Sunday August 7, 2011 Donna S Levin

Theme: Swordplay - Parse it as S-Wordplay. S is added to the start of each common phrase & spelling of the word is changed. Sound remains the same.

23A. Bathtub ring with no discernible cause? : SCUM FROM NOWHERE. Come from nowhere.

37A. Schusser's name traced in the snow? : SKI SIGNATURE. Key signature.

60A. "Alas" and "Ah, me"? : SIGH OPENERS. Eye opener.

70A. Surveillance satellite? : SPY IN THE SKY. Pie in the sky.

92A. Make Oreos? : STUFF COOKIES. Tough cookies.

110A. What grumpy old men might experience? : SURLY RETIREMENT. Early retirement.

17D. Geckos that don't set their alarm clocks? : SLEEPIN' LIZARDS. Leapin' lizards.

46D. Pilots' milieu : SPHERE OF FLYING. Fear of flying.

Very consistent theme entries. Excellent choices. Love this puzzle.

Donna is bold in her grid edge words today, lots of 7-letter entries. Not an easy task.

Across:

1. Pastry preserver of the past : PIE SAFE. Not a familiar item to me. I'd prefer not to see this entry due to 70A.

8. "Johnny __": 1948 film : BELINDA. What's it about?

15. Dreads sporter : RASTA. Bob Marley.

20. What 100 is to 2, in the base 10 : ANTILOG. Wow, I don't think I even know the Chinese word for this.

21. Rampaging : ON A TEAR

22. Dole out : ALLOT

25. Martial arts-based regimen : TAE BO

26. Hoo-ha : TO-DO

27. Balkan portico : STOA. To me, it's just old Greek portico.

28. Actor Dillon : MATT. He's so good at "Crash". Handsome dude.

29. Like a porterhouse : BONE-IN

30. Augur's concern : OMEN

31. He gave Jackie her O : ARI

32. Nuclear age govt. org. : AEC (Atomic Energy Commission)

33. Gangster film extras : G-MEN

35. EMILY's List, e.g. : PAC. They support Pro-Choice female Democrats.

36. Lawyer's thing : RES. Just Latin for "thing".

40. Escalate : RISE

41. Orb's partner, in British iconography : SCEPTRE. Scepter in our spelling.

42. "Friends" Emmy winner : ANISTON (Jennifer). Gorgeous photo. Not a Jolie fan.

44. Defames : BASHES

47. Brings up : REARS

50. Birth name of Smallville's most famous resident : KALEL, Superman.

53. Let loose, in a way : UNPEN

54. Garden party? : EVE. Adam and Eve. Garden of Eden.

56. Wacky : NUTS

58. Chevron feature : STRIPE. Not the Chevron I have in mind.

59. Giggle : TEHEE

63. Former Pakistani president : ZIA. You've got to commit this to your memory.

64. Prayer conclusion : AMEN

65. The __ Store : UPS. Just for our Saturday sherpa Splynter.

66. Suffix with Israel : ITE

67. Doce meses : ANO. 12 months.

68. Edinburgh girl : LASS

69. "Neither snow, __ rain ..." : NOR

73. Beginning : BIRTH

74. Truck capacity : ONE-TON

76. Many a saga : TOME

77. Word with garden or party : TEA

78. Soup scoop : LADLE

79. Arrowsmith's first wife : LEORA. No idea.

80. Pied-à-__: part-time residence : TERRE. This stumped some last time.

82. Blasphemes : CURSES

83. Lamborghini rival : FERRARI. Dennis is nuts about this stuff.

87. Dr. Scholl's products : INSOLES

90. It isn't right : LEFT

95. "Survivor" network : CBS

98. Home of the Braves: Abbr. : ATL

99. Rating for many "Simpsons" episodes : TV PG

100. Consume : EAT

101. Ltr. container : ENV

102. Astronomer Sagan : CARL

103. Satisfies a debt : PAYS UP

105. Vitamin also known as PABA : B-TEN. Ignorant of PABA. Need Al.

107. Deceptive hockey maneuver : DEKE. Hey eddy!

108. "Typee" sequel : OMOO

109. Senior Saarinen : ELIEL. Father of EERO.

113. Disneyland usually has long ones : LINES

114. You or me : PRONOUN. Nice clue too.

115. Failed school curriculum that was the subject of the 1973 book "Why Johnny Can't Add" : NEW MATH. Alien to me.

116. Tau preceder : SIGMA

117. "It's __ guess" : ANYONE'S

118. Lubricates : GREASES

Down:

1. Leader of the flock : PASTOR. Flock seldom refers to sheep in Xword.

2. It might be unearned : INCOME. Is Powerball win unearned income?

3. Musical technique builders : ETUDES

4. Simple guy : SIMON. Simple Simon.

5. Franklin's 1936 foe : ALF (Landon)

6. Deserts : FORSAKES

7. Bit of self-aggrandizement : EGO TRIP

8. __ fide : BONA

9. Ambient music pioneer : ENO (Brian)

10. Tin star wearers : LAWMEN

11. Home of Odysseus : ITHACA

12. Erstwhile depilatory : NEET

13. One may be used to bring down an elephant : DART GUN. To tranquilize the elephant.

14. Is for two? : ARE. Nice clue.

15. Expose : RAT ON

16. Astronaut Shepard : ALAN

18. "This Boy's Life" author Wolff : TOBIAS. Have heard of the book, not the author.

19. Medical stat? : AT ONCE. Neat to see STAT as a clue rather than an answer.

24. Damp : MOIST

29. Apiphobe's fear : BEES. Apiphobe is a new word to me. Apis is Latin for "honey bee". Apiphobia is also called "Melissaphobe", since Melissa is "honeybee" in Greek.

32. "A Death in the Family" author : AGEE

34. Diagnostic pic : MRI

37. Public spectacle : SCENE

38. Like some "as is" mdse. : IRREG

39. Sampling : TASTE

40. Certain king's proclamation? : ROAR. Lion, king of the jungle.

41. Luster : SHEEN

43. NYC Theater District discount booth : TKTS. Ticket booth is just called ticket there?

44. Experimental biofuel : BUTANOL. This word looks so wrong.

45. Windflower : ANEMONE

48. "__ Day in Paradise": Phil Collins #1 hit : ANOTHER. Very moving song.

49. Mumbai money : RUPEE

51. Formal letter : EPISTLE

52. Walking aids : LEASHES. Not in the dog walking direction.

54. Catch a glimpse of : ESPY

55. Drop in : VISIT

57. Part of a mongoose's diet : SNAKE. Snakes are regarded as good food for men, at least in south China and some Southeast Asian countries.

58. Happy letters for an angel : SRO (Standing Room Only). Financial backer for a movie or a Broadway show is called an "angel".

