Title: Bart is a brat!
An ambitious Friday from JW that is the second step in my returning to my post as Friday sherpa. It took solving a couple of the theme fill that made the theme obvious. The first word of a known expression becomes an anagram to provide a different and witty definition. All begin with a four letter word with the central AR reversed into RA to create a new phrase. It is most impressive that JW found 5 sets where the first word is a four letter word that works with his theme; they are:
17A. Aging hero Jones, in his latest film? : GRAY (GARY) INDIANA (11). Poor Harrison Ford, killed in Star Wars, dissed in Supergirl by his wife, Calista Flockhart and then he crashes a plane.
24A. Pitt portraying Shakespeare? : BRAD (BARD) OF AVON. (10). I can't picture this.
33A. Skill displayed at the gift counter? : WRAP (WARP) SPEED (9). A fun substitution.
45A. Times when hokey humor prevailed? : ERAS (EARS) OF CORN (10). Or when C. Moe appeared.
54A. Early stage of muffin production? : BRAN (BARN) RAISING (11). My favorite of the theme fill, but I grew up in New England farm country and know barn raising.
Jeffrey also provides a wonderful panoply of non-theme fill...BIG NEWS, ACROBAT, DIAMOND, STRASSE, TEL AVIV, IN A HOLE, CABANAS, POINT AT, WANGLES, OVERALL, SARA LEE, PLANETS, CRANIAL, AIRINGS, DAMAGED, AUSTRIA, BONKERS, LESSEES, RIDERS UP, PEAR TREE
Let us see where else we went.
Across:
1. 1987 Michael Jackson album : BAD. his eventual follow up ALBUM to Thriller.
4. Road where Mozart was born : STRASSE. Street in German and probably Austrian. Research reveals Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born on 27 January 1756 to Leopold Mozart (1719–1787) and Anna Maria, née Pertl (1720–1778), at 9 Getreidegasse in Salzburg. Clecho: 43A. Where Mozart was born : AUSTRIA.
11. Recurrent behavior : TIC. Hard for me because tics are involuntary.
14. Henri's here : ICI. Just French.
15. Identify : POINT AT. Dramatic at a trial, but silly if the defendant is sitting at a table with his/her attorney.
16. "Bambi" doe : ENA. Auntie to Bambi.
19. Sci-fi setting : LAB.
20. "... let __ put asunder": Matthew : NO MAN.
21. Send out : EMIT.
22. Island band The __ Men : BAHA. The Baha Men are a Bahamian band playing a modernized style of Bahamian music called junkanoo. They are best remembered for their Grammy Award-winning hit song Who Let the Dogs Out? wiki.
23. Shakespeare's jet? : EBON. Both jet and ebon are fancy ways to say black.
26. Acquires through cunning : WANGLES. I love this word because it does not sound real.
28. Undefeated Ali : LAILA. Cute; his daughter was undefeated as a boxer.
29. Norm: Abbr. : STD. Standard.
30. His, to Henri : A LUI. More French.
32. "John Wick" star : REEVES. KEANU not GEORGE.
35. Fish-eating raptor : OSPREY. These BIRDS OF PREY are the logical descendant of the dinosaurs.
38. Sassy : PERT. And if you become too sassy, you will be a....
39. Boorish sort : CAD.
42. Sound : VALID. Argument.
49. Loosen (up) : WARM. Is this from muscles or people?
50. Storm : RANT.
51. Settled on a branch : ALIT.
52. Beatle ending : MANIA.
53. Cakes go-with : ALE. Oh how many recall this from a recent JW puzzle?
56. Decide not to stop : LET.
57. Off one's rocker : BONKERS.
58. Vital statistic : AGE.
59. Paul with guitars : LES. He built the first successful electric guitars and his name leads into....
60. Landlord's customers : LESSEES.
61. Ergotamine derivative popular in the '60s : LSD. More of LES. It is my excuse for being crazy. LINK.
Down:
1. Front page material : BIG NEWS.
2. One seen in a ring : ACROBAT. Pretty vague for me, but I understand the clecho.
3. One seen in a ring : DIAMOND. This made it easier.
4. Short drive : SPIN. Never understood this expression, spinning is not what I have in mind when I drive.
5. Lading measure : TON. We all remember our lesson on bills of lading.
6. Kentucky Derby call : RIDERS UP. LINK.
7. Jungian concept : ANIMA. He had to have his own words, not Freud's ego, super-ego and id.
8. Solemn : STAID.
9. Introduction to Domingo? : SANTO. Well done, geography.
10. Greek letter : ETA.
11. Mediterranean metropolis : TEL AVIV.
12. Saddled with debt : IN A HOLE.
13. Seaside resort array : CABANAS. VIEW.
18. Half a philosophical duality : YANG. Where is YIN?
22. Called from the field : BAAED. So cute, lamby pie.
24. Fasten, at sea : BELAY. Cute also because of the two definitions. verb
1.(a running rope) around a cleat, pin, rock, or other object, to secure it.
2. nautical slang: stop; enough! "“Belay that, mister. Man your post.”"
25. Groups at sea : FLEETS. More at sea.
27. City on the Rio Grande : LAREDO. LISTEN. or READ.
31. Net neutrality beneficiary: Abbr. : ISP.
32. Any "Twilight Zone" episode, now : RERUN.
33. Omega holder : WRIST. The watch.
34. Part of a traditional holiday gift : PEAR TREE.
35. From one extreme to the other : OVERALL.
36. Frozen dessert brand : SARA LEE. Nobody does not love Sara Lee.
37. Seven-movement Holst work that omits Earth, with "The" : PLANETS.
39. Like the olfactory nerve, e.g. : CRANIAL.
40. Television fare : AIRINGS.
41. Flawed : DAMAGED.
44. "__ brillig ... " : TWAS. `Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe
I had a roommate who was a C student, but could recite the entire poem as well as PI to the 50th place. A little bird told me JW also can recite this poem.
46. Denmark's __ Islands : FAROE. I had no idea. LINK.
47. Highland groups : CLANS.
48. Sounds from pens : OINKS. This little piggy...
52. Pine for : MISS.
54. OPEC unit : BBL. Barrel.
55. "... such stuff / As dreams __ made on": Prospero : ARE. JW squeezes his Friday Shakespeare in at the end.
Well I have stumbled to the finish line once again, hopefully having managed to unravel all of JW's tricks. Great fun...hope you had a good time, Lemonade out.
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May 19, 2017
May 18, 2017
Thursday May 18 2017 C.C.Burnikel
Theme: Passing Lines - five different homonyms in the clues:
17A. Words requesting a pass : OPEN SESAME! The response hopefully is not a Lord of the Rings-style "Thou shalt not pass!"
21A. Words indicating a pass : NO THANKS. I'll pass.
39A. Words constituting a pass : SO, WHATS YOUR SIGN? Not a chat-up line I've ever used. I like to think the passes I've made were subtle.
55A. Words printed on a pass : ADMIT ONE. My Universal Studios annual pass just expired. I got pretty good use out of it though.
61A. Words seen in a pass : SHARP CURVE. Your Thai language lesson for the day:
Wow. This one gave me conniptions. I can't remember the last time a Thursday puzzle took me more than half an hour to git 'er done, but this one did. I had acres of white space after my first pass through.
Well now. A real challenge from C.C. but finally it all came together. The northwest was the most problematic for me, not helped by filling in DEMON at 1A . I finally saw the folly of my ways and eventually everything fell (no, was dragged (or drug)) into place. Very solid theme and some devious fill and cluing What a good crossword is all about.
Across:
1. Halloween costume that may involve a red cape and tail : SATAN. DEVIL and DEMON were my first tries. Wildly incorrect.
