Theme: Vowel Progression, with a Twist. - The theme entries begin with an H, followed by a long vowel sound, progressing from A to U.
18A. Subjects for Monet : HAYSTACKS. And if he were still painting today, would it be these?
22A. Sounded like an donkey : HEE-HAWED. Another update.
38A. Like someone needing a lot of attention : HIGH MAINTENANCE. Like Lisa Douglas.
49A. Barn dances : HOEDOWNS
58A. "Love Actually" actor : HUGH GRANT
Argyle here.(no video) A few crunchy nuggets to break a tooth on but a grid spanner to make it better. Nearly a pangram, to boot.
Across:
1. Oxymoronic shrimp type : JUMBO
6. Sets, as a price : ASKS
10. Overcast : GRAY
14. Opera solos : ARIAs
15. Chop __ : SUEY
16. The stuff of legends : LORE
17. Fish organs : GILLS. The equivalent of our lungs.
20. Pocketed, as a pool ball : SANK. If you sank the 8-ball on the break, did you win or did you lose? The start of many a bar fight.
21. Broke the Tenth Commandment : COVETED
24. Wimp : SISSY
28. Tanzania's __ es Salaam : DAR. MAP.
29. Thomas More's perfect world : UTOPIA
30. With 41-Across, thing sometimes resisted : THE. 41A. See 30-Across : URGE
33. Words welcoming speakers : INTROS
37. Pre-Easter season : LENT
42. Gourmet's prefix : GASTRO
43. __ Moines : DES. Iowa.
44. Self-described "short, stocky, slow-witted bald man" of "Seinfeld" : GEORGE
46. Bankbook cred. : INT. (credit/interest)
48. Taste, e.g. : SENSE
54. Lame excuses : COP-OUTS
56. Absorbs, as a loss : EATS
61. State whose motto is "Friendship" : TEXAS
62. Kin of -trix : ENNE
63. Willy of "Free Willy," e.g. : ORCA. Hey, we haven't seen an ORCA in a while. Or OKRA, for that matter.
64. Embellish : ADORN
65. Umpire's call : FOUL
66. Turns green, say : DYES
67. Quintet of assassins? : ESSes
Down:
1. Sprees : JAGS
2. Awful Heep : URIAH
3. Hundred Acre Wood creator : MILNE
4. Refused to cooperate : BALKED
5. Covert WWII agcy. : OSS. (Office of Strategic Services)
6. Vote by __ of hands : A SHOW
7. Like Cary Grant characters : SUAVE
8. Excited, with "up" : KEYED
9. Part of TBS: Abbr. : SYST. (Turner Broadcasting System)
10. Flower with sword-shaped leaves : GLADIOLA. Today's flower.
11. Legendary bird : ROC
12. Noah's boat : ARK. No rocs in the boat.
13. "You betcha!" : "YES!"
19. Midterm, say : TEST
21. 2011 Polanski comedy with an ironically violent title : "CARNAGE". IMDb LINK.
23. "The Lost Boys" actor Corey : HAIM. A short life. Wikipedia LINK.
25. Go on a shopping spree : SPEND
26. Because : SINCE
27. David who directed four Harry Potter films : YATES. From Order of the Phoenix to the last Deathly Hallows.
29. Log-in needs : USER IDs
30. Hooligans : THUGS
31. Newly employed person : HIREE
32. Goad : EGG ON
34. Alejandro's aunt : TÍA
35. ER VIPs : RNs
36. Giant star Mel : OTT
39. Astronomer who discovered Uranus : HERSCHEL. Sir William Herschel, 1738 – 1822
40. "Mustn't do" thing : NO-NO
45. Trivial Pursuit category: Abbr. : GEOG. (Geography)
47. Stereotypical professorial attire : TWEEDS. With leather patches on the elbows.
49. White with age : HOARY
50. 1/16 of a pound : OUNCE
51. James and Jones of jazz : ETTAs. Both were American singers.
52. Greek vacation island : NAXOS. The largest island in the Cyclades island group in the Aegean. Travel guide LINK.
53. Fixed look : STARE
55. Poke : PROD
57. IRS identifiers : SSNs. (Social Security number)
58. Publisher wearing p.j.'s : "HEF". Hugh Hefner
59. 108-card game : UNO
60. Bearded beast : GNU
61. __ kwon do : TAE
Argyle
Note from C.C.:
Here are a few pictures of Montana's beautiful grandkids: Diana Nicole, born on July 13, 2013 (last Saturday) & Gabrielė.
Diana Nicole
Gabrielė, age 22 months
Gabbie checking out her new sister, Diana.
