David Poole

Title: Let's look under the water

David makes a quick return with a visual theme. There are 4 seas placed above the letters "LAB." It is a cute theme but wreaked havoc on my mind with YELLOW LAB and IRISH LAB running around in my head. Woof, woof.  The rest seemed like a Friday with many 6 and 7 letter fill. ERNESTO, EXACTOR, LOST ART, PANINIS, SWORE TO and WANNABE all interesting  fill.

Hopefully the grid will make you all smile. Grid first I think today:



17A. First U.S. national park : YELLOWSTONE (11). The YELLOW Sea is clued just above the LAB in 20A in LABEL.

35A. Co-star of the 1955 comedy "How to Be Very, Very Popular" : SHEREE NORTH (11). The NORTH Sea is clued just above the LAB in SLABS. The MOVIE ws unknown to me.

42A. Subject of a 19th-century famine : IRISH POTATO (11). The IRISH Sea is clued just above the LAB in LABREA.

62A. Aquanaut's workplace ... or a hint to what's graphically represented four times in this puzzle : UNDER SEA LAB (11). This LAB is under the CHINA Sea.

Across:

1. Big sister? : ABBESS. This is a woman who is the head of an abbey of nuns.

7. Way more than a whimper : BAWL.

11. Pixie : ELF.

14. Circus equipment : STILTS. There often is  lown with stilts.

15. Online marketplace : EBAY.

16. Madhouse : ZOO.

19. Syncopated piece : RAG. Ragtime (rag) also spelled rag-time or rag time – is a musical style that enjoyed its peak popularity between 1895 and 1918. Its cardinal trait is its syncopated, or "ragged", rhythm.

20. Calvin Klein or Perry Ellis : LABEL.

21. Caution : WARN.

22. Spilled the beans : SANG.

23. Love personified : AMOR. Cupids alias.

24. Letter writing, some say : LOST ART.

26. Oenophile's concern : YEAR. CSO to the Chairman and his wares.

28. Bear with a purple bow tie : BOO-BOO. Hannah-Barbera say Boo-Boo Bear is a cartoon character on The Yogi Bear Show. Boo-Boo is an anthropomorphic bear cub wearing a purple bowtie. Most of the pictures I see on line look blue, but....

32. "Yada yada yada" letters : ETC.

38. Revolutionary murdered in a tub : MARAT.

 The Death of Marat by Jacques-   Louis  David. 

40. Groom's garb : TUX.

41. Generous slices : SLABS.


45. Menu general : TSO. It must be embarassing to his family that he is known as a chicken.

46. Tar pits site : LA BREA.

47. "Pretty please?" : CAN I? May I never see this clue/fill again?

49. Che's given name : ERNESTO.

52. State-spanning rds. : TPKS.

56. Cross by wading : FORD.

59. Digging : INTO.

61. "The Mikado" band? : OBI. The Japanese sash. Not to be confused with 57D. Village Voice award : OBIE. (OB) No longer technically true, they were originally given by The Village Voice newspaper to theatre artists and groups in New York City. In September 2014, the awards were jointly presented and administered with the American Theatre Wing. As the Tony Awards cover Broadway productions, the Obie Awards cover Off-Broadway and Off-Off-Broadway productions. (various)

64. Dram : NIP.

65. Thailand, once : SIAM. A nice CSO to my sweet bride.

66. Recess : ALCOVE.

67. Fictional vigilante's mark : ZEE.

68. Ballpark figs. : ESTSimates.

69. Christian of "Mr. Robot" : SLATER.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U94litUpZuc

Down:

1. Sanctuaries : ASYLA. Our favorite latin plural.

2. Substitute players : B-TEAM.

3. Frodo inherited his ring : BILBO. The Hobbit.

4. Queen of mystery : ELLERY. Agatha also fits.

5. Small-runway aircraft acronym : STOL. Short Takeoff Or Landing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQJKW5vfvog

6. Spokane-to-Walla Walla dir. : SSW.

7. Software to debug : BETAS.

8. Scrub, at NASA : ABORT.

9. Aspirant : WANNABE.

10. Drano compound : LYE.

11. Biblical reformer : EZRA.

12. Library transaction : LOAN.

13. "Around the World ... " hero : FOGG. Phileas Fogg is the protagonist in the 1873 Jules Verne novel Around the World in Eighty Day (wiki).

18. Affirmed in court : SWORE TO.

22. Happy hour perch : STOOL.

24. __-di-dah : LAH.

25. Lighter brand : RONSON.

27. Bible book read during Purim : ESTHER.

29. Frank's cousin : BRAT. This is one of the wurst clue/fills ever!

30. Gambling parlors, for short : OTBS. Off track betting shops.

31. Very : OH SO. You all look oh so smart today!

32. Expressionist painter Nolde : EMIL. I did not know Emil Nolde, who was a German-Danish painter and printmaker. He was one of the first Expressionists, a member of Die Brücke, and was one of the first oil painting and watercolor painters of the early 20th century to explore color. (wiki) I like the Matterhorn Smiles.

