Monday, June 13, 2016 Lila Cherry

Theme: D/J - Phrases starting with D and J.

17A. Hardcover protector : DUST JACKET

25A. Improvisational music style developed in 14-Across : DIXIELAND JAZZ

43A. Local jurist : DISTRICT JUDGE

58A. Maneuver that captures two checkers : DOUBLE JUMP

10D. Guy's breakup letter : DEAR JANE

37D. Clerical office positions : DESK JOBS

47D. Wedding music provider ... and a homophonic hint to six puzzle answers : DEEJAY

Argyle here with Lila Cherry(Really Rich). It seems a simple theme is acceptable if there is enough of it. All the J's are accounted for but there are some free-range D's out there. Tom Joad is a T/J. A nice mix of new and old with even a unique three-letter entry, TCB.

Across:

1. "Pardon me ... " : "AHEM ... "

5. __ Madness: fruity Snapple flavor : MANGO

10. Info that isn't as dumb as it sounds : DOPE

14. Mardi Gras city acronym : NOLA. (New Orleans, Louisiana)

15. University founder Yale : ELIHU

16. Quaint "Yikes!" : "EGAD!"

19. One on your side : ALLY

20. Old show showings : RERUNS

21. Josephine, for one : EMPRESS. Josephine Bonaparte wearing her signature gown.

23. Dictator Amin : IDI. Third President of Uganda, ruling from 1971 to 1979.

24. Noun following a vb., usually : OBJect

32. Cat covering : FUR

33. East, to Eduardo : ESTE

34. Orderly : NEAT plus 7D. Suffix with 34-Across : NIK

36. Apple tablet : iPAD

38. Handled things somehow : COPED

39. Stonestreet of "Modern Family" : ERIC. Cam on the show.

40. Heredity unit : GENE

41. x or y, in plane geometry : AXIS

42. Planet, in verse : ORB

48. Divided Asian country: Abbr. : KORea

49. Miner's objective : ORE

50. "The Grapes of Wrath" protagonist : TOM JOAD

54. Boring tools : AUGERS

57. Small Chevy model : AVEO

61. Low-__ diet : CARB

62. Outie's opposite : INNIE. Belly buttons.

63. Natural skin soother : ALOE

64. Bullfight cheers : OLÉs

65. Brewery kilns : OASTS

66. Thief who doesn't need the combination : YEGG. Safecracker.

Down:

1. Also : AND

2. Time of day : HOUR

3. "Anything __?" : ELSE

4. Dot-__ printer : MATRIX

5. Malicious one : MEANIE

6. Oct. baseball semifinal : ALCS. (American League Championship Series)

8. Indian butter : GHEE

9. No longer in style : OUTMODED

11. Gawk at : OGLE

12. Buddies : PALS

13. "Grand" ice cream brand : EDYS

18. Dame Dench : JUDI

22. Sandwich with Jif and Welch's, for short : PBJ. (peanut butter and jelly)

25. Fooled : DUPED

26. Pakistani neighbor : IRANI

27. Eleventh of 13 popes : LEO XI

28. Savory gelatin : ASPIC

29. H-bomb trial, e.g. : N-TEST

30. Weightlessness cause, briefly : ZERO G

31. Congo, formerly : ZAIRE

32. Newton fruit : FIG

35. Getting it done, initially : TCB. "Taking Care of Business"

 

 

38. Music provider on the road : CAR RADIO

44. Also : TOO

45. Units of energy : JOULES. Previous expo, 8-Across

46. Strongly suggest : URGE

50. Mexican snack in a shell : TACO

51. Track shape : OVAL

52. Nothing but : MERE

53. Spanish lady : DONA

54. Not much : A BIT

55. __ of thumb : RULE

56. City skyline obscurer : SMOG

59. Young __: tots, in dialect : 'UNS. Often spelt as one word, young'uns.

60. Tent stake : PEG

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

I finally met with Jeffrey Wechsler yesterday at the Fifth MN Crossword Tournament. As Gary said  in a Facebook comment "Fiendish Jeff Wechsler even looks human!" Jeffrey flew in from New Jersey to volunteer for the event. Jeffrey was also a judge for the ACPT the past few years. We managed to talk a little shop while he was busy working for the tournament.

David Liben-Nowell, Tom Pepper, Jeffrey Wechsler, David Hanson & C.C. 

It was also fun discussing crosswords with the brilliant local constructors: Tom Pepper (Mr. Minnesota Nice), Marcia Brott (We had her puzzle three months ago), Victor Barocas (our hard-working editor), David Hanson (He used to comment on our blog with the handle Rosebud), Andrew J. Ries (so incredibly talented. Click here to subscribe to his weekly puzzle) & David Liben-Nowell (He has a LAT themeless coming up).

