James Sajdak

Theme: Your punishment is in the pun.

After seeing Todd Gross and SJSJ return after lengthy absences, we has James Sajdak who did 24 puzzles by 2012 then one in 2013, one in 2014 and none last year. He was the subject of this INTERVIEW . His puzzles were all different and today he does sound a-likes for humor. As with any puzzle crafted on humor, it is in the eyes of the beholder. I really liked the theme and all of the wonderful fill like SHADOW, MOHAIR, EQUITY, PALLID, RAW EGG, I'M GLAD, NED KELLY, TITICACA, IRONICALLY, INTAGLIOED some which had me buffaloed. Well on with the show.

20A. Québec quiche, e.g.? : CANADIAN BAKING (14). Canadian Bacon is our shout out to our Canadian readers. WHY is it called that?

26A. Saying "It wasn't me" when, in fact, it was? : COWARDLY LYING (13). The Cowardly Lion from the Wizard of Oz, is replaced by a liar.

46A. "Wish we had built a bigger pyramid," e.g.? : EGYPTIAN RUING (13). The word RUIN is not related to to rue, but this still seems odd. I think it is because the other three phrases are words where an ending "ON" changed to ending in "ING" along with spelling changes.

56A. Greeting from a faithful friend? : WELCOME WAGGING (14). Welcome Wagon is a great service and they are all over Florida. Some hang out around Tinbeni. I was in Ybor City last weekend.

Across:

1. Publishing tasks : EDITS. I found Mark McClain's comment on Rich's changes very interesting.

6. Jack letters : MIC. The place you plug in your microphone.

9. "Hotel Imperial" (1927) star : NEGRI. Pola was a star.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rS5scXfZ7c

14. Best New Artist Grammy winner after Alicia : NORAH.  Ravi Shankar's little girl. Which may have led to 61A. Sitar accompaniment : TABLA. I could not find one with Ravi, so here is a LINK.

15. Tesoro de la Sierra Madre : ORO. There's gold in them there Spanish hills.

16. Horse play : EQUUS. Another Firday clue/fill but I remember I recall Richard Burton was in both the PLAY and the movie. Also Daniel Radcliffe-Harry Potter's first big role in revival.

17. Kitchen drawer? : AROMA. Wonderful smells draw you into the kitchen.

18. It can be cured : HAM. Again, what cluing.

19. "Beats me" : DUNNO.

23. Start of a weekly cry : TGI Friday.

24. "Either thou, __ ... must go with him": Romeo : OR I. I do love me our Friday dose of Shakespeare.

25. Ran into : MET.

33. Digitize, in a way : SCAN.

35. Squawk : YELL.

36. Greenwich Village sch. : NYU. New York University.

37. Set apart, as funds : ALLOT.

39. Layer : PLY. Mostly seen in TP ads these days.

40. Eastwood's "Rawhide" role : YATES.

42. Ref. book : VOLume.

43. Retail giant with stores in 23 U.S. states : IKEA. I get this often on Friday.

45. Bit of power : WATT.

51. Feel poorly : AIL.

52. Source of bills : ATM. Not the ones you pay, but the one you spend.

53. Stretcher, to Huck Finn : LIE. I do not recall the book that well.

62. Citrus cooler : ADE. Yay me.

63. Sarge's superior : LOOIE.

64. "Hamlet" courtier : OSRIC. He is the courtier sent by Claudius to invite Hamlet to participate in the duel with Laertes. A double dose.

