Monday, April 6, 2015 Bruce Venzke and Gail Grabowski

Theme: Combination of the Two - The first part of the unifier is placed behind the first part of the starred entries to form an unrelated combination.

56A. Process for selecting theatrical performers, and a hint to the first word of the answers to starred clues : CASTING CALL

20A. *Manhattan site of Strawberry Fields : CENTRAL PARK. Central Casting, where all the movie extras come from.

39A. *Prepare for printing : TYPESET. Typecasting, what some actors suffer.

11D. *Untrustworthy, as a business : FLY-BY-NIGHT. Fly Casting, a type of fishing. Clip

29D. *Word processor error finder : SPELL CHECK. Spell Casting, just one of the classes at Hogwarts.

Argyle here. Every letter but the 'J'. Putting the uni-word in the middle of the answer makes it harder to spot. I felt the level of fill was slightly uneven but doable. Some room for cornerites to add their own spin. Have at it.

Across:

1. Halloween costume part : MASK

5. 640 acres: Abbr. : SQ MI. (square mile)

9. Longtime employee : LIFER

14. Death Valley's is the lowest in North Amer. : ELEV. 282 feet below sea level.

15. Mammoth feature : TUSK. Woolly mammoth.

16. China's Zhou __ : ENLAI

17. "Dirty Jobs" host Mike : ROWE. ...but somebody has to do it.

18. County Kerry's isle : EIRE

19. Deep chasm : ABYSS

23. "So long" : "BYE"

24. Young horse : COLT

25. One from Nairobi : KENYAN

27. Ultimate conclusion : UPSHOT. 1530's; originally, the final shot in an archery match, hence the figurative sense of "result, issue, conclusion". ~ Online Etymology Dictionary

30. Made of oak, e.g. : WOODEN

32. Small swallow : SIP

33. Pumps or clogs : SHOES

35. Thin piece of change : DIME

38. __ out a living : EKE

42. Guy's partner : GAL

43. Bank (on) : RELY

45. Glue in a hobbyist's kit : EPOXY

46. "Let me think ... " : "HMM..."

47. Utter madness : LUNACY

50. Michelangelo masterpieces : PIETAs

52. Tallied, with "up" : RACKED

54. Group after boomers : GEN X

55. "How relaxing!" : "AAH!"

62. Bit of luck : BREAK

64. Place for koi : POND

65. Prefix with distant : EQUI

66. Italian ball game : BOCCE

67. Woodworking tool : ADZE

68. Put on a pouty face : SULK

69. Filled (in), as a comic strip : INKED

70. Frog's kiddie-lit friend : TOAD

71. Yard event : SALE

Down:

1. Bygone Ford division, for short : MERC. A 71-year run ended in 2010.

2. Sunburn soother : ALOE

3. Stitched up : SEWN

4. Complain : KVETCH

5. Furtive : STEALTHY

6. Comforter to get comfy in : QUILT

7. Car sticker abbr. : MSRP. (manufacturer's suggested retail price)

8. Swedish furniture chain : IKEA

9. Didn't hold water : LEAKED

10. Having five sharps, musically : IN B

12. Course that's good for one's GPA : EASY 'A'

13. Ascended : RISEN

21. Barnyard perch : ROOST

22. MGM rival : RKO. (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/Radio-Keith-Orpheum)

26. Homer's nice neighbor : NED Flanders.

27. Password creator : USER

28. High-speed highway : PIKE

30. Teary-eyed : WEEPY

31. Bone, in Italian : OSSO

34. Oil gp. with 12 member nations : OPEC. (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries)

36. Papa's partner : MAMA

37. Stately shade trees : ELMS

40. Paid out : EXPENDED

41. Making, as a knot : TYING. Tying a fly.

44. Big laugh : YUK

48. Did some smooching : NECKED

49. Aquafresh tube letters : ADA. (American Dental Association)

51. Overabundance : EXCESS

52. Talmud expert : RABBI

53. Brother of Moses : AARON

54. Tokyo shopping district : GINZA

57. Petty quarrel : SPAT

58. Chore list heading : TO DO

59. Greenish-blue : AQUA. A little bigger clue/answer dupe (w/ 49D) than yesterday.

60. Temporary calm : LULL

61. Similar to : LIKE

63. Unreturnable serve : ACE. Tennis.

Argyle

Tuesday, February 17, 2015 Gail Grabowski and Bruce Venzke

Theme: Tao - As Steven Tyler sang, "Walk This WAY".

18A. Particularly welcome casino visitor : HIGH ROLLER. Highway.

23A. Court case that generates a media frenzy, say : CAUSE CÉLÈBRE. Causeway.

52A. Abe Lincoln nickname : RAIL SPLITTER. Railway.

60A. Irritate to the breaking point : DRIVE CRAZY. Driveway.

39A. "Nice job!" ... and, in another sense, a hint about the first words of 18-, 23-, 52- and 60-Across : WAY TO GO

Argyle here. What with the golf clues, I thought I'd find a fairway but like my drives, nope. The reveal was right in the middle though. Still a little crunch to 1-Across but Gail and Bruce's offering seems a tad easier than Monday's.

Across:

1. Command from a bailiff : "OYEZ"

5. Circle calculation : AREA

9. They smell : NOSES. lol

14. Like Mini Coopers : BOXY. The new BMW version and the old Austin Mini.

15. Pond croaker : TOAD. "Ribbit!"

16. Swine squeals : OINKS

17. Gave the once-over : EYED

20. Alpine song : YODEL

22. Ear-splitting : LOUD

30. Handsome god : APOLLO. 47A. Handsome god : ADONIS. Greeks.

32. Get really angry : SEE RED

33. Granada gold : ORO

34. Irritate : ANNOY

37. "CSI" facilities : LABS

38. Tee sizes, for short : SML. (small, medium, large)

42. Geese formation : VEE

43. Leafy veggie baked for chips : KALE

45. Bitten by bees : STUNG

46. Angled pipe fitting : ELL

50. __ Raiders: consumer advocates : NADER'S. (Ralph Nader)

55. Principal role : LEAD

56. Diet food phrase : [NO FAT]

66. Shredded : TORE

67. Construction beam fastener : RIVET

68. Former South Korean leader Syngman __ : RHEE

69. Golf club used for chipping : IRON. 7D. One below birdie : EAGLE. 57D. Warning from a driver? : "FORE!"

70. Blissful settings : EDENS

71. Jedi guru : YODA

72. Small change : CENT

Down:

1. Do as directed : OBEY

2. Toy with a spool : YOYO

3. Deleted, with "out" : EXed

4. Louisiana music style : ZYDECO

5. Olympics fig. : ATH. (athlete)

6. French monarch : ROI

8. Specialized, committee-wise : AD HOC

9. Bit of pasta : NOODLE

10. Frying liquid : OIL

11. NBC show since 1975, briefly : SNL

12. Barely manage, with "out" : EKE

13. Ukr. or Lith., once : SSR. (Soviet Socialist Republic)

19. Feels remorse over : RUEs

21. Bochco legal series : "L.A. LAW"

24. Forearm bone : ULNA

25. Some DVD players : SONYs

26. Sinuous swimmer : EEL

27. Less cowardly : BRAVER

28. Insurgent group : REBELS

29. '50s four-wheeled flop : EDSEL

30. 16th-century Spanish fleet : ARMADA

31. Hoi __: the masses : POLLOI

33. Heroic Schindler : OSKAR. He had a list.

35. Giants Hall of Famer Mel : OTT

36. Brewers Hall of Famer Robin : YOUNT. Shortstop and center fielder.

40. Pest in a swarm : GNAT

41. Utah city near the Golden Spike : OGDEN. The "Golden Spike" at Promontory Summit, north-west of Ogden, is where the ceremonial final spike joined the Central Pacific and Union Pacific railroads on May 10, 1869.

