Theme: *Astic - The first word in the four longest entries have identical ending letters.
17A. Last resort actions: DRASTIC MEASURES
27A. 2009 Clooney/Streep film based on a Roald Dahl book: FANTASTIC MR. FOX. A stop-motion animated film.
44A. Scrunchie, e.g.: ELASTIC HAIR TIE. Image.
55A. Kitschy lawn ornament: PLASTIC FLAMINGO. We had one of these that would move on to a new lawn in the middle of the night.
Argyle here.
Even with the grid-spanning entries, I still found this puzzle IFFY. I don't want to KVETCH but a few duds dull the KARMA of the whole, starting with 1A. The total word & block count are quite low for a Monday.
Across:
1. Like 20 Questions questions : YES/NO. Where is the OR? It is like saying a True/False quiz.
6. Put together, as a book : BIND
10. Ratchets (up) : AMPS. Explanation from Spinal Tap.
14. Halloween option : TREAT. Belated entry.
15. Over, in Germany : ÜBER
16. Loughlin of "90210" : LORI. Image. This TV series premiered on The CW in 2008.
20. Celery pieces : STALKS
21. Icy space streakers : COMETS. The comets are made of dirty ice.
22. "The way I see it," in online shorthand : IMO. "...in my opinion..."
24. Sorrow : WOE
25. __ moment: sudden realization : AHA
26. Vote against : NAY
31. Display ostentatiously : FLAUNT. Ostentatious - adj. - characterized by pretentious, showy, or vulgar display.
32. Landlord's contract : LEASE
33. Holler : YELL
34. "__ the season to be jolly ..." : 'TIS. Ho, ho, ho!
35. Soccer moms' transports : VANS
39. Malia Obama's sister : SASHA. Number two First Daughter.
42. Gripe and grouse : KVETCH
47. "One Day __ Time" : AT A. TV show, opening theme. Video
48. Pull a scam on : CON
49. Dali display, say : ART
50. Biblical beast : ASS
51. Abandon on an island : MAROON
53. Giorgio known for snazzy suits : ARMANI. And something to go with that suit: 40D. Fancy scarf : ASCOT
59. Peru's capital : LIMA
60. Message passed in class : NOTE
61. Like some gases : INERT
62. Posing no challenge : EASY
63. Glittery rock style typified by David Bowie : GLAM. Short for glamorous.
64. Lymphatic tissue masses : NODES
Down:
1. Since Jan. 1, on a financial report : YTD. Year To Date.
2. Botch something up : ERR
3. Like corn and apples : SEASONAL
4. Condé __ Publications : NAST. Condé Nast (1873 – 1942) was the founder of Condé Nast Publications, a leading American magazine publisher known for publications such as Vanity Fair and Vogue.
5. From Canada's capital : OTTAWAN
6. Water carrier : BUCKET
7. PCs from Big Blue : IBMs. International Business Machines (IBM) headquartered in Armonk, NY.The Big Blue nickname, substantiated by people who worked for IBM at the time, is the term coined by field representatives in the 1960s, and referred to the color of the mainframes IBM installed in the 1960s and early 1970s.
8. Maiden name lead-in : NÉE
9. Old Greek coin : DRACHMA. It was still in use until replaced by the Euro.
10. Former student : ALUM
11. Rita who shouted "Hey you guys!" on "The Electric Company" : MORENO. Here's the famous "Hey you guys!" sketch with Bill Cosby. Clip. (2:16)
12. Before the state's cut, as income : PRETAX
13. Actress Spacek : SISSY
18. Words of defeat : "I LOST"
19. Flies in the clouds : SOARS
22. Uncertain : IFFY
23. Masculine : MALE
25. Top poker pair : ACES
28. Oklahoma oil city : TULSA
29. Hipbone-related : ILIAC
30. Flu symptom : FEVER
34. Like a fine line : THIN
36. Reached, as goals : ATTAINED
37. Mark Harmon military TV drama : NCIS. Naval Criminal Investigative Service.
38. Women : SHEs
41. Saint Stephen's punishment for blasphemy : STONING. I had no idea there were so many depictions of this event. Painting.
42. Destiny : KARMA
43. A, B, C, D, E, or K : VITAMIN
44. And others: Latin : ET ALIA
45. '80s-'90s Anaheim Stadium NFL team : LA RAMS. Football.
46. Apollo Theater site : HARLEM. New York City.
47. More than enough : AMPLE
52. "The Star-Spangled Banner" start : "O SAY"
53. Mennen shaving lotion : AFTA
54. El __: climate pattern : NINO
56. KFC's Sanders, e.g. : COL. That finger-lickin' Colonel.
57. Univ. sr.'s exam : GRE. Graduate Record Examination (GRE), a commercially run standardized test that is an admission requirement for many graduate schools in the United States.
58. NBA tiebreakers : OTs. National Basketball Association/OverTimes.
Answer grid.
Argyle
17A. Last resort actions: DRASTIC MEASURES
27A. 2009 Clooney/Streep film based on a Roald Dahl book: FANTASTIC MR. FOX. A stop-motion animated film.
44A. Scrunchie, e.g.: ELASTIC HAIR TIE. Image.
55A. Kitschy lawn ornament: PLASTIC FLAMINGO. We had one of these that would move on to a new lawn in the middle of the night.
Argyle here.
Even with the grid-spanning entries, I still found this puzzle IFFY. I don't want to KVETCH but a few duds dull the KARMA of the whole, starting with 1A. The total word & block count are quite low for a Monday.
Across:
1. Like 20 Questions questions : YES/NO. Where is the OR? It is like saying a True/False quiz.
6. Put together, as a book : BIND
10. Ratchets (up) : AMPS. Explanation from Spinal Tap.
14. Halloween option : TREAT. Belated entry.
15. Over, in Germany : ÜBER
16. Loughlin of "90210" : LORI. Image. This TV series premiered on The CW in 2008.
20. Celery pieces : STALKS
21. Icy space streakers : COMETS. The comets are made of dirty ice.
22. "The way I see it," in online shorthand : IMO. "...in my opinion..."
24. Sorrow : WOE
25. __ moment: sudden realization : AHA
26. Vote against : NAY
31. Display ostentatiously : FLAUNT. Ostentatious - adj. - characterized by pretentious, showy, or vulgar display.
32. Landlord's contract : LEASE
33. Holler : YELL
34. "__ the season to be jolly ..." : 'TIS. Ho, ho, ho!
35. Soccer moms' transports : VANS
39. Malia Obama's sister : SASHA. Number two First Daughter.
42. Gripe and grouse : KVETCH
47. "One Day __ Time" : AT A. TV show, opening theme. Video
48. Pull a scam on : CON
49. Dali display, say : ART
50. Biblical beast : ASS
51. Abandon on an island : MAROON
53. Giorgio known for snazzy suits : ARMANI. And something to go with that suit: 40D. Fancy scarf : ASCOT
59. Peru's capital : LIMA
60. Message passed in class : NOTE
61. Like some gases : INERT
62. Posing no challenge : EASY
63. Glittery rock style typified by David Bowie : GLAM. Short for glamorous.
64. Lymphatic tissue masses : NODES
Down:
1. Since Jan. 1, on a financial report : YTD. Year To Date.
2. Botch something up : ERR
3. Like corn and apples : SEASONAL
4. Condé __ Publications : NAST. Condé Nast (1873 – 1942) was the founder of Condé Nast Publications, a leading American magazine publisher known for publications such as Vanity Fair and Vogue.
5. From Canada's capital : OTTAWAN
6. Water carrier : BUCKET
7. PCs from Big Blue : IBMs. International Business Machines (IBM) headquartered in Armonk, NY.The Big Blue nickname, substantiated by people who worked for IBM at the time, is the term coined by field representatives in the 1960s, and referred to the color of the mainframes IBM installed in the 1960s and early 1970s.
8. Maiden name lead-in : NÉE
9. Old Greek coin : DRACHMA. It was still in use until replaced by the Euro.
10. Former student : ALUM
11. Rita who shouted "Hey you guys!" on "The Electric Company" : MORENO. Here's the famous "Hey you guys!" sketch with Bill Cosby. Clip. (2:16)
12. Before the state's cut, as income : PRETAX
13. Actress Spacek : SISSY
18. Words of defeat : "I LOST"
19. Flies in the clouds : SOARS
22. Uncertain : IFFY
23. Masculine : MALE
25. Top poker pair : ACES
28. Oklahoma oil city : TULSA
29. Hipbone-related : ILIAC
30. Flu symptom : FEVER
34. Like a fine line : THIN
36. Reached, as goals : ATTAINED
37. Mark Harmon military TV drama : NCIS. Naval Criminal Investigative Service.
38. Women : SHEs
41. Saint Stephen's punishment for blasphemy : STONING. I had no idea there were so many depictions of this event. Painting.
42. Destiny : KARMA
43. A, B, C, D, E, or K : VITAMIN
44. And others: Latin : ET ALIA
45. '80s-'90s Anaheim Stadium NFL team : LA RAMS. Football.
46. Apollo Theater site : HARLEM. New York City.
47. More than enough : AMPLE
52. "The Star-Spangled Banner" start : "O SAY"
53. Mennen shaving lotion : AFTA
54. El __: climate pattern : NINO
56. KFC's Sanders, e.g. : COL. That finger-lickin' Colonel.
57. Univ. sr.'s exam : GRE. Graduate Record Examination (GRE), a commercially run standardized test that is an admission requirement for many graduate schools in the United States.
58. NBA tiebreakers : OTs. National Basketball Association/OverTimes.
Answer grid.
Argyle
