Theme: NONE
Wow, our TMS crossword stalwart golfers Ernie ELS, RORY Sabbatini both missed the cut yesterday. BUBBA Watson is hanging there strong though. I don't think K. J. Choi stands a chance this time, so I am going to flip-flop on my prediction. I will pick up Retief Goosen. I do like Travor Immelman and Ian Poulter though. Have been following both of them (and Justin Rose) since their European Tour.
I almost shot a bogey free round today. Nice and easy. Everything was in sync. I found my TIGER zone. No slice or hook, all my tee shots are straight. No chip flub. And the greens were so receptive. No undulations at all. I only went to dictionary once to check the meaning of 22A: "Subjugates" (had a bit of problem with VIREO and HELEN). Polished off this puzzle around 25 minutes.
Grid: Total letters filled: 191. Total blank squares: 34
Front Nine:
1A: One of the Seven Sisters college: VASSAR. Vassar has gone co-ed, right? Meryl Streep, Lisa Kudrow (Phoebe in "Friends") and Edna St. Vincent Millay all graduated from this college. Jackie Kennedy also studied here for 2 years before her Sorbonne venture.
7A: Mass produce efficiently: CHURN OUT. Efficiently? Really, not hurriedly or routinely? How come I cannot see any efficiency in the puzzles you CHURN OUT for us Editor? Where is the Quality Control?
15A: Slip away, as time: ELAPSE. I like the addition of "as time", rendering the clue much more accurate than "Slip away" alone.
16A: Biddies residence: HEN HOUSE
17A: Belly buttons: NAVELS
18A: Apportioned: ALLOTTED
19A: Breakfast choices: OMELET
20A: Place-kicker's need: TEE. Poor Fred Couples. Had he made that birdie on the last hole, he would've held the consecutive Masters cut record all by himself rather than sharing it with Gary Player. Speaking of Gary Player, all you crossword constructors or constructors wannabes, why not misguide us with his surname for golf related clues next time?
21A: TV journalist Safer: MORLEY. Don't you just love his interview with Helen Mirren? I bet FCC is lurking around ready to pounce on their next nude interview!
22A: Subjugates: ENSLAVES
30A: Oral moisture: SALIVA. Hope your first kiss experience is better than Leonardo DiCaprio's.
31A: Husky pull: SLED
35A: Ornamental case: ETUI. It's painful to watch Ms. ETUI's wrinkly face 3 times a week!
38A: "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" Co-star Dillon: MELINDA. No idea. I got her name from the down clues. The only actor/actress Dillon I know is Matt. Had a mild crush on him after" Crash".
42A: Accustom: INURE. No hesitation this time between INURE and ENURE due to the "I" in SMIRK.
46A: Low mountain crests: RIDGE. Alright, I am ready for former Homeland Security Secretary Tom ___ !
48A: Folk tale: MYTH
50A: Fully committed: KNEE DEEP. I thought KNEE DEEP has a negative undertone, like Hillary (Wellesley Grad) is now KNEE DEEP in trouble. "Fully committed" sounds very positive to me. Are they the same to you?
58A: Fold: CREASE
59A: Thiamine deficiency: BERIBERI. No idea. I got it from the down clues. It's of Sri Lanka origin, meaning "I cannot, I cannot" in Sinhalese language. The word is "doubled for emphasis".
64A: Laws issued by monarchs: EDICTS. Disagree. Any public proclamation issued by the authority can be EDICT, including those fatwas.
65A: Monty Python troupe member: ERIC IDLE. Pieced it together from down clues.
66A: Relative intensity: DEGREE
67A: Ready-for-anything attitude: GAMENESS
68A: Borgnine or Hemingway: ERNEST. Knew Hemingway, had no idea who Borgnine is.
Back nine:
1D: Animal toxin: VENOM
3D: Piggybank filler: SAVER
4D: Indefinite period: SPELL
5D: In dreamland: ASLEEP
6D: Fashioned anew: RESTYLED. Oh by the way, the RESTYLE maven Stacy London (TLC's What Not to Wear) also graduated from VASSAR.
