Theme: Ain't No Big Thing - Five 'Little' clue echo's (clecho's), 5 synonyms for little but they aren't really synonyms for each other. (Is there a word for that?)
18A. Little vehicle : COMPACT CAR
23A. Little time : SHORT TERM
40A. Little role : CAMEO APPEARANCE
51A. Little break : BRIEF STOP
60A. Little type : SMALL PRINT
Argyle here. Odd feel to Melanie Miller's Monday musings. Some entries that are gimmes for the veteran solvers but stumpers for the newbies. Melanie gave us the 4H puzzle. The grid is more main stream today but the content, I don't know, less inspired?
Across:
1. Forest youngster : FAWN.
5. John Wesley's relig. : METH. (Methodism)
9. Nueve menos dos : SIETE (Spanish)
14. Canyon comeback : ECHO. Significant entry?
15. __-deucy : ACEY. Card game.
16. "Come on in" : "ENTER". and later, 48A. "It's been real, dahling" : "CIAO"
17. Pre-calc course : TRIG. (calculus/trigonometry)
20. Fable writer : AESOP
22. Western Australia's capital : PERTH
26. Salinger's "With Love and Squalor" girl : ESME. Just what I was talking about. Gimme or Natick?
30. Armoire feature : DOOR.
31. Beauty pageant accessories : SASHES
33. Therapists' org. : APA. (American Psychological Association)
36. Was nosy : PRIED
39. Friendship bracelet components : BEADS. Am I right that most do not have beads?
43. Molecular particles : ATOMS
44. Remote button with two vertical bars : PAUSE
45. Weight unit : TON
46. City thoroughfare : STREET
50. Grandstand feature : TIER
56. Valuable holding : ASSET
58. Guiding principle : TENET. Methodist's tenet?
65. Summer camp setting : LAKE
66. Bamboo muncher : PANDA
67. Manipulative sort : USER
68. MGM symbol : LION
69. __-craftsy : ARTSY
70. Silents star Naldi : NITA. This is almost a candid shot.
71. Mine finds : OREs
Down:
1. Greek salad cheese : FETA. On the cheese tour, I tried cow, goat, and sheep feta; enough for awhile.
2. Real estate units : ACRES
3. Rustling sound : WHISH. Not cattle rustling, but maybe CED can find a connection.
4. Rotten to the core : NO GOOD
5. Rock's Fleetwood __ : MAC
6. Earth Day prefix : ECO
7. Arizona State's city : TEMPE
8. High-strung : HYPER
9. Religious offshoot : SECT
10. Where there are plenty of fish : IN THE SEA
11. List-shortening abbr. : ETC. (et cetera)
12. Steeped beverage : TEA. Plus 55D. Black variety of 12-Down : PEKOE
13. Flub the shot, say : ERR. Gee, I don't say, "I erred", when I flub a shot.
19. Weapons : ARMS
21. Ask for a hand on one knee : PROPOSE
24. __ Bora: Afghan region : TORA
25. Monica Lewinsky scandal figure Linda : TRIPP. No photos, please.
27. Refuse to, quaintly : SHAN'T
28. Rx managed care giant : MEDCO. I've never dealt with them. Any stories?
29. German industrial city : ESSEN
32. Side by side : ABREAST
33. "... and __ of thousands!" : A CAST
34. Singer LaBelle or LuPone : PATTI
35. Luigi's love : AMORE
37. Clean air org. : EPA. (Environmental Protection Agency)
38. Tie during a tennis game : DEUCE
41. Green gems : EMERALDS
42. "That is so not happening!" : "AS IF!"
47. Recipe amt. : TBSP. (tablespoon)
49. Verdi opera with Desdemona : OTELLO
52. Encore presentation : RERUN
53. Formal "Who's there?" response : "IT IS I"
54. Illuminated studio sign : [ON AIR]
57. Do in, as a vampire : SLAY
59. Bills with Hamilton on them : TENS
60. Mud bath venue : SPA
61. Scratch or scuff, say : MAR
62. Picnic invader : ANT
63. Butterfly catcher : NET
64. __-la-la : TRA
Argyle
