56. Beaujolais or Burgundy: WINE. 39-Down. 56-Across choices: REDS
57. Red __: spicy candies: HOTS
62. "The Mammoth Hunters" novelist Jean: AUEL. I transposed the E/U but almost got it first time.
63. Dictator Amin: IDI
64. Rain or snow, briefly: PRECIP. (precipitation) The main forms of precipitation include drizzle, rain, sleet, snow, graupel and hail. The term graupel comes from the German for soft hail or snow pellets.
35A. 1973 Helen Reddy chart-topper: "DELTA DAWN". Delta Air Lines, a legacy airline.
49A. Melted yellow square on a burger: AMERICAN CHEESE. American Airlines.
55A. R. Kelly hit whose last title word is aptly rhymed with "sky" in the lyrics ... and a hint to the starts of the other four longest puzzle answers: I BELIEVE I CAN FLY, from the soundtrack to the 1996 film Space Jam.
Argyle here. My first flight was on a DC-3, Mohawk Airlines. On another note, nice puzzle.
Across:
1. "Hometown Proud" market chain: IGA. (Independent Grocers Alliance) Our town's IGA closed in 1999.
4. First-string squad: A TEAM
9. Actor McGregor: EWAN
13. Election Day mo.: NOVenber
14. "Lord Jim" author Joseph: CONRAD
16. Field-plowing site: FARM
20. Freezer cubes: ICE
21. Top-notch: A ONE
22. Texter's gratitude: THX. (Thanks)
28. Old King Cole was a merry one: OLD SOUL
29. Reason for unbalanced books: ERROR
30. Southeast Asian language: LAO
31. __ hasty retreat: BEAT A
34. Walk-__: bit parts: ONs
38. CBS forensic series: CSI. (Crime Scene Investigation)
40. African virus: EBOLA
41. ID on an auto title: VIN. (vehicle identification number)
44. Causes pain: HURTS
47. Refreshing break: RESPITE
52. "Let me think ... ": "HMM ... "
53. Smell: ODOR. Burning rubber? That's just me thinking.
54. U.S. intelligence org.: NSA. (No Such Agency)
61. Extremely: VERY
62. On __ knee: kneeling: BENDED
63. Suffix with human: OID. (humanoid)
64. Celtic language: ERSE
65. Pulled into piles, as leaves: RAKED
66. Hi-__ graphics: RES. (High-resolution)
Down:
1. With one flat, musically: IN F
2. Largest living primate: GORILLA
3. Guacamole fruit: AVOCADO
4. Perform on stage: ACT
5. You, to Yves: TOI. French.
6. Opposite of WSW: ENE
7. Pianist Claudio: ARRAU
8. College focus: MAJOR
9. Little newt: EFT
10. Serves food to: WAITS ON
11. Bow-and-arrow wielders: ARCHERS
12. Santa Fe's st.: NMEX. (New Mexico)
15. Dummy: DUNCE
18. Monster's loch: NESS
19. 61-Across: Ger.: SEHR
23. "You've Got Mail" ISP: AOL
24. NBA great Bryant: KOBE
25. "The Clan of the Cave Bear" author Jean: AUEL. An old crossword favorite brought out of retirement.
26. Place setting disc: PLATE
27. Elvis __ Presley: ARON. It's what is on the birth certificate, alright? Anons keep away.
32. Bill with cocktails: TAB
33. Decorate: ADORN
35. Like desperate circumstances: DIRE
36. Baldwin of "30 Rock": ALEC
37. Laundry: WASH
38. __ of commerce: CHAMBER
39. Hot seasons: SUMMERS. Now if it were Nice hot seasons ....
This is my second SJSJ puzzle, the last one being back in Jan of '13.
Very similar grids, with a crossing spanner and climber, triple
10-letter corners in the across, but today we have triple 8's in the
down. I did not get my "ta-DA~!" because of one letter, and switching
to red-letters revealed one other mistake - at the crossing of proper
names, which was the only fun-sponge today. The long answers:
35a. Dynamo's asset : BOUNDLESS ENERGY
8d. Brand with a Magicube : KODAK INSTAMATIC
ON(3-day weekend)WARD~!
ACROSS:
1. Instruments mentioned in the Beatles' "Back in the USSR" : BALALAIKAS - the line is at 2:12 of the clip; my Moscow girl did not get out to the USofA....and a semi-clecho at; 19a. USSR component : SOVIET
11. Arguably biased, briefly : UN-PC
- I saw this "politically incorrect" sign going to get my power painter,
and I had to drive back and snap a pic. I wonder what they
discussed....
