Theme: COUNT (54D: Tally, and what to do with the last word of 18-, 26-, 45- or 60-Across)
18A: Informal polls: STRAW VOTES
26A: Cause of unhealthy weight gain: EMPTY CALORIES
45A: Rockies grazers: MOUNTAIN SHEEP
60A: Prominent schnozzes: ROMAN NOSES
I am more familiar with straw polls rather than STRAW VOTES. Fats and processed carbs often contain EMPTY CALORIES. Actually, they are high-calorie food with mostly empty nutrients. I wonder what sheep count when they can't go to sleep. AQUILINE NOSES would be an awesome fill too.
Nancy mentioned in her interview that she likes theme that are tightly focused. She and Gary Lowe sure delivered today. All of the COUNT objects are in plural forms and located at the end of the each theme answer. Nothing forced or strained.
My favorites today are the two long Down fills: ADVICE GURU (3D: Dr. Phil or Dr. Laura, e.g.: ) and its symmetrical partner INEXPERTLY (29D: Hardly in a skillful way). I also like how UNSEAT (5D: Oust from office) and VETO (19D: Bill killer) intersect STRAW VOTES.
Across:
1A: Algerian city on the Mediterranean: ORAN. Algeria is an OPEC member, so is Nigeria.
15A: Dressed to the __: NINES. Puttin' on the Ritz. Nine is an interesting number. Nine innings in baseball, nine justices in Supreme Court, nine muses. What else?
20A: Working busily: AT IT
22A: What's happening: EVENT
23A: Native American shoe, briefly: MOC
24A: Lee whom nobody doesn't like: SARA. "Nobody doesn't like SARA Lee".
33A: Single or homer: HIT. Or double/triple.
35A: "___ Millionaire" 2008 Best Picture: SLUMDOG. Awesome film.
38A: 17th century French playwright: MOLIERE. His stage name. MOLIERE said "It is not only for what we do that we are held responsible, but also for what we do not do." So true!
44A: "Need You Tonight" rock group: INXS. Pronounced as "in excess". Australian band. I got the answer from Down fills.
51A: Big water pipe: MAIN
52A: PC bailout key: ESC. Nice "bailout".
58A: Johns, for short: LAVS. Or LOOS for "Johns", no "for short".
59A: Gusto: BRIO. Nice to see David Duval emerged from nowhere and played with BRIO in the US Open.
62A: Rebuke to Brutus: ET TU. How did Brutus reply?
63A: Lyricist Lerner: ALAN. Lerner & Loewe. "Gigi", "My Fair Lady", "Camelot", etc.
65A: Sheltered valley: GLEN
66A: Write to on a cell phone: TEXT
Down:
1D: Bedtime hr. after a late date, perhaps: ONE AM
2D: Totaled: RAN TO. As a bill.
4D: G.O.P. elephant creator Thomas: NAST. "Democratic donkey designer" too.
6D: Cabaret, casually: NITERY. Eatery, bakery. ERY is suffix for "place" here.
7D: Attainable: IN REACH
10D: Four-leaf plant: CLOVER. The good luck CLOVER I suppose.
12D: Flock's "Absolutely": AMEN
13D: Pain in the neck: PEST
24D: Hightailed it: SPED
28D: Prepare to fire: AIM
30D: Antony's loan request? EARS. I was not aware of Marc Anthony "Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your EARS..." speech. I thought of Shylock and the guy in "The Merchant of Venice". His name is actually Antonio.
31D: Every other hurricane: SHE. Oh, good to know.
32D: Grrravy dog food maker: ALPO. Owned by Nestlé.
37D: Merry, in Marseilles: GAI
40D: Serpent suffix: INE. Ennui!
43D: All together: EN MASSE
46D: Swimming: NATANT. New word to me.
48D: Keep in a piggy bank: SAVE UP
49D: Sibilant catcalls: HISSES. Reminds me of the BOOER clue ("Raspberry blower") we had a while ago.
53D: Web destinations: SITES. Do bookmark my blog. Don't want to lose you next week when I change the title.
55D: House on campus: FRAT. No such house in our campus. Chinese colleges have very different systems than those in the US.
57D: Big-screen format: IMAX
58D: One and only: LONE. SOLE too.
