samuel a. donaldson

Title: Bill G, you really need AC here as well

Today we have our second 2017 Friday from Sam 'not the TV guy' Donaldson. This time we are challenged with an add two letters to a two word phrase to create new and witty phrases, There is great symmetry with two adding the AC to the beginning of the first word and two added to the beginning of the second word.  All the recipient words begin with the letter "C." The new phrases are amusing; my favorite being UMBILICAL ACCORD. The themers are two grid-spanners and two 14 letter fill with no reveal.  The rest include HEALS UP, IDIOTIC, OMIGOSH, TABOULI, OREGONIANS and  ZEROES IN ON.  The theme:

20A. Rudely confront espionage supervisors? : ACCOST CONTROLS (14). Any mention of CONTROL and spy supervisors brings me to THIS.

34A. Agreement on the ratio of innies to outies? : UMBILICAL ACCORD (15). I was there to cut the cord for both of my sons.

40A. Ones meekly entering debits and credits? : ACCOUNTING SHEEP (15). This is funny, if a bit insulting.

51A. High praise at a carousel? : BAGGAGE ACCLAIM (14). There are days when people cheer when the luggage finally starts the merry go round ride.


Across: 

1. Song one can't perform? : DUET. Starting was the hardest part of the puzzle, as this clue is very tricky and it took me all to long to remember DANA White.

5. Walk through puddles : SLOSH. Also had to work for this.

10. Mosul's home : IRAQ. Finally a word I could put in.

14. On the water : ASEA. An A word.

15. Princess Toadstool's rescuer : MARIO. I was introduced to NES system with Mario, Luigi and the rest.

16. Run into, maybe : DENT. Again simple once you fill it in.

17. Online gaming tyro : NOOB. We have greeted our new posters as newbie, but this is the LINK.

18. Salem residents : OREGONIANS.  There are 31 states with a city with that NAME.

22. OPEC member : UAE. United Arab Emirates.

23. Guzzler : SOT.

24. Holy verse : PSALM.

27. Letters by the shore : SPF. Sun Protection Factor.

30. __ wave : TIDAL.

37. Quote from a goat : MAA.

38. Absent : NOT IN.

39. "O Sole __" : MIO.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_mLFHLSULw

45. Embezzles : SKIMS.

46. Trike rider : TOT.

47. Big name in electric cars : TESLA.

48. Somerhalder of "The Vampire Diaries" : IAN. I had no idea but the letters filled. WIKI.

50. Org. that helps you find a way : AAA. American Automobile Association.

59. Pinpoints : ZEROES IN ON. Nice phrase.

60. Apple talker : SIRI.

61. Seeks : ASKS.

62. With no other : ALONE.

63. Noodle variety : UDON. All you need to know about ASIAN noodles.

64. Upscale : POSH. A word from Britain that has never caught on in the US.

65. Cut with a beam : LASED. Is this used?

66. Await a decision : PEND.

Down:

1. Ultimate Fighting Championship president White : DANA. I have heard and seen him but I struggled to pull this from my memory banks.

2. Biennial games org. : USOC. United States Olympic Committee.

3. Fair-hiring agcy. : EEOC. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

4. Mediterranean salad : TABOULI.               RECIPE.

5. Hit hard : SMOTE. Biblical.

6. Prix de __ de Triomphe: annual horse race : L'ARC. I am not familiar with the race but l'arc d'triomphe started by Napoleon is well known, LINK.

7. Oft-twisted cookie : OREO.

8. Leo, for one : SIGN. We needed this last week as we switched over to Virgo yesterday.

9. Hilarious sorts : HOOTS.

10. More than silly : IDIOTIC.

11. Down-to-earth : REAL.

12. Coulter and Curry : ANNS. TV Queens.

13. Liq. measures : QTS.

19. Campus org. for future ensigns : NROTC.  Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps.

21. Cousin of Dan'l? : SAM'L. Self-referential?

24. Adidas alternatives : PUMAS. What do you call these shoes now?

25. More than a peck : SMACK. Bushel did not fit.

26. Old counters : ABACI.

27. Great guy? : SCOTT. The history of GREAT SCOTT.

28. Chaise place : PATIO.

29. Fire starter : FLINT.

31. Common state capital features : DOMES.

32. Moon of Uranus : ARIEL. They have lots of MOONS.

33. Parkinson's drug : L-DOPA.

35. Rustic stop : INN.

36. "Life of Pi" director Lee : ANG.

