. Capitol Hill lawmakers: SENATORS or 28. Lawmaking body: HOUSE

10. Put back in office: REELECT

11. Rock singer Rose: AXL

12. Prefix with political or logical: GEO

13. NNE opposite: SSW

19. Failed, as a fuse: BLEW

22. "That's awful!": "UGH!"

25. Divested (of): RID

31. Oil or gas follower: HEAT

32. Dampens: WETS

33. Stinging remark: BARB

34. Stifled laugh: [SNORT!]

35. Long ride, for short: LIMO

39. Intolerably confident: COCKSURE. Does the name, Anonymous, come to mind?

41. Put out bait, say: SET A TRAP

44. Beau or boo: SWEETIE

46. "Sign me up!": "I WANT IN!"

48. Relay race part: LEG

50. Trio member with Crosby and Stills: NASH. The lyrics can be found on the YouTube site.

51. Metro stop: Abbr.: STA. (station)

54. Electrical pioneer Nikola: TESLA. Old friend!

55. Dodger Pee Wee: REESE. He made the move from Brooklyn to Los Angeles.

56. Zapped with a beam: LASED

60. Activate, as a phone app: TAP. Beyond my ken.

61. Tint: HUE

62. Home security giant: ADT. Founded in 1874; 143 years ago, as American District Telegraph.

63. "Cool!": "RAD!). My comment about the above entry.

65. Nest egg initials: IRA. (Individual Retirement Account)

Argyle

Monday, February 27, 2017 Gail Grabowski and Bruce Venzke

Theme: Give me some skin, bro - One word that can be patched to the start of the entry phrases.

66A. Medical adhesive strip ... and a hint to what can precede the first word of 17-, 25-, 40- and 52-Across: SKIN PATCH

17A. Filled light pastry: CREAM PUFF. Skin cream.

25A. Gronk's position on football's Patriots: TIGHT END. Skintight.

40A. Magician's hand movement: FLICK OF THE WRIST. Skin flick.

52A. Like some pizzas and apple pies: DEEP DISH. Skin deep.

Argyle here, plus Gail with Bruce today. No "B" in this naughty blue Monday. The pics I could have posted boggles the mind but you already have been boggled enow if you watched the Oscars.

Across:

1. Seaweed wrap resorts: SPAs

5. Peaceful: CALM

9. Dozed: SLEPT

14. Small chess piece: PAWN

15. Baseball's Moises: ALOU

16. Flooring specialist: TILER. A tiler earns his pay putting tiles around pipes and the edges of the room.

19. Like good gossip: JUICY

20. Expand, as a collection: ADD TO

21. San __, California: MATEO

23. Comic Margaret: CHO. "I love drugs, but I hate hangovers, and the hatred of the hangover wins by a landslide every time." - Margaret Cho

30. Spiro ran with him: RICHARD. Late-’60s Maryland governor, Spiro Agnew, served as Vice-President under Richard Nixon.

34. Baby's bodysuit: ONESIE. Standard baby shower present.

35. Comm. system with hand motions: ASL. (American Sign Language)

36. Slowly withdraws: WEANS

39. Tablet downloads: APPs

44. RPM gauge: TACH

45. Unifying idea: THEME

46. Pierced body part: EAR

47. Moral values: ETHICS

50. Mob witness' request: AMNESTY, and entry into the witness protection system.

55. Purported UFO fliers: ETs. (Extra-Terrestrial)

56. Bond portrayer Daniel: CRAIG

58. "__ directed": medication warning: USE AS

62. Magna __: CARTA. Runnymede, 1215. It will be on the quiz.

68. Graceland idol: ELVIS

69. Military medal earner: HERO

70. Ivy League school: YALE and 11D. 70-Across collegian: ELI

71. Hosiery thread: LISLE

72. Hullabaloos: ADOs

73. Upright wall timber: STUD

Down:

1. Pet lovers' org.: SPCA. (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals)

2. Western chum: PARD. 1840-50, Americanism; by alteration and shortening of partner.

3. Left dumbstruck: AWED

4. Grab quickly: SNATCH

5. Bottle topper: CAP

6. University supporter, briefly: ALUM. An alumna or alumnus.

7. Lite, dietwise: LO-FAT. Both words are adspeak.

8. Civilian attire: MUFTI. Origin.

9. Virgin Islands isl.: ST. JOHN

10. Lucy of "Elementary": LIU. Holmes and Watson

12. Ab neighbor: PEC. Muscles, abdominals and pectorals.

13. Give it a whirl: TRY

18. Mostly shaved-head style: MOHAWK

22. Bigheadedness: EGO

24. Double Delight cookie: OREO

26. Hazmat suit problem: TEAR

27. Glimpses: ESPIES

28. Tries to bite, puppy-style: NIPS AT

29. "__ Rides Again": 1939 Western: DESTRY

30. Shot the rapids, say: RAFTED

31. Arrives after the bell: IS LATE

32. Overused expression: CLICHÉ

33. Bonkers: DAFT

37. To the __ degree: NTH

38. Mets' old stadium: SHEA

41. Greenside golf shot: CHIP

42. Plus-size supermodel: EMME

43. Ascended: WENT UP

48. Jewel box: CD CASE

49. Title for Connery: SIR

51. Emerson works: ESSAYS. Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 – 1882)

53. Recent White House daughter: SASHA. Malia Ann and Natasha Obama.

54. Walked in the woods: HIKED

57. Early whirlybird, for short: GIRO. Autogiro, originally a trademark of Cierva Autogiro Co., is also known as gyro, autogyro, gyroplane, gyrocopter, or rotaplane.

59. Coup d'__: ÉTAT

60. Bill of Rights-defending org.: ACLU. (American Civil Liberties Union)

61. Lawn mower holder: SHED

62. Animation still: CEL

63. "Aladdin" prince: ALI

64. Homes on wheels: Abbr.: RVs. (recreational vehicle)

65. Shop __ you drop: 'TIL

67. Discouraging words: NOs

Owen inspired addition.

Argyle