Theme: "Classical" Songs
17A: Hit by Della Reese and Puccini: DON'T YOU KNOW
39A: Hit by the Toys and Bach: A LOVER'S CONCERTO
65A: Hit by Eric Carmen and Rachmaninoff: ALL BY MYSELF
Is there a special term for this kind of classical music adapted song? Covering? Are there any other songs inspired by classical music?
This is Eric Carmen's "ALL BY MYSELF", and here is Rachmanioff's "Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor". I cannot really tell which part is plagiarized, can you?
Too many proper names in the grid. I was expecting a Halloween themed puzzle today.
I did not like the NAT clue (19A: Country: abbr.). "___ King Cole" would have fit the theme better. "Amtrak" should be added to the ACELA clue (15A: Bullet train).
Across:
1A: Mr. Basketball of the 1950s: MIKAN (George). He's a legend in Minnesota. Played for the Minneapolis Lakers in the 1950s. So sad that he had to sell his memorabilia to pay his medical cost.
6A: Sports commentator Albom: MITCH. ALBOM was clued as "Tuesdays With Morrie" author Mitch not long ago.
26A: Ms. enclosure: SAE
28A: Composer Schifrin: LALO. No idea. He composed the theme music for "Mission Impossible".
33A: "Original Sin" novelist: P. D. JAMES. I googled her name. What's the book about? (Southern Belle, thanks.)
37A: Rodeo type: LARIAT. What's the difference among LARIAT, lasso and riata?
44A: __ Island, NY: STATEN. Vaguely remember this Island from watching "Law & Order" reruns. Wikipedia says "Godfather" and "Working Girl" were shot there.
46A: Typical one: EPITOME. My first thought was EXAMPLE.
52A: Lawless princess?: XENA. Lucy Lawless has remarried. I wonder if she still keeps her Lawless surname.
57A: Part of CAP: PATROL. CAP is Civil Air PATROL. New to me.
68A: Stimpy's pal: REN. "You eediot!" Learned from doing Xword.
69A: Deejay Casey: KASEM. Another google for me. I've never listened to "American Top 40/20/10". Wikipedia says he provided the voice for Shaggy on "Scooby-Doo".
72A: Temples: SHULS. Somehow I always associate "Temples" with "pagodas". I suppose it's because I grew up in a city famous for its Wild Goose Pagoda, which is closer to downtown Xi'An than the Terra Cotta Warriors' Tomb.
Down:
1D: 1401: MCDI
4D: Montezuma, notably: AZTEC. Clue me next time! (San Diego State)
5D: Napoleon's commander at Waterloo: NEY (Michel). I am just so obsessed with this nickname: "bravest of the brave".
7D: Interior Secretary under FDR: ICKES (Harold L). Wikipedia says he is "the longest serving Cabinet officer of any department in U.S. history". His son Harold M. ICKES was Clinton's Deputy Chief of Staff. (Note: James Wilson served as Secretary of Agriculture for 16 years under four presidents. Thanks, Jim Fratzke.)
11D: Small chicken: BANTAM. Named after the Indonesia city BANTAM. I've never heard of this breed of tiny chicken before.
13D: From the sublime to the ridiculous: BATHOS. I obtained this word after I cheated on P. D. JAMES. How is different from PATHOS?
32D: Long overcoat: ULSTER. Named after ULSTER the Irish province.
34D: ___ ladder: JACOB'S. Again, without P. D. JAMES, I would not have got this word. Remember Jacob's tears we had several weeks ago?
40D: West bank city: RAMALLAH. See this map. The Palestinian Authority is located there.
42D: Credit-tracking corp.: TRW. Unknown to me. It's now called Experian. So the clue should have "old" as a hint.
48D: Have in mind: INTEND
54D: Vocalist Mercer: MABEL. This is her "Isn't He Adorable". I've never heard of her before. "Vocalist" is the same as "Singer", right?
63D: Cookout brand: T-FAL. Do you own any Emerilware applicance?
66D: Baton Rouge sch.: LSU. The Fighting Tigers. Shaq's alma mater.
67D: Fashion letters: YSL. I am still in love with YSL Opium.
C.C.
17A: Hit by Della Reese and Puccini: DON'T YOU KNOW
39A: Hit by the Toys and Bach: A LOVER'S CONCERTO
65A: Hit by Eric Carmen and Rachmaninoff: ALL BY MYSELF
Is there a special term for this kind of classical music adapted song? Covering? Are there any other songs inspired by classical music?
This is Eric Carmen's "ALL BY MYSELF", and here is Rachmanioff's "Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor". I cannot really tell which part is plagiarized, can you?
Too many proper names in the grid. I was expecting a Halloween themed puzzle today.
I did not like the NAT clue (19A: Country: abbr.). "___ King Cole" would have fit the theme better. "Amtrak" should be added to the ACELA clue (15A: Bullet train).
Across:
1A: Mr. Basketball of the 1950s: MIKAN (George). He's a legend in Minnesota. Played for the Minneapolis Lakers in the 1950s. So sad that he had to sell his memorabilia to pay his medical cost.
6A: Sports commentator Albom: MITCH. ALBOM was clued as "Tuesdays With Morrie" author Mitch not long ago.
26A: Ms. enclosure: SAE
28A: Composer Schifrin: LALO. No idea. He composed the theme music for "Mission Impossible".
33A: "Original Sin" novelist: P. D. JAMES. I googled her name. What's the book about? (Southern Belle, thanks.)
37A: Rodeo type: LARIAT. What's the difference among LARIAT, lasso and riata?
44A: __ Island, NY: STATEN. Vaguely remember this Island from watching "Law & Order" reruns. Wikipedia says "Godfather" and "Working Girl" were shot there.
46A: Typical one: EPITOME. My first thought was EXAMPLE.
52A: Lawless princess?: XENA. Lucy Lawless has remarried. I wonder if she still keeps her Lawless surname.
57A: Part of CAP: PATROL. CAP is Civil Air PATROL. New to me.
68A: Stimpy's pal: REN. "You eediot!" Learned from doing Xword.
69A: Deejay Casey: KASEM. Another google for me. I've never listened to "American Top 40/20/10". Wikipedia says he provided the voice for Shaggy on "Scooby-Doo".
72A: Temples: SHULS. Somehow I always associate "Temples" with "pagodas". I suppose it's because I grew up in a city famous for its Wild Goose Pagoda, which is closer to downtown Xi'An than the Terra Cotta Warriors' Tomb.
Down:
1D: 1401: MCDI
4D: Montezuma, notably: AZTEC. Clue me next time! (San Diego State)
5D: Napoleon's commander at Waterloo: NEY (Michel). I am just so obsessed with this nickname: "bravest of the brave".
7D: Interior Secretary under FDR: ICKES (Harold L). Wikipedia says he is "the longest serving Cabinet officer of any department in U.S. history". His son Harold M. ICKES was Clinton's Deputy Chief of Staff. (Note: James Wilson served as Secretary of Agriculture for 16 years under four presidents. Thanks, Jim Fratzke.)
11D: Small chicken: BANTAM. Named after the Indonesia city BANTAM. I've never heard of this breed of tiny chicken before.
13D: From the sublime to the ridiculous: BATHOS. I obtained this word after I cheated on P. D. JAMES. How is different from PATHOS?
32D: Long overcoat: ULSTER. Named after ULSTER the Irish province.
34D: ___ ladder: JACOB'S. Again, without P. D. JAMES, I would not have got this word. Remember Jacob's tears we had several weeks ago?
40D: West bank city: RAMALLAH. See this map. The Palestinian Authority is located there.
42D: Credit-tracking corp.: TRW. Unknown to me. It's now called Experian. So the clue should have "old" as a hint.
48D: Have in mind: INTEND
54D: Vocalist Mercer: MABEL. This is her "Isn't He Adorable". I've never heard of her before. "Vocalist" is the same as "Singer", right?
63D: Cookout brand: T-FAL. Do you own any Emerilware applicance?
66D: Baton Rouge sch.: LSU. The Fighting Tigers. Shaq's alma mater.
67D: Fashion letters: YSL. I am still in love with YSL Opium.
C.C.
