Monday, June 6, 2011, Jack McInturff

Theme: Stop stuttering and spit it out! Each of the four theme answers are combined with a double version of the three letters which begin the answer. To introduce this puzzle, I want you to listen to this SONG. Happy Mon Mon Monday all, Lemonade stepping in for Argyle to kick off your week. Too bad it is not 2006, then the puzzle would be 06-06-06. Let us see how a Monday feels;

17A. Mechanic's excessively affected gadget box?: TOO TOO TOOLCHEST. Gadget box? I was puzzled, but got the theme for certain with the next one.

26A. Fashionable farm nestling?: CHI CHI CHICK. CHICHI is actually one word, but nestling I knew and worked backwards.

47A. Dance contest winner?: CHA CHA CHAMP. Time to SHAKE.

61A. High-kicking dancer at an audition?: CAN CAN CANDIDATE. I guess we really are the Dancing with the Stars generation, I hope you get a KICK out of this link. Okay, now to a really fun bunch of clues, with a lot going on for a Monday.

Across:

1. "Gone With the Wind" plantation: TARA. Frankly, I don't give a damn.

5. Interactive Facebook feature: WALL. I do facebook so I can see pictures of my kids, but I have reconnected to some old friends.

9. Prefix with sonic or violet: ULTRA. And violence too, if you like Kubrick.

14. Press, as pants: IRON. Why not shirts? I hate ironing shirts!

15. Most fit to serve: ONE-A. Draft status, military service.

16. Sodas for Radar O'Reilly: NEHIS. They have to be Grape for Radar.

20. Ready to be drawn from a keg: ON TAP. Oh, goody a beer reference.

21. First Japanese golfer to win a PGA Tour event: ISAO AOKI. Nice to see his entire name, with all those vowels; I will never forget how he tilted his putter. No comments Lois, Carol.

22. Rajah's wife: RANI.

25. Damaged, as mdse.: IRR. Irregular.

31. Gallantry-in-combat mil. award: DSC. Distinguished Service Cross.

34. Dryer screen target: LINT. Yes, mother it is really lint and can be thrown away.

35. Collaborating group: TEAM. There is no I in team, but one in collaborating.

36. Blacksmith, at times: SHOER. I am sure you all found this easy and nailed it.

38. "The King __" : AND I. I had the pleasure of seeing Yul Brynner perform the part on Broadway, as well as shaving his head as he drove into the city. Sadly, he smoked and died of lung cancer.

39. Take everything off: STRIP. Okay, I saw that show too, but not on Browadway.

41. Letters on a cross: INRI. Iesus Nazerenus Rex Iudeaorem. No J in Latin, so this Jesus, King of the Jews.

42. City near Syracuse: UTICA. It is in between Syracuse and Schenectady.

44. Blade's sharp side: EDGE.

45. Wildebeests: GNUS. You all knew this right?

46. Govt. ID issuer: SSA. Social Security Administration.

50. Revival prefix: NEO. Latin for new.

51. Easy gait: TROT. If the horse is well shod.

52. "They'll ambush you if you go in there!": IT'S A TRAP. I love this clearly complicated clue. A Dan Naddor type of multi-word fill.

57. Agreed (with): SIDED. From debate, where you picked one side of the aisle or the other.

64. Reveal impulsively: BLURT. As in "it out."

65. Cafeteria carrier: TRAY. Are there many left, Morrison's, Picadilly?

66. Tar Heel State university: ELON. This NC college was the alma mater of our senior partner who died last year. It also is crosswordese.

67. Fibber of old radio: MCGEE. Don't forget Molly and the closet. We did not have a TV until was 7, so I listened to many radio plays.

68. Terrier variety: SKYE. Named for the island in the North Sea.

69. Emailed or faxed: SENT. I have a friend who does not email, so I get lots of faxes.

Down:

1. Former Yugoslav leader: TITO. Like Spain's Franco, he is still dead.

2. Presley's middle name: ARON. Too bad they could not spell.

3. Cheer (for): ROOT.

4. South Pole continent, with "the": ANTARCTIC. One of two continents with Australia which was the Final Jeopardy answer last week.

5. Seek as a spouse: WOO.

6. Tiny hill crawler: ANT. Oops there goes another rubber tree.

7. Sainted fifth-century pope: LEO I. A very influential LEADER .

8. Cambodia neighbor: LAOS.

9. Opens, as wine: UNCORKS. Good, this balanced the earlier beer reference.

10. "The Merry Widow" composer: LEHAR. The opera by FRANZ

11. "The Cosby Show" boy: THEO. malcolm jamal warner.

12. Insurer's exposure: RISK. So simple, it fooled me for a second.

13. Italian wine city: ASTI. Spumante to you.

18. Colorful fish: OPAH. Do you think it is PRETTY.

19. Of the flock: LAIC. As opposed to cleric.

23. "Picked" complaints: NITS. My favorite clue of all, especially having had my nit picked by many anons.

24. Summer drink: ICE TEA. I know you want ICED, sue them.

26. Santa __: CLAUS. Our special Argyle shout out for Monday, that I am usurping.

27. Clues: HINTS. Sometimes, that is all they are a hint.

28. Taj Mahal home: INDIA.

29. Cola's first consonant: HARD C. Not to be confused with HARD G., coming to a theater or puzzle near you.

30. "Put me down as a maybe": I MIGHT. I might not.

31. Designer Karan: DONNA. DKNY.

32. Inoculated fluid: SERUM. This is a Latin word that refers to the "whey", the watery liquid that separates from the curds in the process of cheese making.

33. Like well-cooked bacon: CRISP. How many like it really crisp?

37. Times when sand castles are destroyed: HIGH TIDES. Another great fill.

40. Tree fruit: PEAR. Home to partridges.

43. Film material: ACETATE. Actually, it is Cellulose acetate.

48. Traffic jam honker: HORN. In Florida it is against the law unless it is an emergency. Nobody pays attention to the law.

49. Mozart's "__ fan tutte": COSI. Thus do they all; Mozart's take on women.

50. Mother-of-pearl: NACRE.

52. Long-range warhead carrier, briefly: ICBM. Another acronym, InterContinental Ballistic Missile.

53. Soft mineral: TALC. Talcum powder anyone?

54. Like a bug in a rug: SNUG. My mother used to say that when she ticked me in.

55. Play divisions: ACTS.

56. Amusement __: PARK. Did you know the Ferris Wheel was invented specifically for the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago, to out do the Eiffel Tower?

