Tuesday, May 10 2016, Janice Lutrell

Theme: The Other F-word

Dear Monday, I want to break up. I'm seeing Tuesday and dreaming about Friday. Sincerely, It's not me, It's you.

17. "Peanuts" outburst : GOOD GRIEF. Good Friday - the Friday before Easter.

26. Distress call at sea : MAN OVERBOARD. Man Friday. From Wikipedia: "Robinson Crusoe names the man, with whom he cannot at first communicate, Friday because they first meet on that day. The character is the source of the expression "Man Friday", used to describe a male personal assistant or servant, especially one who is particularly competent or loyal."

45. Off-the-cuff comment : CASUAL REMARK. Casual Friday. 

 60. Oil metaphor : BLACK GOLD. Black Friday. The day after Thanksgiving - which has been successfully marketed as "the biggest shopping day of the year."  A tad ironic.

67. Pre-weekend shout ... and a hint to the first word of 17-, 26-, 45- and 60-Across : TGIF. Thank God it's Friday.

Melissa here. A Tuesday-level solve, about Fridays. Some fun words - GOOD GRIEF, ME TIME, DUDE, and WHEE - and a few unknowns thrown in for good measure. 

Across

1. Big celebration : BASH. Who else tried GALA first?

5. __ guy: dependable sort : GO TO

9. Paper size : LEGAL

14. Village People song with arm motions : YMCA

15. Samoan capital : APIA. Unknown to me.

16. Send packing, as a delinquent tenant : EVICT

19. Towel material : TERRY

20. Arg. neighbor : URU. Plugged in a few possibilities before perps set me straight.

21. Fruity soft drinks : ADES

22. Student's organizer : BINDER

23. Self-indulgent period : ME TIME.

25. Grooves from wagon wheels : RUTS. The most prominent ruts along the Oregon Trail were gouged deep into sandstone and preserved inside Oregon Trail Ruts State Historic Site near Guernsey, Wyoming.

32. Where many a lanyard is woven : CAMP

35. Two-handed hammer : SLEDGE. Can you believe it's been nearly 30 years since this video? It won nine MTV Video Music Awards in 1987, the most of any single video.

  
36. __ Claire, Wisconsin : EAU

37. Spectral array : HUES

38. Zig when you should have zagged, say : ERR

39. Dry as the Mojave : ARID

40. Tax-auditing org. : IRS

41. Maritime measure : LEAGUE. Once a unit of length in Europe and Latin America - the distance a person could walk in an hour - it's no longer an official measure.

44. Zippo : NONE

48. Hunter's target : PREY

49. Discuss again and again : REHASH

53. Regular on the slopes : SKI BUM

56. Slope overlooking a loch : BRAE. One of my unknowns. Brae = A hillside, especially along a river.

58. "Who, me?" : MOI

59. Makes less difficult : EASES

62. Those girls, in Spain : ELLAS

63. Word of honor : OATH. This is one of those words that can have opposing meanings, like cleave, which can mean to split apart, or to adhere firmly. An oath can be a solemn promise, or a profane expression. Gotta love the English language. 

64. First chip in a pot : ANTE

65. Rodeo rope : REATA

66. Sledder's cry : WHEE

Down

1. Old-fashioned "How about that!" : BY GUM

2. Love, to Luciano : AMORE

3. Talent finder : SCOUT

4. Consumed : HAD

5. Flower exhibits : GARDENS

6. TV role for Ronny : OPIE. Ron Howard's role in The Andy Griffith Show.

7. Garbage bag closers : TIES

8. Bungler : OAF

9. Beatles title after "Speaking words of wisdom" : LET IT BE

10. Despite that : EVEN SO

11. Encircle with a belt : GIRD

12. Orchard measure : ACRE

13. Space travel dist. : LTYR. Light Year.

18. Explorer Vasco da __ : GAMA

22. Town : BURG

24. Little pranksters : IMPS

25. "The Shining" mantra : REDЯUM. Murder spelled backwards - from Stephen King's novel, The Shining.

