Theme: It's Your Move - Four twelve-letter entries that start with synonyms for your avatar on BOARD GAMES.
1A. With 73-Across, where you might find the starts of 20-, 33-, 43- and 59-Across: BOARD and 73A. See 1-Across: GAMES. Symmetrically placed pair.
20A. Guy in a spotlight: MAN OF THE HOUR
33A. Feature of much of Bach's music: COUNTERPOINT
43A. Coin for Long John Silver: PIECE OF EIGHT
59A. Symbolic but inconsequential act: TOKEN GESTURE
Argyle here.
I don't know about you but it gave me a start to see a unifier as the first entry. Then to find the last Across entry was also a unifier and together, they gave me no clue...well, I wasn't a happy camper. But the perps came through and the unifiers weren't really needed to solve the the themed entries. They did clarify the theme, so all is right in my Tuesday world.
This might be a debut puzzle. I would like to see more from this constructor.
Across:
6. Skips, as stones : DAPS. Did you remember?
10. "This doesn't look good" : "UH, OH!"
14. Sleep problem : APNEA. The temporary suspension of breathing, occurring in some newborns (infant apnea) and in some adults during sleep (sleep apnea).
15. Scat queen : ELLA. Ella Fitzgerald, also known as the "First Lady of Song" and "Lady Ella".
16. Best Musical award, say : TONY. For excellence on Broadway. Obie is for off-Broadway.
17. Almost fail : GET A 'D'. Tricky to parse.
18. "Parlez-__ français?" : VOUS. "Do you speak French?"
19. Slightly : A TAD
23. Country in which Tetris was created : RUSSIA. The puzzle video game was originally designed and programmed by Alexey Pajitnov.
26. Work hard : TOIL
27. Simpson judge : ITO. Lance Ito, the Los Angeles County Superior Court judge who presided during the O. J. Simpson murder case.
28. Droid download, say : APP. Application.
29. Portfolio asset: Abbr. : STK. Stock.
31. Antacid named for its elements : MAALOX. Just google it if you need to know what they are.
37. Prefix with plasm : ENDO. Inner prefix.
38. Scepter's partner : ORB. Symbols of power. Image.
39. Inning sextet : OUTS. Three per side.
48. Spelunking spot : CAVERN. Spelunking = Cave Exploring.
51. Notable period : ERA
52. Meadow : LEA
53. Bird: Prefix : AVI
54. Senate helper : AIDE
57. Activating, as a fuse : ARMING
62. Numbskull : TWIT
63. Euterpe, to musicians : MUSE. Euterpe is the Muse of music.
64. Often unattainable perfection : IDEAL
68. Pre-Easter period : LENT
69. Blackjack needs : ACES. That and a face card or ten gives you 21 and that is good.
70. Nabisco's __ Wafers : NILLA
71. Beat by a whisker : EDGE
72. E-mail outbox folder : SENT
Down:
1D. Help a market cashier : BAG
2D. Unlock, poetically : OPE
3D. Hill crawler : ANT
4D. Chews (out) : REAMS
5D. Marcel Duchamp, e.g. : DADAIST. This is art? "Objet d'art".
6D. Punk/New Wave band since the '70s : DEVO. This is music? short clip.
7D. Like dirigibles : ALOFT. They are ALOFT when they're flying.
8D. Demoted planet : PLUTO
9D. Japanese fish dish : SASHIMI. Raw fish. Sashi = Pierced. Mi = Meat. Needs wasabi of course.
10D. The Beehive State : UTAH
11D. Hushpuppies are often fried in it : HOT OIL
12D. Running by itself : ON AUTO
13D. Original Oreo competitor : HYDROX
21D. __ Dogg, Snoop's cousin : NATE. Both are "musicians".
22D. Vivacity : ELAN
23D. 10K, for one : RACE
24D. Second word of many fairy tales : UPON. Once upon a time...
25D. Tater : SPUD
30D. McDonald's founder Ray : KROC
32D. Yours, in Reims : A TOI. Reims, a city in the Champagne-Ardenne region of France, lying 129 km east-northeast of Paris.
34D. "Don't think so" : "NOPE!"
35D. Start to conceive? : PRE
36D. Clarinet cousin : OBOE
40D. Fruit that isn't pretti? : UGLI. Cutesi to end them in "i".
41D. After that : THEN
42D. Male deer : STAG
44D. Turkey neighbor : IRAN
45D. Conundrums : ENIGMAS
46D. Weimar wife : FRAU. So we get a tad of German to go with our French today.
47D. Hoop or stud : EARRING
48D. Drive drove : CATTLE. Drove means herd.
49D. Swore : AVOWED
50D. Minnesota footballer : VIKING. Favre finally got Moss to play with him.
55D. Common wild card : DEUCE
56D. German industrial city : ESSEN
58D. Oil, watercolor, etc. : MEDIA
60D. Suffix with major : ETTE
61D. Part of SAT : TEST
65D. Horror film street : ELM
66D. Top-fermented brew : ALE
67D. __ Cruces : LAS. New Mexico.
