Theme: Dress Right - The unifier emphatically explains that when preceding the end of the theme entries, why you'll be asked to leave a business.
20A. Blew a fortune : LOST ONE'S SHIRT
35A. Prim and proper sort : GOODY TWO-SHOES. Link to the origin of the expression.
52A. Protector of the president : SECRET SERVICE
65A. Emphatic refusal, and words that precede the ends of 20-, 35- and 52-Across in a restaurant warning : "NO! NO! NO!"
Argyle here. "No shirt, no shoes, no service" doesn't apply if you are doing the puzzle at home, so relax. A similar theme as Ice, Ice but the unifier is just one entry. It is part of the stacks of six-letter words in the corners. I wonder who is responsible for all the clechos. A nit-free Monday, I say. I hope you all had a safe Cinco de Mayo.
A note to all you bridge players at the bottom.
Across:
1. Soak up like a sponge : ABSORB
7. Iranian leader toppled in 1979 : SHAH
11. Chicago transit trains : ELs
14. "Hear hear!" : "SO TRUE!"
15. Roll down the runway : TAXI
16. Accessory with a muumuu : LEI
17. Kind of deli roll : KAISER. Kind of clecho. Thought to have been named to honor Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria.
18. Squadron, e.g. : UNIT
19. Bedevil : VEX
23. Twittering bird : WREN
25. Affectionate squeezes : HUGS
26. Bat mitzvah scroll : TORAH
27. Comedian's asset : WIT
28. Comedian's bit : GAG
29. "Consarn it!" : "OH, RATS!"
30. Emcee's opening : INTRO
32. User trying to get through a firewall : HACKER. Yesterday's theme.
39. Stretch (out), like a dog in the heat : SPRAWL. (glad that 'the' was there)
40. Burning crime : ARSON
42. Major blood lines : AORTAs
45. Letters on a tinkerer's kit : DIY. Do It Yourself.
47. Email attachment format : PDF. (Portable Document Format)
48. See-through : SHEER
49. Utopia : EDEN
51. Face-to-face exam : ORAL
55. Bi- minus one : UNI. (prefix)
56. Close margin at the track : NOSE
57. "__ Fideles": carol : ADESTE
60. Mohawk-sporting muscleman : MR. T
61. "The Wind in the Willows" hero : TOAD
62. "Hold your horses, will ya?" : "IN A SEC!"
63. Watch closely : EYE
64. "The __ the limit!" : SKY'S
Down:
1. Pose, as a question : ASK
2. Poser's neckwear : BOA
3. Heel type named for a dagger : STILETTO
4. Welles of "Citizen Kane" : ORSON
5. Is sorry about : RUES
6. "Big" 23-Down cannon : BERTHA. Now it's merely a golf club. 23D. Conflict that ended Nov. 11, 1918 : WW I
7. Hurt, like a barb : STUNG
8. Underwear brand : HANES
9. Revolving point : AXIS
10. Calls it a night : HITS THE HAY. If you're going to sleep in the hay, try to find some that has been put up loose. Much better than the baled stuff.
11. "Mistress of the Dark" film hostess : ELVIRA
12. Ogle : LEER AT. Great pairing.
13. Trivial Pursuit wedges, vis-à-vis the whole pie : SIXTHS. Game trivia.
21. Should, informally : OUGHTA
22. Lugosi's genre : HORROR. (Bela Lugosi)
24. Phone sound : RING
28. Christening VIPs : GODPARENTS
29. Gives a thumbs-up : OKS
31. Roll call listing : ROSTER
33. "How adorable!" : "AWW!"
34. More chilly : COLDER
36. Age abbr. : YR's
37. Barista's concoction : ESPRESSO
38. Jerk's concoction : SODA. I've heard the soda fountain is making a comeback.
41. Niners' org. : NFL
42. Presuppose : ASSUME
43. Storywriter known for irony : O'HENRY
44. Quote by rote : RECITE
46. To no avail : IN VAIN
49. Test answer in a blue book : ESSAY
50. Scouts do good ones : DEEDS
51. Watery expanse : OCEAN
53. Stole : TOOK
54. SSN, for example : ID NO. (identification number)
58. X on a sundial : TEN
59. "The Name of the Rose" author Umberto : ECO. Give me his last name and I can remember the first.
Argyle
Note from Jeff:
CROSSWORDS WITH A BRIDGE FLAVOR
Now bridge players who enjoy crosswords can combine their favorite pastimes! For this book, New York Times and Los Angeles Times crossword constructor Jeff Chen has designed 52 brand-new crosswords with bridge-themed clues and solutions, providing hours of challenge and fun. The puzzles in this book range from Easy (N.Y. Times Monday level) to Challenging (N.Y. Times Thursday level).
Amazon link