44. Photo blowup: Abbr. : ENL. (enlargement)

48. Sea spots? : ISLETs

49. Blueprint detail, for short : SPEC. (specification)

51. Sexy : EROTIC

53. Cable Guy of comedy : LARRY

54. The Gem State : IDAHO. It is the "Gem State" because nearly every known type of gemstone has been found there.

58. Elvis __ Presley : ARON

59. No-frills shelter : TENT. Thrown up by a pitcher.

60. Hip-hop Dr. : DRE

61. Free (of) : RID

62. "__ changed my mind" : I'VE

63. Caracas' country, to the IOC : VEN. (Venezuela)

64. Athens : omega :: London : __ : ZED. The end of the alphabet in Greek and English.

65. Assenting vote : YEA

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

Happy Birthday to Chairman Moe, who has been quiet lately. What's up, pal?

Tuesday, January 6, 2015 Gail Grabowski and Bruce Venzke

Theme: Beyond Lincoln Logs - Items that can be built from a kit.

20A. Guideline for standard operating procedures : POLICY FRAMEWORK

26A. Weightlifter's practice : BODY BUILDING

50A. Frequent feeling of culpability : GUILT COMPLEX

58A. Box of Lego bricks, e.g., or a hint to the last words of 20-, 26- and 50-Across : CONSTRUCTION SET

Argyle here. No C.C. but still two grid spanners. I hope I can get some help on the theme.

Tinkertoy construction set would build a good for frameworks.

There are lots of building construction sets out there, even a "The Walking Dead" one. LINK

You may be familiar with a "complex construction kit" if engage in X3: Terran Conflict, a computer simulation. The kit is used to link your factories.

Any other ideas?

Across:

1. Six-footer at a Super Bowl party? : HERO. Fun thing to get home in a small car.

5. Leveling wedge : SHIM

9. Trojan War epic : ILIAD

14. Sailed through : ACED

15. Oompah instrument : TUBA

16. For the __: temporarily : NONCE. That's all she wrote. Not used elsewhere.

17. Storage structure : SHED

18. Requiring a two-day trip, say : AFAR. Odd usage.

19. Ultrasound image, perhaps : FETUS

23. Go one better than : TOP

24. Old Mideast org. : U.A.R. (United Arab Republic)

25. "Papa __ a Rollin' Stone" : WAS. A tick faster version.

32. Log-splitting tool : AXE

33. Houston player, informally : STRO. Houston Astros, baseball.

34. Common rental restriction : [NO PETS]

38. Plumbing problem : LEAK

40. Toward the tiller : AFT

42. "College GameDay" number : STAT. College GameDay is an ESPN program that covers college basketball and football, going over the STATistics.

43. Still making payments : IN DEBT

46. __ mater : ALMA

49. "Little Women" woman : AMY. Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy

53. Kwik-E-Mart owner on "The Simpsons" : APU

56. Assenting vote : YEA

57. Ratio involving ht. and wt. : BMI. (Body Mass Index)

65. Designer Nina : RICCI. She got her start in the Thirties.

Don't let the cold stop you from being fashionable.

66. Retro phone feature : DIAL

67. "Do __ others ..." : UNTO

68. Sunni's faith : ISLAM

69. Simplify : EASE

70. Falafel holder : PITA

71. Mower handle? : DEERE. (name)

72. Mates for bucks : DOEs

73. Small earring : STUD

Down:

1. Hinged fastener : HASP

2. Sound on the rebound : ECHO

3. Rod attachment : REEL

4. Quirk : ODDITY

5. "Don't budge!" : "STAY PUT!"

