Monday, July 4, 2016 Bruce Venzke & Gail Grabowski

Theme: No Reveal Monday - No need; straight rhymes. Totally different spellings.

17A. Pre-exam review session : REFRESHER COURSE

27A. Multinational military alliance : COALITION FORCE

49A. Reporter's trustworthy contact : RELIABLE SOURCE

63A. Coin-operated kiddie ride : MECHANICAL HORSE

Argyle here. No tribute puzzle here, nothing to slow you up so you can get out there to watch the parades.

Across:

1. Son of God, in a Bach cantata : JESU

5. Sacred wading bird of ancient Egypt : IBIS

9. English class topic : USAGE

14. Novelist Hunter : EVAN. One of his names. IMBd

15. Outstanding credit : DEBT

16. __ Valley, Calif.: 1960 Winter Olympics site : SQUAW

20. Prepare to propose : KNEEL

21. Figure skating leap : AXEL

22. Satisfied sounds : AAHs

23. Tel __, Israel : AVIV

25. Use an acetylene torch on : WELD

33. PIN requester : ATM

34. In a bit : SOON

35. Words before "Happy New Year!" : ... TWO, ONE ...

37. Explore eBay : SHOP

39. Vintage roadster : REO

41. Pop singer Diamond : NEIL

42. Medal of Honor recipients : HEROES

45. State firmly : AVER

48. Delta rival: Abbr. : UAL. United Airlines

52. "What have I gotten myself __?" : INTO

53. Bring in from the fields : REAP

54. Cries from successful solvers : A-HAs

57. Flu symptom : AGUE

59. Sounds of thunder : CLAPS. I hope it doesn't rain on your parade.

66. Spin docs : PR MEN

67. "If all __ fails ... " : ELSE

68. Out of the wind : ALEE

69. Shabby : SEEDY

70. Puts into words : SAYS

71. Where boats tie up : DOCK

Down:

1. Soda __: fountain worker : JERK. The term Soda Jerk came from the action the fountain attendant made when pulling the soda draft arm. This jerking motion coined the phrase “Soda Jerk.” The origin and date of the phrase are unknown.

2. Tied, as a score : EVEN

3. Out of danger : SAFE

4. Hard to believe : UNREAL

5. Checkpoint requirements: Abbr. : IDs

6. Conduct, in report card comments : BEHAVIOR

7. Curly-horned goat : IBEX

8. Sprinkled widely : STREWN

9. GI show gp. : USO. (United Service Organizations)

10. Detachment of fighter jets : SQUADRON

11. Subtle glow : AURA

12. Nasty cut : GASH

13. Fleecy farm females : EWEs

18. "Don't Be Cruel" singer : ELVIS

19. Chin indentation : CLEFT

24. Simpson trial judge : ITO

26. Weather map "L" : LOW

27. Tens and twenties : CASH

28. "None of the above" choice : OTHER

29. Love, in Rome : AMORE

30. NBA great Shaquille : O'NEAL

31. __ d'Alene, Idaho : COEUR

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

36. Magazine you can read forward and backward? : ELLE

38. Like shiny shoes : POLISHED

40. Flipped during frying, as eggs : OVEREASY

43. Austrian "a" : EIN

44. The devil : SATAN

46. Tampa-to-Palm Beach dir. : ESE

47. Pest control target : ROACH

50. Unidentified flying radar blips : BOGIES

51. Transfer, as computer data : UPLOAD

54. Bandstand boosters : AMPs

55. "Present!" : "HERE!"

56. Summit : ACME

58. Golden St. campus : UCLA

60. Folksy Guthrie : ARLO

61. Tiny time meas. : P-SEC. One trillionth of a second, picosecond.

62. Search for : SEEK

64. Vague quantity : ANY

65. "__ Misérables" : LES

Happy Fourth!

Argyle

Monday, May 9, 2016 Gail Grabowski and Bruce Venzke

Theme: "AND THEY'RE OFF!" - heard at the races and about the Marx Brothers.

20A. Keep tabs on a shipment : TRACK ONE'S ORDER

25A. Some briefs : JOCKEY SHORTS

44A. Shrewd bargaining : HORSE TRADING

50A. 1937 Marx Brothers film ... and, based on words that begin 20-, 25- and 44-Across, this puzzle's title : "A DAY AT THE RACES"

Argyle here. My Derby pick came in third but I didn't bet so it doesn't matter. This puzzle shows itself a winner as it takes its place at the start of the week. The three entries are unique words, meaning they have never been in a NY Times puzzle.

