Happy Monday, everyone! sumdaze here.
Theme: Based on Ball Teams
Constructor Zachary David Levy pitched four fun themers our way:
17 Across. Cheap wines at some restaurants: HOUSE REDS. A HOUSE wine is generally less expensive than other wines on the menu but they often fit with the cuisine.
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| Tip: If the restaurant has red checkered tablecloths, try the HOUSE RED. |
25 Across. Large planets made mostly of hydrogen and helium: GAS GIANTS.
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| We have four GAS GIANTS in our solar system. |
52 Across. Some sinister siblings: EVIL TWINS. I thought of The Shining (1980). 
62 Across. Emissions that turned Bruce Banner into the Incredible Hulk: GAMMA RAYS.
The Incredible Hulk ~ opening sequence to the 1977 TV series (1 min.)
Today's reveal spans the equator:
39 Across. Rough estimates, and what can be found at the ends of 17-, 25-, 52-, and 62-Across: BALL PARK FIGURES. This U.S. English idiom refers to guesses that are close enough to be useful but not expected to be exact.
Sometimes we see this answer as a clue for "umps" or "refs". Today it points to players on MLB teams. 
Next up, the remaining clues:
Next up, the remaining clues:
Across:
27. Set eyes on: SEE.
29. Pull behind: TOW.
30. Discount grocery chain: ALDI.
32. Writer/actress Issa: RAE. Rae's 2015 memoir, The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl, became a New York Times bestseller.
34. "Well, shucks!": OH, GEE.
43. Turtle cover: SHELL. CSO to Misty and Gophie!
44. Impossibly long stretch: EON. and 28-Down. Notable period: ERA.
45. Wrongful act: TORT. Def.: (noun) a wrongful act other than a breach of contract for which relief may be obtained in the form of damages or an injunction.
46. Tiebreakers, briefly: OTS. sports overtimes
49. UFO occupants: ETS. An abbreviation in the clue hints to an abbreviated answer.
51. Illegal turn, maybe: UIE.
57. According to: AS PER.
59. Hibachi-style restaurant chain: BENIHANA. Nice fill!
Down:
I will be traveling when this blog is published. Fingers crossed everything goes OK. Please address any questions you might have to the regulars. They are a smart and helpful group!
1. "While we're on the subject ... ": ALSO.
5. Georgetown athlete: HOYA. Does this answer wander into foul territory?
9. Flower part: PETAL.
14. Business VIPs: CEOS.
15. Resigned expression: ALAS.
16. Egg-producing organ: OVARY.
19. Big cat hybrid: LIGER. Napoleon Dynamite 'pretty much' owns this one.
20. Loose organization unit: PILE. This one makes me think of sorting laundry. 
21. Increasingly quaint phone sound: DIAL TONE. Quaint is used here to mean "pleasingly or strikingly old fashioned".
23. Massachusetts city that becomes a tourist hot spot in October: SALEM.
26. In the style of: À LA.
5. Georgetown athlete: HOYA. Does this answer wander into foul territory?
9. Flower part: PETAL.
14. Business VIPs: CEOS.
15. Resigned expression: ALAS.
19. Big cat hybrid: LIGER. Napoleon Dynamite 'pretty much' owns this one.
21. Increasingly quaint phone sound: DIAL TONE. Quaint is used here to mean "pleasingly or strikingly old fashioned".
23. Massachusetts city that becomes a tourist hot spot in October: SALEM.
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| Hot Spot indeed |
27. Set eyes on: SEE.
29. Pull behind: TOW.
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| My dog does not like being left at home so I TOW her behind my hybrid bike. |
30. Discount grocery chain: ALDI.
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| Click to enlarge. |
32. Writer/actress Issa: RAE. Rae's 2015 memoir, The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl, became a New York Times bestseller.
34. "Well, shucks!": OH, GEE.
43. Turtle cover: SHELL. CSO to Misty and Gophie!
44. Impossibly long stretch: EON. and 28-Down. Notable period: ERA.
45. Wrongful act: TORT. Def.: (noun) a wrongful act other than a breach of contract for which relief may be obtained in the form of damages or an injunction.
46. Tiebreakers, briefly: OTS. sports overtimes
49. UFO occupants: ETS. An abbreviation in the clue hints to an abbreviated answer.
51. Illegal turn, maybe: UIE.
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| This one came from across the pond. |
57. According to: AS PER.
59. Hibachi-style restaurant chain: BENIHANA. Nice fill!
Benihana owns 69 teppanyaki-style restaurants, one Samarai restaurant, and 13 RA Sushi restaurants. This link goes to their FAQs page. Below is a 1 min. video of a Benihana chef's performance.
