Theme: Three Diminutive Swine - First word of the first three long entries describe the protagonist of this classic children's tale. Also included are the integral structures associated with the story.
17A. High rollers: BIG SPENDERS
29A. "Do as I say, not as I do" speakers: BAD EXAMPLES
45A. Shrill "compliment" to a pretty woman: WOLF WHISTLE
61A. Catch your breath, or what the subject of this puzzle (found at the start of 17-, 29- and 45-Across) does: HUFF AND PUFF
Also:
39A. Like the house this puzzle's subject couldn't destroy: BRICK. Very center of the grid.
26D. Like a house destroyed by this puzzle's subject: STRAW
33D. See 26-Down clue: STICK. Both fragile houses are symmetrically placed along the edges of the grid. Very nice.
And a bonus entry: PENNED (6D. Confined, as pigs).
Argyle here.
Heavy themeage (57 theme squares) for a Monday with some questionable abbreviations but no real problems. It has been over a year since we have had a puzzle from Betty Keller and again, she isn't big on trickery or obscurity, as is right for a Monday. I think "cute" would be my description of this puzzle.
Across:
1. Sign up : ENROL
6. "My Cousin Vinny" star Joe : PESCI
11. Cooperstown shrine: Abbr. : HOF. The official site of the National Baseball Hall of Fame is in Cooperstown, NY.
14. First lady before Michelle : LAURA. Mrs. Bush.
15. Revolutionary Allen : ETHAN. Vermonter. His brother, Ira, did not get the press that Ethan did.
16. Tic-tac-toe loser : OXO
19. Pin for hanging : PEG
20. Election losers : ALSO-RANS
21. Observing : EYING
23. Musical scale unit : NOTE
24. Morales of "Jericho" : ESAI. We have seen this regular lately. His vowel-laden name use to show up on a seemingly weekly basis.
26. Duped person : SAP
34. Deal in stocks : TRADE
36. Stimpy's partner : REN. Ren is the scrawny "Asthma-Hound" Chihuahua
37. Actor Brad : PITT. Must post picture or else! Image.
38. Thinker Descartes : RENÉ. "Father of Modern Philosophy".
41. K-12 sch. years : ELHI
42. On a cruise : ASEA
43. "The View" network : ABC
44. Dig discovery : RELIC
49. "How revolting!" : ICK
50. One, to Beethoven : EINS. German.
51. Den or parlor : ROOM
53. One in a multiple birth : QUINT
56. Pet lizards' homes : TERRARIA
60. German conjunction : UND. More German.
64. Swearing-in words : I DO
65. Motionless : INERT
66. Nightmare loc. of film : ELM ST.
67. D.C. deal-maker : POL
68. Like a catching-up letter : NEWSY
69. Some towed vehicles, briefly : REPOS
Down:
1. Napoleon's exile isle : ELBA
2. File target : NAIL
3. Carpets : RUGS
4. Director Welles : ORSON
5. Carriage passenger's warmer : LAP ROBE
7. Approx. takeoff hrs. : ETDs. Estimated Time of Departure (ETD)
8. Boater's pronoun : SHE
9. Automobile : CAR
10. Crotch-to-ankle pants measure : INSEAM
11. Native Arizonans : HOPI
12. Plow pullers : OXEN
13. Verne's circumnavigator Phileas : FOGG. World traveller in Jules Verne's 1873 novel, "Around the World in Eighty Days". (Updated later: the original clue Phineas is a typo.)
18. "I could __ horse!" : EAT A
22. "Yahoo!" : YIPPEE
24. Biz VIP : EXEC. Very Important Person in business.
25. Went down like a stone : SANK
27. "Am not!" retort : ARE SO
28. Group of judges : PANEL
30. Idle and Clapton : ERICs. Eric Idle, English comedian, performed as a member of the British comedy group Monty Python. Eric Clapton, English guitarist, performed as a member of rock bands the Yardbirds and Cream.
31. Actress Palmer : LILLI. She was married to Rex Harrison. Image.
32. Code of conduct : ETHIC
35. Overwhelm with noise : DEAFEN
39. German road : BAHN. More German...again.
40. MLB scoring stats : RBIs
44. Stock up again : REORDER
46. Live __ one's means : WITHIN
47. The "T" in NATO : TREATY. North Atlantic Treaty Organization
48. Forsaken : LORN. Forlorn is the more common usage.
52. Source of Canada's symbolic leaf : MAPLE
53. Comical comment : QUIP
54. Cancel : UNDO
55. Fan club favorite : IDOL
56. Swaps between accts. : TFRS.. Is this a common abbreviation?
57. Type of roast : RUMP
58. In that event : IF SO
59. P.M. periods : AFTS. Now this abbreviation is a strain.
62. A, to Berlioz : UNE. Louis-Hector Berlioz was a French composer, regarded as a pioneer of modern orchestration.
63. Not many : FEW
Answer grid.
Argyle
Added 8:45am:
Congratulations to constructor Mangesh Ghogre and his wife Rupali. They just had a new baby boy today. Their first, I think.
17A. High rollers: BIG SPENDERS
29A. "Do as I say, not as I do" speakers: BAD EXAMPLES
45A. Shrill "compliment" to a pretty woman: WOLF WHISTLE
61A. Catch your breath, or what the subject of this puzzle (found at the start of 17-, 29- and 45-Across) does: HUFF AND PUFF
Also:
39A. Like the house this puzzle's subject couldn't destroy: BRICK. Very center of the grid.
26D. Like a house destroyed by this puzzle's subject: STRAW
33D. See 26-Down clue: STICK. Both fragile houses are symmetrically placed along the edges of the grid. Very nice.
And a bonus entry: PENNED (6D. Confined, as pigs).
Argyle here.
Heavy themeage (57 theme squares) for a Monday with some questionable abbreviations but no real problems. It has been over a year since we have had a puzzle from Betty Keller and again, she isn't big on trickery or obscurity, as is right for a Monday. I think "cute" would be my description of this puzzle.
Across:
1. Sign up : ENROL
6. "My Cousin Vinny" star Joe : PESCI
11. Cooperstown shrine: Abbr. : HOF. The official site of the National Baseball Hall of Fame is in Cooperstown, NY.
14. First lady before Michelle : LAURA. Mrs. Bush.
15. Revolutionary Allen : ETHAN. Vermonter. His brother, Ira, did not get the press that Ethan did.
16. Tic-tac-toe loser : OXO
19. Pin for hanging : PEG
20. Election losers : ALSO-RANS
21. Observing : EYING
23. Musical scale unit : NOTE
24. Morales of "Jericho" : ESAI. We have seen this regular lately. His vowel-laden name use to show up on a seemingly weekly basis.
26. Duped person : SAP
34. Deal in stocks : TRADE
36. Stimpy's partner : REN. Ren is the scrawny "Asthma-Hound" Chihuahua
37. Actor Brad : PITT. Must post picture or else! Image.
38. Thinker Descartes : RENÉ. "Father of Modern Philosophy".
41. K-12 sch. years : ELHI
42. On a cruise : ASEA
43. "The View" network : ABC
44. Dig discovery : RELIC
49. "How revolting!" : ICK
50. One, to Beethoven : EINS. German.
51. Den or parlor : ROOM
53. One in a multiple birth : QUINT
56. Pet lizards' homes : TERRARIA
60. German conjunction : UND. More German.
64. Swearing-in words : I DO
65. Motionless : INERT
66. Nightmare loc. of film : ELM ST.
67. D.C. deal-maker : POL
68. Like a catching-up letter : NEWSY
69. Some towed vehicles, briefly : REPOS
Down:
1. Napoleon's exile isle : ELBA
2. File target : NAIL
3. Carpets : RUGS
4. Director Welles : ORSON
5. Carriage passenger's warmer : LAP ROBE
7. Approx. takeoff hrs. : ETDs. Estimated Time of Departure (ETD)
8. Boater's pronoun : SHE
9. Automobile : CAR
10. Crotch-to-ankle pants measure : INSEAM
11. Native Arizonans : HOPI
12. Plow pullers : OXEN
13. Verne's circumnavigator Phileas : FOGG. World traveller in Jules Verne's 1873 novel, "Around the World in Eighty Days". (Updated later: the original clue Phineas is a typo.)
18. "I could __ horse!" : EAT A
22. "Yahoo!" : YIPPEE
24. Biz VIP : EXEC. Very Important Person in business.
25. Went down like a stone : SANK
27. "Am not!" retort : ARE SO
28. Group of judges : PANEL
30. Idle and Clapton : ERICs. Eric Idle, English comedian, performed as a member of the British comedy group Monty Python. Eric Clapton, English guitarist, performed as a member of rock bands the Yardbirds and Cream.
31. Actress Palmer : LILLI. She was married to Rex Harrison. Image.
32. Code of conduct : ETHIC
35. Overwhelm with noise : DEAFEN
39. German road : BAHN. More German...again.
40. MLB scoring stats : RBIs
44. Stock up again : REORDER
46. Live __ one's means : WITHIN
47. The "T" in NATO : TREATY. North Atlantic Treaty Organization
48. Forsaken : LORN. Forlorn is the more common usage.
52. Source of Canada's symbolic leaf : MAPLE
53. Comical comment : QUIP
54. Cancel : UNDO
55. Fan club favorite : IDOL
56. Swaps between accts. : TFRS.. Is this a common abbreviation?
57. Type of roast : RUMP
58. In that event : IF SO
59. P.M. periods : AFTS. Now this abbreviation is a strain.
62. A, to Berlioz : UNE. Louis-Hector Berlioz was a French composer, regarded as a pioneer of modern orchestration.
63. Not many : FEW
Answer grid.
Argyle
Added 8:45am:
Congratulations to constructor Mangesh Ghogre and his wife Rupali. They just had a new baby boy today. Their first, I think.
