Tuesday, February 12, 2013 Melanie Miller

 Theme: We need to talk - Types of talk lead off the four theme entries.

17A. Club used as a weapon, say : BLUNT INSTRUMENT

29A. Kid-friendly comfort food : FRANK AND BEANS

48A. Tests during which checking notes is allowed : OPEN BOOK EXAMS

64A. Candid sort : STRAIGHT SHOOTER

Argyle here. No beating around the bush, I'll go directly to the write-up. Two grid spanners anchor this text-book puzzle. Two other long entries complete the theme. A strong mix of fill. You might remember, Ms. Miller gave us the 4-H puzzle last summer. Link

Across:

1. Employment agency listings : JOBS

5. Fried Cajun veggie : OKRA. Hmm, is it Cajun before it's fried?

9. WWII conference site : YALTA. The Yalta Conference in February 1945 with Winston Churchill, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Joseph Stalin was held on on the north coast of the Black Sea.

14. Billion extension : AIRE. (billionaire)

15. Steady guy : BEAU

16. He hunted with a club in the "Odyssey" : ORION. And got his own constellation.

20. Nonagenarian actress White : BETTY. Betty turned 91 last month, Jan. 17 (nonagenarian is between 90 and 100 years old). She is incredible.

21. Yeats or Keats : POET

22. Color, as Easter eggs : DYE

23. Summer quencher : ADE

24. Dorm VIPs : RA's. (Resident Assistant)

27. Where Lux. is : EUR. (Luxembourg/Europe)

36. Soothing additive : ALOE

38. River through Sudan : NILE. And in part, in Kenya, Eritrea, Congo, Burundi, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Egypt, and Ethiopia.

39. Country rocker Steve : EARLE. Here is a song you might not know: The Galway Girl(3:14)

40. Sable maker, briefly : MERC. (Mercury)

41. Turn __ ear : A DEAF

43. Pub projectile : DART. They have flights so they fly true.

44. Former Portuguese territory in China : MACAO. Also spelled Macau, was transferred to China at the end of 1999.

46. Prefix with -pus : OCTO

47. Abates : EBBS

51. Gymnast's goal : TEN. The perfect score.

52. Deli bread : RYE

53. Art on skin, slangily : TAT. Tats have their own TV shows now.

56. Draw upon : USE

59. Not as much : LESS

62. Calf-roping gear : RIATA

68. Street toughs : PUNKS

69. Diamond Head's island : OAHU

70. Aromatic drinks : TEAs

71. Go on tiptoe : SNEAK

72. Small songbird : WREN

73. Wine area near Turin : ASTI

Down:

1. "Star Wars" gangster : JABBA. No links before breakfast, please.

2. No longer squeaky : OILED

3. Xbox battle game : BRUTE FORCE. Squad team player game that may be played single player or multiplayer.

4. Told to go : SENT

5. Asian tie : OBI

6. Barbie's guy : KEN. Except when she took up with Blaine that time.

7. Grating voice : RASP

8. One might get stuck in a jam : AUTO

9. Video-sharing website : YOUTUBE. Where would we be without it. Right, CED?

10. Radius's limb : ARM

11. Committed perjury : LIED

12. Randall who played Felix Unger : TONY. The TV version of "The Odd Couple", with Jack Klugman as Oscar Madison. 32D. More like Felix Unger : NEATER

13. Chip in a chip : ANTE. And if you didn't have a 'bad hand', then 28D. "__ and weep!": poker winner's cry : READ 'EM

18. Supermodel Banks : TYRA

19. Marsh stalk : REED

25. Tolstoy's Karenina : ANNA

26. Snowmobile brand : SKI-DOO. Ride 'em if you got 'em.

30. Take back : RECANT

31. Smart guy? : ALECK

33. African countries on the Mediterranean, e.g. : ARAB STATES

34. Mediation agcy. : NLRB. (National Labor Relations Board)

35. Congeals : SETS

36. Target practice supply : AMMO

37. "... one giant __ for mankind" : LEAP

42. Cunning : FOXY

45. Washington Monument, for one : OBELISK

49. Universal blood type, for short : O NEG.

50. Related to flying : AERO

54. Had lunch in : ATE AT

55. Foot bones : TARSI

56. Letter carrier's org. : USPS. (United States Postal Service)

57. Leave speechless : STUN

58. Marine eagle : ERNE

60. Vegas event : SHOW

61. Kindergartner's reward : STAR

63. Tiny bit : IOTA

65. Wanted-poster letters : AKA. (also known as)

66. Sailor's pronoun : SHE. (because ships are referred to as "she")

67. Attila, notably : HUN

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

Happy Birthday to dear LaLaLinda, whose caring and loving personality shines through in each of her posts.

