Saturday, March 3, 2018, Gail Grabowski

SATURDAY WITH GAIL

Husker Gary reporting from the Great Plains on a very challenging Saturday exercise by Gail Grabowski shown here in a previously posted picture. This is a Gail Grabowski interview with C.C. from a few years ago as well. She said her Dad's everyday practice of a cup of coffee with a crossword puzzle started down the path to solving and then to construction. She further states that her teaching background steered her towards using wordplay in many puzzles.

Traction today was as hard to obtain as was our icy streets last week. The NE corner bewitched, bothered and bewildered me. As often happens I got started at the bottom but I definitely found Gail's puzzle fair and challenging.

Now here's a few of the long fills I found interesting:

1. Steve McQueen's co-star in "The Getaway" : ALI MACGRAW - So good they made a sequel! 

                             1972                                                                         1994

17. Defect : BREAK RANKS - Not many do here

12. Portmanteau for workout clothing worn socially : ATHLEISURE - Ah, my vocabulary continues to grow

66. It helps you get up : STEP LADDER - STEP LADDER? Nifty! Footwear choice? Dicey

68. Commercial challenges : TASTE TESTS - Remember?

31. Fueling device with an automatic shut-off feature : PUMP HANDLE - Yeah, but you have to let go!

Here's what else Gail has for us on "If Pets Had Thumbs Day"

Across

11. Hollow : VALE - I got the geography connotation eventually 

15. It doesn't include overtime : BASE SALARY - The BASE SALARY at my most recent school is $37,000 and my salary maxed out  at MA + 36 would have been $76,000

16. Can of corn at the market, say : ITEM - Tricky clue but baseball people might have thought of this slang first 

18. Online shopping option : CHAT - Their webpage

19. Organic soy milk brand : EDEN - Okay, it's Saturday cluing

20. Org. hacked during the 2016 presidential campaign : DNC - Her  book was a fascinating read  but I don't think she'll be getting any Christmas cards from Hillary

21. Some edible plant parts : STALKS - Rhubarb would be my favorite

23. Morally base : SORDID

26. Vein contents : ORE and 30. Vein contents : DEPOSITS 

27. Texas-Louisiana border river : SABINE - Even when Texas was not in the Union yet

34. Red-hot : ON A TEAR

36. Superfan : NUT 

37. "On the Road" narrator : SAL - SAL Paradise was the name Jack took in his book

38. Company with back-to-school buys : BIC - Is anything as uBICuitous as a BIC pen?

39. Flowery lines : ODE

40. Crock-Pot and Cuisinart: Abbr. : TMS - TradeMarkS - Indicated by ® or ™

41. News gp. : UPI - United Press International

42. 1940s mil. zone : ETO - Here is an Eisenhower jacket with a European Theater Of Operation insignia high on the left shoulder

43. Excite, with "up" : REV


44. Wilde forte : EPIGRAM - Here's one I have always liked

46. Sounded right : RANG TRUE - Oscar's EPIGRAM RANG TRUE to me the first time I heard it.

49. Joan of Arc's crime : HERESY - Pope Leo X called Martin Luther " a true heretic".

50. Shorten a yard to mere inches? : MOW - I'm still using my snowblower and so it may be a while 

51. Crate up : ENCASE - "We drug Kong, ENCASE him in a crate and take him to New York. What could possibly go wrong?"

53. Where Excalibur was forged : AVALON

56. Buff end : OON - Not ALO

57. Bering Sea port : NOME - Also the home of the finish line of the world's most famous dog race

61. Amy's "Sisters" co-star : TINA - Amy Poehler and TINA Fey of SNL fame. Rotten Tomatoes said, "Meh"

62. One with a lot of wheels : AUTO DEALER - Mine sold my MIL an 58. GM line until 2004 : OLDSmoblie  27 years ago and it is still going strong!

65. Bands in the East : OBIS - More clever Saturday level cluing 

67. Substantial content : MEAT 


Down

1. Calais cleric : ABBE and 11. Parish priests : VICARS - ABBÈ Jacques Seck, VICAR General and Curate of Dakar Cathedral (Retired)

2. Hog product : LARD - The secret of my MIL's great apple pies

3. Understanding answer : I SEE

4. Is not to be taken lightly : MEANS IT

5. What it doesn't hurt to do : ASK


6. Checkout counter device : CARD READER - At the Apple Store last week my "genius" used a handheld device to scan the UPC on my purchase, READ my credit CARD and send me a receipt via email. I don't know what he would have done if I'd wanted to use cash

7. Sweat __ : GLAND

8. Like bad butter : RANCID - Gail got two scents in on these last two entries

9. Craft for couples : ARK - Couples of animals. Why did Noah take two mosquitos?

10. "The Swiss Family Robinson" author : WYSS - I truly thought this would be an author I would know but, uh, no

13. News source, perhaps : LEAK - Many a "LEAK" is just a trial balloon

14. Defib specialists : EMTS

22. Places for piggies? : TOOTSIES

24. Very few : ONE OR TWO

25. End of a ristorante request : DENTE -  Si prega di fare la mia pasta al DENTE. (Please make my pasta just firm to the bite)

27. Unlit? : SOBER - Lit is one of many euphemisms for drunk

28. One of the original Pointer Sisters : ANITA - How 'bout a little Pointer Sister disco to pump up your Saturday

29. Passion caused by strips : BACON MANIA

32. Cantina fare : TAPAS - Estas tapas en Granada, España un aspecto delicioso (These TAPAS in Granada, Spain look delicias)

33. Disreputable : SLIMY 

35. Cabaret offering : REVUE - I suspect a critic would offer a review of this, uh, REVUE

45. Hurled weapon : GRENADE and 60. Throws wildly, say : ERRS - Not a good combination 

47. Bring up the rear : GO LAST - I will read this at my MIL's funeral. She always waits until all are served before she is. 

