Sunday November 8, 2009 James Sajdak

Theme: What's Yours? - Profession-appropriate mixed drinks.

25A. The barber ordered a __: VODKA TONIC. Made with vodka + tonic water. A barber might use hair tonic.

27A. The heating contractor ordered a __: BOILERMAKER. Beer + whiskey/tequila/vodka. A heating contractor might make or repair a boiler.

40A. The farmer ordered a __: PLANTERS PUNCH. Dark rum + orange juice + pineapple + something else. Farmers are planters.

60A. The popcorn producer ordered a __: HOT BUTTERED RUM. Light rum + sugar + butter + cloves. Popcorn producer needs butter to flavor up the popcorn.

84A. The orthopedist ordered a __: SINGAPORE SLING. Gin + Cherry-flavored liqueur +Dom Bénédictine+pineapple juice. An orthopedist may prescribe a sling for the patient.

102A. The high roller ordered a __: SEVEN AND SEVEN. Seagram's 7 whiskey + 7-up. What's the high roller and Seven and Seven connection?

119A. The handyman ordered a __: SCREW DRIVER. Vodka + orange juice. Screwdriver is a tool for the handyman.

123A. The citrus grower ordered a __: FUZZY NAVEL. Peach schnapps + orange juice. Citrus grower grows navel oranges.

Clever theme, unfortunately it does not resonate with me. Several of the above cocktails were complete unknowns to me. I imagine Argyle & Lois having fun tackling this intoxicating grid.

I love Long Island Iced Tea, what about you? Singapore Sling is a very popular cocktail in Asia too.

As the norm with a Sunday puzzle, quite a few clever and entertaining clues.

Across:

1. Ride without pedaling: COAST

10. Crosswind direction, at sea: ABEAM. Perpendicular to the keel.

15. Frost lines?: POEM. Robert Frost. And 115D. Pound of verse: EZRA.

19. Words before a car or wreck: RENT A. Not familiar with Rent-a-Wreck. What an awful name.

20. American-born Jordanian queen: NOOR. Queen Noor is very articulate.

22. It surrounds Città del Vaticano: ROMA. Città del Vaticano = Vatican City in Italian.

23. Chip producer: INTEL. Not your potato chips.

24. "Don't have __, man!": A COW

30. Whistling zebra?: REF. Vivid misleading clue.

31. Divisions politiques: ETATS. The French political divisions.

32. Maker of durable watches: CASIO

33. Title apiarist in a 1997 film: ULEE. "Ulee's Gold", starring Peter Fonda.

35. "I'm treating": ON ME. Thanks.

37. Band for a tea ceremony?: OBI. Kimono band. Nice clue.

39. Hoop site: EAR. Hoop earrings. I was thinking of basketball.

46. Sailor's sheet: ROPE. Not SAIL?

48. It helped Dr. Leary take some trips: LSD. Plenty in Woodstock.

51. Lower Manhattan district: SOHO

52. Monorail transports: TRAMS

54. Treaty gp. since 1948: OAS (Organization of American States).

57. Sheetful of cookies: BATCH. Wish I could have a chocolate chip cookie now.

59. Wine cask: TUN. And 2D. Winery prefix: OENO. As in oenophile.

65. Emulate Demosthenes: ORATE. I had no idea who Demosthenes (di-MOS-thuh-neez) was. A Greek orator.

67. 43,560 square feet: ONE ACRE. Oh, I don't really know the exact amount in an acre.

68. Early Yucatec: MAYA

69. Spirals: HELIXES. Had trouble obtaining this answer.

71. Some hi-fis: RCAS

72. Hit, biblically: SMITE. Past tense is smit.

74. "You're dreaming": AS IF

75. Emotional problems: HANG-UPS

78. Sinusitis specialists, briefly: ENTS. ENT = Ear, Nose, and Throat.

79. Baffin Bay floater: ICE FLOE. Does iceberg float?

83. "Tuesdays with Morrie" author: ALBOM (Mitch).

87. Driver's ID: LIC (License). And 101. Govt. -issued IDs.: SSNS

91. Naples-to-Venice. dir.: NNW. Clueless.

92. Native shelter: TEPEE. Native Indian.

93. Tiny farm dwellers: ANTS. Ant farm.

95. Obscene: FILTHY

98. Burning: LIT

106. __ cit.: in the place cited: LOC. Learned this footnote abbr. from doing Xword.

108. August hrs. in Augusta: EDT. Excellent clue.

109. TV ally of Hercules: XENA. Played by Lucy Lawless.

113. Drives the getaway car, say: ABETS

116. Rip off: ROB

126. Years, to Caesar: ANNI. Plural of anno.

127. Cherbourg ciao: ADIEU. I've never heard of Cherbourg, a seaport in NW France.

128. Regarding, in memos: IN RE

129. Whirpool subsidiary: AMANA. Our oven brand.

130. Demeanor: MIEN. Same root, mien and demeanor.

131. Scout's mission, briefly: RECON

133. Emerson's middle name: WALDO. Ralph Waldo Emerson.

134. Bunkhouse bud: PARD. Partner/friend. Did not know the meaning of bunkhouse, a rough building with bunk beds for those ranch hands.

