Tuesday, January 10, 2012 Gail Grabowski and Bruce Venzke

Theme: Tangibles - The four themes end in a word that is capable of being felt, seen, or perceived.

17A. Cosmopolitan piece : MAGAZINE ARTICLE

27A. "This can't lose" : "IT'S A SURE THING"

48A. Los Angeles Times piece, e.g. : NEWSPAPER ITEM

63A. Stipulation from a wealthy purchaser : MONEY IS NO OBJECT

Argyle here. Two grid spanner Tuesday. Although the four themes are synonymous in one sense, their use in their individual phrases are not. Personally, I found it easier than Monday's; you may not.

Now Gimme Dat Ding (2:19)

Across:

1. Stops stalling : ACTS. Not a case of vapor lock on your runabout.

5. Concert souvenirs : STUBS

10. Spongy ball brand : NERF

14. It's often fenced : LOOT

15. Toys that need wind : KITES

16. Electric co., e.g. : UTIL. (utilities)

20. Without help : ALONE

21. FDR's successor : HST. Harry S. Truman.

22. Milo of "Ulysses" : O'SHEA. He is 85 now.

23. Nothing at all : ZERO

25. Inner Hebrides isle : IONA. Map

32. Sinbad's transport : ROC (but they lost his baggage.)

33. Part of SASE: Abbr. : ENV. (self-addressed stamped envelope)

34. Support at the meeting : SECOND

37. Somewhat wet : MOIST

40. Caesar of comedy : SID

42. Do over, as a bow : RETIE

43. Island greetings : ALOHAs

45. Whole bunch : TON

47. Stein filler : ALE

52. "Show Boat" author Ferber : EDNA

53. School since 1440 : ETON

54. McCartney bandmate : STARR

57. Signal for immediate assistance : SOS

59. Cooks cakes : BAKES

66. Banquet hall vessels : URNS

67. Plant in Greek legend : LOTUS. The "lotus-eaters" are mentioned in the Odyssey, one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer.

68. Productive start? : ANTI

69. Pest in a swarm : GNAT

70. Nautical speed units : KNOTS

71. Heath-covered wasteland : MOOR

Down:

1. __ mater : ALMA

2. Shade of black : COAL

3. Like many lunch orders : TO GO

4. Song section : STANZA

5. Do a downhill run : SKI

6. Two-bit gamblers : TINHORNS. According to World Wide Words(site), it relates to a gambling game called chuck-a-luck.

7. Colorado natives : UTEs

8. "Vamoose!" : "BEAT IT!"

9. Outdated geopolitical letters : SSR

10. Pain in the neck : NUISANCE

11. Carve in stone : ETCH

12. Make hopping mad : RILE

13. Dog bugger : FLEA

18. Snazzy duo? : ZEEs. The letters.

19. More stylish : TONIER

24. Wish one hadn't : RUE

26. Cries of surprise : OHs

27. "__ la Douce" : IRMA. 1963 romantic comedy starring Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine.

28. Chisel, e.g. : TOOL

29. Offspring : SCION

30. Musical with the song "A New Argentina" : "EVITA"

31. Was able to reach : GOT AT

35. River through Sudan : NILE

36. Consider : DEEM

38. Most diaphanous : SHEEREST

39. Cheap and gaudy : TAWDRY

41. Deduces, slangily : DOPES OUT

44. Hyphenated ID : SSN

46. Table tennis table divider : NET

49. Relay, as information : PASSON

50. Lyndon Johnson's son-in-law Charles __ : ROBB. Married Lynda Bird.

51. Experiencing serious traffic : IN A JAM

54. Self-satisfied : SMUG

55. Undecided : TORN

56. "The King and I" role : ANNA

58. Not snookered by : ON TO

60. Numbers game : KENO

61. Prefix with plasm : ECTO. "I ain't afraid of no ghost!"

62. Ruckus : STIR

64. Class : ILK

65. WWII espionage gp. : OSS. The Office of Strategic Services

Answer grid.

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

1) Good luck to Husker Gary's daughter, who's having an operation today.

2) Happy Birthday to Frenchie. Hope you're doing well.

Monday, January 9, 2012 Timothy L. Meaker

Theme: Letter Progression - All the first words of each 2-word phrase have 6 letters, all in the pattern of "B + vowel + TT??". The middle vowel progresses from A through U.

