Theme: PICTURE POSTCARD (57A: Image of the first word of 17A, 26A and 43A)
17A: 1950 Billy Wilder film: SUNSET BOULEVARD
26A: Eagles hit: HOTEL CALIFORNIA
43A: Olympic sport since '96: BEACH VOLLEY BALL
Not sure if the TALC clue (18D: Powder base) is Doug Peterson's original submission. I just hate it, as BASE is the answer for 1D: Ignoble.
With ALOU (60A: Baseball's Matty or Moises), RBI (58D: Slugger's stat), you would think the constructor would reclue SUBS (39D: Hogies) as "Non starters" and BASE as "Diamond Corner" to form a nice baseball sub-theme.
I am really tired of this sluggish "Slugger's stat"clue for RBI. Can't you pay some tribute to Griffey's 600th HR milestone? Or you couldn't see it coming?
I also dislike the clue 'ENRY for 34A: Professor 'iggins, to Eliza. It should be either "Professor 'iggins" or simply "Professor Higgins, to Eliza". I do like the H BOMB (26D: One WMD) and SPAY (49D: Keep from littering?) clues though, very refreshing!
ACROSS:
1A: "Carmen" composer: BIZET (Georges). "Carmen" is the only BIZET piece that I know.
6A: Small flute: FIFE. Those who love golfing might be aware that St. Andrews Golf Course is on the east of FIFE, Scotland. The 2010 British Open will be held there again.
10A: Warrior princess of TV: XENA
14A: "Witness" sect: AMISH. Do you like Viggo Mortensen? "Witness" is his film debut. Love his "A Perfect Murder".
16A: Cut down: AXED
33A: React to Bright light: BLINK. Can never seem to find time to read this widely popular BLINK.
36A: Oil of ___: OLAY. I really like their "Total Effects Daily Moisturizer".
37A: Chutney choice: MANGO. I've never had MANGO chutney before. Just had a perfectly ripe MANGO earlier for breakfast.
39A: Rentals at Vail: SKIS. Hi there Der Katze.
40A: Soviet orbiter: MIR. I am glad it's not "Russian orbiter"(MIR was de-orbed in 2001). "Bygone Russian orbiter" should be fine.
41A: Prom-night safety org.: SADD. And don't forget MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving).
42A: Craftiness: GUILE
49A: Water vapor: STEAM
52A: Fiji's neighbor: TONGA. It's in east of Fiji. See this map. "The Friendly Islands".
62A: Vixen on "All My Children": ERICA. I had no idea. Got it from the down clues. Should you have time, please read ERICA Jong's Morals To Be Drawn from Spitzer's Case, and learn, esp moral #2.
63A: Bark excitedly: YELP. Hmm, "excitedly".
65A: Like a tell-all bio: DISHY. Barbara Walters will probably fill in this 5-letter blank without reading the clue.
DOWN:
2D: Don of talk radio: IMUS
3D: Silvery metal: ZINC. Element #30.
5D: Bruce Banner's alter ego: THE HULK. Completely unknown to me. Pieced the answer together from the across clues.
6D: Leg bone: FIBULA
8D: Arthur Ashe Stadium location: FLUSHING. Nope, not familiar to me. Gettable though.
10D: Bandleader Cugat: XAVIER. I simply forgot. Realized that I had searched him before when I googled his name earlier.
19D: George Jetson's boy: ELROY. ASTRO was clued as ELROY Jetson's dog on an April TMS puzzle.
27D: Stan's comic partner: OLLIE
29D: Tennis great Ivan: LENDL
30D: Big name in cell phone: NOKIA
32D: Photographer Adams: ANSEL. This is his iconic Moon Rise . One rare print fetched a cool $600,000 at a Sotheby's auction in 2006. This photograph greets every morning when I wake up.
37D: Dallas B-ballers: MAVS (Mavericks)
38D: Emigrants from orphanages: ADOPTEES. Interesting clue.
41D: SeaWorld attraction: SHAMU. SeaWorld, don't screw with us!
42D: Spun around: GYRATED
44D: Flirt with: CHAT UP. What's the best chat up lines you've heard?
45D: "The Raven" maiden: LENORE. I know nothing about "The Raven" except "Nevermore".
50D: Bit of flooring: TILE. Do you play Scrabble?
54D: Lectern stand: DAIS
55D: Roguish: ARCH. Hi there 1D!
56D: Yrly. event: B'DAY. You don't like Beyoncé B'DAY album?
59D: Dernier ___ (latest fashion): CRI. C'est le dernier CRI in Japan.
Here is the Eagles's HOTEL CALIFORNIA. Enjoy!
