Theme: Out, out damn ING. The “ING” ending to the last word of a familiar phrase are removed to reveal a new, and quite amusing phrase.
17A. Lodging surplus?: EXTRA INNS. EXTRA INN[ING]S, when a baseball game is tied after nine innings. The only plural answer.
20A. Versace creation?: ITALIAN DRESS. ITALIAN DRESS[ING], on your healthy salad, Gianni Versace was a famous designer killed by a random gay lover right here in beautiful Miami. His sister has carried on the company.
37A. Misplaced Yogi and Smokey?: LOST ONE'S BEARS. LOST ONE'S BEAR[INGS], losing your way, and my favorite because I can picture Yogi and Smokey doing some serious woodsy stuff.
58A. Plant at Sotheby's?: BRITISH SHILL. BRITISH SHILL[ING]. The now DEFUNCT British coin which was the equivalent of our nickel (20 to the pound); replaced by the five pence piece. Sotheby's is the famous British auction house, and a shill is put in the audience to bid up items to get the crowd to pay more.
62A. Investment in fine fabric?: SILK STOCK. SILK STOCK [ING], the wonderful casing that makes a gam shine like the stars. You do not see SILK used much anymore for leggings. Sad.
And the hint to the theme,
48D. Pleasure trip, and a hint to this puzzle's theme: OUTING. Not to be confused with any gender issues.
Wow, Lemonade here and I am amazed. I better understand the pressure on Argyle and C.C. doing back to back blogging. I feel like Curt Schill[ing] (BTW, shilling comes from schilling, an accounting term that dates back to Anglo-Saxon times when it was deemed to be the value of a cow in Kent or a sheep elsewhere) must have, as he was all battered, and prepared to take on the Yankees in the 2004 AL championship playoff. Having just blogged a John Lampkin, and now being handed the ball to take on a Dan Naddor, is a thrill, a challenge and a nice balm for other disappointments. In the world of blogg[ing] it does not get any better. The theme jumped out to me after the first fill, and they each were funny, set out in a 9,12,13,12,9 symmetry. Well lets look at what is likely one of the last of his efforts.
Across:
1. Hardly a walk in the park: TREK. STAR TREK?
5. "American __": IDOL. STAR maker? Do you watch the new incarnation?
9. Provoke: ROIL. I think of the sea roiling, but I guess bad habits can begin to roil me.
13. Russo of "Tin Cup": RENE. Best known for her work in the Lethal Weapon movies, she is Pretty.
14. Heavyweight fight?: SUMO.
15. Snoring cause, perhaps: APNEA. Sleep Apnea, where you actually pause in your breathing, has become a treatable condition.
19. Settles in: NESTS. Not my first thought.
22. Blotter letters: AKA. Also Known As; big in the police blotter world.
25. However, contracted: THO. Actually, Although.
26. Bygone Chrysler: LEBARON. The Lebaron, which in recent years was a mid-priced member of Chrysler’s fleet, began as the IMPERIAL LEBARON in the 30’s, their luxury car. It was designed by the Lebaron company, which was from Bridgeport, Connecticut, which was doing car bodies for many companies.
27. Target of a military press: DELT. The Deltoid Muscle is the round top part of your shoulder.
29. Animal rights org.: PETA. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is an American animal rights that uses some very odd images to promote their cause IMAGE .
31. Penn et al.: Abbr.: STNS. Stations, in this case railroad, a Manhattan reference.
32. Backed up, in a way: ON DISC.
35. Quad building: DORM.
42. Limo occasion: PROM. Yes, you must have a limo because they all drink.
43. Maker of pianos and bikes: YAMAHA. And much more; the company began when the eponymous founder began making organs.
45. Pacific salmon: COHO.
49. Scholarship drive donor: GRAD. You wonder how much all those schools spend on postage sending out their requests for money.
51. Carnival starting point?: PIER. The cruise line.
52. Blood specification: ONE UNIT.
54. "Gotcha!": AHA. See, I say I am not an O HO, and I get my A HA.
