Monday, December 11, 2017 ~ C.C. Burnikel

Theme: Cover Up - No conspiracy, just items you can wear over your regular clothes, even shorts.

16A. Gift-wrapping need: CLEAR TAPE. CAPE

37A. Hipster: COOL CAT. COAT

56A. Garment fittingly represented by this puzzle's circles: OUTERWEAR

10D. Outdoor lot for cars: PARKING AREA. PARKA

23D. "Blurred Lines" singer: ROBIN THICKE. ROBE (He is a son of actor Alan Thicke)

Argyle here, and C.C. doing back-to-back puzzles.

Across:

1. Cushions for gymnasts: MATS

5. Guard's shout: HALT

9. Rectangular Apple: iPAD

13. Tons: A LOT

14. Student's repetitive cry with a raised hand: "OH! OH!"

15. Sports page news: TRADE

18. Country singer Steve: EARLE

19. Rowdy crowds: MOBS

20. "Mr. November," for Derek Jeter, e.g.: MONIKER

22. Put pen to paper: WRITE

24. Rep.'s campaign rival: DEM.

25. Title for a knight: SIR

26. Home for a pride: LIONS' DEN

28. Genesis paradise: EDEN

30. Exile island for Napoleon: ELBA

31. Dance for which "it takes two": TANGO

33. JPEG relative: GIF. (Graphics Interchange Format)

36. Quotable boxer: ALI. Muhammad Ali

39. Duffer's dream: ACE. Hole-in-one in golf.

40. Air circulator: FAN

41. Capital of Yemen: SANA'A

42. Large First Nations tribe: CREE

43. "__ does it!": THAT

45. Meddling type of "driver" who's not actually driving: BACKSEAT

48. "Never heard of them": "WHO?"

49. Golf great Ernie: ELS

51. "Don't sweat it!": "RELAX!". "Chill!"

52. "Is that really your opinion?": "THINK SO?". Truncated "Ya think so?"

54. Not wavering in the least: SURE

55. TV host Lake: RICKI. I don't believe she has a show currently.

61. Signed in pen: INKED

62. Leisurely gait: TROT

63. Doing nothing: IDLE

64. Bird's snack: SEED

65. Drinks slowly: SIPS

66. Dragged to court: SUED

Down:

1. Apple computer: MAC

2. Every bit: ALL

3. Little piggy: TOE

4. Staying power: STAMINA

5. Place of rapid growth: HOTBED

6. Light-bulb moments: A-HA's

7. Prune, as a branch: LOP

8. Unifying idea: THEME

9. Aggressive poker table words: "I RAISE" but they could be bluffing.

11. "Inferiority complex" coiner Alfred: ADLER. (1870-1937) A bit tough for a Monday.

12. Doe or stag: DEER

15. Half a score: TEN. Didn't fool me; a score is twenty. (Counting on your fingers and toes then making a mark. My thoughts.)

17. Goes bad: ROTS

21. Last Greek letter: OMEGA

22. "O Pioneers!" author Cather: WILLA. Recent visitors here, both the book and the author.

24. Paternity test sites: DNA LABS

26. One of many that fall in the fall: LEAF

27. School near Windsor: ETON

29. Tiny speck: DOT

32. Final Four org.: NCAA. National Collegiate Athletic Association basketball play-offs.

34. Mountaineer's tool: ICE AX. Tinbeni axes the ice.

35. Thirds of a yard: FEET

37. Civil War side: Abbr.: CSA. (Confederate States of America)

38. Hall's pop music partner: OATES. We mentioned this "Sara" song recently.

42. Narnia creator: C.S. LEWIS. He is best known for the seven novels in The Chronicles of Narnia series.

44. Tooted one's horn: HONKED. Misdirected?

46. Salad oil bottles: CRUETS

47. Deborah of "The King and I": KERR. No tango here.

48. Complain with self-pity: WHINE

50. Ransacks: LOOTS

52. "Divergent" films heroine: TRIS. Tris Prior, Wiki "Divergent".

53. Baby goat: KID

54. "Enough!": "STOP!". Nope, four more.

57. School in the smallest U.S. state: URI. (University of Rhode Island)

58. End of a school address: .EDU

59. Malt beverage: ALE

60. Color of most pomegranate seeds: RED

Argyle