Theme: Promos - The first word of each two-word common phrase is a synonym of "ads". Each common phrase is then humorously clued as if it's ads related.
20A. Promo after promo after promo?: AD INFINITUM
35A. Thesis on promos?: COMMERCIAL PAPER
52A. One who takes a promo off the air?: SPOT REMOVER
Argyle here.
MEH! Meh, Meh, Meh. Bland theme (The theme clues are fun). Ambitious vertical stacks in the corners, sides broke into just two segments, which results in triple columns of 6s & 8s in each corner ... Total 74 words. 32 black squares. Still, meh. No sparkle fill.
I had hopes when the Z's appeared but the only WIT was 27 Across (Bon mot expert). Of course, your experience may vary.
Across:
1. Jane Austen classic : EMMA
5. Lose it : SNAP
9. Marathoner's pants? : GASPS. A little misdirection.
14. Campus area : QUAD
15. Sport with mallets : POLO
16. Like Andean pyramids : INCAN
17. More than suggest : URGE
18. Loud laugh : ROAR
19. Swordsman of lore : ZORRO. Zorro's Theme Song.
23. Ike's WWII arena : ETO. United States Army European Theater of Operations (ETO). General Eisenhower, Supreme Commander.
24. Gumshoe : TEC. Detective
25. Chowed down : ATE
26. Old Olds creation : REO. Early auto, used the initials of its maker, Ransom Eli Olds.
27. Bon mot expert : WIT
28. Artificial : ERSATZ. German, from ersetzen, to substitute.
30. Put into words : SAY
31. Fourth century start : CCCI
32. Well-endowed, so to speak : CHESTY. Who comes to mind?
34. Oil-yielding rock : SHALE
39. "Doe, __ ...": song lyric : A DEER
40. Metallic mixtures : ALLOYS. Here is one example.
41. __ and turn : TOSS
42. Astern : AFT
43. Black Sea port : ODESSA
47. Printers' widths : EMS
48. Keebler cookiemaker : ELF
49. "__ Beso": Paul Anka hit : ESO. A Spanish/Italian? version.
50. Part of D.A.: Abbr. : ATT. District Attorney
51. Portuguese king : REI
55. Forest bucks : STAGS
57. __ Star State : LONE
58. "By __!" : JOVE
59. Little laugh : TE-HEE
60. Knock off : DOIN
61. Aggressive Greek god : ARES. Olympian god of war.
62. Sci-fi writer __ Scott Card : ORSON. The only author to win both of American science fiction's top prizes in consecutive years. Wikipedia entry, with image.
63. Snow coaster : SLED
64. "Winning __ everything" : ISN'T
Down:
1D. Put "=" between : EQUATE
2D. Scream bloody __ : MURDER
3D. Voodoo and wizardry : MAGICS
4D. Yemeni port : ADEN
5D. Wine-and-soda drink : SPRITZER. OK, this is sparkling(or is it just the soda?).
6D. Nary a soul : NO ONE
7D. Jai __ : ALAI
8D. Actor's job : PORTRAYAL
9D. Thingamajig : GIZMO. Names for things you don't know the name for.
10D. "Wheel of Fortune" purchase : AN O. "Alec, I would like to buy a vowel."
11D. Twist-off top : SCREW CAP
12D. Word with board or physics : PARTICLE. Board made from small pieces of wood pressed and glued together. Physics studies of the elementary subatomic constituents of matter and radiation, and the interactive relationship between them.
13D. More stuck-up : SNOOTIER
21D. Darth, to Luke : FATHER. Bad clue. In Star Wars, Darth is the title of a Sith Lord or Master, the first part of the new name they take on. It was once believed to be a condensed version of 'Dark Lord of the Sith', and thus the reason for the title. Luke's father was- spoiler alert -Darth Vader
22D. One-eighty : UEY. U-turn.
29D. High points : ACMES
30D. Long-legged bird : STILT. Image.
31D. Banking giant : CHASE. Anybody read this as "Baking giant"?
33D. Building repair platforms : SCAFFOLDS
34D. World of espionage : SPYDOM
35D. Waits on hand and foot : CATERS TO
36D. Dashboard gauge : ODOMETER
37D. Saviors : MESSIAHS
38D. Detail to tie up : LOOSE END
42D. Matterhorn or Monte Leone : ALP
44D. Really enjoys : SAVORS
45D. Director Spielberg : STEVEN
46D. Motionless : AT REST
48D. Museum Folkwang city : ESSEN. Germany. The term Folkwang is taken from the Edda; Folkvangar and means "hall of the people". Somebody here surely has visited it and can tell us more about it.
49D. "Sesame Street" regular : ERNIE
53D. Saw or plane : TOOL
54D. City east of Santa Barbara : OJAI. Map.