7D: French manor house: CHATEAU (Castle). Here is a beautiful CHATEAU at Feste's suggestion. And enjoy some sumptuous Chocolate Gâteau if you do not care for ASPIC.
8D: Euripides play: HELEN. No idea. Anything Greek related is tragically daunting to me. According to Wikipedia, Euripides' greatest works include Alcestis, Medea, Eletra and the Bacchae.
9D: Except if: UNLESS
11D: Slangy contradiction: NOT. How come it's a "Slangy contradiction"? I don't get this one. (update: See Comments section for explanation).
12D: Inning ender: OUT. The intersection of this OUT with 7A CHURN OUT is NOT pretty.
14D: Actor Knight: TED. Knew him from the "Chess Mate" puzzle.
23D: Stick it out: LAST. Needs recluing. Don't like the double appearances of OUT (12D: Inning ender) and out.
25D: Small green bird: VIREO. Lovely, isn't it? The plumage is indeed green.
27D: Prone to backtalk: SASSY
29D: Relative to etc.: ET AL. This makes me laugh! Look how ET AL and I SAY are stacked together to anchor the whole puzzle! Is that your statement Mr. Editor? I say, bloody!!
31D: Insolent smile: SMIRK
32D: Red Square figure: LENIN
33D: Give the slip to: ELUDE. Good clue. But really I hate when "slip" appeared twice in the clue. See 15A: Slip away.
34D: Funeral song: DIRGE
36D: Brit's indignant comment: I SAY
41D: Go before: ANTECEDE. OK clue. Don't like how ANTECEDE parallels SECEDE.
44D: Uses up: EMPTIES
47D: Leave the union: SECEDE. I was on the wrong train initially, thinking of separate and divorce.
49D: More difficult: HARDER
51D: Some noblemen: EARLS. OK, OK, I know your name is EARL.
53D: Period in power: REIGN
54D: Mother of pearl: NACRE. Here is a picture.
55D: __ Park, Colo.: ESTES
61D: Periphery: RIM
63D: Open container: BIN. Most of the bins have lids, don't they?
C.C.
Wow, our TMS crossword stalwart golfers Ernie ELS, RORY Sabbatini both missed the cut yesterday. BUBBA Watson is hanging there strong though. I don't think K. J. Choi stands a chance this time, so I am going to flip-flop on my prediction. I will pick up Retief Goosen. I do like Travor Immelman and Ian Poulter though. Have been following both of them (and Justin Rose) since their European Tour.
I almost shot a bogey free round today. Nice and easy. Everything was in sync. I found my TIGER zone. No slice or hook, all my tee shots are straight. No chip flub. And the greens were so receptive. No undulations at all. I only went to dictionary once to check the meaning of 22A: "Subjugates" (had a bit of problem with VIREO and HELEN). Polished off this puzzle around 25 minutes.
Grid: Total letters filled: 191. Total blank squares: 34
Front Nine:
1A: One of the Seven Sisters college: VASSAR. Vassar has gone co-ed, right? Meryl Streep, Lisa Kudrow (Phoebe in "Friends") and Edna St. Vincent Millay all graduated from this college. Jackie Kennedy also studied here for 2 years before her Sorbonne venture.
7A: Mass produce efficiently: CHURN OUT. Efficiently? Really, not hurriedly or routinely? How come I cannot see any efficiency in the puzzles you CHURN OUT for us Editor? Where is the Quality Control?
15A: Slip away, as time: ELAPSE. I like the addition of "as time", rendering the clue much more accurate than "Slip away" alone.
16A: Biddies residence: HEN HOUSE
17A: Belly buttons: NAVELS
18A: Apportioned: ALLOTTED
19A: Breakfast choices: OMELET
20A: Place-kicker's need: TEE. Poor Fred Couples. Had he made that birdie on the last hole, he would've held the consecutive Masters cut record all by himself rather than sharing it with Gary Player. Speaking of Gary Player, all you crossword constructors or constructors wannabes, why not misguide us with his surname for golf related clues next time?
21A: TV journalist Safer: MORLEY. Don't you just love his interview with Helen Mirren? I bet FCC is lurking around ready to pounce on their next nude interview!
