Theme: A Royal Monday - I'll forgo the pictures because some don't like that first one.
17A. Vietnam War chopper : COBRA HELICOPTER. King Cobra
24A. Supernova named for its apparent resemblance to a crustacean : CRAB NEBULA. King Crab
40A. Publisher with an Antarctic bird logo : PENGUIN CLASSICS. King Penguin
50A. Shade similar to coral : SALMON PINK. King Salmon
60A. Lion, and a hint to critters that begin 17-, 24-, 40- and 50-Across : KING OF THE BEASTS
Argyle here. A lot of themeage for a Monday; three grid spanners, wow! Plus, it appears to be a debut for Roger Wienberg.
Across:
1. Address for a Southern belle : MA'AM
5. California wine county : NAPA
9. Chip-in at a doc's office : CO-PAY
14. __ mater : ALMA
15. Preschool basics : ABCs
16. Where to hear high C's : OPERA
20. Measuring stick : RULER
21. Sigh of delight : "AAH!"
22. Atlanta-based news channel : CNN
23. Reverent poem : ODE
29. Caesar's "vidi" : "I SAW". (veni, vidi, vici/I came, I saw, I conquered)
30. Pierre's "Done!" : "FINI!"
31. "Scram, cat!" : "SCAT!". I said, "It can't be SCAT" and yet....
34. Bounty alternative : VIVA. Paper towels.
37. Knife hyped on infomercials : GINSU. No Z.
43. Arrive by corporate jet : FLY IN
44. Sandstorm residue : GRIT
45. Eight, en español : OCHO
46. Pharmaceutical product : DRUG
48. Blessing : BOON
53. "Then what happened?" : "AND?
56. Cunning : SLY
57. Fleur-de-__ : LIS
58. Magazine copy : ISSUE
65. "Too rich for my blood" : "I'M OUT!". Poker, when the bet is too high.
66. Ecstatic review : RAVE
67. Dispense, with "out" : METE
68. Pond critters : NEWTs. The juvenile is called an eft. Both are crossword staples.
69. Was in debt : OWED
70. River of Hades : STYX
Down:
1. Close-up lens : MACRO
2. Not whispered : ALOUD
3. Walk leisurely : AMBLE
4. Mature filly : MARE
5. "Not for me" : "NAH"
6. President in a stovepipe hat, familiarly : ABE
7. Techie training site : PC LAB
8. Himalayan, e.g. : ASIAN
9. Murmur lovingly : COO
10. Like across and down: Abbr. : OPP. (opposite)
11. Place for animal vaccinations : PET CLINIC
12. Competition setting : ARENA
13. Entertaining story : YARN
18. Parts of circles : ARCs
19. "Hell's Kitchen" contestant : CHEF
25. Sitarist Shankar : RAVI
26. Bowling over : AWING
27. Major leagues, in baseball slang : BIGS
28. What singers sing in when they don't harmonize : UNISON
29. Trendsetting socialite : IT GIRL
31. Sunblock letters : SPF. (sun protection factor)
32. Cartoon frame : CEL
33. Words said with impatience : ANY DAY NOW
35. DVD predecessor : VCR
36. Suspect's need : ALIBI
38. Org. with .edu addresses : SCH. (school)
39. Support gp. for troops : USO. (United Service Organizations)
41. E pluribus __ : UNUM
42. Like __ of bricks : ATON
47. Game often involving a cart : GOLF
49. Dust Bowl refugee : OKIE
50. "Ghostbusters" goo : SLIME
51. The "N" in TNT : NITRO
52. "Fiddle-faddle!" : "PSHAW!"
53. Balance sheet item : ASSET
54. Off-the-wall : NUTTY
55. Spay or neuter : DESEX
56. Tattooist's surface : SKIN
59. Wal-Mart warehouse club : SAM'S
61. Belly : GUT
62. Extra-play qtrs. : OTs. (overtime)
63. Time for last-minute Christmas wrapping : EVE. Almost!
64. Stream bottom : BED
Argyle
Note from C.C.:
Today we celebrate the 70th birthday of our sweet Misty! On and off the blog, she's gentle and caring. "Gimme a break" for some unfair clues is the harshest thing she's ever said on this blog.
 |
| Misty and her husband Rowland |
Morning, all (and Happy Birthday, Misty)!
