Friday April 14, 2017 Mark McClain

(Note from C.C.: Lemonade just had a surgery for his severe sciatica pain last Friday. He's now at home recuperating. He already got the post started, so I'll just complete rest. Let's send Lemonade all our healing thoughts and wish him a quick recovery. We need the good old Lemonade back talking about puzzles his way!)

Title: NOPE!

Our new friend Mark McClain delivers a fun comparatively easy Friday. The letters "PE" are removed from common phrases to reveal a new entertaining phrase. What makes the puzzle elegant is the first two relate to bad people and the next two are golf-related. I am not sure I have seen a "remove letters" that was so precise. CAD CRUSADER required perps but that opened the rest. There were few 3/4 letter fill and some glitz with 6/7 fill. I liked TUM TUM, MIRREN, TRISTE, ERRATIC, RETINAS and TRUISMS. He does this all in a nice pinwheel. Well let's get to it.

17A. Insensitive zealot? : CAPED CRUSADER (11). Batman (a good guy) is replaced with a CAD (a bad guy). Nice.

56A. Reprobate's regular expense? : SINNER'S REPENT (11). Yes sinners must find a place to live.

10D. Golf course equipment of the future? : FLYING CARPETS (11). Having both seen and done bad driving on the golf course, the thought of crazy golf throwing clubs also in the sky woth a golf cart is frightening.

25D. What many golfers regularly engage in? : THE PAPER CHASE (11). 1973 film. Par chase accurately describes what most golfers seek. Birdies and eagles are icing on the cake

And the reveal:

66A. Casual refusal ... and, another way, a hint to this puzzle's four longest answers : NOPE. Puzzle falls into place with the correct parsing of this word.

On to the rest.

Across:

1. Tablet input : DATA. Your handy i- or Samsung product.

5. Stick (on) : PASTE.

10. Groovy : FAB. Properly cluing this out of use with a passe clue.

13. "The Quiet Man" co-star : O'HARA. Maureen. LINK.

15. Take in, maybe : ALTER. I was thinking duping someone at first.

16. Mauna __ : LOA. 120 feet lower than one of the other volcanoes that are the creation of Hawaii.

19. Wine bottle figs. : YRS. A CSO to our wine peddler Chairman Moe, who can discuss vintages as long as you listen.

(OK, C.C, starts here)

20. Asian capital : HANOI.

21. Where Gauguin painted "Woman With a Flower" : TAHITI.. Here's the painting.

23. Lays to rest : INTERS

26. Eye parts : RETINAS

27. Gung-ho : RAH RAH

28. Concurrent with : DURING

29. Poetic praise : ODE

30. Like Mandarin Chinese, linguistically : TONAL. Mandarin has four tones. So same spelling MA can have four different meanings. In First Tone (Level), MA means "Mother". In Second Tone (Rising), MA means "Hemp" or "Numb". In Third Tone (Falling/Rising), MA means "Horse". In Fourth Tone (Falling), MA means "Scold". This chart has an extra one, but it sounds the same as the First Tone. Dear Jayce knows them all.

32. '80s-'90s slugger Fielder : CECIL. Dad of Prince Fielder.

35. Popular wine region : NAPA

37. Summer Triangle twinkler : DENEB

39. All there : SANE

40. View : SLANT

42. Get rid of : SCRAP

44. Rotation meas. : RPM

45. Downgrade, maybe : RE-RATE.

47. Tot's indigestion area : TUM TUM. We also have 59. Toddler's downtime : NAP.

49. Grows periodically : ACCRUES. As interest.

51. Sad, on the Seine : TRISTE. Je suis triste sans toi.
  
52. Sweater wool : MOHAIR

53. Rodeo critter : STEER.

55. Item under a top : BRA

61. Funny pair? : ENS. Letters in Funny.

62. Like Mexico's Pyramid of the Magician : MAYAN

63. Part of UTEP : TEXAS

64. Whiskey option : RYE

65. Rested : SLEPT. How many hours of sleep do you get daily?

Down:

1. Bashful comrade? : DOC. Seven Dwarfs. Comrade always makes me think of China & Russia. That's how my Dad and his colleagues addressed one another.

2. "I thought so!" : AHA.

3. 1860s White House boy : TAD. Lincoln's son.

