Theme: "What's in store for us?"
35A. Local retailer, and an apt description of eight entries in this puzzle : CORNER STORE
Oh my! Each of the eight entries in the corners of this puzzle are a type of (corner) store:
1A. Little barker : TOY. A toy poodle can be a little dog who barks. Or, a toy store.
10A. Sedate : DRUG. To drug someone means to give them a sedative. Or, a drug store.
63A. Brogue or brogan : SHOE. Brogues and brogans are types of shoes. Or, a shoe store (my favorite kind!)
65A. Favored student : PET. Like a "teacher's pet". Or, a pet store (My cats love PetCo!)
1D. Couponer's skill : THRIFT. If I were thrifty, I would cut coupons. Or go to a thrift store.
13D. Petraeus's rank : GENERAL. David Howell Petraeus is the head of the CIA, and a four-star general. A general store used to be a staple in small towns. Now, they are giving way to Wal-Marts all across America...
38D. More than needed : SURPLUS. I have a surplus of books in my library, but I don't think I will bring them to a surplus store.
46D. Hole in the wall : OUTLET. Fun clue for a type of electric plug. Do they sell those in an outlet store?
Don and C.C. love to pack their puzzles with theme entries. In this one, they have 40 theme letters (excluding the unifier), but their position is in the "corners", rather than stretching across the main part of the grid. Very clever!!
Marti here, to see what else our Dynamic Duo has to offer...
Across:
4. Protect the border, in a way : PATROL.
14. Charlemagne's realm: Abbr. : H.R.E. Holy Roman Empire.
15. "Lawrence of Arabia" star : O'TOOLE. I still like him in "My Favorite Year", best! 0:15
16. Walk in the wild : HIKE. Like the link from CrossEyedDave the other day of El Camino Del Rey. (DO NOT WATCH IF YOU HAVE ACROPHOBIA!)
17. Children's author Asquith : ROS. Her latest is "Letters from an Alien Schoolboy". A must-read?
18. Takes second, maybe : STEALS. Second base, that is. Do you know Rickey Henderson?
19. Amaze : STUN
20. "Ready!" : I'M SET.
22. Done to death : TRITE. Nothing trite in this puzzle, for sure!
24. Ginger ___ : ALE. We only had Ginger Ale or Moxie as soft drinks when we were growing up. Other than those, it was either milk or water as the beverage of choice.
25. Nurture : FEED
26. Tenor Carreras : JOSE. Music, from "Carmen"! 4:54
27. Subject of the 2006 documentary "An Unreasonable Man" : NADER. Ralph. 2:16
29. Cold porter fan? : TOSSPOT. Fun pun on "Cole Porter", for a tippler, or drunkard.
31. Soft drink since 1905 : R.C. COLA.
32. On ___ streak: winning : A HOT
34. Brit's academic milestone : A LEVEL
38. Red Cloud, for one : SIOUAN
40. Summers in Arles : ETES. Nice summers!
41. Not picked up : UNTIDY.
42. Ristorante herb : OREGANO. "Ristorante" is Italian, and refers to the ubiquitous Italian herb.
47. "Midnight Cowboy" con man : RATSO. Rizzo.
48. Net enablers, briefly : ISPs. Internet Service Provider (s).
50. Two-generation MLB family name : ALOU. The family name in the Dominican Republic is Rojas!
51. Country club hire : PRO
52. Precise-sounding blade : X-ACTO. They are precise!
35A. Local retailer, and an apt description of eight entries in this puzzle : CORNER STORE
Oh my! Each of the eight entries in the corners of this puzzle are a type of (corner) store:
1A. Little barker : TOY. A toy poodle can be a little dog who barks. Or, a toy store.
10A. Sedate : DRUG. To drug someone means to give them a sedative. Or, a drug store.
63A. Brogue or brogan : SHOE. Brogues and brogans are types of shoes. Or, a shoe store (my favorite kind!)
65A. Favored student : PET. Like a "teacher's pet". Or, a pet store (My cats love PetCo!)
