Theme: "Di-spirited Away"- DI is removed from the start of each theme entry.
24A Software update strategies? : VERSION TACTICS. Diversion tactics.
36A. Counsel offered by Carlo Rossi? : VINE GUIDANCE. Divine guidance.
54A. Dream about childbirth? : VISION OF LABOR. Division of labor.
67A. Views about poetry? : VERSE OPINIONS. Diverse opinion.
86A. Reminded guests that certain casual attire is required? : STRESSED JEANS. Distressed jeans.
99A. Uncompromising boss? : STRICT LEADER. District leader.
118A. Mastering a basic golf lesson? : STANCE LEARNING. Distance learning.
This is such a consistent & tight set. Notice how the new words and the original words share no roots at all?
Gail is a true master. She just makes things look easy.
Across:
1. Financial smartphone download : ATM APP. Also 112. Smartphone display : TIME
7. Vague feeling : VIBE
11. Shot spot : ARM
14. Take up or let out : ALTER
19. More profound : DEEPER
20. Attention-getting type: Abbr. : ITAL
21. Gunk : GOO
22. Russian bread : RUBLE. Here's the real bread. Black bread.
23. Crooner Vic : DAMONE
27. Urban view obscurer : SMOG
28. Action-filled : SLAM-BANG. Great fill.
30. Get by succession : INHERIT
31. Stand in a loft : EASEL. Noun "Stand". And 47. State secrets? : RAT. Verb "State".
33. Title absentee : GODOT. Waiting for Godot.
35. Bridge installer's deg. : DDS. Dental.
42. Map in a map : INSET
45. Ristorante suffix : INI
46. Pursued : TRAILED
48. Container with slats : CRATE
52. Recommend : ADVISE
57. What alibis may be : LIES
58. Series of rings : PEAL
60. Ultra-secret org. : NSA
61. Like yoga devotees : LIMBER. Also 91. Yoga pose : ASANA. Hi there Lucina!
62. Naval strength : SEA POWER
65. Co-host Shapiro of "All Things Considered" : ARI
66. Celeb's freebie : VIP PASS
71. "That film is awful" : I HATE IT. Two great 7-letter fill in a row.
75. '60s-'80s Brit. sports car : MGB
76. Frozen fruit-flavored snack : OTTER POP. Favorite snack of D-Otto's dad.
81. Soda purchases : LITERS
82. 1999 Moviefone acquirer : AOL
83. Fluency : EASE
85. Normal beginning? : PARA. Paranormal.
89. Baseless accusation, to an alleged perp : BUM RAP. Snazzy!
92. Pic for a doc : MRI
93. "Dig in!" : LET'S EAT. Here is the recipe of my Eight Treasure Congee. Have any of you cooked red rice before? I just bought a bag of Lundberg red rice at Walmart. I presume it's the same way we cook wild rice.
96. When Le Havre heats up : ETE
97. Run through a reader : SWIPE. Scanner. Not you. We also have 5. Writer : PEN. Write-r.
101. Break down : SOB
104. Mar. parade honoree : ST PAT
106. Shake awake : ROUST
107. Taking in a sunrise, say : UP EARLY. I'm an early riser.
110. Crowd control weapons : RIOT GUNS
114. Headquarters : BASE
120. Golfer's starting point : TEE BOX
122. Salon dye : HENNA
123. Scepter top, perhaps : ORB
124. Salon, for one : E-MAG. You can find many old Life magazines at flea market for a dollar.
125. Not leave to chance : ENSURE
126. Concepts : IDEAS
127. They're often grad students : TAs
128. Wraps (up) : SEWS
129. Went bad : ROTTED. Traditional
Chinese black bean sauce is made of fermented black soy beans that
smell bad to the uninitiated. My grandma never put garlic in her sauce.
So I never put it in mine either.
Down:
1. Throws into the mix : ADDS
2. Group with lineups : TEAM
3. Exec's reminder : MEMO
4. Orbital high point : APOGEE. Learned from doing crosswords.
6. Put the squeeze on : PRESSURE
7. "The Four Seasons" composer : VIVALDI
8. It might follow a bullet : ITEM. Bullet point.
9. Zinger : BARB
10. "Frozen" princess : ELSA. Also 71. Rick calls her "kid" : ILSA
11. Disco phrase : A GOGO
12. Pal of Harry : RON. Harry Potter
13. Summon silently : MOTION TO
14. St. Louis landmark : ARCH. Been there for a short time. Never saw the Arch.
15. Renaissance instrument : LUTE
16. 1954 Ford debut : T-BIRD
17. Legendary Spanish hero : EL CID
18. Intervals of inactivity : RESTS
25. "Picnic" playwright : INGE
26. Queen's subjects : ANTS. Can't fool me any more.
29. Princess from Alderaan : LEIA
32. Spy-fi figs. : AGTs
34. Grammy-winning singer Krall : DIANA. Wife of Elvis Costello.
36. Medical containers : VIALS
37. Common film festival entry : INDIE
38. Skin lotion brand : NIVEA
39. Menlo Park middle name : ALVA. Edison.
40. Justice Gorsuch who replaced Antonin : NEIL
41. DJ's stack : CDs
43. 8/21/2017 celestial event : ECLIPSE. It was quite cloudy that day. So I did what Trump did. Look at the sun directly.
44. Vagabond : TRAMP
47. Violinist's need : ROSIN
49. Quartet named for its members : ABBA
50. They're usually seen with sandals : TOES. Cute.
51. Miscalculates : ERRS
53. Connection method: Abbr. : ISP
55. Cross inscription : INRI
56. Spark producer : FLINT
58. Apt to mouth off : PERT
59. Critical care ctrs. : ERs
63. Supervised : OVERSAW
64. Houdini's family name : WEISS. Unknown to me.
65. BOLO equivalent : APB. Be on the lookout.
66. Popular __ : VOTE
68. Expressive online image : EMOJI. "Hey, I just met you.... " This is so sweet.
69. Take in the wrong way? : OGLE
70. Apple mobile platform : IOS
72. Google successes : HITS
73. Quattro competitor : ATRA
74. Cold weather word : TEENS. Mall
walk time. Grateful for the Springbrook Nature Center this summer. So
quiet and meditative. No dogs. No bikes. No cameras allowed either.
77. Turntable letters : RPM
78. Took a little off : PARED
79. Give a keynote, say : ORATE
80. Morning read : PAPER. Important part of our morning.
82. TV spot seller : AD REP
83. U.S. dept. with a windmill on its seal : ENER
84. Wine city near Turin : ASTI
87. Unimproved property : EMPTY LOT
88. In-flight fig. : ALT
89. Railing feature : BALUSTER. Learning moment for me.
90. Western natives : UTES
94. Earl with a three-finger banjo-picking style named for him : SCRUGGS
95. Berkshire boarding school : ETON
98. Castaway's home : ISLE
99. Foment, with "up" : STIR
100. If all goes right : AT BEST
101. Rolls with rice : SUSHI. My favorite. Eel sushi.
102. Withdrew, with "out" : OPTED
103. "Moneyball" baseball exec Billy : BEANE. Played by Brad Pitt.
105. Mettlesome mounts : ARABS
108. Paquin of "True Blood" : ANNA
109. Pioneering TVs : RCAs
111. Column on the right : ONES
113. Nibble : GNAW
115. Be flush with : ABUT
116. Ill-tempered : SORE
117. Struck (out) : EX'ED
119. Period that may be named for a president : ERA
121. "Lux" composer Brian : ENO
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Oct 1, 2017
Sep 30, 2017
Saturday, Sep 30th, 2017, Pawel Fludzinski
Theme: None
Words: 66 (missing J,K,Q,X,Z)
Blocks: 34
Last
puzzle of the month, and I expected it to be a rough one, and Mr
Fludzinski did not disappoint. Virtually blank on the first pass, both
across and down, but I was able to break open the SE corner before I
caved in to red-letters, and then Googled for one answer. I refrained
from STOG, but I needed some help in the NW - just too many proper names
today. Oh well. Two 13-letter spanners and one 15-letter climber in a
sort of pretzel-like grid;
30a. Wikipedia is an example of it : CROWDSOURCING
33a. Kind of response to mortal danger : FIGHT OR FLIGHT
7d. Reunion discovery : LONG LOST FRIENDS - or sometimes this old farm....
lyric @ 1:30
jOhNWARDenver~!
ACROSS:
1. MTV toon teen : BEAVIS - argh~! So ashamed I didn't recall this right away
7. Sings the blues : LAMENTS
14. Planned city in California's Orange County : IRVINE - I'm East coast - I hear "planned", and I think Levittown and Hicksville here on Long Island
15. Conquered : OVERCAME - I tried overTOOK, but this is like a more personal conquering; I overcame my anxiety this week when I interviewed well on Monday, then had to wait until yesterday to find out I got the job. So I am "retiring" from UPS as of the end of next week. Seven years. That's a good run for me.
14. Planned city in California's Orange County : IRVINE - I'm East coast - I hear "planned", and I think Levittown and Hicksville here on Long Island
15. Conquered : OVERCAME - I tried overTOOK, but this is like a more personal conquering; I overcame my anxiety this week when I interviewed well on Monday, then had to wait until yesterday to find out I got the job. So I am "retiring" from UPS as of the end of next week. Seven years. That's a good run for me.
17. General courses : TRENDS
18. "Could be worse" : "NOT SO BAD."
19. __ talks : MONEY - I pondered PEACE first
20. Ones in a mess, briefly : GIs
18. "Could be worse" : "NOT SO BAD."
19. __ talks : MONEY - I pondered PEACE first
20. Ones in a mess, briefly : GIs
21. Celestial body : ORB - crossword staple, poetic "planet"
22. Chug-__ : A-LUG
23. Persuaded : SOLD
25. Instrument dating to the Paleolithic age : FLUTE - ah, an actual instrument; I was thinking along the lines of knife/axe/spade "tool" kind of instrument
27. "Go ahead" : "PLEASE DO."
29. One determining 17-Across : POLLER
32. Like most capital costs : ONE-TIME
39. Brody who was the youngest Best Actor Oscar winner : ADRIEN - I spelled it with two "A"s first
40. Contingency plan : RECOURSE
43. Double-check : RE-ADD
44. Old Italian capital : LIRE - and again, spelled it with an "A"
45. "__ oui!" : MAIS - Frawnche - but I have to let on, I have had a new handyman client who is French, and he's pretty cool - a little hard to understand at times, but....
46. Provoke : FAN - as in fanning the flames
47. San Francisco's __ Valley : NOE - perps; more West coast geography
48. Presages : BODES
49. Symbolic attitude? : EMOTICON - 😀
52. Star close to Venus? : SERENA - the tennis stars, that is - didn't fool me, got me a start in this corner
53. Field of dreams? : LA-LA LAND
54. Pucker-inducing : LEMONY
55. Denies : NAYSAYS
56. Parks with games : ARENAS
DOWN:
23. Persuaded : SOLD
25. Instrument dating to the Paleolithic age : FLUTE - ah, an actual instrument; I was thinking along the lines of knife/axe/spade "tool" kind of instrument
27. "Go ahead" : "PLEASE DO."
29. One determining 17-Across : POLLER
32. Like most capital costs : ONE-TIME
39. Brody who was the youngest Best Actor Oscar winner : ADRIEN - I spelled it with two "A"s first
40. Contingency plan : RECOURSE
43. Double-check : RE-ADD
44. Old Italian capital : LIRE - and again, spelled it with an "A"
45. "__ oui!" : MAIS - Frawnche - but I have to let on, I have had a new handyman client who is French, and he's pretty cool - a little hard to understand at times, but....
46. Provoke : FAN - as in fanning the flames
47. San Francisco's __ Valley : NOE - perps; more West coast geography
48. Presages : BODES
49. Symbolic attitude? : EMOTICON - 😀
52. Star close to Venus? : SERENA - the tennis stars, that is - didn't fool me, got me a start in this corner
53. Field of dreams? : LA-LA LAND
54. Pucker-inducing : LEMONY
55. Denies : NAYSAYS
56. Parks with games : ARENAS
DOWN:
1. Digital image format : BITMAP
2. Jazz virtuoso Garner : ERROLL - my Google for the day; his Wiki
3. Street in Manhattan's Alphabet City : AVENUE C - in hindsight, filling in "AVENUE" and then waiting seemed like a good idea for getting a toe-hold
4. Salad bar item : VINEGAR
5. __ 500 : INDY
6. His, to Henri : SES - oui
8. Bypass : AVOID - there was no avoiding traffic last weekend out here - a holiday weekend that had all three routes to the North Fork jammed up - I got in and got out before the chaos ensued. Apple pickers. >:-P 😝
9. Last team to play in the Polo Grounds : METS - and back to the East coast; more here
10. Sounds from the stumped : Ers....
11. Base fig. : NCO - dah~! Army base; I was thinking EST, NTH, etc.
12. Bulgur salad : TABOULI - no clue, filled via perps - the Wiki
13. Spruce (up) : SMARTEN
16. Swedish tennis great : EDBERG - seeing how I screwed up SAM BERG a few weeks ago, I looked this up just to be sure it was not "ED BERG"
23. Like some patches : SEWN-ON - I had this one on the back of my denim jacket in high school
2. Jazz virtuoso Garner : ERROLL - my Google for the day; his Wiki
3. Street in Manhattan's Alphabet City : AVENUE C - in hindsight, filling in "AVENUE" and then waiting seemed like a good idea for getting a toe-hold
4. Salad bar item : VINEGAR
5. __ 500 : INDY
6. His, to Henri : SES - oui
8. Bypass : AVOID - there was no avoiding traffic last weekend out here - a holiday weekend that had all three routes to the North Fork jammed up - I got in and got out before the chaos ensued. Apple pickers. >:-P 😝
9. Last team to play in the Polo Grounds : METS - and back to the East coast; more here
10. Sounds from the stumped : Ers....
11. Base fig. : NCO - dah~! Army base; I was thinking EST, NTH, etc.
12. Bulgur salad : TABOULI - no clue, filled via perps - the Wiki
13. Spruce (up) : SMARTEN
16. Swedish tennis great : EDBERG - seeing how I screwed up SAM BERG a few weeks ago, I looked this up just to be sure it was not "ED BERG"
23. Like some patches : SEWN-ON - I had this one on the back of my denim jacket in high school
ah, the youth of 1985
24. Harder to explain : ODDER
25. Precede : FOREGO
26. Inc. kin : LLC - oops, not LTD
28. Blackened from combustion : SOOTED - meh. I went with SEARED
29. Exfoliation material : PUMICE
31. NFL Titan, once : OILER - from Houston
33. Pasta pellets in Jewish cuisine : FARFEL
34. Thoughtful guy? : IDEA MAN
35. Breakfast bar : GRANOLA
36. Sought anonymity : HID
37. "Just play along, okay?" : "HUMOR ME."
38. Exploit : TRADE ON
41. "Burnt" crayon color : SIENNA
25. Precede : FOREGO
26. Inc. kin : LLC - oops, not LTD
28. Blackened from combustion : SOOTED - meh. I went with SEARED
29. Exfoliation material : PUMICE
31. NFL Titan, once : OILER - from Houston
33. Pasta pellets in Jewish cuisine : FARFEL
34. Thoughtful guy? : IDEA MAN
35. Breakfast bar : GRANOLA
36. Sought anonymity : HID
37. "Just play along, okay?" : "HUMOR ME."
38. Exploit : TRADE ON
41. "Burnt" crayon color : SIENNA
42. Prose pieces : ESSAYS
44. More than a little foolish : LOONY
47. BCS org. : NCAA - Bowl Championship Series of the National Collegiate Athletic Assoc.
48. It's often tapped out : BEER
50. North Sea feeder : TAY - the longest river up in Scotland
44. More than a little foolish : LOONY
47. BCS org. : NCAA - Bowl Championship Series of the National Collegiate Athletic Assoc.
48. It's often tapped out : BEER
50. North Sea feeder : TAY - the longest river up in Scotland
51. They, in Tours : ILS - oui oui~!
52. Radical '70s org. : SLA
52. Radical '70s org. : SLA
Sep 29, 2017
Friday, September 29, 2017, John Lampkin
Title: Roman Numeral switcheroo.