135. Put up: ERECT

Down:

1. Bed that's hard to climb out of: CRIB. Another descriptive clue.

3. Look forward to: ANTICIPATE

4. Inscribed pillar: STELA. Also spelled as STELE.

5. "Honor Thy Father" author Gay: TALESE. See the book cover. I can only remember his wife's name (NAN), from "A Little Million Pieces" scandal.

6. Inflames with passion: ENAMORS

7. Andean stimulant: COCA. Chewed stimulant.

8. Connection: HOOK-UP

9. Creator of the pigs Old Major and Napoleon: ORWELL (George). From his "Animal Farm". I was ignorant of those pigs.

10. Off-rd. transport: ATV (All-Terrain Vehicle)

11. Philistine: BOOR

12. Earth, to Kepler: ERDE. German for "earth". Kepler was a German astronomer.

13. Invite trouble: ASK FOR IT

14. Extinct kiwi cousin: MOA. Had no idea that moa is related to kiwi.

15. Mythological shapeshifter: PROTEUS (PROH-tee-uhs). The Greek sea god who could change his shape at will. Total stranger to me.

16. O'Neil's daughter: OONA. Chaplin's wife.

17. Radiate: EMIT

18. British raincoats: MACS

26. Help for a while: TEMP. Tricky noun "help".

28. Omani money: RIAL. The Saudi Arabia money is riyal.

29. Keister: REAR

34. Brian of Roxy Music: ENO

36. Fraction of a min.: NSECT (Nanosecond). Wish the word "tiny" were added in front of "fraction".

37. Gardener's brand: ORTHO

38. Element used in a glass production: BORON. No idea. It's element #5.

41. Fragrance by Dana: TABU. "The forbidden fragrance".

42. Cheese burg.: EDAM. The cheese is named after the Dutch town Edam where it originated. Neat play on cheeseburger.

43. Benefit at a swap meet: NO TAX. Swap meet is the same as flea market, isn't it?

44. Laundry conveyor: CHUTE

45. Perfects: HONES

47. No-trade policy: EMBARGO

49. Faline in "Bambi,", e.g.: DOE. Faline is Bambi's wife.

53. Yield: SUCCUMB. I liked this fill.

55. Prepares for battle: ARMS

56. Gobs: SEAMEN. Gob is a slang for sailor. I was picturing a large amount of something.

58. Most saintly: HOLIEST

61. Use a ruse on: TRAP

62. Hardy heroine: TESS. "Tess of the D'Urbervilles".

64. Caning need: RATTAN. Misread the clue as "Canning need" and penned in BOTTLE.

66. Mixes, as cards: RIFFLES. Could only think of shuffle.

69. "Good Morning Starshine" musical: HAIR. Here is a clip.

70. Suffix with opal: ESCE. Opalesce.

75. "Papa Bear" of football: HALAS (George). Have faintly heard of this guy. "Brian's Song" is probably the most famous Chicago Bears related movie.

76. Flared dress: A-LINE

77. "SNL" network: NBC TV

80. Words without deeds: LIPS

81. Without a letup: ON END. It's back.

82. Spew out: EGEST. Opposite of ingest.

84. Last word at Sotheby's?: SOLD. Nice clue too.

85. QB's errors: INTS (Interceptions)

86. "The House at Pooh Corner" bird: OWL. Guessed.

89. Distant: AFAR

90. Movie technique using three projectors: CINERAMA

94. Bubbly beverage: SELTZER

96. Evil eye: HEX. My friend Roberto used to wear a deep blue evil eye pendant. He worked in Turkey for a few years.

97. First name in design: YVES. Yves Saint Laurent (YSL)

99. It "blows no good": ILL WIND. I liked this clue too.

100. Fly catcher: TOAD. Frog too.

103. Too interested: NOSY

104. Set up tents: ENCAMP

105. Lewis land by the River Shribble: NARNIA. Most of C. S. Lewis novels were set in Narnia, correct?

107. Arrow poison: CURARE (kyoo-RAHR-ee). New word to me.

112. Where to get down: EIDER. Eiderdown. Got the answer immediately, but I was not fond of word "where".

113. Throw a __: lose it: A FIT

114. Spots for burgers: BUNS. Wrote down BARS first. Some bars do serve burgers.

117. Place for a race: OVAL. Oval is a noun?

118. Compromise: BEND

120. Nuke-testing depts.: ENER (Energy). I could hear the whining.

121. Fed. anti-discrimination org.: EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission). Was more familiar with EEO or EOE.

122. Pipsqueak: RUNT

124. Dogpatch denial: NAW. Hillbilly talk again.

128. Thai language: LAO. Spoken in northeast of Thailand.

Answer grid.

C.C.

Saturday November 7, 2009 Bob Peoples

Theme: None

Total blocks: 30

Total words: 70

This grid does not look intimidating, does it? Only a bunch of triple-stacked 7's in each corner. Across & Down. But what a hard struggle for me!

