Monday, November 3, 2014 David W. Cromer

Theme: Where you hang your hat - Three movies that include a type of home in the title.

18A. 2001 Redford/Gandolfini film, with "The" : "LAST CASTLE". A home for criminals.

28A. 1990 Connery/Pfeiffer spy film : "THE RUSSIA HOUSE". A section of MI6 is called the "Russia House". (not an actual house)

50A. 2003 Eddie Murphy film, with "The" : "HAUNTED MANSION". A movie based on a Disney attraction.

64A. Nostalgic films for family gatherings ... and what 18-, 28- and 50-Across are? : HOME MOVIES. A bit of a stretch calling these movies about homes.

Argyle here. A movie set in a prison, a spy section name, and a tourist attraction. At least "Mansion" has a back story about a family living there. Otherwise, I liked the play.

Across:

1. Spill the beans : BLAB

5. Hindu deity : RAMA

9. Spore-producing plants : FERNS

14. Subtle emanation : AURA

15. Put out : EMIT

16. How food is often sautéed : IN OIL. Or stir fried.

17. Sheepish smile : GRIN

20. Rap session? : SEANCE

22. Aunts in la familia : TIAs. 36A. Barcelona's nación : ESPAÑA. 33D. Año starter : ENERO. (January)

23. Cut down : HEW

24. Part of Q.E.D. : ERAT

26. Letters on a Soviet uniform : CCCP. It is the Russian abbreviation of Союз Советских Социалистических Республик, meaning the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, or USSR prior to 1992. 25D. Russian ruler until 1917 : TSAR

34. Charged particle : ION

35. Unable or unwilling to hear : DEAF

38. Frame of mind : MOOD

40. "The Twilight Zone" creator Serling : ROD

42. Sought damages : SUED

43. Mercedes-Benz model series : E CLASS

46. More than a few : LOTS

49. Dr. who has co-produced many Eminem tracks : DRE

53. __ weevil : BOLL

54. PayPal parent company : E-BAY

55. Pan Am rival : TWA

58. Garden nuisance : WEED

60. Saw eye to eye : AGREED

67. Wrist-to-elbow bone : ULNA

68. Kitchen attraction : AROMA

69. Brush fire op : EVAC. (operation/evacuation)

70. Garden area : PLOT

71. Varnish ingredient : RESIN

72. Fiddle-playing emperor : NERO

73. Postage-paid encl. : SASE. (self-addressed stamped envelope) A thing of the past?

Down:

1. Airport carousel riders : BAGS

2. Fish attractor : LURE

3. Solo for a diva : ARIA

4. Welcome sign hung over a street, e.g. : BANNER

5. Prisoner's goal : RELEASE

6. Doc bloc : AMA

7. Waterfall phenomenon : MIST

8. 1971 prison riot site : ATTICA

9. Debacles : FIASCOs

10. USN rank : ENS. (ensign)

11. Senator for whom an IRA is named : ROTH. U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator from Delaware.

12. River of Egypt : NILE

13. Did in, as a dragon : SLEW

19. Secret supply : CACHE

21. Gunk : CRUD

27. Litter yippers : PUPS. and little nippers.

28. Iconic news magazine : TIME

29. Liquor, in slang : HOOCH

30. First name on a 1945 bomber : ENOLA

31. Poker player's "Too rich for my blood" : "I FOLD"

32. Riyadh resident : SAUDI. Call him Sandy.

37. Port in Yemen : ADEN

39. Apply crudely : DAUB

41. Stephen King's "Under the __" : DOME. Anyone still watching it?

44. Frosty, notably : SNOWMAN. Soon, oh so soon.

45. Canonized fifth-cen. pope : ST. LEO

47. Cajun condiment : TABASCO

48. Unexpected obstacle : SNAG

51. Gridiron quota : ELEVEN

52. IHOP array : SYRUPS

55. "__ she blows!" : THAR

56. Had on : WORE

57. "Famous" cookie maker : AMOS

59. Seedy joint : DIVE

61. First lady of scat, familiarly : ELLA

62. Grandson of Adam : ENOS

63. Dinner and a movie, say : DATE

65. Brit. record label : EMI. Electric and Musical Industries Ltd was formed in March 1931.

66. Musician's asset : EAR

Argyle

Monday, October 20, 2014 David W. Cromer

Theme: [WILL WORK FOR HAY] - Three old oater stars get answers to their questions.