61. Blackjack demand : HIT ME

62. Singer born Eithne Patricia Ni Bhraonáin : ENYA

65. "Moesha" network : UPN

68. They're not true : LIARS. To me, lies are not true. Liars are not telling the truth.

70. Go through the roof, as prices : SOAR

71. "__ you were the last one on earth!" : NOT IF

72. Shorthand pro : STENO

73. Muddy Waters genre : BLUES

75. Deduction for waste : TRET

81. Real card : RIOT. Card is a person who's amusing. New definition to me.

82. More shrewd : CLEVERER

84. Invitation letters : RSVP

85. Netmen's gp. : ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals)

86. Rec room scrape : RUG BURN. New term to me. How do you get rug burn?

88. Summer Olympics sport : SKEET

89. Pen pals' exchange? : OINKING

90. Often-satin tuxedo features : LAPELS

91. And others, to Pliny : ET ALII. Masculine plural. ET ALIA = Mixture. ET ALIAE = Femine plural.

93. __ pain: be numb : FEEL NO

94. Gorge : CANYON

95. Was costumed to look like : CAME AS

96. Literary family name : BRONTE

97. Arboreal rainforest denizens : SLOTHS

99. Oklahoma city : TULSA

102. Signal to pause : COMMA. Sigh, I drew a blank. Dummy!

104. Look : SEEM

106. "Iliad" setting : TROY

107. Cozy rooms : DENS

110. Thalassotherapy site : SPA. Thalassotherapy is sea water therapy.

111. Regret : RUE

112. Woolly mama : EWE

Answer grid.

C.C.

Saturday, Aug 6, 2011 Brad Wilber

Theme: None

Words: 66

Blocks: 36

Brad's last LAT offering was March 27th, last year, when JazzB did the honors. I like these puzzles where nothing is so obscure that you can't suss out an answer with a WAG or two, after getting some perps. A cool looking, "Space Invaders" layout with 11-, 13-, and 15-letter grid spanners top and bottom, including one of my favorites-

52. 1984 Rob Reiner rock music satire : THIS IS SPINAL TAP, where it's "one louder"....

Splynter here to show how each letter "PLOPS" into place...

ACROSS:

1. It may be caged or staked : TOMATO PLANT - Very cool start, had to wait for the 'O' in Octad to get it

12. Lace alternative, perhaps : VELCRO CLOSURE - Shoe laces

14. Learns cold : COMMITS TO MEMORY

16. Out of the teeth of the gale : ALEE

17. Suffix with city : SCAPE - CitySCAPE, like this

18. Supply next to the grill : BUNS - hot dog and hamburger

19. First name in travel : MARCO - I liked this; I was thinking Expedia, etc., and had VASCO to start - Mr. Da Gama

21. Circular contents : ADS

22. Fix, as a bow : RETIE

23. Exile, perhaps : ENISLE - looks odd, but we've seen it before

25. Less inclined to ramble : TERSER

26. First National Leaguer to hit 500 homers : OTT - Mel, I believe - tell us more, C.C. (Notes from C.C.: Yes, Mel Ott, who spent his entire career with the NY Giants. I've yet to see his full name in a LAT grid. I think MELOTT will have the TOATEE parsing problem.)

27. Pre-makeover condition : DRABNESS - people and houses

31. Leprechaun-like : FEY - not what I thought it meant

32. Epoch in which grazing mammals became widespread : MIOCENE - a chart for you to 14A for the future

33. Mg. and oz. : WTs - Milligrams and ounces

36. Included as a postscript : TACKED ON

37. Humble abode : HUT

38. God often depicted with green skin : OSIRIS - him

41. Arlington, Va., post : FT. MYER

43. Like many Edwardian era collars : BONED - OK, I know who's going DF here....

44. Screwdriver parts, for short : OJs - The "screwdriver" mixed drink, Orange Juice and Vodka - just the tool for me these days...it's the only twisted I get

47. Perceive : SENSE

48. __ dixit : IPSE - Latin, "he says it himself" - from Wiki

49. Exams given by committee : ORALS

51. Was a passenger : RODE

55. Federal Reserve goal : STABLE ECONOMY - IMO, I think it's an "unrealistic" goal; I am grateful to have my foot in the door at UPS

56. Far from settled : UP FOR DEBATE - took me a minute, since I had the IBO, not the IBF

DOWN:

1. Boldness : TEMERITY

2. Pre-Columbian Mexicans : OLMECS - had AZTECS to start, was enough for a toehold

3. Co. with a '90s "Friends & Family" program : MCI - tried AT(&)T first, knew it wasn't right

4. Conservatory pursuits : ARTS

5. "Vissi d'arte" singer : TOSCA - I know of the electronica group TOSCA, not this

6. Square dance quorum : OCTAD - and I had EIGHT to start, too....

7. Falls heavily : PLOPS

8. Capital on the Gulf of Guinea : LOMÉ - a map for you - I WAGed ROME, since there is a "link" between Italians and uh, Guinea, but it's not the same

9. Polymer ending : ASE - as in "plastic bASE" er, I mean the scientific naming of enzymes, like oxidase

10. Book covering the Hebrews' 40-year wilderness exile : NUMBERS

11. Rainbow and Dolly Varden : TROUTS - did not know this

12. Lightly and quickly, in music : VOLANTE - Italian

13. Muppet wearing horizontal stripes : ERNIE - Here he is

14. Resulted from : CAME OF

15. River of Flanders : YSER

20. Game for young matchmakers : OLD MAID - never played, so here's what I found - a game of 'pairing', with one odd card in the deck, the "OLD MAID"

22. Is put out by : RESENTS - "friends of Bill W." make this a noun - "a" resentment

24. Idle and more? : ERICs - of Monty Python fame

25. :50, put another way : TEN OF - Over-thought this one; knew it was 'of the hour', but didn't make the connection until _ _ N OF

28. Peachy : A-OK

29. Letters used in dating : BCE - we've seen this before, "Common Era"

30. Animated Flanders : NED - the 'Hi-Diddly Ho ~!!' Simpson's neighbor

33. 1984 #1 country hit by the Judds : WHY NOT ME - I defer to our country fans on the blog for this one

34. Common voting occasion : TUESDAY - Election day is the Tuesday AFTER the first Monday of November; in other words, November 1st cannot be Election Day

35. "Out of Africa" star : STREEP - Meryl, here

36. Food for leafhoppers : TREE SAP - blecht~! I do not like bugs

38. Passing news item? : OBITuary

39. Some campus returnees : SOPHs - for their second year - had ALUMS to start

40. Undisturbed : IN SITU - Latin again, "In position"

42. Red wine grape : MERLOT

44. Calgary Olympics skating silver medalist : ORSER - Calgary, 1988, a look back, but not what I think guys should be skating for....

45. Ribbed : JAPED - to joke; I thought this was a condom thing....DF

46. Links bugaboo : SLICE - and its opposite, the hook. Golf.

49. Site of 1993 Arab-Israeli accords : OSLO

50. Kitsch deplorer : SNOB - I like some tawdry stuff

53. Org. with a pair of gloves in its logo : IBF - Here's the website & logo, top left corner

54. Ortiz of "Ugly Betty" : ANA - Image

Answer grid.

Splynter

Friday August 5, 2011, Gareth Bain

Theme: Spicy puns make the medicine go down. A vibrant witty romp, with four fun punishing theme answers all herbs from the garden replacing similar, or exact sounding words in in the language expressions to create a new and twisted phrase.

Lemonade back again, and well pleased with my latest assignment; yes Mr. Phelps, let's do it! Our 25th GB puzzle, and my second effort at explicating and entering into his mind.

17A. Means of turning an herb into energy?: BASIL (BASAL) METABOLISM. BASAL METABOLISM means the basic or essential activity of the body, coming from the root word basic. A perfect sound alike pun.

