Theme: FLEA Market. Three entries have the hidden word "flea" spanning the words. Jonathan had his first puzzle on a Sunday LAT in January. I am here to blog his second offering of a weekday puzzle for us.
17A. Woods has often been atop it : GOLF LEADER BOARD. Tiger Woods is not playing lately, because of injuries. But there are still a lot of exciting players to watch. Darren Clarke was wonderful at "The Open".
26A. Hold one's nose, perhaps : STIFLE A SNEEZE. Achooo!
42A They're fun to jump in : PILES OF LEAVES. Not so much fun to rake...
55A. Pet owner's bane, and a hint to what's hidden in 17-, 26- and 42-Across : FLEA INFESTATION
I think it would have been more elegant to have the third "flea" entry be of the FL - EA separation. As it is, we have two with F-LEA and one with FLE-A. But how to do FL-EA? How about NFL EASILY ENDS NEGOTIATIONS??? YAAAAYY- we'll have football this year! DH is happy, because if there were no football I would have him doing all kinds of projects around the house...
Marti here, filling in for our Melissa. I am itching to get started on this one!
Across
1. People person : CELEB. "People" magazine. Unless you are Britney Spears, then you definitely don't like people, especially ones who want to take your picture...
6. Throw for a loop : FAZE. From Feese, 1350–1400; Middle English fese blast, rush, fesen to drive, chase, frighten.
10. Crew cut's opposite : AFRO. You be the judge. Opposite? Scroll down to see the explanation of Afro and crew cut.
14. Good on one's feet : AGILE. Like Mohammed Ali or his daughter Laila.
15. In __ of: as a substitute for : LIEU. You are getting me today, in LIEU of Melissa. Sorry!
16. Ring out : PEAL. I wanted to PEAL my orange this morning, and ring out my wet laundry. Oops, sorry. Just googled those, and it should be "peel" and "wring"...
20. Mass. hours : EST. Going to an all-girls Catholic school, "mass" hours to me meant 6 A.M. to 7 A.M., 9 A.M. to 10 A.M. and (for the really lazy ones) 11 A.M. to 12 noon!! But this clever clue abbreviates "Massachusetts", meaning Eastern Standard Time hours.
21. Food with a Veterinary Formula : IAMS. I feed my tubby tabbies Hills (low fat, "adult" diet).
22. Ungentle giants : OGRES. Oh, I dunno - Shrek seems like such a nice guy...
23. Cilantro, e.g. : HERB. Do you like it in salsa? DH, not so much...
24. Word on some euros : EIRE. For Ireland. I'll be darned - you're right!!
31. Power strip inserts : PLUGS. Or, "Talk show guest's blatant promotion(s)". (Would that be a plug for my Monday puzzle???)
32. It may be promised : LAND.
33. Dedicated work : ODE. (Although, I don't know how dedicated I can become to a Grecian urn. But, it might grow on me after a while, I guess...)
35. Justice appointed after Clarence : RUTH. Are we talking Clarence Thomas and Ruth Bader Ginsburg? Actually, I am not on a first name basis with either one of them. You?? Maybe Hahtool or Lemonade?
36. Religiously devoted : PIOUS. See 20A.
38. Go up the creek without a paddle? : SWIM. HaHa, loved this clue/answer.
39. Doggy bag item : ORT. Scrap or morsel of food left at the end of the meal. A very old origin of the English word "eat". Really. Look it up! (Do I have to do all the work around here???)
40. She had a big hit with "Thank You" in 2001 : DIDO. Our first musical interlude. I really didn't know her, but I like her voice a lot.
41. Prepares, as a hook : BAITS. We went camping a couple weeks ago, and went fishing off the kayaks. DH had to BAIT my hook...eeewwww, I cannot deal with worms!!
46. Ben-Gurion airline : EL AL. Crosswordese.
47. Toll-road toll unit : AXLE. On the MASS Pike, the charge is $5.10 for a passenger two-axle vehicle if you go from west to east, but $8.60 if you go from east to west. Huhhh????
48. Talk Like a Pirate Day cry : AARGH. Really, there is an "International Pirate Day" every September 19th. (Would I kid you???) (I'm putting it on my calendar...)
