Monday, February 8, 2016 David Steinberg

 Theme: Musical Monday - Linking four bands today.

16A. Birds on United States seals : BALD EAGLES 

 

 

24A. Commonly multi-paned patio entrances : FRENCH DOORS

 

37A. Reptiles known for their strong jaws : SNAPPING TURTLES

 

 

46A. Bank transport vehicles : ARMORED CARS

56A. Musicians found at the ends of 16-, 24-, 37- and 46-Across : ROCK GROUPS

Argyle here.

Across:

1. Basil sauce : PESTO

6. Pops, to baby : "DADA"

10. Sacred assurance : VOW

13. Sound from a lily pad : CROAK

14. 88 or 98 automaker : OLDS. The Rocket 88.

 

15. Give a ticket to : CITE

18. Longing feeling : ACHE

19. Old photo hue : SEPIA

20. Started the poker kitty : ANTE'D

21. Explosion noise : [¡BAM!]

27. Hop out of bed : ARISE

29. More like a cad : RUDER

30. Send a racy phone message to : SEXT

31. Changed into : BECAME

34. Apt anagram of "aye" : YEA

40. Actor McKellen : IAN

41. Briefs, informally : UNDIES

 

42. 50-and-over organization : AARP. (formerly the American Association of Retired Persons)

43. Somber melody : DIRGE. I think some of the Doors work could be called 'rock dirge'.

45. Red-nosed "Sesame Street" character : ERNIE

51. Poetic nightfall : E'EN

52. Quicken offerings : LOANS. Now offering "Rocket Mortgages"

53. Reebok rival : ASICS. Sport shoes.

55. __ Spumante : ASTI. (Italian sparkling white wine)

61. Costa __ : RICA

 

62. Word for the calorie-conscious : LITE

63. Fertile desert spots : OASES

64. "I'm not impressed" : "MEH"

65. Arrived at second base headfirst, perhaps : SLID

66. Little songbirds : WRENS

Down:

1. Banned chem. pollutant : PCB. (polychlorinated biphenyl)A lot of it in my area.

2. Pitching stat : ERA. (earned run average)

3. South-of-the-border sun : SOL

4. Youngsters : TADS

5. Michael of "Caddyshack" : O'KEEFE. "No Coke"

6. "Git along" little critter : DOGIE. calf.

7. Edgar __ Poe : ALLAN

8. Pres. before JFK : DDE. Remember from Sunday?

9. Stubborn animal : ASS

10. Post-race place for a NASCAR winner : VICTORY LANE. February 21, 2016: Daytona 500.

11. Catchall check box : [OTHER]

12. Dandelions, e.g. : WEEDS

15. Kayak kin : CANOE

17. Earth Day mo. : APR. (April)

20. Poisonous snake : ADDER

21. Low operatic voices : BASSI

22. Sports venue with tiered seating : ARENA

23. Versatile, as a wardrobe : MIX AND MATCH

25. Shipping container : CRATE

26. Organic fertilizer : HUMUS. Not related to the chickpea mash, hummus.

28. Fuel additive brand : STP. (scientifically treated petroleum)

31. __-watching: TV viewing spree : BINGE

32. Put the kibosh on : ENDED

33. Movie SFX : CGI. (computer-generated images) Where would we be without it.

35. Tremble-inducing : EERIE

36. Trembling tree : ASPEN. Cute pairing.

38. Good vibrations, in the cat world : PURRS

39. Sticky road stuff : TAR

44. Ancient Aegean region : IONIA

 

45. Real-estate holding account : ESCROW

46. Smartphone wake-up feature : ALARM

47. Riveting icon : ROSIE

                 Ok, one more group but definitely not rock.
 

48. Desert plants : CACTI

49. Patronized a help desk : ASKED

50. Big truck : RIG

54. Zoom up : SOAR

56. Dr. Jekyll creator's monogram : RLS. (Robert Louis Stevenson)

57. Saudi Arabian export : OIL

58. "__ the Force, Luke" : USE

59. Confident crossword solver's tool : PEN

60. Escaping-air sound : SSS

 

Argyle

Sunday Feb 7, 2016 Alan Olschwang

TITLE: PRESIDENTIAL FIRSTS

INITIALLY, I had no idea about the gimmick and wondered what presidential firsts would have to do with TRAINS, AUDIBLES, et al and then JUST FOR KICKS hit me like a ton of feathers (which weigh the same as a ton of bricks)!

Mark's lovely Super Bowl Sunday puzzle required no reveal as he reasoned that the first letters of seven three-word-phrases will stand out like a brick in a punchbowl and, coupled with the title, would  allow solvers unravel his ploy of using the INITIALS of seven U.S. presidents to start each word in those phrases.  

Tain't easy McGee. Try it with your initials and let us know what you get.

Husker Gary back on the bandstand to serve as emcee on Alan's clever exercise. Using my initials, I'll just say it's a Gosh Darn Shame if you were expecting C.C.'s Sunday blogging. WAIT,  this just in, C.C. will make a triumphant return on Valentine's Day Sunday! Cheers rise from the assembled masses!

