Sunday, April, 16, 2017, C.C. Burnikel

TITLE: ACTION FIGURES

The prolific ringmaster of our site has hidden some lovely eggs for us on this Easter Sunday that combines her usual blend of a fun theme and clever cluing. XWordinfo gives it a high "Freshness Factor" which I certainly think it deserves. 

C.C. has taken the names of famous people and added a word between their first and last name. The added word satisfies the silly clue when used after the first name and then serves as the first word of a common phrase when paired with the last name. Six of her entries were horizontal and two were vertical. Ya gotta love it!

Theme entries:

23. Doris during a workout? : TRAINING DAY - America's sweetheart Doris Day in the gym or a 2001 American neo-noir crime thriller

29. Director Oliver working on pizza dough? : ROLLING STONE - Gainful employment for Oliver Stone at Pizza Hut or the free wheeling print or digital magazine that focuses on pop culture

59. Comical Samantha busy stitching? : QUILTING BEE - Dextrous work for comedian Samantha Bee or a product that might wind up in the Lincoln, NE International Quilt Study Center & Museum

78. Nicolas taking a swing? : BATTING CAGE - Nicholas Cage's turn at bat or where Billy Crystal and Bruno Kirby might take some swings

106. Singer Al making a strike? : BOWLING GREEN - Al Green in the alleys or an Ohio university where the Falcons play

3. Sally having fun? : PLAYING FIELD - Sally Field with some Legos or where the Bowling Green Falcons play

115. Nathan at quarterback? : PASSING LANE - Fabulous Nathan Lane playing against type as a QB but NOT this:

65. Lucille on a trampoline? : BOUNCING BALL - The Lucy we all love doing back flips or each of these

Now let's see what C.C. has for us in our logophilic Easter Basket


Across

1. Quaker in the wind : ASPEN - Populus Tremuloides. First cousin of the cottonwood, Nebraska's state tree - Populus Deltoides

6. Little bite : TASTE

11. "House" actor Omar : EPPS

15. Full house, e.g. : HAND - Fourth best hand

19. Pond flower : CALLA - Lily

20. Navel type : OUTIE

21. Selectively remove : CULL

22. Butterlike topping : OLEO - Remember, "It's not nice to fool Mother Nature"?

25. Maker of Regenerist skin care products : OLAY

26. 'Vette roof option : T-TOP

27. Claims : SAYS

28. Greenwich Village sch. : NYU

32. Cymbals with a pedal : HI-HAT - Hey you've only got two sticks

34. Tire for emergencies : SPARE

36. Perfect Sleepers, e.g. : SERTAS



37. Yoga class greeting : NAMASTE

39. Place for a bud? : EAR

41. Deepest, as feelings : INMOST - or INNER MOST

44. Tiny bit : FIG - Bing sang, "If you don't care a feather or a FIG, You may grow up to be a pig!"

46. Many a pizza slice : OCTANT - Oliver, don't cut that pizza into 8 pieces, my family can only eat 6.

48. Subj. for Janet Yellen : ECON(omy)-  The Dismal Science

51. Diaper cream additive : ALOE - Also Zinc Oxide and Vitamin E

52. Labor day deliveries : INFANTS - Clientele for 51 Across

54. Quisling's crime : TREASON - Vidkun lectured about "The Jewish Problem In Norway" and sent Hitler a 50th birthday card

57. 1688 coffeehouse founder Edward better known in the insurance world : LLOYD - Lloyd's of London famously insured Betty Grable's legs for $1M. Dolly Parton got a $4M policy there on her, uh, best features as well.

