Theme: Firearm Nomenclature - 48D: Weapons in which you can find the starts of 17-, 31-, 46- and 62-Across: RIFLES.
17A: Hotel room cleaner: CHAMBERMAID The CHAMBER is where the bullet and cartridge are located prior to "firing".
31A: Arm-twisting wrestling hold: HAMMERLOCK. The HAMMER is the part used to initiate the firing of the bullet or shell. Found mostly on revolvers and shotguns these days.
46A: Rodeo event with obstacles: BARREL RACE. video. The BARREL is the tube the bullet travels through after being "fired".
62A: Without prior inspection: SIGHT UNSEEN. Like buying a pig in a poke. The SIGHT is used to aim where you want the bullet to go.
Argyle here. Easy Monday.
Twenty-six three-letter entries, by my count, but only three were two-letter made into plurals.
After the pounding we took (at least, I took) this weekend, we needed a break.
Across:
1A: Support gp. for the troops: USO. And 11A: Audience for 1-Across: GIS. United Service Organizations supporting our G.I. troops (Origin of G.I.: 1915–20; orig. abbr. of galvanized iron, used in U.S. Army bookkeeping in entering articles (e.g., trash cans) made of it; later extended to all articles issued (as an assumed abbrev. of government issue) and finally to soldiers themselves.)
4A: Words of deliberation: LET'S SEE.
14A: Mom's business partner: POP.
15A: Concisely put: IN A WORD.
16A: Hairy Addams Family cousin: ITT. You may not recognize him in his disguise.
19A: Long-snouted fish: GAR Unusual photo.
20A: "Green" energy type: SOLAR
21A: Opening for a peeping Tom: KEYHOLE. What with key card access now, keyholes are going the way of the dial phones.
23A: Manage, barely: GET BY. Hurray! Not ekes out.
27A: Pelvic bones: ILIA.
28A: Painter of melting watches: DALI. Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dalí i Domènech, 1st Marquis of Púbol (Betcha didn't know that.)
35A: 56-Down, biologically: OVA. 56D: Incubator items: EGGS.
36A: Jumped the tracks: DERAILED.
37A: Electric car's lack: GAS TANK.
39A: Threatened: MENACED.
43A: Like glue: ADHESIVE
45A: Tire layer: PLY. Often there are two plies in the side wall and four under the tread.
49A: Really bugs: IRKS.
50A: "__ ain't broke ...": IF IT.
51A: "Hardball" airer: MSNBC. "Hardball" is an hour-long talk show hosted by Chris Matthews.
53A: Gridiron five-yard penalty: OFFSIDE. Football infraction.
57A: "You __ to know!": OUGHT.
61A: Nothing at all: NIL.
66A: Ill temper: IRE. Be aware we haven't of late had IRE: High dudgeon.
67A: Vigilant against attack: ON GUARD.
68A: Greenwich Village sch.: NYU. (New York University) 2D: Arty Big Apple area: SOHO. Areas in New York City.
69A: Divs. on some rulers: CMS. (centimeters)
70A: Attaches securely: FASTENS.
71A: Guinness suffix: EST. The superlative degree (biggest, fastest) used in their keeping of World Records.
Down:
1D: Lines on mdse.: UPCS. (Universal Product Code)
3D: October birthstone: OPAL.
4D: Cuba __: rum drink: LIBRE. A highball made of Cola, lime, and white rum. Origin of the name: 1895–1900; Sp: lit., free Cuba (a toast used in the uprising against Spain in 1895). What The Andrews Sisters drink.
5D: Opposite of WSW: ENE.
6D: Road sealer: TAR.
7D: Certain bachelor, in ads: SWM. Single White Male, in the personal ads.
8D: Relax in the tub: SOAK.
9D: New York canal: ERIE. aka: Clinton's Ditch, named for Gov. Dewitt Clinton (1817).
10D: Whirling water: EDDY.
11D: Paid male escort: GIGOLO. 42D: Prefix with functional: DYS. 38D: Queen of Hearts' pastries: TARTS. (I thought I would make it easier for later comments by bunching these together.) 22D: Broom-__: comics witch: HILDA. Could she be looking for a 11D?
12D: Slanted type: ITALIC.
13D: 10 consecutive wins, say: STREAK.
18D: Nativity trio: MAGI.
24D: Stanley Cup org.: THE NHL.
25D: Carnival pitchman: BARKER.
26D: Singer Sumac: YMA.
28D: Boxer or pug: DOG.
29D: Gardner of "On the Beach": AVA. On the beach, indeed!
30D: "Deck the Halls" syllables: LAS. Fa la la la la, la la la la.
32D: Tries to act like: MIMICS.
33D: Late news hour: ELEVEN.
34D: Descartes or Russo: RENE.
36D: Florida's Miami-__ County: DADE. Where the TV show, COPS, got their start, I believe.
40D: EMT's skill: CPR.
41D: Yellowstone grazer: ELK.
44D: Walton of Walmart: SAM.
46D: Like the Six Million Dollar Man: BIONIC.
47D: Declare true: AFFIRM.
49D: Closely monitored hosp. areas: ICUS.
52D: Slugger Barry: BONDS.
54D: "Time __ the essence": IS OF.
55D: Actress Merrill: DINA. Elegant.
58D: Hereditary unit: GENE.
59D: Casual greetings: HEYS. Hey, how y'all doin'?
60D: Letter-shaped fastener: T-NUT. I think C.C. understands it now.
63D: "Survivor" shelter: HUT.
64D: __ kwon do: TAE. "The way of the foot and the fist."