65. Fix : RIG. Our crime corner.

66. Supports illegally : ABETS.

67. Mary's upstairs neighbor : RHODA. Valerie is hanging in there..

68. Cooper creation : KEG. That is where the name comes from, barrel or keg makers.

69. Performed, in the Bible : DID'ST.

Down:

1. Pass : ENACT.

2. Modern kerchief cousin : DO RAG.

3. How many O. Henry stories end : IRONICALLY. Which is more famous, Gift of the Magi or Ransom of Red Chief?

4. Writer Janowitz : TAMA. Luckily this was all filled because I never heard of HER or any of the brat pack of authors.

5. Sunny day phenomenon : SHADOW. Cute misdirection.

6. Angora fabric : MOHAIR.

7. Republic since 1979 : IRAN.

8. Search high and low : COMB. Fine tooth anyone?

9. Legendary Australian outlaw : NED KELLY
10. Fairness : EQUITY
11. "Treasure Island" castaway Ben : GUNN
12. Step up? : RUNG
13. Prefix with bar : ISO
21. George's lyrical brother : IRA
22. __ alcohol: fusel oil component : AMYL
27. Bed-in for Peace participant : ONO
28. "Blowin' in the Wind" songwriter : DYLAN
29. Early spaceflight proponent Willy __ : LEY.

30. Like petroglyphs : INTAGLIOED. First you need to know petroglyphs, but the perps were fair.

31. Nikita's no : NYET. Did the shoe come off?

32. Sudden blow : GUST.

33. Word processing command : SAVE.

34. Blockage : CLOG.Did you have trouble sinking of the answer.

38. Bolivian border lake : TITICACA. Geography 1. READ.

39. Shade of green : PEA.

41. Botanical beard : AWN. Botany STUDY.

44. Smuggler's unit : KILO. Drugs....

47. Wan : PALLID.

48. Caesar salad dressing ingredient : RAW EGG. Very few do the CLASSIC with the egg yolks.

49. Acting guru Hagen : UTA.

50. "Good for you" : I'M GLAD.

54. OK components : INITS. Initials.

55. Throw out : EGEST. In goes in E goes out.

56. Load in a basket : WASH.

57. River of Spain : EBRO. LESSON 2 time.

58. Con man's target : MARK.

59. Falco of "Nurse Jackie" : EDIE. Also Mrs. Soprano.
 
60. Silk Road desert : GOBI. Lesson 3. We need to study our GEOGRAPHY.

61. 2015 A.L. East champ : TORonto Blue Jays.

Steven J. St. John

Theme:  I almost MIST the theme.

Another blast from the past constructor returns. SJSJ, who pumped out 12 puzzles and then disappeared for a few years. He gives us an usual grid with four down fill including the reveal as the theme. You can read his 2013 INTERVIEW in which he expressed his desire to do innovative themes. Many you may have only a HAZY memory of his prior efforts, but I do not thinks this one was too MURKY. What it does feature are some great sparkly fill: EMOTERS,  AT LEAST,  SASSOON,  TRAILER,  HAIRPIN,  NEUTRAL, CLUSTERED TOTAL LOSS,  HUMILIATE,  UNFREEZES and two which are longer than the theme answers: SWEET AS HONEY,  HIGH SPIRITED. Getting all of these and using a minimum of three letter fill was excellent. Let's look.


3D. Suspected of misdeeds : UNDER A CLOUD (11). Brings to mind this from my childhood.

8D. Spent : OUT OF STEAM (10). I am too, I cannot pick any link.

29D. Psychedelic rock classic of 1967 : PURPLE HAZE (10). We go this week from Purple Rain.
And the reveal"
23D. State Department neighborhood ... and what 3-, 8- and 29-Down all have? : FOGGY BOTTOM (11). There is a STORY about this name. I wonder how many knew this trivia? I got the fill from the perps, not sure if I would have recalled the name. Time for a tune.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meCZ5hWNRFU

Across:

1. Fry : SAUTE. We are starting out with another puzzle that Steve would enjoy. This is from the French for Jumped, I guess because the oil is so hot?

6. Kung __ chicken : PAO. In which the meat is sauteed!!

9. Market Fresh sandwich and salad seller : ARBY'S. Three food clues to begin, wow.

14. Time of old Rome : ANNUM. Year in Latin.

15. Unevenly distributed, in a way : CLUSTERED.

17. Brought on : LED TO.

18. Write-off : TOTAL LOSS.

19. Charming : SWEET AS HONEY.

21. D.C.'s Walter __ National Military Medical Center : REED. I learned of this hospital when Eisenhower had his heart attack.

