Theme: House Pun - The first word of each common phrase is replaced by a sound-alike type of house. The resulting phrase is then humorously clued.
17A. Faithful caretaker of a religious residence? : MANSE BEST FRIEND. The base phrase is Man's Best Friend. Manse is parson's residence.
26A. Stately home for debate team practice? : MANOR OF SPEECH. Manner of Speech. I'm more familiar with "manner of speaking".
45A. Former European princess's elaborate dwelling? : ESTATE OF GRACE. State of Grace. Princess Grace. The only theme entries with an extra syllable added.
58A. French castle built with misgivings? : CHATEAU OF A DOUBT. Shadow of a Doubt. Sound change is quite pronounced in this one, with different stress. But a great clue.
This puzzle is very close in theme style and grid design to Donna's last "Hat Pun": four theme entries (the first and last are grid-spanners in both puzzles) punning on the first word of each familiar phrase. The clues are more consistent in this one. Consistency is important in cluing this punny type. You either adhere to the old meaning or the transformed meaning. Can't do both. The hat, no hat, no hat, hat in the "Hat Pun" theme clues bothered me.
Donna has gradually filled in the Friday LAT pun void left by Dan Naddor and she is now our Friday Ms. Pun.
I am very fond of the two Down 10s which crossed three theme answers each:
11D. Operating room number? : ANESTHESIA. Number = Stuff that numb you.
28D. Home of the flightless kakapo : NEW ZEALAND. Kakapo looks like an owl. Why are they flightless?
The clue for ANTONYM (20A. Choose to reject, say? ) is just brilliant. The word "choose" is an antonym of "reject".
Across:
1. Dirty : LEWD. "Indecent" Dirty.
5. Fictional Fort Baxter noncom : BILKO. Sergeant Bilko.
10. Bar assistant? : PARA. Paralegal. Attorney's assistant.
14. Like the northern Antilles Islands vis-à-vis the southern ones : ALEE. I don't get this, Spitzboov.
15. Enjoyed home cooking : ATE IN
16. City named for a Tennyson heroine : ENID. In Oklahoma. Named for the character Enid in "Idylls of the King". Unknown trivia to me.
21. Draw : TIE
22. Vancouver-to-Seattle dir. : SSE. Always need crossing help for dir.
23. Defunct Frontier Airlines competitor : TED. Belonged to United.
24. Not quite NC-17 : R-RATED. Rated G, Rated PG, Rated PG -13, Rated R, then Rated NC-17. Got me.
32. Mars, to the Greeks : ARES. The ending S in Greek always suggests of a male. Ares, Zeus, etc.
33. Aglet's locale : LACE. Aglet is the metal tag at the end of a shoe lace. Like the red cirled part.
34. Per person : A HEAD. A new clue spin on common one word AHEAD.
37. Stitch : SEW
38. Spilled, with "out" : BLURTED
40. Dept. in a "Law & Order" spin-off : SVU. I only like the original "Law & Order".
41. Vocaphone : KAZOO. What is "Vocaphone"?
43. Feudal peasant : SERF
44. Like a pinto : PIED. Mottled "pinto" horse, with multicolored patches.
48. Pokes fun at, in a way : ROASTS
50. Anger : IRE
51. It's used at Gallaudet U. : ASL (American Sign Language). I've never heard of Gallaudet University, "a federally chartered university for the education of the deaf and hard of hearing", based in D.C, according to Wikipedia.
52. Umpire's call : LET. The referee in Tennis is called umpire also?
54. Winter spikes : ICICLES
61. Popular bar game : KENO. Originated in China.
62. Hard to move : STOIC. To move emotionally.
63. The duck in "Peter and the Wolf" : OBOE. I am always confused by those characters.
64. "Soldier of Love" singer, 2009 : SADE. Gimme for me, but then I love Sade.
65. Delish : YUMMY
66. White underling : KENT (Clark). Perry White's underling in the "Superman".
Down:
1. Eastern priest : LAMA. Only in Tibet.
2. Pizazz : ELAN
3. Hit the road : WENT
4. FireDome and Fireflite : DESOTOS. Cars. Waiting for Argyle for the links. He knows everything about cars.
5. Short nightie : BABY DOLL. Lovely color.
6. Canoodling couple, maybe : ITEM
7. Liszt's "__ Preludes" : LES. I guessed.
8. "Santa Baby" singer : KITT (Eartha). Hmm, happy fill for Lois and her "Santa Baby"!
