Theme: Beware the herds of March. A hidden word theme from Bruce, with "herd" being the concealed noun, as the reveal explains:
61A. Certain investor ... and, based on the word hidden in each, what 17-, 26-, 37- or 50-Across is? : STOCKHOLDER
And we have:
17A. Dual-purpose machine : WASHER/DRYER. I had one in my London flat, there was no room for anything bigger. When I moved to the US I was taken about by the size of the appliances, particularly that you could fit more than a six-pack of beer and a pint of milk in the fridge.
26A. End of the end of "Gone With the Wind" : ANOTHER DAY. Tomorrow is ..
37A. Lower : FURTHER DOWN. Tricky clue, could be something to do with a cow, something to do with a sail, all kinds of options.
50A. Place to order matzo ball soup : KOSHER DELI. "All kosher delis are Jewish, but not all Jewish delis are kosher". Discuss. My favorite, Katz's in New York is "kosher style".
Straightforward theme from Bruce today, the theme entries are all solid and there's some nice fill too. Let's dig in and see what we've got:
Across:
1. Croquet surfaces : LAWNS. Did you know that the full name of Wimbledon (not Wimbleton, please) where the tennis championships are held is "The All-England Wimbledon Tennis and Croquet Club?" Wimbledon is a great place. There's a golf course I've played on Wimbledon Common where golfers have to wear a red shirt or sweater so that those strolling on the Common can see them coming and be alert for miss-hit balls whistling around their ears.
6. Chic : SMART
11. Christopher A. Wray's org. : F.B.I.
14. Roundish : OVATE
15. Course without much challenge : EASY "A"
16. Neurotic cartoon dog : REN and his buddy Stimpy.
19. Trauma ctrs. : E.R.S
20. Airport limo driver's concern, briefly : E.T.A. I'm glad I didn't have a limo driver meeting me at LAX on Tuesday from Chicago. There was an engineering problem with the plane that needed to be fixed, then a snowstorm that suspended operations for a while, then a de-icing, then Air Force One was flying into LAX which always causes delays for commerical traffic, then we had to wait 20 minutes for a gate to open up. The joys of travel. Added up to about three hours late. I've had worse.
21. "Later, dude" : PEACE
22. Scrawny : GAUNT
24. One in the woods? : BABE. I had "TREE" first. I was wrong, obviously.
28. Water filter brand : BRITA
30. Socialite adopted by the media : "IT" GIRL
31. In-house trial : TEST RUN
36. Cool drink : ADE
40. Court org. : A.B.A. American Basketball Association which merged with the NBA in 1976. Coincidentally I took this picture at the NBA office in Secaucus a couple of weeks ago of a poster which shows a few of the old ABA franchises. Miami Floridians, Oakland Oaks anyone?
42. Shut the door on : EXCLUDE
43. "How pathetic!" : SO LAME!
46. "Tree of Smoke" novelist Johnson : DENIS. Unknown to me, thank you, crosses.
55. Facebook entry : POST
56. Yarn coil : SKEIN
57. Words of urgency : I MUST. There was a breast augmentation exerciser marketed in the UK when I was growing up (I'm being serious) which had the advertising tag line "I Must, I Must, Improve My Bust". I learned this from reading my mom's copy of "Woman's Own" magazine.
59. WWII battle site, for short : IWO. Jima.
60. Rock concert effect : FOG
64. Tokyo-born artist : ONO. Yoko. Food! Ono is also an alternative name for the Hawai'ian wahoo fish.
65. Jazz pianist Chick : COREA
66. Flash of light : GLEAM
67. Word with cell or cent : RED
68. Vacuum attachments : HOSES
69. Like R.L. Stine stories : SCARY. "The Stephen King of children's writing". He looks pleasant enough.
Down:
1. Serious state of decline : LOW EBB
2. Personification : AVATAR
3. Pungent condiment : WASABI. Most wasabi you find is simply horseradish with a green food coloring. I get the genuine stuff from my local Japanese market, the flavor is a little more subtle.
