Theme: Leave nothing to the imagination. You might wonder what that means, but all will be revealed. Meanwhile, here is today's theme song.
17 A. *Well-worn, as carpets: THREAD BARE. Having the nap worn off, so that the thread shows; thus, worn out and shabby. Does the second word, now taken as a verb, indicate becoming naked, or early nude like Mother EVE?
25 A. *Lawn mower's spot: GARDEN SHED. An out building used to store garden and yard maintenance tools and accessories. The second word, as a verb, means to rid oneself of, slough off or lose something.
38 A. *Give the go-ahead from the control tower: CLEAR FOR TAKE OFF. Assure that a plane may now go airborne with no danger of collision with other departing or approaching aircraft. But the last two words, taken as a verb form, indicate the removal of something - such as free: clothing. [I'm detecting a pattern here.]
61 A. *Slapstick slipper?: BANANA PEEL. Slapstick is a form of low comedy based around pratfalls and mild comic violence. The second word, as a verb, indicates the removal of an outer layer, as from a fruit or burlesque actor.
50 A. *"Dilbert," e.g.: COMIC STRIP. A sequence of drawings, often cartoon, arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative. The second word, again as a verb, means to remove the coverings from something, or - more specifically - an act of undressing, especially before an audience. Hence, today's alternate theme song.
And the unifier -- 69 A. Remove, as clothing ... and a hint to the ends of the answers to starred clues: DOFF. Well, if you were wondering what this is about, this should remove all doubt. Anybody up for naked puzzle solving? Or maybe it's bath time.
Hi gang - it's JazzBumpa, and under my cloths, I'm naked. Now you know. Gratuitous verberization - the reckless transformation of innocent helpless nouns into verbs sets my teeth on edge. The classic example is "parent." Ugh! But in this puzzle, we have none of that. The key words in their fill phrases are other parts of speech; but in a different context are perfectly legitimate verbs. With that mini-rant out of the way, let's go boldly forth and see what else we can uncover.
Across:
1. Triangular sails: JIBS. A jib is a triangular sail that sets ahead of the foremast of a sailing vessel. Its tack is fixed to the bowsprit, to the bows, or to the deck between the bowsprit and the foremost mast.
5. Giant among speakers: BOSE. Brand name.
9. Belfry hangers: BATS. And you know what is on the belfry floor - crazy stuff.
13. Online money: E-CASH.
15. Scoville __: chili pepper heat measurement: UNIT - of measurement; a subjective estimate of the heat sensation of the pepper due to its concentration of capsaicinoids.
16. Overly fussy, say: ANAL. This is a non-technical use of the term which more specifically [since we're revealing all here] is relating to or denoting a stage of infantile psychosexual development supposedly preoccupied with the anus and defecation.
19. Tiny: ITSY. Minuscule.
2. 10-time MLB All-Star: ICHIRO. Suzuki [b 1973] is a Japanese former professional baseball outfielder who played 28 seasons combined in top-level professional leagues. He spent the bulk of his career with two teams: nine seasons with the Orix BlueWave of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) in Japan, where he began his career, and 14 with the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States. There's a lot more to his illustrious career, and you can read about it here.
3. Like fishhooks, usually: BARBED. Having a sharp point that sticks out and backward from a larger point
4. Atlanta-to-Miami dir.: SSE.
5. Forrest's shrimp-loving friend: BUBBA. Michael T. "Mykelti" Williamson (b. 1957) is an American actor best known for his roles in the films Forrest Gump, Con Air and Ali, and the television shows Boomtown, 24, and Justified.
6. Broadcasting: ON AIR.
7. __ Elton John: SIR. On Feb. 24 in 1998, Elton John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight) became Sir Elton John, knighted by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace. He was awarded the title of Knight Bachelor for "services to music and charitable services."
8. Mont Blanc summer: ETE. French.
9. Uses a bucket in a boat: BAILS. Scooping out water.
10. Film noir protagonist: ANTI-HERO. A central character in a story, movie, or drama who lacks conventional heroic attributes.