C.C.
17A: 1950 Billy Wilder film: SUNSET BOULEVARD
26A: Eagles hit: HOTEL CALIFORNIA
43A: Olympic sport since '96: BEACH VOLLEY BALL
Not sure if the TALC clue (18D: Powder base) is Doug Peterson's original submission. I just hate it, as BASE is the answer for 1D: Ignoble.
With ALOU (60A: Baseball's Matty or Moises), RBI (58D: Slugger's stat), you would think the constructor would reclue SUBS (39D: Hogies) as "Non starters" and BASE as "Diamond Corner" to form a nice baseball sub-theme.
I am really tired of this sluggish "Slugger's stat"clue for RBI. Can't you pay some tribute to Griffey's 600th HR milestone? Or you couldn't see it coming?
I also dislike the clue 'ENRY for 34A: Professor 'iggins, to Eliza. It should be either "Professor 'iggins" or simply "Professor Higgins, to Eliza". I do like the H BOMB (26D: One WMD) and SPAY (49D: Keep from littering?) clues though, very refreshing!
ACROSS:
1A: "Carmen" composer: BIZET (Georges). "Carmen" is the only BIZET piece that I know.
6A: Small flute: FIFE. Those who love golfing might be aware that St. Andrews Golf Course is on the east of FIFE, Scotland. The 2010 British Open will be held there again.
10A: Warrior princess of TV: XENA
14A: "Witness" sect: AMISH. Do you like Viggo Mortensen? "Witness" is his film debut. Love his "A Perfect Murder".
16A: Cut down: AXED
33A: React to Bright light: BLINK. Can never seem to find time to read this widely popular BLINK.
36A: Oil of ___: OLAY. I really like their "Total Effects Daily Moisturizer".
37A: Chutney choice: MANGO. I've never had MANGO chutney before. Just had a perfectly ripe MANGO earlier for breakfast.
39A: Rentals at Vail: SKIS. Hi there Der Katze.
40A: Soviet orbiter: MIR. I am glad it's not "Russian orbiter"(MIR was de-orbed in 2001). "Bygone Russian orbiter" should be fine.
41A: Prom-night safety org.: SADD. And don't forget MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving).
42A: Craftiness: GUILE
49A: Water vapor: STEAM
52A: Fiji's neighbor: TONGA. It's in east of Fiji. See this map. "The Friendly Islands".
62A: Vixen on "All My Children": ERICA. I had no idea. Got it from the down clues. Should you have time, please read ERICA Jong's Morals To Be Drawn from Spitzer's Case, and learn, esp moral #2.
63A: Bark excitedly: YELP. Hmm, "excitedly".
65A: Like a tell-all bio: DISHY. Barbara Walters will probably fill in this 5-letter blank without reading the clue.
DOWN:
2D: Don of talk radio: IMUS
3D: Silvery metal: ZINC. Element #30.
5D: Bruce Banner's alter ego: THE HULK. Completely unknown to me. Pieced the answer together from the across clues.
6D: Leg bone: FIBULA
8D: Arthur Ashe Stadium location: FLUSHING. Nope, not familiar to me. Gettable though.
10D: Bandleader Cugat: XAVIER. I simply forgot. Realized that I had searched him before when I googled his name earlier.
19D: George Jetson's boy: ELROY. ASTRO was clued as ELROY Jetson's dog on an April TMS puzzle.
27D: Stan's comic partner: OLLIE
29D: Tennis great Ivan: LENDL
30D: Big name in cell phone: NOKIA
32D: Photographer Adams: ANSEL. This is his iconic Moon Rise . One rare print fetched a cool $600,000 at a Sotheby's auction in 2006. This photograph greets every morning when I wake up.
37D: Dallas B-ballers: MAVS (Mavericks)
38D: Emigrants from orphanages: ADOPTEES. Interesting clue.
41D: SeaWorld attraction: SHAMU. SeaWorld, don't screw with us!
42D: Spun around: GYRATED
44D: Flirt with: CHAT UP. What's the best chat up lines you've heard?
45D: "The Raven" maiden: LENORE. I know nothing about "The Raven" except "Nevermore".
50D: Bit of flooring: TILE. Do you play Scrabble?
54D: Lectern stand: DAIS
55D: Roguish: ARCH. Hi there 1D!
56D: Yrly. event: B'DAY. You don't like Beyoncé B'DAY album?
59D: Dernier ___ (latest fashion): CRI. C'est le dernier CRI in Japan.
Here is the Eagles's HOTEL CALIFORNIA. Enjoy!
C.C.
