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

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Feb 1, 2010

Monday, February 1, 2010 David W. Cromer

Theme: Gambler's Action - The first word of each familiar phrase are things one might do while playing POKER (69A: Texas Hold 'em, e.g., and a hint to this puzzle's theme).

20A: Broadway premiere: OPENING NIGHT. First official presentation of a new play.

28A: Making lots of noise: RAISING A RUCKUS. Ruckus (1890), possibly a blend of ruction "disturbance" (1825) and rumpus (1764), of unknown origin.

47A: Start of a wide-area police radio alert: CALLING ALL CARS. Aka, APB.

57A: Seating for extra guests, maybe: FOLDING TABLE. I thought it would have been better to clue this as "Seating for the kids" to lead away from FOLDING CHAIR.

Bonus fill: SEVEN (23A: __-card stud). This is related to poker, of course, but not to Texas Hold'Em or to an action.

Update (7:25am): What with Texas Hold'em so big, I forgot some of us may not understand the poker terms.

OPENING: making the first bet.

RAISING: increasing the size of the bet.

Which leads to the last two entries.

CALLING: matching the bet and any raises.

FOLDING: discarding one's cards and losing out on the current pot.

Argyle here. Not bad for a Monday. Four theme answers and a clarifying clue (and a bonus). Can't you just see Bogie hailing a taxi and asking the cabbie, "Where can I find a little action in this town?"

Across:

1A: Cribbage pieces: PEGS. Is there any gambling involved in cribbage? It's not what Bogie was looking for.

5A: Shaving gel alternative: FOAM.

9A: More than disliked: HATED.

14A: Power co. product: ELEC..

17A: Volcano feature: CONE.

18A: Equestrian's control: REIN. In dressage, control is done mostly with the knees.

33A: Genealogist's chart: TREE.

34A: No-treat consequence?: TRICK. Trick or Treat. At Halloween.

35A: Speech impediment: LISP.

39A: Arises (from): STEMS.

42A: Till bills: ONES. Fine rhyme.

43A: Like draft beer: ON TAP.

45A: 1492 Atlantic crosser: NINA. With Pinta and Santa Maria

54A: By way of: VIA.

55A: Athletic shoe's turf grabber: CLEAT. Forgot about the Pro Bowl. No biggie.

61A: Yell: SHOUT.

64A: __ club: singing group: GLEE. Anyone watching "Glee"?

65A: Decisive victory: ROUT.

66A: Lower in esteem: ABASE.

67A: Name on many Irish coins: EIRE. Pic

68A: Far Eastern detective played by Lorre: MOTO. That's Mr. Moto, if you please.

70A: Boys: TADS.

71A: British weapon of WWII: STEN.

Down:

1D: __ Bill: legendary cowboy: PECOS. Freshest entry today.

2D: Romeo or Juliet, marriagewise: ELOPER. Were they married?

3D: Swiss city on the Rhone: GENEVA.

4D: First part of an act: SCENE I.

5D: Plant with fronds: FERN.

6D: Designer Cassini: OLEG.

7D: Ugandan dictator: AMIN. Forest Whitaker portrayed Idi Amin in "The Last King of Scotland" (2006).

8D: Seles of tennis: MONICA.

9D: Discuss thoroughly: HASH OUT.

11D: La Brea stuff: TAR.

12D: CPR giver, often: EMT.

13D: Hair styles: DOs.

21D: MIT, for one: Abbr.: INST.. An institution of higher learning

25D: Porous organ: SKIN.

26D: Brownish purple: PUCE.

30D: Keep after taxes: NET.

31D: Davis who played Thelma: GEENA. "Thelma & Louise"(1991). Geena Davis played Thelma and Susan Sarandon played Louise. Thelma quote: "I've had it up to my a** with sedate."

32D: __-Magnon: CRO.

35D: Bonkers: LOCO.

36D: Words before instant or emergency: IN AN.

37D: WWII invasion city: ST LO. Saint-Lô is a commune in north-western France.

38D: Good bud: PAL. Primo.

40D: Wire diameter measure: MIL.

41D: NBC weekend hit, briefly: SNL.

44D: One doing a pirouette, e.g.: PIVOTER. Worst entry.

46D: Brokerage cust.: ACCT..

48D: It's nothing: NIL.

49D: Thingamajig: GADGET.

50D: Security devices: ALARMS.

51D: Start again, as after a computer system crash: REBOOT.

52D: Military greeting: SALUTE.

56D: Wyoming's __ Range: TETON.

57D: Firecracker cord: FUSE.

58D: Hip bones: ILIA.

59D: Socially inept type: NERD

60D: Thousands, in a heist: GEES. Gee stands for a grand($1000)

61D: Maple syrup base: SAP.

62D: "True Blood" network: HBO.

63D: Acorn's destiny: OAK. Mighty oaks from little acorns grow.

Answer grid.

Argyle