Theme: "The wheels on the bus ..." - go like today's theme; round and round.
17A. Hand from the audience: ROUND OF APPLAUSE
27A. Group one likes to hang with: CIRCLE OF FRIENDS
48A. Area in which one has power: SPHERE OF CONTROL
63A . 1970 Temptations hit with the subtitle "That's What the World Is Today": BALL OF CONFUSION
Argyle here. Four grid spanners, impressed?. Consistent middle word; either be all the same or all be different, so long as it's consistent. A couple of old pro constructors, always a duo. Plethora of proper names.
Across:
1. Gospel truth: FACT
5. Previous time of life: PAST
9. Broadway bombs: FLOPS
14. Southwestern stewpot: OLLA
15. Texter's modest "I think ... ": IMHO. (in my humble opinion)
16. Choosing rhyme starter: EENIE
20. Actor __ Ivory Wayans: KEENEN
21. Castle barrier: MOAT
22. Con man's sucker: SAP
23. Robert of "The Sopranos": ILER
25. Is the right size: FITS
34. Prefix with logical: ECO
35. Shrunken Asian sea: ARAL
36. Braid: PLAIT
37. Jump: LEAP
39. Blue cartoon papa: SMURF
42. "Zip-__-Doo-Dah": A-DEE
43. Clear, as an argument: LUCID
45. Holiday trees: FIRS
47. "Hometown Proud" supermarket chain: IGA
 |
| "Hometown Sad" |
52. Royal sari wearer: RANI
 |
| Rani Mukherjee Looks |
53. Indian nurse: AMAH
54. Plugs for products: ADS
57. Swallow hard: GULP
59. Frightened, in dialect: AFEARD. "I don't believe in ghosts but I've been AFEARD of them all my life."
66. Sing like Bing: CROON. Bing Crosby.
67. Actress Jessica: ALBA
68. Creative spark: IDEA
69. Frets: STEWS
70. Close at hand: NEAR
71. Droops like an old sofa: SAGs. A more user friendly clue.
Down:
1. Road split: FORK
2. Skin soother: ALOE
3. Game with suspects: CLUE
4. Kind of acid in red wine: TANNIC
5. First settlers: PIONEERS
6. Big initials in bowling: AMF. CSO to Boomer.
7. Bedding accessory: SHAM
8. Fill to the brim: TOP OFF
9. Soft penpoint: FELT TIP
10. Pasture: LEA
11. Responsibility: ONUS
12. Italian tower town: PISA
13. Ooze: SEEP
18. Singer Reese: DELLA. Early Della.
19. Two of a kind: PAIR
24. Wander: ROAM
26. Actress Ward: SELA
27. Basic anatomy units: CELLS
28. Freeze over: ICE-UP
29. Insect trapped in a "motel": ROACH
30. Pillow down, say: FLUFF
31. Low point: NADIR
32. San __ Padres: DIEGO
33. Take illegally: STEAL
38. Jetty: PIER
40. Costa __: RICA
41. How the wise men came: FROM AFAR. Too soon for the song.
44. Fire-breathing beasts: DRAGONS
46. Major mix-up: SNAFU
49. Sufficient, in texts: ENUF. (enough)
50. Tin Man's need: OIL CAN
51. Grad student's paper: THESIS
54. Grade school basics: ABC's
55. Pointed pub flier: DART
56. __ gin fizz: SLOE
58. Flag holder: POLE
60. Verdi title princess: AIDA
61. "Walkabout" director Nicolas: ROEG
62. Genetic carriers: DNAs
64. Weather map "L": LOW
65. Org. with Lakers and Clippers: NBA. (National Basketball Association)
Argyle
