Theme: Me - Not me personally but ME musically.
20A. Polite egotist's musical request? (Beatles) : PLEASE, PLEASE ME. Clip(1:59)
36A. Adamant egotist's musical request? (Doris Day) : LOVE ME OR LEAVE ME. Clip(2:16)
47A. Needy egotist's musical request? (Supremes) : COME SEE ABOUT ME. Clip(2:24)
Argyle here. Unusual circumstance today; our constructor Janie Smulyan had her NY Times crossword debut yesterday and now her LAT debut today. Impressive. And so is her puzzle.
Across:
1. Treble symbol : CLEF
5. Knock for a loop : DAZE
9. Red Delicious, e.g. : APPLE
14. Fishing need : LURE
15. [Lightbulb!] : IDEA
16. Bay Area county : MARIN. North of San Francisco.
17. Landed on a perch : ALIT
18. Confidence-inspiring : REASSURING
22. "Just __ naturally" : ACT
23. Dr.'s field : MEDicine.
24. Paranormal : OCCULT
28. Uppercase letters, briefly : CAPS
30. Weep and wail : SOB
33. "__ turn is it?" : WHOSE
34. Paper towel unit : ROLL
35. GI no-show : AWOL
39. Barely made, with "out" : EKED
40. Wild and crazy : ZANY
41. They may be faith-based or quantum : LEAPS
42. Boxing count : TEN
43. Quick on one's feet : SPRY
44. "Kings are __ gods": Shakespeare's "Pericles" : EARTH'S
45. Red, Yellow or Black : SEA
46. "So-o-o-o good!" : "MMM!"
55. Fettuccine Alfredo topping, e.g. : CREAM SAUCE
56. A mere step away : NEAR
57. "The Threepenny Opera" composer Kurt : WEILL
58. Walked heavily : TROD
59. Sandwich seller : DELI
60. Box for Beeb watchers : TELLY. Cuppa, you've got this one.
61. William and Harry, to Charles : SONS. Also seen on the Beeb.
62. Black cat, to some : OMEN
Down:
1. Show appreciation at a show : CLAP
2. Quiet time : LULL
3. New York canal : ERIE. It runs through Utica.
4. Greek salad cheese : FETA
5. Run the show : DIRECT
6. Really good (at) : ADEPT
7. Fervor : ZEAL
8. Leisure : EASE
9. Gets a smile out of : AMUSES
10. Peeled with a knife : PARED
11. Puritanical : PRIM
12. Bit of poetry : LINE
13. Subj. including grammar : ENG.
19. Sales rep's giveaway : SAMPLE
21. Oregon's capital : SALEM
24. Little hooter : OWLET
25. Fail in the clutch : CHOKE
26. Group of witches : COVEN. A shout out!
27. Like many flea market items : USED
28. Groanworthy, as a joke : CORNY
29. Friend in war : ALLY
30. "Don't __ the small stuff!" : SWEAT
31. Punchiness : "OOMPH!"
32. Make holy : BLESS
34. Lion's warning : ROAR
35. Declare with confidence : AVER
37. Convenience for Northeastern toll-paying drivers : EZ PASS. It allows you to drive through the booths without stopping...and provides David Letterman with lots of bits.
38. "Remember the __!" : ALAMO. I forgot and remembered the Maine instead.
43. In good taste : SEEMLY
44. Fixes securely (in) : EMBEDS
45. T-shirt size : SMALL
46. City nicknamed "The Heart of Georgia" : MACON. I remember Macon County Line (1974).
47. Canadian tribe : CREE
48. Eye, to Yvette : OEIL. Finally some French.
49. Packs away dishes? : EATS
50. Dollar rival : EURO
51. Reverse, in word processing : UNDO
52. Rain really hard : TEEM
53. Like 61-Across : MALE
54. "__ Brockovich" : ERIN. The real ERIN pictured with her lawyer.
55. 100 lbs. : CWT. A unit of weight measurement created by U.S. merchants in the late 1800s. A hundred weight(Cwt) is equal to exactly 100 pounds.
Answer grid.
Argyle
Note from C.C.:
Belated Happy Birthday to our honeybee Melissa & sailor Gunghy.
47. Canadian tribe : CREE
48. Eye, to Yvette : OEIL. Finally some French.
49. Packs away dishes? : EATS
50. Dollar rival : EURO
51. Reverse, in word processing : UNDO
52. Rain really hard : TEEM
53. Like 61-Across : MALE
54. "__ Brockovich" : ERIN. The real ERIN pictured with her lawyer.
55. 100 lbs. : CWT. A unit of weight measurement created by U.S. merchants in the late 1800s. A hundred weight(Cwt) is equal to exactly 100 pounds.
Answer grid.
Argyle
Note from C.C.:
