Saturday, May 11, 2019, Matthew Sewell

Themeless Puzzle by Matthew Sewell


Spring Astronomy Day is observed on the Saturday nearest the 1st quarter moon between Mid April and Mid May. This year that falls on May 11 and I wish I could get to the Northern Virginia Astronomy Club event near Manassas where they have all the wonderful opportunities you see listed on this poster.

Today's constructor is Matthew Sewell, PhD who teaches literature and film at Minnesota State University, Mankato, and has had puzzles published in the The Chronicle of Higher Education, Newsday, The Orange County Register and the Wall Street Journals. Some of Dr. Sewell's classes at UMM

Having these two entries in the NW corner was a real stumbling block for this solver:

17. Modern gamer's headset, briefly: VR GOGGLES - (Virtual Reality GOGGLES) and 1. Nordic cured salmon appetizer: GRAVLAX - (A new word for you too?)

Let's now peer into the wide sky of the crossword universe to see what else Dr. Sewell has for us today.

Across:

1. Annual gown renters: GRADS.

6. Dwelled (on): BROODED.

13. Theatrical potpourri: REVUE - My barber bought this shop 30 years ago but has no idea why the word REVUE is in the business title

14. Got some air, say: TOOK FIVE - Dave Brubeck's famous TAKE FIVE was #5 on Billboard's Hot 100 for three weeks

15. Lit: AFIRE.

16. Multicolored solidarity emblem: PRIDE FLAG - References the rainbow flag of the LGBTQ community

19. Org. concerned with gaps, at times: ADA - David Letterman eschewed their services for his tooth gap

20. Cavalry member: LANCEMAN - The LANCE/Saber equipped calvary members of The Charge of the Light Brigade in 1854. My original HORSEMAN was wrong

21. "Between the World and Me" author Ta-Nehisi __: COATES - More info

24. Latin primer word: AMO 

25. Singer who made Georgia famous: RAY CHARLES - Five of the best minutes you'll spend today

27. TV warrior princess: XENA - Lucy Lawless then and now

29. Classic paper name: HERALD - My puzzles appear on the last page of the sports section of The Omaha World HERALD

30. Restored: MADE WHOLE.

34. San Joaquin Valley wine region: MADERA - There it is just south of Sacramento. _ _ _ _ _ A was not Sonoma

35. Anguished protest: YOWL.

39. Fast-paced highlight video: SIZZLE REEL - A new phrase for me but here are Six examples you can play (I loved the Cracker Jack one)

43. Adjective for Scotty on "Star Trek": WEE - Aye, tis likely for a Scotsman

44. Baker, for one: STREET - A museum is adjacent to the famous 221B Baker STREET address

45. Most delicate: FRAILEST.

47. Cy Young Award stat: ERA - How to calculate an Earned Run Average

48. Two-piece ensembles: PANT SUITS.

49. Sports show hosts, often: RECAPPERS - This guy is also called a RECAPPER

53. Hitchcock antagonist: BATES - Psycho killer Norman BATES shows his "mommy" issues in this very famous scene

54. Had no doubt: FELT SURE.

55. Bizarre: OUTRE - These useful letters are seen here often  pronunciation 

56. Go caving: SPELUNK - Other pictures I found made me claustrophobic just looking at them. These people are 9. Not right: OFF 

57. Perfectly harmonious: AS ONE.


Down:

2. Provide another context for: REFRAME - Tom 11. Gets by: EVADES work by REFRAMING what he is doing (1:30)

3. French city on the Rhone: AVIGNON - The seat of the Papacy from 1309 - 1377

4. Hardy red hog: DUROC - A Nebraska State Fair champion

5. Honoree of Springsteen's 2006 "We Shall Overcome" album: SEEGER.

6. __ de Boulogne: Paris park: BOIS - pronunciation. Woods of Boulogne, a seven minute Uber ride from the Eiffel Tower

7. "Submitted for your approval ... " first name: ROD.

8. Fine, in old slang: OKE - [ohk] - An Americanism dating back to 1920's, apparently the shortening of okay

10. Widened: DILATED - Haven't we all worn anti-DILATION sunglasses after leaving the optometrist? BTW, this word only has three syllables 

12. "Place de la Concorde" artist: DEGAS.

14. Fighting involving excavated shelters: TRENCH WARFARE - Miserable living amidst horrible WWI warfare

16. Word with safe or out: PLAY - If kids PLAY SAFE it will probably PLAY OUT fine. Making a SAFE PLAY often allows you to OUTPLAY your opponent 

18. 1975 ABC debut, initially: GMA - I am not a morning TV watcher 

21. Dear, to Donizetti: CARO - Caro elisir! Sei mio! (Dear elixir! You are mine) from Donizetti's Elixir of Love

22. Dictated: ORAL - 50's TV featured Susie taking dictation from Mr. Sands

23. Urban shortcut: ALLEY 28. Bowl over: AMAZE - Boomer has AMAZED a lot of pins in ALLEYS

26. Devious laugh: HEH.

31. Trimming tool: ADZE - Familiar tool to crossworders

32. Lat neighbor: DELT - Here ya go (first syllables only)

33. "And fly, __ evil intercept thy flight": Milton: ERE - "Get going while the gettin's good" is how I read it

34. Wonder: MIRACLE.

36. Credit as an inspiration: OWE IT TO - Crosswords and this blog have filled a large part of my retirement. I OWE IT all TO C.C. and youse guys!

37. Best __: WESTERN 

38. Chin stroker's words: LET'S SEE - Ahhh, I'll have a Snickers

39. "The Post" co-star: STREEP - She plays Katherine Graham

40. Taloned predators: ERNS - ERNS and EMUS are chief residents in our cwd avaiary 

41. Take off the table?: EAT - Fun!

42. Portugal's capital, locally: LISBOA - You say LISBOA, I say LISBON, Let's call the whole thing off 😉

44. Lowly laborers: SERFS 

46. Hawaiian parties: LUAUS.

48. Exec's private jet, say: PERK - My classmate Glen (Nick Saban on the right) pilots the Bama private recruiting executive jet.

50. Delta hub code: ATL 

51. Sch. with a Schuylkill campus: PSU.

52. Many a Ben & Jerry's flavor: PUN - Is Cherry Garcia their most famous flavor pun?

Please take an opportunity tonight to be amazed by the spring evening sky - especially Leo (backwards question mark for the head)!

Southern Spring Sky From North Of The Equator

Friday, May 10, 2019, Rich Proulx

Title: Do you see the pattern?

We have our second puzzle from Rich P., who had the misfortune of being published on the day Argyle became ill. He also had two NYT published in 2017 which should have prepared us for today. This was a very difficult puzzle. First, the theme was not a theme but a picture and while there are 21 "T"s in the puzzle, there is really only one theme clue. 58A. Classic car ... and a hint to the hidden image you can draw using 21 identical squares in this grid: T-BIRD. If you have been reading my Friday ramblings for a while you know I love visual aspects to themes. However, today's grid is a themeless puzzle with a picture. And my drawing skills are limited. So hopefully I will figure out a way to make his point in the grid. Because it is basically themeless, there are oodles of 7,8, and 9 letters fill all over the puzzle. I found BRA PADS, CULTIST, DEBONES, PRESTON, ALBACORE,  BAD DEBTS,  COMANECI,  COMIC-CON, FORETELL, IN TERROR.  TRIMOTOR, YELLOWED, DECORATOR, and DUBITABLE
                                                                           
Across:

1. Confidentially informs: BCCS. Blind copies.

5. Skewer: SPIT.

9. __ top: TUBE. Memories from my youth.






13. Solar panel site: ROOF.

14. Chili partner: CARNE. Meat.

15. Words that can precede and follow "what": IT IS. It is what it is.

16. BB, e.g.: AMMO. It is back this week to haunt us.

17. "Waiting for Lefty" playwright: ODETS. Clifford Odets was born in Philadelphia in 1906. Odets' fame as a playwright was made when he wrote and acted in Waiting for Lefty, produced by the Group Theatre in 1934. Its production in New York was simultaneous with the city's famous taxicab strike. It was his first play. Various.

18. Native of Riga: LETT. This term for the natives of LATVIA may be losing its place, but the place is interesting.

19. FCC chairman Ajit __: PAI. Ajit Varadaraj Pai is an American lawyer who serves as the Chairman of the United States Federal Communications Commission. He is the first Indian American to hold the office. I had no idea.

20. Bichon __: dogs with fluffy coats: FRISES.

21. Early smartphone: TREO. I had a friend who had one in the early 2000s, very impressive at the time. Not to be confused with 57A. Beethoven's Opus 11, e.g.: TRIO.

