Theme: L-adder (Letter L is inserted at the beginning of familiar words/names)
18A: Hope of one placing a personal ad? (L)OVER MATCH. Overmatch, a contest in which one opponent is distinctly superior.
26A: Peruvian worshiper?: (L)IMA BELIEVER. "I'm a Believer". The Monkees 1966 hit. Composed by Neil Diamond. Lima is the capital of Peru.
42A: Knock a motorcycle daredevil flat?: (L)EVEL KNIVEL. Evil Knievel, the stunt performer.
54A: Kid going nuts with building blocks? (L)EGO MANIAC. Egomaniac, obsessively preoccupied with oneself, like the former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich.
Thought of Scott Turow's "One L" after I was done with the puzzle.
I wonder what's the main seed entry for the theme. Probably LIMA BELIEVER. The constructor also clued NEIL (31A) as "Sweet Caroline" singer Diamond. He is probably a Neil Diamond fan. "Sweet Caroline" was inspired by Caroline Kennedy.
Across:
1A: 1988 tennis Grand Slam winner: GRAF (Steffi). She's married to Agassi.
5A: Partner of alas: ALACK. Alas and ALACK! Woe is me!
10A: "City of Seven Hills": ROME. The Eternal City. I think girls are shapely there because it's is so hilly. Also REMO (2D: San __, Italy), the Riviera resort (bottom left).
14A: Sitcom named for its country star: REBA (McEntire)
16A: French state: ETAT. Louis XIV once famously claimed "L'ETAT, c'est moi" (I am the state). Putin has the same attitude.
17A: Cupid: AMOR. Ah, "Omnia vincit AMOR ("Love conquers all"). It took courage to go to Argentina for a hike. True love!
20A: Camera bag accessory: ZOOM LENS
22A: "Carmen", e.g.: OPERA. By Bizet.
36A: Former Alaska Territory capital: SITKA. The largest city in the US by area. Alaska's first capital. Oh, you can definitely see Russia from there.
39A: Collector's goal: SET. It took over $250 to collect a Topps Chrome Heritage Baseball Card SET. Too expensive for me.
40A: Il __: Mussolini: DUCE (DOO-chey). Literally "leader". Rooted in Latin dux ("leader"), so is "duke".
41A: Talk show host Gibbons: LEEZA. Learned her name from doing Xword. Have never watched or listened to any of her shows.
45A: One you don't find in a foxhole?: ATHEIST. Not familiar with the aphorism "There are no ATHEIST in foxholes". Wikipedia explains that it's used to argue that "in times of extreme stress or fear, such as when participating in warfare, all people will believe in or hope for a higher power." Make sense. Nice crossing with DEISM (40D: Belief in a non-intervening God), belief in God through reason, a type of theism.
48A: Prepares to shoot: AIM. Not fond of the clue due to PREPARED (50A: Ready).
57A: Insolvent S&L company: WAMU (Washington Mutual). Biggest bank failure in U.S. history.
58A: Roman road: ITER (IT-air). Root for itinerary.
60A: Novelist Hunter: EVAN. Oh, it's he who wrote the screenplay for "The Birds". Unknown to me.
63A: Archaeology projects: DIGS
Down:
1D: Austria's second largest city: GRAZ (Gräts). No idea. Vienna is the largest city obviously. Arnold Schwarzenegger was born and raised in a farming village 2km from GRAZ. Don't wait. He won't be back.
4D: Agricultural worker: FARM HAND
5D: State without proof: ALLEGE
6D: Train maker in the National Toy Hall of Fame: LIONEL. Did not know there is a Toy Hall of Fame.
7D: Dirt bike relatives, briefly: ATVS (All-Terrain Vehicles)
8D Friend of Fidel: CHE (Guevara)
11D: Playful swimmer: OTTER
12D: Computer shortcut: MACRO. What is MACRO? I strung the answer together from Across fills.
13D: Revolutionary Allen: ETHAN. American Revolutionary War patriot.
25D: New Balance rival: AVIA. Latin for "fly".
28D: Barrier at a zoo: MOAT
29D: Big name in chips: INTEL. Dummy, I thought of potato chips again.
32D: Chicken __: deep fried dish: KIEV. Have never tried Chicken KIEV.
33D: Wood-shaping tool: ADZE. Or ADZ.
36D: Navigators and Explorers: SUVS. By Ford. Good clue.
37D: "Cool" rap artist?: ICE-T. Good clue too.
38D: Couldn't make up one's mind: SEESAWED. Like Hamlet. "To be, or not to be".
42D: Poe's "rare and radiant maiden": LENORE. From "The Raven".
43D: Self-defense method: KARATE. 空手. Literally "empty hand". Kara = empty. Te = hand.
44D: Family reunion attendees: NIECES
45D: Chalmers' business partner: ALLIS. ALLIS-Chalmers, the farming equipment manufacturer. Windhover mentioned this brand before. But I forgot.
47D: Philosopher who was a pioneer of German idealism: HEGEL. He certainly influenced Karl Marx's and later on Chairman Mao's philosophy. And yours as well, Windhover?
52D: Cyberzine: EMAG
53D: Pressures for payment: DUNS. Learned this word while working for Pinkerton. Fraud & due diligence investigation is hard and not fun.
55D: Battery buys: AAS
56D: Cavs' and Mavs' org.: NBA. Nice rhyme. Shaq is now with the Cavs, hopefully he will "win a ring for the King".
Answer grid.
C.C.
18A: Hope of one placing a personal ad? (L)OVER MATCH. Overmatch, a contest in which one opponent is distinctly superior.
26A: Peruvian worshiper?: (L)IMA BELIEVER. "I'm a Believer". The Monkees 1966 hit. Composed by Neil Diamond. Lima is the capital of Peru.
42A: Knock a motorcycle daredevil flat?: (L)EVEL KNIVEL. Evil Knievel, the stunt performer.
54A: Kid going nuts with building blocks? (L)EGO MANIAC. Egomaniac, obsessively preoccupied with oneself, like the former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich.
Thought of Scott Turow's "One L" after I was done with the puzzle.
I wonder what's the main seed entry for the theme. Probably LIMA BELIEVER. The constructor also clued NEIL (31A) as "Sweet Caroline" singer Diamond. He is probably a Neil Diamond fan. "Sweet Caroline" was inspired by Caroline Kennedy.
Across:
1A: 1988 tennis Grand Slam winner: GRAF (Steffi). She's married to Agassi.
5A: Partner of alas: ALACK. Alas and ALACK! Woe is me!
10A: "City of Seven Hills": ROME. The Eternal City. I think girls are shapely there because it's is so hilly. Also REMO (2D: San __, Italy), the Riviera resort (bottom left).
14A: Sitcom named for its country star: REBA (McEntire)
16A: French state: ETAT. Louis XIV once famously claimed "L'ETAT, c'est moi" (I am the state). Putin has the same attitude.
17A: Cupid: AMOR. Ah, "Omnia vincit AMOR ("Love conquers all"). It took courage to go to Argentina for a hike. True love!
20A: Camera bag accessory: ZOOM LENS
22A: "Carmen", e.g.: OPERA. By Bizet.
36A: Former Alaska Territory capital: SITKA. The largest city in the US by area. Alaska's first capital. Oh, you can definitely see Russia from there.
39A: Collector's goal: SET. It took over $250 to collect a Topps Chrome Heritage Baseball Card SET. Too expensive for me.
40A: Il __: Mussolini: DUCE (DOO-chey). Literally "leader". Rooted in Latin dux ("leader"), so is "duke".
41A: Talk show host Gibbons: LEEZA. Learned her name from doing Xword. Have never watched or listened to any of her shows.
45A: One you don't find in a foxhole?: ATHEIST. Not familiar with the aphorism "There are no ATHEIST in foxholes". Wikipedia explains that it's used to argue that "in times of extreme stress or fear, such as when participating in warfare, all people will believe in or hope for a higher power." Make sense. Nice crossing with DEISM (40D: Belief in a non-intervening God), belief in God through reason, a type of theism.
48A: Prepares to shoot: AIM. Not fond of the clue due to PREPARED (50A: Ready).
57A: Insolvent S&L company: WAMU (Washington Mutual). Biggest bank failure in U.S. history.
58A: Roman road: ITER (IT-air). Root for itinerary.
60A: Novelist Hunter: EVAN. Oh, it's he who wrote the screenplay for "The Birds". Unknown to me.
63A: Archaeology projects: DIGS
Down:
1D: Austria's second largest city: GRAZ (Gräts). No idea. Vienna is the largest city obviously. Arnold Schwarzenegger was born and raised in a farming village 2km from GRAZ. Don't wait. He won't be back.
4D: Agricultural worker: FARM HAND
5D: State without proof: ALLEGE
6D: Train maker in the National Toy Hall of Fame: LIONEL. Did not know there is a Toy Hall of Fame.
7D: Dirt bike relatives, briefly: ATVS (All-Terrain Vehicles)
8D Friend of Fidel: CHE (Guevara)
11D: Playful swimmer: OTTER
12D: Computer shortcut: MACRO. What is MACRO? I strung the answer together from Across fills.
13D: Revolutionary Allen: ETHAN. American Revolutionary War patriot.
25D: New Balance rival: AVIA. Latin for "fly".
28D: Barrier at a zoo: MOAT
29D: Big name in chips: INTEL. Dummy, I thought of potato chips again.
32D: Chicken __: deep fried dish: KIEV. Have never tried Chicken KIEV.
33D: Wood-shaping tool: ADZE. Or ADZ.
36D: Navigators and Explorers: SUVS. By Ford. Good clue.
37D: "Cool" rap artist?: ICE-T. Good clue too.
38D: Couldn't make up one's mind: SEESAWED. Like Hamlet. "To be, or not to be".
42D: Poe's "rare and radiant maiden": LENORE. From "The Raven".
43D: Self-defense method: KARATE. 空手. Literally "empty hand". Kara = empty. Te = hand.
44D: Family reunion attendees: NIECES
45D: Chalmers' business partner: ALLIS. ALLIS-Chalmers, the farming equipment manufacturer. Windhover mentioned this brand before. But I forgot.
47D: Philosopher who was a pioneer of German idealism: HEGEL. He certainly influenced Karl Marx's and later on Chairman Mao's philosophy. And yours as well, Windhover?
52D: Cyberzine: EMAG
53D: Pressures for payment: DUNS. Learned this word while working for Pinkerton. Fraud & due diligence investigation is hard and not fun.
55D: Battery buys: AAS
56D: Cavs' and Mavs' org.: NBA. Nice rhyme. Shaq is now with the Cavs, hopefully he will "win a ring for the King".
Answer grid.
C.C.
