Thursday, December 8th 2016 Jerry Edelstein

Theme: Waxing and Waning - as the reveal neatly explains.

18A. "Next subject" : MOVING ON

22A. Historic Potomac estate : MOUNT VERNON. The cupola is to help ventilate the attic, apparently.

38A. With 40-Across, NPR broadcast since 1979 : MORNING

40A. See 38-Across : EDITION. Clever way to span the grid without having 15 letters to do it with. Will irritate cross-reference dislikers, but I thought it was neat.

49A. "Life of Brian" comedy group : MONTY PYTHON. Quite a few Brit references in the puzzle today. Before satellite TV was common, Michael Palin paid to install a dish at the local pub here in Studio City so he could watch the English soccer over a beer or two. Nice chap.

and the reveal:


61A. First or last quarter ... and, literally, what can be found on either end of 18-, 22-, 38-/40- and 49-Across : HALF MOON . Here's the lovely Half Moon Bay near San Francisco: It waxes and wanes with the tides.

Nice theme from Jerry and a good-looking grid with some solid blocks in the NW and SE. Let's see what else we've got:

Across:

1. Throws the first pitch : STARTS

7. Find fault : CARP

11. Bygone Ford : LTD

14. They may be hard : CIDERS. The first alcohol we started drinking as teens. The sweet varieties would give you a headache. The dry ones were better. They both got you looking sideways.

15. Tavern : ALEHOUSE

17. Hunt's TV co-star : REISER. Helen and Paul in "Mad About You". Funny show.

19. Made dinner at home : ATE IN. Something I'm quite partial to. I love spending a couple of hours in the kitchen.

20. "Sold!" : DEAL!

21. CIA predecessor : OSS. Office of *ahem* Strategic Services.

25. Son-gun connection : OF A

26. __ land: disputed territory : NO MAN'S

31. Rueful word : ALAS

35. Quick snack : NOSH.

37. Simple home : TEPEE

42. Word with box or light : IDIOT. I had an idiot light in my old Jaguar to alert me to the fact that the gas tank was close to empty. It didn't mean a great deal as the gauge didn't work at all, so the light was always on. I used to fill the tank when the trip-meter ticked over the 200 mile mark. I averaged around 8MPG. That's one big carbon hoof-print.

43. Levelheaded : SANE

45. Timer drizzler : SAND

46. Mussel habitat : SEABED. We used to pull them off the pier supports when I was a kid. No sand.

48. Uno plus due : TRE

56. Plant studied by Mendel : PEA.

59. With 41-Down, tries for a long pass, in football lingo : GOES

60. Odor : AROMA. Morning coffee! Yay! My morning soundtrack is the coffee grinder setting me up for the day. Peet's Coffee, Major Dickerson's Roast. Whole Bean.

63. Action scenes : CHASES

64. Get-out-of-jail card? : BAIL BOND. I'd love to claim that I've never needed one of these. Youthful indiscretions, and all that.

65. Museum guide : DOCENT

66. 32-Down contents : ORE

67. Fruity coolers : ADES

68. "Nothing to it!" : SO EASY!

Down:

1. Make a run for it : SCRAM!

2. Connect with : TIE TO

3. Parting mot : ADIEU. En Paris.

4. Lacquer ingredient : RESIN

5. Former Senator Lott : TRENT

6. Lat. or Lith., once : S.S.R. Latvia and Lithuania were Soviet Socialist Republics. Seems a long time ago now.

7. Traffic enforcement devices : CAMERAS. I got nailed for a "California Roll" leaving Malibu Canyon State Park and not coming to a complete halt at the stop sign. I paid for an hour or three of the cost of keeping the park open, which was ironic as I wasn't actually allowed to stay there - the place had been booked out by a movie shoot. I wish they'd posted that at the entrance where I put my $5 in the honesty box before being asked to leave.

