Theme: Political Exercise - While the first word of these phrases may be found in the gym, the phrases themselves could also indicate the actions of candidate on the campaign trail, a trail that ends today(and starts again tomorrow).
17A. Being convincing via coercion: TWISTING ONES ARM
27A. Making a comeback, say: TURNING THE TIDE
45A. Sneering: CURLING ONES LIP
60A. Telling a little white lie: BENDING THE TRUTH
Argyle here, not running for anything. Tell me what you think about my take on the theme.
Two full width answers and two that just lack one letter. Very nice doable Tuesday and just a 'J' short of a pangram.
Across:
1. Throaty attention getter : AHEM
5. Contemptible person, in slang : SLEAZE
11. Brewery cask : KEG
14. Mideast's __ Strip : GAZA. Map.
15. Set in waves, as hair : PERMED
16. Prompt on stage : CUE
20. Ski resort grooming vehicle : SNO-CAT
21. Yves's yes : OUI
22. Bow-toting god : EROS
23. Boxer sounds? : ARFS. A canine boxer.
25. Food package meas. : NT WT. Net Weight.
33. Gossipy Barrett : RONA. She currently runs the Rona Barrett Foundation, a non-profit organization in Santa Ynez, California, dedicated to the aid and support of senior citizens in need.
34. Vintage car : REO. Oldsmobile.
35. Ship-locating system : LORAN. LOng RAnge Navigation. LORAN use has been in steep decline, being replaced with the satellite based Global Positioning System. (GPS)
36. Yiddish laments : OYs
37. Sticks to, as a task : KEEPS AT
40. One of the "Little Women" : AMY. "Little Women" (or Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy) is a novel by American author Louisa May Alcott.
41. Part of a front-end alignment : TOE IN. On your car, you may also have rear-end alignment with toe in adjustment.
43. Mississippi or Mersey: Abbr. : RIV. River. Good spot here for a musical interlude. Ferry Cross The Mersey.
44. Water shade : AQUA. Not the shade of water in either of the aforementioned rivers.
49. "Was __ loud?" : I TOO
50. Drawer feature : KNOB
51. Actress Chase : ILKA. Ilka Chase(1900-1978) had a long career as an actress on stage and screen and wrote more than a dozen books. Her book. Her epitaph reads: "I've finally gotten to the bottom of things."
54. Miner's find : ORE
56. Genetics pioneer Mendel : GREGOR. He was an Austrian monk and biologist whose work on heredity became the basis of the modern theory of genetics.
63. Pasture call : MOO. No connection to 68A. Melville's "Typee" sequel : OMOO.
64. Wobble : TEETER
65. London art museum : TATE
66. When one hand is up and the other is down : SIX. On an analog clock face; remember them?
67. Doctor's directives : ORDERS
Down:
1. FBI investigators : AGTs.
2. Goldie of "The Banger Sisters" : HAWN. Poster for the movie, with Susan Sarandon.
3. Opera star Pinza : EZIO. From "South Pacific", singing Some Enchanted Evening.
4. Lash cosmetic : MASCARA
5. One who's quick to anger : SPITFIRE
6. Sportscaster Berman : LEN. Since August 2008, Len has kept a blog and daily newsletter at LenBermanSports.com, using the form to continue his type of humor and whimsical sports stories.
7. Therefore : ERGO
8. Total : AMOUNT
9. Nadir's opposite : ZENITH
10. Netherlands city : EDE. Inland from Amsterdam.
11. Plymouth Reliant, e.g. : K-CAR. Dodge Aries, Plymouth Reliant, 1981 to 1989.
12. Continental currency : EURO
13. Jeweler's stock : GEMS
18. Mountain lake : TARN
19. Brief fight : SET-TO
24. Dagger of yore : SNEE
26. Whip mark : WELT
27. "Happy birthday __!" : TO YOU. This has to be one of the easiest clue/answer yet!
