Tuesday, November 28, 2017 ~ Agnes Davidson & C.C. Burnikel

Theme: Do Not Fold, Staple, Spindle, or Mutilate - Okay, these four entries you can FOLD.

17A. Sunbather's spread: BEACH TOWEL. Shake your beach towel well be for folding.

29A. Cards to bet on: POKER HAND. LOL, you fold your poker hand if you don't have the cards to bet on.

45A. Brunch dish: HAM OMELET. Please mix the ham with the eggs before you fold it.

61A. Coupe-back contraption: RUMBLE SEAT. Folded up when not in use. Good place for backseat drivers.

39D. Instructions next to a perforated line ... or a hint to 17-, 29-, 45- and 61-Across: FOLD HERE

Argyle here. I have started my Christmas season with this present from Irish Miss and C.C.

Across:

1. "House" actor Epps: OMAR. See yesterday's puzzle.

5. Plant-sucking insect: APHID

10. Gala affair: BALL. Could be a BAsh.

14. Went by bus: RODE. No rumble seat but ... .

15. Wear away: ERODE

16. __ Day VitaCraves Multivitamins: ONE A

19. Spelling contests: BEEs

20. Intended: MEANT

21. Lend support to: AID

23. Wrestling surface: MAT

24. "In case you weren't listening ... ": "AS I SAID ... "

26. Like lambs: OVINE

28. Pat-on-the-baby's-back intended result: [BURP!]. I like that intended result.

32. Cut and pasted, say: EDITED

35. New York Harbor's __ Island: ELLIS

36. Penpoint: NIB

37. Tough problem: DILEMMA

39. Evergreen tree: FIR. Got your Christmas tree yet?

42. Jelly beans, e.g.: CANDY. Alternate clue: Canes for your fir.

43. Waiting for customer support, often: ON HOLD

49. Singer Fitzgerald: ELLA

50. Speak from the soapbox: ORATE

51. "Help!"-ful pot scrubbers?: S.O.S PADS

54. Texter's "I'm shocked!": [OMG!]. (Oh My Goodness)

55. Down in the dumps: SAD

58. Glee: MIRTH

59. Movie "Citizen": KANE

65. Yet again: ANEW

66. "Ditto": "ME, TOO!"

67. Try to persuade: URGE

68. "Women and Love" writer Shere: HITE. A book report.

69. What Buffy does: SLAYS. TV show, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and she does.

70. Lowly worker: PEON

Down:

1. Poet's planet: ORB

2. Stooge with Larry and Curly: MOE

3. Tracy/Hepburn battle-of-the-sexes comedy: ADAM'S RIB

4. Proof of purchase: RECEIPT

5. Insurance giant: AETNA

6. Bit of expert advice: PRO TIP

7. "__ about that!": HOW

8. It's in your head: IDEA

9. Cold-cuts seller: DELI

10. Songwriter Dylan: BOB. HO, Ho, Ho! He didn't wrte this one.

11. Iron-poor blood condition: ANEMIA

12. Womack of country: LEE ANN

13. Withstood wear and tear: LASTED

18. Consumes: HAS

22. Wilde's "The Picture of __ Gray": DORIAN. First published complete in 1890. Wiki LINK

24. German automaker: AUDI

25. Large, innocent-looking peepers: DOE EYES

27. VCR format: VHS. (VideoCassette Recorder/Video Home System)

28. Batman player Affleck: BEN. Don't tell anyone but he's really Bruce Wayne.

30. Dutch airline: KLM. Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij N.V.

31. Red Muppet: ELMO

33. "My Cup Runneth Over" singer: ED AMES

34. Eat in style: DINE

38. Cholesterol letters: LDL. (Low-density lipoprotein) Bad one.

40. Afflictions: ILLS

41. Nutritionist's fig.: RDA. (Recommended Dietary Allowances)

42. Camp bed: COT

44. Warms, as canned soup: HEATS UP

45. Pipe smoked in trendy bars: HOOKAH. If a hookah smoking caterpillar has given you the call ... Call Alice 555-4321

46. Fashion designer Giorgio: ARMANI

47. Fridge sticker: MAGNET. But not the ones with stainless steel doors.

48. Peppermint Patty, for one: TOMBOY. "Guess what, Chuck. Disaster time. Our teacher wants us to read a book during Christmas vacation."

