Friday, June 20 - Mike Nothnagel

If you're a regular reader, you know that Mike Nothnagel is my favorite constructor. So...I really hate it when I'm not on his wavelength.

And I wasn't tonight.

I've been working at this puzzle for an hour (albeit with many interruptions from a daughter in distress)...and I've finished the right side of the puzzle. The left side...mostly empty.

I don't know how long it took Harris to solve this, but you can check his completed grid here. I just checked a couple of answers, so maybe I'll finish this off after work tomorrow.

Feel free to discuss the puzzle...what you liked, what made you crazy.

I still love your puzzles, Mike!

***

It's Friday afternoon, and I just wrapped up this puzzle. When all was said and done, I loved it...I just couldn't pull it together last night. Thanks again to Harris for 36D: Teens' escapades (joy rides) and 1A: Flurries (bursts)...just enough to get me going.

Favorite clues include 7A: How you might meet someone (halfway), 14A: Head of an alley? (one pin), 15A: 1.0 (D average)...see Dave Rage's comment and Harris's reply, 25A: Short cut? (loin), 54A: One might be in a cast (limb), 56A: Course for the dead? (Styx) and 65A: Craft often utilizing rubber bands (tie dye).

Favorite answers...17A: Without warning (unawares), 19A: Old-time comic Ed (Wynn)...because I loved him when I was a little girl, 27A: City of the Trans-Canada Highway (Medicine Hat)...never heard of it, 32A: Carter's second secretary of state (Muskie)...but I can't remember the first one, 34A: Like dirty rice (Cajun), 42A: Two-time gold medal skier of the 1998 Olympics (Maier), 45A: 1990 Grammy winner for her album "Days of Open Hand" (Suzanne Vega), 52A: State bordering Lower Saxony (Hesse), 60A: Like (akin to), 62A: Comic's creation (one liner)...thinking comic strip threw me on that one, 7D: Title role in a 1986 Woody Allen film (Hannah)...one of only a few gimmes, 11D: A 15-Down might have control over them (warlocks) and the associated Dungeon Master, 33D: Be in the can (serve time) and 49D: Put side by side (appose).

4D: "I haven't got all day!" (speed it up) made me laugh. I'm not prone to road rage, but I do get impatient, especially when it's hot. Today I sat through four changes of a light...for a total of twelve minutes...and it was at least 95 degrees. Fortunately, I had an iced coffee with me and was able to chill...figuratively and literally.

It's my night to cook, so I'd better get something going for dinner...the Saturday puzzle will be up in just over an hour.

Here's the grid...



...and I'll see you tomorrow.

Linda G

Friday, May 30 - Natan Last

I knew exactly four answers after my first run through Natan Last's Friday puzzle...38A: Four-legged film star of the '30s (Asta), 44A: Bouncing off the walls (hyper), 10D: Follower of Sha Na Na at Woodstock (Jimi Hendrix) and 35D: She had a 1993 hit with "No Ordinary Love" (Sade).

After that I guessed a few and Googled a few more. Google got me 21A: "The Big Lebowski" director (Coen), 54A: "The Fog of War" director Morris (Errol) and 5D: Peter who wrote "The Last Testament of Oscar Wilde" (Ackroyd). That led to more good guesses, some of which panned out.

Among my favorites (always!) are the multiword answers at 14A: Soapmaking compound (oleic acid), 16A: Living end (bee's knees)...is it one bee or multiple bees?, 24A: Occupies (stays at), 27A: Not view innocently (leer at), 37A: "Without __" (Grateful Dead album) (a Net), 55A: Old comedian known for his unique piano-playing style (Chico Marx), 58A: "Oh well" (c'est la vie)...a very good guess with only one letter in place, 60A: "My parents are gonna kill me!" (I am so dead), 21D: Question while eying someone else's plate (can I try some)...Elaine would very quietly say, "I wonder what that tastes like"...it was too cute, 25D: Be a whipping boy (take the rap), 26D: "__ Forget" (Harbach/Kern tune) (Try to), and 39D: Eschew aid (fly solo).

I'm curious to know (but at 11:30, it's too late to spend the time to find out) if we have debuts with 1A: Elaborate procedure (rigmarole) and/or 11D: Clears (exonerates). I'll have to hope that JimH covered that in his blog.

My favorite clue was also my very best guess...49A: Keys (isles).

For some reason, I was exhausted after solving the puzzle and took a two-hour nap on the couch. I was startled awake by Dooley's furious barking. In the wake of seventeen arson fires in the last couple of months (five of them at a co-worker's home, one at the home of a former member of our board, and one at the new apartment complex we're building for the chronically homeless), you can bet we checked things out. All seems well now, and Dooley is resting comfortably.

It'll be midnight before I get into bed, so I'd better wrap this one up. Here's the grid...



...and I'll see you tomorrow.

