Theme: CLIO Awards. 2012 Golden Award winner is Fedex. Wow! I get to blog another one from our Dynamic Duo. Each of the theme entries begins with a word that is a symbol for the iconic entities that they represent. And to make things even more interesting, they have crossed the theme entries with the companies they represent. See Answer Grid here.
20 Across. *Sounds familiar : RINGS A BELL
Crosses with 2 Down. Volkswagon brand : AUDI. These "rings" are very familiar to drivers in Germany. I tried to follow my German partner who was driving one on the autobahn (I was in a little C-Class Mercedes), and I had the pedal to the floor all the way to his house!
20 Across. *Sounds familiar : RINGS A BELL
Crosses with 2 Down. Volkswagon brand : AUDI. These "rings" are very familiar to drivers in Germany. I tried to follow my German partner who was driving one on the autobahn (I was in a little C-Class Mercedes), and I had the pedal to the floor all the way to his house!
59 Across. *Easy place to go downhill : BUNNY SLOPE.
Crosses with 47 Down. Marylin Monroe was its first cover girl : PLAYBOY
10 Down. *Daydreamer : STAR GAZER
Crosses with 19 Across. Thanksgiving Day Parade sponsor : MACY'S. With the famous "star" logo
34 Down. *Easily : HANDS DOWN
Crosses with 52 Across. Auto insurance giant : ALLSTATE
You're in good "hands"...
And finally, 73 Across. What the start of each starred answer is part of, for a company that intersects that answer : LOGO
Brilliant theme, and cleverly executed from our Dynamic Duo.
It's Thursday (where do the weeks fly??), and Marti here to check out what else our Dynamic Duo has served up for us.
Across:
1. Makes the cut, in a way : SAWS. Boom! Right away, we get a devious clue.
5. Soviet news acronym : TASS. Telegraph Agency of the Soviet Union, or, in Russian: "Telegrafnoye Agentstvo Sovetskovo Soyuza"
9. Boating stopover : ISLET
14. Century threshold : TURN...of the century.
15. Like many churches: Abbr. : ORTH...odox.
16. Class : STYLE
17. Impression : IDEA
18. Empty-vehicle weight : TARE
23. What's left : REST
24. Show done at 30 Rock : SNL. Saturday Night Live.
25. Beneficiaries of some drives : PLEDGEES. I got my "free" CD for just a $100 pledge on PBS...
27. You-here connector : ARE
30. Tree in some Constable paintings : ELM. John Constable (British romantic artist), painted the elms surrounding his home. His most famous, perhaps, is this one of "Dedham Vale" (1802).
32. FDR's mother : SARA. Franklin Delano Roosevelt, our 32nd president. Why should we know his mother? She was sixth cousin to his father? And why is his name abbr. as a clue for a full-first-name answer?
33. 180-degree lenses : FISHEYES
36. Valentines Day quantities : DOZENS. Yes, I receive dozens of roses on Valentine's Day...(or else!!!)
40. Utah's gemstone : TOPAZ
41. Jar topper : LID
43. 1992 upstart candidate : PEROT
44. Observes Yom Kippur : ATONES. Yom Kippur is the "Day of Atonement", and the holiest day of the year in the Jewish religion.
46. On one's tax return : REPORTED
48. Durante's "that is" : DAT'S
50. Blue___ : certain strike : FLU. A strike staged as a "sick-out" by groups that normally are not allowed to strike, such as police officers. Hence, "Blue", for the color of their uniforms.
51. 2002 British Open champ : ELS. This clue was obviously written before he won the 2012 British Open last weekend. A great champion, and advocate of autism, which has affected his own family. Known as "The Big Easy", there is probably no one on the PGA Tour who doesn't respect and love him.
56. DOJ enforcer : ATF. Department of Justice: Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.
58. Favorable : GOOD
64. A noble gas : ARGON
66. Grouse : CRAB. Not me!
67. "I got it!" reactions : AHAS
68. Experiencing reverence : IN AWE
69. First name in fashion : COCO. Do you all have a "little black dress"? (I'm referring to the ladies, Husker Gary!)
70. Country retreats : INNS
71. ___ goat : NANNY
72. One partner? : ONLY. "My One and Only". Have you seen the movie with Renée Zellweger?
Down:
1. Move a bit : STIR
3. Singer of complex songs : WREN. I wish I could sing this well!
4. Impediments : SNAGS
5. "Of course, dude!" : TOTALLY
6. ___ Leagues : ARAB
7. Throat ailment : STREP
8. Natural necklace components : SHELLS
9. Systemic suffix : ISM
11. Baccaluréat awarder : LYCEE. French for secondary education of 15-18 year-olds. We would call it "high school" in the U.S. The accent in baccaluréat indicates the French term.
12. "Family Ties" mom : ELYSE
13. Measures ability in : TESTS
21. Scorn : SNEEZE AT
22. Coveted role : LEAD
26. They don't graduate : DROP OUTS. Surprisingly straightforward clue!
27. Old Spice alternative : AFTA
28. Knee-slapper : RIOT
29. Nickname on the Boston Garden ice : ESPO. Phil Esposito, beloved Boston Bruin. Thanks, C.C. and Don for a home team shout-out!
31. Blanc with voices : MEL. Fun interview including many of our crossword favs with David Letterman. 9:56
35. Isaac Newton, e.g. : SIR
37. One-named Deco artist : ERTE. I definitely associate him with Art Deco.
38. Seasonal song : NOEL
39. Stylebook entries: Abbr. : STDS. Standards
42. HDTV part, briefly : DEF. Hi Def TV.
45. Rough guess : STAB. Like many of my guesses at the entries in this puzzle?
49. Siding plaster : STUCCO
52. "Encore!" : AGAIN. I want an encore from our favorite Dynamic Duo!!
53. Liza's half-sister Luft : LORNA. Liza Minelli, that is.
54. Boston airport : LOGAN. Another Boston shout out!
55. Scandal-plagued energy giant : ENRON. Need I say more?
57. Thrash : FLAIL
60. Salt letters : NACL. NaCl, or Sodium (Na) Chloride (Cl).
61. "Heaven help me!" : OH NO
62. Sudden ache : PANG
63. Canadian gas : ESSO. It's Exxon in the US...
65. Napoleonic marshal : NEY. Dubbed "The Bravest of the Brave" by Napolean, himself.
Answer grid.
And now, I am the tiredest of the tired, so I will bid "adieu" until next Thursday!
Hugs,
Marti
Note from C.C. & Don:
Don came up with this theme while editing a clue I wrote for LOGOs in another puzzle. We wanted the companies to be well-known and the logos iconic. We tried various grids and were quite excited to make one that works.
Don came up with this theme while editing a clue I wrote for LOGOs in another puzzle. We wanted the companies to be well-known and the logos iconic. We tried various grids and were quite excited to make one that works.
