Saturday, July 2nd, 2016, Gail Grabowski

Theme: GG

Words: 70 (missing G,J,Q,V,W,Z)

Blocks: 28

 This was a truly enjoyable solve - I was talking to the same customer at each of the restaurants twice this week, as he was attempting to do a crossword in the newspaper.  I mentioned that I blogged the Saturday puzzle for the LA Times; he claimed that he drew the line at Thursday, finding every paper's puzzle to be too difficult on Friday and Saturday.  Today's construction had what felt like a lot of vague cluing, but in the end, with just a few tweaks I got the ta-DA~!   No Google, no red-letter, no cheating; I might have done better for knowing some answers straight up, but in the end, no sponges in this fun~!  Triple 9's all around;

6a. Where many leading males may be seen? : BALLROOMS - my one big gaffe was putting in "ACRES" for "BALES"; which led me to look for ACTOR - something here

54a. Russian Orthodox church feature : ONION DOME - how to build one, here

 

1d. Courses around courses : CART PATHS - misread this on the first pass as "courses AND courses"

31d. Bag lady? : KATE SPADE - I knew where this "?" clue was going, but the only expensive bags I could think of were Prada and Gucci

GonGward~!

(How did GG NOT have any G's in the puzzle~?)

ACROSS:

1. Prepares to strike, in a way : COILS - I have mentioned this before; once had a Ball Python that ate live mice - and it would stealthily coil up before striking; fascinating example of nature

15. Nocturnal problem, usually : APNEA

16. Source of some sauce : APPLE TREE - oh applesauce~! ACRES did me in here, too

17. Lets : RENTS

18. Help : LEND A HAND

19. Chic modifier : TRÉS

20. Advertisers say it sells : SEX - love those classic Hanes ads

21. Mother of Huey, Dewey and Louie : DELLA - all perps and one WAG

22. Service providers : PARSONS - Sunday service, that is

24. Hall of Fame NHL coach Roger : NEILSON - I knew this one, as he was once a NY Rangers coach - just didn't know the correct spelling at the start

26. Small power source : AA CELL

27. Paragon : MODEL - sometimes words I read in books make sense in the context, but stand-alone in a crossword, and I'm stumped; this is one of those words.  I went with MORAL first

28. Took a shot at : TRIED

29. Sticks : BOONDOCKS - ah, to be out in the sticks, which you could say of my present living situation, and I happen to like it - great water view

33. Google goal : HIT

34. "Semper Fidelis" composer : SOUSA - total WAG on my first pass, and it fit

35. "I like that!" : AAH

36. Encouragement before a shot : "SAY CHEESE~!"

39. Millions can play it at once : LOTTO

41. Frequent Greenstreet co-star : LORRE - Sydney Greenstreet, before my time; it's good to read that he got his start in films at age 62

42. Olympics competitor since 1896 : FENCER - France fit, too; 1896 was the year of the first "modern" Olympic games

43. To the extent that : AS FAR AS

46. Quaint inn room upright : BEDPOST - I went with SPINNET, but was pretty sure I had too many "N"s

47. Adjust one's sights : RE-AIM

48. Get even with : TIE

49. Pic Sans Nom, par exemple : ALPE - ah. "pic" here is Frawnche for "peak", and the translation is "nameless peak"; I considered "ANON", but since the whole clue was foreign....

50. Pet identification aid : MICROCHIP

53. Come up with __ : A PLAN

55. "Christie Johnstone" novelist : READE - again, all perps and one WAG

56. Got back to one's office? : RE-ELECTED

57. Threw wide, say : ERRED

DOWN:

2. Bellini's "Casta diva," for one : OPERA ARIA

3. Metropolitan area : INNER CITY

4. Muser's words : LET'S SEE

5. Nordic carrier : SAS

6. Agricultural units : BALES - dah~! Not ACRES, as I had ---ES to start

7. Culmination : APEX - ACRES led me to try CRUX here, which seemed to make sense

8. MD's employee : LPN

9. George Washington received an honorary one from Harvard U. : LL.D.

10. Prepared : READIED

11. Play that inspired an opera : OTHELLO - and the opera inspired the game~?

12. Grueling grillings : ORALS

13. __ Park, Calif. : MENLO - I spelled Neilson as Neilsen, so I couldn't make this correct answer fit

14. Impala, e.g. : SEDAN - Chevrolet model of a four-door car; still searching for my used silver Dodge Grand Caravan

20. Subj. of some "Bossypants" chapters : SNL - Tina Fey's biography, and Saturday Night Live - great fresh clue for a common crossword answer

23. Like some timers? : OLD

24. Ominous oater symbol : NOOSE

25. "Hairspray" mom : EDNA - I had IRMA to start, and it didn't sound right

27. Logitech product : MOUSE - Nailed it, but then again, my mouse IS  a Logitech

29. Transvaal settlers : BOERS

30. It may have a bell on it : CAT COLLAR

32. Cut : SHORTENED - made me think of editing a film

34. Shot contents : SERA

37. Maker of AgeDefy products : CLAIROL - again, I knew we were looking for some sort of "beauty" company, but it turns out to be hair color - I was close....

