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Sep 23, 2013

Monday, September 23, 2013 Jeff Stillman

Theme: Pet Food - The theme entries can begin with "I AM" (IAMS is a pet food brand).

17A. Ending from Ali : THE GREATEST. Former boxing champion, Muhammad Ali.

21A. Ending from Nixon : NOT A CROOK. Former President, Richard Nixon.

39A. Ending from the Elephant Man : NOT AN ANIMAL. His real name was Joseph Merrick and died at 27 from his deformities. The quote comes from a movie about him.

57A. Ending from Lennon and McCartney : THE WALRUS. From a 1967 song by the Beatles, goo goo g'joob.

64A. Ending from Beyoncé : SASHA FIERCE. Recording artist Beyoncé Knowles' third studio album, I Am... Sasha Fierce. Beyoncé says Sasha Fierce is who she becomes when she performs on stage.

71A. Beginning for this puzzle's five endings : I AM

I am Argyle. Where should I begin. What a Monday. Two overlaps of theme entries on a Monday?! I admit I never heard of the last theme entry but it doesn't surprise me; not in my wheelhouse. There are a lot of three letter words (28) but offset by strong fill. Should be many comments.

Across:

1. Clods : OAFS

5. Got a chuckle out of : AMUSED

11. Roulette bet : ODD. I bet on RED and lost.

14. Lawyer's assistant, for short : PARA. (paralegal)

15. Vox __: voice of the people : POPULI. Rare crossword.

16. Architect I.M. : PEI

19. Plumbing pipe initials : PVC. Poly(vinyl chloride), the white, solid pipe.

20. Very long time : EON

23. Civil War soldier : REB. First name, Johnny.

25. Unhittable serve : ACE

27. Proverbial waste maker : HASTE

28. Ship's front : PROW

30. Dilbert creator Scott : ADAMS

34. Poet's "at no time" : NE'ER

35. Abandon on an isle : MAROON

37. Superman and Batman wear them : CAPES

42. Parcels (out) : DOLES

43. Car window adornments : DECALS

46. Atlas pages : MAPS

49. Boss's nervousness-inducing note : [SEE ME]

51. Banjo support of song : KNEE. "Oh Susanna"

52. "It's __!": warning shout : A TRAP

54. Humanities major : ART

56. Archer's wood : YEW

61. Miss. neighbor : ALA. "I come from Alabama with my banjo on my knee."

63. Salt, in Quebec : SEL. (French)

68. One: Pref. : UNI

69. Copenhagen's __ Gardens : TIVOLI


70. Hullabaloos : ADOs

72. Annie, for one : ORPHAN

73. Sibilant "Hey, you!" : [PSST!]

Down:

1. Make a choice : OPT

2. Backrub response : "AAH!"

3. Not a child of bondage : FREEBORN. Rare crossword.(if ever)

4. Pudding starch : SAGO

5. King Kong, e.g. : APE

6. Sounded ghostly : MOANED

7. Until : UPTO

8. Bird feeder filler : SUET

9. Movie lioness : ELSA. "Born Free"

10. Roadside depression : DITCH

11. Go up against : OPPOSE

12. Spend, as time : DEVOTE

13. Haggle : DICKER

18. Genetic letters : RNA

22. Plunder : RANSACK

23. Turntable no. : RPM

24. Time in history : ERA

26. Ear passages : CANALS

29. Carpentry tool : WOOD SAW

31. __ of mistaken identity : A CASE

32. "Oh, brother!" : "...MAN!..."

33. "Itsy bitsy" waterspout climber : SPIDER

Itsy bitsy spider went up the water spout
Down came the rain
And washed the spider out
Out came the sun and dried up all the rain
And the itsy bitsy spider went up the spout again.

36. Plains native : OTO

38. Suffix with phon- : EME. PHONEME - "distinctive sound or group of sounds,"

40. Born, in society pages : NÉE

41. Refs' whistle holders : LANYARDS

44. Grant's opponent : LEE

45. Put in stitches : SEW

46. 2009 World Series MVP Hideki : MATSUI. C.C.? (Yankees had a Hideki Matsui Bobblehead Day on July 28 this year to honor his retirement as a Yankee.)


47. Goddess who advised Odysseus : ATHENA

48. Bout before the main event, briefly : PRELIM. (preliminary)

50. Garam __: Indian spice mixture : MASALA


53. Meal, in Milan : PASTO

55. Mai __: cocktail : TAI

58. Bear's home : LAIR

59. "We'd appreciate your answer," on invitations : RSVP

60. "This is bad!" : "UH OH!"

62. Vault : LEAP

65. Half a sawbuck : FIN $10 / $5

66. Comedian Bill, informally : COS. William Henry "Bill" Cosby Jr.

67. Repair quote: Abbr. : EST.


Argyle

Notes from C.C.:

Crossword LA tournament will be held on October 26, 2013 (Saturday). Please click here for details.

The host Elissa Grossman said "This year's event will include crosswords and puzzle games constructed by Liz Gorski, Jeffrey Harris, Aimee Lucido, Todd McClary, Andrea Carla Michaels, Pete Muller, Trip Payne, John Doppler Schiff, Dave Shukan, Marc Spraragen, David Steinberg and Zoe Wheeler (with development managed by Tyler Hinman). It's likely that Merl Reagle will join us for the event finals. All money raised (over costs) is donated to a great non-profit (Reading to Kids)."

Those are all brilliant constructors. I hope those in Southern California area will participate. You'll have fun! Doug Peterson will there too, and probably our own Steve & Garlic Gal and many other CA area constructors and top solvers.