58. Cause of some lines : AGING

61. Look for : SEEK

62. Masterful move : COUP

64. Ski resort sight : GONDOLA

65. Avoid, as an issue : BEG -  After three years of emceeing the all-school reunion, I BEGGED off for another encore

68. Some battered rings : CALAMARI - Calamari seems to be a little chewy for me

70. Mumbai mister : SRI - Ravi gets two SRI's

71. Baker's gluten-free choice : OAT FLOUR 

73. JFK : New York :: __ : Chicago : ORD - ORcharD field in Chicago retained its 3-letter designation even when it was renamed for WWII hero Navy pilot Edward O'Hare

74. Singer Laine : FRANKIE - Jezebel is his most requested song on iTunes. I'd pick Rawhide or High Noon

76. Troubles : ILLS 

77. Lara's love : YURI - Dr. YURI Zhivago 

80. Big 112-Down : FINAL 112. See 80-Across : TEST

81. Painter of dancers : DEGAS

84. Lacking variety : ONE NOTE - Regardless of the party, they can sing that ONE NOTE forever

85. Silkscreen aid : STENCIL - You can get some to help carve your pumpkins too

87. Computer with a Magic Keyboard : IMAC

88. Disc golf obstacle : TREE and 96. One of 18 on a disc golf course : TEE PAD - This looks like a "hole in one" from the TEE PAD to me.

89. Dürer, e.g. : ETCHER

91. They, in Cognac : ILS  and 99. French sponge cake : GATEAU - ILS ont servi de GATEAU éponge (They served sponge cake)

92. One typing a's and z's : PINKIE - Wonderful clue

94. Used a bench, say : SAT

97. Certain triathlete : IRONMAN - Don't look for me in these pix!

102. Linguine sauce : PESTO - Sauce that originated in Genoa, Italy

104. Squalid : DINGY

109. Spanish pronoun : ESO - Hit song ESO Besso (That Kiss) by 53. Ottawa-born songwriter Paul : ANKA - We had the entire title last week

111. Provide a bank floor plan for, say : ABET which will make you run 120. Clashing with, with "of" : AFOUL of the law

113. Eurasian border river : URAL

114. Alpha __ : MALE

118. Inconsequential : MERE

119. Exiled Roman poet : OVID - OVID was banned and Jesus was born during the time of Augustus Caesar 

121. Sheds : MOLTS

122. Florist's creation : POSY

123. State of disarray : MESS

124. "Spider-Man" actress : DUNST - How 'bout a wet kiss, Spidey?

125. Shoelace protector : AGLET - Like zarf, rowel, etc.


HUGH DOWNS

1. Accomplishments : ACTS

2. 2002 skating gold medalist Hughes : SARAH

4. Cuthbert of "24" : ELISHA 

5. Editor Talese with her own Doubleday imprint : NAN - A triple play - three unknown names in a row for me

6. Stylish : TONY

7. Amen Corner golf course, familiarly : AUGUSTA - Of those three holes, the 12th is my favorite and the signature hole of the course

8. Benchmark: Abbr. : STD

9. Pageant sparkler : TIARA

10. Pooh's mopey pal : EEYORE

11. "Silent Spring" subj. : ECOL

12. Canines with corded coats : PULIS - Only the tongue tells me which end is which

13. Flier : PLANE - Many fly into and out of ORD

14. Con man's expression : SLY GRIN

15. Spicy steamed Mexican food : HOT TAMALE

16. "He Was Despised," in Handel's "Messiah" : ALTO SOLO - An Air not a Chorus

17. Strip gas : NEON

18. Suss (out) : DOPE

24. In one piece : INTACT - Otzi is an INTACT, 5,000 year old mummy found in the Otztal Alps in 1991

30. Grassy expanse : LEA

31. Amtrak stop: Abbr. : STN

33. "__ Schoolchildren": Tracy Kidder book : AMONG

35. Unreleased : PENT-UP - Should we all vent occasionally?

38. Google Maps lines: Abbr. : STS - Fords Theater was a brisk 8 minute walk from our Hotel via 10th ST

40. Varnish component : RESIN

42. Tofurky protein source : SOY

43. Newsman Koppel : TED - His show Nightline started as an update on the Iran Hostage crisis in November, 1979

44. Debacle : FIASCO

45. Engaged : IN GEAR

47. Hexa- halved : TRI 

49. Express sympathy (with) : CONDOLE - I'm more familiar offering my CONDOLENCES

50. Needing to be saved? : ON GOAL - In the 1980 Miracle On Ice, the USSR got 39 shots ON GOAL and we only managed 16 but got one more in the net than the Soviets

