Theme: OWIE's Pals - Common crossword answers (hence all capitalized) with the O?IE pattern serve as clues, resulting in four grid-spanning phrases.
20A. OPIE : CHILD IN MAYBERRY . "The Andy Griffith Show" boy. Played by Ron Howard.
34A. OBIE : THEATRICAL AWARD. Off-Broadway.
43A. OKIE : MAN FROM MUSKOGEE. Does this refer to Merle Haggard's "Okie from Muskogee"?
58A. ODIE : GARFIELD'S FRIEND. Drooling dog.
C.C. here. Got up and found no post from Melissa. Hope she's safe.
I'll get the blog skeleton here so the post will be published in time. Will fill in more content later. (Updated at 5:50am: Blog is complete now. Thanks for the patience.)
I'll get the blog skeleton here so the post will be published in time. Will fill in more content later. (Updated at 5:50am: Blog is complete now. Thanks for the patience.)
Bernice Gordon is 96 years old, probably the oldest constructor in the world. Here is a fascinating article about her. Inspiring! (Correction; Ms. Gordon just celebrated her 97th birthday. Thanks, Rich.)
Across:
1. Purchases : BUYS
5. One way to cope : ADAPT
10. Key of Brahms's Symphony No. 3 : F MAJ. Got via crosses. Waiting for Jazzbumpa for the perfect link.
14. Midwest native : OTOE. Quite close to the O?IE pattern.
15. Speeder's downfall : RADAR
16. Attorney general under Clinton : RENO (Janet)
17. Long story : SAGA
18. African title of respect : BWANA. ''Call Me Bwana" .
19. Earth, in Essen : ERDE
23. China's Sun __-sen : YAT. Played a critical role in overthrowing the last emperor of China. He's the brother-in-law of Chiang Kai-shek.
24. Gallery administrator's deg. : MFA
25. Cry of success : YES
26. "Wait, there's more ..." : AND
29. Ring 5-Downs : REFS. Boxing ring I presume? And 5D. Settler? : ARBITER
32. Last: Abbr. : ULT
40. __-B: dental brand : ORAL
41. Trail : LAG
42. In charge of : OVER
48. Just fine, at NASA : A-OK
49. Hors d'oeuvre spread : PATE. Pâté de foie gras.
50. Fairbanks-to-Anchorage dir. : SSW
51. To the rear : AFT. So is ABAFT.
54. Afternoon break : TEA
56. Sportscaster Cross : IRV. Not familiar with the guy.
65. Leaf-to-branch angle : AXIL. Good illustration.
66. Threshing instrument : FLAIL
67. Sculptor's material : CLAY
68. Anatomical blood carrier : VENA.Vena cava.
69. Specialty : FORTE. I always have the stress on the second syllable.
70. Queen's home : HIVE. Fun fill for Melissa.
71. Blue-pencil : EDIT
72. Shore eagles : ERNES. TERNS too.
73. River to the North Sea : YSER
Down:
1. Northwestern pear : BOSC
2. Where Pioneer Day is celebrated : UTAH. Not aware of this holiday.
3. Teammate of Mickey and Whitey : YOGI. Mickey Mantle and Whitey Ford.
4. Simmons alternative : SEALY
6. Early light : DAWN
7. "Bonanza" brother : ADAM
8. Flier until '91 : PAN-AM
9. Waiter's burden : TRAYFUL
10. Thrown in : FREE
11. Like Hood's men : MERRY. Robbin Hood.
12. Tennis great Agassi : ANDRE
13. Down under kids : JOEYS. Kangaroo's kids. "under" should be capitalized.
21. Thrown missile : DART
22. __ Cynwyd, Philadelphia suburb : BALA. No idea.
26. Tiny particle : ATOM
27. Dragsters' org. : NHRA (National Hot Rod Association)
28. Campus VIP : DEAN
30. Kodak product : FILM
31. Rascal : SCAMP
33. "__'Clock Jump": Harry James recording : TWO O'. Total stranger to me.
35. A, in communications : ALFA. NATO alphabet. Spitzboov likes to say "Brave Zulu", meaning very good.
36. Cancún quencher : AGUA
37. Miles per gal., points per game, etc. : AVGs
38. Roger of "Cheers" : REES. His face looks familiar.
39. Made faces, perhaps : DREW. I don't get this clue.
44. Roast, in Rouen : ROTI
45. Painter of Southwestern scenes : O'KEEFFE (Georgia)
46. Puts down : STIFLES
47. "The King and I" actress, 1956 : KERR (Deborah)
51. Desert growth : AGAVE
52. Sent, in a way : FAXED
53. Pop singer Lopez : TRINI. "If I Had a Hammer" singer, though I prefer Peter, Paul and Mary's version.
55. "It's __ nothing!" : ALL OR
57. French hot springs town : VICHY. Oh, so the Vichy Government was named after this town.
59. In need of tuning : FLAT. Tuning what?
60. Do some mending : DARN. Love Kazie's darning avatar.
61. Location : SITE
62. "The Whiffenpoof Song" collegians : ELIs. "The Whiffenpoof" is Yale's a cappella group. Another unknown to me.
63. Church section : NAVE
64. Certain colorist : DYER. Locks changer again.
C.C.
