Lead-off Punner?
Pun with Leaders?
Attila the Pun!
Robin delivers a Fabulous Friday. The theme is tight with leaders' titles used homophonically in the fill. If you like silly word-play like I do, you're in for a treat. Let's play.
17a. Official portraitist for a Mongolian leader?: KHAN ARTIST. Con Artist.
25a. Condiment for an Ottoman leader?: SULTAN PEPPER. Salt and Pepper. A couple of us from the office walked to The Galleria for lunch Wednesday and guess what I saw...
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| Sult'an Pepper.com |
42a. Paltry stipend for a Middle Eastern leader?: EMIR PITTANCE. A mere pittance.
56a. Humble abode for an Arab leader?: SHEIK SHACK. Shake Shack. There is also one of these at The Galleria.
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| ShakeShake.com |
Across:
1. Some twitches: TICS.
5. Cicada predators: WASPS.
10. Challenges for nannies: IMPS. Or Lighting Bugs, Lucina?
14. Compatriot: ALLY.
15. Bracelet spot: ANKLE.
16. "Smashing!": NEAT.
17. [See: theme]
19. "Water for Elephants" novelist Gruen: SARA.
20. Sinus infection woes: EAR ACHES.
21. Sheer: UTTER.
22. Suddenly become alert: SNAP TO.
23. Tone down: EASE.
25. [See: theme]
31. __ curls: BICEP.
34. Tends to a draft: EDITS.
35. Paris street: RUE.
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| The hotel at this intersection is our fav. |
36. R&B singer Redding: OTIS.
Chained and Bound [7:39]
38. Cartoon girl who often says "Swiper, no swiping" to a masked fox: DORA.
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| (L to R) Swiper, Boots, and Dora |
39. Web: NET.
40. Afternoon hr.: ONE PM.
41. Creator of a cocky hare: AESOP. Tex Avery, et.al. didn't fit.
42. [See: theme].
45. Scoreboard count: OUTS.
46. Effect: IMPACT.
50. Thrones: SEATS.
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| The Throne |
53. Alcoves: RECESSES. Also my best school subject.
55. Stretched to the max: TAUT.
56. [See: theme]
58. Hobby farm measure: ACRE.
59. Horror or mystery: GENRE.
60. Haitian friend: AMIE.
61. Comparison word: THAN.
62. Jacket wool: TWEED.
63. Coat with gold leaf: GILD. [See: 50a commode]
Down:
1. Points of view: TAKES.
2. Omar of Congress: ILHAN.
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| Omar Represents Minnesota's 5th |
3. Civil War nurse Barton: CLARA.
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| Founder Red Cross |
4. Automatic transmission parts?: SYNAPSES.
5. Pop art icon played by Bowie in "Basquiat": WARHOL. Pop-art & Bowie gave it away.
Trailer
6. Chip in a new pot: ANTE.
7. Goes downhill fast: SKIS.
8. "__ fix thx!": PLS.
9. Complete group: SET.
10. Keeping up (with): IN STEP.
11. Impossible Burger's lack: MEAT.
12. Peel: PARE.
13. Lead: STAR.
18. Cause trouble: ACT UP.
21. Exploits: USES.
23. "The Imitation Game" encryption machine: ENIGMA.
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| Wikipedia |
24. Some 2BR listings: APTS. Two bedroom apartment(s).
26. Creeds: TENETS.
27. Go with the flow: ADAPT.
28. Aces: PROS.
29. Italian bread?: EURO. I inked Lira.
30. Use a scythe on: REAP.
31. Hip hop's __ Thugs-n-Harmony: BONE. No clue. I Googled so you don't have to.
Crossroads [4:43]
32. Thing: ITEM.
33. Big name in credit cards: CITI. I almost Swiped (38a) my VISA.
37. Huffy state: SNIT.
38. High-pile carpet style: DEEP SHAG.
40. Numbered piece: OPUS.
41. High spots: ACMES.
43. Raising a stink?: ROTTEN.
44. Barely cut: NICKED.
47. "Ditto," more formally: AS AM I.
48. Poet Day-Lewis who wrote the Nigel Strangeways detective novels as Nicholas Blake: CECIL. A sample of poetry.
49. Expressed disapproval: TSKED.
50. RBI or ERA: STAT. The STATistics Runs Batted In or Earned Run Average. #Baseball
51. A pop: EACH.
52. Vibe picked up by a psychic, supposedly: AURA.
53. Russo who plays Frigga in Marvel's "Thor" films: RENE.
54. Dún Laoghaire's land: EIRE.
56. Rank above cpl.: SGT. Sergeant outranks a corporal.
57. Fell: HEW.
The Grid:
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| The Grid |
WO: Lira -> EURO
ESPs: SARA (as clued), BONE
Fav: c/a for SYNAPSES.
Cheers, -T
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| Coda |
