Tuesday, June 24 - Barry C. Silk

Is it my imagination...or are Barry Silk's puzzles becoming more frequent? One thing I know for sure...he's become one of my favorites.

The theme was revealed at 67A: Something you can do to the starts of 17-, 21-, 37-, 53- and 60-Across (draw)...and the theme answers are:

17A: Hotel offering (bath towel).

21A: Bow-taking occasion (curtain call).

37A: Poker face (blank expression).

53A: Cinema offering (picture show).

60A: Flintlock need (gun powder).

I drew four of the five today...it's probably fairly easy to guess which one wasn't part of the day's activity.

I didn't have to resort to Google, but there were a couple of answers I wouldn't have gotten but for crosses...9A: Valuable violin (Amati), 16A: French-speaking African nation (Gabon), 46A: Grier of "Jackie Brown" (Pam), 34D: __ City (Baghdad district) (Sadr), and 38D: Home of Mammoth Cave (Kentucky).

My favorite clue...or, more precisely, clues...64A: With "and" and 47-Down, Lawrence Welk's intro (a-one). The second answer, of course, is a-two.

Other favorites include 27A: Blown away by (amazed at), 42A: Novelist Zola (Émile), 49A: Dress store section (petites), 59A: Like some committees (ad hoc), 62A: Actress Aimée (Anouk), 1D: Internet-on-the-tube company, formerly (Web TV), 8D: Syllables before "di" or "da" in a Beatles song (obla), 9D: Has a tough time deciding (agonizes), 10D: Friend of Peppermint Patty (Marcie), 32D: Patio parties, briefly (BBQs), 35D: Leaf-to-branch angle (axil), and 50D: Henry VIII's house (Tudor).

That's all for tonight. 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, 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

Saturday, February 23 - Barry C. Silk

This isn't the first time that Barry Silk kicked my butt. The last occasion was a puzzle last December.

I did a lot of grumbling last night while solving (or attempting to solve), but I'm seeing the puzzle with new eyes this morning...and it's really one of the best. Meaty long answers, lots of Scrabbly letters...and nothing seemed forced to get all of that in. Well done, Barry...even though I couldn't finish it on my own. I got a few from Dogpile, but when I was at a total standstill, I peeked at JimH's finished grid for two answers that unlocked the grid. Thanks, Jim...what are blogging friends for?

Spanning the center of the grid is 36A: One who didn't say no? (consenting adult). Great answer, perfect clue...and crossing at its center is 20D: Profanity (sacrilege). There's some kind of opposing connection there, but I can't put it into words this morning.

With good long answers above and below, you'd think the down fill would have been compromised...not so.

30A: Frequent business traveler (road warrior). I'm so glad I'm not one of those. I love coming home on Friday, getting into my Big Dogs and just hanging out at home.

39A: They hang from the roof (stalactites). I don't know why that took me so long to get...maybe because I think of them as hanging from ceilings. That's part of the trick to differentiate them from stalagmites. The C because they hang from ceilings...the G in stalagmites reminds you that they grow from the ground up.

Some of the best downs crossing that:

4D: South Dakota's __ National Park (Badlands). I'm embarrassed that it took me so long to get that...we've driven through it and were just enthralled with its beauty.

6D: Wear for rough outdoor activities (cargo pants). Yeah, I've worn them to go shopping...that can be rough on a big sale day.

24D: Afghan province or its capital (Herat). I just finished "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini, so that should have been a gimme...but it wasn't.

29D: One who might pick up toys (dog catcher). I didn't see that one coming. If you like this illustration by Thom Glick, you can see more of his work here.

31D: River formed by the junction of the Fulda and Werra (Weser).

37D: Where you might get into a rut (dirt road).

Other noteworthy clues and/or answers:

1A: Lard source (fatback)...ick. That was part of a stack in the northwest that also included 15A: G.P.S. receiver display (area map), 17A: Uses a certain iron (solders)...not about golf, and 19A: What flamingos often stand on (one leg)...one of very few gimmes for me.

The northeast stack...8A: Service with a queue (Netflix), its cross at 14D: Botanical nutrient conductor (xylem), 16A: Explanatory tool (analogy), 18A: Ousting (removal), 21A: Vision de nuit (reve)...French for what?...and its cross at 13D: Donation declaration (I gave). I was a bit confused by 8D: Nostril (naris)...thought it was nares, but that would be plural.

The most Scrabbly corner was the southwest, which included 43A: Home to Al Jazeera (Qatar), its cross at 43D: Faultfinder's concern? (quake), 40D: Exotic estate (Xanadu)...another gimme since I had 40A: Indications of good bowling (Xes), 54A: An ace is a good one (aviator), crossing with 44D: Gridder Harper (Alvin) and 57A: County west of Dublin (Kildare).

In the southeast...50A: Trust (cartel)...I was looking for a verb, 56A: Chin-wag (shmooze), crossing with 52D: Israel's Weizman (Ezer)...what a good Scrabbly name, with a Z in both first and last names...and 60A: Things that wear well? (eroders).

The clue for 49D: Feelthy stuff (porn) made me laugh. It's not listed in my dictionary, though.

Can someone explain 23D: Atlanta commuting option (Marta)...maybe it's an acronym for something.

Time to begin my no-driving day. Elaine is still visiting, so we'll get to spend the day together. I've really enjoyed her time here. She volunteered at our office every day this week and was a tremendous help. Poor thing has caught a nasty cold, though, and she sounds terrible. Maybe Mom will make some chicken noodle soup for her.

Enjoy your Saturday. Here's the grid...



...and I'll see you tomorrow.

Linda G

Wednesday, January 16 - Barry C. Silk

Tomorrow is Don's birthday. I won't tell you how old he is, but he could start collecting Social Security benefits. We'll go out to dinner, have a glass of wine, he'll open his present (can't tell you what I got him...he reads this from time to time), have another glass of wine... I'm not sure when (or if) I'll get the puzzle solved and blogged. If anyone wants to take a shot at it, let me know.

I don't know why the theme of this PUZZLE was such a MYSTERY to me. It's an ENIGMA why I had such a PROBLEM with it.

The four theme answers:

20A: 1999 Russell Crowe movie (Mystery Alaska). Never heard of it.

32A: Parent's handful (problem child). I didn't have one of those...I had two. Just kidding! I did have a problem with this answer, though. I wanted the first word to end in ED, and troubled wouldn't fit. Not knowing the cross at 23D: Domino features (pips) didn't help.

41A: Nickname for the National Security Agency (Puzzle Palace). I didn't have a clue about this one. Had the first two letters from 28D: Cookbook amt. (tbsp) and 42D: E pluribus __ (unum)...then guessed 43D: Fraternity founded in 1847 at New York University (Zeta Psi). That gave me the first word, but I needed crosses to get the second.

55A: W.W. II encryption device (Enigma Machine). Again...no clue. I was able to get the first few letters from crosses...46D: Assuming, hypothetically (if ever), 47D: 1975 "Thrilla" city (Manila), 48D: Melodic passages (ariosi) and 52D: Looked libidinously (ogled). After that, it was easy enough to get the first word. Again, though, I needed crosses to complete the theme answer.

The best thing about this puzzle...plenty of Scrabbly letters.

K crossing a theme answer at 12D: Two-or three-pointer (basket).

X at 61A: In a pique (vexed), crossing at 38D: End of the road, possibly (last exit).

Z appearing twice in one theme answer, also crossing with 33D: Baseball's Johnny, known as the Big Cat (Mize)...and a clever clue at 15A: A lot of pizzazz? (zees), crossing at 6D: San Diego State player (Aztec).

While I didn't do too well with the theme answers, I was able to nail some of the non-theme fill, some of which was very well executed.

10A: Pop group whose music was the basis of a hit 2001 Broadway musical (Abba). I don't know how I knew this, but I did. I must have read it somewhere and stored it in the back of my brain. I'm amazed that I was able to bring it to the forefront.

