Theme: And here's the pitch - Musically, that is. I think.
26D. Sheet music quintet, and with 31-Down, what the first letters of 16-, 22-, 36-, 45- and 56-Across represent : STAFF. 31D. See 26-Down : LINES
16A. Symbol of a good try : E FOR EFFORT
22A. Movie for all : G-RATED FILM
36A. Straight-A student's bane : B-PLUS
45A. "Lady Chatterley's Lover" author : D. H. LAWRENCE
56A. Noted O.J. Simpson attorney : F. LEE BAILEY
Argyle here. A lot of entries for a Tuesday but not a problem for our constructors a due. If you don't recognize Ron, it's our own JzB. The two climbers are as long as the theme entries but not much chance of mistaking them for theme. Good job on the fill. The quintet is in order but I still don't understand musical notation, though. Your results may vary.
Across:
1. 18th Greek letter : SIGMA. Carries the 's' sound.
6. Instagram account creator : USER. I know as little about Instagram as I do music.
10. Gunpowder container : KEG. The number of kegs we've had lately, Zed may have it wrong.
13. Contest submission : ENTRY
14. Campus sports gp. : NCAA. (National Collegiate Athletic Association)
15. Call, retro-style : DIAL
18. To be, to Cato : ESSE. Some Latin.
19. Just okay : SO-SO
20. Place to apply gloss : LIP
21. Use unwisely, as time : WASTE
26. Organ near the stomach : SPLEEN
29. Playground threat : "I'LL TELL!"
32. Rips : TEARS
33. Clash of clans : FEUD
34. Ornamental pond fish : KOI
35. JFK postings : ARRs. (arrivals)
38. Show sleepiness : YAWN
39. Christmas tree : FIR
40. Follow one's new job, in Realtor-speak : RELO
41. Private student : TUTEE
42. Go up alone : FLY SOLO
44. Persian Gulf ships : OILERS
48. Gaze intently : STARE
50. Before, to Frost : ERE
51. Like skyscrapers : TALL
55. Bee flat? : HIVE. Cute.
59. Bone-dry : ARID
60. Bartlett cousin : BOSC Pears.
61. Like the man of one's dreams : IDEAL
62. Marry : WED
63. ''Yeah, sure!'' : "I BET!"
64. Tractor maker : DEERE
Down:
1. Goes out with : SEES
2. Data : INFO
3. Classic Pontiacs : GTOs
4. "Won't you be my neighbor?" TV host : MR. ROGERS
5. Nautical consent : AYE
6. Not up to the job : UNFIT
7. Check (out) : SCOPE
8. Musical skill : EAR. Another theme reference.
9. Singer in an interrogation room? : RAT. Ok, this "singer" isn't musically related.
10. Musical inspired by "The Taming of the Shrew" : "KISS ME KATE". Originally produced in 1948 on Broadway. It garnered five Tony Awards in 1949.
11. Fort Worth-to-Dallas direction : EAST
12. Merriment : GLEE
15. Passed out cards : DEALT
17. Caramel-topped custard dessert : FLAN
21. Like some very bad pitches : WILD. And here we combine music and baseball.
23. Legal matter : RES
24. God, in Grenoble : DIEU
25. Reasons for school absences : FLUs. Shortened form of influenzas.
27. Danger : PERIL
28. "Seinfeld" co-creator : LARRY DAVID
30. Farther down : LOWER
33. Progressive Insurance spokeswoman : FLO. If you haven't seen Flo, I won't be the one to break your bliss.
36. "Dracula" star Lugosi : BELA
37. Furrow the fields : PLOW
38. Christmas season : YULETIDE
40. Part on stage : ROLE
41. Muscle spasm : TIC
43. Destroy, as files : SHRED
44. Premium plane seat, usually : ONE B
46. Pee Wee in Brooklyn : REESE. Great shortstop.
47. Upright : ERECT
48. "Pygmalion" playwright : SHAW. George Bernard Shaw.
49. Radial __ : TIRE
52. Out of the wind : ALEE
53. Goneril's father : LEAR
54. Country singer Lovett : LYLE. He's more than just country.
56. Source of DVD warnings : FBI
57. Easy throw : LOB
58. Help out : AID
Argyle
Notes from C.C.:
As Argyle mentioned earlier, Ron Toth is our own Jazzbumpa. We made two puzzles earlier this year, and were lucky to get both accepted. This is actually our first puzzle. The second one was published in August.
We initially had NOTES as a reveal entry. Rich, who is a pianist, pointed out (via Patti) that "EGBDF are more than just NOTES... they represent the LINES on the treble clef STAFF. Happily, those two words are 5 letters; hopefully you can find symmetric places for them in the grid."
As his blog write-ups show, Ron is very creative, witty and hardworking. I had fun working with him.
Notes from C.C.:
As Argyle mentioned earlier, Ron Toth is our own Jazzbumpa. We made two puzzles earlier this year, and were lucky to get both accepted. This is actually our first puzzle. The second one was published in August.
We initially had NOTES as a reveal entry. Rich, who is a pianist, pointed out (via Patti) that "EGBDF are more than just NOTES... they represent the LINES on the treble clef STAFF. Happily, those two words are 5 letters; hopefully you can find symmetric places for them in the grid."
As his blog write-ups show, Ron is very creative, witty and hardworking. I had fun working with him.