4. Tell, memorably : ARCHER. William Tell.

5. Part of UTEP : PASO.

6. Fronton game word : ALAI. Jai alai court is called "Fronton".

7. Kind of deviation: Abbr. : STD

8. Wobble : TEETER

9. Unpredictable : ERRATIC

11. Big artery : AORTA

12. Rationale : BASIS. Rationale is a favorite word of my old boss. 

14. Genesis mount : ARARAT

18. Like wild horses : UNSHOD

22. Duncan of baking fame : HINES. Wow. Never heard of it. I never bake cakes.

23. Shackles : IRONS

24. Clay-court legend : NADAL. "The King of Clay"

26. Yardstick : RULER

28. Reel, for one : DANCE. Hi there Yellowrocks!

31. Fledgling launching spots : NESTS. This clue made me smile.


33. Feedback : INPUT

34. "I wanna try!" : LEMME.

36. End of __ : AN ERA.

38. Frying preparation : BATTER. Hmm, tempura.

41. Self-evident actualities : TRUISMS

43. Least spoiled : PUREST

46. Ham's accessory : AERIAL

48. "The Queen" (2006) star : MIRREN (Helen). Amazing actress.

49. Color in "America the Beautiful" : AMBER. "For amber waves of grain..". I got via crosses.

50. Like many bar jokes : CORNY

53. Blow a fuse : SNAP

54. Canvas shelter : TENT

57. Actress Carrie who was married to Dick Cavett : NYE. Stranger to me.

58. Skeletal opening? : EXO. Exoskeletal.

60. Japanese market letters : TSE. Tokyo Stock Exchange. Nikkei Index.

Lemonade & C.C.

Thursday, April 13 2017 Matt Skoczen

Theme: Blue Clues! Here's my friend who sniffed out the theme:

64A. Hint in a specialty crossword, and, literally, what's found in 17-, 20-, 38- and 59-Across : CRYPTIC CLUE

17A. Infomercial promise : MIRACLE CURE

20A. Powerful 1970s Pittsburgh defensive line, familiarly : STEEL CURTAIN. Tough crowd. Very tough.

38A. "The Card Players" artist : PAUL CEZANNE. These guys.

59A. Sticker on store fruit : PRODUCE LABEL. The process by which Chiquita gets a label on each banana was a closely-guarded secret when it was introduced in 1963.

So, we've got four scrambles of the word CLUE in the theme entries, and the reveal describes this as cryptic. I've got a little problem with this - cryptic crosswords have many devices and traditions, and a scramble is one small and rarely-used convention. Anagrams, yes. Also, the adjacent extra "C" and "E" in MIRACLE CURE and STEEL CURTAIN respectively bothered me a tad. However, easy to be a critic, hard to be the originator.

Across:

1. Jackson with a 1972 Lifetime Achievement Grammy : MAHALIA. "The Queen of Gospel."

8. Rx watchdog : FDA. I just switched my Rx's from one pharmacy chain to another. You'd have thought it would have been a straightforward process. Not so much.

11. Wing : ELL. Wing of a house. Took me a while to see this.

14. Most sober : GRAVEST

15. Curved part : ARC

16. Md. neighbor : DELaware. Maryland neighbor.

19. Md. neighbor : WVA. I had the "W" and was struggling to see how Washington, DC could be abbreviated "in the language," then West Virginia popped into my head.

22. Didst whack : SMOTE. Best clue/answer of the day. Love this one.

25. Spot checker? : VET. My Dog, Spot. When I worked at Warner Bros. one of the theatrical executives was fired for joking in a keynote that the movie was re-titled "My Lunch, Spot" for release in the Philippines.

26. One-named Deco master : ERTE

27. Swiss river : AAR

28. Loot : ROB

31. Storm warning : THUNDER

33. Pair : DYAD. Our educators would describe students working together in pairs as "dyad pedagogy."

35. Algonquin Round Table member, e.g. : WIT

37. Role for Dustin : RATSO. Hoffman in Midnight Cowboy. What a great performance.

42. Amu __: Asian river : DARYA. Thank you, crosses. It's a big bugger at 1,491 miles. I'd have thought I'd have heard about it before now.

44. Verizon subsidiary : AOL

45. Undertaking : TASK

48. Anka song with the phrase "Kiss me mucho" : ESO BESO. Muchos gracias, cruces.

51. Soccer chant : OLÉ. Let's revisit the World Cup in 2014 in Rio.

53. Loving murmur : COO

54. A giraffe has a long one : MANE. Hand up for NECK first. Then TAIL. Finally got there.

55. Org. concerned with briefs : ABA. American Bar Association.

57. "Swing Shift" Oscar nominee : LAHTI. Tried LATTI. was wrong.