14A: Hut material (adobe).

26A: Scorecard listing (roster). Does this count as knowing a sports clue?

27A: Fielder's cry (I got it). I love when things like this are gimmes.

29A: Potter's need (soil). Took me some time to realize they meant THAT kind of potter. I wanted slip or clay.

31A: "The racer's edge" (STP). I remember those commercials from my childhood.

51A: "Groovy!" (far out). And I remember this from my teen years.

65A: Getz of jazz (Stan).

9D: Last king of the united Sweden and Norway (Oscar II). I knew with that many letters it would end in a Roman numeral...but my first guess was Olaf VII. It wasn't a bad guess...just very wrong.

13D: Black key (A sharp). I just this minute got it. I wasn't parsing it correctly...couldn't make sense of AS HARP or ASH ARP. It's late...I'm tired...take your pick.

29D: Dress down (scold). I was thinking what you'd do on casual Friday.

30D: "Die Frau __ Schatten" (Strauss opera) (Ohne). Wouldn't have gotten it without the crosses.

34D: Mustachioed Surrealist (Dali). A good guess.

45D: Stork's bundle (arrival).

57D: Asia's __ Sea (Aral). I don't know why I always confuse Aral and Ural. I think Ural are mountains. There must be some way to remember this.

58D: Campbell of "Three to Tango" (Neve). I didn't see the movie, but I like her name, so I always remember it.

I also liked the multiword answers at 69A: Reveal one's feelings (let on), 3D: Campus quarters (dorm room) and 5D: Shove off (set sail).

That's it for tonight. Here's the grid...



...and I'll see you tomorrow.

Linda G

Saturday, December 8 - Barry C. Silk

I struggled with this puzzle on so many levels...only a couple of gimmes and tentative answers that turned out to be so wrong that I then entered wrong guesses for crosses because they seemed to fit.

It was a nightmare! I left it for an hour and started over. Googled some of the obscure things...more about that later...and things started to flow. Well, maybe they dripped.

We put the tree up last night...just the two of us. That hasn't happened since 1992. We have a beautiful prelit tree that's supposed to be a snap to set up. It isn't...or at least it wasn't last night. As you put in a section (there are four), you have to plug several male ends into the correct female receptacles, or you'll end up with a section that doesn't light. Guess what happened last night. By the time that was fixed, I was too tired to hang ornaments or blog. The ornaments will wait until later this morning.

First, the gimmes...

11A: They feature creatures (zoos). I actually thought this would turn out wrong because I couldn't see anything for the cross at 11D: Fan club reading, briefly. It didn't take long to see that as zines.

16A: "You can stop trying to wake me now!" (I'm up). I can't tell you how unfunny that is in real life. Those of you who deal with it on a daily basis will understand...and will know how much I don't miss that part of having children at home. Leslie spent a few nights here this week. She's been working for a local nonprofit through the AmeriCorps program. They changed her from nights to days, so as of last Monday, she had to be at work at 8:00 a.m. Leslie is not a morning person (the only trait she and her sister share, but that's a story for another time). Staying here ensured that she'd get up in the morning and arrive at work on time. I don't know how she'll manage next week without Mom to nag her. To her credit, I think there was only one day when she got cranky and gave me the I'm up line...multiple times.

Speaking of unfunny...how unfunny is it that those were the only two gimmes!

I did have a good guess at 32A: 1961 top 10 hit for the Everly Brothers (Ebony Eyes). You can hear it here...it's one of the top teen tragedy songs of that decade. I prefer Ebony Eyes as done by Bob Welch...completely different song.

Then there were the wrong answers that put me in a world of hurt.

24A: Pillowcase material (muslin). I had cotton...the only kind of sheets (or pillowcases) I sleep on...at least 400 threads per inch.

45A: Melodramatic cry (my hero). I'm almost embarrassed to admit what I had. With the MYH in place, all I could think of was My Hair...which (way in the past, mind you) I cried melodramatically way more often than I cried My Hero.

