Theme: CARS
18A: Canadian body of water: HUDSON BAY
24A: Historic D. C. spot: FORD'S THEATRE (sorry about the mistake earlier)
53A: Mayflower landing: PLYMOUTH ROCK
64A: "Gunsmoke" setting: DODGE CITY
Thank you FORD, without your surprise profit yesterday, the stock market would've plunged! Alan Mulally has finally seen the view from the mountaintop: Hey, look at me Boeing, still happy with your McNerney choice?
I've never heard of HUDSON car, nor have I known LEK, KIROV, SELMA, ASHLAR and BEMA. Tough puzzle today, esp the northwest region.
I filled in SCABS, BLONDE and STAFF with a brio, then my nightmare started. I did not know that "SEND UP" means "lampoon", so naturally I fell into the S trap and penned in S at the intersection of 5D and 35A. I did not know "Ragged Dick" author ALGER. Would've probably got ARGON if it were clued as "Inert gas". And the FIENDS, I could not even get the FIENDS! Sorry Orange!
Had to flirt with Mr. Google, and he quickly gave me what I wanted without making any OUTRÉ demand. Excellent!
ACROSS:
1A: Wound crusts: SCABS. No need to wobble between SCAR and SCAB due to clue 4D.
6A: Synagogue platform: BEMA. Unknown to me. It originated from Greek word "bēma" "meaning step or platform. Dictionary also says that BEMA is "the enclosed space surrounding the altar" in Eastern Orthodox Church, or "an open space between the end of the nave arcade and the apse" in a Christian basilica.
10A: Software platform: TECH
14A: Very fine netting: TULLE. Oh, isn't she beautiful in her satin and tulle mermaid wedding gown? TULLE is named after the French city where it's made.
15A: Firefighters' tools: AXES
17A: About 1% of the atmosphere: ARGON. AT NO. #18. Inert gas.
20A: Maniacs: FIENDS
23A: Begley and McMahon: EDS. Oh, McMahon, the "Heeeeere's Johnny" guy. It would make me happy if Bradley rather than Begley were clued.
28A: Haves of thirds: SIXTHS
35A: Bell ringers' performance: PEALS
38A: Japanese-American: NISEI. The root word SEI means birth, Ni means second. So NISEI means second generation. ISSEI is first generation (IS means first). SANSEI is third generation (SAN means third), don't confuse it with SENSEI (Judo/Karate teacher). Oh, KIBEI is a person of Japanese descent, born in the U.S. but educated in Japan (KI is to return, BEI is America). Have some SAKE with George Clooney if this explanation make you headache!
41A: Small birds: WRENS. Is that cactus you are perching upon?
43A: Skater Lipinski: TARA. She "won Olympic gold medal in figure skating at 1998 Winter Olympics, and remains the youngest gold medalist in the history of the Olympic Winter Games", according to Wikipedia.
44A: Russian city: KIROV. Have never heard of it. It's "a city in the E Russian Federation in Europe". Kirov is known as the "city of twins" for the unusually high number of multiple births there.
46A: Singer Ross: DIANA. Didn't she receive the Kennedy Center Honor last year?
48A: Diamond and others: SELMAS. No idea.
62A: Two-toed sloth: UNAU. Oh, the ugly UNAU is back. AIS is a 3-toed sloth.
63A: Loafer, e.g. : SLIP-ON
69A: Poet pound: EZRA. This is one incorrigible repeat offender.
70A: Hindu queen: var.: RANEE (RANI)
73A: Flexible Flyers: SLEDS. Totally unknown to me, I strung it together from the down clues. Here is a picture.
DOWN:
2D: Antique shop item: CURIO (from curiosity). I always thought CURIO refers to the "CURIO Box". Or do you call any of those old rusty stuff at the antique shop as CURIO?
3D: "Ragged Dick" author: ALGER (Horatio). Unknown to me. Boy, he sure was prolific. 18A: Canadian body of water: HUDSON BAY
24A: Historic D. C. spot: FORD'S THEATRE (sorry about the mistake earlier)
53A: Mayflower landing: PLYMOUTH ROCK
64A: "Gunsmoke" setting: DODGE CITY
Thank you FORD, without your surprise profit yesterday, the stock market would've plunged! Alan Mulally has finally seen the view from the mountaintop: Hey, look at me Boeing, still happy with your McNerney choice?
I've never heard of HUDSON car, nor have I known LEK, KIROV, SELMA, ASHLAR and BEMA. Tough puzzle today, esp the northwest region.
I filled in SCABS, BLONDE and STAFF with a brio, then my nightmare started. I did not know that "SEND UP" means "lampoon", so naturally I fell into the S trap and penned in S at the intersection of 5D and 35A. I did not know "Ragged Dick" author ALGER. Would've probably got ARGON if it were clued as "Inert gas". And the FIENDS, I could not even get the FIENDS! Sorry Orange!
