Theme Three-Card Monte - as the reveal tells us:
55A. Vegas device used literally in three puzzle answers: CARD SHUFFLER
Which leads us to:
20. They may be added to soup: SODA CRACKERS. I had a little bit of a mental block with this one - I wanted SALT, not SODA and so things wouldn't work too well in this area. The reveal put me straight.
32A. Recognition event: AWARD CEREMONY
40A. Camp activities: ARTS AND CRAFTS
A simple but slick theme with plenty of weight in the theme answers. Add to that a couple of 10-letter across entries and two 11's in the downs and that's a pretty weighty grid to fill around. Roger & Kathy have done a great job with the fill, there's nary a clunker in sight, and where there are some very common fill words, the cluing is often fresh. Excellent stuff.
Across:
1. Cartman on "South Park": ERIC. There are websites where you can make your own "South Park" avatar - this is one of mine from the start of a Premier League season a couple of years ago:
5. John follower: ACTS. New Testament of the Bible. The Acts of the Apostles follows The Gospel according to St. John.
9. European farewell: ADIEU
14. Default takeback: REPO
15. Formal agreement: NOR I. I can't stop parsing this as NORI, the dried seaweed wrapper for sushi rolls.
16. Two-time Argentine president: PÉRON. Interesting use of "two-time" here - Juan Péron actually served three terms as president, but two were consecutive from 1946-1952 and 1952-1955.
17. Famous __: AMOS
18. Keys for Elton: GRAND PIANO
22. Tennis' Open __: ERA
23. Smooth-talking: OILY
24. Fight: COMBAT
28. "25" album maker: ADELE
30. Federal URL ending: GOV
31. Lennon's lady: ONO
36. Prop for Frosty: PIPE
38. Crown installer's org.: ADA. American Dental Association.
39. Short strings?: UKES
45. Inventor's monogram: TAE. Thomas Alva Edison, natch.
46. Head for Vegas?: LAS
47. Carpenter's joint: MITER
49. Like Justice League members: HEROIC
51. Stub __: A TOE
53. Stroke that doesn't count: LET. Tennis serve that hits the net cord before landing in the service court. I noticed last year at Wimbledon that they no longer have judges sitting at the side of the net with the finger on the net cord. When did that stop?
58. Prime hotel time: HIGH SEASON
61. Assessment: LEVY
62. Comforting words: I CARE
63. Support at sea: MAST
64. Destructive Greek god: ARES
65. Genres: TYPES
66. Watch pair?: EYES
67. Sly attention-getter: PSST!
Down:
1. Rub out: ERASE
2. Rider on a shark: REMORA. I'd never heard of these guys before. They're not parasitic as they do no harm to the shark, other than hitch a free ride. They're not really symbiotic either, as the shark doesn't really get much benefit from having them around. The sharks just seem to enjoy the company.
3. Audio system connector: IPOD ADAPTER. I fitted one of these gadgets in my last car to supplement the AM/FM and CD options. Then I lost the iPod.
4. Cuban thing: COSA
5. Hotter: ANGRIER
6. Color named for a sea animal: CORAL
7. Detective role for Beatty: TRACY. Dick Tracy. Didn't Warren co-star with Madonna in that movie? I think that led to something of a fling between them.
8. Cleaning area: SINK
9. Say yes: APPROVE
10. Reason-based faith: DEISM
11. Lyricist Gershwin: IRA
12. Many ages: EON
13. Mattel game since 1992: UNO
19. Furnishings and such: DECOR
21. Root beer alternative: COLA. See "Dad's" below.
25. Proprietors for word lovers: BOOKSELLERS. I love bookstores. If you want to drop me off somewhere and know exactly where I'll be by the time you get back, however long that is, leave me at a bookstore.
26. Diarist Frank: ANNE
27. Elves' output: TOYS
29. Ram fans?: EWES. The Rams fans are all around here.
30. Camping stuff: GEAR
33. Root beer since 1937: DAD'S. You can buy an original, empty bottle on eBay right now for $15.
34. Epidemic-fighting agcy.: CDC. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
35. You won't see one at Westminster: MUTT. You will at Westminster Cathedral, they have a Pet's Corner. Oh wait, Poet's Corner, slight difference.
36. Trail: PATH
37. Requiem Mass hymn word: IRAE. Dies Irae, or "Day of Wrath".
41. They're assumed: ALIASES
42. Mother-of-pearl: NACRE
43. Bottom lines: AMOUNTS
44. Feudal estate: FIEF
48. John Wick portrayer: REEVES. My neighbor Keanu.
50. Natural clay pigment: OCHRE
51. Evaluate: ASSAY
52. More of that: THOSE
54. Secret rendezvous: TRYST
56. Title for Helen Mirren: DAME. "Der ain't nuttin' loik ..."
57. Flutter: FLAP
58. Baseball stat: HIT. Plenty of hits at this time of year. My Dodgers hoping for one better than last year, but have to get past the Brewers first! 5-1 tonight, so 3-2 in the series ...
59. Standoffish: ICY
60. Mountain pass: GAP
Wow - tempus fugit - time to call it a wrap!
