Theme: "Fly by night..."
This is a "definition" type puzzle, where the same clue typically has totally different meanings in each answer. In this case, they are all the same meaning. But each one gets the point across in a different way.
17S. Fly : OBSERVER ON A WALL. "I'd love to be a fly on the wall when he gets the axe..." Origin.
25A. Fly : SWATTER'S TARGET. Here's how President Obama did it during a BBC interview. 0:36
42A. Fly : SPIDER'S INVITEE. "Will you walk into my parlor?" from the poem by Mary Howett.
56A. Fly : OINTMENT SPOILER. "There's a fly in the ointment..." Just a slight drawback.
Nice theme, and I smiled at each "definition" of this annoying pest. So let's see what else Mr. Fisher has for us this week.
Across:
1. Act the troubadour : STRUM. Not my first guess. Left it blank and came back to it.
6. Gp. that includes Venezuela : OPEC. Not my first guess. Left it blank and came back to it.
10. Show disapproval : JEER. Not my first... (Are you sensing a pattern here?)
14. Despicable character : LOUSE. ...came back to it.
15. ___ stick : POGO. Chop? Drum? Glue? Yard? Slap? Sigh....
16. Drive train component : AXLE. Yay! I finally filled in an answer.
20. End of eternity? : WYE. The letter "y" at the end of the word "eternity." Clever clue.
21. Script snippet : LINE.
22. Like some excuses : FLIMSY.
23. Seafood order : SOLE. Like this.
24. Rural valley : GLEN.
31. Lo-cal : LITE. The commercial-ese clue suggests the commercial-ese spelling for the answer.
32. Longtime Mississippi senator : LOTT. Chester Trent Lott, who served from 1989 to 2007.
33. Two-minute warning giver : REF.eree
35. From scratch : ANEW.
36. Opted for : CHOSE.
38. Twofold : DUAL.
39. Uncle Sam poster word : YOU.
40. Give it up, so to speak : CLAP. Did you ever wonder where that phrase came from? Let's give it up for The Grammarphobia Blog!
41. Church alcove : APSE.
47. Stuff : CRAM.
48. Barrel-bottom stuff : LEES. Dregs are never singular, are they?
49. Go up against : TAKE ON.
52. Smelting waste : SLAG.
53. Sailor's assent : AYE.
59. Show whose cast holds the record for the most charted songs on the Billboard Hot 100 : GLEE. It's on my Netflix list...
60. Protein-rich bean : SOYA.
61. Soft palate projection : UVULA. Ewwww...word of advice: Do NOT search for "uvula images" on google!!!
62. Between ports : ASEA.
63. It usually loses in war : TREY. The card game "War" uses a standard French deck. The "trey" is the card with a value of 3. The only card it would beat is the 2. Hence, unlikely. (Bill G., what are the exact odds of a trey beating a deuce?)
64. Holiday hires : TEMPS.
Down:
1. Brake : SLOW. My first entry in the NW.
2. Country singer Keith : TOBY. You remember him, don't you? 4:05
3. Bit of subterfuge : RUSE.
4. Manipulate : USE.
5. Red wine choice : MERLOT. Mine would be Carménère. And not in a red solo cup, either!
6. Warmup act : OPENER.
7. Epidermal opening : PORE. Does that make it a warmup act?
8. It can be bruised : EGO.
9. Fuse into a single entity : CONFLATE. Interesting that this word comes from the Latin root word "flatus," meaning "blasts." Gives a whole new erudite meaning to flatulence, don't you think?
10. Gabfest activity : JAWING.
11. Entrance requirement, often : EXAM.
12. Plumbing bends : ELLS. Not to be confused with the 2012 Open winner Ernie.
13. Bank (on) : RELY.
18. Beastly : VILE.
19. On the qui vive : ALERT. Another interesting clue. "Qui vive" is French for "Live [short 'i'] who?" A sentry would shout this out to an approaching person, as a short form of the question "Long live...who?" By answering, the approaching person would reveal their loyalties. I guess a good answer would be "The king"?
23. Jambalaya, e.g. : STEW.
24. Mustang contemporaries : GTOS.
25. More than amuse : SLAY. "You just slay me!"
26. Skid row types : WINOS. How about us carménère types?
27. Really enjoyed : ATE UP.
28. Pours messily : SLOPS.
29. Blow : ERUPT. In Latin, "erumpant" (...is that why it is called a rump?)
30. Offer with no intention of giving, say : TEASE. Oooohh...so many photos I can't link here.
34. Beat a hasty retreat : FLEE.
36. Detergent ad superlative : CLEANEST.
37. Hippocratic oath no-no : HARM. "Primum non nocere" (or, "Primum nil nocere"). "First: do no harm." Is there a doctor in the house?
38. Spot for a lectern : DAIS.
40. Data storage medium : CD ROM.
43. Summer beverage : ICE TEA.
44. "No argument from me!' : I'LL SAY.
45. Spring-___ cycle: tidal phenomenon : NEAP.
46. Watch the boob tube, say : VEG OUT.
49. Frat party wear : TOGA.
50. Has a bug, or bugs : AILS.
51. Joint sometimes replaced : KNEE. "Hip" was too short.
52. Eyelid affliction : STYE.
53. Grad : ALUM.
54. Sharp cry : YELP.
55. Distinctive periods : ERAS.
57. Hide-hair connection : NOR. We saw neither hide nor hair of CrossEyedDave for a week!
58. "To All the Girls ___ Loved Before": 1984 #1 country hit : I'VE. Albert Hammond's original version was overshadowed by Julio Iglesias and Willie Nelson. 3:06
It's been real. See you next week!
Hugs,
Marti
Note from C.C.:
Here is an adorable Halloween picture Irish Miss sent to me.
She said:
"Dahlia, dressed as Eliza Doolittle after her transformation, is my 10 year-old great, great niece and Amelia, dressed as Cat-woman, is my 5 year-old great-niece."
Here is an adorable Halloween picture Irish Miss sent to me.
She said:
"Dahlia, dressed as Eliza Doolittle after her transformation, is my 10 year-old great, great niece and Amelia, dressed as Cat-woman, is my 5 year-old great-niece."
