Theme: Crazy Love - All of the 13-letter theme answers are anagrams of VALENTINE'S DAY. In cryptic crossword, the word "crazy" is an indicator of an anagram.
24A. Run-down old Roman truck?: SEEDY LATIN VAN. Run-down = Seedy.
32A. Tax expiration headline?: LEVY IS AT AN END
59A. Out-of-work Baltic natives?: NEEDY LATVIANS. Latvia is in the Baltic region.
80A. Attack the Falkland Islands' capital?: INVADE STANLEY. Stanley is the capital of The Falkland Islands, an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean. Who knows?
106A. Cowgirl in a crib?: TINY DALE EVANS. Dale Evans is crowned as "Queen of Cowgirl".
118A. Some gondola passengers?: LADY VENETIANS. Gondolas are widely used in Venice.
16D. Shrink everyone wants to be like?: ENVIED ANALYST
58D. This puzzle's theme - each of seven answers is a 77-Down of it: VALENTINE'S DAY
And non-symmetrical cross-referenced ANAGRAM (77D. Roped, to Pedro). Roped is an anagram of Pedro. Plus a hidden 13-letter VALENTINE'S DAY anagrammed constructor's name - Natalie Dyvens. Is that you, Rich?
Happy Valentine's Day, everyone. And Happy Chinese Spring Festival! 新年快乐! 恭喜发财!
Today is Dennis's two-year anniversary with the blog, so we decided to team up and co-write today's puzzle analysis. (No, C.C. decided. And it's now 2 am and I'm still writing.)
Very creative theme concept, perfect for Valentine's Day, but it also results in some strained theme answers. A necessary sacrifice for a "crazy" theme. Both of us thoroughly enjoyed this puzzle and were amused and entertained by many clues.
Across:
1. Register: SIGN IN. Reminds Dennis of the old 'What's My Line' show -- "mystery guest, sign in please."
7. '70s-'80s FBI sting aimed at corrupt politicians: ABSCAM. Got several Philly politicians in that one, including the late Congressman John Murtha.
19. Frito-Lay corn snacks: CHEETOS. Dennis loves the crunchy ones, as opposed to the puffy ones.
21. Secret: ARCANE. Same root as the "tarot card group" ARCANA, which stumped many of us last time.
22. Biden predecessor: CHENEY (Dick). No one's idea of a great hunting partner. He definitely knows the Halliburton founder ERLE.
23. Crisis phone service: HOTLINE. From Dennis: I could've used it for several clues in this one.
26. Ajar, in poems: OPE. As in open, which is not necessarily ajar.
27. Drudge: SERF
29. Salem-to-Portland dir.: NNE
30. CNN launcher: TBS. Turner Broadcasting System launched CNN in 1980.
31. Desperate: DIRE. As in dire straits.
36. Start of a French oath: SACRE. "Sacre bleu!". Mild French profanity. Literally "sacred blue!"
38. Sailing or whaling: ASEA. Clever rhyming.
39. CFO's degree, maybe: MBA. The constructor opted CFO rather than CEO for the clue to avoid duplication with the answer CEO (37D. Co. leader), who more often has the MBA degree.
40. Chelsea zoo opening?: ZED. The opening letter of "zoo" is Z, which is pronounced as ZED in Chelsea, England.
42. Mug with a hinged lid: SEIDEL. German for beer mug. Rooted in Latin "Situla" (bucket). New word to both of us.
45. "G.T.O." singers __ & the Daytonas: RONNY. A gimme for Dennis, both because the car's a favorite of his and the time-frame of the song. GTO is often clued as "Ronny and the Daytonas hit"
47. Million-millennia period: AEON. A variant spelling of eon.
48. Schooners' contents: ALES. Then we also have PALE DRY (71A. Ginger ale type). A regretable clue/answer duplication. Ginger ale was created in 1904 by Canadian pharmacist John J. McLaughlin.
50. 10th century Norwegian king: OLAV I. Jeez, just how many Olavs were there up there, besides Jerome's grandpa?
51. Numerical entry aid: KEYPAD. Dennis wishes his laptop had one.
53. A big fan of: INTO. Dennis is currently into Wendy's doubles. The hamburgers, that is.
55. Quick cut: SNIP
56. Service abbr.: NAV. The Navy. The Marines are a department of the Navy. The men's department. A joke, of course - all the services are equally great and equally important.