6. Peeved mood : HUFF and 62D. Peeved mood : SNIT

7. Letter-shaped support piece : I-BAR

8. Plunder : MARAUD

9. Hot spot for Dante : INFERNO

10. Big name in movie theaters : LOEW

11. On its way to the body shop : [IN TOW]

12. Legend automaker : ACURA, which is a division of Honda.

13. Newsroom furniture : DESKS

21. Corn cores : COBs

22. Most important : MAIN

26. Vacation island south of Borneo : BALI

27. Farm team : OXEN

28. Word before tired or heat : DEAD

29. Fund for the golden yrs. : IRA

30. Lite : LO FAT

31. Navig. aid : GPS

35. Catchall abbr. : ET AL.

36. Domesticate : TAME

37. Mythological underworld boundary river : STYX

39. Tapped vessel : KEG

41. Treatment for a broken heart, briefly : TLC. (Tender Loving Care)

44. Postpone the inevitable : BUY TIME

45. Stadium section : TIER

47. Delicately balanced sculptures : MOBILES. Put away for another year.

48. Gun filler : AMMO

51. Praised : LAUDED

52. Man cave hangings : PIN-UPS

53. Bitterly pungent : ACRID

54. Self-assurance : POISE

55. Cry of concession : "UNCLE!"

59. Surgery reminder : SCAR

60. "So long," on the Lido : "CIAO"

61. Shock, in a way : TASE

63. "__, Brute?" : ET TU

64. Warty hopper : TOAD

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

To blog regulars:

Please send your photo to me (crosswordc@gmail.com) if you want to be included in our Blog Photos archive. We'd love to "see" you.

Tuesday, December 23, 2014 Gail Grabowski and Bruce Venzke

Theme: Blue Christmas - My wish is that none of you are affected by these conditions for Christmas.

21A. Hitchhiked : BUMMED A RIDE

39A. Aid in driving uphill : LOW GEAR

57A. At some future date : DOWN THE LINE

3D. Deplorably bad effort : SAD ATTEMPT

30D. Sharp-billed game fish : BLUE MARLIN

Santa here but I feel a bit like Scrooge; there's no reveal for you today. Gail and Bruce didn't even provide stars...but it is a fine present anyway. A tight theme, very little dross and several CSO's (and no ice). Several entries were definitely déjà vu.

Across:

1. Hushed "Hey!" : "PSST!"

5. PC image file format : JPEG. (Joint Photographic Experts Group)

9. Quaint word of dismissal : PSHAW

14. Obsessed whale hunter : AHAB

15. Guthrie of "Alice's Restaurant" fame : ARLO. A Thanksgiving song.

16. Mozart's "Don Giovanni," e.g. : OPERA

17. Cribs and cradles : BEDS

18. Navy mascot : GOAT

19. Prey grabber : TALON

20. Place for a flock : LEA and around the corner, 24D. Meadow mom : EWE

23. Big name in taco sauce : ORTEGA

25. Remote button : MUTE

26. Handles deftly, as a baton : TWIRLS

29. __ Sapphire: gin brand : BOMBAY. Acceptable, Tinbeni?

33. Joyful shout : CHEER

35. Like wines aged in certain barrels : OAKY

37. "On the Waterfront" director Kazan : ELIA

38. Sing without words : HUM

42. Address in an online favorites list, e.g. : URL. (uniform resource locator)

43. Chalet backdrop : ALPS. One for Marti.

45. Tiny chirp : PEEP

46. Past pudgy : OBESE

48. Sound of little feet : PATTER. For all those grandkids out there.

50. "2 Broke Girls," for one : SITCOM. (situation comedy)

52. Pre-med subj. : ANAT.

54. "Shoot!" : "OH DARN!"

62. Fish delicacy : ROE

63. Fill with wonder : AMAZE

64. Silent approvals : NODS. "...And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose!"

65. Singer Fitzgerald : ELLA

66. Control tower device : RADAR

67. Eins und zwei : DREI. Something in German.

68. Harbor structure : PIER

69. Bit of salon litter : TRESS

70. Freezer bag feature : SEAL

71. "What You Need" band : INXS. What you need is more Blue Christmas/Buon Natale.