15. Resolving : IRONING OUT - well, I hope they ironed out the trouble at Hartwood....
16. Nebula Award winner Frederik : POHL - filled via perps
17. Hanging aid : STUD FINDER
- I can't keep one in my tool box or van, because I keep setting it
off....oh, come on, that's funny. At least C.C. appreciates it~!!
18. Gin flavoring : SLOE
20. Direction at sea : ALEE
22. "Cat __ Hot Tin Roof" : ON A
23. It can be added to a million but rarely to a thousand : AIRE - millionaire, thousandaire
24. Ham's transport? : ARK - oh, I thought I was so clever putting in RYE, too. This is Noah's son, however, and I thought "EGG" was a good answer, as well
26. Woodworking tool : PLANER - don't have one, would like one - and a lathe, too.
28. Adopt : USE - I tried "OWN"
29. Atheist activist Madalyn : O'HAIR - never heard of her, and my first proper name problem; her Wiki
31. Mil. squad leaders : S-SGTs
32. Phys ed teacher Leonard for whom a band was named : SKINNER
- Lynyrd Skynyrd for those who did not know; I learned it from the VH-1
rockumentary. I did not, however, remember how to spell his name, or
the band's, for that matter....
34. Maximum : PEAK
39. Tolstoy title first name : ANNA
40. Be less critical of : LET UP ON
41. Narrow landforms : NECKS -there's lots of land forms called necks here on Long Island
43. Do doer : SALON - I pondered BRUSH
44. Baker's amt. : TSP
47. Hailing from Changwon, say : KOREAN - half perps and WAG
49. Hood et al.: Abbr. : MTs
50. Mascot Misha of the 1980 Olympics, e.g. : BEAR - более России (more Russian)
51. Madrid Mrs. : SRA
52. Groups for biologists : TAXA
54. Italian road : STRADA
56. Internet letters : HTTP
58. On tap : AT THE READY
60. Yet to be settled : OWED
61. Gives up : CRIES UNCLE - I had -----UNDER to start, slowed down the SE
62. Start of a tennis point : TOSS - dah~! Not LOVE
63. One to follow : PACE SETTER
DOWN:
1. Half an African country, or its capital city : BISSAU
2. Half a beer? : ARTOIS - Stella being the other half
3. Where the Mona Lisa smiles : LOUVRE - le Frawnche musée
6. Subject of the 2013 documentary subtitled "Speaking Truth to Power" : ANITA HILL - the other proper name that got me
7. Slot in a car: Abbr. : IGNition - took too long to figure out
9. Writer of really old stories? : AUEL - did not know her; I do recall the title "Clan of the Cave Bear". I just read The Golden Compass, and now I am on to book II; side note, two stars from the movie also appeared in Casino Royale
10. Throat trouble : STREP
11. Increases : UPs -OK, I shall up this week's leg picture, by request, to a non-skinny, "gams with meat" girl
Charlotte~!
12. Not anymore : NO LONGER
13. Frustrating sequence : PHONE TAG
14. Blue forecast : CLEAR SKY
21. "The Big Easy" of golf : ELS - good WAG
25. Eastern royals : RANEES
27. Winter X Games host : ASPEN
- I was not sure if this was the "X" games, or the tenth Olympic games -
which, as I looked later, were held in Grenoble, France, 1968
29. Approved : OK'D - OKed, IDed/ID'd, I sometimes wonder which one is "OK"
30. Outcome : RESULT
32. Charmer's target : SNAKE - snake charmer
33. Take back : REPOSSESS
35. Strategy involving a cushion : BANK SHOT - ah, billiard table cushions
36. Less than a few : ONE OR TWO
37. Opens at the warehouse : UNCRATES
38. Confrontational start : NON - non-confrontational
42. Met : SAT
44. Legislation opposed by the Sons of Liberty : TEA ACT
45. Burden : SADDLE
- I got "saddled" with sorting this week at UPS, so that a trainee
could work my assignment; I think he should have been trained before
this holiday week. I am just glad to have reached my first three-day
weekend of the year - but now we're into Cidiot Season....
