Monday, February 6, 2012 Carl Esposito

Theme: puzzle² - 1 through 4 squared and the unifier.

16A. *Start of a Jackie Gleason "Honeymooners" catchphrase : ONE OF THESE DAYS (1²)

29A. *Vivaldi classic, with "The" : FOUR SEASONS (2²)

36A. *Cat's blessing, so it's said : NINE LIVES (3²)

46A. *Tennessee Ernie Ford hit about coal mining : "SIXTEEN TONS" (4²)

59A. What the starred answers start with : PERFECT SQUARES

Argyle here with PSD - post-Superbowl Depression. Sorry to say but this puzzle doesn't lift my spirits. It is an ambitious debut but the theme seems like it's been done before and there are too many abbreviations.

Across:

1. PC screens : CRTs. Can you even buy a cathode ray tube(CRT) anymore?

5. Bumbling types : OAFS

9. Washer or dryer: Abbr. : APPL. (appliance)

13. Banister : RAIL

14. "Deck the Halls" syllables : FA LA

15. Cuba, to Castro : ISLA. Spanish for island.

19. Capone associate Frank : NITTI. "The Enforcer" was in charge of all strong-arm and 'muscle' operations.

20. Political satirist Mort : SAHL

21. Pale : WAN

23. "Be right with you!" : "IN A SEC!"

25. Moe, Curly or Larry : STOOGE

28. Space-saving abbr. : ETC.

33. Pot-scrubbing brand : S.O.S. An abrasive cleaning pad made from steel wool saturated with soap.

34. Fencing sword : EPEE

35. King with a golden touch : MIDAS

39. Brainstorms : IDEAs

42. Company with a "swoosh" logo : NIKE

43. "The Racer's Edge" : STP

49. Musician's asset : EAR

50. Big name in tea : TETLEY

51. New Orleans university : TULANE. The nickname of sports teams at Tulane University is the Green Wave.

53. Orch. section : STR. (strings)

54. Coarse file : RASP

58. Pantyhose that came in a shell : L'EGGS

63. Upscale hotel chain : OMNI

64. Potatoes' partner : MEAT

65. Post-Christmas retail event : SALE

66. Bog fuel : PEAT

67. Hwy. accident respondents : EMTs. (Emergency Medical Technicians)

68. Managed care gps. : HMOs. (Health Maintenance Organization)

Down:

1. Chums : CRONIES. You don't hear CRONIES that much and when you do, it often has an unsavory connotation.

2. Met by chance : RAN INTO

3. Men's wear accessories : TIE TACs

4. Bandits in Vegas? : SLOTS. One-armed bandits.

5. More than occasionally, to a bard : OFT

6. Oohs' partners : AAHs

7. Circus insect : FLEA

8. Scout uniform component : SASH

9. Help : AID

10. Free TV ad : PSA

11. Layered building material : PLYWOOD

12. Layered ristorante offering : LASAGNA. Interesting clecho.

17. Feudal estate : FIEF. The property granted to a vassal in return for service

18. "Do it, or __!" : ELSE. Something you might hear on a fief.

22. Loch of legend : NESS. Scottish legend.

24. Filmmaker Ethan or Joel : COEN

26. Domesticated : TAME

27. Suffix with psych : OSIS

30. Ivy League sch. in Philly : UPENN. (University of Pennsylvania)

31. Got going again, as a fire : RELIT

32. Fancy watch : SEIKO

36. NHL part: Abbr. : NATL. (National Hockey League)

37. "Understood" : "I SEE"

38. Dryer outlet : VENT

39. Followers: Suf. : ISTs

40. Low-cal soda : DIET POP

41. Radical : EXTREME

43. Company associated with the alcoholic "7" in a "7 and 7" : SEAGRAM. An extensive but interesting history of Seagrams. site I am still searching for the reason it's called 7 Crown.

44. Citrus hybrid : TANGELO

45. Gets the creases out of : PRESSES

47. Brontë's "Jane __" : EYRE

48. "Star Trek" helmsman : SULU. George Takei has been receiving a lot of press lately.

52. Dog restraint : LEASH

55. Zenith : ACME. I tried APEX first.

56. Goblet feature : STEM

57. Jr.'s exam : PSAT

60. Cell "messenger," briefly : RNA

61. Tailor's concern : FIT

62. Fourths of gals. : QTs. (quarts)

Answer grid.

Argyle

Tuesday, January 31, 2012 Allan E. Parrish

Theme: Easy Anagram - So easy, it's a snap ... or an anagram of it.

17A. Bakery cookware : MUFFIN PANS

28A. Quiet times for baby ... and mom : AFTERNOON NAPS

44A. Ability to focus : ATTENTION SPAN

58A. Crisp cookie : GINGER SNAP

El Gray here. Allan has been MIA the past year but is back with a nice Tuesday offering. I did have some difficulty but I think that was just me. Discovering the last word in the themes is an anagram didn't happen until the whole thing was done. No problem.

Across:

1. Woo : COURT

6. Goldfish or koi : CARP

10. Peak : ACME. and 10D. Very top : APEX

14. Sleep malady : APNEA

15. 1847 Melville work : OMOO

16. Sound repeated before "fizz fizz," in ads : PLOP

19. Coin on the Continent : EURO

20. Non-revenue-generating TV ad : PSA. Public Service Announcement (PSA)

21. Quite befuddled : LOST

22. Southwestern cuisine : TEX MEX

24. Water pitcher part : SPOUT

26. Bro's sib : SIS

27. Work at : PLY. As in PLY one's trade.

32. Orchestra section : REEDS

33. Period of watchful attention : VIGIL

34. Mimic with wings : MYNA. "And I can dance, too!"

35. Steals the bank blueprints for, e.g. : ABETS

37. Haunted house outbursts : EEKS

41. Not even once : NEVER

43. Chair maker Charles : EAMES. Charles Eames was greatly influenced by the Finnish architect Eliel Saarinen (whose son Eero, also an architect, would become a partner and friend). Charles married "Ray" Kaiser and together they continued their work in architecture and modern furniture design.

47. Photo taker : CAMera

49. Gallery work : ART

50. Sacred song : MOTET. The name comes either from the Latin movere, ("to move") or a Latinized version of Old French mot, "word" or "verbal utterance." The Medieval Latin for "motet" is motectum, and the Italian mottetto was also used. If the word is from Latin, the name describes the movement of the different voices against one another. (Per Wikipedia)

Or

motet - "choral composition on a sacred text," late 14c., from O.Fr. motet (13c.), dim. of mot "word," from L. mutum "grunt, murmur." (per Online Etymology Dictionary)

51. Sister of Magda and Eva : ZSA ZSA. The Gabor sisters. Photo: Zsa Zsa Gabor, left, with her sisters Magda, center, and Eva, on Dec. 20, 1955.

53. Medium, e.g. : SIZE

54. Singer Sumac : YMA. We haven't "heard" from her lately.

57. Complexion concern : ACNE

61. Fishing gear : RODS

62. Cole Porter's "Well, Did You __?" : EVAH. Clip(3:33)

63. To-be, in politics : ELECT. Usually stuck on the end of the position, as in Senator-elect.

64. ER "Immediately!" : "STAT!"

65. USAF NCO : SSGT. Staff Sergeant E-5.

66. Lavishes affection (on) : DOTES

Down:

1. Temporary shelter : CAMP

2. Numbered musical piece : OPUS. Are his days numbered?

3. Remove, as a seatbelt : UNFASTEN

4. Gridiron official : REF

5. Some sewers : TAILORS. They may be alterers, too.

6. Admits guilt for, as a lesser charge : COPS TO

7. Latin I verb : AMAT. The big three: amo, amas, amat.

8. Jaworski of "Monday Night Football" : RON. "The Polish Rifle" was raised in the steel town of Lackawanna, New York.(near Buffalo) He quarterbacked for Los Angeles Rams, Philadelphia Eagles, Miami Dolphins, and Kansas City Chiefs.

9. Bulletin board items : POSTINGS

11. Small groups, as of bushes : CLUMPS

12. Edible mushroom : MOREL

13. Strong adhesive : EPOXY

18. Bill or gates, e.g. : NOUN

23. Morales of "La Bamba" : ESAI. We may be seeing more of him. According to IMDb, he has roles in production, one in pre-production, and one in post-production.

