John Lampkin

Title: Now where did I hide that body? White rabbit, white rabbit all, welcome to June and hurricane season.

John is back following up last week's insect infested puzzle with a challenging and very creative entry in the LA Times not quite a REBUS puzzle type. Rich Norris does not accept classic multi-letters in a single square in puzzles, but here the word BODY is actually crammed into a black square, so it is hidden. Even if you do not like that explanation, this was a very fun puzzle to solve and a wondrous bit of construction. The special twist that makes it shine is the BODY missing at the front of the theme is placed on the left and the BODY missing at the end is on the right. He then puts a big bow on the puzzle by alternating the left-right march. WOW. With 66 squares committed to the theme, John still features some nice fill such as EVEREST, LOCALES, RUBS RAW, SLEEP IN, SPATULA, STOP HIM, PUHLEASE and TRAVIATA. We are given the extra hint of the * so you all knew which were theme related, and if you did not catch on to the gimmick, the two-part reveal should have made the puzzle very doable. Considered one of the 50 best Sci-Fi movies of all time with Donald Sutherland and Leonard Nimoy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52vK2-Dv1TA

27A. With 44-Across, classic 1956 film ... and why the answers to starred clues aren't quite themselves?: INVASION OF THE (13). 44A. See 27-Across: BODY SNATCHERS.(13).

Now let us find those bodies.

1A. *Tattoos: ART (3) BODY  ART. I think this form of expression has been made most popular by the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issues. Is it NUDITY?

8A. *Hypothetical object that absorbs all incident electromagnetic radiation: BLACKBODY (5).
A blackbody (sometimes spelled "black body") is a theoretically ideal radiator and absorber of energy at all electromagnetic wavelength s. (various). This is an unknown term for me.

16A. *Nonverbal communication: BODY LANGUAGE (8). A key to understanding other people, this is very important in business but may be most important for a COUPLE.

22A. *Snoop: BUSY BODY (4). I think of Samantha Stevens' next-door neighbor, MRS.  KRAVITZ.

50A. *Bumper repair site: BODY SHOP (4). Automobiles are always vulnerable and you need a good mechanic and good body shop.

62A. *Star or nebula: HEAVENLY BODY(8). A CSO to our NASA rep HG. There are so many TYPES. 

67A. *Circadian rhythm: BODY CLOCK. (5). Steve could give us his interesting perspective on this BIOLOGICAL  phenomenon. Meanwhile, I have commented first like three times recently, what's that all about?

69A. *Coveted journalism award: PEABODY. (3). The George Foster Peabody Awards program, named for American businessman and philanthropist George Peabody, honor the most powerful, enlightening, and invigorating stories in television, radio, and now, online media. Some past WINNERS.

Well, I am worn out already and we must move on to the rest of the puzzle...

Across:

4. They churn out dough: ATMS. I have not used an Automated Teller Machine for some time.

13. Sign of summer: LEO. That kind of sign.

14. Ecologically challenged Asian sea: ARAL.

15. Ovine output: BAA BAA. Black sheep, have you any wool. CONTROVERSY?  Also, we have 9D. Ewe's output: LAMB. No double BAA, but a shameless self SO by John.

18. Deepest, as feelings: INMOST.

19. Realm: AREA.

20. Op-ed takes: VIEWS.

23. Outdoor gear giant: REI.

25. Game that may involve bumpers: POOL. The second reference to bumpers, one for a car and this one.

33. Dose people?: DEM. I bet DIS clue/fill did not please some.

35. Elite prep school: ETON. We started the week with this institution.

36. Dominica native: CARIB. I went to school with two brothers from this small island, and now I work on various projects there.

37. Abrades painfully: RUBS RAW. Alliterative fill, followed by...

39. Flay's flipper: SPATULA. Alliterative clue. Professionals do not need ONE. My wife just uses her wrist.

41. Furious: IRATE.

42. "Better Call __": SAUL. Part of the BREAKING BAD franchise.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1xIGfVFb-U

43. Foxy: SLY.
.
48. Chihuahua chow: TACO.  Cute JL, but ridiculous- they can't fold or hold them.

49. The SEC's Tigers: LSU. A CSO to our many Louisiana friends here at the Corner.

54. First course in German?: SUPPE. Soup.

56. Thailand, once: SIAM. A  CSO to my sweet wife, thank you JL.

60. Watch a neighbor's pooch, say: PET SIT.

64. Café: EATERY.

65. Ingrid, in "Casablanca": ILSA. So classic.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V70VxbNVzsg

66. Tell's apple support: SON.

68. Face: MEET.

Down:

1. Penne __ vodka: ALLA. One RECIPE.

2. Caboose: REAR.

3. Text alert, often: TONE.

4. Nonpro sports org.: AAU.

5. "Fallen woman," in a Verdi title: TRAVIATA. A translation this was  an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi set to an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Piave. It is based on La Dame aux Camélias (1852), a play adapted from the novel by Alexandre Dumas, fils.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SK-NUuTCras

6. Star followers: MAGI.

7. Take advantage of a day off, maybe: SLEEP IN.

8. Bar: BAN.

10. "__ Ben Adhem": ABOU. Funny, I would not have known this poem unless YR had printed it when it was fill in a January BAG puzzle. Then again, it was already filled by the perps.

11. Mama with two Papas: CASS.

12. Pop's Perry: KATY. Did any of you watch the new AMERICAN IDOL?

15. Bearded bovine: BISON.

17. Jake __, first Congressman to fly in space: GARN. They named a SCALE after him.

21. Court: WOO.

24. Hillary's peak: EVEREST. An interesting MAN.

26. Neighborhoods: LOCALES.

27. "Don't mess with me": I'M BAD.  Are you LEROY?  I wonder if that is where they got Gibbs' name.

28. Spread: SOW. This would have been one of the harder three-letter fills ever but the perps were there.

29. Generous, as a contract: FAT.

30. Bind: TRUSS.

31. Jack and Jill's Waterloo?: HILL. Very cerebral clue.

32. AuctionWeb, since 1997: eBAY.

33. Little bit: DRIB. Not drab

34. French bread: EURO.

38. Pen with oink, not ink: STY. Cute.

39. Anatomical pouch: SAC. John, you trying my DF nature.

40. Eye-rolling word: PUH-LEASE. Exaggerated form of please, short for if you please, an intransitive, ergative form taken from if it pleases you, which replaced pray.

42. Cry after a holdup: STOP HIM. Stop thief probably jumps to mind

45. Awful: NASTY.

46. Pressure prefix: ACU. sharp-acute, acupuncture, accurate

47. Ploy: RUSE.

50. What a crossword is often constructed on: SPEC. 90% of them I imagine.

51. Mend: HEAL.

52. "Beetle Bailey" hound: OTTO.