22. Mole sauce chili: ANCHO. A dried Poblano chile. The RECIPE.

24. Classic guitar, briefly: STRAT. The Fender  STRATOCASTER was part of the early rock and roll revolution.

26. One verifying safe arrivals?: UMP. Cute baseball reference. Along with 31A. Ball game official: SCORER and 32A. Like a rare baseball game: NO HIT.

27. New homeowner's hire: DECORATOR. Not in my lifetime.

29. Heads up: RISES. Nope, do not get it.

34. How some nursery-rhyme men traveled: IN A TUB. Rub-a-dub-dub.

36. Outspoken chef Gordon: RAMSAY. His RESTAURANTS.

39. Wyatt of "People of Earth": CENAC. Oh, oh. I am getting bogged down and no theme in sight to help. Wyatt Cenac is a writer and actor, known for The Daily Show (1996), People of Earth (2016) and aka Wyatt Cenac (2017), another complete unknown.

41. Cheeky?: JOWLED. I think Nixon's were famous.

43. Monopoly piece: HOTEL.

46. Open to question: DUBITABLE. As opposed to indubitable.  It just means doubtful.

49. Ursa Minor shape: LADLE. Ursa Minor is colloquially known in the US as the Little Dipper because its seven brightest stars seem to form the shape of a dipper (ladle or scoop). wiki.

51. Floss brand: ORAL-B.

52. "brb" or "ttyl": TEXT. Be right back; talk to you later.

54. Injure again, as one's ACL: RE-TEAR.

56. Bit of baby talk: COO.

59. Cut down: MOWN.

60. Mid-month day: IDES. Not very popular anymore, especially to Julius.

61. Identification assuming familiarity: IT'S ME.

62. Loose: FREE. Like the doggies in your backyard.

63. Whale groups: PODS.

64. Ferrara family name: ESTE. Hard fill. I did not know THIS history.

65. Cabs are among them: REDS. Cabernet wine.

Down:

1. Some cup liners: BRA PADS. So much I do not know.

2. First Olympic gymnast to receive a 10: COMANECI. Nadia will always be the first.

3. Where Vulcans congregate?: COMIC-CON.

4. BART stop: SFO. San Francisco airport.

5. Exemplar of cruelty: SADIST.

6. "The Good Wife" Emmy winner Carrie: PRESTON. She played the quirky powerhouse attorney Elsbeth Tascioni. Apparently, she is playing the part still in some spin-off.

7. Really scared: IN TERROR. This just does not seem right, but it was easy to fill.

8. Championship ice dancer __ Virtue: TESSA. She is a shining light for all of Canada and more than just a SKATER. CSO to our Canadian readers and dear departed ClearAyes.

9. Arcade goof: TILT.

10. Embryo's home: UTERUS. Literal.

11. Sassy retort: BITE ME.

12. Bars in court: ESTOPS. It is used more than just in court as you need to get estoppel letters.

14. __ anglais: English horn: COR. I had this WOODWIND before.

20. Augur: FORETELL. Latin that has become part of English.

23. Public school advocate Mann: HORACE. A very important PERSON in the history of public education in the US.

25. Three-engine plane: TRIMOTOR. Literal.

28. Gave __ for one's money: A RUN.

30. Fighting words: IT'S WAR.

33. Muslim pilgrim: HAJI. Also sometimes spelled Hadji, Alhaji, Al hage, Al hag or El-Hajj

35. They may be written off: BAD DEBTS. You can offset your business income with your uncollectable debts. I will let those who know tax stuff say more about this.

37. Much canned tuna: ALBACORE. The albacore, known also as the longfin tuna, is a species of tuna of the order Perciformes. It is what is labeled as white meat tuna and is so popular, the population is decreasing.

38. Like old manuscripts: YELLOWED. Paper is made from wood, which is made up mainly of white cellulose. Wood also has a lot of a dark substance in it called lignin, which ends up in the paper, too, along with the cellulose. The exposure of lignin to air and sunlight is what turns paper yellow.

40. Certain worshipper: CULTIST.

42. Fillets: DEBONES. Literal.

43. Polite greeting gesture: HAT TIP. Tip of the hat sounds better, but I guess it is the same thing.

44. Go too far: OVERDO.

45. Approached the gate: TAXIED.

47. "I'll take a brewski": BEER ME. This PHRASE has escaped me but with One billion hits I guess it is known.