48. Online reminders : E-NOTES

52. Appropriate : COOPT - "uh PRO pree ate" not "uh PRO pree uht"

53. Splitting target : ATOM

54. Hard-to-describe feeling : VIBE

55. Tweed's caricaturist : NAST - People like Kim Jung Un don't have such impediments as Thomas Nast

59. Fulfill : MEET - Just because you can MEET the requirements to teach doesn't mean you can do it!

63. Hagen of the stage : UTA - UTA was the original Martha when Albee's Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf opened on Broadway in 1962. I'll bet most of you know who played Martha in the 1966 movie

64. Down : EAT

What say you?

DA GRID

Friday, March 2, 2018, David Alfred Bywaters

Title: Where have all the Ws gone, long time passing...

DAB is back with a letter removal puzzle. His reveal is more complicated as each "W" is part of a phrase that begins with "SW." Hence the reveal. This seems mostly easy for a Friday, but the consistency of the theme and having three grid-spanners makes it a thing of beauty. I enjoyed the long ones, with SINGING BOTH WAYS my favorite. The remaining fill was typical of a puzzle with 66 squares dedicated to theme with OPENHANDED,  SPARE TIRES, AVOIDED and EMBASSY the long ones, BRIBED and BROODS interesting ones.


17A. Ratting to the cops and carrying a tune? : SWINGING BOTH WAYS (15). Both kinds of Singing.

24A. Dupe gatherings? : SWAP MEETS (8). Where the pigeons are plucked.

39A. What rain may do to a bad toupee? : SWEEP UNDER THE RUG (15). Wonderful image of rain water on a bald man.

51A. Place to buy a chair? : SWEAT SHOP (8). Not a PC term.

62A. Cowboy outfit? : SWADDLING CLOTHES (15). A new born changes into a cowboy.

71A. Deli cheese ... or, in three parts, a hint to the five longest across puzzle answers: SWISS (5) you have to parse this as SW-IS-S. S replaces SW.

ACROSS:

1. Leftover bit in a basket: CRUMB. The bread basket.

6. Taken out by Buffy? : SLAIN. She was known as the SLAYER.

11. Farm home: STY. Two weeks in a row.

14. Lash LaRue's "Frontier Revenge,"e.g.: OATER. Since the stars of the movies were horses and they ate oats. Should be easy after Steve's write-up yesterday.


15. Critical circulation aid: AORTA. You know this as the main artery of the body, supplying oxygenated blood to the circulatory system. In humans it passes over the heart from the left ventricle and runs down in front of the backbone.

16. Op lead-in: PRE.

20. Chem. class suffix: IDE.

21. Buddy type: BOSOM.  Who recalls this career launching series?  LINK

22. Scots Gaelic: ERSE. Repeat. Along with 55A. Sounds of hesitation : ERS. No common link. Or maybe 35D. Romain de Tirtoff, famously : ERTE.

23. More than moist: WET.

27. Kept away from: AVOIDED.

31. National Grandparents' Day mo. : SEPT. The first Sunday after Labor Day. HISTORY.

32. Trumpet players? : LIPS. Lips are key to all wind instruments, I believe.

33. Regions : AREAS.

36. RN workplace : ICU. Intensive Care Unit.

43. Hold one's __ : OWN.

44. Cook in the oven : ROAST.

45. Walk unsteadily : REEL.

46. Prince in "Frozen" : HANS. Spoiler alert.

48. Diplomat's headquarters : EMBASSY.

56. Forearm part : ULNA. The outside bone, the radius is on the outside. I fractured my radius two years go.

57. Last European colony in Asia : MACAO. Macau also spelled Macao and officially the Macao Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, is an autonomous territory on the western side of the Pearl River estuary in East Asia. in 1887 the Portuguese finally managed to secure an agreement from China that Macao was Portuguese territory, ending 330 years of uncertainty. In 1999 it was handed over to China. Macau was the last extant European territory in continental Asia.

59. Dallas sch. : SMU. Southern Methodist University.

66. Consumed : ATE.

67. Like many squawkers : AVIAN. Birds.

68. Immerse completely : DOUSE. More water.

69. Nickname for Edward : NED.

70. Cruel sort: MEANY. Seems like a silly word.

Down:

1. "__ fan tutte": COSI.

2. Prohibition surprise : RAID.

3. __ Reader : UTNE.

4. Not much memory, these days : MEG.  I bought a computer for my sons in 1992. A "Portable" computer of the time period, something like a Compaq LTE weighed six pounds, which had a i386 CPU, a 9.5" display (smaller than the size of the iPad's) and VGA graphics (640x480). We are now up to Terrabytes.

5. Greased : BRIBED.

6. Droops : SAGS.

7. University of New Mexico team : LOBOS.

8. Kitchen drawer? : AROMA. A classic hidden heteronym misdirection, that which draws (entices) people to the kitchen.

9. U.S. manufacturer founded as a communications co. in 1920 : ITT.

10. "Don't think so!" : NAH.

11. Trunks often contain them : SPARE TIRES. As do many WalMart customers.

12. Private meeting : TRYST.

13. Approvals : YESES.

18. F-sharp, for one : NOTE. This clu/fill leavce me flat.

19. "Willow __ for Me": jazz standard : WEEP. The two Ws here are fine because they are not attached to an S.

