Theme: None
Total blocks: 29
Total words: 70
Can you picture the big smile on my face? Just a great puzzle from two of the best crossword constructors. Refreshing long word answers and twisted new clues for some of the regular short entries.
I don't know how Barry and Doug collaborated. I certainly could not not tell who worked on which section. My favorite part is the lower right corner. Simple & interesting to me. Not sure if Doug knows the DF meaning of MORELS (19D. Gourmet mushrooms) on our blog. Barry does, I think. Maybe it's Barry's proposed word? Fantastic!
I had expected a hard struggle when I saw the byline. Was rather surprised that I was able to fill in so many blanks on the first pass. Nailed all the clever wordplay clues except OCHO (22D. Three less than once). Spanish for "eight". I did not know "once" is Spanish for "eleven". I don't like today's mix of English "three" with Spanish "once". How about you?
Across:
1. Hired goons: MUSCLE. Slang for "thugs".
7. Snub: HIGH-HAT. Always thought high-hat is a just noun.
14. Power to attract: APPEAL. Don't understand Johnny Depp's appeal. People's Sexist Man Alive again?
15. Like an unexpectedly large gift: GENEROUS
16. Buys time: STALLS
17. Heed: LISTEN TO
18. "The Bridges at Toko-Ri" setting: KOREA. Set during the Korean War.
19. Sticking points?: MIRES. Write down MOOTS first.
20. Suggested actions: DO'S. And Don'ts.
21. "Fantastic Voyage" setting: BLOODSTREAM. No idea. Don't think I want to see the film now I've learned the setting.
24. Bad check letters: NSF (Not Sufficient Funds). Dennis has probably encountered bad checks at his hobby stores.
27. Land buy: ACRE
28. Refuse to make changes: SIT PAT. Same as "stand pat", isn't it?
30. Heroic: EPIC
32. Cologne title: HERR. Got the last R quickly, so no HERR/FRAU wobbling.
34. Rivera with two Tonys: CHITA. I guess Clear Ayes knows which two musicals brought her the two Tonys.
35. Its contents are under pressure: AEROSOL. I was picturing our cooking spray.
37. Authority level: ECHELON
39. Nottingham's river: TRENT. Thames wouldn't fit. Trent is England's third-longest river. River Severn is the longest.
40. 1973 Toni Morrison novel: SULA. See the book cover. Unknown to me.
42. She played WKRP's Jennifer: LONI (Anderson).
43. Fancy watches: OMEGAS. You can find plenty of counterfeit Rolex and Omega in China. Fake Microsoft Windows products too.
47. Defense agency since Nov. 2001: TSA (Transportation Security Administration). In response to the Sept 11 attack. The abbreviation escaped me.
48. Geneticist's pursuit: DNA RESEARCH. Fairly easy to string together today.
51. Keep entirely to oneself: HOG
53. Rhodes with a scholarship: CECIL. Founder of the diamond company De Beers. I obtained his name from crosses.
57. Some tattoos: INITIALS
59. Equivalence: PARITY
60. "I kid you not!": HONESTLY
61. "8 Simple Rules" star John: RITTER. Son of Tex Ritter.
62. Son of Agamemnon: ORESTES (aw-RES-teez). I've linked Remorse of Orestes several times before. He was being chased by the Furies because he killed his mother Clytemnestra, who murdered his father.
63. Biological catalyst: ENZYME. Exists in fresh veggies/fruit. Cooking kills enzyme.
Down:
1. Diver's need: MASK. Thought of Tank first.
3. Box for training purposes: SPAR
4. Tabloid subject: CELEB
5. "Deck the Halls" ending: LA LA LA. I vaguely remember we had this clue before.
6. Some commuter lines: ELS (Elevated Railways)
7. They're next in line: HEIRS. Nailed it.
8. Detailed windows: INSETS. Oh, the map closeup windows.
9. Rakes it in: GETS RICH. "Rake it in" is a new phrase to me.
10. Realm until the 19th cen.: HRE. Until 1806.
11. SUV that replaced the Passport: HONDA PILOT. Cars are always my blind spots.
12. Cuckoos in clocks, e.g.: AUTOMATONS. Struggled with the answer.
13. Chinese menu possessive: TSO'S. General Tso's chicken.
15. Quiet aircraft: GLIDER. Drone is quiet too, isn't it? CIA uses drones to kill those targeted terrorists, who can't hear the approach of the drones until too late.
