Monday, December 19, 2016 Mel Rosen

Theme: Holy Holly- Double up the middle consonant to form the second word and clue appropriately.

20. Pilfered German fruit bread?: STOLEN STOLLEN

32. Evidence of Russia's currency collapse?: RUBLE RUBBLE

42. "Mister Ed" dot?: TITLE TITTLE

54. Final course in the Sahara?: DESERT DESSERT

Argyle here. No reveal Monday; not needed. Small nit; tittle is defined as a point or small sign used as a diacritical mark in writing or printing. MISTER ED doesn't use one; MR. ED does. Still fun.

Update: The dot on the lower-case "i" is also a tittle, at least according to some dictionaries.

Across:

1. Cartoonist Addams: "CHAS". Creator of The Addams Family.]

5. Sour substances: ACIDS

10. Parroted: APED

14. ___-poly: ROLY. May refer to: Link.

15. French painter of café scenes: MANET

16. Smallest American coin: DIME. Smallest in physical size.

17. Mil. no-show: AWOL. (Absence Without Leave)

18. "Fear of Flying" author Jong: ERICA. (1973 novel)

19. Herr's home: HAUS

23. Up until now: SO FAR

24. Timeline start: YEAR ONE

27. Play at the highest volume, as a radio: BLAST

31. Bravery award: MEDAL

37. Sch. in Charlottesville: UVA. (University of Virginia)

38. Words said with a nod: "I SEE"

39. Jeweled headpiece: TIARA

40. Stadium ticket designation: SEAT

41. Harbor puller: TUG

44. Bow and __: ARROW

46. Cotton thread: LISLE. A fine, high-twisted and hard-twisted cotton thread, at least two-ply, used for hosiery, gloves, etc.

47. Tortoni's cousin: SPUMONE

50. Pentathlon blades: EPEEs

58. B-movie safecracker: YEGG

60. Cheering noisily: AROAR

61. "Yes __?": ultimatum words: OR NO

62. Length times width: AREA

63. Infamous skater Harding: TONYA

64. Hall of Fame catcher Carlton: FISK. Nicknamed "Pudge" and "The Commander", Wiki Link.

65. Marries: WEDS

66. After-lunch sandwiches: OREOs

67. Lavish bash: FÊTE

Down:

1. Rude and crude: CRASS

2. Genre for do-it-yourselfers: HOW TO

3. Distant and cool: ALOOF

4. One of two in seven: SYLLABLE. The word, seven, is made up of two syllables.

5. Chorus from the pews: "AMEN"

6. Some "Wheel" prizes: CARS. You are better off on "The Price is Right" if you want a car.

7. "What's __ for me?": IN IT

8. Fake drake, say: DECOY

9. Opposite of fresh: STALE

10. Stick (to): ADHERE

11. Keyboard work for two: PIANO DUET

12. Rhea's Aussie relative: EMU

13. Hôtel __ Invalides: Paris landmark: DES

21. Author __ Stanley Gardner: ERLE. "Perry Mason"

22. Like a weak excuse: LAME

25. Part of USNA: NAVAL. (United States Naval Academy)

26. Make more than merry: ELATE

28. Intro-to-painting course: ART I

29. Exec's three-piece: SUIT

30. Little League precursor: T-BALL

32. Hayworth and Rudner: RITAs

33. Seize illegally: USURP

34. Gave reluctantly: BEGRUDGED

35. Matzo __: Jewish egg dish: BREI

36. Back muscles, in the gym: LATs. (lattismus dorsi)

40. Measures by pacing: STEPS OFF

42. Dance floor units: TWOs

43. Sights in la Méditerranée: ILEs. Here's a nice list of the îles de la mer Méditerranée to look over on those cold winter nights. List

45. Pricey watches: OMEGAs

48. "Gee, cool!": "NEATO!"

49. Mistake in the field: ERROR

51. Creepy: EERIE

52. Dadaist Max: ERNST. Road rage?

53. Tend to the flames: STOKE

55. Musical quality: TONE

56. Belafonte classic: DAY-O

57. Gaslight and Big Band: ERAs

58. Deviate from a course: YAW. (of a moving ship or aircraft) twist or oscillate about a vertical axis.

59. Before, in odes: ERE

Argyle

Sunday December 18, 2016 Ed Sessa

Theme:  "Hanging Around in the Dark" - Seven BATs are hanging upside down in a cave where  the down-hanging STALACTITE meets the upward STALAGMITE at E. 

2D. *Lots opposite : NOT A BIT. Crossing 18. Terrible turnout : NO ONE. Tiny dupe.

5D. *Be blessed by Lady Luck : GET A BREAK

13D. *Traveled to Europe, say : WENT ABROAD

38D. *Annual postseason game played in Arizona : FIESTA BOWL. Three *TA B* break pattern.

43D. *Go all in : BET A BUNDLE

73D. *"Sweet Love" R&B singer : ANITA BAKER

81D. *Middle Eastern staple : PITA BREAD

93D. Hangout for the Dark Knight, and for creatures in the answers to starred clues : BAT CAVE Symmetrically placed against 2D.

In the middle, we have:

20D. Rock formations that often meet in dark places, as illustrated here : STALACTITE TIMGALATS. Stalagmite goes upward.

If the middle E is not shared in 20D, the theme entries will be 20-letter long, impossible to be placed in the middle of a 21*21 grid. This is such a brilliant maneuver.

Ed is known for his always creative themes. No words that precede/follow type from him. Most of his puzzles have a unique twist. This one is good example.

Across:    

1. Disguised, for short : INCOG. Common gimmick in old Chinese novels. The emperors or other big shots often traveled incognito.

6. "I see" : AH SO

10. Pipe material : COB

13. Ham's response : WILCO

 

19. Spice holders : RACKS. I bet our Steve makes his own curry powder mixture/paste.

21. Yoko from Tokyo : ONO

22. Often harmful bacteria : E. COLI

23. Auto suspension component : STRUT. This is new to me.

24. Dresses down : CHASTISES

26. Type of air passage : NASAL

27. Like "Et tu, Brute?" : CAESAREAN. I use CESAREAN spelling.

29. Close : ALMOST THERE. What a great entry!

31. NYC dance company : ABT

32. Garden plot : BED

33. Explorer Ponce __ : DE LEON

35. Demagogue, e.g. : RANTER

36. Liquid measures : LITERS

38. Eponymous electrical units : FARADS. Got via crosses.

39. Tease : RIB

40. Decisive parts of some NFL games : OTs

41. Floor in la maison : ETAGE. Just French for "floor".

42. Color named for a flower : LILAC

43. Louts : BOORS

45. Space fillers? : GASSES. Fun clue.

47. Track official : TIMER. We just had "Kitchen counter" yesterday, hence the new clue angle.

50. __ nerve : OPTIC

54. Some audio books : CDs

57. Korean imports : KIAs

58. "Baseball is __ percent mental. The other half is physical": Yogi Berra : NINETY

59. Caribbean destination : ARUBA

60. Lascivious look : LEER. Not OGLE today.

62. '40s Giant manager : OTT

63. __ Sketch : ETCH-A

64. "Mercury" coins : DIMES

65. Where Tibet is : ASIA

66. U.S. global monitor : NSA. This gave me the N in SION (46. "The Da Vinci Code" priory).

67. Fried rice veggie : PEA. My grandma's version is very simple: green onions, egg and cold rice. Everything tastes better with green onions.

68. Hunk's pride : BOD. 79. Lacrosse position : GOALIE. Thought of our own goalie Splynter.

71. Young __: political reformer : TURK

72. Turtle of comics and film : NINJA

74. Mouthy munchkins : BRATS. Alliteration.

76. The Rams of the Atlantic 10 Conf. : URI (University of Rhode Island)

77. Author Wiesel : ELIE

78. Gather bit by bit : GLEAN. Saw this painting in Musée d'Orsay.

80. Half-moon tide : NEAP

82. Skin coloring, briefly? : TAT (Tattoo)

83. Raw fish dish : SUSHI.  I never had raw fish in sushi rolls. SASHIMI is for raw fish.

84. Capriciously, with "on" : A WHIM

85. Aphrodite's love : ADONIS

87. One way to sit : STILL

89. Clothing store section : GIRLS

91. Poitier title role : TIBBS (Mister). Also 86. Title in a Poitier title : SIR. Also  96. Fruit in a Poitier title : RAISIN. Fantastic clue echo.

95. Shapiro of NPR : ARI. "All Things Considered" host.

98. Consumed : ATE

99. "Oh gee" : DEAR ME

101. Big name in gaming : HARRAH. Oh now I see how Harrah's got its name. It's huge.

102. Strauss waltz subject : DANUBE

104. Portraitist Charles and his artist sons : PEALEs

105. Mars or Venus : ORB

106. Residential ending : ITE.  I guess it's like Wisconsinite.

107. Title awarded only once to a New Englander (Connecticut, 1933) : MISS AMERICA. Surprising trivia. See here. Minnesota has 3.

109. Last check, maybe : SEVERANCE. Also got via crosses. I was not in the money direction.

112. "Wicked Game" singer Chris : ISAAK

113. Shoulder neighbor : RIGHT LANE. Nice clue/fill also.

115. Knighted composer : ELGAR Sir Edward Elgar.

116. Hint of color : TINGE. Not TINCT.

117. DDE's VP : RMN. Nixon was/is high respected in China.

118. 122-Across user : SALON. 122. Lock fixers : GELs. Filled in without any hesitation. Advantage of being a constructor who has to clue GEL/GELS all the time.