38. Insulin, for one : HORMONE - learning moment; most often when I hear insulin, I think 34D. and Diabetes

39. Preceded : LED

40. Theoretically : ON PAPER - I remember there being this 'clever' idea on a Pontiac Gran-Am of the 90s that used the inside of the glove compartment door as a cup holder - and it worked great until you started driving; looked good ON PAPER, I am sure....

42. Lawyer's charge : FEE

43. Defensive covering : ARMOR

44. It flows through Troyes and Melun : SEINE - a sensible Frawnche WAG

45. Prima __: self-evident : FACIE - I hear this all the time on "Law & Order"

46. Ostrich, for example : BIPED - Two feet, though not necessarily two LEFT feet

48. iPhone display : TIME - I had the "T", but hesitated; too easy~?

51. Agcy. concerned with drug-resistant bacteria : CDC

52. In : HOT

53. Equals : ARE - twelve items are/equals a dozen

Splynter

Saturday, Jun 25th, 2016, Martin Ashwood-Smith & George Barany

Theme: 16x15

Words: 69 (missing J,Q,W,Z)

Blocks: 34

 Today's offering is another expanded standard grid from the duo of Messrs Martin and George to allow for the triple quad stack in the middle, and that's not all; an additional pair of spanners, one at the top and bottom of the construction with nifty 11-letter climbers that cross the quad stack and one of the other 15-letter fills.  This is our second puzzle from the pair, the other being 23 Jan of this year - I looked back and reported that I did OK with the spanners, but not so well everywhere else.  This time, I did better, but still got stuck with one - just one - red letter cheat to get me thru due East.  Oh well.  The spanners;

16a. It's airtight : THE PERFECT ALIBI

29a. Light carrier : FIBER OPTIC CABLE - I knew the first part, but the 'CABLE' part didn't occur to me right away - which is odd, because in my local area, there's a 'cable war' going on between Verizon FiOS, which is Fiber optic, and Cablevision, which is standard; my brother tried FiOS, and switched back.

35a. Text ending in Panama? : A MAN, A PLAN, A CANAL - a palindrome; the same forwards and backwards, when you add PANAMA to the end

36a. Eviction consequence : VACANT APARTMENT - I once worked for a cleaning company that specialized in apartment complexes - we had mixed feelings about evictions because the ex-tenant usually ended up leaving valuables behind ( leather jackets, guitars, liquor, porn ) but also some really vicious mess to clean up - used appliances never once wiped down, and in one case, out of spite, sugar in the carpet and ketchup on the walls

37a. Investment in a relationship : EMOTIONAL ENERGY - well, it fits, but I have never really heard this as a "term" before

54. Retire : PUT OUT TO PASTURE - I had the "-TO PASTURE" part, but my first fills in the SW Down were wrong, so it took a while

I'm on vacatiON WARD~!
 

ACROSS:

1. Line at the supermarket : SOUP CANS - nothing about BAR CODE(s)

9. Tapering part : SPIRE - my first thought was candles, and table legs - and then other kinds of legs....

14. Freezer bar with Sir Isaac Lime and Alexander the Grape flavors : OTTER*POP

15. Aleichem who created Tevye : SHOLEM - filled via perps

18. Short and sweet : TERSE

19. Sea lion, e.g. : EARED SEAL

20. Galeón cargo : ORO

21. Etym. : DERIVation - the etymology of a word is where it comes from; I especially like "neighbor" - see here

22. Base address : SIR - dah~!  Not APO

24. Confession starter : MEA

26. "Just __" : ASK

38. Medicare card fig. : SSN

39. Go down : SET - think sun

40. __ Banos, California : LOS - one of those has to be LOS or LAS, but with an obscure (for this east-coaster) town

41. Spring time : APRIL - two words, but it wasn't MAY, JUNE, or MARCH

44. Courses for coll. credit : APs - I took two in high school

47. Teachers' lounge : STAFFROOM

52. Berkshire attraction for race fans : ASCOT

56. Charge : ONRUSH - oops, not AMBush

57. Mae West's final film : SEXTETTE - semi-WAG; not in my wheelhouse.  The IMDb

58. Lacerations : TEARS - ah, I tried SCARS - and then again one other place

59. Get smashed : TIE ONE ON - haven't done so in over 11 years - now I tie two on - each of my shoes....

DOWN:

1. __ voce : SOTTO - as we have discussed here before, the bigger the stacks, the shorter the crossing fill is, and thus usually easier to fill

2. Remaining : OTHER

3. Unborn, after "in" : UTERO

4. Fires (up) : PEPS

5. Algonquian language : CREE

6. Credit fig. : APR - I am looking into this Lending Tree Credit Card offer of $0 balance transfer; semi-clecho with -  7a. Credit card come-on : NO FEE

8. Fishing tool : SPEAR

9. Sardine cousin : SHAD

10. D.C. in-crowd : POLiticianS

11. "__ awake at night": "Pretty Boy" lyric : I LIE - made sense, so I put it in....

12. Name on the 1984 album "My Kind of Country" : REBA - really my only four-letter go-to fill for country

13. __ Sinclair, protagonist of Hesse's "Demian" : EMIL - again, perps

15. "The Office" star : STEVE CARELL

17. Record holder? : CRIMINAL

21. Be affected by gravity : DROP TO EARTH - I had "drop toWARDS", which made sense, but baffled me in the SW corner

22. French governing group : SÉNAT

23. Qom inhabitants : IRANIs

25. Bankbook ID : ACCT. No.

26. Marryin' Sam presided over his wedding : ABNER - OK, I tried ELVIS....

27. Word on the street : SLANG

28. Big name in backpacks : KELTY - my one red-letter was the "K"

29. Pets : FAVES

30. Muslim clerics : IMAMS

31. Strips for brunch : BACON

32. Nursery item : PLANT POT

33. Bite with un aperitivo : TAPA

34. Willie of "Eight Is Enough" : AAMES - didn't watch the show - "Buck Rogers" was more to my liking

first guy on the top

42. All-night bar? : ROOST

43. JFK Library architect : I.M. PEI - I knew this one

44. Less than right? : ACUTE - angles - har-har

45. __ Alegre, Brazil : PORTO

46. Rembrandt contemporary : STEEN

47. Blemish : SPOT - I went with SCAR here, first, and it was altogether wrong

48. Harmony : TUNE

49. Sharp brand introduced in 1977 : ATRA

50. Lou Gehrig's number : FOUR - I thought it was NINE, and so I was never going to succeed until I came to the conclusion that I was wrong

51. Stir : FUSS

52. On the subject of : AS TO

53. Acronymous WWII gun : STEN - I knew this one, too

55. Pink-slip : AXE

Splynter

Saturday, Jun 18th, 2016, Ed Sessa

Theme: None

Words: 68 (missing J,K,Q)

Blocks: 29

 I bounced back from last week's disaster pretty well with Mr. Sessa's latest, even though it did not look promising to start - but I have to admit to one Google in the NE. Again the grid was replete with proper names, but I was pleased with myself for getting some of the longer fill right off, and that gave me some traction in the other corners - big chunky corners of 8x5s and nearly 9x6s, and two 9s and two 10s in the Down as well.  The two "B" climbers;

9. Britain's Yeoman Warders, familiarly : BEEF EATERS - I knew the term "beef eaters", but not the 'proper' name for the now ceremonial royal guard - the Wiki

 27. Some house-to-garage links : BREEZEWAYS - nailed it

 

(~!)

ACROSS:

1. Alaska's Alaskan Malamute, for one : STATE DOG - It fit, so I went with it

9. Have rounds all around : BAR HOP - The "P" showed via perps early, so I pondered "something - UP"....bzzzt

15. Locks maintenance : HAIRCARE - tresses or transportation for ships~?

16. Tennyson's "lily maid of Astolat" : ELAINE - my one cheat....the Wiki

17. Volcanic glass : OBSIDIAN - nailed it

18. Omitted from a speech? : ELIDED

19. Calms : ALLAYS - I had --LA-S, and was tempted to go with RELAX(e)S - har-har

20. Spells out : DEFINES

22. __ United: English soccer team : LEEDS - my dad was a Manchester United fan

23. Serious order shortage? : MELEE - stared at this too long, then the V-8 can flew; when a riot breaks out, there's little order to be found

24. Ideal: Abbr. : STD

26. Where Andorra is : IBERIA - nailed it, but then SPAIN didn't fit at the true clecho; 36a. Where Andorra is : EUROPE, so I contemplated ESPANA - dah~! Europe is too easy~!

28. __-American : AFRO

29. Picketing displays : PLACARDS

33. Iranian city known for its carpets : TABRIZ - OK, so I went with PERSIA, which IS  Iran, I know....

35. Rest : REPOSE

37. Ascribe (to) : IMPUTE - one of a few new words for me today

38. Few are chosen : SURNAMES - ah.  Clever.

40. Hamlet : DORP - went down the four-letter list; TOWN, BURG, BURB - but this one is new to me; it's Dutch

41. "Moulin Rouge" (1952) co-star, familiarly : ZSA-ZSA - once I had a "Z"....

43. Storm dir. : ENE - total WAG, considering the combinations, but this one always fits best

44. __-wip : REDDI - I knew that the "ready" part was spelled wrong, but never noticed the "H" was missing from the other half

45. Underhanded undertaking : THEFT

50. Bonus : THROW-IN

52. Southwestern native : PUEBLO - oops, not NAVAJO

53. Hyphenated frozen food brand : ORE-IDA - I like mini-taters

54. Ear-piercing : OVERLOUD - what do you wanna do with your life~?!?!?

I wanna rock

56. Analgesic rub : BENGAY - this was in another Saturday puzzle not too long ago

57. Gave the business : TORE INTO

58. Auto options : SEDANS

59. Blows : EXPLODES - I just watched the "Lego Movie", which was really funny in parts - Batman especially - but the explosions were done with the blocks, too, and I can only imagine the work that went into them - the ocean waves, too

The Kra--gl-e~!

DOWN:

1. Marine hazard : SHOAL - ah.  Not sToRM

2. China setting : TABLE

3. Theater access : AISLE

4. F-A-C, e.g. : TRIAD - musical reference; I got it, but only because I play guitar; leave off the open e string, and you have F-A-C.  I've been toying with this song, which has really great power chords

5. One barely working? : ECDYSIAST - this is new to me, too - according to Dictionary, it's a euphemism for stripper - one "bare"ly working....

