Theme: Rock On!
17A. *Cardiologically healthy, as a diet : HEART SMART
25A. *Affectionate apron inscription : KISS THE COOK
40A. *Commuter's headache : RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC
50A. *Title for Aretha Franklin : QUEEN OF SOUL
63A. Musical conductor ... and, literally, what the start of each answer to a starred clue is : BANDLEADER
Argyle here. Rock bands with one word names lead off two or three word in language phrases. A grid spanner anchors the middle with solid little blocks all around. A couple of descending strings help tie it all together. Should prove entertaining. I'm not comfortable with the reveal; it seams to be asking for a Shaw or Goodman. The answers lead off with a band, not a bandleader. HEADBAND. My nit.
Feel free to link your favorite song by these groups.
Across:
1. "Goodbye, Columbus" author Philip : ROTH
5. High anxiety : ANGST
10. Me-time resorts : SPAs
14. Fencing choice : EPEE
15. Trip the light fantastic : DANCE
16. Quarterback-turned-congressman Jack : KEMP. NY congressman after QBing for Buffalo Bills. VP candidate with Bob Dole.
19. River of Pisa : ARNO
20. Wide variety : ARRAY
21. Gauge showing rpm : TACH. (tachometer)
23. How Marcie addresses Peppermint Patty : SIR. from Peanuts.
24. Howl at the moon : BAY. Been there, done that.
29. On its way : SENT
30. Handmade scarf stuff : YARN
31. Radar dot : BLIP
34. Chic modifier : TRÈS
37. Pay hike : RAISE
43. See eye to eye : AGREE
44. __ fide: in bad faith : MALA
45. "Teh" for "The," say : TYPO
46. Dry as the Atacama : ARID. Some like it Chile.
48. Omelet necessities : EGGS
54. Fabric flaw : RIP
57. Address bar address : URL
58. Pilot's alphabet ender : ZULU. An alternate ending is Zebra.
59. Wear away gradually : ERODE
61. Long-billed wader : IBIS
66. Charge : RATE
67. "Lucky" aviator, familiarly : LINDY. Charles Lindbergh
68. Stew veggies : PEAS
69. Was sure about : KNEW
70. Crème de la crème : ELITE
71. Footprint part : SOLE
Down:
1. Detox program : REHAB
2. Word before house or after horse : OPERA
3. In need of tissues : TEARY
4. Wife of Zeus : HERA
5. Promos : ADs
6. "China Beach" war zone, for short : NAM
7. Swarming pests : GNATS
8. "Ice Age" saber-toothed squirrel : SCRAT. He managed to get some product endorsements.
9. Easily annoyed : TETCHY. Same as touchy?
10. Caribbean music : SKA
11. Be the epitome of : PERSONIFY
12. Prenatal test, for short : AMNIO. (Amniocentesis)
13. Hybrid utensil : SPORK
18. Kid : TYKE
22. "Do I __ Waltz?": Rodgers/Sondheim musical : HEAR A. 1965 Broadway
26. A big fan of : INTO
27. Doodle on the guitar : STRUM
28. Summer camp activities : CRAFTS
29. Globe : SPHERE
31. Lingerie item : BRA
32. Carry with effort : LUG
33. Descendant of Jacob : ISRAELITE
35. Obama __ : ERA
36. Fifth cen. pope called "The Great" : ST. LEO
38. Small taste : SIP
39. Environmental prefix : ECO
41. "57 Varieties" brand : HEINZ
42. Classico rival : RAGU
47. Look-alike : DOUBLE
49. High spirits : GLEE
50. Peculiarity : QUIRK
51. Living in the city : URBAN
52. Swing wildly : FLAIL
53. Branch of Islam : SUNNI
54. Event with lots of horsing around? : RODEO
55. Flawless : IDEAL
56. Intrinsically : PER SE
60. Emulates Eminem : RAPS
62. Darn things : SEW
64. Prohibited pesticide : DDT. (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane)
65. Chemical in Drano crystals : LYE
Argyle
55 comments:
Knowing how old Gareth is, his choice of music is interesting. like Argyle, the reveal did bring to mind Benny Goodman more than rock and roll, but the fill was very easy for one of our South African veterinarian's puzzles.
SCRAT and TETCHY were my only bumps. I guess it makes sense as a word by if we have TOUCHY why do we need TETCHY? Oh, to finish the puzzle.
Thanks guys
Guessed the theme with KISS & RUSH (don't remember HEART), but I'm with Argyle about the reveal being lame. LEADING BANDS might have been okay, but not BAND LEADERS.
Molly is a woman who RAPS with a BAND,
She'll STRUM with both her HEART and hand.
People RUSH to DANCE
(And KISS, perchance!)
When this guitar QUEEN plays by demand!
A curmudgeon's a person as TETCHY as hell
In eccentric QUIRKs he takes GLEE as well!
His ANGST you'll hear
If you get too near, --
His motto, "Get Off Of My Lawn!" he'll yell!
A Whirling Dervish, they told envoy JACK,
Should be approached with wary tact.
He said, "That's ballocks,
I've got an Apple Watch!"
He gave the SUNNI Sufi a wear-y TACH!
Hello Puzzlers -
Tetchy was about the only speed bump today, otherwise smooth sailing. Took a minute too long to realize what the theme was.
Sailing toward Koblenz today, through the pretty Rhine valley with hundreds of castles. Actually saw some sunshine for a few minutes!
Morning, all!
Smooth solve today with nothing to feel TETCHY about. I will say, though, that I always have trouble associating SKA with "Caribbean" music, but that's only because by the time I discovered the genre in the 90s it had moved past its Caribbean roots. We had a local SKA band here in Boston called Bim Skala Bim that I heard perform live and ended up buying all their CDs. The music they played may have partially had its roots in Caribbean music (along with a lot of other influences), but it certainly wasn't "Caribbean".
Speed run for me today. Fun puzzle, thanks Gareth. Thanks too for the write-up, Argyle! Even when the puzzle was complete, I looked at PERSE and never saw PER SE; so thought I had something wrong there, but all the perps fit, so ... Guess I'll have to come back later for Owen's limericks. 8:15 dental appointment former today, then come home and work on a rusty support post. Not a lotta fun in my schedule today until Happy Hour.
Good morning!
No problems this morning, though I felt certain TETCHY was wrong. Turns out, according to my dictionary, that it's been around since the late 1500's. Who knew? Argyle, I can see why everybody just called it DDT. No nit with the BAND LEADER -- a band leads off each of the theme entries.
Good Morning, Argyle and friends. I agree with Argyle, that the Band Leader unifier was a tad off. Although the puzzle was easy, I looked at the theme answers for the longest time trying to figure out what Heart Band, Kiss Band Rush Band and Queen Band meant until it dawned on me that the first word was the actual name of a band.
QOD: Arriving at one goal is the starting point of another. ~ John Dewey (Oct. 20, 1859 ~ June 1, 1952)
D-O, you said it better than " Musical conductor ... and, literally, what the start of each answer to a starred clue is"
Maybe "and, literally, what each answer to a starred clue has." would be better. Just a little nit.
Good morning all.
Suffering from some anxiety after entering ANGer rather than ANGST. That squirrel's name might as well have been eCRAT. Had no idea.
Sometimes you are fairly certain you've never read or heard a word before. That's the way I felt about rETCHY which became TETCHY. So I looked tetchy up and listened to the pronunciation. Ha ! I always thought they were saying, "He's touchy." Or, "That subject makes him touchy."
That subject makes me retch. Yeah, rETCHY could be a word.
Then I looked up touchy. Yeah, I probably did hear it correctly as touchy.
Apparently one is from French and the other is from English.
Needed no perping letters to solve the clue "Title for Aretha Franklin." Seems like she's had that label forever.
Dudley, sounds wonderful. Koblenz. Deutches Eck. German corner. Where the Moselle and Rhine converge. So you are past the Lorelei and the Rhine Gorge ? More scenery awaits as you float downstream northward. Hope you get to get off the boat and walk around Köln.