Another happy Friday with another of the good friends of the blog. John is such an accomplished and warm human being, it is hard not to like all of his work I assume all "got" this theme as soon as the word "Roman" appeared so often. While there are countless words which include the letters which are also the Roman numerals, John limited his selection to the V and the X, with the perfect reveal. My first thought when I saw 1 Across was that all three letters were Roman numerals. You don't see three letter theme fill often but this all worked for me, with no words longer than 8 letters. Your thoughts on this work are appreciated. Off we go....
1A. Roman jet? : DC X. (3) The DC 10 was introduced into service in 1970. This one confused me because D and C are also Roman Numerals.
23A. Roman's advice to prevent an explosion? : COUNT TO X (8). Counting to 10 was a shortcut to meditation.
39A. Roman variety store? (and a hint to 10 other puzzle answers) : V AND X (5). The 5 and 10 was
an American institution, with WOOLWORTH being the epitome.
51A. Roman Shakespearean drama? : V ACT PLAY (8). Shakespeare was dedicated to this STRUCTURE.
70A. Roman graveyard shift hour? : V AM. (3). When I used to work doubles at the rubber factory (2 PM to 6 AM) it was the last hour that was the hardest.
3D. Roman bowler's target? : X PIN (4). A CSO for Boomer!
4D. Roman musical family? : JACKSON V (8). Can you name all five?
26D. Roman bike? : X SPEED (6). Bicycles have become too complex for me. They sell some for thousands of dollars.
27D. Roman "high" request? : GIMME V (6). These days this is one of the first things parents teach their children.
40D. Roman Scrabble Q-tile, e.g.? : X POINTER (8). Ten points, and all those words that don't need a U.
57D. Roman's long golf hole? : PAR V (4). Another CSO to our golfing contingent, HG, BE, Moe and all of those I left out by accident.
Well, I am worn out just listing the 11 theme fill. So let's explore the rest.
Across:
4. Start of a rhyming Basque game: JAI. Alai. Long the fastest moving ball in SPORTS.
7. Reason to use an inhaler: ASTHMA.
13. Knock: RAP. Oh, I guess I can call it "knock" music.
14. Cry buckets: BAWL. The word had a different meaning in my youth.
15. Unexpected twist: SPRAIN. Amusing.
16. The record longest continuous ride on one is 105.57 miles: UNICYCLE. Who knew? This makes it a TRIBUTE puzzle.
18. Unlikely to ride a 16-Across well: KLUTZY. Too true.
19. Hunted Carroll critter: SNARK. More of his IMAGINATION, beyond Alice.
20. Balm-maker's plants: ALOES.
22. A.L. East team: BOSton.
27. '80s jeans: GITANOS. Still for SALE.
31. SOP part: Abbr. : STD. Standard.
32. "48 __": HRS. The TV Show.
33. Assistant who didn't exist in Mary Shelley's novel: IGOR. Eegore, or Eyegor?
34. Whiskey order: NEAT. A clear CSO to Tinbeni.
36. "... beneath __ blue sky": Don Henley lyric: A DEEP. Not a sea but sky. LISTEN.
38. Stubborn equine: MULE.
41. Perry's creator: ERLE.
42. Dull finish: MATTE. JL is an avid and successful photographer as well a musician, ornithologist, entomologist and cruciverbalist - the modern Renaissance man.
44. F-__: STOP. Blushing?
45. A hothead has a short one: FUSE.
46. 67.5 deg.: ENE.
47. Item before a door: MAT.
49. Sack out: GO TO BED.
54. Bargain bin abbr.: IRRegular.
55. Bete __: NOIRE.
56. Immature dragonfly: NYMPH. I think of this when I see NYMPH, not THIS. What do you call a woman who is obsessed with immature dragonflies? Answer below....
59. Stereotypically stylish: UPTOWN. Saturday night.
62. Leaves port: SETS SAIL. Even when the ships do not have sails.
65. Facial feature named after an animal: GOATEE.
66. Muscovite's denial: NYET.
67. Whiskey option: RYE. Any Manhattan drinkers in our crowd?
68. They usually leave the park: HOMERS.
69. Key contraction: O'ER. Francis Scott - ramparts.
Down:
1. R and B's __ Hill: DRU. Not in my WHEELHOUSE.
2. Soup aisle array: CANS.
5. Hole-making tool: AWL.
6. Intestinal: ILEAC.
7. Invite on a date: ASK OUT.
8. NutraSweet competitor: SPLENDA. Both sweetener brand names - blue/yellow.
9. Have faith in: TRUST.
10. Noodle topper? : HAT. Noodle as head, not a form of pasta.
11. "Les __" : MIZ. Broadway.
12. At least one: ANY.
14. "... truth is always strange; / Stranger than fiction" poet: BYRON. From his poem, Don Juan.
"' Tis strange - but true; for truth is always strange;
Stranger than fiction; if it could be told,
How much would novels gain by the exchange!
How differently the world would men behold!"
17. "Willkommen" musical: CABARET.
21. Words on a reward poster: LOST DOG.
24. "... there's __!": Hamlet: THE RUB. Our Friday Shakespeare, but not all 5 acts.
25. Intimidating words: OR ELSE.
28. Exotic pet: IGUANA. These are neither exotic nor pets here; they roam freely unless and until a freeze. The past two winters were warm and their population has grown. They are 'affectionately' called "dem sumbitches" by an elderly neighbor woman.
29. Pre-Aztec Mexican: TOLTEC. I do not know much about this CIVILIZATION.
30. Multi-armed ocean critter: SEASTAR. We also discussed this before. LINK.
35. Bad picnic omen: ANT. Below a JL original, in his words. "This ant is on the head of an Ambush Bug who had just killed and eaten a bee. The ant is enjoying the leftovers while grooming the bug. I actually photographed the whole sequence."
37. Gets bent out of shape: DEFORMS. A pun here if you like the word.
43. Authorize: EMPOWER.
48. Dior designs: A-LINES.
50. Secret hot date: TRYST.
52. Fed. bill: T-NOTE.
53. Simple question type: YES/NO.
58. Casual greeting: HI-YA.
59. "That stinks!" : UGH.
60. Nanki-__: POO. The Mikado.
61. Bagpiper's hat: TAM. I understand the geographic connection, but I see more like...
63. Anatomical orb: EYE.
64. Apollo lander, briefly: LEM. How cool that dear JL ends with a CSO to yours truly.
Yesterday, Harper turned two and today my baby is celebrating his 29th birthday. Tonight we start the fasting for Yom Kippur, which lasts until an hour past sundown Saturday. Party time. Thank you, John and all who read. Gamar Tov. Lemonade out.
Answer: An entomologist!
Another happy Friday with another of the good friends of the blog. John is such an accomplished and warm human being, it is hard not to like all of his work I assume all "got" this theme as soon as the word "Roman" appeared so often. While there are countless words which include the letters which are also the Roman numerals, John limited his selection to the V and the X, with the perfect reveal. My first thought when I saw 1 Across was that all three letters were Roman numerals. You don't see three letter theme fill often but this all worked for me, with no words longer than 8 letters. Your thoughts on this work are appreciated. Off we go....
1A. Roman jet? : DC X. (3) The DC 10 was introduced into service in 1970. This one confused me because D and C are also Roman Numerals.
23A. Roman's advice to prevent an explosion? : COUNT TO X (8). Counting to 10 was a shortcut to meditation.
39A. Roman variety store? (and a hint to 10 other puzzle answers) : V AND X (5). The 5 and 10 was
an American institution, with WOOLWORTH being the epitome.
51A. Roman Shakespearean drama? : V ACT PLAY (8). Shakespeare was dedicated to this STRUCTURE.
70A. Roman graveyard shift hour? : V AM. (3). When I used to work doubles at the rubber factory (2 PM to 6 AM) it was the last hour that was the hardest.
3D. Roman bowler's target? : X PIN (4). A CSO for Boomer!
4D. Roman musical family? : JACKSON V (8). Can you name all five?
26D. Roman bike? : X SPEED (6). Bicycles have become too complex for me. They sell some for thousands of dollars.
27D. Roman "high" request? : GIMME V (6). These days this is one of the first things parents teach their children.
40D. Roman Scrabble Q-tile, e.g.? : X POINTER (8). Ten points, and all those words that don't need a U.
57D. Roman's long golf hole? : PAR V (4). Another CSO to our golfing contingent, HG, BE, Moe and all of those I left out by accident.