6. Place of honor : DAIS - or the pole, if you're part of the previous clue's working class

7. __ pro nobis : ORA - also a learning moment; "pray for us"

8. Pair in many languages : GENDERS - um....

10. "Hyperbole and a Half" blogger Brosh : ALLIE - all perps and a WAG

11. __ check : RAIN

12. Avoids being seen by : HIDES FROM

13. Private sign? : ONE STRIPE

14. __ XING : PED

21. "The Good Wife" crisis manager Gold : ELI - I don't watch the show - IMDb

23. Rx : MEDication(s)

25. Drops off : DOZES

28. Yellow Pokémon species that ultimately evolves to Alakazam : ABRA - total unknown; and the "B" was my last fill

29. Roaring group : PRIDE - Lions, get it~?

30. What "love is like," in a 1960s hit : LEMON TREE - before my time; I can't justify posting it here along with Twisted Sister - so here's a link

31. Take in : APPREHEND - ah, not the ALTER clothing kind

32. No small feat : COUP

34. Bare : AU NATUREL - I think a woman is sexier in clothing

38. Bad news metaphor : SAD NOTE - and on a "Sad Note", the hockey season is over, and unfortunately, the trophies were awarded to the "wrong" players....just one Ranger fan's opinion....

39. Eponymous weapon : UZI

42. Star Wars, initially : SDI - Space Defense Initiative

44. Godzilla ally, at times : RODAN - how I miss those Saturday afternoon matinees

46. Prefix with tropic : HELIO

47. FDR bought the first one in 1941 : E BOND - "war" bonds - the Wiki

48. Champagne holder : FLUTE

49. Kerfuffles : TO-DOS - more MELEE

51. University of Latvia locale : RIGA

52. Lineup member, hopefully : PERPetrator, not the perpendiculars of crossword fame

53. Delivery pros : OBStetrician - I had "OB-" early, so it was not UPS

55. __ populi : VOX

Splynter

Saturday, Jun 11th, 2016, Mark Bickham

Theme: None

Words: 72 (missing Q)

Blocks: 28

I had to cave in to red-letters to solve the NE corner, and even then, I was not able to come up with any logical answers, so I resorted to alphabet runs, and once the ta-DA~! came, I was severely disappointed with the results.  I don't care if they are acceptable answers, even for a Saturday, a couple were just too much of a s-t-r-e-t-c-h, and therefore a major fun-sponge gets called on this puzzle.  Too bad, really, as I am usually not very successful with Mark's constructions, but today - other than in the NE - I did well (OK, there were some groaners in other places, too).  Oh, and did I mention the circumreferential clues, too~?  Triple 10s and paired 10s in the corners, with two 9s and four 8s;

17a. Where the Walking Piano scene in "Big" was filmed : FAO SCHWARZ - Nailed it; great scene, fun movie, can always watch it when it's on regular TV - from 1988, same as 12d.

12d. "The Accidental Tourist" Oscar winner : GEENA DAVIS - IMDb

64a. Wait follower : "...THERE'S MORE~!"

27d. Classic film words of self-revelation : I'M A REAL BOY

NO WRD Answer

ACROSS:

1. "Star Wars" High Council member : JEDI MASTER

11. Co. leaders : MGTS - ???  What~? Say again~?  Managements~?  Really~?  NOT.

15. Writing desk : ESCRITOIRE - Le Frawnche

16. Realize : REAP - Argh~!  Too much of a s-t-r-e-t-c-h

18. Toy since ancient times : PEKE - ugh.  the Dog, not YO-YO or KITE

19. Laughs : FUN

20. Text giggle : HEE - ugh, not LOL

21. ZzzQuil competitor : SOMINEX

23. Military actions : RAIDS - police actions, too

25. Spanish uncle? : NO MAS - cry uncle~!  No more~! Leave out the fun-sponge answers~!

26. Toys since 1964 : G.I. JOEs - I have part of the 80's collection of "action figures" that were about 4" tall; including the Hovercraft and a few other vehicles

29. Discombobulated : ASEA

31. Single dose? : DAT - ugh.  Not HIT

33. It's often made at parties : SMALL TALK - I'd like to talk with this girl at a party

35. Part of a suit : SPADE - not PANTS

37. Unlikely to bite : TAME

38. Join for a session : SIT IN - musical jam session

40. Base path? : EVIL

41. Proper 53-Down : AREN'T - circumreferential with; 53. Improper 41-Across : AIN'T - if you Ain't got a clue, you Aren't solving this without perps

43. Many a single : LINE DRIVE - baseball, not lonely guys/girls

45. Ds, in the key of C : REs - the key of C is C - D - E - f - G - A - b, so "D" corresponds to the Re of Do - Re - Mi....I play guitar, so I got it, but I can see this one being a fun-sponge, too

46. Sum is a form of it : ESSE - similar to "SERA" being part of ÊTRE from a few weeks ago, "I am" in Latin from the verb "To be"

48. Like many salons : UNISEX

49. Chance to hit : AT BAT - ah.  baseball, not blackjack

51. Country : RURAL - dah~!  Totally in "REALM", not "bumpkin/backwoods" mode

53. Chemical bases : ALKALIS - for some reason I kept telling myself this is the answer, but swore it wouldn't fit, even with --K-LI- filled....I can't explain it