63. Fill in (for) : SUB

68. Actor Wallach : ELI

69. Jeans name : LEE

70. Like some lunch orders : ON TOAST. Lunch? I'd more associate this with breakfast. My favorite breakfast in the UK - black pudding (blood sausage) and scrambled eggs on toast.

71. "Amen!" : YES!

72. Inject : ADD

73. "Seems that way to me" : I'D SAY SO

Down:

1. "Mrs. Miniver" studio : MGM. Waited for crosses. Could have been RKO.

2. 2001 W.S. champs : ARIzona Diamondbacks.

3. Guffaw sound : HAR

4. Stop at sea : AVAST. Usually followed by "Me Hearties". Heave-to didn't fit.

5. Hopkins role : LECTER. The gourmand Hannibal. I never asked for any of his recipes.

6. Scotland's Arran, e.g. : ISLE

7. Perfectly, with "to" : A TEE

8. Leak source : FAUCET

9. Diminutive celeb sexologist : DR RUTH

10. Taiwanese PC maker : ACER

11. Pirate on the Queen Anne's Revenge : EDWARD TEACH. Fondly known as Blackbeard. Learning moment, but solid crosses did most of the work. I was almost Natick'ed at LAHTI though.

12. Descendants of a son of Jacob and Leah : LEVITES. This area caused me the most trouble. Tried SEMITES first.

13. Venezuelan cowboy : LLANERO. Learning moment which contributed to my puzzlement in the north-east.

18. MDL ÷ X : CLV

21. Studio occupant : TENANT

22. Glum : SAD

23. Kentucky Derby time : MAY. Coming up soon, the self-proclaimed "most exciting two minutes in sports."

24. Latin "pray for us" : ORA PRO NOBIS. I dragged this one kicking and screaming out of the deep recesses of my brain - as a kid I was hauled by my ear to Mass in Latin every Sunday. Is this a fair entry though?

29. Barn __ : OWL

30. Light source : BIC. Hold up your lighter and rock on! Heineken claimed, tongue in cheek, they were responsible for the phenomenon. You can hold up an iPhone app now instead of a Bic.

32. Banquet dispenser : URN

34. Futon kin : DAY BED

36. Sweet __ : TEA

39. OPEC member : UAE. United Arab Emirates, member of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries.

40. Madhouse : ZOO

41. The lot : ALL

42. Portrayer of "McDreamy" on "Grey's Anatomy" : DEMPSEY. No clue. Thank you, crosses.

43. Typically : AS A RULE

46. Boozer : SOT

47. Colorful carp : KOI

49. Revered : SACRED

50. Was loyal to : OBEYED

52. Picks : ELECTS

56. High point of a European trip? : ALP

58. Foil giant : ALCOA

60. Golden St. campus : UCLA

61. Yours, to Yves : A TOI. Very glad I learned French in High School and I've been to the country enough times to have a very basic but working knowledge.

62. Tie up : BIND

65. Not of the cloth : LAY. The non-clerical hoi-polloi. This one bothered the purist in me a little - "a man of the cloth" might be described as mild slang for the clergy, but a layperson is not at all a slang term.

66. __ Nimitz : USS. I thought this carrier was retired, but it is now the oldest-serving carrier in the US fleet, operating out of Kitsap naval base in Washington State.

67. DDE's command : ETO. Dwight D. Eisenhower in command of the European Theater of Operations in World War Two. Question - since the location was Europe, should it be "Theatre?" Answers on a postcard please.

Wednesday April 12, 2017 Neville Fogarty

Theme:  BLOOD TYPE (62A. Classification suggested by the beginning of 17-, 25-, 37- and 53-Across)

17A. Dean's list honorees : A STUDENTS. C.C. told me Neville Fogarty is a young math professor.

25A. Thiamine and riboflavin : B VITAMINS.

37A. Two-variable marketing experiment : A/B TESTING. Never heard of this experiment.

53A. First novel in Willa Cather's Great Plains trilogy : O PIONEERS!.

Hello everyone, Boomer here. 

A typical puzzle for me. I struggled with a few answers. I did  get 1-Across immediately. Speaking of 1-Across, I heard on the radio yesterday that each World Champion ring awarded to Cubs players and staff will contain 108 diamonds to commemorate 108 years of futility !  I realize that diamonds come in all sizes and you may need a microscope to see all of them but it still seems excessive.  I wonder how many packages of Wrigley gum could be purchased for what one ring cost. 