28. Racers Al or Bobby : UNSER. Automotive racers.
29. Decide to play for pay : GO PRO
30. Kuwaiti neighbor : IRAQI
31. Keep from flowing, as a stream : DAM UP
32. "Orinoco Flow" New Age singer : ENYA
33. Univ. military program : ROTC
37. Heal, as bones : KNIT
38. Pile-of-dishes place : SINK
39. Steed and Mrs. Peel's show, with "The" : AVENGERS. Image.
42. Homeric war epic : ILIAD
44. __ VO5: beauty product : ALBERTO
46. Twelve o'clock meeting : NOONER. Ho, ho, ho!
47. Stuffed with food : GORGED
48. Do a laundry task : SORT
51. Certain PCs : IBMs. Personal computers from International Business Machines(IBM).
52. First of 13 popes : LEO I
53. Fort featured in "Goldfinger" : KNOX
55. Cigar suffix : ETTE
57. Largest of the Mariana Islands : GUAM
58. Director Preminger : OTTO
59. Prefix with stat : RHEO
61. Skater Midori : ITO. Clip.
62. The Beatles' "I Saw __ Standing There" : HER
Answer grid.
We are passing along this email from Peter Gordon, editor of Fireball Crosswords. Hope you will subscribe for 2011. Fireball is one of the best (and most challenging) puzzles around.
"With just half a dozen puzzles left in the year, please send an email to me at xwords@optonline.net with the subject line either YES or NO that answers this question:
If Fireball Crosswords continues in 2011, the subscription price will be $16 for 40 puzzles. Do you plan to subscribe/resubscribe?
Next year, if I get enough subscribers, I will continue with the puzzles, but I will open up the submissions to all puzzle writers. I will still make many of the puzzles myself, including probably all the themeless puzzles, but there will be more variety because some of the puzzles will be themed puzzles. Since I will pay the highest rate in the country for a daily-sized puzzle, $201, I expect to get the cream of the crop, and won't accept anything less. But even if everyone were to resubscribe at the rate I charged last year, I'd still be losing money on every puzzle written by others. Since both my wife and accountant think this is a Bad Idea, I have no choice but to raise the rate. If around 500 of the 710 current subscribers sign on for next year, I will continue.
Whatever the outcome, the only result that will upset me is if I don't get a high response rate from this question. Without enough replies, I won't know what I should do. So cast your ballot on this Election Day and let me know YES or NO.
Also, please spread the word about Fireball Crosswords. If you're a blogger, mention the site (www.FireballCrosswords.com). If you have a Twitter account, tweet about it. Put it on your Facebook page. And talk it up to everyone you know. If there's someone who likes really hard crosswords, why not give a gift subscription? It's the gift that keeps on giving throughout the year. (If you plan on buying two subscriptions, send two YES emails.)
No matter the outcome, it's been a pleasure puzzling you throughout 2010!"
Argyle
17A. Being convincing via coercion: TWISTING ONES ARM
27A. Making a comeback, say: TURNING THE TIDE
45A. Sneering: CURLING ONES LIP
60A. Telling a little white lie: BENDING THE TRUTH
Argyle here, not running for anything. Tell me what you think about my take on the theme.
Two full width answers and two that just lack one letter. Very nice doable Tuesday and just a 'J' short of a pangram.
Across:
1. Throaty attention getter : AHEM
5. Contemptible person, in slang : SLEAZE
11. Brewery cask : KEG
14. Mideast's __ Strip : GAZA. Map.
15. Set in waves, as hair : PERMED
16. Prompt on stage : CUE
20. Ski resort grooming vehicle : SNO-CAT
21. Yves's yes : OUI
22. Bow-toting god : EROS
23. Boxer sounds? : ARFS. A canine boxer.
25. Food package meas. : NT WT. Net Weight.
33. Gossipy Barrett : RONA. She currently runs the Rona Barrett Foundation, a non-profit organization in Santa Ynez, California, dedicated to the aid and support of senior citizens in need.
34. Vintage car : REO. Oldsmobile.
35. Ship-locating system : LORAN. LOng RAnge Navigation. LORAN use has been in steep decline, being replaced with the satellite based Global Positioning System. (GPS)
36. Yiddish laments : OYs
37. Sticks to, as a task : KEEPS AT
40. One of the "Little Women" : AMY. "Little Women" (or Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy) is a novel by American author Louisa May Alcott.
41. Part of a front-end alignment : TOE IN. On your car, you may also have rear-end alignment with toe in adjustment.
43. Mississippi or Mersey: Abbr. : RIV. River. Good spot here for a musical interlude. Ferry Cross The Mersey.
44. Water shade : AQUA. Not the shade of water in either of the aforementioned rivers.
49. "Was __ loud?" : I TOO
50. Drawer feature : KNOB
51. Actress Chase : ILKA. Ilka Chase(1900-1978) had a long career as an actress on stage and screen and wrote more than a dozen books. Her book. Her epitaph reads: "I've finally gotten to the bottom of things."
54. Miner's find : ORE
56. Genetics pioneer Mendel : GREGOR. He was an Austrian monk and biologist whose work on heredity became the basis of the modern theory of genetics.
63. Pasture call : MOO. No connection to 68A. Melville's "Typee" sequel : OMOO.
64. Wobble : TEETER
65. London art museum : TATE
66. When one hand is up and the other is down : SIX. On an analog clock face; remember them?
67. Doctor's directives : ORDERS
Down:
1. FBI investigators : AGTs.
2. Goldie of "The Banger Sisters" : HAWN. Poster for the movie, with Susan Sarandon.
3. Opera star Pinza : EZIO. From "South Pacific", singing Some Enchanted Evening.
4. Lash cosmetic : MASCARA
5. One who's quick to anger : SPITFIRE
6. Sportscaster Berman : LEN. Since August 2008, Len has kept a blog and daily newsletter at LenBermanSports.com, using the form to continue his type of humor and whimsical sports stories.
7. Therefore : ERGO
8. Total : AMOUNT
9. Nadir's opposite : ZENITH
10. Netherlands city : EDE. Inland from Amsterdam.
11. Plymouth Reliant, e.g. : K-CAR. Dodge Aries, Plymouth Reliant, 1981 to 1989.
12. Continental currency : EURO
13. Jeweler's stock : GEMS
18. Mountain lake : TARN
19. Brief fight : SET-TO
24. Dagger of yore : SNEE
26. Whip mark : WELT
27. "Happy birthday __!" : TO YOU. This has to be one of the easiest clue/answer yet!
28. Racers Al or Bobby : UNSER. Automotive racers.
29. Decide to play for pay : GO PRO
30. Kuwaiti neighbor : IRAQI
31. Keep from flowing, as a stream : DAM UP
32. "Orinoco Flow" New Age singer : ENYA
33. Univ. military program : ROTC
37. Heal, as bones : KNIT
38. Pile-of-dishes place : SINK
39. Steed and Mrs. Peel's show, with "The" : AVENGERS. Image.
42. Homeric war epic : ILIAD
44. __ VO5: beauty product : ALBERTO
46. Twelve o'clock meeting : NOONER. Ho, ho, ho!
47. Stuffed with food : GORGED
48. Do a laundry task : SORT
51. Certain PCs : IBMs. Personal computers from International Business Machines(IBM).
52. First of 13 popes : LEO I
53. Fort featured in "Goldfinger" : KNOX
55. Cigar suffix : ETTE
57. Largest of the Mariana Islands : GUAM
58. Director Preminger : OTTO
59. Prefix with stat : RHEO
61. Skater Midori : ITO. Clip.
62. The Beatles' "I Saw __ Standing There" : HER
Answer grid.
We are passing along this email from Peter Gordon, editor of Fireball Crosswords. Hope you will subscribe for 2011. Fireball is one of the best (and most challenging) puzzles around.
"With just half a dozen puzzles left in the year, please send an email to me at xwords@optonline.net with the subject line either YES or NO that answers this question:
If Fireball Crosswords continues in 2011, the subscription price will be $16 for 40 puzzles. Do you plan to subscribe/resubscribe?
Next year, if I get enough subscribers, I will continue with the puzzles, but I will open up the submissions to all puzzle writers. I will still make many of the puzzles myself, including probably all the themeless puzzles, but there will be more variety because some of the puzzles will be themed puzzles. Since I will pay the highest rate in the country for a daily-sized puzzle, $201, I expect to get the cream of the crop, and won't accept anything less. But even if everyone were to resubscribe at the rate I charged last year, I'd still be losing money on every puzzle written by others. Since both my wife and accountant think this is a Bad Idea, I have no choice but to raise the rate. If around 500 of the 710 current subscribers sign on for next year, I will continue.
Whatever the outcome, the only result that will upset me is if I don't get a high response rate from this question. Without enough replies, I won't know what I should do. So cast your ballot on this Election Day and let me know YES or NO.
Also, please spread the word about Fireball Crosswords. If you're a blogger, mention the site (www.FireballCrosswords.com). If you have a Twitter account, tweet about it. Put it on your Facebook page. And talk it up to everyone you know. If there's someone who likes really hard crosswords, why not give a gift subscription? It's the gift that keeps on giving throughout the year. (If you plan on buying two subscriptions, send two YES emails.)
No matter the outcome, it's been a pleasure puzzling you throughout 2010!"
Argyle
