Theme: 2 by 6 - Six theme entries that start with the same two letters.
16A. Crustacean catcher: LOBSTER POT
25A. Weapon in Clue: LEAD PIPE
42A. Slip for a tardy student: LATE PASS
55A. Decorator's wall prettifier: LATEX PAINT
10D. Backyard bash: LAWN PARTY
32D. Keats or Byron, e.g.: LYRIC POET
55D. Collectors' albums ... and a hint to six puzzle answers: LP's
Argyle here. Quantity over quality. A simple two letter theme(but six of them) with a grid that is compartmentalized makes this a stiff Monday. This Brock's third puzzle and perhaps his most complex yet. Not very many names which will make some happy. With LP's as the unifier, I should find some album songs to post. Update: I didn't find much.
Across:
1. Is blessed with, as talent: HAS
4. Creator of Finn and Sawyer: TWAIN, Mark.
9. Leave rolling in the aisles: SLAY
13. That, in Spain: ESA
14. "Olde" store: SHOPPE
15. Ring over an angel: HALO
18. Out of town: AWAY
19. Intent: PURPOSE
20. OB/GYN procedure: AMNIO. (amniocentesis)
21. Hiding spot for a cheater's ace: SLEEVE
22. Put off bedtime: STAY UP, but after 4 hours....
27. Brewery product: ALE
30. "Defending our rights" org.: ACLU. (American Civil Liberties Union)
33. Electrified atoms: IONs
34. Scans for injured athletes, briefly: MRIs. (Magnetic Resonance Imaging)
35. __ Mawr College: BRYN. Welsh for "big hill".
36. Piece of pizza: SLICE
37. To-do list entry: ITEM
38. Worse-than-one's-bite quality: BARK
39. Online TV giant: HULU. Any users?
40. Since, in a holiday song: SYNE
41. Fifi's friend: AMI
45. Like the Arctic, compared to most of the planet: COLDER
47. Two-base hit: DOUBLE
51. Debate issue: TOPIC
53. Illness characterized by a red rash: MEASLES
54. Soon, to a bard: ANON
58. Subtle look: PEEK
59. Lion groups: PRIDES
60. Former AT&T rival: GTE. formerly General Telephone & Electric Corporation (1955–1982)
61. Former fast planes: SSTs. formerly SuperSonic Transport
62. Unemotional: STOIC
63. Bladed gardening tool: HOE. Ah, groundbreaking invention.
Down:
1. Makes a difference: HELPS
2. "I won't tell __!": A SOUL
3. Buffalo hockey player: SABRE
4. Title venue for Hemingway's old man: THE SEA. If you meant, like me, to read it, well, here it is. The Old Man and the Sea.
5. Sported: WORE
6. Kindle download: APP
7. Wall St. debut: IPO. (initial public offering (IPO) first time that the stock of a private company is offered to the public)
8. Volleyball barrier: NET
9. SeaWorld star: SHAMU
11. Jai __: ALAI
12. String-around-your-finger toy: YOYO. Toy of the moment.
14. Cooking appliance: STOVE
17. Explore caves: SPELUNK. "cave, cavern," c.1300, from Old French spelonque or directly from Latin spelunca "a cave, cavern, grotto," from Greek spelynx (genitive spelyngos). An adjective, speluncar "of a cave" is recorded from 1855. ~ Online Etymology Dictionary.
20. Sailor's word of obedience: AYE
22. Information that ruins the ending: SPOILER
23. Costner/Russo golf film: TIN CUP. ¡Golfers!
24. Basilica recess: APSE
26. Water down: DILUTE
28. Bank claim: LIEN
29. Salinger's "With Love and Squalor" girl: ESME
30. Palindromic pop group: ABBA. No links to albums allowed.
31. Study all night: CRAM
34. Pageant title with 51 contestants (the 50 states plus D.C.): MISS USA
36. Roe source: SHAD
42. Partners' legal entity: Abbr.: LLC. (limited liability company)
43. Madison Ave. bigwig: AD EXEC
44. Most TV "operas": SOAPS. Remember this one?
46. Sounds from sties: OINKS
48. "Mutiny on the Bounty" captain: BLIGH
49. Slow movement: LENTO
50. Perfumer Lauder: ESTÉE
51. Four-note lights-out tune: TAPS
52. Singles: ONEs
53. Prefix with care: MEDI
56. Gallery collection: ART
57. Chihuahua uncle: TIO
Chihuahua City, Chihuahua State, Mexico.
Argyle
Note from C.C.:
Happy Birthday to dear Steve, who's blogged for us from all over the world. Has any of you ever tried his mayo recipe? So simple. So delicious. I halved everything the second time, as I could not use up the amount the first time. How long do you keep yours, Steve? One article I read suggests that home-made mayo is good for 3 days.
