Tuesday, July 11, 2017 Patti Varol

Theme: Shhh! - Variations on a theme.

20A. "Hush": "PLEASE BE QUIET"

32A. "Hush": "DON'T SAY A WORD"

41A. "Hush": "PUT A SOCK IN IT"

57A. "Hush": "BUTTON YOUR LIP"

Argyle here with Constructor and Editor, Patti Varol. I notice a subtle increase in harshness in the HUSHes, IMO.

Across:

1. Like a rough winter: HARSH

6. Opera number: ARIA

10. "Beat it!": "SCAT!"

14. Nebraska city on the Missouri: OMAHA

15. "Shoot!": "DARN!"

16. Bear whose bed was too hard: PAPA

17. Like granola bars: OATEN

18. Arabian sultanate: OMAN

19. "College GameDay" airer: ESPN. (Originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Networks)

23. Funnyman Caesar: SID. Argument to Beethoven's 5th.

24. It's often heated up for dinner: OVEN

25. Table salt additive: IODINE

28. Banishment: EXILE

30. FYI relative: BTW. (For Your Information / By The Way)

31. Cincinnati ballplayer: RED

36. Cathedral area: APSE

39. Ocean west of Eur.: ATL. (Atlantic)

40. Murray or Roddick of tennis fame: ANDY

46. Big bird Down Under: EMU

47. Pizza __ restaurant: HUT

48. Ready to pour: ON TAP

51. Forbidden actions: TABOOs. 44D. Forbidden action: NO-NO

53. Payroll IDs: SSNs. (Social Security number)

55. Lav of London: LOO. Head, john, little house outback.

60. "Shake a leg!": "C'MON!"

62. Pakistan neighbor: IRAN. 8D. Baghdad's land: IRAQ

63. Despicable character: LOUSE

64. Painter Chagall: MARC

65. Fictional sleuth Wolfe: NERO

66. Tacked on: ADDED

67. Hathaway of "Interstellar": ANNE

68. Olympian's goal: GOLD

69. Marsh stalks: REEDS

Down:

1. Basketball targets: HOOPS

2. Charlotte __: U.S. Virgin Islands capital: AMALIE. Wiki link

3. Like adult movies: RATED X

4. __ butter: cosmetic moisturizer: SHEA

5. Space pilot who insists, "I take orders from just one person: me": HAN SOLO

6. Photoshop software developer: ADOBE

7. Budget noodle dish: RAMEN

9. Retirement income source: ANNUITY

10. Radar gun reading: SPEED

11. Like some durable skillets: CAST IRON

12. Smartphone download: APP. (Application)

13. Almond-colored: TAN

21. Fairly matched: EVEN

22. Where Grant Wood's "American Gothic" house is: IOWA

26. Geeky type: NERD

27. Jacuzzi effect: EDDY

29. Inventor's spark: IDEA

30. "__ Ha'i": "South Pacific" song: BALI

The lyrics can be found on the YouTube link.

33. Ambassador's asset: TACT

34. E*TRADE purchase: Abbr.: STK. (stock)

35. Light bulb unit: WATT

36. In __: moody: A PET

37. Mountain cat: PUMA

38. Tough to budge: STUBBORN

42. Small liquor amount: SHOT

43. Giving the boot: OUSTING

45. Completely cut off: INSULAR

49. Refer (to): ALLUDE

50. Self-assured: POISED

52. Postal scale unit: OUNCE

53. Hairbrush target: SNARL

54. Church council: SYNOD

56. Pages for opinions: OP EDs

58. Cookie shaped like two of its letters: OREO. A new clue for an old answer.

59. Biked, e.g.: RODE

60. Nashville awards gp.: CMA. (Country Music Association)

61. Guy: MAN

 Argyle

Notes from C.C.:

1) Chickie (Leah) was not able to post from her Blogger account. She sent me below. Hopefully she'll return to our blog soon.

"Please send my thanks to everyone on the Corner. The virtual hugs, condolences, and thoughts for me on Bill's passing are so very comforting."

2) Happy birthday to dear CanadianEh!, who's been with our blog for a few years. Her comments are often always so warm and insightful. Dinner at the winery, CanadianEh!?

Tuesday, July 4, 2017 James P. Sharp

Theme: Bumps in the night - or daylight. Some words that can be placed ahead of BUMP.