Linda G

Friday, May 23 - Patrick John Duggan

We went to see "The Wizard of Oz" at our local dinner theater and didn't get home until after 10:30. I have a 7:30 meeting tomorrow...poor planning on my part...so I'll have to make this short.

I managed to work through most of Patrick John Duggan's Friday puzzle. Several good guesses panned out, which led to other good guesses. I ended up Googling for two answers...35A: Literally, "art of softness" (Ju-Jitsu) and 51A: Philosopher who coined the phrase "the best of all possible worlds" (Leibniz). The cross at 52D: Man-to-man alternative (zone) doesn't make any sense to me, though.

Good guesses that panned out include 7A: Dr. Seuss story setting (Whoville), 17A: Fop in "The Wind in the Willows (Mr. Toad), 40A: Popular teen hangout, once (soda shop), 46A: Fifth state to ratify the Constitution: Abbr. (Conn.)...it's not just The Nutmeg State, 54A: 1989 film set in an inner-city high school (Lean on Me), 58A: Like some airport purchases (duty free), 1D: It was shipwrecked in 1964 somewhere in the South Pacific (S.S. Minnow), 9D: Constellation with the star Betelgeuse (Orion), 21D: Doctor often seen on writers' bookshelves (Roget), and 35D: Title girl in a 1958 hit by the Playmates (Jo-Ann)...I believe they also did Beep-Beep, the song about the little Nash Rambler.

The best of the best...16A: Parting words (au revoir), 20A: One of a French literary trio (Porthos), 25A: Like a wet blanket (no fun), 31A: "If you shoot at mimes, should you use a silencer?," e.g. (one liner), 8D: "Quiet!" (hush up), and 38D: Popular boxing venue (UPS Store).

I don't watch violent movies and/or television shows, but I liked the similar clues at 2D: Crime family name (Corleone) and 37D: Crime family (Sopranos). One of the pictures I found had a bunch of dead bodies with the cast of "The Sopranos"...were those supposed to be people they had killed during the season?

It's getting close to 11:30...and time to hit the sack. [UPDATE Friday morning: I was just reminded by JimH via his blog...this is another debut by a young constructor. Eighteen-year-old Patrick John Duggan has a real gift for constructing. How many debut puzzles are Friday quality? I'm looking forward to more from this talented young man...and I'm certain we'll see it.]

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

Friday, May 9 - Jim Page

Jim Page's Friday puzzle has nine long answers...stacks of three in each corner...and pretty spicy fill all around.

I'm not operating at full capacity this evening...turns out it wasn't just allergies bothering me this week. I'm on a hefty dose of antibiotics, as well as some delightful cough syrup with codeine...two teaspoons and I slept for three hours. I took a half dose two hours ago, but I'm a real lightweight and I'm pretty groggy.

That said, I'm truly amazed that I finished this. I came to a standstill at one point and Googled for one answer...5D: "Doonesbury" journalist Hedley (Roland). Part of my confusion in the northwest was 10D: Actress Morelli of "The Leopard," 1963 (Rina). I read it as Moreno and filled in Rita.

Long theme answers in the northwest:

1A: Terrifying tales (hair raisers).

15A: One might have a stunt double (action movie)...filled in action right off the bat but I was trying to fit in something like actor.

17A: Bit of ballistic evidence (shell casing).

In the northeast 12D: Predawn period (small hours)...I prefer wee, 13D: Potential reputation ruiner (dark secret)...love that one and 14D: Secondary arrangements (subsystems).

The southwest corner was the easiest for me, with 25D: Yellowish-orange spread (apricot jam), 26D: Rummage (root around) and 27D: It tells you where else to look (cross reference). Nice connected clue at 43D: Word in a 27-Down (see).

And in the southeast...58A: It often includes surround sound (home theater), 61A: One who may do a wire transfer (electrician) and 63A: Chips and such (party snacks).

I liked the similarity between 40A: Builder of a hanging nest (oriole) and 46A: Projecting bit of architecture (oriel). I'm not sure what the latter looks like, but I'm pretty partial to the former...and all birds.

I just dozed off while uploading that picture...[UPDATE Friday morning: Thanks for your kindness in ignoring the typos in that last paragraph. I've corrected them and am now heading back to la-la land.]

The standard crossword fare didn't take away in the least from the rest of the good fill...19A: Weber per square meter (Tesla), 21A: Organization originally called the Jolly Corks (Elks)...nice Friday clue for that one, 60A: Suffix of some cyclic coumpounds (ane), 3D: Plural suffix for urban (ites), 21D: Fill up on (eat), 28D: One passing notes? (ATM), 34D: Certain character sketch (cel) and 56D: Flying piscivores (erns). That, by the way, is the best clue we've ever had for erns.

15A: Egyptian __ (cat breed) (Mau). I'm not up on my cat breeds, but that good guess panned out. They're awfully cute little guys.

