Theme: "Play Ball!" - The ending words of the theme entries are activities used in baseball, softball, and cricket. Any others?
20A. Quilter's layer : COTTON BATTING. The layer of fabric that makes a quilt warm. Based on the notion of "beaten" fabric, it isn't woven from threads.
28A. Camper's activity : TENT PITCHING. A weak entry.
49A. Not out of contention : IN THE RUNNING
59A. "Tom Jones" author : HENRY FIELDING. (1707 - 1754) An English novelist and dramatist known for his rich earthy humour and satirical prowess.
Argyle here.
Our constructor today has his own blogspot and did some NYT puzzles. Today's is a step up from yesterday's and, to me, not as smooth. No real problems.
Across:
1. Strikebreaker : SCAB
5. Start of a childhood learning song : ABCD
9. Music groups : BANDS
14. Movie director's unit : TAKE
15. Linguist Chomsky : NOAM. A professor emeritus of linguistics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
16. Each : EVERY
17. Song with a cadenza, perhaps : ARIA
18. Defunct Atlanta arena : OMNI. Completed in 1972, the arena was demolished in 1997.
19. Floored : WOWED
23. Comedian/actor Robert : KLEIN. This gentleman, is known for his wry wit and unique brand of humor.
24. Wagon wheel depression : RUT
25. Country with borders on three diff. oceans : USA. Did you forget the Arctic Ocean off Alaska's north shore?
33. Onetime Leno announcer Hall : EDD. A native of Boston, Hall grew up in Corning, NY, and attended Syracuse University. He now lives in Los Angeles.
36. Hockey score : GOAL
37. Capital west of Haiphong : HANOI. Haiphong is on the Vietnam coast.
38. Graceland middle name : ARON. Elvis Aron Presley.
40. Agile mountain animals : GOATS
43. Earth 42-Down : GEOL.. Earth Science = Geology.
44. Copy room powder : TONER
46. Ancient Andean : INCA. The best alliteration today.
48. Zoo swinger : APE
53. Mario Brothers letters : NES. Nintendo Entertainment System (abbreviated to NES or Nintendo). Mario Brothers is their biggest game.
54. Demand payment from : DUN. Word origin & history of dun. "to insist on payment of debt," 1620s, perhaps related to dunnen "to sound, resound, make a din," or shortened from dunkirk (c.1600) "privateer," a private vessel licensed to attack enemy ships during wartime, from Dunkirk , French port from which they sailed. Yet another, less likely, theory traces it to a Joe Dun , supposedly a London bailiff famous for catching defaulters.
55. Ancient Greek region : IONIA. On the Turkish coast. Map.
64. TV spot : PROMO
66. Shoppe adjective : OLDE
67. Actress/artist Sommer : ELKE. This German-born actress and now artist, lives in Los Angeles, CA and has no children.
68. Some woodwinds : OBOES
69. Pass unprofitably, as time : KILL
70. Tiger's 2004 bride : ELIN. Tiger's 2010 ex.
71. Petrol purchase : LITRE . British lingo.
72. French summers : ETEs. French lingo.
73. Huff and puff : PANT
Down:
1. Pile neatly : STACK
2. Holiday tune : CAROL. Hi, Carol.
3. "Go fly __!" : A KITE
4. "Amscray!" : "BEAT IT!" . Amscray is scram in pig Latin.
5. In a short time, old-style : ANON
6. Box office disaster : BOMB
7. Where Jesus turned water to wine : CANA. There are four villages in Galilee which are candidates for the biblical Cana.
8. Composer Shostakovich : DMITRI. He was a child prodigy as both a pianist and composer. Romance (from The Gadfly).
9. Cast a spell over : BEWITCH
10. Bell-ringing fragrance giant : AVON
11. World's second largest island : NEW GUINEA. Greenland is the largest island.
12. Rap's Dr. __ : DRE
13. Guitarist Barrett : SYD. He was a founding member of the band, Pink Floyd; he died in 2006.
21. 10 C-notes : ONE G. C-notes = $100 dollar bills, ten would make $1,000, one Grand.
22. Syllable of rebuke : TUT
26. Prying sort : SNOOP
27. Like a contortionist : AGILE
29. Eggy seasonal drink : NOG
30. Lao-tzu principle : TAO. The way.
31. Like the nose on your face? : PLAIN
32. Broom rider : HAG
33. Skip the bistro : EAT IN
34. Monotonous sound : DRONE
35. Plea made with one's hands up : "DON'T SHOOT!"
39. Bk.after Ezra : NEH. The Book of Nehemiah is sometimes called the Second Book of Ezra.
41. Former Opry network : TNN. The Nashville Network (TNN)
42. Chem. or phys. : SCI.
45. Rudolph tip-off : RED NOSE. A good guide on a foggy night.
47. Indigo dye source : ANIL. A leguminous West Indian shrub.
50. Capek play about automatons : R.U.R.. (Rossum's Universal Robots)
51. Break up a team? : UNYOKE. A team of horses or oxen. This week is fair week.
52. Smack a homer, in baseball lingo : GO DEEP. and 65. Squeeze bunt stat : RBI. Special bunt when there is a man on third.
56. Nabisco wafer brand : NILLA
57. Finish, as a comic strip : INK IN. Fill in the outlines.
58. Rep : AGENT
60. Part of EMT: Abbr. : EMER.. Emergency medical technicians. EMT
61. Move like a butterfly : FLIT
62. Not working : IDLE
63. Marine shockers : EELS
64. D.C. deal maker : POL
Answer grid.
Argyle
20A. Quilter's layer : COTTON BATTING. The layer of fabric that makes a quilt warm. Based on the notion of "beaten" fabric, it isn't woven from threads.
28A. Camper's activity : TENT PITCHING. A weak entry.
49A. Not out of contention : IN THE RUNNING
59A. "Tom Jones" author : HENRY FIELDING. (1707 - 1754) An English novelist and dramatist known for his rich earthy humour and satirical prowess.
Argyle here.
Our constructor today has his own blogspot and did some NYT puzzles. Today's is a step up from yesterday's and, to me, not as smooth. No real problems.
Across:
1. Strikebreaker : SCAB
5. Start of a childhood learning song : ABCD
9. Music groups : BANDS
14. Movie director's unit : TAKE
15. Linguist Chomsky : NOAM. A professor emeritus of linguistics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
16. Each : EVERY
17. Song with a cadenza, perhaps : ARIA
18. Defunct Atlanta arena : OMNI. Completed in 1972, the arena was demolished in 1997.
19. Floored : WOWED
23. Comedian/actor Robert : KLEIN. This gentleman, is known for his wry wit and unique brand of humor.
24. Wagon wheel depression : RUT
25. Country with borders on three diff. oceans : USA. Did you forget the Arctic Ocean off Alaska's north shore?
33. Onetime Leno announcer Hall : EDD. A native of Boston, Hall grew up in Corning, NY, and attended Syracuse University. He now lives in Los Angeles.
36. Hockey score : GOAL
37. Capital west of Haiphong : HANOI. Haiphong is on the Vietnam coast.
38. Graceland middle name : ARON. Elvis Aron Presley.
40. Agile mountain animals : GOATS
43. Earth 42-Down : GEOL.. Earth Science = Geology.
44. Copy room powder : TONER
46. Ancient Andean : INCA. The best alliteration today.
48. Zoo swinger : APE
53. Mario Brothers letters : NES. Nintendo Entertainment System (abbreviated to NES or Nintendo). Mario Brothers is their biggest game.
54. Demand payment from : DUN. Word origin & history of dun. "to insist on payment of debt," 1620s, perhaps related to dunnen "to sound, resound, make a din," or shortened from dunkirk (c.1600) "privateer," a private vessel licensed to attack enemy ships during wartime, from Dunkirk , French port from which they sailed. Yet another, less likely, theory traces it to a Joe Dun , supposedly a London bailiff famous for catching defaulters.
55. Ancient Greek region : IONIA. On the Turkish coast. Map.
64. TV spot : PROMO
66. Shoppe adjective : OLDE
67. Actress/artist Sommer : ELKE. This German-born actress and now artist, lives in Los Angeles, CA and has no children.
68. Some woodwinds : OBOES
69. Pass unprofitably, as time : KILL
70. Tiger's 2004 bride : ELIN. Tiger's 2010 ex.
71. Petrol purchase : LITRE . British lingo.
72. French summers : ETEs. French lingo.
73. Huff and puff : PANT
Down:
1. Pile neatly : STACK
2. Holiday tune : CAROL. Hi, Carol.
3. "Go fly __!" : A KITE
4. "Amscray!" : "BEAT IT!" . Amscray is scram in pig Latin.
5. In a short time, old-style : ANON
6. Box office disaster : BOMB
7. Where Jesus turned water to wine : CANA. There are four villages in Galilee which are candidates for the biblical Cana.
8. Composer Shostakovich : DMITRI. He was a child prodigy as both a pianist and composer. Romance (from The Gadfly).
9. Cast a spell over : BEWITCH
10. Bell-ringing fragrance giant : AVON
11. World's second largest island : NEW GUINEA. Greenland is the largest island.
12. Rap's Dr. __ : DRE
13. Guitarist Barrett : SYD. He was a founding member of the band, Pink Floyd; he died in 2006.
21. 10 C-notes : ONE G. C-notes = $100 dollar bills, ten would make $1,000, one Grand.
22. Syllable of rebuke : TUT
26. Prying sort : SNOOP
27. Like a contortionist : AGILE
29. Eggy seasonal drink : NOG
30. Lao-tzu principle : TAO. The way.
31. Like the nose on your face? : PLAIN
32. Broom rider : HAG
33. Skip the bistro : EAT IN
34. Monotonous sound : DRONE
35. Plea made with one's hands up : "DON'T SHOOT!"
39. Bk.after Ezra : NEH. The Book of Nehemiah is sometimes called the Second Book of Ezra.
41. Former Opry network : TNN. The Nashville Network (TNN)
42. Chem. or phys. : SCI.
45. Rudolph tip-off : RED NOSE. A good guide on a foggy night.
47. Indigo dye source : ANIL. A leguminous West Indian shrub.
50. Capek play about automatons : R.U.R.. (Rossum's Universal Robots)
51. Break up a team? : UNYOKE. A team of horses or oxen. This week is fair week.
52. Smack a homer, in baseball lingo : GO DEEP. and 65. Squeeze bunt stat : RBI. Special bunt when there is a man on third.
56. Nabisco wafer brand : NILLA
57. Finish, as a comic strip : INK IN. Fill in the outlines.
58. Rep : AGENT
60. Part of EMT: Abbr. : EMER.. Emergency medical technicians. EMT
61. Move like a butterfly : FLIT
62. Not working : IDLE
63. Marine shockers : EELS
64. D.C. deal maker : POL
Answer grid.
Argyle