Well, I am worn out just listing the 11 theme fill. So let's explore the rest.
Across:
4. Start of a rhyming Basque game: JAI. Alai. Long the fastest moving ball in SPORTS.
7. Reason to use an inhaler: ASTHMA.
13. Knock: RAP. Oh, I guess I can call it "knock" music.
14. Cry buckets: BAWL. The word had a different meaning in my youth.
15. Unexpected twist: SPRAIN. Amusing.
16. The record longest continuous ride on one is 105.57 miles: UNICYCLE. Who knew? This makes it a TRIBUTE puzzle.
18. Unlikely to ride a 16-Across well: KLUTZY. Too true.
19. Hunted Carroll critter: SNARK. More of his IMAGINATION, beyond Alice.
20. Balm-maker's plants: ALOES.
22. A.L. East team: BOSton.
27. '80s jeans: GITANOS. Still for SALE.
31. SOP part: Abbr. : STD. Standard.
32. "48 __": HRS. The TV Show.
33. Assistant who didn't exist in Mary Shelley's novel: IGOR. Eegore, or Eyegor?
34. Whiskey order: NEAT. A clear CSO to Tinbeni.
36. "... beneath __ blue sky": Don Henley lyric: A DEEP. Not a sea but sky. LISTEN.
38. Stubborn equine: MULE.
41. Perry's creator: ERLE.
42. Dull finish: MATTE. JL is an avid and successful photographer as well a musician, ornithologist, entomologist and cruciverbalist - the modern Renaissance man.
44. F-__: STOP. Blushing?
45. A hothead has a short one: FUSE.
46. 67.5 deg.: ENE.
47. Item before a door: MAT.
49. Sack out: GO TO BED.
54. Bargain bin abbr.: IRRegular.
55. Bete __: NOIRE.
56. Immature dragonfly: NYMPH. I think of this when I see NYMPH, not THIS. What do you call a woman who is obsessed with immature dragonflies? Answer below....
59. Stereotypically stylish: UPTOWN. Saturday night.
62. Leaves port: SETS SAIL. Even when the ships do not have sails.
65. Facial feature named after an animal: GOATEE.
66. Muscovite's denial: NYET.
67. Whiskey option: RYE. Any Manhattan drinkers in our crowd?
68. They usually leave the park: HOMERS.
69. Key contraction: O'ER. Francis Scott - ramparts.
Down:
1. R and B's __ Hill: DRU. Not in my WHEELHOUSE.
2. Soup aisle array: CANS.
5. Hole-making tool: AWL.
6. Intestinal: ILEAC.
7. Invite on a date: ASK OUT.
8. NutraSweet competitor: SPLENDA. Both sweetener brand names - blue/yellow.
9. Have faith in: TRUST.
10. Noodle topper? : HAT. Noodle as head, not a form of pasta.
11. "Les __" : MIZ. Broadway.
12. At least one: ANY.
14. "... truth is always strange; / Stranger than fiction" poet: BYRON. From his poem, Don Juan.
"' Tis strange - but true; for truth is always strange;
Stranger than fiction; if it could be told,
How much would novels gain by the exchange!
How differently the world would men behold!"
17. "Willkommen" musical: CABARET.
21. Words on a reward poster: LOST DOG.
24. "... there's __!": Hamlet: THE RUB. Our Friday Shakespeare, but not all 5 acts.
25. Intimidating words: OR ELSE.
28. Exotic pet: IGUANA. These are neither exotic nor pets here; they roam freely unless and until a freeze. The past two winters were warm and their population has grown. They are 'affectionately' called "dem sumbitches" by an elderly neighbor woman.
29. Pre-Aztec Mexican: TOLTEC. I do not know much about this CIVILIZATION.
30. Multi-armed ocean critter: SEASTAR. We also discussed this before. LINK.
35. Bad picnic omen: ANT. Below a JL original, in his words. "This ant is on the head of an Ambush Bug who had just killed and eaten a bee. The ant is enjoying the leftovers while grooming the bug. I actually photographed the whole sequence."
37. Gets bent out of shape: DEFORMS. A pun here if you like the word.
43. Authorize: EMPOWER.
48. Dior designs: A-LINES.
50. Secret hot date: TRYST.
52. Fed. bill: T-NOTE.
53. Simple question type: YES/NO.
58. Casual greeting: HI-YA.
59. "That stinks!" : UGH.
60. Nanki-__: POO. The Mikado.
61. Bagpiper's hat: TAM. I understand the geographic connection, but I see more like...
63. Anatomical orb: EYE.
64. Apollo lander, briefly: LEM. How cool that dear JL ends with a CSO to yours truly.
Yesterday, Harper turned two and today my baby is celebrating his 29th birthday. Tonight we start the fasting for Yom Kippur, which lasts until an hour past sundown Saturday. Party time. Thank you, John and all who read. Gamar Tov. Lemonade out.
Answer: An entomologist!
Sep 28, 2017
Thursday, September 28th 2017 Derek Bowman
Theme: Food! And solve the reveal, solve the puzzle. First the reveal:
34A. Clue for 20-, 23-, 48- and 52-Across : TIME FOR DINNER! Yay, Food!
and then:
20A. See 34-Across : COME AND GET IT! Yay, Food! And Yay! 50's pin-up art!
23A. See 34-Across : SOUP'S ON! Yay, Food!
48A. See 34-Across : LET'S EAT! Yay, Food!
52A. See 34-Across : SUPPER'S READY! Yay, Food!
Blecho. I'm calling it. Blogger's Echo. Yay, Food!
I have to practice my Spanish before class tomorrow, so - Hoy es jueves, el vienteocho de Septiembre, dos mil diecisiete. I'll go back and proof that later :) As always, corrections welcome!
What a nice puzzle from Derek. I went top-to-bottom with this one but stopped to smell the coffee on the way. The theme came early for me - I had a fill-in-the-blank for 20A, more than half of 23A - I tried SOUP'S UP! first, but once that was fixed it was pretty much a done deal. But look at:
... and not a clunker to be upset about in the fill. I think is is one of the nicest-constructed puzzles of the year. Two fantastic clues, we'll get to those in a minute Let's go!
Across:
1. Historic spans : ERAS
5. 2012 World Series MVP Sandoval : PABLO
10. FiveThirtyEight fodder : DATA. Opinion-data-driven website
14. Ristorante bottle : VINO
15. "Let's call it __": "We're even" : A DRAW
16. Spring flower : IRIS. How weird. I was just looking up the guitar chords for this song today. Put a capo at the 4th fret and off you go.
17. Disney CEO since 2005 : IGER
18. Small, silvery Chesapeake Bay swimmer : WHITE PERCH. I saw what you did there, Derek. Is the symmetrical 56A related much? Of course. Nice work.
22. Experiment : TRIAL
27. National Lampoon writer, typically : SATIRIST
31. Old West gunslinger Jack : SLADE
32. Hand over : CEDE
33. State with conviction : AVOW
40. Spray holder : VASE
41. Casino game : FARO. I've never played this game. It's a little dated, but the history is interesting.
42. __ acids: protein components : AMINO
44. Fireproofing construction mineral banned in many countries : ASBESTOS. I remember helping my Dad with the honey-do list when I was a kid. My job when we were putting up shelves and anything else that required drilling holes in walls (before the days of plastic plugs) was mixing up the cement to stuff into the holes. It was 99% asbestos fiber.
50. Bit of land : ISLET
56. Boneless seafood cut : FISH FILLET. See 18A, Smart.
59. Nonstick cookware brand : TFAL
60. Reverberate : ECHO
61. Chips go-with : SALSA
62. Online page : SITE
63. Profound : DEEP
64. Owner of Regency hotels : HYATT. I have a story about the Hyatt at Denver Tech Center. Basically, a great bar with some interesting characters.
65. At any point : EVER
Down:
1. Kick out : EVICT
2. Hardships : RIGORS
3. Iron deficiency concern : ANEMIA
4. Upset with : SORE AT
5. Chess piece that may be promoted : PAWN
6. Condition treated by Ritalin, briefly : ADHD
7. Sailor's jail : BRIG
8. Most recent : LATEST
9. Have financing from : OWE TO
10. Jenny Craig offering : DIET PLAN Food! Wait! Not Food! Are you calling me on a cellular phone? Crank Call! Crank Call!
11. LAX incoming flight : ARR. Usually bouncy over the mountains over San Bernardino from the south/east or Ventura from the north, then ARR!!!! Land like a Pirate!
12. Muscle spasm : TIC
13. Volcanic output : ASH
19. __ XIII: Title role in "The Young Pope" : PIUS
21. Pulitzer winner Walker : ALICE
24. File menu command : SAVE
25. Aroma : ODOR
26. Just announced : NEW
28. Two-legged zebra : REF. Clue of the day. This is great. Football "zebra" referee. Here is Ed "Sun's out, guns out" Hochuli of the NFL, one of the best in the business. When players come over to argue a call he can either out-bench them or challenge them to an arm-wresting contest to decide the issue.
29. Swear words : I DO. Great clue again. Two for the day.
30. Feudal workers : SERFS
34. Hardly envelope-pushing : TAME
35. "Do you really think so?" : IS IT?
36. Haberdashery : MEN'S SHOP. Funny, I thought it was a shop selling buttons, fabric and what-not, not just for men. My school played yearly cricket, rugby and soccer fixtures against Haberdashers' Aske's school in London.
I wouldn't have had any idea where to place the apostrophes unless a) I worked there ( didn't) or b) I looked it up to check (I did).
We usually won the soccer, lost the cricket and generally went to-and-fro at at the rugby.
37. Blot gently : DAB
38. Cork's home: Abbr. : IRE. Both the county and the city in the Republic of Ireland.
39. Respectful negative : NO, SIR
40. Kilmer of "Tombstone" : VAL
43. Ingredient in une omelette : OEUF. Food! There's better be more than un ouef in my omelette, otherwise there will be trouble. The "Love" score in tennis comes from the shape of an egg. "Federer with the serve, fifteen-l'ouef". Then eventually AD-IN and AD-OUT, beloved of crossword compilers. I think I used AD-IN in my first published solo, I'll have to go back and check.
44. Having fun : AT PLAY
45. Scary African fly : TSETSE
46. 1380s Norwegian king : OLAF IV.
47. Unruffled : SEDATE
49. Very silly : APISH. I can deal with APISH. APER I can't.
51. "House of Payne" creator __ Perry : TYLER. Thank you, crosses.
53. Frequent collaborator with Louis and Duke : ELLA
54. Take a nap : REST
55. Doc's "Right away" : STAT!
56. Nourished : FED
57. Sprain treatment : ICE. And wrapping and heat.
58. "Thar __ blows!" : SHE."Thar she blows, there she blows again..." Oh wait, misheard lyrics? It's a bit late for a music link, but I like this one! Not quite a mondegreen, but close.
Enter, stage left - "The Grid"
Exit - Steve, amidst Alarums and Excursions
34A. Clue for 20-, 23-, 48- and 52-Across : TIME FOR DINNER! Yay, Food!
and then:
20A. See 34-Across : COME AND GET IT! Yay, Food! And Yay! 50's pin-up art!
23A. See 34-Across : SOUP'S ON! Yay, Food!
48A. See 34-Across : LET'S EAT! Yay, Food!
52A. See 34-Across : SUPPER'S READY! Yay, Food!
Blecho. I'm calling it. Blogger's Echo. Yay, Food!
I have to practice my Spanish before class tomorrow, so - Hoy es jueves, el vienteocho de Septiembre, dos mil diecisiete. I'll go back and proof that later :) As always, corrections welcome!
What a nice puzzle from Derek. I went top-to-bottom with this one but stopped to smell the coffee on the way. The theme came early for me - I had a fill-in-the-blank for 20A, more than half of 23A - I tried SOUP'S UP! first, but once that was fixed it was pretty much a done deal. But look at:
- WHITE PERCH/FISH FILLET symmetry and a great connection between the two
- The two upper and two lower themers stacked on four letters. That's not easy to do
- There's still room for SATIRIST and ASBESTOS in the across and
- DIET PLAN/MEN'S SHOP in the downs
... and not a clunker to be upset about in the fill. I think is is one of the nicest-constructed puzzles of the year. Two fantastic clues, we'll get to those in a minute Let's go!
Across:
1. Historic spans : ERAS
5. 2012 World Series MVP Sandoval : PABLO
10. FiveThirtyEight fodder : DATA. Opinion-data-driven website
14. Ristorante bottle : VINO
15. "Let's call it __": "We're even" : A DRAW
16. Spring flower : IRIS. How weird. I was just looking up the guitar chords for this song today. Put a capo at the 4th fret and off you go.
17. Disney CEO since 2005 : IGER
18. Small, silvery Chesapeake Bay swimmer : WHITE PERCH. I saw what you did there, Derek. Is the symmetrical 56A related much? Of course. Nice work.
22. Experiment : TRIAL
27. National Lampoon writer, typically : SATIRIST
31. Old West gunslinger Jack : SLADE
32. Hand over : CEDE
33. State with conviction : AVOW
40. Spray holder : VASE
41. Casino game : FARO. I've never played this game. It's a little dated, but the history is interesting.
42. __ acids: protein components : AMINO
44. Fireproofing construction mineral banned in many countries : ASBESTOS. I remember helping my Dad with the honey-do list when I was a kid. My job when we were putting up shelves and anything else that required drilling holes in walls (before the days of plastic plugs) was mixing up the cement to stuff into the holes. It was 99% asbestos fiber.
50. Bit of land : ISLET
56. Boneless seafood cut : FISH FILLET. See 18A, Smart.
59. Nonstick cookware brand : TFAL
60. Reverberate : ECHO
61. Chips go-with : SALSA
62. Online page : SITE
63. Profound : DEEP
64. Owner of Regency hotels : HYATT. I have a story about the Hyatt at Denver Tech Center. Basically, a great bar with some interesting characters.
65. At any point : EVER
Down:
1. Kick out : EVICT
2. Hardships : RIGORS
3. Iron deficiency concern : ANEMIA
4. Upset with : SORE AT
5. Chess piece that may be promoted : PAWN
6. Condition treated by Ritalin, briefly : ADHD
7. Sailor's jail : BRIG
8. Most recent : LATEST
9. Have financing from : OWE TO
10. Jenny Craig offering : DIET PLAN Food! Wait! Not Food! Are you calling me on a cellular phone? Crank Call! Crank Call!
11. LAX incoming flight : ARR. Usually bouncy over the mountains over San Bernardino from the south/east or Ventura from the north, then ARR!!!! Land like a Pirate!
12. Muscle spasm : TIC
13. Volcanic output : ASH
19. __ XIII: Title role in "The Young Pope" : PIUS
21. Pulitzer winner Walker : ALICE
24. File menu command : SAVE
25. Aroma : ODOR
26. Just announced : NEW
28. Two-legged zebra : REF. Clue of the day. This is great. Football "zebra" referee. Here is Ed "Sun's out, guns out" Hochuli of the NFL, one of the best in the business. When players come over to argue a call he can either out-bench them or challenge them to an arm-wresting contest to decide the issue.
29. Swear words : I DO. Great clue again. Two for the day.
30. Feudal workers : SERFS
34. Hardly envelope-pushing : TAME
35. "Do you really think so?" : IS IT?
36. Haberdashery : MEN'S SHOP. Funny, I thought it was a shop selling buttons, fabric and what-not, not just for men. My school played yearly cricket, rugby and soccer fixtures against Haberdashers' Aske's school in London.
I wouldn't have had any idea where to place the apostrophes unless a) I worked there ( didn't) or b) I looked it up to check (I did).
We usually won the soccer, lost the cricket and generally went to-and-fro at at the rugby.
37. Blot gently : DAB
38. Cork's home: Abbr. : IRE. Both the county and the city in the Republic of Ireland.
39. Respectful negative : NO, SIR
40. Kilmer of "Tombstone" : VAL
43. Ingredient in une omelette : OEUF. Food! There's better be more than un ouef in my omelette, otherwise there will be trouble. The "Love" score in tennis comes from the shape of an egg. "Federer with the serve, fifteen-l'ouef". Then eventually AD-IN and AD-OUT, beloved of crossword compilers. I think I used AD-IN in my first published solo, I'll have to go back and check.
44. Having fun : AT PLAY
45. Scary African fly : TSETSE
46. 1380s Norwegian king : OLAF IV.