25. Nit-picking type : PEDANT. Hmmm? Who do we know ....

26. Irritated state : SNIT. Those hairsplitters are alright unless they get in a SNIT.

28. Kind of wrestling done while sitting : ARM

29. Seven-time Emmy winner Tina : FEY. She is great!

30. Not concealed : OVERT

31. Bring contentment to : PLEASE

35. Sports section decimals : AVERAGEs. Interesting clue.

36. Hunched (over) : BENT

38. Uncontested, as a late-game hockey goal : EMPTY NET. Perhaps Splynter can tell us when this tactic makes sense.

39. Mauna __ : KEA. is a volcano on the island of Hawaii and neighbor of Mauna Loa volcano.

40. Job application ID : SSN

42. JFK guesstimates : ETAs

43. Walked into : ENTERED

44. Actress Bearse or Plummer : AMANDA. Bearse was Marcy on "Married with Children". Plummer was "Honey Bunny" in  Pulp Fiction.

45. "Consider me a maybe" : "I MIGHT"

46. Flow slowly : OOZE

47. Industry leaders : CZARS

48. Dandy's neckwear : ASCOT

52. Pep : ZEST

53. Unexpected complication : SNAG

55. Mugging defense : MACE

56. Bldg. units : APTs

59. ER hookups : IVs

60. __-pitch softball : SLO

Answer grid.

Argyle

Notes from C.C.:

1) Happy Birthday to Bill G, who always brightens my day with his fun links and cheerful comments.

2) Happy Birthday also to Barry G's little boy Joshua, who turns 7 years old today. Hope you're getting better and enjoyed your Pizza Party last weekend.

Monday, January 30, 2012 Kevin Christian

Theme: Feathered Homonyms - Three birds that can also be used as verbs. They are in all capitals to show the clues could have been the answer and the answers could have been the clues. The answers are all in the pattern of "verb + ONE'S + noun".

20A. DUCK : LOWER ONE'S HEAD

41A. CRANE : STRETCH ONE'S NECK

60A. QUAIL : LOSE ONE'S NERVE

Argyle here. Bird is the Word(1:06) Kevin used a similar gimmick back in 2010. Link He gave us another puzzle last year; maybe he can squeeze in two this year. I'd like that. A grid spanner, no cheater squares, and just a 'Q' short of a pangram.

Across:

1. Fashionable : CHIC. A young quail is called a chick.

5. __ Blanc, the Alps' highest peak : MONT

9. Wintry mess : SLUSH

14. Prolonged unconsciousness : COMA

15. Confess openly : AVOW

16. Like horror film music : EERIE

17. Practice boxing : SPAR

18. Luke Skywalker, e.g. : JEDI. The Force is with him.

19. Postal service symbol : EAGLE. Another bird.

23. The NFL's Cowboys : DALLAS

25. Energy : ZEST

26. Snake's warning : "SSS!"

27. "Can __ honest with you?" : I BE

28. 2011 World Series champs, on scoreboards : STL. St. Louis Cardinals.

30. Rogue : CAD

32. Ring loudly : PEAL

34. "Othello" villain : IAGO. He hates Othello and devises a plan to destroy the Moor by making him believe that his wife, Desdemona, is having an affair with his lieutenant, Michael Cassio(who we see in later in the week puzzles).

37. Fits of anger : RAGES

44. Actor Davis : OSSIE. He married actress Ruby Dee, you might remember. (You should.)

45. __-poly : ROLY. And here's a little ditty I'll bet you haven't heard. Clip(2:41) 49A. "__-haw!" : YEE

46. Yours, to Yves : À TOI

47. Presidents' Day mo. : FEB.

51. Any nonzero number divided by itself : ONE

52. Arafat's org. until 2004 : PLO. Palestine Liberation Organization. Yasser Arafat.

55. Remove, with "off" : TAKE

58. "Key Largo" 54-Down winner Claire : TREVOR, 54D. Hollywood award : OSCAR. She was in "Stagecoach" with John Wayne.

63. Not shortened, as a film : UNCUT

64. Suit to __ : A TEE

65. "Joy of Cooking" writer Rombauer : IRMA

68. Stiller's comedy partner : MEARA. Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara.

69. iPhone message : TEXT

70. Cowardly film beast played by 29-Down : LION, 29D. Actor Bert (see 70-Across) : LAHR

71. Swashbuckler Flynn : ERROL

72. Brother of Cain and Abel : SETH

73. "Ignore that editing change" : STET

Down:

1. IV amounts : CCs

2. "__ on Pop": Dr. Seuss : HOP

3. "Lay it on me!" : "I'M ALL EARS!"

