Theme: Inclement Weather - The stars of any weather report are the bad things that may occur. Our starred entries begin with those types of storms that bring warnings.
20. *Vice president's official entrance march : HAIL, COLUMBIA. LINK(0:47)
28. *Anxiety-reducing meeting opener : ICE BREAKER
34. *Hoffman's 1988 title savant : RAIN MAN. It was on TV last night.
38. *Stir-fry veggie : SNOW PEA. Yum! Picture
42. *Endurance-building full-speed run : WIND SPRINT. Start them while they're young. LINK (0:28)
53. Weather advisory, and hint to the starts of the answers to starred clues : STORM WARNING
Argyle here. A few hard-for-Monday entries but not unduly so. Maybe a spot or two where the perp needed a perp but in the end, all doable. Substantial white space in the NW and SE.
Across:
1. Where the Stars and Stripes flies, familiarly : US OF A
6. Approximate fig. : EST.
9. Stops on the way home? : BASES. "Just to hit the ball and touch 'em all - a moment in the sun" (J.C. Fogerty)
14. Fragrant evergreens : PINES
15. "I'm underwhelmed" : "MEH"
16. "You __ right!" : ARE SO...said the boy wonder.
17. Sharply inclined : STEEP
18. Put on a pedestal : IDEALIZED
22. Trying experience : ORDEAL
23. Corn core : COB
24. Church-owned Dallas sch. : SMU. (Southern Methodist University)
27. Bygone Russian despot : TSAR
32. Gabor and Peron : EVAs
33. Irritating sorts : TWITS
40. "Ready __, here ..." : OR NOT
41. Leave speechless : STUN
45. Zap with a weapon : TASE
49. '60s militant campus org. : SDS. (Students for a Democratic Society)
50. Sleep phase initials : REM. (rapid eye movement)
51. Elevated : RAISED
56. Entrance whose top half opens separately : DUTCH DOOR. Double Dutch door.
59. Stop : CEASE
60. Not warranted : UNDUE
61. Man-mission link : ON A
62. Champing at the bit : EAGER
63. Thingy : GISMO
64. Chef's meas. : TSP. Teaspoon
65. Smeltery refuse : DROSS. The waste matter when refining ore.
Down:
1. End result : UPSHOT. 1531, from up + shot (n.); originally, the final shot in an archery match, hence the figurative sense of "result, issue, conclusion" (1604).
2. Indian stringed instruments : SITARs
3. New York lake near Syracuse : ONEIDA. I have an aunt who lives on the north shore, in Cleveland, NY.
4. Information-eliciting negotiation tactic : FEELER
5. Furry friends' protection org. : ASPCA. I'd hope it wasn't just the furry animals that get protection. (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals)
6. Jannings of classic cinema : EMIL. In 1929 he won the first Best Actor Oscar.
7. Beguiles : SEDUCES
8. Cosa Nostra : THE MOB
9. Indonesian island : BALI
10. Operatic showstopper : ARIA
11. "__ who?" : SEZ
12. WNW's opposite : ESE
13. Landscaper's purchase : SOD
19. Shortened wd. : ABBR. (abbreviation)
21. Three-time A.L. batting champ Tony : OLIVA. He is here so often, we're on a first name basis.
24. Hop, __ and jump : SKIP. Track event.
25. Parcel (out) : METE
26. Constellation bear : URSA. Major and Minor or also known as the Big and Little Dippers.
29. Recycle bin item : CAN
30. Thames school : ETON
31. "How cute!" : "AWW!". As Spitzboov said on Saturday...All the bear news from Canada.(7:42)
32. CPR pros : EMTs
34. Handles the oars : ROWS
35. Extremely dry : ARID
36. Roadside retreats : INNs
37. Agree wordlessly : NOD
38. RR stop : STN. Rail station.
39. __Sweet: aspartame : NUTRA. In the blue packets.
41. Beautyrest mattress maker : SIMMONS. That was interesting about the Sleep Number beds the other day.
43. Cattle poker : PROD. Cattle poker - "I'll see your two Herefords and raise you a Holstein."
44. Get established in a new planter : REROOT
45. Musical liability : TIN EAR
46. Italian cheese : ASIAGO
47. Has an inkling : SENSES
48. Lawn neateners : EDGERS
52. Followed a curved path : ARCED. Edging gets a little trickier if it's curved.
53. Mr. Clean target : SCUM. But not riff-raff.
54. "The Cosby Show" son : THEO
55. Rolled sandwich : WRAP. When did sandwich wraps become popular and are they really a sandwich?
56. Used a trowel : DUG
57. Prefix with lateral : UNI
58. QB scores : TDs. (Touchdowns)
Argyle
Notes from C.C.:
1) Happy 25th wedding anniversary to Dennis and his lovely wife Linda. Click here to see some fun pictures from their wedding and reception.
2) Happy Birthday to Barbara B, Melissa's beautiful mother, who was very active on the blog a few years ago.