Theme: It sounds like RAIN. Each of the three theme answers replaces Rain in a common phrase with a homonym, creating a punny new phrase. Rain also appears in the unifier. This is our second offering from Mr. Horwitz, he did the interesting tribute to Peter O'Toole last year with a co-constructor. This time he teams up with Tony Orbach, a NY Times regular. Jeremy has had some solos published in the NYT. They have some nice long horizontal fill in this one. Let us decode where this math expert (cryptographer?) leads us.
17A. Beaver's motto? : REIN WATER. (RAIN WATER) Dam, this one was hard. It took a while and the perps to suss this out and then a moment to realize it referred to the water blocking tendencies of this suggestively named creature. Once you remember REIN comes from the same Latin stem from which we get restrain, it all makes sense.
31A. Device for measuring a king's performance? : REIGN GAUGE (RAIN GAUGE). Reign comes from the Latin REGNUM, rule, kingship.
48A. Jig performed by Wilson of "The Office"? : RAINN DANCE.(RAIN DANCE). This ACTOR. Not sure why he received the extra N. One was good enough for Richard Pryor.
66A. Postponement...or what was not performed in 17-, 31- and 48-Across? : RAIN CHECK. Well, not really, it is what you get when there is a postponement. Anyway, let us see how this duo clues....
Across:
1. Be positive : KNOW. I know you all got this to start us off.
5. Erases from the bases : TAGS. Like the rhyme this time, and baseball for C.C.
9. Ebb : ABATE. A happy A word.
14. John Ratzenberger voiced one in "Monsters, Inc." : YETI. Three cheers for this voice actor who will always be Cliff to me.
17A. Beaver's motto? : REIN WATER. (RAIN WATER) Dam, this one was hard. It took a while and the perps to suss this out and then a moment to realize it referred to the water blocking tendencies of this suggestively named creature. Once you remember REIN comes from the same Latin stem from which we get restrain, it all makes sense.
31A. Device for measuring a king's performance? : REIGN GAUGE (RAIN GAUGE). Reign comes from the Latin REGNUM, rule, kingship.
48A. Jig performed by Wilson of "The Office"? : RAINN DANCE.(RAIN DANCE). This ACTOR. Not sure why he received the extra N. One was good enough for Richard Pryor.
66A. Postponement...or what was not performed in 17-, 31- and 48-Across? : RAIN CHECK. Well, not really, it is what you get when there is a postponement. Anyway, let us see how this duo clues....
Across:
1. Be positive : KNOW. I know you all got this to start us off.
5. Erases from the bases : TAGS. Like the rhyme this time, and baseball for C.C.
9. Ebb : ABATE. A happy A word.
14. John Ratzenberger voiced one in "Monsters, Inc." : YETI. Three cheers for this voice actor who will always be Cliff to me.
15. Puerto Rico, por ejemplo : ISLA. Spanish.
16. Edible mushroom : MOREL. The official fungus of the Corner! We are not the only ones who get excited about this suggestive shape. LINK.
19. Model : IDEAL. Do you have a favorite? Also, 52.A Supermodel Taylor : NIKI. She has had some bad times.
20. Uncertain : AT SEA.
21. Auburn, e.g.:Abbr. : UNIVersity. Located in Auburn, Alabama.
23. Rochester's love : EYRE. Jane, from the novel, not Jack Benny.
24. One queued up for petrol : BRIT. Hello to all of our Brits whereever they may be. Steve, NC? And 72A. Ozzy Osbourne duo? : ZEDS. More Brit speak, Z.
26. "So will I...make the net/ that shall enmesh them all" speaker : IAGO. It is like they know how much I love me some Shakespeare on my blog days, from Othello.
28. Sri Lankan king : RAJA.
36. Takes over : USURPS. Robert Baratheon, the Usurper.
38. "You must be looking for someone else" : NOT I. Please no more grammar.
39. Westernmost Rocky Mountain st. : NEVada.
40. USMC enforcers : MPS. United States Marine Corps. Military Police.
41. Doctor's threads? : LAB COAT. Am I the only one who thought of Rocky Horror?
43. One in Saint-Émilion : UNE. Francaise Une, zero, une.
44. U.N. Day month : OCTober. We all celebrate this day, right. $1.00 to anyone but Tinbeni who knows the date without looking.
45. Ghostly glow : AURA.
46. Antagonist in Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" : GASTON. You think he gets a bad RAP?
51. Future D.A.'s hurdle : LSAT. Law School Admission Test, obligatory law reference.
53. City with Ibsen quotes set into its sidewalks : OSLO. Jerome, have you been?
55. "Jaws" boat : ORCA.
57. Woodpile protector : TARPaulin. Usually we see this with baseball diamond.
60. Prefix with arthritis : OSTEO. From the Greek.
64. Show emotion, say : REACT. Oh no, oh no, oh yessss, yessss. See, I can act.
68. Sink : BASIN.
69. Seller of SOMMARVIND beach accessories : IKEA. I get this initialism often and I am not re-posting the words.
70. Logical lead-in : ERGO. Latin, Cogito ergo sum. Je pense, donc je suis. Descartes.
71. Pooped : SPENT. I am and I still have to do all the downs.
73. Eucharist wafer, e.g. : DISK.
Down:
1. Actress Sedgwick : KYRA. The CLOSER, married to Kevin Bacon. And, 65D. "The Closer" channel : TNT.
2. Old depilatory : NEET. NAIR NO HAIR?
3. Publisher Chandler : OTIS. A shout out to the LA Times for this last member of his FAMILY.
4. Place to enjoy the last blush of summer? : WINE BAR. Nice fill, nice pun on blush wine. And, 22D. 4-Down concerns : VINTAGES. From the French.
5. Andalusian aunt : TIA.
6. Sharp : ASTUTE. He was astute, an A student.
7. Small valley : GLEN. Not Campbell.
8. Bollywood wrap : SARI. I linked how to wrap one, you all recall?
9. "What __ to do?" : AM I? I must keep going still work to do.
10. Barrio market : BODEGA. This MARKET. We have many here in Hialeah and Miami.
11. "Don't be a fool!" : ARE YOU NUTS? Nice new fill.
12. Rip : TEAR. One of my favorite actors, not at his BEST.
13. Vogue rackmate : ELLE. Magazine rack, not Dennis' life work.
18. Major fight : WAR.
25. Taxing event, in more ways than one : IRS AUDIT. Taxing event, what form!
27. Mylanta target : AGITA. A good new jersey word.
28. Mill story? : RUMOR. The old rumor mill.
29. Toy-saving org. : ASPCA. Toy dogs. American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
30. As a precaution : JUST IN CASE. Who is this Justin case guy anyway?
32. Early Peruvian : INCAN. Or Prince Albert?
33. Gunk : GOO. Eyes, dolls?
34. City SSW of Milan : GENOA.
35. Happening : EVENT.
37. Pirate ship part : PLANK. Nice place for a walk?
42. Two-piece piece : BRA.
47. Stinko : SLOSHED. Blotto, smashed, etc.
49. Vitamin B3 : NIACIN.
50. Ripped from a CD : COPIED. ?
54. ___ cit.: footnote abbr. : LOC. We use Id. the abbreviation of Ibid. LINK.
55. Balls : ORBS. I grabbed by his orbs? No.
56. Gather : REAP. What you sow.
58. Where PHX airport is : ARIZ.
59. Fall tool : RAKE. I am going to leave this clue alone.
61. Actress Hatcher : TERI. One of my favorite guests on SEINFELD and a dangerous housewife..
62. ER readouts : ECGS. Not as well known as EKGS, but more accurate. ElectroCardioGrams.
63. "All right, already!" : OK OK. We are almost done.
67. ___ in November : N AS.
Answer grid.
Well my pretties, we have managed to rush through another week. It was fun. Thank you all for tuning in, so now it is time to say good night Chet.
Lemonade
