Theme: Oops!
17A: Beginning of autumn: FALL EQUINOX
28A: Cam-controlled tool: TRIP HAMMER
44A: Windblown vegetation: TUMBLE WEED
60A: Place to jot a note: SLIP OF PAPER
Great puzzle. Very smooth. Lots of nice compound words.
Only one letter (Z) away from a pangram. Did you notice that we only have 35 blocks today? So many times we have been offered a 38-block puzzle. I think that's the maximum number of blocks allowed in a grid.
Was ALAN (22A: Sillitoe or Paton) a gimme for you? I found this clue to be very obscure. I guess I am used to the ALAN Alda/Greenspan/Shepard clue. Tell me who is your favorite famous ALAN.
Have a look at Justin Smith's new puzzle site when you have time. He says he adds puzzles and updates daily.
Across:
1A: Token booth: KIOSK. Besides Kodak, knack, knock, can you think of any other 5-letter word that starts and ends with letter K?
6A: Kick out: EJECT. I like how it crosses JOINS IN (7D: Becomes part of).
11A: 2nd sight: ESP. I don't understand this one. "Sixth sense" yes, but why "2nd sight"?
15A: Shearer of "The Red Shoes": MOIRA. I've never heard of her before. See "The Red Shoes" clip. The music sounds great. Dictionary says MOIRA is also the personification of fate in Greek mythology.
25A: Thin pancake: CREPE. Here is some raspberry CREPE suzette for you, Razzberry. It has real flour.
35A: Russian horseman: COSSACK. No idea. Dictionary says it's a Turkish word meaning "adventurer". They are noted for "their horsemanship and military skill; they formed an elite cavalry corps in czarist Russia." See this clip. Taras Bulba is an Urkraine COSSACK.
41A: Infamous cow owner: O'LEARY (Catherine). I forgot. She appeared in our puzzle before, clued as "Chicago cow owner". (Addendum: Today is Mrs. O'LEARY's Cow Day. Nice one, Editor).
43A: Steps over a wall: STILE. What wall?
50A: One-ups: TRUMPS. Not us? You are fired.
59A: Verizon, once: GTE. It's merged with Bell Atlantic in 2000. Verizon is probably one of the better performers of Dow 30. Immelt, you are no Jack Welch.
66A: Pages in papers: OP-EDS. Ha, I struggled with this one.
67A: Rumormonger: YENTA. The name of the matchmaker in "Fiddler on the Roof" YENTE.
Down:
1D: Diplomat Anna: KOFI. I find it very hard to understand Ban Ki-moon's English.
8D: "__ kleine Nachtmusik": EINE. Enjoy this bit of Mozart. "Love, love, love, that is the soul of genius".
12D: Mexican shawl: SERAPE. It's the same as poncho, right? I like these ones.
13D: Board smoother: PLANER. What's the difference between a plane and a PLANER? Don't you call a worker who uses the plane to smooth things a PLANER also?
26D: Space-saving abbr. ETC
27D: Old card game: LOO. I've never played it. I really like "Elton's john?" clue for LOO, so clever. See here, Barry Silk's "Curly Poker" (MOE) made Paul's "Clever Clue of the Month".
29D: Devout request: PRAYER
39D: Land in la mer: ILE
45D: Long overcoat: ULSTER. I've never heard of ULSTER coat before.
46D: King novel: MISERY. No idea. Is it good?
47D: Hilary of pop: DUFF. She is so sweet. Her sister Haylie is very pretty too. We just had Howard DUFF last Wednesday.
51D: One of Potter's rabbits: MOPSY. Absolutely no idea. I've never read any Harry Potter novel. (Addendum: My bad. Potter here refers Beatrix Potter).
55D: Center of activity: HIVE. This reminds me of the Beehive hair.
C.C.
17A: Beginning of autumn: FALL EQUINOX
28A: Cam-controlled tool: TRIP HAMMER
44A: Windblown vegetation: TUMBLE WEED
60A: Place to jot a note: SLIP OF PAPER
Great puzzle. Very smooth. Lots of nice compound words.
Only one letter (Z) away from a pangram. Did you notice that we only have 35 blocks today? So many times we have been offered a 38-block puzzle. I think that's the maximum number of blocks allowed in a grid.
Was ALAN (22A: Sillitoe or Paton) a gimme for you? I found this clue to be very obscure. I guess I am used to the ALAN Alda/Greenspan/Shepard clue. Tell me who is your favorite famous ALAN.
Have a look at Justin Smith's new puzzle site when you have time. He says he adds puzzles and updates daily.
Across:
1A: Token booth: KIOSK. Besides Kodak, knack, knock, can you think of any other 5-letter word that starts and ends with letter K?
6A: Kick out: EJECT. I like how it crosses JOINS IN (7D: Becomes part of).
11A: 2nd sight: ESP. I don't understand this one. "Sixth sense" yes, but why "2nd sight"?
15A: Shearer of "The Red Shoes": MOIRA. I've never heard of her before. See "The Red Shoes" clip. The music sounds great. Dictionary says MOIRA is also the personification of fate in Greek mythology.
25A: Thin pancake: CREPE. Here is some raspberry CREPE suzette for you, Razzberry. It has real flour.
35A: Russian horseman: COSSACK. No idea. Dictionary says it's a Turkish word meaning "adventurer". They are noted for "their horsemanship and military skill; they formed an elite cavalry corps in czarist Russia." See this clip. Taras Bulba is an Urkraine COSSACK.
41A: Infamous cow owner: O'LEARY (Catherine). I forgot. She appeared in our puzzle before, clued as "Chicago cow owner". (Addendum: Today is Mrs. O'LEARY's Cow Day. Nice one, Editor).
43A: Steps over a wall: STILE. What wall?
50A: One-ups: TRUMPS. Not us? You are fired.
59A: Verizon, once: GTE. It's merged with Bell Atlantic in 2000. Verizon is probably one of the better performers of Dow 30. Immelt, you are no Jack Welch.
66A: Pages in papers: OP-EDS. Ha, I struggled with this one.
67A: Rumormonger: YENTA. The name of the matchmaker in "Fiddler on the Roof" YENTE.
Down:
1D: Diplomat Anna: KOFI. I find it very hard to understand Ban Ki-moon's English.
8D: "__ kleine Nachtmusik": EINE. Enjoy this bit of Mozart. "Love, love, love, that is the soul of genius".
12D: Mexican shawl: SERAPE. It's the same as poncho, right? I like these ones.
13D: Board smoother: PLANER. What's the difference between a plane and a PLANER? Don't you call a worker who uses the plane to smooth things a PLANER also?
26D: Space-saving abbr. ETC
27D: Old card game: LOO. I've never played it. I really like "Elton's john?" clue for LOO, so clever. See here, Barry Silk's "Curly Poker" (MOE) made Paul's "Clever Clue of the Month".
29D: Devout request: PRAYER
39D: Land in la mer: ILE
45D: Long overcoat: ULSTER. I've never heard of ULSTER coat before.
46D: King novel: MISERY. No idea. Is it good?
47D: Hilary of pop: DUFF. She is so sweet. Her sister Haylie is very pretty too. We just had Howard DUFF last Wednesday.
51D: One of Potter's rabbits: MOPSY. Absolutely no idea. I've never read any Harry Potter novel. (Addendum: My bad. Potter here refers Beatrix Potter).
55D: Center of activity: HIVE. This reminds me of the Beehive hair.
C.C.
