Friday, June 27, Marti Duguay Carpenter

Theme: I am sorry, but it is necessary to perform an "N"ectomy on the patient.

Look what Blew in this week, marti blogging C.C., and then I get a Friday frolic with the mind of miss m , with what was not a difficult extraction. Each of the four (4) theme answers has the letter "N" removed to create a new and side-splitting  phrase. For me, all add a letter, take away a letter puzzles depend on the humor of the new phrases and especially the wittiness of the reveal.  To transform BLOWN AWAY, a common phrase into the evocative, BLOW 'N' AWAY, curls my puzzle solving toes. The 4 are all legitimate and fun ( I like LOG DIVISION best). We have BREW for Tin and I,  some Shakespeare, OSLO for our Norwegian contingent, some pretty people and Dr. Seuss. I found it it a quick solve, with oodles of 3 and 4 letter fill to speed the process. Odd that BLOW would be central to two themes this week.


17A. Transport selling wieners? : HOT DOG BUNS, (9) The thought of a hot dog bus of course led to this image

24A. Woodsman's job? : LONG DIVISION.(11) Is there a short division? The LOG/LONG gave me the theme.

41A. Ma and pa's retirement dream? : LIVING OFF THE LAND.(15) makes me think of Todd Marinovich. I wonder if many parents have this thought?

51A. Tabloids? : LINE PRINTERS. (11) Are they lies? Beyonce is not really having an alien's baby? and the reveal

66A. Totally amazed ... or, read another way, a hint to 17-, 24-, 41- and 51-Across : BLOW N AWAY.(9)

Across:

1. Bangers side : MASH. I made my non-British version of this favorite for my son and his wife when they came by to drop off their dog last week. With the hot dog clue reference we have a mini-theme of encased meat.

5. DOL division : OSHA. I might run out of red ink, Department of Labor begot Occupational Safety and Health Administration. I know OSHA is an acronym, but does anybody say DOL?

9. Concerns : FEARS.

14. Potpourri : OLIO. A SSO to C.C.

15. Stock answers? : MOOS. marti, so witty, that was a live one.

16. First : ON TOP. Of the standings, for example.

19. Willing : READY and able? I am getting old.

20. Author among whose pen names was Theo LeSieg : SEUSS. Cute Friday clue, though marti nit number 1,  does anyone ever not say, "Dr. Seuss?

21. Not suitable : INAPT.

23. Stutz contemporary : REO. Early automobiles.

27. Church official : DEACON. A sub-priest I believe. I had so many links, Richard Deacon, Phil Silvers' brother, Queen bassist John Deacon, Deacon Jones, Wake Forest Demon Deacons.... so I left the linking to you.

31. Racer Fabi : TEO. Formula One and Indy driver. LINK.(1:10)

32. Countertenor's range : ALTO. Do not know music but this seemed easy.

33. Sommer of "The Money Trap" : ELKE.

37. Outline : TRACE.

44. __ question : YES/NO. marti has used this before? yes? no?

45. Broadway opening : ACT I. Nice clue.

46. Buyer's boon : SALE.

47. Repeatedly, quaintly : OFT.

49. Eschews the café : EATS IN. Where you stay home and eschew your food.

57. Growing field?: Abbr. : AGRiculture.

58. "... bombs bursting __" : IN AIR. Name that tune!

59. Nahuatl speaker : AZTEC. Incan Aztec, eh.

64. Danger : PERIL.

68. Round perch : STOOL. Avoiding more breakfast test commentary.

69. 21,730-pg. references : OEDS. Oxford English Dictionaries.

70. Logan of CBS News : LARA. This is the South African newswoman attacked and raped on camera in Egypt. No links. Horrible reality.

71. Pulls in : EARNS.

72. Pub order : BREW. Not likely to get much use in a real pub, as pubs have choices.

73. Mike Tirico's network : ESPN. He is CONTROVERSIAL.

Down:

1. Scratch-resistance scale : MOHS. Mineral hardness scale. Named for a German mineralogist, not one of the Three Stooges.

2. Natural balm : ALOE. In Florida, after too much sun, it is the bomb.

3. In __: as originally placed : SITU. Made famous by TV and CSI type shows.

4. Coal scuttles : HODS. Not hard, except for Bostonians.

5. Texting gasp : OMG.

6. Ferber novel : SO BIG.

7. Harass : HOUND. Game of Thrones?. LINK.

8. Verdi adverb : ASSAI. This could be very hard if you do not know Italian or music.

9. Ruby anniversary : FORTIETH. My son just had his wooden anniversary.

10. Opposite of 67-Down : ENE. Cheesy cross-reference with 67D. Opposite of 10-Down : WSW.

11. Big arcade name : ATARI.

12. Sport based on vaquero skills : RODEO. Vaquero is I believe Spanish for Cowboy; I hear they are riding motorcycles instead of horses now.