22. Mennen lotion : AFTA.

23. Govt. mtge. insurer : FHA.

26. One hoping to provide many happy returns? : CPA.

28. Hammer number : RAP. MC Hammer that is.

30. Big name in hairstyling : SASSOON. Vidal.

32. Hyperbola part : ARC.

33. Sudden stream : SPURT.

35. Pull on : TUG AT.

36. Flee : BOLT.

38. Adjudicates : TRIES.

40. Maple syrup target : EGGO. The waffles. Food!

41. Nearly : ABOUT.

43. Take badly? : POACH.  Tricky clue and a cooking term.

45. Taoist complement : YIN. Love the compliment complement deception.

46. Uncommitted : NEUTRAL.

48. Farrow of film : MIA.

49. Ottoman title : BEY.

50. Tack on : ADD.

51. "A Death in the Family" author : AGEE.

53. Relative of Rex : FIDO.


55. Energetic and enthusiastic : HIGH SPIRITED.

59. Run up the score on : HUMILIATE.

62. Place for a Char-Broil : PATIO.

63. Removes restrictions on, as funds : UNFREEZES.

64. Hole __ : IN ONE.

65. Third-longest African river : NIGER.

66. Uncertain no. : EST.

67. Handles : NAMES.

Down:

1. "Do the Right Thing" pizzeria : SAL'S. The downs too start with food.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbA1YOueC_A

2. From the top : ANEW.

4. Certain student : TUTEE.

5. Hams : EMOTERS.

6. First-serve figs. : PCTS.

7. Island reception : ALOHA.

9. If nothing else : ATLEAST
10. Depend : RELY
11. Pal : BRO
12. Start of an engagement? : YES
13. '60s protest org. : SDS
16. Big bag carrier : SANTA
20. Modify to fit : ADAPT

24. Philly trademark : HOAGIE. Food again!

25. "They that have done this deed are honourable" speaker : ANTONY. Our Friday dose of Shakespeare. JULIUS CAESER  Act 3, Scene 2.

26. Changing place : CABANA.

27. Examined closely : PROBED.

31. Seek redress : SUE.

34. Brazilian-themed Vegas hotel, with "The" : RIO.

37. Tsk relative : TUT.

39. Nebula Award genre : SCIFI.

42. One may begin with "In a world ... " : TRAILER. Movie trailer.  LINK

44. U-shaped, more or less : HAIRPIN.

47. Longhorn rival : AGGIE.

52. Adlai's running mate : ESTES.

54. 1997 Elton dedicatee : DIANA.

55. "Spenser: For __" : HIRE.

56. Annoyance : PEST
57. Hessian article : EINE
58. Achieves : DOES
59. Fifth-century conqueror : HUN
60. Athlete's wear, for short : UNI
61. It increases during plant growth: Abbr. : MFG.

Steve Marron and C.C. Burnikel

Theme: Where did he hide that jumble?

Well I am back on Thursday to blog the 4th published LAT by our own Thursday Steve (3 collaborations with C.C.) Today we have the wonderful reveal of PLOT TWIST which tells us the letters in PLOT are rearranged. It did not tell us they also are hidden in the theme fill, but that came out early, even before the reveal. They use lots of 2 and 3 word fill and include RAT TRAPS,  SILK TIES and ADIOS AMIGOS as long sparkly ones. Adios amigos is ten letters which is longer than two of the theme answers which some solvers do not like, but to me that is just a 1A. It is always extra fun to blog one of our own. I will stop talking and go to solving.

17A. Drop the original strategy : GO TO PLAN-B (9). Not Plan 9.

21A. Nickname for Basketball Hall of Famer Maravich : PISTOL PETE (10). An LSU star who averaged 44 point per game!!!!!

