63. 2002 Spielberg film ... and a hint to the start of 17-, 26- and 48-Across: CATCH ME IF YOU CAN.
Melissa here. After seeing BREAK, WAVE, and RIDE, I thought the theme had something to do with waves. Had to get it all filled in before I caught on.
Across:
1. Another name for hopscotch: POTSY. Was not aware of this, from Wiki: "Hopscotch was/is called Potsy in New York City. (The name probably refers to the "potsherd" that was used as a marker.)"
6. Naysayer: ANTI.
10. West Coast salmon: COHO. One of several species of Pacific salmon.
14. Curly-tailed guard dog: AKITA. Favorite of a former regular on the blog. Handsome breed.
15. Brought into being: BORN.
16. Intl. oil group: OPEC.
20. Golden years group: AARP.
21. Wedding invite request: RSVP. It is so hard to get people to respond to invitations.
22. Wedding vow word: WORSE. For better or ...
23. Tablecloth material: LACE.
25. Snake, periodically: MOLTER.
31. Red __: ALERT.
32. Inexperienced, as a recruit: RAW.
33. "I should add ... ": ALSO.
37. Easter beginning?: NOR. Sneaky clue with Easter coming up. What is a nor'easter?
38. Glittery bit on a dress: SPANGLE.
42. Uber info: ETA. Estimated Time of Arrival.
43. Like Tommy, in the rock opera: DEAF.
45. "That hurt!" cries: OWS.
46. Swell up: BLOAT.
52. Eucharist plates: PATENS. A small plate, used for communion during Mass. There are many designs.
55. Hops-drying oven: OAST.
56. Protestant denom.: EPISC. Another tricky one - did not know there was an abbreviated form.
57. Close buds: BROS.
59. Spanish hors d'oeuvre: TAPA.
66. Cuatro times dos: OCHO. Spanish.
67. Red Sox star Big __: PAPI. David Ortiz. Also played for Minnesota Twins.
68. Phased-out Apple messaging tool: ICHAT.
69. Takes in: SEES.
70. Vane spinner: GUST.
71. Lecherous looks: LEERS.
Down:
1. Bygone sunscreen ingredient: PABA. Para-aminobenzoic acid was introduced into sunscreens in the 1970s because of its natural ability to absorb UV rays—the ones that cause sunburn. Most sunscreens today, however, don't use PABA. Like oxybenzone, it was found to increase sensitivity to allergic reactions. You can buy it as a supplement though, it is said to stimulate hair growth and reduce greying of hair.
2. Fried side with a po'boy: OKRA.
3. Organization chart level: TIER.
4. Fastening gadget: STAPLER.
5. Chatter: YAK.
6. One taking advantage of privilege: ABUSER. Some of that in the news lately.
7. Rule during homework time, perhaps: NO TV.
8. Word with road or side: TRIP.
9. Traveler's rest: INN.
10. Toyota compact: COROLLA.
11. Dizzying pictures: OP ART. Short for optical art.
19. Object of a mil. search: AWOL. Absent Without Leave.
24. Siesta hrs.: AFTS.
25. Cry weakly: MEWL.
26. Beauxbatons Academy coat of arms symbol, in Harry Potter: WAND. According to Harry Potter Wiki, "the school's coat of arms consists of two golden wands crossed over one another, each shooting three stars."
27. With 28-Down, hand lotion ingredient: ALOE.
28. See 27-Down: VERA.
29. Dadaist Max: ERNST. Dadaism is an artistic movement in modern
art that started around World War I. Its purpose was to ridicule the
meaninglessness of the modern world. Its peak was 1916 to 1922, and it
influenced surrealism, pop art, and punk rock. It favored going against
the standards of society. See some of his art here.
30. Bit of a tail flip: WAG. Wag more, bark less.
34. Boxer Spinks: LEON.
35. Legato's opposite, in mus.: STAC.
36. Hand-on-the-Bible promise: OATH.
39. Vanilla containers: PODS.
40. Leave dumbstruck: AWE.
41. Drops off: EBBS.
44. Paintings on wet plaster: FRESCOS. I wonder if any were destroyed in the Notre Dame Cathedral.
Theme: URBAN RENEWAL. Steps in an aspect of property improvement are presented in their logical order.
18 A. Controversial excavation method: STRIPMINING. Instead of digging tunnels, the top layers of soil are STRIPPED away, revealing an open pit from which ore or coal can be removed. Forests, top soil, other plant life, and even entire mountain tops are removed. This is a very environmentally hostile technique. In theme context, we will STRIP off the old paint - or, perhaps, wall paper - to reveal a fresh surface for redecoration
20 A. Beach house?: SANDCASTLE. Not a class home or rental on what 38A suggests, but an ephemeral bit of perhaps artistic handiwork near the shore line. Check these out. I couldn't pick one. On a somewhat less grandiose scale here are some of my grandchildren filling the moat on their construction at Coldwater Lake in 2006.
You SAND the surface using SAND paper, to remove foreign material and provide a smooth substrate for the next steps.
38 A. Beachfront property, often: PRIMEREAL ESTATE. It's always pricey along the water. At this point I was confused about the theme. What did STRIP MINING have to do with expensive beach front property? But the theme uses a different sense of the word PRIME. To get a good, smooth finish, you often need to PRIME the surface. This seals pores in the material, provides better adhesion for the top coat, increases durability and provides more robust protection for the painted surface.
57 A. Breed of Tonto's Scout: PAINTHORSE. This is a registered breed that developed from spotted horses with thoroughbred and quarter horse blood lines. There are a few images on this Wikipedia page. All of the preceding was preliminary to the finishing step, which is to PAINT the item that has received all this care and effort.
59. Handyman's work suggested by the starts of 18-, 20-, 38- and 57-Across: RESTORATION. Returning something to its prior or original condition, or - in this case - making over and improving a property or item. A new PAINT job can be a part of that freshening process.
Hi, Gang. It's JazzBumpa here to supervise the job. We outsource this sort of work. It relieves me of a burden, and helps keep the economy moving. And to be honest, it gets done better. Let us keep moving and see what we can uncover in the rest of the project.
Across:
1. Punk rock subgenre: EMO. More complex and emotionally driven than punk rock in general.
4. Catches red-handed: NABS. Capturing the miscreant in flegrante delicto. By analogy to catching murderer with blood on his hands.
8. Medieval stringed instruments: REBECS. As you can see here, there are two ways to hold it.
14. GoPro product, briefly: CAMera for taking action movies..
15. Many a homecoming attendee: ALUMnus/na. A graduate of an educational institution.
16. Covent Garden offerings: OPERAS. This place is London's main theater and entertainment district, and home to the Royal Opera House.
17. All-Star pitcher: ACE. the best starting pitcher on a baseball team, and generally the first in the rotation.
22. Little biter: GNAT. Any of many small two-winged flying insect that often form large swarms. There are biting and non-biting varieties.
23. Bible book between Daniel and Joel: HOSEA. The same 8th century B.C. Old Testament prophet of doom who appeared in my last blogging effort here. Due to failing eyesight in his later years, he was often asked, "Hosea, can you see?"
24. Biblical pronoun: THY. Wrinkle not THY nose at my attempts at Biblical humor.
25. Nursery cry: MAMA. Baby talk.
26. Form 1040 agcy.: IRS. Infernal Revenue Service, as they used to say on HeeHaw. Or so I've been told by people who actually watched it,
28. Permanent sites?: SALONS. Hair dos.
30. Sounds of contentment: AAHS. Spa noises.
33. __ Fables: AESOP'S. He was an old Greek story teller.
37. Criticize harshly: RIP. A figurative, not literal, rending.
41. Org. for netmen: ATP. Association of Tennis Professionals. They have an objective, merit-based system for determining entry qualifications and seeding in tournaments.
42. "Barney Miller" star Hal: LINDEN. Harold Lipshitz [b 1931] began his career as a big band singer in the '50's. The Barney Miller series, named for the character he portrayed, ran from 1975 to 1982.
