Theme: On a Roll - The start of the four theme answers modifies the meaning of the first word in the unifier.
17A. *"That's a certainty!": "BANK ON IT!". Bankroll can either be a noun (literally or figuratively, a roll of bills) or a verb meaning to fund someone or something.
22A. *Say "Well done," say: PAY A COMPLIMENT. Payroll, again either a noun or verb. The list of people to be paid or the money to pay them. The act of paying them. In old Westerns, the bad guys stopped the stage that was carrying the payroll.
34A. *Cover the night's check: SPRING FOR DINNER. Spring roll is like an egg roll but with a flaky wrapper. Image. I like the spring rolls better than the egg rolls.
46A. *Generate sales leads: DRUM UP BUSINESS. Drumroll, the continuous sound of a drum rapidly beaten. Five second clip.
54A. Attendance check, and a hint to the puzzle theme in the first words of the starred answers: ROLL CALL
Roll call answer: "Argyle!", "Here, Sir!" Jeff Chen continues his roll of excellent puzzles. 74-worder with 3 Js. Only one Q away from being a pangram.
A tad harder than a usual Tuesday, with three long answers. Plus, some clechos.
Across:
1. Homey : COZY
5. Boeing product : JET
8. Shoulder wraps : SHAWLS
14. Converse competitor : AVIA. Latin for "fly".
15. Fuss : ADO
16. Immensely popular : RED HOT
19. "Ripe" part of life : OLD AGE
20. Ceremonial act : RITE
21. Mousse user : SALON. Mousse user, just fun to say.
27. Rock examiner? : JEWELER. Diamond "rock".
28. A seeming eternity : EONS
29. Q.E.D. word : ERAT. Math proof letters, Latin meaning "quod erat demonstrandum" or "which was to be shown or proven".
30. Bozo : JERK
31. Remark from Rex : "ARF!". Rex, the name of the sheepdog in the 1995 film, "Babe", is Latin for king.
39. Function : USE
40. Suave to a fault : OILY. This man?
41. Long-tongued cartoon dog : ODIE. From the Garfield strip.
42. "Brave New World" drug : SOMA. The fictional hallucinogenic drug in Aldous Huxley's 1932 novel.
43. Obvious : EVIDENT
50. Knock one's knuckles against : RAP AT
51. Nae sayer : SCOT. A play on "nay sayer".
52. To excess : OVERLY
59. Blew off steam : VENTED
60. Doctor of music? : DRE. Andre Romelle Young, primarily known by his stage name Dr. Dre, is a record producer, rapper, record executive, and actor.
61. Skin lotion additive : ALOE
62. Some dadaist paintings : ERNSTs. Dada is the groundwork to abstract art and sound poetry and the movement that lay the foundation for Surrealism. Max Ernst was one of the founders.
63. Verizon rival : AT&T
64. Coquette : MINX. Image. Ho, Ho, Ho!
Down:
1. Chard alternative : CAB and clecho 3. Chard alternative : ZIN. No clue that these are wines. Chardonnay, Cabernet, Zinfandel; not sure cab (red) works for a alternate for chard (white), zin can be red or white.
2. Egg cells : OVA
4. Himalayan beast : YAK and 24. Rumored Himalayan beast : YETI
5. Chandler's "Friends" ex-girlfriend with an annoying laugh : JANICE. Clip, at the fertility clinic.
6. Magazine VIP : EDITOR
7. Carved pole : TOTEM
8. No more seats, on a sign : SRO. Standing room only.
9. Capital east of Oslo : HELSINKI. Oslo, Norway and Helsinki, Finland. Map. Sweden is in between them.
10. "Mysterious and spooky" TV family name : ADDAMS
11. Ahab's quarry : WHALE. From Herman Melville's classic of the sea, telling of the pursuit of Moby Dick, the white whale.
12. Start one's work day, maybe : LOG ON
13. Angioplasty implant : STENT
18. Like much family history : ORAL
22. Offenders, in copspeak : PERPS. Not in our argot, though.
23. Enlightened : AWARE
25. Word with group or pressure : PEER
26. British nobleman : LORD. A member of the peerage, a system nobility in England.
27. Son of God, in a Bach cantata : JESU. German.
30. Elation : JOY
31. Bolivian range : ANDES
32. Stagecoach controls : REINS
33. Fuss : FRET
35. Sign at a cul-de-sac : NO OUTLET
36. Hobbling gait : GIMP
37. Love handles, so to speak : FLAB
38. Botanical branch point : NODE
42. Stings : SMARTS
43. Companion : ESCORT
44. Purple shade : VIOLET
45. Worldwide: Abbr. : INTL. International.
46. Took the wheel : DROVE
47. Ecstatic film critic, e.g. : RAVER
48. Sch. founded by Franklin : UPENN. University of Pennsylvania. Founded by Benjamin Franklin in 1749. Motto, Leges sine moribus vanae, translates to "Laws without morals are useless."
49. Dietary standard often measured in mg. : US RDA. United States Recommended Daily Allowances (USRDA).
53. NFL rushing nos. : YDs.. American football.
55. "Overhead" engine part : CAM
56. Poetic pugilist : ALI. "Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee." Right, NC?
57. "Man of a Thousand Faces" Chaney : LON. Lon Chaney Tribute.
58. Archvillain Luthor : LEX. Superman's supervillain bad guy.
Answer grid.