56A: It appears first in China (family name). Yes, that is true...but I thought I had caught one of their deceptive clues and very proudly wrote Capital C. I'm sure that's what they wanted me to think. That very definitely messed up the southeast corner...big time.

5D: Wearers of four stars: Abbr. (Adms.). Well, hell, I thought generals wore four stars. Having Gens really caused problems up in that corner as well.

That's about the time I headed out to help Don with the tree light problem. I was so frustrated after that...I had no choice but to stretch out on the couch with Dooley and take a nap.

That cleared (some of) the cobwebs and I was back at it. Googled to find a couple of the obscure answers, including 21A: "My Life on Trial" autobiographer (Belli)...I should have known that. That gave me enough to guess 12D: Either of two father-and-son Dodgers owners (O'Malley).

I also ventured a guess for 36A: 2001 Microsoft debut (Windows XP). Once they stopped using the year, I don't remember when new versions came out. I haven't tried Vista...I'm resisting the urge to buy a laptop because I don't want to learn a new operating system just yet.

Google gave me 34A: 1966 album that's #2 on Rolling Stone's all-time greatest albums list (Pet Sounds) by the Beach Boys...I knew that #1 was Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band...rightfully so. Also 55A: Cager Kukoc (Toni), 6D: Comic Kevin (Nealon), 24D: "Doctor Faustus" novelist (Mann) and 49D: Composer Boccherini (Luigi).

That's probably when things started to flow. When all was said and done, I loved all of the stacks. In the northwest, 1A: Second African-American in the Baseball Hall of Fame (Campanella), 15A: Some planets may be seen with it (unaided eye)...I couldn't think of another way to phrase naked eye for the longest time, 17A: Simon Legree (taskmaster). In the southeast, along with family name, 59A: Lexicographic enlighteners (usage notes) and 61A: It's no longer working (retirement)...clever clue.

Favorites in the down stacks:

2D: Cheaters, to teachers (anagram). I can't believe I didn't see this. I love anagrams, but I was trying to think what a teacher would think of a cheater...something along the lines of lowlife.

8D: Option for DVD viewing (letter box format). I don't know if that's two or three words...not familiar with that option. I put in the DVD and press play. If someone has changed a setting and that won't work, I read a book instead.

13D: Silhouette (outline). I love the word silhouette...the combination of the letters is just the best.

36D: Conversation piece? (wire tap).

37D: Early screenwriter Bernstein (Isadore). This was another good guess that panned out, based on the few letters that I had in place.

40D: How some people die (testate). Remember this word...it's shown up in the puzzle several times lately. It means that you had a will. If you didn't, you died intestate.

41D: Durable athletes (ironmen). About fifteen years ago, our gym did an Ironman Triathlon...The Long Way. We had a month to do the biking, swimming and running. It was a good way to get the athletically-impaired members active...for those of us who concentrated on one area (running, in my case), it promoted cross-training.

47D: It's worth 8 points in Scrabble (J tile). My very favorite answer in the whole puzzle.

There was so much more that I won't get to cover, but I've got to get going on other things. Today's a busy day...appearing at 21D [When there are lots of errands to run, say].

Here's the grid...



...and I'll see you tomorrow.

Linda G

Friday, November 2 - Barry C. Silk

Barry Silk really knows how to stack things up....with three ten-letter stacks top and bottom and six seven-letter stacks left and right.

With only one exception, the words or phrases are smooth as Silk (I've always wanted to say that.)

Stacked horizontally at the top:

1A: He had a hit with "The Joint is Jumpin" (Fats Waller). Knew this one thanks to History of Popular Music...an easy A class that was also fun and informative.

15A: First #1 hit by the Beach Boys (I Get Around). We didn't cover the Beach Boys in that class, but I was a big fan of theirs.

17A: City of the Transcontinental Railroad (Reno, Nevada). I love when the answer includes city and state, although I typically struggle to figure it out. This was no exception.

And at the bottom:

55A: Block head? (auctioneer). Great clue, Charlie Brown.

58A: Committed a sports no-no (interfered). Even a novice like me knows that's not a good thing.

60A: Succulent African shrub popular as a bonsai (Desert Rose). Here's a picture of one...although not as a bonsai.

Stacked at upper left:

1D: Internet Explorer alternative (Firefox). That was one of the answers that just hung somewhere in my brain and wouldn't come out without a lot of coaxing.

2D: Facial feature, later in life (age line). I had age spot...although you'd rarely see just one of the damn things.

3D: Carpenter, at times (tenoner). This is the one. It's better than most -er words, though, because tenon is a much better word than, say, nail or saw.

Moving to the right...

12D: Big name in credit reports (Equifax). In case you didn't know, you can get a free credit report once a year from each of three companies (Equifax, TransUnion and Experian). Go to this site every four months, alternating the company you use. It's a good way to check and make sure no one's using your credit information.

13D: Greyhounds may run in it (bus lane). Raise your hand if you were trying to think of another word for the track in dog racing.

14D: Wilde things? (satires).

At bottom left:

35D: Fictional doctor (Zhivago). That one took me far too long to get.

36D: "This is no joke!" (I mean it)...a gimme for some reason. I think we've had it a few times.

37D: Letter writing, some say (lost art). I love it...the answer, not the fact that it's a lost art. Sad but true.

And, finally, the bottom right:

40D: Like some surgery (in utero). Probably gross to some, but a good answer. Truly, it's amazing what they're able to do before birth.

41D: Group that starred in the 1968 film "Head," with "the" (Monkees). Hey, hey...

42D: Match-starting cry (en garde). I know that's been in the puzzle before, but not recently.

Before calling it quits, there were a couple of other things that I really liked:

The connected answers beginning with 25A: With 52- and 39-Across, gradually (one / step / at a time).

The line consisting of 29A: They're not originals (Xeroxes) and 31A: Materials used as inert paint fillers (silexes). Three Xs in one line!

28A: One of a primer pair (Jane).

35A: Whole slew of (zillion).

7D: Hippie happenings (love-ins).

It's way past bedtime. Here's the grid...



...and I'll see you tomorrow.

Linda G

Saturday, October 13 - Barry Silk

A Saturday puzzle by Barry Silk with eight 10-letter answers, stacks of 8-letter answers in the northwest and the southeast, and some hot fill. Unless I'm missing something, he's one letter (X) short of a pangram, but that's a small price to pay for a puzzle this good.

The 10-letter answers:

1A: Classic sports lineup (T formation).

15A: Antipathy (repugnance).

17A: "I hear ya!" (Amen to that).

56A: Enterprise (initiative).

59A: Decision maker (determiner). Not the best answer in the puzzle, but the crossing entries more than make up for it.

61A: Big name in foot care (Odor Eaters).

11D: Some dance honorees (prom queens).

26D: 1959 #1 hit for Lloyd Price (Stagger Lee). I always loved the name, but I wouldn't have guessed it without some of the crosses in place.

Stacking up in the northwest:

1D: Dietary danger (trans fat). Stay away from that stuff...it'll clog your arteries.

2D: Like some charms (feminine).

3D: Range, e.g. (open area)...as in Home, home on the.

And in the southeast:

35D: It's found in eggs (Vitamin E). That's an answer I don't remember seeing in a puzzle, but I like it. A lot.

36D: Like some streams in winter (iced over). One of only a few gimmes in the puzzle.

37D: "Isn't anyone interested?" (no takers). That's one of my favorite answers. Just something about it that I like.

Repeated clues appear at 14D: Cold response? (sneeze) and at 28D (brr). Gives me the chills just thinking about it. [Update: Anonymous just pointed out an error in the grid. I have sleeve, rather than sneeze...making the ridiculous cross of quiv, rather than quiz.] Actually, it feels as though I might be coming down with something, and I have a long day ahead of me. Our annual fundraiser is tomorrow, so I'd better put that thought aside. But I'd also better put myself into bed...soon.

