17A. See 60-Across : MALE CAT OR TURKEY. "Tom"
26A. See 60-Across : SLANG FOR A SLEUTH. "Dick"
46A. See 60-Across : BOTHER ENDLESSLY. "Harry"
60A. Trio suggested by the answers to 17-, 26- and 46-Across : TOM, DICK AND HARRY.
Other than the cross-referential clues, this puzzle seemed like a Monday level to me. Four grid spanners make a nice theme-rich puzzle, with a low three-letter count. For those counting "cheater squares," see the square before 35-Across, and at the end of 43-Across.
Marti here, to see what else is on our plate today.
Across:
1. Theme : MOTIF. I am most familiar with "MOTIF Number 1," which is located in Rockport, MA and is the most commonly painted scene in the country. It was destroyed in the Blizzard of '78, but subsequently rebuilt.
6. Woody's "Annie Hall" role : ALVY. I finally forced myself to watch "Annie Hall" just last week, so this was a gimme.
10. Slash mark? : SCAR. Ouch!
14. NBC's "Weekend Today" co-anchor Hill : ERICA. Pretty lady.
15. Some parasites : LICE. Anyone have a nit to pick about that?
16. Marching band instrument : TUBA.
20. "Viva el matador!" : OLE.
21. Has the stage : IS ON.
22. Winter airs : NOELS. Not bleak, nippy or polar. The kind of "airs" you sing.
23. Plastic ___ Band : ONO. Oh no...not her again.
24. Summoning gesture : BECK. Yes, it's a real word. For any nose scrunchers out there, think of being at someone's "beck and call."
34. Big name in banking : CITI.
35. Nick-named actor : NOLTE. Cute clue for Nick Nolte.
36. Miss Piggy, to Miss Piggy : MOI. "Who...MOI??"
37. Neglects to mention : OMITS.
39. Communication no one hears: Abbr. : ASL. American Sign Language.
40. Cabbage salads : SLAWS. I just tried a new recipe with savoy cabbage and a dressing made with peanut butter, rice wine vinegar, vegetable oil, brown sugar, garlic, and ginger. Yummm!
42. At an angle: Abbr. : OBL.ique.
43. Leg bone : TIBIA. "...the tibia's connected to the patella" just doesn't have the same ring, does it?
45. Applications : USES.
50. "...to market, to buy ___ pig..." : A FAT.
"To market, to market, to buy a fat pig,
Home again, home again, dancing a jig.
To market, to market, to buy a fat hog,
Home again, home again, jiggety jog."
- Mother Goose
52. Snowman's accessory : SCARF.
55. Hearing subject : SUIT.
57. Summer shade : TAN.
64. Sword with a guarded tip : EPEE. I just learned that the reason an EPEE has a groove is to "drain away the blood." (Blood, did you say blood???)
66. Shah's fate : EXILE.
67. "Buddenbrooks" novelist : MANN. Thomas MANN won a Nobel Prize in literature for the book.
68. Wild about : IN TO.
69. Provide room for growth, perhaps : REPOT. Thanks for the reminder - it's getting to be that time of year!
Down:
1. Jogging instrument? : MEMO. Not an i-pod worn while jogging, but a means to "jog" your memory! (Memo to self: REPOT plants.)
2. Unwritten test : ORAL.
3. Roofer's purchase : TILE.
4. Hard water? : ICE. I can attest that ice is very hard water, especially when you land on your keister on it! Then we have 47-Down. Become pitiless : HARDEN.
5. Going up against : FACING.
6. Part for a singer : ALTO.
7. Oz visitor : LION.
8. TiVo ancester : VCR. Boy, do I feel ancient!
9. So far : YET.
10. It precedes "Substituted Ball" in the Definitions section of the "Rules of Golf": STROKE. STR comes before SUB alphabetically. HG, do you carry a set of the rules in your golf bag?
11. Pickled veggie : CUKE. Hands up for "okra?"
12. First family member : ABEL. Because Barack, Michelle, Malia or Sasha wouldn't fit...
13. Tropicana Field team : RAYS. The Tampa Bay Rays, originally called the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, of MLB.
18. Date-setting phrase : AS OF.
19. Rich relatives? : UNCLES.
23. "Count ___!" : ON IT.
24. Story-telling song : BALLAD.
25. Handyman's approx. : EST.imate. I wonder what the estimate was for Splynter's church ramp?
26. Shaggy's pal, to Shaggy : SCOOB.y-Doo
27. Unsettled state : LIMBO.
28. Not straight up : ATILT. Hands up for those who wanted "on ice"? (Put your hand down, Tin. I know you'd never even think of "on ice"!!)
29. With money at stake : ON A BET.
30. Violinists supply : ROSIN.
31. Member of the Five College Consortium, familiarly : U-MASS. The other five are Amherst, Hampshire, Mount Holyoke and Smith College.
32. Swimmer's need : TOWEL. Water would be nice, too...
33. Temper tantrum : HISSY.
38. World No. 1 tennis player between Martina and Monica : STEFFI. Navratilova, Seles and Graf.
41. Abundant, plantwise : LUSH.
44. Tax shelter letters : IRA. Individual Retirement Account.
48. Ascribed, as blame : LAID.
49. Old Testament queen : ESTHER. Queen of Persia.
52. Mushroom piece : STEM.
53. Club where "music and passion were always the fashion," in song : COPA. I'll let someone else link the ear worm...
54. "Right on!" : AMEN.
55. Fries seasoning : SALT.
56. Menu choice after an "oops" : UNDO. Cute clue.
57. Dancing blunder : TRIP. Oops!
58. Folksy Guthrie : ARLO.
59. Rostov rejection : NYET. Here's a beautiful image of ROSTOV, located about 175 km NE of Moscow.
61. Sox, in line scores : CHI.cago. (I wanted "BOS.")
62. Boy toy? : KEN. LOL!!
63. Send packing : AXE. OK, OK, I'm out of here. No need to get out the axe!
'Til next week!
Hugs,
Marti
Marti will be competing at the ACPT this weekend. Let's wish her good luck! Say Hello to Marti and her husband Allen if you're there too.
