Theme: SHACK UP
17A: Homemade goods for sale: COTTAGE INDUSTRY
35A: Expose: SHED LIGHT UPON
52A: Cadence count: HUT TWO THREE FOUR
This is a very SOLID (4A) puzzle: 3 SHACKS and 3 UPS. Did you find the 3 UP's in the theme? One is inside 35A: UPON, one is the intersection of 35A & 34D, but you have to look UP, the other one is the intersection of 17A & 9D, see the UP there?
This is the best TMS puzzle I've ever done. Here are my reasons:
1) ANAGRAM (25D: Letters written anew)
I like how ANAGRAM anchors the grid, and I am impressed that the constructor provides an example of an ANAGRAM in the puzzle: LIE (6D: Commit perjury) & ELI (45A: Yale student).
2) PUN (34D: Bits of wordplay)
I sure love this "SHACK UP" theme, don't you? After all, PUN is what our dysfunctional family are good at. Dizzying amounts of double entendre every day. But seriously, how many kinds of mushrooms exist in this world? Has anyone tried magic mushroom yet? Total bliss?
3) DENNIS (8D: Actor Quaid)
It makes me happy to see DENNIS being clued in the puzzle. I was stunned this morning when I played with DENNIS and found his name turned into SINNED if spelled backward. I was not aware of that before. Thank you for the ANAGRAM TIP (28D: Peach center: PIT) Ms. Steinberg.
4) Lion and Bear
I like the clues of 15A: Collection of lions: PRIDE & 16A: Kind of bear: POLAR. Add tiger please!
5) Direction
21A: North of Mexico: NORTE & 29A: Hrs. in Big Apple: EST (EST is French for EAST)
6) I like the appearance of both LIE (6D: Commit perjury) and YARNS (41A: Tall tales). And I like how YENTAS (41A: Gossips) intersects YARNS. Great to see both POTENT (3D: Packing a wallop) and MILD (40A: Temperate) in the same puzzle.
ACROSS:
9A: Rascal: SCAMP
23A: Symbol of servitude: CHAINS. I like how it intersects ANAGRAM.
30A: Cusack and Jett: JOANS. Know Cusack, not Jett.
32A: "Tell ___ I Love Her": LAURA. No idea. But it's inferable.
33A: Faucet: SPIGOT
38A: Daydreamed: MOONED. That's what you do when you are smitten with someone, isn't it? Look at this Randy Moss MOON that lighted up the Lambeau Field in 2005.
46A: Non-taxable: EXEMPT
49A: Ancient Greek sage: SOLON. Didn't he say "Know thyself"?
51A: Ipso ___: FACTO. Latin. "Literally by the deeds itself."
57A: Brookner or Baker: ANITA. Know Baker, have no idea who Brookner is.
60A: Duck hunter's lure: DECOY. I like these two hand painted DECOYS.
DOWN:
1D: __ pink (delight): TICKLE
2D: Beloved of Aphrodite: ADONIS. Aphrodite had way too many lovers. ADONIS, ARES (God of War), etc. EROS the love God was the son of Aphrodite and ARES. Anyway, he is a real ADONIS.
9D: Eggs on: SPURS. I impulsively filled in URGES first.
11D: Second self: ALTER EGO
13D: Snoop: PRY
23D: Just might: COULD
25D: Letters written anew: ANAGRAM. If you break the word ANAGRAM itself, you will find MAN (59A: Homo sapiens), and MAR (12D: Damage) in the grid as well. Very interesting.
30D: Green stone: JADE. Doesn't JADE mean "adulteress" also?
36D: Of the whole: HOLISTIC. I think I like "Kind of medicine" clue. "Whole" and "ho" are too similar in pronunciation.
37D: Kind of seal: HARP. Look at this cute baby HARP seal. My favorite Seal, however, is him.
38D: Parisian Mrs. MME (Madame). Another French word: 53D: One for Paulette: UNE. So here we 1, 2, 3, 4 in one puzzle, with UNE crossing 2, 3, 4, good stuff, isn't it?
44D: Embellishes: ADORNS
46D: Former Bronco QB: ELWAY (John). I think we still have this issue of Sports Illustrated when he was inducted into HOF. I like jersey #7. Twins' catcher Joe Mauer also wears #7.