46. Slight chance : PRAYER
48. Org. founded on the 100th anniversary of Lincoln's birth : NAACP - seems fitting
50. Sportscaster Musburger : BRENT
53. More, in ads : X-TRA
55. In alignment : TRUE
- gotta keep my studs level and true - the bathroom project progresses,
and yesterday I began the process of moving in to my new space~!
57. APB senders : PDs - All Points Bulletin, and Police Departments
59. Half a bray : HEE - did you try the other half, HAW~??
Boy
was I excited to see a DonG Saturday puzzle. The chunky corners look
made me think it was going to be a tough one, but ultimately, it was
do-able. We have a boat-load of proper names, and a few "Meh"
clues/answers, so my expectation caused a bit of a let down. Oh well.
Mini-theme of corner crossings related to science fact & fiction,
and a central crossing;
21d. "The Dragons of Eden" Pulitzer winner : CARL SAGAN - I have not read the book
37a. What we're made of, per 21-Down : STAR STUFF
- I like shows on Astronomy and Cosmology; I understood that when
massive stars start creating iron in their cores, the beginning of the
end occurs - they go supernova, spewing all the elements out into space
16. With 12-Down, 1995 Hugo Award winner for Best Related Work : I. ASIMOV
12. See 16-Across : A MEMOIR
60. Discoverer of Jupiter's four largest moons : GALILEO
48. Shower component : METEOR - not symmetrical, but just to balance the corners
ONWARD to a Star Trek: TNG universe~!
ACROSS:
1. Probably will : IS APT TO
8. Come before : PREDATE - not PRECEDE
15. Like many a protest : ANTI-WAR
17. Going on, slangily : COOKING
18. Stand for things : ETAGERE - literally, a physical stand, for knick-knacks
19*. "The Road to Wealth" author : ORMAN
20. Opening segment : ACT I - we had this answer last week
22. Deity skilled at archery : AMOR - oops, not EROS
23. It has rail service to ORD and MDW : CTA - Chicago Transit Authority; ORD being the airport code of O'Hare, and MDW for Midway
24. Hawaii's __ Coast : KONA
26. Zippo : NOT ONE
28. Amsterdam features : CANALS - not LEVEES
30. Meat-based sauce : RAGU
32. Shades-wearing TV cousin : ITT - duh-duh-duh dum~! The Addams Family
33. Score update phrase : AT THE HALF - but not in hockey
35. Deck used for readings : TAROT - a deck of cards
39. Place for an ice bed : IGLOO - O, ice E
42. Idylls : PASTORALS - again, we had this last week, but it was pastoralEs
46. Egg __ yung : FOO
47. Salon, for one : eMAG - eh, don't see an abbr. in the clue
49. Like some transfers : IRON-ON
50. Threatening to steal, perhaps : ON BASE - baseball for C.C.; DonG would never live it down had he forgotten
52*. Heroine in Auel's "Earth's Children" books : AYLA - crossing YAP AT irritated me
54. Cpl., for one : NCO
55. Cause some nose-holding : REEK - not ODOR
56*. Brown of publishing : TINA
58. Clip : SHEAR
62. Lab tube : PIPETTE
64. View : OPINION
65. Flighty sort? : AVIATOR
66. Some film clips : TEASERS
67. Submits : TENDERS - as in one's resignation
DOWN:
1*. 1970s Ford president : IACOCCA - of course, he went on to save Chrysler
2. Show contempt for : SNORT AT
3*. Ferocious Flea foe : ATOM ANT
4. Tailless rabbit relative : PIKA
5. Sparkly Skechers style for girls : TWINKLE TOES
6. Salon acquisition : TAN - went with DYE first
7. Reed site : ORGAN - not SWAMP; the other kind of reed
8*. Neoplasticism artist Mondrian : PIET - never heard of this, so I had to do a search - turns out, I consider my style to be of the neoplastic type.
