Theme: knight in shining armor
17A. Endures an onslaught of criticism : RUNS THE GAUNTLET. a gauntlet is a glove worn with medieval armor to protect the hand. or, a double file of men facing each other and armed with clubs or other weapons with which to strike at an individual who is made to run between them - thus, to 'run the gauntlet'
26A. Kind of contact banned by the NFL : HELMET TO HELMET. so dangerous.
46A. Use a sun visor, say : SHIELD ONE'S EYES
60A. Vulnerable spot : CHINK IN THE ARMOR
and to tie it all together ...
37A. Cyclist Armstrong, or what completes the ensemble found in the four long across answers : LANCE
melissa here. a little cloak and dagger for your wednesday morning - with a few enchanting references.
Across
1. Hunger hint : PANG. right about now.
5. Shorn shes : EWES. cute.
9. Indonesian island : JAVA. home of the buddhist monument borobudur.
13. Pinza of "South Pacific" : EZIO. italian opera singer, turned broadway star. died in 1957.
14. Pulsate : THROB
16. Yaks, e.g. : OXEN. noun, not verb.
20. Prognosticator : PROPHET
21. RR terminus : STA. railroad station.
22. Center opening? : EPI. epicenter.
23. Aus. setting : EUR. austria is in europe.
24. Puts the kibosh on : STOPS
32. Golden Bears' school, familiarly : CAL. berkeley.
33. "Joanie Loves Chachi" co-star : BAIO. scott.
34. Like James Bond : SUAVE
35. Carpeting computation : AREA
40. It may be impish : GRIN
41. 24-hr. news source : MSNBC
43. "If __ a nickel ..." : I HAD
45. Category : ILK
50. Currently occupied with : DOING
51. She, in Lisbon : ELA. portuguese.
at 2:47 ...
52. Justice Dept. bureau : ATF. alcohol, tobacco and firearms.
55. Greeting card figure, maybe : AGE. oh, figure. i get it.
56. Pacific Surfliner and Acela : AMTRAKS
63. Muslim pilgrim : HAJI. remember him?
64. Passover month : NISAN
65. Melville South Seas novel : OMOO
66. Candy bar with a cookie center : TWIX
67. More than just hard to find : LOST
68. Stir-fry cookware : WOKS
Down
1. Cop's quarry : PERP. ha!
2. Côte d'__: French resort area : AZUR
3. Padre's boy : NIÑO. spanish.
4. Mass reading : GOSPEL. nice clue.
5. Unworldly : ETHEREAL. i could sit and stare at a tank of jellies for hours.
6. Spark, as an appetite : WHET
7. Unit of energy : ERG
8. Such that one may : SO AS TO. alright.
9. Put (down) on paper : JOT
10. Car bar : AXLE
11. Prez's backup : VEEP
12. Opponent : ANTI
15. "__! that deep romantic chasm ...": Coleridge : BUT OH. from samuel taylor coleridge's poem kubla kahn, or a vision in a dream.
18. Hitchhiker's aid : THUMB
19. Neck parts : NAPES
24. Lining with decorative rock : STONING. tricky.
25. Slimy garden pest : SLUG. ew.
26. Severe : HARSH
27. Nicholas Gage memoir : ELENI
28. Mexican aunt : TIA
29. Antarctica's __ Byrd Land : MARIE. had no idea.
30. Pandora's boxful : EVILS. greek mythology.
31. Six-mile-plus run, briefly : TEN K
32. Rotating machine parts : CAMS
36. In the sack : ABED.
38. Activist Guevara : CHE
39. Nonowner's property right : EASEMENT
42. Commonly long garment : CLOAK. makes me think of jane eyre, speaking of ethereal.
44. __ blues: Mississippi genre : DELTA
47. "Eat up!" : DIG IN
48. Frequent final soccer score : ONE-NIL
49. Peter who co-wrote "Puff, the Magic Dragon" : YARROW. how can i not ....
52. Berliner's eight : ACHT. german.
53. Leave out of the freezer : THAW
54. Pacific archipelago : FIJI. wow.
56. Triumphant cries : AHA'S
57. Magazine filler : AMMO
58. Eccentric sort : KOOK
59. B'way hit signs : SRO'S. standing room only.
61. Veto : NIX
