Theme: "Ewww!" - Huge ICK Factor today; double ICK, in fact. Each theme entry has two ICKs embedded in them. C.C. informed me that the 18 C's in the grid is a new record. The previous NYT record is 16. That's a lot of C's, and 9 K's but no B, J, V, X or Z.
20A. Dickens hero with "papers," as he is formally known: MR. PICKWICK. The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club, commonly known as The Pickwick Papers (I didn't know that), is the first novel by Charles Dickens.
51A. Unflattering Nixon sobriquet: TRICKY DICK. Sobriquet, meaning nickname, comes from French, from Old French soubriquet, chuck under the chin. The constructor probably wouldn't use nickname due to the ICK in it.
10D. Surprise football plays: QUICK KICKS. Not the same as an onsides kick, the QUICK KICK relies on a formation that doesn't look like a kick is coming. Clip
29D. Girls-night-out film: CHICK FLICK. Are these new vampire movies considered "CHICK FLICKS"?
Anyway, Argyle here. A few clunkers, like 18A. Like many Keats poems: ODIC and 62A. Hitting serves past: ACING but for the most part, a solid Tuesday puzzle.
Across:
1. Attacks: HAS AT.
6. Mandolin ridge: FRET.
14. BP merger partner: AMOCO. Announced in 1998.
15. Not often seen, to Caesar: RARA. "Rāra avis" literally means "rare bird".
16. Spreadsheet reversal command: UNDO.
24. More certain than not: LIKELY.
26. Chewing gum substances: CHICLES. The latex produced by certain tropical American trees. Chiclets
31. Nut in a mixed nuts can: CASHEW. Sign on the can, "Caution: May Contain Nuts."
32. Airport building: TERMINAL. or maybe 58. Prefix with -drome: AERO.
36. Indian spiced tea: CHAI.
37. Manet's "The Luncheon on the Grass," e.g.: OIL. The medium used for the painting.
38. "Elder" or "Younger" Roman statesman: CATO.
39. Mind readers: PSYCHICS.
42. More sluggish: POKIER.
44. County on the Strait of Dover: KENT. and 46. Dover landmarks: CLIFFS. The White Cliffs Of Dover - Vera Lynn.
45. Mussed up, as hair: TOUSLED.
50. Megastar: IDOL.
57. Singer Tennille: TONI. The duo of The Captain & Tennille.
60. Milton's "Paradise Lost," for one: EPIC.
61. Overflow (with): TEEM.
63. Potato holder: SACK.
64. Old Norse poetic work: EDDA. Haven't seen this word in awhile but at one time, you'd see it once a week.
Down:
1. Hurt: HARM. And 2. Latin love: AMOR. You Always Hurt The One You Love by The Mills Brothers.
3. Chowder or bisque: SOUP.
4. In "Macbeth," it opens with thunder and lightning: ACT I.
5. How many models are built: TO SCALE.
6. Displeased looks: FROWNS.
7. Paul Harvey's medium: RADIO. "Good Day".
9. One bringing down the ball carrier: TACKLER.
11. Title for Remus: UNCLE.
12. Epitome: IDEAL.
13. Hot alcoholic drink: TODDY.
26. Initials on an old ruble: CCCP. The Cyrillic name for the USSR is initialized CCCP. "But wait, for a limited time offer, you'll receive this collector's coin!"
27. Derisive laughs: HAHS. What I do when I hear those "Fantastic Offers".
28. "My word": "I SAY".
30. Tierra __ Fuego: DEL. When you "go south", you can't go much further than here but you could drive there in your Fiat Tierra del Fuego
32. "__ the season ...": 'TIS. Almost!
35. Lady's man: LORD. This was a "gotcha" for me.
40. Playboy Mansion resident, familiarly: HEF. Playboy founder Hugh Hefner, the type of lady's man I was thinking of>
41. Like colleges with the lowest tuition, for residents: IN-STATE.
42. 1840s president: POLK.
43. Annual period beyond the current fiscal one: OUTYEAR.
45. Washington city: TACOMA.
47. Parkinsonism treatment: L-DOPA.
48. Greek architectural style: IONIC.
52. Clarinetist's need: REED. Wood wind, not a brass wind.
53. 1920s-'40s art style: DECO.
