Theme: Back End - CK is inserted to the second word of a common phrase, changing the long vowel sound into short vowel.
17A. Takedown by Tinker Bell?: FAIRY TA(CK)LE. Fairy Tale. Tinker Bell is a fairy.
24A. Reaction to an amusing porcelain?: CERAMIC TI(CK)LE. Ceramic Tile.
38A. Symptom of poor lighting?: FREQUENT FLI(CK)ER. Frequent Flier. My favorite theme entry.
49A. Supermarket group taking a coffee break, perhaps?: THREE CHE(CK)ERS. Three Cheers. I did not know that cashiers are also called checkers.
59A. Store-brand dill?: STOCK PI(CK)LE. Stockpile.
We also have two more non-theme CK combination entries: ACK (8D. Comics cry of disgust) and FREE KICKS (11D. Consequences of some soccer fouls).
Very chopping solving today. Never really got into Jack's wavelength. Quite a few three-letter abbreviation answers in this grid, and some were quite tough to get: XLI, CIS, CLK for example.
Favorite clue today is EX-CON (50D. Former pen pal?). I immediately realized that pen refers to "prison", but the answer just refused to reveal itself readily.
Across:
1. Afternoon break: SIESTA
7. City on the Cauca River: CALI. Already had the last letter I in place, so CALI came to me immediately.
11. Monastic title: FRA. Italian short for "brother".
14. Many a marigold: ANNUAL. Don't like marigold.
15. Juice letters?: AC/DC. Juice is slang for " electricity or electric power". New to me.
16. VCR button: REW (Rewind)
19. "Little" 1960s singer: EVA. Named after the little girl Eva in "Uncle Tom's Cabin".
20. Former Spanish queen: ENA. Grandmother of the current Spanish king.
21. "The A-Team" actor: MR. T
29. Sought a seat: RAN. Ran office. I plopped down SAT first.
30. Limoges-born impressionist: RENOIR. Already had NO filled in, plus the "impressionist" clue, the name emerged rather quickly.
31. Parsley piece: SPRIG
34. Mideast carrier: EL AL. Literally "skyward".
36. USSR successor: CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States). Got me.
42. NASDAQ listings: COS (Companies)
44. Western prop: LASSO
45. Out in the open: PUBLIC. Dennis's Tiger to Cheetah name change comment yesterday made me laugh. Poor Tiger, a rare triple bogey!
48. Title for Roger Moore: SIR
53. Jersey groups: HERDS. D'oh, Jersey cow. I was in New Jersey sports direction.
54. Super Bowl played in MMVII: XLI (41). Big trouble for me. Not a football fan, completely clueless about the exact Roman numeral for the 2007 Super Bowl. Colts beat the Bears.
58. Sporty truck, for short: UTE
64. MC's aid: MIC
65. First name in architecture: EERO (Saarinen). Designer of the Gateway Arch.
66. Block: IMPEDE
67. Pie chart fig.: PCT (Percent)
68. Inert gas: NEON
69. Like some foot bones: TARSAL. Nice crossing with HEEL (57D. Achilles' weakness).
Down:
1. Place for gems: SAFE. Of course.
2. Words with uproar or instant: IN AN
3. Massive old computer: ENIAC. Debuted in 1946.
4. Baja California __: Mexican state: SUR
5. Scotland's longest river: TAY. New trivia to me. England's longest river is Severn, not Thames.
6. "Gosford Park" director: ALTMAN (Robert). Lots of coverage about this guy when he filmed "A Prairie Home Companion" here in MN.
7. Saguaros, e.g.: CACTI. Have never seen saguaros in person.
9. Cholesterol initials: LDL. "Bad" cholesterol.
10. Strands at the ski resort, perhaps: ICES IN
12. Big-time parties: REVELRIES. Couldn't believe people would crash a White House party.
13. With it: AWARE. Oh, I thought "With it" is a slang for "sane", since "Lose it" means "become insane".
18. Shirt part: ARM
23. 31-Down, e.g.: NCO. And SFC (31D. Army E-7: Abbr.). SFC = Sergeant First Class. Not a familiar abbr. to me at all.
25. La Salle of "ER": ERIQ. Nice u-less Q word. Just like my Mandarin name.
26. Pizza Quick sauce maker: RAGU
27. Scrapbooking, e.g.: CRAFT. KQ loves scrapbooking.
28. Recount: TELL. Recount a story. I was recounting the vote.
32. Like some visions: PROPHETIC. Great clue.
33. Bring back into practice: RESURRECT
34. Cain's eldest son: ENOCH. Don't confuse it with "Seth's son" ENOS.
35. Kojak and Crocker: Abbr.: LTS ( lieutenants). Who is Crocker?
37. Sign of a big hit: SRO (Standing Room Only)
39. Majestic: EPIC
40. Nastase of tennis: ILIE. I just remember him as I LIE.
41. "It Must Be Him" singer Vikki: CARR. Here is a clip.
46. Breakfast companion?: BED. Bed and Breakfast.
47. Ease: LESSEN
48. "Never mind": SKIP IT
49. Haunted house sound: THUMP. Did it come to you quickly?
51. Court recordkeeper: Abbr.: CLK (Clerk). Had trouble with the abbreviation. STENO would be a correct answer too.
52. "Land __!": SAKES. Just learned this exclamation a few weeks ago.
56. "The West Wing" Emmy winner: ALDA (Alan)
60. Place to start a hole: TEE. Tee box. Golf.
61. Pizarro's quest: ORO. Spanish for "gold". Pizarro was a Spanish conquistador. Founder of Lima, Peru.
62. The Monkees' "__ Believer": I'M A
63. "Kiss of life," briefly: CPR. I like this new clue.
