A sound-alike pun puzzle where common F words are replaced with sound alike PH words and clued whimsically. I believe this is Susan's debut LAT though I did see a cute Monday NYT she had published in April, 2012. I enjoyed the wit in this effort though again, it did not seem like a Friday to me. There were some nice fill like NAG NAG, OMERTA, SEA HAG, SLIDER, HEXAGON, RAKES IN, AMEN AMEN, ANTI-HERO, SPEAKS UP. Maybe there is more hidden; anyway let us get going as it has been a busy week.
17A. Seriously uncool dairy product? : NON-PHAT MILK. If phat still a positive term?
(Fat to phat).
24A. Enjoy a TV psychologist? : HAVE ONE'S PHIL. Dr. Phil McGraw, of whom I long ago had my fill. (Fill to Phil).
46A. Followers' flowers? : PHLOX OF SHEEP. Flocks of sheep; love that sheep in the fill means a follower not the animal. The flowers which we had growing wild in my neighborhood. LINK. (Flocks to phlox).
56A. Sign on a hacker's door? : GONE PHISHIN' (11). Gone fishin' replaced by THIS.
(Fishin' to phishin.)
Across:
1. Hamlet, for one : DANE. A gimme start to those who love them some Shakespeare.
5. Happy hour sandwich : SLIDER. This took longer, as I wanted to have a HOAGIE to go with 18D. Composer Carmichael : HOAGY. Who does not remember STARDUST? (3:19)
11. Modern film effects, briefly : CGI. Computer-generated imagery.
14. Troubled cry : ALAS.
15. Roman board game similar to modern backgammon : TABULA. Well THIS is a Friday clue, rather than __ rasa.
16. Cartoon Chihuahua : REN.
19. Farm resident : ANT. I hope no one fell for this old trick, eieio.
20. Mauna __ : KEA. It's higher than LOA.
21. Sitcom world : ORK. How timely with the passing of Robin Williams.
22. Nail polish brand : ESSIE. All perps. LINK.
28. Long cold spell : ICE AGE.
31. Renée's "Chicago" role : ROXIE.
32. Pulitzer author McMurtry : LARRY. He has written lots of BOOKS, but for me it was TV's Lonesome Dove.
33. Church cry : AMEN AMEN. And the equally balanced 65A. Response to constant carping : NAG NAG.
37. Boom, e.g. : SPAR. These sailing terms are beyond me, but it filled. I am sure Jeannie would have explained it; spitzboov?
38. Chose, with "for" : OPTED.
40. Flier on the beach : KITE. Not in So. Fla.
41. Mad Max or Dirty Harry : ANTI-HERO. A nice trick answer.
43. "__ directed" : USE AS.
44. Serape wearer : SENOR.
45. They may be pulled : STUNTS.
50. Isabella, por ejemplo : REINA. Spanish for Queen.
51. Teacup feature : EAR. Next time you are holding one....
52. These, to Thierry : CES. Just french.
55. WWII battle site, for short : IWO.
61. "__ and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance": '70s best-seller : ZEN.
62. Code of silence : OMERTA. They have had so many rat on each other from Sammy the Bull to the Goodfellas I am not sure there is a mob anymore.
63. Sleekly designed : AEROdynamic.
64. Masthead VIPs : EDS. Newspapers, editors.
66. Last little bit : DREG.
Down:
1. Dungeonlike : DANK.
2. Natural heartburn remedy, some say : ALOE.
3. The Darlings' dog : NANA. Did you know there is a Disney WIKIA. A friend of my children appears in the Peter Pan online series. LINK.
4. Alleged ability : ESP.
5. Feel a strong need (for) : STARVE.
6. Traditional Hanukkah serving : LATKE. Potato pancake, and they are good all year.
7. "THINK" sloganeer : IBM.
8. Issue of MADD : DUI. Driving Under the Influence.
9. Addition, perhaps : ELL.
10. Collects a lot of, as chips : RAKES IN.
11. Attend uninvited : CRASH.
12. Bottled spirits : GENII. Never quite sure how to spell, usually think of
13. Big name in chips : INTEL. Computer chips
23. Doesn't remain silent : SPEAKS UP.
24. Indiana player : HARRISON. This one got me, as I filled in the answer and a blank look on my face until I realized we were having a Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones reference.
25. They provide addresses : ORATORS. Cute clue.
26. Iditarod terminus : NOME. The dogsled race.
27. Marked, as a ballot : EXED.
28. "Sing it, Sam" speaker : ILSA. Casablanca.
29. Skip on the sea : CAP'N.
30. Q.E.D. word : ERAT.
34. Carriage : MIEN. A nice Friday word.
35. Nouveau-Mexique, e.g. : ETAT. All French, New Mexico and State.
36. Head of the Untouchables : NESS. Which did you prefer ONE or TWO.
38. Sonoma prefix : OENO. Relating to wine.
39. TA's boss : PROFessor. Teaching Assistant.
42. Honeycomb cell shape : HEXAGON. Six-sided; and the next is 49D. Penta- plus two : HEPTA.
43. Development sites : UTERI. The old choice between Cherie Oteri or...
45. Witch who was a Popeye nemesis : SEA HAG.
46. Cherish : PRIZE.
47. Cut down : HEWED.
48. Community service club, with "the" : LIONS. They do much good work for blind people. READ.
52. "Believe" singer : CHER. Some love HER.
53. Cork setting : EIRE. UK or not?
54. Kiss and cuddle, in Kent : SNOG. A word learned from the British mysteries I have read; sounds like a good choice. A step on the shag latter.
57. Medical suffix : OMA. A word end that sadly often means a person's end. LINK.
58. Pic source : NEGative. Are there negatives any more? I am not positive?
59. Northwest end? : ERN. NorthwestERN.
60. Blue : SAD. Did anyone ever wonder about this use of blue? We love blue skies, bluebirds and lagoons(oops that was last week).
Well do not be too sad, Splynter will be here tomorrow to entertain. May you all be inscribed in the Book of Life for a sweet year. Lemonade out.
Note from C.C.:
Happy Birthday to Dennis (Left on the photo), who helped me greatly the first few years with this blog. He's also the first blog regular I collaborated with. Still waiting for our NYT. Been ages.
