Title: Oh U! Where did U go now?
Rich really is making my life easy with JW and Bruce dominating the Friday landscape. They have many stylistic similarities which makes sussing the theme easy. The first themer jumped out at me, I saw the gimmick of removing the letter "U" to create a new fill with a witty clue. JW has put together a consistent theme with each two word fill having a second word which is a five letters with the "U" in the middle that is removed (missing). That took extra effort. We on the other hand get a bonus Friday reveal. We have lots of foreign languages, multi-word fill and Friday trickery. All in all, a good time. We have some very sparkly fill: CARHOPS, AREOLAE, A TAD OFF, ARM BONE, BEVELED, BOASTED, CASUAL SMILE and GET A SHOT OFF. (Were you put off by the two offs?)
17A. Fishing spot for vacationing Londoners? : BRITISH POUND (11). What is the difference between a Pond and a Lake?
20A. Legwear for air travelers? : BOARDING HOUSE (12). Like this imagery...Splynter, ok?
54A. 007 returning from assignment? : HOMEWARD BO
60A. Vacant look? : STERILE GA
And the centrally placed grid-spanning reveal...
39A. Retirement party remark ... or a homophonic hint to four long Across answers : YOU WILL BE MISSED (15).
1. Sonic employees : CARHOPS.
8. Shrinking section at Barnes & Noble : CDS. I have not bought one in years.
11. Bit of wit : GAG. Palindrome.
14. Anatomical rings in irises : AREOLAE. I cannot find our seminal picture that C.C. links. Latin.
15. Earth-moving tool : HOE. No Don Imus humor here, please; especially not next to Areolae and...
16. Reproductive cells : OVA. Latin.
19. Upset, with "over" : TIP. Think apple cart...verb not adjective.
22. Ruff stuff : LACE. Think ruffle..
New Old
25. Lacking : FREE OF.
26. Not quite right : A TAD OFF.
30. Until now : SO FAR.
33. P replacers, in some lineups : DHS. This clue is just a tad off, as the Designated Hitter only replaces the Pitcher in the batting order, not the lineup. But then again the lineup is the batting order. I have successfully confused myself.
34. Woman's name meaning "white" : BIANCA. Shakespeare anyone?
"I am no strumpet; but of life as honest
As you that thus abuse me."
38. Smooth, perhaps : PAVE.
42. Epps of "House" : OMAR.
43. Computer conveniences : MACROS. We use word perfect for legal docs and macros are a necessity.
44. [That's kinda funny] : HEH. Heh...
45. Sylvester's genus : FELIS. Latin: Felis catus.
47. Radius, e.g. : ARMBONE. A subtle shout out to me, as that is the bone which has the oblique fracture.
49. "The Great Escape" setting : STALAG. A classic movie, which inspired the music and perhaps Hogan's Heroes. POW camp. German short for Kriegsgefangenen-Mannschafts-Stammlager.
59. "... __ quit!" : OR I!
64. Toondom's Phineas, to Ferb : PAL. I never have seen this SHOW.
65. Strauss' "__ Heldenleben" : EIN. Strauss was also a very famous conductor, but he does not seem very happy.
67. Dodge City-to-Topeka dir. : ENE.
68. Mining supply : TNT. Explosive idea.
69. Talked big : BOASTED.
Down:
1. Waiter at a stand : CAB. Trickeration.
2. LAX stat : ARRival.
3. Bonn : König :: Lisbon : __ : REI. German : Portugese: KING
4. Place of rapid growth : HOTBED.
5. Miscellany : OLIO. The word of the Corner. And, 57D. Muffin go-with : OLEO.
6. "¿Qué __?" : PASA. Spanish.
7. Very, in Vienna : SEHR. I grew up hearing, "sehr gut."
8. "Carmina Burana" performers : CHOIR.
9. "It tolls for thee" poet : DONNE. To CA and all of you...
No man is an island,
Entire of itself.
Each is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less.
As well as if a promontory were.
As well as if a manor of thine own
Or of thine friend's were.
Each man's death diminishes me,
For I am involved in mankind.
Therefore, send not to know
For whom the bell tolls,
It tolls for thee.
10. Wetlands grasses : SEDGES.
11. Beat the buzzer, say : GOT OFF A SHOT. JW loves his multi-word fill. And basketball? 21D. Court action : HOOPS.
13. Show wonder : GAPE.
18. Email attachment : PDF. While we create in word perfect, we send out Portable Document Format.
22. After "Our" and with 54-Down, title for the Virgin Mary based on an 1871 apparition : LADY OF. 54D. See 22-Down : HOPE. Between the politics and the religion this is a hard one to blog. LINK.
23. Where many strikes are called : AT HOME. Baseball.
24. Subtle come-on, perhaps : CASUAL SMILE. Like below.
28. Thin coating : FILM.
29. WWII White House dog : FALA. FDR's dog.
31. Johnson & Johnson brand : AVEENO. They make nice products but the name reminds me of the haunting Hebrew prayer, "Our Father, Our King."
32. Hard-working "little" folk tale critter : RED HEN. A LINK for all of our teachers.
35. "30 Rock" network : NBC.
36. Michael of "Arrested Development" : CERA. A very busy career, I loved JUNO and SUPERBAD.
37. __ vincit omnia : AMOR. If you know Latin, then you know love conquers all. 50D. Forum language : LATIN.
40. Work on a novel : WRITE. Sounds like fun....
41. System of thought : ISM.
46. Carpenter's array : SAW SET. I was not impressed with this fill until after I was done. I checked and found 492 million links! I will those let who can, explain it all.
51. "__ you done yet?" : AREN'T.
52. E. Berlin's land : GDR. German Democratic Republic.
55. African city on the Mediterranean : ORAN. In Algeria and more geography I do not know.
56. Romaine relative : BIBB. Lettuce pray, or is that religion.
58. St. Petersburg's river : NEVA. New to me. READ?
61. Space bar neighbor : ALT.
62. What's found in central Arizona? : ZEE.
63. Byrnes of '50s-'60s TV : EDD. An early TV heart throb.
NowSpeaking of now, it is time for me to post and await your pleasure. Thanks again for the show Jeffrey, and thank you all for watching. Lemonade out.
