Theme? To finish this puzzle, you must climb the MESA, or BUTTE, or PLATEAU, to arrive at the TABLELAND.
4 Down. One who switches sides: TURNCOAT.
Turn table
11 Down. Basic flotation device: POOL NOODLE.
Pool Table
21 Down. Brewery vessel?: COFFEE POT. (Maybe in Starbucks, but the clue seems out of place in your kitchen...)
Coffee Table
29 Down. Purse at a boxing match: PRIZE MONEY.
Prize Table
40 Down. Soccer pitch boundary: SIDELINE.
Side Table
55 Across. Like some game night games, or a feature of 4-, 11-, 21-, 29-, and 40-Down: TABLE TOP
Because all the themers were Downs, the reveal indicates that the tables can be found on top...
Across:1. Sticky and stinky sealant: TAR. ( for turncoats, add feathers...)
4. Yank (on): TUG.
Carol Burnett
7. Agrees to: ACCEPTS.
14. Purple yam from the Philippines: UBE.
The Ube.
15. Game with red, yellow, blue, and green cards: UNO. And purple Ube chips on side for snacks...
16. Steel mill material: IRON ORE.
17. Barbecue choice: BEEF RIB. I wanted Baby or Back, but that would be Pork.
19. Find and remove: ROOT OUT.
20. "Across the pond" pond: ATLANTIC. A British euphemism for The Atlantic Ocean, because they would not want to make a tempest out of a teapot...
22. __ in comparison: PALES.
23. Hotel amenity: ICE.
24. Chooses to participate: OPTS IN.
27. Help desk techs: I.T. PROS. Stands for information Technology Professional, This field covers the development, maintenance, and use of computer systems, software, and networks for processing and distributing data.
30. Bank charge: FEE. Do not cross go, Do not collect $200-
31. Got the highest score in golf, say: LOST. The average par for a standard 18-hole golf course is 72 strokes, which consists of a combination of par-3, par-4, and par-5 holes. For most newbies playing whack-a-mole, breaking 100 would be a good day...
34. Jazz pianist Chick: COREA.
Chick Corea
35. Execs focused on the bottom line: CFOS. Chief Financial Officers
36. 10th grader, briefly: SOPH. Sophomore. As opposed to Freshman, or Senior.
37. Singer-songwriter DiFranco: ANI. Name #2
38. Special skills: TALENTS.
41. Kaitlin's "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" role: DEE. Technically names #3 and #4, because to know this, you must know one is real, and the other fictional... The A.I. Overview
42. Totally dismantle: RAZE.
44. California-based candy company: SEES. This name #5 must have been filled in by kind perpage, because if I saw it, I am sure I would have complained it was too regional. Unless you tossed me a candy...
(I can be swayed easily...) Another A.I. Overview
45. Five Pillars religion: ISLAM. The 5 core acts are Faith, Prayer, Alms, Fasting, and Pilgrimage.
47. Grade sch.: ELEM. Elementary,
48. Alternative to sparkling: TAP. (As in water, as in restaurants.)
49. Stick: ADHERE.
50. Fine wool: MERINO.
52. Summer sign: LEO.
53. Love, in Firenze: AMORE.
55. Theme Reveal
60. Some park employees: RANGERS.
63. Common oatmeal cookie ingredient: RAISINS.
64. First Amendment word: FREEDOM.
65. Place to spend the night: INN. (This could also have been out, as opposed to in...)
66. One-on-one chats on soc. media: DMS. DM stands for Direct Message...
67. Agrees: SAYS YES.
68. Easter egg need: DYE. (And rabbits for some strange reason...)
69. Up to now: YET.
Down:
1. Bulky horn: TUBA. Bulkier horn: Sousaphone
2. Stand watch for, say: ABET. Yeah, but as a grandparent, watching a grandchild, would you say I was abetting?
3. Instagram feed feature: REEL. Not familiar with this...
4. Theme
5. Fuses together: UNITES. Strange clue for Unites. You would think unites would be a voluntary thing, where fuses, sounds kinda forceful...
6. Mongolian for "waterless place": GOBI.
7. Atmosphere: AIR.
8. __-Magnon: CRO.
