Common phrases ending in "amp" are changed to "ump."
17A. Glowing sugar cube? : FLUORESCENT LUMP. Fluorescent lamp.
26A. Campaign to raise mailing fees? : POSTAGE STUMP. Postage stamp.
44A. Easy strikeout victim? : BATTING CHUMP. Batting champ.
57A. Wedding song for Ivana or Marla? : THE LADY IS A TRUMP. "The Lady Is a Tramp." Classic Frank and Ella. 3:51
Jeff gives us a grid with only ten 3-letter words and a slew of 4-5 letter ones. Nothing stood out for me in the longer fill.
Marti here, to see what else is on the menu today.
Across:
1. Diana's companion : DODI. Fayed and Princess Diana.
5. Off-the-wall play : CAROM. I usually associate the word with billiards.
10. "...baked in ___" : A PIE. Four and twenty blackbirds, that is.
14. An awfully long time : AGES.
15. Meter reading : USAGE.
16. Without : SANS. Who shot the serif?
20. Electrical pioneer whose last known U.S. patent was for a helicopter-plane : TESLA.
21. A soprano one has short strings : UKE. Pretty tune. 2:02
22. Team competition : RELAY.
23. Ant who sings : ADAM. I forgot about this ant. 3:18 Not to be confused with this ant:
25. Some film-book relationships : TIE-INS. Like a newly-published edition of the book that has the movie poster on its cover.
31. Upper arm bones : HUMERI. [Update 7:30 AM: Some papers listed the clue as "Forearm bones. That would be an incorrect answer]
32. Cyclotron bits : IONS.
33. Convenience store convenience : ATM.
36. Clinches : ICES.
37. Polynesian porch : LANAI.
39. Tennis coups : ACES.
40. Cow or sow : SHE.
41. Tax that funds Soc. Sec. : FICA. Federal Insurance Contributions Act tax.
42. More patrician : NOBLER.
46. Field of plants? : BOTANY. Nice misdirection.
49. Regarding : AS TO.
50. Somewhat inclined : ATILT. Aaaaah...
51. Outback runner : EMU.
53. Goof : ERROR.
60. Mall map word : HERE. "You are here."
61. Discourage : DETER.
62. Cheeseboard choice : EDAM.
63. While lead-in : ERST. Erstwhile.
64. Spring for lunch : TREAT.
65. Lairs : DENS.
Down:
1. Bonkers : DAFT.
2. People-watch inappropriately : OGLE.
3. ___ ex machina : DEUS. Literally, Latin for "God from machine." A story ending that is highly improbable, and is used to extricate the characters from a seemingly inescapable situation. Like many Harry Potter books, or even the ending of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, when Sam and Frodo are rescued from Mt. Doom by eagles.
4. Cuts off : ISOLATES.
5. Stick for breaking, at times : CUE. Breaking the rack, that is. Not breaking over each others' heads in a pool room brawl!
6. Take for granted : ASSUME.
7. Rooftop accessory : RACK. I was on top of the house, not the car. But here's another type of rack you might enjoy...
8. Decorative molding : OGEE.
9. "Eight ___ Out": 1988 baseball movie : MEN. About the 1921 scandal when the Chicago White Sox arranged with underworld gamblers to throw the World Series. [Update: The date of the World Series was 1919. The trial took place in 1921.]
10. In the arms of Morpheus : ASLEEP.
11. Eighth-century pope : PAUL I. 757-67 A.D.
12. Jude Law's "Cold Mountain" role : INMAN. Nicole Kidman's sweetheart in the film. Good story.
13. July awards show, with "the" : ESPYS. Nice change from "Catch sight of" clue. Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly award. (Deja vu, all over again!)
18. Speed demon's undoing : RADAR.
19. Cuts back : TRIMS.
24. Gymnast's asset : AGILITY.
25. Open D and open G, for guitars : TUNINGS. Ugh. I would have tried to get Husker G's MUSINGS to go in there.
26. Frat letters : PHIs.
27. Smart remark? : "OUCH, ...that hurts!" From a stinging pain, not some sass.
28. Barrie buccaneer : SMEE. Captain Hook's right-hand-man (since he didn't have one of his own...)
29. Old Testament peak : SINAI.
30. ___ fault : TO A.
33. Scopes Trial gp. : ACLU. American Civil Liberties Union. They offered to defend anyone who had been accused of teaching evolution.
34. Swarm : TEEM.
35. Auto ad no. : MSRP. Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price.
38. Tread the boards : ACT.
39. Couldn't stomach : ABHORRED.
41. Slice competitor : FANTA.
vs.
43. Santa's reindeer, e.g. : OCTET.
44. Balanchine's field : BALLET. A peek into his methods. 2:31
45. Vertigo symptom : NAUSEA.
46. Get clean : BATHE.
47. Survey choice : OTHER.
48. Levels : TIERS.
51. Observer : EYER.
52. Itty-bitty bug : MITE.
54. Uncivil : RUDE.
55. Sultanate whose flag features two swords and a dagger : OMAN.
56. Tach nos. : RPMs.
58. Banned pesticide : DDT. Dichlorodiphenyltriclhoroethane.
59. Works in a gallery : ART. The stuff on the wall, not the verb.
That's it for this week!
Marti
Note from C.C.:
Here is a sweet picture of JD and her grandson Truman on his first day to first grade yesterday. Click here to see more pictures of Truman, who is going to be 6 years old next week.
