Theme: FORTISSIMO (63. Very loud, musically ... its symbol hints at four puzzle answers) - Each theme entry is in the pattern of F* F*.
17A. Concern after heavy rain: FLASH FLOOD.
23A. Like G-rated movies: FAMILY-FRIENDLY.
39A. Shore dinner: FISH FRY.
52A. American Revolution leader: FOUNDING FATHER.
Boomer here.
Yabba
Dabba Dooo! Fred Flintstone would love this puzzle! And I have to tip
my hat to the Minnesota Gophers on Saturday. They played 60 minutes of
Fantastic Football at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison Wisconsin and
brought Paul Bunyan's Axe home Finally after Fifteen years of
Frustration.
Across:
1. Identical: SAME.
5. "Mountain" soft drinks: DEWS. Diet Pepsi is my favorite. Dew is too tart.
9. Burn the midnight oil at college: CRAM. Did you see the Rams vs. Chiefs last week ?
13. Urgent request: PLEA. Not Guilty
14. Forgo the church ceremony: ELOPE. Go to Nevada, they have the weakest laws.
16. Lo-cal: LITE. Diet Pepsi
19. Inflated ones often clash: EGOS. Lego my EGO,
20. Kinda: SORTA. This is Sorta Notta Word.
21. Airport near Tel Aviv: LOD.
22. Isn't feeling up to par: AILS. FRED FUNK has not been up to par for a few years.
27. Natural soother: ALOE. Aloe, Aloe, Would you like some of my tangerine ?
28. Salon jobs: SETS. Tennis matches.
29. Singer Jimmy or actor James: DEAN. I was only 8 years old when James died in a car wreck. I remember Jimmy selling sausage, I didn't know he could sing.
32. Litter member or user: CAT. In the cradle.
34. Sewn connections: SEAMS.
38. Bruins legend: ORR. The greatest offensive defenseman who ever played the game.
42. "Not happenin'": NAH.
43. Pace for Paganini: TEMPO. A Ford in the 1990's. Never was a popular as the Mustang,
45. Noon on a garden dial: XII.
46. Like Godiva: BARE. Seventeen, a beauty queen, she made a ride, that caused a scene.
47. Choir voice: ALTO. A bit lower than soprano.
50. Tool for a duel: EPEE.
58. Woman's name often spelled without its "e": ANNE.
59. Progressive spokeswoman: FLO. There were FLO FLASHBACKS on the final "Alice" episode.
60. Airport concern: DELAY. George said "Answer the phone 'Van Delay Industries'"
62. Multi-platinum Diamond: NEIL. "Sweet Caroline" was my favorite. Later in life he said it was about Caroline Kennedy. I have my doubts.
66. Boarding site: GATE.
67. Cosmologist Carl: SAGAN.
68. Chicago commuter system, familiarly: THE L.
I have not spent a lot of time in Chicago, but I always thought it was
called the "EL" Short for Elevated Railway. Maybe TTP will know for
sure.
69. Snow conveyance: SLED. With a little old driver so lively and quick. I knew in a moment it must be Saint Nick.
70. Earns after taxes: NETS.
71. Doomed: SUNK. LeBron has SUNK many rubber balls into those NETS
Down:
1. Sun protection nos.: SPFS.
2. __ a sudden: ALL OF.
3. Stiller's partner: MEARA. Tiger's buddy MARK O'
4. __ Kodak: EASTMAN. "I've got a Nikon Camera, Gonna take a photograph, mama don't take my Kodachrome away."
5. Bit of OED info: DEF.
6. Building add-on: ELL. What might you call the add-on if it is round ??
7. Literary Virginia: WOOLF. Who's afraid of her?
8. Clues for a bloodhound: SPOORS.
9. Detox diet: CLEANSE.
10. Unbending: RIGID.
11. Coral island: ATOLL. Price for driving on a busy highway
12. Having lots of loose ends: MESSY.
15. Vedder of Pearl Jam: EDDIE.
18. Flag down, as a cab: HAIL.
24. Focuses of activity: LOCI.
25. Passing words?: YEAS.
26. Website for handmade art: ETSY. Possible Mississippi Senator? Find out tomorrow.
29. Morse code unit: DOT. Hi and Lois' twin daughter. (Ditto's sister)
30. Palindromic "before": ERE. And I heard him exclaim ere he drove out of site.
31. Drew Brees' asset: ARM. The LAW has a long one.
33. Texter's gratitude: THX. "Thanks for the Memories" Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, Perry Como, Bing Crosby, you pick.
35. Gasteyer of "SNL": ANA.
36. Draw graffiti on, say: MAR.
37. Noted seashell seller: SHE. I wonder how many she sold. You can pick them up for free.
39. Decide not to call, in poker: FOLD. Aces and Eights are not enough.
40. Feudal holding: FIEF.
41. Seacrest morning co-host: RIPA. Kelly jumped from "All my Children" soap to morning show host.
44. Like some den walls: PANELED.
46. Directives: BEHESTS.
48. Spats: TIFFS.
49. Borrowed, as a library book: ON LOAN.
51. Predicted takeoff hrs.: ETDS.
52. Dracula's canines: FANGS.
53. Tatum or Ryan: ONEAL. "Paper Moon." Tatum was great but is Tatum really a girl's name?
54. Bring together: UNITE.
55. New York's Ausable Chasm, e.g.: GORGE. I am thinking Colorado has better ones.
56. Yale founder Yale: ELIHU.
57. Budget noodle dish: RAMEN.
61. Egg-white omelet's lack: YOLK. What did the farmer say when he dropped an egg on a hen. "That's a yolk on you".
64. Bit of body ink: TAT. You get these free before your radiation treatment.
65. Shoo-__: easy winners: INS.
Boomer
Note from C.C.:
Belated "Happy Birthday" to Picard (Robert)! I hope it was a day of fun and adventure, Robert.
Picard and Ed Asner