53. One 60-trillionth of a min.: PSEC.

55. Brazilian hero: PELE.

57. Clouseau's rank: Abbr.: INSP.

58. Bug bite soother: ALOE.  Okay, an insect but one that bit.

59. Feathered mimic: MYNA. How do I get this bird two weeks in a row?

61. Bug: IRK. Not really an insect reference.

63. Dye holder: VAT. A change from the normal beer or wine reference.

John Lampkin

Title: Sorry I did not have time to finish....

Where do I begin in discussing this most perfect example of the contructor and his humor? JL begins with a shout out to himself, as his name Lampkin is a pet form of Lambkin. Kin was added in the 12th century when taxes began being collected from individuals rather than property and they needed surnames to keep track of who paid and who did not. (Opinion, not fact, as who really know?)
He created a 15x16 puzzle to fit in all of his whimsical reboots of famous pieces of music. John is an accomplished professional musician and piano teacher who I am sure is very familiar with each of these actually finished pieces. In contrast to the adding KIN to his name, John removes the end of each of the titles of the work and clues the result for maximum humor. The themers are presented in pinwheel with a center fill. He also adds NO CLUE, CAROMED, DESPOTS, FLEABAG, GYRATOR, the mini-theme added musical fill LULLABY and SAD SONG along with SLAMMER, UP A TREE, RECRUITS and TOOK CARE. So, here we go.

18A. Unfinished Puccini work a.k.a. "Homage to a Dairy"? : MADAMA BUTTER(FLY) (12). Before anyone calls "foul" the play was Madame Butterfly. The opera Madama. LINK.

42A. Unfinished Beethoven work a.k.a. "Salute to Manning"? : FÜR ELI(SE) (6). How up to date to use Eli Manning, and our common clue/fill LINK.

66A. Unfinished Beethoven work a.k.a. "Dracula's Boy"? : MOONLIGHT SON(ATA)(12). No sun for Drac's son; the musical piece was finished before he completely lost his hearing. LINK.

12D. Unfinished Mozart work a.k.a. "A Sorcerer's Bug"? : THE MAGIC FLU(TE) (11). This opera LINK was his last. Flu season is back, be careful.

26D. Unfinished Vivaldi work a.k.a. "Water Music for the Mathematically Challenged"? : THE FOUR SEAS(ONS) (11). He wrote these four violin concertos LINK, and a poem for each. Forgetting that there are seven seas would be difficult.

Across:

1. Meat of which Australia is among the largest producers : LAMB. Shamelessly crossing 1D. Hasty flight : LAM. The self-referential beginning to this over-sized effort is wonderful.

5. Down-and-out inn : FLEA BAG.  Such a fun ORIGIN.

12. Apt brew for a golfer? : TEA. A tee for two pun.

15. Healing salve : ALOE.

16. Oral soporific? : LULLABY.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJD5JFWnxNo (37:25).

17. Solo with memorable lines : HAN. The new Star Wars movie, without Han opens today. It also is the 49th anniversary of my first corneal transplant and 44 years since I graduated law school.

20. Fertilization target : EGG. Ova last week.

21. Cashed, as a forged check : KITED.  It actually is  THIS. Juxtaposed with...

22. Hoosegow : SLAMMER. Where people can end up for kiting checks.

24. Completely filled : SATED.

27. Singers do it : SEW. A fake out addition to the mini-theme. My grandfather used a Singer like this

29. Moist-eyed : TEARY.

30. "Argo" setting : TEHRAN. The Movie.

32. It may make you 29-Across : SAD SONG.
Hey Jude, don't make it bad
Take a sad song and make it better
Remember to let her into your heart
Then you can start to make it better

35. "All bets __ off" : ARE.

36. Soak (up), as gravy : SOP.

38. They may be raw : RECRUITS. A new, inexperienced, or fresh recruit, such as someone just entering the army, navy, police, etc. Also, college athletes.

41. Whistle-blower : REF. Fun.

44. Cabin bed : COT.

45. Proceeded cautiously : TOOK CARE.

48. Arcing shot : LOB. Tennis.

50. Side dish piece : FRY. The French is being fazed out. Freedom never caught on.

51. Stuck : UP A TREE. Cats 1?

53. What the puzzled have : NO CLUE. And of course we have lots of clues here.

55. Baseball commission? : ERROR. Tricky baseball clue/fill; not an investigative body.

57. Mex. distances : KMS. Kilometers also in Thailand.

59. Tie for cooking : TRUSS. Did you?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hn5Fes01nc

60. Dictators : DESPOTS.

63. Track bet : PLACE. Win, place and show = 1, 2 and 3.

65. View : SEE.

71. Actress Gabor : EVA. Merv Griffin's beard and the Green Acres' wife.

72. "M*A*S*H" unit? : EPISODE. JL was an early creator of clechos.

73. "M*A*S*H" actor : ALDA.

74. Guitarist Paul : LES.

75. Held up : DELAYED.

76. Putin's refusal : NYET.

Down:

2. In the style of : À LA.

3. Stylish, '60s-style : MOD. The mods and the rockers.  FLASHBACK.

4. Lab container : BEAKER.

5. Like day-old seltzer : FLAT. The bubbles burst.

6. Garage services : LUBES.

7. Dodges : ELUDES.

8. Key usually pressed and held : ALT. CTRL/ALT/DEL.

9. Takes cuts in a box : BATS. Another of the tricky baseball clues.

10. Slain brother : ABEL.

11. Belly dancer, e.g. : GYRATOR. You want to watch? LINK.

13. Gung-ho : EAGER.

14. Steamed : ANGRY. Coming out of your ears?

19. Gilt-ridden king? : MIDAS. There have been so many clues for this storied king, but this is perfect.

23. List of options : MENU. Not just food any longer.

24. Square one : START. GO?

25. Word on Spanish mail : AEREO.

28. Soft finish? : WARE.

31. Dietary watchwords : NO-FAT.

33. Farmer's habitat? : DELL.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0HT-7uOYng

34. Boxy Toyota : SCION. They aren't anymore, but were in 2004.

37. Persian murmur : PURR. Another kitty cat for CED and the other feline fanatics.

39. Bagel shape : TORUS.

40. Eye sores : STYES.

43. Smell to high heaven : REEK.

46. "Gangnam Style" genre, for short : K-POP. LINK.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIoDctYs_OE

47. Ricocheted : CAROMED. A gimme to any billiard/pool player.

49. Make a mess of : BOTCH.

52. Use : EMPLOY.

54. Ancient Knossos denizen : CRETAN. Knossos is the largest Bronze Age archaeological site on Crete and has been called Europe's oldest city.  The citizens of Crete are Cretans, literally.

