Saturday, Sep 20th, 2014, Brad Wilber

Theme: BW

Words: 72 (missing Q,X)

Blocks: 35

  Another solo Saturday from Brad Wilber, with a deceptively easy-looking grid.  I found today's puzzle had what I would call "reverse solvability" - that is, the long answers filled in with little effort, but the shorter ones really baffled me.  8- and 6-letter triple stack corners that did not look intimidating, and just two 10-letter phrases crossing two of the four 9-letter runs rounding out the longer spans;

6d. Moles may cross them : ENEMY LINES

30d. One might include "Go skydiving" : BUCKET LIST

o, a, r d n w....?!?!

ACROSS:

1. Pirate inducted at Cooperstown in 1988 : STARGELL - Ah, Baseball to start; I am sure C.C. nailed it, but it took some perps for me to WAG this one

9. Tuning shortcut : PRESET - I was in a guitar frame of mind; this is more like your AM/FM, Sirius and Pandora kind of tuning; I call my Pandora station "Myynde Wax" - there's a story behind it....

15. Try to pick up : COME ON TO - There's a girl at the restaurant where I built the benches that likes to scratch my back; do you think it's an attempt to "come on to" me~??

16. Make wrinkly : RUMPLE - I was tempted to try "CREASE"

17. Auto safety feature : HEADREST - simple, but effective

18. Capital with an Algonquin name : OTTAWA - Albany (NY) fit, too, but....

19. Abound : TEEM

20. Many a jayvee athlete : SOPH - tried "TEEN" first

22. Org. with an online Patriot Index : D.A.R. - Daughters of the American Revolution

23. Loan applicant's asset : STEADYJOB - It's getting close to new car time; I have a steady job, a high credit score, and a Dodge with 251,000 miles on it

26. Barnyard cries : BRAYS

28. Much of the New Testament is attributed to him : PAUL - I waited on perps

29. Longtime Ivory rival : LIFEBUOY - soap makers - makes me think of "A Christmas Story"

31. 11-Down skill : CPR - circumreferential, ugh; 11. 31-Across pro : EMT

32. Ins. giant : AIG

33. Citrus whose juice is used in Asian cuisine : YUZU - new to me; the Wiki

34. Give as a task : ASSIGN - Don't get me started on "tasks"....f#$%kn sponsor....

36. Brno natives : CZECHs

40. 1960s role for Bamboo Harvester : Mr. ED - I had 'M-ED' and had to duck to avoid the V-8 can

42. Word with run or jump : SKI - ski run, ski jump

43. Self-satisfied sound : "HEH~!"

44. Requiem Mass segment : DIES IRAE - the full phrase

46. "The Phantom Tollbooth" protagonist : MILO - all perps

47. Loin cut : T-BONE - toyed with throwing this in to start; then the "N" showed

49. Words of resignation : C'EST LA VIE - Frawnche - but it does remind me of this video

51. URL ending : ORG - uhhh, .com, .edu, .biz....

52. Did a sendup of : APED - mimicry

54. Heroine with notable buns : LEIA - hey now, these buns

55. Pungent condiment : WASABI

57. Took for a ride : SWINDLED

61. Standoffish type : ICICLE - back in college, there was a girl all the guys referred to as the "ice princess" - ironically, she asked ME out....

62. Like the trade winds : EASTERLY

63. Hitching post attachment : TETHER

64. Stop and go, say : ANTONYMS

DOWN:

1. Ivy, e.g.: Abbr. : SCH - meh. 

2. Part of Italy where Calabria is, figuratively : TOE

3. Curtis Cup contenders : AMATEURS - Golf - sort of like the Ryder Cup; more here

4. Bridge do-over : RE-DEAL

5. Hurt in a ring : GORED - Ask Evander Holyfield

7. West Point grads: Abbr. : LTs

8. Much : LOTS OF

9. Hold (up) : PROP

10. Performer in every episode of "Laugh-In" : RUTH BUZZI

12. Relaxing outing : SPA DAY

13. Super Bowl XXXIII MVP : ELWAY

14. Drops during lows : TEARS - my last fill was the "R"; took a moment to see 'drops' as a noun and not a verb

21. Jump, in a way : OBEY

23. Employer of vets: Abbr. : SPCA - ah, those kind of vets

24. Four-note piece : TAPS

25. It may be up : JIG - "Surrender...the jig is up"

27. Casanova : ROUE

32. Accommodating : AGREEABLE

35. Hacker's cry : "I'M IN~!"

37. Knight life ideal : CHIVALRY - it's not dead

38. Port opener : HELI - heliport

39. Braking system component : SHOE - I think they need replacing on my van, but I am still working on the leaf spring

41. Ones spotted in casinos : DICE - this could have been very deceptive, indeed; ones, spotted, dice....lots to work with

42. Carrier to Copenhagen : SAS - Airline

44. Lallygags : DOGS IT

45. Site with an important part in a 1956 film? : RED SEA - part?  Har-HAR~!!!

46. Winless horse : MAIDEN

47. Specifically : TO WIT

48. Reinforce : BRACE

50. Measures taken slowly? : LENTO - musical direction

53. Seaside strolling spot : PIER

56. Rats along the Rhine? : ACH - exclamations; "Rats~!" and "Ach~!"

58. Peaked : WAN - skin color, 'to wit'

59. London's earliest water pipes were made with it : ELM - I wanted "WOOD"; did not realize we were looking for a specific type

60. Beginning to function? : DYS - DYSfunction(al) - don't I know it

Splynter

Saturday, Sep 13th, 2014, Barry C. Silk

Theme: Saturday Silkie~!

Words: 70 (missing J,K)

Blocks: 30

   I felt pretty confident when I started this Silkie, and I am happy to say, I did not disappoint myself.  VALE at 18a. was my first fill, but I hit quite a few of the Downs with only a letter or two in place.  Just one complete write-over, and I got my "Ta-DA~!" on a total WAG.  Triple 10-letter corners, though the downs are set inside by one column today.  Two 8s and two 9s wrap up the long answers;

1. Auto discontinued in 1974 and relaunched in 2004 : PONTIAC GTO - I did not know this was coming back for 2014 - at least we get more than just "GTO" in the answer

37a. Range-finding apparatus : TELEMETER - I did not know this, either; in fact, never heard the word before

13. '80s West Coast stereotype : VALLEY GIRL - "ehmegawd, like, totally, I mean was this, um, puzzle like to the max, or did it barf you out~!?"

28. 1988 Radio Hall of Fame inductee, with "The" : LONE RANGER - I have started watching my "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century" box set; man is the acting hard on the eyes - and to think I ate this up as a teenager

onward

ACROSS:

11. Short reply : RSVP

15. One pushing the limit : SPEED DEMON

16. Space-saving term : ET AL.

17. Words of resignation : "IT'S TOO LATE" - it's never too late....for ice cream~!

18. Low area : VALE

19. Bygone boomers : SSTs

20. __ curls : BICEP

21. Touring the Getty Center Museum, briefly : IN L.A. - I've since come to recognize this style of clue as meaning "in -- " some abbreviated city

22. Arthur with a Tony : BEA

23. Order with many options : OMELET - I like mine on a bacon burger

25. Stain causes : SPILLS

29. "Follow me" : "THIS WAY"

31. "... but perhaps I'm mistaken" : "...OR NOT"

32. Weather station instrument : RAIN GAUGE

34. Spotted : SEEN

35. Sign of availability : TO LET

36. Filling limit : BRIM

39. Warn : ALERT

40. Reproduces, in a way : XEROXES - nice fill; XEROX was in another Saturday puzzle not too long ago

41. Puffs up : SWELLS

42. Explorer who landed at Calicut in 1498 : Da GAMA

43. Old platters : LPs

44. Saudi Arabia neighbor : OMAN

45. Thai appetizer : SATAY - never heard of it; my 'other' buddy Mike suggested we go get Chinese last Friday; instead he took me to a Japanese restaurant - I tried Kani salad, and it was great ( WAGed the "T")

48. Style involving a pick : AFRO

52. Annex : WING - I can never remember this "other" word for "ELL"

53. Impasse : BLIND ALLEY

55. Suffix with exist : ENCE - existENCE

56. Decisive factor : BOTTOM LINE

57. Suggestive look : LEER

58. One asking a lot of questions : QUIZ MASTER

DOWN:
       
1. Frat letters : PSIs

2. Accepts, with "in" : OPTS

3. Spot for a snake : NEST - I once had a Ball Python; ate live mice - such a trip to watch the litte fellow as it scurried about in the snake's nest, and then - BAM~!

