Theme: The Simpsons (1A: Hint at this puzzle's theme: D'OH)
3D: Jethro Burns partner: HOMER HAYNES
9D: Mrs. Clint Black: LISA HARTMAN
21D: First Super Bowl MVP: BART STARR
23D: "Gosford Park" co-star: MAGGIE SMITH
26D: "The Moon is Always Female" poet: MARGE PIERCY
Had some struggle with this puzzle, esp with Senator INOUYE's name (27D: First Japanese-American congressman). Maybe he needs to divorce his new wife, or has some other scandal so the spelling of vowel-rich, odd-looking name can be indelibly stamped on my mind.
This grid just does not fit my eyes. I've never seen one with all the theme answers contained exclusively in the DOWN clues. Wanted so badly to turn it 90 degree. I wonder why the constructor chose this style. Just to make it unique?
This is only the 2nd Edgar Fontaine puzzle I've blogged, so I can't really tell his style. Some of the cluing feel very Tom Pruce-like, esp 52A & 58A. I am so happy that we finally hit a cycle with today's AMIRS. Now we know fully how to call those Abu Dhabi bigwigs: EMIR, EMEER, AMIR and AMEER. Bring them on!
Across:
4A: The Racer's Edge: STP. The clue should have a quotation mark.
7A: Step on the scale?: SOL. I like the clue.
13A: Mesabi Range output: IRON ORE
15A: Chicago Newspaper: TRIBUNE. The 5th largest newspaper in the US in terms of circulation according to this list. TRIBUNE Media Service (TMS), which syndicates our Daily Crossword & LA Times Daily Crossword, has nothing to do with the Chicago Tribune Newspaper, though both owned by the TRIBUNE Company.
19A: Hammered on a slant: TOED. I can never remember this oblique meaning of TOE.
20A: Like straws: TUBULAR
25A: Surround: HEM IN
29A: German exclamation: ACH. "D'OH" dubbed as "Nein" in German. I suppose it's a slang for "kein", not sure.
31A: Moslem VIPs: AMIRS. I like clue. Variant in clue, variant in answer.
33A: Stewart of "Swing Shift": ALANA. Wow, what a desperate clue! Look at this cast in credits order, her name is so far down. I had no idea who she was until this morning. A gimme for Rod Stewart and Rachel Hunter I am sure.
35A: Navy mascot: GOAT. Bill the GOAT. Does GOAT really need those hard horns?
36A: Timber fungus: DRY ROT. New to me.
38A: Firing: GUNSHOT
41A: Mama, for one: AUNTIE. Look at these cute Uncle Henry and AUTIE Em dolls (Madame Alexander). Or do you still prefer your McDonald's Woody & Buzz toys?
45A: Rhone tributary: ISERE. I just learned earlier that ISERE was also the name of the French ship which sent us the Statue of Liberty.
48A: Ponselle and Parks: ROSAS. Know Parks, not Ponselle.
50A: ID card letters, at times: NMI. Do you all have middle names?
52A: Iniquitous: IMMORAL. Identical clue on July 5th "Unfaithful" puzzle.
55A: Saab model: AERO. I like how it intersects OLDS (57D: Carmaker Ransoom).
58A: The devil: OLD NICK
61A: Principal: CENTRAL
63A: Peter or Paul, but not Mary: APOSTLE. Good clue.
64A: Indigestion relief: ANTACID
Down:
2D: Treat with milk: OREO. Nabisco really has a very formidable presence in China.
5D: Transport-loss allowance: TRET
6D: Lima man: PERUVIAN. Have not seen YMA Sumac for a long time. She is probably the most famous PERUVIAN in this crossword world.
8D: Hershiser of baseball: OREL. Cy Young winner 1988. Who is your all time favorite pitcher?
14D: Computer network terminal: NODE. New to me.
28D: Talk non-stop: NATTER
29D: Social event: AFFAIR. Is AFFAIR really a social event?
30D: "CSI: Miami" star: CARUSO (David). I like his role (detective John Kelly) in "NYPD Blue"
32D: Pouty look: MOUE. Would not have got this word without the across references.
36D: Carries out: DOES. DOES are also female goats, aren't they? Would be great if DOES intersects GOAT.
39D: Of a rising star: HELIACAL. HELI(0) is a prefix for sun, how is it related to star?
