Theme: Knight Moves - There are three consecutive L's in each long them answer and one more L in the adjacent entry. The four L's form a letter-formation of a L-bar, which is then graphically represented by black squares in the same direction. Please read constructor Don G's notes at the bottom.
18A. Passé keyboard key: SCROLL LOCK. What is scroll lock and why is it passé?
9D. Cowardly : YELLOW. These four L's form one set of L-bar.
62A. "I'm afraid this will sound funny": "YOU'LL LAUGH".
47D. Have as a customer : SELL TO. Another set.
3D. Video game difficulty setting: SKILL LEVEL
27A. Was beaten by : FELL TO. Shouldn't be used to describe a squeaker like the Auburn/Oregon game last night! The third set.
31D. Names on it are off-limits to telemarketers: NO CALL LIST
48A. Like some quaint lamps : OIL-LIT. One of the earliest types. Image. Final set.
Unifier:
39A. Angle irons graphically represented by four sets of black squares in this grid, and by letter formations starting in the four longest answers: L-BARs (I have highlighted the 'L' in the appropriate cross word.)
And more:
64D. Ernie of the PGA, to whom this puzzle could be dedicated: ELS
Argyle here.
A puzzle for the books, with the strong visual and layers of meanings.
Across:
1. 17-Across in the neck : PEST. 17. See 1-Across : PAIN.
5. Adventurous : RISKY
10. Domesticated : TAME
14. Chase on stage : ILKA
15. Cat-__-tails : O'NINE
16. Wicked : EVIL
20. Bigger photo: Abbr. : ENL.
21. Extremely, in Essex : BEASTLY. Alliteration, I say, old chap.
22. Horror maven Craven : WES
23. Follower of Mary : LAMB. From the nursery rhyme.
25. Sphere : ORB
29. Midday energizer : POWER NAP
34. K-6 : ELEM.
35. Stroll : WALK
37. Vowel before omicron : IOTA. Omicron is just the Greek O.
38. Bounty rival : VIVA
41. Picket line crosser : SCAB
42. Garden site : EDEN
43. Actor Neeson : LIAM. In many movies.
44. Finishes the road : TARs
45. Got sick again : RELAPSED
50. Fair grade : CEE
51. German GM subsidiary : OPEL. Since 1929.
52. Workshop sprite : ELF. I hope their new-found fame won't go to their heads. That's all I need. Ho, ho, ho.
55A. Crete-born "View of Toledo" painter : EL GRECO. His view.
59. Texas ranch initials : LBJ. President Lyndon Baines Johnson's ranch and now the LBJ National Historical Park.
64. Dublin's land : EIRE
65. Red Muppet : ELMO
66. Trace : TINGE
67. Future atty.'s hurdle : LSAT. The Law School Admission Test (LSAT).
68. Boatload : SLEW. Do we need to say more today?
69. Preminger et al. : OTTOs. He was a famous film director.
70. Eyelid problem : STYE
Down:
1. Lounging jacket wearer's smoke, maybe : PIPE
2. Verve : ELAN
4. Bronze relative : TAN. I was a bit medal mental and had TIN at first.
5. Pasadena arena : ROSE BOWL
6. Andean ancient : INCA. Ancient can mean a person who lived in ancient times.
7. Letter addressees : SIRS
8. Masseuse's challenge : KNOT
10. Business card abbr. : TEL.
11. Speak bluntly : AVOW
12. Cats' quarry : MICE. Plural cat, plural mouse.
13. Benevolent lodgeful : ELKS. The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks (BPOE; also often known as the Elks Lodge or simply The Elks) is an American fraternal order and social club.
19. Ancient strings : LYRE
21. NYC subway line named for two boroughs : BMT. Brooklyn–Manhattan Transit.
24. Farmers' publication? : ALMANAC
26. Brush component : BRISTLE
27. Hyped-up feeling : FEVER
28. Say "bo's'n," say : ELIDE
29. Scottish pattern : PLAID
30. Gumbo pod : OKRA
32. Big name in video games : ATARI
33. Big name in beer : PABST
36. Up to the task : ABLE
40. Wet ones, so to speak : SMOOCHES
46. Banana discard : PEEL
49. Stock mkt. debut : IPO. Initial Public Offering.
52. Makeup accentuates them : EYES. Painted eyes.
53. Recline lazily : LOLL
54. Do a slow burn : FUME
56. Trot or canter : GAIT
57. Litter's littlest : RUNT
58. Kellogg's toaster brand : EGGO. The Lego Eggo.
60. Donkey's protest : BRAY
61. Ballet leap : JETÉ
63. Sad : LOW
Answer grid.
Constructor's notes:
This puzzle is an example of how a simple idea kept getting more complex. I noticed a phrase where three L’s ran together and thought that was fun. Then I realized that if it ran vertically and another L was added to the side, the four L grouping could look like an L. So I started tinkering with all vertical phrases. It did not work out very well. I don’t know how I made the logical leap, but it seemed that I could have patterns of shaded squares that also look like L’s. When I started arranging them, I saw that they could be displayed symmetrically in a wheel-like configuration. I decided at that point that the L’s in the phrases should mimic the configuration of L’s. So you will notice that the four L pattern always has the same orientation with respect to the shaded square L pattern. I owe many thanks to Rich who came up with the final theme answer (SKILL LEVEL) to keep the pattern intact. As a final observation, I noticed there were appearing a number of EL patterns in the fill. I decided to play with that extra element to see how many I could get into the grid, and have a little bonus secondary theme answer at the southeast corner. I also owe more thanks to Rich who rejected a corner that had a lackluster fill. His suggested correction helped put an exquisite finishing touch on a most enjoyable puzzle constructing experience.
