Theme: PRO (18D: Word before 17A, 57A, 11D and 25D) & CON (52D: Word before 17A, 57A, 11D and 25D)
17A: Davy Crockett portrayer: FESS PARKER
57A: Certain nuclear weapon: FUSION BOMB
11D:Early TV transmission: TEST PATTERN
25D: Plot: TRACT OF LAND
The clues for 18D & 52D are inaccurate. They are the words before the first word of above 4 theme entries.
I wonder if Mr. Parrish thought of extending CLAIM (10D: State as true) into CLAIM TO FAME (clued as EDMUND Hillary & Mt. Everest related), then we would have a PROCLAIM. Don't you think "Explorer Hillary" is a better clue for EMDUND (34D: Novelist White)? I've never heard of White before. Does he compare his works to Proust's?
I thought of 4 more phrases for another PRO themed puzzle: DUCT*, GRAM*, POSE* and FILE*. And BODY*, DOTE*, TRUST* and QUE* for an ANTI grid. "QUE será, será" will be an awesome theme answer.
(Addendum: Please ignore the above two paragraphs. I failed to see 52D clue and misread the whole theme of this creative puzzle).
Before I forget, do you know why "Pinkie" is cited as an example for visual pun? I can not grok it.
Across:
1A: "The Grapes of Wrath" family: JOAD. Without J from JIF (1D: Peter Pan rival), I would not have got this one. Can never remember this name.
5A: Clever remarks: QUIPS. I really have difficulty in understanding the cleverness in Allan P. Olschwang's QUIPS.
10A: Keyboard key: CTRL. Wish it were clued as "PC Key" to indicate an abbreviation, but theoretically the clue is flawless.
16A: "Star War" princess: LEIA. Carrie Fisher co-hosted TCM's "The Essentials" with Robert Osbourne for a short period of time. TCM should be a solid answer for clue 30A: "All-films stn. " (AMC), right?
19A: Author of "The Nazarene": ASCH (Sholem). I forgot. He appeared in our puzzle before. He wrote in Yiddish. Is "Sholem" the same as "Shalom"?
21A: Paper boss: EDITOR. It's sad that the NY Sun newspaper was shut down. I seldom solved their puzzles though, too hard for me.
23A: Beat circuits: PATROLS. I would prefer PATROLS clued as a verb.
27A: Dublin's land: EIRE. Have not seen ERIN for a long time.
38A: ASCAP's counterpart: BMI (Broadcast Music Incorporated). I am more familiar with Body Mass Index.
41A: Letters for shock treatment: ECT (ElectroConvulsive Therapy). Absolutely no idea.
45A: 1904 roadster: REO. I did not know it was introduced in 1904.
51A: Legal go-ahead: LICENSE
55A: "Tuesdays with Morrie": ALBOM (Mitch). He also wrote "The Five People You Meet in Heaven".
62A: Brass element: ZINC. Do multivitamins really help? What's your favorite brand? I have a hard time swallowing those big pills.
63A: "The Maltese Falcon" co-star: ASTOR (Mary). Have never seen this movie.
64A: Pasternak character: LARA. Refreshing clue. Our editor likes cluing LARA as "Dr. Zhivago's love". Yuri is also 4-letter. Nice pictures for "LARA's Theme". Simple, beautiful music, probably one of the best movie theme music.
Down:
3D: __ longa, vita brevis: ARS. It's clued as "___ gratia artis" last time.
4D: Identifiable as a unit: DISCRETE. The clue feels odd to me.
5D: Shrank in fear: QUAILED. I only know QUAIL as birds.
9D: Final run: STRETCH. I would love STRETCH to be clued as seventh-inning related to pair up with HOMER (29D: Round-tripper). I am rooting for Phillies and Rays. How about you?
13D: Lion of Oz: LAHR (Bert). Very strange surname, hard to remember.
24D: Top flier: AIR ACE. "Take My Breath Away" popped into my mind.
32D: La ___, WI: CROSSE. I wonder if the constructor considered putting in LACROSSE as a fill.
38D: A/C figures: BTUS
40D: Matched outfit: ENSEMBLE
43D: Singer Gloria: ESTEFAN. "I Just Can't Stop Loving You".
44D: ___ Bridge (NYC span): TRIBORO. When will it officially become RFK Bridge?
47D: "Billy __ ": ELLIOT. No, I've never heard of the movie or the musical. Only know "Mama" Cass ELLIOT.
53D: Haagen- ___: DAZS. I really like mochi ice cream.
55D: Hammett's terrier: ASTA. Toto is probably jealous of ASTA's status in our crossword world. He also has two vowels in his name.
59D: Single grain: OAT. I don't understand this clue. Why "Single grain"?
60D: Richie's father, to Fonzie: MR. C
C.C.
17A: Davy Crockett portrayer: FESS PARKER
57A: Certain nuclear weapon: FUSION BOMB
11D:Early TV transmission: TEST PATTERN
25D: Plot: TRACT OF LAND
The clues for 18D & 52D are inaccurate. They are the words before the first word of above 4 theme entries.
I wonder if Mr. Parrish thought of extending CLAIM (10D: State as true) into CLAIM TO FAME (clued as EDMUND Hillary & Mt. Everest related), then we would have a PROCLAIM. Don't you think "Explorer Hillary" is a better clue for EMDUND (34D: Novelist White)? I've never heard of White before. Does he compare his works to Proust's?
I thought of 4 more phrases for another PRO themed puzzle: DUCT*, GRAM*, POSE* and FILE*. And BODY*, DOTE*, TRUST* and QUE* for an ANTI grid. "QUE será, será" will be an awesome theme answer.
(Addendum: Please ignore the above two paragraphs. I failed to see 52D clue and misread the whole theme of this creative puzzle).
Before I forget, do you know why "Pinkie" is cited as an example for visual pun? I can not grok it.
Across:
1A: "The Grapes of Wrath" family: JOAD. Without J from JIF (1D: Peter Pan rival), I would not have got this one. Can never remember this name.
5A: Clever remarks: QUIPS. I really have difficulty in understanding the cleverness in Allan P. Olschwang's QUIPS.
10A: Keyboard key: CTRL. Wish it were clued as "PC Key" to indicate an abbreviation, but theoretically the clue is flawless.
16A: "Star War" princess: LEIA. Carrie Fisher co-hosted TCM's "The Essentials" with Robert Osbourne for a short period of time. TCM should be a solid answer for clue 30A: "All-films stn. " (AMC), right?
19A: Author of "The Nazarene": ASCH (Sholem). I forgot. He appeared in our puzzle before. He wrote in Yiddish. Is "Sholem" the same as "Shalom"?
21A: Paper boss: EDITOR. It's sad that the NY Sun newspaper was shut down. I seldom solved their puzzles though, too hard for me.
23A: Beat circuits: PATROLS. I would prefer PATROLS clued as a verb.
27A: Dublin's land: EIRE. Have not seen ERIN for a long time.
38A: ASCAP's counterpart: BMI (Broadcast Music Incorporated). I am more familiar with Body Mass Index.
41A: Letters for shock treatment: ECT (ElectroConvulsive Therapy). Absolutely no idea.
45A: 1904 roadster: REO. I did not know it was introduced in 1904.
51A: Legal go-ahead: LICENSE
55A: "Tuesdays with Morrie": ALBOM (Mitch). He also wrote "The Five People You Meet in Heaven".
62A: Brass element: ZINC. Do multivitamins really help? What's your favorite brand? I have a hard time swallowing those big pills.
63A: "The Maltese Falcon" co-star: ASTOR (Mary). Have never seen this movie.
64A: Pasternak character: LARA. Refreshing clue. Our editor likes cluing LARA as "Dr. Zhivago's love". Yuri is also 4-letter. Nice pictures for "LARA's Theme". Simple, beautiful music, probably one of the best movie theme music.
Down:
3D: __ longa, vita brevis: ARS. It's clued as "___ gratia artis" last time.
4D: Identifiable as a unit: DISCRETE. The clue feels odd to me.
5D: Shrank in fear: QUAILED. I only know QUAIL as birds.
9D: Final run: STRETCH. I would love STRETCH to be clued as seventh-inning related to pair up with HOMER (29D: Round-tripper). I am rooting for Phillies and Rays. How about you?
13D: Lion of Oz: LAHR (Bert). Very strange surname, hard to remember.
24D: Top flier: AIR ACE. "Take My Breath Away" popped into my mind.
32D: La ___, WI: CROSSE. I wonder if the constructor considered putting in LACROSSE as a fill.
38D: A/C figures: BTUS
40D: Matched outfit: ENSEMBLE
43D: Singer Gloria: ESTEFAN. "I Just Can't Stop Loving You".
44D: ___ Bridge (NYC span): TRIBORO. When will it officially become RFK Bridge?
47D: "Billy __ ": ELLIOT. No, I've never heard of the movie or the musical. Only know "Mama" Cass ELLIOT.
53D: Haagen- ___: DAZS. I really like mochi ice cream.
55D: Hammett's terrier: ASTA. Toto is probably jealous of ASTA's status in our crossword world. He also has two vowels in his name.
59D: Single grain: OAT. I don't understand this clue. Why "Single grain"?
60D: Richie's father, to Fonzie: MR. C
C.C.