Zum Deutchen Eck (restaurant) in Chicago off Lincoln Ave was the anchor place for a thriving community of German immigrants in the 50s. That area is where my wife's parents got their start in "the new country."
Good morning, folks. Thank you, Gareth Bain, for a fine puzzle. Thank you, Argyle, for a fine review.
Started this puzzle in the NE. OI was not sure about 1A at all.
All of the South was quite easy. Went there and flowed upward. Liked ISRAELITE. That was easy.
I did not know any of those bands except KISS. The theme kind of eluded me. That's OK.
TETCHY was a new word for me. I got it with all the perps around it. After I was done I looked it up.
My inkblot was spelling AMNIO as AMNEA Fixed it with a couple perps.
Liked 48A EGGS.
Do not remember the movie with SCRAT in it. I do not see many movies.
Off to my day. Sink drain came apart and must fix that today. Lots of paperwork and computer work today. Dobrovsky Club tonight. It is a great Bohemian dinner.
See you tomorrow.
Abejo
( )
"Puzzling Thoughts":
Decent toughness for a Tuesday; used perps to get TETCHY and SCRAT. Liked the clue for 62d; as I 69a that 62d was SEW, that corner fell easily. Only write-over, oddly, was 26d where I penned IDOL. Must've misread the clue ... I did not "get" the reveal until reading the recap - I too tried to figure out where "BAND" fit with Heart, Kiss et al; MALA Fide is a new one for me - another that fit with perps - must be the antonym for Bona Fide ...
No rhyme from me today; will be AFC for a few as we continue to pack up and prepare for the move. See ya Friday ...
Argyle: Nice write-up. Especially enjoyed the SCRAT Peugeot Ad.
Gareth: Thank You for a FUN Tuesday puzzle. Really liked your theme.
Since I got my shorts on correctly ... no nits coming from Villa Incognito.
Yea !!! The Blue Jays won!
Go CUBS !!!
Cheers ... going out to those two teams today.
I am rusty at solving crosswords. Words like SKA which I learned only for puzzles, seem difficult to dredge up. With more effort than necessary on a Tuesday, I did solve the puzzle, but absolutely could not get the theme. Thanks, Argyle, for explaining it.
Have a good day,
Montana
"Puzzling Thougts 2":
Ok - I lied - I was able to come up with a poem using one of the crosswords ... but I am certain I won't be back here until Friday. Enjoy!
My pet dog made me look like a fool,
As he never obeyed any rule.
Had this strange little QUIRK:
Wouldn't eat his homework,
And flunked out of obedience school
Fast solve today. SCRAT was all perps. TETCHY was easy. I have often seen it in reading and in TV shows, especially westerns.
The leader of each theme answer was a band. Not too big a stretch.
I am good at making TYPOS. Yesterday I trashed my post due to a typo and wrote another. That posted with a TYPO, too. I let it stand. I find it difficult to proofread on the screen. Spell Check helps. Auto Correct makes things worse. When I have something vital, I print it out and can proofread it easily.
Off to my eye doctor and then this afternoon off to another of Alan's many doctors.He is not working or going to the gym these days. Talk about ANGST.
Good Morning:
I always enjoy Gareth's puzzles and this was a nice surprise, as it seems ages since we had one. The reveal was necessary to get the theme but was quite obvious then. I filled in tetchy without a second thought; I associate it with Western movie's dialogue.
Thanks, Gareth, for a fun Tuesday and thanks, Argyle, for your always entertaining expo.
Gloomy and rainy here today, at least right now. Raw and chilly temps, as well.
Have a great day.
Hi All!
I looked down and saw Gareth and thought "oh, no..." but the theme was totally in my wheelhouse. I'm really INTO these BANDs. IIRC, they are all in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Then the pzl provided an ARRAY of even more music: SKA, STRUM, RAP (thppppt), HEAR A Waltz, and (this is a stretch), David Lee ROTH and SIR Paul McCartney.
So, thank you Gareth! Thanks too to Argyle - and don't think I won't link :-)
Wos - TouCHY and STRap (I read 27d as Dangle...)