ReplyDeleteWell, I've always heard that the lion was the KING OF THE JUNGLE and not the KING OF THE BEASTS, and I've never heard of a KING SALMON before, but other than that this was a nice, smooth Monday solve.
A few other minor missteps along the way included trying to start 11D with VET instead of PET, and needing most of the perps to get ASIAN at 8D (I was actually thinking cats, believe it or not).
"It Girl" and "Salmon Pink" - Two unknowns. Needed perp help. Also not too big on "Desex"
ReplyDeleteGood Morning, Argyle and friends. This was a speed run for me. My only stall was being convinced that Vet Clinic was absolutely correct, hence, looked at COVAY for the longest time trying to figure out what "chip in" at the doctor's office was. Oh. PET not VET!
ReplyDeleteWhat do you call a Veterinarian who treats only one species? *
Nice to see the RULER, albeit not in the Royal sense!
I tried Shoo before SCAT.
I also considered Dole before METE.
Happy Birthday, Misty on your milestone birthday.
* A medical doctor.
QOD: The First Lady is an unpaid public servant elected by one person ~ her husband. ~ Lady Bird Johnson (née Claudia Alta Taylor, Dec. 22, 1912 ~ July 11, 2007)
Good morning!
ReplyDeleteI liked the "chew" of this one. MACRO at 1d added to the chew. Nice for a Monday. Argyle, I also resisted SCAT until it became inevitable.
I liked all of the theme answers. AWING, not so much. And with GO__ in place I absolutely drew a blank for that game involving carts. Sorry, Husker.
Bill V. -- those on the receiving end are usually not "too big" on that procedure, either
Happy birthday, Misty! Hope you and Rowland do something special today.
Happy Birthday, Misty! and Congrats a day late, Lemonade!
ReplyDeletesmooth Monday solve - now off to see how many more people have gotten influenza over the weekend :( !
Happy 70th Birthday, Misty My first Sunset Toast is to you.
ReplyDeleteHAPPY FESTIVUS (for the rest of us) EVE!!!
I already decorated my Festivus Pole.
OK, my pet got vaccinated at the "PET Center" before it became a PET CLINIC ... otherwise this was an enjoyable speed-run.
Thank you! Roger and Jeff for a FUN Monday puzzle.
Nothing to drink in the grid, but I got that covered here at Villa Incognito.
Cheers!!!
Speaking of DESEXing, I've never liked it when people refer to spaying and neutering as "fixing" the cat or dog.
ReplyDeleteCruciverb not working for me today. Anyone else have that problem?
ReplyDeleteHello Puzzlers -
ReplyDeleteWhat Anon just said. Cruciverb is missing the puzzle file today. Rats.
Mornin' to all and congrats to Misty
ReplyDeleteMost Southern Belles are not ma'ams!
Enjoyed today's puzzle....it was a Fun Run!
ReplyDeleteHuray, we hack the L A Times croswerd.
Crucify the Cruciverb !@!
Take a that L A times, for carrying ads for The Interview, insulting to our grate leader.
Next New York Times. You next. Onward march.
Long live our Great Savior and Leader, (not ill) King Kong Jung. Our great leader is never ill.
Next we hack capitalist running dogs Christmas website.
Ho Ho Ho yourselves.
Good morning everyone.
ReplyDeleteWBS.
Hahtoolah, I loved your question about veterinarians. I never thought of it like that!!
Happy Birthday, Misty! I hope you and Rowland get to do something special today. I'll eat an extra Christmas cookie in your honor. ;-)
¸¸¸.•*¨*♫♥♫¸¸¸.•*¨*♫♥♫¸¸¸.•*¨*♫♥♫¸¸¸.•*¨*♫♥♫
Big shout-out to Jeff for helping me bring "Animal Kingdom" to fruition.
ReplyDeleteBrainstorming with him was fun.
Hoping you like the puzzle.
Good morning, folks. Thank you, Roger and Jeff for a fine puzzle. Thank you, Argyle, for a fine review.
ReplyDeleteYes, no Cruciverb today. So, I walked out to the curb in my socks and picked up the paper. Cold outside, especially the cement driveway.
Got started easily, then COPAY was slow in coming. Got it after a few downs. Makes sense. Usually, when I COPAY, I always get another bill later on. Oh well.
