38A. School's underclass team ... or, initially, what the four longest answers in this puzzle comprise : JV SQUAD
17A. Decision of a courtroom dozen : JURY VERDICT
22A. Business partnership : JOINT VENTURE
48A. Words on Monopoly's Jail square : JUST VISITING
57A. Vital blood vessel : JUGULAR VEIN
Argyle here, in a bit of a quandary. This is Andy's first solo effort with us and it's a doozy. The theme is an easy reveal but an impressive construction. The problem lies in the level of the fill, ranging from crosswordese to Thursday level. Nearly a pangram(no H) and a trio of six letter stacks on the sides gives us a good start to the week...or a warning?
Across:
1. Cager Shaquille : O'NEAL
6. Port in southeastern Iraq : BASRA. Anagram of Arabs.
11. Butcher's trimmings : FAT
14. Actor Gabriel or singer David : BYRNE. David is lead for The Talking Heads while Gabriel may become more well know with an upcoming film.
15. "Family Matters" misfit : URKEL. The annoying "Did I do that?" kid.
16. Sci-fi aircraft : UFO
19. Half an evasive route : ZAG
20. Noisy pig : OINKER
21. Poet Pound : EZRA. Yes, that's his real name.
27. "Snowy" birds : EGRETS
28. Fuse with an alloy : SOLDER
32. Greek Cupid : EROS
33. Letter between rho and tau : SIGMA
36. Chicken __ king : À LA. The sauce is the thing in Chicken à la King but the creator of the sauce is in dispute.
37. Fled the scene : RAN
40. Tennis division : SET. Match, set, game.
41. Tokyo, once : EDO. crosswordese.
42. Itty-bitty : EENSY
43. Donated : GAVE
44. Hereditary ruler : DYNAST
46. Made amends : ATONED
52. Head over heels (over) : GAGA
55. Bronx baseballer : YANKEE. Hey, stop that booing!
56. Mimic : APE
62. Buddhist sect : ZEN
63. Supreme Court justice Kagan : ELENA
64. Pass on, as a message : RELAY
65. Lumberjack's tool : AXE
66. Like toads : WARTY
67. Japanese cartoon art : ANIME
Down:
1. Noun after a vb., generally : OBJect
2. Big Apple sch. : NYU. (New York University)
3. Make a mistake : ERR
4. "It's still __ game" : ANYONE'S. Common sports comentary.
5. "Inception" actor Joseph Gordon-__ : LEVITT
6. Actress Delta : BURKE
7. Shakespearean forest : ARDEN
8. Blouse go-with : SKIRT
9. Camcorder button : RECord
10. PC key : ALT. Who peeked? Wait! Don't ask, don't tell.
11. Peach __ : FUZZ
12. Miles off : AFAR
13. "Julius Caesar" costume : TOGA. Gaius Julius Caesar we now know.
18. Holders of ltrs. or bills : ENVS. (envelopes)
21. Long-bodied swimmer : EEL
22. Razzed : JEERED
23. Sweet Rosie of song : O'GRADY. The Uncle Miltie Show, take a look.
24. Applied with heat, as patches : IRON ON
25. West Point letters : USMA. (United States Military Academy)
26. Willie Nelson's "On the __ Again" : ROAD
29. Aquafina rival : DASANI. Pepsi vs Coke.
30. Late news hour : ELEVEN
31. Kid-friendly, TV-wise : RATED G
33. Govt.-issued ID : SSN
34. Mensa stats : IQs
35. Fella : GUY
38. Bach's "__, Joy of Man's Desiring" : JESU
39. November honorees : VETs. The 11 hour of the 11 day of the 11 month.
43. Settled a score : GOT EVEN
45. 1977 Steely Dan album : AJA. crosswordese.
46. "__ silly question ... " : ASK A
47. __ del Fuego : TIERRA. Southernmost tip of the South American mainland.
49. Blake's "burning bright" big cat : TYGER
Tyger Tyger, burning bright,
In the forests of the night;
What immortal hand or eye,
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?
50. Brag : VAUNT. Often used as VAUNTED.
51. Decorative woodwork : INLAY
52. Disputed Mideast strip : GAZA
53. Peak : APEX
54. Heredity unit : GENE
57. Yom Kippur observer : JEW
58. Suffix with form : ULA. (formula)
59. Quarterback Manning : ELI
60. "__ the Walrus" : I AM
61. "Science Guy" Bill : NYE
Argyle
Note from C.C.:
Misty's husband Rowland passed away on Saturday afternoon. Misty said "He had still been able to answer questions
and even respond to crossword puzzle clues on Wednesday, but
became unresponsive that night. Thankfully he appeared to have
very little pain and I held his hand when he stopped breathing."
Our condolences to Misty, who's been contributing to our blog almost daily since 2011. Rowland introduced crosswords to Misty after his stroke in 2008 and they often solved LAT Daily together.
Misty & Rowland 2009 (15th Anniversary Party) |