Theme: Simon and Schuster Crossword Puzzle - Today's constructor has many puzzles published by S&S so they may be the seed for this puzzle.
17A. Main idea, as of an argument : SUM AND SUBSTANCE. Shakespeare used it in The Two Gentlemen of Verona (4:1): "My riches are these poor habiliments [clothes], Of which if you should here disfurnish me, You take the sum and substance that I have." It has probably survived owing to alliteration. It now means "The essence or gist of something".
25A. Stick to a strict budget : SCRIMP AND SAVE. I think we all know the meaning of this.
42A. To the point : SHORT AND SWEET. I knew a girl once....
56A. Burnout cause : STRESS AND STRAIN. Funny this phrase follows the one above.
I am Argyle and I am honored to be reviewing Ms. Gordon's puzzle. Last winter I reviewed one after her 98th birthday and here we are after her 99th. Truly amazing. A text book Monday and only a Q away from a pangram. Last years note from C.C.: Please click here for an in inspiring article about today's constructor Bernice Gordon. Bernice and the LA Times should have the "oldest constructor" record unless she will be published by the NY Times again this year. They did, in July, but she is back with LAT today!
Across:
1. David Copperfield's forte : MAGIC. Not the Charles Dickens one.
6. High-ranking Indian : RAJA. and 11D. Wife of a 6-Across : RANI
10. Like the Sahara : ARID
14. Last new Olds : ALERO
15. Alike, in Lourdes : EGAL. In France.
16. Madcap : ZANY
20. "__ Pinafore" : HMS. A Gilbert & Sullivan comic opera.
21. Handy bags : TOTES
22. Inventor Howe : ELIAS
23. Candy in a wrapper : BAR
24. WSW's opposite : ENE
32. Beauty parlor : SALON
33. Saying to remember : ADAGE
34. Tool for a lumberjack : AXE. could partner with 57D. Carpentry tool : SAW
36. Cultivate the soil : PLOW
37. Car pedal : BRAKE
38. Needed a Band-Aid : BLED
39. Till now : YET
40. __ fatale : FEMME. The phrase is French for "deadly woman". But they still can be SHORT AND SWEET.
41. Town near the tip of Cape Cod : TRURO. Not far from Natick! But a long way from 35D. Tokyo's former name : EDO, except in this puzzle. A about 1500 miles from 51D. City west of Tulsa : ENID
45. Notes after mis : FAs
46. Contents of a cruet : OIL
47. Saltwater candy : TAFFY
50. Rested (against) : LEANT
53. __ Beta Kappa : PHI. An academic honor society.
59. Part of USA: Abbr. : AMER.
60. Like dedicated fans : AVID
61. 18th-century Swiss mathematician : EULER. Shout out to Fermatprime.
62. Goes bad : ROTS
63. High roller's rolls : WADS
64. Baseball's Pee Wee : REESE. Dodger shortstop.
Down:
1. Sitcom set in Korea : M*A*S*H
2. Homecoming visitor : ALUM
3. Jeweler's inventory : GEMS
4. 401(k) alternative, briefly : IRA. You have to SCRIMP AND SAVE to build it up.
5. Have inside : CONTAIN
6. Take a break : REST
7. Flu-like symptoms : AGUE. Shout out to pk and Dennis and some others, I'm sure.
8. Pokes : JABS
9. Three racing Unsers : ALs
10. Colorful garden shrub : AZALEA. A winter's project.
12. Ancient Peruvian : INCA
13. Turns blue, perhaps : DYES
18. Campus residence : DORM
19. Like someone pacing back and forth : TENSE
23. Forehead : BROW. And if you're TENSE, where wrinkles will appear.
24. Rim : EDGE
25. Comical Soupy : SALES
26. Material : CLOTH
27. Cheese city in northeast Italy : PARMA
28. End of Rhett's sentence that begins "Frankly, my dear" : "...A DAMN!"
29. Like a newborn : NAKED
30. Relative worth : VALUE
31. Put forth, as effort : EXERT
32. Le Carré character : SPY. David John Moore Cornwell (born 19 October 1931), pen name John le Carré is a British author of espionage novels. (lifted from Wikipedia)
37. Puts money (on) : BETS
38. Songwriter Jacques : BREL. And singer, video(2:39).
40. Wears at the edges : FRAYS
41. Social network for short messages : TWITTER
43. Bids : OFFERS
44. Male offspring : SONS
47. Old Russian monarch : TSAR
48. Prefix with sphere : ATMO. (atmosphere)
49. Guitar ridge : FRET
50. Volcanic output : LAVA
52. Does some sums : ADDS
53. Ashen : PALE
54. Hurries : HIEs. "Hie thee hither, That I may pour my spirits in thine ear" What a waste of spirits.
55. Legal memo opener : IN RE
58. Feel bad about : RUE
Argyle
Notes from C.C.:
1) Here is an updated profile of today's constructor Bernice Gordon.
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| Our 99-year-old constructor Bernice Gordon |
2) To blog regulars: Please email me (crosswordc@gmail.com) if you want to be included in our birthday list or have your pictures included in our Archive section. I'd love to "see" you & celebrate your birthday on the blog!
