Monday, September 14, 2015 Janice Luttrell

Theme: More than upset - Star answers begin with synonyms of irate

20A. *Publication featuring Alfred E. Neuman : MAD MAGAZINE

57A. *Chinese food staple : STEAMED RICE

11D. *Cold symptom : SORE THROAT

29D. *Lines that help you 9-Down : CROSSHAIRS

41D. Personal source of annoyance ... which might make one feel the first word of the answers to starred clues : PET PEEVE

Argyle here. The reveal isn't in the middle this time but still a nice pin wheel grid. Fill is on the easy side, as it should be, but still lively.

Across:

1. Cabbage side dish : SLAW

5. Costume shop supply : WIGS

9. Croatian-born physicist Nikola : TESLA

14. Spanish appetizer : TAPA

15. In couch-potato mode : IDLE

16. Like a cheering capacity crowd : AROAR

17. Happily __ after : EVER

18. Tidy : NEAT

19. Destiny : KARMA

23. Tidal retreat : EBB

24. The ones right in front of us : THESE

25. Lt.'s superior : CAPT. lieutenant / captain

27. Engraved with acid : ETCHED

30. "The Firm" author John : GRISHAM

33. Sea, to Cousteau : MER. Both French.

34. Worker in a shaft : MINER

37. __ Gras : MARDI

38. Coll. hot shot : BMOC. (Big Man on Campus)

40. Garden bulb : TULIP

42. Tugboat sound : TOOT

43. WF-3640 printer maker : EPSON. Model # was of no help.(to me)

45. Traveler's stop : MOTEL

47. "__ you happy now?" : ARE

48. "Do not" follower, on a closed-door sign : DISTURB

50. Ride a seesaw : TEETER

52. Roll call reply : HERE

53. Channel covering Capitol Hill : C-SPAN. acronym for Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network.

55. Cute __ button : AS A

62. Light brown : BEIGE

64. Beech or birch : TREE

65. Many Keats poems : ODEs

66. Flub by a fielder : ERROR

67. Balkan native : SLAV

68. Cowpoke's footwear : BOOT

69. "Yum!" : "TASTY!"

70. Knight times : YORE

71. "Born Free" lioness : ELSA

Down:

1. Wineglass part : STEM

2. Volcanic output : LAVA

3. Did an impression of : APED

4. Fireside feeling : WARMTH

5. Didn't follow a script, say : WINGED IT. Ad libs. Improv.

6. Brainstorms : IDEAs

7. Classic Krispy Kreme coating : GLAZE

8. "The X-Files" org. : SETI. (Search for ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence )

9. Get ready to shoot : TAKE AIM

10. Open __: tennis period since 1968 : ERA. When the professional players first competed with amateurs.

12. Rack of __ : LAMB

13. Many an Iraqi : ARAB

21. "Excuse me ... " : "AHEM ... "

22. Big name in ATMs : NCR. The NCR Corporation was formerly National Cash Register.

26. Exam for H.S. jrs. : PSAT. Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test, formerly.

27. Nestle snugly : EMBED

28. Allegro, scherzo, andante, etc. : TEMPI. Plural of tempo.

30. Sandpaper feature : GRIT

31. Worship : ADORE

32. Bishop's headdress : MITER. Make your own. Origami.

35. Unfeeling : NUMB

36. Symphonic rock gp. : ELO. (Electric Light Orchestra)

39. Sheep shelter : COTE

44. Room with a crib : NURSERY

46. Starring role : LEAD. Often 59D. Big screen star : IDOL

49. On a pension: Abbr. : RET. (retired)

51. Dress for the choir : ENROBE

53. Monte __: gambling mecca : CARLO

54. Ink mishap : SMEAR

55. Aid in wrongdoing : ABET

56. Doris Day song word : SERA

58. Online handicraft market : ETSY. Have we learned it yet?

60. Corp. heads : CEOs. (Chief Executive Officer)

61. "¿Cómo __ usted?" : ESTÁ. "How are you?"

63. Understood, as a joke : GOT

Argyle

Monday, August 31, 2015 Janice Luttrell

Theme: Tales from the Grid - First word of the reveal followed by the first word of the starred clue answers.

17A. *Sentry : GATE KEEPER. Tail Gate

11D. *Wishful thinking : PIPE DREAM. Tail Pipe

41A. Caboose locale ... and a hint to what the first word of the answers to starred clues can be : TAIL END

64A. *Crafty press agent : SPIN DOCTOR. Tail Spin

34D. *Music-maker activated by a breeze : WIND CHIME. Tail Wind

Argyle here. We haven't seen a puzzle from Janice in sometime. A pretty pinwheel grid to start our week and end our month.

