Theme: How would you have spelt it? Revealed in 51 Across: Spin, as a cue ball, and how to answer each starred clue in this puzzle?: PUT ENGLISH ON IT. The last word of each answer is how you would find it in the OED (Oxford English Dictionary).
20. *Not exactly a nightie: FLANNEL PYJAMAS. From India and SW Asia "paijama", The English changed ai to "y", and the US simply dropped the "i". As for the clue, sometimes a suggestion of something hidden can be more alluring than outright exposure...
24. *Scales are part of it: PIANO PRACTISE. Practice is the noun, practise is the verb, but Americans are in the practice of always using practice.
33. *Reinforced road traveler: STEEL-BELTED TYRE. From tire "equipment, dress, covering", a shortened form of "attire". The notion is of the tire as the dressing of the wheel. The original spelling was tyre, which had shifted to tire in 17c.-18c., but since early 19c. tyre was revived in Great Britain with the advent of the pneumatic rubber form and become standard there.
43. *Headquarters: CONTROL CENTRE. The -er, -re ending confusion can be traced to Noah Webster, who attempted to reform English spelling in the US. Despite his efforts, we still kept words like acre (instead of aker), ogre, and theatre (classy or pretentious?) Across the pond, Johnson's dictionary is considered authoritative for the -re endings, and seems to be a source of national pride (don't quote Webster to them...)
Hi all, Al here. I have to say, today the theme helped a lot. The top was refusing to fill in, but after getting CENTRE, the other theme spelt words fell quickly which gave me just enough to start getting perps. I'll let Don's notes (included at the end) speak for themselves.
ACROSS:
1. Fictional falcon seeker: SPADE. Sam, as played by Bogie.
6. Fictional falcon source: MALTA. The Maltese Falcon. I've never seen this movie, maybe it's time to finally chase it down. Today's geography lesson.
11. "The Sting" number: RAG. Music from the movie originally composed by Scott Joplin, arranged by Marvin Hamlish.
14. Much of Israel: NEGEV. Desert.
15. Provide with heat?: ENARM. Heat, as in weapons.
16. Shaft discovery: ORE. A mining shaft of course. Any other interpretation would probably have you running to a urologist...
17. Speak above the crowd?: ORATE. Both literally (loudly) and figuratively (on a soapbox). I'm not sure if I have those backwards...
18. Solitude: TIME ALONE.
22. Jack edged him out in the 1980 U.S. Open: ISAO. AOKI. Golf. Both names are common crosswordese clues and answers, but usually one clues the other.
23. Jumbo, say: SIZE.
31. Some time ago: ONCE. upon a time.
32. Screwball: LOON.
41. "__, 'tis true, I have gone here and there": Sonnet 110: ALAS.
42. Choice word: EENY. Meeny Miny Moe.
48. Pole or Croat: SLAV. Apparently we get the word slave from slav because of their history of being conquered and being sold into servitude.
50. Where parts of the '95 film "Higher Learning" were shot: UCLA.
58. Radical: EXTREMIST. By definition, one far from the norm, thus should not be construed as representative, yet human nature will try to force a pattern...
59. Bathroom sink fitting: P-TRAP.
61. Bathroom, across the pond: LOO. More bonus English.
62. Berry picked for an Emmy: HALLE.
63. Sister of Thalia: ERATO. Muses.
64. Stab: TRY.
65. Loper leader: INTER. Prefix clue. An interloper is a "self-interested intruder".
66. Easily colored synthetic: DYNEL.
DOWN:
1. Desk globe filler?: SNO. Really kind of boring unless Pixar interprets it.
2. Line to tear along: Abbr.: PERForated.
3. "I've Got __ in Kalamazoo": A GAL. A Glenn Miller oldie.
4. Suspect, maybe: DETAINEE. With all the airport security measures now, I think the terrorists did win...
5. "Given that ...": EVEN SO.
6. Sky streaker: METEOR.
7. Deep blue: ANIL. The west indian shrub called the indigo plant, from which blue dyes are made.
8. Harpsichordist's aid: LAMP. I can only assume this is what the clue intended...
9. It has few pips: TREY. Playing card spots.
10. Key of Beethoven's Sym. No. 7: A MAJ. Second Movement (8:19)
11. Frosh assignment: ROOMIE. Often in the first year of college, you must stay in a dorm, and you can't always pick your own roommate.
12. Ball partner: ARNAZ. Lucy and Desi.
13. Sky honkers: GEESE. Did you ever notice that one side of their V formation is always longer than the other and wonder why that happens? It's because there are more geese on that side.
