Theme: Phrasal Verbs with OFF ON
17A: Authorize in writing: SIGN OFF ON
56A: Argue toe-to-toe: FACE OFF ON
11D: Begin, as a trip: START OFF ON
28D: State one's opinions: SOUND OFF ON
I wish 56A were SQUARE/SLACK OFF ON, then every theme entry would start with letter S.
I really liked the ERIE clue (13D: Superior's inferior?), very clever. UNDO (14A: Cancel) could be clued as "Computer edit command" to complete a computer sub-theme, together with EXE (20A: Program file extension) and UNIX (2D: Trademark DOS).
It's an OK puzzle. I didn't find the theme inspiring though.
Across:
15A: Icefield: FLOE. Dictionary says ice FLOE is smaller than "Icefield", which is smaller than ice sheet and similar in area to ice cap. Very confusing.
21A: Essential meaning: POINT
36A: French you: VOUS. "Voulez-VOUS" from "Mamma Mia!".
40A: Seine feeder: MARNE. Unknown to me. See this map. It's a famous W.W. I battle site. Alfred Joyce Kilmer, the poet of "I think that I shall never see /A poem lovely as a tree" was killed at the second battle of the MARNE in 1918.
42: Homer's TV neighbor: NED. No idea. NED is always clued as "Actor Beatty". So is Bart Simpson's "Aye carumba" is a corruption of Spanish "Ay caramba"?
43A: Deuterium discoverer: UREY (Harold). I forgot. Saw his name before. He won Nobel Chemistry in 1934 and he was also involved in the Manhattan Project.
44A: Film festival site: CANNES. Palme d'Or for CANNES, Golden Lion for Venice Film Festival (the oldest film festival in the world).
55A: Actress Woodard: ALFRE. Ha, what can I say. I forgot her name again. Do you watch "Desperate Housewives"?
Down:
1D: Italian actress Elenora: DUSE. No idea. Wikipedia says she is the first woman to be featured on the cover of Time magazine (July 30, 1923).
6D: Michael Caine film: ALFIE. I've only seen Jude Law's 2004 ALFIE.
8D: Only penciled in: TENTATIVE
26D: Singing chipmunk: ALVIN. Here is their "The Christmas Song". So weird.
27D: Singer Pat: BOONE. Here is his "Ain't That a Shame".
31D: Unmanned aircraft: DRONE. I wonder if the constructor's original clue is bee related, since she has STING (34A: Wasp attack) gridded so close by.
34D: Nerve - wracking: STRESSFUL
37D: Indian garb: SARI. Has anyone seen "The Darjeeling Limited"?
57D: Temporary mania: FAD. I can never understand the Beanie Babies FAD.
C.C.
17A: Authorize in writing: SIGN OFF ON
56A: Argue toe-to-toe: FACE OFF ON
11D: Begin, as a trip: START OFF ON
28D: State one's opinions: SOUND OFF ON
I wish 56A were SQUARE/SLACK OFF ON, then every theme entry would start with letter S.
I really liked the ERIE clue (13D: Superior's inferior?), very clever. UNDO (14A: Cancel) could be clued as "Computer edit command" to complete a computer sub-theme, together with EXE (20A: Program file extension) and UNIX (2D: Trademark DOS).
It's an OK puzzle. I didn't find the theme inspiring though.
Across:
15A: Icefield: FLOE. Dictionary says ice FLOE is smaller than "Icefield", which is smaller than ice sheet and similar in area to ice cap. Very confusing.
21A: Essential meaning: POINT
36A: French you: VOUS. "Voulez-VOUS" from "Mamma Mia!".
40A: Seine feeder: MARNE. Unknown to me. See this map. It's a famous W.W. I battle site. Alfred Joyce Kilmer, the poet of "I think that I shall never see /A poem lovely as a tree" was killed at the second battle of the MARNE in 1918.
42: Homer's TV neighbor: NED. No idea. NED is always clued as "Actor Beatty". So is Bart Simpson's "Aye carumba" is a corruption of Spanish "Ay caramba"?
43A: Deuterium discoverer: UREY (Harold). I forgot. Saw his name before. He won Nobel Chemistry in 1934 and he was also involved in the Manhattan Project.
44A: Film festival site: CANNES. Palme d'Or for CANNES, Golden Lion for Venice Film Festival (the oldest film festival in the world).
55A: Actress Woodard: ALFRE. Ha, what can I say. I forgot her name again. Do you watch "Desperate Housewives"?
Down:
1D: Italian actress Elenora: DUSE. No idea. Wikipedia says she is the first woman to be featured on the cover of Time magazine (July 30, 1923).
6D: Michael Caine film: ALFIE. I've only seen Jude Law's 2004 ALFIE.
8D: Only penciled in: TENTATIVE
26D: Singing chipmunk: ALVIN. Here is their "The Christmas Song". So weird.
27D: Singer Pat: BOONE. Here is his "Ain't That a Shame".
31D: Unmanned aircraft: DRONE. I wonder if the constructor's original clue is bee related, since she has STING (34A: Wasp attack) gridded so close by.
34D: Nerve - wracking: STRESSFUL
37D: Indian garb: SARI. Has anyone seen "The Darjeeling Limited"?
57D: Temporary mania: FAD. I can never understand the Beanie Babies FAD.
C.C.
