Theme: SOAP (68A. This puzzle's theme) - The end of each theme answer is a brand of soap.
16A. Ingredient in some glazed chicken wings: ORANGE ZEST. Needs a bit of honey too.
30A. Dashboard tuner: RADIO DIAL
37A. 1982 McCartney/Wonder hit: EBONY AND IVORY. Here is a clip.
44A. It became Ghana in 1957: GOLD COAST. I only know Ivory Coast. Dennis uses Coast, I think.
62A. One of two in a Christmas song: TURTLE DOVE. "The Twelve Days of Christmas".
Nice theme, simple & clean! As the norm with most of the "unifier" puzzles, all of the above soap brands come out of a non-soap context phrases.
I love Olay and Lux brands, can't think of a similar way to phrase them though. What other soap brands are missing?
We also have BATH (67A. Bad thing to take in Vegas?), though clued as financial loss "Take a bath". I penned in ODDS.
Across:
1. Talk back to: SASS. Normally the right or down edge word.
5. Super Bowl XXXIV winners: RAMS. St Louis Rams, 2000.
9. Dance move: STEP
13. Super stars?: NOVAE. Have seen this clue before. Still like it.
14. Singer Brickell: EDIE
15. Land of the Incas: PERU
18. Bring in: REAP
19. Land a plane: SET DOWN
20. Charlie of "Two and a Half Men": SHEEN. Rich always gives us either a given name or a surname in the clues for Wednesday puzzles.
22. Morales of "Jericho": ESAI. Only know him as Tony from the "NYPD Blues".
23. Classified letters: EOE (Equal-Opportunity Employer)
25. Ming things: VASES. Ming Vases. Rhyme.
28. Throat problem: STREP
33. Hood's "piece": GAT. Slang for gun.
35. Drum effect: ROLL. Wrote down ECHO.
36. That, in Toledo: ESO. Alliteration.
41. Carte lead-in: A LA. A la carte.
42. Sanctuary section: APSE. Alliteration.
43. Elongated swimmer: EEL. Long indeed. Nice new clue.
47. American revolutionary who recruited Lafayette: DEANE (Silas). His name rang a faint bell. American's first foreign diplomat.
51. Conductor Previn: ANDRE
52. Rice or Curry: TIM. Fell into the ANN trap.
54. War deity: ARES. Greek god of War.
55. Chicago Eight defendant Bobby: SEALE. No idea. He co-founded the Black Panthers.
58. Gold diggers?: PANNERS. Great clue.
60. "NFL Live" airer: ESPN
64. Political group: BLOC
65. Bond's first movie foe: DR. NO
66. Fax predecessor: TELEX. I first saw a fax machine in 1994. Thought it was a miracle thing.
69. Ladies in Mex.: SRAS
Down:
1. Hurting the most: SOREST
2. 2009 film set in 2154: AVATAR. Several regulars on our blog have seen this movie.
3. City known for its zoo: SAN DIEGO
4. Bell-shaped lily: SEGO. Sego lily.
5. Nine Inch Nails founder Trent __: REZNOR. This dude stumped me last time. Again today. Lethologica!
6. Punch cousin: ADE
7. Overlook: MISS
8. Father of Enos: SETH
9. Large ranch, say: SPREAD. Oh, well, I suppose you can clue RANCH as "Large spread" too, though Dennis might come up with a different answer.
10. More minuscule: TEENSIER
11. Significant time: ERA
12. Litter yipper: PUP. Man, I have difficulty pronouncing the clue. You?
13. They're rubbed in Eskimo kissing: NOSES. Lovely clue.
17. Lea lady: EWE. Nice alliteration also.
21. Slowly developed: EVOLVED
24. Heartfelt: EARNEST
27. __-mo replay: SLO
29. It'll cure anything: PANACEA. Wish it were true.
31. Pentagon tenant, briefly: DOD (Department of Defense)
32. "Would __?": I LIE
34. Secretary's slip: TYPO. Another alliteration.
37. Tar Heel State university: ELON. In Elon, North Carolina. I can never remember it.
38. Comb-over target: BALD SPOT
39. Big-house link: AS A
40. Poisonous ornamental: OLEANDER
41. Ottoman VIP: AGA. So are BEY and PASHA.
45. Soak: DRENCH
46. Of the highest quality: TIPTOP
48. Ring of color: AREOLA. Ah, here you are again. JD, is your lily still blooming?
49. Reason for shaking hands?: NERVES. Your hands are shaking because you are nervous?
50. Devereux's earldom: ESSEX. Easy guess. Don't know who Devereux is.
53. Prefix with content: MAL. Malcontent.
56. 1960s-'80s Fords: LTDS
59. Circus safety features: NETS
60. Go out: EBB. Good clue too.
61. Gp. that kidnapped Patty Hearst: SLA (Symbionese Liberation Army). Any other way to clue SLA besides the Patty Hearst connection?