47. Unruffled : SEDATE
49. Very silly : APISH. I can deal with APISH. APER I can't.
51. "House of Payne" creator __ Perry : TYLER. Thank you, crosses.
53. Frequent collaborator with Louis and Duke : ELLA
54. Take a nap : REST
55. Doc's "Right away" : STAT!
56. Nourished : FED
57. Sprain treatment : ICE. And wrapping and heat.
58. "Thar __ blows!" : SHE."Thar she blows, there she blows again..." Oh wait, misheard lyrics? It's a bit late for a music link, but I like this one! Not quite a mondegreen, but close.
Enter, stage left - "The Grid"
Exit - Steve, amidst Alarums and Excursions
Sep 27, 2017
Wednesday, September 27, 2017 - Bruce Haight
Theme - HOMOPHONIA. Silly three-word phrases starting with the letter A, and having the indefinite article A in the middle constitute internal echoes. Actually, the clues themselves are also quite silly. Call me crazy, but I love the word play in this theme.
17 A. Fall in love with something at the home improvement center? : ADORE A DOOR. Furniture and appliances are OK, but seldom give you this kind of an opening.
25 A. Bring Bugs into harmony? : ATTUNE A TOON. TOONS, of course, are cartoon characters. Bugs is one of the truly great TOONs, and great TOON singers. And how could he be more ATTUNED than this?
37 A. Get voices in all ranges? : ACQUIRE A CHOIR. Sopranos, altos, tenors and basses [not to be confused with 61A.] Anyway, there are no bugs here.
52 A. Severely criticize the store special? : ASSAIL A SALE. This is a correct usage for ASSAIL - I checked. Any time you come to The Corner, you get your money's worth
61 A. Criticize the stringed instrument? : ABASE A BASS. More like degrade than criticize. But bassist Christian McBride, who I had the great pleasure of preforming with a couple years ago, is above reproach.
Hi, Gang. JazzBumpa on duty. Let's see what else Bruce has in store for us.
Across
1. Got taller : GREW. Use gruesome in a sentence. OK. I visited my grandchildren in PA last week. Since the last time I saw them, they gruesome.
1. Got taller : GREW. Use gruesome in a sentence. OK. I visited my grandchildren in PA last week. Since the last time I saw them, they gruesome.
5. Etching supplies : ACIDS. A mask is used to protect the rest of the surface, and ACID etches into the exposed area to create an image.
10. Ski area in Utah's Wasatch Mountains : ALTA.
14. See 66-Across : RACE. Here it is --
66. With 14-Across, event with batons : RELAY. A track and field event of a set distance in which each team has several runners [usually 4.] At the end of a runner's turn, the baton is handed off to the next runner.
66. With 14-Across, event with batons : RELAY. A track and field event of a set distance in which each team has several runners [usually 4.] At the end of a runner's turn, the baton is handed off to the next runner.
15. Bad news for the waiter : NO TIP. Rude, too. We give a minimum 20%, and usually in cash.
16. Classic cars : REOS. Ransom E. Olds started the Olds Motor Vehicle Company in 1897. This later became Oldsmobile, a division of General Motors. He left the company on 1905 and started the REO Motor Car Company in 1905. It remained in operation until 1975, when assets were liquidated in a bankruptcy proceeding.
19. "Pretty please?" : MAY I. Childish begging.
20. "Frasier" role : NILES. Brother of the eponym, Frasier Crane, played by David Hyde Pierce and Kelsey Grammer, respectively.
21. Debuting on screen : NEW.
23. iPhone, e.g., briefly : PDA. Personal Data Assistant. Anyone still have a Blackberry?
24. Scooby-__ : DOO. Toon dog. I was never a fan.
30. Golf tee, e.g. : PEG.
31. "Flashdance...What a Feeling" singer Cara : IRENE.
32. Barbecue pair : TONGS. A device with two movable arms, either joined at one end or in the middle, used to pick up and hold things.
33. Solo in a spotlight : ARIA. This is the Italian word for air [not to be confused with Ned Stark's younger daughter.] An air is simply a song, but an ARIA is a dramatic solo in a opera. I'm not a fan.
35. Smallish batteries : AAs.
36. Med. condition with repetitive behavior : OCD. Obsessive Compulsive Behavior. Every time I type that, I have to go wash my hands.
42. Colony resident : ANT. Usually under ground.
43. Gallery filler : ART.
44. Went like crazy : SPED.
46. Second thought : DOUBT.
49. Get fuzzy, as vision : BLEAR.
51. Grand __ Opry : OLE. A weekly country music concert in Nashville, Tennessee, founded in 1925. Not a fan of this either.
54. "Breaking Bad" org. : DEA. Drug Enforcement Agency.
55. Org. offering written and road tests : DMV. Department of Motor Vehicles.
56. Mason jar attachment : LID. That tops it off.
57. Humdrum : BANAL. Vapid, insipid, old-hat.
59. Start bubbling : BOIL. No toil, no trouble, just turn on the heat.
65. Greek peak : OSSA. Because Etna is in Sicily.
67. Site with tech reviews : c|net. Technology oriented website
68. __ end : DEAD. The termination of a road or passage with no exit. Figuratively, any kind of impasse.
69. Wild West transport : STAGE. A stagecoach was a closed, horse-drawn vehicle used to carry passengers and mail along regular routes
70. Run-of-the-mill : SO-SO. Mediocre.
Down
1. __ Joe, Charlie's companion on his tour of Wonka's chocolate factory : GRANDPA.
2. Time before TV : RADIO ERA. Back in the day.
3. Environment-related : ECOLOGIC.
4. "Where __ you?" : WERE. Time for excuses.
5. Actress Ortiz of "Ugly Betty" : ANA. [b 1971] Singer, actress, and domestic abuse advocate.
6. Fish sticks fish : COD.
7. Midori on the ice : ITO. Olympic skater. Many videos of various length here.
8. Pop singer Warwick : DIONNE.
9. Binge : SPREE.
10. Reliever's asset : ARM. Baseball relief pitcher.
11. Seize, as an opportunity : LEAP ON.
12. Pooch in your lap, maybe : TOY DOG. A breed of dog that has been bred to a reduced size.
13. Most people : ASIANS. Asia is by far the largest continent, and has by far the highest population density.
18. Actor Morales : ESAI. Frequent crossword visitor.
22. Keep an eye on : WATCH. Would you keep an eye on my WATCH, please?
26. Personal attribute : TRAIT. A genetically determined characteristic.
27. Rip (up) : TEAR. Forcefully pull apart
28. Opens, as an official document : UNSEALS. Without TEARING it, one would hope.
29. Commotions : TO-DOS. Disturbances, fracases, brouhahas.
34. Jordan's only port : AQABA. Located at the northern end of the Gulf of Aqaba, which extends N-N-E from the Red Sea.
36. In base eight : OCTAL. My eyes glazed over pretty quickly, but if you're interested in base 8, you can read about it here.
38. No later than : UNTIL.
39. Space : AREA.
40. Tiny tunes player : IPOD NANO. A portable media player, now in it's 7th generation.
41. Big events for film studios : RELEASES.
45. Gives a hand : DEALS TO. Aha - cards, not a helping hand.
46. Somewhat flabby male physique, informally : DAD-BOD. Never heard this term before, but I guess I have one.
47. Diffuse slowly through a membrane : OSMOSE. Moving from the side of the barrier with greater concentration to the side with lesser concentration.
48. Permit to enter the States : U.S. VISA. Allows the visitor to enter, leave or stay for a specified period.
49. Unwise wager : BAD BET.
50. Country's McEntire : REBA. [b 1955] Singer, song writer, actress, record producer, and eponym for a TV show.
53. Whopper creators : LIARS. Prevaricators, not burger flippers.
58. Basics : ABCs. Early steps.
60. Young chap : LAD.
62. According to : A LA. Common in English, adopted from French. (Cf. 46 D)
63. Give in to gravity : SAG. As telephone wires, or protruding body parts.
64. Word after eagle or hawk : EYE. Either way, sharp vision.
That wraps it up. Hope you had fun with it.
Cool regards!
JzB
Sep 26, 2017
Tuesday, September 26, 2017 ~ Peter Gordon
Theme: Sing, Sing, Sing! - Three musical numbers from a 1957 Broadway production.
