Theme: ADD A LITTLE PUNCH (59. Liven up, with "to" (and a hint to how 17-, 27- and 44-Across were created) - Three basic boxing punch terms are added to the start of each common phrase.
17A. Flight from a heated argument? : CROSSFIRE ESCAPE. The base phrase here is Fire Escape.
27A. Talkative "King of Country"? : JABBERING STRAIT. Bering Strait. "King of Country": George Strait.
44A. Gene carrier responsible for truancy? : HOOKY CHROMOSOME. Y Chromosome.
C.C. here. Lemonade is on DL. Needs a bit more time after the eye surgery. Hopefully he'll be back blogging next Friday.
Nice pangram. All 26 letters are used at least once. I like that the "punched" new phrases have got nothing to do with various punch terms. Perfect adding a letter/letter string gimmick. Neat unifier.
Great looking grid too. Four cross-spanning theme entries with no cheater square.
Across:
1. Knack : FEEL. Did you get the answer immediately?
5. Big name in crackers : RITZ. Also 40D. Crackers? : WISE GUYS. Awesome clue. Great "crackers" clecho (clue echo).
9. Earthshaking news? : QUAKE. Nailed it.
14. Othello's confidant : IAGO. Achieved forever fame in Xword.
15. Not many : A FEW
16. Where to look out? : BELOW. I don't get the clue.
20. Thumbs-up : ASSENT
21. Baking shortcut : MIX. The clue "shortcut" makes me think the answer might be an abbreviation.
22. Flamboyant band since the '70s : KISS. Weird band.
23. Ask for : SEEK
25. Jack succeeded him : IKE. Both clue & answer are nicknames.
35. Allegheny, as of 1979 : US AIR. Was unaware of its previous name.
36. Karate skill symbols : BELTS
37. A.L. Central team, on scoreboards : CLE. Cleveland Indians.
38. Minor damage : DING
39. Word on the Great Seal of the U.S. : NOVUS. See here. "Novus ordo seclorum" = "New order of the ages". Novus = New. Ordo = Order. Seclorum = Age.
40. Propeller sound : WHIR
41. Gram. topic : ADJ. Grammar/Adjective.
42. Signal flare : FUSEE. Man, I did not even know this is a word.
43. Devout : PIOUS
47. Run a fever, perhaps : AIL
48. Informal rejection : NOPE
49. Big bunch : BEVY. Bevy of beauties.
52. Absorb, as a loss : EAT
55. Affects, as one's heartstrings : TUGS AT
62. Idaho flower : SNAKE. Snake River. Snaky clue without the question mark hint. Flower = Flow-er. River flows.
63. Cat's-paw : TOOL. Another devious clue.
64. Cole Porter's alma mater : YALE
65. Boss's privilege : SAY-SO
66. Office suites, e.g. : APPS (Applications)
67. Like yarn : SPUN
Down:
1. Pay stub abbr. : FICA
2. "I'm all __" : EARS
3. Obstacles to quiet on the set? : EGOS. Movie set.
4. Takes a real beating : LOSES BIG. Great answer.
5. Roof support : RAFTER
6. "__ Had $1000000": Barenaked Ladies hit : IF I. Not familiar with the song or the Barenaked Ladies, A Canadian alt-rock band. No lady there, and no one is bare or naked.
7. Six years, for a senator : TERM
8. Company in Germany? : ZWEI. German for "two". Two is company. (Thanks for the correction, Santa!)
9. Signal callers: Abbr. : QBS
10. Sportscaster Bob dubbed "Mr. Baseball" : UECKER. Here is a nice picture. He's the broadcaster in "Major League". Very funny.
11. Kyrgyzstan range : ALAI. No idea. The Trans-Alai Range.
12. Keystone krew? : KOPS. Krew for "crew".
13. Meadow mamas : EWES
18. Contemptuous look : SNEER
19. Isn't fiction : EXISTS
24. Put the __ on: end : KIBOSH. I like the full phrase.
26. Chess jumpers: Abbr. : KTS (Knights)
27. David's kingdom : JUDAH
28. "... say, not __" : AS I DO
29. Bela Fleck's instrument : BANJO. Sweet answer for our old Bill. Maybe Bill G too.
30. "Fat chance!" : NEVER
31. Fasten, in a way : GLUE ON
32. Blessing evoker : ACHOO
33. Pelvic bone : ILIUM. Plural is ilia.
34. Like Coolidge, famously : TERSE. Hence "Silent Cal".
39. Proton sites : NUCLEI
42. "Thought you should know," on a memo : FYI
43. Like some children's books : POPUP
45. Whitewater craft : KAYAKS
46. Sites of many affairs : MOTELS. Thought of the singular OFFICE.
49. Largemouth __ : BASS
50. Bart Simpson's teacher __ Krabappel : EDNA. No idea.
51. End of the war : V-DAY. Victory.
53. "__ girl!" : ATTA
54. Sporty car roof : T-TOP
56. Pop's pal, at breakfast? : SNAP. Oh, Snap, Crackle, and Pop.
57. 2006 NSA suer : ACLU. Forever suing.
