Tuesday, July 31, 2012 Matt Skoczen

Theme: Heeere's Johnny - Four in fact whose last name begin the in language themes and a grid spanning reveal.

17A. One may spoil the whole bunch : ROTTEN APPLE. Johnny Rotten - The stage name of the lead vocalist for the Sex Pistols, an English punk rock band that formed in London in 1975.

24A. State capital near the Comstock Lode : CARSON CITY. Johnny Carson - Needs no intro. Carson City is the capital of Nevada.

38A. Handy guy to have around, or a hint to this puzzle's theme found in 17-, 24-, 50- and 62-Across : JOHNNY ON THE SPOT

50A. Monetary assets : CASH IN HAND. Johnny Cash - The man in black. Video(3:09).

62A. Substitute player : BENCH WARMER. Johnny Bench - Baseball catcher for the Cincinnati Reds from 1967 to 1983, not a bench warmer.

Heeere's Argyle. "I feel a hot wind on my shoulder

And the touch of a world that is older" - Mexican Radio.

My first look at the NW corner had me checking the day. Some of the clues/entries are from an older time. I felt an international feel for it, too. The anon who complained about abbreviations won't like it, but after all was said and done, I did.

Across:

1. Set in motion : STARTED

8. Letters for an open schedule slot : TBA. (to be announced)

11. LAX calculation : ETA. (estimated time of arrival)

14. Soho "So long!" : "CHEERIO!"

15. "Still and all ..." : "YET ..."

16. Fish-fowl connector : NOR

19. No. that's zero at the equator : LAT. The number for the latitude at the equator is 0 and 90 at the poles.

20. Golfer Palmer : ARNIE

21. Store, as a hose : COIL

22. Get wise with : SASS

23. Plaintive sound : MOAN

26. Economist Smith : ADAM. The Wealth of Nations, 1776.

28. Old draft classification : TWO A. Occupational deferment category.

29. Gaza Strip gp. : PLO. (Palestine Liberation Organization)

32. "__ Sleep, for Every Favor": old hymn : ERE I. Instrumental on the organ at Eccles Congregational Church, Salford, England, near to Liverpool.

34. 1950s WMD : H-BOMB. (weapon of mass destruction, WMD)

42. Margaret Mead subject : SAMOA. Her book, Coming of Age in Samoa.

43. Besmirch : SOIL

44. Drag behind : TOW

45. A or Jay, e.g. : ALer. (baseball)

48. "Jesus __": shortest Bible verse : WEPT

54. Dost own : HAST

58. Weight on one's shoulders : ONUS

59. Carries out : DOES

60. 19th-century German poet Heinrich : HEINE. Wikipedia article.

61. Genetic letters : RNA

64. Soho sir : GUV. Informal British for governor.

65. Philanderer : CAD

66. Syrian's neighbor : ISRAELI

67. Suffix with infant : ILE. (infantile, like some anons)

68. Pitcher's stat : ERA

69. Beats, and how : PUMMELS. Don't confuse with pommel horse.

Down:

1. "Get outta here!" : "SCRAM!"

2. Exhaustive, informally : THORO. (thorough)

3. Humana rival : AETNA. Health care companies.

4. Light-sensing eye part : RETINA

5. Mimosa, for one : TREE. The alcoholic drink is so called from its yellowish color, which resembles that of the mimosa. Who knew?

6. A, in Augsburg : EIN. Today's map of Germany.

7. Appear on screen like Hitchcock : DO A CAMEO

8. Data entry pro : TYPIST

9. Deep roar : BELLOW

10. Gobbled down : ATE

11. China's Zhou __ : ENLAI. First Premier of the People's Republic of China.

12. Salute with a raised glass : TOAST

13. La-di-da : ARTSY

18. "Un momento, __ favor" : POR. Yo no hablo español.

22. Signs of healing : SCABS

24. Grant with an Honorary Award statuette : CARY. Grant was given an Honorary Oscar at the 42nd Academy Awards in 1970. Frank Sinatra presented Grant with the award, "for his unique mastery of the art of screen acting with the respect and affection of his colleagues". (Wiki)

25. Caution to a game show audience : "NO HELP!". Unless it's "The Price is Right". All that help is no help.

27. Mount McKinley's national park : DENALI

29. Jammies : PJ's

30. Mauna __ : LOA. Are you nuts?

31. Resistance unit : OHM

33. Shoo-__: easy winners : INs

35. Make up one's mind : OPT

36. __ goo gai pan : MOO. Now, how do they say it in Boston?

37. Incidentally, in IMs : BTW. (By The Way)

39. Whose ark it was : NOAH'S

40. County subdivision : TOWNSHIP

41. Zipped along : HIED

46. Make beloved : ENDEAR

47. Beach Boys title girl : RHONDA. She was helpful.

49. Aries : THE RAM

50. Welsh dog : CORGI

51. Invalidate : ANNUL

52. Smoothly polite : SUAVE

53. Nuclear agcy. formed under Truman : AEC. (Atomic Energy Commission)

55. Pop singer Mann : AIMEE. Not my cup of tea but here is a video(3:12).

56. Fishhook connector : SNELL. Here, if you want to tie your own hook on the line. Most people buy hooks with the leader already attached.

57. Garr and Hatcher : TERIs. Unable to find a photo of the two of them together.

60. "No __, no foul" : HARM. Nor fish.

62. Pre-A.D. : BCE. (Before Common Era) If you need more, Wiki link.

63. Sch. with a Vancouver campus : WSU. (Washington State University)

Answer grid.

 

Argyle

Monday, July 30, 2012 Vanessa Michaels

Theme: Opposite Partners - Four common phrases stating diametrical extremes. The verbs are all in third person singular form.

17A. Vacillates : BLOWS HOT AND COLD

25A. Goes out with periodically : DATES OFF AND ON

47A. Acts nervously in the waiting room : PACES TO AND FRO

62A. Searches all over : LOOKS HIGH AND LOW

Argyle here and there. Debut puzzle? A little bland but it has two grid spanners on a Monday, nice. It may have been intentional; some clues are gimmes and some are Thursday. Only eight three-letter words. It doesn't feel like a rookie submission.

Across:

1. Captain after a white whale : AHAB. "Moby Dick or, The Whale" by Herman Melville.

5. Former "Idol" judge Paula : ABDUL. Replaced by Ellen DeGeneres, replaced by J-Lo, replaced by Mariah Carey?

10. Glove compartment items : MAPS

14. Pro __: free, as legal work : BONO

15. Mild cigar : CLARO. Hey, put that out! This is a smoke-free blog.

16. Juan's water : AGUA

20. Gossip spreader : YENTA

21. America's national bird : BALD EAGLE

22. Belief: Suff. : ISM

24. "__ the land of the free ..." : O'ER

32. Make a mistake : ERR

33. "__ be sorry!" : YOU'LL

34. Porcine sniffer : SNOUT. Now, don't be piggy.

37. Name of 12 popes : PIUS

39. Trick alternative : TREAT

41. "The __-bitsy spider ..." : ITSY

42. Florida coastal city : TAMPA

44. "__ at 'em!" : LEMME

46. www connection co. : ISP. (Internet Service Provider)

50. B&O et al. : RR's. (Baltimore and Ohio Railroad)

51. Gun lobby org. : NRA. (National Rifle Association)

52. "A __ Named Desire" : STREETCAR. STELLA!

58. Smells : ODORS

64. Drink buyer's words : ON ME. "I got dozens of friends, and the fun never ends

That is, as long as I'm buying" Too Much Time on My Hands(5:12) By Styx With Lyrics.

65. Use at mealtime, as dishes : EAT ON

66. When tripled, a story shortener : YADA

67. Lay eyes on : ESPY

68. Martini's partner in vermouth : ROSSI.

69. Bakery appliance : OVEN

Down:

1. "Dear" columnist : ABBY

2. Golfer's target : HOLE

3. Soon, to Shakespeare : ANON. It's not what it is to me.

4. Neckwear with a tux : BOW TIE

5. Coblenz complaint : "ACH!". The complaint is "It's spelled with a K". Map.

6. Oozy horror film menace : BLOB (1958)

7. Number-cruncher's input : DATA

8. Russian river : URAL

9. Big Ben's city : LONDON. Boy, is this a gimme or what?

10. Tubes with cheese : MACARONI

11. Eagerly excited : AGOG

12. Yank : PULL

13. One-named Nigerian singer : SADE. Paradise(3:38), filmed in Mexico?

18. Back-talking : SASSY

19. Owners' documents : DEEDS

23. No longer at issue : MOOT

25. Men's or Women's, e.g.: Abbr. : DEPT.

26. Opera highlight : ARIA

27. Noted TV firer : TRUMP. The Donald.

28. Rolls up, as a flag : FURLS

29. Admiral's command : FLEET

30. Car rental giant : ALAMO

31. "__ I have anything to say about it" : NOT IF

35. Cold War country: Abbr. : USSR

36. "Teh" for "The," say : TYPO

38. One may be hidden in a fake rock : SPARE KEY

40. IRS employee : T-MAN

43. Farm size units : ACRES

45. 2000s Houston-based scandal subject : ENRON

48. Bible book named for a woman : ESTHER

49. Bro, to a beatnik : DADDY-O

52. Blackthorn fruit : SLOE

53. Heavy weights : TONS

54. Play friskily : ROMP

55. "So long, signore" : "CIAO!"

56. FBI personnel : AGT's

57. Letters after pis : RHOs

59. Norwegian saint : OLAV

60. Went on horseback : RODE

61. Tchaikovsky's "__ Lake" : SWAN

63. "Star Wars" saga nickname : ANI. From Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace: Anakin (Ani) Skywalker is set on the road to become Darth Vader.

Answer grid.

Argyle

From C.C.:

Here is a wonderful photo of the two cottages Jazzbumpa rented for his family lake vacation last week. It's on the west shore of Black Lake. I think they go there every summer.