We have another around the perimeter puzzle. Here the words which are theme fill precede "eye." Rather magically Debbie appears after her early week mention to present her third LA times puzzle. Like last week's constructor, she has collaborated with Jeff Chen. You can see the influence on her style in the cluing. This is again a variation on a rebus where the eye part of the fill is left out. We have had a couple of these designs before, but I cannot remember what the reaction was from the Corner. For me, this was a very easy Friday, as the theme jumped out. The placement of KATY PERRY in the fourth row and CHEESE DIP in the symmetrical place seems designed to deceive.
With all the 4 and 5 letter theme fill, we do get some sparklies like AREA MAP, DREYFUS, NO TURNS, RENEGES, SPHERES, CHEESE DIP and KATY PERRY. So how many of these to spy with your eye?
1A. Type of coordination: HAND (4). Hand/eye coordination is critical in many sports such as hitting a baseball.
5A. Wolverine rival: BUCK (4). Buckeye. The Ohio State University nickname and an early member of the Corner.
9A. Hidden 3-D image: MAGIC (5). Magic Eye. Not everyone can see these IMAGES.
71A. Intuition: THIRD (5). Third eye. Mystical. LINK.
72A. Batter's command of the strike zone, in baseball lingo: GOOD (4). Good eye. The best was supposed to be Ted Williams and his extraordinary vision, but does it matter? LINK.
73A. Pacific salmon: SOCK (4). Sockeye. This FISH.
1D. Iowa athlete: HAWK (4). Hawkeye Pierce is also pretty well known. LINK.
13D. Reflective semiprecious stone: CAT'S (4). Cat's eye is produced by a polishing TECHNIQUE.
26D. Unassisted peeper: NAKED (5). Naked eye.
33D. Physical feature of Peter Falk and Sammy Davis Jr.: GLASS (5). Glass eye. There are many more, Sandy Duncan, Rex Harrison, Dick Vitale etc.
56D. Z's: SHUT (4). Shuteye. Sleep.
64D. Conjunctivitis: PINK (4). Pinkeye.
The reveal:
40A. Scornful glance ... and a hint to completing 12 aptly placed answers: SIDE EYE (7). A sidelong glance expressing disapproval or contempt.
Across:
14. State as fact: AVER. Another popular law-word.
15. "A Hard Road to Glory" author: ASHE. Tennis great and another victim of bad blood transfusion. LINK.
16. Coffeehouse draw: AROMA. I still love the smell of the coffee brewing when I awaken.
17. Sagacious: WISE.
18. Lacking in some way: LEAN.
19. Checkout choice: DEBIT. Payment choice.
20. "Roar" singer : KATY PERRY.
22. Large pipes: MAINS. Seems random, but the main pipe is important in plumbing.
23. Malfoy, to Potter: FOE.
24. Attention getter: AHEM. I like this simple fill.
26. Sign on a highway: NO TURNS.
30. Binging: ON A JAG. Dictionary: a bout of unrestrained activity or emotion, especially drinking, crying, or laughing. "an incredible crying jag;" synonyms: binge, spree, bout, indulgence,
34. Order to a sea dog: AVAST.
35. Genesis victim: ABEL.
38. Quinnipiac University product: POLL. This western Connecticut school was a gimme for this native, but did you know HOW they became a prominent pollster?
39. "Kid-Tested, Mother-Approved" brand: KIX.
43. Soul seller: KIA. With its Japanese competition. 65A. Pilot that can't fly: HONDA.
44. Sooner State city: ENID. Oklahoma if you do not already know.
46. Jodie Foster title role: NELL. Co-starring a young Liam Neeson; a moving film.
47. Slogs: TREKS. Star Slog just did not capture the imagination.
49. Antarctica, for example : DESERT. Deceptive.
51. Domains: SPHERES.
53. Coop cries: COOS. COO_ leading to COO_?
55. Really big stretch: EON.
56. E alternative? : SNAIL. mail.
59. Chip topper: CHEESE DIP. I see this mostly with crackers.
66. Favorable thing to be on: ROLL. Especially a nice bit of pastrami.
67. Halliwell once known as Ginger Spice: GERI. No longer a girl. R-RATED.
68. Rte. that crosses Lake Michigan by ferry: US-TEN. A semi-cheat, as it is always 10.
69. Sighed line: AH ME.
70. Course that may cover a crash: Abbr. : ECONomy.
Down:
3. Incubator site: NEST. Cute. anyone try for NNCU?
4. Subject of Zola's "J'Accuse...!": DREYFUS. The Dreyfus AFFAIR 120 years ago last Saturday.
5. Whalebone: BALEEN. This is a WORD you needed to know to do late week puzzles in the 70s.
6. Certain surfer: USER. Internet.
7. Arctic trout: CHAR. So many other ways to clue this, but I suspect Rich put this in to toughen the solve. We last had in November clued as blacken or sear.
8. "Out of Africa"setting: KENYA. Redford/Streep MOVIE.
9. Drama set at an advertising agency: MADMEN. A very successful tv series about days most of us remember.
10. Hotel handout: AREA MAP. In those brochures by the front desk/concierge.
11. Silk Road desert: GOBI. Why you ask? Because China silk comprised a large proportion of the trade along this ancient road, in 1877, it was named the 'Silk Road' by Ferdinand von Richthofen, an eminent German geographer.
12. "Let's do it!" : I'M IN.
21. USB and others: PORTS.
25. Toledo opening? : HOLY.
27. Like Lamb Chop: OVINE. Shari Lewis lives on.
28. Prepares to take off: TAXIS. Dudley?
29. One-named Nigerian singer: SADE. Want to know more? LINK.
31. Batman nemesis, with "the": JOKER. So soon after Cesar Romero.
32. Similar: ALIKE.
36. "The Fresh Prince of __-Air": BEL. Will Smith's breakout show.
37. Charged fish? : EELS. Electric ones.
41. Van Morrison's "__ the Mystic": INTO.
42. Set of values: ETHOS.
45. Bush 43, so he said, with "the": DECIDER. Do not click the link as it may be political. LINK.
48. Goes back (on): RENEGES.
50. French epic hero: ROLAND. We read the SONG OF ROLAND when I was studying French.
52. Prepared to eat, as a banana: PEELED.
54. Skin-and-bones sort: SCRAG.
57. Nibble: NOSH.
58. Fighting: ANTI.
60. Relative of a Yodel: HOHO. Take your pick
61. Big Bird buddy: ELMO.
62. Chrysler Building style: DECO,
63. __-Z: classic Camaro: IROC.
Well, I am worn out with all the links, hope you choose and enjoy some. Thank you, Debbie and all of you out there. Lemonade out.