13. Keep under surveillance : SPY ON. No politics.

18. Home of the Munch Museum : OSLO. Like his most famous work, the place is surreal.

22. Cpl.'s subordinate : PVT
.
25. Heist unit : ONE G, I guess you decide how many thousands you get.

26. Most likely to groan : SOREST. Most sore, not so rest.

27. Carson of "The Voice" : DALY.  A TV STAR.

28. Writer Wiesel : ELIE.

29. Rugged rides, for short : ATVS. All Terrain Vehicls.

30. Needing quarters, perhaps : COIN OP. Really?

34. Mauna __ : LOA. It is lower than KEA, which is higher than LOA..

35. Popeyes rival : KFC. Kentucky Fried Chicken.

36. Juvenile salamander : EFT.

38. "__, I am not coop'd here for defence!": "Henry VI, Part 3" : ALAS. Act V, SCENE I.

39. Colombian city : CALI.

40. Early cover-up site? : EDEN. Really cute fig leaf clue.

42. Basic : NO FRILLS. There is no truth to the rumor Spirit Airlines is selling toilet tissue by the square.

43. Bowl level : TIER.

48. London can : TIN. Another Shout out. Maybe Steve can bring us a tin of roe when he travels.

50. Slippery-eel link : AS AN. Is this a partial?

51. Backslide : LAPSE.

52. "__ Kick Out of You" : I GET A. How about some BLUE EYES (3:09)?

53. Flub : ERROR.

54. Big shot : NABOB. Are the nattering?

55. Floor worker : TILER. I wonder why there

56. Undermine : ERODE.

60. Jewelry entrepreneur Morris : ZALE. Did not know this MAN.The Z made it simple.

61. "__ the night ..." : TWAS. An Argyle SSO.

62. Tombstone lawman : EARP.

63. Primary printing color : CYAN.

65. It's always charged : ION.

No charging for me,  I am going to have to pay cash as I had my pocket picked at the gas station, and my wallet and credit cards gone. You think it can't happen but I had no clue. I did however pull myself together to unravel these clues and hope you are all doing well. I blame Mercury.
Lemonade out.

June 20, 2014, Jacob Stulberg

24A Source of much government history : NATIONAL ARCHIVE.

32A Tax-exempt outlet : DUTY FREE SHOP

40A. Theme of many a ballad : ROMANTIC LOVE.

50A. Warning to a would-be rebel : DON'T ROCK THE BOAT.

18A. With 56-Across, memorable snack food slogan ... or a hint to what's hidden at the end of 24-, 32-, 40- and 50-Across : BETCHA CAN'T. and 56A. See 18-Across : EAT JUST ONE.

Across:

1. "Good one!" : HA HA.

5. See 55-Across : PAUL. More cross-referencing.55A. With 5-Across, musician for whom a classic Gibson guitar model is named : LES. The inventor of the electric guitar, and pioneer with his wife Mary Ford.

9. Lexicographer's concern : USAGE.

14. Dutch export : EDAM. Cheesy answer.

15. Big Apple sch. : CCNY. The City College New York. Actually part of the CUNY system, so the full name is the The City College of the City University New York LINK.

16. Procreates : SIRES.

17. Monk's wear : ROBE.

20. Company name tag? : INC.

22. Glass on a radio : IRA.

23. Symbol of industry : BEE. Busy as a...

30. Campaign staple : ORATION.

31. Surveillance device : SPYCAM.

35. Crash site initials : EMS.

36. Eggs that may be served with grits : ROE.

37. Roadside purchase : GAS.

46. 1980s Mets relief star Jesse : OROSCO.

49. Like some elephants : ASIATIC.

53. Souse's woe : DTS.

54. A little light : RAY.

61. Bound : LEAP.

64. Desolate : STARK. Where they lived, Winterfell, was all of that.

65. Series curtailer : ETAL.

66. They lack pelvic fins : EELS. Well, I have a pelvis...

67. Short and sweet : TERSE. Sweet in a not very sweet way.

68. Deprives (of) : ROBS. Tempted to write ROBB just to be consistent.

69. June observance : D-DAY. We always should thank the soldiers and their families,


Down:

1. Start of some royal titles : HER. Does PIA count as the rest of the expression?

2. Flap : ADO. Is quiet adont?

3. Rainforests, for many : HABITATS. Wonderful people building and helping others.

4. Hotel pool, say : AMENITY.

5. Banned chem. pollutant : PCB.

6. More than just pass : ACE.

7. No later than : UNTIL.

8. Wet suit material : LYCRA.

9. "Covert Affairs" airer : USA. The network not the country.

10. [Not my typo] : SIC. Latin for thus.

11. Like some numerals : ARABIC. Like 1, 2, 3 etc.

12. YMCA world headquarters city : GENEVA. Never knew this.

13. Value : ESTEEM. How do Italians remove wrinkles?

19. Desolate : HARSH.

21. Do : COIF.

24. Bump on a branch : NODE. Much better than being a bump on a log.

25. Calla lily family : ARUM.

26. Logical connector : NOR.

27. End of __ : AN ERA.

28. Nav. noncom : CPO. Chief Petty Officer.

29. Right triangle part: Abbr. : HYPotenuse.

33. Quite a stretch : EON.

34. Ripped into : SET AT.

37. Deteriorate : GO TO SEED. Always wondered about this expression since seeds begin life, but then as vegatables go abd...
.
38. Adidas competitor : AVIA.