50. Bandleader Shaw: ARTIE. He also was briefly married to both LANA TURNER and 48A. Actress Gardner: AVA.

53. Cornhole turn: TOSS. Yes, there are RULES and it must be underhand.

55. Lemon finish: ADE. I do not even know Rich but I get a nice ending CSO!

59. Plant owner: Abbr.: MFR. Manufacturer.

Well now to play with the grid on Paint and see if I can get somewhere. Hope you had fun. Welcome back, Rich. Happy Mother's Day to all of you mothers/Lemonade out.

You think it looks like this?

Thursday, May 9th 2019 Roland Huget

Theme: North/South Divide - The theme entries separate the poles, as the reveal succinctly explains:

58A. In complete opposition ... and a feature of the four other longest answers: POLES APART. Or a Warsaw couple when one of them is away on a trip?

And the themers:

17A. *Finds flaws (in): PICKS HOLES, usually as relates to someone's argument. Polemicists are adept at this.

21A. *Casino fixtures where blinds might be used: POKER TABLES. This one might need some explanation. In some poker games, famously Texas Hold 'Em, after a new hand is dealt there are two "forced" bets to get the action started, the "small blind" and the "big blind". Two players must bet, irrespective of what their cards look like. The blinds rotate around the table as each hand is dealt. The amounts of the blinds are posted at each table so you know what you're getting into before you sit down, e.g. "$5/$10".

36A. *They make nuts healthy: POLYUNSATURATES. The "good" fats found in nuts, fish and other foodstuffs.

50A. *Skilled debaters: POLEMICISTS. Word of the week for me. Excellent.

This was a thoroughly enjoyable solve. It took me just over half an hour which is quite a bit longer than I'm used to on a Thursday. I didn't see the theme until the reveal, and that let me go back to 17A and fill in a lot of gaps in the Northwest. And some great words - polyunsaturates, polemicists, some long entries in the downs and I don't recall any clunk in the fill.

Great job from Roland. Let's take the Grand Tour.

Across:

1. Award named for a goddess: CLIO. Advertising awards. The muse was "the proclaimer, glorifier and celebrator of history, great deeds and accomplishments".

5. Put down: ABASE

10. First choice: FAVE

14. "You're __ luck": OUTA. I looked askance at this one, I'd always seen "outta" before. I acquiesced in the end.

15. __ shorts: BOXER

16. Truth stretcher: LIAR

19. "Star Wars" sentence inverter: YODA

20. Baseball bat wood: ASH. I thought it was ELM at first, but it's too heavy for modern-day bats.

23. Sign-off word: YOURS

25. River through Tours: LOIRE. Beautiful part of the world, the Loire valley.

26. Shot water?: RAPIDS

28. Rash: HASTY

31. Citation ender, briefly: ET AL. Texts with multiple authors in citations are shortened by citing the first author's name, followed by "et al".

32. Usually multilayered dessert: TORTE

33. Place to unwind: SPA

40. __ card: common phone component: SIM. A Subscriber Identity Module, if you ever wondered.

41. Closes in on: NEARS

42. Half of sechs: DREI. German, natürlich.

43. Alaskan cruise sight: FJORD

44. Iris ring: AREOLA

46. Milan's La __: SCALA

49. The Huskies of the NCAA's Big East: UCONN. The women have won 11 basketball and 5 field hockey national titles.

54. Tank contents: GAS

57. Tip: APEX

60. Wild, all-night party: RAVE

61. Tiny swimmer: AMEBA. I still can't get used to not spelling this AMOEBA.

62. Marine threat: ORCA

63. Kept in one's sights: EYED

64. Fixes: SPAYS

65. Urban bane: SMOG. Much, much better here in LA than it was when I first moved here. The worst smog I've ever experienced was last year in Delhi, when the AQI was 440 (out of possible 500); anything over 300 is categorized as "hazardous". I came down with bronchitis and tore a rib cartilage one night I was coughing so hard.

Down:

1. Historic NYC club, with "The": COPA. Crosses filled this in for me, it didn't spring to mind.

2. '60s-'70s All-Star pitcher Tiant: LUIS. Thank you, crosses. Way before my USA time.

3. Sensory omen regarding money: ITCHY PALM. Lovely clue and fill.

4. Wine barrel wood: OAK

5. Can't stand: ABHORS

6. Financial records: BOOKS

7. Roadster rod: AXLE

8. Oracle: SEER

9. Formerly, formerly: ERST. From whence "erstwhile".

10. Airman, slangily: FLYBOY

11. Pungent mayo: AIOLI. Pungent? Odd choice of adjective. Is the aroma of garlic pungent?

12. "Star Wars" heavy breather: VADER. Darth. I like how this crossed YODA. It was world Star Wars Day last Saturday "May the Fourth be with you". Makes me laugh every year.

13. Wipe out: ERASE

18. Source of fries: SPUD. Peeled, chipped and double-fried. Yum! Not OILY at all.

22. Let out, e.g.: ALTER

24. Like some fried food: OILY. Yech. No excuse for this. Usually caused by not having the oil hot enough before you start cooking, and not keeping it up to temp.

26. Gym iterations: REPS

27. French possessive: À TOI. "Yours".

28. Squirrel away: HOARD

29. Fine __: ARTS

30. "The Simpsons" disco guy: STU

32. Old Russian ruler: TSAR. Always need to wait for a T or S to decide between this and CZAR

33. Coerce: STRONG-ARM. Nice fill. A lot of quality in the fill today.

34. Thurman's role in "The Avengers" (1998): PEEL. Diana Rigg played Emma Peel in the original British TV series back in the '60s.

35. Home to K2: ASIA. The world's second tallest mountain, and most demanding and second-most dangerous to climb behind Annapurna.

37. Clear, as a copier: UNJAM. My printer has an annoying habit of reporting a paper jam when there isn't one. I still have to go through the rigmarole of "clearing" the non-jam before it'll start working again.

38. Prefix with natal: NEO-

39. Yemeni port: ADEN

43. Showed off a muscle: FLEXED

44. Fills in for: ACTS AS

45. Soprano Ponselle who debuted at the Met opposite Caruso: ROSA. Thank you, crosses.

46. Slash on a score sheet: SPARE. Bowling. Easy for the bowlers among us, less easy for me.

47. Insured patient's obligation: CO-PAY

48. Advil alternative: ALEVE

49. "Best before" cousin: USE BY

51. Hoppy brews: IPA'S

52. Freebie: COMP

53. Intestinal sections: ILEA

55. Violin music instruction: ARCO. Use the bow, as opposed to pizzicato, pluck the strings.

56. Unaccompanied: STAG. Took me a while to see this. I wanted SOLO first.

59. Bldgs. with many boxes: P.O.'S. I was trying to fit apt, condo, some other multi-dwelling building, then the Post Office penny dropped.

OK, I've run out of runway so time to post the grid and take off.

Steve

Wednesday, May 8, 2019 Sam Acker

Theme: ON THE DRAWING BOARD.  Here we will DRAW on our library of in-the-language phrases, to finalize certain concepts.  Since that seems a bit cryptic and abstract, let me DRAW it  more clearly.  This will be easier if we start with the unifier.

7. Infer ... or what the answers to starred clues end with?: DRAW CONCLUSIONS.  Gleaning the meaning from information that may or may not be complete.  In the theme answers, the 2nd word of two-word phrases can also follow the word DRAW to CONCLUDE another two-word phrase.

17. *Mint target: BAD BREATH.  Halitosis.

To DRAW BREATH is simply to breathe, or to pause a moment, and take a breath, before doing something, such as DRAWING a CONCLUSION.

20. *Overhead buzzers: POWER LINES.  Conduits for electricity.  Sometimes they're noisy.  To DRAW LINES is to set limits; figuratively LINES that should not be crossed.

31. *Lists of wrestling matches, say: EVENT CARDS.  Schedules of specific activities occurring at an event.  This phrase also has a variety of other meanings, which you can google, if interested.  To DRAW CARDS is to select specific cards from a deck as part of a game, trick or reading.

39. *Building sites: VACANT LOTS.  Plots of land that are currently undeveloped.  To DRAW LOTS is to decide something - such as who will do something, or in what order things will be done -by picking an item or items at random.

57. *HBO vampire series: TRUE BLOOD.  Never watched it.  Here's the season 1 trailer.

To DRAW BLOOD means to injure an opponent, either figuratively or literally.  Alternatively it means collecting a BLOOD sample from someone to run lab tests.

50. *Civil War volley: CANNON FIRE.  Cannons are now historical weapons.  To DRAW FIRE is to attract an enemy's attention in order to distract him from other tactical activities.

Hi Gang, JazzBumpa here to see what kind of CONCLUSIONS we can DRAW.  The first one is that with 6 theme entries and a grid spanning unifier, this puzzle is extremely thematically rich.  And second, with a central vertical unifier and two stacked theme answer pairs we have an unusual, and quite creative construction. So let us commence.