36A. One always looking up : ETERNAL OPTIMIST (15). Watch out for birds and keep your mouth closed.

49A. Shield bearers : RIOT POLICE (10).

59A. Novel surprise ... and a hint to what's hidden in 17-, 21-, 36- and 49-Across : PLOT TWIST (9).

Across:

1. Quibble : NIT. A bit of an inside joke to begin.

4. Like the NCAA basketball three-point line : ARCED. The NBA uses a more complicated grid.

9. Phantom's place? : OPERA. Well for me, it was the comics page for many years.  But I am familiar with the MUSICAL. Is that the delightful Emmy Rossum now on SHAMELESS?

14. Toothpaste tube letters : ADA. American Dental Association.

15. Chevy SUV : TAHOE. They have others but this is the only one with 5 letters.

16. Honeydew, for one : MELON. Food.

19. Printing heavyweight : EPSON.

20. Aspersion : SLUR.

23. Euler's forte : MATH.

25. Commencement opening? : CEE. Not the speech or the event, just the word.

26. Online reminders : E-NOTES. I do not like the E words.

28. Dilapidated digs : RAT TRAPS. Where even the rodents want out.

33. Attribute to, as blame : PIN ON. One of many two word fills that require skill.

34. Fish order : SOLE. Do you like this RECIPE? Food.

35. "What __ care?" : DO I. DKDC.

40. Zeta follower : ETA. In the Greek Alphabet.

41. Soccer followers? : MOMS.

42. Causes of many Alaskan road accidents : MOOSE. More new INFO. They always looked so cute here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIx07lHJEBY

43. High-end neckwear : SILK TIES.

46. Declines to raise : PASSES. The term for me is 'checks'.

47. Bard's bedtime : EEN. I get a teeny drop of Shakespeare.

48. Machu Picchu denizen : INCA.

55. Leave out : OMIT.

58. Hot : IRATE.

61. Cardinal, e.g. : TITLE. Not baseball football or birds, but religion.

62. "Friend Like Me" singer in "Aladdin" : GENIE.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99Op1TaXmCw

63. Author Talese : GAY. A respected author and journalist who just celebrated his 84th  birthday, Sunday. Perhaps most famous for this BOOK.

64. Fire sign : ASHES.

65. Gladiator's milieu : ARENA.

66. Olive shaped like a stick : OYL. Tricky. Popeye's girl. For Splynter: LINK.

Down:

1. Complainers : NAGS.

2. "People" person : IDOL. The magazine.

3. She beat out Madeline Kahn, with whom she shared the screen, for Best Supporting Actress : TATUM O'NEAL. Who did not love Paper Moon.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEQc-wtHAlw

4. Org. that publishes weekly player rankings : ATP. Tennis anyone?

5. Lauren et al. : RALPHS. Also a food market in LA.

6. Tazo choice : CHAI. Foodish. Available in K-cups.

7. Long spans : EONS.

8. Collector's target : DEBT.

9. Filled, folded fare : OMELET. Food.

10. Sneeze cause : PEPPER. Foodish.

11. Ultimatum word : ELSE.

12. Jícama or ginger : ROOT. Ginger is big at my house. Foodish.

13. Actress Hathaway : ANNE. So many different looks. 
18. Stumper? : ORATOR. Tricky, someone who gets up on a stump and talks to you.

22. Rowing crew, perhaps : OCTET.

24. St. formed from the Southwest Territory : TENN. How times change.

26. Duel tools : EPEES.

27. "The Untouchables" gangster : NITTI. My favorite

28. Hotel reservations : ROOMS. So literal.

29. View from Lake Geneva : ALPS. I wonder if marti is there now schussing away?

30. Chihuahua "Ciao!" : ADIOS AMIGO. Well, the friend part is added, but this is a fun fill.

31. Oater group : POSSE.

32. Locations : SITES.

34. Sour fruit : SLOE. Foodish.

37. Acid type : AMINO.

38. Bowie's bride : IMAN. Timely but sad reminder of his recent passing.

39. __ Mule: vodka cocktail in a copper mug : MOSCOW. It is amazing how many things I do not know.

44. Hot whistler : KETTLE.

45. Plains homes : TEPEES. I wanted teepee (1.6MM google hits).

46. Tart container : PIE TIN.

49. Cosby of "Inside Edition" : RITA. She is most IMPRESSIVE but I have no awareness of her.

50. Place for a pupil : IRIS. I had my eye on you.

51. Pledge : OATH.

52. Rolex Player of the Year-awarding org. : LPGA. Ladies Professional Gold Association. They just played last week in Ocala where yet another South Korean won. She had a hole in one on a par 4 the week before.

53. "The Sopranos" actor Robert : ILER. After playing Tony Jr., he has disappeared though apparently he is part of a new project out of Las Vegas call The Four Kings.

54. Gelato holder : CONE. I always use a dish.

56. Words to Holmes : I SAY.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1yUB2Mc8fg

57. Texter's toodle-oo : TTYL. Talk To You Later.

60. Dim sum beverage : TEA. Green tea most likely. It is so perfect that a Steve puzzle end with food.

Alex S. Vratsanos

Theme: Going around the block in my town.

Alex Vratsanos, has worked his way back to Friday after two Sunday and then two Saturday LATs. He also has been published on all 7 days by the NYT. C.C. posted his INTERVIEW last year. Today he gives us a visual puzzle that requires not filling in the word TOWN in each of the theme answers. The reveal tells us to look for the theme fill on the outside (outskirts) of the puzzle. The visual requires you 'see' the word TOWN  metaphorically outside of the grid. This style is an extension of the rebus where multiple letters appear in a grid. This is actually the exact opposite of last week's puzzle where a four letter word was inserted into the fill. I thought the theme came very easily as Chinatown in San Francisco is very well known and had to be the solution to 1 across. Of course anytime a theme starts there it will be a challenge. I wonder if the grid-spanning reveal was the inspiration for the puzzle?

There are a few sparkly fill longer than the theme fill which will upset some, such as BASS SAX, I'LL TELL,  SLITHER, , BARTLETT and  SALES REP and a variety of six letter ones.  Let's look it over.

1A. San Francisco section : CHINA TOWN. (5). A fun place to visit.

6A. Hailing place? : HOME TOWN (4).  This is mine.

10A. One growing up fast? : BOOM TOWN.(4). Often fueled by mine strikes. From the 1800s, looks like where I grew up.

65A. Hightail it : SKIP TOWN. (4). A bit of an outlier as it is generic.

66A. Site of Cornwallis' surrender : YORKTOWN. (4). In Pennsylvania.

67A. City on New York's Black River : WATERTOWN. (5). Pretty in the fall, but obscure.

1D. Cattle-raising district : COW TOWN. (3). Maybe this is where he meant. LINK. (2:51).

13D. Textile production settlement : MILL TOWN. (4). See 6A.

24D. Tourism hub : RESORT TOWN. (6). Where I live now.

34D. Place to see stars : TINSEL TOWN.(6). Where they make the movies. READ.

51D. Historic Omaha suburb : BOYS TOWN.(4). I will let HG and other address this place.

61D. Drama set in Grover's Corners : OUR TOWN. (3). Thornton Wilder PLAY.

The reveal:
38A. Border area, which contains a hint to solving this puzzle's 12 border answers : OUTSKIRTS OF TOWN (15).

Across:

14. Laura Petrie catchphrase : OH ROB. Mary Tyler Moore to Dick Van Dyke.

15. Will's role in "Celebrity Jeopardy!" sketches on "SNL" : ALEX. (Trebeck) A bit of self shout out here. Now how do you work VRATSANOS into the grid?