I tried IN GIRL, then IT GIRL became obvious. My only inkblot.
NEWTS agin. Allright!
I even got FINI. Finally, I have mastered french!
GINSU was with perps. I am not a big TV guy.
Happy Birthday, Misty, and many more!
My shingles is about over. Five weeks was long enough. Now I have no feeling on my skin where the shingles were. Kind of numb. Right leg.
See you tomorrow.
Abejo
( )
Good Morning:
ReplyDeleteThis was truly a fun puzzle. Knew there was an animal theme going on but the reveal tied it all together. Only miscue was shoo/scat. (That reminds me to thank Hatoolah for yesterday's QOD which I thought was funny but also wise.)
A very Happy Birthday to our dear Misty who is just as sweet and kind as CC mentioned. I hope your day is as special as you are.
Many thanks to Roger and Jeff for starting our week of puzzling with such an enjoyable offering. And thanks to Argyle for the spot on expo.
Have a great day.
RAW -- thanx for dropping by. Was this, indeed, your first published puzzle?
ReplyDeleteNKHA -- ROFL!
Good morning everyone.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday, Misty. Drei Mal Hoch!
Didn't see the 'king' connection before coming here. But I enjoyed the puzzle. Nice varied fill. Liked the long downs, too. No searches or erasures were needed in the solve..
LIS - Couple weeks ago we had LYS.
SwenglishMom - From yesterday's blog. Is Farmors in Gothenburg a kind of 'Mall of Sweden'?
Nice Monday puzzle and expo. Hand up for VET CLINIC, but COVAY nixed that one.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday, Misty! lovely photo of you ad your DH.
Greetings, friends! Thanks, Santa, for ushering in the week's puzzles. Shouldn't you be preparing for your big trip?
ReplyDeleteA very happy birthday to you, Misty!
Good thing this is quick and easy Monday because it's a busy one. I have not one, but two events on my calendar today.
I have a friend from Louisiana and she always addresses women, MA'AM. Yes, ma'am, no ma'am.
IT GIRL was slow in coming but SCAT gave it up and I enjoyed the misdirection of VIVA vs. Bounty. My CLINIC was a VET one for a while, too.
I missed you all yesterday but the whole day was surreal and luckily my illness lasted only one day, Saturday.
Now off to the races!
You all have a tremendously wonderful Monday!
Argyle’s summative paragraph works for me!
ReplyDeleteMusings
-My good friend flew COBRA’S in Vietnam and then flew “fat tourists” into the Grand Canyon for years
-Find CNN on this liberal -> conservative scale
-ODE – What did she and Billy Joe McCallister throw off the Tallahatchie Bridge?
-Tech Caesar?
-GINSU, you’d be surprised at how few tin cans I cut
-The GRIT of the dirty 30’s drove a lotta OKIE’s out
-AND then… (2:54)
-STYX is the fifth confirmed satellite of Pluto, whatever that is ;-)
-I suspect our friend constructor/photographer John Lampkin has a great MACRO lens for his pictures like this one of an ant grooming an ambush bug
-A movie about the original IT GIRL
-If you COO, you’re probably pitching woo, uh, too
-Lily (see avatar) is pet of the month at our PET CLINIC. All right, it was just a random drawing, but still…
-We had an Asian man in town who got wealthy sexing chickens
-OTTO!
-HBD, Misty!
Good morning everyone.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday, Misty. I enjoy your comments.
I agree with Barry G. in that I've heard or read only "King of the Jungle".
HG, very interesting graph of liberal--->conservative news sources. I also found it interesting, that the two I always read are Slate (far left) and the Drudge Report (far right)!!
ReplyDeleteAnd I don't know what she and Billie Joe was throwin' off the Tallahatchie Bridge, but I do remember that her brother opened a store in Tupelo.
Several hours ago I edited in the preview mode and lost my post. Dang! Anyway by now it's all been said. I knew the theme answers were all animals but missed the KING connection.
ReplyDeleteVET CLINIC before PET CLINIC. COVAY showed me my error.
HG, my first thought for IT GIRL was Clara Bow, too.
To me, King of the Beasts is more common than King of the Jungle and makes more sense. Lions don't live in the jungle. In Africa, lions can be found in savanna grasslands with scattered Acacia trees which serve as shade. Their habitat in India is a mixture of dry savanna forest and very dry deciduous scrub forest.[
Abejo and Lucina, I am glad you are feeling better.
