Theme: L-adder - Letter L is added into a B-starting four-letter first word of a familiar phrase/name.
17A. Scrabble cheat?: B(L)ANK ROBBER. Bank Robber. The blank tile in Scrabble.
53A. Singer who loves flashy jewelry?: B(L)ING CROSBY. Bing Crosby. Flashy jewelry = Bling.
11D. Perform a sheepish hip-hop number?: B(L)EAT THE RAP. Beat the Rap.
25D. Boring boss?: B(L)AND LEADER. Band Leader. Alliteration in the clue.
Can you also change BOND GIRL into a BLOND GIRL or does the girl have to be BLONDE? Any other similar pattern convertible B???/BL??? phrase came to your mind?
Bonus fill: ELL (2D. Wright wing, maybe). Playing on "Right wing". Ell has a 90-degree right angle. Wright here refers to architect Frank Lloyd Wright, right? Tricky clues like ELL abound in this puzzle. I was severely challenged and humbled.
Also noticeable are the French references in the grid:
38A. Printemps follower: ETE. Printemps is French for "spring".
7D. French friar: ABBE. Alliteration again. "French cleric" does not have the same sound appeal.
22D. Agua, across the Pyrenees: EAU. Water in the north of Pyrenees (France) is EAU and "agua" in the south (Spain).
54D. Paris article: LES. French for "the". Like "Les Misérables".
Across:
1. Golf relative?: JETTA. Golf and Jetta are both Volkswagen models. Stumper for me. Don "Hard G" just clued GOLF ODYSSEY as "Duffer's trip through Scotland?" (Volkswagen/Honda) last Sunday.
6. Camp sight: CANOE
11. A favorite is a good one: BET. Wanted PET.
14. Liquid fat: OLEIN (OH-lee-in). New word to me. Is it present in olive oil?
16. Language of Southeast Asia: LAO
19. Cause of star wars?: EGO. Celebrity "star". Nice play on "Star Wars".
20. Isn't on the level: SLOPES
21. Put one's cards on the table: DEALT. Tricky past tense "Put".
23. Doctor's order: LAB TEST
26. Babbles: PRATES
27. White Rabbit's cry: I'M LATE. I've never read "Alice in Wonderland".
28. "Like, wow!": FAR OUT. Cool!
30. Antiquated alpine apparatus: T-BAR. Alliteration gone wild! Lovely!
31. Curl beneficiary, informally: BICEPS. Weightlifting "Curl".
32. Solution for a bad hair day: HAT
36. Moisturizer target: DRYNESS
39. Traffic reg.: ORD (Ordinance)
40. Miss Muffet, before the spider showed up: EATER. From the nursery rhyme "Little Miss Muffet". She was eating curds and whey before the spider showed up.
41. E-mail heading word: FROM
42. Stay a while: LINGER. Sojourn is one letter too long.
44. Viselike device: C-CLAMP. Due to its C shaped frame. Got me.
46. Future doctor's project: THESIS. Ph. D. "doctor".
48. Caribbean music genre: CALYPSO. I could only think of Reggae.
49. Oater prop: RIATA. Or REATA.
50. Low areas: SWALES. Marshy/swampy low tract of area. Learned from doing Xword. Can you find peat there?
52. Stop: END
58. Bartender's concern: AGE
59. Leave alone: LET BE
60. Piercing look: GLARE
61. "__ Rosenkavalier": Strauss opera: DER. German for "the". Not familiar with "Der Rosenkavalier" (The Knight of the Rose). Surprised to see both DER and LES in the same grid.
62. "The Federalist" component: ESSAY. How many essays?
63. Ninnies: YO-YOS. Did not know "yo-yo" is a slang for "a stupid person".
Down:
1. Position: JOB. Had a hiccup on this one.
3. Break fluid?: TEA. Play on "Brake fluid". Tea during coffee/tea break.
4. Old West badge: TIN STAR. Like this? Tin material does not carry an authoritative cachet at all.
5. Low sock: ANKLET
6. Take for one's own use: CO-OPT
8. Catches: NABS
9. East Ender's flat: 'OME (Home). H sound is dropped in East Ender/Cockney dialect.
10. Pendant pair: EARDROPS. Drop earrings.
12. Boston College athlete: EAGLE. Unknown to me.
13. Whistle sounds: TOOTS
18. American Beauty, e.g.: ROSE. Great clue. I bet many were thinking of the film.
23. Collectible print, briefly: LITHO. The real collectibles are signed & limited edition.
24. Fossilized resin: AMBER
26. Wash. title: PRES (President). Would prefer "Washington title, briefly" clue.
28. More delicate: FINER
29. Andy Roddick, at times: ACER
31. Data measure: BYTE. Computer data.
33. Tiny quantities: ATOMS
34. A conductor might pick it up: TEMPO. Liked the "it" in this clue.
36. Subject to contradiction: DENIABLE. Excellent entry.
37. Tattered duds: RAGS
41. Achieve a piloting milestone: FLY SOLO. True.
43. Suffix with Mao: IST. Maoist. My Dad could recite every word of Chairman Mao's "Little Red Book".
44. Math class, briefly: CALC (Calculus)
45. Service providers?: CLERGY. Religious service.
46. Its gradual loss leads to baldness: TREAD. Oh, tire baldness.
47. Depend (on): HINGE. Nice change from RELY.
48. Shrewd: CAGEY
50. Convenes: SITS. Why? I don't get this one.
51. Org. with the Chicago Sky and Seattle Storm: WNBA. Knew neither of them. Our local team is Minnesota Lynx.
56. Pal: BRO. Mac/Bud too.
57. "May I help you?": YES?
Thanks for the sweet comments on the blog birthday yesterday, everyone, esp Linda. Thanks for remembering the date.
Answer grid.
C.C.
17A. Scrabble cheat?: B(L)ANK ROBBER. Bank Robber. The blank tile in Scrabble.
53A. Singer who loves flashy jewelry?: B(L)ING CROSBY. Bing Crosby. Flashy jewelry = Bling.
11D. Perform a sheepish hip-hop number?: B(L)EAT THE RAP. Beat the Rap.
25D. Boring boss?: B(L)AND LEADER. Band Leader. Alliteration in the clue.
Can you also change BOND GIRL into a BLOND GIRL or does the girl have to be BLONDE? Any other similar pattern convertible B???/BL??? phrase came to your mind?
Bonus fill: ELL (2D. Wright wing, maybe). Playing on "Right wing". Ell has a 90-degree right angle. Wright here refers to architect Frank Lloyd Wright, right? Tricky clues like ELL abound in this puzzle. I was severely challenged and humbled.
Also noticeable are the French references in the grid:
38A. Printemps follower: ETE. Printemps is French for "spring".
7D. French friar: ABBE. Alliteration again. "French cleric" does not have the same sound appeal.
22D. Agua, across the Pyrenees: EAU. Water in the north of Pyrenees (France) is EAU and "agua" in the south (Spain).
54D. Paris article: LES. French for "the". Like "Les Misérables".
Across:
1. Golf relative?: JETTA. Golf and Jetta are both Volkswagen models. Stumper for me. Don "Hard G" just clued GOLF ODYSSEY as "Duffer's trip through Scotland?" (Volkswagen/Honda) last Sunday.
6. Camp sight: CANOE
11. A favorite is a good one: BET. Wanted PET.
14. Liquid fat: OLEIN (OH-lee-in). New word to me. Is it present in olive oil?
16. Language of Southeast Asia: LAO
19. Cause of star wars?: EGO. Celebrity "star". Nice play on "Star Wars".
20. Isn't on the level: SLOPES
21. Put one's cards on the table: DEALT. Tricky past tense "Put".
23. Doctor's order: LAB TEST
26. Babbles: PRATES
27. White Rabbit's cry: I'M LATE. I've never read "Alice in Wonderland".
28. "Like, wow!": FAR OUT. Cool!
30. Antiquated alpine apparatus: T-BAR. Alliteration gone wild! Lovely!
31. Curl beneficiary, informally: BICEPS. Weightlifting "Curl".
32. Solution for a bad hair day: HAT
36. Moisturizer target: DRYNESS
39. Traffic reg.: ORD (Ordinance)
40. Miss Muffet, before the spider showed up: EATER. From the nursery rhyme "Little Miss Muffet". She was eating curds and whey before the spider showed up.
41. E-mail heading word: FROM
42. Stay a while: LINGER. Sojourn is one letter too long.
44. Viselike device: C-CLAMP. Due to its C shaped frame. Got me.
46. Future doctor's project: THESIS. Ph. D. "doctor".
48. Caribbean music genre: CALYPSO. I could only think of Reggae.
49. Oater prop: RIATA. Or REATA.
50. Low areas: SWALES. Marshy/swampy low tract of area. Learned from doing Xword. Can you find peat there?
52. Stop: END
58. Bartender's concern: AGE
59. Leave alone: LET BE
60. Piercing look: GLARE
61. "__ Rosenkavalier": Strauss opera: DER. German for "the". Not familiar with "Der Rosenkavalier" (The Knight of the Rose). Surprised to see both DER and LES in the same grid.
62. "The Federalist" component: ESSAY. How many essays?
63. Ninnies: YO-YOS. Did not know "yo-yo" is a slang for "a stupid person".
Down:
1. Position: JOB. Had a hiccup on this one.
3. Break fluid?: TEA. Play on "Brake fluid". Tea during coffee/tea break.
4. Old West badge: TIN STAR. Like this? Tin material does not carry an authoritative cachet at all.
5. Low sock: ANKLET
6. Take for one's own use: CO-OPT
8. Catches: NABS
9. East Ender's flat: 'OME (Home). H sound is dropped in East Ender/Cockney dialect.
10. Pendant pair: EARDROPS. Drop earrings.
12. Boston College athlete: EAGLE. Unknown to me.
13. Whistle sounds: TOOTS
18. American Beauty, e.g.: ROSE. Great clue. I bet many were thinking of the film.
23. Collectible print, briefly: LITHO. The real collectibles are signed & limited edition.
24. Fossilized resin: AMBER
26. Wash. title: PRES (President). Would prefer "Washington title, briefly" clue.
28. More delicate: FINER
29. Andy Roddick, at times: ACER
31. Data measure: BYTE. Computer data.
33. Tiny quantities: ATOMS
34. A conductor might pick it up: TEMPO. Liked the "it" in this clue.
36. Subject to contradiction: DENIABLE. Excellent entry.
37. Tattered duds: RAGS
41. Achieve a piloting milestone: FLY SOLO. True.
43. Suffix with Mao: IST. Maoist. My Dad could recite every word of Chairman Mao's "Little Red Book".
44. Math class, briefly: CALC (Calculus)
45. Service providers?: CLERGY. Religious service.
46. Its gradual loss leads to baldness: TREAD. Oh, tire baldness.
47. Depend (on): HINGE. Nice change from RELY.
48. Shrewd: CAGEY
50. Convenes: SITS. Why? I don't get this one.
51. Org. with the Chicago Sky and Seattle Storm: WNBA. Knew neither of them. Our local team is Minnesota Lynx.
56. Pal: BRO. Mac/Bud too.
57. "May I help you?": YES?
Thanks for the sweet comments on the blog birthday yesterday, everyone, esp Linda. Thanks for remembering the date.
Answer grid.
C.C.