11. Suggested, flavorwise: TASTED OF.
12. Cunning: SLY. Having or showing a cunning and deceitful nature.
14. "Macbeth" role: HAG. The Three Witches, also known as the Weird Sisters or Wayward Sisters, are characters in William Shakespeare's play Macbeth
18. Follow closely: DOG. Follow (someone or their movements) closely and persistently.
22. Kenan Thompson is its longest-tenured cast member, briefly: SNL. Saturday Night Live, broadcast since 1975.
24. Loi maker: SENAT. The French SENAT makes laws.
26. Uses Pledge, say: DUSTS. Multi Surface Furniture Polish Spray that works On Wood Granite And Leather.
27. Patronize, as a restaurant: EAT AT.
28. Behind: DUFF. The human posterior. DUFFS may be observed when togs are DOFFED.
30. French sea: MER. Equally wet in any language.
34. "Hair" styles: AFROS. Prominent in the musical "HAIR."
35. Fowl pole: ROOST. Where a bird sits - and a nice word play.
36. Big time: ERA.
37. Danger: PERIL.
38. In vogue: CHIC.
39. Chewy candy: LICORICE. A confection usually flavoured and coloured black with the extract of the roots of the liquorice plant Glycyrrhiza glabra.
40. Periodic table items: ELEMENTS. Each of more than one hundred substances that cannot be chemically interconverted or broken down into simpler substances and are primary constituents of matter. Each element is distinguished by its atomic number, i.e. the number of protons in the nuclei of its atoms.
41. Tap site: KEG. Container for ale or beer.
45. Dating letters: BCE. Before the Common Era
47. Mariners' park, familiarly and formerly: SAFECO. Now known as T-Mobile Park.
48. Lose interest in: TIRE OF.
49. Minn. college: ST OLAF. St. Olaf College is a private liberal arts college in Northfield, Minnesota. The school was founded in 1874 on the land of the Wahpekute Band of the Dakota Nation by a group of Norwegian-American settler colonial pastors and farmers, led by Pastor Bernt Julius Muus.
51. Atlas box: INSET. An inset map is a smaller map inset within a larger map. Inset maps can show the location of the main map in the context of a larger area or show more detail of a portion of the main map.
5. Giant among speakers: BOSE. Brand name.
9. Belfry hangers: BATS. And you know what is on the belfry floor - crazy stuff.
13. Online money: E-CASH.
15. Scoville __: chili pepper heat measurement: UNIT - of measurement; a subjective estimate of the heat sensation of the pepper due to its concentration of capsaicinoids.
16. Overly fussy, say: ANAL. This is a non-technical use of the term which more specifically [since we're revealing all here] is relating to or denoting a stage of infantile psychosexual development supposedly preoccupied with the anus and defecation.
19. Tiny: ITSY. Minuscule.
20. Bro or sis: SIB. People who share parents.
21. Desert partly in northern China: GOBI. And partly in Mongolia. The GOBI is a rain shadow desert, formed by the Tibetan Plateau blocking precipitation from the Indian Ocean reaching the Gobi territory. It is the sixth largest desert in the world and the second largest in Asia after the Arabian Desert.
22. Put a thin cut in: SLIT. As with a sharp knife.
23. Greek Mars: ARES. Gods of war.
29. Internet connection: MODEM. A combined device for modulation and demodulation, for example, between the digital data of a computer and the analog signal of a phone line.
31. "Friendly Skies" co.: UAL. United Airlines Holding Company.
32. URL ending of a 37-Across: EDU. As in EDUcation.
33. Least distant: NEAREST. Where you should keep your enemies.
37. Campus VIP: PROF. A Professor.
42. To the __: maximally: HILT. Completely, to the maximum degree, as in The house was mortgaged up to the hilt. This idiom alludes to the handle (hilt) of a sword, the only portion that remains out when the weapon is plunged all the way in.
43. Oven pan: ROASTER. A pan for roasting meat.
44. Cooling rocks: ICE. Slangily.
45. Diddley and Peep: BOS. Plural of a proper name
46. Core concepts: GISTS. The substance or essence of speeches or texts.
55. Metz milk: LAIT. Metz is a city in north-east France.
56. Russo of "Tin Cup": RENE. Rene Marie Russo [b.1954] is an American actress and model. She has appeared in many comedy, thriller and action-adventure films
57. Loads from lodes: ORES. Mineral deposits from which metals may be refined, and a nice word play.
59. To and __: FRO. Back and forth.
60. Marine steering mechanisms: FINS. Frequently found on fish.
64. Entr'__: ACTE. Entr'acte means "between the acts". It can mean a pause between two parts of a stage production, synonymous to an intermission, but it more often indicates a piece of music performed between acts of a theatrical production.