8. Take out __ : A LOAN

9. Love Is On makeup maker : REVLON. Thank you, crosses.

10. Upsilon follower : PHI

11. Hauls : LUGS

12. Menu possessive linked to the Qing dynasty : TSO'S. The General's famous chicken.

13. Place in the woods : DEN

16. Tokyo-born artist : ONO

20. Gets the mist off : DE-FOGS

23. World Cup skiing champ Lindsey : VONN. I'd have liked to show a shot of her skiing, but after scrolling down about 300 pictures of her in a swimsuit, I gave up. Great (skiing) talent.

24. "Moi?!" : NOT I!

27. Citi Field squad : METS

28. Polynesian capital : APIA. Nailed it!

29. Bright sign : NEON

30. Text command : SEND

31. "Time's Arrow" author : AMIS. English novelist Martin. The story runs backwards in time - it seems common now, but was very unusual when I first read the book.

32. 66-Across source : LODE. The discovery of the Comstock Lode in Nevada in 1858 precipitated large-scale silver mining across the US. I read once that the miners were looking for salt, but found something a little more shiny.

33. Covent Garden solo : ARIA. London's opera house. I used to drive a truck part-time to pick up produce from the old fruit and vegetable market right across the street. The market buildings are still there, but the stores are all craft and trinket shops now.

34. Pretentious sort : SNOB

36. Eight British kings : HENRYS. "I'm 'enery the eighf I am, 'enery the eighf I am I am, I got married to the widder next door ....."

39. Agenda listing : ITEM

41. See 59-Across : DEEP

44. Shows up : ATTENDS

47. Give to charity, say : DO GOOD

50. Peter of Herman's Hermits : NOONE. Another Brit. He clapped a lot. Coincidentally, Herman's Hermits recorded the "I'm Henry" ditty above.

51. Webmail option : YAHOO

52. Copy exactly : TRACE

53. Old Testament prophet : HOSEA

54. Future foretellers : OMENS

55. Really bad : NASTY

56. Carson forerunner : PAAR. Jack before Johnny on "The Tonight Show".

57. Nobelist Wiesel : ELIE

58. Duck mascot company, on the NYSE : AFL

61. Starz rival : HBO

62. Kellogg School deg. : M.B.A. At Northwestern U.

63. Some retirement acct. holdings : CDS. Certificates of Deposit. I always thought these kinds of abbreviations should be rendered as "CsD" for example, but no-one agrees with me.

Just time to tack on the grid and that should do it for me today.

Steve

Note from C.C.:

Happy birthday to our cool Jazzbumpa (Ron), who's taking December off from blogging to focus on his rehearsals and other activities. Hope you don't mind, Ron, I snipped this picture from your Facebook. It's taken by one of his friends. Ron often posts sweet pictures about his family on Facebook, so does our Steve. Wish you could see his Mexico beach & swim-up bar pictures.

Monday, August 29, 2016 Jerry Edelstein

Theme: Monday? - A single word can be added to the front of five other non-related words.

63A. United stand ... and what the first part of the answers to starred clues literally can have: COMMON FRONT

17A. *Cost of shares on the exchange: MARKET PRICE. Common Market.

41A. *U.S./USSR conflict: COLD WAR. Common Cold.

11D. *Element in an executive compensation package: STOCK OPTION. Common Stock.

25D. *Drive to do the responsible thing: SENSE OF DUTY. Common Sense.

27D. *"So long": "GOOD DAY". Common Good.

Argyle here. It may just be me but I felt this was meant to be later in the week.

