Friday, January 29, 2016, Jeffrey Wechsler

Theme: January 29, St. Agnes Eve, Demonstrably!

Our Friday fellow, Jeffrey Wechsler brings us a puzzle with a TOUCH OF EVIL. EVIL is inserted into the theme phrases to create new and evocative phrases. Since we have Satan injected into the grid, I must wonder if Jeffrey knows that today is a Satanic Holiday known by the name of my theme. It appears somehow this Catholic SAINT , the protector of virgins,  has been incorporated into certain Pagan liturgy. I would guess the puzzle grew from realizing that DISH NETWORK plus EVIL would be a grid spanner. Finding (or rather creating) REVILED SNAPPERS was impressive. Of course it may all be just JW continuing his admiration for Orson Welles, for whom he did an NYT tribute puzzle last year containing the same movie.  I could not find much on the subject of Satanic stuff, which is just as well since we do not talk religion  here. We have tons of interesting long fill like CIRCLET, GENERAL,  SILENT G,  SLANTED, JAPANESE,  MEANTIME, AUTOMOBILE, EXONERATES,  SNAKE RIVER,  VA VA VA VOOM.  Maybe JW will tell us his inspiration, in the meantime let us solve.

17A. Threat to the queen's cotton? : ROYAL WEEVIL(11).  We were amused by a clue with this INSECT. Isn't amazing how soon after the blog discussed the "royal we"  it shows up as part of theme.

27A. Satan's broadcaster? : DEVILISH NETWORK (15). DISH network

43A. Really unpopular fish? : REVILED SNAPPERS (15). Red snapper is very popular in SoFla.

57A. 1958 Orson Welles film noir ... and a hint to 17-, 27- and 43-Across : TOUCH OF EVIL (11).

Having a revealer is what made this puzzle doable. Time to work our way through the mine field of tough clues/fill.

Across:

1. "If I may interject ... " : AHEM. As she cleared her throat dramatically...then she

5. Stops to smell the roses : PAUSES. Sorry but your cigar is almost gone and the...

11. Briquette's fate : ASH. is falling on my carpet. I want you...

14. Passed : GONE.

15. Potassium hydroxide, e.g. : ALKALI. Ok, back to the puzzle, this took the perps to let me know where the clue was going.

16. Siete menos seis : UNO. Subtraction in Spanish.

19. Water source : TAP. How simple.

20. Hersey's "A Bell for __" : ADANO.

21. Wind dir. : SSE. Again....is this familiar Friday fodder?

22. Call forth : EVOKE.

24. Help for a sad BFF : TLC. Tender Loving Care.

26. Subject of the first picture in Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition" : GNOME. Not familiar with this composer or the artist (Viktor Hartmann), and he did not design the Travelocity Gnome.

34. Physical, e.g. : EXAM. Not easy until filled.

35. On the move : ROVING. I had trouble with this clue/fill as the word is in my memory banks associated with 'roving eye' which is not the same as clued here.

36. Plane compartment : BIN. Overhead.

37. Told, as an elaborate tale : WOVE. Rhymes with....

38. Repeating rhythmic pattern used in Cuban music : CLAVE. What?  It does not rhyme with save. Time to LEARN. (3:13)

39. Balderdash : JIVE. According to the online etymology dictionary: 1928, "to deceive playfully," also "empty, misleading talk" (n.) and "a style of fast, lively jazz and dance music," American English, from African-American vernacular, probably of African origin (compare Wolof jev, jeu "talk about someone absent, especially in a disparaging manner"). Related: Jived; jiving. Used from 1938 for "New York City African-American slang."

40. 39-Down carrier : ANA. Wow, we are pulling out all our Friday stuff. This AIRLINE.

41. Deli equipment : SLICER.

42. Protected at sea : ALEE.

46. Rushed : RAN AT. Again simple only after filled by perps.

47. Mauna __ : LOA. Along with KEA, Hawaii volcanic mountains.

48. Expert : MAVEN.

49. "__ Kapital" : DAS. The Karl Marx TOME about economics and society. Read and discuss somewhere but not here.

