David Alfred Bywaters

Title: Pre-fab puzzle. Did you all grow up hearing about pre-fab houses? LINK.

DAB seems to have slid into JW's every other Friday place here at the Corner. He also uses add letter(s) with today being the 'PRE' trigram. None of the themers jump out (for me) but they are consistent and Friday hard. All of David's LAT publications are Fridays, and eh obviously is on Rich's wavelength; how about you all? He has some nice sparkle with ALCOVES, ANIMATE, CLERICS, SAVANTS, DINETTES,  POINTS TO,  SPECTERS and TEN CENTS.

The theme -

17A. Bishop in bed?: SLEEPING PRELATE (15). Prelate which is defined as a bishop or other high ecclesiastical dignitary might be tricky for some.

24A. "I happen to have a deck of cards right here"?: POKER PREFACE (12). The poker is random, but the alliteration is fun.

40A. Fake lawyer?: BAR PRETENDER (12). A little technical, and a little different as it splits a single word apart.
And the reveal-
52A. Software service provided by hardware sellers ... and a hint to three long puzzle answers: PREINSTALLATION.

The rest-

Across:

1. Short shots?: PICS. A nice way to clue an abbreviation that has become a word.

5. Toque wearer: CHEF.

9. Tenth of a grand: C-SPOT. Grand is also represented by a G-Note. 1/10 of $1,000.00

14. "Quickly!": ASAP. These days said A sap.

15. Quasimodo's creator: HUGO. Victor to his friends.

16. Conifer with durable wood: LARCH. This is a coniferous tree with bunches of deciduous bright green needles, found in cool regions of the northern hemisphere. It is grown for its tough timber and its resin (which yields turpentine).

20. Mid-'70s cost to mail a typical letter: TEN CENTS. Very random, and I would have preferred something else. That is just my ten cents worth. (inflation!)

21. Wears down: ERODES.

22. Veracious: TRUE. Not Voracious. This one is a cousin of veracity.

23. Enliven: ANIMATE.

28. "__ Rose Has Its Thorn": Poison hit: EVERY. The STORY of this Glamrock hit.

29. Bashes: RAMS.

30. "So there!": HAH.

33. Focusing aid: LENS.

34. "Under the Redwoods" author: HARTE. Bret Harte died in 1902 but was quite well received. READ the book for free.

36. Valley: DALE.

37. "Good Behavior" broadcaster: TNT. This SERIES was a serious departure for Michelle Dockery. She was not a nice girl.

38. High spot on a farm: SILO.

39. Radio station, e.g.: AIRER.

43. Nooks: ALCOVES.

46. Get behind, with "for": VOTE.

47. Immature insects: LARVAE. Shout out for John Lampkin.


48. Indicates: POINTS TO.

54. Lacks: HASN'T.

55. Bad thing to take in a ring: DIVE. Before ROCKY there was BATTLING JACK MURDOCH.

56. Rim: EDGE.

57. Beasts of burden: ASSES.

58. Gravity-propelled toy: SLED. More sledding this week, but maybe the snow is finally over.

59. Seven __: SEAS.


Down:

1. Historian's field: PAST.

2. Archipelago piece: ISLE. In case you did not know it is a sea or stretch of water containing many islands.

3. Normandy city: CAEN. Caen is known for its historical buildings built during the reign of William the Conqueror, who was buried there, and for the Battle for Caen—heavy fighting that took place in and around Caen during the Battle of Normandy in 1944, destroying much of the city. The city has now preserved the memory by erecting a memorial and a museum dedicated to peace, the Memorial de Caen. Wiki.

4. Ghosts: SPECTERS.

5. Calisthenic exercise: CHIN UP. Different from a PULLUP. Pull-ups, done with both hands in an overhand (or prone) grip slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, prove to be the most difficult of the pair. The wide grip isolates your lats, taking away much of the emphasis from the biceps. The underhand alternative—chinups—receives high praise as both a bicep- and back-builder.