51. Thrift store stipulation : AS IS.
52. Counterterrorism org. : FBI
59. Case the joint, say : ABET. "Assisting in wrongdoing". Don't let the 52A catch you.
60. Plant used for first aid : ALOE. I slathered it on after our book club "day at the lake" last weekend!!
61. Blair's predecessor : MAJOR. Tony Blair, John Major. British Prime Ministers.
62. Tool used to create 42-Across : RAKE. I cry foul on this one: I really don't like a non-theme entry referring to a theme entry. But, that's just me...
63. "__ of Steel": '80s workout video : BUNS. I have this video...It didn't work...Don't waste your money...
64. Sudden increase : SPIKE. Like Viagra? ( I mean, sales...don't go getting all DF on me!)
DOWN
1. Hamster's home : CAGE. I was thinking of this handsome guy...
2. Prima donnas have big ones : EGOS.
3. Happy tune : LILT. So you won't be afraid...
4. Will Ferrell holiday comedy : ELF. OK, there is just too much good stuff here!!
5. Personal theology elements : BELIEFS.
6. Burn a dessert on purpose? : FLAMBE. At Brennan's in New Orleans, they do this on a regular basis to bananas...
7. Helps out : AIDS.
8. End of a common list : ZEE. A, Be, Zee?
9. It's W of the Urals : EUR. The Ural Mountains separate Asia from Europe. Map.
10. Orbital high point : APOGEE. Low point = Perigee.
11. More than just butterflies : FEAR. Moths? Bats? No, just that feeling in the pit of your stomach when you have to speak before an audience of 500....
12. "Still mooing," at a steakhouse : RARE. I like mine "medium rare"...
13. Bygone automaker : OLDS. Aptly.
18. Banjoist Scruggs : EARL. I always mix him up with Ernest Tubb.
19. Watching the clock, perhaps : BORED. Ho, hum. Is it 2 A.M. yet?
23. Above the strike zone : HIGH. I had a different clue for this one...
24. Biblical birthright seller : ESAU. You'll do anything if you are hungry enough. But giving away your heritage for a bowl of stew? Really?
25. Getaway spots : INNS
26. Suck down : SLURP. Fun word!
27. __-frutti : TUTTI.
28. Hard to get close to : ALOOF. Do you think I am like Greta Garbo? "I vant to be alone..." (Naaahhh, I didn't think so...)
29. "Yikes!" : ZOWIE. Wowzah! Another fun word!
30. Puts in a good word? : EDITS. HaHa, Rich always puts in a good word for his constructors!
31. Debate side : PRO. Or con: take your pick! Was anyone else on the debate team? I hated it when I had to argue for the side I was actually against. But I did it vehemently!
34. Miami couple? : EMS. Classic crossword question mark - should have alerted you to the two "ems" in MiaMi. I'm sure no one on this corner was fooled...
36. City on the Arno : PISA. "When the moooon hits your eye like a big Pisa pie..."
37. 1-Across, usually : IDOL. Britney Spears? ...Really???
38. Word processing command : SAVE.
40. Indian metropolis : DELHI. Vidwan can fill us in...
41. Aromatic firs : BALSAMS. The Balsams is a beautiful resort in NH.
43. Emissary : LEGATE. This sounds suspiciously legalese to me...Lemonade, Hahtool??
44. Misses : LASSES. Did anyone think faults, errors, craves, yearns, etc., etc.???
45. Escape hatch, e.g. : EXIT. Just don't leave HAL in charge...
48. Way, way off : AFAR
49. Jessica of "Fantastic Four" : ALBA. So pretty.
50. Stink to high heaven : REEK. I won't go there...
51. Long, long time : AEON
52. Pacific archipelago : FIJI
53. Volume : BOOK. Loud?
54. Memo header : IN RE. More legalese, "In the matter (of)". Not to be confused with another crosswordese fill, "INRI ", crucifix letters (Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum ). But, crosswordese actually helps me very much in solving puzzles, as I know immediately what the answer should be. And it often helps to fill those perps...
56. Catch red-handed : NAB.
57. Fever cause : FLU. I hope our dear Santa doesn't have a fever with his pesky summer cold...
58. Suds source : TAP. Oh, "beer", not "laundry". And now, I am all tapped out!!
Answer grid.