Quickly (and briefly), some of my favorite clues and/or answers:

16A: Not be fair? (rain). Had it but didn't quite get it.

23A: Fortune 500 company founded in 1995 (eBay). We've had that before, and I was happy to remember it.

28A: Birthplace of Evel Knievel and Martha Raye (Butte). I had the B but couldn't think of a five-letter name for the life of me. One of those places where I relied on crosses.

30A: "Follow the Fleet" co-star, 1936 (Astaire). One of these days, I'll learn all the movies he was in. This one was new to me.

34A: Winner of four Oscars for musical scores (Previn). A total guess.

42A: One-named singer with the 1960s Velvet Underground (Nico). We've had her before, but all I could remember was that her name was four letters. Not helpful.

49A: "I'll Be Doggone" singer, 1965 (Gaye). A gimme. I was into music at an early age.

12D: Cousin of goulash (ragout). I'd guess that the name of spaghetti sauce in jars (my grandmother would be horrified if I identified it) was a take-off on that. Both the clue and the answer are great words.

40D: Greet (say hi to). I won't call that a gimme...more like a good guess.

41D: Producer of some beads (sweater). Gross, but good.

43D: It can give people flight reservations (jetlag). Excellent cluing. It took a week, but I think I'm over mine.

45D: It's open for discussion (dialog). That spelling just looks wrong.

49D: "Life is Beautiful" hero (Guido)...just because I love the name.

It's getting close to midnight, and I don't see anything that inspires a Word of the Day.

Here's the grid...



...and I'll see you tomorrow. Maybe I'll revise this to add a WOTD.

Linda G

Friday, September 7 - Barry C. Silk

Barry Silk's Friday puzzle has it all...pop culture, sports, history, geography, math. It's a pangram that's chock full of Scrabbly letters and multiple word answers.

It's also one of the toughest Friday puzzles I've done.

If I had to pick a favorite feature in this puzzle, it would be the multiple Z words.

31A: Pro sports team that moved from New Orleans in 1979 (Utah Jazz), crossing with 21D: Approach to arithmetic that emphasizes underlying ideas rather than exact calculations (fuzzy math). That also crosses with 28A: Curl tightly (frizzle).

And that's not all...other Z crosses are at 7D: Authenticate, in a way (notarize) and 8D: Tiger's-eye, essentially (quartz).

Multiple word entries include 1A: Visits (stops in), 8A: French sentry's cry (qui vive), 15A: Enter quickly (hop into), and 17A: "Again..." (I repeat)...one of only a few gimmes in the entire grid. Also 2D: Not removed delicately (torn out), 3D: Porthole view (open sea) and 36D: "Go easy, please" (be gentle).

Something about seeing moneybags in the center of the grid (35A: Fat cat) was entertaining. Maybe I'm just getting punchy. Lack of sleep can do that to me.

Some of my favorite clues and answers:

40A: Concavo-convex lens (meniscus).

45A: If it's regular, eacha of its angles is 144 degrees (decagon).

47A: "Notorious" film studio (RKO). Also for "Citizen Kane."

50A: Grandparent, frequently (doter). That'll be me a year from now.

56A: Outerwear fabric (Gortex). I had a complete brain lapse on this one...until I got the X in place from 46D: Blarneyed (coaxed).

58A: Ding Dong alternative (Twinkie). Another gimme. Although I swear I have never eaten a Twinkie in my life. I think I may have had a bite once, but I couldn't eat the whole thing. A Ding Dong...maybe. That's chocolate, right? I'll eat almost anything chocolate.

60A: Umm al-Quwain, for one (Emirate). Several different clues appear for this answer, but it's getting easier to spot them.

Two consecutive gimmes in the northeast. 13D: 1974 Best Actress nominee Perrine (Valerie)...although I couldn't tell you what she was in...and 14D: Champs __ (Élysées).

1D: Type of massage (Shiatsu). That's a type of finger pressure massage...not what I get, but I was familiar with the word.

Once I had the J from Utah Jazz (yep...a sports clue and I got it), it was easy to guess 28D: Greenland's Scoresby Sound is the world's longest (fjord). I mean, how many words have J as the second letter? Please don't count them and tell me...that wasn't really a question.

Because I'm geographically impaired, I wouldn't know 42D: Locale of the Carpathian Mountains, in part. Fortunately, I had the K (from RKO), and it was so very easy to (correctly) guess Ukraine.

It's been a long week, and I'm looking forward to the weekend. We'll be nailing down the reception site and the caterer on Saturday. It's hard to believe that that needs to be done almost a year in advance, but several places are booked for all of 2008.

Two weeks from tomorrow we'll be Hawaii bound. Guest bloggers are in place to keep the Madness going, although I could still use someone for the two Tuesdays (September 25 and October 2). It's easy and it's fun. Let me know via the comments section if you're interested in either or both of those dates.

Here's the grid...



...and I'll see you tomorrow.

Linda G

Friday, July 20 - Barry C. Silk

It's been awhile (42D: For some time) since I struggled this much with a puzzle...but it is Friday.

By the way, the completed grid will appear at the bottom of the post. At least one reader preferred to have just a few hints, rather than being bombarded with the completed grid. I used to just try to squint so that I didn't see the whole thing, but that tends to be difficult. Bottom line...I think Andy had a good point, and I'm happy to oblige (3D: Require).

I ended up with about 3/4 of the puzzle finished, but the lower left quadrant was looking pretty blank. For several reasons.

When I (finally!) realized that 38A: Minor leader? was Ursa, rather than Asia, I was able to guess 31D: Black-and-white (squad car). I then entered a U as the second letter of 36A...who wouldn't have? I was pretty sure that 32D: Spent from all the conflict was war weary, but that meant the U was wrong. I Googled to confirm 50A: 200 milligrams (carat), which helped that corner finally come together. It became obvious that 56A: Name on a truck was Ryder, not Tonka.

So...back to 36A, clued as Period to find out more. The answer was Q and A, but when you're reading it as Qanda, it makes zero sense. And it didn't make sense until I was starting to blog.

There was so much to love in this puzzle. It has everything a great Friday themeless puzzle should have...stacks of 8- and 9-letter answers, vertically and horizontally.

First, the upper left horizontal stacks:

1A: Positive (above zero). Good one.

15A: Like some fruit bats and petrels (tubenosed). Petrels are about the silliest looking creatures I've ever seen. Take a look for yourself.

17A: Whine (bellyache). I love it. That was a word my father used when I was growing up...now it makes me smile.

In the upper right quadrant, I got tripped up by 12D: Cousin of a hyena (aardwolf). I have never heard that word in my life. 13D: Be what you're not (live a lie) was good, but I absolutely loved 14D: Be a night watchman? (star gaze). That was a gimme only because I had 30A: Start of a Spanish Christmas greeting (Feliz).

The only thing left to say about the dreaded lower left quadrant is that I could really relate to war weary. Life with two teenaged girls has left me bloody and beaten, and our nest wasn't empty nearly long enough...one of them is coming back. Don't know what she's thinking, but Don and I are certain it's very temporary!

And I saved the best for last. The horizontals in the bottom right corner are:

51A: Popular reference work (Wikipedia). I reference it almost every day in this blog, but I've never once seen the home page.

55A: "Shoot!" (darn it all)...a more mild expression than I would typically use.

57A: Loser in a casino (snake eyes). One of the best answers in the puzzle.

And my very first gimme in the puzzle appeared in that very corner. 46D: __ Waitz, nine-time New York City Marathon winner (Grete). I was big into running when she first came on the scene, and I was pretty impressed with what she could do. Not that I ever came close.

The award for the most clever clue goes to 23A: Top of a stadium (jersey). I was thinking of words for the apex of the stadium...not the tops that the players would wear.

