Theme: Masquerade - All set for the masquerade ball.
17A. *One harvesting honey : BEEKEEPER
25A. *One planning a job : BANK ROBBER
40A. *One calling strikes : HOME PLATE UMPIRE
50A. *One working at a low level : SCUBA DIVER
64A. Lone Ranger epithet, or what each answer to a starred clue often is : MASKED MAN
Argyle unmasked. A definite chuckle when I got the unifier. And some other chuckles in there too but your results might vary. It's been a little over a year since John's last visit, I hope the next one is sooner.
Across:
1. Mythical bird : ROC. Off to a roc[k]y start.
4. Spanish hero played by Heston : EL CID
9. Bush successor : OBAMA
14. Oktoberfest gripe : "ACH!"
15. Protest sign word : PEACE
16. Purple Heart, e.g. : MEDAL
19. Freezing cold : GELID
20. Count in music : BASIE. (Count Basie)
21. Nothing, in Normandy : RIEN
23. Floor cleaner scent : PINE
24. MIT part: Abbr. : INST. (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
27. Words before grip or life : GET A
29. Pub offering : ALE
30. Mom-and-pop org. : PTA. (parent-teacher association) I was leaning towards IGA.
32. Havens : OASES
36. Exorcism target : DEMON
43. Cara or Castle : IRENE. Irene Cara sang about dancing ("Flashdance") and Irene Castle did it with hubby, Vernon.
44. Pursue : CHASE
45. Pop : DAD Father figure.
46. Westminster show org. : AKC. (American Kennel Club)
 |
| Miss P, Westminster's 2015 Best in Show Winner |
48. Wraps up : ENDS
56. Dench of "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" : JUDI. Fabulous.
59. Biceps exercise : CURL
60. Genesis brother : CAIN
61. Surround : HEM IN
62. Bird that lays blue eggs : ROBIN. They're back.
66. Muscat resident : OMANI
67. Not as happy : BLUER
68. Yale Bowl rooter : ELI
69. Class-ending sounds : DONGs
70. River to the Rhone : ISERE
71. Fish eggs : ROE
Down:
1. Synagogue official : RABBI
2. It has a floor but no ceiling : OCEAN. Might have some scuba divers.
3. Competition with knights : CHESS GAME
4. Olympian's blade : EPEE
5. Novelist Harper : LEE. Harper Lee has been in the news recently.
6. "It's a Wonderful Life" director : CAPRA. Frank Capra
7. Strand during a blizzard, say : ICE IN
8. Yankee shortstop Jeter : DEREK
9. Online "Wow!" : "OMG!". (Oh My G**)
10. "Hey, the light is green!" : [BEEP!BEEP!]
11. Wing it at the lectern : AD LIB
12. Augusta's home : MAINE. Every golfer knows it's Augusta, Georgia. The Masters will be held there April 9–12.
13. Birch family tree : ALDER
18. Flier usually shorter than its tail : KITE. Old punch line, "She said go fly a kite."
22. Gun lobby gp. : NRA. (National Rifle Association)
25. False idol : BAAL
26. "Grumpy" movie heroes : OLD MEN. Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau.(1993) sequel "Grumpier Old Men" (1995) But Burgess Meredith upstaged them both.
28. Sunflower State capital : TOPEKA, Kansas.
30. __ Beta Kappa : PHI
31. A.L. East team : TOR. (Toronto Blue Jays) Big CSO to CanadianEh!
33. Cul-de-__ : SAC
34. Biblical suffix : ETH
35. 50-Across milieu : SEA. The scuba diver.
37. Season in a Shakespeare title : MIDSUMMER. (A Midsummer Night's Dream)
38. "Chopsticks __ fork?" : OR A
39. "Game of Thrones" patriarch Stark : NED. No idea. Anyone?
41. Making possible : ENABLING
42. __-friendly : USER
47. Epidemic-fighting agcy. : CDC. (The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
49. Kept the party hopping, briefly : DJed. What will they be called when all the music has gone digital?
50. Cape Cod catch : SCROD
51. New York governor Andrew : CUOMO
52. Like city folk : URBAN
53. Poetic feet : IAMBI
54. Lab containers : VIALS
55. Follow : ENSUE
57. Way to get info, on retro phones : DIAL 'O'
58. Kind of navel : INNIE
61. "Present!" : "HERE!"
63. Grafton's "__ for Noose" : N IS. Go to this site for the list.
65. Lead-in for plunk or flooey : KER. There, another kerfuffle done.
Argyle
Notes from C.C.:
1) Welcome back, real PK. You had us worried. Belated "Happy Birthday!".
2) Happy Birthday to Ray (Rainman)! So glad you can play tennis again soon after the operation. Any special plan today?
