Theme: HYPOCRITE (62A: Insincere type suggested by the starts of the answers to starred clues)
17A: *Hack's output: POTBOILER
21A: *Canceling: CALLING OFF
26A: *Idealized family: THE JONESES
48A: *Pitched percussion instrument: KETTLE DRUM
56A: *Sorcery: BLACK MAGIC
In Chinese, we have an idiom similar to POT CALLING THE KETTLE BLACK: Crow laughing at the pig for being black.
I always thought THE JONESES simply means your neighbor, not necessarily an "idealized family". I got the defining entry HYPOCRITE first, then worked my way up, thinking the starts of the starred theme clues might synonyms to HYPOCRITE. Quite an inventive theme approach.
Besides KETTLE DRUM, there are several other music/musician/musical instrument related fills:
1A: Item of concern in a sound check: AMP
1D: "Spanish Flea" trumpeter: ALPERT (Herb). The guy in the middle?
15D: Schubert's "The __ King": ERL. Completely unknown to me. Here is a short plot summary.
1D: "Spanish Flea" trumpeter: ALPERT (Herb). The guy in the middle?
15D: Schubert's "The __ King": ERL. Completely unknown to me. Here is a short plot summary.
18D: Instruments for Earl Scruggs: BANJOS
I don't think question mark is needed for NITRO (19A: TNT component?). The ? made me think of DRAMA, you know, TNT's "We know drama".
Across:
4A: Height: Pref.: ACRO. As in acrophobia. It appeared in our puzzle before, but I forgot. Wanted ALTI or ELEV, which are actually "Height: Abbr.".
I don't think question mark is needed for NITRO (19A: TNT component?). The ? made me think of DRAMA, you know, TNT's "We know drama".
Across:
4A: Height: Pref.: ACRO. As in acrophobia. It appeared in our puzzle before, but I forgot. Wanted ALTI or ELEV, which are actually "Height: Abbr.".
8A: Part of a diploma accolade: MAGNA. MAGNA cum laude.
13A: John, to Ringo: LOO. John is slang for bathroom. Can't fool me.
20A: Film feline: ELSA. From "Born Free".
23A: Umbrella alternative: RAIN HAT
25A: Summer blowers: FANS
13A: John, to Ringo: LOO. John is slang for bathroom. Can't fool me.
20A: Film feline: ELSA. From "Born Free".
23A: Umbrella alternative: RAIN HAT
25A: Summer blowers: FANS
29A: Baseball feature: SEAMS. See this official Major League Rawlings baseball, with the commissioner's signature. That's Bud Selig.
33A: Hammer, for one: TOOL. Thought of Tom DeLay, "The Hammer".
36A: Analyze in English class: PARSE
39A: Groan inducer: PUN
40A: Where alpaca roam: ANDES. Which one is alpaca? I don't know how it looks differently from a llama.
33A: Hammer, for one: TOOL. Thought of Tom DeLay, "The Hammer".
36A: Analyze in English class: PARSE
39A: Groan inducer: PUN
40A: Where alpaca roam: ANDES. Which one is alpaca? I don't know how it looks differently from a llama.
42A: Org. concerned with climate change: EPA
43A: "Dang": DARN. Don't like the clue.
45A: U.S. document issuer: GPO (Government Printing Office). I was stumped.
53A: Enthusiastic okay, in Seville: SI SI. Shi Shi in Chinese.
55A: The first requirement: RULE ONE. Not RULE NUMBER ONE?
60A: Arguing: AT IT. Stop Arguing/Bickering! Clue me.
61A: "An Essay Concerning Human Understanding" author: LOCKE (John). Easy guess. Have never heard of this essay.
61A: "An Essay Concerning Human Understanding" author: LOCKE (John). Easy guess. Have never heard of this essay.
64A: Sprain site: ANKLE. Ouch!
66A: Fascist leader?: NEO. Neo-fascist. Nice clue.
Down:
2D: Dough: MOOLAH. I used to confuse this word with mullah.
3D: "Happy Days" friend of Richie and Ralph: POTSIE. No idea. Thought of Fonzie, the guy who jumped the shark. Which one is POTSIE?
66A: Fascist leader?: NEO. Neo-fascist. Nice clue.
Down:
2D: Dough: MOOLAH. I used to confuse this word with mullah.
3D: "Happy Days" friend of Richie and Ralph: POTSIE. No idea. Thought of Fonzie, the guy who jumped the shark. Which one is POTSIE?
4D: __ Z: A TO
5D: Mexican-American: CHICANO. This is a new word to me.
6D: Empathize: RELATE
7D: Sports commentator Hershiser: OREL. Often clued as "Pitcher Hershiser".
8D: Heavenly fare: MANNA
9D: Associates (with): ALIGNS
10D: Deteriorate: GO TO SEED. New phrase to me.
11D: Ball used for dorm hoops: NERF
12D: Beginning: AS OF. I nailed almost all the multiple word answers today.
22D: "Granting that ...": IF SO. Can you give me an example on how these two are interchangeable?
22D: "Granting that ...": IF SO. Can you give me an example on how these two are interchangeable?
27D: Slow the growth of: STUNT
28D: Very long interval: EON
30D: Live and breathe: ARE. Need your help again. I don't understand this cluing. The grammar is confusing.
31D: Woolf's "__ Dalloway": MRS. I learned this book from "The Hours".
34D: Collar extension: LAPEL
38D: Searches thoroughly: RANSACKS
39D: Season opener?: PRE. Preseason. A home-run clue. Nice!
41D: Loving refusal: NO DEAR. I like YES DEAR.
44D: Actor Tamiroff: AKIM. Hebrew for "God will establish". I can never remember his name.
45D: Important energy source for the brain: GLUCOSE. Thought of Fructose first. I figured my brain loves quick sugar from fruits.
47D: Amuse: TICKLE
49D: Shooter's aid: TRIPOD. And SKEET (54D: Shooter's sport). Nice pair.
51D: Merges: UNITES
52D: Earth threat in some sci-fi films: METEOR
56D: Tell: BLAB
59D: Pita sandwich: GYRO. Here is a GYRO sandwich with some ROTINI (50D: Spiral pasta) salad. What's your favorite pasta?
63D: These, in Troyes: CES. French for "these". I don't know where exactly Troyes is. It's picked just for alliteration purpose I suppose.
Answer grid.
C.C.