39. Religious faction : SECT.

40. Queue after Q : RST.

41. Text-scanning technology, briefly : OCR.,Optical character recognition,

42. Secures, in a way : MOORS. How many own boats?

43. Native suffix : ISH. Moorish, Turkish, Spanish

44. Sky, to Sarkozy : CIEL.  Simple French.

45. Called : LABELED.

46. Most unusual : ODDEST.

47. Perform a pirouette, say : ROTATE.

48. GM navigation system : ONSTAR.

51. Supply with a spread : CATER.

52. City near Lake Biwa : KYOTO.

57. PSAT takers : JRS.

58. Luau entertainment feature : UKE.

59. Pinch : NAB.

60. Some Bronx lines : ELS. We culdn't have Ernie again so soon.

62. Like : A LA.as Splynter would say, frawnch.

63. Would-be social worker's maj. : PSYchology.Mine in undergraduate and graduate study.

June 13 Gareth Bain

Theme: How did the ANT get in here?

A week where ants showed up all over the place, and now they are at the heart of this Friday from Gareth.
I am not expert on gridding, but this grid with the five theme answers set up as here,  is to me the most common layout, and we all know add a letter, or a few letters or a word is a common theme convention. It is visually very pleasing with three ANTs on the end and two in the middle. and one dead center of the puzzle. Overall, with many 3 or 4 letter fill this did not feel like a Friday, though there were some challenges like BELLOWS,  BUGABOO,  MINIBUS, ORIGAMI, SHAKEUP. HOSANNAS and the very difficult for me EUSTACIA. Well let's see the latest from across the Atlantic.

18A. Roadside sign for sticklers? : PEDANTXING. (10). Pedxing (pedestrian crossing brings out the Pedant who often stops by to correct us all.

30A. Lower-class bovine? : COW PEASANT. (10). Cow PEAS show how much I do not know, as I have learned all about black-eyed peas (married an Alabama girl) and field peas. Anyway, you know GB will get animals in his grids one way or another.

36A. "Tarzan" character at an Imax? : GIANTJANE.(9). The Demi Moore character gets blown up on the big screen. LINK.(1:44). If you have never been to an IMAX theater, you should go, the experience of 3D movies is great.

46A. Coat waterproofing application? : FUR SEALANT.(10). I was a bit reluctant to accept fur seal because to me all seals have fur, but as this LINK shows, as I should know because he is a veterinarian it is a real term.

57A. Spiders' talent show? : WEB PAGEANT. (10). Great visual, Gareth puts a nice spin on this clue; also timely as we have begun Pageant time with the Miss USA last weekend.
And the rather difficult reveal:

56D. Classic 1954 horror film whose title creatures have invaded this puzzle : THEM.

Across:

1. Album with the hit "Mamma Mia" : ABBA.

5. They won't last : FADS.

9. Little bits : ATOMS.

14. Combat with seconds : DUEL. I could not find any good duels on June 13, with the July 11 Burr/Hamilton duel the closest. Maybe there is a crossword puzzle theme buried in there.

15. Sashimi fish : OPAH.

16. Shinto temple gateway : TORII.

17. Look like a wolf : OGLE. I think this one should be "as" a wolf.

20. Bar round : ALES. Yay, Tin, booze clecho. 23A. Bar staple : GIN

22. One may be restricted : AREA. Never a good idea to ignore this sign when you are in a movie.
.
24. Blood-typing letters : ABO.

25. Priest in 1 Samuel : ELI. This is another biblical story of a barren woman who is blessed with a child (Samuel) and the role of the priest of Shiloh. Meanwhile, the name ELI mean to ascend to G-d, with the Greek equivalent HELI, from which we get helicopter etc.

28. Yacht club hanging : OAR.

29. Homer's father, on "The Simpsons" : ABE.

33. Blue stuff : SMUT. Interesting word BLUE, can mean off-color, like smut or blue humor, or it can mean rigidly moral as in the Blue Laws of Puritan New England (and my childhood).

34. Church cheers : HOSANNAS. More religious cluing, and a very nice alliterative clue.

35. "Respect" songwriter Redding : OTIS. Reall popularized by ARETHA (2:30).
.
39. Jazzy style : SCAT.

41. "The Return of the Native" heroine __ Vye : EUSTACIA. A book by THOMAS HARDY; the latest Martha Grimes which I am now reading is set in "Hardy" country.

45. Comparative word : THAN.

48. Macklemore's genre : RAP.

49. Bernina Range peak : ALP. mARTI?

50. Bojangles' art : TAP. So many great links.

51. Jeanne d'Arc, e.g.: Abbr. : STE. French for Saint.

52. Blotter letters : AKA. Also Known As. The police blotter.

53. Boxy transports : VANS.

55. Fix permanently : ETCH. I know etching is a permanent process, but fix?

61. Mata __ : HARI.

63. Lollapaloozas : LULUS.

64. Present day, for short : XMAS. A cute way to clue the holiday with some misdirection.

65. Land west of Nod, in Genesis : EDEN. Rule no doubt by Wynken, Blynken. For crossword fans, the poem was written by Eugene Field who perhaps is most famous because his father represented Dred Scott before the Supreme Court, or maybe that is just a law school fact.

