Monday, May 19 - Mike Nothnagel

If Mike Nothnagel ever had a Monday puzzle, it had to have been many years ago. I can only recall Friday, Saturday and Sunday puzzles for the last year and a half that I've been solving.

What a welcome relief, though, after he kicked my butt on Saturday!

The only VOID in the puzzle was in the theme answers...each begins with a synonym (appearing at 5D: Roget's listing) for that word.

16A: Place not generating rent (vacant apartment).

24A: Guarantees that mean nothing (empty promises). My favorite, for reasons I can't explain.

42A: Win that brings little actual gain (hollow victory). This one ran a close second.

57A: Contents of guns used in training exercises (blank cartridges).

I'd venture a guess that Mike whipped this one up in short order...relative to one of his Friday or Saturday offerings.

There was some good fill in this one, and very little compromised to put it all together.

Favorite clues and/or answers:

1A: The pyramids, for pharaohs (tombs).

13A: "The Cat and the Curmudgeon" author Cleveland __ (Amory).

19A: Feeling tied up, as a stomach (in knots).

20A: Rock band follower (groupie).

49A: Brandy cocktail (sidecar).

63A: Baby boomers' kids, informally (Gen-X).

1D: Rikki-Tikki-__ (Tavi)...a childhood favorite by Rudyard Kipling.

6D: "Star Trek" weapon (phaser).

10D: Portrayer of Frank Sinatra on "Saturday Night Live" (Joe Piscopo). The only thing I love more than multiword answers is having both first and last name.

26D: 1998 Robin Williams title role (Patch Adams)...a real tearjerker, which is probably obvious from this picture.

41D: A pair of deuces beats it (Ace high).

44D: Whirlpool or tornado (vortex).

Often the multiword answers, especially the short ones, tend to confuse me when I look over the finished grid. What in the world is GOAS? Nothing...the answer to 38A: Pretend to be, as at a Halloween party is go as. Similarly, 41A: Increase (amp up) looks very much like AM PUP. Who/what are you? I am pup. My favorite one tonight is ISPY...it looks as though it would rhyme with wispy. Actually, 34D [1960s Bill Cosby TV series] is I Spy...also starring Robert Culp.

Other quick mentions before I wrap up...10A: PBS newsman Lehrer (Jim), 14A: Inventor Elias (Howe), 36A: Euphoric (giddy), 39A: Without a prescription: Abbr. (OTC), 40A: Pal for Spot or Rover (Fido)...right next to AM PUP, 46A: Avis competitor (Alamo)...originally had Hertz, 2D: Neighbor of Yemen (Oman), 15D: Stubborn as __ (a mule)...another one that's easy to mis-parse, 22D: Scuttlebutt (lowdown), 40D: Group watched by Little Bo Peep (flock) and 47D: Eli __ and Company (Lilly)...maker of Prozac.

So...where's Mike? He commented from sunny Florida on Saturday...perhaps vacationing? If so, where's Mike on Monday?

Here's the grid...



...and I'll see you tomorrow.

Linda G

Sunday, May 18 - Brendan Emmett Quigley

Brendan Emmett Quigley (often referred to as BEQ) usually gives me a run for my money, and this Sunday puzzle was more of the same. Generally, though, the theme gives me a leg up...with Pinball Wizard as the title of this one, I knew that help was not forthcoming.

Since I'm only familiar with the very basics of pinball, I may very well miss a theme answer...or include one that shouldn't have been. I trust that someone will let me/us know.

22A: Fight imaginary foes (tilt at windmills).

115A: Former L.A. Ram who holds the N.F.L. record for most receiving yards in a game (336) (Flipper Anderson).

5D: Test extras (bonus questions).

15D: Opening track of "The Beatles' Second Album" (Roll Over Beethoven). I'm sure of the answer...not sure how roll over relates to pinball.

30D: Einstein subject (special relativity). Again...special?

33D: Push for more business orders (ramp up sales).

46D: Good farming results (bumper crops).