58. Carnegie or Evans: DALE. Don't forget Chip's buddy either.

59. Thames school: ETON. ELON, we love these schools.

60. Fender damage: DENT. Ding, ah well.

62. Rejecting vote: NAY.

63. Blonde's secret, maybe : DYE. Seldom a secret, but my exit line. My first Monday, and one I really enjoyed, now to try and keep from being confused about the day of the week. Argyle is fine, but his computer is not so bear with us as we soldier on. A different experience, enjoy the week.

Answer grid.

Lemonade

Note from C.C.:

Here are three pictures of JD's grandsons. Click on each one for enlargement. They'll brighten your morning.

Sunday June 5, 2011 John Lampkin

Theme: Low and Behold - Part of each common phrase is replaced by a sound-alike cow related term.

27A. Farm vet's reference? : GRAZE ANATOMY. Grey's Anatomy,

51A. Milkmaid? : THE UDDER WOMAN. The other woman.

89A. Calf's folks? : MA AND PA CATTLE. Ma and Pa Kettle.

112A. Where orphans go while their adoptive moms give milk? : DOGIE DAYCARE. Doggy daycare, right?

14D. Santa's backup bovines? : SLEIGH BULLS. Sleigh bells. Hope Argyle returns to his seat tomorrow. I love when he's around.

16D. Expensive cuts? : HIGH STEAKS. High stakes.

67D. Bovine hitmen? : COWS OF DEATH. Cause of death.

73D. Easy listening in the pasture? : MOOED MUSIC. Mood music.

John sure loves nature & all its creatures. This is his third animal related theme we've encountered. Remember this delightful "Pet Food"?  

Again, no cheater square, elegant looking grid. The clues are fantastic, as we always expect from John. Clechos & word associations abound. Just look at this consecutive clue pair:

84A. "The Way We __" : WERE. Loved the movie.

86A. The way we word : SYNTAX.

Across:

1. Bovine milieu : RANCH. Bonus entry.

6. Pasture units : ACRES

11. Terrible twos types : TOTS

15. Crack in a lip : CHAP

19. Fine Japanese porcelain : IMARI. No idea. See here. Noisy colors.

20. The Pemaquid Point Light is on its state quarter : MAINE. See this picture John took last Labor Day weekend. He said "Remarkably, tourists in the reflection have to walk upside down to get to the lookout".

21. Throw : HURL

22. 1953 Original Music Score Oscar-winning film : LILI. Got via crosses.

23. Alluded to : GOT AT

24. Skirt : EVADE

25. Tribe affiliated with the Missouria : OTOE. One of the most popular tribes in Xword.

26. Long look at a looker : OGLE. Fun clue.

30. Wings choice : SPICY HOT. Don't eat chicken.

32. Elite : SELECT

33. Perp chaser, with "the" : LAW

34. New York city or county : OSWEGO. Was it also named after a tribe?

36. Where the bucket slops? : STY. Tried PEN first.

37. Pueblo people : HOPIs

39. __ Brasi, "The Godfather" hatchet man : LUCA. The guy who "sleeps with the fishes".

40. Offend : HURT

42. Type : SORT

46. Casino roller : DIE

47. Berlin's "Call Me __" : MADAM

48. Procreates : BREEDS

54. Fish alternative? : CUT BAIT. So "Fish" is a verb here, right?

55. Fine fiddles : AMATIs. Always reminds me of "The Red Violin".

56. Sheet purchase : REAM

57. Email letters : AOL

58. Arcade game starter : SKEE

59. Guitar string choice : NYLON. Could also be?

60. Uni- + uni- + uni- : TRI. And 113D. Tetra- + tetra- : OCTA. Prefix for "eight".

62. Log processor : SAWMILL

65. Logical conclusion? : SUM. Cogito, ergo sum.

66. Loser's demand : RECOUNT. Election loser.

69. Ratings name : NIELSEN

71. Father of the bride's offering : ARM

74. Exactly correct : SO RIGHT

76. Pharm. receipts : RXs

77. Crier of Greek myth : NIOBE. This used to stump me.

81. B&B offering : ROOM

83. Colorless : WAN

87. Imprudent : FOOLISH

92. Nautical patron : ST ELMO. And 93A. Nautical maneuvers : TACKS. And 95A. Nautical storage : HOLD. Three in a row.

94. Avis output : OVA

96. Like heedless ears : DEAF

97. Stately trees : OAKS

98. Pang of conscience : QUALM

100. Improvise with the band : JAM. Jazzbumap might jam occasionally.

102. Jewel box : CD CASE

104. "__ House": 1970 CSNY hit : OUR

105. Like feet of no concern to a podiatrist? : IAMBIC. I don't get this clue, Clear Ayes!

110. Squad cars : CRUISERS

115. Revolutionary sewer : ROSS. And 43D. "Heavens to Betsy!" : OH MY.

116. River islets : AITs. Classical crosswordese.

118. Assertion of faith : CREDO

119. Filmmaker Welles : ORSON

120. Exude : EMIT

121. Tax evasion investigators : T-MEN

122. Jackson Hole's county : TETON. Grand Teton the big boobs.

123. Wet season events : RAINS

124. City on the Brazos : WACO. What does "Brazos" mean? Nothing bra-related I presume.

125. Rescuer, e.g. : HERO

126. AARP and NAACP : ASSNs

127. Meaning : SENSE

Down:

1. "Lethal Weapon" cop : RIGGS. Gibson's role. Got me.

2. Sardinian passion : AMORE. Love. "That's Amore".

3. Birth-related : NATAL

4. Fad : CRAZE

5. Like "CSI" procedures : HI-TECH

6. Call from the flock : AMEN

7. Supercilious : CAVALIER

8. Vaqueros' ropes : RIATAs. Or REATAs.

9. Provide with funding : ENDOW

10. Appear : SEEM

11. Small but : THO

12. Beat in an individual medley : OUTSWAM

13. Figure of speech : TROPE. Remember this stranger, Splynter?

15. Overdo the sweetness : CLOY

17. Distribute : ALLOT

18. Religious devotion : PIETY

28. Disagreeing like bookies? : AT ODDS. Does this clue amuse you?

29. "Way to go, bro!" : YOU DA MAN. Great answer.