Across:

1. Illusions in a stage act, collectively: MAGIC

6. Muslim leaders: IMAMs

11. Place for a massage: SPA

14. Twist: GNARL

15. French Revolution radical: MARAT. Jean-Paul Marat.

16. Put a strain on: TAX

19. Tip jar denomination: ONE

20. Miffed: SORE

21. Gizmos: DEVICES

23. __ buco: veal dish: OSSO

26. Director Lee: ANG

28. Student's workplace: DESK

29. Guttural "Psst!": "AHEM!"

30. Wedding vows: I DO's

32. Condemn: DOOM

34. Most rational: SANEST

36. Nobel Peace Prize city: OSLO

38. Jack-in-the-box sound: [POP!]

40. Drips in the ICU: IVS. (Intravenous)

43. Give it a go: TRY

44. Witness: SEE

45. Yankee slugger, to fans: A-ROD

46. Area of expertise: MÉTIER. French

48. Sound from Leo: ROAR

50. Twist, as water-damaged floorboards: WARP

52. Sharpen: HONE

53. World Cup soccer org.: FIFA. (Fédération Internationale de Football Association)

55. "__-hoo!": YOO

56. 1946 N.L. RBI leader Slaughter: ENOS

57. Part of a chess match when most of the pieces are off the board: END GAME

60. "__ the mornin'!": TOP O'

62. Sch. run by Mormons: BYU. (Brigham Young University)

68. Track transaction: BET

69. Wabbit-hunting Fudd: ELMER

70. Fragrant wood: CEDAR

71. Pig's home: STY

72. Officials who have their faculties: DEANs. Cute.

73. Hit hard, biblically: SMOTE

Down:

1. Leo is its logo: MGM

2. California's Santa __ River: ANA

3. Long-jawed fish: GAR

4. Annoying: IRKSOME

5. Egyptian queen, familiarly: CLEO. (Cleopatra VII Philopator)

6. Loom on the horizon: IMPEND

7. St. Patrick's mo.: MARch

8. Very dry: ARID

9. Sprayed in defense: MACED

10. Longshoreman: STEVEDORE

12. Window glass: PANE

13. Lumberjacks' tools: AXES

18. Double agent: TRAITOR

22. Prefix with metric and bar: ISO

23. Desert retreat: OASIS

24. Norelco product: SHAVER

31. U-turn from NNE: SSW

33. Rita with an Oscar, Emmy, Tony and Grammy: MORENO. West Side Story's  Anita.

35. Like Al Capone: SCARFACED

37. Ridicule satirically: LAMPOON

39. Combustible funeral piles: PYREs

42. Under a quarter-tank, say: LOW

47. Geometry proposition: THEOREM

49. Bailed-out insurance co.: AIG. (American International Group, Inc)

51. Copter blades: ROTORS

54. Whac-__: arcade game: A-MOLE

57. Diminishes: EBBS

58. Russian denial: "NYET!"

59. Actress Stone of "Birdman": EMMA

61. Low-ranking GIs: PFCs. (Private first class)

64. Guys: MEN

65. Prefix with meter: ODO

66. __ King Cole: NAT

67. Italian three: TRE

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

I hope you can click here and sign the petition calling for price reduction for EpiPens, which have surged to $600/pack without any justification. The CEO's salary rose over 600% since 2007, when Mylan bought EpiPen.

Wednesday, May 18, 2016 Jerry Eldstein

Title: NOR ANY DROP TO DRINK

Husker Gary on board, blogging Jerry's wonderful Wednesday-level puzzle that combines a famous line from Coleridge's poem of the ill-fated, albatross-slaying sailor and eight, count 'em, eight phrases that can be formed when WATER precedes both words of two word theme fills. WATER, WATER everywhere indeed! Very impressive to this land lubber!

THEME FILL (where I freely admit there are alternate interpretations):

26. Oil conduit : PIPELINE - One of which, runs from Prudhoe Bay to Valdez in Alaska or

WATER PIPE - A conveyance for a buzz

or

WATER LINE  - What has been receding behind Lake Mead during the SW drought

31. Electricity source : POWER PLANT - What is inside Hoover Dam that uses the waters of Lake Mead or

WATER POWER - a rough idea of what happens inside Hoover Dam

or WATER PLANT - A facility that makes your water potable

42. Reaganomics term : SUPPLY SIDE - Economic system where government gets less money and private enterprise gets to keep more or

WATER SUPPLY - What can be threatened when these run too much in dry years

or WATER SIDE - A great San Antonio location

47. Primary entrance : MAIN GATE - A Disney Park front door or

WATER MAIN - They can be spectacular when they break

or WATERGATE - Enough said!

