Theme: Nova Ova - as the reveal tells you - anagrams of types of eggs:
36A. Breakfast order ... and a hint to the last words of 17-, 26-, 51- and 58-Across : SCRAMBLED EGGS. Food! Time for a "Full English" breakfast!
17A. Aerialists' insurance : SAFETY NETS. NEST Eggs.
26A. Porsche Boxster, e.g. : TWO-SEATER. EASTER Eggs.
51A. Like some pizza ovens : WOOD FIRED. FRIED Eggs.
58A. Conflict in Tennyson's "The Charge of the Light Brigade" : CRIMEAN WAR. RAW Eggs.
Those of you with long memories might recall the theme title I've re-used today. This was a 2014 puzzle from Gareth Bain which I blogged, and I mentioned I'd been trying to come up with a "scrambled eggs" theme and failed, where Gareth had used "ova" instead and succeeded. Susan comes up with a totally different approach, and anagrams the types of eggs, not the eggs themselves. Very nice indeed.
Nothing really bothersome about the fill, it actually seemed a little easy for a Thursday, but your mileage may vary. Let's see what pops out:
Across:
1. Color changers : DYES
5. Allowing for the uncertainty of the future : SO FAR
10. Fairy tale bear : MAMA
14. Set : JELL
15. Greenland coin : KRONE. I've seen a lot of banknotes, but I'd not seen one of these before:
16. Holiday lead-ins : EVES
19. Days in Durango : DIAS
20. Side by side? : AREA. Nice clue. Multiply the lengths of the sides of a rectangle together and you get the area.
21. Medical priority system : TRIAGE
23. Visually transfixed : AGAZE
29. Mauritania neighbor : MALI. The West African country kerfuffle reminds me of the hubbub of states in the north-east US.
30. Make a big stink : REEK
31. Immobile : INERT
32. Lining fabric : FLEECE
34. Zebra hunter : LION. Lioness, actually. the guys just lay around while the women do all the work. Typical.
41. Loaves that may be seeded : RYES
42. Printing goofs : ERRATA
44. Narrow groove : STRIA
48. Take to heart : HEED
50. "Yikes!" : EGAD!
53. Decorative draperies : SWAGS. I never knew these things had a name. Thank you, crosses.
54. Brand name for the sleep aid zolpidem : AMBIEN.
55. Culture starter? : AGRI-
57. Tropical tuber : TARO
64. Tiny bit : ATOM
65. Broadcaster : AIRER
66. Sticking point : TINE. One of a number on a fork.
67. Many Christmas presents : TOYS
68. Involuntary muscle contraction : SPASM
69. Jet black : ONYX
Down:
1. Wedding reception VIPs : DJ'S
2. Vote for : YEA
3. Cookie baker in the Hollow Tree : ELF. Keebler's enchanted little person.
4. More disreputable : SLEAZIER
5. Terrier breed from Scotland : SKYE. There are quiet a few territory breeds in Scotland. Scottish Terrier, West Highland Terrier, Cairn Terrier, Border Terrier .... it's quite a list.
6. Richly decorated : ORNATE
7. Rival : FOE
8. Colony crawler : ANT
9. Stops working for a while : RESTS
10. Highway divider : MEDIAN
11. Pilot : AVIATE. The verb, not the noun. Thursday-level clue.
12. Scanty : MEAGER
13. State strongly : ASSERT
18. Little Italian number : TRE
22. "Stand By Me" director : REINER. The famous Rob. Stephen King wrote the original book from which the screenplay was developed.
23. Bowling alley initials : AMF. Chain of bowling alley operations and bowling equiment. Boomer would know. I needed crosses.
24. Some square dancers : GALS
25. Baldwin brother : ALEC
27. "Maybe" : WE'LL SEE
28. 1930s migrant to California : OKIE
30. Beverage company __ Cointreau : REMY
33. Coffee server : CARAFE
35. Binged (on) : OD'ED
37. Paint brand sold at Home Depot : BEHR
38. Got big enough for : GREW INTO
39. "Born This Way" Lady : GAGA. She's just announced she has to cancel her last ten UK tour dates due to pain from fibromyalgia. It's sad she's suffering from this debilitating condition.
40. Antlered animal : STAG
43. Program interruptions : ADS
44. Try to hit, as a fly : SWAT AT
45. Minestrone ingredient : TOMATO
46. Drink named for a Scottish hero : ROB ROY. Vermouth, Scotch Whisky and Angostura bitters. First made at the Astoria hotel in New York in honor of the premiere of the operetta.
47. Make a scene and act up : IDIOMS
49. One of a '50s singing quartet : ED AMES. One of the Urick brothers, the others were Vic, Gene and Joe.
52. Ancient empire builders : INCAS
53. Madrid Mrs. : SRA. Senora.
56. Start of an idea : GERM
59. Fabric flaw : RIP
60. Yo La Tengo guitarist Kaplan : IRA. Here's their melodious cover of The Cure's "Friday I'm in Love" with a truly bizarre video to accompany it.
61. Break the tape : WIN
62. Whichever : ANY
63. King of ancient Rome : REX. Oedipus, et al.
That's about it for me, back to LA today after eating copious amounts of curry in the UK.
This was yesterday morning in the middle of London. When I say "in the middle of London" I mean the exact center. I'm standing on a brass plaque marking the geographic center of the city from where all distances to and from the capital are measured. The gentleman over my shoulder is Admiral, Lord Nelson atop his column in Trafalgar Square.
