Lemonade here pinch-hitting for Melissa with whom I shared Wednesdays when I first started blogging here. So this is full-circle for me. I described Mr. Deodene's history here and at the NYT in my most recent write-up of a Friday he built last year, so today I will provide this LINK to some of Chuck's life with words. Today is a hidden word puzzle. I have previously written about doing the London Times Cryptic Crossword with my mother when they began running in NEW YORK magazine. Here is a wonderful ARTICLE which was written by composer STEPHEN SONDHEIM. Remember, this was written in 1968; the modern crossword has incorporated much of the fun of cryptics. I know some have expressed interest in Cryptics and this is a good primer. Getting back to our puzzle, we have the "hidden" version. Here there are four themers and a grid-spanning reveal. The word GUEST is hidden in the clue in between the words. The first two and the fourth have the split gue/st, the third gues/t. The reveal is fair, but I had the theme long before then.
For a Wednesday, we also have lots of sparkle like DESKSET, GAS HEAT, REDOUBT, ECSTATIC, IT'S A SNAP, PANCREAS, and the odd SCAT SING. Time to move to the next phase...
17A. Sports page table: LEAGUE STANDINGS (14). Most only think of "standing", but each league has its own.
25A. Dissociative condition: FUGUE STATE (10). Dissociative fugue (formerly called psychogenic fugue, or fugue state) is a psychological state in which a person loses awareness of their identity or other important autobiographical information and also engages in some form of unexpected travel. Psychological amnesia.
37A. Makes a case for, with "of": ARGUES THE MERITS (14). For which the topic of oral pierces could be argued.
49A. Intraoral piercing: TONGUE STUD (10). I received a hole in my tongue playing touch football but never consider putting jewelry in my mouth.
57A. Talk show drop-by ... and a literal feature of 17-, 25-, 37- and 49-Across: GUEST APPEARANCE (15).
Across:
1. Passport stamps: VISAS. Yes but LINK.
6. Improvised knife: SHIV. From "a razor," 1915, variant of chive, thieves' word for "knife" (the1670s) from Romany language.
10. MRI output: SCAN. Actually, it is an image.14. Capital of Ghana: ACCRA. LINK.
15. "Say Anything..." actress Skye: IONE. Her vowel-rich name is more famous than she is here in crossword land.
16. "__ and Abel": Jeffrey Archer novel: KANE. I really enjoyed his works,
20. Plaza payment: TOLL.
21. Feel remorse over: RUE. I would remove the "over."
22. Winter hrs. in St. Louis: CST. Central Standard Time.
23. Blog entry: POST. Please keep them coming.
29. "Who __ to complain?": AM I.
30. Woman college basketball coach Summitt with an NCAA record 1,098 career wins: PAT. This legendary COACH died in 2016 from complications from Alzheimer's. Coach K has eclipsed her victory total and Gino Auriemma is catching up.
31. Nairobi's country: KENYA. More Africa. See map above.
32. Insulin-producing gland: PANCREAS. The key to diabetes.
36. Left or right ending: IST. There are so many other choices.
42. Knot-tying vow: I DO. I did.
43. Like big lottery winners, presumably: ECSTATIC. Such a mixed blessing, historically. STORIES.
44. __ pad: STENO. I still use them.
47. Old Mideast org.: UAR. The United Arab Republic.
48. Reggae precursor: SKA. Ska is still around.
52. Carnival: FAIR.
53. Brightness nos.: IQS.
54. 6-Down's sib: BRO.
55. River swimmers: EELS. Not if C.C. gets them. They become a...
63. Repast: MEAL.
64. Char on a grill: SEAR. I'm not sure how many ways she cooks them.
65. Popular Google service: GMAIL.
66. About: AS TO.
67. Singer from County Donegal: ENYA. Eithne Ní Bhraonáin was born on May 17, 1961, in Gweedore, Donegal, Ireland, almost her birthday.
68. Leaf under a petal: SEPAL. I think I just had that botanical discussion,
Down:
1. Actor Kilmer: VAL. A bad Simon Templar and a bad Bruce Wayne.
2. Floe makeup: ICE. Tin are you okay?
3. Perform like Ella: SCAT SING. Is this a Yoda answer?
4. Insider lingo: ARGOT.
6. 54-Across' sib: SIS.
7. Trending: HOT.
8. Going nowhere, career-wise: IN A RUT.
9. Playhouse, say: VENUE. For a show Mickey Rooney!
10. Navigate slopes: SKI.
11. High-kicking dance: CAN CAN. So many links.
12. Showing insecurity: ANGSTY. A word from the 60s.
13. Snapple rival: NESTEA. This was very hard for me and only the perps did it. I was looking for a more esoteric company.
18. Wee toymaker: ELF. Not Wii.
19. Matching office accessories: DESKSET.
23. Dad: PAPA. I get that from many of my sons' friends.
24. Shortstop Vizquel with 11 Gold Glove Awards: OMAR. bit obscure but talented fielder.
26. __ the crack of dawn: UP AT.
27. House-warming option: GAS HEAT.
28. Aquarium beauty: TETRA.
33. Stage prompting: CUING.
34. Stronghold: REDOUBT. From Bunker Hill to Yorktown, a feature of military actions during the American Revolution was the redoubt. Of course, redoubts were a fixture in worldwide military operations long before, and long after, that war, but those fortifications built of earth, sod and timber were usually more complex than their simple materials suggest. Journal of the American Revolution.35. That, in Toledo: ESO. Our Lucina CSO.
36. Online chats, briefly: IMS.
38. Subdued hue: ECRU. The definition is having the color of raw silk or unbleached linen," from French écru "raw, unbleached.
39. "Simple as can be": ITS A SNAP. A very short period of time (figuratively, the time taken to snap one's fingers), or a task that can be accomplished in such a period. Etymology.
40. __ torch: luau light: TIKI.
41. What a tattoo may cover: SCAR. Why? I know many tattoos but none covering a scar.
44. Mark of shame: STIGMA.
45. Kitchen toppers: TOQUES. This hat has become a regular.
46. Put into power: ENSEAT. Ugh. The only good thing about this word is that it could be part of an anagram puzzle.
47. 2019 Pebble Beach event: US OPEN. Golf. SITE.
50. Wipe: ERASE. Computer hard drives.
51. "Weeds" law org.: DEA. Drug Enforcement Agency.
52. Moth attractor: FLAME.
56. Units of energy: ERGS.
58. __ Poke: retro candy: SLO. Never heard of it. The original Slo Poke Caramel Pop was first introduced in 1926 by the Holloway Candy Company.
59. Settle: PAY. The bill.
60. Time to remember: ERA.
61. "Homeland" org.: CIA. I have never watched the show.
62. Turn in the plumbing: ELL. A cute twist to end our tour.
Thank you Chuck; c'mon back mb and thank you all.