58. Afterwards : THEN
60. MGM mascot : LEO. Leo the Lion.
61. Cut : LOP
Answer grid.
C.C.
17A. Flight from a heated argument? : CROSSFIRE ESCAPE. The base phrase here is Fire Escape.
27A. Talkative "King of Country"? : JABBERING STRAIT. Bering Strait. "King of Country": George Strait.
44A. Gene carrier responsible for truancy? : HOOKY CHROMOSOME. Y Chromosome.
C.C. here. Lemonade is on DL. Needs a bit more time after the eye surgery. Hopefully he'll be back blogging next Friday.
Nice pangram. All 26 letters are used at least once. I like that the "punched" new phrases have got nothing to do with various punch terms. Perfect adding a letter/letter string gimmick. Neat unifier.
Great looking grid too. Four cross-spanning theme entries with no cheater square.
Across:
1. Knack : FEEL. Did you get the answer immediately?
5. Big name in crackers : RITZ. Also 40D. Crackers? : WISE GUYS. Awesome clue. Great "crackers" clecho (clue echo).
9. Earthshaking news? : QUAKE. Nailed it.
14. Othello's confidant : IAGO. Achieved forever fame in Xword.
15. Not many : A FEW
16. Where to look out? : BELOW. I don't get the clue.
20. Thumbs-up : ASSENT
21. Baking shortcut : MIX. The clue "shortcut" makes me think the answer might be an abbreviation.
22. Flamboyant band since the '70s : KISS. Weird band.
23. Ask for : SEEK
25. Jack succeeded him : IKE. Both clue & answer are nicknames.
35. Allegheny, as of 1979 : US AIR. Was unaware of its previous name.
36. Karate skill symbols : BELTS
37. A.L. Central team, on scoreboards : CLE. Cleveland Indians.
38. Minor damage : DING
39. Word on the Great Seal of the U.S. : NOVUS. See here. "Novus ordo seclorum" = "New order of the ages". Novus = New. Ordo = Order. Seclorum = Age.
40. Propeller sound : WHIR
41. Gram. topic : ADJ. Grammar/Adjective.
42. Signal flare : FUSEE. Man, I did not even know this is a word.
43. Devout : PIOUS
47. Run a fever, perhaps : AIL
48. Informal rejection : NOPE
49. Big bunch : BEVY. Bevy of beauties.
52. Absorb, as a loss : EAT
55. Affects, as one's heartstrings : TUGS AT
62. Idaho flower : SNAKE. Snake River. Snaky clue without the question mark hint. Flower = Flow-er. River flows.
63. Cat's-paw : TOOL. Another devious clue.
64. Cole Porter's alma mater : YALE
65. Boss's privilege : SAY-SO
66. Office suites, e.g. : APPS (Applications)
67. Like yarn : SPUN
Down:
1. Pay stub abbr. : FICA
2. "I'm all __" : EARS
3. Obstacles to quiet on the set? : EGOS. Movie set.
4. Takes a real beating : LOSES BIG. Great answer.
5. Roof support : RAFTER
6. "__ Had $1000000": Barenaked Ladies hit : IF I. Not familiar with the song or the Barenaked Ladies, A Canadian alt-rock band. No lady there, and no one is bare or naked.
7. Six years, for a senator : TERM
8. Company in Germany? : ZWEI. German for "two". Two is company. (Thanks for the correction, Santa!)
9. Signal callers: Abbr. : QBS
10. Sportscaster Bob dubbed "Mr. Baseball" : UECKER. Here is a nice picture. He's the broadcaster in "Major League". Very funny.
11. Kyrgyzstan range : ALAI. No idea. The Trans-Alai Range.
12. Keystone krew? : KOPS. Krew for "crew".
13. Meadow mamas : EWES
18. Contemptuous look : SNEER
19. Isn't fiction : EXISTS
24. Put the __ on: end : KIBOSH. I like the full phrase.
26. Chess jumpers: Abbr. : KTS (Knights)
27. David's kingdom : JUDAH
28. "... say, not __" : AS I DO
29. Bela Fleck's instrument : BANJO. Sweet answer for our old Bill. Maybe Bill G too.
30. "Fat chance!" : NEVER
31. Fasten, in a way : GLUE ON
32. Blessing evoker : ACHOO
33. Pelvic bone : ILIUM. Plural is ilia.
34. Like Coolidge, famously : TERSE. Hence "Silent Cal".
39. Proton sites : NUCLEI
42. "Thought you should know," on a memo : FYI
43. Like some children's books : POPUP
45. Whitewater craft : KAYAKS
46. Sites of many affairs : MOTELS. Thought of the singular OFFICE.
49. Largemouth __ : BASS
50. Bart Simpson's teacher __ Krabappel : EDNA. No idea.
51. End of the war : V-DAY. Victory.
53. "__ girl!" : ATTA
54. Sporty car roof : T-TOP
56. Pop's pal, at breakfast? : SNAP. Oh, Snap, Crackle, and Pop.
57. 2006 NSA suer : ACLU. Forever suing.
58. Afterwards : THEN
60. MGM mascot : LEO. Leo the Lion.
61. Cut : LOP
Answer grid.
C.C.