31. Place to press a suit? : COURT. Law suit.

35. Scrutinize : SCAN

38. Graphic symbol : PIE

39. Asian teachers : LAMAs. I don't associate them with "teachers". Just monks.

41. CSA soldiers : REBs

42. Baseball's Musial : STAN. Stan the Man.

44. Down-to-earth : REAL

45. Aid for a struggling student : TUTOR. Hi Bill!

47. Curly poker : MOE. The Stooges. We've seen this clue before.

49. Godot's god : DIEU. French for God. Mon dieu!

50. Watch projection : STEM

52. Sups : DINES

53. Twist and squeeze : WRING

54. Helices : COILs

57. Green-card maker : AMEX.  Not the green card for immigrants.

60. Numbers is part of it : TORAH. Not what I had in mind.

61. Trash : RUIN

63. Sent a message to, old-style : WIRED

64. "The Threepenny Opera" star : LENYA (Lotte)

68. Rapped with something flat : THWACKED. Always a crowd pleaser.

70. Climactic inning, often : NINTH

71. Barking sounds : ARFs

72. Tree anchor : ROOT

75. Hardwood trees : TEAKS

78. German aviation pioneer Lilienthal : OTTO. Well, maybe Dudley knows him. Not me.

79. Black eight, e.g. : BALL. Magic 8-Ball?

80. Struck (out) : EX'ed

82. Fr. miss : MLLE (Mademoiselle)

85. Some OR staffers : RNs (Registered Nurses)

86. Longest-serving current Supreme Court justice : SCALIA (Antonin)

88. Desktop models : iMACs

89. Serpico's biographer : MAAS (Peter). Another unknown. John might have clued it as farm calls related.

90. Covered with liberally, as a liquid : POURED ON

91. "The Barefoot Contessa" star Gardner : AVA

93. Browning gadget : TOASTER

98. Calms : QUIETS

99. City chiefs : MAYORS

100. Polo competitor : J. CREW

101. Scent : AROMA

103. Job that doesn't pay? : CRIME. But some are paid.

104. Shrek and Fiona : OGRES

106. Bluesy Carmen : McRAE. Any trouble this time, Barry G?

107. "__ Street Blues": Dixieland classic : BASIN

108. Fairway choices : IRONS. Golf clubs.

109. Burn sandalwood, say : CENSE

111. :, in analogies : IS TO

114. Family heads : DONs. Mafia.

117. Cone head? : SNO. Sno-cone.

Answer grid.

C.C.

Saturday, June 4, 2011 Gareth Bain

Theme: None

Words: 70

Blocks: 32

Four criss-crossing "theme"-like answers, two spanners, two climbers;

20A. Line before "Et tu, Brute?" : SPEAK HANDS FOR ME - Shakespeare's Julius Caesar

54A. Ethical concern for a bar association : AMBULANCE CHASER - I shoulda known this

3D. Symbol of phoniness : THREE-DOLLAR BILL

11D. Dearborn attraction : HENRY FORD MUSEUM - this one I nailed

Wow, this one kicked my butt - too many obscure references in the NW for me to complete it without red-letter help

ACROSS:

1. Candy vehicle : SCTV - Canadian skit show, at least I guess - I have no clue on the "Candy" part....{ it just came to me, about 2 hours later - John Candy }

5. Imported wheels : SAAB - I once owned an '83 900

9. Gone crackers? : HIHOS - crackers, no longer available; Sunshine, then Keebler, then Kellog's were the companies

14. Education acronym : ELHI - ugh, I don't think of this as an acronym; it's abbreviation for EL-ementary thru HI-gh school....

15. Brad's role in "Inglourious Basterds" : ALDO - great movie; this guy's performance outdid Brad's

16. Certain Yemeni : ADENI - again, ugh, really? Am I a "Long Island-i" ?

17. Brings out : AIRS

18. Side of beef part : SLAB

19. Like some raincoats : LINED

23. Tailless mammal : APE - had "MAN" first

24. Self-titled 1988 R&B album : LATOYA - one of the Jacksons

25. Initial response to a yenta? : MYOB - Mind Your Own Business - Yenta is yiddish, originally a woman's name, comes to mean a "busy-body" or gossip

26. Skyscraper feature : LEDGE - UGH~!  There are ledges here in my one-story house....

28. Part of psi?: Abbr. : LBS - now this was a good one - psi, for Pounds per Square Inch, like tire pressure,  and the imperial abbreviation for pounds - lb., from the Roman libra, a weight measure.

30. Dom alternative : FRA - not really sure; I think this is airport codes, but it could be types of champagne for all I know....

31. Metaphors, e.g. : TROPES - never heard this; from Greek tropos "to turn"

33. Ice cream parlor order : MALT - hey, I got one ~!

34. "... lay the sod __ me": "Streets of Laredo" lyric : O'ER - poetic contraction, over

35. Celebrity mentioned in Warren Zevon's 1978 hit "Werewolves of London" : LON CHANEY, JR. - super fun song 2:38

38. World Chess Champion after Botvinnik : TAL - sure, OK

40. Valley in the first book of Samuel : ELAH - um, OK, here's a map?

41. Heavy hitter : SLEDGE - I typo'ed Stylish as styhish, so it took a moment for this to appear.

44. Santa __ : ANA - California

45. Some signatures : XES - makes me think of the Blues Brothers, right Melissa Bee?

46. Blend : IMMIX - yup, it's a "word", from Latin

47. "Beetle Bailey" cartoonist Walker : MORT

49. Members of an Afrocentric movement : RASTAS -short for Rastafarian

53. Exhaust : USE

57. Daughter of Muhammad : LAILA - the boxer, Ali - she boxes, too.

58. Court ritual : OATH

59. Green : GELT - a long way to go, from Yiddish for money to dollar bill color

60. Coty Award winner Perry : ELLIS - designer

61. Fonda's beekeeper : ULEE - from the movie, Ulee's Gold - popular crossword answer

62. Golden __ : RULE

63. Willowy woman : SYLPH

64. Polanski film based on a Hardy novel : TESS

65. Wrote, as an AOL buddy : IM'ed - Instant Message

Down:

1. Epicure's condiment : SEASALT - an epicure is a connoisseur, did not know

2. Fast ship : CLIPPER - I went down my list of ships, and forgot this one

4. Traveler's need : VISA

5. White House girl : SASHA - Obama

6. __ once : ALL AT - "all at once, it came to me that I was NOT going to finish"

7. Hersey setting : ADANO - "A Bell for Adano", by John Hershey.  Total stumper - was thinking Pennsylvania for the park

8. Winner of a 2008 Pulitzer Prize Special Citation for his "profound impact on popular music and American culture" : BOB DYLAN - not a fan

9. Game division : HALF - really only soccer; all others are quarters, periods and innings

10. Way of putting things : IDIOM - I wanted a Monty Python link; this is, um, the scene, at 1:19

12. Encore, basically : ONE MORE ~!!!

13. News supplement : SIDEBAR - this is more legalese than news related, for me

21. Box for a cold : KLEENEX - had tissues to start, funny how a lot of words and phrases have same letter-number commonality

22. Luxury furs : SABLES

27. Mail hub: Abbr. : GPO - General Post Office, more British

29. In : STYLISH

32. White of the eye : SCLERA

33. __-jongg : MAH - a game

36. Isn't trapped : HAS AN OUT - always leave yourself an "out" when driving - I have avoided many a cell-phone driver this way....

