Theme: 39A. Extra, and this puzzle's title: ADD ON. "ON" is added to the end of a familiar two word pair to create a new and humorous visual.
20A. Milton Hershey, e.g.?: CHOCOLATE BARON. Milton? The candy bar man, No wonder he got in the candy business,
56A. Segundo matrimonio result, maybe?: SPANISH STEPSON. Did we all understand second marriage? Of course they are in ROME .
10D. Body of brewing rules?: BEER CANON. I love this, both for the pun (we have our Canon of Ethics for Lawyers) and the extended visual BEER CANNON .
35. Ancient Germanic singer?: ALTO SAXON. I also like this one very much, it is also a double play on words with ALTO SAX and ANGLO-SAXONS .
Well hello Friday, it is surprise, surprise, Lemonade before your eyes, with a new day dawning. I am not sure I have seen this constructor before, or maybe only doing a NY Times. Anyway, the theme was easy but fun; though apparent from the very first reveal of BAR ON from the perps, it did not make the clues and answers any less witty, and the rest was easy in places and hard in places, so I guess a Friday. Let’s have it!
Across
1. Mother of Horus: ISIS. Wow, we start with an obscure but common crossword MYTHICAL FIGURE , I always loved Isis because her mother’s name is NUT.
5. Cheap reads: PULPS. People either love or hate cheap FICTION .
10. Divulge: BARE. Do we like the bare MIDRIFF .
14. 1959 British Motor Corp. debut: MINI, and a car semi-clecho, 15A. Last Olds: ALERO. It spawned its own fan club SIGN UP .
16. Ostrich cousins: EMUS are from Australia (right KZ) which is near NZ, and 28A. Fictional tree shepherd: ENT. Amazing visuals of New Zealand, and the March in LORD OF THE RINGS . And we should give equal time to 46D. Brute: OGRE .
17. Routing abbr.: ATTN. Tricky, as most of us thought first of travel routes, rather than routing a letter.
18. Subordinate to: UNDER. Not a very PC use of the word.
19. Give off: EMIT.
23. MPG rating agency: EPA. Environmental Protection Agency.
24. Millennium-ending year: ONE B C. Now this is a topic for debate, when do milienia begin and end? Is this followed by 1 A.D.?
25. E. African nation: ETH. Landlocked ETHIOPIA . Their calendar is 7.5 years off from the Gregorian.
30. Place to see an Audi: STRASSE. German for Street.
34. A.L. player whose team logo includes an Uncle Sam hat: NY YANKEE. For all of those who worship the dark side IMAGE .
37. Got in on a deal: ANTED. A deal of cards, gambling, as opposed to a business deal, like with Bernie Madoff, no gamble at all.
38. Form often requiring an SSN: APPL. Application, one of many abbreviations, such as 42A. Master: Abbr.: ORIG. I guess this comes from the music business where the master recording is the original.
43. Buck parts: CENTS. What is a Buccanear? A very high price for corn.
45. Improve one's bargaining power, in a way: UNIONIZE. OOO, very tempting, but no politics!
47. Radar user: TROOPER. My favorite POLICE FORCE .
50. "Star Trek" sequel, briefly: TNG. The Next Generation, featuring our recent favorite DEANNA TROI . Not to be confused with Star Wars and 2D. Jedi nemesis: SITH .
51. St. crosser, on signs: PED. estrian clue.
52. Yahtzee score sheet row: SIXES. I have played but did not remember this score sheets. You can print them ON LINE .
54. Suffix with ranch: ERO. My favorites IMAGE .
62. Imitation: FAUX. YOU THINK? .
63. Playgroup reminder: SHARE. Like this GROUP .
64. Reference work, usually: TOME .
65. Curly coif: AFRO. No comment IMAGE .
66. Austrian dessert: TORTE. YUMMY .
67. Thought: IDEA. Better than IDEATE.
68. "It's __ fun": BEEN. Damn I wish this had been saved for the end, it is a great exit line.
69. Malibu, for one: SEDAN.
70. Word avoided by optimists: CANT.
DOWN
1. Apple variety: IMAC.
3. Involved with: INTO. Eh, a stretch for me, but reminds me of the line from the movie, Mary: I had this guy leave me a voicemail at work, so I called him at home, and then he emailed me to my BlackBerry, and so I texted to his cell, and now you just have to go around checking all these different portals just to get rejected by seven different technologies. It's exhausting.
4. From that time: SINCE.
5. "She's a Lady" songwriter: PAUL ANKA. But is he a GENTLEMAN ?
6. Radius neighbor: ULNA. Your arm bones.
7. Helped come about: LED TO. The cause and effect of life.
8. Grooms: PREENS.
9. Frozen dessert: SORBET.
11. Gun shop stock: AMMO.
12. Wreck: RUIN.
13. Winter hrs. in N.J.: EST. Who wants to be in NJ in the winter? Oops, sorry Dennis.
21. Not booked: OPEN.
22. Lover of Cal, in "East of Eden": ABRA. Gone so soon CAL .
25. Put on the books: ENACT. A legislative intent.
26. Blood __ :TYPER. This was all perps, otherwise I would have had no idea.
27. Therapy lead-in: HYPNO. Kind of a pun.
29. Rocker Nugent: TED. I liked him better for his MUSIC
31. Comic unit: STRIP. Nice juxtaposition with 32. Jump on, as an opportunity: SEIZE, right ladies.
33. Beat by a bit: EDGED.
36. http://mit.__: EDU. I guess the small letters are to keep you from realizing it was Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
40. Man.and Minn. neighbor: ONT. Ontario, Canada. More abbreviations, but gimmes for our northern contingent.
41. What an apostrophe may stand for, in dates: NINETEEN. ‘30s, ‘40s
44. Reinterpret, in a way: SPIN. A true American CREATION .
48. Is: EXISTS. Cogito Ergo Sum.
49. Work on hooves: RESHOE. Anyone seen Secretariat yet? I think it came out today.
53. Pottery piece: SHARD. My son digs for shards.
55. Sight-related: OPTIC. The nerve of him to use this clue.
56. Protected: SAFE. Yes boys and girls, always be safe, and stay 57D. Not corrupted: PURE.
58. Madrid miss:Abbr.: SRTA. Senorita, I have not counted the abbreviations, but gee.
59. Club __: SODA. Great to take out stains.
60. Comet, to some: OMEN. Classic MOVIE .
61. Tidy: NEAT. Which is also pretty 62D. "Cool!": FAB.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Buy low, sell high
Theme: 60. Sign of corporate success, and a literal hint to the puzzle theme found in 18-, 20-, 33-, 42- and 56-Across: STOCK SPLIT, this is when the shares of a publically traded company become so expensive, the company splits the shares to lower the price, so instead of one $100.00 share, you would have 2 $50.00 shares. Each of the five theme answers have the word STOCK wrapped around the answer.
18. Hurricane zone: STORM TRACK. No hurricane, but we do have a TROPICAL DEPRESSION bringing us flooding by the time you all are reading this; eerie.
20. Unflappable: STEADY AS A ROCK. Steady enough ladies? IMAGE .
33. "Time out!": STOP THE CLOCK. I remember this SHOW better. My mother was on the radio with Bud Collyer during the 1939 .World’s Fair. Which is ironic because we have
45A. 1970 World's Fair site: OSAKA. All you missed is HERE .
42. Dismay at the dealer: STICKER SHOCK. It is not just cars, but many BILLS .
56. Sprinter's device: STARTING BLOCK. Okay I ran out of ideas.
Happy Wednesday, and Happy Birthday to my number two son; what a great present, a Dan Naddor, with six theme related answers and 69 letters of themeage.
For all you newbies, Dan will always be very special to us, both for his wit and his courage. And of course his prolific puzzle publications.
He really loved to trick so many ways, with the most common the run on answer, where if you see a partial fill, you will think you made a mistake because the letters cannot be in the same word; today’s examples:
24A. __ in November: N AS. This has nothing to do with the rapper, just the letter that begins the word.
28A. Alternatively: IF NOT. Yes, F and N can be next to each other.
50A. Polite oater response: YES'M. I was an extra once in a movie starring JOHNNY CRAWFORD , and Victoria PRINCIPAL .
66A. Prayer opening: O LORD. Reminds me of this MOVIE .
1D. Appends: ADDS ON. Not to be confused with this PENDS .
9D. Not digressing: ON TOPIC. This is so big in classrooms these days, I am told; the kids must stay on topic; not me, I am afraid, I love digressing. Last evening, we had someone come in for an interview…
48D. Oregon State's conf.: PAC TEN. Off to a great start with Oregon, Stanford and USC all playing well and UCLA stunning Texas. OSU (the one in Oregon) did not do so well on the blue turf, though.
52D. He rid Ire. of snakes, as the legend goes: ST PAT. Notice how Dan just tells you it is an abbreviation by referencing IRE.
56D_ speak: SO TO. I thought of sotto voce.
Anyway, time to tackle the rest of the puzzle; sorry I am being so long winded, but Dan stokes me.
Across
1. Hitchcock's wife and collaborator: ALMA. Man what a way to start, I did not recall this Mrs. H. . I think I will read the book their daughter wrote.