4. Christmas song : CAROL

5. Like the Grand Canyon : MAJESTIC

6. Higher than : OVER

7. All-nighter pill : NODOZ. NoDoz® Alertness Aid Caffeine Caplets.

8. Bale binder : TWINE

9. Reel from a blow to the head : SEE STARS

10. Wife of Jacob : LEAH

11. Involuntary impulses : URGES

12. Eliot's "__ Marner" : SILAS

13. Obeys : HEEDS

21. Used to be : WAS

22. Upper-left PC key : ESC

23. Tippler, for short : DIPSO. Short for dipsomania, a compulsive desire to drink alcoholic beverages. And 42D. Abstain from alcohol : TEETOTAL

24. Helps with a heist : ABETS

31. Carvey or Delany : DANA. Twins? Not!

33. Explorer Ericson : LEIF

35. Moo __ gai pan : GOO

36. The "O" in SRO : ONLY

38. "Time to move on" : "GET OVER IT"

39. Money-saving, in product names : ECONO

40. Downhill racer : SKIER

43. Canines metaphorically exchanged for something desired : EYE TEETH. So named because they are directly below the eyes. I was expecting more.

48. Prohibit : BAN

50. Goof : ERR

52. Nom de __: pen name : PLUME

53. Solitary man : LONER

56. Grecian urn poet : KEATS

57. Cosmetics giant Lauder : ESTÉE

59. Lesser of two __ : EVILS

61. French franc successor : EURO

62. Deli counter call : NEXT

66. One of the Stooges : MOE

67. Picnic undesirable : ANT

Answer grid.

Argyle

Tuesday, January 24, 2012 Julian Lim

Theme: Not Quite Black - Five entries whose last word, if placed after the word DARK, form a new phrase.

64A. *When night owls thrive, or where the last words of the starred answers can go : AFTER DARK. (shouldn't have had a star on this clue though.)

17A. *Artsy-sounding microbrew : CRAFT BEER. DARK BEER are usually brewed from a pale malt or lager malt base with a small proportion of darker malt added to achieve the desired shade. Other colourants—such as caramel—are also widely used to darken beers. Very dark beers, such as stout, use dark or patent malts that have been roasted longer. Some have roasted unmalted barley. (as per Wiki, perhaps Lemon can elaborate more fully.)

29A. *Brains, informally : GRAY MATTER. DARK MATTER - "By fitting a theoretical model of the composition of the Universe to the combined set of cosmological observations, scientists have come up with the composition that we described above, ~70% dark energy, ~25% dark matter, ~5% normal matter. What is dark matter?

We are much more certain what dark matter is not than we are what it is." NASA Science

47A. *Officially restricted yet widely known information : OPEN SECRET. DARK SECRET, often proceeded by DEEP; we all have them, eh?

10D. *Many "South Park" jokes : TOILET HUMOR. DARK HUMOR - Humor that is viewed as dark, morbid, cruel, offensive to some, and or graphic in nature and is yet, still found funny. (per Urban Dict.)

25. *Classic Greek ruse : TROJAN HORSE. DARK HORSE - A term used to describe a little-known person or thing that emerges to prominence, especially in a competition of some sort.

Argyle here. I was here yesterday and so were a lot of the answers. Not much excitement so let's get to it.

Across:

1. __ facto : IPSO. (by the fact itself)

5. Cut in stone : ETCH

9. Carell of "The Office" : STEVE

14. Tex-Mex snack : TACO

15. "That's not enough!" : "MORE!"

16. Reason for a skull-and-crossbones warning : TOXIN

19. Spoke (up) : PIPED

20. Sci-fi computer : HAL. From the film, "2001: A Space Odyssey".

21. Crumpled into a ball : WADDED

23. Unhappy times : LOWS

24. Newspaper big shot : EDITOR

26. "Fantastic!" : "SUPER!"

28. Honeybunch : DEAR

34. High-pitched winds : OBOEs

36. "La __": Puccini opera : BOHÈME

37. Muslim pilgrim : HAJJI

40. Spot for a facial : SPA

42. Like pulp magazine details : LURID

43. It's held underwater : BREATH

45. __ salts : EPSOM

49. Gave the go-ahead : OKed

53. Sonnet feature : RHYME

54. Basic chalet style : A-FRAME

56. Cookie used in milkshakes : OREO

58. Security request, briefly : ID CARD

61. DVR button : REC

62. Pitcher Martinez : PEDRO. Retired now, he is an eight-time All-Star, three-time Cy Young Award winner, and 2004 World Series champion.

