Tuesday, October 22, 2013 Bruce Venzke and Gail Grabowski

Theme: "Is that your final answer?" - The ends of the theme entries are synonyms of END. 

17A. It's heedless to go off it : THE DEEP END

28A. Car-waxing result : LUSTROUS FINISH

47A. Motion on a mound : PITCHER'S WIND-UP

63A. Director's cry, and hint to the ends of 17-, 28- and 47-Across : "THAT'S A WRAP!"

Argyle here. (I hope.) Sure got a quick send off in the NW corner. No hobos in sight.

Across:

1. Jay who's on late : LENO

5. Crop up : ARISE

10. 1974 CIA vs. KGB spoof : S*P*Y*S

14. Vehicle behind dogs : SLED

15. Summer skirt material : LINEN

16. McDonald's founder Ray : KROC

19. Davenport's state : IOWA

20. One-__: biased : SIDED

21. Ancient Mexican : AZTEC

23. HIV-treating drug : AZT

24. "Hold on __!" : A SEC

26. Family nicknames : MAMMAs and 59D. Grandma : NANA

33. Letters linking real and assumed names : AKA. (also known as)

34. Lures : ENTICES

35. Himalayan republic : NEPAL

38. Invoice add-on : TAX

39. Choir room hangers : ROBES

43. "Over my dead body!" : "NO SIREE!"

46. MouthHealthy.org org. : ADA. (American Dental Association)

51. Dwarf planting : BONSAI

                               Visit Page

52. Polish prose : EDIT

53. Mil. training center : OCS. (Officer Candidate School)

54. Wood shop tool : LATHE

58. Prefix meaning "culture" : ETHNO

61. Work hard : TOIL

65. Savvy about : ONTO

66. __ voce: softly : SOTTO

67. Skye of "Say Anything ..." : IONE

                                     LINK

68. Mark for removal : X OUT

69. Deplete : USE UP

70. Start of a classic Christmas poem : 'TWAS

Down:

1. D-Day fleet : LSTs. (Landing Ship, Tank)

2. Pre-college, for short : ELHI

3. Must have now, in memo-speak : NEED ASAP

4. Most peculiar : ODDEST

5. Stein filler : ALE

6. Kelly in Electrolux ads : RIPA. Notice the music.

                                  LINK 

7. Mother of Don Juan : INEZ

8. Transmitted : SENT

9. Natural to a region : ENDEMIC

10. Enjoy a winter sport : SKI

11. Some charity golf tournaments : PRO-AMs

12. Cry of surprise : "YOWZAH!"

13. Sings like Ella : SCATS

18. German river : EDER

22. Wicker worker : CANER

25. Runner Sebastian : COE

27. Sushi bar soup : MISO

28. PC linkup : LAN

29. Tiny Tim's instrument : UKE

30. Loosen, as laces : UNTIE

31. "Act Naturally" singer Ringo : STARR

32. Puts back together : FIXES

36. Picnic crashers : ANTS

37. From around here : LOCAL

40. Infielder's mistake : BAD THROW

41. Academic address ending : .EDU

42. Breakfast syrup source : SAP

44. Massage technique : SHIATSU. Wiki LINK.

45. Female in the flock : EWE

47. __ Raceway: Pennsylvania NASCAR track : POCONO

48. Latin for "where it originally was" : IN SITU

49. Creative output : IDEA

50. Blockhead : NITWIT

51. Anti-crow's-feet treatment : BOTOX

55. Pres. Jefferson : THOS. Abbreviated written form of Thomas.

56. Despise : HATE

57. Words to a traitor : "ET TU?"

60. Unlocks, poetically : OPES

62. Subdivision unit : LOT

64. Bread for dipping, say : SOP. We've been getting both versions of the word.

The real end.

Argyle

Monday, October 21, 2013 Erik Agard

Theme: S > > > s - Take a 5-letter word that starts with an S and is still a word after you chop off the S. Repeat the resulting word, add an S and hope it makes sense. Find an appropriate clue and you're done.