43. Linear: ONE-D. One dimensional.
44. Biathlon weapons: RIFLES. This is hybrid sport that combines shooting for accuracy and cross country skiing for speed.
46. __ Bund: Swiss newspaper: DER. Meaning THE Union, this publication has fallen on hard times in recent decades.
48. Skelton's Kadiddlehopper: CLEM. A country bumpkin character who was slow witted and kind hearted.
49. Merit badge org.: BSA. Boy Scouts of America.
52. Tut-tutted: TSKED. A tongue-clicking sign of disapproval.
56. Scottish family: CLAN. A kinship group having a sense of shared identity.
61. Shortest surname in Cooperstown: OTT. Mel [1909-1958] played right field for the New York Giants from 1926 to 1947. A 12-time star, he finished his career with a .304 bating average, 488 doubles and1860 RBIs. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1951.
62. Kin of jujitsu: AIKIDO. a Japanese form of self-defense and martial art that uses locks, holds, throws, and the opponent's own movements. "The name Aikido is composed of three Japanese words: ai, meaning harmony; ki, spirit or energy; and do, the path, system or way. Aikido is the way of the spirit of harmony. Martial arts are studied for self-defense and self-improvement but Aikido is different from other martial arts in that practitioners seek to defend themselves without causing injury to their attackers."
63. Yours, to Yves: ATOI. French
64. Once known as: NEE. Referring to a married woman's maiden name. Also French
65. Planted a red herring, say: MISLED. Figuratively sending someone in a wrong direction.
66. Poolroom powder: TALC. It's used to reduce moisture and friction in the pool players hand that is used as a bridge for the cue stick.
67. Drop the ball: ERR. A defensive mistake in baseball.
Down:
1. Cybermoney: E-CASH.
2. Chinese gambling mecca: MACAO. A former Portuguese colony that was returned to China in 1999. It has a separate system of government from the rest of mainland China.
3. Forebodings: OMENS. Events presumed to foretell ensuing good or evil.
4. Sprint Cup org.: NASCAR. The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is headquartered in Daytona, Fla.
5. Utah ski resort: ALTA.
6. Break open: BURST.
7. Word for word?: SMITH. A wordSmith is a skilled user of words, but the sense of this clue escapes me.
8. Tiber River capital: ROME. In Italy.
9. Center starter: EPI-. Prefix for loanwords from Greek, meaning upon, over, at or near. Center comes to us from Greek, via Latin.
10. Cincinnati player: BENGAL. Professional football.
11. "Happy Days" actress: ERIN MORAN. [1960-2017] She played Joanie Cunningham.
12. Inhabitant of ancient Palestine: CANAANITE. Any member of several ethnic groups who occupied parts of modern-day Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan during the bronze age and earlier.
13. NCO rank: SSGT. A Staff Sergeant is a Non-commissioned officer.
19. Work at, as a trade: PLY. Related to "apply," meaning to work steadily at one's business or trade.
21. Reason-based faith: DEISM. Belief in the existence of a creator as "first cause" that rejects notions of miracles, revelations, or a God that interacts with humans
25. Easter liturgy: MASS. The liturgical service of the Christian Catholic church. Masses are certainly held on Easter - as well as every other day of the year. This is a very poor clue.
27. One-piece dresses: SARIS. The SARI, or saree, is traditional garb from India.
29. Floored it: SPED. Pushing the gas pedal to the floor boards.
30. On __ with: A PAR. Equivalent or similar.
31. Constitution section that creates the executive branch: ARTICLE II. Article I creates the legislative branch. Article III creates the judicial branch.
32. On-the-sly alcohol containers: HIP FLASKS. A container that can be slipped into a pocket.
34. Poetic time: E'EN. Evening.
35. Downcast: SAD. Unhappy or depressed.
36. Bullfight cheer: OLE. From Spanish-speaking countries.
39. K thru 6: ELEMentary school grades.
40. Upper body: TORSO. The trunk of the body, exclusive of the head and limbs.
45. Soup legume: LENTIL. A small, round, lens-shaped bean. As a food crop, the majority comes from India, Canada and Australia.