20A. "What is our flatware made of, Lone Ranger?" : "STERLING, SILVER"

36A. "What does it take to succeed in Hollywood, Tonto?" : "TALENT, SCOUT"

43A. "What makes up my mane, Roy Rogers?" : "HAIR, TRIGGER"

57A. Start of the "Mister Ed" theme song, and hint to who is asking 20-, 36- and 43-Across : "A HORSE IS A HORSE"

Argyle here. David gave us a cute concept today with very few missteps. Not much to comment on.

Across:

1. Toast spreads : JAMS

5. Head-and-shoulders statuette : BUST. Reprise.

9. Charitable sort : DONOR

14. Cain's victim : ABEL

15. Lotion additive : ALOE

16. "Drab" color : OLIVE

17. Ashram authority : GURU. Ashram - a religious retreat or community where a Hindu holy man lives.

18. Agent Scully on "The X-Files" : DANA. 1993 to 2002 on Fox.

19. Rubber tree product used in paint : LATEX

23. Pea container : POD

24. "Sonic the Hedgehog" developer : SEGA. The title character and protagonist of a series released by Sega, as well as numerous spin-off comics, five animated shows, and a Original Video Animation.

25. NFL scores : TDs

28. Red, White or Black : SEA. Update: White Sea

 

 

30. Reddish-yellow : ORANGE

35. Toward the ship's rear : AFT

39. Quahog, for one : CLAM

41. In the past : AGO

42. Write with acid : ETCH

48. Environmental prefix : ECO

49. Meryl who played Julia Child : STREEP

50. Nine-digit-number issuing org. : SSA. (Social Security Administration)

51. Bad-mouth : DIS

52. Rock concert gear : AMPS

55. CBS forensic drama : CSI. (Crime Scene Investigation)

64. North Carolina fort : BRAGG

65. "It's a __!": "Easy!" : SNAP

66. Abound : TEEM

67. Quotable Yogi : BERRA. "A nickel ain't worth a dime anymore." More

68. "Canterbury" story : TALE

69. Eve's mate : ADAM

70. Bakery array : CAKES. A CED specialty.

71. Google find : SITE

72. VAIO PC maker : SONY

Down:

1. Sporty English autos : JAGS. (automobiles/Jaguars)(M's company car is a Jaguar XJ L)

2. Lie against : ABUT

3. Nothing more than : MERE

4. Drink inelegantly : SLURP

5. "I wouldn't do that if I were you" : "BAD IDEA"

6. __ Bator : ULAN

7. Top 40 numbers : SONGS

8. Poke fun at : TEASE

9. Cents partner : DOLLARS

10. One of five Norwegian kings : OLAV

11. Evening, in ads : NITE

12. Above : OVER

13. Tyrannosaurus __ : REX

21. ABC drama about a missing plane : "LOST"

22. "__ Rhythm" : I GOT. An American in Paris - I Got Rhythm(4:52)

25. Dials next to speedometers, for short : TACHS and 45D. Readings on 25-Down: Abbr. : RPMs

26. C sharp equivalent : D FLAT

27. Step in a flight : STAIR

29. Jai __ : ALAI

31. Blackjack half : ACE

32. Pre-eminent : NOTED

33. Designer Aldo : GUCCI

34. Spirit of a culture : ETHOS

37. With 38-Down, yuletide quaffs : EGG

38. See 37-Down : NOGS

40. G.I. field ration : MRE. (Meals Ready to Eat)

44. Riot squad's supply : TEAR GAS

46. Bloodhound's quarry : ESCAPEE

47. Unthinking : RASH

53. Orkin targets : PESTS

54. Mount in Exodus : SINAI

56. Greek i's : IOTAs

57. Field of expertise : AREA

58. Quaint "Listen!" : "HARK!"

59. Fairy tale baddie : OGRE

60. Crystals in a shaker : SALT

61. Change the decor of : REDO

62. Actor Connery : SEAN

63. Television award : EMMY

64. "Doctor Who" network : BBC. (British Broadcasting Corporation)

Argyle

Monday, June 16, 2014 David W. Cromer

Theme: Tempus Fugit - Yes, how time flies...all around this grid, landing in front of the first word of the starred answers.