66. Tuckered out : SPENT. Such connotations....

67. Vacation sub : TEMPerature.

68. Like a doormat : MEEK. Still waiting to inherit the earth.

Down:

1. Fuss : ADO. Along with ALEE, ASEA, APE, EDEN, ATE, ELI, AREA some very common fill used in this effort.

2. Cause of worry : BUGABOO. On the other this may the first appearance oof this fill in the LAT.

3. Air delivery method? : BELLOWS. Am I the only one thinking about FedEx and Amazon's new drone service? You just don't see many blacksmiths any more.

4. On the quieter side : ALEE.

5. Fashion plate : FOP. Not a compliment,  the dictionary suggests it comes from the German foppen "jeer at, make a fool of." I defer to our many German experts.

6. Mimic : APE.

7. Opening word? : DADA. My first said DADA as his first word, my youngest said Pizza Hut...go figure.

8. Rose of __ : SHARON. A nice CSO to our dear ARBAON. Another biblical reference in the puzzle from the Song of Solomon. The flower is actually an Hibiscus, which are common in So.Fla. Paired with a mini-clecho 9. Rose oil : ATTAR, which I know only from puzzle solving.

10. __ screen: medical test : TOX. Same derivation as inTOXicants and TOXic.

11. Art requiring a folder : ORIGAMI. Oh, one who folds...

12. Airport transport : MINIBUS.

13. Ring seal : SIGNET. Signet rings are not too popular anymore, and I thought the clue would make more sense as Seal ring, but it was still obvious.

19. Unlike Oscar Madison : NEAT. Are you Walter Matthau or Jack Klugman fans?

21. "Already caught that film!" : SEEN IT. Another English teacher's nightmare.

24. Weimar word of woe : ACH. I again defer to our German speakers, I recall there was some controversy.

26. Turner on a screen : LANA. Beautiful girl....

27. "Winning ... __ all-the-time thing": Lombardi : IS AN.Vince of Packer fame

31. Missionary's concern : PAGAN.This clue seems off as well, as Pagan rites, or beliefs might be a concern.

32. Starlike flower : ASTER.

33. Bargain : STEAL. Man, Jimmy Choo's for $500.00. What a steal!

35. Recorded, in a way : ON TAPE. An old way.

37. A moment ago : JUST.

38. Like Phileas Fogg during much of his journey : A SEA.

39. Overhaul : SHAKE UP.

40. Fit : CAPABLE.

42. Dishwasher brand : CASCADE.

43. Trisected : IN THREE.

44. Bolted : ATE.

45. Fishes, in a way : TRAWLS.

46. A ref may throw one : FLAG.

47. "Right after this show ..." : UP NEXT.

49. Captain's order : AVAST.

54. "__ here" : SAME.

58. Many a bon mot : PUN.

59. '60s arena : NAM.

60. 1/48 cup: Abbr. : TSP.

62. Cartridge contents : INK.

Friday, June 6, 2014

Theme: Beware of rip currents!

Well after you zipped through yesterday's puzzle, we have a more normal Friday with smaller word count, but with a visual theme, with the reveal in the middle of the grid and the theme answers in the Down clues, This requires the solver to read the hidden word from bottom to top, as TIDES is hidden in each of the three theme answers, and the letters are 'rising.'  We have had bottom to top theme answers before, so I do not expect this to be as polarizing a puzzle as last week, especially as the puzzle has so many 7,8 and 9 letter fill. ANILINE, ARIANNA, ARMADAS, DIETARY, VIRGINS, YES MA'AM, AVOIDING, INNATELY, PILSNERS, REMNANTS, ANNAPOLIS and DANDELION, three of which are new to the LA Times. Comparatively light on proper names, you all should have some fun here. This is Maryland's Frank VIRZI's third LAT, I blogged his first back in 2010, but he is obviously very prolific.

35A. Boat lifters found in this puzzle's three longest answers : RISING TIDES.(11).I like the definition of 'boat lifter' to be the rising tide; Alabama under Nick Satan was a rising tide, now we will see if the it will ebb.

4D. Bank offerings : CREDIT LINES.(11). Many years ago these loans were unsecured, not any more. Picture reading from right to left and the TIDE emerges.

7D. Journalism bigwigs : MANAGING EDITORS. (15). I know our learned audience will help me understand the dynamic of the Managing Editor and the Publisher in a working newspaper.

26D. Journeys of discovery : EXPEDITIONS. (11). Another nice definition which required perp help, but as it was down, it was there.

Across:

1. Gush forth, as chimney smoke : BELCH. Really, how PC.As a child we had 24 hour smoke billowing  from the textile mill furnaces, I have read about smoke being belched out, but never seen it.  We lost our factories, the air was better but there were no jobs.

6. Coldplay gear : AMPS. bye bye, Gwyneth.  LISTEN.

10. Fix, in a way : SPAY. Never understood this euphemism; I certainly would not feel fixed, and would...

14. Foil : AVERT. any such plan, as it would ruin my...

15. Pace : GAIT. No desire to be an Unsullied, no thank you.

16. Old Milano moola : LIRE. Personally, being paid in Milano cookies sounds appealing.

17. Shakes, as a tail : LOSES. These days, with drones and tracking devices and gps in your phone, a detective's life sounds easier. It reminds me how with the advent of caller ID, television mysteries had to resort to the 'burner' phones to explain why they did not catch the bad guy when he called.

