Theme: C before E, must go, Gee.. We have a substitution puzzle where phrases containing a word ending in CE, replace that word with one ending in G instead. Merriment ensues. I loved the unifier, which took a perfectly good expression, G-FORCE (parsing it as "G for CE") and reshaped into the theme for this effort. I thought LAG and RAG were too similar, but the puzzle was fun and not too easy nor too hard. Like porridge on a cold morning. Until this puzzle, we have exactly one puzzle a year from Mr. Muller, always in July. Well, as your resident acronym ace, I am back from the cold wet north, to unscramble this Friday feast.
20A. Boast à la Donald Trump : BRAG FOR IMPACT. BRACE FOR IMPACT is the starter phrase. I am so glad we do not see much of Donald lately.
20A. Boast à la Donald Trump : BRA
26A. "Our overly fussy friend has a point"?: THE PRIG IS RIGHT. THE PRICE IS RIGHT, yo Bob Barker. Like seeing old timey PRIG resurface.
43A. Joplin piece about modern weaponry?: NUCLEAR ARMS RAG. NUCLEAR ARMS RACE. Scott Joplin worte ragtime music, like you heard in the Sting.
50A. Delay from an 18th-century English ruler?: QUEEN ANNE'S LAG. QUEEN ANNE'S LACE. The plant is pretty.
And the unifier;
64A. It's zero in free-fall—and, put another way, a hint to how the four longest puzzle answers were formed : G FORCE. This must be parsed G FOR CE, to help understand the the G is being replaced.
On to the show:
43A. Joplin piece about modern weaponry?: NUCLEAR ARMS RA
50A. Delay from an 18th-century English ruler?: QUEEN ANNE'S LA
And the unifier;
64A. It's zero in free-fall—and, put another way, a hint to how the four longest puzzle answers were formed : G FORCE. This must be parsed G FOR CE, to help understand the the G is being replaced.
On to the show:
Across:
1. Puts a little too close to the flame: SINGES. Well we are all off to a hot start.
7. Does away with: OFFS. Yes, our mob loving culture has embraced this word. Also, 53D. Named names: SANG, like Sammy the Bull.
11. Spirit: PEP. Yes, this why they are called pep rallies.
1. Puts a little too close to the flame: SINGES. Well we are all off to a hot start.
7. Does away with: OFFS. Yes, our mob loving culture has embraced this word. Also, 53D. Named names: SANG, like Sammy the Bull.
11. Spirit: PEP. Yes, this why they are called pep rallies.
14. Set straight: ORIENT. Where do you side on the debate with orientate?
15. Narrow space: SLIT. We have had this one often, so I guess we need this IMAGE.
15. Narrow space: SLIT. We have had this one often, so I guess we need this IMAGE.
16. Pay add-on: OLA. PAYOLA; I imagine many of you are too young to recall the scandal with radio DJ's accepting bribes to play certain records in the 50's. And, 24A. Malt finish?: OSE. MALTOSE. One of the many sugars, sweety.
17. Where many changes occur: CABANA. Cabana or cabaña is the place near beaches or pools where people don beachwear, nice clue.
18. August: MAJESTIC.
22. Patriot Act protesters: Abbr.: ACLU. AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION. Here we go again.
25. Goddess of motherhood: ISIS. Time for our LESSON.
31. Wasikowska of "The Kids Are All Right": MIA. Want to meet this CELEBRITY?(4:00)
32. "Trinity" novelist: URIS. Leon is on a little roll these days.
33. Union agreement: I DO. The marriage union.
34. Fiber source: OAT BRAN.
36. Illegal pitch: SPITTER. Just as gross as it sounds, banned by baseball in 1920, it was last legally thrown by Wisconsin native Burleigh Grimes in 1934.
40. "Have some": EAT. In a Jewish household, it is always, "eat, eat."
41. Kid on "The Cosby Show": THEO. The one male child of the Huxtables played by MALCOM-JAMAL WARNER.(4:28).
42. Big name in '40s-'50s Argentina: EVA. Mrs. Peron, don't cry for her.
47. Went under: SANK.
48. Emulate Eminem : RAP. Nice alliteration.
49. Irascibility: BILE. This cross was tricky, with the SB.
55. LA and MI, but not DO or RE: US STATES. My favorite clue, great confusion.
56. Gas up?: AERATE. Also tricky, no cars and no flatulence.
55. LA and MI, but not DO or RE: US STATES. My favorite clue, great confusion.
56. Gas up?: AERATE. Also tricky, no cars and no flatulence.
59. NRC predecessor: AEC. The Atomic Energy Commission was replaced by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
61. Shrink, in a way: NARROW.
62. "The __ of Pooh": '80s best-seller: TAO. I had forgotten this silly book.