18A. Vodka brand with flying birds on the bottle: GREY GOOSE. Goosebump.

23A. Racing bike: TEN SPEED. Speed bump. Only ten speeds on a racing bike, how quaint.

35A. One "there on the sand," in a 1974 hit by The First Class: BEACH BABY*. Baby bump, an expression for showing a pregnancy.

49A. Symbol of absolute rule: IRON FIST. Fist bump, handshake for germaphobes?

55A. Disagree ... or, literally, what the last words of 18-, 23-, 35-, and 49-Across can be: BUMP HEADS. The last words can head up a BUMP phrase.

Argyle here with a debut from Mr. Sharp He debuted in NYT in 2002 and has numerous puzzles in compilation books. He has done some punny work in the past but this is a straight forward "word goes with word" puzzle. Sorry, nothing to do with Independence Day.

Across:

1. Crowd noises: ROARS. "Oohs and aahs" could have been fitting crowd noises for tonight's fireworks.

6. "Is that __?": "No kidding?": A FACT

11. Fat meas.: BMI. (Body Mass Index)

14. __ sanctum: INNER

15. Jar Jar Binks' planet: NABOO. from Star Wars.

16. Olive product: OIL

17. __ Park: San Diego Padres' home: PETCO. Pet supplies retailer Petco is based in San Diego.

20. "__-haw!": YEE

21. Link with: TIE TO

22. Dol. parts: CTs. $ & ¢

25. Muse of comedy: THALIA. The eighth-born of the nine Muses.

28. Dodge City's state: KANSAS

29. "Pop goes" critters: WEASELS

30. Man-mouse connector: OR A

31. "Melrose __": PLACE. Seven seasons on Fox.

34. Jason of "How I Met Your Mother": SEGEL. His role was Marshall Eriksen.

37. Groucho's smoke: CIGAR

40. Waste maker, per a proverb: HASTE. "Haste makes waste"

41. Santa __, Calif.: ANA

44. Art exhibition site: GALLERY

46. Learn about: HEAR OF

48. Tristan's beloved: ISOLDE. Extensive Wiki article.

51. Dallas home of the NCAA's Mustangs: SMU. (Southern Methodist University)

52. Second rock from the sun: VENUS

54. Barrister's practice: LAW

57. "Water Lilies" painter Claude: MONET

59. Mrs., to Claude: MME. French abbreviation for Madame.

60. Jazz great Shaw: ARTIE

61. Hawaiian veranda: LANAI

62. Take the plunge, in a way: WED

63. Small plateaus: MESAs

64. Sports data: STATs

Down:

1. "Let 'er __!": "Fire away!": RIP

2. Subscription period: ONE YEAR

3. Cell reception aid: ANTENNA

4. Schoolyard playtime: RECESS

5. "No more seats" Broadway sign: SRO. (standing-room only)

6. Actress Dickinson: ANGIE. Remember her?

7. Managed: FARED

8. Aid in crime: ABET

9. Road Runner's pursuer: COYOTE

10. Dress fancily, with "up": TOG

11. Illegal, like movies on file-sharing sites: BOOTLEG. Odd clue.

12. Rocket, for one: MISSILE

13. Suffix with percent or project: ILE

19. Irish playwright Sean: O'CASEY. 1880 – 1964 (seems obscure)

21. Maker of the first electric sports car: TESLA

23. Fight ender, briefly: TKO.(technical knockout)

24. Covered decoratively, as walls: PAPERED

26. One whose star has faded: HAS BEEN

27. Comm. for the hearing-impaired: ASL. (American Sign Language) Comm. can be an abbreviation of communication.

29. Complex patterns: WEBs

32. "__ Breaky Heart": ACHY. Popular song by Billy Ray Cyrus.

33. Half a dance: CHA

35. Shape, as dough: BALL UP

36. A Musketeer: ATHOS. "D'Artagnan, Athos, Aramis and Porthos"

37. Movie SFX: CGI. (special effects/computer-generated imagery)

38. "It seems to me ... ": "I ASSUME ... "

39. Latched (onto): GLOMMED

41. Journalist Huffington: ARIANNA. She was the co-founder and editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post, which is now owned by AOL.

