Monday, October 15, 2012 Nancy Kavanaugh

Theme: What to wear - Three different dresses start the three theme entries.

17A. Four-to-midnight production overseer, say : SHIFT SUPERVISOR

26A. Dead battery hookup : JUMPER CABLE

43A. Encased dagger : SHEATH KNIFE Wiki link for definition.

56A. Dry runs, and a hint to the starts of 17-, 26- and 43-Across : DRESS REHEARSALS

Argyle here. Two grid spanners on a Monday is impressive. Easy peasey with some fun clues. Some possible theme related entries I will highlight.

Across:

1. Trot or gallop : PACE

5. Home with a domed roof : IGLOO

10. Stylish : CHIC

14. Earth Day sci. : ECOL. (ecology) and 52D. Earth sci. : GEOL. (geology)

15. Playground chute : SLIDE

16. Avatar of Vishnu : RAMA. Vishnu has many avatars, Rama is one of the main ten (Dashavatara).

20. Bill of Rights amendment count : TEN. Connection?

21. "Les Misérables" author Victor : HUGO

22. Parisian love : AMOUR

23. "What __ the odds?" : ARE

24. In liberal amounts : APLENTY

31. Get hitched in a hurry : ELOPE

32. Without warning : ALL AT ONCE

37. Unload for cash : SELL

38. Colorado ski city : ASPEN

39. Secure in the harbor : MOOR

40. Mind readers : TELEPATHS

42. Luxurious bedding material : SATIN

45. Popular restaurant fish : SEA BASS

49. 18-Down, on a sundial : III. 18-Down. Midafternoon hour : THREE

50. Shoreline feature : INLET

51. Stare at impolitely : OGLE

53. Time Warner "Superstation" : TBS. (Turner Broadcasting System)

60. Clumsy one : LOUT

61. Mail for King Arthur : ARMOR. A type of dress, in the broad sense.

62. Wrinkle remover : IRON. King Arthur would need a hammer to get the wrinkles out of his dress.

63. MDs for otitis sufferers : ENT's. (ear, nose, and throat) Otitis is inflammation of the ear.

64. With tongue in cheek : WRYLY

65. Maddens with reminders : NAGS

Down:

1. Bothersome insect : PEST

2. Exercise woe : ACHE

3. Nickel or dime : COIN

4. Tiny toymaker : ELF. The North Pole is hiring.

5. Periodical publisher : ISSUER

6. Sound from a water cooler : [GLUG]

7. Fat-reducing procedure, briefly : LIPO. (liposuction)

8. Poem of praise : ODE

9. "__ the ramparts ..." : O'ER

10. Punishment's partner : CRIME. "Crime and Punishment" is a novel by the Russian author Fyodor Dostoyevsky. It was first published in 1866.

11. Is wearing : HAS ON

12. Poker concession : "I'M OUT". The bettor's money stays in the pot, however.

13. Have in stock : CARRY

19. __ parking : VALET

23. Winesap, e.g. : APPLE. Info

24. Most capable : ABLEST

25. Draw up a schedule for : PLAN

26. Kid around : JEST

27. Oscar-nominated Peter Fonda role : ULEE. "Ulee's Gold" (1997)

28. "__ Flanders": Defoe novel : MOLL. The Fortunes & Misfortunes of the Famous Moll Flanders &c. Who was Born in Newgate, and during a Life of continu'd Variety for Threescore Years, besides her Childhood, was Twelve Year a Whore, five times a Wife (whereof once to her own Brother), Twelve Year a Thief, Eight Year a Transported Felon in Virginia, at last grew Rich, liv'd Honest, and dies a Penitent. Written from her own Memorandums …

29. Social divisions : CASTES

30. Wolf pack leader : ALPHA. I spent time trying to think of the word used for Cub Scout den leader.

33. Muscat resident : OMANI. Muscat is the capital of Oman.

34. "Surely you don't mean me" : "NOT I"

35. Hairdo : COIF

36. Seaside swooper : ERNE. (sea eagle)

38. Contented sounds : AAHs

41. Exams for sophs or jrs. : PSAT's

42. Winter Olympics entrant : SKIER

44. Swank of "Amelia" : HILARY

45. Move furtively : SIDLE

46. Scandalous newsmaker of 2001-'02 : ENRON

47. Alaskan native : ALEUT

48. Outplays : BESTS

51. "Goodness gracious!" : "OH, MY!"

53. O'Hara homestead : TARA. In "Gone with the Wind"

54. Opinion website : BLOG

55. IRS form entries : SSN's

57. Inexperienced, as recruits : RAW

58. Go wrong : ERR

59. Moral wrong : SIN

Argyle


Notes from C.C:
  
Here is a photo of Windhover (Larry) taken on August 15th, 2012 at his 50th high school reunion. He looks so mellowed.

I think this is the picture that made Annette (or is it Hahtool?) want to ride in his bike. Very rugged.

Monday March 8, 2010 Nancy Kavanaugh

Theme: Firearm Nomenclature - 48D: Weapons in which you can find the starts of 17-, 31-, 46- and 62-Across: RIFLES.

17A: Hotel room cleaner: CHAMBERMAID The CHAMBER is where the bullet and cartridge are located prior to "firing".

31A: Arm-twisting wrestling hold: HAMMERLOCK. The HAMMER is the part used to initiate the firing of the bullet or shell. Found mostly on revolvers and shotguns these days.

46A: Rodeo event with obstacles: BARREL RACE. video. The BARREL is the tube the bullet travels through after being "fired".

62A: Without prior inspection: SIGHT UNSEEN. Like buying a pig in a poke. The SIGHT is used to aim where you want the bullet to go.

Argyle here. Easy Monday.

Twenty-six three-letter entries, by my count, but only three were two-letter made into plurals.

After the pounding we took (at least, I took) this weekend, we needed a break.

Across:

1A: Support gp. for the troops: USO. And 11A: Audience for 1-Across: GIS. United Service Organizations supporting our G.I. troops (Origin of G.I.: 1915–20; orig. abbr. of galvanized iron, used in U.S. Army bookkeeping in entering articles (e.g., trash cans) made of it; later extended to all articles issued (as an assumed abbrev. of government issue) and finally to soldiers themselves.)

4A: Words of deliberation: LET'S SEE.

14A: Mom's business partner: POP.

15A: Concisely put: IN A WORD.

16A: Hairy Addams Family cousin: ITT. You may not recognize him in his disguise.

19A: Long-snouted fish: GAR Unusual photo.

20A: "Green" energy type: SOLAR

21A: Opening for a peeping Tom: KEYHOLE. What with key card access now, keyholes are going the way of the dial phones.

23A: Manage, barely: GET BY. Hurray! Not ekes out.

27A: Pelvic bones: ILIA.

28A: Painter of melting watches: DALI. Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dalí i Domènech, 1st Marquis of Púbol (Betcha didn't know that.)

35A: 56-Down, biologically: OVA. 56D: Incubator items: EGGS.

36A: Jumped the tracks: DERAILED.

37A: Electric car's lack: GAS TANK.

39A: Threatened: MENACED.

43A: Like glue: ADHESIVE

45A: Tire layer: PLY. Often there are two plies in the side wall and four under the tread.

49A: Really bugs: IRKS.

50A: "__ ain't broke ...": IF IT.

51A: "Hardball" airer: MSNBC. "Hardball" is an hour-long talk show hosted by Chris Matthews.

53A: Gridiron five-yard penalty: OFFSIDE. Football infraction.

57A: "You __ to know!": OUGHT.

61A: Nothing at all: NIL.

66A: Ill temper: IRE. Be aware we haven't of late had IRE: High dudgeon.

67A: Vigilant against attack: ON GUARD.

68A: Greenwich Village sch.: NYU. (New York University) 2D: Arty Big Apple area: SOHO. Areas in New York City.

69A: Divs. on some rulers: CMS. (centimeters)

70A: Attaches securely: FASTENS.

71A: Guinness suffix: EST. The superlative degree (biggest, fastest) used in their keeping of World Records.

