Good Morning, Cruciverbalists. Malodorous Manatee here (from Crested Butte, Colorado this fine fall day) with the recap of a puzzle by Lee Taylor.
Today, Lee does not give us a reveal / unifier. Instead he offers us clues in which portions of the answers are hidden in plain sight. Those clues provide us with the letters comprising both beginning and the end of the sought-after answer. In the clues, those pieces are combined into a single word. In the answers, those pieces are split apart and each part is a portion of one of the two words that form the answer. One way to approach answering the clues is to ignore the second part of each clue. Another approach is to use the second part of each clue as a source of the beginning and end of each answer. It's simpler than I have made it sound. Take a look at the four themers to see:
18 Across: Slasher flick actress on a split screen?: SCREAM QUEEN. SCREEN has been split.
25 Across: Merchant Ivory works featuring split peas?: PERIOD DRAMAS. Merchant Ivory is a film production company. PEAS has been split.
44 Across: Auras around people with split ends?: ENERGY FIELDS. ENDS has been split.
59 Across: Lack of recognition for working a split shift?: SHORT SHRIFT. SHIFT has been split.
This is how everything appears in the grid:
Other than the themed responses above, here are the clues and answers:
Across:
1. Place to retire: BED. Retire as in go to sleep not as in to stop working.
4. Let gravity do most of the work, perhaps: COAST. Sled prices are too damn high but you can find a good deal if you're willing toboggan.
9. Estrangements: RIFTS.
14. "Rules __ rules": ARE. The motto of my gym's Silver Sneakers instructors.
15. Infuriate: ANGER. ANGER as a verb.
16. Salon abrasive: EMERY.
17. Word often said while holding a treat: SIT.
20. Summer quaff: ICED TEA.
22. Links: COUPLES. Not links as in golf course. And not couples as in groups of two people. Used as a verb. To link, or COUPLE, things together. Think, for example, railroad cars.
23. Emmy and Grammy winner Burnett: CAROL. See also 65 Across.
24. Sandwich shop: DELI. I went to a deli and said, "I'd like to buy a bagel with cream cheese." The kid behind the counter replied, "Sorry we only take cash or credit cards."
32. Protective cover: TARP. A group of bedazzled TARPs and a bunch of poles walk into a restaurant and order some stakes....Things became pretty tents.
35. W.H. Auden's "__ to the Medieval Poets": ODE. Someone wrote a poem about the sounds made by dogs. It can only be read if you scan it first. It's a bark ODE.
36. Slowly wear down: ERODE. Slowly deconstruct.
37. Develops over time: EVOLVES. Slowly create. Nice juxtaposition.
39. Dish garnished with peanuts and lime: PAD THAI.
41. Marisa with a cameo in "Spider-Man: Brand New Day": TOMEI. Perhaps best known for her work in the movie "My Cousin Vinny".
42. Have a cold, say: AIL.
43. Schools of thought: ISMS. The suffix (pluralized).
48. Close by: NEAR. "Work until" wouldn't fit the allotted space.
65. Oscar and Grammy winner Burnett: T BONE. T BONE Burnett is a legendary music producer and musician. See also 23 Across. Nice touch. Among many other works, T BONE produced the sound track for the film "O Brother Where Art Thou".
66. Tabloid TV host Povich: MAURY.
67. Squalid space: STY.
Down:
1. No-frills: BASIC.
2. "I Luh God" singer Campbell: ERICA. New to this solver. Thanks, perps.
3. Prevent: DETER.
4. Neuschwanstein __: CASTLE. The model for Walt Disney's Sleeping Beauty's Castle.
5. As soon as: ONCE.
6. City in India's Golden Triangle: AGRA. Often visited in our puzzles and often clued with reference to the Taj Mahal.
7. "What'd I tell you?": SEE. Get it?
8. Copied, in a way: TRACED. Copied exactly. Handy for forgery.
9. Not elective: REQUIRED. Ah, college days !
10. "My turn!": I'M UP.
11. Have a hunch: FEEL.
12. Sequoia, e.g.: TREE. Also the name of a Toyota SUV.
26. School of tomorrow?: ROE. As in a school of fish - with ROE being fish eggs.
27. Puts a name to: IDS. IDentifieS
28. Skilled performer: ARTISTE. An "Artist" creates art, encompassing painters, sculptors, and more. An "ARTISTE" typically refers to a skilled performer, like a singer or dancer.
29. Mineralogist with a hardness scale: MOHS. Not to be confused with Moe's Hardness Scale.
30. Scott of "Severance": ADAM. ADAM also played Ben Wyatt in "Parks and Recreation".
31. Cuatro y dos: SEIS. Lección de español y matemáticas de hoy.
32. Spot for un chapeau: TETE. Leçon de français du jour.
33. Mary Kay rival: AVON.
34. City on the Tiber: ROME.
38. Brief scene: VIGNETTE.
39. Dessert for Little Jack Horner: PIE.
40. ATV component: ALL. Not a component of an actual All Terrain Vehicle. A component of the name ALL Terrain Vehicle.
42. Atmosphere: AIR.
45. Hankerings: YENS. URGES was too long.
46. Fully grasp: FATHOM. FATHOM has several meanings. In this case, to understand.
47. In a senseless way: DAFTLY. Not to be confused with DEFTLY.
50. Memorial bios: OBITS. OBITUARIES
51. Warrant: MERIT. Not a search or arrest warrant. Earned.
52. London of "What Not To Wear": STACY. NIMW. Thanks, perps.
53. Discreet summons: PSST. A sound often heard in our puzzles.
54. Ishmael's captain: AHAB. A monomaniacal sea captain who often visits our puzzles.
55. Brouhaha: TO DO.
56. Setting of the graphic novel "Persepolis": IRAN.
57. In __: as found: SITU. In situ is a Latin phrase meaning 'in the place' or 'on site'. The term refers to studying or working with something in its natural or original location rather than moving it elsewhere.
58. Over yonder: AFAR. Not in the Dickensian sense.
60. Color TV pioneer: RCA.
Well, I guess that it is time to split. Have a great Wednesday.
FIR, but thar->AFAR. Why was the hillbilly certain that the Three Wise Men smelled like smoke? Because they came from AFAR. (I know it's not as good as a MalMan pun, but it's awfully early.).
My favorite TOMEI movie is Before the Devil Knows You're Dead. Favorite line: "Can I help you to seconds, or do you really have to get back to work now?"
MAURY's greatest achievement is to somehow convince Connie Chung to marry him. I first saw the charismatic Connie when she was a local news anchor on KNXT-TV in Los Angeles.
We are in the middle of the annual BRA-HA-HA. Entrants are invited to decorate a bra, and afterward the bras are auctioned off. The substantial proceeds are used to pay for mammograms for people who can't otherwise afford them. BRAHAHA.org.
Thanks to Lee foe the humpday workout. Lots of names, but easy perps. And thanks to our MalMan. You have outdone yourself today.
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I didn’t understand how
ReplyDeletethe theme clues related to their answers until I came on this site. But I solved them, anyway.
FIR, so I’m happy.
FIR, but thar->AFAR. Why was the hillbilly certain that the Three Wise Men smelled like smoke? Because they came from AFAR. (I know it's not as good as a MalMan pun, but it's awfully early.).
ReplyDeleteMy favorite TOMEI movie is Before the Devil Knows You're Dead. Favorite line: "Can I help you to seconds, or do you really have to get back to work now?"
MAURY's greatest achievement is to somehow convince Connie Chung to marry him. I first saw the charismatic Connie when she was a local news anchor on KNXT-TV in Los Angeles.
We are in the middle of the annual BRA-HA-HA. Entrants are invited to decorate a bra, and afterward the bras are auctioned off. The substantial proceeds are used to pay for mammograms for people who can't otherwise afford them. BRAHAHA.org.
Thanks to Lee foe the humpday workout. Lots of names, but easy perps. And thanks to our MalMan. You have outdone yourself today.