4. __ degree : NTH
5. Flow slowly : SEEP
6. Four-door ride, usually : SEDAN. They call 'em "saloons" in the UK.
7. Call in a pool game : MARCO. Took me a while here. I was thinking bank shot, swerve, massé, something along the billiards lines.
8. Until now : AS YET
9. Manhattan liquor : RYE
10. Walmart rival : TARGET
11. Like some revealing slips? : FREUDIAN. Not wardrobe malfunctions.
12. Name associated with alpine rescues : BERNARD. St. Bernard rescue dogs. Don't forget the schnapps!
13. Fashion magazine : IN STYLE
18. Actor Stephen : REA
23. Tango land: Abbr. : ARG. Don't cry for me.
25. Words to a traitor : ET TU? Very apt for today.
27. Vishnu worshiper : HINDU
29. Fizzy prefix : AER-
32. Take the wheel : STEER
33. Appreciative text : THX
34. __ hall : REC
35. Bus. card address : U.R.L. Universal Resource Locator.
37. Baal : FALSE GOD
38. Like 2017 : ODD. 2017 was so last year. Odd number.
39. Lose it, in a way : WEEP
40. Requests : ASKS FOR
41. Trilogy starter : BOOK ONE
44. Sushi fish : AHI
45. Decent sort : MENSCH
47. "Darned if I know" : NO IDEA
48. "Cross my heart!" : I SWEAR!
49. Tempestuous : STORMY
51. Some designer gowns : DIORS
52. Award show VIP : EMCEE
53. Haas of "Witness" : LUKAS. First came to notice playing the role of the Amish boy in this movie. He's had a pretty successful acting and music career since. I'm not sure this is the most flattering picture though:
58. Outfits : TOGS
62. And : TOO
63. Business letters : LLC. Limited Liability Company.
And - the grid.
Steve
Notes from C.C.:
Argyle had surgery yesterday. He's stable right now. I'll let you know more information soon. Please continue keeping him in your thoughts and prayers. Thank you!
61A. Certain investor ... and, based on the word hidden in each, what 17-, 26-, 37- or 50-Across is? : STOCKHOLDER
And we have:
17A. Dual-purpose machine : WASHER/DRYER. I had one in my London flat, there was no room for anything bigger. When I moved to the US I was taken about by the size of the appliances, particularly that you could fit more than a six-pack of beer and a pint of milk in the fridge.
26A. End of the end of "Gone With the Wind" : ANOTHER DAY. Tomorrow is ..
37A. Lower : FURTHER DOWN. Tricky clue, could be something to do with a cow, something to do with a sail, all kinds of options.
50A. Place to order matzo ball soup : KOSHER DELI. "All kosher delis are Jewish, but not all Jewish delis are kosher". Discuss. My favorite, Katz's in New York is "kosher style".
Straightforward theme from Bruce today, the theme entries are all solid and there's some nice fill too. Let's dig in and see what we've got:
Across:
1. Croquet surfaces : LAWNS. Did you know that the full name of Wimbledon (not Wimbleton, please) where the tennis championships are held is "The All-England Wimbledon Tennis and Croquet Club?" Wimbledon is a great place. There's a golf course I've played on Wimbledon Common where golfers have to wear a red shirt or sweater so that those strolling on the Common can see them coming and be alert for miss-hit balls whistling around their ears.
6. Chic : SMART
11. Christopher A. Wray's org. : F.B.I.
14. Roundish : OVATE
15. Course without much challenge : EASY "A"
16. Neurotic cartoon dog : REN and his buddy Stimpy.
19. Trauma ctrs. : E.R.S
20. Airport limo driver's concern, briefly : E.T.A. I'm glad I didn't have a limo driver meeting me at LAX on Tuesday from Chicago. There was an engineering problem with the plane that needed to be fixed, then a snowstorm that suspended operations for a while, then a de-icing, then Air Force One was flying into LAX which always causes delays for commerical traffic, then we had to wait 20 minutes for a gate to open up. The joys of travel. Added up to about three hours late. I've had worse.
