Happy Monday, everyone! Today's puzzle comes to us from the prolific constructor Doug Peterson. The theme is:
17 Across. *"Tennessee Waltz" singer: PATTI PAGE. [1927-2013] Patti's version was released in 1950. I like how the song itself is a waltz.
24 Across. *Bottoms worn as loungewear: PAJAMA PANTS.
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| They're certainly cozy, but are they a smart choice for the airport? |
40 Across. *Maneuvering into a tight curbside spot: PARALLEL PARKING. This was not a requirement when I took my driving test. I can do it but it makes me nervous. I'd rather walk a couple of blocks. 
51 Across. *Wide receiver's route: PASS PATTERN.
51 Across. *Wide receiver's route: PASS PATTERN.
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| Football fans already know this; but for those of you who do not ... The guys with the yellow helmets are on offence. The two guys I circled in red are wide receivers. The WRs will run their PASS PATTERNs (See the yellow and black arrows.) and the QB will throw the ball to whoever is open. Did you catch that? |
The unifier:
65 Across. Paul Reiser sitcom, and what can be found in the answers to the starred clues: MY TWO DADS. My Two Dads was a TV sitcom that ran on NBC from 1987 to 1990. It is about a 12-year old girl whose mother dies and gives joint custody to two men whom she dated the summer she got pregnant. The girl's paternity was never revealed on the show.
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| Paul Reiser is on the left. |
I clocked the P* P* theme early -- or so I thought -- and eagerly looked forward to discovering what the unifier would be. As it turns out, I had failed to notice the A's next to the P's. The real gimmick is that all of the theme entries are in the pattern of PA* PA*.
PA is a synonym for "father". (Think of Laura Ingalls Wilder's father.) Putting together two PAs give us PA & PA or TWO DADS. Works for me!
Here are the remaining clues & answers:
Across:
1. First name of singers Levine and Lambert: ADAM.
5. Young fellows: LADS.
9. Common merch table purchase: SHIRT.
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| Levine (l.) [b. 1979] is known for being in the band Maroon 5 and for being a coach on The Voice. Lambert (r.) [b. 1982] was a runner-up on Season 8 of American Idol. |
5. Young fellows: LADS.
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| Do you remember these LADS? Hint: That is Higgins in the middle. |
14. Drop-down list: MENU. Think "computers".
15. Many times: A LOT.
16. Brooklyn's __ Island: CONEY. In 1867 Charles Feltman invented the hot dog at Coney Island. Learn more here: Timeline of Coney Island (1609-1985)
15. Many times: A LOT.
16. Brooklyn's __ Island: CONEY. In 1867 Charles Feltman invented the hot dog at Coney Island. Learn more here: Timeline of Coney Island (1609-1985)
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| This couple is riding the Brooklyn Flyer in Luna Park on Coney Island. |
19. Open, as a vitamin bottle: UNCAP. 
20. Narrow openings: SLITS.
21. Shopping complex: MALL. This time of year, it is where you can find Santa.
20. Narrow openings: SLITS.
21. Shopping complex: MALL. This time of year, it is where you can find Santa.
23. Stack starter in solitaire: ACE. I am particularly partial to alliterative clues.
28. "Quite possibly": IT MAY BE. "Maybe" as one word, came easily. However, sussing the three-word answer took more thinking.
32. "Meant to tell you" shorthand: BTW. By The Way
33. Honey liquor: MEAD. Def.: (noun) a fermented beverage made of water, honey, malt, and yeast.
34. In-flight figs.: ETAS. figures and Estimated Times of Arrival
28. "Quite possibly": IT MAY BE. "Maybe" as one word, came easily. However, sussing the three-word answer took more thinking.
32. "Meant to tell you" shorthand: BTW. By The Way
33. Honey liquor: MEAD. Def.: (noun) a fermented beverage made of water, honey, malt, and yeast.
34. In-flight figs.: ETAS. figures and Estimated Times of Arrival
37. Island where "NCIS: Hawai'i" is set: O'AHU. This is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands but it is also the most populated. The state's capital, Honolulu, is on O'AHU. About 70% of the state's population lives on this island.
44. Brand that sells Braille Bricks: LEGO. Braille Bricks are a play-based methodology that teaches braille to children who are blind or have a visual impairment. Cool beans!
46. Finishes: ENDS.
47. Source of sheep's milk: EWE. 
49. Put trust in: COUNT ON.
56. Spigoted vessel: URN.
57. Cookie used in many desserts: OREO.
58. Marisa of "The Big Short": TOMEI. This is the trailer for that 2015 movie. Marisa did not make it into the trailer -- unless that is her at 1:35???
63. Heat's home city: MIAMI. I like this team's name because it suggests, "Bring on the heat," plus it fits the region's weather. As of this writing, the forecast for today is 78° F with a chance of rain.
68. "Evita" surname: PERON.
69. Bosc, for one: PEAR.
70. Foreboding sign: OMEN. Some of you know that I'm a fan of Rhett Miller's wordplay in his song lyrics. This one fits:
49. Put trust in: COUNT ON.
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| Count von Count from Sesame Street |
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| This URN catches rainwater. |
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| recipe |
63. Heat's home city: MIAMI. I like this team's name because it suggests, "Bring on the heat," plus it fits the region's weather. As of this writing, the forecast for today is 78° F with a chance of rain.
69. Bosc, for one: PEAR.
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| (l. to r.) Anjou, Asian, Bartlett, Bosc, Comice, and Seckel |
70. Foreboding sign: OMEN. Some of you know that I'm a fan of Rhett Miller's wordplay in his song lyrics. This one fits:
Old 97's ~ Curtain Calls ~ 1997
"I don't believe in cards, I don't believe in signs.
But I'll be leavin' soon, I'm here tonight." 🎵🎵
71. Dozed: SLEPT.
72. Avant-garde: EDGY.
73. Monopoly payment: RENT.
Down:
72. Avant-garde: EDGY.
73. Monopoly payment: RENT.
Down:
1. Concert boosters: AMPS. Not people raising money to support the event but equipment to boost up the noise level.
2. Hand out cards: DEAL. Think "casino DEALer".
3. Not for: ANTI.
4. Mixed-breed pooch: MUTT. National Mutt Day encourages us to embrace, save, and celebrate mixed breed dogs twice a year on July 31 and December 2. If you've ever known one then you know they are ready to be your best friend.
5. Once around a skating rink, e.g.: LAP.
6. Pie __ mode: À LA.
2. Hand out cards: DEAL. Think "casino DEALer".
3. Not for: ANTI.
4. Mixed-breed pooch: MUTT. National Mutt Day encourages us to embrace, save, and celebrate mixed breed dogs twice a year on July 31 and December 2. If you've ever known one then you know they are ready to be your best friend.
5. Once around a skating rink, e.g.: LAP.
6. Pie __ mode: À LA.
7. Religious doctrine: DOGMA. This is sort of random, but I was trying to think of Avril Levigne for 1-Across, ___ Levine and I sometimes mix her up with Alanis Morrisette who played God in the 1999 Kevin Smith movie Dogma.
8. "Full __ ahead!": STEAM. This phrase means to move forward with as much speed or energy as possible.
Titanic ~ 1997 ~ 1:11 min.
9. Artist with a chisel: SCULPTOR.
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| Michelangelo's David is 17 ft. (5.17 meters) tall. |
11. Like Machu Picchu: INCAN.
12. Blink, say: REACT. The blink reflex is an involuntary action to protect the eye.
13. Strikes keys: TYPES.
18. "__ with my little eye ... ": I SPY. This is a children's guessing game.
22. Chemist's workplace: LAB.
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| Cain was a farmer. Abel was a shepherd. They had to work because their parents were expelled from 61-Down. |
26. 2020 Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Derek: JETER. [b. June 26, 1974] his Hall of Fame page
Side note: I noticed that Doug also put JETER in his grid last Tuesday. (See Hahtoolah's helpful commentary for 31-Down.) I am wondering if this was a coincidence or if Doug is a fan and assigned JETER a high word score in his constructing dictionary. 🤔
27. Rouse from slumber: AWAKEN.
28. Devilish kid: IMP.
29. Greenish-blue color: TEAL.
30. Stallion's mate: MARE. A MARE is a female horse of breeding age.
31. Wise old sayings: ADAGES. From the Grammar Girl podcast: ADAGES are similar to maxims. Both are often metaphorical, and both are rooted in universal truth. But adages are primarily distinguished by their age and traditional quality. In fact, many people consider the phrase "an old adage" to be redundant since adages are, by definition, traditional sayings.
27. Rouse from slumber: AWAKEN.
29. Greenish-blue color: TEAL.
30. Stallion's mate: MARE. A MARE is a female horse of breeding age.
31. Wise old sayings: ADAGES. From the Grammar Girl podcast: ADAGES are similar to maxims. Both are often metaphorical, and both are rooted in universal truth. But adages are primarily distinguished by their age and traditional quality. In fact, many people consider the phrase "an old adage" to be redundant since adages are, by definition, traditional sayings.
For those of you who want to do a deep dive into the difference between proverbs, maxims, adages, dictums, and truisms, this is the episode link. Start at 7:50.
35. Taproom drink: ALE.
36. The "S" of NASA: SPACE. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
35. Taproom drink: ALE.
36. The "S" of NASA: SPACE. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
NASA was established in 1958 under President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
38. Helpful suggestion: HINT.
39. "Go back!" computer command: UNDO. and 50 Across. "Do __ others ... ": UNTO.
41. Darkest hour: LOW POINT. Also, Death Valley National Park is America's hottest, driest and lowest national park. Its LOW POINT in Badwater Basin is 282 ft, (85.5 meters) below sea level.
42. "__ Prohibido": 1994 Selena hit: AMOR. [1971-1995] Born Selena Quintailla, Selena was a Grammy-winning American performer who achieved huge success in the Latin music world before her tragic murder by the president of her fan club. I did not know the song but I did feel comfortable guessing the Spanish word for "love".
43. Channel with "Press Your Luck" reruns: GSN. Game Show Network
48. Knack for music: EAR. This definition of EAR is a sensitivity to musical tone and pitch.
51. Machines at gas stations: PUMPS. I overthought this one until a perp appeared.
52. Disney princess with red hair: ARIEL. The font is spelled arial. Memory trick: shE has an E.
53. Entrap: SNARE.
54. City near Phoenix: TEMPE. Tempe is 10.3 mi. (6.4 km.) east of Phoenix. some ideas for things to do in Tempe
55. Fiddled around (with): TOYED.
59. Scent: ODOR.
60. Broadway "Auntie": MAME.
61. Old Testament garden: EDEN. Luckily for us, the internet never runs out of EDEN comics.
62. "My heart just __ in it": ISN'T. ...said the Tin Man to Dorothy.
64. Messy head of hair: MOP. From wikiHow (updated last week):
38. Helpful suggestion: HINT.
39. "Go back!" computer command: UNDO. and 50 Across. "Do __ others ... ": UNTO.
41. Darkest hour: LOW POINT. Also, Death Valley National Park is America's hottest, driest and lowest national park. Its LOW POINT in Badwater Basin is 282 ft, (85.5 meters) below sea level.
42. "__ Prohibido": 1994 Selena hit: AMOR. [1971-1995] Born Selena Quintailla, Selena was a Grammy-winning American performer who achieved huge success in the Latin music world before her tragic murder by the president of her fan club. I did not know the song but I did feel comfortable guessing the Spanish word for "love".
43. Channel with "Press Your Luck" reruns: GSN. Game Show Network
48. Knack for music: EAR. This definition of EAR is a sensitivity to musical tone and pitch.
51. Machines at gas stations: PUMPS. I overthought this one until a perp appeared.
52. Disney princess with red hair: ARIEL. The font is spelled arial. Memory trick: shE has an E.
54. City near Phoenix: TEMPE. Tempe is 10.3 mi. (6.4 km.) east of Phoenix. some ideas for things to do in Tempe
55. Fiddled around (with): TOYED.
59. Scent: ODOR.
60. Broadway "Auntie": MAME.
61. Old Testament garden: EDEN. Luckily for us, the internet never runs out of EDEN comics.
62. "My heart just __ in it": ISN'T. ...said the Tin Man to Dorothy.
64. Messy head of hair: MOP. From wikiHow (updated last week):
Also called the “mop top,” the wet mop haircut is a messy, medium-length cut with parted fringe. It was popularized by The Beatles and Justin Bieber, but it has recently resurfaced in popularity thanks to TikTok. 
66. Graffiti signature: TAG. Perhaps one of the most famous graffiti artists is Banksy. This 1:03 min. video tells a fun Banksy story. In the TV show The Outlaws a major plot point in the finale involves Christopher Walken's character painting over an original Banksy artwork -- for real!!
67. Amusingly ironic: WRY. See the Christopher Walken scene above.
The grid: 
Well, that was my two cents. You can add yours in the comments below.
Have a great week, everyone!
26 comments:
This puzzle would seem
like a good candidate to receive a
“walk in the park” certificate, to me. Would you agree? Anyway, FIR, so I’m happy.
Good morning!
D-o was going full SPEED ahead...and then had to reach for the Wite-Out. The parental units lived most of their lives in Wisconsin, but spent their final years in TEMPE. Like sumdaze, I noticed the P-P, but not the PA-PA. Today's puzzle was a softball, just as Mondays should be. Thanx, Doug and sumdaze.
FIR, but erased parralel for PARALLEL (UNTIE!)
I'm a good PARALLEL PARKer. Most of the houses around here (including mine) don't have driveways, having been built in the late 1800s and early 1900s when few people dreamed of owning cars. And the advent cheap backup cameras make parking a snap.
When I was a kid, our family would occasionally go to Cincinnati and its version of CONEY ISLAND. Then next door was Dreamland, a public pool that was billed the largest in the country. Its motto: You don't stop playing because you grow old, you grow old because you stop playing." Top it off with a Reds game in Crosley field and you had a very tired son, which is a good thing,
Marisa TOMEI just turned 61. Never heard of The Big Short, but there was that little film My Cousin Vinny. BTW, Marisa's PAPA was a lawyer.
Remember Madonna's hit PAPA Don't Preach?
MUTTs usually have a lot of diversity in their genetic makeup, which makes them less susceptible to breed-specific ailments like hip dysplasia. (Greyhounds are the breed most susceptible to bone cancer, for example.)
Thanks to Doug for the fun Monday romp, and to sumdaze for another chuckle-worthy review. My favorite was that avant garde dog.
FIR. Good to be back and home again. The cruise was great but I did miss the crossword and this blog.
This was a good way to get my crossword sea legs back with a very easy Monday puzzle.
However I must admit although I did notice repeating "P"s, I completely missed repeating "Pa"s until the reveal. I guess my brain is still on island time.
Overall a very enjoyable puzzle.
Good Morning:
Well, Doug put one over on us this morning, didn’t he? No one expected a two-letter repetition with what is usually just a two word phrase with a shared first letter. Nicely misleading, Mr. Peterson. Because of this skillful misdirection, the reveal was a total surprise, even more so because I never even heard of the show. No unknowns, no w/os, no complaints, just an enjoyable WITP, as SubG suggested.
Thanks, Doug, for not only fooling us, but for doing it so charmingly, and thanks, sumdaze, for the wit and wisdom. Favorite comics were the ubiquitous ball cap and Best In Show, the Avant-Guard dog. Hilarious!
Welcome back, KS.
Have a great day.
Took 4:03 today to pay to participate.
(When schools instituted charging fees for student athletes, it became known as "pay to play." But, not all kids get to play, so some changed it to the more accurate "pay to participate." Bored yet?)
I knew the Actress of the Day (Tomei), but didn't know she was in that movie. I didn't know the Spanish Selena song (amor) or Patti Page.
I have fond memories of playing Lego with my children, and I took a surfing lesson on Oahu - it was exhausting, but thrilling.
This is why I am not a constructor. I could never come up with an idea that would pass the breakfast test. For instance:
This puzzle gave me the idea that "maybe" you could have themers running vertically, made up of two words that each contained "pee." And of course the reveal would be a horizontal "The Yellow Rivers..."
Third times the charm 🙄
Easy Monday: … “PAPA can you hear me”? “What are you doing in my CW puzzle?” 😉
Kinda thought it was PATTI with an “I”.
MUTT: now a called a designer dog with a hefty price tag
Paul Reisner (Helen Hunt) sitcom: “Mad About You” wouldn’t fit.
Not a fan of going to those “shopping complexes” with DW, feel like I’m getting “MALLED” to death.
What did “Evita” call her orchard? PEARON 😋
Does a funerary URN have a spigot? 😳
MUTT mom: DOGMA
Sums … ADAGES
Couple tossed out of an “Old Testament garden” for ___ an Apple …EDEN
Doff… UNCAP
Irish Hawaiian Island … 0’Ahu
Have a good week 😃
Such a relaxing CW this cold morning. I too saw only the PP repetition and only noticed the PA PA at the reveal for a pleasant surprise. My only erasure was Speed for STEAM. AMOR was an easy WAG.
I was struck by the magnetism of Michelangelo’s DAVID when I saw it many years ago in a room thankfully almost empty of tourists, it was on a very cold day in February. It is magnificent and sublime.
Thank you sumdaze for your charming review. So many well chosen funnies.
A perfect Monday puzzle! The theme entries were all fresh and lively phrases, the reveal was apt, the clueing was mild, and the fill was excellent with zero dreck.
Thanks to Doug for a great start to the week, and to Sumdaze for the equally engaging recap. Loved the Avant Guard dog! I agree with you about parallel parking. Fortunately it is not a skill that is often needed in my neck of the woods!
Musings
-To my grandkids, I am PAH puh. At Downton Abbey, it would be puh PAH
-After Disney gets you all hyped up on their rides, the first things you see after getting off are very expensive shirts and other merch
-IT MAY BE that last Saturday’s puzzle had the most negative comments I have ever seen. BTW, the adjective "most" can be used two ways in that sentence.
-My first reaction when I see MIAMI Heat
-My Buick has this PARALELL PARKING Assist button but I have never used it as I can do it manually
-Nice job, Sumdaze!
very easy, but some strange ones. PASS PATTERN was very awkward I thought, like just a very non-sports-fan way to describe a wr's route, to me. Like referring to free throws in basketball as "line shots" or something, like yeah I know what you mean but no one calls it that lol.
Also out of Marisa Tomei's incredible career, why would you pick a movie like The Big Short where she shows up for like.... two lines? I would be shocked if she had more than 10 seconds of screen time in that movie. Anyway I'm just grousing haha, it was a fun puzzle and more or less the right difficulty for a monday.
Zipped right on through this puzzle so quickly that the theme totally escaped me until Sumdaze showed me the papa's. D'oh! Fun romp, otherwise. The TV show was all perps, as I had no recollection of it. Must an open be foreboding? Aren't there good omens?
OMEN, not OPEN! Stupid Otto Incorrect. That will teach me to proof read!
Monday Funday! Doug started with ADAM but didn't lead us to Eve (although she was clued) yet there still was an Old Testament vibe with DOGMA, ABEL, and EDEN.
EWE were on fire today, sumdaze. Loved your EDGY comics!
I see that I am in good company on seeing the P* P*s before the PA* PA*s.
I really liked that avant-guard dog, too.
Welcome back, KS!
Neat puzzle to get our week off to a good start--many thanks, Doug. And your comments and pictures are always a pleasure, thanks for those too, Sumdaze.
Well we started off with boys, since it's ADAM and other LADS who wear SHIRTS rather than blouses. But probably both genders wear PAJAMA PANTS, not just in bed but while relaxing, maybe watching TV or something. But not when they're PARALLEL PARKING: that requires proper outdoor wear. But enough about clothes. Now that we're dressed, we need to UNCAP and drink some ALE and enjoy some OREOS, before we go off to the MALL to hang out and maybe do some shopping. Always nice to see kids hanging out with their TWO DADS rather than with their MAMAS, who may be working in the stores or for their company this morning. Hey, that was a pretty fun morning, wasn't it?
Have a wonderful rest of the week, everybody.
10 minutes to FIR. 18 names, DNK 7. Coulda been SPEED or STEAM, hadda wait for a perp. Same for AQUA or TEAL. Thanx, DP for this fine Monday offering. Try less names in the future, please. Thanx too to Sumdaze for the fine write-up. No surprise, the theme sailed right past me. Regarding the movie "The Big Short", I really enjoyed that movie, possibly because it was so very true. At about that time I was considering moving, would need two jumbo mortgages, and two reps from Washington Mutual came to my house with the paperwork. I was all prepared with my financial statements and documentation of income, but they said, "Oh, we don't need all that. We call them 'liar's loans' because we're just gonna bundle them all up and sell them as a derivative. So we don't care if you ever repay them." It all sounded so shady I refused to go forward. Years later, I regretted that. Washington Mutual was bought out. I would bet the notes for those two jumbos would have been lost in the shuffle and I may have been able to just stop paying and still maintained ownership of the properties. Dang!
Hola! Just in case someone did not translate AMOR PROHIBIDO, it means, "Forbidden Love." And I do remember "MY TWO DADS"; as I recall, it was fun while it lasted. Marisa Tomei is far more memorable in "My Cousin Vinny." She is wonderful in that one.
Eva PERON might have been a footnote in history had it not been for the movie.
Enjoy a great day, everyone!
That whole scene when Steve Carrell is down in florida talking to the mortgage brokers about how much they love selling houses to people with no credit, exotic dancers with three and four houses, it's some real nasty stuff
A good part of my Spanish language acquisition came from listening to Radio Amor in Los Angeles while commuting. Selena's "Amor Prohibido" was catchy and wonderful. I was dismayed by her violent death.
Thanks to Jinx for linking the video of Madonna's "Papa Don't Preach," another popular song that was on my lips for months at least.
Doug's puzzle was a pleasure, and sumdaze only improved it. Thank EWE!
I liked this puzzle. The write-up by sumdaze was a pleasure reading, too, as were all your comments.
Thank you Doug for this fun, breezy Monday puzzle <3
I noticed the PP pattern but not the PA PA pattern.
I have no idea who Paul Reiser is or have ever heard of the show MY TWO DADS.
But I did read The Big Short by Michael Lewis. It was about shorting the overvalued housing market and how a few people made billions when the market crashed back in 2008. A guy we play pickleball with acted as the President of Bear Sterns in the movie.
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