52. Make whole : UNITE.

56. First woman to land a triple axel in competition : ITO. An amazing skater and a reminder of our dear friend Clear Ayes.

60. Revival prefix : NEO.

61. Overshoot : EXCEED. Expectations.

62. Bear's cry : SELL. Appropriate reference to the stock market now.

63. Philosophy : ISM. Hence Marxism.

64. Trinket : DOODAD. Last week doodah...

65. Town near Padua : ESTE. More fill completely unknown. But I guess I can LEARN.

Down:

1. Indian district with three World Heritage Sites : AGRA. Only ONE of which is the Taj Mahal. A young lawyer and his wife toured there but I did not remember the details.

2. Rain protection : HOOD.

3. Irish musician with four Grammys : ENYA. Four letter singer, I did not go with Bono.

4. Transitional period : MEANTIME.

5. Hand analog : PAW. Give me your paw.

6. Pub array : ALES.

7. Oahu entertainers : UKES.

8. Keep : SAVE.

9. Manning taking a hike : ELI. Love the humor here, though despite two Super Bowls many do not love Eli any more. Peyton will try for his 2nd again.

10. 26-Across feature : SILENT-G. Cross reference, hmm there are more.

11. Lot occupant : AUTOMOBILE. I nailed it. It really got me going in solving.

12. Part of Oregon's border : SNAKE RIVER. In this map it is in yellow, Columbia purple. Can you find where CED's camera trip was yesterday? Hell's Canyon would fit the theme today.

 

13. Last thing in Pandora's box : HOPE. What a fun STORY. He name is from the Greek, the pan meaning "all" like in a pangram and the dora meaning gift.

18. Relax : LOLL.

23. "Cross my heart," e.g. : VOW.

25. Round ornament : CIRCLET. Not really up on this jewelry; seems like a tiara to me.

26. Vague : GENERAL.

27. John of Scotch fame : DEWAR. Do they make any good scotch? Tin?

28. Clears : EXONERATES. What a great word.

29. Ed Norton catchphrase on "The Honeymooners" : VAVAVAVOOM.

30. Firm : SOLID.

31. Climate control systs. : HVACS. Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning

32. Jewel thief portrayer in "The Pink Panther" : NIVEN.

33. They're often bent : KNEES.

39. About 125 million people : JAPANESE.  What a random clue.

41. Not objective : SLANTED.  So many political comments come to mind....

44. Halogen suffix : INE. Can you name the five? Is there a 6th waiting to be discovered?

45. High hair style : POUF.

48. Revealing apparel : MINI.

49. Household glue brand : DUCO.

50. Served very well : ACED. Tennis, anyone.

51. __ butter : SHEA. Also a stadium at one time.

53. "Variations on 'America'" composer : IVES. A wonderful composer (or so I am told) though I only know James Merritt Ives.  LISTEN.

54. List : TILT. If your ship is listing, I hope you swim.

55. How she looks in Paris? : ELLE. Cute clue.

58. Good Grips kitchenware brand : OXO. We get this brand often.

59. "They say there is divinity in __ numbers": Falstaff : ODD. We end with our Friday Shakespeare, this time from the third and final appearance of Falstaff. It is said the play was written at the behest of Queen Elizabeth I.

One last St. Agnes fact; it is a very famous poem by Keats, a poet whose work JW had in his 1/15/16 effort. Coincidence? Okay I talk to myself too much, but now I can talk to you all. Enjoy. Thanks Jeffrey and all who read. Lemonade out.

Thursday, January 28th 2016 Robert E. Lee Morris

Theme: Scrambles, neatly explained by the reveal entry:

35A. 1980 sci-fi thriller, and a hint to this puzzle's circles : ALTERED STATES

17A. Downpour : DRIVING RAIN. Virginia. "Driving Rain" word association? Crossfire Hurricane!

