Theme: The Heat is on. Each theme clue has a HOT answer. Sewn together, they make an article of clothing.
24 A. *1977 Rod Stewart hit: HOT LEGS.
They had way too much fun making this.
26 A. *Difficult spot: HOT SEAT. The position of someone who is in trouble or is being asked many difficult or embarrassing questions. Many examples there days, but we won't go there
45. *Microwaveable turnovers: HOTPOCKETS. Thinking a lot about nutrition these days. These are probably not the best.
71. Sexy '70s fad ... and where the answers to starred clues might be found?: HOT PANTS. Here is a brief view.
Hi, Gang - Jazzbumpa here to set the fashion trend for today's adventure. This theme brings back fond memories of long ago. Before we dive into the rest of the puzzle, let's take note of some of the unusual features of today's grid. First, the longest fill is not a part of the theme. You almost never see that. Rows 9 and 10 have long strings of dark blocks. The symmetry is only bilateral around a vertical center line. Grids often have rotational symmetry as well.
OK, let's get going. Wear you summer clothes - things are going to get HOT.
Across:
1. Kid lit elephant: BABAR.
10. Outdoor sitting area: PORCH. A covered area adjoining the entrance to a building.
15. Love: ADORE.
16. Dunkable snack: OREO. Crosswords' favorite trear
17. Leave no trace of: ERASE. Wipe out completely
18. Feature that 4-Down lacks: SERIF. A slight projection finishing off a stroke of a letter in certain typefaces.
19. Prefix with type: LINO. LINOTYPE is a composing machine producing lines of words as single strips of metal, used chiefly for newspapers. It is now rarely used.
20. Some pastries: TARTS. Small filled pastries without top crusts.
21. Measure used by navigators: NAUTICAL MILE. Nautical miles are used to measure the distance traveled through the water. A nautical mile is slightly longer than a mile on land, equaling 1.1508 land-measured (or statute) miles. The nautical mile is based on the Earth's longitude and latitude coordinates, with one nautical mile equaling one minute of latitude. Also, this puzzle's longest fill
29. NYSE debut: IPO. Initial Public Offering.
30. Versed in creative writing: LITERATE.That's one definition. Another is simply able to read and write.
33. Turkish title: AGA. A military commander or official.
34. Semester: TERM. A fixed time period.
36. Usually dramatic symphony ending: FINALE. The last part of a piece of music, a performance, or a public event, especially when particularly dramatic or exciting.
37. "Miracle on 34th Street" hero Kringle: KRIS. Aka, Santa Claus.
38. More than unkind: CRUEL. Evil, mean and wicked, bad and nasty.
40. Part of Batman's outfit: COWL. His head covering.
41. Owner's document: TITLE. This is probably more that you care to know.
42. Horse-drawn cab: HANSOM. A kind of horse-drawn carriage designed and patented in 1834 by Joseph Hansom, an architect from York.
44. Cuts needing stitches: GASHES. Long, deep cuts or wounds.
50. Not out: SAFE. Able to reach a base in baseball.
53. Minor, as a sin: VENIAL. A relatively slight sin that that does not entail damnation of the soul.
54. Twin Falls-to-Sioux Falls direction: EAST. Map lore.
58. Old Route 66 city: TULSA. In Oklahoma
60. Gets some sun: TANS. Body baking.
61. Army leader sometimes seen in a bunker?: ARNIE. Golfer Arnold Palmer. His fans were called Arnie's Army.
62. Crest box abbr.: ADA. American Dental Association.
63. Sat atop: RESTED ON.
66. Bother: VEX. Annoy
67. Wheel edge: RIM.
68. Petitioner: CLAIMANT. A person making a claim, especially in a lawsuit or for a government-sponsored benefit.
69. Food store letters: IGA. Independent Grocers Alliance. Where we get groceries on vacation.
70. Tip of a wing tip: TOE. Front end of a shoe.
72. "__ MisÈrables": LES. a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. Also adapted into movies and a long running musical drama
Down:
1. Humanities degs.: BAs. Batchelors of Arts.
2. Fruit drink suffix: -ADE.
3. 1975 Springsteen hit: BORN TO RUN.
4. No-frills typeface: ARIAL. Looks like this.
5. Fill 'er up ... again: REFUEL.
6. Like mind-and-body medicine: HOLISTIC. Characterized by the treatment of the whole person, taking into account mental and social factors, rather than just the symptoms of a disease.
7. __ the Red: ERIC. Erik Thorvaldsson, known as Erik the Red, was a Norse explorer, described in medieval and Icelandic saga sources as having founded the first settlement in Greenland. This happened while he was in the midst of a 3 year exile as a result of disputes involving murder and mayhem.