The fabulous THEME REVEAL:

17. With 59-Across, words from a fictional mariner ... and a hint to both parts of 26-, 31-, 42- and 47-Across : WATER WATER and 59. See 17-Across : EVERYWHERE. 

Now let's sail on to see what else Jerry has cast upon our crossword waters:

Across

1. Pricey : STEEP - Who ever thought water would cost more per gallon than gas?

6. Place for a chicken : COOP

10. Herring prized for its roe : SHAD

14. Use a lectern : ORATE - You'd better have a sandwich, el presidente is gonna be a while!

15. A fan of : INTO

16. Tortilla snack : TACO

19. Any minute now, to a bard : ANON

20. Tampa-to-Jacksonville dir. : NNE - It's 198.4 miles

21. Frosty coat : HOAR - A HOARY engraving from our poem du jour of the crew and that bird

22. Fern-to-be : SPORE

23. Criticize sneakily : SNIPE - Here it is usually to criticize as an ANON

28. Chef's tool : SPATULA

30. Fire, or fire-fighting tool : AXE - Or Gene Simmons' bass

34. Astronaut Grissom : GUS - He almost drowned on the second Mercury mission

37. Incriminate with false evidence : FRAME - Did OJ ever find the real killer?

38. __-Locka, Florida : OPA - Originally Opa-tisha-wocka-locka

39. Emaciated : GAUNT

41. Messy spot : STY

44. __ Kan: Alpo rival : KAL

46. Fit as a fiddle and tough as nails : SIMILES - The one about me ends ...as a rock

52. Exams for would-be attys. : LSATS

53. Shore eagles : ERNES - Our old cwd friend and a surprise prey

54. Object of worship : IDOL

56. Dick's wife, twice : LIZ - Liz Taylor was Mrs. Richard Burton twice

58. __-Seltzer : ALKA

62. Safe document : DEED

63. Left : GONE

64. Conundrum : POSER 

65. They may be split or tight : ENDS - Pretty easy to discern

66. __ buco: veal dish : OSSO

67. Make a mess of : MISDO - Okay


Down

1. Seeded : SOWN - Some consider the SOWER atop Nebraska's capital buliding to be, uh, controversial when its image is transferred to our sesquicentennial license plate

2. Convey : TRANSPORT

3. Completely eroded : EATEN AWAY 

4. Nice season? : ETE - Je n'étais pas dupe! (I was not fooled!)

5. Part of 60-Down : PER - My sister typed over 100 words PER minute 50 yrs ago. I once got half that.

6. "Ta-ta" : CIAO

7. Coming up next : ON TAP

8. Ferrell's "SNL" cheerleading partner : O'TERI

9. __ favor: Pedro's "please" : POR

10. Paper clip alternative : STAPLE 

11. Onetime capital of French Indochina : HANOI

12. Oak nut : ACORN - "Gee! Ahma tree!", exclaimed the mathmatically mature ACORN.

13. Charity, say : DONEE - I would think the DONEE receives the charity

18. Puppy : WHELP - Dura-WHELP makes a box for them

22. Masters and Johnson subject : SEX - Their research revealed sexual intimacy could last well beyond 70. Could, mind you!

