EBB
The TIDE has been turned, reversed, and spelled backwards three times in the grid, and it was almost perfectly constructed, too, as the first theme answer broke down to E - DIT, followed by ED -IT, but we didn't get the final EDI -T; can anyone think of a way to build that into the puzzle~? A relatively quick solve, with either "gimme" answers, or something rather vague ( I'm looking at you 39A. ). And again, several proper names, yet none that didn't fill in on their own if I didn't know them immediately. Somehow, I seem to have created an 80s songs sub-theme, too. Oh, and we're missing just the "Z" for a pangram.
17. Playful tune: LITTLE DITTY - 'bout Jack n' Diane~?
John Cougar Mellencamp
27. Threw in the towel: CALLED IT QUITS - Men At Work, "It's A Mistake"
Lyrics @ 2:29
46. Roadside channel for water runoff: DRAINAGE DITCH - OK, 1976, so not quite the 80s
Blue Öyster Cult - see 26D.
60. Stage a comeback, or an apt title for this puzzle: TURN THE TIDE - and the TIDE is "high", by Blondie, which I did not know as a remake....
Washed Away We Go~!
ACROSS:
1. "I've been here before" feeling: DÉJÀ VU - yeah, I think I was here before, like, maybe last Wednesday~!?
7. __ and carrots: PEAS
11. Has been: WAS
14. Some dome-topped venues: ARENAS
15. Roger's rival, familiarly: RAFA - Tennis - Roger Federer vs. Rafael "Rafa" Nadal
16. __ crossroads: AT A
19. Half a score: TEN - a score being twenty, as in "Four score and seven...."
20. Low USN rank: ENSign
21. Fires up, as an engine: REVS
22. Converse: SPEAK
24. Japanese art genre: ANIME
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26. Proper conduct, in Hinduism: DHARMA - Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser, guitar master from Blue Öyster Cult
1. "I've been here before" feeling: DÉJÀ VU - yeah, I think I was here before, like, maybe last Wednesday~!?
7. __ and carrots: PEAS
11. Has been: WAS
14. Some dome-topped venues: ARENAS
15. Roger's rival, familiarly: RAFA - Tennis - Roger Federer vs. Rafael "Rafa" Nadal
16. __ crossroads: AT A
19. Half a score: TEN - a score being twenty, as in "Four score and seven...."
20. Low USN rank: ENSign
21. Fires up, as an engine: REVS
22. Converse: SPEAK
24. Japanese art genre: ANIME
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26. Proper conduct, in Hinduism: DHARMA - Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser, guitar master from Blue Öyster Cult
31. Ooze, as charm: EXUDE
32. Addition amount: SUM
33. Church bench: PEW - we have "pew pads" that clip to the tops of the benches so that we can utilize the space effectively with no damage done
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36. Made readable, in a way: DECODED - I never had a "secret decoder ring" when I was a kid :7((
39. Based on deduction instead of experience: A PRIORI - I have actually read/heard this term before
42. Two-time Super Bowl MVP Manning: ELI - New York technically has either "two" or "no" football teams ( the Giants and 3D. ), depending on your perspective on playing in New Jersey; I recall the "helmet catch" of an Eli Manning throw, Superbowl XLII. BTW, the "big" game always "interferes" with my birthday weekend....
43. Male sheep: RAM
45. Elba of "The Wire": IDRIS - crossword staple
51. Bring on: INDUCE
53. Gave it a shot: TRIED
54. Threshold: VERGE
55. Kristen who was on "SNL" from 2005 to 2012: WIIG - no clue, filled via perps
56. Henson who created the Muppets: JIM - him I do know
59. Sweetie: BAE - I cringe at the use of this "word"
64. In the style of: À LA
65. "That makes sense": "I SEE"
66. Immune system components: T-CELLS
67. Fine stone: GEM
68. Sugar source: CANE - I had perps, so it wasn't "BEET"
69. Throat-soothing beverage: HOT TEA
39. Based on deduction instead of experience: A PRIORI - I have actually read/heard this term before
42. Two-time Super Bowl MVP Manning: ELI - New York technically has either "two" or "no" football teams ( the Giants and 3D. ), depending on your perspective on playing in New Jersey; I recall the "helmet catch" of an Eli Manning throw, Superbowl XLII. BTW, the "big" game always "interferes" with my birthday weekend....