37. "To Kill a Mockingbird" brother : JEM

38. Cantina servings : TAMALES - not the Cantina I was thinking of....

39. Unusual occurrence : ANOMALY - like in Star Trek, or the X-files, an "anomaly" was usually the seed for the episode.

42. Princess in Disney's "Enchanted" : GISELLE - image

43. Applied : EXERTED - as force

48. __ mania, 17th-century Dutch phenomenon : TULIP

50. Model aspect : SCALE -had ratio to start

51. Sorbonne heads? : TETES - French for head, Sorbonne, France

52. Inflammation symptoms : ACHES

55. Tie securely : LASH - had bind to start

56. Business intro? : AGRI - frequently appears in crosswords. Agribusiness.

Answer grid.

OK, I am ready for a Monday/Tuesday now ~!

Splynter

Friday, June 3, 2011, Pancho Harrison

Theme: Sounds Like I ate it. The first word in each of the two-word theme answers is transformed  from a  "EYT" sound ending into a different word with the similar "EYD" sound ending, creating  a new, and rib tickling phrase. There is a A B B A pattern to the replacement word ending.

Well, our first offering in some time from Mr. Harrison, who was the very first constructor we encountered when the original cast of the Corner was switched to the LA Times puzzles. Lemonade here, so let's see what Pancho has learned in the last two years.  

17A. Family member whose age is showing?: GRAYED UNCLE. The beautiful boy and girl whose pictures I have posted make me a GREAT UNCLE, who also happens to have GRAYED.

27A. Horse-cavalry soldier who's hardly capricious?: STAID TROOPER. Most STATE TROOPERS are rather serious, scaring looking people.

46A. Aggressive drug enforcement strategy?: RAID INCREASE. I wish the bank would arrange a RATE INCREASE on our savings accounts; my first thought was it could have been clued as needing more bug spray.

61A. Bride's unraveling problem?: FRAYED TRAIN. Well, I guess a few honeymooners without any cash hopped on a FREIGHT TRAIN to see the world, and the brides were likely to have an old gown.

On to the show:

Across:

1. Pilfer: SWIPE. Well, STEAL also has five letters, starting with S, tough start.

6. Massenet opera: THAIS. Wow, follow that up with this opera (pronounced TA EES) based on the novel of the same name by Anatole France, and we are going very slowly. It is from the French lack of a soft TH we get T'ank You, T'ursday and T'em.

11. JFK, but not LGA: DEM. Not the airports, but the politicians they are named after, as Kennedy was a Democrat, and Fiorello LaGuardia was a Republican.

14. Distinctive characters: AURAS. I think this must be a typo, as an aura is a distinctive CHARACTERISTIC.

15. Wrap-up: RECAP.

16. Chill: ICE. Dear, it is time to chill the champagne.

19. Co. led by David Sarnoff until 1970: RCA. They owned NBC also for many years; his son went to the Rectory School, which is the reunion I am just back from attending.

20. Tivoli's Villa d'__: ESTE. This magnificent home and grounds were built by Cardinal Este, who was a son of Lucrezia Borgia, if anyone is watching the new miniseries. It has magnificent GARDENS.

21. Staff entry?: REST. This tricky clue refers to a musical notation, I believe. JzB?

22. Worn down: EATEN. The waves of the ocean eat away the shoreline.

24. Solid alcohol: STEROL. Sterols are also known as steroid alcohols. We all are familiar with the important animal one called CHOLESTEROL. They are not Scotch, frozen and eaten with a fork.

26. Vortex: EDDY. A shout out to Eddy B.

33. Line of clothing?: HEM. My mother was a wonderful nurse, but we used to have to stand by a staircase to mask the different lengths of our pant legs.

36. Jubilant cry: HOORAY. Hip, hip!

37. Pool game, perhaps: POLO. Nice deception, as water polo is played in a pool, a serious game, unlike its cousin MARCO POLO. Not to be confused with 11D. Unsportsmanlike conduct: DIRTY POOL. And as Jerome would point out a POOL can become a POLO.

38. "Unlimited free mileage" rental pioneer: ALAMO. This company began in Florida back in the 70s and was a boon to the business traveler with mileage free.

40. Washington Sq. campus: NYU. Greenwich Village New York.

41. Bikini, e.g.: ATOLL. Not the bathing suit, the islands.

42. Vacation site: ISLE. More islands.

43. Baker's container: PIE PAN. Whatever happened to the Mother Butler's Pie Shops?

45. Golfer Westwood who replaced Tiger Woods as World #1 in October 2010: LEE. Since replaced by Martin Kaymer and now Luke Donald.

49. H.S. math course: CALC. Calculus, not your easy math.

50. One who digs your jive: HEPCAT. Old beatnik talk from the 50s.

54. Swindle decoy: SHILL. The paid associate who plays the game and wins, so others will try.

56. Feint on the ice: DEKE. Any BRUIN or CANUCK fans out there? It is just an abbreviation of DECOY.

59. 39-Down recipient: HERO. 39D. Award for a 59-Across: MEDAL. One of those combinations that can't be solved on their own.

60. John of England: LOO. Not Elton, but the WC.

64. Homer's donut supplier: APU. Are you doubters beginning to see the Simpsons are an important part of Americana?

65. Dog-__: EARED. As a reader, I do not like when people do this to books.

66. Western party: POSSE. Again, deceptive, not a hoe down, but a group put together to chase bad guys.

67. Junio, por ejemplo: MES. June for example, months. We have had this before.

68. Titles: DEEDS. Titles to real property, and our first legal word of the day.

69. Unsettling expression: SNEER. My favorite is this FACE

On to the other half.

