Friday, December 20, 2013, David J. Kahn

Theme: Arthur Wynne Tribute 2

Well after the earlier puzzle this week, I read up on the first puzzle and it really paid off.  For those of you who need to read more like I did, here is the LINK. Back when Mr. Kahn was introduced to us in 2010, C.C. advised that he was master at tribute puzzles 2010. This is only his second LAT since the Tribune Media switched, though he has 155 published NYT puzzles. I love how he included clues and fill from Mr. Wynne's classic effort. The inclusion of original grid spanners made this very interesting and solvable. I found it very easy, in places, and hard in others. Obviously some of what people knew 100 years ago was tricky but let's get on with the show.

The nine repeats:

1A. *A bar of wood or iron (one of nine starred clues/answers that appear here exactly as they did in the first crossword puzzle) : RAIL. (4). Not an easy start for me.

35A. *A talon : SERE. (4). Maybe this was common knowledge in 1913, but I never knew of this meaning for SERE.

62A. *To govern : RULE. (4) An easy one.

27D. *An aromatic plant : NARD.(4). Another old timey word I think; back when we began the current era, wiki says this plant was used as the base for an expensive perfume

35D. *Part of a ship : SPAR. (4). I will let our experts comment.

36D. *A bird : DOVE. (4).  This appeared twice in the 1st puzzle, and in this one 53D. *A pigeon : DOVE. (4).

39D. *The fibre of the gomuti palm : DOH. Certainly more interesting than Homer Simpson, but I did not know this fact. When the clue reappeared the reviewer said it was 'stupidly HARD.'

55D. *Opposed to less : MORE. Do you think we will get more Tributes tomorrow, the actual anniversary? Any thoughts?

The theme originals:

17A. Feature of the first crossword puzzle, seen in 56-Across on 12/21/1913 : SYMMETRICAL GRID. (15).

36A. Like the first crossword puzzle : DIAMOND SHAPED.(13).

56A. See 17-Across : THE NEW YORK WORLD. (15) Like many newspapers, long gone.

Across:

5. Assuming that : IF SO.

9. Disastrous : FATAL.

14. Dashiell Hammett dog : ASTA. A variation on the Nick and Nora Charles clues.

15. It may follow eleven : NOON. Once a day, actually.

16. Dumb : INANE. Ok, that comment was...

20. Red Cross supply : PLASMA. I wondered why they make TVs from blood stuff? Anyway, this is the 4th form of matter with liquid, solid and gas.

21. Fix, as a knot : RE TIE. Why are shoelaces always too long.

22. Opinion : SAY. This actually was not immediately apparent to me. I do not like 3 letter fill that takes time.

23. Letter string : BCD. Oops, two in a row.

25. Agent's clients : TALENT. They hope.

29. D.C.'s __ Mall : NATIONAL.

32. What some pros shoot : PAR. Do they have any indoor golf facilities in Nebraska like they do in Buffalo, HG?

33. Spice Girl __ B : MEL.

34. Pianist Templeton : ALEC. No clue but I like his bio as a pianist/satirist like this TUNE. (2:24).

39. Short warning : DON'T.

40. Quart, e.g. : UNIT. Of measure, here.

41. Speaker systs. : PAS. Public Address.

42. Ab __: initially : OVO. Literally from the egg. Less common then ab initio.

43. Reinforcing construction piece : STEEL BAR. Or a very tough place to get a drink.

45. Like some tea : HERBAL.

47. Not fast : EAT. Did this slow you down?

48. Site of the George W. Bush presidential library : SMU. Southern Methodist University. One of the few universities to ever receive the NCAA 'death penalty.' They are back playing, I think June Jones is their coach now.

51. Chan player : OLAND. We have spoken often about this Swedish actor, Warner.

54A. "The door's open" : COME IN. (6) A modern partial clue.

60. __ pants (baggy women's trousers) : HAREM. I will avoid the simple I Dream of Jeannie and use this LINK.

61. Youngest Wilcox child in "Howards End" : EVIE. A wonderful movie and CAST. (2:02).

63. New Eng. campus : UMASS. UCONN's onetime rival and where Bill Cosby got his PhD, in Amherst.

64. Go fast : TEAR. Are tearing through this solve?

65. Arabic for "commander" : EMIR. I did not know this.

Down:

1. Woodworking tools : RASPS. Woodworking is very relaxing.

2. Refuges : ASYLA. Oh oh, technically correct I guess. A Latin Plural.

3. "Possibly" : IT MAY. Or it may not.

4. Takes off : LAMS.

5. Whole : INTACT.

6. With 8-Down, as a welcome change : FOR. 8D. See 6-Down : ONCE.

7. "Bon __" : SOIR. Good night! I had so many others in mind.

9. Of a son or daughter : FILIAL.

10. Broadway supporter : ANGEL. Does anyone see this and not think of the wonderful play/move The Producers? The clecho: 44D. Broadway supporter : BACKER.

11. Paving substance : TAR.

12. "Wheel of Fortune" buy : AN I.

13. Took by the hand : LED.

18. Preserve, in a way : EMBALM. The concept of preserving dead tissue is kind of odd, don't you think?

19. Stick on : ATTACH.

24. Two-time Oscar winner Wiest : DIANNE. I linked her in Hannah and Her Sisters a few weeks ago.

26. Sporting weapons : EPEES.

28. Crowd at Lake Como? : TRE. Italian for three.

29. In order : NEAT. Just like Tin's scotch.

30. Number from the past : OLDIE. Not ETHER, a musical one.

31. Baby Ruth maker : NESTLE. N E S T L E S spells CHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOCLATE!! 

33. Unimportant : MINOR.

37. Not allow : OUTLAW.

38. "This Is 40" director Judd : APATOW. The modern king of sophomoric comedy.

43. "__ Lot": King novel : SALEM'S.

46. 2002 Alice Sebold best-seller "The Lovely __" : BONES.  made into a MOVIE.(2:43)/ Also a good cast.

48. Flu fighter : SERUM.

49. Pop's __ Vanilli : MILLI. The disgraced duo.

50. Hypnotized : UNDER.

52. Putin put-down? : NYET. A rare Russian word.

56. Calendar abbr. : THU.

57. One acting badly : HAM. A pork repeat from yesterday.

58. Time worth remembering : ERA.

59. Small inlet : RIA.

Well I hope you all enjoyed this look back in time, and let me know how you would do a tribute puzzle for this anniversary. Nice to see you again Mr. Kahn, stop by anytime. For the rest, Lemonade, off to to Denver and have happy holidays all.

Thursday, December 19, 2013 Mary Lou Guizzo and Jeff Chen

Theme: "You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear…"

(...But Mary and Jeff sure make a smooth as silk puzzle out of one!)

17. Some broadcasting equipment : HAM RADIOS.

30. Political patronage : PORK BARREL.

36. Degrees of separation from actor Kevin, in a parlor game : BACON NUMBER.

41. Dachshunds, familiarly : WIENER DOGS.

And the unifier:

58. Obstinate, and what the other four longest puzzle answers are? : PIGHEADED. The beginnings of the theme answers all are varieties of PIG dishes.  (DH would be in hog heaven with this one!!)

I forgot to check my time when I finished, but I know it was way under 10 minutes. Did you find it easy for a Thursday, or did some of the tricky clues trip you up?  Let's check out where those were.

Across:

1. Lines at the checkout? : UPCs. OK, right off the bat we have a misdirection.

5. Powdery mineral : TALC. Pretty straightforward.

9. Org. for a 4-Down : ASPCA. And 4-Down. Rescued one, hopefully : STRAY. The clue for 9-Across actually let me fill both entries without further ado.

14. It may thicken : PLOT. My mother always used to say, "The thought plickens…"

15. Baseball's Jesus or Moises : ALOU. Ha!  Finally remembered the family name after four perps...

16. "She loves you" followers, in song : YEAHS. "…yeah, yeah, yeah."

19. "Cut the chatter!" : CAN IT!

20. Hoopster Shaquille : O'NEAL.

21. Woman in two Goya works : MAJA. Desnuda and vestida. Her real identity is uncertain.

23. Women's org. based at Constitution Hall : DAR. Daughters of the American Revolution.

24. Brightly colored beetle : LADYBUG.

Brightly colored beetles

27. Lincoln or Ford : CAR.

28. MPG watchdog : EPA.

29. Opposite of sweet : DRY. When referring to wine, that is.

33. Proportion : RATIO.

35. Swim competition : MEET.

39. Common Oscar gown feature : SLIT. Now, this is a slit!

40. Anxious anticipation : DREAD.

44. One involved in a pickup : CAB. Another tricky clue. Did it fool you?

47. __ carte : A LA. Followed by another straightforward clue.

48. Fourth grade? : DEE. Teacher's grading papers: A, B, C, D, F. Did any of you make it past first grade? (I didn't think so!!)

49. iPod accessories : EARBUDS.

52. Sam Spade type : TEC.

53. Eye layer : UVEA.

55. Roman fountain : TREVI.

56. Not cool : UNHIP.

61. Court figure : STENO.

62. Singer Adams : EDIE. I really couldn't find one of her songs. I remember her from the Muriel cigar commercials: (In a Mae West accent) "Why not pick one up and smoke it sometime?"  Maybe CED can help me find a clip.

63. Creepy thing : VINE.

64. "The Master Builder" playwright : IBSEN.

65. Go on and on : RANT.

66. Busy crawlers : ANTS.

Down:

1. Support : UPHOLD.

2. Two-dimensional : PLANAR. Of a plane, as opposed to "cubic" or "spheroid" which would be three-dimensional.

3. Funny business? : COMEDY.

5. Minute amount : TAD.

6. Baba of folklore : ALI.

7. Device with shuttles : LOOM.

8. John who played Nixon in "The Butler" : CUSACK.

9. Bart Simpson catchphrase : AY CARAMBA. Did not know that was his catch phrase, but filled it in with just the "AY…"

10. Salty expanse : SEA.

11. Person who caters to base interests : PANDERER. One who pleases others for their own interests...

12. Watch-Me-Grow fad : CHIA PET. Now they have "Duck Dynasty" chia pets?

13. Celestial : ASTRAL.

18. Priestly garb : ALB.

22. Poke : JAB.

25. Until : UP TO. Short phrases are sometimes tough...

26. Cross the threshold : GO IN. As I said, short phrases are sometimes tough...

31. Sonata movement : RONDO.

32. Swamp thing : REED.

33. Showers, say : RAIN.

34. Followed, as a hunch : ACTED UPON.

36. Laundry room supplies : BLEACHES.

37. Push : URGE.

38. Southwestern formation : MESA.

39. Dumb ending? : SILENT B.

41. '60s dance : WATUSI. Remember The Orlons?? They're still goin' after all these years...

42. Prepare to drag : REV.

43. More profound : DEEPER.

44. Informed : CUED IN.

45. Pre-Christmas period : ADVENT.

46. Backs of singles : B-SIDES. This is kind of an outdated clue/answer, isn't it?  Do mp3 files have b-sides?

50. GPS recommendation : RTE. Route.

51. Cry to a diva : BRAVA. and a slight clecho with 54-D:

54. Classic role for a diva : AIDA.

57. Like the finale of Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto : IN E.

59. Bathtub booze : GIN.

60. __ up: angry : HET. Don't get all het up with me…I just report 'em as I see 'em!

That's all for this week, folks!

Marti

Notes from C.C.:

1) George Barany co-constructed today's NY Times. Click here. A special on-line version is provided. Don't forget to click on the Solution and read their notes. Congratulations, George!

2) JD just came back from her trip to Kauai. She and Bob even took a helicopter ride over the Waimea Canyon. Here are a few pictures.

Wednesday, December 18, 2013 Jeffrey Wechsler

Theme: I wouldn't bet on it.  Or - in the constructor's words - OUTSIDE CHANCE.  Today we have the unlikely occurrence of the word CHANCE, split in two and occurring at the outside edges of the theme entries, like bookends.  