33. Plantation near Twelve Oaks : TARA. Frankly, I no longer give a damn.

34. Nursery purchase : CRIB.

36. Rural road feature : RUT.

37. One demanding payment, say : EXACTOR. In law we often put or/ee at the end of words to make a new word, but this CREATION by Debbie seems imprecise.

39. Comparable to a beet : AS RED.

43. Pressed sandwiches : PANINIS.

44. Confucian ideal : TAO.

48. Cornell's city : ITHACA.

50. Conclude by : END AT.

51. Parts of some flutes : STEMS. My brain went to the instrument bforehte aha moment for the champagne glass.

53. First of a series : PILOT. No Honda this week, but the try out episode of a tv series.

54. __ of Hearts, accused tarts thief : KNAVE. You should know your Alice in Wonderland.
"The Queen of Hearts, she made some tarts,
All on a summer day:
The Knave of Hearts, he stole those tarts,
And took them quite away!"

55. Cavalry sword : SABER.

56. With "the," TV character who first jumped the shark--literally : FONZ. Did we reallly watch this
HORRIBLE TV On the other hand I really like Winkler in his new show  BETTER LATE THAN NEVER .

58. Harvest-ready : RIPE.

60. Spreadsheet box : CELL.

62. Employ : USE.

63. KLM rival : SAS. The HISTORY of  Scandinavian Airlines System is worth reading.

Debbie Ellerin

Title: The vote is in and the eyes have it.

We have another around the perimeter puzzle. Here the words which are theme fill precede "eye."




AREA MAP, DREYFUS,  NO TURN, S RENEGES, SPHERES, CHEESE DIP and KATY PERRY.


1A. Type of coordination : HAND (4).  Hand/eye coordination is critical in many sports such as hitting a baseball.

5A. Wolverine rival : BUCK (4).  Buckeye. The Ohio State University nickname and an early member of the Corner.

9A. Hidden 3-D image : MAGIC (5). Magic Eye. Not everyone can see these IMAGES.

71A. Intuition : THIRD (5). Third eye. Mystical. LINK.

72A. Batter's command of the strike zone, in baseball lingo : GOOD (4). Good eye. The best was supposed to be Ted Williams and his extraordinary vision, but does it matter? LINK.

73A. Pacific salmon : SOCK (4). Sockeye. This FISH.

1D. Iowa athlete : HAWK (4). Hawkeye Pierce is also pretty well known.  LINK.

26D. Unassisted peeper : NAKED (5). Naked eye.

33D. Physical feature of Peter Falk and Sammy Davis Jr. : GLASS (5). Glass eye. There are many more, Sandy Duncan, Rex Harrison, Dick Vitale etc.

56D. Z's : SHUT (4). Shuteye. Sleep.

64D. Conjunctivitis : PINK (4). Pinkeye. Conjunctivitis.

The reveal:

40A. Scornful glance ... and a hint to completing 12 aptly placed answers : SIDE EYE (7). A sidelong glance expressing disapproval or contempt.

Across:

14. State as fact : AVER. Another popular law word.

15. "A Hard Road to Glory" author : ASHE. Tennis great and another victim of bad blood transfusion.         LINK.

16. Coffeehouse draw : AROMA.

17. Sagacious : WISE.

18. Lacking in some way : LEAN.

19. Checkout choice : DEBIT.

20. "Roar" singer : KATY PERRY.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rh47oTsRf-w

22. Large pipes : MAINS. Seems random, but main pipe is important in plumbing.

23. Malfoy, to Potter : FOE.

24. Attention getter : AHEM.

26. Sign on a highway : NO TURNS.




30. Binging : ON A JAG. Dictionary:a bout of unrestrained activity or emotion, especially drinking, crying, or laughing. "an incredible crying jag;" synonyms: binge, spree, bout, indulgence,

34. Order to a sea dog : AVAST.

35. Genesis victim : ABEL.

38. Quinnipiac University product : POLL. This western Connecticut school was a gimme for this native, but did you know HOW they became a prominent pollster?

39. "Kid-Tested, Mother-Approved" brand : KIX.