6. Fox pursuer: HUNTER. This juxtaposition makes this next one harder.

7. What some poachers poach: EGGS. Tricky, not someone hunting or fishing where he is not permitted, just cooking.

8. Metrosexual: FOP. I guess as a fop is a man who is concerned with his clothes and appearance in an affected and excessive way; a dandy.

9. Priests, e.g.: CLERICS.

10. Biblical dancer: SALOME.

11. Milan-based fashion house: PRADA.

12. Work for a chamber group: OCTET.

13. What we have here: THESE.

18. Matthew who led a 19th-century expedition to Japan: PERRY. Matthew C. Perry, not to be confused with Matthew L. Perry, became quite famous in his own RIGHT. However,  look at some of his famous relatives, may compel to sign up for Ancestry.com. LINK.

19. Alter, in a way, as a file: RENAME. I do this everytime I download a scan.

23. "__ lot of good that'll do you": A FAT. I bet you want to know its ORIGIN.

24. Bombard: PELT.

25. Roasting site: OVEN.

26. Canterbury's county: KENT. Kent is a county in southeastern England. In the city of Canterbury, Canterbury Cathedral has a 1,400-year history, and features a Romanesque crypt and medieval stained glass.

27. Mistake: ERROR.

30. Word with cash or candy: HARD. Hard money is very important in all real estate transactions.

31. Away from the wind: ALEE.

32. German title: HERR.

34. Staff expanders: HIREES.

35. Multinational range: ALPS.

36. Sets for some 43-Across: DINETTES.

38. Learned experts: SAVANTS.

39. Company name inspired by a volcano: AETNA.

40. Like oxen: BOVINE.

41. Gradually develop: EVOLVE.

42. Labored: TOILED.

43. Highest-ranking: ALPHA.

44. "__ Theme": "Doctor Zhivago" melody: LARAS. They were a beautiful couple.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXtFRl1nSs4

45. Salad green: CRESS. Not watercress, but a plant of the cabbage family, typically having small white flowers and pungent leaves. Some kinds are edible and are eaten raw in a salad.  Garden cress is genetically related to watercress and mustard, sharing their peppery, tangy flavor and aroma.

48. Gardening aid: PAIL.

49. Aspect: SIDE.

50. Roman robe: TOGA.

51. Small tip components: ONES.

53. NFL stat: TDS.

Mike McHugh

Title: Quick turn around!

Another 2018 debut puzzle, the first solo on a Friday this year, though Priscilla Clark did a collaboration here with Jeff Chen. We have had a spate of going in the wrong direction, and this time it was a simple turn the first word around, with a simple reveal if you needed it. For a newbie, the non-theme fill had some real sparkle. We are given ANEMONE, CAKE MIX, ISOTOPE, ITALIANO, OH DEAR ME, SLED RIDE and VINEYARD- fun!

17A. *Pay back: PRATTLE ON(9). PAY <----><----> <---->YAP. The clue backward is YAP, hence the fill. 

28A. *Step back: DOMESTIC ANIMALS (15). STEP  <----> <----> <----> PETS.

48A. *Snap back: GIVESABADREVIEW(15). SNAP <----><----> <---->PANS.
The reveal-
64A. One way to drive ... and what the last word of each starred clue really means: IN REVERSE (9).


Across:

1. Place for a guard: SHIN. I thought this was a clever way to begin.

5. American sports org.: USOC. United States Olympic Committee.

9. Walk or wind preceder: CROSS. Walk, wind and word!

14. Suffix for the wealthy: AIRE. As in Billion-

15. Actor who's played a doctor and senator on TV: ALDA. Alan- he played Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce in M*A*S*H and Senator Vinick in The West Wing. They were not similar characters. LINK.

