Theme: Vowel Progression
20A: Christmas service: MIDNIGHT MASS
23A: With "A", 1986 Ted Danson film: FINE MESS
38A: The Rebels of the Southeastern Conference, familiarly: OLE MISS
52A: Waifish supermodel from Britain: KATE MOSS
54A: Easy to use, in adspeak: NO FUSS, NO MUSS
I am not familiar with the Ted Danson/Howie Mandel film "A FINE MESS". The poster looks quite intense.
Great to see OLE MISS in the puzzle. We often have OLE alone, sometimes clued as " __ Miss". I did not know their sports teams are The Rebels.
NO FUSS, NO MUSS is the only theme entry with two USS, maybe the constructor could not find another *MUSS ending phrase. Dennis often describes his Monday/Tuesday solving experiences as "No muss, no fuss".
I often wonder how the constructors position their theme entries. Is overlapping more desirable? Is it hard to carry out? The first two and the last two theme answers overlap in this grid.
Not fond of the clue for IMPULSE (42D: Sudden urge) as URGE is the answer for 64A: Craving. Come to the Comments section if you have a better clue for IMPULSE.
Across:
1A: "Now we're in for it": UH OH
5A: Whopper of a meal: FEAST. Maybe we can all "eat less and live longer". But animals display testy/irritable behaviors when they are on calorie restriction. They are just not happy.
10A: Tattooist's surface: SKIN. And ANKLE (63A: Popular tattoo site). "Tramp stamps" sound so harsh for lower back tattoos.
14A: Fan mag: ZINE
15A: Developing egg: OVULE. How is it different from ovum?
17A: Worshiped carving: IDOL
18A: Gave false hope to: LED ON
26A: At ease with: USED TO. I am USED TO the Minnesota winter, but I am not really "at ease with" it.
27A: Web forum user's self-image: AVATAR. I love Sallie's AVATAR (Sally Lightfoot Crab).
28A: Red giant or white dwarf: STARS. Nice "colorful" clue.
30A: Down Under gem: OPAL. More than 90% of the world's OPAL is supplied by Australia. It's their national gemstone.
37A: California Santa __ River: ANA. Easy guess. Have never heard of Santa ANA River. Santa ANA Winds, yes.
41A: Tongue of Tiberius: LATIN. Alliteration again. And ID EST (12D: "That is,", in 41-Across), often seen as i.e.
44A: Soft cheese: BRIE
47A: Brought a smile to: AMUSED
49A: More's perfect place: UTOPIA. Thomas More. He coined UTOPIA.
57A: Claim as one's own: CO-OPT
58A: Carry out: OBEY. OK, "Carry out" an order, OBEY an order.
62A: Harbor pushers: TUGS. Lots of S'es in the puzzle. Total 22.
66A: Spanish sovereigns: REYES. REY is Spanish for "king". REYES is the plural.
67A: Cornet note: TOOT. Woodwind instruments all TOOT, right?
Down:
1D: Six-Day War weapon: UZI
4D: Batters' protection: HELMETS. No S for protection?
5D: Poppycock: FOLDEROL. Or falderal. New "nonsense" to me.
6D: Two, four, six, etc.: EVENS
7D: German wheels: AUDIS. Oh well, can't really see the four-ring logo of her AUDI.
8D: Trudge, as through mud: SLOG
9D: Opposite of "At ease": TEN-HUT. I still feel attention is easier to pronounce.
10D: Vacation times: SUMMERS
11D: Work on sore muscles: KNEAD. I don't enjoy massage, do you?
21D: "__ bad boy!" Lou Costello: I'M A. "Who's On First?" is all I know about Abbott and Costello.
23D: Like some mistakes: FATAL. Do you confuse venal and venial also?
24D: The first Mrs. Trump: IVANA. The second is Marla. The current one is Melanie. I like that baby doll shirt.
25D: Pester persistently: NAG AT
31D: Home to many llamas: PERU. "Home to lima beans" as well.
34D: Left-hand page: VERSO. "Right-hand page" is recto.
38D: "__ the loneliest number": '60s song lyric: ONE IS. No idea. I've never heard of Three Dog Night either.
39D: Law book contents: STATUTES. Three T's in this word.
44D: Saddens, slangily: BUMS OUT. I felt so bad that Cristie Kerr faltered during the final round of U.S. Open. She is very pretty.
46D: Daytona 500 org.: NASCAR
48D: Enero or mayo: MES. Spanish for month. So what's the plural for MES then?
50D: Figure, as a sum: TOT UP. Figure is a verb here.
51D: No longer a minor: OF AGE
52D: Wild and crazy: KOOKY. I thought KOOKY means strange/weird, not wild.
59D: 'Hood buddy: BRO
60D: Word before booster or tripper: EGO. EGO-tripper is new to me. Only familiar with ego trip the noun.
61D: "Is it soup __?": YET. Nope. Totally unaware of this phrase. I've never had Lipton/Campbell's soup. I make my own.
Answer grid.