56A. Store posting, and what the first words of the answers to starred clues could literally be doing : CLOSING TIME. The first word can close a "time" phrase.

18A. *Mood : FRAME OF MIND. Time frame - A period of time during which something has taken or will take place.

37A. *Philatelist's prize possession : STAMP COLLECTION. Time stamp - A device for stamping the date and time of day.

3D. *Like a baseball fouled into the seats : OUT OF PLAY. Time out - Suspension of play, sports or kids.

34D. *Solid baseball hit : LINE DRIVE. Time line - A linear representation of important events in the order in which they occurred, like a baseball scorecard.

Argyle here, for the time being. David has been providing us with early week puzzles for some time now. Had a good time with this one. I looked at an early write-up of David and I mentioned my dial-up was giving me trouble. Boy, was that back in the dark ages.

Across:

1. "Little Red Book" chairman : MAO

4. Hardly enough : SCANT. As in scantily clad.

9. Online memo : E NOTE. or like online Cliff Notes.

14. School URL ending : .EDU

15. Like most white bears : POLAR

16. Bedsheet material : LINEN

17. Body art, briefly : TAT

20. Self-images : EGOs. Interesting, following tat.

22. Scornful look : SNEER

23. One of a Valentine's Day dozen : ROSE. CSO, by any other name.

24. Vandalizes : DEFACES. Graffiti.

26. Made amends : ATONED. They were made to scrub off the graffiti.

28. Map that may show land subdivisions : PLAT

29. Longed (for) : PINED

31. Conger catcher : EELER. No conger picture before breakfast.

33. River through Russia : VOLGA. Volga-Matushka (Mother Volga)

34. Auburn rival in the SEC : LSU. Southeastern Conference(SEC)/Louisiana State University(LSU)

40. Salary : PAY

41. Author Joyce Carol __ : OATES. She was born in Lockport, NY and grew up in Millersport, NY. (Looks like that's as close as we'll get to Erie today.)

42. One of India's official languages : HINDI

43. Hang in midair : HOVER

44. Surrender, as territory : CEDE

45. Words that attract shoppers : *ON SALE*

48. Nothing-to-do feeling : BOREDOM. Two weeks after school gets out.

51. Planted : SOWN. Got your gardens sown?

52. Equip with new weapons : REARM

55. Lass of La Mancha: Abbr. : SRTA. (señorita)

59. "__ now or never" : IT'S

60. Put on the radio : AIRED

61. Waited-for show character who never showed : GODOT. Play by Saturday's Irish playwright, Samuel Beckett. A waste of time?

62. Pet doc : VET

63. Angling gear : REELS

64. Signs of things to come : OMENS

65. EMTs' destinations : ERs

Down:

(I hope this takes less time.)

1. Doled (out) : METED

2. Old saw : ADAGE

4. Tanning lotion letters : SPF. (sun protection factor)

5. Constricting garment : CORSET

6. Greenspan and Ladd : ALANs

7. Title : NAME

8. Genealogical chart : TREE. With lots of names on it.

9. Santa subordinate : ELF. Sorry, it isn't pc to call them that. (subordinate)

10. Idiot : NIMROD

11. Bermuda veggie : ONION

12. On edge : TENSE

13. Concluded : ENDED

19. Southern California county : ORANGE

21. Witch trials setting : SALEM

25. Commuting convenience : CAR POOL. Certainly so when they have their own lanes.

27. One working with pupils : TEACHER. Not Lois anymore.

29. Gondola helmsman : POLER. A pole is used to propel the boat.

30. Pandora's boxful : ILLS

31. So-called sixth sense : ESP

32. Letter after zeta : ETA

33. Go to the polls : VOTE

35. Ready-to-go lawn starter : SOD

36. Prefix with cycle : UNI

38. Spot for spelunkers : CAVERN

39. In-and-out ocean phenomena : TIDES

43. Gretel's brother : HANSEL

44. Ordinary : COMMON

45. Actor's prize : OSCAR

46. "I kid you not!" : "NO LIE!"

