A Marvelous Morning to all of you cruciverbalists. Malodorous Manatee here with an mm mm good puzzle by Bruce Haight. Let's start with the reveal because, while the theme is, ultimately, quite simple it's application is a bit less so and also exhibits unstated, but much appreciated by this author, alliteration.
61 Across: Country leaders, and along with names in parentheses, a hint to 18-, 24-, 39- and 49-Across: HEADS OF STATE.
At four places within the grid, Bruce has started the answers with a two-letter USPS abbreviation for a U.S. state name. Left unsaid is that in all cases both words of the two-word answers start with the letter M. MM. He still holds "in reserve" an additional four states starting with M so, perhaps, we'll see a M&M Part II puzzle at some point in the future employing the other four. On the other hand (see 32 Across), he has used all of the M-followed-by-a-vowel abbreviations so the Part II puzzle (employing (MT, MS, MD, and MN) would be more difficult to create.
Here are the themed answers:
18 Across: Bracketology event (Cambridge): MARCH MADNESS. Cambridge, MA (Massachusetts). Tne NCAA basketball championship tournament concluded earlier this week. Quite the comeback, Jayhawks.
24 Across: Series that included Bugs and Daffy (Augusta): MERRIE MELODIES. Augusta, ME (Maine)
39 Across: Risky operations often with code names (Ann Arbor): MILITARY MISSIONS. Ann Arbor, MI (Michigan)
49Across: Science class visual aid (Joplin): MOLECULAR MODEL. Joplin, MO (Missouri)
Here is how this looks in the grid:
. . . . and now for the rest of the story:
Across:
1. Reminder trademark: POST IT.
7. 1994 National Women's Hall of Fame inductee: OPRAH. OPRAH Winfrey. Is there another?
12. One having a ball: DEB. DEButant
15. Kia model: OPTIMA.
2022 KIA OPTIMA
16. Magna cum __: LAUDE.
17. Get rid of: AXE.
20. Narrow waterway: RIA. Often seen in crossword puzzles if rarely elsewhere.
21. Soup served with chopsticks: PHO. Vietnamese. Pronounced Fuh.
22. Chill-inducing: EERIE. Spooky, not cold.
23. Sensed: FELT.
29. Paso __, Calif.: ROBLES. While still overshadowed by it's more famous northern counterparts (e.g. Napa, Sonoma) there are several world class wineries in the Paso ROBLES area.
31. Radamès' love: AIDA. An opera reference.
32. Texter's "But ... ": OTOH.
33. Lured: BAITED.
36. Frat letter: TAU. One of twenty-four letters in the Greek alphabet although only six of them have three letter "names".
43. Tire pressure fig.: PSI. Pounds per Square Inch
44. 12-step offshoot: ALANON. Alcoholics Anonymous
45. A, B or C, but not X, Y or Z: NOTE. A music theory reference.
36. Frat letter: TAU. One of twenty-four letters in the Greek alphabet although only six of them have three letter "names".
43. Tire pressure fig.: PSI. Pounds per Square Inch
44. 12-step offshoot: ALANON. Alcoholics Anonymous
45. A, B or C, but not X, Y or Z: NOTE. A music theory reference.
46. Move like water: FLOW.
47. Acted as an informant, in Ipswich: NARKED. An English English slang reference
55. Second word of many limericks: ONCE. Nice interplay of Second and ONCE. I think that I have shared this one once before:
There ONCE was a girl from Madras
Who had a magnificent ass
Not rounded and pink
As well you may think
It was gray, had long ears and ate grass
56. "Cheers" server: DIANE. DIANE Chambers was a character on the TV show.
57. More than -er: EST. EST as in the hostess with the most-est, e.g. Not an Erhard Seminar Training reference. Did you get it?
60. Pot part: LID. This clue either refers to a kitchen item or a dope deal. Our grandchildren will probably never know what "down to seeds and stems, again" means. See also 37 down.