Argyle
17A. *"That's a certainty!": "BANK ON IT!". Bankroll can either be a noun (literally or figuratively, a roll of bills) or a verb meaning to fund someone or something.
22A. *Say "Well done," say: PAY A COMPLIMENT. Payroll, again either a noun or verb. The list of people to be paid or the money to pay them. The act of paying them. In old Westerns, the bad guys stopped the stage that was carrying the payroll.
34A. *Cover the night's check: SPRING FOR DINNER. Spring roll is like an egg roll but with a flaky wrapper. Image. I like the spring rolls better than the egg rolls.
46A. *Generate sales leads: DRUM UP BUSINESS. Drumroll, the continuous sound of a drum rapidly beaten. Five second clip.
54A. Attendance check, and a hint to the puzzle theme in the first words of the starred answers: ROLL CALL
Roll call answer: "Argyle!", "Here, Sir!" Jeff Chen continues his roll of excellent puzzles. 74-worder with 3 Js. Only one Q away from being a pangram.
A tad harder than a usual Tuesday, with three long answers. Plus, some clechos.
Across:
1. Homey : COZY
5. Boeing product : JET
8. Shoulder wraps : SHAWLS
14. Converse competitor : AVIA. Latin for "fly".
15. Fuss : ADO
16. Immensely popular : RED HOT
19. "Ripe" part of life : OLD AGE
20. Ceremonial act : RITE
21. Mousse user : SALON. Mousse user, just fun to say.
27. Rock examiner? : JEWELER. Diamond "rock".
28. A seeming eternity : EONS
29. Q.E.D. word : ERAT. Math proof letters, Latin meaning "quod erat demonstrandum" or "which was to be shown or proven".
30. Bozo : JERK
31. Remark from Rex : "ARF!". Rex, the name of the sheepdog in the 1995 film, "Babe", is Latin for king.
39. Function : USE
40. Suave to a fault : OILY. This man?
41. Long-tongued cartoon dog : ODIE. From the Garfield strip.
42. "Brave New World" drug : SOMA. The fictional hallucinogenic drug in Aldous Huxley's 1932 novel.
43. Obvious : EVIDENT
50. Knock one's knuckles against : RAP AT
51. Nae sayer : SCOT. A play on "nay sayer".
52. To excess : OVERLY
59. Blew off steam : VENTED
60. Doctor of music? : DRE. Andre Romelle Young, primarily known by his stage name Dr. Dre, is a record producer, rapper, record executive, and actor.
61. Skin lotion additive : ALOE
62. Some dadaist paintings : ERNSTs. Dada is the groundwork to abstract art and sound poetry and the movement that lay the foundation for Surrealism. Max Ernst was one of the founders.
63. Verizon rival : AT&T
64. Coquette : MINX. Image. Ho, Ho, Ho!
Down:
1. Chard alternative : CAB and clecho 3. Chard alternative : ZIN. No clue that these are wines. Chardonnay, Cabernet, Zinfandel; not sure cab (red) works for a alternate for chard (white), zin can be red or white.
2. Egg cells : OVA
4. Himalayan beast : YAK and 24. Rumored Himalayan beast : YETI
5. Chandler's "Friends" ex-girlfriend with an annoying laugh : JANICE. Clip, at the fertility clinic.
6. Magazine VIP : EDITOR
7. Carved pole : TOTEM
8. No more seats, on a sign : SRO. Standing room only.
9. Capital east of Oslo : HELSINKI. Oslo, Norway and Helsinki, Finland. Map. Sweden is in between them.
10. "Mysterious and spooky" TV family name : ADDAMS
11. Ahab's quarry : WHALE. From Herman Melville's classic of the sea, telling of the pursuit of Moby Dick, the white whale.
12. Start one's work day, maybe : LOG ON
13. Angioplasty implant : STENT
18. Like much family history : ORAL
22. Offenders, in copspeak : PERPS. Not in our argot, though.
23. Enlightened : AWARE
25. Word with group or pressure : PEER
26. British nobleman : LORD. A member of the peerage, a system nobility in England.
27. Son of God, in a Bach cantata : JESU. German.
30. Elation : JOY
31. Bolivian range : ANDES
32. Stagecoach controls : REINS
33. Fuss : FRET
35. Sign at a cul-de-sac : NO OUTLET
36. Hobbling gait : GIMP
37. Love handles, so to speak : FLAB
38. Botanical branch point : NODE
42. Stings : SMARTS
43. Companion : ESCORT
44. Purple shade : VIOLET
45. Worldwide: Abbr. : INTL. International.
46. Took the wheel : DROVE
47. Ecstatic film critic, e.g. : RAVER
48. Sch. founded by Franklin : UPENN. University of Pennsylvania. Founded by Benjamin Franklin in 1749. Motto, Leges sine moribus vanae, translates to "Laws without morals are useless."
49. Dietary standard often measured in mg. : US RDA. United States Recommended Daily Allowances (USRDA).
53. NFL rushing nos. : YDs.. American football.
55. "Overhead" engine part : CAM
56. Poetic pugilist : ALI. "Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee." Right, NC?
57. "Man of a Thousand Faces" Chaney : LON. Lon Chaney Tribute.
58. Archvillain Luthor : LEX. Superman's supervillain bad guy.
Answer grid.
Argyle