21. "Later, dude" : PEACE
22. Scrawny : GAUNT
24. One in the woods? : BABE. I had "TREE" first. I was wrong, obviously.
28. Water filter brand : BRITA
30. Socialite adopted by the media : "IT" GIRL
31. In-house trial : TEST RUN
36. Cool drink : ADE
40. Court org. : A.B.A. American Basketball Association which merged with the NBA in 1976. Coincidentally I took this picture at the NBA office in Secaucus a couple of weeks ago of a poster which shows a few of the old ABA franchises. Miami Floridians, Oakland Oaks anyone?
42. Shut the door on : EXCLUDE
43. "How pathetic!" : SO LAME!
46. "Tree of Smoke" novelist Johnson : DENIS. Unknown to me, thank you, crosses.
55. Facebook entry : POST
56. Yarn coil : SKEIN
57. Words of urgency : I MUST. There was a breast augmentation exerciser marketed in the UK when I was growing up (I'm being serious) which had the advertising tag line "I Must, I Must, Improve My Bust". I learned this from reading my mom's copy of "Woman's Own" magazine.
59. WWII battle site, for short : IWO. Jima.
60. Rock concert effect : FOG
64. Tokyo-born artist : ONO. Yoko. Food! Ono is also an alternative name for the Hawai'ian wahoo fish.
65. Jazz pianist Chick : COREA
66. Flash of light : GLEAM
67. Word with cell or cent : RED
68. Vacuum attachments : HOSES
69. Like R.L. Stine stories : SCARY. "The Stephen King of children's writing". He looks pleasant enough.
Down:
1. Serious state of decline : LOW EBB
2. Personification : AVATAR
3. Pungent condiment : WASABI. Most wasabi you find is simply horseradish with a green food coloring. I get the genuine stuff from my local Japanese market, the flavor is a little more subtle.
4. __ degree : NTH
5. Flow slowly : SEEP
6. Four-door ride, usually : SEDAN. They call 'em "saloons" in the UK.
7. Call in a pool game : MARCO. Took me a while here. I was thinking bank shot, swerve, massé, something along the billiards lines.
8. Until now : AS YET
9. Manhattan liquor : RYE
10. Walmart rival : TARGET
11. Like some revealing slips? : FREUDIAN. Not wardrobe malfunctions.
12. Name associated with alpine rescues : BERNARD. St. Bernard rescue dogs. Don't forget the schnapps!
13. Fashion magazine : IN STYLE
18. Actor Stephen : REA
23. Tango land: Abbr. : ARG. Don't cry for me.
25. Words to a traitor : ET TU? Very apt for today.
27. Vishnu worshiper : HINDU
29. Fizzy prefix : AER-
32. Take the wheel : STEER
33. Appreciative text : THX
34. __ hall : REC
35. Bus. card address : U.R.L. Universal Resource Locator.
37. Baal : FALSE GOD
38. Like 2017 : ODD. 2017 was so last year. Odd number.
39. Lose it, in a way : WEEP
40. Requests : ASKS FOR
41. Trilogy starter : BOOK ONE
44. Sushi fish : AHI
45. Decent sort : MENSCH
47. "Darned if I know" : NO IDEA
48. "Cross my heart!" : I SWEAR!
49. Tempestuous : STORMY
51. Some designer gowns : DIORS
52. Award show VIP : EMCEE
53. Haas of "Witness" : LUKAS. First came to notice playing the role of the Amish boy in this movie. He's had a pretty successful acting and music career since. I'm not sure this is the most flattering picture though:
58. Outfits : TOGS
62. And : TOO
63. Business letters : LLC. Limited Liability Company.
And - the grid.
Steve
Argyle had surgery yesterday. He's stable right now. I'll let you know more information soon. Please continue keeping him in your thoughts and prayers. Thank you!