Across:

1. See 16-Across : JULEP. 16A. With 1-Across, Kentucky Derby drink : MINT. Not your style? How about 28D. Beer barrel : KEG. No? Then 30D. Part of BYOB : OWN, Bring Your Own Booze. (or bottle)

6. Haunted house sound : MOAN. The sound of those that bet against Nyquist.

10. Females : SHEs, Like 23A. Coop group female : HEN and 32A. Crimp-haired critters : EWES

14. Soul singer Baker : ANITA. Missed the boat; not clueing this as Santa Anita, home track for Derby winner, Nyquist. Plus, on Mother’s Day, the best female horse in America, Beholder, won the $100,000 Adoration Stakes.

15. Convention center event : EXPO

17. Humongous : GIANT

18. "__ we forget" : LEST

19. Hold 'em fee : ANTE. Pay to play.

24. Favorable rise : UPTURN. Spectators rise up when the field turns for home.

31. Except if : UNLESS

33. Elbow poke : JAB

36. Party lacking ladies : STAG

37. Roadside retreat : INN

38. "Out of the way!" : "MOVE!". What the come-from-behind jockeys are saying.

39. Help for one stuck in a rut, perhaps : TOW

40. Mortgage change, briefly : REFI. (refinance)

42. Bach's "Mass in __" : B MINOR. Johann Sebastian Bach

46. Snap out of it : COME TO

49. DVR button : REC. (record)

56. Golf standout McIlroy : RORY. Currently ranked third in the world.

57. Furniture chain that sells Swedish meatballs : IKEA

58. Like a gift of chocolates : BOXED

60. Small jazz group : TRIO

61. What one often wears out? : COAT Misdirection on a Monday!

62. Went berserk : RAGED

63. Isaac's older son : ESAU

64. Once-sacred snakes : ASPs

65. Live and breathe : EXIST

Down:

1. Car with a cat logo, briefly : JAG

2. Self-storage compartment : UNIT

3. "Tell me the truth!" : "LIAR!". I get a kick out of these things.

4. Sicilian volcano : ETNA

5. Quilting squares : PATCHES

6. Fruit stand buys : MELONS

7. Yoked team : OXEN

8. Vaulted church recess : APSE

9. On the fence : NOT SURE

10. Brainpower : SMARTS

11. Many a Mumbai man : HINDU

12. Step into : ENTER

13. Back of the boat : STERN

21. Lock inserts : KEYS

22. Drops (out) : OPTS

25. Barely : JUST

26. Not fooled by : ON TO

27. Tiger's gripper : CLAW

29. '20s-'30s skating gold medalist Sonja : HENIE

33. "Both Sides Now" singer Mitchell : JONI

34. Door-to-door cosmetics seller : AVON

35. Arctic hazard : BERG

37. Things up in the air : IFs

38. Prefix with term or town : MID

40. Membership list : ROTA

41. Steamy writing : EROTICA

42. Fictional fox's title : BR'ER

43. Ghoulish : MACABRE

44. "Psst!" : "HEY, YOU!"

45. Springs for lunch : TREATS

46. À la __ : CARTE

47. Clean-out-the-fridge warnings : ODORS

48. "West Side Story" love song : MARIA

51. Boxer's stats : TKOs. (technical knockout)

52. Sloppy stack : HEAP

53. Persuade gently : COAX

54. Former soldier, briefly : EX-GI

55. Lays eyes on : SEES

59. Outlawed pesticide : DDT

One last song.

Argyle

Tuesday, April 26, 2016 Gail Grabowski and Bruce Venzke

Theme: Multiple Use - Various meanings for the same word.

20A. Keep in suspense : LEAVE HANGING. Hanging File.

35A. Department store fixture : DISPLAY CASE. Case File. Often found in a hanging file.

42A. Shingle securer : ROOFING NAIL. Nail File. (relevant at 2:50)

59A. It may be affixed to an email ... and, literally, what the last word of 20-, 35- and 42-Across can have : ATTACHED FILE

Argyle here with Gail and Bruce. Pretty straight forward Tuesday puzzle.

Across:

1. Doorbell sound : DONG. Mrs. Wiggins is the DING.

5. Radio switch : AM/FM

9. Pop out of the CD player : EJECT

14. "Young Frankenstein" helper : IGOR

15. "Deck the Halls" syllables : FA LA la la la, la la la la.

16. Use crayons : COLOR

17. "The West Wing" actor Alan : ALDA

18. Fed. agent : G-MAN

19. Best way to sing : ON KEY

23. Maker of Fiesta Flats taco shells : ORTEGA

24. Gorilla who learned sign language : KOKO

25. "__ you for real?" : ARE

28. Half a Mork-to-Orson farewell : NANU. There is an interesting connection between Robin Williams and Koko.

30. Symbol : EMBLEM

32. Suffers from : HAS

38. Tunnel effect : ECHO

40. Actor's prompt : CUE

41. "We gotta move!" : "C'MON!"

47. Roulette bet : ODD

48. Like a spoiled child : BRATTY

49. Didn't need to guess : KNEW

51. Weekly NBC offering since 1975, briefly : SNL

52. Takes notice of : SEEs

55. Like some country songs : TWANGY

61. Drummer Ringo : STARR

64. Sheepish smile : GRIN

65. First name in bike stunts : EVEL Knievel.

66. Japanese verse : HAIKU

67. Tupperware tops : LIDS

68. Harvest : REAP. Wild oats?

69. Kentucky Derby racer : HORSE

70. Sporting weapon : ÉPÉE

71. Lacking, in Lorraine : SANS. Sans Souci (French for "no worries" or "carefree")

Down:

1. Old way to place a collect call : DIAL O. While Mother's Day has the highest number of phone calls, the most collect calls are made on Father's Day.[

2. Creepy admirer : OGLER

3. Signal silently to : NOD AT

4. Sculptured, as an image : GRAVEN

5. Kabul native : AFGHANI

6. Wee one's word : MAMA

7. __ steak : FLANK

8. Tropical fruit : MANGO

9. Political debate topic : ECONOMY

10. "Fear of Flying" author Erica : JONG. She's 74 and living in Manhattan.

11. Antlered animal : ELK

12. Two-time 1500-meter gold medalist Sebastian : COE

13. Give it a whirl : TRY

21. "My stars!" : "EGAD!"

22. Maker of NORDLI furniture : IKEA

25. Texas tourist spot : ALAMO

26. Fix a green : RESOD

27. Revise : EMEND

29. Shoreline protection gp. : USCG. (United States Coast Guard)

31. Discreetly send a dupe email to : BCC. (Blind Carbon Copy)

32. Chef's flavorings : HERBS

33. Oak-to-be : ACORN. Mighty oaks from little acorns grow.

34. Sandbar : SHOAL

36. Lewis Carroll specialty : PUN. Favorites?

37. Security issue : LEAK

39. Time and again, to a bard : OFT

43. "Honest!" : "IT'S TRUE!"

44. Kremlin rejection : NYET

45. Passionate : INTENSE

46. R-rated, perhaps : LEWD

50. Thin cookies : WAFERS

53. Sharp-eyed flier : EAGLE

54. Rx, for short : SCRIP

56. Skin lotion brand : NIVEA

57. Collect incrementally : GLEAN

58. Sounds from a kennel : YELPS

59. Sacred chests : ARKS

60. Hole up : HIDE

61. Librarian's warning : [SHH!]

62. Confucian "path" : TAO

63. Go public with : AIR

Argyle

Saturday, Mar 12th, 2016, Bruce Venzke

Theme: Two Triple Stacks

Words: 68 (missing F,J,Q,Y)

Blocks: 38

I am always fascinated when I see spanners grouped in threes (and fours) with crossings (perpendiculars) that are not such a stretch that the puzzle seems forced; and then I get that feeling that it's going to be a tough grid to solve.  Today, however, I seemed to breeze through with very little trouble - but I had some incredible WAGs that were solid from the get go.  Our regulars here at the blog will be quick to point out that big groups of 15-letters usually leads to shorter Downs.  Not so much today, though we did have a high block count - and a good-looking grid, at that.   The spanners;

1. Where to see pop-ups : ELECTRIC TOASTER

16. Holding capacity : SATURATION POINT

17. Doesn't do anything : SITS ON ONE'S HANDS

57. Security employees : STORE DETECTIVES

60. Doesn't care for : TAKES A DISLIKE TO - slightly 'meh'

61. Prepare for a ball : DRESS TO THE NINES - the origin~?

O                 N                 W                 A                 R                D             ~            !