Across:

1. Tiny insect : MITE

5. Road trip stop : MOTEL. What's your favorite?

10. Zipped : SPED

14. Indigo dye source : ANIL.

15. Solo : ALONE

16. Fillable bread : PITA

19. Apple tablet : iPAD

20. City with Heat and Hurricanes : MIAMI

21. Copter's forerunner : GIRO. Yes, I tried it with a Y first.

22. Strike from the text : DELE

23. Gulf War journalist Peter : ARNETT

25. Invented, as a word : COINED

27. Light on the Vegas strip : NEON

29. Made a boo-boo : ERRED

32. Grocery box amt. : NT.WT. (net weight)

35. Electrician on a film set : GAFFER

39. Academic URL suffix : .EDU

40. Sushi tuna : AHI

42. Wolfed down : ATE

43. Transgress : SIN

44. Staten or Manhattan : ISLAND. Two of the five boroughs of NYC.

45. License-issuing agcys. : DMVs. (Department of Motor Vehicles)

46. Tennis great Agassi : ANDRE. US Open this week.

48. Info : DOPE

50. Show with clowns : CIRCUS

54. Skype need : WEBCAM

58. "Come Fly With Me" lyricist Sammy : CAHN

60. Poker stake : ANTE

62. Spaghetti topper : SAUCE. What's your favorite?

63. Copies are made from one: Abbr. : ORIGnal

66. Street artist in a striped shirt, stereotypically : MIME

67. Mombasa's country : KENYA

68. Penn Sta.-to-Suffolk County train system : LIRR. Get out of NYC on the Long Island Rail Road.

69. Tapped brew : BEER

70. Golf's Slammin' Sammy : SNEAD

71. __, meeny ... : EENY

Down:

1. Molten rock : MAGMA

2. "... bombs bursting __" : IN AIR

3. Business big shot : TITAN

4. Periodic table item : ELEMENT

5. West of "My Little Chickadee" : MAE

6. Couturier Cassini : OLEG

7. Subject matter : TOPIC

8. Warm month in Chile : ENERO. January is mid-summer remember.

9. "Vive __!": "Long live the king!" : LE ROI

10. Kiddie-lit's Charlotte, e.g. : SPIDER

12. And others, in Lat. : ET AL.

13. 20-Across' former county : DADE. Former?

18. Toy on a string : KITE

24. Frat party robes : TOGAs

26. Unhip sort : NERD

28. Finger or toe part : NAIL

30. 1999 Ron Howard satire : "ED TV"

31. Association fees : DUES

32. Astronaut's org. : NASA

33. Like wafers : THIN

36. St. Augustine's state: Abbr. : FLA. (Florida) oldest continuously occupied European-established settlement in the US.

37. Ward (off) : FEND

38. Provide with funds : ENDOW

41. Tall-cake layer : TIER

45. Complete failure : DEBACLE

47. Pro pretending to be an amateur : RINGER

49. Tijuana money : PESO

51. Winery containers : CASKS

52. Set free, as pigs : UNPEN

53. "Goosebumps" author R.L. : STINE

55. Term of affection : CUTIE

56. Nut under an oak : ACORN

57. "__ Christmas!" : MERRY

58. Hair-parting tool : COMB

59. Singer India.__ : ARIE. (India.Arie for style)

61. Irish folk singer : ENYA

65. Family guy : DAD

Argyle

Wednesday, February 13 2013, Janice Luttrell and Patti Varol

theme: two of a kind  - "Double" can precede both words in each theme entry, which also contains repeated & consecutive letters.

17. Titanic compartment on the lowest level : BOILER ROOM. there are several definitions, but the first one best fits our theme (from thefreedictionary.com): An area, as in a building or on a ship, that houses one or more steam boilers or hot-water tanks. double boiler. double room.

26. Setup of a sort : BLIND DATE. two strangers on a date arranged by a mutual friend. what could go wrong? double-blind. double-date.

50. Country kitchen design option : DUTCH DOOR. a door that is split horizontally into two parts, so that the top and bottom can open/close separately. double dutch. double door.

60. Verify : CROSS CHECK. two meanings here. 1: in hockey, checking is a technique to separate the player from the puck, by pushing or hitting against either the player's body or the puck.  most forms of checking are legal, but cross checking, in which the shaft of the stick is held with both hands, is illegal and results in a penalty. 2: cross checking also means to check (data) against two sources. double cross. double check.