9. Assessment : RATING
10. Spanish pronoun : ESA - hey - guess what~? no Frawnche (OK, etagere)
11. Make cutting remarks about : DIG AT - lots of two-word answers today, too
13. Hockey Hall of Fame city : TORONTO - we are oh so close to the new season
14*. Former surgeon general C. __ Koop : EVERETT
25. DOL division : OSHA - Dept. of Labor, and the Occupational Safety and Health Admin.
27. Cruising : OUT FOR A SPIN
29. "Yes, of course" : AH, SO
31. Classified times : AFTs - I did not get this at first; I had AGES. Now I understand it's AFTernoons, in classified ads
34. Plucked instrument, to Vivaldi : ARPA - Harp
36. Picked style : AFRO
38. Gas co., e.g. : UTILity
39. Excuse for lateness : I FORGOT - eh. what, you forgot what time to come in~?
40. Lost it : GONE APE
41. Popular hanging-basket flower : LOBELIA
43*. One of the original Mouseketeers : ANNETTE
44. Google map, say : LOCATOR
45. Not always the best roommates : SNORERS
51*. Pulitzer playwright Zoë : AKINS
53. Pester, puppy-style : YAP AT - NIP AT, LAP AT....even after an alphabet run, I did not see this.
57. Cyclotron bits : IONS
59. Lead : HEAD - non-rhyming
61. Be supine : LIE - here's my contribution to "the stars"
Theme: You'll never get rich by digging a ditch - Four places that need ditches dug. Because We're in the Army Now!
17A. Letter-routing number : POSTAL CODE. Harrisburg Military Post.
27A. Can in an Andy Warhol painting : CAMPBELL'S SOUP. Camp Beauregard.
47A. World Series setting : BASEBALL FIELD. Naval Base Point Loma.
62A. California Gold Rush figure : FORTY-NINER. Fort Gordon.
60D. Soldier's group, a member of which might be stationed at the start of 17-, 27-, 47- or 62-Across : ARMY. Two states have no Army posts: New Hampshire and Rhode Island.
Cpl. Argyle here. Let's see, we had Fort Dix and we broke camp. We have plenty of posts. I'm not off base saying this cruciverbalistic army has got this Monday down. Thanks, Jerome. Tight themeage; first part of a two word entries. Good pace.
Across:
1. Club joke teller : COMIC
6. Misfortunes : ILLS
10. Motel worker : MAID
14. Traditional Pennsylvania barn raisers : AMISH
15. Tide type : NEAP
16. Ploy : RUSE
19. Overly submissive : MEEK
20. Poker hand prize : POT
21. Thai language : LAO
22. Baker that "nobody doesn't like" : SARA LEE
24. __ cum laude : SUMMA. (with highest honor)
26. Beer barrel : KEG
32. __ New Guinea : PAPUA
World Atlas
33. Hairy Addams cousin : ITT
34. Norwegian capital : OSLO
36. Fancy flower vase : URN
37. Hat for a Western hero : STETSON
41. Former Mideast alliance: Abbr. : UAR. (United Arab Republic)
42. Emily Dickinson, e.g. : POET
44. Apt name for a painter : ART
45. How the elated walk : ON AIR
51. "2001" computer : HAL
52. Mars neighbor : EARTH
53. Traveled around 52-Across, say : ORBITED
57. Mates for mas : PAs
58. Chicken __ king : À LA
61. Fight-or-flight emotion : FEAR
65. Fly like a butterfly : FLIT
66. Reverse : UNDO
67. Early morning hr. : ONE AM
68. Heavy drinkers : SOTS
69. Jump : LEAP
70. Yellowish-brown : TAWNY
Down:
1. Dogpatch creator Al : CAPP
2. Melville novel : OMOO
3. Light fog : MIST
4. Suffix with Marx : IST
5. Fried Taco Bell offerings : CHALUPAS. Chalupas are made by pressing a thin layer of masa dough around the outside of a small mold, in the process creating a concave container resembling the boat of the same name, and then deep frying the result to produce crisp, shallow corn cups. These are filled with various ingredients such as shredded chicken, pork, chopped onion, chipotle pepper, red salsa, or green salsa. ~ Wikipedia. Any resemblance to the Taco Bell offering?
6. It may be gross or net : INCOME
7. MGM mascot : LEO, the Lion.
8. Boys : LADS
9. Has a talk with : SPEAKS TO
10. Nearsighted toon : MR MAGOO
11. "The Mammoth Hunters" author Jean : AUEL
12. "Got it" : "I SEE"
13. Fake on the ice : DEKE. 'Juke" on the gridiron.
17A. Bil Keane comic strip : THE FAMILY CIRCUS. Circus Clown. Family Circus web site.
28A. Bygone Honda CR-V rival : ISUZU RODEO. The very important Rodeo Clown.