4. Eastern holidays : TETs

5. Binding agreement : I DO - I was told Thursday repeately by several older women that I was charming, vulnerable, and good-looking; one went so far as to say I'd be married in a year - we will see....there's not even a girlfriend right now

6. Some brick houses : ADOBEs - very big bricks, in some cases

7. "As You Like It" character : CELIA - A little Wiki for those interested

8. Ally Financial Inc., formerly : GMAC - From the financial bailout of 2008; more Wiki

9. Schlep : TOTE

10. Heart, in hearts : ONE POINT

11. Like some umps' calls : REVIEWABLE - I did not know they reviewed calls in baseball now; I know they review any questionable goal in hockey - in Toronto

12. 1961 recipient of an Honorary Award Oscar : STAN LAUREL

14. Fold : PLEAT - like this~? ( hey, I toned it down....)

22. Deli selection : BLT

24. No __: menu notice : MSG

25. __ ped.: piano music instruction : SOST - sostenuto, "sustained"; the middle pedal of a grand piano

26. Go over beforehand : PRE-EXAMINE

27. Lack of refinement : INELEGANCE

29. Lore : TALES

30. Yesterday, in Paris : HIER - meh, Frawnche

32. Mechanical method : ROTE

33. Init. response team : EMTs

35. Some slow-cooked cuisine, for short : TEXAS BBQ - more good fill

38. Hockey __ : MOM - because "TISSUE" did not fit; anyone care to guess at what a hockey tissue is?

39. Nursery reactions : AWs...

41. World of bugs and plants? : SPYDOM - nailed it with just the "Y" in place

42. Wooden peg : DOWEL -that it is

43. Woody Woodpecker's creator : LANTZ - Walter

46. Jesus of baseball : ALOU

47. Long-tailed monkey : TITI - "Awww...." - hey, this picture led me to some interesting reading on dating

48. "__ well ..." : ALL'S

49. Pass quickly : FLIT

50. Artist Magritte : RENÉ - I think this one's my favorite

51. Open hearing, in law : OYER

54. Chicago-based professional org. : AMA

Splynter

Saturday, Sep 6th, 2014, Don Gagliardo

Theme: DonG~!

Words: 70 (missing X)

Blocks: 26

  Half of our Dynamic Duo makes his first Saturday appearance for the LAT, to the best of my knowledge, with an impressive low block count of only 26, no less.  Big chunky 8x5- and 9x6-letter corners, two 10-letter fills in the middle, and one 15-letter climber, which I did not see at first glance.  Have to admit, had to cheat with red-letters for ONE lousy cell, and it was NOT in the SE corner, I might add.  Still, there was a gratuitous shoutout to yours truly, and so I am pretty happy overall.  The longer answers;

7. Flying cartoon hero, formally : ROCKET J. SQUIRREL - Before my time; must be hard up for work these days as he's appearing in Geico commercials now

31. Gang leader of old comics : BAZOOKA JOE - The Joe that you will no longer find in the comics wrapped around your Bazooka Bubblegum; the Wiki

43. Stewed : LIQUORED UP - ah, now this is a phrase that I AM familiar with....

10d.~!!!!!

ACROSS:

1. Some daily activities : HABITS - Let's see; coffee, cigars, Monster energy, cursing, bathing, brushing teeth - but I did not drink, just for today - but there's a toast to all at sundown, right Tin~!?

7. Restored vigor to, in a way : REPOTTED - Maybe for the marijuana plant, but most of the people I know who get "re-potted" don't usually show much vigor

15. Big Sur retreat : ESALEN - Sounds like a place I might like to visit; spirituality, holistic healing, and education - more from their website

16. Chef's assortment : OVENWARE - because CUTLERY was too short

17. Philosopher de Beauvoir : SIMONE

18. 1992 Michelle Pfeiffer role : CATWOMAN

19. Wright-Patterson, e.g.: Abbr. : AFB - Air Force Base, Dayton, Ohio

20. Certain laundry load : DARKS - my first fill

22. "This is just __" : A TEST

23. Titicaca feeders : RIOs - Educated WAG; lake in South America

25. Forest mom : DOE

26. Turning points : CRISES

27. __ Lodge : ECONO - who else went with MOTOR~?