55. Collectible lemon : EDSEL. A fabulous CSO to yours truly!

56. "Still Me" memoirist : REEVE.                  LINK.

58. One way to come home : SLIDE. A cool baseball misdirection.

61. Hit the sauce : TOPE. Archaic, literary. Drink alcohol to excess, especially on a regular basis.
‘he was toping the while from a flagon of sack.’ Or perhaps, port.

62. Get dirty : SOIL. This has so many negative implications.

64. Like port, usually : AGED. It is one of this wine's ADVANTAGES. Something else our Renaissance Man knows about.

67. DOD division : NSA. Department of Defense oversees the National Security Agency.

68. Underhanded : SLY.

69. Keats forte : ODE.

70. 2017 NLDS player : NATional. One final baseball reference for C.C.

I have such fun doing these write-ups especially when the puzzles are as whimsical as this one was.  Happy Chanukah to those who light the candles and get ready for Christmas- 10 more shopping days. Thanks John Lampkin and all of you who come to the corner. Lemonade out.

John Lampkin

Title: Roman Numeral switcheroo.

Another happy Friday                                                                                                                                                                                


1A. Roman jet? : DCX. (3) The DC 10 was introduced into service in 1970. This one confused me because D and C are also Roman Numerals.

23A. Roman's advice to prevent an explosion? : COUNT TO X (8). Counting to 10 was a shortcut to meditation.

39A. Roman variety store? (and a hint to 10 other puzzle answers) : V AND X (5). The 5 and 10 was
an American institution, with WOOLWORTH being the epitome.

51A. Roman Shakespearean drama? : V ACT PLAY (8). Shakespeare was dedicated to this STRUCTURE.

70A. Roman graveyard shift hour? : V AM. (3). When I used to work doubles on the rubber factory (2 PM to 6 AM) it was the last hour that was the hardest.

3D. Roman bowler's target? : X PIN (4). A CSO for Boomer!

4D. Roman musical family? : JACKSON V (8). Can you name all five?

26D. Roman bike? : X SPEED (6). Bicycles have become too complex for me.  They sell some for thousands of dollars.

27D. Roman "high" request? : GIMME V (6). These days thi is the first thing parents teach their children.

40D. Roman Scrabble Q-tile, e.g.? : X POINTER (8). Ten points, all those words that don't need a U.

57D. Roman's long golf hole? : PAR V (4). Another CSO to our golfing contingent, HG, BE, Moe and all of those I left out by accident.

Well, I am worn out just listing the 11 theme fill. So let's explore the rest.

Across:

4. Start of a rhyming Basque game : JAI. Alai. Long the fastest moving ball in SPORTS.

7. Reason to use an inhaler : ASTHMA.

13. Knock : RAP. Oh, I guess I can call it "knock" music.

14. Cry buckets : BAWL. The word had a different meaning in my youth.

15. Unexpected twist : SPRAIN. Amusing.

16. The record longest continuous ride on one is 105.57 miles : UNICYCLE. Who knew? This makes it a TRIBUTE puzzle.

18. Unlikely to ride a 16-Across well : KLUTZY. Too true.

19. Hunted Carroll critter : SNARK. More of his IMAGINATION, beyond Alice.

20. Balm-maker's plants : ALOES.

22. A.L. East team : BOSton.

27. '80s jeans : GITANOS. Still for SALE.

31. SOP part: Abbr. : STD. Standard.

32. "48 __" : HRS.  The TV Show.

33. Assistant who didn't exist in Mary Shelley's novel : IGOR. Eegore, or Eyegor.

34. Whiskey order : NEAT. A clear CSO to Tinbeni.

36. "... beneath __ blue sky": Don Henley lyric : A DEEP. Not a sea but sky. LISTEN.

38. Stubborn equine : MULE.

41. Perry's creator : ERLE.

42. Dull finish : MATTE. JL is an avid and successful photographer as well a musician, ornithologist, entomologist and cruciverbalist - the modern Renaissance man.

44. F-__ : STOP. Blushing?

45. A hothead has a short one : FUSE.

46. 67.5 deg. : ENE.

47. Item before a door : MAT.

49. Sack out : GO TO BED.

54. Bargain bin abbr. : IRRegular.

55. Bete __ : NOIRE.

56. Immature dragonfly : NYMPH. I think of this when I see NYMPH not THIS.

59. Stereotypically stylish : UPTOWN. Saturday night.

62. Leaves port : SETS SAIL. Even when the ships do not have sails.

65. Facial feature named after an animal : GOATEE.

66. Muscovite's denial : NYET.

67. Whiskey option : RYE.

68. They usually leave the park : HOMERS.

69. Key contraction : O'ER. Francis Scott - ramparts.


Down:

1. R and B's __ Hill : DRU. Not in my WHEELHOUSE.

2. Soup aisle array : CANS.

5. Hole-making tool : AWL.

6. Intestinal : ILEAC.

7. Invite on a date : ASK OUT.

8. NutraSweet competitor : SPLENDA. Both sweetener brand names - blue/yellow.

9. Have faith in : TRUST.

10. Noodle topper? : HAT. Noodles as head, not form of pasta.

11. "Les __" : MIZ. Broadway.

12. At least one : ANY.

14. "... truth is always strange; / Stranger than fiction" poet : BYRON. From his poem, Don Juan.
"' Tis strange - but true; for truth is always strange;
Stranger than fiction; if it could be told,
How much would novels gain by the exchange!
How differently the world would men behold!"

17. "Willkommen" musical : CABARET.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kghMESXA9HU

21. Words on a reward poster : LOST DOG.

24. "... there's __!": Hamlet : THE RUB. Our Friday Shakespeare, but not all 5 acts..

25. Intimidating words : OR ELSE.

28. Exotic pet : IGUANA. These are neither exotic or pets here; they roam freely unless and until a freeze. The past two winters were warms and their population has grown. They are affectionately called "dem sumbitches" by an elderly neighbor woman.

29. Pre-Aztec Mexican : TOLTEC. I do not know much about this CIVILIZATION.

30. Multi-armed ocean critter : SEASTAR. We also discussed this before.  LINK.

35. Bad picnic omen : ANT.

37. Gets bent out of shape : DEFORMS. My meh of the puzzle.

43. Authorize : EMPOWER.

48. Dior designs : A-LINES.

50. Secret hot date : TRYST.

52. Fed. bill : T-NOTE.

53. Simple question type : YES/NO.

58. Casual greeting : HI-YA.

59. "That stinks!" : UGH.