Hugs,
Marti
Note from C.C.:
Here is another "Hard to Believe" photo from a current blog regular with a cool colorful avatar name. He said: "This is a Halloween costume from when I was 10 years old. It was my foster father's uniform before he was promoted to Detective. It was taken 31 Oct 1978. "
17A. Woods has often been atop it : GOLF LEADER BOARD. Tiger Woods is not playing lately, because of injuries. But there are still a lot of exciting players to watch. Darren Clarke was wonderful at "The Open".
26A. Hold one's nose, perhaps : STIFLE A SNEEZE. Achooo!
42A They're fun to jump in : PILES OF LEAVES. Not so much fun to rake...
55A. Pet owner's bane, and a hint to what's hidden in 17-, 26- and 42-Across : FLEA INFESTATION
I think it would have been more elegant to have the third "flea" entry be of the FL - EA separation. As it is, we have two with F-LEA and one with FLE-A. But how to do FL-EA? How about NFL EASILY ENDS NEGOTIATIONS??? YAAAAYY- we'll have football this year! DH is happy, because if there were no football I would have him doing all kinds of projects around the house...
Marti here, filling in for our Melissa. I am itching to get started on this one!
Across
1. People person : CELEB. "People" magazine. Unless you are Britney Spears, then you definitely don't like people, especially ones who want to take your picture...
6. Throw for a loop : FAZE. From Feese, 1350–1400; Middle English fese blast, rush, fesen to drive, chase, frighten.
10. Crew cut's opposite : AFRO. You be the judge. Opposite? Scroll down to see the explanation of Afro and crew cut.
14. Good on one's feet : AGILE. Like Mohammed Ali or his daughter Laila.
15. In __ of: as a substitute for : LIEU. You are getting me today, in LIEU of Melissa. Sorry!
16. Ring out : PEAL. I wanted to PEAL my orange this morning, and ring out my wet laundry. Oops, sorry. Just googled those, and it should be "peel" and "wring"...
20. Mass. hours : EST. Going to an all-girls Catholic school, "mass" hours to me meant 6 A.M. to 7 A.M., 9 A.M. to 10 A.M. and (for the really lazy ones) 11 A.M. to 12 noon!! But this clever clue abbreviates "Massachusetts", meaning Eastern Standard Time hours.
21. Food with a Veterinary Formula : IAMS. I feed my tubby tabbies Hills (low fat, "adult" diet).
22. Ungentle giants : OGRES. Oh, I dunno - Shrek seems like such a nice guy...
23. Cilantro, e.g. : HERB. Do you like it in salsa? DH, not so much...
24. Word on some euros : EIRE. For Ireland. I'll be darned - you're right!!
31. Power strip inserts : PLUGS. Or, "Talk show guest's blatant promotion(s)". (Would that be a plug for my Monday puzzle???)
32. It may be promised : LAND.
33. Dedicated work : ODE. (Although, I don't know how dedicated I can become to a Grecian urn. But, it might grow on me after a while, I guess...)
35. Justice appointed after Clarence : RUTH. Are we talking Clarence Thomas and Ruth Bader Ginsburg? Actually, I am not on a first name basis with either one of them. You?? Maybe Hahtool or Lemonade?
36. Religiously devoted : PIOUS. See 20A.
38. Go up the creek without a paddle? : SWIM. HaHa, loved this clue/answer.
39. Doggy bag item : ORT. Scrap or morsel of food left at the end of the meal. A very old origin of the English word "eat". Really. Look it up! (Do I have to do all the work around here???)
40. She had a big hit with "Thank You" in 2001 : DIDO. Our first musical interlude. I really didn't know her, but I like her voice a lot.
41. Prepares, as a hook : BAITS. We went camping a couple weeks ago, and went fishing off the kayaks. DH had to BAIT my hook...eeewwww, I cannot deal with worms!!
46. Ben-Gurion airline : EL AL. Crosswordese.
47. Toll-road toll unit : AXLE. On the MASS Pike, the charge is $5.10 for a passenger two-axle vehicle if you go from west to east, but $8.60 if you go from east to west. Huhhh????
48. Talk Like a Pirate Day cry : AARGH. Really, there is an "International Pirate Day" every September 19th. (Would I kid you???) (I'm putting it on my calendar...)
