Sunday July 10, 2011 Julian Lim

Theme: 4 x 4 - Each theme entry consists of 4 words, each word consisting of 4 letters.

23A. "We'll find out in due course" : ONLY TIME WILL TELL. This and its symmetrical partner are my favorite pair.

39A. Hotel ad phrase : HOME AWAY FROM HOME

53A. "Stay alert!" : KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN

72A. Act rashly : LEAD WITH ONE'S CHIN

88A. Cry to players in hiding : OLLY OLLY OXEN FREE

106A. Often skeptical words of encouragement : GOOD LUCK WITH THAT. Just excellent.

Again, very long answers, hence only 6 theme entries. It'd be awesome if every word in the theme entries has one syllable. Might be an impossible task. Already tough job for the constructor to ferret out the ones we have today.

Several great long non-theme Down entries:

4D. Swimming and diving, e.g. : OLYMPIC SPORTS. Very seldom do we see a 13-letter non-theme fill.

16D. Petrify : TURN TO STONE. 11s are rare too.

57D. Like hobnobbers : WELL-CONNECTED

63D. It was once described as an "odious column of bolted metal" : EIFFEL TOWER. Lovely.

Also several fill for Dennis:

60A. Brilliant bunch : MENSA. He's the cleverest Dummy I know of.

68A. Japanese canine : AKITA. He owned one.

41D. Watch for the wealthy : ROLEX. He's wearing one.

All in all, a solid grid. Quite a few names, but none obscure.

Across:

1. '50s pin curls style, e.g. : UPDO

5. Sean Combs, on stage : P. DIDDY. So flashy.

11. Things of beauty : GEMs

15. Ratatouille, e.g. : STEW

19. Stick-up stash : HAUL

20. Mumbai garments : SAREES. Or SARIS.

21. Stratford's river : AVON

22. "Reason is ... the slave of the passions" writer : HUME (David). Not familiar with this line.

26. Idle in show biz : ERIC. Eric Idle.

27. 2002 hit for Cam'ron : HEY MA. Well, Avg Joe might know this song. I've got no idea.

28. "Junebug" Oscar nominee Adams : AMY. She is very talented. Pretty too.

29. "That __ fair!" : ISN'T

30. Divine food : MANNA. I wonder what it tastes that.

31. Ramble on : PRATE

33. Thumper's pal : BAMBI. Thumper is a rabbit.

35. Near the end : LATTER.

36. One who harnesses the power of midi-chlorians : JEDI. "Star Wars".

42. Throws out : EVICTS

44. Senate passings : BILLs

45. Fancy moldings : OGEEs.

46. Sunshine __: old detergent : RINSO

47. Bug : GERM

48. Letter-shaped track : T-SLOT. No idea. Carpenter term, Splynter/Jerome?

50. Big initials in comedy syndication : TBS

57. It may be spun : WOOL. Not TALE/YARN.

58. "What a klutz I am!" : OOPS

59. Ricoh competitor : XEROX

61. Applies, as effort : EXERTS

64. Dummkopf : HALF-WIT. Dummkopf is a new word to me. Dumm = Dumb. Koph = Head.

67. Grade of beef : SELECT

69. Cruise, for one : CELEB. Tom Cruise. And SEA (87D. Cruise milieu).

70. "The Baroque Cycle" sci-fi author Stephenson : NEAL. Stranger to me. Has anyone read the clued book?

71. Linesmen's co-workers : REFs

79. Disturbing bank letters : NSF. Disturbing indeed.

80. Far from mega- : MICRO

81. Crafted, as a tale : WOVE

82. French wine valley : LOIRE

83. Town in a Carlo Levi title : EBOLI. "Christ Stopped at Eboli" .

85. "Had __ and couldn't ..." : A WIFE

87. Subject involving subjects : SYNTAX. Oh, sentence.

93. Starling's home : NEST

94. Ragtag : MOTLEY

95. Author Blyton et al. : ENIDs

96. Airbus product : PLANE

98. Treat as taboo : AVOID

99. City near Anaheim : BREA. Spanish for "tar".

100. You might give him the business : SON. Clever clue.

101. Ghana's capital : ACCRA

105. Cut down : HEWN

110. Downwind : ALEE

111. Not loose : SNUG

112. "The Ministry of Fear" author : GREENE (Graham). Here is the book cover. I bet it's a gimme for Lemonade.

113. __ Indies : EAST

114. Some paparazzi gear, briefly : SLRs

115. Carry : TOTE

116. Sunshine cookie : HYDROX. Is it still on the market?

117. Time of reckoning : D-DAY

Down:

1. "Trouble's a-comin'!" : UH OH

2. Stained-glass piece : PANE

3. How some things are noted : DULY. Duly noted.

5. Penultimate Greek letter : PSI

6. 1980s-'90s New York senator : DAMATO (Alfonse)

7. Coming-back words : I REMEMBER. Oh, this coming-back.

8. Like a field at sunrise : DEWY

9. Opus __: "The Da Vinci Code" sect : DEI

10. Pricey handbag inits. : YSL

11. Carraway's Long Island neighbor, in classic fiction : GATSBY. The Great Gatsby.

12. Supposing : EVEN IF

13. Jump out of one's skin? : MOLT. Fun clue.

14. Show with '70s samurai sketches, briefly : SNL

15. Put away, as a dagger : SHEATHE

17. "Love the Way You Lie" rapper : EMINEM. Weird song name.

18. Words of support : WE CARE

24. Driveway option : TAR

25. Beans that are a good source of manganese : LIMAs. Boomer loves lima beans.

30. "Wag the Dog" co-screenwriter : MAMET (David). Drew a blank.

32. Wistful sounds : AHs

33. Mild : BALMY

34. Belt maker's tool : AWL

35. Start using Facebook, say : LOG ON

36. Weightlifting move : JERK

37. Songwriter Sands : EVIE. Stumped me last time.

38. Eat in style : DINE

40. Seamus Heaney's homeland : EIRE. Seamus Heaney won Nobel literature in 1995, a la Wiki.

43. Matrix automaker : TOYOTA

47. Grissom of NASA : GUS. And 89D. Apollo 13 astronaut : LOVELL (Jim)

48. Semicircular moldings : TORI. Plural of torus like this. Think donuts.

49. Concern for Lady Macbeth : SPOT

51. Pear from Europe : BOSC

52. Bedframe part : SLAT

54. Psy-__: military propaganda, etc. : OPs

55. Like Deep Throat : EX-FBI. I'm glad Deep Throat revealed himself in the end.

56. Work on seams : SEW

60. Pitifully small : MEASLY

61. Take home : EARN

62. Vintage Jags : XKEs

64. Get wind of : HEAR

65. Gucci of fashion : ALDO. Did names give you trouble today?

66. "Ben-Hur" author Wallace : LEW

67. Date : SEE

69. Director DeMille : CECIL

70. Richmond-to-D.C. dir. : NNE

72. Evangeline __, who played Kate on "Lost" : LILLY. Looks familiar.

73. Target Field team : TWINS. My poor Twins!

74. "The Tao of Pooh" author : HOFF (Benjamin). I forgot.

75. Prove too strong for : OVERPOWER

76. "Women and Love" author Shere : HITE

77. Income sources for some srs. : IRAs

78. Subsequent : NEXT

80. Acted bullish? : MOOED. You comment, Windhover!

84. Writing credits : BYLINEs

85. Like a saucer's symmetry : AXIAL

86. Tie the knot : WED

88. Nebraska tribe members : OMAHAS

90. Bad news from home? : YER OUT! My favorite clue today.

91. Skittish : ON EDGE

92. Monsoon-affecting phenomenon : EL NINO

97. "I'll pass" : NAH

99. U2's lead vocalist : BONO

100. RR station posting : SKED (Schedule)

102. Niger neighbor : CHAD

103. Tabula __ : RASA

104. Trial fig. : ATTY

106. Clock std. : GST. What does this mean? I wanted GMT.

107. "How icky!" : UGH

108. Break down : CRY

109. Where Odessa is: Abbr. : TEX. Not UKR.

Answer grid.

Happy Birthday to my Lao Shi Don "Hard G"!

C.C.