20. Julie Andrews' "The Sound of Music" role: MARIA VON TRAPP
25. Jimmy Fallon hosts it: THE TONIGHT SHOW
43. Avengers member with a patriotic shield: CAPTAIN AMERICA
50. 9/26/1957 Broadway debut featuring the consecutive songs found at the start of 20-Across, the middle of 25-Across and the end of 43-Across: WEST SIDE STORY
Argyle here. The theme was lost on me until I read the full reveal. Clever.
Across:
1. Sales pitch: SPIEL
6. Outback birds: EMUs
10. Sunup: DAWN
14. Café lure: AROMA
15. Clickable webpage word: LINK
16. Home to billions: ASIA
17. Grass shortener: MOWER
18. Apart from that: ELSE
19. Slightly wet: DAMP
23. Risk, e.g.: GAME
24. Healthful berry: ACAI
31. "Homeland" spy org.: CIA. (Central Intelligence Agency) Homeland is a TV series on Showtime and is in its sixth season.
32. Taxi: CAB
33. Nebraska city: OMAHA
34. "Apocalypse Now" setting, familiarly: NAM
35. Gathering for fans of graphic novels, anime, etc.: COMICON. (comic book convention or comic-con)
38. Delivery vehicle: VAN
39. Painting need: BRUSH
41. Microwave: ZAP
42. Valuable rock: ORE
48. Tolstoy's Karenina: ANNA. 864 pages; too late for a summer read.
49. Dutch cheese: EDAM
55. With 50-Down, tightrope walker's place: HIGH. 50-Down. See 55-Across: WIRE
56. Oscar winner Kazan: ELIA. Best Director—"Gentleman's Agreement"(1948) and "On the Waterfront"(1955) Also, Academy Honorary Award—Lifetime Achievement(1999)
57. Aquafina rival: EVIAN. Bottled water products; Aquafina - Pepsi, EVIAN - Danone(French)
59. Craving: URGE
60. Accelerates, with "up": REVS
61. Foolish: DIPPY
62. Military meal: MESS. 63. Cafeteria carrier: TRAY. Good pairing.
64. V-formation fliers: GEESE. They are starting to form up now.
Down:
1. "Casablanca" pianist: SAM
2. Formal school dance: PROM
3. Corn Belt state: IOWA
4. Rise into view: EMERGE
5. Cattleman's rope: LARIAT
6. Late morning hr.: ELEVEN AM
7. Venus de __: MILO
8. Disentangle: UNSNAG
9. Quick drawing: SKETCH
10. Arp's art movement: DADAISM. Dada was not so much a style of art like Cubism or Fauvism; it was more a protest movement with an anti-establishment manifesto.
11. Right away, in a memo: ASAP. (as soon as possible)
12. Namby-pamby person: WIMP
13. Midday snooze: NAP
21. Gas brand that had a torch in its logo: AMOCO
22. Florida's Boca __: RATON
25. Pageant winner's crown: TIARA
26. Exaggerate, as a stage role: HAM UP
27. Spanish island in the Mediterranean: IBIZA
28. Devastation that's wreaked: HAVOC
29. Scarlett of Tara: O'HARA. Gone with the Wind
30. Decrease in intensity: WANE
31. "Closing Bell" channel: CNBC. (Originally, the Consumer News and Business Channel.) The show is named after the bell that is rung to signify the end of a trading session.
35. Repetitive shout at a protest: CHANT
36. Required little effort: CAME EASY
37. Newspaper opinion pieces: OP ED's
40. Secret supplies: STASHES
44. Add to text, as a missing letter: INSERT
45. Carpenter, at times: NAILER
46. Suitable for all ages, filmwise: RATED G
47. Apple software for creating videos: iMOVIE
51. Omelet ingredients: EGGS. Gotta break 'em to make an omelet.
52. Prima donna: DIVA
53. Ready for picking: RIPE
54. Toy dog's barks: YAPS
55. Play a kazoo: HUM
58. TV's "Science Guy": NYE
Argyle
Sep 25, 2017
Monday, September 25, 2017 ~ C.C. Burnikel
Theme: ROAR! - A set of four lions but don't be scared; they are encircled.
16-Across. "Is that your __?": "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" inquiry: FINAL ANSWER. Nala, from The Lion King.
10-Down. Quaint light during a power outage: GAS LANTERN. Aslan, from The Chronicles of Narnia series.
61-Across. Colorful burger topper: PURPLE ONION. Leo, mascot of MGM.
28-Down. Secure places for guests' valuables: HOTEL SAFES. Elsa, from Born Free.
36-Down. Hostile place ... and where to find the circled animals in this puzzle: LIONS DEN
Argyle here with a classic pinwheel from C.C., very Monday friendly. All theme entries span two words. A vertical reveal, if you needed it. If you didn't have circles, you probably did.
Across:
1. Party thrower: HOST
5. Seasoned rice dish: PILAF
10. Practical joke: GAG
13. Classroom "I know this one!": "OH!, OH!"
14. Sandwich chain known for artisan bread: PANERA
15. "__ you kidding?": ARE
18. Moral wrong: SIN
19. Blender brand with an -izer product suffix: OSTER. Osterizer but their web site only calls them Oster® Blenders.
20. Spam container: TIN
21. Board in a window shutter: SLAT
22. Amazon: Alexa :: Apple: __: SIRI
24. Malia Obama's sister: SASHA
26. Canyon feedback: ECHO
29. Surg. facilities: ORs. (operating rooms)
31. Touch of color: TINCT. Got me, tried TINGE.
34. Request for eye contact: "LOOK AT ME!". More often a demand.
36. Utterly detest: LOATHE
37. Acct. earnings: INT. (interest)
38. Start of a formal letter: DEAR SIR
40. Shade tree: ELM
41. Time-tested: AGE OLD
43. Library return spot: BOOK DROP
45. Nick of "A Walk in the Woods": NOLTE. A Walk in the Woods, a 2015 film by Ken Kwapis, based a 1998 book by Bill Bryson. Two friends attempt to hike the Appalachian Trail..
46. __-dried tomatoes: SUN
47. Bills in a tip jar: ONEs
48. Remove sheets from, as a bed: STRIP
51. Tiny time meas.: PSEC. picosecond - one trillionth of a second.
53. "See ya, Luigi": "CIAO"
55. Alumna bio word: NÉE
57. Monopoly cards: DEEDS
60. Punch-in-the-gut reaction: [OOF!]
64. Broke a fast: ATE
65. Annual golf or tennis tournament: US OPEN
66. "Yay me!": "TA-DA!"
67. "Viva __ Vegas": LAS
68. All wound up: TENSE
69. Thick cut of meat: SLAB
Down:
1. Sports inst. in Cooperstown: HOF.(Hall of Fame)
2. Akron's state: OHIO
3. Family boys: SONS
4. "Don't sweat it": "THAT'S OK"
5. Omelet cooker: PAN
6. The "I" in MIT: Abbr.: INST. (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
7. Novelist C.S. __: LEWIS. Author of The Chronicles of Narnia series.
8. Concert venue: ARENA
9. In the distance: FAR
11. Diva's solo: ARIA
12. Courteous fellow: GENT
14. Repeated mindlessly: PARROTED
17. Flower wreath: LEI
21. Muslim denomination: SHIA
23. "__ la Douce": IRMA
25. Bird on birth announcements: STORK
26. González in 2000 headlines: ELIAN. The young boy embroiled in a heated international custody and immigration controversy. Wiki
27. Second longest African river: CONGO
30. Belgrade natives: SERBS
33. Weather numbers, briefly: TEMPs
35. Psychologist Alfred: ADLER. Founder of the school of individual psychology.
39. Salad go-with: SOUP
42. "Beetle Bailey" dog: OTTO
44. Museum guides: DOCENTs
49. Unavailable at the moment: [IN USE]
50. Evita's married name: PERON
52. Fair-hiring abbr.: EEO. (Equal Employment Opportunity)
53. Stuff for Frosty's eyes: COAL. the Snowman.
54. Greek "i": IOTA
56. "Almost Christmas" actor Omar: EPPS. Almost Christmas is a 2016 American Christmas comedy-drama film written and directed by David E. Talbert and starring Kimberly Elise, Mo'Nique, Nicole Ari Parker, Gabrielle Union, Keri Hilson, Jessie Usher, Danny Glover, Omar Epps, John Michael Higgins, D.C. Young Fly and Romany Malco. The film follows a dysfunctional family that comes together for the holidays for the first time since their mother's death. Wiki.