43. Soul seller : KIA. With its Japanese competition. 65A. Pilot that can't fly : HONDA.

44. Sooner State city : ENID.

46. Jodie Foster title role : NELL. Co-starring a young Liam Neeson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMdq4zNOGF8

47. Slogs : TREKS.

49. Antarctica, for example : DESERT. Deceptive.

51. Domains : SPHERES.

53. Coop cries : COOS.

55. Really big stretch : EON.

56. E alternative? : SNAIL. mail.

59. Chip topper : CHEESE DIP.

66. Favorable thing to be on : ROLL.

67. Halliwell once known as Ginger Spice : GERI. No longer a girl. R-RATED.

68. Rte. that crosses Lake Michigan by ferry : US-TEN. A semi cheat as it is always 10.

69. Sighed line : AH ME.

70. Course that may cover a crash: Abbr. : ECONomy.


Down:

2. New Balance competitor : AVIA.

3. Incubator site : NEST.

4. Subject of Zola's "J'Accuse...!" : DREYFUS.

5. Whalebone : BALEEN.

6. Certain surfer : USER. Internet.

7. Arctic trout : CHAR.

8. "Out of Africa" setting : KENYA.

9. Drama set at an advertising agency : MADMEN.

10. Hotel handout : AREA MAP.

11. Silk Road desert : GOBI.

12. "Let's do it!" : I'M IN.

13. Reflective semiprecious stone : CATS.

21. USB and others : PORTS.

25. Toledo opening? : HOLY.

27. Like Lamb Chop : OVINE.

28. Prepares to take off : TAXIS,

29. One-named Nigerian singer : SADE.

31. Batman nemesis, with "the" : JOKER.

32. Similar : ALIKE.

36. "The Fresh Prince of __-Air" : BEL.

37. Charged fish? : EELS.

41. Van Morrison's "__ the Mystic" : INTO.

42. Set of values : ETHOS.

45. Bush 43, so he said, with "the" : DECIDER.

48. Goes back (on) : RENEGES.

50. French epic hero : ROLAND.

52. Prepared to eat, as a banana : PEELED.

54. Skin-and-bones sort : SCRAG.

57. Nibble : NOSH.

58. Fighting : ANTI.

60. Relative of a Yodel : HOHO.

61. Big Bird buddy : ELMO.

62. Chrysler Building style : DECO,

63. __-Z: classic Camaro : IROC.

Priscilla Clark & Jeff Chen

Ttile: Welcome to Punnsylvania

Priscilla makes her LAT debut with one of the master mentors- Jeff Chen. He previously helped her to publication in the NYT in 2016. Jeff is a prolific constructor, writer, editor and very nice man. He writes daily about the NYT puzzles, where he has 46 collaborative publications. Each theme fill takes a phrase with the "ens" sound word converted to the "ins" sound.

Finding two grid-spanning fill was nice and the grid was very open.  Jeff and his partners always include a great deal of sparkly fill and here we have ROTUNDA,  VINTNER, ALLOPATH,  CURTAINS,  REAR EXIT,  REGICIDE and TIDEPOOLS. My only unknown was TILSIT a cheese I guess I should remember. As with all sound puzzles YMMV.


17A. Instruction for dolphin riders? : STRADDLE THE FINS (14). Straddle the FENCE. Does the sound of dolphins and fins grate?

22A. Flashy genetic enhancements? : DNA SEQUINS (10). DNA SEQUENCE. They started rerunning the original CSI on ION TV.

34A. Groaners in a routine? : SINS OF HUMOR (11). SENSE of humor. The central themer has the change in the first word, the rest the last word, .

50A. Time capsules? : FUTURE TINS (10). Future TENSE. Capsule = tin? Maybe.

57A. Use second fiddles in a pinch? : RESORT TO VIOLINS (14). Resort to VIOLENCE. I am not sure why they needed to be second fiddles, but this is my favorite.

Across:

1. Compass output: ARCS. Last week it was EAST. The other compass.  LINK.

5. Gershwin title color: BLUE. This is a wonderful piece of music. RHAPSODY IN BLUE.
He also wrote BLUE LULLABY.

9. Presidential daughter Reagan: PATTI. Ms. Davis changed her last name to her mother's maiden name in an effort to have an independent career.

14. Bird's-nest, e.g. : SOUP. I put this in and took it out and then put it back.  INFO.

15. Ounce: IOTA. If you had one iota of gumption...

16. Zac of "Baywatch": EFRON. He was in the movie version with the Rock.

20. Reader with reprints: UTNE. A popular crossword fill, the Utne Reader is a quarterly American magazine that collects and reprints articles on politics, culture, and the environment, generally from alternative media sources including journals, newsletters, weeklies, zines, music, and DVDs. Wiki.

21. Flight attendant's indication: REAR EXIT. Too many politically incorrect thoughts to comment.

25. Ticket: CITE. That is why it is called a citation.

26. Oscar role for Forest: IDI. Forest Whitaker as Idi Amin.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iV_QgKJFZP0

27. Piña colada liquor: RUM. Mixed with pineapple juice and coconut cream.

28. Like "black diamond" slopes: STEEP.

29. Hot-dog it? : PANT. A warm canine pants.

31. New England cape: ANN.

33. __ generis: SUI. This TERM has importance in the Law, likely misunderstood by me and others.

