Theme: Boom Boom, Out Go the Lights. The lights come back on when the start of these five seemingly random entries are brought together by the unifier.
17A. *Handy tool to have when you're out of loose-leaf paper : HOLE PUNCH. Black Hole - where the car keys go.
29A. *Amulet : MAGIC CHARM. Black Magic - how the keys disappeared.
37A. *Prime ballpark accommodation : BOX SEAT. Black Box - in the news all to often.
39A. *Architectural style featuring geometric shapes : ART DECO. Black Art - without an 's' on Art, it is African American Art.
44A. *Stand-up venue : COMEDY CLUB. Black Comedy - definitely two meanings; comedy that employs morbid, gloomy, grotesque, or calamitous situations in its plot or comedy either by African Americans or shows featuring characters of African ethnicity. Redd Foxx had it all covered.
60A. Ostracize ... and what the first words of the answers to starred clues comprise : BLACKLIST. In our sense, BLACK LIST.
Argyle here with another debut and a good one at that. A few tough words and some crosswordese but all in all, a good start to the week.
Across:
1. "The Alphabet Song" opening : A B C D
5. Closed : SHUT
9. Postpone : DEFER
14. Lemony in taste : SOUR. Our first CSO. (Coincidental Shout Out)
15. "__ Lisa" : MONA
16. Overjoy : ELATE. If Mona was elated, she didn't show it.
19. Red-suited reindeer driver : SANTA. My personal CSO.
20. China's Zhou __ : ENLAI
21. Forming a queue : LINING UP
23. Memory aid, such as "HOMES" for the Great Lakes : MNEMONIC
26. Amount paid : COST
34. Sch. in the smallest state : URI. (University of Rhode Island)
35. T-shirt sizes, for short : SML. small, medium, large
36. Sound portion of a movie : AUDIO
41. Amazed : IN AWE
42. Regret : RUE
43. "__ Misérables" : LES
48. French father : PÈRE
49. Kids' show host with a "Neighborhood" : MR. ROGERS
51. "Will you marry me?" is one : PROPOSAL
55. Flusters : FAZES
59. Deceived : LED ON
63. Submit tax returns online : eFILE. Timely.
64. Actor Lugosi : BELA
65. Sulk : MOPE
66. Small and unimportant : DINKY
67. Cheese from the Netherlands : EDAM
68. Winter fall : SNOW. Enough already!
Down:
1. Arthur of tennis : ASHE. Crossword's favorite player.
2. Timely benefit : BOON
3. Select with care : CULL
4. Imagined while sleeping : DREAMT. "There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy."
5. Church-founded Dallas sch. : SMU. (Southern Methodist University)
6. Luv : HON. Not exactly abbreviations; I'm not sure what to call them.
7. Clean with Liquid-Plumr : UNCLOG
8. Hummus paste : TAHINI
9. Dry up : DESICCATE. The little packages you find with some items is desiccant.
10. Vivacity : ELAN
11. Vampire tooth : FANG. Normally, they come in pairs.
12. Caesar's immortal "And you?" : "ET TU?"
13. Gather in a field : REAP
18. Bowler's target : PIN. CSO Boomer.
22. Actor Cage, in tabloids : NIC
24. Austen heroine : EMMA. "Emma Woodhouse, handsome, clever, and rich."
25. Milkshake additive : MALT. How common is it? You have to ask for it around here.
26. Like Rubik's creation : CUBIC
27. Maine college town : ORONO
28. Early riser's hr. : SIX AM
30. 1963 Paul Newman film : "HUD"
31. Dancer Astaire : ADELE. She was Fred's elder sister, and his partner in a 27-year career in vaudeville and theater, beginning when he was five and she was eight.
32. Potato cutter : RICER. I wouldn't want to be that potato; Julia looks demented.
33. Bullwinkle, for one : MOOSE
35. Start-up cash : SEED MONEY
38. Nor. neighbor : SWE. Norway/Sweden
39. Cut __: dance, in old slang : A RUG
40. Hick : RUBE
45. 1520 and 2015, e.g.: Abbr. : YRs
46. Buster who played Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon : CRABBE. He was raised in Hawaii. I didn't know that. Wiki link
47. Lazed : LOLLED
48. Biblical songs : PSALMS
50. Bobby's monogram, in '60s politics : RFK. Robert Francis "Bobby" Kennedy
51. Argued in court : PLED
52. Lower-interest mtge. : REFI. (ReFinance)
53. Norse war god : ODIN
54. President when Texas was annexed : POLK
56. Utah national park : ZION
57. 1960s-'70s Boston Bruins nickname : ESPO. Phil Esposito
58. Hearty dish : STEW
61. Pie __ mode : À LA
62. Pic taker : CAM. picture/camera
Argyle
Note from C.C.
Happy Birthday to our talented Saturday Stud Splynter! Hope you're having fun making the board/card game during your precious one-week vacation. I love reading what you think of the puzzle every Saturday and getting a glimpse of what's going on in your life. Thanks for all your hard work, Splynter!
