Theme: Fantasy Baseball Players - Common phrases are humorously interpreted and clued as if they were baseball players.
20A. San Francisco players not paying attention?: SLEEPING GIANTS. San Francisco Giants. NL West.
25A. Minnesota players from old Bangkok?: SIAMESE TWINS. Minnesota Twins. AL Central.
49A. Anaheim players tripping over their own feet?: FALLEN ANGELS. Anaheim Angels, or rather Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. So awkward. AL West.
57A. Pittsburgh players from old Algiers?: BARBARY PIRATES. Pittsburgh Pirates. NL Central.
Ha ha, no AL/NL East is represented. Loved the theme. Very creative.
Two more baseball references:
35A. DH's stats: RBIS.
12D. Throws wide of the base, say: ERRS.
Besides my beloved Minnesota Twins, Mike also gave us my hometown XI'AN (18A. Central Chinese tourist city) and ANG (40D. Director Lee). Ang Lee is from Taiwan. Ang is simply spelled as An (meaning "peace") in Mandarin Chinese, just like the An in Xi'An.
Also, An/Ang is spelled as Ahn in Korean, like Philip Ahn, the "Kung Fu" actor, who stumps many solvers every time he appears in our puzzle.
Across:
1A. Anti-fur org.: PETA. They sure hate Anna Wintour.
5A. Ambassador's forte: TACT.
9A. Eggs on: URGES.
14A. Oft-palmed cards: ACES. Ah, this could be clued as baseball related too.
15A. Prefix with cultural: AGRI.
16A. H.H. __: author known as Saki: MUNRO. I only know his alias name Saki, which appears in our puzzle often.
17A. Conks: BOPS.
19A. Tall tale tellers: LIARS. Triple alliteration.
23A. Haberdashery accessory: TIE TAC.
24A. URL ending for 52-Across: EDU. And 52A. Longhorn State sch.: TCU.
32A. Hot time in Alsace: ÉTÉ. Summer in French. We also have IDÉE (22D. __ fixe: obsession).
36A. Artist M.C. known for illusionary work: ESCHER. Here is his "Drawing Hands" again.
37A. Snacks at the bar: NUTS.
39A. Robert E. Lee's org.: CSA.
41A. Classify: SORT.
42A. African with pierced lips: UBANGI. New word to me. Man, Painful to look.
45A. Terminates: ENDS.
48A. iPhone, e.g.: PDA.
53A. Word in an oxymoronic Michael J. Fox movie title: FUTURE. From his film "Back to the Future".
62A. Omega's opposite: ALPHA. Greek alphabet.
63A. Eye, on the Eiffel Tower: OEIL. As in the illusional Trompe L'oeil. French for "trick the eye".
64A. Anchovy containers: TINS. Salty, salty!
65A. Trig function: COSEC.
66A. Double Dutch need: ROPE.
67A. Slurpee alternative: ICEE.
68A. Adjust a little: TWEAK.
69A. Overwhelms: AWES.
70A. Crows' cries: CAWS. CC alliteration.
Down:
1D. Blue Ribbon brewer: PABST.
2D. Bacteria in rare meat: ECOLI. In veggies too. Like the spinach scare a couple of years ago. Terrifying!
3D. Plains dwelling: TEPEE.
4D. Balance sheet heading: ASSETS.
5D. Hack with a meter: TAXI CAB.
6D. Backwoods "anti": AGIN. Opposite "Fer".
7D. Jagged rock: CRAG.
8D. Faint hues: TINGES.
9D. Mötley Crüe duo?: UMLAUTS. The two diacritical dots above Mötley Crüe.
10D. Destroy: RUIN.
11D. Pesky biter: GNAT.
13D. Sailor's "Mayday!": S-O-S.
21D. Duo: PAIR.
26D. Voice amplifier, briefly: MIC.
27D. German steelworks town: ESSEN.
28D. English johns, briefly: WC'S.
29D. Chain restaurant with a blue roof: I-HOP.
30D. Dweeb: NERD.
31D. Mlle., in Barcelona: SRTA.
32D. A sufficient amount, in slang: ENUF. Quite a few abbreviations in this grid.
33D. Oompah brass: TUBA.
34D. List shortener. Abbr.: ET AL..
38D. NBC show where Chase, Belushi, Radner at al, got their big breaks: SNL.
43D. Recoup: GET BACK.
44D. Machu Picchu builder: INCA. Both Sallie & Clear Ayes have been there.
46D. Makes dirty: DEFILES.
47D. Derogatory remark: SLUR.
50D. __ borealis: AURORA.
51D. Radio interference: STATIC.
54D. City on the Erie Canal: UTICA.
55D. Take again, as vows: RENEW.
56D. Mountain curves: ESSES.
57D. Huff and puff: BLOW. Rhyme.
58D. Church section: APSE.
59D. Emu cousin of South America: RHEA. Both flightless.
60D. Cry of pain: "YEOW!".
61D. Sherlock Holmes's smoke: PIPE.
62D. Perform: ACT.
Answer grid.
Argyle & C.C.
20A. San Francisco players not paying attention?: SLEEPING GIANTS. San Francisco Giants. NL West.
25A. Minnesota players from old Bangkok?: SIAMESE TWINS. Minnesota Twins. AL Central.
49A. Anaheim players tripping over their own feet?: FALLEN ANGELS. Anaheim Angels, or rather Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. So awkward. AL West.
57A. Pittsburgh players from old Algiers?: BARBARY PIRATES. Pittsburgh Pirates. NL Central.
Ha ha, no AL/NL East is represented. Loved the theme. Very creative.
Two more baseball references:
35A. DH's stats: RBIS.
12D. Throws wide of the base, say: ERRS.
Besides my beloved Minnesota Twins, Mike also gave us my hometown XI'AN (18A. Central Chinese tourist city) and ANG (40D. Director Lee). Ang Lee is from Taiwan. Ang is simply spelled as An (meaning "peace") in Mandarin Chinese, just like the An in Xi'An.
Also, An/Ang is spelled as Ahn in Korean, like Philip Ahn, the "Kung Fu" actor, who stumps many solvers every time he appears in our puzzle.
Across:
1A. Anti-fur org.: PETA. They sure hate Anna Wintour.
5A. Ambassador's forte: TACT.
9A. Eggs on: URGES.
14A. Oft-palmed cards: ACES. Ah, this could be clued as baseball related too.
15A. Prefix with cultural: AGRI.
16A. H.H. __: author known as Saki: MUNRO. I only know his alias name Saki, which appears in our puzzle often.
17A. Conks: BOPS.
19A. Tall tale tellers: LIARS. Triple alliteration.
23A. Haberdashery accessory: TIE TAC.
24A. URL ending for 52-Across: EDU. And 52A. Longhorn State sch.: TCU.
32A. Hot time in Alsace: ÉTÉ. Summer in French. We also have IDÉE (22D. __ fixe: obsession).
36A. Artist M.C. known for illusionary work: ESCHER. Here is his "Drawing Hands" again.
37A. Snacks at the bar: NUTS.
39A. Robert E. Lee's org.: CSA.
41A. Classify: SORT.
42A. African with pierced lips: UBANGI. New word to me. Man, Painful to look.
45A. Terminates: ENDS.
48A. iPhone, e.g.: PDA.
53A. Word in an oxymoronic Michael J. Fox movie title: FUTURE. From his film "Back to the Future".
62A. Omega's opposite: ALPHA. Greek alphabet.
63A. Eye, on the Eiffel Tower: OEIL. As in the illusional Trompe L'oeil. French for "trick the eye".
64A. Anchovy containers: TINS. Salty, salty!
65A. Trig function: COSEC.
66A. Double Dutch need: ROPE.
67A. Slurpee alternative: ICEE.
68A. Adjust a little: TWEAK.
69A. Overwhelms: AWES.
70A. Crows' cries: CAWS. CC alliteration.
Down:
1D. Blue Ribbon brewer: PABST.
2D. Bacteria in rare meat: ECOLI. In veggies too. Like the spinach scare a couple of years ago. Terrifying!
3D. Plains dwelling: TEPEE.
4D. Balance sheet heading: ASSETS.
5D. Hack with a meter: TAXI CAB.
6D. Backwoods "anti": AGIN. Opposite "Fer".
7D. Jagged rock: CRAG.
8D. Faint hues: TINGES.
9D. Mötley Crüe duo?: UMLAUTS. The two diacritical dots above Mötley Crüe.
10D. Destroy: RUIN.
11D. Pesky biter: GNAT.
13D. Sailor's "Mayday!": S-O-S.
21D. Duo: PAIR.
26D. Voice amplifier, briefly: MIC.
27D. German steelworks town: ESSEN.
28D. English johns, briefly: WC'S.
29D. Chain restaurant with a blue roof: I-HOP.
30D. Dweeb: NERD.
31D. Mlle., in Barcelona: SRTA.
32D. A sufficient amount, in slang: ENUF. Quite a few abbreviations in this grid.
33D. Oompah brass: TUBA.
34D. List shortener. Abbr.: ET AL..
38D. NBC show where Chase, Belushi, Radner at al, got their big breaks: SNL.
43D. Recoup: GET BACK.
44D. Machu Picchu builder: INCA. Both Sallie & Clear Ayes have been there.
46D. Makes dirty: DEFILES.
47D. Derogatory remark: SLUR.
50D. __ borealis: AURORA.
51D. Radio interference: STATIC.
54D. City on the Erie Canal: UTICA.
55D. Take again, as vows: RENEW.
56D. Mountain curves: ESSES.
57D. Huff and puff: BLOW. Rhyme.
58D. Church section: APSE.
59D. Emu cousin of South America: RHEA. Both flightless.
60D. Cry of pain: "YEOW!".
61D. Sherlock Holmes's smoke: PIPE.
62D. Perform: ACT.
Answer grid.
Argyle & C.C.
