Theme: Jay Lend-o - Loan a letter to a phrase and come up with a "punny" new one.
17A. Norwegian coastal horse?: FJORD PINTO. Ford Pinto
Not only was this car a genuine menace to drive, but when Ford wondered why it wasn't selling in Latin America, they were informed, late in the marketing day, that "pinto" is a rather perjorative term for the size of a man's ..... equipment. I mean car.
24A. Excellent joke?: GREAT JAPE. Great ape.
39A. Where a sensei teaches how to slalom?: SKI DOJO. Ski-Doo. A Sensei in this context is a martial arts teacher; I know the term as a third-generation Japanese-American.
50A. "We sure fell for that one, Jack," e.g.?: JILL HUMOR. Ill humor. What? I mean I get it, but can we come up with a better clue? "You" rather than "we" makes a lot more sense; still terrible, but better than this effort.
The reveal?
62A. Was yanked offstage ... or what four puzzle answers did, in a way: GOT THE HOOK. The "J" is a hook-shape. Hence a j-hook in hardware, and probably fishing, although I didn't check the fishing bit. Wild stab in the dark with the fishhook.
Yep, nothing to argue about here. Find a phrase, add a "J" to it somewhere, clue it appropriately and move on.
And ..... the fill.
Across:
1. Have a sudden inspiration?: GASP
5. Embryonic membranes: CAULS
10. "Good going!": NICE!
14. Ancient Andean: INCA
15. Fully committed: ALL IN. Poker term originally, I believe. Bet all your chips on one hand of cards.
16. Cries at the Home Run Derby: OOHS. Baseball mini-theme today. Home Runs, pitchers and such.
19. Agitated state: SNIT. Agitated? Ticked-off, in my book.
20. Ring leader?: TORERO
21. Parenthesis, e.g.: ARC
22. Dún Laoghaire's land: EIRE. It used to be the primary ferry port between Great Britain and Ireland, but most, if not all, services have now been retured. Pronounced "Dun Leary" if you ever need to buy a ticket.
23. Largest division of Islam: SUNNI
26. Alpine transport: T-BAR
28. 2010 sci-fi sequel subtitled "Legacy": TRON
29. Grassy stretches: LEAS
32. Map line: ROAD
35. "A Doll's House" playwright: IBSEN
38. "The Martian" has none: E.T.S
41. Stat for Chris Sale: ERA. He's a pitcher, so Earned Run Average. Red Sox now, previously White Sox. I wonder what he did with the white ones from his uniform when he was traded? Or did he just leave them in his locker for the laundry guy? There are around 1,200 players each season in Major League Baseball. He's one of them. I just need to learn another 1,199 and I've got this year's crossword nailed.
42. Pronunciation symbol: SCHWA. This thing: ə. A mid-central vowel. A south-central vowel in Los Angeles is probably something else entirely.
44. PBS science series: NOVA
45. Small racer: KART
46. Barbershop part: BASS
48. McGregor who plays two roles on TV's "Fargo": EWAN. I've liked him since "Trainspotting" which I saw at an "arts theater" in Santa Monica and was hugely amused to see that it was subtitled English, in spite of being in English.
54. Jungle vine: LIANA
58. Big star: IDOL. Billy. Rebel Yell. Cue the music. 80's live pop excess.
59. Lincoln Ctr. site: N.Y.C. Also the site of my hd. off.
60. PBS science series: COSMOS. Chlecho trickery with 44A.
61. Brit's floor covering: LINO. We had lino in the bedrooms when I was a kid, and no heating. Getting up in winter was a bare-foot-meets-ice-rink experience.
64. Fuss: TO-DO
65. Dvorák's "Rusalka," for one: OPERA
66. Instead: ELSE
67. Scandinavian name meaning "cliff": STEN. What do you call a man with a seagull on his head? Cliff.
68. Block: DETER
69. Sunflower edible: SEED
Down:
1. They're kept under wraps: GIFTS
2. Pear variety: ANJOU
3. Contempt: SCORN
4. Raises: PARENTS
5. Guitarist's gadget: CAPO
6. "Aladdin" prince: ALI
7. __ nerve: ULNAR
8. Petrol unit: LITRE. Those British and their spelling. No reason to mess with the original French, but you know, what do those foreigners know?
9. Vehicle with caterpillar treads: SNO-CAT. Ski-doo, sno-cat. Winter today.
10. Often-cosmetic procedure: NOSE JOB.
11. View from Corfu: IONIAN SEA. Yep, nice spot for sure.
12. Sound from a tree: CHIRP.
13. Competitor of Helena: ESTÉE. Lauder vs. Ruberstein. Gloves off!
18. Small amount: DRIB. Is a drab bigger or smaller than a drib? Surely it has to be one of the two, else you'd be doing something "in dribs and dribs" or "drabs and drabs".
24. Abdomen neighbor: GROIN. It's a toss-up which one you'd rather take a hit playing rugby. I've suffered both. I think I'd lean towards the abdomen given the choice.
25. Chamber music group: TRIO
27. Storied craft: ARK
29. "__ Miz": LES
30. "You get the idea" letters: ETC.
31. Light hair color: ASH BLONDE
33. Brouhaha: ADO
34. Matthew Arnold's "__ Beach": DOVER. A scary chap, he was a schools inspector, frightening in itself, but his work is referenced by Ray Bradbury and Ian McEwan - you know you're not in for an easy ride with his poetry or prose when you're in that company.
36. Be off: ERR. Surprised to to see a baseball reference ... oh wait ...
37. Bryce Harper, for now: NAT. Washington Nationals. There it is!
39. Ornamental band: SASH
40. Talk: JAW
43. Belgian language related to French: WALLOON
45. Deli snacks: KNISHES
47. Ra, in ancient Egypt: SUN GOD
49. Cosmetic additive: ALOE
50. Rejects suddenly: JILTS
51. Jerk: IDIOT.
52. Mr. Magoo, for one: MYOPE
53. Santa's reindeer, e.g.: OCTET
55. Whac-__: A-MOLE
56. Rope loop: NOOSE
57. FAQ part: ASKED. Frequently-Asked Questions link on a website.
60. Scorch: CHAR
63. Amount past due?: TRE. Uno, duo, tre. Any Green Day fans are wondering what happened to that triptych. Uno was delivered, I think duo and tre are still a twinkle in the band's eye.
Got Grid?
Steve
17A. Norwegian coastal horse?: FJORD PINTO. Ford Pinto
Not only was this car a genuine menace to drive, but when Ford wondered why it wasn't selling in Latin America, they were informed, late in the marketing day, that "pinto" is a rather perjorative term for the size of a man's ..... equipment. I mean car.
24A. Excellent joke?: GREAT JAPE. Great ape.
39A. Where a sensei teaches how to slalom?: SKI DOJO. Ski-Doo. A Sensei in this context is a martial arts teacher; I know the term as a third-generation Japanese-American.
50A. "We sure fell for that one, Jack," e.g.?: JILL HUMOR. Ill humor. What? I mean I get it, but can we come up with a better clue? "You" rather than "we" makes a lot more sense; still terrible, but better than this effort.
The reveal?
62A. Was yanked offstage ... or what four puzzle answers did, in a way: GOT THE HOOK. The "J" is a hook-shape. Hence a j-hook in hardware, and probably fishing, although I didn't check the fishing bit. Wild stab in the dark with the fishhook.
Yep, nothing to argue about here. Find a phrase, add a "J" to it somewhere, clue it appropriately and move on.
And ..... the fill.
Across:
1. Have a sudden inspiration?: GASP
5. Embryonic membranes: CAULS
10. "Good going!": NICE!
14. Ancient Andean: INCA
15. Fully committed: ALL IN. Poker term originally, I believe. Bet all your chips on one hand of cards.
16. Cries at the Home Run Derby: OOHS. Baseball mini-theme today. Home Runs, pitchers and such.
19. Agitated state: SNIT. Agitated? Ticked-off, in my book.
20. Ring leader?: TORERO
21. Parenthesis, e.g.: ARC
22. Dún Laoghaire's land: EIRE. It used to be the primary ferry port between Great Britain and Ireland, but most, if not all, services have now been retured. Pronounced "Dun Leary" if you ever need to buy a ticket.
23. Largest division of Islam: SUNNI
26. Alpine transport: T-BAR
28. 2010 sci-fi sequel subtitled "Legacy": TRON
29. Grassy stretches: LEAS
32. Map line: ROAD
35. "A Doll's House" playwright: IBSEN
38. "The Martian" has none: E.T.S
41. Stat for Chris Sale: ERA. He's a pitcher, so Earned Run Average. Red Sox now, previously White Sox. I wonder what he did with the white ones from his uniform when he was traded? Or did he just leave them in his locker for the laundry guy? There are around 1,200 players each season in Major League Baseball. He's one of them. I just need to learn another 1,199 and I've got this year's crossword nailed.
42. Pronunciation symbol: SCHWA. This thing: ə. A mid-central vowel. A south-central vowel in Los Angeles is probably something else entirely.
44. PBS science series: NOVA
45. Small racer: KART
46. Barbershop part: BASS
48. McGregor who plays two roles on TV's "Fargo": EWAN. I've liked him since "Trainspotting" which I saw at an "arts theater" in Santa Monica and was hugely amused to see that it was subtitled English, in spite of being in English.
54. Jungle vine: LIANA
58. Big star: IDOL. Billy. Rebel Yell. Cue the music. 80's live pop excess.
59. Lincoln Ctr. site: N.Y.C. Also the site of my hd. off.
60. PBS science series: COSMOS. Chlecho trickery with 44A.
61. Brit's floor covering: LINO. We had lino in the bedrooms when I was a kid, and no heating. Getting up in winter was a bare-foot-meets-ice-rink experience.
64. Fuss: TO-DO
65. Dvorák's "Rusalka," for one: OPERA
66. Instead: ELSE
67. Scandinavian name meaning "cliff": STEN. What do you call a man with a seagull on his head? Cliff.
68. Block: DETER
69. Sunflower edible: SEED
Down:
1. They're kept under wraps: GIFTS
2. Pear variety: ANJOU
3. Contempt: SCORN
4. Raises: PARENTS
5. Guitarist's gadget: CAPO
6. "Aladdin" prince: ALI
7. __ nerve: ULNAR
8. Petrol unit: LITRE. Those British and their spelling. No reason to mess with the original French, but you know, what do those foreigners know?
9. Vehicle with caterpillar treads: SNO-CAT. Ski-doo, sno-cat. Winter today.
10. Often-cosmetic procedure: NOSE JOB.
11. View from Corfu: IONIAN SEA. Yep, nice spot for sure.
12. Sound from a tree: CHIRP.
13. Competitor of Helena: ESTÉE. Lauder vs. Ruberstein. Gloves off!
18. Small amount: DRIB. Is a drab bigger or smaller than a drib? Surely it has to be one of the two, else you'd be doing something "in dribs and dribs" or "drabs and drabs".
24. Abdomen neighbor: GROIN. It's a toss-up which one you'd rather take a hit playing rugby. I've suffered both. I think I'd lean towards the abdomen given the choice.
25. Chamber music group: TRIO
27. Storied craft: ARK
29. "__ Miz": LES
30. "You get the idea" letters: ETC.
31. Light hair color: ASH BLONDE
33. Brouhaha: ADO
34. Matthew Arnold's "__ Beach": DOVER. A scary chap, he was a schools inspector, frightening in itself, but his work is referenced by Ray Bradbury and Ian McEwan - you know you're not in for an easy ride with his poetry or prose when you're in that company.
Only, from the long line of spray
Where the sea meets the moon-blanch'd land,
Listen! you hear the grating roar
Of pebbles which the waves draw back, and fling,
At their return, up the high strand,
Begin, and cease, and then again begin,
With tremulous cadence slow, and bring
The eternal note of sadness in.
Dover Beach, Matthew Arnold
37. Bryce Harper, for now: NAT. Washington Nationals. There it is!
39. Ornamental band: SASH
40. Talk: JAW
43. Belgian language related to French: WALLOON
45. Deli snacks: KNISHES
47. Ra, in ancient Egypt: SUN GOD
49. Cosmetic additive: ALOE
50. Rejects suddenly: JILTS
51. Jerk: IDIOT.
52. Mr. Magoo, for one: MYOPE
53. Santa's reindeer, e.g.: OCTET
55. Whac-__: A-MOLE
56. Rope loop: NOOSE
57. FAQ part: ASKED. Frequently-Asked Questions link on a website.
60. Scorch: CHAR
63. Amount past due?: TRE. Uno, duo, tre. Any Green Day fans are wondering what happened to that triptych. Uno was delivered, I think duo and tre are still a twinkle in the band's eye.
Got Grid?
Steve