42. "Piece of cake": "NO SWEAT"

43. Rearward, on board: AFT

45. Midnight rider Paul: REVERE

47. On the water: AFLOAT

49. Nepal neighbor: INDIA

50. Ploys: RUSES

53. Has a bite: EATS

55. 7 Series automaker: BMW

56. Hawaiian-style pizza topping: HAM

57. L.A. Galaxy's org.: MLS. (Major League Soccer)

58. Apt "it's" anagram: 'TIS

*

Argyle

Tuesday, June 27, 2017 Herre Schouwerwou

Theme: Rhyming - Phonetic rhymes.

36A. Old group of movie kids that, in a way, the answers to starred clues could be a member of: OUR GANG

17A. *Time for discount drinks: HAPPY HOUR

23A. *"Homicide: Life on the Street" Emmy winner: ANDRE BRAUGHER

48A. *Dictator's authority: ABSOLUTE POWER

59A. *Kiefer Sutherland's "24" role: JACK BAUER

Argyle here. Tad difficult due to the proper names. Herr's second appearence in LAT.

Across:

1. Valuable quality: ASSET

6. Place for piggies: STY

9. Water carriers: PIPES

14. Honking birds: GEESE

15. Rebel Guevara: CHE

16. Atlantic __: OCEAN

19. Durable suit fabric: SERGE

20. Song from Verdi: ARIA

21. Funny bone's place: ARM

22. John or Paul (but not Luke): BEATLE. A little twist there.

26. Hunch over: STOOP

27. Homebuilder's lot size: ACRE

28. Read the riot act to: SCOLD

29. King's scary St. Bernard: CUJO. Stephen King.

31. Scissors sound: SNIP

35. Chewie's shipmate: HAN. Star Wars.

39. Mex. neighbor: USA

40. Poems of praise: ODES

42. Scoffing sounds: HAHs

43. "Death of a Salesman" family name: LOMAN. "Willy" Loman.

45. Slack off: LOAF

47. In a funk: MOPEY

53. Hot Wheels toymaker: MATTEL

54. Wrestling's __ Flair: RIC

55. "Not gonna happen!": "NOPE!"

58. City in upstate New York: UTICA. Big beer making town.

61. Green energy type: SOLAR

62. Inquire: ASK

63. Hard-hit baseball: LINER. The old frozen rope.

64. __-level job: ENTRY

65. Cry with a fist pump: "YES!!"

66. Easy paces: TROTS

Down:

1. Ottoman honorific: AGHA

2. Charbroil: SEAR

3. Antique photo feature: SEPIA TONE

4. Language in Sevilla: ESPANOL. They speak Spanish in Seville.

5. Mystery writer Josephine: TEY. Wiki entry

6. It may be tied: SCORE

7. Mitten part: THUMB

8. "Programs! Git __ programs here!": YER. "Can't tell the players without a program."

9. Big phony: POSEUR

10. Very cold periods: ICE AGES

11. Western Australian port: PERTH

12. Sharp-eyed bird: EAGLE

13. Lip-curling look: SNEER

18. Plucked instrument: HARP

22. Part of 60-Down: BACON. 60-Down. Layered sandwich, briefly: BLT

24. Extinct flightless bird: DODO

25. Mumbai bigwigs: RAJAs

26. Whole bunch: SCAD

28. 2017 "Twin Peaks" airer, for short: SHO. (SHOWTIME)

29. __ brewery: independent beer maker: CRAFT

30. "That's just nasty!": "UGH!"

32. Big cheese: NUMERO UNO

33. "What more can __?": I SAY

34. Frying utensil: PAN

37. Trailer rental company: U-HAUL

38. Post-sunset effect: GLOW

41. Toy racer on a track: SLOT CAR. You can get them powered by bicycles now.

44. Like many summer concerts: OPEN AIR

46. Chicago Fire Mrs.: O'LEARY

47. __ turtle soup: MOCK. What Is Mock Turtle Soup? If you are so inclined; Link You might say, "30-Down".

48. Get a laugh out of: AMUSE

49. Stick passed on a track: BATON

50. Clown's leg extension: STILT

51. Remove pencil marks: ERASE

52. Mining tools: PICKS

56. Amanda of "Something's Gotta Give": PEET

57. Slips up: ERRS

59. Noisy bird: JAY. A little something to drive your cats crazy.

Argyle

Tuesday, June 20, 2017 Roger & Kathy Wienberg

Theme: W-I-D-E - in the circles. If no circles, the reveal should make it clear anyway.