38. "I'm such a moron!" : D'OH. Not just Homer Simpson uses this phrase.

39. Car nut: LUG. Not someone who loves cars, but the lug nut which holds your tire in place on the wheel.

40. Campbell of "House of Cards": NEVE. The puzzle was likely written before the Kevin Spacey scandal, but apparently, Neve was an interesting character. I had stopped watching before the kerfuffle.

43. Filled entirely: SATED.

46. What bills may become: LAW.

48. "Amscray!" : GIT. Our first pig latin in a very long time.

49. Pace often rapid: CLIP.

54. Alternative medicine practitioner's term for a mainstream doctor: ALLOPATH. The expression was coined in 1810 by the creator of homeopathy, Samuel Hahnemann (1755–1843).In such circles, the expression "allopathic medicine" is still used to refer to "the broad category of medical practice that is sometimes called Western medicine, biomedicine, evidence-based medicine, or modern medicine." Wiki. I learned this while auditing a course in alternative medicine that my massage therapist was taking.

56. One might have tears in it: DUCT. Not if it is the TAPE. Lots of fun stuff.

61. Quick: AGILE.

62. Name of kings in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden: ERIC. This was an easy guess, but there is much more to learn about these Constitutional MONARCHYS.

63. Light bulb, metaphorically: IDEA.

64. Pioneer of song who "crossed the wide mountains with her lover Ike": BETSY. This was hard. I did not remember much of this SONG . The lyrics are not the same as the Johnny Cash version.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweet_Betsy_from_Pike

65. Risqué: RACY. Two old fashioned words.

66. APB quarry: PERP. Two weeks in a row for this fill.

Down:

1. Jenny's offspring : ASS. Not poor Jennny McCarthy, but the female Donkey. All you need to know about ASSES.

2. Capitol sight : ROTUNDA. Just think round, usually with a dome.

3. Disastrous end : CURTAINS. My mental image:

4. Extends over : SPANS. Like the bridges we discused recently.

5. Compete for the job : BID.

6. Online chuckle : LOL.

7. Female marsupials have two : UTERI.

8. Taken back, as words : EATEN.

9. Equal : PEER.

10. Love : AFFECTION.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oag3I4VRXyM

11. Ed's wife on "The Honeymooners" : TRIXIE. She was played by five different actresses during the life of the SHOWS from 1951 to 1970.

12. Ad time : TONITE.

13. Shoe part : INSTEP.

18. Lots of bucks : DEER.

19. Is afflicted with : HAS.

22. Depression : DIP.

23. Put down : QUASH. A rebellion?

24. "Did you really think I'd go for that?" : UM NO.

28. Largest number in many a column : SUM. This added up for me.

30. Homes for creatures of the not-so-deep : TIDE POOLS. Tide pools provide a home for hardy organisms such as starfish, mussels and clams. Inhabitants must be able to deal with a frequently changing environment — fluctuations in water temperature, salinity, and oxygen content. Wiki.

32. Org. in a 1966 merger agreement : NFL.

33. Raw, brown or white stuff : SUGAR.

35. Third of a kid's poem trio : NOD. I was winken and blinken through this one.

36. TV streaming option : HULU. I have not tried them, using only Netflix and Amazon. Anyone have a review?

37. "Game of Thrones" evilness : REGICIDE. Killing the King- we have both Cersei and her brother, the Kingslayer. Add that to doing away with Joffrey....well it is not a nice place to visit.

41. Wine label info : VINTNER. A CSO to Chairman Moe.

42. "Hitchhiker's Guide" beings, for short : ETS.

43. Many a hieroglyphic insect : SCARAB. Odd to see this again- two weeks in a row.

44. Claim : ALLEGE. A very popular legal word.

45. Semihard Swiss cheese : TILSIT.

47. Declaration at a group wedding : WE DO. I think they each say, "I DO" but I do not know. Oo said I could have only one wife.

50. Target of budget trimming : FAT.

51. Complete : UTTER.

52. Birch of "American Beauty" : THORA. I have had her in a few friday write-ups.

53. Showy bulb : TULIP.

55. Hunted one : PREY.

58. Ford's Crown __ : VIC.

59. Like comets : ICY.

60. Easy mark : SAP. Beacuse they get sucked dry?

C.C. Burnikel

Title: Letters rip.

My 2018 begins with a C.C. special in which initial-isms are unwound to create whimsical new clues and fill. I think this is my 4th or 5th friday from C.C. solo, though she has done some Friday collaborations.


ALFREDO, ATE DIRT, KARAOKE, PANACEA, RADIATE, SEDATED and NICE GOING are all fun fill, but TEARSTAIN is wonderful.


17A. Attire with a spreadsheet design? : EXCEL SHIRT (10). XL SHIRT gets repurposed.

