Tuesday, November 19, 2013 David Poole

Theme: You're not from around here, are you? - Words that might describe some of your weirdest dates.

20A. State Department's purview : FOREIGN POLICY

26A. Pulp comic that transformed Nick Fury into a super-spy : STRANGE TALES

42A. Entertainer with many fans? : EXOTIC DANCER

50A. "War of the Worlds" attack : ALIEN INVASION

Argyle here. They may have been the most memorable dates, too. The theme isn't particularly as strong as yesterday but the corners are meatier. Bit stronger in the word length, too, but not all that interesting. Acceptable Tuesday.

Across:

1. Trapping device : SNARE

6. Official records : ACTA. Plural noun (often initial capital letter).

10. Got an A on : ACED

14. Restriction at some fitness clubs : [NO MEN]. ARTICLE

15. Mark from a healed wound : SCAR

16. Fancy fabric with metallic threads : LAMÉ

17. Coral ring : ATOLL

18. Metal to melt down : SCRAP IRON. No, you can't have my Troyota.

22. Anxious feeling : UNEASE

23. Olds Cutlass model : CIERA. Model years 1982–1996, Olds Alero was 1999–2004.

31. British noblewomen : DAMES. I'll resist linking "There is Nothing Like a Dame".

34. Soda fountain orders : MALTS

35. Try to win : WOO. Buying her malts at the old canteen won't get it.

                           LINK

36. Happy hour pints : ALES. But a couple of pints might.

37. Sorceress jilted by Jason : MEDEA. He didn't buy her pints or malts so she took it out on their kids.

38. Ireland's Sinn __ : FEIN. Irish republican party seeking to end British rule in Northern Ireland.

39. Dream state letters : REM. (rapid eye movement)

40. Suffix with Beatle : MANIA

41. Theater access : AISLE

45. Cling wrap brand : SARAN

46. "Queen of Soul" Franklin : ARETHA

55. Inning-by-inning runs summary : LINE SCORE. (usually in tabular form)

57. Hedren of "The Birds" : TIPPI. A Hitchcock film.

58. Bldg. annex : ADDN. (addition)

59. Slimmest of margins : HAIR

60. Actress Falco et al. : EDIEs

61. Gravy vessel : BOAT. It's a big Thanksgiving dinner if you have two gravy boats. Yum.

62. Very : OH SO

63. Like some populations : DENSE

Down:

1. Major mix-up : SNAFU. From the military: (situation normal, all f***ed up)

2. "__ your life!" : NOT ON

3. Passion, in Pisa : AMORE

4. Issues : RELEASES

5. Signs up : ENLISTS

6. Part of PGA: Abbr. : ASSN. (Professional Golfers' Association)

7. Letters on a Soviet uniform : CCCP. It is the Russian abbreviation of Союз Советских Социалистических Республик, meaning the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, or USSR.

8. Islands tuber : TARO

9. Kazakhstan border sea : ARAL.In the old CCCP.

10. Keys at the keys : ALICIA. CLIP(3:32)

11. Westley portrayer in "The Princess Bride" : CARY ELWES

                            LINK

12. Punk rock subgenre : EMO

13. Bear lair : DEN. Cute clue.

19. Ancient Britons : PICTS. Literally, painted ones.

21. Belg. neighbor : GER. Belgium / Germany

24. Do more work on, as a persistent squeak : RE-OIL

25. In unison : AS ONE

27. Revise : AMEND

28. Gymnast Comaneci : NADIA. OMG, she's 52 now.

29. Collect bit by bit : GLEAN

30. LAX posting : ETA

31. Has the nerve : DARES

32. Billy Joel's musical daughter : ALEXA. Alexa Ray Joel CLIP(4:42).

                        LINK

33. Reminder notes : MEMORANDA

37. Apple computer : MAC

38. Roosevelt's chat spot : FIRESIDE

40. Short-short skirts : MINIs

41. Like soda water : AERATED

43. Natural ability : TALENT

44. Cleveland NBAer : CAV. Cavalier.

47. Easy basketball score : TIP IN. Or not so easy.

                           LINK

48. Aspirations : HOPES

49. Herb that tastes like licorice : ANISE

51. Reverberation : ECHO

52. Ark helmsman : NOAH

53. Spring flower : IRIS

54. Rex Stout's stout sleuth Wolfe : NERO

55. Chocolate dog : LAB

56. Wedding vow words : "I DO"

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

Happy Birthday to dear Creature! Her kindness & warmth shine through in each of her comments here on the blog. Creature has been through some difficult times since she lost her husband 2 years ago today. She doesn't post much these days, but she still reads us every day and cares very much about this blog and our regulars. Dave, please work extra hard and find the sweetest cake for our special Creature.

