Theme: Ghoul Rhymes - As per the store displays, it's time to get ready for Halloween and so here are four theme entries that end with a rhyme for GHOUL, in case you want to write some poems.
17A. 1956 #1 hit for Elvis Presley : "DON'T BE CRUEL". Clip.(2:04) A couple of things; it wasn't lip-synced and there is some German narration(Perhaps we could get a translation?).
27A. Mr. T catch phrase : "I PITY THE FOOL....". He played B.A. Baracus on TV's The A-Team.
47A. Cornerstone principle of democracy : MAJORITY RULE
61A. Eight-time Best Actor nominee who never won : PETER O'TOOLE. Wikipedia article.
Argyle here. I don't think CRUEL is a perfect rhyme but we'll give it poetic(or constructor) license. The spelling is different for each word. There are some names that might cause some trouble but smooth sailing, for the most part. It's what I expect from a Jeff Chen puzzle.
Across:
1. Shish __ : KABOB
6. 2008 "Yes We Can" sloganeer : OBAMA
11. ACLU concerns : RTs. Rights, to the extreme sometimes.
14. Prefix with -clast : ICONO. One who attacks cherished beliefs.
15. Group of secret schemers : CABAL. From Latin [kuh-bal].
16. Neighbor of Wash. : ORE.
19. Cartoon collectible : CEL
20. De Matteo of "The Sopranos" : DREA. Image.
21. Fat-based bird feed : SUET. There have been some cases of it being bear feed, too, this year.
22. '80s-'90s "Did I do that?" TV nerd : URKEL. Image from Family Matters.
24. Having one's day in court? : ON TRIAL
26. "Revenge is __ best served cold" : A DISH. "Old Klingon Proverb"
31. Choir section : ALTOs
34. Cold War country, briefly : USA
35. Chimney passage : FLUE
36. Scratch or scuff : MAR
37. Ostracized one : OUTCAST
41. Prefix with metric : ISO
42. Recipient of a princess's kiss : FROG
44. Suffix for no-good : NIK. A pair of them.
45. Like days gone by : OLDEN
51. Henry __ Lodge: WWI senator : CABOT. (from Boston, Massachusetts.)
52. Final stage of a chess match : END GAME. When only a few pieces are left on the board.
56. "Sesame Street" resident : ERNIE
57. "Get lost, kitty!" : "SCAT!"
59. Adorn, as a birthday gift : WRAP
60. Below-the-belt : LOW
64. Musician's deg. : MFA. Master of Fine Arts.
65. Dodge, as the press : EVADE
66. Address the crowd : ORATE
67. Cellos' sect. : STR. Strings.
68. Flew off the handle : RAGED
69. Gumbo vegetables : OKRAs
Down:
1. Friendly term of address : KIDDO
2. Oak tree-to-be : ACORN
3. Lisa of "The Cosby Show" : BONET. Image.
4. Easternmost Great Lake : ONTARIO
5. Reggae's Marley : BOB. Jammin'.(2:56)
6. Supernatural : OCCULT
7. Au naturel : BARE
8. Stand next to : ABUT
9. West of the silver screen : MAE
10. Refer (to) : ALLUDE
11. Dependable beyond doubt : ROCK SOLID
12. Kids' secret club meeting place : TREE HOUSE
13. Dispose of via eBay : SELL
18. Morales of "La Bamba" : ESAI. Also, Lt. Tony Rodriguez on NYPD Blue.
23. Jazz motif : RIFF
25. __ facto : IPSO. "by the fact itself"
26. Cries of triumph : A-HAs
28. Totally gross : YUCKY
29. Luggage-screening org. : TSA. Transportation Security Administration.
30. "Exodus" author Uris : LEON
31. Car radio button : AM/FM
32. "Tomb Raider" role for Angelina Jolie : LARA CROFT. From the game.
33. Conflict involving a fake horse : TROJAN WAR
38. Workbook chapter : UNIT
39. __ for tat : TIT. Image.
40. Sang like a canary, so to speak : TOLD
43. Mongolian desert : GOBI
46. Out-of-the-office detective duty : LEG WORK
48. Ebert's partner after Siskel : ROEPER. Image.
49. Parented : REARED
50. "Do __ others ..." : UNTO
53. Bustling with noise : AROAR
54. Island nation near Sicily : MALTA. Map.
55. Fencing swords : EPEEs
56. Shade trees : ELMS
57. Just for guys : STAG
58. Formally relinquish : CEDE
62. Perón of Argentina : EVA
63. As well : TOO
Argyle