And I keep finding myself dozing off, so I'd better wrap things up...take a full dose and get a good night's sleep.

Here's the grid...



...and I'll see you tomorrow.

Linda G

Friday, May 2 - Barry C. Silk

This is the first Friday puzzle I've finished sans Google in a long time. I was definitely on Barry Silk's wavelength tonight. With his last puzzle, Barry was inching his way up the list of my favorite constructors. Now he's right up there...in good company with Mike Nothnagel and Matt Ginsberg.

I absolutely loved this puzzle...but before I get on with it...

Yesterday we had sunny skies, with highs in the low eighties. This morning snow was falling...huge flakes swirling around. Don and I sat with our coffee watching the birds...and saw five male Lazuli Buntings at our ground feeders. According to a friend (who's also the owner of the local Wild Birds Unlimited), they're heading back north and may be around for a few days. What a treat! We've seen more varieties of birds the last few months than ever before. By the way, this isn't the actual bird. I couldn't bring myself to leave the window long enough to get the camera...but it's sitting there now, just in case they return tomorrow.

On with the puzzle. Barry has a knack for stacking long answers in the four corners...in this case, they're good ones all around.

In the northwest...1A: Contest with many missions (space race), 15A: Cousin of a Rob Roy (Manhattan) and 17A: Heads (overseers). In the northeast...12D: "Sheesh!," south of the border (ay, caramba), 13D: One whose work may be catchy (sloganeer) and 14D: "What's My Line?" participant (panelist).

In the southwest...28D: Kraft brand (Cheez Whiz), 29D: Great Seal image (bald eagle) and 33D: Paper parts (sections). The southeast corner...41A: Declare "I will go no further than this" (draw a line), 54A: Became a participant (entered in) and 56A: Unrevivable (stone dead).

Favorites include:

16A: 1972 top 10 hit that's seven minutes long (Layla), 20A: Charge (tutelage), 25A: Beach Boys title girl (Rhonda), 33A: Couple seen in a restaurant (shakers)...salt and pepper, in case you're not tracking with that, 42A: Capital just south of the Equator (Quito), 47A: Famous finger-pointer's declaration (I want you), 1D: Gooey goody (s'more), 21D: Bronchoscopist's view (trachea), 26D: City where Chocolate Avenue crosses Cocoa Avenue (Hershey) and 32D: Kazan Cathedral locale (Red Square).

The award for best clue in the puzzle goes to 36A: Sonata that might not sound good (used car).

A good sign that I was one with Barry tonight...4D: Rock on a stage (Chris). I didn't even think twice...I knew where that one was going.

There were several things I didn't know but got from the crosses...22A: Jagged (erose), 24A: 1960s Elvis-style singer __ Donner (Ral)...have never heard of him, nor has Don..., 28A: "See It Now" producer of 1950s TV (CBS News), 55A: George __, longtime Cleveland Orchestra conductor (Szell), 11D: Iona College athlete (Gael), 30D: "I Wish" rapper __-Lo (Skee), 45D: "Lost" actress Raymonde (Tania) and 49D: "Jubilee Trail" novelist Bristow (Gwen).

Best guess...with only the L in place...10D: Tree with catkins (alder).

Life is so peaceful now that tax season is over. Don and the boys are sitting with me in my office as I write this...Don is reading, and the boys are napping after a hard day of guarding the homestead.

I have an early morning meeting, so I'd better wrap this up. Here's the grid...



...and I'll see you tomorrow.

Linda G

Friday, April 25 - Mike Nothnagel

Wouldn't you know...the night I think I'll blow off the puzzle it turns out to be one of Mike Nothnagel's...no way in hell I can do that!

I didn't get home from the volunteer appreciation dinner until almost 10:00. Fortunately, I was really on Mike's wavelength and solved much faster than I normally do a Friday puzzle.

My very favorite was the two-part answer at 30A: With 36-Across, shortsighted (pennywise and pound foolish). That was one of my mother's favorite expressions, and it has affected many of the decisions I've made...not just those relating to spending...all my life. I was able to get it with the I and A in 30A and the P and I in 36A. To say I was proud of that would be an understatement.

The other long answer that came easily was 21D: Fictional secret agent (Maxwell Smart). Really...who else could it have been? Especially since I had (correctly) guessed 28A: Dr. Seuss book, with "The" (Lorax).

Nice that my four years of Spanish came in handy tonight. 15A: Hombre-to-be (muchacho) was a nice answer to have in the northwest corner...especially since some of the others weren't coming very easily. It took me forever to see that 1D: No Oscar contender was B movie.

Similarly, I didn't get 57A: Some natural history museum attractions (T-Rexes), even after I had the correct letters in place.

So maybe I wasn't totally on Mike's wavelength, but there were several other gimmes.

