Theme: BASEBALL JARGON
17A: Cosmetics biz?: MAKE-UP GAME
61A: Where picketers march?: STRIKE ZONE
10D: Hugging?: SQUEEZE PLAY
24D: Pedestal with casters?: BASE ON BALLS
A stunner, isn't it? What an ingenious idea to place SODAS (POPS, 39A: Fizzy drinks) at the very center of the grid. This is definitely not a Pop-up, or a Pop foul, it's a dazzling Chase Utley style home run POP!
And BEERS (58A: Brew-skis:), BOW (57A: Respond to applause), WINCE (66A: Cringe), SPEED (69A: Exceed the limit), NINE (56D: Supreme Court count), IRON (65A: Laundry room appliance. Lou Gehrig the "Iron Horse" or, Cal Ripken Jr. the "Iron Man", thank you Drdad and Kim), all baseball related. Gorgeous! Take me out to the ball park please!
It would be perfect if QUAD (16A: Campus heart) were clued as _ Cities River Bandits (Midwest League, class A), and EAST (12A: Vane heading) were clued as American/National League ___.
No need to call Mr. Google this morning. However, I did have about 10 minutes of nervous flirting with our Quest support guy in Idaho earlier. He was literally dreamy. Our DSL light kept blinking and I could not get access to the internet. Somehow I hit the wrong switch button, and the damned modem would not work. So be prepared. I might experience this glitch again and the blog entry might not be always published at the normal time.
ACROSS:
1A: Soggy: MOIST
14A: Kind of tube or ear: INNER
15A: Amo, ams, __: AMAT. I have a question regarding "Veni, vidi, vici". How do you say "I came, I saw and I did not conquer" in Latin?
21A: Those guys in Paris: ILS. Hmm, definitely not my type. Instrument Landing System (ILS) looks more appealing to me now.
22A: For all __ and purpose: INTENTS
24A: Big inits. in camping: BSA (Boy Scouts of America). Also, 28D: Camp shelters (TENTS).
25A: Milk of Managua: LECHE. Spanish for milk. I had no idea, I pieced this word together from down clues.
26A: Health food store purchase: VITAMIN E. I like NUTS for snacks, so no need for Vitamin E supplements. See also PILL (64A: Medicinal tablet).
30A: Source of danger: HAZARD
42A: Dragged behind: IN TOW
44A: Close: NIGH. Do you use this word in your daily conversation?
45A: Fibs: LIES. Oh, how I want a STEAL, Ichiro style!
46A: Mickey Mouse man: DISNEY
48A: Store's gross less expenses: NET SALES
53A: Backslide: RELAPSE. I like the SLIDE in the clue.
56A: A. T. M. maker: N.C.R.
DOWNS:
3D: Printer's purchase: INKS. And Print measure: ENS
5D: Statement of the obvious: TRUISM. I like Colbert's TRUTHINESS.
13D: Hand-held computers: PDAS (Personal Digital Assistant)
18D: Great topography: PLAINS
25D: Introductions: LEAD-INS. (Update: LEAD is a baseball reference too.)
26D: Legitimate: VALID
27D: Qom resident: IRANI. Why not bring out the "Quds Force" in play?
32D: Ms. Zellweger: RENEE. I like her in Cold Mountain only.
40D: Bit of clowning: SHTICK. My favorite clue.
47D: Response to a superior: YES SIR
49D: Threaded nails: SCREWS. NO comment!
51D: So out it's in: RETRO. Like this clue.
55D: Hang loose: LOLL. This is the "LOLL" I am familiar with, not yesterday's "Kicks back" clue.
57D: Mother Hubbard's quest: BONE. I had no idea who Mother Hubbard was, got it from across clues. I don't know anything about nursery rhyme.
59D: Garden crasher: WEED. Great clue.
62D: Singer Stewart: ROD. Have I told You Lately That I Love YOU?
63D: Postal code: ZIP. I like the appearance of both Z and Q in today's puzzle. Very zippy, isn't it? Does ZQ remind you of someone?
