Theme: It's Jelly time! Oops I mean JAM time. Each of the four 14 letter theme answers are clued by the unifier, JAM. Patti, who we just saw in March with her Monday letter progression puzzle, left out BASKETBALL DUNK, but hey it is a complicated little three letter word. We have some music, some people, some easy, some hard and let's get to it, and have some BREAD and BUTTER. (1:55)
20A. See 38-Across : TRAFFIC PROBLEM. Traffic JAM. I guess because cars are jammed together.
26A. See 38-Across : TOUGH SITUATION.In a JAM. Not sure why.
44A. See 38-Across : FRUIT PRESERVES. Just plain JAM.
54A. See 38-Across : JAZZ CLUB IMPROV. You like this JAM.
and the unifier clue:
38A. Clue for four puzzle answers : JAM. Time to cram in the rest of the answers....
Across:
1. "The __ Kings Play Songs of Love": Hijuelos novel : MAMBO; living in South Florida when the movie came out, helped me remember this easily. Never read the book. It also introduced American audiences to Antonio Banderas.
6. "But wait, there's more!" : PLUS. Let's Make a Deal or Ron Popeil?
10. Surrounded by : AMID. As opposed to amidst, or that one of hearti's var.?
14. Animated mermaid : ARIEL. Hebrew for Lion of G-d.
15. Mascara target : LASH. Eyelash, not this LASH.
16. Better half, so to speak : MATE. Is it mating season already? Oh I guess that is why I have a grand baby on the way.
17. Did a fall chore : RAKED. I will leave those bad puns alone.
18. Kid's comeback : AM SO. Am Not.
19. Luau strings : UKES. Is this my new Friday word; I wish we had our Hawaiians back.
23. Pathetic : SAD. Yes, their absence along with all of our MIA make me sad, say hello CA and all of you...
24. Where to 'ang one's 'at : 'OME. Nice Cuppa you out there? How about this man.
25. Insightful : KEEN. Sharp.
32. "The Matrix" hero : NEO.
20A. See 38-Across : TRAFFIC PROBLEM. Traffic JAM. I guess because cars are jammed together.
26A. See 38-Across : TOUGH SITUATION.In a JAM. Not sure why.
44A. See 38-Across : FRUIT PRESERVES. Just plain JAM.
54A. See 38-Across : JAZZ CLUB IMPROV. You like this JAM.
and the unifier clue:
38A. Clue for four puzzle answers : JAM. Time to cram in the rest of the answers....
Across:
1. "The __ Kings Play Songs of Love": Hijuelos novel : MAMBO; living in South Florida when the movie came out, helped me remember this easily. Never read the book. It also introduced American audiences to Antonio Banderas.
6. "But wait, there's more!" : PLUS. Let's Make a Deal or Ron Popeil?
10. Surrounded by : AMID. As opposed to amidst, or that one of hearti's var.?
14. Animated mermaid : ARIEL. Hebrew for Lion of G-d.
15. Mascara target : LASH. Eyelash, not this LASH.
16. Better half, so to speak : MATE. Is it mating season already? Oh I guess that is why I have a grand baby on the way.
17. Did a fall chore : RAKED. I will leave those bad puns alone.
18. Kid's comeback : AM SO. Am Not.
19. Luau strings : UKES. Is this my new Friday word; I wish we had our Hawaiians back.
23. Pathetic : SAD. Yes, their absence along with all of our MIA make me sad, say hello CA and all of you...
24. Where to 'ang one's 'at : 'OME. Nice Cuppa you out there? How about this man.
25. Insightful : KEEN. Sharp.
32. "The Matrix" hero : NEO.
33. Bit of shuteye : NAP.
34. Hi-tech brains? : CPU. Central Processing Unit. Computer brains.
35. Test one's metal : ASSAY. Used in metallurgy, and a var. of ESSAY.
39. Family insignia : CREST. Why would a family want to be known by toothpaste even if their teeth are very white?
41. Like some coll. courses : REQuired. As opposed to elective.
42. Big initials in Detroit : UAW. United Auto Workers is actually The International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America.
43. Low digit? : TOE. Very cute foot humor.
50. SFO guesstimates : ETAS. SFO is the airport code for San Francisco, and Estimate Time of Arrival.
51. One is often seen near a dessert array : URN. The coffee kind, not the one with your favorite pet's ashes.
52. RAV4 or TrailBlazer, briefly : UTE. UGH.
58. Turbaned Punjabi : SIKH. Now marti none of your sick jokes here.
59. Feels lousy : AILS. here is the place for sick humor.
60. Professeur's charge : ELEVE. French lesson: Student. Hey Jeannie.
61. Colored part of the eye : UVEA. They do not let me forget my eyes. For you all...LINK.
62. Pool path : LANE.
63. "American Idol" success Clay : AIKEN. LINK.(2:43)
64. Club membership, maybe : PERK. From the odd word perquisite, not to be confused with prerequisite. I love English.
65. Logician's "E," perhaps : ERAT. Quod erat demonstrandum.
66. Numerical extreme : LEAST, At least we are halfway home.
Down:
1. Some are mini : MARTS. Apu where are you?
2. Mount sacred to Armenians : ARARAT. I loved a girl from ARMENIA once.
3. Title Gilbert and Sullivan ruler : MIKADO. The most played OPERA?
4. __ Wellington : BEEF. Named for the original Duke, take that John Wayne.