Let's first see the themeage:

23. Austria's Railjet, for one (#33) : HIGH SPEED TRAIN - Our 33rd president Harry S (stands for nothing) Truman or this train capable of 143 mph

45. Changes the play at the line of scrimmage (#21) : CALLS AN AUDIBLE - Our 21st president Chester Alan Arthur or what Peyton will be doing today in the Super Bowl to change the play by yelling

74. Words from a returning traveler (#43) : GUESS WHOS BACK - Our 43rd president George Walker Bush or what Yankee fans might have said about our crossword pal A-ROD this year

102. D.C. trip highlight (#27) : WHITE HOUSE TOUR - Our 350 lb. 27th president William Howard Taft or the purpose for which these are used. 

130. Drinking song popularized by the Glenn Miller Orchestra (#36) : LITTLE BROWN JUG - Our 36th president Lyndon Baines Johnson or the traveling trophy for the winner of the annual Minnesota/Michigan game. Michigan leads the series 74 - 25 - 3

17. On a lark (#35) : JUST FOR KICKS - Our 35th president John Fitzgerald Kennedy or why the Carolina Panthers hired Graham Gano

67. Could be more productive (#34) : DON'T DO ENOUGH - Our 34th president Dwight David Eisenhower or my biking output

Across     
  
1. Got a four, probably : MADE PAR - Jusitn Spieth's 8-under scorecard for the first round of the 2015 Master's shows most golf holes are PAR Fours

8. Undermines : ERODES

14. With one's back against the wall : IN A JAM

20. Unsettle : AGITATE

21. Ridicule : DERIDE - What some do to the men in our theme

22. Retiring : DEMURE

25. Has a life : EXISTS

26. Fatuous : INANE

27. "The Lion King" baddie : SCAR

28. French connections? : TETE A TETES - Some Tête-à-Têtes are très discret

30. Derisive shout : HOOT

32. Source of twigs called withies : OSIER - Our Red OSIER Dogwood were beautiful in all seasons

34. __ nouveau : ART

35. Take the high way? : FLY - Cute

36. Vietnam's __ Dinh Diem : NGO - He was assassinated 3 wks before JFK by... 

38. MLB scorecard entry : SAC - SACrificing your turn at bat to perhaps score the GO AHEAD RUN from yesterday's Silkie or at least move a baserunner up

40. Most massive known dwarf planet : ERIS - Pluto's new family

42. Word on mail from Madrid : AEREO 

50. NutraSweet developer : SEARLE - Their Enovid was the first FDA-approved birth control pill and was very lucrative for the company

53. Fatty acid type : OLEIC

54. Sea-Tac abbr. : ARR - Our ARR(ival) at the SEA(ttle)-TAC(oma) airport in 2014 was delayed in Minneapolis by what Delta called a "sick airplane"

55. Some oscilloscope users: Abbr. : EE'S - We physics teachers use 'em too like Electric Engineers

56. Invited : ASKED

57. Actor with a mohawk : MR T - I pity the fool with a haircut like his

59. "Football Night in America" network : NBC

62. "Avatar" extras : ET'S 

64. Telling tales : LYING - Maybe the current FX Series People vs OJ Simpson will tell us the truth (actors in top row, real life people in bottom)

65. Like many an infielder's throw : SIDE ARM - Much quicker

69. Missoula home : MONTANA - Also our good friend Darlene

72. Spotty affliction? : ACNE

73. Latin trio word : AMO - AMO, amas, amat, amamus, amatis, amant. That's a whole lot of lovin' 

78. White wine aperitif : KIR - I had this in last Sunday's OFF CENTER puzzle

79. "M" director Fritz : LANG

81. 1988 NFL MVP : ESIASON - Boomer ESIASON's foundation was on the 101st floor of the WTC North Tower on 9/11/01. All employees were survived as they were to report to work late that day

