Theme: DNA SEQUENCE (64A. Human fingerprint, and what's hidden in five puzzle answers) - DNA is sequentially embedded in each theme answer.
17A. All-big-gun battleship: DREADNAUGHT. Dread Not. Fear Nothing.
24A. Deeply ingrained habit: SECOND NATURE
39A. Shanghais: KIDNAPS. This extended "kidnap" meaning is named after the seaport Shanghai. Wonderful nightlife there. Great bars.
42A. Gap subsidiary: OLD NAVY
17A. All-big-gun battleship: DREADNAUGHT. Dread Not. Fear Nothing.
24A. Deeply ingrained habit: SECOND NATURE
39A. Shanghais: KIDNAPS. This extended "kidnap" meaning is named after the seaport Shanghai. Wonderful nightlife there. Great bars.
42A. Gap subsidiary: OLD NAVY
53A. Cuba or Puerto Rico, e.g.: ISLAND NATION
Two of the non-theme entries (31A. Most piquant: ZESTIEST & 48A. Convenience store: MINI-MART) have longer letters than the two shortest theme answers. Odd. They don't normally bother me if placed in Down rather than Across.
Neat to have three "filler" clues for a trio of three-letter fill:
52A. Hard-rock filler: AS A. Hard as a rock.
71A. Museum filler: ART
66D. Balloon filler: AIR
I loved the tie-in answer DNA SEQUENCE. Terrific title and great theme concept.
Across:
1. FBI sting that began during Carter's presidency: ABSCAM. What does AB stand for?
7. In this way: THUS. More used to "As a result" clue.
11. Tapped-out message: SOS. Morse code.
14. Sheep herder: COLLIE. Correct clue this time.
15. Old World Style sauce maker: RAGU. Or do you prefer Prego?
16. Hawaiian Punch rival: HI-C. Was stumped again. The C here refers to vitamin C. The Minute Maid drink brand.
19. It might be pale or brown: ALE
20. Blackguards: CADS. Blackguard is a new word to me.
21. Powerful health care lobbying gp.: AMA. "Powerful" indeed, appearing in Xword so often.
22. Budget noodle dish: RAMEN. Rooted in Chinese lamian ("pulled noodle"). The Japanese kanji for RAMEN is the same as Chinese character.
28. TV sched. notation: TBA
32. Extremely cold: POLAR
34. Birthplace of "Wayne's World," briefly: SNL. I was ignorant of the fact that the film was adapted from a sketch of the same name on SNL.
35. Cheese in a ball: EDAM. The Dutch cheese.
44. "The Time Machine" leisure class: ELOI. They are blond, they are beautiful and they are yummy entrees for the the Morlocks.
45. Org. with the blog Greenversations: EPA. Easy guess, with the "Green" hint.
47. Further off the beaten path: ODDER. "Off the beaten path" = unusual.
57. Parisian's "Presto!": VOILA!
58. Family nickname: SIS
59. "__ the hint!": I GET. I simply say "I get it!", not "I get the hint!".
63. Lat neighbors: ABS. Lat the muscles. Not the country.
68. ___ Percé: Pacific Northwest tribe: NEZ. No idea. Nez Percé is French for "pierced nose" (nez=nose). Maybe the tribe members all had pieced nose when first encountered by the explorers.
69. Irish Rose's beau: ABIE. "Abie's Irish Rose". Learned from doing Xword.
45. Org. with the blog Greenversations: EPA. Easy guess, with the "Green" hint.
47. Further off the beaten path: ODDER. "Off the beaten path" = unusual.
57. Parisian's "Presto!": VOILA!
58. Family nickname: SIS
59. "__ the hint!": I GET. I simply say "I get it!", not "I get the hint!".
63. Lat neighbors: ABS. Lat the muscles. Not the country.
68. ___ Percé: Pacific Northwest tribe: NEZ. No idea. Nez Percé is French for "pierced nose" (nez=nose). Maybe the tribe members all had pieced nose when first encountered by the explorers.
69. Irish Rose's beau: ABIE. "Abie's Irish Rose". Learned from doing Xword.
70. Prepare to slip off: UNLACE. Of shoes or lingerie.
73. Singer Sheena: EASTON. Scottish singer. Here is her "For Your Eyes Only". I've never heard of her name before.
Down:
1. Type of elec. adapter: AC/DC
2. Afghanistan's Tora __ region: BORA. The region where our military could have caught Osama during that intensive battle.Down:
1. Type of elec. adapter: AC/DC
3. Huskies' burden: SLED
4. School group: CLASS
6. Serious threat: MENACE. Such as the Fort Hood military major who opened fire at the base. Ultimate betrayal.
7. Unauthorized absentees: TRUANTS. Such as the military AWOL's. And ATTEND (23D. Show up).
8. Broom rider: HAG. Could only think of witch.
9. Exclamation with a shudder: UGH
10. Buddha's teachings: SUTRAS. I wonder when Kama Sutra was written.
11. SeaWorld celebrity: SHAMU
12. Carrier of crude: OILER. Crude oil.
13. Dramatic segment: SCENE
18. Songwriter Tori: AMOS. Pure guess. What's her most famous song?
25. University founder Cornell: EZRA. You should eat worms if you missed this one. I've mentioned his name several times on the blog before.
26. Pebbles's pet: DINO. From "The Flintstones".
27. "Little" Dickens girl: NELL. No idea. Little Nell is a character from Dickens' "The Old Curiosity Shop".
28. Pay-as-you-go rd.: TPKE (Turnpike)
29. Cook, in a way: BOIL. Boiled (freshly picked) peanuts are very tasty.
30. Gucci of fashion: ALDO. Man, I can never remember his name.
33. Mink or sable: ANIMAL. Well, FUR is too short. Nice clue.
36. Pop, to baby: DADA. Chinese baby would say "BABA".
37. Parade rtes., maybe: AVES
38. Vidal's Breckinridge: MYRA. Here is the book cover. We've seen this clue before.
40. Remain undecided: PEND
46. Gathered up: AMASSED. As fortune.
49. When Rome wasn't built?: IN A DAY. Idiom: "Rome wasn't built in a day". I don't like the word "When", though I could not think of a better alternative.
50. Play to __: draw: A TIE
51. Off-color: RISQUE. Tried RIBALD first.
53. Trump with a cameo in "The First Wives Club": IVANA. Donald Trump's first ex.
54. Not even tipsy: SOBER
55. "Faust Symphony" composer: LISZT. "Faust" is also a play by Goethe.
56. Physicist Bohr: NIELS. The Danish physicist.
60. Swarm insect: GNAT
61. Nestlé cereal beverage: ECCO. Totally unknown to me. It's a barley, rye and chicory-based beverage. ECCO is Italian for ECCE, "behold".
62. High schooler: TEEN
65. Jazz org.?: NBA. Utah Jazz. Nailed it.
67. Italian "a": UNA. Spanish "a" too.
Answer grid.
Thanks for the stuffing recipes, everyone. Will ask my husband to add dried cranberries to ours this Thanksgiving (the only day Boomer actually cooks).
C.C.
37. Parade rtes., maybe: AVES
38. Vidal's Breckinridge: MYRA. Here is the book cover. We've seen this clue before.
40. Remain undecided: PEND
46. Gathered up: AMASSED. As fortune.
49. When Rome wasn't built?: IN A DAY. Idiom: "Rome wasn't built in a day". I don't like the word "When", though I could not think of a better alternative.
50. Play to __: draw: A TIE
51. Off-color: RISQUE. Tried RIBALD first.
53. Trump with a cameo in "The First Wives Club": IVANA. Donald Trump's first ex.
54. Not even tipsy: SOBER
55. "Faust Symphony" composer: LISZT. "Faust" is also a play by Goethe.
56. Physicist Bohr: NIELS. The Danish physicist.
60. Swarm insect: GNAT
61. Nestlé cereal beverage: ECCO. Totally unknown to me. It's a barley, rye and chicory-based beverage. ECCO is Italian for ECCE, "behold".
62. High schooler: TEEN
65. Jazz org.?: NBA. Utah Jazz. Nailed it.
67. Italian "a": UNA. Spanish "a" too.
Answer grid.
Thanks for the stuffing recipes, everyone. Will ask my husband to add dried cranberries to ours this Thanksgiving (the only day Boomer actually cooks).
C.C.
