I am back serving as DAB's caddie for the third time. He had his debut on a Friday at the end of last year and now he has another December offering. Today he has terms from theater (theatre to some) hiding them in words and phrases. There is no reveal but each clue refers to "theater" letting you know which fill are art of the theme. You then have a hint to what the fill will be. I enjoyed CAST IN STONE and FLOOD STAGE the most. My youngest directed and appeared in a play that took place in a pool they constructed onstage. Anyway, back to my last review of the year, David has some sparkle in the fill THIRDLY, SPIDERWEB and STORMS OFF, but again with 5 themers there was not much room for more. With the cluing giving you the theme, I thought this was a late gift to you all. Let's get detailed.
18A. Text for a mailroom theater production? : POSTSCRIPT(10). This is outlier, as it is but one word, but imagined as POST SCRIPT. If you look at it that way we have 1/5 with the theater word at the end and 2/3/4 with the first word the theater word.
23A. Statue of a theater troupe? : CAST IN STONE (11). I love this as the mental picture of an entire cast sculpted in stone is cool.
38A. World leader in the theater? : ACTING PRESIDENT (15). Ronald Reagan anyone? Or perhaps you like KIRKMAN.
48A. Squawker in a theater performance? : PLAY CHICKEN (11). It conjures up non-theater images. LINK.
56A. Theater backdrop for a biography of Noah? : FLOOD STAGE (10). Cute.
Across:
1. Ovation fraction: CLAP. I was pleased that I filled this and the perps confirmed I was right.
5. Overstress, with "on": HARP.
9. "Hungarian Rhapsodies" composer: LISZT. How about number No. 2.
14. Shout: YELL.
15. Notion: IDEA.
16. Let down, as hair: UNPIN. My thought: LINK.
Walk right in, sit right down
Baby, let your hair hang down
Walk right in, sit right down
Baby, let your hair hang down
17. Silents star Naldi: NITA. I do not know why I remembered this name, but it must be related to doing crossword puzzles.
20. Much Byzantine art: ICONS. You ready to BUY?
22. Put on: HIRED. My mind went to the other meanings.
27. CPR provider: EMT.
30. Upside-down forest hangers: SLOTHS.
31. Scottish landscape feature: BRAE. Luckily I read Hamish Macbeth novels. LINK.
32. Dorm VIPs: RAS. Resident Advisors,
35. "... __ saw Elba": ERE I. We are seeing a lot of ELBA these days.
36. Shellfish order: PRAWNS. Time we all understood this CRUSTACEAN.
41. Literary family name: BRONTE. Three sisters. Very Chekov.
42. Ottoman officials: DEYS. I knew of the beys, but not these OFFICIALS.
43. Large inlet: BAY. A different bey.
44. Shipping hazard: BERG. ICEBERG?
45. Shepherds' charges: FLOCKS.
47. Brief belief: ISM.
53. Taters: SPUDS. Very common in the hills and mountains.
55. Consolation beginning and ending: THERE. There, there dear it will be all right.
61. Auto club recommendations: INNS. I need advice on the outs.
62. Clear of mist: DEFOG. Not as necessary as deicing.
63. Measure of skills: EXAM.
64. Part of CBS: Abbr. : SYST.
65. Prepare beans, Mexican-style: REFRY. Refried beans are really just beans with some seasoning, mushed up. It’s like hummus, actually. And the word “refried”? Well, that’s not even what you think. It doesn’t mean fried twice (horrors!) – It’s just an English translation of “refrito” which is Spanish means “well fried” or “cooked well.” See LINK.
66. Nonpayment consequence: REPO.
67. Yoga needs: MATS. Last week we had poses.
Down:
1. Pessimist: CYNIC.
- A cynic is someone who refuses to believe;
- A pessimist is someone who has given up on believing;
- A skeptic is someone who is reluctant to believe. Psychology Today.
2. German camera: LEICA. LINK.
4. Photosynthesis users: PLANTS.
5. Trendy: HIP.
6. Stir: ADO.
7. Hi-__ image: RES, I initially wanted DEF.
8. Compassion-evoking quality: PATHOS. I minored in English and we were taught all about Pathos, Bathos and other criticism from a wonderful TEACHER.
9. It may be filthy: LUCRE. Money; originally, money obtained dishonestly. For example, She didn't like the job but loved the filthy lucre in the form of her weekly paycheck. This term comes from the Bible (Titus 1:11), where it refers to those who teach wrongly for the sake of money. In time it came to be used loosely, and usually jokingly, for money in general, and in the mid-1900s gave rise to the jocular slang term the filthy for “money.” Dictionary.com.
10. As to: IN RE.
11. Catcher of small prey: SPIDERWEB. Very fun clue/fill, though I have seen some big spiderwebs. Like many big things, the picture is from Texas.
12. Close, as a parka: ZIP.
13. Explosive letters: TNT.
19. Reason for regret: SIN.
21. Like the last letter in a column? : SILENT. I love this kind of simple misdirection.
24. Norway, in Norway: NORGE. Norge is Norwegian, Danish and Swedish for Norway.
25. Dance part: STEP. Step by step; slowly I turned....
26. Adverb after a second contract item: THIRDLY. Not really. the word is not in fashion in contract drafting.
28. Food for the wandering Israelites: MANNA.
29. Irritable: TESTY.
31. Serious, as an injury: BAD.
32. Jewish teacher: RABBI. Master, teacher —used by Jews as a term of address (Webster's). Not a religious figure historically.
33. Farm parts: ACRES.
34. Departs in anger: STORMS OFF.
36. "Fooled you!" : PSYCH. Did anyone see the MOVIE?
37. Take a chance: RISK IT.
39. Having one sharp: IN G.
40. Anti-discrimination agcy. : EEOC.
45. Like the tortoise in the fable, ultimately: FASTER. Does winning the race make him faster? I think not.
46. Religious division: SCHISM.
48. Rotund: PUDGY. Pugsley? He is GONE.
49. Mormons, initially: LDS. Latter Day Saints.
50. African nation on the Indian Ocean: KENYA.
51. Surrealist Max: ERNST. I love elephants.
52. Forest homes: NESTS. All you needed to know and MORE.
54. Needy: POOR. These days needy is more associated with emotional issues.
56. HST predecessor: FDR. Harry S. Truman. Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
57. "Fever" singer Peggy: LEE.
58. Hatchet: AXE. 40 years after I met the people who would become the band AXE, they are putting out a new album. Listen to a rock and roll ballad.
60. Punk rock offshoot: EMO. Did you KNOW?
2017 was quite a year for me, as Charles Dickens wrote "It was the best of times. it was the worst of times." I end the year very grateful for my life, my friends here at the Corner, my wonderful family and all the excitement of the roller coaster ride that is my life. I also am grateful for Mr. Bywaters and the 27 other constructors who provided the puzzles which I (and my pinch hitters) have brought you every Friday. Special thanks to C.C.and Rich Norris and wishing you all a great 2018. For all of you being beset by the cold and snow, be careful. Hope to see you back here next year. Lemonade out.