Monday, November 18, 2013 Erik Agard

Theme: D&D - Sorry boys, not Double D. Phrases that start with D's, more like Dungeons and Dragons except in this case, the first two letters of each D word are duplicated.

16A. First two reindeer named in Rudolph's song : DASHER AND DANCER

25A. Use a mouse to move a file between folders, say : DRAG AND DROP

43A. List of behavioral recommendations : DOs AND DON'Ts

55A. 2003 prequel subtitled "When Harry Met Lloyd" : DUMB AND DUMBERER

Argyle here. I don't know if having the first two letters dupe was intentional but it probably was. Still pretty straight forward for an Eric Agard puzzle. No need for a unifier or reveal. Outstanding long Down fill today plus two grid spanners.

Across:

1. Michael who plays Alfred in many Batman movies : CAINE. Alfred "Pennyworth"(an assumed surname)

6. Mess maker : SLOB. Certainly not Alfred.

10. Remote : FAR

13. Lightweight synthetic : ORLON

14. Nothing, in Nicaragua : NADA

15. Scheme in which three of four lines rhyme : AABA

19. Jai __ : ALAI

20. Fury : IRE

21. Baseball legend Mickey : MANTLE. Do you have a rookie card, C.C.? (From C.C.: Nope. Boomer had the whole set of 1952 Topps, but he sold all in the 1980s. He sold his Mantle card (in perfect mint condition) for $900 and has been regretting every day.)

22. It has a trunk but no wheels : TREE

24. Layered cookie : OREO

30. Queue between Q and U : RST. Unique way to clue an alphabet string.

33. Charged, infantry-style : RAN AT

34. The Beatles' "Abbey __" : ROAD. EMI Studios were on Abbey Road.

35. Administer, as justice, with "out" : METE

36. Eden exile : ADAM. 11D. 36-Across' second son : ABEL

37. Thorax organs : LUNGS. Thorax, the part between the neck and the abdomen.

38. Thor's father : ODIN

39. Book part : PAGE

40. Former Atlanta arena : OMNI

41. Lopsided : ATILT. An "A" word.

42. Make a typo : ERR

45. Cry of dismay : "ALAS!"

47. Ten-speed unit : GEAR

48. Prisoner : INMATE

50. "How can __ sure?" : I BE

                             LINK

51. Ring of light : HALO

58. Many Keats poems : ODEs

59. Stunt rider Knievel : EVEL

60. Sprinkles or drizzles : RAINS

61. Was in first : LED

62. "Don't touch that __!" : DIAL

63. Supplement : ADD TO

Down:

1. Sonata ending : CODA

2. Inland Asian sea : ARAL

3. "Casablanca" heroine : ILSA

4. Diamond gem : NO HIT GAME

5. Santa Barbara-to-Las Vegas dir. : E-N-E

6. Marching band percussion instruments : SNARE DRUMS

7. Freeway division : LANE

8. Unusual : ODD

9. Snits : BAD MOODS

10. Accounted for, as during calculations : FACTORED IN

12. Steak request : RARE

15. Diarist Frank : ANNE

17. Nothing, in Nice : RIEN

18. 50-and-over org. : AARP

23. Critter before or after pack : RAT

25. Fall in folds : DRAPE

26. Plane tracker : RADAR

27. Made "talent" from "latent," e.g. : ANAGRAMMED. Got thrown by the double M.

28. Prima __ : DONNA

29. 1980 De Niro film about a boxer : "RAGING BULL". Filmed in black and white.

31. Clown heightener : STILT. Neat trick, standing on one stilt.

32. Camp shelters : TENTS

35. British heavy metal band with the album "Ace of Spades" : MOTÖRHEAD

                               LINK

37. Not as tight as before : LOOSENED

41. Cavity filler's org. : ADA. (American Dental Association)

43. Census gathering : DATA

44. Regard : DEEM

46. Research sites : LABS

48. Revered entertainer : IDOL

49. Naked : NUDE

50. Inventor's spark : IDEA

52. Bone-dry : ARID

53. Gave for a while : LENT

54. Roughly : OR SO

56. 506, in old Rome : DVI

57. Bikini top : BRA. OK, Double D bra link

Argyle