53D: Awarding of huge settlements to plaintiffs, in modern lingo (jackpot justice).

What about 39D: Sloping surfaces next to sinks (drainboards)? Does drain have something to do with pinball?

Favorites (clues and/or answers) include 6A: Ancient pueblo dwellers (Anasazi), 18A: Muse with a wreath of myrtle and roses (Erato), 19A: Together (in unison)...same clue recently for as a team, 27A: Sylph in Pope's "The Rape of the Lock" (Ariel)...a mermaid wouldn't have been a Sunday clue, 32A: "Sixteen Tons" singer, 1955 (Ernie Ford), 45A: Italian restaurant chain (Sbarro)...thanks to Don for that one, 49A: "Alice in Wonderland" sister (Lacie), 53A: "Lawrence of Arabia" composer Maurice (Jarre), 63A: How headings are often typed (in caps), 75A: Certain T-shirt design (iron-on), 83A: "Pearly Shells" singer (Don Ho), 107A: Starts, as rehab (checks into), 110A: Upper __ (Volta), 128A: Post with a column (Emily), 1D: Missal location (pew), 8D: Aardvark (ant bear), 9D: __ Phillips, who played Livia in "I, Claudius" (Siân)...pictured at right, 29D: Peripatetic sort (nomad), 34D: House of Lancaster symbol (red rose), 67D: Marathoner Alberto (Salazar)...check out his time on the clock, 82D: "Were that so!" (I wish), 93D: "Bambi" author (Salten) and 96D: Sovereign's representative (Viceroy).

It was interesting to see both of my childhood homes in the puzzle...64D: The Nutmeg State: Abbr. (Conn.) and 115D: Fourth-most populous state, just after N.Y. (Fla.). I was born in the first...raised in the second. Since I can no longer tolerate humidity, I'm very happy to be in Colorado rather than either of those places.

In order to breeze through this one (have I mentioned that I didn't?), you had to be up on television, literature, music...

13A: Norm of "This Old House" (Abram). We've had it before, and I still didn't remember it.

21A: Bill formerly of the Rolling Stones (Wyman).

24A: Richard __, 2002 Pulitzer winner for Fiction (Russo).

99D: "Deadwood" figure (Earp).

10D: Old film pooch (Asta)...the first crosswordese I committed to memory.

20D: Oscar-winning Brody (Adrien). I don't know how I've missed seeing this guy in a single movie, but I have.

48D: Klinger portrayer on "M*A*S*H" (Farr).

74D: Actor James (Caan).

Most favorite clue in the puzzle...20A: Tell things? (arrows). I was on the right track, except that I had apples.

Other crosswordese appearances...for which I was extremely grateful...include 26A: __ B'rith (B'nai), 41A: Nails (aces), 51A: Each (a pop), 68A: "Survivor" setting, often (isle), 59D: Early anti-Communist (tsar), 62D: Mix (olio), 91D: Edsel driver's gas choice (Esso) and 112D: Month in which Moses is said to have been born and died (Adar)...the only Hebrew month I know.

Time to wrap this up. I'm looking forward to spending what will be a beautiful sunny day in the yard...planting my herb garden and tomatoes, doing a bit of pruning, maybe some weeding.

Here's the grid...



...and I'll see you tomorrow.

Linda G

Saturday, May 17 - Mike Nothnagel

I don't think I've ever been this late getting to the blog...certainly not when it was one of Mike Nothnagel's puzzles. I solved it last night...with a bit of outside help...but I figured I'd blog this morning while Don and the boys slept in. They surprised me by all getting up at 7:00...my usual weekend blog time. After coffee, we took the boys for a walk. Now it's 10:00 and I'm just starting.

In many ways I was on Mike's wavelength...with answers like 8A: Helper after a crash (techie), 14A: Big syrup maker (Hershey), 16A: Together (as a team), 21A: Jacket locals: Abbr. (bks), 28A: Newsman Roger (O'Neil), 30A: Turning point? (dime), 36A: Star of the 1970s detective drama "Harry O" (Janssen)...the star formerly known as The Fugitive, 41A: One of the Bobbsey twins (Nan)...her twin is Bert, the other twins are Freddie and Flossie, 55A: Caused to disappear over time (ate away), 56A: Grateful person's reply (I owe you), 1D: Swindlers, in slang (sharks), 2D: One of two sides of a story? (he said), 4D: Popular perfume (Estee), 11D: Distant stars? (has-beens), 12D: Motto of a 1950s grass-roots movement (I Like Ike), and 34D: Terrifying thing to be thrown into (lion's den).

But in so many ways, I wasn't...

1A: Places such as Anatevka in "Fiddler on the Roof" (shtetls). I have a feeling we've had this before, but that combination of letters just looked so wrong.

32A: Moves briskly and easily (waltzes). I had every other possible word in there...the only one I remember now is breezes, which worked with 5D: 1979 novel, 1983 film and 2002-07 TV series (The Dead Zone). I needed a lot of crosses to get that...haven't read, seen or even heard of it.

38A: __ hold on (put a). I had just for entirely too long.

50A: Cardinals' wear (red hats). I thought this might have been about birds, but no. Their hats are more like beanies, though, so I had red caps. That was to be my downfall.

53A: Elegant fabric (brocade). Again, I had several wrong answers here, although I can only remember taffeta. When I finally realized that 41D: Dieter's request, perhaps was no mayo, I knew where to go with the fabric.

58A: Jumper's cables? (tendons). What a great clue. I was thinking along the lines of cables in a knitted item, although I don't recall ever seeing a knitted jumper.

7D: Signs (symptoms). I had the SYM, but I really thought it was some strange plural of symbol. Symbolae?

36D: Not much at all (just a bit). I was actually on the right track, but I had just a tad at first...which is why I wanted taffeta at 53A.

My favorite of the long answers was 22A: Dreaded victimizer of Charlie Brown (kite eating tree)...poor Charlie Brown. Others were 44A: Torch song subject (unrequited love) and 24D: Of a university's relationship with its surroundings (town and gown).

Other favorites include 31A: Smart (swanky), 37A: __ Hargreaves, first woman to complete a solo climb of Everest, 1995 (Alison), 48A: Site of a much-visited mausoleum (Agra), 57A: Want to know (wonder), 13D: "We'll give a long cheer for __ men" ("Down the Field" lyric) (Eli's), 23D: Not natural (alien)...wanted something to do with music notes, 31D: "Relâche" composer (Satie), 33D: Intimate (allude to)...woe to those who didn't read the clue with a long A sound, 38D: Four and four, say (pair), 40D: Crime syndicate sobriquet (Bugsy), 42D: Photographer who was the inspiration for "Funny Face" (Avedon), 43D: Shape-shifting Greek god (Nereus)...one of many, and 45D: Land of Wahhabis (Qatar).

One more...mostly for the picture. 15A: Designer of a stained-glass window in the U.N. building (Chagall). It's just stunning...I wish I could say that I've seen it. Be sure to click on it so that you can see the detail.

Well, Mike, you beat me on this one. I couldn't have finished without Googling two or three things, and I still ended up with something wrong...because of red caps. That made 51D: Bamboozled cad instead of the correct had...and Qatar (which I didn't know) became Qapar. Harris at water and waves came to my rescue. It was comforting to know that he also needed outside help.

I hope you all have an enjoyable day. I have a busy one ahead of me...postponing my no-drive day until tomorrow, when we plan to take a long bike ride. I hope my legs (and other parts of me) will survive it. I haven't been on a bicycle since I hurt my shoulder...a year and a half ago.

Here's the grid...



...and I'll see you tomorrow.

Linda G

Friday, May 16 - Kevin G. Der

Several readers had a cow over a recent puzzle by Kevin Der...a rebus that had cows hidden all over the grid. I enjoyed that puzzle...

...but I loved this one!

I went to a public forum tonight on homelessness and didn't get home until almost 10:00. I thought I'd start solving the puzzle...maybe get up early to finish it and blog a short blurb. But I started getting into solving and couldn't quit.

I should add that I didn't think I would enjoy this puzzle one iota. I ran through the across clues and have a total of three answers...47A: Places to develop one's chops? (dojos)...thanks to Elaine's years of karate, 51A: Tasty triangles (Doritos), and 59A: Merchant whose customers click (e-tailers).

I wasn't sure about 1D: Elated person after Super Bowl III...but I knew it was probably a fan, and I couldn't think of too many teams that had only four letters. Jets fan...which had also appeared last Sunday...was correct. A good guess at 3D: Santiago skipper (capitán) led me to 1A: Steam room alternative (jacuzzi). The double Z...to the identically clued [Flies] at 5D (zips) and 6D (zooms). Before long, the northwest corner was complete.

The southwest followed, with a good guess panning out at 24D: Typography measure (em space)...so called because it's roughly the size of the letter M. From there 36A: Noisy complaint (squawk) led to 36D: Crush holder that's crushable (soda can). With the N in place, I was sure that 60A: Blogger, e.g. had to be nut case. It fits this particular blogger...who at almost 11:00 p.m. is still at it, knowing I need to be up in just a few hours.

I couldn't remember if 44D: "The Mickey Mouse Club" regular __ Tracey was Noreen or Doreen. Once I had 35D: Parts of some Bach suites (gavottes), 44A: Military grp. became div...which meant that our Mousketeer was Doreen.

And that's how the rest of the puzzle went...until every single square was filled. The last to fall was 60A...not nut case, but netizen...confirmed by 51D: She co-starred in "Gangs of New York," 2002 (Diaz) and 55D: Designer born in Guangzhou, China (Pei). Here's one of his designs...the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland.

Favorites not already mentioned include 16A: His last novel was "Chloe Marr," 1946 (A. A. Milne), 26A: Jazzman Saunders (Merl), 27A: He called the U. S. vice presidency a "most insignificant office" (Adams), 33A: Read syntactically (parsed), 39A: Alternative to Friendster or MySpace (Facebook), 26D: Chocolate treat (Mars Bar), 30D: Transport over sand? (camel), 37D: Visionary (Quixote), 38D: Not neat (unkempt), 39D: Island that Truman wants to go to in "The Truman Show (Fiji), 42D: Big fish, maybe (keepers) and 48D: Truth from long ago? (sooth).

One last favorite...because I really want to include the picture...25A: "The West Wing" actor (Smits). I've raved about other actors in the past...and I do have several favorites...but Jimmy Smits is by far the one I think is the hottest.

One important thing that I forgot to mention. I believe that this is the first Friday puzzle I've finished without Googling a single clue. If several of you comment that it was an easy puzzle, I guess I won't be quite as proud...but for now, I am.

Time to wrap this up and get to bed. Here's the grid...



...and I'll see you tomorrow.

Linda G

Thursday, May 15 - Elizabeth C. Gorski

Elizabeth Gorski's puzzles are always entertaining. Today's featured a word ladder, which just added to the enjoyment factor...as well as the ease factor. Once I got one of the theme answers, it was easy enough to work forward...then back...to complete the ladder.

1A: *Beginning (dawn)

18A: *"Rats!" (darn)

22A: *Makeshift hangar (barn)

33A: *__ center (burn)

41A: *Right face, e.g. (turn)...that's the one that paved the way for all the others.

53A: *Relative of an Azerbaijani (Turk)

59A: *Narwhal feature (tusk)

66A: *End (dusk)

The theme is wrapped up at 36A: Classic Broadway show tune, or a hint to the word ladder revealed by the answers to the eight starred clues (Sunrise, Sunset).

