Tuesday, August 24, 2010 Dave Mackey

Theme: "Play Ball!" - The ending words of the theme entries are activities used in baseball, softball, and cricket. Any others?

20A. Quilter's layer : COTTON BATTING. The layer of fabric that makes a quilt warm. Based on the notion of "beaten" fabric, it isn't woven from threads.

28A. Camper's activity : TENT PITCHING. A weak entry.

49A. Not out of contention : IN THE RUNNING

59A. "Tom Jones" author : HENRY FIELDING. (1707 - 1754) An English novelist and dramatist known for his rich earthy humour and satirical prowess.

Argyle here.

Our constructor today has his own blogspot and did some NYT puzzles. Today's is a step up from yesterday's and, to me, not as smooth. No real problems.

Across:

1. Strikebreaker : SCAB

5. Start of a childhood learning song : ABCD

9. Music groups : BANDS

14. Movie director's unit : TAKE

15. Linguist Chomsky : NOAM. A professor emeritus of linguistics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

16. Each : EVERY

17. Song with a cadenza, perhaps : ARIA

18. Defunct Atlanta arena : OMNI. Completed in 1972, the arena was demolished in 1997.

19. Floored : WOWED

23. Comedian/actor Robert : KLEIN. This gentleman, is known for his wry wit and unique brand of humor.

24. Wagon wheel depression : RUT

25. Country with borders on three diff. oceans : USA. Did you forget the Arctic Ocean off Alaska's north shore?

33. Onetime Leno announcer Hall : EDD. A native of Boston, Hall grew up in Corning, NY, and attended Syracuse University. He now lives in Los Angeles.

36. Hockey score : GOAL

37. Capital west of Haiphong : HANOI. Haiphong is on the Vietnam coast.

38. Graceland middle name : ARON. Elvis Aron Presley.

40. Agile mountain animals : GOATS

43. Earth 42-Down : GEOL.. Earth Science = Geology.

44. Copy room powder : TONER

46. Ancient Andean : INCA. The best alliteration today.

48. Zoo swinger : APE

53. Mario Brothers letters : NES. Nintendo Entertainment System (abbreviated to NES or Nintendo). Mario Brothers is their biggest game.

54. Demand payment from : DUN. Word origin & history of dun. "to insist on payment of debt," 1620s, perhaps related to dunnen "to sound, resound, make a din," or shortened from dunkirk (c.1600) "privateer," a private vessel licensed to attack enemy ships during wartime, from Dunkirk , French port from which they sailed. Yet another, less likely, theory traces it to a Joe Dun , supposedly a London bailiff famous for catching defaulters.

55. Ancient Greek region : IONIA. On the Turkish coast. Map.

64. TV spot : PROMO

66. Shoppe adjective : OLDE

67. Actress/artist Sommer : ELKE. This German-born actress and now artist, lives in Los Angeles, CA and has no children.

68. Some woodwinds : OBOES

69. Pass unprofitably, as time : KILL

70. Tiger's 2004 bride : ELIN. Tiger's 2010 ex.

71. Petrol purchase : LITRE . British lingo.

72. French summers : ETEs. French lingo.

73. Huff and puff : PANT

Down:

1. Pile neatly : STACK

2. Holiday tune : CAROL. Hi, Carol.

3. "Go fly __!" : A KITE

4. "Amscray!" : "BEAT IT!" . Amscray is scram in pig Latin.

5. In a short time, old-style : ANON

6. Box office disaster : BOMB

7. Where Jesus turned water to wine : CANA. There are four villages in Galilee which are candidates for the biblical Cana.

8. Composer Shostakovich : DMITRI. He was a child prodigy as both a pianist and composer. Romance (from The Gadfly).

9. Cast a spell over : BEWITCH

10. Bell-ringing fragrance giant : AVON

11. World's second largest island : NEW GUINEA. Greenland is the largest island.

12. Rap's Dr. __ : DRE

13. Guitarist Barrett : SYD. He was a founding member of the band, Pink Floyd; he died in 2006.

21. 10 C-notes : ONE G. C-notes = $100 dollar bills, ten would make $1,000, one Grand.

22. Syllable of rebuke : TUT

26. Prying sort : SNOOP

27. Like a contortionist : AGILE

29. Eggy seasonal drink : NOG

30. Lao-tzu principle : TAO. The way.

31. Like the nose on your face? : PLAIN

32. Broom rider : HAG

33. Skip the bistro : EAT IN

34. Monotonous sound : DRONE

35. Plea made with one's hands up : "DON'T SHOOT!"

39. Bk.after Ezra : NEH. The Book of Nehemiah is sometimes called the Second Book of Ezra.

41. Former Opry network : TNN. The Nashville Network (TNN)

42. Chem. or phys. : SCI.

45. Rudolph tip-off : RED NOSE. A good guide on a foggy night.

47. Indigo dye source : ANIL. A leguminous West Indian shrub.

50. Capek play about automatons : R.U.R.. (Rossum's Universal Robots)

51. Break up a team? : UNYOKE. A team of horses or oxen. This week is fair week.

52. Smack a homer, in baseball lingo : GO DEEP. and 65. Squeeze bunt stat : RBI. Special bunt when there is a man on third.

