Theme: Check your inventory - You can't SELL what you don't HAVE.
17A. *Sing on key : CARRY A TUNE
40A. *Try, with "at" : HAVE A GO
64A. Make available, as merchandise ... and a hint to the start of the answers to starred clues : KEEP ON HAND
11D. *Underestimate : SELL SHORT
35D. *Cattle enterprise : STOCK FARM
Argyle tending the store. A somewhat antiquated business model in this age of zero inventory but still viable if you are selling goods to the public. Certainly a doable Monday with a pinwheel grid. Throw in a couple of eight-letter climbers for good measure.
Across:
1. One capsule, say : DOSE
5. Metaphorical sticking points : CRAWS. Hard to swallow.
10. Jacob's twin : ESAU
14. App that connects riders with drivers : UBER. In the news a lot.
15. Hard pattern to break : HABIT
16. Prominent giraffe feature : NECK
19. Skedaddle : FLEE
20. "Please, I've heard enough," in texts : TMI. (too much information)
21. Speaker on a soapbox : ORATOR
22. Cutlass automaker : OLDS. Bygone.
23. Jungle adventure : SAFARI
25. Store with Kenmore appliances : SEARS
27. Sloppy : MESSY
30. Corsage flower : ORCHID
33. Players in a play : CAST
36. Severely injure : MAIM
38. Crystal-bearing rock : GEODE. Looks like an orchid.
39. Illuminated : LIT
42. Civil War soldier : REB
43. Desert building brick : ADOBE
45. Fashion magazine that's also a French pronoun : ELLE
46. In-flight predictions: Abbr. : ETAs. (estimated time of arrival)
47. Trickery : DECEIT
49. Discourage : DETER
51. 24-__ gold : KARAT
53. Draft choices : LAGERS
57. Whitewater ride : RAFT. So close to DRAFT.
59. One with a bleeping job : CENSOR
62. Feel sorry about : RUE
63. Notable periods : ERAs
66. Law business : FIRM
67. Entices : LURES
68. Continent explored by Marco Polo : ASIA
69. "__ old thing" : SAME
70. Lyric poem : EPODE
71. Neighbor of Kent. : TENN. (Kentucky/Tennessee)
Down:
1. Tear conduits : DUCTS
2. Bush successor : OBAMA
3. Sans __: type style : SERIF
4. Make a mistake : ERR
5. Compelling charm : CHARISMA
6. Pro __: in proportion : RATA
7. Share a border with : ABUT
8. Lushes : WINOs
9. Hi-fi system : STEREO
10. Implement, as laws : ENFORCE
12. Breezed through, as a test : ACED
13. Luau instruments : UKEs
18. Days of old : YORE
24. Tsp. or tbsp. : AMT. (amount)
26. Constellation named for a mythological ship : ARGO. Argo Navis was a large constellation in the southern sky that has since been divided into three constellations. ~ Wikipedia
28. Rescue : SAVE
29. On-ramp sign : YIELD
31. Original thought : IDEA
32. Belles at balls : DEBS
33. Not naked : CLAD
34. Teacher's helper : AIDE
37. Bachelor party attendee : MALE
40. Estate beneficiary : HEIR
41. Warm up for the game : GET LOOSE
44. "I'm baffled" : "BEATS ME"
46. Unit of work : ERG
48. Bring down the running back : TACKLE
50. Make, as a living : EARN
52. Prepare to drive, as a golf ball : TEE UP
54. Wipe clean : ERASE
55. Altercation : RUN-IN. I ran into trouble finding the derivation of "run-in". See 44-Down.
56. Family auto : SEDAN
57. Foul callers, at times : REFs
58. Operatic song : ARIA
60. Fictional sleuth Wolfe : NERO
61. Went like the wind : SPED
65. It may be tipped by a gentleman : HAT
Argyle
1) George Barany and Friends just released this tribute puzzle about a true Minnesotan original.