66. Humiliate : ABASE

67. Sound from Simba : ROAR. The Lion King.

68. Play to __: draw : A TIE

69. "See ya!" : "LATER!"

70. Taxpayer IDs : SSNs

71. Mix : MELD

Down:

1. Bugged, as a bug bite : ITCHED. ???

2. Event with floats : PARADE

3. Justice Antonin : SCALIA

4. Gut-punch response : "OOF!"

5. Ban on trade : EMBARGO

6. See 18-Down : TOED. 18D. With 6-Down, kind of sloth : TWO

7. Believability, to homeys : CRED. Short for "credibility".

8. Joan of Arc's crime : HERESY

9. Sponsor at some NHRA events : STP. National Hot Rod Association (NHRA)

11. Overseas trader : EXPORTER

12. Hillside house asset : VIEW

13. Finales : ENDS

22. Not bright at all : DUMB

27. Renaissance painter Veronese : PAOLO

30. High-__ monitor : RESolution

31. "__ your instructions ..." : AS PER

32. Brit. record label : EMI

33. Lobster color : RED. Not in their natural state.

35. Itsy-__ : BITSY

37. "The Wire" airer : HBO. Central to the structure and plot of the show is the use of electronic surveillance and wiretap technologies by the police—hence the title "The Wire".

38. Dadaist Jean : ARP. Sculptor, painter, poet and abstract artist. Also, frequent crossword visitor.

39. Derided : JEERED AT

41. Orangutan or chimp : APE

44. Prefix with sphere : HEMI

46. Rubberneckers : STARERS

48. Trees used for shingles : CEDARS

50. Discipline with kicks : KARATE

51. "Kick it up a notch!" chef : EMERIL. His site.

52. Floored with a haymaker : DECKED. A haymaker is slang boxing term for a wild swinging punch, using much of the same motion of someone using a scythe, twisting his waist and shoulders round before turning back.

55. Depression era pres. : FDR

56. Down Under gem : OPAL

57. McEntire sitcom : "REBA"

59. Corp. cash mgrs. : CFOs. (chief financial officer)

60. __ earlier time : AT AN

63. Opposite of 'neath : O'ER

65. River blocker : DAM

Answer grid.

Argyle

Monday, January 23, 2012 Johanna Fenimore

Theme: Do En Do Do - Clip(3:05) I hope it shines on all of you.

17A. Hexes : PUTS UNDER A SPELL

27A. Surprised party, metaphorically : MONKEY'S UNCLE

44A. Destination not yet determined : PARTS UNKNOWN

58A. Beatles song, and a hint to the hidden word in 17-, 27- and 44-Across : "HERE COMES THE SUN"

Argyle here with your earworm for a Monday. I believe this is our constructor's first LAT puzzle. She has collaborated with Andrea Carla Michaels on several other puzzles and Andrea had her own solo effort here last September. Two full length themes anchor the grid firmly and aside from a shortstop, the fill is pleasant.

Across:

1. Thumbs-way-up reviews : RAVES. "Have you ever been to a rave?" (quote from a really strange PSA.)

6. Knocks with one's knuckles : RAPS

10. Not feral : TAME

14. Low-budget, in company names : ECONO

15. Happily __ after : EVER

16. October birthstone : OPAL

20. Dined : ATE

21. Twosome : PAIR

22. Heart chambers : ATRIA

23. Positive thinker's assertion : "YES I CAN!"

25. Cleopatra's river : NILE

32. Beelzebub : SATAN

35. Oboe or bassoon : REED

36. Baled grass : HAY

37. "Jurassic Park" terror, for short : T-REX

38. Meanspiritedness : SPITE

40. Home plate, e.g. : BASE

41. Above, in verse : O'ER

42. Apple computer : IMAC

43. Showed on television : AIRED

48. Detest : HATE

49. Oscar-winning film about Mozart : "AMADEUS"

53. End of __ : AN ERA

56. Yard sale warning : AS IS

57. British mil. award : DSO. Distinguished Service Order.

62. Opera solo : ARIA

63. Like a steak with a red center : RARE

64. "That is to say ..." : "I MEAN ..."

