Theme: CHECK (28D: Word after 21A, 39A 54A, 3D and 30D)
21A: Carolyn Gold Heilbrun's pen name: AMANDA CROSS
39A: Resting place of the Edmund Fitzgerald: LAKE BED
54A: Some time: QUITE A SPELL
3D: Painter's application: FINISH COAT
30D: On-screen stand-in: BODY DOUBLE
What is COAT CHECK? I've never heard of it before. Nor have I heard of BED CHECK. BAD CHECK yes.
I thought of RAINCHECK, PAYCHECK and BACKGROUND CHECK, what other *CHECK phrases can you think of?
Very interesting theme. I like how CHECK is placed in the grid. Like Dennis, I prefer the defining entry to be structured in the middle rather than at the lower right corner, unless it's word END.
The clue for QUAG (54D: Bog) needs an abbreviation hint. And the clue for IOU (26A: Debt chit) is simply unacceptable, as CHIT is the answer for (19A: Voucher: CHIT). I am certain this is not the constructor's error. Just another botched effort from our editor. He seems to be very absent-minded in his editing.
I had a hard time this morning. Somehow I could not focus on solving this puzzle. I don't know why, too many proper names perhaps.
Across:
1A: Put off: DEFER. Shakespeare said: "DEFER no time, delays have dangerous ends."
14A: "Crazy" singer: CLINE (Patsy). Here is the song. I've never heard of it before. Did you know that Willie Nelson originally titled the song "Stupid"? Maybe it is "Stupid" to be so crazy in love. Oh, by the way, what does Forrest Gump mean by saying "Stupid is as stupid does"?
16A: Natural tone: ECRU. I thought of NUDE first.
17A: Virtual certainty: CINCH. I tend to confuse CINCH with CLINCH.
20A: Pilot's gauge: ASI (Airspeed Indicator). No idea. Barry Silk mentioned last time that our editor does not allow partial fills, just AS I thought. What a pity!
24A: Favorite to win: BEST BET
27A: Boondocks possessive: HIS'N. This Li'l Abner talks stump me all the time.
28A: Own-kind feeder: CANNIBAL. I did not understand the clue until I obainted CANNIBAL.
45A: Author of "The Swiss Family Robinson": WYSS (Johann David). Foreign to me. Wikipedia says his novel is based on Defoe's "Robinson Crusoe". Also, WYSS' son, Johann Rudolf WYSS, wrote the Swiss national anthem.
46A: Like some missiles: ANTI-TANK. Is this video real?
62A: Circuit: AMBIT. This is a new word to me.
64A: Violinist Leopold: AUER. I can never remember his name. He wrote "Violin Playing as I Teach It".
66A: French city on the Deule: LILLE. The textile city. Charles de Gaulle was born here. He did possess some TACT (65A: Savoir-faire), didn't he?
67A: Crimebuster: G-MAN. I still wanted some sort of "abbr." hint in the clue.
Down:
1D: 1983 Mr. T flick: D. C. CAB. Unknown to me. See the poster. Have you seen the movie?
2D: Beethoven's "Fur ___": ELISE. Here is "Fur ELISE" from a 8-year old.
5D: 12-step plans: REHABS
10D: New enlistee: RECRUIT. I like Colin Farrel/Al Pacino movie "The RECRUIT".
12D: Writer Murdoch: IRIS. I think I love van Gogh's IRIS. A puzzle without a flower is not appealing to me now.
22D: High-IQ crew: MENSA. "Stupid"! Dennis.
29D: Actress Jessica: ALBA. Wow, that's one daring shirt!
34D: Tennis situation: AD IN
36D: Blood-related: AKIN
39D: Shop machine: LATHE. What kind of shop?
40D: Actress Georgia: ENGEL. No idea. Wikipedia says she is in "The Mary Tyler Moore Show"
43D: Actor who is Sissy Spacek's cousin: RIP TORN. I did not know this trivia. What a strange name he has.
49D: "Deck the Halls" syllables: LALALA. Why? What is "Deck the Halls"?
51D: Piquant: ZESTY. There seems to be always a ZEST or ZESTY in Parrish's puzzle.
52D: Tremulous sound: TRILL. I did not know the meaning of "Tremulous".
57D: "Major Barbara" playwright: SHAW. The only SHAW play I know is "Pygmalion". This collection must be worth lots of money now. Do you collect first edition books?
63D: Shuffle: MIX. Or the surname of this oater cowboy.