Down:

1. Painter Picasso : PABLO

2. Like some cliffs and stockings : SHEER. We know who this is for.

4. "Cougar Town" network : TBS. (Turner Broadcasting System)

5. Rain forest cat : JAGUAR

6. Senior moment? : PROM

7. Jack of old oaters : ELAM. Just one of the many screen deaths of Jack Elam.

8. Informal response to "Did you buy those items I asked for?" : "GOT 'EM"

9. Picnic salad ingredient : POTATO

10. "Skip the sordid details" : "SPARE ME". TMI

11. Prefix with port or pad : HELI

12. 14-time A.L. All-Star : A-ROD

13. Diminish slowly : WANE

21. Old nightclub employee : B GIRL

22. 2000s White House nickname : DUBYA. George "Dubya" Bush

27. Rob of "Parks and Recreation" : LOWE. He has some strange DirecTV ads on the air now.

28. Learned ones : SAGES. Three sages from the East doesn't sound right.

31. Broadcasts : AIRS

32. Prestigious New England law school : YALE. It was hard to believe Splynter missed Yale Men's Ice Hockey, 2013 NCAA Champions, last Saturday's puzzle.

33. Fellow : CHAP

34. Hippy dance : HULA. Even a shout out to our Islanders.

36. Foreign Legion cap : KEPI

40. Talk show tycoon : OPRAH

41. Valium maker : ROCHE

44. Poem divisions : STANZAS

47. Gym specimen : BOD

49. Types into the database : ENTERS

51. Throat tissue : TONSIL

53. Looks after : TENDS

55. High-end watch : ROLEX

56. Gets within a stone's throw of : NEARS

57. Sticker in a tavern target : DART

58. Actor Sharif : OMAR

59. Cross a creek, say : WADE

60. Anecdotal wisdom : LORE

61. Brainstorming contribution : IDEA

65. Prefix with center : EPI

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

I'm excited to share with you three gorgeous pictures from Lemonade's wedding. They're such a beautiful couple.

Saturday, Nov 8th, 2014, Bruce Venzke & Victor Fleming

Theme: None

Words: 72 (missing Q,X)

Blocks: 28

   I did today's puzzle in two stages; I had to stop about 80% of the way through, but that was OK, because I was drawing a blank in the NW and SW corners.  Upon returning to the game, I noticed the WAGs I was reluctant to try were actually the correct answers - go figure.  Oh, and an alphabet-run technical DNF, which bummed me out(*). Bruce last appeared on a Saturday, Dec 7th, in 2013, and Victor's last Saturday was back on July 7th, 2012 (LAT) - two Victors in a row~!  Triple 10-letter pinwheel design with a pair of 7- and 8-letter fills as well;

17a. Group with many hits : COSA NOSTRA - Learning moment; I did not realize this was another name for the Sicilian Mafia - hence, the "hits" - more like whacks

12d. Get romantic : BILL AND COO - I have heard of the "COOing" part, but the "BILL"~?  I looked it up; it's a bird reference - now I get it

63a. They go down to the wire : CLOSE GAMES - I tried HORSE RACES

28. Some astronauts : SPACEWOMEN - Dah~! My first thought, and yet it seemed too simple - here's a list

O N W Ra Ds~!

ACROSS:

 1. Staff leaders : MAJORDOMOs - no clue to start, then I got as far as MAJOR----

11. Common rhyme scheme : ABAB - Good guess to start

15. In top form : AT ONE'S BEST

16. Wheels : RIDE - I am hoping to buy a new ride this weekend - a 2002 Ford Escape

18. Menlo Park middle name : ALVA - Thomas Edison

19. Fuse, as ore : SMELT

20. Comic strip about a high schooler : ZITS - I like it

22. She plays Watson in "Elementary" : LIU - Lucy

23. Fourth most populous U.S. island : OAHU - I threw in GUAM;  BZZZT~!  50% correct in all the wrong places

26. Reach : CONTACT - as on one's phone

28. Surveillance aid : SPYGLASS - I'd like to live on Spyglass Lane - there's one in my neighborhood

32. Steelers ownership family name : ROONEY

33. Nanki-__ : POO - I have heard this, but I went and looked it up afterwards - oh right - the Mikado

34. Prowler : SNOOP

36. Landlord's assets: Abbr. : BLDGs

37. "... men in __" : A TUB

39. Locks that are picked : AFROs

41. Victoria's Secret spec : D CUP - HA~! I threw this in, and upon doing the write-up realized I was right - I'm sure Dennis nailed it