Don Gagliardo, Andrea Carla Michaels & David Steinberg all contributed puzzles but could not make the trip. George Barany was traveling in CA. You were all missed.

Mike Weepie won the tournament. Eric Maddy came in second. Carl Voss third. Below are a few pictures. You can click here for more.

David Hanson,Victor Barocas, C.C. & Andrew J. Ries

 

Victor & Eric Maddy

David Bael, Marcia and Tom

Monday, September 28, 2015 Lila Cherry

Theme: Give My Regards To Broadway - Things you see in a theater.

17A. *Last leg of a journey : FINAL STAGE

57A. *Matching breakfast nook furniture : DINETTE SET

11D. *Thanksgiving night snacks : TURKEY WINGS

25D. *Cold War barrier : IRON CURTAIN

43D. Broadway building, and where to find the ends of the answers to starred clues : THEATER

Bonus entry: 39A. Broadway productions : SHOWS

Argyle here with an anagrammed constructor. Some new stuff, some old, and some to see if you've been paying attention the last few weeks. Enjoy!

Across:

1. Borscht veggies : BEETS

6. Garden neighbors of glads, perhaps : MUMS

10. "Looking at it differently," in texts : OTOH. (On The Other Hand)

14. Play the coquette : FLIRT

15. Part of MIT: Abbr. : INST. (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

16. Make all better : CURE

19. Cleveland's lake : ERIE

20. Protruding-lip expression : POUT

21. Made minor adjustments to : TWEAKED. Like using botox to get that pout.

23. Enjoy snowy trails : SKI

26. Constellation bear : URSA

28. Discussion groups : PANELS

29. Stephen King's harassed high schooler : CARRIE. "Carrie: The Musical" was both on Broadway(1988) and Off-Broadway(2012)(Revival).

31. Shiny photo : GLOSSY. "27 8×10 color glossy pictures with circles and arrows and a paragraph on the back of each one explaining what each one was to be used as evidence against us" ~ Arlo

33. Great Plains natives : OTOEs

34. Largest Greek island : CRETE

35. Roll of cash : WAD

38. Comes out on top : WINS

40. Actress Sorvino : MIRA. Screen and TV but no stage work that I could find.

41. "Just a __!" : SEC

42. How not to talk in libraries : ALOUD as distinguished from whisperingly

43. Piquant : TANGY

44. Stereotypically wealthy city area : UPTOWN. Sans shades.

46. Clavell novel of feudal Japan : SHOGUN. On Broadway in 1990, "Shogun: The Musical".

47. Take out a loan : BORROW

49. Ice hockey feint : DEKE

51. Observe : SEE

52. Intermittently : AT TIMES

54. Perfume container : VIAL

56. Fava or soya : BEAN

62. Spy novelist Ambler : ERIC. NYTimes Obit

63. Japanese noodle : UDON

64. Midterms, e.g. : EXAMS

65. "The __ Ranger" : LONE. The Green Hornet's great-uncle.

66. Chapel seating : PEWS

67. Assemble, as equipment : RIG UP

Down:

1. Texter's soul mate : BFF. (Best Friends Forever)

2. Yalie : ELI

3. A, in Austria : EIN

4. Mouse catcher : TRAP. Board game with cheese-shaped tokens, "Mouse Trap". "The Mousetrap" is a murder mystery play by Agatha Christie. It opened in the West End of London in 1952, and has been running continuously since then. Will it come to Broadway?

5. Arch city : ST. LOUIS

6. Catchers' gloves : MITTS

7. __ vez: Spanish "once" : UNA "At once" or 58D. Without delay : NOW

8. High-ranking NCO : MSGT. (Master Sergeant)

9. Gumbo cookers : STEW POTS

10. Pacific and Atlantic : OCEANS

12. Bay window : ORIEL

13. Pays attention to : HEEDS

18. "Be glad to" : "SURE"

22. Effortlessness : EASE

23. Garbage haulers : SCOWS

24. News anchor Couric : KATIE

27. Bad way to run a yacht? : AGROUND

30. Legal thing : RES

32. Indecent : LEWD

34. Vittles : CHOW

36. Take issue (with) : ARGUE

37. "Tell It to My Heart" singer Taylor __ : DAYNE

39. Decelerated : SLOWED UP

40. Chinese chairman : MAO

42. Molecule part : ATOM

45. Royal son : PRINCE

46. "SNL" segment : SKIT

47. Biblical tower site : BABEL

48. Alamogordo's county : OTERO, New Mexico. Update: Otero County was created January 30, 1899 from the eastern end of Doña Ana County, the southern portion of Lincoln, and southeast corner of Socorro County. Otero County was named after Miguel Antonio Otero, New Mexico's governor at the time (the first Hispanic surnamed governor of New Mexico Territory, served 1897-1906). His father, by the same name, had served as Territorial Representative to Congress from 1856 to 1861.

50. Odds alternative : EVENS

53. Either team on the field : SIDE

55. LPGA golfer Thompson : LEXI. Hmm, golfer or model, Images.

59. Droop in the middle : SAG

60. Down Under bird : EMU

61. Baker's meas. : TSP

Argyle

Monday, July 21, 2014 Lila Cherry

Theme: B?ND - The last part of the entries is a vowel progression.

17A. Illegally imported goods : CONTRABAND

26A. Squatting exercise : KNEE BEND

37A. Enchant : SPELLBIND

53A. Wanderer : VAGABOND

62A. Tuxedo accessory : CUMMERBUND

Argyle here. Three of the four entries are single words but knee bend isn't. Lila (Really Rich) should know better. Pshaw! What do I want from a Monday other than a doable puzzle. OK, I'll keep my nits to myself.

Across:

1. Put some pizazz in : PEP UP

6. Florida resort, familiarly : BOCA

10. __ America Competition : MISS

14. Speedy Amtrak train : ACELA

15. The Bard's river : AVON

16. "A time to cast away stones" Bible bk. : ECCL. (Ecclesiastes)

19. "Star Wars" princess : LEIA

20. Come up : ARISE

21. Dada artist Jean : ARP

23. Director Affleck : BEN

24. Mercedes sedan category : E CLASS

28. Illuminated : LIT

29. Author Victor : HUGO. French writer / "Les Misérables"

31. Hard to find : SCARCE

32. BLT spread : MAYO

34. Marshy wasteland : MOOR

36. Rage : ANGER

40. 2014 French Open winner Rafael : NADAL. Rafael Nadal.

43. Opposite of pass : FAIL

44. Fraternal gp. with an antlered animal in its logo : BPOE. (Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks)

48. Brought to mind : EVOKED

50. Cruise stop : ISLE

52. Delta rival: Abbr. : UAL. (United Airlines)

55. Irritable : SNARKY

57. Braz. neighbor : ARG. Brazil / Argentina

58. WWII mil. zone : ETO. (European Theater of Operations)

59. Cobbler's supply : HEELS

60. Christian of fashion : DIOR

66. What Clearasil treats : ACNE

67. Norway's capital : OSLO

68. Davis of "Thelma & Louise" : GEENA

69. Requirement : NEED

70. Situation to be cleaned up : MESS

71. Okays : YESes

Down:

1. Calif.'s ocean : PAC. Pacific.

2. Author Umberto : ECO

3. Football ref's call : PENALTY

4. Extreme : ULTRA

5. County counterpart in Louisiana : PARISH

 

6. Slugger Ruth : BABE

7. Eggs in a clinic : OVA

8. Sir Arthur __ Doyle : CONAN. Sherlock's creator.

9. Guitarist Segovia : ANDRES

10. Diner owner on "Alice" : MEL

11. Titanic sinker : ICEBERG

12. Chemistry or physics : SCIENCE

13. Libel's spoken equivalent : SLANDER. "I get slandered, libeled. I hear words I never heard in the Bible..."

18. Take for granted : ASSUME

22. Nut in a pie : PECAN

24. Shade tree : ELM or 46D. Shade tree : OAK

25. Covert govt. group : CIA. I better not spell it out; don't want no trouble.

26. Drink brand with a pitcher for a mascot : KOOL-AID

27. Quaint weekend getaway, briefly : B AND B. (Bed & Breakfast)

30. 18-hole outing : GOLF

33. Honshu port : OSAKA

35. Score-producing MLB stats : RBIs

38. Academy frosh : PLEBE

39. "Haven't made up my mind yet" : "I'LL SEE"

40. Reno resident : NEVADAN

41. Greed : AVARICE

42. Danged : DOGGONE. (it)

45. Chases after : PURSUES

47. Tarzan portrayer Ron : ELY

49. __ bubble: Internet stock phenomenon : DOT COM

51. Get-up-and-go : ENERGY

54. Hopeless : NO USE

56. "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" playwright Edward : ALBEE

59. Managed care gps. : HMOs

61. Chianti color : RED

63. D.C. United's org. : MLS. (Major League Soccer)

64. Opposite of SSW : NNE

65. Opponents of defense lawyers: Abbr. : DAs. (District Attorney)

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

Here is a picture from Dylan's 1-year-old birthday party yesterday. Click here, you'll see that hats are an important part of their birthday celebrations.

Front Row (Left to Right: Grady (turning 4 this coming Thursday) & his dad Derek; Truman (Grady's big brother) & mom Corie; Dylan and mom Shelby; Cameron (Dylan's big brother) and dad Joe, who is a Scot.

Back Row: Proud grandparents JD & Bob.

Monday, November 19, 2012 Lila Cherry

Theme: Boomers - A shout out to C.C.'s husband?

20A. One who can talk you to sleep : CRASHING BORE

33A. Audible sign of hunger : RUMBLING STOMACH

41A. Flappers’ decade : ROARING TWENTIES

56A. Weather event where you’d hear the starts of 20-, 33- and 41Across : THUNDER STORM

Argyle here. I was going to link some storm sounds for you to hear here but this is just not the season for thunder storms. Did you know YouTube has a eight hour downloads of storm sounds? East Coasters are probably not ready to hear that right now.

Oh, and the puzzle; it is from Lila Cherry("Really Rich"), a pseudonym of Rich Norris, our editor. He has fit two grid spanners in the center. Some of the fill is ho-hum but there's not a Natick in the bunch.

Across:

1. Part of PGA: Abbr. : ASSN. (Professional Golfers' Association)

5. Desert tableland : MESA

9. Character weakness : FLAW

13. Chase away, as a fly : SHOO. Anybody having shoofly pie for Thanksgiving?

14. Plot surprise : TWIST

16. “Queen of Country” McEntire : REBA

17. A psychic may read yours : PALM. No, not your palm tree.

18. Yemen’s capital : SANA'A

19. With 8-Down, really simple : EASY and 8D. See 19-Across : AS ABC

23. Pellet shooter : AIRGUN

24. AFL partner : CIO. (American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations)

25. Madrid Mrs. : SRA. (Señora)

28. Tabula __: blank slate : RASA

31. “That’s enough out of you!” : "STOW IT!"

38. Cruising on the briny : ASEA

39. Org. offering motel discounts : AAA. (American Automobile Association, also called "Triple A")

40. Chat room “Here’s what I think ...” : IMHO. (in my humble opinion)

46. Present from birth : INNATE

47. Salinger title teenager : ESME. "For Esmé – with Love and Squalor"

48. Court divider : NET

49. “Criminal Minds” network : CBS. (Columbia Broadcasting System)

51. Bible book of 150 poems : PSALMS

59. It might begin, “Knock knock” : JOKE

62. Word after maternity or shore : LEAVE

63. Prefix with dextrous : AMBI. (ambidextrous: able to use both hands equally well.)

64. Allies’ opponents : AXIS. us/them.

65. City that inspired van Gogh : ARLES. Wheat Fields near Arles.

66. Banister : RAIL

67. Old wives’ tale : MYTH

68. Lions’ homes : DENS. No, it's Detroit; watch 'em play on Thanksgiving.

69. “Bus Stop” dramatist William : INGE

Down:

1. Critters’ rights gp. : ASPCA. (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) Kill your turkey humanely or have tofurkey.

2. Lewis with Lamb Chop : SHARI. PLEASE, no Lamb Chop for dinner.

3. From the sun : SOLAR

4. Asian menu assurance : [NO MSG]

5. Where Moses received the Commandments: Abbr. : MT. SINAI

6. Actor McGregor : EWAN

7. Croon a tune : SING

9. At no cost : FREE

10. Grazing area : LEA

11. Middle muscles : AB's. (abdominal muscles)

12. Method : WAY

15. Follower of Laotzu : TAOIST. Déjà vu?

21. Throw hard : HURL

22. __-Rooter : ROTO. The company originally specialized in clearing tree roots and other obstructions from sewer lines.

25. Hindu guru : SWAMI

26. Rolling in French euros : RICHE. French for rich, if you couldn't guess.

27. Pal of Porthos : ATHOS. The Three Musketeers (with Aramis)

29. Unexpected problem : SNAG

30. Colorful marble : AGATE

32. Neglect to include : OMIT

33. __ to go: ready for action, in dialect : RARIN'. Rarin' for a big dinner and good football.

34. Me.-to-Fla. highway : U.S. ONE

35. Intended : MEANT

36. Old-time actress Theda : BARA. Don't be late if she's cooking!

37. Tree cutters : SAWS

42. Restless desire : ITCH

43. Cosmic cloud : NEBULA

44. Catherine the Great, to Russia : EMPRESS

45. Eliot of the Untouchables : NESS

50. Wooden Mortimer : SNERD. Déjà vu?

52. Pong producer : ATARI

53. Fictional salesman Willy : LOMAN. (from Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman)

54. Boss, slangily : MR. BIG

55. Photographer’s request : "SMILE"

56. New Age musician John : TESH

57. Chip’s chipmunk pal : DALE

58. Neck and neck : EVEN

59. Traffic trouble : JAM

60. Natural Skin Science company : OXY. A line of acne care products. Web site. I'm not sure the CA company is the same one.