24. Agenda line : ITEM

25. Partner of simple : PURE - 70-year-old Dolly has launched her 2016, 60-city PURE And SIMPLE Tour 

27. First lady after Lady Bird : PAT

28. Suntan lotion numbers, briefly : SPFS

29. Baseball's Matty or Felipe : ALOU

32. Droid download : APP

33. Snoozes : NAPS

34. Free from blame : GUILTLESS from  35. Not wanted : UNDESIRED calories?

36. Fr. holy women : STES

39. Places with rings and horses : GYMS - In Lego Land

40. Massive land mass : ASIA

42. Gp. that kidnapped Patty Hearst : SLA

43. Big name in pharmaceuticals : LILLY - And for our kitty (one L please)

44. Works on, as dough : KNEADS

45. Top prosecutors: Abbr. : AGS - Attorneys General

47. Maryland's Fort __ : MEADE - Named for the the Union Commander at Gettysburg

48. "Over the Rainbow" composer Harold : ARLEN - Some MGM execs wanted it cut from the movie because they thought it slowed down the pace

49. Signed in pen : INKED

50. DVR devices : TIVOS

51. Blissful places : EDENS

55. Treat often split : OREO - Found nestled among these most common cwd answers

57. Nothing : ZERO

59. __ trip : EGO

60. Typing meas. : WPM

61. __ polloi : HOI - Ah, ya gotta love the classics!

Wisdom, wisdom everywhere and plenty for us to read. Let those unfiltered comments rip!

The Grid

Thursday, March 17th, 2016 Jerry Edelstein

Theme: "Rooting around"

36A. Patrick Creadon documentary about SpongeBob ... and what's found in this puzzle's circles : SQUARE ROOTS

Happy St. Patrick's Day, everyone! Don't drink green beer! (the Irish don't). However, they would enjoy this little ditty from the Dropkick Murphys.

Four sets of circles show four ROOTs with nice symmetry - the "R" occupies the NW, NE, SE, SW in turn. The reveal was fun, I'd not heard of the book but it filled itself in quite nicely.

A friend of mine is the voice of Squidward in the series. It became apparent how successful it was becoming when he bought a Corvette.

Right then - let's see what else we've got of note.

Across:

1. Family nickname : MAMA

5. Religion with Five Pillars : ISLAM. Faith, Prayer, Fasting, Charity and making the pilgrimage to Mecca.

10. NCO rank : MSGT. SSGT went in first. This one is Master Sergeant.

14. Word with man or horse : IRON. Iron horse is now an almost-archaic term for a steam locomotive. It's also a great winery in Sonoma, much more up my alley.

15. Black Panthers co-founder : SEALE. Unknown to me. Crosses bailed me out.

16. Gillette product : ATRA

17. Stub __ : A TOE

18. Strains : TAXES. Taxes strain my feelings of goodwill towards the IRS.

19. Go fast : ZOOM

20. Concerning : INRE. I learned this from reading Hunter S. Thompson's "Gonzo Letters" books.

22. Postgame postmortem : RECAP

24. Baby seal : PUP

25. Oahu resident, for example : ISLANDER. I tried HAWAIIAN first. Saw the error of my ways eventually.

27. Wake : ROUSE

29. AAA suggestion : RTE.

30. Source of a nutritious oil : COD. Cod liver, particularly

31. Sorted homogeneously : GROUPED

33. Rearward : ASTERN

35. Dirty money : GRIFT. Tried GRAFT. Changed it.

39. "¿Cómo está __?" : USTED

40. Emergency room concern : TRAUMA

43. Supposed : REPUTED

46. What -ess may denote: Abbr. : FEM. Feminine. Some PC-types get affronted by actress, heiress and the like. Me, not so much,

47. Spoiled : BAD

48. Licorice-flavored seed : ANISE

49. Animals that fight by necking : GIRAFFES

51. V x CCXXI : MCV. Roman math. Computers would never have been able to cope.

52. Bemused states : DAZES

55. Mineo and Maglie : SALS. Mineo I knew. Maglie, not so much.I discover he was a baseball pitcher in the '40s and '50s. C.C. would have known this.

56. It may be caught in the flue : SOOT

58. 2014 Olympics city : SOCHI. The hotels were all falling to pieces before they'd even been built. I wonder what the place looks like now?

