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.

Saturday, Apr 8th, 2017, Mike Buckley

Theme: Spiral Galaxies

Words 66 (missing F,J,Q,X,Z)

Blocks: 36

I did not recognize the name of the constructor, but I did see the unique grid, and my first thought was that it was one of those layouts that make it impossible to move from one corner to another because a lack of word connections - but then I got to 4a, 34a, etc, and realized we had ourselves a "theme". One I picked up on right away, because I am a nerd, and I love watching shows on astronomy, so I knew the "local group", and the reveal at 56a.  A nifty spiral shaped pattern to go along with the theme, with triple 9-letter corners and 8-letter tie-ins between them.

4a. Largest galaxy in the Local Group : ANDROMEDA

34a. With 35- and 36-Across, second-largest galaxy in the Local Group : THE

35a. See 34-Across : MILKY

36a. See 34-Across : WAY

56. By some calculations, projected fate of 4-Across and 34-/35-/36-Across in three to four billion years : COLLISION

 More Here

 O                       ~!

      N               D

          W  a   R

            w A r

         W   a    R

     N                D

O                         ~! 

ACROSS:

 1. Mirthful sounds : HAs

13. Stop : AVERT - I tried CEASE

16. Strains at the balcony : SERENADES

17. "Birth of the Cool" trumpeter : DAVIS - a WAG, but today's difficulty level seemed lower, probably due to the cool theme

18. Protesters, in '60s slang : PEACENIKS

19. Talmud letters : ALEPHs

21. Cheerleaders may raise it : MORALE - and a few other things, too

22. Crashing and burning : TANKING

24. Urban legends website : SNOPES

25. Lobby, often : ANTEROOM

27. Saturn SUV : VUE

28. Trail for a hound : SCENT

29. Zaps : TASES - I had LASES first

31. Ne'ertheless : THO

37. Poetic twilight : E'EN

38. Japanese box lunch : BENTO - filled via perps; did not know this 

39. Elemental makeup : ATOMS

41. With 14-Down, "Iron Man" of sports : CAL - with 14. See 41-Across : RIPKEN - Junior, who played 2,632 consecutive MLB games for the Baltimore Orioles - the Wiki

42. Is demanding : ASKS A LOT

44. Friday revelation? : I'M A COP - "Just the facts, ma'am" - but never spoken in the show

47. Had some impact : HIT HOME

48. Treat with scorn : DERIDE

49. Something hit on a range : DRIVER - oops, not TARGET

50. News dispatch lead-ins : DATELINES

53. Deli qty. : ONE lb

54. Test : CHALLENGE

55. Intensifying exclamation ending : SIREE - yes----

57. SOP part: Abbr. : STD - Standard Operating Procedure

DOWN:

1. Sampled some : HAD A TASTE

2. Serious downfall : AVALANCHE

3. Whitney Houston appeared on its cover in 1981 : SEVENTEEN

4. Critter in Egyptian art : ASP

5. Born identity intro : NÉE

6. Wee nips : DRAMS

7. Carry on? : RECONVEY

8. Weighty : ONEROUS - oops, not OMINOUS

9. Marvel Comics hybrid supervillain : MAN-APE - never heard of  'him'

10. Roman magistrate : EDILE

11. Fakes on the ice : DEKES - oh we are there~!  The Stanley Cup playoffs begin~!

 Top Ten Shootout Dekes

#3 is unbelievable

12. Pack animal : ASS

15. Brando wore one in "Streetcar" : T-SHIRT

20. __-cone : SNO

23. Finally became a member : GOT IN

26. Valletta is its capital : MALTA

30. Trifling amount : SKOSH

31. 2008 Phoenix/Paltrow romantic drama : TWO LOVERS

32. Brunch order : HAM OMELET

33. Precious gem source : OYSTER BED - and featured in the lyrics of a Blue Oyster Cult song, aptly titled "Blue Oyster Cult" on their 1988 concept album Imaginos

@0:55

35. Earworms, say : MELODIES - I read this as EARTHworms, even after I solved it and thought, is that a typo~?

38. Rod-shaped bacteria : BACILLI

39. Minute Maid Park team : ASTROs

40. Sesame seed paste : TAHINI - I was stuck on HUMMUS, which is chick peas

41. "The Office" star : CARELL - spelled it wrong; CARREL

43. Rib : KID

44. State with a 45-mile Canadian border : IDAHO - I took a train ride from Ronkonkoma LI through Chicago all the way to Seattle back in 2003, and sadly I fell asleep for that 45 mile part of the journey, so I "missed" Idaho; I did pass through Minnesota, C.C.