 

27. Chicago Fire Mrs. : O'LEARY. The great great granddaughter of Mrs. O'Leary tells the real story.

28. Brink : VERGE

29. Prefix with space : AERO

30. Picnic spoiler : RAIN. Tried ANTS first.

31. "C'mon, bro!" : DUDE

32. Stylish : CHIC

33. Otherworldly radiance : AURA

34. Sticky situation : MESS

39. Pharaoh's cross : ANKH

41. Hall of Fame manager Tony : LARUSSA

42. Grade sch. level : ELEM

43. Common swimmer's ailment : EARACHE

46. In high spirits : UPBEAT

47. Smell really bad : REEK

50. Mixed in with : AMONG

51. Conductor Sir Georg : SOLTI. British conductor, died in 1997 at 84.

52. Part of HDTV, briefly : HI-DEF

53. Visionary : SEER

54. Curly cabbage : KALE

55. Land surrounded by agua : ISLA

56. Boring : BLAH

57. Hourly charge, e.g. : RATE

60. Present decoration : BOW

61. Thug's gun : GAT. Tried ROD first.

Enjoy your Tuesday.

I don't want to build a life and career, where I spent five days a week waiting for the weekend. No!

I want to enjoy my life, and don't wish any weekday away. I want each day to matter to me, in some way, even if it's a small tiny way.― Akilnathan Logeswaran

Tuesday, May 3, 2016 Janice Luttrell

Title: Word Combinations - The first word of the first three long climbers can be placed ahead of the word, FIGURE.

3. Manual transmission : STICK SHIFT. Stick Figure

9. Husband of a fabled storyteller, in an L. Frank Baum title : FATHER GOOSE. Father Figure

24. One on the FBI's "Most Wanted" list : PUBLIC ENEMY. Public Figure

31. Ship's bow decoration ... and, literally, the first word of 3-, 9- and 24-Down : FIGUREHEAD. 3-, 9-, and 24-Down are the FIGURE HEADS.

Argyle here. Neat getting the reveal into the last spot. I had 3-Down and 24-Down filled in and looked for a theme. I thought I had it but thought, "EWW!". They had TICKS and LICE. I was relieved to find there weren't any more, shall we say, nits.

Across:

1. Old West chasers : POSSE

6. Child in the kitchen : CHEF

10. Sleep under the stars, with "out" : CAMP

14. Stage performer : ACTOR

15. Dance often accompanied by a ukulele : HULA

16. Heavenly bear : URSA

17. A Marx brother : CHICO

18. Be the lookout for, say : ABET

19. Angler's gear : REEL

20. Sounds of time : TOCKS. I know where the TICKS are.

21. Pretense : CHARADE

23. Hold on to : KEEP

25. 43-Down alum Cheri : OTERI. "Saturday Night Live" alumna, Cheri Oteri.

 

26. __ of thousands : CAST

28. GM labor group : UAW. (full name: International Union of United Automobile, Aerospace, and Agricultural Implement Workers of America)

30. Seaman's double-breasted jacket : REEFER. This link may be TMI but interesting. LINK



 

 

34. "Excuse me?" : "HUH?"

35. Fit for the task : ABLE

36. Upscale chocolate brand : GODIVA

37. Bush spokesman Fleischer : ARI. White House Press Secretary.

38. Take to the skies : FLY

39. Letters in some email addresses : AOL

40. Ring insert : GEM

41. Spotted cats may be spotted on one : SAFARI. Cool cross with AFRICA.

43. Column-lined walkway : STOA

 