Hello, blue-eyes - I bet you didn't even notice they were blue (her eyes)

42.* Longtime name in baseball broadcasting : CARAY - the "Y" was my downfall, in 43d., too

44. Inset site : ATLAS

46. Valuable elemento : ORO - goldo, in Spanisho

47. "And wilt thou pledge me this for time __?": Aeschylus : ETERNE - mostly perps

49. Takes a powder : SKIPS OUT - 'round here, SKIPS OUT means someone ran off in the night without paying the rent

51. Goes south : WORSENS

53. Rested from flight : ALIT

54. "He's mine, __ am his": "Coriolanus" : OR I - two quote partials doesn't sit well with me

55. Lases or tases : ZAPS

57. Verdi aria : ERI TU

61. Star followers : MAGI - 'Tis the season once again

66. Repeat : ECHO - 'Tis the season once again
- is there an echo in here~!?

67. Revealing : TATTLE-TALE - like a sign

68. Table tennis club's supply : NETS - um, I guess they would

69. Plots : STORY LINES - ah, that kind of plot

DOWN:

1. Apple array : MACS

2. It may be ionized : ATOM - see "onward"

3. Muralist Orozco : JOSÉ

Jose Orozco's Prometheus

4. Where a turtle might be seen : ON A LOG - sure, why not; the last one I saw was trying to cross Rt 25, which is a 50mph road - I believe he made it

5. Some prom night wear : RENTALS - oh, the tux....never mind....

6. Brit. military award : DSO Distiguished Service Order

7. Delivery pros : OBStetrician - from the Latin "to stand by"; the medical specialist that deals with pregnancy and childbirth

8. City on the Moselle : METZ

9. "Hamlet" courtier : OSRIC

10. Electric generator component : STATOR

11. Celestial altar : ARA

13. Amy Dickinson, e.g. : ADVICE GURU

14. Mole, maybe : BEAUTY SPOT - I do not think of them as beauty; just spots

21. Stereotypical status seeker : SNOB

24. Rival of Martina and Chris : HANA - Mandlíková, Czech tennis star

25. Patriotic nickname : U.S. of A.

27. Spoiled the surprise : TOLD

29. Kid's birthday party contest : POTATO RACE - never had one

30. "No argument" : YOU'RE RIGHT - upon returning to the grid, I was able to get past "YOU", which was all I had filled, and started thinking "YOU'RE" - Duck~!

31. Prepares for filing : SORTS

35. Grammy category eliminated in 2009 : POLKA - I did not know this

38. Illegalizes : BARS - I had BANS, and that threw me

40. Zip (through) : SAIL

43*. Santa __ Valley: California wine region : YNEZ - ugh - really~? Oh well - I'm sure our California contingency got it no problem

45. Catalog giant : SPIEGEL

48. Adopts : ENACTS

50. Low clouds : STRATI

52. Paint-spill sound : SPLAT - uhhh, whooo(ups)~?

56. __ speak : SO TO - ugh - all perps

58. "Project Runway Canada" host : IMAN

59. Commuting leader? : TELE - telecommuting

60. Doesn't let sit : USES

62. Cyclades island : IOS

64. Harp, e.g.: Abbr. : STRing instrument

65. Bridge expert Culbertson : ELY

Splynter

Tuesday, October 28, 2014 Gail Grabowski and Bruce Venzke

Theme: Two for Tuesday - Each half of the two word answer is theme related.

16. *Tailor's fabric marker : CHALK PENCIL. Chalk mark, Pencil mark.

23. *Like a job that doesn't cause ulcers : LOW STRESS. Low mark, Stress mark.

34. *Anna Sewell novel narrated by a horse : "BLACK BEAUTY". Black mark, Beauty mark,

49. *Icon in bill-paying software : CHECK BOOK. Check mark, Book mark.

59. "Remember what I said!" ... and a hint to what can follow each part of the answers to starred clues : "MARK MY WORDS!"

Argyle here. The Gail/Bruce twosome gave us an ambitious Tuesday that seems a tad flat to me. Is it just me?

