Theme: Bad Boys - The surname of each theme answer is synonymous with "malicious".
17. Bassist for the Sex Pistols: SID VICIOUS. He died of heroin overdose in 1979. Sex Pistols pioneered the punk rock music.
36. Muttley's evil master in Hanna-Barbera cartoons: DICK DASTARDLY. No idea. Wikipedia says he's a racer who aimed to win "solely through cheating and trickery".
59. "The Wonder Years" star: FRED SAVAGE. I only knew his brother Ben Savage. I really liked watching "Boy Meets World" when I first arrived in the US.
Wish DICK DASTARDLY were a real person. The theme would have been tighter and more focused.
Quite a scrabbly puzzle, with 3 J's, 2 Z's and several K's. A rather smooth solving for me, despite several unknowns. The crossing sure helped.
Across:
1. Hurts with a horn: GORES. Gruesome start.
6. Trudge: PLOD. Not today.
10. Where E.T. came from?: AFAR. Could only think of UFO. Nice clue.
14. As vertical as possible, as an embedded anchor: APEAK. New word to me. And ROPE (15A. Anchor attachment). Nice 'anchor" sequence.
16. Charm: MOJO. Tiger's is fading fast.
19. Run off at the mouth: BLAB
20. Made the trip: CAME. Awful storm outside now.
21. Uncommonly big: OUTSIZED. Like ego.
28. Friend you probably never met: PEN PAL
30. Spread with cocktails: PATE. Who doesn't like pâté de foie gras?
33. Leopardlike critter: OCELOT. Nice to see you again.
35. Skye of film: IONE. She's in "Say Anything ...".
40. Like many a 45-Across: DANK. And CELLAR (45A. Underground room).
41. Hitchcock classic: PSYCHO. Wish I had never seen the movie.
42. Swing voter: Abbr.: IND. And JAN (43D. Pres. inauguration month).
43. Singer Feliciano: JOSE. Got him today. See, I am capable of learning.
49. '50s Kenyan revolutionary: MAUMAU. Great to see the full name rather than the half MAU. "When doubled, Kenyan revolutionary" is just as bad as the old "Half fly" for TSE.
51. PBS funder: NEA
53. Cancún coins: CENTAVOS. Spanish for "cents". Alliteration again.
56. Hebrew prophet: AMOS. Got the answer from crosses. He's a minor prophet.
57. Fast fliers: JETS. SSTS too.
61. War god: ARES. In Greek myth. TYR is the Norse war god.
62. "Law & Order: SVU" actor: ICE-T. Yawner.
63. Sloping edge of a chisel: BEZEL. See this picture.
64. Author Zane: GREY. Again, strung his name together from crosses.
65. Big name in lawn equipment: TORO. Or DEERE. Toro is based here in MN.
66. Fish basket: CREEL
Down:
1. It's replaced after a fill-up: GAS CAP. Its symmetrical partner in the grid is RESELL (48. Transfer for a price, as a used car: RESELL). I like the car connection. Good bookends for the grid.
2. Sedative: OPIATE
3. St. John's athletes, until 1994: REDMEN. Now Red Storm. Native American sensitivity issue.
5. Go downhill fast?: SKI. Can't fool me.
6. Toyota hybrid: PRIUS. Latin for "prior".
7. Pirate's haul: LOOT
8. Music with a number: OPUS
9. Stop: DESIST. Cease and desist.
10. The color of honey: AMBER. Sweet! I love honeyed nuts.
11. Nonsense: FOLDEROL. Often see the answer as clue.
12. Steely Dan album pronounced like a continent: AJA. Pronounced like "Asia".
13. Stick up: ROB
18. Air-conditioned: COOLED
22. Ballet-dancing Muppet: ZOE. I've never even seen one episode of "Sesame Street".
24. Pass rusher's success: SACK
26. VAIO computer maker: SONY. Our old editor once clued VAIO as "Sony computer".
27. Golfer's gismo: TEE. I spell gismo as "gizmo".
30. Rapper's entourage: POSSE
31. Mem. of the bar: ATTY. Much better than ATT.
34. Indy 500's 200: LAPS
35. Golden calf, e.g.: IDOL
36. Agent Scully of "The X-Files": DANA. Not a fan of "The X-Files" either.
37. Hall of Fame guest of honor: INDUCTEE
38. Permission to use: ACCESS. Access to database. Permission to use the database. OK.
39. Perlman of "Cheers": RHEA. Danny DeVito's wife.
44. Uniform: OUTFIT
46. Childbirth education pioneer: LAMAZE. I like the answer.
47. Orbital high point: APOGEE. Low point is Perigee.
51. Acknowledge with a head movement: NOD TO
54. Sacramento's __ Arena: ARCO. Home to Sacramento Kings.
56. Say assuredly: AVER
57. Binge: JAG. Both mean "a drinking spree".
60. "Desperate Housewives" network: ABC
Happy Birthday, Hahtool! Thanks for bringing us inspiring QOD every morning.
Answer grid.
C.C.
17. Bassist for the Sex Pistols: SID VICIOUS. He died of heroin overdose in 1979. Sex Pistols pioneered the punk rock music.
36. Muttley's evil master in Hanna-Barbera cartoons: DICK DASTARDLY. No idea. Wikipedia says he's a racer who aimed to win "solely through cheating and trickery".
59. "The Wonder Years" star: FRED SAVAGE. I only knew his brother Ben Savage. I really liked watching "Boy Meets World" when I first arrived in the US.
Wish DICK DASTARDLY were a real person. The theme would have been tighter and more focused.
Quite a scrabbly puzzle, with 3 J's, 2 Z's and several K's. A rather smooth solving for me, despite several unknowns. The crossing sure helped.
Across:
1. Hurts with a horn: GORES. Gruesome start.
6. Trudge: PLOD. Not today.
10. Where E.T. came from?: AFAR. Could only think of UFO. Nice clue.
14. As vertical as possible, as an embedded anchor: APEAK. New word to me. And ROPE (15A. Anchor attachment). Nice 'anchor" sequence.
16. Charm: MOJO. Tiger's is fading fast.
19. Run off at the mouth: BLAB
20. Made the trip: CAME. Awful storm outside now.
21. Uncommonly big: OUTSIZED. Like ego.
28. Friend you probably never met: PEN PAL
30. Spread with cocktails: PATE. Who doesn't like pâté de foie gras?
33. Leopardlike critter: OCELOT. Nice to see you again.
35. Skye of film: IONE. She's in "Say Anything ...".
40. Like many a 45-Across: DANK. And CELLAR (45A. Underground room).
41. Hitchcock classic: PSYCHO. Wish I had never seen the movie.
42. Swing voter: Abbr.: IND. And JAN (43D. Pres. inauguration month).
43. Singer Feliciano: JOSE. Got him today. See, I am capable of learning.
49. '50s Kenyan revolutionary: MAUMAU. Great to see the full name rather than the half MAU. "When doubled, Kenyan revolutionary" is just as bad as the old "Half fly" for TSE.
51. PBS funder: NEA
53. Cancún coins: CENTAVOS. Spanish for "cents". Alliteration again.
56. Hebrew prophet: AMOS. Got the answer from crosses. He's a minor prophet.
57. Fast fliers: JETS. SSTS too.
61. War god: ARES. In Greek myth. TYR is the Norse war god.
62. "Law & Order: SVU" actor: ICE-T. Yawner.
63. Sloping edge of a chisel: BEZEL. See this picture.
64. Author Zane: GREY. Again, strung his name together from crosses.
65. Big name in lawn equipment: TORO. Or DEERE. Toro is based here in MN.
66. Fish basket: CREEL
Down:
1. It's replaced after a fill-up: GAS CAP. Its symmetrical partner in the grid is RESELL (48. Transfer for a price, as a used car: RESELL). I like the car connection. Good bookends for the grid.
2. Sedative: OPIATE
3. St. John's athletes, until 1994: REDMEN. Now Red Storm. Native American sensitivity issue.
5. Go downhill fast?: SKI. Can't fool me.
6. Toyota hybrid: PRIUS. Latin for "prior".
7. Pirate's haul: LOOT
8. Music with a number: OPUS
9. Stop: DESIST. Cease and desist.
10. The color of honey: AMBER. Sweet! I love honeyed nuts.
11. Nonsense: FOLDEROL. Often see the answer as clue.
12. Steely Dan album pronounced like a continent: AJA. Pronounced like "Asia".
13. Stick up: ROB
18. Air-conditioned: COOLED
22. Ballet-dancing Muppet: ZOE. I've never even seen one episode of "Sesame Street".
24. Pass rusher's success: SACK
26. VAIO computer maker: SONY. Our old editor once clued VAIO as "Sony computer".
27. Golfer's gismo: TEE. I spell gismo as "gizmo".
30. Rapper's entourage: POSSE
31. Mem. of the bar: ATTY. Much better than ATT.
34. Indy 500's 200: LAPS
35. Golden calf, e.g.: IDOL
36. Agent Scully of "The X-Files": DANA. Not a fan of "The X-Files" either.
37. Hall of Fame guest of honor: INDUCTEE
38. Permission to use: ACCESS. Access to database. Permission to use the database. OK.
39. Perlman of "Cheers": RHEA. Danny DeVito's wife.
44. Uniform: OUTFIT
46. Childbirth education pioneer: LAMAZE. I like the answer.
47. Orbital high point: APOGEE. Low point is Perigee.
51. Acknowledge with a head movement: NOD TO
54. Sacramento's __ Arena: ARCO. Home to Sacramento Kings.
56. Say assuredly: AVER
57. Binge: JAG. Both mean "a drinking spree".
60. "Desperate Housewives" network: ABC
Happy Birthday, Hahtool! Thanks for bringing us inspiring QOD every morning.
Answer grid.
C.C.
