Theme:
20A. Suffer from unexpected slow sales, say : HIT A DRY SPELL. Magic spell.
29A. Pollution control legislation : CLEAN AIR ACT. Magic act.
47A. Hub of the Broadway theater district : TIMES SQUARE. Magic square.
55A. Disney theme park ... and a place for the ends of 20-, 29- and 47-Across? : MAGIC KINGDOM
Argyle here but C.C.? No baseball clues! Who is it really?
Across:
1. June celebrants : DADS
5. Biblical birthright seller : ESAU
9. Gets the most out of : MILKS
14. "Rent-__": Reynolds/Minnelli film : A-COP
15. Hip '60s Brits : MODS
16. How spring rolls are often cooked : IN OIL
17. All there : SANE
18. "There's no more to say" : "END OF STORY"
22. Spanish tar : BREA
23. Anticipated landing hr. : ETA
24. "Mayday!" : S-O-S
27. "Snow White" frame : CEL
33. Thurman of "Playing for Keeps" (2012) : UMA
34. Binged (on), as chips : ODed
35. Snorkel user : DIVER
36. Icy cover : RIME. This was HOAR last Friday.
38. Kilt, for one : SKIRT. My avatar for an online golf game.
41. Market section : DELI
42. Motrin alternative : ALEVE
44. Work on copy : EDIT
46. One-up : TOP
50. 6'1", 5'7", etc.: Abbr. : HTs. (heights)
51. Fair-hiring letters : EOE. (equal opportunity employment)
52. Frat "T" : TAU. Greek.
53. City in NW Pennsylvania : ERIE. Can it be two months since we've had ERIE? Doesn't seem possible.
60. Mistake in the cockpit : PILOT ERROR
63. Fiery flow : LAVA
64. Backspace, on a computer : ERASE
65. Unit in an evidence locker : KILO
66. Elevator name : OTIS
67. Campus books : TEXTS
68. Ollie's chum : STAN. Laurel and Hardy; later in the week, it could be Kukla or Fran.
69. Multi-vol. library references : OEDs. (Oxford English Dictionary)
Down:
1. Recipe smidgen : DASH
2. Berry from the Amazon rainforest : ACAI
3. "It's not my fault!" : "DON'T BLAME ME!"{
4. Thrown weapon : SPEAR
5. May birthstones : EMERALDS
6. Cyber-shot camera maker : SONY
7. Sums : ADDS. Verbs.
8. Tournament in which Phil Mickelson was runner-up a record six times : US OPEN
9. Put in the wrong spot : MISLAID
10. Not domestic, flight-wise: Abbr. : INTL. (international)
11. Bath bathroom : LOO
12. White wine apéritif : KIR. Made with a measure of crème de cassis.
13. Shifty : SLY
19. Spanakopita cheese : FETA
21. Like Erté's art : DECO
24. "Put this on your calendar" : "SAVE THE DATE"
25. Spotted cat : OCELOT
26. Bacon pieces : STRIPS
27. Oversee, as a museum exhibit : CURATE
28. Actor Estevez : EMILIO
30. Cartoon scream : EEK!
31. Bye that's "bid" : ADIEU
32. Get __ of: discard : RID
37. Holiday lead-in : EVE
39. Nutritionist's abbr. : RDA. (Recommended Dietary Allowance)
40. Flat-changing tool : TIRE IRON. In bygone days, maybe; now it's AAA.
43. Ritzy properties : ESTATES
45. Seagull kin : TERN
48. Mint family herb : SAGE
49. Idiosyncrasies : QUIRKS
54. Arctic abode : IGLOO
55. "The __ Beautiful Girl": 1973 #1 hit for Charlie Rich : MOST
56. Lit __ : CRIT. (Literary Criticism)
57. Soft drink nut : KOLA
58. Ancient Roman poet : OVID
59. Sunday service : MASS
60. Adopt-a-thon adoptee : PET
61. Mad state : IRE
62. Opposite of strict : LAX
Argyle
The on line version has a mistake at 1 Across - It gives FINI instead of DADS.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteGood morning all. What a great way to start the day. "It makes you feel happy, like an old time movie..." Thank you CC and Argyle. A fun Tuesday puzzle. I liked all the phrases. The only slow down was CRIT.