47. Took an oath : SWORE. Another interesting follow up.

48. Woman often followed by a train : BRIDE

49. Aquatic frolicker : OTTER

50. Sail supports : MASTS

53. Frozen waffle brand : EGGO

54. Quark locale : ATOM. No images of Quark from Deep Space Nine before breakfast either.

57. SSNs, e.g. : IDs

58. UFO crew, supposedly : ETs

Ahh! My time has ended.

Argyle

Monday April 21st, 2014 David W. Cromer

Theme: Faking It - The four theme entries all begin with a synonym for "fake".

17A. Man-made organic pump : ARTIFICIAL HEART

27A. Dish not made from the reptile it's named for : MOCK TURTLE SOUP. Food! The old recipe on Wikipedia is not for the faint of heart.

46A. Pseudonym : FICTITIOUS NAME

62A. Finger-pointing perjury : FALSE ACCUSATION

Welcome to the new week - Steve here pinch-hitting for Argyle whose computer has got a fit of the sulks (I think that's the technical term).

After the conniptions of the last couple of puzzles this was a perfect antidote; pretty much a top-to-bottom solve. The theme was crisp and there was no unifier so "figure it out yourself". Two 15 and two 14-letter theme entries made for a nice grid.

Let's see what else we've got:

Across:

1. Campus drilling gp. : R.O.T.C. I just realized I didn't know what the acronym stands for and had to look up "Reserve Officers' Training Corps". Now I know.

5. Repairs, as a lawn's bare spot : SODS

9. On the higher side : UPPER

14. Fictional lab assistant : IGOR. Bonus points for knowing the movie with the line "No, it's pronounced "Eye-gor".

15. Be certain : KNOW

16. Garbo of the silver screen : GRETA. Her feet were not large - the rumor was started by the columnist Walter Winchell when she turned down his request for an interview.

20. Take care of : SEE TO

21. Start of Caesar's incredulous question : ET TU

22. GI rations : M.R.E.s We had a discussion recently about the accuracy of "Meals, Ready to Eat".

23. 1040 publisher: Abbr. : I.R.S. So last week.

25. Prefix meaning "high" : ALTI-

34. Kissing pair : LIPS. Nice cluing.

35. Out __ limb : ON A

36. Get a feeling about : SENSE

37. Feed bag morsel : OAT

38. Like a soloist on a dark stage : SPOTLIT

41. Fill up on : EAT

42. Barn-raising sect : AMISH. Are the Amish the only group that barn-raise? Seems a very sensible approach to a problem.

44. Electrified particle : ION

45. Falls behind : LAGS

50. "The Lord of the Rings," e.g. : EPIC. Because "bloated nine-hour CGI mega-movie franchise that takes terrible liberties with the books" didn't fit.

51. Encouragement "on the back" : PAT

52. Bog fuel : PEAT. We've had PEAT a couple of times recently, including "(Three) PEAT" yesterday.

55. Capone nemesis Eliot : NESS. 

"Speak softly and carry a big Thomson Sub-Machine Gun"

58. Triangular Greek letter : DELTA

65. Sing like Bing : CROON

66. 50+ org. : AARP. I'm eligible to join, but I seem to get just as good deals with AAA.

67. Company with bell ringers : AVON. If you don't have a doorbell, what do they do?

68. Shell out : SPEND

69. Zebras, to lions : PREY. It strikes me as odd that in "The Lion King" you never see Scar and company actually eating anything. It does give me an excuse to link to this song though.

70. Actor Hackman : GENE

Down:

1. Narrow inlets : RIAS

2. Folklore monster : OGRE

3. Carryall with handles : TOTE

4. They give films stars : CRITICS. Nice clue again.

5. Slalom item : SKI

6. It may be enough : ONCE

7. "Just __": Nike slogan : DO IT. The Nike "Swoosh" logo was designed by a student at Portland State University and sold to Phil Knight for $35.

8. Try to whack, as a fly : SWAT AT

9. "Gross!" : UGH

10. Logical proposition : PREMISE

11. Apple relative : PEAR

12. To be, to Brigitte : ETRE. One of our "French 101" words.

13. "Peanuts" phooey : RATS

18. Tuning __ : FORK. I tried to use one of these once to tune my guitar. I had to abandon the idea and go back to my electronic tuning meter.