33A: Disappear, in a way (go AWOL).

43A: Piece of cake in school (easy A). I thought several of my classes fit that category...but how do you explain that more than half of the class got C or lower?

7D: Long-running Art and Chip Sansom comic strip (The Born Loser).

12D: Some are sweetened (iced teas). I can't tell you how happy I am to see it written that way. One of my pet peeves is seeing it written as ice teas. The tea is iced...hence, the name. I'm probably preaching to the choir here.

These weren't exactly gimmes, but I was able to suss them out with very few letters in place.

17A: Accurate (on target).

53A: Landmark on the Chicago shoreline (Navy Pier). We went there with the girls to visit Don's mother and brother. I wish I could find the picture of Leslie at the top of the ferris wheel with her Uncle Brian. It was priceless...you know, when kids have that look of absolute wonder.

55A: Fill up with gas (aerate).

58A: Its dome was designed by Michelangelo (St. Peters).

13D: Mountain, e.g. (time zone). Mine. Well, I share it with a lot of other people.

14D: Inflammation reducer (steroid). I just got a shot of Kenalog for my allergies this week. I'm guessing that it's a steroid. All I know is that two days later, I am about 99% better than I've been in over a month. Pollen and wind are not a good combination...but Kenalog is a miracle drug.

The one answer I changed multiple times...36D: Views through a keyhole. First I had peeps at...changed it to peers at. Finally figured out that 47A: Its logo is a goateed man in an apron referred to Colonel Sanders. KFC changed my answer once and for all to peeks at.

I've never heard of 46A: "T.J. Hooker" actor Adrian (Zmed)...but isn't that some last name.

Geographical things I didn't know and will probably never remember...5D: __ Sea (arm of the Arctic Ocean) (Kara) and 30D: Iloilo's island (Panay)...unless they're in the puzzle again in the next week or so.

Also didn't know 18A: Simple inflorescence, as in a lily of the valley (raceme)...which incorrectly (funnily) parses as race me. Again, I don't hold out much hope for remembering it.

It's after 11:00, and I still need to make frosting and frost a cake...so I'd better wrap this up.

Here's the grid...



...and I'll see you tomorrow.

Linda G

Friday, April 18 - Joe DiPietro

Last night was the after-tax-season dinner for Don's employees. Everything was excellent...the company, the food (bacon-wrapped filet...yum) and just the right amount of wine. To top it off, Joe DiPietro's puzzle was one of the most enjoyable Friday puzzles I can remember. I got hung up a bit in the northwest, but the rest of it came together so nicely.

The long stacks were all multiword. As much as I love them, I don't always get them...but several of these were gimmes. I may have just been on his wavelength...but is it possible that meat is brain food for me?

6A: "This is how it's really done..." (step aside). Not quite a gimme, but I got it with only the TE.

16A: Tried to buy (put a bid on).

18A: Improving (on the mend)...one of the gimmes.

57A: Site of Mackinac Island (Lake Huron). Come to think of it, I struggled a bit here. A wrong answer at 45D: "You __ kidding!" threw me...I had must be, rather than the correct weren't. Once I had some of the downs, though, I worked through it.

62A: Begins to attack (opens fire).

64A: Retired (went to bed). At first, I was thinking of retired in the normal sense.

1D: Certain rental arrangements (net leases). I was befuddled by the cross at 1A: Films are shown in them (nabes). I just looked it up...it's slang for neighborhood theater. We never said that in my neighborhood.

2D: Spirits (aqua vitae)...Latin for "water of life."

3D: Quit meddling (butted out). We had that not too long ago, and I was happy to remember it.

34D: Americana symbols (apple pies). Happily, one of the gimmes.

35D: Takeover (coup d'etat)...with a few letters, it couldn't have been anything else.

36D: Bygone Montreal event (Expos game). The cross at 40A: Curse (pox) always reminds me of the scene in "It's a Wonderful Life" when George Bailey says, "A pox upon me for a clumsy lout."

Other favorite answers or clues:

17A: It's all for the Italians (tutto).

28A: "About Last Night..." co-star, 1986 (Rob Lowe). Either I didn't see it or I don't remember it...or I don't want to remember it...but it was based on David Mamet's award-winning play "Sexual Perversity in Chicago."

38A: Florida island (Sanibel). It pays to have grown up in south Florida.

47A: Rival rival (Alpo). I was thinking of the Rival that makes appliances...but a clever clue.

51A: Exam takers now, exam givers later (premeds).

7D: Main ingredient in tekka maki (tuna).

13D: "Holy Sonnets" poet (Donne).

25D: "Indeed!" (to be sure).

26D: "The Seven Year Itch" co-star (Ewell). I only knew that Marilyn Monroe was it, but the crosses put it together.

29D: Ocean blue (briny). I was thinking of a color at first.