55. Word with wire or water : HOT - you get caught doing a hot wire, you'd be in hot water

56. Gambling initials : OTB - Off-Track Betting

59. Once-venerated bird : IBIS - popular with the Egyptians

60. Homeric island dweller : LOTUS EATER - not the one I was thinking of; couldn't get SIRENS to fill in all spaces

63. Agreement with a refusal : NOR I

65. Kid : TYKE - oops, not JOke

66. No longer fashionable : "SO LAST YEAR"

DOWN:

1. Buckley who covered Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" : JEFF - WAG

2. Son of Rebecca : ESAU

3. Anti-rodent brand : d-CON

4. Return letters : IRS - tax return, that is

5. Most popular boy's name in 44 of the last 100 years : MICHAEL - mine was 11th in NJ for the year I was born - the site

6. Foxhole absentees, so it's said : ATHEISTS - as a "Friend of Bill W.", I am familiar with "foxhole prayers"

7. Scattered : SOWED - STREWN and SOWN were not working

8. __ Maria : TIA

9. Goes thataway instead of thisaway : ERRS

10. Do a city planner's job : RE-ZONE

11. Absent-minded A.A. Milne title character : Mr. PIM - Don't know this character, so I was totally "ASEA"

13. Goes down as planned : TAKES A DIVE

14. Informal glasses : SPEX - meh.

22. Extinct birds : MOAs

23. Seven-time All-Star third baseman Scott __ : ROLEN - more baseball

24. More thirst-inducing : SALTIER

26. The sun, for one : G-STAR

28. TV hero who famously kissed 52-Down : JAMES T. KIRK - paired to; 52. See 28-Down : UHURA - if you didn't know it, this was fun-sponge, too.  I am a big fan of the "Next Generation" version; the original was too boring for me, but I did like the movies - I liked Shatner; can't get into the "latest" re-re-version.

30. Bones' partner : SKIN - Ironic that this should follow Kirk - Dr. McCoy "Bones", also from Star Trek

32. Bygone messager : TELEX

34. Feels off : AILS

36. "__ at End House": Christie mystery : PERIL - perps

39. Complex parts : NEUROSES

42. Color on San Jose Shark uniforms : TEAL - San Jose lives~!  At least one more game, tho I'd like to see them go two more and take it all

44. Evidence provider : DNA TEST

47. Circus equipment : STILTS - drywall mudding, too

50. Musical count : BASIE - ah.  That kind of Count

54. NYC gallery district : SOHO - SOuth of HOuston Street; the Wiki

56. Plains tribe : OTOE

57. Trillion: Pref. : TERA

58. Fictional rabbit's title : BR'ER

61. Address bk. info : TELephone

62. Pulitzer poet Lowell : AMY

Splynter

Saturday, Jun 4th, 2016, Gareth Bain

Theme: None

Words: 72 (missing B,J,Q,X)

Blocks: 32

  This would have been an even quicker solve had it not been for the rash of proper names - and the fact of the matter is that it's the "Bain" of today's offering from Gareth.  Not only did I count 13 or more in the puzzle, but they crossed, too, and if you didn't know, well, then, you just didn't know.  And I did not know three squares, which I have to call fun-sponge on.  Not a particularly intimidating grid, with 2 11's and 2 10's in the Across, and paired 10's in the Down;

25. Film for which Anthony Quinn won an Oscar : VIVA ZAPATA - Never saw the movie, but there is this clip from Ocean's 13 which I did know - and proper name #6

11. 1980s scandal : IRAN-CONTRA - I remembered this news item from my high school days, with Oliver North and (a gratuitous leg image of) Fawn Hall; my earliest recollection of "news" was ABSCAM, and Claus von Bülow's trial

26. Angel on one's shoulder, so to speak : INNER VOICE

56. Genre of Madonna's "Ray of Light" album : ELECTRONICA - I thought this referred to her "gospel" album, Like A Prayer, but no.  I do remember this song, and it's along the lines of the "electronica" I listen to these days.  The Wiki on "Ray of Light"

blONdeWARD~!

ACROSS:

1. Indian state bordering Bhutan : ASSAM - filled via perps; proper name #1

6. Lab glassware eponym : PETRI - OK, a proper name, but I knew this one (#2)

11. AOL, e.g. : ISP - Internet Service Provider

14. Bridges : SPANS - got it; the verb, not the noun(s)

15. Hamal's constellation : ARIES - thought I got it with "ORION", and it jibed with POPS, ERAT, and TIN....but left me with a mess at the end - and proper name #3

16. Indianapolis' __ Dome : RCA - #4 or....

17. 2008 Jack Black title role : KUNG FU PANDA - #4~?

19. Shipping nickname : ARI - OK, I tried UPS....more at 41d.

20. Considers with disdain : SNEERS AT

21. Spoke quietly? : SIGNED - Sign language, very cute

23. Sch. with a Riverhead campus : LIU - Uh, OK, drew a blank on this one - and I literally live like 5 miles from it; in my defense, it's on the Suffolk County Community College Campus - #5~?