64. Jolson and Jarreau: ALS
65. List ender: Abbr.: ET AL. From et alii; "and others".
67. "__ you sure?": ARE: From Dennis: C.C., are you sure you want me blogging?
68. Stephanie's dad: EFREM. Efrem Zimbalist Jr. A Purple Heart recipient from WWII. Loved him in 77 Sunset Strip and The FBI, two '50s/'60s-era TV series.
69. Easy to use: WIELDY. Hardly ever used. Its antonym, unwieldy, is quite common.
73. Not seen as much: RARER
74. Near the beginning: EARLY ON
75. Bullfight cheer: OLE OLE. Did the duplication fool anyone else? Wasn't expecting six letters.
76. English cattle breed: DEVON. Named after the English county where the breed was first developed. Are they used in Wendy's doubles, Windhover?
77. Flying stat.: ALT (Altitude). Kinda critical to flight.
78. Electronics time meas.: MSEC (Microsecond). Any more, it's all about nanoseconds. FYI, a nanosecond is to a second what a second is to 30 years.
79. Salon acquisition: TAN
84. __-80: old computer model: TRS. An early model (late '70s) from Radio Shack (Tandy Corporation).
85. Like SFO and LAX: INTL. Both San Francisco and Los Angeles have international airports.
87. Senior housing?: DORM. College seniors, of course.
88. Scottish property owners: LAIRDS. Scottish variant of LORD (108D. Titled nobleman)
90. All-time Blue Jays' winningest pitcher Dave: STIEB. Pronounced like "Steeb". A gimme for both of us.
94. Cranberry sources: BOGS. Nice spin on "Cranberry sauces". Got lots within an hour of Dennis's place.
95. Golfer's problem: SLICE. Yeah, most golfers are slicers. Some are hookers. Dennis has a feeling C.C. isn't cursed with a slice or a hook.
99. Medieval estates: MANORS. Here is a good example.
101. D.C. player: NAT. Washington Nationals, the perennial doormat of the NL East.
102. Berne's river: AAR.. Should be a gimme for most by now.
103. Auth. of many quotes?: ANON. Becoming a four-letter word on the blog.
104. Scandal-plagued giant: ENRON. Dennis feels "Scandal-plagued" is a bit of an understatement. .
111. Egg holder: NEST. Clever.
113. Clear: RID. Verb "clear".
115. John, to Paul: LOO. John is a slang for "toilet/LOO". We've seen "John, to Ringo" gimmick before. Did anyone not think of the Beatles first?
116. "__-Dick": MOBY. DFettes, what was your answer?
117. Morgantown sch.: WVU (West Virginia University).
122. Graceful antlered critter: ROE DEER. A Eurasian species of deer. Pretty common in crosswords. They do look graceful.
124. Head cases?: CRANIA. Literally yes. Plural of cranium, the "case" of our heads.
125. Renoir subject: BATHER. See this picture. "Degas subject" would be DANCER.
126. "Let's Make a Deal" option: DOOR ONE. Of three. You could keep the prize you'd won or gamble and take what was behind doors one, two or three. C.C. has never watched "Let's Make a Deal".
127. Most insidious: SLYEST. Or SLIEST.
128. Risky dates: TRYSTS. Really? Why risky? Isn't it just a meeting between two lovers?
129. Barely made a ripple in, as during a dive: KNIFED. Very difficult to do properly. The meaning is new to C.C.
Down:
1. Bookman: SCHOLAR. Dennis's initial reaction was something CPA-related.
2. "God willing!": I HOPE SO
3. Settle a score: GET EVEN. "Revenge is a dish best served cold."
4. Donizetti aria "Regnava __ silenzio": NEL. "Regnava nel silenzio" is literally "reigned in silence"/"silence reigned' in Italian. NEL is "in the".
5. Response at the door: IT IS I. If someone said that at Dennis's door, he'd leave it closed.
6. Canonical hour: NONES. Dictionary says it's usually the ninth hour after sunrise.
8. Three-time Oscar-winning character actor Walter: BRENNAN. Tied with Jack Nicholson for most Academy Award wins by a male actor.
9. Hollywood shooting: SCENE
10. Concerto's extended solo passage: CADENZA. From Old Italian, cadence. Dennis has one of those in my office. Oh wait -- that's a credenza.
11. To some degree: ANY. Weak to Dennis.
12. Soften: MELT. Doesn't strike Dennis as synonymous. OK with C.C.
13. Takes the role of: ACT AS
14. How-hot-it-feels meas.: THI (Temperature-Humidity Index)
15. They can climb the walls: TENDRILS. Love Morning Glories.
17. Close: NEAR
18. Force unit: DYNE. Fraction of a newton. Another frequent crossword visitor.
20. Fluids in shots: SERA. Plural of serum.
25. Six-pack makeup: ABS. They're in there somewhere.
28. NSA headquarters site: FT MEADE. South of Baltimore.
33. Pull hard: YANK
34. "Gin __ meet ...": Burns: A BODY. No idea. From Burn's poem "Comin' Through the Rye".
35. Drop off: DELIVER. Nice deception.
41. Leisure fabric: DENIM. Nothing says leisure like jeans..
43. Villain: EVIL DOER. Hmmm... why does this sound familiar?
44. Fakes it, in a way: LIP-SYNCS. As in Milli Vanilli.
46. Longing: YEN
47. Mimic's talent: APERY
49. Concourse locale: Abbr.: STA (Station)
52. Time for an audit: YEAR- END. Dennis is not sure he agrees with that one.
54. Miraculous way to walk?: ON WATER
56. It's a family affair: NEPOTISM. Like what Kim Jong-Il practices.
57. Mythological woman raised by hunters: ATALANTA. Greek myth. The only woman who sailed with Jason & the Argonauts for the Golden Fleece.
24A. Run-down old Roman truck?: SEEDY LATIN VAN. Run-down = Seedy.
32A. Tax expiration headline?: LEVY IS AT AN END
59A. Out-of-work Baltic natives?: NEEDY LATVIANS. Latvia is in the Baltic region.
80A. Attack the Falkland Islands' capital?: INVADE STANLEY. Stanley is the capital of The Falkland Islands, an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean. Who knows?
106A. Cowgirl in a crib?: TINY DALE EVANS. Dale Evans is crowned as "Queen of Cowgirl".
118A. Some gondola passengers?: LADY VENETIANS. Gondolas are widely used in Venice.
16D. Shrink everyone wants to be like?: ENVIED ANALYST
58D. This puzzle's theme - each of seven answers is a 77-Down of it: VALENTINE'S DAY
And non-symmetrical cross-referenced ANAGRAM (77D. Roped, to Pedro). Roped is an anagram of Pedro. Plus a hidden 13-letter VALENTINE'S DAY anagrammed constructor's name - Natalie Dyvens. Is that you, Rich?
Happy Valentine's Day, everyone. And Happy Chinese Spring Festival! 新年快乐! 恭喜发财!
Today is Dennis's two-year anniversary with the blog, so we decided to team up and co-write today's puzzle analysis. (No, C.C. decided. And it's now 2 am and I'm still writing.)
Very creative theme concept, perfect for Valentine's Day, but it also results in some strained theme answers. A necessary sacrifice for a "crazy" theme. Both of us thoroughly enjoyed this puzzle and were amused and entertained by many clues.
Across:
1. Register: SIGN IN. Reminds Dennis of the old 'What's My Line' show -- "mystery guest, sign in please."
7. '70s-'80s FBI sting aimed at corrupt politicians: ABSCAM. Got several Philly politicians in that one, including the late Congressman John Murtha.
19. Frito-Lay corn snacks: CHEETOS. Dennis loves the crunchy ones, as opposed to the puffy ones.
21. Secret: ARCANE. Same root as the "tarot card group" ARCANA, which stumped many of us last time.
22. Biden predecessor: CHENEY (Dick). No one's idea of a great hunting partner. He definitely knows the Halliburton founder ERLE.
23. Crisis phone service: HOTLINE. From Dennis: I could've used it for several clues in this one.
26. Ajar, in poems: OPE. As in open, which is not necessarily ajar.
27. Drudge: SERF
29. Salem-to-Portland dir.: NNE
30. CNN launcher: TBS. Turner Broadcasting System launched CNN in 1980.
31. Desperate: DIRE. As in dire straits.
36. Start of a French oath: SACRE. "Sacre bleu!". Mild French profanity. Literally "sacred blue!"
38. Sailing or whaling: ASEA. Clever rhyming.
39. CFO's degree, maybe: MBA. The constructor opted CFO rather than CEO for the clue to avoid duplication with the answer CEO (37D. Co. leader), who more often has the MBA degree.
40. Chelsea zoo opening?: ZED. The opening letter of "zoo" is Z, which is pronounced as ZED in Chelsea, England.
42. Mug with a hinged lid: SEIDEL. German for beer mug. Rooted in Latin "Situla" (bucket). New word to both of us.
45. "G.T.O." singers __ & the Daytonas: RONNY. A gimme for Dennis, both because the car's a favorite of his and the time-frame of the song. GTO is often clued as "Ronny and the Daytonas hit"
47. Million-millennia period: AEON. A variant spelling of eon.
48. Schooners' contents: ALES. Then we also have PALE DRY (71A. Ginger ale type). A regretable clue/answer duplication. Ginger ale was created in 1904 by Canadian pharmacist John J. McLaughlin.
50. 10th century Norwegian king: OLAV I. Jeez, just how many Olavs were there up there, besides Jerome's grandpa?
51. Numerical entry aid: KEYPAD. Dennis wishes his laptop had one.
53. A big fan of: INTO. Dennis is currently into Wendy's doubles. The hamburgers, that is.
55. Quick cut: SNIP
56. Service abbr.: NAV. The Navy. The Marines are a department of the Navy. The men's department. A joke, of course - all the services are equally great and equally important.
64. Jolson and Jarreau: ALS
65. List ender: Abbr.: ET AL. From et alii; "and others".
67. "__ you sure?": ARE: From Dennis: C.C., are you sure you want me blogging?
68. Stephanie's dad: EFREM. Efrem Zimbalist Jr. A Purple Heart recipient from WWII. Loved him in 77 Sunset Strip and The FBI, two '50s/'60s-era TV series.
69. Easy to use: WIELDY. Hardly ever used. Its antonym, unwieldy, is quite common.
73. Not seen as much: RARER
74. Near the beginning: EARLY ON
75. Bullfight cheer: OLE OLE. Did the duplication fool anyone else? Wasn't expecting six letters.
76. English cattle breed: DEVON. Named after the English county where the breed was first developed. Are they used in Wendy's doubles, Windhover?
77. Flying stat.: ALT (Altitude). Kinda critical to flight.
78. Electronics time meas.: MSEC (Microsecond). Any more, it's all about nanoseconds. FYI, a nanosecond is to a second what a second is to 30 years.
79. Salon acquisition: TAN
84. __-80: old computer model: TRS. An early model (late '70s) from Radio Shack (Tandy Corporation).
85. Like SFO and LAX: INTL. Both San Francisco and Los Angeles have international airports.
87. Senior housing?: DORM. College seniors, of course.
88. Scottish property owners: LAIRDS. Scottish variant of LORD (108D. Titled nobleman)
90. All-time Blue Jays' winningest pitcher Dave: STIEB. Pronounced like "Steeb". A gimme for both of us.
94. Cranberry sources: BOGS. Nice spin on "Cranberry sauces". Got lots within an hour of Dennis's place.
95. Golfer's problem: SLICE. Yeah, most golfers are slicers. Some are hookers. Dennis has a feeling C.C. isn't cursed with a slice or a hook.
99. Medieval estates: MANORS. Here is a good example.
101. D.C. player: NAT. Washington Nationals, the perennial doormat of the NL East.
102. Berne's river: AAR.. Should be a gimme for most by now.
103. Auth. of many quotes?: ANON. Becoming a four-letter word on the blog.
104. Scandal-plagued giant: ENRON. Dennis feels "Scandal-plagued" is a bit of an understatement. .
111. Egg holder: NEST. Clever.
113. Clear: RID. Verb "clear".
115. John, to Paul: LOO. John is a slang for "toilet/LOO". We've seen "John, to Ringo" gimmick before. Did anyone not think of the Beatles first?
116. "__-Dick": MOBY. DFettes, what was your answer?
117. Morgantown sch.: WVU (West Virginia University).
122. Graceful antlered critter: ROE DEER. A Eurasian species of deer. Pretty common in crosswords. They do look graceful.
124. Head cases?: CRANIA. Literally yes. Plural of cranium, the "case" of our heads.
125. Renoir subject: BATHER. See this picture. "Degas subject" would be DANCER.
126. "Let's Make a Deal" option: DOOR ONE. Of three. You could keep the prize you'd won or gamble and take what was behind doors one, two or three. C.C. has never watched "Let's Make a Deal".
127. Most insidious: SLYEST. Or SLIEST.
128. Risky dates: TRYSTS. Really? Why risky? Isn't it just a meeting between two lovers?
129. Barely made a ripple in, as during a dive: KNIFED. Very difficult to do properly. The meaning is new to C.C.
Down:
1. Bookman: SCHOLAR. Dennis's initial reaction was something CPA-related.
2. "God willing!": I HOPE SO
3. Settle a score: GET EVEN. "Revenge is a dish best served cold."
4. Donizetti aria "Regnava __ silenzio": NEL. "Regnava nel silenzio" is literally "reigned in silence"/"silence reigned' in Italian. NEL is "in the".
5. Response at the door: IT IS I. If someone said that at Dennis's door, he'd leave it closed.
6. Canonical hour: NONES. Dictionary says it's usually the ninth hour after sunrise.
8. Three-time Oscar-winning character actor Walter: BRENNAN. Tied with Jack Nicholson for most Academy Award wins by a male actor.
9. Hollywood shooting: SCENE
10. Concerto's extended solo passage: CADENZA. From Old Italian, cadence. Dennis has one of those in my office. Oh wait -- that's a credenza.
11. To some degree: ANY. Weak to Dennis.
12. Soften: MELT. Doesn't strike Dennis as synonymous. OK with C.C.
13. Takes the role of: ACT AS
14. How-hot-it-feels meas.: THI (Temperature-Humidity Index)
15. They can climb the walls: TENDRILS. Love Morning Glories.
17. Close: NEAR
18. Force unit: DYNE. Fraction of a newton. Another frequent crossword visitor.
20. Fluids in shots: SERA. Plural of serum.
25. Six-pack makeup: ABS. They're in there somewhere.
28. NSA headquarters site: FT MEADE. South of Baltimore.
33. Pull hard: YANK
34. "Gin __ meet ...": Burns: A BODY. No idea. From Burn's poem "Comin' Through the Rye".
35. Drop off: DELIVER. Nice deception.
41. Leisure fabric: DENIM. Nothing says leisure like jeans..
43. Villain: EVIL DOER. Hmmm... why does this sound familiar?
44. Fakes it, in a way: LIP-SYNCS. As in Milli Vanilli.
46. Longing: YEN
47. Mimic's talent: APERY
49. Concourse locale: Abbr.: STA (Station)
52. Time for an audit: YEAR- END. Dennis is not sure he agrees with that one.
54. Miraculous way to walk?: ON WATER
56. It's a family affair: NEPOTISM. Like what Kim Jong-Il practices.
57. Mythological woman raised by hunters: ATALANTA. Greek myth. The only woman who sailed with Jason & the Argonauts for the Golden Fleece.
60. Time off: LEAVE. Is this ever used outside of the military?
61. Fuzzy dos: AFROS
62. 16th century council site: TRENT. Council of Trent (1545-1563). The Ecumenical Council of the Roman Catholic Church.
63. Round Table title: SIR. Knights of the Round Table.
66. Heavenly lion: LEO. The constellation.
70. Shade provider: ELM
72. Caesar's 551: DLI. The obligatory Roman Numeral clue.
73. Lamb, e.g.: RED MEAT. Dennis was thinking something related to the essayist Lamb. Faked himself out.
74. Onetime immigration center __ Island: ELLIS
76. "Mack the Knife" singer: DARIN (Bobby). Huge back in Dennis' day.