44A. Flier's upgrade : FIRST CLASS. Class Clown
60A. Sondheim song, and a hint to the ends of 17-, 28- and 44-Across : "SEND IN THE CLOWNS". Clip(4:11) by Judy Collins with lyrics and an extensive write-up.
Argyle here and one time 44-Across. Two spanners today and some sneaky fill. Some nits that if you're doing LAT puzzles, you should know and get over it. I think Bruce(interview) had fun constructing this one.
Across:
1. Class with numbers : MATH
5. One making a coffee run, say : GOFER. (from 'go for')
10. Spot to shop : MALL
14. Lot measurement : ACRE
15. Skip over, in speech : ELIDE
16. Reed to which an orchestra tunes : OBOE
20. Briny : SEA
21. Buzzing homes : HIVES
22. Tree houses? : NESTS
23. Journalist Sawyer : DIANE
25. Chess pieces : MEN
26. Chess piece : PAWN. If a pawn makes it all the way across the board, it may become any man it wants, excepting the King.
34. Teacher's Apple : iMAC
35. Expansive : VAST
36. Gardner of Hollywood : AVA
37. Strip of latticework : LATH. Makein' lath the old way.
38. Low card : DEUCE
40. "It's Your Space" rental company : AVIS
41. Gobbled up : ATE
42. "The Clan of the Cave Bear" author Jean : AUEL. I almost remember her now.
43. Diet label word : LITE
48. Fruity quenchers : ADEs
49. It may be doffed : HAT
50. Backup strategy : PLAN B
52. Like an enthusiastic crowd : AROAR. …asmell of the greasepaint, aroar of the crowd…(sic)
55. Guiding principle : ETHIC
57. Sub sandwich dressing item : OIL
63. Wear a hole in the carpet : PACE
64. Dance studio rail : BARRE
65. Actress Fey : TINA
66. Winter transport : SLED
67. Prints and threads, to detectives : CLUES
68. __ in Show: dog prize : BEST
Down:
1. Wrestling surfaces : MATS
2. Workout woe : ACHE
3. Stay afloat in place : TREAD WATER. Do you remember Bill Cosby's, "Noah, how long can you tread water?"
(Note from C.C.: It's Jazzbumpa's turn today, but Steve blogged today's puzzle also. So a rare double treat for us! Jazzbumpa first, then Steve.)
Theme: My mom is one - TWINS. Each starred clue is answered by one of a brace of famous real or mythical twins. The crossing theme answer
is the other twin of the pair. Further, one of these twins is
indicated by a two-word answer in which the second word is a red
herring, while the other is a simple one-word name, clued in a way that should specifically identify the set of TWINS in question.
17A. *Edward Cullen's rival for Bella's hand, in the "Twilight" series : JACOB BLACK. I haven't watched this series, so it took a lot of perp help.
2D. *Biblical birthright seller : ESAU. JACOB's TWIN. Isaac's non-identical twin sons are both frequent crossword denizens. You know the story.
23A. *She played Michelle on "Full House" : MARY-KATE. Tricky, since the roll was shared by both of these TWINS.
11. *"High Crimes" actress : ASHLEY JUDD.
As this point, having only half sussed the theme, I'm thinking - wait!
The Judd sisters aren't twins! But MARY KATE and ASHLEY Olsen are.
They have since grown up, or at least gotten older.
45 A. *Brother of Helen of Troy, some say : POLLUX. I did not know that.
28 D. *Source of an age-old medicinal oil : CASTOR BEAN.
CASTOR OIL, of course. I don't recall ever being subjected to this
cure. CASTOR and POLLUX in Greek mythology, present a confusing case. Per Wikipedia: "Their
mother was Leda, but Castor was the mortal son of Tyndareus, the king
of Sparta, and Pollux the divine son of Zeus, who seduced or raped Leda
in the guise of a swan (Greek myths concerning divine sex are often
vague on the issue of female consent)." That's more than I can
comprehend. Better still, Helen also had a TWIN, the unfortunately
named Clytemnestra. CASTOR and POLLUX are also the brightest stars in
the constellation Gemini, and a pet products brand.
59 A. *Beach Boys title girl : BARBARA ANN.
This takes me back to my ute. But back in the day [1961] this was a
hit recording for the Regents. The Beach Boys cover came later.
44 D. *"Today" correspondent __ Bush Hager : JENNA.
BARBARA and JENNA are the daughters of former President George W. Bush,
and clearly non-identical TWINS. They also got older. Here they are
with their mom, former first lady Laura Bush.