ACROSS:

18. Caning material : RATTAN - oops, not WICKER

19. Shows frugality : STINTS

20. N.S. setting : AST - Nova Scotia, and Atlantic Standard Time; I happen to know they are 1 hour ahead of my time zone, EST

21. Word on some dipsticks : ADD - just looked at the one in my van yesterday - and it was at the "ADD" mark

22. Thickening agent : AGAR

25. '70s congresswoman known for wearing wide-brimmed hats : ABZUG - 3 perps and 2 WAGs

29. 15th-century golfer, probably : SCOT - ah, a 'generic' answer

33. Likely to skid : BALD - tires

34. Train puller : BRIDE - bang~! Nailed it

35. Iolani Palace locale : OAHU - seen before in crosswords

36. Search result : URL - dah~!  Not HIT

37. Org. with a WaterSense program : EPA - sensible WAG

38. Mad man of film : MAX - I have yet to see the 2015 remake of the 1979 film

39. Letter-shaped beam : Z-BAR - went with I-bar first; a genuine 75% correct

41. Early 17th-century pope : PAUL V - I tried 'PIUS -' with early crossings

43. "If wishes __ horses ... " : WERE

44. Sector : ZONE - not AREA

45. Liberal : AMPLE

46. They're frequently tapped : ALES - not KEGS

47. Incidentally, briefly : BTW - texting shorthand for "By The Way"

49. __ Karate: old aftershave : HAI

51. Cricket official : SCORER - I tried UMPIRE; then I had to look to see if this was an actual 'official'

54. Certain summons : TICKET

DOWN:

1. First of September? : ESS - September

2. Cave, say : LAIR

3. Kett of old comics : ETTA

4. Crème brûlée preparation : CUSTARD

5. Hambletonian events : TROTS

6. Deferred payment : RAN A TAB

7. Get __ the record : IT ON -

8. Rose team, on scoreboards : CINcinnati; Pete Rose of the Reds - C.C. must be thrilled we are at Spring Training - just means we are close to the Stanley Cup playoffs for me....

9. Word in a readiness metaphor : TOES - "be on one's toes"....eh

10. Performing : ON STAGE - sometimes on your toes here, too

11. Orchard pest : APHID

12. Dirty rat : SO-AND-SO

13. Glare reducer : TINT

14. Circle's lack : ENDS - I was close with EDGE

15. NFL linemen : RTs

22. Talking excitedly : ABUZZ

23. "The Kiss" was her last silent film : GARBO

24. Historian Nevins : ALLAN - I guessed the two "L"s

26. Another name for bluegill : BREAM

27. Close, as a parka : ZIP-UP - how about 'close, as heels' for Saturday cluing~?

28. 1960s Interior secretary Stewart __ : UDALL

30. Alpaca relative : CAMEL - I like camels

I found so many other funny ones (add 9d.), but....

31. Orchard Field, today : O'HARE - I knew this from crosswords

32. Spiffy attire : TUXES - sort of a mini-theme going on

40. Engine rebuilding jobs : REBORES

41. Checked out, feline-style : PAWED AT

42. Jam component : VEHICLE - nice misdirection, if you tried some sort of fruit

43. Surfing mecca : WAIKIKI - great fill

48. Bun element : TRESS

50. Join the cast of : ACT IN - second semi-theme going on, with 10d. and the next clue;

51. Beverly Hills sighting : STAR

52. Old beehive oven product : COKE - new to me; the Wiki

53. Change in appearance : RE-DO

54. Sellecca's "Intelligence for Your Life TV" co-host : TESH - didn't see this filled in until I came to write the blog

55. Still : EVEN

56. Toque spot : TÊTE - I knew a toque was chef headware, and that it was Frawnche

57. Benchmark: Abbr. : STD - standard

58. "__-Willow": "The Mikado" song : TIT

obdurate definition

59. Cleaning product with two periods in its name : S.O.S

remember "Wacky Packages~?"

Splynter

Monday, January 11, 2016 Gail Grabowski and Bruce Venzke

Theme: No Standing - Sit anywhere.

20A. *Mattress support : BOX SPRING. Box Seats.

39A. *Light, friendly punch : LOVE TAP. Love Seats.

56A. Spots for airline magazines ... and, literally, what the first words of the answers to starred clues can all have : SEATBACKS

11D. *Wishful lifetime agenda : BUCKET LIST. Bucket Seats.

27D. *Slapstick slipping cause : BANANA PEEL. Banana Seats.

Argyle here. One problem I anticipate is certain anons will have a nit field day.

Across:

1. Potato bag : SACK

5. Rod in a grill : SPIT

9. Macaroni shape : ELBOW

14. Vintage soda : NEHI

15. Chisholm Trail city : WACO

16. Red, in roulette : ROUGE

17. Mine extracts : OREs

18. Club used for chipping : IRON

19. Capital of Ghana : ACCRA

22. Spoken for : TAKEN

23. Skinny fish : EELs

24. Quick message : NOTE

25. Blue Ribbon beer : PABST

28. Palm Pilot, e.g., briefly : PDA. (personal data assistant)

30. Carve in stone : ETCH

33. Attributive menu words : À LA

34. Parisian partings : ADIEUs

37. Leave rolling in the aisles : SLAY

38. Sermon topic : SIN

41. Sitter's handful : IMP or 63A. Sitter's handful : BRAT

42. What some missiles seek : HEAT

44. Stevenson title doctor : JEKYLL

45. "I warned you!" : "SEE!"

46. Gothic fiction author Rice : ANNE. The Vampire Chronicles.

47. WWII espionage gp. : OSS. (Office of Strategic Services)

48. Bugs and Jags : AUTOS. Volkswagen and Jaguar Land Rover.

50. "Fire" bugs : ANTS. Fire ants.

52. Bourgogne and Chablis : VINs. French spelling of regional wines.

54. Longstocking of kiddie lit : PIPPI. Another red-headed girl but not like Anne of Green Gables.

61. NBA great Shaquille : O'NEAL

62. Footnote "p" : PAGE

64. Modern mil. treaty violation : N-TEST

65. Egg cell : OVUM

66. Humdinger : LULU

67. Knuckleheads : DOLTS

68. Short- or long-sleeved tops : TEEs

69. Marked, as a ballot : EXed

Down:

1. Stereotypical "Dahling!" speaker : SNOB

2. Flight-related prefix : AERO

3. General Mills brand : CHEX

4. Affectionate greetings : KISSES. Air kisses, Dahling.

5. Marble cake pattern : SWIRL

6. Capital on the Seine : PARIS

7. Pic to click : ICON

8. Grab from the grill, as a hot dog : TONG

9. Poetry Muse : ERATO

10. Tracks down : LOCATES

12. Storybook brute : OGRE

13. Withdraw gradually : WEAN

21. "He loves me" piece : PETAL

24. Sounding like one has a cold : NASAL

25. Old Turkish title : PASHA

26. Otherworldly : ALIEN

28. Sneaks a look : PEEKS

29. Obligation : DUTY

31. Typical Hitchcock role : CAMEO

32. Publicizes aggressively : HYPEs

35. Martial arts schools : DOJOs

36. Currier's colleague : IVES. Millard Fillmore's?

40. Backup strategy : PLAN B

43. When the big hand is on two : TEN PAST

49. In working order : USABLE

51. Leans slightly : TILTS

52. Beating around the bush : VAGUE

53. Agenda bullets : ITEMS

54. Common koi habitat : POND

55. Look __: investigate : INTO

56. Washday woe : SPOT

57. Nesting site, perhaps : EAVE

58. Essence : CRUX

59. Leafy veggie baked for chips : KALE. Baby Blues/Rick Kirkman and Jerry Scott/Jan. 10, 2016

60. Gym specimen : STUD. How to find a stud.

 

 

Argyle

Tuesday, November 24, 2015 Gail Grabowski and Bruce Venzke

Theme: Edit - ED is added to the first part of each plural compound noun and formed three synonyms for "tired". Each new entry is then clued humorously.