56. Frat party containers: KEGS.
I'll be gone all day on a repo job (down past Dennis in Delmar, MD) so play nice. I have to drive the repo back so I'm hoping it's not ICKY!
Answer grid.
Argyle
20A. Dickens hero with "papers," as he is formally known: MR. PICKWICK. The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club, commonly known as The Pickwick Papers (I didn't know that), is the first novel by Charles Dickens.
51A. Unflattering Nixon sobriquet: TRICKY DICK. Sobriquet, meaning nickname, comes from French, from Old French soubriquet, chuck under the chin. The constructor probably wouldn't use nickname due to the ICK in it.
10D. Surprise football plays: QUICK KICKS. Not the same as an onsides kick, the QUICK KICK relies on a formation that doesn't look like a kick is coming. Clip
29D. Girls-night-out film: CHICK FLICK. Are these new vampire movies considered "CHICK FLICKS"?
Anyway, Argyle here. A few clunkers, like 18A. Like many Keats poems: ODIC and 62A. Hitting serves past: ACING but for the most part, a solid Tuesday puzzle.
Across:
1. Attacks: HAS AT.
6. Mandolin ridge: FRET.
14. BP merger partner: AMOCO. Announced in 1998.
15. Not often seen, to Caesar: RARA. "Rāra avis" literally means "rare bird".
16. Spreadsheet reversal command: UNDO.
24. More certain than not: LIKELY.
26. Chewing gum substances: CHICLES. The latex produced by certain tropical American trees. Chiclets
31. Nut in a mixed nuts can: CASHEW. Sign on the can, "Caution: May Contain Nuts."
32. Airport building: TERMINAL. or maybe 58. Prefix with -drome: AERO.
36. Indian spiced tea: CHAI.
37. Manet's "The Luncheon on the Grass," e.g.: OIL. The medium used for the painting.
38. "Elder" or "Younger" Roman statesman: CATO.
39. Mind readers: PSYCHICS.
42. More sluggish: POKIER.
44. County on the Strait of Dover: KENT. and 46. Dover landmarks: CLIFFS. The White Cliffs Of Dover - Vera Lynn.
45. Mussed up, as hair: TOUSLED.
50. Megastar: IDOL.
57. Singer Tennille: TONI. The duo of The Captain & Tennille.
60. Milton's "Paradise Lost," for one: EPIC.
61. Overflow (with): TEEM.
63. Potato holder: SACK.
64. Old Norse poetic work: EDDA. Haven't seen this word in awhile but at one time, you'd see it once a week.
Down:
1. Hurt: HARM. And 2. Latin love: AMOR. You Always Hurt The One You Love by The Mills Brothers.
3. Chowder or bisque: SOUP.
4. In "Macbeth," it opens with thunder and lightning: ACT I.
5. How many models are built: TO SCALE.
6. Displeased looks: FROWNS.
7. Paul Harvey's medium: RADIO. "Good Day".
9. One bringing down the ball carrier: TACKLER.
11. Title for Remus: UNCLE.
12. Epitome: IDEAL.
13. Hot alcoholic drink: TODDY.
26. Initials on an old ruble: CCCP. The Cyrillic name for the USSR is initialized CCCP. "But wait, for a limited time offer, you'll receive this collector's coin!"
27. Derisive laughs: HAHS. What I do when I hear those "Fantastic Offers".
28. "My word": "I SAY".
30. Tierra __ Fuego: DEL. When you "go south", you can't go much further than here but you could drive there in your Fiat Tierra del Fuego
32. "__ the season ...": 'TIS. Almost!
35. Lady's man: LORD. This was a "gotcha" for me.
40. Playboy Mansion resident, familiarly: HEF. Playboy founder Hugh Hefner, the type of lady's man I was thinking of>
41. Like colleges with the lowest tuition, for residents: IN-STATE.
42. 1840s president: POLK.
43. Annual period beyond the current fiscal one: OUTYEAR.
45. Washington city: TACOMA.
47. Parkinsonism treatment: L-DOPA.
48. Greek architectural style: IONIC.
52. Clarinetist's need: REED. Wood wind, not a brass wind.
53. 1920s-'40s art style: DECO.
56. Frat party containers: KEGS.
I'll be gone all day on a repo job (down past Dennis in Delmar, MD) so play nice. I have to drive the repo back so I'm hoping it's not ICKY!
Answer grid.
Argyle