Monday, September 10, 2012 Melanie Miller

Theme: Ain't No Big Thing - Five 'Little' clue echo's (clecho's), 5 synonyms for little but they aren't really synonyms for each other. (Is there a word for that?)

18A. Little vehicle : COMPACT CAR

23A. Little time : SHORT TERM

40A. Little role : CAMEO APPEARANCE

51A. Little break : BRIEF STOP

60A. Little type : SMALL PRINT

Argyle here. Odd feel to Melanie Miller's Monday musings. Some entries that are gimmes for the veteran solvers but stumpers for the newbies. Melanie gave us the 4H puzzle. The grid is more main stream today but the content, I don't know, less inspired?

Across:

1. Forest youngster : FAWN.

 

5. John Wesley's relig. : METH. (Methodism)

9. Nueve menos dos : SIETE (Spanish)

14. Canyon comeback : ECHO. Significant entry?

15. __-deucy : ACEY. Card game.

16. "Come on in" : "ENTER". and later, 48A. "It's been real, dahling" : "CIAO"

17. Pre-calc course : TRIG. (calculus/trigonometry)

20. Fable writer : AESOP

22. Western Australia's capital : PERTH

26. Salinger's "With Love and Squalor" girl : ESME. Just what I was talking about. Gimme or Natick?

30. Armoire feature : DOOR.

 

 

31. Beauty pageant accessories : SASHES

33. Therapists' org. : APA. (American Psychological Association)

36. Was nosy : PRIED

39. Friendship bracelet components : BEADS. Am I right that most do not have beads?

43. Molecular particles : ATOMS

44. Remote button with two vertical bars : PAUSE

45. Weight unit : TON

46. City thoroughfare : STREET

50. Grandstand feature : TIER

56. Valuable holding : ASSET

58. Guiding principle : TENET. Methodist's tenet?

65. Summer camp setting : LAKE

66. Bamboo muncher : PANDA

67. Manipulative sort : USER

68. MGM symbol : LION

69. __-craftsy : ARTSY

70. Silents star Naldi : NITA. This is almost a candid shot.

 

 71. Mine finds : OREs

Down:

1. Greek salad cheese : FETA. On the cheese tour, I tried cow, goat, and sheep feta; enough for awhile.

2. Real estate units : ACRES

3. Rustling sound : WHISH. Not cattle rustling, but maybe CED can find a connection.

4. Rotten to the core : NO GOOD

5. Rock's Fleetwood __ : MAC

6. Earth Day prefix : ECO

7. Arizona State's city : TEMPE

8. High-strung : HYPER

9. Religious offshoot : SECT

10. Where there are plenty of fish : IN THE SEA

11. List-shortening abbr. : ETC. (et cetera)

12. Steeped beverage : TEA. Plus 55D. Black variety of 12-Down : PEKOE

13. Flub the shot, say : ERR. Gee, I don't say, "I erred", when I flub a shot.

19. Weapons : ARMS

21. Ask for a hand on one knee : PROPOSE

24. __ Bora: Afghan region : TORA

25. Monica Lewinsky scandal figure Linda : TRIPP. No photos, please.

27. Refuse to, quaintly : SHAN'T

28. Rx managed care giant : MEDCO. I've never dealt with them. Any stories?

29. German industrial city : ESSEN

32. Side by side : ABREAST

33. "... and __ of thousands!" : A CAST

34. Singer LaBelle or LuPone : PATTI

35. Luigi's love : AMORE

37. Clean air org. : EPA. (Environmental Protection Agency)

38. Tie during a tennis game : DEUCE

41. Green gems : EMERALDS

42. "That is so not happening!" : "AS IF!"

47. Recipe amt. : TBSP. (tablespoon)

49. Verdi opera with Desdemona : OTELLO

52. Encore presentation : RERUN

53. Formal "Who's there?" response : "IT IS I"

54. Illuminated studio sign : [ON AIR]

57. Do in, as a vampire : SLAY

59. Bills with Hamilton on them : TENS

60. Mud bath venue : SPA

61. Scratch or scuff, say : MAR

62. Picnic invader : ANT

63. Butterfly catcher : NET

64. __-la-la : TRA

Answer grid.

