Theme: DEFENSE (36D. Stadium chant, and word that can follow the ends of the answers to starred clues)
16A. *Dictated reminder: NOTE TO SELF. Self-Defense.
19A. *"We must be nuts!": THIS IS INSANITY. Insanity Defense. Pleading "Not guilty by reasons of insanity".
32A. *Restricted airspace: NO FLY ZONE. Zone Defense. Basketball/football.
50. *"We answer to a higher authority" brand: HEBREW NATIONAL. National Defense. I've never heard of the kosher hot dog/sausage brand Hebrew National, made by ConAgra.
55. *Marquee name: MOVIE TITLE. Title Defense.
A healthy 63 theme squares. Heavy themage. The first two and the last two theme answers are overlapped. A feature of many of Dan's puzzles.
Today's Dan Naddor Index (non-theme entries with 6 or more letters) is 24. Very high. Nice stacks of 7-letter Down entries in each quadrant.
My favorite clue is WMDS (51D. Scary arms, briefly). Nailed it immediately. Did fall into trap of calculating the clue for EFFS (9D. 40% of fifty). Not enough blanks for TWENTY or SCORE. Then I realized the letter play trick. There are two letter Fs in the word "fifty", hence spelled-out EFFS.
16A. *Dictated reminder: NOTE TO SELF. Self-Defense.
19A. *"We must be nuts!": THIS IS INSANITY. Insanity Defense. Pleading "Not guilty by reasons of insanity".
32A. *Restricted airspace: NO FLY ZONE. Zone Defense. Basketball/football.
50. *"We answer to a higher authority" brand: HEBREW NATIONAL. National Defense. I've never heard of the kosher hot dog/sausage brand Hebrew National, made by ConAgra.
55. *Marquee name: MOVIE TITLE. Title Defense.
A healthy 63 theme squares. Heavy themage. The first two and the last two theme answers are overlapped. A feature of many of Dan's puzzles.
Today's Dan Naddor Index (non-theme entries with 6 or more letters) is 24. Very high. Nice stacks of 7-letter Down entries in each quadrant.
My favorite clue is WMDS (51D. Scary arms, briefly). Nailed it immediately. Did fall into trap of calculating the clue for EFFS (9D. 40% of fifty). Not enough blanks for TWENTY or SCORE. Then I realized the letter play trick. There are two letter Fs in the word "fifty", hence spelled-out EFFS.
Across:
1. Dadaism co-founder: ARP (Jean)
4A. "I'm serious!": NO JOKE. Three Js in this grid.
10. Egyptian viper: ASP. The kind that killed Cleopatra.
13. Chase, in a way: WOO. Wanted RUN.
14. Supposing: EVEN IF
15. Zig or zag: VEER
18. Wrath, in a hymn title: IRAE. "Dies Irae".
1. Dadaism co-founder: ARP (Jean)
4A. "I'm serious!": NO JOKE. Three Js in this grid.
10. Egyptian viper: ASP. The kind that killed Cleopatra.
13. Chase, in a way: WOO. Wanted RUN.
14. Supposing: EVEN IF
15. Zig or zag: VEER
18. Wrath, in a hymn title: IRAE. "Dies Irae".
21. Word with car or bumper: POOL. Have never heard of the billiards game bumper pool, which only has 2 pockets.
22. Dover's st.: DEL. Where Biden is from.
23. Skedaddles: SCATS. And SPLITS (61A. Skedaddles).
24. Derby drinks: JULEPS. Have you been to Kentucky Derby? I bet Windhover has.
26. Moor on stage: OTHELLO. The only Moor I know.
28. Beef source: STEER. Oh, real beef, not complaint.
29. Flowery welcome: ALOHA
35. First name in tyranny: IDI. Uganda's Idi Amin.
38. Donnybrook: MELEE
39. __ talk: TRASH
43. Classic TV family: NELSONS. From "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet". Stumped me.
45. Filmdom: CINEMA
46. Second of three black keys: A FLAT. No idea. I've never touched a piano.
49. Sea depleted by irrigation projects: ARAL. The Shrinking Sea.
57. Italian vineyard region: ASTI. In northwest Italy.
58. "It __ matter": DOESN'T
59. Years and years: EON
60. The Carolinas' __ Dee River: PEE. Named after the Pee Dee Tribe.
62. CD players: DJS
Down:
1. Barley bristle: AWN. Like this. Last time it's clued as "Grass appendage".
2. Destroy completely: ROOT OUT
3. Asphalt fault: POTHOLE. Nice rhyming sound.
4. Clears: NETS
5. Eggs, e.g.: OVOIDS. Always thought of "ovoid" as adjective.
6. Longtime North Carolina senator Helms: JESSE. Not fond of the clue because SEN is the answer for 31A. VIP on the Hill.
7. NBC newsman Roger: O'NEIL. Total stranger to me. Can't even find a picture of him.
8. Potter's need: KILN. Was worried that it might be Harry Potter related.
10. Shots from above: AERIALS. Was picturing snipers.
11. "Grey's Anatomy" setting: SEATTLE. The answer emerged itself.
12. Victimizes: PREYS ON
15. Country singer Gill: VINCE. What's his most famous song?
17. Actress Brennan: EILEEN. Oh, she's the terrible officer in "Private Benjamin".
20. People or region of Ghana: ASHANTI. New word to me. Only know the singer Ashanti.
21. Dr. Dentons, e.g.: PJS. Not familiar with Dr. Dentons at all. Don't wear PJS.
25. Hype: PROMOTE
26. Slip through the cracks?: OOZE. Why question mark?
33. Squishy lowland: FEN. Marshy swamp.
34. Verdi title bandit: ERNANI. The opera was based on Hugo's play "Hernani". I was clueless.
35. Piled any which way: IN A HEAP. Parallel with another 3-word entry I'LL BITE (37D. "It's a trick, but tell me"). Terrific entries.
40. Effervescent, perhaps: AERATED.
41. IHOP order: SMALL OJ
42. Dave's "2001" nemesis: HAL. The "2001" computer.
44. New York restaurateur: SARDI (Vincent). The owner of Sardi's Restaurant in Broadway.
45. Customer: CLIENT
47. Subject of contemplation?: NAVEL. Contemplate one's navel.
48. Formal "Who's there?" response: IT IS I
52. Don Knotts denial: NOOP! Easy guess.
53. Baseball's Mel and Ed: OTTS. Only knew Mel Ott.
56. Dash widths: ENS. Or EMS.
34. Verdi title bandit: ERNANI. The opera was based on Hugo's play "Hernani". I was clueless.
35. Piled any which way: IN A HEAP. Parallel with another 3-word entry I'LL BITE (37D. "It's a trick, but tell me"). Terrific entries.
40. Effervescent, perhaps: AERATED.
41. IHOP order: SMALL OJ
42. Dave's "2001" nemesis: HAL. The "2001" computer.
44. New York restaurateur: SARDI (Vincent). The owner of Sardi's Restaurant in Broadway.
45. Customer: CLIENT
47. Subject of contemplation?: NAVEL. Contemplate one's navel.
48. Formal "Who's there?" response: IT IS I
52. Don Knotts denial: NOOP! Easy guess.
53. Baseball's Mel and Ed: OTTS. Only knew Mel Ott.
56. Dash widths: ENS. Or EMS.
I'd like to share with you a very touching story Rich Norris (LA Times crossword editor) told me about Dan Naddor's memorial service:
"There were more than 100 chairs set up in the room. I paid little attention to the decor until the first speaker pointed out that it was not an accident that some chairs had white covers and others had black covers. When viewed from above, the black-covered chairs were in the same pattern as the black squares in Dan's last puzzle (Deliver-ANCE) published before he passed away! I thought it was a brilliant touch. "
LA Times also made available Dan's "Star Search" mentioned as one of Rich's favorites in Dan's obit.
Answer grid.
C.C.