And the unifier: 64 A. Target Field team, and each pair of intersecting names in the answers to starred clues : TWINS. C.C.'s home baseball team is not having a good year. They play three games against the Tigers next Mon.- Wed.
It took me quite a while to find C.C.'s wavelength. But wow - eight paired, crossing theme entries, with the long theme entries in perfect symmetry, plus a unifier stacked below
the last horizontal theme fill. Also, two TWIN sets are male and two are
female. I don't even want to think about what it took to put this
together.
Hi gang, a very impressed JazzBumpa here. Let's see what else C.C. has in store for us the rest of the way.
Across:
1. Nation between Togo and Nigeria : BENIN. Along the west coast of Africa where it takes a big sweep to the east.
6. "Look over here!" : PSST. Sibilant attention getter.
10.
CSNY member : NASH. Of course I should know what CSNY is, and of
course, I didn't. Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, famous for their
tight harmonies. Back to my ute again.
14. Private line? : ASIDE. A stage line spoken to the audience, not the other players.
15.
Elevator man : OTIS. In 1853, Elisha Otis invented the elevator safety
brake. Now, 160 years later, his company's products are used in over
200 countries around the world.
16. "It's clear now" : I SEE
19. Genghis __ : KHAN. No relation to Madelaine.
20. "The Plains of Passage" author : AUEL. Jane
21. Former SSR : UKR. The Ukraine.
22. Pharmaceutical rep's samples : PILLS.
26. Dogpatch creator : AL CAPP
31. Alley cats, e.g. : STRAYS
33. Some crowns : TIARAS
34. Desert tableland : MESA. Spanish for "table."
35. Blue bird : JAY
37. Looking for a fight : TESTY
38. Suffix with infer : IOR This, I believe, is pushing it.
47.
Fails to pronounce : ELIDES. This took some thought. It means
omitting a sound or syllable in a spoken word. I heard it in my ute.
48. Image to identify on a driver's license exam : ROAD SIGN
51. Drifters : HOBOS
53. Diarist Anaïs : NIN
54. Neighbor of a Cambodian : THAI
58. Short race, briefly : ONE K. One kilometer, about .6 miles.
62. Ruse : SCAM. Phoney business.
63. Duel tool : EPEE. The most common crossword weapon.
65. Funny Dame : EDNA. Dame EDNA Everage is a character created and performed by Australian comedian Barry Humphries. That's all I know.
66.
Bombs : DUDS. Funny how language twists. "A bomb" is a failure, but
"THE bomb" is something really cool, while a "bomb" can blow you away.
67. Narrow piece, as of cloth : STRIP. Other definitions are possible.
Down:
1. __ California : BAJA. Spanish for "lower." The peninsula extending south from CA is part of Mexico.
3. "Great shot!" : NICE. Well done
4. Teen Vogue subject : IDOL. Today's star, tomorrow's has-been.
5. Lincoln's st. : NEB. Nebraska. Gary can tell us all about it.
6. Beer garden music : POLKA. Oom-pah!
7. Super Bowl I and II MVP : STARR. Bart, QB for the Packers.
8. [Not my error] : SIC. Short for sic erat scriptum, "thus was it written." Used when something in a quote looks not quite right.
9. "That wasn't nice" : TSK. Comic book admonition.
10. Former Soviet leader Khrushchev : NIKITA. Famous shoe banger. Or maybe not.
12. Corporate emblem : SEAL. I wanted LOGO.
13. Egg sources : HENS.
18. Bruises partner : BUMPS. They go together.
22. Shade provider : PARASOL. I wanted ELM TREE.
24. North Sea feeder : YSER. I didn't know what I wanted.
25. Naut. speed units : KTS. Knots. Wikipedia again: The knot (pronounced not) is a unit of speed equal to one nautical mile (1.852 km) per hour, approximately 1.151 mph
26. Env. router : ATTN. Abrv. for attention, often used on inter-office communication envelopes.
27. Stay awake in bed : LIE UP. Or deliberately leave your golf shot short of a hazard.
29. Part of MOMA : ART. The Museum of Modern ART.
30. Promotional bribes : PAYOLAS. Big scandal back in my ute.
32. Composer Erik : SATIE. French.
34. Cattle call : MOO. Of the cattle, not to the cattle.
36. Hankerings : YENS. I thought about going to Japan, but didn't have the YEN to travel.
38. "Need You Tonight" band : INXS
40. First name in shipping : ARI. Onassis.
43. 1963 Newman/Neal film : HUD. Family strife, sexual tension and diseased cattle on a Texas ranch.
