Theme: In Praise of Flattery
18A: Start of Samuel Johnson quote: JUST PRAISE
28A: Part 2 of quote: IS ONLY A DEBT
49A: Part 3 of quote: BUT FLATTERY
64A: End of quote: IS A PRESENT
From "The Rambler" # 155.
I have difficulty grokking this rambling quote. Samuel Johnson did think FLATTERY was more superior than PRAISE, right? I am simply so confused by the weird grammatical structure of "JUST PRAISE IS ONLY A DEBT". It sounds so wrong.
Not a bad puzzle, I like the lower middle part: SURGE, TEASER, GAZA, ZETA & GALLANTS, all quality fills.
I suspect our editor changed the EASING/SOFTENING corner of the grid, just as he did to Barry Silk's puzzle yesterday. This Olschwang might be a boring QUIP/QUOTE guy, but he is too professional to clue 2 ING's fills with 2 ING's clues: EASING (34A: Palliating) & SOFTENING (35D: Toning down). Very unpleasant eyesores.
Across:
5A: Banned orchard spray: ALAR. Wikiepedia says it's banned in 1989.
9A: Woo: COURT. Here is "How to Woo a Girl".
16A: "Lou Grant" star: ASNER (Ed). Learned his name from doing Xword. Have never seen "Lou Grant".
20A: Waste maker?: HASTE. And 52D: SWIFT (Speedy)
23A: Attends: GOES. Is "Attends" a good clue to you? I don't like seeing 2 GO'es in the puzzle. See 38D: Elapse: GO BY
24A: Model Macpherson: ELLE. She is beautiful. FLAB-u-less! (48A: Love handle).
33A: Hot time in Le Havre: ETE. Le Havre is here.
41A: Hosp. readout: ECG (Electrocardiogram). What's the difference between ECG & EKG?
43A: Cowboy's showcase: RODEO. What a daring RODEO Girl!
44A: People with pad: STENOS. Very interesting anagram: NOTES.
56A: Draw breath: LIVE. I had difficulty breathing seeing this clue.
58A: "Eyeless in ___": GAZA. Not familiar with this novel. GAZA strip yes, and the Golen Heights. I used to vodka him.
70A: Back of the neck: NAPE
Down:
4D: Eavesdrops: LISTENS IN
6D: Honored poet: LAUREATE. Who is your favoirte poet?
10D: Missouri feeder: OSAGE
19D: West point beginner: PLEBE. Also the first-year student at Navy Academy/Marine Military Academy. How come they named those freshmen as PLEBES?
42D: Gents: GALLANTS. Always thought GALLANT was an adjective only. Dictionary explains that GALLANT can also be a verb, meaning "To woo or pay COURT (to a lady)".
45D: Puzzling problem: TEASER
51D: Dam-building grp: TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority). Learned this acronym from doing Xword also. I have no idea what their responsibilites were/are.
53D: Desert greenery: OASIS. Plural is OASES.
54D: Refrain syllables: TRA LA. Crossword fills can be so whimsical, TRA, TRA LA, TRA LA LA.
55D: Too high-strung: HYPER. Here is the entrance to the French HYPERmarket Carrefour in Beijing.
59D: Greek letter: ZETA. This ZETA is Gorgeous.
C.C.
18A: Start of Samuel Johnson quote: JUST PRAISE
28A: Part 2 of quote: IS ONLY A DEBT
49A: Part 3 of quote: BUT FLATTERY
64A: End of quote: IS A PRESENT
From "The Rambler" # 155.
I have difficulty grokking this rambling quote. Samuel Johnson did think FLATTERY was more superior than PRAISE, right? I am simply so confused by the weird grammatical structure of "JUST PRAISE IS ONLY A DEBT". It sounds so wrong.
Not a bad puzzle, I like the lower middle part: SURGE, TEASER, GAZA, ZETA & GALLANTS, all quality fills.
I suspect our editor changed the EASING/SOFTENING corner of the grid, just as he did to Barry Silk's puzzle yesterday. This Olschwang might be a boring QUIP/QUOTE guy, but he is too professional to clue 2 ING's fills with 2 ING's clues: EASING (34A: Palliating) & SOFTENING (35D: Toning down). Very unpleasant eyesores.
Across:
5A: Banned orchard spray: ALAR. Wikiepedia says it's banned in 1989.
9A: Woo: COURT. Here is "How to Woo a Girl".
16A: "Lou Grant" star: ASNER (Ed). Learned his name from doing Xword. Have never seen "Lou Grant".
20A: Waste maker?: HASTE. And 52D: SWIFT (Speedy)
23A: Attends: GOES. Is "Attends" a good clue to you? I don't like seeing 2 GO'es in the puzzle. See 38D: Elapse: GO BY
24A: Model Macpherson: ELLE. She is beautiful. FLAB-u-less! (48A: Love handle).
33A: Hot time in Le Havre: ETE. Le Havre is here.
41A: Hosp. readout: ECG (Electrocardiogram). What's the difference between ECG & EKG?
43A: Cowboy's showcase: RODEO. What a daring RODEO Girl!
44A: People with pad: STENOS. Very interesting anagram: NOTES.
56A: Draw breath: LIVE. I had difficulty breathing seeing this clue.
58A: "Eyeless in ___": GAZA. Not familiar with this novel. GAZA strip yes, and the Golen Heights. I used to vodka him.
70A: Back of the neck: NAPE
Down:
4D: Eavesdrops: LISTENS IN
6D: Honored poet: LAUREATE. Who is your favoirte poet?
10D: Missouri feeder: OSAGE
19D: West point beginner: PLEBE. Also the first-year student at Navy Academy/Marine Military Academy. How come they named those freshmen as PLEBES?
42D: Gents: GALLANTS. Always thought GALLANT was an adjective only. Dictionary explains that GALLANT can also be a verb, meaning "To woo or pay COURT (to a lady)".
45D: Puzzling problem: TEASER
51D: Dam-building grp: TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority). Learned this acronym from doing Xword also. I have no idea what their responsibilites were/are.
53D: Desert greenery: OASIS. Plural is OASES.
54D: Refrain syllables: TRA LA. Crossword fills can be so whimsical, TRA, TRA LA, TRA LA LA.
55D: Too high-strung: HYPER. Here is the entrance to the French HYPERmarket Carrefour in Beijing.
59D: Greek letter: ZETA. This ZETA is Gorgeous.
C.C.