8. Horne of jazz: LENA. Not a saxophone.
9. Shark's hangout: POOL HALL. A pool shark is one whose goal is to con money out of others by using a combination of deception, talent, and straight coercion, combined with the game of billiards, to take advantage of susceptible players.
10. Diminutive: PETITE. Also, PETITE clothing is specifically designed for women whose frames are 5'4” and under, and the clothing has been cut proportionally to fit and flatter the petite women's frame.
11. Postgrad tests: ORALS. A test involving spoken questions and answers.
12. Promethium's element class: RARE EARTH. These are chemically similar metallic elements comprising the lanthanide series and (usually) scandium and yttrium. They are not especially rare, but they tend to occur together in nature and are difficult to separate from one another.
13. Chicago hrs.: CST. Central Standard Time.
14. Bulls and bucks: HEs. Male of any species.
22. "Yay, the weekend!": TGIF. Thank God It's Friday. Oops - it's only Wednesday. Lo siento.
23. Tiny bit of dust: MOTE. A single particle
24. Snag: HITCH. What could possibly go wrong?
25. Soap __: OPERA. A television or radio drama series dealing typically with daily events in the lives of the same group of characters. So called because the sponsors were often commercial cleaning products.
27. Nimble: AGILE. Spry
28. Shocks, in a way: TASES. In a bad way.
31. Brian of ambient music: ENO. Brian Peter George St John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno RDI [Royal Designer for Industry; b 1948] is a British musician, composer, record producer and visual artist best known for his pioneering work in ambient music and contributions to rock, pop and electronica
32. Cold and rainy: RAW. Stormy weather.
35. Interacts well: MESHES. Fits nicely
37. One fond of smooching: KISSER. Well - yeah.
39. Place to go in Gloucester: LOO. Lavatory.
41. Bit of arm art: TAT. Body ink. My friend lets his wife color in his tats whenever she's upset. She just needs a shoulder to crayon.
43. 1981 cable debut: MTV. An American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of ViacomCBS Domestic Media Networks, a division of ViacomCBS.
44. Pompadour need: GEL. Hair glop.
46. Cared for a cat, say: PET SAT.
47. How stock may be bought: ON A TIP. Usually not the best decision.
48. Movie house: CINEMA.
49. "The Big Chill" director: KASDAN. Lawrence Edward Kasdan [b1949] is an American filmmaker. He is the co-writer of the Star Wars films The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, The Force Awakens, and Solo: A Star Wars Story.
50. Maze word: START.
37. One fond of smooching: KISSER. Well - yeah.
39. Place to go in Gloucester: LOO. Lavatory.
41. Bit of arm art: TAT. Body ink. My friend lets his wife color in his tats whenever she's upset. She just needs a shoulder to crayon.
43. 1981 cable debut: MTV. An American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of ViacomCBS Domestic Media Networks, a division of ViacomCBS.
44. Pompadour need: GEL. Hair glop.
46. Cared for a cat, say: PET SAT.
47. How stock may be bought: ON A TIP. Usually not the best decision.
48. Movie house: CINEMA.
49. "The Big Chill" director: KASDAN. Lawrence Edward Kasdan [b1949] is an American filmmaker. He is the co-writer of the Star Wars films The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, The Force Awakens, and Solo: A Star Wars Story.
50. Maze word: START.
51. Zoom meeting component: AUDIO. Also video.
52. Lover: FLAME. finally - some heat!
55. Blacksmith's block: ANVIL. An anvil is a metalworking tool consisting of a large block of metal, with a flattened top surface, upon which another object is struck. Anvils are as massive as is practical, because the higher their inertia, the more efficiently they cause the energy of striking tools to be transferred to the work piece. It appears at ca. 1:05 and 2:18.
56. Lengthy assault: SIEGE.
57. Where to find Katy and Austin: TEXAS. Katy is just west of Houston. Austin is about 2 1/2 hours northwest of Katy via US 290.
59. Part of a foot: ARCH. The foot has three arches: two longitudinal (medial and lateral) arches and one anterior transverse arch. These arches are formed by the tarsal and metatarsal bones and are supported by the ligaments and tendons in the foot.
61. Colony members: ANTS. Th hill, you say!
64. "Xanadu" rock gp.: ELO. Electric Light Orchestra.
64. "Xanadu" rock gp.: ELO. Electric Light Orchestra.
65. Neighbor of N.Y. and Minn.: ONTaro, eh.
This wraps up another Wednesday. Hope you didn't get scorched, or wind up hot and panting.
Hot regards!
JzB