46. Start of a show-off kid's cry : LOOK MA. Followed by "No hands!" and CRASH!
49. How traditional Chinese brides dress : IN RED. Why not? It's a festive color.
50. Taunts : GIBES
51. Garden waterer : HOSE
52. Burned, in a high-tech way : ON CD. Probably the next music presentation format to become obsolete.
54. "I __ I taw ..." : TAWT. A puddy tat. Tweety Bird
55. It may have highlights : HAIR.
56. Years, to Caesar : ANNI.
57.
Clouseau's rank: Abbr. : INSP. Inspector Jacques Clouseau, the
bumbling police detective played by Peter Sellers. A portrayal by any
other actor is a SCAM and a fraud.
59. Place to sleep : BED. Or plant flowers
60. Bart's Squishee provider : APU. He runs the Kwik-E-Mart on the Simpson's TV show.
61. ACLU concerns : RTS. Rights, not routes, except for the one to the court house.
There you have it. This puzzle did not BOMB. In fact, I'd say it was THE bomb.
Cool regards!
JzB
****************
Theme: Double Vision: Squint a little further and there's another solve right there!
17A. *Edward Cullen's rival for Bella's hand, in the "Twilight" series : JACOB BLACK
23A. *She played Michelle on "Full House" :MARYKATE
11D. *"High Crimes" actress : ASHLEY JUDD.
And a very expensive backpack - $55,000 anyone? To be fair, Ms. Judd
had nothing to do with this. A reference to the Olsen twins.
45A. *Brother of Helen of Troy, some say :POLLUX
28D. *Source of an age-old medicinal oil : CASTOR BEAN: You really should look these two up. Not appropriate for family viewing.
64A. Target Field team, and each pair of intersecting names in the answers to starred clues :TWINS
Just because I love saying "Miiiinesodda" - here's POTUS 40 announcing a Twins game back in 1935:
Hi
everyone - Steve again. Was this just me or was this a really tough
Wednesday? I was picking around the corners, I couldn't see a theme,
there were names, names, names .. these are the puzzles I love - I know I
can ....... just ...... get ...... there ..... if ....... I .... keep
...... at ......it. Oh, then I see it's a C.C teaser. Thanks, I swear
she does it just to keep all the regulars honest!
Across:
1. Nation between Togo and Nigeria : BENIN. I know that, I drive that road every day. Ummm.
6. "Look over here!" : PSST
10. CSNY member : NASH.
Now this was thoroughly obscure for me. I was thinking "C whatever
State New York" University- Nash College? Oh no, wildly wrong. Crosby,
Stills, Nash and Young. My bad.
14. Private line? : ASIDE
15. Elevator man : OTIS
16. "It's clear now" : I SEE
19. Genghis __ : KHAN
20. "The Plains of Passage" author : AUEL. A thoroughly opportune vowel combination to guarantee crossword immortality! The book isn't bad, either.
21. Former SSR : UKR. My
swim coach Dmitri is from the Ukraine, and coached for the Soviet
Socialist Republics before he realized is was better to move to sunny
SoCal and coach me.
22. Pharmaceutical rep's samples : PILLS
26. Dogpatch creator : AL CAPP
31. Alley cats, e.g. : STRAYS They strut, those stray cats ....
33. Some crowns : TIARAS
34. Desert tableland : MESA
35. Blue bird : JAY
37. Looking for a fight : TESTY
38. Suffix with infer : IOR, Hmmmmmm , not a fan of this one - it's not really a suffix infer/inferior - ah not the same thing
39. Cook, in a way : SAUTE Food! Yay! I sautéd some shrimp for dinner tonight
41. Bar bowl item : NUT.
Don't eat the nuts on the bar unless you've seen them poured and you've
had the only hands in them. I won't gross you out by explaining.
42. "Don't tell me!" : OH NO. After you find out about the nuts on the bar.