Argyle

Monday, August 20, 2012 Melanie Miller

Theme: H-H-H-H - What the "H"s in 4-H stand for. Celebrating its hundredth year.

16A. *Place to prop a pillow : HEADBOARD

29A. *Vital central section of a country : HEARTLAND

36A. Youth organization whose focus areas begin the answers to starred clues : FOUR-H CLUB

47A. *Effortless way to win : HANDS DOWN

61A. *Recuperative resort : HEALTH SPA

Argyle(former 4-H member) here. It appears to be a debut for Melanie Miller here on the Corner. The shortness of the themes, nine letters, meant the fill had to be on the long side to keep the word count in check. Also note the three letter fill on the sides. An interesting Monday.

I pledge...

My head to clearer thinking,
My heart to greater loyalty,
My hands to larger service,
My health to better living
for my club, my community,
my country and my world.

About the Pledge. Link.

4H website.

Across:

1. No. on a utility bill : ACCT. (account)

5. Show of affection : KISS

9. Dust and grime : DIRT

13. Old woman's home, in a nursery rhyme : SHOE. Poem Where was Child Protective Services?

14. Capital NNW of Copenhagen : OSLO

15. TV's Uncle Miltie : BERLE

18. Win by __ : A NOSE

19. St. Francis's home : ASSISI

20. Emulate Georgia O'Keeffe : PAINT. Before she went west, "Lake George".

21. Well-suited : APT

22. Luck of the draw : CHANCE

25. French girlfriend : AMIE

27. Deadlocked : TIED

31. Sawbones : MEDICO

34. Joint-bending ballet move : PLIÉ. Bending of the knees outward by a ballet dancer with the back held straight.

35. Actor Beatty : NED

39. Leave open-mouthed : AWE

42. Oklahoma tribe : OTOE. They were Nebraska natives on Friday.

43. Spread here and there : STREWN

50. Length x width, for a rectangle : AREA

51. Wheel holder : AXLE

52. "... nothing to fear but fear __" : ITSELF. FDR's First Inaugural Address.

55. Unspecified high degree : NTH

56. Bundled, as hay : BALED. A 4Her would know something about that.

58. Pretenses : GUISES

60. Chutzpah : NERVE

64. Raring to go : EAGER

65. Part of ISBN: Abbr. : INTL. (International Standard Book Number)

66. Resting on : ATOP

67. Small bills : ONEs

68. Barely passing grades : DEEs

69. Spoil, with "on" : DOTE

Down:

1. Bat wood : ASH

2. Any product at a dollar store : CHEAPIE

3. Rolled with the engine off : COASTED. A cheapie saving on gas?

4. "Bill & __ Bogus Journey" : TED'S. 1991 sequel to their Excellent Adventure.

5. __ ball: rubber toy fad of the '80s : KOOSH

6. Old Testament prophet : ISAIAH

7. Camera type, for short : SLR. (single-lens reflex)

8. Roll-your-own grass : SOD. A 4H project?

9. "It wasn't me," e.g. : DENIAL. Now isn't this convenient, right after 8-Down.

10. Armored superhero : IRONMAN

11. "Goosebumps" series author : R. L. STINE. "Goosebumps".

12. Casual shirt : TEE

15. Sheep's bleat : [BAA!]. Bring it on!

17. Ballpoint brand : BIC

20. Hazards : PERILS

21. 24-hr. cash source : ATM

23. Brothers of nieces : NEPHEWS

24. Differential or integral math subj. : CALC. (calculus)

26. Onetime Leno announcer Hall : EDD

28. "What's the __?": "Seems the same to me" : DIF. Shortened "difference".

30. German: Abbr. : TEUT. (Teutonic)

32. Lovey-dovey murmurs : COOs

33. Surpassed in performance : OUTDID

37. Ginger or ginseng : ROOT

38. Lingerie top : BRA

39. "I get it!" : "A-HA!"

40. Yellow-podded veggie : WAX BEAN

41. Make bigger : ENLARGE

44. Che's given name : ERNESTO

45. Slippery area to mop up : WET SPOT

46. "Let's not" : "NAH"

48. Probes, with "into" : DELVES

49. Prove false : NEGATE

53. Calm spells : LULLS

54. Strong and healthy : FIT

57. Suffix with auction : EER

59. Herring known for its roe : SHAD

60. Recent: Pref. : NEO

61. Stayed out of sight : HID

62. WSW opposite : ENE

63. Mimic : APE

Answer grid.

Argyle