5. Floater with a ladder: RAFT. The miracles of technology; right GEORGE .
9. Garnish on a toothpick: OLIVE. Does everybody use Vodka now for their DRINK .
14. Radio tuner: DIAL. No soap, I had trouble with this one; I guess it was too easy.
15. Peace Prize city: OSLO. For our Norwegian members, a reminder plug.
16. Kind of spray: NASAL. Also my ex-girlfriend, ick.
17. Ringing sound: DONG. A very versatile WORD .
22. Playful swimmer: OTTER. Ah the MEMORIES .
23. Craft: SHIP.
25. Bodybuilder's pride: ABS. What you think LADIES ?
37. TV ad-skipping aid: TIVO.
40. "M*A*S*H" role: RADAR.
41. Palo __, Calif.: ALTO. Home of Stanford (PAC TEN) and the last Super Bowl the Dolphins played, and the only one with Dan Marino. We were there, sad.
46. Hearth burn consequence: ASH. I do not get this clue, and all I could think off was THIS BURN .
47. Jacuzzi, e.g.: SPA. Like Kleenex and Jello, a product name that became the product. Did you know it was the name of the family who invented it?
54. Destroyer destroyer: UBOAT. Really fun clue, and fine FILM .
62. Con: ANTI.
63. Supple: LITHE. Like THESE .
64. Cornerstone word: ANNO. In the cement in the corner of the building, the YEAR it was built, part of the never ending Latin lesson of CW, which includes 39D. By way of: VIA.
65. Spotted: SEEN. I was thinking Leopards.
67. Ball holders: TEES. Geez, this and DONG in one puzzle.
68. Coastal raptors: ERNS. This bird has flown through often lately.
Down:
2. Ray of "GoodFellas": LIOTTA. I have seen this Movie 35 times, as one of the Lufthansa Gang became a client.
3. Some Musée d'Orsay works: MANETS. Love pretty PICTURES .
4. Pool problem: ALGAE. Our problem is the sumbitch Iguana who sneaks out to poop in de pool.
5. Optimistic: ROSY. “If we could all wear green glasses, it would not be so hard to see the grass would always be greener in our own back yard.”
6. "The Thin Man" pooch: ASTA. A true Hollywood STAR .
7. Dentist's suggestion: FLOSS. My cousin flosses so much, she always has some hanging off of her.
8. Holy scroll: TORAH. Tonight is the last night of Sukkhot. Happy Holiday.
10. Prix de __ de Triomphe: annual horse race: L'ARC. Now this is deceptive, most of us would get Arc de Triomphe right away, but make it a horse race, and the puzzle becomes a horse race.
11. Writer Dinesen: ISAK. I never heard of this woman (yes, woman) but h=she has some great QUOTES .
12. Shop cleaner, briefly: VAC.
13. Caribou kin: ELK. Hmm, are they YUMMY ?
19. Diagnostic proc.: MRI. Another clue abbr.
21. "Shoot!": DRAT. One of my favorite words, another of those Brit words that hides the blasphemy WORDS .
26. Drag: BORE. You like THIS .
27. Joust verbally: SPAR.
29. Strong criticism: FLAK. I like it, and don’t give me any….
30. Mardi Gras city's Amtrak code: NOL. I do not think anyone memorizes Amtrak codes. But the airport there is MSY; know why?
31. Trick-or-treat mo.: OCT. Another abbr.
32. Bout stopper, for short: TKO.
33. Wallop: SOCK. This fists in nicely in a puzzle filled with STOCK.
34. NFL scores: TDS.
35. "That's a riot—not": HA HA. Go ahead and Google derisive laughter, my my.
36. Cupid, to the Greeks: EROS.
37. General associated with chicken: TSO. Time to LEARN .
38. "__ a date!": IT’S. Maybe save your LIFE .
43. Negotiated white water, perhaps: KAYAKED.
44. Thick-bodied fish: CHUB. Talk about live and LEARN MORE .
47. One vis-à-vis two: SOONER. Less? Normal? Some hidden FRENCH .
49. Diet doctor: ATKINS.
51. Med. drama sets: ERS. Ah yes, another GEORGE .
53. Pooh's creator: MILNE.
55. Unimpressed: BLASE. You get TWO .
57. Freq. test giver: TCHR. Another abbr., but really?
58. Prime-time time: NINE.
59. Pontiac muscle cars: GTOS. Dennis, is this REAL .
60. Road warning: SLO.
61. Up to, in ads: TIL.
Way too much, but like the puzzle, I rambled. So hello and see you all later.
18. Hurricane zone: STORM TRACK. No hurricane, but we do have a TROPICAL DEPRESSION bringing us flooding by the time you all are reading this; eerie.
20. Unflappable: STEADY AS A ROCK. Steady enough ladies? IMAGE .
33. "Time out!": STOP THE CLOCK. I remember this SHOW better. My mother was on the radio with Bud Collyer during the 1939 .World’s Fair. Which is ironic because we have
45A. 1970 World's Fair site: OSAKA. All you missed is HERE .
42. Dismay at the dealer: STICKER SHOCK. It is not just cars, but many BILLS .
56. Sprinter's device: STARTING BLOCK. Okay I ran out of ideas.
Happy Wednesday, and Happy Birthday to my number two son; what a great present, a Dan Naddor, with six theme related answers and 69 letters of themeage.
For all you newbies, Dan will always be very special to us, both for his wit and his courage. And of course his prolific puzzle publications.
He really loved to trick so many ways, with the most common the run on answer, where if you see a partial fill, you will think you made a mistake because the letters cannot be in the same word; today’s examples:
24A. __ in November: N AS. This has nothing to do with the rapper, just the letter that begins the word.
28A. Alternatively: IF NOT. Yes, F and N can be next to each other.
50A. Polite oater response: YES'M. I was an extra once in a movie starring JOHNNY CRAWFORD , and Victoria PRINCIPAL .
66A. Prayer opening: O LORD. Reminds me of this MOVIE .
1D. Appends: ADDS ON. Not to be confused with this PENDS .
9D. Not digressing: ON TOPIC. This is so big in classrooms these days, I am told; the kids must stay on topic; not me, I am afraid, I love digressing. Last evening, we had someone come in for an interview…
48D. Oregon State's conf.: PAC TEN. Off to a great start with Oregon, Stanford and USC all playing well and UCLA stunning Texas. OSU (the one in Oregon) did not do so well on the blue turf, though.
52D. He rid Ire. of snakes, as the legend goes: ST PAT. Notice how Dan just tells you it is an abbreviation by referencing IRE.
56D_ speak: SO TO. I thought of sotto voce.
Anyway, time to tackle the rest of the puzzle; sorry I am being so long winded, but Dan stokes me.
Across
1. Hitchcock's wife and collaborator: ALMA. Man what a way to start, I did not recall this Mrs. H. . I think I will read the book their daughter wrote.
5. Floater with a ladder: RAFT. The miracles of technology; right GEORGE .
9. Garnish on a toothpick: OLIVE. Does everybody use Vodka now for their DRINK .
14. Radio tuner: DIAL. No soap, I had trouble with this one; I guess it was too easy.
15. Peace Prize city: OSLO. For our Norwegian members, a reminder plug.
16. Kind of spray: NASAL. Also my ex-girlfriend, ick.
17. Ringing sound: DONG. A very versatile WORD .
22. Playful swimmer: OTTER. Ah the MEMORIES .
23. Craft: SHIP.
25. Bodybuilder's pride: ABS. What you think LADIES ?
37. TV ad-skipping aid: TIVO.
40. "M*A*S*H" role: RADAR.
41. Palo __, Calif.: ALTO. Home of Stanford (PAC TEN) and the last Super Bowl the Dolphins played, and the only one with Dan Marino. We were there, sad.
46. Hearth burn consequence: ASH. I do not get this clue, and all I could think off was THIS BURN .
47. Jacuzzi, e.g.: SPA. Like Kleenex and Jello, a product name that became the product. Did you know it was the name of the family who invented it?
54. Destroyer destroyer: UBOAT. Really fun clue, and fine FILM .
62. Con: ANTI.
63. Supple: LITHE. Like THESE .
64. Cornerstone word: ANNO. In the cement in the corner of the building, the YEAR it was built, part of the never ending Latin lesson of CW, which includes 39D. By way of: VIA.
65. Spotted: SEEN. I was thinking Leopards.
67. Ball holders: TEES. Geez, this and DONG in one puzzle.
68. Coastal raptors: ERNS. This bird has flown through often lately.
Down:
2. Ray of "GoodFellas": LIOTTA. I have seen this Movie 35 times, as one of the Lufthansa Gang became a client.
3. Some Musée d'Orsay works: MANETS. Love pretty PICTURES .
4. Pool problem: ALGAE. Our problem is the sumbitch Iguana who sneaks out to poop in de pool.
5. Optimistic: ROSY. “If we could all wear green glasses, it would not be so hard to see the grass would always be greener in our own back yard.”
6. "The Thin Man" pooch: ASTA. A true Hollywood STAR .
