Theme: Shape Up
17A: Starting all over again: BACK TO SQUARE ONE
38A: Prepare to be surrounded: CIRCLE THE WAGONS
59A: Geometric arrangement of binomial coefficients: PASCAL'S TRIANGLE
I've heard of PASCAL'S TRIANGLE, but I have no clue what it is. CIRCLE THE WAGON is a new idiom to me. Is "Katy bar the door" a well-known phrase?
I like this puzzle. Nice theme and straightforward cluing. And a gentle spa-coddling for my raisin-in-the-sun like brain.
Across:
14A: Panache: BRIO. Are you familiar with the musical term "con BRIO"?
15A: Ostriches' kin: RHEAS. RHEA is also the mother of Zeus, Hades, Hera, Poseidon and Demeter in Greek mythology.
21A: Abalone opener: OTTER. Wikipedia says some OTTERS are expert in opening shellfish.
27A: Assassinated Israeli leader: RABIN. Nobel peace winner 1994. He was assassinated in 1995. President Clinton called RABIN "a martyr for peace". I wonder if the constructor thought of BEGIN & Sadat & Camp David when he worked on this grid.
31A: Money plant?: MINT. I like this clue.
42A: Sicilian volcano: ETNA. Literally "I burn" in Greek. The Sicilian resort is called ENNA. See ETNA and ENNA?
44A: Granter of wishes: GENIE. Is there a "Granter of dreams" in any lore/myth?
68A: Palm fruits: DATES. Inaccurate clue. Chinese DATES are not "Palm fruits". I really miss the fresh dates and the tree-ripe persimmons in Xi'An.
Down:
3D: Guitar run: LICK. No idea. What is "LICK"? I don't understand the clue either. What does "run" mean?
7D: Next in a series: abbr.: SEQ (Sequel). I would not have got this one without the across fills.
9D: NASA's partner: ESA (European Space Agency). I am tired of this clue.
12D: Use a diapason: TUNE. Is "diapason" a special musical term?
18D: Holland or Lincoln, e.g.: TUNNEL. Not familiar with Holland TUNNEL.
24D: Small-time gambler: TINHORN. New word to me.
25D: International accord: ENTENTE. So close to détente.
26D: Goulash or slumgullion: STEW. Not familiar with slumgullion. It does not sound or look appealing to me.
40D: Island near Corsica: ELBA. I had no idea that ELBA belongs to Italy.
51D: Beaver Cleaver's dad: WARD. I guessed. Have never watched "Leave it to Beaver".
C.C.
17A: Starting all over again: BACK TO SQUARE ONE
38A: Prepare to be surrounded: CIRCLE THE WAGONS
59A: Geometric arrangement of binomial coefficients: PASCAL'S TRIANGLE
I've heard of PASCAL'S TRIANGLE, but I have no clue what it is. CIRCLE THE WAGON is a new idiom to me. Is "Katy bar the door" a well-known phrase?
I like this puzzle. Nice theme and straightforward cluing. And a gentle spa-coddling for my raisin-in-the-sun like brain.
Across:
14A: Panache: BRIO. Are you familiar with the musical term "con BRIO"?
15A: Ostriches' kin: RHEAS. RHEA is also the mother of Zeus, Hades, Hera, Poseidon and Demeter in Greek mythology.
21A: Abalone opener: OTTER. Wikipedia says some OTTERS are expert in opening shellfish.
27A: Assassinated Israeli leader: RABIN. Nobel peace winner 1994. He was assassinated in 1995. President Clinton called RABIN "a martyr for peace". I wonder if the constructor thought of BEGIN & Sadat & Camp David when he worked on this grid.
31A: Money plant?: MINT. I like this clue.
42A: Sicilian volcano: ETNA. Literally "I burn" in Greek. The Sicilian resort is called ENNA. See ETNA and ENNA?
44A: Granter of wishes: GENIE. Is there a "Granter of dreams" in any lore/myth?
68A: Palm fruits: DATES. Inaccurate clue. Chinese DATES are not "Palm fruits". I really miss the fresh dates and the tree-ripe persimmons in Xi'An.
Down:
3D: Guitar run: LICK. No idea. What is "LICK"? I don't understand the clue either. What does "run" mean?
7D: Next in a series: abbr.: SEQ (Sequel). I would not have got this one without the across fills.
9D: NASA's partner: ESA (European Space Agency). I am tired of this clue.
12D: Use a diapason: TUNE. Is "diapason" a special musical term?
18D: Holland or Lincoln, e.g.: TUNNEL. Not familiar with Holland TUNNEL.
24D: Small-time gambler: TINHORN. New word to me.
25D: International accord: ENTENTE. So close to détente.
26D: Goulash or slumgullion: STEW. Not familiar with slumgullion. It does not sound or look appealing to me.
40D: Island near Corsica: ELBA. I had no idea that ELBA belongs to Italy.
51D: Beaver Cleaver's dad: WARD. I guessed. Have never watched "Leave it to Beaver".
C.C.