17A. German cars bought by Riyadh residents? : SAUDI AUDIS

21A. Cafeteria carriers gone missing? : STRAY TRAYS

54A. Streamlined onion relatives? : SLEEK LEEKS

59A. Stories you've heard a bajillion times? : STALE TALES

10D. Out-of-tune string instruments? : SHARP HARPS

27D. Neato water sources? : SWELL WELLS

Argyle here. You could say these are rhyming anagrams with the rows overlapping and the columns intersecting. Ambitious for a Monday but complex is Erik's forte.

Across:

1. Floating platforms : RAFTS

6. Guy or fellow : MALE

10. Haughty sort : SNOB

14. Creepy starer : OGLER

15. Top military draft category : ONE A

16. Skid row denizen : HOBO. No, no; a wino or a bum but not a hobo.

19. Not many : A FEW

20. Releases (on), as an attack dog : SICs

23. QB's mishap : INT. (interception)

24. Tennis icon Arthur : ASHE

25. Makes a choice : OPTS

26. Drawing upon : USING

28. 100-yard race : DASH

30. Shoulder wrap : SHAWL

32. "Once __ a time ..." : UPON

34. PC software : APPs

38. Rose of baseball : PETE

39. Hard to hear : FAINT

40. Was a passenger : RODE

41. Figure skater's leap : AXEL

42. Uncle Remus's __ Rabbit : BR'ER

43. Nursery-rhyme Jack or his wife : SPRAT. 11D. Like Jack 43-Across's diet : NO FAT

Jack Sprat could eat no fat.

His wife could eat no lean.

And so between them both, you see,

They licked the platter clean.

44. Put down, as floor tile : LAID

46. "__ my case" : I REST

48. Fixes with thread : SEWS

50. Plastic coffee container designed for a Keurig brewer : K-CUP

51. Sports enthusiast : FAN

57. Pie à la __ : MODE. Oops. 33D. Dessert with a crust : PIE. Often made with fruit.

58. Basketball's __ "The Pearl" Monroe : EARL. Wiki

61. Bad to the bone : EVIL

62. Promgoer's concern : ACNE

63. Leaning somewhat : ATILT. An A-word but better than ALOP.

64. Lousy grades : DEEs

65. Like so : THUS

66. Zappos.com inventory : SHOES. LINK

Down:

1. Big name in vermouth : ROSSI. Martini & Rossi®

2. A second time : AGAIN

3. Vary irregularly, as prices : FLUCTUATE

4. Koppel and Knight : TEDs. One newsman on TV and one TV newsman on WJM.

5. __ Lanka : SRI

6. Teeth-and-gums protector : MOUTHGUARD

7. Conductor Previn : ANDRÉ

8. "Star Wars" princess : LEIA

9. "Piece of cake!" : EASY

12. Does as directed : OBEYS

13. Curtain call acknowledgments : BOWS

18. Part of YMCA: Abbr. : ASSN.

22. How-__: instruction books : TOs

24. Feel lousy : AIL

28. Insult comic who was a frequent Johnny Carson guest : DON RICKLES. Johnny strikes back.

Full LINK

29. Crumb-carrying insect : ANT

30. Relaxation center : SPA

31. Put a curse on : HEX

35. Financial planner's concern : PORTFOLIO

36. Handheld computer, briefly : PDA. (personal digital assistant)

37. Go down in the west : SET

39. "The X-Files" gp. : FBI. On the TV series.

43. Ninth mo. : SEP.

45. Pop the question : ASK

47. Ploy : RUSE

48. Work really hard : SLAVE

49. Spooky : EERIE

50. Reeves of "Speed" : KEANU

52. Dancer Astaire : ADELE. Fred's sister.

53. Homes for chicks : NESTS

54. Future flower : SEED

55. J.D.-to-be's exam : LSAT. (Law School Admission Test)

56. __ A Sketch : ETCH

57. Trig or calc : MATH

60. Prof.'s helpers : TAs. (teaching assistant)

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

For those who missed my link last time, here is the Washington Post article on today's constructor Erik Agard. Don't miss the weekly puzzles he posts on his blog.