We just had Opie yesterday, and it appears again today at 49D, clued as Artist John, known as the Cornish Wonder. Yesterday, several of you were baffled by efs (affluent duo?). I hope you didn't fall for today's similar clue/answer. 28D: Couple of pizzas? (zees).

I didn't know 40D: What ochlophobists fear (crowds), but it was easy to guess when I had most of the letters in place.

I don't get 30D: Work unit: Abbr. (FTLB). Full time...what's the rest? [Just read at Diary of a Crossword Fiend...it stands for foot-pound, just like it looks. Have never heard of it.]

That's it for tonight. See you tomorrow.

Linda G

Tuesday, June 5 - Barry C. Silk

The long ride home from Denver must have taken a toll on me. I struggled through Barry Silk's Tuesday puzzle, although I did manage to finish.

The theme was revealed at 38A: 1964 #1 hit by the Shangri-Las...or this puzzle's theme (Leader of the Pack). I sang along with it, but it was never a favorite of mine. The theme answers, all clued as "38-Across, in a sense," are:

18A: Ace of Spades.

28A: Alpha Male. My personal favorite. We have two male dogs. When they get territorial, we remind them that Don is the alpha male, not either of them.

45A: Den Mother.

59A: Marlboro Man. My least favorite...my mother and too many friends died as a result of smoking. I remember the Marlboro ads well--they were intended to make filtered cigarettes seem less feminine. Apparently nothing said MAN like a cowboy. Two of the men who depicted him died of lung cancer. You can read more about it here. Of special interest...The Marlboro Man was listed on USA Today's list of Imaginary Luminaries: the 101 most influential people who never lived.

Leader of the Pack and Marlboro Man weren't the only answers from the sixties. Others were:

14A: Actor Gulager (Clu). I had a major crush on him. I think he played on The Virginian.

57A: "Uncle" of old TV (Miltie). That's Milton Berle, for those who don't know him.

5D: One-named singer for the 1960s Velvet Underground (Nico). Did not know this, but got it from the crosses.

10D: "Little" '60s singer (Eva).

55D: Guthrie who sang about Alice (Arlo).

58D: "Mockingbird" singer Foxx, 1963 (Inez).

I guess I could also include 2D: Friend since high school, say (old pal), since that was also in the sixties.

That's quite a blast from the past.

I'm finally wise to the time clues--they used to throw me, but not any more. 9A: Morning hour (ten am).

If 24A: Secular (laic) isn't in the Pantheon, it should be. It's been in several puzzles in the last couple of months. Other words making a reappearance include:

35A: Verdi aria (Eri tu)

52A: Five-star (A-one)

65A: Being of service (utile)

69A: Tibetan beast (yak)

29D: War god on Olympus (Ares)

37D: Prefix with space (aero)

There were probably an equal number of words that I don't recall ever having seen in a puzzle.

16A: Throat dangler (uvula). That has to be one of the funniest looking words.

42A: Excite (arouse). This is when I realized how tired I was. I had everything except the O and couldn't see the word. It didn't help that I completely spaced on 40D: Gmail alternative (AOL).

43A: Italian flowers (fiori). Conversely, it looks and sounds beautiful.

Was happy to see 11D: Hosiery shade (nude), only because that clue is typically used for ecru. I have never even seen ecru hose and would never wear them, although I would never wear nude hose either. Gimme a little color.

The English-major-shoulda-been in me liked seeing 36D: Often-misused pronoun (whom). I also liked 54D: Categorical imperative philosopher (Kant). I remember very little from Philosophy, which I foolishly took as an honors class, but I remember Kant. I hope you're reading this, Dr. Matchett.

The cortisone shot is beginning to do its magic. I have more movement in my left arm than I've had in six months. I'll start physical therapy next Monday. I hope that one shot will do it and that I can avoid surgery, but only time will tell.

It's time to think about getting ready for bed. Tomorrow...

Linda G