56D. Political beginning? : GEO
Answer grid.
Argyle
20A. Promo after promo after promo?: AD INFINITUM
35A. Thesis on promos?: COMMERCIAL PAPER
52A. One who takes a promo off the air?: SPOT REMOVER
Argyle here.
MEH! Meh, Meh, Meh. Bland theme (The theme clues are fun). Ambitious vertical stacks in the corners, sides broke into just two segments, which results in triple columns of 6s & 8s in each corner ... Total 74 words. 32 black squares. Still, meh. No sparkle fill.
I had hopes when the Z's appeared but the only WIT was 27 Across (Bon mot expert). Of course, your experience may vary.
Across:
1. Jane Austen classic : EMMA
5. Lose it : SNAP
9. Marathoner's pants? : GASPS. A little misdirection.
14. Campus area : QUAD
15. Sport with mallets : POLO
16. Like Andean pyramids : INCAN
17. More than suggest : URGE
18. Loud laugh : ROAR
19. Swordsman of lore : ZORRO. Zorro's Theme Song.
23. Ike's WWII arena : ETO. United States Army European Theater of Operations (ETO). General Eisenhower, Supreme Commander.
24. Gumshoe : TEC. Detective
25. Chowed down : ATE
26. Old Olds creation : REO. Early auto, used the initials of its maker, Ransom Eli Olds.
27. Bon mot expert : WIT
28. Artificial : ERSATZ. German, from ersetzen, to substitute.
30. Put into words : SAY
31. Fourth century start : CCCI
32. Well-endowed, so to speak : CHESTY. Who comes to mind?
34. Oil-yielding rock : SHALE
39. "Doe, __ ...": song lyric : A DEER
40. Metallic mixtures : ALLOYS. Here is one example.
41. __ and turn : TOSS
42. Astern : AFT
43. Black Sea port : ODESSA
47. Printers' widths : EMS
48. Keebler cookiemaker : ELF
49. "__ Beso": Paul Anka hit : ESO. A Spanish/Italian? version.
50. Part of D.A.: Abbr. : ATT. District Attorney
51. Portuguese king : REI
55. Forest bucks : STAGS
57. __ Star State : LONE
58. "By __!" : JOVE
59. Little laugh : TE-HEE
60. Knock off : DOIN
61. Aggressive Greek god : ARES. Olympian god of war.
62. Sci-fi writer __ Scott Card : ORSON. The only author to win both of American science fiction's top prizes in consecutive years. Wikipedia entry, with image.
63. Snow coaster : SLED
64. "Winning __ everything" : ISN'T
Down:
1D. Put "=" between : EQUATE
2D. Scream bloody __ : MURDER
3D. Voodoo and wizardry : MAGICS
4D. Yemeni port : ADEN
5D. Wine-and-soda drink : SPRITZER. OK, this is sparkling(or is it just the soda?).
6D. Nary a soul : NO ONE
7D. Jai __ : ALAI
8D. Actor's job : PORTRAYAL
9D. Thingamajig : GIZMO. Names for things you don't know the name for.
10D. "Wheel of Fortune" purchase : AN O. "Alec, I would like to buy a vowel."
11D. Twist-off top : SCREW CAP
12D. Word with board or physics : PARTICLE. Board made from small pieces of wood pressed and glued together. Physics studies of the elementary subatomic constituents of matter and radiation, and the interactive relationship between them.
13D. More stuck-up : SNOOTIER
21D. Darth, to Luke : FATHER. Bad clue. In Star Wars, Darth is the title of a Sith Lord or Master, the first part of the new name they take on. It was once believed to be a condensed version of 'Dark Lord of the Sith', and thus the reason for the title. Luke's father was- spoiler alert -Darth Vader
22D. One-eighty : UEY. U-turn.
29D. High points : ACMES
30D. Long-legged bird : STILT. Image.
31D. Banking giant : CHASE. Anybody read this as "Baking giant"?
33D. Building repair platforms : SCAFFOLDS
34D. World of espionage : SPYDOM
35D. Waits on hand and foot : CATERS TO
36D. Dashboard gauge : ODOMETER
37D. Saviors : MESSIAHS
38D. Detail to tie up : LOOSE END
42D. Matterhorn or Monte Leone : ALP
44D. Really enjoys : SAVORS
45D. Director Spielberg : STEVEN
46D. Motionless : AT REST
48D. Museum Folkwang city : ESSEN. Germany. The term Folkwang is taken from the Edda; Folkvangar and means "hall of the people". Somebody here surely has visited it and can tell us more about it.
49D. "Sesame Street" regular : ERNIE
53D. Saw or plane : TOOL
54D. City east of Santa Barbara : OJAI. Map.
56D. Political beginning? : GEO
Answer grid.
Argyle
