Theme: The YES PUN! Each of the theme answers are common phrases where the last word is replaced with a sound-a-like word meaning yes in a foreign language. So we have both a pun and a consistent theme of non-English words meaning yes. A lively romp from dear Donna, anchored by two grid spanners.
20A. Approval from a Cádiz resident?: MEDITERRANEAN SI. Mediterranean SEA. We begin with our Spanish clue, which is tough if you do not know Cadiz.
29A. Approval from Louis XIV?:THE ROYAL OUI. Royal WE; the British Queens often expressed their dissatisfaction by saying, "we are displeased."
20A. Approval from a Cádiz resident?: MEDITERRANEAN SI. Mediterranean SEA. We begin with our Spanish clue, which is tough if you do not know Cadiz.
29A. Approval from Louis XIV?:THE ROYAL OUI. Royal WE; the British Queens often expressed their dissatisfaction by saying, "we are displeased."
40A. Approval from a shocked Scot?:ELECTRIC AYE. Electric EYE. I go back to the new eye doctor today, where I can practice my Highlands accent from reading all the Hamish Macbeth books.
50A. Approval from a sushi chef at the lunch counter?: TWELVE O'CLOCK HAI. 12 O'Clock HIGH.
I learned the Japanese word from this CLASSIC. There was a wonderful TV series about fighter pilots...
I learned the Japanese word from this CLASSIC. There was a wonderful TV series about fighter pilots...
Across:
1. Last of three Catherines: PARR. Henry the VIII had only one widow, and this was she. Quite the looker. See Image above.
5. Plot: CABAL This from the Hebrew root word, Qabbalah, referring to those who band together.
10. Pathfinder org.: NASA. Mars Pathfinder was designed to be a demonstration of the technology necessary to deliver a lander and a free-ranging robotic rover to the surface of Mars in a cost-effective and efficient manner.
14. Natural balm: ALOE. Living in the sunshine state, I love aloe, it is the bomb (silent L).
15. Last of the Oldsmobiles: ALERO.
17. Folio part: LEAF. Like a page, not the kind the senators fool around with.
18. Word of thanks: MERCI. French lesson, Jeannie; after you say, Oui, Oui monsieur, I say Merci.
19. Corn detritus: SILK. Detritus has become a popular word because of all the CSI books and shows which began with Patricia Cornwell and her Scarpetta character.We used to just say debris.
23. High-and-mighty: SNOOTY. Like Catherine Parr?
25. Pair of barbershop groups: OCTET. 2x4 = 8.
27. Admission req. for 24-Across:GMAT. Graduate Management Admission Test. Ok, one is good.
33. Code on some NYC-bound luggagetags: LGA. La Guardia in NYC.
36. Cambridge Conservative: TORY. The party in Great Britain.
37. Jack's UN ambassador: ADLAI. Stevenson, was the first for Jack Kennedy.
38. Markers: IOUS. I love a puzzle with anagrams OUIS/IOUS.
39. They're sometimes special: OPS. Operations.
.42. "Fake is as old as the __tree": Welles: EDEN. Orson Welles. Eden Tree? No wonder Rosebud was a sled.
43. It has some smart Alecs: MENSA. For the newbies, the corner has its own group, DENSA.
47. Place to get bogged down: MORASS. I always thought this was every man's dream.
55. Rough talk: RASP. Hoarse of a different color?
56. Indira's son: RAJIV. His second appearance this week.
57. 50-and-up group: AARP.
58. Concerning: AS TO.
59. Encourage none too gently: SHOVE.
60. Nursery rhyme tub assembly, e.g.: TRIO. Rub a dub dub, three men in a tub.
61. Sharpen: WHET. Probably comes from the German wetzen.
62. Rutabaga, for one: TUBER. From the Latin meaning swollen. Not to be confused with someone who watches too much you tube. Did you see the old people filming themselves? CLIP. Viral.
63. Squeezed (out): EKED. real old fashioned crosswordese.
phew, halfway home
Down:
1. Chiromancer's reading material: PALM. This was Friday hard, unless you recalled your Latin that CHIR (or CHIRO) means hand. No wonder people did not trust chiropractors. Anybody who was a "mancer" was suspect.
2. Like the northern Lesser Antilles, vis-à-vis the Windward Islands : ALEE. My A word; I had leeward last Friday.
3. Sporty two-seaters: ROADSTERS.
4. Sugar plant: REFINERY. You see it is not all about beer. Nice trickery with plant not being botanical.
5. Carved sardonyx: CAMEO. Pretty
6. Bright-eyed: ALERT. Do not forget bushy-tailed.
7. Smoothie ingredient: BERRY. Rather nondescript.
8. Conquistador's chest: ARCA. Spanish for ARK, like the ark used to hold the covenant.
9. Tender cut: LOIN. Or what kids do in school in Brooklyn.
10. Margarita choice: NO SALT. So are we salt, or no salt?
11. __ acid: AMINO.
12. It might be caliente: SALSA. Caliente= hot.
22. Morales in movies : ESAI.
25. Name of four Holy Roman emperors: OTTO. And Sgt. Snorkel's dog.
26. Rough waters: CHOP. Or maybe we could go back to the Hai Karate commercial
27. Source of milk for chèvre: GOAT. Goat cheese.
30. Third-oldest U.S. university: YALE. Without Google can you name the first two?
31. Yemen's chief port: ADEN
32. Corp.-partnership hybrid : LLC. Limited Liability Company.
33. One garnering lots of interest: LOAN SHARK. Nice misdirection.
34. Chaps: GUYS.
35. Cruising : ASEA. Okay my other A word.
38. Support for a Salchow : ICE SKATE. Like this CLIP, as always a tip of the ice to our own CA and our missing in action Red Shoe nurse, wherever she is. Be well fishy.
41. Apple on a desk: iMAC.
42. Sniggling gear: EELPOT. A boxlike structure with funnel-shaped traps for catching eels. Which would make a good present for eel loving fearless leader.
44. Frozen margarita insert: STRAW. No umbrellas here, boys.
45. Teeming (with): AWASH. My final A word.
46. Chansons de __: medieval Frenchpoems: GESTE. The most famous one which was preserved by the jongleurs is the SONG of ROLAND which figures prominently in Ken Follett's epic The Pillars of the Earth. Wonderful read.
47. Dead end, workwise: MCJOB.
48. Drab color: OLIVE. Poor olive stuck with both drab and Oyl.
49. Rootless sort: ROVER. Not nomad?
51. Aforetime: ERST. Sounds better in erstwhile.
52. Mount Ka'ala is its highest peak: OAHU. Hey Hawaiian friends, IPO and the other lost ones.
54. Touch or shuffle: iPOD.
Answer grid.
Answer grid.
There may be no I in team, but we have both iMAC and iPOD, and now it is time I am out of here. Another one done. Have a wonderful weekend, and Marti, i love to see a blog inspiring more than 100 comments, well done.
Lemonade.
Note from C.C.:
Happy Birthday to Moon! Hope all is well with you. Do drop us a note whenever you stop by.
Lemonade.
Note from C.C.:
Happy Birthday to Moon! Hope all is well with you. Do drop us a note whenever you stop by.