41. "Wow!" : OMIGOSH. Another phrase that has its origin in euphemism.

42. Grammarian's concern : USAGE.

43. Legato's opposite, in mus. : STACcato.

44. Closes, as a wound : HEALS UP.

49. Like some cold symptoms : NASAL.

50. Pimply : ACNED.

51. Indicación de afecto : BESO. A kiss.

52. Sacred chests : ARKS.

53. Arizona river : GILA.

54. "The Dukes of Hazzard" deputy : ENOS.

55. Top-shelf : A-ONE.

56. Support staff member : AIDE.

57. Monopoly token replaced by a cat in 2013 : IRON. The CHANGES continue.

58. Object to : MIND.

59. Nuke : ZAP.

Jeffrey Wechsler

Title: X marks the spot.

JW is back with another of his intricate visual puzzles, this time presenting 5 different iterations of the word FILES set out in an X pattern indicated by circles. The only strictly theme fill is the reveal:
39A. '90s-'00s sci-fi hit ... or what this puzzle's circles graphically depict : THE X-FILES (9). The challenge to the constructor was two fold- (1) create a grid that supports each different jumbles of the letters in the word; (2) place the five Xs in the grid so that together they create super X. This is the result of connecting the Xs from NW to SE and SW to NE. Another technical marvel of construction.



ACCOSTS,  ACETONE,  AT A RACE,  BAD SPOT, DOLEFUL, EATS OUT, PROPMAN, PUFFERS,  UPLIFTS, GRAIN SILO, LEXINGTON






Across:

1. Sound check item : AMP. Amplifiers have been known as amps for some time!

4. Went down : SANK. Interestingly, if you add a "K..."

8. Euripides tragedy : MEDEA. Wife of Jason.

13. __ cross : TAU.  LINK.

14. Skewer relative : PRONG.

16. Hipbone-related : ILIAC.

17. Woofer's output? : ARF. Not the tweeter.

18. Even less given to emotion : ICIER.

19. Quantum of solace? : SOFTC.

20. Leave in disarray, probably : RIFLE.

22. Copier room quantity : REAM.

24. "Taking that as a given ... " : IF SO.

25. Comfortable (with) : AT EASE.

27. Indisposed : ILL.

29. Dawn goddess : EOS.

30. Bread component : CARB.

31. Toy used on flights : SLINKY.

34. Rural road track : RUT.

35. Disney character who sings, "The cold never bothered me anyway" : ELSA.

36. Go Fish request : TENS. Random, could be ace, two, six or ten.

37. Turns red, maybe : RUSTS. Reddish, actually I believe we call it rust color.

42. 2006 demotion : PLUTO. Yes Mickey was mad at him. Oh, the planet!

45. Heracles' beloved : IOLE. The STORY is more complicated. I do like seeing the Greek name for Hercules in keeping with Friday. .

46. Very little : A DAB. A little one will do you.

50. Agent : REP. Another word that is now acceptable as a word not just an abbreviation.

51. 1962 "Happy Birthday, Mr. President" singer : MONROE. There is a longer version on You Tube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iH3oOVKt0WI

53. Fla. resort : BOCA. This is a bit misleading as Boca is now a city of almost 100,000 permanent residents. LINK.

54. Natural resource : OIL.

55. Physics unit : ERG.

56. Shut off completely, as lights : KILLED.

58. Trident-shaped letters : PSIS. More Greek.

60. Order to Spot : STAY.

63. Sugar source : BEETS.

64. Civilian garb : MUFTI.

66. Pair in the score for Beethoven's Fifth : OBOES.

68. Dandy : FOP.

69. Partner of ciencias : ARTES. Arts and Sciences...pretty inferrable.

70. Forward attitude : NERVE.

71. Pizzeria chain : UNO. They opend three franchises of this Chicago Pizzeria here in late 70s, they are all gone.

72. Stick dwellings : NESTS.

73. Holden Caulfield, for one : TEEN.

74. Court call : LET.

Down:

1. Visiting Pimlico : AT A RACE.

2. __ counseling : MARITAL.