Morning, all!
ReplyDeleteRushing out the door, but couldn't resist doing the puzzle today anyway. Overall, very smooth solve, but I thought it odd to see so many long answers that weren't part of the theme. Also, it took me awhile to figure out what SQUARE had to do with MAGIC KINGDOM. Then I remembered that a MAGIC SQUARE is a math thing, right?
Catch y'all later...
It's Tuesday, it must be C.C. A very doable puzzle, sprinkled with some fun long fill
ReplyDeleteEND OF STORY, DON'T BLAME ME, SAVE THE DATE, TIRE IRON, PILOT ERROR for example.
Whatever happened to Emilio Estevez, at one point he was more successful than his brother....
Poor Phil finishing second six times in the only major he has never won
Thanks Argyle and fearless leader
The puzzle was easy, but the theme befuddled me. I had END OF STORY, HIT A DRY SPELL, CLEAN AIR ACT, TIMES SQUARE, DON'T BLAME ME, and SAVE THE DATE. STORY BOOK/SPELL BOOK/DATE BOOK? Air in AIR, SQUARE, ERROR? END UP/HIT UP/CLEAN UP/TIME'S UP/SAVE UP?
ReplyDeleteThe poor witch's smart phone was not working well.
She was never in range of a strong enough cell.
She boiled some toads eyes, and
Put a hex on Verizon --
The auto-correct curse came from her MAGIC SPELL!
The Senate and House were both all aroil
Partisan feuding was causing turmoil.
No bills had been passed,
How long could it last?
It's a deadlock that would take a MAGIC ACT to spoil!
There's MAGIC in numbers, of that we're aware
From Fibonacci to Fermat their mysteries they share.
Their spirals and triangles
Make sense of out of tangles,
No geometry's needed for a plane MAGIC SQUARE!
Smooth solve but theme is so weak that even with Argyle's expo I can't figure it out!
ReplyDeleteGood morning!
ReplyDeleteNo, I didn't get the theme. Didn't need it. This was a smooth speed run all the way to the bottom. Nicely done, C.C. Enjoyed the Spoonful, Argyle, though I think that one's more recent than the original hit recording. John Sebastian appeared in a rerun Beg-For-Money program this past weekend on our local PBS station. I know they only spend about 2% of their airtime begging, but by limiting their begging to 12 hours per day, they get to spend 7 weekends a year with their hand out.
ACAI is a word that seems to need a trailer -- like "pooey."
Lemon, I watched a Netflix movie recently in which Emilio Estevez' character dies on the first day of a mountain pilgrimage in Europe. His father, played by Martin Sheen, goes to retrieve the body, but instead decides to complete his son's journey. Emilio appears in flashbacks. I think it was called The Way. Don't remember when it was made, but it can't be too old.
Fun puzzle, thanks C.C.!! Great write-up as always, thanks Argyle!! My only hang-up was "knowing" that 60D "had to be" "DOG" or "CAT". When I got TEXTS, I "knew" the perp "had to be" "CAT", which I confidently wrote in then couldn't figure out what 60A could be that started with a "C". Took a bit to figure out "PET", then things fell into place. Fun Tuesday, thanks to all, and Owen, for his limerick. I wish I was that clever!!
ReplyDeleteThe Way (2010) was directed by EMILIO Estevez.
ReplyDeleteMerl Reagle's obiturary in the NY Times.
ReplyDeleteYikes! I misspelled "obituary".
ReplyDeleteGood morning all,
ReplyDeleteSo sorry to hear about Merl Reagle and thanks for adding his obit today Mr. Google. it is true that most people enjoy a cross word if it brings on a snicker or two, and maybe some memories from the past that we had forgotten. That is why I love reading your blog each day, CC. Again today, you did not disappoint. Had fun with your magic. And thanks Argyle for adding many little extras, and clarifications that slip by me more often these days.