Had to flirt with Mr. Google, and he quickly gave me what I wanted without making any OUTRÉ demand. Excellent!
ACROSS:
1A: Wound crusts: SCABS. No need to wobble between SCAR and SCAB due to clue 4D.
6A: Synagogue platform: BEMA. Unknown to me. It originated from Greek word "bēma" "meaning step or platform. Dictionary also says that BEMA is "the enclosed space surrounding the altar" in Eastern Orthodox Church, or "an open space between the end of the nave arcade and the apse" in a Christian basilica.
10A: Software platform: TECH
14A: Very fine netting: TULLE. Oh, isn't she beautiful in her satin and tulle mermaid wedding gown? TULLE is named after the French city where it's made.
15A: Firefighters' tools: AXES
17A: About 1% of the atmosphere: ARGON. AT NO. #18. Inert gas.
20A: Maniacs: FIENDS
23A: Begley and McMahon: EDS. Oh, McMahon, the "Heeeeere's Johnny" guy. It would make me happy if Bradley rather than Begley were clued.
28A: Haves of thirds: SIXTHS
35A: Bell ringers' performance: PEALS
38A: Japanese-American: NISEI. The root word SEI means birth, Ni means second. So NISEI means second generation. ISSEI is first generation (IS means first). SANSEI is third generation (SAN means third), don't confuse it with SENSEI (Judo/Karate teacher). Oh, KIBEI is a person of Japanese descent, born in the U.S. but educated in Japan (KI is to return, BEI is America). Have some SAKE with George Clooney if this explanation make you headache!
41A: Small birds: WRENS. Is that cactus you are perching upon?
43A: Skater Lipinski: TARA. She "won Olympic gold medal in figure skating at 1998 Winter Olympics, and remains the youngest gold medalist in the history of the Olympic Winter Games", according to Wikipedia.
44A: Russian city: KIROV. Have never heard of it. It's "a city in the E Russian Federation in Europe". Kirov is known as the "city of twins" for the unusually high number of multiple births there.
46A: Singer Ross: DIANA. Didn't she receive the Kennedy Center Honor last year?
48A: Diamond and others: SELMAS. No idea.
62A: Two-toed sloth: UNAU. Oh, the ugly UNAU is back. AIS is a 3-toed sloth.
63A: Loafer, e.g. : SLIP-ON
69A: Poet pound: EZRA. This is one incorrigible repeat offender.
70A: Hindu queen: var.: RANEE (RANI)
73A: Flexible Flyers: SLEDS. Totally unknown to me, I strung it together from the down clues. Here is a picture.
DOWN:
2D: Antique shop item: CURIO (from curiosity). I always thought CURIO refers to the "CURIO Box". Or do you call any of those old rusty stuff at the antique shop as CURIO?
5D: Lampoons: SENDS UP. New phrase to me.
7D: Ooze forth: EXUDE
8D: Euripides drama: MEDEA. Saw this clue before, then I promptly forgot. MEDEA is also the wife of "Jason the Argonaut".
9D: Holdings: ASSETS
11D: River of Hamburg: ELBE. Here is the map.
12D: Enclothed: CLAD. (Nelly said) It's gettin hot in here, so......
13D: "Airplane" star Robert: HAYS. Got his name from across clues. But I think I saw this clue before.
19D: Senator Hatch: ORRIN. Gimme Gimme. Utah Senator (R).
21D: Scatter: STREW
25D: Collection of artifacts: HOARD. Doesn't HOARD have a negative overtone? This clue does not feel smooth to me.
30D: Sub: Hero. "My heroes have always been the cowboys". How about yours?
32D: Birds' display areas: LEKS. Totally unknown to me. It's "a traditional place where males assemble during the mating season and engage in competitive displays that attract females". Courtship display then. Hmm, this clue is definitely more colorful than "Money unit of Alabama"
33D: Mayberry lad: OPIE. Learned his name from doing crossword. I know nothing about "The Andy Griffith Show."
37D: Military muddle: SNAFU (Situation Normal, All Fouled UP). Were you thinking of Dennis when you saw this clue? I was. Still remember how stunned I was when he first explained the sanitized version of SNAFU. When will FUBAR appear then?
40D: Freebie: COMP
47D: Masonry stones: ASHLARS. OK, ASHLAR is "a squared block of building stone", like this. This word is easily gettable though.
50D: Matched up: SYNCED. Never know that SYNC can be a verb.
52D: Clannish: TRIBAL. Not SEPT -ish something?
54D: Indian corn: MAIZE
55D: Bizarre: OUTRÉ. Past participle of French word OUTRER (to push beyond the bound).
56D: Voice a thought: OPINE
61D: Biblical paradise: EDEN & 65D: Figure of worship: GOD. Great parallel.
C.C.