17A. Caribbean island group: WEST INDIES

23A. Independence Day colors: RED, WHITE, AND BLUE

37A. Auto visibility aid with intermittent settings: WINDSHIELD WIPER

48A. "How about that!": "WELL I'LL BE DARNED!"

60A. Extensive ... and what's literally seen in this puzzle's circles: WIDESPREAD. (wide spread)

Argyle here. A few of us may suffer from WIDESPREAD but let's not go there. This couple gave us  a Tuesday puzzle on March 14.

Across:

1. Fancy tie: ASCOT

6. Facts and figures: DATA

10. Herring family fish: SHAD

14. Pageant topper: TIARA

15. Broadcast with greater image resolution, as TV shows: IN HD. (High-Definition)

16. Sign over: CEDE

19. Golf outing spoiler: RAIN

20. Mature: AGE

21. "Give all thou __": Wordsworth: CANST. Inside of King's College Chapel, Cambridge.

22. Helping hands: AIDES

26. Olive product: OIL

27. Vicinity: AREA

28. Piano-bass-drums jazz group, e.g.: TRIO

31. __ apso: dog: LHASA

34. Bumped into: MET

41. Atypical: ODD

42. Ballplayer with "SD" on his cap: PADRE. San Diego Padres.

43. Quartet that covered "Woodstock," initially: CSNY. (Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young)

44. Jamaican fruit: UGLI

46. Royal flush card: ACE

56. Cereal grass disease: ERGOT

57. Broadcaster: AIRER

58. "Don't Bring Me Down" rock gp.: ELO. (Electric Light Orchestra)

59. From the top: ANEW

62. "The __ of the Ancient Mariner": RIME

63. Actor Guinness: ALEC

64. Augment: ADD TO

65. Gardener's purchase: SEED

66. Playbill listing: CAST

67. Cuts with a light beam: LASES

Down:

1. Battling it out: AT WAR

2. Prolonged battle: SIEGE

3. Scoped out with bad intentions: CASED

4. Table scrap: ORT

5. Meditative Chinese exercise: TAI CHI

6. Neglected to: DIDN'T

7. Ouzo flavoring: ANISE

8. Consonant before iota: THETA. ϴ, eighth letter.

9. Promos that interrupt programs: ADS

10. Old manuscript copier: SCRIBE

11. Illumination on helmets: HEADLAMPS

12. Farewell: ADIEU

13. Tightly packed: DENSE

18. Polished body part: NAIL

22. Play to __: tie: A DRAW

24. Lumberyard purchase: WOOD

25. Former OTC watchdog: NASD. [Over-the-counter (stock) / National Association of Securities Dealers (merged with Financial Industry Regulatory Authority in 2007)]

28. Couple: TWO

29. Get __ of: discard: RID

30. "I'd like this favor": "INDULGE ME"

31. Cookie jar cover: LID

32. Ship's pronoun: HER

33. Malt brew: ALE

35. Poetic twilight: EEN

36. "These are the times that __ men's souls": Paine: TRY

38. Bowler's challenge: SPLIT

39. Flag down, as a cab: HAIL

40. Cake decorator: ICER

45. Emitted an aura: GLOWED

46. Orange drinks: ADEs

47. __ tunnel syndrome: CARPAL

48. Has on: WEARS

49. Orange Muppet: ERNIE

50. Muhammad's boxing daughter: LAILA

51. __ one's time: waits patiently: BIDES

52. Standing straight: ERECT

53. Non-negotiable things: NEEDS

54. Fill with glee: ELATE

55. Extinct birds: DODOs

60. WWII GI Jane: WAC. (Women's Army Corps)

61. Dietary guideline letters: RDA. (Recommended Dietary Allowance)

Argyle

Tuesday, June 13 2017, Parikshit S. Bhat

Theme: Right Out of the GATE. Anagrams.

18. Beverage from China's Wuyi Mountains : OOLONG TEA. The best tea I ever had was from a tea room in San Francisco's China Town - Oolong Formosa, selling for $30 an ounce. It tastes like caramel and butter. The complexity of teas from the highest peaks in Taiwan are becoming harder to come by as land is reclaimed to prevent erosion. Tragic.