45. Calcium, e.g. : METAL

46. Former Finnish coin : PENNI

50. XX x XXXV : DCC - Roman math, 20 x 35 = 700

51. Id controller : EGO

52. Sanders or Cruz: Abbr. : SENator

Splynter 

Friday, April 7, 2017, Jeffrey Wechsler

Title: JW picked this one as title and reveal- OY VEY.

In this puzzle, the exasperation that causes people to use this expression comes from the placement of OY in various known clauses -- and each groan-inducing result.

The themers are a bit inconsistent, with TOMBOY oddly clued and OYSTER breaking the second word. However that one is also my favorite image.  JW has a wonderful knack for making the puzzles challenging and interesting. Here we have the array of fill from all over the language. PHOTON, MANILA,  YODELS,  NUBILE, TWO DAYS,  BUG EYED, GO TO CHURCH, and LOCAL PRIDE are the showpieces. 

17A. Young Pharaoh's mischievous playmate? : TOMBOY OF KING TUT (15). In my world tomboys are young lady tweens or teens who prefer roughhousing to cotillions.

25A. Overly sweet fruit? : CLOYING  PEACHES (14). Never had one.

43A. Useless metallurgical product? : ALLOY FOR NAUGHT (14). Really fun.

56A. Small shellfish of high quality? : PRIME MINI-OYSTER (15). As I said the one I thought was best presentation of the theme. And the reveal-

35A. Apt cry in reaction to four puzzle answers? : OY VEY.

Across:

1. Chanel product : SCENT. I spent way too much time trying to think of a five letter perfume.

6. Father of Hector : PRIAM. Back again with the trouble making son. 55D. Paris' realm : TROY.

11. Interruption : GAP.

14. Give the green light : ALLOW.

15. "The Flintstones" co-creator : HANNA.  Part of the dynamo team HANNA-BARBERA that dominated cartoon production for many years.

16. Martial arts accessory : OBI. Sash. 

20. It's on display while boasting : EGO. Love the clue.

21. Eccentric : DOTTY. I love the old words.

22. Stephen Colbert forte : IRONY.

23. Papuan food staple : SAGO.

24. Solar prod. : ELECtricity.

31. Features of a Los Angeles aerial view : POOLS.

32. Charged thing : ION. Simply wonderful.

33. Chekov colleague : SULU. Do I need to mention Star Trek? 6D. Laser particle : PHOTON. Yes they are used in future torpedoes.

34. Line on a globe : ARC. latitude, longitude.

37. One in a cage : RIB. More fun cluing of 3 letter fill.

38. Carson predecessor : PAAR. I get Jack often; I wonder when he will be forgotten.

40. "Norma __" : RAE. Sally Field got her first Oscar.

41. Salad garnish brand : BACOS.

47. Coll. employee : PROFessor.

48. Motivate : URGE.

49. Helped create, in a way : SIRED. Does this count for humans?

51. Hold for another time : TABLE.

53. "Law & Order: SVU" rank : SGT.

59. Succor : AID.

60. Parking garage component : LEVEL.

61. Keats' Muse : ERATO. Not exclusively.

62. Montpelier-to-Providence dir. : SSE. An interesting mini-clecho.

63. Ski resort near Montpelier : STOWE. The closest nice resort when I was a youngster.

64. In la-la land : DITZY. One of the all time best....LINK.

Down:

1. Opposite of starve : SATE.

2. Obstruct : CLOG.  Like a toilet.

3. Saint Erasmus of Formia, familiarly : ELMO. Think fire. LINK.

4. San Francisco's __ Hill : NOB.

5. Weekend, usually : TWO DAYS. Duh! Almost fooled me.

7. Large quantity : RAFT. I guess less than a boatload?

8. Black : INKY.

9. "Wheel of Fortune" purchase : AN I.

10. Capital south of Taipei : MANILA. Seems to be due south. I have friend who is getting married in Taipei - sadly I must miss the ceremony.