Answer grid.
Argyle
1A. With 73-Across, where you might find the starts of 20-, 33-, 43- and 59-Across: BOARD and 73A. See 1-Across: GAMES. Symmetrically placed pair.
20A. Guy in a spotlight: MAN OF THE HOUR
33A. Feature of much of Bach's music: COUNTERPOINT
43A. Coin for Long John Silver: PIECE OF EIGHT
59A. Symbolic but inconsequential act: TOKEN GESTURE
Argyle here.
I don't know about you but it gave me a start to see a unifier as the first entry. Then to find the last Across entry was also a unifier and together, they gave me no clue...well, I wasn't a happy camper. But the perps came through and the unifiers weren't really needed to solve the the themed entries. They did clarify the theme, so all is right in my Tuesday world.
This might be a debut puzzle. I would like to see more from this constructor.
Across:
6. Skips, as stones : DAPS. Did you remember?
10. "This doesn't look good" : "UH, OH!"
14. Sleep problem : APNEA. The temporary suspension of breathing, occurring in some newborns (infant apnea) and in some adults during sleep (sleep apnea).
15. Scat queen : ELLA. Ella Fitzgerald, also known as the "First Lady of Song" and "Lady Ella".
16. Best Musical award, say : TONY. For excellence on Broadway. Obie is for off-Broadway.
17. Almost fail : GET A 'D'. Tricky to parse.
18. "Parlez-__ français?" : VOUS. "Do you speak French?"
19. Slightly : A TAD
23. Country in which Tetris was created : RUSSIA. The puzzle video game was originally designed and programmed by Alexey Pajitnov.
26. Work hard : TOIL
27. Simpson judge : ITO. Lance Ito, the Los Angeles County Superior Court judge who presided during the O. J. Simpson murder case.
28. Droid download, say : APP. Application.
29. Portfolio asset: Abbr. : STK. Stock.
31. Antacid named for its elements : MAALOX. Just google it if you need to know what they are.
37. Prefix with plasm : ENDO. Inner prefix.
38. Scepter's partner : ORB. Symbols of power. Image.
39. Inning sextet : OUTS. Three per side.
48. Spelunking spot : CAVERN. Spelunking = Cave Exploring.
51. Notable period : ERA
52. Meadow : LEA
53. Bird: Prefix : AVI
54. Senate helper : AIDE
57. Activating, as a fuse : ARMING
62. Numbskull : TWIT
63. Euterpe, to musicians : MUSE. Euterpe is the Muse of music.
64. Often unattainable perfection : IDEAL
68. Pre-Easter period : LENT
69. Blackjack needs : ACES. That and a face card or ten gives you 21 and that is good.
70. Nabisco's __ Wafers : NILLA
71. Beat by a whisker : EDGE
72. E-mail outbox folder : SENT
Down:
1D. Help a market cashier : BAG
2D. Unlock, poetically : OPE
3D. Hill crawler : ANT
4D. Chews (out) : REAMS
5D. Marcel Duchamp, e.g. : DADAIST. This is art? "Objet d'art".
6D. Punk/New Wave band since the '70s : DEVO. This is music? short clip.
7D. Like dirigibles : ALOFT. They are ALOFT when they're flying.
8D. Demoted planet : PLUTO
9D. Japanese fish dish : SASHIMI. Raw fish. Sashi = Pierced. Mi = Meat. Needs wasabi of course.
10D. The Beehive State : UTAH
11D. Hushpuppies are often fried in it : HOT OIL
12D. Running by itself : ON AUTO
13D. Original Oreo competitor : HYDROX
21D. __ Dogg, Snoop's cousin : NATE. Both are "musicians".
22D. Vivacity : ELAN
23D. 10K, for one : RACE
24D. Second word of many fairy tales : UPON. Once upon a time...
25D. Tater : SPUD
30D. McDonald's founder Ray : KROC
32D. Yours, in Reims : A TOI. Reims, a city in the Champagne-Ardenne region of France, lying 129 km east-northeast of Paris.
34D. "Don't think so" : "NOPE!"
35D. Start to conceive? : PRE
36D. Clarinet cousin : OBOE
40D. Fruit that isn't pretti? : UGLI. Cutesi to end them in "i".
41D. After that : THEN
42D. Male deer : STAG
44D. Turkey neighbor : IRAN
45D. Conundrums : ENIGMAS
46D. Weimar wife : FRAU. So we get a tad of German to go with our French today.
47D. Hoop or stud : EARRING
48D. Drive drove : CATTLE. Drove means herd.
49D. Swore : AVOWED
50D. Minnesota footballer : VIKING. Favre finally got Moss to play with him.
55D. Common wild card : DEUCE
56D. German industrial city : ESSEN
58D. Oil, watercolor, etc. : MEDIA
60D. Suffix with major : ETTE
61D. Part of SAT : TEST
65D. Horror film street : ELM
66D. Top-fermented brew : ALE
67D. __ Cruces : LAS. New Mexico.
Answer grid.
Argyle