Have a great day. My 4 little grandsons are growing up too quickly. Tuesday is my "Dylan" day which keeps me on my toes. At 2 he is the most active. I get in my Fitbit miles without leaving the neighborhood!!
This would have been a fun puzzle, even without the theme. As Lemony pointed out, the long down entries sparkled.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the expo, Argyle - cute golf avatar. ;-)
Went to my computer to see what mskmoorthy was talking about, and sure enough, 1A had "FINI" instead of "DADS". Glad I did the puzzle on paper; I would have been stumped in the NW online.
ReplyDeleteGood morning everyone.
ReplyDeleteWhat TTP said. CRIT was the only pause although I initially SKIRTed the NW. No searches, no strikethroughs, no issues. A clean finish. Liked the long downs mixed in.
Have a great day.
Yes, mskmoorthy, I got red-lettered on DADS (1A) on the Los Angeles Times web site, even though I had it right. Did this happen to you?
ReplyDeleteHi gang -
ReplyDeleteKent - the word MAGIC can precede the last word of the theme entries MAGIC [SPELL, ACT, SQUARE.]
This is a common theme technique.
Note that in each combination MAGIC has a different meaning. This oonches up the elegance.
So does all the long fill.
Impressive construction, fun solve. What more could you want?
Cool regards!
JzV
You can say bacon STRIPS, but we call 'em RASHERS.
ReplyDeleteMy first entry for "Ollie's chum" was FRAN, not STAN.
Fun puzzle and neat theme. Easier than yesterday for me, but Argyle is right--so unusual for C.C. not to have any baseball entries!
ReplyDeleteOff to another busy day. Getting stuff out of the garden and dealing with it, then out to lunch with a friend.
Argyle: Nice write-up & links.
ReplyDeleteAs a NY YANKEE fan I thought MOST was a baseball reference by C.C. ...
as in MOST World Series Titles ... yup, that would be 27!
C.C. Thank You for a FUN Tuesday puzzle with a great theme.
Really enjoyed your "original" clue for ERASE.
A "Toast-to-ALL" at Sunset.
Cheers!!!
Good Morning:
ReplyDeleteA fun and clever Tuesday offering. Needed Argyle's expo to fully understand the theme, although Magic Square is still not clear to me.
Nicely done, CC, and good expo, Argyle.
The a/c salesman is coming this afternoon. Any words of advice or suggestions from my fellow Cornerites?
BTW, that TV show I mentioned, Public Morals, is on at 10:00 tonight (TNT) not 9:00.
So far, so good with the baby Pandas; hope they continue to thrive.
Have a great day.
Yes Anonymous @8:40 am - I was so sure that I entered DADS as the first answer only to be flagged as wrong. I filled the rest of the entries (it was a smooth fill). Came here to verify.
ReplyDeleteNot much to add to what others have said. Fun puzzle -- I was lucky and solved online at Yahoo where they didn't have a mistake with 1A. [That must have been very annoying!] Particularly enjoyed PILOT ERROR and DON'T BLAME ME.
ReplyDelete[Channeling Mr. Google:] A magic square is a square grid filled with numbers, one per cell, such that each row, column, and diagonal add to the same total. Wiki has a 3x3 example, although one can construct much larger ones even without computers, as Benjamin Franklin (among others) did.
Thank you CC for a pleasant puzzle, my only nit was not being able to see the theme on this tiny phone screen. But I did not need it to finish.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of finish, being a CC puzzle, I absolutely could not put on the red letters. When I did not get the Tada I must have gone over every word three times looking for an error.
I had no choice but to enable red letters and when Dad showed red, it was a real slap in the face to hit reveal and have FINI come up!
It's like the puzzle saying "you got everything right, but NOW your FINI.
