My Friday foil is back with an add a word edition that leaves us laughing. First, I had a blast working with Jeffrey in creating the Mel Brooks tribute puzzle. Mel certainly is one who can elicit much laugh-out-loud response. JW also has been concentrating on light-hearted themes, puns and and a good time had by all. I am getting very used to his style, his use of multiple word fill and his sense of humor. With 67 squares in the theme, and with three grid-spanners there are not many long sparkly fill, but he does squeeze in AVALANCHE, WEB FOOTED, THREE PUTT, and BALD EAGLE.
17A. Convent seamstress' workshop items? : HABITS AND PIECES (15). I grew up near a convent and watched many nuns march on my street. They wore the full habit.
24A. Enlightened kid? : BILLY BUDDHA (11). How cool is it that Monday's puzzle made this fill so much easier. This is my favorite theme fill--Billy Buddha...classic.
36A. Bichon Frise pack leaders? : THE FRENCH ALPHAS (15). A CSO to our now busy and hopefully rich marti who loves skiing the Alps.
48A. Sandwich in the desert? : SAHARAN WRAP (11). This seems the least inventive and most obvious pun, but perhaps the seed entry.
And the hint..(not a reveal)
57A. Request for relief, and a hint to the formation of this puzzle's four other longest answers :
I COULD USE A LAUGH (15). JW seems intent on making us laugh while we cry over some of the tougher clues.
Across:
1. It reportedly had an impact on beachgoers in 1975 : JAWS. But they forgot...
5. Pyle player : NABORS. The slackjaw picture link recently also made this easy. Raymond Burr's other half.
11. Seventh of 24 : ETA. I remembered that the greek alphabet had 24 letters.
14. Finished : OVER.
15. Got away from : EVADED.
16. Rented : LET. There were signs, room to let when I was child.
20. Viet Cong org. : NLF. National Liberation Front.
21. Zagros Mountains locale : ASIA. In Iran, a fact which I did not know, but the perps made it an easy guess.
22. Period in ads : NITE. A made-up word.
23. __ Paulo : SAO. Part of the 2016 Olympic controversy where Brazil will host 28 Olympic sports — including rugby sevens and golf, which were added by the International Olympic Committee in 2009. These sporting events will take place at 33 venues in the host city of Rio and at 5 venues in the cities of São Paulo (Brazil's largest city), Belo Horizonte, Salvador, Brasília (Brazil's capital), and Manaus. Wiki. Also, 60D. Braz. neighbor : URUguay. Uruguay is ranked first in Latin America in democracy, peace, lack of corruption, e-government,and is first in South America when it comes to press freedom, size of the middle class and prosperity. Wiki.
28. Rodeo loops, essentially : NOOSES. How macabre.
30. Cranial projections : EARS. So soon after C.C. and Tony's puzzle.
31. Deca- minus two : OCTA. This should be "minus duo."
32. Goya subject : MAJA. She is back with or without her clothes. And 26D. Gulf of California peninsula : BAJA.
33. Not yet on the sched. : TBA. To Be Announced.
41. Resting place : BED. This was so obvious that it was hard.
42. Laudatory lines : ODES.
43. 1968 self-titled folk album : ARLO. I get him often, and I never tire of complaining about his performance at Woodstock.
44. Hindu sovereign : RANI. And, 4D. Indian honorific : SRI. There was much I did not know about this WORD.
45. Called : PHONED. Home?
52. Thom McAn spec : EEE.
54. Obstruct : CLOG. Another shoe clue?
55. Suffix for those who are flush : AIRE. Flush with money, honey, Billion....
56. To the point : PAT. Another Friday I do not completely get; maybe from the definition like in a pat answer..." having been already prepared and therefore said without thinking much about the question."Dictionary.
62. Alley end? : OOP. Hyphenated in the dictionary and the mini-theme of my write up.
63. Spanning : ACROSS. Sneaky crossword clue/fill.
64. WWII Normandy battle site : ST. LO.
65. "Life Is Good" rapper : NAS. A crossword regular.
66. Weakens : BLUNTS. Definition: 2. To make less effective; weaken: blunting the criticism with a smile. v.intr.
67. Historical Cheyenne rivals : UTES. Native American Tribes.
Down:
1. St. __ University : JOHNS. I know them from Big East basketball.
2. Dramatic influx, as of fan mail : AVALANCHE. A very convoluted clue.
3. Ducky? : WEBFOOTED. A very literal clue.
5. Mysterious monster, familiarly : NESSIE. Do you Loch these monsters?
6. Fulfills a need : AVAILS.
7. Everyday : BANAL. Followed by...
8. Not everyday : ODD.
9. Commission recipient, often : REPresentative. Generally a sales rep.
10. Deterrent announced in 1983: Abbr. : SDI. Strategic Defense Initiative.
11. Legendary Castilian hero : EL CID. I remembered the name from the Movie.
12. Effectiveness : TEETH. It is time they put some teeth into the helmet-to-helmet rule.
13. Bamboozled : AT SEA.
18. File extensions : TABS.
19. Loose __ : ENDS.
25. "Okey-doke" : YEAH.
27. River through Orsk : URAL. Twice this week.
29. Stumblebum : OAF.
31. Nev. option for pony players : OTB. They shut down in New York, but are still out in the MECCA for gamblers.
32. Podium VIPs : MCS. Emcees, or Master of Ceremonies.
33. Green disappointment : THREE PUTT. When Stenson three-putted the first green for bogey on Sunday, I thought that the pressure was going to get to him and Phil (who birdied) was going to get his second Claret Jug.
34. Image on cabbage? : BALD EAGLE. So many terms for MONEY.
35. Japan's largest active volcano : ASO. I really am not up on my knowledge of VOLCANOES.
37. Stormy ocean output : ROAR.
38. __ Valley: San Luis Obispo County wine region : EDNA. Nope, means nothing to me. CHAIRMAN?
39. Freudian denial : NEIN.
40. Legendary man-goat : PAN.
44. Old World Style sauce brand : RAGU. A cute old one. LINK.
45. Vivaldi was ordained as one : PRIEST. Ordained kinda gives it away, but who knew? A puzzle with nuns and priests...How many of you recall that Vivaldi was known as "il Prete Rosso," or "the Red Priest?" LINK.
46. Beset : HARASS.
47. Berliner's wheels, perhaps : OPEL. A German car.
48. Descendant : SCION. Also an automobile.
49. Heavy hitter in the light metals industry : ALCOA. Aluminum Company of America,
50. Court activity : HOOPS. Basketball...
51. Aired, as a sitcom : WAS ON. Endeavour which is set in the 60's, was on Sunday nights.
53. Value system : ETHOS.
58. Black __ : LAB. My son's dog is half black lab, half boxer. He is a big sweetie.
59. CXXX quintupled : DCL.
61. Sun Devils' sch. : ASU. Arizona State University,
I can't believe it is all over so soon. Welcome home Jeffrey after your foray into other days of the week. Also welcome to summer all; it is quite steamy here is So. Fla. Come visit. Lemonade out.