17A. Military strategy : BATTLE PLAN

21A. Wife, to a humble husband : BETTER HALF

38A. Final unpleasant moment : BITTER END

59A. Net profit or loss : BOTTOM LINE

63A. Rectangular server with a dulledged knife : BUTTER DISH

Argyle here. I ignored the second T because B_T (except for the last one) isn't a word. This puzzle may have had you looking at the calendar. No connection between the theme entries other than they are two word phrases starting with B_TT. Seven vertical letter blocks in the corners.
Update: All except BETT can be a stand alone word.

Across:

1. Mar. parade honoree : ST. PAT

6. Switch for frequency choices : AM/FM

10. Cheep source : NEST

14. “... __ / By any other name ...”: Juliet : A ROSE. A shout out.

15. Room in la casa : SALA

16. Ancient Peruvian : INCA

19. Tennis great Steffi : GRAF

20. Bar mitzvah, for one : RITE

23. Old Roman road : ITER

24. Like an illmannered kid : BRATTY

25. “Wow” : "GEE!"

26. Like Leif Ericson : NORSE

28. It happens : EVENT

30. __ gratia artis: MGM motto : ARS. "Art for art's sake"

31. Made a haunted house sound : MOANED

37. Brainchild : IDEA

40. Folk singer Guthrie : ARLO

43. Canned cooking fuel : STERNO

44. Sleep stage letters : REM

47. No-goodnik : LOUSE

49. Icy look, perhaps : STARE

51. Tummy muscles : ABS

52. Playground apparatus for two : SEESAW

58. Phone sound : "RING"

61. Sailing, say : ASEA

62. __-deucy : ACEY. 56D. Tossed in a chip : ANTED. like for Acey-Deucey. You then bet a portion(or all) of the pot that your card will fall between the two cards the dealer has turned up. Your best bet is if the dealer has an ace and a deuce face up.

65. Eve’s opposite : MORN

66. Songstress Adams : EDIE

67. Prefix meaning “hundred” : CENTI

68. Church recess : APSE

69. Tear to bits : REND

70. Specialized idiom : ARGOT. Was it Reader's Digest that used to have a feature about insider's terms?

Down:

1. TV’s teenage witch : SABRINA

2. Mutineer : TRAITOR

3. Earthenware makers : POTTERS

4. Autumn bloomers : ASTERS

5. __ Aviv : TEL

6. In accordance with : AS PER

7. Mediterranean island country : MALTA

8. Scruggs’s bluegrass partner : FLATT. Lester

9. Impressionist Édouard : MANET

10. At hand : NIGH

11. Really angry : ENRAGED

12. Like triangles with unequal sides : SCALENE. Equilateral, Isosceles and Scalene.

13. Crisp fabric : TAFFETA

18. Tidal movement : EBB

22. Ham sandwich choice : RYE

27. Brit. recording giant : EMI

29. Kid-__: tots’ TV programming : VID

32. NFL fifth periods : OTs

33. ABA member : ATTorney

34. Michelle Obama __ Robinson : NÉE

35. Mess up : ERR

36. Place for thieves : DEN. Leftover from Sunday's puzzle?

38. Sox from Mass. : BOS.

39. Refusals : NO'S

40. University in Tuscaloosa : ALABAMA

41. 1987 title lawenforcing cyborg : "ROBOCOP"

42. Buffing results : LUSTERS

44. Bringing up : RAISING

45. Che Guevara’s first name : ERNESTO

46. Box office smash : MEGA-HIT

48. That, in Tijuana : ESO

50. Word with Joe’s or Vic’s : TRADER. The Albany area will have its first Trader Joe's this spring. Yay!

53. Fireplace bit : EMBER

54. Get away from : ELUDE

55. Protest on the floor : SIT-IN

57. Little, like laddies : WEE

60. Daly of “Cagney & Lacey” : TYNE. Currently can be seen on the TV series, "Burn Notice". Oops!  That's Sharon Gless on Burn Notice, regularly, not Tyne Daly.

64. Victrola company : RCA

Answer grid.

Argyle

Tuesday, January 3, 2012 Bernice Gordon

Theme: Fed Ex Delivery - I think this video explains the theme.

20A. Sounding relieved : HEAVING A SIGH

25A. Doing witch's work : CASTING A SPELL

42A. Preparing greens : TOSSING A SALAD

47A. Losing it : THROWING A FIT

Argyle here with our birthday girl, Bernice Gordon. I don't know the exact date but she will be 98 this month. We had one from her last winter(here) on a Wednesday and some of today's felt like a Wednesday. The grid has 10 cheater squares. (Because of the themes being close to each other?)

