Theme: Limited-time retail offer - Save some moola maybe.
38A. Big sale, where you can find the starts of 18-, 23-, 49- and 60-Across: SHOPPER'S DELIGHT
18A. "Just handle the problem!": DEAL WITH IT
23A. Upstage one's co-stars: STEAL A SCENE
49A. Employ stalling tactics: BUY SOME TIME
60A. Take into account: BARGAIN FOR
Argyle here with GG&BV. Not much to say (except brrr). A nice grid-spanning reveal.
Across:
1. Rides for hire: CABs
5. Rapids transports: RAFTs
10. Toothed tonsorial tool: COMB. Fun alliteration.
14. Treaty partner: ALLY
15. Open courtyards: ATRIA
16. "So that's what you mean": "I SEE"
17. Shakespearean king: LEAR
20. Jam session jammer: MUSICIAN
22. Signs of sadness: TEARS
26. Tavern brew: ALE
27. Some motorcycles and pianos: YAMAHAs. Logo History.
32. Lawn-wrecking pests: MOLEs
36. Sewn edge: HEM
37. __ president: VICE
42. Mongolian desert: GOBI
43. No-frills sleeper: COT
44. Fire pit particles: ASHES
45. '70s-'80s band with a steering wheel on their debut album cover: THE CARS
47. Google success: HIT
55. Pro on camera: ACTOR
59. Like some rays outside the visible spectrum: INFRARED
63. Fill fully: SATE
64. Qatari ruler: EMIR
65. British unit of length: METRE
66. Hall of Famer Musial: STAN.(baseball)
67. Relaxed gait: LOPE
68. Old West search party: POSSE. "Head 'em off at the pass!"
69. Narrow-bodied swimmers: EELs
Down:
1. Brings peace to: CALMS
2. Native Alaskan: ALEUT
3. Having a been-there-done-that attitude: BLASÉ
4. War-torn country since 2011: SYRIA
5. Goodyear offering: RADIAL
6. "Relax, soldier": "AT EASE"
7. Pre-euro Metz money: FRANC
8. Up to, in ads: TIL. Limited-time offer. But if you call in the nexzt five ....
9. Got a look at: SAW
10. Use as a reference: CITE
11. Workplace standards org.: OSHA. (Occupational Safety and Health Administration)
12. Israel's Golda: MEIR
13. Puts money (on): BETS
19. To-do list entry: ITEM
21. Envelope fastener: CLASP
24. Looked at closely: EYED
25. Birth certificate datum: NAME
28. "We Try Harder" car rental chain: AVIS
29. Air conditioner setting: HIGH. My air conditioner setting is in the closet.
30. Suffer from overexertion: ACHE
31. Goes below the horizon: SETS. The latest sunrise is for the next few days.
32. Senior NCO: MSGT. (master sergeant)
33. "Oops!": "OH-OH!"
34. Place for an earring: LOBE
35. Grand-scale poem: EPIC
36. Pres. between FDR and DDE: HST. Franklin Delano Roosevelt / Harry S. Truman / Dwight David Eisenhower
39. Sandy shade: ECRU. Slight misdirection.
40. Flushed, as cheeks: ROSY
41. Down the road: LATER
46. Magician's syllables: ABRA. "Abracadabra!"
47. Pays tribute to: HONORS
48. "My schedule is wide open": "I'M FREE"
50. Works with flour: SIFTS
51. Cup for café or thé: TASSE. Le thé is French for tea. Tasse à café - coffee cup / Tasse à thé - teacup
52. Blowing one's top: IRATE
53. Lead or zinc: METAL
54. Blissful regions: EDENS
55. Cain's victim: ABEL
56. Commando garb: CAMO. (Camouflage)
57. Stumble: TRIP
58. Kiddie lit monster: OGRE
61. Mischief-maker: IMP
62. Modernist's prefix: NEO
Argyle
Greetings!
ReplyDeleteNice work, Gail, Bruce and Santa!
Only thing not known was THE CAR.
Raining here again.
Pool equipment on the fritz. Miss my exercise.
Have a great day!
{B+, B+, A-, B+, C-.}
ReplyDeleteOGRES and EELS may seem not alike
One likes to slither, the other to fight!
But EELS make sushi
And OGRES make gooshy
Whoever they step on when they dance with DELIGHT!
ABEL was an ACTOR with a need to be SEEN,
It could be on TV, or the big silver screen!
But he ran afoul of the cops
For thieving SETS and props --
They charged him, of course, with STEALING A SCENE!