Good morning,
ReplyDeleteAs an aside, my son started his second week of kindergarten this week, and today they are going to work on the letter "C"; to help him along, we brainstormed some "C" words as we got him ready for school. My contributions were coffee, crosswords, and C.C. Burnikel. Not sure how well that will play out with the teacher.
Otherwise, solid puzzle. At first I thought, "How the heck am I supposed to know what the Spanish word for tar is (22A)?" But once I sussed out BREA, I thought it was a clever fill since I do not live all that far from La Brea Tar Pits. Though, now the name sounds a little redundant: The Tar Tar Pits. Sort of makes me want to brush my teeth.
Howard W @ 9:50 - Thank you for the info on Magic Squares. I have seen them but was unaware of the name.
ReplyDeleteCED - Will you PLEASE come back from Florida to your Magic computer so you can resume your much-missed humorous links? I, for one, feel laugh deprived. 😿
Good morning, folks. Thank you, C.C., for a fine puzzle. Thank you, Argyle,for a fine review.
ReplyDeleteFirst word for me was ESAU. We get him a lot, but that is OK. I liked the bible story, which set the stage for the 12 tribes of Israel.
Aha! My home town again, ERIE. I love it! Will be back there in October for Kegs and Eggs (in Edinboro).
Got through the puzzle easily without the theme jumping out at me. After finishing, it appeared.
ACAI is a big crossword word lately. Even though it is a short word.
Never heard of KIR. Nor CRIT.
Like the word CURATE.
Lots to do. see you tomorrow.
Abejo
( )
For Irish Miss.
ReplyDeleteI love a C.C. puzzle on a Tuesday morning, and this one was a delight. Many thanks, C.C. My favorite clue was 'Bath bathroom.' And many thanks for the shout-out, also. I've written four books on James Joyce, so that makes me a LIT CRIT.
ReplyDeleteMAGIC SQUARE was new to me--nice to learn things on the Corner. Nice expo, Argyle.
Have a great day, everybody!
Thanks DO and Mr. G for the update on Emilio; never heard of the movie and I guess he has not been too busy lately
ReplyDeleteThe only answer I could find that could be clued with a baseball slant would be for STAN. Even Tuesday solvers wouldn't balk over "Cardinal great, '____ the Man' ".
ReplyDeleteIs DAD'S Root Beer familiar enough to the left and right coasters to be a Tuesday level clue for 1a? Here in Chi-town is was the root beer of my childhood. There were a couple of others we kids would argue about of which one Mom should purchase. Barrelhead and Frostie come to mind.
Hello, friends!
ReplyDeleteOoh, Argyle mentioned two of my favorite things, KIR Royale and spanakopita which I ate every day while I was in Athens at $1.00 per SQUARE. Yum.
Very nice puzzle today, C.C. and thank you for not including baseball terms or sports related names. USOPEN wasn't hard to suss.
CSO to Dudley at 60A though I'm certain he wouldn't make an ERROR.
I don't understand how FINI could be the first fill; that would make the entire corner different.
Have a wonderful day, everyone!
CED @ 11:13 - As Oliver Twist said, "Please, Sir, I want some more."
ReplyDeleteFINI appeared in the puzzle on Friday, November 28, 2014 (but not in the same location).
ReplyDeleteNo problems on the Mensa site.
Easy finish for me like most of ya'll.
ReplyDeleteI do mine on free daily crosswords and everything was kosher. I used to do them at the L A Times site but it started to act slow and freezing.
Magic Kingdom?
ReplyDeleteI liked this puzzle very much. Sparkling fill and some well thought-out clues. Only slowdown was CRIT.
ReplyDeleteA C.C. puzzle without sports, what happened?
ReplyDeleteDidn't concern myself with the theme because I finished so fast, and didn't need it.
Abejo..KIR is a drink made with créme de cassis and white wine. Classic French apéritif.
Did anyone see "Fear of the Walking Dead"? Broke all records as the most watched pilot in cable history. IMO, that show killed it!
When I make spanakopita, I mix one cup of ricotta cheese with the feta. It makes it creamier. And I use clarified butter to baste the dough. Makes a delicious difference. I LOVE Greek food.