Across:

1. Plant owner: Abbr. : MFR. (ManuFactureR)

4. Quieted (down) : CALMED

10. Novelist Clancy : TOM

13. Go it alone : SOLO

14. Starting squads : A-TEAMS

15. Commotion : ADO

18. Fortysomething, e.g. : Xer. Gen X followed the Baby Boomers.

19. Parts of stairs : RISERS. The piece that is between the treads, often missing on cellar stairs.

20. Paving supply : TAR

21. "Suits" actress Torres : GINA

22. Oft-blessed outburst : [ACHOO!]

25. Nonstick kitchen brand : PAM

26. Pro offering IRA advice : CPA

28. Netherworld : HADES

29. Uppity one : SNOB

31. Chapter in a geology text, maybe : ERA

33. Finished first : WON

38. Early hrs. : AMs

39. Misspell or misspeak : ERR

40. Woodshop tools : SAWS

43. "NCIS" actor Joe : SPANO. Agent Fornell

46. Personal connections : INs

48. Extinct emu-like bird : MOA

53. Top-selling Toyota : CAMRY. Mid-Size Sedan.

55. __ Hashanah : ROSH. Last month.

56. "Bambi" doe : ENA. The aunt.

57. Runway figures : MODELS

58. "What was __ do?" : I TO

61. Jazz genre : BOP

62. Layered rock : GNEISS

63. Pull up stakes, to Realtors : RELO. Relocate.

64. USCG rank : ENS. Ensign.

65. Hardly boastful : MODEST

66. Dreyer's partner in ice cream : EDY

Down:

1. Tribesman in a Cooper title : MOHICAN. "The Last of the Mohicans" set in my locale.

2. Apparently spontaneous public gathering : FLASH MOB. Dudley(from last night), it sounds like you had the makings of a good flash mob.

3. Logger's contest : ROLEO. Pay attention to the commentary.

4. Spending limits : CAPS

5. Completed the course? : ATE. Cute.

6. Slowly, to Mozart : LENTO

7. Colorful parrot : MACAW

8. Mideast leaders : EMIRS

9. High-speed www connection : DSL. Not that fast in this FiOS age.

10. Rolled up to the jetway : TAXIED. Jetway? Don't hear that often.

11. Danish birthplace of Hans Christian Andersen : ODENSE

12. Marshy tract : MORASS

13. Torn-off paper pieces : SCRAPS

17. McDonald's founder Ray : KROC

21. Research funding sources : GRANTS

23. Carefree diversion : LARK

24. "__ shalt not ..." : THOU. Thou shall not pass, dog!

27. Push-up targets, briefly : PECS. Chest muscles.

30. Boil briefly, as asparagus : BLANCH

32. Honest __ : ABE

33. Tip off : WARN

35. Out of control : AMOK

36. Composer Satie : ERIK. Extensive write-up with this LINK.

37. Whined : YAMMERED

41. Urbane : WORLDLY

42. States as fact : SAYS SO

43. Book copier of yore : SCRIBE. Like in this yore, 45D. __ Fables : AESOP'S

44. Particle of light : PHOTON

47. Garbage vessel : SCOW

50. Bingo relative : BEANO

51. No right __: road sign : ON RED

52. Jack of "The Texas Rangers" : OAKIE. (1936 movie)but he was so much more. He's the one in the middle in this clip.

54. Really love : ADORE

57. Computer game title island : MYST. More for the Gen Y crowd.

59. Studio with a lion mascot : MGM

60. Submissions to an ed. : MSS. (Manuscripts)

Argyle

Tuesday, September 16, 2014 Gail Grabowski and Bruce Venzke

Theme: Stay Behind the Line - A police show staple, "Get Back!" except today it is GET that is back, backwards that is. TE ends the first word and G begins the second word.

41A. Regain, and hint to a hidden letter arrangement in 20- and 59-Across and 11- and 35-Down : GET BACK

20A. Hockey player's blade cover : SKATE GUARD

59A. Meticulous, as premium service : WHITE GLOVE

11D. Roofing color : SLATE GRAY

35D. Rather nice : QUITE GOOD

Argyle here. It seems rather flat to me. A couple of tens and nines that lack sparkle. I hope you enjoyed it.