24. Lure : SEDUCE - dah~! Had ENTIce

30. Author Morrison : TONI - #7

32. Benz finish : ENE - too bad the space wasn't longer, as I was thinking "clear coat" - the 'finish' on a Mercedes-Benz.  Nope, just BenzENE

33. Tender in Warsaw : ZLOTY - thought it was a kopek - #8

34. Proceeds : WENDS - I had "GAINS", as in the proceeds from a sale

35. Georgia of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" : ENGEL - proper name #9, filled via perps

37. Bapt., e.g. : RELigion

38. Austrian composer Webern : ANTON - proper name #10; via perps

39. Pet problem? : PEEVE - not fooled

40. Some cake layers : TIERS

42. Grill guard : U.S. :: __ bar : Australia : ROO - Nailed it, but not too hard to figure out.  I know what an automotive grill(e) guard is, and just expanded the idea....

43. Span. title : SRTA

44. Holder of an affectionate message : CANDY HEART

46. Destructive type : VANDAL

48. JFK, for one : DEMocrat

49. Tidbit : MORSEL

50. Most like a dive : SEEDIEST

55. Richard __ : III - I had it, then took it out because it didn't jibe with EMI at 58a.

58. Longtime Elton John label : MCA - dah~!! Not EMI

59. Show shown over : RERUN

60. Discussion venue : FORUM

61. Poetic twilight : E'EN

62. Fluid accumulation : EDEMA

63. Ridges on the neck : FRETS - I was in the wrong wheelhouse when I filled in MANES, which I knew was wrong, but....and then when the answer was revealed, I felt even sillier, since I play guitar....

DOWN:

1. Wants in payment : ASKS - tragedy has struck; my Dodge Stratus snapped a ball joint on Sunday, and because of various other ailments, I think it's time to upgrade; 293,475 miles, and it does not owe me anything.  Now I am looking for a Dodge Caravan, and they are ASKING for $10-13K, used

2. Like some flax : SPUN

3. Levelheaded : SANE

4. German chancellor Merkel : ANGELA - proper name #11

5. "The Magic School Bus" teacher : Ms. FRIZZLE - never heard of the book, show, or her; the Wiki - and proper name #12

6. Family nickname : PAPA - yeah, POPA is not quite right

7. Proof word : ERAT - part of Q.E.D., frequently seen in crosswords

8. Element in some solder : TIN

9. Site of a major part of the Bible? : RED SEA - RODS-- was just not going to give me any positive result - and "part(ing)" should have clued me in

10. Start of a repeat : "I SAID..."

12. Bug barrier : SCREEN DOOR

13. Like a pro : PAID

18. Everyday : USUAL - here's the "usual" gratuitous leg image

22. "__ Morgen!" : GUTEN - das German~! (see, I can knock more than just Frawnche)

24. Arranged : STYLED

25. Nixon and Ford : VEEPS

27. Flier's request : VEGETARIAN

28. Classical entrance : PORTAL - I want a drawbridge and gate on my castle home when I build it

29. Used the dining room : ATE IN

31. Tot's rebuttal : "IS NOT~!!"

34. Cleaned : WASHED OFF

36. Novak's TV partner : EVANS - no clue, but a good WAG on my part - #13

41. Its first truck was a Ford Model A : RYDER - I did not know this; UPS' first vehicle was a Model T car

44. Canceled due to rain, say : CALLED

45. Key of Sibelius' First Symphony : E MINOR - you know the drill; fill in -M--OR, and wait; once I got "SEEDIEST", I knew it was not MAJOR

47. Big name on the farm : DEERE

49. One apparently trapped behind glass : MIME - couldn't find a Spinal Tap link

50. Pond build-up : SCUM

51. Peak west of the Ionian Sea : ETNA

52. The Auld Sod : EIRE

53. Rabbit's tail : SCUT

54. Highland tops : TAMS

57. "And Venus sets __ Mercury can rise": Pope : ERE

Splynter

Saturday, May 28th, 2016, Steven J. St. John

Theme: SJSJ

Words: 70 (missing J,Q,Z)

Blocks: 26

  This is my second SJSJ puzzle, the last one being back in Jan of '13.  Very similar grids, with a crossing spanner and climber, triple 10-letter corners in the across, but today we have triple 8's in the down.  I did not get my "ta-DA~!" because of one letter, and switching to red-letters revealed one other mistake - at the crossing of proper names, which was the only fun-sponge today.  The long answers;

35a. Dynamo's asset : BOUNDLESS ENERGY

8d. Brand with a Magicube : KODAK INSTAMATIC

ON(3-day weekend)WARD~!

ACROSS:

1. Instruments mentioned in the Beatles' "Back in the USSR" : BALALAIKAS - the line is at 2:12 of the clip; my Moscow girl did not get out to the USofA....and a semi-clecho at; 19a. USSR component : SOVIET

 

11. Arguably biased, briefly : UN-PC - I saw this "politically incorrect" sign going to get my power painter, and I had to drive back and snap a pic.  I wonder what they discussed....

15. Resolving : IRONING OUT - well, I hope they ironed out the trouble at Hartwood....

16. Nebula Award winner Frederik : POHL - filled via perps

17. Hanging aid : STUD FINDER - I can't keep one in my tool box or van, because I keep setting it off....oh, come on, that's funny.  At least C.C. appreciates it~!!

18. Gin flavoring : SLOE

20. Direction at sea : ALEE

22. "Cat __ Hot Tin Roof" : ON A

23. It can be added to a million but rarely to a thousand : AIRE - millionaire, thousandaire

24. Ham's transport? : ARK - oh, I thought I was so clever putting in RYE, too.  This is Noah's son, however, and I thought "EGG" was a good answer, as well

26. Woodworking tool : PLANER - don't have one, would like one - and a lathe, too. 

28. Adopt : USE - I tried "OWN"

29. Atheist activist Madalyn : O'HAIR - never heard of her, and my first proper name problem; her Wiki

31. Mil. squad leaders : S-SGTs

32. Phys ed teacher Leonard for whom a band was named : SKINNER - Lynyrd Skynyrd for those who did not know; I learned it from the VH-1 rockumentary.  I did not, however, remember how to spell his name, or the band's, for that matter....

34. Maximum : PEAK

39. Tolstoy title first name : ANNA

40. Be less critical of : LET UP ON

41. Narrow landforms : NECKS -there's lots of land forms called necks here on Long Island

43. Do doer : SALON - I pondered BRUSH

44. Baker's amt. : TSP

47. Hailing from Changwon, say : KOREAN - half perps and WAG

49. Hood et al.: Abbr. : MTs

50. Mascot Misha of the 1980 Olympics, e.g. : BEAR - более России (more Russian)

51. Madrid Mrs. : SRA

52. Groups for biologists : TAXA

54. Italian road : STRADA

56. Internet letters : HTTP

58. On tap : AT THE READY

60. Yet to be settled : OWED

61. Gives up : CRIES UNCLE - I had -----UNDER to start, slowed down the SE

62. Start of a tennis point : TOSS - dah~!  Not LOVE

63. One to follow : PACE SETTER

DOWN:

1. Half an African country, or its capital city : BISSAU

2. Half a beer? : ARTOIS - Stella being the other half

3. Where the Mona Lisa smiles : LOUVRE - le Frawnche musée

4. Bill's "Groundhog Day" co-star : ANDIE - Murray & MacDowell

5. "That's __" : LIFE

6. Subject of the 2013 documentary subtitled "Speaking Truth to Power" : ANITA HILL - the other proper name that got me

7. Slot in a car: Abbr. : IGNition - took too long to figure out

9. Writer of really old stories? : AUEL - did not know her; I do recall the title "Clan of the Cave Bear".  I just read The Golden Compass, and now I am on to book II; side note, two stars from the movie also appeared in Casino Royale

10. Throat trouble : STREP

11. Increases : UPs -OK, I shall up this week's leg picture, by request, to a non-skinny, "gams with meat" girl

Charlotte~!

12. Not anymore : NO LONGER

13. Frustrating sequence : PHONE TAG

14. Blue forecast : CLEAR SKY

21. "The Big Easy" of golf : ELS - good WAG

25. Eastern royals : RANEES

27. Winter X Games host : ASPEN - I was not sure if this was the "X" games, or the tenth Olympic games - which, as I looked later, were held in Grenoble, France, 1968

29. Approved : OK'D - OKed, IDed/ID'd, I sometimes wonder which one is "OK"

30. Outcome : RESULT

32. Charmer's target : SNAKE - snake charmer

33. Take back : REPOSSESS

35. Strategy involving a cushion : BANK SHOT - ah, billiard table cushions

36. Less than a few : ONE OR TWO

37. Opens at the warehouse : UNCRATES

38. Confrontational start : NON - non-confrontational

42. Met : SAT

44. Legislation opposed by the Sons of Liberty : TEA ACT

45. Burden : SADDLE - I got "saddled" with sorting this week at UPS, so that a trainee could work my assignment; I think he should have been trained before this holiday week.  I am just glad to have reached my first three-day weekend of the year - but now we're into Cidiot Season....

46. Slight chance : PRAYER

48. Org. founded on the 100th anniversary of Lincoln's birth : NAACP - seems fitting

50. Sportscaster Musburger : BRENT

53. More, in ads : X-TRA

55. In alignment : TRUE - gotta keep my studs level and true - the bathroom project progresses, and yesterday I began the process of moving in to my new space~!

57. APB senders : PDs - All Points Bulletin, and Police Departments

59. Half a bray : HEE - did you try the other half, HAW~??

Splynter

Saturday, May 21st, 2016, David Steinberg

Theme: None

Words: 72 (missing F,Q,X)

Blocks: 31

 Somehow I sensed that there should have been an extra row or column in this puzzle, as Mr. Steinberg's last two offerings on Saturday were both expanded grids.  I moved through this one with relative ease, but got stumped at two Naticks, which kinda bummed me out.  Oh well.  Unlike those previous two, no spanners in today's construction, but triple 11-letter across and almost triple 9-letter downs in the corners.

17a. Whatchamacallit : THINGAMABOB - D'ya know I actually read the word "gewgaw" in a novel last week - I was so pleasantly surprised to see it because it justified the many times its appeared in crosswords, and I said "that's not a word"....

12d. Buddhism branch : MAHAYANA - I was curious, so I looked; here's the Wiki, and it led to the word "Dharma" which is this guitar player

 Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser

62. Amusing editor, at times : AUTO-CORRECT - some very hilarious results WARNING~! Adult Contact - Content~!  Damn, auto-correct

36. Team member in "Moneyball" : ATHLETIC - I thought this was a Wall Street movie, but it's this one; I don't know what movie I was thinking about

ONE EARED~! (Damn auto-correct~!)