44. Game name often shouted during play : UNO. Kids love this game.

45. Like grams and liters : METRIC

46. Wii forerunner : NES. (Nintendo Entertainment System)

47. __ and crafts : ARTS

48. Immune system component : T-CELL

50. Otherwise : ELSE

52. Miss Teen USA contest, e.g. : PAGEANT

55. Cigar remains : ASHES

58. Proctor's handout : EXAM

59. Like a frittata : EGGY

62. Talk show interviewee : GUEST

63. Height: Pref. : ALTI. (altitude)

64. Glutton's demand : MORE. Was Oliver a glutton then?

65. Use a soapbox : ORATE

66. Some undershirts : TEEs

67. The "Y" in YSL : YVES. (Yves Saint Laurent)

68. Honda Accord, e.g. : SEDAN

Down:

1. Treaty : PACT

2. Tres y cinco : OCHO. 3+5=8 (Cinco de Mayo Thursday)

4. Place for a plug : SOCKET

5. Unevenly notched, as leaf edges : EROSE

6. "__-ching!" : CHA or "KA-ching!

7. Wheel center : HUB

8. Vote into office : ELECT

10. Like a spicy Indian chicken dish : CURRIED

11. Locale : AREA

12. Teacher's graduate deg. : MSED. The Master of Education (M.Ed., Ed.M., M.A.Ed., M.A.E., M.S.Ed., M.S.E., or M.Ed.L.)

13. Lacking color : PALE

22. Colored part of the iris : AREOLA. I'm confused; the iris is the colored part of the eye. I did enjoy searching for an image of an AREOLA though but nothing iris related showed up.

25. What borrowers do : OWE

26. Deep gap : CHASM

27. Surrounding glows : AURAE

29. Prince __ Khan : ALY

32. Blessed __ : EVENT

33. 1990s Philippine president : RAMOS. Fidel V. Ramos, Wiki LINK.

35. Kilimanjaro's locale : AFRICA

39. Wolfed down : ATE

42. Greek goddess of the hunt : ARTEMIS

 

43. NBC sketch series, briefly : SNL

47. Guarantee : ASSURE

49. Statehouse official: Abbr. : LT.GOV. (lieutenant governor)

51. Old Nigerian capital : LAGOS. 1991, the Federal Government was relocated to Abuja. However, Lagos still remains the financial center of the country.

52. __ moss : PEAT

53. Wheelbarrow shaft : AXLE

54. Scandal suffix : GATE

56. This, to a señora : ESTA

57. WWII machine gun : STEN. British tommy gun.

60. LSAT cousin : GRE. (Graduate Record Examination)

61. Word of assent : YES, and a roundabout way of saying I'm done.

 

Argyle

Tuesday, April 12, 2016 Janice Luttrell

Theme: Somebody - Reveal word combined with theme word.

20. "Fine, don't listen to me" : "SUIT YOURSELF". Bodysuit. Google LINK (Gentlemen, please wait until you have read the blog before following that link.)

27. Lobster-steak combo : SURF AND TURF. Bodysurf. CLIP(1:52)

43. Two-rope jumping : DOUBLE DUTCH. Body Double. An actor substituted for a lead performer, especially in distance shots or nude scenes not involving the face.

52. Nonverbal communication ... and what the starts of 20-, 27- and 43-Across can be : BODY LANGUAGE

Argyle here. Janice with a Tuesday treasure.

Across:

1. Gearshift letters : PRNDL. Park, Reverse, Neutral, Drive, Low.

6. Where a baby develops : WOMB

10. Largemouth fish : BASS

14. Pianist Chick with 22 Grammys : COREA. Jazz.

15. Sheltered, at sea : ALEE

16. Johnson of "Laugh-In" : ARTE. I loved his dirty old man. (CLIP)(0:50)

17. Banjo sound : TWANG

18. Org. with many long missions : NASA. (National Aeronautics and Space Administration)

19. Whopper maker? : LIAR

23. Old TV-top receiver : ANTENNA

26. Calms : EASES

31. Prefix with -logue : IDEO

32. "Airplane!" actor Robert : HAYS. So many clips; you choose.

33. "We don't know yet," in a TV schedule : TBA. (To Be Announced)

36. Corner-to-corner line: Abbr. : DIAGonal

37. Accustom (to) : INURE

39. Timely blessing : BOON

40. Some MIT grads : EEs. (electrical engineer)

41. Tabloid twosome : ITEM

42. Lull in a cradle : ROCK

47. Texas landmark : ALAMO

51. Two-man Army helicopters : APACHES. That's a lot of fire power!

 

56. Spirited horse : ARAB

57. Like some dorms : CO-ED

58. PlugIns Scented Oil maker : GLADE

62. Multigenerational tale : SAGA

63. Sharpen : HONE

64. Haunted, say : EERIE

65. Marked, as a ballot : EXed

66. Squeezed (out) : EKE'D

67. Ward off : REPEL

Down:

1. Tipper's 15: Abbr. : PCT. (percent) Pretty low these days.

2. Use oars : ROW

3. Org. promoting hunter safety : NRA. (National Rifle Association of America)

4. Navigational hazard : DENSE FOG

5. Southern California's __ Beach : LAGUNA

 

6. Classified listing : WANT AD

7. Skin care brand with an Active Botanicals line : OLAY

8. Middle: Pref. : MESO

9. Sweetheart : BEAU

10. Lightweight wood : BALSA

11. Ram in the sky : ARIES. (March - April)

12. Like bread made into stuffing, perhaps : STALE

13. Feudal servants : SERFS

21. What a keeper may keep : INN

22. Two-legged zebras? : REFs. (referees)

23. Remark to the audience : ASIDE

24. Film with nakedness : NUDIE and little else.

25. Financial dept. : TREASury

28. Green digit? : THUMB

29. Onetime Egypt-Syria fed. : UAR. (United Arab Republic, 1958 - 1961)

30. Sandwich bread : RYE

33. Place for a crown or cap : TOOTH

34. Lawn bowling game : BOCCE. Basic Rules

35. Pharaohs' crosses : ANKHs

37. Norah Jones' "What Am __ You?" : I TO

38. Modern, in Munich : NEU

39. "Enter the Dragon" martial artist : BRUCE LEE

 

41. Hollywood favorite : IDOL

44. Praised : LAUDED

45. Waste watchers: Abbr. : EPA. (United States Environmental Protection Agency)

46. Cloak's partner : DAGGER

 

47. Put down : ABASE

48. Seuss' environmental advocate : LORAX

 

49. Words of wisdom : ADAGE

50. "Oops, sorry" : "MY BAD"

53. Yearn (for) : ACHE

54. Corner for breakfast : NOOK

55. Trait carrier : GENE

59. Dadaist Jean : ARP

 

60. Yahtzee cube : DIE

61. Slender fish : EEL

 

Argyle

Monday, February 22, 2016 Janice Luttrell

Theme: Magician's Trick - Pulling a coin out of thin air.

1A. Nickel or dime : COIN and 65A. After 1-Across, pregame football ritual, and what's literally found in this puzzle's circles : TOSS

16. "You almost had it" : "CLOSE BUT NO CIGAR"

24. "Mork & Mindy" or "Mike & Molly" : SITUATION COMEDY

42. Event where many dress as Stormtroopers or Klingons : SCI-FI CONVENTION

57. What polar opposites have : NOTHING IN COMMON

Argyle here. The lack of circles shouldn't have barred you from getting this Monday mega-theme filled gem. Four grid spanners! Nice fill. Great way to start the week.

Across:

5. Zenith : ACME

9. Toboggan, e.g. : SLED

13. Fairy tale villain : OGRE and 2D. Look at wolfishly : OGLE. If ogled by an ogre, RUN.

14. Visitor from space : ALIEN

15. Soft drink nut : KOLA

19. 2016 Hall of Fame inductee __ Griffey Jr. : KEN. For those that didn't get enough baseball Sunday.