Down:

1. Wise guys: SAGES. Not the Sopranos, actual smart people.

2. Knack attachment?: WURST. This German food is not spelled KNOCKWURST

3. Hot: IRATE. I wanted to put in HOT DOGS in the wurst way.

4. Sugar daddies, e.g.: PAYERS. Finally old enough to be one, and I spent all the money already, damn.

5. Ethnic ending: ESE. Japanese, Portuguese etc.

6. "__ Lies": Schwarzenegger film: TRUE. I liked the MOVIE but maybe not anymore.

7. Brooding group: HENS. Nice imagery.

8. Invoice abbr.: ACCT. Usually followed by NO.

9. Editor's add-on?: IAL. Editorial.

10. Muscle beach brand: SPEEDO. Tight and tighter.

12. Behold, to Livy: ECCE. A bit of Latin crosswordese, meaning BEHOLD.

13. Ornery: MEAN. A good western word.

18. Traveling circus organizer in a 1964 film: DR LAO. A wonderful MOVIE with Tony Randall

23. Take in: ADOPT. I would love to adopt those four puppies.

25. First century Roman emperor: OTHO. Ah, the unexpected benefit of having a son who wants to be a Roman Archaeologist, and explaining to me about the YEAR OF FOUR EMPERORS . A very obscure answer.

26. Hatch back?: ERY. HATCHERY, another way to disguise a suffix.

28. Greek column style: IONIC. Which do you like best, Doric, Corinthian or Ionic?

29. Where some pairs are separated: DRYER. The case of the missing sock.

30. Brownish gray: TAUPE.

31. Glamour rival: ELLE. The magazines.

32. Part: ROLE. In a play.

33. Narrow margin: HAIR. He won by a hair.

34. "Lohengrin" soprano: ELSA. If you click no other link, listen to this MUSIC .

35. Motivated by spite: MALICIOUS. From the Latin MAL, meaning bad.

41. "As I Lay Dying" father: ANSE. One Faulkner's best NOVELS .

43. __ Park: Pirates' field: PNC. I can never remember if this is for Pittsburgh National Corporation or Provident National Corporation, so I looked it up, and they merged to form PNC.

44. Sounded satisfied: AAHED. Are you ooers or aahers?

47. Skinny or small, probably: ILL-FED. I associate this with skinny only, but I guess it is correct.

48. "You've Got Mail" writer/director: EPHRON. NORA is a very talented woman.

51. Belay: CEASE. A nice nautical term as we near the end.

52. Surface: ARISE. What kind of problems were coming out for Jim Tressel at Ohio State?

53. Office supply: TONER. Messy stuff.

54. Grand __: SLAM. How fitting during the French Open.

55. Optimism: HOPE. I hope you have enjoyed this Friday presentation.

56. Show gumption: DARE. I dare to believe it has turned out well.

57. Got a load of: EYED. Once you have eyed the work of this resident eye patient.

58. Converse competitor: KEDS. Yes, I wore, as converse were for basketball players and I was too short after 7th grade.

62. Actress __ Dawn Chong: RAE. Tommy Chong's pretty little daughter is now 50 .

63. Decorates in a prankish way: TPS. Toilet Papers, which I guess will be my exit line as we have put another Friday to bed. Enjoy all.  No French lesson, but a very fun and doable puzzle with a couple of very hard clues, and a witty, concise theme. Thanks Pancho (oh Cisco!).

Answer grid.

Lemonade

Thursday June 2, 2011 Ed Sessa

Theme: ALTERED STATES (58A. Paddy Chayefsky novel, and literally, what the beginnings of 20-, 32-, and 43-Across all are) - The starting words of each common phrase is an anagram of a US state. "Altered" is a indicator of anagram in Cryptic crossword.

20A. Words of regret : HAD I ONLY KNOWN. Anagram of Idaho. Spanning three words.

32A. Samaritan's assurance : I MEAN NO HARM. Maine. Bridging two complete words.

43A. Classic kids' wagons : RADIO FLYERS. Florida. Crossing two words again.

C.C. again. Al has been working non-stop since Memorial Day and badly needs some sleeping time. He had an amazing consecutive 43-week blogging streak at the Corner.

Another clever gimmick from Mr. Ed, whose puzzles always have an unexpected unifier and give me the most satisfying head slap.

Smooth grid. Several awesome long non-theme entries. Some of the clues (mostly for small words) are confounding.

Across:

1. Elbows and bow ties : PASTAS. Easy start.

7. Floppy-eared "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" demon : CLEM. No idea. Google yourself. The image scares me.

11. RMN's first veep : STA (Spiro Theodore Agnew). Did not know his middle name.

14. Pre-deal demand : ANTE UP

15. Roll call response : HERE

16. Gist : NUB

17. City on the Rio Grande : LAREDO. U.S./Mexico border city.

18. Plane folks? : AVIATORS. Great clue.

22. Lair : DEN

23. Vodka brand that sounds like a toast : SKOL. Sounds like "Skoal".

24. Martial arts schools : DOJOs

26. TV's Mrs. Peel : RIGG (Diana). First thought is EMMA.

28. Oil holder, perhaps : LAMP

31. Hawaiian coffee region : KONA

36. Freq. performer at Tanglewood : BSO (Boston Symphony Orchestra). Got me.

37. Lauderdale neighbor : BOCA. Dennis' favorite haunt.

38. Bleachers sound : ROAR

40. Non-Rx : OTC

48. Good time : BOOM

50. Memo starter : AS TO

51. Physical, e.g. : EXAM

52. Responded to a bailiff's request : STOOD. This guy is really in a class by himself when it comes to scandal.

54. Brittle cookie : SNAP

57. Actress Zadora : PIA

62. Piker's nickname : EL CHEAPO. Excellent fill.

63. Nailed the test : ACED IT

65. Earl or Lady Grey : TEA

66. Rodent control brand : d-CON. Could only think of RAID.

67. Like pine pitch : RESINY. Wow, this is a word.

68. N.C. summer hrs. : EDT

69. Africa's Mobutu __ Seko : SESE

70. Things on strings : ID TAGS. What were you picturing?

Down:

1. Sidekick : PAL

2. Angels' home : ANAHEIM. Anaheim Angels.

3. Off-the-wall : STRANGE

4. Fit to be tied, with "off" : TEED

5. Wiesbaden wheels : AUDIs. Alliteration.

6. Scare : SPOOK

7. Traditional Jewish bread : CHALLAH

8. Assess : LEVY

9. The Phantom of the Opera : ERIK

10. "__ My Shadow": 1927 song : ME AND. Was ignorant of the song.