43. Male sheep: RAM
45. Elba of "The Wire": IDRIS - crossword staple
51. Bring on: INDUCE
53. Gave it a shot: TRIED
54. Threshold: VERGE
55. Kristen who was on "SNL" from 2005 to 2012: WIIG - no clue, filled via perps
56. Henson who created the Muppets: JIM - him I do know
59. Sweetie: BAE - I cringe at the use of this "word"
64. In the style of: À LA
65. "That makes sense": "I SEE"
66. Immune system components: T-CELLS
67. Fine stone: GEM
68. Sugar source: CANE - I had perps, so it wasn't "BEET"
69. Throat-soothing beverage: HOT TEA
DOWN:
1. Small valley: DALE
2. "__ go bragh!": ERIN - St. Patrick's Day is nigh
3. New York NFLers: JETS - us long suffering Jets fans had another "Really~?" season in 2023
4. Kitchen pest: ANT
5. Kilmer of "Top Gun: Maverick": VAL - I have, thankfully, never seen this, nor the original movie
6. Login requirement: USER ID
7. Flowering shrubs used as border hedges: PRIVETS
8. Uses (up): EATS - a series of rush plays in football "EATS" up the clock, especially inside the two-minute warning
9. Toward the tiller: AFT - nautical terms
10. Greets, with "to": SAYS "HI"
11. Wakeboarding, for one: WATER SPORT
12. Mr. T's squad: A-TEAM - I pity the fool
13. Maxwell House decaf brand: SANKA - I have heard of this "instant" coffee, did not know it was Maxwell House, and according to Wiki, it's where the "orange" diner carafe handle comes from
18. Singer Lovato: DEMI - learned by doing crosswords
23. Butter portion: PAT - I was 16 when this advertisement appeared
1. Small valley: DALE
2. "__ go bragh!": ERIN - St. Patrick's Day is nigh
3. New York NFLers: JETS - us long suffering Jets fans had another "Really~?" season in 2023
4. Kitchen pest: ANT
5. Kilmer of "Top Gun: Maverick": VAL - I have, thankfully, never seen this, nor the original movie
6. Login requirement: USER ID
7. Flowering shrubs used as border hedges: PRIVETS
8. Uses (up): EATS - a series of rush plays in football "EATS" up the clock, especially inside the two-minute warning
9. Toward the tiller: AFT - nautical terms
10. Greets, with "to": SAYS "HI"
11. Wakeboarding, for one: WATER SPORT
12. Mr. T's squad: A-TEAM - I pity the fool
13. Maxwell House decaf brand: SANKA - I have heard of this "instant" coffee, did not know it was Maxwell House, and according to Wiki, it's where the "orange" diner carafe handle comes from
18. Singer Lovato: DEMI - learned by doing crosswords
23. Butter portion: PAT - I was 16 when this advertisement appeared
24. Big name in footwear: ALDO - not big enough for me - NIKE, AVIA, maybe; ALDO I have seen, but did not know was just footwear
How about ALDO Nova~? - more 80s music
25. Require: NEED
26. Hauler destination, perhaps: DUMP - ooh, a good guess on my part
27. Give up: CEDE
28. Figure skater's jump: AXEL
29. Certain state of awareness while sleeping: LUCID DREAM - I love it when I can recall my lucid dreams. I try to retain the details every time I wake up - getting pretty good at it. Does anyone think there's a 'hidden meaning' or something deeper to one's dreams~? I believe there is....
30. Sine __ non: QUA - Latin "without which not", or, a thing that is necessary
34. Writer/illustrator Carle: ERIC - filled via perps, and a WAG at the "R"
35. Genie's offering: WISH - three from a bottle~?
37. Lake near the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: ERIE - hey~! I was just there - in the city of Erie, PA, where the Organ Supply Industries warehouse and manufacturing shop is located
26. Hauler destination, perhaps: DUMP - ooh, a good guess on my part
27. Give up: CEDE
28. Figure skater's jump: AXEL
29. Certain state of awareness while sleeping: LUCID DREAM - I love it when I can recall my lucid dreams. I try to retain the details every time I wake up - getting pretty good at it. Does anyone think there's a 'hidden meaning' or something deeper to one's dreams~? I believe there is....
30. Sine __ non: QUA - Latin "without which not", or, a thing that is necessary
34. Writer/illustrator Carle: ERIC - filled via perps, and a WAG at the "R"
35. Genie's offering: WISH - three from a bottle~?
37. Lake near the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: ERIE - hey~! I was just there - in the city of Erie, PA, where the Organ Supply Industries warehouse and manufacturing shop is located
38. Karate skill level: DAN - the Wiki
40. Attraction at a fair: RIDE
41. "__ my best": "I DID"
44. Afternoon show: MATINEE
47. Bit of floor decor: RUG
48. Like pickling liquid: ACETIC - BRINY and SALTY didn't fit, Saline was a weak maybe....
49. Moxie: GRIT
50. Half of a fourth: EIGHTH - good crossword fill with G-H-T-H; the math is 1/4 ÷ 1/2 - or - .5 * .25
51. ICU hookup: IV BAG - my first thought, but I hesitated
52. Writer Zora __ Hurston: NEALE - not familiar with her; I know of NEALE Donald Walsh, author of "Conversations with God" - I have most of the book series, but I just discovered there was a movie made in 2006
55. Small songbird: WREN - crossword staple
56. Leave at the altar: JILT - ah, that's the word I couldn't recall....
57. Not going anywhere: IDLE
58. City outside Phoenix: MESA - another good WAG on my part
61. Can. neighbor: USA - seems too easy and obvious, after the previous clue
62. Green beginning: ECO
63. Vietnamese New Year: TET - crossword staple
40. Attraction at a fair: RIDE
41. "__ my best": "I DID"
44. Afternoon show: MATINEE
47. Bit of floor decor: RUG
48. Like pickling liquid: ACETIC - BRINY and SALTY didn't fit, Saline was a weak maybe....
49. Moxie: GRIT
50. Half of a fourth: EIGHTH - good crossword fill with G-H-T-H; the math is 1/4 ÷ 1/2 - or - .5 * .25
51. ICU hookup: IV BAG - my first thought, but I hesitated
52. Writer Zora __ Hurston: NEALE - not familiar with her; I know of NEALE Donald Walsh, author of "Conversations with God" - I have most of the book series, but I just discovered there was a movie made in 2006
55. Small songbird: WREN - crossword staple
56. Leave at the altar: JILT - ah, that's the word I couldn't recall....
57. Not going anywhere: IDLE
58. City outside Phoenix: MESA - another good WAG on my part
61. Can. neighbor: USA - seems too easy and obvious, after the previous clue
62. Green beginning: ECO
63. Vietnamese New Year: TET - crossword staple
Splynter