1) Happy Birthday to Kazie (Kay), who has been contributing to our blog a few months after I started. Kay grew up in Australia, met her husband while traveling in Spain. She still travels to Europe frequently. Her son and their beautiful family live in Germany right now.
 |
| Kay and her husband Barry on Tamborine Mountain, overlooking Brisbane |
39 comments:
Some use CHARISMA and some use DECEIT
As LURES for the innocents they would entreat.
They'd CAST their spells fine,
Then feed them a LINE,
Then their TACKLE they'd reel in, and fry fish to eat.
Some folks say they can't CARRY A TUNE in a bucket
Invited to choir, saw escape and then tuk it.
They FLEE from the chorus,
Claim "no ARIA for us!"
Their tin ears DETER them, in disgust they say "yuck it!"
Beer is a good thing to KEEP always ON HAND,
If not on tap, then in bottle or can.
In the Northwoods those loggers
Are fond of their LAGERS,
You'll find there no sissified wine-drinking man!
{B, B+, B+}
Hello Puzzlers -
Well, that was easy.
Thanks Argyle!
Happy Birthday Kazie!
Morning, all (and Happy Birthday to Kay)!
Well, it too me awhile to actually find this puzzle this morning, since both the Mensa site and the Merriam-Webster site were still running Sunday's puzzle for some reason. Fortunately, the third time was the charm and the Chicago Tribune site had today's puzzle.
The puzzle itself was easy enough, but I'll admit the theme completely baffled me. I was thinking it was one of those themes where some part of the theme reveal (KEEP or HAND) could be added to some part of each of the theme answers. It sort of worked with FARM HAND and SHORT HAND, but what the heck was a TUNE HAND? I guess I was overthinking things a bit, eh?
Well, a fun romp today, finally a CW done in UNDER my usual time for the day!! And a fun fill!! Thanx, C.W., for the terrific CW. And thanx, Argyle, for the wonderful write-up. Hope everyone has a good week!
Morning,
Happy birthday to Kay. hope you have a fun filled day.
Like Barry, could not find the puzzle on any site, so I ended up doing it from our morning paper.
This was a "no brainer" today so I never even thought about a theme. Just kept filling in empty squares and all of a sudden it was done. Wonder if a certain Floridian will have a comment or two about a couple of the clues?
Casey and I are in in our third day of bachelorhood & getting along quite well while Lucy spends nine days in France with friends from her world of art. She'll cringe when I fess up what my diet during her absence.
Good morning!
Can there be such a thing as a Monday softball? Easier than easy? If so, this was it. Thanx, C.W. and Argyle.
Happy birthday, Kazie!
Heard a large "crack!" last night, and the lights went out for a couple of hours. We'd just started watching Father Goose -- Cary Grant, Leslie Caron and Trevor Howard. Only took a few seconds for the generator to kick in, and we were back to watching the movie. Luckily it was on DVD -- it takes almost 30 minutes for DirecTV to reinitialize after the most minimal power glitch.
Generally smooth solve as expected for Monday. My only hangup was doing the puzzle without my reading glasses and not seeing the period after Kent. - so thought it was going to be YORK or ESSEX before perps filled in TENN.!
Thanks Argyle and CW! and HBD Kay!
Good morning everyone.
Happy Birthday to Kazie.
Straightforward solve today. No look-ups, no erasures. Noted the unifier but by then had most of it filled in.
CARRY A TUNE - From MASH, Hawkeye says: "I'll carry your books, I'll carry a torch, I'll carry a tune, I'll carry on, carry over, carry forward, Cary Grant, cash-and-carry, carry me back to Old Virginia, I'll even 'hari-kari' if you show me how, but I will not carry a gun."
SEARS has closed their only store in our area. We are as they say in SEDAN, sans Sears.
Have a great day.
Thanks CW. Thanks Argyle. Happy Birthday Kazie !
MENSA, Merriam Webster, and Yahoo still had yesterday's puzzle.
The Chicago Tribune website and Cruciverb had the right one.
Blew past the theme. Didn't see some clues until the writeup.
Foul callers = REFS. That's in basketball. It would be UMPS calling foul balls in a baseball game. REFS in football and hockey call penalties.
I'll be heading to SEARS in a little later. After 24 years, our Whirlpool washing machine started to leak. Hope they have one in inventory. I didn't need Avg Joe and his dowsing rod to find the source of the water.
Good morning, folks. Thank you, C. W. Stewart, for a fine puzzle. Thank you, Argyle, for a fine review.
Breezed through this in 15 minutes. That mitt be a record for me.
Only one inkblot, wrote in FLEW instead of SPED for 61D. Another small inkblot, spelled KARAT with a C.
Theme appeared after I had most of the puzzle down.
First time I have seen UBER in a puzzle. I use them now and then. Good service.
Have to finish the lawn today.
Saw Footloose in Ohio on Friday night. My granddaughter was in it with her high school. Saw The Pirates of Penzance yesterday at our high school in Bartlett. Both musicals were great. Nice to see young people doing good things.
I still have Thursday, Friday, and Sunday to enter on the blog. Saturday I did not get done. Maybe later when the rain starts.
Off to the grass. See you tomorrow.
Happy Birthday, Kazie!
Abejo
( )
Musings
-I saw ESAU sittin’ on a see saw, I saw ESAU with my girl
-I’m trying not to break the HABIT of 30 min. of exercise per day
-Some frolicking giraffes (1:01) after being let outside for the first time this spring
-ORATORS with CHARISMA claim they will fix everything stuck in your CRAW
-Some ballplayers are called ORCHIDS because they always seem to be hurt
-PRO RATA is taking a beating in delegate apportionment this spring
-I can’t get enough of this UKE masterpiece
-Much of the KC Royal success is due to the many SAVES of its 100+mph relief pitchers
-Those YIELD signs should also have a “ALLOW TO YIELD” sign on the main road
-I’ll TEE it UP at 11 am this morning with my long time friend who takes 39 DOSES of pills after his triple transplant surgery. He has the liver, pancreas and kidney of a 38-year-old woman
-The CAST of this 1963 movie had about every A-lister of the time. Title?
-HBD, Kazie! I hope you have a g’day!
A tip of my HAT to C.W. and Argyle for the fun today. Like others, I tried the Mensa site first but then went to the LA Times site and endured the ad.
I wanted STOCK yard before FARM and questioned KARAT but the perps decided things.
Jeopardy contestants last week did not know the story of Jacob and ESAU.
TTP, soccer refs also call fouls.
My SAFARI photos from 3 years ago at this time are coming back on my Facebook memories.
HBD Kazie.
Wishing you all a great day.
Husker, It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, because it doesn't quite look like Cleopatra or The Great Escape. I knew quite a few people who graduated from high school that year.
Like a few others, I had to search for today's puzzle since my local newspaper no longer carries the LATimes CW. I finally found it on the LATimes website. Novel place to look. I prefer the Mensa site usually.
Definitely a quick run through the puzzle even taking time out to get a cuppa coffee. Thanks C.W. and Argyle. I didn't really look for the theme but with Argyle's expo it became apparent.
Only had to rely on perps to start the fill-in for a couple of the longer starred clues. Then they fell into place quickly.
HG: I think your movie is It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963). A very funny movie.
Happy Birthday Kazie and I hope everyone has a great day.
Barry G - you are developing a Canadian accent with your final "eh" comment. LOL!
Good Morning:
This was easier and breezier than a typical Monday but fun and enjoyable just the same. Thanks CW and Argyle for a pleasant start to the last week of the "Cruelest Month." I don't know if it is the cruelest but this year, at least, it's been the craziest, weather-wise.
Happy Birthday, Kazie, and I hope it's a special day.
Bluehen, welcome back! Glad to hear you're coming along so well; keep up the good work!
The FBI is still MIA but BOA needs my account verification passcode IMMEDIATELY or my account will be frozen! Horrors! I'm not worried, though, because I don't have a Bank of America account.
Have a great day.
Canadian Eh,
Thanks. I forgot about soccer using REFS and calling fouls.
In football and basketball, some penalties are personal fouls.
In soccer, some fouls result in penalty kicks.
Bluehen, welcome back !
Desper-otto, FWIW I measured my water pressure. I'm on a private well, so I have the built in gauge at the tank. Because of the well and pressure tank, my pressure range is from 40 to 60. When it registered 60, my outside spigots each registered 58 (maybe just a difference in the gauges). Took the head off the shower and measured there and got 50, so the drop there is probably in the valve. I have a hunch your city supply isn't keeping up. I know that if I run too many fixtures at once, my deep well pump can't keep up. But I can fill the tub and run the sprinkler with no problem.
A very happy birthday, Kazie!
Thank you, C.W. Stewart, for this really easy yet enjoyable puzzle which I filled as fast as I could write.
HG: thank you for linking that UKE number. I also love it!
And always a thank you to Argyle. You rock, Santa!
Have a marvelous Monday, everyone!
Bluehen, welcome back!
I hope the Mensa site gets fixed soon. I like to print out my puzzles and work them on paper. The other versions do not allow this because one does not get all of the clues printed.
Still in all, I guess I was lucky to get it at all.
Hi Y'all! Thanks, C.W. & Argyle! Fun & fast. With Mensa down, had to resort to blog's LA Times connection.
Had trouble with the "d" on the EPODE/SPED cross. Don't remember hearing EPODE before. SPED isn't a word I associate with wind although I know "wind speed".
Thought GET LOOSE was a theme phrase but it wasn't starred. If you don't HAVE IT ON HAND, you can GET it. I've even had my pharmacy order me an OTC they don't carry.
Happy birthday, Kazie!
Had a bit of excitement Sat. night. Sitting quietly reading and heard volleys of gunshots. Sounded close enough I jumped up. More gunshots & lots of sirens. Learned on line last night that Fed, State, & local lawmen shot it out with a desperado at a motel about a mile as the crow flies from my house. Motel caught fire. Dead body, Some lawmen shot. Good grief! Missed any news of it on TV or online until 24 hrs. later.
PK, did you have to call him a desperado?
Argyle
In British English, one standard definition of "RUN-IN" is the home stretch of a racecourse -
"The horses galloped neck-and-neck up the run-in"
Which would lead naturally enough to the idea of competition/disagreement.
NC
Pretty easy Monday puzzle, not a complaint. Not much to add.
Desper-otto: Oops, sorry! Make that "THE BAD GUY". I don't know how to change it in my post. Sigh!
We expect Mondays to be easy, but it's nice to have a little crunch, which was, sadly, mostly missing. The theme was also weaker than usual, and even a bit of a stretch in some cases.
However, enjoyed EPODE and GEODE where the -ODE ending has different Greek roots:
EPODE: derived from ODE from Gk. ōidē = SONG
GEODE: – ODE derived from Gk. adj. ending -ōdēs => GEODE = "EARTHY"
and there is also a third –ODE root:
DIODE : –ODE from Gr. hodos = WAY => DIODE = "2-way"
Not, of course, to be confused with "-PODES" = feet, as in ANTIPODES and (for the purist) OCTOPODES (not OCTOPI !!)
I love a speed run on a Monday morning, and this was a great one. Just zipped right through it, having to erase and replace only a single letter along the way. Many thanks C.W., for getting my week off to a great start. And thank you, Argyle, for finally explaining TMI to me. I've run into it in crossword puzzles many times, but never knew what it stood for.
Fun limericks, Owen.
Have a wonderful birthday, Kazie.
Irish Miss, just a few minutes ago I got a call that began, "This is an officer with the IRS." I hung up. I've been hearing about these scams on the news and figured I'd wait for a letter if there's an issue.
Have a great week, everybody!
Oh, no, first IrishMiss and now Misty! Shall we start collecting bail money?
Barbara has been having some discomfort with urination over the last few weeks. A CT scan showed a tumor on the bladder. She went in for a procedure this morning to have it removed. She was supposed to be back home around noon but it was bigger than anticipated and she is still at the hospital. The doctor was reassuring that it could be dealt with successfully with further treatment but I have been worried sick. I have tried to continue to work on CWs to give my brain something else to think about but I have been having a hard time finding anything worth saying about my solving experience. (At least the IRS isn't after me at the moment.) I'll try to stay in touch. Geez...
Bill G
Sorry to hear that Barbara and you are going through this. Best wishes that Barbara gets through this uneventfully and easily.
PK, that is too close !
Bill G:
I'm so sorry about your Barbara and truly hope it is treatable and completely benign. Prayers for you both.
PK:
Stay safe!
Not much to say about the puzzle today. Easy, but a fun romp. The theme became apparent as it progressed and the reveal proved it. Monday level frivolity. No complaints.
I'm very sorry to hear about Barbara's health issue Bill. I hope that all turns out very well.
Keep your head down, PK. That does seem far too close for comfort. We hear gunshots with some frequency in our current rural environment, but have complete faith it's either hunting or target practice. 35-40 years ago in Denver on a few occasions when we heard shots in the night it was an entirely different sensation. Can't say I enjoyed it. Stay safe!
Bill G - Sorry to hear of Barbara's health problems and wish her a speedy resolution and recovery. Try not to worry too much and please keep us posted.
Lucina, I think Misty and I are above reproach despite what the "FBI" and "IRS" imply, so you needn't worry about raising bail money, but your concern is greatly appreciated! LOL at these desperate scams except for the victims who fall prey to them.
PK, stay alert and safe!
Hi All!
WEES. Thanks C.W. and Argyle for a quick puzzle and fun expo, respectively.
WO: I had a RUNIN w/ SEDAN when I put the latter in the former's slot.
Fav: I can't not think of Get Smart when I see CRAW (@:14 of 4:12).
Bill G. So sorry to hear about yours & Barbara's tribulations. We'll be thinking of you, keep us posted.
PK - Keep your head down next time. Hopefully there won't be a next time!
HG - Usually I have no clue about your movie trivia. But, I knew Mad, Mad, right off the bat. I introduced the girls to it last year. They liked it too.
Q. Why are A/C installers so organized?
A. Their DUCTS are in a row.
//I'll see myself out.
Cheers, -T
PK - Read about the incident this a.m. in the Houston Chronicle; so you're in Topeka. Stay safe. Funny, D-O! but PK corrected it with apologies. :0
Bill G - Hope Barbara is out of the hospital by the time you read this. Have faith in her doctor's prognosis!! and keep us posted.
Sorry - I don't mention nits - just go with the flow, until now. But "stockfarm"? Really? Grew up on a farm with a 100 head of cattle here in Texas, and I've never heard of the term. Maybe livestock farm? Must be a regional term.
I agree with TX Ms about STOCKFARM. Rather than a regional term, I think it's a term used when the constructor and editor are painted into a corner.
I also thought KENT seemed off for an abbreviation. It could have been improved with a different clue I think.
Thanks for the good wishes. I'll know more about everything after her next appointment, Friday I think. Right now, managing the routing of the tube for her catheter and my inability to stop worrying are the biggest hassles.
Thinking of you and Barbara, Bill.
Stock Farm : a farm devoted to breeding livestock. Circa 1800 - to present. Much like horse breeders, attention is paid to the blood line of the stock. Not your standard beefers or milk cows, these. They are destined to be Grand Champions and bring thousands of dollars.
Post a Comment