119. Vibrant : ALIVE

120. Scornful look : SNEER

121. Distress letters : SOS. Look at what these folks went through. Can you imagine living without salt for a day?

123. Alice's workplace : DINER

Down:

1. Like architectural drawings : IN SCALE

3. Big name in civil rights : CORETTA. She'd be sad to see the estate fight.

4. Burden : ONUS

6. Like the flight of a boomerang : ARCED

7. "Very funny" : HA HA

8. Muckrakers' subjects : SCANDALS. Sparkly.

9. Thumbs-ups : OKs

10. "All that is or ever was or ever will be": Sagan : COSMOS

11. Result of a leadoff single : ONE ON

12. Order : BOSS. Oh, as in "Boss around".

14. Former TWA owner : ICAHN. I did not know this.

15. Get fewer votes than : LOSE TO

16. Red choice : CLARET

17. Edmonton skaters : OILERS

 

25. TV classic "__ Three Lives" : I LED

28. Court matter : RES. So glad we did not have Latin in school.

30. Little pigs, e.g. : TRIO

34. Hurler's stat : ERA

37. Future tweeter : EGG. This clue makes me smile.

 

39. 2016 FedExCup winner McIlroy : RORY

42. Trials for aspiring D.A.'s : LSATs

44. Lemon-lime drink : SPRITE

48. To be safe : IN CASE

49. "Doesn't do much for me" : MEH

51. Chaotic situation : TUMULT.  I saw TUMULTS the other day, D-Otto, You can't pluralize TUMULT, can you?

52. Spanish airline : IBERIA

53. Vampire's daybed : CASKET

54. Alarm sounds : CLANGS

55. Arnaz-Ball collaboration : DESILU

56. Fishing nets : SEINES

58. Sherpa, usually : NEPALI. They had a strike last year. Such a dangerous job.

61. Indian dignitaries : RAJAHs

69. Former Uh-Oh! cookies, now called Golden : OREOs. The fillings are different in China. Some has green tea cream.

70. Sigourney's "Gorillas in the Mist" role : DIAN. Guessable.

75. Stadium cheer : RAH

79. Strong wind : GALE

85. Marketing of pieces? : ARMS SALE. This "Piece/Pieces" clue gets me all the time.

88. Tabloid twosome : ITEM

90. Spleen : IRE

92. Earn : BRING IN

 

94. More diaphanous : SHEERER. Diaphanous is a new word to me.

95. Comes clean about : ADMITS

97. Half-baked : INSANE. I sent to Rich plenty of half-baked puzzles. Mostly SANE when I hit the Send button.

99. Condescends : DEIGNS

100. Per person : EACH

101. Charlemagne's domain: Abbr. : HRE

103. Grammar subject : USAGE. RetFizz, you were correct, C.C. stands for Chou Chin, Cantonese spelling of Zhouqin.

 

104. First-class : PRIMO

105. Places to raise dough : OVENS. I've been enjoying almond butter-stuffed apples lately.

108. Does as humans do? : ERRS

110. Carbon compound : ENOL

111. "__ want for Christmas ... " : ALL I.  Our high today is only -8, but warming up next week.

114. Fall behind : LAG

C.C.

Saturday, Dec 17th, 2016, David C. Duncan Dekker

Theme: DCDD

Words: 72 (Pangram~!)

Blocks: 31

  This is the second LA Times contribution from Mr. Dekker, his last being a Saturday grid back in April 2016.  That was also a pangram -  in fact, it was a double pangram, which I did not recognize at the time, but the phenomenon did not occur this time.  It was also April (of this year)  when we last had a pangram puzzle on a Saturday.  I was not hopeful at the start of this construction, but some really healthy WAGs and a few proper names that I knew outright were a big help; the crossings then allowed me to cruise through the second pass in short time.  Pretty pinwheel grid, with nothing longer than 8 letters;

14. Symbol on viola sheet music : ALTO CLEF

11. Quilting technique : APPLIQUE

35. Sleeveless smock : PINAFORE - I know what a pinafore is, since we used to have to wear either a red or blue one when playing team sports in schools and such - but I never really considered one to be a "sleeveless smock".  Then I went looking for an image - I like it, almost as much as a romper

Not the kind I wore

57. Message to a loser : GAME OVER

Help~! I've fallen and can't reach my wallet~!

ON credit W(c)ARD~!

ACROSS:

1. Bud holder : BEER KEG - was not sure which "Bud" we were looking at (see 4d.), but once the "EE" showed up, it became obvious

8. Horrified : AGHAST - threw it right in, and it counted~!

16. One who always finds himself over a barrel? : COOPER - the "avowal" (see 40d.) of one who makes barrels

17. Pessimistic sort : NAYSAYER

18. Take down : TOPPLE

19. Kitchen counter : TIMER

20. Ball : WAD - oops, not "ORB"

22. Guy : FELLA - my first thought, but was not sure if the "slang" was going to fly

23. "The Dukes of Hazzard" deputy : ENOS - I grew up on this show - had to get my weekly dose of the orange Dodge Challenger with the doors welded shut jumping over the inept sheriff's cruiser, or the local ravine with the bridge out, etc.; could have been another "Dukes" reference if 16a. was "COOTER"

24. __ Penh : PHNOM - knew it from reading books, but was not sure of the spelling exactly

26. Disorderly conduct : RIOT

27. Excitable toon canine : REN - I guessed the DOWN crossing ended in "R", and that helped remind me

28. Examines informally : QUIZZES

30. Who, in Quebec : QUI - Frawnche, all perps

31. Product of New Orleans : JAZZ - I was introduced to "rock-fusion jazz" and Mahavishnu Orchestra back when I was 16; here's my favorite song from them - the guitar might be a little harsh for some ears, but the drum intro is awesome....

Vital Transformation

32. Do : EXECUTE - with nothing filled in, "Do" as a clue is extremely vague; "Run" is another one

34. Little squirt : SPRITZ - SHRIMP, no, SPRITE, no SPRITZ - the literal spray of liquid

37. "Sure, why not" : "I GUESS."

38. Parti-colored : PIEBALD

40. Passed perfectly : ACED

41. So-so connection? : AND - so-AND-so

42. Process of elimination : REMOVAL

44. Links org. : PGA

47. Truck parts : CABS

49. "The Martian" star : DAMON

50. Links mounds : TEES - not the little wooden stick kind

51. Option for a return : eFILE - IRS type returns

53. Moses, for one : JEW

54. Reznor of Nine Inch Nails : TRENT - I knew this proper name, which helped

55. Destructive beetles : BORERS

59. Zealous : ARDENT

60. It can help with the healing process : ALOE VERA

61. Concluded one's case : RESTED - dah.  Went with CLOSED

62. Sooner or later : SOMEDAY

DOWN:

1. Kidding : BANTER

2. Seinfeld character who ordered the "big salad" : ELAINE

3. Word origin : ETYMON - doesn't look right, but I knew it was the right word

4. Romantic buds? : ROSES - see~?  Which "bud" is which~?

5. '80s Chrysler : K-CAR - I had one, a Plymouth Reliant, which my dad gave to me when the floor rusted out on my Subaru Brat; I ended up replacing the engine, then the transmission in the thing.  Not good.  Dodge/Chrysler have come a long way since then - I still have my Stratus with 293,640 miles on it, and now the newly purchased Grand Caravan

6. Cambridgeshire cathedral town : ELY

7. "Aw, shucks" : "GEE WHIZ~!"

8. Fake being : ACT - ooh~!  I put this in, and it worked~!  I pondered ETs, or something along the lines of an "alien" being - the noun, not the verb

9. "Oops!" evoker : GOOF

10. Optimistic sort : HOPER - one who "hopes"

12. Smash hits, often : SELLOUTS

13. Pacts : TREATIES

15. __ Ferdinand, whose assassination set off WWI : FRANZ

21. Nod : DOZE

24. At a loss : PUZZLED

25. Salma Hayek, by birth : MEXICAN - did not know this, but the crossings were in place

28. Doha is its capital : QATAR - oops, went with YEMEN - and a shout out to our Doc~!

29. Franklin Mint founder Joseph : SEGEL - only unknown, and the last "L" was an "R" first, so I did not get the 'ta-DA~!' until I reviewed the grid

31. Spinnaker relative : JIB - I knew this was a sail boat reference, but thought a spinnaker was a type of boat; here's a pic of a colorful spinnaker

Learned another new word; TWING

33. Jersey chew : CUD - Jersey as in cow; had the "D" from ACED

34. Elongated key : SPACE BAR 

36. Cards nickname : RED BIRDS - the St Louis Cardinals, if I am not mistaken

39. Key of Beethoven's Violin Concerto: Abbr. : D MAJ - the "A" was already in place, so I went right to "E MAJ", figuring "E" was the most likely of final letters for 38a.

40. Professions : AVOWALS

43. Homer's final character? : OMEGA - Homer the Greek poet, not Mr. Simpson; D'oh~!

44. Mad : PEEVED

45. Family subdivisions : GENERA - Yeah, GENUSI did not seem correct; Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genus Species; can you tell me what I'm thinking of~? It's classified as Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Odonata/ Libellulidae/Pachydiplax/Longipennis - phew~!

46. Off the mark : ASTRAY

48. Hard weather to deal with : SLEET - that would be rain in solid form; definitely 'harder'

50. Cache of cash, perhaps : TROVE - I had TR---, tried TRUST

52. Seaside glider : ERNE

54. Brim : TEEM

56. Norm: Abbr. : STD

58. Stock response? : MOO - More cow humor

Splynter

Friday, December 16, 2016, Gail Grabowski

Title: what's your P/L like?

