Theme: UNCLE! Four theme ending words that can describe what this winter did to us, us Northerners at least.
17A. Tool that can extract nails : CLAW HAMMER
27A. It's poured into an iron at breakfast : WAFFLE BATTER
47A. United Kingdom currency : BRITISH POUND
64A. Fur bartered by Native Americans : BEAVER PELT
Argyle here and I'm sure of who I am. This puzzle isn't. There are clues and/or answers that could be for any day of the week. Not too many Naticks though. [A word used in crosswordese, coined by blogger Rex Parker, meaning two crossing words/clues that very very few people would know. As an example, one clue would be "A town in the eighth mile of the Bostom marathon" Answer-Natick]
Across:
1. Muddy stuff : MUCK
5. Fallback option : PLAN B
10. Pinochle calls : BIDS
14. Bounce, as off a canyon wall : ECHO
15. Margaret Mead's island : SAMOA. She was a cultural anthropologist and authored Coming of Age in Samoa.
16. Tom Joad, for one : OKIE. Tom Joad is a fictional character from John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath. OKIE was someone driven out of Oklahoma by poverty.
19. Princess played by Lucy Lawless : XENA. TV fantasy adventure. Lawless married the show's producer, Robert Tapert.
20. Spanish song : CANTO
21. Surprise "from the blue" : BOLT. "Like a bolt out of the blue, Fate steps in to see you through!"
22. "Get Smart" evil agency : KAOS. TV and movie.
23. Silky sweater : ANGORA. It may be 'silky' but it still is wool.
25. Bard of boxing : ALI. Muhammad Ali composed poems about himself, mostly.
34. They may be outsourced : JOBS
37. King with jokes : ALAN This comedian passed away in 2004.
38. Keebler cracker : ZESTA. Saltine.
39. Oral health org. : ADA. American Dental Association.
40. Aerialist's apparatus : TRAPEZE. Neat way to get a Z into the mix.
42. Pictures on the wall : ART. What about on the refrigerator.
43. Back biter? : MOLAR. Your back teeth.
45. "Without a doubt!" : "SURE!"
46. Mars' Greek counterpart : ARES. The Gods of war.
50. Heavy drinker : SOT
51. Tranquilize : SEDATE
55. Plastic user's concern : DEBT. Often, they aren't concerned until it is too late.
58. Words of woe : "AH, ME". What the above user says when it all comes due.
62. Autobahn autos : AUDIs
63. Length times width : AREA
66. Highlands dagger : DIRK. Image.
67. "Bye for now" : "LATER"
68. "I did it!" : "TA-DA!"
69. High school skin problem : ACNE
70. Idyllic spots : EDENS
71. Sources of iron : ORES
Down:
1. Tourist magnet : MECCA
2. Golden St. collegian : UCLAN. My thought would be pronounce this as individual letters.
3. P.F. __'s: Chinese restaurant chain : CHANG. The chain was founded in Scottsdale, Arizona in 1993 by Paul Fleming and Philip Chiang.
4. Shows servility : KOWTOWS. Chinese kòutóu: [literally, knock (one's) head] To touch the forehead to the ground while kneeling.
5. Free TV spot : PSA. Public Service Announcement.
6. Moussaka meat : LAMB. Although "moussaka" is an Arabic word and a popular dish in many Middle Eastern countries, the immortal eggplant and lamb casserole is generally credited to the Greeks, who claim it as a national treasure. Image.
7. Bullets and such : AMMO
8. Seasonal song : NOEL
9. Pub bill : BAR TAB
10. Tailless flying toy : BOX KITE
11. Swedish furniture giant : IKEA
12. Flintstone pet : DINO
13. Aral and Arabian : SEAs
18. Traditional round dance : HORA
24. Miles away : AFAR
26. Act like a couch potato : LAZE
28. Lightning burst : FLASH
29. Drink à la Lassie : LAP UP. Lassie was an L.A. pup?
30. Juan's January : ENERO. Spanish.
31. Russian ruler of yore : TSAR
32. To be, in Burgundy : ÊTRE. French.
33. Charlie Brown's "Darn it!" : "RATS!"
34. Doorway feature : JAMB
35. Sign of spoilage : ODOR
36. Java neighbor : BALI. They are between Asia and Australia.
40. Small jazz group : TRIO
41. Olympian ruler : ZEUS
44. In jeopardy : AT STAKE
46. Total numerically : ADD UP TO
48. Pony's place : STABLE
49. In the vicinity : NEAR
52. "Please be __ and ...": polite request words : A DEAR
53. Spanish squiggle : TILDE. As in Spanish señor.
54. These, in Madrid : ESTAS. Also Spanish.
55. Baby's pop : DA-DA
56. "Tears in Heaven" singer Clapton : ERIC
57. Swiss capital : BERN. Or Berne, as we learned the other day.
59. Lettuce purchase : HEAD. Is it just head lettuce going up in price or is it all kinds?
60. Brisbane buddy : MATE
61. Fifty-fifty : EVEN
65. Medical drama settings, for short : ERs. Emergency Room.
Argyle
Note from C.C.: I wrongly published the answer grid in this blog rather than my Ginger Roots last night. Sorry for the confusion.
Note from C.C.: I wrongly published the answer grid in this blog rather than my Ginger Roots last night. Sorry for the confusion.