81. OED unit: VOL (Volume). OED = Oxford English Dictionary.
82. Plenty: A LOAD. No, not touching it.
83. NFL rushing nos.: YDS (Yards)
86. Price of many operas: LEONTYNE. American Soprano Leontyne Price, best known for the title role of Verdi's Aida. Tricky placement of "Price" at the beginning of the clue.
89. Czech, for one: SLAV. Ok, this one's getting a little tiresome.
91. "It's sooo cold!": BRR. We both can relate.
93. SUV part: UTILITY. SUV = Sport Utility Vehicle.
94. Weapon attached to a rifle: BAYONET
96. Amazed by: IN AWE OF
97. Meet: CONVENE. Usually a committee or something similar.
98. Made certain: ENSURE. Insure too.
100. Not happy with: SORE AT
105. Diarist Anaïs: NIN. Erotic diaries.
109. Online read: E-BOOK. We both still prefer the real thing.
110. "I've got my __ you!": EYE ON. "Hands" didn't work, unfortunately, for Dennis. Lots of fill-in-the-blanks in this grid.
111. World Series qualifying matchup, briefly: NLCS (National League Championship Series)
112. Sandwich guy?: EARL. Earl of Sandwich, who popularized sandwich in England.
114. Owed money: DEBT
119. Haze reduces it: Abbr.: VIS (Visibility)
120. Sailor: TAR. GOB is also a slang for "sailor".
121. Many Soc. Sec. recipients: SRS (Seniors). Raising hand.
123. Soft & __: deodorant: DRI
More from Dennis:
Today, in addition to Valentine's Day, is National Organ Donor Day. An excellent idea on at least two levels ...
Today's Words of Wisdom: "Don't get sucked into doing a Sunday blog for C.C. when you have to be up at 5:30am the next morning." - guess who
Answer grid.
Dennis & C.C.
61. Fuzzy dos: AFROS
62. 16th century council site: TRENT. Council of Trent (1545-1563). The Ecumenical Council of the Roman Catholic Church.
63. Round Table title: SIR. Knights of the Round Table.
66. Heavenly lion: LEO. The constellation.
70. Shade provider: ELM
72. Caesar's 551: DLI. The obligatory Roman Numeral clue.
73. Lamb, e.g.: RED MEAT. Dennis was thinking something related to the essayist Lamb. Faked himself out.
74. Onetime immigration center __ Island: ELLIS
76. "Mack the Knife" singer: DARIN (Bobby). Huge back in Dennis' day.
81. OED unit: VOL (Volume). OED = Oxford English Dictionary.
82. Plenty: A LOAD. No, not touching it.
83. NFL rushing nos.: YDS (Yards)
86. Price of many operas: LEONTYNE. American Soprano Leontyne Price, best known for the title role of Verdi's Aida. Tricky placement of "Price" at the beginning of the clue.
89. Czech, for one: SLAV. Ok, this one's getting a little tiresome.
91. "It's sooo cold!": BRR. We both can relate.
93. SUV part: UTILITY. SUV = Sport Utility Vehicle.
94. Weapon attached to a rifle: BAYONET
96. Amazed by: IN AWE OF
97. Meet: CONVENE. Usually a committee or something similar.
98. Made certain: ENSURE. Insure too.
100. Not happy with: SORE AT
105. Diarist Anaïs: NIN. Erotic diaries.
109. Online read: E-BOOK. We both still prefer the real thing.
110. "I've got my __ you!": EYE ON. "Hands" didn't work, unfortunately, for Dennis. Lots of fill-in-the-blanks in this grid.
111. World Series qualifying matchup, briefly: NLCS (National League Championship Series)
112. Sandwich guy?: EARL. Earl of Sandwich, who popularized sandwich in England.
114. Owed money: DEBT
119. Haze reduces it: Abbr.: VIS (Visibility)
120. Sailor: TAR. GOB is also a slang for "sailor".
121. Many Soc. Sec. recipients: SRS (Seniors). Raising hand.
123. Soft & __: deodorant: DRI
More from Dennis:
Today, in addition to Valentine's Day, is National Organ Donor Day. An excellent idea on at least two levels ...
Today's Words of Wisdom: "Don't get sucked into doing a Sunday blog for C.C. when you have to be up at 5:30am the next morning." - guess who
Answer grid.
Dennis & C.C.