7. Dentist's suggestion: FLOSS. My cousin flosses so much, she always has some hanging off of her.
8. Holy scroll: TORAH. Tonight is the last night of Sukkhot. Happy Holiday.
10. Prix de __ de Triomphe: annual horse race: L'ARC. Now this is deceptive, most of us would get Arc de Triomphe right away, but make it a horse race, and the puzzle becomes a horse race.
11. Writer Dinesen: ISAK. I never heard of this woman (yes, woman) but h=she has some great QUOTES .
12. Shop cleaner, briefly: VAC.
13. Caribou kin: ELK. Hmm, are they YUMMY ?
19. Diagnostic proc.: MRI. Another clue abbr.
21. "Shoot!": DRAT. One of my favorite words, another of those Brit words that hides the blasphemy WORDS .
26. Drag: BORE. You like THIS .
27. Joust verbally: SPAR.
29. Strong criticism: FLAK. I like it, and don’t give me any….
30. Mardi Gras city's Amtrak code: NOL. I do not think anyone memorizes Amtrak codes. But the airport there is MSY; know why?
31. Trick-or-treat mo.: OCT. Another abbr.
32. Bout stopper, for short: TKO.
33. Wallop: SOCK. This fists in nicely in a puzzle filled with STOCK.
34. NFL scores: TDS.
35. "That's a riot—not": HA HA. Go ahead and Google derisive laughter, my my.
36. Cupid, to the Greeks: EROS.
37. General associated with chicken: TSO. Time to LEARN .
38. "__ a date!": IT’S. Maybe save your LIFE .
43. Negotiated white water, perhaps: KAYAKED.
44. Thick-bodied fish: CHUB. Talk about live and LEARN MORE .
47. One vis-à-vis two: SOONER. Less? Normal? Some hidden FRENCH .
49. Diet doctor: ATKINS.
51. Med. drama sets: ERS. Ah yes, another GEORGE .
53. Pooh's creator: MILNE.
55. Unimpressed: BLASE. You get TWO .
57. Freq. test giver: TCHR. Another abbr., but really?
58. Prime-time time: NINE.
59. Pontiac muscle cars: GTOS. Dennis, is this REAL .
60. Road warning: SLO.
61. Up to, in ads: TIL.
Way too much, but like the puzzle, I rambled. So hello and see you all later.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
ICED IN
Theme: ICED IN is in the middle of four clues, each with the first word ending in ICE and the second beginning with D, as well as being the answer to the unifier. 48. Stranded at the ski lodge, perhaps, and a hint to this puzzle's hidden theme: ICED IN.
16. What b.i.d. means, in prescriptions: TWICE DAILY. It comes from are old friend Latin, BIS IN DIE.
26. Some rear entrances: SERVICE DOORS. When I was a kid, I worked in a grocery store unloading the trucks through the back door.
44. The first official one was November 11, 1919: ARMISTICE DAY. The end of World War I, which became a holiday in 1938 and was changed to VETERAN’S DAY to acknowledge those who served in later wars.
59. Many are German shepherds: POLICE DOGS. I wonder if the GERMAN connection with the war was intentional.
Happy Hump Day all, Lemonade here; I thought this was pretty difficult puzzle, from one of our regular constructors, MIKE PELUSO who told C.C., this letters in the middle theme, is his go to grid. I often would do the puns and anagrams from the London Times with my mother, and the third type of fill was recognizing words created by other words running together, so the theme was obvious, even before the reveal, but I found much of the fill hard.
Across
1. "Mamma Mia!" group: ABBA. What do you all think of the movie?
5. Social rebuff: SNUB. For our Norwegian followers, this term is mid-14c., "to check, reprove, rebuke," from Old Norse, snubba "to curse, scold, reprove. Also 29D. Chief Valhalla god: ODIN.
9. Tunesmith Porter: COLE. How about a little FRED and GINGER doing one of his standards.
13. Hang-glide, say: SOAR. And 45D. Wax-winged flier of myth: ICARUS, along with dad DEADALUS. Glided too high.
14. RL and TL automaker: ACURA. I have a friend who will not drive anything else, but they seem just okay to me.
15. Top: APEX.
18. Masters champ between Fuzzy and Tom: SEVE. Fuzzy Zoeller won his only- Masters in 1979, Tom Watson won his second in 1981, leaving Seve Ballesteros to win his first of two in 1980; obscure if you do not love golf, but a great tournament.
19. ___ spill: OIL. Bad taste after the BP mess? With 34D. 19-Across holder: DRUM.
20. When Good Friday occurs: LENT. And what do our Catholics all give up?
21. Like citrus juices: ACIDIC.
23. Many a realty deal: RESALE.
25. North African port: ORAN. We just had this about two weeks ago, clued then as ALGERIAN SEAPORT, otherwise I would never have known.
32. Garage, perhaps: ADD ON.
35. Minuscule bits: IOTAS. And 64A. Seat of Allen County, Kansas: IOLA. This is actually a common clue in the NY Times, but I thought it was a tough cross with 50D. Brit's fireplace: INGLE, which I only have heard of from INGLENOOK.
36. Dover is its cap.: DEL. Delaware, cap. Is an abbr., so the ans. is one as well.
37. Feudal laborer: SERF.
38. "__ clear day ..." : ON A. YOU CAN SEE FOREVER .
39. Beatles girl who paid the dinner bill: RITA. A WAG, but it is their in the LYRICS .
40. __ de vie: brandy: EAU. Literally, the water of life. This fruity brandy is not aged in a wooden cask, so it remain CLEAR .
41. Singer K.T.: OSLIN. NO CLUE .
43. Eye or ear follower: CANDY. Ear Candy??? Huh?
47. Detective fond of aphorisms : CHAN. Who did you like better Warner Oland, or SIDNEY TOLER ?
52. Deep bow: SALAAM. Part of the Islamic RITUAL .
55. Wild party: BASH.
57. Transfer __ : RNA. Back once more.
58. Dubai leader: EMIR.
62. Pull-down item: MENU. No, not your pants.
63. Still-life subjects: EWERS. VASE , is this a Wednesday word?
65. Tees off: IRKS. Sadly, I do not play often enough, so teeing off does irk.
66. Like morning grass: DEWY.
67. Kadett automaker: OPEL. Also a somewhat obscure reference to an out of service car, but one that kept resurfacing IMAGE .
Down:
1. Fur giant: ASTOR. JOHN JACOB there is much written about this family; I enjoyed Gore Vidal’s books on the growth of America, from BIRR on.
2. Knife named for a frontiersman : BOWIE. One of the many brave men who died at the ALAMO .
3. Gets water out of: BAILS.
4. Softball pitch path: ARC.
5. CAT procedure: SCAN. CUTE .
6. Jour's opposite: NUIT. Our French Day and Night lesson; I always feel more french at night.
7. Link letters: URL.
8. San Francisco and environs: BAY AREA.
9. Vegas attraction: CASINO. There is so much more there TO DO .
10. Page with views: OP ED.
11. __ Johnston, former fiancé of Bristol Palin: LEVI; talk about trying to stretch his 15 minutes.
12. Corp. VIP: EXEC.
14. Like __ in the headlights: A DEER.
17. Sitcom with a coming-out episode: ELLEN, and she keeps on. Oprah is taking her audience to Australia, with John Travolta flying the plane.
22. Slimeballs: CADS.
24. Dating from: AS OF.
25. Pump figure: OCTANE.
27. Benny's instrument: VIOLIN; a great Humanitarian.
28. Greek column style: IONIC.
30. On Soc. Sec., maybe: RETD; again the abbreviation determines the answer.
31. Off, so to speak: SLAY. A new word and an old one.
32. On the briny: ASEA.
33. Letter starter: DEAR.
39. Martha of comedy: RAYE. SLAPSTICK QUEEN .
41. Workers' protection gp.:OSHA.
42. Ready to mail :STAMPED.
43. Stashed supply:CACHE.
46. Frisbees, e.g. :DISCS. We recently alluded to WFDF .
49. Slump:DROOP.
51. Like a cold sufferer's voice:NASAL; every time I blog, the puzzle hits home, and I have a cold today.
52. Weigh station rig:SEMI.
53. AKC part: Abbr.:AMER. Okay another abbreviation, enough already.
54. Sausage unit:LINK.
55. Lost, as a big lead:BLEW. Oh, oh, putting these two clues together is dangerous.
56. Open to breezes:AIRY.
60. Have obligations:OWE.
61. Giovanni's god:DIO. Equal time for our Italian speakers.
\ Well another Wednesday in the books, I hope you enjoy this effort; I think it will take a bit longer than the last two days. Until next time, your humble servant, L714.
Happy Birthday Megan.
16. What b.i.d. means, in prescriptions: TWICE DAILY. It comes from are old friend Latin, BIS IN DIE.
26. Some rear entrances: SERVICE DOORS. When I was a kid, I worked in a grocery store unloading the trucks through the back door.
44. The first official one was November 11, 1919: ARMISTICE DAY. The end of World War I, which became a holiday in 1938 and was changed to VETERAN’S DAY to acknowledge those who served in later wars.
