20. Critic's complaint about the new restaurant "Godot"? : ENDLESS WAITS. Refers to the book titled "Waiting for Godot." No one likes to wait for service.
28. Critic's complaint about the new restaurant "Charley Horse"? : CRAMPED SPACE. Leg cramps are a common football injury. Is the etymology the same as for confined spaces?
43. Critic's complaint about the new restaurant "Moon"? : NO ATMOSPHERE. Well, I guess the restaurant would have to have air, otherwise the soufflé wouldn't puff up! But the atmosphere in a restaurant is the ambiance.
52. Critic's complaint about the new restaurant "Double Fault"? : INEPT SERVICE. I just had a mental picture of a waiter flinging the food orders to the tables using a tennis racket! That would really be inept!
Marti here to clear up, or in some cases - obfuscate - otherwise perfectly reasonable clues and answers!
Across:
1. Old Italian capital : LIRA.
5. "See ya!" : CIAO.
9. Head lights : HALOS. Were you fooled by this clue?
14. Land with a red, white and green flag : IRAN. And a clecho with 16-Across. One whose land has a red, white and green flag : OMANI.
15. Monroe of the NBA : EARL. National Basketball Association's Vernon EARL Monroe, known for his flamboyant dribbling. He scored over 1,000 points in nine of his thirteen professional seasons!
17. King whose true height is the subject of much discussion : KONG. It ranges from 18 to 60 feet, depending on the setting.
18. Urban hazard : SMOG.
19. Watch from hiding : SPY ON.
23. Clooney/Damon film about the oil industry : SYRIANA. No idea. Generally positive reviews, though.
24. Like some German nouns : NEUTER. Interesting GIF showing the differences among language groups. But, take it with a grain of salt as there seems to be some dispute about its accuracy.
31. Druid or Wiccan : PAGAN.
34. Baseball stats : RBIS. Run Batted In(s).
35. Ad trailer? : HOC. Not a commercial teaser, but a word that comes after ("trails") the word "ad." Ad hoc committees are typically designated for one purpose only. Latin for "to this" (purpose.) All clear now? Or just obfuscated?
36. Like two, say : EVEN.
37. Biblical queendom : SHEBA.
39. Cuba libre ingredient : COLA. I think the "l" in "libre" should be capitalized in the name of the drink. But maybe that's just a...
40. Tiny gripe : NIT.
41. Seaman's saint : ELMO. AKA "Saint Erasmus."
42. Censor : BLEEP. I hope C.C. doesn't have to BLEEP anything I have written here!
47. Snare : ENTRAP.
48. The Beatles' Rigby : ELEANOR. Now for a musical interlude. 2:07
55. Buccaneers' home : TAMPA. Josh Freeman is their first 4,000 yard passer, but he is still questionable as next year's QB because of his erratic performance.
58. Univ. drilling gp. : ROTC. Reserve Officers' Training Corps.
59. Pre-deal request : ANTE.
60. Glorify : EXALT.
61. "___ Plenty o' Nuttin": Gershwin song : I GOT. From the American opera "Porgy and Bess." 2:40
62. Nerd : GEEK.
63. Conical abode : TEPEE.
64. Ages : EONS.
65. They aren't exact: Abbr. : ESTS. Estimates.
Down:
1. Approves, on Facebook : LIKES.
2. Swift strength : IRONY. Jonathan Swift's best-known work, "Gulliver's Travels," is more satirical than ironic, IMHO.
3. Time off, briefly : R AND R. Rest and Recreation.
4. The Archbishop of Canterbury, e.g. : ANGLICAN.
5. Big name in small planes : CESSNA. I learned the other day that they are also a big name in jets...
6. First line of a Seuss classic : I AM SAM.
7. "... maids all in ___" : A ROW.
8. Contemporary of Nadia : OLGA. Nadia Comaneci and OLGA Korbut, who won hearts in the '70s with their sparkling gymnastics routines during the summer olympics.
9. Bankrupt baker : HOSTESS. Don't worry, any remaining Twinkies on store shelves will still be good into the next century.
10. Increases a few notches : AMPS UP.
11. Nonexpert : LAY. Not only a religious connotation. It also refers to anyone who is not schooled in the technicalities of a specific field.
12. 2011 Hiroshima Art Prize winner : ONO. A Thursday-level clue for a Monday-level entry.
13. Go astray : SIN.
21. Work for : EARN.
22. Taj Mahal locale : INDIA. More specifically, Agra.
25. Chevy SUV : TAHOE.
26. Place to learn in Lyons : ECOLE. French for "school."
27. Postgame staple : RECAP. Like putting their kneecaps back on after a rough football game?
29. Prepping place : PRE-OP. For re-capping knees?
30. Wane : EBB.
31. Pasta often served alla vodka : PENNE. Yummm. I could eat pasta every night of the week!
32. Air France fleet member : AVION. French for "aircraft."
33. Imply : GET AT.
37. Incline : SLOPE. I'll be hitting the slopes this weekend!
38. Pinafore opening : HMS. Cute clue for the Gilbert & Sullivan operetta.
39. Décolletage revelation : CLEAVAGE. Ugly dress. Does the cleavage make up for it, guys?
41. Spring (from) : EMANATE.
42. Uncle Remus title : BR'ER. Short for "brother."
44. Rare hit for most catchers : TRIPLE.
45. "Ben-Hur" Oscar winner : HESTON. Charlton. More décolletage, but this time for the ladies.
46. Votes in : ELECTS.
49. Dressing extreme? : NINES. Did everyone dress to the nines for New Year's Eve?
50. Two trios and a duo : OCTET.
51. Stinks : REEKS.
53. ___-dieu : PRIE. French for "Pray [to] God."
54. Ghana's neighbor to the east : TOGO. They have great take-out, I understand...
55. Vietnamese celebration : TET.
56. Tool that's swung : AXE.
57. Navigator's guide : MAP. I rely on Siri to guide me.
See you all next week!
Marti
