Monday, January 23, 2017 Joel Mackerry

Theme: No Reveal Monday - Start with three letters; a vowel progression and the same two consonants.

17A. Hebrew or Latin, e.g.: ANCIENT LANGUAGE

23A. Meetings of self-improvement seekers: ENCOUNTER GROUPS

39A. Form 1040 and schedules: INCOME TAX RETURN

53A. Doctor with a pager: ON-CALL PHYSICIAN

61A. Most of the Atlantic, to Columbus: UNCHARTED WATERS

Argyle here. The kicker is the five entries are all grid spanners and in language. Well done!

Across:

1. Contractor's detail, briefly: SPEC. (specification)

5. NYSE listings: COs. New York Stock Exchange/companys

8. Shade-loving plant: HOSTA

13. Pull's opposite: PUSH

14. Sitting on: ATOP

16. "That's __!": "Piece of cake!": A SNAP

20. Cpl., for one: NCO. Corporal/non-commissioned officer

21. Sundial number opposite I: VII

22. Kitty coat: FUR

29. Child of a boomer: Xer. Generations

30. With 31-Across, flying exhibition: AIR

31. See 30-Across: SHOW

32. More than fair, less than great: GOOD

34. Petting __: ZOO

36. Composer Bartók: BÉLA

44. Right triangle ratio: SINE

45. "Impractical Jokers" network __TV: TRU. truTV.

46. Most fit to be drafted: ONE A

47. Captures: NABs

50. Plus: AND

52. "CSI" evidence: DNA

58. Itinerary word: VIA. (by way of)

59. Dubai's fed.: UAE. (United Arab Emirates)

60. Glamorous Gardner: AVA

68. Allow to board: LET ON

69. "Frozen" queen: ELSA

70. Game with rooms and weapons: CLUE

71. Natives for whom a Great Lake is named: ERIEs

72. Like a clever devil: SLY

73. Outdoor faucet attachment: HOSE

Down:

1. Massage facility: SPA

2. Joke with a homophone, say: PUN

3. Top-left PC key: ESC

4. Trouser material: CHINO. Trousers of such a fabric gained popularity in the U.S. when Spanish–American War veterans returned from the Philippines with their twill military trousers.

5. Elevate to sainthood: CANONIZE

6. Giants great Mel: OTT

7. Work a crossword puzzle: SOLVE

8. "Macbeth" cauldron stirrer: HAG. One of the three Weyward Sisters.

9. Buckeye State sch.: OSU. Ohio State University.

10. Acronym for a big mess: SNAFU

11. Prepare to advance after a fly ball: TAG UP

12. Mimics: APERS

15. Bridge partnerships: PAIRS

18. S.A. country at zero degrees latitude: ECUA. (Ecuador)

19. About to happen: NIGH

23. Army vet: EX-GI

24. Vegas signs: NEONS

25. Early spring blooms: CROCI

26. Easy run: TROT

27. Hanger near the shower: ROBE

28. Be a debtor of: OWE TO

33. Summer of disco: DONNA

35. Cereal grain: OAT

37. Monday, in Metz: LUNDI. French.

38. "Ben-Hur" setting: ARENA

40. Dinner, e.g.: MEAL

41. Like Superman's special vision: X-RAY

42. Flees: RUNS AWAY

43. Indian flatbread: NAAN

48. "It all happened so fast" memory: BLUR

49. Sudden burst: SPATE

51. Operatic icon: DIVA

53. Developing egg: OVULE

54. Forty-__: NINER

55. Desert plants: CACTI

56. Shoes that make you look taller: HEELS

57. Hidden downside: CATCH. There's always a catch.

62. Soil-moving tool: HOE

63. Ques. response: ANS. (answer)

64. Broadband letters: DSL. (Digital Subscriber Line)

65. Rock gp. with winds and strings: ELO. (Electric Light Orchestra)

66. Moscow's land: Abbr.: RUSsia

67. Lay eyes on: SEE

Argyle

Monday, October 10, 2016 Joel Mackerry

Theme: Monday smothered in gravy - Synonyms for money.

62. Down payment ... and what 17-, 25-, 38- and 53-Across have in common (besides being food): CASH UP FRONT

17. Pizza topping veggie: GREEN PEPPER

25. Traditional filled fare of Europe and West Asia: CABBAGE ROLL

38. Salad staples: LETTUCE LEAVES

53. Baked-in-their-shells seafood dish: CLAMS CASINO

Argyle here. Joel's fourth Monday. He certainly could find more synonyms but he has enough for today. I am curious as to what a later in the week offering Joel could provide.

Across:

1. "Stay out of my affairs," briefly: MYOB. (Mind Your Own Business)

5. Briefly, e.g.: ADVERB. Hung me up for awhile.

11. CFO's degree: MBA. (Chief Financial Officer/Master of Business Administration)

14. Window section: PANE

15. Like the sound of tall grass in the breeze: SWISHY. Not the clue I would have come up with.

16. "__ the ramparts ... ": O'ER

19. Dusting cloth: RAG

20. Slugger __ Harper of the Nats: BRYCE. Young fellow, he was 17 when he went in the 2010 MLB Draft.

21. Stylish, clothes-wise: NATTY

23. Remit: PAY

29. Preppy shirt brand: IZOD. See 21-Across.

31. Japanese noodle: SOBA

32. Replaceable joint: KNEE

33. Much-photographed evening event: SUNSET. Red Sunset Over Sedona.

36. Showroom model: DEMO. (demonstration)

43. Unexpected obstacle: SNAG

44. Revealing, as a bikini: SKIMPY

46. Eye care brand: RENU. Take care of those eyes after ogling those bikinis

50. Savings vehicles for later yrs.: IRAs. (Individual Retirement Account)

52. Copied: APED

57. NFL scores: TDs. (football touchdowns)

58. Car body style: COUPE

59. Saltwater candy: TAFFY

61. Covert __: secret missions: OPS. (OPerations)

68. Sara of baking: LEE

69. Band on the road: TROUPE

70. Franc replacement: EURO

71. Oral health org.: ADA. (American Dental Association)

72. Emphasize: STRESS

73. French state: ÉTAT

Down:

1. Fuel efficiency no.: MPG. (miles per gallon)

2. Pirate's cry: "YAR!"

3. Singly: ONE BY ONE

4. Bar pint contents: BEER

5. Pet adoption org.: ASPCA. (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals)

6. Nerdy types: DWEEBs

7. BMOC, for one: VIP. (Big Man of Christmas/Very Important Person)

8. Sixth sense, for short: ESP. (ExtraSensory Perception)

9. MLB scoreboard letters: RHE. Runs, Hits, Errors.

10. "In Treatment" star Gabriel __: BYRNE. Irish.

11. Salt brand with an umbrella girl: MORTON

12. Fab Four member: BEATLE

13. Socks pattern: ARGYLE. Thanks for the SO, Joel.

18. Metropolis served by JFK and LGA: NYC. (John F. Kennedy International Airport/LaGuardia Airport/New York City)

22. Noah's project: ARK

23. Circle ratios: PIs. There is more than one?

24. Blue, in Baja: AZUL

26. Spanish groceries: BODEGAs

27. Adam's second son: ABEL

28. Fun and __: GAMES

30. Mar.-to-Nov. hrs.: DST. Daylight Saving Time ends at 2:00 AM on

Sunday, November 6, 2016.

34. UFO pilots, presumably: ETS. (Unidentified Flying Object/Extra-Terrestrial)

35. Belted Forum garment: TUNIC. Because TOGA wouldn't fit.

37. Wine barrel wood: OAK

39. Siena sweetheart: CARA. Italian.

40. Through, in itineraries: VIA

41. Remove everything from, as a fridge: EMPTY OUT

42. Zoomed: SPED

45. NFL gains: YDS. (yards)

46. Coke competitor: RC COLA

47. Snuck out to get hitched: ELOPED

48. Queasy feeling: NAUSEA

49. Strike caller: UMP

51. Abs strengtheners: SIT-UPS

54. Religious factions: SECTS

55. Neck areas brushed by barbers: NAPEs

56. Not working today: OFF

60. At no cost: FREE

63. Museum display: ART

64. Fem. campus group: SOR. (sorority)

65. Shade of color: HUE

66. Org. for marksmen: NRA. (National Rifle Association)

67. Tyke: TOT

Argyle

Monday, July 18, 2016 Joel Mackerry

Theme: No C's - You only need learn your A,B's.

70A. Hitter's statistic, and, when abbreviated, a hint to the six longest puzzle answers : AT BAT. A B

17A. Fancy burger meat : ANGUS BEEF

35A. Powerful northern cold front : ARCTIC BLAST

44A. "30 Rock" co-star : ALEC BALDWIN

63A. Color of a clear sky : AZURE BLUE

11D. "Good Eats" series creator : ALTON BROWN

29D. Injury treatment brand : ACE BANDAGE

Argyle here. Joel's first two puzzles left me expecting more but they can't all be jewels. Interesting open slash from SW corner to NE corner. The theme entries certainly are a diverse group and some of the fill have a small bite to them.

Across:

1. Chicken piece : THIGH

6. "Amazing!" : "WOW!"

9. Vineyard picking : GRAPE. Labor intensive, picking one at a time.

14. Reddish-orange salon dye : HENNA

15. Cleanup hitter's stat : RBI

16. More sick-looking : PALER

19. Athlete on a Houston diamond : ASTRO. Not STROs today.

20. When repeated, an African fly : TSE

21. Gretel's brother : HANSEL

23. Jumps on one foot : HOPS

24. Opposite of NNW : SSE

25. Begin serving customers : OPEN

27. Ristorante shrimp dish : SCAMPI

32. Spoils, as food : GOES BAD

38. "Messenger" molecule : RNA

39. Musical inadequacy : "NO EAR"

40. Underinflated tire's need : AIR

41. Sch. east of Hartford : U.CONN. (University of Connecticut) The Huskies.

43. Bit of gel : DAB

47. One throwing the first pitch : STARTER. Not the ceremonial first pitcher.

49. Art of "The Honeymooners" : CARNEY. Ed Norton.

50. Must have : NEED

51. Juvenile newt : EFT

53. Melville sailor Billy : BUDD. Wiki LINK.

55. Flowering : ABLOOM

58. Happy hour place : BAR

61. Remove from the whiteboard : ERASE

65. Raring to go : EAGER

66. "__ Abner" : LI'L

67. Blackens, as tuna : SEARS

68. Earnest requests : PLEAS

69. "__ Miz" : LES. Popular name for the musical, Les Miserables.

Down:

1. "How about __!" : THAT

2. Farm layers : HENS

3. "Picnic" playwright : INGE

4. Bearded antelope : GNU

5. Dish of chopped-up leftovers : HASH

6. Small songbirds : WRENS

7. More than pudgy : OBESE

8. Michelle, to Barack : WIFE

9. Valedictorian's 4.0, e.g.: Abbr. : GPA. (grade point average)

10. Itchy skin conditions : RASHES

12. One sought by cops : PERP. (perpetrator)

13. Love deity : EROS

18. Army private's training, familiarly : BASIC

22. Johns, to Elton : LOOs. (bathrooms)

26. "Downtown" singer Clark : PETULA. A slightly different version. I believe it's 1984 with a new piano and trumpet intro that leads into the song's original opening.

27. Smooths in wood shop : SANDS. Or in Gibbs' basement, on NCIS.

28. Certain Balkan : CROAT

30. NYC subway org. : MTA. (Metropolitan Transportation Authority)

31. Stereotypical "Arrr!" shouter : PIRATE. Talk Like A Pirate Day - 19th Sep, 2016, mark it on your calendar.

32. Attire : GARB

33. Broadway title orphan : ANNIE

34. Boy in a classic Irish ballad : DANNY

36. Boxer Max : BAER. His son played Jethro Bodine on The Beverly Hillbillies.

37. State-issued driver ID : LICense

42. USN officer : CDR. (Commander)

45. Mother of Castor and Pollux : LEDA. Castor and Pollux Wikipedia LINK.

46. Stage performer : ACTOR

48. Watery obstacle for Moses : RED SEA

51. Popeye creator Segar : ELZIE

Elzie Name Meaning: Altered spelling of English Elsey. Americanized spelling of German Eltze, probably a habitational name for someone from either of two places named Eltz, on the Mosel and the Neckar.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press

52. Tips caught by a catcher, e.g. : FOULS

53. Honk cousin : BEEP

54. Eurasian border river : URAL

56. Strike's opposite : BALL

57. Flat-topped hill : MESA

58. Spill secrets : BLAB

59. Vague emanation : AURA

60. Part of R and R : REST. The second R? recuperation or relaxation or recreation (or, the truth, revelry).

62. Ambulance destinations, for short : ERs. (Emergency Room)

64. Gambling action : BET

 

Argyle

Monday, December 21, 2015 Joel Mackerry

Theme: Ho, Ho, WHOA! - He's watching you but who's watching out for him?

1A. With 71-Across, seasonal visitor who'd appreciate being warned about the ends of 20-, 37- and 56-Across : SANTA. And 71A. See 1-Across : CLAUS

37A. Former lovers : OLD FLAMES

20A. Boasting, metaphorically : BLOWING SMOKE

56A. Accidental attack on allied forces : FRIENDLY FIRE

Argyle *<;o)> here. Thank goodness for Kevlar and Nomex suit to keep Santa safe.