59. Many are German shepherds: POLICE DOGS. I wonder if the GERMAN connection with the war was intentional.
Happy Hump Day all, Lemonade here; I thought this was pretty difficult puzzle, from one of our regular constructors, MIKE PELUSO who told C.C., this letters in the middle theme, is his go to grid. I often would do the puns and anagrams from the London Times with my mother, and the third type of fill was recognizing words created by other words running together, so the theme was obvious, even before the reveal, but I found much of the fill hard.
Across
1. "Mamma Mia!" group: ABBA. What do you all think of the movie?
5. Social rebuff: SNUB. For our Norwegian followers, this term is mid-14c., "to check, reprove, rebuke," from Old Norse, snubba "to curse, scold, reprove. Also 29D. Chief Valhalla god: ODIN.
9. Tunesmith Porter: COLE. How about a little FRED and GINGER doing one of his standards.
13. Hang-glide, say: SOAR. And 45D. Wax-winged flier of myth: ICARUS, along with dad DEADALUS. Glided too high.
14. RL and TL automaker: ACURA. I have a friend who will not drive anything else, but they seem just okay to me.
15. Top: APEX.
18. Masters champ between Fuzzy and Tom: SEVE. Fuzzy Zoeller won his only- Masters in 1979, Tom Watson won his second in 1981, leaving Seve Ballesteros to win his first of two in 1980; obscure if you do not love golf, but a great tournament.
19. ___ spill: OIL. Bad taste after the BP mess? With 34D. 19-Across holder: DRUM.
20. When Good Friday occurs: LENT. And what do our Catholics all give up?
21. Like citrus juices: ACIDIC.
23. Many a realty deal: RESALE.
25. North African port: ORAN. We just had this about two weeks ago, clued then as ALGERIAN SEAPORT, otherwise I would never have known.
32. Garage, perhaps: ADD ON.
35. Minuscule bits: IOTAS. And 64A. Seat of Allen County, Kansas: IOLA. This is actually a common clue in the NY Times, but I thought it was a tough cross with 50D. Brit's fireplace: INGLE, which I only have heard of from INGLENOOK.
36. Dover is its cap.: DEL. Delaware, cap. Is an abbr., so the ans. is one as well.
37. Feudal laborer: SERF.
38. "__ clear day ..." : ON A. YOU CAN SEE FOREVER .
39. Beatles girl who paid the dinner bill: RITA. A WAG, but it is their in the LYRICS .
40. __ de vie: brandy: EAU. Literally, the water of life. This fruity brandy is not aged in a wooden cask, so it remain CLEAR .
41. Singer K.T.: OSLIN. NO CLUE .
43. Eye or ear follower: CANDY. Ear Candy??? Huh?
47. Detective fond of aphorisms : CHAN. Who did you like better Warner Oland, or SIDNEY TOLER ?
52. Deep bow: SALAAM. Part of the Islamic RITUAL .
55. Wild party: BASH.
57. Transfer __ : RNA. Back once more.
58. Dubai leader: EMIR.
62. Pull-down item: MENU. No, not your pants.
63. Still-life subjects: EWERS. VASE , is this a Wednesday word?
65. Tees off: IRKS. Sadly, I do not play often enough, so teeing off does irk.
66. Like morning grass: DEWY.
67. Kadett automaker: OPEL. Also a somewhat obscure reference to an out of service car, but one that kept resurfacing IMAGE .
Down:
1. Fur giant: ASTOR. JOHN JACOB there is much written about this family; I enjoyed Gore Vidal’s books on the growth of America, from BIRR on.
2. Knife named for a frontiersman : BOWIE. One of the many brave men who died at the ALAMO .
3. Gets water out of: BAILS.
4. Softball pitch path: ARC.
5. CAT procedure: SCAN. CUTE .
6. Jour's opposite: NUIT. Our French Day and Night lesson; I always feel more french at night.
7. Link letters: URL.
8. San Francisco and environs: BAY AREA.
9. Vegas attraction: CASINO. There is so much more there TO DO .
10. Page with views: OP ED.
11. __ Johnston, former fiancé of Bristol Palin: LEVI; talk about trying to stretch his 15 minutes.
12. Corp. VIP: EXEC.
14. Like __ in the headlights: A DEER.
17. Sitcom with a coming-out episode: ELLEN, and she keeps on. Oprah is taking her audience to Australia, with John Travolta flying the plane.
22. Slimeballs: CADS.
24. Dating from: AS OF.
25. Pump figure: OCTANE.
27. Benny's instrument: VIOLIN; a great Humanitarian.
28. Greek column style: IONIC.
30. On Soc. Sec., maybe: RETD; again the abbreviation determines the answer.
31. Off, so to speak: SLAY. A new word and an old one.
32. On the briny: ASEA.
33. Letter starter: DEAR.
39. Martha of comedy: RAYE. SLAPSTICK QUEEN .
41. Workers' protection gp.:OSHA.
42. Ready to mail :STAMPED.
43. Stashed supply:CACHE.
46. Frisbees, e.g. :DISCS. We recently alluded to WFDF .
49. Slump:DROOP.
51. Like a cold sufferer's voice:NASAL; every time I blog, the puzzle hits home, and I have a cold today.
52. Weigh station rig:SEMI.
53. AKC part: Abbr.:AMER. Okay another abbreviation, enough already.
54. Sausage unit:LINK.
55. Lost, as a big lead:BLEW. Oh, oh, putting these two clues together is dangerous.
56. Open to breezes:AIRY.
60. Have obligations:OWE.
61. Giovanni's god:DIO. Equal time for our Italian speakers.
\ Well another Wednesday in the books, I hope you enjoy this effort; I think it will take a bit longer than the last two days. Until next time, your humble servant, L714.
Happy Birthday Megan.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
The Theme is the PUN NEXT DOOR; each of the four theme clues are answered literally, describing things which are not far apart, but which provide a new phrase which is a common expression in the language.
17. Young woman next door?: NEAR MISS, perhaps this ONE .
24. Adjoining floor?: TOUCHING STORY. In addition to SHADOWLANDS watch another true story, THE BLIND SIDE .
53. Proximate coins?: CLOSE QUARTERS. For all you city people, there is always a SUBWAY RIDE .
66. Chess piece within reach?: HANDY MAN, since I do not have access to pictures of Windhover, would you settle for HIM ?
Happy September all, and it is the return of Lemonade and Mark Bickham, who has started to appear as a regular contributor, and whose last puzzle was the first puzzle blogged by C.C. as an American citizen.
To me this puzzle was a contradiction, with many new words, and almost a pangram, but also lots of three and four letter fill. This is the nature of the puzzle, I guess, somewhere there is sacrifice.
ACROSS:
1. Energy: ZIP. A “Z” in the first word, a hint at a scrabbly puzzle that is missing only the letter J, hmmm. J?
4. It's an example of itself: ABBR. very clever.
8. Pure: CHASTE. They are often chased, and need to remember to use PROTECTION . Which kind of fits with 59A. Loosen, as laces: UNTIE.
14. Suffix with verb: OSE.
15. "Star Trek: T.N.G." counselor : TROI. DEANNE was on The Next Generation.
16. Bring about sooner: HASTEN. When I was little, one of the torments of my little friends was this fine poetic turn, “Hasten Jason, get the Basin; Oops, Plop, Get the Mop.”
19. Green light: ASSENT. What you do not get from the CHASTE girl above.
20. Architect Saarinen: EERO.
21. Earth pigment : OCHER. From the Greek, meaning yellow.
23. Hide-hair link: NOR. Never understood the phrase.
28. Fireside emanation: WARMTH. Do things ever really change FIRESIDE CHAT ?
30. "__ me!": DEAR.
31. '50s White House nickname: IKE.
32. Certain fisherman: EELER.
35. Annoys: MIFFS.
39. __ Piper: PIED. Loved the 60s .
41. Police sting, say: SETUP.
43. Grimace: MOUE, which rhymes with 44. Happen as a result: ENSUE, which follows.
46. "Who Can It __?": Men at Work hit: BE NOW and of course the 80s.
48. Exhaust, with "up": USE.
49. [see other side]: OVER. So simple, but also clever.
51. Brought up: REARED.
58. Spell: HEX. Did anyone see the MOVIE ?
60. Emerald City visitor: TOTO. My ex-wife owned a Cairn terrier, who could have been the stunt double. Yes, she called him TOTO; I said she was my ex!
63. List of things to discuss: AGENDA.
68. Dividend, e.g.: PAYOUT.
69. Germany's von Bismarck: OTTO. An underappreciated historic LEADER .
70. Letter opener?: ELL. Did anyone fall for this old trick?
71. "When a Man Loves a Woman" singer Percy __ : SLEDGE. Oh yes, this is a SONG .
72. Insolence: SASS.
73. Generous limit?: SKY. Not sure why it is generous, but certainly ambitious.
DOWN:
1. Area: ZONE.
2. "Got it" : I SEE.
3. Bosc sources : PEAR TREES. Which come near by 6D. "The Garden of Earthly Delights" artist: BOSCH, who 600 or so years ago saw lots of nakedness in his Eden, but no partridges.
