Theme: DINNER ORDER
20A: Part of a dinner order: SMALL HOUSE SALAD
36A: Part of a dinner order: MEDIUM RARE STEAK
49A: Part of a dinner oder: LARGE ONION RINGS
More orts:
6D: Greek sandwiches: GYROS
46D: Kind of sauce: TARTAR
28A: Herring's cousin: SHAD
Yes! Let's eat! Let's shut up on global warming talk and ignore those pesky scientists! Who cares if the EPA reports are altered/doctored? Who cares if any solver expects a Earth Day themed puzzle on April 22? Let's go with STALIN, nobody will ever notice that LENIN was born on April 22.
Other than that, a solid puzzle. I love the double meaning of ORDER here. Great theme and well executed!
Had a bit of a shaky start. Had problem getting SLAPS due to 1D & 4D clues. Only knew ASP and COBRA for serpents, SEPS was a complete stranger to me. Wanted AL PACINO for "Scarface" star, not familiar with PAUL MUNI. Wanted HAIFA for Israeli port (my Pavlov' Dog reflex). Wanted EDUARD (Shevardnadz) for 5D: Dictator born in Georgia, misled by his long presidency of Georgia.
ALDA and LIAM ware the only 2 words I penned in with authority in the upper left corner. I actually had no idea what was "...The Phantom Menace", not a fan of Star War or Star Treks. But I liked Neeson's "Schindler's List", so LIAM was an easy crumble. BB GUNS and MIAS eventually brought STALIN to me. Always thought STALIN was born in Russia.
Smooth sailing in other areas though.
ACROSS:
1A: High--fives: SLAPS. Naughty Naughty (40A)! Raise your hand if these two clues brought Borat to your mind!
9A: Allied: SIDED
14A: Israeli port: EILAT. Could also be spelled as ELATH.
15A: Nautical swerve: YAW. I pieced it together from down clues. I had no idea what "yaw" can mean "deviate from a straight course".
16A: Loan sharking: USURY
17A: "The Taming of the Shrew'' City: PADUA. No idea. I wish 16A were clued as "The Merchant of Venice" practice or something like that. It would have a bit of Shakespeare sub-theme.
18A: Greek letter: RHO. The intersection of GYROS (6D) with RHO is very nice, both Greek.
19A: Hold responsible: BLAME
23A: Sara and Farrow: MIAS. Know Farrow, not Sara.
25A: Toy shooters: BB GUNS
33A: Lena of "Chocolat": OLIN. Great movie. Juliette Binoche was impeccable in "Chocolat"! I love almost every one of her movie, esp Damage (with Jeremy Irons).
34A: The ones here: THESE. Too lazy a clue.
35A: Prohibitionist: DRY
40A: Naughty: BAD
44A: Milanese eight: OTTO. I've been quite pleased with our editor's various clues for OTTO lately. Great! Now please use Jim's "A Dandy in __" for ASPIC next time, no more "Meat stocky jelly".
45A: Accent: STRESS
48A: Jack of talk shows: PAAR
59A: Govt. security: T BILL. Treasury Bill. My favorite clue.
60A: Form: SHAPE. Hmm, 2 APES here, see 47D.
61A: Stooge name: MOE. Larry & Curly. Aw, those ugly Three Stooges' golf/football NODDER bobbleheads! Why do people want them?
62A: "A Delicate Balance" playwright: ALBEE. Did not know the play, but knew ALBEE due to "Who's Afraid of Virgina Woolf?"
63A: Key-stroked: TYPED. Nice one.
DOWN:
1D: Numidian serpent: SEPS. Numidian is "an ancient country in N Africa, corresponding roughly to modern Algeria." Here is a picture of SEPS.
2D: Neeson of "... The Phantom Menace": LIAM. Why abbreviated the movie title?
4D: "Scarface" star: PAUL MUNI. No idea who he is.
5D: Dictator born in George: STALIN
6D: Greek sandwiches: GYROS. OK, I want to get rid of "Greek" in the clue because 18A: Greek letter. Got any good idea? Share with us.
9D: Falls to the bottom: SUBSIDES
10D: Muhammad's religion: ISLAM. Wish this one would be clued as "Abbas' religion" and the 14A as "Olmert's port". That would elevate this puzzle to a whole new level!
11D: Binary: DUAL
12D: Columnist Bombeck: ERMA. I've been waiting for Mr. Williams to clue BOMBECK as Columnist ERMA.
21D: Embodies: HAS
22D: Clear, as a disk: ERASE
25D: Lead balloons: BOMBS
26D: Sound sheepish: BLEAT. Or BAA.
27D: Lightheaded: GIDDY. That's how I am feeling now. Could not contain my enthusiasm for today's primary. Show me your real color, Pennsylvania!
28D: Military hat: SHAKO. Can also be spelled as SHACKO. It's "a military cap in the form of a cylinder or truncated cone, with a visor and a plume or pompon". See this photo. Rooted from Hungarian word "csákó süveg" meaning "peaked cap." How come this word looks so familiar to me?
30D: Designer Simpson: ADELE. Nope, I've never heard of her. Strung together her name by across clues.
31D: Boorish: CRASS
34D: Jogging pace: TROT
37D: Intact: UNOPENED
38D: Words to remember: MOTTO
39D: Very poor: TERRIBLE
47D: Yawning: AGAPE
48D: Put forward: POSED
50D: In need a massage: ACHY. Hmm, Dennis might need one after hitting so many clubs in South Beach!
52D: "Finding __": NEMO. I love Ellen's Dory!
55D: Happiness: GLEE
56D: Passel: SLEW
C.C.
