Theme: Yes, you can .. Of course you can - do all these things that the theme suggests:
17A. Step on it : WELCOME MAT. Mine reads "Hello!" when you walk in, "Goodbye!" when you leave.
39A. Sleep on it : BUNK BED
62A. Count on it : TALLY SHEET. This one looks serious:
11D. Bet on it : HORSE RACE
35D. Bank on it : POOL TABLE. Bank shot. Satisfying if you pull it off.
Very nice theme from C.C. - the theme is in the clues rather than the solutions, and both across and down. They both play their part in a fun puzzle. I liked TALLY SHEET particularly
Across:
1. Splendor : POMP
5. Lara Croft targets : TOMBS. Lara Croft, Tomb Raider. I had a maquette of her on my desk when I worked at Warner Bros. Of course, it was all in the cause of accuracy with merchandise product development.
10. In that case : THEN
14. Jamba Juice berry : ACAI. This, or Goji. Wait for the crosses.
15. "Tommy" is one : OPERA. The first "rock opera". Here's Elton John as the Pinball Wizard.
16. Chewy Hershey candy : ROLO
19. Activates, as a security system : ARMS
20. Tossed course : SALAD
21. Company that introduced Styrofoam : DOW. Really? That's a new one. I'd have guessed 3M if someone held my feet to the fire.
22. Spacek of "Bloodline" : SISSY. Ha! I had you at "Spacek".
23. Things to avoid : NO-NOS
25. Foamy pick-me-up : LATTE
27. Defeat decisively : TROMP. There's something very satisfying about this word, especially the past tense "trompled".
30. Tied in the harbor : MOORED
33. Flowing garment : CAPE
36. __ Paulo, Brazil : SÃO. The first time I flew into here I was stunned by how large the city is. I had no idea.
37. Roman poet who coined "carpe diem" : HORACE
38. Creator of Iceland's Imagine Peace Tower : ONO
41. "SNL" writer/actor Michael : CHE
42. "Becket" star : O'TOOLE
44. Auction ending? : -EER
45. Inert gas : NEON
46. Not very often : SELDOM
47. Like some poll questions : YES/NO
49. Youngsters : TYKES
51. Hamlet cousins : TOWNS. Very nice. First I had my mind running down the Shakespeare track, then the stogie (Hamlet was a brand of cheap cigar in the UK.) The commercials were fun. Here's a 1977 example.
54. Put down : ABASE
56. Crone : HAG
59. Knuckleheads : TWITS
61. Wild bunches : MOBS. Mobs of twits? That would be scary.
64. Lawn pest : MOLE
65. "That's too bad" : AW, GEE!
66. It might be a whole lot : ACRE. That's a good-sized lot in my part of town: 6,000 square feet is normal. An acre is 43,460 - quite some difference.
67. Follow instructions : OBEY.
68. Covert agent : PLANT
69. Safari shelter : TENT
Down:
1. Bear feet : PAWS
2. Aquaman's realm : OCEAN
3. __ Cup: classic candy in a yellow wrapper : MALLO. Thank you, crosses.
4. Hot and spicy : PICANTE. My first thought with the "P" in place was PIQUANT. French comes before Portuguese in my mind.
5. Young Spider-Man portrayer Holland : TOM. Merci, les croix.
6. Pundit's piece : OP-ED
7. Short note : MEMO. Because "Grace" didn't fit.
8. Wild fight : BRAWL
9. Suppressed, with "on" : SAT
10. False friend : TRAITOR
12. Shade trees : ELMS
13. Way too interested : NOSY
18. Dumpster output : ODOR
22. Put up with : STOOD
24. "Well, sorrrr-ry!" : SO SUE ME!
26. Massachusetts college or its town : AMHERST. I had AMHURST at first, which made BUNK BED a little troublesome. Bunk Bud?
28. "Holy smokes!" : MAN!
29. Stir : POKEY. Slangy "Jail". Good Thursday-level clue.
31. Letter between Delta and Foxtrot : ECHO. At Atlanta-Hartsfield airport, the "D" stop on the tram is announced as "D-David" as too many passengers were alighting thinking they were at the Delta Airlines terminal. There, you get Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, David and Echo.
32. "It Ain't All About the Cookin'" memoirist Paula : DEEN. She is a true culinary colossus. Here's her recipe for "English Peas" from her Food Network website:
Ingredients
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
2 cans (14 1/2-ounces) English peas, drained
Directions
Melt the butter in small pot and add the peas. Cook over medium heat until peas are warm.
Wow. Genius.
33. Pigeon calls : COOS
34. Poker stake : ANTE
39. Chap : BLOKE
40. Cause of a buzz : BEE
43. Adventurous trip : ODYSSEY
45. "Another problem?" : NOW WHAT? Welcome to my world.
48. Forget-me-__: flowers : NOTS
50. Shoulder warmer : SHAWL
52. Jenna, to Jeb : NIECE.When I see "Jeb", I immediately think "Clampett", which is hopeless because he was a "Jed". These two are members of the Bush clan.
53. Unsmiling : STERN
54. Firing range supply : AMMO
55. Doofus : BOOB. Stop snickering at the back.
57. Pond plant : ALGA
58. Small valley : GLEN
60. Editor's mark : STET. As you were!
62. You may feel one on your shoulder : TAP
63. Even so : YET
I'm heading back from the frozen East Coast to unpack the scarf and gloves and pack for warmer Delhi tomorrow. However, the weather summary, usually "cloudy", "sunny", "rain" or similar shows "smoke". That's a first! If all goes well, next week's blog will be from the Taj Mahal, and that's not the Indian restaurant in Westwood.
As much flying as I do, I never fail to be in awe of nature. Here are the Rocky Mountains last Monday from 38,000 feet on my flight from LA to New York. I love the window seat.
Keep well, everybody! Get a flu shot if you've not had one yet. This winter's strain is a nasty one.
Steve
17A. Step on it : WELCOME MAT. Mine reads "Hello!" when you walk in, "Goodbye!" when you leave.
39A. Sleep on it : BUNK BED
62A. Count on it : TALLY SHEET. This one looks serious:
11D. Bet on it : HORSE RACE
35D. Bank on it : POOL TABLE. Bank shot. Satisfying if you pull it off.
Very nice theme from C.C. - the theme is in the clues rather than the solutions, and both across and down. They both play their part in a fun puzzle. I liked TALLY SHEET particularly
Across:
1. Splendor : POMP
5. Lara Croft targets : TOMBS. Lara Croft, Tomb Raider. I had a maquette of her on my desk when I worked at Warner Bros. Of course, it was all in the cause of accuracy with merchandise product development.
10. In that case : THEN
14. Jamba Juice berry : ACAI. This, or Goji. Wait for the crosses.
15. "Tommy" is one : OPERA. The first "rock opera". Here's Elton John as the Pinball Wizard.
16. Chewy Hershey candy : ROLO
19. Activates, as a security system : ARMS
20. Tossed course : SALAD
21. Company that introduced Styrofoam : DOW. Really? That's a new one. I'd have guessed 3M if someone held my feet to the fire.
22. Spacek of "Bloodline" : SISSY. Ha! I had you at "Spacek".
23. Things to avoid : NO-NOS
25. Foamy pick-me-up : LATTE
27. Defeat decisively : TROMP. There's something very satisfying about this word, especially the past tense "trompled".
30. Tied in the harbor : MOORED
33. Flowing garment : CAPE
36. __ Paulo, Brazil : SÃO. The first time I flew into here I was stunned by how large the city is. I had no idea.
37. Roman poet who coined "carpe diem" : HORACE
Be wise, strain the wine; and since life is brief, prune back far-reaching hopes!
Even while we speak, envious time has passed:
seize the day, putting as little trust as possible in tomorrow!
