Good morning Cruciverbalists. Malodorous Manatee here with a Saint Patrick's Day Friday recap.
Today's puzzle comes to us from the team of Ms. Jess Shulman and Mr. Max Woghiren. Jess made her NYT puzzle debut just about one year ago. I was not able to find a previous LAT puzzle by either constructor so this may well be their LAT debuts.
I found the theme to be both clever and a bit convoluted (but, hey, it is Friday). The reveal, which has nothing to do with either St. Patrick's Day or Red Nose Day, comes at:
63 Across: "You're blocking the view!," and what is needed to complete the answers to the starred clues?: DOWN IN FRONT.
Actually, we needed two things. First, it helped to be able to identify the unstated initial (FRONT) word of the three song titles that are the answers to the themed clues. Second, in order to stop wondering what was going on, it was necessary for one to realize that the dropped words are words that can be substituted for the word DOWN. In short, a "synonym" for DOWN (is) IN FRONT.
Here are the three themed clues/answers, once again starred for our convenience:
17 Across: *Bilingual Ed Sheeran song featuring Camila Cabello and Cardi B: (SOUTH) OF THE BORDER. On most maps, SOUTH is DOWN. DOWN SOUTH refers to being in, or going to, the southern part of the country.
29 Across: *R.E.M. hit single on "Out of Time": (LOSING) MY RELIGION. If your team is LOSING the game you are said to be DOWN (by a run or two or a by a touchdown or by a goal, etc.).
REM
47 Across: *Carl Perkins rockabilly classic popularized by Elvis Presley: (BLUE) SUEDE SHOES. Perhaps, the most direct application of the theme: DOWN = SAD = BLUE.
Carl Perkins With Eric Clapton and George Harrison - 1985
Here are the rest of the, proper-noun-abundant, clues/answers:
Across:
1. Scarecrow innards: STRAW.
6. Italian port: GENOA. Christopher Columbus' place of birth. And, sometimes, berth. Also a variety of salami.
11. Get better, maybe: AGE. Like fine wine.
14. Gear bit: TOOTH.
15. Cheri of "Scary Movie": OTERI. A not-infrequent visitor.
16. Musical about Henry VIII's many wives: SIX.
19. Fury: IRE.
20. "Oh, come on!": PUHLEASE. A very appropriate reaction to this one.
21. Aims: GOALS.
23. "Love Stuff" singer King: ELLE. Unknown to this solver. Thanks, perps.
24. Tub gunk: SCUM.
Hot Tub Scum
26. Vane point: EAST. Weather vane.
34. Poetic rhythm: METER. IAMB did not contain enough letters to fill the squares.
36. Plenty: A LOT. TONS. GOBS. LOTS. WADS. Perps dictated which it was.
37. Jazz org.: NBA.
Of the National Basketball Association
38. "¡Ay, Dios __!": MIO. Today's Spanish lesson. See 22 Down for the translation.
39. Anthem that ends, "We stand on guard for thee": O CANADA.
42. "Dear old" one: DAD.
David Nelson
43. Over thataway: YON. Have you ever heard anyone in an oater say "They went YON" ?
44. "Shane" star Alan: LADD. He went thataway.
Movie Poster - 1953
45. "Spider-Man" trilogy director: RAIMI. Sam RAIMI.
51. Jet set jet: LEAR.
52. Wrote to online, briefly: IMED. Instant MessagED
53. Feels bad: AILS.
55. TikTok upload: VIDEO. A Moe-ku:
Tik Tok VIDEOs
Leave me uninterested
Perhaps I'm just odd
58. Very nearly: AS GOOD AS. Shouldn't the answer be ALMOST AS GOOD AS?
62. Rita Dove's "__ to My Right Knee": ODE.
66. Decathlon number: TEN. By definition.
67. Top-flight: ELITE.
68. Under control: TAMED.
69. Put away: EAT. Idiomatic
70. "I'm out": LATER.
71. Puts one over on: SNOWS.
Down:
1. "Cut it out!": STOP. My girlfriend got mad at me because I would not STOP singing "I'm A Believer" by the Monkees. At first I thought that she was kidding. But then I saw her face.
2. Food sold in blocks: TOFU. Until recently, I didn't know that TOFU could taste so good. It never o-curd to me.
3. "American Pastoral" Pulitzer winner: ROTH. Perhaps better known for Goodbye Columbus and Portnoy's Complaint.
4. Word in several ESPY Award categories: ATHLETE.
5. Cheese shape: WHEEL.
Parmigiano Reggiano - Photo by MM
6. Loosey-__: GOOSEY.Meaning completely relaxed. The phrase, probably aided in longevity by the rhyme, dates from the first half of the 1900's. In earlier usage, it sometimes denoted promiscuity (loose morals), diarrhea (loose bowels), and so on but since about 1950 it has mostly stuck to its present meaning.
7. Basic French verb: ETRE. Today's French lesson - a language in which most verbs are conjugated with AVOIR (to have) or ETRE (to be).
8. Composer Rorem: NED.
Ned Rorem
9. Nickel source: ORE. The metal not the coin.
10. Wind instrument?: AIR GUITAR. Some AIR GUITAR players can actually play actual (in this instance left-handed bass) guitars.
11. Much of an atlas: ASIA.
12. Mary Cassatt's "Little __ in a Blue Armchair": GIRL. A painting (1878).
13. Former couples: EXES.
18. Lip __: BALM. Hand up for first thinking SYNC.
22. "Srsly?!": OMG. Seriously?
24. Actress Ward: SELA.
25. Dolt: CLOD.
26. Awards for "Schitt's Creek": EMMYS. Clued the way it was, any of a shipload of tv shows could have been referenced.
27. Vowel set: A E I O U. I once fell in love with a girl who knew only four vowels. She didn't know I existed.
28. "The Favourite" actress Emma: STONE.
30. Total stranger: RANDO. Oh puhlease!
31. __ folk: INDIE. INDIE folk has its earliest origins in 1990's folk artists who displayedalternative rock influences in their music,
32. "Becoming" memoirist: OBAMA. Not Barack. Not Sasha. Not Malia. Michelle.
33. Low point: NADIR.
35. One to emulate: ROLE MODEL. Hi, Robert.
40. Docket item: CASE. A trial court reference.
41. Ritalin target: Abbr.: ADHD.
46. Unsuccessful candidate: ALSO RAN.
48. Conk out: DIE.
49. Less taxing: EASIER.
50. Say "cheese" by rubbing one's palms together, e.g.: SIGN. At first I thought they were talking about smiling for a photo. But it would not have made any difference because the answer was going to be American SIGN Language in either case.
54. Many apartments in former industrial areas: LOFTS.
55. Rock the __: VOTE. An organization whose mission is to engage and build the political power of young Americans.
56. Concept: IDEA.
57. Minor progress: DENT. My friend sailed his boat into the dock at a rapid pace causing a dent in the hull. He says that it's just a berth mark.
58. Chip in?: ANTE.
59. "__ arigato": DOMO. Today's Japanese lesson.
60. Over again: ANEW.
61. Norms: Abbr.: STDS. Not social diseases. STanDardS.
64. São Paulo greeting: OLA. Today's Portuguese lesson.
65. Card: WIT. Not playing cards. Idiomatic.
Here is how this all looks in the grid. Please pay no attention to the yellow/red highlighted squares at 3 Down. The .puz file solving app that I had to use while away from home does not allow me to override the app's highlighting of one's "current" place in the puzzle.