4. 24-hr. cash source: ATM. I had trouble with this one, because around my house the three letter word that fits is DAD.
5. French breads: BRIOCHES. If you want, here is a RECIPE .
7. Hindu poet: RISHI. This was my lesson for the day. HISTORY .
8. Old battlefield shout: CHARGE. Old? Still very common at the war zone called the mall.
9. Is suffering from: HAS.
10. Beast of burden: ASS. Okay, I will control myself.
11. Court figure: STENO; I was thinking more along these lines after watching the US Open CENTER COURT .
12. Pavarotti, notably: TENOR. Sometimes my brain is crooked, but my first thought was OBESE, sorry Luciano.
13. Datebook notation: ENTRY.
18. Part of a Clue accusation: ROOM. I amy be the world’s best Clue player.
22. Football play also called a sweep: END RUN; which is balanced nicely by 33. Charles __, major decorator of the Palace of Versailles : LEBRUN, of whom I had no knowledge.
25. Adaptable truck, for short: UTE. Oh, sure, I am going to out my UTE and convert it back.
26. "Casablanca" pianist: SAM. So BEAUTIFUL .
27. Request to a barber: TRIM.
28. Use a napkin on: WIPE, good thing we did have than next to 10D.
29. Like, with "to" : A KIN, not CLAY .
34. Somme season: ETE.
36. Links groups: FOURSOMES. Don’t tell me I am the only one who thought of THESE .
37. A hothead has a short one: FUSE.
38. Future plant: SEED.
40. Couples: DUOS. After foursomes, I wanted FRED.
42. Omens: PORTENTS, not to be confused with 56D. Pal of Porthos: ATHOS.
45. "The Three Faces of __": 1957 film : EVE.
47. Very small: WEE.
50. Treat as the same: EQUATE.
52. Affectedly cultured: ARTY.
53. Biker leggings: CHAPS.
54. Corporate department: LEGAL. Okay, one clue for me.
55. Daisy variety: OXEYE. This is more properly knows as Leucanthemum vulgare, which does not sound very PRETTY .
57. Calf catcher: RIATA.
61. Chitchat:TALK.
62. Part of SRO: ONLY.
64. Doze: NOD.
65. Grooved on: DUG.
67. Elaborate affairs: DOS.
Well I am outta here; like they say in Florida Click It or Ticket. Ciao
17. Young woman next door?: NEAR MISS, perhaps this ONE .
24. Adjoining floor?: TOUCHING STORY. In addition to SHADOWLANDS watch another true story, THE BLIND SIDE .
53. Proximate coins?: CLOSE QUARTERS. For all you city people, there is always a SUBWAY RIDE .
66. Chess piece within reach?: HANDY MAN, since I do not have access to pictures of Windhover, would you settle for HIM ?
Happy September all, and it is the return of Lemonade and Mark Bickham, who has started to appear as a regular contributor, and whose last puzzle was the first puzzle blogged by C.C. as an American citizen.
To me this puzzle was a contradiction, with many new words, and almost a pangram, but also lots of three and four letter fill. This is the nature of the puzzle, I guess, somewhere there is sacrifice.
ACROSS:
1. Energy: ZIP. A “Z” in the first word, a hint at a scrabbly puzzle that is missing only the letter J, hmmm. J?
4. It's an example of itself: ABBR. very clever.
8. Pure: CHASTE. They are often chased, and need to remember to use PROTECTION . Which kind of fits with 59A. Loosen, as laces: UNTIE.
14. Suffix with verb: OSE.
15. "Star Trek: T.N.G." counselor : TROI. DEANNE was on The Next Generation.
16. Bring about sooner: HASTEN. When I was little, one of the torments of my little friends was this fine poetic turn, “Hasten Jason, get the Basin; Oops, Plop, Get the Mop.”
19. Green light: ASSENT. What you do not get from the CHASTE girl above.
20. Architect Saarinen: EERO.
21. Earth pigment : OCHER. From the Greek, meaning yellow.
23. Hide-hair link: NOR. Never understood the phrase.
28. Fireside emanation: WARMTH. Do things ever really change FIRESIDE CHAT ?
30. "__ me!": DEAR.
31. '50s White House nickname: IKE.
32. Certain fisherman: EELER.
35. Annoys: MIFFS.
39. __ Piper: PIED. Loved the 60s .
41. Police sting, say: SETUP.
43. Grimace: MOUE, which rhymes with 44. Happen as a result: ENSUE, which follows.
46. "Who Can It __?": Men at Work hit: BE NOW and of course the 80s.
48. Exhaust, with "up": USE.
49. [see other side]: OVER. So simple, but also clever.
51. Brought up: REARED.
58. Spell: HEX. Did anyone see the MOVIE ?
60. Emerald City visitor: TOTO. My ex-wife owned a Cairn terrier, who could have been the stunt double. Yes, she called him TOTO; I said she was my ex!
63. List of things to discuss: AGENDA.
68. Dividend, e.g.: PAYOUT.
69. Germany's von Bismarck: OTTO. An underappreciated historic LEADER .
70. Letter opener?: ELL. Did anyone fall for this old trick?
71. "When a Man Loves a Woman" singer Percy __ : SLEDGE. Oh yes, this is a SONG .
72. Insolence: SASS.
73. Generous limit?: SKY. Not sure why it is generous, but certainly ambitious.
DOWN:
1. Area: ZONE.
2. "Got it" : I SEE.
3. Bosc sources : PEAR TREES. Which come near by 6D. "The Garden of Earthly Delights" artist: BOSCH, who 600 or so years ago saw lots of nakedness in his Eden, but no partridges.
4. 24-hr. cash source: ATM. I had trouble with this one, because around my house the three letter word that fits is DAD.
5. French breads: BRIOCHES. If you want, here is a RECIPE .
7. Hindu poet: RISHI. This was my lesson for the day. HISTORY .
8. Old battlefield shout: CHARGE. Old? Still very common at the war zone called the mall.
9. Is suffering from: HAS.
10. Beast of burden: ASS. Okay, I will control myself.
11. Court figure: STENO; I was thinking more along these lines after watching the US Open CENTER COURT .
12. Pavarotti, notably: TENOR. Sometimes my brain is crooked, but my first thought was OBESE, sorry Luciano.
13. Datebook notation: ENTRY.
18. Part of a Clue accusation: ROOM. I amy be the world’s best Clue player.
22. Football play also called a sweep: END RUN; which is balanced nicely by 33. Charles __, major decorator of the Palace of Versailles : LEBRUN, of whom I had no knowledge.
25. Adaptable truck, for short: UTE. Oh, sure, I am going to out my UTE and convert it back.
26. "Casablanca" pianist: SAM. So BEAUTIFUL .
27. Request to a barber: TRIM.
28. Use a napkin on: WIPE, good thing we did have than next to 10D.
29. Like, with "to" : A KIN, not CLAY .
34. Somme season: ETE.
36. Links groups: FOURSOMES. Don’t tell me I am the only one who thought of THESE .
37. A hothead has a short one: FUSE.
38. Future plant: SEED.
40. Couples: DUOS. After foursomes, I wanted FRED.
42. Omens: PORTENTS, not to be confused with 56D. Pal of Porthos: ATHOS.
45. "The Three Faces of __": 1957 film : EVE.
47. Very small: WEE.
50. Treat as the same: EQUATE.
52. Affectedly cultured: ARTY.
53. Biker leggings: CHAPS.
54. Corporate department: LEGAL. Okay, one clue for me.
55. Daisy variety: OXEYE. This is more properly knows as Leucanthemum vulgare, which does not sound very PRETTY .
57. Calf catcher: RIATA.
61. Chitchat:TALK.
62. Part of SRO: ONLY.
64. Doze: NOD.
65. Grooved on: DUG.
67. Elaborate affairs: DOS.
Well I am outta here; like they say in Florida Click It or Ticket. Ciao
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Ana and pan meet GRAM
Theme: GRAM POSITIVE, each of the theme answers include ANAGRAMS separated by IN, and the puzzle is a PANGRAM, continuing a very scrabbly week of puzzles.
20. Male goose during hunting season?:GANDER IN DANGER.
GANDER becomes DANGER. Well, if you goose a male in hunting season, be careful.
25. Sought-after former football announcer?:MADDEN IN DEMAND.
Now retired hall of fame NFL coach and announcer John MADDEN becomes DEMAND.
46. Fencing implement at the shop?: RAPIER IN REPAIR.
RAPIER (along with EPEE and SABER, the fencing swords) becomes REPAIR.
51. Biblical guy who refused to believe the writing on the wall?: DANIEL IN DENIAL. Our constructor gives himself a plug, I wonder if realizing his own name worked was the inspiration for this puzzle?.
It has been a long time since we had one of Mr. Dinan's efforts, and I really hit a homerun for personal pleasure, as I love anagrams. This effort is fabulous, with perfect symmetry, each anagrammed word being six letters long , and he employs subtle differences in the use of IN for each clue.
Lemonade here and let's get to work.
Across
1. Outré: QUEER. Well, damn, what a place to start.
6. __ Mahal: TAJ. Do we all remember TAJ means crown?