49D: Freak out (go ape). This was too good to pass up...and funny even if you happen to like Bush.

I took the day off so that Don and I can do something fun, and it's nice to be able to blog leisurely with a cup of coffee. He and the boys are still asleep, so I think I'll go watch the birds.

Some of the comments are getting through...others still aren't. Blogger doesn't really have a way to contact them...you "join" their support group and post your question or problem. If you're lucky, someone sees it and responds. Basically, there's no support...but I don't pay them for the Blog, so what's to complain about?

Here's the grid...



...and I'll see you tomorrow.

Linda G

Friday, April 11 - Manny Nosowsky

I'm not feeling up to par tonight and need to get myself to bed early. Pair that with a killer puzzle by Manny Nosowsky and that means...

I'm not even going to attempt to solve it.

I just checked, and Harris has posted the grid at Water and Waves. Holy cow! Not only did he have no trouble with this one...he posted one of his best times. I guess he and Manny are on the same wavelength.

When I made the decision to return from my short sabbatical, the deal I made with myself was simple...if I couldn't have the puzzle solved and the blog written by 10:00 (assuming I was working the next day), there would be no blog for that night.

I wondered if I'd be able to live with that...and the answer is yes. I'll bet the rest of you will be, too.

I do want to point out one (the only?) gimme for me...37A: 1954 title role for Ava Gardner (Contessa). I guess that makes 28D: Coca-Cola brand (Fanta)...which probably makes 28A: Three-time Masters winner Nick (Faldo).

Okay, no more stabbing at it...off to bed.

This cartoon sums up how I feel tonight...puzzlewise.

See you tomorrow.

Linda G

Friday, April 4 - David Quarfoot

I'm willing to bet that David Quarfoot will have one of the highest Scrabble scores with this puzzle. Not only does Q appear six times, Z shows up three times in one word (pizazz...at 44A: Dash). Other Scrabbly letters include J, K and V.

As usual, I groaned loudly when I saw Quarfoot's name on the byline...but I was pleasantly surprised to have a few gimmes:

16A: Accidental in the key of B or E (D natural). I'm not sure if JimH covered in his music lesson last week.

20A: Three-ingredient treats (S'mores).

23A: Beethoven's "Pastoral" Symphony is in it (F Major).

37A: Burger replacement (Rehnquist). Raise your hand if you were trying to think of something with tofu as an ingredient. I did only for a second.

41A: Stands in line at an airport? (kiosks). You gotta love a word that starts and ends with a K...at least in the singular.

1D: Tynan player in "The Seduction of Joe Tynan" (Alda)...one of my all-time favorite actors.

7D: Rimes with "Blue" (LeAnn)...catchy clue.

26D: 2002 Denzel Washington drama (John Q)...a more recent favorite.

38D: "Mmmm...Toasty!" sloganeer (Quiznos).

Those two Q's made me wonder if they'd not only go up diagonally...they'd also come down. They didn't...but I was able to fill in several more words, just by guessing that they'd start with Q.

22A: Peck parts: Abbr. (qts)...crossing with 22D: It often gets down (quilt).

27A: Noted centenarian of 2000, familiarly (Queen Mum)...with 27D: Pursuit (quest).

33A: Parent's ruse to hush noisy kids (Quiet Game). I only filled in the first word...we didn't play such a game. It crossed at 33D: Rare delivery (quint).

35A: Silence (quell)...with 35D: Guatemala's national bird (quetzal). I had to Google for that one. What a gorgeous bird!
40A: One way to wax (eloquent). The other way I know is poetic...but John Q made that one easy to get.

There were some devilish answers in this one, including 15A: Like some cubs (ursine), 56A: Sleuth who "looked rather pleasantly like a blond satan (Sam Spade), 58A: Spellbinding "Batman" villainess played by Joan Collins (The Siren), 11D: Number between drei and funf (vier)...where's Don when I need him?, 28D: Contemporary of Agatha and Erle (Ngaio) and 30D: Literally, "women's boat" (umiak).

A couple of favorite clues...53A: Dodger's dread? (IRS audit), 55A: Do borderline work? (patrol), 3D: End of a loving trio (amat), 39D: It might get you backstage (VIP pass) and 41D: Pecking order? (kiss me).

It's 9:45 and Don just came home. There's much more to this puzzle...feel free to share your thoughts on it.

Here's the grid...



...and I'll see you tomorrow.

Linda G

Friday, March 28 - Barry C. Silk

For several months now, Barry Silk has been inching his way up my list of favorite constructors. His late-week puzzles are his best...stacks upon stacks of long answers, including some not often seen in puzzles. I'm too lazy to check it out at xwordinfo, the sister site to The JimH Crossword Blog, but feel free to see how often these answers have appeared in a New York Times puzzle.

15A: What seeds may be found in (tourney).