9. Henhouses: COOPS.
10. Necessitates: ENTAILS.
11. Theme
12. "Good point": TRUE.
13. Hardens, as concrete: SETS.
18. Word with laissez or savoir: FAIRE. (Frawnch...) Should not be in an English puzzle, maybe a better clue would be Olde English Festivities.
21. Theme
25. Low-level workers: PEONS. A.I. Overview (of course, A.I. is not one of those...)
26. Trial: TEST.
27. "You matter to me": I CARE. (If A.I. ever says this to you,,, RUN!)
28. Like many Chinese dialects: TONAL.
29. Theme
32. Piece of fishing gear: SPEAR. Hmm, singular, 5 letter, could have been creel. But I find this unfair, because who ever heard of a singular piece of fishing gear...
33. Motif: THEME.
35. G-rated: CLEAN. (In the eyes of "who.")
39. Prosecco kin: ASTI. Sparkling wine that cannot be called Champagne...
40. Theme
43. Pops up: EMERGES.
46. Vans or Crocs: SHOES. Crocs I knew, Vans? Not so much,
49. Empire State capital: ALBANY.
51. Like a clarinet's sound: REEDY. (Really?)
53. Pet sounds: ARFS. (Or a great Beach Boys Album...)
54. Rooney of "Women Talking": MARA. (Name #,,, I dunno, I lost track...)
56. Like the 6-Down: ARID. (6 down was Gobi Desert, if you lost track...)
57. Spruce (up): TIDY.
58. "I'm buying!": ON ME.
59. Hushed summons: PSST.
61. Blini topping: ROE. Apparently, a Blini is some sort of crepe, or thin pancake, that you could top with practically anything. So, why not Roe? Hmm, what would you top your thin pancake with? I'm thinking cream cheese, bacon, scallions, and jalapeño, but I have an iron stomach...
62. Texting format initials: SMS. Short Message Service (limited to 160 characters) useful in customer service responses where they don't want you to complain too much...
45. Five Pillars religion: ISLAM. The 5 core acts are Faith, Prayer, Alms, Fasting, and Pilgrimage.
47. Grade sch.: ELEM. Elementary,
Apparently, that's as far as Watson got...
48. Alternative to sparkling: TAP. (As in water, as in restaurants.)
49. Stick: ADHERE.
50. Fine wool: MERINO.
No comment
52. Summer sign: LEO.
53. Love, in Firenze: AMORE.
55. Theme Reveal
60. Some park employees: RANGERS.
63. Common oatmeal cookie ingredient: RAISINS.
64. First Amendment word: FREEDOM.
65. Place to spend the night: INN. (This could also have been out, as opposed to in...)
66. One-on-one chats on soc. media: DMS. DM stands for Direct Message...
67. Agrees: SAYS YES.
68. Easter egg need: DYE. (And rabbits for some strange reason...)
69. Up to now: YET.
Down:
1. Bulky horn: TUBA. Bulkier horn: Sousaphone
Yep, definitely bulkier...
2. Stand watch for, say: ABET. Yeah, but as a grandparent, watching a grandchild, would you say I was abetting?
3. Instagram feed feature: REEL. Not familiar with this...
4. Theme
5. Fuses together: UNITES. Strange clue for Unites. You would think unites would be a voluntary thing, where fuses, sounds kinda forceful...
6. Mongolian for "waterless place": GOBI.
7. Atmosphere: AIR.
8. __-Magnon: CRO.
9. Henhouses: COOPS.
10. Necessitates: ENTAILS.
11. Theme
12. "Good point": TRUE.
13. Hardens, as concrete: SETS.
18. Word with laissez or savoir: FAIRE. (Frawnch...) Should not be in an English puzzle, maybe a better clue would be Olde English Festivities.
21. Theme
25. Low-level workers: PEONS. A.I. Overview (of course, A.I. is not one of those...)
26. Trial: TEST.
27. "You matter to me": I CARE. (If A.I. ever says this to you,,, RUN!)
28. Like many Chinese dialects: TONAL.
29. Theme
32. Piece of fishing gear: SPEAR. Hmm, singular, 5 letter, could have been creel. But I find this unfair, because who ever heard of a singular piece of fishing gear...
33. Motif: THEME.
35. G-rated: CLEAN. (In the eyes of "who.")
39. Prosecco kin: ASTI. Sparkling wine that cannot be called Champagne...
40. Theme
43. Pops up: EMERGES.
46. Vans or Crocs: SHOES. Crocs I knew, Vans? Not so much,
Apparently, these things I used to call "boat shoes."
49. Empire State capital: ALBANY.
51. Like a clarinet's sound: REEDY. (Really?)
53. Pet sounds: ARFS. (Or a great Beach Boys Album...)
54. Rooney of "Women Talking": MARA. (Name #,,, I dunno, I lost track...)
56. Like the 6-Down: ARID. (6 down was Gobi Desert, if you lost track...)
57. Spruce (up): TIDY.
58. "I'm buying!": ON ME.
59. Hushed summons: PSST.
61. Blini topping: ROE. Apparently, a Blini is some sort of crepe, or thin pancake, that you could top with practically anything. So, why not Roe? Hmm, what would you top your thin pancake with? I'm thinking cream cheese, bacon, scallions, and jalapeño, but I have an iron stomach...
62. Texting format initials: SMS. Short Message Service (limited to 160 characters) useful in customer service responses where they don't want you to complain too much...
And here's the Grid.
CE:D out...
≽(•⩊ •マ≼
9 comments:
Some “tables” were
better known to me than others, but they all made sense. And I didn’t think this puzzle was all that tough, in the long run.
Anyway, FIR, so I’m happy.
Good morning!
As expected, d-o failed to notice the tables on his travels through the grid. Wanted PRIZEPURSE at 29d, but 'twas not to be. Thanx, Ricky and CE:D. (In answer to your GOBI question: Adlerbrau, Schlitz, Blatz, to name a few.)
FIR, but accedes->ACCEPTS, brisket->BEEF RIB, and aced->LOST (read the whole clue, Jinx.)
I think of Texas and Oklahoma when I see BEEF RIB BBQ. I think that generally, the rest of the country leans toward pork BBQ.
Vans and Crocs started out as cheap footwear, but got spendy once they got popular.
Thanks to Rocket J. Sirois for the fun Wednesday challenge, and to CED for another fun review. Like you, I was thinking of the Beach Boys @ Pet Sounds.
Falstaff beer - gone by the wayside.
I'm in a slump because got stumped on hump day. I kept reading Prosecco as Prosciutto and not knowing SEES sunk me.
I listen to a lot of jazz, and one of my best seeds on Spotify is Chick COREA because over the years he's played with everybody. Makes a nice varied channel.
I wasn't quite sure what a PRIZE TABLE was until Dave turned on the light.
FIW. Not being someone who drinks l did not know what prosecco was. I took a WAG and was wrong. Likewise with the candy company which I'd never heard of.
I didn't bother with the theme as the fill seemed to flow easily. No real stumbling blocks, except as previously noted.
Overall an enjoyable puzzle.
Super easy CW for a Wednesday. REEL crossing UBE was my only pure WAG. My other two unknowns MARA and DEE were taken care of by perps.
I respectfully disagree with you CED about laissez-FAIRE. It appears in English language dictionaries; it refers to a system of government which advocates for minimum intervention.
I still have several ChIck COREA CDs. The theme was neat, but I needed the reveal to figure it out. Blinis being Russian fare, it’s logical that one would expect roe (caviar) to top them.
Thank you CED for the review. I like the cartoon of the poor pig out of work.
Re CED's defunct beers challenge:
--Ballantine. I believe they merged with--or were acquired by--Falstaff. Now both are just memories.
--Anchor. A San Francisco establishment. My go-to has always been Anchor Steam Beer, until Anchor closed shop a couple years ago.
Thank you. I was unaware of laissez-FAIRE's definition in English dictionaries, and stand corrected... I blame my aversion of foreign languages to my High School Spanish Teacher (2nd year) who was a cruel and demanding. When I could not keep up with an all Spanish, No English spoken rule, I was forced to stand in front of the entire class, and repeat No Se Nada repeatedly.
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