Hello Cornerites and Happy Victoria Day to our Canadian solvers!
sumdaze here. Today's theme is Early to Bed... (Get it? "early" like "before")
Constructor Doug Peterson is back again after last Tuesday's HQ-themed puzzle. This time he has created for us a 14 x 15 grid with 4 themed clues and a reveal. Let's begin with the reveal:
55 Across. Complete a morning chore, and what the start of the answer to each starred clue can do: MAKE THE BED.
 |
| According to the National Sleep Foundation, about 7 out of 10 people make a habit of making their bed every day. |
All of the starts of the starred clues can be paired with the word BED to MAKE a type of BED.
16 Across. *Stage show featuring traditional Irish music: RIVERDANCE.
And a RIVERBED is a channel in which a RIVER flows (or formerly flowed).
23 Across. *Candice Bergen sitcom: MURPHY BROWN. (1988 - 1998)
And a MURPHY BED is a bed that is hinged so it can be stored vertically against a wall.
35 Across. *Extras in a bowl of chowder: OYSTER CRACKERS.
 |
| ubiquitous OYSTER CRACKERS And a worker tends to an OYSTER BED in Hiroshima Bay, Japan. |
44 Across. *1960s counterculture slogan: FLOWER POWER.
And a FLOWER BED needs no explanation but here's a lovely pic from Kew Gardens, London.
 |
| The fashion world embraced FLOWER POWER as seen in this photo of 60's model Twiggy. |
 |
| So tidy! |
Across:
1. Pushover: SOFTY. 
6. Pleased with oneself: SMUG. (See Miss Know-It-All in 1A.)
10. Appt. book lines: HRS. Appointment is abbreviated, so is HouRS.
13. USWNT star Kelley: O'HARA. United States Women's National Team (Soccer)
6. Pleased with oneself: SMUG. (See Miss Know-It-All in 1A.)
10. Appt. book lines: HRS. Appointment is abbreviated, so is HouRS.
13. USWNT star Kelley: O'HARA. United States Women's National Team (Soccer)
Kelley's stats
14. Misstake in this clue, e.g.: TYPO. One might argue that adding an extra S to "mistake" is more of a spelling error than a TYPO.
15. "Uh-huh": YEP.
18. Double-helix molecule: DNA.
19. Digit that can be wiggled: TOE. Oh, that type of "digit"!
20. One of the Three Bears: MAMA. and 28 Down. Piglet's 20-Across: SOW.
14. Misstake in this clue, e.g.: TYPO. One might argue that adding an extra S to "mistake" is more of a spelling error than a TYPO.
15. "Uh-huh": YEP.
18. Double-helix molecule: DNA.
 |
| making Science fun DNA sculpture at the Lawrence Hall of Science, Berkeley, CA |
19. Digit that can be wiggled: TOE. Oh, that type of "digit"!
20. One of the Three Bears: MAMA. and 28 Down. Piglet's 20-Across: SOW.
21. Carpenter's fastener: SCREW.
25. Refine metal: SMELT.
(verb) extract metal from its ore by a process involving heating and melting.
BTW, smelled is the preferred past tense of smell in North America; whereas smelled and smelt occur with about the same frequency in British English.
27. Ensign's affirmative: AYE. There had better be a "Sir" with that!
28. Creep around: SKULK.
29. "30 Minute Meals" host Rachael: RAY. Her talk show, The Rachael Ray Show, debuted in Sept. 2006. In March, she announced that this will be its final season.
31. Disappearing Asian sea: ARAL.
 |
| The ARAL Sea is south of the Ural Mountains. |
38. Unwanted garden plant: WEED. highly subjective
39. Industrial tub: VAT.
40. Lent a hand to: AIDED.
41. "I __ you big-time!": OWE. What one might say to someone who lent a hand.
43. Train station postings, for short: SKEDS. The "K" took some kontemplation.
49. Tilted, to a Brit: LEANT. "Leaned" is the more modern form of this word for both Americans and Brits.
50. Hoppy beverages, for short: IPAS. India Pale Ales
39. Industrial tub: VAT.
41. "I __ you big-time!": OWE. What one might say to someone who lent a hand.
43. Train station postings, for short: SKEDS. The "K" took some kontemplation.
49. Tilted, to a Brit: LEANT. "Leaned" is the more modern form of this word for both Americans and Brits.
50. Hoppy beverages, for short: IPAS. India Pale Ales
 |
| not an IPA -- but perhaps "hoppy" |
51. Dazzle: AWE.
54. Colorado NHLers, in headlines: AVS. The CO AValanche(s) went 51-24-7 this season.
58. "Get it?": SEE.
59. Signed off on: OKed.
60. Giant squid's home: OCEAN. I was happy to see OCEAN clued aquatically as opposed to a proper noun. Let's learn about the giant squid!
61. Bucks and boars: HES. males
62. Throw to a tight end, say: PASS. This clue is not as risqué as it might sound. A tight end is an offensive football player who does a lot of blocking but is eligible to receive passes.
63. __ dots: POLKA. Yayoi Kusama uses a lot of dots in her art. more examples
Down:
1. Separate, as laundry: SORT. verb
2. Dayton's state: OHIO.
3. #1 preference, slangily: FAVE.