65. Writer Harte: BRET. Bret Harte [1836 - 1902] was an American short story writer and poet, best remembered for short fiction featuring miners, gamblers, and other romantic figures of the California Gold Rush. In a career spanning more than four decades,
66. Swiss Miss product: COCOA. A chocolate powder made from roasted and ground cacao seeds
67. Common awards word: BEST. As in : "Movie," or "In Show."
68. Barrie's nonconformist pirate: SMEE. Hook's side kick, but I do not understand the clue.
Down:
21. Desert partly in northern China: GOBI. And partly in Mongolia. The GOBI is a rain shadow desert, formed by the Tibetan Plateau blocking precipitation from the Indian Ocean reaching the Gobi territory. It is the sixth largest desert in the world and the second largest in Asia after the Arabian Desert.
22. Put a thin cut in: SLIT. As with a sharp knife.
23. Greek Mars: ARES. Gods of war.
29. Internet connection: MODEM. A combined device for modulation and demodulation, for example, between the digital data of a computer and the analog signal of a phone line.
31. "Friendly Skies" co.: UAL. United Airlines Holding Company.
32. URL ending of a 37-Across: EDU. As in EDUcation.
33. Least distant: NEAREST. Where you should keep your enemies.
37. Campus VIP: PROF. A Professor.
42. To the __: maximally: HILT. Completely, to the maximum degree, as in The house was mortgaged up to the hilt. This idiom alludes to the handle (hilt) of a sword, the only portion that remains out when the weapon is plunged all the way in.
43. Oven pan: ROASTER. A pan for roasting meat.
44. Cooling rocks: ICE. Slangily.
45. Diddley and Peep: BOS. Plural of a proper name
46. Core concepts: GISTS. The substance or essence of speeches or texts.
55. Metz milk: LAIT. Metz is a city in north-east France.
56. Russo of "Tin Cup": RENE. Rene Marie Russo [b.1954] is an American actress and model. She has appeared in many comedy, thriller and action-adventure films
57. Loads from lodes: ORES. Mineral deposits from which metals may be refined, and a nice word play.
59. To and __: FRO. Back and forth.
60. Marine steering mechanisms: FINS. Frequently found on fish.
64. Entr'__: ACTE. Entr'acte means "between the acts". It can mean a pause between two parts of a stage production, synonymous to an intermission, but it more often indicates a piece of music performed between acts of a theatrical production.
65. Writer Harte: BRET. Bret Harte [1836 - 1902] was an American short story writer and poet, best remembered for short fiction featuring miners, gamblers, and other romantic figures of the California Gold Rush. In a career spanning more than four decades,
66. Swiss Miss product: COCOA. A chocolate powder made from roasted and ground cacao seeds
67. Common awards word: BEST. As in : "Movie," or "In Show."
68. Barrie's nonconformist pirate: SMEE. Hook's side kick, but I do not understand the clue.
Down:
1. Stuff thrown overboard: JETSAM. Unwanted material or goods that have been thrown overboard from a ship and washed ashore, especially material that has been discarded to lighten the vessel.
2. 10-time MLB All-Star: ICHIRO. Suzuki [b 1973] is a Japanese former professional baseball outfielder who played 28 seasons combined in top-level professional leagues. He spent the bulk of his career with two teams: nine seasons with the Orix BlueWave of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) in Japan, where he began his career, and 14 with the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States. There's a lot more to his illustrious career, and you can read about it here.
3. Like fishhooks, usually: BARBED. Having a sharp point that sticks out and backward from a larger point
4. Atlanta-to-Miami dir.: SSE.
5. Forrest's shrimp-loving friend: BUBBA. Michael T. "Mykelti" Williamson (b. 1957) is an American actor best known for his roles in the films Forrest Gump, Con Air and Ali, and the television shows Boomtown, 24, and Justified.
