Theme: Be Quiet!
20A: "Shh!" from a plumber?: PIPE DOWN
26A: "Shh!" from a hosier? PUT A SOCK IN IT
37A: "Shh!" from a mail carrier?: ZIP IT
42A: "Shh!" from a hunter?: SHUT YOUR TRAP
52A: "Shh!" from a seamstress?: BUTTON UP
SHUT YOUR TRAP is a new to me. Any other similar phrase for "Shh!"?
Very nice puzzle (34 black squares). I've never solved a puzzle with only four 3-letter fills. So unusual. Every job descriptive "Shh!" theme clue is lively. I like clues that evoke vivid images. Imagine how boring it would be if all the theme answers were clued with just a simple "Shh!".
The Down entries are exceptionally good too, with 6 long words (8 or 9 letters). I like the clues for the paralleled A MINUS (27D: Almost perfect) and SUPER (28D: Perfect). Another good pair is SPADE (49D: Prospector's tool) and PICK (50D: Prospector's tool). I wish ALBA (57A: Goya's "Duchess of __") were clued as "Jessica of "Into the Blue" to pair up with BIEL (52D: Jessica of "7th Heaven").
I enjoyed this puzzle very much. Still in awe of Don Gagliardo's last GEES. Superb!
Across:
1A: Iranian ruler until 1979. SHAH. And SHAW (10A: Clarinetist Artie). The first 3 letters are identical.
5A: Prickly plants: CACTI. The first row of the grid is always consonant-heavy. That's because most words start with consonant.
16A: Prefix with space: AERO. Aerospace.
18A: Prepare to drive: TEE UP. Well, if you are Laura Davies, you don't need the tee. Just kick some dirt and smoke the drive.
25A: "CSI" city: MIAMI
31A: Greek fabulist: AESOP. Isn't it strange that the word is fabulist rather than fablist?
34A: City bonds, for short: MUNIS. The interest income of MUNIS is exempted from the state income tax.
36A: Editor's "Leave it in": STET
38A: Red coin?: CENT. Oh, penny. I was thinking the clue was asking the coin of former Soviet Union.
39A: Agt.'s cut: PCT. What's the abbreviation for commission? COM?
40A: Corn breads: PONES. OK, is this the correct PONE photo?
45A: Salon services: PERMS. And DO UP (21D: Fix, as hair). Is DO UP a common phrase? I've never used it before. Can you DO UP my hair? Sounds weird.
46A: Shady areas: ARBORS. Lots of trees in Ann ARBOR, I imagine.
50A: Subdued shade: PASTEL. Alliteration again. Very precise clue too.
54A: Polite "I think", in chat room: IMHO
58A: "We gotta get movin'!": C'MON
60A: "Kills bugs dead" spray: RAID. Just realized Tara Reid is spelled differently. Always thought it's Tara RAID.
61A: "Keystone" bunch of film: KOPS. Got the answer with Down help. I can never remember "Keystone KOPS".
62A: Proctor __: kitchen appliance brand: SILEX. Holy moley. Have never heard of this brand. Our kitchen appliances seem to be all GE products. I could only think of Proctor & Gamble.
Down:
2D: "Deal or No Deal" host Mandel: HOWIE. Are you a fan of "Deal or No Deal"?
4D: Attraction for Winnie the Pooh: HONEY POT. Sweet. I love my honey too. Want some?
7D: Normandy city: CAEN. Sometimes the answer is ST. LO.
9D: Not expressly stated: IMPLICIT
11D: Windchill factor's opposite: HEAT INDEX. Awesome fill.
13D: Left the land of Nod: WOKE. "Nod" here should not be capitalized, correct? I learned yesterday that the Greek god of dream is Morpheus, son of Hypnos (god of sleep) and Nyx (goddess of night).
25D: Single-principle believer: MONIST
31D: Once-sacred slitherers: ASPS. I suppose it's not sacred after the snake killed Cleopatra?
32D: Inscribe: ETCH. Love this little word. Three consonants.
33D: Go into business: SET UP SHOP
37D: Attachment for closeups: ZOOM LENS. Reminds me of Jackie's "Hustler" nude photos.
38D: Bare fixture of rhyme: CUPBOARD. "Old Mother Hubbard/Went to the CUPBOARD..."
40D: Ceremonial heap: PYRE. I am surprised the PYRES are still used India.
41D: Like Granny Smith apple: TART. Granny Smith & honeyed walnuts & celery. My own Waldorf salad. Granny Smith apples are originated in Australia.
43D: Wyoming range: TETONS. Fun name Grand Teton.
44D: Like adult movies: RATED X
47D: Dental crown alternative: ONLAY. Easy guess. I don't really know anything about ONLAY, inlay or crown.
48D: Man with a cube: RUBIK. He is a Hungarian. This Monty Python Hungarian Phrase Book clip is really funny.
56D: Law, in Lyon: LOI. French for "law". New word to me. Alliteration in the clue again. It happens so often with foreign word clues.
Answer grid.