61D: Never done before: NEW
Answer grid.
C.C.
18A: Informal polls: STRAW VOTES
26A: Cause of unhealthy weight gain: EMPTY CALORIES
45A: Rockies grazers: MOUNTAIN SHEEP
60A: Prominent schnozzes: ROMAN NOSES
I am more familiar with straw polls rather than STRAW VOTES. Fats and processed carbs often contain EMPTY CALORIES. Actually, they are high-calorie food with mostly empty nutrients. I wonder what sheep count when they can't go to sleep. AQUILINE NOSES would be an awesome fill too.
Nancy mentioned in her interview that she likes theme that are tightly focused. She and Gary Lowe sure delivered today. All of the COUNT objects are in plural forms and located at the end of the each theme answer. Nothing forced or strained.
My favorites today are the two long Down fills: ADVICE GURU (3D: Dr. Phil or Dr. Laura, e.g.: ) and its symmetrical partner INEXPERTLY (29D: Hardly in a skillful way). I also like how UNSEAT (5D: Oust from office) and VETO (19D: Bill killer) intersect STRAW VOTES.
Across:
1A: Algerian city on the Mediterranean: ORAN. Algeria is an OPEC member, so is Nigeria.
15A: Dressed to the __: NINES. Puttin' on the Ritz. Nine is an interesting number. Nine innings in baseball, nine justices in Supreme Court, nine muses. What else?
20A: Working busily: AT IT
22A: What's happening: EVENT
23A: Native American shoe, briefly: MOC
24A: Lee whom nobody doesn't like: SARA. "Nobody doesn't like SARA Lee".
33A: Single or homer: HIT. Or double/triple.
35A: "___ Millionaire" 2008 Best Picture: SLUMDOG. Awesome film.
38A: 17th century French playwright: MOLIERE. His stage name. MOLIERE said "It is not only for what we do that we are held responsible, but also for what we do not do." So true!
44A: "Need You Tonight" rock group: INXS. Pronounced as "in excess". Australian band. I got the answer from Down fills.
51A: Big water pipe: MAIN
52A: PC bailout key: ESC. Nice "bailout".
58A: Johns, for short: LAVS. Or LOOS for "Johns", no "for short".
59A: Gusto: BRIO. Nice to see David Duval emerged from nowhere and played with BRIO in the US Open.
62A: Rebuke to Brutus: ET TU. How did Brutus reply?
63A: Lyricist Lerner: ALAN. Lerner & Loewe. "Gigi", "My Fair Lady", "Camelot", etc.
65A: Sheltered valley: GLEN
66A: Write to on a cell phone: TEXT
Down:
1D: Bedtime hr. after a late date, perhaps: ONE AM
2D: Totaled: RAN TO. As a bill.
4D: G.O.P. elephant creator Thomas: NAST. "Democratic donkey designer" too.
6D: Cabaret, casually: NITERY. Eatery, bakery. ERY is suffix for "place" here.
7D: Attainable: IN REACH
10D: Four-leaf plant: CLOVER. The good luck CLOVER I suppose.
12D: Flock's "Absolutely": AMEN
13D: Pain in the neck: PEST
24D: Hightailed it: SPED
28D: Prepare to fire: AIM
30D: Antony's loan request? EARS. I was not aware of Marc Anthony "Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your EARS..." speech. I thought of Shylock and the guy in "The Merchant of Venice". His name is actually Antonio.
31D: Every other hurricane: SHE. Oh, good to know.
32D: Grrravy dog food maker: ALPO. Owned by Nestlé.
37D: Merry, in Marseilles: GAI
40D: Serpent suffix: INE. Ennui!
43D: All together: EN MASSE
46D: Swimming: NATANT. New word to me.
48D: Keep in a piggy bank: SAVE UP
49D: Sibilant catcalls: HISSES. Reminds me of the BOOER clue ("Raspberry blower") we had a while ago.
53D: Web destinations: SITES. Do bookmark my blog. Don't want to lose you next week when I change the title.
55D: House on campus: FRAT. No such house in our campus. Chinese colleges have very different systems than those in the US.
57D: Big-screen format: IMAX
58D: One and only: LONE. SOLE too.
61D: Never done before: NEW
Answer grid.
C.C.