A drag queen wanted a costume to BUY
Of a Mongolian desert gal or guy.
But EMIR's courtesan,
Or chieftain and Khan?
For the party he mixed them, opting to GO BI !
A fashionista NAMED STAN began a probe
On ear LOBE piercings all over the globe.
He SIFTED through web sites
And COMBED reference CITES,
And at last got an earring -- through his prefrontal LOBE!
The store was for sure a SHOPPER'S DELIGHT
A BARGAIN FOR every DEAL WITH-in sight!
Meat by the METERS,
RAFTS to the rafters,
MUSICIANS on YAMAHA -- bikes left and right!
Fun little romp today, but I did have to erase LEeR for LEAR. I blame my cardiologist for insisting on decaf. Favorite was MEIR, evoking memories of the fine stateswoman. Least favorite was OHOH. I really dislike the "grunt" types of fills even when they are easy. My favorite Cars tune was Let's Go (I like the night life baby).
ReplyDeleteThe Golden Globes lost all credibility in my view when they sold Best New Star to Pia Zadora's husband years ago. But I think that Fallon is the best ad libber in the business. Seeing his vamping when the teleprompter failed makes almost wish I watched the show. Almost.
Thanks Gail and Bruce for another fine offering. And thanks, Santa, for the tour.
Good morning!
ReplyDeleteYay! The ice age is over; it didn't freeze last night. Boo! Somebody whacked my mailbox again. That's the project for this morning.
Thanx GG, BV and Santa. Didn't notice the theme, and missed the already-filled-in reveal. No matter; it was a nice outing. CAMO, because "Sans Underwear" was too long. I owned a YAMAHA motorcycle back in the 60's, a 2-cylinder 125cc. It was a zippy little bike. I've also owned a few pieces of YAMAHA audio gear -- they make good stuff.
Now for that mailbox...
A fun romp for Monday!! Hurray!! Thanx, GG& BV for a nice witty CW! About my usual time for Monday. Thanx, Argyle, for your usual terrific write-up. Owen, ur on top of ur game, straight B+!! Too sick yesterday to go to Slackers Packer bar here in FLL, had to stay home and watch. It's been ten days. Hope to start feeling better soon. Packers are in for a tough game next week, Cowboys have a great team this year.
ReplyDeleteGood day to all!
ReplyDeleteA nice puzzle from Gail and Bruce, neat and clean as always. Did not know THE CARS. So sad about 4D SYRIA. Thanks for the expo, Argyle.
I'm back to work today after a wonderful two week hiatus.
Enjoy the day!
Good morning all! Fun way to start the week and I believe I was under my usual Monday time. Great offering- thanks GG and BV and thanks Argyle for a fine expo!
ReplyDeleteOnly a couple of hiccups: had Bakes for "works with flour"- nice little misdirection for SIFTS; Had Meter / METRE (doh!)
Took a bit but actually remembered TASSE ( been many years since I took French in HS)
Favorite was COMB - clue was a fun alliteration as Argyle said.
Jinx- 'Let's Go' is also my favorite Cars song. I started watching the Golden Globes but fell asleep about 90 minutes in....
DH spent part of last summer refurbishing a '76 Honda 750 Four that my Stepfather gave to him ( it sat in his garage for 5 years after he bought a Harley) No riding here until Spring, but DH wants to sell the Honda then and buy a new YAMAHA.
Our yard has been taken over by MOLES now that one of our cats passed away. He was quite the hunter and would bring them to us on a regular basis ( along with mice, voles, birds of all sizes and once- a squirrel. Our wooded lot was a smorgasbord for him) Our other cat is a lover, not a fighter. She has no interest in catching anything other than more sleep 😃
Have a great day everyone!
🐇
This was a fun romp from Gail and Bruce. Thank you! Shopping used to be a DELIGHT for me but no more though that exhilaration still occurs when I find a real BARGAIN.
ReplyDeleteHere in the sometimes wild west we've had a volunteer POSSE for many years though now that a new sheriff was elected that may change.
COMB made me laugh and at the same time admire the clue; it sounds so formal for that common tool.
Sandy shade had me looking for a beach or tree until ECRU emerged with E in place. HIGH crossing VICE gave me pause. Here we would be looking for gophers instead of MOLES in the grass.
Thank you, Argyle, for explaining the TASSE clue. I thought something was missing, not knowing tea in French.
Everyone have a DELIGHTful day!
Good Morning.