16. Cultural opening? : AGRIcultrural.

17. Slip 'N Slide maker : WHAMO. Wham-O Inc. is a toy company in Woodland Hills, California, USA. They are known for marketing many popular toys in the past 50 years, including the Hula Hoop, the Frisbee, the Slip 'N Slide, the Super Ball, the Trac-Ball, Silly String, the Hacky Sack and the Boogie Board. Per wiki. The company was born in 1948, a really vintage year.

18. Singer Halliwell : GERI.  We all remember Ginger Spice.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbG8d7CM0IQ

19. __ time : REAL.

20. National alternative : AVIS. Rental cars.

22. Playground threat : I'LL TELL. We did not tolerate squealers.

24. Word with guilt or debt : RIDDEN.

27. Symbol of strength : STEEL.

28. Those, in Tijuana : ESOS. Spanish.

29. Tennessee team, briefly : VOLS. Timely as former Tennessee Volunteer Peyton Manning preps for the Super Bowl.

31. Unveiling : DEBUT. It will be Cam Newton' s debut, number four for number 18.

35. It's double-hyphenated: Abbr. : SSN. xxx-xx-xxxx

36. South Asian garment : SARI.

37. Helical pasta : ROTINI. Sounds almost religious.

41. Get back : REGAIN.

42. Foot on a farm : HOOF. Hand: PAW   Foot: HOOF

43. Fleur-de-__ : LIS.

44. Search casually, as for a bar pickup : TROLL. Anyone else think of this classic? MOVIE. (2:37)

45. Marathon prep run : TEN-K.

46. Found (on) : BASE. I think it should say upon.

47. Toon with an odd laugh : ELMER.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYlJSt2CN4M

49. Author Allende : ISABEL.

51. Big wind : BASS SAX. Three Esses....cool. You know what they say, even bass sax is good sax.

54. "Doggone it!" : HECK. Never hear this anymore.

55. General Bradley : OMAR.

56. Rao's competitor : RAGU. This is like suggesting a competitor for a Maserati is a Chevy.

58. Richard __, Pulitzer-winning author of "Empire Falls" : RUSSO.

62. Ranch neckwear : YOKE. Hopefully only for the livestock...

63. Old players, briefly : VCRS.

64. Root of the Progressive Era : ELIHU. An interesting MAN.

Down:

2. He lost to RMN : HHH. Hubert Horatio Humphrey. Also interesting.

3. Nest egg letters : IRA.

4. Migrants : NOMADS.

5. Like stars : ABOVE.

6. Witches : HAGS. Witches get such a bad rap.

7. Miss modifier? : OLE. As a school nickname....not easy to see.

8. Good qualities : MERITS.

9. Kick out : EXILE.

10. The 18th edition of his original work was published in 2012 : BARTLETT. The man and the quotations.

11. Type of arch : OGEE.

12. __-B : ORAL. What is your toothbrush, electric?

21. Without success : IN VAIN.

23. Opened : LED OFF.

25. Bank, cardwise : ISSUER. OOF.

26. Plea to remain : DON'T GO.

27. Move like ophidians : SLITHER. Fancy name (ok scientific name) for snakes. It had to be snakes!

30. "Catch-22" pilot : ORR. Our hockey star gets a rest for this supporting character in a wonderful book.

32. H.S. experiment site : BIO-LAB.

33. Reckless, say : UNWISE.

36. Tricks of the trade : SKILLS.

37. Annual award recipient : ROOKIE. Baseball rookie of the year probably.

39. Pitcher? : SALES REP.

40. Simba, to Sarabi : SON.

45. Company founded in Beaumont : TEXACO. Beaumont, TEXAS.

46. Scott of "NCIS: New Orleans" : BAKULA.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cseqNrO30dQ
48. "Neato!" : MARVY.

50. Common fastener : SCREW.

52. Crazily : AMOK.

53. Munro pen name : SAKI. If you do crosswords you should know this.

54. Corn cover : HUSK.

57. Canine warning : GRR.

59. Canine command : SIT. Nice pairing.

60. Seagoing pronoun : SHE. Yes ships are female.