60. Go downhill fast?: SLED. SLED is a verb here, meaning to ride a SLED.
61. Pop singer Mars: BRUNO.
66. Ford flop: EDSEL.
67. Neutral shade: ECRU.
68. Great Salt Lake state: UTAH. The Great Salt Lake is the largest natural lake west of the Mississippi River. It is salty because it does not have an outlet. Tributary rivers are constantly bringing in small amounts of salt dissolved in their fresh water flow. Once in the Great Salt Lake, much of the water evaporates, leaving the salt behind. Read more here, including which aquatic species it can support.
69. Big name in field equipment: DEERE.
70. Rotisserie rod: SPIT.
60. Go downhill fast?: SLED. SLED is a verb here, meaning to ride a SLED.
61. Pop singer Mars: BRUNO.
66. Ford flop: EDSEL.
67. Neutral shade: ECRU.
68. Great Salt Lake state: UTAH. The Great Salt Lake is the largest natural lake west of the Mississippi River. It is salty because it does not have an outlet. Tributary rivers are constantly bringing in small amounts of salt dissolved in their fresh water flow. Once in the Great Salt Lake, much of the water evaporates, leaving the salt behind. Read more here, including which aquatic species it can support.
69. Big name in field equipment: DEERE.
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| John Deere equipment in a corn field |
70. Rotisserie rod: SPIT.
71. Viral post: MEME. Popular MEMEs often feature a recognizable image paired with a witty caption.
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| Apparently MEME creators are above Copyright Infringement Law. |
Down:
1. German "Bah!": ACH. Bah is an interjection used to express disbelief or disgust.
2. Sign between Cancer and Virgo: LEO. Read as "Three-letter astrological sign: LEO."
3. Scoop in a tureen: SOUP LADLE. A tureen is something the hostess asks you to carry to the table and you are petrified you will drop it. More specifically, it is a deep and usually covered bowl from which foods (such as soup) are served. They are generally not for preparing foods.
4. "Do the Right Thing" actor Davis: OSSIE. (1917 - 2005)
5. Big hopper: HARE. I watched about a dozen videos about HAREs, bunnies, and rabbits to bring you the best one. Stay tuned for the final fun fact. (3:22 min.)
6. The Grand __ Opry: OLE.
7. When repeated, "et cetera": YADDA. Here's the famous Seinfeld clip (54 sec.):
8. Lend a hand: ASSIST.
9. Tadpole: POLLIWOG. I liked this 8-letter fill, too! The terms tadpole and POLLIWOG can be used interchangeably.
10. Andrew Lloyd Webber musical set in Argentina: EVITA.
11. Include as an extra: TAG ON. The travel industry has been known to TAG ON extra fees.
12. "__ you sweet!": AREN'T.
13. Ancient harps: LYRES. I always feel better after listening to composer and harpist Mary Lattimore. This song is called We Wave From Our Boats (2021).
18. Stately trees: ELMS. ...especially the state of Massachusetts.
22. Previously: AGO.
23. Bygone Swedish autos: SAABS.
24. God of Islam: ALLAH.
25. Equipment: GEAR.
31. Down and out: ILL.
33. __ out a living: EKE.
35. Modest home: HUT.
36. Social outing for couples: GROUP DATE.
37. Otherworldly: EERIE. This woman is playing the opening theme to Dark Shadows on a theremin. (52 secs.)
38. Poly- ending: ESTER.
40. Logical oversight in a story: PLOT HOLE. 20 Movies with the Biggest Plot Holes
2. Sign between Cancer and Virgo: LEO. Read as "Three-letter astrological sign: LEO."
3. Scoop in a tureen: SOUP LADLE. A tureen is something the hostess asks you to carry to the table and you are petrified you will drop it. More specifically, it is a deep and usually covered bowl from which foods (such as soup) are served. They are generally not for preparing foods.
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| Sometimes they have a slot for the SOUP LADLE's handle. |
4. "Do the Right Thing" actor Davis: OSSIE. (1917 - 2005)
5. Big hopper: HARE. I watched about a dozen videos about HAREs, bunnies, and rabbits to bring you the best one. Stay tuned for the final fun fact. (3:22 min.)
6. The Grand __ Opry: OLE.
7. When repeated, "et cetera": YADDA. Here's the famous Seinfeld clip (54 sec.):
8. Lend a hand: ASSIST.
9. Tadpole: POLLIWOG. I liked this 8-letter fill, too! The terms tadpole and POLLIWOG can be used interchangeably.
Don't Cry for Me Argentina ~ Madonna
1996 film adaptation
11. Include as an extra: TAG ON. The travel industry has been known to TAG ON extra fees.
12. "__ you sweet!": AREN'T.
13. Ancient harps: LYRES. I always feel better after listening to composer and harpist Mary Lattimore. This song is called We Wave From Our Boats (2021).
18. Stately trees: ELMS. ...especially the state of Massachusetts.
23. Bygone Swedish autos: SAABS.
24. God of Islam: ALLAH.
25. Equipment: GEAR.
33. __ out a living: EKE.
35. Modest home: HUT.
36. Social outing for couples: GROUP DATE.
37. Otherworldly: EERIE. This woman is playing the opening theme to Dark Shadows on a theremin. (52 secs.)
38. Poly- ending: ESTER.
The first film on the list (#20) highlights a literal HOLE in Shawshank Redemption. Film #2 points out something I never noticed about Cinderella's glass slipper.
41. Enemies: FOES.
42. Picked-off pass, for short: INT. INTerception
47. Carrier whose JFK terminal is now a landmark hotel: TWA. The TWA Hotel opened in 2019, using space originally designed to contain TWA's flight center. The original architect may be familiar to solvers -- Eero Saarinen. Reading this Forbes article makes me want to stay there!
48. Scorches: SINGES.
50. Casa chamber: SALA. This Spanish answer matches its Spanish clue. A SALA is a large room or hall.
52. Receded: EBBED.
53. Colorado's Mesa __ National Park: VERDE. park website
54. Not available: IN USE. Perhaps if you wanted to rent a specific vehicle but someone else had already rented it, it would be not available/IN USE.
55. Cruise ship: LINER.
56. Civil rights org.: NAACP. An abbreviation in the clue hints to an abbreviated answer.
58. Blood component: SERUM. Blood SERUM is the liquid that remains after the blood has clotted. Plasma is the liquid that remains when clotting is prevented with the addition of an anticoagulant. Both are light-yellow to clear in color.
60. Filthy material: SMUT.
63. CT scan kin: MRI. An abbreviation in the clue hints to an abbreviated answer.
64. Orange tuber: YAM.
65. That girl: SHE. ALAS, "Marlo Thomas" is too long. Nevertheless, here is video is the opening scene for Season 5 of the TV show That Girl (1966-1971):
41. Enemies: FOES.
42. Picked-off pass, for short: INT. INTerception
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| Goal line interceptions are especially exciting. |
47. Carrier whose JFK terminal is now a landmark hotel: TWA. The TWA Hotel opened in 2019, using space originally designed to contain TWA's flight center. The original architect may be familiar to solvers -- Eero Saarinen. Reading this Forbes article makes me want to stay there!
48. Scorches: SINGES.
50. Casa chamber: SALA. This Spanish answer matches its Spanish clue. A SALA is a large room or hall.
52. Receded: EBBED.
53. Colorado's Mesa __ National Park: VERDE. park website
54. Not available: IN USE. Perhaps if you wanted to rent a specific vehicle but someone else had already rented it, it would be not available/IN USE.
55. Cruise ship: LINER.
56. Civil rights org.: NAACP. An abbreviation in the clue hints to an abbreviated answer.
58. Blood component: SERUM. Blood SERUM is the liquid that remains after the blood has clotted. Plasma is the liquid that remains when clotting is prevented with the addition of an anticoagulant. Both are light-yellow to clear in color.
60. Filthy material: SMUT.
63. CT scan kin: MRI. An abbreviation in the clue hints to an abbreviated answer.
64. Orange tuber: YAM.
65. That girl: SHE. ALAS, "Marlo Thomas" is too long. Nevertheless, here is video is the opening scene for Season 5 of the TV show That Girl (1966-1971):
How cute is SHE? Right?
Today's grid:
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| All four of the themers are nine letters long. |
I am wondering if you will give Zachary's puzzle straight A's. 😄
I will be traveling when this blog is published. Fingers crossed everything goes OK. Please address any questions you might have to the regulars. They are a smart and helpful group!
25 comments:
In spite of a couple of
fairly obscure terms (including the Japanese restaurant) I am still going to award this puzzle the title of “a walk in the park.” We’ll see if you agree. Anyway, FIR, so I’m happy.
Good morning!
Sub-G, I had to go back and look for the Japanese restaurant -- never noticed it, because it was already filled in. Found the team names, but thought REDS had been changed to something less colorful. Nope. Guess I was confusing Cincinnati with Cleveland. [Sigh] Enjoyed it, ZDL. Thanx for the tour; enjoy your travels, sumdaze.
FIR, but sepal->PETAL.
I actually knew a pop star's name - BRUNO!
I had an echocardiogram this morning, but not a CT scan nor an MRI.
GTE bought Braniff's DFW terminal and converted part of it for our national Network Operations Center, and the rest into a hotel. We hired one of the big chains (Mariott?) to manage it for us, but nearly all the guests were our employees from around the country.
Jimmy Buffett's catchy little tune Cliches starts with the line "She's got a BALLPARK FIGURE."
Thanks to ZDL for the fun start to the week, and to sumdaze for the fun tour. I especially liked the Ikea came in piece(s.)
FIR. I'm not a fan of Japanese cuisine and I struggled to remember how to spell Benihana. Fortunately the perps everywhere were very kind.
Having the reveal in the middle of the puzzle helped a lot. I'm a great baseball fan and obviously knew the teams. In fact I just watched the Ray's yesterday on TV. They lost a close one. Oh well.
But overall this was an enjoyable puzzle.
Musings
-A nice, quick solve and a great job as always by Sumdaze.
-I’ve never had a really expensive wine so a HOUSE WINE would seem to be fine
-EVIL TWIN is a TV trope
-ALSO from Rodney Dangerfield: Doctor said I was fat. I asked for a second opinion and he said, all right you’re ugly too.
-John DEERE’s will be very active soon as a huge crop is waiting to be harvested
-For my DW, every rabbit is a bunny, every cat is a kitty and every dog is a puppy
-That INT you showed will forever brand Pete Carroll as having made the dumbest play call in NFL history. Bye, bye Super Bowl.
-Time to put on my “Michael Jackson footwear: WHITE SOX” and mow.
Zachary made it good like a Monday should! My only nit was YADDA seems nonstandard and I resisted the 2nd "D" for too long. Of course, YADA itself is kinda nonstandard slang so...
Super write-up Sumdaze! I never think to come up with a title, but I like your "Based on Ball Teams." Lots of good info and vids today as well. Happy trails!
In spite of not being á baseball Fan, I knew all the team names, so,the theme was easy and fun for me.
No obscure names. Á few years ago I ate at á BENIHANA in Seattle, so that name came back to be, no problem.
There’s an ALDI no too far from my house. What I like about the store is their grocery cart policy. That means the parking lot is free of carts.
Thank you sumdaze for á great review with lots of good video clips. Happy trails.
Took 4:29 today to stop the porch pirates.
I agree with SubG that this was WITP, though I struggled to spell "polliwog" and "Benihana."
Mesa Verde NationaL park is a great spot to visit for a few hours if you're in the Southwest Colorado area.
The INT shown by sumdaze and commented on by HG is one of the most famous INTs in NFL history. Seattle was seemingly going to score the game-winning TD in the last minute of the Super Bowl, but opted to pass despite having an excellent short-yardage runner (Marshawn Lynch). Cost them the game/championship. While coach Pete Carroll is still rightfully excoriated for the call, the Patriots' defensive preparation deserves major credit.
Good Morning:
Coincidentally, CC’s and my first published New York Times puzzle had this exact revealer, Baseball Figures, but completely different themers: Beer Batter, Pumpkin Coach, Water Pitcher, and Ceiling Fan, although the clue for the reveal and the reveal’s placement were exactly the same. I liked this approach, too, which was evident early on. A nice touch is that two teams are in the National League and two are in the American League.
Thanks, ZDL, for a fun solve and a trip down Memory Lane, and thanks, sumdaze, for the informative overview and commentary. Favorite was the IKEA comic. Enjoy your travels.
Have a great day.
A home run. With teams as themes. No hint needed
Zip inkovers : red/GAS GIANTS
Has “Issa” RAE replaced Norma? HARE “big hopper”? More like a kangaroo (or a large receptacle)
Was Benny Hana a real person like “Wendy”? 😀
UIE, sheesh!!🙄
SALEM and Jerusalem are the same place. Yerushalem is a combination of "Yeru" and "Shalem," meaning "foundation stone of peace".
Hits, runs and errors… BALL PARK FIGURES
Those with pants afire …. LYRES
What you do with boats …. SALEM
Have a nice week☺️
Loved the puzzle, ZDL, and always in awe of Sumdaze's reviews. I used to have a toddler trailer like that for my bicycle, and the passenger was also a small dog. I'll echo the very funny Ray-O-Sunshine in wishing you all a good week.
I liked this puzzle, sumdaze's review, and all your comments.
17 names, but only 2 DNKs, so a quick 10 minute FIR this morning. What do you call a rabbit with fleas? Bugs Bunny. I wonder if someone could construct a CW entirely of corny dad jokes? Nice theme to this CW. Thanx ZDL for the fun. Thanx too to Sumdaze for the great write-up. My Packers looked really good yesterday against the Lions. I hope they can keep it up this Thursday when they play the Commanders at Lambeau. Last night's Eagles comeback win was fun to watch, and only game in NFL history to end 41-40.
Sumdaze, many years ago I had a boxer. I bought a harness for her and attached the leash to the harness (as opposed to a collar) and let her pull me around the neighborhood. She absolutely LOVED the exercise, and I enjoyed the ride.
Dear unclefred, I believe you're referring to the Bills comeback win over the Ravens.
I too enjoy a good "scoragami."
They're much more fun than those dreaded circles.
I finished so fast I didn't notice the teams. I didn't need to look at the clue for GAMMA RAYS because the perps had already filled it. The unknown PLOT HOLE was filled by the crosses, including one I didn't think was still in business. BENIHANA. For 39A, BALL was filled by perps, and when I read 'Rough estimates' I filled PARK FIGURES without reading the rest of the clue.
The Benihana in NOLA on Bourbon St. closed in the 1980s.
There's a teppanyaki restaurant where my son lives and dear granddaughter would call it 'chop chop, bang bang'.
In crossword land, every 'stately' tree is an ELM and 'strong or sturdy' tree is an OAK. My three 'not so strong' OAK trees have been cut down because of termite damage. The Arborist said that water oaks only have a 60 year lifespan.
I like the ALDI cart policy. Where I live, ALDI built a new store next to a WalMart Super Center. It's been open over a year and I have never seen more than 10 cars in the parking lot. But the lot does not have any stray carts. A lot WM shoppers are too lazy to take a cart 50 feet to put in one of the designated places.
MLB Monday. Thanks for the fun, Zachary and sumdaze (happy travels).
I FIRed (but a little more slowly than my usual Monday time) and saw the BALLPARK FIGURES. I was hoping to see our Blue Jays, but RAYS was as close as I got..
Several inkblots.
Ring TONE changed to DIAL TONE. ACH, those old phones did not have much of a choice of ringtones.
Uey changed to UIE to accommodate EERIE.
ALDy changed to ALDI. (Canadian disadvantage for this, along with NAACP and BENIHANA all of which I have seen in CWs before and can usually fill with a few perps.)
I smiled at OTS and ETS.
I’ve never heard of a PLOT HOLE, but it is self-descriptive.
Wishing you all a great day.
We don’t have to pay a deposit and we rarely have carts left in our shopping lots. Is that just our community or a Canadian thing, I wonder.
Edward Duarte in Los Angeles: always fun to see my 10-D great-aunt turn up in an xwod.❤️
Edward Duarte in Los Angeles: always fun to see my 10-D great-aunt turn up in an xword.❤️
Delightful Monday puzzle--many, many thanks, Zachary. And your commentary and pictures and the like are also always a pleasure, thanks for those too, Sumdaze.
Zachary, I can't believe you knew or remembered that I had a turtle when you saw the word SHELL in this puzzle, and that this got you to send me, Misty, and my turtle, Gophie, such a lovely shout-out. Thank you for that sweet gift, much treasured and appreciated. It just made my day, and made me wish the three of us could go on a GROUP DATE, or send you some GAMMA RAYS , or take you on a ride on an EDSEL. Or I wish we could take you to see a performance of EVITA. Well, even if I can't do any of these things, I just want you to know how much I appreciate your kindness, and all this makes me cherish and love your puzzles even more. So thank you for everything, with all my heart.
Hugs, Misty
Distant early warning - In today's Penny/Dell puzzle, "barge" is the clue for KEEL. These stretchy entries seem to migrate from one puzzle source to another. Merriam-Webster uses this example: "For a few days at least, the Titanic was the largest and grandest keel afloat." Never heard it before, but something tells me that I'll see it again before too long.
Hi All!
I love baseball and that love extended to Zachary's puzzle.
Thanks for the entertaining expo, sumdaze. Safe travels!
WOs: N/A
ESP: SALA
Fav: Like sumdaze, LIGER always makes me think of Napoleon Dynamite.
Cheers, -T
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