Theme: "Wanna play a round?" (Classic duffer's pick-up line...) The word PLAY is positioned AROUND the ends of the theme entries:
17A. Nuts : PLAIN CRAZY. Am I nuts, or just plain crazy?
25A. Switching device : POWER RELAY. I drew this, just to show you an example:
37A. Keeps at it : PLUGS AWAY. Originally a seaman's term from 1627 meaning to use a "stopper". Classic example is Hans Brinker, who "plugged" the hole in the dike...
50A. "We want you here" : PLEASE STAY. Even Anons are welcome in this corner (as long as you PLAY nice!)
50A. "We want you here" : PLEASE STAY. Even Anons are welcome in this corner (as long as you PLAY nice!)
And the unifier:
60. Dally, and a literal hint to 17-, 25-, 37- and 50- across : PLAY AROUND
Marti here, with another fun Thursday offering from our dynamic duo!!
1.Fair color? : AZURE. The blue of a fair, or cloudless sky.
Marti here, with another fun Thursday offering from our dynamic duo!!
Across:
1.Fair color? : AZURE. The blue of a fair, or cloudless sky.
6.Skippy rival : JIF. Do you like chunky or creamy peanut butter? Then we have 6D. 6-Across container: JAR. And 31A. Cover: LID. Perhaps on a JAR of JIF or Skippy?
9.Gillette razor : ATRA
13.Moses' mount : SINAI
14.Like the Gobi Desert : ARID
9.Gillette razor : ATRA
13.Moses' mount : SINAI
14.Like the Gobi Desert : ARID
16."House" actor Robert ___ Leonard : SEAN. This guy, who plays Dr James Wilson, Dr. House's confidante. (From C.C.: Shout-out to Seen.)
19.Agcy. whose seal features a shock of corn : USDA. United States Department of Agriculture.
20.First area to fill in on a form : LINE A. Is anyone getting their tax forms together yet?
21.Harry Potter series ender? : ZED. British "Z"
23.Up to, briefly : TIL
24.Street Cry, to Street Sense : SIRE. "Street Cry" and "Street Sense" are both racehorses. Devious clue, that I needed every perp to solve...
29."Here Come the ___":1945 college comedy : COEDS. This one, OTOH, was sussed simply from the word "college".
32."Leda and the Swan" poet : YEATS. Did anyone else fill in "Keats"?
33.Swing voter: Abbr. : IND. -ependent.
34.Store sign : OPEN
36."Yeah, right!" : I'LL BET
39.Jackie Chan genre : ACTION. Loved him in "Shanghai Noon" with Owen Wilson.
42.Four-legged king : LION
43.Fruit often dried : FIG
46.Novel opening : PART I. "Don Quixote" is an example of a novel that was published in two parts.
47.Row of seats : PEW
48.___ queen : DRAMA
53.Targets : AIMS
54.Texas Rangers manager Washington : RON
55.Pat-down org. : TSA. I bet Dennis would make a good TSA agent...
56.Golfer's feat : EAGLE. Have you ever had one, Husker G or Boomer?
58.Table scraps : ORTS
64.Stringed instrument : VIOL
65.Bygone Dodge : OMNI
66.One may bring eternal bad luck : CURSE
67.Selection word : EENY. meeny, miny, moe...
68.William, to Charles : SON. Princes of the British Empire.
69.Cold metal? : STEEL
Down:
1.Egyptian cobra : ASP
2. Umpteen, with "a" : ZILLION. I used to say a "gazillion".
3.Not made public : UNAIRED
4.Came down : RAINED.
5.Mozart's "___ kleine Nachtmusik" : EINE. Yay, a chance to link one of my favorite compositions, with an interesting bar graph visual. 6:01
7.Tax-sheltered savings, briefly : IRA. Individual Retirement Account. For those filling in Line A...
8.Effervesced : FIZZED. Like soda in scotch...Oh, the horror! (per Tinbeni)
9.SW school whose mascot carries a pitchfork : ASU. Arizona State University. The Sun Devils.
10.Research site : TEST LAB
10.Research site : TEST LAB
11.Give off : RADIATE
12.Word with stock or market : ANALYST
15.Yarn colorer : DYER
18.Graduation flier : CAP. Like these at 2:50, from "Legally Blonde". 3:49
22.Terra firma : DRY LAND
24.Phys., e.g. : SCI. -ence
26.Jackie's designer : OLEG. Cassini. Of course, C.C. knows all the designers.
27.Actress with six Oscar nominations by age 33 : WINSLET. Kate. Her first oscar was in 2009 for "The Reader".
28.Hard to grasp : EELY
30.Cadenza performer : SOLOIST. According to Merriam-Webster, a cadenza is a "Technically brilliant sometimes improvised solo passage toward the close of a concerto".
35.One may not be intended : PUN
36.WWII battle site, for short : IWO. Jima.
37.Fillable bread : PITA
38.Old Sony brand : AIWA
39.Give the okay : APPROVE
40.Unit often burned off : CALORIE. I burn off my calories on the treadmill, yoga mat, and now with my X-box 360 Kinect.
41.Capital nearest to Philadelphia : TRENTON. WAG for me.
43.What "you always pass...on your way to success": Mickey Rooney : FAILURE
44.Vast : IMMENSE
45.Electric alternative : GAS. I burn oil, and wince every time I hear the oil truck pull up to the driveway.
47.Book of sacred poems : PSALMS
49.Seasoned stew : RAGOUT
51.Hockey Hall of Fame nickname : ESPO. Phil Esposito, Boston Bruins Hall of Famer.
52.Thumbs-up vote : YEA
57.Curved pieces : ARCS
59.Devilish : SLY. Or, a description of the Arizona State University team...
61.Roberto's 2012, e.g. : ANO. "Roberto" indicates a Mexican name. So, 2012 would be a "year" in Spanish.
62.One of two complementary Asian forces : YIN. and its counterpart: Yang.
63.___ Monte Foods : DEL. I don't serve any canned vegetables in my house.
Answer grid.
And that wraps up this Thursday puzzle. I can't wait to hear what you all thought of it!
Hugs,
Marti
Constructor's note from C.C.:
"This is one of the very earlier puzzles Don and I collaborated. We tried to find a nice mix of P*LAY, PL*AY and PLA*Y 2-word phrases. PLASTIC SURGERY & PROFANITY DELAY were the two other candidates we considered but discarded. I want to thank Dudley for giving us a detailed explanation of POWER RELAY". (Note from Marti: Dudley did not help me with my drawing.)
63.___ Monte Foods : DEL. I don't serve any canned vegetables in my house.
Answer grid.
And that wraps up this Thursday puzzle. I can't wait to hear what you all thought of it!
Hugs,
Marti
Constructor's note from C.C.: