google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: C.W. Stewart

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Showing posts with label C.W. Stewart. Show all posts
Showing posts with label C.W. Stewart. Show all posts

Sep 16, 2015

Wednesday, September 16th, 2015 C.W. Stewart

Theme: Discombobulated Divisions - the circled letters are rearrangements of the names of the four seasons that are generally recognized in temperate and sub-polar regions of the world.

18A. Sweet sherry, e.g. : DESSERT WINE . [Winter] I never really think of sherry as a dessert wine, more an aperitif, even the sweet amontillado and oloroso versions.

23A. Unbeatable hand : ROYAL FLUSH. [Fall] The Aria hotel in Las Vegas was the subject of some discussion on the blog on Sunday. I hit my only video poker royal flush at the lobby bar in the Aria. I promptly cashed out, never to make another bet all week.

48A. Square-bodied family autos : HUMMER SUVS. [Summer] Horrible-looking things, IMHO.

55A. Pre-holiday mall indulgence : BUYING SPREE. [Spring]. I'd be more of a shopping or spending spree-er if I ever spreed.

38A. It happens four times a year ... and also in this puzzle's circles : CHANGE OF SEASONS. And a nice diagram courtesy of Wikipedia:


Hail fellows, well met! Steve here with C.W.'s cyclical-circle theme. I think those of you solving circle-less might have missed out a little with this one - once I saw the letter-scrambling going on, it helped me figure out HUMMER SUVS when I was looking at a lot of blank space in that area.

A neat theme, but I was marginally disappointed with the aforesaid HUMMER SUVS - you could use either of the "U"'s to make your season and the "scramble-factor" across the four themers was a little inconsistent - SPRING and SUMMER are just split in the middle and reversed, but you'd get FLAL and WINERT if you tried that with the other two. Not a big deal, but I love symmetry.

With the grid-spanning reveal entry, you're looking at 57 theme squares; it looks like C.W. worked pretty hard not to let the fill slump into a rag-bag of crossword-ese, there's nary a clunker to be seen. Hurrah!

Let's check out the rest:

Across:

1. Respectful title : SIR

4. Gnocchi sauce : PESTO. Food! Basil, olive oil, pine nuts, cheeses. Vibrantly green. I go light on the oil, it doesn't need much.


9. First occurrence : ONSET

14. Keats' "__ to a Nightingale" : ODE

My heart aches, and a drowsy numbness pains
         My sense, as though of hemlock I had drunk ...

15. Stay away from : AVOID. Good advice vis-a-vis hemlock ..

16. With 61-Across, Sri Lankan product : PEKOE and

61. See 16-Across : TEA. Not to be overly pedantic here (Why not? That's what crossword blogs are for!) but there's really no such thing as "pekoe tea". Pekoe is a grade of black tea primarily grown in India and Sri Lanka.

17. Pool user's unit : LAP. 20 laps = 1,000m where I swim. That's my warm-up, then some interval sprints and a 100m kick-social cool-down

20. "__ Road to Glory": Arthur Ashe history : A HARD. I boxed myself into a weird corner here - for no good reason, I filled in AHEAD, failed to notice that REPEY wasn't a word, and thought I'd discovered a new geological feature in AAVINE. Sanity finally prevailed, but only after I thought there were typos in the grid. It turned out it was just me being idiotic.

22. Lip : SASS

27. Hat worn with a kilt : TAM. Popular hat (in crosswords).

30. "Romeo and Juliet" city : VERONA. Shakespeare seemed to like this place - two plays were set here.

31. Laundry slide : CHUTE

33. __ Spumante : ASTI. Italian day today - PESTO, VERONA and now ASTI so far.

36. Here, to Henri : ICI. "You are here" on French mall maps:

37. Album array : PHOTOS

41. Comes to the point? : TAPERS

42. Have title to : OWN

43. Long basket, in hoops lingo : TREY. A three-pointer from outside the line. My pet peeve: Brent Musberger and his "from DOWNTOWN!!!!" call when a three-pointer is made. "Downtown" would be underneath the basket where all the traffic and banging around happens. "FROM THE SUBURBS!!!!" would be more accurate. OK, pedantic rant over (hey, it's a crossword blog, right?)

44. Clear the board : ERASE

45. Daze : TRANCE

47. Only article in a U.S. state capital name : DES. Moines. French for "The Moines". Or something.

52. Burlesque wraps : BOAS. G-rated example:

e

54. Dot on a map : ISLET

62. Parenthetical remark : ASIDE. Hamlet: (A little more than kin, a little less than kind). Bill the Bard pretty much invented the theatrical aside.

63. Piece of cake : LAYER.

64. Tach reading : R.P.M. Why do automatic transmission cars have a tachometer? There's nothing much you can do about the revs ..

65. Package sealers : TAPES

66. Decorative pitchers : EWERS

67. Critter in Egyptian art : ASP. Critter is a nice term for a hooded, extremely poisonous and aggressive cobra.

Down

1. Like some eclipses : SOLAR

2. One of three Hells Canyon states : IDAHO. I trotted off to the interwebs to find out why there's no apostrophe anywhere in "Hells" and drew a blank. I did discover that the mountain that forms the canyon is named "He Devil" which leads me to believe that the Idahoans must have rationed apostrophe usage on geographical features. I still think it should be "Hell's Canyon" though. Pedantic, moi? Oh wait - that's what crossword blogs are for!

3. Square things : REPAY Chlecho with 28D

4. Kayak mover : PADDLE. Not really, it's me wielding the paddle. Especially when I'm in a twin kayak and I look around to see that my paddle-partner is laying flat out with her paddle across her knees sunbathing.

5. Night before : EVE

6. Distress signal : S.O.S.

7. "Whether __ nobler ...": Hamlet : 'TIS. Asides in 62A, a soliloquy here, Verona earlier. Elizabethan Hall of Fame Playwright day today.

8. Ukrainian port : ODESSA

9. Stops wavering : OPTS

10. Dinnertime TV fare : NEWS. Usually in LA featuring any one of a) high-speed freeway car chase b) weather extremes or c) totally unsurprising "celebrity" "scandal". Or all three.

11. Snow runner : SKI

12. Ages and ages : EON

13. Place to start a hole : TEE. Fore! The first tee at my local course, DeBell in Burbank. I usually boom my first drive over the tall tree you see to the right and onto the street. Others hook theirs into the barranca on the left or squiff one into the rubbish in front. Then we all agree to forget that it ever happened and take mulligans.


19. Cheer from the crowd : RAH!

21. Steep-sided valleys : RAVINES. Not AAVINES which had me wondering ....

24. Wendy's side : FRIES. You want fries with that? What a strange question! Here's the current Wendy's TV commercial pitch-person. Note the complete lack of red hair. I do like the fact that her husband is the manager at the Grammercy Tavern in New York. Food!


25. Maniacal : LOCO. El Pollo Loco! Food! I love this puzzle.

26. Military outfit : UNIFORM

27. Private instructor : TUTOR

28. Square things : ATONE Clecho with 3D

29. Like many a dorm room : MESSY

31. Half a dance : CHA

32. Party organizer : HOSTESS

33. Did one's part? : ACTED

34. Admonishing response to "Mine!" : SHARE!

35. Spanish finger food : TAPAS. I can't keep up with the Food! Tapas were originally "covers" or "tops" to put on the top of your glass of sherry (18A!) to keep the flies out.

37. Tubular pasta : PENNE. I linked "Penne all' arrabbiata" at the Star Wars Canteen last time out. This week, why not combine this with 4A and try some pesto on top?

39. MBA hopeful's test : G.R.E. Seems awfully complicated. I'm not sure I even understood the rubric of the Wiki entry.

40. Took a dip : SWAM. Head back up to 17A and do 20 laps.

45. Struggle : TUSSLE

46. Old-time broadcasters : CRIERS

48. Crone : HAG

49. Extreme : ULTRA. "A Clockwork Orange" placed the word "ultraviolence" into the lexicon.


50. Some execs : VEEPS

51. Passport image : STAMP. My old passport had over 100 of these. The new one is already up to 20 or so.

52. __ one's time: wait : BIDE

53. Soda machine inserts : ONES. Sign of the times. Time was when a quarter was plenty.

55. Nocturnal flier : BAT

56. NATO founding member : USA. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization gets the "no longer an abbreviation" nod, along with our homeland.

57. Chihuahua complaint : YIP. Sorry, did I step on your paw? I didn't see you there ...

58. Handle without care? : PAW. Stop complaining, serves your paw right!

59. Reuben bread : RYE. Too much Food! I ate this version at Katz's on Houston Street in New York's Lower East Side. The pickles are awesome!


60. Slogan ending? : EER

I have to go and lie down after all those calories. Here's the grid.

Steve



Note from C.C.:

Happy Birthday to our witty and caring D-Otto (Tom), who has never failed to welcome a newbie, or answer any blog question, or give comfort to those in need. Off the blog, he's my trusted friend and adviser, always so patient with me and so supportive. Thanks for always being here for us, Tom!

 

Jul 27, 2015

Monday, July 27, 2015 C.W. Stewart

Theme: Let your light shine- You will find what you need at the end of the theme entries.

17A. Dutch bloom-to-be : TULIP BULB

23A. Supply for a knotting craft : MACRAME CORD

36A. Reading aids, whose parts include the ends of 17-, 23-, 45- and 57- Across : LAMPS

45A. Blind alternative : WINDOW SHADE

57A. Pelvic opening : HIP SOCKET

Argyle here. What? No foreign words! Just some common crossword words that shouldn't prove too tough. Very few abbreviated words either. But still a neat Monday puzzle.

Across:

1. Lickety-split : FAST

5. Highlander : SCOT

9. They may be split by quibblers : HAIRS

14. Purim month : ADAR

15. Opera highlight : ARIA

16. Let in : ADMIT

19. Stage of development : PHASE

20. Carried by the tides : SEABORNE

21. Orbital high point : APOGEE

22. From the past : OLD

25. Fit together nicely : MESH

26. Venial or mortal lapse : SIN

27. Assumed name : ALIAS

30. Pilot light site : GAS STOVE

35. Ballpoints : PENS

38. Thinker's output : IDEA

39. Travel document : PASSPORT

41. Passover feast : SEDER

42. TiVo button : REC. (record)

43. Complete collections : SETS

50. PIN requester : ATM

53. Takes weapons from : UNARMS

54. High repute : EMINENCE

56. Pie chart dividers : RADII

58. Cuts with scissors : SNIPS

59. Nobel Peace Prize city : OSLO

60. Spanish stewpot : OLLA

61. To the point : TERSE

62. WWII submachine gun : STEN

63. Dudley Do-Right's gal : NELL

Down:

1. 1980 Dom DeLuise film : "FATSO"

2. "I challenge you to __!" : A DUEL

3. Veggies and such from a bar : SALAD

4. Chicago paper, familiarly : TRIB. Chicago Tribune

5. Native Israelis : SABRAS

6. Pretzel-eating sound : CRUNCH

7. Persian Gulf ship : OILER

8. File folder projection : TAB

9. "It just so __ that ... " : HAPPENS

10. Formed for a specific purpose : AD HOC

11. Insect stage : IMAGO

12. Early __: morning person : RISER

13. High-spirited mount : STEED

18. Pears, e.g. : POMES. Fleshy fruits.

21. Slightly off : AMISS

24. "Stat!" relative : "ASAP!". As Soon As Possible

25. Eucharist celebration : MASS

27. iPhone download : APP

28. Grazing land : LEA

29. State Farm business: Abbr. : INSurance

30. Prime meridian hrs. : GMT. (Greenwich Mean Time)

31. Knotted neckwear : TIES

32. Like a single sock : ODD

33. Churchillian sign : VEE

34. Place for a stud or hoop : EAR

36. Longtime theater chain : LOEWS

37. Circle segments : ARCS

40. "Cross your heart?" : "PROMISE?"

41. Dictation taker : STENO

43. Freebie from a sales rep : SAMPLE

44. Prolific inventor : EDISON

45. Sausage served with kraut : WURST

46. Absurd : INANE

47. Low point : NADIR

48. Faucet woes : DRIPS

49. Event in a caper movie : HEIST

50. Spot for a concealed holster : ANKLE

51. Immune system agent : T-CELL

52. Heavy __: music genre : METAL

55. Supply-and-demand subj. : ECONomy

57. Sounds from Santa : HO's

Turn off the light; the party's over.

Argyle


Dec 8, 2014

Monday, December 8, 2014 C.W. Stewart

Theme: "You can't stick that on me, copper!" - We have a wide variety items that can be sticky.

17A. Secretary of state before Hillary Clinton : CONDOLEEZZA RICE

26A. Score symbol that usually has a stem : MUSICAL NOTE

49A. Digit-shaped sponge cakes : LADY FINGERS

61A. Spot between a rock and a hard place ... or a hint to the ends of 17-, 26- and 49-Across : STICKY SITUATION

Argyle here. Big bonus points for 17-Across! After a rough week, we could use a little respite.

Across:

1. "__ Mia!": ABBA musical : MAMMA

6. Bit of baby talk : "DADA"

10. Defensive trench : MOAT

14. So all can hear : ALOUD

15. Apple MP3 player : iPOD

16. Makes mistakes : ERRS. So 33A. Correct a pencil mistake : ERASE

20. Approx. landing hours : ETAs

21. To be, to Caesar : ESSE

22. Golf shoe feature : CLEAT

23. Theater level : LOGE. Often box seats.

25. Changes for the better : AMENDS

31. Shirt with a band's logo, maybe : TEE

32. __ shower: pre-wedding event : BRIDAL

35. Throw in the first chips : ANTE

36. Dude : BRO

37. Swabbing tools : MOPS

41. New England fish : SCROD. All cod are scrod, but not all scrod are cod. How odd.

44. Flagged down : HAILED

46. Word repeated before "black sheep" : BAA. "Have you any wool?"

51. Performed better than : OUTDID. Sometimes yourself

53. __ close to schedule : ON OR

54. Shenanigan : ANTIC

55. Cowpoke's pal : PARD. A corruption of PARTNER, I guess.

57. Target practice supply : AMMO

64. Backsplash material : TILE. But what material is the tile?

65. Truth or __?: party game : DARE

66. Tied up in knots : TENSE

67. Aegean and Irish : SEAs

68. Fr. holy women : STEs

69. Polishes text : EDITS

Down:

1. Self-defense spray : MACE. Learning moment: a chemical spray originally used in riot control, 1966, technically Chemical Mace, a proprietary name (General Ordnance Equipment Corp, Pittsburgh, Pa.), probably so called for its use as a weapon, in reference to a mace.

2. More often than not : A LOT

3. "__ Lisa" : MONA

4. Saturated hillside hazards : MUD SLIDES. How's it looking, California?

5. Kerfuffle : ADO

6. Fuel for semis : DIESEL. The truck type of semis.

7. "Dawn of the Planet of the __" : APES

8. Sleep lightly : DOZE

9. Wood-shaping tool : ADZ

10. Travis or Haggard of country music : MERLE



11. Point in the proper direction : ORIENT

12. Pinball player's place : ARCADE

13. Dangerous fly : TSETSE. All the fly today.

18. Not prohibited : LEGAL

19. High points : ACMEs

24. South American tuber : OCA

25. "One thing __ time" : AT A

26. Management deg. : MBA

27. Coffee vessel : URN

28. Obedience school command : SIT. Spot on.

29. Far from cool : NERDY

30. Gold, in Granada : ORO

34. Moved to a new country : EMIGRATED

36. Hunk's physique : BOD

38. Encouragement for a flamenco dancer : ¡OLÉ!

39. Part of mph : PER

40. '60s radical gp. : SDS. (Students for a Democratic Society)

42. Mouse sound : CLICK

43. "Far out, man!" : "RAD!"

44. Bhagavad-Gita student, likely : HINDU

45. "I'll take that as __" : A NO

46. Blows one's own horn : BOASTS

47. Em, to Dorothy : AUNTIE

48. Leader of the Huns : ATTILA

50. Strong points : FORTES

52. Cuts into cubes : DICES

55. Exam for high school jrs. : PSAT

56. Suffix with million : AIRE

58. Knee-showing skirt : MINI

59. Lion's share : MOST

60. Vending machine bills : ONES

62. QB's gains : YDs

63. Had a bite : ATE


Argyle

Notes from C.C.:

1) Happy Birthday to Ron (Jazzbumpa), who taught me by example what hard work is. I saw him up close agonizing over every little clue of the two puzzles we worked together. I also see him spend hours on his every write-up. Thank you so much, Ron!

 Ron and his wife Gloria

2) Happy 81st Birthday to Misty's husband Rowland! You and Misty showed us what true love is.


Nov 24, 2014

Monday, November 24, 2014 C.W. Stewart

Theme: Winning Wrestling Moves - One.., Two.., Three! and one more makes the four different types of PINS in today's puzzle.

18A. Where to get cash : ATM MACHINE. No PIN(personal identification number), no moola.

26A. Where to see splits and strikes : BOWLING ALLEY. Shout out to Boomer.

47A. Where to keep needles and thread : SEWING BASKET. And lots of straight pins.

61A. Where to find valuables : JEWELRY BOX. Yesterday's brooch is a fancy safety pin.

69A. Things associated with 18-, 26-, 47- and 61-Across : PINS

Argyle here. Maybe. I blindly down loaded a Java update and acquired a malware named Vosteran. Now I can't get a connection to the internet. Cable was out!

