The ever prolific Gail G. is back with a letter substitution puzzle with an added twist. Two word phrases beginning PO become words which start LO. Limiting her word choice to LO made this a wonderful challenge. How many could come up with 4 such phrases. Looking at a list with 1800 words which begin PO, I could not anything appealing aside from the 4 she chose. It ended up as a very straight forward solve working from corner to corner. Getting the theme early helped. Mileage may vary so let take a stroll together. No standout words but not any clunkers or cheater squares.
17A. "Don't waste your money on that pendant"? : LOCKET VETO (10). Pocket veto, It makes sene but i do not see it a real phrase.
23A. Spinner in a numbers game? : LOTTERY WHEEL (12). Pottery Wheel. Lottery wheel does seem more realistic.
51A. Hammock? : LOLLING PLACE (12). Polling Place. Yes this works too.
64A. Pruning ideology? : LOP CULTURE (10). Pop culture. A stretch.
And the reveal?
71A. Sport that hints at this puzzle's theme : POLO. Now you see it?
Across;
1. Bird that's a national symbol : KIWI. If you ever wondered WHY?
5. "Chasing Pavements" singer : ADELE.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwTMyjTNBM8
10. Party time, casually : B-DAY. Do you all have parties on your birthday?
14. Eddie __, detective involved in the actual "French Connection" : EGAN. Played by Gene Hackman in the movie.
15. Spring bloomer : TULIP.
16. Former constellation that included Vela (the sails) : ARGO. For all you stargazer. LINK.
19. Insulated cable : CORD.
20. Thorough investigation : PROBE.\ Is this real SCIENCE?
21. Opposite of bumpy : EVEN.
22. Pants part : KNEE.
26. Elaborate in design : ROCOCO. How many of you have listened to Firesign Theater's the adventures of Nick Danger and the evil Rocky Rococo?
29. It's heard in a herd : MOO. Cute clue
30. Online service option : CHAT.
31. Daring exploit : GEST. I ususaly see it with the spelling GESTE like Beau Geste..
35. One eschewing leather, perhaps : VEGAN. Love the esCHEWing got a vegan clue.
39. Satisfied sounds : AHS.
40. Pub pick : PALE ALE. IPA more likely.
42. Presidential nickname : ABE.
43. Long bout : SIEGE. a sudden experiencing of a physical or mental disorder
Synonyms access, bout, case, fit, seizure, attack, spell, turn
45. Start of something big? : MAXI. Nicely phrased though for some reason it may think of maxipad.
46. Quiets, in a way : OILS. Ahh, the squeaky part
47. Quirky : ODD.
49. Hills of Rome, e.g. : SEPTET. Seven: The seven hills are:
Aventine Hill (Latin, Aventinus; Italian, Aventino)
Caelian Hill (Cælius, Celio)
Capitoline Hill (Capitolinus, Campidoglio)
Esquiline Hill (Esquilinus, Esquilino)
Palatine Hill (Palatinus, Palatino)
Quirinal Hill (Quirinalis, Quirinale)
Viminal Hill (Viminalis, Viminale)
57. Beginning : AS OF.
58. Square figure : AREA. Cute again.
59. Early or late hr., depending : ONE A.M.
63. Go on : LAST.
66. Pulitzer-winning author James : AGEE. A regular here famous for The African Queen (1951) screen play and The Night of the Hunter (1955). Agee died in New York City on May 16, 1955. Three years later, in 1958, he was posthumously awarded a Pulitzer Prize for his novel A Death in the Family.
67. Sure-footed critters : ASSES.
68. Composer Khachaturian : ARAM. And now for a musical interlude---doe the music sound familiar?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqg3l3r_DRI LINK
69. "What __ you thinking?" : WERE.
70. Not a hit, usually : B-SIDE.
Down:
1. Vegetation in underwater forests : KELP. The Beatles used this as their anthem when they became vegan. I bet the readers here could do better than THIS.
2. Aviation pioneer Sikorsky : IGOR. He moved to Connecticut and I had the pleasure of meeting him at my uncles house.
3. Chisholm Trail city : WACO.
4. Test pattern : INKBLOT. Another well clued fill.
5. U-verse provider : ATT.
6. Comforter : DUVET. French for DOWN.
7. Sorbonne student : ELEVE. French for student.
8. Large soda bottle label word : LITER. As in 2 or 3 liter size.
9. Henry Ford, e.g. : EPONYM. A fun word:a person after whom a discovery, invention, place, etc., is named or thought to be named: name or noun formed after a person.
10. Excavating aid : BACKHOE.Glad we had the lesson a few weeks ago.
11. Hive member : DRONE.
12. Think alike : AGREE.
13. Mountain air : YODEL. a fun LINK.
18. Fair-hiring agcy. : EEOC.
24. Draped garment : TOGA. Does everyone think of Animal House or the wonderful HBO series ROME, or PBS I, Claudius all well worth watching. You might have know all seven hills.
25. Zigzagged : WOVE.
26. Some TVs : RCAS.
27. Offhand greeting : OH HI.
28. Discounted buy : CASE. I guess he is referring to bulk buying,
32. Split-resistant wood : ELM. Elm wood is valued for its interlocking grain, and consequent resistance to splitting, with significant uses in wagon wheel hubs, chair seats and coffins. The bodies of Japanese Taiko drums are often cut from the wood of old elm trees, as the wood's resistance to splitting is highly desired for nailing the skins to them, and a set of three or more is often cut from the same tree. Wiki. Oo and I watched the drummers live, they are awesome.
33. See 61-Down : SEA. 61D, With 33-Down, part of it is now a desert : ARAL.
34. Stress : TAX. Don't tax yourself.
36. Trot, say : GAIT.
37. Skilled : ABLE.
38. Source of tweets : NEST.
40. Beginning to cure? : PEDI. Nicely done.
41. When repeated, Cult Jam singer : LISA. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5m8lj5DCtI LINK.
44. Driver's gadget : GOLF TEE.
46. Source of flowing water : OPEN TAP.
48. "CSI" setting : DNA LAB. It was much more than that.
50. Sci. concerned with biodiversity : ECOLolgy.
51. Multiple Emmy-winning legal drama : LA LAW.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7R6ycC_s1g
52. Missouri river : OSAGE.
53. Usually disappointed one : LOSER.
54. Sales figure : GROSS.
55. Side in a decades-long war : PEPSI. The inside STORY.
56. Tied : LACED. Shoes not sports.
60. Peseta replacer : EURO.
62. Exec's reminder : MEMO.
65. Purpose : USE.
Well there you have a bunch of really fun clues and a tight theme. Only 9 shopping days left and accept all gifts from all religious constructs. It is fun, Lemonade out. thanks Gail and of you who read, and especially those who write, even the foolish attacking trolls who hide behind anonymity. We have some great people to know if you open up.
