Theme: Crack the Code - The first word of each theme entry can be 'cracked'.
17A. Chinese course in a bowl : EGG DROP SOUP. Food! Chicken broth, beaten eggs, pepper for seasoning, scallions to garnish.
25A. Reason to skip the Skippy : NUT ALLERGY. More food! I prefer Laura Scudder's Crunchy peanut butter. I put Marmite on mine, not jelly.
35A. Classic cop show catchphrase : BOOK 'EM DANNO. Lt. McGarret's closing line on many a "Hawaii 5-0" episode.
49A. Browse on Madison Avenue, say : WINDOW SHOP. Oddly, I don't associate Madison Avenue with retail stores. I'd be on Fifth Avenue.
and the reveal:
56A. Begin working, and a hint to the starts of 17-, 25-, 35- and 49-Across : GET CRACKING
Steve here and yay! for another blogger-constructor puzzle today from Marti. A neat theme, some freshness in both the theme entries and the fill and enough misdirection in the cluing for a solid Wednesday. Let's look at the rest.
Across:
1. Source of fine wool : ALPACA. I waded straight in with MERINO and then had to wade back and towel off.
7. Flotation device : VEST
11. 24-hr. banking service : ATM. When my bank in England installed their first ATM way back when, they put it inside the building which rather defeated the purpose. In those days the bank opened at 10AM and closed at 3PM. The tellers would take their lunch break at the same time as the rest of us, so they had half the staff available at the busiest time of day. Brilliant.
14. Thingamabob : DOODAD
15. "__ the Woods" : INTO. Meryl Streep garnered an Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination for her performance in the 2014 movie adaptation.
16. La Mancha Mrs. : SRA. Spanish Señora
19. Elton John's title : SIR
20. "Vive __!" : LE ROI. Literally "Live the King!" Seems odd that the French don't need a "Long" first.
21. Milk source : TEAT
22. Assuage : EASE
29. Plastered : LIT
30. Believer's suffix : -IST. As cruciverbalists, we believe in Marti and the other constructors to produce great puzzles.
31. One working in a studio : PAINTER
32. Like a ballerina : FLUID
34. 38th-parallel land : KOREA. One half is most definitely not like the other.
39. Enjoys a bistro, with "out" : DINES
40. Set of moral precepts : ETHIC. I didn't know this referred to a plurality of precepts.
43. Hanukkah toy : DREIDEL
46. Expected : DUE
48. "Don't think so" : NAH
51. Excellent : A-ONE
52. Tequila sunrise direction : ESTE. On my 18th Birthday, my friends took me out and forced a rather astonishing number of Tequila Sunrises into me. I had absolutely no idea which way the sun came up the next day.
53. Siouan speakers : IOWAS
55. Director Ang : LEE
62. P.O. delivery : LTR. My Post Office now delivers packages on Sunday. No letters though.
63. Without restraint : AMOK
64. Serengeti heavyweights : RHINOS. Heavy indeed - white rhinos can grow to more than 5,000lbs.
65. Help-wanted sign? : S.O.S.
66. Word on some family business signs : SONS. Let's have some music from Mumford and Sons
67. "Gracias" reply : DE NADA
Down:
1. Fruity drink : ADE
2. Fuel for the fire : LOG
3. Faddish '90s disc : POG. The name comes from POG (Passionfruit, Orange, Guava) bottle-caps originally used to play the game in Hawaii. I wonder if the 5-0 guys played between "book 'em" action.
4. Confuse : ADDLE
5. Part of TLC : CARE, of the Tender, Loving kind.
6. Festoons : ADORNS
7. Call on : VISIT
8. "Small Craft on a Milk Sea" musician : ENO
9. "The Simpsons" disco guy : STU
10. Tank or tee : TOP
11. Claim with conviction : ASSERT
12. Emergency priority system : TRIAGE
13. Saint Agnes, e.g. : MARTYR. The story isn't pretty. I'll spare you the details.
18. Sulk : POUT
21. One living in a studio : TENANT. Can't you buy your own studio?
22. Keebler spokesman : ELF. I had no idea - crosses all the way for me. At least it wasn't a long way.
23. Feel poorly : AIL
24. Bump, as a toe : STUB. Can you stub your finger? I once stubbed my index toe so hard while wearing flip-flops in a darkened medieval church in the Canary Islands that I cracked the bone. I don't think my language was church-appropriate.
26. Like two peas in __ : A POD
27. Croft of video games : LARA
28. Holder of a collateral loan : LIENEE. Wow, never heard this before.
30. Enthusiastic yes : I DO I DO
33. Table salt additive : IODIDE I OD I DE? I was still chuckling about LOG/POG and came across this pair with 30A that me laugh out loud. I'm easily amused.
34. Irish rd. sign abbreviations : KMS. Irish Miss - when did the change happen? I had no idea the Emerald Isle was now metric - can you still get a pint? It's still a long way to Tipperary, but it sounds longer in kilometers.
36. "... Yorick! I __ him, Horatio" : KNEW. Alas, poor chap.
37. Slippery ones : EELS
38. "That's terrible!" : OH NO
41. "Atonement" novelist McEwan : IAN. An immensely-talented writer.
42. Ally of Fidel : CHE
43. Lives : DWELLS
44. Meet, as a challenge : RISE TO
45. Signs up for : ENTERS, as in a competition
46. Bouncer's post : DOOR
47. __ mobility : UPWARD
50. Sticks figures : HICKS. AKA Goonies from the Boonies?
51. Invite for a nightcap, say : ASK IN. A "nightcap"? Yeah, right ....
54. Throb : ACHE
56. Fun time : GAS. As in "Jumpin' Jack Flash". Let's have ourselves some Keef and Mick.
57. Punk rock subgenre : EMO. I linked Green Day the last time this came up. I've used up my music links for the day.
58. Exaggerated homework amount : TON
59. "Barefoot Contessa" host Garten : INA. More Food!-related content, she of Food Network fame.
60. Agree quietly : NOD
61. Govt. procurement agency : G.S.A. The jolly General Services Administration.
Here's the grid and stick a fork in me, I'm done!
Steve
17A. Chinese course in a bowl : EGG DROP SOUP. Food! Chicken broth, beaten eggs, pepper for seasoning, scallions to garnish.
25A. Reason to skip the Skippy : NUT ALLERGY. More food! I prefer Laura Scudder's Crunchy peanut butter. I put Marmite on mine, not jelly.
35A. Classic cop show catchphrase : BOOK 'EM DANNO. Lt. McGarret's closing line on many a "Hawaii 5-0" episode.
49A. Browse on Madison Avenue, say : WINDOW SHOP. Oddly, I don't associate Madison Avenue with retail stores. I'd be on Fifth Avenue.
and the reveal:
56A. Begin working, and a hint to the starts of 17-, 25-, 35- and 49-Across : GET CRACKING
Steve here and yay! for another blogger-constructor puzzle today from Marti. A neat theme, some freshness in both the theme entries and the fill and enough misdirection in the cluing for a solid Wednesday. Let's look at the rest.
Across:
1. Source of fine wool : ALPACA. I waded straight in with MERINO and then had to wade back and towel off.
7. Flotation device : VEST
11. 24-hr. banking service : ATM. When my bank in England installed their first ATM way back when, they put it inside the building which rather defeated the purpose. In those days the bank opened at 10AM and closed at 3PM. The tellers would take their lunch break at the same time as the rest of us, so they had half the staff available at the busiest time of day. Brilliant.
14. Thingamabob : DOODAD
15. "__ the Woods" : INTO. Meryl Streep garnered an Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination for her performance in the 2014 movie adaptation.
16. La Mancha Mrs. : SRA. Spanish Señora
19. Elton John's title : SIR
20. "Vive __!" : LE ROI. Literally "Live the King!" Seems odd that the French don't need a "Long" first.
21. Milk source : TEAT
22. Assuage : EASE
29. Plastered : LIT
30. Believer's suffix : -IST. As cruciverbalists, we believe in Marti and the other constructors to produce great puzzles.
