Theme: ADDLE (65A. Confuse - or what to do to four common phrases to form this puzzle's theme answers) - Letters LE are added to the starts of four common phrases, hence ADD LE.
17A. Maximum tolerance for a stand-up comic's jokes?: (LE)NO LIMIT. Jay Leno.
26A. "All Trotsky, all the time" channel?: (LE)ON TELEVISION. Leon Trotsky.
47A. When dogs can't run loose?: (LE)ASH WEDNESDAY
63A. Nuts about Danish toys?: (LE)GO CRAZY. Did not know Lego is based in Denmark.
This puzzle reminds me of Merle Baker's "slangy turndown" IXNAY puzzle, where IX is nixed from familiar phrase. Or Gareth Bain's NIXON one, where letters ON are nixed in every theme answer.
Very clever interpretation of ADDLE, isn't it? It makes adding/deleting a letter puzzle so much fun.
I actually got ADDLE earlier on, but I could not parse it properly to gain any advantage in filling in the themes. Patchy Bozone Layer (The substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from penetrating) on several spots. Had to peek at the cheat sheet.
Across:
1. Symbol of gentleness: LAMB. Jesus is the lamb of God.
5. Torahs' homes: ARKS
14. Fridge problem: ODOR. Fresh pineapple pieces always make our fridge smell good.
15. R-rating reason, perhaps: GORE
16. Longship sailors: NORSE. A longship is a medieval ship used in northern Europe esp. by the Norse. Unknown to me.
19. AT&T Park player: GIANT. San Francisco Giants.
20. Start of a memorable 1961 admonition: ASK NOT. JFK line: "Ask not what your country can do for you..."
21. Force: STRENGTH. A bunch of consonants.
23. Gripe: CRAB
25. Slippery swimmer: EEL. Embien just mentioned unagi (freshwater eel) and anago (saltwater eel) yesterday. I like former. Also love NORI (44A. Edible seaweed used for sushi).
36. It's often left in the copier: Abbr.: ORIG (original)
38. Wolf (down): SNARF. Wrote down SCARF first. Dictionary says SNARF is a blend of snack and scarf.
41. Mountain ride: BIKE. I've never rode a bike along a mountain.
42. Marine threats: ORCAS
46. Clear: NET. Tricky clue for me.
51. Estuary: RIA. Are they really the same?
52. Senior golfer Aoki: ISAO. Crazy vowel combination. Senior golf indeed. I've never seen him play in Senior PGA (Champions Tour) in person.
53. Lover's sweet talk?: NOTHINGS. Sweet nothings. Lovely clue.
58. Precipitated: CAUSED. Wanted RAINED.
62. Cuban boy in 2000 news: ELIAN (González)
66. Plus-size supermodel: EMME. Somehow I thought it's EMMA. Just learned that her original given name is Melissa too. She's about perfect size, no?
67. To be, in Brest: ETRE. Alliteration again. Nothing to beat last time's "Brest milk" clue for LAIT. Awesome. Brest is a seaport in France.
68. Hull damagers: REEFS
69. Signs of nervousness: TICS
70. Interpret, as tea leaves: READ. Would be a difficult clue without the additional "as tea leaves".
Down:
1. 1970 hit by the Kinks: LOLA. Not familiar with the song.
3. Religious ascetic: MONK. And REV (22D. Relig. title).
4. You can count on a lot of bucks from one: BRONCO. Bronco habitually bucks. Clever clue.
5. Stirs up trouble: AGITATES
6. CD follower?: ROM. CD-ROM.
8. Den piece: SETTEE. Again, "piece" brought to mind furniture immediately.
9. Saintly: ANGELIC
10. Knock off: DO IN. Both slang for "to kill".
11. Big bore: DRAG. DRIP too.
13. Clockmaker Thomas: SETH. Finally I remembered his name.
18. Doone in Exmoor: LORNA. "Lorna Doone" is set at the wilds of Exmoor, new trivia to me. A 1869 novel by Richard Blackmore.
24. Capital northwest of Rome: BERN. The clue would be valid for EURO too, right? EURO is definitely used in northwest of Rome.
26. He played Ugarte in "Casablanca": LORRE (Peter)
27. "All My Children" vixen: ERICA. Played by Susan Lucci.
29. Sad sound: SOB
30. Skater Slutskaya: IRINA. Always wanted IRENA.
31. Best way to sing: ON KEY. Oh, I am often off-key then.
32. Veto from Lenin: NYET. Russian for "no". Opposite of "Da".
33. Mislead: FOOL
37. Great time, slangily: GAS
40. Sistine Chapel features: FRESCOES. Thought the plural is just frescos.
43. Sacred sites: SHRINES
48. Come out on top: WIN
49. Aerie newborn: EAGLET. Does an owlet live in aerie too?
50. More morose: DOURER. Anyone else wanted SADDER?
53. Adjacent: NEAR
54. Quaint retail adjective: OLDE
55. Sand castle's undoing: TIDE
56. Even share, perhaps: HALF. Was thinking of stock even/odd shares.
57. Huge hauler: SEMI
60. Biblical reformer: EZRA. What did he try to reform? Ezra is a Hebrew name meaning "help".
61. Like blue hair: DYED
64. Tracker maker: GMC. One-time GMC sport ute.
Answer grid.