20A: Part of a dinner order: SMALL HOUSE SALAD
36A: Part of a dinner order: MEDIUM RARE STEAK
49A: Part of a dinner oder: LARGE ONION RINGS
More orts:
6D: Greek sandwiches: GYROS
46D: Kind of sauce: TARTAR
28A: Herring's cousin: SHAD
Yes! Let's eat! Let's shut up on global warming talk and ignore those pesky scientists! Who cares if the EPA reports are altered/doctored? Who cares if any solver expects a Earth Day themed puzzle on April 22? Let's go with STALIN, nobody will ever notice that LENIN was born on April 22.
Other than that, a solid puzzle. I love the double meaning of ORDER here. Great theme and well executed!
Had a bit of a shaky start. Had problem getting SLAPS due to 1D & 4D clues. Only knew ASP and COBRA for serpents, SEPS was a complete stranger to me. Wanted AL PACINO for "Scarface" star, not familiar with PAUL MUNI. Wanted HAIFA for Israeli port (my Pavlov' Dog reflex). Wanted EDUARD (Shevardnadz) for 5D: Dictator born in Georgia, misled by his long presidency of Georgia.
ALDA and LIAM ware the only 2 words I penned in with authority in the upper left corner. I actually had no idea what was "...The Phantom Menace", not a fan of Star War or Star Treks. But I liked Neeson's "Schindler's List", so LIAM was an easy crumble. BB GUNS and MIAS eventually brought STALIN to me. Always thought STALIN was born in Russia.
Smooth sailing in other areas though.
ACROSS:
1A: High--fives: SLAPS. Naughty Naughty (40A)! Raise your hand if these two clues brought Borat to your mind!
9A: Allied: SIDED
14A: Israeli port: EILAT. Could also be spelled as ELATH.
15A: Nautical swerve: YAW. I pieced it together from down clues. I had no idea what "yaw" can mean "deviate from a straight course".
16A: Loan sharking: USURY
17A: "The Taming of the Shrew'' City: PADUA. No idea. I wish 16A were clued as "The Merchant of Venice" practice or something like that. It would have a bit of Shakespeare sub-theme.
18A: Greek letter: RHO. The intersection of GYROS (6D) with RHO is very nice, both Greek.
19A: Hold responsible: BLAME
23A: Sara and Farrow: MIAS. Know Farrow, not Sara.
25A: Toy shooters: BB GUNS
33A: Lena of "Chocolat": OLIN. Great movie. Juliette Binoche was impeccable in "Chocolat"! I love almost every one of her movie, esp Damage (with Jeremy Irons).
34A: The ones here: THESE. Too lazy a clue.
35A: Prohibitionist: DRY
40A: Naughty: BAD
44A: Milanese eight: OTTO. I've been quite pleased with our editor's various clues for OTTO lately. Great! Now please use Jim's "A Dandy in __" for ASPIC next time, no more "Meat stocky jelly".
45A: Accent: STRESS
48A: Jack of talk shows: PAAR
59A: Govt. security: T BILL. Treasury Bill. My favorite clue.
60A: Form: SHAPE. Hmm, 2 APES here, see 47D.
61A: Stooge name: MOE. Larry & Curly. Aw, those ugly Three Stooges' golf/football NODDER bobbleheads! Why do people want them?
62A: "A Delicate Balance" playwright: ALBEE. Did not know the play, but knew ALBEE due to "Who's Afraid of Virgina Woolf?"
63A: Key-stroked: TYPED. Nice one.
DOWN:
1D: Numidian serpent: SEPS. Numidian is "an ancient country in N Africa, corresponding roughly to modern Algeria." Here is a picture of SEPS.
2D: Neeson of "... The Phantom Menace": LIAM. Why abbreviated the movie title?
4D: "Scarface" star: PAUL MUNI. No idea who he is.
5D: Dictator born in George: STALIN
6D: Greek sandwiches: GYROS. OK, I want to get rid of "Greek" in the clue because 18A: Greek letter. Got any good idea? Share with us.
9D: Falls to the bottom: SUBSIDES
10D: Muhammad's religion: ISLAM. Wish this one would be clued as "Abbas' religion" and the 14A as "Olmert's port". That would elevate this puzzle to a whole new level!
11D: Binary: DUAL
12D: Columnist Bombeck: ERMA. I've been waiting for Mr. Williams to clue BOMBECK as Columnist ERMA.
21D: Embodies: HAS
22D: Clear, as a disk: ERASE
25D: Lead balloons: BOMBS
26D: Sound sheepish: BLEAT. Or BAA.
27D: Lightheaded: GIDDY. That's how I am feeling now. Could not contain my enthusiasm for today's primary. Show me your real color, Pennsylvania!
28D: Military hat: SHAKO. Can also be spelled as SHACKO. It's "a military cap in the form of a cylinder or truncated cone, with a visor and a plume or pompon". See this photo. Rooted from Hungarian word "csákó süveg" meaning "peaked cap." How come this word looks so familiar to me?
30D: Designer Simpson: ADELE. Nope, I've never heard of her. Strung together her name by across clues.
31D: Boorish: CRASS
34D: Jogging pace: TROT
37D: Intact: UNOPENED
38D: Words to remember: MOTTO
39D: Very poor: TERRIBLE
47D: Yawning: AGAPE
48D: Put forward: POSED
50D: In need a massage: ACHY. Hmm, Dennis might need one after hitting so many clubs in South Beach!
52D: "Finding __": NEMO. I love Ellen's Dory!
55D: Happiness: GLEE
56D: Passel: SLEW
C.C.
