Theme: Yakety-Yak - Common phrases ending in verbal expressions are humorously interpreted and clued as if they were of a certain occupation.
18A. Musician's parlance?: KEY WORDS. Musical key. C Minor/Major, etc.
24A. Billiards player's parlance?: ENGLISH LANGUAGE. English is a "spinning motion imparted to a ball, esp. in billiards". Maybe Lois can educate us more about this term.
38A Mechanic's parlance? IDLE CHATTER. With engines running. I noticed the dreaded Utah shape, Jerome!
55A. Remodeler's parlance?: PANEL DISCUSSION. Two grid-spanning theme entries.
61A. Chiropractor's parlance? BACK TALK. I bet Jazzbumpa & Mainiac love this answer.
This puzzle scheme reminds me of Robert W Harris' "Imaginary Places" Melissa Bee blogged last January. Familiar two-word phrases ending in "locations" are punnily reinterpreted in correspondence to their clues. For example: ANNUAL PLANT is clued as "Where yearbooks are made?"
Interesting triple stacks of 6's in top left and bottom right corners. Across & Down. Should delight Dennis.
Across:
1. Cook, as Swiss steak: BRAISE. Brown & simmer.
7. "There never was a good" one, according to Franklin: WAR. So true.
10. Like many a head-turner: SEXY. Like Jessica Hart.
14. Imposed, as a tax: LEVIED
15. Fertility clinic cells: OVA
16. Colored: HUED
17. Getting on: AGEING. Oh, I simply use AGING. I also use "cluing", but I noticed Spitzboov uses "clueing".
20. Buddhist discipline: ZEN
21. 1773 jetsam: TEA. "Jetsam" in Boston Harbor.
23. Wall alternative, perhaps: MOAT. In Medieval time then.
30. Draft holder: STEIN
31. Make known: AIR
32. Spread out: SPLAY. New word to me. Related to "display". "Spread out" sounds very DF.
33. For time eterne: E'ER. We also have ERE (45. Bard's "before").
35. Mole user: Abbr. CIA. Spy mole.
37. Sailor's "Agreed": AYE
42. Fella: MAC
44. West of Hollywood: MAE. Mae West.
46. Hello or goodbye: ALOHA
49. Crime lab subject: DNA
51. Beginning: ALPHA. Oh, I did not know this extended meaning of alpha.
58. Heating device: COIL. Didn't come to me readily.
59. Sudan neighbor: Abbr.: ETH. Ethiopia. This abbr. answer stumps me all the time.
60. Dust remover: RAG
65. Arctic exploration tool: ICE AXE. Here is an image. Oh, Argyle, there is that ADZE!
67. Long-running reality show, familiarly: IDOL. "American Idol".
68. __-tzu: LAO. Literally "old master". Father of Taoism. Lao = Old in Chinese.
69. Syndicate: CARTEL
70. Court defense?: ZONE. Tennis or Basket court?
71. Bot. or chem.: SCI
72. Ticks off: ANGERS
Down:
1. Conflagrations: BLAZES
2. Temporary ruler: REGENT
3. Right, in a way: AVENGE. Right the wrong.
4. Junior's junior: III
5. Orlando newspaper: SENTINEL. Does it carry LAT puzzle?
6. Barely beats: EDGES. Alliteration.
7. Moo goo gai pan pan: WOK. The pan in "moo goo gai pan" means "slice".
8. Rosary recital: AVE MARIA. "Hail Mary". Catholic prayer.
9. Lustrous fabric: RAYON. Synthetic silk. Thought of SATIN first. We also have YDS (13. Fabric meas.). Fabric echo.
10. Fired wildly into, as an oater town: SHOT UP. Needed crossing help.
11. Where It.'s at: EUR. It. = Italy.
12. Marked with two lines: X'ED. Crossed out.
19. Some friendly greetings: WAGS. Dog.
22. "Bingo!" : AHA
25. Covered for a crony, perhaps: LIED. Alliteration. Could not fit in ABETTED.
26. Fungus-alga unions: LICHENS (LAHY-kuh n). The brownish mossy stuff? Have never heard of the word.
27. Onetime apple spray: ALAR
28. In high spirits: GAY
29. Inspect: EYE
34. Dream state acronym: REM. Rapid Eye Movement. A bit of eye duplication. Would've preferred the musical band clue here.
36. Absorbed, as a cost: ATE. Eat the cost.
38. Desktop image: ICON
39. Detroit's founder: CADILLAC. No idea. I just learned that the car Cadillac is named after this guy.
40. Garbage site: TRASH CAN. Awesome fill.
41. Congers, e.g. : EELS
42. Google Earth image: MAP
43. According to: A LA
47. Badger at the park: HECKLE. D'oh, ballpark. Tricky!
48. "Thanks __!" : A LOT
50. Adept type: ACE
52. Hook, for one: PIRATE. Captain Hook.
53. One who pulls a scam: HOAXER
54. Pinhead dancers?: ANGELS. Why? I don't get the clue.
56. Antique phone features: DIALS
57. City near Syracuse: UTICA. Spitzboov's hometown.
61. Profession, casually: BIZ
62. Flap: ADO. Noun.
63. Voting "nay": CON. Pro & Con.
64. Ornamental carp: KOI
66. Centimeter-gram-second unit: ERG. Only know it as "unit of work".
Answer grid.
On a personal note, I am excited to tell you that I became an American citizen yesterday afternoon after a very emotional swearing-in ceremony. When "Proud to be an American" was played right after the "Congratulations, new citizens" message from President Obama, my eyes welled up, tear fell.
It's been a long way. I enjoyed studying American Civics (history and government) and had a perfect score in my final test. I am proud to say that I now know who wrote the Federalist Papers. Do you?
