Theme: Put an end to the fight.
Well I (Lemonade) am back, not on Friday, but pinch hitting for the ubiquitous Marti Duguay-Carpenter, who has asked me to explain her latest publication. The theme was readily apparent and seemed appropriate for me who used to be a trial lawyer and presented many closing arguments. The end of the three theme answers describe a minor dispute. I found this fun, though it seemed like a Wednesday with just a few clues toughened up. Or perhaps I just understand the divine miss m's mind...The difficulty for me was in some of the proper names, not all of whom came immediately to mind, but without any long deceptive fill, the puzzle was done in normal time. It features a great triple clecho in the middle, a mental tour of the Italian Alps and marti's wit. Let's see if the glove fits and how I acquit myself.
17A. "The Goodbye Girl" Oscar winner : RICHARD DREYFUSS.(15). You want to WATCH? (1:24) You cannot forget the second S.
29A. Short-muzzled dog breed : BULL MASTIFF (11). They are massive, over 50 kg.
46A. Futuristic car unveiled at the 1933 New York Auto Show : SILVER ARROW (11).
62A. Court wrap-up ... and what's hidden in 17-, 29- and 46-Across? : CLOSING ARGUMENT. I love when a unifier works this well.
ACROSS:
1. Kazantzakis title hero : ZORBA. The author of the Zorba the Greek and the Last Temptation of Christ. I did not recall the name, but what else starts ZORB_?
6. Singer James : ETTA. Supply your own favorite link.
10. Apple variety : iMAC.
14. "Water is life" brand : EVIAN. Interesting STUFF.
15. Bishop's rte. : DIAGonal. The chess piece not Tutu.
16. Jet Propulsion Lab org. : NASA, National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
20. Classical theaters : ODEA. The plural of Odeum, from the Latin, which comes from Italy.
21. Private __ : EYE.
22. Has no obligation to : NEEDN'T.
23. Org. with an interlocking rings logo : IOC. International Olympic Committee.
25. Journalist Tarbell et al. : IDAS. The WOMAN was a very admirable journalist even if a bit of a muckraker.
26. CD precursors : LPS. Long Plays.
35. Shoe box letters : EEE. When in doubt, trot it out.
36. Devoured : ATE UP. This one was a piece of cake.
37. French 101 word : ETRE. To be.
38. West Coast natl. monument since 2012 : FT. ORD. Monument? FT to start a word? This took a while.
40. Disney doe : ENA.
41. Times for action : D-DAYS. They are not just for war. Cute how this follows disney doe
42. Honorable : TRUE.
43. Rear : RAISE. Not where your minds were going?
45. Disappoint, with "down" : LET.
49. "... good witch, __ bad witch?" : OR A. Do you recall this scene (0:30) from Wizard of Oz
50. Part of Q.E.F. : ERAT. By now this should be in everyone's memory banks. More Latin.
51. Tourney pass : BYE. The French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros is coming close with the best getting 1st round byes.
53. Hallowed : SACRED. Just don't have a cow about this clue/fill.
56. __ alai : JAI. J also clued with a game down.
58. City on the Rhône : LYON. In the Rhone-Alpes region, Very important ever since the Romans conquered Gaul.
65. Puma rival : AVIA. Latin for a way.
66. Pull down : EARN.
67. Two-masted craft : KETCH. My oldest brother is the sailor in my family, my only experience with a ketch was ketchup.
68. Stores in a large building? : MALL. Gee, I never thought about it being a single building.
69. Till opener : ROTO. Windhover, do you use one on your farm?
70. Iroquois foes : ERIES. Best know your native tribes.
Down:
1. Shutout score feature : ZERO.
2. "Ars amatoria" poet : OVID. The Roman take on the Art of Love. LINK.
3. It might be sticky or dirty : RICE. Interestingly the center of Asian and Mexican cuisine.
4. Religion founded in Persia : Bahá'í. One of the newest Judeo-Christian Muslim fusion religions. I think this is the religion of Vic Damone.
5. Actress Gasteyer : ANA. If you are a die hard SNL fan you will know this performer, or maybe you watch the odd show Suburgatory which follows Modern Family.
6. Current event : EDDY. Tricky beginning to the triclecho, as eddys appear in water. 7. Current influence : TIDE. Still in the water. and, 8. Current observer : TAR. Our old sailor reappears.
9. Things to do : AGENDA.
10. Pest-ridden : INFESTED.
11. Irish revolutionary __ Gonne MacBride : MAUD. She was not in my memory banks; beyond Michael Collins, I know not much about Irish revolutionaries, especially since Branson wimped out. READ.
12. NCAA member?: Abbr. : ASSN.
13. Play group : CAST.
18. Saw again : RECUT. That saw!
19. Words said in passing? : YEAS. Legislation for example.
24. O.T. book after Amos : OBADiah is not one of the famous PROPHETS. The history is interesting.
25. Damage : IMPAIR. A tricky definition.
26. Some jabs : LEFTS.
27. Lab dish inventor : PETRI. Named for the German bacteriologist who invented it.
28. Capital city on the Han River : SEOUL. You know your Korean Geography?
30. Ogle : LEER AT. Looking at the Moon? For SPLYNTER
31. Like some eclipses : LUNAR.
32. Author Calvino : ITALO. I am unfamiliar with this Italian author who was born outside of Havana, Cuba. READ.
33. Fritter maker : FRYER. I wonder if the food is related to the wasting of time.
34. Pisa party : FESTA. More Italian, I guess marti is back in Europe, in her mind.
39. About-face : REVERSAL.
41. Like early morning links : DEWY. HG, I bet you like the dewy morning fairways.
44. Pulitzer-winning Ferber novel : SO BIG. This Novel won the Pulitzer Prize in 1925, and was made into a MOVIE 1:03 in 1932.
47. "... harken __ die": Tennyson : ERE I. From the poem "Œnone" by a poet whose work I have never appreciated. Perhaps our resident rhymer has better things to say.
48. Portrayer of Wawa and Litella : RADNER. Gilda, who died so young. Post your favorite from her SNL days.
52. Film composer Bernstein : ELMER. Not to be confused with Leonard, no relation, Berstein. Elmer did so many wonderful movie scores like The Magnificent Seven, The Ten Commandments, The Great Escape, To Kill a Mockingbird, Ghostbusters, The Black Cauldron, and The Rookies. He finally won an Oscar for Thoroughly Modern Millie.
53. Phishing lure : SCAM. Internet scamming.
54. Menlo Park middle name : ALVA. Mr. Edison.
55. Slinky, e.g. : COIL. I was unpacking some stuff my boys left behind and was quite distressed to see theirs had rusted.
56. Lawn game projectile : JART. Thanks for the J, miss m, you seem to like the pointedly dangerous game.
57. River under the Ponte Vecchio : ARNO. More Italian, literally the 'Old Bridge' crosses the Arno at its narrowest point and goes back many centuries.
59. Mountain legend : YETI.
60. Grimm start : ONCE upon a time. Anyone watch that show?
61. Unspecified degrees : NTHS.
63. Agcy. concerned with the federal fiscal outlook : GAO. Government Accountability Office
64. Island strings : UKE. Not strings of islands, hey to our old Hawaiians.
Well Maud and Italo and some others slowed me down, but hopefully you did not stumble. the good news is that you have marti's puzzle today and her write up tomorrow. All that and amazing it is already time for Memorial Day; be safe and do not speed. L714, out.
