Theme O no! Are we missing an "O"? Yes, we are.
17A. Run-of-the-mill deity?: COMMON GOD. Common good. The Roman and Greek gods were pretty common, one for every day, event and situation.
23A. Officer who helps keep public statues clean?: PIGEON COP. Pigeon coop. The pigeon cops might be busier with paint than poop right now.
35A. Junior faculty member?: CHILD PROF. Childproof. Dougie Howser, MD?
50A. One who campaigns on traffic congestion issues?: BUMPER POL. Bumper pool. I'd never heard of this game, but when I looked it up reminded me of "bar billiards" - almost every public bar in an English pub had a bar billiards table and a dartboard. There were local leagues in both darts and bar billiards to drum up business on slower midweek evenings.
58A. Mechanical bull rider?: COWBOY BOT. Cowboy boot. I like the clue - my first leaning was towards the rider of a mechanical bull, rather than the rider being mechanical. I liked the uncertainty. Oh, and if you're ever tempted to ride a mechanical bull, don't.
Thank you, Roland. Let's see what we can find in the fill:
Across:
1. Mexican bar tender: PESO.
5. Final notice?: OBIT.
9. Queen Amidala's home planet: NABOO. I just don't do well with science fiction characters - I recently watched all three Star Wars movies which featured the good queen Padmé, and I have no recollection of her last name nor her planet.
14. Petri dish gelatin: AGAR.
15. Small parasite: MITE.
16. Enmity: ODIUM.
19. Many converted apartments: LOFTS.
20. Muse of comedy: THALIA. I had to guess at the "H" as I'd never heard of the crossing SAM HILL and I don't have all my muses down pat. "H" seemed to make the most sense though so I avoided the dreaded Natick.
21. Billionaire financier George: SOROS.
22. Tedious routine: GRIND.
27. Feel poorly: AIL.
28. Sprain application: ICE PACK. I hate it when I have to ice a sprain or a swelling, to me it''s more uncomfortable than the injury itself.
30. Taking after: ALA.
31. 1984 mermaid romcom: SPLASH.
33. Reggie Jackson's alma mater, briefly: A.S.U. Arizona State.I very much like Reggie, he was a class act when he played and remains so as a broadcaster. I was surprised by ASU though - I just assumed he went to one of the "powerhouse" schools - Duke, UNC, UCLA or one of the many others. I think I respect him more now I know he didn't.
34. Auto pioneer: OLDS.
38. Tummy trouble: ACHE.
41. Gear with a bill: CAP.
42. Got around: EVADED.
46. Head of Britain?: LOO. Restrooms. I hate to spoil the fun with this one, but the maritime "head" is called - wait for it - a "head" in Britain too.
47. Cohort: COMRADE.
49. Santana's "__ Como Va": OYE. Can't not link this one here !
52. Party hearty: REVEL.
54. Sussex set: TELLY. In the UK, the TV is also called a "telly" (hence "Teletubbies".) Sussex is a county south of London. There's some bloke who recently moved to Montecito just up the street from me who claims to be the Duke of Sussex. I think we've had the discussion recently that there's an Sussex, a Wessex, an Essex and a Middlesex. But no Norsex. Northhampton is in Northhamptonshire, but Southampton is in Hampshire, and there's no such place as Southamptonshire. The county of Devon is called Devon, but the clotted cream is "Devonshire cream". The pasties from Cornwall, right next door, are called Cornish Pasties, not Cornwallshire Pasties. Worcestershire sauce comes from Worcestershire, but is pronounced Wuster, the same as Worcester, the county town. No wonder the tourists get confused. I could go on, but I think the room has gone quiet so I'd better go before I'm gonged off.
55. Fraternal meeting places: LODGES.
57. Hearing-related: AURAL.
61. "24K Magic" singer Mars: BRUNO. Darn, I used my musical link on Carlos.
62. Double Delight cookie: OREO. Please can we not have an OREO fill for - let's say - 40 days - let's give up OREO for Crossword Lent. There may be a few others to go in the "can't use" bag too.
63. Peel: PARE.
64. Small change: CENTS.
65. Coiffure site: TETE.
66. Genealogy chart: TREE.
Down:
1. Lobbying gp.: PAC. I sprung for PTA first which made me smile when I saw the error of my ways.
2. Voyage taken alone?: EGO TRIP.
3. Quaint euphemism for "hell": SAM HILL. A learning moment for me. I've never heard the expression but I can quite easily hear an old-timer exclaiming - "Gosh darn it, what the Sam Hill is that?"
4. "The 9 Steps to Financial Freedom" author: ORMAN.
5. Luxury hotel chain: OMNI.
6. Galoot: BIG APE.
7. Olympic skater Midori: ITO.
8. British poet Hughes who was married to Sylvia Plath: TED. Ted was an "earthy" poet, and when he was appointed Poet Laureate, there were some wags who parodied his style for occasions such as the Queen's Birthday. This is the inimitable Peter Cook (last four verses only for brevity):
9. Like some basketball passes: NO-LOOK. Reggie was a master at the no-look pass.
10. Festoon: ADORN.
11. Two-part lens: BIFOCAL. I have progressives - they took a little time to get used to (falling down stairs was always on the cards) but I eventually got used to them and now wouldn't be without them.
12. Peddled faster than: OUT-SOLD.
13. Meditation sounds: OMS.
18. Somewhat passé: OLD-ISH.
21. Tied down: SECURED.
22. Beetle juice?: GAS.
24. High-end tablet: IPAD PRO. I didn't know there was a "Pro" version? I guess now I do.
25. [She actually said that?!]: GASP!
26. Faux __: PAS.
29. Coffee-flavoring root: CHICORY. I first had chicory-flavored coffee in France many years ago. I thought all fresh-ground espresso tasted like that. You know "muscle-memory" when you can repeat a movement over and over? I have "taste-memory" with chicory and coffee, it instantly takes me back to the first time I tasted it.
32. Top player: ACE.
34. Birds-feather connection: OF A.
36. Tanning device: LAMP.
37. Engage in to excess: OVERDO.
38. Priestly garb: ALB.
39. Fashionista's field: COUTURE.
40. It may be inside the park: HOME RUN. Isn't it "inside-the-park"? I can't edit the clues, but I think hyphens are involved.
43. Chocolate-coated ice cream treat: DOVE BAR.
44. Urban renewal target: EYESORE.
45. Part of a PC reboot sequence: DEL. CTRL-ALT-DEL. Sadly, very common and well-known. I don't think I've rebooted my Chromebook for two years.
47. Cumbersome instruments: CELLOS. Yeah, they're big buggers. I wouldn't like to be standing at the side of the road in the rain trying to hail a cab with a cello.
48. Utterly wrong: ALL WET.
51. Undercover agent: PLANT.
53. "Death on the Nile" setting: EGYPT.
56. Easy-to-carry instrument: OBOE. Now here's your ideal cab-hailing instrument. You could also play a happy ditty on the way home.
57. "The Good Doctor" network: ABC. Great series from the South Korean original based on a "Dougie Howser" character who is autistic. First season - impressive. Subsequent seasons - terrible. TV execs: know when to stop. Really.
58. Camp bed: COT.
59. Resource in The Settlers of Catan board game: ORE. Never heard of the game, but O** was a gimme.
60. Spot to drive from: TEE. Fore!
And, without futher repetition, hesitation or deviation, here's the grid!
Steve
17A. Run-of-the-mill deity?: COMMON GOD. Common good. The Roman and Greek gods were pretty common, one for every day, event and situation.
23A. Officer who helps keep public statues clean?: PIGEON COP. Pigeon coop. The pigeon cops might be busier with paint than poop right now.
35A. Junior faculty member?: CHILD PROF. Childproof. Dougie Howser, MD?
50A. One who campaigns on traffic congestion issues?: BUMPER POL. Bumper pool. I'd never heard of this game, but when I looked it up reminded me of "bar billiards" - almost every public bar in an English pub had a bar billiards table and a dartboard. There were local leagues in both darts and bar billiards to drum up business on slower midweek evenings.
58A. Mechanical bull rider?: COWBOY BOT. Cowboy boot. I like the clue - my first leaning was towards the rider of a mechanical bull, rather than the rider being mechanical. I liked the uncertainty. Oh, and if you're ever tempted to ride a mechanical bull, don't.
Thank you, Roland. Let's see what we can find in the fill:
Across:
1. Mexican bar tender: PESO.
5. Final notice?: OBIT.
9. Queen Amidala's home planet: NABOO. I just don't do well with science fiction characters - I recently watched all three Star Wars movies which featured the good queen Padmé, and I have no recollection of her last name nor her planet.
14. Petri dish gelatin: AGAR.
15. Small parasite: MITE.
16. Enmity: ODIUM.
19. Many converted apartments: LOFTS.
20. Muse of comedy: THALIA. I had to guess at the "H" as I'd never heard of the crossing SAM HILL and I don't have all my muses down pat. "H" seemed to make the most sense though so I avoided the dreaded Natick.
21. Billionaire financier George: SOROS.
22. Tedious routine: GRIND.
27. Feel poorly: AIL.
28. Sprain application: ICE PACK. I hate it when I have to ice a sprain or a swelling, to me it''s more uncomfortable than the injury itself.
30. Taking after: ALA.
31. 1984 mermaid romcom: SPLASH.
33. Reggie Jackson's alma mater, briefly: A.S.U. Arizona State.
34. Auto pioneer: OLDS.
38. Tummy trouble: ACHE.
41. Gear with a bill: CAP.
42. Got around: EVADED.
46. Head of Britain?: LOO. Restrooms. I hate to spoil the fun with this one, but the maritime "head" is called - wait for it - a "head" in Britain too.
47. Cohort: COMRADE.
49. Santana's "__ Como Va": OYE. Can't not link this one here !
52. Party hearty: REVEL.
54. Sussex set: TELLY. In the UK, the TV is also called a "telly" (hence "Teletubbies".) Sussex is a county south of London. There's some bloke who recently moved to Montecito just up the street from me who claims to be the Duke of Sussex. I think we've had the discussion recently that there's an Sussex, a Wessex, an Essex and a Middlesex. But no Norsex. Northhampton is in Northhamptonshire, but Southampton is in Hampshire, and there's no such place as Southamptonshire. The county of Devon is called Devon, but the clotted cream is "Devonshire cream". The pasties from Cornwall, right next door, are called Cornish Pasties, not Cornwallshire Pasties. Worcestershire sauce comes from Worcestershire, but is pronounced Wuster, the same as Worcester, the county town. No wonder the tourists get confused. I could go on, but I think the room has gone quiet so I'd better go before I'm gonged off.
55. Fraternal meeting places: LODGES.
57. Hearing-related: AURAL.
61. "24K Magic" singer Mars: BRUNO. Darn, I used my musical link on Carlos.
62. Double Delight cookie: OREO. Please can we not have an OREO fill for - let's say - 40 days - let's give up OREO for Crossword Lent. There may be a few others to go in the "can't use" bag too.
63. Peel: PARE.
64. Small change: CENTS.
65. Coiffure site: TETE.
66. Genealogy chart: TREE.
Down:
1. Lobbying gp.: PAC. I sprung for PTA first which made me smile when I saw the error of my ways.
2. Voyage taken alone?: EGO TRIP.
3. Quaint euphemism for "hell": SAM HILL. A learning moment for me. I've never heard the expression but I can quite easily hear an old-timer exclaiming - "Gosh darn it, what the Sam Hill is that?"
4. "The 9 Steps to Financial Freedom" author: ORMAN.
5. Luxury hotel chain: OMNI.
6. Galoot: BIG APE.
7. Olympic skater Midori: ITO.
8. British poet Hughes who was married to Sylvia Plath: TED. Ted was an "earthy" poet, and when he was appointed Poet Laureate, there were some wags who parodied his style for occasions such as the Queen's Birthday. This is the inimitable Peter Cook (last four verses only for brevity):
Old Stoatie falls in.
Rotting stoat
Body carcass
Gleaming fish nibbled
Carrion of death
Sodden fur bulging
Eyes
Old Stoatie's
Rather had it.
Happy Birthday
Your Majesty
10. Festoon: ADORN.
11. Two-part lens: BIFOCAL. I have progressives - they took a little time to get used to (falling down stairs was always on the cards) but I eventually got used to them and now wouldn't be without them.
12. Peddled faster than: OUT-SOLD.
13. Meditation sounds: OMS.
18. Somewhat passé: OLD-ISH.
21. Tied down: SECURED.
22. Beetle juice?: GAS.
24. High-end tablet: IPAD PRO. I didn't know there was a "Pro" version? I guess now I do.
25. [She actually said that?!]: GASP!
26. Faux __: PAS.
29. Coffee-flavoring root: CHICORY. I first had chicory-flavored coffee in France many years ago. I thought all fresh-ground espresso tasted like that. You know "muscle-memory" when you can repeat a movement over and over? I have "taste-memory" with chicory and coffee, it instantly takes me back to the first time I tasted it.
32. Top player: ACE.
34. Birds-feather connection: OF A.
36. Tanning device: LAMP.
37. Engage in to excess: OVERDO.
38. Priestly garb: ALB.
39. Fashionista's field: COUTURE.
40. It may be inside the park: HOME RUN. Isn't it "inside-the-park"? I can't edit the clues, but I think hyphens are involved.
43. Chocolate-coated ice cream treat: DOVE BAR.
44. Urban renewal target: EYESORE.
45. Part of a PC reboot sequence: DEL. CTRL-ALT-DEL. Sadly, very common and well-known. I don't think I've rebooted my Chromebook for two years.
47. Cumbersome instruments: CELLOS. Yeah, they're big buggers. I wouldn't like to be standing at the side of the road in the rain trying to hail a cab with a cello.
48. Utterly wrong: ALL WET.
51. Undercover agent: PLANT.
53. "Death on the Nile" setting: EGYPT.
56. Easy-to-carry instrument: OBOE. Now here's your ideal cab-hailing instrument. You could also play a happy ditty on the way home.
57. "The Good Doctor" network: ABC. Great series from the South Korean original based on a "Dougie Howser" character who is autistic. First season - impressive. Subsequent seasons - terrible. TV execs: know when to stop. Really.
58. Camp bed: COT.
59. Resource in The Settlers of Catan board game: ORE. Never heard of the game, but O** was a gimme.
60. Spot to drive from: TEE. Fore!
And, without futher repetition, hesitation or deviation, here's the grid!
Steve
