Theme: Say Cheese! - Cheese puns on familiar two-word phrases.
20A. Cheese records?: ROQUEFORT FILES. The base phrase is (The) Rockford Files. Roquefort cheese is made of sheep's milk. Named after the French town Roquefort.
28A. Cheese from the deep?: SEA MUENSTER. Sea Monster. Muenster is white, semis-soft & mild. Named after its French origin town also.
44A. Cheese no one is eating?: IDLE CHEDDAR. Idle Chatter. Cheddar Cheese is named after the British village where it's first made.
51A. Cheese and beef concoction for humorist Mort?: SAHL'S BRIE STEAK. Salisbury Steak. The only theme entry that puns on more than the cheese word. Brie is named after the French province where it originated.
ROQUEFORT FILES and its symmetrical partner 51A are punning on the first word of a common phrase. The middle two theme entries on second words.
What's your favorite cheese? Dairy is not part of my diet.
Very smooth 74-worder from Donna. Fun clues for theme answers. I also liked the two paralleled 10s and 9s in Down fill. Favorite answer today is BLUE STATES (11D. Left-leaning ones).
Across:
1. Two percent alternative: SKIM
5. Trans Am option: T- TOP. Trans Am is a racing car?
9. Chain with a cowboy hat logo: ARBY'S
14. Stale Italian bread?: LIRA. "Bread" always refer to "currency" on Fridays. Have seen this "stale" clue before. Still like it.
15. Stray: ROVE
16. Whoopi's role in "The Color Purple": CELIE. I've never seen the movie. I liked Whoopi's role Oda Mae Brown in "Ghost".
17. Red, in Mongolian: ULAN. Ulan Bator ("red hero"), capital of Mongolia. I mentioned this "Red" meaning on the blog a few times.
18. Headlight?: IDEA. Man, I did not see mine.
19. Hosiery shade: TAUPE. Brownish gray.
23. Bud: PAL
24. Oft-rescued comics heroine: LOIS. Lois Lane. "Superman". Maybe our Lois needs rescue too. Sounds like she has a horrible boss.
25. Three-in-one vaccine, familiarly: DPT
34. __-toity: HOITY
36. Tool or fool: DUPE. Was unaware of this slang meaning of "tool". Good rhyme.
37. Perfume by Dana: TABU
38. "The West Wing" actor: ALDA
39. Actress Beckinsale et al.: KATES. Kate Beckinsale has the best hairstyle.
40. Canoodling couple, maybe: ITEM. Sweet clue.
41. Octopus feature: BEAK. I wanted ARMS. I only associate beak with birds.
42. Sign: OMEN
43. Having a bite: ACERB. Not enough space for EATING.
47. RR depot: STA. Or STN.
48. Canaanite god: BAAL. The false god.
49. Social: TEA. Noun "social".
58. Pasta sauce herb: BASIL. Pesto.
59. "The Phantom Tollbooth" protagonist: MILO. No idea. Have never heard of the book.
60. How busy people often work: LATE. Great clue.
61. Much the same: ALIKE
62. Rights org. ACLU
63. Annoying spots: ACNE. Annoying indeed.
64. He voiced the curmudgeonly homeowner in "Up": ASNER. The answer emerged itself.
65. Joke around: JEST
66. Store: SHOP
Down:
1. Defame: SLUR
2. Narc's seizure: KILO
3. Where Al Sharqiya is broadcast: IRAQ. Wikipedia says Al Sharqiya ("The Eastern One") is Iraq's first privately owned satellite channel owned by a London-based Iraqi exile. Foreign to me.
4. Show some backbone, slangily: MAN UP. Fresh answer.
5. Toy (with): TRIFLE
6. List heading: TO-DO. To-do list. Tricky clue.
7. No longer hooked on: OVER. "Hooked on" what?
8. Garden supply: PEAT. Any good idea on how to get rid of the pesky gophers?
9. Bruce Willis genre: ACTION
10. True-to-life: REALISTIC
12. Golfer's nervousness during putting, with "the": YIPS. Gimme. I don't have yips.
13. Holy follower?: SEE. Did you want COW?
21. "Calm down!": EASY
25. Abu __: DHABI. Is is still the richest city in the world?
26. Moved, as a gondola: POLED
27. Potomac River feature: TIDAL BASIN. The latter BASIN leapt to me rather quickly.
29. "There Is Nothing Like __" : A DAME. From "South Pacific". The sailors are longing for skirts.
30. Toned down: MUTED
31. Invert: UPEND
32. "Your Movie Sucks" author: EBERT (Roger). Film critic.
33. Latin dance: RUMBA
35. "Get lost!" : TAKE A HIKE. Great answer. We also have FLEES (22. Skedaddles).
39. Department store chain that began in Wisconsin: KOHL'S. Named after Senator Kohl, right?
43. Mars counterpart: ARES. Greek god of war. Mars is the Roman counterpart.
45. Talk radio regular: CALLER
46. Dined at the bistro, say: ATE OUT
50. MapQuest predecessor?: ATLAS. The clue is fine without question mark.
51. "Do the Right Thing" pizzeria: SAL'S. Have never heard of the movie.
52. Key using all five black keys in its scale: Abbr.: B MAJ. Help, Jazzbumpa!
53. Jambalaya ingredient: RICE
54. Misfortunes: ILLS
55. Per: EACH
56. 1 for H, e.g.: AT NO (Atomic Number). H = Hydrogen.
57. Retain: KEEP
58. Sheep trill: BAA. Playing off of "Cheap thrill".
JD (left, with husband Bob) is writing a crossword story (in alphabetically order) with all the new words she's learned in the past two years from the blog. Here is her updated version.
Answer grid.
C.C.
20A. Cheese records?: ROQUEFORT FILES. The base phrase is (The) Rockford Files. Roquefort cheese is made of sheep's milk. Named after the French town Roquefort.
28A. Cheese from the deep?: SEA MUENSTER. Sea Monster. Muenster is white, semis-soft & mild. Named after its French origin town also.
44A. Cheese no one is eating?: IDLE CHEDDAR. Idle Chatter. Cheddar Cheese is named after the British village where it's first made.
51A. Cheese and beef concoction for humorist Mort?: SAHL'S BRIE STEAK. Salisbury Steak. The only theme entry that puns on more than the cheese word. Brie is named after the French province where it originated.
ROQUEFORT FILES and its symmetrical partner 51A are punning on the first word of a common phrase. The middle two theme entries on second words.
What's your favorite cheese? Dairy is not part of my diet.
Very smooth 74-worder from Donna. Fun clues for theme answers. I also liked the two paralleled 10s and 9s in Down fill. Favorite answer today is BLUE STATES (11D. Left-leaning ones).
Across:
1. Two percent alternative: SKIM
5. Trans Am option: T- TOP. Trans Am is a racing car?
9. Chain with a cowboy hat logo: ARBY'S
14. Stale Italian bread?: LIRA. "Bread" always refer to "currency" on Fridays. Have seen this "stale" clue before. Still like it.
15. Stray: ROVE
16. Whoopi's role in "The Color Purple": CELIE. I've never seen the movie. I liked Whoopi's role Oda Mae Brown in "Ghost".
17. Red, in Mongolian: ULAN. Ulan Bator ("red hero"), capital of Mongolia. I mentioned this "Red" meaning on the blog a few times.
18. Headlight?: IDEA. Man, I did not see mine.
19. Hosiery shade: TAUPE. Brownish gray.
23. Bud: PAL
24. Oft-rescued comics heroine: LOIS. Lois Lane. "Superman". Maybe our Lois needs rescue too. Sounds like she has a horrible boss.
25. Three-in-one vaccine, familiarly: DPT
34. __-toity: HOITY
36. Tool or fool: DUPE. Was unaware of this slang meaning of "tool". Good rhyme.
37. Perfume by Dana: TABU
38. "The West Wing" actor: ALDA
39. Actress Beckinsale et al.: KATES. Kate Beckinsale has the best hairstyle.
40. Canoodling couple, maybe: ITEM. Sweet clue.
41. Octopus feature: BEAK. I wanted ARMS. I only associate beak with birds.
42. Sign: OMEN
43. Having a bite: ACERB. Not enough space for EATING.
47. RR depot: STA. Or STN.
48. Canaanite god: BAAL. The false god.
49. Social: TEA. Noun "social".
58. Pasta sauce herb: BASIL. Pesto.
59. "The Phantom Tollbooth" protagonist: MILO. No idea. Have never heard of the book.
60. How busy people often work: LATE. Great clue.
61. Much the same: ALIKE
62. Rights org. ACLU
63. Annoying spots: ACNE. Annoying indeed.
64. He voiced the curmudgeonly homeowner in "Up": ASNER. The answer emerged itself.
65. Joke around: JEST
66. Store: SHOP
Down:
1. Defame: SLUR
2. Narc's seizure: KILO
3. Where Al Sharqiya is broadcast: IRAQ. Wikipedia says Al Sharqiya ("The Eastern One") is Iraq's first privately owned satellite channel owned by a London-based Iraqi exile. Foreign to me.
4. Show some backbone, slangily: MAN UP. Fresh answer.
5. Toy (with): TRIFLE
6. List heading: TO-DO. To-do list. Tricky clue.
7. No longer hooked on: OVER. "Hooked on" what?
8. Garden supply: PEAT. Any good idea on how to get rid of the pesky gophers?
9. Bruce Willis genre: ACTION
10. True-to-life: REALISTIC
12. Golfer's nervousness during putting, with "the": YIPS. Gimme. I don't have yips.
13. Holy follower?: SEE. Did you want COW?
21. "Calm down!": EASY
25. Abu __: DHABI. Is is still the richest city in the world?
26. Moved, as a gondola: POLED
27. Potomac River feature: TIDAL BASIN. The latter BASIN leapt to me rather quickly.
29. "There Is Nothing Like __" : A DAME. From "South Pacific". The sailors are longing for skirts.
30. Toned down: MUTED
31. Invert: UPEND
32. "Your Movie Sucks" author: EBERT (Roger). Film critic.
33. Latin dance: RUMBA
35. "Get lost!" : TAKE A HIKE. Great answer. We also have FLEES (22. Skedaddles).
39. Department store chain that began in Wisconsin: KOHL'S. Named after Senator Kohl, right?
43. Mars counterpart: ARES. Greek god of war. Mars is the Roman counterpart.
45. Talk radio regular: CALLER
46. Dined at the bistro, say: ATE OUT
50. MapQuest predecessor?: ATLAS. The clue is fine without question mark.
51. "Do the Right Thing" pizzeria: SAL'S. Have never heard of the movie.
52. Key using all five black keys in its scale: Abbr.: B MAJ. Help, Jazzbumpa!
53. Jambalaya ingredient: RICE
54. Misfortunes: ILLS
55. Per: EACH
56. 1 for H, e.g.: AT NO (Atomic Number). H = Hydrogen.
57. Retain: KEEP
58. Sheep trill: BAA. Playing off of "Cheap thrill".
JD (left, with husband Bob) is writing a crossword story (in alphabetically order) with all the new words she's learned in the past two years from the blog. Here is her updated version.
Answer grid.
C.C.