47. Cultural, as cuisine: ETHNIC. Relating to a population subgroup with a common national or cultural tradition.
49. Sheep's cry: BAA. Or MAA. You never know.
50. Occupy, as a desk: SIT AT.
51. Santa __ racetrack: ANITA. The Santa ANITA park is located in Arcadia, CA.
53. Scandinavian coin: KRONE. Currently equal to about $0.12.
54. Fragrant compound: ESTER. They occur in many natural products and provide the aromas of most fresh fruits.
55. Discourage: DETER. Block, impede, hamper.
56. Pull an all-nighter: CRAM. Last minute studying for a big test. Probably not a very good ides.
57. Urge: PROD. Poke, jab, nudge.
58. Item in a kit: TOOL. A device or implement - in this case hand held - used to carry out a particular function
60. "__ to My Right Knee": Rita Dove poem: ODE. A lyric poem in elevated style addressing a particular object. This one is not exactly an homage.
That completes this project. Hope the results are pleasing.
51. Ad boast for a relaunched product: NEW AND IMPROVED.
63. Trait for an evil genius ... and a hint to what can literally be found in 17-, 23-, 39- and 51-Across: TWISTED MIND.
Melissa here. These mixed up letter themes can be hard to spot, especially when the word is short. I didn't see all the MINDs until the reveal was filled in.
Across:
1. Specially formed: AD HOC.
6. Suffix with Jumbo: TRON.
10. Outback: BUSH. Australia.
14. Avian crops: CRAWS. Learning moment for me. A craw is an area in a bird's throat in which food can be kept, also called a crop. Thus the phrase, "stick in one's craw."
15. Disney film set in Polynesia: MOANA. With a two-year old granddaughter and another on the way, I am trying to learn all my Disney princesses.
16. "Fancy meeting you here!": OH HI.
19. Prompted on stage: CUED.
20. Energy Star co-mgr.: EPA.
21. Backless slippers: MULES.
22. Country's Haggard: MERLE. After a troubled childhood he was incarcerated a few times in his youth - notably in San Quentin. He joined the prison band after being inspired by a 1958 New Year's Day performance there by Johnny Cash, and went on to write a handful of hit songs about prison. Haggard died in 2016.
27. River formations: DELTAS.
29. Kiwi-shaped: OVAL.
30. Eye-opener?: ALARM.
31. Aplomb: POISE.
34. Hieroglyphics bird: IBIS.
38. Court figs.: DAS. District Attorneys.
42. D-Day vessel: LST. News to me: Landing Ship, Tank (LST), or tank landing ship, is the naval designation for ships first developed during World War II (1939-1945) to support amphibious operations by carrying tanks, vehicles, cargo, and landing troops directly onto shore with no docks or piers.
43. Uninvited picnic arrivals: ANTS.
45. Short or tall thing (and neither refers to height): ORDER. I was thinking coffee or espresso.
46. Zany: LOONY. Fun to see this so close to 50A.
48. Soupçon: HINT. New word for me. French. From Wictionary: "A very small amount; a hint; a trace, slight idea; an inkling. No one is so depraved that a soupçon of goodness cannot be found in them."
50. Acme's best customer?: COYOTE. In production is Coyote vs. Acme, the first Looney Tunes film to be in 3D, RealD, 3D and IMAX 3D. From IMDB: "A story set in the ACME warehouse, the manufacturer of anything and everything used by the Looney Tunes characters."
57. Hoover rival: ORECK.
58. Patterned fabric: TOILE. More French. "A fabric, from the French word meaning 'linen cloth' or 'canvas,' particularly cloth or canvas for painting on."
59. Fuel for the fire: LOG.
62. Almond __: MILK.
66. Censorship-fighting org.: ACLU.
67. __ Hawkins Day: SADIE. From Wikipedia: "An American folk event and pseudo-holiday originated by Al Capp's classic hillbilly comic strip Li'l Abner (1934–1978). This inspired real-world Sadie Hawkins events, the premise of which is that women ask men for a date or dancing."
68. Ancient Greek region: IONIA.
69. Abrasive tool: RASP.
70. Proof word: ERAT.
71. Itsy-bitsy: TEENY.
Down:
1. Pinnacle: ACME. Again with Wile E. Coyote!
2. Water waster: DRIP.
3. Whooped it up: HAD A BLAST.
4. Dominate: OWN.
5. Forensic TV spin-off: CSI MIAMI.
6. Carved emblem: TOTEM.
7. Mrs. Gorbachev: RAISA.
8. Number of gods worshipped in Zoroastrianism: ONE. Hope to see Bohemian Rhapsody movie soon - I did not know this about Freddie Mercury.
9. "Stillmatic" rapper: NAS.
10. Italian tenor Andrea: BOCELLI.
11. Swahili for "freedom": UHURU.
12. Walmart stock holder?: SHELF. Love this clue.
13. HDTV part, for short: HI DEF.
15. Mix together: MELD.
18. Many "Call the Midwife" characters: NUNS.
22. CFO's degree: MBA. Master of Business Administration.
24. USPS unit: LTR. Letter. My nonprofit receives up to 1,000 units every month.
25. Private reply?: NO SIR. Second favorite clue.
26. "Frozen" reindeer: SVEN.
27. Bit of baby talk: DADA.
28. Pizazz: ELAN.
31. Start of a series: PART I.
32. A little bit off: ODD.
33. "__ Mine": Beatles song: I ME.
35. Sequence of direct ancestors: BLOODLINE. Family tree didn't fit.
36. "Freedom __ free": salute to military sacrifice: ISN'T.
37. Ocular malady: STYE.
40. Spot for a koi or a decoy: POND.
41. "That was awesome!": I LOVED IT.
44. Move in together: SHACK UP.
47. "Listen up," to Luis: OYE.
49. Pen filler: INK.
50. King with a pipe: COLE. Nat King Cole. (*Correction - thanks D-otto, Canadianeh! and Lucina, this was surely a reference to "Old King Cole" of nursery rhyme fame. Ironically enough though, Nat King Cole did collect pipes, and died of lung cancer.)
51. SportsNet LA analyst Garciaparra: NOMAR. Usually rely on perps for sports clues. Retired baseball player who played All-Star shortstop with Boston Red Sox, third base and first base for the Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers, and the Oakland Athletics.
52. Writer Jong: ERICA.
53. Water sources: WELLS.
54. Crete peak: Abbr.: MT IDA. Had no idea. Wikipedia.
Theme: On your Marx, get set . . . Three long answers are common, in-the-language phrases doubling as movie titles. These movies star a band of brothers.
20 A. Shenanigans: MONKEY BUSINESS. Mischievous or deceitful behavior. Also, a 1952 movie staring Carey Grant, Marilyn Monroe and Ginger Rogers.
But more to the point, this 1931 movie featuring the aforementioned siblings.
In either case, you can find the entire movie on Youtube.
37 A. "Nonsense!": HORSE FEATHERS. An expression of disagreement, disbelief or frustration. Also, another epic on the silver screen, this time from 1932.
53 A. Nabisco product whose package formerly displayed circus cages: ANIMAL CRACKERS. Small cookies in the shapes of zoo and circus animals, available since 1902.
And, sure enough, yet another movie title, from 1930.
66 A. Surname of the stars of 20-, 37- and 53-Across: MARX. Groucho [Julius,] Harpo [Arthur,] Zeppo [Herbert] and Chico [Leonard.] A fifth brother. Gummo [Milton,] never appeared in any of their movies. [Wikipedia]
Across:
1. Sow chow: SLOP. Unspecified liquid or semi-liquid kitchen scraps as an alternative to Purina Swine Chow.
5. Sport with clay disks: SKEET. The disks are propelled in the air as shooting targets.
10. "House Hunters" channel: HGTV.
14. Kind of curriculum: CORE. A set of common courses required of all students, irrespective of their major.
15. Mural prefix: INTRA-. Literally "within the walls," referring to sport or other competitions among students of a single institution.
17. Food thickener: AGAR. A gelatinous material extracted from red seaweed.
18. Anti-wrinkle option: BOTOX. A drug prepared from botulism toxin used to treat certain muscular conditions, and to remove facial wrinkles.
19. Hearty bowlful: STEW. A meal of meat and vegetables cooked together in broth.
23. Wrinkly little dog: PUG. A small breed with a deeply wrinkled face. Any irony with 18 A?
24. Gore and Green: ALS. AL Gore is a Viet Nam war veteran, former Representative in Congress, Senator, Vice President and presidential candidate. AL Green is a singer and ordained minister who has led a complicated and eventful life.
25. Defunct supermarket chain that once had nearly 16,000 stores: A AND P. Originally the Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company. they went out of business in 2015, after 156 years.
27. Lines on a list: ITEMS.
29. Thick slice: SLAB. As bacon, concrete or marble.
32. Break bread: EAT. Together with other people. Evidently, the referent is the Last Supper.
33. Adds bubbles to: AERATES.
36. Tropicana Field MLB team: RAYS. Last year they won 90 games and finished 3rd in the powerful AL East division, behind the Red Sox and Yankees.
40. Cry under a pop fly: MINE. So that other fielders will back off and avoid a collision. Except for a weird 2 games series that the Mariners swept from the A's in Japan last week, the regular season starts for the rest of MLB tomorrow. The Tigers open at Toronto, 3:37 pm local time.
41. Shiraz resident: IRANIAN. Shiraz is the 5th most populous city in Iran. It has been a population center since at least 2000 B.C. This week, torrential rains have lead to devastating flooding and several fatalities.
42. Find a job for: USE.
43. Organic compound: ENOL. More common in crosswords than in chemistry labs, probably.
44. Freeways and parkways: ROADS. Thoroughfares.
48. Store in a queue for printing: SPOOL.
50. Like some pkgs.: PPD. Post Paid or Pre Paid. [???]
52. India-born author Santha Rama __: RAU. [1923-2009] Author of several books.
58. Soon, long ago: ANON. It can be traced back to the 11th century, meaning "in one" indicating "right away."
59. Baby's ailment: COLIC. Frequent extended episodes of crying in small infants, with no identifiable cause.
60. Oodles: LOTS. Non-specific large quantity,
61. URL connection: LINK. Direction to an internet site, not to be confused with a sausage unit.
62. Tiny amount: TRACE. Non-specific small quantity.
63. Beekeeper played by Peter Fonda: ULEE.
64. Deck quartet: ACES. A deck of cards has four cards of equal rank, in each of four suits.
65. Underground home of the Ninja Turtles: SEWER. Never watched them
2. Leave a chat room, say: LOG OUT. Or LOG OFF. Need perps.
3. Grand Marnier flavor: ORANGE. A blend of Cognac, essence of bitter orange and sugar.
4. Central __: "Friends" coffee house: PERK.
5. Female oracle: SIBYL. A so-named single prophetess in the 4th and 5th centuries B.C. located somewhere in Anatolia. After that time SIBYL became a title and there were several found in various locations.
6. Drawer handles: KNOBS. Suitable for pulling.
7. Words to a traitor: ET TU. From when Caesar was sectioned.
8. Love god: EROS. From Greek mythology, the son of Aphrodite, not to be confused with the too-cutesy, cherubic renaissance representations of his Roman counterpart, Cupid.
9. Roll to the runway: TAXI. The motion of an airplane while on the ground.
10. Biblical prophet: HOSEA. From the 8th century B.C. He was often viewed as a prophet of doom. Hence the expression: "No waya, Hosea!" But his messages often contained a promise of restoration.
11. Comes close to: GETS NEAR. Approaches
12. When general U.S. elections are held: TUESDAYS. In November.
13. Ex-GIs' gp.: VFW. Veterans of Foreign Wars.
21. Makes less difficult: EASES. Alleviates, mitigates, assuages.
22. Catch red-handed: NAB. This expression goes back to 15th century Scottish law, referring to catching a murderer in the act.
26. Qt. halves: PTS. Mind your P[int]s and Q[uart]s.
28. Stable mother: MARE. Horse mom. Mental and emotional condition may vary.
29. Base runner's ploy: STEAL. In baseball, attempting to advance a base while the ball is being pitched. A risky maneuver that can be rewarding.
30. Like tough economic times: LEAN. Indicating that there is little opportunity to improve the situation by trimming.
31. Wine province near Turin: ASTI. Purveyor of bubbly spirits.
34. Free __: carte blanche: REIN. Unfettered freedom of action or expression. Kind of like what I have here.
36. City that aptly rhymes with "casino": RENO. Casino city.
37. From Latin America: HISPANIC. Relating to country of origin in Spanish-speaking Central, or South America and the Caribbean, regardless of ethnicity.
38. Like a typical therapy session: ONE ON ONE. A meeting or encounter between two individuals.
39. Capital of Canada?: HARD C. If you can't say anything nice . . .
40. Juilliard subj.: MUS. The Julliard School is located in the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in Manhattan. In addition to MUSic, it also offers degree programs in theater and dance.
43. Shade tree: ELM.
45. Colorful ring: AREOLA. A small, circular colored area. I'll leave google image searching to the curious.
46. Quick mover: DARTER.
47. English Channel county: SUSSEX. On the eastern part of the southern coast, along the English Channel, due south from London.
49. Sty chorus: OINKS. The singing of swine.
50. Haggling focus: PRICE. Negotiating a deal.
51. Indiana NBA player: PACER. At 45-29, they are currently third in the Eastern Conference, behind the Raptors and 76ers.
54. Show parts: ACTS. Acts are further divided into scenes.
55. Handed-down stories: LORE. Historical knowledge, traditions and stories, generally passed from person to person by word of mouth.
18. Breed also known as a Lion Dog: PEKINGESE. Tricky spelling. From akc.com: "A compact toy companion of regal bearing and a distinctive rolling gait, is one of several breeds created for the ruling classes of ancient China."
26. Angry display: FIT OF PIQUE.
49. When the volume is the highest: PEAK SEASON.
62. Survey surreptitiously: TAKE A PEEK.
Melissa
here. There were some clever and sneaky clues in this one. Theme was
easy to spot as soon as two theme answers were filled in.
Across:
1. About, in dates: CIRCA.
6. Words With Friends and such: APPS. I bet there are lots of cornerites who play that one. I prefer Draw Something. As much as I enjoy crosswords, Scrabble is too slow for me. It is quite popular in prison visiting rooms, as is dominoes.
10. They form a "cage": RIBS. Nice.
14. Bee-related: APIAN. Hee.
15. Cry while pointing a finger: LOOK. The "cry" tripped me up.
16. Rebecca's firstborn: ESAU.
17. General opening?: SOFT G. I still get tricked by this.
20. High regard: ESTEEM.
22. Nasty types: MEANIES.
23. Warm feeling: GLOW.
25. Gridiron official: REF. I wasn't aware that Gridiron Football was the term for American football.
31. Skill useful in delicate situations: TACT.
35. Big name in gaming: ATARI.
36. Like the Javanese calendar: LUNAR. Java is an island of Indonesia. Something tells me there may be a regular who has some pictures to share. See it at the bottom left? Things to see in Java.
56. San __: Riviera resort: REMO. Wikipedia has it as one word.
57. Transmit: SEND.
59. Ingrid's "Casablanca" role: ILSA.
60. Optimistic: ROSY.
61. There are five in ten: TWOS.
62. Word with dance or root: TAP.
63. Sedona, for one: KIA. Car model, not city.
Notes from C.C.:
1) Happy 81st
birthday to Commander Al (Spitzboov), who has generously helped me with many problems over the years. Al served in the Navy
Reserve for over 20 years and continues to be involved in various navy activities. Because of Spitzboov, Boomer and I havethe best flag in the neighborhood.
Argyle and Spitzboov
(August 23, 2014, Washington County Fair)
3) Happy 83rd Birthday to John28man! So happy that all your medical problems are under control and you continue to enjoy an active life, John!
/germany-states-map-56a3a3f23df78cf7727e6476.jpg)
