Theme: RAIN CATS AND DOGS (65A. Come down in buckets; also, when applied in sequence to the answers to starred clues, this puzzle's theme)
17A. *Nightly news show segment: WEATHER FORECAST. Rain.
27A. *Big Apple show: BROADWAY MUSICAL. "Cats", one of our Buckeye's favorite musicals. Clear Aye's too, I think.
49. *1955 Disney animated film featuring Darling Dear: LADY AND THE TRAMP. Both are dogs.
Very innovative theme, isn't it? I've never seen such type before. And all of the theme answers have grid-spanning 15 letters and intersect every Down entry.
Only letter X is missing, otherwise it would be a pangram. Quite a few nice clues in the grid. My favorites are I DO (23A. Veiled consent?) and YALE (60D. It's a lock). The latter is similar to "It's a wrap" for SAREE/SHAWL.
Across:
1. Square after Connecticut Avenue: JAIL. Monopoly property. Scrabbly start.
10. Wax remover: Q-TIP. Oh, earwax.
15. Israeli seaport: HAIFA. The only 5-letter Israeli port that I know.
16. Choice in a booth: VOTE. Have never voted in the US. Not a citizen. China does not allow dual citizenship.
20. Match starter: SERVE. And LOVE (62D. Tennis score). Both tennis terms.
36. Houston Aeros' org.: AHL (American Hockey League). Just realized that Houston Aeros is the affiliate of our Minnesota Wild. Sadly an unknown fact for me.
37. Brass or pewter: ALLOY. Wanted METAL.
38. Overplay a part: EMOTE
39. Breakfast corner: NOOK. What did you have for breakfast today? I've been loving mochi rice balls (with honey walnuts & chopped dates inside) lately.
41. Long Island __: SOUND. The answer revealed itself. I only knew Long Island Iced Tea.
43. Poker Flat chronicler Harte: BRET. Learned the name from doing Xword. Not familiar with his book "The Outcasts of Poker Flat".
44. To the point, in law: AD REM. AD = To. REM is accusative of RES (matter/thing). I can never remember this Latin phrase.
46. Author Nin: ANAIS. The famous diarist.
48. Evian, par exemple: EAU. French for "water".
53. Show about Capote: TRU
54. Candy in 12-piece dispensers: PEZ. Look at her pez collection. Some of the vintage no feet ones are worth hundreds of dollars.
57. Pisa place: ITALY
61. Two-time opponent of Ike: ADLAI (Stevenson)
68. Witty Bombeck: ERMA. Often confuse her with IRMA, The "Joy of Cooking" author Rombauer.
73. Doctor's advice: REST. Wrote down TEST first.
Down:
1. __ of Life: JAWS. Have never heard of this tool. Tiger's wife just used an iron. His sterling brand is now seriously endangered.
2. Not windward: ALEE. It's clued as "Dodging the draft?" in one of Paul's Clever Clue of the Month candidate list. Brilliant.
3. Construction beam: I-BAR
4. Baltic country: LATVIA. Capital is Riga.
5. One who'll be comin' round the mountain, in song: SHE. Easy guess. Was unaware of this folk song.
6. Bellyache: CARP
8. Get an __ effort: A FOR
9. Henner of "Taxi": MARILU. Got her name from Across fill.
10. Home shopping channel: QVC
11. Small hopper: TOAD. Brought to mind Arliss's horny toad in "Old Yeller".
13. Folk icon Seeger: PETE. Peter, Paul and Mary covered several of his songs.
18. Ibsen's "__ Gabler": HEDDA. Nope. See the book cover. Is it very famous?
19. Beethoven's "Für __": ELISE
24. Mice catchers: OWLS. Wanted CATS.
27. Clichéd: BANAL
28. Neighbor of Mary: RHODA. Another stumper. I had no idea that Mary here refers to Mary Tyler Moore.
29. Prayer starter: O LORD
30. Tons: A LOAD
31. Hall of Famer Robin of the Milwaukee Brewers: YOUNT. Gimme. Hall-of-Famer. Unfortunately his baseball cards are not worth much.
32. Mimicking bird: MYNAH
33. Chick of jazz: COREA. The favorite jazz musicians of Katherine, one of the earliest posters on this blog. She is now happily married to a drummer and does not do puzzles any more.
35. Ease off: LET UP
40. Piano's 88: KEYS
42. Reduction plan: DIET. Reduction of weight. "Losing plan" would be a great clue too.
45. Frenzied: MANIC
47. Valuable violin, for short: STRAD. Sometimes it's Amati.
50. Write, as music: NOTATE
51. Steering device: RUDDER
54. Co. VIP: PRES (President). We see EXEC more often.
56. Coors malt beverage: ZIMA. ZIMA means "winter" in Russian.
58. Razor brand: ATRA
59. Exam for an aspiring D.A.: LSAT
63. Important periods: AGES. Of course, I fell into the ERAS trap.
66. Afternoon break: NAP. Not TEA.
67. One of the Bobbsey twins: NAN. Bert's twin sister. Learned from doing Xword of course.
Answer grid.