58. Rotary phone part: DIAL
59. Coke or ginger ale: SODA
61. __ up with: tolerate: PUT
62. Director Spike: LEE
63. Arrest: NAB
Argyle
Sep 24, 2017
Sunday September 24, 2017 Matt McKinley
Theme: "Encapsulating" - N is added to each theme entry.
23A. Designated meditation area? : CHANT ROOM. Chat room.
25A. Key to a discography including "Purple Rain"? : PRINCE INDEX. Price index.
46A. Vacant look, e.g.? : TRANCE ELEMENT. Trace element.
69A. Tirade from an underground worker? : SEWER RANT. Sewer rat.
90A. Elegant knight's accoutrement? : SATIN AND LANCE. Satin and lace.
112A. New Englander from Lhasa? : TIBETAN YANK. Tibetan yak. We also have 34. Lhasa __: small dog : APSO
114A. Viper's bar order? : SNAKE PINT. Snake pit.
32D. What to click in response to an offensive tweet? : RESENT BUTTON. Reset button.
42D. Insufficient medley? : SCANT SINGING. Scat singing.
Most of N's are added after A, two are after I.
The
grid is also very nicely designed, with 7 Across, 2 Downs. Four of the
non-theme fill (all sparkly) are of the same length of the theme
entries. Sometimes solvers can mistaken them for theme entries, but
today's ? in the theme entries should make things clear.
Across:
1. Parcel of land : TRACT
6. Confused state : FOG
9. Chapter XXVIII of "Moby-Dick" : AHAB. Obtainable. Never read the book.
13. Creator of a quirky cartoon family : ADDAMS. The Addams Family.
19. Island veranda : LANAI. What a luxury.
20. Old cereal box no. : RDA. Also 75. Cereal brand since 1955 : SPECIAL K. Do you all eat cold cereal for breakfast?
21. __ Alto : PALO
22. Vacation option : CRUISE. Lemonade just had a short one.
27. Writer known for his surprise endings : O. HENRY
28. Old lemon : EDSEL. Not our Lemonade.
29. Pick : ELECT
30. Longtime TV host Carol : BURNETT
33. Expansive : VAST
36. Dots in l'océan : ILEs
37. Lift : UPRAISE. I use RAISE UP.
40. Exist : ARE
41. Library attention-getter : PSST. I have not been to our local library for years.
45. Purity meas. : KTS (Karats)
49. Annual report VIP : CEO. And 77. 49-Acrosses lead them : COs
50. Quaint "before" : ERE
51. High school phase for many : ANGST
52. Testing site : LAB. I've been eating more meat. Hope my CBC results trend better next time.
53. Oral dozen : MOLARs
55. Got out of the stable, say : RAN FREE
57. "Platoon" setting : NAM. Marc Maron had a great interview with Ken Burns and Lynn Novick.
60. Atlantic and Pacific, e.g. : TIME ZONES. China only has one time zone: Beijing Standard Time.
62. Lincoln in-law : TODD
63. One who doesn't stay put : NOMAD
65. Bard's bedtime : EEN
66. __ Reader : UTNE
67. Southampton sword : SABRE. Alliteration.
71. Smartened (up) : WISED
72. Stopper : PLUG
73. Water control project : DAM. Tough hurricane season.
74. Hound attraction : SCENT
75. Spanish ayes : SI SI
76. Fashionable sort? : LATECOMER. Fashionably late.
79. Witch : HAG
80. In abundance : APLENTY
83. Emcee responsibilities : INTROS
84. Opposite of pref. : SUF. OK, suffix.
86. Dominated : OWNED
88. "That's surprising" : GEE
89. Loving murmur : COO
94. Tap choice, for short : IPA
95. Lombardy Castle city : ENNA. Have not seen this fill for a few months.
97. USO show audience : GIs
98. "Me too" : SO HAVE I
99. Tech news website : CNET
100. Browning, e.g. : POET
102. Rocky areas?: Abbr. : MTNs. Rocky Mountains.
103. Oversees : MANAGES
105. Unemotional : STOIC. My grandma was a stoic. Never complained about her bound feet.
108. Farewell that's bid : ADIEU
110. One of two using matched weapons : DUELER
118. Storied restaurant : ALICE'S. Alice's Restaurant.
119. Suit to __ : A TEE
120. Fallen space station : MIR
121. Rink fakes : DEKES
122. Hems in : BESETS
123. Hires competitor : DAD'S. Never had root beer.
124. BART stop, e.g. : STA
125. Rarely ordered food? : STEAK. Great clue!
Down:
1. Comfort during a tough time, for short : TLC
2. Bleachers sound : RAH
3. California's Santa __ River : ANA
4. Camera choices : CANONS
5. 10% donation : TITHE
6. Like the biggest stories : FRONT PAGE. Boomer has to have his breakfast with newspaper.
7. Smell : ODOR
8. Reminiscent of venison : GAMY
9. Soothe : APPEASE
10. Aggressive marketing : HARD SELL. CenturyLink has been aggressive.
11. Posh party invitees : A-LIST
12. Doggy bag item : BONE
13. Expert : ACE
14. Hangs on a line : DRIES
15. Longtime rubber company : DUNLOP. They make golf balls also.
16. Personal assistant : AIDE
17. PC speed unit : MSEC. Millisecond.
18. Suggestive message : SEXT. Hey, it's cool to own a flip phone. Look at Anna Wintour.
24. Took back : RETURNED
26. Shannon's county : CLARE
30. Yamaha user : BIKER
31. Extreme : ULTRA. Look at these dirty jeans at Nordstrom. $425. This will drive our PK nuts.
33. Fight (for) : VIE
35. Writers : PENMEN
38. ICU personnel : RNs
39. Infomercial urging : ACT NOW
40. Completely surrounding : AMBIENT
43. Calm : SERENE
44. Like green salads : TOSSED. Dole's Sesame Asian salad kit is tasty.
46. Time for una siesta : TARDE. Afternoon.
47. Down : EAT
48. From A __ : TO Z
54. Title name that "Every little breeze seems to whisper," in a Chevalier song : LOUISE. Here it is. Boomer knows the song. I don't.
56. One may be exposed by an expert : FORGER
58. Iowa State city : AMES
59. Spring time : MARCH
61. First got acquainted : MET. Oh read this story (Facebook Figured Out My Family Secrets, And It Won't Tell Me How).
63. Serious foe : NEMESIS
64. De Matteo of "The Sopranos" : DREA
67. Do film editing work : SPLICE
68. Program with steps : AL-ANON. Good luck with the interview tomorrow, Splynter!
69. Green eggs advocate : SAM. And Ham.
70. Namibia neighbor : ANGOLA
71. Author who wrote "Life imitates Art far more than Art imitates Life" : WILDE
73. Two pills, perhaps : DOSAGE
80. "Archie Bunker's Place" co-star : ANNE MEARA
81. Plains dwelling : TEPEE
82. Dublin-born poet : YEATS
85. Nailed, say : FASTENED
87. Sound file suffix : WAV. A la Wiki: Waveform Audio File Format (WAVE, or more commonly known as WAV due to its filename extension).
91. Business baron : TITAN
92. Cold War protest sign slogan : NO NUKES
93. They don't play the field: Abbr. : DHs (Designated Hitters)
96. Each : APIECE
99. Floor covering : CARPET
101. Two trios and a duo : OCTET. Eight-piece. Here is the Eight-Treasure Porridge I make in the cold months. You must have glutinous rice. I also prefer Aldi's Medjool dates.
102. Mazda sports car : MIATA
104. Requirements : NEEDS
105. Shot in the dark : STAB
106. Floor covering : TILE
107. Kimono holders : OBIs
109. Twosome : DYAD
110. Mil. awards : DSMs. DSM: Distinguished Service Medal.
111. Quart, say : UNIT
113. Pack animal : ASS
115. '50s White House nickname : IKE
116. 1995 Tony honoree for Excellence in the Theatre: Abbr. : NEA. Unaware of the trivia.
117. Sound of reproach : TSK
C.C.
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