Theme: "Chess Mate"
17A: "Chess mate" dancer: IRENE CASTLE
27A: "Chess mate" dancer: TED KNIGHT
37A: "Chess mate" poet: ELIZABETH BISHOP
53A: "Chess mate" talk-show host: LARRY KING
61A: "Chess mate" mystery pseudonym: ELLERY QUEEN
To Monday-Friday solvers, please read this A Few Updates post first.
After yesterday's titanic struggle against Wiseman and his heinous IATRO puzzle, today's offer considerably salved my wounds and soothed my bruised confidence. A smooth sailing for me this morning.
I did get bogged down on 34A, 25D & 26D area for a long time. I simply forgot Sorvino's name (MIRA). And ANTZ escaped my mind. I've never read Agatha's Sparkling Cyanide. In fact, I misread the clue as "Christian's Sparking poison". So I was thinking of Chrisitan Dior's Poison Perfume. It's sparking, isn't it? I used the Green Poison for a long time, then I switched to Opium.
Grid: Total letters filled: 189. Total blank squares: 36
Ready to tee off? OK, Front Nine:
1A: Calls on the carpet: CHIDES. Learned this phrase from last Friday's puzzle.
11A: Peke's bark: YAP. I just found out that YAP is also "Group of Islands in the W Caroline Islands, W Pacific). Just in case this devilish constructor decides to waterboard us with this clue for pleasure.
14A: Repeat from memory: RECITE
20A: Hanoi holiday. TET. I like this kind of specific clue. Hate when it's clued as Asian holiday. Chinese has Spring Festival, and many Asian countries do celebrate this Lunar New Year, but only in Vietnam is it called TET.
24A: Suspension part: I BEAM
31A: Christies' "Sparkling" poison: CYANIDE
33A: Waist watching: ON A DIET. I start to really enjoy this kind of "preposition + article+ noun" combined answer. Very lively.
36A: No more seats: SRO. There should be some hint in the clue to indicate an abbreviated answer, don't you think so?
46A: Feeler: ANTENNA
49A: Scrutinize: EYEBALL. By the way, I cook terrible American food for my American husband by "EYEBALLING" the measurements all the time, thanks to Rachel Ray.
55A: Smooth transition: SEGUE
56A: Australian isl.: TASM (Tasmania). No idea. I pieced it together from down clues. This clue/answer appeared on March 2 puzzle also. I did not know then, and I will probably forget it again soon.
68A: Take offense at: RESENT
71A: Augments: ADDS TO. I am not falling into "Fill in S first" trap any more.
Back Nine:
1D: Picayune nitpicker perhaps: CRITIC. Did not know the meaning of "Picayune", but got the answer nevertheless. You talkin' to me, Mr. Underwood?
2D: As a result of this: HEREBY. I filled in HERETO first.
3D: Summer cooler, to some: ICE TEA. Incorrect, it's ICED TEA (thank you for pointing it out Dennis). Wonder why rappers name themselves as ICE T or ICE Cube.
4D: Clamor: DIN
7D: Periodical number: ISSUE
10D: Breastbones: STERNA. Sternum is the singular form.
11D: Immature-ish: YOUNGISH. Ugly clue. Why put "ish" there?
12D: Modern protagonist: ANTIHERO
18D: Uffizi display: ARTE. The Uffizi Gallery in Florence. Good clue.
25D: Bug movie: ANTZ
26D: Ms. Sorvino: MIRA. She spent sometime in Beijing, so her Mandarin Chinese is pretty good.
8D: Shakespearean verb: DOTH
29D: Like unsightly knees: KNOBBY
32D: Discredit: DEBUNK. I don't like the clue. Not fond of the double appearances of letter "D" both in the clue and the answer.
30D Semi -convertible: T TOP
37D: Latin & others: ET AL. WHAT??? Is this your original clue Mr. Underwood? Shouldn't it be " Latin: & others?"
38D: Crazies: LUNATICS
39D: Corporate web: INTRANET
42D: Kemo __: SABE
48D: NYC team: NY METS. Johan Santana is my favorite pitcher! (Update: from drdad: the clue should be reworded to avoid the repetition of letter "NY").
49D: Elbe tributary: EGER. Learned from doing crossword of course.
51D: Softly bright: LUCENT
52D: Shanty: LEAN TO
54D: 48D, e. g. : NLERS. National Leaguers.
58D: Gore Vidal's Breckinridge: MYRA. No, no idea. Here is some information.
63D: Countenance: LET
64D: Math proof letters: QED (Quod Erat DeMONSTRANDUM). I would never got this one if not for the across clues.
65D: Coyote State sch.: USD (University of South Dakota)
(Note to crockett1947, I hope you have a new record today. This puzzle is tailor-made for you!)