19. Break in the action : LULL

24. Break in the action : STOP. Neighboring Clechos.

26. Word with tube or pattern : TEST

27. Florida metropolis : MIAMI

28. Vision-related : OPTIC

29. Game with Skip cards : UNO. I've never played this game - anyone?

30. Mathematical comparison : RATIO

31. Wee hr. : ONE A.M.

32. Grammarian's concern : USAGE

33. Lizards and snakes, for some : PETS

34. Do nothing : LOAF

38. Use FedEx : SHIP. Hey Splynter - your competition just got name-checked. What's that all about?

39. Comical Costello : LOU

40. Clouseau's rank: Abbr. : INSP. Did you know the good Inspector has been played by Peter Sellers, Alan Arkin, Roger Moore and Steve Martin?

43. Cowboy's hat : STETSON. I was in Texas last week and treated myself to a fine pair of cowboy boots. I drew the line at the hat though.

45. Reason for an ump's safe call : LATE TAG. C.C. can explain this if we need clarification.

47. Emmy winner Fey : TINA

48. Arctic expanse : ICECAP

49. It means nothing to Juan : NADA

52. Inferiors of cpls. : PFCS. My only misstep to day was to put "PVTS" here first. Privates, First Class is the correct answer.

53. Tombstone lawman : EARP.

54. Burn-soothing substance : ALOE

56. Mark from a surgical procedure : SCAR

57. Having no doubt : SURE

59. Occurring as you watch it : LIVE

60. Huckleberry Hound, for one : TOON

61. Songstress Murray : ANNE

63. Conclusion : END. Except it's not, there's one more answer ...

64. Plant gathering information : SPY. Saving the best until last; this was my favorite clue today.

That's all I've got - everyone have a good day!

Steve

Thursday, November 28, 2013 David W. Cromer

Theme:"Yeah, riiiiiight!"

17A. Wright : WILBUR OR ORVILLE.

27A. Rite : CHURCH CEREMONY.

43A. Right : STARBOARD AT SEA.

57A. Write : EMULATE AN AUTHOR.

This is a variation on a definition-type theme, where the theme clues are all homophones of each other. The theme entries were quite straight-forward, but oh my! The rest of the puzzle was chock full of misdirections and fun clues!

Across:

1. Nature photographer's lens : MACRO. Shout out to John Lampkin!

butterfly

6. __ facie : PRIMA.

11. Dells, at times : PCs. When is a Dell not a PC? (When it's a tablet!)

14. Steer clear of : AVOID.

15. Charged : RAN AT. RANAT sounds like a Jewish month, doesn't it?

16. Impressed reaction : OOH. I had "awe" at first.

20. "Far out!" : RAD.(ical)

21. Begins : OPENS.

22. Soothing application : ALOE.

23. Dupes : CONS.

26. One getting a share : AGENT.

33. North Carolina's __ Banks : OUTER.

34. "America" soloist in "West Side Story" : ANITA. (Rita Moreno) Great song.

35. Hardy heroine : "TESS...of the d'Ubervilles: A pure Woman Faithfully Presented."

36. They may be dusted : CROPS. Furniture didn't even enter my mind.

37. Indication of freshness? : SLAP. It used to be that when someone got fresh, they'd get a SLAP in the face. Now, they are more likely to get slapped with a lawsuit.

41. Weasel relative : SABLE.

42. Feudal lord : LIEGE.

47. Theater sweepings : STUBS.

48. Drops from the staff : AXES.

49. Like most pets : TAME.

50. Showy neckwear : ASCOT.

54. Actress Carrere : TIA. She played hottie Cassandra Wong in "Wayne's World."

Tia

61. End of a texter's amusing comment, perhaps : LOL.

62. Paramount output : MOVIE.

63. Mazda two-seater : MIATA. They don't do well in snow. Mine got T-boned two months after I bought it.

64. Cornerstone abbr. : EST.ablished...

65. Comets, long ago : OMENS.

66. With 12-Down, exile site : PENAL. and 12-Down. See 66-Across : COLONY.

Down:

1. Bryn __ College : MAWR.

2. Reebok rival : AVIA.

3. Ham at a party, say : COLD CUTS. Another great misdirection.  I was thinking of the guy with the lampshade hat...

4. Tease : RIB.

5. Norfolk, Va., campus : ODU. I'm sure glad this one was filled before I got to the down clues. Old Dominion University.