Favorite clues include 16A: Eats at a bar (tapas), 17A: Major money maker (Mint), 38D: Swiss nationals, historically (neutrals), 42A: Apple picker? (Mac user), 64A: Leaves in a salad (cress), and 39D: Throws out (suggests).

Favorite answers:

29A: Going postal (in a rage)...with apologies to all postal employees, their friends and family members. My sister (a recently-retired postmaster) never liked the expression...but I do like how the answer looks in the grid.

31A: Sight from Lake Victoria (Entebbe)...didn't have a clue, but it fit.

44A: Shimmer (glisten). I had trouble in that corner because I wouldn't let go of glimmer soon enough...even though I knew it couldn't be right.

52A: Lobster claw (chela). I really thought this had to do with the clasp on a necklace.

61A: Attorney with the autobiography "My Life on Trial" (Belli).

1D: Mater __ (Mary, in Latin prayers) (Domini)...a Roman Catholic upbringing paid off again.

2D: "Familiar Spirits" author Lurie (Alison).

3D: Angelina's "Girl, Interrupted" co-star (Winona). I like one of them. The other...not.

5D: Film producer __ Al-Fayed (Dodi). I didn't know that about him...but I admired Princess Diana and was saddened by their deaths.

8D: Cold-shoulder (ignore)...like the clue as well.

10D: Portion of a trick-or-treater's haul (caramels). If you're not putting chocolate into my Halloween bag, you don't need to put in anything.

12D: Follow-up to "Oh, yeah?" (wanna bet). One of the funniest retort answers ever.

30D: Pretexts (guises).

36D: Heaviest member of the weasel family (sea otter). I don't think of weasels as cute in the least, but this little guy...way cute.

43D: Not homogeneous (ragtag).

48D: Title subject of a 1922 documentary in the National Film Registry (Nanook). It's not just a documentary...according to this article, it's "Widely considered the first full-length document of ALL-TIME!" Didn't know that.

I didn't have a clue about 25A: Home of novelist Mario Vargas Llosa, but I thought his name sounded as though he'd be from Peru...and it was right. I love when that happens.

Time to call it a night. I didn't check answers, so let me know if you spot any errors. Here's the grid...



...and I'll see you tomorrow.

Linda G

Wednesday, May 14 - Doug Peterson

I finished Doug Peterson's Wednesday puzzle a half hour ago...but I just now caught on to the theme.

Although it was revealed at 71A: Football linemen, for short, caught in 17-, 28-, 47- and 63-Across? (RTs). I'm getting to know names of teams, and some well-known players...but this one escapes me. Why are football linemen called RTs?

Whatever...the four theme answers are in-the-language phrases that have the addition of RT somewhere in the answer. The new words are then cleverly clued. I tried to find RTS in the answers...so I didn't catch on to the theme for a while.

The theme answers are:

17A: Singles bar habitué (FREQUENT FLIRTER).

28A: Do some barhopping? (PARTY AS YOU GO).

47A: Dirndls? (ALPINE SKIRTS). This was the first theme answer I got, and it had RTS...so that added to my confusion.

63A: "Wild and crazy guy" on the old "S.N.L."? (MARTIN CHARACTER). I haven't thought of those two in years.

Lots of fresh fill in this one...before I get to that, though, there's one answer that threw me. 66A: Put up with (brook). I have never heard that definition of the word and thought I might have something wrong...but a 41A: Quick peek (glimpse) at water and waves confirmed that it's correct. I wonder if I'm the only one out there who was clueless on that one.

Favorite answers and/or clues:

4A: Polo name (Marco). That sure brings back memories of summers spent at the pool.

16A: Physics Nobelist Wolfgang (Pauli).

25A: H (eta)...much better clue than the usual Estimated Time of Arrival.

34A: Bogart role (Queeg).

39A: Stooped shoulders, e.g. (posture).

44A: Ryan with 5,714 strikeouts (Nolan). I know very little about baseball, but I do know Nolan Ryan...not personally.

55A: Lye, e.g. (alkali).

1D: The "Judy" of Punch and Judy (wife).