65. Double O Seven : BOND, James BOND.

66. "P.U.!" inducer : ODOR

67. Willy-__: sloppily : NILLY

Down:

1. Satisfy, as a loan : REPAY

2. Like most triangle angles : ACUTE. (less than 90°)

3. Chooses at the polls : VOTES

4. USNA grad : ENS.ign

5. Slight trace : SOUPÇON. Origin: 1760–70; < French: a suspicion, Middle French sospeçon < Late Latin suspectiōn- (stem of suspectiō ), for Latin suspīciō suspicion. What is that little mark under the C? Cedilla, a character ( ¸ ) placed underneath a c before a, o, or u, esp in French, Portuguese, or Catalan, denoting that it is to be pronounced (s), not (k). The same character is used in the scripts of other languages, as in Turkish under s

6. Symbol of financial losses : RED INK

7. State firmly : AVER

8. For each : PER

9. Málaga Mrs. : SRA. Map of Spain showing Málaga.

10. Best-seller list : TOP TEN

11. Mimic : APER

12. West African country : MALI

13. Jazzy Fitzgerald : ELLA

18. Indian bread : NAAN

19. "To your health," to José : "¡SALUD!"

24. Big-screen format : IMAX. No connection to 42-Across : IMAC

25. Russian rejection : NYET

26. "That's clear now" : "I SEE"

28. Angels shortstop Aybar : ERICK. This guy.

29. Sear : CHAR

30. Operate with a beam : LASE

31. Kept in view : EYED

32. Halt : STOP

33. Zone : AREA

34. Alaska, once: Abbr. : TERR.

38. Obscene material : SMUT

39. Glazier's fitting : PANE. (window)

40. Tough spot : BIND

42. Newton or Stern : ISAAC

43. Inundated with : AWASH IN

45. Needle's partner : THREAD

46. Sadat's predecessor : NASSER. He was the leader of a successful military coup to depose King Farouk in 1952. Nasser became the president of Egypt in 1956 and remained president until his death in 1970.

47. Leave out : OMIT

50. '50s Ford flop : EDSEL

51. Typical : USUAL

52. Hot-headed Corleone brother in "The Godfather" : SONNY

53. Moby Dick chaser : AHAB

54. Fiddling emperor : NERO

55. "__ Brockovich" : ERIN. "Erin Brockovich" is a 2000 biographical film directed by Steven Soderbergh. Julia Roberts won the Academy Award, Golden Globe, Screen Actors' Guild Award and BAFTA for Best Actress

56. Flying prefix : AERO

59. Gold, in Granada : ORO

60. Insane : MAD

61. Record label initials across the pond : EMI. (Electric and Musical Industries)

Answer grid.

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

JD and her family went to San Diego to celebrate her birthday last Saturday (Jan 14). Here is a beautiful picture of the happy family. Let's see if I get the order right.

Back row from left to right: Bob (JD's husband), JD, Shelby (JD's oldest daughter) and Shelby's husband Joe, who is holding their handsome son Cameron.

Front row from left to right: Derek (Corie's husband, a Welsh) and son Grady, Corie (JD's younger daughter) is holding her son Truman. Grady is Truman's little brother.

JD said "We saw the zoo on Fri. Sea World on Sat and the Safari Park on Sunday. It was my best birthday ever, and we didn't even have time for cake."

Tuesday, January 17, 2012 Matt Skoczen

Theme: "HB, B.W." - A celebration of Betty White's 90th birthday.

9A. With 66-Across, actress born 1/17/1922 : BETTY 66A. See 9-Across : WHITE

18A. 20-Across role for 9-Across : ROSE and 20A. Sitcom co-starring 9/66-Across : "THE GOLDEN GIRLS"

37A. Dramedy on which 9/66-Across had a recurring role : "BOSTON LEGAL"

55A. Sitcom co-starring 9/66-Across : HOT IN CLEVELAND and 61A. 55-Across role for 9-Across : ELKA

Argyle here. I hope you had a chance to watch TV special honoring Betty White last night. If you want to know more about the three shows in the theme, I will give you a link to their Wikipedia page and a clip from the shows. The Golden Girls / Clip.(8:27); Boston Legal / Clip.(0:40) She played a recurring character named Catherine Piper. There are longer clips but not in English; Hot in Cleveland / Clip.(0:20)

Good thing I got those last two from the perps because I never saw her on "Boston Legal" and never heard of "Hot in Cleveland". Now Sue Ann Nivens on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show", that I know. The puzzle is OK; it has a lot of theme which means some compromises. Matt has given us Sunday puzzles before.

Across:

1. __ Romeo: sports car : ALFA. Italian.

5. Cleveland NBAers : CAVS. (Cavaliers)

14. Weevil's target : BOLL. Cotton.

15. __ II razor : TRAC

16. Love, in Italia : AMORE

17. Fit to __ : A TEE

19. Infuriates : RILES

23. Really revel in : EAT UP

24. Neptune's realm : SEA

25. NFL position : CTR. (center)

27. "Baby and Child Care" author : DR. SPOCK

30. Entertain in style : REGALE

33. Congestion site : SINUS

36. Frasier's brother : NILES. TV (David Hyde Pierce)

40. Buckeye State sch. : OHIO U

42. Miss America accessory : TIARA

43. Message on a dirty car : WASH ME

45. Becomes fond of : WARMS TO

50. White House advisory gp. : NSC. National Security Council.

51. Skater Midori : ITO. She is the 1989 World Champion and the 1992 Olympic silver medalist. She is the first woman to land a triple/triple jump combination.

54. Went out with : DATED

60. Suppress : SIT ON

62. "American ___" : IDOL

63. Fur tycoon : ASTOR

64. Lender's security : LIEN

65. Canadian vocalist Vannelli : GINO. Clip (2:32)

67. Not as much : LESS

68. Political cartoonist Thomas : NAST

Down:

1. Died down : ABATED

2. Mandrake the Magician's assistant : LOTHAR. Lothar is looking rather mod.

3. Armadas : FLEETS

4. Good thing to get in competition : A LEG UP

5. PC corner key : CTRL

6. Yankee slugger, familiarly : A-ROD

7. Flower holders : VASEs

8. Public embarrassment : SCENE

9. Italian seaport : BARI. Map

10. Mideast VIP : EMIR

11. One in a phone bill list : TOLL CALL

12. Bridge support : TRESTLE

13. "That's affirmative!" : "YES!"

21. Marsupial that plays dead : OPOSSUM

22. Long-snouted swimmer : GAR.

26. Legal thing : RES

28. Op. __: footnote abbr. : CIT. (the work has been cited)

29. Necktie feature : KNOT

31. Fencing challenge : "EN GARDE!"

32. Italian actress Scala : GIA. Image She was in "The Guns of Navarone" (1961). Died too young.

34. Prefix with form : UNI

35. Cabbagy side dish : SLAW

37. Dunkable Italian cookies : BISCOTTI. Must be leftovers from yesterday. ("Biscotti" is the plural form of biscotto.)

38. "That's amazing!" : "OOH!"

39. Generation : ERA

40. BYOB word : OWN. Bring Your Own Bottle. If you want something stronger, see below.

41. Cannabis preparation : HASHISH. "It's not mine. I'm holding it for a friend."

44. German article : EIN

46. Bad-mouth : MALIGN

47. Ballparks : STADIA. Plural of stadium.

48. Dovetail sections : TENONs. The projections on the right piece are the tenons and the slots on the left piece that receive them are the mortises.

49. Less than 100 shares of stock : ODD LOT

52. Immune system agent : T-CELL

53. Kukla's puppet pal : OLLIE. They interacted with Fran. Kukla, Fran and Ollie was an early TV show using puppets, originally created for children but soon watched by more adults than children. It did not have a script and was entirely ad-libbed. It first aired from 1947–1957.

56. __ one's own horn : TOOT

57. About, on a memo : IN RE. (in the matter of)

58. Barely gets, with "out" : EKEs. Eek, another EKE.

59. Soccer moms' rides : VANS

60. Went out with : SAW

Answer grid.

Argyle

Note from C.C.

Happy 21st wedding anniversary to Ron (Jazzbumpa) and Gloria! I know you'll make it special, Ron.

Monday, January 16, 2012 Janice Luttrell

Theme: Hang Your Hat Here - Whether you have just a cap, a ten-gallon, or un chapeau, you can find a home for it today.