5. Stick-in-the-mud : OLD FOGEY. My kids often think I am an...
6. Connects with a memory : PLACES. The voice is familiar, if I could just place the face...
7. Desktop item : LAMP. Not an ICON, an old fashioned desk, wonderful clue.
8. Outdated globe letters : USSR.
9. Badly rattled : SHOOK UP. We just had Elvis from Gareth.
10. Talisman : AMULET.
11. Reprimand to quarreling siblings : MAKE NICE. C/mon children....
12. Brangelina, for one : ITEM.
13. __ Arc, Arkansas : DES. This may be the most obscure clue of all time, especially from a NYC girl living in new haven with all the yalies.
21. Texter's "If you ask me ..." : IMHO. In My Humble Opinion. Humble?
22. TV's Arthur : BEA. We see her often.
27. A, in Oaxaca : UNA. One in Spanish.
28. Bowled over : IN AWE.
29. Souvenir from Scotland : TAM. Tam O'shanter, a cap, not to be confused with 46D. Spinning toon : TAZ, LINK (6:21)
30. Black __: spy doings : OPS. Operations. NCIS.
31. Zealous type : NUT.
35. "Walk me!" : ARF. Damn, I thought that meant 'feed me', no wonder he got so fat.
36. Inspiring msg. : SERmon.
37. Close game : SQUEAKER. Won by a whisker.
38. Mason __ : JAR. Invented by a guy named John Mason, and used in canning (not jarring) where I grew up we were taught to eat what we can and we can't we can.
39. Polenta base : CORN MEAL.
40. Crank (up) : REV. Vroom, vroom.
42. High-end : UPSCALE. One word or two?
43. She played Lois on "Lois & Clark" : TERI. She used to hang out in SoFla, now she hangs out in pics.
63. "American Idol" success Clay : AIKEN. LINK.(2:43)
64. Club membership, maybe : PERK. From the odd word perquisite, not to be confused with prerequisite. I love English.
65. Logician's "E," perhaps : ERAT. Quod erat demonstrandum.
66. Numerical extreme : LEAST, At least we are halfway home.
Down:
1. Some are mini : MARTS. Apu where are you?
2. Mount sacred to Armenians : ARARAT. I loved a girl from ARMENIA once.
3. Title Gilbert and Sullivan ruler : MIKADO. The most played OPERA?
4. __ Wellington : BEEF. Named for the original Duke, take that John Wayne.
5. Stick-in-the-mud : OLD FOGEY. My kids often think I am an...
6. Connects with a memory : PLACES. The voice is familiar, if I could just place the face...
7. Desktop item : LAMP. Not an ICON, an old fashioned desk, wonderful clue.
8. Outdated globe letters : USSR.
9. Badly rattled : SHOOK UP. We just had Elvis from Gareth.
10. Talisman : AMULET.
11. Reprimand to quarreling siblings : MAKE NICE. C/mon children....
12. Brangelina, for one : ITEM.
13. __ Arc, Arkansas : DES. This may be the most obscure clue of all time, especially from a NYC girl living in new haven with all the yalies.
21. Texter's "If you ask me ..." : IMHO. In My Humble Opinion. Humble?
22. TV's Arthur : BEA. We see her often.
27. A, in Oaxaca : UNA. One in Spanish.
28. Bowled over : IN AWE.
29. Souvenir from Scotland : TAM. Tam O'shanter, a cap, not to be confused with 46D. Spinning toon : TAZ, LINK (6:21)
30. Black __: spy doings : OPS. Operations. NCIS.
31. Zealous type : NUT.
35. "Walk me!" : ARF. Damn, I thought that meant 'feed me', no wonder he got so fat.
36. Inspiring msg. : SERmon.
37. Close game : SQUEAKER. Won by a whisker.
38. Mason __ : JAR. Invented by a guy named John Mason, and used in canning (not jarring) where I grew up we were taught to eat what we can and we can't we can.
39. Polenta base : CORN MEAL.
40. Crank (up) : REV. Vroom, vroom.
42. High-end : UPSCALE. One word or two?
43. She played Lois on "Lois & Clark" : TERI. She used to hang out in SoFla, now she hangs out in pics.
45. Violinist Perlman : ITZHAK. Listen (7:32).
47. Group within a group : SUBSET. The new math,
48. "I've got it!" : EUREKA. Not the vacuum cleaner, the exclamation made by Archimedes when got in a bath and saw he displaced the water. from the Greek I found.
49. Log cabin warmers : STOVES.
53. Olympics segment : EVENT. Ready for the London Olympics? Coming soon.
54. Baloney : JIVE. Don't give me your...
55. One writing a lot of fiction? : LIAR.
56. Prismatic bone : ULNA. A radical new clue for this bone.
57. Ballet class bend : PLIE. There is a ballet school in my backyard. LESSON.(0;52)
58. "How's it hangin', bro?" : SUP. An abbreviation for 'what is up?' and one of my personal favorites.
Answer grid.
Well we are done, it was an interesting journey with all kinds of nice fill, CORN MEAL FRUIT PRESERVES, ITZHAK JAZZ CLUB IMPROV, MAKE NICE, OLD FOGEY, SHOOK UP SQUEAKER, TOUGH SITUATION, TRAFFIC PROBLEM but also lots of three letter fill. Ah well, I had fun and may is around the corner.
ciao
L 714
Answer grid.
Well we are done, it was an interesting journey with all kinds of nice fill, CORN MEAL FRUIT PRESERVES, ITZHAK JAZZ CLUB IMPROV, MAKE NICE, OLD FOGEY, SHOOK UP SQUEAKER, TOUGH SITUATION, TRAFFIC PROBLEM but also lots of three letter fill. Ah well, I had fun and may is around the corner.
ciao
L 714