20A. "Oh, baby, that's what I like!" oldie : CHANTILLY LACE.  The Big Bopper, of course.  February 3rd, 1959 was the day the music died, when the Big Guy, along with Richie Valens and Buddy Holly went down in a plane crash near Mason City, Iowa.  In this video clip he is very much alive.

27A. Barrier with built-in footholds : CHAIN LINK FENCE.  Still can be hazardous to climb over.  Watch your step.

45A. Site of the first Winter Olympics : CHAMONIX FRANCE. 1924. A bit before my time.

And the unifier, 52 A. What a long shot has, and, literally, what 20-, 27- and 45-Across each has : OUTSIDE CHANCE.  An estimate of the likelihood of an occurrence that is neither probable nor impossible, like the Lions winning their division after losing Monday night due to a 61 yard field goal in the waning seconds of the game. 

It's a bit ambiguous because of the placement of the letters "A" in 45A, but you can read the theme entries as a progression of letters in CHAIN moving from the left to right bookend.  This gives the theme another level of elegance.

Hi gang, JazzBumpa here.  I think there's better than an OUTSIDE CHANCE we'll enjoy today's outing.

Across:

1. Poet whose work was read in "Four Weddings and a Funeral" : AUDEN.  The poem is W. H. Auden's Funeral Blues. I never saw the movie, and when the camera pans the congregation I see two of my least favorite annoying British actors, so it's not likely I'll catch up.  But the poetry scene is quite gripping.

6. Animal skin : HIDE.  I got PELTed, but then PELT got perpetrated.

10. Zantac target : ACID.  Acid reflux med.

14. Mowing the lawn, e.g. : CHORE.  Not for me. We outsourced this job.

15. Venerated one : IDOL.  Some are American.

16. Ritual heap : PYRE.  I'm pretty sure I've linked this before.  Best PYRE seen ever.

17. Andrea __: ill-fated ocean liner : DORIA.  On Wednesday, July 25, 1956, The Andrea DORIA collided with the Stockholm in heavy fog in the ocean south of Nantucket, Mass.  In a great big ocean, isn't that an OUTSIDE CHANCE?

18. Harp constellation : LYRA.  And that's the truth!

Source

19. Assist in a bad way : ABET.  Not bad assistance, but assistance in a bad deed.

23. Dramatist Coward : NOEL.  Just in time for Christmas.

24. Beat rapidly : THROB. 

32. "Cut me some __!" : SLACK.

33. Corp. bigwig : C.E.O.  Chief Executive Officer.

34. Seventh Greek letter : ETA. Started as a consonant, ended up as a vowel.  Really - what are the chances?.  Looks like this: Η or η.

35. Puts the past in the past : MOVES ON.  Not to be confused with putting the moves on someone.

38. Lhasa native : TIBETAN.

41. Ingested : ATE.

42. Romance : WOO.  Used here as a verb.

44. They're pulled by coachmen : REINS.  It's how they hold their horses.

50. 1950s conflict zone : KOREA.

51. Showy perennial : IRIS.

Source

59. Something extra : PLUS.

61. Acting award : OBIE.  Awarded annually by The Village Voice for off-Broadway productions.

62. Net receipts? : E-MAIL.  Clever.

63. "Great" dog : DANE. 

64. Make fun of : RAZZ.

65. Tells the cops everything : SINGS.  Squeals, spills the beans, rats .  .  .

66. Tacked on: Abbr. : ADDL. Additional.  This abrv. looks a bit addled.

67. Arboretum growth : TREE. Druid's company, TREE's a crowd.

68. Make fun of : TEASE.  Don't TEASE me, bro.  PLUS, it's a clecho!

 Down:

 1. Outlet letters : ACDC.  Electricity.

2. "Here comes trouble!" : UH-OH.  What Lion's fans think late in the 4th quarter.

3. The first Mrs. Copperfield : DORA.  Not DORIA.

4. The Auld Sod : ERIN.  The Emerald Isle.

5. Fastidious folk : NEATNIKS.  The nice thing is, you never have to clean up after them.

6. Early Talmudic sage : HILLEL.  He gave us the golden rule: "That which is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow. That is the whole Torah; the rest is the explanation; go and learn."

7. Charmingly rustic : IDYLLIC.

8. Small fishing boat : DORY.  A small Hungarian boat is a Hunky DORY. Mine is named DORA DORIA DORY.

9. Tel Aviv airline : EL AL.

10. Geronimo's tribe : APACHE.  His is a sad story.  You can read about it here.

11. Like the Borg race in "Star Trek" spin-offs : CYBERNETIC. "Borg" is short for "Cyborg", which is short for "cybernetic organism", a being with both organic and artificial parts.

12. Explosive state : IRE. Often encountered at the end of a Lions game.

13. City of Lions and Tigers: Abbr. : DET.  DETroit.  Lions and Tigers - oh my.

21. Lithium __ battery : ION.

22. Explosives regulating org. : ATF.  The oddly grouped Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco,  Firearms and and Explosives.

25. Fuel number : OCTANE.  Don't knock it.

26. Vegan protein source : BEANS.  To get complete protein, combine with either corn or rice.

27. Thread-spinning Fate : CLOTHO.  In ancient Greek mythology, the younger sister of Lachesis and Atropos.  Clotho spun the thread of human life.  Best not to needle her.

28. Keep available : HAVE AROUND.  Sadly, HAVE ON HAND also fits.

29. Pitcher you can count on : ACE.  We have some in DET.

30. Angler's scoop : NET.

31. Ornamental fish : KOI.  Something fishy is going on here.

32. Suggest the presence (of) : SMACK.  

36. Take responsibility for : OWN. 

37. "__ don't": terse denial : NO I.  Remember, there's NO I in team. 

39. Most impertinent : BRASHEST.  Yeah.  I own that.

40. Yet, to the Bard : E'EN.  "EVEN" with an elided "V."   I think.

43. Get rusty : OXIDIZE.  Iron oxide is rust.  How do you get wrinkles out of an ox?  Iron ox HIDE.

46. Outfielder Bob of the 1920s Yankees' "Murderers' Row" : MEUSEL.  Also before my time.  Excellent run producing 3rd baseman and outfielder.  You can see his stats here.

47. Muffin grain : OAT. 

48. Citrus grower's concern : FREEZE.

49. Guitarist Ocasek : RIC.  He is the one.

53. Variety : SORT.  Here, sort is a noun.

54. Construction beam : I-BAR.

55. Gallic girlfriend : AMIE.  Like this, perhaps.

Anouk Aimee

56. The Darlings' dog : NANA.  Not ASTA, the other movie dog.  From Peter Pan.

57. Short smokes? : CIGS.  Cigarettes, with ax X-word code for an abbreviation.  

58. "When all __ fails ..." : ELSE.

59. High-tech organizer, briefly : P.D.A.  Personal Data Assistant

60. Shaver : LAD.  Little shaver.  Haven't heard that expression since I was one.  Evidently the expression stems from considering the wee ones as little chips or shavings off their parents.  Quaint.

Quite a bit of retro today, but a fun romp.  Hope you had a CHANCE to enjoy it.

Cool regards!

JzB

Tuesday, December 17, 2013 Steve Blais

Theme: Away to the window I flew - The first word of the theme entries can follow FLASH.

17. Canasta, e.g. : CARD GAME. Also a game with melds. FLASH CARD - educational aid.

23. Exasperate, metaphorically : DRIVE TO DRINK. Just don't drive from drink; take a cab. FLASH DRIVE - Stick it in your USB port. More

37. '60-'70s Canadian folk-rock icon : GORDON LIGHTFOOT. Famous for a Wreck. FLASH GORDON - Intrepid space traveler who battled Ming the Merciless

48. The same as it was hundreds of years ago, say : FROZEN IN TIME. Unaffected by global warming. FLASH FROZEN - Food is frozen in such a very short period it prevents the forming of large crystals.