Across:

1. Try to punch: JAB AT.  Could be a swing and a miss.

6. Org. concerned with outbreaks: CDC. Center for Disease Control.

9. Follower of Guru Nanak: SIKH.  The word means a "disciple", "seeker," or "learner."  This is a monotheistic religion started in the Punjab region of India during the latter part of the 15th century.

13. Shapes for running laps: OVALS.  Typical track contour.

14. Shapiro of NPR: ARI. The host of All Things Considered.

15. Sunlit lobbies: ATRIA.  Often with a glass roof.

16. Crunch-like exercise: SIT UP.  Do it properly.

19. Soccer legend Mia: HAMM.

21. Verb type without a direct obj.: INTRansitive.   It' s always an action verb. Frex.: We arrived just in time.

23. Sing smoothly: CROON.

24. Bad guy you root for: ANTI-HERO.  Like Matt Scudder in Lawrence Block's mystery novels.

27. __ de cologne: EAU.  Originally a perfume formulation fron Cologne, Germany, but now a generic term for scented formulations.

30. Slangy "No reason": CUZ.  Cuz I says so.

35. Prepare to drag: REV.  Gun the engine in preparation for a fast take off.

36. Like maple syrup: VISCOUS.  Thick and slow to pour.

37. Geographical resource: MAP.  It lets you know where you are.  But, as Ned Stark often told his son Robb, "The map is not the territory."

41. "Wherever __": One Republic song: I GO.

42. "I see it now!": OH O or O HO!  Exclamation of surprise or discovery.

43. Yet to be tried: UNTESTED.

45. Flightless birds: RHEAS.  Large South American ratites, distantly related to the ostrich and emu.

49. Aspiring DA's exam: LSAT.  Law School Admission Test.  It's pretty well established that such standardized tests have little if any actual value, but they continue to be used.

54. Pet healers: VETS.  Animal doctors.

58. San Diego player: PADRE.  National League West baseball team

59. Like games in an arcade bar: RETRO.  Appealing nostalgically to a time in the not too distant past.

60. Protein-building molecule: RNA.  Ribonucleaic acid.

61. Shoelace tip: AGLET.  The plastic or metal tube the keeps the end of the shoelace from unraveling.

62. Young woman: LASS.

63. Mountain road curve: ESS.  A series of curves that double back in the shape of the letter S.

64. Spanish rulers: REYES.  Kings.

Down:

1. Kid: JOSH.  Tease playfully or joke.  Also, our 11 year old grandson is a kid named Josh.

2. Nike competitor: AVIA.  Brands of athletic shoes

3. Jewish girl's coming-of-age: BAT MITZVAH.  A ceremony held on the girl's 12th or 13th birthday, in varying traditions, after which she, instead of her parent, is considered to be responsible for her own actions.

4. Grads: ALUMNI.  Those who have completed a program of study and received a diploma from an educational institution.

5. Baker's meas.: TSP.  Teaspoon.

6. __ San Lucas: Baja resort: CABO.   Located at the southern tip of the Baja peninsula.

8. Fall drink: CIDER.  Unfermented juice pressed from fruit, most typically apples.

9. "Gone With the Wind" composer Max: STEINER.  [1888-1971] An Austrian born American composer of music for theater and films.  He was one of the first composers for movies and is known as the father of film music.

10. Shiraz's country: IRAN.  Located in the southwest of the country, Shiraz has been a trade center for over 1000 years.

11. Toy on a string: KITE.  A light frame with thin material stretched over it, to be flown in the wind.

12. Guffaws: HAHs.  Laughs

15. Woody's son: ARLO. Woody [1912-1967] died of Huntington's disease. Arlo [b 1947] is most famous for his epic recording of his narrative song Alice's Restaurant.

18. Pal: BRO.  Buddie.

20. Musician André with 11 Grammys: PREVIN.  [1929 -2019]  He was famous and highly accomplished in three areas - scores for over 50 films; music director and/or conductor for several major symphony orchestras; and jazz pianist, composer and arranger.

22. GIs' support gp.: THE VA. Veterans Administration.

24. Like six starred puz. answers: ACR. Across. A meta, theme-related clue that is not part of the theme.

25. New, in Nogales: NUEVO.  Literally, in Spanish.

26. Snooze: REST.  Sleep.

28. "Truth be told ... ": ADMITTEDLY.

