heme: BEARS
24A: Bears: YOGI AND BOO BOO
38A: Bears: CHICAGO GRIDDERS
50A: Bears: PRODUCES FRUIT
Before I forget, please read this comment from our fellow solver Sandra (D&SK, 12:52pm) regarding Saturday's unique grid structure. Very interesting observation on the target position of Tariq Aziz, isn't it?
Back to day's puzzle, I like the theme concept and the execution, 2 major flaws though:
1) 19A: Links grp. PGA. And 67A: Ernie of the PGA: ELS. I can not tell you how much this double appearance of the same word in the clue and the answer annoys me. No responsible crossword editor should allow this awful construction error slips away. Besides, why "Links" all the time? Who the heck wants to play the formidable "Links" course so often? With today's BEARS theme, why not get creative and somehow clue the "Golden BEAR" Jack Nichlaus for PGA?
2) I know I've said it before, but it BEARS repeating that I simply can not BEAR to see a puzzle with the theme title bared in the clues. It really deprives me of the fun to ferret out the theme.
Not sure if today's constructor Michael Williams should BEAR the brunt of my grudge, BEAR in mind that our Editor has the final say. But he never deigns to talk to us, what can I say? I guess we will just have to grin and BEAR it.
ACROSS:
5A: Coats with crumbs: BREADS. Love panko breaded croquette.
15A: Close a purse: RESNAP
16A: Fmr. Mideast alliance: UAR (United Arab Republic). And 2 more Mideast references: 23A: Ship with a lateen sail: DHOW. Can also be spelled as DOW, or DAU. Unknown to me. First time I heard of "lateen sail" too. Dictionary defines DHOW as "any of various types of sailing vessels used by Arabs on the east African, Arabian, and Indian coasts, generally lateen-rigged on two or three masts." And 42A: Israeli seaport: EILAT (Gulf of Aqaba port).
20A: Bait fish: MINNOW. I wish NET in 64A: Badminton barrier were clued as fishing related, just to pair up with 20A.
28A: Like an old tree trunk: GNARLED
37A: Brit's wireless: RADIO. And another Brit term: DOSS (30D: Flophouse in London). DOSS is a new word to me. Easily gettable from across fills though.
45A: Rising current of warm air: THERMAL. I was only familiar with the adjective THERMAL, not the noun form.
56A: QB Aikman: TROY. Wonder how much his rookie card costs now.
58A: Rationers of WWII: OPA (Office of Price Administration). I simply forgot. Luckily the down fills helped.
61A: Up and about: ARISEN
63A: Danube feeder: ISAR. No idea. Here is the map, see München (Munich)?
65A: Slow musical passage: LENTOS
68A: "Our Man in Havana": GREENE (Graham). Not familiar with the author. Wikipedia says that he had a long affair with Yvonne Cloetta (32 years). I love this note GREENE wrote to Cloetta: "If I were to live my life again, there is only one thing I would want unchanged: meeting you, knowing you, and loving you."
69A: Customary extras, briefly: ETCS
DOWN:
1D: Viscous: SLIMY. Hmmm, Who is the SLIMY guy?
2D: Mann novel: "____ Kroger": TONIO. It was in yesterday's puzzle.
3D: As company: ALONG. "To BEAR a Ring of Power is to be alone". Tell me if this is a familiar line to you, don't google!
4D: "Live at the Acropolis" performer: YANNI. Can you feel the "Mozart Effect" in this Standing in Motion? Oh, YANNI, If I could tell you...
5D: Lunch carrier: BROWN BAG. Want to take a bite from this bento box?
8D: Computer type: ANALOG
9D: Rosario or Roxann: DAWSON. Know Rosario, not Roxann. Do you think Andre DAWSON will make the HOF next year?
11D: Spot for a drink in a car: CUP HOLDER
12D: "Othello" role: IAGO
23D: Small southern constellation: DORADO. Not familiar with this one. Given the BEARS theme today, wouldn't be great if we have the URSA (Constellation Bear) appear somewhere in the grid?
25D: Queen of Carthage: DIDO. Another unknown mythological figure to me. She "killed herself when abandoned by Aeneas". Aeneas is "the Trojan hero of Virgil's epic poem, the Aeneid, and son of Anchises and Aphrodite. He escaped the sack of Troy and wandered for seven years before settling in Italy." Thank you, dictionary & DIDO.
26D: Exalted poet: BARD
29D: Dublin's land: EIRE. Hmm, I am a "Denis of Cork" ADORER (46D: Worshiper). Why not clue it as "Cork's land" and make me happy?
31D: "Rhyme Pays" rapper: ICE T. Easier than last time's "Tracey Marrow stage name" clue, isn't it?
32D: __ Tze: SHIH. Just for your information, "___ Ching" (or Shi Jing in Mandarin Chinese) is a classic book of Chinese poetry (Book of Odes).
33D: Distance sign: MILE POST
34D: Little Golden Books artist: SCARRY (Richard). Unknown to me. Pieced his name together from across fills.
36D: J. Hancocked: SGD. Hmm, I could picture Barry's frown in my mind...
40D: Partly: IN A SENSE
47D: Like a wolf: LUPINE
49D: Org. of Argonauts: CFL (Canadian Football League). Did not know this before. Only knew Jason's Argonauts, not Toronto Argonauts. Learned this morning that their championship/ trophy name is called "Grey Cup".
53D: Distressed: UPSET. Poor BEAR Stearns employees...
54D: Hayes of "South Park": ISAAC. Got it this time, thanks Dr. Dad.
55D: Provisions: TERMS
"Every dream that we share, every cross that we BEAR, come to me - Darling rescue me...." Here is Bryan Adams' Do I Have to Say the Words? Enjoy!
