Tuesday, September 5, 2017 ~ Robert E. Lee Morris

Theme: Are you ready for some football? - You will need a good front line.

63A. In jeopardy ... and where the first words of the answers to starred clues can be found: ON THE LINE

17A. *Fishing gear holder: TACKLE BOX

38A. *Final part of a chess match: END GAME

11D. *Site of many face-offs: CENTER ICE. Hockey.

34D. *Sentry's job: GUARD DUTY

Argyle here. We have a nice pinwheel formation on our grid but it wouldn't work on the gridiron.

Across:

1. Hungarian sheepdog: PULI

5. Glasgow native: SCOT 

Sauchiehall Street in Glasgow

9. 1983 taxi comedy starring Mr. T: DC CAB

14. Mideast chieftain: EMIR

15. Boob __: TV: TUBE

16. Last Olds model: ALERO

19. Old Ford subcompact named for a horse: PINTO

20. "__ missing something?": AM I. (blogger's lament)

21. Out on a cruise: AT SEA

22. Pickled-pepper picker: PETER

23. Like Disneyland at night: LIT UP

25. Public tantrum: SCENE

27. Snappy dresser: FOP ergo 9-Down. Smartly dressed: DAPPER

29. '60s sci-fi series created by Gene Roddenberry: "STAR TREK"

32. Vamoose, to Shakespeare: BE GONE. “I must be gone and live, or stay and die.”

35. Long, slippery fish: EEL

36. Suffix with Israel or Jacob: ITE

37. Sch. in Columbus: OSU. (Ohio State University)

41. Chili __ carne: CON

42. RR depot: STA. (railroad station)

43. Common soccer result: TIE

44. Scope: EXTENT

46. Plush teddy with a heart for a nose: CARE BEAR

49. Red Seal record label company: RCA. (Radio Corporation of America)

50. Dryly humorous: DROLL

51. That is, in Latin: ID EST

55. Like some waves: TIDAL

57. Senate positions: SEATS

61. "Avatar" actress Saldana: ZOE

62. Word with safe or out: HOUSE. But is there a safe out house?

65. Speak: UTTER

66. Farmland measure: ACRE

67. Not yet eliminated from the contest: IN IT. Untill the fat lady sings.

68. Authority: SAY SO

69. Course of action: PLAN

70. Jacob's first wife: LEAH. Family Tree.

Down:

1. Petunia part: PETAL

2. Taste that's not sweet, sour, bitter or salty: UMAMI

3. Allowed by law: LICIT

4. Irritate: IRK

5. Copy editor's "Leave it in": [STET]

6. Wrigley Field team: CUBS. Chicago.

7. Double-reed woodwind: OBOE

8. Petroleum nickname: TEXAS TEA

10. Customer: CLIENT

12. Paintings in the Prado, por ejemplo: ARTE. The Prado Museum is the main Spanish national art museum, located in central Madrid.

13. Ungentlemanly sort: BOOR

18. First track circuit in a race: LAP ONE

24. Sci-fi radar blip: UFO. (unidentified flying object)

26. More sedate: CALMER

28. Marker marketer: PENTEL. Wiki.

29. "Night Moves" singer Bob: SEGER

30. Historic British prep school: ETON

31. Superman, as a reporter: KENT

32. Greenish-yellow pear: BOSC

33. "¿Cómo __ usted?": ESTA. "How are you?"

39. Shower bar brand: DIAL SOAP

40. Type of tax: EXCISE

45. Tiny bit: TAD

47. Wipes out: ERASES

48. Ravel classic used in the film "10": BOLERO. The clip is long(15:49) but fascinating.

52. Online periodical: eZINE

53. Justice Sotomayor: SONIA

54. Molars and incisors: TEETH

55. Like so: THUS

56. Tiny bit: IOTA

58. SASE, say: ENCL. (self-addressed stamped envelope/enclosure)

59. Razor brand: ATRA

60. Back in the day: THEN

64. "__ Abner": LI'L

Argyle

Tuesday, August 29, 2017 ~ Lonnie Burton & Nadine Anderton

Theme: Word Jumble - In the circles, various formations of the word, SPARE.

17A. Microsoft Excel tool: SPREADSHEET

24A. Like lutes and mandolins: PEAR-SHAPED

36A. Gentle hose setting: FINE SPRAY

49A. Stain remover for wrinkle-resistant fabric: PERMA-PRESS  

58A. Pocket coins, or what can literally be seen in each set of puzzle circles: SPARE CHANGE

Argyle here. So one jumble forms a word, (pears), and one is a prefix, (après-); three span two words while one is wholly contained in one word. It has some strong columns in the corners; all-in-all, a satisfactory third LAT puzzle from this duo.

