Theme: Jump the Q - The Q (k) sound is dropped from each QU (kw) starting familiar phrases/name.
17A. Drones losing their pep?: WILTING BEES. Quilting Bee. "Losing their pep" = WILTING.
23A. Train former senator Dole to do without?: WEAN ELIZABETH. Queen Elizabeth. "Train to do without" = WEAN. Elizabeth Dole served as North Carolina's Senator from 2003 to 2009.
33A. The first indication that I had one too many last night?: WAKING IN MY BOOTS. Quaking in My Boots. Conjured up such a vivid drunken image.
48. Earp in a stage show?: WYATT ON THE SET. Quiet on the Set. Wyatt Earp is the O.K. figure who appears in our puzzle often.
56. Skater Katarina enjoying a Camel?: WITT SMOKING. Quit Smoking. Katarina Witt is a German figure skater. Unknown to me.
Today's Dan Naddor Index (non-theme entries with 6 or more letters) is 22, the highest since I started tracking. Four of the Down answers intersect three theme answers. Neat.
Quite a scrabbly puzzle too, with two J's, 1 Z and four K's.
How was your solving experience today? When did you cotton on to the theme?
Across:
1. Tubular chocolate snack: HOHO. The Hostess snack. Sweet start for our Santa Argyle.
5. Like secret rituals: ARCANE
11. Tube top: CAP. Of course I was thinking of the shirt Tube Top.
16. Actor Vigoda: ABE. Still alive.
19. a.k.a., in corporate-speak: DBA (Doing Business As)
20. Kenan's comedy partner: KEL. Nickelodeon's "Kenan & Kel". I simply forgot.
21. Baltic capital: RIGA. Capital of Latvia. "European capital" would be a tougher clue, with 5 possibilities (Rome, Riga, Oslo, Kiev & Bern) as mentioned by Rich Norris last time.
22. __-Z: high-performance Camaro: IROC. I just remember it as I rock.
28. More than fortunate: BLESSED. Thought the answer might be an ER ending word.
30. Grandeur: MAJESTY. Liked this fresh fill.
31. Brand of bubbly: MOET. Moet & Chandon champagne.
40. Tongue and liver: MEATS. Organs too, of course.
41. Genetic molecules: RNAS. Always have to wobble between RNA/DNA.
42. As you like it: TO TASTE. Good play on "As You Like It".
45. Lydian king known for his wealth: CROESUS (KREE-suh
s). No idea. How did he obtain his wealth? I could only think of the golden touch king Midas.
50. Man or Mull: ISLE. Alliteration.
52. Shad delicacy: ROE. Have you tried Ikura (salmon roe)?
55. Pontiac muscle car: GTO. And BMW (28D. Mercedes rival). Car Talk.
60. Grant, e.g.: Abbr.: GEN. D'oh, Ulysses S. Grant. I was thinking of the research money grant.
61. Do the Wright thing?: AVIATE. Nice play on "Do the right thing". And SSS (39D. Frying sound).
62. Swedish furniture chain: IKEA. I've yet to try their food.
63. Sentence units: Abbr.: YRS. Prison sentences.
65. One with a list: DEAN. Dean's List. Great clue.
Down:
1. Peddle: HAWK
2. Theater award: OBIE. Given by The Village Voice. The intersecting ABET (14A: Support, in a criminal way) prevented me from considering TONY.
3. College hazing period: HELL WEEK. New term to me. We don't have hazing ritual in China.
4. 1940s Giants manager Mel: OTT. Man, I did not know he managed the Giants. Always thought of him as a player.
5. When many shops open: AT NINE
6. Fixed: RIGGED. As an election. I was in the "Repaired" direction.
7. Conspiracy: CABAL. Same root with cabala.
9. Dundee denial: NAE. Another alliteration.
11. Elite training squads: CADRES
12. "Who's on First?" straight man: ABBOTT. Abbott and Costello.
