Theme: Homophone Time - The first words of the three theme entries are pronounced the same.
16A. Sniveled, "But I don't wanna!" : WHINED IN PROTEST. Vivid image.
29A. Treated like royalty : WINED AND DINED
47A. Take care of every last detail : WIND UP LOOSE ENDS. I've only used "tie up loose ends".
C.C. here. No write-up from our bubbly Marti this morning. Hope she's alright. I'll just publish a skeletal write-up and fill in my comments later. (Updated at 6:00am: all done. Thanks for the patience.)
Not our usual Thursday theme, which often features more tricks and wordplay. This one has a straightforward Monday feel, with only 3 theme entries. But the grid has a Saturday design, with only 70 words, six of which are 3-letter words.
This is second time in a row that Jeff has a grid spanner non-theme entry in his puzzle. I feel he has been experimenting and exploring new ways to spice up his grids. Additionally, like Brad Wilber, Jeff likes using single helper squares in the corners of the grid to smooth out his fill. And he always produces the smoothest fill.
Across:
1. Composes, as a telegram : TAPS OUT. Is telegram still in use?
8. Render harmless, in a way : DE-CLAW. And 10D. Critter to 8-Across, perhaps : CAT.
14. Warranty contract fig. : SERIAL NO. Nice entry.
15. Hold 'em challenge : I RAISE
18. Flagrant felonies : ARSONS
19. Moxie : GUTS
20. Puffin kin : AUK
21. Damon and others : MATTS. And a Matt Dillon.
22. Like runts : PUNY
23. River in a 1957 film title : KWAI. "The Bridge on the River Kwai".
24. What much may follow : IN AS. Inasmuch. Tough to clue this answer.
25. Indigo Girls song, e.g. : DUET
26. Fetches flies : SHAGS
27. Common starting word : MAMA. Same as Chinese.
28. Male mallards : DRAKES
33. Symbolic trees of Lebanon : CEDARS. One on their flag.
34. Days in Durango : DIAS
35. Loosely arrange : DRAPE
36. Like a soufflé : EGGY
37. Scrapple meat : PORK. Bill's favorite breakfast, Scrapple.
41. Prefix with byte : TERA. Prefix for "trillion".
42. Pantry lineup : JARS
43. Broadcast network : AIRER
44. Like the Opry? : OLE. Grand Ole Opry.
45. Brand of syrup : KARO
46. Beatles nonsense syllables : OB-LA-DI
50. Tennis great Goolagong : EVONNE. Aussie.
51. Traces : VESTIGES
52. Puts new prices on : RE-TAGS
53. He voiced curmudgeonly Carl in "Up" : ED ASNER. His name appears way too often in the bottom of the grid due to its friendly letter combination.
Down:
1. Azadi Tower city : TEHRAN. I've never heard of this tower.
2. Barry Manilow's longtime label : ARISTA
3. Some Côte-d'Or reds : PINOTS
4. Composer Saint-__ : SAENS. You've got to commit his name into memory.
5. Auto industry pioneer : OLDS
6. __-ball pens : UNI
7. Flooring joint : TONGUE AND GROOVE. A delight for Splynter! Any good anagram on this entry, Jerome?
8. Unsportsmanlike : DIRTY
9. Piccadilly Circus statue : EROS
11. Stare at the ceiling, maybe : LIE AWAKE. I don't. Solid 8 hours of sleep.
12. Eased : ASSUAGED
13. Sloppy greeting from a puppy : WET KISS. Here is how to say "I love you" in Cantonese. Love George Lam. "Wo Ai Ni" is Mandarin spelling. Ni becomes "Ney" in Cantonese.
14. Guru : SWAMI
17. Give up the ball : PUNT
22. Tawny predator : PUMA
23. Kublai __ : KHAN. Grandson of Genghis Khan.
25. A&W competitor : DADS
26. Hindu titles : SRIs
27. __ mortals : MERE
28. Time for action : D-DAY
29. TV roving reporter's opening : WE'RE LIVE. Great answer.
30. Words of reluctance : I DARE NOT. Another nice one. Multi-word entries are always preferable.
31. County with grapes on its seal : NAPA
32. Finds cool, man : DIGS
33. Storage for jewel cases : CD TOWER. History.
36. British peer : EARL
37. Offer to a bunch of hitchhikers : PILE IN (Note: Argyle answered my question earlier.)
38. Valencia, for one : ORANGE
39. Not as well-done : REDDER
40. __ Kringle : KRISS
42. Makes fun of : JAPES
43. Picks the locks for, perhaps : ABETS. Oh, no hair locks today?
45. "__ Fu Panda": 2008 animated film : KUNG. Jackie Chan is also an enduring figure in Cantonpop (Cantonese Pop Music).
46. Greek high point : OSSA. Mt Ossa.
48. It was Genentech's stock ticker symbol, aptly : DNA. Very wise for them to pick the symbol.
49. 20-volume ref. : OED
Answer grid.
C.C.
16A. Sniveled, "But I don't wanna!" : WHINED IN PROTEST. Vivid image.
29A. Treated like royalty : WINED AND DINED
47A. Take care of every last detail : WIND UP LOOSE ENDS. I've only used "tie up loose ends".
C.C. here. No write-up from our bubbly Marti this morning. Hope she's alright. I'll just publish a skeletal write-up and fill in my comments later. (Updated at 6:00am: all done. Thanks for the patience.)
Not our usual Thursday theme, which often features more tricks and wordplay. This one has a straightforward Monday feel, with only 3 theme entries. But the grid has a Saturday design, with only 70 words, six of which are 3-letter words.
This is second time in a row that Jeff has a grid spanner non-theme entry in his puzzle. I feel he has been experimenting and exploring new ways to spice up his grids. Additionally, like Brad Wilber, Jeff likes using single helper squares in the corners of the grid to smooth out his fill. And he always produces the smoothest fill.
Across:
1. Composes, as a telegram : TAPS OUT. Is telegram still in use?
8. Render harmless, in a way : DE-CLAW. And 10D. Critter to 8-Across, perhaps : CAT.
14. Warranty contract fig. : SERIAL NO. Nice entry.
15. Hold 'em challenge : I RAISE
18. Flagrant felonies : ARSONS
19. Moxie : GUTS
20. Puffin kin : AUK
21. Damon and others : MATTS. And a Matt Dillon.
22. Like runts : PUNY
23. River in a 1957 film title : KWAI. "The Bridge on the River Kwai".
24. What much may follow : IN AS. Inasmuch. Tough to clue this answer.
25. Indigo Girls song, e.g. : DUET
26. Fetches flies : SHAGS
27. Common starting word : MAMA. Same as Chinese.
28. Male mallards : DRAKES
33. Symbolic trees of Lebanon : CEDARS. One on their flag.
34. Days in Durango : DIAS
35. Loosely arrange : DRAPE
36. Like a soufflé : EGGY
37. Scrapple meat : PORK. Bill's favorite breakfast, Scrapple.
41. Prefix with byte : TERA. Prefix for "trillion".
42. Pantry lineup : JARS
43. Broadcast network : AIRER
44. Like the Opry? : OLE. Grand Ole Opry.
45. Brand of syrup : KARO
46. Beatles nonsense syllables : OB-LA-DI
50. Tennis great Goolagong : EVONNE. Aussie.
51. Traces : VESTIGES
52. Puts new prices on : RE-TAGS
53. He voiced curmudgeonly Carl in "Up" : ED ASNER. His name appears way too often in the bottom of the grid due to its friendly letter combination.
Down:
1. Azadi Tower city : TEHRAN. I've never heard of this tower.
2. Barry Manilow's longtime label : ARISTA
3. Some Côte-d'Or reds : PINOTS
4. Composer Saint-__ : SAENS. You've got to commit his name into memory.
5. Auto industry pioneer : OLDS
6. __-ball pens : UNI
7. Flooring joint : TONGUE AND GROOVE. A delight for Splynter! Any good anagram on this entry, Jerome?
8. Unsportsmanlike : DIRTY
9. Piccadilly Circus statue : EROS
11. Stare at the ceiling, maybe : LIE AWAKE. I don't. Solid 8 hours of sleep.
12. Eased : ASSUAGED
13. Sloppy greeting from a puppy : WET KISS. Here is how to say "I love you" in Cantonese. Love George Lam. "Wo Ai Ni" is Mandarin spelling. Ni becomes "Ney" in Cantonese.
14. Guru : SWAMI
17. Give up the ball : PUNT
22. Tawny predator : PUMA
23. Kublai __ : KHAN. Grandson of Genghis Khan.
25. A&W competitor : DADS
26. Hindu titles : SRIs
27. __ mortals : MERE
28. Time for action : D-DAY
29. TV roving reporter's opening : WE'RE LIVE. Great answer.
30. Words of reluctance : I DARE NOT. Another nice one. Multi-word entries are always preferable.
31. County with grapes on its seal : NAPA
32. Finds cool, man : DIGS
33. Storage for jewel cases : CD TOWER. History.
36. British peer : EARL
37. Offer to a bunch of hitchhikers : PILE IN (Note: Argyle answered my question earlier.)
38. Valencia, for one : ORANGE
39. Not as well-done : REDDER
40. __ Kringle : KRISS
42. Makes fun of : JAPES
43. Picks the locks for, perhaps : ABETS. Oh, no hair locks today?
45. "__ Fu Panda": 2008 animated film : KUNG. Jackie Chan is also an enduring figure in Cantonpop (Cantonese Pop Music).
46. Greek high point : OSSA. Mt Ossa.
48. It was Genentech's stock ticker symbol, aptly : DNA. Very wise for them to pick the symbol.
49. 20-volume ref. : OED
Answer grid.
C.C.