18. Capital on Chesapeake Bay : ANNAPOLIS, One of the new fill, and odd that no mention of the capital of Maryland, or the home of the Naval Academy ever appeared in a LA Times puzzle. How many love  the Maryland crabs from the bay?

20. Lost traction : SLID.

21. Drug initially studied for use in treating angina : VIAGRA. After hanging their clip boards of data gingerly for a while, it occurred to the Pharma that the other use might be profitable. Is it me, or was pairing with 21D. Vestal __: Roman flame tenders : VIRGINS a Freudian gesture from Mr. Virzi? More virgins? 33A. Carmelite, e.g. : NUN. The mountain from which they were founded. LINK.

22. To whom Ilsa said "I'll hum it for you" : SAM. She was so beautiful.WATCH. (4:05).

23. Shying away from : AVOIDING.

25. Natural dye : HENNA. I was thinking about getting a Henna tattoo to freak my kids out, what with father's day coming up and all.

27. Advise : MENTOR. A favorite word and a lost art.

28. Nest egg item, for short : IRA. Individual Retirement Account.

31. Spinoff of TV's "Hercules" : XENA. Lucy Lawless, what a great name!

32. Place for a cast : LEG. Not at the end of the movie.

34. Buckingham buggy : PRAM. The benefit of all the British mystery fiction is knowing what Steve grew up learning in person. A new Martha Grimes hit the stands yesterday. Welcome back Richard Jury.

38. Port near the Red Sea : ADEN.

40. Alumni directory word : NEE.Is this fare, or should it have said ALUMNAE directory word?

41. Chap : LAD.

42. Winter coat : RIME. Not related to:

43. Nursery supply : SOD. Not Desitin, or talcum powder.

44. Reply to "No, you couldn't have!" : I DID SO.

48. It was founded in Oxford in 1946 : MENSA. I did not know this, do I have to give up my meber ship?

50. From the start : INNATELY.

52. One-time connection : AT A. Not a connection that has been lost, but one that connects one and time.

53. White terrier, for short : WESTIE.

56. California's Mission Santa __ : INES.

57. Aster relative : DANDELION.

59. Schubert's "Eine kleine Trauermusik," e.g. : NONET.

60. Martial __ : ARTS.

61. French 101 infinitive : ETRE. être ou ne pas être.

62. Make nasty comments : SNIPE. The kind that hurt people. Clecho: 64A. Make nasty comments : CUSS. The kind where the words are unacceptable, but not necessarily mean.

63. GPS part: Abbr. : SYSTem. Global Positioning System.

65. From Nineveh: Abbr. : ASSYR. Eeeeek. Is this an abbreviation of Assyrian? Am I an Americ?  Assyria is now known as Iraq.

Down:

1. Fragrant fir : BALSAM. A common choice for Christmas TREE.

2. Develop gradually : EVOLVE.Like the various Corner blogging styles.

3. Sore spot : LESION. I like this clue/fill a lot and I am not sure why

5. Abbr. after Cleveland or Brooklyn : HTS. In my schools they came from Shaker Heights.

6. "Come __?" : AGAIN? I did not hear you.

8. Sign of engine trouble, perhaps : PING.

9. One billed higher than the rest : STAR. In my world they are called senior partners.

10. Traffic warning : SLO. Is it really worth removing the 'W?"

11. Pale lagers : PILSNERS. My beer brewing sons would be very unhappy with this clue/fill. All Beer is either Lager (cold bottom fermentation) or Ale (warm top fermentation). Pilsners (named after the city in Czechoslovakia  where the style was created) are a form of lager, though most are golden in color. They are pale compared to the more robust lagers. Your basic Beck's, Heineken and the like are pilsners.

12. Author Huffington : ARIANNA. Her Huffington Post was bought by AOL for $315 Million; if interested you go to this LINK.

13. Polite assent : YES MA'AM. Many women under 35 find this greeting very offensive.

19. Tuba note : PAH. And its friend OOM.

24. Executes : DOES.

29. Track : RUT.

30. Dye-making compound : ANILINE.

35. Leftovers : REMNANTS. Hi honey, let's have some remnants for supper.

36. Natal opening : NEOnatal.

37. Word from a crib : DADA. Or the now familiar TV staple, "get off my turf, mofo."

38. Seagoing forces : ARMADAS. The tale of the defeat of the SPANISH ARMADA in 1588 was a riveting one when I was in grammar school.

39. Like many supplements : DIETARY.

45. Hall of Fame pitcher Eckersley : DENNIS. Eck who went from being a successful starter to being a great reliever when he was traded to Oakland and manager Tony LaRussa and pitching coach Dave Duncan. STATS. He started with Cleveland but was traded when his wife had an affair with another Cleveland player. He also was traded from the RedSox to the Cubs in the deal that brought Bill Buckner to Boston.

46. Nodding : SLEEPY. Which makes me want to go to bed, but then...

47. Bed denizen : OYSTER. if ever I wake up and find an oyster in my bed I am going to be livid.

49. Leave dumbstruck : AWE.

51. Dressing extreme? : NINES. Origin per askville: "Dressed to the nines, or dressed up to the nines are merely a version of the phrase that is applied to clothing. That is first cited in John C. Hotten's A Dictionary of Modern Slang, Cant, and Vulgar Words, 1859 as: 'DRESSED UP TO THE NINES', in a showy 'recherché' manner."

