Saturday, Aug 24th, 2013, Barry C. Silk

Theme: Saturday Silkie

Words: 72 (missing -; a Pangram~!)

Blocks: 30

  "Sans" Cruciverb, but we prevailed ~!  I have never done this pen and paper, but due to the downed website, it was print and solve, old-fashioned~! ( actually, I play a little game when I do the puzzle in the paper - I only allow myself the ability to solve a clue IF I have a letter from a crossing fill in place first ).  Anyway, we had two 11-letter climbers:

11D. Fajitas server : SIZZLE PLATE - always looks, smells and sounds good when one of these goes by in a restaurant

22D. One who doesn’t follow the crowd : FREE THINKER - I like to consider myself such a person....

Lots of clechos, lots of misdirection, especially in the 'plurals' department - I marked them with "*".   I have to admit, I had two squares wrong - proper names crossing - what can you do?....

link~!

ACROSS:

1. Pet’s plaything : SQUEAK TOY - let the YouTubers begin~!

10. Syrian Ba’ath Party leader : ASSAD - Total WAG

15. Fools : OUTSMARTS; clecho #1 - 16A. Fool : LIE TO; #2 - 23A. Foolish : WITLESS, and #3 - 14D. Fools : DOLTS

17. Semi lubricant : DIESEL OIL

18. Longtime Cleveland Orchestra conductor : SZELL - the "S" got me; I figured it had to be a vowel....George - more here

19. Galaxy download : APPlication - the Samsung Galaxy line of phones and tablets

20. Baby bugs : NITS (Sorry for the error earlier).

21. Freight not permitted in some tunnels, familiarly : HAZ-MAT - Hazardous Materials

22. Edsel feature : FINS - no, sorry, I don't see fins on an Edsel - I see fins HERE

24. Two-player whistlike game : ECARTE - Dah~! I had "A" at the end, because I didn't know my Detroit Tigers great

27. __ and Jack: kids’ clothing shop chain : JANIE - never heard of it, but there are two stores here on LI

28. 2012 N.L. Manager of the Year Johnson : DAVEY - now this baseball guy I know - he was the Nationals manager in 2012, and won MotY in 1997 with the Orioles - but I knew him as the Mets manager 1984-90, including their '86 World Series win (how's that~!!)

29. Prepare to compare : JUXTAPOSE - love that word~!

33. Eczema soother : ALOE

34. Pool components : GENES - so who's been peeing in THIS pool~?

35. Wash unit : LOAD

36. Numismatist’s concerns : MINT MARKS - the big word for coin collector

 

38. Base boss : SARGE - some might have thought "abbr" could have helped, but it's Saturday

39. Something up grandma’s sleeve? : HANKY - yep, my Granny usually had a tissue there

40. Snowsuit clip-on : MITTEN - oh, we are getting there... woo-hoo~!

41. Like some pot roast : STRINGY - I had this, and thought...yeah?

44. Knitting rib : WALE

45*. Beachgoer’s wear : THONGS - Flip-flops for the feet; guys, unless you can rock it like this, then it better be Flip-flops....

46. Something to fill : ROLE

47. Get dolled (up) : TOG - OK, thong image for the guys

50. “For the Love of Mike” columnist : ROYKO - the Wiki, here

51. Sierra Mist flavor : LEMON-LIME - If we get Lemon on Friday, am I "LIME" on Saturday? (my parents are British, so technically, I'm a 'limey'....)

53. Run the roast : EMCEE

54. Brand used by police in lieu of a sketch artist : INDENT-I-KIT - Sounds like a Douglas Adams device from the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

55*. Nobility : PEERS

56. Gridiron defensive rush : ZONE BLITZ - I knew the BLITZ part...had to wait for the rest

DOWN:

1. Fountain buy : SODA

2*. Words of Hope : QUIP - BOB Hope, that is

3. Sch. whose mascot is Paydirt Pete : UTEP - University of Texas El Paso D-Otto, gimme?

4. First of seven? : ESS - Seven

5. Hotel extra : AMENITY

6. Detroit Tigers great Al : KALINE - More from our true baseball expert, C.C. - (From C.C.: He spent his whole career with the Tigers. I like players like Al Kaline, Robin Yount,  Stan Musial, Yaz, Cal Ripken Jr.,  Kirby Puckett, etc.)

7. Brings (out) : TROTS

8. Mayberry sot : OTIS

9. Monogram on some high-end scarves : YSL - Yves Saint Laurent

10. Old name of London’s Whitefriars district : ALSATIA

12. Boss’s terse summons : SEE ME

13. Traveler’s aid : ATLAS

21.* Help for those at sea? : HINTS

23.* Auto detailer’s supply : WAXES

24. Dutch export : EDAM

25. Colombian city : CALI

26. Big name in romance novels : AVON

27. Inferior : JUNKY - immediately followed by ->

29. Spasmodic : JERKY

30. Dutch astronomer who found the first evidence of dark matter : OORT - more on this man here

31. Fragrant herb : SAGE

32. Fall setting : EDEN - Not autumn, but "THE" fall, in the Bible

34. Mobs : GANGS

37*. Tropical fruit : MANGOES

38. One in doubt? : SILENT B - d-o-u-B-t - didn't fool me~!

40. Molly who sells cockles and mussels : MALONE - the unofficial anthem of Dublin

41. Amoxicillin target : STREP - a penicillin antibiotic for treating Streptococcus - phew~!

42. Jim who is the most recent member of the 600-home run club : THOME - and to you, C.C. (From C.C.: He hit his 600th home run as a Twin.)

43. Big name in luxury travel : ROYCE - Rolls ROYCE

44. Lilith Fair performers : WOMEN

46. Overhaul : RE-DO

47. __ bar : TIKI

48. Drop : OMIT

49. Stan with a sax : GETZ

51. 1963 Cleo player : LIZ - Cleopatra, and ELIZabeth Taylor

52. __ Wolf: Big Bad’s son, in Disney comics : LI'L - the Disney Wiki

I've decided I want the bigger paycheck, since my car is aging fast - I passed my physical on Tuesday - going to be a UPS driver~!

Splynter

Answer Grid:

Friday, August 23, 2013, Matt Skoczen

Theme: En-word and upward! An homage to Splynter?

Geez, I hope you understand 'EN' sounds like ON; we don't need anybody being Paula Deaned. So after a one week hiatus, Matt S. is back with a variation on the single definition theme, using French phrases, beginning with EN, with second part a five letter word,  all in common usage in the US. A classic 12, 14, 14, 12 four theme answer grid. Some hard work in places, but it all went pretty smoothly. Now we will see how many Matts drop by today. Let us start deciphering...

17A. En masse : ALL TOGETHER. (12). Each fill is literal.

27A. En vogue : STYLISH IN PARIS. (14). We get our French reference, not a reveal but certainly a hint.

47A. "En garde" : GET READY TO DUEL. (14). Not sure why the quotation marks unless it is because it is said out loud, more a fencing than a shoot out term.

62A. En route : NOT YET THERE. (12). Are we there yet? Yes we are ready for the rest of the story.

Across:

1. Like some cooked hot dogs : PLUMP. Of course, YUMMY.(0:33).

6. Monopoly property after Illinois : B AND O. A nice change from old Athletics's Third Baseman Sal.

11. It may be pale : ALE. and an immediate clecho, and a double beer reference.

14. It may be pale : LAGER.  You could do a whole puzzle with this one clue with fill like New Englander's face, and sea shells and Lindsay Lohan.