25A. Weasel relative : PINE MARTEN. Maine. They look cute until one invades your soccer game and you try to pick it up. Those teeth are sharp.

49A. 1988 Best Supporting Actress Oscar winner : GEENA DAVIS. Nevada. She won for "The Accidental Tourist", and scored a follow-up mention for "Most Nervous Acceptance Speech".

56A. Christmas, for many : PAID HOLIDAY. Idaho. Home of Hell's Canyon, at 7,900 feet the deepest river gorge in the US. We all knew that, right?


Bonjour! Blogging en Paris ce matin. Straightforward enough theme from Robert; the names of four states are scrambled in each theme entry. I was looking to see if there was any connection between the four, but came up blank. Finding 8-letter VIRGINIA in an 11-letter word was neatly done - I wonder if that was the inspiration for the theme? Let's see what else we've got.

Across:

1. Takes shape : LOOMS. Generally associated with big, scary stuff; I don't think a mouse has ever "loomed" into view.

6. Military installations : BASES

11. Armonk, N.Y.-based tech company : I.B.M. Here's the first PC - two floppy drives, no hard drive and it didn't come with MS-DOS, you had to buy the operating system separately. We got one at the bank I was working at in London and we all stood around looking at it wondering what to do with it.

14. Quarterback with the 2011 autobiography "Through My Eyes" : TEBOW. I think it's fair to describe Tim as an ex-quarterback now. He flamed out pretty quickly.

15. Tell's target : APPLE. Archer William. The name of the apple is lost to history.

16. PBS funder : N.E.A.

19. 40-yr.-old NBC show : S.N.L.

20. Mature insect : IMAGO

21. Singer Vannelli : GINO. I couldn't name you one song of his.

22. Fairy tale word : ONCE

29. Horned Frogs' sch. : T.C.U. Seems that there's a lot of TLA's today (geekspeak for Three-Letter Abbreviations). Texas Christian University.

30. Spot : SEE

31. Forward, in a way : RE-ROUTE. Hmmmm - really? "Could you forward that email to me?" "Could you re-route that email to me?" One isn't really like the other.

32. Ankle bones : TARSI

34. Put up : ERECT

40. Sister of Clio : ERATO. She's popped up 75 times in the LAT puzzle since 2002. Her sister Polyhymnia gets - surprisingly - one mention. I was sure she was going to register zero mentions.

41. Drive respondent : DONOR

43. It's usually taken in twos : ASPIRIN. Not "They're usually taken ..."? The grammar seems a little clunky.

46. Rival : FOE

48. Reason for adolescent angst : ZIT

51. Only : SOLE

52. Mythical arrow shooter : EROS. He just keeps cropping up. You can't keep a good archer down.

53. Key : ISLET

55. 2014 FIFA World Cup champion: Abbr. : GERmany. Many consider their 7-1 demolition of hosts Brazil in the semi-final a few days earlier one of the biggest shocks in World Cup history. I was watching in a bar in Mexico and by the time Germany went 5-0 up after a little more than half an hour the place was stunned into silence.

62. "Wheel of Fortune" buy : AN I

63. "__ Grows in Brooklyn" : A TREE. I should get around to reading this one day. It appears in a lot of "must read" book lists.

64. Carrot family herb : ANISE. Pretty. The seeds are most commonly used in cooking (whereupon anise becomes a spice), the leaves less so.

65. __ jacket : PEA

66. About 17 of them equal a United States dollar : PESOS. This struck me as odd when I was solving - I thought one of the rules of cluing is that the clue must not be dependent on when you do the puzzle. Unless the exchange rate is between the peso and the dollar is fixed, "17" is going to change over time.

67. Toyota's luxury division : LEXUS

Down:

1. Former Ford model : LTD. GTO went in; GTO came out when I remembered it's a Pontiac.

2. Poetic preposition : O'ER. O'er to you, Walt Whitman:

Gliding o'er all, through all,

Through Nature, Time, and Space,

As a ship on the waters advancing,

The voyage of the soul—not life alone,

Death, many deaths I'll sing.

3. Japanese sash : OBI

4. Tinseltown vehicle : MOVIE. Because unless you have a stretch LI-I-MO, it's not long enough.

5. Show off a butterfly, perhaps : SWIM

6. Snack sack : BAGGIE

7. Grilling garment : APRON. If you ever catch me wearing one of these, please take me aside and have a quiet word with me.

8. Place to kick back : SPA

9. Whitney, by birth and by education : ELI

10. D.C. VIP : SEN.

11. As found : IN SITU

12. "Pride and Prejudice" family name : BENNET. I knew the name, I'm not sure I remembered the spelling until I ran out of room - I wanted two "T"s.

13. NBA great Karl : MALONE. For a while, he had an odd habit of referring to himself in the third person during interviews. Hall-of-Famer, Olympic Gold medalist and a host of other awards, but he never played on a championship-winning team.

18. Scruff : NAPE

21. Underground chamber : GROTTO

22. Polo Grounds slugger : OTT. Giants' outfielder Mel back in the New York days.

23. Univ. sports organizer : N.C.A.A.

24. Circular lock : CURL

26. Drops the ball : ERRS. Is all the talk when Mel drops a catch just Ott err?

27. Track competition : MEET

28. Penny __ : ARCADE

30. "The Treasure of the __ Madre": Bogart classic : SIERRA

33. Beer orders : STEINS. Usually at Oktoberfest:

34. Tokyo, long ago : EDO

36. Vice squad tactic : RAID

37. Peak south of Stromboli : ETNA

38. Automaker Ferrari : ENZO. Also the name of the dog in the novel "The Art of Racing in the Rain". Guaranteed to make you bawl your eyes out.

39. Get dirty : SOIL

42. Map abbr. : RTE.

43. Generation-to-generation span : AGE GAP

44. Calm : SERENE

45. Illinois county or its seat : PEORIA

46. Drops a line : FISHES

47. European capital : OSLO. We know lots of factoids about Olso, right? Home to the Ibsen, Munch and Norsk Volke Museums, the Nobel Prizes are awarded there, you can see the Kon Tiki and the Vigeland Sculpture Park and possibly have a beer with King Harald V. Skål!

50. Tape, maybe : VIDEO

51. "Goosebumps" series author : STINE. Thank you, crosses.

54. Ben Gurion carrier : EL AL

56. Drivel : PAP

57. Emptied the feedbag : ATE

58. Govt. collection agency : I.R.S.

59. Twice cinq : DIX. Nailed it! My hotel room is dix trente-quatre this week.

60. Pac-12 sch. : A.S.U. Please step forward, Arizona State University.

61. "Of course" : YES

That just about wraps it up for me. Here's the grid, circles a-plenty.


À bientôt!

Steve

Wednesday, January 27, 2016 Bruce Haight

Theme: Wealth well within the dreams of avarice.  Phrases representing large sums of money are clued in such a way that the phrase relates to a person's occupation or avocation.  

17. Tidy sum, to a coin collector? : PRETTY PENNY.   This phrase is known to go back to the 1760's.  In this instance, PENNY is a synecdoche for money in general, as contrasted to its usual indication of an insignificant amount, so the phrase incorporates a modicum of sardonic humor.  A coin collector would have above average appreciation for a literal PRETTY PENNY, if it were of sufficient rarity.   Alternatively, one may consider  .  .  .

According to Theory

28. Tidy sum, to a chairmaker? : AN ARM AND A LEG.  This phrase is not known to go back any further than 1949.  It may be derived from 19th century phrases like "I'd give my right arm for . . ." which seems familiar and " . . . even if it takes a leg," which does not.  In any event, it's more in-the-language than A SEAT AND A BACK, which the chairmaker must also consider.

43. Tidy sum, to a soothsayer? : SMALL FORTUNE.  This phrase is more literal, and I can't find any information on where it came from.  It indicates a sum beyond what is reasonable in some circumstance, but certainly less than a large fortune.   A soothsayer can presumably use some occult mechanism to predict your future.  But - can you afford it?

56. Tidy sum, to a chess player? : KING’S RANSOM.  Now we're talking real money.  The phrase is only known to go back to the 13th Century.  In 1260, during the 7th Crusade, King Louis IX of France was captured in Egypt by Turks, who demanded a large amount of money to secure his release. However, during the 3rd Crusade, Richard I Plantagenet of England was captured in December, 1192 by Duke Leopold of Austria who had a real or imagined grudge.  The amount demanded for his release was more than twice the annual income of the English crown.   Taxes were raised, the churches were looted of their treasures, and eventually the money was delivered.  Richard was released on Feb. 4, 1194.  As a side note, Richard's brother John offered a tidy sum if Richard would be detained until Michaelmas - Sept 29th.  This offer was rejected.   It's highly unlikely that any chess piece, even the King, would demand such a quantity.

Hi gang,  JazzBumpa here - sadly, no richer than the last time we met.  We were shopping that day, and today we can consider if we perhaps paid too much.

Onward, then, to the rest of the puzzle.

Down

1. Musical with the song "Another Suitcase in Another Hall" : EVITA.

6. Petty distinctions, metaphorically : HAIRS.  As in splitting them.

11. Midriff punch reaction : OOF.  Onomatopoeia for the sound of air thus forcibly expelled.  

14. Noble gas : XENON.  Along with helium, neon, argon, krypton and radon.  These gases are chemically inert and considered noble due to their non-reactivity.

15. Former Illinois senator : OBAMA.   Whatever happened to that guy?

16. "Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!" network : National Public Radio.

19. Golf prop : TEE.  Little wooden peg that slightly elevates the ball for the first shot on any hole.  It's considered gauche to use it on the second shot.

20. "Most Excellent" U.K. award : OBE.

21. Emcee : HOST.  Master of Ceremonies initials, phonetically spelt.

22. Gooey treat : S'MORE.   Contraction of "some more" because that's what you are expected to want after a taste of this marshmallow cum chocolate cum graham cracker confection.  I am not a fan.

24. Muralist Rivera : DIEGO.

Well known in Detroit

26. Places for rejuvenation : DAY SPAS.

31. Clobbers : BONKS.

32. Regrets : RUES.

33. Rain-__: gum brand : BLO.   Classic gum ball since 1940, coming in a variety of color coded flavors.

Feel like a kid again

36. Financial pros : Certified Public AcountantS.

37. Tries : STABS.    Has a go at.

39. Many millennia : AEON.  

40. Fall mo. : SEPtember.

41. Only person to win both an Academy Award and a Nobel Prize : SHAW.   George Bernard won the Nobel prize for literature in 1925 "for his work which is marked by both idealism and humanity, its stimulating satire often being infused with a singular poetic beauty".   The Academy Award came in 1938 for his film adaptation of Pygmalion.

42. Clock button : ALARM.   I really wanted SNOOZE.  [I know it doesn't fit, but still  .  .  .]

46. Alleviate : ASSUAGE.  The word came into Middle English via Old French, and ultimately traces back to Latin ad + suavis, hence to sweeten.

49. Baggage carousel aid : ID TAG.  

50. Color in une cave à vin : BLANC.   A wine cellar might contain some whites, as indicated here.

51. Angers : IRES.

52. Kin of org : EDU.   URL extensions.

55. Japanese capital : YEN.   Money, not the seat of government.

60. Ready, or ready follower : SET.   Nicely formed clue, illustrating two different senses of the target word.

61. Theme park with a geodesic sphere : EPCOT.   Part of Disney World.

62. Slacken : LET UP.   Reduce the amount of applied force or effort.

63. Calypso cousin : SKA.   Jamaican music from the 50's.

64. They may be Dutch : DOORS.   This is a two part door divided horizontally, roughly in the middle, designed so that the top half can be open and the bottom half left closed.  This allows fresh air into the room while keeping animals out and small children in.