3D: This answer intersects it (one across)...probably my favorite clue/answer.

24D: Vicks brand (NyQuil). NyQuil gives me strange dreams...like seeing this guy on the beach. I rest better if I don't take it.

29D: Baseball's Felipe or Moises (Alou). This has appeared enough times...and it's about time I remembered it.

32D: "A Life for the Tsar" composer (Glinka).

40D: Death personified, in ancient Greece (Thanatos).

45D: For the heck of it (on a whim).

50D: Feet in a meter (iambs).

51D: St. __ of Assisi (Clare)...Francis is better known.

52D: Goodyear's home (Akron). I hope reader/fellow blogger Wendy finds this clue more acceptable than the one that appeared the last time.

58D: Eric of "Munich" (Bana)...just because I like him.

The weather has turned rainy and a bit cooler...just two days after packing away my winter clothes. That means I have no choice but to wear capris and open-toed shoes. That's not a problem for me, but I'm sure I'll hear about it from some of my co-workers.

That's it for this one. Here's the grid...



...and I'll see you tomorrow.

Linda G

Tuesday, May 13 - Caleb Madison

Tuesday's puzzle comes with some exciting news. Fifteen-year-old Caleb Madison makes his debut in the New York Times. Will Shortz had this to say via the New York Times Forum: "[Caleb] contributes puzzles to his school paper and stopped by this year's ACPT. He'll be interning for me this summer. He's the youngest person I've ever published in the Times."

There was one younger constructor, but 14-year-old Mike Miller was published in December 1976...before Will's time as editor.

Congratulations, Caleb...a fun theme and quite a bit of sparkling fill. I think we'll be seeing a lot of this young man. Who knows...maybe he'll follow in Will's footsteps.

The theme was revealed at 39A: Classic film company...or a description of 17-, 32-, 46- and 65-Across? (UNITED ARTISTS). The theme answers "unite" two recording artists, whose combined names are in-the-language words and/or phrases.

17A: Singers Clint + Patti (BLACKSMITH).

32A: Singers Tom + Johnny (PETTY CASH).

46A: Singers Neil + Courtney (YOUNG LOVE).

65A: Singers James + Sly (BROWNSTONE).

Some were easier than others...there's only one Clint, Courtney and Sly...but the puzzle came together nicely.

Favorite answers include 13A: Wispy clouds (cirri), 20A: Ache reliever (masseur), 29A: Pulitzer-winning biographer Leon (Edel), 44A: Show subtitled "The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical" (Hair), 67A: Blue, in Bogotá (azul), 69A: Poet Federico Garcia __ (Lorca), 1D: Cold war weaponry (ICBMs)...intercontinental ballistic missiles, 6D: Accused's bad break (bum rap), 10D: 1960s sitcom with the catchphrase "Sorry about that, Chief" (Get Smart), 22D: Heavenly (Elysian), 31D: John of "3rd Rock From the Sun" (Lithgow), 40D: Vessel in "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea" (Nautilus) and 48D: Q-Tip target (ear wax).

Favorite clues...26A: As high as you can possibly go (limit), 35A: Where Kofi Annan earned his master's deg. (MIT), 63A: Like Yul Brynner, famously (bald), 70A: Prominent part of a Groucho disguise (nose), 47D: Brain, slangily (noodle), and 56A: "An invasion of armies can be resisted; an invasion of __ cannot be resisted": Hugo (ideas).

I wasn't sure about 64D: __ dye (azo). A quick check of JimH's grid confirmed it, so I looked it up in the dictionary..."pertaining to or containing the divalent radical N:N". I have no idea what that means.

I'm not familiar with 52A: "__ Deep (1999 Omar Epps film) (In Too), but it was easy enough to guess.

I didn't get home until 9:45, so I was late getting to the puzzle...and late getting to the blog. I have a 7:30 meeting tomorrow, so I'd better wrap things up.

Here's the grid...



...and I'll see you tomorrow.

Linda G