29A. Herb lovers' chat organized by Sarah Palin?: CHIVE (JIVE) TALKIN. Do you like the SONG ? I am sure there is some political joke involved here, but my complete avoidance of politics and politicians, leaves me not getting the joke. I wonder if this was the original clue for 27D. John's (McCain) running mate: SARAH (Palin) ?

47A. Herb eaten with a nightcap?: THYME (TIME) FOR BED. My favorite of the theme answers, as I can picture Lolita sprinkling some thyme on her hot TODDY.

63A. Remark on another encounter with an herb?: DILL, (TILL) WE MEET AGAIN. How many of you immediately thought of this SONG ?

So there we have the theme, two homophones (NOT HOMOPHOBES!) and two sound-alikes, pretty fun stuff from one of the consistent, productive and entertaining constructors helping to make this for me the golden age of crosswords, with many old masters still producing and so many wonderful minds out there. Where are you JL? Jerome you okay? If only Dan Naddor were still around...

Across:

1. Pelican State inst.: LSU. We begin with a mini-shout out to our Pelican Stater, Hahtool, and the ex-home of Nick Satan.

4. Oration setting: DAIS. This word actually has its root in DISCUS which in Latin does not mean something you throw, but a high table, shaped like something you throw.

8. Common slogan spot: T-SHIRT. Also we have 66D. Ball balancer: TEE, now if only we had some Earl Grey...

14. It has many fighters: AIR FORCE. Not my first thought, i was trying to recall Strike Force or some other MMA name.

16. Layette item: ONESIE. Don't you just love babies in their little outfits, especially when they go home with their parents?

19. Chaotic situation: SNAFU. No comment.

20. Garbage tower: SCOW. A large flat bottomed boat. from the Dutch schouw. In South Florida, we have only one hill called Mount Trashmore, a landfill on steroids. My first thought was tower not tow-er.

21. Mo. when asters usually flower: SEP. Month is abbreviated both in clue and answer. Pretty PERENNIALS .

22. Stormers of Saruman's fortress, in "The Lord of the Rings": ENTS. The tree creatures in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Did we love the movie? New Zealand looked gorgeous.

25. Labor party?: MOM. GB, you witty man, the mother being the only one who actually goes through labor, though the three months it took for the fingernail marks to come out of my arm from the birth of my oldest, was a strong memory.

26. Snake's warning: SSS. I like the word sibilant, like the accent of Highlanders.

35. "The gods Must Be Crazy" setting: KALAHARI. A most amusing MOVIE and a great Coke bottle.

37. Care for: NURSE. My mother was a nurse.

38. Q.E.D. word: ERAT. Quod Erat Demonstrandum. That which was demonstrated. Used in logic and in law. Misspelled as Demonstratum.

39. Synopsis: RECAP. I have a tooth...well anyway too early for a recap here.

42. Reclined: LAIN. One of those 'be careful' words, that reminds of Lois Lane and what sex with Superman must have been like; would he be layin' Lane?

43. One putting away groceries: EATER.

45. Unrestricted: ABSOLUTE. Synonyms? Corrupts absolutely? Vodka?

50. Quaint contraction: TIS. Aye it tis, it tis.

51. Negative link: NOR.

52. "High Voltage" rockers: AC/DC. How many BANDS can you name who have hits with different lead singers?

54. __ dye: methyl orange, e.g.: AZO. CHEMISTRY LESSON .

57. Eagle's tail?: EYED. No they do not have eyes in their tails, they are just Eagle-eyed.

59. Iraqi port: BASRA.Their main port city, also spelled with an H at the end, in southeastern Iraq, near Kuwait.

67. Sign of a page-turner?: DOG EAR. if you borrow a book from me, please do not do this.

68. Secret metaphor: SKELETON. In the closet; good thing we have no secrets here. The closet gets a bad rap in language, as the place where people hide their embarrassing secrets and their sexuality. I don't think I have ever had sex in a closet, not even a water closet, but then I have never been to England except in my mind.

69. Slug relatives: SNAILS. Yes, when they come to visit, and take off their shells off to relax, they look just like their cousins.

70. Naval backbone?: KEEL.The 'backbone' of the ship.

71. Two before iota: ETA. I took Greek years ago and I had no idea, but it perped out quickly.

Gasp, time for

Down:

1. They may be chocolate: LABS. Remember my pics of my romp with the Lab puppies?

2. Phillips of "I, Claudius": SIAN. I Claudius is one of the all time best TV mini-series with the incomparable Derek Jacobi as Claudius and Ms. Phillips as LIVIA . Do you recognize Patrick Stewart with hair?

3. __ Minor: URSA.

4. Discuss business, in a way: DO LUNCH. Gag me with a spoon.

5. Starfish appendage: ARM. Really, how can you tell?

6. Party host's bagful: ICE. Gee POT fit as well.

7. Gig arrangements: SETS. My youngest has two more GIGS this month, but they do not know where the word comes from. You think it is related to GIGOLO?

8. In addition: TO BOOT. Sounds great when said by a Canadian; I gave him money for gas and my coat to boot.

9. Single white male who likes the cold?: SNOWMAN. Or as hearti pointed out, an 8 in golf.

10. Norse underworld goddess: HEL. Back to back with 11D. Goddess with cow's horns: ISIS, the Egyptian.

12. Intentionally provoked reaction: RISE. I sometimes include comments in the blog hoping to get a rise out of some of you.

13. Fill-in: TEMP. MOVIE.

15. Military wind: FIFE. Like the fife and drum corps.

18. Wile E. Coyote's supplier: ACME. Wile E. is a semi-regular.

23. Whaling adverb: THAR. SHE BLOWS. Please Carol, Lois, control yourselves, there are youngins around.

24. Arab's father: SIRE. The horse, not Sheik Chic.

26. Olympic event since 1968: SKEET. What has a skeet even done to deserve to be shot at all the time?

28. Like the color of some roofing: SLATY. Don't get your picker picked HR, this is a perfectly legitimate word for something Slate colored.

30. Goldsmith's "The __ of Wakefield": VICAR. This old CLASSIC novel did not come across well in the comic book version, but the book was worth reading and was well received by all of his contemporaries.

31. Break: LULL. Whew, a break in the action.

32. Frank covering: KRAUT. This clues always dogs me when I blog. I am always afraid to offend our Germanic brethren.

33. Last Supper query: IS IT I?

34. Tijuana toddlers: NENES. This means baby literally, but like the English version, it can be used as a term of affection for a boyfriend.

36. "Up and __!": AT 'EM. There was a world before CGI.

40. Swedish group that won the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest: ABBA. Not to be confused with the Israeli statesman.

41. Tiny time meas.: P SEC. PICOSECOND, which is one trillionth of a second. Learning moment?

44. Decision about issues: RENEWAL. Okay for all the pseudo-loggers out there, I leave this to you because I have no clue what these have in common. All perps. (Note from C.C.: Magazine issues here.)

46. Flake: ODDBALL. Flake comes from baseball, where odd players were considered "flaky' perhaps because of the prevalence of drugs in baseball in the 50's and 60's (amphetamines, 'greenies,' and became popular in culture with the books of Jim Brosnan (the Long Season and The Pennant Race, which I recommend to anyone who loves baseball, they helped me through my freshman year in high school) and Jim Bouton's Ball Four.