55. "View of Toledo" painter : EL GRECO

56. Yours, in Cognac : ATOI

57. Romaine bit : LEAF

59. Tonic ingredient : QUININE - U.S. - kwai' nine  U.K - kwi' neen

60. Layered lunches : BLTS

62. Golf course rental : CART - This is the golf cart of my dreams!

63. Soapbox user : ORATOR

66. Pass good in 28 countries : EURAIL

67. Tailgating fixtures : GRILLS

69. Degs. for writers : MFAS - Sigourney Weaver got her MFA from Yale in 1974



70. Something flashed by a catcher : SIGN - Some catchers even wear nail polish so the sign can be easier to see

72. The Eagles' "__ Eyes" : LYIN'

75. Prayer supports : KNEES

76. Following remark? : I GET IT

78. Place for shady transactions : BACK ALLEY

79. Had Subway fare : ATE - Subway has 3,000 more shops than McDonalds

80. Physics Nobelist of 1938 : FERMI - Creator of the first nuclear reactor

81. Tango move : DIP

82. London's Virgin __ Records : EMI

83. Turf disputes : GANG WARS - The bane of many cities

85. "Billions" network, briefly : SHO

86. Muscle-bone connector : TENDON - One good and one ruptured 

88. "16 and Pregnant" spin-off : TEEN MOM - An MTV production

90. King known for his wealth : CROESUS - Do you know the only two letters in his name that are not 1-point scrabble tiles?

93. "Lord, is __?": Matthew : IT I - Read from some pulpits this past week

95. Big primate : APE

98. Like sundials : ANALOG - A very high tech ANALOG sundial

100. __ nectar: sugar substitute : AGAVE - Other than used for tequila it's nectar is known as honey water

101. Wrinkly fruits : UGLIS

103. Major snag : SNAFU

105. Broadway matchmaker : YENTE - "For me, well, I wouldn't holler, If he were as handsome as anything" 

106. Speed deterrent : BUMP

107. Sister brand of Nilla : OREO - Have we had OREO as fill before? 

108. Wine list heading : REDS

110. Bank deposit : SILT

116. Scott Eastwood, to Clint : SON

117. "Today" alternative, for short : GMA

Now it's time for you to William Tell us what you think.

The Grid:

Saturday, Apr 15th, 2017, Roland Huget

Theme: None

Words: 70 (missing V,W,X)

Blocks: 27

Second Saturday from today's constructor this year, and looking over that puzzle, I noted that I had one cheat - well, there was none of that today. I did have a slow start and some vague cluing which was not that vague once I realized my first thought was the right answer.  The NW corner was last to fill in, and I had just enough in my wheelhouse to make this a challenge, but doable.  Quad 9's and triple 7's in the corners of this grid;  I am working from my desktop "tower" computer for the first time this week, and it takes some getting used to with the much wider monitor - 25 whole inches - and the "big buttons" keyboard.  My laptop has Windows XL, which Firefox no longer supports, so the internet was crashing too often.  The technological turnover in devices these days is sometimes too fast....anyway, some of the longer answers;

19. Asylum seeker : IMMIGRANT - we'll open with a musical refernce

The Immigrant Song

14. Candidate for Photoshop : EYESORE - forget the fact that this is also a courthouse, but to me, a real eyesore....

57. Carousel riders : SUITCASES -got it because I was not thinking of little kids on a carousel - it was because Airplane~! was on TV yesterday;

37. Water or gas : UTILITY - makes me think of Monopoly

or this one - warning~!

ACROSS:

1. Nevada's state flower : SAGEBRUSH - guess there's not a lot to choose from in plants out there

10. Yippie Hoffman : ABBIE

15. Silver tongue : ELOQUENCE

16. Like some winds : REEDY - my first thought, but thought it was too seedy

17. Becomes ripe : MATURATES

18. "Joyful, __ nations, rise": carol lyric : ALL YE

20. Walk quartet : BALLS - drew a complete blank, even after I finished, but then I finally got the V-8 can moment and figured out it's a baseball reference; see 11d.

21. Rathskeller turndown : NEIN - I spelled it 'backwards', which didn't help - we have a running gag at the poker table that there's a German playing when a "nine" comes out - get it~?

22. In silence : MUTELY

24. Half of Bennifer : JLo - Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck

25. "Inferiority complex" coiner : ADLER - pondered FREUD

27. "Unfaithful" co-star : GERE

28. Hold 'em holding : PAIR - I tanked in last week's game - and we're not playing tonight

29. Calif. NHL team, on scoreboards : LA Kings - who did not make the playoffs this year, but beat the NY Rangers for the Stanley Cup in 2014.  The Rangers gave it away last night to the Canadiens

30. How many TV shows are aired : IN HD

32. Liftoff sensation : G-FORCE

34. Record flaw : BLOT - ah, a 'criminal' record, not an LP

35. Moonraker, for one : SAIL - got stuck in James Bond mode

36. "You kiss by the book" speaker : JULIET - got it from -U--ET

39. Solar __ : CELL - not WIND

40. Word heard before a pistol fires : SET - ready, set, go~!

43. Heavy traffic may affect them, briefly : ETAs

44. Buddy : CHUM

46. Seriously hurts : MAIMS - had it in, took it out, put it back

48. First date concern : ZIT - first dates these days don't concern zits - compatibility seems to be the big issue at my age

49. Civil War battle site : SHILOH

51. Tahari of fashion : ELIE

52. Young would-be 19-Across in 2000 news : ELIAN

54. River across Quebec, in Quebec : St. LAURENT

56. Overindulgence : BINGE

58. Business that requires browsing : eTAIL

59. Lily's "Laugh-In" operator : ERNESTINE

60. Janitor's supply : LYSOL - oops, I threw in an "S" at the end thinking it would be plural

61. Collector's targets : DEADBEATS - I tried "WHOLE SETS", which fit, but seemed awkward

DOWN:

1. Pioneering : SEMINAL

2. Oakland's county : ALAMEDA - pretty good WAG from some crossings

3. Dairy line? : GOT MILK~?

4. Like some mounts : EQUINE

5. Hamlet : BURG - not TOWN

6. Prepare for a new assault : REARM

7. Innate : UNTAUGHT

8. Like many candles : SCENTED

did you see the candles~?

9. Hawthorne's Prynne : HESTER - forced high school reading - The Scarlet Letter

10. Sheikdom of song : ARABY

11. Coach of Nadia and Mary Lou : BELA - the "A" was my last fill, and I guessed

12. Protective display cover : BELL JAR

13. Charmingly rustic : IDYLLIC

23. By the book : LEGAL

26. Get to : RILE

28. Campaign pro : POLitician

31. V-shaped cut : NOTCH - I have finally gotten around to building my entertainment center after months of planning - the unit divides my space into "living room" and "bedroom"; I mounted the TV and the fake fireplace on a swivel, can see both from either room now

33. Thin coat : FILM

34. Grafton's "__ for Burglar" : B IS

35. Pasta ingredient : SEMOLINA - my first thought, but was not jibing with my crossings

36. Biblical wife of Ahab : JEZEBEL - good WAG from the "J" and the "L"

38. Selena and others : LATINAS

39. Lab dish subject : CULTURE

40. Historical Oder River region : SILESIA - filled via perps

41. Distinguished : EMINENT

42. Flies over Africa? : TSE-TSES

45. Sounded displeased : HISSED

47. Make bubbly : AERATE

49. Fishhook connector : SNELL

50. More than a little unpopular : HATED

53. Currency exchange fee : AGIO - hah~!  I knew this~!

55. Sch. in the same system as Berkeley : UCSB - somehow I managed to try U CAL, but it helped

Splynter