29. "Fats" Waller piano style : STRIDE

33. Trick : RUSE

37. Goethe's "The __-King" : ERL - I think I have seen this before in crosswords, but it was all perps today

38. To begin with : FIRSTLY

40. Yvette, e.g. : NOM - Frawnche

41. Soup vegetable : LEEK - My first guess, but I left it blank

45. "Free," in "land of the free" : ADNOUN - New to me - the Wiki says it's an adjective used as a noun

47. Wheat used in health food : SPELT - Nailed it

48. Gets clean : BATHES - nothing to do with "sobriety" getting clean

51. 19th/20th-century civil rights leader __ B. Wells : IDA

53. Marching band? : ARMY - har-har....could've flown without the "?", too, IMO

54. On the wrong side (of) : AFOUL - "He ran afoul of the law."

55. Ceremonial lineup : GRADs - meh

57. Disallow : BAN

58. Common ore of mercury : CINNABAR - My high school paper was called this; not sure picking an ore of a poisonous metal is such a good choice in terms of 'what's good for you'

60. Pin down : LOCATE

62. Form a union : ORGANIZE - Nailed it; but then again, I'm at UPS....

63. Sees the light, maybe : AWAKES - Sorry, but a BIG MEH here - either WAKES, or AWAKENS, but halfway in between~? meh.

64. Like many sales : SEASONAL - Like "Peeps" half off the day after Easter

65. Devote, as time : INVEST

DOWN:

1. 1962 Crystals album with cover art of a biker : HE'S A REBEL - The REBEL part came from perps; the rest was an educated WAG - before my time

2. "Whatever" : "AS IF I CARE"

3. Hoodwink : BAMBOOZLE - Got it with "---OO-E" in place

4. Workers' rights gp. since 1919 : ILO - Dah~! I tried CIO, then AFL; we are looking for the International Labour Organization

5. Look after : TEND

6. Three-time Masters winner : SNEAD - Sam, of golfing fame

8. Some NASA missions : EVAs  - Extra-Vehicular Activities; in other words, space walks ( I know, it's more than just that, HuskerG)

9. Favorite : PET

10. Ahead : ONWARD~! - Thank you, kind sir~!!!

11. Wedding cake specification : TWO-TIER

12. Tones down : TAMES

13. Backspace, usually : ERASE

14. Reasons for as-is sales : DENTS

21. Actress Dawson of "Men in Black II" : ROSARIO - Good movie, but not as good as the first Men In Black - and I am ashamed to admit I have NOT seen "III" yet

24. Wintry commercial prefix : SNO - Sno-Cat, e.g.

26. Spanish sky : CIELO

28. Doubled-over reaction : "`OOF`!"

30. Capitol center : ROTUNDA - Nice slight mis-direction

32. Where some artists' firings occur : KILNs

34. Cook poorly, in a way : UNDERBAKE

35. Ideal pairing : SOULMATES - I sometimes think I have already met her....now for the next step

36. 1980s-'90s Richard Mulligan sitcom : EMPTY NEST - I liked him in "SOAP", and this show was pretty good, too - featuring Kristy McNicol and "Isuzu Joe"

39. Age abbr. : YRs

42. Hawaiian priests : KAHUNAs - I must link Pulp Fiction~!

44. AQI monitor : EPA - Air Quality Index, and the Enviromental Protection Agency

46. California city near Bakersfield : DELANO

48. Salad bar items : BACOs - Mmmm, Baco's....did anyone else try TONGS, and then get to 50D~?

49. Burning : AFIRE

50. Pacific island nation : TONGA

52. Grover's 1890s vice president : ADLAI - Stevenson, the "I"; I am more familiar with "II", who was 20th century

55. Troubled Mideast region : GAZA - Timely

56. Ready to grow : SOWN - It's harvest time for the sod farms here on L.I.

59. Garbage holder : BIN

61. James, again, briefly : CAV - this one was super MEH - I had to dig deep to get the reference, which is LeBron James, who played for the Cleveland CAValiers, twice - with a stop in Miami in between - and I do NOT like Basketball~!

Splynter