63. "Right away, Mammy": YES'M. Mammy? UnPC?
Down:
1. Religious org., perhaps: SOC. The org. tells you it is an abbreviation, this time for SOCIETY.
2. George's lyricist: IRA. The brothers Gershwin.
3. Show little interest in, as food: NIBBLE AT. I like the word NIBBLE.
4. Get ready for action GEAR UP.
5. Sicilian resort: ENNA. Unfamiliar with this place.
6. Unaccompanied: STAG.
7. Biology text topic: OSMOSIS. I used to sleep on my Biology text book, gathering my knowledge by osmosis.
6. Unaccompanied: STAG.
7. Biology text topic: OSMOSIS. I used to sleep on my Biology text book, gathering my knowledge by osmosis.
8. Roadside attention getters: FLARES. Like THESE?
9. Water brand named for its source: FIJI.
10. Dam up: STEM.
11. Fertilizer substance: POTASH. Want to learn about Potassium salts and other ORGANICS?
12. Draw forth: ELICIT.
13. Treaties: PACTS.
19. Water source: SPIGOT. Same number of letters as faucet.
21. Surround with dense mist: FOG IN.
22. Spherical opening?: ATMO. ATMOSPHERICAL.
23. Hirsute pet: CHIA. Not really, it is leafy not hairy.
27. Like the sticks: RURAL.
28. Sizzling: IRATE.
29. More fleshy, perhaps: RIPER. You think?
30. Under the weather, e.g.: IDIOM. An expression, likely from seasickness.This comes again from a maritime source. In the old days, when a sailor was unwell, he was sent down below to help his recovery, under the deck and away from the weather.
30. Under the weather, e.g.: IDIOM. An expression, likely from seasickness.This comes again from a maritime source. In the old days, when a sailor was unwell, he was sent down below to help his recovery, under the deck and away from the weather.
35. Anouilh play made into a Burton/O'Toole film: BECKET. Wonderful FILM.(4:46)
36. It's not always easy to get into: SHAPE.
37. "Tootsie" Oscar nominee: TERI GARR. She now is fighting MS, but I will always remember her from this SCENE. (0:24).
38. Assessment, for short: EVAL. EVALUATION.
39. Popular trend: RAGE. This reminds me of Joon and his struggles and triumph today; what he knows amazes me, and what he does not also amazes me.
41. Pontiac muscle car: TRANS AM. Not the Firebird?
43. Sartre work: NAUSEA. This was Jean-Paul's first published novel, and really set out the existential philosophy which attracts so many college juniors.
41. Pontiac muscle car: TRANS AM. Not the Firebird?
43. Sartre work: NAUSEA. This was Jean-Paul's first published novel, and really set out the existential philosophy which attracts so many college juniors.
44. Paris-based cultural org : UNESCO. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Really, is that enough?
45. "Gunsmoke" star: ARNESS. He and his brother, Peter Graves from Fury and Mission Impossible entertained us for years.
46. Popular purveyor of stromboli: SBARRO. At every food court, started by a family from Brooklyn named, yes, SBARRO.
47. Zipp : SQUAT. I prefer diddly squat.
51. Deep blue: NAVY.
52. Play to __: A TIE.
54. Two pages: LEAF. It is both sides of the page.
57. Front-of-bk. list: TOC. Really, one more? TABLE OF CONTENTS.
58. Cote girl: EWE. I guess this is a reference to the little known people of the IVORY COAST? (From C.C.: silly EWE! Sheep shelter "Cote".)
Answer grid.
Well, another week gone. A puzzle with no French, no law and no beer, nothing to complain about. I wish you all a happy healthy year, as some of us will be disappearing to atone for all our sins. Until next time.
Lemonade
47. Zipp : SQUAT. I prefer diddly squat.
51. Deep blue: NAVY.
52. Play to __: A TIE.
54. Two pages: LEAF. It is both sides of the page.
57. Front-of-bk. list: TOC. Really, one more? TABLE OF CONTENTS.
58. Cote girl: EWE. I guess this is a reference to the little known people of the IVORY COAST? (From C.C.: silly EWE! Sheep shelter "Cote".)
Answer grid.
Well, another week gone. A puzzle with no French, no law and no beer, nothing to complain about. I wish you all a happy healthy year, as some of us will be disappearing to atone for all our sins. Until next time.
Lemonade