82. Sentence sections : PHRASES

84. Bits in a byte, e.g. : OCTET - 8 bits in a byte in Computerland 

86. Vague number : ANY

87. One who might be given the business : SON 

89. Ages and ages : EON

90. Acknowledge tacitly : NOD TO

91. Prophet's claim : ESP - "Hey, prophet, shall I bet the Panthers and lay the points?"

93. Yet, to Yeats : THO

96. Put a handle on : NAMED - C'mon, you know the song with - "Who could put a NAME on you?"

100. Cuddles : SPOONS

106. Author Madeleine L'__ : ENGLE - Best known for A Wrinkle In Time

108. Holly genus : ILEX

109. Sports __ : BRA - The most famous picture of one

110. Valuable deposit : ORE

111. Former Saturn model : ION

113. Max. : ULT

115. Drained of color : ASHEN

117. Alibi problems : GAPS

120. Critical point : CROSSROADS - Two roads diverged in a yellow wood...

124. Lotion additive : ALOE

126. Agricultural pioneer : DEERE 

129. Call on the carpet : HAUL UP

133. '90s veep : AL GORE

134. Bumpy : UNEVEN

135. Andalusian city : GRANADA

136. Snickered : TE HEED - or TEE HEED

137. Roma road : STRADA - Artisti di STRADA a Roma (Street artists in Rome)

138. Tossed about : STREWED - Less common past participle of STREW
 
Down

1. When doubled, a common dolphinfish : MAHI

2. Back-country "contrary to" : AGIN

3. Do spadework : DIG A HOLE - or quit... (3 words but no prez initials)

4. Centric start : ETHNO

5. '90s Toyota : PASEO

6. Netmen's gp. : ATP - Association of Tennis Professionals

7. "Cheers" actor Roger : REES

8. Icelandic literary works : EDDAS - Do you see EDDA in there?

9. Gave it another go : RETRIED - I Retired from teaching and after 6 months I RETRIED it for another six years

10. Skating legend : ORR

11. Venomous venting : DIATRIBE - A lot of us know what famous comedian was unleashing a DIATRIBE on actress Edie McClurg in this hilarious scene

12. Nicollette's "Desperate Housewives" role : EDIE - Or an actual EDIE above

13. Words with letter or fax : SENT A

14. Conceptualizes : IDEATES

15. To follow : NEXT

16. Sweetie along the Seine : AMIE

18. Soviet cooperative : ARTEL - An ARTEL of Russian (pre-Soviet) artists in 1863

19. Unkempt : MESSY

24. Green wheels : ECO CAR

29. One may be named for a president : ERA

31. Screening org. : TSA - Some women claim TSA agents ask them to go through the scanner more than once

33. NW Penn. airport : ERI - ERI(E) Airport. In NY a lake, county and canal 

36. Base fig. : NCO - Remember the NCO who was in charge of the motor pool at Ft. Baxter?

37. __ pal : GAL

39. Santa __ winds : ANA

41. Rains hard? : SLEETS

43. Like Pinocchio, eventually : REAL

44. Cinch course : EASY A

46. Bar fruit : LIME

47. Beanpole : SCRAG

48. Immortalized vessel of rhyme : URN - Keats' last two lines from his Ode On A Grecian URN

49. Abbr. before a year : ESTAB

51. "Law & Order" detective Briscoe : LENNIE - Jerry Orbach also did movies and trod the boards of Broadway 

52. Trimming tools : EDGERS

58. "No argument" : TRUE - See Keats above

60. Mercedes rivals : BMW'S - I only learned it was Bavarian not British Motor Works when we toured around Munich 

61. Pacific salmon : COHOS

63. Walk in the park : SNAP

65. Drawing rooms : SALONS

66. End of the '50s TV intro that began "This is the city" : I'M A COP - Later changed to "I carry a badge" following police officer complaints

68. Badlands formation : MESA

70. Verboten thing : NO NO

71. Aleve can alleviate one : ACHE

75. Toughness : SINEW

76. Greets, with "to" : SAYS HI

77. Danish capital : KRONE - You'd receive 34 KRONER (pl.) in change for this bill when getting a McDonald's Combo meal in Copenhagen 

80. Board : GET ON

83. Structural subj. : ANAT - ANATOMY abbr.

85. Half a patio pair : TONG - TONGS

88. High degree : NTH

92. Columnlike architectural piece : PILASTER - Some rather famous ones

94. Hang out : HOBNOB - Archaic - From Hob and Nob - give and take - drinking to each other's health

95. "__ Gang" : OUR - Last Sunday we saw Alfalfa and Buckwheat

97. Saskatchewan city : MOOSE JAW - The Peacock Collegiate High School teams in MOOSE JAW are called the Toilers

98. Asian lead-in : EUR

99. "The Chronic" Dr. : DRE

101. Downed noisily : SLURPED

103. French possessive : TES - e.g. TES livres (your books)

104. Blew out : EXHALED

105. Give a little : SAG

107. Gp. that hired an orchestra for its "Eldorado" album : ELO

111. Phased-out Apple messaging tool : iCHAT

112. Papal garment : ORALE - Today called the FANON - the white/gold striped cape - yet to be worn by Francis 

114. Anklebone : TALUS

116. Barack's 2010 High Court appointee : ELENA

118. Exchange of nasty spots : AD WAR - Finally, with Iowa Caucuses gone, some of you others can have these

119. Shells alternative : PENNE

121. Astringent fruit : SLOE

122. Foolproof : SURE - "Is that right Mr. Madoff?"

123. By __ of: due to : DINT

125. Joule components : ERGS - An ERG = An ant doing a pushup and a Joule = 10,000,000 ants doing a pushup

127. Snippy, say : RUDE

128. "Great Scott!" : EGAD

131. Power agcy. created in 1933 : TVA - The Danville, KY elevator that was left when the TVA dammed the Tennessee River. The bottom five floors were flooded as Kentucky Lake was formed

132. Fido's find : ORT

Using my initials again, I'd call Alan's puzzle Genuinely Delightful Solving! Now let's go see your INTIAL responses -

The Grid: