Monday, March 9, 2015 Carol Hacker

Theme: Synonyms - Terms for changes in elevation.

17A. Past one's prime : OVER THE HILL

25A. Perilous course to go down : SLIPPERY SLOPE

43A. Achieves one's goal : MAKES THE GRADE

58A. Interest-paying institution : SAVINGS BANK

Argyle here. My first thought was this has a lot of echoes from recent puzzles. "Late in life" / "Over the hill" Ageism? We had a puzzle from Ms. Hacker last fall but still have no information about her. Personally, I found this effort rather flat with few redeeming qualities. I hope I'm missing something.

Across:

1. Works with yarn : KNITS

6. Anheuser-__ Brewery : BUSCH

11. Solomon, for one : JEW

14. Valium drug company : ROCHE. Swiss health-care company.

15. Snow-block home : IGLOO

16. Logger's tool : AXE

19. Doc for a kitty : VET

20. Thickness-measuring instrument : CALIPER

21. Hiker's tool : COMPASS

23. Mauna __ : LOA

24. Actress Zellweger : RENÉE

30. Margarita condiment, in Mazatlán : SAL

32. Tiny amt. of time : NSEC. (nanosecond)

33. Ballet skirt : TUTU

34. Vote in : ELECT

36. Tom Collins liquor : GIN

38. Red giant with a carbon-rich atmosphere : C STAR

39. Say with assurance : AVER

40. Red-shirted bear : POOH. No pants.

42. Prefix with bar : ISO

48. Skin openings : PORES

49. "Saw __": second "Saw" sequel : III

50. Popeye's adoptee : SWEE' PEA

53. Lacking a handle? : UNNAMED

57. Bother a lot : IRK

60. Alphabet finale : ZEE

61. Where embryos develop : UTERI

62. Do-or-die poker bet : ALL IN

63. Finale : END

64. Heat-resistant glassware : PYREX

65. Writer/director Allen with four Oscars : WOODY

Down:

1. McDonald's founder Ray : KROC

2. __ Scotia : NOVA

3. Atlantic republic at the edge of the Arctic Cir. : ICEL. All I'll say is that it's been used before(still doesn't make it right).

4. Roller-coaster ride feeling : THRILL

5. Climactic tennis match situation : SET POINT

6. Oktoberfest quaff : BIER. The 'k' clues it as German.

7. "That turns my stomach" : "UGH!"

8. Deli machine : SLICER

9. Ant complex : COLONY

10. Watson's associate : HOLMES

11. Perked pot contents : JAVA

12. Couple that's split : EXes

13. Dampens : WETS

18. Piles : HEAPS

22. Furrier's hides : PELTS

24. Cookbook contents : RECIPES

25. Streamlined : SLEEK

26. Take down a __: humble : PEG

27. Navel variety : OUTIE. Belly button.

28. School support gps. : PTAs

29. Peseta replacement : EURO

30. Tailor's line : SEAM

31. Thomas __ Edison : ALVA

35. __ suzette: dessert pancake : CRÊPE

37. Christmas quaff : NOG

38. Logger's tool : CHAINSAW

41. Round gasket : O-RING

44. Cleans with a paper towel, as a spill : SOPS UP

45. War-ending pact : TREATY

46. Shot put competitor, e.g. : HEAVER

47. Devil, in Durango : DIABLO

50. Small or medium : SIZE

51. Small songbird : WREN

52. __ out a living: barely got by : EKED

53. Windows alternative : UNIX

54. Bueno's opposite : MALO

55. City near Tulsa : ENID

56. Big Apple fashion initials : DKNY. Donna Karan New York

59. Anger : IRE

Argyle

Monday, October 13, 2014 Carol Hacker

 

Theme: Retro Variant - Two word phrases that start with a R and a V.

18A. *MTV staple : ROCK VIDEO

31A. *Oral indication of anger : RAISED VOICE

47A. *Trip to somewhere you've been before : RETURN VISIT

62A. *Selling point of a home on the Hudson, say : RIVER VIEW

51D. Place for Winnebagos ... and for the answers to the starred clues? : RV PARK

Argyle here with what appears to be a debut puzzle by one Carol Hacker but could it be an anagram for our editor? I thought we weren't going to see any more of these simple repeat letter puzzles but this one was so clean it may be an exception. Strong corner blocks, a touch of whimsy in the clues.

Across:

1. Parody : SPOOF

6. Infant : BABY

10. Homeless child : WAIF

14. Songstress Lena : HORNE

15. Geometry class calculation : AREA

16. Throw hard : HURL

17. According to : AS PER

20. D-flat equivalent : C SHARP

22. Territory that became North and South states : DAKOTA

23. Mauna __ : KEA

 

24. Syst. with hand signals : ASL. (American sign language)

26. "Blazing Saddles" director Brooks : MEL

27. Baseball hat : CAP

30. Nine-digit govt. ID : SSN

34. Nickname of AA co-founder William Wilson : BILL W

35. Word before limits or space : OUTER

36. Home for a bird : CAGE

39. Home for the Heat : MIAMI

42. Dermatologist's concern : CYST

43. In front : AHEAD

45. Prophet whose name sounds like a mineral : MICAH. The mica group represents 37 phyllosilicate minerals.

50. "I need a short break," in chat rooms : BRB. (Be Right Back)

53. Brit. bigwigs : PMs. (prime minister)

54. Vote of approval : YEA

55. Explosive initials : TNT

56. Egg cells : OVA

57. Either "Bye Bye Love" brother : EVERLY. If you follow this to YouTube, there is an extensive bio there.

60. Comprehends : GRASPS

65. Take the part of : ACT AS

66. Fancy pitcher : EWER

67. Actor Morales : ESAI

68. Mowing the lawn, e.g. : CHORE

69. Small horse : PONY

70. Spanish muralist José María : SERT. (Josep Maria Sert i Badia)

71. Distance runs, briefly : TEN Ks

Down:

1. Crude dwellings : SHACKS

2. Western bad guy chasers : POSSEs

3. "Little __ Annie" : ORPHAN

4. Top draft status : ONE A

5. Classic Italian sports car : FERRARI

6. Happy hour spot : BAR

7. N.Y. Yankee suspended during 2014 : A-ROD

8. Turned into : BECAME

9. Gabbed : YAKKED

10. Slightest amount : WHIT

11. Chutzpah : AUDACITY

12. Anger : IRE

13. Mel's Diner waitress : FLO. Is it time to retire the old Flo and go with the new one?

19. Swedish automaker : VOLVO

21. Biblical song : PSALM

25. Actress Taylor : LILI. She was in Mystic Pizza.

28. Top poker pair : ACES

29. Sassy : PERT

32. Hindu teacher : SWAMI

33. "That's painful!" : "OUCH!". And afterwards 61D. Hurt : ACHE

34. Boyfriend : BEAU

36. Fish that complains a lot? : CARP

37. "Can I get a word in?" : "AHEM?"

38. Exacts revenge : GETS EVEN

40. Fine spray : MIST

41. Cake topping : ICING

44. Washer's partner : DRYER

46. Draw, as flies : ATTRACT

48. Uneasy "bundle" contents : NERVES

49. Suitcase : VALISE

50. Marathon city : BOSTON

52. Lowest choral parts : BASSES

58. Exceptionally : VERY

59. 2014, for one : YEAR

62. Sales staff employee : REP Shortened from representative.

63. __ Jima : IWO

64. Quickness of mind : WIT. Some don't give whit for wit. They think you're being pert.

 

Argyle