60. Nanki-__ : POO. The Mikado.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jd8P3YfLmuM

61. Bagpiper's hat : TAM. I understand the geographic connection, but I see more like...

63. Anatomical orb : EYE.

64. Apollo lander, briefly : LEM. How cool that dear JL ends with a CSO to yours truly.


Yesterday, Harper turned two and today my baby is celebrating his 29th birthday. Tonight we start the fasting for Yom Kippur, which last until an hour past sundown Saturday. Party time. Thank you John and all who read. Gamar Tov.

John Lampkin

Theme: What could be worse than a curse a from nurse where you end up in a hearse?

John Lampkin, a true renaissance man and friend of the Corner brings us his first 2016 effort, a sound change makes merry puzzle. Three phrases with three words containing a central "OR" sound are changed to an "UR" sound leaving an amusing new fill clued with skill.  While many Fridays are loaded with theme fill, the three chosen are consistent  and fun and  leave room for much sparkly fill.
CAPULET,  POP SONG,  SCEPTER,  SEA LEGS, HONDURAS, INTERNET,  NANNY CAM, TAX HAVEN,  THAT’S A GO,  WE’RE RICH are all in this gem

20A. Cuisine to swear by? : THREE CURSE MEAL (14).

35A. Site of a mortician's monopoly? : ONE HEARSE TOWN (13).

55A. Ode to a Nightingale? : OLD NURSE POETRY (14).

Across:

1. Short one at the bar? : ATTorney. I only really see atty abbreviation but I have been in many bars.

4. Flabbergasts : AWES.

8. One taking up slack? : IDLER.

13. Landlocked African country : CHAD. There are 15, all perps. I used o go to the office building in NYC with my brother which held his literary agent and the Chad consulate. I thought the name was fake. Who names a country after an actor.

15. Thread bits : LINT. Check your navel. 26A. Traps for 15-Across : NAVELS.

16. Running bowline, e.g. : NOOSE. The beginning of an undercurrent of boating/fishing terms. LINK.

17. Prepare to take off : TAXI. Anybody know the etymology of this usage meaning to go from  a terminal to the runway.

18. Mediterranean landmark : ETNA.

19. Dessert that just sounds wrong : TORTE. A Tort in law is a civil wrong.

23. __ orange : OSAGE.  I know them as hedge apples. Our

24. Trail follower : HIKER.

25. Downed a link, say : ATE. Sausage, not a golf course.

28. Caught porgy and bass : ANGLED. Cute Porgy and Bess  fish pun.

30. Ice __ : AGE. Can you believe it is 13 years?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMfeWyVBidk

31. Feuding house of Verona : CAPULET. Romeo, Romeo wherefore art thou, and our continued Friday Shakespeare.

40. Swift output : POP SONG. Showing my age, my first thought was Jonathan Swift not the ubiquitous TAYLOR.

41. Café freebie : EAU. Water in French.

43. Charmingly retro : QUAINT. Last week it was Tisn't...

46. Rejects : SPURNS.

49. Link for Ludwig : UND. Beethoven.

50. Believes : DEEMS.

54. Actress Graff : ILENE. She was a regular on Mr. Belvedere and more recently Hart of Dixie 

58. Shock source : TASER. Don't tase me bro!

59. Bit of concert memorabilia : STUB.

60. Quinoa alternative : RICE. We do have rice at my house.

62. Latin stars : ASTRA. Whence Astronomy, astrology etc.

63. New Yorker cartoonist Peter : ARNO. He had a very recognizable style, but has been gone for almost 50 years.

The caption says, "He is not ours, try the River House."

64. Rent-__ : A-CAR.

65. Drives off : SHOOS.

66. Linking device : YOKE. Not on the internet but on your oxen.

67. Med. care option : HMO. Health Maintenance Organization.

Down:

1. Fake it : ACT. Don't get nervous boys.

2. "We're on!" : THAT"S A GO. A nice phrase.

3. Green shelter? : TAX HAVEN. Not ecology but economy.

4. "Hard __!": captain's command : A LEE.

5. Baker's neighbor in "Into the Woods" : WITCH.  The MOVIE with Meryl Streep as the witch.

6. Jaded state : ENNUI. Always a nice fill.

7. Barren : STARK. Will Catelyn be back?

8. Shopper's mecca : INTERNET.

9. Dire destiny : DOOM. Oddly this is in conflict with 14D. Gloomy air : DIRGE as they are from the same Latin source.

10. Cosmetics giant : L'OREAL.

11. What you will : ESTATE. More hidden law.

12. Landed, with "in" : REELED. A big fish?

21. Shocking swimmer : EEL. Fish?

22. Sailor's ability : SEA LEGS. See what I mean; when I got off from a long cruise, it often seemed like the land was moving.

23. __ roll : ON A.  Give me some butter, because...

27. Sovereign symbol : SCEPTER.

29. Bygone muscle car : GTO. My brother had one and it was too fast.

32. Small juice sources? : AAS. Batteries.

33. Ace : PRO. My meh of the day.

34. Org. with subs : USN. Cool misdirection- United States Navy.

36. Prefix for a lifesaving "Pen" : EPI, I have two in my house-bees.

37. Mosquito Coast country : HONDURAS. It is not Star Wars
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2t1z-gRiNm0

38. Reaction to suddenly becoming flush? : WE'RE RICH! Powerball anyone?

39. Concerned parent's installation : NANNY CAM.

42. Employment : USE.

43. Mandated amounts : QUOTAS.

44. Remove, as bindings : UNLASH.

45. Expands, as a deck : ADDS TO. A deck of cards? The deck Splynter built? The one marti and I sat together at her house on?

47. Sales meeting metaphor : PIE.

48. Conservative leader? : ULTRA.

51. Outlet for one's thoughts : ESSAY. Put them on paper.

52. Densely populated area, briefly : METRO.

53. Spirit : SPUNK. A trait of mixed benefit.

56. Emperor famous for playing an instrument that hadn't been invented yet : NERO. Did he FIDDLE around?

57. Wind in the reeds : OBOE. A simple musical clue from our very musical friend. To me it brought to mind this POETRY.

61. Ranch closing? : ERO. Huevos rancheros while I finish writing?

Always a pleasure to see a JL byline, though we are missing anything to bug us, unless you do not like puns.  Thanks John. Lemonade out.

John Lampkin

Theme: It is T time, so lets have some dessert.