65. Potters' pitchers : EWERS.   Large wide-mouthed jugs for carrying water.  The clue suggests they are made from ceramic, but this is not necessary.

Down

1. Big show : EXPO.  An exposition or trade fair and convention venue.

2. Beg, borrow or steal : VERB.  A self-referential clue relating to examples of a part of speech.  Meh! 

3. "My bed is calling me" : I NEED A NAP.  As occasionally does happen.

4. Kid : TOT.  Child.

5. Country music? : ANTHEMS.  Songs of loyalty or devotion associated with particular countries, groups or causes.

6. Climbs aboard : HOPS ON.

7. Distract the security guards for, say : ABET.   Assist the perp in his criminal endeavor.

8. Actor Somerhalder of "The Vampire Diaries" : IAN.

Is it true that he bites?

9. LBJ successor : RMN.   Richard Milhous Nixon.

10. Agrees : SAYS YES.

11. Winning : ON TOP.   But it ain't over 'till it's over.

12. Art form with buffa and seria styles : OPERA.  If you say so.

13. Emancipates : FREES. Especially from legal, social or political restrictions.

18. Meditative practice : YOGA.  Distinct from but associated with Hatha YOGA.

23. Flavor intensifier : Mono Sodium Glutamate.

25. Bugs a lot : IRKS.

26. Smear : DAUB.  Apply something in an irregular manner.

27. Some Full Sail brews : ALES.   Full Sail is an independent employee-owned brewery in Hood River, Oregon.

Won the World's Best Dark Beer Award

28. Basics : ABC's.

29. "Forget it" : NOPE.

30. Country inflection : DRAWL.  Y'all tahk lahk this, ya see - and dawg is a three syllable word.

33. Noble act, in Nantes : BEAU GESTE.  French, but easy enough guess with a little perp help.   the fact that there are an English language novel and movies of the same name also helps.

34. Forsaken : LORN.  The same as forlorn.  The German cognate, verloren, means lost.

35. "My treat" : ON ME.  Now we're back to buying.

37. Thick carpet : SHAG.   Deep pile.  Very 70's.

38. Grimm story : TALE.   Kinder- und Hausmärchen [Children's and Household Tales], their collection of German fairy tales, was published in 1812.  Many of the tales are indeed grim, disturbing, and unsuitable for children  

39. Ski resort near Salt Lake City : ALTA.   Where's Marti when you need her?

41. Kissed noisily : SMACKED.

42. Gallery event : ART SALE.

43. Day light : SUN.   Often obscured by clouds.

44. They haven't been done before : FIRSTS.

45. Frankfurt's river : ODER.  The other Frankfurt is on the Main River.

46. Hardly a miniature gulf : ABYSS.   Deep chasm, and a nice word play in the clue.

47. Smooth and stylish : SLEEK.

Pony tail

48. Blitzen's boss : SANTA.  Sled-pulling reindeer and his driver.

51. "Young Frankenstein" role : IGOR.

53. Ill-humored : DOUR.   Gloomy and stern.  Is that a good match?

54. World Series field sextet : UMPS.   Regular season games have 4 UMPires - one behind the plate and one at each base.  Major league post season games add two in the outfield.

57. Wall St. debut : Initial Public Offering.   First general opportunity to acquire equity in the corporation.

58. Sgt. or cpl. : Non Commissioned Officer.

59. Fresh : NEW.

Well, that's all for today.  Nice puzzle with a bit of sparkle and couple of outstanding clues.  Hope you got your money's worth.

Cool regards!

JzB

Tuesday, January 26, 2016 C.C. Burnikel

Theme: Face the music - The word on the RIGHT side of a theme entry can precede FACE. The music was my idea.

17A. What buck passers "play" : BLAME GAME. Game Face. Psyched up for the big game?

