Theme: A few words from the Chairman of the Board - The starred clues (I hope you had starred clues) end in homophones of Frank Sinatra's trademark scat.
17A. *Amount of money to pay: BALANCE DUE
24A. *Beach Boys hit with the line "the first mate, he got drunk": "SLOOP JOHN B"
30A. *Shaggy's dog: SCOOBY DOO
44A. *Aggressive African swarmer: KILLER BEE
50A. *Drops on the grass: MORNING DEW
62A. Trademark Sinatra lyric heard at the ends of the answers to starred clues: DO BE DO BE DO
Argyle here. Let's start with a couple of songs. Strangers in the Night(2:46) and Sloop John B.(3:00)
This seems like a bono fide Tuesday level puzzle for a change. I thought it was cute having ARREARS(21A) under BALANCE DUE(17A). Also, the SAY "BOO!"(29A) in front of SCOOBY DOO(30A). Scooby is a real 'fraidy cat, for a dog.
Well, better set to work; now that the wind has died down, there will be more shoveling to do. Plus, I want to find out what twinight is!
Across
1. Six-pack muscles : ABs
4. Gets to fit : ADAPTS
10. Farm country mail rtes. : RFDs. Rural Free Delivery.
14. Prefix with light or night : TWI. It seems a few of you already know TWInight. Baseball – adjective. Pertaining to or noting a doubleheader in which the first game begins late in the afternoon and the second in the evening under lights.
15. Cap'n Crunch, e.g. : CEREAL
16. Skin care brand : OLAY. That would be OIL of OLAY. 35D. Word with pan or paint : OIL
19. Rock group : BAND
20. Popular tattoo spot : ANKLE
21. Amount of money that should have been paid : ARREARS
23. "Divine Secrets of the __ Sisterhood" : YAYA. I understand it is a good film. I haven't seen it. It is based on a novel written by Rebecca Wells.
27. Chinese chairman : MAO. Oh, the other chairman.
29. "__ to the flu": vaccination slogan : SAY BOO
36. Muslim mystic : SUFI. From Arabic sufiy, literally: (man) of wool, from suf wool; probably from the ascetic's woollen garments.
37. Swiss peak : ALP
38. Supporter of Boris Godunov, say : TSARIST. Boris Godunov is a Russian opera based on a real ruler whose career began at the court of Ivan the Terrible. Boris Badenov is a fictional character and much more well known.
41. French article : LES
42. Reindeer herder : LAPP
46. Beethoven's Third : EROICA. Third what? 3rd symphony in E flat major (Op. 55), and we've seen it a lot lately.
49. Lumberjack's tool : AXE
54. Slop eaters : HOGS
58. Dovetailed, in carpentry : TENONED. Not right. Splynter, explain the difference.
59. "Stifle yourself!" : "CAN IT!". Thought of Archie Bunker? I did.
60. Ring match : BOUT
64. Latin moon : LUNA
65. Shady Records co-founder : EMINEM
66. Always, rarely or never: Abbr. : ADV.. They are all ADVerbs.
67. Theater section : TIER
68. Begins, as work : SETS TO
69. Caustic substance : LYE
Down:
1. Cornered : AT BAY
2. Master, in Swahili : BWANA. Call Me Bwana.(1:08)
3. Velvety smooth : SILKY. Granted they are both smooth but interchangeable?
4. Spots in high school? : ACNE
5. New Year's Eve mo. : DEC.
6. "It's been __ pleasure" : A REAL
7. California's San __ Bay : PEDRO. Port district of Los Angeles.
8. Bull: Pref. : TAURO
9. Goes to the land of Nod : SLEEPS
10. Scotch cocktails : ROB ROYs. It is a Scottish Manhattan and an affront to Tinbeni.
11. Outmoded camera accessory : FLASHBULB
12. "Angels & Demons" author Brown : DAN. Book.
13. Guitarist Barrett : SYD. Gunghy, here are all the names that were missing yesterday!
18. Texas mission : ALAMO
22. 1977 Steely Dan album : "AJA"
24. Tofu beans : SOYs
25. Credit card come-on : NO FEE
26. Capital south of Coeur d'Alene : BOISE. Idaho.
28. NYC dance company : ABT. American Ballet Theatre.
30. Witch town : SALEM
31. Mild cigar : CLARO
32. Perfectly timed : OPPORTUNE
33. Terr. now divided into two states : DAK.. The Dakotas.
34. "... __ quit!" : OR I
39. Shredded side : SLAW
40. Cowpoke's nickname : TEX
43. Batter's grip aid : PINE TAR. Brings to mind the "Pine Tar Incident".
45. Detox locale : REHAB
47. Reds, on scoreboards : CIN. More baseball reference.
48. Battery terminals : ANODESs
51. Garden dwarf : GNOME. We're getting overrun by GNOMES.
52. Credit counterpart : DEBIT
53. Idyllic sites : EDENS
55. Ryan of "Love Story" : O'NEAL
56. Lightheaded : GIDDY
57. Housewarming aid? : STOVE
59. "Hot Diggity" singer Perry : COMO. One more song.(2:24)
60. Brief lunch? : BLT
61. Mont Blanc assent : OUI. French? Yes.
63. Dick Tracy, for one: Abbr. : DET.. Detective.
Answer grid.
Argyle
17A. *Amount of money to pay: BALANCE DUE
24A. *Beach Boys hit with the line "the first mate, he got drunk": "SLOOP JOHN B"
30A. *Shaggy's dog: SCOOBY DOO
44A. *Aggressive African swarmer: KILLER BEE
50A. *Drops on the grass: MORNING DEW
62A. Trademark Sinatra lyric heard at the ends of the answers to starred clues: DO BE DO BE DO
Argyle here. Let's start with a couple of songs. Strangers in the Night(2:46) and Sloop John B.(3:00)
This seems like a bono fide Tuesday level puzzle for a change. I thought it was cute having ARREARS(21A) under BALANCE DUE(17A). Also, the SAY "BOO!"(29A) in front of SCOOBY DOO(30A). Scooby is a real 'fraidy cat, for a dog.
Well, better set to work; now that the wind has died down, there will be more shoveling to do. Plus, I want to find out what twinight is!
Across
1. Six-pack muscles : ABs
4. Gets to fit : ADAPTS
10. Farm country mail rtes. : RFDs. Rural Free Delivery.
14. Prefix with light or night : TWI. It seems a few of you already know TWInight. Baseball – adjective. Pertaining to or noting a doubleheader in which the first game begins late in the afternoon and the second in the evening under lights.
15. Cap'n Crunch, e.g. : CEREAL
16. Skin care brand : OLAY. That would be OIL of OLAY. 35D. Word with pan or paint : OIL
19. Rock group : BAND
20. Popular tattoo spot : ANKLE
21. Amount of money that should have been paid : ARREARS
23. "Divine Secrets of the __ Sisterhood" : YAYA. I understand it is a good film. I haven't seen it. It is based on a novel written by Rebecca Wells.
27. Chinese chairman : MAO. Oh, the other chairman.
29. "__ to the flu": vaccination slogan : SAY BOO
36. Muslim mystic : SUFI. From Arabic sufiy, literally: (man) of wool, from suf wool; probably from the ascetic's woollen garments.
37. Swiss peak : ALP
38. Supporter of Boris Godunov, say : TSARIST. Boris Godunov is a Russian opera based on a real ruler whose career began at the court of Ivan the Terrible. Boris Badenov is a fictional character and much more well known.
41. French article : LES
42. Reindeer herder : LAPP
46. Beethoven's Third : EROICA. Third what? 3rd symphony in E flat major (Op. 55), and we've seen it a lot lately.
49. Lumberjack's tool : AXE
54. Slop eaters : HOGS
58. Dovetailed, in carpentry : TENONED. Not right. Splynter, explain the difference.
59. "Stifle yourself!" : "CAN IT!". Thought of Archie Bunker? I did.
60. Ring match : BOUT
64. Latin moon : LUNA
65. Shady Records co-founder : EMINEM
66. Always, rarely or never: Abbr. : ADV.. They are all ADVerbs.
67. Theater section : TIER
68. Begins, as work : SETS TO
69. Caustic substance : LYE
Down:
1. Cornered : AT BAY
2. Master, in Swahili : BWANA. Call Me Bwana.(1:08)
3. Velvety smooth : SILKY. Granted they are both smooth but interchangeable?
4. Spots in high school? : ACNE
5. New Year's Eve mo. : DEC.
6. "It's been __ pleasure" : A REAL
7. California's San __ Bay : PEDRO. Port district of Los Angeles.
8. Bull: Pref. : TAURO
9. Goes to the land of Nod : SLEEPS
10. Scotch cocktails : ROB ROYs. It is a Scottish Manhattan and an affront to Tinbeni.
11. Outmoded camera accessory : FLASHBULB
12. "Angels & Demons" author Brown : DAN. Book.
13. Guitarist Barrett : SYD. Gunghy, here are all the names that were missing yesterday!
18. Texas mission : ALAMO
22. 1977 Steely Dan album : "AJA"
24. Tofu beans : SOYs
25. Credit card come-on : NO FEE
26. Capital south of Coeur d'Alene : BOISE. Idaho.
28. NYC dance company : ABT. American Ballet Theatre.
30. Witch town : SALEM
31. Mild cigar : CLARO
32. Perfectly timed : OPPORTUNE
33. Terr. now divided into two states : DAK.. The Dakotas.
34. "... __ quit!" : OR I
39. Shredded side : SLAW
40. Cowpoke's nickname : TEX
43. Batter's grip aid : PINE TAR. Brings to mind the "Pine Tar Incident".
45. Detox locale : REHAB
47. Reds, on scoreboards : CIN. More baseball reference.
48. Battery terminals : ANODESs
51. Garden dwarf : GNOME. We're getting overrun by GNOMES.
52. Credit counterpart : DEBIT
53. Idyllic sites : EDENS
55. Ryan of "Love Story" : O'NEAL
56. Lightheaded : GIDDY
57. Housewarming aid? : STOVE
59. "Hot Diggity" singer Perry : COMO. One more song.(2:24)
60. Brief lunch? : BLT
61. Mont Blanc assent : OUI. French? Yes.
63. Dick Tracy, for one: Abbr. : DET.. Detective.
Answer grid.
Argyle