16. What captions can capture: AUDIO. I love the alliteration, even though it is not accurate.

19. Pay homage, in a way: KNEEL. A very im[portant way.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUSaWc_aFdo

20. Basil sauce: PESTO. Don't use Thai basil.
2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed (can sub half the basil leaves with baby spinach)
1/2 cup freshly grated Romano or Parmesan-Reggiano cheese (about 2 ounces)
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup pine nuts (can sub chopped walnuts)
3 garlic cloves, minced (about 3 teaspoons)
1/4 teaspoon salt, more to taste
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, more to taste

21. Teed off: DROVE. Not angry, well-done misdirection.

23. __ Fridays: TGI.

24. Hideout: LAIR.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAl7Df_e0EY

26. Like some sale quantities: LIMITED.

32. She played Mia in "Pulp Fiction": UMA.

33. "I did it!": TADA. A solvers' best friend.

34. Prefix with thermal: EXO.

35. "Puss in Boots" baddie: OGRE. Am not much of a fan of the story or the movie, but OGRE is always a good answer.

37. Brown in a Croce title: LEROY.
"And it's bad, bad Leroy Brown
The baddest man in the whole damned town
Badder than old King Kong
And meaner than a junkyard dog"

39. Houston suburb named for initials from the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad: KATY. We have a  CSO to D-O; I did not know the name was derived from the MKT Railroad Company and was commonly referred to as "the K-T," which was also its stock exchange symbol.

43. 2018 Super Bowl designation: LII.

45. Compared with: THAN.

47. Tilling tool: HOE.

53. Buttercup family member: ANEMONE.  Gardening TIPS.

54. Beat at the buzzer: EDGE.

55. Benching units: Abbr.: LBS. Bench pressing.

56. Big name in little trucks: TONKA.

58. Many a UAE resident: EXPAT. Is this true?

62. Chain with a dog-and-cat logo: PETCO.

66. Really dug: ATE UP.

67. Command to Rover: COME. Sit, Roll Over!

68. Mindless repetition: ROTE.

69. Gumbo server: LADLE.

70. Govt. branch: EXEC.

71. PR firm's forte: SPIN.


Down:

1. '90s-'00s NFL Pro Bowler Warren: SAPP. His STATS.

2. Take on: HIRE.

3. Accts. funded annually, perhaps: IRAS.

4. Prickly plant: NETTLE.

5. Chi.-based flier: UAL.

6. Downhill excursion: SLEDRIDE. It is one of the only things I ever missed from childhood.

7. Bleach feature: ODOR.

8. Rapeseed oil: CANOLA. Oh, that explains it all.

9. Baking convenience: CAKE MIX.

10. Winning streak: RUN.

11. 2003 self-titled folk album: ODETTA. The VOICE of the Civil Rights movement.

12. Superman co-creator Jerry: SIEGEL.

13. Cones and cubes: SOLIDS.

18. Doomed, slangily: TOAST.

22. Resort near Cape Cod, with "the": VINEYARD. Reason to visit New England include these ISLANDS.

25. Napoli native: ITALIANO.

27. "It's just a scratch": I'M OK.

28. Outkast, for one: DUO.

29. Texter's "Shocking!": OMG.

30. Damage: MAR.

31. Magna __: CARTA. Magna Carta Libertatum was so much more than most REMEMBER.

36. I, O or U: ELEM. Iodine (53) - Oxygen (8) - Uranium (92). Nice misdirection.

38. "My goodness!": OH DEAR ME.

40. Rarely served fish?: AHI.  Ahi tuna is usually served uncooked.

41. Low digit: TOE.

42. Archery wood: YEW.


44. Uranium-238, e.g.: ISOTOPE. Defined as each of two or more forms of the same element that contain equal numbers of protons but different numbers of neutrons in their nuclei, and hence differ in relative atomic mass but not in chemical properties; in particular, a radioactive form of an element.

46. Beersheba's locale: NEGEV. Beersheba, also spelled Beer-Sheva, is the largest city in the Negev desert of southern Israel

48. Female bud: GALPAL.

49. Still being tested, as software: IN BETA. You can learn it all makes SENSE.

50. __ interest: VESTED.