ReplyDeleteWell, it's not often I conquer a puzzle with the reveal and the theme entries, but this one was it. Breezy.
Thanks, Gail, Bruce and Argyle for a smooth start to a very busy day!
Enjoy the heat wave and the sun.
Smooth Monday, only switch was from LITRE to METRE due to perps.
ReplyDeleteStarting to warm up here!
Thanks Argyle and Gail &Bruce!
Good Morning:
ReplyDeleteIt's always a pleasure to see Gail and Bruce as the constructors because I know I'm going to enjoy the solve which did today. They have a knack for taking a simple but imaginative theme and executing it with style and substance. No hiccups at all, just smooth sailing.
Thanks, G and B, for your consistent craftsmanship and delightful puzzles and thanks, Argyle, for your fun and informative expo.
I'm in dire straits (is that the right straits?) as my ice-maker is not making any ice. (Sorry, Tin, but in this house, ice is as necessary as the air I breath!) Oh well, I guess I have to bite the bullet and call GE for a serviceman, AKA, highway robber!
Have a great day.
Nice write-up Argyle.
ReplyDeleteThank you for a FUN Monday puzzle Gail & Bruce.
Irish Miss: Isn't there some of that frozen stuff outside?
(Never understood why you like to dilute your Scotch ...)
Well the Tampa Bay area is going "nuts" over the College FOOTBALL Championship game here tonight.
Should be near 60 degrees when they kickoff at 8:00 pm
A "Toast-to-ALL" at Sunset.
Cheers!
"Puzzling Thoughts":
ReplyDeleteToday's puzzle solved in the usual Monday time allotment, and from top to bottom, left to right. At first I checked a few perps to make sure I was correct .. until I got to 45a and had a brain fart. For some reason I guessed TRAFFIC (I had purposely left the theme reveal SHOPPERS DELIGHT) blank as I wanted to solve the theme fillers before the reveal. At any rate I finally recalled THE CARS; never a big fan of theirs but they certainly had a successful run for a decade or so
Speaking of "'70's" clues/solves, RADIALS are throw-backs to that decade IIRC.
Hand up for smiling at the solve for 10a COMB. The clue was way more detailed than the solve deserved! 😀
Good morning everyone.
ReplyDeleteNice puzzle from Gail and Bruce; always fine intro from Argyle. All is right with the world and a good start to the week.
Nothing to add; the theme was work-a-day but still interesting. Steeredme to the last theme phrase - BARGAIN……….
Metz is a German sounding named city in French Lorraine. Attempted misdirection.
TASSE - Also German, probably a borrowing.
Have a good day.
Musings
ReplyDelete-Irish Miss’s summation praising G & B is spot on for me
-STEAL A SCENE – An adage for ACTORS – “Never work with animals or children”
-“So that’s what you mean” – My DW sometimes plays a game of “Can you guess what I’m thinking?”
-Pianos and motorcycles reminds me of this cartoon
-Fireplace ASH wound up on our garden
-Having seen so much great art in Florence can make you almost BLASÉ to the next masterpiece
-RADIAL tires can look low even when they are not
-A lovely non-sale use of TIL(L) (2:18)
-What an interesting Golda quote
-My friend BET a half-gallon of ice cream on his Denver Broncos when I said they wouldn’t finish above .500. They were 8 – 8 so I think neither of us won
-I wonder how many people are experiencing ACHES from their New Year’s resolutions?
-A recurring TRIPPING controversy in Duke BB
I had trouble getting started in the upper-left corner but after that, it was mostly smooth sailing. Thanks Gail, Bruce and Argyle.
ReplyDeleteWhat do you think of the new additions to the cast of NCIS? They don't seem to have much appeal. In addition, the writing seems to be less interesting lately. Maybe it's just me...?
Boy, Meryl Streep didn't leave much doubt about how she feels politically.
ReplyDeleteQuick run through the puzzle today. Good one Gail and Bruce. I didn't get the theme until Argyle's explanation but I didn't need it to finish.
I tried UBER and LYFT before CABS became evident. ULTRAVIOLET didn't fit, so it had to be INFRARED. The British spelling of METRE corrected my initial input of METER. Why is it that they can't spell properly in England? Otherwise it was an easy fill today.
Bill G @ 11:35: I agree wholeheartedly about NCIS. They were able to weather the loss of Kate in the early days of the show but Ziva leaving and now Tony are going to bring about the end of the show. Just like all the changes in CSI characters brought an end to that show.
Jinx @ 5:45: I think most all of the award shows are just big advertisements and not worth the airtime they occupy. If I like a show/movie I don't care if anyone else likes it or not. Plus they are becoming to politicized and too PC.
It was a balmy 10° this morning and is barely getting out of the teens today. Stay warm everyone.
Solved puzzles & read the blog everyday last week, but couldn't get my password to work, so ended up not posting. Last week was a flip-flop for me. I really struggled with Monday's puzzle, Tuesday was a little better and Wednesday even better. I only missed one letter on Thursday, then I solved the Friday one. First time I've ever completed a Friday crossword!
ReplyDeleteNow, to start this week, I struggled again today. A DNF for me. I did get the theme but used red letter help.
Thanks, Argyle, for the explanations. I needed a couple of them.
Bill G, I agree with you about NCIS.
I'd send a picture from my living room window today, but it's a whiteout so you'd see nothing. 1° above zero, though, so warmest it's been in a week.
Montana
What happened to today's crossword puzzle? There's a column for 40 down but nowhere is there a clue.?
ReplyDeleteI'm afraid I have no idea what you are talking about. Maybe some more information might help.
ReplyDeleteFWIW, for Bill G, oc4beach, and Montana: it's always seemed to me that one aspect of TV serials is that -- after a while -- the writers run out of new ideas and the shows start sagging. First season: stunning! Sixth season: yawn.
ReplyDeleteThere are only so many ways to restring DNA or sailors after all, and the writers seem to get bored too.
Joyce, my paper had the clues for 40 and 41 down compressed a little. The clue for 41 Down is "Down the road."
ReplyDeleteGreat Gail and Bruce Monday puzzle after the bears on Saturday and Sunday. A huge relief! I got everything without any problems and feeling all is well again in my little world. So thank you, thank you, and you too, Argyle.
Sorry to hear you're under the weather, Uncle Fred. Get better soon.
I too worry about Aleppo and Syria.
Have a great week, everybody!
Joyce,
ReplyDeleteIn my LA Times, the clue for 40-D is printed plainly ("Flushed, as cheeks"), but then the word "cheeks" is followed without a space by the clue for 41-D ("Down the road"). In other words, the 41-D clue is squeezed after 40-D's and doesn't have a line of its own.
I guess they caught a printing problem partway in the press run, then failed to fix it properly.
Except for this gaffe, not the fault of creators Grabowski and Venzke, this was a fine pzl. Thank you, both! - and thanks to Argyle for a solid exposition.
This was a perfect introduction to Latimes xwords. Just enough bite. And variety. And of course Stan"the Man" Musial
ReplyDeleteStan started as a pitcher and very quickly become the best hitter in the NL.
Either Willy or Hank casually said he was the best of all the hitters. Praise indeed.
Hondo might weigh in on this.
I would say TASSE is more Starbucks 101 than french. Do you remember
J'entre dans la Salle de Classe
Those were the first words we heard in 9th grade. Very young mademoiselle soon to become a Madame. We all took public transportation into Boston to a French restaurant without an adult in sight.
I ordered Harry Kotts .
Agreed. GG and BV = Good cluing and thanks Argyle for the write-up
And all B+ works for me. Though the A can stand. How could Owen match his weekend chez d'oeuvres
WC
I expected to like this Gail and Bruce work, and I did. Good work!
ReplyDeleteBill G, I agree with you about NCIS. Criminal Minds seems to be suffering the same deterioration. I thought Meryl Streep's speech was outstanding, and a very welcome change from the myriad "I want to thank my ..." and "I couldn't have done it without ..." speeches. Not sure it was political as much as it was a lament against bullying and the abuse of power and status.
What has been happening in Syria makes me very sad. It also makes me glad I live here and not there.
Jayce, good point about Meryl Steep's speech. Not so much political as a "lament against bullying and the abuse of power and status." Excellent point.
ReplyDelete1. One of my goals for 2017 is to lose 10 pounds. Only 15 to go...
2. Kids don't know how easy they have it today. When I was young, I had to wade through nine feet of shag carpeting just to change the channel.
3. I may not be that funny or handsome or athletic or talented or... I forget where I was going with this.
4. I ate a salad for dinner last night, most croutons and tomatoes. Really just one big crouton covered with tomato sauce. And cheese. FINE, it was a pizza. I had a pizza.
WC, I hope your Harry Kotts were Vurt
ReplyDeleteDid you all see/solve the C.C. special in the WSJ?
It had a little sting to it
I'm going to add my 2¢ on the cast changes on shows. I never got into NCIS (the original) but I saw enough clips to get the gist of Michael Weatherly's character who I did not like one bit. Interestingly, I now watch him in "Bull" and really enjoy him. OTOH, I started watching NCIS New Orleans and got into it because of the ensemble cast. After one season, they eliminated one of the main characters who I felt was an integral part of the show, so I was bummed out. After a brief period, they then brought in a replacement character who I find so difficult to watch and listen to that I have stopped watching the show. "Chicago Med" and "Code Black" have also replaced a couple of major characters but I have no problems with the new cast members.
ReplyDeleteBill G, very funny, thanks.
ReplyDeleteHi All!
ReplyDeleteFirst order of biz: Happy Belated Birthday Patti!
Thanks Gail and Bruce for another fun Monday puzzle; nice theme and no clunkers. Thanks Argyle for the MUSICal expo. Re: POSSE I hate that cliché :-)
WO: Heat b/f HIGH
ESP: TASSE. [Wilbur - I don't frequent Fourbucks]
Fav: c/a for COMB. Plus, I read the clue "Toothed tonsil tool" and imagined a throat-SAW (ouch!)
{A,A-,A,A+,B-}
Amazon.com is this SHOPPER'S DELIGHT. I hate going to stores.
IM - Have you checked you didn't accidentally turn off the ___-maker? We've done that b/f.
Funny Bill G.
D-O: LOL Commando's garb (or lack thereof)
You might think I'm Crazy but that's my fav The Cars' song.
Cheers, -T
Very late to the party today but wanted to join the after Christmas sales. Thanks Gail and Bruce, and Argyle.
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed the French with FRANC and TASSE as well as the English (and Canadian) METRE. Cringed as I filled in HONOR.
Also smiled at I SEE and SAW, as well as LOBE and LOPE.
My piano is a Kawai not a YAMAHA.
Bill G., my DH had one of those "Please share" e-mails with those Senior jokes plus a few more LOL!
Lemonade--I also saw/solved C.C.'s WSJ puzzle today. (Thanks, C.C.!) COMB was an answer in her puzzle too, clued as "You can part with it". Cute. I generally only do the WSJ on Fridays for the meta, so I was checking to see if I had gotten it right this week. Does anyone else here at the Corner do the WSJ meta? I just started doing them a few months ago, and really enjoy them.
ReplyDeleteMy friend had the Hoars devoors Lemonade.
ReplyDeleteBill G thx for the laughs.
Misty, I was thinking of you whilst SL going through the weekend xwords. Sometimes we get a break on Sunday, not so yesterday.
I just had time to persevere through. I don't like to give up for fear of starting a habit
I will say that Saturday had a lot of white squares for a long time. I had one of my long wilburtaries but lost it.
I did a lookup for BIC, I Was trying to force in RIT.
Gotta run
WC
Anonymous T @ 5:57 - Yes, I did check to see if had been accidentally turned off but it wasn't. Luckily, I found two trays to make cubes for my Scotch, otherwise I'd be in a pickle. And, Tin, there is no _ _ _ outside except for the rapidly dropping temps! The serviceman is coming Wednesday so I better get the checkbook ready. Preliminary quoted charges: $90.00 for the service call, $40.00 per each 1/2 hour + parts. Hmmmm, those ice cube trays are looking better and better!
ReplyDeleteLem - Thanks for the heads up on C.C.'s WSJ. I got the last copy ($3) at the corner-store and solved in about 20 min. Nice pzl C.C. - only Q & X short of a panagram [unless I did it wrong :-)]. Thanks MJ for 5a :-). 9a was also a puzzle-peat.
ReplyDeleteBummer IM.
Cheers, -T
Irish Mist, keep watching "NCIS New Orleans." my daughter is going to be a guest and she sings with "Pride".
ReplyDeleteMany thanks for thinking of me Wilbur!
ReplyDeleteHappy belated birthday, Patti!
I'm behind in movie watching so today went to see "Lion" and found it excellent! If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it.
ReplyDeleteMy take away from Meryl's speech was the same as Jayce's, against bullying and more tolerance for all especially the handicapped. She is in her right to use her star power to encourage civil behavior.
Bill G:
LOL! Very funny.
She is in her right to use her star power to encourage civil behavior.
ReplyDeleteShe is in her right to use her star power to encourage civil behavior.
ReplyDeleteConversely,
ReplyDeleteHe is in his right to use his star power to encourage civil behavior?