20. Weighty books : TOMES

21. Curved fastener : U-BOLT

22. Flabbergast : STUN

23. UPC-like product ID : SKU. (stock keeping unit)

32. Beef cut : LOIN

33. Reason for a cold sweat : FEAR

34. GI chow : MRE. (Meal, Ready-to-Eat)

35. Writing fluids : INKS

36. Parking __ : METER

38. Gaucho's weapon : BOLA

39. Dental suffix with Water : PIK. WATERPIK is a brand of water flosser. I'm not thrilled with PIK clued as a dental suffix.

40. Slim racetrack margin : NOSE. N.Y. Daily News picture of yesterday's Daytona 500 finish.

41. Slightly open : AJAR

47. Question : ASK

48. Grandson of Eve : ENOS

49. Malice : SPITE

52. Sans serif font : ARIAL.  not ARIAL

54. Hawaiian tuna : AHI

60. Tiny pasta used in soup : ORZO

61. Washington's __ Sound : PUGET. The near-by San Juan Islands.

62. "Agreed!" : "AMEN!"

63. Smile ear to ear : BEAM

64. Enjoy a novel : READ

Down:

1. Tilt to the side, as one's head : COCK

3. Small laundry room appliance : IRON

4. Nintendo's Super __ : NES. (Nintendo Entertainment System)

5. Homecoming attendees : ALUMNI

6. Refer to in a footnote : CITE

7. Clothing store department : MENS

8. Music producer Brian : ENO

9. Slopes fanatic : SKI BUM

10. Letterhead emblem : LOGO

11. Israeli airline : EL AL

12. Missile in a pub game : DART

14. Regarding : ABOUT

17. Singer James : ETTA. Just a taste; a little sip...of Etta James.

18. "My Fair Lady" director George : CUKOR

22. The "Star Wars" planet Tatooine orbits two of them : SUNS

23. Lasting mark : SCAR

24. Mishaps : SLIPS

25. Greek column style : IONIC

26. Kipling mongoose Rikki-__-Tavi : TIKKI. A short story in The Jungle Book.

27. Many times : OFTEN

28. Bridal bio word : NÉE

29. Texting icon : EMOJI

30. 1964 Tony Randall title role : DR. LAO

31. Thirst (for) : YEARN

36. Lampoon : MOCK

37. Spanish "that" : ESO

38. Array on a dugout rack : BATS

40. Japanese-American : NISEI

43. Get to the bottom of : FATHOM. The meaning "take soundings" is from c.1600; its figurative sense of "get to the bottom of, understand" is 1620s.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

44. Marked with streaks, as cheese : VEINED

45. Put into law : ENACT

46. __ contendere: court plea : NOLO. "I do not wish to contend"

49. Stuffed shirt : SNOB

50. Peruse, with "over" : PORE

51. Chichén __: Mayan ruins : ITZA

52. Fever and chills : AGUE

53. Capital of Latvia : RIGA

54. Bullets and such : AMMO

55. Soil-shaping tools : HOEs

56. Wayside lodgings : INNs

58. "Talk of the Nation" airer : NPR. (National Public Radio)

59. Yoga class need : MAT

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

Ray Hedrick (Rainman) and I made today's Wall Street Journal crossword. You can click here to print out the PDF file. Congratulations on your debut, Ray. Thanks for the theme, the inspiration and fun.

Monday, February 1, 2016 Janice Luttrell

 

Theme: Where the little piggy went - The first theme word can come after market.

20A. *Football player using a tee : PLACE KICKER. Marketplace.

11D. *Split the taxi fare : SHARE A CAB. Market share

35D. *Travel website pitched by William Shatner : PRICELINE. Market price

59A. Secondary business venue, as for auto accessories ... and, literally, where the starts of the answers to starred clues can go : AFTERMARKET

White Rabbit, White Rabbit! Argyle here. My market day is Tuesday. Today is pretty straight forward; no tricks or puns. One or two nuts to crack but that's it. Janice is an early week regular.