11. Seek a higher authority? : GO TO CHURCH. Fun deception.

12. Have __ in the oven : A BUN. typical of 50's euphemisms.

13. "How unfortunate" : PITY. Tis a pity.

18. Hindu ascetic : YOGI. Berra?

19. Athenians, to Parisians : GRECS. French for Greeks.

23. Four after do : SOL. Re, mi, fa, sol....

24. Selection word : EENY.  meeny.

25. Foundation of many islets : CORAL. LINK.

26. What a homecoming parade generates : LOCAL PRIDE. Only four hours long.

27. Alms provider : GIVER. For the poor....

28. "Hop-Frog" author : POE. You might like it as we enter the literary corner. LINK.

29. Literature Nobelist of 1948 : ELIOT. From Cats to prizes for T.S. The year I was born.

30. Fills in : SUBS. CSO to HG, and I'll have a veggie.

31. Literary sobriquet : PAPA. When I had the beard some called me PAPA. I think C.C. has some pics.

35. "Carmina Burana" composer : ORFF. Music continues our high brow journey. LINK.

36. Former Rocket Ming : YAO. My wife is Thongyao - in Thai yao means young.

39. "Air Music" composer : ROREM. Our friend Ned.

41. Obviously astonished : BUGEYED. Cartoonish.

42. Vital statistic : AGE.

44. Some Alpine entertainment : YODELS.

45. Like Victoria's Secret models : NUBILE. Nubile historically meant of marriage age.

46. Woody offshoot? : ARLO. Cute way to clue the Guthries.

49. Getaway options : SPAS.

50. Camera lens feature : IRIS. She comes with every camera and cleans the lenses.

51. Blessing for a couch potato : TIVO. Did you KNOW?

52. One way to start : ANEW.

53. ER shout : STAT.

54. Stan with a sax : GETZ. Oddly Dancing with the Stars began on Monday with BASSO NOVA.

57. Exchanged handshakes : MET.

58. Indian honorific : SRI. Sanskrit śrī, literally, beauty, majesty

Our Friday regular, JW delivers a fun challenge with some compelling word pictures. He has so many variations on the add letter(s) puzzles that is the type  I look for first in blogging his work. Wish me luck. Lemonade out.

 Okay I found one....

Thursday April 6th 2017 Kurt Krauss

Theme: Quaffer's Quintet - four slang terms for overindulging in the demon drink and a fifth in the reveal.

17A. *Judy Blume genre : KIDDIE LIT. She's prolific. At least 29 published novels.

25A. *Got from the cloud? : DOWNLOADED. Everything's going to "the cloud". Be wary about data security, it's out of your hands. The only person who can get files off my hard drive is me.

36A. *Like much Chinese cooking : STIR-FRIED. Food! Get a big steel wok from your local Chinese restaurant supply store. Don't get a non-stick one, you need to be able to push food up the sides and have it stay there.

51A. *Three-year school, commonly : JUNIOR HIGH. Is this still a thing? Haven't they been Middle Schools for quite some time?

61A. Some football linemen ... and what the answers to starred clues have? : TIGHT ENDS

Kurt gives us a Thursday theme which is a dipso's delight. I like the reveal - all the ends of the other themers are synonyms for the start of this one. Nicely done.

Across:

1. Highlands hat : TAM. O'Shanter, formally.

4. Serenade, as the moon : BAY AT. First thought was "howl at" but I ran out of space.

9. Pearl seeker : DIVER

14. Botanist Gray : ASA.  Influential professor of botany at Harvard.

15. Naproxen brand : ALEVE

16. "__ Mio" : O SOLE. Let's go with Luciano Pavarotti.

19. Bags with handles : TOTES

20. Calendario start : ENERO.

21. Sierra __ : LEONE

23. Former Radiohead label : EMI

24. __ Valley: Reagan Library site : SIMI. Here in Southern California. It's a beautiful spot.