You notice the whole entry is the the theme answer. Our constructor used the same device in the spring. Except for a couple of words, an easy Monday.

Across:

1. Cup of joe : JAVA. And 20. Foamy brew : BEER

5. Slow-moving critter : SNAIL

10. British sports cars, for short : JAGs. 68A. __ Martin: British sports car : ASTON

14. "Woe is me!" : "ALAS!"

15. Neigh sayer : HORSE

16. Clarinet cousin : OBOE

17. Flat-topped landform : MESA

21. Korean cars : KIAs

22. Put in a chip for a hand : ANTED

23. Turn topsy-turvy : UP-END

25. Meaner than a junkyard dog : ORNERY. Great fill for a 6-letter word.

30. Sci-fi subject : ALIEN

31. Replacement grass, perhaps : SOD

32. Dollop : GOB

35. Under the weather : ILL

36. Highlander's hat : TAM

39. Part of a journey : LEG

41. Id controller : EGO

42. Young man : LAD

43. See 38-Down : TAI. 38D. With 43-Across, umbrella drink : MAI

45. La Scala production : OPERA

51. Theater district : RIALTO

54. Like San Francisco's terrain : HILLY

55. On the ocean : AT SEA

56. Leslie Caron title role : GIGI

57. Cleft site : CHIN

63. Bring on board : HIRE

64. Latin 101 word : AMAT

65. Photographer's request : SMILE

66. Sci-fi subjects : UFOs

67. IRS IDs : SSNs

Down:

1. Doorframe part : JAMB

2. On the sheltered side : ALEE

3. Bouquet holder : VASE

4. More often than not : AS A RULE

5. How Bond likes martinis : SHAKEN

6. Making mention of : NOTING

7. Warship fleets : ARMADAs

8. Beliefs: Suff. : ISMs

9. Rural area : LEA

10. "Heeeere's __!": Carson intro : JOHNNY

11. Grab __: eat : A BITE

12. One beyond hope : GONER

13. Shabby : SEEDY

19. Give a hoot : CARE

24. 20-Across serving : PINT

25. Shoppe adjective : OLDE

26. Get-out-of-jail cash : BAIL

27. Earthenware pot : OLLA

28. Out of control : WILD

29. IM chuckle : LOL

32. __ Squad: Best Buy tech support : GEEK

33. Fairy tale baddie : OGRE

34. Gravy vessel : BOAT

37. Part of Lawrence Welk's cadence : A-TWO

40. Soccer score : GOAL

44. Repress : INHIBIT

46. Inspire with a pregame pep talk, say : PSYCH UP

47. Comes down as ice pellets : SLEETS

48. And others, briefly : ET AL.

49. Male escort : GIGOLO

50. Karen who wrote as Isak Dinesen : BLIXEN

51. Indian princes : RAJAs

52. Lines on a list : ITEMS

53. Dam on the Nile : ASWAN

56. Workout centers : GYMS

58. Old record player : HI-FI

59. Remove creases from : IRON

60. Storied loch : NESS

62. Cape Town's country: Abbr. : RSA




Argyle


Jul 15, 2014

Tuesday, July 15, 2014 C.W. Stewart

Theme: Animal Punnies

17A. Store where Yogi shops? : BEAR MARKET

27A. Hangout for Mickey? : MOUSE PAD

44A. Language that Porky studies? : PIG LATIN

57A. Corn for Bugs? : RABBIT EARS

11D. Trash in Sylvester's room? : CAT LITTER

34D. Ping-Pong tool for Goofy? : DOG PADDLE

Argyle here. This one had me laughing from the get-go.

Across:

1. Unwanted email : SPAM

5. "Star Trek" genre : SCI-FI

10. Con job : SCAM

14. Actress Jessica : ALBA

15. Falcon's weapon : TALON

16. It's filled and folded : TACO

19. Mediterranean volcano : ETNA


20. Resin used in varnish : LAC

21. Visual aids : EYEs

22. It's folded and filled : OMELET

24. Some Alaska natives : ESKIMOs

26. Funny Cheri : OTERI. Echo from yesterday.

29. Bygone airline letters : TWA

32. Small piece of gossip : TIDBIT

35. Abbr. on a business card : TEL.

36. Big name : STAR

37. French love : AMOUR

38. Degree for many a prof : PHD

39. At the ready : ALERT

40. See 26-Down : PAGE

41. Poor grade : DEE

42. Braininess : SMARTS

43. Sound booster : AMP

46. Precincts : AREAs

48. Bureaucratic tangle : RED TAPE

52. Trying to avoid detection : HIDING

54. Works on the road : TARS

55. Afternoon party : TEA

56. Track figures : ODDS

60. __ Decor: home fashion mag : ELLE

61. Be useful to : AVAIL

62. Party wheel : BRIE

63. Understands : SEES

64. Choreographer Cunningham : MERCE. Unknown to me.



65. Something to settle up : BILL

Down:

1. Luxurious fur : SABLE

2. Answers in court : PLEAs

3. Startling way to be taken : ABACK

4. Scuff or scratch : MAR

5. Sign on a moping teen's door : STAY OUT!

6. Loving touch : CARESS

7. Varieties : ILKS

8. One opposed : FOE

9. All together : IN TOTAL

10. Take the wheel : STEER

12. Complexion woe : ACNE

13. Castle security : MOAT

18. Personal record : MEMOIR

23. __ school : MED

25. Suffuse, as with color : IMBUE

26. With 40-Across, place to see views : OP ED

28. Lucy's sidekick : ETHEL

30. Target of Dr. Scholl's Freeze Away : WART

31. Partner of letters : ARTS

32. Spanish hors d'oeuvre : TAPA. Usually, tapas.

33. Muslim leader : IMAM

36. Lean one way or another : SLANT

38. Places to hang hats : PEGS

39. Surrounded by : AMIDST

41. How-to book feature : DIAGRAM

42. More than just clean : STERILE

44. Farm enclosure : PEN

45. Middle East language : ARABIC

47. Goes up : RISES

49. Video game pioneer : ATARI

50. Problem for Pauline : PERIL. The early version of "Fast and Furious"?



51. Prop for a painter : EASEL

52. Goes after weeds : HOES

53. Like some chatter : IDLE

54. Lift up the slope : T-BAR

58. "__ Maria" : AVE

59. Outward flow : EBB


Argyle


Jun 5, 2014

Thursday, June 5, 2014 C.W. Stewart

Theme: "D.I.Y. Network"

In-the-language terms are transformed into renovation tips from people in the field.

20. Ballplayer's home renovation advice about the bare hallway floor? : PUT A RUNNER OUT.

27. Tech's home renovation advice about a dark basement? : INSTALL WINDOWS.

44. Housekeeper's home renovation advice about a cheap fourposter offer? : TURN DOWN THE BED.

54. Bartender's home renovation advice about the tiny kitchen sink? : MAKE IT A DOUBLE.
My favorite entry. A double drink becomes a double sink!

This was by far the easiest Thursday puzzle I can remember. I think I finished it in under 10 minutes.

Across

1. Email for the spam folder, probably : SCAM. I can't help thinking of this clip every time I hear the word "spam." 3:19

5. Comparable : AKIN.

9. Indy participant : RACER. I had to check perps to be sure we were not looking for a specific one, like "Unser."

14. __ socks : TUBE. Had to leave this one for a couple perps, too.  All I could come up with at first was "Argyle."

15. Fiddling emperor : NERO. The violin wasn't invented until 1500 years after Nero.

16. Drop names, maybe? : ERASE.

17. Flightless flock : EMUS.

18. Swarm member : GNAT.

19. Nodding off at a meeting, say : BORED.

23. Caution to drivers : SLO.

24. Flamenco cheer : OLE.

25. "... but I could be wrong" : OR NOT.

32. Bygone TV control : HOR.izontal. I wonder if NERO used to fiddle with this knob?

33. Reef denizen : EEL.

34. Small drink : NIP.

35. Autumn bloom : ASTER.

38. Nursery rhyme fiddler : CAT. CATs can't really fiddle - they don't have opposable thumbs.

39. Pleasing to the palate : TASTY. Yumm!

41. Luau bowlful : POI. Yuck!

42. Wheels : CAR.

43. Limit : CAP.

50. Joyous hymn : PAEAN.

51. Lee follower : REB. General Robert E. Lee, and his REBel army.

52. Cold War jet : MiG. Named after the two inventors Mikoyan and Gurevich. The "i" is small because it is the Russian word for "and."

58. Capital on the 30th parallel : CAIRO.

60. Mill site : POND. I would venture to say that the mill was usually sited on a stream. Ponds don't move water wheels very well.

61. Sticky stuff : GLUE.

62. Day one : ONSET.

63. Aquatic predator : ORCA.

64. Catches : GETS. "Catch my drift?" "Get it?"

65. Mild cheese : GOUDA.

66. Bucks, perhaps : DEER.

67. Hook's right hand : SMEE.


Down

1. Mother May I? movements : STEPS. Did any of you play this game as children?

2. Fluffy clouds : CUMULI.

3. Lie alongside : ABUT ON. OK, Grammar Nazis.  Is it proper to say ABUT ON, or just "abut?"

4. Monument Valley sight : MESA.

5. Sharp-cornered : ANGULAR.

6. Boxer's hotel : KENNEL. I had "dog spa" at first, which gave me fits with the first theme entry.

7. Caspian Sea land : IRAN.

8. Sticky writing? : NOTE. We just had "Yellow sticky, often" for NOTE TO SELF last Saturday, so this was a gimme.

9. Energized anew : REBORN.

10. In the vicinity : AROUND.

11. They may be political : CARTOONS. I've linked Daumier before, so this time I'll go with Nast.

12. Chicago-to-D.C. dir. : ESE.

13. Former Riverfront Stadium player : RED. Home of the Cincinnati Reds (baseball), it was later renamed "Cinergy Field" until it was demolished in 2001.

21. Chopper topper : ROTOR.  I was off on a whole different tangent...

22. Provoke : ROIL.

26. Flibbertigibbet : TWIT. Love the word "flibbertigibbet," but I would have had a tough time coming up with the correct spelling. Now I know!

28. Ewe or doe : SHE.

29. Pay attention in class : LEARN.

30. Drizzly : WET.

31. Many a character in TV's "The Americans" : SPY. Never saw the show.

35. Quick on the uptake : APT. As in, "He was an apt student."

36. Opposite of nuts? : SOUP.

37. Italian dessert : TIRAMISU.

38. Raucous call : CAW.

39. Popular exercise regimen : TAE BO. TAE BO  is a portmanteau of tae kwon do and boxing. Total body fitness, really intense. I will stick to t'ai chi, thank you very much.

40. LAPD alert : APB. All points bulletin. It may also be a BOLO: "Be On the Lookout." Or an ATL: "Attempt to locate."

42. Cold Stone Creamery purchase : CONE. Last week we had A&P, which is a local chain in the Northeast, and now we have Cold Stone Creamery, which only has locations in MA, CT and RI.  I guess Häagen-Dazs would be too easy for a Thursday? [Update: Cold Stone Creamery is nationwide.]

43. It may be extra sharp : CHEDDAR. "That's the way (uh-huh, uh-huh) I like it!"

45. Came closer to : NEARED.

46. Territory divided in 1889 : DAKOTA.

47. Spell : TRANCE.

48. Infiniti's infinity symbol, e.g. : EMBLEM. Oh, so that's what it's supposed to be!  I always thought it was an Alp...

49. Weaken : DILUTE. Scotch and soda, anyone?

53. Formation fliers : GEESE.

55. Apple product : iPOD.

56. Zoomed : TORE.

57. Fleece-lined boot brand : UGGS. So named because of their ugliness.

58. Gear tooth : COG.

59. Mayo to mayo : ANO. Spanish May to May, and year.

Hasta la próxima semana!

Marti


Note from C.C.:

1) Happy 20th wedding anniversary to our sweet Misty and her husband Rowland! What's the special planning today, Misty? (Sorry I goofed, Irish Miss.)

Misty & Rowland 2009 (15th Anniversary Party)

2) Happy Birthday to dear TTP (Took The Plunge), the unsung hero of our blog. TTP patiently guided me through each trouble this blog faced the past few years and is always there when I'm in need. He's one of the very few regulars that I've talked on the phone. Don't know if he hooks or slices on the golf course, but he used to be a good bowler until he hurt his back. He served Uncle Sam as well.


Aug 10, 2010

Tuesday August 10, 2010 C.W. Stewart

Theme: Outer Clothes - The first word of the first four themes and the last word of the unifier are articles of outerwear. If you experienced déjà vu, it's because of this, just two weeks ago.

17A. Southernmost tip of South America : CAPE HORN. The Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Africa.

21A. Smacked someone when they least expected it? : STOLE A KISS

40A. Deadly squeezers : BOA CONSTRICTORS. No image, I know how some feel about snakes.

57A. Family crest : COAT OF ARMS . (28D __ of arms : COAT: just yesterday)

66A. Director's shout, and hint to the starts of 17-, 21-, 40- and 57-Across : "IT'S A WRAP!"