3. Blowfish : PUFFERS.

4. Furtive sorts : SPIES.

5. Golf chip path : ARC.

6. "The Big Sleep" genre : NOIR.

7. Walk-in joint? : KNEE.

8. Inaccurate introduction? : MIS.

9. Wells race : ELOI.

10. Suggests an alternative : DIFFERS.

11. Enjoys a buffet, usually : EATS OUT.

12. Engages with boldness : ACCOSTS.

15. Farm structure : GRAIN SILO.

21. Company that survived Canada's Prohibition : LABATT.

23. Jan. honoree : MLK.

26. Tequila sunrise direction : ESTE.

28. Old plucked strings : LYRE.

32. Minuteman Statue city : LEXINGTON.

33. About to receive : IN FOR.

38. Not to be wasted : USABLE.

40. Diamond plate : HOME.

41. Garlic relative : LEEK.

42. Stage employee : PROPMAN.

43. Down time : LEISURE.

44. Makes joyous : UPLIFTS.

47. Joyless : DOLEFUL.

48. Paint thinner solvent : ACETONE.

49. Dicey situation : BAD SPOT.

52. Hosp. areas : ORS.

57. "An Enemy of the People" playwright : IBSEN.

59. Editor's afterthought : STET.

61. Act as lookout, say : ABET.

62. Time long past : YORE.

65. Orbiting research facility: Abbr. : ISS.

67. "Fairest of creation," in a Milton classic : EVE.

Roger & Kathy Wienberg

Title: "It's just a jump to your left, then a step to the right..."LINK

This is the third LAT from this couple, with the others running on Tuesday. They clearly worked hard to create this very challenging effort. I know I am still getting my solving skills back, but this was very difficult to suss the theme.  I was very close to use my 'phone a friend' lifeline, but I was able to get most things filled in.  Because there were no clues for 4 words, I knew I had to work backwards from those fill. I saw the connection "m-odule." Then after pondering the reveal: 65A. Like some baseball pitches ... and a hint to locating the second part of four three-part puzzle answers : SIDEARM, the four un-clued fill and the inexplicable clue/fill: 8D. The Eagle, for one : LUN and the light bulb came on.  Voila- The Eagle was the name of the LUNAR MODULE. It was seeing that you got "three parts" going to the side to get the "ARM." The next to fall was also left, then right, 15D. McDonald's offering for tight budgets : DOLL leading to DOLLAR MENU. Then the lightbulb came all the way on, just as they told us it was ARM that was on the side in all 4 themers! Wonderful! 35D. Post office standard : REGUL quickly led to REGULAR MAIL. Finally we have
 37D. Syrup source : SUG to reveal SUGAR MAPLE. This exposed the brilliance as all are separated between two words one ending in AR on starting with M.

There also some nice 7 letter fill ANDIRON,  ANTONIO, EARLOBE, GESTALT. LUCKY ME, RAW DATA and the unknown to me TANGRAM.  I sense this will be a love it/hate it puzzle, but you will let me know.

8D. The Eagle, for one : LUN...(ARM)...26D. - : ODULE.

15D. McDonald's offering for tight budgets : DOLL...(ARM)...34D. - : ENU.

35D. Post office standard : REGUL...(ARM)...59D. - : AIL.

37D. Syrup source : SUG...(ARM)...51D. - : APLE.


Across:

1. Welcome site : MAT.

4. One may be nervous : TIC.

7. Best of the best : ALL STAR. Miami Dolphin great Jason Taylor was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame this past week-end. He and brother-in-law Zach Taylor have been all stars both on and off the field.

14. It hasn't been analyzed yet : RAW DATA. We make our information like our vegetables.

16. Lottery winner's comment : LUCKY ME. Would you tell people immediately when you win?

17. Shutterbug : SHOOTER. In our troubled time, nice to see this clue/fill.

18. Fireplace fixture : ANDIRON.

19. Like a vertebral region : LUMBAR. My microdiscechtomy was at L2-L3.

21. Meddle, with "around" : NOSE.

22. Biblical songs : PSALMS.

25. Splotchy garment : SMOCK. How many remember Steve Allen and "Smock, Smock"

28. Calendar abbr. : APRil.

29. Blow : MISDO. A repeat from Tuesday, not a word I use, but it has been around since the 1200's. LINK.

30. Suffix with star or tsar : DOM. Never thought of TSARDOM, but like the anagram clue.

33. Flimsy : LAME. Like most excuses.

35. U.K. fliers : RAF.

36. Bearish? : URSINE.

38. Twists : IRONIES.

40. Couple in the news each December : CLAUSES. Santa (CSO Argyle) and the MRS.

41. Like tennis rackets : STRUNG.

42. Color property : HUE.

43. They go with guys : GALS. Is this now an un-pc term?

44. Stable diet : HAY. Cute.

45. Item from a mill? : RUMOR. Nice misdirection.

47. Singer/songwriter Carly __ Jepsen : RAE. She was popular in x-words for a while.

48. Secure, as a ship's line : BELAY. I was long confused by the two meanings. verb
1.fix (a running rope) around a cleat, pin, rock, or other object, to secure it.
2.nautical slang stop; enough! “Belay that, mister. Man your post.”

49. Rascals : SCAMPS.

52. Hook's right hand : SMEE. Also fun. Which hand was bitten off?

55. Intensify : RAMP UP.

57. Seven-piece Chinese puzzle : TANGRAM. Did not know the name, but they are used as part of many IQ tests.

60. Stud location : EARLOBE.

64. Shakespearean merchant : ANTONIO. Our Friday dose of Will. The MERCHANT of Venice.

66. Unified whole : GESTALT. A gimme for anyone with a degree in Psychology.

67. To some degree : ANY.

68. Upsilon preceder : TAU. Greek - one of many alphabets to memorize.

Down:

1. Dash or Doubtfire : MRS. Salt free or a very salty Robin Williams.

2. Sound of relief : AAH.

3. Number missing, in a way, from "4 = 16" : TWO. This is interesting as 4 to the 2nd power = 16 and 2 to the 4th power = 16.

4. Ryan's daughter : TATUM. She won an Oscar married John McEnroe and disappeared from fame.

5. Chairperson's list : ITEMS.

6. Energy food component : CARBohydrate. Carb loading was big when I was playing sports.

7. Snooze buttons stop them : ALARMS. Stopped using an alarm once I became ill.

9. PC screen type : LCD. Liquid Crystal Display.

10. Lizard that can shed its tail : SKINK. We have lots of them in Florida. I have many friends (ladies) who are terrified by these small creatures.

11. Pro's opposite : TYRO. Beginner.

12. Book after Joel : AMOS. No religion but if you want INFORMATION.

13. Actor Auberjonois : RENE. He has appeared as Father Mulcahy in the M*A*S*H movie, Odo in Star Trek, Deep Space Nine and the wonderful Boston Legal.  Do you know his face?

FILMOGRAPHY

20. "Dream on!" : AS IF.

22. Lacking color : PALISH. Not a word I would ever use.

23. Athens rival : SPARTA.

24D. Weapons source : ARMORY.



27. "Downton Abbey" countess : CORA. The all-American Elizabeth McGovern

29. Uno __: Juan's "one more" : MAS. I learned from Roberto Duran.

30. Captivate : DISARM.

31. A quarter mile, maybe : ONE LAP. We had a 440 track built by the Catholic girls high school next to our house.

32. Cans of worms : MESSES.

39. Memo opener : IN RE.

40. Lowlife : CUR.

42. Georgetown cager : HOYA.

46. Critter in the same family as chipmunks and squirrels : MARMOT. Cute?

48. Conceived : BEGOT. More biblical wording.

49. New World colonizer : SPAIN.

50. Like Miss Muffet's fare : CURDY. Meh.

52. Guys-only : STAG. I love the Farmers AD.

53. Locks in a barn : MANE. One of the NAME anagrams from Monday.

54. Tolkien race : ENTS.

56. Tableland : MESA.

58. Genetic messenger : RNA.

61. Muffin choice : OAT. Usually Oat bran.

62. Top at the shore : BRA. A LINK to make up for last week's thong?

63. Outback runner : EMU. A CSO to our OZ connection - Kazie.

A true work out, but when I understood the concept I was hooked. YMMV. In any case thank you Roger and Kathy and all who comment and all who read. lemonade 714 out. Also a special thanks to HG for massaging the grid picture to highlight the side arms.

Jeffrey Wechsler

Title: This jock is jake!

Jeffrey is back with a 'replace the letters puzzle,' that takes some unraveling. AKES is replaced with OCKS to create new phrases that are clued whimsically. Each change occurs in the last word of a phrase with two five letter words and two six letters. A common grid design with 15 letter fill in row 3 and 13. No reveal was needed, so none was included. There are many interesting 7 letter fill like ABOLISH, CARACAS, DORMERS, ERECTED, EVEREST, FESTOON, KNUCKLE, MINERAL, NOVELLA, SAFE BET, STETSON, TEDRALL, UNCROSS and VERBOSE. This makes the solver work a bit harder, but it a Friday. Well on to the themers.

17A. Why St. Peter owns darning needles? : FOR HEAVEN'S SOCKS (15). I doubt St. Peter would be doing the mending of socks, if there were socks to be worn in heaven.

31A. Museum of Home Security exhibits? : THE GREAT LOCKS (13). I like the Rabson which according to Bernie Rhodenbarr are the best. I wonder if the Museum is near one of the Great Lakes?

37A. What a shepherd sees after a snowstorm? : FROSTED FLOCKS (13). I love the alliteration and the cereal as well.

57A. Consumer reactions to big price hikes for brownies? : CHOCOLATE SHOCKS (15). Like sticker shock. I like chocolate shakes even better.

Across:

1. Enjoy deeply : SAVOR.

6. Verne voyager : NEMO. Captain Nemo to you.

10. Campus hangout : QUAD. the Quadrangle where the worlds all meet.

14. "Things are never quite as scary when you've got __ friend": Bill Watterson : A BEST. If you do not know this MAN, he created the great philosopher Calvin whose best friend was Hobbes,

15. Old Roman poet : OVID. He was my favorite Roman POET.

16. "Once more __ the breach": Shak. : UNTO. JW gets his Shakespeare reference in today, from Henry V, Act III, Scene I.

20. Actor Idris __ : ELBA. Idris has displaced the Napoleon palindrome and may replace Daniel Craig as James Bond.

21. "Take this" : HERE.

22. Naturally lit indoor spaces : ATRIA.

23. CV inclusion : BIO. Curriculum Vitae.

24. Not as good-looking? : PALER. Maybe not looking good...

25. Minimalist beachwear : THONG. Good for the right WOMAN.


26. "Ah, Wilderness!" mother : ESSIE.  Eugene O'Neill play.

28. Future D.A.'s hurdle : LSAT.  Law School Admission Test.

30. Fresno-to-L.A. dir. : SSE.

35. Peanut product : OIL. nearby 44A. Appreciative cry : OLE.

36. Fraser or Douglas : FIR. Christmas trees. Or heavyweight boxing champions.

46. Sol preceder : AERO. Spray can.

47. "Not possible" : I CAN'T.

48. Frigga portrayer in "Thor" : RUSSO. She was in the movie with Idris Elba. CAST.

51. Prefix in makeup product names : DERMA.

53. Feel sorry about : RUE.

54. Perfumer's ingredient : ATTAR. Essence of rose.

55. Red-coated security force: Abbr. : RCMP. Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

56. Diplomacy result : PACT.

60. Pointer's cry : LOOK. Mira!

61. O or Jay : ALER.  Baseball.

62. Author Calvino : ITALO. He appears regularly in puzzles (this is his 7th 2017 appearance). My favorite quotation of his: "Although I am small, ugly and dirty, I am highly ambitious, and at the slightest flattery, I immediately start to strut like a turkey."

63. Coastal raptors : ERNS.

64. Cutlass, e.g. : OLDS.

65. City on the Ruhr : ESSEN.

Down:

1. It's in the bag : SAFE BET. Very few really are.

2. Void : ABOLISH. Are these synonymous?

3. Like a motormouth : VERBOSE.

4. Org. concerned with ladder safety : OSHA. Occupational Safety and Health Administration

5. GPS datum : RTE. Datum signifying a single route.

6. "An ill-defined and disreputable literary banana republic": Stephen King : NOVELLA. One of my favorite novellas is Stephen King's "Rita Haworth and the Shawshank Redemption." LINK.

7. High point of Hillary's career : EVEREST. A fun misdirection based on the "LL" used by both Clinton and Sir Edmund.

8. __ spring : MINERAL.

9. "__ bodkins!": old oath : ODS. JW sneaks in another Shakespeare reference.

10. "The Raven" verb : QUOTH. "Nevermore."

11. Straighten, as one's legs : UNCROSS.

12. Diet doctor : ATKINS. There are many diet doctors in that game now.

13. Pharmacist's concern : DOSAGE. And the patients.

18. "Now it's clear!" : AHA.

19. Didn't rise : SAT.

24. Dental procedure, for short : PERIO.

27. Composer Stravinsky : IGOR. The MAN. The MUSIC.

29. Devonshire dandy : TOFF. I learned of this reading British mysteries.  John Creasey created this as a character. LINK. The Saint, Simon Templar was also a toff, as was James Bond.

32. "Born Free" lioness : ELSA.

33. Paramecium movers : CILIA.

34. McDonald's founder : KROC.

37. Bit of suspended decoration : FESTOON.

38. Controversial political cartoonist : TED RALL. Not as subtle as Calvin and Hobbes.

39. Put up : ERECTED. Next to....

40. Projecting architectural features : DORMERS. WE had SHED Dormers on the house where I grew up. There are many types.

                                                                         LINK.

41. Capital NE of Bogotá : CARACAS. I have been couple of times on cruises and it was always depressing as the ride in was through horrible slums and the city was filled pickpockets, drug sellers etc.

42. Get to work, with "down" : KNUCKLE. In 1740, Thomas Dyche and William Pardon published a dictionary which defined knuckle down "A particular phrase used by lads at a play called taw, wherein they frequently say, Knuckle down to your taw, or fit your hand exactly in the place where your marble lies."

43. Big hat : STETSON. It is a brand name and they produce more than cowboy hats. LINK.

44. Ancient prophet : ORACLE.

45. Comics villain since 1940 : LUTHOR. Introduced in issue 23 of action comics, he originally had a full head of red hair.

49. Gives the heave-ho : SACKS. I wish this were not in this puzzle.

50. Conquistador's treasure : ORO. Gold.

52. Speed meas. : MPS. Miles per second.

56. "Chopped" array : POTS. Never seen nor heard of this show though it is in season 22.

58. Southeast Asian tongue : LAO. My wife taught me that they do not say Laotian, simply LAO for the language.

59. Move it, quaintly : HIE. I nice variation for a handy three letter fill.

Another Friday and a treat from Jeffrey. This was not his most difficult puzzle but it took concentration and as always a sense of humor. Lemonade out from rainy Florida.