27. Not having the know-how : UNABLE

29. Locomotive, e.g. : ENGINE

30. Compose, in a way : PEN

31. Single-celled creature : AMEBA. I cannot get used to seeing this spelling. I don't bat an eyelid at the other British/American variations now, but I still want to see AMOEBA or AMŒBA

35. Sinusitis docs : ENTS. Ear, nose and throat specialists.

39. Reebok rival : PUMA

42. Dapper : NATTY

43. Cal. pages : MOS.

46. Like : AKIN TO

49. Unite securely : CEMENT

55. Julie's "Doctor Zhivago" co-star : OMAR

56. Subj. with unknowns : ALG.

57. "Cool!" : NEATO!

58. Concert venue : ARENA

59. Softens : MELTS

63. 1999-2004 Olds : ALERO

64. Vast, in verse : ENORM. 

Sole Positive of Night!

Antipathist of Light!

Fate's only essence! Primal scorpion rod -

The one permitted opposite of God!-

Condenséd blackness and abysmal storm

Compacts to one sceptre

Arms the grasp enorm-

From Ne Plus Ultra, by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

65. How-__: do-it-yourselfers' buys : TO-S

66. Printing flourish : SERIF. Times Roman has them. Arial doesn't. Before these japes were common, in 1977 the Guardian newspaper in the UK published a seven-page special supplement on the idyllic island of San Seriffe in the Indian Ocean. It was April 1st, and because no-one in the print media had done anything like this before, everyone fell for it.

67. Freelancer's supply: Abbr. : SASES. They call them SAEs in the UK, the "self" part of the address is assumed.

68. Fused : ONE

Down:

1. Occupies oneself with, as a hobby : TAKES UP

2. Just plain silly : ASININE. Nice word.

3. Mob inductee : MADE MAN

4. Scott of "Arrested Development" : BAIO

5. Tavern favorite : ALE

6. Mello __ : YELLO

7. "__ From the Bridge": Miller : A VIEW. Arthur Miller's two-act play. The first staging was a one-act verse drama which didn't have much success, so Miller went back to the drawing board.

8. Wyoming county : TETON

9. Act grandmotherly toward : DOTE ON

10. Metric lead-in : ISO-.  The "plank" is a good example of an isometric exercise.

11. Elected : VOTED IN

12. Gold or silver : ELEMENT

13. Lives : RESIDES

18. Trifle : DRIB. I think I can picture a drib, but I'm not sure what a drab looks like.

22. N.Y. Mets division : N.L.E. Baseball's National League East. Opening Day is looming.

25. __-glace: rich sauce : DEMI. Food! French reduction sauce usually used as a base for other sauces, such as a red wine glaze. If you don't want to use veal stock, use chicken stock and throw a pinch or two of gelatin in there to get that silky texture of veal.

26. Got on in years : AGED

28. Long. counterpart : LAT. Note the period in the clue. Longitude and Latitude.

32. Coastal eagle : ERN

33. Museum curator's deg. : B.F.A. Bachelor of Fine Arts.

34. Oils, e.g. : ART

36. __-Flush: household cleaner : SANI. Hesitated over SANI or SANO at first.

37. Bite symptom : ITCH

38. Network logo : EYE. CBS Television.

39. Overnight bag item, maybe : PAJAMAS

40. Elvis played one in "Blue Hawaii" : UKULELE. I had the misspelt "UKELELE" at first which led me down a SENIOR HIGH rabbit hole for a couple of minutes.

41. One working the crowd : MINGLER

43. Souvenir : MEMENTO

44. With no end in sight : ON AND ON

45. Berlin boulevard : STRASSE. "Straße" on the street signs:

47. Myriad : TONS OF

48. Pay dirt : ORE

50. "Encore!" : MORE!

52. Can't take : HATES

53. Turner autobiography : I, TINA

54. "We Got the Beat" band : GOGOS. Nit alert - the band name was "The Gogos".

58. Casino fixtures : ATMS. They don't take deposits.

60. Part of TNT : TRI-. Trinitrotoluene, not Turner Network Television. The former makes more of a bang.

62. Charlemagne's domain: Abbr. : H.R.E. Holy Roman Empire, as we all know by now.

The 2017 Masters Golf starts today. I'm looking forward to the tournament, as well as listening to Jim Nantz and his reverential whispering on CBS at the weekend.

Here's the grid!

Steve

Wednesday April 5, 2017 Mark MacLachlan

Theme: THREE LITTLE LETTERS.  Each theme entry begins with a three letter combination that is repeated, in order, at the end of the entry.  The closest I could come to a theme song is Three Little Words, Eight Little Letters.  Sometimes you just have to make do.  Take three minutes to give it a listen.