47D: Losing tic-tac-toe line: XOO
C.C. (204)
17A: Homemade goods for sale: COTTAGE INDUSTRY
35A: Expose: SHED LIGHT UPON
52A: Cadence count: HUT TWO THREE FOUR
This is a very SOLID (4A) puzzle: 3 SHACKS and 3 UPS. Did you find the 3 UP's in the theme? One is inside 35A: UPON, one is the intersection of 35A & 34D, but you have to look UP, the other one is the intersection of 17A & 9D, see the UP there?
This is the best TMS puzzle I've ever done. Here are my reasons:
1) ANAGRAM (25D: Letters written anew)
I like how ANAGRAM anchors the grid, and I am impressed that the constructor provides an example of an ANAGRAM in the puzzle: LIE (6D: Commit perjury) & ELI (45A: Yale student).
2) PUN (34D: Bits of wordplay)
I sure love this "SHACK UP" theme, don't you? After all, PUN is what our dysfunctional family are good at. Dizzying amounts of double entendre every day. But seriously, how many kinds of mushrooms exist in this world? Has anyone tried magic mushroom yet? Total bliss?
3) DENNIS (8D: Actor Quaid)
It makes me happy to see DENNIS being clued in the puzzle. I was stunned this morning when I played with DENNIS and found his name turned into SINNED if spelled backward. I was not aware of that before. Thank you for the ANAGRAM TIP (28D: Peach center: PIT) Ms. Steinberg.
4) Lion and Bear
I like the clues of 15A: Collection of lions: PRIDE & 16A: Kind of bear: POLAR. Add tiger please!
5) Direction
21A: North of Mexico: NORTE & 29A: Hrs. in Big Apple: EST (EST is French for EAST)
6) I like the appearance of both LIE (6D: Commit perjury) and YARNS (41A: Tall tales). And I like how YENTAS (41A: Gossips) intersects YARNS. Great to see both POTENT (3D: Packing a wallop) and MILD (40A: Temperate) in the same puzzle.
ACROSS:
9A: Rascal: SCAMP
23A: Symbol of servitude: CHAINS. I like how it intersects ANAGRAM.
30A: Cusack and Jett: JOANS. Know Cusack, not Jett.
32A: "Tell ___ I Love Her": LAURA. No idea. But it's inferable.
33A: Faucet: SPIGOT
38A: Daydreamed: MOONED. That's what you do when you are smitten with someone, isn't it? Look at this Randy Moss MOON that lighted up the Lambeau Field in 2005.
46A: Non-taxable: EXEMPT
49A: Ancient Greek sage: SOLON. Didn't he say "Know thyself"?
51A: Ipso ___: FACTO. Latin. "Literally by the deeds itself."
57A: Brookner or Baker: ANITA. Know Baker, have no idea who Brookner is.
60A: Duck hunter's lure: DECOY. I like these two hand painted DECOYS.
DOWN:
1D: __ pink (delight): TICKLE
2D: Beloved of Aphrodite: ADONIS. Aphrodite had way too many lovers. ADONIS, ARES (God of War), etc. EROS the love God was the son of Aphrodite and ARES. Anyway, he is a real ADONIS.
9D: Eggs on: SPURS. I impulsively filled in URGES first.
11D: Second self: ALTER EGO
13D: Snoop: PRY
23D: Just might: COULD
25D: Letters written anew: ANAGRAM. If you break the word ANAGRAM itself, you will find MAN (59A: Homo sapiens), and MAR (12D: Damage) in the grid as well. Very interesting.
30D: Green stone: JADE. Doesn't JADE mean "adulteress" also?
36D: Of the whole: HOLISTIC. I think I like "Kind of medicine" clue. "Whole" and "ho" are too similar in pronunciation.
37D: Kind of seal: HARP. Look at this cute baby HARP seal. My favorite Seal, however, is him.
38D: Parisian Mrs. MME (Madame). Another French word: 53D: One for Paulette: UNE. So here we 1, 2, 3, 4 in one puzzle, with UNE crossing 2, 3, 4, good stuff, isn't it?
44D: Embellishes: ADORNS
46D: Former Bronco QB: ELWAY (John). I think we still have this issue of Sports Illustrated when he was inducted into HOF. I like jersey #7. Twins' catcher Joe Mauer also wears #7.
47D: Losing tic-tac-toe line: XOO
C.C. (204)
