Theme: Before You Cross the Street
20A: Never say die: STOP AT NOTHING
38A: Burton/Bloom film of 1958: LOOK BACK IN ANGER
56A: Eavesdropper's perch: LISTENING POST
Why LISTENING? Why not LISTEN*? I really hate this kind of lack of consitency in theme answers. But I could not think of a 13-letter phrase with the word "LISTEN" in it, can you?
I was not excited by this puzzle at all. Nothing sparkling. It looks very ordinary to me. However, I was not familiar with either the song "Stop, Look and Listen" or the movie "Stop, Look and Listen", so I could have been missing on something important here. Maybe you can enlighten me with your take.
Had to ask Google for help on PEYOTE & HYSON. You could not believe it, but I've never heard of HYSON green tea before.
Across:
1A: Momma's partner: POPPA. I always thought it's Mama and PAPA.
14A: Of hearing: AURAL. What's the difference between AURAL, OTIC, auricular & auditory?
15A: Chummy: CLOSE. Come CLOSER with Glen CLOSE? What is the product?
16A: William Tell's canton: URI. Have not seen the "Mentalist Geller" clue for a long time.
18A: Holliman and Scruggs: EARLS. Have heard of EARL Scruggs, not Holliman. That's a great clip. Steve Martin is so talented.
19A: Road to Rouen: RUE. Good alliteration. This is probably the most famous RUE in Paris.
23A: Ornamental container: VASE. Hmmm, I still want "Flower Holder" clue.
26A: Mescal: PEYOTE. New word to me. I did not know what's the meaning of "mescal". WP says PEYOTE is also called Mescal Button or the Divine Cactus. Look at this flowering PEYOTE. WP also says that "Native Americans used the plant for its curative properties as well. They employed PEYOTE for treating such varied ailments as toothache, pain in childbirth, fever, breast pain, skin diseases, rheumatism, diabetes, colds, and blindness." Melissa is probably aware of this medicinal use.
27A: Peacock's "eyes": OCELLI. Singular is OCELLUS, dimunutive of Oculus (plural: Oculi) . New to me also. I did not know those eyespots are called OCELLI. Rememer this Pantheon OCULUS (clued as "Eyelike window") I linked last time?
31A: Muslim prince, var.: AMEER. Or EMEER sometimes.
43A: Of blood: HEMAL. Ha, I got this one. Had to thank Barry for his AKIN ("Blood-related) mistake last week.
45A: "Painting" painter: MIRO (Joan). Sigh... what can I say? Our editor is obsessed with "Painting". This is MIRO's "The Farm".
50A: Partly frozen drink: FRAPPE. I've never had FRAPPE before. What does it taste like?
55A: Simpson kid: BART. What, am I not good enough to be clued as BART?
65A: Inorganic compound: AMIDE. "Inorganic"? Are you sure?
66A: Old-time journalist Pyle: ERNIE. I forgot. Obtained from the across clue. Would have been a gimme if it's clued as ERNIE Els or ERNIE Banks.
Down:
2D: "___ Town": OUR. Is it good? I am not familiar with any of Thornton Wilder's work.
3D: Keeps going: PRESSES ON
4D: Chalklike crayon: PASTEL. Ha, that's Degas, he loved PASTEL. Wonderful "After Bathing"!
9D: At a slant: ASLOPE. I would prefer the clue to be a simple "Tilted".
22D: Green tea: HYSON. Sometimes Cantonese spelling can really throws me off. I grew up speaking Mandarin Chinese, Xi'An dilact to be exact.
23D: See-through fabric: VOILE. Pretty pink VOILE skirt. I like the small dots.
32D: Call back?: ECHO. I rather like the Greek mythology on ECHO/Narcissus. Have you ever had unrequited love before? The saddest thing in this world is to love someone who does not love you.
35D: Shaking up: AGITATING
39D: Neatly maintained: KEMPT. I only knew UNKEMPT.
40D: Image Award grp.: NAACP
46D: Emetic medication: IPECAC. New to me also. I did not the meaning of "emetic" either. Hard to imagine the root of this plant can be so powerful. Do you like ginger root?
52D: Very, in music: ASSAI. Allegro ASSAI & Lento ASSAI.
57D: Footnote abbr.: IBID. Sometimes it's OP. CIT. I forgot what's the difference between them.
63D: Back of a chariot?: EER. Charioteer. New word to me. I'm used to the "End of auction" clue. Here is the The Charioteer of Delphi Statue. Incredible detail. Look at his eye lashes, amazing!
C.C.
20A: Never say die: STOP AT NOTHING
38A: Burton/Bloom film of 1958: LOOK BACK IN ANGER
56A: Eavesdropper's perch: LISTENING POST
Why LISTENING? Why not LISTEN*? I really hate this kind of lack of consitency in theme answers. But I could not think of a 13-letter phrase with the word "LISTEN" in it, can you?
I was not excited by this puzzle at all. Nothing sparkling. It looks very ordinary to me. However, I was not familiar with either the song "Stop, Look and Listen" or the movie "Stop, Look and Listen", so I could have been missing on something important here. Maybe you can enlighten me with your take.
Had to ask Google for help on PEYOTE & HYSON. You could not believe it, but I've never heard of HYSON green tea before.
Across:
1A: Momma's partner: POPPA. I always thought it's Mama and PAPA.
14A: Of hearing: AURAL. What's the difference between AURAL, OTIC, auricular & auditory?
15A: Chummy: CLOSE. Come CLOSER with Glen CLOSE? What is the product?
16A: William Tell's canton: URI. Have not seen the "Mentalist Geller" clue for a long time.
18A: Holliman and Scruggs: EARLS. Have heard of EARL Scruggs, not Holliman. That's a great clip. Steve Martin is so talented.
19A: Road to Rouen: RUE. Good alliteration. This is probably the most famous RUE in Paris.
23A: Ornamental container: VASE. Hmmm, I still want "Flower Holder" clue.
26A: Mescal: PEYOTE. New word to me. I did not know what's the meaning of "mescal". WP says PEYOTE is also called Mescal Button or the Divine Cactus. Look at this flowering PEYOTE. WP also says that "Native Americans used the plant for its curative properties as well. They employed PEYOTE for treating such varied ailments as toothache, pain in childbirth, fever, breast pain, skin diseases, rheumatism, diabetes, colds, and blindness." Melissa is probably aware of this medicinal use.
27A: Peacock's "eyes": OCELLI. Singular is OCELLUS, dimunutive of Oculus (plural: Oculi) . New to me also. I did not know those eyespots are called OCELLI. Rememer this Pantheon OCULUS (clued as "Eyelike window") I linked last time?
31A: Muslim prince, var.: AMEER. Or EMEER sometimes.
43A: Of blood: HEMAL. Ha, I got this one. Had to thank Barry for his AKIN ("Blood-related) mistake last week.
45A: "Painting" painter: MIRO (Joan). Sigh... what can I say? Our editor is obsessed with "Painting". This is MIRO's "The Farm".
50A: Partly frozen drink: FRAPPE. I've never had FRAPPE before. What does it taste like?
55A: Simpson kid: BART. What, am I not good enough to be clued as BART?
65A: Inorganic compound: AMIDE. "Inorganic"? Are you sure?
66A: Old-time journalist Pyle: ERNIE. I forgot. Obtained from the across clue. Would have been a gimme if it's clued as ERNIE Els or ERNIE Banks.
Down:
2D: "___ Town": OUR. Is it good? I am not familiar with any of Thornton Wilder's work.
3D: Keeps going: PRESSES ON
4D: Chalklike crayon: PASTEL. Ha, that's Degas, he loved PASTEL. Wonderful "After Bathing"!
9D: At a slant: ASLOPE. I would prefer the clue to be a simple "Tilted".
22D: Green tea: HYSON. Sometimes Cantonese spelling can really throws me off. I grew up speaking Mandarin Chinese, Xi'An dilact to be exact.
23D: See-through fabric: VOILE. Pretty pink VOILE skirt. I like the small dots.
32D: Call back?: ECHO. I rather like the Greek mythology on ECHO/Narcissus. Have you ever had unrequited love before? The saddest thing in this world is to love someone who does not love you.
35D: Shaking up: AGITATING
39D: Neatly maintained: KEMPT. I only knew UNKEMPT.
40D: Image Award grp.: NAACP
46D: Emetic medication: IPECAC. New to me also. I did not the meaning of "emetic" either. Hard to imagine the root of this plant can be so powerful. Do you like ginger root?
52D: Very, in music: ASSAI. Allegro ASSAI & Lento ASSAI.
57D: Footnote abbr.: IBID. Sometimes it's OP. CIT. I forgot what's the difference between them.
63D: Back of a chariot?: EER. Charioteer. New word to me. I'm used to the "End of auction" clue. Here is the The Charioteer of Delphi Statue. Incredible detail. Look at his eye lashes, amazing!
C.C.