51. "Mind your manners": BE NICE. Or you will end up as one of the ...

52. Irritations: VEXERS.

57. Polk's middle name: KNOX. James Knox Polk was an American politician who served as the 11th President of the United States. He previously was Speaker of the House of Representatives and Governor of Tennessee.

59. Support, with "up": PROP.

60. Product of white Muscat grapes: ASTI. Asti (also known as Asti Spumante) is a sparkling white Italian wine that is produced throughout southeastern Piedmont but is particularly focused in the towns of Asti and Alba. Made from the Moscato Bianco grape, it is sweet and low in alcohol and often served with dessert.

61. New driver, usually: TEEN.

63. __-de-sac: CUL.

65. Continental trade gp.: EEC. The European Economic Community was created in 1957 by the Treaty of Rome, which was signed by Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and West Germany.

David Alfred Bywaters

Title: Better dead than red.

David returns for his third 2018 Friday. and his 5th overall. I still know very little about the man other than he love obscure Victorian novels and creating crosswords, even though he has stopped by several times. His website DAVID ALFRED BYWATERS has new puzzle and new book every Saturday. Oh, and his great-grandmother loved puzzles and took a good picture. The idea is simple-  the three letter word RED is added to a two part phrase.  There is a sound change for each vowel preceding the RED, but thetheme clues, are  all fun mental pictures.   The reveal is a bit tricky as you have to see the RED infiltrating the words. Most of the fill was in my wheelhouse, but SAHM sounded like the number three in Thai. There really some fun ones, like Yo HO HO, BASS CLEF, and IN A PIE. Anyway, on with the show.

24A. State of mind induced by monotonous music?: SONIC BOREDOM (12). SONIC BOOM gets repurposed.

32A. BBQ item with a char?: SEARED DOG (9). SEA DOG becomes burned hot dog.

43A. Object of trout-fishing veneration?: SACRED FLY (9). SAC FLY (the baseball abbreviation for sacrifice fly) gets reeled in a a fisherperson.

49A. Aversion to rodeo performers?: COWBOY HATRED (12). COWBOY HAT get chased away.

And the reveal-
63A. Post-WWII fear of infiltration apparently confirmed by four puzzle answers: RED SCARE (8).

Across:

1. Grooming tool: COMB 

5. Put two and two together: ADD

8. Attentive to the schedule: PROMPT

14. Pentagon measure: AREA

15. Basic substance: LYE

16. Rum accompaniment?: YO HO HO If you have been to Disney Worls, this was a gimme.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98luuj8ymoQ

17. Staff symbol: BASS CLEF.

19. Handled vessel: TEAPOT

20. Ease, as thirst: SLAKE

21. Cry of one whose thirst is eased: AAH

23. Artist Magritte: RENE

28. Sphere: ORB

31. Bring into harmony: ATTUNE

35. Left-hand page: VERSO

40. Croatia neighbor: SERBIA

41. Toe problem: BUNION

42. The Beatles' "All My Loving," e.g.: OLDIE

46. Where some nursery rhyme baking occurs: IN A PIE 
Four and twenty blackbirds. Baked in a pie. When the pie was opened. The birds began to sing—. Wasn't that a dainty dish. To set before the king? The king was in the counting-house. Counting out his money,. The queen was in the parlor. Eating bread and honey,. The maid was in the garden. Hanging out the clothes.

48. Deceive: FOX

55. Multicolored gem: OPAL

56. Kvbrick opvs?: MMI

57. Takes a nap, say: RESTS

61. Make over: REVAMP

66. Get all wet: DRENCH

67. Rower: OAR

68. Was aware of: KNEW

69. Big Apple Theater District restaurant: SARDIS. The food was never that good but the atmosphere was fun and it waspopulated all of the New York people.