20A: Stadium snack (soft pretzel).

32A: __ Pacific Airways (Cathay). I've never heard of it and needed crosses to get it.

34A: Drag during the day? (need a nap)...one of my favorites.

40A: Part of some complexes (neurosis). Did I ever get hung up here...all because of 26D: Not loco. I was using the wrong language...so had sane rather than the correct sano.

51A: Where to order a cheesesteak "wit" or "witout" (South Philly). I thought about including a picture of one "wit" (that means with the melted cheese-like topping). When I enlarged it, though, it just looked sickening...so I decided to pass.

60A: Patron saint of Palermo (Rosalia).

8D: Cousin of a flea market (swap meet). That's what they were called when I was growing up in south Florida...where we had plenty of fleas. Years later I was invited to go to a flea market...you can probably understand my hesitation.

38D: Best substitute on the court (sixth man). I had to Google to see what this meant. Most of you probably know that it has to do with basketball (not tennis...wrong court). You can read all about it here. Apparently, it takes skill and talent in several areas.

Things I learned from previous puzzles that paid off tonight include 18A: Setting for TV's "Matlock" (Atlanta), 43A: "Symphony in Black" artist (Erté), 57A: Six bells, nautically (three p.m.) and 48D: "Silas Marner" girl (Eppie).

In addition to the clue at 15A (see above), other favorites include:

16A: A mouse may help you get there (website).

19A: Layer that scratches (hen).

24A: Time to burn? (summer). I'm guessing we're heading for a scorcher. It's still March, and we've had highs in the upper sixties.

61A: Aid in picking things up (antenna).

63A: Make a point of (sharpen).

13D: Major conclusion? (ette)...ties in with 53D: Major start? (Ursa). For some unknown reason, both were gimmes.

I can't neglect to mention the long stacks. In the northwest...1D: Where it's happening (at the scene), 2D: Follows (comes later) and 3D: W.W. II shelter (quonset hut).

In the southeast...29D: How much of genius is inspiration, according to Edison (one percent)...the rest is perspiration..., 30D: Like typhoid bacteria, often (waterborne) and 31D: Gym shoes, e.g. (sportswear).

The sports clue that I did know was 28D: His #13 was retired in 2000 by the Miami Dolphins (Marino). They were my dad's favorite team, and Dan Marino is quite a man. Here's a short bio that's worth reading...and it has a baby picture. Awwwww.

Looks as though I'll be in bed by 10:30 tonight...much better than last night's 11:30.

Here's the grid...

...and I'll see you tomorrow.

Linda G

Friday, March 7 - Paula Gamache

I spent the day resting...doctor's orders...but I have no business being up this late. Leslie and Candy came over for dinner, and Elaine served up a delicious beef stew with homemade biscuits. She's turning into quite the cook. Anyway, they didn't leave until 9:45, so I was very late getting to the puzzle.

Not a good thing when it was a Friday puzzle...not a good thing when it was one of Paula Gamache's puzzles.

If I knew for sure that I'd be home tomorrow, I would have waited until morning to solve it. It was foolish to tackle it this late, and I basically threw in the towel. Had a few answers, Googled a few more...ended up with the top half of the puzzle finished and a good part of the bottom. But it was late...and time to declare the puzzle finished (thanks, Donald...good advice).

Fellow blogger JimH had already posted his finished grid, so I borrowed a couple of answers from him. That gave me enough of a toehold in the bottom half to finish things up.

The long answers were all good...and all multiword. How does Paula Gamache manage to stack things like this?

In the top half:

1A: Climbing Mt. Everest, for Sir Edmund Hillary (claim to fame).

12A: 1937 Paul Muni drama (The Woman I Love).

14A: Art, metaphorically (jealous mistress). That was so good I can hardly stand it...although my first answer was imitation of life.

The bottom stacks:

45A: Census Bureau data (vital statistics).

47A: Only if it's worth the trade-off (not at any price).

48A: London Zoo locale (Regents Park).

Other multiword answers were 17A: Probe (poke into), 27A: It's hard to recall (dim memory), 6D: Like most medicine bottles (tamper resistant), 11D: 50-50 proposition (even bet) and 29D: It's headquartered in the G.E. Building (NBC TV).

I had a few gimmes, some with pretty clever cluing. 18A: Manfred __ Earth Band (Mann's), 20A: Basic verse option (ABAB), 22A: Drum containers (ears)...clever, 25A: Legato indicator (slur)...thanks to piano lessons, 26A: Coast Guard boat (cutter), 33A: Clued in, once (hep), 7D: Things in rings (onions), 19D: Princess Ozma's creator (Baum), 25D: "Dear" ones (sirs) and 35D: Meter makers (poets).

Unfamiliar answers, many of which I got from crosses, include 23A: Site of the siege of Candia (Crete), 38A: Singer who is part owner of Forbes magazine (Bono), 41A: Cousin in a Balzac title (Bette), 10D: Holmes fought him (Moriarty), 14D: Artist Wyeth (Jamie)...I only know Andrew, 22D: Nine __ (London district) (Elms), 28D: "Blue II" painter, 1961 (Miró)...I know the name but not particular works, 30D: Sacramento suburb (Florin) and 46D: Country singers England and Herndon (Tys).

It's time for me to get cozy (26D: Under a quilt, say) if I want to cure (23D: Bug zapper?) what ails me.

Here's the grid...



...and I'll see you tomorrow.

Linda G

Friday, February 29 - Patrick Berry

We celebrated a friend's 50th birthday tonight, so I'm getting to this later than I usually do. I'm also coming down with the cold that's plagued my co-workers and several volunteers for the past few weeks.

But given that the ACPT weekend officially begins on Friday, it's highly possible that there won't be many crossword blogs to read...so I'll force myself to get something done before I crawl into bed.

Patrick Berry is generally a tough constructor...no exception with this one. It was filled with some amazing stacks of long answers.

The more gettable ones for me:

2D: Like most 1950s recordings (monophonic). I remember stereophonic, but it wouldn't fit...so that was a good guess.

3D: Final Gene Wilder/Richard Pryor comedy (Another You).

27D: Continuously (at all times)...I got that with only the first letter in place.

28D: Stop working (take a break).

The southeast corner was the first one to fall for me. 42A: It protects car buyers (lemon law) and 46A: #1 Beatles hit with the only known vocal contribution by Linda McCartney (Let It Be), along with 27D and 28D, really opened things up. 33D: "Don't spread this around, but..." (between us) was easy enough with a few letters in place, and 36D: Home for the Ojibwa and Cree (Manitoba) was a good guess.

Next to fall was the northwest. Getting 2D and 3D made the crosses come together nicely, but I was totally flummoxed by 1D: Agitated (in a pother)...an expression I've never heard before. I wasn't even sure I was parsing it correctly, but my dictionary confirmed it. 4D: Neapolitan noblewoman (Contessa) was a good guess, as was 24A: Region bordering Mount Olympus (Thessaly).

In the southwest, I had to Google for 55A: Bernard Malamud's debut novel (The Natural). After guessing 41D: Wisconsin city that's home to S.C. Johnson & Son (Racine), I was able to get an answer here and there...pretty soon the whole corner was finished, including 52A: 1990 #1 rap hit that starts "Yo, V.I.P., let's kick it" (Ice Ice Baby). I wouldn't have guessed that rap had been around that long...it seems much more recent. Favorite clue/answer in that corner...38D: Split right before your eyes? (bifocal).

The northeast was the toughest area for me. Couldn't figure out where they were heading with 5A: Barely mention, as somethign one doesn't want to discuss (skate over) or 17A: In-house debugging (alpha tests). After much head scratching over 15A [One abandoned at the altar?], I finally figured it out...maiden name.

I didn't know 6D: Goes to bed, in Britspeak (kips)...but I'm going to do it now.

Here's the grid...



...and I'll see you tomorrow.

Linda G

Friday, February 22 - Mike Nothnagel and David Quarfoot

My all-time favorite constructor, Mike Nothnagel, has teamed up with David Quarfoot for this Friday's killer puzzle. I was so exhausted after solving it that I needed a power nap before I could tackle the blog.

I would never have finished this without a lot of help from Dogpile...for answers such as:

45A: Boulogne-sur-__, France (Mer). That looks like French for bologna of the sea...

4D: Poet who won a Pulitzer for "The Dust Which Is God" (Benét).

8D: Kinkajou's kin: Var. (racoons). Variation or not, that just looks wrong. But is that not the sweetest little face?

9D: 1883 Maupassant novel (Une Vie)..."A Woman's Life."

32D: "Underboss" author Peter (Maas).

33D: Smythe of hockey (Conn).

47D: Papa Bear of the N.F.L. (Halas).

With only a handful of gimmes, I was definitely not on the combined wavelength tonight.

41A: Some are manicured (lawns).

46A: Response of feigned innocence (who me).

55A: __-Mints (Rolands rival) (Alka).

56A: Singer of the 1967 hit "California Nights" (Lesley Gore). She was best known for "It's My Party," but "You Don't Own Me" was my favorite of her songs. My sister's senior portrait looked a lot like this shot of Lesley Gore...it was probably the flip more than anything else. [Update: This is too eerie. Before she had even downloaded this puzzle, Wendy blogged about Lesley Gore AND "You Don't Own Me." Have you ever thought that Wendy and Mike Nothnagel might be same person? And that Linda G is another alter ego?]

3D: Where I-25 and I-70 meet (Denver). If I hadn't made that trip at least 100 times, I wouldn't have known it.