9. Door parts: JAMBS.
14. Dictionary note subject: USAGE.
15. Brandy letters: VSO. This means Very Superior Old, 12-17 years old.
16. Drools over, in a way: OGLES.Did any of you guys ever ogle,40A Bingham of "Baywatch": TRACI. Boys, did you watch BAYWATCH ? They knew how to select lifeguards. Or perhaps, 9D. Singer with the Blackhearts: JOAN JETT?
17. "Call it __": "No winner": A DRAW.
18. S or SE: DIR. Lots of abbreviations today, 24. Small, medium, or large: Abbr.: ADJ., 34. Like waitresses: Abbr.: FEM.
19. Netizen who might hear "You've got mail!": AOLER. Netizen, really?
23. Novelist Deighton: LEN. His first book was the IPCRESS FILE an amazingly successful thriller.
33. Le Pew of skunkdom: PEPE. He has shown up often lately.
35. Shocking buildup?: STATIC. My mind focused on this BUILD UP .
36. Shangri-las: EDENS. A reminder of our recent Utopia puzzle…
38. Purple minus blue: RED. Oh goody, mathematical colors, maybe we can combine them with Roman Numerals. 32D. Early seventh-century year: DCIX.
41. Get molars, say: TEETHE.
43. Shiatsu response: AAH. A special massage AAAAAAAAAH for a own Mellissa Bee.
45. "Night at the Museum" creature, for short: T REX. I had a little trouble picturing this one even though I love the MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY .
49. Free (of): RID.
50. __-El: Superman's birth name: KAL. Son of JOR-EL. We also have 63. Super __: game console: NES, which supplanted 30D. Video game trailblazer: ATARI.
59. Part of HDTV, briefly: HIDEF. Which is how we watch 60. "South Park" brother: IKE. You either love or hate SOUTH PARK . While we have our, 6D. Swanson product: TV DINNER.
61. Main life line?: AORTA.
62. "Good __!": Charlie Brownism: GRIEF. A true AMERICAN ICON .
64. Cinemax rival: STARZ.
65. Baby-sits, e.g.: TENDS.
66. Jetta fuel: GAS.
67. English class assignment: ESSAY.
DOWN:
1. Marsh, for short: QUAG. This is an abreviation for QUAGMIRE .
2. Meat pkg. letters: USDA. United States Department of Agriculture.
3. Take home: EARN.
4. "Yikes!" : EGAD.
5. Fix by fusing, as metal: REWELD.
7. B-boy connection: AS IN. Tricky for me.
8. Hoops legend: JORDAN. Is there anyone who does not know MJ? Or 59D. NBA bio stat: HGT. Yes, they are tall.
10. With eager anticipation: AGOG.
11. Fr. miss: MLLE.
12. Cold one, so to speak: BEER. My youngest son's other career is at ORLANDO BREWING , makes a dad proud.
13. Ukr., once : SSR.
21. Snorkeling site: REEF.
22. Chimes in with: ADDS.
25. Jason's wife: MEDEA. I made the puzzle too, you keep assigning me the right days, C. C.! Glad I was not married to her though.
26. "Not __ out of you!": A PEEP.
27. Driller's prefix?: DENTI. I had trouble getting the I.
28. "That is ..." : I MEAN. Like when you got caught coming home at 2:00 am, reeking of pot and booze, gee dad, it was, I mean....
29. Rush Limbaugh ex __ Fitzgerald: MARTA. Shows who you can date if you have Money never heard of this one.
31. More agreeable: NICER.
33. '80s-'90s tennis star Korda: PETR. His daughter JESSICA is a leading amateur golfer. We also have a tennis echo with, 52D. Score after deuce, maybe: AD IN
37. Oater lawmen: SHERIFFS.
39. What a full moon mitigates: DARKNESS.
42. Shallowest Great Lake: ERIE. We see this lake once a week at least.
44. Cattle unit: HEAD. Lois, be careful!
47. Waiting at a light, say: IDLING. Which reminds me of being 58D. Like a shirker: LAZY.
48. "The magic word": PLEASE.
51. Desperate, as straits: DIRE. I love Mark KNOPFLER.
53. Must have: NEED.
54. Swedish retail giant:IKEA. If you have not been, it is an adventure.
55. Have-__: the less fortunate: NOTS. The opposite of yesterdays NOBS.
56. S&L offerings:IRAS. Are there any S&Ls still in business?
57. Gillette razor: ATRA. Our crosswordese of the day; when will FUSION become popular in puzzledom; the shave is better.
A nice tight theme, and lots of long words with all the letters, I hope you all enjoyed the ride. Happy Birthday Troy!
20. Male goose during hunting season?:GANDER IN DANGER.
GANDER becomes DANGER. Well, if you goose a male in hunting season, be careful.
25. Sought-after former football announcer?:MADDEN IN DEMAND.
Now retired hall of fame NFL coach and announcer John MADDEN becomes DEMAND.
46. Fencing implement at the shop?: RAPIER IN REPAIR.
RAPIER (along with EPEE and SABER, the fencing swords) becomes REPAIR.
51. Biblical guy who refused to believe the writing on the wall?: DANIEL IN DENIAL. Our constructor gives himself a plug, I wonder if realizing his own name worked was the inspiration for this puzzle?.
It has been a long time since we had one of Mr. Dinan's efforts, and I really hit a homerun for personal pleasure, as I love anagrams. This effort is fabulous, with perfect symmetry, each anagrammed word being six letters long , and he employs subtle differences in the use of IN for each clue.
Lemonade here and let's get to work.
Across
1. Outré: QUEER. Well, damn, what a place to start.
6. __ Mahal: TAJ. Do we all remember TAJ means crown?
9. Door parts: JAMBS.
14. Dictionary note subject: USAGE.
15. Brandy letters: VSO. This means Very Superior Old, 12-17 years old.
16. Drools over, in a way: OGLES.Did any of you guys ever ogle,40A Bingham of "Baywatch": TRACI. Boys, did you watch BAYWATCH ? They knew how to select lifeguards. Or perhaps, 9D. Singer with the Blackhearts: JOAN JETT?
17. "Call it __": "No winner": A DRAW.
18. S or SE: DIR. Lots of abbreviations today, 24. Small, medium, or large: Abbr.: ADJ., 34. Like waitresses: Abbr.: FEM.
19. Netizen who might hear "You've got mail!": AOLER. Netizen, really?
23. Novelist Deighton: LEN. His first book was the IPCRESS FILE an amazingly successful thriller.
33. Le Pew of skunkdom: PEPE. He has shown up often lately.
35. Shocking buildup?: STATIC. My mind focused on this BUILD UP .
36. Shangri-las: EDENS. A reminder of our recent Utopia puzzle…
38. Purple minus blue: RED. Oh goody, mathematical colors, maybe we can combine them with Roman Numerals. 32D. Early seventh-century year: DCIX.
41. Get molars, say: TEETHE.
43. Shiatsu response: AAH. A special massage AAAAAAAAAH for a own Mellissa Bee.
45. "Night at the Museum" creature, for short: T REX. I had a little trouble picturing this one even though I love the MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY .
49. Free (of): RID.
50. __-El: Superman's birth name: KAL. Son of JOR-EL. We also have 63. Super __: game console: NES, which supplanted 30D. Video game trailblazer: ATARI.
59. Part of HDTV, briefly: HIDEF. Which is how we watch 60. "South Park" brother: IKE. You either love or hate SOUTH PARK . While we have our, 6D. Swanson product: TV DINNER.
61. Main life line?: AORTA.
62. "Good __!": Charlie Brownism: GRIEF. A true AMERICAN ICON .
64. Cinemax rival: STARZ.
65. Baby-sits, e.g.: TENDS.
66. Jetta fuel: GAS.
67. English class assignment: ESSAY.
DOWN:
1. Marsh, for short: QUAG. This is an abreviation for QUAGMIRE .
2. Meat pkg. letters: USDA. United States Department of Agriculture.
3. Take home: EARN.
4. "Yikes!" : EGAD.
5. Fix by fusing, as metal: REWELD.
7. B-boy connection: AS IN. Tricky for me.
8. Hoops legend: JORDAN. Is there anyone who does not know MJ? Or 59D. NBA bio stat: HGT. Yes, they are tall.
10. With eager anticipation: AGOG.
11. Fr. miss: MLLE.
12. Cold one, so to speak: BEER. My youngest son's other career is at ORLANDO BREWING , makes a dad proud.
13. Ukr., once : SSR.
21. Snorkeling site: REEF.
22. Chimes in with: ADDS.
25. Jason's wife: MEDEA. I made the puzzle too, you keep assigning me the right days, C. C.! Glad I was not married to her though.
26. "Not __ out of you!": A PEEP.
27. Driller's prefix?: DENTI. I had trouble getting the I.
28. "That is ..." : I MEAN. Like when you got caught coming home at 2:00 am, reeking of pot and booze, gee dad, it was, I mean....
