Greetings, Cruciverbalists. Malodorous Manatee here with a recap of today's puzzle by veteran constructor Joe DiPietro. Let's jump right in with the reveal at:
57 Across: "That's a lost opportunity," and what can be said to the writer of four clues in this puzzle: YOU'RE MISSING OUT.
Alternatively, you might say to the writer "That's not what Timothy Leary meant!" At four places in the puzzle, Joe has literally dropped OUT from the clue. In other words, we are, indeed, MISSING OUT. As solvers, we must mentally append OUT to the sole remaining letter and thereby create a perfectly acceptable, albeit brief, crossword puzzle clue. Here are the four places where the gimmick is employed and what can we say except, "Far out, man!":
17 Across: R. When we add OUT to R we get ROUT. LOPSIDED VICTORY.
24 Across: B. Tack OUT onto B and the result is BOUT. PRIZEFIGHT.
38 Across: P. P plus OUT equals POUT. SULKY EXPRESSION
46 Across: T. A CSO ! Appending OUT to T results in TOUT. CREATE HYPE.
The perps were certainly helpful in sussing out the above answers but, after the gimmick was recognized, none were overly difficult or obscure. Of course, prior to grasping the gimmick, this solver was seriously considering WTF as a possible title for this blog.
The completed grid appears near the end of this recap. For now, here are the ins and outs of the rest of the clues and answers:
Across:
1. Sanitizer targets: GERMS. Bacteria was too long. HANDS was, briefly, considered.
6. "Mad Money" cable network: CNBC. The first of about a dozen (depending on one's criteria) abbreviated answers in today's puzzle. TBH SMH IYKWIM
10. Actress Mazar: DEBI. Per Rotten Tomatoes: A character actress known for feisty and heavily accented New York roles.
14. Lab vessel: FLASK. Not Lab as in Labrador Retriever. Lab as in chemistry lab.
15. Does some horticultural work: HOES. We had several horticultural/botanical references in today's puzzle. This was one of them.
Otis Lee - Hard Row To Hoe - Circa 1968
16. Group with reserves: OPEC.
20. Widespread alert, for short: APB. All Points Bulletin
21. "The Tilled Field" painter Joan: MIRO. A surreal botanical reference. I wonder what MIRO was dropping (ingesting).
22. Speed: RACE. Used as a verb. Otherwise, PACE?
23. Leaves in hot water?: TEA. Not leaves as in departs. Another botanical reference.
27. Trifle (with): TOY.
29. __ pen: VAPE. Doctor to patient: Do you smoke?
Patient: Yes.
Doctor: Cigarettes, VAPE, cigars, marijuana?
Patient: Brisket and pork shoulder, mostly.
30. Whit: IOTA. A crossword staple although clued many different ways.
35. Reel Big Fish genre: SKA. SKA Punk, actually.
30. Whit: IOTA. A crossword staple although clued many different ways.
32. What coastlines and hairlines may do: RECEDE. This solver would have preferred a slightly different clue.
35. Reel Big Fish genre: SKA. SKA Punk, actually.
Take On Me
41. "Three Little Kittens" treat: PIE. Lose your mittens. Then find them and get rewarded with PIE.
43. Go: EXIT. Used as a verb.
Snagglepuss
44. Like racehorses: SHOD. Hand up for FAST.
45. Skin pic: TAT. TATtoos are frequently visible in our puzzles.
51. "Go me!": YAY. See also 63 Across
54. Harvest: REAP. Possibly another botanical reference. Anyone first think of this?:
55. "__ Flux": 1990s MTV series: AEON.
56. HHS agency: FDA.
61. Spoonful, perhaps: DOSE. Hmmm, should we go with Julie Andrews here? Nah.
Royal Albert Hall - 2005
62. __ learning: ROTE. Memorization, basically.