C.C.
24A: Bears: YOGI AND BOO BOO
38A: Bears: CHICAGO GRIDDERS
50A: Bears: PRODUCES FRUIT
Before I forget, please read this comment from our fellow solver Sandra (D&SK, 12:52pm) regarding Saturday's unique grid structure. Very interesting observation on the target position of Tariq Aziz, isn't it?
Back to day's puzzle, I like the theme concept and the execution, 2 major flaws though:
1) 19A: Links grp. PGA. And 67A: Ernie of the PGA: ELS. I can not tell you how much this double appearance of the same word in the clue and the answer annoys me. No responsible crossword editor should allow this awful construction error slips away. Besides, why "Links" all the time? Who the heck wants to play the formidable "Links" course so often? With today's BEARS theme, why not get creative and somehow clue the "Golden BEAR" Jack Nichlaus for PGA?
2) I know I've said it before, but it BEARS repeating that I simply can not BEAR to see a puzzle with the theme title bared in the clues. It really deprives me of the fun to ferret out the theme.
Not sure if today's constructor Michael Williams should BEAR the brunt of my grudge, BEAR in mind that our Editor has the final say. But he never deigns to talk to us, what can I say? I guess we will just have to grin and BEAR it.
ACROSS:
5A: Coats with crumbs: BREADS. Love panko breaded croquette.
15A: Close a purse: RESNAP
16A: Fmr. Mideast alliance: UAR (United Arab Republic). And 2 more Mideast references: 23A: Ship with a lateen sail: DHOW. Can also be spelled as DOW, or DAU. Unknown to me. First time I heard of "lateen sail" too. Dictionary defines DHOW as "any of various types of sailing vessels used by Arabs on the east African, Arabian, and Indian coasts, generally lateen-rigged on two or three masts." And 42A: Israeli seaport: EILAT (Gulf of Aqaba port).
20A: Bait fish: MINNOW. I wish NET in 64A: Badminton barrier were clued as fishing related, just to pair up with 20A.
28A: Like an old tree trunk: GNARLED
37A: Brit's wireless: RADIO. And another Brit term: DOSS (30D: Flophouse in London). DOSS is a new word to me. Easily gettable from across fills though.
45A: Rising current of warm air: THERMAL. I was only familiar with the adjective THERMAL, not the noun form.
56A: QB Aikman: TROY. Wonder how much his rookie card costs now.
58A: Rationers of WWII: OPA (Office of Price Administration). I simply forgot. Luckily the down fills helped.
61A: Up and about: ARISEN
63A: Danube feeder: ISAR. No idea. Here is the map, see München (Munich)?
65A: Slow musical passage: LENTOS
68A: "Our Man in Havana": GREENE (Graham). Not familiar with the author. Wikipedia says that he had a long affair with Yvonne Cloetta (32 years). I love this note GREENE wrote to Cloetta: "If I were to live my life again, there is only one thing I would want unchanged: meeting you, knowing you, and loving you."
69A: Customary extras, briefly: ETCS
DOWN:
1D: Viscous: SLIMY. Hmmm, Who is the SLIMY guy?
2D: Mann novel: "____ Kroger": TONIO. It was in yesterday's puzzle.
3D: As company: ALONG. "To BEAR a Ring of Power is to be alone". Tell me if this is a familiar line to you, don't google!
4D: "Live at the Acropolis" performer: YANNI. Can you feel the "Mozart Effect" in this Standing in Motion? Oh, YANNI, If I could tell you...
5D: Lunch carrier: BROWN BAG. Want to take a bite from this bento box?
8D: Computer type: ANALOG
9D: Rosario or Roxann: DAWSON. Know Rosario, not Roxann. Do you think Andre DAWSON will make the HOF next year?
11D: Spot for a drink in a car: CUP HOLDER
12D: "Othello" role: IAGO
23D: Small southern constellation: DORADO. Not familiar with this one. Given the BEARS theme today, wouldn't be great if we have the URSA (Constellation Bear) appear somewhere in the grid?
25D: Queen of Carthage: DIDO. Another unknown mythological figure to me. She "killed herself when abandoned by Aeneas". Aeneas is "the Trojan hero of Virgil's epic poem, the Aeneid, and son of Anchises and Aphrodite. He escaped the sack of Troy and wandered for seven years before settling in Italy." Thank you, dictionary & DIDO.
26D: Exalted poet: BARD
29D: Dublin's land: EIRE. Hmm, I am a "Denis of Cork" ADORER (46D: Worshiper). Why not clue it as "Cork's land" and make me happy?
31D: "Rhyme Pays" rapper: ICE T. Easier than last time's "Tracey Marrow stage name" clue, isn't it?
32D: __ Tze: SHIH. Just for your information, "___ Ching" (or Shi Jing in Mandarin Chinese) is a classic book of Chinese poetry (Book of Odes).
33D: Distance sign: MILE POST
34D: Little Golden Books artist: SCARRY (Richard). Unknown to me. Pieced his name together from across fills.
36D: J. Hancocked: SGD. Hmm, I could picture Barry's frown in my mind...
40D: Partly: IN A SENSE
47D: Like a wolf: LUPINE
49D: Org. of Argonauts: CFL (Canadian Football League). Did not know this before. Only knew Jason's Argonauts, not Toronto Argonauts. Learned this morning that their championship/ trophy name is called "Grey Cup".
53D: Distressed: UPSET. Poor BEAR Stearns employees...
54D: Hayes of "South Park": ISAAC. Got it this time, thanks Dr. Dad.
55D: Provisions: TERMS
"Every dream that we share, every cross that we BEAR, come to me - Darling rescue me...." Here is Bryan Adams' Do I Have to Say the Words? Enjoy!
C.C.
