Title:
Doctor Doctor, gimme the news; I got a bad case of lovin' you. No pill's gonna cure my ill; I got a bad case of lovin' you...
Happy Friday and your most loving host is back on track alternating with C Moe. Today we have a classic add two letters (in this case DR the accepted abbreviation for Doctor) to create new and amusing puns and fill. It is also standard symmetry beginning with 17A. The distribution is 11/13/11/13 with no reveal needed. ZDL also laces the puzzle with some extra sizzle with four 10 letter fill packed into the down fill - STOLEN KISS, PRETTY SOON, I NEED SPACE, and BALD EAGLES. There are some challenging clues and some very witty ones but it is time to add more. The theme:
DR is added to the beginning of four phrases:
17A. Medical pro who avoids the rear of the ship?: DRAFT DODGER (11). If you picture a man in a white coat with a stethoscope around his neck who will not go to the rear (AFT) of the ship you get what is going one.
26A. Medical pro who holds a pal's hand in a tattoo parlor?: DRINKING BUDDY (13). Now we have a friend who accompanies another about to get a new Tattoo and is nervous.
42A. Medical pro who engineers hairpin turns?: DRESS DESIGNER (13). Ess curves are what makes driving a real challenge and a doctor who lays out the route for a Formula 1 race to make it scary, you have gotten it all.55A. Medical pro who is a sick chess player?: DRILL MASTER (11). Chess masters are their most successful players, and one who is not well and plays on would be an ill master.
In retrospect, very easy; now to review the rest.
Across:
1. Luxurious: PLUSH. Etymonline says "soft fabric, cloth having a softer and longer nap than that of velvet," 1590s, from French pluche "shag, plush..."
6. Bubble tea insert: STRAW. Very tricky and amusing since you must put in a straw to drink the tea.
11. Sweet sandwich, for short: PBJ. Peanut Butter and Jelly. I am Jelly, Oo is Peanut Butter.
14. A Marx brother: HARPO. Since their stage names were all 5 letters ending in O, this required the perps. Chico, Harpo, Groucho, Gummo, and Zeppo
15. Small crown: TIARA. I never thought of it that way, but it is obvious.
16. Grammy winner Corinne Bailey __: RAE. Norma has clearly lost her place; I did not know this singer.
19. Approximate fig.: ESTimate.
20. Actor Mineo: SAL. This is a dated fill though he was famous as an actor in Rebel Without a Cause and getting murdered. If you do not know this story here it is. LINK.
21. Yarns: TALES. Growing up in New England, the spinning of Yarns were the words not the cloth.
22. Key near Alt: CTRL. There are a few.
23. Farmers market buy: KALE. I still think of it as a garnish, not food.
24. Rum cocktail: MAI TAI. My sweet wife orders this when a cocktail is appropriate but they seldom come out as the same drink. The original RECIPE.
31. Actress Zellweger: RENEE. Anyone watching The Thing About Pam?
32. Eucalyptus eater: KOALA. According to National Geographic Koalas are not bears—they're marsupials.
33. Plant juice: SAP. Good for so many things including making maple syrup.
36. Peak: APEX. ACME, you pick.
37. The Good Book: BIBLE. There is much debate about the books and the history of the bible, a religious topic which I will not weigh in on.
38. Top-ranked: A-ONE. A sauce?
39. Sorrow: WOE. A quick double header, with...
40. "What a pity": SO SAD.
41. Aerial photography craft: DRONE. Doctor one is not a themer.
45. ABCs: BASICS. What you learn first in school, maybe.
47. Plus: ALSO. Rhymes with...
48. Big trade show: EXPO.
49. Noncommittal: VAGUE. Exactly describing the clue/fill.
51. Investigative journalist __ B. Wells: IDA. A pioneer of women and black women's rights. LINK.
54. Long of "Empire": NIA. She has starred in many movies and TV shows. Her IMDB.
58. Washington's Sea-__ Airport: TAC. Seattle-Tacoma. A niece of mine just moved there.
59. "Cross my heart!": NO LIE. Meh.
60. Title holder: SPINE. Very fun, as the part of a book where the title is embossed is the spine. Also where many tattoos appear.
61. Estadio cheer: OLE. Spanish lesson - stadium and cheer.
62. Lies for, maybe: ABETS. Helps someone get away with something.
63. Snap course: EASY A.
Down:
20. Actor Mineo: SAL. This is a dated fill though he was famous as an actor in Rebel Without a Cause and getting murdered. If you do not know this story here it is. LINK.
21. Yarns: TALES. Growing up in New England, the spinning of Yarns were the words not the cloth.
22. Key near Alt: CTRL. There are a few.
23. Farmers market buy: KALE. I still think of it as a garnish, not food.
24. Rum cocktail: MAI TAI. My sweet wife orders this when a cocktail is appropriate but they seldom come out as the same drink. The original RECIPE.
31. Actress Zellweger: RENEE. Anyone watching The Thing About Pam?
32. Eucalyptus eater: KOALA. According to National Geographic Koalas are not bears—they're marsupials.
33. Plant juice: SAP. Good for so many things including making maple syrup.
36. Peak: APEX. ACME, you pick.
37. The Good Book: BIBLE. There is much debate about the books and the history of the bible, a religious topic which I will not weigh in on.
38. Top-ranked: A-ONE. A sauce?
39. Sorrow: WOE. A quick double header, with...
40. "What a pity": SO SAD.
41. Aerial photography craft: DRONE. Doctor one is not a themer.
45. ABCs: BASICS. What you learn first in school, maybe.
47. Plus: ALSO. Rhymes with...
48. Big trade show: EXPO.
49. Noncommittal: VAGUE. Exactly describing the clue/fill.
51. Investigative journalist __ B. Wells: IDA. A pioneer of women and black women's rights. LINK.
54. Long of "Empire": NIA. She has starred in many movies and TV shows. Her IMDB.
58. Washington's Sea-__ Airport: TAC. Seattle-Tacoma. A niece of mine just moved there.
59. "Cross my heart!": NO LIE. Meh.
60. Title holder: SPINE. Very fun, as the part of a book where the title is embossed is the spine. Also where many tattoos appear.
61. Estadio cheer: OLE. Spanish lesson - stadium and cheer.
62. Lies for, maybe: ABETS. Helps someone get away with something.
63. Snap course: EASY A.
Down:
1. Many profs: PHDS. More doctors.
2. "The Secrets We Kept" novelist Prescott: LARA. Some BACKGROUND.
3. River to the Caspian: URAL. This famous body of WATER. 43D. __ Grande: RIO. Another river dividing countries.
4. Sunblock letters: SPF. Sun Protection Factor, is a measure of how well a sunscreen will protect skin from UVB rays.
5. Quick, provocative opinion: HOT TAKE. Part of the end of true journalism IMO.
6. Unexpected smack?: STOLEN KISS. Very nice as a clue and an act.
7. Laundry brand: TIDE. This HISTORIC product changed doing laundry.
8. Old T-shirts, maybe: RAGS. Is there a man among you who has not lost a favorite shirt to this scourge?
9. "__ we good?": ARE. I hope so, I love you.
10. Simple card game: WAR. This is even played in casinos.
11. In the not-too-distant future: PRETTY SOON.
12. Iraq port city: BASRA. All you need to KNOW.
13. Actor who plays the Emperor in 2020's "Mulan": JET LI. The famous action hero appeared in the live action version of this anime classic.
18. "The Persistence of Memory" painter: DALI. Who doesn't love Salvador.
22. Spain's El __: CID. He was a Castilian knight and warlord in medieval Spain, made famous by this movie...
23. "Where creativity clicks" construction toy: K-NEX.
HISTORY.
HISTORY.
24. Slip-on shoe: MULE. I cannot imagine these asses staying still long enough to wear.
25. Programming pioneer Lovelace: ADA. The abandoned daughter of poet Lord Byron. LINK.
26. Sketch: DRAW.
27. Forfeited auto: REPOsession.
28. "Please give me some alone time": I NEED SPACE.
Greta Garbo anyone?
29. Sour: GO BAD. Milk anyone?
30. Birds of prey that were once endangered: BALD EAGLES. This is proof of what we can do if we commit as a country, oops never mind that sounds political.
34. Basketball Hall of Famer Donovan: ANNE. She died of heart failure apparently being 6'8" tall is hard on the body. This is not an issue for Friday bloggers.
LINK.
35. Social equal: PEER. Or a man by a urinal?
37. Bigwig: BOSS. Have any of you watched the Horrible Bosses movies? Rachel, why did we lose you?
38. Best Picture winner set in Iran: ARGO. This revived Ben Affleck's career and now he got to marry J-Lo. Hollywood is grand.
35. Social equal: PEER. Or a man by a urinal?
37. Bigwig: BOSS. Have any of you watched the Horrible Bosses movies? Rachel, why did we lose you?
38. Best Picture winner set in Iran: ARGO. This revived Ben Affleck's career and now he got to marry J-Lo. Hollywood is grand.
40. Jiff: SEC. Not more Peanut Butter.
41. Pathology study: DISEASE. What does the study of paths have to do with illness?
44. Run-down area: SLUM. I do not think this is a politically acceptable word. Pre-gentrified maybe?
45. Box lunch?: BENTO. The word “bento” was actually derived from the Southern Song Dynasty slang term biàndāng, which means “convenient.” Timeline.com.
46. The first "A" in CAT scan: AXIAL. CAT scan stands for Computed Axial Tomography.
49. Dreadful: VILE.
50. Came to rest: ALIT. This bugs me.
51. Terse affirmation: IT IS. Make it so!
52. Turn down: DENY. Not the bed, but the offer.
53. Painter's calculation: AREA. Hopefully a calculation made by all who are working on your house.
55. Genetic info carrier: DNA.
56. Director Reiner: ROB. Most famous for the scene with his mother and Meg Ryan.
57. Mani-pedi place: SPA. How fun to end with a complete shout out to our own super hero Lucy.
Another struggle with technology but we made it to here. Thank you all for coming, reading and writing. I also send a big THANKS to Zachary for the entertainment and we would look silly if we had no puzzle to discuss.
Be well all.
