Theme: ZZ Top - ZZ is inserted to familiar two-word phrases, changing mostly long vowel sounds into short vowel sounds.
17A. Amaze a racing legend? : DA(ZZ)LE EARNHARDT. The base phrase is Dale Earnhardt, the racing legend.
26A. Simple but exciting abode? : PIZZA(ZZ) HUT. Pizza Hut. Pizzazz is also spelled as pizazz. No long vowel to short vowel sound change in this one. What is the English word with the most Zs?
48A. Headgear delayed in shipment? : LATE FE(ZZ)ES. Late Fees. Did not know the plural for fez is fezzes. The only theme answer ZZ is added to the second word.
61A. Furniture design flop? : FI(ZZ)LING CABINET. Filing Cabinet.
Total 11 Zs. The record is 18. Low black square count too. Only 33.
Must be a bear to construct this puzzle. Hard to come up with common Z containing words to conveniently intersect those Zs in the theme answers, esp when Z is the second letter in a word. AZIZ (23D: Saddam Hussein adviser Tariq) the "Who?" dude just has to be there. No other good alternative. It's easier when the slot has a *ZE ending pattern, like 3D & 41D.
Additionally, the constructor tried to be original & tricky in his clues, hence quite a few unfamiliar references. Just a slog for me.
Puns are always subjective, don't you think? What tickles one might not work for another. Even good puns can be painful.
Across:
1. Place to get clean? : REHAB. Clean the bad addiction.
6. Dip : SWIM
10. Grade-schooler's reward : STAR
14. Roasted, on Mexican menus : ASADA. As in Carne Asada (roasted meat).
15. Animal in two constellations : URSA. Bear. Ursa Major & Ursa Minor (constellation).
16. "Hiya, José" : HOLA
20. Seek retribution, in a way : SUE
21. Prefix with meter : ALTI. Altimeter is an instrument used to measure the altitude of an object above a fixed level. New word to me.
22. Unchallenging courses : EASY AS. Learned Easy A courses from doing Xword.
23. "I ain't got no quarrel with the Viet Cong" speaker : ALI. Not aware of this quote.
24. A goner, in slang : TOAST
30. On the road : AWAY
34. When Macbeth kills Duncan : ACT II. Had ACT?? there forever.
35. Blender brand : OSTER. We also have T-FAL (53D. Maker of nonstick cookware). Two kitchen appliance brands.
37. Knock out, so to speak : AWE
38. Brainchild? : WHIZ KID. Was in the "idea" line of thinking.
40. Iris parts : AREOLAS. Was only familiar with the nipple ring definition.
42. Time Warner spin-off of 2009 : AOL. Did its stock price rise after the spin-off?
43. America's most wanted? : A LIST. Playing on the TV show "America's Most Wanted".
45. Yvette's "our" : NOTRE. As in Notre Dame.
46. "__ chic!" : TRES. Two French in a row.
50. Draw out : EDUCE
52. "Maa" ma : EWE. Nice clue.
53. Basic religious tenet : THEISM
56. Silents star Naldi : NITA. Can never remember this lady's name.
58. Four-song discs, briefly : EPS. EP = Extended Play. Got me.
64. Toward shelter : ALEE
65. Stooge chuckle : NYUK. Curly's chuckle: Nyuk, Nyuk, Nyuk.
66. Off one's trolley : LOOPY. "Off one's trolley" is a new idiom to me.
67. House member : LORD. House of Lord. British Parliament. Stumped.
68. Choosing word : EENY. "Eeny, meeny, miny, moe". Mystery for me.
69. Newark's county : ESSEX. No idea. Only knew the Essex in England. Not NJ.
Down:
1. Angular measures: Abbr. : RADS. Radians. See this diagram.
2. Twin in the Torah : ESAU. Jacob's twin. Was picturing the animals in Noah's Ark.
3. Skyline obscurer : HAZE
4. Tool whose blade is at right angles to the shaft : ADZ. Know the word. But the clue stymied me.
5. Russian instrument with a triangular body : BALALAIKA. A complete stranger.
6. Bird feeder filler : SUET. Really? My neighbors use millet.
7. Ghostly figures : WRAITHS
8. Knesset's land: Abbr. : ISR. And EZER (55. Weizman of 8-Down), whose name escaped me again.
9. Femme fatale : MAN EATER. Another new slang to me.
10. View from Weed, California : SHASTA. Mount Shasta. I've never heard of Weed. It's 10 miles west-northwest of Mount Shasta.
