Theme: Play Ball! 5 Puns, many hits and no errors. Or as Ernie Banks would say let's play two! Play is the operative word for this latest Friday offering from our relentless own HeartRx, as each clue is a baseball term and each fill is a play on words presenting a completely non-baseball answer. Ms. H's mind has some twists and turns, but this baseball homage to C.C. from a non-baseball fan is precious, no screwballs but plenty of curve balls. For you theme deprived, this is a classic pattern of the first theme answer in 17A and a grid spanner in the middle, with other symmetrical fill.
Let the game begin:
17A. Starting pitcher? : TUNING FORK (10) Musical clue, and a pun for pitcher as the tuning fork's main use is as a standard of pitch to tune musical instruments. Wicked clue.
23A. Strike zone? : BOWLING ALLEY (12). More sports, with the pun here strike as in knocking them all down in Bowling (Hey Boomer) and strike in baseball.
39A. Short stop? : HIGHWAY REST AREA.(15) Here the entire clue is a pun, with making a short stop on the road, and the player in baseball positioned between second and third base, the shortstop.
48A. Left field? : LIBERAL SLATE(12). Here both words are involved but separately, as the Liberal, the left wing party field being a group or slate of candidates, while one outfielder plays left field. Hope that explanation did not leave you out in LF. The terms Left and Right were coined during the French Revolution (1789-1799), referring to the seating arrangement in the Estates General; those who sat on the left generally supported the radical changes of the revolution, including the creation of a republic and secularization. Per wiki. I am not getting drawn into political foo foo.
61A. Batter? : PANCAKE MIX.(10) This one is straight batter being what you make pancakes from and batter the guy who tries to hit the ball, the batter.
whew!
Across:
1. Hidden drawback : CATCH. There is always a catch, which also gives us a hint right away of our subliminal baseball them.
6. "Hold your horses!" : WAIT. Why horses?
10. Clean, as erasers : CLAP. Ah, so many clues for this fill, some even usable.
14. Like Cirque du Soleil performers : AGILE. And flexible.
15. Takes outside : AIRS. Differences?
16. First name in country : REBA. her second name is McEntire, spelt her own way.
Let the game begin:
17A. Starting pitcher? : TUNING FORK (10) Musical clue, and a pun for pitcher as the tuning fork's main use is as a standard of pitch to tune musical instruments. Wicked clue.
23A. Strike zone? : BOWLING ALLEY (12). More sports, with the pun here strike as in knocking them all down in Bowling (Hey Boomer) and strike in baseball.
39A. Short stop? : HIGHWAY REST AREA.(15) Here the entire clue is a pun, with making a short stop on the road, and the player in baseball positioned between second and third base, the shortstop.
48A. Left field? : LIBERAL SLATE(12). Here both words are involved but separately, as the Liberal, the left wing party field being a group or slate of candidates, while one outfielder plays left field. Hope that explanation did not leave you out in LF. The terms Left and Right were coined during the French Revolution (1789-1799), referring to the seating arrangement in the Estates General; those who sat on the left generally supported the radical changes of the revolution, including the creation of a republic and secularization. Per wiki. I am not getting drawn into political foo foo.
61A. Batter? : PANCAKE MIX.(10) This one is straight batter being what you make pancakes from and batter the guy who tries to hit the ball, the batter.
whew!
Across:
1. Hidden drawback : CATCH. There is always a catch, which also gives us a hint right away of our subliminal baseball them.
6. "Hold your horses!" : WAIT. Why horses?
10. Clean, as erasers : CLAP. Ah, so many clues for this fill, some even usable.
14. Like Cirque du Soleil performers : AGILE. And flexible.
15. Takes outside : AIRS. Differences?
16. First name in country : REBA. her second name is McEntire, spelt her own way.
19. "___ Almighty": Steve Carell sequel : EVAN, This MOVIE (1:53) came after Jim Carrey's Bruce Almighty.
20. Clothes line : SEAM. A nice misdirection, not to hang clothes, but a line on clothes.
21. CIO partner : AFL. Not the American Football League, but labor's American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations. Love them initalisms.
22. Antioxidant-rich veggies : BEETS. A good beet borscht with a boiled potato is yum.
27. ___ Schwarz : FAO. A fun toy store in Manhattan, and the focal point in many Big MOVIES.
30. Wahine's strings : UKElele. Hi Hawaii!
31. Ballot abbr. : INDependent.
32. Dispense in shares : ALLOT.
34. Like some brides : BLUSHING. From the days of sweet innocence.
42. Line through the middle : DIAMETER. Of a circle.
43. Matter makers : ATOMS. Does matter matter, we must assess the gravity of the situation.
44. NL East city, on scoreboards : ATLanta Braves. Another baseball reference.
45. New Deal fig. : FDR. Franklin Delano Roosevelt, more attempts to get me into a political comment, HUH!
47. Eastern theater genre : NOH. Oddly, like early European theater, this Japanese dance theater featured masked performers. LINK
54. Crammer's concerns : EXAMS.
55. Over there, quaintly : YON. An accepted form, but I like " But soft, what light through yonder window breaks."
56. Chianti, in Chianti : VINO. Both Italian and Latin for wino. In vino veritas, brother!
60. Year in Trajan's reign? : ANNO. More Latin and the A in AD (Anno Domini, not after death).
64. Go off : RANT. We have not many here in a long time.
65. Fanny ___ : PACK. This is an x-rated LINK. (2:59) Buyer beware. Dont listen, I liked the pics..
66. Worth of the theater : IRENE. Not familiar with this actress.
67. CNBC topic : NYSE New York Stock Exchange.
68. Easter celebration : MASS. Also where HR and many others of us live.
69. When brunch may begin : AT TEN. Or eleven; did you salute?
Down:
1. Musical with Mungojerrie : CATS. Based on TSE's work. Mungojerrie and his partner in crime, Rumpelteazer, specialize in petty theft and mischief. I loved the play and even fed Junior Mints to the actors at the beginning of Act Two.
2. Flue symptom : AGUE.
3. "Bossypants" writer Fey : TINA. SNL alumna and star of 30 Rock which she also created.
4. Move up : CLIMB. Like they sing LINK (2:14)
.
5. Mother ___ : HEN. None of my other thoughts fit.
6. Shilly-shally : WAFFLE. Didn't we just waver of this?
7. Garlicky mayo : AIOLI. Not to be confused with Japanese golfer Isao Aoki.
8. Like the vb. "go", e.g. : IRRegular.
9. Cluck of reproach : TSK. TSK, need more than one.
10. Fish hamper : CREEL. Rhymes with REEL, great for fishing poetry.
11. Rank : LEVEL. Not smelling band, but like in the service.
12. Peter out : ABATE. Wow all kinds of questions about Peter, is he a master?
13. Cultivated violet : PANSY. I know I have to avoid my PC comments...ao you all do not...
18. Goggle : GAWK.
22. Getting up on the wrong side of bed, say : BAD START.
24. Lasts longer than : OUT WEARS. Not the opposite of In Wears.
25. Lake Nasser feeder : NILE. Flows south to north like the_______river in Florida.
26. Migratory antelopes : GNUS. A crossword oldie.
27. Saudi royal name : FAHD. Tricky HD word. King Fahd bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud (1921 – 2005), King of Saudi Arabia from 1982 until his death in 2005.
28. Et ___ : and others : ALII. Harder to get than ALIA.
29. Gold medalist Korbut : OLGA. 40 YEARS AGO. Reminds me of Usain Bolt's victory pose.
33. Omega, to a physicist : OHM. Because of its shape Ω, it is not confused with 0 the way the letter O is.
34. "I'm c-c-cold!" : BRR. So go put on more CLOTHES.
35. Noodle topper? : HAT. I got this one using my...oh never mind.
36. Monopoly token : IRON. Better than the shoe?
37. Sought-after clownfish : NEMO.
38. Nasty cut : GASH.
40. "___ girl!" : ATTA. The pc version of atta boy.
41. Use one's outside voice : YELL.
45. Rushes (to) : FLOCKS.
46. Delany of "China Beach" : DANA. Like Marj, she now has her own CSI type show, but rememeber when they were YOUNG.(1:51)
48. Get the hang of : LEARN.
49. "Negatory!" : IXNAY. is the Illfay.
50. Premarital posting : BANNS. The HISTORY.
51. Hog the spotlight : EMOTE. Not to be confused with email or ezine.
52. Does a film editing job : SYNCS. Synchronizes, make sure the picture and sound work in unison.
53. Six-time U.S. Open winner : EVERT. First saw her play in Gainesville in 1971 when she was in high school, impressive even then. This came later. CLIP.(9:48)
57. "How __ Your Mother": CBS sitcom : I MET.An updated Friends with more annoying people.
58. Half a round : NINE holes of golf.
59. The yoke's on them : OXEN. Another pun from our mistress of mirth marti.
61. EPA measure : PPM. Parts Per Million. In my world, Private Placement Memorandum
62. Top bond rating : AAA.
63. Optima maker : KIA.
Answer grid.
Well I am out of time and out of steam, another lovely romp with my now regular Gal Friday, hope you enjoyed and here are her words. Thanks from the lemon patch.
Constructor's Notes:
I have solved so many puzzles with clues like
"All-star starting pitcher..."
"Number one batter..."
"A.L. shortstop..."
...and I always draw a blank! So, I decided to try my own version of a "baseball themed" puzzle. I am sure that C.C. would not approve, but here it is, for better or worse!
Notes from C.C.:
1) Of course I love the theme, Marti, you always make things light and fun. "Strike zone?" & BOWLING ALLEY is a home run. As Lemonade said earlier "Or as Ernie Banks would say let's play two!"
2) I want to re-link this wonderful poem CrossEyedDave brought to us yesterday. Thanks for touching my soul!
