Theme: SHOOTING STARS (55A: Meteors, and what 20-, 28- and 48-Across all are) - Three diversely famous people known for their shooting skill.
20A: Pool legend portrayed by Jackie Gleason in "The Hustler": MINNESOTA FATS. The Hustler is a 1961 American drama film. It stars Paul Newman as Eddie Felson and Jackie Gleason as Minnesota Fats. "Fast Eddie" desires to prove himself the best player in the country by beating legendary pool player "Minnesota Fats."
28A: NBA center who was a three-time MVP: MOSES MALONE. A three-time NBA MVP and one of the NBA's 50 greatest players, Malone had a twenty-one year career in professional basketball. Although he was a high scorer, he is more famous for his rebounding (getting the ball after a shot misses). He currently resides in Sugarland, TX, a suburb of Houston. Quote: "What am I doing? I’m doing nothing, just relaxing and enjoying life. I did 21 years of hard labor in the NBA, invested my money right, so I’m set. I earned the right to relax and enjoy, you know?"
48A: Wild West show markswoman: ANNIE OAKLEY. She was an American sharpshooter. Oakley's amazing talent and rise to fame led to a starring role in Buffalo Bill's Wild West show. Using a .22 caliber rifle at 90 feet, Oakley reputedly could split a playing card edge-on and put five or six more holes in it before it touched the ground. (1860 – 1926).
Argyle here.
Without 55A, I'm not sure I would have made the connection. I felt the construction was uneven for a Monday. Mostly easy-peasey entries but a few tough ones, i.e.: 9A: John who married Pocahontas: ROLFE or 8D: Old music halls: ODEONS.
Give us your opinion; that is what we're here for.
Across:
1A: Grandmotherly nickname: NANA. Certainly better than the recent NANNIE.
5A: Hershey's caramel candy: ROLO
14A: The yoke's on them: OXEN. A spin on "the joke's on them."
15A: In the sack: ABED
16A: Sci-fi staple: ALIEN
17A: Small salamander: NEWT. A young NEWT is an eft.
18A: Therapist's response: "I SEE". And "How do you feel about that?"
23A: 1860s White House nickname: ABE. (Honest ABE Lincoln)
26A: Pecan or cashew: NUT
27A: Mingle at the party: MIX. If we all got together, would it be mixed nuts?
37A: Shoe without laces, e.g.: STEP IN
38A: Emulate Rembrandt: ETCH
39A: Holliday of the Old West: DOC
41A: Lady's man: GENT
42A: It's in the eye of the beholder: BEAUTY. Check out the daisies at the bottom.
45A: Caveman Alley: OOP. Cute clue. Alley OOP was/is a comic strip character known for riding on his dinosaur with his girlfriend, Ooola.
51A: __ Lanka: SRI
52A: Food from a shell: EGG
54A: Immigrant's subj.: ESL. (English as a Second Language)
61A: Dog from Wales: CORGI. Used for herding.
62A: Supermodel Macpherson: ELLE. Another candidate for areoles?
63A: Hops drier: OAST. Easy for me. Difficult for you?
67A: Age, as tires: WEAR
68A: "__, be a pal!": C'MON
69A: Actress Zellweger: RENEE
70A: Stitches: SEWS
71A: Mild-mannered Clark: KENT. Superman's secret identity.
Down:
1D: Oui's opposite: NON
2D: Gave the __: fired: AXE
3D: Arizonan's neighbor: NEW MEXICAN
4D: Naysayer: ANTI
5D: Word with trout or sherbet: RAINBOW
6D: Fixated: OBSESSED. Like some of our anons.
7D: Majors and Trevino: LEES. Lee Majors is an actor; Lee Trevino is a professional golfer. (Senior Circuit now.)
9D: Sound from a woodpecker: RAT-A-TAT
10D: Name of several Norwegian kings: OLAF
11D: Peru's capital: LIMA
12D: Tootsies: FEET. I disagree; tootsies are just the toes to me.
13D: Conclusions: ENDS
21D: War site during LBJ's presidency: NAM. (Vietnam)
22D: Antacid brand: TUMS
23D: One-celled organism: AMOEBA. Finally with the extra "O".
24D: Attacked by Dracula, say: BITTEN
29D: Novel on the Net: E-BOOK
30D: Kid's interlocking block: LEGO
31D: Ali Baba's magical command: "OPEN SESAME"
32D: California NFL team, briefly: NINERS. San Francisco Forty Niners.
33D: Involve: ENTAIL
35D: Feng __: Chinese aesthetic system: SHUI. Literally translates as "water".
40D: Picnic side: COLESLAW
43D: Line on a golf course schedule: TEE TIME
44D: Hindu mystic: YOGI
46D: Tin alloys: PEWTERS
49D: Former V.P. Spiro and family: AGNEWS. (Nixon's V.P.)
50D: Affirmative vote: YEA
55D: Al Capone feature: SCAR
56D: Sock darner's target: HOLE. This is an interesting darner's egg; if you could afford a Sterling silver egg, why not buy new socks?
57D: Algerian port: ORAN
58D: Giant who's not jolly: OGRE
59D: Joy: GLEE
60D: Heavy metal is a subgenre of it: ROCK
64D: Leif, to Eric the Red: SON. Norse explorers.
65D: Blowup letters?: TNT
Here is Jeannie's Daisies painted by WM. Also, Happy Two Year Anniversary with Crossword Corner, Crockett! Here is his first ever comment.
Answer grid.
Argyle
20A: Pool legend portrayed by Jackie Gleason in "The Hustler": MINNESOTA FATS. The Hustler is a 1961 American drama film. It stars Paul Newman as Eddie Felson and Jackie Gleason as Minnesota Fats. "Fast Eddie" desires to prove himself the best player in the country by beating legendary pool player "Minnesota Fats."
28A: NBA center who was a three-time MVP: MOSES MALONE. A three-time NBA MVP and one of the NBA's 50 greatest players, Malone had a twenty-one year career in professional basketball. Although he was a high scorer, he is more famous for his rebounding (getting the ball after a shot misses). He currently resides in Sugarland, TX, a suburb of Houston. Quote: "What am I doing? I’m doing nothing, just relaxing and enjoying life. I did 21 years of hard labor in the NBA, invested my money right, so I’m set. I earned the right to relax and enjoy, you know?"
48A: Wild West show markswoman: ANNIE OAKLEY. She was an American sharpshooter. Oakley's amazing talent and rise to fame led to a starring role in Buffalo Bill's Wild West show. Using a .22 caliber rifle at 90 feet, Oakley reputedly could split a playing card edge-on and put five or six more holes in it before it touched the ground. (1860 – 1926).
Argyle here.
Without 55A, I'm not sure I would have made the connection. I felt the construction was uneven for a Monday. Mostly easy-peasey entries but a few tough ones, i.e.: 9A: John who married Pocahontas: ROLFE or 8D: Old music halls: ODEONS.
Give us your opinion; that is what we're here for.
Across:
1A: Grandmotherly nickname: NANA. Certainly better than the recent NANNIE.
5A: Hershey's caramel candy: ROLO
14A: The yoke's on them: OXEN. A spin on "the joke's on them."
15A: In the sack: ABED
16A: Sci-fi staple: ALIEN
17A: Small salamander: NEWT. A young NEWT is an eft.
18A: Therapist's response: "I SEE". And "How do you feel about that?"
23A: 1860s White House nickname: ABE. (Honest ABE Lincoln)
26A: Pecan or cashew: NUT
27A: Mingle at the party: MIX. If we all got together, would it be mixed nuts?
37A: Shoe without laces, e.g.: STEP IN
38A: Emulate Rembrandt: ETCH
39A: Holliday of the Old West: DOC
41A: Lady's man: GENT
42A: It's in the eye of the beholder: BEAUTY. Check out the daisies at the bottom.
45A: Caveman Alley: OOP. Cute clue. Alley OOP was/is a comic strip character known for riding on his dinosaur with his girlfriend, Ooola.
51A: __ Lanka: SRI
52A: Food from a shell: EGG
54A: Immigrant's subj.: ESL. (English as a Second Language)
61A: Dog from Wales: CORGI. Used for herding.
62A: Supermodel Macpherson: ELLE. Another candidate for areoles?
63A: Hops drier: OAST. Easy for me. Difficult for you?
67A: Age, as tires: WEAR
68A: "__, be a pal!": C'MON
69A: Actress Zellweger: RENEE
70A: Stitches: SEWS
71A: Mild-mannered Clark: KENT. Superman's secret identity.
Down:
1D: Oui's opposite: NON
2D: Gave the __: fired: AXE
3D: Arizonan's neighbor: NEW MEXICAN
4D: Naysayer: ANTI
5D: Word with trout or sherbet: RAINBOW
6D: Fixated: OBSESSED. Like some of our anons.
7D: Majors and Trevino: LEES. Lee Majors is an actor; Lee Trevino is a professional golfer. (Senior Circuit now.)
9D: Sound from a woodpecker: RAT-A-TAT
10D: Name of several Norwegian kings: OLAF
11D: Peru's capital: LIMA
12D: Tootsies: FEET. I disagree; tootsies are just the toes to me.
13D: Conclusions: ENDS
21D: War site during LBJ's presidency: NAM. (Vietnam)
22D: Antacid brand: TUMS
23D: One-celled organism: AMOEBA. Finally with the extra "O".
24D: Attacked by Dracula, say: BITTEN
29D: Novel on the Net: E-BOOK
30D: Kid's interlocking block: LEGO
31D: Ali Baba's magical command: "OPEN SESAME"
32D: California NFL team, briefly: NINERS. San Francisco Forty Niners.
33D: Involve: ENTAIL
35D: Feng __: Chinese aesthetic system: SHUI. Literally translates as "water".
40D: Picnic side: COLESLAW
43D: Line on a golf course schedule: TEE TIME
44D: Hindu mystic: YOGI
46D: Tin alloys: PEWTERS
49D: Former V.P. Spiro and family: AGNEWS. (Nixon's V.P.)
50D: Affirmative vote: YEA
55D: Al Capone feature: SCAR
56D: Sock darner's target: HOLE. This is an interesting darner's egg; if you could afford a Sterling silver egg, why not buy new socks?
57D: Algerian port: ORAN
58D: Giant who's not jolly: OGRE
59D: Joy: GLEE
60D: Heavy metal is a subgenre of it: ROCK
64D: Leif, to Eric the Red: SON. Norse explorers.
65D: Blowup letters?: TNT
Here is Jeannie's Daisies painted by WM. Also, Happy Two Year Anniversary with Crossword Corner, Crockett! Here is his first ever comment.
Answer grid.
Argyle