6. Respected men : SIRS. Yessir!
10. Banana Boat initials : SPF. Sun Protection Factor.
13. "I Fall to Pieces" singer : CLINE. Patsy. I love her voice.
14. "America's FLAVORite Frozen Beverage since 1967" : ICEE. I don't believe I've ever tried one of these. Should I put it on the bucket list?
15. Considerable age : AEON. Handy vowel sequence for constructors.
19. Apple choice : GALA. My first thought was to choose between iPad and iPod, but I held off, thankfully.
20. "Phooey!" : OH RATS!
23. Prof's aides : TA'S. Now known as Paraprofessionals.
24. Cardio chart : ECG
26. Overly : TOO
27. Team with 121 medals at the Rio Olympics : USA. Surprisingly, Great Britain came second with 67. China came in third with 70, which seems odd accounting, but GBR had more golds.
28. Throw water on : DOUSE
30. Put the kibosh on : VETO
32. Before, once : ERST. From whence "erstwhile."
36. Genetic material : RNA. _NA and wait for the crosses.
37. Cantaloupe and honeydew : MELONS
42. Infomercial staples : SPIELS
43. Tack on : ADD
44. "I almost forgot ... " : ALSO ...
45. "I'm extremely interested in squalor" speaker of literature : ESMÉ. Crosses got this for me. From a J. D. Salinger short story.
46. Ripoff : THEFT
48. "Viva __ Vegas" : LAS
49. Homer stat : RBI. C.C.'s first baseball reference for the day.
51. Camera inits. : S.L.R. Single Lens Reflex. When introduced, this type of camera allowed the photographer to see the exact same framing as would be captured on film, removing the parallax issue arising from having a separate viewfinder. I bought my first SLR many years ago, hence the research notes. I sold it when I was dead broke trying to make a living when I first left home.
52. Hrs. at Coors Field games : MDT. Denver's ballpark.
58. Childcare worker : AU PAIR. Took a while to get this. I dated a Danish au pair when I lived in London. She smoked a pipe and drank Tuborg beer in 20oz pints, which attracted a few funny looks.
60. Nullify : VOID
63. View from a pew : APSE. Nice clue for an old staple.
64. Dalí house : CASA. Spanish lesson for the day. There's a pub in north London called the "Case is Altered" which is (allegedly) a corruption of "Casa Alta", the "High House". It is on a hill, so I'm buying it.
65. Great Lakes natives : ERIES
66. That, in Tijuana : ESA
67. URL starter : HTTP. Hypertext Transfer Protocol, as we nerds all know.
68. Holding corporation that owns Kmart : SEARS
Down:
1. Get moving : SCOOT. "Scoot your buns!"
2. Dominant : ALPHA. TYPE-A got in the way of progress in this area.
3. Levels in a park : TIERS. Four tiers at Dodger Stadium. I'm going to the Rose Bowl on Sunday to see U2 playing the "Joshua Tree" tour. I bought the album when it was released 30 years ago, so I'm a tad excited. I've still got the vinyl; it's hanging on my wall next to my guitars.
4. Gunn of "Sully" : ANNA. Thank you, crosses. Enjoyed the movie.
5. Like matryoshka dolls : NESTED
6. Kim, to Khloé Kardashian : SIS
7. Offer of help : I CAN. Who can handle this for me?
8. Faraway : REMOTE
9. Take care of : SEE TO
10. It often spans decades : SAGA
11. Egg roll cooking medium : PEANUT OIL. I generally use mustard oil. Technically, you are not meant to cook with it in the US due to the fact that it contains levels of erucic acid that the powers-that-be suggest are not healthy. I'm still going strong and my doctor tells me I'm heart-healthy so ....
12. Pete Seeger's forte : FOLK SONGS
16. Rocket launcher : NASA.
18. Chaperones : ESCORTS
22. Emulate a news helicopter : HOVER. I live close to the 101 freeway, and one morning I was awoken by the sound of the hovering of two or three news helicopters. I went out on my bedroom balcony and couldn't figure out why the morning smelt of margaritas. I turned on the news and saw that a truckload of limes had spilled on the freeway and been turned into juice as the traffic ran over them. Fun, except not so much for the commuters backed up behind the clearance crew.
25. Tries hard (for) : GUNS
29. Doctor's request : SAY AH!
31. Disney character who sings "Let It Go" : ELSA "Frozen".
32. Curved letter : ESS
33. Ali ring trademark : ROPE-A-DOPE. His technique of laying on the ropes absorbing punches to tire out the opponent, then coming at him late in the bout when tiredness set in.
34. Simply Cocoa maker : SWISS MISS
35. Other people : THEM
37. Splash guard : MUDFLAP
38. __-Cat : SNO
40. Frost advisory, e.g. : ALERT
41. Poetic paeans : ODES
46. Doughboy's helmet : TIN HAT. Actually made of steel. "Hat" is a delicate term too.
47. Peace offerings : TRUCES. The act, not the olive branch.
48. Soap brand with volcanic pumice : LAVA. Thank you, crosses.
50. Big name in kitchen appliances : BOSCH. I've got a couple of their grinders, one for coffee and the other for spices. They're great. Why two? So that my ground spices don't taste of coffee, and my morning coffee doesn't make me bust out in a sweat due to raw ground Scorpion chili contamination. Smart.
52. Two-time French Open winner Sharapova : MARIA
53. Sunken ship explorer : DIVER
54. Long lock : TRESS
56. Creative flash : IDEA
57. __ China Sea : EAST. I've sailed on the South China Sea out of Hong Kong Island. I met a Cathay Pacific airline pilot in the bar at my Kowloon hotel and he took me and a couple of colleagues out on the company yacht. Great fun. We didn't make it far enough to cross into the East China Sea though. Great lunch at a tiny seafood shack on a little isle just off Hong Kong. Four of us, a local dog, two fisherman and a cook. I really have enjoyed a lucky life. He also explained to me the 12-hour rule "Booze to Cruise" or "Bottle to Throttle" for pilots.
59. Untainted : PURE
62. Genre using speakers? : RAP. Nice clue. I like Eminem; some other hip-hop artists don't work so well for me.
Well, that's about it for me. I just need to post the grid and it's over and out! I hope you enjoyed the ride!
Steve
17A. Words requesting a pass : OPEN SESAME! The response hopefully is not a Lord of the Rings-style "Thou shalt not pass!"
21A. Words indicating a pass : NO THANKS. I'll pass.
39A. Words constituting a pass : SO, WHATS YOUR SIGN? Not a chat-up line I've ever used. I like to think the passes I've made were subtle.
55A. Words printed on a pass : ADMIT ONE. My Universal Studios annual pass just expired. I got pretty good use out of it though.
61A. Words seen in a pass : SHARP CURVE. Your Thai language lesson for the day:
Wow. This one gave me conniptions. I can't remember the last time a Thursday puzzle took me more than half an hour to git 'er done, but this one did. I had acres of white space after my first pass through.
Well now. A real challenge from C.C. but finally it all came together. The northwest was the most problematic for me, not helped by filling in DEMON at 1A . I finally saw the folly of my ways and eventually everything fell (no, was dragged (or drug)) into place. Very solid theme and some devious fill and cluing What a good crossword is all about.
Across:
1. Halloween costume that may involve a red cape and tail : SATAN. DEVIL and DEMON were my first tries. Wildly incorrect.
6. Respected men : SIRS. Yessir!
10. Banana Boat initials : SPF. Sun Protection Factor.
13. "I Fall to Pieces" singer : CLINE. Patsy. I love her voice.