Happy birthday to Misty.
Is it incorrect to say "Yes, Ma'am," to a southern belle?
Good morning all,
ReplyDeleteFun puzzle..enjoyed the theme, but did take a minute to go over animals in a pond. if I had spelled okie correctly, the SE corner would have easily fallen in place.Having dole didn't help.
School is out, so Grandma has 3 energetic little guys today. name any game... We're playing it. RAVE reviews for hide 'n seek.
Well, for "King of the Jungle" vs. "King of the Beasts", there's always GoogleFight. The results are pretty lopsided.
ReplyDeleteOf course if you asked Bert Lahr he'd probably vote for "King of the Forest".
I can not access today's puzzle. Neither can me friend. Obviously others are able to. Does anyone know what is wrong?
ReplyDeleteMy goodness, what a wonderful day to start the week--with C.C.'s lovely announcement, all of your sweet birthday wishes, and a terrific puzzle by Roger and Jeff, to boot. It truly doesn't get any better than this! Not a speed run, which was actually nice since I had to deal with those challenges everyone has already mentioned. But it all fell into place. Fun expo, Argyle. All a reminder of why I love this blog so much.
ReplyDeleteC.C. I still remember that your first birthday wish to me some years ago was written in the sand. Blew me away. What a wonderful spirit you bring to all of us.
Have a lovely day, everyone!
King of the jungle might be more popular, but it makes absolutely no sense.Crossword puzzles frequently use the less popular answer. And all those votes for beasts mean it is not unheard of.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday, Misty!
ReplyDeleteI needed perps for GOLF!
I missed the 'King' part of the theme until reading the blog.
Today I used the LA Times site on my iPad. I am getting more used to it when necessary. Still prefer Cruciverb, though.
Montana
Happy Natal Anniversary, Misty.
ReplyDeleteNice Monday puzzle. Thanks to both constructors and reviewer.
Not sure where I first heard of King of the Beasts, but it may have been a biblical reference. Samson, maybe. Didn't he kill a lion with his bare hands, or something like that? Don't have time to research it now.
"In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight."
ReplyDelete- The Tokens (1961)
Good morning all,
ReplyDeleteThis I'm not an alien thingie drops me or just winds around. Does it get better? Maybe it doesn't like me going out! Boys out of school this week.
Enjoyed the puzzle, but did take some erasing in the SE corner. Spelled okie incorrectly and had dole, so that was my only issue.Also paused to think of pond pals and thought scat was wrong since it was so similar. Thanks Roger,Jeff, and Argyle...all fun!
Happy Birthday Misty...enjoy your day!
The King of Beasts indeed!
ReplyDeleteHBD Misty! (& a repro of CC's sand pic classic!
Really enjoyable puzzle today, and great write up. My only nit is Measuring Stick at 20A. I was taught many years ago that Ruler is a monarch and a measuring stick is a rule, as in carpenters rule. I have no idea if that is still correct! Anyone know?
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeletePerfect Monday offering. Thank you Jeff and Roger. Thanks Argyle for the write-up. Happy birthday Misty.
Last night I saw the stage production of "Christmas at Leons" at Mahoney State Park (Husker Gary and Avg Joe have likely patronized this state gem of a recreational area).
Anyway, I warmed to the production during Act I and silently sobbed in my seat during Act II. I had no idea the absence of my Christmas spirit going in, and the saturation upon my exit.
Hi gang -
ReplyDeleteNice Monday puzzle, with a bit of crunch. Missed the king connection, and I was looking for it.
Mix of fresh fill and some X-word classics today.
Must have gotten IT GIRL all from perps. Never read the clue.
Today, Christopher Bill takes us to Hooville.
Bright and sunny here today. We're supposed to get some snow Christmas eve night, so maybe there will be a white Christmas.
So - Let it Snow.
For all the hard prep work I put in, my solo came out rather Meh! but Joe May on alto played a gem.
Cool regards!
JzB
Hi all!
ReplyDeleteI started the puzzle before the coffee finished brewing and scratched my head a lot. I looked down - Chen? Noooo!, it's only Monday!