21A. Holiday song first popularized by Eartha Kitt : SANTA BABY. Baby Face

38AS. You might stand pat in it : DRAW POKER. Poker Face

58A. Navy stunt pilot : BLUE ANGEL. Angel Face

64A . Drill sergeant's directive ... and, literally, what the ends of 17-, 21-, 38- and 58-Across can each have : RIGHT FACE

Argyle here. I tried ABOUT FACE first; BZZT, wrong. Everything else was C.C. smooth.

Across:

1. Zen garden growth : MOSS

5. Arthur of tennis : ASHE and 68A. Masterful tennis server : ACER and 69A. Monica of tennis : SELES

9. Toss back and forth, as words : BANDY

14. __ and for all : ONCE

15. Fishing line holder : REEL

16. Be wild about : ADORE

19. JCPenney competitor : MACY'S

20. Former baseball commissioner Bud : SELIG

23. Hits gently : TAPS ON

25. Arrest : NAB

26. Maiden name intro : NÉE

27. Holiday threshold : EVE

28. Weeping, perhaps : SAD

30. In disagreement : AT ODDS

33. __ meat : RED

34. "A bit of talcum / Is always walcum" poet : NASH. (Ogden Nash)

37. God of love : EROS

41. Auth. unknown : ANON.

43. Back of the neck : NAPE

44. Navig. tool : GPS. (Global Positioning System)

47. Some stoves : AMANAs

49. Tailor : SEW

51. Insistent knock : RAP

52. Drill insert : BIT

53. "Mazel __!" : TOV

56. Italian deli sandwich : PANINI

62. One with wanderlust : NOMAD

63. Countesses' spouses : EARLS

66. Rhubarb unit : STALK

67. Island near Corsica : ELBA

70. Ultra-fast jets : SSTs.

71. Brewed beverages : TEAs

Down:

1. Many a character in "The Godfather" : MOBSTER and main character - 38D. Crime family leader : DON

2. Temporarily not working : ON LEAVE

3. Sold for a quick profit, as tickets : SCALPED

4. Loading dock trucks : SEMIs

5. Chile neighbor: Abbr. : ARGentina

6. Salty waters : SEAS

7. Muscle beach dude : HEMAN

8. Court colleague of Ruth and Sonia : ELENA. Ginsburg, Sotomayor, and Kagan.

9. The Crimson Tide : 'BAMA. Alabama Crimson Tide, national college football champions.

10. Very little : A DAB

11. "Impossible" : "NO CAN DO"

12. Signs of prolonged drought : DRY BEDS. (river beds)

13. "I completely agree!" : "YES, YES!"

18. Showbiz clashers : EGOs

22. "Check back later," in a sked : TBA. (To be announced)

24. Grandma : NANA

29. Light before sunup : DAWN

31. Concert shirt : TEE

32. Bobby of hockey : ORR

35. Mother's Day indulgence : SPA

36. Short plane trips : HOPS

39. Genetic letters : RNA

40. "__ your chin up!" : KEEP

41. "Have we started yet?" : "AM I LATE?"

42. Without additives : NATURAL

44. Pained expression : GRIMACE

45. It'll cure all ills : PANACEA

46. Little web masters : SPIDERS. Cute.

47. Convent overseer : ABBESS

48. LIRR stop : STN. (station)

50. Desire : WANT

54. Fairy tale baddies : OGREs

55. Bridal shop buys : VEILS

57. Jack Sprat's restriction : NO FAT

59. InStyle competitor : ELLE

60. Poses a question : ASKS

61. Pride parade letters : LGBT. (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender)

65. Owns : HAS

Argyle

Monday, January 25, 2016 Mary Lou Guizzo

Theme: Two-Letter Combos - Pick two letters and find two related words that start with said letters.

17A. *Game where one might have an ace in the hole : STUD POKER

36A. *Financial page listing : STOCK PRICE

43A. *Only woman ever elected governor of Alaska : SARAH PALIN. In the news again.

61A. *Stack of unsolicited manuscripts : SLUSH PILE. Previously, this clue/answer were reversed.

11D. *Informal surveys : STRAW POLLS

29D. *Touchy topics : SORE POINTS

68A. "500" Wall St. index ... and a hint to the answers to starred clues : S AND P. (Standard & Poor's)

Argyle here. Mary Lou is very good at this style of early week themes. The perps should get you through the rough spots.

Across:

1. '90s game disc : POG. Tough start unless you had kids in the '90s or you were yourself.

4. Infield fly : POP-UP

9. Invites home for dinner, say : HAS IN. If it's Hannibal, don't go.

14. 007 creator Fleming : IAN

15. Banish : EXILE

16. Unable to sit still : ANTSY

19. Actor __ Elba of "The Wire" : IDRIS. The name "Idris"; Wikipedia.

20. Liability offset : ASSET

21. Settle in a new country : EMIGRATE

23. Young Simpson : BART

26. "Coulda been worse!" : "PHEW!". "That was a close one!"

27. Biblical beast : ASS

30. Least fatty : LEANEST

33. __-12 conference : PAC. (Pacific Coast Conference)

38. "__ creature was stirring ... " : NOT A

39. Team in 40-Across : CARDS

40. Arch city: Abbr. : STL. (St. Louis)

41. Ship carrying fuel : OILER

42. Iowa State city : AMES

45. Very quietly, in music : PPP. (pianississimo)

46. Artist's paint holder : PALETTE

47. Farm pen : STY

48. Gave the nod to : OKed. Anon nit, yes, we know you think it should be OK'D.

50. Payroll IDs : SSNs. (Social Security number)

52. Became partners : PAIRED UP

56. To date : SO FAR

60. Ed with seven Emmys : ASNER

64. "I'll do it" : "LET ME"

65. Gum treatment, briefly : PERIO. (periodontal treatment)

66. Former president of Pakistan : ZIA. Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq (Boy, did I mess this up!)

 



"Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq" by Wikifreund.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

67. Relaxed : EASED

69. Reheat quickly : ZAP

Down:

1. Leaning Tower of __ : PISA

2. Stable diet : OATS

3. Bearded antelopes : GNUs

"What are you looking at?"

4. Coaches' speeches : PEP TALKS

5. Losing tic-tac-toe string : O-X-O

6. Water__: dental brand : PIK

7. Title beekeeper played by Peter Fonda : ULEE. "Ulee's Gold"

8. Make waves? : PERM

9. San Francisco street that crosses Ashbury : HAIGHT. For all you hippies.

10. Netman Agassi : ANDRE. (tennis)

12. "__ just me?" : IS IT

13. Financial page abbr. : NYSE. (New York Stock Exchange) How's your stock price?

18. Budding socialite : DEB

22. __ dixit: assertion without proof : IPSE

24. Sales agent : REP. 18D and 24D don't have indications that they are abbreviations: we know.

25. Like ankle bones : TARSAL

27. Songwriters' org. : ASCAP. (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers)

28. "Put __ here": envelope corner reminder : STAMP

31. Saltpeter, to a Brit : NITRE. (potassium nitrate)

32. Flashy displays : ECLATS

34. Took the loss, financially : ATE IT

35. Sideshow barker : CARNY. Short for carnival worker.

37. Music store buys : CDs

38. Actress Peeples : NIA

41. Workplace where union membership is optional : OPEN SHOP

43. DWI-fighting org. : SADD. (Students Against Destructive Decisions)

44. Growth chart nos. : HTs. (heights)

46. Looked carefully : PEERED

49. Krispy __ doughnuts : KREME

51. Soak (up) : SOP

52. Hardly healthy-looking : PALE

53. Out of port : ASEA

54. Snail-mail delivery org. : USPS. (United States Postal Service)

55. Formal petition : PLEA

57. Antacid jingle word repeated after "plop, plop" : FIZZ, FIZZ.

58. Et __: and others : ALIA

59. Harvest : REAP

62. Barista's vessel : URN

63. Rocker Vicious : SID. Bonus S&P: He was a member of the Sex Pistols.

Argyle