20. Tired bowling groups? : BUSHED LEAGUES. Bush Leagues

38. Tired janitors? : DRAINED CLEANERS. Drain Cleaners

56. Tired groupies? : EXHAUSTED FANS. Exhaust Fans

Argyle here. A few trouble spots but an amusing theme. Seven X's on the way to a pangram.

Across:

1. Alter, as a pet : SPAY

5. Coif adjusted with a pick : AFRO

9. Less uncertain : SURER. More certain.

14. Bring under control : TAME

15. Bar sign light : NEON

16. Goodnight girl of song : IRENE. Recorded under one of those bar lights.

17. Poolside hue : AQUA

18. Big reference vols. : OEDs

19. Utah city near the Golden Spike : OGDEN

23. Unconvincing excuse, probably : LIE

24. Ballot markings : Xes

25. Not strict at all : LAX

26. __ Mahal : TAJ

29. Go on until : END AT

31. Buzzers around blossoms : BEEs

33. Cornfield construction : MAZE. They are very creative.

34. Antianxiety drug : XANAX. First released by Upjohn and now a part of Pfizer.

36. Relationship __: Facebook feature : STATUS

42. Automatons : ROBOTS

43. Refuge in a desert : OASIS

44. Physics particle : ATOM

45. It's pitched at camp : TENT

47. Security concerns : LEAKS

51. Beer, to a Brit : BEV. Short for Beverage.

52. Driver's license datum : SEX

53. Cooler in a cooler : ICE

55. Lucy of "Elementary" : LIU. On CBS.

60. Plastic alternative : PAPER

62. Give kudos to : LAUD

63. Common conjunctions : ANDs

64. Construction site sight : CRANE

65. Shoreline-altering phenomenon : TIDE

66. Item on an actor's résumé : ROLE

67. Scarecrow stuffing : STRAW

68. Vehicle in many a Jack London story : SLED

69. Black gem : ONYX

Down:

1. Place for ponies : STABLE

2. Anna of "True Blood" : PAQUIN. Canadian-born New Zealand actress. "True Blood" is on HBO.

3. Brought a smile to : AMUSED

4. Slangy assent : "YEAH"

5. Battery pole : ANODE

6. Experiences regret : FEELS BAD

7. Biked : RODE

8. Marked down : ON SALE

9. Sitting Bull's tribe : SIOUX

10. Hard-to-resist impulse : URGE

11. Republican-voting area, on an election map : RED STATE

12. Peoria-to-Detroit dir. : ENE

13. Neurotic toon dog : REN and Stimpy.

21. Not destroyed or lost, as an old document : EXTANT

22. Fuels (up) : GASSES

27. France's Cote d'__ : AZUR

28. Zooey's "New Girl" role : JESS. Zooey Deschanel / Jessica Day

30. Geometric truth : AXIOM

32. Prior prisoner, for short : EX-CON. (convict)

33. Pastor's abode : MANSE. Echo of Sunday.

35. Lipton rival : NESTEA

37. Kept tabs on from behind : TAILED

38. Hardly eye-catching : DRAB

39. Repetitive learning technique : ROTE

40. Better than expected : ABOVE PAR

41. North-south coordinate : LATITUDE. Partnered with longitude.

46. Rejoices : EXULTS. Exalt is to hold in high esteem.

48. Post-rehab support group : AL-ANON

49. "Thank you __, ma'am" : KINDLY

50. English Channel county : SUSSEX

52. "The Taming of the __" : SHREW

54. Formally gave up : CEDED

57. Powerful TV princess : XENA

58. Breeze (along) : SAIL

59. Casino game : FARO. An old card game but casinos probably have figured a way to increase the house cut.

60. HP products : PCs

61. Word after clip or pop : ART

Argyle

Saturday, Nov 21st, 2015, Bruce Venzke

Theme: None

Words: 70 (missing F,Q,X,Z)

Blocks: 36

 Second time in 6 weeks for a Bruce Venzke puzzle - and another relatively quick solve for me - lots of "gimme" clues and answers for a Saturday.  Unlike that last puzzle, however, this one had several proper names, and those fills were the only ones that left me stumped; and since they crossed in two places, I had to cave in to red-letters for ONE lousy cell.  Oh well.  Two triple spanner stacks and a very cool looking grid;

1. Amuse to the hilt : LEAVE IN STITCHES

16. Goth is a subgenre of it : ALTERNATIVE ROCK - I prefer the "goth" at 8d.

17. Tax inequity : MARRIAGE PENALTY - seems like a redundant phrase - but I am biased from my short-lived 2yr marriage

58. Slide rules, for example : ANALOG COMPUTERS - the abacus is another

64. Borrower's protection : INTEREST RATE CAP

65. Some emcees : TOAST MISTRESSES - new to me, but it seemed logical

ONW

A   R
D ~ !