6D: Shortening in the kitchen? (tbsp)...although I thought about lard briefly.

37D: It's out for a pout (lower lip)...not exactly a gimme, but I got it with only the W in place from lawns.

There were some exceptionally good multiword answers...not Google-able but fairly easy to flesh out.

1A: Awfully accurate? (sad but true).

15A: Salade niçoise ingredients (green beans). I could only think of potatoes and tuna, so that one took a little longer to fall into place.

17A: Providers of exceptional service? (tennis aces).

34A: Where to find pop art? (soda can).

38A: Start of some how-to titles (The Art). All I could think of were all of the books for dummies...but those share the same ending.

40A: Childish comeback (are so). We haven't had a playground retort in a while, so I didn't mind seeing one tonight.

59A: Subject of the 2004 book "Dancing Revelations" (Alvin Ailey).

61A: Outdoor toy that attaches to a garden hose (Slip N Slide).

7D: Level (tear down).

12D: Bit of kitchen wear (oven mitt). My hand won't work in one of those...maybe it's just too small. It's two potholders for me.

13D: Execute exactly (do to a tee).

14D: Over, with "of" (in excess). It took me forever to understand the clue, then even longer to get the answer. The cross at 21A: Presidential middle name (Knox) made good use of the X. I'll bet someone out there can tell us which President.

34D: Cause of colonial unrest (Stamp Act).

35D: "You don't say!" (oh really).

As tough as this puzzle was, there were so many things I loved about it. In addition to the plethora of multiword answers, there was an abundance of some of my favorite letters...K, V and X.

And I just noticed that it's almost 11:30, so I'd better call it a night. Here's the grid...



...and I'll see you tomorrow.

Linda G

Friday, February 15 - Patrick Berry

Patrick Berry's puzzles are always on the tough side for me, so a 15-letter gimme at 15A: He conducted the premiere performances of "Pagliacci" and "La bohème" (Arturo Toscanini) was a nice Valentine's Day gift. Thanks, Patrick.

Don sent a quartet (complete with red vests and red bow-ties) to the office today, carrying red roses for all of us. They sang four songs (I wish I could remember all four) in perfect harmony...it was a treat for everyone who was there. One of our coworkers made beautiful knitted scarves for all of us...red for me. It was just a nice day all around.

And then there was this puzzle...with more gimmes:

21A: Star of "Gigi" and "Lili" (Caron).

25A: Maker of Coolpix cameras (Nikon).

27A: __ Couple (yearbook voting category) (Cutest). Awwwww.

28A: "Field of Dreams" actress Amy (Madigan).

31A: 1979 #1 hit for Robert John (Sad Eyes). I still love that song...you can hear it here. [Update: That shouldn't be read to mean that I condone cheating on your significant other...I just like the song.]

2D: Photographer/children's author Alda (Arlene). Alan's wife, for those of you who don't know that.

13D: Awaiting burial (in repose).

25D: Some Degas paintings (nudes). This has always been one of my favorites.

41D: Rwandan people (Tutsi).

Alas, those didn't provide enough of a toe-hold, so I called upon my friend Dogpile to get a couple of answers, including:

7D: Stage actress who wrote "Respect for Acting" (Uta Hagen). I think I should have known that.

26D: 1939 film taglined "Garbo laughs" (Ninotchka).

That gave me enough that I was able to just work through the rest of the puzzle, including some great multiword answers:

1A: Didn't take advantage of (passed up).

17A: Bands of holy men (clerical collars).

24A: Strand at the airport, maybe (fog in).

45A: Sometime soon (in the near future).

47A: One with a guitar and shades, stereotypically (rock and roll star).

12D: One that gets depressed during recitals (piano key). That one took forever to see...couldn't figure out what would end with OKEY.

Favorite clues and/or answers:

9A: Muscleheaded (stupid). Boy, did I feel stupid when I had most of that and couldn't see the answer.

26A: Stray animals don't have them (names)...not homes.

32A: More of the same (clones).

1D: Game featuring Blinky, Pinky, Inky and Clyde (PacMan).

3D: Jelly seen on buffet tables (Sterno)...never thought of it as a jelly.

8D: Pilot light? (Polaris).

16D: Boxy Toyota product (Scion).

27D: First African-born Literature Nobelist (Camus).

28D: "Is There Life Out There" singer (McEntire).

29D: Titular mouse in a classic Daniel Keyes novel (Algernon). I could cry thinking about it, so I won't.

33D: Number to the left of a decimal point, maybe (dollars). Took way too long to figure that one out.

Can someone explain why 30D: 1600 to 1800, on a boat is dogwatch? Never mind...I'll bet it has something to do with military time. Maybe someone can confirm that, though. [Update: Thanks, Wendy, for clarification of that. It should have been up there with the multiword answers.]

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



...and I'll see you tomorrow.

Linda G