C.C.
21A: Carolyn Gold Heilbrun's pen name: AMANDA CROSS
39A: Resting place of the Edmund Fitzgerald: LAKE BED
54A: Some time: QUITE A SPELL
3D: Painter's application: FINISH COAT
30D: On-screen stand-in: BODY DOUBLE
What is COAT CHECK? I've never heard of it before. Nor have I heard of BED CHECK. BAD CHECK yes.
I thought of RAINCHECK, PAYCHECK and BACKGROUND CHECK, what other *CHECK phrases can you think of?
Very interesting theme. I like how CHECK is placed in the grid. Like Dennis, I prefer the defining entry to be structured in the middle rather than at the lower right corner, unless it's word END.
The clue for QUAG (54D: Bog) needs an abbreviation hint. And the clue for IOU (26A: Debt chit) is simply unacceptable, as CHIT is the answer for (19A: Voucher: CHIT). I am certain this is not the constructor's error. Just another botched effort from our editor. He seems to be very absent-minded in his editing.
I had a hard time this morning. Somehow I could not focus on solving this puzzle. I don't know why, too many proper names perhaps.
Across:
1A: Put off: DEFER. Shakespeare said: "DEFER no time, delays have dangerous ends."
14A: "Crazy" singer: CLINE (Patsy). Here is the song. I've never heard of it before. Did you know that Willie Nelson originally titled the song "Stupid"? Maybe it is "Stupid" to be so crazy in love. Oh, by the way, what does Forrest Gump mean by saying "Stupid is as stupid does"?
16A: Natural tone: ECRU. I thought of NUDE first.
17A: Virtual certainty: CINCH. I tend to confuse CINCH with CLINCH.
20A: Pilot's gauge: ASI (Airspeed Indicator). No idea. Barry Silk mentioned last time that our editor does not allow partial fills, just AS I thought. What a pity!
24A: Favorite to win: BEST BET
27A: Boondocks possessive: HIS'N. This Li'l Abner talks stump me all the time.
28A: Own-kind feeder: CANNIBAL. I did not understand the clue until I obainted CANNIBAL.
45A: Author of "The Swiss Family Robinson": WYSS (Johann David). Foreign to me. Wikipedia says his novel is based on Defoe's "Robinson Crusoe". Also, WYSS' son, Johann Rudolf WYSS, wrote the Swiss national anthem.
46A: Like some missiles: ANTI-TANK. Is this video real?
62A: Circuit: AMBIT. This is a new word to me.
64A: Violinist Leopold: AUER. I can never remember his name. He wrote "Violin Playing as I Teach It".
66A: French city on the Deule: LILLE. The textile city. Charles de Gaulle was born here. He did possess some TACT (65A: Savoir-faire), didn't he?
67A: Crimebuster: G-MAN. I still wanted some sort of "abbr." hint in the clue.
Down:
1D: 1983 Mr. T flick: D. C. CAB. Unknown to me. See the poster. Have you seen the movie?
2D: Beethoven's "Fur ___": ELISE. Here is "Fur ELISE" from a 8-year old.
5D: 12-step plans: REHABS
10D: New enlistee: RECRUIT. I like Colin Farrel/Al Pacino movie "The RECRUIT".
12D: Writer Murdoch: IRIS. I think I love van Gogh's IRIS. A puzzle without a flower is not appealing to me now.
22D: High-IQ crew: MENSA. "Stupid"! Dennis.
29D: Actress Jessica: ALBA. Wow, that's one daring shirt!
34D: Tennis situation: AD IN
36D: Blood-related: AKIN
39D: Shop machine: LATHE. What kind of shop?
40D: Actress Georgia: ENGEL. No idea. Wikipedia says she is in "The Mary Tyler Moore Show"
43D: Actor who is Sissy Spacek's cousin: RIP TORN. I did not know this trivia. What a strange name he has.
49D: "Deck the Halls" syllables: LALALA. Why? What is "Deck the Halls"?
51D: Piquant: ZESTY. There seems to be always a ZEST or ZESTY in Parrish's puzzle.
52D: Tremulous sound: TRILL. I did not know the meaning of "Tremulous".
57D: "Major Barbara" playwright: SHAW. The only SHAW play I know is "Pygmalion". This collection must be worth lots of money now. Do you collect first edition books?
63D: Shuffle: MIX. Or the surname of this oater cowboy.
C.C.