Hi Gang, JzB here, as you have probably already guessed.  The Three Little words in the song are: "I love you." A bit of trivia I picked up researching this post is that it was also the name of a 1950 movie about Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby. the guys who wrote the song. Ironically, they didn't like each other very much.  My last blog also involved letters in threes.  Maybe this is my new assignment.  Let's delve into the theme. 

17 A. *Process of electron gain or loss : IONIZATION.  Chemistry or Physics?  Either way, I get a charge out of it.  Yes, I'm positive!

24 A. *Beneficial substance in berries : ANTIOXIDANT.  Chemistry or Biology?  Oxidation is a process that might or might not involve IONIZATION.  Either way, an ANTIOXIDANT protects something else from being oxidized by getting oxidized itself.  Greater love no molecule hath!

34 A. *Eating : INGESTING.  Taking something, such as an ANTIOXIDANT into the body, by swallowing or absorption.  Yet another physical process.

48. A *London subway system, with "the" : UNDERGROUND.   Here we have a place about which I know very little.  Maybe Steve can help.  It is the main setting of Neil Gaiman's strange novel Neverwhere, in which people lost from normal society find an existence in an alternate reality.

57 A. Each answer to a starred clue begins and ends with identical ones : THREESOMES.  A group of three people or things doing something together.  What they are doing here is acting as bookends.  What else can we find?

Across

1. Chickens (out) : WIMPS.  Usually a noun, but one may WIMP out, so OK.

6. Lay eyes on : ESPY.  This word, ultimately of germanic origin, comes to us via Old French.  I remember my college German Professor remarking that Old French was Latin spoken badly by Germans.  Compare to "spy." 

10. Judge's setting : BAIL.  Not a location, but a quantity of money set by the judge, paid to assure that an accused person does not run off.

14. Like kindling when lit : AFIRE.  Flaming A-word.

15. Advil target : ACHE.  Analgesic for pain relief.

16. Insulate, as a jacket : LINE.  Install a layer of lining for added warmth.

19. Killer whale : ORCA. Aquatic predator.

20. Cereal with lemony lemon and orangey orange flavors : TRIX.  As I recall, they're for kids.

21. Falling-out : RIFT.  Can't we all just get along?

22. Bryn Mawr undergrads : WOMEN.  This is a women's liberal arts college named for the Pennsylvania town in which it is located.  The name means "Large hill" in Welsh.

23. Have a bawl : SOB.  "Clever clue," he cried.  

26. Lacking the skill : UNABLE.   We all have our limits.

28. Not as much : LESS SO.

29. Katy who voiced Smurfette in "The Smurfs" : PERRY.  I did not know that.

30. "Jeopardy!" creator Griffin : MERV.  Nor that.

33. Takes off the shelf : USES.  If one is able.

37. At the center of : AMID.  Surrounded.

40. Compete in a sack : RACE.  The infamous sack race.

41. Lets up : EASES.

45. Asian rice porridge : CONGEE.  Never heard of it.  Is it congealed?

47. Show up : ARRIVE.  Make an appearance.

52. Bus. card info : TELephone number.

53. Highly recommends : TOUTS.

54. "Monday Night Countdown" airer : ESPN.  All sports, all the time TV network.

55. Cruciverbalist Reagle of "Wordplay" : MERL.   We all knew this - right?  What you might not have known is that he retained all rights to his puzzles, and was thus able to make a living exclusively from puzzle construction.   Sadly, he passed away in August, 2015 from a sudden onset of pancreatitis.

56. Danish shoe company : ECCO.  A family-owned company founded in 1963.    They opened their first retail outlet in 1982.  Products, now including other leather goods, are sold in 14,000 sales points in 88 countries.

59. Big bunch : SLEW.  Derived from the Irish word sluagh, mid 19th century.

60. Golf game spoiler : RAIN.  Baseball, too.

61. Sailor's "Halt!" : AVAST.

62. Gull relative : TERN.  Shore birds.

63. Start of a preschool song : ABCD.  Four little letters?  Probably not.  Nor this one, I'm guessing.

64. __-Bismol : PEPTO.  Pink stuff for an upset tummy.