1D. Couponer's skill : THRIFT. If I were thrifty, I would cut coupons. Or go to a thrift store.
13D. Petraeus's rank : GENERAL. David Howell Petraeus is the head of the CIA, and a four-star general. A general store used to be a staple in small towns. Now, they are giving way to Wal-Marts all across America...
38D. More than needed : SURPLUS. I have a surplus of books in my library, but I don't think I will bring them to a surplus store.
46D. Hole in the wall : OUTLET. Fun clue for a type of electric plug. Do they sell those in an outlet store?
Don and C.C. love to pack their puzzles with theme entries. In this one, they have 40 theme letters (excluding the unifier), but their position is in the "corners", rather than stretching across the main part of the grid. Very clever!!
Marti here, to see what else our Dynamic Duo has to offer...
Across:
4. Protect the border, in a way : PATROL.
14. Charlemagne's realm: Abbr. : H.R.E. Holy Roman Empire.
15. "Lawrence of Arabia" star : O'TOOLE. I still like him in "My Favorite Year", best! 0:15
16. Walk in the wild : HIKE. Like the link from CrossEyedDave the other day of El Camino Del Rey. (DO NOT WATCH IF YOU HAVE ACROPHOBIA!)
17. Children's author Asquith : ROS. Her latest is "Letters from an Alien Schoolboy". A must-read?
18. Takes second, maybe : STEALS. Second base, that is. Do you know Rickey Henderson?
19. Amaze : STUN
20. "Ready!" : I'M SET.
22. Done to death : TRITE. Nothing trite in this puzzle, for sure!
24. Ginger ___ : ALE. We only had Ginger Ale or Moxie as soft drinks when we were growing up. Other than those, it was either milk or water as the beverage of choice.
25. Nurture : FEED
26. Tenor Carreras : JOSE. Music, from "Carmen"! 4:54
27. Subject of the 2006 documentary "An Unreasonable Man" : NADER. Ralph. 2:16
29. Cold porter fan? : TOSSPOT. Fun pun on "Cole Porter", for a tippler, or drunkard.
31. Soft drink since 1905 : R.C. COLA.
32. On ___ streak: winning : A HOT
34. Brit's academic milestone : A LEVEL
38. Red Cloud, for one : SIOUAN
40. Summers in Arles : ETES. Nice summers!
41. Not picked up : UNTIDY.
42. Ristorante herb : OREGANO. "Ristorante" is Italian, and refers to the ubiquitous Italian herb.
47. "Midnight Cowboy" con man : RATSO. Rizzo.
48. Net enablers, briefly : ISPs. Internet Service Provider (s).
50. Two-generation MLB family name : ALOU. The family name in the Dominican Republic is Rojas!
51. Country club hire : PRO
52. Precise-sounding blade : X-ACTO. They are precise!
54. Quarterback Favre : BRETT
55. Fontanne's dramatic partner : LUNT. Lynne Fontanne never gave up her British citizenship, even though she lived for 60 years in America, and was married to Alfred Lunt.
57. "Miracle Mets" pitcher : SEAVER (Tom). Another baseball reference! From the 1969 season?
59. ___ pal : GAL
60. Org. that dropped "Lawn" from its name in 1975 : USTA. United States (Lawn) Tennis Association.
61. Small-winged creature : PIGEON
62. Salt Lake City collegian : UTE
64. Buffet fuel : STERNO
Down:
2. Beginning of Juliet's balcony speech : O ROMEO, "wherefore art thou?"
3. Green lights : YESSES. In other words, "gives the green light to."
4. Blog update : POST. Like this!
5. J.D. holder : ATT.orney. "Juris Doctor".
6. In direct confrontation : TOE TO TOE. Like this?
7. Has a good laugh : ROARS. One of my favorite things to do...often.
8. Stan's sidekick : OLLIE
9. For fear that : LEST
10. Some A.L. sluggers : DHs. Designated Hitter (s). (I'm starting to get into this baseball stuff!)
11. Poet honored with a 2011 National Medal of Arts : RITA DOVE
12. Island music maker : UKULELE. It means "Jumping flea" in Hawaiian.
21. Mad workers, briefly : EDs. Editors on "Mad Magazine".
23. Put in the envelope : ENCLOSE
26. Familiar latecomer? : JOHNNY. (come lately). I searched for the origin of the saying, but can only (loosely) attribute it to a song by that name...
28. Top server : ACER
30. "I never tell the truth," e.g. : PARADOX. Contradictory statement. Is the quoter telling the truth, or is (s)he lying?
31. Movie critics, at times : RATERS
33. Quattro meno uno : TRE. Four minus one, in Italian. (Uno, dos, tres, cuatro in Spanish)
35. Grow fond of : COTTON TO. Another expression that has vague origins, but probably has more use in the south, where the success of fibers meshing together to form "cotton" was very important.
36. Nice okays : OUIS. See 40A.
37. Drop by : STOP OVER. Verb is two words, Vs. the noun "stopover" which is one word.
39. How looming deadlines may be met : IN A RUSH
43. Spearlike fish : GAR. Indeed.
8. Stan's sidekick : OLLIE
9. For fear that : LEST
10. Some A.L. sluggers : DHs. Designated Hitter (s). (I'm starting to get into this baseball stuff!)
11. Poet honored with a 2011 National Medal of Arts : RITA DOVE
12. Island music maker : UKULELE. It means "Jumping flea" in Hawaiian.
21. Mad workers, briefly : EDs. Editors on "Mad Magazine".
23. Put in the envelope : ENCLOSE
26. Familiar latecomer? : JOHNNY. (come lately). I searched for the origin of the saying, but can only (loosely) attribute it to a song by that name...
28. Top server : ACER
30. "I never tell the truth," e.g. : PARADOX. Contradictory statement. Is the quoter telling the truth, or is (s)he lying?
31. Movie critics, at times : RATERS
33. Quattro meno uno : TRE. Four minus one, in Italian. (Uno, dos, tres, cuatro in Spanish)
35. Grow fond of : COTTON TO. Another expression that has vague origins, but probably has more use in the south, where the success of fibers meshing together to form "cotton" was very important.
36. Nice okays : OUIS. See 40A.
37. Drop by : STOP OVER. Verb is two words, Vs. the noun "stopover" which is one word.
39. How looming deadlines may be met : IN A RUSH
43. Spearlike fish : GAR. Indeed.
44. Edge to get in competition : A LEG UP. Hmmm...C.C. and Don G., you have me running all over the place with these idioms! This one originates from the act of a groomsman kneeling down and offering his bent knee to help his master get onto the horse. So giving "a leg up" is literal in that sense.
45. Record using symbols : NOTATE. (Notate to self: get an idiom dictionary.)
48. Seal the deal : ICE IT. Lots of idioms with "ice": Ice over, on ice, on thin ice, cold as ice, break the ice...but "ice it" means to preserve something (usually in writing, but alliteratively "in ice"), so as to keep the intentions of both parties intact.
49. Mount, as a comeback : STAGE. OK, so it's Thursday, and the clues are getting trickier.
53. Nile reptiles : ASPS. Or, maybe they are still Monday-friendly?
54. Former capital of Moravia : BRNO. Second-largest city in the (now) Czech Republic.
56. ___ kwon do : TAE. Or, spelled "Taekwondo", the national sport of South Korea. Here's an interesting tidbit: "In Korean, tae (태, 跆) means "to strike or break with foot"; kwon (권, 拳) means "to strike or break with fist"; and do(도, 道) means "way", "method", or "path". Thus, taekwondo may be loosely translated as "the way of the hand and the foot." (From Wiki)
58. Quite a stretch : EON. I know, it has been quite a stretch, but you are finally done with me! So, on to the comments...
Answer grid.
Hugs,
Marti
Note from C.C. & Don:
The new Walgreens in our neighborhood inspired this theme. Not many specific stores could be meshed perfectly in the corner letter-wise, so we were excited to make the grid work. Don was initially concerned that Outlet stores are not common enough, and we went ahead only after getting positive feedback from our guinea pigs Dennis & Argyle.
