Theme: Sigmund is Psycho (analytical) and the reveal helps us identify some "mouthy" phrases
20A Liar's trait? : FORKED TONGUE. I went to Google a nice pic for this and amongst the first that came up was one of George W. Bush, one of yesterday's pair of Texas P'sOTUS. I've no idea why this should be so.
34A. Cold-sounding windup toy : CHATTERING TEETH. Mine aren't chattering today, I'm in Washington D.C. at 96F and what feels like 200% humidity.
40A. Warning to a sassy kid : DON'T GIVE ME NO LIP. Sassy kid might respond "Don't give me no bad grammar".
and the unifier:
51A. Freud's diagnosis of 20-, 34- and 40-Across? : ORAL FIXATION. Is that why he's smoking a cigar?
Happy Wednesday everyone - Steve here with a nice mid-week outing from Paul. I dove right in, and it seemed plain sailing until I got stalled in the middle and then in the south. I thought IDLE HANDS was part of the theme until I couldn't see how LOVE SCENE fitted with anything else, so that slowed me down for a while. Let's see what else we have.
Across:
1. Louis or P.W., the first and last South African prime ministers : BOTHA. I knew this right away, but then pondered why P.W. was the last, until I realized post-apartheid South Africa has a president, not a prime minister.
6. Disney World vehicle : TRAM
10. Avoid : SHUN
14. Common font : ARIAL. If the personal computer has done anything, it's made us all font experts. Two decades ago most of us would have been hard-pressed to name anything beyond Times New Roman or Helvetica.
15. Reprobate : ROUE.
16. Vigilant : WARY
17. Diamond game with no pitching : T-BALL. The first and only time my daughter played T-ball she was so proud of her new glove that she forgot to watch the ball and got a line drive straight in her "theme". A split lip, floods of tears and she never played again. I wonder what happened to the glove?
18. Devil's tools, proverbially : IDLE HANDS.
22. Dieter's shortening? : CAL. Slimmed-down calories. Nice.
25. Old cry of disapproval : FIE
26. "... her kerchief and __ my cap ..." : I IN. Ma was in her kerchief on the night before Christmas.
27. Response to a pointer : I SEE IT
29. Pesters for payment : DUNS. You wouldn't be pestered if you weren't late, let's be fair.
31. __ in Juliet : JAS. I'd love to explain this one to you, but it was all perps for me and I have no idea what this is all about. Any offers?
37. Razor name : ATRA
38. RN's assignment : ICU. I worked in a hospital for a while when I left high school and was often assigned to mop the floors of the Intensive Care Unit. The Registered Nurses had rather more lofty responsibilities.
39. Kett of old funnies : ETTA
45. Quiz response: Abbr. : ANS
46. "Sorry to say ..." : ALAS
47. Setting : LOCALE
48. CIO partner : AFL. I was wondering who partner's the Chief Information Officer when the labor union penny dropped.
49. Rummy : SOT
50. Hot air : GAS
57. Feature of many a romantic comedy : LOVE SCENE. This one from "Ghost" has me weeping every time I see it.
58. High-minded : NOBLE
62. Church attachment? : GOER. I liked this one!
63. Embroidered ltr. : INIT. I need a stack of handkerchiefs when I watch "Ghost", but none of them have my initials embroidered on them.
64. Words to live by : CREED. As practiced by church attachments.
65. High style : AFRO
66. Highland caps : TAMS
67. Expels : EMITS
Down:
1. Ball club : BAT. Great little clue/answer.
2. Celestial body : ORB
3. Acapulco aunt : TIA
4. __ Moon Bay, California : HALF. One of the biggest surf breaks in the world is just north of the town. Scary stuff.
5. The whole enchilada : ALL OF IT
6. First wheels : TRIKE
7. Was carried by, as a bus : RODE
8. New Year's word : AULD. "Auld Reekie" is a nickname for Edinburgh, pretty much the only other time I've heard the word used.
9. One may be called by a manager : MEETING
10. Hall of Famer Lynn of the Steelers : SWANN
11. Consort (with) : HANG
12. Karachi language : URDU
13. Where "X" means "U.S. Steel" : NYSE. I never knew this, and a great way to clue the abbreviated New York Stock Exchange.
19. Run up the flagpole : HOIST
21. Sacrament : RITE
22. Loud bug : CICADA They are loud, but somehow very soothing when it's all you can hear on a warm tropical night.
23. Actor Kutcher : ASHTON. I didn't put Demi Moore's picture on here to annoy him, I promise.
24. Catches on : LEARNS
28. One of America's cinquante : ETAT. Nicely obtuse, but difficult for non-francophones to know that we're talking about the fifty states.
29. Chops up : DICES
30. One on a one? : UNUM. Perps again, and no adequate explanation from me. Any ideas?
31. International traveler's concern : JET LAG. Happens with coast-to-coast trips too. I had a good travel day today though - I'm now on the TSA "pre screened" list so I got to zip through security without getting undressed and my laptop and deodorant stayed in the bag; then United upgraded me and finally Avis ran out of little cars and gave me a Mustang Convertible instead. I've had worse trips!
32. Hun ruler : ATTILA
33. Molds : SHAPES
35. 1972 Derby winner __ Ridge : RIVA
36. Fair-hiring initials : EEOC. More perps. I couldn't recall the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
41. Fishing hooks : GAFFS. Big, big hooks on a long pole.
42. Under-the-table : ILLICIT
43. "The Time Machine" people : ELOI. I always want to put "ELON" when I see this clue. Which I did today, of course.
44. Never ever : NOT ONCE
48. '90s-'00s Olds model : ALERO
49. Cancels a takeout order? : STETS. Great. Best clue of the day, IMHO.
51. Lingerie brand : OLGA. Perps!
52. Spot for shingles : ROOF. I filled in BACK first before it had to come out. Flashbacks to my hospital worker days maybe.
53. Claim : AVER
54. TV friend of Gabrielle : XENA
55. Lively, in mus. : ANIM. From the Italian "animato", animated.
56. "Cheers" cheer : NORM. I saw George Wendt in my local bar a few weeks ago, and it was all I could do to stop myself "Norm!"-ing. It really must get old.
59. "__ Mir Bist Du Schoen": Andrews Sisters hit : BEI. Better late then never for a little musical interlude
60. Court do-over : LET
61. Masthead VIPs : EDS. Sadly, their are fewer and fewer newspapers for editors to get their name on the masthead today.
That's about does it for me; time to see if I can avoid any 31D problems. Have a great day!
Steve
Note from C.C.:
Happy 48th wedding anniversary to dear Spitzboov (Al) and his lovely wife Betty!
Steve
Note from C.C.:
Happy 48th wedding anniversary to dear Spitzboov (Al) and his lovely wife Betty!
US Coast Guard Academy, New London, CT,
August 2012
August 2012