52. Farm facilities: SILOs. Just down the road from me.

53. Opposite of post-: PRE

56. Hugging limbs: ARMS

57. Paces-and-pistols encounter: DUEL

60. Meadow mom: EWE

62. LIRR overseer: MTA. (Long Island Rail Road/Metropolitan Transportation Authority)

63. In the past: AGO

64. Boxing count: TEN. "He's out!"

Argyle

Monday, November 27, 2017 ~ Mark McClain

Theme: The Three Amigos - synonyms.

20A. Seaside shade provider: BEACH UMBRELLA

37A. Philatelist's volumes: STAMP ALBUMS

44A. Practice that develops a variety of employee skills: JOB ROTATION

59A. Kid's imaginary companions, and what's literally found in this puzzle's circles: SECRET FRIENDS

Argyle here. Bit more secret with out the circles but you should know where to look for them, spanning the two words. Definitely a male slant to the entries but are there feminine equivalents?

Across:

1. The "m" in E = mc²: MASS. This formula states that the equivalent energy (E) can be calculated as the mass (m) multiplied by the speed of light (c) squared.

5. Put into force: ENACT

10. Wood-shaping tool: ADZE

14. Severely damaged sea: ARAL

15. Morning show featuring Al Roker: TODAY

16. Drubbed or whipped: BEAT

17. Calf-length skirt: MIDI

18. Lady's canine love: TRAMP. "Lady and the Tramp" Disney Movie (1955)

19. Omar of "The Mod Squad": EPPS. Popular guy in crossword land.

23. Bone: Pref.: OSTEO

24. Second person: YOU. I am first person.

25. Grammy category: RAP

28. "Don't play" music symbols: RESTS

32. "I'll do that!": "LET ME!"

34. Opposite of pos.: NEG.

40. Soothing succulent: ALOE

42. Inclined: ATILT. 'A' words. 53D. Come to light: ARISE

43. Sitter's nemesis: BRAT

47. Letters after ems: ENS. Alphabetically speaking.

48. "Not __!": "Quiet!": A PEEP

49. Macho guy: HEMAN

51. Not agin: FER

52. Musician's gift: EAR

55. Curriculum __: résumé: VITAE

64. Remove a rind from: PEEL

66. "Ask me if __": I CARE

67. Pigeon banter: COOS

68. Drops the ball: ERRs

69. Country south of Egypt: SUDAN

70. French I verb: ÊTRE. (to be)

71. Path behind a ship: WAKE

72. Poet's muse: ERATO

73. Taken in, as a movie: SEEN

Down:

1. Cuban dance: MAMBO

2. Spring zodiac sign: ARIES

3. '70s-'80s Egyptian president Anwar: SADAT. Ended in assassination.

4. Deli machine: SLICER

5. Caesar's ides-of-March words: "ET TU?"

6. Good name for an average guy: NORM

7. Not much (of): A DAB

8. Top-selling Toyota: CAMRY

9. Blood bank spec: TYPE 'O'

10. Second son: ABEL

11. Act of leaving: DEPARTURE

12. Microwave: ZAP

13. Sci-fi beings: ETs

21. Long-handled garden tools: HOEs

22. Break in the action: LULL

26. Capital of Jordan: AMMAN

27. Annoying types: PESTS

29. "Now!" in the OR: "STAT!"

30. Brit's sign-off: TA-TA

31. Northampton women's college: SMITH. Smith College is in Northampton,MA. Established 1871 (opened 1875).

33. Flow back: EBB

34. City south of Baghdad: NAJAF. Minneapolis and Najaf are Sister Cities since 2009.

35. Wed on the wing: ELOPE

36. Lose it big-time: GO BERSERK

38. Ballet dip: PLIÉ

39. Tiny physics bit: ATOM

41. Poetic palindrome: ERE

45. Oil gp. that includes Iraq: OPEC. (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries)

46. "Avatar" race: NA'VI. The movie.

50. Nephews' sisters: NIECEs

54. Happen multiple times: RECUR

56. Govt. security: T-NOTE

57. Love dearly: ADORE

58. German steel city: ESSEN. "European Green Capital 2017"

60. Beyond that: ELSE

61. "Look what I did!": "TA-DA!"