48. Lobbies: FOYERS. From the French, literally the hearth, or fireplace.

49. City near Provo: OREM. Devin dated a girl name Orem, so I will never forget this one.

53. Batting __ : CAGE. No relation to Nicholas.

54. Puts in: ADDS. No we come full CIRCLE.

55. Horse Ranch Mountain's national park: ZION.

56. Gymnast Korbut: OLGA. The Russian Gymnast who was the first to ever receive a perfect score (10) in competition; revolutionized women's gymnastics and captured the hearts of the world.

58. Computer support?: DESK. Tricky, the literal support.

60. Fill: SATE.

61. Reaction from a bad crowd?: RIOT. Hopefully not at a GIG.

62. Tolstoy's Karenina: ANNA.They are remaking the movie version of Tolstoy's novel next year with Keira Knightly and Jude Law.

64. Ring of shells, perhaps: LEI. Did not know it could be other than flowers.

65. __ out a living: EKE. EEK, my time is over and I must go and rest my weary bones and mutinous eye. Aye, and I enjoyed the trip, I hope you all did; until next time, I remain your humble man Friday.

Answer grid.

Lemonade

Thursday August 4, 2011 Don Gagliardo and C.C. Burnikel

Theme: QWERTY, or "Touch-typing 101". The first part of each theme entry is typed with the left hand and the second part is typed with the right hand...unless you are a "hunter-pecker"!

17A. *Informal survey : STRAW POLL (STRAW - left hand, POLL - right hand)

29A. *Young starlet's driver : STAGE MOM (STAGE - left hand, MOM - right hand)

45A. *Jeweled fashion accessory : DRESS PIN (DRESS - left hand, PIN - right hand)

4D. *Ominous salutation : DEAR JOHN (DEAR - left hand, JOHN - right hand)

11D. *Fresh dairy product : SWEET MILK (SWEET - left hand, MILK - right hand)

22D. *Garage lubricant : GEAR OIL (GEAR - left hand, OIL - right hand)

28D. *Retro '80s British indie rock genre : TWEE POP (TWEE - left hand, POP - right hand)

35D. *Be of one mind about : AGREE UPON (AGREE - left hand, UPON - right hand)

41D. *Astral wildflower : STAR LILY (STAR - left hand, LILY - right hand)

And the unifier:

(Thank goodness, Don and C.C. provided us with a hint !!!)

62A. Repeated words in a drill sergeant's marching order, and a hint to how the first and second word, in turn, of each starred answer would be touch-typed : LEFT RIGHT

A jam-packed theme crossword, with NINE "in the lingo" phrases...Mind boggling!!

Marti here, and I had no idea that this was another of our Dynamic Duo's puzzles, until I started to blog the answers and saw the byline....DUH! Just kick me upside the head!

Sooo, let's look at the rest of the fun:

Across:

1. Chatted via AOL : IM'ED. "Instant messaged"

5. "Legend of the Guardians" birds : OWLS. 2010 movie, subtitled "The Owls of Ga'Hoole".

9. Product prefix with -matic : INSTA

14. Strike zone? : LANE. Boomer knows this very well...

15. State with a five-sided flag : OHIO. Oh, you don't believe it??

16. Staircase post : NEWEL.

19. Lose no games : SWEEP.

20. São Miguel's islands : AZORES. Map.

21. Get dolled (up) : TOG. I know this as "Togs", or "Sunday Best". Was not familiar with "tog up".

23. Kings and queens : BEDS. HaHa, I was thinking "chess".

24. Legendary Henie : SONJA. Who could forget the famous skater/film star?? She was so pretty!

25. Discharge : EMIT

27. Great Lakes prov. : ONT. Ontario.

33. Six-sided state : UTAH...to go with a five-sided flag???

36. Tends the lawn : WATERS. Yes, we have done this often lately. I feel so bad for those in Texas who are in the middle of extreme drought!

38. Key for Debussy? : ILE. Not sure about this one.. I think they mean, like a Florida "key", or "island", in French (Debussy was French, right??)

39. + or -, e.g. : SIGN. Yep, those would be a sign...

40. It's not chilly in Chile : ENERO. Opposite of New England, January (ENERO) in Chile is the middle of summer...

41. Buttonhole, e.g. : SLIT.

42. Rocket tail? : EER. Rocketeer.

43. Russian leader, 1682-1725 : PETER I. Aka "Peter the great".

44. WBA stats : TKOS. World Boxing Association. "Technical knockouts".

47. Mauna __ : LOA. Earth's largest volcano.

49. Prefix with -morphic : ECTO.

50. Albee offering : DRAMA. Edward Albee, famous for "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?". (NOT ME!!)

54. "Out of the question!" : UH UH. No way!!

56. Bud : PAL. I had such a hard time with this one...I was all over the place, thinking of "rose", "new", "prime"....none fit!!

59. Haul in : COLLAR. This one, too...who else wanted "arrest"?

60. Slangy denials : NOPES. Nope, didn't come to mind easily...

64. Ad : PROMO. PROMOtion.

65. Brace : PAIR. As in, a "brace" of ducks. Could be a "group", also..

66. Pastures : LEAS.

67. New York's __ Island : CONEY. "Coney" is also a term meaning rabbit. I wonder if that is where the name comes from?

68. German auto : OPEL.

69. Every 12 mos. : YRLY. Mos. in the clue hints at abbr. for "yearly"

Down:

1. Lund of "Casablanca" and others : ILSAS. Are there others?

2. Seder staple : MATZO.

3. "The Smartest Guys in the Room" company : ENRON. We won't go into the great scandal here...

5. "My bad!" : OOPS. Love this clue / answer! I say it often...

6. Question from 5-Across? : WHO. Usually not fond of cross-referenced clues, but this one seems OK to me.

7. Jaunty tune : LILT. We just discussed this the other day...

8. New pilot's milestone : SOLO.

9. Connections : INS.

10. Online novice : NEWBIE. We have many newbies on our blog...and C.C. welcomes them all!

12. Ready to drive : TEED. I teed up my golf ball today, and drove it 250 yards!!

13. Salzburg vista : ALPS. One of my favorite vacation destinations...whether for skiing, or mountain climbing!

18. Withdraw by degrees : WEAN.

26. U.K. sports cars : MGS. Cool cars...

29. 17th-century Dutch painter : STEEN. Jan Steen. Contemporary of Rembrandt.

30. Okla., once : TERR. Abbr. in the clue lets us know that we are looking for an abbr. of "territory".

31. Medley : OLIO

32. Citi Field team : METS. NY Mets. Built as a replacement for Shea stadium, and opened in 2009.

33. Pre-owned : USED.

34. Theater section : TIER.

37. Naysayer : ANTI

43. LAX setting : PST. "Pacific Standard Time". LAX = Los Angeles International Airport.

46. Work on a plot : SCHEME

48. Renuzit target : ODOR. St. Louis, MO company that is working to fight offenses to our nostrils!

51. Rags-to-riches author : ALGER. Horatio...prolific author who wrote about impoverished boys and their rise to respectable middle-class security.

52. Taj __ : MAHAL. AHA, Vidwan! I got this one right this time. It is in Agra...

53. Pretentious : ARTSY...fartsy

54. Like sexist jokes, for short : UN PC. "Un-politically correct"

55. Scope starter : HORO...I am music deprived in this puzzle, so I will provide you with this...

57. Best friend's meal? : ALPO. My two tubby tabbies eat special diet food. No Alpo in this house...

58. Ballet move : LEAP. I sooo wanted to put "plie" here. Sigggghhh.

59. Key used in combinations : CTRL. "Control" key, often used with "Alt" and "Del" (But only on PCs..my Mac doesn't recognize that command...)