15. Old Detroit-to-Seattle hwy. : US TEN. Tricky, my first thought was 'Usten, we have a problem.'

16. Approval of a sort : NOD.

19. Rundown ender : TAG. Baseball clue, where a runner is trapped in between bases.

20. Mr. Ma : YO-YO.

21. Words with hunch : ON A.

22. Calm : PACIFY.

24. Mount where Moses saw the promised land : NEBO. It is in JORDAN.

26. Jogging technique? : MEMO. Interesting, this is the beginning of memory, which is what is being jogged here.

33. Thunders : BOOMS.

34. Quirky : ODD.

35. Sleeping bag site : TENT. Which usually ends up leaving you...

36. Cold and damp : RAW. Not the ideal vacation for an...

37. Like many a social climber : ELITIST.

41. Keep-secret link : IT A. If they went they would keep it a secret.

42. Sports shoe brand : AVIA. I think it is now the official sneaker of Walmart.

44. Walk-___ : ONS. Non scholarship athletes trying out for the team.

45. Honest Abe's dad, in comics : ABNER. We are having a renaissance in interest in AL CAPP and his comic strip.

51. Brief briefs? : BVDS. Like Kleenex, this brand name became synonymous with the tighty whitey we alll wore, The name according to the wiki world comes from Bradley, Voorhees & Day, the three founders. The companyas bought by Fruit of the Loom was gobbled up by Mr. Buffet and Berkshire Hathaway.

52. Aging issue : RUST. Not so much for me, but I worry about Tinman.

53. Took in : HOUSED.

56. Shuttle, perhaps : BUS.

57. David's longtime partner : CHET. Huntley Brinkley Report, what I grew up watching.

61. Keats subject : URN. How bad is your social life that you write a poem to an Urn?

65. ___ loss : NET.

66. Hits with force : SWATS.

67. Subs : HEROS. You might think this refers to the sandwich also called Hoagie and Grinder, but in our world it refers to HG and others who work as substitute teachers and become heroes to their classes.

68. Also : TOO.

69. Commencement : ONSET.

70. Apparel : DRESS. So when we don our gay apparel, it is a dress.

Down:

1. Coach's call : PLAY.

2. Composer Schifrin : LALO. He did Dirty Harry, Bullitt and so many more.

3. Like some moods : UGLY.

4. Broadway, for the theater industry : METONYM. I bet all of our teachers knew this CONCEPT. If you did not the cross with NEBO was tough.

5. 11-Down opposite : PRO. and 11D. 5-Down opposite : ANTI.

6. ___ Aires : BUENOS.

7. Movie clue sniffer : ASTA. The Thin Man cast is also big time crossword  fodder.

8. Last in a theoretical series : NTH.

9. Places for diving boards : DEEP ENDS.

10. Feature of many highways : ON RAMP. Well, I think 'many' might just be an understatement, since if you do not have an ON (not EN) ramp how would you ever get ON (not EN)?

12. Just sit around : LOAF. Nice contrasting fill back to back.

13. Not at all calm : EDGY.

18. Mongolian expanse : GOBI.

23. Layer : COAT. Like of paint.

25. Choice word : ELSE. Give me the money, or...

26. Skirt length : MIDI. Not my favorite, but...

27. Dry Italian wine : SOAVE.

28. Specifically : TO WIT. Here we actually have more wit than that

29. ___-totsy : HOTSY. Like this, 601 San Pablo Ave  Albany, CA 94706,  for our left coasters.  LINK.

30. French royal : REINE. With an "E" it is the Queen, without the "E" it is a kidney.

31. Mil. gathering? : INTEL.ligence.

32. One in the lead : STAR.

33. Talk big : BRAG.

38. Encumber : LOAD DOWN. Low down on the down load?

39. Unaffiliated voters: Abbr. : INDS. Independents.

40. Small boys : TADS. A cruel tricky synonym for LADS. Not to be confused with 63D.

43. Wall St. figures : ARBS. Arbitragers.

46. Bungle badly : BUTCHER. Man the last thing I want is my butcher to be a bungler with all those big knives.

48. All things considered : EVEN SO.

49. Most sincere : TRUEST.

50. Boot : OUST.

53. Pursuit : HUNT.

54. Three-part snack : OREO. Top middle and bottom, or Twist, lick and chew?

55. Golden rule word : UNTO. Others...

56. Information unit : BYTE.

58. "___, kitty kitty!" : HERE.

59. Mythological archer : EROS. I have graduated from the dawn to love.

60. 1994 Shirley MacLaine title role : TESS. A finishing run of "T" words. LINK. (2:22).

63. Some univ. staff : TA'S. Teaching Assistants. My youngest was one but they hardly made him feel like staff.

64. Divinity sch. degree : TH D. Doctor of Theology.

Well another Friday in the record books, I  pray you enjoyed the show. Time to go see my Charlotte. Lemonade out.

Note from C.C.:

Happy Birthday to the Scotch-loving Tinbeni!

Thursday, August 22, 2013 Jeff Stillman

Theme:  The"Ump"

Common phrases ending in "amp" are changed to "ump."

17A. Glowing sugar cube? : FLUORESCENT LUMP. Fluorescent lamp.

26A. Campaign to raise mailing fees? : POSTAGE STUMP. Postage stamp.

44A. Easy strikeout victim? : BATTING CHUMP. Batting champ.

57A. Wedding song for Ivana or Marla? : THE LADY IS A TRUMP. "The Lady Is a Tramp." Classic Frank and Ella. 3:51

Jeff gives us a grid with only ten 3-letter words and a slew of 4-5 letter ones.  Nothing stood out for me in the longer fill.

Marti here, to see what else is on the menu today.

Across:

1. Diana's companion : DODI. Fayed and Princess Diana.

5. Off-the-wall play : CAROM. I usually associate the word with billiards.

10. "...baked in ___" : A PIE. Four and twenty blackbirds, that is.

14. An awfully long time : AGES.

15. Meter reading : USAGE.

16. Without : SANS. Who shot the serif?

20. Electrical pioneer whose last known U.S. patent was for a helicopter-plane : TESLA.

21. A soprano one has short strings : UKE. Pretty tune. 2:02

22. Team competition : RELAY.

23. Ant who sings : ADAM. I forgot about this ant. 3:18 Not to be confused with this ant:

25. Some film-book relationships : TIE-INS. Like a newly-published edition of the book that has the movie poster on its cover.

31. Upper arm bones : HUMERI. [Update 7:30 AM: Some papers listed the clue as "Forearm bones. That would be an incorrect answer]

32. Cyclotron bits : IONS.

33. Convenience store convenience : ATM.

36. Clinches : ICES.

37. Polynesian porch : LANAI.

39. Tennis coups : ACES.

40. Cow or sow : SHE.

41. Tax that funds Soc. Sec. : FICA. Federal Insurance Contributions Act tax.

42. More patrician : NOBLER.

46. Field of plants? : BOTANY. Nice misdirection.

49. Regarding : AS TO.

50. Somewhat inclined : ATILT. Aaaaah...

51. Outback runner : EMU.

53. Goof : ERROR.

60. Mall map word : HERE. "You are here."

61. Discourage : DETER.

62. Cheeseboard choice : EDAM.

63. While lead-in : ERST. Erstwhile.

64. Spring for lunch : TREAT.

65. Lairs : DENS.

Down:

1. Bonkers : DAFT.

2. People-watch inappropriately : OGLE.

3. ___ ex machina : DEUS. Literally, Latin for "God from machine." A story ending that is highly improbable, and is used to extricate the characters from a seemingly inescapable situation. Like many Harry Potter books, or even the ending of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, when Sam and Frodo are rescued from Mt. Doom by eagles.

4. Cuts off : ISOLATES.

5. Stick for breaking, at times : CUE. Breaking the rack, that is. Not breaking over each others' heads in a pool room brawl!

6. Take for granted : ASSUME.

7. Rooftop accessory : RACK. I was on top of the house, not the car.  But here's another type of rack you might enjoy...

8. Decorative molding : OGEE.

9. "Eight ___ Out": 1988 baseball movie : MEN. About the 1921 scandal when the Chicago White Sox arranged with underworld gamblers to throw the World Series. [Update: The date of the World Series was 1919. The trial took place in 1921.]

10. In the arms of Morpheus : ASLEEP.

11. Eighth-century pope : PAUL I. 757-67 A.D.

12. Jude Law's "Cold Mountain" role : INMAN. Nicole Kidman's sweetheart in the film. Good story.

13. July awards show, with "the" : ESPYS. Nice change from "Catch sight of" clue. Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly award. (Deja vu, all over again!)

18. Speed demon's undoing : RADAR.

19. Cuts back : TRIMS.

24. Gymnast's asset : AGILITY.

25. Open D and open G, for guitars : TUNINGS. Ugh. I would have tried to get Husker G's MUSINGS to go in there.

26. Frat letters : PHIs.

27. Smart remark? : "OUCH, ...that hurts!" From a stinging pain, not some sass.

28. Barrie buccaneer : SMEE. Captain Hook's right-hand-man (since he didn't have one of his own...)

29. Old Testament peak : SINAI.

30. ___ fault : TO A.

33. Scopes Trial gp. : ACLU. American Civil Liberties Union. They offered to defend anyone who had been accused of teaching evolution.

34. Swarm : TEEM.

35. Auto ad no. : MSRP. Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price.

38. Tread the boards : ACT.

39. Couldn't stomach : ABHORRED.

41. Slice competitor : FANTA.

vs.

43. Santa's reindeer, e.g. : OCTET.

44. Balanchine's field : BALLET. A peek into his methods. 2:31

45. Vertigo symptom : NAUSEA.

46. Get clean : BATHE.

47. Survey choice : OTHER.

48. Levels : TIERS.

51. Observer : EYER.

52. Itty-bitty bug : MITE.

54. Uncivil : RUDE.

55. Sultanate whose flag features two swords and a dagger : OMAN.

56. Tach nos. : RPMs.

58. Banned pesticide : DDT. Dichlorodiphenyltriclhoroethane.

59. Works in a gallery : ART. The stuff on the wall, not the verb.

That's it for this week!

Marti

Note from C.C.:

Here is a sweet picture of JD and her grandson Truman on his first day to first grade yesterday. Click here to see more pictures of Truman, who is going to be 6 years old next week.

Wednesday August 21, 2013 Paul Hunsberger

Theme: SEVEN (49D. Number of consecutive letters without 2-Down in this puzzle's four longest answers) - A cluster of 7 consecutive non-A E I O U letters span across each theme entry.

18A. "The Meaning of Life" comedy group : MONTY PYTHON. Splynter likes them.

32A. Menace that isn't very menacing : EMPTY THREAT. Like those from Lil' Kim.

40A. Eric Carmen power ballad covered by Celine Dion : ALL BY MYSELF

56A. Title magical caretaker in a 2005 film : NANNY MCPHEE. Never saw it. Starring  Emma Thompson and Colin Firth.

2D. Facetious sequence? : A E I O U. As Spitzboov told us before, A E I O U is sequentially contained in the word Facetious.

49D. Number of consecutive letters without 2-Down in this puzzle's four longest answers : SEVEN

C.C. here. Jazzbumpa was ready to entertain you, but "Cruciverb is STILL out to lunch. That's three days running. Grrrr" (Thanks, Dudley). Jazz will be back next Wednesday.

 

A rather unique theme. We've seen puzzles with orderly AEIOU letter strings. Would be more impressive if there were no Y involved, as all of the 6 Y's in the theme entries are vowels. It might not be doable.

Across:

1. Half-__: 50-50 coffee : CAF

4. Near the back, nautically : ABAFT. Always want STERN. Why does ABAFT exist when AFT already has the same meaning?

9. Flora and fauna : BIOTA

14. Poet's "atop" : O'ER

15. Root vegetable : TUBER. Have you ever seen taro plants in person? Huge.

16. Deck out : ADORN

17. Routing word : VIA

20. Ages and ages : EONS

22. Vote of confidence : YEA

23. Events marked by good-natured insults : ROASTS

24. Occasion to pull together? : TUG O' WAR. Nice clue

26. Backfire noise : BANG

27. Present-day Persia : IRAN

28. Statue of Liberty supporter : PEDESTAL. So literal.

35. Chopper : AXE

36. Open stretches : LEAs. Here is our pretty little one.

Kazie's Granddaughter Lea

37. Gut reaction? : OOF

38. Assemble-it-yourself company : IKEA

39. Hostel : INN

44. Inanimate carousel rider : SUITCASE. And 10D. 44-Across attachments : ID TAGS. I imagine Steve travels light.

46. Traditional Cockney delicacies : EELS. Jellied eels. See here. I only like pickled herrings.

47. St.-John's-__ : WORT. Do you believe in herbal medicine?

48. Stalemate : IMPASSE

51. Aussie gal : SHEILA. Where is our Aussie Dave?

54. Flash drive PC port : USB (Universal Serial Bus). Anon T, is your given name Tom also? We've got two Toms (TTP & D-Otto) with computer background.

55. Tool holder : SHED

59. Hail, to Caesar : AVE

60. Up until now : AS YET

61. Gas leak warnings : ODORS

62. Contract signer's tool : PEN. So I caught Pete Weber smoking outside Treasure Islands (MN) last Sunday. He's so friendly in person. Signed my PBA program and pin. But the happiest moment is to meet with Walter Ray Williams, arguably the greatest bowler of all time.

C.C. & Walter Ray Williams

63. Moon aspect : PHASE

64. Use a divining rod : DOWSE

65. Minnesota twins? : ENS. This self-referential clue tends to bother Jazzbumpa. And Twins beat his Tigers last night.

Down:

1. Really want : COVET

3. Fragrant flower used in leis : FRANGIPANI. Wiktionary said this word is "from an Italian noble family, a sixteenth-century marquess who invented a plumeria-scented perfume. The name comes from frangi "breaking" + pani "bread," a reference to the family's distribution of bread in time of famine." Good to know.

4. 24-hr. cash source : ATM

5. Tending to float : BUOYANT

6. Daisy Mae's guy : ABNER

7. Spanakopita cheese : FETA. Yellowrocks likes Spanakopita.

8. Give it a go : TRY

9. Sharp weapon : BAYONET

11. Sounds of awe : OOHS

12. Word after fox or turkey : TROT

13. Raggedy dolls : ANNs

19. "The Devil Wears __" : PRADA. Loved the movie. Not enough words to describe Meryl Streep. Genius.  

21. Organizes : SORTS

25. "I'm on my __" : WAY

26. Muscular : BEEFY

28. Seriously look into : PROBE

29. Materializes : TAKES SHAPE. Great entry. Lots of nice fill in this grid.

30. Skating jump : AXEL

31. Table extender : LEAF

32. Bulldogs' supporters : ELIs. Yale.

33. Carte du jour : MENU

34. "The Planets" composer : HOLST (Gustav)

38. Mallorca y Cuba : ISLAS. English Majorca.

40. Church candle lighter : ACOLYTE. Needed the crossings.

41. Former Anaheim Stadium NFLer : LA RAM (1946 to 1994). This often stumps non-sports fans. They're now St. Louis Rams.

42. Country club crowd : MEMBERS

43. "Roger that" : YEP

45. Twisted threads : TWINES

48. 1995 R&B hit "This __ We Do It" : IS HOW

50. Blissful environs : EDENS

51. Huddle follower : SNAP

52. Diner breakfast order : HASH

53. Big name in New Age music : ENYA

54. High style : UPDO

57. Grand Banks fish : COD. I wonder if cod tastes great pickled.

58. Legal ending? : ESE. Legalese.

C.C.

Tuesday, August 20, 2013 Steve Blais

Theme: A One and a Two... - Music related terms.

38A. Best Picture of 1965, and a hint to the ends of 18-, 23-, 50- and 59-Across : "THE SOUND OF MUSIC"

18A. Thing to make when a Post-it isn't handy : MENTAL NOTE

23A. Fan magazine for teens : TIGER BEAT. Vintage cover.

50A. Warm, muted color : EARTH TONE

59A. Frenzied state : FEVER PITCH

Maestro Argyle here. OK, I'm not really. If you have questions, save them for Jazzbumpa. I hope he shows up today. I'm glad there wasn't anything about female deer or jam and bread beverage. Nice straightforward Tuesday puzzle, anchored by a grid spanner.

Across:

1. Red planet : MARS

5. Put down stakes, maybe : CAMPED. A cute misdirection.

11. Jack Sprat's no-no : FAT.

"Jack Sprat could eat no fat.

His wife could eat no lean.

And so between them both, you see,

They licked the platter clean."

14. "Yeah, whatever!" : "I BET!"

15. It traditionally translates to "O come" : "ADESTE...". Fideles

16. Elem. school basics : RRR. The three R's: reading, writing, and arithmetic.

17. Facts and figures : DATA

20. Surgeons' tools : SCALPELS

22. Call it a night : TURN IN

25. Exclusive, as communities : GATED

26. Veto vote : NAY

27. "Blessed __ the peacemakers": Matthew : ARE

29. Carrying a weapon : ARMED

32. Clearance event : SALE

34. Enveloping glow : AURA

41. Geologic periods : EONS

42. Any time now : SOON

43. Not up to the task : INEPT

44. Distant : FAR

45. Supermarket chain with a red-and-white logo : IGA. (Independent Grocers Alliance) Not a chain, in the common sense. IGA operates as a franchise through stores that are owned separately from the brand. A lot of small town, Mom and Pop stores.

46. Take off : LEAVE

56. Former Indian prime minister Gandhi : INDIRA

58. College class staples : LECTURES

61. Shabby wear : RAGS. Not newspapers this time.

62. Prefix with cycle : TRI

63. Sprawling property : ESTATE

64. To be, to Berlioz : ÊTRE

65. Scale fifth : SOL

66. Game with falling blocks : TETRIS. (electronic game)

67. Revolutionary Trotsky : LEON

Down:

1. Central position : MIDST

2. Beaded calculators : ABACI

3. Change the price of : RETAG

4. Blah quality : STALENESS

5. Paid a visit : CAME BY

6. Fred's dancing sister : ADELE

7. High-IQ group : MENSA

8. Pasadena winter hrs. : PST. (Pacific Standard Time)

9. Floride, par exemple : ÉTAT. French for Florida indicates French for state.

10. Downpour : DELUGE

11. Forward-facing side : FRONT

12. Clarinetist Shaw : ARTIE

13. The way things are going : TREND

19. Gun lobby org. : NRA. (National Rifle Association of America)

21. Site of much Spanish art : PRADO. The Museo del Prado is the main Spanish national art museum, located in central Madrid.

24. Eagle's picker-upper : TALON. There are some super videos out there of eagles using their talons.

28. Gridiron enforcer : REF

29. Had a bite : ATE

30. Pi follower : RHO. More common Greek letters today.

31. Dudes : MEN

32. Sleep-disturbing sound : SNORE. Hah, not to the snorer.

33. Excitement : ADO

34. In the altogether : AU NATUREL. Or how to use make-up so it looks like you aren't using make-up.

35. Take advantage of : USE

36. Shred : RIP

37. Not just sit by : ACT

39. Springsteen's "Born in the __" : USA

40. Physical strength : MIGHT

44. Polecat relative commonly kept as a pet : FERRET

45. Needs scratching : ITCHES

46. London elevators : LIFTS

47. Month after diciembre : ENERO. Notice the lack of capitals.

48. Aleve competitor : ADVIL

49. Be in the game : VIE

51. Raised church area : ALTAR

52. Prefix with linear : RECTI. Rectilinear - characterized by straight lines.

53. Give a speech : ORATE

54. Part of UNCF : NEGRO. (United Negro College Fund)

55. German steel city : ESSEN

57. Church recess : APSE

60. Former comm. giant : ITT. The company was founded in 1920 as International Telephone and Telegraph.

Argyle

Note from C.C.:

Isn't this picture sweet? Lemonade's granddaughter Charlotte at a Lemonade Stand!