JW makes the move from Thursday to Friday this week with a complicated and ingenious (not igneous, see below) group of phrases clued with Canadian cities (EH!) mashed together with a word or phrase to create a new phrase that almost makes sense. Doing this all from Canadian cities is great, and gives you some idea how puzzles are born. I would guess at some point the sound of HALI FAX MACHINE popped in his head and he was off to the creative races. The rest of the puzzle has some difficult clues, but with the longest non-theme answers 7 letters (many of which were fun- DIORITE, ECHELON, FANTAIL, IN LIMBO, ROAD TAX, TELECOM, WEIRDOS and WIMPISH) I found this to be a very doable puzzle. I would think Mr. Wechsler, who I have blogged before, must have strong ties to Canada as I do not know many USA citizens who can name the Canadian provinces and major cities; I just learned he published his first NY Times in 1969, his second in 2009 - 40 years later. I would love to hear the story of the delay. So here we go...thanks for lending me JW, marti.
17A. TV fare in Quebec? : MONTREALITY SHOW. (15). Reality TV has taken over the world because they can pay so much less, even in Canada. I enjoy Montreal both from my family history and the people. They do however drive even worse than Floridians. This is the odd one as the REAL changes sound.
31A. Communication device in Nova Scotia? : HALIFAX MACHINE. (14). My favorite and what I guess is the seed answer. Are fax machines going the way of beepers?
39A. Tool storage convenience in Manitoba? : WINNIPEG BOARDS..(14). All I really know is that the Blue Bombers play there in the CFL and the Jets in the NHL. Who doesn't hang tools on a pegboard in the garage?
60A. Throat ailment in Alberta? : EDMONTONSILITIS.(15). The most impressive run on. Wayne Gretzky taught me all I know about Edmonton.
Across:
1. Kate, to Petruchio : WIFE. The Taming of the Shrew. Loves me some Shakespeare.
5. Works on walls : ART. Cute, hard to be too tricky with a three letter fill. CLECHO! 50D. Works on walls : OILS. Hanging on them, in museums etc. Tricky 2.
8. Apportioned, with "out" : METED. A favorite of judges meting out justice.
13. Prayer leader : IMAM.
14. Sandwich staple : RYE. I thought of ham first, go figure. And, 6D. Thick-pile rug : RYA. This traditional Scandinavian rug was an unknown.
20. Contributes : PUTS IN. His two-cents worth.
21. Spacewalk initials : EVA. Extra-vehicular activity.
22. See 2-Down : HERE. A backwards cross-reference. 2D. With 22-Across, "See ya!" : I'M OUTTA.
23. Marseilles : -euse :: Madrid : __ : ITA. Feminine endings in French and Spanish.
24. "Pensées" author : PASCAL. This is a really interesting LINK.
26. "... if I tell thee __, spit in my face": Falstaff : A LIE. More Will.
FALSTAFF
Nay, that’s past praying for. I have peppered two of them. Two I am sure I have paid,
two rogues in buckram suits. I tell thee what, Hal, if I tell thee a lie, spit in my face,
call me horse. Thou knowest my old ward. Here I lay, and thus I bore my point.
Four rogues in buckram let drive at me.
29. Very long time : EON.
30. Teammate of Hubbell : OTT. A new clue for Hall of Famer Mel.
37. Friend of Huck : JIM. Not Tom....
38. One working at home : UMP. A baseball reference for C.C. Tricky 1.
47. Psychotic Chihuahua : REN. A mini-theme? 52A. Reprimand often given while pointing down : BAD DOG.
48. Theban queen of myth : INO. Goody, some MYTHOLOGY. Really, all perps.
49. Boss's command : DO IT.
55. Thin-rail bridge : AS A.
56. "Get a __!" : GRIP.
57. Sea urchin roe, in sushi bars : UNI. Time to learn. LINK.
58. Without restraint : WILDLY.
63. Additionally : TO BOOT. Weird sounding phrase. Per wiktionary:
Etymology
From Middle English to bote (“something added to, addition”), from Old English tō bōte (“to boot, besides, moreover”). More at boot.
(idiomatic) moreover, on top of that, besides, also.
My boyfriend is funny, and a pretty good cook, to boot.
64. DDE, e.g. : GENeral. Eisenhower.
65. Speedy shark : MAKO. Want to know WHY?
66. Get to the bottom of : SOLVE.
67. Weaken : SAG.
68. Powerful team : OXEN.
Down:
1. Like some chickens : WIMPISH. People not farm animals. Tricky 3.
3. Split and flattened, as shrimp : FANTAIL. Want to know HOW?
4. Personnel providing CPR : EMTS. Emergency medical technicians
5. Olympic venue : ARENA.
7. Vonage, for one : TELECOM. Better answer than Phone Co.
8. Osmium or rhodium : METAL.
9. English cathedral city : ELY. I am sure Steve can tell you all about this PLACE.
10. Actress Campbell of TV's "Martin" : TISHA. Need a pic?
11. Rank : ECHELON. Really fun word, but not my first or second thought.
12. Igneous rock on which the Code of Hammurabi is inscribed : DIORITE. Like Sheldon, I know no GEOLOGY.
16. Brief statement, by necessity : TWEET. I do not tweet and based on their stock performance I am not alone.
18. Grave statement, briefly? : RIP. Funny? Rest In Peace. Tricky 4.
19. The Donald's first ex : IVANA. How cool she is next to...need a pic?
25. Questionnaire datum : SEX. In taking the PSAT a classmate answered, "I wish!"
28. Rembrandt van __ : RIJN. Need a pic?
32. Fiver : FIN. Old timey slang like sawbuck.
33. "Who, me?" : AM I? Not sure I understand completely...
34. Furry youngster : CUB. Maybe.
35. Gp. for GPs : HMO. Health Maintenance Organization.
36. Apple product : iPAD.
39. Eccentric types : WEIRDOS. Who does not love a puzzle with wimps and weirdos.
40. Undetermined : IN LIMBO.
41. Liszt's instrument : PIANO. Want to LISZTEN? (9:46).
42. Some games have multiple ones : ENDINGS. Are we talking marriage here?
43. Neptune, e.g. : GOD. Semi-clecho 62D. Neptune's realm : SEA.
44. Toll, basically : ROAD TAX. They put tolls on the Florida Turnpike to pay for the construction, now 50 years later they are just taxing drivers, especially all you lovely tourists.
45. Take a dim view of : DISLIKE.
46. Doesn't quit : STAYS ON. After the merger....
47. Synonym eponym : ROGET. Really cute clue.
51. Wire holder : SPOOL.
52. Monument Valley sight : BUTTE. Not a shout out to dear Montana, but to the formation on the Utah-Arizona border. LINK.
53. Short : OWING. I was short on my rent, not just vertically challenged.
54. Original boss of Sara and Nick on "CSI" : GIL Grissom. need a pic?
59. Long ride? : LIMO. Tricky 5.
61. Four-day weekend time, for many: Abbr. : NOV. Thanksgiving.
As with all of Mr. Wechsler's puzzles there were lots of fun clue/fill combinations and just enough spice to name it a Friday. I want to wish all a very Happy Mother's Day and off to golf in a charity tournament. Lemonade out.