Across:

6. Shed one's feathers : MOLT

10. Pacific island nation : FIJI

14. In the slightest : A WHIT

15. Arabian ruler : EMIR

16. Confident words : "I CAN"

17. Andean pack animal : LLAMA

18. __ Day vitamins : ONE A

19. Four-sided fig. : RECT. (rectangle)

23. Gas, to a Brit : PETROL

26. __City: computer game : SIM

27. By way of : VIA

28. One who shuns company : LONE WOLF

31. Primary pursuit in the working world : CAREER

33. Ottawa's prov. : ONT. (Ontario)

34. Reformer Jacob : RIIS. ("muckraking" journalist)

36. They end round numbers : ZEROs

40. __-load: prep for a marathon : CARBO. (carbohydrate)

43. Beige shade : ECRU

44. "Goldfinger" novelist Fleming : IAN

47. "Anchors __": Navy fight song : AWEIGH. Anchors are "aweigh" when they are clear of the sea bed.

49. Not let go of : HANG ONTO. The bane of hoarders.

52. Eng. majors' degrees : BAs. (Bachelor of Arts)

53. "Of course, Pierre!" : "OUI!" "Yes!"

55. Did the tango : DANCED

60. Computes the total : ADDS

61. Retro phone feature : DIAL. So is the curly cord these days.

62. Purple flower : LILAC

66. Enlist again : RE-UP

67. Longtime "Tonight Show" host Jay : LENO

68. Words of defeat : "I LOST"

69. Blissful place : EDEN

70. Lawn border : EDGE

Down:

1. Actor Mineo : SAL

2. Leatherwork tool : AWL

3. FDR home loan org. : NHA. National Housing Act of 1934.

4. Musical tone color : TIMBRE

5. With nowhere to go but up, as one's spirits : AT A LOW

6. Cat call : MEOW

7. Marriott competitor : OMNI

8. Claims on property : LIENs

9. Like "Hamlet" : TRAGIC

10. Accounting partnership, e.g. : FIRM

11. Become frozen : ICE OVER

12. Onassis' last wife, familiarly : JACKIE "O"

13. Crying : IN TEARS

21. Prayer-opening words : "O, LORD"

22. Pollution portmanteau : SMAZE. A mixture of smoke and haze.

23. West Bank gp. : PLO. (Palestine Liberation Organization)

24. Many millennia : EON

25. Demolition initials : TNT

29. The "vie" in "c'est la vie" : LIFE

30. Swipe : FILCH

32. Hi-__ monitor : RES. (High-Resolution)

35. "Nobody doesn't like __ Lee" : SARA

37. Geisha's sash : OBI

38. Access Facebook, say : LOG ON

39. World, in a Latin saying : MUNDI. "Sic transit gloria mundi" “Thus passes the glory of the world”

40. Cost of a taxi : CAB FARE

41. Gave, as a medal : AWARDED

42. Trace evidence at a crime scene, e.g. : RESIDUE. "Send it to the lab!"

44. Business abbr. : INC. Incorporation or incorporated?

45. Dined : ATE

46. Wordless agreement : NOD

48. Circle around a quarterback : HUDDLE

50. Appetizing dinnertime aroma : GARLIC. Not to vampires.

51. Playwright Eugene : O'NEILL

54. Sheepish admission : "I LIED"

57. "Monday Night Football" channel : ESPN. (originally an acronym for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network)

58. Yin and __ : YANG

59. Arctic sheet : FLOE

63. Mauna __ : LOA. A different flow.

64. Sch. in Tempe : ASU. (Arizona State University)

65. Pennies: Abbr. : CTs. (cents)¢

Argyle

Monday, February 9, 2015 Joel Mackerry

Theme: Boom Boom, Out Go the Lights. The lights come back on when the start of these five seemingly random entries are brought together by the unifier.

17A. *Handy tool to have when you're out of loose-leaf paper : HOLE PUNCH. Black Hole - where the car keys go.

29A. *Amulet : MAGIC CHARM. Black Magic - how the keys disappeared.

37A. *Prime ballpark accommodation : BOX SEAT. Black Box - in the news all to often.

39A. *Architectural style featuring geometric shapes : ART DECO. Black Art - without an 's' on Art, it is African American Art.

