Tuesday, August 22, 2017 ~ Bruce Haight

Theme: No Reveal Tuesday - It's anagrams of  VILE.

17A. Tendency to explode in anger: VILE TEMPER

25A. Demons and such: EVIL SPIRITS

36A. Cover for mysterious doings: VEIL OF SECRECY

49A. Blue jeans pioneer: LEVI STRAUSS

59A. Real-time media transfer: LIVE STREAM

Argyle here. Nice puzzle, Bruce. I want to see what OwenKL does with it.

Across:

1. Bun or beehive: HAIRDO

7. Faux __: social goof: PAS. French: literally, false step.

10. Keep __: persevere: AT IT

14. Free from stress by heating, as metal: ANNEAL. I am a fan of "Forged in Fire".

15. Theater chain initials: AMC. (originally an abbreviation for American Multi-Cinema)

16. Golfer's mulligan, e.g.: REDO

19. Banjo ridge: FRET

20. Surrounded by: AMID

21. Rushed toward: RAN AT

23. Genetic letters: RNA. (ribonucleic acid)

24. Scottish denial: NAE

28. Graduates: ALUMNI

30. Deem necessary: SEE FIT

31. Performing: ACTING

35. Issue a ticket to: CITE

40. Surprise "from the blue": BOLT

41. Sharpshooters' aiming devices: SCOPES

42. Top squads: A TEAMS

45. Media revenue source: AD SALE

53. Roman goddess of peace: PAX

54. Wash. neighbor: IDA. Wikipedia article about Idaho.

55. Needles: GOADS

56. Beaujolais or Burgundy: WINE. 39-Down. 56-Across choices: REDS

57. Red __: spicy candies: HOTS

62. "The Mammoth Hunters" novelist Jean: AUEL. I transposed the E/U but almost got it first time.

63. Dictator Amin: IDI

64. Rain or snow, briefly: PRECIP. (precipitation) The main forms of precipitation include drizzle, rain, sleet, snow, graupel and hail. The term graupel comes from the German for soft hail or snow pellets.

65. Wee: ITSY

66. Broadband option, briefly: DSL. (Digital Subscriber Line)

67. Most elegant: FINEST

Down:

1. "Our Man in __": Graham Greene novel set in Cuba: HAVANA

2. Creature: ANIMAL

3. Instead (of): IN LIEU

4. Film critic Rex: REED. "Until 2017 he wrote the column "On the Town with Rex Reed" for The New York Observer." ~ Wiki.

5. "Who __?": New Orleans Saints fans' chant: DAT

6. Spanish cheer: ¡OLÉ!

7. Like a visit from the Bishop of Rome: PAPAL. The Bishop of Rome is the Pope.

8. Congregational replies: AMENS

9. Paper bits for collages: SCRAPS

10. Response to "Speak!": [ARF!]

11. Wonderful: TERRIFIC

12. Modern theft target: IDENTITY

13. How food may be seasoned: TO TASTE

18. Med. scan: MRI. (magnetic resonance imaging)

22. Even score: TIE

25. Ltr. insert: ENCL. (enclosed or enclosure)

26. Corleone family head: VITO. The Godfather.

27. School break: RECESS

29. Rum cocktail: MAI TAI

32. "No __, ands or buts!": IFS

33. White House foreign policy gp.: NSC. (National Security Council)

34. Old Prizm automaker: GEO

36. Removed from office via election: VOTED OUT

37. Lifts: ELEVATES

38. Taxpayer ID users: CPAs. (Certified Public Accountant)

40. Bloody Mary's solo: BALI HA'I

43. Chinese food additive: MSG. (monosodium glutamate)

44. Unemotional: STOLID. From the Latin word stolidus.

46. Separately: A PIECE

47. Island verandas: LANAIs

48. Not subject to jury duty, say: EXEMPT. Perhaps if you're aged.

50. Fridge forays: RAIDS

51. Analgesic brand: ADVIL

52. Put to work: USE

56. Birdhouse singer: WREN

58. Furtive: SLY

60. Sunscreen letters: SPF. (sun protection factor).

61. Prefix with cycle: TRI

Argyle

Tuesday, August 15, 2017 ~ C.C. Burnikel

Theme: Circles - A jumble of the word, DASH, inside the circles.

16. "Baywatch" star: DAVID HASSELHOFF

22. Pull-out money holder: CASH DRAWER

37. Frantic rush, and what's literally found in each set of puzzle circles: MAD DASH

49. Poker table experts: CARD SHARKS

59. Like football linemen: BROAD SHOULDERED

Argyle here. CC hasn't given us a pinwheel today but two grid spanners instead.

Across:

1. Arizona site of Sun Devil Stadium: TEMPE

6. "I beg your pardon?": "WHAT?"

10. College sr.'s test: GRE. (Graduate Record Examinations)

13. Prettify: ADORN

14. Post-bath wrap: ROBE

15. Window box dirt: SOIL

19. "I couldn't agree more!": "AMEN!"

20. Dined: ATE

21. Coastal raptor: ERNE

26. Entry in a ledger's plus column: ASSET

29. Horse opera setting: OLD WEST

32. On the run: LOOSE

33. "La La Land" Best Actress Stone: EMMA

35. Flat-bottomed boat: SCOW

36. College URL ender: .EDU

40. Lowest sudoku number: ONE

41. Swindles: CONS

43. Funny folks: WITS

44. How pastrami is often ordered: ON RYE

46. Secondary wager: SIDE BET

48. Silently greet: NOD AT

53. Bit of fish tank growth: ALGA

54. Mined metal: ORE

55. Emerged from slumber: WOKE

63. Motown genre: SOUL

64. Website with filmographies: IMDb. (Internet Movie Database)

65. Made more tolerable: EASED

66. Total up: ADD

67. Civil rights activist Parks: ROSA

68. Unemotional: STONY

Down:

1. "I did it!": "TA-DA!"

2. Wax-coated Dutch cheese: EDAM

3. Relocate: MOVE

4. Charles, William and Harry: PRINCES

5. Wrap up: END

6. Extreme anger: WRATH

7. Swindled, slangily: HOSED

8. Core muscles: ABs. The abdominal muscles.

9. Casual shirt: TEE

10. Publicly state one's views: GO ON RECORD. Funnier as GOON RECORD.

11. Replete (with): RIFE

12. Pixie: ELF

15. Mole-like mammals: SHREWS

17. Suffers from: HAS

18. More than risqué: LEWD

23. "Up and __!": "Rise and shine!": AT 'EM

24. Oblong tomatoes: ROMAs

25. "Sorry to say ... ": "ALAS ... "

26. Smart __: wiseguys: ALECs

27. "Same here!": "SO DO I"

28. Big name in music streaming: SOUNDCLOUD. New to me. Wiki entry.

30. "Mortal Kombat" agent __ Blade: SONYA

A publicity photo of Bridgette Wilson as Sonya in the film Mortal Kombat

31. Short cyber post: TWEET

33. Touches up, as text: EDITS

34. Summer hrs. in Billings: MDT. (Mountain Daylight Time)

38. Wonderstruck: AWED

39. Hit the horn: HONK

42. Steven of "The Patriot" (1998): SEAGAL

45. "That's easy!": "NO SWEAT!"

47. Actor Pitt: BRAD

50. Parka parts: HOODS

51. Vacation spot near Curaçao: ARUBA

52. Seminary subj.: REL. (religion)

53. Former Yankee who was the youngest MLB player to hit 600 home runs: A-ROD. Alex Rodriguez.

56. Guesstimate words: OR SO

57. "Peachy-__!": KEEN

58. Whirling current: EDDY

59. Youth org. with merit badges: BSA. (Boy Scouts of America)

60. Title of respect: SIR

61. Med. care provider: HMO. (health maintenance organization)

62. __ Moines: DES

Argyle

Tuesday, August 8 2017, Susan Gelfand

Theme: PEN PUSHER

20. *Spider-Man's alter ego : PETER PARKER


 

58. *Striped African equine : PLAINS ZEBRA


11. *Midsize SUV : HONDA PILOT


29. *Hellenic religious symbol : GREEK CROSS


41. Pseudonym ... and what the end of each answer to a starred clue is : PEN NAME


Melissa here. A pseudonym theme after yesterday's NAME CHANGE. Today, each theme answer ends with the brand name of a pen maker. It took all four for the light to come on, as  I was expecting to find actual aliases. Northeast was the last to fall, due to an unknown, and a misread clue. Full of Scrabble-y letters, J, K, X - only  a Q and V short of a pangram.

