Theme: On the Ground
21A: Negative campaigning: MUDSLINGING
56A: Fertility goddess: EARTH MOTHER
3D: Very inexpensive: DIRT CHEAP
36D: Diminutive whirlwind: DUST DEVIL
DUST DEVIL is new to me. What causes it?
SOIL*, MUCK* and CLAY* are three other potential theme candidates I could think of. What else?
This is my first cheat-free, Wite-out free puzzle. Ms. Norma Steinberg, if you are reading this blog, please can you send me an email? I want to have my finished puzzle autographed.
Although TMS puzzles are random and do not follow NY Time's more-difficult-as-the-week-goes pattern. I do feel that Wednesday is always the easiest, with the exception of Verna Suit's Three Lines puzzle on Dec 3, 2008.
Across:
14A: Carroll heroine: ALICE. Did you all read this book when you were a child? You know, I really don't hate Chairman Mao, but I often look back on my childhood with a sense of what might have been. Cultural Revolution ruined so many people's lives.
18A: Jodie Foster film: NELL. Not a Jodie Foster fan. Don't think I want to watch NELL.
45A: Cinco y tres: OCHO. In Chinese, it's 八, the lucky number, as its pronunciation is similar to "prosper". Thus, the Olympic started at exactly 8 seconds and 8 minutes past 8 pm on 8/8/08. "I love you" is 520.
47A: Actress Heche: ANNE. So many ways to clue ANNE, ANNE Heche, ANNE Frank, ANNE Bancroft, ANNE Boleyn, who else can you think of?
56A: Belushi biography: WIRED. Not familiar with this Bob Woodward book. Easily obtainable though.
68A: Happy expression: SMILE. Wonderful intersection with AMO (65D: Caesar's loving expression). I don't believe in "Amor vincit omnia" any more. It's simply not true.
Down:
1D: Wilson's predecessor: TAFT. The only U.S. President to become Chief Justice. I have an autographed photo of Bob TAFT. I was unaware of his criminal activity when I got it.
5D: Flunky: YES-MAN. Can you call those eunuchs YES-MEN?
6D: Slugger Barry: BONDS. Have never liked him before. I do have all his rookie cards though.
9D: Nabokov title: LOLITA
10D: Pennants: FLAGS. Great pennant. I only have 1987 and 1991 Twins Championship pennants. Mine are in perfect condition.
12D: Peace in Greece: IRENE. I thought she was the goddess of peace in Greek mythology.
25D: "Siddhartha" author: HESSE. I got the answer from across fills. Have never heard of "Siddhartha". HESSE won Nobel Literature in 1946.
41D: Quiz show host Mandel: HOWIE. Another guess. He is the host of "Deal or No Deal".
48D: Maidenly minor deities: NYMPHS. Mountain nymph is OREAD. River nymph is NAIAD, Wood nymph is DRYAD. Do you know why all of them have *AD ending?
55D: Job's question?: WHY ME. From the Bible I presume?
C.C.
21A: Negative campaigning: MUDSLINGING
56A: Fertility goddess: EARTH MOTHER
3D: Very inexpensive: DIRT CHEAP
36D: Diminutive whirlwind: DUST DEVIL
DUST DEVIL is new to me. What causes it?
SOIL*, MUCK* and CLAY* are three other potential theme candidates I could think of. What else?
This is my first cheat-free, Wite-out free puzzle. Ms. Norma Steinberg, if you are reading this blog, please can you send me an email? I want to have my finished puzzle autographed.
Although TMS puzzles are random and do not follow NY Time's more-difficult-as-the-week-goes pattern. I do feel that Wednesday is always the easiest, with the exception of Verna Suit's Three Lines puzzle on Dec 3, 2008.
Across:
14A: Carroll heroine: ALICE. Did you all read this book when you were a child? You know, I really don't hate Chairman Mao, but I often look back on my childhood with a sense of what might have been. Cultural Revolution ruined so many people's lives.
18A: Jodie Foster film: NELL. Not a Jodie Foster fan. Don't think I want to watch NELL.
45A: Cinco y tres: OCHO. In Chinese, it's 八, the lucky number, as its pronunciation is similar to "prosper". Thus, the Olympic started at exactly 8 seconds and 8 minutes past 8 pm on 8/8/08. "I love you" is 520.
47A: Actress Heche: ANNE. So many ways to clue ANNE, ANNE Heche, ANNE Frank, ANNE Bancroft, ANNE Boleyn, who else can you think of?
56A: Belushi biography: WIRED. Not familiar with this Bob Woodward book. Easily obtainable though.
68A: Happy expression: SMILE. Wonderful intersection with AMO (65D: Caesar's loving expression). I don't believe in "Amor vincit omnia" any more. It's simply not true.
Down:
1D: Wilson's predecessor: TAFT. The only U.S. President to become Chief Justice. I have an autographed photo of Bob TAFT. I was unaware of his criminal activity when I got it.
5D: Flunky: YES-MAN. Can you call those eunuchs YES-MEN?
6D: Slugger Barry: BONDS. Have never liked him before. I do have all his rookie cards though.
9D: Nabokov title: LOLITA
10D: Pennants: FLAGS. Great pennant. I only have 1987 and 1991 Twins Championship pennants. Mine are in perfect condition.
12D: Peace in Greece: IRENE. I thought she was the goddess of peace in Greek mythology.
25D: "Siddhartha" author: HESSE. I got the answer from across fills. Have never heard of "Siddhartha". HESSE won Nobel Literature in 1946.
41D: Quiz show host Mandel: HOWIE. Another guess. He is the host of "Deal or No Deal".
48D: Maidenly minor deities: NYMPHS. Mountain nymph is OREAD. River nymph is NAIAD, Wood nymph is DRYAD. Do you know why all of them have *AD ending?
55D: Job's question?: WHY ME. From the Bible I presume?
C.C.
