Theme: "To Be Continued..."
17A: Start of a quip: BEFORE I DIE
24A: Part 2 of a quip: I WILL GET ON A SOAP
43A: Part 3 of quip: OPERA SO I CAN COME
59A: End of quip: BACK TO LIFE
And OBIT (8D: Funeral info.), and OFF (56D: Slays, slangily), and FATAL BLOW (52A: Coup de grace). How dark! Don't you want to experience some "Coup de foudre" on this beautiful hot summer's day?
Not a good puzzle at all, too many unsightly eye sores:
1) AGO (38A: In the past); 12D: Othello's nemesis: IAGO; 24D: Insect stage: IMAGO.
2) OBI (29D) and OBIT (8D).
3) ANA (48A: Gasteyer of "SNL"); ANAT (46D: Me.school subj.) and ANALOGY (42D: Comparison).
The cluing for MAE WEST (9D: With 57D: life jacket) would be great if "LIFE" were not part of the 59A theme answer. Dennis would probably think the QUIP is perfectly complete without 59A.
Anyway, let's have a contest today and see who can come up with the best clue for MAE WEST.
ACROSS:
1A: Crooner Mel: TORME. "The Velvet Fog". "Chestnuts roasting on a open fire..."
10A: Greek letters: CHIS. CHI looks like our X.
15A: Sunscreen ingredient: PABA (Para-AminoBenzoic Acid). Why doesn't the clue reflect the acronymic nature of the answer? Or has PABA been fully assimilated into English language like OPEC?
16A: Act of faith?: LEAP. Good clue.
20A: Vegetarian rule: EAT NO MEAT
21A: Keaton/Garr movie: MR. MOM. No idea. Got it from the down fills.
37A: One-time homer king: MARIS (Roger). You've got to see Billy Crystal's 61*, it's so good.
40A: Gingiva: GUM. "Sweet stick in one's mouth" would be a better clue.
42A: French writer Gide: ANDRÉ. Noble Literature Winner 1947.
60A: Inventor Sikorsky: IGOR. New to me. So many IGOR's in crossword: The opera "Prince IGOR", Composer IGOR Stravinsky, and Frankenstein's IGOR.
61A: Actor Katz: OMRI. He was in "Dallas". Big stumper for me. I've never heard of his name before.
62A: Chasms: GULFS. And 3D: Breach: RIFT
63A: Distiller's grain: MALT. And 65A: Brewery supple: YEAST
DOWN:
1D: Inner attachment?: TUBE. What is Inner TUBE? I wanted Inner SELF.
10D: Some cigars: CLAROS. Mild and smooth. Here are some Torpedo Cigars (6"x50), ultra robust!
13D: E-mail splatter: SPAM. What is "Splatter"? Such an odd word to clue junk mail. We have a SPAM museum here in MN.
18D: Webzine: EMAG
25D: Had already been awakened: WAS UP. Are you OK with this clue?
28D: Anklebones: TARSI. Tarsus (s).
29D: Oriental sash: OBI. Which kimono do you like?
30D: Better: OUTDO
32D: Martinique volcano: PELÉE. Another new name to me. Wikipedia says it had a violent eruption in 1902.
37D: Inspiration for some: MUSE. This is Picasso's "La MUSE". You can see it in Centre Pompidou (great snacks at the second floor cafe).
44D: Bly or Block: ROBERT. Know Bly (MN's first poet laureate), not Block. Good job, Mr. Wolfe, way to clue your own name into the grid!
45D: Willow flower cluster: CATKIN. New word to me. CATKIN is defined as "a spike of unisexual, apetalous flowers having scaly, usually deciduous bracts, as of a willow or birch". Also called ament.
52D: Cara film: FAME. Is this a well-known film? I've never heard of it.
55D: Actress Kedrova: LILA. Another unknown to me. She won an Oscar (Best Supporting Actress) for her performance in "Zorba the Greek" in 1964.
59D: Hit on the noggin: BOP. Is it Mel TORME's style?
C.C.
17A: Start of a quip: BEFORE I DIE
24A: Part 2 of a quip: I WILL GET ON A SOAP
43A: Part 3 of quip: OPERA SO I CAN COME
59A: End of quip: BACK TO LIFE
And OBIT (8D: Funeral info.), and OFF (56D: Slays, slangily), and FATAL BLOW (52A: Coup de grace). How dark! Don't you want to experience some "Coup de foudre" on this beautiful hot summer's day?
Not a good puzzle at all, too many unsightly eye sores:
1) AGO (38A: In the past); 12D: Othello's nemesis: IAGO; 24D: Insect stage: IMAGO.
2) OBI (29D) and OBIT (8D).
3) ANA (48A: Gasteyer of "SNL"); ANAT (46D: Me.school subj.) and ANALOGY (42D: Comparison).
The cluing for MAE WEST (9D: With 57D: life jacket) would be great if "LIFE" were not part of the 59A theme answer. Dennis would probably think the QUIP is perfectly complete without 59A.
Anyway, let's have a contest today and see who can come up with the best clue for MAE WEST.
ACROSS:
1A: Crooner Mel: TORME. "The Velvet Fog". "Chestnuts roasting on a open fire..."
10A: Greek letters: CHIS. CHI looks like our X.
15A: Sunscreen ingredient: PABA (Para-AminoBenzoic Acid). Why doesn't the clue reflect the acronymic nature of the answer? Or has PABA been fully assimilated into English language like OPEC?
16A: Act of faith?: LEAP. Good clue.
20A: Vegetarian rule: EAT NO MEAT
21A: Keaton/Garr movie: MR. MOM. No idea. Got it from the down fills.
37A: One-time homer king: MARIS (Roger). You've got to see Billy Crystal's 61*, it's so good.
40A: Gingiva: GUM. "Sweet stick in one's mouth" would be a better clue.
42A: French writer Gide: ANDRÉ. Noble Literature Winner 1947.
60A: Inventor Sikorsky: IGOR. New to me. So many IGOR's in crossword: The opera "Prince IGOR", Composer IGOR Stravinsky, and Frankenstein's IGOR.
61A: Actor Katz: OMRI. He was in "Dallas". Big stumper for me. I've never heard of his name before.
62A: Chasms: GULFS. And 3D: Breach: RIFT
63A: Distiller's grain: MALT. And 65A: Brewery supple: YEAST
DOWN:
1D: Inner attachment?: TUBE. What is Inner TUBE? I wanted Inner SELF.
10D: Some cigars: CLAROS. Mild and smooth. Here are some Torpedo Cigars (6"x50), ultra robust!
13D: E-mail splatter: SPAM. What is "Splatter"? Such an odd word to clue junk mail. We have a SPAM museum here in MN.
18D: Webzine: EMAG
25D: Had already been awakened: WAS UP. Are you OK with this clue?
28D: Anklebones: TARSI. Tarsus (s).
29D: Oriental sash: OBI. Which kimono do you like?
30D: Better: OUTDO
32D: Martinique volcano: PELÉE. Another new name to me. Wikipedia says it had a violent eruption in 1902.
37D: Inspiration for some: MUSE. This is Picasso's "La MUSE". You can see it in Centre Pompidou (great snacks at the second floor cafe).
44D: Bly or Block: ROBERT. Know Bly (MN's first poet laureate), not Block. Good job, Mr. Wolfe, way to clue your own name into the grid!
45D: Willow flower cluster: CATKIN. New word to me. CATKIN is defined as "a spike of unisexual, apetalous flowers having scaly, usually deciduous bracts, as of a willow or birch". Also called ament.
52D: Cara film: FAME. Is this a well-known film? I've never heard of it.
55D: Actress Kedrova: LILA. Another unknown to me. She won an Oscar (Best Supporting Actress) for her performance in "Zorba the Greek" in 1964.
59D: Hit on the noggin: BOP. Is it Mel TORME's style?
C.C.