Argyle
18A. Passé keyboard key: SCROLL LOCK. What is scroll lock and why is it passé?
9D. Cowardly : YELLOW. These four L's form one set of L-bar.
62A. "I'm afraid this will sound funny": "YOU'LL LAUGH".
47D. Have as a customer : SELL TO. Another set.
3D. Video game difficulty setting: SKILL LEVEL
27A. Was beaten by : FELL TO. Shouldn't be used to describe a squeaker like the Auburn/Oregon game last night! The third set.
31D. Names on it are off-limits to telemarketers: NO CALL LIST
48A. Like some quaint lamps : OIL-LIT. One of the earliest types. Image. Final set.
Unifier:
39A. Angle irons graphically represented by four sets of black squares in this grid, and by letter formations starting in the four longest answers: L-BARs (I have highlighted the 'L' in the appropriate cross word.)
And more:
64D. Ernie of the PGA, to whom this puzzle could be dedicated: ELS
Argyle here.
A puzzle for the books, with the strong visual and layers of meanings.
Across:
1. 17-Across in the neck : PEST. 17. See 1-Across : PAIN.
5. Adventurous : RISKY
10. Domesticated : TAME
14. Chase on stage : ILKA
15. Cat-__-tails : O'NINE
16. Wicked : EVIL
20. Bigger photo: Abbr. : ENL.
21. Extremely, in Essex : BEASTLY. Alliteration, I say, old chap.
22. Horror maven Craven : WES
23. Follower of Mary : LAMB. From the nursery rhyme.
25. Sphere : ORB
29. Midday energizer : POWER NAP
34. K-6 : ELEM.
35. Stroll : WALK
37. Vowel before omicron : IOTA. Omicron is just the Greek O.
38. Bounty rival : VIVA
41. Picket line crosser : SCAB
42. Garden site : EDEN
43. Actor Neeson : LIAM. In many movies.
44. Finishes the road : TARs
45. Got sick again : RELAPSED
50. Fair grade : CEE
51. German GM subsidiary : OPEL. Since 1929.
52. Workshop sprite : ELF. I hope their new-found fame won't go to their heads. That's all I need. Ho, ho, ho.
55A. Crete-born "View of Toledo" painter : EL GRECO. His view.
59. Texas ranch initials : LBJ. President Lyndon Baines Johnson's ranch and now the LBJ National Historical Park.
64. Dublin's land : EIRE
65. Red Muppet : ELMO
66. Trace : TINGE
67. Future atty.'s hurdle : LSAT. The Law School Admission Test (LSAT).
68. Boatload : SLEW. Do we need to say more today?
69. Preminger et al. : OTTOs. He was a famous film director.
70. Eyelid problem : STYE
Down:
1. Lounging jacket wearer's smoke, maybe : PIPE
2. Verve : ELAN
4. Bronze relative : TAN. I was a bit medal mental and had TIN at first.
5. Pasadena arena : ROSE BOWL
6. Andean ancient : INCA. Ancient can mean a person who lived in ancient times.
7. Letter addressees : SIRS
8. Masseuse's challenge : KNOT
10. Business card abbr. : TEL.
11. Speak bluntly : AVOW
12. Cats' quarry : MICE. Plural cat, plural mouse.
13. Benevolent lodgeful : ELKS. The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks (BPOE; also often known as the Elks Lodge or simply The Elks) is an American fraternal order and social club.
19. Ancient strings : LYRE
21. NYC subway line named for two boroughs : BMT. Brooklyn–Manhattan Transit.
24. Farmers' publication? : ALMANAC
26. Brush component : BRISTLE
27. Hyped-up feeling : FEVER
28. Say "bo's'n," say : ELIDE
29. Scottish pattern : PLAID
30. Gumbo pod : OKRA
32. Big name in video games : ATARI
33. Big name in beer : PABST
36. Up to the task : ABLE
40. Wet ones, so to speak : SMOOCHES
46. Banana discard : PEEL
49. Stock mkt. debut : IPO. Initial Public Offering.
52. Makeup accentuates them : EYES. Painted eyes.
53. Recline lazily : LOLL
54. Do a slow burn : FUME
56. Trot or canter : GAIT
57. Litter's littlest : RUNT
58. Kellogg's toaster brand : EGGO. The Lego Eggo.
60. Donkey's protest : BRAY
61. Ballet leap : JETÉ
63. Sad : LOW
Answer grid.
Constructor's notes:
This puzzle is an example of how a simple idea kept getting more complex. I noticed a phrase where three L’s ran together and thought that was fun. Then I realized that if it ran vertically and another L was added to the side, the four L grouping could look like an L. So I started tinkering with all vertical phrases. It did not work out very well. I don’t know how I made the logical leap, but it seemed that I could have patterns of shaded squares that also look like L’s. When I started arranging them, I saw that they could be displayed symmetrically in a wheel-like configuration. I decided at that point that the L’s in the phrases should mimic the configuration of L’s. So you will notice that the four L pattern always has the same orientation with respect to the shaded square L pattern. I owe many thanks to Rich who came up with the final theme answer (SKILL LEVEL) to keep the pattern intact. As a final observation, I noticed there were appearing a number of EL patterns in the fill. I decided to play with that extra element to see how many I could get into the grid, and have a little bonus secondary theme answer at the southeast corner. I also owe more thanks to Rich who rejected a corner that had a lackluster fill. His suggested correction helped put an exquisite finishing touch on a most enjoyable puzzle constructing experience.
Argyle
