Theme: Stop stuttering and spit it out! Each of the four theme answers are combined with a double version of the three letters which begin the answer. To introduce this puzzle, I want you to listen to this SONG. Happy Mon Mon Monday all, Lemonade stepping in for Argyle to kick off your week. Too bad it is not 2006, then the puzzle would be 06-06-06. Let us see how a Monday feels;
17A. Mechanic's excessively affected gadget box?: TOO TOO TOOLCHEST. Gadget box? I was puzzled, but got the theme for certain with the next one.
26A. Fashionable farm nestling?: CHI CHI CHICK. CHICHI is actually one word, but nestling I knew and worked backwards.
47A. Dance contest winner?: CHA CHA CHAMP. Time to SHAKE.
61A. High-kicking dancer at an audition?: CAN CAN CANDIDATE. I guess we really are the Dancing with the Stars generation, I hope you get a KICK out of this link. Okay, now to a really fun bunch of clues, with a lot going on for a Monday.
Across:
1. "Gone With the Wind" plantation: TARA. Frankly, I don't give a damn.
5. Interactive Facebook feature: WALL. I do facebook so I can see pictures of my kids, but I have reconnected to some old friends.
9. Prefix with sonic or violet: ULTRA. And violence too, if you like Kubrick.
14. Press, as pants: IRON. Why not shirts? I hate ironing shirts!
15. Most fit to serve: ONE-A. Draft status, military service.
16. Sodas for Radar O'Reilly: NEHIS. They have to be Grape for Radar.
20. Ready to be drawn from a keg: ON TAP. Oh, goody a beer reference.
21. First Japanese golfer to win a PGA Tour event: ISAO AOKI. Nice to see his entire name, with all those vowels; I will never forget how he tilted his putter. No comments Lois, Carol.
22. Rajah's wife: RANI.
25. Damaged, as mdse.: IRR. Irregular.
31. Gallantry-in-combat mil. award: DSC. Distinguished Service Cross.
34. Dryer screen target: LINT. Yes, mother it is really lint and can be thrown away.
35. Collaborating group: TEAM. There is no I in team, but one in collaborating.
36. Blacksmith, at times: SHOER. I am sure you all found this easy and nailed it.
38. "The King __" : AND I. I had the pleasure of seeing Yul Brynner perform the part on Broadway, as well as shaving his head as he drove into the city. Sadly, he smoked and died of lung cancer.
39. Take everything off: STRIP. Okay, I saw that show too, but not on Browadway.
41. Letters on a cross: INRI. Iesus Nazerenus Rex Iudeaorem. No J in Latin, so this Jesus, King of the Jews.
42. City near Syracuse: UTICA. It is in between Syracuse and Schenectady.
44. Blade's sharp side: EDGE.
45. Wildebeests: GNUS. You all knew this right?
46. Govt. ID issuer: SSA. Social Security Administration.
50. Revival prefix: NEO. Latin for new.
17A. Mechanic's excessively affected gadget box?: TOO TOO TOOLCHEST. Gadget box? I was puzzled, but got the theme for certain with the next one.
26A. Fashionable farm nestling?: CHI CHI CHICK. CHICHI is actually one word, but nestling I knew and worked backwards.
47A. Dance contest winner?: CHA CHA CHAMP. Time to SHAKE.
61A. High-kicking dancer at an audition?: CAN CAN CANDIDATE. I guess we really are the Dancing with the Stars generation, I hope you get a KICK out of this link. Okay, now to a really fun bunch of clues, with a lot going on for a Monday.
Across:
1. "Gone With the Wind" plantation: TARA. Frankly, I don't give a damn.
5. Interactive Facebook feature: WALL. I do facebook so I can see pictures of my kids, but I have reconnected to some old friends.
9. Prefix with sonic or violet: ULTRA. And violence too, if you like Kubrick.
14. Press, as pants: IRON. Why not shirts? I hate ironing shirts!
15. Most fit to serve: ONE-A. Draft status, military service.
16. Sodas for Radar O'Reilly: NEHIS. They have to be Grape for Radar.
20. Ready to be drawn from a keg: ON TAP. Oh, goody a beer reference.
21. First Japanese golfer to win a PGA Tour event: ISAO AOKI. Nice to see his entire name, with all those vowels; I will never forget how he tilted his putter. No comments Lois, Carol.