C.C.
20A: "Shh!" from a plumber?: PIPE DOWN
26A: "Shh!" from a hosier? PUT A SOCK IN IT
37A: "Shh!" from a mail carrier?: ZIP IT
42A: "Shh!" from a hunter?: SHUT YOUR TRAP
52A: "Shh!" from a seamstress?: BUTTON UP
SHUT YOUR TRAP is a new to me. Any other similar phrase for "Shh!"?
Very nice puzzle (34 black squares). I've never solved a puzzle with only four 3-letter fills. So unusual. Every job descriptive "Shh!" theme clue is lively. I like clues that evoke vivid images. Imagine how boring it would be if all the theme answers were clued with just a simple "Shh!".
The Down entries are exceptionally good too, with 6 long words (8 or 9 letters). I like the clues for the paralleled A MINUS (27D: Almost perfect) and SUPER (28D: Perfect). Another good pair is SPADE (49D: Prospector's tool) and PICK (50D: Prospector's tool). I wish ALBA (57A: Goya's "Duchess of __") were clued as "Jessica of "Into the Blue" to pair up with BIEL (52D: Jessica of "7th Heaven").
I enjoyed this puzzle very much. Still in awe of Don Gagliardo's last GEES. Superb!
Across:
1A: Iranian ruler until 1979. SHAH. And SHAW (10A: Clarinetist Artie). The first 3 letters are identical.
5A: Prickly plants: CACTI. The first row of the grid is always consonant-heavy. That's because most words start with consonant.
16A: Prefix with space: AERO. Aerospace.
18A: Prepare to drive: TEE UP. Well, if you are Laura Davies, you don't need the tee. Just kick some dirt and smoke the drive.
25A: "CSI" city: MIAMI
31A: Greek fabulist: AESOP. Isn't it strange that the word is fabulist rather than fablist?
34A: City bonds, for short: MUNIS. The interest income of MUNIS is exempted from the state income tax.
36A: Editor's "Leave it in": STET
38A: Red coin?: CENT. Oh, penny. I was thinking the clue was asking the coin of former Soviet Union.
39A: Agt.'s cut: PCT. What's the abbreviation for commission? COM?
40A: Corn breads: PONES. OK, is this the correct PONE photo?
45A: Salon services: PERMS. And DO UP (21D: Fix, as hair). Is DO UP a common phrase? I've never used it before. Can you DO UP my hair? Sounds weird.
46A: Shady areas: ARBORS. Lots of trees in Ann ARBOR, I imagine.
50A: Subdued shade: PASTEL. Alliteration again. Very precise clue too.
54A: Polite "I think", in chat room: IMHO
58A: "We gotta get movin'!": C'MON
60A: "Kills bugs dead" spray: RAID. Just realized Tara Reid is spelled differently. Always thought it's Tara RAID.
61A: "Keystone" bunch of film: KOPS. Got the answer with Down help. I can never remember "Keystone KOPS".
62A: Proctor __: kitchen appliance brand: SILEX. Holy moley. Have never heard of this brand. Our kitchen appliances seem to be all GE products. I could only think of Proctor & Gamble.
Down:
2D: "Deal or No Deal" host Mandel: HOWIE. Are you a fan of "Deal or No Deal"?
4D: Attraction for Winnie the Pooh: HONEY POT. Sweet. I love my honey too. Want some?
7D: Normandy city: CAEN. Sometimes the answer is ST. LO.
9D: Not expressly stated: IMPLICIT
11D: Windchill factor's opposite: HEAT INDEX. Awesome fill.
13D: Left the land of Nod: WOKE. "Nod" here should not be capitalized, correct? I learned yesterday that the Greek god of dream is Morpheus, son of Hypnos (god of sleep) and Nyx (goddess of night).
25D: Single-principle believer: MONIST
31D: Once-sacred slitherers: ASPS. I suppose it's not sacred after the snake killed Cleopatra?
32D: Inscribe: ETCH. Love this little word. Three consonants.
33D: Go into business: SET UP SHOP
37D: Attachment for closeups: ZOOM LENS. Reminds me of Jackie's "Hustler" nude photos.
38D: Bare fixture of rhyme: CUPBOARD. "Old Mother Hubbard/Went to the CUPBOARD..."
40D: Ceremonial heap: PYRE. I am surprised the PYRES are still used India.
41D: Like Granny Smith apple: TART. Granny Smith & honeyed walnuts & celery. My own Waldorf salad. Granny Smith apples are originated in Australia.
43D: Wyoming range: TETONS. Fun name Grand Teton.
44D: Like adult movies: RATED X
47D: Dental crown alternative: ONLAY. Easy guess. I don't really know anything about ONLAY, inlay or crown.
48D: Man with a cube: RUBIK. He is a Hungarian. This Monty Python Hungarian Phrase Book clip is really funny.
56D: Law, in Lyon: LOI. French for "law". New word to me. Alliteration in the clue again. It happens so often with foreign word clues.
Answer grid.
C.C.