60. Carry : TOTE

62. Uffizi hangings : ARTE

63. Where to find a full house : POKER

64. Past its prime : WORN

65. Rural agreement : YES'M

66. Long-legged wader : STORK

67. Yank who missed the 2014 season : A-ROD. Not voluntarily, I might add.

Down:

1. Hamm with a kick : MIA. US Women's National Team legendary soccer player

2. Recording pros : ARTISTS

3. Saturn ring components : MOONLETS

4. End of __ : AN ERA

5. Real end : IST

6. Scorched : SEARED

7. More lenient : LAXER. I think I'd say "more lax" than "laxer". Seems more proper.

8. Knighted Guinness : ALEC. Obi-Wan Kenobi portrayer in Star Wars, amongst other great roles.

9. Plateau cousin : MESA

10. 1960 Pirate World Series hero, familiarly : MAZ. Bill Mazeroski hit the series-winning home run against the Yankees in the ninth inning of Game 7. Impressive stuff. People still gather at the site of the old stadium (the campus of the University of Pittsburgh) on the anniversary of the game, and listen to a recording of the play-by-play.

11. Clog : STOP UP

12. Complain : GROUSE

13. Packed tightly : TAMPED

21. Covered with a hard coating : ENCRUSTED

23. Projected financial statements : PRO FORMAS

25. Author Levin : IRA

26. Give : DONATE

28. Word in a home run call : OUTTA. "It's up, it's long and it's OUTTA here!". Maz's home run probably got similar treatment.

31. Watchdog warning : GRR

32. Mob member : RIOTER

34. Top-of-the-line Hyundai whose name means "horse" in Latin : EQUUS

35. H.S. equivalency test : G.E.D. General Equivalency Diploma.

37. Arizona Cardinal mascot Big __ : RED. Here's my quibble of the day - the team name is Arizona Cardinals, with an "s". It's the NCAA's Stanford who are the Cardinal (the color, not the bird).

38. It's under the hardwood : SUBFLOOR

41. Baton user : MAESTRO

42. They can be classified : ADS

43. "Kitchen Nightmares" host Gordon : RAMSAY. He was a professional soccer prospect in his native Scotland when he suffered a ligament injury at aged 16. Owners of unhygienic restaurants and Hell's Kitchen contestants have come to regret that fact.

44. "Play it again, Sam!" : ENCORE

45. Dance turns : PIVOTS

46. Toy company co-founder Herman : FISHER. Along with Irving Price, Herman's wife Helen, and Helen Schelle. History does not record why Schelle was left off the naming roster.

49. Insurance spokeslizard : GECKO. Annoying little bugger, I have to say.

50. Islamic ruling : FATWA

53. Lethal snakes : ASPS

54. Type of baggy '40s suit : ZOOT. Sharp!

57. President pro __ : TEM. From the Latin "pro tempore" "for the time being".

59. Annoy : IRK

61. Apt answer for this puzzle location : END. I *think* this clue was probably intended to read "Apt answer for this clue location". It doesn't make a whole lot of sense otherwise.

That's about it. No St. Patrick's jollity for me today - I'll be en route between San Jose and San Diego. I'll save my fun for the weekend when I get back to LA.

Be careful out there!

Steve

Aaaaanddddd ... here's the grid.

Tuesday, December 22, 2015 Jerry Edelstein

Theme: I've got the crumpets - Can you find the TEA?

17A. "Calm down" : "TAKE IT EASY"

23A. BBC nature series with the episodes "Jungles" and "Mountains" : PLANET EARTH

37A. Adorable : AS CUTE AS A BUTTON

45A. Delayed flight, e.g. : LATE ARRIVAL

58A. Warm cupful ... and, literally, what's hidden in the answers to 17-, 23-, 37- and 45-Across : A SPOT OF TEA

Argyle here, old chap. Hello! Did you find the TEA hidden in the themes? Two x-xx and two xx-x. A grid spanner. Reveal in the lower right corner. I say, pretty ship-shape, eh wot?