Across:

  

1. They broke their 108-year World Series drought in 2016 : CUBS

5. Medical picture : X-RAY -I think former Twin Oswaldo Arcia is now an Ex-Ray.

9. Gives out : EMITS - I think Oswaldo had an "E - Mitt" (E-9)

14. Lustrous gem : OPAL - October birthstone

15. "Bloom County" reporter : MILO - Bloom County does not appear in the Minneapolis paper.        Google helps.

16. Very small : MICRO - Could be the size of the Cubs ring diamonds.

19. Pasture sound : BLEAT - If you keep your goats and lambs in the pasture, not in the kitchen.

20. Add to the pot : STIR IN - my first thought was RAISE.

21. Electronic sci-fi antagonist : HAL - If the clue was Barney Miller, I would have got it right away.

23. "¡Dios __!" : MIO

24. Cannes cup : TASSE

28. FBI operative : AGT Of course this is abbrev. for AGENT.  What is Special about them, I don't know.

29. Number before vier : DREI - I was never good at foreign stuff.

31. Spring bloomer : AZALEA - Mindful of the hours we spent watching Augusta National last weekend.

32. Flip (through) : LEAF - Okay, leaf can be a verb.  I rake the nouns plenty though.

34. Son of Zeus and Hera : ARES

36. In tune : ON KEY - Hopefully "America the Beautiful" is sung that way in the 7th inning on Sundays.

40. Diving bird : GREBE - Not familiar with this bird.

43. Way out yonder : AFAR - Does anyone ever use the word "Yonder" anymore ?

44. Inscribe : ETCH - If you have an Etch, Scretch it.

48. After morays, say : EELING - This word threw me.  I am Minnesotan and some folks fish for eelpout.  That might be called eeling, I don't know.

50. Mined matter : ORES - Sorry but I always thought that the plural of ORE is ORE.

52. Mexican gold : ORO

55. Apartment sign : TO LET - This has changed to "Now Leasing" here in the North.

57. Go bad : ROT

58. Under the weather : ILL

59. Javier __, first Spanish actor to win an Oscar : BARDEM. Husband of Penelope Cruz.

60. "Good __!" : GRIEF - Famous words of Charlie Brown.

65. Not always helpful reply to "Who's there?" : IT'S ME

66. Like bad fried food : OILY - Some people like greasy French fries, which makes it good fried food.

67. Shed tools : HOES

68. Early fur trader : ASTOR- The original John (Johan) Jacob Astor abandoned fur trading around 1830 and made a fortune investing in real estate in New York City.  Hmmmm Remind you of anyone?

69. Ties the knot : WEDS

70. Joint possession word : OURS

  

Down:

1. Like beachfront property : COASTAL - Of course, here in the land of 10,000 lakes we have miles and miles of beachfront property, but nothing coastal.  And the only Tide we have is in the grocery store in a red plastic jug. 

2. Steal the spotlight from : UPSTAGE

3. Cuban dictator overthrown by Castro : BATISTA - Wow, there's a name out of the past.  I was nine or ten years old.  No one had ever heard of Fidel.  I wonder when we will be able to by those great cigars again.

4. Nasty remarks : SLURS

5. Marvel Comics mutants : X-MEN - I remember when Comics were 10 cents.

6. __ Tin Tin : RIN - Everyone remembers a TV dog, but tell the truth - how many of you remember Fulgencio Batista ??

7. PC key : ALT - Of course my first thought was ESC.

8. Super Mario World dinosaur : YOSHI - The lovable character from the original Nintendo.  Everybody had one.  Heck I had one and I was 40 years old!

9. Decorate elaborately : EMBLAZON - I always thought "emblazon" meant fire.

10. End of a general's URL : MIL

11. Low-fat frozen dessert : ICE MILK - Let's all go to the Dairy Queen.

12. Many a new hire : TRAINEE - Do you suppose a railroad engineer was ever a trainee ?

13. "If you will" : SO TO SAY - Must be a California clue, I have never said "So to Say".

18. Fizzled out : DIED

22. __ crossroads : AT A

25. First interracial coed college in the South : BEREA - An interesting school South of Lexington, KY.  I think C.C. and I may have passed through Berea on I-75 one time on a trip to Myrtle Beach.  All Berea students are on scholarship.