23. Bit of smoke : WISP.

25. H.S. junior's exam : PSAT. Standardized tests for pratice.

26. Net fabric : MESH.

27. Too : ALSO.

28. Condo selling point : VIEW.

29. Generous : OPEN HANDED. Dictionary: 1(of a blow) delivered with the palm of the hand.
"an openhanded slap to the side of the face. " 2. giving freely; generous."openhanded philanthropy"

30. Duchamp genre : DADA. He was a true pioneer. LINK.

34. Legal thing : RES.

37. Parlor sticks : CUES. Billiard parlor.

38. Like some moods : UGLY.

40. Footed vases : URNS.

41. On-the-run bite : NOSH. One of many Yiddish terms incorpoated in our culture.

42. Big periods : ERAS.

47. The teensiest bit : A TAD.

49. Nourishment provider : MEAL.

50. Stews (over) : BROODS. Who does not love a great BROODING HERO.

51. 1940s-'60s top-10 girl's name that ranked 922nd in 2016 : SUSAN. Hi, Hahtoolah.

52. Thrill : ELATE. A favorite word of our fearless leader.

53. __ vincit amor : OMNIA. Love conquers all.

54. Certain polytheist : PAGAN. Pagan definition, (no longer in technical use) one of a people or community observing a polytheistic religion, as the ancient Romans and Greeks.

58. Sch. in Harlem : CCNY. City College of New York.

59. Feng __ : SHUI. 2018 UPDATE.

60. Slob's production : MESS.

61. Versatility list : USES.

63. On the __: hiding : LAM. A CSO to John Lampkin.

64. "__ had it!" : I'VE.

65. Drag behind : TOW.


March has arrived, was a lamb or a lion where you live? Here it was still spring, perhaps a touch to warm, but the 60s are coming back. Thank you David and all who read and/or write. Lemonade out.

Thursday, March 1 2018 Craig Stowe

Theme: Monty Python's Flying Circus - The Man Who Speaks in Anagrams.

OK, so strictly speaking these are not anagrams, they are scrambles, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to link a sketch from the classic comedy.

Back on topic, as the reveal explains:

62A. Whole new person who can literally be found in the answers to starred clues: CHANGED MAN. 

This picture is a shot of a competitor in annual TT motorcycle races on the Siel fo Amn. The road course can unscramble a rider as surely as you can unscramble the name of the island.

As we work our way down the theme entries, we find that each man has a MAN scramble in his name, and the first clue has "Man" to start, just for fun.

17A. *Man Booker Prize winner for "Life of Pi" : YANN MARTEL. Great book, on my all-time favorites list.

27A. *Star of '70s TV's "Good Times" : JOHN AMOS. Who? Thank you, crosses.

47A. *Actor in two "Jurassic Park" films : SAM NEILL. Vaguely remembered this chap. I needed plenty of crossing help though.

11D. *Gomer Pyle portrayer : JIM NABORS. Another who? for me, I'm sure all you US denizens didn't even stop to think, but again I needed all the help I could get.

34D. *"Atonement" novelist : IAN MCEWAN. There's no doubt he's a great writer, but I recall this novel as being awfully bleak.

Neat theme from Craig, I liked that all the theme entries were men, and there was a pretty solid letter count from the them all. I like seeing the theme entries in both the acrosses and downs, it changes things up a little. Usual Thursday-level cluing and misdirection. For the second week running the NE corner was my problem area, but eventually everything fell into place.

Clunker of the day: SRTAS. I know it's acceptable, but I never like it it when I see it.

Let's see what else jumps out:

Across:

1. Tell target : APPLE. The legend of William Tell. I can't remember why he had to shoot an apple from his son's head, but I do remember being told that the Swiss hero was Austrian by birth.

6. Look for : SEEK

10. Letting in some air : AJAR. Almost my last fill, took a while to see this, but it did unlock the unknown JIM NABORS for me.

14. Dakota natives : SIOUX

15. Lyft alternative : TAXI. First impulse here is UBER.

16. Record, in a way : TIVO. Darn, I had TAPE first which slowed down my progress in the NE.

19. Put out : EMIT. Another tricky one that required some teasing out.

20. When the fewest pieces are on the chess board : ENDGAME

21. Detoxification diet : CLEANSE. I've done what is called the Jedi Cleanse, it was the longest month of my life.

23. Lean-__: sheds : TO'S

24. [Boring!] : YAWN!

26. "Letters From Iwo __": Eastwood film : JIMA

29. "Thwack!" : BAM!

32. Less ingenuous : SLIER. I prefer the SLYER spelling, but this is accepted as an alternative. I read it as "SLEE-ER" though.

35. __ window : BAY

36. Through : DONE. I'm done. Actually, I'm not through yet, I've still got quite a lot of the write-up to go.

37. Scuttlebutt : HEARSAY

40. Souvenir shop display : T-SHIRTS

42. Farm sound : OINK

43. Farm animal : NAG. An old horse. I don't really associate a nag with a farm animal, but I guess it's fine. I recall that the carthorse Boxer from Orwell's "Animal Farm" became a broken down nag towards the end. It didn't finish well for the horse.

45. Watering hole : OASIS

46. Brimless hat : TAM

50. Steamboat fuel : COAL

52. Inflates, as expenses : PADS

53. Significant time : ERA

56. Eurasian plains : STEPPES

59. ADHD medication : RITALIN

61. Fuzzy fruit or fuzzy bird : KIWI. The fruit doesn't have a lot of flavor, but it makes a nice contrast in a fruit salad or garnish for a dessert.

64. OPEC member : IRAN

65. 2-point G, e.g. : TILE. Scrabble, of course. Wasn't my first thought when I was trying to figure out the clue.

66. Dreadlocks wearer : RASTA

67. Island goose : NENE

68. Zipped : SPED

69. Sp. titles : SRTAS. I just think this is clumsy. Spanish señoritas.

Down:

1. Up to now : AS YET

2. Composer John Cage's "Suite for Toy __" : PIANO. Schroeder from the "Peanuts" strip famously played the toy piano, but he preferred playing Beethoven.

3. Cold cream name : PONDS. This was lurking somewhere in the dim recesses of my mind, I'm not sure why I even knew it at all.

4. Organ with alveoli : LUNG

5. Richard M. Daley and Ed Koch : EX-MAYORS. I liked this one, fresh fill. Daley in Chicago, Koch in New York.

6. Scattered : STREWN

7. Put down a hero : EAT. This one was fun to figure out. A hero sandwich.

8. Corp. head : EXEC. Yeah, I suppose so. More usually the head of a corporation would be the president or CEO.

9. Party poopers : KILLJOYS

10. Elite squad : "A" TEAM

12. Driving company that sounds more like a flying company : AVIS. Now this one bothers me. Is Avis a "driving" company? No, it's a car rental company. If you took a poll on the street to describe Avis, Hertz or Enterprise, "driving company" would be about 1,000th on the list.

13. "Thy love did read by __, that could not spell": "Romeo and Juliet" : ROTE. Friar Lawrence telling Romeo that Rosalind knew very well that Romeo was not truly in love with her.

18. Eastern nurse : AMAH. Known to me only from crosswords.

22. Frozen Wasser : EIS. German lesson for the day.

25. Capture : NAB

27. __ chicken: Jamaican dish : JERK. Food! I love making jerk chicken, I get to chop a whole chicken into about 16 pieces with my bad-ass cleaver. My friend can't watch, she's convinced I'm going to chop my fingers off some day.

28. Floor covering : MAT

30. Start to trust? : ANTI- I liked this one.

31. Fool (with) : MESS

32. Worn out : SHOT

33. "The Last Jedi" general : LEIA. I keep forgetting Princess Leia was a general towards the end of the series of movies. Crosses usually reveal it pretty quickly

36. First antibacterial soap : DIAL. Didn't know this was the first, but it came pretty easily.

38. Confucian text, with "The" : ANALECTS. "Never give a sword to a man who can't dance." I like that one.

"Analects" in Chinese. Seal script at the top, traditional in the middle and simplifed at the bottom.

39. November tuber : YAM. What did the sweet potato say to the turkey at Thanksgiving? "I yam what I yam".

41. Oater belt attachments : HOLSTERS. You need to know that "oater" is an industry slang term for one of the many cowboy movies that flooded out of the Hollywood studios back in the day.

44. Economic fig. : G.N.P. Gross National Product. If recall correctly from my school economics, the total value of goods and services produced by a country.

47. Plant juice : SAP

48. Made : EARNED

49. "With ya so far" : "I DIG"

51. State one's views : OPINE

53. Slasher film setting: Abbr. : ELM ST.

54. Western prop : RIATA. Often clued as "oater prop" but we just had that above.

55. Actresses Gunn and Kendrick : ANNAS. Gunn best known for her role in "Breaking Bad", Kendrick won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for "Up in the the Air".

56. Hide : SKIN

57. Wear out : TIRE

58. Armada unit : SHIP. There must be a minimum number of ships before you can describe the force as an armada, right? 20, 30? There were 130 in the Spanish Armada of 1588. Didn't do them a lot of good, though.

60. Purim month : ADAR

63. Full Sail Amber __ : ALE. Took me a while to see this, and I've even drunk the beer, which is brewed in Oregon.

Well, that about wraps it up for me. Back in Manhattan this week, heading back to LA and hopefully some warm weather tomorrow in time for the weekend. Maybe I'll crack open a bottle of the Amber Ale. Cheers!

Oh, and here's the grid!

Steve

Wednesday, February 28, 2018 Paul Coulter

Theme: CAPITAL IDEAS.  This one is unusual.  Four country names cross the names of their capital cities.  They are arranged in two country-capital pairs, each of which is diagonally symmetrically placed in the grid.  Each country is placed across and each capital is placed down.  Lots of geometric thought went into this arrangement.  Note that the grid symmetry is 180 degree rotation around the central cell - the G of GRIDLOCK. Also, quite a trick finding the places that make this work.

3 D. With 17-Across, where the Duma sits : MOSCOW.
17 A. See 3-Down : RUSSIA.

13 D. With 23-Across, where the Hellenic Parliament sits : ATHENS.
23 A. See 13-Down : GREECE.

42 D. With 52-Across, where the Assembleia Nacional sits : LUANDA.
52 A. See 42-Down : ANGOLA.

45 D. With 58-Across, where Parliament sits : OTTAWA.
58 A. See 45-Down : CANADA.

And the centrally-placed, vertical, grid-spanning unifier -- 7 D. Legislative impasse ... and what occurs at this puzzle's circles? : CAPITAL GRIDLOCK.  Without getting political, this refers to the inability of congress to pass meaningful legislation due to intractable competing interests.  In the puzzle, the crossing of the countries with their capital cities locks both into the grid.  Nicely done.  And a lesson in the spellings of CAPITAL and CAPITOL, for those like me who need it.

Hi Gang, JazzBumpa here. Let's unlock the grid.

Across

1. Fitting the season : TIMELY.  Our daffodils are about 2 inches tall, but the crocuses have yet to make an appearance.

7. Innermost part : CORE.  Of an apple or nuclear reactor, among other things.

11. Gp. known for travelers' checks? : TSA.  The Transportation Safety Administration checks the travelers before they board airplanes.  Clever misdirection.

14. Ancient markets : AGORAE.  In ATHENS.  I wanted a terminal S, but the perps took care of that.

15. Erelong : ANON.  Soon.

16. Bow (out) : OPT.  You can also OPT in.

18. Sullen look : POUT.  Girls in my family, across the generations, have an infamous lower lip pout.

19. "Well, __-di-dah!" : LAH. An expression of derision directed at the pretentious.

20. Nutmeg spice : MACE.  Nutmeg is the ground seed-stone of the nutmeg plant.  MACE is the dried fibers of the surrounding fruit.

21. NY engineering sch. near Albany : RPI.  Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is a private research university and space-grant institution located in Troy, N. Y.  To the best of my knowledge, Helen never matriculated.

25. Enero to enero : ANO.  From January to January is one year in Spain, just like everywhere else.

26. Charcuterie fare : MEAT.  This is a store selling cold cooked MEATs.

27. Tippi of "The Birds" : HEDREN.  Famous Hitchcock movie.

Melanie Griffith's mom, now 88

28. Black bird's call : CAW.  Vide supra.

29. Necessitate : ENTAIL.

31. Goes on and on : GABS.  Blah, blah, blah.

32. Fish often fried : COD.  From the north Atlantic.

33. "The Thin Man" actress : LOY.

Myrna, with co-starWilliam Powell

34. Zeta follower : ETA.  Letters from ATHENS.

35. Pack away : STOW.

37. Ratings for family-friendly films : PGS.  No sax or violins.

38. Rathskeller draft : BIER.   Contents are closely regulated.

39. __ goo gai pan : MOO.   Americanized Chinese cuisine - a stir-fried dish of chicken with button mushrooms and vegetables.

40. Wine-and-cassis drink : KIR.   Cassis is a black current liquer.  KIR is a measure of cassis topped up with white wine, usually drunk as an apéritif.

41. Cooped-up female : HEN.   Chicken lady.

42. Break in the action : LULL.  Time out.

43. 20 Questions category : ANIMAL.  Along with vegetable and mineral.  One of my long ago colleagues, a PHD physicist, chose something he claimed as vegetable, and nobody could suss it.  Turned out to be crude oil.

45. Food scrap : ORT.  Crossword fodder.

48. More unsightly : UGLIER.

50. Minor body-shop job : DENT.

51. Lipton product : TEA.  I happen to be sipping a mug of Twinings Earl Grey at the moment.

53. Inc., in London : LTD.  Designations for a limited liability corporation.

54. Wild guess : STAB.  Shot in the dark.

55. Class-conscious org.? : The National Education Association is a professional organization for teachers and support personnel.  Another misdirection.

56. Bouncing effect : ECHO.

60. "Spring forward" letters : DST.  Daylight Savings Time.

61. À la mode : CHIC.  Per the current fashion, rather than served with ice cream.  Will be passé in no time.

Is this chick a la mode?

62. Confessor : AVOWER.  I knew to avow meant to assert.  Didn't know it also meant to confess.  Learning moment.

63. Enzyme suffix : -ASE.   An enzyme is a large molecule that aids chemical reactions in biochemistry.

64. Watch word? : TICK.  It's companion is TOCK.

65. Word on a lost-dog poster : REWARD.

Down

1. Airport surface : TARMAC.  Pavement, generally made from tar and crushed rock.

2. Galápagos lizard : IGUANA.  A large arboreal lizard native to Central and South America.  Be careful in Florida.

4. Hebrides language : ERSE.  Scottish Gaelic.

5. French narrative poem : LAI.  A rhyming, counted-syllable form.

6. Like closing financial reports :  YEAR END.

8. "Oh Yoko!" dedicatee : ONO.  Japanese mulimedia artist and activist, best known as John Lennon's second wife.

9. Or so : ROUGHLY.  An approximation.

10. __ nous : ENTRE.  Just between us,

11. Stand : TOLERATE.  Put up with.

12. Long key : SPACEBAR.  On your keyboard.

22. Bit of butter : PAT.  A non-specific rather small quantity, so-called because fancy restaurants would pat butter into a mold to give it a decorative shape, such as a flower.

24. Enter cautiously : EDGE IN.

26. Cat call : MEOW.

30. Platform for Siri : IOS.  Operating system for Apple branded mobile devices.

32. "Cookin' With __": rapper/chef's web show : COOLIO.  Artis Leon Ivey Jr. (born 1963) is an American rapper, actor, chef, and record producer.

35. Overconfidence : SMUGNESS.  More like excessive pride.

36. Bridge entrance structure : TOLL GATE.  Only if it's a bridge that requires that a toll be paid.

37. ATM code : PIN.  Personal Identification Number.

38. One-swallow drink : BELT. Slug, gulp.

40. Pakistani port : KARACHI.  The CAPITAL of Sindh Province and, with 21.1 million residents, the most populous city in the country, and also a major industrial and financial center.

41. Railroad maintenance vehicle : HAND CAR.

44. Bumped into : MET.

46. Library patron : READER.

47. "The Canterbury Tales" inn : TABARD.  This is a real place, established in 1307, that was often used by pilgrims on the way to Canterbury.  Also the name of a peanut-shell-strewn tavern, back in the day, just down the road from my alma mater.

49. Campaign poster word : ELECT.  Vote for me!

54. White flakes : SNOW.  Winter is going.

57. Hawaiian Punch alternative : HI-C.  A fruit juice flavored drink made by the Minute-Maid division of the Coca-Cola Company.

59. Hail, to Caesar : AVE.  Latin word of greeting.

That's it for another Wednesday.  Hope you were able to work through it.

Cool regards!
JzB

Tuesday, February 27, 2018 ~ Jake Halperin

Theme: Synonym Toast - The ends of the theme words are loose synonyms for business.

17. Regularly go out (with): KEEP COMPANY

23. Getup for Woody of "Toy Story": COWBOY OUTFIT

38. What "2 + 2 = 4" is an example of: BINARY OPERATION

50. Preferred way of doing things: BEST PRACTICE

61. Front part of a hand tool, say ... and the last word of 17-, 23-, 38- and 50-Across?: BUSINESS END (i.e., the chain on a chain saw is the business end.)

Argyle here with what I thought was one of the toughest Tuesdays we've had in awhile. YMMV

Across:

1. Actress Swenson: INGA. I remember her from Gretchen Kraus, Benson, ABC, 1979-86.

5. Pops out, as a DVD: EJECTS

11. White lie: FIB

14. "Little" Dickens girl: NELL. The Old Curiosity Shop is a Dickens' novel.

15. Golf goof: MISHIT

16. Mined metal: ORE

19. Old horse: NAG

20. Rip off: STEAL

21. URL suffix for charities: .ORG

22. __ time: never: AT NO

27. Like some consonants, as the nasal "n": PALATAL

30. Actress de Matteo: DREA. Andrea Donna "Drea" de Matteo is an American actress, known for her role as Angie Bolen on ABC's "Desperate Housewives".

31. Press into service: USE

32. Invalidate: VOID

35. "The Lion King" lion: SIMBA. Simba was inspired by Disney's "Bambi ".

42. "Say cheese!": "SMILE!"

43. Spreadsheet info: DATA

44. Baton Rouge sch.: LSU. (Louisiana State University)

45. Unlikely to throw dirty clothes on the floor: NEAT. 2-Down. Old hair-removal brand: NEET

47. Word after systems or psycho: ANALYST

54. "__ girl!": ATTA

55. __Kosh B'gosh: OSH. (children's apparel)

56. Listless feeling: ENNUI

60. Old electrical unit: MHO. Reverse of OHM.

64. Emeril exclamation: "BAM!"

65. Tarzan and others: APEMEN

66. Like villains: EVIL

67. Having five sharps, musically: IN B

68. Creates anew, as a password: RESETS

69. Alluring: SEXY

Down:

1. Color printer refills: INKs

3. TV show about a high school choir: "GLEE"

4. Llama-like mammal: ALPACA

Da Ya Think I'm Sexy

5. Expressive punk genre: EMO

6. Good name for a phys ed teacher?: JIM

7. Finland's second-largest city: ESPOO. FYI, West of Finland's largest city, Helsinki.

8. Careful: CHARY

9. Overbearing leader: TIN GOD

10. Messy room: STY

11. Group of related typefaces: FONT FAMILY

12. Tehran native: IRANI

13. Fathered, in the Bible: BEGOT

18. Congeal: CLOT

22. Accepted the loss, financially: ATE IT

24. Like permed hair: WAVY

25. "True __": HBO vampire series: BLOOD. I don't have HBO.

26. Constellation bear: URSA

27. Watering holes: PUBS. 61-Down. Watering hole: BAR Clecho.

28. "Sure __ standing here ... ": AS I'M

29. Shrine in Moscow's Red Square: LENIN'S TOMB

33. Hoppy beer, for short: IPA. (India pale ale)

34. Coup __: D'ÉTAT. Literally meaning a "stroke of state" or "blow against the state".

36. Big cheese: BOSS

37. "Sometimes you feel like __ ... ": classic candy jingle: A NUT

39. "Prince Valiant" queen: ALETA

40. Bring in: REAP

41. Hindu princess: RANI

46. Traveling acting band: TROUPE

48. Half of all blackjacks: ACEs

49. Contact __: LENSES

50. Disney deer: BAMBI

51. Filmmaker Coen: ETHAN

52. Pack animals: ASSES

53. Bell tower sound: CHIME

57. Campbell of "Scream": NEVE. Also of "Mad Men"

58. Windows alternative: UNIX

59. In a lazy way: IDLY

62. Earn after taxes: NET

63. Naval rank: Abbr.: ENS. (Ensign )

I'll leave you with this Queen parable.

Argyle

Monday, February 26, 2018 ~ Robert E. Lee Morris

Theme: No Politics - Theme word can be to the right of the target word(center).

17A. School group excursion: FIELD TRIP. Center Field.(baseball)

31A. First single by a rapper to reach #1 on the Billboard Hot 100: "ICE ICE BABY". Center Ice.(hockey)

36A. Somewhat conservative, politically ... and where the first word of 17-, 31-, 43- and 60-Across can literally be found: RIGHT OF CENTER

43A. Economize: CUT CORNERS. Center cut.(meat)

60A. Actor's pseudonym: STAGE NAME. Center Stage(theater)

Argyle here in the middle which happens to be where the reveal is.

Across:

1. Perp chaser: COP

4. "E pluribus unum" language: LATIN

9. Agreement to stop fighting: TRUCE

14. Tycoon Onassis, familiarly: ARI. Aristotle Onassis, second husband of "Jackie" Kennedy.

15. Enticing smell: AROMA

16. Steam, e.g.: VAPOR

19. Santa __ racetrack: ANITA

20. Absolute: TOTAL

21. Ad infinitum: NO END

23. Oakland's county: ALAMEDA

26. WWII craft: LST. (Landing Ship, Tank)

27. Prime rib au __: JUS. Prime rib with its own natural juices from cooking.

30. Costner's "The Untouchables" role: NESS. Kevin Costner/Eliot Ness.

34. Feudal drudge: SERF

35. In the altogether: NAKED

41. Pink cocktail, for short: COSMO

Cosmopolitan

42. Greek "i": IOTA

46. __ Linda, Calif.: LOMA. (Spanish for "beautiful hill")

50. Vintage auto: REO

51. Earl Grey, for one: TEA

52. Optometrist's test: EYE EXAM

54. Infant in a crèche: JESUS

56. Railroad in Monopoly: B AND O

57. Continuous humming sound: THRUM

63. Reeves of "Bill & Ted" films: KEANU

Wyld Stallyns 

64. More than ready: EAGER

65. Civil War soldier: REB. A subtle SO to our constructor?

66. Winning: ON TOP

67. Operative: AGENT

68. Evidence on "CSI": DNA. (Crime Scene Investigation/DeoxyriboNucleic Acid)

Down:

1. Lounging robe: CAFTAN

2. Baltimore bird: ORIOLE. The Baltimore Orioles are in the same division as 6-Down. Canadian A.L. East team: TOR. The Toronto Blue Jays.

3. Michelangelo sculptures: PIETÀs. He was working on this Pietà when he died.

4. Soup scoop: LADLE

5. Singer Garfunkel: ART. Did You Know: Despite being a native New Yorker, Garfunkel is a lifelong Philadelphia Phillies fan.

7. "You can count on me!": "I'M IN!"

8. Seaport in Italia: NAPOLI. (Naples)

9. "Rabbit ears" on an RCA cabinet, back in the day: TV ANTENNA

10. Mapmaker __ McNally: RAND

11. News org. since 1958: UPI. (United Press International)

12. Camper's snoozing spot: COT

13. Pitcher's stat: ERA. (Earned Run Average)

18. Hightails it: LAMS

22. Upper-left PC key: ESC. (escape)

24. Lose weight: DIET

25. Prefix for phobia meaning "height": ACRO. Acrophobia.

27. One of the Blues Brothers: JAKE. John Belushi was "Joliet" Jake Blues. Dan Aykroyd was Elwood Blues.

28. Ride for hire: UBER

29. Pink Floyd guitarist Barrett: SYD. Song originally written by Syd as a teen during the height of Bob Dylan mania in Europe (pre-Pink Floyd).

32. Jennifer Hudson's "Dreamgirls" role: EFFIE

33. Slugger's club: BAT

34. Typical Western: SHOOT 'EM UP

36. Don Juan: ROUE

37. Analogy words: IS TO

38. Yukon automaker: GMC. ((General Motors Truck Company))

39. Apple throwaway: CORE

40. Craftsy website: ETSY. Link

41. "Lookin' Out My Back Door" band, initially: CCR. (Creedence Clearwater Revival)

44. High-__ graphics: RES. High Resolution.

45. Queasy feeling: NAUSEA

46. Like unfatty meat: LEAN

47. Ventura County's largest city: OXNARD. Henry Oxnard ... intended to name the settlement after the Greek word for "sugar", zachari, but frustrated by bureaucracy, named it after himself.(1897) History

48. Lunatics: MAD MEN

49. Single-celled organism: AMOEBA

53. Film critic Roger: EBERT

54. Jupiter's wife: JUNO. Roman deities.

55. Guys-only: STAG

57. Boxing outcome, for short: TKO. (Technical KnockOut)

58. Farm clucker: HEN

59. Stool pigeon: RAT

61. Cake candle count: AGE

62. Mil. bigwig: GEN. (general)

Did it seem like a baseball sub-theme to you? Think I'll sit and look out my back door.

Argyle

Sunday Feb 25, 2018 Jeffrey Wechsler

Theme: "Kinda Sorta" - ISH is added to each theme entry.

23A. Snow in southwest England? : CORNISH FLAKES. Corn flakes.

36A. Golf-loving priest's dream? : PARISH FOR THE COURSE. Par for the course.

48A. Pastry with a metallic taste? : STEELY DANISH. Steely Dan.

66A. Result of certain radar screens conking out? : WEATHER VANISHES. Weather vanes.

  

86A. Media outlet in Pennsylvania Dutch country? : AMISH FM RADIO. AM/FM radio.

94A. General-use gesture? : ALL-PURPOSE FLOURISH. All-purpose flour.

112A. Cause of an origami flaw? : FOLDING MISHAP. Folding map.

Three first word changes. Four second word changes. No odd man out.

The new words and the old words share no root. Jeffrey is truly the master of letter addition theme.

Across:     
 
1. JFK's 109 : PT BOAT

7. Gives in : BENDS

12. Egg white protein : ALBUMIN

19. Ronzoni rival : BARILLA. Here in Minnesota, Creamette is very popular.

20. Open, as an aspirin bottle : UNCAP

21. Quarters and halves : COINAGE

22. It's often written in stone : EPITAPH. Headstone.

25. Snack : EAT. Verb.

26. Hayseeds : HICKS

28. Salad bar container : CRUET

29. EKGs may be done in them : ERs. Also 83. CPR provider : EMT. Also 99. Source of brain research data: Abbr. : EEG

30. Nice : PLEASANT. Like our regulars on the blog. You guys are the best!

33. Waikiki wreaths : LEIS

34. Rte. finder : GPS

43. Cal. locale of the Latino Walk of Fame : EAST LA. Guessable.

46. Bottom-row key : ALT

47. Fixed : IMMOBILE 

52. Steamed : MAD

53. Boodles, for one : GIN. Learning moment for me.

54. Renaissance painter della Francesca : PIERO. Forgot. We had him before.

55. Auto body problem : RUST

56. Eye layer : UVEA

59. "Gracious!" : OH MY

60. Since Jan. 1, in accounting : YTD

61. Start of many a riddle : WHAT

63. Ben Gurion carrier : EL AL. Don't know how Steve puts up with the constant flying hassles.

64. Freight unit : CRATE

70. Ski resort aids : T-BARS

72. Mishmash : OLIO

73. "M*A*S*H" roller : JEEP. Here is a Chinese military jeep.

74. Dec. setting in Denver : MST

77. Lea sounds : BAAS

78. Rum-and-water drink : GROG

79. Tusker hunted as game : BOAR

81. Hostile calls : HOOTS
 
84. Brazilian map word : SAO

89. '90s golf club-making innovation : TITANIUM. Boomer bought a Big Bertha at the 2nd Swing a few years ago. I don't remember the LOFT (13. It's measured in degrees for golf clubs).

92. Coughing, perhaps : ILL. Try Robitussin cough drop. It worked for me. Such a tough flu.

93. Provides fare for : CATERS

100. Unresponsive (to) : DEAF

101. Like delicate fabric : FINE-SPUN. My childhood clothes were all made from the cloths my grandma wove. Rough fiber.

105. The Jungfrau, e.g. : ALP

107. Makeup malfunction : SMEAR

109. Take as one's own : CO-OPT

111. Binary code basic : ONE
  
116. "Just like us!" : SO ARE WE

119. Genteel café relative : TEA ROOM. Now I'm like Abejo. I bring my own loose jasmine tea with me.

120. Conclude : CEASE

121. Feeling guilty : ASHAMED

122. Charming small-town street array : AWNINGS

123. Old lab heaters : ETNAs

124. Became less hostile : THAWED

Down:

1. Like decrees from Francis : PAPAL

2. Overused : TRITE

3. It might come from the horse's mouth : BIT

4. Portuguese hi : OLA. No suffix today.

5. Nuclear decay emission : ALPHA RAY. Got via crosses.

6. Sesame seed paste : TAHINI. You can get it at Trade Joe's.

7. Rudolph's dad, e.g. : BUCK. Oh, the reindeer.

8. Baseball Hall of Famer Slaughter : ENOS

9. ATM maker : NCR

10. See 51-Down : DANCER. And 51. With 10-Down, Waikiki entertainer : HULA

11. Scrooge visitor : SPIRIT

12. Flu symptom : ACHE
 
14. Fed. budget unit : BIL. We also have 79D. Tell what's due : BILL and 27D. Small change: Abbr. : CTS

15. Merkel of "Destry Rides Again" : UNA

16. Fixes : MAKES RIGHT. Sparkling fill.

17. Eisner's successor at Disney : IGER

18. Fabled loch : NESS

19. Attraction for a cartoon coyote : BEEP

24. Dish using seaweed : SUSHI. I'll tackle the eel roll first.

31. More to the point : APTER

32. Less healthy-looking : SALLOWER

33. Auction array : LOTS

34. "I approve" : GOOD

35. Stout server : PUB

37. Pediatrician Asperger : HANS. I did not know his given name.

38. Move like a moth : FLIT

39. Poet Lazarus : EMMA

40. Entertainer of the Year org. : CMA. Garth Brooks is a multiple winner.

41. Muck : SLIME

42. Child's counting word : EENY

43. Notice : ESPY

44. Feuding : AT IT

45. Acorn, functionally : SEED

49. "Phooey!" : DRAT

50. Name on a spine : AUTHOR. Book spine.
  
57. Mayflower roller : VAN

58. Prophet associated with Passover : ELIJAH

59. Western alliance: Abbr. : OAS (Organization of American States)

62. Is down with : HAS

63. Bolivian president Morales : EVO. Since 2006. Wiki says he is "widely regarded as the country's first president to come from the indigenous population".

64. Role in "Evita" : CHE

65. Put another way : REPHRASE

66. Existed : WAS

67. Symphonic rock gp. : ELO

68. European capital on its own gulf : RIGA. Also 80. European capital : OSLO
 
69. Feudal peasant : SERF

70. Sri Lankan people : TAMIL

71. Armed forces strategy : BATTLE PLAN. Another great fill.
 
74. Manner : MODE

75. Commotion : STIR

76. General __ chicken : TSO'S

77. Head of Byzantium? : BETA. Just the first letter.

78. Rise : GO UP

82. Court declarations : OATHS
 
84. Warm and comfy : SNUG
 
85. "The __ bites shrewdly; it is very cold": Hamlet : AIR

87. Annoy : MIFF

88. Eponymous apple grower : MCINTOSH
 
90. Mimic : APE

91. Web surfing tool : MODEM
 
95. North Atlantic navigation worry : SEA ICE

96. Part of a telemarketer's gear : EAR SET. I just call it earphone.

97. "The X-Files" sighting : UFO
 
98. Attacks, as a wrapped gift : RIPS AT

102. Vichy verse : POEME. Also a Lancome fragrance.

103. Matchless? : UNWED. Ha ha.

104. Requirement : NEED

105. Aqua Velva alternative : AFTA
 
106. Movie mogul Marcus : LOEW. See also 108. Theaters associated with 106-Down: MGMS

107. Neck, in Nottingham : SNOG

109. Acapulco abode : CASA

110. Unlocks, in verse : OPES

113. Wash'n __ towelettes : DRI

114. Charged thing : ION

115. Dynasty after the Qin : HAN. Zhou, Qin, Han, Tang are four dynasties whose capital was Xi'an. Most of you know how I got my Mandarin name Zhouqin.

117. "Eureka!" : AHA

118. Cold and rainy : RAW

The 41st American Crossword Puzzle Tournament (March 23-25, 2018) will be held at the Stamford Marriott in Stamford, Connecticut. For those who attend, don't miss the Cru Dinner organized by the great Mike Alpern.

The Cru Dinner officially kicks off the tournament and is a great opportunity to meet with constructors and fellow solvers. Our own Jeffrey Wechsler stopped by there last year. He's been ACPT judge for a few years.

The space is limited, so be sure to contact with Mike (alpernm@aol.com) as soon as possible.

C.C.