Theme: SECRETARIES (54A. Heads of the tails of 18-, 23-, 36- and 48-Across) - The tail word of each theme entry is a US department headed by a secretary.
18A. Court strategy: ZONE DEFENSE. Secretary of Defense. Basketball court.
23A. Some contractions: FALSE LABOR. Secretary of Labor.
36A. Mid-Atlantic nickname, with "The": QUAKER STATE. Secretary of State. Pennsylvania.
48A. Like hikers' snack food: HIGH ENERGY. Secretary of Energy. The dates & cashew Larabars are my favorite snacks.
Great clue for the unifying theme entry SECRETARIES.
Samuel A. Donaldson mentioned in his interview that he's fond of non-theme multiple-word entries. I counted 10 in today's grid.
I also liked the three weaving "court" clues:
18A. Court strategy: ZONE DEFENSE.
13D: Take to court: SUE.
56D. 1973 court name: ROE. Roe v. Wade.
Lovely echo. Small details delighted me.
Across:
1. Retired flier, briefly: SST. And SKY (28D. Pilot's beat).
4. Angry trick-or-treater, perhaps: EGGER. Is this a common word? I've never used it.
14. Last half of a drink?: TAI. Last half of Mai Tai. Stumped me.
15. 22-Across lullaby syllables: LOO RA. And IRISH (22A. Lucky ones?). The luck of the Irish. Was unaware of the Irish lullaby "Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-Ral"
16. Part of a Valentine's text message: I LUV U
17. First name in objectivism: AYN (Rand). The only objectivism name I know.
20. Escaped convict's need: FAKE ID. Nice answer.
26. 35-member treaty gp.: OAS (Organization of American States)
29. Apt name for a herding dog: SHEP. And PEKE (52D. Short dog, for short). Pekingese. We just call it lion dog in China.
30. U.K. awards: OBES (Orders of the British Empire)
31. Moved furtively: SNUCK
33. Alley Oop's girlfriend: OOOLA. Finally I remembered her name.
35. Like mud puddles: SLOSHY
38. Contests on horseback: JOUSTS. Wrote down RODEOS first.
40. "__ Nothing": 1993 Whitney Houston hit: I HAVE. Loved "The Bodyguard". Did not remember this song though.
42. Cause of a run: SNAG. Oh, pantyhose run.
43. __ dire: jury interview: VOIR. Voire dire (vwahr deer) is new to me. I do know the individual French words: voir "to see" & dire "to say". Makes sense.
47. Old CIA foe: KGB. And JFK (38D. Queens airport, familiarly ) & ORG (39D. Nonprofit's URL). Three abbreviations are crowded in this section.
50. Political exile, for short: EXPAT. Well, I am a just Chinese expat living in the US, not an exile.
53. __ it over: ruled: LORDED
58. Hot season for a Parisian: ETE. Yawner.
59. Word after control or neat: FREAK
60. Pocahontas's spouse: ROLFE (John). His name escaped me.
62. Where ham is often found: ON RYE. Not a fan of rye bread.
63. Sellout lack: SEATS. Was thinking of the traitor "sellout".
64. Sgt.'s superiors: LTS ( Lieutenants)
Down:
2. Checkup request: SAY AAH
3. Wind chime sound: TINKLE
4. "Popeye" creator Segar: ELZIE. Only knew him as E. C. Segar.
5. They usually aren't enough, so it's said: GOOD LOOKS. Oh well, even with good brains, still not enough for some men. Look at Elin Nordegren.
6. Poly- ending: GON. Polygon.
7. "... __ he drove out of sight": ERE. "But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight..."
8. Boom boxes: RADIOS
9. Hi-tech airport connection: WI-FI
10. Pints' contents: ALES
11. Midway attraction: FUN HOUSE. Have never been to one.
12. Sports bar array: TVS
21. Advocate, as a cause: ESPOUSE. Nailed it.
25. Demeanor: BEARING
27. Düsseldorf "D'oh!": ACH. Alliteration again.
31. Croat or Serb: SLAV
32. At no time: NOT EVER
34. Wild things to sow?: OATS. Sow wild oats.
35. One way for an actor to exit: STAGE LEFT. Had trouble obtaining this answer.
36. Many a Canadian francophone: QUEBECER. Oh, did not know a person from Quebec is called a Quebecer.
37. Old Iranian VIP: SHAH
42. Indian instruments: SITARS. Indian lute.
44. It's no picnic: ORDEAL
45. "Yeah, yeah, very funny": I GET IT. Lovely clue/answer.
46. Comics cowboy Red and others: RYDERS. Not familiar with this comic or the cowboy at all.
48. Magician's prop: HAT
49. Rhinoplasty targets: NOSES. Rhino is a prefix for "nose".
51. Picture of bones, often: X-RAYS
54. Northern Cal. hub: SFO. San Francisco International Airport. What does O stand for? (Added later: See this great link from Warren.)
55. Coastal bird: ERN
57. Pier gp.: ILA (International Longshoremen's Association)
Answer grid.
See you tomorrow!
C.C.
18A. Court strategy: ZONE DEFENSE. Secretary of Defense. Basketball court.
23A. Some contractions: FALSE LABOR. Secretary of Labor.
36A. Mid-Atlantic nickname, with "The": QUAKER STATE. Secretary of State. Pennsylvania.
48A. Like hikers' snack food: HIGH ENERGY. Secretary of Energy. The dates & cashew Larabars are my favorite snacks.
Great clue for the unifying theme entry SECRETARIES.
Samuel A. Donaldson mentioned in his interview that he's fond of non-theme multiple-word entries. I counted 10 in today's grid.
I also liked the three weaving "court" clues:
18A. Court strategy: ZONE DEFENSE.
13D: Take to court: SUE.
56D. 1973 court name: ROE. Roe v. Wade.
Lovely echo. Small details delighted me.
Across:
1. Retired flier, briefly: SST. And SKY (28D. Pilot's beat).
4. Angry trick-or-treater, perhaps: EGGER. Is this a common word? I've never used it.
14. Last half of a drink?: TAI. Last half of Mai Tai. Stumped me.
15. 22-Across lullaby syllables: LOO RA. And IRISH (22A. Lucky ones?). The luck of the Irish. Was unaware of the Irish lullaby "Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-Ral"
16. Part of a Valentine's text message: I LUV U
17. First name in objectivism: AYN (Rand). The only objectivism name I know.
20. Escaped convict's need: FAKE ID. Nice answer.
26. 35-member treaty gp.: OAS (Organization of American States)
29. Apt name for a herding dog: SHEP. And PEKE (52D. Short dog, for short). Pekingese. We just call it lion dog in China.
30. U.K. awards: OBES (Orders of the British Empire)
31. Moved furtively: SNUCK
33. Alley Oop's girlfriend: OOOLA. Finally I remembered her name.
35. Like mud puddles: SLOSHY
38. Contests on horseback: JOUSTS. Wrote down RODEOS first.
40. "__ Nothing": 1993 Whitney Houston hit: I HAVE. Loved "The Bodyguard". Did not remember this song though.
42. Cause of a run: SNAG. Oh, pantyhose run.
43. __ dire: jury interview: VOIR. Voire dire (vwahr deer) is new to me. I do know the individual French words: voir "to see" & dire "to say". Makes sense.
47. Old CIA foe: KGB. And JFK (38D. Queens airport, familiarly ) & ORG (39D. Nonprofit's URL). Three abbreviations are crowded in this section.
50. Political exile, for short: EXPAT. Well, I am a just Chinese expat living in the US, not an exile.
53. __ it over: ruled: LORDED
58. Hot season for a Parisian: ETE. Yawner.
59. Word after control or neat: FREAK
60. Pocahontas's spouse: ROLFE (John). His name escaped me.
62. Where ham is often found: ON RYE. Not a fan of rye bread.
63. Sellout lack: SEATS. Was thinking of the traitor "sellout".
64. Sgt.'s superiors: LTS ( Lieutenants)
Down:
2. Checkup request: SAY AAH
3. Wind chime sound: TINKLE
4. "Popeye" creator Segar: ELZIE. Only knew him as E. C. Segar.
5. They usually aren't enough, so it's said: GOOD LOOKS. Oh well, even with good brains, still not enough for some men. Look at Elin Nordegren.
6. Poly- ending: GON. Polygon.
7. "... __ he drove out of sight": ERE. "But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight..."
8. Boom boxes: RADIOS
9. Hi-tech airport connection: WI-FI
10. Pints' contents: ALES
11. Midway attraction: FUN HOUSE. Have never been to one.
12. Sports bar array: TVS
21. Advocate, as a cause: ESPOUSE. Nailed it.
25. Demeanor: BEARING
27. Düsseldorf "D'oh!": ACH. Alliteration again.
31. Croat or Serb: SLAV
32. At no time: NOT EVER
34. Wild things to sow?: OATS. Sow wild oats.
35. One way for an actor to exit: STAGE LEFT. Had trouble obtaining this answer.
36. Many a Canadian francophone: QUEBECER. Oh, did not know a person from Quebec is called a Quebecer.
37. Old Iranian VIP: SHAH
42. Indian instruments: SITARS. Indian lute.
44. It's no picnic: ORDEAL
45. "Yeah, yeah, very funny": I GET IT. Lovely clue/answer.
46. Comics cowboy Red and others: RYDERS. Not familiar with this comic or the cowboy at all.
48. Magician's prop: HAT
49. Rhinoplasty targets: NOSES. Rhino is a prefix for "nose".
51. Picture of bones, often: X-RAYS
54. Northern Cal. hub: SFO. San Francisco International Airport. What does O stand for? (Added later: See this great link from Warren.)
55. Coastal bird: ERN
57. Pier gp.: ILA (International Longshoremen's Association)
Answer grid.
See you tomorrow!
C.C.
