Theme: Beer me up, Scottie! The beer part of the boilermaker is highlighted:
18A. News provider in front of a camera : TV REPORTER
This is the cleanest example of TV Reporter incidents I could come up with. Google "TV Reporter Fail" and you'll see what I mean.
24A. 1993-2002 Ford-Nissan minivan : MERCURY VILLAGER
40A. Banish : CAST OUT
51A. Many a Poe work : HAIR-RAISING TALE
60A Half a boilermaker ... and what's aptly hidden in 18-, 24-, 40- and 51-Across : BEER CHASER
Whisky shot, beer to back it up. Purdue University are nicknamed The Boilermakers, and have a game shout "Boiler Up", which I always find comical. Go Irish! Go Blue! Fight On! Woo Pig Sooey! Those are shouts I can get behind. Boiler Up? What the heck is that all about?
A corner duo today with Lemonade (Jason) and C.C. - the first joint effort was back in 2014. Neat theme, I've just started a new job with a company who's offices provide free draft beer - five varieties - in the common area. Next time I'm in the office I'll "cheers" you all with as many of the theme beers I can find. Forget the free coffee, I'm going for the Pilsner.
Across:
1. El Misti's land : PERU. What? I asked my Peruvian friend who was conveniently sitting next to me, it's a volcano.
5. Want as a price : ASK
8. Debit card action : SWIPE. Less common now, more INSERT with the chip thing.
13. Shock jock Don : IMUS. I think Howard Stern out-shocked him.
14. Invoice stamp : PAID
16. Schumer's "Trainwreck" co-star : HADER. I was so close to a personal Natick with HADER crossing PEELE. The "E" seemed the most likely.
17. Attend : COME
20. Takes too much, briefly : OD'S
22. Field mouse : VOLE. Is a vole a mouse? I thought they were different beasts.
23. Head light : HALO. Fun clue.
28. Status symbol suit : ARMANI. I have an Armani blazer, I never thought of it as a status symbol. I bought it in a thrift store in Toluca Lake for peanuts and I wear it often.
29. Pull : TOW
30. Lion's home : LAIR
31. Squad : TEAM
35. Cut corners : SKIMP. I majorly skimped on the blog last week, as in I didn't write it up at all. C.C. was so generous with my faux pas.
39. Subj. for many an au pair : ESL. I dated a Danish au pair many moons ago in London. She was a classic Danish blonde, smoked a pipe, drank LAGER and drew a lot of attention in the pub. Her English as a Second Language what just what you would expect from a Scandinavian. I was a mess at "Hello". She was working for the family of a great musician, she married a guitarist in a huge rock band. I could never compete with the riffs. Happy memories.
42. __-wop : DOO
43. Best Picture Oscar nominee directed by Ava DuVernay : SELMA
45. Little chirp : PEEP
46. Big name in banking : CITI
47. __ de Triomphe : ARC
49. Musical works : OPUSES. OPERA is the plural in Latin. Irregular.
57. MLB playoff event : ALCS. Hi, C.C! American League Championship Series
58. Like webs : SPUN
59. Bailed-out insurance co. : AIG
63. Avian crop : CRAW. Something to get food stuck in. Pheasants eat little pebbles to avoid the sticking problem. I know this from dressing wild pheasant back in the old country.
66. Like Wrigley Field's walls : IVIED
67. Fraught with danger : DIRE
68. Luke's sister : LEIA. I always struggle with the Star Wars clues. I know all the names, I never know who is related to whom.
69. Works behind, as a bar : TENDS. I was a bartender in an Irish bar in London as my evening job when I first moved to the Smoke when I was 18. Filing marine insurance claims during the day, earning minimum wage, pouring Guinness and whiskey (with the "E") and be quick about it. I really enjoyed it. I can still pour a perfect pint of the black stuff. That was the Irish boilermaker along with a shot of Jameson's.
70. List-ending letters : ETC
71. Reef dwellers : EELS
Down:
1. Many a JPEG file : PIC. Technically every JPEG is a picture.
2. Expressive rock genre : EMO. Usually miserably expressive. I'd post a musical link here to The Smiths but I'd only depress you all.
3. Means of spreading dirt? : RUMOR MILL. Located next to the water cooler.
4. Wheels with a history : USED CAR. I wanted all kinds of varieties like FERRIS or MODEL-T and found nothing would fit. Eventually the cent dropped.
5. On the mark : APT. An apt remark, an apt comment.
6. Shrewdly informed : SAVVY
7. Former name of the Mariinsky Ballet : KIROV. Learning moment, thank you. I didn't know that the Kirov underwent a name change.
8. "Shameless" network, briefly : SHO. Had the "O". Went with HBO. Was wrong.
9. Bellicose sort : WAR HAWK. The WAR part was new to me. I know Hawk and Dove to describe the two opposing opinions.
10. Pet pendant : ID TAG
11. Comedy duo Key & __ : PEELE. See Natick note at 16A
12. Computer warning : ERROR
15. Sub station : DELIcatessen
19. Hide : PELT
21. One rising at dawn : SUN
24. Guys : MALES
25. Clear data from : ERASE
26. Actress Wilson of "Sleepless in Seattle" : RITA. Wanted OWEN and then read the clue properly.
27. Without a clue : LOST
32. Clairvoyance letters : ESP Both ESL and ESP today.
33. Put away the dishes? : ATE. Because "Empty the dishwasher, polish and replace in the cupboard" doesn't fit.
34. Stooge with bangs : MOE
36. Contrarian's reply : I DISAGREE
37. Econo Lodge, e.g. : MOTEL
38. Composure : POISE
40. Oakland Raiders' quarterback Derek : CARR. Oakland have had about five thousand QB's. It's hard not to have been a Raider quarterback.
41. Informed about : UP ON
44. Color that isn't an Earth tone? : MARS RED
46. Manicure concern : CUTICLE
48. Twenties, say : CASH
50. Vardon Trophy org. : P.G.A. The USA's Professional Golfer's Association award to the year's leader in scoring average. There's also a Harry Vardon Trophy in Europe too, awarded by the European Tour for a completely different reason just to muddy the issue. The P.G.A. Championship, the year's final major, awards the Wanamaker Trophy to the winner. Confused yet?
51. Order clothes : HABIT
52. Advil alternative : ALEVE
53. Strand at a chalet, maybe : ICE IN
54. Apple tablet : IPAD
55. Girl in "Calvin and Hobbes" : SUSIE. I loved the Calvin and Hobbes strip, I was surprised didn't remember her name
56. Like argon and krypton : INERT. And me, after a long day.
61. Burnable media : CD'S
62. TiVo button : REC. REC/REW - wait for the cross.
64. Feel sick : AIL
65. "That __ close!" : WAS
Well, here's the grid, and I'm on my way to blog redemption. I'm no longer the Cal Ripken Jr. of the corner! Sorry, C.C!
I'm off back to the UK tomorrow for a vacation over Thanksgiving week before I dive into my new job; so next week's Turkey Day blog will have an English accent. Quite ironic, really.
Steve
18A. News provider in front of a camera : TV REPORTER
This is the cleanest example of TV Reporter incidents I could come up with. Google "TV Reporter Fail" and you'll see what I mean.
24A. 1993-2002 Ford-Nissan minivan : MERCURY VILLAGER
40A. Banish : CAST OUT
51A. Many a Poe work : HAIR-RAISING TALE
60A Half a boilermaker ... and what's aptly hidden in 18-, 24-, 40- and 51-Across : BEER CHASER
Whisky shot, beer to back it up. Purdue University are nicknamed The Boilermakers, and have a game shout "Boiler Up", which I always find comical. Go Irish! Go Blue! Fight On! Woo Pig Sooey! Those are shouts I can get behind. Boiler Up? What the heck is that all about?
A corner duo today with Lemonade (Jason) and C.C. - the first joint effort was back in 2014. Neat theme, I've just started a new job with a company who's offices provide free draft beer - five varieties - in the common area. Next time I'm in the office I'll "cheers" you all with as many of the theme beers I can find. Forget the free coffee, I'm going for the Pilsner.
Across:
1. El Misti's land : PERU. What? I asked my Peruvian friend who was conveniently sitting next to me, it's a volcano.
5. Want as a price : ASK
8. Debit card action : SWIPE. Less common now, more INSERT with the chip thing.
13. Shock jock Don : IMUS. I think Howard Stern out-shocked him.
14. Invoice stamp : PAID
16. Schumer's "Trainwreck" co-star : HADER. I was so close to a personal Natick with HADER crossing PEELE. The "E" seemed the most likely.
17. Attend : COME
20. Takes too much, briefly : OD'S
22. Field mouse : VOLE. Is a vole a mouse? I thought they were different beasts.
23. Head light : HALO. Fun clue.
28. Status symbol suit : ARMANI. I have an Armani blazer, I never thought of it as a status symbol. I bought it in a thrift store in Toluca Lake for peanuts and I wear it often.
29. Pull : TOW
30. Lion's home : LAIR
31. Squad : TEAM
35. Cut corners : SKIMP. I majorly skimped on the blog last week, as in I didn't write it up at all. C.C. was so generous with my faux pas.
39. Subj. for many an au pair : ESL. I dated a Danish au pair many moons ago in London. She was a classic Danish blonde, smoked a pipe, drank LAGER and drew a lot of attention in the pub. Her English as a Second Language what just what you would expect from a Scandinavian. I was a mess at "Hello". She was working for the family of a great musician, she married a guitarist in a huge rock band. I could never compete with the riffs. Happy memories.
