Hello Cruciverbalists! CrossEyedDave here to fill in for the irreplaceable Hahtoolah, who could not be here today. This is my first time trying this, (on an Ipad no less...) so bear with me. I hope I don't drive you further askew with my slant on things.
Ready to see if we can learn something new? Here we go!
First Themer:
20A. Output of the Republican and Democratic National Conventions: PARTY NOMINEES.
(Um, no politics... So I can't describe how i feel about the above are running.)
Second Themer:
29A. Hose that may have a seam up the back: NYLON STOCKINGS.
(Hmm, maybe Splynter should have Blogged this puzzle...)
Third Themer:
46A. Common conveyances between suburbs and cities: COMMUTER TRAINS.
(Now we are getting somewhere...)
And, The Reveal:
56A. "Three Blind Mice" line, or what can be said of 20-, 29-, and 46-Across: SEE HOW THEY RUN.
Across:
1. Sound from an angry cat: HISS.
5. Veil material: LACE. (What are you trying to hide?)
9. Venom-dispensing tooth: FANG. (Or, Phyllis Dillers Husband...)
13. Like draft beer: ONTAP.
15. Division d'une nation: ETAT. French, it is in my "do not discuss file." Like Religion & Politics.
16. Simpson kid who plays the sax: LISA. My fav episode:
17. Small egg: OVULE. Hmm, seems to be getting bigger. Didn't it used to be Ova?
18. Claptrap: BOSH. One of the rarer synonyms, along with blather, blether, tripe, but its all hogwash to me...
19. Face-to-face exam: ORAL. Reminds me i have a dentist appt.
20. [Themer]
23. Punk musician Vicious: SID.
24. Pull from behind: TOW. Pull from behind means something completely different to me:
25. Soccer score: NIL.
26. Apple mobile platform: IOS. I'm working on one. It would be nice if they didn't change everything with every update...
29. [Themer]
33. Ramen mushroom: ENOKI. My Sushi place has them wrapped in bacon!
34. Sassy: SMART. (I am not... :(
35. Blast from the __: PAST.
38. Sounds of regret: SIGHS.
41. Baked desserts: PIES.
42. Group of ships: FLEET.
44. Instruction on a Wonderland cake: EATME.
46. [Themer]
51. Twice tre: SEI. Now, here you guys are going to have to help "me" out... I thought it might be French, but Google is not helping. And why don't they have "twice" in its foreign language anyway? Sheesh, I have enough trouble with English...
52. Pt. of USNA: NAV. Not Uni, Stat, or Aca, but "navy." Although, while it's commonly United States Naval Academy, some definitions have this as United States National Army. (Just be glad its not in French.)
53. Prince, to a king: SON. (Or a smaller idol to Elvis?)
54. Flamenco shout: OLE.
56. [Theme Reveal]
60. Hardware store purchase: TOOL. (I wanted nail...)
62. World's largest furniture retailer: IKEA. Four letters, what else could it be...
63. Skittish: TIMID. Reminds me of this PSA
64. Radio switch letters: AMFM. Clock switch letters AMPM Did you change your clocks Sunday?
65. Cousin of a gull: TERN. (Why does this sound like an insult?)
66. Wiggle room: SPACE. (I need all i can get.)
67. Analogy part: IS TO. (Apropos of...)
68. Named, informally: IDED. Now, I am supposed to space out words when they are crammed together. Like IsTo above. But when i space this one, it comes out "Id Ed'?
69. Winter transport: SLED. (Perfect Segway to slide into the Downs...)
Down:
1. Some round earrings: HOOPS.
2. Fruitlessly: IN VAIN.
3. Built to last: STURDY.
4. Sidewalk ice melter: SALT. Magnesium chloride is considered the least toxic, but a Google search reveals vinegar will work! Or if you want to track it through the house, cat litter, coffee grounds, sand, and, wait? What's this? Beet Juice??? (Imagine tracking that thru the house...)
5. "Big" name in the Coen brothers' filmography: LEBOWSKI.
6. Small building block: ATOM. Aren't you glad they don't hurt when you step on them, like Legos...
7. House of cards?: CASINO. Now this was a clever clue
8. Sharing a common culture: ETHNIC.
9. Sheet of ice: FLOE. Kinda sounds like when you slip on it. Yes/no?
10. Cairo-based carrier from 1982 to 2021: AIR SINAI. I guess El Al wouldn't fit...
11. Govt. intel org.: NSA. (Shhhh...)
12. Actress Gadot: GAL. If you say so?
14. Reed who directed three "Ant-Man" films: PEYTON. (Also if you say so...)
21. Forbidden acts: NONOS. Not putting a spaces between words are No Nos on the Blog
22. Edmonton CFL team: ELKS. ( i really wanted Oilers, its the only Canadian team i know.)
27. Shrek, for one: OGRE. (With three, count em, three movies!)
28. Phased-out fast planes, for short: SSTS. (Because they weren't shhhh...)
30. Casual "They can do what they want": LETEM. Ok, now this one I'm not sure. Do I put in a space or what?
31. Princeton athlete: TIGER. I dunno, the way they change team names these days, tomorrow it might be something else.
32. Hong Kong's Bank of China Tower architect: I.M. PEI.
35. Sarge's charges: PFCS. Private First Class
36. Soothing additive in some cosmetics: ALOE. No. I am "NOT" posting "that" pic...
37. Like Muenster and Monterey Jack: SEMISOFT.
39. Spot for a bowler to hang: HAT STAND. Hmm, see "the dude abides" above...
40. Detroit beer baron Bernhard: STROH. New too me, I tried to research what their beer was called, but all i got was the trivia that they were known as The Lion Brewing Company from 1875 to 1885. After all that Googling, i could really use a brewsky...
59. Sounds in pounds: YIPS. (Not Arfs...)
60. __ chi: martial art: TAI.
61. Meditation sounds: OMS.
5. Veil material: LACE. (What are you trying to hide?)
9. Venom-dispensing tooth: FANG. (Or, Phyllis Dillers Husband...)
13. Like draft beer: ONTAP.
Did you know you can get one for your home?
It's called a Kegerator!
(Get one & I'll come visit you...)
15. Division d'une nation: ETAT. French, it is in my "do not discuss file." Like Religion & Politics.
16. Simpson kid who plays the sax: LISA. My fav episode:
17. Small egg: OVULE. Hmm, seems to be getting bigger. Didn't it used to be Ova?
18. Claptrap: BOSH. One of the rarer synonyms, along with blather, blether, tripe, but its all hogwash to me...
19. Face-to-face exam: ORAL. Reminds me i have a dentist appt.
20. [Themer]
23. Punk musician Vicious: SID.
I'm only familiar with this Sid...
24. Pull from behind: TOW. Pull from behind means something completely different to me:
25. Soccer score: NIL.
26. Apple mobile platform: IOS. I'm working on one. It would be nice if they didn't change everything with every update...
29. [Themer]
33. Ramen mushroom: ENOKI. My Sushi place has them wrapped in bacon!
Yummers!
34. Sassy: SMART. (I am not... :(
35. Blast from the __: PAST.
38. Sounds of regret: SIGHS.
41. Baked desserts: PIES.
42. Group of ships: FLEET.
44. Instruction on a Wonderland cake: EATME.
Or an Animal House Parade Float
51. Twice tre: SEI. Now, here you guys are going to have to help "me" out... I thought it might be French, but Google is not helping. And why don't they have "twice" in its foreign language anyway? Sheesh, I have enough trouble with English...
52. Pt. of USNA: NAV. Not Uni, Stat, or Aca, but "navy." Although, while it's commonly United States Naval Academy, some definitions have this as United States National Army. (Just be glad its not in French.)
53. Prince, to a king: SON. (Or a smaller idol to Elvis?)
54. Flamenco shout: OLE.
56. [Theme Reveal]
60. Hardware store purchase: TOOL. (I wanted nail...)
62. World's largest furniture retailer: IKEA. Four letters, what else could it be...
63. Skittish: TIMID. Reminds me of this PSA
64. Radio switch letters: AMFM. Clock switch letters AMPM Did you change your clocks Sunday?
65. Cousin of a gull: TERN. (Why does this sound like an insult?)
66. Wiggle room: SPACE. (I need all i can get.)
67. Analogy part: IS TO. (Apropos of...)
68. Named, informally: IDED. Now, I am supposed to space out words when they are crammed together. Like IsTo above. But when i space this one, it comes out "Id Ed'?
69. Winter transport: SLED. (Perfect Segway to slide into the Downs...)
Down:
1. Some round earrings: HOOPS.
2. Fruitlessly: IN VAIN.
3. Built to last: STURDY.
4. Sidewalk ice melter: SALT. Magnesium chloride is considered the least toxic, but a Google search reveals vinegar will work! Or if you want to track it through the house, cat litter, coffee grounds, sand, and, wait? What's this? Beet Juice??? (Imagine tracking that thru the house...)
5. "Big" name in the Coen brothers' filmography: LEBOWSKI.
The Dude Abides
6. Small building block: ATOM. Aren't you glad they don't hurt when you step on them, like Legos...
7. House of cards?: CASINO. Now this was a clever clue
8. Sharing a common culture: ETHNIC.
9. Sheet of ice: FLOE. Kinda sounds like when you slip on it. Yes/no?
10. Cairo-based carrier from 1982 to 2021: AIR SINAI. I guess El Al wouldn't fit...
11. Govt. intel org.: NSA. (Shhhh...)
12. Actress Gadot: GAL. If you say so?
14. Reed who directed three "Ant-Man" films: PEYTON. (Also if you say so...)
21. Forbidden acts: NONOS. Not putting a spaces between words are No Nos on the Blog
22. Edmonton CFL team: ELKS. ( i really wanted Oilers, its the only Canadian team i know.)
27. Shrek, for one: OGRE. (With three, count em, three movies!)
28. Phased-out fast planes, for short: SSTS. (Because they weren't shhhh...)
30. Casual "They can do what they want": LETEM. Ok, now this one I'm not sure. Do I put in a space or what?
31. Princeton athlete: TIGER. I dunno, the way they change team names these days, tomorrow it might be something else.
32. Hong Kong's Bank of China Tower architect: I.M. PEI.
35. Sarge's charges: PFCS. Private First Class
36. Soothing additive in some cosmetics: ALOE. No. I am "NOT" posting "that" pic...
37. Like Muenster and Monterey Jack: SEMISOFT.
39. Spot for a bowler to hang: HAT STAND. Hmm, see "the dude abides" above...
40. Detroit beer baron Bernhard: STROH. New too me, I tried to research what their beer was called, but all i got was the trivia that they were known as The Lion Brewing Company from 1875 to 1885. After all that Googling, i could really use a brewsky...
P.S. auto correct changed brewsky to brew sky. I think the universe is telling me to cut out the space in the words jokes...
43. Prepare to play, as a piano: TUNE. This could have been a lot of things, but did you know that in order to tune a piano, you need a hammer? How to videos available upon request...
45. Some French Impressionist works: MANETS. (Not Monets.) and not what spellcheck wanted either. Monteys? Really?
47. Island in French Polynesia: TAHITI. Ahhh yes, perfectly cozy for a winter puzzler...
48. Conjured up: EVOKED. Tahiti evoked me in a hammock, sipping cocktails on the beach.
49. Unexceptional: NORMAL. What me? Never!
50. Artificial water channel: SLUICE. There are a lot of images to choose from, but this little one saves a lot of work when panning for gold
55. Shut down: ENDED. Nope, not yet...
57. Patron saint of sailors: ELMO. This was before the cuddly toy, see St.Elmos fire:
58. "Where __ we?": WERE.
43. Prepare to play, as a piano: TUNE. This could have been a lot of things, but did you know that in order to tune a piano, you need a hammer? How to videos available upon request...
45. Some French Impressionist works: MANETS. (Not Monets.) and not what spellcheck wanted either. Monteys? Really?
47. Island in French Polynesia: TAHITI. Ahhh yes, perfectly cozy for a winter puzzler...
48. Conjured up: EVOKED. Tahiti evoked me in a hammock, sipping cocktails on the beach.
49. Unexceptional: NORMAL. What me? Never!
50. Artificial water channel: SLUICE. There are a lot of images to choose from, but this little one saves a lot of work when panning for gold
55. Shut down: ENDED. Nope, not yet...
57. Patron saint of sailors: ELMO. This was before the cuddly toy, see St.Elmos fire:
58. "Where __ we?": WERE.
59. Sounds in pounds: YIPS. (Not Arfs...)
60. __ chi: martial art: TAI.
61. Meditation sounds: OMS.
And here's the Grid:
Hope to see you in the comments section.
CE:D out...
Notes from C.C.:
1) Welcome aboard, dear Dave! Thank you for sticking with it and learning the ropes on the iPad. Your persistence really shows.
2) Inanehiker and her husband Mark visited me on Sunday. Such a joy to finally meet Nina in person and share stories beyond the blog. We were also joined by my crossword collaborator and friend Tom Pepper.
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| Left to Right: Tom, Mark, Nina and C.C. |
