Theme: Art Form - Three mediums a sculptor might use.
17A. In a precarious situation : ON THIN ICE
26A. Like a lake during a dead calm : SMOOTH AS GLASS
43A. Permanent : CARVED IN STONE
59A. Art form in which the ends of 17-, 26- and 43-Across may be used : SCULPTURE
Argyle here(a second time; Hit a wrong button and, POOF!, my write up was gone. Oh, well.) Brock's second time also. (Debut little over a year ago.) As I was saying ... we go from transient(ICE) to fragile (GLASS) to solid (STONE). Theme entries are three part. Plethora of four letter entries. Fill is across the board. Two long columns stitch it together.
Across:
1. Having been cut, as grass : MOWN
5. Stage showoffs : HAMS
9. "The Prince and the Pauper" author Mark : TWAIN
14. The "E" in Q.E.D. : ERAT
15. Parisian gal pal : AMIE
16. Salon dye : HENNA
19. Fats Domino genre, briefly : R AND B. (rhythm and blues)
20. Tales of __: misfortunes : WOE. See 23-Across.
21. Market shelves filler: Abbr. : MDSE. (merchandise)
22. Ambles : MOSEYS
23. Pabst brand : STROH'S. The story behind the brand. Forbes
25. Swimmer's path : LANE
32. Dessert with icing : CAKE
34. Mr. Rogers : FRED
35. __ Beta Kappa : PHI
36. Really mess up : RUIN
37. Dude : FELLA
39. Resting atop : UPON
40. State south of Wash. : ORE. (Washington/Oregon)
41. Jury member : PEER
42. Struggle (through), as mud : SLOG
48. Exiled Roman poet : OVID
49. "Right away!" : "IN A SEC!". Demand and response?
52. Added financial burden for drivers : GAS TAX
55. Bag for a picnic race : SACK
57. Massage reaction : [AAH!]
58. Pretended to be : ACTED
61. Glisten : SHINE
62. Mr. Peanut's stick : CANE
63. Pac-12 member : UCLA. 59D. 63-Across, for one: Abbr. : SCH. (school)
64. "The Great" king of Judea : HEROD
65. Rec room centerpiece : HD TV
66. Number one : BEST
Down:
1. Cat conversation : MEOWS
2. "To be, __ to be ..." : OR NOT
3. One being pulled behind a boat : WATER SKIER
4. High degree, in math : NTH
5. "Don't touch that!" : "HANDS OFF!":
6. "London Fields" author Martin : AMIS. London Fields is a black comic, murder mystery novel published in 1989.
7. "Three Blind __" : MICE
8. "Get my point?" : "SEE?"
9. Big crowd : THRONG
10. "Pop goes" critter : WEASEL
11. Novelist Brontë : ANNE. "But he that dares not grasp the thorn Should never crave the rose." She was the youngest and least known of the Brontë sisters.
12. "500" race, familiarly : INDY Indianapolis 500.
13. Hauls off to jail : NABS
18. Texter's "I think ..." : IMHO. (in my humble opinion) IMAO (In My Arrogant Opinion)
22. Live __: Taco Bell slogan : MÁS. LIVE MORE
24. Black cat, to some : OMEN
25. Soup servers : LADLES
27. Fearful : TREPID
28. Her face launched a thousand ships : HELEN. Thus, 1 millihelen is the amount of beauty needed to launch a single ship.
29. Puréed fruit served with pork : APPLESAUCE. Apple orchards around here are having a very good year.
30. "Scram!" : "SHOO!"
31. Perform a ballad : SING
32. Gator's kin : CROC
33. Ghostly emanation : AURA
38. Section describing the United States Constitution's amendment process : ARTICLE V
39. Annapolis inst. : USNA. (United States Naval Academy)
44. Cast a negative ballot : VOTE NO
45. Dodged : EVADED
46. New Jersey fort : DIX
47. Like a GI scraping plates : ON KP
50. Viscounts' superiors : EARLS
51. Glance sideways during a test, maybe : CHEAT
52. Serious cut : GASH
53. Throbbing pain : ACHE
54. Mix in a glass : STIR
55. Large amount : SCAD
56. Marie, to Donny's sons : AUNT. The Osmonds.
60. Place for a soak : TUB. [AAH!]
Argyle
Argyle
Notes from C.C.:
Crosswords LA Tournaments will be held on Oct 24, 2015 (Saturday) at the Fowler Museum at UCLA. You don't need to be a wizard solver to participate. As you can see, they have four brackets for different skill levels. Doubles are always fun. Or you can just be a spectator, solving at the same time with other competitors but your grids won't be scored.
It's an annual charity event Elissa Grossman started in 2009 to raise money for Reading to Kids. I hope our readers in SoCal area will attend the event and support the cause. As Elissa said, "with only a few destined to really have a shot at the tip top, it's more about camaraderie among like-minded puzzle enthusiasts."
How fun to mingle with crossword constructors, bloggers and fellow solvers? And have crossword-themed snack? Our Steve attended it a few years ago, and he might be there this year.