6. Phone in a play, e.g. : PROP.

7. Uncommon : RARE.

8. Privy to : IN ON.

9. Rover's turf : MARS. Another great misdirection.  Not the kind of 49-Across, but the Mars ROVER:

Mars rover Curiosity

10. Four-wheeler, briefly : ATV. All Terrain Vehicle.

11. Common allergen : POLLEN.

13. Sleep on it : SHEET. I was getting hit with misdirection from all sides today! (I must be thinking about that turkey...) And then I got hit with a clecho at 27-Down. Sleep on it : COT.

18. __ Hashanah : ROSH.

19. "Othello" villain : IAGO.

24. Metal bearers : ORES.

25. Big name in ATMs : NCR. National Cash Register Company, in business since 1884.

26. Doc bloc : AMA. American Medical Association.

28. Peach or plum : HUE.

29. __-loading : CARBO. Here's how.

30. Name on a historic bomber : ENOLA. Gay.

31. Closer to being harvested : RIPER.

32. Little green men : ETs.

36. "Cash __": TV game show : CAB. I miss Ben Bailey.

37. Set of Web pages : SITE.

38. Under : LESS THAN.

39. Scotch bottle datum : AGE. Hi, Tinbeni!

40. Soup veggie : PEA.

41. Many AARP members: Abbr. : SRs. Seniors. (Who, moi?)

42. Loose : LAX.

43. John of "Necessary Roughness" : STAMOS. I remember him from "Full House."

JohnStamos

44. Turbulence : TUMULT.

45. 52-Down victim : ABEL. And 52-Down. Slayer of 45-Down : CAIN.

46. Computer input : DATA.

47. Stone marker : STELE.

50. Bit that can be split : ATOM.

51. Cantabria-born golfer, familiarly : SEVE. Severiano "Seve" Ballesteros Sota.  An incredibly talented golfer who died young of a brain tumor. So sad.

53. Till fill : ONES.

55. Kappa preceder : IOTA.

56. Shrinking sea : ARAL.

58. Latin trio word : AMO...amas, amat

59. Worker at home : UMP. Home plate, that is.

60. Haberdashery item : TIE.

Today we have an extra treat thanks to George Barany and Friends.  Click here to solve a once-in-a-lifetime puzzle.

Have a wonderful Turkey Day, and a Happy Hanukkah as well!

From the ever-thankful that I found this corner of friends,

Marti

Notes from C.C.:

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! I have so much to be thankful this year:

To Rich Norris (LA Times Crossword Editor), who works hard behind the scenes and gently guides and helps constructors to make the best puzzle possible. Many of the clever clues we rave about are Rich's.

Rich Norris & his wife Kim, ACPT, 2008

To Rich's patient assistant Patti Varol, who has the hard job of telling constructors why a puzzle is rejected (or accepted). Her emails are always clear & thoughtful. Thanks also to Rich's test solvers and all LA Times constructors for giving us so many great puzzles to enjoy.

My eternal thanks to my dedicated blogging team, who never complain when things go wrong. And things did go wrong a few times last year. They just soldiered through.

Dear Santa Argyle, who has blogged 442 puzzles for us the past few years, is always there for me, on and off the blog.

The beautiful Melissa, who is going through some of life's toughest patches at the moment. She's missed and she'll be back.

The foodie Steve, who's blogged for us from different parts of the world. He was in Rio last week, but it was raining the whole time. Too bad, I was expecting this.

Our economist Jazzbumpa (Ron), who puts lots of time into his each post and never fails to make me smile with his jokes and whimsical comments.

The wickedly talented & adventurous Marti, who coheres us in so many ways. She's always upbeat, no matter what life throws at her.

Marti, Dudley, Hondo & Montana

The caring Lemonade, our perfect guide for Friday puzzles. He wouldn't have missed last Sunday's theme as I did. He's much more knowledgeable about complicated theme gimmicks.

Lemonade & John Lampkins

The coolest UPS guy Splynter, who has never missed a Saturday write-up since May 21, 2011. He's super efficient and hard-working. 