56. Nabisco wafer brand : NILLA

57. Finish, as a comic strip : INK IN. Fill in the outlines.

58. Rep : AGENT

60. Part of EMT: Abbr. : EMER.. Emergency medical technicians. EMT

61. Move like a butterfly : FLIT

62. Not working : IDLE

63. Marine shockers : EELS

64. D.C. deal maker : POL

Answer grid.

Argyle

Monday, August 23, 2010 David W. Cromer

Theme: Body Parts, Coming Together - Two of the same part of the body, separated by "to".

18A. How rivals compete : HEAD TO HEAD

28A. How lovers dance : CHEEK TO CHEEK

49A. How close friends talk : HEART TO HEART

64A. How pistol duelers stand : BACK TO BACK

Argyle here.

One of the easiest Mondays yet. There are so many other body parts that could have been included: eye to eye, toe to toe, hand to hand, belly to belly, liver to liver. (That last one is for today's birthday boy, Tinbeni, and myself.)

Across:

1. Poet Khayyám : OMAR. The Rubaiyat by Omar Khayyam.

5. Stroll : AMBLE

10. Retail mecca : MALL

14. Repetitious learning technique : ROTE

15. Eagle's weapon : TALON

16. Subject of a court bargain : PLEA

17. Rara __ : AVIS. A rare or unique person or thing. [Latin rāra avis : rāra, feminine of rārus, rare + avis, bird.]

20. Deadly : LETHAL

22. Icy North Atlantic hazard : BERG

23. Exploit : USE

24. Short race, for short : ONE K. Cute clue.

26. Upper crust groups : ELITES

33. Outer edge : RIM

34. Path between supermarket shelves : AISLE

35. Transportation station : DEPOT

39. "Carmen" highlight : ARIA

41. Car alarm acknowledgment : CHIRP. There are so many car beeps these days, I never look around any more when I hear one. I'll probably be run over some day.

43. Assistant : AIDE

44. What a lenient judge may show : MERCY

46. Año starter : ENERO. Spanish: year and January.

48. White or Red team : SOX

52. Arrive dressed up like : COME AS. When was your last costume party?

55. Exiled Roman poet : OVID. For unclear reasons, in AD 8 Emperor Augustus banished him to Tomis on the Black Sea; despite Ovid's many pleas, he was never allowed to return. He described his life in an autobiographical poem in Sorrows.

56. "Eureka!" : "A-HA!". The exclamation attributed to Archimedes, who is said to have cried out "Eureka! eureka!" (I have found it! I have found it!), upon suddenly discovering a method of finding out how much the gold of King Hiero's crown had been alloyed. Hence, an expression of triumph concerning a discovery.

57. Fraud : SHAM

60. Lots and lots : OODLES

67. Kappa preceder, alphabetically : IOTA. More Greek (seems to be oodles of Greek today).

68. Longtime Hydrox competitor : OREO

69. Show with varied acts : REVUE

70. Actor Morales : ESAI. Big role was "NYPD Blue" Lt. Tony Rodriguez (61 episodes, 2001-2004).

71. "Bill & __ Excellent Adventure" : TED'S. If you look close, there's a Greek dude in the phone booth, man.

72. "It's somebody __ problem" : ELSE'S

73. eBay command : SELL

Down:

1. Like some graduate tests : ORAL. Lois?

2. Find new digs : MOVE

3. Working hard : AT IT

4. Do a blacksmith's job : RESHOE. If you are a farrier, too.

5. Good at sports : ATHLETIC

6. West in old movies : MAE

7. Spill the beans : BLAB

8. Miner's bonanza : LODE

9. Course between salad and dessert : ENTRÉE

10. Dashboard abbr. : MPH

11. Indigenous Alaskan : ALEUT

12. Landlord's contract : LEASE

13. Packs in a hold : LADES

19. More than glanced at : OGLED

21. "Diana" singer Paul : ANKA. Song. Wikipedia says Paul is from Canada, I did not know that. Interesting article.

25. Okay to consume, as for Passover : KOSHER

27. Swedish furniture retailer : IKEA

28. Study feverishly : CRAM

29. Add to the staff : HIRE

30. Islamic ruler : EMIR

31. Black of country music : CLINT. Academy of Country Music's 1989 Single of the Year - "A Better Man".

32. Annexed __: attached as part of this document : HERETO

36. Leaning tower city : PISA

37. Olfactory offense : ODOR. Alliteration that includes the answer.

38. Manuscript passage : TEXT

40. Tylenol target : ACHE

42. Tries to get a rise out of : PROVOKES

45. Bakers get a rise out of it : YEAST. So do bakers provoke their bread?

47. West Virginia neighbor : OHIO

50. "Michael, Row the Boat __" : ASHORE. Hallelujah.

51. Whirlpools : EDDIES

52. Explorer Sebastian : CABOT

53. Chicago hub : O'HARE

54. Sprayed with tear gas : MACED

58. Cain's victim : ABEL

59. Dallas NBA team : MAVS

61. Be defeated : LOSE

62. Lat. list ender : ET AL.

63. Regatta flapper : SAIL

65. WBA stats : KOs. World Boxing Association.

66. Pool tool : CUE

Answer grid.

Here is a set of five magnificent Oregon Coast sand sculpture contest photos forwarded from our Faithful Lurker B. Please click on the photo to enlarge to a higher resolution.

Argyle