54. Monthly pmt. : ELECtricity. This is an extruded clue/fill as you do not pay your Elec, you pay the bill.

55. As found, with "in" : SITU. Latin, and familiar to all from the TV CSI type shows.

58. Source of addl. evening light : DST. Daylight Savings Time.

59. Surveillance org. : NSA. A timely fill that keeps coming up in the puzzles and the news.

Friday, May 30, 2014

Theme: Cross reference mania: "THERE WAS AN OLD LADY WHO SWALLOWED A..."

Wow, JW is back and what I anticipate will be a much talked about, much loved and much hated puzzle.
First, by use of perps and intuition you must solve the cross-referenced 29A, 35A and 49A to get to the title of the song (story). Only then can you begin to solve the 8 things which this old lady swallowed. This puts a real premium solving all the perps, which were not all easy, thought we do have a goodly amount of 3 and 4 letter fill. I did not recall this SONG but in reading the article I do have a vague recollection of the Jeff Goldblum line in the movie. 81 words with an average length of 4.84 is not at all Friday like, but there are many new and interesting fill and some nice decent length ones like ADRENAL,  AS BIG AS,  ELITISM,  EMPANEL, LAGASSE,  LIONESS,  MADDENS,  MARIANA,  MASCARA,  TWO-TONE, HITS WITH,  STEM CELL. It was just a very odd puzzle for me to complete. The challenge to fit the refrain in the grid and then add each creature, in order as they are recited was daunting. I do not see any customary symmetry, but I am still so naive when it comes to gridding. Of course Friday is the day for experimentation and ingenuity, and this must have been fun if you knew the song.

29A. With 35- and 49-Across, start of a refrain whose ending words appear in sequence in the answers to starred clues :THERE WAS AN.(10).

35A. See 29-Across : OLD LADY WHO.(10).

49A. See 29-Across : SWALLOWED A. (10).

6A. *See 29-Across : FLY.(3).

17A *See 29-Across : SPIDER.(6).

19A. *See 29-Across : BIRD. (4).

20A. *See 29-Across : CAT. (3).

58A. *See 29-Across : DOG.(3).

63A. *See 29-Across : GOAT.(4).

71A. *See 29-Across : COW.(3)

72A. *See 29-Across : HORSE.(5).
Notice the absence of theme symmetry.

Across:

1. Whimpers : MEWLS. A word I associate with puppies and kitties.

9. Cooperative group : TEAM. My son works where there are no bosses, only team leaders.

13. Hindu nectar : AMRITA. Luckily, I started doing all the downs, so I had this from the perps as I had not memory of this Hindu (Sanskrit) version of ambrosia.

15. Suitor : BEAU. Are only men suitors?

16. Pierce player : ALDA. Hawkeye, Alan.

18. Pool equipment : RACK. Always fun excuse to LINK.

21. High-tech card contents : MEMORY.I think my own internal one needs an upgrade.

23. Toned down : MUTED.

24. "Star Wars" saga nickname : ANI. From I the Phantom Menace, also known as baby Darth.

25. Web store icon : CART.

26. Quad Cities city : MOLINE. Davenport and Bettendorf. in Iowa; and Rock Island and Moline in Illinois. Easy for some, but not for me.

27. French income : RENTE. The "E" makes this difficult because they call their government pension, "RENTE."

32. __ bloom: pond buildup : ALGAL. Algae.

33. Additionally : TOO.

34. San Jose Earthquakes' org. : MLS. Major League Soccer. World Cup in Brazil this year, and no Landon Donovan for the US.

41. Dough extruder? : ATM. Automated Teller Machine.

44. It may follow T. : REX. Nice CSO to all the dinosaurs out there reading this.

45. "Washington Week" moderator Gwen : IFILL. No politics, but I like IFILL as FILL.

54. Actress Raymonde of "Lost" : TANIA. Did not recall her, but I was not a big fan of the show. She has a bit of a Penelope Cruz look going on.

55. Withstood the ordeal : BORE UP. When it is good to be bored.

56. Matterhorn's range : ALPS. For his usual biographer, marti a CSO.

59. "Just me," formally : IT IS I. An old debate in these parts.

60. Immature : CALLOW. I used to get in trouble questioning why they call kids immature or CALLOW YOUTH, which made no sense to complain about since they were just kids.

62. Article in El Diario : UNA.  One is Spanish; does anyone here keep a diary?

64. Decline : WANE.

65. Sign of fish : PISCES.

67. Youngest Brontë : ANNE. A very talented but  doomed FAMILY.

68. Chimps, e.g. : APES. Read all about our closest cousins HERE, no monkeying around.

69. Make a point of : STRESS. I cannot stress the importance of paying attention.

70. Prepare scallops, in a way : SEAR. Try some NOW?


Down:

1. Cosmetic product : MASCARA.

2. Put on a jury : EMPANEL. Back in the courtroom.

3. "On __": Stephen King memoir : WRITING.

