Note: This post is blogged by Argyle. It's a TMS Sunday syndication, different from our normal TMS Daily puzzle Sunday edition.
Theme: Valentine Dream
23A: Timely verse, pt. 1: I DEARLY LOVE A VALENTINE.
46A: Timely verse, pt. 2: I AM A SENTIMENTAL FEMALE.
79A: Timely verse, pt. 3: IT NEEDN'T BE SO BIG OR FINE.
107A: End of verse: I HOPE I GET ONE IN MY EMAIL.
Be My Valentine. I'll give you a piece of my HEART.
The verse may be timely but the tempo seems a little ragged but fitting it into the constraint of a crossword grid, I'd have to say, it is very good. Thank you, anonymous constructor.
Across:
21A: Tenor Franco ___: CORELLI. Franco CORELLI, Prince of Tenors, (1921 – 2003) was an Italian tenor active in opera from 1951 to 1976. Associated in particular with the big spinto and dramatic tenor roles of the Italian repertory, he was celebrated internationally for his handsome stage presence and thrilling upper register. Sound Clips.
22A: Operating: IN USE. I do not care for this clue. 'Occupied' would have worked.
26A: Greens, in a French menu: SALADES.
27A: Sink scourer Bon: AMI. "Hasn't Scratched Yet".
28A: Egypt's president, 1956-58: NASSER. Gamal Abdel-NASSER, 1918 - 1970. Strange clue because, while it is true he was president during 1956-58, he stay in the presidency untill his death in 1970 and was succeeded by Anwar Sadat. Syria and Egypt united under his presidency, forming the United Arab Republic in 1958, but the union broke up in 1961.
31A: E-I connection: FGH. Alphabetically.
36A: George and Eric's muse Pattie: BOYD. George Harrison's wife, Eric Clapton's Layla Pic / Song.
37A: Insignifiant amount: SOU. "not worth a SOU marquee", a colloquialism meaning of little value. The term is derived from the French sou, an old copper coin.
38A: WWII landing ships: LSTS. I have been confused by this clue. The LST is a big ship. What I have been thinking of is the much smaller LCVP (Landing Craft Vehicle/People), the ones you see hitting the beach in the movies.
43A: Hearty soup: PEA. A nice simple bowl of soup.
45A: eat ___: relish: IT UP. To enjoy something completely. Relish used as a verb (with object) to take pleasure in; like; enjoy.
53A: "___ was saying...": AS I.
54A: Choices at a 19 Across: ALES.
55A: Brings up: REARS. Child REARing
56A: Travis or Oberon: MERLE. I have a cousin MERLE.
57A: Playing marble: STEELIE. Players should first decide if they want to play with 'STEELIEs', which will usually damage the target marbles.
59A: Bargain in a petty way: HAGGLE.
61A: Showed mercy toward: SPARED.
62A: Took the lead: STARRED. Theatrically
64A: Peppered, as with buckshot: RIDDLED. Did you think of Dick Cheney? I did.
66A: Potatoes au ___: GRATIN. A nice simple bowl of cheesy potatoes.
69A: Nova Soctia,(sic) formerly: ACADIA. Map with the French names.
71A: Krypton. e.g.: RARE GAS. An inert, nontoxic gas used in insulating windows to reduce heat transfer.
75A: 1953 AL MVP Al ___: ROSEN. Cleveland Indians third baseman and right-handed slugger.
76A: Harden: INURE.
77A: Peacock constellation: PAVO. I guess we have to start learning the constellations of the Southern Hemisphere.
78A: Genetic letters: RNA.
84A: Eliot effort: POEM. Thomas Stearns (TS) Eliot, 1888 – 1965, was a poet, dramatist, and literary critic.
85A: Old Greek theaters: ODEA. Thanks to Dick for pointing out ODEA root in Nickelodeon. Singular is odeum.
86A: Tyrannosaurus ___: REX. Every kid knows this one.
87A: Infamous Idi: AMIN.
89A: Valentine hue: RED.
90A: Tolled: RANG. Hark, hear the bells.
92A: Looks well on: BECOMES. Some other colored sash would be more BECOMING.
95A: ___ appeal: SEX.
96A: Short letter: MEMO.
98A: Quick picker-upper: VACUMM. Not Vivarin?!