24A. Disreputable court proceeding? : SEEDY CASE (9) C.D. CASE gets repurposed.

50A. Extracts from Wrigley Field's walls? : IVY FLUIDS (9). I.V. FLUIDS gets repurposed.

61A. Transports for fertilizer? : PEATY BOATS (10). P.T. BOATS gets repurposed.

Across:

1. Fey of "Whiskey Tango Foxtrot": TINA. A spectacularly hidden hint to the type of puzzle.

5. Ready to rock : EAGER. The "E" was my last fill. Sometimes we make the easy hard.

10. Mug shot subject : PERP. C.C. slipped in a Corner word.

14. "I got this!" : ON IT.

15. Wheels since 1986 : ACURA. This car was in Monday's first puzzle of the year.

16. Adidas rival: AVIA. I think Nike is a bigger rival.

19. Minor points : NITS. The lifeblood of much puzzle discussion and another C.C.inside joke.

20. Under : SEDATED. Good Friday deception; I can hear the doctor asking, "Is he under yet?"

21. More than tickles : ELATES. I think this is one of C.C.'s favorite words.

23. Liquor in a Singapore sling : GIN. I have had this before - I will always remember Albany.

26. Unskilled in : POOR AT.

29. Hebrides tongue : ERSE. Scottish Gaelic spoken HERE.

30. Arrived, in a way : ALIT.

31. Hardly an original : APER.

34. Office administrations : OATHS. I love this clue/fill; perfect deception. At every level government officials are sworn in; later on sworn at.

38. Superstation that broadcasts some Cubs games: WGN.

39. Old Testament prophet: EZEKIEL. I spent way too much time trying to squeeze this into being a theme fill, but "KIEL" just did not fit the pattern of the others.

41. Creature for whose shape Anguilla was named : EEL. Named by COLUMBUS?

42. "Broca's Brain" author : SAGAN.  The entire BOOK.  Or WIKI.

44. Speed away, with "out" : PEEL.

45. Syrup brand since 1902 : KARO.

46. Cuts (off) : LOPS.

48. Sacred crawler: SCARAB. Do you remember this SCENE?

55. Monopoly quartet: Abbr. : RRS.

56. __ network : NEURAL. Good solid friday clue/fill and a mini-theme  with 42A.

57. Emit : RADIATE.

60. Greased auto part : AXLE. I am so not an auto mechanic type.

64. Scholarship consideration : NEED. Sounds counter-intuitive doesn't it.

65. Umbilical variety : INNIE. I was an innie, but now I have an unbilical hernia.

66. Lover's greeting : KISS.

67. Old U.S. pump sign : ESSO.

68. Bluto and Pluto : TOONS. I like the rhyme but it took me a while to see what a sailor from Popeye and a Disney dog had in common.

69. "Echoes in Rain" singer : ENYA.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWFc5mkABNo

Down:

1. Ring site : TOE.

2. Sydney band originally called The Farriss Brothers : INXS. If you want you listen HERE.

3. "Good work!" : NICE GOING.

4. Swallowed one's pride : ATE DIRT.

5. Needle point? : EAST. Simple but this took so long as I to get away from sewing.

6. Soreness : ACHES.

7. Museum offering : GUIDE. Another good example of Friday decption in clue/fill.

8. Miss on "Jeopardy!," e.g. : ERR.

9. Involving nudity, maybe : RATED-R. The rating can be earned by  hard language, or tough violence, or nudity within sensual scenes, or drug abuse or other elements, or a combination of some of the above. MPAA.

10. Cure-all : PANACEA. I have always loved this word. Panacea comes from a Greek word meaning "all-healing", and Panacea was the goddess of healing.

11. 1980 Tony winner for Best Musical : EVITA.

12. Bat mitzvahs, e.g. : RITES.

13. So yesterday : PASSE.

18. Superboy's girlfriend : LANA.

22. Disinfectant brand : LYSOL.

25. Like many "Buffy" settings : EERIE.

26. Kittens play with them : PAWS.

27. Lingerie brand : OLGA.

28. Whirling toon : TAZ.

32. Drink with a Zero Sugar variety : PEPSI.

33. __ out a meager existence : EKE.

35. Mark on a Dear John letter, perhaps: TEAR STAIN. Fabulous clue/fill.

36. Zeus' jealous wife : HERA.

37. One who doesn't pick up much : SLOB. Not a dolt, but a messy one.

39. __ Gay : ENOLA.

40. "The Complete Short Game" author : ELS. How many three letter golfers are there?

43. Fettuccine sauce : ALFREDO. I add tuna and peas for a complete meal.

45. Bar attraction : KARAOKE. Kara 空 "empty" and ōkesutora オーケストラ "orchestra"); same kara as in karate (empty hands).

47. Ministry : PULPIT.

49. Bed with enclosed sides : CRIB.

50. Absurd : INANE.

51. Annoys : VEXES.

52. Celebrated seasons : YULES.

53. Pipe cleaner : DRANO.

54. Chemise fabric : SATIN.

58. Salon assortment : DYES.

59. Site for handicrafts : ETSY.

62. "Reflection" musician : ENO.