 3. Make terrific progress : GO GREAT GUNS

5. Protective vests, gas masks, etc. : RIOT GEAR

28. Rep seeking promising performers : TALENT AGENT

42. "Stop sweating the small stuff!" : GET A LIFE

60. Attend a party uninvited ... and a literal hint to five sets of circled letters : GATE CRASH.  

Melissa here. "Crash" indicates the circled letters are scrambled. This was a little crunchy for a Tuesday - the circles helped fill in a few unknowns. Fun to see theme answers both across and down.

Across

1. Composer heard at graduations : ELGAR. Sir Edward Elgar composed Pomp and Circumstance, traditionally heard at graduation ceremonies.

6. Exerciser's target : FLAB

10. Rescue from trouble, with "out" : BAIL

14. Actress Watts of the "Divergent" films : NAOMI

15. Change the decor of : REDO

16. "... __ and for all!" : ONCE

17. Medical prefix with -plasty : ANGIO. Not rhino.

20. Insertion marks : CARETS

22. World's longest river : NILE

23. Accessory usually not worn on casual Fridays : TIE

24. Bearded antelope : GNU

26. Cast a spell on : BEWITCH

31. From time immemorial : AGE OLD

34. Eritrea's capital : ASMARA. Oh sure, I knew that. In the Horn of Africa, east of Sudan, and just west of the Red Sea.

35. Opel model meaning "stars" in Latin : ASTRA

37. Ears in the field : CORN

39. Move wearily : PLOD

40. On-call doctor's gadget : PAGER. Still?


41. Flightless Aussie bird : EMU

42. Ballpark figure : GUESS. Love this clue.


43. Lie adjacent to : ABUT

44. Small songbird : WREN. Did you know wrens can be colorful? Above is a variegated fairy-wren, and at left is a purple crowned wren.

45. German artist Max : ERNST. (2 April 1891 – 1 April 1976) Painter, sculptor, graphic artist, poet.

46. Movie theater : CINEMA

48. Six-line sonnet section : SESTET

50. Subjugate : ENSLAVE

52. Salty expanse : SEA

53. Nav. VIP : ADM

56. Drought-stricken : SERE. What? Is this Tuesday?

58. Torment : PLAGUE

65. Passport, e.g.: Abbr. : IDENT. Not GovID.

66. Like a thesis defense : ORAL

67. James of jazz : ETTA. A Sunday kind of love 💘.

68. Backyard border : FENCE

69. Flamingo color : PINK

70. Unhappy fate : DOOM

71. Fragrant compound : ESTER

Down

1. Make official, as a law : ENACT

2. Hawaiian island, or Hawaiian porch : LANAI

4. French sweetie : AMIE

6. To and __ : FRO

7. Novelist Uris : LEON. Known for his historical fiction novels.


8. Improvise on stage : AD LIB

9. Algebra type : BOOLEAN

10. Marsh : BOG

11. Pantry pest : ANT

12. Cubes in a tray : ICE

13. Grassy field : LEA

19. The first "N" of CNN : NEWS. Cable News Network.


21. __-cone : SNO

25. Stomach woe : ULCER

27. Contaminated : IMPURE. Sneaky, I was looking for a verb.

29. White symbol on Switzerland's flag : CROSS

30. Owned, old-style : HADST

32. Storybook sister who pushed the hag into the oven : GRETEL

33. Semicircular roofs : DOMES

35. Speedily : APACE

36. Polio vaccine developer : SABIN

38. Mystical letters : RUNES

44. Was indecisive : WAVERED

47. Opposite of fem. : MASC

49. Autumnal equinox mo. : SEP

51. Muse for poets : ERATO

54. Nincompoop : DUNCE

55. Taxi calculator : METER

57. This, in Spain : ESTO

59. Summer refreshers : ADES

60. Republican org. : GOP

61. Shapiro of NPR : ARI

62. Shade provided by the sun? : TAN. Great clue.


63. Moose kin : ELK

64. Popular Easter entrée : HAM

Tuesday, June 6 2017, Mark McClain

Theme: AT-titude. Two-word phrases beginning with A and T.