61. Tempeh base : SOY. I did not know this! Learning moment for today...

63. "For shame!" : FIE. And a pox on you for not finishing this puzzle!!

Answer grid.

Hugs today, and that's all for now!

Marti

Note from C.C. & Don:

After rejecting a "Left-handed" theme from us, Rich asked if it's possible to make a grid consisting of words that can be typed with the left hand only. We realized soon into the process that much undesirable fill would enter into the grid. Somehow, it occurred to Don that LEFT RIGHT-typed phrases might be more interesting. We thought we would see how many could be interwoven into a grid design. Lots of words can be typed with only left-hand, but the right-handed word pool is quite limited. So, coming up with common two-word left & right phrases was quite challenging. We had lots of fun with this puzzle.

Wednesday August 3, 2011 Kurt Krauss

Theme: Ups and Downs - Each theme entry consists of a phrasal verb and a compound noun, all in the pattern of "Word+Down/Up + Same word Ups/Downs".

17A. What older baseball pitchers might do? : WIND DOWN WIND-UPS

23A. Fetch Halloween costumes from the attic? : GET DOWN GET-UPS

53A. Post snide comments on a blog? : PUT UP PUT-DOWNS. Great clue, as evidenced occasionally on our blog.

64A. Join the high school wrestling team? : TAKE UP TAKE-DOWNS

C.C. here, filling in a blogging schedule gap.

I think this is Kurt Krauss' LA Times debut. Congratulations! We have so many new constructors this year. I was just talking to Dummy Dennis the other day that we haven't had Rich's byline this year. He doesn't need to create extra puzzles.

It's a nice & consistent theme, though I think adding on/off or other similar patterned phrases will add more excitement to gimmick.

Across:

1. Kilmer of "Batman Forever" : VAL

4. Nostalgic soft drinks : NEHIS

9. Latish wake-up time : TEN AM. Too late.

14. Object of a conquistador's quest : ORO. Gold.

15. Conjure up : EVOKE

16. As a friend, to François : EN AMI. So, Kazie, if I say this to a friend, it would be "En amie"?

20. "Scarborough Fair" herb : SAGE. I love this song.

21. Huey, Dewey and Louie, e.g. : TOONS

22. Dull routine : RUT

27. Mice and lice : VERMIN. I never think of lice as vermin. I associate it with rodent only.

29. Quick-flash link : AS A. I just adore this picture. Truman is becoming a big boy now. Sorry about the cat, JD.

30. French land mass : ILE

31. Early pamphleteer : PAINE (Thomas)

35. Big name in baseball cards : TOPPS. Lovely entry for me, Dennis and Hondo. Football/Hockey cards too. (From Dennis: Topps only has baseball and football licenses now; no hockey or basketball. Basketball is exclusively Panini and hockey is Panini/Upper Deck.)

39. "Can I get a word in?" : AHEM

41. Muffler : SCARF

43. Intimate apparel purchase : SLIP. Do people still wear slips?

44. Wrinkle-prone fabric : LINEN

46. Work with one's hands : KNEAD

48. NATO founding member : USA

49. Classy org.? : NEA. Excellent clue, though Husker Gary might disagree.

51. Dulles alternative : REAGAN. Airport.

59. Italian diminutive suffix : INO. Can you give me an example?

60. "Pagliacci" clown : TONIO. I can never remember this damned clown.

61. Dundee denials : NAES

68. Early Indo-European : ARYAN

69. Actress Dunne : IRENE

70. Volstead __: Prohibition enabler : ACT

71. Campfire treat : S'MORE. I have yet to have one.

72. Enjoyed, as a beach blanket : LAY ON. I have trouble understanding the clue.

73. "Go for it!" : YES. Annette is in love!

Down:

1. Swears : VOWS

2. Certain stage solo : ARIA

3. Scratch : LONG GREEN. Did not know "Scratch" is slang for money. It's not food item like cabbage, lettuce, dough, bread, etc.

4. Composer Rorem : NED. Last time ROREM stumped quite a few. Not Jayce, I don't think.

5. HTC smartphone : EVO. HTC = High Tech Computer. Based in Taiwan. Unknown to me. What does EVO stand for?

6. Mr. Fixit's genre : HOW TO

7. "Don't remind me" : I KNOW

8. Attach, in a way : SEW ON

9. Most likely to crack : TENSEST

10. Bring down the curtain: END. I'm sure Marti noticed this dupe. She's very observant.

11. Tiny Pacific republic : NAURU. World's smallest island nation.

12. Rally, as a crowd : AMP UP. Oops, a stray UP.

13. Thin sprays : MISTS

18. Think : DEEM

19. Actress Swenson : INGA. Of "Benson".

24. Fall (over) : TIP

25. Geneticist's concerns : DNAs

26. Art colony town : TAOS

27. Medicine chest item : VIAL

28. K-12 : EL-HI. See, it just won't go away, due to its ideal letter combination.

32. "Ew!" : ICK

33. Mary Bobbsey's older daughter : NAN

34. Poetic preposition : ERE

36. Keeps at it : PLUGS AWAY. Great entry.

37. Galileo Galilei Airport city : PISA

38. Attention __ : SPAN

40. Choice reading? : MENU. Tricky clue.

42. Casino game : FARO

45. Its largest moon is Triton : NEPTUNE. Gimme for Bill G & Spitzboov.

47. Drops on a blade? : DEW. A blade of grass.

50. Each : A POP

52. Monument word : ANNO

53. Gyro essentials : PITAs

54. Render weaponless : UNARM. Yeah, disarm is more accurate.

55. Godzilla's stomping ground : TOKYO. Has anyone read "Norwegian Wood"?

56. "Wait __ Dark": 1967 film : UNTIL

57. Pageant trophy : TIARA

58. "Okey-__!" : DOKEY

62. Verb-to-noun suffix : ENCE. Refer, reference.

63. Droop-nosed fliers : SSTS. Here you go, Abejo. Miss ASP?

65. Mr. Potato Head piece : EAR

66. "Small Craft on a Milk Sea" musician : ENO (Brian). Ignorant of the album.

67. Home viewing room : DEN

Answer grid.

C.C.

Tuesday, August 2, 2011 Patti Varol

Theme: What time is it? - The themes takes the hint and place TIME after the first and last word. We had a puzzle before ( link ) that placed TIME in front of each of the two theme words.

18A. *Delayed reaction : DOUBLE TAKE

20A. *Radioactive decay measure : HALF LIFE

31A. *Aviation display : AIR SHOW

37A. Repeatedly ... and a hint to the answers to starred clues : TIME AFTER TIME

44A. *Military hobbyist's pastime : WAR GAME

58A. *Prom time, to prom-goers : BIG NIGHT

60A. *Modern : PRESENT DAY

Argyle 95% here. Of course, I've been told I'm not all there anyway so that's probably as good as I'll get. This is Patti's second puzzle; the debut was Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in April. An interesting grid and easy fill and yet seven theme entries. The unifier and explanation placed right in the middle. Patti Varol, you've done it again.

