Theme: LIGHT (30D: Word after 20A, 54A, 11D and 29D)
20A: Home-purchase investigation: TITLE SEARCH
54A: Fighter flier: COMBAT PILOT
11D: Gary Larson's comic: THE FAR SIDE
29D: Decoration for valor: BRONZE STAR
Sub-theme: "CAR TALK"
62A: Saab model: AERO
22D: Automobiles: CARS
28D: Autobahn auto: AUDI
58D: REO maker: OLDS
This puzzle is very similar to the ROOM puzzle we had on July 11, though it has one less theme answer. Structurally speaking, this grid is superior, with LIGHT emitting from the very center and brightening up the whole grid. "ROOM" was placed at the very end of the puzzle last Friday.
The clue for 30D is regrettably inaccurate again. It should be the "Word after the end of 20A, 54A, 11D and 29D). A simple "Theme of the puzzle" will just be fine. Or, to make the puzzle fun, clue LIGHT as "Not heavy" and have the solvers struggling to find the theme. A precious "Aha" moment is woefully missed.
I can think of Candlelight & Moonlight right now, what other LIGHT can you think of?
Across:
1A: Drawn out periods: AGES. Is it a good clue to you? "Drawn out" brings the sports overtime play to my mind.
14A: Controversial 1987 Supreme Court nominee: BORK (Robert). This Johann Sebastian BORK Get Lei'd CD sounds wonderful.
18A: ___ Royale, MI: ISLE. Not familiar with this island. Odd name, part English, part French.
19D: Done in: SPENT. Why? "Do in" means "off"/"slays", doesn't it?
24A: Utah ski resort: ALTA. Unknown to me. These flowers look so happy to be at Devil's Castle.
25A: Make bubbly: AERATE. I still don't understand why golf courses AERATE their greens in the fall.
27A: Hack driver: CABBIE
40A: USMC rank: SGT. There is also a subtle military sub-theme flowing in the grid. SGT, COMBAT PILOT and BRONZE STAR. ELITE (21D: Type of type) also reminds me of the Navy Seals. I was so disappointed last night when Jesse Ventura, our ex-governor/ex-Navy Seal, announced on "Larry King Live" that he would not run for the Senate seat. He is really a hard man, with "The Body".
41A: Inuit craft: UMIAK. Completely foreign to me. Dictionary says it originated from "Umiaq" (woman's boat). "Kayak", on the the other hand, means "man's boat). That's a rather large UMIAK. Strange "Skull-and-crossbones site", Yale bonesmen I suppose?
42A: Marchetti or Cappelletti: GINO. I know neither of them. Sewed the answer together from the down fills. Sounds like opera singers.
46A: Gung-ho so-and-so: ZEALOT. I've never seen "so-and-so" in any clue before.
48A: Socialist Debs: EUGENE. No idea. I thought of some society "debutantes". Delve into here for more information on him.
50A: Cardin of fashion: PIERRE. I like their leather wallets.
60A: Quantity of cookies: BATCH. The "BATCH" here refers to the unbaked cookies, right?
65A: Welsh actor Novello: IVOR. Another unknown. Wikipedia says he was also a singer and composer. And there is an IVOR Novello Award given to songwriters every year in London. Do we have a similar award in the US?
66A: Muslim pilgrimage: HADJ. Or HAJJ. Gimme.
67A: Legal wrongs: TORTS
68A: Big apple letters: NYNY
Down:
4D: Early space station: SKYLAB (1973-1979)
7D: Tex. neighbor: OKLA. And 51D: Gem State: IDAHO. Hmm, I can picture Lois philosophizing in front of her computer on these two clues, and I can see the TWISTER (5D: Tornado) swirling in her mind.
6D: Minor prophet: HOSEA. Saw it often clued as "Old testament book". Did not know that "HOSEA" is Hebrew for "salvation".
36D: "Home improvement" co-star: KARN (Richard). I did not pay attention to his real name before. I actually saw several episodes of "Home improvement" (in Chinese) before I came to the US.
37D: Kind of terrier: SKYE. It has appeared twice in TMS puzzle since I started blogging.
44D: Vicarage: RECTORY
47D: Insteps: ARCHES
49D: Japanese companion: GEISHA. "Japanese men's companion", to be exact. And 59D: Japanese dictator: TOJO (Hideki). Evil man.
50D: Big name in brewing: PABST. How old do you think this tray is? I like the slogan: "It's blended, it's splendid"!
52D: Mr. Copland: AARON. No, not a familiar name to me. Baseball's "Hammerin" Hank ARRON, yes! I was so elated that Justin Morneau won the Home Run Derby last night. Oh, I strayed, back to Copland, Wikipedia says Leonard Bernstein "was considered the finest conductor of Copland's works". Was he a gimme to you?
56D: Group of girls: BEVY. New to me also. I was only aware of "a BEVY of bird".