The ever prolific Gail G. is back with a letter substitution puzzle with an added twist. Two word phrases beginning PO become words which start LO. Limiting her word choice to LO made this a wonderful challenge. How many could come up with 4 such phrases. Looking at a list with 1800 words which begin PO, I could not anything appealing aside from the 4 she chose. It ended up as a very straight forward solve working from corner to corner. Getting the theme early helped. Mileage may vary so let take a stroll together. No standout words but not any clunkers or cheater squares.

17A. "Don't waste your money on that pendant"? : LOCKET VETO (10). Pocket veto, It makes sene but i do not see it a real phrase.

23A. Spinner in a numbers game? : LOTTERY WHEEL (12). Pottery Wheel. Lottery wheel does seem more realistic.

51A. Hammock? : LOLLING PLACE (12). Polling Place. Yes this works too.

64A. Pruning ideology? : LOP CULTURE (10). Pop culture. A stretch.
And the reveal?

71A. Sport that hints at this puzzle's theme : POLO. Now you see it?

Across;

1. Bird that's a national symbol : KIWI. If you ever wondered WHY?

5. "Chasing Pavements" singer : ADELE.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwTMyjTNBM8

10. Party time, casually : B-DAY. Do you all have parties on your birthday?

14. Eddie __, detective involved in the actual "French Connection" : EGAN. Played by Gene Hackman in the movie.













15. Spring bloomer : TULIP.

16. Former constellation that included Vela (the sails) : ARGO. For all you stargazer. LINK.

19. Insulated cable : CORD.

20. Thorough investigation : PROBE.\ Is this real SCIENCE?

21. Opposite of bumpy : EVEN.

22. Pants part : KNEE.

26. Elaborate in design : ROCOCO. How many of you have listened to Firesign Theater's the adventures of Nick Danger and the evil Rocky Rococo?

29. It's heard in a herd : MOO. Cute clue

30. Online service option : CHAT.

31. Daring exploit : GEST. I ususaly see it with the spelling GESTE like Beau Geste..

35. One eschewing leather, perhaps : VEGAN. Love the esCHEWing got a vegan clue.

39. Satisfied sounds : AHS.

40. Pub pick : PALE ALE. IPA more likely.

42. Presidential nickname : ABE.

43. Long bout : SIEGE. a sudden experiencing of a physical or mental disorder
Synonyms access, bout, case, fit, seizure, attack, spell, turn

45. Start of something big? : MAXI. Nicely phrased though for some reason it may think of maxipad.

46. Quiets, in a way : OILS. Ahh, the squeaky part

47. Quirky : ODD.

49. Hills of Rome, e.g. : SEPTET. Seven: The seven hills are:
Aventine Hill (Latin, Aventinus; Italian, Aventino)
Caelian Hill (Cælius, Celio)
Capitoline Hill (Capitolinus, Campidoglio)
Esquiline Hill (Esquilinus, Esquilino)
Palatine Hill (Palatinus, Palatino)
Quirinal Hill (Quirinalis, Quirinale)
Viminal Hill (Viminalis, Viminale)

57. Beginning : AS OF.

58. Square figure : AREA. Cute again.

59. Early or late hr., depending : ONE A.M.

63. Go on : LAST.

66. Pulitzer-winning author James : AGEE. A regular here famous for The African Queen (1951) screen play and The Night of the Hunter (1955). Agee died in New York City on May 16, 1955. Three years later, in 1958, he was posthumously awarded a Pulitzer Prize for his novel A Death in the Family.

67. Sure-footed critters : ASSES.

68. Composer Khachaturian : ARAM. And now for a musical interlude---doe the music sound familiar?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqg3l3r_DRI   LINK

69. "What __ you thinking?" : WERE.

70. Not a hit, usually : B-SIDE.


Down:

1. Vegetation in underwater forests : KELP. The Beatles used this as their anthem when they became vegan. I bet the readers here could do better than THIS.

2. Aviation pioneer Sikorsky : IGOR. He moved to Connecticut and I had the pleasure of meeting him at my uncles house.

3. Chisholm Trail city : WACO.

4. Test pattern : INKBLOT. Another well clued fill.

5. U-verse provider : ATT.

6. Comforter : DUVET. French for DOWN.

7. Sorbonne student : ELEVE. French for student.

8. Large soda bottle label word : LITER. As in 2 or 3 liter size.

9. Henry Ford, e.g. : EPONYM. A fun word:a person after whom a discovery, invention, place, etc., is named or thought to be named: name or noun formed after a person.

10. Excavating aid : BACKHOE.Glad we had the lesson a few weeks ago.

11. Hive member : DRONE.

12. Think alike : AGREE.

13. Mountain air : YODEL. a fun LINK.

18. Fair-hiring agcy. : EEOC.

24. Draped garment : TOGA. Does everyone think of Animal House or the wonderful HBO series ROME, or PBS I, Claudius all well worth watching. You might have know all seven hills.

25. Zigzagged : WOVE.

26. Some TVs : RCAS.

27. Offhand greeting : OH HI.

28. Discounted buy : CASE. I guess he is referring to bulk buying,

32. Split-resistant wood : ELM. Elm wood is valued for its interlocking grain, and consequent resistance to splitting, with significant uses in wagon wheel hubs, chair seats and coffins. The bodies of Japanese Taiko drums are often cut from the wood of old elm trees, as the wood's resistance to splitting is highly desired for nailing the skins to them, and a set of three or more is often cut from the same tree. Wiki.  Oo and I watched the drummers live, they are awesome.

33. See 61-Down : SEA. 61D, With  33-Down, part of it is now a desert : ARAL.

34. Stress : TAX. Don't tax yourself.

36. Trot, say : GAIT.

37. Skilled : ABLE.

38. Source of tweets : NEST.

40. Beginning to cure? : PEDI. Nicely done.

41. When repeated, Cult Jam singer : LISA.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5m8lj5DCtI  LINK.

44. Driver's gadget : GOLF TEE.

46. Source of flowing water : OPEN TAP.

48. "CSI" setting : DNA LAB. It was much more than that.

50. Sci. concerned with biodiversity : ECOLolgy.

51. Multiple Emmy-winning legal drama : LA LAW.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7R6ycC_s1g

52. Missouri river : OSAGE.

53. Usually disappointed one : LOSER.

54. Sales figure : GROSS.

55. Side in a decades-long war : PEPSI. The inside STORY.

56. Tied : LACED. Shoes not sports.

60. Peseta replacer : EURO.

62. Exec's reminder : MEMO.

65. Purpose : USE.

Well there you have a bunch of really fun clues and a tight theme. Only 9 shopping days left and accept all gifts from all religious constructs.  It is fun, Lemonade out. thanks Gail and of you who read, and especially those who write, even the foolish attacking trolls who hide behind anonymity. We have some great people to know if you open up.

Thursday, December 15th, 2016 Bruce Haight

Theme: Oh Captain! My Captain! Four of them lurking in the grid:

17A. D-Day code name : OMAHA BEACH. Ahab. He of the pathological preoccupation with Moby Dick in Herman Melville's book.

24A. Again : ONE MORE TIME. Nemo, Jules Verne's skipper of the Nautilus. He also popped up in the movie "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" - a fun flick from 2003.

49A. Cleaner with a blade : SQUEEGEE MOP. Queeg. Ineffectual captain in The Caine Mutiny. SQUEEGEE is a great brand name.

58A. 1957 #1 song title that appears in the line after "I'm in love" : ALL SHOOK UP. Hook. Another monomaniac, this time in J.M.Barrie's Peter Pan. With pleasing symmetry for this puzzle, Melville provided Barrie with the inspiration for the character.

35A. Indication of cooperation with ones hidden in this puzzle's four other longest answers : AYE, AYE, CAPTAIN!

Very nice effort from Bruce, I wonder if QUEEG was the seed that germinated the idea for this puzzle? Enjoyable romp through a selection of Masters and Commanders. Let's see what else we've got.

Across:

1. Moves with effort : PLODS. Also a mildly derogatory term for British policemen, from Enid Blyton's character "P.C. Plod"

6. Golden Fleece ship : ARGO. Aye, aye, Jason!

10. Tach nos. : RPMS. Should be RsPM in Steve World. I find it funny that cars with a fully-automatic transmission have a tachometer in the dash. It serves no useful function whatsoever.

14. Any "30 Rock" episode, now : RERUN

15. Trial version : DEMO. Had "BETA" first. That didn't stay in too long.

16. Tahari of fashion : ELIE. Thank you, crosses. I discover he is an Israel-Iranian fashion designer.

19. Carroll specialties : PUNS. The Mock Turtle's teacher was nicknamed "tortoise, because he taught us". Most of Carroll's puns are homophones - he was writing for a ten-year-old and kept the humor simple.

20. Got elected : WON

21. Influence : PULL

22. Loaf : DOG IT

23. Official lang. of Trinidad and Tobago : ENG. The Queen's version, naturally.

27. Oktoberfest souvenirs : STEINS. Cheers!

29. Actor Stephen : REA

30. Clear : NET

31. Balkan native : SERB

32. "Key Largo" co-star : BACALL. Had the "B", but had to wait. Could be BOGART.

40. Red hair and green eyes : TRAITS

41. Some PX patrons : NCO'S

43. George Lucas' alma mater: Abbr. : USC. University of Southern California here in Los Angeles. His family foundation gave the film school $10m a couple of years ago. He graduated in 1967.

46. Having one sharp : IN G

47. It makes a lot of dough : BAKERY

53. Bishops and pawns : MEN. Chess people, not chess men. After all, there's a couple of queens in there.

54. "The Last Supper," for one : MURAL. Leonardo's masterwork at the convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milano.

55. NBA part: Abbr. : NATL.

56. Keep __ distance : AT A

57. Pains : AILS

61. Hunted one : PREY

62. Security lapse : LEAK

63. Dr. Evil portrayer in Austin Powers films : MYERS. Funny guy.

64. Lab fluids : SERA. Que sera, sera - whatever lab fluids will be.

65. Garage sale caveat : AS IS

66. Capital on the Aar : BERNE

Down:

1. Masterful ability : PROWESS

2. Soothing brew : LEMON TEA

3. Citrus greenhouse : ORANGERY. Kensington Palace in London have converted theirs to a restaurant. Nice place for a cup of soothing lemon tea. Posh digs. The Peter Pan statue is close by. Our 58A captain would not approve.

4. "I can't believe I missed that!" : DUH!

5. Wisconsin-based tool manufacturer : SNAP-ON

6. Young adult fiction writer Griffin : ADELE. Fresh new clue. Gives Fred's sister, the singer and Jane Eyre's charge a break from crossword duty.

7. Sphere of influence : REALM

8. Sierra or Yukon : GMC.

9. "I'm impressed!" : OOH!

10. Move, roots and all : RE-POT

11. Connect to a power source : PLUG IN. The mobile worker's perennial problem. It's getting easier to find laptop power at airports nowadays though.

12. Dr. Evil's cohort : MINI-ME

13. Italian sonnet closing : SESTET. Italian referring to the word, not the sonnet itself. The second part of the sonnet being the closing six lines. The first eight are called the octave. Here's Bill the Bard with the closing of Sonnet 18:

But thy eternal summer shall not fade,

Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st,

Nor shall death brag thou wand’rest in his shade,

When in eternal lines to Time thou grow’st.

     So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,

     So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

18. Subject that may come up in a frank discussion? : BUNS. Nice clue. I like Hebrew National franks.

22. Provided the hands : DEALT

25. Ocean predators : ORCAS

26. Garner : REAP

28. "Su-r-r-r-re" : I BET

32. Pantyhose shade : BEIGE

33. Vegas routine : ACT

34. Tall and thin : LANK

36. Disney daughter of King Triton : ARIEL. The Little Mermaid.

37. Masculine principle : YANG

38. Fridge convenience : ICE MAKER. My fridge doesn't have one. There's no water line to the fridge location, so there's not much point.

39. Point at which commitment occurs : NO RETURN. I'm flying to Honolulu on Sunday. 1,260 miles out from LAX is just about PNR for that trip.

42. Neural junction : SYNAPSE

43. Some road atlas pgs. : U.S. MAPS

44. Knight's attendant : SQUIRE

45. Stone-pushing Winter Olympian : CURLER. I love watching curling in the Olympics. You only get to see the sport once every four years, unless there's an ESPN 24-hour curling channel that I'm missing.

47. Those two : BOTH

48. Self-possession : APLOMB

50. Cushy class : EASY A. This was a struggle - I was trying to think of a luxurious cabin class.

51. Zhou __ : EN LAI

52. Mardi Gras purchases : MASKS

58. Harper Lee's home st. : ALA.

59. Avignon article : LES. Avignon's got a 12th century bridge that only spans a small part of the Rhone. It kept getting washed away in floods and eventually the good burghers of Avignon got sick and tired of rebuilding it so it was abandoned in the mid 1600's.

60. Santana's "__ Como Va" : OYE. Came a little too late for a music link so I'll save it for next week.

And with that, here's the grid!

Steve

Wednesday, December 14, 2016, Alex Eaton-Salners

TITLE: LET THE CIRCLE BE UNBROKEN. The last time we saw Alex was a 11/16/16 puzzle blogged by Melissa who indicated that that puzzle appeared to be Alex's LA Times debut.

Let's start with Alex's reveal in this fabulous midweek puzzle:

61. *As sequenced in this grid, what the answers to starred clues form : WORD CHAIN

Exposing Alex's devious theme required me to put the grid upfront and then color code the WORD CHAIN he formed. The matching colors below tie the last word in one fill to the first word in a succeeding fill with a starred clue and that action generates yet another word or phrase. The pièce de résistance is that the last fill with a starred clue circles back to link to the first one and, as my title suggests, keeps the circle/chain unbroken. WOW!! 

Husker Gary today showing you Alex's WORD CHAINS:

17. *TV screen film format : LETTERBOX and 24. *At-your-desk assignment : SEATWORK that chain together to make BOXSEAT. These BOXSEATS behind the Cubs dugout for Game 7 of the World Series went for $15,000 each.