C. C.
17A: "Chess mate" dancer: IRENE CASTLE
27A: "Chess mate" dancer: TED KNIGHT
37A: "Chess mate" poet: ELIZABETH BISHOP
53A: "Chess mate" talk-show host: LARRY KING
61A: "Chess mate" mystery pseudonym: ELLERY QUEEN
To Monday-Friday solvers, please read this A Few Updates post first.
After yesterday's titanic struggle against Wiseman and his heinous IATRO puzzle, today's offer considerably salved my wounds and soothed my bruised confidence. A smooth sailing for me this morning.
I did get bogged down on 34A, 25D & 26D area for a long time. I simply forgot Sorvino's name (MIRA). And ANTZ escaped my mind. I've never read Agatha's Sparkling Cyanide. In fact, I misread the clue as "Christian's Sparking poison". So I was thinking of Chrisitan Dior's Poison Perfume. It's sparking, isn't it? I used the Green Poison for a long time, then I switched to Opium.
Grid: Total letters filled: 189. Total blank squares: 36
Ready to tee off? OK, Front Nine:
1A: Calls on the carpet: CHIDES. Learned this phrase from last Friday's puzzle.
11A: Peke's bark: YAP. I just found out that YAP is also "Group of Islands in the W Caroline Islands, W Pacific). Just in case this devilish constructor decides to waterboard us with this clue for pleasure.
14A: Repeat from memory: RECITE
20A: Hanoi holiday. TET. I like this kind of specific clue. Hate when it's clued as Asian holiday. Chinese has Spring Festival, and many Asian countries do celebrate this Lunar New Year, but only in Vietnam is it called TET.
24A: Suspension part: I BEAM
31A: Christies' "Sparkling" poison: CYANIDE
33A: Waist watching: ON A DIET. I start to really enjoy this kind of "preposition + article+ noun" combined answer. Very lively.
36A: No more seats: SRO. There should be some hint in the clue to indicate an abbreviated answer, don't you think so?
46A: Feeler: ANTENNA
49A: Scrutinize: EYEBALL. By the way, I cook terrible American food for my American husband by "EYEBALLING" the measurements all the time, thanks to Rachel Ray.
55A: Smooth transition: SEGUE
56A: Australian isl.: TASM (Tasmania). No idea. I pieced it together from down clues. This clue/answer appeared on March 2 puzzle also. I did not know then, and I will probably forget it again soon.
68A: Take offense at: RESENT
71A: Augments: ADDS TO. I am not falling into "Fill in S first" trap any more.
Back Nine:
1D: Picayune nitpicker perhaps: CRITIC. Did not know the meaning of "Picayune", but got the answer nevertheless. You talkin' to me, Mr. Underwood?
2D: As a result of this: HEREBY. I filled in HERETO first.
3D: Summer cooler, to some: ICE TEA. Incorrect, it's ICED TEA (thank you for pointing it out Dennis). Wonder why rappers name themselves as ICE T or ICE Cube.
4D: Clamor: DIN
7D: Periodical number: ISSUE
10D: Breastbones: STERNA. Sternum is the singular form.
11D: Immature-ish: YOUNGISH. Ugly clue. Why put "ish" there?
12D: Modern protagonist: ANTIHERO
18D: Uffizi display: ARTE. The Uffizi Gallery in Florence. Good clue.
25D: Bug movie: ANTZ
26D: Ms. Sorvino: MIRA. She spent sometime in Beijing, so her Mandarin Chinese is pretty good.
8D: Shakespearean verb: DOTH
29D: Like unsightly knees: KNOBBY
32D: Discredit: DEBUNK. I don't like the clue. Not fond of the double appearances of letter "D" both in the clue and the answer.
30D Semi -convertible: T TOP
37D: Latin & others: ET AL. WHAT??? Is this your original clue Mr. Underwood? Shouldn't it be " Latin: & others?"
38D: Crazies: LUNATICS
39D: Corporate web: INTRANET
42D: Kemo __: SABE
48D: NYC team: NY METS. Johan Santana is my favorite pitcher! (Update: from drdad: the clue should be reworded to avoid the repetition of letter "NY").
49D: Elbe tributary: EGER. Learned from doing crossword of course.
51D: Softly bright: LUCENT
52D: Shanty: LEAN TO
54D: 48D, e. g. : NLERS. National Leaguers.
58D: Gore Vidal's Breckinridge: MYRA. No, no idea. Here is some information.
63D: Countenance: LET
64D: Math proof letters: QED (Quod Erat DeMONSTRANDUM). I would never got this one if not for the across clues.
65D: Coyote State sch.: USD (University of South Dakota)
(Note to crockett1947, I hope you have a new record today. This puzzle is tailor-made for you!)
C. C.
