Friday, March 8, 2019, David Alfred Bywaters

Title: G that was a cute puzzle!

DAB is back with our second week in a row with an add a letter to the end of a phrase to create a new and fun phrase theme. He adds a really perfect reveal. You are directed to reparse ENDING into three parts - END IN G. As with all of his work, we get a variety of topics and some easy and some hard fill. He gave me lots of opportunities to link music so I had extra fun. Speaking of which, there were many 3 and 4 letter fill but lots of excitement with DELIGHT, OFF GRID, PERSONA, PRESETS, REMARKS, SARONGS, OBAMA CARE  and PAVAROTTI.

18A. Didn't just knock?: ALSO RANG (8). Logical and for me, revealed the theme immediately.

29A. Barbecue dinner followed by dyspepsia?: RACK AND RUING (12). My favorite, as I see people suffering after bbq.

49A. Part for a robot vampire?: ELECTRIC FANG (12). Very cute image of the vampire. 

62A. Eagerly excited for an extended period of time?: LONG AGOG (8). Is AGOG an A word?

73A. Conclusion ... or, in three parts, what four answers in this puzzle unexpectedly do: ENDING.(6).

Time for the rest

Across:

1. Fencing needs: SWORDS. Did anyone think PANELS?

7. Soup holder: POT. Where you cook it, not serve it.

10. Web creation: SITE.

14. "Amen": SO BE IT. Another interesting array of letters. I am surprised we do not see this more.

15. Complement for a tango: TWO. The SAYING. The song...

16. Sharp: ACID. Like a tongue.

17. Fill with love: ENAMOR.

20. Like a male lion: MANED. A typical Friday stretch, correct but who uses it?

22. Housecleaning aid: SPONGE. This needed perps, there are so many.

23. Arctic trout: CHAR. Interesting not only this fish but a house cleaner in Britain.

25. Completely erase: WIPE. Interesting, not only what you do when you sell your phone, but one of the things you do with a sponge.

28. PC key above Shift: ENTER. Not CAPS LOCK.

32. Audibly amazed: AGASP.

33. Period: ERA.

34. Bad Ems and Marienbad, for two: SPAS. I knew MARIENBAD, (actually, it is Czech) but I never heard of BAD EMS.

38. Animal protection agent: FUR.

39. Public face: PERSONA. This from the Latin word - an individual's social facade.

43. Muhammad's son-in-law: ALI. He married Fatima. This is RELIGION but educational.

44. Ready to drive: TEED. I think you really need "UP" but it is a Friday.

46. Contend: VIE.

47. Trailer follower: MOVIE.

53. Prop for a Tell skit: APPLE. William Tell that is.

56. Label caveat: AS IS.

57. Wandering the range, say: FREE.

58. Thinking things: BRAINS.

60. Game with 25 squares: BINGO. I call Bingo for a 13 week winter season at our condo when the snowbirds are in town. Come on by, we have fun. I play Pat and Oo is Vanna.

65. Containing more lemon: TARTER.

68. O.T. book after Neh.: ESTH.er. Purim is coming.

69. Pedi pinkie: TOE.

70. French teacher: MAÎTRE. If you remember Zazie's French lesson, the circonflexe becomes an "S" giving us MASTER.

71. Remainder: REST.

72. "I think my love as rare / As any __ belied by false compare": Shak.: SHE. Another Friday Will S. This time a Sonnet. 130.


Down:

1. Memphis-to-Mobile dir.: SSE.

2. Outplayed an opponent: WON.

3. 2010 health statute, informally: OBAMACARE.

4. They may be nasty: REMARKS. Yes, they may, especially on Fridays.

5. Belmonts frontman: DION. From my childhood.

6. Thrown around: STREWN. Old English strewian, streowian "to scatter," from Proto-Germanic *strawjan- (source also of Old Frisian strewa, Old Saxon strowian, Old Norse stra, Danish strø, Swedish strö, Middle Dutch strowen, Dutch strooien, Old High German strouwen, German streuen, Gothic straujan "to sprinkle, strew"), from suffixed form of PIE root *stere- "to spread." Related: Strewed; strewn; strewing. I like this word.

7. School org.: PTA.

8. Hogwarts mail carrier: OWL.

9. Discard: TOSS.

10. Simple island garments: SARONGS. This will always be my image of a sarong.

11. "__ even!": I CAN'T. Valley speak.

12. Bit of color: TINGE.

13. Landscaping tool: EDGER.

19. Taking customers: OPEN. For business.

21. Completed: DID.

23. Boat, or the building of one: CRAFT.

24. World Court site, with "The": HAGUE. All that you need to KNOW.

26. Car stereo conveniences: PRESETS.

27. Continental currency: EURO.

30. Dictionary on a phone, say: APP.

31. Scottish John: IAN.

35. "King of the High C's": PAVAROTTI. A publicist long ago gave Luciano Pavarotti the sobriquet King of the High C’s, for his remarkable ability to hit and sing the heck out of one of the highest notes of the tenor voice. NYT

36. Dress style: A-LINE. A bit of the history. LINK.

37. "Iliad" topic: SIEGE. This was perps. The PLOT.

40. Party time: EVE.

41. Costa __: RICA. I have a friend who always says Costa Rico. I go crazy.

42. "Preacher" airer: AMC. No longer its original American Movie Classics name, this channel creates original TV programs like this one based on a DC Comic Book. Seth Rogen is one of the writers. LINK.

45. Gladden: DELIGHT.

48. Independent of public utilities: OFF GRID. Very important to SURVIVALISTS.

50. Singer Horne: LENA. A wonderful talent.

51. Tease: RIB.

52. Self-reflective thought: IS IT ME?

53. Not so ham-handed: ABLER. Ham-handed is such an old phrase; do you all know it?

54. Verse alternative: PROSE. Here we get both, with OKL starting off most days.

55. Slacks: PANTS.

59. PD ranks: SGTS. Police Departments.

61. Bread with tikka masala: NAAN.

63. "That's amazing!": OOH.

64. "That's interesting": GEE. A little tongue in the cheek fill from DAB to amuse himself about the theme.

66. Fish-eating bird: ERN. There are many fish-eating birds.

67. Brief rule?: REG.ulation.

We march inexorably to Spring, and once again DAB entertained us along the way. Hope you enjoyed. Lemonade out (somewhat frazzled).

Thursday, March 7th 2019 Gary Larson

Theme: The Great Divide - four rows of the puzzle contain theme words divided by the black squares, as the reveal tells us what to look for:

61A. #3 on Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time (as of 2016) ... and a hint to what the black squares are doing in four rows of this puzzle: BREAKING BAD

Firstly ...

17A. Teacher on call: SUB. Our friend Husker Gary knows all about this.

18A. John D. Rockefeller's company: STANDARD OIL

... followed by ...

23A. Record: ENTER

24A. Umbrella part: RIB

26A. Grace word: BLESS

... also ...

38A. Woodland goat-man: FAUN. Be careful doing an image search for this, you might get more than you bargained for.

41A. Arraignment answers: PLEAS

42A. Kitchen pests: ANTS

... and finally

52A. Calf-length skirts: MIDIS

53A. 61-Across kingpin __ Fring: GUS. Cross-referencing the reveal, nicely done.

56A. Subtle shade: TINGE

Well, I liked the theme, one of those which doesn't become apparent until you've filled most of the grid and read the reveal. I did think the reveal was clued in a really clunky way "... (as of 2016)" - surely there's a cleaner and more elegant way to refer to the show rather han a clue which is date-specific.

I watched the first few episodes of the show and got bored with it, I know it garnered all kinds of awards and critical acclaim, but it just didn't grab me.

A couple of clunkers/obscurities in the fill, but mostly OK. Let's take a tour.

Across:

1. Cleared (of): RID

4. Tote bag material: CANVAS

10. Down-to-earth: REAL

14. Chemical suffix: -IDE

15. Even though: ALBEIT. I think this was my word-of-the-day, there's something very satisfying about it.

16. Wrinkly hybrid fruit: UGLI. Also known as a Jamaican tangelo. Ugli is a proprietary name, which really is a play on the word "ugly". It's a grapefruit/tangerine hybrid.

20. Cutlery collection: KNIFE SET

22. Moo __ gai pan: GOO. Food! A stir-fry with chicken and veggies.

30. Bilingual "Sesame Street" Muppet: ROSITA. I didn't know this, but it seemed reasonable that it would be a latino or latina name. I had ROS- in place, and the rest came naturally.

32. Bath sponges: LOOFAHS

34. Most babbling: GASSIEST. Really?

37. Bunk: ROT

43. Racing Unsers: ALS. Al Unser Sr, and, very inventively, Al Unser Jr. Of course, there's a III as well.

44. Preparation period: LEAD TIME

46. German mathematician Bernhard: RIEMANN. Who? I was terrible at math in school, so I never came across this gentleman.

48. Softening: EASING

57. Glass lip: RIM

59. Speed trap equipment: RADAR GUN

65. Check out: EYE

66. "Star Trek" race: BORG

67. Mariner's patron: ST ELMO. He of the fire. He likes to mess with airplanes as well as ship's masts:

68. __ Lingus: AER. The Irish national carrier.

69. Pineapple center: CORE

70. "Mercy me!": OH DEAR!

71. Genetic material: RNA. -NA and wait for the cross.

Down:

1. One who agrees to a dare: RISKER. Yuk. "You risker, you!" said no-one, ever.

2. "Got me": I DUNNO

3. Ledger entries: DEBITS

4. Italian city whose Royal Palace has been used as a set in two "Star Wars" films: CASERTA. I'd never heard of it. 76,000 people live there though, so at least they've heard of it. It also hosted the Eurobasket basketball tourney in 1969, so that's a righteous claim to fame. The palace is big though, it looks like all 76,000 residents could live in it and they could host the tournament in the driveway.

5. Hgts.: ALTS. That's an abbreviation for "heights", apparently, so "altitudes" is the answer. I'd be interested in anyone coming up with an example of Hgts or Alts being used. Washington Hgts or other place names don't count

6. Net or Knick: NBAER. Basketball player, although some fans of those teams might grumble that their players don't play basketball of much quality. They'd probably have done OK at Eurobasket in 1969 though.

7. Starbucks order: VENTI. I can never remember the sizes in Starbucks. I just go for small, medium and large. They seem to understand what I'm looking for.

8. Give a leg up: AID
.
9. Antlered animal: STAG

10. Ballet great Nureyev: RUDOLF

11. Psychoanalysis subject: EGO

12. Actor Mahershala __: ALI. Talented dude. Two Oscars, a slew of other awards and a studio rap album to boot. I'm catching up with "House of Cards" on NetFlix, he has a big role in the show.

13. Rapper __ Jon: LIL' Two rappers in close proximity.

19. High-tech worker: ROBOT

21. Affect: FEIGN

25. Pasture cry: BLEAT

27. Pull down: EARN

28. Opportunity: SHOT

29. Former Air France jets: SSTS. The supersonic Concorde. British Airways had them too, part of a joint venture between the British and French governments. When BA retired their fleet, Richard Branson tried to buy them for Virgin, but BA refused to sell. Odd, considering they didn't pay for them in the first place, the taxpayers did. Branson was livid.

31. Colorado snowboarding mecca: ASPEN

33. "Cotton Comes to Harlem" director Davis: OSSIE

35. Urban Dictionary content: SLANG. You come across some very weird things in there. Much like searching for "faun".

36. Iraq War weapon: Abbr.: I.E.D. Improvised Explosive Device. Usually a roadside bomb triggered underneath vehicles in a convoy in that conflict.

38. One to grow on: FARM

39. Et __: and others: ALII. I had ALIA first, I'm not sure I'll ever know whether to use ALII, ALIAE or ALIA. The first is masculine, the second feminine, and the third neuter. In this clue context, "others" would refer to masculine things. Gender-specific languages really make things difficult!

40. Hand-me-down: USED

42. Group at Asgard: AESIR. Not really, the AE is a diphthong or ligature - it's a single letter, Æ. Anyway, the æsir are a group of gods in Norse religion who reside at Asgard.

44. Cornea-reshaping surgery: LASIK. I can never remember which is which between lasik and lasix, the anti-asthma drug given to racehorses, so I wait for the cross.

45. One facing charges?: MATADOR. Nice clue.

47. Desert illusion: MIRAGE

49. Ready to roll: IN GEAR

50. Vietnamese-American poker star Scotty: NGUYEN. Never heard of him, but with the G and Y in place it was an easy guess.

51. Biological subdivisions: GENERA

54. Implored: URGED

55. Black: SABLE

58. Japanese soup: MISO

60. Lady of Spain: DAMA

61. Eng. channel: B.B.C. The state broadcaster in the UK, affectionately known as "the Beeb" or "Auntie".

62. Pal of Piglet: ROO. The Ashdown Forest, the real-life home of the Hundred Acre Wood, was scorched by wildfires recently. The temperatures in the UK reached 70F in February. What climate change?

63. Goof up: ERR

64. Extreme: NTH

Here's the grid, with the theme words highlighted in fetching pale yellow. And with that, I think I'm done!

Steve

Note from C.C.:

As a few solvers noticed, there's an extra B in TERRIBLE. Rich Norris, editor for our L.A. Times Daily Crossword editor, apologized for the mistake.

Rich has fixed the mistake. Please click here for the puz file. Here for the PDF.  Below is the new Answer Grid.

 

Wednesday, March 5 2019, Roland Huget

Theme: Three Sheets to the Wind

17. It may require a permission slip: SCHOOL EVENT.

27. Nearly one-third of Africa: SAHARA DESERT.

43. Gathering with much networking: SCHMOOZEFEST.

57. Table with columns, and what literally can be found in 17-, 27- and 43-Across: SPREADSHEET.

The word SHEET is S-P-R-E-A-D across each theme answer. Added and impressive bonus that each answer begins with S and ends with T. Constructors must be always thinking of theme ideas. I am in awe of their creativity.

Melissa here. When I flew out to my daughter's last Thursday our power had just been restored following a freak snowstorm, and we had to shovel the driveway to get out. I returned last night and there's still snow everywhere but roads are clear and most everyone has power again. Some were without for a full week. It reminds me how spoiled I am, so accustomed to modern conveniences.

Across:

1. Nurse Barton: CLARA. She founded the Red Cross.

6. Work with a libretto: OPERA. Sneaky - noun, not verb.

11. Capture: BAG.

14. Spring for a drink?: OASIS.

15. Piece of info: DATUM.

16. "What __ the odds?": ARE.

19. "Narcos" org.: DEA.

20. First encounter in a romcom: MEET CUTE. I had not heard this term before. Wikipedia: "In film and television, a meet cute is a scene in which the two people who will form a future romantic couple meet for the first time. This type of scene is a staple of romantic comedies." At right is from You've Got Mail. I may be the last person to have seen the newest movie version of A Star is Born, which contains a meet cute that sets the tone for the relationship between Jackson and Ally. I love the stripped down look of Lady Gaga. The encore version with 12 extra minutes is in theaters for only one week, beginning March 1st. So good.

21. Open, as a gate latch: UNBAR. Interesting discussion here regarding castle gates. About halfway down are four pictures of real castle gates, and some points about barred gate doors.

23. Pigs out (on), briefly: ODS. Overdoses.

24. Believer's suffix: IST. Buddhist.

25. General sense: TENOR.

31. Roadside business: MOTEL. Motels differ from hotels in that they have fewer rooms, are typically one or two levels, and guests access their rooms from outside rather than a corridor.

34. Decorating job on "Cake Boss": ICER.

35. Coin-op gas station machine output: AIR. No free air any more.

36. Grand-scale production: EPIC.

37. Extra feature: ADD-ON.

39. "And your point is?": OK, SO?

40. Drumstick: LEG.

41. Guys-only party: STAG. Stag vs. Buck.

42. Let up: EASED.

47. Neutral shade: TAUPE.

48. __Clean: stain remover: OXI.

49. Tarzan raiser: APE. My daughter's baby shower last Saturday included a game to match Disney characters with their parents. I now know that Tarzan's (adoptive) mother was an ape named Kala. They have their own meet cute.

52. Razor sharpener: STROP.

54. Time-out: BREATHER.

56. Seek the affections of: WOO. I like this word.

60. Rock concert need: AMP. Short for amplifier.

61. Angel who directs Satan to Earth in "Paradise Lost": URIEL.

62. Speak formally: ORATE.

63. "__-haw!": YEE.

64. Diver's gem: PEARL.

65. Renoir subjects: NUDES.

Down:

1. Pink drink, for short: COSMO.

2. Tied, as sneakers: LACED.

3. Volcanic particles: ASHES.

4. Real hoot: RIOT.

5. Hardly gregarious: ASOCIAL.

6. One-named folk singer: ODETTA.

7. Make car-friendly: PAVE.

8. Saison that starts in juin: ETE. French for Summer. Wiktionary.

9. Diamond score: RUN. Baseball.

10. Radio component: AM TUNER.

11. Instances of rotten luck: BAD BREAKS.

12. Carpet calculation: AREA.

13. PRNDL selection: GEAR. Park, Reverse, Neutral, Drive, Low.

18. Like rainforests: LUSH.

22. Turndowns: NOS.

25. Tex-Mex snack: TACO. Tex Mex vs. Mexican food.

26. Genesis place: EDEN.

27. Jiffy: SEC.

28. Blue __ Mountains: RIDGE. I heard John Denver's Country Road lyrics in my head. If Only John Denver Had a Map.

29. Prepare to sing an anthem: RISE.

30. Stepped (on): TROD.

31. "Alice" diner: MELS. Interesting facts about the movie and spinoff tv series.

32. Oil org.: OPEC. Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries

33. Metaphor for a precarious course: TIGHTROPE.

37. Surmounting: ATOP.

38. Bewildered state: DAZE.

39. Granola bar morsel: OAT.

41. Makes more powerful: SOUPS UP. I always thought of this phrase as enhancing the appearance, but most definitions I found lead with increasing power.

42. Co-host of the sports radio show "Boomer and Gio": ESIASON. Was not aware of this show.

44. Chinese chairman: MAO.

45. Last words of the Pledge of Allegiance: FOR ALL. "[...] with liberty and justice for all." An honorable goal - I wish it were really true.

46. Deleted, with "out": EXED.

49. In the future: AHEAD.

50. Golfer Calvin: PEETE.

51. Some Deco collectibles: ERTES. Unmistakable style.

52. Persuade: SWAY.

53. Big volume: TOME.

54. Stein filler: BEER.

55. By way of, briefly: THRU. "Briefly" indicates a shortened spelling. Through vs. Thru.

58. Register opening?: PRE.

59. River inlet: RIA.

Note from C.C.:

As Melissa mentioned earlier, she visited her daughter last week. Here are two gorgeous pictures. They just look like from a fairy tale. Jaelyn's little sister, Harper Rose, is expected sometime around 5/2/19.


This is going to be a beautiful year for Melissa, who's been working hard for years championing Adopt an Inmate.

Tuesday, March 5, 2019 MaryEllen Uthlaut

"MIXING BOWL"

17. Smartphone condition resolved by recharging: LOW BATTERY.  My cell phone only works when it is plugged in. 

32. Unable to see because of reflected sunlight: SNOW BLIND.   Dr Bruce Haight might diagnose this condition as photokeratitis,  but I'm guessing he probably doesn't see many cases in his southern California practice.

38. "The West Wing" actor: ROB LOWE.

46. Martin Waddell book about birds missing their mother: OWL BABIES.


61. Baker's staple, and a hint to this puzzle's circles: MIXING BOWL.

My site search of the Corner suggests that MaryEllen doesn't construct for the LA Times very often but when she does,  it's always pleasant, and fresh.    I enjoyed the cluing and seeing some answers we don't encounter very often.   

Across:

1. Like a pendulum's path: ARCED.

6. Tinted: HUED.

10. Loading platform: DOCK.

14. Question before "Yes, you!": WHO ME ?  Simple but lovely.

15. Gumbo pod: OKRA.

16. Dark purple berry: ACAI.  ah-sigh-EE.   Today I learned that they are dark purple and how to pronounce the word.

19. Geeky type: NERD.   I have geeky tendencies that came with the career.

20. Succulent plant genus: ALOE.

21. Went out in the sloop: SAILED.  I can't help but think of John B when I read that word.  It's the only association this landlubber has for it.


23. Not quite closed: AJAR. Hahtoolah has a joke for this word that is rated G - All Audiences.

26. Antlered grazers: ELKS.

29. Brawl: MELEE.   Often seen in Ice Hockey games.  Field Hockey,  not so much. 

30. Short-legged Welsh dog breed: CORGI.  The Queen's favorites. 

34. Quimby girl of kid-lit: RAMONA.  "...when Cleary wrote from Ramona's point of view, all of the little girl's actions made perfect sense."

36. "The Time Machine" race: ELOI.   H.G. Wells  popularized the enduring Sci Fi trope of time travel, just as Mary Shelley popularized the motif of mad scientists in Frankenstein. 

37. Letters after ems: ENS.   Plurals of the 13th and 14th letters of the English alphabet.  I doubt we would see a similar clue for the 16th letter. 

40. Press into service: USE.

43. __ history: ORAL.

44. Buy eagerly, as discount goods: SNAP UP.

51. One getting private instruction: TUTEE.  Tutor/tutee.  Mentor/mentee. 

52. Pottery remnant: SHARD.

53. What snakes' tongues sense: ODOR. 

55. Take a nap: DOZE.   Anonymous T !  Wake up !

56. Brunch cocktail: MIMOSA.  Tinbeni can wet his whistle if he likes champagne with his brunch.

58. Hawaiian feast: LUAU.  Poi, pig, poke, pineapple and punch, and hopefully some music to set the mood. 

60. Mishmash: OLIO.  Hodgepodge.

67. Texter's button: SEND.  Please don't text while driving.  Spread the word. 

68. __ out a living: EKED.

69. Bee product: HONEY.

70. Neither calm nor collected: EDGY.

71. Loch __ monster: NESS.   Nellie. 

72. Cell terminal: ANODE.   The other terminal is the cathode.   I ordered a new battery for my cell phone. 

Down:

1. Tool for making eyelet holes: AWL.

2. P-like Greek letter: RHO.

3. "Eat Mor Chikin" sign holder in Chick-fil-A ads: COW.

An iconic advertising campaign that started with a pair of rebel cows painting a billboard.


4. Trade restriction: EMBARGO.

5. Word with fair and square: DEAL.  And real.

6. Lodging spots: HOTELS.

7. 58-Across instrument: UKE.   Good choice for a luau. 

8. Go wrong: ERR.   I don't know whether the ad agency was promoting the dress or the clutch,  but I'm pretty sure that mirrors don't work that way.

9. Common work shift: DAYS.

10. Explorer Boone: DANIEL. 

11. Eyelike spots: OCELLI.    Not your common Tuesday crossword word.  

The Peacock's 'Tuneful' Tail Feathers

12. Tilt dangerously around corners: CAREEN.  A Google site search indicates this word has been an answer in only three LA Times crosswords since C.C. started this blog.   

13. Teased: KIDDED.

18. Sock part: TOE.

22. Atmospheric kind of music: AMBIENT.   We had ambience as an answer in Bruce Haight's puzzle last Thursday,  and it is an uncommon answer,  but we've seen ambient as an answer even less.  We mostly see it as a clue, as in "Ambient music pioneer Brian ___."

23. Plot measure: ACRE.

24. Author Didion: JOAN.  Author, The Year of Magical Thinking

25. Weaponry: ARMS.

27. Tolled mournfully: KNELLED.  A rare answer in LA Times crossword puzzles.  The only occurrence I could find was a Jeffrey Weschler Friday puzzle in 2014.

28. By oneself: SOLO.

31. Sudden attacks: INROADS.  2nd definition.  I think more in terms of the 1st:  Bits of progress, advancements. 

33. Dazzles: WOWS.

35. 50-50 choice, perhaps: A OR B. 

39. Scott of "Happy Days": BAIO.    He played Chachi. 

40. __-the-minute: UP TO.  I'm jaded by the major news TV outlets and all of the "Breaking News" headlines that are anything but. 

41. Canal in a 1956 dispute: SUEZ. 

42. Fencing sword: EPEE.

45. Society named for an ornithologist: AUDUBON.   The only occurrence I could find was a Pam Amick Klawitter Friday puzzle in 2016.

46. Seep slowly through: OSMOSE.   Another rare answer.  A Brad Wilber Saturday and a Bruce Haight Wednesday. 

47. Caused to pass (away), as time: WHILED.  A Google site search proved to me that I've never seen this in a clue or an answer for LA Times crossword puzzle.  Only in comments. 

48. Causing to limp, say: LAMING.   Pretty much the same as above, but as far I can tell, no one has ever used this word even in the comments section. 

49. Feeling depressed: BROODY.   We've seen the word in clues, but I couldn't find it as an answer.

50. Geometric category: SOLIDS.

54. Sprint: RUN.

57. "Yes indeed!": AMEN.   You can say that again. 

59. Muslim honorific: AGHA.

62. '50s White House nickname: IKE.   DDE becomes CIC of the country.

63. Simple signatures: XES.

64. Yoko from Tokyo: ONO.

65. United in marriage: WED.

66. Cleaning chemical: LYE.

It's not as if there wasn't a lot of common crossword fill.   There was, and that's not unusual for a Tuesday puzzle.   But I was struck by the uncommon answers, and it added to my enjoyment.   I hope you enjoyed it as well.

Monday March 4, 2019 Kurt Mengel & Jan-Michele Gianette

Theme: Where's My Car? - S is added to the given name of each famous person whose last name is a car.

17. Poet's Rambler?: OGDEN'S NASH.

23. "High Noon" actor's Mini?: GARY'S COOPER.

36. President's Continental?: ABRAHAM'S LINCOLN.

47. "Pillow Talk" actor's Hornet?: ROCK'S HUDSON.

56. First lady's Mustang?: BETTY'S FORD.

Boomer here.  

I am done complaining about the weather. A sign of Spring, the Topps Heritage baseball cards for 2019 showed up Saturday. I only purchased two boxes.  (So far).  I have been a collector for many years and was a store owner and card show dealer in the past. Not so much anymore. 

Speaking of the past, my mother drove a Nash back in the fifties and I also remember the Hudson Hornet. I do not like the current Mini Cooper ad on TV when the guy substitutes "tall concrete" for "cottonwood trees" in "Don't Fence Me In".  "I hate it when they get the words wrong!"  spoken by Crash Davis in "Bull Durham".  

Bowling is improving. Last Thursday I had two games over 200 in my three game set. First time since I went on the DL.  No 600s yet but stay tuned.

Across:

1. Moorehead of "Bewitched": AGNES.  Darrin was not a big fan of Endora. Shout-out to our blog Agnes (Irish Miss).

Eileen (sister of Agnes) and Agnes, 11/22/2013

6. Whole bunch: SCAD.  Move the S behind the D and you might have some luxury cars, but not a whole bunch of them.

10. This is one: CLUE.  I think it was done by Miss Scarlett in the Kitchen with a knife.

14. Sparkling topper: TIARA.

15. Extremely: OH SO.  I think he is a Japanese baseball player with the Angels.

16. "With this __ ... ": RING. I thee wed.

19. Gas brand in Canada: ESSO.  I have seen this before, initially in Germany.

20. Ronan Farrow's mom: MIA. Most famous for "Rosemary's Baby" in my opinion.  Was hitched to Frank Sinatra for a year or two.

21. Ding in a car: DENT.  Yankee shortstop BUCKY was a World Series MVP in 1978.

22. Parcels (out): METES.

26. Most-feared Hun: ATTILA.  Of Course he was the most feared.  How many names of Huns can you remember ?

 31. Canonized pope who kept 26-Across from invading Rome: ST LEO. "The Great"

29. 2001 scandal company: ENRON. As the collector that I am and have said before, I have some Enron golf balls. Maybe they will be worth something some day.  (Of course, I also still have some Mark McGwire rookie cards.)

30. Deity with goat legs: FAUN.

33. Gumshoe: TEC.  They left out some letters de tive.

40. Stocking flaw: RUN. to the city of refuge.

41. La Scala solos: ARIAS.

42. Dijon darling: AMIE.

43. Touch of color: TINCT.

45. Most slippery, as roads: ICIEST.  Plenty of these all across the upper Midwest.

50. Complex tales: SAGAS.  I thought this was "SuperAmerica Gas".  But they changed the name to Speedway.

51. Tale teller: LIAR.  Pants on fire.

52. Tour gp. with tees: PGA.  Watched the "Bear Trap" over the weekend.  I do not have enough balls to play a course like that.

55. School attended by many English statesmen: ETON.

59. Has a cold, say: AILS.  Ail Ail, the gangs all here.

60. Rowboat movers: OARS.  Gently down the stream.

61. Like horror film music: EERIE.  One of the Spooky Great Lakes.

62. Fuss: TO-DO.  I think this is two words about nothing.

63. Cloudy: GRAY.

64. Most high schoolers: TEENS.

Down:

1. Split bit: ATOM.  Mr. Terrific was A Tom.

2. 1958 Chevalier musical: GIGI.  I thought a 1958 Chevalier was a General Motors compact car.

3. Nothing, in Spain: NA DA.  It's nothing in the USA as well.

4. Before, poetically: ERE.  A poetic Great Lake.

5. Open-toed shoe: SANDAL.

6. Cher's singing partner: SONNY.  I Got You Babe.  Sadly lost an argument with a tree while skiing.

7. Online talks: CHATS.

8. Beast of burden: ASS.  Okay, I won't make a comment on this one today.

9. Head-slapping word from Homer: DOH. I can honestly say that I have never watched a full episode of "The Simpson's".

10. Sleazy sort, in slang: CREEPO.

11. "Pay attention when I speak": LISTEN TO ME.  I hate it when people say this.

12. Racing family name: UNSER.  I have heard of Bobby and Al.  I guess there were a few more drivers.

13. They may clash on film sets: EGOS.

18. Toxin fighters: SERA.

22. Dummy: MORON.  Famous word uttered by Rex Tillerson.

23. Actress Torres of "Firefly": GINA.

24. Phones in pockets or purses: CELLS.  I think you can even have a smart or a flip.

25. "That's __ haven't heard": ONE I.

26. A distant place: AFAR. We three kings of Orient are, bearing gifts we traverse AFAR.

27. "Forbidden" perfume: TABU. In my address book it's the TAB between T and V

28. What things do when touched by Midas: TURN TO GOLD.  Except at the muffler shop, where the only thing is how many ounces you will need to pay the bill.

31. Actress Jada Pinkett __: SMITH. Pretty common name. We have Senator Tina Smith from Minnesota. She took Al Franken's place.

32. Flight safety org.: TSA. Visited a few of them on Feb. 10.  Passed through with flying colors.

34. Fans of college sports' Bulldogs: ELIS.

35. Tech product review website: CNET.

37. Actor Tom who said, "There's no crying in baseball": HANKS. "A League of Their Own".  Enjoyed him better in "Forrest Gump."

38. Curved parts: ARCS.

39. Eve's firstborn: CAIN. The story goes that he killed his younger brother, Abel.  Glad I did not have an older brother.

44. "No problem for me!": I CAN SO.  We always said "I Can Too."  How about you?

45. "By Jove!": I SAY.

46. Tight undergarment: CORSET.  Not sure why anyone would wear one of these.  Doctor had me wearing a big plastic corset for about 6 weeks and I hated it.

47. Betting odds, e.g.: RATIO.  Odds are usually expressed in whole numbers. 2-1, 3-1, 6-5, etc.  A ratio is usually expressed in fractions.  Mathematics professors may bite my head off if I am wrong.

48. Michelob diet beer: ULTRA.  I suppose there is no corn syrup in it.

49. Rattlebrained: DITSY.  Brother of ITSY and BITSY.

50. Chair or sofa: SEAT.

52. Skin opening: PORE.

53. Broad smile: GRIN. and Bear it.

54. Citrus drinks: ADES.

56. Peat source: BOG.

57. Organ with a drum: EAR.  If you hear with an ear, and speak with a beak, why is your nose not called a Mell

58. Lawyer's charge: FEE.  Some may call it a fee, others may call it a ransom.

Boomer

Notes from C.C.:

I mentioned last Wednesday about the 42nd American Crossword Puzzle Tournament (March 22 to March 24, Stamford Marriott in Stamford, Connecticut). Mike Alpern, who organized the annual  Cru Dinner, told me that "The response has been great and next week, an invitation to all tournament rookies will go out which should fill the remaining spots. If you would, please let your fans know that if they're thinking of attending the Cru Dinner, the time to do it is now."

So contact Luca's grandpa Mike soon. You don't want to miss a precious mingling opportunity with other solvers and constructors. If you're a rookie, you'll get a nice surprise gift.

Sunday March 3, 2019 C.C. Burnikel

Title:  "Revisiting the Past" - ETAD (DATE backwards) spans across each theme entry.
 
23. Process that may transform a neutron into a proton: BETA DECAY.

28. Line on a package: STREET ADDRESS.
 
45. Navy bigwig: FLEET ADMIRAL.

53. Online pop-up, say: INTERNET AD.

69. Common animal welfare goal: PET ADOPTION.

90. Tip for a loser?: DIET ADVICE.

97. Barbershop standard: SWEET ADELINE.

114. Anonymous fan: SECRET ADMIRER.

Reveal:

122. Makes retroactive ... or what the eight other longest Across answers have: BACKDATES.

Very simple theme. Very Gail G, right? I just adore her.

I did make a big goof in my original grid. See 63-Across? METADATA, which has DATE goes backward as well. Totally escaped me. Thankfully Rich noticed it and redid that part himself.  Thanks, Rich!

Across: 
 
1. Island near Java: BALI.

5. At the drop of __: A HAT. As you can see from the grid, I have A RAT crossing ROC, the skincare brand. Rich probably does not think the brand is common enough.

9. Players with parts: CAST.

13. Like highways: LANED.

18. Apple variety: IMAC. Not the edible GALA.

19. Jay of "Jerry Maguire": MOHR.

20. Top story: ATTIC.

22. Post with a column: EMILY. Lovely clue. Rich's creation. I had "Blunt on screen".

25. Tree with edible nuts: BEECH.

26. "I swear!": NO LIE.

27. Man of La Mancha: SENOR.

31. Hefty closer: TWIST TIE.

34. Out before the term ends: PAROLED.

35. Sturdy trees: ELMS.

38. Cote call: COO.

39. Hectic hosp. areas: ERS. That fateful day in Sept.

41. "Iron Man" Ripken: CAL.

42. Ostrich relative: EMU.

48. School notebook decorations: DOODLES.

51. Sound mixing control: FADER.

52. Georgia, once: Abbr.: SSR.

56. Asia's __ Darya river: AMU. Learned from doing crosswords. Looks like it originates in the shrinking Aral Sea.

57. Expert: ACE.

60. Magazine since 1850: HARPER'S.

62. Princess in "The Princess and the Frog": TIANA. Wikis says she's "The ninth Disney Princess, Tiana is the first to be of African-American heritage."

63. Don Juan: CASANOVA.

66. One of Donald Duck's nephews: HUEY.

67. Google : Android :: Apple : __: IOS.

68. Isaac's eldest: ESAU.

73. Actor __ James of "Divergent" films: THEO.

77. It ends in Nov.: DST.

79. Like die-hard fans: AVID.

80. Hearty bowlful often topped with tortilla chips: TACO SOUP.

82. Skate park move: OLLIE.

85. Spice rack staple: OREGANO. I don't like the taste of oregano.

88. Like the Beatles?: FAB. Rich's clue.

89. __ Fridays: TGI.

92. Raised rumblers: ELS.

94. Every hour on the hour, say: OFTEN.

96. An official election ballot can't have one: ERASURE. Rich's clue as well. What if you make a mistake? Can you use Wite-Out? I have not screwed up yet, but I only focus on the races I care about and leave lots of stuff blank.

101. Bummed: SAD.

102. Clearance rack abbr.: IRR.

104. Danson of TV's "Fargo": TED.

105. Bus sched. item: ARR.

106. Tailless primates: APES.

107. Withdrawal charges: ATM FEES.

111. Longtime comic with a "Great Jewish Joke Book": ALAN KING. Also Rich's clue.

117. Singer Jones: NORAH.

120. Brown with a frying pan: ALTON. Here he is.

121. Permanent marks: SCARS.

126. Sun block?: CLOUD.

127. Mississippi's __ River: YAZOO.

128. Sandbox boo-boo: OWIE.

129. Sushi roll wrap: NORI. Some rolls have the nori wrapped inside.

130. Mini racers: KARTS.

131. The Ivy League's Quakers: PENN.

132. Caboose: REAR.

133. Agt. after tax evaders: T MAN.

Down:

1. Marathon runner's wear: BIB. These four are stealing others' bib numbers.

2. Iowa college town: AMES.

3. Past the deadline: LATE.

4. Complaint from the nosebleed section: I CAN'T SEE.

5. "West Side Story" number: AMERICA.

6. Ad __ committee: HOC.

7. "Gotcha!": AHA.

8. Clandestine arrangement: TRYST.

9. 11-time MLB All-Star Miguel: CABRERA. One of Boomer's favorite players.

10. Perfectly, with "to": A TEE. Partial.

11. Exorbitant: STEEP.

12. Altoids rival: TIC TAC.

13. Tennis great Ivan: LENDL.

14. Valentino's love: AMORE.

15. Rosetta Stone discovery area: NILE DELTA. Have any of you seen the Rosetta Stone in person?

16. Yale alumni: ELIS.

17. Turns red, perhaps: DYES.

21. Classic parlor game: CHARADES.

24. Investor's barometer, with "the": DOW.

29. __ del Fuego: TIERRA.

30. Melancholy: DOLOR.

32. Ground cover: SOD. Our townhouse association hired these guys to clean the snow and icicles on the roof last Wednesday. This year is extra tough because of the rain we got in January. It turned into ice and made walking dangerous. The heavy snow that followed after eased up the walking considerably, but the snow just won't stop.

33. Alley prowlers: TOMS. Oh hi, Texas "alley prowler"  and Chicago "alley prowler"!

35. Rub out: EFFACE.

36. Incan herd members: LLAMAS.

37. Gorgon slain by Perseus: MEDUSA.

40. Mistake: SLIP UP.

43. Like the Grinch: MEAN.

44. Org. that may request food recalls: USDA.

46. Air__: Southwest subsidiary: TRAN. Dave 2's nephew is a Southwest pilot.

47. "More or less" cousin: ISH.

49. "I'm __ you!": ONTO.

50. Franklin and Jefferson, religiously: DEISTS.

54. Nair rival, once: NEET.

55. "Taste this": TRY IT. Hmm, I'd like some chicken peanut butter stew on my rice.

58. Egyptian Christian: COPT.

59. Prior night: EVE.

61. Mary's best friend: RHODA. Mary Tyler Moore.

64. Accounting jobs: AUDITS.

65. Missile Command producer: ATARI.

67. Pizarro victim: INCA.

70. Con counterpart, across the Pyrenees: AVEC.  My sister-in-law Connie avec moi. I asked D-Otto what the color of my scarf is. He said tan, pink or gray. He settled on pink.

C.C. & Connie, Feb 11, 2019, The Orleans

71. Compendium: DIGEST.

72. Clumsy one: OAF.

74. Inside investment info: HOT TIP.

75. Oregon college town: EUGENE.

76. Offers a view: OPINES.

78. Hall of Fame linebacker Junior: SEAU.

81. English horn relative: OBOE.

82. Tributes in verse: ODES. I loved TTP's Neruda ODE observations. He was indeed getting hungry. 

83. Constantinople coin: LIRA.

84. Star: LEAD ACTOR. I love this performance so much. Just amazing.

85. Eggs order: OVER EASY.

86. Tattoo parlor sticker: NEEDLE.

87. Flamenco cheer: OLE.

91. Snowstorm consequence: DRIFT. We really don't have place for more snow.

93. Suffix meaning "country": STAN.

95. Egregious: FLAGRANT.

98. Becomes tiresome to: WEARS ON.

99. Vessel for couples: ARK.

100. Pub patron: DRINKER.

103. One with a lot of baggage: REDCAP.

108. Salmon cousin: TROUT.

109. Gives a darn?: MENDS.

110. Pollution portmanteau: SMAZE. Smoke and Haze.

112. Shady area: ARBOR.

113. Wordless agreement: NOD.

114. Quarterback's setback: SACK.

115. Jazz great Fitzgerald: ELLA.

116. Tofu nutrient: IRON. I pan-fry mine often.

118. Splittable bit: ATOM.

119. Eldest daughter of Cronus: HERA.

123. Wonder: AWE. Hi, JJM, it's TTP who posted last week's IRISH EYES pic. Not me. He is just amazing.

124. Its HQ is named for George H.W. Bush: CIA.

125. Sloth, e.g.: SIN.

Great to see both Dave 2 and Lorraine posting on the blog now. It's been tough for both of them. Thanks for the continued support and encouragement for them!

C.C.