Theme: Here You R at Last! - Letter R is added to a common phrase ending with GE.
17A. Park official who tickets speeding bears?: RADAR RANGE(R). Not familiar with the base phrase "Radar Range", the range of cops' radar gun? Park official = Ranger.
22A. Smallest allowable bet?: MINIMUM WAGE(R). Minimum Wage. The current Federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour.
35A. Steals a plumbing supply?: TAKES THE PLUNGE(R). Take the Plunge. Plunger is a new tool name to me.
45A. San Fernando creator of fake van Goghs?: VALLEY FORGE(R). Valley Forge, the winter camp of Washington's Continental Army. San Fernado Valley. "Creator of faker van Goghs" = forger.
53A. Burrowing critter cited for excellence?: MERIT BADGE(R). Merit Badge, boy scout award. Burrowing critter = badger.
Today's Dan Naddor Index (non-theme entries with 6 or more letters) is 11. Three of the Down ones intersect three theme entries.
This is the type of the puzzle I like, very few proper nouns and plenty of cleverly misguiding V-8 clues. Wordplay transcends culture/age gaps. Proper names, as sparkling as they are, should be used in moderation.
Across:
4. Alice doesn't work there anymore: MEL'S. Mel's Diner in the TV series "Alice". Blind spot for me.
8. Spring: LEAP. "Spring" seems to be a verb whenever it's a clue.
12. Oft-named time: ERA. Like the Obama Era.
13. Some trick-or-treaters: GHOSTS. We got very few trick-or-treaters this year. Kids seem to prefer candies over Joe Mauer baseball cards.
15. Annual spring race, for short: INDY. Indy 500. Held over Memorial Day weekend.
19. More than upset: IN A RAGE. Was thinking the answer might end in "er".
21. Dickinson output: VERSE. Penned in POEMS first.
27. It'll grow on you: HAIR. Of course! But I am a dummy. Dennis once said that hair grows 2 inches per month.
28. Tennis court ploy: LOB. Rather a straightforward clue. "Court ploy" would be tricky.
31. Like some stockings: MESHY
33. Drop the ball, e.g.: ERR
34. Course-plotting "Star Trek" crewman: SULU. Nailed it today.
39. Cubist Juan: GRIS. No idea. He's a Spanish painter and he died in 1927. Here is his portrait of Picasso.
41. Columnist Noonan: PEGGY. Gimme. I used to follow her columns on Wall Street Journal. Reagan's speech writer.
43. Parsley relative: DILL. For your pickle.
44. Field of study: AREA
49. Zeal: ARDOR
52. They help get the lead out: ERASERS. Good clue too.
57. "Mazel __!": TOV. Literally "good" in Hebrew. Mazel = luck/fortune.
58. Big picture: EPIC. Of course, I was not thinking of film.
59. Pictures on a screen: IMAGES. Nice consecutive "picture" clue.
61. "Forget it!": NOPE
62. Low islands: CAYS. Same as keys, correct?
63. Some appliances: GES. I've been extremely loyal to GE, despite the stock price plunge under the leadership of Jeff Immelt.
Down:
2. Commercial suffix suggesting pasta: A-RONI. As in Rice-A-Roni.
3. Stereotypical pratfall cause: BANANA SKIN. Oh, I just call it banana peel.
4. Web surfing tool: MODEM
5. Pablo's "that": ESA. Not ESO?
6. USPS delivery: LTR
7. Turkmenistan, once: Abbr.: SSR (Soviet Socialist Republic)
8. Eyelid application: LINER. Can't stand eye liner on men.
9. Certain Caltech grad: Abbr.: ENGR (Engineer)
11. Combustible heap: PYRE. Funeral heap.
13. They're scheduled to be awarded at the Staples Center on 1/31/2010: GRAMMYS. The answer emerged itself.
14. International Court of Justice site, with "The": HAGUE. In the Netherlands.
18. Declare as fact: AVER
23. Sweet-talk: WHEEDLE. This fill is located at the heart of the grid and connects three theme answers.
24. Seniors' D.C. lobby: AARP. Bet they are not as powerful as AMA or NRA.
25. Miss: GIRL. Thought "miss' might be a verb.
28. Identifier seen on a carousel: LUGGAGE TAG. The baggage carousel.
29. Jackie's designer: OLEG (Cassini)
30. Hide, dog-style: BURY. Got the answer from crosses.
31. PDA entries: MTGS. Meetings.
32. "I'm all __": EARS
36. Suspect's concern: TAIL. Follower.
37. Sledding spot: HILL
38. Hullabaloos: UPROARS
43. Scurry: DART
44. "Parties must ever exist in __ country": Edmund Burke: A FREE. Not familiar with this Burke line at all.
45. Spokesperson: VOICE. Wrote down AGENT first.
46. Hoods with safe jobs?: YEGGS. D'oh, safecrackers.
47. Irregularly notched: EROSE
48. Much of a bride-to-be's mail, for short: RSVPS. Did the answer come to you readily?
49. "Right on!": AMEN
50. Seized wheels: REPO
51. Crashing bore: DRIP. New meaning of drip to me.
54. Pen name: BIC. Ballpoint pen. Nailed it.
55. Doc bloc: AMA (American Medical Association). Nice rhyme.
Answer grid.
C.C.
17A. Park official who tickets speeding bears?: RADAR RANGE(R). Not familiar with the base phrase "Radar Range", the range of cops' radar gun? Park official = Ranger.
22A. Smallest allowable bet?: MINIMUM WAGE(R). Minimum Wage. The current Federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour.
35A. Steals a plumbing supply?: TAKES THE PLUNGE(R). Take the Plunge. Plunger is a new tool name to me.
45A. San Fernando creator of fake van Goghs?: VALLEY FORGE(R). Valley Forge, the winter camp of Washington's Continental Army. San Fernado Valley. "Creator of faker van Goghs" = forger.
53A. Burrowing critter cited for excellence?: MERIT BADGE(R). Merit Badge, boy scout award. Burrowing critter = badger.
Today's Dan Naddor Index (non-theme entries with 6 or more letters) is 11. Three of the Down ones intersect three theme entries.
This is the type of the puzzle I like, very few proper nouns and plenty of cleverly misguiding V-8 clues. Wordplay transcends culture/age gaps. Proper names, as sparkling as they are, should be used in moderation.
Across:
4. Alice doesn't work there anymore: MEL'S. Mel's Diner in the TV series "Alice". Blind spot for me.
8. Spring: LEAP. "Spring" seems to be a verb whenever it's a clue.
12. Oft-named time: ERA. Like the Obama Era.
13. Some trick-or-treaters: GHOSTS. We got very few trick-or-treaters this year. Kids seem to prefer candies over Joe Mauer baseball cards.
15. Annual spring race, for short: INDY. Indy 500. Held over Memorial Day weekend.
19. More than upset: IN A RAGE. Was thinking the answer might end in "er".
21. Dickinson output: VERSE. Penned in POEMS first.
27. It'll grow on you: HAIR. Of course! But I am a dummy. Dennis once said that hair grows 2 inches per month.
28. Tennis court ploy: LOB. Rather a straightforward clue. "Court ploy" would be tricky.
31. Like some stockings: MESHY
33. Drop the ball, e.g.: ERR
34. Course-plotting "Star Trek" crewman: SULU. Nailed it today.
39. Cubist Juan: GRIS. No idea. He's a Spanish painter and he died in 1927. Here is his portrait of Picasso.
41. Columnist Noonan: PEGGY. Gimme. I used to follow her columns on Wall Street Journal. Reagan's speech writer.
43. Parsley relative: DILL. For your pickle.
44. Field of study: AREA
49. Zeal: ARDOR
52. They help get the lead out: ERASERS. Good clue too.
57. "Mazel __!": TOV. Literally "good" in Hebrew. Mazel = luck/fortune.
58. Big picture: EPIC. Of course, I was not thinking of film.
59. Pictures on a screen: IMAGES. Nice consecutive "picture" clue.
61. "Forget it!": NOPE
62. Low islands: CAYS. Same as keys, correct?
63. Some appliances: GES. I've been extremely loyal to GE, despite the stock price plunge under the leadership of Jeff Immelt.
Down:
2. Commercial suffix suggesting pasta: A-RONI. As in Rice-A-Roni.
3. Stereotypical pratfall cause: BANANA SKIN. Oh, I just call it banana peel.
4. Web surfing tool: MODEM
5. Pablo's "that": ESA. Not ESO?
6. USPS delivery: LTR
7. Turkmenistan, once: Abbr.: SSR (Soviet Socialist Republic)
8. Eyelid application: LINER. Can't stand eye liner on men.
9. Certain Caltech grad: Abbr.: ENGR (Engineer)
11. Combustible heap: PYRE. Funeral heap.
13. They're scheduled to be awarded at the Staples Center on 1/31/2010: GRAMMYS. The answer emerged itself.
14. International Court of Justice site, with "The": HAGUE. In the Netherlands.
18. Declare as fact: AVER
23. Sweet-talk: WHEEDLE. This fill is located at the heart of the grid and connects three theme answers.
24. Seniors' D.C. lobby: AARP. Bet they are not as powerful as AMA or NRA.
25. Miss: GIRL. Thought "miss' might be a verb.
28. Identifier seen on a carousel: LUGGAGE TAG. The baggage carousel.
29. Jackie's designer: OLEG (Cassini)
30. Hide, dog-style: BURY. Got the answer from crosses.
31. PDA entries: MTGS. Meetings.
32. "I'm all __": EARS
36. Suspect's concern: TAIL. Follower.
37. Sledding spot: HILL
38. Hullabaloos: UPROARS
43. Scurry: DART
44. "Parties must ever exist in __ country": Edmund Burke: A FREE. Not familiar with this Burke line at all.
45. Spokesperson: VOICE. Wrote down AGENT first.
46. Hoods with safe jobs?: YEGGS. D'oh, safecrackers.
47. Irregularly notched: EROSE
48. Much of a bride-to-be's mail, for short: RSVPS. Did the answer come to you readily?
49. "Right on!": AMEN
50. Seized wheels: REPO
51. Crashing bore: DRIP. New meaning of drip to me.
54. Pen name: BIC. Ballpoint pen. Nailed it.
55. Doc bloc: AMA (American Medical Association). Nice rhyme.
Answer grid.
C.C.