26. Tries to win : VIES FOR

27. Canine ailment : MANGE - This is bad stuff.  I once had a Cocker Spaniel inflicted with it. 

30. Chinese zodiac animal : RAT -  I am sure C.C. can tell you when the year of the Rat will be. (or was)

33. One-named Italian male model : FABIO - This guy made millions by wearing other peoples clothes.  Nice job !!

35. "The Fault in Our __": 2014 film : STARS

38. Nickname for a 2000s tabloid item : BENNIFER. Ben and Jennifer.

39. Anger : IRE

40. Black Sea republic : GEORGIA

41. Police paperwork : REPORTS

42. High-and-mighty sort : ELITIST - One more "T" and you have an anagram of a golf ball.

45. "Just like I said" : TOLD YOU

46. Climbing plant : CREEPER - Since 1-Across was Cubs, check out the outfield walls at Wrigley for creepers.

47. Disordered yet appealing person : HOT MESS - Sorry I did not get this one, hope you did.

49. Salon application : GEL - Maybe hair Gel for Bryce Harper ??

51. Dutch town : STAD

54. Nudge : ELBOW - I have seen elbow fouls called in the NBA.  Trust me, they were not nudges.

56. Weed B Gon maker : ORTHO - Nice title.  I have tried many types, but the dandelions seem to always win.  No problem though - C.C. thinks they are pretty flowers.

59. School restroom sign : BOYS - Not sure what the signs are in South Carolina, but they claim they are fixing it.  Money talks - the NCAA said "Fix it or we are gone". (Correction: North Carolina.)

 61. Confessional rock genre : EMO - I was not aware however this is also an anagram of a Stooge.

63. Fabrication : LIE

64. Not up-to-date : OLD

Boomer

Tuesday, April 11 2017, Lila Cherry

Theme:  FOUR OF A KIND

17. *Pay for your online purchases, say : CHECK OUT

31. *Skip work because of illness : CALL IN SICK

37. *Cause a ruckus : RAISE CAIN

47. *Go out of business : FOLD UP SHOP

62. "Care to wager?" ... and a question answered, one way or the other, by

the first words of the answers to starred clues : WANNA BET?

Melissa here. Raced right through this one, and though the theme was obvious I had everything filled in before I noticed it. I love that RAISE CAIN is right in the middle.

Across

1. Prefix with deed, feed and read : MIS

4. Fave texting buds : BFFS. Best Friends Forever. Technically I suppose this should be BFsF, like Mothers-In-Law, instead of Mother-In-Laws.

8. One looking for something : SEEKER

14. Gorilla, for one : APE

15. To whom Rick said, "We'll always have Paris" : ILSA. Casablanca.

16. Mode of dress : ATTIRE

19. Admirers, as a group : FANDOM

20. Actress O'Donnell : ROSIE

21. Caspian, e.g. : SEA

23. Nick and Nora's dog : ASTA

24. Ancients, for instance? : ANAGRAM. That was sneaky. Three anagrams of ancients are: Canniest, Insectan, and Instance.

27. Big Band __ : ERA

29. White wine apéritif : KIR

30. Kitten cries : MEWS

34. Double curve : ESS

35. One to say "G'day" to : MATE. Cute.

36. Grandmas : NANAS

40. Once more : AGAIN

43. Deal with it : COPE

44. "How cute!" cries : AWS

50. Coin named for a continent : EURO

51. ER staffers : RNS

52. Frying __ : PAN

53. Movie double : STAND-IN

55. Sport shirt brand : IZOD. Not POLO.

57. Male cat : TOM

59. Santa __ racetrack : ANITA

60. Tenor Enrico : CARUSO

65. Tennis great Andre : AGASSI

66. Gung-ho : AVID

67. __ Fáil: Irish coronation stone : LIA

68. Port on the Loire : NANTES. In France.

69. Dickens' Uriah : HEEP. From David Copperfield.

70. Junior nav. officer : ENS. Lowest level of commissioned naval officer.

Down

1. Knot-tying art : MACRAME. 

2. Siri speaks on them : I-PHONES. She speaks on iMACs too, now.

3. Up-and-down playground boards : SEESAWS

4. Hog rider : BIKER. Hog = Harley Davidson motorcycle. Where did the nickname "HOG" come from?

5. Perky spokeswoman in Progressive ads : FLO. Played by Stephanie Courtney. In this commercial, she plays every member of the family.

6. Seminoles' sch. : FSU. Florida State University.

7. Pre-coll. exams : SATS

8. Jungle adventure : SAFARI

9. Approx. touchdown hour : ETA. Estimated Time of Arrival.

10. Italian volcano : ETNA

11. Glove leather : KIDSKIN

12. Racy literature : EROTICA

13. Comments : REMARKS

18. Smokes, briefly : CIGS

22. Slippery as an __ : EEL

25. Berry rich in antioxidants : ACAI

26. Wrestling surfaces : MATS

28. Broadway orphan : ANNIE

32. Parasite : LEECH

33. __ Andreas Fault : SAN

35. "Don't be a wimp!" : MAN UP

37. Unburdened (of) : RID

38. Lovey-dovey exchange : COOS

39. Date bk. entry : APPT

40. Like some violets : AFRICAN

41. Spokane school with a strong basketball program : GONZAGA. New to me.

42. Beaten candidate : ALSO RAN

44. Loud enough to hear : AUDIBLE

45. Unlisted vote-getter : WRITE-IN

46. Piano works : SONATAS

48. Regional dialect : PATOIS

49. __-Caps: candy : SNO

50. Sicilian resort city : ENNA

54. Food retailer named for two oceans : A AND P

56. Clean with Pledge : DUST

58. [Air kiss] : MWAH

61. Opposite of NNW : SSE

63. Prop. often named for a state in Monopoly : AVE

64. Nietzsche's "never" : NIE

Monday, April 10, 2017 Agnes Davidson & C.C. Burnikel

Theme: Where AM I? - I didn't notice the constructors til now.

57A. Coffee break time ... and a hint to an abbreviation aptly placed in each answer to a starred clue: MIDMORNING

17A. *Niña and Pinta's sister ship: SANTA MARIA

28A. *Leader of the pack: ALPHA MALE

44A. *Yale, for five U.S. presidents: ALMA MATER

11D. *Renamed lemon-lime soft drink: SIERRA MIST. (Mist Twst now)(sic)

27D. *Spot for bargain hunters: FLEA MARKET

Argyle here? this AM. I should have known so much themage on a Monday would have come from our dynamic duo.

Across:

1. "__ Noon": Gary Cooper classic: HIGH. Tex Ritter - The Ballad of High Noon 1952(2:31). Quite different from the Frankie Laine version(2:44).

5. Tippy watercraft: CANOE

10. "Make it snappy," in memos: ASAP. (as soon as possible)

14. Length-times-width calculation: AREA

15. Take place: OCCUR

16. Pleasant: NICE

19. Camper's quarters: TENT

20. Like some rye bread: SEEDED

21. Number of little pigs, in a fable: THREE

22. Decorative theme: MOTIF

24. Crystal ball reader: SEER

25. Up to now: SO FAR

32. Surfing at one's desk, say: ONLINE

34. Places for studs: EARs

35. Fellow: MAN

36. Rod's fishing partner: REEL

37. "__ you go again!": THERE. A Reaganism.

39. Like Solomon: WISE

40. Aunt, in Argentina: TIA. My favorite aunt.

41. Fashionably smart: CHIC

42. Crusty roll: KAISER

47. "SNL" host's monologue, e.g.: INTRO

48. Door-to-door cosmetics seller: AVON

49. Cavalry sword, in Sussex: SABRE. British spelling.

51. Kitchen cover-up?: APRON. Cute alliteration.

53. Granola alternative: MUESLI

56. Luau torch type: TIKI

61. Opinion column, for short: OP-ED

62. Unfamiliar (to): ALIEN

63. Director Preminger: OTTO

64. Baseball's "Amazins": METS. World Series titles 1969 & 1986. Maybe this year?

65. Bamboo lover: PANDA

66. Karate award: BELT

Down:

1. "__ it been that long?": HAS

2. Tax-sheltered plans: Abbr.: IRAs. (individual retirement account)

3. Heredity unit: GENE

4. Venomous letters: HATE MAIL

5. Cleaner sold in green canisters: COMET

6. National park in Maine: ACADIA. On the coast of Maine.

7. ATM maker: NCR. (National Cash Register known as NCR Corporation now)

8. Avignon assent: "OUI". In the south of France.

9. Division of history: ERA

10. "O Canada," e.g.: ANTHEM. A big CSO, eh!