Down

1. Watches late TV until a teen comes home, say : WAITS UP.   Probably impatiently.

2. "From my perspective ... " : I FOR ONE.  

3. Hotel room amenity : MINIBAR.  Contains small, overpriced liquor bottles.

4. Amount to pay in Calais : PRIX.  The French price.

5. "__ who?" : SEZ.  Users of American slang, that's who.

6. Absorb the loss : EAT IT.  More American slang, for taking a financial loss.

7. "The Martian" genre : SCI-FI.  Science fiction.

8. Snapchat upload : PHOTO.  Pictures.

9. Nikkei index currency : YEN.  Japanese money

10. Diabetic's concern : BLOOD SUGAR.  The amount of glucose present in the blood stream.  Values outside the normal range can indicate a medical condition.

11. High behind a front, e.g. : AIR MASS.  A body of air with horizontally uniform temperature, humidity and pressure.

12. Holy smoke : INCENSE.  A substance burned for it's sweet aroma.  As the clue indicates, it is often associated with solemn religious ceremonies.

13. Campsite shelters : LEAN-TOS.    Simple structures composed of a slanted roof-wall, with or without 2 side walls.  The fourth side is open, generally oriented away from the prevailing winds. 

18. Former Education secretary Duncan : ARNE.   Does anybody remember this man who served from 2009 through 2015?  Does anyone know for sure which name goes first or last?  It goes like this: ARNE Duncan.

22. Golfer Michelle : WIE.   [b 1989] She announced she was turning pro a week before her 16th birthday, and joined the PGA tour in 2009.  Here are some highlights from last year.

24. Kirk __, first movie Superman : ALYN.  He appeared in serialized Superman movies in 1948 and 1950.

25. Last Super Bowl won by the Giants : XLVI.    The game was played on Sunday, Feb. 5, 2012 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.    Eli Manning was the MVP as the Giants beat the Patriots 21-17.

27. Capital of Barbados : BRIDGETOWN.  Located at the southwest corner of this island nation.  I had no clear idea of where Barbados is.  It is the eastward-most of any island in that part of the world.

30. "Tell __ story" : ME A.  Once upon a time . . .

31. PC key : ESCape.

32. MapQuest output: Abbr. : RTE.  Way Frm Pt A to Pt B.

35. Oldest Brady boy : GREG.  Played by Barry Williams

36. Geeky sort : NERD.

37. Most severe : ACUTEST.  In this sense, experienced to an extreme degree.   Is this word the awkwardest?

38. Accessory for Mr. Peanut : MONOCLE.

39. Ambien, vis-à-vis sleep : INDUCER.  It aids in falling asleep, but not in staying there.  But still can cause residual drowsiness the following morning.

42. Webpage index : SITE MAP.

43. "Into Thin Air" peak : EVEREST.  Book and movie of the same name that attempt to recreate the disastrous events of a climb that occurred on May 10, 1966.

44. Does business with : SELLS TO.   Or buys from.

46. Workplaces for LPNs : ERS. Licensed Practical nurses and Emergency Rooms.

47. Green Gables girl : ANNE.  An 11-year-old orphan girl mistakenly sent to Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert, a brother and sister team who were expecting a boy to help on their Prince Edward Island Farm, in Lucy Montgomery's 1908 novel.  The story has been adapted many times into movies and plays.

49. Post-op therapy : REHAB.

50. "Hamlet" courtier : OSRIC. A superficial, shallow and insincere plotter.

51. Flip over : UPEND.

55. Bit of chess action : MOVE.  Almost - but not quite - always involves a single piece at a time.

57. __-la-la : TRA.  Sing-song syllables.

58. Con man's target : SAP.  An easy mark.

That wraps up another Wednesday.  Hope all your letters are lining up.

Cool Regards!
JzB

Note from C.C.:

1) Happy Birthday to dear Irish Miss, our loving & witty Agnes, who cares a lot about everyone on our little corner.

Eileen (sister of Agnes) & Agnes

2) Happy Birthday also to Abejo (Bradley), who's always busy volunteering for various causes. Abejo is Persian for "beer". Bradley worked in Iran for a few years.

Bradley and his Tuba, Church Fat Tuesday Event