37. Drive-in offering, and what 17-, 26-, 50- or 60-Across has, in more ways than one : DOUBLE FEATURE. two feature movies shown one after another, with an intermission in between. there are only two drive-in theaters left in the bay area, one in san jose and one in santa cruz. i think you have to be under 40 to be able to stay awake for two movies in a row.

melissa here. 

this puzzle obviously took a lot of thought to put together (by two women)

across:

1. Medical amts. : CC'S. cc!

4. Be accountable (for) : ANSWER

10. Remove, as coupons : CLIP. or hangnails.

14. Ernst collaborator : ARP. Max Ernst (1891 – 1976) and Jean Arp (1886 – 1966)  were “lifelong friends, these two avant-garde artists were among the founders of the DADA movement… They questioned traditional society and used art to explore new moralities, politics and social structures.

15. Electronic music genre : TECHNO

16. Spherical opening? : HEMIsphere.

19. "All __": 1931 tune : OF ME. frank's cover (2:43).

20. Height: Pref. : ACRO. as in acrophobia.

21. Lord's Prayer opener : OUR father who art in heaven ...

22. Arterial trunk : AORTA

24. __ León: Monterrey's state : NUEVO. one of the 31 states within mexico.

29. Okay : ASSENT

31. Okay : NOD. clecho.

32. Project, with "out" : JUT

33. Mediterranean capital : BEIRUT. capital of lebanon.

36. Farm female : MARE. equine. and 62d. Udder woman? : COW. for some reason i don't love this clue.

41. 1% of a cool mil : TENG. absolutely no idea. google says teng is a rare chinese surname, and a flying snake in chinese mythology - but neither seems to fit here. who can clear this up? (From C.C.: Parse it as TEN G. Also, Teng is not obscure. Teresa Teng was very very famous. "Wherever there are Chinese people, the songs of Teresa Teng can be heard." No exaggeration. Teng is the same as Deng in Mandarin, as in Deng Xiaoping.)

42. Lethargic : TORPID

43. Stein filler : ALE

44. Poet's contraction : O'ER (over); and 58. Poet's preposition : THRO

46. Discography entries : ALBUMS

54. Wash softly against : LAP AT

55. Words after "What a coincidence!" : SO AM I

56. Muppet friend of Elmo : ZOE

59. Italian carmaker : FIAT

63. "Poppycock!" : BOSH. we've probably seen this before but i didn't remember it.

64. Find, as a frequency : TUNE TO

65. Whopper, e.g. : LIE

66. Very dark : INKY

67. It has its ups and downs : SEE-SAW

68. Family guy : DAD

down

1. Poolside structure : CABANA. at the copa.

2. Springtime bloomer : CROCUS

3. Tapering tops : SPIRES. breathtaking spire on the chrysler building.

4. Wore (away) : ATE

5. Fiery emperor? : NERO. if you're interested

6. Clean with effort : SCRUB

7. Fingerprint ridge : WHORL

8. Ambient music pioneer Brian : ENO

9. Parmesan alternative : ROMANO. yum.

10. A minor, for one : CHORD

11. Didn't quite close : LEFT AJAR

12. Childish : IMMATURE

13. Slapstick prop : PIE

18. Film Volkswagen with "53" painted on it : LOVEBUG. 1969 disney film.

23. Singular : ODD

25. Mark on an otherwise perfect record? : ONE B. as opposed to straight a's.

27. Place in the earth : INTER. underground, i suppose.

28. Hot time in France : ETE. french summer.

30. Dawn-dusk link : TIL

34. Like the '80s look, now : RETRO. 

i wear your granddad's clothes

i look incredible

i'm in this big-a@@ coat

from the thrift shop down the road

35. Tabloid subj. : UFO

36. Spa treatment : MUD BATH. popular in calistoga, ca.

37. Aspect of paranoia : DELUSION

38. Person in the know : ONE TO ASK. aka, mom.

39. Therapists' org. : APA. american psychological association.

40. Cultivate : TILL

41. Smidge : TAD

44. Unit of resistance : OHM

45. Official orders : EDICTS

47. Defended, as family honor : UPHELD

48. Brady Bunch girl : MARCIA

49. Fed the fire : STOKED

51. Cartoonist Guisewite or her title character : CATHY

52. Depleted layer : OZONE

53. Blooms for lovers : ROSES

57. "¿Cómo __?" : ESTA

59. Justice Dept. division : FBI

61. Wish one hadn't : RUE

melissa

Tuesday, May 8, 2012 Janice Luttrell

Theme: Cozy Accommodations - Usually in a private residence.

17A. Comfortable indoor setting : ROOM TEMPERATURE

26A. "Wait, I'm not done ..." : "AND ANOTHER THING ..."