60. Spontaneous gathering, and a hint to the starts of 17-, 23-, 37- and 48-Across : FLASH MOB. A YouTube favorite here on the Corner.

Argyle here. Similar to Monday's puzzle. Four theme entries but taking the first word this time, the two corner blocks are in rows instead of the columns and there is a spanner. This has a unifier instead of a reveal if you get my drift. Fifty-five theme entry blocks as opposed to fifty yesterday. Still satisfying and amusing.

Across:

1. Butter square : PAT

4. Young newts : EFTs

8. Most gentle : TAMEST

14. Brew that may be pale or dark : ALE

15. Baseball family name : ALOU

16. Environmentally friendly auto : ECO-CAR

19. Coke competitor : RC COLA

20. Hot-dish holder : TRIVET. Or hot flat iron holder.

21. Fleischer of the Bush White House : ARI. For President George W. Bush, from January 2001 to July 2003.

22. Train stopping at every sta. : LOCal

27. Barbecue fare : RIBS. Arc-shaped, finger-staining snack food?

30. Roamed without restraint : RAN FREE

31. "The Simpsons" storekeeper : APU. Or Ned, owner of The Leftorium.

32. Agitate : ROIL

33. Most characters on "The Big Bang Theory" : NERDS

41. "That's not in the script!" evoker : AD LIB. What Tim Conway was good at on the Carol Burnett Show. (unedited with extra footage)

                          LINK

42. Competes : VIEs

43. Capote nickname : TRU

44. Not at all deceitful : ARTLESS.

47. Honeyed liquor : MEAD. Liquor made from fermented honey.

52. Stimpy's sidekick : REN

53. Promise to pay, for short : IOU

54. Bottom, to baby : TUSHIE

58. Uphill climb : ASCENT

62. Bald spot coverer : TOUPEE

63. "__ Misbehavin'" : AIN'T

64. Plains tribe : OTO

65. Takes an oath : SWEARS

66. Butterfly catchers : NETs

67. __ Antonio : SAN

Down:

1. Diplomat's goal : PACT

2. Banned apple spray : ALAR

3. Garr of "Tootsie" : TERI

4. More than willing : EAGER

5. Old-style clothes presser : FLAT IRON

6. Alley prowler : TOMcat

7. "Peggy __ Got Married": 1986 film : SUE. IMDb

8. Intense fear : TERROR

9. Traffic backup causes : ACCIDENTs

10. Comfy shoe : MOC

11. Food-poisoning bacteria : E. COLI

12. Manicure spot : SALON

13. Liner notes listing : TRACK

18. Redbox rentals : DVDs

21. DOJ enforcer : ATF. (Department of Justice/Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives)

24. Resort WSW of Boulder : VAIL. Shout out to Montana.

25. Add some pep to : ENLIVEN

26. Coral formation : REEF

27. Ravi Shankar genre : RAGA

28. Apple with tunes : iPOD

29. Folksy Ives : BURL

                        LINK

32. "The Bucket List" director : ROB REINER

34. Repetitive learning : ROTE

35. Toon explorer with a monkey friend named Boots : DORA

36. It may be ear-piercing : STUD

38. Rodrigo __ de Vivar: El Cid : DIAZ. All perps.

39. Basic idea : GIST

40. Reluctant to commit : HESITANT

45. Govt. securities : T-NOTES

46. Sch. with a Brooklyn campus : LIU. (Long Island University)

47. Interlock, as gears : MESH

48. Houses with Greek letters : FRATs

49. Plant anew : RESOW

50. Just as planned : ON CUE

51. Mandatory items : MUSTs

55. Managed care gps. : HMOs

56. Minuscule amount : IOTA

57. Dark, to a poet : EBON

59. Anti-pollution org. : EPA

60. Cooling device : FAN

61. Prevaricate : LIE. FINI, and that's no lie.

Argyle

Monday, December 16, 2013 Gareth Bain

 

Theme: "one..one, one..two, one..three". The words at the end of the starred entries will be put to use after the holidays.