C. C.
17A: Cosmetics biz?: MAKE-UP GAME
61A: Where picketers march?: STRIKE ZONE
10D: Hugging?: SQUEEZE PLAY
24D: Pedestal with casters?: BASE ON BALLS
A stunner, isn't it? What an ingenious idea to place SODAS (POPS, 39A: Fizzy drinks) at the very center of the grid. This is definitely not a Pop-up, or a Pop foul, it's a dazzling Chase Utley style home run POP!
And BEERS (58A: Brew-skis:), BOW (57A: Respond to applause), WINCE (66A: Cringe), SPEED (69A: Exceed the limit), NINE (56D: Supreme Court count), IRON (65A: Laundry room appliance. Lou Gehrig the "Iron Horse" or, Cal Ripken Jr. the "Iron Man", thank you Drdad and Kim), all baseball related. Gorgeous! Take me out to the ball park please!
It would be perfect if QUAD (16A: Campus heart) were clued as _ Cities River Bandits (Midwest League, class A), and EAST (12A: Vane heading) were clued as American/National League ___.
No need to call Mr. Google this morning. However, I did have about 10 minutes of nervous flirting with our Quest support guy in Idaho earlier. He was literally dreamy. Our DSL light kept blinking and I could not get access to the internet. Somehow I hit the wrong switch button, and the damned modem would not work. So be prepared. I might experience this glitch again and the blog entry might not be always published at the normal time.
ACROSS:
1A: Soggy: MOIST
14A: Kind of tube or ear: INNER
15A: Amo, ams, __: AMAT. I have a question regarding "Veni, vidi, vici". How do you say "I came, I saw and I did not conquer" in Latin?
21A: Those guys in Paris: ILS. Hmm, definitely not my type. Instrument Landing System (ILS) looks more appealing to me now.
22A: For all __ and purpose: INTENTS
24A: Big inits. in camping: BSA (Boy Scouts of America). Also, 28D: Camp shelters (TENTS).
25A: Milk of Managua: LECHE. Spanish for milk. I had no idea, I pieced this word together from down clues.
26A: Health food store purchase: VITAMIN E. I like NUTS for snacks, so no need for Vitamin E supplements. See also PILL (64A: Medicinal tablet).
30A: Source of danger: HAZARD
42A: Dragged behind: IN TOW
44A: Close: NIGH. Do you use this word in your daily conversation?
45A: Fibs: LIES. Oh, how I want a STEAL, Ichiro style!
46A: Mickey Mouse man: DISNEY
48A: Store's gross less expenses: NET SALES
53A: Backslide: RELAPSE. I like the SLIDE in the clue.
56A: A. T. M. maker: N.C.R.
DOWNS:
3D: Printer's purchase: INKS. And Print measure: ENS
5D: Statement of the obvious: TRUISM. I like Colbert's TRUTHINESS.
13D: Hand-held computers: PDAS (Personal Digital Assistant)
18D: Great topography: PLAINS
25D: Introductions: LEAD-INS. (Update: LEAD is a baseball reference too.)
26D: Legitimate: VALID
27D: Qom resident: IRANI. Why not bring out the "Quds Force" in play?
32D: Ms. Zellweger: RENEE. I like her in Cold Mountain only.
40D: Bit of clowning: SHTICK. My favorite clue.
47D: Response to a superior: YES SIR
49D: Threaded nails: SCREWS. NO comment!
51D: So out it's in: RETRO. Like this clue.
55D: Hang loose: LOLL. This is the "LOLL" I am familiar with, not yesterday's "Kicks back" clue.
57D: Mother Hubbard's quest: BONE. I had no idea who Mother Hubbard was, got it from across clues. I don't know anything about nursery rhyme.
59D: Garden crasher: WEED. Great clue.
62D: Singer Stewart: ROD. Have I told You Lately That I Love YOU?
63D: Postal code: ZIP. I like the appearance of both Z and Q in today's puzzle. Very zippy, isn't it? Does ZQ remind you of someone?
C. C.