63. "Go me!": I RULE. See also 51 Across
64. Brief timetable: SKED. Right up there with SESH on the "Come on, enough of this type of thing already" scale.
65. Takes to court: SUES.
George Harrison
66. Organizes: SORTS.
Down:
1. Major key for some piano works by Chopin and Schubert: G-FLAT. We knew that this answer had to begin with either A B C D E F or G
2. Travel to an away match?: ELOPE. Cute clue. Match as in wedded pair.
3. Climactic scene in the Eminem film "8 Mile": RAP BATTLE.
4. Bks.-to-be: MSS. A punt that we have seen before. Books-to-be are ManuScriptS in this instance.
5. Revealing, in a way: SKIMPY. Today's "I had better pass on the GIF" moment.
6. French endearment: CHERI.
Pepe LePew
7. Help for the overnight shift, maybe: NODOZ. UPPER would have fit but is not "crossword friendly".
8. Writer/activist Harris in the documentary "Hacking Democracy": BEV. The documentary explored the level of integrity of electronic voting machines.
9. Procedural franchise since 2000: CSI. A TV show reference often viewed in puzzles.
10. Mental decline: DOTAGE.
11. Unit in geochronology: EPOCH. Has geochronology previously appeared in our puzzles? Geochronology is the scientific study of the age and history of Earth's rocks and rock assemblages.
12. Top of the art world?: BERET. Cute clue, although TOP more often refers to a shirt or blouse than it does to a hat. Artists are stereo-typically depicted wearing BERETs.
13. Distant: ICY. Not as in far away. A behavioral reference.
18. Hollywood VIP: DIR. DIRector, I suppose. Probably not the constructor's favorite answer in this grid.
19. "Jinkies!": CRIPES. Not previously a part of this solver's vocabulary.
25. Chris who won four straight US Opens in the 1970s: EVERT. A women's tennis reference.
26. Tapered haircuts: FADES. FADES, to this observer, seem to combine the worst elements of two older hairstyles.
18. Hollywood VIP: DIR. DIRector, I suppose. Probably not the constructor's favorite answer in this grid.
19. "Jinkies!": CRIPES. Not previously a part of this solver's vocabulary.
25. Chris who won four straight US Opens in the 1970s: EVERT. A women's tennis reference.
26. Tapered haircuts: FADES. FADES, to this observer, seem to combine the worst elements of two older hairstyles.
28. Wine cask wood: OAK. Another botanical reference.
30. Web access co.: ISP. Internet Service Provider
31. "Certainement!": OUI. Clue en français / Answer en français
32. Tend to an overgrown plant: REPOT. Smoke another doobie?
33. Give off: EXUDE.
34. EMT skill: CPR. A common crossword pairing.
35. Number of squares on a chess board: SIXTY FOUR. Eight by eight.
36. Fish that can transform into a dragon, per Japanese legend: KOI.
33. Give off: EXUDE.
34. EMT skill: CPR. A common crossword pairing.
35. Number of squares on a chess board: SIXTY FOUR. Eight by eight.
36. Fish that can transform into a dragon, per Japanese legend: KOI.
37. Little pest: ANT. Anyone try IMP first?
39. Tuning fork feature: Y SHAPE. I have an A-440 tuning fork lying around somewhere. These days, one uses an electronic gadget.
40. Neptune's realm: SEA. A reference to the god and not to the eponymous planet.
44. Pan-__ scallops: SEARED.
45. Game of love: TENNIS. Cute. In a tennis match love means zero.
Wayne Fontana And The Mindbenders
46. Thief: CROOK. Or not. Or not not.
47. Get more mileage out of: REUSE. I tried to change the color of my monk's cowl costume so that I could REUSE it but old habits dye hard.
48. Celerity: HASTE. Anyone first misread this as Celebrity? Celery?
49. Some 20 Questions answers: YESES.
50. Luau fare: POI. Often served in our puzzles.
52. Not for minors: ADULT. When my children were little they sometimes said "When I grow up I want to be a dult."
57. NFL stat: YDS. YarDS A football reference.
58. "__ Doubtfire": MRS. You are missed, Robin Williams.
59. Letters of credit?: IOU. Not letters of credit as your bank might issue. I OWE YOU.
60. Syllable in some lawn product names: GRO. Today's final botanical reference.
As promised, here is the completed grid:
And now, in keeping with today's theme . . .
_______________________________________________
“I'm paranoid about everything in my life. Even at home. On my stationary bike, I have a rear-view mirror, which I'm not thrilled about.” - - - Richard Lewis 1947 - 2024