23. Waters of music: ETHEL. Unknown figure to me. Pretty picture.
24. "Super-duper!": NEATO. Just like this puzzle.
25. Solution for a fertility problem, perhaps: SPERM DONOR. So simple in retrospect.
26. Vehicle with a deluge gun: FIRE ENGINE.
29. Patty Hearst's nom de guerre: TANIA. I forgot. Her kidnappers were SLA, often clued as " Radical 1970s gp.".
31. Partygoers may get their kicks out of one: CONGA. D'oh, dance.
33. Switch magazines, maybe: RELOAD. Another clever clue. But you can't fool me with "magazines" any more.
36. "Sorry, Charlie" brand: STARKIST. Here is an old commercial. I was ignorant of the catchphrase "Sorry, Charlie".
38. "Locked room" mystery writer John Dickson __: CARR. Uh-uh, nope. Have never heard of this guy.
41. Restless: UNEASY
44. Hill body: SENATE. Capitol Hill.
46. 2002 Campaign Reform Act co-sponsor: MCCAIN. Gimme. The McCain-Feingold Act.
49. Hawks: SELLS
50. Big name at airports: HERTZ. Car rental.
51. Jaunty greeting: HI HO. Hi-Yo Silver!
54. Normal in Illinois, say: CITY. Normal is a city in Illinois. Easy guess.
55. One often follows a bullet: ITEM. The dot bullet •, not ammo bullet.
56. Instrument played with a plectrum: LYRE. Again, the answer emerged itself.
58. Some NFL pass catchers: TES (Tight Ends)
59. Post- opposite: PRE. Both prefixes. Very straightforward clue.
Answer grid.
C.C.
Total blocks: 29
Total words: 70
Can you picture the big smile on my face? Just a great puzzle from two of the best crossword constructors. Refreshing long word answers and twisted new clues for some of the regular short entries.
I don't know how Barry and Doug collaborated. I certainly could not not tell who worked on which section. My favorite part is the lower right corner. Simple & interesting to me. Not sure if Doug knows the DF meaning of MORELS (19D. Gourmet mushrooms) on our blog. Barry does, I think. Maybe it's Barry's proposed word? Fantastic!
I had expected a hard struggle when I saw the byline. Was rather surprised that I was able to fill in so many blanks on the first pass. Nailed all the clever wordplay clues except OCHO (22D. Three less than once). Spanish for "eight". I did not know "once" is Spanish for "eleven". I don't like today's mix of English "three" with Spanish "once". How about you?
Across:
1. Hired goons: MUSCLE. Slang for "thugs".
7. Snub: HIGH-HAT. Always thought high-hat is a just noun.
14. Power to attract: APPEAL. Don't understand Johnny Depp's appeal. People's Sexist Man Alive again?
15. Like an unexpectedly large gift: GENEROUS
16. Buys time: STALLS
17. Heed: LISTEN TO
18. "The Bridges at Toko-Ri" setting: KOREA. Set during the Korean War.
19. Sticking points?: MIRES. Write down MOOTS first.
20. Suggested actions: DO'S. And Don'ts.
21. "Fantastic Voyage" setting: BLOODSTREAM. No idea. Don't think I want to see the film now I've learned the setting.
24. Bad check letters: NSF (Not Sufficient Funds). Dennis has probably encountered bad checks at his hobby stores.
27. Land buy: ACRE
28. Refuse to make changes: SIT PAT. Same as "stand pat", isn't it?
30. Heroic: EPIC
32. Cologne title: HERR. Got the last R quickly, so no HERR/FRAU wobbling.
34. Rivera with two Tonys: CHITA. I guess Clear Ayes knows which two musicals brought her the two Tonys.
35. Its contents are under pressure: AEROSOL. I was picturing our cooking spray.
37. Authority level: ECHELON
39. Nottingham's river: TRENT. Thames wouldn't fit. Trent is England's third-longest river. River Severn is the longest.
40. 1973 Toni Morrison novel: SULA. See the book cover. Unknown to me.