63. Genetic initials: RNA
Answer grid.
C.C.
16A. Ingredient in some glazed chicken wings: ORANGE ZEST. Needs a bit of honey too.
30A. Dashboard tuner: RADIO DIAL
37A. 1982 McCartney/Wonder hit: EBONY AND IVORY. Here is a clip.
44A. It became Ghana in 1957: GOLD COAST. I only know Ivory Coast. Dennis uses Coast, I think.
62A. One of two in a Christmas song: TURTLE DOVE. "The Twelve Days of Christmas".
Nice theme, simple & clean! As the norm with most of the "unifier" puzzles, all of the above soap brands come out of a non-soap context phrases.
I love Olay and Lux brands, can't think of a similar way to phrase them though. What other soap brands are missing?
We also have BATH (67A. Bad thing to take in Vegas?), though clued as financial loss "Take a bath". I penned in ODDS.
Across:
1. Talk back to: SASS. Normally the right or down edge word.
5. Super Bowl XXXIV winners: RAMS. St Louis Rams, 2000.
9. Dance move: STEP
13. Super stars?: NOVAE. Have seen this clue before. Still like it.
14. Singer Brickell: EDIE
15. Land of the Incas: PERU
18. Bring in: REAP
19. Land a plane: SET DOWN
20. Charlie of "Two and a Half Men": SHEEN. Rich always gives us either a given name or a surname in the clues for Wednesday puzzles.
22. Morales of "Jericho": ESAI. Only know him as Tony from the "NYPD Blues".
23. Classified letters: EOE (Equal-Opportunity Employer)
25. Ming things: VASES. Ming Vases. Rhyme.
28. Throat problem: STREP
33. Hood's "piece": GAT. Slang for gun.
35. Drum effect: ROLL. Wrote down ECHO.
36. That, in Toledo: ESO. Alliteration.
41. Carte lead-in: A LA. A la carte.
42. Sanctuary section: APSE. Alliteration.
43. Elongated swimmer: EEL. Long indeed. Nice new clue.
47. American revolutionary who recruited Lafayette: DEANE (Silas). His name rang a faint bell. American's first foreign diplomat.
51. Conductor Previn: ANDRE
52. Rice or Curry: TIM. Fell into the ANN trap.
54. War deity: ARES. Greek god of War.
55. Chicago Eight defendant Bobby: SEALE. No idea. He co-founded the Black Panthers.
58. Gold diggers?: PANNERS. Great clue.
60. "NFL Live" airer: ESPN
64. Political group: BLOC
65. Bond's first movie foe: DR. NO
66. Fax predecessor: TELEX. I first saw a fax machine in 1994. Thought it was a miracle thing.
69. Ladies in Mex.: SRAS
Down:
1. Hurting the most: SOREST
2. 2009 film set in 2154: AVATAR. Several regulars on our blog have seen this movie.
3. City known for its zoo: SAN DIEGO
4. Bell-shaped lily: SEGO. Sego lily.
5. Nine Inch Nails founder Trent __: REZNOR. This dude stumped me last time. Again today. Lethologica!
6. Punch cousin: ADE
7. Overlook: MISS
8. Father of Enos: SETH
9. Large ranch, say: SPREAD. Oh, well, I suppose you can clue RANCH as "Large spread" too, though Dennis might come up with a different answer.
10. More minuscule: TEENSIER
11. Significant time: ERA
12. Litter yipper: PUP. Man, I have difficulty pronouncing the clue. You?
13. They're rubbed in Eskimo kissing: NOSES. Lovely clue.
17. Lea lady: EWE. Nice alliteration also.
21. Slowly developed: EVOLVED
24. Heartfelt: EARNEST
27. __-mo replay: SLO
29. It'll cure anything: PANACEA. Wish it were true.
31. Pentagon tenant, briefly: DOD (Department of Defense)
32. "Would __?": I LIE
34. Secretary's slip: TYPO. Another alliteration.
37. Tar Heel State university: ELON. In Elon, North Carolina. I can never remember it.
38. Comb-over target: BALD SPOT
39. Big-house link: AS A
40. Poisonous ornamental: OLEANDER
41. Ottoman VIP: AGA. So are BEY and PASHA.
45. Soak: DRENCH
46. Of the highest quality: TIPTOP
48. Ring of color: AREOLA. Ah, here you are again. JD, is your lily still blooming?
49. Reason for shaking hands?: NERVES. Your hands are shaking because you are nervous?
50. Devereux's earldom: ESSEX. Easy guess. Don't know who Devereux is.
53. Prefix with content: MAL. Malcontent.
56. 1960s-'80s Fords: LTDS
59. Circus safety features: NETS
60. Go out: EBB. Good clue too.
61. Gp. that kidnapped Patty Hearst: SLA (Symbionese Liberation Army). Any other way to clue SLA besides the Patty Hearst connection?
63. Genetic initials: RNA
Answer grid.
C.C.