Across:

1. Get cheeky with : SASS

5. __ and whistles: enhancements : BELLS

10. Vile Nile snakes : ASPs. Cute rhyme.

14. Harbinger : OMEN

15. Chinese or Japanese : ASIAN

16. Great, in '90s slang : PHAT

17. Salon request for prom night : UPDO

 

18. "Abandon all hope, ye who enter here!" poet : DANTE

19. When doubled, American Samoa's capital : PAGO PAGO

 

23. GOP member : REP. (Republican)

24. Woman of la casa : SENORA

25. Wipe clean : ERASE

27. __ Dakota : NORTH

30. Moves furtively : SNEAKS

33. Kitten-lifting spot : NAPE

36. Not worth discussing : MOOT

38. Director DeMille : CECIL. Cecil B. DeMille, the B stood for Blount, his paternal grandmother's middle name.

39. Ventilate : AIR

40. Decorate, as with parsley : GARNISH

42. In the style of : À LA

43. French good-bye : ADIEU

45. It's prohibited : NO NO

46. Rap fan : B-BOY. We had this last month. Here

47. Hummingbird's diet : NECTAR

49. Get more mileage out of : REUSE

51. House overhangs : EAVES

53. Some car deals : LEASES

57. T-shirt sizes, for short : SML. Same answer if it was size?

62. Mini-exam : QUIZ

64. Ancient region of present-day Turkey : IONIA. It was ANATOLIA on the 23rd.

65. Racer Yarborough : CALE

 

66. Speeder's payment : FINE. I'll bet Cale paid a few.

67. Lovers' meeting : TRYST

68. Sch. near the Rio Grande : UTEP. (University of Texas at El Paso)

69. Fir or ash : TREE

70. Enjoy a cigar : SMOKE

71. Places to sleep : BEDS. But don't smoke in bed.

Down:

1. "__ on!": "Dinner!" : SOUP'S

2. More than sufficient : AMPLE. Like my stomach.

3. Family car : SEDAN

4. Ice-cream truck treat : SNO-CONE

5. Consequence of selfish acts, some say : BAD KARMA

6. Actor Morales : ESAI

7. "The Mod Squad" role : LINC. Portrayed by Clarence Williams III on TV; Omar Epps in the movie.

8. Hanukkah pancake : LATKE

 

9. Scornful looks : SNEERS

10. Smartphone download : APP

12. Numbered book part : PAGE

13. Call it a day : STOP

21. Suffix with 22-Down : ERO. Ranchero is the Spanish term for a person working on a ranch.

22. Cowboy's home : RANCH

                Milly's huevos rancheros

26. Witness : SEE

28. Pulled in different directions : TORN

29. Hold in high respect : HONOR

31. Narc's discovery : KILO. Because drugs have gone metric.

32. Do in, as a vampire : SLAY

33. Tandoori flatbread : NAAN

34. White House worker : AIDE

37. Fork feature : TINE

40. Tropical fruit : GUAVA. There are several species but roughly apple sized.

41. Love of one's life : SOULMATE

44. Pilot's prediction: Abbr. : ETA

46. Grizzly youngster : BEARCUB

48. Gets new supplies for : REFITS

50. Salty expanse : SEA

52. Tempest : STORM

54. Slide on ice : SKATE

55. Sought morays : EELED. Morays are eels.

56. Arthur Murray moves : STEPS

57. Floor plan meas. : SQFT. (square feet)

58. Sierra Club founder John : MUIR

60. Greek war goddess : ENYO. Warrior companion of Ares.

61. Take a chance on : RISK

63. New York's Tappan __ Bridge : ZEE

 

 

Argyle

Monday, January 4, 2016 Janice Luttrell

Theme: Lefty - Can you guess my title?

20A. Canadian flag symbol : MAPLE LEAF. Loose leaf notebook.

52A. Final details to take care of ... and, literally, what the last words of 20-Across and 10- and 29-Down can be : LOOSE ENDS

10D. Preface to Bush Sr.'s "no new taxes" promise : "READ MY LIPS". Loose Lips Sink Ships.

29D. "America's Got Talent" host since 2009 : NICK CANNON. An irresponsible person is a loose cannon. Phrase Finder

Argyle here. Your basic Monday; a nice pin wheel without the pin.

Across:

1. Hockey disk : PUCK

5. Blows, as one's lines : FLUBS

10. Belmont Stakes, e.g. : RACE. The Belmont Stakes is the third and final leg of the triple crown of horse racing.

14. Workplace protection org. : OSHA. (Occupational Safety and Health Administration)

15. Parts in a play : ROLES

16. British prep school : ETON

17. Arab League prince : EMIR

18. Deed holder : OWNER

19. Weaponry : ARMS

22. "Farewell, mon ami!" : "ADIEU!"

23. "Put a __ on it!" : LID

24. Prevailing weather : CLIMATE

26. After-dinner brandy : COGNAC 49D. Straight up, cocktailwise : NO ICE

30. Every 24 hours : DAILY

31. "Hold Me" Grammy winner K.T. : OSLIN

32. Rap sheet abbr. : AKA. (Also Known As)

33. Speech therapy subject : LISP

37. Actor Baldwin : ALEC

38. Advertising handout : FLIER

40. Wedding vows : I DOs

41. Honky-__ : TONK

42. Rowboat need : OAR

43. High-80s grade : B-PLUS

44. Like mountain roads : CURVY

46. Mojave or Gobi : DESERT

47. Two-deck rummy variety : CANASTA

50. Dylan or Dole : BOB

51. Hotelier Helmsley : LEONA

58. The Emerald Isle : ERIN

59. Heavenly food : MANNA

60. Injured, as a muscle : TORE

61. Wealthy, in Juárez : RICO. Spanish.

62. In the midst of : AMONG

63. Unexpected problem : SNAG

64. Sharp-edged : KEEN

65. Shopping binge : SPREE

66. Tranquil discipline : YOGA. 84 classic asanas.

Down:

1. Sonnet or haiku : POEM

2. West Point initials : USMA. (United States Military Academy) Remember we recently learned there is a U.S. Mint at West Point.

3. Poker player's token : CHIP

4. Hoopster Malone : KARL. "The Mailman" played 18 seasons (1985–2003) with the Utah Jazz.

5. Play friskily : FROLIC

6. Mooed : LOWED. Down in the lea.

7. Elbow-to-wrist bone : ULNA

8. Sexy photos in women's mags : BEEFCAKE. And brains, too.

9. Ukr. or Estonia, during the Cold War : SSR. (Soviet Socialist Republic)

11. Open-air courts : ATRIA

12. Halley's __ : COMET

13. Occur as a result : ENSUE

21. Stylish vigor : ELAN

22. Have a bug : AIL

25. Unreliable witness : LIAR

26. Winter wear : COAT

27. Capital on a fjord : OSLO

28. Secluded valley : GLEN

30. Eggs and butter market section : DAIRY. At the back of the store.

34. Sit at a four-way stop, say : IDLE

35. Sweet's opposite : SOUR. Sometimes together.

36. Furtive "Hey!" : "PSST!"

38. __ Knox : FORT

39. Psychedelic light source : LAVA LAMP. 30 minutes.

43. Emmy winner Neuwirth : BEBE. Lilith Sternin, on Cheers and Frasier.

45. Land between Can. and Mex. : USA

46. Prescription amount : DOSAGE

47. Supermarket staffer : CLERK

48. Eagle's nest : AERIE

50. Good, in France : BONNE

53. "Want the light __ off?" : ON OR

54. Crafts website : ETSY

55. Taboo : NO-NO

56. Really dull time : DRAG

57. Arcade giant : SEGA

59. Pas' mates : MAs

"Righty Tighty, Lefty Loosey"

Argyle

Tuesday, November 10 2015, Janice Luttrell

 Theme Care to Dance?

