THEME: Add a RAY of sunshine. The word RAY is added to a common phrase to create a new and completely different phrase. This is our first puzzle from this veteran constructor since her Friday, February 25, 2011 effort. We seem to be in an "add something" to create a Friday, but this has too many short words for me to feel like it is Friday. But some humor and some trickery, so it is all good. I did like the theme, especially:
20A. Picasso in preschool? CRAYON ARTIST. Our CON ARTIST, became a famous painter. Some do think Picasso could have used crayons for all they see.
31A. When only a synthetic will do?: RAYON OCCASION. Rayon is actually a semi-synthetic, discovered in 1855.
39A. Double-cross Old MacDonald?: BETRAY THE FARM. Don't bet the farm on fooling me with this one. Ei Ei O!
54A. What Eddie did to warm up for his "Shrek" role?: MURPHY BRAYED. Is there anyone here who does not know what a Murphy Bed is? Donkey steals the movies. And the hint,
64A. Tampa Bay team playing in this puzzle's longest answers?: RAYS. They used to be the Devil Rays, but that would have ruined his hint.
Let's examine the rest:
Across:
1. Secret rival: ARRID. The deodorants; I felt so smart when I put this right in.
6. Pool regimen: LAPS. Despite the 80 degree day, our condo pool is heated, so come on by and swim anytime.
10. Devoid of emotion: NUMB. Maybe Jim Carrey could do a NUMBER and NUMBER movie.
14. Pope after John X: LEO VI. Okay, it is Friday, but this obscure prelate did not even last the whole year starting in 928 and did nothing but make a nice letter combination.
15. Lamb by another name: ELIA. beloved essayist, CHARLES LAMB. Always reminds me of our own JL.
16. Australian gem: OPAL. 97% of the world's opals come from down under, right KZ?
17. Recesses: APSES. Not the break in an elementary school day, but the ones in churches.
18. Riffraff's opposite: GENTILITY. A five dollar word, but it remind me of this MOVIE.(0:28)
22. WBA stats: KOS. World Boxing Association:. Knock Outs.
23. Estonian, e.g.: BALT. It is in the Wiktionary, but there is debate. "An ethnic descendant of the Indo-European Baltic people, especially including ethnic Lithuanians, Latvians or Prussians, but generally not including ethnic Belorussians, Estonians, Germans, Jews, Livonians, Poles, Russians, Swedes or Tatars, who have also inhabited or currently inhabit the modern Baltic states."
24. Critic who's a Chicago talk radio co-host: ROEPER. Richard, a Chicago Sun-Times movie critic carrying on the tradition of Siskel and Ebert.
28. Rub the right way?: PET. I love this clue and with all the cat and dog people we have...
29. Feel crummy: AIL. I am sneezing, but don't worry it is not contagious.
30. Way to go: Abbr.: RTE. Route.
35. Home to many Indians, but few cowboys: ASIA. More than a billion, and they all work tech support.
37. Television network with a plus sign in its logo: ION. A network built on a pun, for a positive ION.
38. "This just __ my day!": ISN'T. How did she know?
44. Mother of 35-Down: EVE. The dreaded internal reference with 35D. Son of 44-Across : ABEL. All three boys had 4 letter names like their dad/ Where did they get their baby naming book?
45. __ Cruces: LAS. New Mexico, home of missile testing at White Sands.
46. Passé platters: LPS. A 50's reference to records, which have made a strange comeback.
47. Not as critical: LESSER. One of the Evil twins.
49. Clay pigeon flinger: TRAP. How picaresque, TMI.
51. Pipe cleaner: LYE. The old fashioned way, either Sodium or Potassium hydroxide. Not to be mixed with 51D. "Advertising is legalized __": Wells : LYING. This was H.G. a long time ago. Interesting cross.
57. Kept an eye on: MONITORED. A nice word.
60. Outstanding: OWING. not a containment, but an unpaid debt.
61. It may be gross: Abbr.: ANATomy.
62. Spy's device: WIRE. A hidden microphone, generally worn by undercover people or spies and a hit HBO SERIES.(2:57)
63. Sale, in Calais: VENTE. Calais is the town in France where the Chunnel ends, and the ferries land, therefore, our French lesson of the day. I said Ferries, NOT FAIRIES!
65. One trading in futures?: SEER. Another cute clue, punning on commodity traders.
66. Award for Elmore Leonard: EDGAR. The Mystery Writer's award named after Mr. Poe, and at 90 degrees with 53D. Landscaping tool: EDGER. One of many interesting intersections.
Down:
1. "__! what poverty my Muse brings forth": Shak.: ALACK. They all know I love my man WILL.
2. Camera-ready page: REPRO. One of those made up words, in this case from reproduction.
3. Día de San Valentín gift: ROSAS. A few days late for our Spanish solvers.
4. "Hurlyburly" Tony winner: IVEY. Judith, who has done lots of THEATER and TV and movies.
5. Fail to follow: DISOBEY. Cannot think of a PC comment.
6. By the book: LEGAL. But who WROTE IT? (2:08)
7. Flag down, say: ALERT. Not to be confused with 40D. Bering Sea native: ALEUT.
8. Lager order: PINT. Oh goody, law and beer.
9. Like The Onion: SATIRIC. They have their own NEWS. (0:36) very short, but very bad words.
10. "Cape Fear" co-star, 1991: NOLTE. Actor famous for his work, and his mug shot.
11. "100 years of journalistic excellence" org.: UPI. United Press International.
12. Yoga equipment: MAT. Is that really equipment?
13. 1889-'90 newsmaking circumnavigator: BLY. You should read about NELLIE.
19. Sicilia, e.g.: ISOLA. Italian for Island. The senior group I volunteer with is mostly Italian, we still do not understand each other.
21. Defense gp : NATO. North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
25. Binoculars component: PRISM.
26. Historic prep school: ETON. The Duke of Wellington famously said "The Battle of Waterloo was won on the playing fields of Eton".
27. Musical modernization of "La Bohème": RENT. Never seen it.
28. "I Kid You Not" author: PAAR. Jack most famous now for quitting in the middle of his live show. LINK.
29. Puberty woe: ACNE. Has nothing to do with your knee.
31. Custom-made things?: RITES. Another pun.
32. Quibbles: NITS. Now we come to Marti's corner, with her nits and her 33D. "How impressive!": OOH.
34. Impersonal letter intro: SIRS. Now we write dear reader to avoid sexism.
36. British Open champ between Jack and Tom: SEVE. Ballesteros, who sadly died recently very young. We are talking golf.
41. Plants with flat-topped flower clusters: YARROWS. Total unknown, but filled by perps. LEARN.
42. Blubber: FLAB. Whale blubber is very valuable, and useful.
43. Sanction: APPROVE. Isn't English great, this one word can be good, sanctioning an event, or bad, the UN sanctioned Iran.
48. President Santos portrayer on "The West Wing": SMITS. I liked him on Dexter.
49. "Voilà!": THERE. More French, and Wallah to Jeannie, good to see you.
50. U-Haul rival: RYDER. I like Winona better.
52. Busybody: YENTA. A bissel Yiddish.
55. __ dieu: PRIE. The place they kneel to pray.
56. Agape, maybe: AWED. Were you by this puzzle?
57. Transitional mo.: MARch.
58. __ tight schedule: ON A. So am I so I must say
59. Anti vote: NAY. No more tonight.
Lemonade wishing you all a fine long week end, if you get the President's Day combo holiday off. Thanks Ms. Brethauer for the tour of your brain, and now I return control of your computers.
Note from C.C.:
Happy Birthday to Ron Worden! Your optimism and humor are truly inspirational. Hope everything goes smoothly next Wednesday.