ACROSS:

18. Blotter name : ALIAS - oops, not aliBI - but I was 100% 60% correct

19. These, overseas : ESTOS - threw in estAs, and that was close enough; and on this I'm 100% 80% correct

20. Film lioness : NALA

23. Financial shellacking : BATH

25. T-__ : BIRD - not BONE, and not BILL; I had an '86 4spd 4cyl turbo coupe - nice

in this color, no less

28. Where surfers look for bargains : eMALL - internet surfing

30. With 34-Across, China's locale : EAST

34. See 30-Across : ASIA

35. Logician friend of Einstein : GÖDEL - did not know this one, but I was vaguely familiar with the crossing ADLER; more on Kurt here

36. Give (out) : DOLE

37. Chinese dish eponym : TSO - one of my favorite dishes, General Tso's Chicken

38. Swansea-born : WELSH - bottom left, not far from Cardiff

39. Got used up, with "out" : RAN

40. Scary St. Bernard of fiction : CUJO - one of the first books I ever read

42. Beyond chunky : OBESE

43. Dough dispensers : ATMs

44. Try : HEAR - as in court

45. Not seen as frequently : RARER

46. Amphora, e.g. : VASE - I like the sound of "amphora"

47. Requires : ASKS

49. Dino, __ & Billy: '60s band that included sons of two musical celebs : DESI - a healthy WAG after I had the D--I; more here

51. Sentry's stint : WATCH

54. Is charismatic : HAS IT - I am lacking in the "charisma" department, but I "has it" in other areas; I had to wire a series of cabinet lights at my friend's new house, but I cannot run extension cords in the wall - so I came up with this clever solution

DOWN:

1. Monastery figure : LAMA

2. It has blue-striped jets : EL AL

3. Abruzzi bell town : ATRI - poetic; more here

4. Tara feature : VERANDA - Gone With the Wind

5. 1974 pension plan legislation : ERISA - seen this B4 in crosswords, but it filled via perps today

6. Words with stew and pickle : IN A

7. Bug : NAG

8. __-Chapelle: historic Paris church : STE - spectacular; I love Gothic Cathedral architecture; if you have the time, here's a link to a great show about the building achievements of the time - I like the demonstration at 24:30

9. Track advantage : TIP

10. "__ Got a Secret" : I'VE

11. Belief : TENET

12. Surprised at the party : CRASHED

13. "Dateline NBC" anchor Lester : HOLT

14. Prefix with -plasm : ECTO

15. "The __ the limit!" : SKY'S

21. Investigator's data gathering : LEGWORK - this kind of investigator

22. Low life : AMOEBAS

23. Consecrated : BLESSED

24. Attendant to a man : ALL HERE

25. Baker's quantity : BATCH

26. Send forth : ISSUE

27. Spanish wine region : RIOJA - filled via perps

29. Freud contemporary : ADLER - as I have said here before, there's a book on personality types that I frequently use to understand why people behave as they do

31. Inner tube? : AORTA - har-har

32. Verbal attacks : SLAMS

33. It may be perfect : TENSE

41. Forecasters : ORACLES

43. Flies : AVIATES

48. Insufficient : SHORT

50. "On the Beach" novelist : SHUTE - the "S" was a WAG

51. What early arrivals often have to do : WAIT

52. Cornerstone word : ANNO

53. "So long!" : "TA-TA~!"

55. Moments : SECS

56. "Dies __" : IRAE

57. Recipe abbr. : TSPS

59. Special someone : GEM - here's my "gem" for the week

60. Show with many spin-offs : CSI

61. USAF commissioning prog. : OTS - Officer Training School

62. He played Clubber Lang in "Rocky III" : Mr. T - I pity the fool....

63. Links figure : PAR

Splynter

Monday, November 9, 2015 Gail Grabowski and Bruce Venzke

Theme: Emergency Belts - Four ways to hold your pants up.