Saturday, June 25, 2011 Julian Lim

THEME: None

WORDS: 70

BLOCKS: 26

Wow, just a brutal second themeless offering from Mr. Lim, with some clues that were very vague, and others that I downright had to just wince at. Just the one grid spanner today,

36. "The sea was angry that day," e.g. : PATHETIC FALLACY

an "expanded" metaphor, so to speak, with what I thought was the original answer - PERSONIFICATION....and that was just the first of many mistakes :-((

ACROSS:

1. Bounce : DRIBBLE - Ugh, Basketball - I was on the Echo/Toss Out wavelength...

8. Site of the largest WWII Allied Pacific amphibious assault : OKINAWA - IWO JIMA fit, too

15. Pigment used in some primer paints : RED LEAD - Did not know this

16. Worldly : SECULAR - I was on the "global" wavelength

17. Glowing, perhaps : PLEASED - started with RADIANT

18. "You're in charge!" : SEE TO IT

19. Courage : HEART

20. Fightin' with : AGIN' - Against, in "drawl-speak"

22. Exobiologist's org. : SETI - Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence - shoulda got this from the "Exo-" part, but I was thinking bugs...

23. Covering an outfield position : IN LEFT - good baseball answer, I had center at first

25. Byzantine emperor known as "the Armenian" : LEO V - here's his Wiki

27. Some hosps. : VAs - Veteran's Affairs Hospitals

28. Mil. officers : LTs - Lieutenants

29. Demolish, in Durham : RASE - the Anglo version of RAZE

31. Most recently introduced : NEWEST

33. Summons : TICKET - Argh~! I started with this, and took it out

35. One putting on shows : AIRER - Meh, but yeah

40. Hatch of Utah : ORRIN - knew it wasn't Estes, but I couldn't think of him at first

41. Neil Diamond title words after "I am the tune" : PLAY ME - I'll leave the links to you

42. One may be packed with Oreos, briefly : PB AND J - a Peanut Butter and Jelly sa'mich - really~!?  Are there any of us out there that put Oreos in there too~?  Yecht - I'll keep mine for dessert....

44. Uma's role in "The Producers" : ULLA - Uma, Ulla, Uma, Ulla

45. Label for Nilsson : RCA - WAGed EMI, MCI, but ultimately, did not know this guy

48. Yom __: holiday, in Hebrew : TOV

49. Kosovo resident : SERB

51. Hawks' contacts, perhaps : ARMERS - Ugh, as in those who supply arms to militant types, also known as "hawks"

53. Uncultivated, probably : ARID - well, not necessarily, but what can I say....

55. Banter : JEST - I don't see the synonym here - Banter is light talk, Jest is to joke, for me.

57. Does a word-processing task : SAVES - EDITS, DELES, STETS, TYPES, nope - what every application file needs - to be saved; not limited to word-processing....

58. Reacts in fear, in a way : REARS UP

60. Like some soap : ON A ROPE - Cute GAG GIFT ( last week ), and a necessity in prison, I would think....

62. "Eugene Onegin" heroine __ Larina : TATIANA

63. NBAer orig. from Minnesota : L.A. LAKER - great, more basketball - getting to be like French around here - when is MY puzzle going to show up with all the hockey in it?

64. Made red-faced? : SLAPPED - this was a good one - had ANGERED to start, knew I was not quite right with the "?"

65. Evidence provider : DNA TEST

DOWN:

1. "Family First" author, familiarly : DR. PHIL - a phony, if you ask me

2. Give in : RELENT

3. Epitomes : IDEALS

4. Play up to the max? : BLARE - is this true, JzB~?

5. Some buds : BEST FRIENDS - got stuck on a "plant-like" wavelength with 'buds'

6. Papua New Guinea port : LAE - Map, in the middle

7. Snorri Sturluson's "Prose __" : EDDA - the Wiki

8. Walter's "I'm Not Rappaport" co-star : OSSIE - not familiar with this

9. Really into : KEEN ON

10. Plans may be put on it : ICE

11. More than just touched : NUTS

12. Herbal medicine plant : ALOE VERA - the whole name

13. "Not so fast!" : WAIT A SECond

14. Craft : ARTISTRY - Nice clue/answer for a Saturday

21. Competitors in a Fox comedy-drama : GLEE CLUBS - the EE gave it to me

24. Bumpkin's lack : TACT

26. Trattoria offering : VEAL MARSALA - had VEAL_, couldn't recall the second half - I have had Chicken Marsala, which I believe is wine & mushroom sauce - I am not the chef here, but I do "use pot"....

30. Problem with an old record : SKIP - "...like a rhinestone...like a rhinestone...like a rhinestone..." my 45 had a SKIP right there

32. Bit of cunning : WILE

33. Like a poor argument : THIN - WEAK, TAME, nope

34. Maker of nonstick cookware : T-FAL

36. Toaster brand : POP-TARTS - ugh - tried too hard to make Oster fit, etc.

37. Like kinkajous : ARBOREAL - Here's a pic

38. "Fallen woman," in an opera title : - La TRAVIATA, by "Joe Green" (Victor Borge)

39. "The Clan of the Cave Bear" protagonist : AYLA

43. Not exciting : JEJUNE - that's French~!

45. Take away : REVOKE

46. Brunch fare : CREPES - had MIMOSA and OMELET to start - fare is one of those single/plural words, like fish

47. Maintain : ASSERT

50. Fix, as brakes : RE-PAD - I have had many a chance to fix brakes, but never said "RE-PAD"

52. Corday victim : MARAT - French revolution, she slayed him in the bath

54. Cone eater's concern : DRIP

56. Let in on : TOLD - TELL and TALK did not work

59. Enervate : SAP

61. Turkic flatbread : NAN

Answer grid.

Splynter, going back to bed to heal the brain damage....

Friday May 27, 2011 Julian Lim

Theme: Put on another building block - Synonyms of "lid" are added to the top of each theme answer, verbally and visually, in order to create a new phrase. By having all the theme entries in the down section, the add-ons are literally above the words. We have had a few of these multi-level themes lately, let us see how Mr. Lim chose to attack our minds.

4D. Surpassing a classic arcade game?: TOPPING PONG. PING PONG morphs into PONG the introductory Atari game.

9D. Boxed pasta that's different every time you open it?: CAPRICE-A-RONI. The San Fransisco treat, RICE-A-RONI becomes a capricious pasta. This is my favorite, but then I never trusted those rice and pasta combos.

21D. Wheels for a spy?: COVERT MOBILE. T-Mobile. The cell phone company becomes a spy car.

27D. "Hush!" (and hint to how 4-, 9- and 21-Down are formed): PUT A LID ON IT.. LID being a synonym for TOP, CAP and COVER.

Well, Lemonade here to make some sense of this seemingly straight forward Friday, with a few zingers.

Across:

1. Brewery fixtures: OASTS. Okay, I just cannot ignore how often we get this brewing clue, and references like:

16A. Like some ale: PALE. Number 1 son is driving to meet me in Connecticut and touring breweries on his way.

6. Dramatist Connelly: MARC. Not familiar with this PLAYWRIGHT

10. One standing out in a field?: CZAR. Not a physical field, but an endeavor, like the drug czar.

14. Not see eye to eye?: STOOP. He stands tallest who kneels to help a child.

15. Specialty: AREA. My son's is Roman Archaeology.

17. Flaw-spotting aid: LOUPE. The jewelers glass, which is a type of magnifier.

18. Hard time: BUMPY RIDE. Dealing with Blogger these days has been one, at least for me.

20. Uncommissioned: ON SPEC. Houses, paintings, anything you create without being paid to do so, in the hope of selling when done.

22. Colt producer: MARE. I was thinking of the gun, but Julian was horsing around.

23. Officiate: REF. Did you watch the Heat? What finishes! Not to be confused with 13D. Snorkeling spots: REEFS, for which the Florida Keys are famous.

24. Immunity __:"Survivor" prop: IDOL. I have never watched this show, but have seen the idols from all the incessant plugging of the show.

26. Nursery needs: DIAPERS.

28. 14th-century European musical style: ARS NOVA. Literally NEW ART describing the polyphonic music of the 1300s, I will let our musical experts comment.

31. Neutral color: ECRU.

32. Dream analysis pioneer: JUNG. Carl, was Swiss and followed and built on Freud's theories.

33. One-tenth of a microjoule: ERG. Again, i defer to our engineers and scientists.

35. Need: ENTAIL. What will finishing the job require?

39. "Now!: ASAP. As Soon As Possible.

40. Mikhail's wife: RAISA. Mrs. Gorbachev, who became a world figure for women in politics.

42. Court fig.: ATTY. Okay, my shout out (and Hahtool, any more?)

43. Potential creditor's request: REPORT. The damn credit reports they hawk all of the time.

45. 1-Down's land: Abbr.: NOR. Norway, and 1D. Akershus Castle site: OSLO. You can read about this REGION .

46. Nut: LOON. An old fashioned word from the superstition that the moon made people act crazy, or is it real? Anyone who works in hospitals or law enforcement will tell you about full moons.

47. Identify: NAME.

49. You can't see beyond it: HORIZON. Well, that is why it is called the horizon, I like this clue.

51. Permanently: FOR GOOD. I always thought it was foolish to say, get out and stay out for good, when there was nothing good about it.

54. Without width or depth: ONE D. Dimensional, height, not my specialty

55. Organic dye: AZO. Very vivid colors, especially the yellows and oranges.

56. Very: Pref.: UBER. Kazie, our German teacher you want to take this one?

58. Solver's cry: I GOT IT. No, I am more the , "Whoopie!" type.

62. Community service often associated with a law school: TAX CLINIC. Really? I have never seen a law school do this and think it would be awful, we all just need Andy Dufresne.

65. Oafish: INEPT.

66. Port on its own lake: ERIE. An eerie coincidence?

67. "Prison Break" role: LINC. Lincoln Burrows, (played by Dominic Purcell), was falsely accused of murder.

68. Young girl: MISSY. If you want to irritate the female staff in your office, just use this word, not that I would ever do that.

69. __-Ball: SKEE. I wonder why it is not called get the ball in the hole?

70. Med. tests using leads:ECGS. Electro Cardio Grams, which are more often called EKGs now.

71. Lucy's neighbor: ETHEL. Mrs Mertz, played by Vivian Vance.

Down:

okay we are motoring now.

2. Oceans: A TON. I guess just meaning a lot of something.

3. __-chef: SOUS. Okay, back to French lessons, this means UNDER, which is what a sous chef is, acting under the head chef. SUR in over and SOUS under.

5. Phelps sponsor: SPEEDO. Michael, our record breaking Olympic swimmer and random toker.

6. Shelley queen: MAB. Percy Bysse wrote this POEM, MAB also is in Romeo and Juliet, by Shakespeare.

7. Jack-in-the-pulpit family: ARUM. Are you all familiar with this PLANT

8. Like "Psycho": REMADE. This was a really bad remake of a great movie.

10. Pressing activity?: CPR. Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, the pushing on the chest to restart a heart.

11. Congo, once: ZAIRE. One of the many new names in Africa.

12. Electric guitar wood: ALDER. A good light WOOD .

19. Hanker: YEARN. Makes me thing of the mountain Williams hankering for their cousins.

25. Croft of video games: LARA. The Tomb Raider played by MRS> PITT.

28. Allowing a little light: AJAR.

29. Scheme: RUSE. A deception.

30. Go ape: SNAP. One more hour watching the kids and I would...

34. Singapore Sling ingredient: GIN. Well, there are as many recipes as there are people in Singapore, but hey all include GIN . it was also my first public drink at the Trailways bus station bar in Albany when I was 16.

36. Complete: A TO Z. A familiar letter combo to deceive.

37. "__, Sing America": Hughes poem: I TOO. A very powerful poem by Langston Hughes to remind white America that the blacks were part of our country as well.

38. NFL Hall of Famer-turned-politician Swann: LYNN. A wonderfully graceful wide receiver, who has difficulty articulating words but is very popular, like Hines, Dancing with the Stars Ward.

41. Trendy London district: SOHO. The name is unrelated to the SOHO in NYC, as here is no Houston Street in London in this reformed red light district.

44. "High Sierra" director Walsh: RAOUL. This DIRECTOR had the pleasure of a great John Huston script and Humphrey Bogart at his best.

48. Unspoiled: EDENIC. Of or relating to the Garden of Eden

50. Dieting and exercise, say: REGIME. From the King's rules.

51. "Thread of life" goddesses: FATES. CLOTHO is the spinner who spins the threads.

52. Arkansas city: OZARK. The name comes from the French AUX ARC, reflecting the bend in the river.

53. Client of Billy in "Chicago": ROXIE. Poor murderous RENEE in the movie.

57. Encircle: RING.

59. Radio host John: TESH. Piano playing, singer, song writer and host.

60. __ dixit: IPSE. The law Latin of the day, Literally he said it, something you are asked to take as true without proof.

61. IM sign-off: TTYL. Talk To You Later, I am a Tigger TTFN guy.

63. Company opening?: CEE. The letter which begins the word.

64. Keeps apprised, briefly: CCS. Carbon copies, from the days such were how you made and sent copies.

Answer grid.

Well there it is, I though it was overall an easy Friday, but some fun; be careful over the holiday and see you all later.

Lemonade