Theme: LINGUINE MEENIE MINEY MO
17. Strict prerequisite: SINE QUANON. Latin, literally ‘(cause) without which not.' Definition = an essential condition; a thing that is absolutely necessary.
22. Powerful force for innovation: ENGINE OF CHANGE.
35. Spoke frankly: LAID IT ON THE LINE.
43. Trattoria seafood dish: SHRIMP LINGUINE. A trattoria is an Italian restaurant.
52. Aquarium collection: MARINE LIFE.
54. Common word-ending letters that can be pronounced five ways, as demonstrated in five long puzzle answers: INE.
Bruce Haight wrote this about his co-constructor Richard Lederer: As you might know, his syndicated column, “Lederer on Language,” appears in newspapers and magazines throughout the United States. I'm pretty sure one of his articles is in the LA Times every week, and I know he is in the San Diego paper. He is the author of 50 books about language, history, and humor, including his best-selling Anguished English series and his current book, The Joy of Names. Rich lives about a mile from me.
Bruce Haight wrote this about his co-constructor Richard Lederer: As you might know, his syndicated column, “Lederer on Language,” appears in newspapers and magazines throughout the United States. I'm pretty sure one of his articles is in the LA Times every week, and I know he is in the San Diego paper. He is the author of 50 books about language, history, and humor, including his best-selling Anguished English series and his current book, The Joy of Names. Rich lives about a mile from me.
Melissa here. Today's puzzle toys with the inconsistency of the English language and spelling. The comedian Gallagher had a memorable bit about this.
1. Tablet compatible with Apple Pencil: IPAD.
5. Just short of the A-list?: B PLUS.
10. Entice: BAIT.
14. "Yikes!": OH NO.
15. Snorkeling spots: REEFS.
16. "Marriage Story" actor Alan: ALDA. Vanity Fair interview about the movie.
19. Telegraph taps: DITS. Learn Morse Code.
20. Circus prop: STILT.
21. Good dog's reward: TREAT.
26. Softly hit hit: BLOOP. Baseball term. From Wikipedia: A blooper or bloop is a weakly hit fly ball that drops in for a single between an infielder and an outfielder. Also known as a bloop single, a dying quail, or a duck snort. A fielding error. Also, this bloop.
27. Senior advocacy group: AARP. The organization was originally named the American Association of Retired Persons, but in 1999, it officially changed its name to "AARP" (pronounced one letter at a time, "ay ay ar pee"), to reflect that its focus was no longer American retirees. AARP no longer requires that members be retired, and there are no longer any age restrictions even for a full membership.
28. Spanish eight: OCHO.
29. Certain Muslim: SHIITE.
32. Part of an all-in-one printer: FAX.
38. Go (for): OPT.
39. Like pop tunes: CATCHY.
40. __ collar: ETON.
41. Shiny fabric: LAME.
42. Crete peak: Abbr.: MT IDA. In northwestern Turkey, some 20 miles southeast of the ruins of Troy.
49. Seismic event: QUAKE.
50. Certain believer: DEIST. A deist believes in the existence
of a God on the evidence of reason and nature only, with rejection of
supernatural revelation (distinguished from theism), Deism is belief in a God who created the world but has since remained indifferent to it.
51. Push: URGE.
57. Hawkish god: ARES. God of war in Greek mythology.
58. Set straight: ALIGN.
59. Playing to break a tie, briefly: IN OT. In overtime.
60. Newbie: TYRO.
61. Full of gossip: DISHY.
62. Some hosp. scans: EEGS. An electroencephalogram is a test used to evaluate the electrical activity in the brain.
Down:
1. Platform for 1-Across: IOS.
2. Honor society letter: PHI. As in Phi Beta Kappa.
3. New England cape: ANN.
4. Makes the world a better place: DOES GOOD. Tricky two-word answer.
5. UCLA player: BRUIN. Dutch for "brown," is used in English as a folk term for brown bears. UCLA Bruins.
6. Washington portraitist Rembrandt __: PEALE. American artist and museum keeper. Painted the famous portrait of George Washington, among others.
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7. Slow, musically: LENTO.
8. Eerie sky sight: UFO. Unidentified Flying Object.
9. W-9 or W-2 ID: SSN. Social Security Number.
10. Often unjust accusation: BAD RAP.
11. Presumed 8-Down pilot: ALIEN.
12. Baggage requirement: ID TAG.
13. Hint: TASTE.
18. Makeup-removing swab: Q-TIP.
21. Preakness horse's age: THREE. Two years before the Kentucky Derby was run for the first time, Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland introduced its new stakes race for three-year-olds, the Preakness, during its first-ever spring race meet in 1873. Held on the third Saturday in May each year, part of horse racing’s Triple Crown, had been scheduled for May 14-16. At a news conference Tuesday morning, Gov. Larry Hogan said the race will likely be moved to September but no date has been set.
22. Yosemite climbing spot featured in "Free Solo," for short: EL CAP. 3,200ft El Capitan.
23. Like four Koufax games: NO HIT. List of Los Angeles Dodgers no-hitters.
24. Belief system: FAITH.
25. Cartoonist Guisewite or her title character: CATHY. Ran for 34 years. The strip focused on a career woman facing the issues and challenges of
eating, work, relationships and having a mother—or as the character put
it in one strip, "the four basic guilt groups."
26. Western neckwear: BOLO.
29. Passport mark: STAMP.
30. Suite spot: HOTEL. Nice clue.
31. Fortune rival: INC. Magazines.
32. Belong: FIT IN.
33. Cell terminal: ANODE. An anode is the electrode in a polarized electrical device through which current flows in from an outside circuit.
34. TV ally of Hercules: XENA.
36. Part of an ancient boast: I CAME. I came, I saw, I conquered, or Veni, vidi, vici, in Latin. First uttered by heavyweight of ancient Rome, Julius Caesar.
37. "Don't make waves": LET IT LIE.
41. In this way: LIKE SO.
42. Ponder: MUSE.
43. Stocky: SQUAT.
44. Get a move on: HURRY.
45. Wild party: RAGER. Heard of RAGE party, but not RAGER.
46. "Luther" actor Elba: IDRIS.
47. Bay sound: NEIGH. Horse.
48. Weasley sister: GINNY. Harry Potter.
52. Ticked off: MAD.
53. Journalist Velshi of MSNBC: ALI.
55. Highway hazard: FOG.
56. Presumed 8-Down crew: ETS.