18. *Lighthouse landmark in Honolulu : ALOHA TOWER. In Downtown Honolulu, the landmark lighthouse first opened in 1926. From Wikipedia: As of 2013 the shopping center and Aloha Tower itself have fallen into a state of disrepair, most of the store fronts are now gone and the entire mall and tower is showing damage. Many of the ships that were once tourist attractions have ceased operating, the Falls of Clyde has been stripped of her masts and is now a derelict sitting in the harbor. Today, Hawaii Pacific University has purchased and is continuing to redevelop the space. The second floor is now used as student housing with 268 beds. The ground floor features the HPU Welcome Center as well as other student facilities, and there are also some restaurants.

23. *Club batting first, in baseball : AWAY TEAM

36. *Capital that's home to Lady Bird Lake : AUSTIN TEXAS

50. *Treaded combat vehicle : ARMY TANK

56. Best place to be, slangily ... and, when divided in four parts, what the answers to starred clues are? : WHERE IT'S AT

Melissa here. Clever reveal answer, and a perfect Tuesday-level solve. Only had trouble with one answer, SALVO - all perps.

Across   
 

1. Part of AAA: Abbr. : ASSN
 

5. Utopian sites : EDENS

10. Abrasive sand bits : GRIT

14. Round caramel candy : ROLO

15. Get Mad again? : RENEW. Re-subscribe. Favorite clue.

16. Like some Chardonnay : OAKY

17. Kingdom given to Esau : EDOM. Now southern Jordan.

20. "E," on dashboards : NO GAS.

22. Photographer's stand : TRIPOD

25. Chain of hills : RIDGE

29. Madame, in Tijuana : SEÑORA

30. Starts of typical workweeks : MONDAYS

32. Confer holy orders upon : ORDAIN

35. One-named body-image advocate : EMME
 

39. Stumble : TRIP

41. Pic next to a screen name : AVATAR

42. Bombardment : BARRAGE

44. Breeds, as cattle : RAISES

49. What Bo Peep lost : SHEEP

52. St. Francis' birthplace : ASSISI

55. Burst of gunshots : SALVO. New to me.

60. Bear's home : LAIR

61. Made on a loom : WOVE

62. Choppers : TEETH. Not motorcycles.

63. "How __ Your Mother" : I MET.

64. Chilled with cubes : ICED

65. Position paper : ESSAY

66. Helps out : AIDS

Down

1. Sports venues : ARENAS

2. "Us, too!" : SO DO WE

3. "I'm Lovin' It" or "Just Do It," e.g. : SLOGAN. I carelessly started entering MOTTO, without counting the spaces. Nope.

4. Dieter's sandwich spec : NO MAYO

5. Historic period : ERA

6. Triangular river formation : DELTA

7. Huge, to a poet : ENORM

8. Grape soda brand : NEHI. Radar O'Reilly's drink of choice. (M*A*S*H)

9. Even trade : SWAP

10. "That's using your head!" : GOOD IDEA

11. How oysters are often served : RAW. Yeah, Baby ...

  
12. Eisenhower's nickname : IKE

13. Norse god of war : TYR

19. Ripped : TORN

21. Houston baseballers, briefly : 'STROS

24. Livestock identifier : EAR TAG

26. Beaver creations : DAMS

27. Workout spot : GYM

28. Linguistic suffix : ESE

30. Catcher's glove : MITT

31. Feature of Vegas "bandits" : ONE ARM

33. Go off the high board : DIVE

34. Santa __, California : ANA

36. Suffix with billion : AIRE

37. Lifted : UPREARED. I know it's legit, because I looked it up ... but what?

38. Dental exam pictures : X-RAYS

39. Atlanta-based cable channel : TBS

40. Crowd cheer : RAH

43. Cathedral recess : APSE

 

45. Roma is its capital : ITALIA

46. Hanging deli meat : SALAMI

47. Was jealous of : ENVIED

48. Hybrid garments : SKORTS. Hybrid made me think unisex, and I first tried SKIRT. Nope.

50. Burden-bearing beasts : ASSES

51. Gaucho's rope : RIATA

53. Internet location : SITE

54. Suffix for natives : ITES

56. 1914-'18 conflict, briefly : WWI

57. Ad __ committee : HOC. For a particular purpose.

58. Mother of Cain and Abel : EVE

59. Commandments pronoun : THY

Tuesday, May 30, 2017 Alex Eaton-Salners

Theme" You Can Take That To The Bank - You have a nice selection of banks to choose from.