11. Flattering trickery : SNOW JOB. Great entry.

12. Excitement generators : TURN-ONs.

13. Six-pack __ : ABs. Best abs you'll ever see.

19. Had the desired effect : TOOK

21. Some mutual funds : NO LOADS. What does it mean? I've only heard of no front-load.

22. Soft & __: deodorant : DRI

25. __ Paulo : SAO

27. Jabber : GAB

29. Abandons at sea : MAROONS

30. Plum's title, briefly : PROF. Professor Plum.

33. Postal motto word : NOR. "Neither rain nor snow...".

34. Sweet Sixteen gp. : NCAA

35. __ de mer : MAL

39. Catcher's place? : RYE. "The Catcher in the Rye".

40. Dictionary cousin of arch. : OBS. Obsolete I suppose. Arch = archaic. I don't like this clue.

41. Unsalvageable after an accident : TOTALED

42. Hipster : COOL CAT. I think Jazzbumpa is cool!

44. Cook's announcement : IT'S DONE

45. "Where you book matters" online service : EXPEDIA

46. Barn ritual : RAISING. What barn?

47. "He'll hae misfortunes great an' __": Burns : SMA. Quote freezes me.

49. Adult silkworm : MOTH

53. Some sealed documents : DEEDs

55. Arcade games leader : ATARI

56. Took measured strides : PACED

59. America's Cup competition, say : RACE. Yachting.

60. Poetic saga : EPOS. Like "Paradise Lost". You wanted EPIC too?

61. Drill : TEST

62. Summer in the cité : ETE

64. TV host Pennington et al. : TYs

Answer grid.

C.C.

Wednesday June 1, 2011 Donna S. Levin

Theme: Center of Attention.  Four theme answers plus the unifier start with synonyms for the human midriff.

17A. Abdominoplasty, familiarly : TUMMY TUCK. Two terms for the surgical removal of unwanted fat and droopy skin from the center of the body.

23A. Pepto-Bismol target : STOMACH ACHE. Hospital-tested, pink Pepto-Bismol provides fast, temporary relief from various internal disorders of the central region. Temporary side effects may include turning your tongue black.  Lovely.

36A. Bourgeois : MIDDLE CLASS. Bourgeois is derived from the Middle French word for townsman, and is therefore similar in historical intent to the German BURGHER. Connotations of these words varied a bit across history. I'm guessing they originated during the late medieval period, as the merchant class developed in the towns of Europe, midway in social status between peasants of various sorts and the landed gentry.

49A. Lint receptacle? : BELLY BUTTON.   If you sussed the theme, this was an easy fill (so to speak.)  Proper lint removal technique is demonstrated here.

59A. Easy A (or where to learn about this puzzle's theme?) : GUT COURSE.   I've never seen this phrase outside of a crossword, and I never had the occasion to take one, either.  I guess that's why my average was only a B.  Of course, in a literal GUT COURSE the midriff would be the center of attention.

Hi gang, JazzBumpa here, with a cute and fun offering from Donna.  Nothing middling about it.  Let's get right into the center of things.

Across:

1. Turkish title : AGHA. This can be the title of either a civilian or military officer.

5. Dept. of Labor agency : OSHA.  The Occupational Safety and Health Administration.   Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, Employers are responsible for providing a safe and healthful workplace for their employees, including ordinary safety-toed footwear, ordinary prescription safety eyewear, logging boots, and ordinary clothing and weather-related gear.

9. Isn't serious : JESTS.  OSHA never JESTS.

14. Aloof : COOL.

15. Lovey-dovey exchange : COOS.  From the billing and cooing of love birds.

16. Ready for use : ON TAP.  I could use a beer.

19. Salad dressing restriction : NO OIL.  Fat free, lo-cal.

20. One at the top of the board : LEADER.  From golf, where tournament standings are listed on the leader board.

21. Evil intent : MALICE

22. Hearing aid? : EAR.  The outer ear funnels sound into the inner ear, which I guess is better than a simple hole in the head.

26. General __ Chicken : TSO'S.   I've seen this many times in crosswords, but never on a menu.  If I ever do, I will order it.

28. Poet who wrote of the wasp, "I distrust his waspitality" : NASH.  Ogden, who also wrote the famous couplet, re: billing and cooing:  Candy is dandy/But liquor is quicker.

29. Envy, e.g. : SIN.  Not just any old sin, but one of the deadly ones.  Can you name them all?  No peeking.  (But I'll help.  Lust is number 1!)

30. Self-help guru Deepak : CHOPRA.  Author of The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success.

33. Sandra's "Speed" co-star : KEANU.   Sandra Bullock and KEANU Reeves. 

39. Anklebone : TALUS.  Since we're boning up on anatomy, here is a view.

40. More than interest : ENGAGE.  I was interested before I got engaged, so I guess this makes sense.

43. Chef's phrase : A LA.  This means cooked or prepared in a specified style.  Jeannie?

46. Parts of the hip : ILIA.  You have a pair, hence the awkward Latin plural of ILIUM.  Here they are in context.

48. From square one : ANEW.  One more time, from the top.

54. Jeanne d'Arc, e.g.: Abbr. : STE.  The French abbr. for a female saint.  While in her teens, she led the French army to several important victories in the 100 Years War.  She was captured by the Burgundians, who sold her to the English.  Now, you might think the Burgundians were French, and you'd probably be right.  But allegiances were rather slippery in those days, and money talked.  The English tried her in an ecclesiastical court, and burned her at the stake at age 19 in 1431.  Twenty-five years later, pope Callixtus III reexamined the trial, found her innocent, and declared her a martyr.  Four hundred ninety-one years later she was cannonized.  She had the patience of a STE.

55. Nimbi : HALOES.  Not In My Back Ilium!  A nimbus is a cloudy radiance surrounding the moon, or the head of a STE.  I'm guessing Jeanne got hers right away.

56. Enjoys surreptitiously, as a smoke : SNEAKS.  Did you ever sneak a smoke?

58. La Scala production : OPERA. La Scala is the opera theater in Milan.

62. Loses one's temper : RAGES.  This is occasionally observed on the road.

63. Fifth color of el espectro : AZUL.  Blue, in Spanish, like el Cielo.

64. Stopped working : DIED.  When my hard drive died on my new lap top a couple of months ago, the Geek Squad guy called the appearance on the monitor display, "The Azul screen of death!" 

