Theme: No Politics - Theme word can be to the right of the target word(center).
17A. School group excursion: FIELD TRIP. Center Field.(baseball)
31A. First single by a rapper to reach #1 on the Billboard Hot 100: "ICE ICE BABY". Center Ice.(hockey)
36A. Somewhat conservative, politically ... and where the first word of 17-, 31-, 43- and 60-Across can literally be found: RIGHT OF CENTER
43A. Economize: CUT CORNERS. Center cut.(meat)
60A. Actor's pseudonym: STAGE NAME. Center Stage(theater)
Argyle here in the middle which happens to be where the reveal is.
Across:
1. Perp chaser: COP
4. "E pluribus unum" language: LATIN
9. Agreement to stop fighting: TRUCE
14. Tycoon Onassis, familiarly: ARI. Aristotle Onassis, second husband of "Jackie" Kennedy.
15. Enticing smell: AROMA
16. Steam, e.g.: VAPOR
19. Santa __ racetrack: ANITA
20. Absolute: TOTAL
21. Ad infinitum: NO END
23. Oakland's county: ALAMEDA
26. WWII craft: LST. (Landing Ship, Tank)
27. Prime rib au __: JUS. Prime rib with its own natural juices from cooking.
30. Costner's "The Untouchables" role: NESS. Kevin Costner/Eliot Ness.
34. Feudal drudge: SERF
35. In the altogether: NAKED
41. Pink cocktail, for short: COSMO
 |
| Cosmopolitan |
42. Greek "i": IOTA
46. __ Linda, Calif.: LOMA. (Spanish for "beautiful hill")
50. Vintage auto: REO
51. Earl Grey, for one: TEA
52. Optometrist's test: EYE EXAM
54. Infant in a crèche: JESUS
56. Railroad in Monopoly: B AND O
57. Continuous humming sound: THRUM
63. Reeves of "Bill & Ted" films: KEANU
 |
| Wyld Stallyns |
64. More than ready: EAGER
65. Civil War soldier: REB. A subtle SO to our constructor?
66. Winning: ON TOP
67. Operative: AGENT
68. Evidence on "CSI": DNA. (Crime Scene Investigation/DeoxyriboNucleic Acid)
Down:
1. Lounging robe: CAFTAN
2. Baltimore bird: ORIOLE. The Baltimore Orioles are in the same division as 6-Down. Canadian A.L. East team: TOR. The Toronto Blue Jays.
3. Michelangelo sculptures: PIETÀs. He was working on this Pietà when he died.
4. Soup scoop: LADLE
5. Singer Garfunkel: ART. Did You Know: Despite being a native New Yorker, Garfunkel is a lifelong Philadelphia Phillies fan.
7. "You can count on me!": "I'M IN!"
8. Seaport in Italia: NAPOLI. (Naples)
9. "Rabbit ears" on an RCA cabinet, back in the day: TV ANTENNA
10. Mapmaker __ McNally: RAND
11. News org. since 1958: UPI. (United Press International)
12. Camper's snoozing spot: COT
13. Pitcher's stat: ERA. (Earned Run Average)
18. Hightails it: LAMS
22. Upper-left PC key: ESC. (escape)
24. Lose weight: DIET
25. Prefix for phobia meaning "height": ACRO. Acrophobia.
27. One of the Blues Brothers: JAKE. John Belushi was "Joliet" Jake Blues. Dan Aykroyd was Elwood Blues.
28. Ride for hire: UBER
29. Pink Floyd guitarist Barrett: SYD. Song originally written by Syd as a teen during the height of Bob Dylan mania in Europe (pre-Pink Floyd).
32. Jennifer Hudson's "Dreamgirls" role: EFFIE
33. Slugger's club: BAT
34. Typical Western: SHOOT 'EM UP
36. Don Juan: ROUE
37. Analogy words: IS TO
38. Yukon automaker: GMC. ((General Motors Truck Company))
39. Apple throwaway: CORE
40. Craftsy website: ETSY. Link
41. "Lookin' Out My Back Door" band, initially: CCR. (Creedence Clearwater Revival)
44. High-__ graphics: RES. High Resolution.
45. Queasy feeling: NAUSEA
46. Like unfatty meat: LEAN
47. Ventura County's largest city: OXNARD. Henry Oxnard ... intended to name the settlement after the Greek word for "sugar", zachari, but frustrated by bureaucracy, named it after himself.(1897) History
48. Lunatics: MAD MEN
49. Single-celled organism: AMOEBA
53. Film critic Roger: EBERT
54. Jupiter's wife: JUNO. Roman deities.
55. Guys-only: STAG
57. Boxing outcome, for short: TKO. (Technical KnockOut)
58. Farm clucker: HEN
59. Stool pigeon: RAT
61. Cake candle count: AGE
62. Mil. bigwig: GEN. (general)
Did it seem like a baseball sub-theme to you? Think I'll sit and look out my back door.
Argyle