62. Group with pledges: FRAT. (college fraternity)

63. Nevada gambling city: RENO

64. Church bench: PEW

65. Notable time: ERA

Argyle

Monday, November 20, 2017 ~ Kurt Mengel and Jan-Michele Gianette

Theme: "The wheels on the bus ..." - go like today's theme; round and round.

17A. Hand from the audience: ROUND OF APPLAUSE

27A. Group one likes to hang with: CIRCLE OF FRIENDS

48A. Area in which one has power: SPHERE OF CONTROL

63A . 1970 Temptations hit with the subtitle "That's What the World Is Today": BALL OF CONFUSION

Argyle here. Four grid spanners, impressed?. Consistent middle word; either be all the same or all be different, so long as it's consistent. A couple of old pro constructors, always a duo. Plethora of proper names.

Across:

1. Gospel truth: FACT

5. Previous time of life: PAST

9. Broadway bombs: FLOPS

14. Southwestern stewpot: OLLA

15. Texter's modest "I think ... ": IMHO. (in my humble opinion)

16. Choosing rhyme starter: EENIE

20. Actor __ Ivory Wayans: KEENEN

21. Castle barrier: MOAT

22. Con man's sucker: SAP

23. Robert of "The Sopranos": ILER

25. Is the right size: FITS

34. Prefix with logical: ECO

35. Shrunken Asian sea: ARAL

36. Braid: PLAIT

37. Jump: LEAP

39. Blue cartoon papa: SMURF

42. "Zip-__-Doo-Dah": A-DEE

43. Clear, as an argument: LUCID

45. Holiday trees: FIRS

47. "Hometown Proud" supermarket chain: IGA

"Hometown Sad"

52. Royal sari wearer: RANI

Rani Mukherjee Looks

53. Indian nurse: AMAH

54. Plugs for products: ADS

57. Swallow hard: GULP

59. Frightened, in dialect: AFEARD. "I don't believe in ghosts but I've been AFEARD of them all my life."

66. Sing like Bing: CROON. Bing Crosby.

67. Actress Jessica: ALBA

68. Creative spark: IDEA

69. Frets: STEWS

70. Close at hand: NEAR

71. Droops like an old sofa: SAGs. A more user friendly clue.

Down:

1. Road split: FORK

2. Skin soother: ALOE

3. Game with suspects: CLUE

4. Kind of acid in red wine: TANNIC

5. First settlers: PIONEERS

6. Big initials in bowling: AMF. CSO to Boomer.

7. Bedding accessory: SHAM

8. Fill to the brim: TOP OFF

9. Soft penpoint: FELT TIP

10. Pasture: LEA

11. Responsibility: ONUS

12. Italian tower town: PISA

13. Ooze: SEEP

18. Singer Reese: DELLA. Early Della.

19. Two of a kind: PAIR

24. Wander: ROAM

26. Actress Ward: SELA

27. Basic anatomy units: CELLS

28. Freeze over: ICE-UP

29. Insect trapped in a "motel": ROACH

30. Pillow down, say: FLUFF

31. Low point: NADIR

32. San __ Padres: DIEGO

33. Take illegally: STEAL

38. Jetty: PIER

40. Costa __: RICA

41. How the wise men came: FROM AFAR. Too soon for the song.

44. Fire-breathing beasts: DRAGONS

46. Major mix-up: SNAFU

49. Sufficient, in texts: ENUF. (enough)

50. Tin Man's need: OIL CAN

51. Grad student's paper: THESIS

54. Grade school basics: ABC's

55. Pointed pub flier: DART

56. __ gin fizz: SLOE

58. Flag holder: POLE

60. Verdi title princess: AIDA

61. "Walkabout" director Nicolas: ROEG

62. Genetic carriers: DNAs

64. Weather map "L": LOW

65. Org. with Lakers and Clippers: NBA. (National Basketball Association)

Argyle

Tuesday, November 14, 2017 ~ Janice Luttrell

Theme: Commonality - The reveal shows how the target word, FLAT, can be FINNISHed by the first word of the starred answers.

16A. *2010 Grammy winner for Best Metal Performance: IRON MAIDEN. Flat iron.

39A. *TV cooking competition hosted by Padma Lakshmi: TOP CHEF. Flat top.

10D. *Started a construction project: BROKE GROUND. Flat broke.

24D. *Money-saving investment accounts: TAX SHELTERS. Flat tax.

59A. Paint choice ... and what the first word of the answers to starred clues can literally be: FLAT FINISH

Argyle here. Janice has a nice Tuesday level offering. Classic pinwheel grid.

Across:

1. Fancy pillowcase: SHAM. What is a sham? Here

5. Not as expensive: LESS

9. Stats for sluggers: RBIs

13. Lotto variant: KENO

14. Actress Davis played by Susan Sarandon in TV's "Feud": BETTE. "Feud" was a television series on FX.

15. "Alice's Restaurant" singer Guthrie: ARLO

18. Opinion sampling: POLL

19. 2,000 pounds: TON

20. French possessive: SES. French - his.

21. __-Ball: midway game: SKEE

22. Discreetly, in slang: ON THE DL. "On the down low" unfortunately, has a sexual slang meaning. LIU, if you want.

26. Nag, nag, nag: PESTER

28. Black-eyed __: PEAs

29. Electrified particle: ION

31. Without an escort: STAG

32. Bygone Honda sports car: CR-X

                         Full race mode.

33. Impassive type: STOIC

35. Dry-sounding deodorant brand: ARRID

38. ICU drips: IVs

41. Sch. in Columbus: OSU. Ohio State University--Columbus, OH. We recently had the OSU in Corvallis, OR.

                              Wexner Medical Center

42. Tiny laugh: TE-HEE. I prefer TEE-HEE.

44. Bundle of papers: SHEAF

45. Put into service: USE

46. Airline to Tel Aviv: EL AL

48. Flub it: ERR

49. Letter-shaped hardware item: T-NUT

50. Sinuous ski race: SLALOM

52. Gets in the way of: IMPEDES

54. H.S. exams: SATs. Paper-based standardized test, originally called the Scholastic Aptitude Test, now just S A T.

55. Dripping: WET

57. SEAL's org.: USN

58. Tech news site: CNET

64. Longfellow's "The Bell of __": ATRI

65. Standoffish: ALOOF

66. Just sitting around: IDLE

67. Pear variety: BOSC

    Alright, who's the wise guy?

68. Mix, as a salad: TOSS

69. What Simon does: SAYS

Down:

1. Word before bum or bunny: SKI

2. "Tell __ About It": Billy Joel hit: HER

3. "That's __-brainer!": A NO

4. Wall calendar pages: MONTHS

5. Welcoming prop on "Hawaii Five-O": LEI

6. Scheduled takeoff hrs.: ETDs

7. Opposite of cheap: STEEP

8. Taste and touch, e.g.: SENSES

9. Nas or Nelly: RAP STAR

11. More green around the gills: ILLER. Ugh!

12. Shoe bottom: SOLE

14. Old Western villain: BANDITO

17. "The Simpsons" bartender: MOE

22. Footnote ref.: OP CIT. "in the work cited."

23. __-racking: very stressful: NERVE

25. Belt holders: LOOPS

27. Chief of __: Army leader: STAFF

30. Wall recess: NICHE

33. Make off with: STEAL

34. Sorbonne sweetie: CHERI. Mon ami.

36. Point to debate: ISSUE

37. Collaborative 1993 Sinatra album: DUETS

40. Half a winter warmer: EARMUFF

43. Stretchy: ELASTIC

47. Like 1% milk: LOW FAT

49. Wimbledon sport: TENNIS

50. __ Domingo: Dominican capital: SANTO

51. __ Yello: soft drink: MELLO

53. 23rd Greek letter: PSI

54. Picket line crosser: SCAB

56. New Mexico town known for its art scene: TAOS

60. Lean-__: shacks: TOs

61. Wash. neighbor: IDA.

62. Tricky: SLY

63. Guys: HEs

Argyle

Monday, November 13, 2017 ~ Mark McClain

Theme: Triple A - They will give you a TOW.

17A. Saber-rattling: THREAT OF WAR

27A. Shed a few pounds: TAKE OFF WEIGHT

45A. Romantic triangle figure: THE OTHER WOMAN

60A. End up just fine: TURN OUT WELL

69A. Highway breakdown need ... or, initially, feature of 17-, 27-, 45- and 60-Across: TOW

Argyle here with what may be one of Mark's easiest puzzles. It's cool none of the 'O' words are repeated.

Across:

1. Position at work: JOB

4. Busy as __: A BEE

8. India neighbor: NEPAL

13. "You __ here": mall map words: ARE

14. Banquet, e.g.: MEAL

15. Top-quality: SELECT

16. With 36-Across, Polo Grounds great: MEL. 36-Across. See 16-Across: OTT. Back when the Giants played in Manhattan.

19. Ravel classic: BOLERO

21. Car dealer's no.: MSRP. (manufacturer's suggested retail price)

22. Bro's sib: SIS

23. Carry on wildly: RANT

25. Regatta propellers: OARS

32. California's San __ Obispo: LUIS

                                       The Nine Sisters

34. Disco __: "The Simpsons" character: STU

35. More up-to-date: NEWER

37. Shed purpose: STORAGE

40. Dismantled Brit. music conglomerate: EMI. An initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, it broke-up in 2012.

41. Truckee River's lake: TAHOE. The Truckee is the outlet of Lake Tahoe and empties into Pyramid Lake. Pyramid Lake has no outlet.

43. Crude __: OIL

44. Small cut: SNIP

49. Continuous change: FLUX

50. "__ le roi!": French Revolution cry: À BAS. "Down with the king!"

51. Relaxing retreat: SPA. Retreat - A place providing peace and quiet.

54. Drop from a list: OMIT

56. Rose garden pests: APHIDS

63. After-tax: NET

64. What a password provides: ACCESS

65. Not working: IDLE

66. Rocks in a bar: ICE

67. Giggly sound: TE-HEE. I prefer tee-hee.

68. Little dog breeds: TOYS

Down:

1. Vertical door part: JAMB

2. Two-toned cookie: OREO

3. Inventor associated with telephones: BELL

4. California Zephyr operator: AMTRAK

5. "Tell it like it is": "BE HONEST"

6. Sensory organ: EAR

7. Sch. before junior high: ELEM. (elementary)

8. Wetsuit material: NEOPRENE

9. North Pole assistant: ELF

10. Seats for the flock: PEWS

11. Palm tree berry: ACAI

12. Acronym parts: Abbr.: LTRs. (letters)

15. McDonald's freebie: STRAW

18. Starting on: AS OF

20. Important periods: ERAs

24. Dorothy's dog: TOTO

26. "Sprechen __ Deutsch?": SIE

27. Ten percent donation: TITHE

28. Public commotion: FUROR

29. Edmund who played Kris Kringle: GWENN. Miracle on 34th Street

30. Prefix with sphere: HEMI

31. __ odometer: TRIP

32. Ronnie in the Pro Football Hall of Fame: LOTT. Number 42 with the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs. Defense.

33. Beehive State: UTAH

37. Let free: SET LOOSE

38. Old Sony brand: AIWA

39. "Think __, act locally": GLOBALLY

42. Cartoon fight sound: [OOF!]

44. Merit badge holder: SASH

46. Garden fertilizer: HUMUS. Don't mix your HUMUS with your hummus.

47. Red sign over a door: EXIT

48. Syrup trees: MAPLEs

51. ASAP, to an MD: STAT

52. Brownish purple: PUCE

53. Foot part: ARCH

55. Silly goose: TWIT

57. Not yet eliminated: IN IT

58. Art __: DECO

59. Hearty bowlful: STEW

61. Word seen between married and maiden names: NÉE

62. Old name for Tokyo: EDO

 Argyle

Note from C.C.:

Happy Birthday to the real Big Easy (George Simpson), who volunteers at the annual Zurich Classic where he has met the other Big Easy a few times. Off the blog, George is a very caring friend to me. I enjoyed working with him on our puzzles.

Big Easy and his wife Diane

Tuesday, November 7, 2017 ~ Andrew Sand

Theme: Eco-Puzzle - Sort out the letters found in the circles to get three main recycling components.