Argyle here.

Déjà boo, not nearly as tight as Harvey Estes' 27 July offering but it does have a grid spanner in the middle. (Our local paper had a story about the big snake but called it a boa restricter. A neighbor herpetologist wrote a scathing letter to the paper, upset that they could make such a basic mistake.)

Across:

1. Box-office smash : HIT

4. Hug and smooch : NECK

8. Robbins's partner : BASKIN. Baskin-Robbins premium ice cream. With more than 6,000 retail shops in 35 countries, they’re now the world’s largest chain of ice cream specialty shops.

14. Wrigley Field feature : IVY . Go Cubbies! Image

15. "No lie!" : TRUE

16. It can be formal or informal : ATTIRE. Or outerwear.

19. Jolly-good mates : BLOKES

20. Fort with billions in bullion : KNOX. Located in
Kentucky, the United States Bullion Depository, commonly called Fort Knox, is a fortified vault building located adjacent to Fort Knox. It holds about 4,603 tons of gold bullion. It is second in the United States only to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York's underground vault in Manhattan, which holds about 5,000 metric tonnes of gold in trust for many foreign nations, central banks and official international organizations.

23. Gender-neutral possessive : ONE'S

25. Besides : ELSE

26. Sew with loose stitches : BASTE

29. Thanksgiving veggie : YAM

31. It's plighted in marriage : TROTH . Old English trēowth ; related to Old High German gitriuwida, meaning loyalty, truth

35. Mid-size Nissan : ALTIMA . Automobile.

37. Have dinner : SUP

39. Arthur of "The Golden Girls" : BEA . Passed away last year.

44. Young newt : EFT

45. La Brea goo : TAR

46. Like many CIA ops : COVERT

47. Dance components : STEPS

50. Building site : LOT

52. Actor Davis : OSSIE

53. Edible Andean tubers : OCAS . Has anyone tried one?

55. Reason to swear : OATH

61. Track figures : ODDS. Racing track. Number figure.

65. Pressing : URGENT

68. Ghostly gathering : SEANCE . A ghostly gathering only if the seance is successful.

69. Like some dorms : CO-ED

70. Gold, south of the border : ORO . Spanish

71. Luggage lugger : PORTER

72. CPR experts : EMTS

73. Stroke lovingly, or the object of a loving stroke : PET

Down:

1. Hayseed : HICK

2. "Terrible" 16th-century leader : IVAN

3. Goof for good, e.g.? : TYPO. Letters DF are together in the keyboard.

4. Utmost degree : NTH

5. Jagged, as a leaf's edge : EROSE

6. Respectful bow : CURTSY

7. Numbers game : KENO

8. Biblical tower site : BABEL

9. Finally : AT LAST

10. Furnace room worker : STOKER . I don't believe they exist anymore. Their job was to shovel coal or coke into the furnace.

11. Singer __ Dee : KIKI . And now, a musical interlude.

12. Tees off : IRES

13. Suffix with kind or fond : NESS

18. Like some dancers : EXOTIC

22. King Julien XIII in "Madagascar" : LEMUR . Madagascar is a 2005 computer-animated film produced by DreamWorks Animation. Sacha Baron Cohen is the voice of the king. What a lemur looks like.

24. Verne captain : NEMO

26. Innocents : BABES

27. Floating on high : ALOFT

28. Country division : STATE

30. N.L. Central player : ASTRO . Baseball's Houston Astros.

32. Bassoon relatives : OBOES

33. Country singer Gibbs : TERRI . No relation of Special Agent Gibbs. "Somebody's Knockin'"

34. Impulsiveness : HASTE

36. Critter on a hill : ANT

38. Snapshot, briefly : PIC

41. Lively Cuban dance : SALSA

42. Old geezer : COOT

43. NBC offering : TV SHOW

48. Strong : POTENT

49. Decorative wall light fixture : SCONCE

51. Source of oater drumming : TOM-TOM . Not only in Westerns but in jungle movies, too.

54. Later than : AFTER

56. Liability offset : ASSET

57. Zodiacal border : CUSP

58. One may be dipped in milk : OREO

59. Lab gel : AGAR

60. Paddy product : RICE

62. Lead-in for cloth or kick : DROP . Drop cloth - to catch paint spatter. Drop kick - to catch the offense off guard (football).

63. Challenge : DARE

64. Brit's bit of tea : SPOT

67. Super Bowl highlights? : ADS

Answer grid.
Argyle