31. One working in a studio : PAINTER
32. Like a ballerina : FLUID
34. 38th-parallel land : KOREA. One half is most definitely not like the other.
39. Enjoys a bistro, with "out" : DINES
40. Set of moral precepts : ETHIC. I didn't know this referred to a plurality of precepts.
43. Hanukkah toy : DREIDEL
46. Expected : DUE
48. "Don't think so" : NAH
51. Excellent : A-ONE
52. Tequila sunrise direction : ESTE. On my 18th Birthday, my friends took me out and forced a rather astonishing number of Tequila Sunrises into me. I had absolutely no idea which way the sun came up the next day.
53. Siouan speakers : IOWAS
55. Director Ang : LEE
62. P.O. delivery : LTR. My Post Office now delivers packages on Sunday. No letters though.
63. Without restraint : AMOK
64. Serengeti heavyweights : RHINOS. Heavy indeed - white rhinos can grow to more than 5,000lbs.
65. Help-wanted sign? : S.O.S.
66. Word on some family business signs : SONS. Let's have some music from Mumford and Sons
67. "Gracias" reply : DE NADA
Down:
1. Fruity drink : ADE
2. Fuel for the fire : LOG
3. Faddish '90s disc : POG. The name comes from POG (Passionfruit, Orange, Guava) bottle-caps originally used to play the game in Hawaii. I wonder if the 5-0 guys played between "book 'em" action.
4. Confuse : ADDLE
5. Part of TLC : CARE, of the Tender, Loving kind.
6. Festoons : ADORNS
7. Call on : VISIT
8. "Small Craft on a Milk Sea" musician : ENO
9. "The Simpsons" disco guy : STU
10. Tank or tee : TOP
11. Claim with conviction : ASSERT
12. Emergency priority system : TRIAGE
13. Saint Agnes, e.g. : MARTYR. The story isn't pretty. I'll spare you the details.
18. Sulk : POUT
21. One living in a studio : TENANT. Can't you buy your own studio?
22. Keebler spokesman : ELF. I had no idea - crosses all the way for me. At least it wasn't a long way.
23. Feel poorly : AIL
24. Bump, as a toe : STUB. Can you stub your finger? I once stubbed my index toe so hard while wearing flip-flops in a darkened medieval church in the Canary Islands that I cracked the bone. I don't think my language was church-appropriate.
26. Like two peas in __ : A POD
27. Croft of video games : LARA
28. Holder of a collateral loan : LIENEE. Wow, never heard this before.
30. Enthusiastic yes : I DO I DO
33. Table salt additive : IODIDE I OD I DE? I was still chuckling about LOG/POG and came across this pair with 30A that me laugh out loud. I'm easily amused.
34. Irish rd. sign abbreviations : KMS. Irish Miss - when did the change happen? I had no idea the Emerald Isle was now metric - can you still get a pint? It's still a long way to Tipperary, but it sounds longer in kilometers.
36. "... Yorick! I __ him, Horatio" : KNEW. Alas, poor chap.
37. Slippery ones : EELS
38. "That's terrible!" : OH NO
41. "Atonement" novelist McEwan : IAN. An immensely-talented writer.
42. Ally of Fidel : CHE
43. Lives : DWELLS
44. Meet, as a challenge : RISE TO
45. Signs up for : ENTERS, as in a competition
46. Bouncer's post : DOOR
47. __ mobility : UPWARD
50. Sticks figures : HICKS. AKA Goonies from the Boonies?
51. Invite for a nightcap, say : ASK IN. A "nightcap"? Yeah, right ....
54. Throb : ACHE
56. Fun time : GAS. As in "Jumpin' Jack Flash". Let's have ourselves some Keef and Mick.
57. Punk rock subgenre : EMO. I linked Green Day the last time this came up. I've used up my music links for the day.
58. Exaggerated homework amount : TON
59. "Barefoot Contessa" host Garten : INA. More Food!-related content, she of Food Network fame.
60. Agree quietly : NOD
61. Govt. procurement agency : G.S.A. The jolly General Services Administration.
Here's the grid and stick a fork in me, I'm done!
Steve