43A. Corporate oversight group : BOARD OF TRUSTEES

57. Guesthouse where one would enjoy the starts of the three longest answers : BED AND BREAKFAST

Argyle here. First, fantastic grid spanners and some interesting fill. "Board", in the past, would indicate all meals, not just breakfast. I think you can find B & Bs that do offer meals now.

Unfortunately, many a young couple have bought an old house that they thought would pay for itself by running a bed and breakfast. It's not that easy.

If you ever come to see me, I have a friend with an excellent B & B. Link.

Across:

1. Award sewn on a sash : BADGE. On a Scout sash.

6. Froth in a mug : HEAD

10. Frat party empties : KEGS. These two paired up nicely.

14. Assumed name : ALIAS

15. Italian wine site : ASTI. Map and it isn't the square island, Desper-otto.

16. Hacker's cry of success : "I'M IN!". Computer hacker, unlike the one in 23-Across.

20. Adjust for pitch : TUNE

21. Globetrotting reporter Nellie : BLY. She may have stayed at a bed and breakfast.

22. Struggle : TUSSLE

23. Links "Heads up!" : "FORE!"

25. Out of __: discordant : SYNC

33. Prepare for winter takeoff : DEICE

34. Divisions of history : ERAs

35. Actress Vardalos : NIA. Image. She starred in "My Big Fat Greek Wedding".

36. Serenade accompaniment : LUTE

37. "Need __?": "Hop in!" : A LIFT

39. Pablo Neruda works : ODEs. Chilean poet.

40. Drive up the wall, so to speak : IRK

41. Rental car option : AVIS

42. Flavor enhancer : SPICE

47. Sotto __: softly : VOCE

48. "Ah! Say no more" : "I SEE!"

49. Spiritualist Deepak : CHOPRA. I'm not familiar with him, so I read a little and I will say no more.

52. Agt.'s cut : PCT. (agent/percentage)

53. Forest females : DOEs

60. Persian Gulf prince : EMIR

61. "House" actor Epps : OMAR. Just two episodes left, the series ends on Monday, May 21.

62. Must, informally : GOTTA

63. Ice Follies venue : RINK

64. Virtual people, in a popular game series : SIMS. So far, I've resisted getting sucked into any of the SIMS games. Do we have any players?

65. William Jennings __, three-time presidential candidate : BRYAN. He ran against William McKinley in 1896, Theodore Roosevelt in 1900, and William Howard Taft in 1908.

Down:

1. 10-year-old Simpson : BART. His family is on the Fox network.

2. 2000s Giants manager Felipe : ALOU. He and his brothers are from the Dominican Republic.

3. Pop diva Celine : DION. She is from a large family in Charlemagne, Quebec.

4. Competitive demeanor : GAME FACE

5. Approx. figure : EST. (estimate)

6. "Get thee to a nunnery" speaker : HAMLET

7. Catch a glimpse of : ESPY. At the ESPN awards show, you might espy an ESPY.

8. Broke bread : ATE

9. Epithet never actually used by Cagney : "DIRTY RAT!"

10. Lowbrow trinkets : KITSCH

11. Aussie hatchlings : EMUs

12. Young lady : GIRL

13. Dagger of yore : SNEE

18. Iberian river : EBRO. The origin of the River Ebro’s name and map.

19. Family tree members : AUNTS

24. __-eyed jack : ONE

25. Medieval tenant farmer : SERF

26. Wing it, speechwise : AD LIB

27. Surgical opening? : NEURO

28. "Iron Mike" of football : DITKA

29. Crook's caper : HEIST

30. Non-studio flick : INDIE. Indicates it's from an independent producer.

31. Family tree member : NIECE

32. Neon and xenon, for two : GASES

37. Guacamole makings : AVOCADOS

38. Biographical span : LIFE

39. Selected : OPTED FOR

41. Sew sequins on, say : ADORN

42. Chicago-to-Miami dir. : SSE

44. KOA facility : RV PARK. (Kampgrounds of America, Inc.)

45. Kitchen cutters : RICERS. "Where do the blades go?"

46. Netmen's org. : USTA. United States Tennis Association (but it sure looks Spanish)

49. Trucker's "good buddy" : CB'er

50. Half: Pref. : HEMI

51. Norse god of war : ODIN

52. Bristol baby buggy : PRAM

54. Like some high-fiber cereal : OATY. The NYT crosswords use it but few dictionaries do.

55. Señora's "this" : ESTA

56. Jazzman Getz : STAN

58. ASCAP counterpart : BMI. (Broadcast Music, Inc.)

59. Cold War spy org. : KGB. (something)

Answer grid.