A Friday frolic with our musical bug man, where a T is is added as the first letter of the second word of a common phrase, resulting in a amusingly clued dessert. With only




17A. Self-preparing dessert? : AUTOMATIC TRIFLE (15).

27A. Dry, powdery dessert? : DUST TRUFFLE (11).

34D. Surreal dessert? : DADA TART (8).

36D. Like the desserts in this puzzle, literally? : DONE TO A T (8).





ANY TIME,  BIDS FOR,  BREWSKI,  DETENTE,  ETERNAL,  FLAT FEE,  INCUBUS, MUD PIES,  NOT IN IT,  YES DEAR, APIARIST,  BOB FOSSE,  EVIL TWIN,  RETRACTS


Across:

1. Like some timers? : OLD. 20 mule team borax anyone?

4. Kids' rainy day projects : MUD PIES. The only time little boys are encouraged to 'cook.'

11. Watch kids : SIT. We get to baby sit Charlotte.

14. Piglet bud : ROO. From the world of Winnie.

15. Boring, facetiously : ETERNAL. This definition required perp inspiration, but it makes sense.

16. Kyrgyzstan city : OSH. B'gosh, I get this right away finally.

20. Supple : LITHE.

21. Red meat source : EMU. Too late for memorial day, but you can order these for the Fourth. LINK.

22. Red giant : S-STAR. This has been appearing regularly.

23. 37-Down's concerns : BEES. A tricky corss-reference but it is Friday. 37D. See 23-Across : APIARIST. A five dollar word for bee keeper. Where are Ulee and Sherlock?

24. Year during Augustus' reign : ONE BC. For all the southern readers, "How many headache powders do you need to take?"

26. Val-d'__: French department : OISE. Oise is a river you need to know because of the great use of vowels. For Splynter, you can practice your FRENCH.

30. Human __ : RACE. I thought "kind" first.

31. Big bunch : SCAD. Not used to the term in the singular.

32. Moisten, as garden cobwebs : BEDEW. A nice Shakespearean word.

35. Shingle wood : CEDAR.

39. Biological duct travelers : OVA. Eggs.

40. Wagering letters : OTB. Off track betting. I believe this has been replaced with online choices like TVG  etc.

43. You'd be amazed to stand in it : AWE. Really nicely crafted clue/fill for such a simple answer.

45. Unlock, to Byron : OPEn. Read some POETRY?

46. Tries to obtain : BIDS FOR. This works two ways, both literally and figuratively.

48. Dead last, say : NOT IN IT. Tough letter string, but accurate.

50. Hourly-rate alternative : FLAT FEE. A very large part of law practice, oneof the three types of fee arrangements: hourly, contingency and flat fee.

51. Marital concession : YES DEAR. My favorite of the entire puzzle; so well put.

52. Anne Frank's father : OTTO. I did not remember this
.
53. Belts : SWATS.

55. __ vez: Juan's "again" : OTRA.

56. Grassy surface : SWARD. This appears to be the LAT debut of this Friday word.

58. Bio, e.g. : SCIence.

59. Indifferent : STOIC.

60. Yes-Bob link : SIREE.

61. One of the Kardashians : KIM. If you want a link, go for it.

62. Sandwich request : TOAST.

63. Blog input : ENTRY. A CSO to us all.

64. Compound suffix : IDE. This old bromide...

65. Annie of "Designing Women" : POTTS. I enjoyed the series but I like Annie better in this ROLE  (0:29).

Down:

1. Colgate rival : ORALB. I started with Crest.

2. Mascot of the NHL's Blues : LOUIE.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYjP18KR-wo

3. Like pointillist works : DOTTED. My father studied and practiced this type of painting

4. Cultural idea that may go viral : MEME. According to wiki:
"The word meme was coined by Richard Dawkins in his 1976 book The Selfish Gene, as an attempt to explain the way cultural information spreads; Internet memes are a subset of this general meme concept specific to the culture and environment of the Internet."

5. Acting legend Hagen : UTA.

6. Political thaw : DETENTE. Not in fashion any more. Now the Olympic arrests are a US scheme to take the World Cup from Russia.

7. First coat : PRIMER.

8. Nocturnal demonic visitor : INCUBUS. My first thought was SUCCUBUS but it did not fit.

9. Corrode : EAT. The rust ate away my outdoor furniture.

10. Some pic takers : SLRS. Single Lens Reflexes.

11. Pushover : SOFTIE.

12. Lands in el mar : ISLAS. Spanish.

13. Pointing remark : THERE. Cute clue. An excuse for this CLIP. (0:26)

18. "And I'm Cleopatra" : OH SURE. I thought it was Queen of Sheba.

19. Wagnerian soprano : ISOLDE. Inspector Morse loved his Opera.

24. Needing no Rx : OTC. Over The Counter.

25. Ozone-threatening compound : CFC. Chlorofluorocarbon. Better known as FREON.

28. Prune : SAWOFF. A tree, not a dried plum.

29. Aspects : FACETS.

32. Choreographer with nine Tonys : BOB FOSSE. We like to see full names in puzzles.

33. Facetious scapegoat : EVIL TWIN.

38. Pulls back : RETRACTS.

41. Digits displayed on beaches : TOES. Sing-a-long.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntN5JAqEtDE
42. Suds : BREWSKI.

43. "Whenever" : ANYTIME.

44. Travails : WOES.

47. Acorn woodpecker, e.g. : STORER. JL like birds and bugs, but this clue bugs me.

49. "Ditto" : I DO TOO. Fun letter string.

54. Lithographer's material : ACID. This answer should be etched in your mind.

57. "L.A. Law" actress : DEY. A partridge that grew up. Interestingly, she was replaced by Annie Potts in the TV Series Love and War. I liked her in LINK.

59. Indy initials : STP. Scientifically Treated Petroleum. Andy Grantelli.

Friday, January 2, 2015, John Lampkin

Theme: You had to be a big shot didn't ya. LISTEN.





AT FAULT, AURORAS, BAD CALL, DOLLS UP, HAYSEED, I’M TOAST, SPARROW, SPEEDOS, TEARFUL, COPY DESK, SUSPENSE


17A. Top horticulturist? : BUSH MASTER. Ths SNAKE breaks into parts for the theme. It is part of the viper family.

27A. Top orthopedist? : BONE HEAD. Any bonehead know orthopedists deal with bones.

36A. Top dairyman? : CREAM CHEESE. Like wheel below, this one needs a "Big" before it to project the same meaning as the rest of the theme.

