Theme: "You can't stick that on me, copper!" - We have a wide variety items that can be sticky.
17A. Secretary of state before Hillary Clinton : CONDOLEEZZA RICE
26A. Score symbol that usually has a stem : MUSICAL NOTE
49A. Digit-shaped sponge cakes : LADY FINGERS
61A. Spot between a rock and a hard place ... or a hint to the ends of 17-, 26- and 49-Across : STICKY SITUATION
Argyle here. Big bonus points for 17-Across! After a rough week, we could use a little respite.
Across:
1. "__ Mia!": ABBA musical : MAMMA
6. Bit of baby talk : "DADA"
10. Defensive trench : MOAT
14. So all can hear : ALOUD
15. Apple MP3 player : iPOD
16. Makes mistakes : ERRS. So 33A. Correct a pencil mistake : ERASE
20. Approx. landing hours : ETAs
21. To be, to Caesar : ESSE
22. Golf shoe feature : CLEAT
23. Theater level : LOGE. Often box seats.
25. Changes for the better : AMENDS
31. Shirt with a band's logo, maybe : TEE
32. __ shower: pre-wedding event : BRIDAL
35. Throw in the first chips : ANTE
36. Dude : BRO
37. Swabbing tools : MOPS
41. New England fish : SCROD. All cod are scrod, but not all scrod are cod. How odd.
44. Flagged down : HAILED
46. Word repeated before "black sheep" : BAA. "Have you any wool?"
51. Performed better than : OUTDID. Sometimes yourself
53. __ close to schedule : ON OR
54. Shenanigan : ANTIC
55. Cowpoke's pal : PARD. A corruption of PARTNER, I guess.
57. Target practice supply : AMMO
64. Backsplash material : TILE. But what material is the tile?
65. Truth or __?: party game : DARE
66. Tied up in knots : TENSE
67. Aegean and Irish : SEAs
68. Fr. holy women : STEs
69. Polishes text : EDITS
Down:
1. Self-defense spray : MACE. Learning moment: a chemical spray originally used in riot control, 1966, technically Chemical Mace, a proprietary name (General Ordnance Equipment Corp, Pittsburgh, Pa.), probably so called for its use as a weapon, in reference to a mace.
2. More often than not : A LOT
3. "__ Lisa" : MONA
4. Saturated hillside hazards : MUD SLIDES. How's it looking, California?
5. Kerfuffle : ADO
6. Fuel for semis : DIESEL. The truck type of semis.
7. "Dawn of the Planet of the __" : APES
8. Sleep lightly : DOZE
9. Wood-shaping tool : ADZ
10. Travis or Haggard of country music : MERLE
11. Point in the proper direction : ORIENT
12. Pinball player's place : ARCADE
13. Dangerous fly : TSETSE. All the fly today.
18. Not prohibited : LEGAL
19. High points : ACMEs
24. South American tuber : OCA
25. "One thing __ time" : AT A
26. Management deg. : MBA
27. Coffee vessel : URN
28. Obedience school command : SIT. Spot on.
29. Far from cool : NERDY
30. Gold, in Granada : ORO
34. Moved to a new country : EMIGRATED
36. Hunk's physique : BOD
38. Encouragement for a flamenco dancer : ¡OLÉ!
39. Part of mph : PER
40. '60s radical gp. : SDS. (Students for a Democratic Society)
42. Mouse sound : CLICK
43. "Far out, man!" : "RAD!"
44. Bhagavad-Gita student, likely : HINDU
45. "I'll take that as __" : A NO
46. Blows one's own horn : BOASTS
47. Em, to Dorothy : AUNTIE
48. Leader of the Huns : ATTILA
50. Strong points : FORTES
52. Cuts into cubes : DICES
55. Exam for high school jrs. : PSAT
56. Suffix with million : AIRE
58. Knee-showing skirt : MINI
59. Lion's share : MOST
60. Vending machine bills : ONES
62. QB's gains : YDs
63. Had a bite : ATE
Argyle
Notes from C.C.:
1) Happy Birthday to Ron (Jazzbumpa), who taught me by example what hard work is. I saw him up close agonizing over every little clue of the two puzzles we worked together. I also see him spend hours on his every write-up. Thank you so much, Ron!
Ron and his wife Gloria
2) Happy 81st Birthday to Misty's husband Rowland! You and Misty showed us what true love is.