42. __-wop : DOO
43. Best Picture Oscar nominee directed by Ava DuVernay : SELMA
45. Little chirp : PEEP
46. Big name in banking : CITI
47. __ de Triomphe : ARC
49. Musical works : OPUSES. OPERA is the plural in Latin. Irregular.
57. MLB playoff event : ALCS. Hi, C.C! American League Championship Series
58. Like webs : SPUN
59. Bailed-out insurance co. : AIG
63. Avian crop : CRAW. Something to get food stuck in. Pheasants eat little pebbles to avoid the sticking problem. I know this from dressing wild pheasant back in the old country.
66. Like Wrigley Field's walls : IVIED
67. Fraught with danger : DIRE
68. Luke's sister : LEIA. I always struggle with the Star Wars clues. I know all the names, I never know who is related to whom.
69. Works behind, as a bar : TENDS. I was a bartender in an Irish bar in London as my evening job when I first moved to the Smoke when I was 18. Filing marine insurance claims during the day, earning minimum wage, pouring Guinness and whiskey (with the "E") and be quick about it. I really enjoyed it. I can still pour a perfect pint of the black stuff. That was the Irish boilermaker along with a shot of Jameson's.
70. List-ending letters : ETC
71. Reef dwellers : EELS
Down:
1. Many a JPEG file : PIC. Technically every JPEG is a picture.
2. Expressive rock genre : EMO. Usually miserably expressive. I'd post a musical link here to The Smiths but I'd only depress you all.
3. Means of spreading dirt? : RUMOR MILL. Located next to the water cooler.
4. Wheels with a history : USED CAR. I wanted all kinds of varieties like FERRIS or MODEL-T and found nothing would fit. Eventually the cent dropped.
5. On the mark : APT. An apt remark, an apt comment.
6. Shrewdly informed : SAVVY
7. Former name of the Mariinsky Ballet : KIROV. Learning moment, thank you. I didn't know that the Kirov underwent a name change.
8. "Shameless" network, briefly : SHO. Had the "O". Went with HBO. Was wrong.
9. Bellicose sort : WAR HAWK. The WAR part was new to me. I know Hawk and Dove to describe the two opposing opinions.
10. Pet pendant : ID TAG
11. Comedy duo Key & __ : PEELE. See Natick note at 16A
12. Computer warning : ERROR
15. Sub station : DELIcatessen
19. Hide : PELT
21. One rising at dawn : SUN
24. Guys : MALES
25. Clear data from : ERASE
26. Actress Wilson of "Sleepless in Seattle" : RITA. Wanted OWEN and then read the clue properly.
27. Without a clue : LOST
32. Clairvoyance letters : ESP Both ESL and ESP today.
33. Put away the dishes? : ATE. Because "Empty the dishwasher, polish and replace in the cupboard" doesn't fit.
34. Stooge with bangs : MOE
36. Contrarian's reply : I DISAGREE
37. Econo Lodge, e.g. : MOTEL
38. Composure : POISE
40. Oakland Raiders' quarterback Derek : CARR. Oakland have had about five thousand QB's. It's hard not to have been a Raider quarterback.
41. Informed about : UP ON
44. Color that isn't an Earth tone? : MARS RED
46. Manicure concern : CUTICLE
48. Twenties, say : CASH
50. Vardon Trophy org. : P.G.A. The USA's Professional Golfer's Association award to the year's leader in scoring average. There's also a Harry Vardon Trophy in Europe too, awarded by the European Tour for a completely different reason just to muddy the issue. The P.G.A. Championship, the year's final major, awards the Wanamaker Trophy to the winner. Confused yet?
51. Order clothes : HABIT
52. Advil alternative : ALEVE
53. Strand at a chalet, maybe : ICE IN
54. Apple tablet : IPAD
55. Girl in "Calvin and Hobbes" : SUSIE. I loved the Calvin and Hobbes strip, I was surprised didn't remember her name
56. Like argon and krypton : INERT. And me, after a long day.
61. Burnable media : CD'S
62. TiVo button : REC. REC/REW - wait for the cross.
64. Feel sick : AIL
65. "That __ close!" : WAS
Well, here's the grid, and I'm on my way to blog redemption. I'm no longer the Cal Ripken Jr. of the corner! Sorry, C.C!
I'm off back to the UK tomorrow for a vacation over Thanksgiving week before I dive into my new job; so next week's Turkey Day blog will have an English accent. Quite ironic, really.
Steve
Notes from C.C.:
1) Congratulations on your new job, Steve! Sounds like a fun company. Do you still need to travel a lot?
2) Here are the two pictures Abejo (Bradley) took yesterday. Make sure you read his comments here. What a fun encounter. Nice to "see" you, Madame DeFarge!
Madame DeFarge's License Plate
3) For those who are new on the blog, you can click here to see all the pictures of blog regulars. Please email me crosswordc@gmail.com if you want your picture included in the Blog Pictures archive also. I snipped some of yours from your blog Comments, Picard. I hope you don't mind.