29. Grammarian's concern: USAGE.  The manner in which words and phrases are normally and correctly employed.

32. Animation creation: TOON.  A cartoon character.

33. Nautilus cousin: CUTTLE.  A cephalopod having 8 arms and two tentacles with denticulated suckers to latch on to their prey.  They are typically 6 to 10 inches long.

34. Donkeys: ASSES.  Horse-like animals that are smaller, having longer ears and a braying sound.  They have been used as working animals for over 5000 years.

38. Sci-fi escape unit: POD. A small, secondary vehicle used to evacuate from the main vehicle when under duress.

40. Least gooey brownie pieces: CORNERS.  They bake harder due to having more edge surface.

44. Brutal: SAVAGE.  Fierce, violent, and out of control.

46. Stereotypical train hopper: HOBO.  The term originated in the western U.S in the 1890's, referfing to an impoverished migrant worker or vagrant.

47. Blowup: Abbr.: ENLargement.

48. Ere: AFORE.  Having occurred previously

50. Bottom row PC key: CTRL. A modifier key that performs a special operation when pressed with another key.

51. Real estate calculation: AREA.  Sizes of the lot surface, total dwelling and interior room spaces.

52. Bar freebies: NUTS. Either snacks, like peanuts, or the company of bar flies in questionable mental states.

53. Nutritional stds.: RDAS. Recommended Daily Allowances.

55. Christmas decoration: TREE. I'm going to quibble.  The tree is a symbol. It is adorned with decorations.

56. "Action!" places: SETS.  Places where movie scenes are filmed.

58. 72 for 18 holes, often: PAR.  The nominal proper score for a round of golf.

That wraps it up. Despite my one ADMITTEDLY picky nit, I found this puzzle to be quite up to par.  You, of course, are free to DRAW your own CONCLUSIONS. 

There doesn't appear to be another puzzle by Sam Acker in our library.  So this might be his first L.A. Times entry.  If so, congrats for a highly successful introduction!

Cool regards!
JzB

Tuesday, May 7, 2019 Mark McClain

B.C.

16. *Privates' training site: BOOT CAMP.

5. *Unlimited budget, figuratively: BLANK CHECK.

10. *Uris WWII novel: BATTLE CRY.

29. *System with only ones and zeros: BINARY CODE.

35. *Picture-taking Brownie: BOX CAMERA.

63. Apparent setting for a two-letter comic strip suggested by the answers to starred clues: STONE AGE.

Across:

1. Part of an urban fleet: CAB.

4. Recipe amt.: TBSP.  More or less, to (your personal) taste.   Except in most baking, where measurements should be precise. 

8. Eva of "Green Acres": GABOR.

13. Tire filler: AIR.

14. Part of a Basque ball game name: ALAI.   We saw Basque last Thursday with 20A clue/answer:  San Sebastián beachgoer?: BASQUE IN THE SUN,  followed in the comments by:
  
 Haiku Harry said...
     Tall Jai Alai guy sucked.
     Teammates suggested, he play
     BASQUEtball, instead ...

As OKL would say, "The prescience of the blog..."

15. Deli counter staple: SALAMI.

A Guide to Italian Salami, Charcuterie and Cold Cuts

18. Very cold: ARCTIC.

19. Soothing succulent: ALOE.

20. Forever, it seems: NO END.


22. Aptly named autopilot in "Airplane!": OTTO. Crossword Shout Out !

23. Similar to: LIKE. Akin.

24. Oscar winner Winslet of "The Reader": KATE. Saw Winslet and 4 letters, entered Kate.

25. Chum: PAL.

26. Fourth quarter mo.: DEC. December. diciembre in Spanish. décembre in French.

28. Big brass: TUBA. High ranking military officers would not fit. 

30. MPG-testing org.: EPA.  Standard MPG disclaimer: "Your actual mileage will vary depending on how you drive and maintain your vehicle."  

33. Surprise attack: AMBUSH.

36. "__ Brockovich": ERIN.

37. Swindle: CON. Cheat.

38. Framed in the darkroom for artistic effect: CROPPED.  Crossword constructor, pianist, composer, naturalist and photog extraordinaire John Lampkin has contributed over 1000 images to BugGuide.Net.   He caught this Fungus Beetle crawling over another one:

40. Nearly obsolete golf club: ONE IRON.    It's really tough to hit this club consistently.   The one iron, along with the two iron, three iron, four iron and sometimes even the five iron, are increasingly being replaced by hybrid golf clubs, especially among amateur players.   It's becoming increasingly rare for even the best players in the world to carry a one iron in the bag.