12. Clearasil target: ACNE

13. Rose of baseball: PETE

18. Festoon: ADORN

21. Lipton products: TEAs

23. Takes for a sucker: FLEECES

24. Princess Fiona's beloved ogre: SHREK

25. Somewhat, informally: SORTA

26. NBC newsman Roger: O'NEIL

29. Golfer's goal: PAR. What a finish at The Masters.

30. Surgical beam: LASER

31. January, in Mexico: ENERO

33. Hawke of "Boyhood": ETHAN. Keeping busy. IMDb

38. Triple or homer: HIT, or third baseball clue.

39. One who scoffs at boxed Merlot, say: WINE SNOB

41. "Hurry up, will ya?": "C'MON!"

43. TV network, e.g.: AIRER

45. Sidesteps: AVOIDS

46. Smashed into: RAMMED. An inconsequential AM.

50. "__ sera": Italian "Good evening": BUONA. The Bella Sera wine threw me off at first.

51. Proton's place: ATOM

52. Plumbing unit: PIPE

54. Calorie-friendly: LITE. Ad-speak.

55. Not domestic, flight-wise: Abbr.: INTL. (international)

57. Travel guide: MAP

58. Dockworker's gp.: ILA. (International Longshoremen's Association)

59. Clamorous noise: DIN

60. Understood: GOT

Argyle

Sunday April 9, 2017 Gail Grabowski

 Theme: "Spout Nonsense" - SP is removed from the start of each theme entry.

 25A. Plumber, at times? : ELL CHECKER. Spell checker.

27A. Boxer in the wrong profession? : RING CHICKEN. Spring chicken. I don't get the "wrong profession" and "chicken" connection.

44A. Herb-carrying semi? : RIG OF PARSLEY. Sprig of parsley.

83A. Unlikely to get sick? : ILL-RESISTANT. Spill-resistant. Like some keyboards.

  

104A. One with a questionable sense of fashion? : IFFY DRESSER. Spiffy dresser. I hope their love endures. They're great together.

106A. News of a crude carrier sighting? : OILER ALERT. Spoiler alert.

 

35D. Flat-bodied fish depiction? : RAY PAINTING. Spray painting.

43D. "Jush one more, bartender," e.g.? : LIT DECISION. Split decision.

I'm thinking Gail tried to remove SPIEL (47D. Infomercial pitch) with no good result. It has the only stray SP in the grid.

I got the theme immediately, having messed around with a SPIN/SPOUT idea long time ago. Never made it happen. Just could not get enough entries to work. The more I work on puzzles, the more I admire Gail's grids. So much hard work goes into her grids. 

Across:

   

1. Criticize severely : BASH. Not SLAM.

5. Very little : SCANT

10. Musical with the song "A New Argentina" : EVITA

15. Roll on a farm, maybe : BALE

19. Major attachment : ETTE. Majorette. We also have 18. Market closing? : EER. Marketeer.

20. Many an emailer : AOLer. Rich is an AOL-er. 

21. Pay : WAGES

22. Northern terminus of I-79 : ERIE

23. Totally unlike wetlands : ARID

24. Golf goof : SLICE. Most men slice.

30. Finished behind : LOST TO

31. NBC show anchored by Lester Holt : DATELINE

32. "Pagliacci" clown : TONIO. I can never remember his name. CANIO fits also.

34. Muzzleloading aid : RAMROD

38. It holds water : DAM

39. Snowblower brand : TORO. Based here in MN.

40. Light beer? : PALE ALE. Nice clue.

41. Big bucks, briefly : MIL

49. Monogram on L'Homme products : YSL

50. Put up with : ABIDE

52. Menu words : A LA

53. They're not fast reads : EPICS

54. Help in the gym : SPOT

55. Allow access to : LET AT

56. Pay ending? : PAL. Not our old pal OLA.

57. Considerable care : PAINS. Take pains.

58. Is sympathetic (toward) : LEANS

59. "This Gun for Hire" actor : LADD (Alan). Never saw the film.

60. Mag man with a mansion : HEF

61. Under attack : BESET

62. Actor Morales : ESAI

63. Affected by tears, as makeup : SMEARED. Waterproof mascaras work wonders.

65. Winter air : CAROL

66. "I thought it was a secret" : YOU KNEW? Got via crosses.

69. Biblical brother : CAIN. We see ESAU more often. ABEL too.

70. Sported : HAD ON

71. Pester for payment : DUN. My brother knows this word.

72. Quattro competitor : ATRA

73. Base with a coach : THIRD. Also FIRST.

75. What an iron often causes : DIVOT. All pretty deep.

76. Pen name : BIC

77. Gonzalez in 2000 news : ELIAN

78. Ones not itemized : REST. Oh, the rest.

79. Willamette River capital : SALEM

80. Crescent component : ARC

81. Have an inkling : SENSE

82. Ristorante suffix : INI. Suffix for pasta. So which country do you think have the best food?

87. H.S. dropout's exam : GED

88. Environmental destruction : ECOCIDE

91. Congenial : NICE

92. Wine flavorer : OAK

94. Filibuster site : SENATE.

95. Not in anymore : PASSE. What Filibuster is.

97. Most shabby : TATTIEST

102. Took the wrong way? : ROBBED

110. Mumbai money : RUPEE

111. Stallion's mate : MARE. Also 10. Flock mom : EWE. And 60. Female lobster : HEN

112. Skedaddle : FLEE

113. Lacked roots : ROVED

114. __ Gay : ENOLA

115. Island off Tuscany : ELBA

116. It may cause quakes : FEAR. Not Jayce's earthquakes.

117. How-to units : STEPS

118. Ill-fated Ford : EDSEL

119. It's usually graded : TEST. ROAD too.

Down:

1. Darwin wore one : BEARD

2. Sunlit courts : ATRIA

3. Hitch : STINT

4. Wouldn't commit : HEDGED

5. Sushi bar order : SASHIMI. 刺身 in Japanese/Chinese. Literally "Pierced Body".

6. 2014 U.S. Senior Open winner Montgomerie : COLIN. He's quite engaging & friendly. Biting wit.

7. "I've had such a curious dream!" speaker : ALICE

8. Part of a violin : NECK

9. Spot with a bird's-eye view : TREETOP

11. "Grease" singer : VALLI

12. Domed dwelling : IGLOO

13. Sleuths, for short : TECS. Detectives.

14. Many bars no longer have them : ASHTRAYS. They live forever at the casinos.

15. Turn into eventually : BECOME

16. Old Testament sanctuary : ARK

17. Deliberate omission, some say : LIE

 

26. What makes lists briefer, briefly : ET AL

28. Red wine choice : CLARET

29. "A Doll's House" heroine : NORA

33. "Just curious" : NO REASON. Also 86. Like paste, jewelry-wise : NOT REAL

 36. The Christina in Wyeth's "Christina's World" : OLSON. I forgot. We had this clue before.

37. Lats relatives : DELTs Also 40. Lats relatives : PECs

39. Maker of nonstick cookware : T-FAL. My stir-fry pan.

 

41. Places to browse : MALLS

42. Steel girder : I BEAM

45. Rubbernecked : GAPED

46. Minnesota's St. __ College : OLAF. They're in the same place as Carleton College, alma mater of Amy Reyhaldo (Crossword Fiend).

48. It's trapped in house traps : LINT

51. Ernst genre : DADA ART

54. Broad-leafed maritime plant : SEA KALE. Never heard of it. Is it edible?

57. 1995 Reform Party founder : PEROT

58. Baton Rouge sch. : LSU

 

61. Throwing out a chain letter, and others : BAD OMENS. Never got a chain letter.

62. Really big stretch : EON

64. Relieved (of) : RID

65. Spelunker : CAVER

66. New Mexico state flower : YUCCA. Ours is Lady Slipper. Some spell it as  Lady's Slipper.

67. Remove : ERASE

68. Subsided : WANED

70. Natural elevation : HILL And 75. 70-Down's opposite : DALE

71. Scuttlebutt : DIRT

73. Tastes : TRIES

74. As a result : HENCE

 

76. Private home : BASE. Army private. And 77. Opulent home : ESTATE

79. Court conferences : SIDEBARS

84. Obedient response to un capitán : SI SI

85. Like navigable Arctic waters : ICE-FREE

 

89. Life's work : CAREER. I was thinking of prisoners.

90. "... like __ not" : IT OR

93. Fate : KISMET. Love this word.

95. "Pet" problem : PEEVE

96. Mag sales staff member : AD REP

97. Proofer's finds : TYPOS

98. Two-time Billboard Top Artist awardee : ADELE

99. Virtual transaction : E-SALE

100. Novi Sad natives : SERBs. Wiki says Novi Sad is the second largest city of Serbia.

101. Pleasant surprise : TREAT

103. Rorschach image : BLOT

105. Provide money for : FUND

106. Wrong : OFF

107. Key for Ravel? : ILE. French for Island. Not CLE.

108. Grazing area : LEA

109. Some OT winners : TDs

C.C.