Down:

1D: Lines on mdse.: UPCS. (Universal Product Code)

3D: October birthstone: OPAL.

4D: Cuba __: rum drink: LIBRE. A highball made of Cola, lime, and white rum. Origin of the name: 1895–1900; Sp: lit., free Cuba (a toast used in the uprising against Spain in 1895). What The Andrews Sisters drink.

5D: Opposite of WSW: ENE.

6D: Road sealer: TAR.

7D: Certain bachelor, in ads: SWM. Single White Male, in the personal ads.

8D: Relax in the tub: SOAK.

9D: New York canal: ERIE. aka: Clinton's Ditch, named for Gov. Dewitt Clinton (1817).

10D: Whirling water: EDDY.

11D: Paid male escort: GIGOLO. 42D: Prefix with functional: DYS. 38D: Queen of Hearts' pastries: TARTS. (I thought I would make it easier for later comments by bunching these together.) 22D: Broom-__: comics witch: HILDA. Could she be looking for a 11D?

12D: Slanted type: ITALIC.

13D: 10 consecutive wins, say: STREAK.

18D: Nativity trio: MAGI.

24D: Stanley Cup org.: THE NHL.

25D: Carnival pitchman: BARKER.

26D: Singer Sumac: YMA.

28D: Boxer or pug: DOG.

29D: Gardner of "On the Beach": AVA. On the beach, indeed!

30D: "Deck the Halls" syllables: LAS. Fa la la la la, la la la la.

32D: Tries to act like: MIMICS.

33D: Late news hour: ELEVEN.

34D: Descartes or Russo: RENE.

36D: Florida's Miami-__ County: DADE. Where the TV show, COPS, got their start, I believe.

40D: EMT's skill: CPR.

41D: Yellowstone grazer: ELK.

44D: Walton of Walmart: SAM.

46D: Like the Six Million Dollar Man: BIONIC.

47D: Declare true: AFFIRM.

49D: Closely monitored hosp. areas: ICUS.

52D: Slugger Barry: BONDS.

54D: "Time __ the essence": IS OF.

55D: Actress Merrill: DINA. Elegant.

58D: Hereditary unit: GENE.

59D: Casual greetings: HEYS. Hey, how y'all doin'?

60D: Letter-shaped fastener: T-NUT. I think C.C. understands it now.

63D: "Survivor" shelter: HUT.

64D: __ kwon do: TAE. "The way of the foot and the fist."

65D: Java vessel: URN. Big coffee pot with a spigot.

Answer grid.

Argyle

Tuesday, February 16, 2010 Nancy Kavanaugh

Theme: THEY'RE DRAWN (61A: What you can say about sketches, and about the answers to the starred clues) - Theme answers all can be drawn, but with a different nuance.

17A: *Relaxing soak: NICE HOT BATH. Even more luxurious if someone else draws the bath for you, eh?

26A: *Great concert turnout: LARGE CROWD. Attracted to an event.

39A: *Many an exec's remuneration: SIX FIGURE SALARY. Most of us struggle to draw five figures.

51A: *Unlucky selection: SHORT STRAW. This is to physically draw a straw from a group of equal length straws except for one. Used to decide by chance who has to do something nobody wants to do.

Rather unique to have DRAWN apply to the three full theme answers & a fuller defining entry placed at the bottom of the grid.

Barry Silk did a DRAW puzzle for NYT in 2008. The unifying DRAW is clued as "Something you can do to the starts of ....". BATH TOWEL/CURTAIN CALL/BLANK EXPRESSION are among his theme answers.

Argyle here.

I suppose the breakfast factor (nothing disgusting at the breakfast table, when most are doing the puzzle) precludes the mention of DRAWN AND QUARTERED. You all have finished your breakfast, I hope.

A tick harder than Monday's. Still some Crosswordese and famous people but, hey, no Roman numerals.

Across:

1A: Western Florida city: TAMPA

6A: Rice-__: A-RONI. A nice bicoastal start.

11A: Air gun ammo: BBs

14A: Catherine of "Beetlejuice": O'HARA. as Delia.

15A: Binary system digits: ZEROS. And 46A: Binary system digits: ONES.

