08.26.09 -- Please!

Wednesday, August 26, 2009 -- post number 1,001!

Puzzle by Gary Cee, edited by Will Shortz

“Please” (and/or “request“) is/are the tie(s) for today’s interrelated group -- 17A. “CHOPSTICKS, please” (diner’s request); 27A. “ATTENTION, please” (announcer’s request); 36A. THE ENVELOPE, please” (awards show presenter’s request); 51A. “ONE MOMENT, please” (operator’s request); 60A. “TAKE MY WIFE, please!” (Henny Youngman’s request).

Other entries of length-- SACRED COW (1D. With 45-Down, something not to criticize; 45D. See 1-Down); INEDIBLE (11D. Like poisonous mushrooms); TOLERANT (36D. Broad-minded) -- followed by seven-letter entries of APOSTLE (40D. Last Supper guest); MINEOLA (12D. Seat of Nassau County, N.Y.); POLECAT (43A Malodorous critter); PONCHOS (41D. Some rainwear); RETABLE (31A. Postpone yet again); STERNER (13D. Less lenient).

Six-letter -- ACTIII (14A. When Hamlet says “To be or not to be”); AMSTEL (46D. Dutch brew); ATTEST (50D. Swear to); 3D. ATOMIC FireBall (hot candy); ATTILA (48D. The Scourge of God); DECIDE (29A. What to do at a crossroads); EAGLES (66A. Band with the 1975 #1 hit “One of These Nights”); EMERGE (44D. Come into prominence); HEADER (22A. Shot using one’s noggin); MCHALE (2D. Ernest Borgnine title role); NONART (69A. Dada, to many); ORSINO (42A. “Twelfth Night” duke); ; RUSHEE (9D. Fraternity hopeful); SCREWS (55A. Hardware store boxful); SMARTS (1A. Hurts); SONATA (10D. Beethoven keyboard work); TIRADE (32A. Vehement speech); TWOFER (49D. Get-one-free deal); ZAPATA (47A. Mexican revolutionary played by Brando).

Five -- ELISE (24A. Beethoven dedicatee); 33D. “I can't sing A NOTE”; NET WT (54A. 18 oz., maybe, on a cereal box); NUKED (52D. Microwaved, slangily); PICOT (7D. Embroidery loop); TREES (28D. Familial diagrams).

Short stuff -- ANE and ENE and ERE and ENT, AMEN and AOK, APO, DVR, EDIE (26D. Falco who played Carmela on “The Sopranos“), ESTE, IOU, IRA, LAR and PAR, LED, LIZ, LONG, NENE, ONAN and ONIT, POPE, RAM, RIP, SITH and SITS and SIMS, SRO, THAR, TIS and TSE, TOT, USA, WGN, YAO.

“C’mon, please please me“…HERE!

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Remaining clues -- Across: 7. 3, 4 or 5, typically, in golf; 10. Best-selling computer game from the early 2000s, with “The”; 15. Payment promise; 16. “I’m ___!” (“Will do!”); 19. Endangered state bird; 20. PC capacity, for short; 21. “Full” sign; 35. Roman household god; 40. G.I.’s mail drop; 56. Springsteen’s birthplace of song; 58. Gerber eater; 59. Old salt’s direction; 64. Past the golf pin, say; 65. Direction from L.A. to K.C.; 67. Ferrara family name; 68. Blazed a trail. Down: 4. Job for a tailor; 5. Rejoinder to “tain’t!”; 6. Collects splinters, so to speak; 8. Just fine; 18. 401(k) alternative; 23. Fangorn in “The Lord of the Rings,“ e.g.; 25. Jedi enemy; 30. Bard’s before; 34. TiVo, for one; 37. Taylor, who said “I do” eight times; 38. ___ equal footing; 39. Wearer of a triple tiara; 63. “The Waste Land” monogram; 57. Grace ender; 61. “Id like to buy ___, Pat”; 62. Hoopster ___ Ming; 63. Chicago Cubs’ station.