61. First-aid aid : KIT

Argyle


Notes from C.C.:

Happy Birthday to dear Creature! Long time regulars know how sweet and caring she was when she was active on the blog. I sure miss her warm presence.

I mentioned in one of Splynter's write-ups ( See 20-Across KLU) earlier this month that Creature still solves LAT & reads our blog every day. She wrote a short comment the next day.

I hope you do something special for yourself today, Creature. We all look forward to your return.

Monday, February 27, 2012 Lila Cherry

Theme: Dale, Jr., at Daytona? - If Junior pulls off a win today at Daytona, in the manner suggested by the words in the front of the first three theme entries, his popularity will surge higher than it ever has before.

17A. Backstage : BEHIND THE SCENES

24A. Got married : TIED THE KNOT

43A. Forefront, as of technology : LEADING EDGE

56A. Returning to popularity, or what you'd have been doing if you followed the sequence formed by the first words of 17-, 24- and 43-Across : MAKING A COMEBACK

Argyle here. If you think today's constructor is Lila Cherry, that's really Rich. A good example of what a Monday puzzle can be, even if there is that shameful plug for the paper. (24-Down. Los Angeles daily : TIMES) If you have any nits, today is the day to lay them on; our editor can take it.

The Daytona 500 was rained out on Sunday, the first time in the history of the race.

Across:

1. Fight-stopping calls, briefly : TKOs. (technical knockout) May be called by the referee, fight doctor, or a fighter's corner.

5. Discourteous : RUDE

9. Ireland patron, for short : ST. PAT

14. 10 million centuries : AEON

15. Soon, to the bard : ANON

16. Chicago airport : O'HARE. It is an important hub for United Airlines.

20. The second story, vis-à-vis the first : UPSTAIRS

21. Tough Japanese dogs : AKITAs. Info.

22. Coll. football's Seminoles : FSU. Florida State University at Tallahassee, FL.

23. Over, to Oskar : ÜBER

29. Wee lie : FIB

32. Forster's "A Passage to __" : INDIA. Trailer. (3:24)

33. Off one's rocker : NUTS

34. Dashboard gadget prefix with meter : ODO

35. Robin's Marian, for one : MAID. Robin Hood. Maid Marian is more complex than I thought, according to Wikipedia.

36. Market express lane units : ITEMS

38. Car : AUTO

39. North Pole helper : ELF. Still on vacation.

40. Muscle pain : ACHE

41. Desi who married 60-Across : ARNAZ and 60-Across. Ball of Hollywood : LUCY

42. Sneaky : SLY. Note it is tied into TIMES. (24D)

46. USA or Mex., e.g. : ABBReviation

47. "Do __ favor ..." : ME A

48. Blood deficiency that causes weakness : ANEMIA. Reduced number of red blood cells.

51. Embodiments : EPITOMEs

58. Informal bridge bid : ONE NO. (one no trump)

59. Activist Parks : ROSA

61. Praise : KUDOS

62. Sheltered valley : GLEN

63. Brown or cream bar orders : ALES. A small misdirection towards popsicles

Down:

1. "Forbidden" cologne brand : TABU. I am a little confused here. TABU is a perfume by Dana, launched by the design house of Dana in 1932. TABU is classified as a luxurious, oriental fragrance and is called "The forbidden fragrance".(If you go to this site, scroll down to read some interesting comments.) "Forbidden" cologne is new and isn't the same fragrance.

2. Hang on to : KEEP

3. Partners of aahs : OOHs

4. Fit of agitation : SNIT

5. Pungent salad veggie : RADISH

6. Fictitious : UNTRUE

7. Cries from Homer Simpson : D'OHs

8. Opposite of WSW : ENE

9. Plugging-in places : SOCKETS

10. "... all snug in __ beds" : THEIR

11. Cool off, dog-style : PANT. Why do dogs pant? Answer, possible TMI.

12. Locale : AREA

13. "__ of the D'Urbervilles" : TESS. A novel by Thomas Hardy, first published in 1891.

18. USA/Mex./Can. pact : NAFTA. (North American Free Trade Agreement)

19. Wooden shoes : SABOTS

23. E pluribus __ : UNUM

25. Counting everything : IN ALL

26. Spiritually enlighten : EDIFY

27. Completed : DID

28. Kicked with a bent leg : KNEED

29. No longer lost : FOUND

30. Luggage attachment : ID TAG

31. Hooch : BOOZE

36. Swelling treatment : ICE BAG. It may be needed after 28-Down.

37. "__ she blows!" : THAR

38. Exist : ARE

40. White whales, e.g. : ALBINOs. "THAR she blows!"

41. Colorful marble : AGATE

44. Levy, as a tax : IMPOSE

45. Upscale retailer __ Marcus : NEIMAN. Headquartered in the Dallas, Texas.

46. __ acid : AMINO

48. Unrestrained way to run : AMOK

49. Half of Mork's sign-off : NANU. Mork's better half, reporting to Orson.(1:57)

50. Barely made, with "out" : EKED

51. Environmental sci. : ECOL.

52. Beatles nonsense syllables : OB-LA-DI, OB-LA-DA, life goes on.

53. Manhandle : MAUL

54. Caesar's "Behold!" : "ECCE!"

55. "The __ the limit!" : SKY'S. Tom Petty's "Into the Great Wide Open" (3:47)

57. Neighbor of Braz. : ARGentina

Answer grid.

Argyle

Monday, October 4, 2010 Lila Cherry

Theme: Lunchbox Classic - The first parts of the theme entries form that basic lunch for kids.

17A. Sources of rowdy criticism: PEANUT GALLERIES

25A. Turkey brand: BUTTERBALL

38A. &: AND SIGN. Shorter than the two 8s and four 9s non-theme fill. Perfectly fine as it's placed right in the middle of the grid. Easily recognized as the theme entry.

49A. Colorful plastic footwear: JELLY SHOES

59A. Hawaii once comprised most of them: SANDWICH ISLANDS

Argyle here with our favorite editor, Lila Cherry, anagram of "Really Rich".

My comments will be brief due to the trouble with Cruciverb. Too bad, there were some good stuff in there, esp the non-theme long entries. As a well constructed Monday, most problems were solved by the perps.

OH yeah, a ton of alliterations. And clechos, too.

Across:

1. Self-confident to a fault : COCKY

6. Dealt with fallen leaves : RAKED. Timely.

11. Donkey : ASS

14. Sneeze sound : AHCOO

15. Vine-covered, as college walls : IVIED

16. ROTC school WSW of Washington, D.C. : VMI. Virginia Military Institute.

20. He-sheep : RAM

21. The Carpenters and Sonny & Cher : DUOs

22. Jazzy Fitzgerald : ELLA

23. Mother of Don Juan : INEZ. Not exactly a Monday word.

29. Turkey-carving machine : SLICER

31. Mine, in Metz : À MOI. Alliteration.

32. Recline, biblically : LIETH

33. Play your poker hand without drawing : STAND PAT

37. Commotion : ADO

41. Computer program suffix : EXE

42. 1997-2003 game show host who put up his own money for prizes : BEN STEIN. Nice full name. This guy.

44. How stop signs are painted : IN RED

46. ABA members : ATTs. Attorneys.

47. Oration : SPEECH

53. "Huh?" : "WHAT?"

55. Nike rival : AVIA. Latin for "fly".

56. Stumble : TRIP

58. Santa __ winds : ANA

64. Poem of praise : ODE

65. Game show host : EMCEE

66. Remus or Sam : UNCLE

67. Actor Beatty : NED

68. Cowpoke's pokers : SPURS

69. Beef source : STEER

Down:

1. Bay of Naples isle : CAPRI. Capri pants are named after this isle.

2. Aptly named California coastal city : OCEANSIDE. South of Camp Pendleton.

3. Lizard that can change colors : CHAMELEON. Lovely entry.

4. __-Tiki : KON

5. "__ be amazed" : YOU'D

6. Severity, in Soho : RIGOUR. That would be the English Soho, to indicate the English spelling.

7. Seagoing "Cease!" : "AVAST!"

8. About .62 mi. : KIL. Kilometer or, more common, Km.

9. Slithery fish : EEL

10. Pres. before JFK : DDE

11. Walled Spanish city : ÁVILA. Central Spain.

12. Use one's nose : SMELL

13. Rope-making fiber : SISAL

18. Boob __: TV : TUBE

19. Opener's next call, in bridge : REBID

24. Pimple : ZIT

26. Actor Jacques : TATI. ? Image. Not a Monday name.

27. Online zine : E-MAG

28. Country music's Milsap : RONNIE

30. Talkative : CHATTY

32. Experiment site : LAB

33. Nine-digit ID : SSN

34. "To sleep, __ to dream": Hamlet : PERCHANCE. Debut entry.

35. Chopping tool grip : AXE HANDLE. Quite a scrabbly grid.

36. CNN founder Turner : TED

39. Circus safety gear : NETS

40. Dinner plate : DISH. And SALAD (43. Dinner course). Dinner clecho. More food reference.

45. Original : NEW

47. Baseball's World __ : SERIES

48. Omega preceders : PSIs

49. Leader of the Argonauts : JASON. Jason and the Argonauts.

50. Deftly escape from : EVADE

51. Like many winter jackets : LINED

52. None of the above : OTHER

54. Stun gun : TASER

57. + : PLUS

60. All-Pro Patriots receiver Welker : WES

61. Pesky kid : IMP

62. Hosp. heart ward : CCU. Coronary Care Unit.

63. Aardvark's tidbit : ANT. Several relevant mentions in this cartoon, and some good jazz, too.

Answer grid.

Argyle

Monday, September 6, 2010 Lila Cherry

Theme: "Extra! Read All About It!" - The ending words of four non-newspaper phrases are what you might read in a paper, followed by the unifier.

18A. Watch or clock : TIMEPIECE

20A. Second floor of a home, say : UPPER STORY

33A. With 35-Across, real McCoy : GENUINE and 35A. See 33-Across : ARTICLE. If you're wondering where "real McCoy" came from, Wikipedia. The total word count for the two entries is 14 letters, not suitable for a central theme entry. Hence the break-up in the middle by a black block.

52. Where to begin adding numbers : ONES COLUMN. You remember, adding up numbers in the pre-calculator days

54. Daily publication where you'd read the ends of 18-, 20-, 33/35- and 52-Across : NEWSPAPER

Argyle here with a Lila "Really Rich" Cherry constructed Monday puzzle.

There are 20 three-letter entries and 18 four-letter entries. The two longest theme entries are only ten letters. There are also 24 6-letter or more non-theme fill, including four vertical 8s.

Not much to comment on. Hope you all have a pleasant Labor Day. Except for some rain in the upper mid-west, pretty nice weather nationwide.

Across:

1. Moved on all fours : CREPT

6. "Snow" veggie : PEA. Image.

9. Action film high point : CHASE

14. Break off completely : SEVER

15. Select, with "for" : OPT

16. Like Cheerios : OATEN

17. Open-mouthed : AGAPE

22. Your and my : OUR

23. John who played Basil Fawlty : CLEESE. A short clip, entitled "Panic Stations".

24. QVC competitor : HSN. QVC is an acronym for Quality, Value, Convenience. HSN is the Home Shopping Network. They are cable TV shopping channels engaged in 60A. Cybercommerce : E-TAIL

25. Town, informally : BURG. From Old High German burg, a fortified town

26. Animal fat : LARD

27. Keats or Yeats : POET. Appropriately rhymed.

29. Brighton buddy : MATEY. British alliteration.

30. Ear: Pref. : OTO

31. Ernie's Muppet pal : BERT

32. Amt. still owed : BAL

39. Got ready for a lap dog : SAT

40. Ink stain : BLOT

41. Accelerate, with "up" : REV

42. Gets nosy : PRIES

45. Bump off : DO IN

46. Arrived : CAME

47. Swedish soprano Jenny : LIND. “The Swedish Nightingale”, 1820–87.

48. Tyrannosaurus __ : REX.

49. Element used in dating rocks : CARBON

51. Actress Gardner : AVA

56. Microwave alerts : BEEPS

58. Speechify : ORATE

59. Perrier, to Pierre : EAU. French alliteration. Perrier is a brand of mineral water bottled in France.

61. Justin Timberlake's boy band : NSYNC

62. AAA suggestion : RTE

63. Aromatic compound : ESTER

Down:

1. Civil War org. : CSA. Confederate States of America.

2. Control, as temperature : REGULATE

3. Argentine leader played by Madonna : EVA PERON

4. Livened (up) : PEPPED

5. Ancestral diagrams : TREES

6. Pans partner : POTS. Triple alliteration.

7. Nickname : EPITHET

8. Maximally : AT MOST

9. Xerox : COPY

10. See 25-Down : HAI and 25. With 10-Down, "South Pacific" song : BALI

11. Enjoyed a diner : ATE OUT

12. Tie tightly : SECURE

13. Pizazz : ENERGY

19. Directional suffix : ERN

21. Regret one's sins : REPENT

23. Drain obstruction : CLOG

28. Calif. neighbor : ORE

29. Damon of "Good Will Hunting" : MATT

31. Skewed view : BIAS

32. "Bucking" horse : BRONCO

34. Secondhand : USED

35. Baba who stole from thieves : ALI

36. Dungeness delicacy : CRABMEAT. American alliteration. Dungeness, Washington, now called Old Town Dungeness, is where the first commercial harvesting of the Dungeness crab was done. Image. Don't look, Sallie!