4. Cover : LID.

5. Subject of recent medical research : STEM CELL. A little SCIENCE.

6. Dread : FEAR.

7. Like many doilies : LACY. I read this as "dollies" and could not think of a single lacy dolly. Well, there was

8. Guffaw : YUK.

9. Roman slate : TABULA. Latin, famous from TABULA RASA, meaning a clean slate.

10. Upper-class rule : ELITISM. People who read Latin and stuff.

11. Major endocrine gland : ADRENAL. More Latin, meaning to the renal.

12. Really ticks off : MADDENS. Only John is famous.

14. Field : AREA.

15. Stew basis : BROTH. Now there are a million stocks you can buy pre-made.

22. "Rocky III" actor : MR. T. Every fool 'no dat.

23. Do some yard work : MOW. and if we add an "E."

26. Call from a Persian : MEOW. Not the Shah, but a kitty.

28. Eastern "way" : TAO.

30. LAX listing : ETD. Estimated Time of Departure.

31. Mr. Rogers on a horse : ROY.

36. Let go : DROP.

37. Kareem, formerly : LEW. Alcindor, of UCLA basketball fame.

38. Let go : AXE. I get this fill often.

39. Gives suddenly, as bad news : HITS WITH. Am I the only one who went to this...

40. Son-gun connection : OF A. I wonder when weapons replaced female dogs.

41. Comparable to, sizewise : AS BIG AS.

42. Like some sporty shoes : TWO TONE.

43. __ Islands: Guam locale : MARIANA.

46. Draft __ motor: gas furnace component : INDUCER.

47. Hunting 20-Across : LIONESS.

48. "Kicked-up Sandwiches" author : LAGASSE.

50. Bluegrass guitarist Flatt : LESTER.

51. Him, to Henri : LUI. Straight French.

52. Low-lying locales : DALES.

53. The whole shebang : ALL.

57. Boston __ : POPS.

60. Mob boss : CAPO.

61. From the top : ANEW.

64. Female in WWII : WAC. Women's Army Corps.

66. "No more seats" sign : SRO. Standing Room Only.

May 22

.Theme: Put and end to the fight.

Well I (Lemonade) am back, but pinch hitting for the ubiquitous Marti Duguay-Carpenter, who has asked me to explain her latest publication. The theme was readily apparent and seemed appropriate for me who used to be a trial lawyer and presented many of the unifier. I found this fun, though it seemed like a Wednesday/Thursday with just a few clues toughened up. Or perhaps I just understand the divine miss m's mind...The difficulty for me was in some of the proper names, not all of whom came immediately to mind, but without any long deceptive fill, the puzzle was done in normal time. It features a great triple clecho in the middle and marti's wit.  Let's see if the glove fits and how I acquit myself.


17A. "The Goodbye Girl" Oscar winner : RICHARD DREYFUSS.(15).

29A. Short-muzzled dog breed : BULL MASTIFF (11).

46A. Futuristic car unveiled at the 1933 New York Auto Show : SILVER ARROW (11).

62A. Court wrap-up ... and what's hidden in 17-, 29- and 46-Across? : CLOSING ARGUMENT


ACROSS:

1. Kazantzakis title hero : ZORBA. The author of the Zorba the Greek and the Last Temptation of Christ. I did npt revall the name, but what else starts ZORB_?

6. Singer James : ETTA.

10. Apple variety : I-MAC.

14. "Water is life" brand : EVIAN. Interesting STUFF.

15. Bishop's rte. : DIAGonal. The chess piece not Tutu. 

16. Jet Propulsion Lab org. : NASA, National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

20. Classical theaters : ODEA. The plural of Odeum, from the Latin.

21. Private __ : EYE.

22. Has no obligation to : NEEDN'T.

23. Org. with an interlocking rings logo : IOC. International Olympic Committee.

25. Journalist Tarbell et al. : IDAS. The WOMAN was a very admirable journalist even if a bit of a muckraker.

26. CD precursors : LPS. Long Plays. 
.
35. Shoe box letters : EEE. When in doubt, trot it out.

36. Devoured : ATE UP. This one was a piece of cake.

37. French 101 word : ETRE. To be.

38. West Coast natl. monument since 2012 : FT. ORD. Monument? FT to start a word? This took a while.

40. Disney doe : ENA.

41. Times for action : D-DAYS. They are not just for war.

42. Honorable : TRUE.

43. Rear : RAISE. Not where your minds were going?

45. Disappoint, with "down" : LET.
.
49. "... good witch, __ bad witch?" : OR A. Do you recall this scene (0:30) from Wizard of Oz

50. Part of Q.E.F. : ERAT. By now this should be in everyone's memory banks.

51. Tourney pass : BYE. The French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros is coming close with the best getting 1st round byes.

53. Hallowed : SACRED. Just don't have a cow about this clue/fill.

56. __ alai : JAI.

58. City on the Rhône : LYON. 

65. Puma rival : AVIA.

66. Pull down : EARN.

67. Two-masted craft : KETCH.  My oldest brother is the sailor in my family, my only experience with a ketch was ketchup.

68. Stores in a large building? : MALL. Gee, I never thought about it being a single building.

69. Till opener : ROTO. Windhover, do you use one on your farm?

70. Iroquois foes : ERIES. Best know your native tribes.

Down:

1. Shutout score feature : ZERO.

2. "Ars amatoria" poet : OVID.  The Roman take on the Art of Love.  LINK.