Steve
36A. Breakfast order ... and a hint to the last words of 17-, 26-, 51- and 58-Across : SCRAMBLED EGGS. Food! Time for a "Full English" breakfast!
17A. Aerialists' insurance : SAFETY NETS. NEST Eggs.
26A. Porsche Boxster, e.g. : TWO-SEATER. EASTER Eggs.
51A. Like some pizza ovens : WOOD FIRED. FRIED Eggs.
58A. Conflict in Tennyson's "The Charge of the Light Brigade" : CRIMEAN WAR. RAW Eggs.
“Forward, the Light Brigade!”
Was there a man dismayed?
Not though the soldier knew
Someone had blundered.
Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to do and die.
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
Those of you with long memories might recall the theme title I've re-used today. This was a 2014 puzzle from Gareth Bain which I blogged, and I mentioned I'd been trying to come up with a "scrambled eggs" theme and failed, where Gareth had used "ova" instead and succeeded. Susan comes up with a totally different approach, and anagrams the types of eggs, not the eggs themselves. Very nice indeed.
Nothing really bothersome about the fill, it actually seemed a little easy for a Thursday, but your mileage may vary. Let's see what pops out:
Across:
1. Color changers : DYES
5. Allowing for the uncertainty of the future : SO FAR
10. Fairy tale bear : MAMA
14. Set : JELL
15. Greenland coin : KRONE. I've seen a lot of banknotes, but I'd not seen one of these before:
16. Holiday lead-ins : EVES
19. Days in Durango : DIAS
20. Side by side? : AREA. Nice clue. Multiply the lengths of the sides of a rectangle together and you get the area.
21. Medical priority system : TRIAGE
23. Visually transfixed : AGAZE
29. Mauritania neighbor : MALI. The West African country kerfuffle reminds me of the hubbub of states in the north-east US.
30. Make a big stink : REEK
31. Immobile : INERT
32. Lining fabric : FLEECE
34. Zebra hunter : LION. Lioness, actually. the guys just lay around while the women do all the work. Typical.
41. Loaves that may be seeded : RYES
42. Printing goofs : ERRATA
44. Narrow groove : STRIA
48. Take to heart : HEED
50. "Yikes!" : EGAD!
53. Decorative draperies : SWAGS. I never knew these things had a name. Thank you, crosses.
54. Brand name for the sleep aid zolpidem : AMBIEN.
55. Culture starter? : AGRI-
57. Tropical tuber : TARO
64. Tiny bit : ATOM
65. Broadcaster : AIRER
66. Sticking point : TINE. One of a number on a fork.
67. Many Christmas presents : TOYS
68. Involuntary muscle contraction : SPASM
69. Jet black : ONYX
Down:
1. Wedding reception VIPs : DJ'S
2. Vote for : YEA
3. Cookie baker in the Hollow Tree : ELF. Keebler's enchanted little person.
4. More disreputable : SLEAZIER
5. Terrier breed from Scotland : SKYE. There are quiet a few territory breeds in Scotland. Scottish Terrier, West Highland Terrier, Cairn Terrier, Border Terrier .... it's quite a list.
6. Richly decorated : ORNATE
7. Rival : FOE
8. Colony crawler : ANT
9. Stops working for a while : RESTS
10. Highway divider : MEDIAN
11. Pilot : AVIATE. The verb, not the noun. Thursday-level clue.
12. Scanty : MEAGER
13. State strongly : ASSERT
18. Little Italian number : TRE
22. "Stand By Me" director : REINER. The famous Rob. Stephen King wrote the original book from which the screenplay was developed.
23. Bowling alley initials : AMF. Chain of bowling alley operations and bowling equiment. Boomer would know. I needed crosses.
24. Some square dancers : GALS
25. Baldwin brother : ALEC
27. "Maybe" : WE'LL SEE
28. 1930s migrant to California : OKIE
30. Beverage company __ Cointreau : REMY
33. Coffee server : CARAFE
35. Binged (on) : OD'ED
37. Paint brand sold at Home Depot : BEHR
38. Got big enough for : GREW INTO
39. "Born This Way" Lady : GAGA. She's just announced she has to cancel her last ten UK tour dates due to pain from fibromyalgia. It's sad she's suffering from this debilitating condition.
40. Antlered animal : STAG
43. Program interruptions : ADS
44. Try to hit, as a fly : SWAT AT
45. Minestrone ingredient : TOMATO
46. Drink named for a Scottish hero : ROB ROY. Vermouth, Scotch Whisky and Angostura bitters. First made at the Astoria hotel in New York in honor of the premiere of the operetta.
47. Make a scene and act up : IDIOMS
49. One of a '50s singing quartet : ED AMES. One of the Urick brothers, the others were Vic, Gene and Joe.
52. Ancient empire builders : INCAS
53. Madrid Mrs. : SRA. Senora.
56. Start of an idea : GERM
59. Fabric flaw : RIP
60. Yo La Tengo guitarist Kaplan : IRA. Here's their melodious cover of The Cure's "Friday I'm in Love" with a truly bizarre video to accompany it.
61. Break the tape : WIN
62. Whichever : ANY
63. King of ancient Rome : REX. Oedipus, et al.
That's about it for me, back to LA today after eating copious amounts of curry in the UK.
This was yesterday morning in the middle of London. When I say "in the middle of London" I mean the exact center. I'm standing on a brass plaque marking the geographic center of the city from where all distances to and from the capital are measured. The gentleman over my shoulder is Admiral, Lord Nelson atop his column in Trafalgar Square.
Steve