19. Lad's sweetheart: LASS. Scotland terms could be interpreted to be related to today's theme.
21. Hammock session: NAP.
24. Batt. terminal: POSitive. or NEGative.
25. NFL drive killer: INTerception in football.
26. Score very high on: ACE. As with an exam.
27. "This is __ sudden!": ALL SO.
28. Motel extra: COT.
29. Nail holder: TOE. A little tricky, and not my first thought. Also, eww... but just a little.
30. Ill. neighbor: IND. Illinois and Indiana.
34. Data-sharing syst.: LAN. Local Area Network, connected computers, usually within a single building. Between buildings usually requires a WAN, Wide Area Network.
35. Lunch initials: BLT.
36. __ candy: EAR, and clecho: 40D. __ candy: EYE.
37. Renters, collectively: TENANTRY. Perhaps a bit archaic Middle English-like, and doesn't quite slide easily off your tongue, but at least it isn't boring.
38. Nevertheless: YET.
39. Time off, in mil. slang: RNR. Rest 'N Recreation
43. Yarn or bell, e.g.: CAT TOY.
44. Page-bottom directive: OVER.
45. Polish goal: LUSTER. A disguised capitonym clue. "Hiding" it at the beginning of a sentence is a Thursday level of trickiness.
45. Polish goal: LUSTER. A disguised capitonym clue. "Hiding" it at the beginning of a sentence is a Thursday level of trickiness.
46. "The Shield" actress __ Pounder: CCH. Carol Christine Hilaria.
47. Made hasty altar plans: ELOPED.
48. Broke down, in a way: SPELT. Bonus theme-related English spelling.
49. Pyramid-shaped Vegas hotel: LUXOR.
52. Soda reportedly named for a bottle size: NEHI. One story is that the company founder sent one of his salesmen across the Chattahoochee River from Columbus to check out his competition in Alabama. The happy salesman returned to report that Alabama competition was only "knee-high". The other recurring story concerns the checking of bottle samples that were being considered for the new flavor line. Most of the drinks of that era were of the 6 or 7 ounce sizes. When the tall 9 ounce Nehi sample was set beside the competitors brands, the comment was made that the smaller bottles looked "knee-high" beside their new container.
53. Fed: G-MAN.
54. Happy tune: LILT. To "lift up".
55. Crow's-nest sighting: ISLE. On a Thursday, LAND was too simple.
56. Afghanistan neighbor: IRAN.
57. Thames gallery: TATE. More England references.
60. Capitol Hill mover: POL. Whenever I see this word, I think of Pol Pot...
Constructor's notes:
"It may be that this puzzle was inspired by a coworker of my wife, Barbara. He is very English. He solves my puzzles regularly and loves the diversion from his usual grind. I have met others from England, and cannot help but marvel at their colorful phrases. We walk our dogs in the snicket now. I did not know the narrow, wooded glen was a snicket until the English neighbor told me so. I cannot even find that word in an English dictionary, so who knows how many words are out there that are not even in print. I have also marveled at the spelling changes from one language to the other. The goal was to make as many kinds of substitutions as possible, and try to keep the word the same length. I think I also tried for one-letter substitutions, but I cannot recall if I succeeded. This puzzle will probably drive some people crazy at first, who think they got it right but find that it does not work out. The unifier was important. Fortunately there was a phrase that explains it all. I wonder where that phrase, “Put English on it” comes from. I used to hear people use it in reference to billiard shots. I have even heard it on the golf course. Does anyone know the origin of this phrase?"
"It may be that this puzzle was inspired by a coworker of my wife, Barbara. He is very English. He solves my puzzles regularly and loves the diversion from his usual grind. I have met others from England, and cannot help but marvel at their colorful phrases. We walk our dogs in the snicket now. I did not know the narrow, wooded glen was a snicket until the English neighbor told me so. I cannot even find that word in an English dictionary, so who knows how many words are out there that are not even in print. I have also marveled at the spelling changes from one language to the other. The goal was to make as many kinds of substitutions as possible, and try to keep the word the same length. I think I also tried for one-letter substitutions, but I cannot recall if I succeeded. This puzzle will probably drive some people crazy at first, who think they got it right but find that it does not work out. The unifier was important. Fortunately there was a phrase that explains it all. I wonder where that phrase, “Put English on it” comes from. I used to hear people use it in reference to billiard shots. I have even heard it on the golf course. Does anyone know the origin of this phrase?"
Al