Rich Norris certainly ratcheted up the cluing difficulty (ONO is a good example). Even if he did not, I doubt I would have solved this puzzle without cheating. Several of the adjacent entries are just plain unknown to me.

Across:

1. Treat for tired dogs?: FOOT RUB. Dogs here refer to feet. Wanted MASSAGE. Lots of foot massage parlors in Guangzhou.

8. Snake oil, so it's said: PANACEA. Not seen as such in China. Snake oil is just used to treat join pain.

15. Bridge bid, briefly: THREE NO. Someone please explain this term to me.

16. Fauna: ANIMALS. Flora would be PLANTS.

17. Old Meccan governors: SHARIFS. Literally "exalted" in Arabic. Maybe Omar Sharif knows. I've got no idea.

18. Swift specialties: SATIRES. Jonathan Swift.

20. "Real breakfast 24/7" restaurant chain: DENNY'S. Not familiar with the tagline at all.

22. Ventura County's __ Valley: SIMI. Home to the Regan Library. Another California reference is ANAS (9D. Santa __: West Coast winds). The hot winds.

23. Actress Swenson: INGA. Of "Benson" fame.

25. God of Spain: DIOS. The singular DIO is Italian/German for God. DIEU for the French.

27. Head lock: TRESS

31. City on the Rhine: BONN. Former capital of West Germany.

32. Shrub with clusters of blue flowers: HYSSOP. Of the mint family. New name to me.

34. Betrayals: SELLOUTS. So easy in retrospect.

36. Hotel amenity for business travelers: IN-ROOM FAX. You'd think it's IN-ROOM internet access/WiFi.

38. Delete: CROSS OFF. And REDLINE (39D. Deletion indicator).

41. Tiny white ovum: ANT EGG. Stumper. Those eggs look awfully big.

45. Musical set in Manhattan's East Village: RENT

46. Armstrong singing style: SCAT. Ella Fitzgerald singing style too.

48. Iberian river: DOURO (DOH-roo). No idea. See this map. It flows from N Spain through N Portugal to the Atlantic.

49. Stock suffix: ADE. Stockade.

50. Agcy. that conducts workplace inspections: OSHA. Belongs to the Dept. of Labor.

52. Noilly __: vermouth brand: PRAT. Completely unknown to me. Does anyone know the name origin? Why PRAT, Argyle?

57. Artist who funded Manhattan's Strawberry Fields memorial: ONO. Another unknown trivia.

58. Reminder file: TICKLER. Have never heard of tickler file.

60. Ale seller: BREWPUB. It's a bar serving beer brewed at a small microbrewery on the premises. Probably a gimme for Embien.

63. Ventilation source: AIR HOLE

64. Can't stand: DESPISE

65. Did over on a Selectric, say: RETYPED. Who the heck is still using Selectric?

Down:

1. Ark. city that began as a military post: FT SMITH. Uh-uh, nope. It's the second-largest city in Ark.

2. Candy bar with an exclamation point in its name: OH HENRY! I've yet to try this brand. Love Snickers.

3. Fruits used in making Grand Marnier: ORANGES. Another stumper. The Grand Marnier made from a blend of true cognacs and distilled essence of bitter orange.

4. Three times, in Rx's: TER

5. Senate Majority Leader Harry: REID. From Nevada.

6. Ravenous, probably: UNFED. Reminds me of "The Pianist".

7. Sarajevo's region: BOSNIA. Sarajevo is the capital of Bosnia.

8. Lineup announcement medium, briefly: PA SYSTEM. Was thinking of police line-up.

10. Trivial point: NIT. Trivial point to pick.

11. "The Rachel Papers" novelist Martin: AMIS. Son of Kingsley Amis.

12. Arctic deer: CARIBOU. Reindeer too.

13. Nitrogen or oxygen: ELEMENT

14. Transfers, as legal rights: ASSIGNS

21. "I wouldn't do that just yet": NOT SO FAST. Placed at the very center of the grid.

24. Fielder's stat: ASSIST. Basketball/hockey stat too.

28. Boys, to men: SONS. Would be an OK clue if not for MEN (19A. Gents)

30. Italian sports car, briefly: : ALFA. Alfa Romeo.

31. Old-fashioned proof of purchase: BOX TOP

33. Aces: PROS. Both mean experts.

35. Crow's nest sighting: LAND. Again, not familiar with the nautical term crow's nest.

37. "For sure!": OF COURSE

38. Skillfully made: CRAFTED

40. Plays without intermissions: ONE-ACTS. "Plays" is a noun. I fell into the verb thinking trap.

42. Ace of Base genre: EURO POP. Have never heard of Swedish band Ace of Base.

43. Bit of grit: GRANULE

44. Retire, but not permanently: GO TO BED. "Not permanently" threw me off.

47. Legal profession: THE BAR. Wrote down THE LAW first.

51. Raptor's home: AERIE

54. Cincinnati sitcom station: WKRP. "WKRP in Cincinnati".

55. Tiger's pocketful: TEES. Tiger Woods.

56. Miró Foundation architect: SERT. Got the answer from Across fill.

59. Gift for an island visitor: LEIS. Hawaiian islands.

Answer grid.

C.C.