Across:

1. Ruin: SPOIL

6. Pesto herb: BASIL

11. NYC financial newspaper: WSJ. (Wall Street Journal)

14. Dodgers and Giants: TEAMS. Both former NYC teams.

15. Spanish girl: CHICA

16. Boo follower: HOO

19. It's found in lodes: ORE

20. Disc in the dishwasher: PLATE

21. Parish residence: RECTORY

23. Mount sacred to Judaism: ZION. Mount Zion is a hill in Jerusalem just outside the walls of the Old City.

                                      rare snow

27. Splinter groups: SECTS

29. Beer drinker's option, briefly: IPA. (India pale ale)

30. River from Lake Victoria: NILE

31. First animal rescue vessel?: ARK

32. Ex-Yankee Martinez: TINO. Both a third baseman and first baseman, Wiki.

34. John of Monty Python: CLEESE

38. Shoot for, with "to": ASPIRE

41. New Mexico art hub: TAOS

42. Chicken __: itchy malady: POX

45. Paper mishap: TEAR

46. Building wing: ELL

47. Yankee manager Joe with four World Series wins: TORRE. He serves as Major League Baseball's chief baseball officer since 2011.

53. Close by: NEAR

54. Gets away: ESCAPES

55. When many take coffee breaks: AT TEN

57. "__ you listening?": ARE

62. Animation frame: CEL

63. Prohibit, legally: ESTOP

64. Fencing swords: EPEEs

65. Masthead VIPs: EDs. (Editors)

66. Small and large: SIZES

67. Actress Streep: MERYL

Down:

1. 42nd and Wall: Abbr.: STs. NYC, 42nd is mid-town and Wall Street is down at the tip.

2. More lively: PEPPIER

3. Dinghy attachment: OARLOCK

4. "That is to say ... ": "I MEANT ... "

5. J.D.-to-be's exam: LSAT. (Law School Admission Test)

6. Former NCAA football ranking sys.: BCS. Bowl Championship Series, a system that selected matchups for major college football bowl games between 1998 and 2013.

7. Spa sigh: [AHH!]

8. Mountain chain: SIERRA

9. Fruity frozen drinks: ICEEs

10. Fastening device: LATCH

11. __ pie: cream-filled chocolate cake: WHOOPIE. My sugar spiked just looking at them.

12. Reddish-brown horses: SORRELS

13. "Peppermint Twist" lead singer: JOEY DEE and the Starliters.

18. ATM transaction: Abbr.: DEP. (deposit)

22. Dred Scott decision Chief Justice: TANEY. Bio.

23. When doubled, a Gabor: ZSA

25. German article: EINE

26. Biblical disciple: APOSTLE

28. Verb in a recipe: STIR

33. Suffix with chlor-: INE

34. Zagreb's country, to the IOC: CRO. (International Olympic Committee/Croatia)

35. Bringing up the rear: LAST

36. Terra __: solid land: FIRMA

37. Friends: PALS

38. Content (with): AT PEACE

39. Becomes incensed: SEES RED. I guess peace didn't last.

40. FedEx deliveries: PARCELS

42. Feather-fixing bird, e.g.: PREENER

43. Like a bad fake tan: ORANGEY

44. Gen-__: millennial preceder: Xer

46. Fake: ERSATZ. Thank you whoever used it in the comments the other day.

48. Already recorded: ON TAPE

50. Church recesses: APSEs

51. Cola choice: PEPSI

52. Anatomical pouch: SAC

56. Those folks: THEM

59. Fish eggs: ROE

60. Mini-albums, for short: EPs. (extended play)

61. Subj. for immigrants: ESL. (English as a Second Language)

Argyle

Notes from C.C.:

1) Let's continue keeping our Texas regulars in our thoughts and prayers. D-Otto has not replied my email either. Hope he just lost his internet. Thanks for the updates, Anon-T, Peg and TX Ms.

2) Here are two pictures from JD.

This one was taken on Sunday night when her grandson Truman celebrated his 10th birthday. How time flies! JD joined our blog shortly after Truman was born.

 

JD and her husband Bob

The picture is from her recent vacation with Dick (an old blog regular) and his wife Irene in Switzerland. They take vacations together every year. JD said "We couldn’t go up in the gondola (today’s CW entry) to the Matterhorn because of high winds, so we took a tram up to the 2nd highest peak: Gornergrat... it was very windy with snow, dust and gravel blowing."

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