Across:

1. Fraternal title for a fictional fox : BR'ER. from the Uncle Remus folktales.

5. Easily bamboozled sort : PATSY

10. Former Mach 2 fliers, briefly : SSTs

14. Top-rated : A-ONE

15. Hawaii hello : "ALOHA"

16. Butterlike spread : OLEO

17. Steak cut : LOIN

18. U.S.-Canada defense letters : NORAD. (North American Aerospace Defense Command)

19. With 54-Down, longtime Jeep competitor : LAND 54D. See 19-Across : ROVER

22. __ Place: Butch and Sundance companion : ETTA

                            Source

 

23. Music rights gp. : ASCAP. (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers)

24. Wonderland cake words : [EAT ME]

26. Bolivian capital : LA PAZ. An elevation of roughly 3,650 meter (11,975 feet).

30. Ticked off : ANGRY

33. www help pages : FAQs. (Frequently asked questions)

36. Old vendor of cold blocks : ICEMAN

39. French king : ROI

40. Sch. in Columbus : OSU. (Ohio State University)

42. Sound system part : AMP

43. Xbox 360 competitor : Wii. (Nintendo)

44. Log-on requirement : USER ID

45. Work on a keyboard : TYPE

46. Mechanic on TV's "Taxi" : LATKA. Portrayed by Andy Kaufman.

                            Source

 

48. Foil maker : ALCOA

50. Sinclair Lewis' "__ Gantry" : ELMER

53. Swampy areas : MIREs

57. Senate gofer : PAGE

63. Swine's supper : SLOP

64. No longer squeaking : OILED

65. Fifty-fifty : EVEN

66. Get a glimpse of : SPOT

67. Do a bakery job : KNEAD

68. Socially awkward type : NERD

69. Bustle : TO DO

70. "My apologies" : "SORRY"

71. Prohibitionists : DRYS. Opponents of the WETS.

Down:

1. Lightweight wood : BALSA

2. Corner chessmen : ROOKS. How's the table, Splynter?

3. Room-size computer unveiled in 1946 : ENIAC. (Electronic Numerical Integrator And Computer)

4. U-Haul vans, e.g. : RENTALS

5. Sign of hunger : PANG

6. Baseball family name : ALOU

7. Afghanistan's __ Bora : TORA

 

8. Divvy up : SHARE

9. When tripled, "and so on" : "YADDA..."

10. Serious : SOLEMN

12. No-frills shelter : TENT

13. Fountain drink : SODA

21. Org. concerned with greenhouse gases : EPA

25. Gas holder : TANK

27. Bakery array : PIES

28. French play part : ACTE

29. Striped equine : ZEBRA

31. One-sided win : ROMP

32. "Holy cow!" : YIPE

33. Pheasant or turkey : FOWL

34. Sri Lanka setting : ASIA. Travelogue

37. Letters in a box : MAIL

38. Electrical adapter letters : AC/DC

41. Largest of the Mariana Islands : GUAM

45. Final part : TAIL END

47. Compulsive thief, for short : KLEPTO. Kleptomania is the inability to refrain from the urge to steal items and is done for reasons other than personal use or financial gain.

49. Texter's "Zounds!" : [OMG!]

51. Furry "Star Wars" creatures : EWOKS

52. Thick-skinned beast : RHINO

55. All-inclusive adjective : EVERY

56. Ships : SENDS

57. Subtle "Over here!" : "PSST!"

58. Kibbles 'n Bits alternative : ALPO

60. Robert of "The Sopranos" : ILER. Where is he NOW?

61. Fabric mishap : TEAR

62. Whirling current : EDDY

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

Happy Birthday to D-Otto, who has been quietly helping me and this blog the past few years. Our team blogging would be very stressful had Tom not taught me the basic know-how. He is always caring and patient, though he did become a loving Desper-otto when we brainstormed a very demanding theme set a few months ago :-)