51. Thrift store stipulation : AS IS.
52. Counterterrorism org. : FBI
59. Case the joint, say : ABET. "Assisting in wrongdoing". Don't let the 52A catch you.
60. Plant used for first aid : ALOE. I slathered it on after our book club "day at the lake" last weekend!!
61. Blair's predecessor : MAJOR. Tony Blair, John Major. British Prime Ministers.
62. Tool used to create 42-Across : RAKE. I cry foul on this one: I really don't like a non-theme entry referring to a theme entry. But, that's just me...
63. "__ of Steel": '80s workout video : BUNS. I have this video...It didn't work...Don't waste your money...
64. Sudden increase : SPIKE. Like Viagra? ( I mean, sales...don't go getting all DF on me!)
DOWN
1. Hamster's home : CAGE. I was thinking of this handsome guy...
2. Prima donnas have big ones : EGOS.
3. Happy tune : LILT. So you won't be afraid...
4. Will Ferrell holiday comedy : ELF. OK, there is just too much good stuff here!!
5. Personal theology elements : BELIEFS.
6. Burn a dessert on purpose? : FLAMBE. At Brennan's in New Orleans, they do this on a regular basis to bananas...
7. Helps out : AIDS.
8. End of a common list : ZEE. A, Be, Zee?
9. It's W of the Urals : EUR. The Ural Mountains separate Asia from Europe. Map.
10. Orbital high point : APOGEE. Low point = Perigee.
11. More than just butterflies : FEAR. Moths? Bats? No, just that feeling in the pit of your stomach when you have to speak before an audience of 500....
12. "Still mooing," at a steakhouse : RARE. I like mine "medium rare"...
13. Bygone automaker : OLDS. Aptly.
18. Banjoist Scruggs : EARL. I always mix him up with Ernest Tubb.
19. Watching the clock, perhaps : BORED. Ho, hum. Is it 2 A.M. yet?
23. Above the strike zone : HIGH. I had a different clue for this one...
24. Biblical birthright seller : ESAU. You'll do anything if you are hungry enough. But giving away your heritage for a bowl of stew? Really?
25. Getaway spots : INNS
26. Suck down : SLURP. Fun word!
27. __-frutti : TUTTI.
28. Hard to get close to : ALOOF. Do you think I am like Greta Garbo? "I vant to be alone..." (Naaahhh, I didn't think so...)
29. "Yikes!" : ZOWIE. Wowzah! Another fun word!
30. Puts in a good word? : EDITS. HaHa, Rich always puts in a good word for his constructors!
31. Debate side : PRO. Or con: take your pick! Was anyone else on the debate team? I hated it when I had to argue for the side I was actually against. But I did it vehemently!
34. Miami couple? : EMS. Classic crossword question mark - should have alerted you to the two "ems" in MiaMi. I'm sure no one on this corner was fooled...
36. City on the Arno : PISA. "When the moooon hits your eye like a big Pisa pie..."
37. 1-Across, usually : IDOL. Britney Spears? ...Really???
38. Word processing command : SAVE.
40. Indian metropolis : DELHI. Vidwan can fill us in...
41. Aromatic firs : BALSAMS. The Balsams is a beautiful resort in NH.
43. Emissary : LEGATE. This sounds suspiciously legalese to me...Lemonade, Hahtool??
44. Misses : LASSES. Did anyone think faults, errors, craves, yearns, etc., etc.???
45. Escape hatch, e.g. : EXIT. Just don't leave HAL in charge...
48. Way, way off : AFAR
49. Jessica of "Fantastic Four" : ALBA. So pretty.
50. Stink to high heaven : REEK. I won't go there...
51. Long, long time : AEON
52. Pacific archipelago : FIJI
53. Volume : BOOK. Loud?
54. Memo header : IN RE. More legalese, "In the matter (of)". Not to be confused with another crosswordese fill, "INRI ", crucifix letters (Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum ). But, crosswordese actually helps me very much in solving puzzles, as I know immediately what the answer should be. And it often helps to fill those perps...
56. Catch red-handed : NAB.
57. Fever cause : FLU. I hope our dear Santa doesn't have a fever with his pesky summer cold...
58. Suds source : TAP. Oh, "beer", not "laundry". And now, I am all tapped out!!
Answer grid.
Hugs,
Marti
Note from C.C.:
Here is another "Hard to Believe" photo from a current blog regular with a cool colorful avatar name. He said: "This is a Halloween costume from when I was 10 years old. It was my foster father's uniform before he was promoted to Detective. It was taken 31 Oct 1978. "