C.C.
18A. Musician's parlance?: KEY WORDS. Musical key. C Minor/Major, etc.
24A. Billiards player's parlance?: ENGLISH LANGUAGE. English is a "spinning motion imparted to a ball, esp. in billiards". Maybe Lois can educate us more about this term.
38A Mechanic's parlance? IDLE CHATTER. With engines running. I noticed the dreaded Utah shape, Jerome!
55A. Remodeler's parlance?: PANEL DISCUSSION. Two grid-spanning theme entries.
61A. Chiropractor's parlance? BACK TALK. I bet Jazzbumpa & Mainiac love this answer.
This puzzle scheme reminds me of Robert W Harris' "Imaginary Places" Melissa Bee blogged last January. Familiar two-word phrases ending in "locations" are punnily reinterpreted in correspondence to their clues. For example: ANNUAL PLANT is clued as "Where yearbooks are made?"
Interesting triple stacks of 6's in top left and bottom right corners. Across & Down. Should delight Dennis.
Across:
1. Cook, as Swiss steak: BRAISE. Brown & simmer.
7. "There never was a good" one, according to Franklin: WAR. So true.
10. Like many a head-turner: SEXY. Like Jessica Hart.
14. Imposed, as a tax: LEVIED
15. Fertility clinic cells: OVA
16. Colored: HUED
17. Getting on: AGEING. Oh, I simply use AGING. I also use "cluing", but I noticed Spitzboov uses "clueing".
20. Buddhist discipline: ZEN
21. 1773 jetsam: TEA. "Jetsam" in Boston Harbor.
23. Wall alternative, perhaps: MOAT. In Medieval time then.
30. Draft holder: STEIN
31. Make known: AIR
32. Spread out: SPLAY. New word to me. Related to "display". "Spread out" sounds very DF.
33. For time eterne: E'ER. We also have ERE (45. Bard's "before").
35. Mole user: Abbr. CIA. Spy mole.
37. Sailor's "Agreed": AYE
42. Fella: MAC
44. West of Hollywood: MAE. Mae West.
46. Hello or goodbye: ALOHA
49. Crime lab subject: DNA
51. Beginning: ALPHA. Oh, I did not know this extended meaning of alpha.
58. Heating device: COIL. Didn't come to me readily.
59. Sudan neighbor: Abbr.: ETH. Ethiopia. This abbr. answer stumps me all the time.
60. Dust remover: RAG
65. Arctic exploration tool: ICE AXE. Here is an image. Oh, Argyle, there is that ADZE!
67. Long-running reality show, familiarly: IDOL. "American Idol".
68. __-tzu: LAO. Literally "old master". Father of Taoism. Lao = Old in Chinese.
69. Syndicate: CARTEL
70. Court defense?: ZONE. Tennis or Basket court?
71. Bot. or chem.: SCI
72. Ticks off: ANGERS
Down:
1. Conflagrations: BLAZES
2. Temporary ruler: REGENT
3. Right, in a way: AVENGE. Right the wrong.
4. Junior's junior: III
5. Orlando newspaper: SENTINEL. Does it carry LAT puzzle?
6. Barely beats: EDGES. Alliteration.
7. Moo goo gai pan pan: WOK. The pan in "moo goo gai pan" means "slice".
8. Rosary recital: AVE MARIA. "Hail Mary". Catholic prayer.
9. Lustrous fabric: RAYON. Synthetic silk. Thought of SATIN first. We also have YDS (13. Fabric meas.). Fabric echo.
10. Fired wildly into, as an oater town: SHOT UP. Needed crossing help.
11. Where It.'s at: EUR. It. = Italy.
12. Marked with two lines: X'ED. Crossed out.
19. Some friendly greetings: WAGS. Dog.
22. "Bingo!" : AHA
25. Covered for a crony, perhaps: LIED. Alliteration. Could not fit in ABETTED.
26. Fungus-alga unions: LICHENS (LAHY-kuh n). The brownish mossy stuff? Have never heard of the word.
27. Onetime apple spray: ALAR
28. In high spirits: GAY
29. Inspect: EYE
34. Dream state acronym: REM. Rapid Eye Movement. A bit of eye duplication. Would've preferred the musical band clue here.
36. Absorbed, as a cost: ATE. Eat the cost.
38. Desktop image: ICON
39. Detroit's founder: CADILLAC. No idea. I just learned that the car Cadillac is named after this guy.
40. Garbage site: TRASH CAN. Awesome fill.
41. Congers, e.g. : EELS
42. Google Earth image: MAP
43. According to: A LA
47. Badger at the park: HECKLE. D'oh, ballpark. Tricky!
48. "Thanks __!" : A LOT
50. Adept type: ACE
52. Hook, for one: PIRATE. Captain Hook.
53. One who pulls a scam: HOAXER
54. Pinhead dancers?: ANGELS. Why? I don't get the clue.
56. Antique phone features: DIALS
57. City near Syracuse: UTICA. Spitzboov's hometown.
61. Profession, casually: BIZ
62. Flap: ADO. Noun.
63. Voting "nay": CON. Pro & Con.
64. Ornamental carp: KOI
66. Centimeter-gram-second unit: ERG. Only know it as "unit of work".
Answer grid.
On a personal note, I am excited to tell you that I became an American citizen yesterday afternoon after a very emotional swearing-in ceremony. When "Proud to be an American" was played right after the "Congratulations, new citizens" message from President Obama, my eyes welled up, tear fell.
It's been a long way. I enjoyed studying American Civics (history and government) and had a perfect score in my final test. I am proud to say that I now know who wrote the Federalist Papers. Do you?
C.C.