29. Rush Limbaugh ex __ Fitzgerald: MARTA. Shows who you can date if you have Money never heard of this one.
31. More agreeable: NICER.
33. '80s-'90s tennis star Korda: PETR. His daughter JESSICA is a leading amateur golfer. We also have a tennis echo with, 52D. Score after deuce, maybe: AD IN
37. Oater lawmen: SHERIFFS.
39. What a full moon mitigates: DARKNESS.
42. Shallowest Great Lake: ERIE. We see this lake once a week at least.
44. Cattle unit: HEAD. Lois, be careful!
47. Waiting at a light, say: IDLING. Which reminds me of being 58D. Like a shirker: LAZY.
48. "The magic word": PLEASE.
51. Desperate, as straits: DIRE. I love Mark KNOPFLER.
53. Must have: NEED.
54. Swedish retail giant:IKEA. If you have not been, it is an adventure.
55. Have-__: the less fortunate: NOTS. The opposite of yesterdays NOBS.
56. S&L offerings:IRAS. Are there any S&Ls still in business?
57. Gillette razor: ATRA. Our crosswordese of the day; when will FUSION become popular in puzzledom; the shave is better.
A nice tight theme, and lots of long words with all the letters, I hope you all enjoyed the ride. Happy Birthday Troy!
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
And away we go
Theme: 59. First out of the gate, and what 17-, 22-, 38- and 51-Across all get: OFF TO A FAST START.
Each theme begins with a word meaning FAST.
17A. It may be drawn without thinking: HASTY CONCLUSION.
22A. Sylvester Pussycat nemesis: SPEEDY GONZALES. A little undercurrent of cartoons in today's effort, including a second appearance for 60D. Sylvester, to Tweety: TAT.
38A. Dubious diet ad promise: RAPID WEIGHT LOSS.
51A. Mentally agile: QUICK ON THE DRAW. One of my favorites QUICK DRAW .
Happy hump to you all; Lemonade here with my second Dan Naddor; it has been more than 6 months since his passing, and it does not get easier. His theme answer are all unique and long, while not too difficult, they show his creativity. He also uses most of the tough letters in the alphabet, missing only J, V and X.
Across
1. Turkish title: AGHA.
5. Kind of appetizer platter: PUPU. I believe this is an Hawaiian word that means appetizer; help me out here our Hawaiian contingent.
9. Refs throw them: FLAGS.
14. Nobleman's mistress: COURTESAN.
16. Artist Neiman: LEROY. The best sports artist ever, you can go and see his work at ORIGINALS .
19. In the know: HIP. With 8D. Not 19-Across: UNCOOL.
20. Buck's partner: DOE. Did you ever think that a Buck is a dollar, and Dough (DOE) is also money? No? Oh well, I did.
21. Emergency PC key: ESC.
27. A/C unit: BTU. British Thermal Units. I know they say Brits are cold, is that why they named the A/C measurer after them?
28. Paul's "Exodus" role: ARI. Paul Newman, and amzing book and MOVIE , which was produced by MGM. which coincidentally (?) is next. 29A. MGM co-founder: LOEW. His story was interesting, MARCUS LOEW . And then we have, 64D. Early MGM rival: RKO.
30. Fridge or freezer: Abbr.: APPL. It is amazing how clues are seen in bunches.
32. Pollution-policing org.: EPA.
34. Fountain orders: SODAS. The days of soda fountains are long gone....
42. Record needles: STYLI. Now we know the rest of the story on our yesterday boo boo.
43. Response of feigned innocence: MOI. Of course you must think of HER .
44. Spill the beans: SING. Often done by criminals, who are also known as CONS....
45. Con: ANTI.
48. Powder parter: SKI. Alliteration and trickery all wrapped into one clue, wonderful.
50. Asian occasion: TET. Follwed by a wonderful rhyme, even if the reference is offensive to some (Dennis?).
56. Network absorbed by The CW: UPN.
57. Long-jawed fish: GAR.
58. ICU test: EEG.
66. Synagogue scroll: TORAH.
67. First felony conviction, in some states: ONE STRIKE. More alliteration.
68. Poet's Muse: ERATO. A real crosswordese, we all should have this one down.
69. Certain squad member: GEEK. Some say Best Buy has spent all the money on ads, and not training for their MEMBERS , I am prejudiced because my nephew is one.
70. "__ off?": ON OR. Dan really liked the word strings as answers.
DOWN
1. German cry: ACH. This is for you Windhover, SING A LONG .
2. ___ few rounds: GO A.
3. Item in a fried side with catfish: HUSH PUPPY. Was the fried necessary?
4. "The Sopranos" chef Bucco: ARTIE. Did anyone remember his last name, which in hidsight sound like OSSO BUCO.
5. Delt neighbor:PEC. Muscles, shoulder and chest...
6. GI entertainers: USO. Gee, we can get Jayne Mansfield again with BOB HOPE .
7. Co. that has sponsored many soaps: P AND G. Proctor and Gamble; I wonder if I will ever do the "AND" words easily.
9. __ shot: FLU.
10. Guitarist Paul: LES. Just BEAUTIFUL .
11. The Little Mermaid: ARIEL. MB, Jeannie, ladies, is she a role model?
12. Ninny: GOOSE. Or just a silly...
13. Matches audio to video, say: SYNCS.
15. Aggressive sort: TYPE A.
18. He preceded and followed O'Brien: LENO.
22. March VIP: ST PAT.
23. Attracted: DREW. This ONE?.
24. "Holy Toledo!": YIPE.
25. Energy: ZEST.
26. Mil. truants: AWOLS.
27. Ivory units?: BARS. Loved this ones, could not figure out how to squeeze tusks in here.
31. The purple one is New Hampshire's state flower: LILAC.
33. Fire preceder?: AIM. Another Naddor left fielder.
35. "Encore!": DO IT AGAIN.
36. Good __: repaired: AS NEW.
37. USMC rank: SSGT.
39. Drop shot, in tennis: DINK. Like this MEMORY .
40. "No kidding!": GOSH.
41. Increase: HIKE. Another one that took a while to see.
46. Frat party attire: TOGA.
47. Dazed: IN A FOG.
49. Latin clarifier: ID EST.
51. Bit of term paper color: QUOTE. Okay he fooled me again.
52. Enthusiastic about: UP FOR.
53. Prefix with structure: INFRA.
54. Big name in air conditioning: TRANE. They used my friends' SONG .
55. In once more: RETRO.
61. "So that's your game!": O HO.
62. "What'd I tell ya?": SEE.
63. "That wasn't nice!": TSK.
65. Three times, in Rx's: TER. I actually remember TID, but all in all a fun Wednesday, that perhaps was softened by the editor. Keep the cards and letters coming, especially you newbies, tell us what you think, your humble servant....
Each theme begins with a word meaning FAST.
17A. It may be drawn without thinking: HASTY CONCLUSION.
22A. Sylvester Pussycat nemesis: SPEEDY GONZALES. A little undercurrent of cartoons in today's effort, including a second appearance for 60D. Sylvester, to Tweety: TAT.
38A. Dubious diet ad promise: RAPID WEIGHT LOSS.
51A. Mentally agile: QUICK ON THE DRAW. One of my favorites QUICK DRAW .
Happy hump to you all; Lemonade here with my second Dan Naddor; it has been more than 6 months since his passing, and it does not get easier. His theme answer are all unique and long, while not too difficult, they show his creativity. He also uses most of the tough letters in the alphabet, missing only J, V and X.
Across
1. Turkish title: AGHA.
5. Kind of appetizer platter: PUPU. I believe this is an Hawaiian word that means appetizer; help me out here our Hawaiian contingent.
9. Refs throw them: FLAGS.
14. Nobleman's mistress: COURTESAN.
16. Artist Neiman: LEROY. The best sports artist ever, you can go and see his work at ORIGINALS .
19. In the know: HIP. With 8D. Not 19-Across: UNCOOL.
20. Buck's partner: DOE. Did you ever think that a Buck is a dollar, and Dough (DOE) is also money? No? Oh well, I did.
21. Emergency PC key: ESC.
27. A/C unit: BTU. British Thermal Units. I know they say Brits are cold, is that why they named the A/C measurer after them?
28. Paul's "Exodus" role: ARI. Paul Newman, and amzing book and MOVIE , which was produced by MGM. which coincidentally (?) is next. 29A. MGM co-founder: LOEW. His story was interesting, MARCUS LOEW . And then we have, 64D. Early MGM rival: RKO.
30. Fridge or freezer: Abbr.: APPL. It is amazing how clues are seen in bunches.
32. Pollution-policing org.: EPA.
34. Fountain orders: SODAS. The days of soda fountains are long gone....
42. Record needles: STYLI. Now we know the rest of the story on our yesterday boo boo.
43. Response of feigned innocence: MOI. Of course you must think of HER .
44. Spill the beans: SING. Often done by criminals, who are also known as CONS....
45. Con: ANTI.
48. Powder parter: SKI. Alliteration and trickery all wrapped into one clue, wonderful.
50. Asian occasion: TET. Follwed by a wonderful rhyme, even if the reference is offensive to some (Dennis?).
56. Network absorbed by The CW: UPN.
57. Long-jawed fish: GAR.
58. ICU test: EEG.
66. Synagogue scroll: TORAH.
67. First felony conviction, in some states: ONE STRIKE. More alliteration.
68. Poet's Muse: ERATO. A real crosswordese, we all should have this one down.
69. Certain squad member: GEEK. Some say Best Buy has spent all the money on ads, and not training for their MEMBERS , I am prejudiced because my nephew is one.