70. Cook, in a way: FRY

71. Recognizes: SEES


Down:

1. Wine choices: CABS

2. Spoken: ORAL

3. Tableland: MESA

4. Revels (in), as praise: BASKS

5. The lot (of): ALL

6. Henna, e.g.: DYE

7. In actuality: DEFACTO

8. Big name in British comedy: PYTHON

9. Beluga yield: ROE

10. United hub: OHARE

11. Island vacation ride: MOPED

12. Amplifier switch: PHONO

13. Tribal symbol: TOTEM

18. Board boss: CEO

22. "Snug as __ ... ": ABUG

25. Uno menos uno, to Unamuno: NADA

26. "__ be a pleasure": IT'D

27. Variety show: REVUE

28. __ buco: OSSO

29. Rod attachment: REEL

30. Homer, e.g.: BARD

33. Batter's stat: RBI

34. Three-note refrain: EIEIO

36. Close: END

37. Jazz phrase: RIFF

38. Concerto cadenza, e.g.: SOLO

39. Banded stone: ONYX

41. Uncle Remus title: BRER

43. Doug of the Sir Douglas Quintet with the hit "She's About a Mover": SAHM
I have never hear of the IMPORTANT singer musician.

44. Two: A PAIR OF

45. Op. __: CIT

47. Mythological maidens: NYMPHS

49. Electrical connections: CORDS

50. Monteverdi work: OPERA

51. Go back and forth: WAVER

52. Flavorless: BLAND

53. Med. treatment areas: ERS

54. Card groups: DECKS

58. Sound: SANE

59. Shoe insert: TREE

60. Follows a pattern, perhaps: SEWS

62. 2006 Verizon acquisition: MCI

64. Listener: EAR

65. Arid: DRY

James Sajdak

Title: Let me have the exact change.

James is back on Friday for the first time in a couple of years. I first blogged him in 2011 the same day C.C. posted the INTERVIEW she did with him. This is his 30th LAT publication and he has no consistent style, either in themes or themeless. Like last week we are dealing with puns and humor. While this theme was not as much fun, the rest of the puzzle was wonderful. We have a few spectacular words, GIBRALTAR, SASQUATCH, AFICIONADO and TOM FOOLERY. We also have so much information and wit, I am going to move on the the write up.

20A. Salute in an old orbiter?: MIR FORMALITY (12). Mere formality.

35A. Stadium scene after a big win?: TIERS OF JOY (10). Tears of joy.

42A. Fishing parties?: PIER GROUPS (10). Peer group.

57A. Edward Scissorhands' syndrome?: SHEAR MADNESS (12). Sheer madness.

Across:

1. Disagreement: SPAT.

5. Her first speaking role was in MGM's "Anna Christie": GARBO. 88 years ago.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8Rvqm5XR7E

10. Unlikely: SLIM. My chances were slim and none.

14. Fashion designer Rabanne: PACO.  This is not his real NAME.

15. Cold shoulder or hot corner: IDIOM. This was fun misdirection, as both are idiomatic.

16. Elizabeth of "Jacob's Ladder": PENA.

17. Wee bit: ATOM.

18. It might be uncured: BACON. Not my area of expertise.

19. Plant with hips: ROSE. I used to drink the tea.

23. Arizona neighbor: SONORA.

24. Former SETI funder: NASA.

25. Pokémon Go finder: Abbr.: GPS. I have watched these crazies running around 'capturing' the various Pokémon. My boys were more Dragonball Z, but they did have some Pocket Monsters.