13. "Great!": PEACHY
18. Nest egg components, for short: IRAS
22. Start of a rule that keeps you from spelling weirdly?: I BEFORE E. Nailed it.
24. Ballpark figure: ESTIMATE. Nice to have the complete word. We see EST too often.
25. Mosque VIP: IMAMS. The Somalian supermodel is IMAN (David Bowie's wife).
26. Madcap: ZANY
27. "This is __ for Superman!": A JOB. I really don't remember seeing a more scrabblier Dan Naddor puzzle, do you?
29. Mauna __: LOA. Or Kea. Mauna is "Mountain".
32. Brain and spinal cord: Abbr.: CNS (Central Nervous System). Not a familiar abbreviation to me.
35. Cat, south of the border: GATO. I wonder why they named Los Gatos so. Lots of cats there?
36. Santa Monica-to-Jacksonville rte. I-TEN
37. Picketing: ON STRIKE
38. 19th Greek letter: TAU. Greek T. No way I can remember the exact order of all those 24 letters in Greek alphabet.
42. Aptly named mod model: TWIGGY. Because of her thin build.
43. Pearl harborer: OYSTER. Another great clue. "Pearl producer" would be boring. Loved Ben Affleck's "Pearl Harbor".
44. Raptor's grabbers: TALONS
45. Pure: CHASTE
46. Chewed (out): REAMED
47. __ buco: OSSO. Italian for "bone".
49. Golden Horde member: TATAR. Genghis Khan divided his Mongol Empire into various color Hordes (Blue, White, etc).
53. Military service designation: ONE A
54. New York cardinal: EGAN. Cardinal Egan was succeeded by Archbishop Timothy Dolan earlier this year.
58. Actress Carrere: TIA. I forgot. Recognized her face when I googled. She is of Filipino descent. Born in Honolulu.
59. Tease: KID. Wrote down RIB first.
Do read Don Gagliardo's replies to the questions raised at the Comments section yesterday. Don will have completed a Monday to Sunday LAT circle when his Sunday puzzle is published next time.
Answer grid.
C.C.
17A. Drones losing their pep?: WILTING BEES. Quilting Bee. "Losing their pep" = WILTING.
23A. Train former senator Dole to do without?: WEAN ELIZABETH. Queen Elizabeth. "Train to do without" = WEAN. Elizabeth Dole served as North Carolina's Senator from 2003 to 2009.
33A. The first indication that I had one too many last night?: WAKING IN MY BOOTS. Quaking in My Boots. Conjured up such a vivid drunken image.
48. Earp in a stage show?: WYATT ON THE SET. Quiet on the Set. Wyatt Earp is the O.K. figure who appears in our puzzle often.
56. Skater Katarina enjoying a Camel?: WITT SMOKING. Quit Smoking. Katarina Witt is a German figure skater. Unknown to me.
Today's Dan Naddor Index (non-theme entries with 6 or more letters) is 22, the highest since I started tracking. Four of the Down answers intersect three theme answers. Neat.
Quite a scrabbly puzzle too, with two J's, 1 Z and four K's.
How was your solving experience today? When did you cotton on to the theme?
Across:
1. Tubular chocolate snack: HOHO. The Hostess snack. Sweet start for our Santa Argyle.
5. Like secret rituals: ARCANE
11. Tube top: CAP. Of course I was thinking of the shirt Tube Top.
16. Actor Vigoda: ABE. Still alive.
19. a.k.a., in corporate-speak: DBA (Doing Business As)
20. Kenan's comedy partner: KEL. Nickelodeon's "Kenan & Kel". I simply forgot.
21. Baltic capital: RIGA. Capital of Latvia. "European capital" would be a tougher clue, with 5 possibilities (Rome, Riga, Oslo, Kiev & Bern) as mentioned by Rich Norris last time.
22. __-Z: high-performance Camaro: IROC. I just remember it as I rock.
28. More than fortunate: BLESSED. Thought the answer might be an ER ending word.
30. Grandeur: MAJESTY. Liked this fresh fill.
31. Brand of bubbly: MOET. Moet & Chandon champagne.
40. Tongue and liver: MEATS. Organs too, of course.
41. Genetic molecules: RNAS. Always have to wobble between RNA/DNA.
42. As you like it: TO TASTE. Good play on "As You Like It".
45. Lydian king known for his wealth: CROESUS (KREE-suh
s). No idea. How did he obtain his wealth? I could only think of the golden touch king Midas. 50. Man or Mull: ISLE. Alliteration.
52. Shad delicacy: ROE. Have you tried Ikura (salmon roe)?
55. Pontiac muscle car: GTO. And BMW (28D. Mercedes rival). Car Talk.
60. Grant, e.g.: Abbr.: GEN. D'oh, Ulysses S. Grant. I was thinking of the research money grant.
61. Do the Wright thing?: AVIATE. Nice play on "Do the right thing". And SSS (39D. Frying sound).
62. Swedish furniture chain: IKEA. I've yet to try their food.
63. Sentence units: Abbr.: YRS. Prison sentences.
65. One with a list: DEAN. Dean's List. Great clue.
Down:
1. Peddle: HAWK
2. Theater award: OBIE. Given by The Village Voice. The intersecting ABET (14A: Support, in a criminal way) prevented me from considering TONY.
3. College hazing period: HELL WEEK. New term to me. We don't have hazing ritual in China.
4. 1940s Giants manager Mel: OTT. Man, I did not know he managed the Giants. Always thought of him as a player.
5. When many shops open: AT NINE
6. Fixed: RIGGED. As an election. I was in the "Repaired" direction.
7. Conspiracy: CABAL. Same root with cabala.
9. Dundee denial: NAE. Another alliteration.
11. Elite training squads: CADRES
12. "Who's on First?" straight man: ABBOTT. Abbott and Costello.
13. "Great!": PEACHY
18. Nest egg components, for short: IRAS
22. Start of a rule that keeps you from spelling weirdly?: I BEFORE E. Nailed it.
24. Ballpark figure: ESTIMATE. Nice to have the complete word. We see EST too often.
25. Mosque VIP: IMAMS. The Somalian supermodel is IMAN (David Bowie's wife).
26. Madcap: ZANY
27. "This is __ for Superman!": A JOB. I really don't remember seeing a more scrabblier Dan Naddor puzzle, do you?
29. Mauna __: LOA. Or Kea. Mauna is "Mountain".
32. Brain and spinal cord: Abbr.: CNS (Central Nervous System). Not a familiar abbreviation to me.
35. Cat, south of the border: GATO. I wonder why they named Los Gatos so. Lots of cats there?
36. Santa Monica-to-Jacksonville rte. I-TEN
37. Picketing: ON STRIKE
38. 19th Greek letter: TAU. Greek T. No way I can remember the exact order of all those 24 letters in Greek alphabet.
42. Aptly named mod model: TWIGGY. Because of her thin build.
43. Pearl harborer: OYSTER. Another great clue. "Pearl producer" would be boring. Loved Ben Affleck's "Pearl Harbor".
44. Raptor's grabbers: TALONS
45. Pure: CHASTE
46. Chewed (out): REAMED
47. __ buco: OSSO. Italian for "bone".
49. Golden Horde member: TATAR. Genghis Khan divided his Mongol Empire into various color Hordes (Blue, White, etc).
53. Military service designation: ONE A
54. New York cardinal: EGAN. Cardinal Egan was succeeded by Archbishop Timothy Dolan earlier this year.
58. Actress Carrere: TIA. I forgot. Recognized her face when I googled. She is of Filipino descent. Born in Honolulu.
59. Tease: KID. Wrote down RIB first.
Do read Don Gagliardo's replies to the questions raised at the Comments section yesterday. Don will have completed a Monday to Sunday LAT circle when his Sunday puzzle is published next time.
Answer grid.
C.C.