57. Hydroelectric structure: DAM. But we try not to swear, or make Coulee jokes.
61. Busted: RAN IN. Dan's multi word way to say arrested; and a mini-theme, along with 40D. Bust: RAID. Like Elliot Ness in the old days; not like Dolly Parton. And, 47D. Duff: HEINIE. Not old time actor Howard, but the one you sit on.
66. __ acid: AMINO. The body's building blocks.
67. "Night" author Wiesel: ELIE.
68. Way-back-when time: YORE. Days of yore, when men were men.
69. Coat rack items: PEGS.
70. Just slightly: A TAD. Probably a derivative of TADPOLE.
71. Classic theater name: ROXY. Old movie houses, and I will finish part one, with this SONG .
Down:
1. What's a little past due?: TRE. Oh, you multilingual devil Dan. Uno, Due, Tre; one two three in Eye-talian. What a tricky way to start us on our ride down.
2. Name fit for a king?: REX. Latin for King.
3. Tonsillitis M.D.: ENT. Ear, Nose and Throat.
4. "Felicity" star Russell: KERI. One of many from the Disney machine, she started out as a MOUSKETEER .
5. Thomas of the NBA: ISIAH. Detroit Piston star, terrible Knick coach, and now coaching Florida International right nearby me in Miami.
6. Maker of tires and tennis balls: DUNLOP. You ask what do those have in common, the answer RUBBER .
7. Present opening?: OMNI. Opening for the word omnipresent.
8. Silicon Valley city: LOS ALTOS. Puzzles are funny, there are many New York centric questions which are easy for we east coast residents, and I am sure this was a gimme for our left coaster, but for me it was a bit obscure. While the town is rich, it is small.
9. Grammy category: R AND B. Another of Dan's patented use of multiples to confuse, as RAND is a word.
10. Met expectations?: OPERAS. The Metropolitan Opera House in Manhattan, which we had recently.
11. Supplement: INSERT. The noun, like the newspaper inserts.
12. Reveals: LETS ON. Dan back to multi word answers.
16. Clubs: Abbr.: ASSNS. Associations, I am suing a number of Condominium Associations this month.
18. One of two authorized U.S. iPhone carriers: ATT.
21. Close at hand: NEARBY. Oops, I used that word in my write up.
22. Flap: ADO. My solitary chance to plug Shakespeare today.
23. __ Ration: KEN-L. I guess ALPO was too much like 24. Designer Gucci: ALDO.
28. "My country __ ...": TIS of thee. Sweet Land of Liberty.
30. Swelling: EDEMA. Not from Latin, but from the Greek οἴδημα,
33. Additive sold at Pep Boys: STP. Andy Granatelli's "Racer's Edge." Not this STP .
34. Pembroke or Cardigan dogs: CORGIS. My oldest brother has two; I also loved the cross of this clue, with BRITISH SHILL, as a tribute to the dog loving QUEEN ELIZABETH II . Can you believe there is a WIKI FIDO?
36. Start of an apology: MEA. CULPA, from Latin. The modern version which our group does not like, is "My bad."
38. View from Edinburgh: NORTH SEA.
39. Band aid?: AMP.
41. 2000 World Series stadium: SHEA. Another MET reference, and more New York.
44. Ready for battle: ARM.
45. Army attack helicopter: COBRA. For those who did not get enough violence yesterday ATTACK .
46. Cloverleaf component: ON RAMP.
50. Flowering plant used for food by the Aztecs: DAHLIA.
53. Yucatán youngsters: NINOS. Spanish.
55. Hoofed it: HIKED.
56. Roker and Rosen: ALs. What an odd couple he picked.
59. Bank deposit?: SILT. Finishing strong with a classic misdirection, the river bank.
60. About 10 trillion kil.: LTYR. Light Year.
63. Valentine symbols: OOO. XXX to you all.
64. '80s-'90s Honda model: CRX. These are very popular as race cars.
65. Critical: KEY. We have reached the critical point in the write up, where I must turn the key and shut off the motor and bid you all farewell, not to be back in the blogging seat for a while. Thank you Dan for another fun ride. Be careful, like Arnold, I will be back.
Lemonade