65. Surgical tube : STENT

66. Salad, at times : SIDE.  As in SIDE dish.  As an aside, I had a salad for dinner, not a side, at Panera.

67. __-bitty : ITTY.  This means teeny-tiny.

Down:

1. Tread the boards : ACT.  Slang term for being a thespian.

2. European stew : GOULASH.  From the Hungarian Gulyás, meaning herdsman, who would chow down on this thick, meaty stew. 

3. Where school attendance is usually taken : HOME ROOM

4. __ mater : ALMA.  That school you went to, way back when.

5. Hawaii's "main islands," e.g. : OCTET.   Evidently there are eight.  I did not know that.

6. Become disenchanted with : SOUR ON. 

7. Ad __ : HOC.  Meaning, "For this" in Latin, referring to something set up for a specific purpose, not general use.

8. Inquire : ASK

9. Syndicated columnist Goldberg : JONAH.  No comment.

10. First name on an historic WWII bomber : ENOLA.   Pilot Paul Tibbets named this B-29 bomber after his mother, ENOLA Gay Tibbets.  It dropped the bomb on Hiroshima.

11. Zeno's followers : STOICS.  This is derived from frequent crossword fill, STOA.  The  Stoics believed that destructive emotions resulted from errors in judgment.  I believe they had it exactly backwards.

12. Meditative martial art : TAI CHI.  You can get started here.

13. Bad temper : SPLEEN

18. NFL rushing units : YDS.  Yards.

21. 1960s Borgnine sitcom role : McHALE.  The show was McHale's Navy.  Here's a sample.

22. List-ending letters : ETC.  And so on, and so forth.

24. Succeeds : MAKES IT.

25. "Just __!": "Be right there!" : A SEC. 

27. Polish partner : SPIT.  SPIT and polish refers to appearance and good order.  The expression originated in the military, evidently from using a little saliva to put a shine on something.

31. Dietary guideline letters : RDA.  Recommended Daily Allowance

32. Talks off the cuff : AD LIBS.  A good way to get into trouble, these days.

34. Tandoori bread : NAN.  Tandoori is a spicy chicken dish from India.  NAN (or NAAN) is a flat bread to go with it.  I've had it.  Yum!

35. Org. that stages an annual June open : USGA.  U. S. Golf Association.

37. Doozy : LULU.  Something special, odd, or out of the ordinary, not always in a good way.  Here's an example.

38. Classical language of India : SANSKRIT.  It stands in the same relationship to modern Indian languages that classical Latin or Greek do for European languages.

41. Prepares : GETS SET

42. Maa, in "Babe" : EWE.  Babe is a pig who wants to be a sheep dog.  Maa is one of the sheep. 

43. Detests : ABHORS

44. Show enthusiasm for, as an opportunity : LEAP AT

45. Purport : ALLEGE

47. Available for siring : AT STUD.  Refers to a critter that could be gotten for some begettin'.

50. Actress Sophia : LOREN.  Famous actress, here illustrating the theme.

51. You often get a rise out of it : YEAST.   If you're a loafer, I suppose. 

52. Frère of a mère or père : ONCLE.  Bro of mom or pop.  All in the French family

53. Classical beginning : NEO.  NEOclassicism is a revival of classical norms, forms, and methods in art  or a intellectual discipline.

57. Autobahn auto : AUDI.  A German car on a German road.

59. 57-Down filler : GAS.  Fill for the fuel tank.  Should be petrol.

60. Israeli weapon : UZI.  A sub-machine gun brand since 1950.

61. Big name in ice cream : EDY.  This company goes back to 1928, when it was founded by William Dreyer and Joseph EDY.  Use in moderation.  Too much of this can lead to excess themage, a STOMACH ACHE or even a TUMMY TUCK.

Answer grid.

Cheers!

JzB

Tuesday May 31, Gail Grabowski & Bruce Venzke

Theme: Dick and Harry's friend - Four famous Toms start the theme entries. No fooling...'til you get to the unifier.

17A. Port of call : CRUISE STOP. TOM CRUISE, Here as Maverick in "Top Gun".

24A. Readily interchangeable, fashionwise : MIX AND MATCH. TOM MIX, here in the white hat, of course.

35A. Office fund for minor expenses : PETTY CASH. TOM PETTY, here, with whitish hair, singing "I Won't Back Down".(2:56)

49A. Head locks : HANKS OF HAIR. TOM HANKS, here as Captain John Miller in "Saving Private Ryan".

58A. Horseplay, and a hint to the starts of 17-, 24-, 35- and 49-Across : TOMFOOLERY

C.C. here. Argyle's computer was down before he could finish the write-up. I'll get his draft published. Then I'll do the formatting and fill in some comments. (Updated at 6:10am: Write-up is complete now).

Across:

1. McCartney bandmate : STARR (Ringo)

6. Minimal effort : EASE

10. "It seems to me," online : IMHO (In My Humble Opinion)

14. Fax predecessor : TELEX. Four X'es in this grid.

15. Makes collars, say : SEWS

16. Armstrong on the moon : NEIL

19. Hindu royal : RAJA

20. Rip to shreds : REND

21. City near Lake Tahoe : RENO. Janet's favorite city.

22. Inner Hebrides isle : IONA

23. Switch settings : ONs

27. Bygone deliverer : ICEMAN

29. "Rabbit, Run" author : UPDIKE (John)

30. Office copy : XEROX

31. Aid for a ref's review : SLO-MO

34. Original Dungeons & Dragons co. : TSR. Was this a gimme for you?

38. Held a hearing, say : MET

41. Give a rude awakening to : ROUST

42. African capital contained in its country's name : TUNIS. Tunisia. Ben Ali started this whole Arab Spring.

46. Easily bent : PLIANT

48. Ochoa of the LPGA : LORENA. Retired now.

53. Upsilon follower : PHI

54. Bozo, in Bath : TWIT. Bath, England.

55. Take it easy : LOLL

56. Place for a snow blower : SHED

57. Barrel of laughs : RIOT

60. Pacific island half? : BORA. Bora Bora.

61. Masterful server : ACER

62. "Fame" singer David, 1975 : BOWIE

63. Attends to, as a dry stamp pad : INKS

64. Terrier type : SKYE

65. Jokes around : JESTS

Down:

1. Largest of the Virgin Islands : ST. CROIX. Good entry.

2. "Separate Tables" dramatist Rattigan : TERENCE. Not a familiar name to me.

3. Four-time Indy 500 winner : AL UNSER. Comment away, eddyB.

4. Senate majority leader Harry : REID

5. Prescriptions, for short : RXs

6. County northeast of London : ESSEX

7. Insurance giant : AETNA

8. Beatles concert reaction, often : SWOON. More of a Justin Bieber concert reaction now.

9. Uncanny gift, for short : ESP

10. Encroachment : INROAD

11. Wasn't kidding : MEANT IT

12. Takes by force : HIJACKS

13. Ending for pay : OLA. Payola.

18. Ireland, in poetry : ERIN

22. Identity thief, e.g. : IMPOSTOR

24. Dada pioneer : MAX ERNST. Nice full name.

25. Russian assembly : DUMA. The term comes from the Russian word (dumat’), "to think" or "to consider".

26. "I've Grown Accustomed to __ Face" : HER

28. Swabbing tool : MOP

31. R-V connectors : S T U. Alphabetically.

32. Lille lily : LYS. As in Fleur de Lys. The flower.

33. Mo. to see Dracula at your door? : OCT. Halloween.

36. Pooch in Oz : TOTO

37. "Ben-__" : HUR

38. Dashboard abbr. : MPH

39. Walking-on-air feeling : ELATION

40. Craft using the element Sn : TIN WORK. Sn = Tin

43. Reunion attendees : NEPHEWS. Family reunion, not class.

44. Come into some money, maybe : INHERIT

45. Answered affirmatively : SAID YES

47. Tough watchdogs : AKITAs. Dennis' previous dog. Welcome back, Dummy!

48. Disney girl who adopted Stitch : LILO

50. Shepherd's charge : FLOCK

51. Comfy-cozy : HOMEY

52. Actress Woodard : ALFRE. Always have trouble remembering her name.

56. Plumlike fruit : SLOE

57. Baseball stat : RBI

58. Coll. helpers : TAs

59. Word after a transitive vb. : OBJ.

Answer grid.

Argyle

Monday, May 30, 2011 Dan Schoenholz

Theme: One and the Same - The start of the first three themes and the start and end of the fourth create an ascending order of prime numbers as the fifth theme suggests. A prime number can be divided, without a remainder, only by itself and by one.

17A. *Many a sports car, capacity-wise : TWO-SEATER

23A. *Genie's offering : THREE WISHES

39A. *Eisenhower became one in 1944 : FIVE STAR GENERAL

49A. *Slurpee seller : SEVEN-ELEVEN

61A. When most top-rated shows are on, and a hint to the kind of numbers in the starred answers : PRIME TIME

Argyle here with a nod to fermatprime. Dan threw me a little curve when FOUR didn't appear as the third entry and it was neat how 7-ELEVEN provided two theme entries. Perhaps it was the seed entry. This is the second puzzle from Dan this month.

Across:

1. Most-preferred invitees : A-LIST. The ones you roll out the red carpet for.

6. Courteney of "Friends" : COX. Here she is on the red carpet.

9. Backyard lounging locale : PATIO

14. Atra or Sensor : RAZOR

15. Civil War prez : ABE

16. Staples Center, e.g. : ARENA. A multi-purpose sports arena in downtown Los Angeles.

19. Tears apart : RENDS

20. The last word? : END

21. Gets on in years : AGES

22. Town square centerpiece : STATUE

25. Texas or Ukraine city : ODESSA

29. "__ Miz" : LES. The musical, Les Misérables.

30. Top-of-the-line : A-ONE

31. __ gin fizz : SLOE

34. Mistreat : ABUSE

42. "Funny Girl" composer Jule : STYNE. This man(in glasses) had a few successful musical himself. Bio site.

43. School restroom sign : BOYS

44. List in order of importance : RANK

45. Fury : IRE

47. Championships : TITLES

55. Dover's are white : CLIFFS. Image.

56. Require : NEED

57. Maple tree yield : SAP

60. Former "The View" co-host O'Donnell : ROSIE

63. "Some people swallow the universe like __": Stevenson : A PILL. Robert Louis Stevenson.

64. Isaac, to Abraham : SON

65. Diner : EATER

66. Doled (out) : METED

67. Helpful contacts : INS

68. Plastered : DRUNK. Refreshing to see just plain DRUNK instead of some euphemism.

Down:

1. Johnson of "Laugh-In" : ARTE.

2. Croquet venue : LAWN. Do they have Extreme Croquet, I wonder?

3. Phillips-Van Heusen brand : IZOD. IZOD is the series title sponsor for the the IndyCar Series. Unbelievable finishes to both the Indy 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 yesterday.

4. Distress call letters : SOS

5. Alternatives to tricks : TREATS

6. Provide food for : CATER

7. Extremely overweight : OBESE

8. Gen-__: boomer's kid, usually : Xer

9. Like much politics : PARTISAN

10. Geometry calculations : AREAS

11. Bowler's final frame : TENTH

12. All __ time: as a matter of course : IN DUE

13. Where to find dates? : OASES. Midnight At The Oasis(3:39)

18. Horrified : AGHAST

22. Nor. neighbor : SWE.. Norway/Sweden.

24. Mournful poem : ELEGY

25. Klutzes : OAFS

26. Attend to the job : DO IT

27. Jealousy without resentment : ENVY

28. Witnessed : SEEN

32. Designer's identification : LABEL

33. Gold, in Guanajuato : ORO. Where the heck is Guanajuato? Here and here.

35. Ernie's Muppet pal : BERT

36. River to the Caspian : URAL

37. In one's right mind : SANE

38. Fraternal order : ELKS. The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks (BPOE).

40. Kramer's neighbor : SEINFELD. TV

41. Hold in high regard : ESTEEM

46. Legal thing : RES and 57D. In __: as originally placed : SITU

48. "Most assuredly!" : "INDEED!"

49. Vamoose : SCRAM

50. Say "I do" without a big do : ELOPE

51. Come calling : VISIT

52. Submit tax returns online : E-FILE

53. Bankrupt energy giant : ENRON. As you can see by their logo, they were never on the level.

54. Blood carriers : VEINS

58. "You can say that again!" : "AMEN!"

59. Exec's car, say : PERK

61. Tire gauge meas. : PSI. Pound per Square Inch. Unless it's metric. Then it could be kPa(kilopascal) or kgf/cm(kilogram-force per square centimeter).

62. Roofing material : TAR

Answer grid.

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

Happy Birthday to eddyB & Splynter's mom!