Argyle

Monday, January 16, 2012 Janice Luttrell

Theme: Hang Your Hat Here - Whether you have just a cap, a ten-gallon, or un chapeau, you can find a home for it today.

20A. Dairy food with loose curds : COTTAGE CHEESE

38A. Dip for veggies : RANCH DRESSING

57A. Tenderloin often served with Béarnaise sauce : CHÂTEAUBRIAND

55D. Place to live, one of which starts the three longest puzzle answers : ABODE

Argyle here. Debut(?) puzzle for our constructor today. Three nice long themes and a unifier in a pleasing grid. No complaint from me.

Across:

1. Actress Anderson : LONI. Here is a WKRP clip(1:26) where she is laying it on for a Mr. "Breezy".

5. Like one who limps : LAME. Like Dr. House.

9. Exhausted, with "out" : WIPED. Yes, I had TIRED first. Good fake-out.

14. Sportscaster Hershiser : OREL. And 51D. Los Angeles ballplayer : DODGER. In 1988, he won the Gold Glove, Cy Young Award, the NLCS MVP and the World Series MVP with the Dodgers.

15. Director Kazan : ELIA

16. Biscotti flavoring : ANISE. More food.

17. Sagacious : WISE

18. Computer storage medium : DISC

19. Aquarium fish : GUPPY. Learn more, if you want, here.

23. Pub pint : ALE

24. Buddhist sect : ZEN

25. Many shoppers buy on it : CREDIT

28. Bare minimum : LEAST

30. Jibs and spinnakers : SAILS

33. Often-flowery verse : ODE

34. "Is it soup __?" : YET. Hard to believe but I can't find a video of this Lipton commercial.

36. Letters before an alias : AKA. (also known as)

37. Bed with a mate : TWIN

42. "I've Gotta __": Sammy Davis Jr. hit : BE ME. Recorded by a lot of singers.

43. Fair-hiring inits. : EEO. (Equal Employment Opportunity)

44. "Casablanca" pianist : SAM

45. Honest prez : ABE

46. Idyllic places : EDENS

48. Lukewarm : TEPID

52. Internal Revenue Code expert : TAX PRO

54. Stable diet? : HAY

56. Brian with the album "Music for Airports" : ENO. It's time for Mr. ENO to take a rest.

61. Pandemonium : CHAOS

63. Jackson 5 member : TITO. The third of the ten Jackson children.

64. Glitch : SNAG

65. Songstress Lena : HORNE. She didn't sing "I've got to be me".

66. Gunk : CRUD

67. Remote button : MUTE

68. Broke off, as talks : ENDED

69. Ballyhoo : HYPE

70. Suffix with road or hip : STER. Roadster or Hipster.

Down:

1. Like diet beverages : LOW-CAL. Low-Calorie.

2. Baltimore bird : ORIOLE

3. Lipton rival : NESTEA

4. Abba's "__ the Music Speak" : I LET. Clip.(5:19) One of their last songs.

5. Rocky projection : LEDGE

6. Martians and such : ALIENS

7. Catchall abbr. : MISC.

8. For one : EACH

9. Track transactions : WAGERS

10. Occupied, as a lavatory : IN USE

11. "Put a lid on it!" : "PIPE DOWN!" plus 47D. "Zip your lip!" : "SHUT UP!". Is our constructor a mother? I wonder.

12. Sixth sense, for short : ESP

13. Susan of "L.A. Law" : DEY

21. Ancient Mexican : AZTEC

22. Mercedes-Benz model series : E CLASS. Dennis?

26. Beatnik's "Gotcha" : "I DIG"

27. Finger count : TEN

29. "Auld Lang __" : SYNE

31. Hank with 755 career homers : AARON

32. Tina Turner's ex : IKE

35. Precisely, after "on" : THE DOT

37. Game-stopping call : "TIME!". A few called this weekend, eh?

38. Country singer McEntire : REBA

39. "Don't leave home without it" convenience : AMEX CARD. American Express Card.

40. Poor grade : DEE

41. Mythical man-goat : SATYR

42. Halloween decoration : BAT

46. Rubbed off the board : ERASED

49. Bar snack item : PEANUT

50. Present from birth : INNATE

53. "E.T. __ home" : PHONE

58. Cut with acid : ETCH

59. Breezy : AIRY. For Mr. Breezy, see 1-Across.

60. Doctrines : ISMs

61. Revolutionary Guevara : CHE. Castro's friend.

62. Darlin' : HON'

Answer grid.

Argyle