18A. *Naval cereal icon sporting a Napoleon-style hat : CAP'N CRUNCH

28A. *Nearly none, in slang : DIDDLY-SQUAT

48A. *Venue for self-publishing : VANITY PRESS

58A. *Arc-shaped, finger-staining snack food : CHEESE CURL

39D. Beneficial activity that ends the answers to starred clues : EXERCISE

Couch Potato(aka Argyle) here. I found this Monday morning work-out to be satisfying and amusing. Can't ask for much more than that. If you want to know more about DIDDLY-SQUAT, you're on your own.

Across:

1. Capital of Qatar : DOHA. On the Persian Gulf.

5. Invertebrate's lack : SPINE

10. Former Cubs slugger Sammy : SOSA

14. Stale smell : ODOR

15. Controversial topic : ISSUE

16. Greek boy with a bow : EROS

17. Allot, with "out" : METE

20. Nuclear __: social unit : FAMILY

22. City in Honshu's Kansai region : OSAKA

23. Academic URL ending : .EDU

25. Stately tree : ELM

26. Like most pies : CRUSTED

31. Summer, in Paris : ÉTÉ

32. Nosed (out) : EDGED

33. Eggs on : URGES

35. Christmas carol : NOEL

36. Forest clearing : GLADE

38. Feet pampering, briefly : PEDIcure

42. Bridal party rides : LIMOs

44. Anglo-__ : SAXON

45. Giant slugger Mel : OTT

51. Shingles or slate, e.g. : ROOFING

53. "Isn't __ bit like you and me?": "Nowhere Man" lyric : HE A

                                LINK

54. 39-Down unit : REP. (repetition)

55. Brown Betty fruit : APPLE. Not as bad for you as 3-Down.

56. Beantown basketball player : CELTIC. (Boston)

61. 5,280 feet : MILE

64. Erie or Huron : LAKE. Great.

65. Myanmar, once : BURMA

66. Yard sale sign phrase : [AS IS]

67. Expected landing times, briefly : ETAs

68. Ply with drink : BESOT. Besot me with 1-Down, thank you.

69. Formally turn over : CEDE

Down:

1. __ Pérignon : DOM. Champagne produced by Moët & Chandon. History and how widows transformed the Champange business. Here

2. Poem of celebration : ODE

3. Sundae topping : HOT FUDGE. Hah! The reason for needing 39-Down.

4. Region : AREA

5. Mount Etna's island : SICILY

6. Biblical songs : PSALMS

7. '60s espionage show : "I SPY"

8. Religious sister : NUN

9. Continental trade org. : EEC. (European Economic Community)

10. Grinch creator : SEUSS

11. Elaborately decorated : ORNATE

 

12. Light bulb's place : SOCKET

13. Slightly : A SHADE

19. Google Maps offering : ROUTE

21. Pinochle declaration : MELD. Examples

23. Genesis garden : EDEN

24. Prank : DIDO. I remembered it. (Monday, October 28, 2013 )

26. Bean __: tofu : CURD

27. Fierce anger : RAGE

29. "The Farmer in the __" : DELL

30. Resembling : QUASI

34. Practice in the ring : SPAR

36. Fed. agent : G-MAN

37. Like the "o" in "no" : LONG

40. Two teaspoons, say : DOSE

41. Gadget's rank: Abbr. : INSPector

43. Wall-climbing vines : IVIES. Check out the human Muppet piano player.

 

                             LINK 

44. Lovers' clash : SPAT

45. Ancient soothsayer : ORACLE

46. Astaire headwear : TOP HAT

 

47. Capital of Kansas : TOPEKA

49. Heat: Pref. : THERMO

50. Chew out : YELL AT

52. Makes tracks : FLEES

56. Mangy mutts : CURS

57. 1998 Apple debut : iMAC

59. Go out, like the tide : EBB

60. Pool shark's stick : CUE

62. Jar topper : LID

63. Opposite of WNW : ESE

 

Argyle