Theme: Tao - As Steven Tyler sang, "Walk This WAY".
18A. Particularly welcome casino visitor : HIGH ROLLER. Highway.
23A. Court case that generates a media frenzy, say : CAUSE CÉLÈBRE. Causeway.
52A. Abe Lincoln nickname : RAIL SPLITTER. Railway.
60A. Irritate to the breaking point : DRIVE CRAZY. Driveway.
39A. "Nice job!" ... and, in another sense, a hint about the first words of 18-, 23-, 52- and 60-Across : WAY TO GO
Argyle here. What with the golf clues, I thought I'd find a fairway but like my drives, nope. The reveal was right in the middle though. Still a little crunch to 1-Across but Gail and Bruce's offering seems a tad easier than Monday's.
Across:
1. Command from a bailiff : "OYEZ"
5. Circle calculation : AREA
9. They smell : NOSES. lol
14. Like Mini Coopers : BOXY. The new BMW version and the old Austin Mini.
15. Pond croaker : TOAD. "Ribbit!"
16. Swine squeals : OINKS
17. Gave the once-over : EYED
20. Alpine song : YODEL
22. Ear-splitting : LOUD
30. Handsome god : APOLLO. 47A. Handsome god : ADONIS. Greeks.
32. Get really angry : SEE RED
33. Granada gold : ORO
34. Irritate : ANNOY
37. "CSI" facilities : LABS
38. Tee sizes, for short : SML. (small, medium, large)
42. Geese formation : VEE
43. Leafy veggie baked for chips : KALE
45. Bitten by bees : STUNG
46. Angled pipe fitting : ELL
50. __ Raiders: consumer advocates : NADER'S. (Ralph Nader)
55. Principal role : LEAD
56. Diet food phrase : [NO FAT]
66. Shredded : TORE
67. Construction beam fastener : RIVET
68. Former South Korean leader Syngman __ : RHEE
69. Golf club used for chipping : IRON. 7D. One below birdie : EAGLE. 57D. Warning from a driver? : "FORE!"
70. Blissful settings : EDENS
71. Jedi guru : YODA
72. Small change : CENT
Down:
1. Do as directed : OBEY
2. Toy with a spool : YOYO
3. Deleted, with "out" : EXed
4. Louisiana music style : ZYDECO
5. Olympics fig. : ATH. (athlete)
6. French monarch : ROI
8. Specialized, committee-wise : AD HOC
9. Bit of pasta : NOODLE
10. Frying liquid : OIL
11. NBC show since 1975, briefly : SNL
12. Barely manage, with "out" : EKE
13. Ukr. or Lith., once : SSR. (Soviet Socialist Republic)
19. Feels remorse over : RUEs
21. Bochco legal series : "L.A. LAW"
24. Forearm bone : ULNA
25. Some DVD players : SONYs
26. Sinuous swimmer : EEL
27. Less cowardly : BRAVER
28. Insurgent group : REBELS
29. '50s four-wheeled flop : EDSEL
30. 16th-century Spanish fleet : ARMADA
31. Hoi __: the masses : POLLOI
33. Heroic Schindler : OSKAR. He had a list.
35. Giants Hall of Famer Mel : OTT
36. Brewers Hall of Famer Robin : YOUNT. Shortstop and center fielder.
40. Pest in a swarm : GNAT
41. Utah city near the Golden Spike : OGDEN. The "Golden Spike" at Promontory Summit, north-west of Ogden, is where the ceremonial final spike joined the Central Pacific and Union Pacific railroads on May 10, 1869.
44. Photo blowup: Abbr. : ENL. (enlargement)
48. Sea spots? : ISLETs
49. Blueprint detail, for short : SPEC. (specification)
51. Sexy : EROTIC
53. Cable Guy of comedy : LARRY
54. The Gem State : IDAHO. It is the "Gem State" because nearly every known type of gemstone has been found there.
58. Elvis __ Presley : ARON
59. No-frills shelter : TENT. Thrown up by a pitcher.
60. Hip-hop Dr. : DRE
61. Free (of) : RID
62. "__ changed my mind" : I'VE
63. Caracas' country, to the IOC : VEN. (Venezuela)
64. Athens : omega :: London : __ : ZED. The end of the alphabet in Greek and English.
65. Assenting vote : YEA
Argyle
Note from C.C.:
Happy Birthday to Chairman Moe, who has been quiet lately. What's up, pal?
Happy Birthday to Chairman Moe, who has been quiet lately. What's up, pal?