Wednesday, October 16, 2013 Pam Amick Klawitter

Theme: Freeze Frame! As the reveal nicely explains:

52A. Where to find the starts of 20-, 25- and 46-Across : ICE-CREAM PARLOR. This is my local one here in Studio City:

20A. Some boxing wins : SPLIT DECISIONS. This happens when the three judges are not unanimous in their choice of the winner, and this usually gives rise to some controversy.

25A. Cause a stir : SHAKE THINGS UP. Like James Bond's martini.

46A. Sitcom security device that often defeated its own purpose : CONE OF SILENCE. From the '60s series "Get Smart". Here's the debut of the device from Episode 1.

Wednesday already? Gosh, tempus fugit. Good Morning everyone! Steve here with what I thought was a tougher-than-usual midweek offering from Pam. The top middle section gave me fits and I thought at one point I'd have to throw in the towel, but I managed to stare down the recalcitrant empty spaces and finally the pennies dropped. The theme was nice. Some crossword-ese in the fill but I think that's not unusual with two 14's and two 13's making up the theme. Let's see what else we've got.

Across:

1. Tower site : BABEL

6. "That last piece of cake is mine!" : DIBS.

10. Hemingway nickname : PAPA

14. Once __ time ... : UPON A

15. Shield border, in heraldry : ORLE.  As I mentioned at the top, this section was tough for me, and this was my last fill. I need to file this away in the memory banks for the future. This is the shield of my old British Army regiment:

16. Skunk's defense : ODOR

17. Roulette choices : NOIRS. I missed the plural and had "NOIRE" first which slowed me down a little.

18. Roulette, for one : NOUN. I could not see this for the longest time and then I had my V8 moment.

19. Baltic native : LETT

23. Not bare : CLAD

24. Large expanse : SEA

31. Bath accessory : MAT

33. TV talk pioneer : PAAR. I always spell his name PARR at first, and then I go back and change it.

34. March composer : SOUSA. The band of the Grenadier Guards performing "Stars and Stripes Forever" at Blenheim Palace. Nice stirring stuff!

35. Destructive Greek god : ARES

37. Like May through August, literally : "R"-LESS. The four months of the year which don't have an "R" in their spelling. In the UK, we were taught not to eat oysters during these months as they were more likely to spoil in the warmer weather.

40. Bar order : BEER. In crossword-land, you order beer in bars and ale in pubs.

41. Use Comet on : SCRUB

43. Rejection from the top : VETO

45. RMN was his vice president : DDE. Ike's veep was Tricky Dicky. Excuse me, President Dwight D. Eisenhower's Vice President was Richard M. Nixon.

50. Bread, at times : SOP

51. Salad cheese : FETA

59. Winter coat : SNOW

60. Michigan city or college : ALMA

61. __ Janeiro : RIO DE. Host of next year's soccer World Cup. I can't wait!

62. Part of a plot : ACRE. I put ACT I first. Not quite sure what I was thinking there.

63. Pleased : GLAD

64. Navel phenomenon : INNIE. I need to wait for crosses to distinguish from an OUTIE. I wanted LINT first.

65. Tools for Wolfgang Puck : PANS. Nice checho with 12D

66. Italian noble family : ESTE. Completely unknown to me, so perps all the way. Here's their coat-of-arms. The orle isn't very impressive!

67. Fancy moldings : OGEES. Another puzzle staple familiar to regular solvers.

Down:

1. Burger King supply : BUNS

2. For each one : A POP

3. Recipe instruction : BOIL

4. Supplement nutritionally : ENRICH

5. Race ender : LAST LAP

6. Outcome of successful negotiations : DONE DEAL

7. Camaro __-Z : IROC. Named for the now-defunct International Race of Champions auto race.

8. A bit down : BLUISH

9. Dojo instructor : SENSEI. This is also the term used for third-generation Japanese Americans. In this context it is the term used for a judo teacher - the dojo is a judo gym. (From C.C.: Steve confused "Sensei" with "Sansei". San ="Three" in both Chinese & Japanese, hence third-generation.)

10. Game divided into chukkers : POLO. The Brooklyn Dodgers used to play at the Polo Grounds - it must have been tricky fielding grounders with hoof marks everywhere!

11. Arabian Peninsula seaport : ADEN

12. Tools for Wolfgang Puck : POTS. As noted previously a nice clecho with 65A

13. Gallery showing : ART

21. Senegal's capital : DAKAR

22. Swimmers Crocker and Thorpe : IANS

25. Rudder's locale : STERN

26. Coin-tossing attraction : TREVI. They say if you throw a coin into the Trevi fountain you will return to Rome - I  didn't and I've never been back. I've been kicking myself ever since. Marti will laugh.

27. Gooey lump : GOB

28. Upholsterer's choice : SUEDE

29. Previously owned : USED

30. Cut the skin from : PARE. Or peel. Waiting for crosses.

31. Like "padre," e.g.: Abbr. : MASC. Wow! Wednesday? This had me at "M"

32. BP subsidiary : ARCO

36. Drag to court : SUE

38. Like some millionaires : SELF-MADE

39. Expensive : STEEP

42. Pear variety : BOSC. Why do I always want to add an "O" at the end when I know it doesn't belong?

44. Lake on the New York border : ONTARIO

47. Silo filler : FORAGE

48. Hogwarts castings : SPELLS

49. Thoughtful : CARING

52. Cuzco native : INCA

53. Muffin grain : CORN

54. Flock females : EWES

55. Latin I verb : AMAT

56. Single : LONE

57. "Garfield" canine : ODIE

58. "Cheers" actor Roger : REES. Cheers? Not my first thought for this Welsh actor

59. Maple yield : SAP

That's it from me. If you're in Santa Monica at the tourney on Saturday come and say hello! I'll be the head-scratcher wondering what the heck just happened! C.C. bullied me into entering :)

Steve

Note from C.C.:

1)  As Steve linked earlier, Crossword LA will be held on Oct 26 Saturday this year. They have an outstanding constructor lineup. Do say hello to Steve, our Wednesday Sherpa. He is not easily bullied. Look at those muscles. I forgot which race he's running in November.
  

2) Happy Birthday to dear CrossEyedDave, whose links and comments brought us so much laughter and joy.

Let's all make funny links for Dave today. Here is mine: