Theme: All theme answers are in the pattern of: "country name" + a word which happens to be the first 3 letter of the country.
17A. Caribbean preserves? : JAMAICA JAM
27A. South American fellow? : GUYANA GUY
49A. North American food container? : CANADA CAN
63A. Balkan priestly vestment? : ALBANIA ALB. Alb is a classic crosswordese.
10D. East African beachgoer's color? : TANZANIA TAN
24D. West Indies watering hole? : BARBADOS BAR
C.C. here again.
"Jamaican Jam", "Canadian Can" (adjective+noun) feel more natural, no? We say "Chinese food", not "China food". Or am I missing something?
Otherwise, the gimmick is tight and consistent. Amazing intersection. Julian Lim's grids often feature nice theme entry interlocking. Also, 8 Z's in this grid. Very scrabbly.
Across:
1. Derby drink : JULEP. Persian for "rose water".
6. Scully on "The X-Files" : DANA
10. "Wasn't I amazing?!" : TA DA. And 19. "Amazing!" : NEAT. Clecho (Clue echo, another word coined by Dummy Dennis.)
14. Met offering : OPERA
15. Carded at a club : ID'ED
16. "It's __ to tell ..." : A SIN. A lie.
20. NBA tiebreakers : OTs
21. Mineo of movies : SAL
22. Vitality : PIZZAZZ. Four 4 Z's.
24. WWI's Red __ : BARON
26. Moths-flame connector : TO A
31. Backed-up, in a way : ON CD. Or on your flash drive. The Geek Squad guy is coming to our house this Friday. Can't get an earlier appointment.
34. Lined up : IN A ROW
35. Not blabbing : MUM
37. __-Z: classic Camaro : IROC
39. The Bee Gees' "Gee" : GIBB
40. Fred's dancing sister : ADELE (Astaire)
42. Prefix with -naut : AERO
43. Japanese noodle : SOBA. Buckwheat. I love eating it cold. This looks delicious, Steve!
44. "__ durn tootin'!" : YER
45. Arrives : GETS IN
47. Zero, to Zapata : NADA. Alliteration in the clue.
51. Available sans Rx : OTC. Marti is skiing somewhere in Austria/Germany.
53. Hogwarts motto language : LATIN. What's their motto?
54. On a rampage : BERSERK
58. Oatmeal cooker : POT
59. Corp. leader's degree : MBA. Both Jazzbumpa and Marti have a "Corp. leader's degree".
62. Many a Saudi : ARAB. Strange country.
66. Oscar winner Minnelli : LIZA
67. Brio : ZEAL
68. Harriet's TV hubby : OZZIE
69. Bakery worker : ICER. Not a fan of icing on the cake.
70. Polite rural agreement : YES'M
71. Ceaselessly : NO END
Down:
1. One-named singer with the debut album "Leave (Get Out)" : JOJO. Here she is.
2. __ the crack of dawn : UP AT
3. Moon landers, briefly : LEMs
4. Internet __ : ERA. Internet and Jeggings are the best inventions to mankind.
5. Pal : PAISANO. Rooted in Spanish. "Peasant".
6. Play exchange : DIALOG
7. Noun modifier: Abbr. : ADJ
8. Spring tide counterpart : NEAP
9. Allow entry : ADMIT
11. On a liner, say : ASEA
12. Cameron on camera : DIAZ. Still dating A-Rod.
13. 1998 insect-world animated film : ANTZ. Hi there Ant! Tell us a bit about you. Musician?
18. Seed used in sauerkraut : CARAWAY. No idea. The seed is too strong for my taste.
23. Cagey locale? : ZOO
25. C or D, to old Romans : NUMERAL. C= 100. D = 500.
27. A cappella group bookings : GIGS
28. Confederacy foe : UNION
29. Start of a Flintstone cry : YABBA. "Yabba dabba doo!"
30. Brynner of "The Ten Commandments" : YUL
32. Dimin.'s opposite : CRESC. Crescendo. Dimin = Diminuendo.
33. Andrea __: ill-fated ship : DORIA
36. Nuclear test unit : MEGATON
38. Yale Univ. state : CONN. For Hondo & LaLaLinda. Where are you originally from, Jayce?
41. Yule's mo. : DEC. Timely.
46. Textbook update specification : EDITION
48. Got into a stew? : ATE. Fun clue.
50. Flamethrower fuel : NAPALM. "I love the smell of Napalm in the morning".
52. __ eights : CRAZY
54. Indonesian island : BALI
55. "Modern Family" actor Stonestreet : ERIC. One of Barbara Walters's "10 Most Fascinating People of 2011".
56. Demolish, as a building : RAZE
57. Bauhaus painter Paul : KLEE
59. Pencil puzzle : MAZE
60. Pancake with caviar : BLIN. Caviar? Nope, never had it this way.
61. In the sack : ABED
64. Eng. majors' degrees : BAs
65. Nitrogenous dye : AZO. Azo-dye.
Answer grid.
Happy Birthday to our always cheerful Lucina and our LA Times constructor Donna Levin!
C.C.
17A. Caribbean preserves? : JAMAICA JAM
27A. South American fellow? : GUYANA GUY
49A. North American food container? : CANADA CAN
63A. Balkan priestly vestment? : ALBANIA ALB. Alb is a classic crosswordese.
10D. East African beachgoer's color? : TANZANIA TAN
24D. West Indies watering hole? : BARBADOS BAR
C.C. here again.
"Jamaican Jam", "Canadian Can" (adjective+noun) feel more natural, no? We say "Chinese food", not "China food". Or am I missing something?
Otherwise, the gimmick is tight and consistent. Amazing intersection. Julian Lim's grids often feature nice theme entry interlocking. Also, 8 Z's in this grid. Very scrabbly.
Across:
1. Derby drink : JULEP. Persian for "rose water".
6. Scully on "The X-Files" : DANA
10. "Wasn't I amazing?!" : TA DA. And 19. "Amazing!" : NEAT. Clecho (Clue echo, another word coined by Dummy Dennis.)
14. Met offering : OPERA
15. Carded at a club : ID'ED
16. "It's __ to tell ..." : A SIN. A lie.
20. NBA tiebreakers : OTs
21. Mineo of movies : SAL
22. Vitality : PIZZAZZ. Four 4 Z's.
24. WWI's Red __ : BARON
26. Moths-flame connector : TO A
31. Backed-up, in a way : ON CD. Or on your flash drive. The Geek Squad guy is coming to our house this Friday. Can't get an earlier appointment.
34. Lined up : IN A ROW
35. Not blabbing : MUM
37. __-Z: classic Camaro : IROC
39. The Bee Gees' "Gee" : GIBB
40. Fred's dancing sister : ADELE (Astaire)
42. Prefix with -naut : AERO
43. Japanese noodle : SOBA. Buckwheat. I love eating it cold. This looks delicious, Steve!
44. "__ durn tootin'!" : YER
45. Arrives : GETS IN
47. Zero, to Zapata : NADA. Alliteration in the clue.
51. Available sans Rx : OTC. Marti is skiing somewhere in Austria/Germany.
53. Hogwarts motto language : LATIN. What's their motto?
54. On a rampage : BERSERK
58. Oatmeal cooker : POT
59. Corp. leader's degree : MBA. Both Jazzbumpa and Marti have a "Corp. leader's degree".
62. Many a Saudi : ARAB. Strange country.
66. Oscar winner Minnelli : LIZA
67. Brio : ZEAL
68. Harriet's TV hubby : OZZIE
69. Bakery worker : ICER. Not a fan of icing on the cake.
70. Polite rural agreement : YES'M
71. Ceaselessly : NO END
Down:
1. One-named singer with the debut album "Leave (Get Out)" : JOJO. Here she is.
2. __ the crack of dawn : UP AT
3. Moon landers, briefly : LEMs
4. Internet __ : ERA. Internet and Jeggings are the best inventions to mankind.
5. Pal : PAISANO. Rooted in Spanish. "Peasant".
6. Play exchange : DIALOG
7. Noun modifier: Abbr. : ADJ
8. Spring tide counterpart : NEAP
9. Allow entry : ADMIT
11. On a liner, say : ASEA
12. Cameron on camera : DIAZ. Still dating A-Rod.
13. 1998 insect-world animated film : ANTZ. Hi there Ant! Tell us a bit about you. Musician?
18. Seed used in sauerkraut : CARAWAY. No idea. The seed is too strong for my taste.
23. Cagey locale? : ZOO
25. C or D, to old Romans : NUMERAL. C= 100. D = 500.
27. A cappella group bookings : GIGS
28. Confederacy foe : UNION
29. Start of a Flintstone cry : YABBA. "Yabba dabba doo!"
30. Brynner of "The Ten Commandments" : YUL
32. Dimin.'s opposite : CRESC. Crescendo. Dimin = Diminuendo.
33. Andrea __: ill-fated ship : DORIA
36. Nuclear test unit : MEGATON
38. Yale Univ. state : CONN. For Hondo & LaLaLinda. Where are you originally from, Jayce?
41. Yule's mo. : DEC. Timely.
46. Textbook update specification : EDITION
48. Got into a stew? : ATE. Fun clue.
50. Flamethrower fuel : NAPALM. "I love the smell of Napalm in the morning".
52. __ eights : CRAZY
54. Indonesian island : BALI
55. "Modern Family" actor Stonestreet : ERIC. One of Barbara Walters's "10 Most Fascinating People of 2011".
56. Demolish, as a building : RAZE
57. Bauhaus painter Paul : KLEE
59. Pencil puzzle : MAZE
60. Pancake with caviar : BLIN. Caviar? Nope, never had it this way.
61. In the sack : ABED
64. Eng. majors' degrees : BAs
65. Nitrogenous dye : AZO. Azo-dye.
Answer grid.
Happy Birthday to our always cheerful Lucina and our LA Times constructor Donna Levin!
C.C.
