Tuesday, September 26, 2017 ~ Peter Gordon

Theme: Sing, Sing, Sing! - Three musical numbers from a 1957 Broadway production.

20. Julie Andrews' "The Sound of Music" role: MARIA VON TRAPP

25. Jimmy Fallon hosts it: THE TONIGHT SHOW

43. Avengers member with a patriotic shield: CAPTAIN AMERICA

50. 9/26/1957 Broadway debut featuring the consecutive songs found at the start of 20-Across, the middle of 25-Across and the end of 43-Across: WEST SIDE STORY

Argyle here. The theme was lost on me until I read the full reveal. Clever.

Across:

1. Sales pitch: SPIEL

6. Outback birds: EMUs

10. Sunup: DAWN

14. Café lure: AROMA

15. Clickable webpage word: LINK

16. Home to billions: ASIA

17. Grass shortener: MOWER

18. Apart from that: ELSE

19. Slightly wet: DAMP

23. Risk, e.g.: GAME

24. Healthful berry: ACAI

31. "Homeland" spy org.: CIA. (Central Intelligence Agency) Homeland is a TV series on Showtime and is in its sixth season.

32. Taxi: CAB

33. Nebraska city: OMAHA

34. "Apocalypse Now" setting, familiarly: NAM

35. Gathering for fans of graphic novels, anime, etc.: COMICON. (comic book convention or comic-con)

38. Delivery vehicle: VAN

39. Painting need: BRUSH

41. Microwave: ZAP

42. Valuable rock: ORE

48. Tolstoy's Karenina: ANNA. 864 pages; too late for a summer read.

49. Dutch cheese: EDAM

55. With 50-Down, tightrope walker's place: HIGH. 50-Down. See 55-Across: WIRE

56. Oscar winner Kazan: ELIA. Best Director—"Gentleman's Agreement"(1948) and "On the Waterfront"(1955) Also, Academy Honorary Award—Lifetime Achievement(1999)

57. Aquafina rival: EVIAN. Bottled water products; Aquafina - Pepsi, EVIAN - Danone(French)

59. Craving: URGE

60. Accelerates, with "up": REVS

61. Foolish: DIPPY

62. Military meal: MESS. 63. Cafeteria carrier: TRAY. Good pairing.

64. V-formation fliers: GEESE. They are starting to form up now.

Down:

1. "Casablanca" pianist: SAM

2. Formal school dance: PROM

3. Corn Belt state: IOWA

4. Rise into view: EMERGE

5. Cattleman's rope: LARIAT

6. Late morning hr.: ELEVEN AM

7. Venus de __: MILO

8. Disentangle: UNSNAG

9. Quick drawing: SKETCH

10. Arp's art movement: DADAISM. Dada was not so much a style of art like Cubism or Fauvism; it was more a protest movement with an anti-establishment manifesto.

11. Right away, in a memo: ASAP. (as soon as possible)

12. Namby-pamby person: WIMP

13. Midday snooze: NAP

21. Gas brand that had a torch in its logo: AMOCO

22. Florida's Boca __: RATON

25. Pageant winner's crown: TIARA

26. Exaggerate, as a stage role: HAM UP

27. Spanish island in the Mediterranean: IBIZA

28. Devastation that's wreaked: HAVOC

29. Scarlett of Tara: O'HARA. Gone with the Wind

30. Decrease in intensity: WANE

31. "Closing Bell" channel: CNBC. (Originally, the Consumer News and Business Channel.) The show is named after the bell that is rung to signify the end of a trading session.

35. Repetitive shout at a protest: CHANT

36. Required little effort: CAME EASY

37. Newspaper opinion pieces: OP ED's

40. Secret supplies: STASHES

44. Add to text, as a missing letter: INSERT

45. Carpenter, at times: NAILER

46. Suitable for all ages, filmwise: RATED G

47. Apple software for creating videos: iMOVIE

51. Omelet ingredients: EGGS. Gotta break 'em to make an omelet.

52. Prima donna: DIVA

53. Ready for picking: RIPE

54. Toy dog's barks: YAPS

55. Play a kazoo: HUM

58. TV's "Science Guy": NYE

Argyle

Tuesday, September 19 2017, Matthew Sewell

Theme: Fun Fourplay Featuring F. Each theme answer contains four f's.

17. Extemporaneous, as a speech : OFF THE CUFF

27. Appointed White House overseer : CHIEF OF STAFF. This office was created in 1939 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt and is responsible for a variety of critical functions in support of the president's work and agenda. From Wikipedia: Chris Whipple, author of The Gatekeepers: How the White House Chiefs of Staff Define Every Presidency, loosely describes the role of a White House chief of staff through his interview with former President Barack Obama: "During the last days of his presidency, Barack Obama observed: 'One of the things I've learned is that the big breakthroughs are typically the result of a lot of grunt work—just a whole lot of blocking and tackling.' Grunt work is what chiefs of staff do."

49. Laundry service option : FLUFF AND FOLD

64. Beanstalk giant's chant : FEE FI FO FUM

40. Not suitable for military service ... or an apt description of 17-, 27-, 49- and 64-Across : FOUR F 

 Across:     

1. "More or less" suffix : ISH

4. Rose and fell on the waves : BOBBED

10. Tax pros : CPA'S. Certified Public Accountant's.

14. Cohort of Larry and Curly : MOE

15. Not widely understood : ARCANE

16. Boffo review : RAVE. Wasn't sure if Boffo was good or bad, had to wait for the V to fill in. "Boffo: (of a theatrical production or movie, or a review of one) very successful or wholeheartedly commendatory.

19. Theater honor : OBIE

20. "Firework" singer Perry : KATY

21. Near-perfect bridge feat : SMALL SLAM. Cards. Not being a bridge player this was lost on me.

23. Amigo : PAL

26. Liam of "Michael Collins" : NEESON

32. __ Vegas : LAS

33. Peaceful : CALM

34. Dalai Lama's homeland : TIBET. Richard Gere reveals how suporting Tibet turned his career.

38. Planets, in poems : ORBS

43. Thick book : TOME

44. Salami type : GENOA

46. Nevada senator Harry : REID

48. Red wine choice, for short : ZIN

53. '60s dance craze : WATUSI

55. Opus __: "The Da Vinci Code" sect : DEI

56. DJ known for playing novelty tunes : DR DEMENTO

59. Surrealist Salvador : DALI. Scene from Midnight in Paris, with Adrian Brody as Salvador Dali. 

63. Geological age : AEON

67. Unclothed : BARE

68. Like bears : URSINE

69. Alias, on police blotters : AKA

70. List of appts. : SKED. Shortened version of the word "schedule."

71. English writer Edward Bulwer-__ : LYTTON. New to me. A bit obscure for a Tuesday. Born in 1858.

72. "Oedipus __" : REX
 

Down:

1. "Didn't hurt a bit!" : I'M OK

2. Living room seat : SOFA

3. Lift with effort : HEFT

4. Scoff from Scrooge : BAH

5. Calif. neighbor : ORE

6. Covertly sends an email dupe to : BCC'S. Blind Carbon Copy.

7. "The Wizard of Oz" author : BAUM

8. __ terrible: difficult child, in French : ENFANT

9. Rid of parasites, as a dog : DE-FLEA

10. Multi-discipline strength-training program : CROSSFIT. So popular.

11. Painter Picasso : PABLO. More Midnight in Paris.

12. Like many nest-builders : AVIAN

13. Look (like) : SEEM

18. Tap out a text, say : TYPE

22. Departed : LEFT

24. N.Y. Jets' org. : AFC

25. Bread shape : LOAF. Never thought of loaf as a shape, but it makes sense.

27. Bathtub blockage : CLOG

28. Cocksure Aesopian racer : HARE. Like this clue.

29. Library ID : ISBN

30. Mel's Diner waitress : FLO

 
31. Blue toon : SMURF

35. Memorable clown : BOZO

36. Disney's "__ and the Detectives" : EMIL

37. See to : TEND

39. Began to melt : SOFTENED

41. Stephen of "Michael Collins" : REA

42. Locate : FIND

45. Grad : ALUM

47. Pres. before JFK : DDE

50. Beneficial : USEFUL

51. Fancy duds : FINERY. "All the lovely ladies in their finery tonight ..."

"... to every man who answers to the letter of the law, and all the rest in prison by mistake ..."

52. Pal of Rover : FIDO

53. Perpetrate, as havoc : WREAK

54. Love to pieces : ADORE

56. Pats gently : DABS

57. Exam : TEST

58. "Think nothing __" : OF IT

60. Many miles off : AFAR

61. "Use the Force, __" : LUKE

62. Big-screen format : IMAX

65. Masculine Italian suffix with bamb- : INO

66. Marshland : FEN

Note from C.C.:

Melissa's beautiful granddaughter Jaelyn turned one-year-old on August 18, 2017. Here are a few pictures.

Tuesday, September 12 2017, Jeffrey Wechsler

Theme: There's No Telling

17. With 61-Across, dubious tabloid image : UNIDENTIFIED

61. See 17-Across : FLYING OBJECT 

25. Call to a police hotline, possibly : ANONYMOUS TIP 

36. 1972 chart-topper for the band America : A HORSE WITH NO NAME 

51. Emmy-winning travel and cuisine show hosted by Anthony Bourdain : PARTS UNKNOWN 

Melissa here.

Interesting that there is no reference to the theme in the clues - no starred clues, and no reveal. Which is fitting because the theme answers are all about keeping mum.

This may have been the fastest Tuesday solve ever.

Across       

1. Attack vigorously : ASSAIL

7. Insurance company's concern : RISK

11. "Now I get it!" : AHA

14. Dry-eyes solution : SALINE

15. __ Picchu : MACHU

16. Female GI in WWII : WAC. Women's Army Corp.

19. Curved line : ARC

20. '50s president, initially : DDE. Dwight D. Eisenhower

21. 20-Across nickname : IKE

22. The Congo, formerly : ZAIRE

24. Tycoon Onassis : ARI

29. Hits the tarmac : LANDS

31. Very long time : EON

32. Attention-getting whisper : PSST

33. Elect to office : VOTE IN

35. Spouse : MATE

43. Storyteller __ Christian Andersen : HANS

44. Key of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony : D-MINOR

45. Relaxing venues : SPAS

49. Train cos. : RRS

50. Likely will, after "is" : APT TO

56. Canon SLR camera : EOS. Everyone I know just uses their phone for taking pictures now.

57. Get the better of : OUTDO

58. "If you ask me," briefly : IMO. In My Opinion.

59. Like this crossword ans. : ACR. Across.


60. Hole in __ : ONE

67. ATM maker : NCR

68. Poke fun at : TEASE

69. Thingamabob : DOODAD

70. Bashful : SHY

71. Sleep in a tent, say : CAMP

72. Dries out, with "up" : SOBERS

Down:

1. Sch. with a Tempe campus : ASU. Arizona State University.

2. She plays Dr. Cristina Yang in "Grey's Anatomy" : SANDRA OH

3. Stirred up a cloud of dust at, as a base : SLID INTO

4. Staff helper : AIDE

5. Suffix with hero : INE

6. Bolshevik leader : LENIN

7. Battle of Britain fliers: Abbr. : RAF. Royal Air Force. Always makes me think of Roald Dahl.

8. Here, to Henri : ICI. French.


9. Female pronoun : SHE

10. Invasive Japanese vine : KUDZU. I used to use Kudzu fragrance in my massage oil blend - the scent is lovely. Interesting Smithsonian article.


11. Anticipates : AWAITS

12. Poll founder Louis : HARRIS. So this is who the Harris Poll is named after.


13. Receive willingly : ACCEPT

15. Personal bearing : MIEN

18. Ring ref's decision : TKO. Technical Knock Out.

23. Snake that bit Cleopatra : ASP

24. Thomas __ Edison : ALVA

25. Tag sale words : AS IS

26. Irish poet : YEATS

27. Cloth-eating insect : MOTH

 
28. Upright : ON END

30. German article : DER

34. Jacket style named for an Indian leader : NEHRU

35. Capital of Belarus : MINSK

37. Say "Watch it" to : WARN

38. Arabian Sea nation : OMAN

 

39. Little bite : NIP

40. Go before : ANTECEDE

41. Auto, to a Brit : MOTOR CAR

42. Love god : EROS

45. Cereal utensils : SPOONS

46. Beer gut : PAUNCH

47. Blood carrier : ARTERY

48. Criterion: Abbr. : STD. Abbreviation, not an acronym. Standard.

52. The third letter of 13-Down (but not the second) : SOFT C. I should know this sneaky clue by now.

53. Work starting hour : NINE

54. Texter's "Crikey!" : OMG

55. Forest : WOODS

 

59. "This is __ for Superman!" : A JOB

62. Grassy expanse : LEA

63. Candied veggie : YAM.

64. Web access co. : ISP. Internet Service Provider.

65. Scarer's shout : BOO

66. NFL scores : TDS. Touchdowns.

Note from C.C.:

1) I mentioned a few weeks ago that Melissa had a car accident. She was driving her brother's truck to take care of some business in California. Her brother Rick wrote this moving article about the truck and what really matters. I remember the day Melissa let me know the accident and how important the truck was to her and Rick. It makes me cry.

2) Happy 58th birthday to dear Steve, our incomparable foodie and our tireless Thursday Sherpa. Steve travels extensively for his work, so many of his blogs are written from airports or whatever city he's staying.

Steve and his friend Jill, June 12, 2016

Tea at The Queen Mary

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."