Theme: Breakfast treat - A puzzle that passes the breakfast test with flying colors. The theme entries end in varying shades of the unifier.
17A. Lacking a strong foundation, metaphorically : BUILT ON SAND
24A. Snoopy's WWI plane : SOPWITH CAMEL
38A. Shutterbug : PHOTOGRAPHY BUFF
48A. Farina-based hot cereal : CREAM OF WHEAT
60A. Ideal toast color, and a hint to the ends of 17-, 24-, 38- and 48-Across : GOLDEN BROWN
Argyle here. It would be only fitting that I should have some toast as I type this up but, alas, I am at the tail end of my loaf of bread. Oh well. It was a fun solve with a grid spanner in the middle.
Across:
1. Under-the-table money : BRIBE. Not the same as in-the-seat-cushion money.
6. Teamster's rig : SEMI. (truck)
10. Tight-lipped : MUM. Yes, mum's the word.
13. Dubuque natives : IOWANS. Native American Siouan people.
15. "Once __ a time ..." : UPON
16. Chowed down : ATE
19. Corp. board member : DIR. (director)
20. __ over backward : BEND
21. "That feels good!" : "AAH!"
22. Florence's country : ITALY. (Firenze, Italia)
Click to enlarge.
28. Prize on the mantel : TROPHY
31. Hors d'oeuvre cracker : RITZ. Golden brown cracker.
32. Northwestern Canadian territory : YUKON. (Yukon gold)
33. Naval hoosegow : BRIG
35. Brew in a bag : TEA
42. Mork's planet : ORK. (TV show)
43. Senate staffer : AIDE
44. Lusterless finish : MATTE. As opposed to gloss.
45. Windy day toy : KITE. We've had a few good kite flying days.
47. Put the blame on : ACCUSE
53. Egypt neighbor : LIBYA
54. Subway whose first line had a terminus at NYC's City Hall : IRT. (Interborough Rapid Transit)
55. Suffix with wagon : ETTE. A light four-wheeled horse-drawn vehicle with two lengthwise seats facing each other behind a crosswise driver's seat.
59. Before today : AGO
64. Hamlet, to Gertrude : SON
65. Change a manuscript : EDIT
66. "I, Robot" author : ASIMOV. (Isaac Asimov)
67. Butt in : PRY
68. 2013 Oscars host MacFarlane : SETH
69. Pert : SASSY
Down: (as in down to the heel of my loaf of bread)
1. Light-green lettuce : BIBB
2. Disreputable fellow : ROUE
3. "Heads __, tails you lose" : I WIN
4. Rogaine target : BALD SPOT
5. Dr. who treats snorers : E.N.T. (ear, nose, throat)
6. Bite-size raw Asian dish : SUSHI
7. Water quality org. : EPA. (Environmental Protection Agency)
8. Start of a wk., workwise : MON. Today
9. Formally charge, in court : INDICT
10. Sir's counterpart : MADAM
11. More than decorative : UTILE
12. Streep of "The Iron Lady" : MERYL
14. All lathered up : SOAPY
18. Folksy negative : "NAW"
23. Whirling toon devil, for short : TAZ
25. "How awful!" : "OH, NO!"
26. Hogwash : TRIPE
27. "__ Noon": Gary Cooper Western : HIGH
28. Printing error, perhaps : TYPO
29. German mining region : RUHR
30. "Quit nagging! I'll do it!" : "OK! OK!"
33. To the point : BRIEF
34. "Way cool!" : "RAD!"
35. "Black Swan" skirt : TUTU
36. Immature newts : EFTs
37. Set __: name the price : A FEE
39. Ratón chaser : GATO. Spanish mouse and cat.
40. Org. that usually has a community pool : YMCA
41. Neosporin target : BACTERIA
45. Mary __ cosmetics : KAY
46. Publicists' concerns : IMAGES
47. Blue Cross rival : AETNA
48. Anklet fastener : CLASP
49. Strictness : RIGOR
50. Dense black wood : EBONY. Ebony is dense enough to sink in water. (I didn't know that)
51. Boot spec : WIDTH
52. Otto I's realm: Abbr. : HRE. (Holy Roman Empire)
56. Male turkeys : TOMS
57. What Noah counted by : TWOS. "...and two by two my human zoo
They'll be running for to come
Running for to come out of the rain" - Queen
58. Covet : ENVY
61. "__ to Joy" : ODE. Don't be afraid to join in.
62. Set ablaze : LIT
63. Undergrad tech degs. : BSs. Plural of BS.
Toast is gone. Now for some golden griddle cakes.
Argyle
Notes from C.C.:
Here is a picture of Husker Gary and his lovely wife at their granddaughter Elise's 8th birthday last Friday.