3. It might be sticky or dirty : RICE. Interestingly the center of Asian and Mexican cuisine.

4. Religion founded in Persia : Bahá'í. One of the newest judaeo-christian muslim fusion religions. I think this is the religion of Vic Damone.

5. Actress Gasteyer : ANA. If you are a die hard SNL fan you will know this performer, or maybe you watch the odd show Suburgatory  which follows Modern Family.

6. Current event : EDDY. Tricky beginning to the triclecho, as eddys appear in water.  7. Current influence : TIDE. Still in the water. and, 8. Current observer : TAR. Our old sailor reappears.

9. Things to do : AGENDA.

10. Pest-ridden : INFESTED.

11. Irish revolutionary __ Gonne MacBride : MAUD. She was not in my memory banks, beyond Michael Collins, I know not much about Irish revolutionaries, especially since Branson wimped out.  READ.

12. NCAA member?: Abbr. : ASSN.

13. Play group : CAST.

18. Saw again : RECUT. That saw!

19. Words said in passing? : YEAS. Legislation for example.

24. O.T. book after Amos : OBADiah is not one of the famous PROPHETS. The history is interesting.
                    
25. Damage : IMPAIR. A Firday definition.

26. Some jabs : LEFTS.

27. Lab dish inventor : PETRI.Named for the German bacteriologist who invented it.

28. Capital city on the Han River : SEOUL.

30. Ogle : LEER AT.
31. Like some eclipses : LUNAR
32. Author Calvino : ITALO
33. Fritter maker : FRYER
34. Pisa party : FESTA
39. About-face : REVERSAL
41. Like early morning links : DEWY
44. Pulitzer-winning Ferber novel : SOBIG
47. "... harken __ die": Tennyson : EREI
48. Portrayer of Wawa and Litella : RADNER
52. Film composer Bernstein : ELMER
53. Phishing lure : SCAM
54. Menlo Park middle name : ALVA
55. Slinky, e.g. : COIL
56. Lawn game projectile : JART
57. River under the Ponte Vecchio : ARNO
59. Mountain legend : YETI
60. Grimm start : ONCE
61. Unspecified degrees : NTHS
63. Agcy. concerned with the federal fiscal outlook : GAO
64. Island strings : UKE

May 16, 2014

Across:

1. Trick or treat, e.g. : VERB.

5. Center of authority : SEAT.

9. One on the lam, perhaps : PERP.

13. DH, usually : ALER.
14. Novelist Jaffe : RONA
15. Mixed bag : OLIO
16. Be a part of treaty negotiations? : GETINONTHEPACT
19. "Silver Lining" album maker : RAITT
20. Tulsa sch. : ORU
21. Satisfied sound : AAH
23. Bay State cape : ANN
24. Unexpected political upheaval? : SUDDENPURGE
29. Trick or treat, e.g. : NOUN
31. Irish __ : SEA
32. It helps smooth things out : SANDER
33. Palm Pre predecessor : TREO
34. Like "la" in Fr. : FEM
35. Smelting waste : DROSS
36. "White Fang," for example? : WILDPROSE
40. Words after give or take : AHINT
43. Nice setting : MER
44. Touch : ABUT
48. Humorous : JOCOSE
50. Item tied with a decorative knot : OBI
51. Shore thing : DUNE
52. One that keeps bumping into senators? : AWKWARDPAGE
55. Réunion, par exemple : ILE
56. Midnight indicator, maybe : XII
57. W, for one : DIR
58. Champagne toast? : SALUT
60. Endless spiel? : SEVENYEARPITCH
65. Yu the Great's dynasty : HSIA
66. "No problem" : EASY
67. Coach K's team : DUKE
68. Bibliog. term : ETAL
69. Trick : RUSE
70. 1974 CIA spoof : SPYS

Down:

1. Drifter : VAGRANT
2. First lady after Lou : ELEANOR
3. Attendants : RETINUE
4. One putting a tyre into a boot : BRIT
5. Sellout sign, briefly : SRO
6. It's quite a stretch : EON
7. Pantry raider : ANT
8. Lake near the Kirkwood Mountain Resort : TAHOE
9. They're often blocked : POPUPADS
10. She, in Lisbon : ELA
11. Sitcom family name : RICARDO
12. Thick soups : POTAGES
17. Some Windows systems : NTS
18. Sea eagles : ERNS
22. Indicator of possession in the bathroom : HERS
25. Failed '80s gridiron org. : USFL
26. Indicator of possession : DEED
27. Janitor's tool : DAMPMOP
28. Like much spam : UNREAD
30. Calming words : NOWNOW
37. Agreeing words : ITSADEAL
38. First name in country : REBA
39. It may be left in a copier: Abbr. : ORIG
40. Mr. Clean rival : AJAX
41. Concerned question about a sick friend : HOWISHE
42. Most gross : ICKIEST
45. Developed : BUILTUP
46. Word from a grumpy gambler : UNLUCKY
47. Sprouts incisors : TEETHES
49. Home to Sean O'Casey : ERIN
53. One full of hot air : DRYER
54. Clairvoyance : ESP
59. Is more than a bystander : AIDS
61. __ Dolorosa : VIA
62. French quencher : EAU
63. Pack animal : ASS
64. Deli choice : RYE