 58. *Guffaw from the gut : BELLY LAUGH. Belly Dance.

 

 17. *One of three in a daily diet : SQUARE MEAL. Square Dance.

24. *A roll of two, in craps : SNAKE EYES. Snake Dance.

48. *Opening night "Best of luck!" : BREAK A LEG. Break Dance.

 
35. Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, e.g., and, literally, what the first words of the answers to starred clues can be : DANCE PARTNERS

Melissa here. This was smooooth as a soft-shoe dance for me, with only a few question marks that filled in easily with perps. Fun dancing theme, with a center reveal.


Across
 
1. __ Khan: Rita Hayworth's husband : ALY. Right off the bat, no clue. I feel like I should have known Prince Aly Kahn's story.

4. Composure : APLOMB

10. Turkish title of honor : AGHA

14. Life story, briefly : BIO

15. Cigar-smoking George's spouse : GRACIE

16. Swag : LOOT

19. Former Mississippi senator Trent : LOTT

20. Where sailors go : OUT TO SEA

21. Like a disengaged engine : IN IDLE

23. Plant anchor : ROOT. Aerial roots of a curtain fig tree in Australia. 

26. Bring up, as a topic : BROACH

29. Grant permission : LET

30. "Dig in" : EAT

31. Glacial historic period : ICE AGE

34. The Macarena, pet rocks, etc. : FADS

39. One, to Beethoven : EINS. German.

40. Regular practice : RITUAL

41. Quagmire : BOG

42. Fed. assistance program : SSI

44. Key related to D major : B MINOR

52. Pear center : CORE

53. __ powder : TALCUM

54. Unevenly balanced : LOPSIDED

57. Confident "Are you the one for this job?" response : I'M IT

60. Copenhagen native : DANE

61. Abode that's abuzz : APIARY. Tried beehive first - one too many letters.

62. Hawaii's Mauna __ : LOA

63. Those, to José : ESAS

64. Shorthand pros : STENOS

65. Sinusitis-treating MD : ENT

Down

1. Soak up : ABSORB

2. Bar bottle contents : LIQUOR

3. "I'm not the only one?" : YOU, TOO?

4. Farming prefix : AGRO

5. Air Force One VIP : PRES

6. Metal-threaded fabrics : LAMÉS

7. Atlantic or Pacific : OCEAN

8. Soccer star Hamm : MIA

9. Resemble : BE LIKE

10. TV's "Kate & __" : ALLIE

11. Name on a blimp : GOODYEAR

12. Detective's promising clues : HOT LEADS

13. Swears to : ATTESTS

18. Reaches : ATTAINS

22. Trawling gear : NET

25. Red flag : ALERT

27. 300, to Caesar : CCC

28. "__ Haw" : HEE

32. March follower : APRIL

33. Moo goo __ pan : GAI

34. Woman's name from the Latin for "happy" : FELICIA. Felicity didn't fit.

35. Scenes in shoeboxes : DIORAMAS

36. Actress Jolie : ANGELINA

37. Place for a bath : TUB. Yes, please.

38. '60s war zone, briefly : NAM

39. Drop in the sea : EBB TIDE

42. Product identifier similar to UPC : SKU

43. Ballroom dances : SAMBAS. More dancing. Kizomba evolved from Caribbean  zouk, African semba, and Brazilian samba.

45. Little lump : NODULE

46. West Coast state : OREGON

47. Cardinal's headgear : RED HAT

49. Entr'__: play intervals : ACTES

50. "Dallas" Miss : ELLIE

51. __ Heights: disputed Mideast region : GOLAN. Look.

55. Fire: Pref. : PYRO

56. Stone and Stallone : SLYS

59. Able, facetiously : EPT

Melissa