Across:

1. Workers who cross picket lines : SCABS

6. Stare in disbelief : GAPE

10. Con game : SCAM

14. Kept from squeaking : OILED

15. "Yikes!" : "EGAD!"

16. Thomas __ Edison : ALVA

19. Salacious look : LEER

20. Bar in a bathtub : SOAP. Not cake this time.

21. Pint or pixel : UNIT

22. Former Russian rulers : TSARs

25. Starter's gun : PISTOL

29. CVS pickups : RXs. (prescriptions)

30. Inventor Howe : ELIAS. Invented a sewing machine with a lock-stitch. It required placing the eye of the needle at the point.

31. Ark measurement : CUBIT. What's a cubit? Go ask Noah.

34. "Dexter" network, briefly : SHO. (Showtime)

40. Chatter : YAK

41. Greek sandwiches : GYROS. The English spelling, ok?

42. Not throw out : REUSE

43. Rapper Dr. __ : DRE

44. Riviera film festival site : CANNES. The 69th Cannes Film Festival will take place 11-22 May 2016 if you plan on attending.

51. Dropped the ball : ERRED

52. "You're __ 30 seconds!": backstage warning : ON IN

53. Prefix with space : AERO

57. Trim, as a photo : CROP

60. Optimism : HOPE

61. Ancient France : GAUL

62. Film critic, at times : RATER

63. Pitcher with a flared spout : EWER

64. This, to Esteban : ESTA

65. Thin nails : BRADS

Down:

1. They're way more than social drinkers : SOTs

2. "Later, dahling!" : "CIAO!". Heard at Cannes.

3. __-Seltzer : ALKA

4. Driver's warning : [BEEP!]

5. 1980s missile prog. : SDI. (Strategic Defense Initiative)

6. Davis of "Commander in Chief" : GEENA. (on ABC)

7. Another time : AGAIN

8. Something to stick with? : PASTE

9. Ice cream maker Joseph : EDY

10. Dips for tortilla chips : SALSAs

11. Simple to understand : CLEAR. Conversely, 43D. Not as simple to understand : DEEPER

12. Sidestep : AVERT

13. Bog : MARSH

18. Rock's Jethro __ : TULL

22. Relating to roughness or smoothness, say : TEXTURAL

23. Ph.D. candidate, e.g. : POST GRAD. Postgraduate student.

24. Chicago daily, familiarly : TRIB

25. Austin __: Tennessee university : PEAY. Named in honor of Tenn. Gov. Austin Peay.

26. Ingrid's role in "Casablanca" : ILSA

27. Under the weather : SICK

28. Letter after sigma : TAU

31. Sleeping or slot follower : CAR

32. GI show sponsor : USO. (United Service Organizations)

33. __-relief : BAS. An old friend returns.

34. Shock : STUN

35. Garden spigot attachment : HOSE

36. Change for a five : ONEs

38. Spyglass user : EYER

39. Five-and-__ store : TEN. Now that's going way back.

44. "__ Buy Me Love": Beatles hit : CAN'T

45. Café lightener : LECHE. It's Spanish.

46. Traffic light symbol : ARROW

47. Figure of speech : TROPE. The figurative or metaphorical use of a word or expression.

48. Bouquet for a señorita : ROSAS. Deceptive. ROSAS is roses whereas a bouquet may be other flowers.

49. Computer fodder : INPUT

50. String quartet instrument : VIOLA

53. Many miles away : AFAR

54. "At Last" singer James : ETTA

55. Lakeside stalk : REED

56. Rowboat pair : OARS

58. Birthday number : AGE

59. Eye, poetically : ORB

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

Happy 71st Birthday to dear Misty! So pleased to hear your Christmas party went well. I'm raising my mug of tea to celebrate this special day, Misty!