Author:

1. Programmer's banes : BUGS. Elmer Fudd doesn't like him either.

5. Hollywood tree : PALM. As seen in movies and TV shows that include scenes of Hollywood.

9. Soup base : BROTH. I started with STOCK.

14. Subj. to bone up on? : ANAT.

15. Airline with blue-striped jets : EL AL

16. Washer cycle : RINSE

17. Poor boy seller : DELI

22. Baa nana? : EWE. (chuckle)

23. "__ Mio": classic Italian song : 'O SOLE

24. Treasure-__ : TROVE

26. Question of identity : WHO

29. Pre-euro Spanish coin : PESETA. Image.

33. Reykjavik-born one-named singer : BJORK. Google images.

36. Iron-rich green veggie : KALE

42. Beret perch : TÊTE

43. Choir part : TENOR

47. It makes Tom frisky : CATNIP. (another chuckle)

52. "Little Women" sister : AMY and 39D. "Little Women" sister : MEG

53. Alimentary route : CANAL. Digestive system.

56. "Seinfeld" specialty : IRONY

57. __-fi : SCI

64. Fireworks reaction : "OOOH!". Yes, there are three O's.

65. Knocks for a loop : JOLTS

66. 1804 duelist : BURR. Aaron Burr vs. Alexander Hamilton.

67. "__ arigato": Japanese "thank you very much" : DOMO. Gotta do it. Clip.(5:31)

68. Provolone alternative : SWISS

69. Part of a.k.a. : ALSO

70. Paradise : EDEN

Down:

1. Tough play for Derek Jeter : BAD HOP. Baseball.

2. The heebie-jeebies : UNEASE

3. Winemakers Ernest and Julio : GALLOs

4. Put the kibosh on : STIFLE

5. Salon foot treatment, briefly : PEDIcure.

6. High, as a kite : ALOFT. Ah, the importance of punctuation.

7. "Today" co-host : LAUER. Matt

8. Diamond org. : MLB. Major League Baseball (MLB).

9. Stout maker : BREWER. Image.

10. Bat mitzvah, e.g. : RITE

11. "Come __ My House": Rosemary Clooney hit : ON-A. Released on June 6, 1951.

12. "Have you no shame?" : "TSK!"

13. Laugh syllable : HEE

19. First name in jeans : LEVI

21. Leave alone : LET BE

25. Like bourbon barrels : OAKEN

26. "Kapow!" cousin : "WHAM!"

27. Links target : HOLE. Golf.

28. Run a tab, say : OWE

30. Double-platinum Steely Dan album : "AJA"

32. Deal with moguls? : SKI. What are moguls? A bump on a ski slope formed by the repeated turns of skiers over the same path.

34. Quite a lot : OFTEN

35. 66, notably: Abbr. : RTE.

37. Nine of diamonds? : TEAM. My goodness, more baseball.

38. "Just doing my job" : "I TRY"

40. Mythical big bird : ROC. Described in the Arabian Nights as being able to carry off and eat elephants.

41. Get fit : TRAIN

42. "Up, up and away" carrier : TWA

45. The "A" in RAM : ACCESS. Random Access Memory (RAM).

46. Principal : MAIN

48. Vacuum tube type : TRIODE. Wiki article, if you need to know more.

49. Call after a missed field goal : NO GOOD

50. Like some health care : IN HOME

51. Slithering squeezer : PYTHON

54. Kareem __-Jabbar : ABDUL. Basketball.

55. Perjurers : LIARS

57. Grounded fleet: Abbr. : SSTs

59. Pita sandwich : GYRO

60. Jammies : PJs

61. Obey the coxswain : ROW, ROW, ROW your boat, gently down the stream.

62. Actor Wallach : ELI

63. Sched. question mark : TBA. To Be Announced.

Answer grid.

Argyle

Monday, August 1, 2011 Andrew Bannem

Theme: Cool It - Themes that end in a type of the unifier.

20A. Microprocessor : COMPUTER CHIP

39A. Substance in a visual display unit : LIQUID CRYSTAL

56A. Broth-making aid : BOUILLON CUBE. I'm having some broth now.

65D. The ends of 20-, 39- and 56-Across are forms of it : ICE

Bonus entry in the center of the grid:

30D. 65-Down, in a cocktail : ROCKS. The cube type.

Argyle 90% here. Thank you for your get well wishes last week. Typical Monday. We tend to forget that while OBI(21D) are gimmes for most of us there was a time when it was a unknown. I do like the unifier being the last word.

Across:

1. Effervescence : FIZZ. Wow! Starting out with two Z's. Unfortunately, there is no W, so no pangram.

5. Orange container : CRATE

10. Afterthoughts : ANDs

14. Mine, in Marseille : À MOI. French.

15. Where dos are done : SALON. Hair dos.

16. Chimney buildup : SOOT

17. Blessing : BOON

18. Words spoken while tossing in cards : "I'M OUT". "Too rich for my blood."

19. One may be dog-eared : PAGE. The corner is turned down.

23. Hard tattoo to misspell : MOM

26. Grafton's "__ for Burglar" : 'B' IS

27. Sunday dinners : ROASTS

28. Qatar's peninsula : ARABIA

30. Grating sound : RASP

32. Load (up), as energy food : CARB. Yes, CARB can be used as a verb.

33. Synthesizer pioneer : MOOG. Moog demonstration.(2:19)

35. Juanita's "this" : ESTÁ. Spanish.

42. Scout uniform accessory : SASH

43. Depression era migrant : OKIE

44. Graph line : AXIS

46. Snobbish mannerisms : AIRS

48. Maine mail order giant : LL BEAN

50. Halfback's maneuver : END RUN

54. __-mo replay : SLO

55. High-speed PC option : DSL. Digital Subscriber Line (DSL). High speed in comparison to Dial-Up.

60. Two-tone treat : OREO. "More cookies!"

61. Oodles : A HEAP

62. Long skirt : MAXI

66. Leave out : OMIT

67. Modern kind of phone : SMART

68. Voltaire's "with" : AVEC. French.

69. Topeka's st. : KANS

70. Versatile blood donor : TYPE 'O'

71. Green stone : JADE

Down:

1. Beatles adjective : FAB. The FAB Four.

2. Chat room "I think ..." : IMO. "In My Opinion."

3. Bronx attraction : ZOO

4. Metal in pennies : ZINC

5. Forensic TV spin-off : "CSI MIAMI"

6. Highway exits : RAMPS

7. Baseball's Felipe or Matty : ALOU. Or Jesús. Or Moisés.

8. Track tipster : TOUT

9. Goes in : ENTERS

10. Pet-protecting org. : ASPCA. American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).

11. __ Ark : NOAH'S

12. Loaf on the job : DOG IT. Another meaning for DOG.

13. Staircase units : STEPS

21. Japanese wraparound : OBI

22. Double Dutch needs : ROPES. Using two jump ropes at one time. Clip.(1:12)

23. Fella : MAC

24. Postgraduate grillings : ORALS

25. What they call the wind, in a 1951 song : MARIA. Clip.(3:01) The Big song from "Paint Your Wagon" sung by Vaughn Monroe.

29. Backyard cookouts, briefly : BBQs

31. Prefix with culture : AGRI

34. Skunk's defense : ODOR

36. Take a __ at: try : STAB

37. Put a levy on : TAXED

38. Assumed name : ALIAS

40. Ryder competitor : U-HAUL

41. Shout at from below : YELL UP TO

45. NBC show with Baba Wawa skits, briefly : SNL

47. At the bottom of the standings : IN LAST

49. Soft shot : LOB

50. Kindle download : EBOOK

51. "__ Rae" : NORMA. 1979 American drama film with Sally Field, Beau Bridges, Ron Leibman, Pat Hingle.

52. Expected at the terminal : DUE IN

53. Mob outbreaks : RIOTS

54. Alarming situation : SCARE

57. "That's a surprise!" : "OH MY!"

58. Twice-monthly tide : NEAP. the tide that occurs when the difference between high and low tide is least

59. Key of Bruckner's Symphony No. 7 : E MAJ.. Anton Bruckner (1824 – 1896) was an Austrian composer.

63. Gardner on screen : AVA. Image, with Frank.

64. Crossed (out) : X'ED

Answer grid.

Argyle

Sunday, July 31, 2011 Mike Peluso

Theme: Oohs and Aahs -"Ooh" sound in the last word of each familiar phrase is changed into "aah" sound.

21A. Charity that rewards golf talent? : ALMS FOR THE PAR. Alms for the poor.

33A. Treat a Saudi king with TLC? : COMFORT FAHD. Comfort food. King Fahd's look terrifies me.

56A. Timid officer? : CHICKEN COP. Chicken coop.

67A. Miniature B-17? : BABY BOMBER. Baby boomer.

88A. Hall of Famer Warren after garage work? : GREASY SPAHN. Greasy spoon. Warren Spahn. Remember the poem "Spahn and Sain and Pray for Rain"? No, Marti/Splynter, no baseball for you?

106A. Padding in an Easter basket? : CHOCOLATE MOSS. Chocolate mousse.

15D. Stuffy trio? : THE THREE STODGES. The Three Stooges. But stodgy is an adjective, how can it be pluralized?

41D. Onset of boredom? : BIRTH OF THE BLAHS. Birth of the Blues.

Fun theme, isn't it? I would have enjoyed the theme more if I spoke English properly.

Notice how Mike spread out his theme entries in the grid? I like puzzles with Across & Down theme arrangement. More impressive is the intersection and overlapping.

Chopping solving for me. Again, the names gave me trouble.

Favorite clue today is AHAs (31D. Clicking sounds?). Awesome! Totally click with me.

Across:

1. Look up to : ADMIRE

7. "Zen and the __ Motorcycle Maintenance": 1974 best-seller : ART OF. Unknown to me. But anything motorcycle related can't be Zen.

12. Tournament slots : BERTHS

18. Gradually removed (from) : WEANED

19. When Lear banishes Cordelia : ACT ONE. This clue is very Mike.

20. University of Delaware mascot : BLUE HEN. Delaware the Blue Hen State.

23. Jockey Angel : CORDERO. Stranger to me.

24. __ Rebellion: 1786-'87 insurrection : SHAYS'. What's it about?

25. Liqueur flavoring : ANISE

26. Rim : EDGE

27. Overly : TOO

28. Stitching on Li'l Abner's towel? : HIS'N

29. Enemy : FOE

30. Feeds amply : SATES

32. Phenom : WHIZ

38. Travesty : FARCE

39. "Hang on a sec," online : BRB (Be Right Back)

42. Off : DO IN. Off is a verb here.

43. Forearm bones : ULNAS

44. More than just worry : OBSESS

45. '70s Struthers co-star : REINER (Rob). Sally Struthers. "All in the Family". I drew a blank.

47. Tiffs : SPATS

48. "Go fly __!" : A KITE

49. Sitting still : AT REST

50. Terrible twos, one hopes : PHASE

51. Coach Parseghian : ARA

52. Big petrol seller : ESSO

55. Danish explorer Bering : VITUS. You all know his given name?

58. Hoosegow : STIR. Jail.

59. Durham sch. : UNH (University of New Hampshire)

60. All-time RBI leader : AARON (Hank). 2, 297. Guess how many grand slams he has? Don't google.

62. Diarist Nin : ANAIS

64. Medical suffix : OMA

65. Crucifix : ROOD

71. Army doc : MEDIC

73. __ Romeo Spider : ALFA

74. NYC-based securities gp. : ASE (American Stock Exchange)

75. After-school treats : OREOS

76. Player with an orange and black-striped helmet : BENGAL. Cincinnati Bengals.

77. Junk : TRASH

79. Did well on the quiz : GOT A "B". Trick to parse.

80. "What's My Line?" regular Francis : ARLENE

81. Pennsylvania university : LEHIGH. Is it very famous?

83. Like some casks : OAKEN

84. Aromatherapist's supply : OILS. Melissa or Barbara B introduced Jojoba oil to me some time ago. I love it.

86. Sound after a pop : SSS

87. Alaskan native : ALEUT

91. Lobster house freebies : BIBS

92. Wicked one : FIEND

94. Hall of Fame pool player __ Mataya Laurance : EWA. Wow, no idea. She looks cool

95. West Coast sch. : UCLA. And 102D. West Coast sch. : UCAL. Not the same?

99. Handy communication syst.? : ASL. Good clue. (Added later: ASL is American Sign Language.)

100. Allure rival : ELLE

101. When repeated, "Hungry Like the Wolf" band : DURAN

103. Greek promenades : STOAS

104. Noxious fumes : MIASMAS

109. Artsy district : BOHEMIA

110. Run roughshod over : MARAUD

111. 2009 aviation biopic : AMELIA

112. Comeback : ANSWER

113. Little silvery fish : SMELT

114. Words on some Montana license plates : BIG SKY. Their nickname.

Down:

1. Overrun (with) : AWASH. I've only used "awash in".

2. City NE of Jodhpur : DELHI

3. Words from dolls : MAMAS

4. On the same page : IN SYNC

5. They sometimes count to 10 : REFS. Boxing, right?

6. Shogun's capital : EDO

7. More uncomfortable : ACHIER

8. AAA suggestions : RTES

9. Reach for the Skyy, excessively : TOPE. Spell checker doesn't like this verb.

10. __ roll: winning : ON A

11. Backin' : FER

12. Promotes oneself online : BLOGS. Verb here.

13. Chartres's river : EURE. I can never remember those European rivers.

14. The color of money owed? : RED

16. Daring rescue, say : HEROICS

17. Grabs some shuteye : SNOOZES

19. When many a whistle blows : AT NOON. I don't get this clue.

20. A train? : BCDE. A B C D E. Alphabet. Meh entry, but saved by an excellent clue.

22. "Bananaphone" singer : RAFFI. Here is a clip.

26. SFO listings : ETDS

30. South Carolina river : SANTEE. Named after the Santee tribe. Learning moment!

32. Fails to recycle : WASTES

34. Black Sea port : ODESSA

35. Cartoonist Walker : MORT. "Beetle Bailey".

36. Rapper __ Shakur : TUPAC

37. Lab container : FLASK

38. "Most Wanted" org. : FBI. And 78D. 38-Down employee : AGT.