37. Tart dessert : LEMON PIE

38. All square : EVEN

40. Costlier ballpark spot : BOX SEAT

42. Expect to happen : PLAN ON. Like you should PLAN ON a second mortgage if you want to buy BOX SEATS.

43. Funny Joan : RIVERS

44. Sort of : IN A WAY

45. Farther below the water's surface : DEEPER

46. Salad oil bottles : CRUETS

48. Cell "messenger," briefly : RNA

50. "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" playwright : ALBEE

52. Oil cartel acronym : OPEC

53. Nikki Sixx/Tommy Lee group Mötley __ : CRÜE

55. RR depot : STN. Railroad station.

57. 35mm camera type : SLR

Answer grid.

Argyle

Monday March 15, 2010 Lila Cherry

Theme: Beware the IDES OF MARCH (56A Today, to Caesar - and a hint to the hidden word appearing in this puzzle 15 times (including the one in this answer) - IDE is hidden and marching around in 15 different places.

16A Kids' game with an "it": HIDE AND SEEK

20A Curving pitch: SLIDER

36A Author André: GIDE. Nobel Literature winner 1947.

37A Fall apple drink: CIDER

41A Group of lions: PRIDE

44A 9-Down footballer: RAIDER. 9D. San Francisco Bay city: OAKLAND.

3D Bike outing: RIDE

10D Wedding party member: BRIDESMAID

14D As above, in footnotes: IDEM

26D Like most modern TVs, picturewise: WIDE SCREEN

28D Square's four: SIDE

31D Drop in pronunciation: ELIDE

40D Oceanic reflux: EBB TIDE

49D What's on your mind: IDEA

Another puzzle from our editor Rich Norris himself. Lila Cherry, one of his alias names, is an anagram of "Really Rich".

Very creative interpretation of "Ides of March" (the day Caesar was killed) and deliberate use of 15 as the number of IDE words/phrases. Perfect puzzle for March 15. Great crossing with DOOM (46. Dire fate) as well.

Among the IDE entries, four longest ones are symmetrically placed, and SIDES and CIDER are placed in the very middle of the grid crossing each other.

Brain dead Argyle here. I hope C.C. is up early enough to fix my mistakes today. For the longest tine, I could only find 14 Ides! Thank goodness most of the clue/answers are straightforward.

Across:

1. Month with showers: APRIL

6. Auctioned auto, briefly: REPO. (repossessed)

10. Journalist Nellie: BLY

13. Egypt's capital: CAIRO

14. Ancient Greek district: IONIA

15. Corned beef bread: RYE

18. Nest egg item, for short: IRA

19. Bridge supports: TRESTLES

22. Garment bottom: HEM

23. Suffix with meth- or prop-: ANE

24. Alley competitor: BOWLER. Bowling alley.

28. Backyard play apparatus: SWING SET

33. Like some college walls: IVIED

34. Employed: HIRED

35. Caesar's 1,051: MLI. One more Caesar reference.

38. Pass's opposite: FAIL

39. Single: ONE

40. City on the Ruhr: ESSEN

42. Nuclear treaty subjects: TEST BANS

45. Corn discard: COB

46. The Atty. General is head of it: DOJ. Department of Justice.

47. Low-level clouds: STRATI

50. Icy formation at either extremity of the Earth's axis: POLAR CAP

55. Peeper: EYE

58. Classic Jaguar model: XKE

59. Jeans material: DENIM

60. "What's in __?": Juliet: A NAME

61. Japanese money: YEN

62. Has a sandwich: EATS

63. Brawn: SINEW

Down

1. Eight, in Berlin: ACHT

2. Twosome: PAIR

4. Enrages: IRES. Verb, Groan!

5. Despised: LOATHED

6. Perot of politics: ROSS. Or H. ROSS Perot.

7. Denver-to-Chicago dir.: ENE

8. Crusty desserts: PIES

11. Old Greek stringed instrument: LYRE

12. 365 days: YEAR

17. Met, Nat or Card: NLer

21. Beethoven's "Minuet __": IN G

24. Archie Bunker type: BIGOT

25. Like lambs and rams: OVINE

27. Reb general: LEE. And 37. 27-Down's org.: CSA.

29. Birdhouse songbird: WREN

30. Suffix with bombard: IER

32. Flooring specialist: TILER

34. Yokel's possessive: HIS'N

38. End of most work wks.: FRI.

41. Dr. Denton's, e.g.: PAJAMAS

43. Ode title starter: TO A

44. Massage deeply: ROLF. Named after Ida Rolf, a U.S. physiotherapist who invented the techniques.

47. Like a sheer negligee: SEXY

48. Small child: TYKE

50. Trident-shaped letters: PSIS PSI

51. Hindu princess: RANI

52. Prefix with apple: CRAN

53. Summit: ACME

54. Relieved cry: "PHEW!"

57. Tolkien tree creature: ENT

Answer grid.

Argyle