22A: Subjugates: ENSLAVES
30A: Oral moisture: SALIVA. Hope your first kiss experience is better than Leonardo DiCaprio's.
31A: Husky pull: SLED
35A: Ornamental case: ETUI. It's painful to watch Ms. ETUI's wrinkly face 3 times a week!
38A: "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" Co-star Dillon: MELINDA. No idea. I got her name from the down clues. The only actor/actress Dillon I know is Matt. Had a mild crush on him after" Crash".
42A: Accustom: INURE. No hesitation this time between INURE and ENURE due to the "I" in SMIRK.
46A: Low mountain crests: RIDGE. Alright, I am ready for former Homeland Security Secretary Tom ___ !
48A: Folk tale: MYTH
50A: Fully committed: KNEE DEEP. I thought KNEE DEEP has a negative undertone, like Hillary (Wellesley Grad) is now KNEE DEEP in trouble. "Fully committed" sounds very positive to me. Are they the same to you?
58A: Fold: CREASE
59A: Thiamine deficiency: BERIBERI. No idea. I got it from the down clues. It's of Sri Lanka origin, meaning "I cannot, I cannot" in Sinhalese language. The word is "doubled for emphasis".
64A: Laws issued by monarchs: EDICTS. Disagree. Any public proclamation issued by the authority can be EDICT, including those fatwas.
65A: Monty Python troupe member: ERIC IDLE. Pieced it together from down clues.
66A: Relative intensity: DEGREE
67A: Ready-for-anything attitude: GAMENESS
68A: Borgnine or Hemingway: ERNEST. Knew Hemingway, had no idea who Borgnine is.
Back nine:
1D: Animal toxin: VENOM
3D: Piggybank filler: SAVER
4D: Indefinite period: SPELL
5D: In dreamland: ASLEEP
6D: Fashioned anew: RESTYLED. Oh by the way, the RESTYLE maven Stacy London (TLC's What Not to Wear) also graduated from VASSAR.
7D: French manor house: CHATEAU (Castle). Here is a beautiful CHATEAU at Feste's suggestion. And enjoy some sumptuous Chocolate Gâteau if you do not care for ASPIC.
8D: Euripides play: HELEN. No idea. Anything Greek related is tragically daunting to me. According to Wikipedia, Euripides' greatest works include Alcestis, Medea, Eletra and the Bacchae.
9D: Except if: UNLESS
11D: Slangy contradiction: NOT. How come it's a "Slangy contradiction"? I don't get this one. (update: See Comments section for explanation).
12D: Inning ender: OUT. The intersection of this OUT with 7A CHURN OUT is NOT pretty.
14D: Actor Knight: TED. Knew him from the "Chess Mate" puzzle.
23D: Stick it out: LAST. Needs recluing. Don't like the double appearances of OUT (12D: Inning ender) and out.
25D: Small green bird: VIREO. Lovely, isn't it? The plumage is indeed green.
27D: Prone to backtalk: SASSY
29D: Relative to etc.: ET AL. This makes me laugh! Look how ET AL and I SAY are stacked together to anchor the whole puzzle! Is that your statement Mr. Editor? I say, bloody!!
31D: Insolent smile: SMIRK
32D: Red Square figure: LENIN
33D: Give the slip to: ELUDE. Good clue. But really I hate when "slip" appeared twice in the clue. See 15A: Slip away.
34D: Funeral song: DIRGE
36D: Brit's indignant comment: I SAY
41D: Go before: ANTECEDE. OK clue. Don't like how ANTECEDE parallels SECEDE.
44D: Uses up: EMPTIES
47D: Leave the union: SECEDE. I was on the wrong train initially, thinking of separate and divorce.
49D: More difficult: HARDER
51D: Some noblemen: EARLS. OK, OK, I know your name is EARL.
53D: Period in power: REIGN
54D: Mother of pearl: NACRE. Here is a picture.
55D: __ Park, Colo.: ESTES
61D: Periphery: RIM
63D: Open container: BIN. Most of the bins have lids, don't they?
C.C.