Fav - The theme!
(you may want to turn down your speakers b/f clicking...)
KISS - Rock and Roll all Night
QUEEN - Fat Bottomed Girls
RUSH - La Villa Strangiato from HemiSPHEREs (an inSTRUMental)
And for easy listening - Dog and Butterfly from HEART.
Bonus - TRAFFIC.
Cheers, -T
Wees, easy Tuesday, any hard words were covered by solid perps so no nits there.
It did take Argyles explanation to swallow the reveal though...
Which makes me wonder what the difference is between
a conductor
and a bandleader.
Hmm, I just can't help feeling that I wanted more out of the theme...
Hello, friends!
Yea, Gareth! TRES bien! This was a great romp with no unknown names or obscure clues. Oh, right, it's Tuesday. Still, an enjoyable solve. Though not a fan, I recognized the bands and of course, the QUEEN OF SOUL. I recall going to one of her first concerts in the 70s to a practically empty hall. It was just a few of us sitting around the piano. She was impressive even then.
TETCHY was not a problem. I've heard it before and I AGREE with D-O's assessment of the reveal.
Have a lovely day, everyone! Mani-pedi day.
I didn't understand the reveal clue and only got it from Argyle. Off the top of my head I can't name any song by HEART, KISS, or RUSH, but "Another one bites the dust', 'We will Rock you' and 'We are the Champions" by QUEEN are all-time great songs.
As for 1A- I always hate it when I don't know the first clue; happy to have the easy perps. I never saw 'Ice Age' and SCRAT was a total unknown and I have heard TETCHY used verbally but never seen it written. I wanted to fill BARS for Me-time resorts but knew it wouldn't fly. I never enjoyed reading Peanuts and skipped it in the comics, so SIR was filled by crosses.
Thanks Gareth for making an EASY puzzle for a change.
35A- can't wait for it to end. Adios for Tuesday.
Thanks, Gareth, for a fun Tuesday puzzle! Knew all of the bands, so it was pretty much a smooth run, except for the TETCHY and SCRAT. Perps to the rescue!
Thanks, Argyle, for the Chilean desert pic. I get to travel around the world with your pics!
First of all, I can't believe I forgot to check in on the blog yesterday to tell C.C. what a big FAN I am of her puzzles! You can see I'm not a SECRET ADMIRER, I'm a perfectly open one!
And what fun to have a great Tuesday following a great Monday puzzle! I usually associate Gareth with difficult Saturdays, so this one was a real treat. Only I didn't get the theme even with the reveal until Argyle's expo. You can tell I don't know my BANDS.
Hilarious poem, Moe.
Have a great day, everybody!
Big E - the only obscure song (for non-fans) linked above is from RUSH. Perhaps you know Tom Sawyer? FWIW - The NW gave me fits too at 1st until 15a. C, -T
Hi Y'all! Good one, Gareth & Argyle!
Filled in TEsTY before TETCHY and it didn't fit.
BANDLEADER filled in with perps and I didn't even read the clue, I guess. I looked at the long fills and wondered about a theme. Decided there wasn't one.
Decided I don't know what either "intrinsically" or PER SE mean. Oh goody, I need a trip to the dictionary. I, too, parsed it as PERSE.
Pleasant, easy puzzle today.
Only SCRAT and TETCHY are unknowns, but perps filled them in.
Knew after HEART and KISS there might be a BAND connection. KISS and QUEEN are, IMO, two of the all time top bands in rock history. Don't remember much about HEART or RUSH. Will look up their songs.
Philip ROTH..Very talented and enjoyable author.
I am not able to do the puzzle every day anymore.. I do not want to worry you folks. So I will contribute as often as I can.
Everyone on the blog is wished my best.
I did not find this too easy today. Many unknowns like TETCHY, SPORK. AMNIO, & RAGU (who's Classical?) YEt thanks to perps & wags, got 'em all. But still ended up with a FIW. For 16A I entered Kent. Annio & Stork looked OK. I know KEMP, remember seeing him play for Buffalo & being very familiar with his political career. Just a dumb arse mistake on my part.
Despite my error, I enjoyed the puzzle. It was a challenge, was sure I nailed it, but it" weren't" meant to be.
Had a early AM doctors appointment so I experienced the morning RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC. I salute those of you who get into it coming and going each weekday. It would drive me loco.
Tin, one of us will win and one of will lose in each of the play off series. I won't be too upset if the Cubs survive, but I will really be ticked if the Jays prevail.
G'day Gareth, Good onya, mate
MUSIC of the SPHERES
I saw ELITE twice as I danced through the south and south west. But all was OK when I filled in ISRA-ELITE.
Talking of Elite, I would not put HEART, RUSH or KISS in the same class as QUEEN, with the incomparable Freddie Mercury (RIP).
No-one mentioned "Trip the Light Fantastic" which recalls a famous line from that great ROCK CLASSIC, WHITER SHADE OF PALE, by the MOODY BLUES, and the only song I know featuring that naughty Chaucerian tale.
I wrote in TETCHY without a second thought, but TOUCHY is actually a better answer to the clue. TETCHY just means "bad-tempered", with no implication of uber-sensitivity.
TTFN
P.S. I almost forgot:
Congratulations to JUSTIN TRUDEAU, his Liberal Party, and the start of the first Canadian dynasty.
How could you!? Moody Blues, indeed!
NC
Whiter Shade of Pale by the Moody Blues ?
Or by Procol Harem ?
We skipped the light fandango, did cartwheels cross the floor...
A Whiter Shade of Pale (Procol Harum) 1967 with lyric
NC - I thought it was Procol Harum that did Whiter Shade of Pale... Was that the precursor to the Moody Blues? What did I miss?
Apropos for now Tuesday Afternoon from The Moody Blues. C, -T
I gotta say WEES. Same thoughts, feelings, and experiences with TETCHY, SCRAT, PERSE, and not understanding the reveal clue that many of you had.
Dudley, I am so glad you are enjoying your trip.
Best wishes to you all.
NC,
Maybe you were thinking of Nights in White Satin ?
Mystery Writer - T, I liked your earlier song links. I was going to link Lorelei by Styx, but then Guns-N-Roses came on the radio with Sweet Child of Mine and I forgot.
Nice Cuppa
Always like it when a "Know-It-All" gets corrected by Argyle.
Thanks for a great puzzle, Gareth and a fine write up, Argyle.
I mostly got the answers with some perp assistance. I recalled TETCHY from, I believe, Harry Potter, but I wasn't sure of the spelling.
Is SCRAT the name of the squirrel in the movie Ice Age or is it a name for the prehistoric species? Peuget ad was a riot.
If a man adjusting the lights on William Shatner for his scenes is in a bad mood is he a "TETCHY Tekkie Techie?"
Cleveland is having a lovely sunny 72 degree day today.
Hope all are having a good Tuesday.
VS
Fun puzzle Gareth with just enough " oomf" for a Tuesday.Who doesn't love that squirrel, but it took a few letters before I remembered his name.If I ever wore an apron it would say, GOT WINE?
Dudley, that was my 2nd favorite trip of all time (South Africa was the best). We love the Reislings and continue our search for just the right one. Cruising down the Moselle was like being in Fantasyland.
Chairman Moe, loved your poem as well as Owen's verses.
No reason for me to take an early morning Fitbit walk when the youngest grandson is here. By 3:00 I have my 10,000 steps. He is the most active of the 4... And you guessed it...he's napping. have a lovely day.
Argyle @ 1:49
Thanks for the Procol Harum 1967 link to A Whiter Shade of Pale.
On the side was a 10:50 link to The Origin and History of the song.
It included the seldom heard 3rd and 4th stanza's ...
and a list of other artist who covered the song.
Alas, the Moody Blues was not on that list.
I believe tetchy has many shades of meaning, ranging from bad-tempered and mean to annoyed, touchy, or thin skinned. We tend to think these nuances are just a problem with our language, but I have found in studying other languages that they present similar problems. My Japanese teacher does not recognize the problems with her language and thinks that all is logical. We English speakers readily admit our ambiguities.