42. Word after trail or party: MIX.

43. On the rocks: ICED.  "What is, How Tinbeni never orders his drinks ?" said James Holzhauer to Alex Trebek.

45. Diamond-shaped pattern: ARGYLE.   Scott, you are dearly missed.

46. "Outta here!" PC key: ESC.

47. Kitchen gadget brand: EKCO.   Kitchamagigs.   Founded in Chicago in 1880, the Edward Katzinger Co was one of the earliest manufacturers of kitchen utensils and products.   The name change to EKCO Products Co. was in 1945, and by the 1950's was producing every conceivable pan, gadget and utensil. - WIKICONIC and The Encyclopedia of Chicago.

48. Campaigned: RAN.

49. Throw in: ADD.

51. Courtroom fig.: ATTY.  Figure / Attorney.

53. Santa Anita data: ODDS.   

57. Prefix for half of Earth: HEMI.   Northern and Southern, as determined by the Equator,   or Eastern and Western,  defined by the Prime Meridian.   I guess it depends on how you want to divide it.   So much divisiveness in the world today. 

59. Acid used in cooking oil: OLEIC.

60. Hilarious routine: RIOT.

61. Removed the pull tab from: OPENED.

65. Calm: SERENE.   25 minutes outside of Lake Tahoe is a place called Serene Lakes

"Serene Lakes, a time warp of a Sierra mountain resort..."

66. Ye __ Shoppe: OLDE.

67. Hoops net holder: RIM.

68. Mail-order pioneer: SEARS.  Sears was a mail-order watch business starting in 1886,  but Montgomery Ward was the mail-order pioneer 14 years earlier in 1872,  offering a varied 163 items in his first mail-order catalog. 

69. Have to have: NEED.

70. "I did it!": YES.    Yes, I mowed the wet lawn between rainstorms last Wednesday.  It had to be done.  Then had to mow again Sunday afternoon.

Down:

1. Conspiratorial group: CABAL.

2. Garlicky sauce: AIOLI.

3. Trout's home: BROOK.

4. Tic-__-toe: TAC.

6. Popular Girl Scout cookie: SAMOA.  According to girlscouts.org:

• Thin Mints. ^®
• Caramel deLites^®/Samoas. ^®
• Peanut Butter Patties^®/Tagalongs. ^®
• Girl Scout S'mores. ^®
• Do-si-dos^®/Peanut Butter Sandwich.

7. Lab tube: PIPETTE.  A slideshow: From Beakers to Volumetric Flasks

8. Narrow, bony fish: GAR.

9. Metal industry giant: ALCOA.

11. Drop from a list: OMIT.

12. Puerto __: RICO. 

15. Down in the dumps: SAD.

17. Prepared to drive, in golf: TEED UP.   Better to be teed up than teed off.

21. Prefix with surgery: NEURO.

25. Bakery-café chain: PANERA.    Pane (Italian for bread) and era (time).    Panera = Bread time.

27. Spotted: ESPIED.

31. Health club amenity: POOL.

32. Green Gables lass: ANNE.  The classic children's novel.

33. Wile E. Coyote vendor: ACME. 

34. Open __: scans for the claustrophobic: MRIs.

39. Window sticker: DECAL.  I'd pay the full MRSP shown on this sticker for a Gran Turismo Omologoto.

 See the full sticker here

41. Pay no heed to: IGNORE.

44. Loves to a fault: DOTES ON.

50. Informal eatery: DINER.

52. Book cover info: TITLE.

54. Personal journal: DIARY.

55. Wayward calf: DOGIE. 


56. Flower supporters: STEMS.

57. Hefty Cartwright brother: HOSS.  Played by Dan Blocker.   At 6'4" and weighing 300 pounds, hefty seems an apt physical description.   14 pounds at birth. 

 Bonanza Cast Trivia Facts 

58. Olympic weapon: EPEE.

 Merriam-Webster Visual Dictionary Online 

59. Tribute in verse: ODE.

62. Nav. rank: ENS.  Naval / Ensign.   I learned that a naval flag is also known as an ensign.

64. Actor Beatty: NED.

Note from C.C.:

Say hello to Melissa's granddaughter Harper Rose! Look how excited her bigger sister Jaelyn is! 

Melissa's brother Rick is also coming home this coming Friday. What an ordeal for him and his family, esp Melissa.