Mark Feldman returns to the LAT for his 10th puzzle and first since 2014. He also has 11 NYTs published but has been away there also. Mark gives us a classic puzzle to make you laugh taking two word phrases and reversing their beginnings to be clued with wit. If you are unfamiliar with Spoonerism, wiki says it is an error in speech or deliberate play on words in which corresponding consonants, vowels, or morphemes are switched (see metathesis) between two words in a phrase. An example is saying "The Lord is a shoving leopard" instead of "The Lord is a loving shepherd." In addition to laughs, Mark includes OCTAVOS, SKI POLE, LITHELY, PLIABLE, ICE BAGS, DISCERN, LIPSYNC, TORTILLAS and NEED A HAND as sparkly fill.
17A. Politically active fowl? : TRUMP DUCK (9). Dump Truck. Made me think of Donald Duck, but we make no political comments.
28A. Clever insect? : CUNNING ROACH (12). Running Coach. Made me thing of my old linguistics teacher but we make no obscene comments.
45A. Embarrassed avian? : BLUSHING CROW (12). Crushing blow. Made me think of Jon Snow, but he is everywhere these days.
59A. Street-wise amphibian? : ROUGH TOAD (9). Tough Road. Made me think of wild ride but on with the show.
And the reveal,
66A. Oxford don associated with slips similar to 17-, 28-, 45-, and 59-Across : SPOONER. The MAN.
Across:
1. Books in which each sheet of paper is folded into eight leaves : OCTAVOS. Latin for 8.
8. Factions : SECTS.
13. See 2-Down : TORTILLAS. 2D. With 13-Across, Mexican restaurant choices : CORN. When I was young and first exposed to Mexican food in New England, corn tortillas were the only choice. They were crunchy and messy- great for a kid.
16. Not likely to miss much : ALERT.
18. Eyelashes : CILIA. The Latin plural of cilium- 1. the eyelids or eyelashes.
2. small, hairlike processes projecting from epithelial cells on the outer surfaces of some cells, aiding metabolism by producing motion, eddies, or current in a fluid. In the lung, cilia wave mucus, pus, and dust upward. In the Fallopian Tube, they are an integral part of getting pregnant.
19. "A Chorus Line" number : ONE. The Finale.
20. Goddess with a throne headdress : ISIS.
23. Flair : ELAN.
26. Easily bent : PLIABLE. My latest mental picture...
32. Comfortable with : USED TO.
33. Dresden's river : ELBE.
34. Takes in : HAS.
37. Big hit : SMASH. Broadway.
38. Subside, with "down" : DIE.
39. Doozy : BEAUT.
41. Loan fig. : PCT. Percent.
42. "The Little Mermaid" prince : ERIC.
The Story
44. The kiwi is the smallest one : RATITE. Any of the mostly large birds with a flat breastbone without a keel, therefore unable to fly, i.e., the ostrich, rhea, emu, cassowary, and kiwi, together with the extinct moa and elephant bird.
47. Fake it, in a way : LIPSYNC. I really like seeing this Friday worthy fill.
50. Pageant accessory : SASH. I have had this and Obi very often this year.
51. Sandy's home : UTAH. I had/have no idea; there is a Sandy City Utah? Not the dog....
52. Puts in place : SETS. Like a dinner table.
54. Achievement of many a CEO : MBA.
63. Birch of "American Beauty" : THORA. Birch was born in Los Angeles, the eldest child of Jack Birch and Carol Connors. Her parents, who have been her business managers throughout her acting career, are former adult film actors; both appeared in the film Deep Throat.
64. Require help : NEED A HAND.
65. Slender woman : SYLPH. Another wonderful word. One would move 24D. In a supple manner : LITHELY. Which is related to pliable; a mini-theme?
Down:
1. Anne Frank's father : OTTO. Somehow I remembered his NAME.
3. Loyal : TRUE. Be true to your love.
4. 20s dispenser : ATM.
5. Bigwig : VIP.
6. Dated : OLD.
7. Swinging about : SLUING. Not high on my list: verb (used with object), slued, sluing. 1. to turn (a mast or other spar) around on its own axis, or without removing it from its place. 2.to swing around.
verb (used without object), slued, sluing. 3. to turn about; swing around.
8. __ fly: productive MLB out : SACrifice.
9. Hebrew prophet : ELIJAH. A most important PROPHET.
10. Star : CELEB.
11. Operatic vocal effect : TRILL. When he retired in 2012, Bass Paul Plishka said, he could not do it any more. "The trill is gone."
12. Dated : STALE. Liker some humor!
14. Coolers, briefly : ACS.
15. Balancing aid on the slopes : SKI POLE. They never helped me to balance, but I was never a great skier like marti.
21. Piece at the butcher shop : SLAB. The sound is almost enough to make one a vegetarian.
23. Goals : ENDS.
25. Mayo is in it : ANO. The old Spanish pun- May is a month in the Year.
27. Swell applications : ICE BAGS. Swell literally, not like Archie.
28. Edge : CUSP.
29. Letters at N.C.'s Camp Lejeune : USMC.
30. Drink order : NEAT. Tinbeni CSO!
31. Clinton's first Labor secretary : REICH. A very interesting MAN, only 4'11."
34. Locks often gray : HAIR.
35. Aries or Taurus : AUTO.The K Car is long gone, but Ford Taurus is back.
36. Brood : STEW.
38. Make out : DISCERN. Simple, but took me a very long time to discern.
40. Make an impression : ETCH. Again, deception with a literal clue.
43. Hose problems : RUNS. Yes, White Sox cannot get enough runs this year, unlike their Boston counterparts. LINK. Or for Splynter
44. Stranded messenger : RNA.
45. C equivalent : B SHARP. I let those who speak music explain, I cannot.
46. Time units : ISSUES. The magazine, silly.
47. Hungers (for) : LUSTS.
48. Raring to go : ITCHY.
49. Given orally, as evidence : PAROL.
53. Golf club part : TOE.
54. Complain : MOAN. Stop your moaning and groaning; I guess more appropriate than any other definition. I have an acquaintance who made a living moaning for porn movies.
55. Thorn in one's side : BANE.
56. Dely. destination : ADDRess.
58. Half a tuba sound : PAH. really, isn't it 1/3- oom pah pah?
60. Econ. yardstick : GDP. D or N? Domestic or national.
61. One-tenth of a Vietnamese dong, formerly : HAO. A very obscure clue, even with the formerly hint. A Vietnamese currency previously issued by the Vietnam National Bank. The hao, or hào, is one-tenth of a Vietnamese dong and can be subdivided into 10 xu. Neither the xu or the hao are currently in use in Vietnam.
62. E'en if : THO.
A slightly abridged version as I recover from a summer cold. Which is great because all of you can practice making comments on what I left out and linking all kinds of exciting stuff. Welcome back Mark and enjoy September; Lemonade out.