C.C.
17A. *Nightly news show segment: WEATHER FORECAST. Rain.
27A. *Big Apple show: BROADWAY MUSICAL. "Cats", one of our Buckeye's favorite musicals. Clear Aye's too, I think.
49. *1955 Disney animated film featuring Darling Dear: LADY AND THE TRAMP. Both are dogs.
Very innovative theme, isn't it? I've never seen such type before. And all of the theme answers have grid-spanning 15 letters and intersect every Down entry.
Only letter X is missing, otherwise it would be a pangram. Quite a few nice clues in the grid. My favorites are I DO (23A. Veiled consent?) and YALE (60D. It's a lock). The latter is similar to "It's a wrap" for SAREE/SHAWL.
Across:
1. Square after Connecticut Avenue: JAIL. Monopoly property. Scrabbly start.
10. Wax remover: Q-TIP. Oh, earwax.
15. Israeli seaport: HAIFA. The only 5-letter Israeli port that I know.
16. Choice in a booth: VOTE. Have never voted in the US. Not a citizen. China does not allow dual citizenship.
20. Match starter: SERVE. And LOVE (62D. Tennis score). Both tennis terms.
36. Houston Aeros' org.: AHL (American Hockey League). Just realized that Houston Aeros is the affiliate of our Minnesota Wild. Sadly an unknown fact for me.
37. Brass or pewter: ALLOY. Wanted METAL.
38. Overplay a part: EMOTE
39. Breakfast corner: NOOK. What did you have for breakfast today? I've been loving mochi rice balls (with honey walnuts & chopped dates inside) lately.
41. Long Island __: SOUND. The answer revealed itself. I only knew Long Island Iced Tea.
43. Poker Flat chronicler Harte: BRET. Learned the name from doing Xword. Not familiar with his book "The Outcasts of Poker Flat".
44. To the point, in law: AD REM. AD = To. REM is accusative of RES (matter/thing). I can never remember this Latin phrase.
46. Author Nin: ANAIS. The famous diarist.
48. Evian, par exemple: EAU. French for "water".
53. Show about Capote: TRU
54. Candy in 12-piece dispensers: PEZ. Look at her pez collection. Some of the vintage no feet ones are worth hundreds of dollars.
57. Pisa place: ITALY
61. Two-time opponent of Ike: ADLAI (Stevenson)
68. Witty Bombeck: ERMA. Often confuse her with IRMA, The "Joy of Cooking" author Rombauer.
73. Doctor's advice: REST. Wrote down TEST first.
Down:
1. __ of Life: JAWS. Have never heard of this tool. Tiger's wife just used an iron. His sterling brand is now seriously endangered.
2. Not windward: ALEE. It's clued as "Dodging the draft?" in one of Paul's Clever Clue of the Month candidate list. Brilliant.
3. Construction beam: I-BAR
4. Baltic country: LATVIA. Capital is Riga.
5. One who'll be comin' round the mountain, in song: SHE. Easy guess. Was unaware of this folk song.
6. Bellyache: CARP
8. Get an __ effort: A FOR
9. Henner of "Taxi": MARILU. Got her name from Across fill.
10. Home shopping channel: QVC
11. Small hopper: TOAD. Brought to mind Arliss's horny toad in "Old Yeller".
13. Folk icon Seeger: PETE. Peter, Paul and Mary covered several of his songs.
18. Ibsen's "__ Gabler": HEDDA. Nope. See the book cover. Is it very famous?
19. Beethoven's "Für __": ELISE
24. Mice catchers: OWLS. Wanted CATS.
27. Clichéd: BANAL
28. Neighbor of Mary: RHODA. Another stumper. I had no idea that Mary here refers to Mary Tyler Moore.
29. Prayer starter: O LORD
30. Tons: A LOAD
31. Hall of Famer Robin of the Milwaukee Brewers: YOUNT. Gimme. Hall-of-Famer. Unfortunately his baseball cards are not worth much.
32. Mimicking bird: MYNAH
33. Chick of jazz: COREA. The favorite jazz musicians of Katherine, one of the earliest posters on this blog. She is now happily married to a drummer and does not do puzzles any more.
35. Ease off: LET UP
40. Piano's 88: KEYS
42. Reduction plan: DIET. Reduction of weight. "Losing plan" would be a great clue too.
45. Frenzied: MANIC
47. Valuable violin, for short: STRAD. Sometimes it's Amati.
50. Write, as music: NOTATE
51. Steering device: RUDDER
54. Co. VIP: PRES (President). We see EXEC more often.
56. Coors malt beverage: ZIMA. ZIMA means "winter" in Russian.
58. Razor brand: ATRA
59. Exam for an aspiring D.A.: LSAT
63. Important periods: AGES. Of course, I fell into the ERAS trap.
66. Afternoon break: NAP. Not TEA.
67. One of the Bobbsey twins: NAN. Bert's twin sister. Learned from doing Xword of course.
Answer grid.
C.C.