Steve
55A. Vegas device used literally in three puzzle answers: CARD SHUFFLER
Which leads us to:
20. They may be added to soup: SODA CRACKERS. I had a little bit of a mental block with this one - I wanted SALT, not SODA and so things wouldn't work too well in this area. The reveal put me straight.
32A. Recognition event: AWARD CEREMONY
40A. Camp activities: ARTS AND CRAFTS
A simple but slick theme with plenty of weight in the theme answers. Add to that a couple of 10-letter across entries and two 11's in the downs and that's a pretty weighty grid to fill around. Roger & Kathy have done a great job with the fill, there's nary a clunker in sight, and where there are some very common fill words, the cluing is often fresh. Excellent stuff.
Across:
1. Cartman on "South Park": ERIC. There are websites where you can make your own "South Park" avatar - this is one of mine from the start of a Premier League season a couple of years ago:
5. John follower: ACTS. New Testament of the Bible. The Acts of the Apostles follows The Gospel according to St. John.
9. European farewell: ADIEU
14. Default takeback: REPO
15. Formal agreement: NOR I. I can't stop parsing this as NORI, the dried seaweed wrapper for sushi rolls.
16. Two-time Argentine president: PÉRON. Interesting use of "two-time" here - Juan Péron actually served three terms as president, but two were consecutive from 1946-1952 and 1952-1955.
17. Famous __: AMOS
18. Keys for Elton: GRAND PIANO
22. Tennis' Open __: ERA
23. Smooth-talking: OILY
24. Fight: COMBAT
28. "25" album maker: ADELE
30. Federal URL ending: GOV
31. Lennon's lady: ONO
36. Prop for Frosty: PIPE
38. Crown installer's org.: ADA. American Dental Association.
39. Short strings?: UKES
45. Inventor's monogram: TAE. Thomas Alva Edison, natch.
46. Head for Vegas?: LAS
47. Carpenter's joint: MITER
49. Like Justice League members: HEROIC
51. Stub __: A TOE
53. Stroke that doesn't count: LET. Tennis serve that hits the net cord before landing in the service court. I noticed last year at Wimbledon that they no longer have judges sitting at the side of the net with the finger on the net cord. When did that stop?
58. Prime hotel time: HIGH SEASON
61. Assessment: LEVY
62. Comforting words: I CARE
63. Support at sea: MAST
64. Destructive Greek god: ARES
65. Genres: TYPES
66. Watch pair?: EYES
67. Sly attention-getter: PSST!
Down:
1. Rub out: ERASE
2. Rider on a shark: REMORA. I'd never heard of these guys before. They're not parasitic as they do no harm to the shark, other than hitch a free ride. They're not really symbiotic either, as the shark doesn't really get much benefit from having them around. The sharks just seem to enjoy the company.
3. Audio system connector: IPOD ADAPTER. I fitted one of these gadgets in my last car to supplement the AM/FM and CD options. Then I lost the iPod.
4. Cuban thing: COSA
5. Hotter: ANGRIER
6. Color named for a sea animal: CORAL
7. Detective role for Beatty: TRACY. Dick Tracy. Didn't Warren co-star with Madonna in that movie? I think that led to something of a fling between them.
8. Cleaning area: SINK
9. Say yes: APPROVE
10. Reason-based faith: DEISM
11. Lyricist Gershwin: IRA
12. Many ages: EON
13. Mattel game since 1992: UNO
19. Furnishings and such: DECOR
21. Root beer alternative: COLA. See "Dad's" below.
25. Proprietors for word lovers: BOOKSELLERS. I love bookstores. If you want to drop me off somewhere and know exactly where I'll be by the time you get back, however long that is, leave me at a bookstore.
26. Diarist Frank: ANNE
27. Elves' output: TOYS
29. Ram fans?: EWES. The Rams fans are all around here.
30. Camping stuff: GEAR
33. Root beer since 1937: DAD'S. You can buy an original, empty bottle on eBay right now for $15.
34. Epidemic-fighting agcy.: CDC. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
35. You won't see one at Westminster: MUTT. You will at Westminster Cathedral, they have a Pet's Corner. Oh wait, Poet's Corner, slight difference.
36. Trail: PATH
37. Requiem Mass hymn word: IRAE. Dies Irae, or "Day of Wrath".
41. They're assumed: ALIASES
42. Mother-of-pearl: NACRE
43. Bottom lines: AMOUNTS
44. Feudal estate: FIEF
48. John Wick portrayer: REEVES. My neighbor Keanu.
50. Natural clay pigment: OCHRE
51. Evaluate: ASSAY
52. More of that: THOSE
54. Secret rendezvous: TRYST
56. Title for Helen Mirren: DAME. "Der ain't nuttin' loik ..."
57. Flutter: FLAP
58. Baseball stat: HIT. Plenty of hits at this time of year. My Dodgers hoping for one better than last year, but have to get past the Brewers first! 5-1 tonight, so 3-2 in the series ...
59. Standoffish: ICY
60. Mountain pass: GAP
Wow - tempus fugit - time to call it a wrap!
Steve
