Theme: Types of Lumber
17A: Legitimate: ABOVEBOARD
65A: Package delivery service: PARCEL POST
10D: Gymnastics apparatus: BALANCE BEAM
25D: Taper holder: CANDLE STICK
I am not sure I got the theme right.
Lately I've been obsessed with the consistency of theme entries. Strictly speaking, 17A does not really fit into the other 2-word pattern. But I cannot think of 2-word *BOARD with 10 letters, can you?
Interesting to see ST. PETER (48A: Heavenly gatekeeper), SATAN (26A: Head of Hades) and EVIL (31D: Devil's doings) in one grid. I would prefer cluing EVIL as "Axis of ___" , as I am averse to having duplicated letters in both the clue and the answer. I always thought the "Head of Hades" is Hades himself. Hard for me to associate SATAN with Greek Hades.
The clue for CHARM (1D: Bracelet bangle) is incorrect. "Bracelet dangler" yes.
Across:
1A: Dollar, slangily: CLAM. Dennis said last time that CLAMS is always used in plural form when it refers to money slangily.
14A: Sword handle: HILT. Sometimes it's haft. I don't know what's the difference between the two.
19A: Yearn (for): LONG. I thought of PINE first.
24A: Team animal: MASCOT. This is our Goldy Gopher.
28A: Pronto!: ASAP. And STAT (45D: Immediately, in the O. R.). STAT is from Latin "statim". Unknown to me. I am more used to the baseball "ERA or RBI" clue.
30A: Way down: DESCENT. I have problem understanding the structure of "Way down". Is "down" an adjective here?
34A: TV journalist Paula: ZAHN. Not any more. She left CNN last year.
37A: Bandleader Puente: TITO. Here is Carlos Santana's "Oye Como Va", composed by TITO, so rhythmical. I like Santana's "Smooth" a lot: "... Give me your heart, make it real, or else forget about it...".
44A: Rings out: PEALS. Why "out"? "Rings" is enough.
58A: Small cave: GROTTO. This Blue GROTTO looks magical.
64A: Son of Leah and Jacob: LEVI. Or LEVI Strauss of jeans. A bit of religious undertone in today's puzzle. See also IDOL (6D: Religious statue).
69A: Inventor Howe: ELIAS. I had no idea that he invented the sewing machine. Always thought it's Singer.
71A: Student grind: WONK. Fascinating word origin.
Down:
2D: Qaddafi's land: LIBYA. It belongs to OPEC (68A: Oil cartel).
3D: Medicinal lilies: ALOES. I did not know that ALOE is of lily family. (Note: The clue is "Medicinal plants" in syndication papers).
4D: Cable channel choice: MTV
9D: Unruffled: SEDATE. Always thought SEDATE is a verb. I wanted SERENE.
18D: Personalities: EGOS. Really? They are not the same to me.
59D: "__ Man", Harry Dean Stanton film: REPO. I've never seen this movie.
62D: Winner's mantra: I CAN. Yes, I CAN. "I am just hot, I am totally ready to lead..."
C.C.
17A: Legitimate: ABOVEBOARD
65A: Package delivery service: PARCEL POST
10D: Gymnastics apparatus: BALANCE BEAM
25D: Taper holder: CANDLE STICK
I am not sure I got the theme right.
Lately I've been obsessed with the consistency of theme entries. Strictly speaking, 17A does not really fit into the other 2-word pattern. But I cannot think of 2-word *BOARD with 10 letters, can you?
Interesting to see ST. PETER (48A: Heavenly gatekeeper), SATAN (26A: Head of Hades) and EVIL (31D: Devil's doings) in one grid. I would prefer cluing EVIL as "Axis of ___" , as I am averse to having duplicated letters in both the clue and the answer. I always thought the "Head of Hades" is Hades himself. Hard for me to associate SATAN with Greek Hades.
The clue for CHARM (1D: Bracelet bangle) is incorrect. "Bracelet dangler" yes.
Across:
1A: Dollar, slangily: CLAM. Dennis said last time that CLAMS is always used in plural form when it refers to money slangily.
14A: Sword handle: HILT. Sometimes it's haft. I don't know what's the difference between the two.
19A: Yearn (for): LONG. I thought of PINE first.
24A: Team animal: MASCOT. This is our Goldy Gopher.
28A: Pronto!: ASAP. And STAT (45D: Immediately, in the O. R.). STAT is from Latin "statim". Unknown to me. I am more used to the baseball "ERA or RBI" clue.
30A: Way down: DESCENT. I have problem understanding the structure of "Way down". Is "down" an adjective here?
34A: TV journalist Paula: ZAHN. Not any more. She left CNN last year.
37A: Bandleader Puente: TITO. Here is Carlos Santana's "Oye Como Va", composed by TITO, so rhythmical. I like Santana's "Smooth" a lot: "... Give me your heart, make it real, or else forget about it...".
44A: Rings out: PEALS. Why "out"? "Rings" is enough.
58A: Small cave: GROTTO. This Blue GROTTO looks magical.
64A: Son of Leah and Jacob: LEVI. Or LEVI Strauss of jeans. A bit of religious undertone in today's puzzle. See also IDOL (6D: Religious statue).
69A: Inventor Howe: ELIAS. I had no idea that he invented the sewing machine. Always thought it's Singer.
71A: Student grind: WONK. Fascinating word origin.
Down:
2D: Qaddafi's land: LIBYA. It belongs to OPEC (68A: Oil cartel).
3D: Medicinal lilies: ALOES. I did not know that ALOE is of lily family. (Note: The clue is "Medicinal plants" in syndication papers).
4D: Cable channel choice: MTV
9D: Unruffled: SEDATE. Always thought SEDATE is a verb. I wanted SERENE.
18D: Personalities: EGOS. Really? They are not the same to me.
59D: "__ Man", Harry Dean Stanton film: REPO. I've never seen this movie.
62D: Winner's mantra: I CAN. Yes, I CAN. "I am just hot, I am totally ready to lead..."
C.C.