20A. Dairy food with loose curds : COTTAGE CHEESE

38A. Dip for veggies : RANCH DRESSING

57A. Tenderloin often served with Béarnaise sauce : CHÂTEAUBRIAND

55D. Place to live, one of which starts the three longest puzzle answers : ABODE

Argyle here. Debut(?) puzzle for our constructor today. Three nice long themes and a unifier in a pleasing grid. No complaint from me.

Across:

1. Actress Anderson : LONI. Here is a WKRP clip(1:26) where she is laying it on for a Mr. "Breezy".

5. Like one who limps : LAME. Like Dr. House.

9. Exhausted, with "out" : WIPED. Yes, I had TIRED first. Good fake-out.

14. Sportscaster Hershiser : OREL. And 51D. Los Angeles ballplayer : DODGER. In 1988, he won the Gold Glove, Cy Young Award, the NLCS MVP and the World Series MVP with the Dodgers.

15. Director Kazan : ELIA

16. Biscotti flavoring : ANISE. More food.

17. Sagacious : WISE

18. Computer storage medium : DISC

19. Aquarium fish : GUPPY. Learn more, if you want, here.

23. Pub pint : ALE

24. Buddhist sect : ZEN

25. Many shoppers buy on it : CREDIT

28. Bare minimum : LEAST

30. Jibs and spinnakers : SAILS

33. Often-flowery verse : ODE

34. "Is it soup __?" : YET. Hard to believe but I can't find a video of this Lipton commercial.

36. Letters before an alias : AKA. (also known as)

37. Bed with a mate : TWIN

42. "I've Gotta __": Sammy Davis Jr. hit : BE ME. Recorded by a lot of singers.

43. Fair-hiring inits. : EEO. (Equal Employment Opportunity)

44. "Casablanca" pianist : SAM

45. Honest prez : ABE

46. Idyllic places : EDENS

48. Lukewarm : TEPID

52. Internal Revenue Code expert : TAX PRO

54. Stable diet? : HAY

56. Brian with the album "Music for Airports" : ENO. It's time for Mr. ENO to take a rest.

61. Pandemonium : CHAOS

63. Jackson 5 member : TITO. The third of the ten Jackson children.

64. Glitch : SNAG

65. Songstress Lena : HORNE. She didn't sing "I've got to be me".

66. Gunk : CRUD

67. Remote button : MUTE

68. Broke off, as talks : ENDED

69. Ballyhoo : HYPE

70. Suffix with road or hip : STER. Roadster or Hipster.

Down:

1. Like diet beverages : LOW-CAL. Low-Calorie.

2. Baltimore bird : ORIOLE

3. Lipton rival : NESTEA

4. Abba's "__ the Music Speak" : I LET. Clip.(5:19) One of their last songs.

5. Rocky projection : LEDGE

6. Martians and such : ALIENS

7. Catchall abbr. : MISC.

8. For one : EACH

9. Track transactions : WAGERS

10. Occupied, as a lavatory : IN USE

11. "Put a lid on it!" : "PIPE DOWN!" plus 47D. "Zip your lip!" : "SHUT UP!". Is our constructor a mother? I wonder.

12. Sixth sense, for short : ESP

13. Susan of "L.A. Law" : DEY

21. Ancient Mexican : AZTEC

22. Mercedes-Benz model series : E CLASS. Dennis?

26. Beatnik's "Gotcha" : "I DIG"

27. Finger count : TEN

29. "Auld Lang __" : SYNE

31. Hank with 755 career homers : AARON

32. Tina Turner's ex : IKE

35. Precisely, after "on" : THE DOT

37. Game-stopping call : "TIME!". A few called this weekend, eh?

38. Country singer McEntire : REBA

39. "Don't leave home without it" convenience : AMEX CARD. American Express Card.

40. Poor grade : DEE

41. Mythical man-goat : SATYR

42. Halloween decoration : BAT

46. Rubbed off the board : ERASED

49. Bar snack item : PEANUT

50. Present from birth : INNATE

53. "E.T. __ home" : PHONE

58. Cut with acid : ETCH

59. Breezy : AIRY. For Mr. Breezy, see 1-Across.

60. Doctrines : ISMs

61. Revolutionary Guevara : CHE. Castro's friend.

62. Darlin' : HON'

Answer grid.

Argyle