6. Broadcasting: ON AIR.
7. __ Elton John: SIR. On Feb. 24 in 1998, Elton John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight) became Sir Elton John, knighted by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace. He was awarded the title of Knight Bachelor for "services to music and charitable services."
8. Mont Blanc summer: ETE. French.
9. Uses a bucket in a boat: BAILS. Scooping out water.
10. Film noir protagonist: ANTI-HERO. A central character in a story, movie, or drama who lacks conventional heroic attributes.
11. Suggested, flavorwise: TASTED OF.
12. Cunning: SLY. Having or showing a cunning and deceitful nature.
14. "Macbeth" role: HAG. The Three Witches, also known as the Weird Sisters or Wayward Sisters, are characters in William Shakespeare's play Macbeth
18. Follow closely: DOG. Follow (someone or their movements) closely and persistently.
22. Kenan Thompson is its longest-tenured cast member, briefly: SNL. Saturday Night Live, broadcast since 1975.
24. Loi maker: SENAT. The French SENAT makes laws.
26. Uses Pledge, say: DUSTS. Multi Surface Furniture Polish Spray that works On Wood Granite And Leather.
27. Patronize, as a restaurant: EAT AT.
28. Behind: DUFF. The human posterior. DUFFS may be observed when togs are DOFFED.
30. French sea: MER. Equally wet in any language.
34. "Hair" styles: AFROS. Prominent in the musical "HAIR."
35. Fowl pole: ROOST. Where a bird sits - and a nice word play.
36. Big time: ERA.
37. Danger: PERIL.
38. In vogue: CHIC.
39. Chewy candy: LICORICE. A confection usually flavoured and coloured black with the extract of the roots of the liquorice plant Glycyrrhiza glabra.
40. Periodic table items: ELEMENTS. Each of more than one hundred substances that cannot be chemically interconverted or broken down into simpler substances and are primary constituents of matter. Each element is distinguished by its atomic number, i.e. the number of protons in the nuclei of its atoms.
41. Tap site: KEG. Container for ale or beer.
45. Dating letters: BCE. Before the Common Era
47. Mariners' park, familiarly and formerly: SAFECO. Now known as T-Mobile Park.
48. Lose interest in: TIRE OF.
49. Minn. college: ST OLAF. St. Olaf College is a private liberal arts college in Northfield, Minnesota. The school was founded in 1874 on the land of the Wahpekute Band of the Dakota Nation by a group of Norwegian-American settler colonial pastors and farmers, led by Pastor Bernt Julius Muus.
51. Atlas box: INSET. An inset map is a smaller map inset within a larger map. Inset maps can show the location of the main map in the context of a larger area or show more detail of a portion of the main map.
52. Actress Blakley: RONEE. Ronee Sue Blakley (b. 1945) is an American actress, singer-songwriter, composer, producer and director, perhaps best known for her work as an actress.
53. Steamed: IRATE. Angry
54. Ballpoint, e.g.: PEN. Writing implement.
58. Bunt on a scorecard: SAC. SACrifice. Deliberately batting the ball a short distance with the expectation of making an out at first base while advancing a runner already on base.
60. Groovy: FAB. Cool, man.
61. Air rifle ammo: BBS. Small metal spheres used as projectiles.
62. Chair part: ARM. They also have legs, a seat, and a back. Hmm - they're almost human.
63. i follower: POD. An i-Pod is an electronic device for storing and playing back music.
53. Steamed: IRATE. Angry
54. Ballpoint, e.g.: PEN. Writing implement.
58. Bunt on a scorecard: SAC. SACrifice. Deliberately batting the ball a short distance with the expectation of making an out at first base while advancing a runner already on base.
60. Groovy: FAB. Cool, man.
61. Air rifle ammo: BBS. Small metal spheres used as projectiles.
62. Chair part: ARM. They also have legs, a seat, and a back. Hmm - they're almost human.
63. i follower: POD. An i-Pod is an electronic device for storing and playing back music.
That's it for today. If you DOFF your apparel and go outside naked, remember your sunscreen, and that you'll need it everywhere, especially on your DUFF, and other places where the sun don't usually shine.
Cool regards!
JzB