Across

1. Blue gem, briefly : LAPIS




6. See : ESPY


10. Units of electrical resistance : OHMS


14. "You __ serious": "I don't believe it" : AREN'T




15. When doubled, toy train sound : CHOO


16. Actress Cusack : JOAN


  

17. Bungle : MISDO
. If you say so.

18. Don't have : LACK


19. Number after dix : ONZE
. French ten and eleven.

23. DOJ anti-narcotics arm : DEA
. Not ATF.

24. Gen-__: boomers' kids : XERS


25. Lustrous patterned fabric : DAMASK


27. Rim : EDGE


30. SOS responder : USCG
. Coast Guard.

33. Vain dresser : FOP
. Funny word.

34. Protestant minister : PARSON
. Not PASTOR.

36. Leaving out : OMITTING


40. Mined metal : ORE


43. Texter's guffaw : LOL


44. Like shish kebab : SKEWERED


46. A __: based on deduction rather than experience : PRIORI




48. Family reunion attendees : KIN




49. Be an omen of : BODE


51. __ in the back: betray : STAB


52. Prickly plant : CACTUS


55. Burn soother : ALOE


57. "Ben-__" : HUR




64. Superstar : IDOL


66. BMW competitor : AUDI


67. Studio warning sign : ON AIR




68. Sushi bar soup : MISO




69. Corp. VIP : PRES


70. Bump in the night, say : NOISE




71. Cancún cash : PESO


72. Place for Girl Scout badges : SASH


73. Furry sci-fi creatures : EWOKS

 

 Down
 

1. End table accessory : LAMP


2. Soul singer India.__ : ARIE


3. Irksome one : PEST


4. Reference aids in reference books : INDEXES


5. Sock away : STORE


6. Mercedes line of autos : E CLASS


7. __-Pei: wrinkly dog : SHAR

 

8. Small indentation : POCK
.

 

9. Hitched together, as oxen : YOKED


10. Spanish eye : OJO


12. Perplexing passages : MAZES
. Not literary passages.

13. Tiptoe, say : SNEAK

21. One shaping a rosebush : PRUNER


22. Roof support : RAFTER




26. Witty remark : MOT


27. Long narrative poem : EPOS




28. Chocolate option : DARK
. Not Milk.

31. Apartment type : CONDO
. Not enough letters for STUDIO.

32. Start-the-day ABC talk show, familiarly : GMA


35. "Let me in!" : OPEN UP

37. Drives forward : IMPELS


38. "You've Got Mail" director Ephron : NORA
. She felt bad about her neck.

39. Smooth-talking : GLIB


42. Platte River st. : NEB


45. Punster : WIT




47. "Finally got it" : I SEE NOW


50. From Copenhagen, e.g. : DANISH


52. Zoo primate : CHIMP


53. WWII hero Murphy : AUDIE
. Also an actor and song-writer.

54. Reactions to fresh comments : SLAPS




56. Depleted atmospheric layer : OZONE


59. Luminous glow : AURA


60. Mid-month date : IDES


61. "Charles in Charge" actor Scott : BAIO


62. Take a chance on : RISK


63. Warring son of Zeus and Hera : ARES


65. Lav, in Leeds : LOO

Tuesday, August 1 2017, Agnes Davidson & C.C. Burnikel

Theme: STRAIGHT As

17. *Quick checkout choice : EXPRESS LINE
. A-LINE.

57. *Wedding gown attachment : BRIDAL TRAIN
. A TRAIN. How Duke Ellington took The A Train.

 11. *Social networking site with a math sign in its logo : GOOGLE PLUS
. A PLUS.

 
29. *"Want to try it?" : ARE YOU GAME
. A GAME.

     


38. Hollywood's crème de la crème ... and where to find the ends of the answers to starred clues? : A LIST


Melissa here. This seemed much more like a Tuesday level to me than last week. Straightforward, clean theme, no major snags. An A-list puzzle from A-list constructors.

Across

1. Pose in yoga studios : ASANA
. A-Z Asana Guide.

6. Personal histories : PASTS


11. Belly : GUT


14. Bus stop : DEPOT
. This is the food court in the Vadodara bus station, serving the city of Vadodara in Gujarat, India.

15. Portion out : ALLOT




16. Bear, in Barcelona : OSO

19. Rower's blade : OAR




20. Wall St. index : NYSE


21. Molecule part : ATOM




22. Longtime first name in morning talk shows : REGIS




24. Wide assortment : ARRAY




26. "Sure thing!" : WILL DO


27. Flowering shrubs associated with Augusta National Golf Club : AZALEAS


30. Pocahontas' husband John : ROLFE
. Always have trouble remembering this name.

31. Little women : GIRLS


32. Solo : ALONE


34. Asian noodle soup : PHO
. Pronounced "Fuh." So good.

 37. "__-dokey!" : OKEY


39. Raindrop sound : PLOP




40. Part of LGBTQ : GAY




41. Desert plant used to make tequila : AGAVE


42. Resort island near Venezuela : ARUBA
.  Dutch Caribbean island off the coast of Venezuela.

43. Eyed wolfishly : OGLED


45. Forest-scented cleaning product : PINESOL


47. Take the __: risk it : PLUNGE


49. Not proficient in : BAD AT
. Funny.

50. Scoundrel : ROGUE




51. Surrealist Joan : MIRO


 

 52. Govt. workplace watchdog : OSHA


56. "I figured it out!" : AHA


60. Beaver's creation : DAM




61. In a snit : RILED


62. High-end chocolatier : LINDT


 

63. Dollar bill : ONE




64. Ease up : ABATE


65. Soap units : CAKES


Down
 

1. Yemen port : ADEN


2. Like hunks and knockouts : SEXY


3. Cellphone downloads : APPS


4. "Honest, it's true!" : NO REALLY


5. Gobbled up : ATE




6. Macaroni side dish : PASTA SALAD


7. Brass or bronze : ALLOY


8. Slender : SLIM


9. Heavy weight : TON


10. Like sealed medical supplies : STERILE


12. Federal humanitarian org. : US AID


13. Upper body : TORSO


18. "The Talk" co-host Gilbert : SARA


23. Tiny toymaker : ELF


 25. High-__ graphics : RES


26. Refuses to : WON'T


27. Really excited : AGOG


28. Virus of concern at the Rio Olympics : ZIKA

30. New Year's Day floral procession : ROSE PARADE


33. Actress Ullmann : LIV


35. Boxcar hopper : HOBO


36. October birthstone : OPAL


38. "The African Queen" screenwriter James : AGEE


39. South African city where Mandela was inaugurated : PRETORIA




41. Math with x's : ALGEBRA


42. Santa __ winds : ANA




44. Bearded grassland grazer : GNU


46. Superstar : IDOL


47. Madrid art museum : PRADO
. Have you been? From Wikipedia: The collection currently comprises around 8,200 drawings, 7,600 paintings, 4,800 prints, and 1,000 sculptures, in addition to a large number of other works of art and historic documents.  Exhibitions.

48. Actress Lindsay : LOHAN


49. Bathroom fixture : BIDET


51. Actress Kunis of "Bad Moms" : MILA




53. Went under : SANK


54. __-and-seek : HIDE


55. Picnic critters : ANTS


58. Curved bone : RIB


59. Attention from Dr. Mom : TLC

Tuesday, July 25 2017, Joe Kidd

Theme:

17. *Royal passing rubber checks? : KITING KING

25. *English Einstein? : BRITAIN BRAIN

47. *Pack animal carrying a Mexican treat? : BURRITO BURRO

62. *Gdansk gentleman? : POLITE POLE

40. "That'll be enough of that subject" ... and a hint to solving the answers to starred clues : DROP IT

Two-word phrases in which IT is dropped from the second word, to create a new word. 

Melissa here. With lots of learning moments, this felt a tad above Tuesday level to me - relied heavily on perps. Got the theme with the first theme answer - which helped fill in the others pretty quickly. I remember using that "Drop It Like it's Hot" gif for the theme of a fairly recent blog post - but my (admittedly halfhearted) attempt to find it turned up nothing. Anyone else remember a recent "Drop It" theme?

Appears to be a debut for constructor Joe Kidd here at the corner. Pseudonym?

Across

1. Physicist Newton : ISAAC
 

6. Maker of TimeCutter riding mowers : TORO

10. Crimson Tide, to fans : BAMA
 

14. "Ask someone else" : NOT ME
 

15. Fail to enunciate : SLUR
 

16. "Don't have __!": "Calm down!" : A COW

19. Ding-__ : DONG
 

20. Mailing label phrase : SEND TO
 

21. Shopping to beat the band : ON A SPREE. "To beat the band" is an idiom meaning "to the greatest possible degree." Not something I hear often.
 

23. Sign of a Broadway hit : SRO. Standing Room Only.
 

24. International accord : ENTENTE. Is this Tuesday?
 

30. Feel sick : AIL
 

31. Suggestive sideways look : LEER
 

32. Ten sawbucks : C-NOTE
 

36. Just okay : SO-SO
 

38. Calculate again : RE-ADD
 

41. The "Y" of YSL : YVES
 

42. Lesley of "60 Minutes" : STAHL. She recently wrote a book about becoming a grandparent.

44. Blood fluids : SERA
 

46. "All you can __": buffet sign : EAT
 

51. Shout of jubilation : WHOOPEE
 

54. Butter square : PAT
 

55. Stop fretting : REST EASY
 

57. Weather map line : ISOBAR. A line on a map connecting points having the same atmospheric pressure at a given time or on average over a given period.

 

61. "In the Valley of __": 2007 Tommy Lee Jones film : ELAH. 2007 Release.
 

64. Brand with a Swoosh logo : NIKE. Didn't know all this.

65. Utility abbr. : ELEC
 

66. Worked (up) : RILED
 

67. Fly high : SOAR
 

68. __ Martin Cognac : REMY
 

69. Fills fully : SATES
 

Down
 

1. Signs, as a document : INKS
 

2. French silk : SOIE. Is this Tuesday?
 

3. Mailing label abbr. : ATTN
 

4. Surrounded by : AMIDST
 

5. Chicago's time zone : CENTRAL
 

6. "What a shame!" : TSK
 

7. Hodgepodge : OLIO
 

8. Miler or sprinter : RUNNER
 

9. Princess Leia's last name : ORGANA. I had no idea of this - is it common knowledge for most Star Wars fans?
 

10. Metaphorical coin that keeps turning up : BAD PENNY
 

11. Oak-to-be : ACORN
 

12. Painter Claude : MONET
 

13. "Well, gosh" : AW GEE
 

18. Stickier : GOOIER
 

22. Bic Clic __ pen : STIC

 25. Low singing voice : BASS
 

26. More than a melee : RIOT
 

27. "Casablanca" heroine : ILSA
 

28. Word before maiden names : NEE 

29. "The Godfather" enforcer Luca : BRASI
 

33. Finished : OVER
 

34. Saline sign of sadness : TEAR
 

35. Spanish "this" : ESTO
 

37. Pooh Bear's lament : OH, BOTHER

39. Police rank: Abbr. : DET

43. "Superstar" rapper __ Fiasco : LUPE. No idea.
 

45. Ones inflicting humiliation : ABASERS
 

48. Farm machine : REAPER
 

49. Fix, as a shoe : RESOLE. Seems this should be simply "Fix a shoe." What else would be fixed by resoling?

50. Thomas More's perfect world : UTOPIA
 

51. Chirpy birds : WRENS
 

52. Sun: Pref. : HELIO. All I had to go on at first was the O, which did not help. Is this Tuesday?
 

53. Honshu port : OSAKA
 

56. Theoretical matter involved in the Big Bang : YLEM. From Wikipedia: "Ylem is a term that was used by George Gamow, his student Ralph Alpher, and their associates in the late 1940s for a hypothetical original substance or condensed state of matter, which became subatomic particles and elements as we understand them today." Hello! It's Tuesday!

58. Lightning streak : BOLT
 

59. On the quiet side, at sea : ALEE
 

60. Cincinnati team : REDS
 

63. Slippery, as a road : ICY

Tuesday, July 18, 2017 Howard Barkin

Theme: Getting your just desserts - No pie, let them eat CAKE.

57A. Simple thing to do ... and what each starred clue's answer ends with?: PIECE OF CAKE

20A. *Moon's alleged makeup: GREEN CHEESE. Cheese cake.

40A. *Indian spiced drink: CHAI TEA. Tea cake.

11D. *Pre-euro Dublin currency: IRISH POUND. Pound cake.

29D. *Loofah: BATH SPONGE. Sponge cake.

Argyle here. Pinwheel grid. Pleasing.

Across:

1. "Get outta here!": "SCRAM!"

6. Computers with Apple cores: MACs

10. Designer Ricci: NINA. Nina Ricci. A fashion house founded by Maria "Nina" Ricci and her son Robert in Paris in 1932. Wiki link

14. Slip 'N Slide maker: WHAMO

15. Peter Fonda's title beekeeper: ULEE. "Ulee's Gold"{1997}.

16. Pesky one: BRAT

17. Insurance giant: AETNA

18. Nat or Natalie: COLE

19. Verdi title princess: AIDA

23. Respectful address: SIR

24. __ Lee: dessert brand: SARA

25. "South Pacific" song: "BALI HA'I"

27. Red ink item: DEBT

30. "Yikes!": "ACK!"

32. Fraidy-cat: WIMP

33. Hedging response: "I MAY"

34. Billy Joel's "__ Always a Woman": SHE'S

36. Actress Deschanel of "New Girl": ZOOEY

39. Cambridge sch.: MIT. (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

42. Spanish "a": UNA

43. Old anesthetic: ETHER

45. Lee of Marvel Comics: STAN. He has made several appearances on TBBT.

46. Cutting sound: SNIP

47. Hits the slopes: SKIs

49. Eur. realm until 1806: HRE. (Holy Roman Empire)

50. Puts two and two together: ADDs

51. Hangs crudely, as a dorm poster: TAPES UP

54. 1982 Disney sci-fi film: "TRON"

56. Sis' counterpart, and sometime rival: BRO'

62. Charged atoms: IONs

64. Stepped (on): TROD

65. Heart chambers: ATRIA

66. Fierce anger: RAGE. Partner of "rant".

67. Words following a guesstimate: OR SO

68. Sea birds: GULLS

69. Sketched: DREW

70. Sought-after private of film: RYAN. "Saving Private Ryan (1998)"

71. Overact: EMOTE

Down:

1. Pirate's booty: SWAG

2. One-named "Mask" actress: CHER. "School Registration"

3. Give stars to: RATE

4. Official forgiveness: AMNESTY

5. Animated Disney film with a Polynesian heroine: MOANA. (2016)

6. Spanish girls: MUCHACHAS. Boys are muchachos,.

7. Soothing gel ingredient: ALOE

8. TMZ figure: CELEB. (celebrity) TMZ Wiki link

9. Playground fixture for two: SEESAW

10. Steph Curry's org.: NBA. (National Basketball Association)

12. 1976 Olympics star Comaneci: NADIA

13. Arcade pioneer: ATARI

21. Sound of cymbals: [CRASH!]

22. "My Fair Lady" role: ELIZA

26. "I think," in texts: IMO. (in my opinion)

27. Thin coin: DIME

28. Let off, as steam: EMIT

31. Mets star Hernandez who dated Elaine in a two-part "Seinfeld": KEITH

35. Initiated, as a task: STARTED ON

37. Oklahoma city: ENID

38. Puppy sounds: YAPs. Not YIPS today.

40. Like fresh chips: CRISP

41. Beginning of el año: ENERO. Spanish.

44. Just __ by: barely make it: EKE

46. Holy spot: SANCTUM

48. Beau-to-be, hopefully: SUITOR

51. Classic Ford auto: T-BIRD

52. Wildly cheering: AROAR

53. Sportswear designer Ellis: PERRY. Perry Ellis, American fashion designer who founded his eponymous sportswear house in the mid-1970s.

55. No longer a minor: OF AGE

58. Thing, to Tomás: COSA. Spanish.

59. Guthrie of folk: ARLO

60. Bagpiper's attire: KILT

61. Let up: EASE

63. Stitch: SEW

Argyle