22. Rajah's wife: RANI.
25. Damaged, as mdse.: IRR. Irregular.
31. Gallantry-in-combat mil. award: DSC. Distinguished Service Cross.
34. Dryer screen target: LINT. Yes, mother it is really lint and can be thrown away.
35. Collaborating group: TEAM. There is no I in team, but one in collaborating.
36. Blacksmith, at times: SHOER. I am sure you all found this easy and nailed it.
38. "The King __" : AND I. I had the pleasure of seeing Yul Brynner perform the part on Broadway, as well as shaving his head as he drove into the city. Sadly, he smoked and died of lung cancer.
39. Take everything off: STRIP. Okay, I saw that show too, but not on Browadway.
41. Letters on a cross: INRI. Iesus Nazerenus Rex Iudeaorem. No J in Latin, so this Jesus, King of the Jews.
42. City near Syracuse: UTICA. It is in between Syracuse and Schenectady.
44. Blade's sharp side: EDGE.
45. Wildebeests: GNUS. You all knew this right?
46. Govt. ID issuer: SSA. Social Security Administration.
50. Revival prefix: NEO. Latin for new.
51. Easy gait: TROT. If the horse is well shod.
52. "They'll ambush you if you go in there!": IT'S A TRAP. I love this clearly complicated clue. A Dan Naddor type of multi-word fill.
57. Agreed (with): SIDED. From debate, where you picked one side of the aisle or the other.
64. Reveal impulsively: BLURT. As in "it out."
65. Cafeteria carrier: TRAY. Are there many left, Morrison's, Picadilly?
66. Tar Heel State university: ELON. This NC college was the alma mater of our senior partner who died last year. It also is crosswordese.
67. Fibber of old radio: MCGEE. Don't forget Molly and the closet. We did not have a TV until was 7, so I listened to many radio plays.
68. Terrier variety: SKYE. Named for the island in the North Sea.
69. Emailed or faxed: SENT. I have a friend who does not email, so I get lots of faxes.
Down:
1. Former Yugoslav leader: TITO. Like Spain's Franco, he is still dead.
2. Presley's middle name: ARON. Too bad they could not spell.
3. Cheer (for): ROOT.
4. South Pole continent, with "the": ANTARCTIC. One of two continents with Australia which was the Final Jeopardy answer last week.
5. Seek as a spouse: WOO.
6. Tiny hill crawler: ANT. Oops there goes another rubber tree.
7. Sainted fifth-century pope: LEO I. A very influential LEADER .
8. Cambodia neighbor: LAOS.
9. Opens, as wine: UNCORKS. Good, this balanced the earlier beer reference.
10. "The Merry Widow" composer: LEHAR. The opera by FRANZ
11. "The Cosby Show" boy: THEO. malcolm jamal warner.
12. Insurer's exposure: RISK. So simple, it fooled me for a second.
13. Italian wine city: ASTI. Spumante to you.
18. Colorful fish: OPAH. Do you think it is PRETTY.
19. Of the flock: LAIC. As opposed to cleric.
23. "Picked" complaints: NITS. My favorite clue of all, especially having had my nit picked by many anons.
24. Summer drink: ICE TEA. I know you want ICED, sue them.
26. Santa __: CLAUS. Our special Argyle shout out for Monday, that I am usurping.
27. Clues: HINTS. Sometimes, that is all they are a hint.
28. Taj Mahal home: INDIA.
29. Cola's first consonant: HARD C. Not to be confused with HARD G., coming to a theater or puzzle near you.
30. "Put me down as a maybe": I MIGHT. I might not.
31. Designer Karan: DONNA. DKNY.
32. Inoculated fluid: SERUM. This is a Latin word that refers to the "whey", the watery liquid that separates from the curds in the process of cheese making.
33. Like well-cooked bacon: CRISP. How many like it really crisp?
37. Times when sand castles are destroyed: HIGH TIDES. Another great fill.
40. Tree fruit: PEAR. Home to partridges.
43. Film material: ACETATE. Actually, it is Cellulose acetate.
48. Traffic jam honker: HORN. In Florida it is against the law unless it is an emergency. Nobody pays attention to the law.
49. Mozart's "__ fan tutte": COSI. Thus do they all; Mozart's take on women.
50. Mother-of-pearl: NACRE.
52. Long-range warhead carrier, briefly: ICBM. Another acronym, InterContinental Ballistic Missile.
53. Soft mineral: TALC. Talcum powder anyone?
54. Like a bug in a rug: SNUG. My mother used to say that when she ticked me in.
55. Play divisions: ACTS.
56. Amusement __: PARK. Did you know the Ferris Wheel was invented specifically for the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago, to out do the Eiffel Tower?
52. "They'll ambush you if you go in there!": IT'S A TRAP. I love this clearly complicated clue. A Dan Naddor type of multi-word fill.
57. Agreed (with): SIDED. From debate, where you picked one side of the aisle or the other.
64. Reveal impulsively: BLURT. As in "it out."
65. Cafeteria carrier: TRAY. Are there many left, Morrison's, Picadilly?
66. Tar Heel State university: ELON. This NC college was the alma mater of our senior partner who died last year. It also is crosswordese.
67. Fibber of old radio: MCGEE. Don't forget Molly and the closet. We did not have a TV until was 7, so I listened to many radio plays.
68. Terrier variety: SKYE. Named for the island in the North Sea.
69. Emailed or faxed: SENT. I have a friend who does not email, so I get lots of faxes.
Down:
1. Former Yugoslav leader: TITO. Like Spain's Franco, he is still dead.
2. Presley's middle name: ARON. Too bad they could not spell.
3. Cheer (for): ROOT.
4. South Pole continent, with "the": ANTARCTIC. One of two continents with Australia which was the Final Jeopardy answer last week.
5. Seek as a spouse: WOO.
6. Tiny hill crawler: ANT. Oops there goes another rubber tree.
7. Sainted fifth-century pope: LEO I. A very influential LEADER .
8. Cambodia neighbor: LAOS.
9. Opens, as wine: UNCORKS. Good, this balanced the earlier beer reference.
10. "The Merry Widow" composer: LEHAR. The opera by FRANZ
11. "The Cosby Show" boy: THEO. malcolm jamal warner.
12. Insurer's exposure: RISK. So simple, it fooled me for a second.
13. Italian wine city: ASTI. Spumante to you.
18. Colorful fish: OPAH. Do you think it is PRETTY.
19. Of the flock: LAIC. As opposed to cleric.
23. "Picked" complaints: NITS. My favorite clue of all, especially having had my nit picked by many anons.
24. Summer drink: ICE TEA. I know you want ICED, sue them.
26. Santa __: CLAUS. Our special Argyle shout out for Monday, that I am usurping.
27. Clues: HINTS. Sometimes, that is all they are a hint.
28. Taj Mahal home: INDIA.
29. Cola's first consonant: HARD C. Not to be confused with HARD G., coming to a theater or puzzle near you.
30. "Put me down as a maybe": I MIGHT. I might not.
31. Designer Karan: DONNA. DKNY.
32. Inoculated fluid: SERUM. This is a Latin word that refers to the "whey", the watery liquid that separates from the curds in the process of cheese making.
33. Like well-cooked bacon: CRISP. How many like it really crisp?
37. Times when sand castles are destroyed: HIGH TIDES. Another great fill.
40. Tree fruit: PEAR. Home to partridges.
43. Film material: ACETATE. Actually, it is Cellulose acetate.
48. Traffic jam honker: HORN. In Florida it is against the law unless it is an emergency. Nobody pays attention to the law.
49. Mozart's "__ fan tutte": COSI. Thus do they all; Mozart's take on women.
50. Mother-of-pearl: NACRE.
52. Long-range warhead carrier, briefly: ICBM. Another acronym, InterContinental Ballistic Missile.
53. Soft mineral: TALC. Talcum powder anyone?
54. Like a bug in a rug: SNUG. My mother used to say that when she ticked me in.
55. Play divisions: ACTS.
56. Amusement __: PARK. Did you know the Ferris Wheel was invented specifically for the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago, to out do the Eiffel Tower?
58. Carnegie or Evans: DALE. Don't forget Chip's buddy either.
59. Thames school: ETON. ELON, we love these schools.
60. Fender damage: DENT. Ding, ah well.
62. Rejecting vote: NAY.
63. Blonde's secret, maybe : DYE. Seldom a secret, but my exit line. My first Monday, and one I really enjoyed, now to try and keep from being confused about the day of the week. Argyle is fine, but his computer is not so bear with us as we soldier on. A different experience, enjoy the week.
Answer grid.
Lemonade
Note from C.C.:
Here are three pictures of JD's grandsons. Click on each one for enlargement. They'll brighten your morning.
62. Rejecting vote: NAY.
63. Blonde's secret, maybe : DYE. Seldom a secret, but my exit line. My first Monday, and one I really enjoyed, now to try and keep from being confused about the day of the week. Argyle is fine, but his computer is not so bear with us as we soldier on. A different experience, enjoy the week.
Answer grid.
Lemonade
Note from C.C.:
Here are three pictures of JD's grandsons. Click on each one for enlargement. They'll brighten your morning.