I've been to Disneyworld only one time. My husband and I managed to see all the parks and Epcott in one day. To be honest, because I grew up in New York, I was able to go to venues, like "Freedomland", Palisades Amusement Park, Coney Island's Steeplechase, and other closeby attractions. Because of this, Disneyworld wasn't a "big deal" for me. I guess I am lucky to have so many wonderful memories of living in, IMO, the most cultured state in the union.
Anonymous..DAD's root beer? Add a scoop of ice cream in an ice cold mug... I remember it well.
Enough from me..'til tomorrow....
As a veteran of many MAGIC KINGDOM trips, I will tell you it is the only Disney venue that is always full of people just as C.C.’s puzzle is full of charm and long non-theme fill.
ReplyDeleteMusings
-Our Disney Hotels have always had RENT-A-COPS who were mostly senior citizens who tried not to upset anyone
-Recent Taiwan tragedy due to PILOT ERROR (1:45)
-This Backspace Key didn’t ERASE anything!
-Wonderful version of DON’T BLAME ME (3:25) by two boys from Shenandoah, Iowa
-You should SUM/ADD your own golf score
-Lily immediately ran toward us, so technically she ADOPTED us
Hello Everyone, What a nice way to finish off my lunch. I've been so busy lately that I'm getting to the puzzle later and later in the day. This latest effort by C.C. was quick and fun to work. Argyle a great write up, too.
ReplyDeleteI've been to Disneyland only twice, and that was years ago. These days I'm not sure I could take all the walking it takes to see everything. It was a Magic Kingdom in my daughter's young eyes.
Dad's Root Beer is still around. A and W. though, was our favorite. Because my husband is diabetic, Diet Barqs is the root beer we drink these days. We can't give up those Root Beer Floats.
My one mistake in the fill today was putting in fried for In oil for How spring rolls are sometimes cooked.
I thought that Bath bathroom was a great clue. Great cluing and fill today.
Have a great rest of the day, everyone.
Hi All!
ReplyDeleteWEES - a MOST excellent puzzle from C.C. (my second C.C. this week!) and writeup from Argyle. Thanks to you both.
W/os - HIT A DRY patch (I was so sure too, I didn't check perps) and TIMESQUA... ERASE, ERASE, ERASE, ERASE. TIMESS...
Fav. xing of MASSive OEDS or is it LAX xing PILOT ERROR or the thought saying ADIEU to DW's SKIRT :-)
Making sausage & pepper grinders for dinner; can't get these at the DELI.
Cheers, -T
What a beautiful puzzle! So clean and with great fill. Enjoyed it greatly.
ReplyDeleteLoved it!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Owen!
Coneyro, New York is the center of the universe!
Noon tomorrow you can find me having a bloomin' onion at the Washington County Fair.
ReplyDeleteLate as always.... nice puzzle and great write up.... thanx to both of you....
ReplyDeleteI may really be dense... but I still don't truly understand the problem with La Brea Tar Pits.... la brea may be tar pits in Spanish.... but the tar pits are located just off La Brea Ave crossing Wilshire Blvd.... in the La Brea District....
Hope you all are having a great evening....
thelma :)
Hello Puzzlers -
ReplyDeleteBreezed right through today - Kir is one of those things learned doing crosswords. Sounds tasty...
Lucina 11:37 - thanks for your confidence! Actually, pilots make errors all the time...the trick is to make darn sure such errors are of the inconsequential variety.
Husker 2:14 - that Taiwan video makes us cringe. That should have been a mere inconvenience, not a major accident. Pilot error for sure.
I remember drinking a Hires Root Beer.
ReplyDeleteMea culpa. My 3rd limerick this (yesterday) morning mentioned Fermat and should have been Pascal. I was hoping Bill G. or fermatprime or one of our math gurus would make some comment about Fibonacci spirals (picture), Pascal's triangle (picture), or a plane magic square implying the existence of the magic cube (picture).
ReplyDelete