9. Lit : ON FIRE
10. Louvre Pyramid architect : PEI (I.M.)
12. Washer cycle : RINSE
13. Put two and two together : ADDED. Somehow I was thinking of the lumber term 2X2.
18. U.S. dept. with a sun on its seal : ENER. See this seal. There's indeed a sun.
19. Go over again : REREAD
25. Bavarian beef? : ACH. Alas, not real beef for the meat lovers. Alliteration.
26. Conceal : MASK
27. Field : AREA
29. Legendary soul seller : FAUST. He sold his soul to the devil.
30. Cliffside litter : SCREE. Like this, the rocky debris.
31. Chemical prefix? : PETRO. Petrochemical. Why question mark?
35. "__ plaisir!" : AVEC. Literally "with pleasure".
36. Buddy : DUDE
38. Hold in, with "up" : BOTTLE
39. Productiveness : EFFICACY. Great entry.
42. CIA's ancestor : OSS. Ennui!
44. Parboil : PRECOOK
46. Equally simple : AS EASY
47. Power network : GRID. Electric power.
48. Sets up the balls : RACKS. Pool. Lois knows how to "set up the balls".
49. Actor Milo : O'SHEA
53. 1984 Nobel Peace Prize winner : TUTU. 1984? That's long time ago.
54. "Correct me __ wrong ..." : IF I'M
55. Auto mechanic's job : LUBE
56. Black, poetically : EBON
57. Re-edit, in a way : STET. "Let it stand", Let the canceled material remain.
59. Ring site : TOE. Quite pretty.
60. Half a tuba sound : OOM. Oom-pah.
Answer grid.
Our Friday blog team photo continues. Here is a recent photo of Al, a database administrator based in Green Bay, WI. Al loves words and etymologies, as you've probably learned from his always knowledgeable comments and Thursday puzzle write-ups. Al is also very well versed in nutrition due to his personal experiences and background in chemistry. He also loves guitar and takes lessons every week.
C.C.
17A. Faithful caretaker of a religious residence? : MANSE BEST FRIEND. The base phrase is Man's Best Friend. Manse is parson's residence.
26A. Stately home for debate team practice? : MANOR OF SPEECH. Manner of Speech. I'm more familiar with "manner of speaking".
45A. Former European princess's elaborate dwelling? : ESTATE OF GRACE. State of Grace. Princess Grace. The only theme entries with an extra syllable added.
58A. French castle built with misgivings? : CHATEAU OF A DOUBT. Shadow of a Doubt. Sound change is quite pronounced in this one, with different stress. But a great clue.
This puzzle is very close in theme style and grid design to Donna's last "Hat Pun": four theme entries (the first and last are grid-spanners in both puzzles) punning on the first word of each familiar phrase. The clues are more consistent in this one. Consistency is important in cluing this punny type. You either adhere to the old meaning or the transformed meaning. Can't do both. The hat, no hat, no hat, hat in the "Hat Pun" theme clues bothered me.
Donna has gradually filled in the Friday LAT pun void left by Dan Naddor and she is now our Friday Ms. Pun.
I am very fond of the two Down 10s which crossed three theme answers each:
11D. Operating room number? : ANESTHESIA. Number = Stuff that numb you.
28D. Home of the flightless kakapo : NEW ZEALAND. Kakapo looks like an owl. Why are they flightless?
The clue for ANTONYM (20A. Choose to reject, say? ) is just brilliant. The word "choose" is an antonym of "reject".
Across:
1. Dirty : LEWD. "Indecent" Dirty.
5. Fictional Fort Baxter noncom : BILKO. Sergeant Bilko.
10. Bar assistant? : PARA. Paralegal. Attorney's assistant.
14. Like the northern Antilles Islands vis-à-vis the southern ones : ALEE. I don't get this, Spitzboov.
15. Enjoyed home cooking : ATE IN
16. City named for a Tennyson heroine : ENID. In Oklahoma. Named for the character Enid in "Idylls of the King". Unknown trivia to me.