47A. Top entomologist? : FLY WHEEL. You had to know John would get something buggy into the grid. A flywheel is a rotating mechanical device that is used to store rotational energy. Flywheels have a significant moment of inertia and thus resist changes in rotational speed. The amount of energy stored in a flywheel is proportional to the square of its rotational speed. Energy is transferred to a flywheel by applying torque to it, thereby increasing its rotational speed, and hence its stored energy. Conversely, a flywheel releases stored energy by applying torque to a mechanical load, thereby decreasing the flywheel's rotational speed. per wiki.

57A. Top cinematographer? : FILM LEADER. The TERM is also about movies but I did not know it.

Across:

1. Like Sherlock's game : AFOOT.

6. Jerk : BOOB. This meaning for the word boob has lng been supplanted by the slang word for femal breast, which makes JL's intersecting 6D. Museum work : BUST so amusing. The king of the cross-reference strikes again.

10. Medical ending : OSIS. For some reason HALITOSIS popped into my head, even though HYPNOSIS, OSMOSIS and TUBERCULOSIS are clearly more common. .

14. Sierra Nevada tourist attraction : TAHOE. A truly awesome place to visit with the mountains, the lake and the casinos.

15. Bruin's home : UCLA. This took much longer than it should have, perhaps a product of growing upo near Boston, though my first answer was CAVE.

16. Leave in a bad way : DUMP. Ah the heartbreak of it all. Any great stories of broken romances?
35D. Like some goodbyes : TEARFUL.

19. East in Ecuador : ESTE. How odd that of all the Spanish speaking countries, JL picked Ecuador. We have clients invo;ved in a big project there.

20. Puncture opening? : ACUpuncture.

21. Lay : PUT.

22. Main signal : SOS.

24. "I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity" writer : POE. An intersting and tragic figure. You can read more HERE.

25. Less inclined to ramble : TERSER.

29. Get a leg up ... and down : STEP.

30. Pearl Buck heroine : OLAN. How lucky can I get, we just had this.

32. Playground retort : CAN SO.

33. Comparable to a beet : AS RED.

35. Private meetings : TRYSTS..

38. Emulates a fan : ADORES.

40. Lessen : ABATE.

41. Go __ : TO POT.

42. Rosa's rosa, e.g. : FLOR.

43. Cut, in a way : ETCH.

49. Homburg kin : FEDORA. Hats off to John, who actually wears hats for getting this fill in the grid.

51. City VIP : ALDerman.

52. Lamp opening? : ELL. The letter, silly.

53. Cannes confirmation : OUI. Must have some French for Splynter.

54. Even so : YET.

55. Applications : USES.

60. Verdant : LUSH. Usually associated with growing things.

61. "Young Frankenstein" Fräulein : INGA. The incomparable Teri Garr and her knockers.
xxxx
62. "If only!" : I HOPE.

63. I-76 in Penn., e.g. : TPKE.

64. Handy : NEAR.

65. "Good Lord!" : OH GOD.

Down:

 1. Chances for a walk in the park? : AT BATS. Some baseball misdirection as the park is the ball park. It is safe to say John likes to be misleading, as in another baseball clue 27D. Mistake at home, perhaps : BAD CALL.

2. Tap : FAUCET. So simple but I started out struggling in the NW corner.

3. "And I'm Cleopatra" : OH SURE. followed by...

4. Awed response : OOH. Now if the next clue were Buckeye state, we would have quite a progression. We also have 59D. Spa sound : AHH.

5. Home of Arizona State : TEMPE. I have quite a few cousins who got degrees there.

7. Calendar pg. : OCTober.

8. Nellie __, character in Laura Ingalls Wilder's "Little House" books : OLESON.

9. Low-grade peer : BARON.

10. Lyric tribute : ODE.

11. Film genre : SUSPENSE.

12. "My goose is cooked" : I'M TOAST. Two cooking references.

13. Small trunks : SPEEDOS. Joe Manganiello anyone?

18. Dawns : AURORAS.

23. It may be told in anger : SECRET. 34D. Rage below the surface : SEETHE. 46D. More than dislike : HATRED. Mini-theme? Hmm, some issues JL?

26. Field chirper : SPARROW.

28. Yokel : HAYSEED. Fun fill.

31. Apollo 11's Eagle, briefly : LEM. Thanks JL for the CSO.

36. News editing site : COPY DESK. Where is our newwoman?

37. Starz rival : HBO. Is htis still an initialism for Home Box Office?

38. Liable : ATFAULT

39. Dons fancy duds : DOLLSUP

42. One may be in your lap : FELINE. The perfect clecho for the Corner. For CED.

44. One may be in your lap : TOY DOG. For Manac.

45. Sleazeball : CREEPO.

48. Puckish : ELFIN.

50. Farm sequence? : EIEIO. Old Macdonald would be proud of so many O words.

53. "A Book of Verses underneath the Bough" poet : OMAR.

56. Ship, to the captain : SHE.

58. JFK alternative : LGA. Three letter airport codes. MSY, MCO, ORD are trickier to suss.

Friday, December 19, 2014, John Lampkin

Theme: Wherefore AR thou AR?

Man what more could a guy ask for, marti, followed by C.C. followed by a John Lampkin special. I am in blogger heaven. Good thing this is not November 19. Letter removal puzzles require the result to be entertaining and John does not disappoint. CRIER PIGEON, MINAMALIST T, BROOM BRAWL (featuring witches) and PILL TO POST all evoke (see 49A) very funny images to me. The rest of the fill is loaded with stuff like CAPITOL, ECLIPSE, EXPORTS, ONE EYED, OOMPAHS, ORIGAMI, SPARE ME, TOENAIL, HOOFED IT, I’M NO FOOL.

20A. Easy mark with a sob story? : CARRIER PIGEON (11). Someone who is a sucker for a crying female. Carrier pigeons are in retirment now, and should not be confused with this long gone COUSIN.

54A. Shirt that hardly covers anything? : MINIMALIST ART (11). Which would you rather have: Skimpy T-shirts

or

10D. Ruckus at a coven? : BARROOM BRAWL (10). Broom being the un-PC way to refer to witches. We have our California coven here at the Corner; hello ladies.

28D. Very small pharmaceutical mail order? : PILLAR TO POST(10). Yes, mailing a single pill sounds silly, but at the price of some of the new drugs, it might just make sense. I recall the announcers at the Gillette Friday Night Fights used the term  he was battered from "Pillar to Post."
And the hint
67A. Noble gas, and a homophonic hint to how this puzzle's four longest answers are formed : ARGON (5).  AR is GONE from each phrase. Regional accents may make this more difficult.

