Theme: SPOONERISM - Two-layered theme. The initial consonant(s) of common word/phrases are switched, and the end of each spoonerized two-word answer is a type of knife.
17A. Choose deli platter items? : PICK CHEESE. The unspoonerized word is Chickpeas. Cheese knife.
25A. Beef marinated in Jim's bourbon? : BEAM STEAK. Steam Bake. Not a familiar cooking term to me. Steak knife.
34A. Rooster's spread? : COCK'S BUTTER. A bit DF, isn't it? Box Cutter. Massive spoonerism in this one. The only entry where the middle consonants X experiences spelling CK change. Sound remains the same of course. Butter knife.
49A. "Casablanca" nightclub income? : RICK BREAD. Brick Red. Rick's Cafe in "Casablanca". Bread here means "money", right? The other three theme entries all end in real food. Bread knife.
58A. What each of the other four longest answers in this puzzle is : SPOONERISM
55A. Ironically, the 58-Acrosses in this puzzle end in types of them : KNIVES. "Ironically"? Are they supposed to end in "SPOONS"?
We also have TINE (19A. Jabber?). You use fork to jab I suppose.
Rather complicated scheme, isn't it? I was clueless about theme until I reached the unifier. Even then I still needed a bit of head-scratching to untangle the initial base phrase.
Total 21 non-theme entries of six or more letters. Quite impressive. Mainly a result of breaking down left and right edges of the grid into two rather than our normal three parts. Two-part edges are often seen in Saturday themeless.
Across:
1. Elián Gonzalez's home : CUBA. Easy start.
5. Legendary brothers in law : EARPS. At O.K. Corral. Not brothers-in-law.
10. Hogwarts messengers : OWLS. Lovely entry for Argyle.
14. What the connected have : AN IN. Have an in. The connected people.
15. Sole projection : CLEAT. SPIKE too, in golf.
16. Unconvincing : THIN
20. Opera set on Cyprus : OTELLO. Verdi opera based on Shakespeare's Othello. Did not know where it's set.
21. Spiced 23-Across : CHAI. And TEA (23. See 21-Across). Several cross-referenced clues in the grid.
24. Oater camp sight : TEPEE
27. Both Begleys : EDS
28. Chrysler division : RAM. Dodge Ram.
30. Shooting gadget : SYRINGE. Was not picturing medicine shooting.
31. Oklahoma tribe : KIOWA. Only know OTOE.
33. Dutch physics Nobelist Simon van der __ : MEER. No idea. 1984 Physics co-Nobelist. Still alive.
38. Shelled out : PAID
40. Rival of 2-Down : US AIR. And UNITED (2D. Red Carpet Club flier). Also, MOTH (54A. Light-headed flier?). Flier clecho (clue echo)
41. Bring charges against : ARRAIGN. Learned from watching "Law & Order".
45. Stumble : ERR
46. Sagittarian's mo., probably : DEC. Probably, yes.
51. Friend of Jesús : AMIGOS. Funny clue. To me, Jesus lived in Israel and spoke Hebrew, so did his friends. (Correction: The answer is singular AMIGO.)
53. Shih __ : TZU. The Tibetan dog.
56. Pack member : WOLF
60. Subj. with skeletons in the closet?: Abbr. : ANAT. Nice clue too.
61. Balm : SALVE
62. Within: Pref. : ENTO. Opposite ECT(O).
63. Place to keep stock? : YARD. Livestock? Don't quite get the clue.
64. Grammy winner Gormé : EYDIE. Faintly rang a bell.
65. Mtg. : SESS. Meeting/Session.
Down:
1. "In Cold Blood" author : CAPOTE (Truman)
3. Arm & Hammer logo feature : BICEPS. Arm & Hammer baking soda. Novel clue.
4. __ socks : ANKLE
5. Pilot's "E" : ECHO. Well, gimme for our pilot Dudley.
6. It may be blonde or brown : ALE. Got via crosses. Tricky clue.
7. Volleyball star Gabrielle : REECE. Model too.
8. Ottoman lords : PASHAS. Used to stump me.
9. Hot and heavy : STEAMY. Love. Sex.
10. Baseball's Master Melvin : OTT. Man, I never knew Mel Ott is nicknamed called "Master Melvin".
11. Bleach : WHITENER
12. Roots : LINEAGE
13. British : trainer :: American : __ : SNEAKER. Really, Nice Cuppa, you call sneakers "trainers" in Britain?
18. Ayatollah, e.g. : CLERIC
22. Camp David Accords signer: Abbr. : ISR. Egypt too. Camp David Accords.
25. Upscale imports : BMWS
26. Source of ticking : TIMER
29. Verbal thumbs-up : A-OK. Reminded me of Jennifer Aniston "Love Happens".
31. Maker of the FunSaver disposable camera : KODAK
32. __ Dhabi : ABU
34. Advertising notice : CIRCULAR
35. Recycled : USED
36. What many rural roads lack : TAR
37. Albania's capital : TIRANE. How can I remember this name? Looks so ordinary.
38. Not completely : PARTWAY
39. Home of Carefree Highway : ARIZONA. I guessed.
42. Chip maker : IBM. Computer chips.
43. Detroit suburb __ Pointe : GROSSE. Nope. Was it the place first settled down by the French?
44. Take-home : NET PAY
46. Like some wisdom : DIVINE
47. Discharges : EGESTS. Opposite INGESTS.
48. Carl Sagan PBS series : COSMOS
50. Get __ of: locate : A HOLD
52. Entangles : MIRES
55. Bouncing joint? : KNEE. Bouncing what? Soccer ball?
57. Wire svc. involved in many arrangements : FTD. Oh, flowers.
59. Egg opening : OVI. Prefix.
Answer grid.
Since many of you do not come to the blog on weekend, I'd like to share with you a birthday puzzle I made for a special blog contributor, who is celebrating his birthday this coming Sunday. The clues are very general, you don't need to know him to solve the grid.
Click here for the puz file (Across Lite), and here for the pdf version. I also had a write-up of the puzzle and my thought process. But don't read until you solve the puzzle. It's here.
C.C.
17A. Choose deli platter items? : PICK CHEESE. The unspoonerized word is Chickpeas. Cheese knife.
25A. Beef marinated in Jim's bourbon? : BEAM STEAK. Steam Bake. Not a familiar cooking term to me. Steak knife.
34A. Rooster's spread? : COCK'S BUTTER. A bit DF, isn't it? Box Cutter. Massive spoonerism in this one. The only entry where the middle consonants X experiences spelling CK change. Sound remains the same of course. Butter knife.
49A. "Casablanca" nightclub income? : RICK BREAD. Brick Red. Rick's Cafe in "Casablanca". Bread here means "money", right? The other three theme entries all end in real food. Bread knife.
58A. What each of the other four longest answers in this puzzle is : SPOONERISM
55A. Ironically, the 58-Acrosses in this puzzle end in types of them : KNIVES. "Ironically"? Are they supposed to end in "SPOONS"?
We also have TINE (19A. Jabber?). You use fork to jab I suppose.
Rather complicated scheme, isn't it? I was clueless about theme until I reached the unifier. Even then I still needed a bit of head-scratching to untangle the initial base phrase.
Total 21 non-theme entries of six or more letters. Quite impressive. Mainly a result of breaking down left and right edges of the grid into two rather than our normal three parts. Two-part edges are often seen in Saturday themeless.
Across:
1. Elián Gonzalez's home : CUBA. Easy start.
5. Legendary brothers in law : EARPS. At O.K. Corral. Not brothers-in-law.
10. Hogwarts messengers : OWLS. Lovely entry for Argyle.
14. What the connected have : AN IN. Have an in. The connected people.
15. Sole projection : CLEAT. SPIKE too, in golf.
16. Unconvincing : THIN
20. Opera set on Cyprus : OTELLO. Verdi opera based on Shakespeare's Othello. Did not know where it's set.
21. Spiced 23-Across : CHAI. And TEA (23. See 21-Across). Several cross-referenced clues in the grid.
24. Oater camp sight : TEPEE
27. Both Begleys : EDS
28. Chrysler division : RAM. Dodge Ram.
30. Shooting gadget : SYRINGE. Was not picturing medicine shooting.
31. Oklahoma tribe : KIOWA. Only know OTOE.
33. Dutch physics Nobelist Simon van der __ : MEER. No idea. 1984 Physics co-Nobelist. Still alive.
38. Shelled out : PAID
40. Rival of 2-Down : US AIR. And UNITED (2D. Red Carpet Club flier). Also, MOTH (54A. Light-headed flier?). Flier clecho (clue echo)
41. Bring charges against : ARRAIGN. Learned from watching "Law & Order".
45. Stumble : ERR
46. Sagittarian's mo., probably : DEC. Probably, yes.
51. Friend of Jesús : AMIGOS. Funny clue. To me, Jesus lived in Israel and spoke Hebrew, so did his friends. (Correction: The answer is singular AMIGO.)
53. Shih __ : TZU. The Tibetan dog.
56. Pack member : WOLF
60. Subj. with skeletons in the closet?: Abbr. : ANAT. Nice clue too.
61. Balm : SALVE
62. Within: Pref. : ENTO. Opposite ECT(O).
63. Place to keep stock? : YARD. Livestock? Don't quite get the clue.
64. Grammy winner Gormé : EYDIE. Faintly rang a bell.
65. Mtg. : SESS. Meeting/Session.
Down:
1. "In Cold Blood" author : CAPOTE (Truman)
3. Arm & Hammer logo feature : BICEPS. Arm & Hammer baking soda. Novel clue.
4. __ socks : ANKLE
5. Pilot's "E" : ECHO. Well, gimme for our pilot Dudley.
6. It may be blonde or brown : ALE. Got via crosses. Tricky clue.
7. Volleyball star Gabrielle : REECE. Model too.
8. Ottoman lords : PASHAS. Used to stump me.
9. Hot and heavy : STEAMY. Love. Sex.
10. Baseball's Master Melvin : OTT. Man, I never knew Mel Ott is nicknamed called "Master Melvin".
11. Bleach : WHITENER
12. Roots : LINEAGE
13. British : trainer :: American : __ : SNEAKER. Really, Nice Cuppa, you call sneakers "trainers" in Britain?
18. Ayatollah, e.g. : CLERIC
22. Camp David Accords signer: Abbr. : ISR. Egypt too. Camp David Accords.
25. Upscale imports : BMWS
26. Source of ticking : TIMER
29. Verbal thumbs-up : A-OK. Reminded me of Jennifer Aniston "Love Happens".
31. Maker of the FunSaver disposable camera : KODAK
32. __ Dhabi : ABU
34. Advertising notice : CIRCULAR
35. Recycled : USED
36. What many rural roads lack : TAR
37. Albania's capital : TIRANE. How can I remember this name? Looks so ordinary.
38. Not completely : PARTWAY
39. Home of Carefree Highway : ARIZONA. I guessed.
42. Chip maker : IBM. Computer chips.
43. Detroit suburb __ Pointe : GROSSE. Nope. Was it the place first settled down by the French?
44. Take-home : NET PAY
46. Like some wisdom : DIVINE
47. Discharges : EGESTS. Opposite INGESTS.
48. Carl Sagan PBS series : COSMOS
50. Get __ of: locate : A HOLD
52. Entangles : MIRES
55. Bouncing joint? : KNEE. Bouncing what? Soccer ball?
57. Wire svc. involved in many arrangements : FTD. Oh, flowers.
59. Egg opening : OVI. Prefix.
Answer grid.
Since many of you do not come to the blog on weekend, I'd like to share with you a birthday puzzle I made for a special blog contributor, who is celebrating his birthday this coming Sunday. The clues are very general, you don't need to know him to solve the grid.
Click here for the puz file (Across Lite), and here for the pdf version. I also had a write-up of the puzzle and my thought process. But don't read until you solve the puzzle. It's here.
C.C.