I also want to thank our regular commenters. Thanks for your poems, quotes, funny links, travel experiences, life observations, recipes, nitpicking about crosswords, advice about computer glitches, etc. You've enriched my life.

Thank you!

Monday, September 30, 2013 David W. Cromer

Theme: After 'Three's a Crowd' - The four longest answers begin with a synonym for no more room.

20A. Exhortation to the engine room : FULL SPEED AHEAD

25A. Had some wallop : PACKED A PUNCH

49A. Self-important sort : STUFFED SHIRT

58A. Interviewer's booby trap : LOADED QUESTION

Argyle here. Our constructor has many LAT puzzles though none lately. The rather dated TV reference may mean this puzzle has been in the queue for some time. It shares several entries with some we've seen recently. A smooth start to the week.

Across:

1. Cpls.' superiors : SGTs

5. EMT's skill : CPR

8. "Cultured" gem : PEARL. (not, strictly speaking, a gemstone)

13. Spy novelist Ambler : ERIC. I haven't read him but he looks like a spy.

14. Bread buy : LOAF

16. Exhorts : URGES

17. __ IRA : ROTH

18. SeaWorld attraction : ORCA. The killer whale.

19. Fathered : SIRED

23. Prepare, as tea : STEEP

24. Down Under runner : EMU. The fugitives refuse to pull over.

33. Dreamer's acronym : REM. (rapid eye movement)

36. House division : ROOM

37. Loud cry : SHOUT

38. Inventor's starting point : IDEA

40. Princess's headgear : TIARA

43. Worry : FRET

44. Ford of the '70s : PINTO

46. Festive affair : GALA

48. Cause of Cleopatra's undoing : ASP

53. Brother in a monastery : FRA

54. Phi Beta __ : KAPPA

64. Kind of jacket named for an Indian leader : NEHRU. And made popular by these boys.

65. Ambiance : AURA

66. Way to get out : EXIT

67. Send payment : REMIT

68. Give some lip to : SASS

69. Shine partner : RISE. Rise and shine.

70. Test for purity, as gold : ASSAY

71. Doris who sang "Que Sera, Sera" : DAY

72. Burpee product : SEED

Down:

1. Feudal workers : SERFS

2. Tile installer's need : GROUT

3. Information on a book's spine : TITLE

4. Carry with effort : SCHLEP

5. Hoofbeat : CLOP

6. Minute skin opening : PORE

7. Event at a track : RACE

8. Exercises done in a prone position : PUSH-UPS. Somebody else can post a picture of the other push-ups.

9. Southernmost Great Lake : ERIE

10. Indian tourist city : AGRA. Home to the Taj Mahal.

11. Clarinetist's need : REED. Licorice stick need. (Remember licorice stick in a pit?)

12. Drug "dropped" in the '60s : LSD

15. Lost luster : FADED

21. Train in a ring : SPAR

22. Dr.'s group : AMA

26. Simple bed : COT

27. Colorful Japanese carp : KOI. Koi ponds were the rage for a while.

28. Some Kindle reading, briefly : eMAGs

29. TV dial letters : UHF. Back in the day. Very high frequency (VHF) and ultra-high frequency (UHF)

30. Romance writer Roberts : NORA. Guilty pleasure? BOOKS

31. Sticks by the pool table : CUEs

32. Web address letters : HTTP. (Hypertext Transfer Protocol)

33. Tears : RIPS

34. Work on a column, say : EDIT

35. Restaurant host's handout : MENU

39. Justice Dept. enforcers : ATF. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF)

41. Part of a cheerleader's chant : "RAH!"

42. Baba of folklore : ALI

45. Taxi's "I'm not working now" sign : [OFF DUTY]

47. Ships like Noah's : ARKS

50. Prior to, in poems : ERE

51. Mamas' mates : DADAs. (baby talk)

52. Spuds : TATERS

55. Impish fairy : PIXIE

56. Model's asset : POISE

57. Tossed a chip in the pot : ANTED

58. Popular jeans : LEE'S

59. Units of resistance : OHMs

60. Soprano's chance to shine : ARIA

61. Campus area : QUAD. The open quadrangle green often formed by the dormitories.

62. __ Minor: constellation : URSA. The Lesser Bear or the Little Dipper.