Good afternoon everyone.
Liked the puzzle. Agree with D-O & Argyle comments on the theme hint. Since I don't know most Band names, I filled in the theme words without worrying about a pattern. Favorite fill/clue was for OPERA.
ZULU - Zebra was used prior to 1956. Bravo Zulu to Gareth and Argyle for today's test and answer sheet.
Good news! Had my colonoscopy this morning. Clean as a whistle. Doc said I 'graduated' and don't need a recall. A benefit of older, older age?
"He's tetched in the head."
TTP 7:46 and JD 2:20 - our boat is docked just a few meters from the confluence of the Moselle and the Rhine. We've had a spectacular day of sights, even though the weather is just one shade of depressing. I sincerely hope this is not my last visit to Germany! We've been sampling local wine - yum - and tomorrow we're slated to storm Köln, and start the process all over again.
:-)
Oh, PER SE not PERSE. Gimme a 100% out of petty cash. I agree with your nit, Argyle, but GB’s puzzles are always a hoot and a half!
Musings
-HEART SMART made me think the gimmick was rhyming words. Then I saw HEART and KISS put me on lovers, but no…
-The Campanile of San Nicola on the ARNO is another leaning tower in Pisa
-Some emails I have constructed in anger never got SENT
-…we can’t see EYE TO EYE (3:03), …We just disagree.
-Dave’s omelet link yesterday to December Bride brought back memories
-Astronauts on the International Space Station use ZULU (GMT) time
-A historic SOLE print or An historic SOLE print?
-No amount of REHAB could save my brother from alcoholism
-The only place we get a SPORK
-John Kerry married into that HEINZ brand
-My first TETCHY thought too
Tetched can mean angry. But it can also be a whole "other animal." Mostly I have heard it to mean slightly crazy.
Spitz, good news on your "graduation." LOL
Nice Cuppa is actually not that much wrong. On the 10:50 minute Procol Harum clip cited by Argyle and Tinbeni at the very end, there is a a mention of other artists who have covered A Whiter Shade of pale. On that list was Justin Haward who, with John Lodge were the lead singers for the Moody Blues. True enough, the group itself did not record the song, but one of it's singers did.
Wees about SCRAT and TESCHY. Did enjoy Mr. Bain's puzzle. Just enough grit to make it fun for a tuesday.
That was Hayward, not Haward.
Tired today after staying up to see the Blue Jays win and to listen to victory speech by Justin Trudeau. yes Nice Cuppa, it is a new dynasty.
Enjoyed today's puzzle even though I didn't really get the theme until I came here. Thanks Gareth and Argyle.
More baseball this afternoon but Jays are not doing very well so far!
Really good limericks guys; thanks
Thanks for all the music, especially Argyle's "Whiter Shade of Pale". I went back and browsed among the sidebar songs for over half an hour. Some good stuff. Some not to my taste, but educational. Bravo!
Dudley, thanks for sharing your trip. I had to laugh about your "depressing weather" comment. I once interviewed an exchange student who enthusiastically told me about his great year in Germany. Then he mentioned he had been offered a great job there. I asked him why on earth he'd turned it down and came back to rural life in middle USA. He said, "I couldn't live without the sunshine any longer. It was always gloomy there."
Navy Dave @ 3:56
Thanks for that info about Justin Hayward covering the song.
And the info that HE did it, NOT as a member, from when he was in the Moody Blues ...
The only one I remembered (before I saw the video) was Joe Cocker's cover of A Whiter Shade of Pale though they listed 4 or 5 others.
PK, I've never seen such a continuous spell of overcast. Rather gloomy. On the other hand, it hasn't rained much, which is convenient.
Is Urban a clecho with St Leo? :)
My Whiter Shade of Pale was recorded by Johnnie Rivers... :)
Enjoyed the puzzle... hope you all have a great evening...
thelma
Does "nit" mean nitpicking? And what is WAGS? Is "perps" perpendiculars?
Ok, Marg, you pretty well got it. Yes, Wild Ass Guess, and yes.
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