102A: News sorce letters: UPI. United Press International.
103A: Mischief-makers: RASCALS. Flatts.
116A: Extremely silly: LOONY.
117A: Alpine country: AUSTRIA. They DO have some mountains!
118A: Noted Chinese family: SOONGS. The famous SOONG Sisters. One of them married to Chiang Kai-Shek, one of them married Sun Yat-sen.
We are headed down now; hold on.
Down:
1D: Baseball stat: RBI.
2D: "CSI" hunk George: EADS. Fort Worth native George EADS plays Nick Stokes, a specialist in hair and fiber analysis in the Las Vegas crime lab.
3D: La ___ tar pits, Los Angeles: BREA. I don't think the Los Angeles is necessary; can there be another La ___ tar pits?
4D: Russia's ___ Mountains: URAL. The dividing line between Europe and Asia are the URAL Mountains.
5D: Synagogue scrolls: TORAHS. The parchment scrolls on which the Jewish laws or instructions are written and the laws or instructions themselves are collectively called the Torah.
6D: Were bought for: SOLD AT. The other side of a transaction?
7D: Author Umberto: ECO. An Italian medievalist, semiotician, philosopher, literary critic and novelist, best known for his novel The Name of the Rose. It was made into a movie, a murder mystery set in an Italian monastery in the year 1327 starring Sean Connery.
8D: Turkey mo.: NOV.. Thanksgiving month
9D: Kyoto Protocol: TREATY. An international agreement that aims to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and the presence of greenhouse gases.
10D: Cleaned, as a pipe: REAMED
11D: "Love Me Tender" crooner: ELVIS.
12D: ___ carte: A LA.
13D: "Wait ___ the Sun Shines, Nellie": 'TIL. Bing Crosby and Mary Martin sing. Look for the Buddy Holly version while you're there.
14D: "Blues Queen" Washington: DINAH. DINAH Washington, 1924 – 1963, was a blues, R&B and jazz singer whose hits included, Mad About the Boy, Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby, and September in the Rain.
15D: Small colonists: ANTS. They live in colonies.
16D: Baseball Hall of Famer Aparicio: LUIS. Shortstop for the Chicago White Sox, the Baltimore Orioles, and Boston Red Sox, "Little Looey" won nine Gold Gloves and was the most feared base stealer in the American League during the late 1950s and early 1960s.
17D: Feudal fieldhand: ESNE.
18D: Crystal gazer: SEER.
20D: Shrek's voice: MYERS. Mike MYERS also portrayed Austin Powers Yeah, Baby!
31D: Stable newborns: FOALS.
33D: Swelter: ROAST.
34D: Fiber-yielding plant: RAMIE. This jacket appears to have stylized RAMIE leaves on it.
35D: Bambi's aunt: ENA.
36D: Chinese poet Dao: BEI. BEI Dao is the pseudonym of Chinese poet Zhao Zhenkai. Bei Dao is the most notable representative of the Misty Poets, a group of Chinese poets who reacted against the restrictions of the Cultural Revolution.
37D: Intimidated, with down: STARED.
38D: Citrus drink: LIMEADE.
39D: Ringo of rock: STARR.
40D: Tutu material: TULLE. A lightweight, very fine netting, which is often starched. It can be made of various fibers, including silk, nylon, and rayon. Tulle is most commonly used for veils, gowns (particularly wedding gowns), and ballet tutus.
41D: Hastiness: SPEED.
43D: Liquid Meas.: PTS..
44D: Livorno locale: ITALIA. Map.
48D: Cuban newsmaker Gonzalez: ELIÁN. If you don't remember, he was the young boy who lost his mother when they tried to get to America in a small aluminum boat. His great-uncle was given custody of him but his father, who was still in Cuba and hadn't known what his wife was going to do, demanded that his son be returned to him. Attorney General Janet Reno enforced a judge's order that Elián be returned to his father. It was in all the papers.
51D: Vamp Pola: NEGRI. Pola NEGRI, 1897 - 1987, was a Polish film actress who achieved notoriety as a femme fatale in silent films between 1910s and 1930s.
59D: Wife of Priam: HECUBA. She was the wife of Priam, King of Troy therefore she was the queen in Greek Mythology. Priam and Hecuba had nineteen children. Nadya Suleman hasn't caught up with her...yet.
