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Mar 2, 2016

Wednesday March 2, 2016, Pawel Fludzinski

THEME: SWIMMING TO RIO

Husker Gary here having a swimmingly good time blogging Dr. Pawel Fludzinski's (Ph.D in Synthetic Organic Chemistry) lovely mid-week puzzle that he has synthesized for us. The first word in each of the good doctor's theme fills are the names of the strokes employed by swimmers in the Relay Medley swim event in the order in which they occur for the Team Event.


This is a very timely theme in this Olympic year and for the third straight Olympics, America's Swim Trials will be held in a facility 45 minutes from me.




If you've been following the news from Rio, swimming in the pool is far more preferable to participating in any event held in their polluted waters.


Theme Answers

17. 1985 film featuring Doc Brown and Marty McFly : BACK TO THE FUTURE - A SWIM STROKE with a good view of the ceiling OR a fabulous movie




22. Possible place for a train ticket : BREAST POCKET - A SWIM STROKE where the chest and torso do not rotate and is sometimes called the frog stroke OR where some pols are purported to live




37. Concept that small changes can have large consequences, as in theoretical time travel : BUTTERFLY EFFECT- A SWIM STROKE similar to the breaststroke but accompanied by two dolphin kicks per cycle OR an effect explained by Jeff Goldblum as he was enlightening (read hustling) Laura Dern in Jurassic Park - If a butterfly flaps its wings in Tokyo, there will be rain in Central Park




46. Improvisational music genre : FREESTYLE RAP - The final SWIM STROKE in the race which can not be any of the previous strokes and is usually the Crawl OR RAPPING by creating lyrics off the top of the RAPPER'S head. Hmmm... what rhymes with...




And the reveal


56. Olympic medley found in order at the starts of this puzzle's four other longest answers : SWIMMING STROKES 


Here are all four strokes in the order they occur in the Individual Medley. The relay event Dr. Fludzinski was referencing has to start with the backstroker in the water to avoid a collision when the previous swimmer touches the wall. 



Across 

       
1. Gin and tonic, e.g. : NOUNS - Erase DRINK and put in a part of speech


6. Outback birds : EMUS


10. "Pardon the Interruption" channel : ESPN - I'm a big fan of curmudgeon Tony Kornhesier 




14. Photographer Leibovitz : ANNIE


15. Island hoppers : SEA PLANES - I'll bet most of you know the rhyming name of this huge SEA PLANE that only flew once




19. Sesame __ : OIL


20. Julio to julio : ANO - July to July in Español


21. Potter's practice : MAGIC - Harry's forte not Doc Potter's from M*A*S*H

27. AFL partner : CIO


 28. __ Bator : ULAN - Rent an apartment in this building in ULAN BATOR for 1,650,000₮ (Mongolian Tughriks) or $810/month



29. Dude : BRO


32. How storybooks are often read : ALOUD


35. Bibliography abbr. : ET AL - Oh how I hate(d) typing bibliographies!!


36. "Nessun dorma," e.g. : ARIA - "None Shall Sleep" from Puccini's Turandot. There may be better but I've not heard them


40. Cheese with an edible rind : BRIE


41. Shakes a leg : HIES


42. White House staffers : AIDES


43. "You got it!" : YES


44. Bombard : PELT - Wisconsin cheerleaders had to take cover last year after being PELTED with snowballs from Wisconsin fans




45. Michael Caine title : SIR

51. Pastoral tribe of Kenya : MASAI - By the looks of this MASAI Jumping dance, these guys could play in the NBA




54. Sch. with a Phoenix campus : ASU 


55. "__ you nuts?" : ARE

61. Heredity sources : GENE POOLS 


62. Gala or ball : EVENT

63. Got off the ground : TEED - We'll be TEEING the ball up regularly very soon


64. Brogan or brogue : SHOE


65. Fizzy beverages : SODAS - Not thirst quenching to me




Down:


1. Big wheel : NABOB


2. Broadcast sign : ON AIR


3. Claudius, to Caligula : UNCLE - Claudius succeeded his nephew when Caligula was assassinated in 41 A.D. How 'bout that GENE POOL 


4. Suffix with peace : NIK


5. Shelve : SET ASIDE


6. Legally prohibit : ESTOP 


7. "Whatevs" : MEH 


8. Oil-rich fed. : UAE


9. 50+, e.g., on a L'Oréal tube: Abbr. : SPF - OK, here 'ya go


10. Erode : EAT AT


11. Form-fitting : SNUG


12. Meter starter? : PERI - From the Greek peri - 'about, 'around


13. Fraction of a min. : NSEC - 1 NanoSEC : 1 SEC as 1 SEC : 31.7 years

16. Light bulb unit : LUMEN - LUMENS required on a ball diamond




18. Hip about : ONTO


23. Under 90 degrees : ACUTE


24. Factory stores : OUTLETS - They don't seem cheaper to me




25. Potter's supplies : CLAYS


26. Mustard family member : KALE


29. Born partner : BRED


30. Stuffed pepper filling : RICE


31. Wild things to sow : OATS - ...and hope for a crop failure


32. First name in advice : ABBY - One of those Sioux City, IA twins


33. It may be found at the end of the line : LURE - In Julian Lim's Saturday brain buster it was clued "Fly,  commonly"


34. Big name in elevators : OTIS - OTIS made elevators common when he invented the safety brake which he demonstrated by cutting the supporting rope and only falling inches




35. Taxpayer's option : E-FILE - Got my money back within 10 days


36. Burning : AFIRE


38. South Korea's first president : RHEE - Born 
Yi Su‧ng-man and westernized his name to Syngman RHEE


39. Learning opportunities for many : FAILURES - How do telemarketers keep going?




44. Do the do just so : PRIMP


45. Betting aid: Abbr. : SYST


46. Renowned : FAMED


47. Café cup : TASSE


48. Did a fall chore : RAKED - All for naught!




49. Venue that often sells its naming rights : ARENA - Those swim trials are held in the Century Link ARENA in Omaha


50. Kid brothers or sisters, at times : PESTS


51. High-ranking NCO : MSGT - Most critics said MSGT Bilko should have been left to Phil Silvers



52. __ bit: slightly : A WEE

53. Trig ratio : SINE


57. Apple mobile platform : IOS


58. Japanese drama : NOH - Japanese for "skill" or "talent". Yeah, I knew that...




59. Shine, in brand names : GLO


60. Ab __: from day one : OVO - Didn't see until perps filled it in. You can't get more day one than OVO (egg)


Okay, let's hear some freestyle comments from you but please stay in your own lane!

GRID