Title: Having an anagram old time!
Hi, I have donned my plus-fours to caddie once again for JW, and will provide the tour for another Friday effort. This one is a true anagram puzzle, nothing but. Or is it? In the words of Ron Popeil - wait- there's more! All of the anagrams are accomplished by switching only the last two letters of an expression. And! Each is an ST becoming a TS! And what he conjures with this simple plan is very amusing and laughable or at least grinnable. I am not sure it is anything but coincidental the puzzle is running on Shabbat Shuvua- "Sabbath [of] Return" שבת שובה. But the puzzle is rife with religious rites, no lefts invited. This is another example of the skills JW has and his approach to creating a puzzle. I never know for sure which clues are his, but I know the theme was pure Jeffrey. I spoke with him and he was proud of the many layers in the simplicity of reversing ST to a TS. He also managed to include some great fill and very few 3 and 4 letter answers. ENAMELER, IDOLIZED, LITERATI, YALE BLUE, SEMESTERS, and SPARE TIRE.
On to the theme.
18A. Frenetic drummer's output?: SAVAGE BEATS (12). Is there a savage BEAST in all great drummers?
25A. Like a professional gambler's life?: ALL FOR THE BETS (13). Is gambling reall for the BEST?
39A. Consistently wins prizes for carrots, turnips, etc.?: RULES THE ROOTS (13). A CSO to all who rule their own ROOST.
50A. Specially designed Valentine's Day burgers?: PATTY HEARTS (12). Patty HEARST is no longer famous, but the sentiment is sweet. Oo serves me heart shaped rice often.
Across:1. Word with a wave: BYE. Bye Miss American Pie. A Boomer favorite song.
4. Table __: SCRAPS. This was hard for an easy one.
10. Big name in Norwegian history: OLAV. OLA_ wait for the perp.
14. Political scientist Bremmer: IAN. Ian Bremmer
16. Fountain with a wind: PETE. A CSO to our Louisiana group. Pete Lafontaine.
17. According to: À LA
20. Literally, half-year periods: SEMESTERS. From sex ‘six’ + mensis ‘month’, Latin.
22. Hawaii, on many maps: INSET. Most islands appear as insets.
23. Cast doubt upon: BELIE.
24. They're not from around here: ALIENS. Cute way to phrase this clue/fill.
29. Expected: DUE IN. My arrival in the office gets later and later as I age.
30. Theme park array: RIDES.
31. Marine bird: TERN. Not related to this song.
32. Stinky: FETID. Back so soon?
33. Legislative creation: BILL. Is that true Bill G., were you part of a legislative decision?
37. "Wonderful!": GREAT.
38. Debate fixtures: PODIA. The Latin plural for words ending -ium.
42. Butter source: PEANUT. There are so many non-dairy kinds of butter in your Whole Foods aisles.
44. Row divider: AISLE. Did I see that coming?
45. Golf nickname: ARNIE. Now tied with Tiger for most PGA titles.
46. Flat out?: SPARE TIRE. Whimsical, but tricky. My spare tires go with me everywhere.
52. Veer sharply: ZAG. Add a ZIG and you have some rolling papers.
53. Like Magellan, for long periods: ASEA.
54. Correctly, old-style: ARIGHT??????
55. ORD posting: ETA. Estimated Time of Arrival.
56. Jumbotron displays, briefly: LEDS. The Orthodox Rabbi's Union has approved them for SHABBAT.
57. "Good riddance": NO LOSS.
58. Worked on: DID.
Down:
1. Prejudice: BIAS. No prejudice here at the Corner; all are welcome.
2. Official school color since 1894: YALE BLUE. HISTORY.
3. Jewelry artisan: ENAMELER. A ten-dollar word.
4. Stretch in therapy, say: SESSION. Why aren't they called visits?
5. Evidence of a large impact: CRATER. The Dinosaur killers?
6. Wander: ROVE. Have not heard from Karl for a while.
7. Month between Shevat and Nisan: ADAR. It also can have a twin, ADAR II for the 7 years that need a leap month on the Hebrew calendar.
8. Hat-hanging aids: PEGS.
9. Montpelier-to-Providence dir.: SSE.
10. Christmas morning cry: OPEN IT. Really?
11. Auto options: LEASES.
12. When some local news is broadcast: AT TEN.
13. Road workers' garb: VESTS. Generally reflective.
19. "Greatest gymnast ever," per Retton: BILES.
21. Like storied North Pole workers: ELFIN.
24. Not up: ABED.
25. Home security giant: ADT. It all started on April 5, 1874, with a nighttime break-in. American District Telegraph (ADT) Founder Edward Callahan created a telegraph-based "call-box" to signal for assistance to a central office. He quickly connected 50 other homes in the neighborhood, creating the first residential security system network.
26. Tundra's lack, usually: TREES. Not always. LINK.
27. Try to strike: HIT AT. Try to?
28. Bunker of note: EDITH. She was the star of the show for me.
32. Stew: FRET.
33. Helping hand: BOOST. Also a cell phone company and a protein shake.
34. Worshipped: IDOLIZED. Jews do not believe in idols no matter what Simon Cowell says. Did anyone watch the finale of AGT?
35. Ones who do things by the book?: LITERATI. Cute clue, but not the whole story as Literati were scholars in China and Japan whose poetry, calligraphy, and paintings were supposed primarily to reveal their cultivation and express their personal feelings rather than demonstrate professional skill. It has been coopted in the English speaking world for the Literate.
36. __ Cruces: LAS. New Mexico.
37. Sticky: GLUEY. Like many crossword clue/fill choices.
38. Aaron and Eli, in the Old Testament: PRIESTS. Many may not know but Moses' brother Aaron (my oldest boy's name) was the high priest of JUDAISM. The Egyptians also had priests and priestesses. LINK.
39. Carried on: RANTED. Enough religion for one puzzle; on to a different Sunday hero.
40. "The Golden Arm" of the Baltimore Colts: UNITAS. An outcast from Pittsburgh, who became an all-time great in Baltimore.
41. "At the __ Core": Burroughs novel: EARTH'S. One in a series Edgar Rice wrote about the hollow center of our planet.
42. Authoritative type of bull: PAPAL. These are written edicts from the sitting Pope of the Catholic Church and derive their name from the leaden seal on the document- BULLA. I was wrong, more religion.
43. Wipe out: ERASE. Or rub out.
46. Hematology prefix: SERO. From serology, the study of SERUM.
47. Traditional dairy farm item: PAIL. As a child living in a farming area with endless milk cows, my image of Mrs. O'Leary's cow knocking over the lantern while being milked seemed very real. Now I know it was unlikely to be true. The LEGEND. As we near the anniversary (October 8) I just learned it was not even the worst fire that night as PESHTIGO WISCONSIN had a fire that night that killed over 1,000 people.
48. Ship that sailed from Iolcus: ARGO. A CSO to me. MYTH
49. "Zounds!": EGAD.
51. Luke's pilot pal: HAN. Another SOLO write-up effort from me ending with a STAR WARS reference.