42. She played WKRP's Jennifer: LONI (Anderson).
43. Fancy watches: OMEGAS. You can find plenty of counterfeit Rolex and Omega in China. Fake Microsoft Windows products too.
47. Defense agency since Nov. 2001: TSA (Transportation Security Administration). In response to the Sept 11 attack. The abbreviation escaped me.
48. Geneticist's pursuit: DNA RESEARCH. Fairly easy to string together today.
51. Keep entirely to oneself: HOG
53. Rhodes with a scholarship: CECIL. Founder of the diamond company De Beers. I obtained his name from crosses.
57. Some tattoos: INITIALS
59. Equivalence: PARITY
60. "I kid you not!": HONESTLY
61. "8 Simple Rules" star John: RITTER. Son of Tex Ritter.
62. Son of Agamemnon: ORESTES (aw-RES-teez). I've linked Remorse of Orestes several times before. He was being chased by the Furies because he killed his mother Clytemnestra, who murdered his father.
63. Biological catalyst: ENZYME. Exists in fresh veggies/fruit. Cooking kills enzyme.
Down:
1. Diver's need: MASK. Thought of Tank first.
3. Box for training purposes: SPAR
4. Tabloid subject: CELEB
5. "Deck the Halls" ending: LA LA LA. I vaguely remember we had this clue before.
6. Some commuter lines: ELS (Elevated Railways)
7. They're next in line: HEIRS. Nailed it.
8. Detailed windows: INSETS. Oh, the map closeup windows.
9. Rakes it in: GETS RICH. "Rake it in" is a new phrase to me.
10. Realm until the 19th cen.: HRE. Until 1806.
11. SUV that replaced the Passport: HONDA PILOT. Cars are always my blind spots.
12. Cuckoos in clocks, e.g.: AUTOMATONS. Struggled with the answer.
13. Chinese menu possessive: TSO'S. General Tso's chicken.
15. Quiet aircraft: GLIDER. Drone is quiet too, isn't it? CIA uses drones to kill those targeted terrorists, who can't hear the approach of the drones until too late.
23. Waters of music: ETHEL. Unknown figure to me. Pretty picture.
24. "Super-duper!": NEATO. Just like this puzzle.
25. Solution for a fertility problem, perhaps: SPERM DONOR. So simple in retrospect.
26. Vehicle with a deluge gun: FIRE ENGINE.
29. Patty Hearst's nom de guerre: TANIA. I forgot. Her kidnappers were SLA, often clued as " Radical 1970s gp.".
31. Partygoers may get their kicks out of one: CONGA. D'oh, dance.
33. Switch magazines, maybe: RELOAD. Another clever clue. But you can't fool me with "magazines" any more.
36. "Sorry, Charlie" brand: STARKIST. Here is an old commercial. I was ignorant of the catchphrase "Sorry, Charlie".
38. "Locked room" mystery writer John Dickson __: CARR. Uh-uh, nope. Have never heard of this guy.
41. Restless: UNEASY
44. Hill body: SENATE. Capitol Hill.
46. 2002 Campaign Reform Act co-sponsor: MCCAIN. Gimme. The McCain-Feingold Act.
49. Hawks: SELLS
50. Big name at airports: HERTZ. Car rental.
51. Jaunty greeting: HI HO. Hi-Yo Silver!
54. Normal in Illinois, say: CITY. Normal is a city in Illinois. Easy guess.
55. One often follows a bullet: ITEM. The dot bullet •, not ammo bullet.
56. Instrument played with a plectrum: LYRE. Again, the answer emerged itself.
58. Some NFL pass catchers: TES (Tight Ends)
59. Post- opposite: PRE. Both prefixes. Very straightforward clue.
Answer grid.
C.C.
