Theme: MIDDLEMAN (62A: Middle of 17A, 35A and 52A)
17A: Biblical injunctions: TEN COMMANDMENTS
35A: Did some questionable redistricting: GERRYMANDERED
52A: Charlemagne's domain: HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE
Very nice puzzle. I like this go-between MAN theme. But "behind every great MAN is a great WOMAN, and behind her is his wife." So I really hope Ms. Steinberg can offer us a "Pretty WOMAN" or "Scent of a WOMAN" themed puzzle soon. Wife is not necessary.
Quite a few lovely words with MAN in the middle: romantic, permanent, adamant, etc. Some celebrities also have MAN in their names: Giorgio Armani, Nicole Kidman, Gene Hackman, Hugh Jackman, etc. All beautiful people.
I dislike the clue for HMOS (51D: Med. care gps.) due to the answer MEDS (34D: Rx item). A simple "Doctors' grps" would be just fine.
Across:
15A: At large: LOOSE. What exactly is an "Editor-at-Large"? Is he/she always traveling on the road?
23A: Plays a banjo: STRUMS. As opposed to picks?
31A: Dry by rubbing: WIPE. The clue does not sound very fluid to me. "Rub dry" would be OK.
33A: Online bookseller: AMAZON. Or the "Mythical warrior" who "burned off the right breast in order to use a bow and arrow more effectively."
39A: Hot, spicy drink: TODDY. No idea, only knew GROG.
40A: Dollar, slangily: CLAM. Thought of BUCK first.
45A: Shepard or Houston: SAM. Know Houston, not Shepard.
49A: Student of Socrates: PLATO. He is also the teacher of Aristotle.
58A: Home of BYU: PROVO. Know this because of Barry.
Down:
1D: Ramada chain: MOTEL. This word MOTEL always brings to mind the scary scene in "Psycho".
3D: Refusal to admit: DENIAL. I've never understood "DENIAL isn't just a river in Egypt". What does it mean?
8D: Kept inside: PENT- UP. Oh, that PENT -UP desire...
9D: Actor Lorenzo: LAMAS. I actually watched a few episodes of his "Are You Hot?" Rachel Hunter was another judge on the show.
11D: Runtish: PINT-SIZE. Is PINT-SIZE and PINT-SIZED the same? How about bone-head and bone-headed?
13D: Punner's duo?: ENS. I think the best ENS clue I've seen is "Dinner twosome?"
19D: Comic Deluise: DOM. I've never heard of him before. Got his name from across fills.
25D: Demonstrates connections: RELATES
33D: After-market item: ADD-ON. Why?
35D: Colorado tributary: GILA. Is this how GILA monster got its name?
42D: Gender bias: SEXISM
43D: __ del Fuego: TIERRA. Foreign to me. Obtained this name from the across fills. See this map.
44D: From the mountains of Peru: ANDEAN. Very nice picture. I wonder what those llamas are thinking.
46D: Bumps on a hog?: WARTS. No idea. How come?
55D: "..... __ gloom of night...": NOR. The postal motto: "Neither rain, nor sleet, NOR gloom of night...". I wonder why our editor did not clue NOR as "Neither rain, ___ sleet...". It would be more straightforward.
C.C.
17A: Biblical injunctions: TEN COMMANDMENTS
35A: Did some questionable redistricting: GERRYMANDERED
52A: Charlemagne's domain: HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE
Very nice puzzle. I like this go-between MAN theme. But "behind every great MAN is a great WOMAN, and behind her is his wife." So I really hope Ms. Steinberg can offer us a "Pretty WOMAN" or "Scent of a WOMAN" themed puzzle soon. Wife is not necessary.
Quite a few lovely words with MAN in the middle: romantic, permanent, adamant, etc. Some celebrities also have MAN in their names: Giorgio Armani, Nicole Kidman, Gene Hackman, Hugh Jackman, etc. All beautiful people.
I dislike the clue for HMOS (51D: Med. care gps.) due to the answer MEDS (34D: Rx item). A simple "Doctors' grps" would be just fine.
Across:
15A: At large: LOOSE. What exactly is an "Editor-at-Large"? Is he/she always traveling on the road?
23A: Plays a banjo: STRUMS. As opposed to picks?
31A: Dry by rubbing: WIPE. The clue does not sound very fluid to me. "Rub dry" would be OK.
33A: Online bookseller: AMAZON. Or the "Mythical warrior" who "burned off the right breast in order to use a bow and arrow more effectively."
39A: Hot, spicy drink: TODDY. No idea, only knew GROG.
40A: Dollar, slangily: CLAM. Thought of BUCK first.
45A: Shepard or Houston: SAM. Know Houston, not Shepard.
49A: Student of Socrates: PLATO. He is also the teacher of Aristotle.
58A: Home of BYU: PROVO. Know this because of Barry.
Down:
1D: Ramada chain: MOTEL. This word MOTEL always brings to mind the scary scene in "Psycho".
3D: Refusal to admit: DENIAL. I've never understood "DENIAL isn't just a river in Egypt". What does it mean?
8D: Kept inside: PENT- UP. Oh, that PENT -UP desire...
9D: Actor Lorenzo: LAMAS. I actually watched a few episodes of his "Are You Hot?" Rachel Hunter was another judge on the show.
11D: Runtish: PINT-SIZE. Is PINT-SIZE and PINT-SIZED the same? How about bone-head and bone-headed?
13D: Punner's duo?: ENS. I think the best ENS clue I've seen is "Dinner twosome?"
19D: Comic Deluise: DOM. I've never heard of him before. Got his name from across fills.
25D: Demonstrates connections: RELATES
33D: After-market item: ADD-ON. Why?
35D: Colorado tributary: GILA. Is this how GILA monster got its name?
42D: Gender bias: SEXISM
43D: __ del Fuego: TIERRA. Foreign to me. Obtained this name from the across fills. See this map.
44D: From the mountains of Peru: ANDEAN. Very nice picture. I wonder what those llamas are thinking.
46D: Bumps on a hog?: WARTS. No idea. How come?
55D: "..... __ gloom of night...": NOR. The postal motto: "Neither rain, nor sleet, NOR gloom of night...". I wonder why our editor did not clue NOR as "Neither rain, ___ sleet...". It would be more straightforward.
C.C.