63. Issuer of five million-plus IDs annually : SSA.

David Alfred Bywaters

Title: Theater 101

I am back serving as DAB's caddie for the third time. He had his debut on a Friday at the end of last year and now he has another December offering. Today he has terms from theater (theatre to some) hiding them in words and phrases. There is no reveal but each clue refers to "theater" letting you know which fill are art of the theme. You then have a hint to what the fill will be. I enjoyed CAST IN STONE and FLOOD STAGE the most. My youngest directed and appeared in a play that took place in a pool they constructed onstage. Anyway, back to my last review of the year, David has some sparkle in the fill THIRDLY, SPIDERWEB and  STORMS OFF, but again with 5 themers there was not much room for more. With the cluing giving you the theme, I htought this was a late gift to you all. Let's get detailed.

18A. Text for a mailroom theater production? : POSTSCRIPT(10). This is outlier, as it is but one word, but imagined as POST SCRIPT. If you look at it that way we have 1/5 with the theater word at the end and 2/3/4 with the first word the theater word.

23A. Statue of a theater troupe? : CAST IN STONE (11). I love this as the mental picture of an entire cast sculpted in stone is cool.

38A. World leader in the theater? : ACTING PRESIDENT (15). Ronald Reagen anyone? Or perhaps you like KIRKMAN.

48A. Squawker in a theater performance? : PLAY CHICKEN (11). It conjurs up non-theater images. LINK.

56A. Theater backdrop for a biography of Noah? : FLOOD STAGE (10). Cute.

Across:

1. Ovation fraction: CLAP. I was pleased that I filled this and the perps confirmed I was right.

5. Overstress, with "on": HARP.

9. "Hungarian Rhapsodies" composer: LISZT. How about number No. 2.

14. Shout: YELL.

15. Notion: IDEA.

16. Let down, as hair: UNPIN. My thought: LINK.
Walk right in, sit right down
Baby, let your hair hang down
Walk right in, sit right down
Baby, let your hair hang down

17. Silents star Naldi: NITA. I do not know why I remembered this name, but it must be related to doing crossword puzzles.

20. Much Byzantine art: ICONS. You ready to BUY?

22. Put on: HIRED. My mind went to the other meanings.

27. CPR provider: EMT.

30. Upside-down forest hangers: SLOTHS.

31. Scottish landscape feature: BRAE. Luckily I read Hamish Macbeth novels. LINK.


32. Dorm VIPs: RAS. Resident Advisors,

35. "... __ saw Elba": ERE I. We are seeing a lot of ELBA these days.

36. Shellfish order: PRAWNS. Time we all understood this CRUSTACEAN.

41. Literary family name: BRONTE. Three sisters. Very Chekov.

42. Ottoman officials: DEYS. I knew of the beys, but not these OFFICIALS.

43. Large inlet: BAY. A different bey.

44. Shipping hazard: BERG. ICEBERG?

45. Shepherds' charges: FLOCKS.

47. Brief belief: ISM.

53. Taters: SPUDS. Very common in the hills and mountains.

55. Consolation beginning and ending: THERE. There, there dear it will be all right.

61. Auto club recommendations: INNS. I need advice on the outs.

62. Clear of mist: DEFOG. Not as necessary as deicing.

63. Measure of skills: EXAM.

64. Part of CBS: Abbr. : SYST.

65. Prepare beans, Mexican-style: REFRY. Refried beans are really just beans with some seasoning, mushed up. It’s like hummus, actually. And the word “refried”? Well, that’s not even what you think. It doesn’t mean fried twice (horrors!) – It’s just an English translation of “refrito” which is Spanish means “well fried” or “cooked well.” See LINK.

66. Nonpayment consequence: REPO.

67. Yoga needs: MATS. Last week we had poses.

Down:

1. Pessimist: CYNIC.
- A cynic is someone who refuses to believe;
- A pessimist is someone who has given up on believing;
- A skeptic is someone who is reluctant to believe. Pschology Today.

2. German camera: LEICA.                              LINK.

3. Choir parts: ALTOS.

4. Photosynthesis users: PLANTS.

5. Trendy: HIP.

6. Stir: ADO.

7. Hi-__ image: RES, I initially wanted DEF.

8. Compassion-evoking quality: PATHOS. I minored in English and we were taught all about Pathos, Bathos and other criticism from a wonderful TEACHER.

