Theme: Why should you never starve at the beach? Because of all the sand which is there. [Let the groaning begin.] Three common sandwich fillings are wrapped up inside the theme answers, in each split across the two word fill. Let's have a taste.
20 A. Blindsided : CAUGHT UNAWARE. Thus, by surprise. The infallible internet tells me that UNAWARE is an adjective, but CAUGHT needs an adverb complement - in this case, UNAWARES. I am not making up this not. Anyway, TUNA is a common sandwich filler, popular with both humans and felines.
33 A. Pumpkin pie maker's tool : NUTMEG GRATER. A handy little gadget that comes in many designs and varieties. NUTMEG is not just for deserts, though. It goes wonderfully with pasta, spinach and Gruyere cheese. Trust me on this one. Concealed in this answer is an EGG. I have not tried this with NUTMEG. Could be promising.
41 A. One of a global septet : NORTH AMERICA. The other 6 continents are South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia and Antarctica. HAM is of course another classic sandwich filler. I like mine grilled with Swiss cheese. Perhaps another NUTMEG opportunity?
And the unifier, or in this case, container -- 56. Flatbread lunch items ... and, as shown by circles, what 20-, 33- and 41-Across are? : SANDWICH WRAPS. Typically, these are some variety flat bread, literally rolled and wrapped around the filling.
Hi, gang, JazzBumpa here. Let's head for the dining room and see what else Paul has cooked up for us. Bon appetit!
Across
1. Share-a-ride pickup hrs. : ETAS. Estimated Time of Arrivals. Er - Times of Arrival.
20 A. Blindsided : CAUGHT UNAWARE. Thus, by surprise. The infallible internet tells me that UNAWARE is an adjective, but CAUGHT needs an adverb complement - in this case, UNAWARES. I am not making up this not. Anyway, TUNA is a common sandwich filler, popular with both humans and felines.
33 A. Pumpkin pie maker's tool : NUTMEG GRATER. A handy little gadget that comes in many designs and varieties. NUTMEG is not just for deserts, though. It goes wonderfully with pasta, spinach and Gruyere cheese. Trust me on this one. Concealed in this answer is an EGG. I have not tried this with NUTMEG. Could be promising.
41 A. One of a global septet : NORTH AMERICA. The other 6 continents are South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia and Antarctica. HAM is of course another classic sandwich filler. I like mine grilled with Swiss cheese. Perhaps another NUTMEG opportunity?
And the unifier, or in this case, container -- 56. Flatbread lunch items ... and, as shown by circles, what 20-, 33- and 41-Across are? : SANDWICH WRAPS. Typically, these are some variety flat bread, literally rolled and wrapped around the filling.
Hi, gang, JazzBumpa here. Let's head for the dining room and see what else Paul has cooked up for us. Bon appetit!
Across
1. Share-a-ride pickup hrs. : ETAS. Estimated Time of Arrivals. Er - Times of Arrival.
5. Go wild with Wild Turkey, say : TOPE. Drink to excess, especially if done on a regular basis.
9. Golden Horde member : TATAR. It's complicated.
14. Pope __ VI (1963-'78) : PAUL. Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini, as Pope, continued and implemented the ecumenical reforms started under Pope John XXIII.
15. Copied : APED. APE see, APE do.
16. Be nuts about : ADORE.
17. "The Simpsons" bus driver : OTTO.
17. "The Simpsons" bus driver : OTTO.
18. Drink garnish : RIND. Citrus, typically. Or possibly melon. I don't claim to know all.
19. Old-time actress Shearer : NORMA. An accomplished performer who was nominated for 5 Oscars, and best actress winner in 1930 for THE DIVORCEE.
23. "Let's see ... " : HMM. Thoughtful non-comment.
24. German city on the Danube : ULM. Along with Regensburg, Passau, Donauschingen, Ingolstadt and Donauwörth, all of which have far to many letters.
25. Set ablaze : IGNITE. Arson is suspected.
28. The hit in the baseball mantra "A walk is as good as a hit" : SINGLE. Just as good in the lead off spot. Not so much with a man on 3rd and two outs.
30. Sugar source : CANE. Here in the midwest, BEET also works.
32. Cultural funding gp. : National Endowment for the Arts.
36. Beef inspection org. : United States Department of Agriculture.
39. 401(k) alternative, for short : Individual Retirement Account. N. B. Abrvs. in. Cl. & Ans.
40. __ stick: incense : JOSS. A thin stick made of paste and a fragrant substance burnt before a Chinese idol. News to me.
46. Suffix with percent : -ILE. Each of the 99 intermediate values that divide a frequency distribution into 100 groups.
47. College city on I-35 : AMES. Located in the center of Iowa, and home to Iowa State University.
48. Sharp : SHREWD. Mentally.
52. Yom Kippur month : TISHRI. From an Akkadian root meaning "beginning." The first month of the civil year and 7th month of the eclesaitical year in the Hebrew calendar.
54. "Who am __ judge?" : I TO. Who, indeed?
55. China's Chou En-__ : LAI. Or Zhou Enlai, first Premier of the People's Republic of China, and a highly skilled diplomat.
60. Work really hard : SLAVE. I don't suppose working hard at surfing counts.
62. '60s-'70s pitcher nicknamed Blue Moon : ODOM. Johnny Lee ODOM, b. 1945 won three consecutive World Championships in 1973-4-5 with the Oakland A's. He also had a pretty sever substance abuse problem.
63. Huge : EPIC.
64. Awards for Asimov et al. : HUGOS. Named for HUGO Gernbach, founder of the magazine Amazing Stories, they are presented each year at the World Science Fiction Convention. Isaac Asimov is an American biochemist who became a science-fiction and then non-fiction author and editor of hundred of books
65. Computer list : MENU. Or cafe. We do have a sandwich theme!
66. Concerning : AS TO. In re:
67. Suits : EXECS. Corp big wigs. I've met a few and was not impressed.
68. Musically low : BASS.
68. Musically low : BASS.
69. Floral neckwear : LEIS. Flower garlands associated with Hawaii.
Down:
Down:
1. Geological timespans : EPOCHS
2. Woven Japanese mat : TATAMI
3. Colorful period : AUTUMN
4. Plod (through) : SLOG
5. Small pastry : TARTLET
6. Poppy drug : OPIUM
7. Keystone State Ivy : PENN
8. Scandinavian literary work : EDDA
9. Brightly colored songbird : TANAGER
10. Deck out : ADORN
11. Attacked with gusto : TORE INTO
12. Limb with biceps and triceps : ARM
13. "In Dreams" actor Stephen : REA
21. Netflix competitor : HULU
22. Flying aid : WING
26. Light shirts : TEES
27. All __: listening : EARS
29. Annoying bug : GNAT
30. First known asteroid : CERES
31. Lab gel : AGAR
34. Play charades, say : MIME
35. Open just a crack : AJAR
36. Ton, for one : UNIT
37. Songs for one : SOLI
38. Equestrian event : DRESSAGE
42. Equestrian equipment : HARNESS
43. In the center of : AMID
44. Panama landform : ISTHMUS
45. Grub : CHOW
49. Go by : ELAPSE
50. Elk : WAPITI
51. Where much Bee Gees music was played : DISCOS
53. Mayhem : HAVOC
54. Graphic symbols : ICONS
57. Berth before birth : WOMB
58. It can come to mind : IDEA
59. Concrete : REAL
60. Cow or sow : SHE
61. Unilever soap brand : LUX
Well, that [ahem] WRAPS is up for another Wednesday. Sadly, no love for peanut butter. Hope you didn't EAT A TON.
Cool regards!
JzB
