Theme: It's all mud after it rains for a week - Various terms for the stuff under our feet...or under our nails.
17A. Home country : NATIVE SOIL
23A. Out of touch with reality : IN LA-LA LAND
37A. Get one's head out of the clouds : COME DOWN TO EARTH
47A. Strike it rich : HIT PAY DIRT
58A. Position of moral superiority : HIGH GROUND
Argyle here with a solid Monday puzzle. In the words of Goldilocks, not too easy, not too hard but just right. All in language phrases, although I had to change 17-Across when 23-Across showed up. I like to see a grid spanner on a Monday, also. Fertile loam for those mash-ups that some of you do so well.
Across:
1. "Pay attention!" : "FOCUS!". "Look here!"
6. Taj Mahal city : AGRA
10. __ of Arc : JOAN
14. Tokyo automaker with a liar named Joe in its old ads : ISUZU
15. Forehead : BROW. The spot for smashing V-8 cans.
16. Neutral shade : ECRU
19. Amble : WALK
20. Add blonde highlights to, say : DYE
21. Whole bunch : SLEW
22. Free-for-all : MELEE
26. Musical with nightclub scenes : CABARET
31. Men of the future? : BOYS
32. Take to the soapbox : ORATE
33. Disco brothers' name : GIBB. The Bee Gees, brothers Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb.
34. Church seat : PEW. 34D. Seek guidance in a 34-Across : PRAY
41. Tooth tender's org. : ADA. (American Dental Association) Cute pun in the clue.
42. Trim, as a photo : CROP
43. Any one of New England's six : STATE
44. Fly alone : SOLO
45. So far : AS OF YET
51. Stave off : AVERT
52. March Madness org. : NCAA. (National Collegiate Athletic Association)
54. Performing pair : DUO
57. Missing : GONE
61. Bear in the sky : URSA
62. Clarinet cousin : OBOE
63. "Rubber Duckie" Muppet : ERNIE
64. Checked out : EYED
65. 911 responders: Abbr. : EMTs. (Emergency Medical Technician)
66. Helps, as a perp : ABETS
Down:
1. Discover : FIND
2. Anthem start : "O, SAY..."
3. Just darling : CUTE
4. Israeli weapon : UZI
5. Honda Pilot and Ford Explorer, briefly : SUVs. (sport utility vehicle)
6. Not there : ABSENT
7. Watchdog's warning : [GROWL]
8. "Vive le __!" : ROI. "Long Live The King!"
9. Piercing tool : AWL
10. Tiara sparklers : JEWELS
11. Central Florida city : OCALA
12. Specter formerly of the Senate : ARLEN. Not usually in a Monday puzzle.
13. Microwaved : NUKED
18. "Night" author Wiesel : ELIE. His vowel rich name shows up on any day of the week.
22. "It's possible" : "MAYBE SO". "Would I lie", J.Isuzu
24. Slightly : A BIT
25. Gray wolf : LOBO
26. __-Cola : COCA
27. Longtime infield partner of Jeter, familiarly : A-ROD. And now known as A-Roid.
28. Ole Miss rival : 'BAMA
29. Downed : ATE
30. Minuteman enemy : REDCOAT
33. Econ. yardstick : GNP. (Gross National Product)
35. Suffix with sermon : ETTE
36. Sharpen : WHET
38. Air France destination : ORLY. "We'll always have Paris."
39. Lumber : WOOD
40. DOJ division : ATF. (Department of Justice / Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives)
44. Butter or mayo : SPREAD
45. McDonald's golden symbol : ARCHES
46. Without a date : STAG
47. World Court site, with "The" : HAGUE. MAP
48. Old white-key material : IVORY. If it's new, it's illegal.
49. Anxious : TENSE
50. Gold bar : INGOT
53. Geometry calculation : AREA
54. Sandy slope : DUNE
55. Military squad : UNIT
56. Keats works : ODES
58. Whack weeds the old-fashioned way : HOE
59. "Big Blue" : IBM
60. Sphere : ORB
Argyle
Notes from C.C.:
1) Happy Birthday to dear Montana, a retired math & science teacher based in Montana. I'm waiting for some updated pictures. But here is a great one from her Oregon Trail trek last year. Click here for more.
Notes from C.C.:
1) Happy Birthday to dear Montana, a retired math & science teacher based in Montana. I'm waiting for some updated pictures. But here is a great one from her Oregon Trail trek last year. Click here for more.
2) To regular commentators: Please email me (crosswordc@gmail.com) if you have pictures to share or your birthday is not in my Blog Birthday List.
