google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner

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Oct 1, 2013

Tuesday, October 1, 2013 C.C. Burnikel and D. Scott Nichols

Theme: hold the phone - A homophone begins each of the theme entries.

17A. Most populous city in South Dakota : SIOUX FALLS

19A. Second-in-command in the kitchen : SOUS CHEF

36A. Michigan or Ontario city on the same border river : SAULT STE. MARIE


57A. Canal passage connecting Lake Superior and the lower Great Lakes : SOO LOCKS

59A. "W is for Wasted" mystery author : SUE GRAFTON (Note from C.C.: Rich updated this clue. Our original is: Author of "V" Is for Vengeance. )

Rabbit, rabbit. Argyle here with one of the best puzzles of all year. (What bias?) There are other eight letter entries beside the two theme entries but they are in the vertical columns. Rich changed some clues but I'm unclear if it was to make it harder or easier. It may be so it fits better with following puzzles.

Across:

1. 2012 Ben Affleck political thriller : "ARGO"

5. Organizes by date, say : SORTS

10. Is able to : CAN

13. Former Defense secretary Panetta : LEON


14. Came into play : AROSE

15. "Mission: Impossible" theme composer Schifrin : LALO


16. Novelist Tyler : ANNE. Bio LINK (born in Minnesota)

21. Demean : ABASE

22. Baby goat : KID

23. Legged it : RAN

24. Mercedes rival : BMW

26. Bus. get-together : MTG. Business meeting.

27. Sharp ridge : ARÊTE

29. Adman's connection : TIE IN. Like McDonald toys and the latest kid's movie.

31. Digital camera battery, often : AAA

32. Legal thing : RES

34. Hoops gp. : NBA. (National Basketball Association)

35. Superficially cultured : ARTY

40. Unit of cotton : BALE

41. Carry a balance : OWE

42. Yeats' land: Abbr. : IRE. William Butler Yeats was an Irish poet.

43. Land parcel : LOT

44. Continental border range : URALS

46. Last Supper query : "IS IT I?"

50. Unbarred, to a bard : OPE

51. Fall mo. : SEP.

52. Marlins' div. : NL-E. 25D. Home of baseball's Marlins : MIAMI

54. ISP option : MSN. Internet service provider / The Microsoft Network; stylized as MSN

55. Indian dresses : SARIs

62. Margin jotting : NOTE

63. Gymnast Korbut : OLGA

64. Part of BYOB : BOOZE. (or bottle or beverage or ???)

65. Price : COST

66. Low in the lea : [MOO!]. Verb low.

67. Betsy Ross, famously : SEWER. This clue was changed from 'Waste water pipe' to change the 'su' sound to 'so'.

68. Lodge group : ELKS

Down:

1. "North to the Future" state : ALASKA. State motto adopted in 1967.

2. Pierre-Auguste of impressionism : RENOIR

'Claude Monet Painting in his Garden at Argenteuil' by Renoir

3. Take it all off : GO NUDE. The way Pierre-Auguste liked many of his models.

4. Small bills : ONEs

5. Barack's younger daughter : SASHA

6. "Murder on the __ Express" : ORIENT

7. Ski rack site : ROOF

8. Lone Star State sch. : TSU. (Texas Southern University)( How many jumped on TCU?)

9. Gender : SEX

10. Ristorante squid : CALAMARI

11. "Good Hands" company : ALLSTATE

12. Bouquet of flowers : NOSEGAY

15. Chem class requirement : LAB

18. Baby deer : FAWN

20. Fishing basket : CREEL

24. Neuwirth of "Cheers" : BEBE


28. "You're right" : "TRUE"

30. Very big maker of very little chips : INTEL

33. Mall unit : STORE

35. "Iliad" war god : ARES

36. Home to millions of Brazilians : SAO PAULO

37. Half a superhero's identity : ALTER EGO

38. Switch : SWAP

39. Animated mermaid : ARIEL. Spawned a plethora of "tie-ins".

40. Open, as a bud : BLOSSOM

44. KGB country : USSR

45. Take a nap : SNOOZE

47. "No worries, man" : "I'M COOL"

48. "Shame, shame!" : "TSK! TSK!"

49. Detailed map windows : INSETs

53. Recluse : LONER

56. Franchised supermarket brand : IGA. (Independent Grocers Alliance)

57. Put away : STOW

58. Almost never : ONCE

60. Sit-up targets : ABs

61. Opponent : FOE


Argyle

Note from C.C.:

D. Scott Nichols is Argyle's real name. I got the theme idea from reading Argyle's 48-Across comment here. We had fun making this puzzle and hope you enjoyed our work.

Argyle the Great Scott, 2011