Theme:
39A. Come to a compromise ... and a homophonic hint to what each of four long answers contains: MEET IN THE MIDDLE
17A. E-cig user's package: VAPOR KIT. Food! Funny, I just made a Mexican pork dish last night, pork pibil. it was dee-lish, great tacos. A friend suggested I swap out the tomatillos in the sauce for cumquat, I like that idea for the acid element. I'll report back.
24A. Place for an apian colony: HONEY BEE FARM
51A. Self-arming protection system: PASSIVE ALARM
64A. Beach party with shellfish: CLAMBAKE
Plain and straightforward theme from Gary. Nothing to complain about - except maybe "VAPOR KIT". I'd never heard of that, and Google seems to agree with me. It seems a little contrived. "VAPE" yes, otherwise - not so much.
So moving on:
Across:
1. "Cheers" cheer: NORM!
5. Lyft or Uber: APP
8. Makes fun of: MOCKS
13. Melville's "Typee" sequel: OMOO. Has anyone actually read this? It crops up in many crosswords - and has anyone actually read "Typee"? "Moby Dick" was a slog.
14. Seafood delicacy: ROE
15. "Oh, darn!": AW, RATS! Charlie Brown's favorite exclamation.
19. Dollhouse accessory: TEA SET. TEA POT slowed me down.
20. Playground retort: ARE SO!
21. ER "Now!": STAT!
23. "What fun!": WHEE!. There's a lot of exclamations today. I used to work for a Dubliner in London who called the exclamation point a "shriek". I got to like it. I asked him for the password to a computer account once when I was new, and he told me "shriek or shriek ..." I was thoroughly confused ... until I discovered he was saying "!R!". So if you want to know the password to the database administrator account at [redacted], it's "Shriek or Shriek password"
27. Married person: SPOUSE
30. "Furthermore ... ": ALSO ...
31. Keats' "Sylvan historian": URN.
32. Actor McShane and novelist McEwan: IANS. I'm fans of both.
35. Fields of study: AREAS
43. Offspring: SPAWN. Usually "hell-spawn" for some reason.
44. Merrie __ England: OLDE. The Renaissance Fair doesn't really do justice to how pretty nasty conditions were in "Merry Old England".
45. Alumna bio word: NÉE
46. "Argo" setting: IRAN
48. One of the four Evangelists: ST. MARK. Matthew, Luke and John were his Evangelist compadres.
56. May, to Peter Parker: AUNT
57. North-of-the-border brand: ESSO. Across-the-Atlantic brand too.
58. Kick to the next level: AMP UP
62. Scribe: WRITER
66. Inhumane one: SADIST. Actually, the Marquis de Sade gets a little bum rap for this, so I've read.
67. The whole lot: ALL.
68. Frank: OPEN
69. Flows slowly: SEEPS
70. Chi follower: PSI
71. Gridiron play: PASS
Down:
1. Super star: NOVA. So here's a little musical interlude to a "supernova" band who apparently predicted their explosion to fame and implosion in an omnishambles quite accurately. Damn, they were good.
2. "Rubáiyát" poet Khayyám: OMAR. I'm glad I didn't have to go look for the diacriticals in the clue, I'd have been busy all day.
3. One may be tied around a saddle horn: ROPE
4. Chinese dish with pancakes: MOO SHU. Food!
5. Torah holder: ARK
6. Composure: POISE
7. Picayune: PETTY
8. Fisher-Price parent: MATTEL. They have a "Hot Wheels" branded bus that ferries folk between their two campuses in El Segundo her in LA. It's pretty cool. When you are waiting in the lobby they have a "bus cam" so you can see where it is.
9. Need to pay: OWE
10. "Mommie Dearest" mommie: CRAWFORD
11. Buckwheat dish: KASHA. I had never heard of this before, so, obviously, I'm going to make it at the weekend and see what's what.
12. Ranch critter: STEER. Critter? Terrible clue.
16. Goblet part: STEM
18. Outback hoppers: ROOS
22. Cut down to size: ABASED
25. Teutonic turndown: NEIN
26. Morales of "La Bamba": ESAI
27. Basic math homework: SUMS
28. Help the chef: PREP. You're welcome to join me in my kitchen. I'll prep for you if you'll return the favor.
29. Draft card designation: ONE-A
33. More than apologizes: ATONES
34. Org. with Canadiens and Canucks: NHL
36. Poet St. Vincent Millay: EDNA
37. Astro or Angel: AL'ER. Baseball, ask C.C.
38. Car radio button: SEEK
40. Drawstring alternative: TWIST TIE. Creative clue.
41. Crucifix letters: INRI
42. Painted Desert landform: MESA
47. Heads off: AVERTS
49. Airport conveyance: TRAM. The longest and most aggravating tram contest is a three-way playoff between San Franscisco, Atlanta and Newark.
50. 1997 chart-topper for Hanson: MMMBOP. I looked it up on YouTube. The chorus was vaguely familiar. What I was stunned about was the ads for the current tour. I assumed they all retired when their voices broke.
51. Bear hands: PAWS
52. Mysterious glows: AURAS
53. Like some remarks: SNIDE
54. Music licensing fee-collecting org.: ASCAP
55. Takes it easy: LOLLS.
59. Nickname for Haydn: PAPA
60. Hawaiian strings: UKES.
61. Rollerball items: PENS I was trying to fit rollerskate-related items in here, then I looked at what I was holding in my hand.
63. Ability to pick things up?: ESP
65. Boxing legend: ALI. I know I've said before, I "met" Muhammad once in an elevator at Warner Bros. We had an understanding not to approach anyone you ran into on the lot, but I couldn't resist shaking his hand and calling him "Champ". He was an amazing man.
With that, here's the grid.
Steve
Notes from C.C.:
Good luck to Picard (Robert), who's having a major surgery today. Please send positive thoughts to his way.
39A. Come to a compromise ... and a homophonic hint to what each of four long answers contains: MEET IN THE MIDDLE
17A. E-cig user's package: VAPOR KIT. Food! Funny, I just made a Mexican pork dish last night, pork pibil. it was dee-lish, great tacos. A friend suggested I swap out the tomatillos in the sauce for cumquat, I like that idea for the acid element. I'll report back.
24A. Place for an apian colony: HONEY BEE FARM
51A. Self-arming protection system: PASSIVE ALARM
64A. Beach party with shellfish: CLAMBAKE
Plain and straightforward theme from Gary. Nothing to complain about - except maybe "VAPOR KIT". I'd never heard of that, and Google seems to agree with me. It seems a little contrived. "VAPE" yes, otherwise - not so much.
So moving on:
Across:
1. "Cheers" cheer: NORM!
5. Lyft or Uber: APP
8. Makes fun of: MOCKS
13. Melville's "Typee" sequel: OMOO. Has anyone actually read this? It crops up in many crosswords - and has anyone actually read "Typee"? "Moby Dick" was a slog.
14. Seafood delicacy: ROE
15. "Oh, darn!": AW, RATS! Charlie Brown's favorite exclamation.
19. Dollhouse accessory: TEA SET. TEA POT slowed me down.
20. Playground retort: ARE SO!
21. ER "Now!": STAT!
23. "What fun!": WHEE!. There's a lot of exclamations today. I used to work for a Dubliner in London who called the exclamation point a "shriek". I got to like it. I asked him for the password to a computer account once when I was new, and he told me "shriek or shriek ..." I was thoroughly confused ... until I discovered he was saying "!R!". So if you want to know the password to the database administrator account at [redacted], it's "Shriek or Shriek password"
27. Married person: SPOUSE
30. "Furthermore ... ": ALSO ...
31. Keats' "Sylvan historian": URN.
Thou still unravish'd bride of quietness,
Thou foster-child of silence and slow time,
Sylvan historian, who canst thus express
A flowery tale more sweetly than our rhyme:
32. Actor McShane and novelist McEwan: IANS. I'm fans of both.
35. Fields of study: AREAS
43. Offspring: SPAWN. Usually "hell-spawn" for some reason.
44. Merrie __ England: OLDE. The Renaissance Fair doesn't really do justice to how pretty nasty conditions were in "Merry Old England".
45. Alumna bio word: NÉE
46. "Argo" setting: IRAN
48. One of the four Evangelists: ST. MARK. Matthew, Luke and John were his Evangelist compadres.
56. May, to Peter Parker: AUNT
57. North-of-the-border brand: ESSO. Across-the-Atlantic brand too.
58. Kick to the next level: AMP UP
62. Scribe: WRITER
66. Inhumane one: SADIST. Actually, the Marquis de Sade gets a little bum rap for this, so I've read.
67. The whole lot: ALL.
68. Frank: OPEN
69. Flows slowly: SEEPS
70. Chi follower: PSI
71. Gridiron play: PASS
Down:
1. Super star: NOVA. So here's a little musical interlude to a "supernova" band who apparently predicted their explosion to fame and implosion in an omnishambles quite accurately. Damn, they were good.
2. "Rubáiyát" poet Khayyám: OMAR. I'm glad I didn't have to go look for the diacriticals in the clue, I'd have been busy all day.
3. One may be tied around a saddle horn: ROPE
4. Chinese dish with pancakes: MOO SHU. Food!
5. Torah holder: ARK
6. Composure: POISE
7. Picayune: PETTY
8. Fisher-Price parent: MATTEL. They have a "Hot Wheels" branded bus that ferries folk between their two campuses in El Segundo her in LA. It's pretty cool. When you are waiting in the lobby they have a "bus cam" so you can see where it is.
9. Need to pay: OWE
10. "Mommie Dearest" mommie: CRAWFORD
11. Buckwheat dish: KASHA. I had never heard of this before, so, obviously, I'm going to make it at the weekend and see what's what.
12. Ranch critter: STEER. Critter? Terrible clue.
16. Goblet part: STEM
18. Outback hoppers: ROOS
22. Cut down to size: ABASED
25. Teutonic turndown: NEIN
26. Morales of "La Bamba": ESAI
27. Basic math homework: SUMS
28. Help the chef: PREP. You're welcome to join me in my kitchen. I'll prep for you if you'll return the favor.
29. Draft card designation: ONE-A
33. More than apologizes: ATONES
34. Org. with Canadiens and Canucks: NHL
36. Poet St. Vincent Millay: EDNA
37. Astro or Angel: AL'ER. Baseball, ask C.C.
38. Car radio button: SEEK
40. Drawstring alternative: TWIST TIE. Creative clue.
41. Crucifix letters: INRI
42. Painted Desert landform: MESA
47. Heads off: AVERTS
49. Airport conveyance: TRAM. The longest and most aggravating tram contest is a three-way playoff between San Franscisco, Atlanta and Newark.
50. 1997 chart-topper for Hanson: MMMBOP. I looked it up on YouTube. The chorus was vaguely familiar. What I was stunned about was the ads for the current tour. I assumed they all retired when their voices broke.
51. Bear hands: PAWS
52. Mysterious glows: AURAS
53. Like some remarks: SNIDE
54. Music licensing fee-collecting org.: ASCAP
55. Takes it easy: LOLLS.
59. Nickname for Haydn: PAPA
60. Hawaiian strings: UKES.
61. Rollerball items: PENS I was trying to fit rollerskate-related items in here, then I looked at what I was holding in my hand.
63. Ability to pick things up?: ESP
65. Boxing legend: ALI. I know I've said before, I "met" Muhammad once in an elevator at Warner Bros. We had an understanding not to approach anyone you ran into on the lot, but I couldn't resist shaking his hand and calling him "Champ". He was an amazing man.
With that, here's the grid.
Steve
Notes from C.C.:
Good luck to Picard (Robert), who's having a major surgery today. Please send positive thoughts to his way.
Picard and his Wife, Tahoe, 2016