17A. Mike and Carol's blended TV family: BRADY BUNCH. Branch Bank.

27A. Musical group with conga drums: SALSA BAND. Sandbank, of Provincial Park Ontario.

32A. Had a religious awakening: FOUND GOD. Food Bank.

45A. Lost it all: WENT BUST. West Bank, Paris. Palestine/Israel West Bank. Thank you, CanadianEh!

53A. Where to learn to crawl?: SWIM CLASS. Swiss Bank, where you're a number, not a name.

61A. Kitty Hawk locale ... and what the circled letters graphically represent: OUTER BANKS. Off the coast of North Carolina and Virginia.

Argyle here. If you don't have the circles, the outer letters of the themes form a type of bank.

Across:

1. Lather on lattes: FOAM

5. Stage performer: ACTOR

10. Tag sale tag words: AS IS

14. A6 automaker: AUDI

15. Prepare (oneself), as for a shock: BRACE

16. Gridiron strategy: PUNT

19. __ Major: URSA. The Big Dipper.

20. "Mamma __!": 5-Down musical: MIA. Abba.

21. Chinese currency: YUAN. Wiki.

23. Season ticket holder, probably: FAN

24. Willem of "American Psycho": DAFOE.  Spider-Man's "Green Goblin".

29. Share parts with: OVERLAP

31. HBO's "Game of __": THRONES

34. Fish-and-chips fish: COD

35. Start of some email subj. lines: FWD. (forward)

36. Military day's march: ETAPE. Hello old friend.

39. __ jar: TIP

42. Upper limb: ARM

48. In any case: AT LEAST

52. Sticks (to): ADHEREs

55. Hungry, probably: UNFED

56. "For __ a jolly ... ": HE'S

57. Japanese noodle: SOBA

58. Texter's "Yikes!": "OMG!"

59. Folk singer Seeger: PETE

66. "Got it, man": "I DIG". Hippy talk.

67. Dinner holder: PLATE

68. "Star Wars" princess: LEIA

69. Tickle Me Elmo toy company: TYCO

70. Clout: SAY SO

71. Risqué message: SEXT. A text message of a suggestive nature.

Down:

1. Adjective for a British Invasion foursome: FAB. The Beatles!

2. Couple's possessive: OUR

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

4. Around 10:00 a.m.: MIDMORN

5. "Dancing Queen" pop group: ABBA

6. Grand __: wine label words: CRU. A wine that displays this label is supposed to exhibit (translated into English) Great Growth.

7. Country singer Tucker: TANYA

8. Paranormal: OCCULT

9. Discuss to death: REHASH

10. "The Simpsons" shop owner: APU

11. Steak-lobster combo, on menus: SURF AND TURF

12. Off the wall: INSANE

13. Where season ticket holders sit: STANDS

18. Triangular road sign: YIELD

22. Drug cop: NARC

24. Remove respectfully, as a hat: DOFF

25. Say openly: AVOW

26. Like medieval Europe's social structure: FEUDALISTIC

27. Catch sight of: SPOT

28. Heckler's cry: BOO

30. Grow old: AGE

33. Margery of kids' rhyme: DAW

Seesaw Margery Daw

Johnny shall have a new master

He shall earn but a penny a day

Because he can't work any faster

37. Pod veggies: PEAs

38. Cease: END

40. "Oh, of course!": "I SEE!". Echo of 66-Across.

41. Combat vet's affliction, briefly: PTSD. (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder)

43. Dream letters: REM. (rapid eye movement)

44. Apple computers: MACs

46. Hitchhiker's digit: THUMB

47. Cincinnati NFL team: BENGALS

48. Chimney receptacle: ASH PIT

49. Like some hunting jackets: TWEEDY

50. Single-masted ships: SLOOPS. Remember, "We come on the Sloop John B".

51. __ rasa: clean slate: TABULA

54. Skewered Indonesian dish: SATAY.  Various sauces but mainly peanut sauce.

58. Twistable cookie: OREO

60. Self-worth: EGO

62. UFO crew, supposedly: ETs. (extraterrestrials)

63. Alumna bio word: NEE

64. "Kid Tested" cereal: KIX

65. Minded the kids: SAT

Argyle