4. Three, in Turin: TRE.
5. Rabbi's headwear: YARMULKE.
6. Item sold in sheets and coils: STAMP. Good clue! I was stumped.
7. Avian mimic: MYNAH.
Here is a 2 min. video of a talking MYNAH bird plus experts explain why/how.
8. Bars scanned by checkers: UPC. Universal Product Code
I found this article on barcodes interesting.
9. Elapses: GOES BY.
10. Prefix with electric: HYDRO. According to the US Dept of Energy, hydropower currently accounts for about 6.3% of total U.S. electricity generation.
11. Continue a subscription: RENEW. 10D (cont'd) ... and 31.5% of total U.S. RENEWable electricity generation.
12. Give rise to: SPAWN.
17. Game room missile: DART.
22. More dilapidated: CREAKIER.
23. Major tantrum: MELTDOWN.
24. Actress DaCosta of "Chicago Med": YAYA.
25. __ terrier: SKYE. I first had Scot.
26. Creative inspiration: MUSE.
29. Maker of HD tablets: RCA. Hi Misty!
30. "Wherefore __ thou Romeo?": ART.
32. "Sanford and Son" star Foxx: REDD.
33. Bloodthirsty Greek god: ARES. the god of war
34. Perception-changing drug, for short: LSD. Some people say that the Beetles' 1967 song Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds is code for LSD, but John Lennon says he wrote it after his son Julian brought home a picture he drew in school of his friend Lucy O'Donnell floating in the sky, surrounded by sparkling diamonds and jewels.
36. Winnebago driver, briefly: RVer.
37. Place to buy frosted desserts: CAKE SHOP. CSO to our Corner Cake Guy, CrossEyedDave! 
42. Swiffer alternative: WET MOP. A Swiffer is a type of mop.
43. Thwack: SWAT.
44. Speedy DC Comics superhero: FLASH.
45. Flood barrier: LEVEE.
46. Sahara havens: OASES.
47. Roads with tolls: PIKES. The name came about because at each tollhouse, a long pole called a PIKE was placed across the road. After travelers paid the toll, the PIKE was lifted.
48. Newspaper opinion pieces: OP-EDS. It is a common misconception that OP is short for OPinions; however, an OP-ED piece was originally short for OPposite the EDitorial page.
51. Ill-fated biblical brother: ABEL. Cane was the ill-mannered biblical brother.
52. Not very powerful: WEAK.
53. Irish novelist O'Brien: EDNA. She was born on Dec. 15, 1930 in Twamgraney, County Clare, Ireland, making her 92 years old.
9. Elapses: GOES BY.
As Time GOES BY was written by Herman Hupfeld in 1931.
It became more popular in 1942 when it was sung by Sam (Dooley Wilson) in Casablanca.
10. Prefix with electric: HYDRO. According to the US Dept of Energy, hydropower currently accounts for about 6.3% of total U.S. electricity generation.
11. Continue a subscription: RENEW. 10D (cont'd) ... and 31.5% of total U.S. RENEWable electricity generation.
12. Give rise to: SPAWN.
22. More dilapidated: CREAKIER.
23. Major tantrum: MELTDOWN.
24. Actress DaCosta of "Chicago Med": YAYA.
 |
| Before Chicago Med, she was on All My Children, and Ugly Betty. |
 |
| Bred to protect farms from foxes, badgers, and otters, their long, thick coats made them appear larger and protected then from bites. |
26. Creative inspiration: MUSE.
 |
| These 9 MUSEs are found in a detail from The Parnassus by Rafael. 1509-1511 Fresco. Apostolic Palace, Rome |
29. Maker of HD tablets: RCA. Hi Misty!
30. "Wherefore __ thou Romeo?": ART.
32. "Sanford and Son" star Foxx: REDD.
33. Bloodthirsty Greek god: ARES. the god of war
34. Perception-changing drug, for short: LSD. Some people say that the Beetles' 1967 song Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds is code for LSD, but John Lennon says he wrote it after his son Julian brought home a picture he drew in school of his friend Lucy O'Donnell floating in the sky, surrounded by sparkling diamonds and jewels.
36. Winnebago driver, briefly: RVer.
42. Swiffer alternative: WET MOP. A Swiffer is a type of mop.
44. Speedy DC Comics superhero: FLASH.
45. Flood barrier: LEVEE.
46. Sahara havens: OASES.
47. Roads with tolls: PIKES. The name came about because at each tollhouse, a long pole called a PIKE was placed across the road. After travelers paid the toll, the PIKE was lifted.
48. Newspaper opinion pieces: OP-EDS. It is a common misconception that OP is short for OPinions; however, an OP-ED piece was originally short for OPposite the EDitorial page.
51. Ill-fated biblical brother: ABEL. Cane was the ill-mannered biblical brother.
52. Not very powerful: WEAK.
53. Irish novelist O'Brien: EDNA. She was born on Dec. 15, 1930 in Twamgraney, County Clare, Ireland, making her 92 years old.
56. Pseudonym lead-in: AKA.
57. Green prefix: ECO.
57. Green prefix: ECO.
Here's the grid. I bet Doug would have liked to have found a way to shift MURPHY 3 spaces to the left. C'est la vie!
I hope today's puzzle was a BED of roses for you; but, if not, bedder luck next time!
