To celebrate St. Paddy's day, here's a beautiful version of When Irish Eyes Are Smilin' by the Irish tenor who was a foil for Jack Benny for years. It makes for lovely background music!
Now, for sure and begorrah, let's be gettin' down to the puzzle!
On this St. Paddy's Day, Lemon has put himself on the injured reserve list and C.C. has brought me, Husker Gary, up from the minors to take the mound.
Paul's lovely offering dredges up memories of a recent Sunday puzzle I blogged where I also put the grid at the top. In that puzzle a word was put IN the middle of a silly phrase and had to be repositioned to the front to make sense. Today Paul forces us to take the last word of a silly phrase and transport it to the front to make a single, familiar word.
Obviously the puzzle needed no reveal, so here are the theme entries
16. Laboratory scam? : SCIENCE CON/CONSCIENCE - Jiminy's counsel to Pinnochio took a while to sink in
28. Snubbing a testimonial? : TRIBUTE DIS/DISTRIBUTE - A good passer is called a good DISTRIBUTOR
45. John Deere rep? : TRACTOR PRO/PROTRACTOR - For some reason kids often ask for a compass when they really want a PROTRACTOR
Let's see what else our Literary Leprechaun has for us today
Across
1. "Oopsy" : MY BAD
6. Grand Prix component : ESS - Curve, here's one
9. In things : FADS - Joann, where's my Nehru jacket?
13. Adult insect : IMAGO - I've only heard it here
14. Prefix with data : META - It seems someone has lots of this on all of us
15. Subject preceder : IN RE
18. Saves, say : STAT - Usually accrued by soccer and hockey goalies
19. Challenge : CALL OUT - Matt Dillon faced one of these at the start of every episode
20. Like some flushes : ACE HIGH
22. Missed the mark : ERRED
24. Spike TV, once : TNN - The Nashville Network
25. Nile threats : ASPS
33. Take for a while : LEASE
35. B to C, e.g. : SEMITONE
36. Call off : END
37. Something shared on a plane : ARMREST - Sound right?
40. Pres. when Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka was decided : DDE - Ike
41. "The Social Contract" author : ROUSSEAU - Jacques - "What wisdom can be greater than kindness?"
43. Hindu ascetics : YOGIS - Did any of them catch for the Yankees?
48. Old Nair rival : NEET
49. "You betcha!" : YEP
50. Mozart opera ending : TUTTE - Cosi Fan TUTTE (Women are like that). Like what?
52. Spendthrift : WASTREL
56. Hospital test : MRI SCAN - I just listened to talk shows on my iPhone
60. Large deep-water fish : OPAH
63. Actor Auberjonois : RENE - Fr. Mulcahy in the 1970 movie M*A*S*H
20. Like some flushes : ACE HIGH
22. Missed the mark : ERRED
24. Spike TV, once : TNN - The Nashville Network
25. Nile threats : ASPS
33. Take for a while : LEASE
35. B to C, e.g. : SEMITONE
36. Call off : END
37. Something shared on a plane : ARMREST - Sound right?40. Pres. when Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka was decided : DDE - Ike
41. "The Social Contract" author : ROUSSEAU - Jacques - "What wisdom can be greater than kindness?"
43. Hindu ascetics : YOGIS - Did any of them catch for the Yankees?
48. Old Nair rival : NEET
49. "You betcha!" : YEP
50. Mozart opera ending : TUTTE - Cosi Fan TUTTE (Women are like that). Like what?
52. Spendthrift : WASTREL
60. Large deep-water fish : OPAH
63. Actor Auberjonois : RENE - Fr. Mulcahy in the 1970 movie M*A*S*H
64. Relaxed : EASY
65. Refresh, as a cup of coffee : TOP UP - Is this also a Mardi Gras tradition?
66. Participants in some awkward meetings : EXES
67. Case breaker, perhaps : DNA - Uh, Number 2, you might wanna have a seat
68. Flower holders : STEMS - Not a vayse or a vahze
68. Flower holders : STEMS - Not a vayse or a vahze
Down
1. Category for non-recurring pd. bills : MISC
2. 1979 disco classic : YMCA
3. Payment that's posted : BAIL - Remember who sponsored The Bad News Bears? Now you can order a jersey!
4. Eternal : AGELESS - Dick Clark's middle name for years
5. Philanthropist, e.g. : DONOR
6. Common Market letters : European Economic Community
7. Ancient colonnade : STOA
8. Sacred sites : SANCTUMS
9. Stocking stuff : FISH NET - Maybe Splynter will have some for us tomorrow
10. Not backing : ANTI
11. Party pooper : DRAG
12. First family member : SETH
14. Poet's concern : METER
17. Short : CURT
21. Being : ENTITY
23. Throw into turmoil : DISRUPT
25. On the ball : ALERT
26. Monterrey title : SENOR
27. "The Taming of the Shrew" setting : PADUA - The Montana Shakespeare In The Park Troupe chose a different setting but used Elizabethan English (mostly)
14. Poet's concern : METER
17. Short : CURT
21. Being : ENTITY
23. Throw into turmoil : DISRUPT
25. On the ball : ALERT
26. Monterrey title : SENOR
32. Notice from Shakespeare? : SEEST - Didst thee SEEST the setting for Taming Of The Shrew cameth ere?
29. Obsessive idea metaphor : BEE - Busy as a...
30. Caravan assembler : DODGE - The original minivan - 198431. Common Sundance entry : INDIE
34. Time for eggs : EASTER
38. Worked on, as a cold case : REOPENED - They haven't REOPENED the Cain and Abel case. How many witnesses could there have been?
39. Fold, spindle or mutilate : MAR
42. Crop cutters : SCYTHES
44. Buck : ONESPOT - Really?
46. Gin __ : RUMMY - Remember this Bond Villain who cheated at Gin RUMMY using a spy with binoculars and an earpiece?
47. Other, in Oaxaca : OTRA - No, descartar la OTRA tarjeta (No, discard the other card)
51. Slopes : TILTS
52. Had on : WORE
53. Top : APEX
55. Student's request : LOAN
57. Vacation spot : CAPE
58. Jack-in-the-pulpit family : ARUM
59. Gets caught off guard : NAPS
62. The ANC's country : RSA - Republic of South Africa
Now before you start celebrating reasonably (let your conscience be your guide), how 'bout some comments:
