Theme: Executive Privilege, By The Numbers - Four long entries that inelegant I will never encounter.
17A. Elegant business garb : THREE-PIECE SUITS
27A. Elegant business dinner : FOUR-COURSE MEAL
46A. Elegant business accommodations : FIVE-STAR HOTELS. Two plural. Two singulars in the theme set.
61A. Elegant business reward : SIX-FIGURE INCOME
Bonus: 44D. Wealthy group : THE RICH 53D. One in business who is no stranger to the elegant things in this puzzle : EXEC
Argyle here. Neat point is that the numbers are all hyphenated. Our constructor graced us with a Friday puzzle in January. Maybe we will get one for each day of the week. That would be nice(not french).
Across:
1. Filled tortilla : TACO
5. "__ to the Chief" : HAIL
9. Lincoln's legendary log home : CABIN
14. "Pronto!" initials : "ASAP!". (as soon as possible)
15. Killer whale : ORCA
16. Barely ahead in the game : UP ONE
20. Spirited meeting? : SEANCE. I'm not sure whom to thank but there are several mildly tricky clues today.
21. Cell phone message : TEXT
22. Building site : LOT
23. Seemingly forever : EONs
25. Office seeker, briefly : POL
34. Tolkien tree creature : ENT
35. Concerning a heart chamber : ATRIAL. Bad if they fibrillate.
36. New York NFL team, familiarly : G-MEN. (Giants)
38. "__ is human ..." : TO ERR
40. Down with the mouth : EAT. Cute.
41. "__, girl!": words of encouragement : YOU GO
42. __-American : AFRO
43. Quick on the uptake : ASTUTE
45. Down in the mouth : SAD
49. Diplomat's HQ : EMB. (embassy)
50. Captain of the Nautilus : NEMO. The Nautilus(Greek for sailor) is the fictional submarine featured in Jules Verne's novels "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea" (1870)
51. Imitate : APE
54. Pub order : PINT
57. Increase, as production : RAMP UP
64. Smudge : SMEAR
65. Catchall abbr. : MISC.
66. Heidi's mountains : ALPS
67. Mother-of-pearl : NACRE. and who is the father -of-pearl?
68. Not just one : BOTH
69. Quiz, e.g. : TEST
Down:
1. Body art, for short : TATS. (tattoo's) Remember when TATS meant to make 8-Down : LACE. (Tie, as shoes)
2. Tennis great Arthur : ASHE
3. Dear, in Bologna : CARA. Cara Mia(1:47) A Cappella and definitely not by Jay and the Americans.
4. Warm-up act : OPENER
5. "Heaven forbid" : "HOPE NOT"
6. Magnate Onassis : ARI. Jackie Kennedy's husband.
7. Rapper whose name sounds like a refreshing beverage : ICE T. He has been on the long-running(2000 to present) TV series, "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit", as Detective Odafin "Fin" Tutuola.
9. Usual procedure : CUSTOM
10. "The Simpsons" storekeeper : APU
11. Heat, as water : BOIL
12. Captivated by : INTO
13. Egg holder : NEST. 'Tis the season for nesting.
18. Chevy Volt or Nissan Leaf : ECOCAR
19. Kick out : EXPEL
24. Most certain : SUREST
26. Danish toy block maker : LEGO
27. Greek cheese : FETA. 'Tis the season for fresh FETA. It is made with goat's and/or sheep's milk.
28. Wall switch words : ON/OFF
29. Wombs : UTERI. (plural of uterus)
30. Cowboy's rope : RIATA
31. Galileo was the first to observe its rings : SATURN
32. Cause to chuckle : AMUSE
33. Okay, in law : LEGAL
37. Okays with a head bob : NODS
39. Wander : ROVE
41. Naval petty officer : YEOMAN
43. Comparable in size : AS BIG
47. __ State Building : EMPIRE. (in NYC)
48. Alley prowler : TOM CAT
51. Part of NBA: Abbr. : ASSN. (basketball)
52. Soft cotton : PIMA. Did you get it this time?
55. Feeling no pain : NUMB
56. The Musketeers, e.g. : TRIO
58. Global extremity : POLE
59. Strike callers : UMPs
60. Annoying one : PEST
62. At a distance : FAR
63. Superlative suffix : EST. This is the farthEST I go.
Argyle