61D: Part of TV: CRT (Cathode -Ray Tube)
C.C.
20A: Home-purchase investigation: TITLE SEARCH
54A: Fighter flier: COMBAT PILOT
11D: Gary Larson's comic: THE FAR SIDE
29D: Decoration for valor: BRONZE STAR
Sub-theme: "CAR TALK"
62A: Saab model: AERO
22D: Automobiles: CARS
28D: Autobahn auto: AUDI
58D: REO maker: OLDS
This puzzle is very similar to the ROOM puzzle we had on July 11, though it has one less theme answer. Structurally speaking, this grid is superior, with LIGHT emitting from the very center and brightening up the whole grid. "ROOM" was placed at the very end of the puzzle last Friday.
The clue for 30D is regrettably inaccurate again. It should be the "Word after the end of 20A, 54A, 11D and 29D). A simple "Theme of the puzzle" will just be fine. Or, to make the puzzle fun, clue LIGHT as "Not heavy" and have the solvers struggling to find the theme. A precious "Aha" moment is woefully missed.
I can think of Candlelight & Moonlight right now, what other LIGHT can you think of?
Across:
1A: Drawn out periods: AGES. Is it a good clue to you? "Drawn out" brings the sports overtime play to my mind.
14A: Controversial 1987 Supreme Court nominee: BORK (Robert). This Johann Sebastian BORK Get Lei'd CD sounds wonderful.
18A: ___ Royale, MI: ISLE. Not familiar with this island. Odd name, part English, part French.
19D: Done in: SPENT. Why? "Do in" means "off"/"slays", doesn't it?
24A: Utah ski resort: ALTA. Unknown to me. These flowers look so happy to be at Devil's Castle.
25A: Make bubbly: AERATE. I still don't understand why golf courses AERATE their greens in the fall.
27A: Hack driver: CABBIE
40A: USMC rank: SGT. There is also a subtle military sub-theme flowing in the grid. SGT, COMBAT PILOT and BRONZE STAR. ELITE (21D: Type of type) also reminds me of the Navy Seals. I was so disappointed last night when Jesse Ventura, our ex-governor/ex-Navy Seal, announced on "Larry King Live" that he would not run for the Senate seat. He is really a hard man, with "The Body".
41A: Inuit craft: UMIAK. Completely foreign to me. Dictionary says it originated from "Umiaq" (woman's boat). "Kayak", on the the other hand, means "man's boat). That's a rather large UMIAK. Strange "Skull-and-crossbones site", Yale bonesmen I suppose?
42A: Marchetti or Cappelletti: GINO. I know neither of them. Sewed the answer together from the down fills. Sounds like opera singers.
46A: Gung-ho so-and-so: ZEALOT. I've never seen "so-and-so" in any clue before.
48A: Socialist Debs: EUGENE. No idea. I thought of some society "debutantes". Delve into here for more information on him.
50A: Cardin of fashion: PIERRE. I like their leather wallets.
60A: Quantity of cookies: BATCH. The "BATCH" here refers to the unbaked cookies, right?
65A: Welsh actor Novello: IVOR. Another unknown. Wikipedia says he was also a singer and composer. And there is an IVOR Novello Award given to songwriters every year in London. Do we have a similar award in the US?
66A: Muslim pilgrimage: HADJ. Or HAJJ. Gimme.
67A: Legal wrongs: TORTS
68A: Big apple letters: NYNY
Down:
4D: Early space station: SKYLAB (1973-1979)
7D: Tex. neighbor: OKLA. And 51D: Gem State: IDAHO. Hmm, I can picture Lois philosophizing in front of her computer on these two clues, and I can see the TWISTER (5D: Tornado) swirling in her mind.
6D: Minor prophet: HOSEA. Saw it often clued as "Old testament book". Did not know that "HOSEA" is Hebrew for "salvation".
36D: "Home improvement" co-star: KARN (Richard). I did not pay attention to his real name before. I actually saw several episodes of "Home improvement" (in Chinese) before I came to the US.
37D: Kind of terrier: SKYE. It has appeared twice in TMS puzzle since I started blogging.
44D: Vicarage: RECTORY
47D: Insteps: ARCHES
49D: Japanese companion: GEISHA. "Japanese men's companion", to be exact. And 59D: Japanese dictator: TOJO (Hideki). Evil man.
50D: Big name in brewing: PABST. How old do you think this tray is? I like the slogan: "It's blended, it's splendid"!
52D: Mr. Copland: AARON. No, not a familiar name to me. Baseball's "Hammerin" Hank ARRON, yes! I was so elated that Justin Morneau won the Home Run Derby last night. Oh, I strayed, back to Copland, Wikipedia says Leonard Bernstein "was considered the finest conductor of Copland's works". Was he a gimme to you?
56D: Group of girls: BEVY. New to me also. I was only aware of "a BEVY of bird".
61D: Part of TV: CRT (Cathode -Ray Tube)
C.C.