65D: Java vessel: URN. Big coffee pot with a spigot.
Answer grid.
Argyle
17A: Hotel room cleaner: CHAMBERMAID The CHAMBER is where the bullet and cartridge are located prior to "firing".
31A: Arm-twisting wrestling hold: HAMMERLOCK. The HAMMER is the part used to initiate the firing of the bullet or shell. Found mostly on revolvers and shotguns these days.
46A: Rodeo event with obstacles: BARREL RACE. video. The BARREL is the tube the bullet travels through after being "fired".
62A: Without prior inspection: SIGHT UNSEEN. Like buying a pig in a poke. The SIGHT is used to aim where you want the bullet to go.
Argyle here. Easy Monday.
Twenty-six three-letter entries, by my count, but only three were two-letter made into plurals.
After the pounding we took (at least, I took) this weekend, we needed a break.
Across:
1A: Support gp. for the troops: USO. And 11A: Audience for 1-Across: GIS. United Service Organizations supporting our G.I. troops (Origin of G.I.: 1915–20; orig. abbr. of galvanized iron, used in U.S. Army bookkeeping in entering articles (e.g., trash cans) made of it; later extended to all articles issued (as an assumed abbrev. of government issue) and finally to soldiers themselves.)
4A: Words of deliberation: LET'S SEE.
14A: Mom's business partner: POP.
15A: Concisely put: IN A WORD.
16A: Hairy Addams Family cousin: ITT. You may not recognize him in his disguise.
19A: Long-snouted fish: GAR Unusual photo.
20A: "Green" energy type: SOLAR
21A: Opening for a peeping Tom: KEYHOLE. What with key card access now, keyholes are going the way of the dial phones.
23A: Manage, barely: GET BY. Hurray! Not ekes out.
27A: Pelvic bones: ILIA.
28A: Painter of melting watches: DALI. Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dalí i Domènech, 1st Marquis of Púbol (Betcha didn't know that.)
35A: 56-Down, biologically: OVA. 56D: Incubator items: EGGS.
36A: Jumped the tracks: DERAILED.
37A: Electric car's lack: GAS TANK.
39A: Threatened: MENACED.
43A: Like glue: ADHESIVE
45A: Tire layer: PLY. Often there are two plies in the side wall and four under the tread.
49A: Really bugs: IRKS.
50A: "__ ain't broke ...": IF IT.
51A: "Hardball" airer: MSNBC. "Hardball" is an hour-long talk show hosted by Chris Matthews.
53A: Gridiron five-yard penalty: OFFSIDE. Football infraction.
57A: "You __ to know!": OUGHT.
61A: Nothing at all: NIL.
66A: Ill temper: IRE. Be aware we haven't of late had IRE: High dudgeon.
67A: Vigilant against attack: ON GUARD.
68A: Greenwich Village sch.: NYU. (New York University) 2D: Arty Big Apple area: SOHO. Areas in New York City.
69A: Divs. on some rulers: CMS. (centimeters)
70A: Attaches securely: FASTENS.
71A: Guinness suffix: EST. The superlative degree (biggest, fastest) used in their keeping of World Records.
Down:
1D: Lines on mdse.: UPCS. (Universal Product Code)
3D: October birthstone: OPAL.
4D: Cuba __: rum drink: LIBRE. A highball made of Cola, lime, and white rum. Origin of the name: 1895–1900; Sp: lit., free Cuba (a toast used in the uprising against Spain in 1895). What The Andrews Sisters drink.
5D: Opposite of WSW: ENE.
6D: Road sealer: TAR.
7D: Certain bachelor, in ads: SWM. Single White Male, in the personal ads.
8D: Relax in the tub: SOAK.
9D: New York canal: ERIE. aka: Clinton's Ditch, named for Gov. Dewitt Clinton (1817).
10D: Whirling water: EDDY.
11D: Paid male escort: GIGOLO. 42D: Prefix with functional: DYS. 38D: Queen of Hearts' pastries: TARTS. (I thought I would make it easier for later comments by bunching these together.) 22D: Broom-__: comics witch: HILDA. Could she be looking for a 11D?
12D: Slanted type: ITALIC.
13D: 10 consecutive wins, say: STREAK.
18D: Nativity trio: MAGI.
24D: Stanley Cup org.: THE NHL.
25D: Carnival pitchman: BARKER.
26D: Singer Sumac: YMA.
28D: Boxer or pug: DOG.
29D: Gardner of "On the Beach": AVA. On the beach, indeed!
30D: "Deck the Halls" syllables: LAS. Fa la la la la, la la la la.
32D: Tries to act like: MIMICS.
33D: Late news hour: ELEVEN.
34D: Descartes or Russo: RENE.
36D: Florida's Miami-__ County: DADE. Where the TV show, COPS, got their start, I believe.
40D: EMT's skill: CPR.
41D: Yellowstone grazer: ELK.
44D: Walton of Walmart: SAM.
46D: Like the Six Million Dollar Man: BIONIC.
47D: Declare true: AFFIRM.
49D: Closely monitored hosp. areas: ICUS.
52D: Slugger Barry: BONDS.
54D: "Time __ the essence": IS OF.
55D: Actress Merrill: DINA. Elegant.
58D: Hereditary unit: GENE.
59D: Casual greetings: HEYS. Hey, how y'all doin'?
60D: Letter-shaped fastener: T-NUT. I think C.C. understands it now.
63D: "Survivor" shelter: HUT.
64D: __ kwon do: TAE. "The way of the foot and the fist."
65D: Java vessel: URN. Big coffee pot with a spigot.
Answer grid.
Argyle