14. "America's FLAVORite Frozen Beverage since 1967" : ICEE. I don't believe I've ever tried one of these. Should I put it on the bucket list?
15. Considerable age : AEON. Handy vowel sequence for constructors.
19. Apple choice : GALA. My first thought was to choose between iPad and iPod, but I held off, thankfully.
20. "Phooey!" : OH RATS!
23. Prof's aides : TA'S. Now known as Paraprofessionals.
24. Cardio chart : ECG
26. Overly : TOO
27. Team with 121 medals at the Rio Olympics : USA. Surprisingly, Great Britain came second with 67. China came in third with 70, which seems odd accounting, but GBR had more golds.
28. Throw water on : DOUSE
30. Put the kibosh on : VETO
32. Before, once : ERST. From whence "erstwhile."
36. Genetic material : RNA. _NA and wait for the crosses.
37. Cantaloupe and honeydew : MELONS
42. Infomercial staples : SPIELS
43. Tack on : ADD
44. "I almost forgot ... " : ALSO ...
45. "I'm extremely interested in squalor" speaker of literature : ESMÉ. Crosses got this for me. From a J. D. Salinger short story.
46. Ripoff : THEFT
48. "Viva __ Vegas" : LAS
49. Homer stat : RBI. C.C.'s first baseball reference for the day.
51. Camera inits. : S.L.R. Single Lens Reflex. When introduced, this type of camera allowed the photographer to see the exact same framing as would be captured on film, removing the parallax issue arising from having a separate viewfinder. I bought my first SLR many years ago, hence the research notes. I sold it when I was dead broke trying to make a living when I first left home.
52. Hrs. at Coors Field games : MDT. Denver's ballpark.
58. Childcare worker : AU PAIR. Took a while to get this. I dated a Danish au pair when I lived in London. She smoked a pipe and drank Tuborg beer in 20oz pints, which attracted a few funny looks.
60. Nullify : VOID
63. View from a pew : APSE. Nice clue for an old staple.
64. Dalí house : CASA. Spanish lesson for the day. There's a pub in north London called the "Case is Altered" which is (allegedly) a corruption of "Casa Alta", the "High House". It is on a hill, so I'm buying it.
65. Great Lakes natives : ERIES
66. That, in Tijuana : ESA
67. URL starter : HTTP. Hypertext Transfer Protocol, as we nerds all know.
68. Holding corporation that owns Kmart : SEARS
Down:
1. Get moving : SCOOT. "Scoot your buns!"
2. Dominant : ALPHA. TYPE-A got in the way of progress in this area.
3. Levels in a park : TIERS. Four tiers at Dodger Stadium. I'm going to the Rose Bowl on Sunday to see U2 playing the "Joshua Tree" tour. I bought the album when it was released 30 years ago, so I'm a tad excited. I've still got the vinyl; it's hanging on my wall next to my guitars.
4. Gunn of "Sully" : ANNA. Thank you, crosses. Enjoyed the movie.
5. Like matryoshka dolls : NESTED
6. Kim, to Khloé Kardashian : SIS
7. Offer of help : I CAN. Who can handle this for me?
8. Faraway : REMOTE
9. Take care of : SEE TO
10. It often spans decades : SAGA
11. Egg roll cooking medium : PEANUT OIL. I generally use mustard oil. Technically, you are not meant to cook with it in the US due to the fact that it contains levels of erucic acid that the powers-that-be suggest are not healthy. I'm still going strong and my doctor tells me I'm heart-healthy so ....
12. Pete Seeger's forte : FOLK SONGS
16. Rocket launcher : NASA.
18. Chaperones : ESCORTS
22. Emulate a news helicopter : HOVER. I live close to the 101 freeway, and one morning I was awoken by the sound of the hovering of two or three news helicopters. I went out on my bedroom balcony and couldn't figure out why the morning smelt of margaritas. I turned on the news and saw that a truckload of limes had spilled on the freeway and been turned into juice as the traffic ran over them. Fun, except not so much for the commuters backed up behind the clearance crew.
25. Tries hard (for) : GUNS
29. Doctor's request : SAY AH!
31. Disney character who sings "Let It Go" : ELSA "Frozen".
32. Curved letter : ESS
33. Ali ring trademark : ROPE-A-DOPE. His technique of laying on the ropes absorbing punches to tire out the opponent, then coming at him late in the bout when tiredness set in.
34. Simply Cocoa maker : SWISS MISS
35. Other people : THEM
37. Splash guard : MUDFLAP
38. __-Cat : SNO
40. Frost advisory, e.g. : ALERT
41. Poetic paeans : ODES
46. Doughboy's helmet : TIN HAT. Actually made of steel. "Hat" is a delicate term too.
47. Peace offerings : TRUCES. The act, not the olive branch.
48. Soap brand with volcanic pumice : LAVA. Thank you, crosses.
50. Big name in kitchen appliances : BOSCH. I've got a couple of their grinders, one for coffee and the other for spices. They're great. Why two? So that my ground spices don't taste of coffee, and my morning coffee doesn't make me bust out in a sweat due to raw ground Scorpion chili contamination. Smart.
52. Two-time French Open winner Sharapova : MARIA
53. Sunken ship explorer : DIVER
54. Long lock : TRESS
56. Creative flash : IDEA
57. __ China Sea : EAST. I've sailed on the South China Sea out of Hong Kong Island. I met a Cathay Pacific airline pilot in the bar at my Kowloon hotel and he took me and a couple of colleagues out on the company yacht. Great fun. We didn't make it far enough to cross into the East China Sea though. Great lunch at a tiny seafood shack on a little isle just off Hong Kong. Four of us, a local dog, two fisherman and a cook. I really have enjoyed a lucky life. He also explained to me the 12-hour rule "Booze to Cruise" or "Bottle to Throttle" for pilots.
59. Untainted : PURE
62. Genre using speakers? : RAP. Nice clue. I like Eminem; some other hip-hop artists don't work so well for me.
Well, that's about it for me. I just need to post the grid and it's over and out! I hope you enjoyed the ride!
Steve
May 17, 2017
Wednesday, May 17, 2017 Alex Eaton-Salners
Theme - LET"S ALL TAKE A BOUGH. Vertical theme entries all start with, and are therefore TOPPED by letters that spell the name of a TREE. Let's start with the unifier.
55 A. Canopy creators ... or what can literally be found in 6-, 10-, 24- and 34-Down : TREE TOPS.
Coming back down to earth we have the theme entries.
6 D. Brain part that produces melatonin : PINEAL GLAND. It is tucked into the groove between the two halves of the thalmus, near the center of the brain. It is so-named because its shape resembles that of a pine cone. Topped by a PINE, an evergreen, and the first of our TREEs.
10 D. Cartographer's table : MAP LEGEND. An inset that explains the meanings of symbols and other features used on the map. The maple tree is prized for its lumber, used for furniture and decorative purposes.
Look for a clue gimmick when the theme arrangement is vertical. This one is clever, with the tree names topping the theme fill entries. Two of the four trees are hard woods, and two are conifers. The conifers are adjacent to the vertical center line, and the hard woods farther toward the edges.
Hi, Gang, Jazzbumpa on duty, lumbering through this puzzle. Let's see what we can saw.
Across
1. Produced, biblically speaking : BEGAT. Was the father of.
55 A. Canopy creators ... or what can literally be found in 6-, 10-, 24- and 34-Down : TREE TOPS.
Coming back down to earth we have the theme entries.
6 D. Brain part that produces melatonin : PINEAL GLAND. It is tucked into the groove between the two halves of the thalmus, near the center of the brain. It is so-named because its shape resembles that of a pine cone. Topped by a PINE, an evergreen, and the first of our TREEs.
10 D. Cartographer's table : MAP LEGEND. An inset that explains the meanings of symbols and other features used on the map. The maple tree is prized for its lumber, used for furniture and decorative purposes.
24. Reason for a parking restriction : FIRE HYDRANT. FIR trees are can be distinguished from other members of the pine family by their needle attachments and cone shapes.
34 D. "Wascally wabbit" hunter : ELMER FUDD. Something we all knew. But it gives me an excuse to post this --.
ELM TREES were used along streets all over America as decoration and to provide shade. Most of these were lost to Dutch elm disease, caused by a microfungus carried by bark beetles. Disease resistant varieties have since been developed.
34 D. "Wascally wabbit" hunter : ELMER FUDD. Something we all knew. But it gives me an excuse to post this --.
ELM TREES were used along streets all over America as decoration and to provide shade. Most of these were lost to Dutch elm disease, caused by a microfungus carried by bark beetles. Disease resistant varieties have since been developed.
Look for a clue gimmick when the theme arrangement is vertical. This one is clever, with the tree names topping the theme fill entries. Two of the four trees are hard woods, and two are conifers. The conifers are adjacent to the vertical center line, and the hard woods farther toward the edges.
Hi, Gang, Jazzbumpa on duty, lumbering through this puzzle. Let's see what we can saw.
Across
1. Produced, biblically speaking : BEGAT. Was the father of.
6. Racetrack stops : PITS. For fuel and quick tire changes.
10. Finance majors' degs. : MBAS. Master of Business Administration. I have one.
14. Kagan associate : ALITO. Supreme Court Justices.
15. Not yet out of the running : IN IT. To win it, no doubt.
16. Strong lobby for seniors : AARP. America Association of Retired Persons. I belong.
17. One who wants to come home? : BASE RUNNER. Baseball reference. Most do not make it, though.
19. Insanity, in court : PLEA. A formal statement in response to a charge, not [necessarily] a description of behavior.
20. Makes eligible for, with "to" : ENTITLES. Supplies a legal or just right to something.
21. Sign up : ENLIST. Or enroll, which sadly has the same number of letters.
23. Albacore, e.g. : TUNA. Something fishy here.
24. Price of a crosstown ride : FARE. In a bus or cab.
28. Eight pts. : GAL. Pints and gallons, guys and gals.
29. "Just think!" : IMAGINE.
33. In unfamiliar territory : AT SEA. Without a paddle.
37. Black, in poetry : EBON.
38. Castro of Cuba : RAUL. Fidel's brother.
39. Adjust to fit : ALTER. As clothing.
40. Statistician Silver of ESPN's FiveThirtyEight : NATE.
41. British baby buggy : PRAM. Short for perambulator.
42. "The cow is of the bovine ilk / One end is moo, the other, milk" poet : NASH. Ogden.
To keep your marriage brimming
With love in the loving cup,
Whenever you’re wrong, admit it;
Whenever you’re right, shut up.
- Ogden Nash
To keep your marriage brimming
With love in the loving cup,
Whenever you’re wrong, admit it;
Whenever you’re right, shut up.
- Ogden Nash
43. Floppy disk successor : CD-ROM. Data storage media.
44. Solemn ending? : SILENT N. Holy N, Batmen.
46. Vote in favor : YEA. parliamentary procedure.
48. What's up to you? : SKY. Sometimes hidden by clouds.
49. Cheese coat : RIND. More than you want to know.
50. TiVo products : DVRS. Digital Video Reordings. Nobody tapes any more.
52. Confuse : BAFFLE. Wait . . . what?!?
59. Free speech org. : ACLU. American Civil Liberties Union. We won't talk about it here.
60. Three, to nine : SQUARE ROOT. A number that when multiplied by itself yields another specified number. Round roots are things like carrots.
62. Get rid of : SHED. Discard, as leaves, skin, hair or clothing.
63. Change directions : TURN. Don't get steered the wrong way
64. Box cutter insert : RAZOR. Actually a blade.
65. Top dog : HEAD. Of an organization.
66. Not hard : SOFT. Pretty straight forward.
67. Prefix with foam : STYRO-. Expanded polystyrene. I worked with it on my first job.
67. Prefix with foam : STYRO-. Expanded polystyrene. I worked with it on my first job.
Down
1. Innocent one : BABE. One who is at a severe disadvantage in the woods.
2. Panache : ELAN. Confidence, flair, style, enthusiasm.
3. Heart of the matter : GIST. Get the point?
4. Absorbed the loss : ATE IT. Financial indigestion.
5. Haitian island whose name is Spanish for "turtle" : TORTUGA. Located north of the north-west arm of the main island.
7. Overnight stops : INNS.
8. 50-50, e.g. : TIE. Even score in a sport or game, usually settled by some sort of overtime play.
9. Party decoration : STREAMER. Colorful ribbons used for ornamentation.
11. Indonesian island : BALI. Immediately to the east of Java, it is home to most of Indonesia's Hindu minority.
12. "Iliad" war god : ARES. Greek. Mars to the Romans.
13. Petty argument : SPAT. It caused a SPAT what he spat on my spats.
18. Forearm part : ULNA. The longer of two forearm bones, extending from the elbow to the little finger. The radius extends from the elbow to the thumb side of the hand.
22. New Deal prog. : NRA. The National Recovery Administration was created in 1933, under the National Industrial Recovery Act. It had a two year charter and expired in 1935. At that time the Supreme Court also determined that it infringed on separation of powers and was therefore unconstitutional. Many of its provisions reappeared under the National Labor Relations Act that same year.
25. Camping cover-ups : TARPS. Baseball diamonds, too.
26. Centipede creator : ATARI. Electronic game company.
27. Garden-variety : USUAL. Typical
31. Against the rules : NOT OK. Let the OK - Okay battle begin.
32. Redcoat, to a Minuteman : ENEMY. American revolutionary war.
36. Sci-fi visitors : ETS. Extra-Terrestrials - off world entities, who sometimes claim to be friendly.
39. Colonies crawling with critters : ANT NESTS.
43. Board game with an "Unemployment Office" corner : CAREERS.
45. Zip : NIL. Zilch. Nada
47. Penultimate word of many fairy tales : EVER. Penultimate -- hmmmm. I wonder what comes after?
51. Classic guitar, briefly : STRAT. Fender Stratocaster. Costing $600, and up. Buddy Holly's were stolen twice in April, 1958.
52. Shindig : BASH. Spree, blow out. Have fun, but make good choices.
53. Bruise symptom : ACHE. Owie!
54. One in the doghouse? : FLEA. One hopes not
55. Gang land : TURF. Claimed territory.
56. Like slime : OOZY. Moving like this?
57. Substandard : POOR. Like certain movies from 1958.
58. Houston athlete, for short : 'STRO. ASTRO evidently has too many syllable to be spoken conveniently. The STROs are currently atop the A. L. Western division. Let's give them a bough.
61. Status __ : QUO. The current state of things.
That wraps up another Woden's Tag. Hope you got through it without feeling board. But now I have a strange desire branch out - maybe even join a splinter group. Perhaps I should just go with the phloem. Now it's time to leaf.
Cool regards!
JzB
May 16, 2017
Tuesday, May 16 2017, Debbie Ellerin
Theme: Retro TV. The circled letters, when read backwards, spell out a network.
17. Two-time Emmy winner for "30 Rock" : ALEC BALDWIN. ABC.
39. San Francisco neighborhood : NOB HILL. HBO.
11. Umami detectors : TASTE BUDS. BET. Umami is one of the five basic tastes (together with
sweetness, sourness, bitterness, and saltiness). It has been described
as brothy or meaty.
34. Where to pick up "will call" tickets : BOX OFFICE. FOX.
62. Unofficial means of communication, and a hint to each set of circled letters : BACK CHANNEL
Across
1. Latvian capital : RIGA
5. Sites for vows : ALTARS. (There's one in my near future 💘.)
11. Blues great __ Mahal : TAJ
14. Turow book set at Harvard : ONE L
15. __ pork: Chinese dish with pancakes : MOOSHU
16. Yellowfin tuna : AHI
19. Bart, to Homer : SON
19. Bart, to Homer : SON
20. Vixen teammate : DASHER
21. '80s Indiana senator Quayle : DAN
22. Underworld river : STYX. Greek mythology.
23. Dug up dandelions, say : WEEDED
25. Like some bank accounts : NO FEE
27. Doles (out) : METES
29. Place for bottom feeders : SEA BED
32. Red gemstone : RUBY
35. Walked (on) : TROD
37. Avoid capture by : ELUDE
38. Artist Yoko : ONO
41. Poorly lit : DIM
41. Poorly lit : DIM
42. The South : DIXIE
44. Boo Boo's pal : YOGI
45. Analogy words : IS TO
46. Squirreled away : STORED
48. Records for later watching : TIVOS
50. Castro of Cuba : FIDEL
52. Electric cars named for a physicist : TESLAS
55. Sports officials : REFS. No indication of shortened word.
57. Chinese chairman : MAO
59. Monopoly square with a question mark : CHANCE
61. Former White House Press Secretary Fleischer : ARI
64. Attack, to Fido : SIC
65. Five Nations tribe : ONEIDA
66. Tennis drop shot : DINK. New to me. From tennis.com: "When the dink is used correctly it’s an important addition to any
passing-shot arsenal. Unlike a drive, a well-placed dink forces the
volleyer to hit up while creating his own pace, and only the most solid
volleyers will be able to strike a forcing shot from this position."
67. Text giggle : HEE
68. Most weird : ODDEST
69. Catches sight of : SEES
Down
Down
1. "Rocky __ to Dublin": Irish tune : ROAD
2. Kin by marriage : IN LAW
3. Sixth-day-of-Christmas gift : GEESE
4. Lead-to-gold pseudoscience : ALCHEMY
5. Almond-flavored liqueur : AMARETTO
6. Tweeter's titter : LOL
7. Broadway barber Sweeney __ : TODD
8. Dam on the Nile : ASWAN
9. Safari herbivores : RHINOS
10. Word with screen or block : SUN
12. Nautical cry : AHOY
12. Nautical cry : AHOY
13. Bring bad luck : JINX
18. George Eliot's "Adam __" : BEDE
22. Navy commando : SEAL
24. Annual Kentucky event : DERBY
26. Intuit : FEEL
28. Really sexy : SO HOT
30. Clean up Time? : EDIT
31. Trade show model : DEMO
32. Anglers' gear : RODS
33. Textbook division : UNIT
36. Entry in a sudoku square : DIGIT
36. Entry in a sudoku square : DIGIT
39. "All You __ Is Love" : NEED
40. Online customer service option : LIVE CHAT
43. Eye part : IRIS
45. Cruise stops : ISLANDS
47. Insist on : DEMAND
49. Labor Dept. arm : OSHA
51. Tied, as skates : LACED
53. "Tomorrow" musical : ANNIE
54. Movie trailer segment : SCENE
55. Itchy red area : RASH
56. Buffalo's Great Lake : ERIE
58. Sooner migrant : OKIE
60. Part of BPOE : ELKS. Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.
62. Ghostly greeting : BOO
63. Fixed-term investments, briefly : CDS
May 15, 2017
Monday, May 15, 2017 Mark McClain
Theme: A Twofer - Two answers for one reveal.
17A. *Handyman's forte: REPAIR WORK. Home repair, homework.
22A. *Sports industry mogul: TEAM OWNER. Home team, home owner.
37A. *Frolic unrestrained: RUN FREE. Home run, home free.
50A. *Where the biggest headlines are: FRONT PAGE. Home front, home page.
60A. Game one for season ticket holders ... or, literally, what each word in the answers to starred clues can have: HOME OPENER
Argyle here. Simple yet elegant Monday. A simple solve with no need for the reveal but so much more with the reveal.
Across:
1. Beach sidler: CRAB. I started out slow because I couldn't picture a sidler.
5. Heroic exploit: GEST
9. Donald Duck, to his nephews: "UNCA"
13. Prefix for an intoxicating weed: LOCO
14. "Republic" philosopher: PLATO. Start with the Classic and follow-up with ....
15. Modernists, informally: NEOs
16. Part of NYSE: Abbr.: EXCH. (New York Stock Exchange)
19. Rich person's suffix: AIRE. Millionaire, for starters.
20. __ about: circa: ON OR
21. Sty calls: OINKS. Helps to be a farm boy today.
24. Kitchen invader: ANT
25. Youthful bar patrons are usually asked for them: IDs "Let's see some identification"
26. Cows' milk glands: UDDERS. It is what IDs them as cows.
29. Whence chocolate: CACAO. Not brown cows?!
32. Has lunch, say: EATS
35. Organ knob: STOP. No snickering, please.
36. Gray hue: ASH
40. Mandela's land: Abbr.: RSA. (Republic of South Africa)
41. Old Italian coin: LIRA
43. Jazz singer James: ETTA
44. Arthritis detectors: X-RAYS
46. For the most part: MAINLY
48. Soul automaker: KIA. Straight forward clue today.
49. Phys. or entom.: SCI. Physics or Entomology, Sciences.
56. "__ we meet again": UNTIL
58. Gambling city near Tahoe: RENO
59. Trampled (on): TROD
62. Responsibility: ONUS
63. Algerian seaport: ORAN. Lots of info here.
64. Bleak, in verse: DREAR
65. Take the bus: RIDE
66. "... why __ thou forsaken me?": Matthew: HAST
67. Experience, as emotions: FEEL
68. Ball-balancing circus animal: SEAL
Down:
1. Soccer shoe's turf grabber: CLEAT
2. 51-Down's "Chicago" role: ROXIE. 51-Down. "Chicago" co-star Zellweger: RENEE
3. Capital of Ghana: ACCRA
4. Czech Republic region: BOHEMIA. Regions of the Czech Republic
5. Mercury Seven astronaut John: GLENN
6. How "The Raven" poet signed some of his letters: EAPOE. Edgar Allan Poe knew DREAR.
7. Drummer Ringo: STARR
8. You, in French: TOI
9. Kicks back: UNWINDS
10. Colorful aquarium fish: NEON TETRA
11. Wine stopper: CORK
12. Questions: ASKS
14. Ship fronts: PROWS but 33-Down. Back at sea?: AFT
18. "__ trip!": "Let's travel!": ROAD
23. Smell: ODOR
26. Take advantage of: USE
27. Optimistic: ROSY
28. Restful resorts: SPAs
29. Not windy: CALM
30. Tibet's continent: ASIA
31. "Holiday Inn" holiday: CHRISTMAS. White Christmas (1954) was an extremely loose remake of Holiday Inn (1942).
32. Tolkien tree creature: ENT
34. __-la-la: TRA
38. Driver's one-eighty: U-EY
39. Leave the stage: EXIT. "Stage left even."
42. Really old: ANCIENT
45. Hawks and eagles: RAPTORS
47. Stitch's movie pal: LILO
48. Big name in packaged soup: KNORR
50. French brother: FRÈRE
52. Shaq of the NBA: O'NEAL
53. Golf great with an "army": ARNIE. Palmer.
54. Mild Dutch cheese: GOUDA
55. Ford flop: EDSEL
56. "Here comes trouble!": "UH-OH!"
57. Romance novelist Roberts: NORA
61. Adobe file format: PDF. (Portable Document Format)
Argyle
May 14, 2017
Sunday May 14, 2017 Bruce Haight
Theme: "For Mom" - Each theme entry is in the pattern of M* O* M*.
22A. Tycoon, e.g. : MAN OF MEANS
27A. Euterpe : MUSE OF MUSIC. Often as a clue for EUTERPE.
44A. Antacid name since 1872 : MILK OF MAGNESIA
63A. Takes action : MAKES ONE'S MOVE. Surprised to see MADE OF MONEY (111A. Rich, and then some). Same verb: Makes/Made.
72A. Encounter stiff competition : MEET ONE'S MATCH. ONE, THE and OF dupes are generally OK.
95A. Willpower : MIND OVER MATTER
Reveal:
122A. Apt time to recognize this puzzle's honoree : MONTH OF MAY. Very nice. Double duty.
Happy Mother's Day to all the moms on our blog!
MOON OVER MIAMI is missing. Otherwise, Bruce gives us a near complete set of M* O* M* entries. Perfect partner puzzle to Ed Sessa's POP we had a while ago.
We often see two-word initial grids. Three words are much tougher to pull off even for a weekday.
Across:
1. Sharp group : MENSA. Nailed it.
6. Stage award : OBIE
10. "Kisses, dahling" : MWAH. Air kiss sound.
14. NASA nods : A-OKs
18. Beatles' "White Album" song whose title follows "If you want me to" : I WILL. Got via crosses.
19. Cost of living? : RENT. Nice clue.
20. "Yikes!" : OH NO
21. Beatnik's "Gotcha" : I'M HIP
24. Biblical verb : DOTH
25. Bete __ : NOIRE
26. On one's game : IN A GROOVE. Bruce is on top of his game.
29. Unyielding : SET
30. Map feature : SCALE. And 39. Map abbr. : AVE. Map clue echo.
32. Crux : HEART
33. Resort of a sort : SPA
36. One brought to a potluck : DISH. So what's your signature dish?
40. Drubbing : ROUT
41. Boater or bowler : HAT
48. Remove : DETACH
50. Con : ANTI
51. K.T. of country music : OSLIN. Not many ways to clue her.
52. Offer to pay : BID
54. Venezia casino winner : SETTE. Seven. Venice. Anyone been to The Venetian in Vegas?
55. Fill with merchandise : STOCK
57. Transcript info : GPA
58. One digging hard rock? : MINER. Gimme for regulars.
60. Just like that : AS IS
61. Greet with a beep : HONK AT
22A. Tycoon, e.g. : MAN OF MEANS
27A. Euterpe : MUSE OF MUSIC. Often as a clue for EUTERPE.
44A. Antacid name since 1872 : MILK OF MAGNESIA
63A. Takes action : MAKES ONE'S MOVE. Surprised to see MADE OF MONEY (111A. Rich, and then some). Same verb: Makes/Made.
72A. Encounter stiff competition : MEET ONE'S MATCH. ONE, THE and OF dupes are generally OK.
95A. Willpower : MIND OVER MATTER
Reveal:
122A. Apt time to recognize this puzzle's honoree : MONTH OF MAY. Very nice. Double duty.
Happy Mother's Day to all the moms on our blog!
MOON OVER MIAMI is missing. Otherwise, Bruce gives us a near complete set of M* O* M* entries. Perfect partner puzzle to Ed Sessa's POP we had a while ago.
We often see two-word initial grids. Three words are much tougher to pull off even for a weekday.
Across:
1. Sharp group : MENSA. Nailed it.
6. Stage award : OBIE
10. "Kisses, dahling" : MWAH. Air kiss sound.
14. NASA nods : A-OKs
18. Beatles' "White Album" song whose title follows "If you want me to" : I WILL. Got via crosses.
19. Cost of living? : RENT. Nice clue.
20. "Yikes!" : OH NO
21. Beatnik's "Gotcha" : I'M HIP
24. Biblical verb : DOTH
25. Bete __ : NOIRE
26. On one's game : IN A GROOVE. Bruce is on top of his game.
29. Unyielding : SET
30. Map feature : SCALE. And 39. Map abbr. : AVE. Map clue echo.
32. Crux : HEART
33. Resort of a sort : SPA
36. One brought to a potluck : DISH. So what's your signature dish?
40. Drubbing : ROUT
41. Boater or bowler : HAT
48. Remove : DETACH
50. Con : ANTI
51. K.T. of country music : OSLIN. Not many ways to clue her.
52. Offer to pay : BID
54. Venezia casino winner : SETTE. Seven. Venice. Anyone been to The Venetian in Vegas?
55. Fill with merchandise : STOCK
57. Transcript info : GPA
58. One digging hard rock? : MINER. Gimme for regulars.
60. Just like that : AS IS
61. Greet with a beep : HONK AT
67. Metro barrier : STILE
70. Title of honor : SIR
71. Russian refusals : NYETs. Also 53. Reject : DENY
77. Toy, perhaps : LAP DOG
81. Novelist Seton : ANYA. Learned from doing crosswords.
82. Invite to one's loft, say : ASK UP
83. Jones many keep up with? : DOW. Great clue. Not the "Joneses."
86. Blush relative : ROUGE Also 74. Compact supplies : EYE SHADOWS
87. Dummy Mortimer : SNERD. I used to confuse him with SNERT.
89. Do wrong : SIN
90. One way to split : IN TWO
92. Move, at Coldwell Banker : RELO
93. Heave-ho : OUSTER
99. Medical research org. : NIH
100. Comics resident of the Okefenokee Swamp : POGO
102. NATO founding member : USA. And 104. Part of NATO: Abbr. : ORG
103. Jimmy on sausage labels : DEAN
105. Brass, e.g. : ALLOY
107. Prayer leaders : IMAMs
109. 76-Down brand : RCA.76. Best Buy buy : HDTV. Triple alliteration. Agnes' forte.
114. Land : TOUCH DOWN
120. Major pain : AGONY
121. Becloud : BLUR
123. Pond denizens : NEWTS
124. Indian tourist city : AGRA. Taj Mahal. Xi'an is popular with tourists also.
125. Bind, in a way : GLUE
126. Swerves : VEERS
127. Gas across the border : ESSO. Northern border.
128. Highlander : GAEL
129. Clutter : MESS
130. "Fiddler" meddler : YENTE. My high-school best friend was introduced to her husband by a matchmaker. They're still together.
Down:
1. "La Bohème" role : MIMI
2. McGregor of "Trainspotting" : EWAN
3. Familia girl : NINA
4. Trudges : SLOGS
5. Creamy sauce : ALFREDO. Are those basil?
6. __ Biscuit, product debut of 1912 : OREO. New trivia to me. Biscuit sounds salty.
7. '50s-'60s sitcom nickname : BEAV
8. "The Wreck of the Mary Deare" author Hammond __ : INNES. Stranger to me.
9. "MIB" characters : ETs. Men in Black.
10. Construction units : MODULES
11. Word of possession : WHOSE
12. Mandatory bet : ANTE
13. Words after "jolly" in an iconic ad : HO HO HO. The Jolly Green Giant.
14. Affaire de coeur : AMOUR
15. "Really?!" : OH IS THAT SO. Sparkly fill.
16. Diva Te Kanawa : KIRI
17. Something to build on : SPEC. On spec.
21. Cons : INMATES. The facial place I used to visit in Guangzhou was next to the police station. I could hear cops yelling and beating. In those days, I just thought bad guys deserved it.
23. Theme : MOTIF
27. Whiz : MAVEN
28. Big beef : FEUD. Not KOBE.
31. Kid's plea : CAN I
33. Ping-Pong shot : SMASH
34. __ bean : PINTO. I think these are the beans Boomer uses in his Chili.
35. "Good Eats" host Brown : ALTON
37. Sun blocker : SMOG
38. Briefcase fastener : HASP
40. Ruin, weatherwise : RAIN ON
42. "Double, double toil and trouble" time : ACT IV
43. This and this : THESE
45. Energize : KICK-START. Another great fill.
46. Rock genre : GLAM
47. Heron cousin : IBIS
49. Baseball or football : TEAM SPORT
56. Simpson trial figure Kaelin : KATO. Forgot. We had him before.
58. Chicago exchange, briefly, with "the" : MERC. Oh, Chicago Mercantile Exchange.
59. Stagger : REEL
62. Fey in American Express ads : TINA
64. "Pronto!" : ASAP
65. Do-it-yourselfer's buy : KIT. TTP almost DIYs everything. From computers to water leaks. What a guy.
66. Hollywood Walk of Fame symbol : STAR
68. Not as much : LESS
69. __ Pie : ESKIMO. Never had it.
72. Wall builder : MASON
73. Boredom : ENNUI
75. Certain bond, briefly : MUNI. Boring but safe.
78. Caused by : DUE TO
79. Rubberneck : OGLER
80. Maestro Solti : GEORG. One more name 91. Author Chomsky : NOAM
84. Outstanding : OWED
85. Modeled, say : WORE
88. Arranges strategically : DEPLOYS
90. "In my opinion ... " : I'D SAY
94. It's on the house : ROOF. Literal. Not FREE,
96. X, at times : NUMERAL. Got via crosses.
97. Progressive movement : MARCH. I like this new clue angle.
98. Antipasto fish : ANCHOVY
101. Exerciser's accessory : GYM BAG. Nice.
106. Slowly, in music : LENTO
107. Toughen : INURE. Or ENURE.
108. Ripped off : STOLE
110. Website charge : AD FEE
111. Locks in a barn? : MANE. Another great clue.
112. What seems like forever : AGES
113. One of Chekhov's "Three Sisters" : OLGA
115. Duty : ONUS
116. Pac-12 team : UTES. Utah Utes.
117. Harbinger : OMEN
118. Imperfection : WART. Do you know Wabi-sabi? There's beauty in imperfection.
119. Where Anheuser-Busch is BUD : NYSE
122. "Ben-Hur" studio : MGM
120. Major pain : AGONY
121. Becloud : BLUR
123. Pond denizens : NEWTS
124. Indian tourist city : AGRA. Taj Mahal. Xi'an is popular with tourists also.
125. Bind, in a way : GLUE
126. Swerves : VEERS
127. Gas across the border : ESSO. Northern border.
128. Highlander : GAEL
129. Clutter : MESS
130. "Fiddler" meddler : YENTE. My high-school best friend was introduced to her husband by a matchmaker. They're still together.
Down:
1. "La Bohème" role : MIMI
2. McGregor of "Trainspotting" : EWAN
3. Familia girl : NINA
4. Trudges : SLOGS
5. Creamy sauce : ALFREDO. Are those basil?
6. __ Biscuit, product debut of 1912 : OREO. New trivia to me. Biscuit sounds salty.
7. '50s-'60s sitcom nickname : BEAV
8. "The Wreck of the Mary Deare" author Hammond __ : INNES. Stranger to me.
9. "MIB" characters : ETs. Men in Black.
10. Construction units : MODULES
11. Word of possession : WHOSE
12. Mandatory bet : ANTE
13. Words after "jolly" in an iconic ad : HO HO HO. The Jolly Green Giant.
14. Affaire de coeur : AMOUR
15. "Really?!" : OH IS THAT SO. Sparkly fill.
16. Diva Te Kanawa : KIRI
17. Something to build on : SPEC. On spec.
21. Cons : INMATES. The facial place I used to visit in Guangzhou was next to the police station. I could hear cops yelling and beating. In those days, I just thought bad guys deserved it.
23. Theme : MOTIF
27. Whiz : MAVEN
28. Big beef : FEUD. Not KOBE.
31. Kid's plea : CAN I
33. Ping-Pong shot : SMASH
34. __ bean : PINTO. I think these are the beans Boomer uses in his Chili.
35. "Good Eats" host Brown : ALTON
37. Sun blocker : SMOG
38. Briefcase fastener : HASP
40. Ruin, weatherwise : RAIN ON
42. "Double, double toil and trouble" time : ACT IV
43. This and this : THESE
45. Energize : KICK-START. Another great fill.
46. Rock genre : GLAM
47. Heron cousin : IBIS
49. Baseball or football : TEAM SPORT
56. Simpson trial figure Kaelin : KATO. Forgot. We had him before.
58. Chicago exchange, briefly, with "the" : MERC. Oh, Chicago Mercantile Exchange.
59. Stagger : REEL
62. Fey in American Express ads : TINA
64. "Pronto!" : ASAP
65. Do-it-yourselfer's buy : KIT. TTP almost DIYs everything. From computers to water leaks. What a guy.
66. Hollywood Walk of Fame symbol : STAR
68. Not as much : LESS
69. __ Pie : ESKIMO. Never had it.
72. Wall builder : MASON
73. Boredom : ENNUI
75. Certain bond, briefly : MUNI. Boring but safe.
78. Caused by : DUE TO
79. Rubberneck : OGLER
80. Maestro Solti : GEORG. One more name 91. Author Chomsky : NOAM
84. Outstanding : OWED
85. Modeled, say : WORE
88. Arranges strategically : DEPLOYS
90. "In my opinion ... " : I'D SAY
94. It's on the house : ROOF. Literal. Not FREE,
96. X, at times : NUMERAL. Got via crosses.
97. Progressive movement : MARCH. I like this new clue angle.
98. Antipasto fish : ANCHOVY
101. Exerciser's accessory : GYM BAG. Nice.
106. Slowly, in music : LENTO
107. Toughen : INURE. Or ENURE.
108. Ripped off : STOLE
110. Website charge : AD FEE
111. Locks in a barn? : MANE. Another great clue.
112. What seems like forever : AGES
113. One of Chekhov's "Three Sisters" : OLGA
115. Duty : ONUS
116. Pac-12 team : UTES. Utah Utes.
117. Harbinger : OMEN
118. Imperfection : WART. Do you know Wabi-sabi? There's beauty in imperfection.
119. Where Anheuser-Busch is BUD : NYSE
122. "Ben-Hur" studio : MGM
May 13, 2017
Saturday, May 13th, 2017, Roland Huget
Theme: None
Words: 70 (missing F,Q,Z)
Blocks: 30
Mr.
Huget is cranking out the Saturday puzzles for the LA Times this year -
today we have #3; number two was last month at Easter. I did not see
the triple stack when I started on this one - and then I saw the
15-letter climber in the DOWN later. With a few crossings, I was able
to fill them in with little trouble, and the net result of a grid with
stacks is a higher small word count, too - which usually helps. Lots of
proper names, but none that didn't "self-solve" through perps; other
answers came to me from doing lots of crosswords. The long fills from
the middle;
32a. Metaphor for high speed : PEDAL TO THE METAL - see 64a., 24d, 26d.
39a. Sacrificed considerably : PAID A STEEP PRICE
40a. Fixers : TROUBLESHOOTERS
39a. Sacrificed considerably : PAID A STEEP PRICE
You can send money to my PayPal account. Thank you.
7d. Awkward moment makeup : ABSOLUTE SILENCE
OnwRRRRd~!
ACROSS:
1. Old man, in Mannheim : ALTE - I vaguely remembered the German word, but filled in ALDE at first.
5. Key with five sharps: Abbr. : B MAJ - oops, put in "E" first; "E" is one of the two non-sharps in the key; the other is "B" - all the black keys of a piano get used
5. Key with five sharps: Abbr. : B MAJ - oops, put in "E" first; "E" is one of the two non-sharps in the key; the other is "B" - all the black keys of a piano get used
9. Mess up : BOTCH
14. Unavoidable : MEANT TO BE- the irony with some of the answers in the puzzle....
16. Oocyte producer : OVARY - my DOWN crossings messed up this corner to start
17. Relaxed to the max : MELLOWEST
18. Name probably derived from scat singing : BEBOP
19. Like Orson, on a '70s-'80s sitcom : ORKAN - along with Mork from Ork
20. Band with a self-named 1978 debut album : TOTO - my personal favorite song from this band;
14. Unavoidable : MEANT TO BE- the irony with some of the answers in the puzzle....
16. Oocyte producer : OVARY - my DOWN crossings messed up this corner to start
17. Relaxed to the max : MELLOWEST
18. Name probably derived from scat singing : BEBOP
19. Like Orson, on a '70s-'80s sitcom : ORKAN - along with Mork from Ork
20. Band with a self-named 1978 debut album : TOTO - my personal favorite song from this band;
188,112,538 views; I think the story presented in the
video is stirring
22. "Lady Jane Grey" playwright : ROWE - filled via perps
23. Queen of Thorns portrayer on TV : RIGG - filled via perps
25. Floaters in a Japanese ceremony : LANTERNS
Cool
27. Turkish title : AGA - got it from doing crosswords
29. Cassowary cousin : EMU
31. Dog in the Reagan White House : REX - the "X" was an educated guess
41. Sign of summer : LEO - astrological sign
42. Leb. neighbor : ISRael - oops, not SYRia
43. Low mark : DEE
44. 1942 Hayworth/Mature musical : MY GAL SAL - I suppose the "G" offered some solvers a Natick with the vague Greek name crossing
48. Neutral shades : TANS - ah, such a lovely shade....
52. Overly precious, in Portsmouth : TWEE - I need to start using this word at UPS; it's hiring season, and most of the people coming in don't last more than two days; I'll have seven years in June, and I am getting the "itch" - especially since the newest ruling from above no longer allows us to listen to music on the job. Really~?
54. It makes everything taste better, they say : BACON - I have to agree
57. Child with dishes : JULIA - clever, but I got it - do you think she likes bacon~?
59. Talus : ANKLEBONE - I pondered BIRD'S FOOT
61. Classic theater : ODEON
62. Glaze causes : ICE STORMS
63. __ Doon, Bay Area community named by a Scotsman : BONNY
64. One may be taken on the road : TEST - I was just reading Road & Track while waiting to get my hair cut, and in this issue they test drove a McLaren along with 9 other 'supercars'; one of the authors crashed it. Ouch. I like the McLaren
65. Sugar source : BEET
DOWN:
1. Clip contents : AMMO
2. Lascivious look : LEER
3. Broadcast genre : TALK RADIO
4. Zhou __ : EN LAI
5. Start of a modern afterthought : BTW - By The Way
6. Chandon's partner : MOËT - champagne
8. Beetle cousin : JETTA - ah, the car, not the insect
9. Short do : BOB - dah~! Not 'FRO
10. Exhaust (oneself), as in a workout : OVEREXERT
11. Drum with a fife : TABOR - Dah~!! Not SNARE
12. Symbol of sovereignty : CROWN - I had this, and took it out because it did not jibe with SNARE
13. Strong pitches : HYPES
15. Grab, as at a smorgasbord : TONG
21. Restricted pending disciplinary action : ON REPORT
24. Takes a turn for the worse? : GETS LOST
26. Pace : TEMPO
27. Cal. entry : APPT.
28. Driver's choice : GEAR - could have been IRON, as in golf, but rarely does one use an iron as a driver; maybe from the tee of a par three....?
30. Speck : MOTE - not IotA, but that's 100% 50% correct
33. Sycophant's specialty : ADULATION - a Kiss A**
34. Record trademark : LABEL
35. Sneaky chortles : HEHs
36. 50-50, say : TIED SCORE - seemed unlikely, but I filled it in, and it stayed
37. Real estate buy : ACRE
38. Suffix with Congo : LESE - Congolese; hey, it's Saturday
44. Teen's source of funds : McJOB
45. "Really?" : "YOU DO~?"
46. Ancient Greek physician : GALEN - the "N" was my last fill
47. Anticipate : AWAIT
49. Help on the job? : ABET
50. Big shot : NABOB
53. Scratches (out) : EKES
55. "Your money's no good here" : ON ME
56. First flight launch site : NEST - I pondered N CAR, for the Wright brothers at Kitty Hawk; nope, just the home of the animals God intended to fly....
58. Partner of all : ANY - any & all
60. D-Day craft : LST - crossword staple
59. Talus : ANKLEBONE - I pondered BIRD'S FOOT
61. Classic theater : ODEON
62. Glaze causes : ICE STORMS
63. __ Doon, Bay Area community named by a Scotsman : BONNY
64. One may be taken on the road : TEST - I was just reading Road & Track while waiting to get my hair cut, and in this issue they test drove a McLaren along with 9 other 'supercars'; one of the authors crashed it. Ouch. I like the McLaren
65. Sugar source : BEET
DOWN:
1. Clip contents : AMMO
2. Lascivious look : LEER
3. Broadcast genre : TALK RADIO
4. Zhou __ : EN LAI
5. Start of a modern afterthought : BTW - By The Way
6. Chandon's partner : MOËT - champagne
8. Beetle cousin : JETTA - ah, the car, not the insect
9. Short do : BOB - dah~! Not 'FRO
10. Exhaust (oneself), as in a workout : OVEREXERT
11. Drum with a fife : TABOR - Dah~!! Not SNARE
12. Symbol of sovereignty : CROWN - I had this, and took it out because it did not jibe with SNARE
13. Strong pitches : HYPES
15. Grab, as at a smorgasbord : TONG
21. Restricted pending disciplinary action : ON REPORT
24. Takes a turn for the worse? : GETS LOST
I couldn't resist
26. Pace : TEMPO
27. Cal. entry : APPT.
28. Driver's choice : GEAR - could have been IRON, as in golf, but rarely does one use an iron as a driver; maybe from the tee of a par three....?
30. Speck : MOTE - not IotA, but that's 100% 50% correct
33. Sycophant's specialty : ADULATION - a Kiss A**
34. Record trademark : LABEL
35. Sneaky chortles : HEHs
36. 50-50, say : TIED SCORE - seemed unlikely, but I filled it in, and it stayed
37. Real estate buy : ACRE
38. Suffix with Congo : LESE - Congolese; hey, it's Saturday
44. Teen's source of funds : McJOB
45. "Really?" : "YOU DO~?"
46. Ancient Greek physician : GALEN - the "N" was my last fill
47. Anticipate : AWAIT
49. Help on the job? : ABET
50. Big shot : NABOB
53. Scratches (out) : EKES
55. "Your money's no good here" : ON ME
56. First flight launch site : NEST - I pondered N CAR, for the Wright brothers at Kitty Hawk; nope, just the home of the animals God intended to fly....
58. Partner of all : ANY - any & all
60. D-Day craft : LST - crossword staple
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