39. Dazzling performance : BRAVURA. I like this word.

40. Vitamin A : RETINOL. It reduce the wrinkles.

44. Giraffe relative : OKAPI

46. Fresh out of the box, in Berlin : NEU. New.

47. Freshly minted : SHINY

48. Like a loud crowd : AROAR

50. Suffix for techno : PHOBE. Technophobe.

51. Dermatologist's cases : ACNES

53. Monkeys, e.g. : SIMIANS

54. They have all the answers : ORACLES. Including answers to this puzzle!

56. Computer problem : CRASH

57. Big cheese : NABOB

61. Bring shame to : ABASH

63. Bond nemesis : SMERSH. Weird looking word.

66. Persian king, 522-486 B.C. : DARIUS. Darius the Great. Stumper.

68. Unavailable, as for appointments : BOOKED

69. "Coffee __?" : OR TEA

70. Wherewithal : MEANS

72. Like mil. volunteers : ENL (Enlisted)

76. __ Cynwyd, Pa. : BALA. No idea.

79. Former Utah senator Jake who flew aboard Discovery in 1985 : GARN

81. Ritchie Valens biopic : LA BAMBA

82. Apostrophe's purpose, often : ELISION

83. Curved molding : OGEE

84. Role in Stone's "JFK" : OSWALD. "Life" magazine with Lee Harvey Oswald on the cover is a collectible item.

85. "Brusha, brusha, brusha" toothpaste : IPANA

89. Ump's call : YER OUT!

90. Eggnog topping : NUTMEG

92. Distinctive style : FLAIR. Do you miss Jerome?

93. "Casablanca" heroine : ILSA

96. Becomes safe to eat, in a way : COOLS. Simple in retrospect.

97. Cornea-reshaping surgery : LASIK. I just don't feel it's safe.

98. Test for purity : ASSAY

100. Former "Fashion Emergency" host : EMME. Unaware of the program.

101. 19th-century French book illustrator : DORE (Gustave). French & 19th-century spell out nothing for me, unfortunately. Interesting read in Wikipedia.

103. Cargo hauler : SEMI

105. Embroider, e.g. : SEW

106. Ruler amts. : CMs

107. Breakfast side : HAM

108. Folder user's aid : TAB.

Answer grid.

C.C.

Saturday, July 30, 2011 Neville L. Fogarty

Theme: None

Words: 72

Blocks: 29

Saturday Number 5 in this July, and a fun one, I thought - but that might be because I cruised through it with little trouble. Perhaps it was not the same for you, so I will do my best to break it down. Another pinwheel design, this time with triples of 10's and 8's.

Across:

1. Revisiting the past? : TIME TRAVEL

11. __ shot : SLAP - Hockey, the kind of shot where you really wind up - and a great movie, if you're into hockey....

15. "Been there" : I CAN RELATE

16. Country with a green, yellow and red flag : MALI - Image here

17. Israelites, to many : CHOSEN ONES - here I thought it was Ozzy Osbourne....@ 1:55

18. Hone : EDGE - the verb, in this instance

19. The sport of shooting, in Soissons : TIR - I did not know - here is the Wiki

20. Took in : ATE

21. Finn's friend : SAWYER

23. Sarah McLachlan's record label : ARISTA

25. Chinese port also known as Xiamen : AMOY

27. 2012 games host country, in Olympics code : GBR - Great Britain; not a great logo for the Olympics, IMO

28. Come to : COST

29. Like some boxers : CANINE - Boxer, the dog, although Mike Tyson put his canines to use, too....

31. "Who __ we kidding?" : ARE

32. Personification : AVATAR - we have some good ones on the blog - I think we should do a weekly theme, and have the avatars change accordingly - like we did with the "days gone by" oldies....my first suggestion? How about your home/ dream home?

34. Tales you can also read backwards? : SAGAS - a little play on the palindrome concept

36. Fakes : RINGERS

39. "To reiterate ..." : AS I SAID...

41. Notable Nixon gesture : V-SIGN - Image

42. Jenny Fields's son, in a 1978 best-seller : T.S. GARP - Technical Sergeant Garp - a strange story

44. Luv : HON - Lovey, Honey-bunny

45. Talked up : TOUTED

47. Certain dieter's concern : CARBohydrates

51. Go (for) : OPT

52. Objects : ENDS - a stretch; as in attaining objects, the "ends" of a search, or is it the verb, and one "objects" to something, and ends it?

53. Glassy-eyed one : STARER - funny, I had "STONER" at first, and was 66% there....

55. Brand named for two states : ORE-IDA - Argyle just linked this Monday, OREgon, and IDAho,the tater-tots makers

57. __ favor : POR - Spanish, for "please"

58. Whitman of "Arrested Development" : MAE - many images

59. Essex neighbor : KENT - England, or GBR; map lower right

60. Female pop trio since 1979 : BANANARAMA - I knew them from "Cruel Summer", and not much more, tho they did hit it with a remake of "Venus"

64. Go back, in a way : UNDO - Thank God for "undo", especially in blogging and AutoCAD~!!!

65. Only place on Earth where crocodiles and alligators co-exist : EVERGLADES - Florida; I lived in Jacksonville for a time

66. Lowly worker : PEON

67. Pans, and how : TEARS APART - as in a bad review

Down:

1. Popular mint : TIC-TAC

2. Mariner from Japan : ICHIRO - Seattle Mariners, got me at first.

3. "The Piano" extras : MAORIs - Some more, here ; did not see the movie; not my thing

4. USNA grad : ENSign

5. Pay for : TREAT

6. Airport offering : RENT-A-CAR

7. Succulent genus : ALOE - Total WAG on a Saturday, of course, but succulent....

8. Cargo carrier : VAN

9. Summer abroad : ETE - French summer

10. Good thing to learn : LESSON

11. Duck in the Eurasian taiga : SMEW

12. Singer known for unconventional outfits : LADY GAGA - I like her, despite the outfits

13. Basic math course : ALGEBRA I - two clues in a row that might have been hard to parse

14. Second-least populous st. capital : PIERRE, SD - the city, and its state - nailed it. (Thanks for pointing out the error.)

22. Bridge response : AYE, SIR - this time, the bridge is referring to that of the Enterprise, as in Star Trek, or yesterday's "Argo" clues

24. Immortal college coach : STAGG - Immortal, perhaps, famous? Not in my wheelhouse - more here

25. Santa __ : ANA

26. Illusion : MIRAGE

30. Ready to father : AT STUD - horses

33. Let it all out : VENTED

35. Shepherd-protecting org. : ASPCA

36. KOA amenity : RV HOOK-UP - KOA is the "Kampgrounds of America", sort of the Wal-mart of camping....

37. Petroleum processing by-product : ISOPRENE - actually, quite fascinating reading for me

38. Pioneer in side-scrolling video games : NINTENDO - like Mario did, from right to left

40. Tearjerkers of a kind : SAD SONGS

43. 61-Down crossers: Abbr. : STs, & 61. See 43-Down : AVE - a really UGH pair of clues for a Saturday

46. How some stunts are done : ON A BET

48. Fighting force : ARMADA - Ensign, Aye, Sir = a mini-theme going here

49. Hole widener : REAMER - yeah, but to follow with

50. One may come with wings : BREAST - well, I could just get DF here....

54. Refrain from singing? : TRA-LA - fresh cluing here

56. "Bring __!" : IT ON

57. Tudor widow : PARR - Catherine, survivor of Henry VIII; more good reading

62. Gp. for teachers : NEA

63. Emulate Sir Mix-A-Lot : RAP - I linked him last time....

Answer grid.

Splynter