38. Creator of Iceland's Imagine Peace Tower : ONO
41. "SNL" writer/actor Michael : CHE
42. "Becket" star : O'TOOLE
44. Auction ending? : -EER
45. Inert gas : NEON
46. Not very often : SELDOM
47. Like some poll questions : YES/NO
49. Youngsters : TYKES
51. Hamlet cousins : TOWNS. Very nice. First I had my mind running down the Shakespeare track, then the stogie (Hamlet was a brand of cheap cigar in the UK.) The commercials were fun. Here's a 1977 example.
54. Put down : ABASE
56. Crone : HAG
59. Knuckleheads : TWITS
61. Wild bunches : MOBS. Mobs of twits? That would be scary.
64. Lawn pest : MOLE
65. "That's too bad" : AW, GEE!
66. It might be a whole lot : ACRE. That's a good-sized lot in my part of town: 6,000 square feet is normal. An acre is 43,460 - quite some difference.
67. Follow instructions : OBEY.
68. Covert agent : PLANT
69. Safari shelter : TENT
Down:
1. Bear feet : PAWS
2. Aquaman's realm : OCEAN
3. __ Cup: classic candy in a yellow wrapper : MALLO. Thank you, crosses.
4. Hot and spicy : PICANTE. My first thought with the "P" in place was PIQUANT. French comes before Portuguese in my mind.
5. Young Spider-Man portrayer Holland : TOM. Merci, les croix.
6. Pundit's piece : OP-ED
7. Short note : MEMO. Because "Grace" didn't fit.
8. Wild fight : BRAWL
9. Suppressed, with "on" : SAT
10. False friend : TRAITOR
12. Shade trees : ELMS
13. Way too interested : NOSY
18. Dumpster output : ODOR
22. Put up with : STOOD
24. "Well, sorrrr-ry!" : SO SUE ME!
26. Massachusetts college or its town : AMHERST. I had AMHURST at first, which made BUNK BED a little troublesome. Bunk Bud?
28. "Holy smokes!" : MAN!
29. Stir : POKEY. Slangy "Jail". Good Thursday-level clue.
31. Letter between Delta and Foxtrot : ECHO. At Atlanta-Hartsfield airport, the "D" stop on the tram is announced as "D-David" as too many passengers were alighting thinking they were at the Delta Airlines terminal. There, you get Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, David and Echo.
32. "It Ain't All About the Cookin'" memoirist Paula : DEEN. She is a true culinary colossus. Here's her recipe for "English Peas" from her Food Network website:
Ingredients
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
2 cans (14 1/2-ounces) English peas, drained
Directions
Melt the butter in small pot and add the peas. Cook over medium heat until peas are warm.
Wow. Genius.
33. Pigeon calls : COOS
34. Poker stake : ANTE
39. Chap : BLOKE
40. Cause of a buzz : BEE
43. Adventurous trip : ODYSSEY
45. "Another problem?" : NOW WHAT? Welcome to my world.
48. Forget-me-__: flowers : NOTS
50. Shoulder warmer : SHAWL
52. Jenna, to Jeb : NIECE.When I see "Jeb", I immediately think "Clampett", which is hopeless because he was a "Jed". These two are members of the Bush clan.
53. Unsmiling : STERN
54. Firing range supply : AMMO
55. Doofus : BOOB. Stop snickering at the back.
57. Pond plant : ALGA
58. Small valley : GLEN
60. Editor's mark : STET. As you were!
62. You may feel one on your shoulder : TAP
63. Even so : YET
I'm heading back from the frozen East Coast to unpack the scarf and gloves and pack for warmer Delhi tomorrow. However, the weather summary, usually "cloudy", "sunny", "rain" or similar shows "smoke". That's a first! If all goes well, next week's blog will be from the Taj Mahal, and that's not the Indian restaurant in Westwood.
As much flying as I do, I never fail to be in awe of nature. Here are the Rocky Mountains last Monday from 38,000 feet on my flight from LA to New York. I love the window seat.
Keep well, everybody! Get a flu shot if you've not had one yet. This winter's strain is a nasty one.
Steve