24. *At-your-desk assignment : SEATWORK now chains with 37. *Summertime destination for kids : DAYCAMP to make WORKDAY whose hours were the title of this movie

37. *Summertime destination for kids : DAYCAMP now chains with 50. *Building inspector's concern : FIRECODE to make CAMPFIRE - Everybody know the words to Kumbaya? 

50. *Building inspector's concern : FIRECODE now chains with the reveal 61. *As sequenced in this grid, what the answers to starred clues form : WORDCHAIN - to make CODEWORD - which is what Tom Hanks was seeking in The Da Vinci Code to open this cryptex. Do you remember what the CODE WORD was?

61. *As sequenced in this grid, what the answers to starred clues form : WORD CHAIN now links up with the first starred fill of 17. *TV screen film format : LETTERBOX to complete our chain and form the phrase CHAIN LETTER  - A 21st century annoyance

The puzzle and the theme made for a very pleasant solving experience. 

Across

1. Host who says, "Solve or spin" : SAJAK - A game show success and talk show failure

6. Possibilities : IF'S - If IF'S and but's were candy and nuts...

9. Apple remains : CORES - This gets right to the CORE of the matter

14. The Quakers of the Ivy League, briefly : U PENN

15. __-mo replay : SLO - Accuracy and game times both increase

16. Hairbrush target : SNARL

19. Biology dish eponym : PETRI - The PETRI dish in which Sir Alex Fleming saw bacteria being killed near a penicillium mold that grows on bread which of course led to the most used antibiotic in the world

20. __ Enterprise : USS

21. Very long periods : EONS

22. It may be carried in a boardroom : MOTION  - I move we order doughnuts!

23. Sit-up targets : ABS

26. Out : ASLEEP - The definitive book about last week's memorial whose 6. Card catalog ID : ISBN  is 13: 978-0140157345

29. Any'tizers Boneless Chicken Wyngz maker : TYSON 

30. Ben who plays an economics teacher in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" : STEIN

31. Mata __ : HARI

33. Put on the cloud, say : SAVE

36. Luv : HON

40. Cut of lamb : LEG

41. Redheaded sitcom kid : OPIE - Ronnie Howard found more success behind the camera - including aforementioned The Da Vinci Code

43. Pre-owned : USED

44. Have credit from : OWE TO - "I OWE my soul TO the Company Store"

46. Shaped like a kiwi : OVATE

48. Sun Bowl city : EL PASO

53. Braz. neighbor : ARG

54. Says "Hi, sailor" to, say : FLIRTS - Get ready...

55. One-named Irish singer : BONO

57. Canonized Fr. female : STE - Catholic Online lists STE Joan of Arc as #23

60. Lo-cal brews : LITES

63. Japanese dog : AKITA

64. Plot device? : HOE 

65. Hard-to-understand "South Park" character : KENNY

66. Exams : TESTS

67. Gives the nod : OK'S

68. "Later!" : SEE YA - "Wouldn't wanna BE YA!"

Down

1. "Star Trek" role for Cho : SULU

2. Mirrors : APES - Remember this scene?

3. New York team that plays home games in New Jersey : JETS

4. Carpenter __ : ANT

5. Plié, for one : KNEE BEND

7. Oral-B Glide, e.g. : FLOSS

8. Name on a Chicago cap : SOX

9. Big bills, slangily : C-SPOTS - With many security features

10. Boxing combos : ONE TWOS

11. Bases : RATIONALES

12. "Oops!" inciter : ERROR - Personal advice - "Don't keep your throat spray next to your computer screen cleaner spray"

13. Sneak (away), as in shame : SLINK

18. Wine choice : ROSE'

22. Actress __ Bialik of "The Big Bang Theory" : MAYIM - She plays brilliant and plain Amy Farah Fowler 

23. "Aladdin" hero : ALI

25. Online investment service : E-TRADE

26. At the summit : ATOP

27. Ailment similar to spring fever : SENIORITIS  - Hey, they're 18 and know everything!

28. Course of action? : PHYS ED - Clever

30. "Shameless" airer, briefly : SHO

32. Versatile blackjack card : ACE

34. Presidential no : VETO 

35. Swelled head : EGO

38. VW and BMW : AUTOS

39. Fizzy candy : POP ROCKS

42. '50s-'60s Illinois senator Dirksen : EVERETT - It's easy to spend other people's money 

45. Tail movement : WAG

47. Steps in for : ACTS AS

49. Touch down : LAND

50. E equivalent, in music : F FLAT 

51. "Looking good!" : I LIKE

52. Reader's download : E-BOOK - Here's Julius Caesar in said format

56. Mined finds : ORES

57. Of sound mind : SANE

58. Teensy-weensy : TINY

59. One-named Irish singer : ENYA

61. "__ cares?" : WHO 

62. Half a giggle : HEE

There are no CHAIN OF FOOLS here and so I look forward to their comments: