Theme: Let's Dance! The letters CHA are added to the first word of three in-the- language two word phrases creating a new and amusing saying. A classic Friday with much nice fill, and a very doable grid from our regular South African contributor. I usually have trouble with GB's work, but this was smooth, though hardly easy.
18A. Keep a movie dog from wandering?: CHAIN TOTO. My ex-wife had a Cairn Terrier named Toto who needed to be chained after she went crazy, but that is another tale, which I will avoid in toto.
26A. Female padre? : CHAPLAIN JANE. How many plain janes turn into princesses, or is that just in the movies? My favorite these days is....
18A. Keep a movie dog from wandering?: CHAIN TOTO. My ex-wife had a Cairn Terrier named Toto who needed to be chained after she went crazy, but that is another tale, which I will avoid in toto.
26A. Female padre? : CHAPLAIN JANE. How many plain janes turn into princesses, or is that just in the movies? My favorite these days is....
42A. Ancient mounted police?: CHARIOT SQUAD. A nice clue for my Roman studying oldest son.
and the reveal:
55A. Dance that reflects the pun-creating elements found in 18-, 26- and 42-Across: CHA CHA CHA.LINK for all who like DWTS or legs. One cha for each theme answer, cute.
Okay on to the show:
Across:
1. Fast food sides: SLAWS. I do not eat much fast food but like KFC's coleslaw.
6. Turkey: BOMB. Not the food but the failed entertainment, like Disney's John Carter of Mars.
10. Put away without restraint, with "on": OD'ED. Not in the death sense....
14. Unspoken: TACIT. From the Latin, Tacitus- silent.
15. '30s boxing champ: BAER. Heavyweight boxing champ for a year, father of Jr. who played Jethro on the Beverly Hillbillies and loser to James J. Braddock, story behind the movie Cinderella Man.
16. Tea traditionally made with cardamom: CHAI. Very yummy.
17. Slate, for one: EZINE. This online MAGAZINE. Does anyone of us read this?
20. Forced (in): WEDGED. Any bad high school memories guys?
22. Voted out: UNSEATED. No comment.
23. Emit: SPEW. Not to be confused with 1D. Boil slowly: STEW.
25. Angus, e.g.: BOVINE. Of cattle, like PORCINE of pigs.
31. Tropical reef denizen: MORAY. Eels.
32. Some claims: LIENS. Our law word of the day.
33. Brother's title: FRA. I like a nice FRA DIAVOLO sauce, Brother Devil.
36. Dhofar Rebellion country: OMAN. Also home to 28D. Dhow sailor: ARAB. This LINK.
37. Ski run: PISTE. My son went snow boarding on a Blue his first day; off course he fell often, but still...Anyway this French term literally means trail, and if you ski without a track if it called off piste, not to be confused with falling often which make you piste off.
38. Pen used at sea: BRIG. So what do we think of Jamie Lee Curtis as a love interest for Gibbs?
39. San Francisco's __ Hill: NOB. Better to think of snob than the current slang.
40. Roller coaster cries: WHEES. Which can lead an old man to wheeze.
41. Let up: ABATE. An A word I like.
44. Where to see a chin rest: VIOLIN. My baby Devin started out playing the violin.
47. Cavils: NITS. A shout out to our own Marti. Cavil is a favorite word of legal brief writers, who use it to emphasize their position without cavil.
48. Poem that ends "I am the captain of my soul": INVICTUS. This little POEM has influenced many not to give up, including this star 24D. Slicker: WILIER. CLIP. (1:41) He won!
51. Freewheels: COASTS. With no hills, we do not do this much in Florida.
57. Mauritius money: RUPEE. This tiny island in the Indian Ocean is perhaps best known as being the only home to the now extinct DODO bird, a nice shout out for one of our own.
58. Friends and acquaintances KITH. You have your Kith and your Kin.
59. Croat, e.g.: SLAV. Always sounds too much like SLOB.
60. More distant: ICIER. Do we all know an ICE QUEEN?
and the reveal:
55A. Dance that reflects the pun-creating elements found in 18-, 26- and 42-Across: CHA CHA CHA.LINK for all who like DWTS or legs. One cha for each theme answer, cute.
Okay on to the show:
Across:
1. Fast food sides: SLAWS. I do not eat much fast food but like KFC's coleslaw.
6. Turkey: BOMB. Not the food but the failed entertainment, like Disney's John Carter of Mars.
10. Put away without restraint, with "on": OD'ED. Not in the death sense....
14. Unspoken: TACIT. From the Latin, Tacitus- silent.
15. '30s boxing champ: BAER. Heavyweight boxing champ for a year, father of Jr. who played Jethro on the Beverly Hillbillies and loser to James J. Braddock, story behind the movie Cinderella Man.
16. Tea traditionally made with cardamom: CHAI. Very yummy.
17. Slate, for one: EZINE. This online MAGAZINE. Does anyone of us read this?
20. Forced (in): WEDGED. Any bad high school memories guys?
22. Voted out: UNSEATED. No comment.
23. Emit: SPEW. Not to be confused with 1D. Boil slowly: STEW.
25. Angus, e.g.: BOVINE. Of cattle, like PORCINE of pigs.
31. Tropical reef denizen: MORAY. Eels.
32. Some claims: LIENS. Our law word of the day.
33. Brother's title: FRA. I like a nice FRA DIAVOLO sauce, Brother Devil.
36. Dhofar Rebellion country: OMAN. Also home to 28D. Dhow sailor: ARAB. This LINK.
37. Ski run: PISTE. My son went snow boarding on a Blue his first day; off course he fell often, but still...Anyway this French term literally means trail, and if you ski without a track if it called off piste, not to be confused with falling often which make you piste off.
38. Pen used at sea: BRIG. So what do we think of Jamie Lee Curtis as a love interest for Gibbs?
39. San Francisco's __ Hill: NOB. Better to think of snob than the current slang.
40. Roller coaster cries: WHEES. Which can lead an old man to wheeze.
41. Let up: ABATE. An A word I like.
44. Where to see a chin rest: VIOLIN. My baby Devin started out playing the violin.
47. Cavils: NITS. A shout out to our own Marti. Cavil is a favorite word of legal brief writers, who use it to emphasize their position without cavil.
48. Poem that ends "I am the captain of my soul": INVICTUS. This little POEM has influenced many not to give up, including this star 24D. Slicker: WILIER. CLIP. (1:41) He won!
51. Freewheels: COASTS. With no hills, we do not do this much in Florida.
57. Mauritius money: RUPEE. This tiny island in the Indian Ocean is perhaps best known as being the only home to the now extinct DODO bird, a nice shout out for one of our own.
58. Friends and acquaintances KITH. You have your Kith and your Kin.
59. Croat, e.g.: SLAV. Always sounds too much like SLOB.
60. More distant: ICIER. Do we all know an ICE QUEEN?
61. Barrie henchman: SMEE. JM author of Peter Pan.
62. Big __: nickname for LPGA great JoAnne Carner: MAMA. Is she a relative Jerome?
63. Coverage giant: AETNA. Brings me back to my days in Connecticut and tine to start...
Down:
2. Kick back: LAZE.
3. Ill-natured ACID. More acid tongued to me.
4. Rhea stat: WING SPAN. Another huge flightless bird.
62. Big __: nickname for LPGA great JoAnne Carner: MAMA. Is she a relative Jerome?
63. Coverage giant: AETNA. Brings me back to my days in Connecticut and tine to start...
Down:
2. Kick back: LAZE.
3. Ill-natured ACID. More acid tongued to me.
4. Rhea stat: WING SPAN. Another huge flightless bird.
5. How gas prices sometimes rise: STEEPLY. 3.95 here for 87.
6. Airer of the sitcom "'Allo 'Allo!": BBC.
7. Honolulu's home: OAHU. Aloha Hawaiin corner people.
8. Stingy: MEAN. Will always be Silas Marner to me, more than Scrooge.
9. Eastern Australian seaport: BRISBANE. A shout out for Kazie.
10. Musical range: OCTAVE. Minnie Ripperton had a 6.5 octave range.
11. Indian loincloth DHOTI. Not really a loin cloth in my mind but THIS.
12. Not left over: EATEN.
13. Part of LED: DIODE. Light-Emitting Diode.
19. '90s-'00s Dodges: NEONS. From the days when we tried to conserve fuel.
21. Traffic-controlling gp.: DEA. Drug Enforcement Administration, not cars.
26. Shout of encouragement: C'MON.
27. __ erectus: HOMO. All ready Lois, Carol, this is a story from history where you can tell us the true MOREL!
29. Second-generation Japanese American: NISEI. From the Japanese word NI meaning two. Does any other nation have such words?
30. Futuristic sitcom family name: JETSON. George and his boy Elroy...
33. Blücher's title in "Young Frankenstein": FRAU. From Terri Garr to CLORIS LEACHMAN.
34. Singer Coolidge: RITA. You like her version of this SONG?
35. Like balsamic vinegar: AGED. Like fine wines, and Lemonade?
37. Flight of fancy: PHANTASM. A really scary movie.
38. Cookout condiment : BBQ SAUCE. and, 52D. Cookout accessory: SPIT. The kind that rotates, silly.
40. Question of identity: WHICH. What? Why?
41. Columbia River city: ASTORIA. A shout to our Oregon group. LINK.
42. Old saw: CLICHE. We try not too.
43. First X, say: TIC. Oh, TAC
44. NyQuil maker: VICKS. From Vapo Rub an empire was built.
45. "I didn't know he had it __" : IN HIM.
46. Like aspen leaves: OVATE. Just like it sounds, egg shaped.
49. Troy Aikman's alma mater: UCLA. He started at Oklahoma, had his leg broken by Miami,coached by Jimmie Johnson; his heart broken by Barry Switzer and transferred, only to finish his career in Dallas first with Johnson and winning his third Super Bowl under Switzer.
50. Fake: SHAM. Could not resist this LINK.
.53. Typical "Hunger Games" trilogy reader: TEEN. Twilight going into the dark now?
54. Blood components: SERA.
56D. Burt's "The Killers" co-star: AVA. Another boxing reference, and the debut FILM for Burt Lancaster.(3:34).
Answer grid.
Okay, first a special thanks to John Lampkin and Annette for a fabulous night, and a thumbs up to Marti for doing her blog while on vacation! Time for this Lemonade to squeeze his way to bed.
Notes from C.C.:
1) A belated "Happy Birthday" to PK! If anyone wants his/her birthday celebrated on the blog, please email me at crosswordc@gmail.com
2) Here is a beautiful picture of our glamorous Marti, who is currently vacationing in Florida. She said "Tough day at the beach!!!" Guess what's in that cup?
6. Airer of the sitcom "'Allo 'Allo!": BBC.
7. Honolulu's home: OAHU. Aloha Hawaiin corner people.
8. Stingy: MEAN. Will always be Silas Marner to me, more than Scrooge.
9. Eastern Australian seaport: BRISBANE. A shout out for Kazie.
10. Musical range: OCTAVE. Minnie Ripperton had a 6.5 octave range.
11. Indian loincloth DHOTI. Not really a loin cloth in my mind but THIS.
12. Not left over: EATEN.
13. Part of LED: DIODE. Light-Emitting Diode.
19. '90s-'00s Dodges: NEONS. From the days when we tried to conserve fuel.
21. Traffic-controlling gp.: DEA. Drug Enforcement Administration, not cars.
26. Shout of encouragement: C'MON.
27. __ erectus: HOMO. All ready Lois, Carol, this is a story from history where you can tell us the true MOREL!
29. Second-generation Japanese American: NISEI. From the Japanese word NI meaning two. Does any other nation have such words?
30. Futuristic sitcom family name: JETSON. George and his boy Elroy...
33. Blücher's title in "Young Frankenstein": FRAU. From Terri Garr to CLORIS LEACHMAN.
34. Singer Coolidge: RITA. You like her version of this SONG?
35. Like balsamic vinegar: AGED. Like fine wines, and Lemonade?
37. Flight of fancy: PHANTASM. A really scary movie.
38. Cookout condiment : BBQ SAUCE. and, 52D. Cookout accessory: SPIT. The kind that rotates, silly.
40. Question of identity: WHICH. What? Why?
41. Columbia River city: ASTORIA. A shout to our Oregon group. LINK.
42. Old saw: CLICHE. We try not too.
43. First X, say: TIC. Oh, TAC
44. NyQuil maker: VICKS. From Vapo Rub an empire was built.
45. "I didn't know he had it __" : IN HIM.
46. Like aspen leaves: OVATE. Just like it sounds, egg shaped.
49. Troy Aikman's alma mater: UCLA. He started at Oklahoma, had his leg broken by Miami,coached by Jimmie Johnson; his heart broken by Barry Switzer and transferred, only to finish his career in Dallas first with Johnson and winning his third Super Bowl under Switzer.
50. Fake: SHAM. Could not resist this LINK.
.53. Typical "Hunger Games" trilogy reader: TEEN. Twilight going into the dark now?
54. Blood components: SERA.
56D. Burt's "The Killers" co-star: AVA. Another boxing reference, and the debut FILM for Burt Lancaster.(3:34).
Answer grid.
Okay, first a special thanks to John Lampkin and Annette for a fabulous night, and a thumbs up to Marti for doing her blog while on vacation! Time for this Lemonade to squeeze his way to bed.
Notes from C.C.:
1) A belated "Happy Birthday" to PK! If anyone wants his/her birthday celebrated on the blog, please email me at crosswordc@gmail.com
2) Here is a beautiful picture of our glamorous Marti, who is currently vacationing in Florida. She said "Tough day at the beach!!!" Guess what's in that cup?