63. "No problem" : "EASY"

64. Second Amendment backer: Abbr. : NRA. (National Rifle Association)

Argyle

Monday, September 3, 2012 David W. Cromer

Theme: Sphinx - Three synonyms for aloof when they are detached from the second part of their entries.

17A. Accommodations in a balcony or box, say : RESERVED SEATING

37A. Gadget found in a sofa, all too often : REMOTE CONTROL

57A. Third cousin, say : DISTANT RELATIVE

Argyle reticently here. I felt for a Monday, David got in some decent fill and without B J K Q W X Y or Z. Perhaps he was just being restrained.

Across:

1. Hand over : CEDE

5. Actress Petty : LORI. Her IMDb.

9. Response to "Who's there?" : "IT'S ME" leading to 6D. "Where are you?" response : "OVER HERE"

14. Response to a sermon : "AMEN!"

15. All tied up : EVEN

16. Vital sign : PULSE

20. Prefix with -pod : TRI

21. Cone-producing tree : FIR

22. Turn out to be : END UP

23. Encouraged, with "on" : EGGED

25. Long deli sandwich : HERO
 

27. NW state with a panhandle : IDA. (Idaho)

30. Advance : LEND

31. Lose its solidity : MELT

32. Frenzied : MANIC

34. Video game giant : ATARI

36. Spill the beans : TATTLE

40. Weasel out : RENEGE

41. Working, as a machine : IN USE

42. Untrue : NOT SO

43. Editor's "Never mind" : STET. Direction to let cancelled material remain.

44. Pet lovers' org. : SPCA. (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals)

48. Volcanic fallout : ASH

49. Locking mechanism : HASP

50. Bringer of thunder and lightning : STORM

 

51. Theater employee : USHER

54. Co. for Web users : ISP. (internet service provider)

56. Once around the track : LAP

61. "Let's Make __": TV game show : A DEAL

62. Puerto __ : RICO

63. Cake finisher : ICER

64. Avoid, as the draft : DODGE

65. Fencer's blade : EPEE

66. Hawaiian goose : NENE

Down:

1. Price-fixing bloc : CARTEL

2. Come to light : EMERGE

3. Architect's task : DESIGN

4. L.A.-to-N.Y. dir. : ENE

5. First name in denim : LEVI

7. Rare meat color : RED

8. Newspaper circular, e.g. : INSERT

9. 2010 Apple blockbuster : iPAD

10. "Swan Lake" attire : TUTU

 

 

 

11. Don, as something more comfortable : SLIP INTO

12. AOL rival : MSN. (MicroSoft Network)

13. Neurologist's order, for short : EEG. (electroencephalogram) Cardiologist's order, EKG or ECG (electrocardiogram).

18. Outlying mail delivery svc. : RFD. (Rural Free Delivery)

19. Music producer Brian : ENO

24. "My Cup Runneth Over" singer : ED AMES. Clip(2:48).

26. Draws out, as a confession : ELICITS

28. Pickle herb : DILL

29. Bullet in a deck : ACE

31. Brisbane buddy : MATE

32. Yoga class needs : MATS

33. Motionless : AT REST

35. Like drive-thru fare : TO GO

36. Letter-shaped hardware : T-NUT. Those of you who knew Lipton, Nestea, and Salada.

37. Vintage autos : REOs

38. Really excited (about) : ENTHUSED

39. Unlike a bikini : ONE PIECE. Much more demure. Image.

40. Genetic messenger : RNA

43. "No Exit" dramatist : SARTRE. Jean-Paul Sartre (1905 – 1980)

45. Cops : POLICE

46. Horror director Wes : CRAVEN. Wes Craven IMDb.

47. Unit of current : AMPERE

49. Farm layer : HEN

50. Hotel amenity : SPA. Certainly not all hotels.

52. Dateless attendee : STAG

53. In good health : HALE

55. Fruit used to flavor gin : SLOE

57. Pop : DAD

58. Altar vow : "I DO". Hmm, pop and dad before "I do"; sometimes.

59. Tear, or actor Torn : RIP

 

60. Oz Woodman's makeup : TIN. But no heart.

Answer grid.

Argyle