Across:

1. What Rudolph used to be called : NAMES. A semi clecho. 41. 1960 Olympic gold medalist Rudolph : WILMA.

All of the other reindeer
Used to laugh and call him names
They never let poor Rudolph
Join in any reindeer games
6. One in a wild bunch? : OAT. Sowing anyone?

9. Beatles song syllables : OBLA. Does this parse  OHHB LAHH, or OOOO BLAH?

13. Pilot : AVIATE. JL, really?

15. Baseball letters : RHE. Runs Hits and Errors on the scoreboard. JL is the undipsuted King of Clechos, as is seen here.

16. Baseball's Hershiser : OREL. He works in the booth now.

17. Baseball champs of 2013 : RED SOX. So many years of futility followed by such success, I wonder if Joe Maddon can do that for the Cubs?

18. "What do you take me for?" : I'M NO FOOL. I/ME today, a minI theme? 31A. Part of a team observation : NO I. Just two weeks after I used this as part of my name for marti's Friday puzzle. 7D. Woeful words : AH ME. 32D. "I've heard enough" : SPARE ME. (Also, s CSO to Boomer).
38D. "No real damage" : I'M OK.

22. Trail terminus: Abbr. : OREgon. Sounds like ARGON? I wonder if terminus refers to the fact the Oregon Trail ends in Oregon, or that Trail is added to the end of Oregon?

23. British pop singer Lewis : LEONA. She won X-Factor.

24. Expressionist painter LeRoy : NEIMAN. I think football made him famous. See the SITE.

26. Habitat for some ibexes : ALPS. You run into many, marti?

29. Coke go-with : RUM.

30. Balkan native : SERB. I wonder if they serve rum and coke in Serbia?

32. Fine groove : STRIA.

34. Salt's output : YARNS. Sailors love to spin them.

37. It's seldom total : ECLIPSE. Unless is it of the HEART.

39. Digital filer's target : TOE NAIL. Devlish misdirection with digital referencing the 'digit" i.e. toe, for all you pedicure experts.

42. Cape Cod catch : SCROD. It is baaack!

44. Intl. commerce group : WTO.

45. One-third of a WWII film : TORA.

47. Wind often affects it : AIM. Yes, in shooting, golf etc.

48. Joy : GLEE. Nene Leakes is/was on Glee.

49. Calls to mind : EVOKES.

51. Some future fliers : PUPAE. larvae, pupae, John loves dem bugs, see below for more.

53. Hint : TIP. Do not try giving your server a hint.

59. Didn't ride : HOOFED IT. Archie Goodwin was always hoofing it from the old brownstone and leaving the Heron in the garage.

61. Hamper : HOGTIE.

62. "... we fat all / creatures __ to fat us": Hamlet : ELSE. I love this scene where the King asks Hamlet where Polonious is, and is told he is at supper, the king asks where Polonious is eating his supper and Hamlet replies:
                                                

Not where he eats, but where he is eaten. A certain convocation of politic worms are e'en at him. Your worm is your only emperor for diet. We fat all creatures else to fat us, and we fat ourselves for maggots. Your fat king and your lean beggar is but variable service—two dishes, but to one table. That’s the end.

63. Roger or Brian of music : ENO. There will alway be music in John's puzzles as there is in his soul.

64. Bundle up on the farm : SHEAVE. A perfect winter misdirection.

65. Speedometer reading, e.g. : RATE.

66. Margarita condimento : SAL. salt in Spanish.
Down:

1. Buster? : NARC. The question mark is your clue to the clu, as it means one who busts.

2. Affirm as true : AVER.

3. Noon in Paris : MIDI. Time for a Midi? Mini or maxi? Skirted that issue.

4. Stands by an artist : EASELS. Only thing I think of

5. Put away : STORE.

6. Folding craft : ORIGAMI.

8. Dovetail sections : TENONS. Spynter, hope you get some rest.

9. Punch line? : OOF. See cartoon.

11. The first Mrs. Arrowsmith : LEORA.

12. Kind of wrench : ALLEN. Actually it is a Hex Key, but Allen manufacturing from Hartford seems to have cornered the market.

14. International commerce components : EXPORTS.

19. Like some picture cards : ONE EYED. I think we had Jacks recently.

21. Gets used (to) : INURES.

25. Land with a red, white and green flag : IRAN. Man there are a lot of them. LINK. I should have paid more attention when watching...

26. Over : ANEW. Starting over- starting anew? Not easy JL.

27. Point sets, in math : LOCI. Bill G., this is all yours.

33. Court : ATRIUM.

35. Time in ads : NITE.

36. Sour fruit : SLOE. Not in a Singapore Sling.

40. Marching band lows : OOMPAHS. Oh those TUBAE! 50D. String quartet part : VIOLA.  two Violins, one cello and a viola. John, an accolpished piano player, teacher and composer always has music.

43. Hill building : CAPITOL.

46. Dramatic devices : ASIDES.

48. Counter man : GEIGER. Har har.  It actually is the Geiger–Müller counter. LINK.

49. It's a real knockout : ETHER. Har har, though knockout drops were Chloral hydrate (please insert intelligent comment scientists).

52. Wahine's greeting : ALOHA.

55. Two-time Atlantic crosser of 1493 : NINA. I did not know this tidbit.

56. __ party : STAG. Most bachelor parties are stag; my first wedding had one but it was boooring.

57. DVR option : TIVO. How are they doing now that cable, dish people provide the DVRs?

58. Adult, at one time : TEEN. Being a teen is 7 years for each of us on the calendar, a lifetime for most males.

60. Commission : FEE. FIE FO FUM.  I finish with an introduction to some of the photography of our multitalented constructor John Lampkin, who takes the best bug pictures even if bugs are yucky. He also offers his commentary. See you after Christmas, Happy Chanukah to those who light the candles. Lemonade out. Here are pictures and words from JL. Thanks for the puzzle and more.

For 51 Across – PUPAE

This Armyworm caterpillar (seen head downwards) had been parasitized by a very tiny braconid wasp. She had stung the caterpillar laying dozens of eggs. The eggs  hatched and the wasp larvae ate the caterpillar from the inside out avoiding all vital organs toward the head end. The wasp larvae then crawled out through the caterpillar’s skin and formed the white fuzzy pupae  sticking out of the caterpillar.  The caterpillar was still alive when I shot the pic. My Florida naturalist friend Karen Finch, bless her,  took everything home in a jar and hatched out the wasps to confirm our ID. Since parasitized larvae like this Armyworm nearly always die, braconid wasps can be an eco-friendly control of garden pests like Tomato Hornworms.

Total lunar eclipse I shot as a time-lapse from my yard at 3:33 am, December 21, 2010. 

From Wikipedia: The eclipse was the first total lunar eclipse to occur on the day of the Northern Winter Solstice (Southern Summer Solstice) since 1638, and only the second in the Common Era. I could have slept in if I had just photographed an orange.

Friday, December 12, 2014, C.C. Burnikel

Theme: Let's Corner the market on old poets.

The good news, my minor in college was English and I took many poetry classes. The bad news, I do not recall titles of anything, books,  poems, songs...This took longer than any Friday in months, and I was so excited to have a C.C. to blog after last week's marti masterpiece. Of course what could bemore fitting than the creator of Crossword Corner creating a puzzle about a Corner.  Each of the four in this puzzle has two very famous poets intersecting by the first or last letter of their last names, with a central reveal, surrounded by four cheater squares to make it a grid-spanner of sorts. The works selected appear to be picked because they are not the most famous work of the author, thereby making this Friday a real work out.
There also is also the confusion of so much long fill that exceeds or equal the length of the theme answers. EVICTED, MEDICAL, NEGLECT , IMPURITY, PAGANINI, RED ADAIR, SIPOWICZ, SMASH HIT, THE ALAMO, LENGTHENS and NESPRESSO.  These mix old and new knowledge.

1A. He wrote "The Eve of St. Agnes" : KEATS. Not his most famous POEM. Poor man died at 25 of TB.
1D. He wrote "Summer of Love" : KILMER. Another POEM I do not know from Joyce who wrote TREES. Kilmer was an American killed in Europe by a sniper's bullet in World War I at age 31.

9A. He wrote "Halloween" : BURNS. Here we go again, another POEM I no nothing about. This Scotsman lasted until he was 37, having father 14 children along the way.
 13D. He wrote "The Cloud" : SHELLEY. Percy Bysshe Shelley was a contemporary of Keats, he wrote this POEM and also died young, at 29 in a sudden storm. His death is the subject of speculation. His second wife was Mary Godwin, who wrote Frankenstein.


40D. He wrote "The Shooting of Dan McGrew" : SERVICE.
67A. He wrote "Ash Wednesday" : ELIOT. I do not this POEM either.


49D. He wrote the "Odes" : HORACE. This is a most famous collection of POEMS.
69A. He wrote the "Convivio" : DANTE. This is an unfinished work which includes POEMS in the books.

and the reveal (hint)
38A. Westminster Abbey attraction, and one of four in this puzzle : POET'S CORNER.

Across:

6. Avid fan : NUT. The online etymology dictionary tells us, "be nutts upon "be very fond of" (1785), which is possibly from nuts (plural noun) "any source of pleasure" (1610s), from nut (q.v.)."

14. "That's it for me!" : I QUIT. A simple but elegant fill with a QU in the middle.

15. Kyrgyzstan city : OSH. Really? Kosh B'Gosh, we live in Osh? Occupational Safety and Health not good enough for C.C.? I do not know the cpountry or the CITY.

16. "My FBI" author Louis : FREEH. I cannot remember the spelling of his name. LINK.

17. Drew : LURED. I could not picture this answer. I wonder if Drew Carey would be popular as Lured Carey.

18. Cohort of Curly : MOE. A CSO to our own Chairman, also 20A. Red Guard leader : MAO.

19. Perch, at times : LEDGE.

21. 1970s radical gp. : SLA. So much hard work, I started with SDS.

23. Literary assortment : ANA. We had this a month ago (11/14/14) and I even can pint to a previous C.C. PUZZLE which used htis fill.

25. The whole shebang : ALL.

26. Peut-__: maybe, in French : ETRE. Perhaps it means maybe.

28. Lace place : EYELET.

30. "Small Wonder" state: Abbr. : DELaware. This was one of those educated guesses that make solving go faster.

31. Five-pound Staples package, typically : REAM of paper. You can do your office workout now.

32. Stellar spectacles : NOVAS. Naturally I started with NOVAE.

33. Show anxiety, in a way : PACE.

34. Music publisher sold to Universal in 2007 : BMG. This says it was sold to SONY in 2008? LINK. Bertelsmann is sill very active.

36. Foreign matter : IMPURITY. Nicely phrased.

40. Blockbuster : SMASH HIT. Dont you love fill that has ___HH__.

42. Backup key : ESC. I think of UNDO.

43. Some hosp. scans : EEGS. ElectroEncephalagrams.

44. Pentathlon equipment : EPEES. One of the five events of the competition.

46. Sundance Film Festival state : UTAH. Robert Redford's home.

50. Nutritional stat. : RDA. Recommended daily allowance.

51. Battery terminals : ANODES. Cathodes anyone?

52. Maker of the Power Max HD snow blower : TORO. Two weeks in a row, one from marti one from C.C., hmmm.

53. Chablis, e.g. : VIN. Please no whining about foreign words, especially after the Coc au vin discussion.

54. Sydney's state: Abbr. : NSW. New South Wales.

55. Rocky hellos : YOS.

XXXXadrieeneXXX

57. Old Egypt-Syr. alliance : UAR. United Arab Republic.

58. Finishing touch of a sort : ICING.

60. Swear words : I DO. And I will very soon.

62. West African capital : ACCRA. Ghana, along woith Nigeria, a hotbed of internet scams.

64. Support aids : CANES.

65. Tough mutt : CUR.

66. Designer Mizrahi : ISAAC.

68. Intro to zoology? : ZEE. I am sure those who live by the ZED hate this clue.


Down:


2. Regard as the same : EQUATE
3. Night light sight : AURORA
4. No-win situation : TIE
5. Mfg. guidelines : STDS
6. Deli request : NOMAYO
7. Private entertainers, briefly? : USO
8. Texas Revolution battle site : THEALAMO
9. A neighbor : BFLAT
10. Script add-on : URE
11. Legendary firefighter : REDADAIR
12. Pay no attention to : NEGLECT

22. Stretches out : LENGTHENS
24. Coffee-making portmanteau : NESPRESSO
27. Raise in relief : EMBOSS
29. Bounced : EVICTED
33. Like jigsaw puzzles : PRECUT
35. "So what" : MEH
37. Young __ : UNS
38. 19th-century Italian violin virtuoso : PAGANINI
39. Franz' "NYPD Blue" role : SIPOWICZ

41. Kind of research : MEDICAL
45. Pooh pal : EEYORE
47. Froot Loops mascot : TOUCAN
48. Ancient docking site : ARARAT

51. Apprehension : ANGST
56. Declared : SAID
59. Recent: Pref. : NEO
61. __ process : DUE
63. Gray side: Abbr. : CSA