Across:

1. Terminer's partner, in law : OYER. The designation "court of oyer and terminer" is French, to hear and decide.

5. Arouse from sleep : WAKE 9A. What insomniacs count : SHEEP. Now that's a cute pairing.

14. Present : HERE

15. Leaf-to-branch angle : AXIL

16. Terra __: pottery clay : COTTA

17. User's morning reading : MAIL

18. French-American soprano Lily : PONS. She specialized in the coloratura soprano repertoire. A nice write-up goes with this clip.(3:32)

19. Ran competitively : RACED

23. Favorite : PET

24. News agcy. since 1958 : UPI. United Press International.

32. "What light through yonder window breaks?" speaker : ROMEO

33. Arizona natives : YUMAs. Also called the Quechan. Make a note of it; it could be in a puzzle late in a week. That reminds me this puzzle is just short a Q from being a pangram.

34. Corn unit : EAR

36. Like the Gobi : ARID

37. "King Solomon's Mines" hero Quatermain : ALLAN. Always reminds me of Alan Quartermaine, a soap opera character on General Hospital.

38. Snug and comfy : COZY

39. Get some morning exercise : JOG

40. Apply for __: try to borrow money : A LOAN

41. Transplant recipient : DONEE

45. Purring pet : CAT

46. Conclusion : END

53. Louisiana marsh : BAYOU. Blue Bayou.(2:29)

55. Baseball family name : ALOU

56. Carbon compound : ENOL

58. Flynn of film : ERROL

59. Like much early TV : LIVE

60. Neutral shade : ECRU

61. Jules's 43-Down : ÉCOLE

62. New Zealand parrots : KEAs

63. Strong taste : TANG

Down:

1. Electrician's unit : OHM. Unit of electrical resistance.

2. Slangy assent : "YEAH"

3. Lake where Perry achieved an 1813 victory : ERIE. Funny coincidence, the Battle of Lake Erie is also called the Battle of Put-in-Bay. It resulted in the famous message: We have met the enemy and they are ours.

4. Became ill again : RELAPSED

5. Antlered animal : WAPITI. Elk

6. Nerve cell transmitter : AXON

7. Certain monarch : KING of the jungle and 8D. Lioness in "Born Free" : ELSA

9. Big name in newspaper publishing : SCRIPPS. Founded by Edward W. Scripps, U.S. publisher and media financier, in 1878.

10. Sub in a deli : HOAGIE

11. Emulate Rembrandt : ETCH

12. Summer along the Seine : ÉTÉ

13. Hippie's home : PAD

21. Presidential power : VETO

22. Lazy gal? : SUSAN. Lazy Susan - A revolving tray for foods, condiments, etc., placed usually at the center of a dining table.

25. French landscape painter : COROT. Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot(1796 – 1875)

26. Cancún comrade : AMIGO

27. Parachute fabric : NYLON

28. Soviet labor camp agency : GULAG

29. Radarange maker : AMANA

30. British singer/songwriter Lewis : LEONA. Leona Lewis performing Better In Time.(3:56)

31. Took it easy, with "around" : LAZED

32. British rule in India : RAJ

35. Sandwich choice : RYE

37. 2005 Bush Supreme Court nominee : ALITO (Samuel)

38. Last-minute loss of nerve : COLD FEET

40. Usually : AS A RULE

41. Delany of "China Beach" : DANA. The ABC TV drama aired for three years, from 1988 to 1991, but in that time there were four seasons. Dana.

43. Word after high or tech : SCHOOL

44. Smooth transitions : SEGUEs

47. Beginner : TYRO

48. Base on balls : WALK. What's a crossword without some sports related clues.

49. Nastase of tennis : ILIE

50. __ Scotia : NOVA

51. Andean native : INCA

52. Struggling with choices : TORN

53. Spelling contest : BEE

54. Pop-up path : ARC. A baseball pop-up.

57. Loutish type : LUG

Answer grid.

Argyle

From C.C.:

1) Thanks for the newspaper information yesterday. I've updated the list.

2) Please click here for an in inspiring article about today's constructor Bernice Gordon. Bernice and the LA Times should have the "oldest constructor" record unless she will be published by the NY Times again this year.

Monday, January 2, 2012 Steve Blais

Theme: Tootsies - I wonder if there is any society that doesn't have a version of this nursery rhyme. Clip.(0:24)

39A. Tot's chant suggested by the starts of 17-, 24-, 49- and 60-Across : THIS LITTLE PIGGY

17A. Percentage of industry sales : MARKET SHARE

24A. Commodore 64, e.g. : HOME COMPUTER

49A. Offering at Arby's : ROAST BEEF SUB

60A. Hardly certain : NONE TOO SURE

63A. When tripled, cry near the end of 39-Across : WEE, WEE, WEE! All the way home.

Argyle here. It appears to be a debut for this constructor. Cute theme, a nice spanner in the middle, perhaps a few too many abbreviations and a touch harder than a normal Monday but I liked it.

Across:

1. Drink made with steamed milk : LATTE

6. Prefix meaning "ten" : DECA

10. 1970 hit that asks about its title, "What is it good for?" : WAR. Edwin Starr clip.(3:26)

13. Under way : AFOOT

14. Fred's "I Love Lucy" wife : ETHEL

16. Dublin's land: Abbr. : IREland

19. Shaq's former org. : NBA. Shaquille O'Neal / Basketball.

20. Get on one's knees, perhaps : PRAY

21. Roosters' mates : HENS

22. Plantation house : MANOR

27. "__ the ramparts ..." : O'ER

28. Many an Iraqi : ARAB

29. Internet commerce : E-TAIL

33. Simile words : AS AN

36. Narcotics squad action : RAID

42. Circle dance with a chair, often : HORA

43. Oscar winner Patricia : NEAL. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress for the middle-aged housekeeper Alma Brown in Hud. (1963)

44. Me.-to-Fla. highway : US ONE

45. Wrestling successes : PINS

47. Put a stop to : BAN

54. Brittany or Normandy, once : DUCHY. It is a territory, fief, or domain ruled by a duke or duchess.

55. __'acte: intermission : ENTR

56. Get ready, as for surgery : PREP

59. Seek information : ASK

64. __ de menthe : CREME

65. Robber James : JESSE. Died 1882. He and his brother, Frank, had an outlaw gang.

66. Prime meridian std. : GST. Greenwich Sidereal Time, a variant of Greenwich Mean Time used in astronomy.

67. Astronomical dist. : LT-YR. Light-Year.

 

 

68. None of the above : OTHER

Down:

1. Desk light : LAMP

2. Some distance away : AFAR

3. Sacred Judaic scroll : TORAH

4. Japanese metropolis : TOKYO

5. Québec summer : ÉTÉ

6. Defile, as something sacred : DESECRATE

7. Prefix with -centric : ETHNO

8. Deep gorge : CHASM

9. __ Lingus : AER. Aer Lingus Group Plc(an anglicisation of the Irish Aer Loingeas meaning roughly "air fleet") is the flag carrier of Ireland.

10. Motor home brand : WINNEBAGO. The company history.

11. Shady recess : ARBOR

12. Hitchcock's "__ Window" : REAR. (1954) The film received four Academy Award nominations.

15. Madagascar primate : LEMUR

18. What you used to be? : THEE

23. Classic video games : ATARIs

25. Gangster's gal : MOLL

26. Window section : PANE

29. Country N. of Kenya : ETHiopia.

30. However, briefly : THO. (although)

31. Cause of a sudden drop in altitude : AIR POCKET

32. Hebrew prophet : ISAIAH

34. RR stop : STAtion.

35. Completely healed : ALL BETTER

37. Engine starter: Abbr. : IGNition.

38. Source of much blonde hair : DYE

40. The "I" in MIT: Abbr. : INSTitute.

41. Some George Carlin jokes : PUNS

46. "Bye Bye Bye" pop group : *NSYNC

48. Bushy hairdo : AFRO

49. Deceptions : RUSES

50. Poet Stephen Vincent __ : BENÉT. Not to be confused with Edna St. Vincent Millay.

51. Foe : ENEMY

52. Surprise victory : UPSET

53. Dense overgrowth : BRUSH

54. "Deputy __": TV toon : DAWG. Interesting. We had this clue/answer on Jan. 1, 2010.

57. Gaelic tongue : ERSE

58. House of Lords member : PEER

61. Florida 19-Across team, on scoreboards : ORLando Magic.

62. Spanish eye : OJO

Answer grid.

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

I'd like to update papers that carry LA Times Daily crossword. Please click here and leave a comment if your local paper is missing from the list or the paper listed no longer has LA Times puzzle. Thanks.

Tuesday, December 27, 2011 Jeff Chen

Theme: Things Are Looking Up - Four types of skies sit atop the four tallest column entries with the unifier in the center.

4D. Bogeyman deterrent, so it's said : NIGHT LIGHT

8D. Organization leader, in slang : BIG ENCHILADA

21D. Unobstructed progress : CLEAR SAILING

32D. Chatterbox's output : BLUE STREAK

26D. Airport handlers, and in a way, what the first words of 4-, 8-, 21- and 32-Down are : SKYCAPS

Argyle here. I am a bit confused by the unifier. In what way are NIGHT, BIG, CLEAR, AND BLUE considered to be SKYCAPS? Because they are in capital letters? I was feeling this was meh at the start, until I saw 8-Down and then things perked up. I should have noticed from the grid that the themes were in the vertical. Although 42-Across(plural HE) sets my teeth on edge, Jeff has given us decent Tuesday fare.

Across:

1. Prayer ender : AMEN

5. Plant used as flavoring : HERB

9. Galaxy downloads : APPs. Ares Galaxy is a popular P2P file sharing application. Now if somebody can explain what that is, we're all set. Alternate explanation: Galaxy refers to the popular Samsung smartphone. (Thank you, John.)

13. Underworld figure : DEVIL

15. Jai __ : ALAI

16. Hilarious thing : RIOT

17. All the world, to Shakespeare : STAGE. And we are but players.

18. Building extension : WING

19. Wild about : INTO

20. Farm peeper : CHICK. I know a few of us can remember getting those little peepers through the mail. My goodness, you still can! Site.

22. Unintended radio broadcast silence : DEAD AIR

24. Merciless : BRUTAL

26. Squeal like a stoolie : SING

27. Little piggy : TOE. And squealed, "Wee, wee wee, all the way home". Not considered singing.

28. Authentic : REAL

29. "A mouse!" : "EEK!". Another squeal.

31. Castro's smokes : CUBANS. He gets them at the source.

33. Against : ANTI

34. Etiquette guru Vanderbilt : AMY

35. "2001" computer : HAL. (Heuristically programmed ALgorithmic computer) 2001: A Space Odyssey, directed by Stanley Kubrick, was produced in 1968.

36. B.S., e.g. : DEGree

37. Christina of "The Addams Family" : RICCI. Christina Ricci as Wednesday Addams.

39. Salt Lake City collegian : UTE

42. Guys : HEs

44. 2011 Huffington Post acquirer : AOL

45. "It follows that ?" : ERGO. Why the question mark?

47. Prayer incantation : MANTRA

50. Swingers' gp.? : PGA. Pro golfers.

51. Sound of relief : "SIGH". Not to be confused with the huffy sigh or the sigh of resignation.

52. Commotion : ADO

53. Fail to hit : MISS

55. High-tech business : DOT-COM

57. Kook : ODDBALL

59. Get hitched : MARRY

60. "Aha!" : "I SEE!"

61. Tiny bit : IOTA

63. Insurance spokeslizard : GECKO. If the Geico gecko fought the Aflac duck, who would win?

66. Jazz great Getz : STAN. Stan Getz & John Coltrane live in Dusseldorf, Germany(1960) A longer clip than I usually link but hey man .... (9:01)

67. Polish target : NAIL

68. Greek or Caesar follower : SALAD

69. Ratted (on) : TOLD

70. Tiny biter : GNAT

71. Data entry aids : KEYS

Down:

1. Commercials : ADs and 41D. Fought-over food in old 1-Down : EGGO

2. Congregated : MET

3. Remove from, as a storm-threatened area : EVACUATE

5. Warmonger : HAWK

6. Inventor Whitney : ELI

7. "Amazing" magician : RANDI

9. Lacking water : ARID

10. Whacked gift holder : PINATA. And the provider of many clips on America's Funniest Home Videos.

11. "Love" concoction : POTION. It took some time but I found the Clovers version with the alternate ending(#10). Clip(1:52)

12. Puts away for later : STORES

14. "I'd just as soon kiss a Wookiee" speaker : LEIA. Star Wars.

23. Liquid in un lago : AGUA. Over in Lago di Como, Italia.

24. "Push-up" garment : BRA. Gotta think of Dennis! Image.

25. Rip apart : REND

30. U.K. record label : EMI. A list of their artists. There is a lot of them, too.

38. Gear part : COG

40. Tot's wheels : TRICYCLE

43. Author Bombeck : ERMA. "The Grass Is Always Greener Over the Septic Tank" and she's right you know.

46. Resistance measurement : OHM

47. Follower of a Chinese "Chairman" : MAOIST

48. Builds a deck for, say : ADDS TO. Clue/answer seem a little off.

49. Negotiator's turndown : NO DEAL

54. Longtime Utah Jazz coach Jerry : SLOAN

56. FDA and NFL, e.g. : ORGs

58. Give a little : BEND

59. Beer base : MALT

62. Carrere of "Wayne's World" : TIA. Bra? What bra? Image.

64. Mary __ cosmetics : KAY

65. Pigs out (on), briefly : OD's

Answer grid.

Argyle

From C.C.:

Belated Happy Birthday to Andrea & Steve (???). I've added you to our blog birthday list. Won't miss it next year.

And Happy Birthday to our dashing pilot Dudley. Here are a few beautiful photos from our blog photo archive.

Monday, December 26, 2011 Victor Barocas

Theme: Bill of Rights - "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

20. 2010 Best Picture about a stammering royal : "THE KING'S SPEECH"

35. United Nations budget overseer : GENERAL ASSEMBLY

41. Gospel classic : OLD TIME RELIGION

52. Where the freedoms that end 20-, 35- and 41-Across are found : FIRST AMENDMENT

Argyle here. Some slight nits can be forgiven to provide us with two spanners and two near spanners. I didn't have the theme before the unifier but I didn't need it anyway. In fact, I didn't see several answers until I did the write-up.

Across:

1. Abbr. in an abbreviated list : ET AL.

5. In the dumps : GLUM. I discovered I still had the red letter help on when I entered BLUE.

9. Tore down, as a building : RAZED

14. Lucy Lawless role : XENA. TV series.

15. Not often seen : RARE

16. Verdi aria that means "It was you" : "ERI TU". Robert Merrill- live 1955 "Eri tu" (Verdi, "Ballo")(6:21)

17. Stevie Wonder's "__ She Lovely" : ISN'T. Stevie Wonder - Isn't She Lovely (Live in Japan, 1990)(3:23)

18. Oklahoma city : ENID

19. "Network" actor Peter or a songbird : FINCH

23. Lawyers' org. : ABA. The American Bar Association.

24. 1040-issuing org. : IRS

25. Followers of els : EMs. Alphabetically.

28. Newspaper revenue source : AD SPACE

32. Massage reaction : "AAH"

38. Like the Reaper : GRIM. Note that Reaper is capitalize, indicating a particular REAPER.

39. Georgia summer hrs. : EDT

40. Up to the task : ABLE

46. Born, in bridal bios : NEE

47. Party food provider : CATERER

48. Seventh Greek letter : ETA

49. Stylist's stuff : GEL

50. Two-time loser to DDE : AES. 1952 & 1958. Correction:1956 (Thank you, Abejo. Whoever heard of six years between presidential elections?)

60. Old Testament prophet : MICAH

61. "By __!" : JOVE. Interesting pairing.

62. Water color : AQUA

63. __ Lodge: budget chain : ECONO

64. "Planet of the __" : APES

65. Gather selectively : CULL

66. Brand at www.rootbeer.com : A AND W

67. Apartment payment : RENT

68. Pass idly, as time : KILL

Down:

1. Way off the road : EXIT

2. Pianist John : TESH

3. Henry VIII's second or fourth wife : ANNE. Anne Boleyn, m. 1533 - 1536, Executed - Anne of Cleves, m. 1540 Jan. - July, Divorced.

4. Andy Kaufman's "Taxi" character : LATKA. He was a "love him or hate him" individual. Clip.(1:52)

5. Caribbean island nation : GRENADA. Map.

6. "Auld __ Syne" : LANG. Next week.

7. "Battle Cry" author Leon : URIS. His two bestselling books were Exodus, published in 1958, and Trinity, in 1976. "Battle Cry" was his first novel.

8. Pills from docs : MEDS

9. Basketball official : REFEREE. Not sure if I've seen the whole word before. Usually we only get REF.

10. Astrological Ram : ARIES

11. Brass component : ZINC

12. Engrave with acid : ETCH

13. Response to the obvious : "DUH". D'OH! would be Homer's oblivious response.

21. Construction beam : I-BAR

22. Photos : PICS

25. Encourage : EGG ON

26. Country superstar Haggard : MERLE

27. Disparaging, as remarks : SNIDE

29. Wintry mix component : SLEET

30. Military chaplain : PADRE

31. Starlike flower : ASTER

32. Hoffman of the Chicago 7 : ABBIE. Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, David Dellinger, Tom Hayden, Rennie Davis, John Froines, and Lee Weiner. (1968 Democratic National Convention)

33. Distribute in shares : ALLOT

34. Carrion eater : HYENA

36. Ambulance worker, briefly : EMT. Emergency Medical Technician.

37. Cosmo, for one : MAG. Both are shortened words, Cosmopolitan and magazine, but not considered abbreviations.

42. Revue with skaters : ICE SHOW

43. Brewery supply : MALT

44. Least fatty, as corned beef : LEANEST

45. Inflamed : IRED. Did you get caught thinking of a medical condition?

49. Word with jury or piano : GRAND

51. Lips sound : SMACK

52. PR tax with a Medicare component : FICA. PR stands for Payroll. This definition appears very rarely. Per www.acronymfinder.com.

53. Screen symbol : ICON

54. Not quite shut : AJAR

55. Sulk : MOPE

56. Break __: neither win nor lose : EVEN

57. Prefix with distant : EQUI

58. Partner of void : NULL

59. Like difficult orders : TALL

60. "Cry __ River" : ME A. Michael Bublé.(4:28)

Answer grid.

Argyle

Tuesday, December 20, 2011 Steven J. St. John

Theme: A Winning Hand - Most of the time, four kings will take the pot.

20A. 33/63-Across, in golf : ARNOLD PALMER

28A. 33/63-Across, in stock car racing : RICHARD PETTY

45A. 33/63-Across, in swing music : BENNY GOODMAN

54A. 33/63-Across, in rock 'n' roll : ELVIS PRESLEY

33A/63A. With 63-Across, nickname for four immortals in this puzzle : THE and 63-Across. See 33-Across : KING

Argyle here, among the royalty. Our second puzzle from Steven and he's come through again. (His first one). Amazing all four names had the same numbers of letters. A pangram, too!

Across:

1. Indian royals : RAJAs

6. Pulitzer-winning columnist Maureen : DOWD. Columnist on The New York Times.

10. Popular British brew : BASS

14. Kuwaiti neighbor : IRAQI

15. Albany-to-Buffalo canal : ERIE

16. Game point, in tennis : AD IN

17. Make a case : ARGUE

18. Actor Kilmer et al. : VALs

19. Not common : RARE

23. Kirby Puckett and Mickey Mantle, by pos. : CFs. Centerfielders.

26. Tech sch. near Albany : RPI. Across the Hudson in Troy. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

27. Withered with age : WIZENED

31. See 7-Down : EXAM 7-Down. With 31-Across, postgraduate test : ORAL

32. Words with a nod : "I SEE"

36. Mark replacements : EUROS

38. Ran into : MET

39. West Indies native : CARIB. They are an Amerindian people whose origins lie in the southern West Indies and the northern coast of South America.

41. Secretly watch, with "on" : SPY

42. Holler's partner : HOOT

44. 2011 Libyan arms embargo enforcement gp. : NATO

49. Climbed on : BOARDED

52. Imperfect, as mdse. : IRR.

53. Hog's home : STY

57. Family group : CLAN

58. Suffix for the wealthy : AIRE. (millionaire)

59. Protect : GUARD

64. "Top Chef" judge Simmons : GAIL. Chefs compete against each other in culinary challenges on the cable television network Bravo. Gail Simmons was born in Toronto, Canada, and has been a judge on the show from the start.

65. Like mentors vis-à-vis mentees, usually : OLDER

66. Complete collections : SETS

67. Differ ender : ENCE. (Difference)

68. High-maintenance : NEEDY

Down:

1. Estuary : RIA. That part of the mouth a river in which the river's current meets the sea's tide.

2. LAX touchdown : ARR. (Arrival)

3. Drinking binge : JAG

4. Color similar to turquoise : AQUA

5. __ Nevada mountain range : SIERRA

6. Bereft (of) : DEVOID

8. Setting for saloons and shootouts : WILD WEST

9. Regardless of : DESPITE

10. Beer grain : BARLEY

11. Rhett Butler's final words : A DAMN. Everyone should have it this time,

12. Yes-Bob connection : SIREE

13. Wooden Mortimer : SNERD. Mortimer Snerd was the secondary dummy of Edgar Bergen, and appeared with Bergen and Charlie McCarthy.

21. "All Things Considered" airer : NPR. National Public Radio.

22. Templo Mayor worshiper : AZTEC. The Templo Mayor was one of the main temples of the Aztecs in their capital city of Tenochtitlan, which is now Mexico City.

23. Alberta natives : CREEs

24. Renovate : FIX UP

25. Frightening : SCARY

29. Health care gp. : HMO

30. Devoutness : PIETY

33. Mine transports : TRAMS

34. Attempt to strike : HIT AT

35. Black wood : EBONY

37. Loses, as winter fur : SHEDS

38. Dutch artist Piet : MONDRIAN. Not my cup of tea but here is a Google's worth of his art.

40. Also : AND

43. Résumé length, often : ONE PAGE

45. Raises, as a subject, with "in" : BRINGS

46. Brazilian supermodel Bündchen : GISELE. Nice image.

47. The Magic of the NBA : ORL. The Orlando Magic is a professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida.

48. Washington rival, in college sports : OREGON. The states.

49. Bremen brew : BECKS

50. Stan's sidekick : OLLIE. Laurel and Hardy

51. __-garde : AVANT

55. Old Norse mariner : ERIC the Red.

56. Eggnog season : YULE

60. Suffix with Gator : ADE

61. Wine choice : RED

62. Wine choice : DRY. Shiraz, just love the name.

Answer grid.

Argyle

Monday, December 19, 2011 Don Gagliardo & C.C. Burnikel

Theme: Naval Assent - Three entries use a modified "Aye, aye" to start their phrase.

17A. Service available at hotspots : WI-FI ACCESS

39A. Place to see droids or tribbles : SCI-FI CONVENTION

64A. Home theater component : HI-FI SYSTEM

Argyle here with latest offering from the Crusiverbic Duo. Constructor's comments at the bottom.

Across:

1. English or French instrument : HORN. English, French.

5. Phi Beta __ : KAPPA

10. Unit in a plan : STEP

14. Cookie since 1912 : OREO

15. Just picked from the tree : FRESH

16. Schoolbook : TEXT

19. "Phooey!" : "RATS!"

20. Goes bad, as milk : SOURS

21. Sax register : ALTO

22. Pub order : ALE

23. PC key on either side of the space bar : ALT

24. Josh : KID

26. "Laughing" critter : HYENA

28. Does and bucks : DEER

30. Performer's song assortment : MEDLEY

34. Some ER cases : ODs

35. Historical period : ERA

37. Aches and pains : AILMENTS

43. Jet-setter's document : PASSPORT

44. Gen. Lee's side : CSA

45. Oils and such : ART

46. Optimistic : UPBEAT

48. Hitchhiker's ride : LIFT

52. "The Sound of Music" family name : TRAPP

54. Chi follower : PSI. (Greek)

56. Morse T : DAH. (code)

57. "__ pig's eye!" : IN A

58. Trade : SWAP

61. "Time in a Bottle" singer Jim : CROCE. Clip.(2:25)

63. 44-Across soldiers : REBS

66. Very dry, as Champagne : BRUT

67. Daytime talk star : OPRAH

68. Yea or nay : VOTE

69. __ of Man : ISLE. Crossword staple.

70. China's unofficial national flower : PEONY

71. Blog entry : POST

Down:

1. "What a pity!" : "HOW SAD!"

2. Baltimore baseballer : ORIOLE

3. Disprove : REFUTE

4. Pinot __: red wine : NOIR

5. Col. Sanders's company : KFC

6. Gaming area : ARCADE

7. Spa treatment : PEEL

8. Sibilant "Over here!" : "PSST!"

9. Facetious "I get it now" : "AH, SO"

10. Alley cat, e.g. : STRAY

11. "Tower Heist" actress : TEA LEONI. Poster for the movie.

12. Reach as far as, as property vis-à-vis its boundary : EXTEND TO

13. NBA stats : PTs. Points, further broken down into 3-pointers, field goals and foul shots.

18. "If you don't know, __" : ASK

25. Original "Dragnet" words after "My name is Friday" : "I'M A COP"

26. Mass songs : HYMNS

27. Part of PGA: Abbr. : ASSN.

29. Whistle blowers : REFs

31. "Inferno" author : DANTE

32. Actress Tyler : LIV. Picture with short hair.

33. Puts in office : ELECTS

36. Tear to pieces : RIP UP

38. List-ending abbr. : ET AL.

39. Lovers' quarrel : SPAT

40. Transportation companies : CARRIERS

41. Turkey's largest city : ISTANBUL

42. Globe : ORB

47. Rome's __ Way : APPIAN. Map.

49. "Ditto" : "I DO, TOO"

50. Diamond surfaces : FACETS

51. Lincoln Center opera setting, familiarly : THE MET

53. Partner of cut, in editing : PASTE

55. Emotionally distant : ICY

58. Barber's workplace : SHOP

59. Sponge (off) : WIPE

60. Fluffed-up hairdo : AFRO

62. Answer an invite : RSVP

63. Batter's stat : RBI

65. Like a wallflower : SHY

Answer grid.

Argyle

Constructor note:

Don came up with this theme. We searched for all the *I FI * phrases with rhyming Long I pattern and settled for the current set. With only 3 theme entries, we tried our best filling in as many long & Monday-friendly answers as we can.