Theme: EVIL'R. The good Doctors Doom and Octopus might be so, but see below for a more rounded explanation.
20A. *Doctor Octopus or Doctor Doom: SUPERVILLAIN. A villain with superhuman powers. I took a test to reveal my supervillain name, and it's time to meet .... PROFESSOR ARMAGEDON!
Try it out for yourselves here.
29A. *"The Big Country" Oscar winner: BURL IVES. Here's a good excuse for a music link that has nothing to do with Burl Ives - "In a Big Country" by Big Country. Points deducted for lack of originality, but it's still a catchy ditty.
37A. *Quick and careless treatment: ONCE-OVER-LIGHTLY. Not a phrase I was familiar with (with which I was not familiar, according to the Grammar Police.) It seems other people are though, so a learning experience for me.
44A. *On-the-scene reporter's opening: WE'RE LIVE ...
53A. Metaphor for one feeling slighted ... and what's hidden in the answers to starred clues: CHOPPED LIVER. I like the chopped liver sandwich at my local deli, so the insult doesn't work for me. Chopped raw turnip would be better, slighted-wise.
So, LIVER in a few different forms. The *asterisking of the theme entries are part of puzzle protocol, the two eight-letter entries are matched by other non-themed 8's, so the asterisk keeps things on the straight and narrow.
What else? Let's go see!
Across:
1. PlayStation handheld game: VITA. No clue, skip and move on, wait for the crosses for help.
5. Appliance with a vent: DRYER
10. Gremlins, e.g.: AMC'S. This entry filled itself in for me, I only saw it just now. The AMC Gremlin, I've seen a few restored ones here in LA. The lime-green one is particularly fetching:
14. Airline to Israel: EL AL. Is there more than one Israeli airline? I want to see the listing El Al, et al.
15. Gaucho's rope: REATA
16. World Cup skiing champ Lindsey: VONN
17. Do-fa link: RE-MI
18. Hawkeye: IOWAN. Trivia of the day - "Hawkeye" Pierce in the M*A*S*H series is not so-nicknamed because he was from Iowa, he was born in Maine. The nickname comes from "The Last of the Mohicans" and he was so-dubbed by his father.
19. A.D. part: ANNO
23. Chicago mayor Rahm: EMANUEL. YAY! Finally I know how to spell this name - no doubled consonants. Finally!
24. Obdurate: STONY
28. Nonverbal comm. method: A.S.L. American Sign Language. I know essentials, some useful at tiresome social events ("Ready to go?") or crowded bars ("Where's the bathroom?").
32. Holds up: LASTS
35. Twofer coupon acronym: BOGO. Buy One, Get One.
36. "Selma" setting: Abbr.: ALA. bama. The movie "Selma" was set partly in Selma, which is in Alabama. Seems a long way round for a clue to get to the point.
41. Freudian topic: EGO
42. Umpteen: MANY
43. "What __ has seen ... ": 1 Corinthians: NO EYE
47. Ball club: BAT. I like this. Tell me, is a college football team a "ball club"? I find it oddly irritating when I hear coaches interviewed on the telly and they make that reference.
48. Colleague of Sonia: ELENA. Supreme Court judges Sotomayor and Kagan. I've not heard anything in the news for a while about the Supreme Court. Things must be running smoothly over there.
49. Money-laundering business in "Breaking Bad": CAR WASH. I think I saw the first three episodes of the series, and the car wash was in the first scene, as I recall. Odd for me to know something like this.
57. First name at Woodstock: JIMI. Second name at Woodstock: Hendrix.
60. Bandanna kin: DO-RAG. Kin? I thought these were the same thing. I just read an internet article that runs to about 3,000 words explaining the difference. I won't bore you with the details. The things our bloggers put themselves through for veracity.
61. Gambling mecca: RENO. Mecca? I think that's a rather strong word for Reno. It's like saying Medina is more Mecca than Mecca. Vegas might argue the point.
62. Yemen neighbor: OMAN
63. Words of defeat: I LOSE.
64. God with a bow: EROS
65. Ma with a bow: YO-YO. Quickly - name another cellist. No, not Josephine du Pré nor Pablo Casals, too easy.
66. Not as worn: NEWER
67. Ukr. and Lith., once: SSR'S. Soviet Socialist Republics, as we all knew.
Down:
1. Frost lines?: VERSE. Very nice - not the "rimes" but the "rhymes". Robert Frost.
2. Intestinal part: ILEUM
3. Clearwater neighbor: TAMPA.
4. Drive away: ALIENATE
5. Blather: DRIVEL
6. Work on more, as a squeaky hinge: RE-OIL
7. Two-master: YAWL. Ketch or Yawl. Both sailboats. Both two-masted vessels. Compare and Contrast. Essays due by Friday, please. Here's one .. or the other, I'm not quite sure. Bonus question - how do folks from the south address a fleet of two-masted sailboats? Spoiler alert: It's not "All Ketch".
8. "Too many to list" abbr.: ET AL. First EL AL. Now the competitor, ET AL. They fly on Saturdays.
9. __ close second: RAN A
10. Forward, in Firenze: AVANTI.
11. MLK Day, e.g.: MON. day.
12. "Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown" channel: CNN. I have no words for how sad the news of his suicide made me feel. Please call 1-800-275-8055 if you or a loved one are feeling alone and helpless. Please.
13. __-Caps: SNO
21. "Empire Falls" novelist Richard: RUSSO. I read "Nobody's Fool" first, was immediately hooked. A great writer.
22. Puerto Rico, e.g.: Abbr.: ISL. La Isla del Incanto? Not so much since Hurricane Maria. A desperately sad situation.
25. Almost round: OVATE
26. Singer Furtado: NELLY. NELLI slowed me down.
27. Belgian violin virtuoso Eugène __: YSAYE. Who? No, really, who? Name three famous Belgians. OK, name two. Is Eugène Ysaye on your list? No, and Hercule Poirot doesn't count, he's a fictional character. Here's one, you'll know him if you have any interest in the Tour de France:
29. Carried: BORNE
30. "This could get __": UGLY
31. King at Versailles: ROI
32. "Camelot" composer: LOEWE. I think LOWE, LOEW and HMMMM in that order. One day I'll get it straight.
33. Generous donor: ANGEL. In theatrical parlance, originally. An investor in a stage production.
34. Gettysburg Address unit: SCORE "Four Score and Seven Years Ago ..." Lincoln's opening line, giving everyone a couple of seconds to do the mental arithmetic to figure "Oh, 1776! Why didn't he just say that?"
35. Wally's little bro: BEAV. Leave it to Beaver, or Leav to Beav. L2B in modern parlance.
38. Southern Conf. school: V.M.I. Virginia Military Institute. New pupils are fondly called "Rats".
39. Twist: GNARL
40. Prepares to steal, probably: HOT-WIRES
45. Affluent Los Angeles district: ENCINO
46. "Well, __-di-dah!": LAH
47. Nag: BADGER
49. Desist: CEASE. What a lawyer demands "Cease and Desist" is he just covering the bases on a slight technicality, or getting paid by the word and using tautology?
50. Professes: AVERS
51. Monterrey title: SEÑOR
52. __ Perot: H. ROSS. I knew ROSS, but suspected a prior letter. H for Henry.
54. Valhalla VIP: ODIN. Wanted THOR. was wrong.
55. Firehouse fixture: POLE. Almost tempted by HOSE. Resisted.
56. Front at sea: PROW. The sharp end.
57. Good feeling: JOY
58. "I think," in texts: IMO. "In my opinion". I've always seen it IMHO, with a self-effacing "humble" for good measure. Don't be fooled, the texter is never humble.
59. Might: MAY. Nice Thursday clue/answer. "Might" could equally be looking for a word for "strength" - not in this case.
Well, apparently Football Isn't Coming Home, so I'm working on polishing up my French for Sunday's final. Allez Les Bleus!
Et ....... voici la grille:
Etienne
20A. *Doctor Octopus or Doctor Doom: SUPERVILLAIN. A villain with superhuman powers. I took a test to reveal my supervillain name, and it's time to meet .... PROFESSOR ARMAGEDON!
Try it out for yourselves here.
29A. *"The Big Country" Oscar winner: BURL IVES. Here's a good excuse for a music link that has nothing to do with Burl Ives - "In a Big Country" by Big Country. Points deducted for lack of originality, but it's still a catchy ditty.
44A. *On-the-scene reporter's opening: WE'RE LIVE ...
53A. Metaphor for one feeling slighted ... and what's hidden in the answers to starred clues: CHOPPED LIVER. I like the chopped liver sandwich at my local deli, so the insult doesn't work for me. Chopped raw turnip would be better, slighted-wise.
So, LIVER in a few different forms. The *asterisking of the theme entries are part of puzzle protocol, the two eight-letter entries are matched by other non-themed 8's, so the asterisk keeps things on the straight and narrow.
What else? Let's go see!
Across:
1. PlayStation handheld game: VITA. No clue, skip and move on, wait for the crosses for help.
5. Appliance with a vent: DRYER
10. Gremlins, e.g.: AMC'S. This entry filled itself in for me, I only saw it just now. The AMC Gremlin, I've seen a few restored ones here in LA. The lime-green one is particularly fetching:
14. Airline to Israel: EL AL. Is there more than one Israeli airline? I want to see the listing El Al, et al.
15. Gaucho's rope: REATA
16. World Cup skiing champ Lindsey: VONN
17. Do-fa link: RE-MI
18. Hawkeye: IOWAN. Trivia of the day - "Hawkeye" Pierce in the M*A*S*H series is not so-nicknamed because he was from Iowa, he was born in Maine. The nickname comes from "The Last of the Mohicans" and he was so-dubbed by his father.
19. A.D. part: ANNO
23. Chicago mayor Rahm: EMANUEL. YAY! Finally I know how to spell this name - no doubled consonants. Finally!
24. Obdurate: STONY
28. Nonverbal comm. method: A.S.L. American Sign Language. I know essentials, some useful at tiresome social events ("Ready to go?") or crowded bars ("Where's the bathroom?").
32. Holds up: LASTS
35. Twofer coupon acronym: BOGO. Buy One, Get One.
36. "Selma" setting: Abbr.: ALA. bama. The movie "Selma" was set partly in Selma, which is in Alabama. Seems a long way round for a clue to get to the point.
41. Freudian topic: EGO
42. Umpteen: MANY
43. "What __ has seen ... ": 1 Corinthians: NO EYE
47. Ball club: BAT. I like this. Tell me, is a college football team a "ball club"? I find it oddly irritating when I hear coaches interviewed on the telly and they make that reference.
48. Colleague of Sonia: ELENA. Supreme Court judges Sotomayor and Kagan. I've not heard anything in the news for a while about the Supreme Court. Things must be running smoothly over there.
49. Money-laundering business in "Breaking Bad": CAR WASH. I think I saw the first three episodes of the series, and the car wash was in the first scene, as I recall. Odd for me to know something like this.
57. First name at Woodstock: JIMI. Second name at Woodstock: Hendrix.
60. Bandanna kin: DO-RAG. Kin? I thought these were the same thing. I just read an internet article that runs to about 3,000 words explaining the difference. I won't bore you with the details. The things our bloggers put themselves through for veracity.
61. Gambling mecca: RENO. Mecca? I think that's a rather strong word for Reno. It's like saying Medina is more Mecca than Mecca. Vegas might argue the point.
62. Yemen neighbor: OMAN
63. Words of defeat: I LOSE.
64. God with a bow: EROS
65. Ma with a bow: YO-YO. Quickly - name another cellist. No, not Josephine du Pré nor Pablo Casals, too easy.
66. Not as worn: NEWER
67. Ukr. and Lith., once: SSR'S. Soviet Socialist Republics, as we all knew.
Down:
1. Frost lines?: VERSE. Very nice - not the "rimes" but the "rhymes". Robert Frost.
2. Intestinal part: ILEUM
3. Clearwater neighbor: TAMPA.
4. Drive away: ALIENATE
5. Blather: DRIVEL
6. Work on more, as a squeaky hinge: RE-OIL
7. Two-master: YAWL. Ketch or Yawl. Both sailboats. Both two-masted vessels. Compare and Contrast. Essays due by Friday, please. Here's one .. or the other, I'm not quite sure. Bonus question - how do folks from the south address a fleet of two-masted sailboats? Spoiler alert: It's not "All Ketch".
8. "Too many to list" abbr.: ET AL. First EL AL. Now the competitor, ET AL. They fly on Saturdays.
9. __ close second: RAN A
10. Forward, in Firenze: AVANTI.
11. MLK Day, e.g.: MON. day.
12. "Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown" channel: CNN. I have no words for how sad the news of his suicide made me feel. Please call 1-800-275-8055 if you or a loved one are feeling alone and helpless. Please.
13. __-Caps: SNO
21. "Empire Falls" novelist Richard: RUSSO. I read "Nobody's Fool" first, was immediately hooked. A great writer.
22. Puerto Rico, e.g.: Abbr.: ISL. La Isla del Incanto? Not so much since Hurricane Maria. A desperately sad situation.
25. Almost round: OVATE
26. Singer Furtado: NELLY. NELLI slowed me down.
27. Belgian violin virtuoso Eugène __: YSAYE. Who? No, really, who? Name three famous Belgians. OK, name two. Is Eugène Ysaye on your list? No, and Hercule Poirot doesn't count, he's a fictional character. Here's one, you'll know him if you have any interest in the Tour de France:
29. Carried: BORNE
30. "This could get __": UGLY
31. King at Versailles: ROI
32. "Camelot" composer: LOEWE. I think LOWE, LOEW and HMMMM in that order. One day I'll get it straight.
33. Generous donor: ANGEL. In theatrical parlance, originally. An investor in a stage production.
34. Gettysburg Address unit: SCORE "Four Score and Seven Years Ago ..." Lincoln's opening line, giving everyone a couple of seconds to do the mental arithmetic to figure "Oh, 1776! Why didn't he just say that?"
35. Wally's little bro: BEAV. Leave it to Beaver, or Leav to Beav. L2B in modern parlance.
38. Southern Conf. school: V.M.I. Virginia Military Institute. New pupils are fondly called "Rats".
39. Twist: GNARL
40. Prepares to steal, probably: HOT-WIRES
45. Affluent Los Angeles district: ENCINO
46. "Well, __-di-dah!": LAH
47. Nag: BADGER
49. Desist: CEASE. What a lawyer demands "Cease and Desist" is he just covering the bases on a slight technicality, or getting paid by the word and using tautology?
50. Professes: AVERS
51. Monterrey title: SEÑOR
52. __ Perot: H. ROSS. I knew ROSS, but suspected a prior letter. H for Henry.
54. Valhalla VIP: ODIN. Wanted THOR. was wrong.
55. Firehouse fixture: POLE. Almost tempted by HOSE. Resisted.
56. Front at sea: PROW. The sharp end.
57. Good feeling: JOY
58. "I think," in texts: IMO. "In my opinion". I've always seen it IMHO, with a self-effacing "humble" for good measure. Don't be fooled, the texter is never humble.
59. Might: MAY. Nice Thursday clue/answer. "Might" could equally be looking for a word for "strength" - not in this case.
Well, apparently Football Isn't Coming Home, so I'm working on polishing up my French for Sunday's final. Allez Les Bleus!
Et ....... voici la grille:
Etienne