47. Fails to pronounce : ELIDES. I finally got this one after YEARS of telling myself to remember it. And I needed it for a whole bunch of crosses
48. Image to identify on a driver's license exam : ROAD SIGN
The ones in my native Ireland are not always too helpful as Irish Miss and Mari can affirm:
51. Drifters : HOBOS
53. Diarist Anaïs : NIN
54. Neighbor of a Cambodian : THAI
58. Short race, briefly : ONE K,
I'm running a 5K in November in November as a prelude to a triathlon in
San Diego in January. It's been mmmmnmmnmm years since I've run to the
store, so it'll be interesting.
62. Ruse : SCAM
63. Duel tool : EPEE
65. Funny Dame : EDNA. Dame Edna Everage. Here she is in all her glory:
66. Bombs : DUDS. There's a lot of folks wished the bombs they heard were duds.
67. Narrow piece, as of cloth : STRIP
Down:
1. __ California : BAJA. Just south of me, and a wonderful place to go. Don't believe everything you read in the papers.
3. "Great shot!" : NICE
4. Teen Vogue subject : IDOL
5. Lincoln's st. : NEB. Lincoln the town, not the President - he was born in Kentucky, not Nebraska.
6. Beer garden music : POLKA. It's
Oktoberfest very soon - get ready to polka! Which is odd, as the polka
is Polish, but what the hey! Drink beer and dance with a green hat and a
feather!
7. Super Bowl I and II MVP : STARR. This Green Bay Quarterback also goes by BART, which fits nicely into a puzzle grid when the Simpsons are getting tired.
8. [Not my error] : SIC. Ooops
9. "That wasn't nice" : TSK. [Sorry, not my error]
10. Former Soviet leader Khrushchev : NIKITA
12. Corporate emblem : SEAL
13. Egg sources : HENS
18. Bruises partner : BUMPS
22. Shade provider : PARASOL
24. North Sea feeder : YSER. Not a fish, the Belgian river. Look, here's an Argyle-style explanation:
Oh wait, that's London - never mind
25. Naut. speed units : KTS. A
knot is one nautical mile, and it is a precise division of the earth's
circumference at it's equator. Lots of nice theme words and a bit of
Scrabble in there!
26. Env. router : ATTN. Yeah, you lost me here.
27. Stay awake in bed : LIE UP. Nope. I stay up. When I can can't get up I lie in. Sorry!
29. Part of MOMA : ART. The wonderful Museum of Modern Art in New York City. I spent a day there lost in everything.
30. Promotional bribes : PAYOLAS
32. Composer Erik : SATIE. You've probably heard this but it's wonderful
34. Cattle call : MOO
36. Hankerings : YENS
38. "Need You Tonight" band : INXS. I'd post a link but I'm still listening to Gymnopédie No.1
40. First name in shipping : ARI. Jackie's friend
43. 1963 Newman/Neal film : HUD
46. Start of a show-off kid's cry : LOOK MA. Ends up in the ER.
49. How traditional Chinese brides dress : IN RED. C.C? We'd love to see you in red! (From C.C. I have a picture of Boomer dressed IN RED traditional Chinese coat.)
May 2003, Boomer Retirement Lunch
50. Taunts : GIBES
51. Garden waterer : HOSE
52. Burned, in a high-tech way : ON CD
54. "I __ I taw ..." : TAWT
I
worked for Warner Bros. for a while - I learned that Warner Bros. is
not Warner Brothers! Oh No! It is Warner Bros.(period) - as I hope I
have adequately proven. Also, this this yellow annoyance is called
Tweety. Not Tweety Bird. No bird - simply Tweety. Call this thing
"Tweety Bird" and it's close to a hanging offense. I escaped - just.
55. It may have highlights : HAIR
56. Years, to Caesar : ANNI.
57. Clouseau's rank: Abbr. : INSP. The clumsy Inspector of the Pink Panther movies.
59. Place to sleep : BED
60. Bart's Squishee provider : APU
61. ACLU concerns : RTS. Hmmm - Rights? I get the American Civil Liberties Union but ..
That's
it from me - a great Wednesday from C.C. - had me guessing and picking
all the way. Take care out here and have a wonderful rest of the week!
Steve
More from C.C.:
Some of you solved the "Crosswords with Friends" puzzle I put on the blog last Sunday. George Barany & Friends specially made it for the Will Shortz event. I chucked (Edited later: I meant "chuckled", D-Otto, :-), I'm amazing like that!) reading his comments on the TWINS clue change. See here (almost the bottom).
I submitted this puzzle in February and it was accepted in May, long before the Twins traded Morneau. Sigh. Go Pirates!