C.C.
3D: Jethro Burns partner: HOMER HAYNES
9D: Mrs. Clint Black: LISA HARTMAN
21D: First Super Bowl MVP: BART STARR
23D: "Gosford Park" co-star: MAGGIE SMITH
26D: "The Moon is Always Female" poet: MARGE PIERCY
Had some struggle with this puzzle, esp with Senator INOUYE's name (27D: First Japanese-American congressman). Maybe he needs to divorce his new wife, or has some other scandal so the spelling of vowel-rich, odd-looking name can be indelibly stamped on my mind.
This grid just does not fit my eyes. I've never seen one with all the theme answers contained exclusively in the DOWN clues. Wanted so badly to turn it 90 degree. I wonder why the constructor chose this style. Just to make it unique?
This is only the 2nd Edgar Fontaine puzzle I've blogged, so I can't really tell his style. Some of the cluing feel very Tom Pruce-like, esp 52A & 58A. I am so happy that we finally hit a cycle with today's AMIRS. Now we know fully how to call those Abu Dhabi bigwigs: EMIR, EMEER, AMIR and AMEER. Bring them on!
Across:
4A: The Racer's Edge: STP. The clue should have a quotation mark.
7A: Step on the scale?: SOL. I like the clue.
13A: Mesabi Range output: IRON ORE
15A: Chicago Newspaper: TRIBUNE. The 5th largest newspaper in the US in terms of circulation according to this list. TRIBUNE Media Service (TMS), which syndicates our Daily Crossword & LA Times Daily Crossword, has nothing to do with the Chicago Tribune Newspaper, though both owned by the TRIBUNE Company.
19A: Hammered on a slant: TOED. I can never remember this oblique meaning of TOE.
20A: Like straws: TUBULAR
25A: Surround: HEM IN
29A: German exclamation: ACH. "D'OH" dubbed as "Nein" in German. I suppose it's a slang for "kein", not sure.
31A: Moslem VIPs: AMIRS. I like clue. Variant in clue, variant in answer.
33A: Stewart of "Swing Shift": ALANA. Wow, what a desperate clue! Look at this cast in credits order, her name is so far down. I had no idea who she was until this morning. A gimme for Rod Stewart and Rachel Hunter I am sure.
35A: Navy mascot: GOAT. Bill the GOAT. Does GOAT really need those hard horns?
36A: Timber fungus: DRY ROT. New to me.
38A: Firing: GUNSHOT
41A: Mama, for one: AUNTIE. Look at these cute Uncle Henry and AUTIE Em dolls (Madame Alexander). Or do you still prefer your McDonald's Woody & Buzz toys?
45A: Rhone tributary: ISERE. I just learned earlier that ISERE was also the name of the French ship which sent us the Statue of Liberty.
48A: Ponselle and Parks: ROSAS. Know Parks, not Ponselle.
50A: ID card letters, at times: NMI. Do you all have middle names?
52A: Iniquitous: IMMORAL. Identical clue on July 5th "Unfaithful" puzzle.
55A: Saab model: AERO. I like how it intersects OLDS (57D: Carmaker Ransoom).
58A: The devil: OLD NICK
61A: Principal: CENTRAL
63A: Peter or Paul, but not Mary: APOSTLE. Good clue.
64A: Indigestion relief: ANTACID
Down:
2D: Treat with milk: OREO. Nabisco really has a very formidable presence in China.
5D: Transport-loss allowance: TRET
6D: Lima man: PERUVIAN. Have not seen YMA Sumac for a long time. She is probably the most famous PERUVIAN in this crossword world.
8D: Hershiser of baseball: OREL. Cy Young winner 1988. Who is your all time favorite pitcher?
14D: Computer network terminal: NODE. New to me.
28D: Talk non-stop: NATTER
29D: Social event: AFFAIR. Is AFFAIR really a social event?
30D: "CSI: Miami" star: CARUSO (David). I like his role (detective John Kelly) in "NYPD Blue"
32D: Pouty look: MOUE. Would not have got this word without the across references.
36D: Carries out: DOES. DOES are also female goats, aren't they? Would be great if DOES intersects GOAT.
39D: Of a rising star: HELIACAL. HELI(0) is a prefix for sun, how is it related to star?
C.C.