70. "__ off?": ON OR. Dan really liked the word strings as answers.
DOWN
1. German cry: ACH. This is for you Windhover, SING A LONG .
2. ___ few rounds: GO A.
3. Item in a fried side with catfish: HUSH PUPPY. Was the fried necessary?
4. "The Sopranos" chef Bucco: ARTIE. Did anyone remember his last name, which in hidsight sound like OSSO BUCO.
5. Delt neighbor:PEC. Muscles, shoulder and chest...
6. GI entertainers: USO. Gee, we can get Jayne Mansfield again with BOB HOPE .
7. Co. that has sponsored many soaps: P AND G. Proctor and Gamble; I wonder if I will ever do the "AND" words easily.
9. __ shot: FLU.
10. Guitarist Paul: LES. Just BEAUTIFUL .
11. The Little Mermaid: ARIEL. MB, Jeannie, ladies, is she a role model?
12. Ninny: GOOSE. Or just a silly...
13. Matches audio to video, say: SYNCS.
15. Aggressive sort: TYPE A.
18. He preceded and followed O'Brien: LENO.
22. March VIP: ST PAT.
23. Attracted: DREW. This ONE?.
24. "Holy Toledo!": YIPE.
25. Energy: ZEST.
26. Mil. truants: AWOLS.
27. Ivory units?: BARS. Loved this ones, could not figure out how to squeeze tusks in here.
31. The purple one is New Hampshire's state flower: LILAC.
33. Fire preceder?: AIM. Another Naddor left fielder.
35. "Encore!": DO IT AGAIN.
36. Good __: repaired: AS NEW.
37. USMC rank: SSGT.
39. Drop shot, in tennis: DINK. Like this MEMORY .
40. "No kidding!": GOSH.
41. Increase: HIKE. Another one that took a while to see.
46. Frat party attire: TOGA.
47. Dazed: IN A FOG.
49. Latin clarifier: ID EST.
51. Bit of term paper color: QUOTE. Okay he fooled me again.
52. Enthusiastic about: UP FOR.
53. Prefix with structure: INFRA.
54. Big name in air conditioning: TRANE. They used my friends' SONG .
55. In once more: RETRO.
61. "So that's your game!": O HO.
62. "What'd I tell ya?": SEE.
63. "That wasn't nice!": TSK.
65. Three times, in Rx's: TER. I actually remember TID, but all in all a fun Wednesday, that perhaps was softened by the editor. Keep the cards and letters coming, especially you newbies, tell us what you think, your humble servant....
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Across Down
1. Rhine tributary: RUHR.
5. Word spoken while pointing, perhaps: HER.
8. Slow tempo: ADAGIO.
14. Sitcom redhead : OPIE
15. Stock ending? : ADE
16. Sole sauce : TARTAR
17. Hosp. workers : LPNS
18. Temporary teacher's lot? : SUBPARKING
20. Escorted : LEDIN
22. Where to kiss the Blarney Stone : EIRE
23. What it would have been if 10-Down went down? : ORIGINALSINKING
30. Nat or Red : NLER
31. "The 9 Steps to Financial Freedom" author : ORMAN
32. '60s activist gp. : SDS
35. Former sergeant, perhaps : EXCOP
38. Classic Callas role : TOSCA
39. "Very funny" : HAHA
41. Greenish blues : TEALS
43. Links sight: CART
44. Memorable mission: ALAMO
46. Pond papa: DRAKE
48. __ Arc, Arkansas: DES
49. Former name of the Mariinsky Ballet: KIROV
50. Fanatics: NUTS
52. Brusque words about strong coffee?: ESPRESSOBARKING
59. Like an undeliverable pkg.: RETD
60. Where to get down: EIDER
61. Actress Brenneman losing on purpose?: AMYTANKING
67. Normal opening?: PARA
68. Hunts diligently: SCOURS
69. Date: SEE
70. It acquired Applebee's in 2007: IHOP
71. Board game demand, and hint to this puzzle's theme: KINGME
72. Little shaver: TOT
73. Peter of reggae: TOSH
1. Rich kid in "Nancy" comics: ROLLO
2. Berth place: UPPER
3. Language that gives us "cheetah" and "chutney": HINDI
4. Quit: RESIGN
5. Holds: HAS
6. 13-Down relative: EDU
7. Rise up: REBEL
8. Pong creator: ATARI
9. Are more than reluctant to: DARENOT
10. Ararat arrival: ARK
11. VW hatchback: GTI
12. Creator of Q and M: IAN
13. 6-Down relative: ORG
19. Circle constants: PIS
21. __ green: NILE
24. "What happened __?": NEXT
25. Bowed: ARCED
26. McDonald's founder: KROC
27. "When __ she comes to me with a thousand smiles": "Little Wing" lyric: IMSAD
28. Shell layer: NACRE
29. Punkies : GNATS
32. Wooden shingle : SHAKE
33. "The Sacrament of the Last Supper" and others : DALIS
34. Off-key, in a way : SHARP
36. Watercraft control : OAR
37. Alternate strategy : PLANB
40. Cupid : AMOR
42. Arctic predator : SKUA
45. Like many a baseball pitch : OVERARM
47. French 101 verb : ETRE
51. "Never mind" : SKIPIT
53. Common quality? : SENSE
54. NYSE buy : STK
55. Lyrical poet : ODIST
56. Only state that borders six states and Canada: IDAHO
57. __ Circus, where St. Peter was crucified: NEROS
58. Plotting device: GRAPH
61. Quiz: ASK
62. Verizon subsidiary: MCI
63. That, old-style: YON
64. Harbor vessel: TUG
65. Revival prefix: NEO
66. Fetch: GET
1. Rhine tributary: RUHR.
5. Word spoken while pointing, perhaps: HER.
8. Slow tempo: ADAGIO.
14. Sitcom redhead : OPIE
15. Stock ending? : ADE
16. Sole sauce : TARTAR
17. Hosp. workers : LPNS
18. Temporary teacher's lot? : SUBPARKING
20. Escorted : LEDIN
22. Where to kiss the Blarney Stone : EIRE
23. What it would have been if 10-Down went down? : ORIGINALSINKING
30. Nat or Red : NLER
31. "The 9 Steps to Financial Freedom" author : ORMAN
32. '60s activist gp. : SDS
35. Former sergeant, perhaps : EXCOP
38. Classic Callas role : TOSCA
39. "Very funny" : HAHA
41. Greenish blues : TEALS
43. Links sight: CART
44. Memorable mission: ALAMO
46. Pond papa: DRAKE
48. __ Arc, Arkansas: DES
49. Former name of the Mariinsky Ballet: KIROV
50. Fanatics: NUTS
52. Brusque words about strong coffee?: ESPRESSOBARKING
59. Like an undeliverable pkg.: RETD
60. Where to get down: EIDER
61. Actress Brenneman losing on purpose?: AMYTANKING
67. Normal opening?: PARA
68. Hunts diligently: SCOURS
69. Date: SEE
70. It acquired Applebee's in 2007: IHOP
71. Board game demand, and hint to this puzzle's theme: KINGME
72. Little shaver: TOT
73. Peter of reggae: TOSH
1. Rich kid in "Nancy" comics: ROLLO
2. Berth place: UPPER
3. Language that gives us "cheetah" and "chutney": HINDI
4. Quit: RESIGN
5. Holds: HAS
6. 13-Down relative: EDU
7. Rise up: REBEL
8. Pong creator: ATARI
9. Are more than reluctant to: DARENOT
10. Ararat arrival: ARK
11. VW hatchback: GTI
12. Creator of Q and M: IAN
13. 6-Down relative: ORG
19. Circle constants: PIS
21. __ green: NILE
24. "What happened __?": NEXT
25. Bowed: ARCED
26. McDonald's founder: KROC
27. "When __ she comes to me with a thousand smiles": "Little Wing" lyric: IMSAD
28. Shell layer: NACRE
29. Punkies : GNATS
32. Wooden shingle : SHAKE
33. "The Sacrament of the Last Supper" and others : DALIS
34. Off-key, in a way : SHARP
36. Watercraft control : OAR
37. Alternate strategy : PLANB
40. Cupid : AMOR
42. Arctic predator : SKUA
45. Like many a baseball pitch : OVERARM
47. French 101 verb : ETRE
51. "Never mind" : SKIPIT
53. Common quality? : SENSE
54. NYSE buy : STK
55. Lyrical poet : ODIST
56. Only state that borders six states and Canada: IDAHO
57. __ Circus, where St. Peter was crucified: NEROS
58. Plotting device: GRAPH
61. Quiz: ASK
62. Verizon subsidiary: MCI
63. That, old-style: YON
64. Harbor vessel: TUG
65. Revival prefix: NEO
66. Fetch: GET
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