60D: On ___ : if challenged: A DARE.
61D: Of serbs and Croats: prefix: SLAVO.
65D: Schlep: DRAG.
66D: Beef: GRIPE.
73D: Sharpshooter Oakley: ANNIE. A short bio. She was the real deal.
74D: Composer Saint-___: SAËNS. Charles-Camille Saint-SAËNS, 1835 – 1921, was a French composer, organist, conductor, and pianist, known especially for The Carnival of the Animals and Danse Macabre.
80D: Song from "The Sound of Music": DO RE MI.
83D: ___ Schwarz: FAO. Upscale specialty toy retailer headquartered in New York City.
91D: Key of Mahler's Symphony No. 6: A MINOR.
94D: Roman orator-philosopher: CICERO. He was widely considered one of Rome's greatest orators but he stll met with an unfortunate demise.
95: Like some bird food: SUETY. But not just for birds!
97D: Prince Valiant's son: ARN. Prince Valiant began as a comic strip created by Hal Foster in 1937. It is an epic adventure that has told a continuous story for its entire history. He has also been in movies, TV series, and comic books. (In the TV series, Arn is a different character, not Prince Valiant's son.) Arn was born in North America.
98D: Glass container: VIAL.
99D: I see, facetiously: AH SO.
100D: Chanel of fashion: COCO. For me? Why, thank you.
101D: At the time of: UPON.
104D: "But I ___ more I": Lorca: AM NO. “But I AM NO more I, nor is my home now my home.” from Somnambule Ballad by Fredrico Garcia Lorca. Lorca, 1898 – 1936, was a Spanish poet, dramatist and theatre director. Somnambulism is sleepwalking so a somnambule is someone walking in their sleep or they feel like they are sleepwalking.
105D: Placed: LAIN.
108D: Scholastic meas.: GPA.
109D: Water at Perigueux: EAU. Perigueux, Aquitaine, France
110D: Inventor Whitney: ELI. Cotton gin inventor.
111D: This ___ test: IS A.
112D: Grid positions: LGS. Grid is short for gridiron. Gridiron = football field. LGS is short for left guards. If you have a better idea, let us know.
Argyle
Theme: Valentine Dream
23A: Timely verse, pt. 1: I DEARLY LOVE A VALENTINE.
46A: Timely verse, pt. 2: I AM A SENTIMENTAL FEMALE.
79A: Timely verse, pt. 3: IT NEEDN'T BE SO BIG OR FINE.
107A: End of verse: I HOPE I GET ONE IN MY EMAIL.
Be My Valentine. I'll give you a piece of my HEART.
The verse may be timely but the tempo seems a little ragged but fitting it into the constraint of a crossword grid, I'd have to say, it is very good. Thank you, anonymous constructor.
Across:
21A: Tenor Franco ___: CORELLI. Franco CORELLI, Prince of Tenors, (1921 – 2003) was an Italian tenor active in opera from 1951 to 1976. Associated in particular with the big spinto and dramatic tenor roles of the Italian repertory, he was celebrated internationally for his handsome stage presence and thrilling upper register. Sound Clips.
22A: Operating: IN USE. I do not care for this clue. 'Occupied' would have worked.
26A: Greens, in a French menu: SALADES.
27A: Sink scourer Bon: AMI. "Hasn't Scratched Yet".
28A: Egypt's president, 1956-58: NASSER. Gamal Abdel-NASSER, 1918 - 1970. Strange clue because, while it is true he was president during 1956-58, he stay in the presidency untill his death in 1970 and was succeeded by Anwar Sadat. Syria and Egypt united under his presidency, forming the United Arab Republic in 1958, but the union broke up in 1961.
31A: E-I connection: FGH. Alphabetically.
36A: George and Eric's muse Pattie: BOYD. George Harrison's wife, Eric Clapton's Layla Pic / Song.
37A: Insignifiant amount: SOU. "not worth a SOU marquee", a colloquialism meaning of little value. The term is derived from the French sou, an old copper coin.
38A: WWII landing ships: LSTS. I have been confused by this clue. The LST is a big ship. What I have been thinking of is the much smaller LCVP (Landing Craft Vehicle/People), the ones you see hitting the beach in the movies.
43A: Hearty soup: PEA. A nice simple bowl of soup.
45A: eat ___: relish: IT UP. To enjoy something completely. Relish used as a verb (with object) to take pleasure in; like; enjoy.
53A: "___ was saying...": AS I.
54A: Choices at a 19 Across: ALES.
55A: Brings up: REARS. Child REARing
56A: Travis or Oberon: MERLE. I have a cousin MERLE.
57A: Playing marble: STEELIE. Players should first decide if they want to play with 'STEELIEs', which will usually damage the target marbles.
59A: Bargain in a petty way: HAGGLE.
61A: Showed mercy toward: SPARED.
62A: Took the lead: STARRED. Theatrically
64A: Peppered, as with buckshot: RIDDLED. Did you think of Dick Cheney? I did.
66A: Potatoes au ___: GRATIN. A nice simple bowl of cheesy potatoes.
69A: Nova Soctia,(sic) formerly: ACADIA. Map with the French names.
71A: Krypton. e.g.: RARE GAS. An inert, nontoxic gas used in insulating windows to reduce heat transfer.
75A: 1953 AL MVP Al ___: ROSEN. Cleveland Indians third baseman and right-handed slugger.
76A: Harden: INURE.
77A: Peacock constellation: PAVO. I guess we have to start learning the constellations of the Southern Hemisphere.
78A: Genetic letters: RNA.
84A: Eliot effort: POEM. Thomas Stearns (TS) Eliot, 1888 – 1965, was a poet, dramatist, and literary critic.
85A: Old Greek theaters: ODEA. Thanks to Dick for pointing out ODEA root in Nickelodeon. Singular is odeum.
86A: Tyrannosaurus ___: REX. Every kid knows this one.
87A: Infamous Idi: AMIN.
89A: Valentine hue: RED.
90A: Tolled: RANG. Hark, hear the bells.
92A: Looks well on: BECOMES. Some other colored sash would be more BECOMING.
95A: ___ appeal: SEX.
96A: Short letter: MEMO.
98A: Quick picker-upper: VACUMM. Not Vivarin?!
102A: News sorce letters: UPI. United Press International.
103A: Mischief-makers: RASCALS. Flatts.
116A: Extremely silly: LOONY.
117A: Alpine country: AUSTRIA. They DO have some mountains!
118A: Noted Chinese family: SOONGS. The famous SOONG Sisters. One of them married to Chiang Kai-Shek, one of them married Sun Yat-sen.
We are headed down now; hold on.
Down:
1D: Baseball stat: RBI.
2D: "CSI" hunk George: EADS. Fort Worth native George EADS plays Nick Stokes, a specialist in hair and fiber analysis in the Las Vegas crime lab.
3D: La ___ tar pits, Los Angeles: BREA. I don't think the Los Angeles is necessary; can there be another La ___ tar pits?
4D: Russia's ___ Mountains: URAL. The dividing line between Europe and Asia are the URAL Mountains.
5D: Synagogue scrolls: TORAHS. The parchment scrolls on which the Jewish laws or instructions are written and the laws or instructions themselves are collectively called the Torah.
6D: Were bought for: SOLD AT. The other side of a transaction?
7D: Author Umberto: ECO. An Italian medievalist, semiotician, philosopher, literary critic and novelist, best known for his novel The Name of the Rose. It was made into a movie, a murder mystery set in an Italian monastery in the year 1327 starring Sean Connery.
8D: Turkey mo.: NOV.. Thanksgiving month
9D: Kyoto Protocol: TREATY. An international agreement that aims to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and the presence of greenhouse gases.
10D: Cleaned, as a pipe: REAMED
11D: "Love Me Tender" crooner: ELVIS.
12D: ___ carte: A LA.
13D: "Wait ___ the Sun Shines, Nellie": 'TIL. Bing Crosby and Mary Martin sing. Look for the Buddy Holly version while you're there.
14D: "Blues Queen" Washington: DINAH. DINAH Washington, 1924 – 1963, was a blues, R&B and jazz singer whose hits included, Mad About the Boy, Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby, and September in the Rain.
15D: Small colonists: ANTS. They live in colonies.
16D: Baseball Hall of Famer Aparicio: LUIS. Shortstop for the Chicago White Sox, the Baltimore Orioles, and Boston Red Sox, "Little Looey" won nine Gold Gloves and was the most feared base stealer in the American League during the late 1950s and early 1960s.
17D: Feudal fieldhand: ESNE.
18D: Crystal gazer: SEER.
20D: Shrek's voice: MYERS. Mike MYERS also portrayed Austin Powers Yeah, Baby!
31D: Stable newborns: FOALS.
33D: Swelter: ROAST.
34D: Fiber-yielding plant: RAMIE. This jacket appears to have stylized RAMIE leaves on it.
35D: Bambi's aunt: ENA.
36D: Chinese poet Dao: BEI. BEI Dao is the pseudonym of Chinese poet Zhao Zhenkai. Bei Dao is the most notable representative of the Misty Poets, a group of Chinese poets who reacted against the restrictions of the Cultural Revolution.
37D: Intimidated, with down: STARED.
38D: Citrus drink: LIMEADE.
39D: Ringo of rock: STARR.
40D: Tutu material: TULLE. A lightweight, very fine netting, which is often starched. It can be made of various fibers, including silk, nylon, and rayon. Tulle is most commonly used for veils, gowns (particularly wedding gowns), and ballet tutus.
41D: Hastiness: SPEED.
43D: Liquid Meas.: PTS..
44D: Livorno locale: ITALIA. Map.
48D: Cuban newsmaker Gonzalez: ELIÁN. If you don't remember, he was the young boy who lost his mother when they tried to get to America in a small aluminum boat. His great-uncle was given custody of him but his father, who was still in Cuba and hadn't known what his wife was going to do, demanded that his son be returned to him. Attorney General Janet Reno enforced a judge's order that Elián be returned to his father. It was in all the papers.
51D: Vamp Pola: NEGRI. Pola NEGRI, 1897 - 1987, was a Polish film actress who achieved notoriety as a femme fatale in silent films between 1910s and 1930s.
59D: Wife of Priam: HECUBA. She was the wife of Priam, King of Troy therefore she was the queen in Greek Mythology. Priam and Hecuba had nineteen children. Nadya Suleman hasn't caught up with her...yet.
60D: On ___ : if challenged: A DARE.
61D: Of serbs and Croats: prefix: SLAVO.
65D: Schlep: DRAG.
66D: Beef: GRIPE.
73D: Sharpshooter Oakley: ANNIE. A short bio. She was the real deal.
74D: Composer Saint-___: SAËNS. Charles-Camille Saint-SAËNS, 1835 – 1921, was a French composer, organist, conductor, and pianist, known especially for The Carnival of the Animals and Danse Macabre.
80D: Song from "The Sound of Music": DO RE MI.
83D: ___ Schwarz: FAO. Upscale specialty toy retailer headquartered in New York City.
91D: Key of Mahler's Symphony No. 6: A MINOR.
94D: Roman orator-philosopher: CICERO. He was widely considered one of Rome's greatest orators but he stll met with an unfortunate demise.
95: Like some bird food: SUETY. But not just for birds!
97D: Prince Valiant's son: ARN. Prince Valiant began as a comic strip created by Hal Foster in 1937. It is an epic adventure that has told a continuous story for its entire history. He has also been in movies, TV series, and comic books. (In the TV series, Arn is a different character, not Prince Valiant's son.) Arn was born in North America.
98D: Glass container: VIAL.
99D: I see, facetiously: AH SO.
100D: Chanel of fashion: COCO. For me? Why, thank you.
101D: At the time of: UPON.
104D: "But I ___ more I": Lorca: AM NO. “But I AM NO more I, nor is my home now my home.” from Somnambule Ballad by Fredrico Garcia Lorca. Lorca, 1898 – 1936, was a Spanish poet, dramatist and theatre director. Somnambulism is sleepwalking so a somnambule is someone walking in their sleep or they feel like they are sleepwalking.
105D: Placed: LAIN.
108D: Scholastic meas.: GPA.
109D: Water at Perigueux: EAU. Perigueux, Aquitaine, France
110D: Inventor Whitney: ELI. Cotton gin inventor.
111D: This ___ test: IS A.
112D: Grid positions: LGS. Grid is short for gridiron. Gridiron = football field. LGS is short for left guards. If you have a better idea, let us know.
Argyle
