17A. 57-Across best-seller made into a 1971 film, with "The" : "ANDROMEDA STRAIN". Discretion is advised.
26A. 57-Across best-seller made into a 1993 film : "JURASSIC PARK"
37A. 57-Across best-seller made into a 1995 film : "CONGO"
43A. 57-Across best-seller made into a 1997 film : "THE LOST WORLD"
57A. Doctor-turned-novelist born 10/23/1942 : MICHAEL CRICHTON
Argyle here. For some, this was a walk in the park and others, it was fill in the slats in the picket fence until you get the "A-Ha!". Thick corners and two spanners make for a good looking grid. A pangram.
Let the discussion begin.
Across:
1. Athenian with harsh laws : DRACO. The way I read the Wiki article, he instituted a better system but went overboard with the punishments.
6. Sink-cleaning brand : AJAX. Originally an abrasive scouring powder.
10. Greenish-blue : AQUA
14. Put one's feet up : RELAX
15. Olympics sled : LUGE. Ahh, relaxing with her feet up.
16. Expressions of disapproval : TUTs. and tsks.
20. Golf club now made of metal : WOOD. The long distance clubs.
21. Line on a graph : AXIS
22. Move crab-style : SIDLE
23. Heredity unit : GENE
25. Lake formed by the Aswan Dam : NASSER. The lake is named after Gamal Abdel Nasser, one of the leaders of the Egyptian Revolution of 1952, and the second President of Egypt, who initiated the High Dam project. (Wiki)
31. Japanese cartoon art : ANIME. The kids can tell you about it.
32. Exposes : OUTS
33. Shortest mo. : FEB.
36. Despicable : VILE
39. Tear go-with : WEAR
40. Chopper : AXE
41. Head of the manor : LORD
42. Windy City airport : O'HARE. Chicago. The airport took the name Orchard Field Airport, the source of its three-letter code ORD.
46. Across the sea : ABROAD
49. Accessories for a "Just Married" sign : CANS. To make as much noise as possible. (plastic containers won't work)
50. Plumbing woes : DRIPS
51. Not real : FAUX
53. Ref's call : "TIME!"
60. Concept : IDEA
61. Turn sharply : VEER
62. Stunned : DAZED. After taking the below, perhaps.
63. It may be standardized : TEST
64. "Don't get excited" : "EASY"
65. Sports page figures : STATS
Down:
1. Deadlock : DRAW
2. Gambling mecca near Carson City : RENO. You know, the city west of Los Angeles.
3. Fashion's Gucci : ALDO. Quite a few people's names in the Down section.
4. Bridge, e.g. : CARD GAME
5. Tic-tac-toe dud : O X O
6. Former Soviet premier Kosygin : ALEXEI. In office October 1964 – October 1980.
7. Dench of "Iris" : JUDI. I'm not familiar with "Iris"(2001) but, oh, the other roles she's had. IMDb.
8. "Jumpin' Jack Flash, it's __ ...": Rolling Stones lyric : A GAS. Clip.(3:35) I love the scene in the movie, "Jack Flash", where Whoopi is listening to this song and yelling, "Speak English, Mick".
9. Symbolic signatures : XES
10. Vulnerable : AT RISK
11. Campus courtyards : QUADS. Because the housing is laid out in quadrangles.
12. Practical : UTILE
13. Ed of "Lou Grant" : ASNER
18. Controls, as a helm : MANS
19. Nicholas and Peter : TSARS
24. Houston-to-Miami dir. : ESE
25. Bosnia peacekeeping gp. : NATO
26. Mud in a cup : JAVA. Add it to my collection from October 2, battery acid, brew, caffeine, café, café au lait, café noir, cappuccino, decaf, decoction, demitasse, espresso, forty weight, hot stuff, ink, jamocha, java, joe, mocha, mud, mud in a cup, perk, varnish remover.
27. Operating system on many Internet servers : UNIX. (from Wiki) In 1970, Peter Neumann coined the project name Unics (UNiplexed Information and Computing Service) as a pun on Multics, (Multiplexed Information and Computer Services). Unics could eventually support multiple simultaneous users, and it was renamed Unix. (Gee, I love a pun but...)
28. Agitate : RILE
29. Time-share unit : CONDO
30. Flat-nosed dog : PUG. "I'm ready for my close-up."
33. Dread : FEAR
34. Banjoist Scruggs : EARL. Unreal! Clip.(2:45)
35. Reared : BRED
37. Not just for males : COED
38. Basketball's Magic, on scoreboards : ORL. (Orlando Magic)
39. Question of identity : "WHO'S THAT?". "I Tawt I Taw a Puddy Tat."
41. Tibetan capital : LHASA
42. MYOB part : OWN
43. Astaire/Rogers musical : "TOP HAT". From RKO.
44. Flee, mouse-style : SCURRY
45. Curbside call : TAXI
46. Ticket word : ADMIT
47. Bouquet tosser : BRIDE
48. Reduces to small pieces, as potatoes : RICES. Pieces the size of a grain of rice, hence the name.
51. __ circus : FLEA
52. Hard-to-hit pitchers : ACES
54. Chichén __: Mayan ruins : ITZÁ
55. Champagne brand : MOET. "She keeps Moët et Chandon in a pretty cabinet..."
56. Finishes : ENDS
58. Holiday lead-in : EVE
59. DJ's assortment : CD's
Argyle
Notes from C.C.:
Here is a beautiful photo of JD's happy family. They celebrated Truman's 5th birthday on August 29.
Front Row (Left to Right: JD is holding grandsons Cameron (son of Shelby & Joe) & Grady (Son of Corie & Derek); Bob (JD's husband) is holding grandson Truman (big brother to Grady).
Back Row (Left to Right: Joe (Shelby's husband); Shelby (JD's oldest daughter); Corie (JD's youngest daughter) & Derek (Corie's husband)
Click here, you'll see most of the family photos JD has kindly shared with us.
Here is a beautiful photo of JD's happy family. They celebrated Truman's 5th birthday on August 29.
Front Row (Left to Right: JD is holding grandsons Cameron (son of Shelby & Joe) & Grady (Son of Corie & Derek); Bob (JD's husband) is holding grandson Truman (big brother to Grady).
Back Row (Left to Right: Joe (Shelby's husband); Shelby (JD's oldest daughter); Corie (JD's youngest daughter) & Derek (Corie's husband)
Click here, you'll see most of the family photos JD has kindly shared with us.
