THE NEVILLE AND DOUG SHOW
Husker Gary reporting on today's fun puzzle that comes to us from Neville Fogarty and Doug Peterson. Two triple stacks of tens is always impressive! Two of the long fills ,which are usually so helpful, were unbeknownst to this solver out on the Great Plains. Also, some of the clever cluing left welts from my forehead slaps! "Will run you" led the list!
Here is C.C.'s interview with Neville where it is revealed he was an 11-year-old Jeopardy! "Back to School Week" (October 3, 2000) contestant with a pet fish named Bob Saget. He also lists Doug as one of his inspirational constructors.
In the interest of equal time, here is C.C.'s interview with Doug Peterson where it is revealed "I listen to loud heavy metal music when I’m constructing my puzzles. (Not loud enough to wake the neighbors.) Believe it or not, it helps me concentrate."
Now let's explore the themeless puzzle this talented duo produced for us today. As is my wont, I will start with the long fills. As I mentioned before, two of them were not all that helpful to moi (marked in red)!
1. Arcing "American Ninja Warrior" obstacle : WARPED WALL 2. __ moment : AHA - that's what they are called!
15. "This is news to me" : I HAD NO IDEA - Ya gotta love the cerebral, deadpan humor of Rita Rudner
17. Noting : TAKING DOWN - Here's how they do it in this venue and 22. "Guilty as charged" : I DID IT - What the stenographer in the OJ trial never had to TAKE DOWN
63. Sci-fi franchise since 1984 : TERMINATOR - TERMINATOR 2 - 3D was a favorite attraction for my kids
at Universal Studios Orlando. It is now shut down as these parks must change with the times.
Here's the rest of Neville and Doug's fill:
Across
11. Cut on a Jackson 5 album? : AFRO - Oh, hairCUT!
16. Used miles, perhaps : FLEW - If you've got the frequent flyer miles...
19. Letters of address for Washington and Lee? : EDU -It is https://www.wlu.EDU for Washington and Lee Unversity
25. "Whispers of Immortality" poet : T.S. ELIOT - 32 lines - half about death and half about eroticism (so I read)
27. Norman or Eugene : CITY - Oklahoma U and Oregon U cities were chosen as red herrings for a simple clue
28. Kentucky Bourbon Barrel __ : ALE
30. Includes in the mix : ADDS
32. Lemons may be among them : USED CARS - There's a 🍋 among our bloggers too
35. Letter's needs : TENANTS - If you've got apartments to let, you will need TENNANTS
41. Links with : TIES INTO - It turns out the Star Wars TIE IN with this lollipop was not, uh, well thought out. No one seems to want to put their mouth into Jar Jar's mouth. Duh!
43. __ Today: magazine for teachers : NEA - Our state passed a law that to join the local and state education associations and you also HAD to join the NEA whether you liked their politics or not.
43. __ Today: magazine for teachers : NEA - Our state passed a law that to join the local and state education associations and you also HAD to join the NEA whether you liked their politics or not.
44. Start to bat? : ACRO - ACROBAT
46. Once called : NEE
47. Court suspension : STAY
48. Pacific states? : TRANCES - Nothing to do with WA, OR or CA but a pacified state of mind
56. Monk's title : DOM - This bottle of 1964 DOM 49. Will run you : COSTS about $2,000
57. __ swing : MOOD
57. __ swing : MOOD
62. Brief plea : NOLO - NOLO (I do not wish) Contendre (to contend). I don't admit guilt but will take take the consequences with no chance of being retried.
64. Footnote notation : IDEM - Ibid didn't cut it
Down
1. Marx asset : WIT - A Marx TOY was always an asset at my house but so was the WIT of the Marx Brothers
4. Combs differently? : PDIDDY - Sean Combs -> Puff Daddy -> PDIDDY -
5. Lassitude : ENNUI - The only popular song with ENNUI in the lyric that I know of. It's at 30 sec but I recommend the whole song
6. Pursue persistently : DOG - Deputy Samuel Gerard did DOG Richard Kimble in The Fugitive
7. Spacious : WIDE
8. Took in : ADOPTED - Nah, you've seen enough pix of our ADOPTED kitty
9. Corps of Discovery Expedition explorer : LEWIS - Sorry CLARK, you're out, LEWIS you're in.
11. "Yes, sad to say" : AFRAID SO
12. Casting choice : FLY ROD
14. Dominates : OWNS - Frank Lary was a pitcher in the 50's/60's for a mediocre Detroit Tiger team but he OWNED the Yankees
23. It has a torch and two branches on its back : DIME - Here's the obverse and the reverse side with aforementioned items
24. Hint : TASTE
26. Key __ : LARGO - A lovely song by a one-hit-wonder. If you knew his name, you're a better man than I am Charlie Brown!
29. Minus : LESS
32. Pairing : UNION - Last Saturday Joann and I celebrated the 51st anniversary of our UNION. I bought her this cake because it has 1) Dairy Queen Ice Cream, 2) Ghirardelli Chocolate, 3) strawberries and 4) a 51 on top. And, oh yeah, it also covered Valentine's Day.
33. Parlor purchase : CONE
36. Unsystematically : AT RANDOM
38. Hint : INTIMATE - This is the long "a" version of this word
40. "Got to Give It Up" singer : GAYE - I'd love to insert his wonderful version of I Heard It Through The Grapevine but two songs are plenty.
42. Coming up : IN STORE
45. Big Easy cuisine : CREOLE
47. Canonized Norw. king : ST OLAV - SLEEPOVERS eliminated ST OLAF
50. Waters with pipes? : ETHEL - She did indeed have a set of pipes! Hardest/cleverest clue of the puzzle for me.
52. Town in a 1945 Pulitzer-winning novel : ADANO - The John Hersey story of an Italian-American soldier replacing a church bell in this town in 1944 Sicily that the Fascists had destroyed
52. Town in a 1945 Pulitzer-winning novel : ADANO - The John Hersey story of an Italian-American soldier replacing a church bell in this town in 1944 Sicily that the Fascists had destroyed
53. Prefix for all : OMNI
55. Big sport's words : ON ME - My cheap friend usually did that after most everyone had left the bar
59. Fall off : DIP
60. Conjunction that reverses to a man's name : NOR - NOR flips to RON.