C.C.
17A. Maximum tolerance for a stand-up comic's jokes?: (LE)NO LIMIT. Jay Leno.
26A. "All Trotsky, all the time" channel?: (LE)ON TELEVISION. Leon Trotsky.
47A. When dogs can't run loose?: (LE)ASH WEDNESDAY
63A. Nuts about Danish toys?: (LE)GO CRAZY. Did not know Lego is based in Denmark.
This puzzle reminds me of Merle Baker's "slangy turndown" IXNAY puzzle, where IX is nixed from familiar phrase. Or Gareth Bain's NIXON one, where letters ON are nixed in every theme answer.
Very clever interpretation of ADDLE, isn't it? It makes adding/deleting a letter puzzle so much fun.
I actually got ADDLE earlier on, but I could not parse it properly to gain any advantage in filling in the themes. Patchy Bozone Layer (The substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from penetrating) on several spots. Had to peek at the cheat sheet.
Across:
1. Symbol of gentleness: LAMB. Jesus is the lamb of God.
5. Torahs' homes: ARKS
14. Fridge problem: ODOR. Fresh pineapple pieces always make our fridge smell good.
15. R-rating reason, perhaps: GORE
16. Longship sailors: NORSE. A longship is a medieval ship used in northern Europe esp. by the Norse. Unknown to me.
19. AT&T Park player: GIANT. San Francisco Giants.
20. Start of a memorable 1961 admonition: ASK NOT. JFK line: "Ask not what your country can do for you..."
21. Force: STRENGTH. A bunch of consonants.
23. Gripe: CRAB
25. Slippery swimmer: EEL. Embien just mentioned unagi (freshwater eel) and anago (saltwater eel) yesterday. I like former. Also love NORI (44A. Edible seaweed used for sushi).
36. It's often left in the copier: Abbr.: ORIG (original)
38. Wolf (down): SNARF. Wrote down SCARF first. Dictionary says SNARF is a blend of snack and scarf.
41. Mountain ride: BIKE. I've never rode a bike along a mountain.
42. Marine threats: ORCAS
46. Clear: NET. Tricky clue for me.
51. Estuary: RIA. Are they really the same?
52. Senior golfer Aoki: ISAO. Crazy vowel combination. Senior golf indeed. I've never seen him play in Senior PGA (Champions Tour) in person.
53. Lover's sweet talk?: NOTHINGS. Sweet nothings. Lovely clue.
58. Precipitated: CAUSED. Wanted RAINED.
62. Cuban boy in 2000 news: ELIAN (González)
66. Plus-size supermodel: EMME. Somehow I thought it's EMMA. Just learned that her original given name is Melissa too. She's about perfect size, no?
67. To be, in Brest: ETRE. Alliteration again. Nothing to beat last time's "Brest milk" clue for LAIT. Awesome. Brest is a seaport in France.
68. Hull damagers: REEFS
69. Signs of nervousness: TICS
70. Interpret, as tea leaves: READ. Would be a difficult clue without the additional "as tea leaves".
Down:
1. 1970 hit by the Kinks: LOLA. Not familiar with the song.
3. Religious ascetic: MONK. And REV (22D. Relig. title).
4. You can count on a lot of bucks from one: BRONCO. Bronco habitually bucks. Clever clue.
5. Stirs up trouble: AGITATES
6. CD follower?: ROM. CD-ROM.
8. Den piece: SETTEE. Again, "piece" brought to mind furniture immediately.
9. Saintly: ANGELIC
10. Knock off: DO IN. Both slang for "to kill".
11. Big bore: DRAG. DRIP too.
13. Clockmaker Thomas: SETH. Finally I remembered his name.
18. Doone in Exmoor: LORNA. "Lorna Doone" is set at the wilds of Exmoor, new trivia to me. A 1869 novel by Richard Blackmore.
24. Capital northwest of Rome: BERN. The clue would be valid for EURO too, right? EURO is definitely used in northwest of Rome.
26. He played Ugarte in "Casablanca": LORRE (Peter)
27. "All My Children" vixen: ERICA. Played by Susan Lucci.
29. Sad sound: SOB
30. Skater Slutskaya: IRINA. Always wanted IRENA.
31. Best way to sing: ON KEY. Oh, I am often off-key then.
32. Veto from Lenin: NYET. Russian for "no". Opposite of "Da".
33. Mislead: FOOL
37. Great time, slangily: GAS
40. Sistine Chapel features: FRESCOES. Thought the plural is just frescos.
43. Sacred sites: SHRINES
48. Come out on top: WIN
49. Aerie newborn: EAGLET. Does an owlet live in aerie too?
50. More morose: DOURER. Anyone else wanted SADDER?
53. Adjacent: NEAR
54. Quaint retail adjective: OLDE
55. Sand castle's undoing: TIDE
56. Even share, perhaps: HALF. Was thinking of stock even/odd shares.
57. Huge hauler: SEMI
60. Biblical reformer: EZRA. What did he try to reform? Ezra is a Hebrew name meaning "help".
61. Like blue hair: DYED
64. Tracker maker: GMC. One-time GMC sport ute.
Answer grid.
C.C.