21. Draw : TIE
22. Vancouver-to-Seattle dir. : SSE. Always need crossing help for dir.
23. Defunct Frontier Airlines competitor : TED. Belonged to United.
24. Not quite NC-17 : R-RATED. Rated G, Rated PG, Rated PG -13, Rated R, then Rated NC-17. Got me.
32. Mars, to the Greeks : ARES. The ending S in Greek always suggests of a male. Ares, Zeus, etc.
33. Aglet's locale : LACE. Aglet is the metal tag at the end of a shoe lace. Like the red cirled part.
34. Per person : A HEAD. A new clue spin on common one word AHEAD.
37. Stitch : SEW
38. Spilled, with "out" : BLURTED
40. Dept. in a "Law & Order" spin-off : SVU. I only like the original "Law & Order".
41. Vocaphone : KAZOO. What is "Vocaphone"?
43. Feudal peasant : SERF
44. Like a pinto : PIED. Mottled "pinto" horse, with multicolored patches.
48. Pokes fun at, in a way : ROASTS
50. Anger : IRE
51. It's used at Gallaudet U. : ASL (American Sign Language). I've never heard of Gallaudet University, "a federally chartered university for the education of the deaf and hard of hearing", based in D.C, according to Wikipedia.
52. Umpire's call : LET. The referee in Tennis is called umpire also?
54. Winter spikes : ICICLES
61. Popular bar game : KENO. Originated in China.
62. Hard to move : STOIC. To move emotionally.
63. The duck in "Peter and the Wolf" : OBOE. I am always confused by those characters.
64. "Soldier of Love" singer, 2009 : SADE. Gimme for me, but then I love Sade.
65. Delish : YUMMY
66. White underling : KENT (Clark). Perry White's underling in the "Superman".
Down:
1. Eastern priest : LAMA. Only in Tibet.
2. Pizazz : ELAN
3. Hit the road : WENT
4. FireDome and Fireflite : DESOTOS. Cars. Waiting for Argyle for the links. He knows everything about cars.
5. Short nightie : BABY DOLL. Lovely color.
6. Canoodling couple, maybe : ITEM
7. Liszt's "__ Preludes" : LES. I guessed.
8. "Santa Baby" singer : KITT (Eartha). Hmm, happy fill for Lois and her "Santa Baby"!
9. Lit : ON FIRE
10. Louvre Pyramid architect : PEI (I.M.)
12. Washer cycle : RINSE
13. Put two and two together : ADDED. Somehow I was thinking of the lumber term 2X2.
18. U.S. dept. with a sun on its seal : ENER. See this seal. There's indeed a sun.
19. Go over again : REREAD
25. Bavarian beef? : ACH. Alas, not real beef for the meat lovers. Alliteration.
26. Conceal : MASK
27. Field : AREA
29. Legendary soul seller : FAUST. He sold his soul to the devil.
30. Cliffside litter : SCREE. Like this, the rocky debris.
31. Chemical prefix? : PETRO. Petrochemical. Why question mark?
35. "__ plaisir!" : AVEC. Literally "with pleasure".
36. Buddy : DUDE
38. Hold in, with "up" : BOTTLE
39. Productiveness : EFFICACY. Great entry.
42. CIA's ancestor : OSS. Ennui!
44. Parboil : PRECOOK
46. Equally simple : AS EASY
47. Power network : GRID. Electric power.
48. Sets up the balls : RACKS. Pool. Lois knows how to "set up the balls".
49. Actor Milo : O'SHEA
53. 1984 Nobel Peace Prize winner : TUTU. 1984? That's long time ago.
54. "Correct me __ wrong ..." : IF I'M
55. Auto mechanic's job : LUBE
56. Black, poetically : EBON
57. Re-edit, in a way : STET. "Let it stand", Let the canceled material remain.
59. Ring site : TOE. Quite pretty.
60. Half a tuba sound : OOM. Oom-pah.
Answer grid.
Our Friday blog team photo continues. Here is a recent photo of Al, a database administrator based in Green Bay, WI. Al loves words and etymologies, as you've probably learned from his always knowledgeable comments and Thursday puzzle write-ups. Al is also very well versed in nutrition due to his personal experiences and background in chemistry. He also loves guitar and takes lessons every week.
C.C.