ACROSS:

1. Librarians might use them : HUSHED TONES

12. Lt. col.'s inferior : MAJor - I read this as "literary college's" inferior, so I put in "TAs".  Odd.

15. Sci-fi concept : ANTI-GRAVITY

16. Lovelace whom many consider the first computer programmer : ADA - Natick #1, with a proper name crossing a religious branch; "Ida"~?  "Ada"~?

18. Solo on-screen : HAN - this guy; I just finished reading "the making of Star Wars" and "the making of Empire Strikes Back"

19. Trail, perhaps : HUNT - the verb, not the noun; pondered PATH

20. Milky Way source : MARS - the candy bar

21. Camera product : IMAGE - yep, that's the output

23. Tablet container : ARK - historic tablets, not electronic ones

24. Coral Triangle tourist destination : BALI - Mali or Bali~??  I didn't get much help from the crossing

25. Left rolling in the aisles : SLAYED

26. Down a lot : TOPE - I shoulda known this; drinking to excess....

28. __ other : EACH

30. Robot starter : NANO - eh, more like NANO-bot, than robot

31. Pay dirt : ORE

33. Hassle : NUISANCE

35. First instrument for many : RATTLE - I still play the rattle, but it's made by Ludwig, and comes in several pieces

38. Icy Hot competitor : BENGAY

39. Keep secret : WITHHOLD

41. Sushi bar delicacy : ROE - dah.  Not AHI

42. __ pedal: guitar accessory : ECHO - I have a delay pedal, but not an echo, and I really, really want one.  I also have a chorus, distortion, and Zoom pedal, which has multiple effects built in, and there's a pedal accessory that allows me to create a  "wah-wah" effect with it.  I thought the answer might have been "WA-WA"

43. Slam offering : POEM - didn't get it; perps

45. Org. that monitors plants : OSHA - DID get it, the factory kind of plants

48. Nervous person? : NELLIE - har-har

50. Fail to beat the heat : MELT - the only "ice" found in Florida is that under the skates of the Tampa Bay Lightning, now even in their Stanley Cup series

52. AIDS-fighting drug : AZT

54. Rough stuff : TWEED

55. Low-cost pub : ZINE - publication and magazine

56. "__ bien" : ESTA - dah~!  Not TRES

57. Storage unit? : BIT - computer storage

58. Vaping devices : E-CIGARETTES - the evolution of these things is incredible; very popular with the younger types at UPS

61. "Wheel of Fortune" purchase : AN "I" - fill in "AN", and wait....

63. Mo. for which tanzanite is a birthstone : DECember

64. Comics-derived danger alert : SPIDEY SENSE - well, I wasn't sure how to spell "Spidey", since I didn't read the comic book; I tried SpideE

my kind of spider sense

DOWN:

1. Yoga variety : HATHA - ooops, not ASANA

2. Fine after an accident : UNHURT - ah.  Not TICKET; my experience in one accident was that the other party involved crossed in front of me while I had right-of-way; he was given two tickets - the other for not wearing the seatbelt

3. Well-lit? : STINKO - well, I got it, but the "O" at the end was a bit meh. 

4. "Gimme a __" : HINT

5. Noodle variety : EGG

6. Certain queen's domain : DRAMA

7. Steamed cantina food : TAMALE

8. Like a certain female artery : OVARIAN - I didn't realize there were names for the smaller ones

9. Ink deliverers : NIBS - Dah~!! Not PENS

10. WWII arena : ETO - learned from crosswords

11. Basil's wife on "Fawlty Towers" : SYBIL - a WAG; I thought "sibyl" was the answer to 14D., but it didn't fit

13. Company offering many promotions : AD AGENCY - cute

14. Mystery woman : JANE DOE - Mystery no more~!!  I have found her, and this is what she looks like - I might have solved a LOT of criminal investigations, too~!!

22. Watches over : MANAGES

24. Where an engineer may retire : BERTH - Natick #2, the "E" did me in....I am not sure I get this; does this mean a train engineer and sleeping in a car on the train~?

25. Less forward : SHIER

27. Artery problem : POTHOLE - I got this; I was on a different wavelength from the first artery clue, this one referring to the highways into/from a city

29. Bear fruit? : CUB - oh, so witty

32. Secretly unite : ELOPE

34. Arrogant sort : SNOOT

35. Beverage used in Chinese cuisine : RICE WINE

37. "Eldorado" group : ELO - ah, the song Eldorado; Iron Maiden has a song with the same title

39. Soured : WENT BAD - straight up

40. Part-human mythological creature : DEMI-GOD - CENTAUR fit, too

44. Threat : MENACE

46. Get cracking : HASTEN

47. Ancient cacao bean traders : AZTECS

49. TED talk subjects : IDEAS

51. Encyclopedia Brown's first name : LEROY - perps

53. Discretion : TASTE

55. Italian tubes : ZITI - this helped out a lot in the SE

56. Sera is a form of it : ÊTRE - I pondered "DOSE", as in medical serum; turns out to be the conjugation of the Frawnche, and reminds me of this song

Wax Tailor, with Doris

59. Tea holder : CUP - so simple, I figured it had to be wrong

60. Halting syllables : ers....

Splynter