Theme: Where have you BEAN hiding?
Examples of this confusing PLANT, are hidden within six sets of consecutive answers using 14 of the 15 squares available in rows, starting in row 1 and ending with row 15, with the a central reveal telling you what are hidden are types of beans, and they are "jumping" across the black square. It is not common to have a reveal on Friday, but without it, this might have been too hard. A variation on the overlapping fill revealing a hidden word, as here the overlap is between to different answers. A total of 95 squares in the theme, yet in a format that looks like a Saturday themeless, with triple stacks of 9's in the corners. I think the challenge to put this together was amazing, and while I am really confused by 22A and 44D, I think this what appears to be the debut puzzle by, I am guessing, a Dentist from New England who coincidentally went to Tufts, and went to the ACPT this year, captured your attention and was a bumpy but satisfying ride.
1A. *Seat often against a wall : DIVAN. with 6A. *Antsy : ILL AT EASE. and VANILLA (bean) us revealed. There are many multiple word answers like ILL AT EASE which made the solving harder.
15A. *Microscopic menace : E. COLI. with 16A. *The economy, in many debates : MAIN ISSUE.= :LIMA (bean).
29A. *100 centavos : ONE PESO. with 31A. *River spanned by the Three Gorges Dam : YANGTZE= SOY. (Or SOYA). Both clues required some knowledge.
43A. *Forage plant also called lucerne : ALFALFA. with 47A. *Garlic avoider, traditionally: VAMPIRE.= FAVA. I did not know Alfafa (not from little rascals) had another name.
63A. *Cultural artifacts : AMERICANA. with 64A. *Struggling : VYING.= NAVY. Again like Saturday, no gimmes.
65A. *Game piece that can stand on either end : CANDLE PIN, with 66A. *Sycophant : TOADY= PINTO. Another hint to the New England tie, as this form of bowling is popular in few places, though it was a TV regular when I was a child. ARTICLE.
and the reveal
36A. Seed containing moth larva, and what is aptly hidden in each puzzle row whose clues contain asterisks : JUMPING BEAN. Is it un-pc to say Mexican Jumping Bean?
Across:
17. Music genre : METAL. One of my favorites. LISTEN.(3:26).
18. It's not always met : POTENTIAL. Ah, wasted.
19. Cow-horned goddess : ISIS. I like the Brazilian version LINK.
20. Emma of "Dynasty" : SAMMS. One of my favorites.
21. Co-star of Ingrid in "Autumn Sonata" : LIV. ULLMANA. A 1978 Swedish drama film written and directed by Ingmar Bergman. The film stars Ingrid Bergman, Liv Ullmann and Lena Nyman. It tells the story of a celebrated classical pianist who is confronted by her neglected daughter. It was Ingrid Bergman's last performance in a major theatrical feature film, and the film won a Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film at the 1979 Golden Globe Awards. (per wiki).
22. Bean cover? : HAT. Man, this clue confuse the hell out of me; eventually I thought it was accepted as not conflicting with the theme because it did not relate to vegetable life but an expression for the human head.
25. Long in films : NIA. Very actress intensive. Another LINK.
26. U-boat, e.g. : SUBmarine.
33. Rod Stewart's first wife : ALANA. Another female; Alan where was your mind. Also married to George Hamilton.
35. Subvert : RUIN. She did not ruin his career.
40. Ship's spine : KEEL. Let's keep ours even.
42. Ziggurat features : TIERS. Pyramid like structures built in ancient Mesopotamia and coming to the FUTURE.(1:25)
51. Overtime cause : TIE.
52. Portugese pronoun : ELA. Similar to Spanish and French.
53. Common ___ : ERA.
54. Considerable amount : TON.
55. Work with, as clay : KNEAD. If you need to relax it is good to knead.
57. Cole Porter's alma mater : YALE. An obscure New England fact 41D. 57-Across grad : ELI.
58. UMass athlete : MINUTEMAN. Another one.
62. With 38-Down, Arctic denizen : POLAR. and 38D. See 62-Across : BEAR.
Down:
1. Venus ___ : DE MILO. Poor girl lost her arms. The back STORY. Venus is the Roman Aphrodite.
2. Strands in winter, perhaps : ICES IN. My meh of the day in an otherwise awesome creation.
3. Offered for a special intention, as a Mass : VOTIVE. You buy the candles.
4. Pained cry : ALAS. Another near ALAN word (like Alana).
5. Zippo : NIL. Zilch, nada, bubkis.
6. Rambunctious sort : IMP.
7. Vientiane's land : LAOS. A remnant of the French influence in Indochina, LINK.
8. Long account : LITANY. She had a litany of complaints.
9. Lack of vigor : ANEMIA. Well the cause of a lack of vigor.
10. Heartless guy? : TINMAN. A shout out to our prodigal son, who is loaded with heart.
11. Neighborhood figures?: Abbr. : ESTS. It cost me something in the neighborhood of $200.00.
12. Faulkner's "___ Lay Dying" : AS I. many think this was his best novel.
13. Latin possessive : SUA. In the law, when a judge does something on his own accord, it is called SUA SPONTE.
14. New Zealand longfin, e.g. : EEL.
22. Bridge position : HELM. Sulu on Star Trek.
23. "Stat!" relative : ASAP.
24. Singer Basil or Braxton : TONI. More women.
26. Sci-fi setting : STUN. "Set phasers to stun, Sulu, Spock."
27. Israeli arm : UZI.
28. Son of, to an Israeli : BEN. An odd sort of clecho.
30. Golfer Creamer : PAULA. Is this a sub-theme for the men or what!?!?
32. Apprehend : GRASP. I grasped where he was headed.
34. Picnic pest : ANT.
36. Barcelona boss : JEFE. Also, in the Mexican and Colombian cartels, the chief.
37. Buckle : GIVE. When Shaq sat down the chair....
39. Aretha's singing sister : ERMA. Rough to be Aretha's SISTER. They say she did this song first.
40. Kit ___ : KAT. Candy bar of choice in one of the offices where I work.
44. Soup bean : LENTIL. Really?????
45. Take for a ride : FLEECE.
46. TripTik, notably : AAA MAP.
48. Roma's home : ITALIA.
49. WWI French aviator Garros : ROLAND. They named the tennis stadium where they play the French Open after this man.
50. Einstein's "E" : ENERGY= mc2
55. Southeastern Turkey native : KURD. They know whey?
56. "___ California": Red Hot Chili Peppers hit : DANI.
57. It has its ups and downs : YO YO. Fun clues.
58. Bub : MAC.
59. The Beatles' "___ Loser" : I'M A. Someone else can link.
60. Three-time All-Star reliever Robb : NEN. He was one of the many All-Stars the Marlins gave away. His father Dick Nen was a major league first baseman.
61. Bread served with chicken tikka masala : NAN. Love the placement, nen nan.
62. Cpl.'s inferior : PVT. Well I wonder what Alan's private thoughts were when he built this entertaining Friday foray. Mine are: it is time for me to head to the hills, until the next time. I leave you with these two classic BEANS.(0:56) and BEAN.(2:29).
Lemonade peace out. Thanks all.