44A. *Stand-up venue : COMEDY CLUB. Black Comedy - definitely two meanings; comedy that employs morbid, gloomy, grotesque, or calamitous situations in its plot or comedy either by African Americans or shows featuring characters of African ethnicity. Redd Foxx had it all covered.

60A. Ostracize ... and what the first words of the answers to starred clues comprise : BLACKLIST. In our sense, BLACK LIST.

Argyle here with another debut and a good one at that. A few tough words and some crosswordese but all in all, a good start to the week.

Across:

1. "The Alphabet Song" opening : A B C D

5. Closed : SHUT

9. Postpone : DEFER

14. Lemony in taste : SOUR. Our first CSO. (Coincidental Shout Out)

15. "__ Lisa" : MONA

16. Overjoy : ELATE. If Mona was elated, she didn't show it.

19. Red-suited reindeer driver : SANTA. My personal CSO.

20. China's Zhou __ : ENLAI

21. Forming a queue : LINING UP

23. Memory aid, such as "HOMES" for the Great Lakes : MNEMONIC

26. Amount paid : COST

34. Sch. in the smallest state : URI. (University of Rhode Island)

35. T-shirt sizes, for short : SML. small, medium, large

36. Sound portion of a movie : AUDIO

41. Amazed : IN AWE

42. Regret : RUE

43. "__ Misérables" : LES

48. French father : PÈRE

49. Kids' show host with a "Neighborhood" : MR. ROGERS

51. "Will you marry me?" is one : PROPOSAL

55. Flusters : FAZES

59. Deceived : LED ON

63. Submit tax returns online : eFILE. Timely.

64. Actor Lugosi : BELA

65. Sulk : MOPE

66. Small and unimportant : DINKY

67. Cheese from the Netherlands : EDAM

                  Gill Brooks

68. Winter fall : SNOW. Enough already!

Down:

1. Arthur of tennis : ASHE. Crossword's favorite player.

2. Timely benefit : BOON

3. Select with care : CULL

4. Imagined while sleeping : DREAMT. "There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy."

5. Church-founded Dallas sch. : SMU. (Southern Methodist University)

6. Luv : HON. Not exactly abbreviations; I'm not sure what to call them.

7. Clean with Liquid-Plumr : UNCLOG

8. Hummus paste : TAHINI

9. Dry up : DESICCATE. The little packages you find with some items is desiccant.

10. Vivacity : ELAN

11. Vampire tooth : FANG. Normally, they come in pairs.

12. Caesar's immortal "And you?" : "ET TU?"

13. Gather in a field : REAP

18. Bowler's target : PIN. CSO Boomer.

22. Actor Cage, in tabloids : NIC

24. Austen heroine : EMMA. "Emma Woodhouse, handsome, clever, and rich."

25. Milkshake additive : MALT. How common is it? You have to ask for it around here.

26. Like Rubik's creation : CUBIC

27. Maine college town : ORONO

28. Early riser's hr. : SIX AM

30. 1963 Paul Newman film : "HUD"

31. Dancer Astaire : ADELE. She was Fred's elder sister, and his partner in a 27-year career in vaudeville and theater, beginning when he was five and she was eight.

32. Potato cutter : RICER. I wouldn't want to be that potato; Julia looks demented.

33. Bullwinkle, for one : MOOSE

35. Start-up cash : SEED MONEY

38. Nor. neighbor : SWE. Norway/Sweden

39. Cut __: dance, in old slang : A RUG

40. Hick : RUBE

45. 1520 and 2015, e.g.: Abbr. : YRs

46. Buster who played Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon : CRABBE. He was raised in Hawaii. I didn't know that. Wiki link

47. Lazed : LOLLED

48. Biblical songs : PSALMS

50. Bobby's monogram, in '60s politics : RFK. Robert Francis "Bobby" Kennedy

51. Argued in court : PLED

52. Lower-interest mtge. : REFI. (ReFinance)

53. Norse war god : ODIN

54. President when Texas was annexed : POLK

56. Utah national park : ZION

57. 1960s-'70s Boston Bruins nickname : ESPO. Phil Esposito

58. Hearty dish : STEW

61. Pie __ mode : À LA

62. Pic taker : CAM. picture/camera

Argyle

Note from C.C.

Happy Birthday to our talented Saturday Stud Splynter! Hope you're having fun making the board/card game during your precious one-week vacation. I love reading what you think of the  puzzle every Saturday and getting a glimpse of what's going on in your life. Thanks for all your hard work, Splynter!