20A. Three Stooges movie, e.g.: SLAPSTICK FILM. Plastic.

25A. Induction cooktop alternative: NATURAL GAS STOVE. Glass.

47A. Fluffy dessert: CHOCOLATE MOUSSE. Metal.

53A. Eco-friendly request ... and a hint to sorting out the aptly circled letters: PLEASE RECYCLE

Argyle here with a new guy. Two grid spanning entries. Some new stuff but a lot of recycled crosswordese. Andrew, if I have found the right one, was a student at North Dakota State University and has been making crossword puzzles for some time. A good debut.

Across:

1. Like dorms for both men and women: CO-ED

5. Military sch.: ACAD. (academy)

9. Fall in folds: DRAPE

14. Chomp: BITE

15. Swimmer's path: LANE

16. More cold and wet, weatherwise: RAWER. This coming week's weather.

17. Serb or Croat: SLAV

18. "Liberal" pursuits: ARTS

19. Can't stop loving: ADORE

23. Michigan or Mead: LAKE

24. Update from a pilot, for short: ETA. (estimated time of arrival)

33. Double-reed woodwinds: OBOEs

34. "What did you say?": "HUH?". "The oboes were too loud."

35. Key with one sharp: Abbr.: E-MIN

36. Light brown: TAN

37. Driver's license test: EYE EXAM

41. Post-OR area: ICU. (intensive care unit)

42. Three-pronged Greek letters: PSIs

44. Buffet table coffee server: URN

45. River mammal: OTTER

51. Eisenhower's nickname: IKE

52. Hip '60s Brits: MODS

59. Vonnegut literary device: IRONY. Vonnegut published 14 novels, three short story collections, five plays, and five works of non-fiction.

60. Enterprise captain born 3/22/2233: KIRK. Star Trek (no relation to Penny.)

61. Puts on TV: AIRS

63. Low card: DEUCE

64. Lawn border: EDGE

65. Finger or toe part: NAIL

66. Chose (to): OPTED

67. Evidence of ownership: DEED

68. Community org. known by its first letter: YMCA. (Young Men's Christian Association)

Down:

1. "Kevin Can Wait" network: CBS. I've never watched it. Is there a reason the title seems to be a riff on "Heaven Can Wait", the Warren Beatty film?

2. Lubricates: OILS

3. Bibliography list shortener: Abbr.: ET AL.

4. Reduce monetarily: DEVALUE

5. Denali National Park state: ALASKA

6. Price-fixing syndicate: CARTEL

7. Against: ANTI

8. Fam. tree member: DESC. (descendant)

9. NFL player selection events: DRAFTS

10. Give off: RADIATE

11. GI on the run: AWOL. Still on the lam!

12. Curly salon job: PERM

13. Before, in verse: ERE

21. Analyze grammatically: PARSE

22. One-named "We R Who We R" singer: KESHA. (Ke$ha)

25. Offensive to some, for short: NOT PC

26. Embarrass: ABASH

27. "Pagliacci" clown: TONIO

28. Treaty of __: War of 1812 ender: GHENT. Sure got our share of history today.

29. "La Cage __ Folles": AUX

30. Fails to include: OMITS

31. Bad habits: VICES

32. Accustom (to): ENURE

38. Winter holidays: YULES

39. __ of Good Feelings: ERA. The Era of Good Feelings marked a period in the political history of the US that reflected a sense of national purpose and a desire for unity among Americans in the aftermath of the War of 1812.

40. In a funk: MOODY

43. Bill Nye's field: SCIENCE. What a guy!

46. Florence's region: TUSCANY

Montepulciano, Tuscany

48. Approved: OKAYED

49. Come to light: EMERGE

50. Made fun of: MOCKED

53. Practice for the GMAT, e.g.: PREP. GMAT - Graduate Management Admission Test.

54. Ill-mannered sort: LOUT

55. Struggled to make, with "out": EKED

56. Taxi trip: RIDE

57. Neeson of "Kinsey": LIAM. 2004 biographical film.

58. Idle of Monty Python: ERIC

59. Wedding vow words: I DO

62. Patty Hearst's abductors: Abbr.: SLA. (Symbionese Liberation Army)

Argyle