Theme: SHHH! Get the "H" out of my pun! This is not a letter removal puzzle, but a classic sound alike punfest, where a word, name or phrase which starts with the "SH" sound is replaced with a word place or phrase with the just the "S" sound. 65 letters in themeage and lots of two word fill, and what seems to be the first publication of Mr. Yanagisawa brings flashes of Dan Naddor to mind. Once you see his game this flowed pretty well with an emphasis on humor and not obscurity. Let's see how it all worked.
18A. Restraints to prevent the eating of forbidden fruit?: SIN SPLINTS. Those annoying pains in the front of your leg are SHIN SPLINTS, but it took the next answer for me to see the H disappear. SIN I got; the splint and forbidden fruit, still does not resonate.
23A. Crooned while tipsy?: SANG HIGH. This gave me the theme as I heard SHANGHAI in my brain. Maybe that damn lisp is coming back; hmm. Foreshadowing?
29A. Resistant to punches : SOCK PROOF. A real Joe Palooka; who probably wore an Timex watch which was SHOCK PROOF.
36A. Scary place to pray?: SURLY TEMPLE. Well if you ever prayed with a bunch of old Jewish men, early in the day...Better to remember SHIRLEY TEMPLE.
18A. Restraints to prevent the eating of forbidden fruit?: SIN SPLINTS. Those annoying pains in the front of your leg are SHIN SPLINTS, but it took the next answer for me to see the H disappear. SIN I got; the splint and forbidden fruit, still does not resonate.
23A. Crooned while tipsy?: SANG HIGH. This gave me the theme as I heard SHANGHAI in my brain. Maybe that damn lisp is coming back; hmm. Foreshadowing?
29A. Resistant to punches : SOCK PROOF. A real Joe Palooka; who probably wore an Timex watch which was SHOCK PROOF.
36A. Scary place to pray?: SURLY TEMPLE. Well if you ever prayed with a bunch of old Jewish men, early in the day...Better to remember SHIRLEY TEMPLE.
44A. Actor Holbrook under the weather?: SALLOW HAL. Hal is a wonderful actor who is most famous for his performances as Mark Twain, but also was a television regular. This clue came form the movie SHALLOW HAL (2:00), Jack Black and Gwyneth Paltrow and her panties. I was just speaking of this film and Tony Robbins at work today.
53A. Underwater menace? : SEA DEVIL. Not to be confused with this SHE DEVIL (2:58).
60A. Rooster that doesn't wake you up?: SUBTLE COCK. Oh Carol, Lois and Jeannie, where are you all when I need you? This is the new version of the old badminton favorite the SHUTTLE COCK. I cannot think of a single safe thing to say about this, except help Buckeye! so on to the rest....
Across:
1. Family nickname: MAMA. This was very hard because we never called our mother anything like that, instead she was Tick Tock Tarquinne, or other sensible names.
5. Turkeys: BOMBS. Ishtar? Pluto Nash? Your favorites?
10. Together, in scores: A DUE. From two in Italian.
14. Say and mean : AVER. My father always said, Say what you mean, and mean what you say.
15. "Star Wars" name: ARTOO.
16. Locks that are hard to manage: MOPS. Remember when the Beatles were the MOP TOPS?
17. Shed tool: RAKE. Where you store your implements, though oddly RAKES are often proud of their tools.
20. "Who am __ judge?": I TO. This is where I think I began to understand the mind of our new constructor; not only does he do puns and heavy themeage, but he hides puns. I think it is no coincidence this fill also spells ITO, as in Judge LANCE.
21. ID theft target: SSN. Social Security Number.
22. Eastern faith: SHINTO. The soul of the Japanese, but it seemed odd near the SIN/SHIN and the visit to China.
26. Sleep: Pref.: SOMNI. From the Latin SOMNUS, sleep, from which we get somnambulism (I walked right into that one) and INSOMNIA, not sleeping, like me right now.
28. Present in court: ARGUE. Each side has an opportunity to present their argument.
32. Officiate: REF. EREE.
34. Word often ignored in alphabetizing: THE. Like movie titles.
35. Golfs, e.g.: VWS. The cars.
40. Thickness: PLY. Not again, think toilet paper and tires.
42. Wide size: EEE. EEK!
43. Big-league: PRO. Fessional.
48. Island mentioned in the Beach Boys' "Kokomo": ARUBA. The first word in the SONG (3:34). What woman will go there with a boyfriend now?
52. At __: in one go : A CLIP. Hmm, a two word partial.
55. Doha resident: QATARI. I knew the country, but if it is pronounced "CUTTER" according to golf announcers, how is this word said?
58. Patience-virtue link: IS A. You think?
59. Regulus's constellation : LEO. If you like astronomy this bright star also known as Alpha Leonis is observable.
62. End of school?: MARM. She's back, from the old west.
63. Rhode Island senator for whom an education grant is named: PELL. His name was CLAIBORNE de Borda Pell, and was the senator from Rhode Island while I was growing up on de border in Connecticut. Though he came from a long line of rich politicians, and married the heiress to the A&P fortune, he really championed the poor. Maybe he was mad they named him Claiborne.
64. Struggling with: BAD AT. I hope you are not struggling with this Friday offering.
65. Community service org : YMCA. Young Men's Christian Association. You want to SING(3:22)?
66. Escaped: FREE.
67. "Then ...": AND SO. Like our dear departed Dan, Michael likes his partials.
68. One good at takeoffs: APER. Not to be confused with a MONKEYER. Well speaking of take offs, Dennis needs those clothes gone for his examinations, and I need to get to the next set.
Down:
1. Model/actress Berenson: MARISA. A model actress with an impressive bloodline, who was quite good in Cabaret. Her sister Berry was married to Tony Perkins until his death. Berry died in the WTC 9/11.
2. Online image: AVATAR. I like changing mine so I can show all my boys.
3. Vietnam's __ Delta: MEKONG. Not many happy memories for Americans.
4. Exist: ARE. Not art anymore.
5. Met villains, perhaps: BASSI. Do opera villains all have deep voices?
6. Round gaskets: O RINGS.
7. McKinley, e.g.: Abbr.: MTN. Named for one of our assassinated presidents.
8. Leader: BOSS. LINK. 'Nuff said.
9. Junior-to-be: SOPH. Where is the abbreviation hint?
10. Key related to C : A MINOR. JzB, expliquez, s'il vous plait.
11. Cop's order: DON'T MOVE. Or I will shoot.
12. Thus far: UP TO NOW. You all keeping up?
13. Twisting shape: ESS. Look at the ESS on that girl!
19. Struggle with sassafras?: LISP. My favorite LISP(0:03). Ah, here is the reference.
21. Absolute: SHEER. Nonsense.
24. Sage: GURU.
25. Restaurant pots: HOT TEAS. Rhymes with HOTTIES and HOT TEASE, hmmm.
27. They might happen: IFS. It could happen to you.
30. "The Motorcycle Diaries" subject: CHE. The road trip of Ernesto "Che" Guevara, which opened his eyes. Anyone read the book or seen the movie?
31. McCain : Palin:: Dole : __: KEMP. Jack, ex-Buffalo Bill quarterback.
33. Went up: FLEW. My take, great MOVIE(1:10).
36. One of seven in this clue: SYLLABLE.Very tricky, a new variation on the noun clue.
37. Casual "Sure : YEH. I always thought it was YEAH.
38. Italian luxury label: PRADA.. Do wear this LABEL(2:04)?
39. Legendary accounts: LORE. From days of yore.
40. Free TV ad: PSA. Public Service Announcement.
41. Strong finish? : LACQUER. I was lucky I had the Q, because I was looking for a long suffix. In GB it is nail varnish or lacquer, not polish.
45. Younger, as a sister: LITTLE. Even when she grows to be the tallest, right ladies?
46. Play-of-color gem: OPAL. how perfect to have a play of color stone in a play of words puzzle.
47. Camera store choices: LEICAS. Along with Nikon a very well respected camera, now made by three different companies, 2 German and one Swiss.
49. Tanning booth item, briefly: UV LAMP. Ultra Violet. Not used by 60D. Basker's abbr: SPF. For those of us who bask in the sun, not in Sherlock Holmes novels, we have Sun Protection Factor.
50. "The Devil's Dictionary" author: BIERCE. Ambrose Bierce was one of the true original wits in America, and can see him as well admired by our constructor. Read the book. Bierce disappeared while riding to observe Panch Villa in Mexico at age 71. he got in serious trouble for writing a satiric poem about assassination before McKinley was shot.
51. 12-time All-Star Roberto: ALOMAR. Son of a major leaguer, brother of a major leaguer (both named Sandy) many believe this recent Hall of Fame inductee is the best second basemen of all time. Not me, I still go for my golden oldie Nellie Fox.
54. Invite as one's date for: ASK TO. The first girl to ask me to a prom was named Temple Houston, not Shirley Temple, I wonder who ended up worshiping there.
56. Self-titled 2000s sitcom: REBA. Do you all like redheads?
57. Self-assured statement: I CAN. Am I the only one who thought of the little train?
61. A little off: ODD. Are you talking about me?
62. One-named R&B singer: MYA. I was not familiar with this ARTIST (3:04) but she certainly sounds and looks interesting. My thought was however, that our new constructor was using her as his sign off, as his initials are M YA, and based on his love of puns and misdirection, I think he has hiding himself here.
Answer grid.
In any event welcome Michael; keep up the positive attitude Creature and Ron and CA and the rest of us all, and to all a good night.
Lemonade