Answer grid.
C.C.
17A. Takedown by Tinker Bell?: FAIRY TA(CK)LE. Fairy Tale. Tinker Bell is a fairy.
24A. Reaction to an amusing porcelain?: CERAMIC TI(CK)LE. Ceramic Tile.
38A. Symptom of poor lighting?: FREQUENT FLI(CK)ER. Frequent Flier. My favorite theme entry.
49A. Supermarket group taking a coffee break, perhaps?: THREE CHE(CK)ERS. Three Cheers. I did not know that cashiers are also called checkers.
59A. Store-brand dill?: STOCK PI(CK)LE. Stockpile.
We also have two more non-theme CK combination entries: ACK (8D. Comics cry of disgust) and FREE KICKS (11D. Consequences of some soccer fouls).
Very chopping solving today. Never really got into Jack's wavelength. Quite a few three-letter abbreviation answers in this grid, and some were quite tough to get: XLI, CIS, CLK for example.
Favorite clue today is EX-CON (50D. Former pen pal?). I immediately realized that pen refers to "prison", but the answer just refused to reveal itself readily.
Across:
1. Afternoon break: SIESTA
7. City on the Cauca River: CALI. Already had the last letter I in place, so CALI came to me immediately.
11. Monastic title: FRA. Italian short for "brother".
14. Many a marigold: ANNUAL. Don't like marigold.
15. Juice letters?: AC/DC. Juice is slang for " electricity or electric power". New to me.
16. VCR button: REW (Rewind)
19. "Little" 1960s singer: EVA. Named after the little girl Eva in "Uncle Tom's Cabin".
20. Former Spanish queen: ENA. Grandmother of the current Spanish king.
21. "The A-Team" actor: MR. T
29. Sought a seat: RAN. Ran office. I plopped down SAT first.
30. Limoges-born impressionist: RENOIR. Already had NO filled in, plus the "impressionist" clue, the name emerged rather quickly.
31. Parsley piece: SPRIG
34. Mideast carrier: EL AL. Literally "skyward".
36. USSR successor: CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States). Got me.
42. NASDAQ listings: COS (Companies)
44. Western prop: LASSO
45. Out in the open: PUBLIC. Dennis's Tiger to Cheetah name change comment yesterday made me laugh. Poor Tiger, a rare triple bogey!
48. Title for Roger Moore: SIR
53. Jersey groups: HERDS. D'oh, Jersey cow. I was in New Jersey sports direction.
54. Super Bowl played in MMVII: XLI (41). Big trouble for me. Not a football fan, completely clueless about the exact Roman numeral for the 2007 Super Bowl. Colts beat the Bears.
58. Sporty truck, for short: UTE
64. MC's aid: MIC
65. First name in architecture: EERO (Saarinen). Designer of the Gateway Arch.
66. Block: IMPEDE
67. Pie chart fig.: PCT (Percent)
68. Inert gas: NEON
69. Like some foot bones: TARSAL. Nice crossing with HEEL (57D. Achilles' weakness).
Down:
1. Place for gems: SAFE. Of course.
2. Words with uproar or instant: IN AN
3. Massive old computer: ENIAC. Debuted in 1946.
4. Baja California __: Mexican state: SUR
5. Scotland's longest river: TAY. New trivia to me. England's longest river is Severn, not Thames.
6. "Gosford Park" director: ALTMAN (Robert). Lots of coverage about this guy when he filmed "A Prairie Home Companion" here in MN.
7. Saguaros, e.g.: CACTI. Have never seen saguaros in person.
9. Cholesterol initials: LDL. "Bad" cholesterol.
10. Strands at the ski resort, perhaps: ICES IN
12. Big-time parties: REVELRIES. Couldn't believe people would crash a White House party.
13. With it: AWARE. Oh, I thought "With it" is a slang for "sane", since "Lose it" means "become insane".
18. Shirt part: ARM
23. 31-Down, e.g.: NCO. And SFC (31D. Army E-7: Abbr.). SFC = Sergeant First Class. Not a familiar abbr. to me at all.
25. La Salle of "ER": ERIQ. Nice u-less Q word. Just like my Mandarin name.
26. Pizza Quick sauce maker: RAGU
27. Scrapbooking, e.g.: CRAFT. KQ loves scrapbooking.
28. Recount: TELL. Recount a story. I was recounting the vote.
32. Like some visions: PROPHETIC. Great clue.
33. Bring back into practice: RESURRECT
34. Cain's eldest son: ENOCH. Don't confuse it with "Seth's son" ENOS.
35. Kojak and Crocker: Abbr.: LTS ( lieutenants). Who is Crocker?
37. Sign of a big hit: SRO (Standing Room Only)
39. Majestic: EPIC
40. Nastase of tennis: ILIE. I just remember him as I LIE.
41. "It Must Be Him" singer Vikki: CARR. Here is a clip.
46. Breakfast companion?: BED. Bed and Breakfast.
47. Ease: LESSEN
48. "Never mind": SKIP IT
49. Haunted house sound: THUMP. Did it come to you quickly?
51. Court recordkeeper: Abbr.: CLK (Clerk). Had trouble with the abbreviation. STENO would be a correct answer too.
52. "Land __!": SAKES. Just learned this exclamation a few weeks ago.
56. "The West Wing" Emmy winner: ALDA (Alan)
60. Place to start a hole: TEE. Tee box. Golf.
61. Pizarro's quest: ORO. Spanish for "gold". Pizarro was a Spanish conquistador. Founder of Lima, Peru.
62. The Monkees' "__ Believer": I'M A
63. "Kiss of life," briefly: CPR. I like this new clue.
Answer grid.
C.C.
