Monday May 7, 2018 Lila Cherry

Theme: BAR MENU (63. List including nachos, sliders, wings, etc. ... and what the starts of the answers to starred clues comprise?)

17A. *Official emergency status: CODE RED. Bar code.

20A. *Angler's skill: FLY CASTING. Barfly.

33A. *#1 hit: CHART TOPPER. Bar chart.

42A. *One who rats to the cops: STOOL PIGEON. Bar stool.

54A. *Floater in a luxurious bath: SOAP BUBBLE. Bar soap.

Boomer here.  

Hello everyone. I know it has been a long week, but I did read most of the comments on Tuesday and I have to say how impressed I was on the messages of grief and condolence for the loss of our friend.

A bit about myself.  My dear mother did the daily crossword in the Minneapolis paper, and had a Dell paperback to help with the clues. Of course, this was back in the day when a computer was something created by IBM and took up 120 cubic feet in an office building. My older sister, Barbara solves two crossword puzzles daily, but of course she graduated with a magna cum laude degree in journalism from the University of Minnesota.  I, on the other hand, took four years of Latin in high school, so I can spell "magna cum laude" and translate it into English.  I have to admit, I do not have the smarts or expertise that most of you have to solve these puzzles, but I don't mind, because I know I can beat most of you in bowling.

However, I can only say how thoroughly impressed I am with the close-knit family that visit this blog daily, and shared their thoughts of the memory of wonderful Argyle. I share your dismay, and of course the terrible loss felt by C.C. and many of all of you. And if any of you stopped in the bar to drown your sorrow, I hope you enjoyed this puzzle.  

Across:

1. "I'm all __ it": "Yes": FOR.

4. Pennies: Abbr.: CTS.

7. "Later, dude": BYE.

10. Mil. strongholds: FTS.

13. Long Island university: ADELPHI. Impressive University.  I wonder if they teach Latin.

15. Demonic laugh: MWAHAHA. I never have heard of this so I Googled it.  Surprise, it's out there.

18. Month that once was eighth: OCTOBER.  Let's see, Decem is 10, Nova is 9, Octo is 8, Septem is 7, so August must be 6?  Or Caesar might have had something to do with month naming.

19. Walked (on): TROD.

22. One getting private lessons: TUTEE. Or a blow on a flute.

24. Go down to defeat: LOSE.

25. __ Martin: Bond's car: ASTON. I think these run into six figures.

28. Garlicky sauce: AIOLI. - WOW, a FIVE letter word with FOUR vowels. Has to be a constructors dream.

32. Frozen over: ICY. No problem spelling this in Minnesota.

39. Venue for exercise swimming: LAP POOL.

41. Old golf club named for its copper alloy-plated face: BRASSIE. This used to be a nickname for a two wood.  I don't think anyone carries a two wood anymore.

44. Spanish Mrs.: SRA.

45. Selassie worshiper: RASTA.

46. Type in: ENTER. Right above shift on most keyboards.

48. Arduous journey: TREK.

51. In style again: RETRO.

58. "__ end up": THIS. I write this on my cereal box so I don't spill in the AM

62. Existing independent of experience, in logic: A PRIORI. Did we have this last week with an abbrev. of a thirty day month??

65. Another year of Time, say: RENEWAL. Favorite slogan of Andersen Windows.

66. "Canyon With Crows" artist Georgia: O'KEEFFE.

67. '60s radical gp.: SDS. Students for a Democratic Society.

68. Antlered beast: ELK. We have lots of deer in Minnesota, but the Elks are all in the bar at the lodge.

69. Opposite of ENE: WSW. White Sidewalls group similar to Sha Na Na

70. Birthday gift for a tot: TOY. "It went zip when it moved and bop when it stopped and whirrrrr when it stood still.  I never knew just what it was and I guess I never will...."

Down:

1. Almanac item: FACT.

2. Smell often funky: ODOR. Had this word a few weeks ago. Reminds me of Texas Ranger Rougned

3. Decorate anew: REDO.

4. Basic technique in EMT training: CPR.  I think CPR is cardio pulmonary resuscitation, however when I see EMT I still think of thinwall conduit.

5. Stealing: THEFT.

6. Move laterally: SIDLE.

7. Coll. hotshot: BMOC. Bring My Own Cola ??

8. Female leadership org.: YWCA.

9. Grub: EATS. Law and Order - Emil Skoda (J.K. Simmons on the Farmers Insurance commercials) calls food "Grub" 

10. One-named Milanese model: FABIO.

11. If-__: conditional statements: THENS.

12. NCO nickname: SARGE. Many enlisted men had other nicknames for their sergeants.

14. Resulted in: LED TO.

16. "MASH" nickname: HOT LIPS. Great movie, Great TV show, Margaret Houlihan

21. Wine label number: YEAR.

23. 7-Up nickname: UNCOLA.

25. Afflicts: AILS.

26. Ella's style: SCAT.

27. Wrong-key error: TYPO. This was a problem for my big fingers on the old Smith Corona.  No big deal any more with a "delete" key.

29. Beatles' "Let __": IT BE. "When I find myself in times of trouble..."

30. Other, in Oaxaca: OTRO.

31. Car borrowed from a dealer: LOANER. They used to loan them to you, now I think they rent them to you.

34. One-footed jumps: HOPS. Beer ingredient

35. Landed: ALIT.

36. Whispered "Hey!": PSST.

37. The Auld Sod: EIRE. I have not heard of Auld Sod, but I think this is Ireland.

38. Stern area: REAR.

40. Trademark Buster Keaton hat with a culinary name: PORK PIE.  Buster was before my time, sorry

43. Clothing: GARB.

47. "I didn't do it": NOT ME. Wouldn't it be Not I?

48. Nicholas II was the last of them in Russia: TSARS.

49. Caught, as dogies: ROPED.

50. Gets by working: EARNS.

52. "Funny bone" spot: ELBOW. When it gets whacked, it's not too funny

53. Hardwood trees: TEAKS.

55. Boxer Riddick: BOWE.

56. It borders Siberia in the game of Risk: URAL. Reminds me of a Seinfeld where Kramer is playing Risk with Newman.

57. Defraud: BILK.

59. Strain to lift: HEFT.

60. Recon collection: INFO.

61. Chop __: SUEY. C.C. insists that most American so called "Chinese food" has never been served in China.

64. Remote button with left-pointing arrows: Abbr.: REW.

Boomer

Monday April 9, 2018 Lila Cherry

Theme: AS A (36D. Words that connect each pair of four-letter words intersecting at a circle).  X as a Y. The X crosses each Y. Both X and Y are four-letter words.

17A. Rich : WELL-HEELED. Crossing 2D. Thoughtful : DEEP.  Deep as a well.

11D. 2000s best-seller involving flying toys, with "The" : KITE RUNNER. Crossing 16. Tipsy : HIGH. High as a kite.

 29D. Protective bar on a flat roof : SAFETY RAIL. Crossing 68A. Skinny : THIN. Thin as a rail.

 66A. Object of the puddy tat's pursuit : TWEETY BIRD. Crossing 63D. Priceless? : FREE. Free as a bird.

Boomer here.  Hello Everyone, I am pinch hitting for our friend Argyle again, and hoping for the best for him.  (Notice I wrote "pinch hitting" as the baseball season is now underway.  But it's tough for the teams to play in Minnesota when the temp does not even reach 30 degrees.)  Well we have a tough Monday puzzle for all of you puzzle masters, the theme is trickier than average Mondays.

Speaking of Masters, there was another game played this weekend.  I was not able to watch much on Saturday and Sunday due to a baseball card show commitment but I enjoy a round of golf, (when the temp gets above 30!).  However I don't think I could break 200 at Augusta.  No problem, I have a green jacket in my hall closet, I just don't have the million and a half dollars to go with it.  But congratulations to the terror of  the 2016 Ryder Cup Hazeltine here in Minnesota, Mr. Patrick Reed for capturing the Master's title, and also a salute to Rickie Fowler and Justin Spieth for making it interesting.  

C.C. says Lila Cherry is an anagram of "Really Rich", alias for Rich Norris the editor.

Rich Norris, XWord Info

Across:

1. Romantic kissing at the mall and such, briefly : PDAS - Public Displays of Affection.  I think it's "People diddling around".

5. Skier's challenge : MOGUL - "Well they called him Super Skier, as he sat around the sundeck, for he swore that he would never take a spill.  When they finally brought him down they had to use three toboggans, to carry all the pieces off the hill."