16A: Exercise unit: REP. (Shortened repetitions)

19A: Brew in a yard: ALE. A yard (or yard glass) is a very tall glass used for drinking beer or ale.

20A: "Just __ suspected!": AS I

21A: "... have you __ wool?": ANY Windhover?

22A: Company whose calling is calling: AVON. Their ads often started with, "AVON Calling"

23A: Bio kin: CHEM. (Biology) (Chemistry) And 55A: Course with many problems: MATH. (Mathematics)

29A: Sympathetic connection: RAPPORT

31A: Cease: STOP

32A: Blood system letters: A B O

33A: Confirmation, e.g.: RITE. (Religious)

35A: Outperforms: BESTS

43A: Work with hair: STYLE

44A: Pre-coll. catchall: ELHI. (Elementary-High school) A bit of Crosswordese.

45A: Bit of Internet mirth: LOL

49A: Pulls an all-nighter: BONES UP

56A: Hip-swiveling dance: HULA

57A: Beachgoer's shirt: TEE

58A: Rioting group: MOB. Creating 67A: Free-for-all: MELEE

60A: Former California fort: ORD

66A: NFL's Cardinals, on scoreboards: ARI. Arizona.

68A: McDermott of "The Practice": DYLAN. Don't look if you don't like a hairy chest.

69A: Soap-making need: LYE

70A: "__ my case": I REST

71A: Figure out: SOLVE. Great ending entry!

Down:

1D: Heavy weight: TON

2D: Bigeye or yellowfin, at a sushi bar: AHI. More CWese.

3D: Cheese partner: MAC. (Macaroni)

4D: Radio signal booster: PRE-AMP

5D: Sighs of contentment: AAHs. When Cruciverb came back online.

6D: HIV-treating drug: AZT. AZidoThymidine is a nucleoside analog reverse transcriptase inhibitor. (I have no idea what that means.)

7D: Masonry-reinforcing rod: REBAR

8D: Tree-dwelling apes: ORANGS. (Orangutans)

9D: "Almost ready--be patient": "NOT YET"

10D: Suffix with Brit: ISH

11D: "Top Chef" network: BRAVO

12D: Downstairs, at sea: BELOW. On board ship.

13D: Blow, as dough: SPEND

18D: Well driller: OILRIG

22D: Skin care maven Adrien: ARPEL

23D: Uncouth: CRASS

24D: Good thing to kick: HABIT

25D: Hobbyist's glue: EPOXY

27D: Westernmost Aleutian island: ATTU. From whence you can see Russia.

28D: Kurt of Nirvana: COBAIN

30D: Point in the right direction: ORIENT

34D: Preceding, in poetry: ERE

36D: Tex-Mex dip: SALSA

37D: "Rainbow" fish: TROUT

38D: Mythical air dweller: SYLPH. If anyone has a good knowledge of this term, please enlighten us.

40D: Regional plant life: FLORA

41D: Corsica neighbor: ELBA. Napoleon's exile.

42D: Skeptic's demand: "SHOW ME!"

47D: Her book is read during the Jewish holiday Purim: ESTHER

48D: "Remington __": STEELE. Television series, broadcasted on NBC, 1982 to 1987. It starred Stephanie Zimbalist as private detective Laura Holt and Pierce Brosnan as a roguish former white-collar thief and con man who assumed Remington Steele's fictitious identity. Ms Holt had named her agency "Remington STEELE" because she felt she would get more business if it was thought to be run by a man. It was a dated concept even back then.

50D: Pre-fetus stage: EMBRYO

51D: Shallow sea area: SHOAL

52D: Speed things up: HURRY

53D: Song from the past: OLDIE

54D: Three-time N.L. stolen base champ José: REYES. (New York Mets)

59D: Gambler's concerns: ODDS

61D: Pa. plant in the 1979 news: TMI. (Three Mile Island) Nuclear incident.

62D: Like Gen. Powell: RET.

63D: Every last one: ALL

64D: Sound file suffix: WAV

65D: L.A.-to-Helena dir.: NNE

Answer grid.

Argyle