C.C.
20A: Christmas service: MIDNIGHT MASS
23A: With "A", 1986 Ted Danson film: FINE MESS
38A: The Rebels of the Southeastern Conference, familiarly: OLE MISS
52A: Waifish supermodel from Britain: KATE MOSS
54A: Easy to use, in adspeak: NO FUSS, NO MUSS
I am not familiar with the Ted Danson/Howie Mandel film "A FINE MESS". The poster looks quite intense.
Great to see OLE MISS in the puzzle. We often have OLE alone, sometimes clued as " __ Miss". I did not know their sports teams are The Rebels.
NO FUSS, NO MUSS is the only theme entry with two USS, maybe the constructor could not find another *MUSS ending phrase. Dennis often describes his Monday/Tuesday solving experiences as "No muss, no fuss".
I often wonder how the constructors position their theme entries. Is overlapping more desirable? Is it hard to carry out? The first two and the last two theme answers overlap in this grid.
Not fond of the clue for IMPULSE (42D: Sudden urge) as URGE is the answer for 64A: Craving. Come to the Comments section if you have a better clue for IMPULSE.
Across:
1A: "Now we're in for it": UH OH
5A: Whopper of a meal: FEAST. Maybe we can all "eat less and live longer". But animals display testy/irritable behaviors when they are on calorie restriction. They are just not happy.
10A: Tattooist's surface: SKIN. And ANKLE (63A: Popular tattoo site). "Tramp stamps" sound so harsh for lower back tattoos.
14A: Fan mag: ZINE
15A: Developing egg: OVULE. How is it different from ovum?
17A: Worshiped carving: IDOL
18A: Gave false hope to: LED ON
26A: At ease with: USED TO. I am USED TO the Minnesota winter, but I am not really "at ease with" it.
27A: Web forum user's self-image: AVATAR. I love Sallie's AVATAR (Sally Lightfoot Crab).
28A: Red giant or white dwarf: STARS. Nice "colorful" clue.
30A: Down Under gem: OPAL. More than 90% of the world's OPAL is supplied by Australia. It's their national gemstone.
37A: California Santa __ River: ANA. Easy guess. Have never heard of Santa ANA River. Santa ANA Winds, yes.
41A: Tongue of Tiberius: LATIN. Alliteration again. And ID EST (12D: "That is,", in 41-Across), often seen as i.e.
44A: Soft cheese: BRIE
47A: Brought a smile to: AMUSED
49A: More's perfect place: UTOPIA. Thomas More. He coined UTOPIA.
57A: Claim as one's own: CO-OPT
58A: Carry out: OBEY. OK, "Carry out" an order, OBEY an order.
62A: Harbor pushers: TUGS. Lots of S'es in the puzzle. Total 22.
66A: Spanish sovereigns: REYES. REY is Spanish for "king". REYES is the plural.
67A: Cornet note: TOOT. Woodwind instruments all TOOT, right?
Down:
1D: Six-Day War weapon: UZI
4D: Batters' protection: HELMETS. No S for protection?
5D: Poppycock: FOLDEROL. Or falderal. New "nonsense" to me.
6D: Two, four, six, etc.: EVENS
7D: German wheels: AUDIS. Oh well, can't really see the four-ring logo of her AUDI.
8D: Trudge, as through mud: SLOG
9D: Opposite of "At ease": TEN-HUT. I still feel attention is easier to pronounce.
10D: Vacation times: SUMMERS
11D: Work on sore muscles: KNEAD. I don't enjoy massage, do you?
21D: "__ bad boy!" Lou Costello: I'M A. "Who's On First?" is all I know about Abbott and Costello.
23D: Like some mistakes: FATAL. Do you confuse venal and venial also?
24D: The first Mrs. Trump: IVANA. The second is Marla. The current one is Melanie. I like that baby doll shirt.
25D: Pester persistently: NAG AT
31D: Home to many llamas: PERU. "Home to lima beans" as well.
34D: Left-hand page: VERSO. "Right-hand page" is recto.
38D: "__ the loneliest number": '60s song lyric: ONE IS. No idea. I've never heard of Three Dog Night either.
39D: Law book contents: STATUTES. Three T's in this word.
44D: Saddens, slangily: BUMS OUT. I felt so bad that Cristie Kerr faltered during the final round of U.S. Open. She is very pretty.
46D: Daytona 500 org.: NASCAR
48D: Enero or mayo: MES. Spanish for month. So what's the plural for MES then?
50D: Figure, as a sum: TOT UP. Figure is a verb here.
51D: No longer a minor: OF AGE
52D: Wild and crazy: KOOKY. I thought KOOKY means strange/weird, not wild.
59D: 'Hood buddy: BRO
60D: Word before booster or tripper: EGO. EGO-tripper is new to me. Only familiar with ego trip the noun.
61D: "Is it soup __?": YET. Nope. Totally unaware of this phrase. I've never had Lipton/Campbell's soup. I make my own.
Answer grid.
C.C.