10. Ref's decisions : TKOS

14. Finnish architect Saarinen : EERO - What's this?  A four letter word with three vowels!

15. Egg-shaped : OVATE - I put oval and left one square blank.

19. To be, in Bordeaux : ETRE

20. English china : SPODE - Costs more than folks can afford.

21. With 61-Across, seriously overweight fictional sleuth : NERO. 61. See 21-Across : WOLFE

22. Chick's cry : PEEP - Did you get some marshmallow ones for Easter ?

23. Tree-toppling tool : AXE - The AWA used to have a Wrestler named Larry Hennig.  He changed his ring name from "Pretty Boy" to the "Axe".

25. "That's cheating!" : NO FAIR! - When I drive the Minnesota State Fairgrounds, there is no fair there either for 350 days.

27. Wine evaluators : TASTERS

31. Get in your face about : FLAUNT

34. Lisbon hello : OLA - I have a friend from Chile and when I email him I write "Hola". 

35. Shankar's instrument : SITAR - I believe this is a Latin word for guitar.

38. Personal, as thoughts : INNER - Or.. A type of belly button.

39. Break in relations : RIFT

41. Lawyer's backlog : CASES

43. "I'm paying for the drinks" : ON ME - Okay, I'll leave the tip.

44. Dined at home : ATE IN  - Okay, no tipping here.

46. Indian breads : NAANS - Sort of looks like a Frisbee.  I suppose it's served at Progressive Field?

48. "A mouse!" : EEK

49. Sound equipment that may pick up a private remark : HOT MIC

51. Prayerful chants : MANTRAS

53. Scold loudly : YELL AT

56. Sticky stuff : GOO - Actually, Goo is not necessarily sticky.  Mud, Slippery Elm, or anything that Bert Blyleven put on a baseball.

57. "Cosmos" author Sagan : CARL

59. Chief Asgard god : ODIN

65. Healthful berry : ACAI - All right, another four letter word with three vowels.  I am addicted.

69. Dominican Republic neighbor : HAITI - News says they are slowly recovering from Hurricane Irma.

70. Triangle calculation : AREA - Tough to do.  You need all three side plus the height from the base to the highest point.  Math majors, correct me if I am wrong.

71. Prefix with -pathic : TELE

72. Max of Dadaism : ERNST

73. Consider : DEEM

  

Down:

  

1. Benches flanking church aisles : PEWS

3. Guthrie at Woodstock : ARLO - Also spent time in "Alice's restaurant", and I think he rode on the "City of New Orleans".  Illinois central, Monday morning rail.

4. Went for in an auction : SOLD AT - Auctions used to be boring, but now there is eBay.

5. Homer's bartender : MOE - What about Larry and Curly? (I don't watch "The Simpsons.")

6. Pizza maker : OVEN - I was a pizza maker in a younger life and no one called me oven.  I think Pizza baker may have been a better clue.

7. Ancient Greek physician : GALEN

8. In __: not yet born : UTERO - Not to be confused with Ichiro, who was born 44 years ago.

9. Batted first : LED OFF -  Speaking of Mr. Suzuki, he used to lead off for the Mariners, but now he bats 7th or 8th.

10. 1993 film with an instrument in its title : THE PIANO

12. Fairy tale meanie : OGRE

13. Herding dog name : SHEP - I was going to mention Larry, Moe and Curly again, but then I realized that guys name was Shemp.

18. Evil spells : HEXES - Stop signs.

24. Guitarist Clapton : ERIC

26. Muhammad in a ring : ALI - I knew him when he was Cassius Clay.

27. Hebrew scroll : TORAH

28. Samuel on the Supreme Court : ALITO - I think his friend call him Sam.  I would call him Mr. Justice.

30. X-Men co-creator Lee : STAN

32. Mythical lion's home : NEMEA

33. Arduous journeys : TREKS - I think 18 holes at Augusta could be a trek.

 

37. Unit at Staples : REAM - Interesting that this is a stack of paper, but you can also use a tool to ream a bigger hole in a piece of metal.  Ain't English great. ?

40. Facebook feature : TIMELINE

42. Stocking tear : SNAG - I think we had this last week.  Do ladies still wear nylon stockings?

45. Zip, in soccer : NIL

47. Wintry and white : SNOWY - Believe it or not, This happens in Minnesota on April 9th!!!

50. Provide apparel for : CLOTHE - You may clothe people with clothes.  If you wash them, hang them on a Clothesline with a clothespin.

52. "Tough!" : TOO BAD!

54. No-holds-barred commercial competition : AD WAR - "Ask your doctor if an Ad War is right for you."

55. Advertising link : TIE IN

57. Suffragist Carrie : CATT

58. Tooth pain : ACHE - Believe it or not, I have not had a tooth ache since 2009!  (That's when I got my dentures.)

60. Brooklyn NBA team : NETS - Strange name for an NBA team.  I would have picked Dodgers.

62. Old Italian cash : LIRE

64. Cheese from the Netherlands : EDAM

67. Tiny songbird : TIT - Also a willow and other stuff.

Boomer

Monday, July 31, 2017 ~ Lila Cherry

Theme: Play Ball! - We can't! All the bats are broken.

17A. Popular pool game: EIGHT BALL

32A. Nearly: JUST ABOUT

40A. Bulletin board sticker: THUMB TACK

5D. Healthful cereal: OAT BRAN

42D. Doctor's order: LAB TEST

58A. Cause of wood splinters in the infield ... and what each set of puzzle circles represents: BROKEN BAT

Argyle at the plate and "Really Rich" pitching. You should draw a walk but you still could be caught in a "pickle".

Across:

1. Outdoor party area: PATIO

6. Hot tub: SPA

9. In-the-wall security devices: SAFEs

14. Andes beast of burden: LLAMA. Two 'L'. In 29A. Great Wall continent: ASIA we have 60A. Tibetan beast of burden: YAK

15. Fox foot: PAW

16. Flashy display: ECLAT

19. Pretense: GUISE

20. Sneaks out after being grounded, say: DISOBEYS

21. Spinach-eating sailor: POPEYE

22. College dorm VIPs: RAs. (resident assistant or resident advisor)

23. Loo: LAV. (lavatory)

24. Blame for the crime: RAP. Noun usage: take the RAP, Slang. to take the blame

25. Capital One's "What's in your wallet?," e.g.: SLOGAN

31. Singer Rimes: LEANN

37. Eduardo's eight: OCHO. Spanish.

38. Brown-toned photo: SEPIA

39. Crowd silence: HUSH

42. Doone of Exmoor: LORNA

Badgworthy Water, a small river flowing through Malmsmead on Exmoor.

43. Israeli statesman Abba: EBAN. Abba Eban died in 2002.

44. Poland's capital: WARSAW where you might see 26D. Peace Nobelist Walesa: LECH. Lech Wałęsa.

45. Sophs, two yrs. later: SRs

48. Milk buys: Abbr.: QTs

49. Kernel holder: COB

50. Bernadette of "Into the Woods": PETERS

52. Surprise winner of fable: TORTOISE

57. Japanese mushroom: ENOKI

59. Hollywood VIP: CELEB

61. Barely enough: SCANT

62. Garden plantings: SEEDS

63. Ambulance initials: EMS. (Emergency Medical Services)

64. Short and not so sweet: TERSE

Down:

1. Asked earnestly (for): PLED. Pleaded, plead, or pled, per Dictionary.com, et al.

2. Et __: and others: ALII

3. Clothing price sites: TAGS

4. Texter's "If you ask me": IMHO. (in my humble opinion)

6. Neuters: SPAYS

7. Buddies: PALS

8. Punching tool: AWL

9. Classical guitarist Andrés: SEGOVIA

10. __ of coffee: A CUP

11. Advertising handout: FLIER

12. No-sweat grade: EASY 'A'

13. Precipitous: STEEP

18. Lima or fava: BEAN

21. Linguine or tortellini: PASTA

23. Eye surgery acronym: LASIK

25. One in a casino row: SLOT

27. Honolulu's island: OAHU

28. Pointy-hatted garden decoration: GNOME

30. Detest: ABHOR

32. Lees on your legs: JEANS

33. Scannable mdse. bars: UPC. (Universal Product Code)

34. For us: OURS

35. Pres. Carter's alma mater: USNA. (United States Naval Academy)

36. Unfreeze: THAW

38. Runs, hits and errors: STATS

41. Backyard beef on the bone, briefly: BBQ RIBS

44. Employment: WORK

45. Project details, for short: SPECS

46. Actress Zellweger: RENÉE. Post surgery.

47. Took badly?: STOLE

49. Broth-spoiling excess?: COOKS. "Too many cooks spoil the broth".

51. Barely managed, with "out": EKED

52. Theme park transport: TRAM

53. At a former time: ONCE. Once upon a time. (In to the Woods?)

54. Letter-shaped beam: I-BAR

55. Without, in France: SANS

56. Suffix with kitchen: ETTE. (kitchenette)

58. "Ciao!": "BYE!". "See ya later!"

Argyle

Tuesday, April 11 2017, Lila Cherry

Theme:  FOUR OF A KIND

17. *Pay for your online purchases, say : CHECK OUT

31. *Skip work because of illness : CALL IN SICK

37. *Cause a ruckus : RAISE CAIN

47. *Go out of business : FOLD UP SHOP

62. "Care to wager?" ... and a question answered, one way or the other, by

the first words of the answers to starred clues : WANNA BET?

Melissa here. Raced right through this one, and though the theme was obvious I had everything filled in before I noticed it. I love that RAISE CAIN is right in the middle.

Across

1. Prefix with deed, feed and read : MIS

4. Fave texting buds : BFFS. Best Friends Forever. Technically I suppose this should be BFsF, like Mothers-In-Law, instead of Mother-In-Laws.

8. One looking for something : SEEKER

14. Gorilla, for one : APE

15. To whom Rick said, "We'll always have Paris" : ILSA. Casablanca.

16. Mode of dress : ATTIRE

19. Admirers, as a group : FANDOM

20. Actress O'Donnell : ROSIE

21. Caspian, e.g. : SEA

23. Nick and Nora's dog : ASTA

24. Ancients, for instance? : ANAGRAM. That was sneaky. Three anagrams of ancients are: Canniest, Insectan, and Instance.

27. Big Band __ : ERA

29. White wine apéritif : KIR

30. Kitten cries : MEWS

34. Double curve : ESS

35. One to say "G'day" to : MATE. Cute.

36. Grandmas : NANAS

40. Once more : AGAIN

43. Deal with it : COPE

44. "How cute!" cries : AWS

50. Coin named for a continent : EURO

51. ER staffers : RNS

52. Frying __ : PAN

53. Movie double : STAND-IN

55. Sport shirt brand : IZOD. Not POLO.

57. Male cat : TOM

59. Santa __ racetrack : ANITA

60. Tenor Enrico : CARUSO

65. Tennis great Andre : AGASSI

66. Gung-ho : AVID

67. __ Fáil: Irish coronation stone : LIA

68. Port on the Loire : NANTES. In France.

69. Dickens' Uriah : HEEP. From David Copperfield.

70. Junior nav. officer : ENS. Lowest level of commissioned naval officer.

Down

1. Knot-tying art : MACRAME. 

2. Siri speaks on them : I-PHONES. She speaks on iMACs too, now.

3. Up-and-down playground boards : SEESAWS

4. Hog rider : BIKER. Hog = Harley Davidson motorcycle. Where did the nickname "HOG" come from?

5. Perky spokeswoman in Progressive ads : FLO. Played by Stephanie Courtney. In this commercial, she plays every member of the family.

6. Seminoles' sch. : FSU. Florida State University.

7. Pre-coll. exams : SATS

8. Jungle adventure : SAFARI

9. Approx. touchdown hour : ETA. Estimated Time of Arrival.

10. Italian volcano : ETNA

11. Glove leather : KIDSKIN

12. Racy literature : EROTICA

13. Comments : REMARKS

18. Smokes, briefly : CIGS

22. Slippery as an __ : EEL

25. Berry rich in antioxidants : ACAI

26. Wrestling surfaces : MATS

28. Broadway orphan : ANNIE

32. Parasite : LEECH

33. __ Andreas Fault : SAN

35. "Don't be a wimp!" : MAN UP

37. Unburdened (of) : RID

38. Lovey-dovey exchange : COOS

39. Date bk. entry : APPT

40. Like some violets : AFRICAN

41. Spokane school with a strong basketball program : GONZAGA. New to me.

42. Beaten candidate : ALSO RAN

44. Loud enough to hear : AUDIBLE

45. Unlisted vote-getter : WRITE-IN

46. Piano works : SONATAS

48. Regional dialect : PATOIS

49. __-Caps: candy : SNO

50. Sicilian resort city : ENNA

54. Food retailer named for two oceans : A AND P

56. Clean with Pledge : DUST

58. [Air kiss] : MWAH

61. Opposite of NNW : SSE

63. Prop. often named for a state in Monopoly : AVE

64. Nietzsche's "never" : NIE

Monday, September 26, 2016 Lila Cherry

Theme: Tickets, Please - A night at the opera.

17A. End that "I face," in Sinatra's "My Way": THE FINAL CURTAIN

30A. It has 32 pieces and a 64-square board: CHESS SET

37AA. Prepare to fly: SPREAD ONE'S WINGS

44A. Vital phase: KEY STAGE

58A. Broadway do-or-die philosophy, and a hint to the ends of 17-, 30-, 37- and 44-Across: THE SHOW MUST GO ON

Argyle here with Lila Cherry, an anagram for "Really Rich", showing us what a Monday should look like. You didn't stop looking for themes after the three spanners, did you? (I'd understand.) Parts of a theater theme is easy enough but Rich did add some nuggets to munch on. (Like 1-Across)

Across:

1. First assassin to attack Caesar: CASCA. The few I knew wouldn't fit.

6. Marvel Comics mutants: X-MEN

10. Folk singer Joan: BAEZ

14. Arctic or Indian: OCEAN

15. Bit of trickery: RUSE

16. In the style of, in ristorantes: ALLA. Penne Alla Vodka With Chicken.

20. Feudal laborer: SERF

21. Popeye's Olive: OYL

22. Given to giving orders: BOSSY

23. Grounded Aussie birds: EMUs. Flightless.

25. Twirl or whirl: SPIN

27. Gentlemen's partners: LADIES

34. Surrounded by: AMONG

35. __ accompli: FAIT. A thing that has already happened or been decided before those affected hear about it, leaving them with no option but to accept

36. Often rolled-over investment: IRA. (individual retirement account)

41. Kind: ILK

42. Self-images: EGOs

43. Gold bar: INGOT

47. Decadent, as the snobs in a historic Agnew speech: EFFETE

48. Blessed: HOLY

49. Get-out-of-jail money: BAIL

50. Drinks with floating ice cream: SODAs

53. Windy City summer hrs.: CDT. Central Daylight Time)

54. Jersey or Guernsey: ISLE. Islands in the English Channel.

62. Informal negative: AIN'T

63. "No __!": "Easy!": PROB. (problem)

64. Brief: SHORT

65. Activist Parks: ROSA

66. Words meaning the same thing: Abbr.: SYNs. (synonyms)

67. Furry swimmer: OTTER

Down:

1. Emergency shelter beds: COTS

2. Throb: ACHE

3. Fortuneteller: SEER

4. The jolt in joe?: CAFFEINE. Joe is slang for coffee.

5. "Give me __!": start of a Hoosier cheer: AN INDIANA

6. Diagnostic tests: X-RAYS

7. Ponder (over): MULL

8. Top-left PC key: ESC. (ESCAPE)

9. Modern, in Munich: NEU

10. Twirled sticks: BATONS

11. "That's a shame": "ALAS"

12. Yale alumni: ELIs

13. Madcap: ZANY

18. We, to Henri: NOUS

19. Grand slam homer quartet, briefly: RBIs. (run batted in) 3 runners already on base plus the batter.

24. Prefix with hit or store: MEGA

25. Backs up in fear: SHIES. Often said of a horse.

26. Cats and dogs: PETS

27. Eye surgery acronym: LASIK. (laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis)

28. More than enough: AMPLE

29. Foolish, in slang: DORKY

30. Easily tipped boat: CANOE

31. Burn slightly: SINGE

32. Rye grass disease: ERGOT

33. Try, as food: TASTE

35. Swimming in pea soup?: FOGGY

38. Hand out cards: DEAL

39. Coffeehouse connection: WiFi

40. Like airplane services: INFLIGHT

45. California peak: SHASTA

46. British balderdash: TOSH

47. Food, in diner signs: EATS

49. Buffalo Wild Wings nickname based on its initials: B-DUBS. Catch ya'? BWW - Bee Double U Double U. B-Dubs® is sports bar. Web page

50. Marquee name: STAR

51. Cincinnati's state: OHIO

52. Family rooms: DENS

53. "Let's get goin'!": "C'MON!"

55. Chimney sweep's sweepings: SOOT

56. Passed-down knowledge: LORE

57. __'acte: intermission: ENTR

59. Covert or black doings: OPS. (Operations)

60. Droll: WRY

61. Chinese menu general: TSO. Spicy.

Argyle

Notes from C.C.:

1) Happy birthday to Dennis, who helped me greatly with this blog the first few years. JimmyB and I talked about the days when you used to post first, Dennis. Hope it's a fantastic day! 

2) Best of luck on your first day at the new office, Barry! I hope they'll let you work from home again soon. Our blog is not complete without your daily comments. 

Tuesday, August 23, 2016 Lila Cherry

Theme: Vowel Progression - The first two consonants stay constant while the vowel progresses from A to U.

17. Missouri's largest metropolis: KANSAS CITY

22. First leg of racing's Triple Crown: KENTUCKY DERBY

34. 1990 comedy about a detective posing as a teacher: "KINDERGARTEN COP"{

46. Oslo attraction honoring Heyerdahl's expedition: KON TIKI MUSEUM

53. "Roots" hero from Gambia: KUNTA KINTE

Argyle here and "Really Rich". No reveal needed. Tricky construction; harder than the solving I'd say. The pool of words that would fit the grid is quite shallow. The fill for the most part is kindly.

Across:

1. Opinion piece: ESSAY

6. Resident's winter expense: HEAT

10. Formal agreement: PACT

14. Apartment agreement: LEASE

15. Waist-measuring unit: INCH

16. River through Spain: EBRO. Northern Spain.

19. Israel's Barak: EHUD. Wiki bio.

20. Costa __: RICA

Would you like to stay there?

21. Cooking-with-garlic enticement: AROMA

26. Prepare for the gala: DRESS UP

28. Signaled on stage: CUED

29. "Sure, sure": "I BET"

30. Sagan of "Cosmos": CARL

31. Place to relax: SPA

39. Suffix with Japan or Brooklyn: ESE

40. Water conduit: MAIN

41. Greek war god: ARES

42. Entertained with a tune: SANG

43. Unfavorable reputation: BAD NAME

50. Run __ of the law: AFOUL. Run afowl of the law is funnier.

51. Old Norse explorer: ERIC

52. Ball of smoke: PUFF

59. Mil. flying branch: USAF. (United States Air Force)

60. "Say that's true ... ": "IF SO..."

61. Water from France: EVIAN

62. Vietnamese holidays: TETs

63. Haunted house sound: MOAN

64. Fix errors in, as software: DEBUG

Down:

1. Antlered grazer: ELK

2. Aegean, for one: SEA

3. __ Bernardino: SAN

4. Braying beast: ASS

5. Longs (for): YEARNS

6. Minor setback: HICCUP

7. Room-size computer introduced in 1946: ENIAC

8. Perform on stage: ACT

9. Biblical "your": THY

10. Looked intently: PEERED

11. Hate: ABHOR

12. Speck of bread: CRUMB

13. Start of the rest of your life, so it's said: TODAY. "Today is the first day of the rest of your life."

18. In __: as found: SITU

21. One-named singer: ADELE

22. New Hampshire city: KEENE

23. Founded: Abbr.: ESTD. (established)

24. 1980s Chrysler line: K CAR. I had one that was a fantastic beater.

25. Mongolian tent: YURT

26. What Brinker's boy plugged with a finger: DIKE

27. Score-producing MLB stats: RBIs. (Run Batted In)

30. Is able to: CAN

31. "Get lost!": "SCRAM!"

32. Words from Wordsworth: POEM. Come forth into the light of things, Let Nature be your teacher. ~ William Wordsworth, 1770 - 1850

33. Church recess: APSE

35. Online message: EMAIL

36. Corporal or colonel: RANK

37. 1958 Chevalier musical: "GIGI". "Thank Heaven for Little Girls" – Sung by Maurice Chevalier

38. Half of Mork's sign-off: NANU

42. Fills with feathers, as a pillow: STUFFs

43. Richard who married Liz Taylor ... twice: BURTON. They sold a lot of tabloids in their day.

44. Cambodia's continent: ASIA

45. Knocked down: DECKED

46. Done for: KAPUT

47. Helpful: OF USE

48. Jack Sprat's diet restriction: NO FAT. His wife could eat no lean.

49. High-IQ group: MENSA

53. Actress Novak: KIM

54. Sci-fi aircraft: UFO. (unidentified flying object)

55. "__ seen worse": I'VE

56. Penpoint: NIB

57. Greek cross: TAU

58. Subj. with writing exercises: ENG. (English)

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

Happy Birthday to Tinbeni, who has been with our blog since 2009. I'll be toasting you with the Golden Milk when sun sets today, Tinbeni!