Title: F as in Factor
As luck would have it, by switching with Moe to blog a JW puzzle, I am blogging another of his Friday frolics. One of his classic styles is an add a letter to create many punny places. Today is a simple exercise in adding an "F" to the beginning of an in the language phrase. The result is some serious frivolity, he said ironically. There may be more to it, but I have had an incredibly hectic week. The puzzle is sprinkled with so much yummy fill DIG THIS, LATERAL, PC DESKS, UNLINED, ADRIAN II, CEREMONY, DARKSIDE, DOG BRUSH, MEANNESS, PREPARED, RED NOSED and STEMWARE. If you do not like the introduction of PC Desks it generates about 244,000,000 results (1.29 seconds) on google.The feel is much more of a traditional Friday with fewer words and more open spaces and no abstruse gimmick. I am not suggesting it is an easy puzzle, certainly 1A was not a gimme but it is a Friday crossword.
19A. Like one hiding contraband on his person?: FRISK AVERSE.(11). Perhaps some LSD? You can't be risk averse if you are carrying.
24A. First-time hot-dog griller?: FRANK AMATEUR (12). By far my favorite of the themers, as I picture someone who keeps losing the dogs between the grill parts. The phrase “rank amateur” employed this sense to mean, as the Oxford English Dictionary puts it, “a person who is completely inexperienced or inept at a particular activity”44A. Like designers of Halloween costumes?: FRIGHT MINDED.(12). Right minded is probably too political and Fright minded missed the deadline.
55A. Campus anti-hazing policy, basically?: FRAT CONTROL (11).Some might say RATs and FRAT boys are hard to tell apart.
On to the rest
Across:
1. Takes over: CO-OPTS. One meaning is to assimilate, take, or win over into a larger or established group: The fledgling Labor party was co-opted by the Socialist party.
7. Set: PREPARED. Are you ready? I am all set.
15. Mendeleev's homeland: RUSSIA. This clue is used periodically.
16. Nobel Prize presentation, say: CEREMONY. More 8 letter fill COURTESY, EXERCISE, FUNCTION, HOLY RITE, OCCASION, PRACTICE, PRIMNESS and PROTOCOL that are synonyms.
17. Fix: ATTACH. Really?
48. Scout in "To Kill a Mockingbird," e.g.: GIRL.
49. Peninsular U.S. st.: FLA. CSO to all of us Flo-ridians
52. Org. with briefs: ABA. A CSO to all of us with law backgrounds
59. Lab neatener: DOG BRUSH. Not the laboratory but the puppies.
61. Face: VISAGE.
62. Ninth-century pope: ADRIAN II. You might not think this would be hard but there were twenty-one, yes 21 9th Century Popes!
63. Fill with love: ENAMOR.
64. Bully's trait: MEANNESS. Too many in the world.
65. Supremely irked: SOREST. It makes me sore.
Down:
6. Much of Algeria: SAHARA. Are desert their just desserts?
7. Modern office furniture: PC DESKS. This has billions of hits
8. With 13-Down, has a fender bender with: REAR. 13D. See 8-Down: ENDS.
9. Isn't correct: ERRS.
10. Toy since ancient times: PEKE. More very difficult cluing, as we are looking for a toy dog!
11. KLM hub letters: AMS. Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (IATA: AMS), known informally as Schiphol Airport is the, myself. main international airport of the Netherlands. If you know where KLM is based this is inferable. I like to call the airline Koninklijke Luchtvaartmaatschappij.
12. Agitate: ROIL. The word roil is often confused with rile, which has a slightly different meaning. If you roil someone you're stirring them up but not necessarily annoying them. To rile someone is to deliberately provoke or antagonize them. Dictionary.
14. Like gumdrops: DYED. Gumdrops are notoriously unhealthy, but I never thought about the food colorings being dyes.
20. Ute relative: VAN. I do not equate the colloquialism for a utility vehicle for a van which is an abbreviation of caravan.
24. It often includes trysts: FLING. Not on the football field.
25. Falcons' home: Abbr.: ATL. American Football.
26. "Give __ break!": ME A.
38. Nov. NJ setting: EST.
39. Rep. foe: DEM.
42. "Oh, man, check it out!": DIG THIS. Another flashback Jeffrey?
45. Actor Cage, casually: NIC. Is he ever casual?
46. Large numbers: DROVES. They will come in droves comes from cattle drives. Makes you think.
47. Climate-disrupting phenomenon: EL NINO.
49. Home-building stage: FRAME.
50. Colonel Sanders' head, and its ilk: LOGOS. I like this.
51. Watchful: ALERT.
52. Driver with lines: ADAM. Have you seen his sex scenes with Lady Gaga?
53. "This was my dream. What it doth __, God knows": "Henry VI, Part 2": BODE. Jeffrey will always include some Will in his puzzles, it just depends if Rich leaves it in.
56. Early writing symbol: RUNE. Maybe that is what ruined my handwriting.
57. Sale condition: AS IS. That is how you have to take me.
58. Past 15-Across leader: TSAR.
60. Receptacle: BIN. Laden?
1. Takes over: CO-OPTS. One meaning is to assimilate, take, or win over into a larger or established group: The fledgling Labor party was co-opted by the Socialist party.
7. Set: PREPARED. Are you ready? I am all set.
15. Mendeleev's homeland: RUSSIA. This clue is used periodically.
16. Nobel Prize presentation, say: CEREMONY. More 8 letter fill COURTESY, EXERCISE, FUNCTION, HOLY RITE, OCCASION, PRACTICE, PRIMNESS and PROTOCOL that are synonyms.
17. Fix: ATTACH. Really?
18. Vader's choice: DARKSIDE. Actually it was Ani's choice for love.
21. "Dropped" drug: LSD. Why is LSD the only drug that is dropped?
22. Texas __: oil: TEA.
21. "Dropped" drug: LSD. Why is LSD the only drug that is dropped?
22. Texas __: oil: TEA.
23. Notable times: ERAS.
32. Aqua relative: TEAL.
35. Flutes, for example: STEMWARE. Drinking glasses
36. Notepad option: UNLINED.
40. Gridiron maneuver: LATERAL.
41. Like some allergy sufferers: RED NOSED. No reindeer here.
43. __ Stone, co-star of the "Jacques Brel" musicals: ELLY.
LINK
32. Aqua relative: TEAL.
36. Notepad option: UNLINED.
40. Gridiron maneuver: LATERAL.
41. Like some allergy sufferers: RED NOSED. No reindeer here.
43. __ Stone, co-star of the "Jacques Brel" musicals: ELLY.
LINK
48. Scout in "To Kill a Mockingbird," e.g.: GIRL.
49. Peninsular U.S. st.: FLA. CSO to all of us Flo-ridians
52. Org. with briefs: ABA. A CSO to all of us with law backgrounds
59. Lab neatener: DOG BRUSH. Not the laboratory but the puppies.
61. Face: VISAGE.
62. Ninth-century pope: ADRIAN II. You might not think this would be hard but there were twenty-one, yes 21 9th Century Popes!
63. Fill with love: ENAMOR.
64. Bully's trait: MEANNESS. Too many in the world.
65. Supremely irked: SOREST. It makes me sore.
Down:
1. Boats: CRAFT.
2. Quite odd: OUTRÉ. I always liked this word.
3. Harbor city of ancient Rome: OSTIA.
4. Useful TV spots: Abbr.: PSAS. Public Service Announcements
5. Wall Street crawl: TICKER. When I began watching the stock market with my father when I was 12, that was literally how the prices came into the Hempill Noyes office.
2. Quite odd: OUTRÉ. I always liked this word.
3. Harbor city of ancient Rome: OSTIA.
4. Useful TV spots: Abbr.: PSAS. Public Service Announcements
5. Wall Street crawl: TICKER. When I began watching the stock market with my father when I was 12, that was literally how the prices came into the Hempill Noyes office.
6. Much of Algeria: SAHARA. Are desert their just desserts?
7. Modern office furniture: PC DESKS. This has billions of hits
8. With 13-Down, has a fender bender with: REAR. 13D. See 8-Down: ENDS.
9. Isn't correct: ERRS.
10. Toy since ancient times: PEKE. More very difficult cluing, as we are looking for a toy dog!
11. KLM hub letters: AMS. Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (IATA: AMS), known informally as Schiphol Airport is the, myself. main international airport of the Netherlands. If you know where KLM is based this is inferable. I like to call the airline Koninklijke Luchtvaartmaatschappij.
12. Agitate: ROIL. The word roil is often confused with rile, which has a slightly different meaning. If you roil someone you're stirring them up but not necessarily annoying them. To rile someone is to deliberately provoke or antagonize them. Dictionary.
14. Like gumdrops: DYED. Gumdrops are notoriously unhealthy, but I never thought about the food colorings being dyes.
20. Ute relative: VAN. I do not equate the colloquialism for a utility vehicle for a van which is an abbreviation of caravan.
24. It often includes trysts: FLING. Not on the football field.
25. Falcons' home: Abbr.: ATL. American Football.
26. "Give __ break!": ME A.
27. Qty.: AMT. Amount.
30. Long border range: URAL.
31. Bank (on): RELY.
32. Gang land: TURF. Slang; the neighborhood over which a street gang asserts its authority.
33. Dept. formed under Carter: ENERgy.
34. German family-owned discount market: ALDI. There is so much more to this STORY than just cheap prices. TRADER JOE'S anyone?
37. Kabuki relative: NOH. Japanese theater alternatives.
31. Bank (on): RELY.
32. Gang land: TURF. Slang; the neighborhood over which a street gang asserts its authority.
33. Dept. formed under Carter: ENERgy.
34. German family-owned discount market: ALDI. There is so much more to this STORY than just cheap prices. TRADER JOE'S anyone?
37. Kabuki relative: NOH. Japanese theater alternatives.
38. Nov. NJ setting: EST.
39. Rep. foe: DEM.
42. "Oh, man, check it out!": DIG THIS. Another flashback Jeffrey?
45. Actor Cage, casually: NIC. Is he ever casual?
46. Large numbers: DROVES. They will come in droves comes from cattle drives. Makes you think.
47. Climate-disrupting phenomenon: EL NINO.
49. Home-building stage: FRAME.
50. Colonel Sanders' head, and its ilk: LOGOS. I like this.
51. Watchful: ALERT.
52. Driver with lines: ADAM. Have you seen his sex scenes with Lady Gaga?
53. "This was my dream. What it doth __, God knows": "Henry VI, Part 2": BODE. Jeffrey will always include some Will in his puzzles, it just depends if Rich leaves it in.
56. Early writing symbol: RUNE. Maybe that is what ruined my handwriting.
57. Sale condition: AS IS. That is how you have to take me.
58. Past 15-Across leader: TSAR.
60. Receptacle: BIN. Laden?
And so we continue our trek toward so many holidays for so many, one for everyone; and we received an early present from our own Jeffrey W. I was too busy, but I had fun. Love to hear from you. Lemonade out.