11. Labourite's opponent : TORY. The British Conservative party. Labourite is a person who supports the Labour Party. Another new word to me.
12. Robert of Broadway's "Guys and Dolls" : ALDA. No idea. He's the father of Alan Alda.
13. "Phooey!" : RATS
18. Daughter of Henry VIII: Abbr. : ELIZ. OK, Elizabeth I, daughter of Anne Boleyn.
19. Is down with : HAS. I don't get this clue.
25. Defeated in an annual Nathan's contest : OUT ATE. Know the repulsive hot dog contest, not the venue.
26. Grab for roughly : PAW AT
27. Blood of the gods : ICHOR. Learned from doing Xword also.
28. Scrabble 10-pointer: Z TILE. Could be an alternative theme title, no?
29. 12-sign system : ZODIAC
31. Minute piece? : WALTZ. Chopin's "Minute Waltz".
32. Not ignorant : AWARE
33. Sycophants' replies : YESES
36. Like wind energy : RENEWABLE. Terrific answer.
39. Shed light on : ILLUMINE. Only know illuminate.
41. Slow mover : OOZE. And ICKY (57. Like 41-Down, perhaps).
44. Simply designed British firearm : STEN GUN. We seen STEN often.
47. Appropriated : SEIZED
49. Crumbly cheese : FETA
51. Broadband option: Abbr. : DSL
54. Big Island city : HILO (Hee-loh)
58. Chimp in the Mercury program : ENOS. I forgot.
59. Skunk Le Pew : PEPE. Pepe Le Pew.
60. Charon's river : STYX. The Hades river. Charon is the ferryman.
62. Emmy-winning scientist : NYE. Bill Nye the Science Guy.
63. Cyclades island : IOS. Another stumper. Homer is said to be buried on this island.
Answer grid.
Here is Part VI of Kazie's Oz series. Day 2 on their Kakadu tour. That resting place under the rock looks dangerous, doesn't it? Click here to see all the pictures from her Oz trip.
C.C.
17A. Amaze a racing legend? : DA(ZZ)LE EARNHARDT. The base phrase is Dale Earnhardt, the racing legend.
26A. Simple but exciting abode? : PIZZA(ZZ) HUT. Pizza Hut. Pizzazz is also spelled as pizazz. No long vowel to short vowel sound change in this one. What is the English word with the most Zs?
48A. Headgear delayed in shipment? : LATE FE(ZZ)ES. Late Fees. Did not know the plural for fez is fezzes. The only theme answer ZZ is added to the second word.
61A. Furniture design flop? : FI(ZZ)LING CABINET. Filing Cabinet.
Total 11 Zs. The record is 18. Low black square count too. Only 33.
Must be a bear to construct this puzzle. Hard to come up with common Z containing words to conveniently intersect those Zs in the theme answers, esp when Z is the second letter in a word. AZIZ (23D: Saddam Hussein adviser Tariq) the "Who?" dude just has to be there. No other good alternative. It's easier when the slot has a *ZE ending pattern, like 3D & 41D.
Additionally, the constructor tried to be original & tricky in his clues, hence quite a few unfamiliar references. Just a slog for me.
Puns are always subjective, don't you think? What tickles one might not work for another. Even good puns can be painful.
Across:
1. Place to get clean? : REHAB. Clean the bad addiction.
6. Dip : SWIM
10. Grade-schooler's reward : STAR
14. Roasted, on Mexican menus : ASADA. As in Carne Asada (roasted meat).
15. Animal in two constellations : URSA. Bear. Ursa Major & Ursa Minor (constellation).
16. "Hiya, José" : HOLA
20. Seek retribution, in a way : SUE
21. Prefix with meter : ALTI. Altimeter is an instrument used to measure the altitude of an object above a fixed level. New word to me.
22. Unchallenging courses : EASY AS. Learned Easy A courses from doing Xword.
23. "I ain't got no quarrel with the Viet Cong" speaker : ALI. Not aware of this quote.
24. A goner, in slang : TOAST
30. On the road : AWAY
34. When Macbeth kills Duncan : ACT II. Had ACT?? there forever.
35. Blender brand : OSTER. We also have T-FAL (53D. Maker of nonstick cookware). Two kitchen appliance brands.
37. Knock out, so to speak : AWE
38. Brainchild? : WHIZ KID. Was in the "idea" line of thinking.
40. Iris parts : AREOLAS. Was only familiar with the nipple ring definition.
42. Time Warner spin-off of 2009 : AOL. Did its stock price rise after the spin-off?
43. America's most wanted? : A LIST. Playing on the TV show "America's Most Wanted".
45. Yvette's "our" : NOTRE. As in Notre Dame.
46. "__ chic!" : TRES. Two French in a row.
50. Draw out : EDUCE
52. "Maa" ma : EWE. Nice clue.
53. Basic religious tenet : THEISM
56. Silents star Naldi : NITA. Can never remember this lady's name.
58. Four-song discs, briefly : EPS. EP = Extended Play. Got me.
64. Toward shelter : ALEE
65. Stooge chuckle : NYUK. Curly's chuckle: Nyuk, Nyuk, Nyuk.
66. Off one's trolley : LOOPY. "Off one's trolley" is a new idiom to me.
67. House member : LORD. House of Lord. British Parliament. Stumped.
68. Choosing word : EENY. "Eeny, meeny, miny, moe". Mystery for me.
69. Newark's county : ESSEX. No idea. Only knew the Essex in England. Not NJ.
Down:
1. Angular measures: Abbr. : RADS. Radians. See this diagram.
2. Twin in the Torah : ESAU. Jacob's twin. Was picturing the animals in Noah's Ark.
3. Skyline obscurer : HAZE
4. Tool whose blade is at right angles to the shaft : ADZ. Know the word. But the clue stymied me.
5. Russian instrument with a triangular body : BALALAIKA. A complete stranger.
6. Bird feeder filler : SUET. Really? My neighbors use millet.
7. Ghostly figures : WRAITHS
8. Knesset's land: Abbr. : ISR. And EZER (55. Weizman of 8-Down), whose name escaped me again.
9. Femme fatale : MAN EATER. Another new slang to me.
10. View from Weed, California : SHASTA. Mount Shasta. I've never heard of Weed. It's 10 miles west-northwest of Mount Shasta.
11. Labourite's opponent : TORY. The British Conservative party. Labourite is a person who supports the Labour Party. Another new word to me.
12. Robert of Broadway's "Guys and Dolls" : ALDA. No idea. He's the father of Alan Alda.
13. "Phooey!" : RATS
18. Daughter of Henry VIII: Abbr. : ELIZ. OK, Elizabeth I, daughter of Anne Boleyn.
19. Is down with : HAS. I don't get this clue.
25. Defeated in an annual Nathan's contest : OUT ATE. Know the repulsive hot dog contest, not the venue.
26. Grab for roughly : PAW AT
27. Blood of the gods : ICHOR. Learned from doing Xword also.
28. Scrabble 10-pointer: Z TILE. Could be an alternative theme title, no?
29. 12-sign system : ZODIAC
31. Minute piece? : WALTZ. Chopin's "Minute Waltz".
32. Not ignorant : AWARE
33. Sycophants' replies : YESES
36. Like wind energy : RENEWABLE. Terrific answer.
39. Shed light on : ILLUMINE. Only know illuminate.
41. Slow mover : OOZE. And ICKY (57. Like 41-Down, perhaps).
44. Simply designed British firearm : STEN GUN. We seen STEN often.
47. Appropriated : SEIZED
49. Crumbly cheese : FETA
51. Broadband option: Abbr. : DSL
54. Big Island city : HILO (Hee-loh)
58. Chimp in the Mercury program : ENOS. I forgot.
59. Skunk Le Pew : PEPE. Pepe Le Pew.
60. Charon's river : STYX. The Hades river. Charon is the ferryman.
62. Emmy-winning scientist : NYE. Bill Nye the Science Guy.
63. Cyclades island : IOS. Another stumper. Homer is said to be buried on this island.
Answer grid.
Here is Part VI of Kazie's Oz series. Day 2 on their Kakadu tour. That resting place under the rock looks dangerous, doesn't it? Click here to see all the pictures from her Oz trip.
C.C.