After the 1st dose of caffeine, everything fell into place and was quite enjoyable with no write-overs. Thanks to RAW (and for dropping by), Jeff, and of course Argyle.
Fav: FLY IN as I'm looking forward to seeing my brothers & sisters when I fly in on 12/25.
I've already used my STYX and GINSU music links, so I'll spare ya'll.
HD - Interesting political spectrum link - I find it funny that BBC is on the list.
HBD Misty!
Cheers, -T
I'm still finishing the weekend CWs after all the excitement of early family Christmas celebrations and 3 grandchildren in the house. I must be out of practice because I found this a little crunchy for Monday but I did get the theme! (and I am familiar with using KING OF THE BEASTS.
ReplyDeleteMy downfall was the NE corner. Hand up for having VET (we NEVER have a co-pay (or any payment) at the doctor's in Canada!! My mind was at the vet's and I was thinking that maybe COVAY was a microchip. LOL!
I must put GINSU into my memory bank. That is not a knife that is familiar to me. We must have escaped the hard sell in Canada.
Happy Birthday Misty!
Very happy birthday Misty!
ReplyDeleteVet before PET, I had trouble with COPAY, CRAB NEBULA was a gimme; WEES. Thanks Roger, Jeff and Argyle.
I got my shingles shot a month or two ago. I don't envy what Abejo is going through. How come I never heard about shingles until about 10 years back?
Bill, our parents and that generation never talked about any of the ailments that older people get, and asking their age was a real No No.. I did have a great aunt who suffered from hemeroids, but I guess in our house they were called piles. Whenever that word came up at the dinner table, my dad would pop up out of his chair and grab his bottom. We thought it was hysterical, but never understood why until later.
ReplyDeleteA ruler can be called a rule or a line gauge. I have been calling it a ruler for 70+ years. Where I taught they were always called rulers, in school and in the supply catalogs.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday Misty!
ReplyDeleteA pretty easy Monday run for this one. I already had Copay in place, so I avoided the Vet / Pet trap. Didn't figure out the theme without the reveal, but enjoyed it.
A scrap from my ute:
ReplyDeleteGlory, glory, hallelujah,
Teacher hit me with a ruler.
I bopped her on the bean with a rotten tangerine . . .
If I had a nickle for every time I got distracted.....I wish I had a kitty...
ReplyDeletePuzzle: How many squares are there on a chessboard (8 by 8 grid)? Not so fast! There are more overlapping squares of different sizes than you might think of at first. After you have solved this problem, could you easily tell how many total squares on a board with ten squares on a side? Fifteen squares on a side?
Acchhh -
ReplyDeleteForgot to say HBD, Misty.
Cheers!
JzB
Greetings!
ReplyDeleteThanks to Roger, Jeff and Santa!
A bit crunchy for a Monday. NYT speed. 3 other puzzles easier. Two were by Gail G.
Many more happy birthdays, Misty!
Cheers!
Thank you, Argyle, for not posting the photo of the first beast. I have a phobia of those reptiles and would have probably damaged my IPad because I always jump in fearful surprise when the pictures come up. I am truly grateful!
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday wishes to you, Misty.
ReplyDeleteRe 39D: Is anyone else getting tired of USO? That's about 13 appearances in the last three weeks.
ReplyDeleteCrossEyedDave,
ReplyDeleteWhat a treat to see that wonderful sandy birthday wish again! The best "card" I've ever gotten in my 70 years! Thank you so much for retrieving it! And thank you, C.C., for sending it!
Good evening. Thanks to Roger, Jeff and Argyle for this fun interlude to my day.
ReplyDeleteNothing new to add to the conversations.
Happy Birthday, Misty! I hope you've had a great day.
Congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. Lemonade. May you have many years of wedded bliss.
Over the past few years we have remodeled the kitchen and remodeled or updated the bathrooms. None of them had the trim and doors painted, so, today was Day 11 of the "paint every surface in the house that hasn't been done yet". The basement and second story are done, now they're on the main level. By the end of the year it should be done. I want my house back!
Happy holidays to all, whatever you celebrate!
Pat
Misty, your sandy birthday card reminded me of an old song about love letters...
ReplyDeleteI headed out in sunshine for my bike ride but the fog rolled in. Still OK...
Another very cute kitten video!
ReplyDeleteWhac-a-mole