Theme: THEY'RE DRAWN (61A: What you can say about sketches, and about the answers to the starred clues) - Theme answers all can be drawn, but with a different nuance.
17A: *Relaxing soak: NICE HOT BATH. Even more luxurious if someone else draws the bath for you, eh?
26A: *Great concert turnout: LARGE CROWD. Attracted to an event.
39A: *Many an exec's remuneration: SIX FIGURE SALARY. Most of us struggle to draw five figures.
51A: *Unlucky selection: SHORT STRAW. This is to physically draw a straw from a group of equal length straws except for one. Used to decide by chance who has to do something nobody wants to do.
Rather unique to have DRAWN apply to the three full theme answers & a fuller defining entry placed at the bottom of the grid.
Barry Silk did a DRAW puzzle for NYT in 2008. The unifying DRAW is clued as "Something you can do to the starts of ....". BATH TOWEL/CURTAIN CALL/BLANK EXPRESSION are among his theme answers.
Argyle here.
I suppose the breakfast factor (nothing disgusting at the breakfast table, when most are doing the puzzle) precludes the mention of DRAWN AND QUARTERED. You all have finished your breakfast, I hope.
A tick harder than Monday's. Still some Crosswordese and famous people but, hey, no Roman numerals.
Across:
1A: Western Florida city: TAMPA
6A: Rice-__: A-RONI. A nice bicoastal start.
11A: Air gun ammo: BBs
14A: Catherine of "Beetlejuice": O'HARA. as Delia.
15A: Binary system digits: ZEROS. And 46A: Binary system digits: ONES.
16A: Exercise unit: REP. (Shortened repetitions)
19A: Brew in a yard: ALE. A yard (or yard glass) is a very tall glass used for drinking beer or ale.
20A: "Just __ suspected!": AS I
21A: "... have you __ wool?": ANY Windhover?
22A: Company whose calling is calling: AVON. Their ads often started with, "AVON Calling"
23A: Bio kin: CHEM. (Biology) (Chemistry) And 55A: Course with many problems: MATH. (Mathematics)
29A: Sympathetic connection: RAPPORT
31A: Cease: STOP
32A: Blood system letters: A B O
33A: Confirmation, e.g.: RITE. (Religious)
35A: Outperforms: BESTS
43A: Work with hair: STYLE
44A: Pre-coll. catchall: ELHI. (Elementary-High school) A bit of Crosswordese.
45A: Bit of Internet mirth: LOL
49A: Pulls an all-nighter: BONES UP
56A: Hip-swiveling dance: HULA
57A: Beachgoer's shirt: TEE
58A: Rioting group: MOB. Creating 67A: Free-for-all: MELEE
60A: Former California fort: ORD
66A: NFL's Cardinals, on scoreboards: ARI. Arizona.
68A: McDermott of "The Practice": DYLAN. Don't look if you don't like a hairy chest.
69A: Soap-making need: LYE
70A: "__ my case": I REST
71A: Figure out: SOLVE. Great ending entry!
Down:
1D: Heavy weight: TON
2D: Bigeye or yellowfin, at a sushi bar: AHI. More CWese.
3D: Cheese partner: MAC. (Macaroni)
4D: Radio signal booster: PRE-AMP
5D: Sighs of contentment: AAHs. When Cruciverb came back online.
6D: HIV-treating drug: AZT. AZidoThymidine is a nucleoside analog reverse transcriptase inhibitor. (I have no idea what that means.)
7D: Masonry-reinforcing rod: REBAR
8D: Tree-dwelling apes: ORANGS. (Orangutans)
9D: "Almost ready--be patient": "NOT YET"
10D: Suffix with Brit: ISH
11D: "Top Chef" network: BRAVO
12D: Downstairs, at sea: BELOW. On board ship.
13D: Blow, as dough: SPEND
18D: Well driller: OILRIG
22D: Skin care maven Adrien: ARPEL
23D: Uncouth: CRASS
24D: Good thing to kick: HABIT
25D: Hobbyist's glue: EPOXY
27D: Westernmost Aleutian island: ATTU. From whence you can see Russia.
28D: Kurt of Nirvana: COBAIN
30D: Point in the right direction: ORIENT
34D: Preceding, in poetry: ERE
36D: Tex-Mex dip: SALSA
37D: "Rainbow" fish: TROUT
38D: Mythical air dweller: SYLPH. If anyone has a good knowledge of this term, please enlighten us.
40D: Regional plant life: FLORA
41D: Corsica neighbor: ELBA. Napoleon's exile.
42D: Skeptic's demand: "SHOW ME!"
47D: Her book is read during the Jewish holiday Purim: ESTHER
48D: "Remington __": STEELE. Television series, broadcasted on NBC, 1982 to 1987. It starred Stephanie Zimbalist as private detective Laura Holt and Pierce Brosnan as a roguish former white-collar thief and con man who assumed Remington Steele's fictitious identity. Ms Holt had named her agency "Remington STEELE" because she felt she would get more business if it was thought to be run by a man. It was a dated concept even back then.
50D: Pre-fetus stage: EMBRYO
51D: Shallow sea area: SHOAL
52D: Speed things up: HURRY
53D: Song from the past: OLDIE
54D: Three-time N.L. stolen base champ José: REYES. (New York Mets)
59D: Gambler's concerns: ODDS
61D: Pa. plant in the 1979 news: TMI. (Three Mile Island) Nuclear incident.
62D: Like Gen. Powell: RET.
63D: Every last one: ALL
64D: Sound file suffix: WAV
65D: L.A.-to-Helena dir.: NNE
Answer grid.
Argyle
17A: *Relaxing soak: NICE HOT BATH. Even more luxurious if someone else draws the bath for you, eh?
26A: *Great concert turnout: LARGE CROWD. Attracted to an event.
39A: *Many an exec's remuneration: SIX FIGURE SALARY. Most of us struggle to draw five figures.
51A: *Unlucky selection: SHORT STRAW. This is to physically draw a straw from a group of equal length straws except for one. Used to decide by chance who has to do something nobody wants to do.
Rather unique to have DRAWN apply to the three full theme answers & a fuller defining entry placed at the bottom of the grid.
Barry Silk did a DRAW puzzle for NYT in 2008. The unifying DRAW is clued as "Something you can do to the starts of ....". BATH TOWEL/CURTAIN CALL/BLANK EXPRESSION are among his theme answers.
Argyle here.
I suppose the breakfast factor (nothing disgusting at the breakfast table, when most are doing the puzzle) precludes the mention of DRAWN AND QUARTERED. You all have finished your breakfast, I hope.
A tick harder than Monday's. Still some Crosswordese and famous people but, hey, no Roman numerals.
Across:
1A: Western Florida city: TAMPA
6A: Rice-__: A-RONI. A nice bicoastal start.
11A: Air gun ammo: BBs
14A: Catherine of "Beetlejuice": O'HARA. as Delia.
15A: Binary system digits: ZEROS. And 46A: Binary system digits: ONES.
16A: Exercise unit: REP. (Shortened repetitions)
19A: Brew in a yard: ALE. A yard (or yard glass) is a very tall glass used for drinking beer or ale.
20A: "Just __ suspected!": AS I
21A: "... have you __ wool?": ANY Windhover?
22A: Company whose calling is calling: AVON. Their ads often started with, "AVON Calling"
23A: Bio kin: CHEM. (Biology) (Chemistry) And 55A: Course with many problems: MATH. (Mathematics)
29A: Sympathetic connection: RAPPORT
31A: Cease: STOP
32A: Blood system letters: A B O
33A: Confirmation, e.g.: RITE. (Religious)
35A: Outperforms: BESTS
43A: Work with hair: STYLE
44A: Pre-coll. catchall: ELHI. (Elementary-High school) A bit of Crosswordese.
45A: Bit of Internet mirth: LOL
49A: Pulls an all-nighter: BONES UP
56A: Hip-swiveling dance: HULA
57A: Beachgoer's shirt: TEE
58A: Rioting group: MOB. Creating 67A: Free-for-all: MELEE
60A: Former California fort: ORD
66A: NFL's Cardinals, on scoreboards: ARI. Arizona.
68A: McDermott of "The Practice": DYLAN. Don't look if you don't like a hairy chest.
69A: Soap-making need: LYE
70A: "__ my case": I REST
71A: Figure out: SOLVE. Great ending entry!
Down:
1D: Heavy weight: TON
2D: Bigeye or yellowfin, at a sushi bar: AHI. More CWese.
3D: Cheese partner: MAC. (Macaroni)
4D: Radio signal booster: PRE-AMP
5D: Sighs of contentment: AAHs. When Cruciverb came back online.
6D: HIV-treating drug: AZT. AZidoThymidine is a nucleoside analog reverse transcriptase inhibitor. (I have no idea what that means.)
7D: Masonry-reinforcing rod: REBAR
8D: Tree-dwelling apes: ORANGS. (Orangutans)
9D: "Almost ready--be patient": "NOT YET"
10D: Suffix with Brit: ISH
11D: "Top Chef" network: BRAVO
12D: Downstairs, at sea: BELOW. On board ship.
13D: Blow, as dough: SPEND
18D: Well driller: OILRIG
22D: Skin care maven Adrien: ARPEL
23D: Uncouth: CRASS
24D: Good thing to kick: HABIT
25D: Hobbyist's glue: EPOXY
27D: Westernmost Aleutian island: ATTU. From whence you can see Russia.
28D: Kurt of Nirvana: COBAIN
30D: Point in the right direction: ORIENT
34D: Preceding, in poetry: ERE
36D: Tex-Mex dip: SALSA
37D: "Rainbow" fish: TROUT
38D: Mythical air dweller: SYLPH. If anyone has a good knowledge of this term, please enlighten us.
40D: Regional plant life: FLORA
41D: Corsica neighbor: ELBA. Napoleon's exile.
42D: Skeptic's demand: "SHOW ME!"
47D: Her book is read during the Jewish holiday Purim: ESTHER
48D: "Remington __": STEELE. Television series, broadcasted on NBC, 1982 to 1987. It starred Stephanie Zimbalist as private detective Laura Holt and Pierce Brosnan as a roguish former white-collar thief and con man who assumed Remington Steele's fictitious identity. Ms Holt had named her agency "Remington STEELE" because she felt she would get more business if it was thought to be run by a man. It was a dated concept even back then.
50D: Pre-fetus stage: EMBRYO
51D: Shallow sea area: SHOAL
52D: Speed things up: HURRY
53D: Song from the past: OLDIE
54D: Three-time N.L. stolen base champ José: REYES. (New York Mets)
59D: Gambler's concerns: ODDS
61D: Pa. plant in the 1979 news: TMI. (Three Mile Island) Nuclear incident.
62D: Like Gen. Powell: RET.
63D: Every last one: ALL
64D: Sound file suffix: WAV
65D: L.A.-to-Helena dir.: NNE
Answer grid.
Argyle