21A. Close to defeat : ON THE ROPES

32A. "Cool duds!" : "NICE THREADS!"

41A. Use one's influence : PULL STRINGS

53A. Membranes that vibrate : VOCAL CORDS

Argyle here. I'll post today's song at the bottom; don't miss it. No unifier needed.

Across:

1. Not at all flexible : STIFF. RIGID fits the bill, too.

6. Long and lean : LANK

10. Declare openly : AVOW

14. Easily tipped boat : CANOE

15. "__ further reflection ..." : UPON

16. Building toy with theme parks : LEGO

17. Western crooner Gene : AUTRY

18. Sanctuary recess : APSE

19. Overly compliant : MEEK

20. Compressed video file format : MPEG. (Moving Picture Experts Group)

23. The brown one is Louisiana's state bird : PELICAN

25. Mae West's "I used to be Snow White, but I drifted" is one : PUN

26. Sonoma Valley vessel : VAT. Wine.

27. Start of an envelope address : MR. AND MRS.

36. Covert org. in "Argo" : CIA. (covert rescue operation)

37. Dashing style : ELAN

38. Granola grain : OAT

39. Citrus drink used by NASA : TANG. In powder form till you mix it.

40. Obstinate critter : ASS

45. Where soldiers go? : LATRINES. So true.

47. Swat : HIT. Don't swat the little things ... well, maybe in the latrine.

48. Manning of the Giants : ELI

49. "Storage Wars" sales event : AUCTION. on A&E.

58. Napoleon's exile isle : ELBA

59. Biz bigwig : EXEC

60. Mishmash : OLIO

61. French-__ potatoes : FRIED

62. No-frills shelter : TENT. unless you're a wizard.

63. Speak abrasively : RASP

64. Apartment rental agreement : LEASE

65. Former trans-Atl. fliers : SSTs. (trans-Atlantic)

66. Kremlin rejection : "NYET!"

67. Milk dispenser : UDDER. It doesn't get any fresher.

Down:

1. Mischief-maker : SCAMP

2. Brownish gray : TAUPE. Natural mole fur hue. Last month we decided they must be French moles.

3. Info from a spy drone : INTEL

4. Pardoned : FORGIVEN

5. "Saturday Night Live" alumna Tina : FEY

6. Blonde comic strip teenager : LUANN

7. Date bk. entry : APPT. (Appointment)

8. Quick bite : NOSH

9. Skateboarder's protective gear : KNEE PAD

10. Energy bar nut : ALMOND

11. Show for which Julia Louis-Dreyfus has won four consecutive acting Emmys : VEEP. I don't have HBO.

12. S-shaped molding : OGEE

13. Bowl-shaped pans : WOKS

21. Sworn statement : OATH

22. Makes tracks : RUNS

24. Jazz aficionado : CAT. Can you dig it?

27. Breakfast and dinner : MEALS

28. "Darn it!" : "RATS!"

29. Shoe brand Thom __ : McAN

30. Line around a tub : RING

31. Droops : SAGS

32. "Hud" Oscar winner Patricia : NEAL 33. "Casablanca" heroine : ILSA A couple of classy dames.

34. Play list : CAST

35. Play part : ROLE

39. Giggled nervously : TITTERED. 1610-20; perhaps Scandinavian; compare Old Norse tittra to quiver, Swedish (dial.) tittra to giggle (Huh, nothing to do about where milk comes from.)

41. Medicinal dose : PILL

42. Mythical horse with a horn : UNICORN

43. In the manner indicated : THUS

44. Rocker Ocasek : RIC. The lead singer of The Cars.

46. Punches back, say : REACTS

49. Bring home from the shelter : ADOPT

50. Homeric epic : ILIAD

51. Like Santa Claus : OBESE. Say WHAT?!

52. "Unsafe at Any Speed" author Ralph : NADER

53. November parade participants : VETS. Honor them on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.

54. Clumsy oafs : OXes

55. Lincoln's coin : CENT. I like his bill better.

56. Big name in skin care : OLAY

57. Get to one's feet : RISE

61. Winter illness : FLU

 

Argyle