65. Group of scenes: ACT. As in a stage play.
66. Triumphant cry: I RULE. I have never heard anyone actually say this.
67. Anti-anxiety med: ATIVAN. Trade name for Lorazepam.
68. Gun, as an engine: REV.
69. Player in 18-Across: CAGER. Slang for basketball player.
70. Firmly held ideas: TENETS. Not to be confused with TENANTS.
Down:
1. Fanfare: POMP. Depending on the circumstances.
2. Large deep-water fish: OPAH. Not OPRAH.
3. The Blue Fairy helped Pinocchio escape from him, in the Disney film: STROMBOLI. Not, in this case, the pastry.
Stromboli
4. Eye twitch, maybe: TIC.
5. Arrival cry: I'M HERE. If you are a cat it's likely "FEED ME".
6. They might hold chairs at a circus: TAMERS.
7. iHeartRadio fare: OLDIE.
8. "The Hunger Games" land: PANEM. Not being a fan of the referenced opus I had to rely on the perps.
9. French way: RUE. Français for street.
10. Some taxi toppers: ADS.
11. Fellows: HES.
12. "__ say it?": DARE I. Apparently, yes. Or not.
12. "__ say it?": DARE I. Apparently, yes. Or not.
13. Banish: EXILE.
14. Rhythms: BEATS.
19. NFL's Cardinals, on scoreboards: ARI.
23. OTC watchdog: FDA.
25. K-12, in brief: ELHI. A term sometimes seen in crossword puzzles. Elementary School through High School.
26. __ kitchen: EAT IN. I first tried HELL'S. I failed to notice that kitchen was not capitalized.
27. "Balderdash!": LIES. Can you believe this?
28. Numbers with a colon: ODDS. Ratios would not fit.
29. Lopsided win: ROMP. Had to wait just a bit to see if it would be ROUT.
30. Publisher Chandler: OTIS. Los Angeles Times publisher from 1960 to 1980. My how the editorial slant of the newspaper has changed subsequently.
33. Game delay cause: BRAWL. Rain would not fit.
34. Writer Rand: AYN. She also visited us on Tuesday.
35. "If u ask me ... ": IMO. In My Opinion. OTOH, . . .
36. Said goodbye to, with "of": TOOK LEAVE. Often used with "of one's senses".
37. Part of a pot: ANTE. A card game reference. See also 60 Across.
38. Exploited: USED.
40. Locker room powder: TALC. The subject of recent law suits.
41. MLB family name: ALOU. Major League Baseball
Felipe, Jesus and Matty ALOU
42. About: IN RE.
46. Charge: FEE. Not run at. A bit of misdirection.
47. Milk for losers: NONFAT. Is this what the 1% drink? The 2%?
48. Carol opener: ADESTE.
Adeste fideles - Luciano Pavarotti
49. It might be crowned: MOLAR. A dental reference.
50. Cooled by rocks, in a way: ON ICE. Rocks being slang for, well, ice cubes.
51. High-def screen: LCDTV. Abbreviated clue. Abbreviated answer. This stands for Liquid Crystal Display TeleVision.
52. Flummox: ADDLE.
53. Choral platform: RISER.
54. World leader with a distinctive suit: MAO.
58. Assists, e.g.: STAT. STATistic.
59. Till stack: TENS. Till as in cash drawer. Might have been ONES.
61. Brand with a Grabbin' Grape flavor: HI-C.
59. Till stack: TENS. Till as in cash drawer. Might have been ONES.
61. Brand with a Grabbin' Grape flavor: HI-C.
62. Laundry brand: ERA. Fab!
63. Mo. named for an emperor: AUG. AUGustus Caesar. JULius (July) was the other possibility.
64. Pewter, mostly: TIN. Pewter is a malleable alloy consisting of TIN (85-99%), antimony (5-10%), copper (2%), bismuth and sometimes silver.
And on that metallic note . . .
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