Theme: Shrinkage - No shrinking the theme. Three spanners and two almost, all starting with a word for size and in diminishing order. Note from Marti at the end.
17A. Winter Olympics event with gates : GIANT SLALOM RACE
23A. One stalking lions or tigers : BIG GAME HUNTER
38A. T-bone with a warm, red center : MEDIUM RARE STEAK
48A. Lass awed by the big city, maybe : SMALL TOWN GIRL
58A. He "runs through the town ... in his nightgown" : WEE WILLIE WINKIE
Argyle here. A fine job from Marti(HeartRx)
Across:
1. Burn badly : SCALD. With hot liquid or steam.
6. The lightning bolt on Harry Potter's forehead, e.g. : SCAR
10. Squirrel away : SAVE
14. "__ World": ticklish Muppet's "Sesame Street" segment : ELMO'S
15. Woody Guthrie's son : ARLO
16. Candy that comes in twos : TWIX. Image.
20. Invoice fig. : AMT. Amount.
21. Place for inks or oinks : PEN. Cute one.
22. Subtle vibes : AURAs
28. It.'s continent : EUR. Italy's/Europe.
29. Raw rocks : ORES
30. "Octopus's Garden" singer Ringo : STARR. And writer, too. Clip.(2:52)
33. Talk show guest's blatant promotion : PLUG
35. Swelled head : EGO
42. Colorful card game : UNO
43. Lends a hand to : AIDS
44. Lecture rooms : HALLS
45. Abel's assassin : CAIN
47. Jazzy horn : SAX
54. Bright : SMART
55. Sis's sib : BRO
56. IM offerer : AOL
63. Thomas __ Edison : ALVA
64. Tater __: Ore-Ida product : TOTS. Image.
65. Big tractor name : DEERE
66. Movie house suffix : PLEX. Used to indicate multiple screens.
67. Allergy trigger, often : DUST
68. Passover dinner : SEDER
Down:
1. Nintendo competitor : SEGA
2. Start up the mountain : CLIMB
3. Italian violin maker : AMATI
4. Chaney of horror : LON
5. "Spring ahead" hrs. : DST. Daylight Saving Time.
6. Witch trials town : SALEM
7. Whooping bird : CRANE
8. Entirely : ALL
9. Kanga's kid : ROO
10. Vain walks : STRUTS
11. In the loop : AWARE
12. Anglican parish priest : VICAR
13. Flames that have cooled? : EXES
18. Box for practice : SPAR
19. Horse's hair : MANE
24. Spice Girl Halliwell : GERI. Then and Now.
25. Ashram authority : GURU. Traditionally, an ashram is a spiritual hermitage.
26. Store posting : HOURS
27. Craving : URGE
30. Sch. in Big D : SMU. Southern Methodist University - near the heart of Dallas.
31. Commandment count : TEN
32. Hubbub : ADO
33. Painting reproduction : PRINT
34. Schoolboy : LAD
35. Slippery fish : EEL
36. "For Me and My __" : GAL. Clip.(4:56) Gene Kelly, Judy Garland.
37. Gives the nod : OKs
39. Postal sackful : MAIL
40. Layered haircut : SHAG
41. Crosstown bus alternative : TAXI
45. Auto finish protection : CAR WAX
46. Height: Pref. : ALTItude
47. Chilly powder? : SNOW. Another cute one.
48. What the nose knows : SMELL
49. "Circle of Friends" writer Binchy : MAEVE. Why she looks like she would be right at home on the Corner. Image.
50. Newspaper bye lines? : OBITS
51. Seize (from) : WREST
52. Gathered, as fallen leaves : RAKED
53. Orléans's river : LOIRE. In the heart of France. Map.
54. Exchange : SWAP
57. Ogle : LEER
59. India Inc.? : LTD. A business incorporated under the laws of England, Wales, Scotland, Canada, other Commonwealth countries.
60. Gehrig who played with Ruth : LOU. Famous Yankees.
61. Credit card users may be asked for them, briefly : IDs
62. Society page word : NÉE
Argyle
Note from Marti:
This was the most difficult one I have constructed so far. I had five theme entries, each exactly three words, and they had to be used in a specific order. So, no swapping around theme entries to get better fill. Rich saw it and immediately wanted to use it on a Monday. So, a lot of the "Friday-ish" fill had to go. I ended up re-designing the grid more than eight times, to get a Monday-friendly fill.
This was the most difficult one I have constructed so far. I had five theme entries, each exactly three words, and they had to be used in a specific order. So, no swapping around theme entries to get better fill. Rich saw it and immediately wanted to use it on a Monday. So, a lot of the "Friday-ish" fill had to go. I ended up re-designing the grid more than eight times, to get a Monday-friendly fill.