9. It may be filthy: LUCRE. Money; originally, money obtained dishonestly. For example, She didn't like the job but loved the filthy lucre in the form of her weekly paycheck. This term comes from the Bible (Titus 1:11), where it refers to those who teach wrongly for the sake of money. In time it came to be used loosely, and usually jokingly, for money in general, and in the mid-1900s gave rise to the jocular slang term the filthy for “money.” Dictionary.com.

10. As to: IN RE.

11. Catcher of small prey: SPIDERWEB. Very fun clue/fill, though I have seen some big spiderwebs. Like many big things, the picture is from Texas.

12. Close, as a parka: ZIP.

13. Explosive letters: TNT.

19. Reason for regret: SIN.

21. Like the last letter in a column? : SILENT. I love this kind of simple misdirection.

24. Norway, in Norway: NORGE. Norge is Norwegian, Danish and Swedish for Norway.

25. Dance part: STEP. Step by step; slowly I turned....

26. Adverb after a second contract item: THIRDLY. Not really. the word is not in fashion in contract drafting.

28. Food for the wandering Israelites: MANNA.

29. Irritable: TESTY.

31. Serious, as an injury: BAD.

32. Jewish teacher: RABBI. Master, teacher —used by Jews as a term of address (Webster's). Not a religious figure historically.

33. Farm parts: ACRES.

34. Departs in anger: STORMS OFF.

36. "Fooled you!" : PSYCH. Did anyone see the MOVIE?

37. Take a chance: RISK IT.

39. Having one sharp: IN G.

40. Anti-discrimination agcy. : EEOC.

45. Like the tortoise in the fable, ultimately: FASTER. Does winning the race make him faster? I think not.

46. Religious division: SCHISM.

48. Rotund: PUDGY. Pugsley? He is GONE.

49. Mormons, initially: LDS. Latter Day Saints.

50. African nation on the Indian Ocean: KENYA.

51. Surrealist Max: ERNST. I love elephants.

52. Forest homes: NESTS. All you needed to know and MORE.

54. Needy: POOR. These days needy is more associated with emotional issues.

56. HST predecessor: FDR. Harry S. Truman. Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

57. "Fever" singer Peggy: LEE.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGb5IweiYG8

58. Hatchet: AXE. 40 years after I met the people who would become the band AXE, they are putting out a new album. Listen to a rock and roll ballad.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MaCeW_R-3Qs

59. Space: GAP.

60. Punk rock offshoot: EMO. Did you KNOW?

2017 was quite a year for me, as Charles Dickens wrote "It was the best of times. it was the worst of times." I end the year very grateful for my life, my friends here at the Corner, my wonderful familyand all the excitment of the roller coaster ride the is my life. I also am grateful for Mr. Bywaters and the 27 other constructors who provided the puzzles which I (and my pinch hitters) have brought you everyFriday. Speical thanks to C.C.and Rich Norris and wishing you all a great 2018. Hope to see you back here next year. Lemonade out.

Paul Cuerdon

Title: Coming and Going

We have a palindrome puzzle presented by what appears to be a debut for another Paul in our panoply of presenters.  In researching past puzzles, I see 4 or 5 earlier such puzzles, including the use of two of the palindromes, but they are all clued very differently. Also. EGAD NO BONDAGE is all Paul and my favorite. For CED and others, WAS IT A CAT I SAW? is also new. I really enjoyed the cluing of the theme answers, as Paul showed wit and timeliness. The rest seemed just a touch uneven, but for a debut on a Friday, I was impressed. We do have the fresh IN A BOX, Deviant and IT'S LATE. I await the verdict from the Corner jury.

17A. "The terrible tsar has arrived," either way? : TIS IVAN ON A VISIT (15). Ivan the terrible stops by.

27A. Disappointed reaction to the censored version of "Fifty Shades of Grey," either way? : EGAD NO BONDAGE (13). Very whimsical and a still modern phrase.

48A. Query about the Cheshire's grin, either way? : WAS IT A CAT I SAW? (14). Seeing only the teeth could inspire that question.

63. Mrs. Claus' remark about what she did to keep Santa home, either way? : TOO BAD I HID A BOOT.Would he ride without his signature black boots?

On to the rest....

Across:

1. Plodded (through) : WADED. I am never happy when 1 across does not fill immediately. I am not thrilled with definition, but what do I know.

6. Dies down: EBBS. More trickery but this did not fool me.

10. Not quite shut: AJAR. Of course, it is not a door.

14. Where something can be set for later: ASIDE. I like this one.

15. Protected at sea: ALEE.

16. Queen of Heaven: HERA. Hera is married to her brother Zeus and is titled as the Queen of Heaven. One of her characteristics is her jealous and vengeful nature against Zeus's other lovers and offspring and against the mortals who cross her. For more WIKI click.

20. Gambit: TACTIC. A gimme for any chess players in our readership.

21. __ Field: NYC stadium: CITI.  Where the Mets play in QUEENS.

22. QB Peyton Manning has an NFL passing record 539 of them: TDS. Touchdowns.

23. "I could __ horse!" : EAT A. But why?

25. "Sommersby" actor: GERE. Richard. A very odd MOVIE. (2:00)

32. Amused initialism: LOL. Laugh Out Loud.

33. Clumsy boats: TUBS. Number 6 on the dictionary.com definition list. 6. Nautical. an old, slow, or clumsy vessel.

34. Sweethearts: LOVES.

37. Eponymous virologist: SALK.  Love the word EPONYMOUS; anyway- polio and the vaccine were important in my childhood, First my grandfather had contracted polio as a child, and as a cure they dug a hole and buried his affected leg to keep it from twisting, Second, my uncle was the county health officer and my brothers and I were used as test subjects.

39. Part of NAFTA: TRADE. North American Free Trade Agreement

42. 39-Across, perhaps: SELL.

43. Hawaiian greeting: ALOHA.

45. "The Americans" actress Russell: KERI.      LINK.

47. Magic org.? : NBA. Correct twice, Orlando and Johnson.

52. Chipmaker's prefix: NANO. Personally, I like YOCTO better.

53. A, in many orgs. : ASSN.

54. "__ who?!" : SEZ?

57. DEA agent: NARC.

59. Slip away: ELAPSE.

66. __ Domini: ANNO. A bit unnerving to see these two words both meaning YEAR next to each other in the grid. Latin/Italian

67. Calendario units: ANOS. Spanish/Portuguese.

68. Springsteen's "Born __": TO RUN.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxuThNgl3YA

69. Tuts: TSKS. Tut, tut- tsk, tsk

70. Wail: YOWL. We had an owl fall down our chimney one winter. Luckily the grate was up. Our long-haired dachshund was convinced it was meant to be her friend. The both yowled alot.

71. __ innings: EXTRA.

Down:

1. Measure of power: WATT. This too did not jump to mind, so it was a slow start.

2. Tibet's place: ASIA. A gimme.

3. __ jockey: DISC. Many predicted this profession would be gone by now.

4. Polished words: EDITED. He was looking for the verb, not the adjective.

5. Nowhere near the norm: DEVIANT. Harsh.

6. Ending with Tyrol: EAN. Very straightforward clue/fill for a Friday.

7. Common-interest group: BLOC.

8. Harmless: BENIGN. Bingo is back and one of our favorite calls- B9.

9. Ready for the curtain to open: SEATED.

10. Sushi tuna: AHI.

11. Kid: JEST.

12. Moistureless: ARID. Despite its frequent appearance as fill, ARID has never been clued this way in the LAT.

13. Traitors: RATS. Not really that simple.

18. Rebel, in a way: ACT OUT. Right next to traitors.

19. Like some memes: VIRAL.Does everyone know what a meme is?

24. ERA or RBI: ABBR. Tricky, as it seemed like a baseball clue.

26. Coaches' headaches: EGOS.

27. Big cat of film: ELSA. She is back and Frozen takes a back seat. I finally watched the entire movie (a favorite of my granddaughters) and I enjoyed it.

28. Certain score: GOAL.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_7B5HcVF0c

29. Give the okay: ALLOW.

30. City near Kobe: OSAKA. Okay, we leave Europe for Japan.

31. Roulette bets: EVENS.

35. Actor Idris _ _: ELBA. Interesting choice to avoid ABLE WAS I. perhaps an intentional extra hint?

36. Sandwich side: SLAW.

38. Medieval Tatar chief: KHAN. Was this where the Han came to Geroge? LINK.

40. Ten up front? : DECA. A prefix meaning ten from Latin.

41. Undid: ERASED.

44. Pose in yoga: ASANA. Not one, but all of them.

46. Words just before leaving: IT'S LATE. Get me out of here!!!!

49. How Rome wasn't built? : IN A DAY. Cute. Nor was...

50. Piemonte city: TORINO. The first car I drove regularly was my Uncle's Torino station wagon. It had the fake wood panels.

51. Ready to be shipped: IN A BOX.

54. ERA or RBI: STAT. A baseball clue fake out.

55. An eternity: EONS.

56. Pass (out): ZONK.

58. Food on the trail: CHOW.

60. Wine named for an Iberian city: PORT. Where hopefully the wine is not made from...

61. __ grapes: SOUR.

62. Sicilian mountain: ETNA. So much Europe in this puzzle.

64. Derek and Peep: BOS.

65. U.K. component: ISLand.  I think this is a great explanation, but I defer to Steve (Nice Cuppa if he stops by and others). LINK.

Is that some Jingle Bells I hear in the distance? Good luck finishing your Xmas shopping if you haven't. I celebrated 3 years married to Oo yesterday and the beginning of winter. Hope you enjoyed the puzzle Thanks and welcome Paul C. 2. Lemonade out.

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.