28. Spa supplies: OILS. Massage or painting?

30. African megalopolis: CAIRO.

32. Nonstick kitchen product: T-FAL. I have never owned any from this COMPANY.

39. Normandy river: ORNE. Not one of the 12 common crossword rivers but a big deal nonetheless. LINK.

40. Foil firm: ALCOA. Will always be tinfoil in my mind even though I know it is aluminum.

41. It borders both the Missouri and the Mississippi rivers: IOWA. More rivers.

44. Early Disney productions: CELS. Cartoons.

45. __ del Carmen, Mexico: PLAYA. Beach

46. Distant beginning?: EQUI.

48. Photog's choice: SLR.  Single-Lens Reflex camera.

49. Org. offering shelter for some homeless: SPCA.

53. It merged with Chevron in 2005: UNOCAL.

59. Chain part: ISLE.

62. 1975 Pulitzer winner for criticism: EBERT. 1975: Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times, "for his film criticism during 1974"

63. Old film dog: ASTA. Back again; do you remember the actor?

64. Catty reply: MEOW. and the clecho 67A. Cat catchers: PAWS.

65. __ attack: PANIC.

66. Flit: DART.

68. Seriously reduce: SLASH. Like prices, not to be confused with 43D. Wicked slice: GASH. Not Tiger's driving at the Masters but a long deep slash, cut, or wound.

69. Prizes in los Juegos Olímpicos: OROS. Gold medals.

Down:

1. Bombards with e-junk: SPAMS.

2. Deck alternative: PATIO.

3. Nut with a cap: ACORN.

4. Nonsense: TOM FOOLERY. Another great fill that has such a great HISTORY.

5. Iberian peninsula territory: GIBRALTAR. You could LEARN more.

6. Economist Smith: ADAM. The FATHER of economics.

7. Puerto __: RICAN.

8. Half an Ivy cheer: BOOLA. The Cheer from 1901.
Boola boola, boola boola
Boola boola, boola boola
When we rough house poor old hahvahd
They will holler, “Boola boo”
Oh Yale, Eli Yale!  Oh Yale, Eli Yale!
Oh Yale, Eli Yale!  Oh Yale, Eli Yale!

9. Dodges of old: OMNIS.

10. Agile: SPRY

11. Uncle on "Seinfeld": LEO

12. Advantages for job seekers: INS

13. Novelist Rita __ Brown: MAE. A writer for CED and our other cat lovers, her mysteries are solved by cats. But she is so much more, and a Florida Gator as well. WIKI.

21. "He's mine, __ am his":"Coriolanus": OR I. A Friday Shakespeare - Scene X, page 218.

22. Stand snack: TACO

25. Boy toy?: GI JOE.  A great fun clue.

26. Lurk: PROWL.

27. Milk sources: SOYAS. My bride like soymilk.

29. Prairie skyline feature: SILO.

31. Buff: AFICIONADO.  It was a mid 19th century (denoting a devotee of bullfighting): from Spanish, ‘amateur,’ past participle of aficioner ‘become fond of’ used as a noun, based on Latin affectio(n-) ‘(favorable) disposition toward’ (see affection).

32. Name on collectible cards: TOPPS. They made some headlines a few years ago. NASTY.

33. Bell or whistle?: FRILL. Something added on.

34. At hand, poetically: ANEAR. I wish this afar.

36. Old French coin: ECU. Not the sou.

37. It's often skipped: ROPE. really cute.

38. Cryptozoologist's quarry: SASQUATCH. And any other of the CRYPTIDS.

47. Conjunction in a German article: UND. An article in a newspaper article. Witty.

50. Buds, slangily: PEEPS. Almost timely. Try THESE.

51. Band of intrigants: CABAL. The intigrants (those who makes secret plans to do something illicit or detrimental to someone else) get together and form a cabal - a secret political clique or faction.

52. Concert setting: ARENA

54. Romero who played The Joker: CESAR. With Adam West. LINK.

55. Dog in Orbit City: ASTRO.

56. Exams for future attys.: LSATS. Actually, it is only a test for future law students.

57. Susie-shirts tongue-twister link: SEWS. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zw-GzTeMl_o
With the nearby clecho. 60D. Sells-shells tongue-twister link: SEA. Suzi sells seashells by the seashore. Maybe. LINK.

58. Hosp. tests: MRIS.

59. Little demon: IMP.

61. Bit of cowspeak: LOW. I am not familiar with the term, but I got the idea.