Theme: Sequels - Better Than the Originals
18A: Barbra Streisand sequel?: FUNNIER GIRL
24A: Adam Sandler sequel? HAPPIER GILMORE
40A: Lee Marvin sequel?: THE DIRTIER DOZEN
52A: Molly Ringwald sequel?: PRETTIER IN PINK
63A: Dennis Hopper sequel?: EASIER RIDER
Very interesting "Y" --> "IER" sequel idea, very creative. Is there a movie title with the word "ugly"?
"Dirty Harry" would have matched better with the other movie titles, with no "THE". But it has an even amount of numbers. So it's impossible to be structured in row #8.
I laughed at the clue for DIET (41D: Lose on purpose?). Remember what Lisa said about the "Loses on purpose?" clue on "The Simpsons"? Forward to 8:36, she said "DIETS.....Will Shortz, you clever rascal".
I don't think the "?" mark is necessary for PYRES (71A: Funeral arrangements?), but TILDE (13D: Spanish accent mark) could have been clued as "Señorita's curve?", with a "?" mark. The EGIS (19D: Patronage) needs a "var." hint.
I love how RAIN (42D: Precipitation) parallels DROP (43D: Let lapse). Only wish DROP were clued as "Bit of 42D".
Across:
1A: Moon buggy: LEM (Lunar Excursion Vehicle). I like this "buggy" clue. Better than "NASA vehicle".
14A: Clare of "Bleak House": ADA. I've never heard of Dickens' "Bleak House". I wanted INA, thinking of the actress INA Claire, who often appeared in our puzzle.
15A: Disney's Little Mermaid: ARIEL. Do you collect Barbie dolls? ARIEL is very reasonably priced. Some of the "I Love Lucy" and "The Munsters" dolls are quite expensive. This is the original Barbie, probably worth thousands of dollars.
16A: Isle in the Bay of Naples: CAPRI. Is "Bay of Naples" the same as Gulf of Naples?
20A: Kind of crazy?: STIR. Got it from down fills. I was not familiar with STIR-crazy. Good clue though.
22A: African river: CONGO. Too bad, our editor missed an opportunity to pay tribute to Michael Crichton.
23A: Pioneer film Browning: TOD. He is the director of "Dracula" & "Freaks". Unknown to me. He looks like a very cold guy.
30A: Affirmative action?: NOD. Great clue.
44A: Pueblo dweller: HOPI. The answer would have been ZUNI if it were a Barry Silk puzzle.
46A: Dawn goddess: EOS. It's Aurora for the Romans. I am confused, how can a goddess name ends in "os"? I thought only Greek masculine nouns end in "os", "is" and "as". Or "us" as in Zeus I suppose.
59A: Thing, in law: RES
69A: Basketry willow: OSIER
Down:
2D: Archie's better half: EDITH. I've seen one or two episodes. Pretty funny.
3D: Beatles phenomenon: MANIA
5D: Indonesian islands: ARU. See the lower right corner of this map. I would not have got it without the across fills.
6D: Insomuch as: SINCE. Do you like "SINCE I Don't Have You"?
7D: Domingo, e.g.: TENOR. Domingo performed at the closing of Beijing Summer Olympics.
9D: Roll of papyrus: SCROLL
11D: Typify: EPITOMIZE
21D: Record speed?: RPM
25D: Roz on "Frazier": PERI. Boy, I can never remember PERI Gilpin's name. PERI is also the fairy in Persian mythology.
26D: Borodin prince: IGOR. Or "Composer Stravinsky".
27D: Shifty shark: MAKO. I wanted ORCA. Wow, look at this big hook.
32D: Tongue ___: DEPRESSOR. "Twister" does not fit.
38D: Sign of summer: LEO. Or Uncle LEO of "Seinfeld".
48D: Fast-lane woe: STRESS
52D: Occurring before surg.: PRE-OP. "Before surg." should be sufficient.
58D: Whitewater vessel: KAYAK. What's so special about "Whitewater"? Why not other river? Whitewater always reminds me of the Clinton scandal.
C.C.
18A: Barbra Streisand sequel?: FUNNIER GIRL
24A: Adam Sandler sequel? HAPPIER GILMORE
40A: Lee Marvin sequel?: THE DIRTIER DOZEN
52A: Molly Ringwald sequel?: PRETTIER IN PINK
63A: Dennis Hopper sequel?: EASIER RIDER
Very interesting "Y" --> "IER" sequel idea, very creative. Is there a movie title with the word "ugly"?
"Dirty Harry" would have matched better with the other movie titles, with no "THE". But it has an even amount of numbers. So it's impossible to be structured in row #8.
I laughed at the clue for DIET (41D: Lose on purpose?). Remember what Lisa said about the "Loses on purpose?" clue on "The Simpsons"? Forward to 8:36, she said "DIETS.....Will Shortz, you clever rascal".
I don't think the "?" mark is necessary for PYRES (71A: Funeral arrangements?), but TILDE (13D: Spanish accent mark) could have been clued as "Señorita's curve?", with a "?" mark. The EGIS (19D: Patronage) needs a "var." hint.
I love how RAIN (42D: Precipitation) parallels DROP (43D: Let lapse). Only wish DROP were clued as "Bit of 42D".
Across:
1A: Moon buggy: LEM (Lunar Excursion Vehicle). I like this "buggy" clue. Better than "NASA vehicle".
14A: Clare of "Bleak House": ADA. I've never heard of Dickens' "Bleak House". I wanted INA, thinking of the actress INA Claire, who often appeared in our puzzle.
15A: Disney's Little Mermaid: ARIEL. Do you collect Barbie dolls? ARIEL is very reasonably priced. Some of the "I Love Lucy" and "The Munsters" dolls are quite expensive. This is the original Barbie, probably worth thousands of dollars.
16A: Isle in the Bay of Naples: CAPRI. Is "Bay of Naples" the same as Gulf of Naples?
20A: Kind of crazy?: STIR. Got it from down fills. I was not familiar with STIR-crazy. Good clue though.
22A: African river: CONGO. Too bad, our editor missed an opportunity to pay tribute to Michael Crichton.
23A: Pioneer film Browning: TOD. He is the director of "Dracula" & "Freaks". Unknown to me. He looks like a very cold guy.
30A: Affirmative action?: NOD. Great clue.
44A: Pueblo dweller: HOPI. The answer would have been ZUNI if it were a Barry Silk puzzle.
46A: Dawn goddess: EOS. It's Aurora for the Romans. I am confused, how can a goddess name ends in "os"? I thought only Greek masculine nouns end in "os", "is" and "as". Or "us" as in Zeus I suppose.
59A: Thing, in law: RES
69A: Basketry willow: OSIER
Down:
2D: Archie's better half: EDITH. I've seen one or two episodes. Pretty funny.
3D: Beatles phenomenon: MANIA
5D: Indonesian islands: ARU. See the lower right corner of this map. I would not have got it without the across fills.
6D: Insomuch as: SINCE. Do you like "SINCE I Don't Have You"?
7D: Domingo, e.g.: TENOR. Domingo performed at the closing of Beijing Summer Olympics.
9D: Roll of papyrus: SCROLL
11D: Typify: EPITOMIZE
21D: Record speed?: RPM
25D: Roz on "Frazier": PERI. Boy, I can never remember PERI Gilpin's name. PERI is also the fairy in Persian mythology.
26D: Borodin prince: IGOR. Or "Composer Stravinsky".
27D: Shifty shark: MAKO. I wanted ORCA. Wow, look at this big hook.
32D: Tongue ___: DEPRESSOR. "Twister" does not fit.
38D: Sign of summer: LEO. Or Uncle LEO of "Seinfeld".
48D: Fast-lane woe: STRESS
52D: Occurring before surg.: PRE-OP. "Before surg." should be sufficient.
58D: Whitewater vessel: KAYAK. What's so special about "Whitewater"? Why not other river? Whitewater always reminds me of the Clinton scandal.
C.C.
