Theme: You Dirty Rat! LINK. (1:00) Like "play it again Sam," this famous quote never was.
We have an interesting addition puzzle where the word RAT is added to a common phrase to create a whimsical new phrase. With only three theme answers (though two are grid spanners) and a hint, we have plenty of room for creative fill and the puzzle is loaded with some nice ones. Neville a very bright young man is a regular contributor to Amy Renaldo's Crossword Fiend blog, as well as this being his 5th LA Times publication since the changeover from TMS, and first in more than a year. Get to know this constructor along with our own ace interviewer, Ms. C.C. Meanwhile back to the puzzle,
17A. One who illegally brings home the bacon? : PORK PIRATE.(10) A pork pie hat was popular in the 20s and 30s. I love the image of the bacon thief, especially so soon after talk like a pirate day.
25A. Mistakes in Dickens, say? : VICTORIAN ERRATA. (15)The Victorian Era morphs into errors.
42A. When to send an erotic love note? : R-RATED LETTER DAY. (15) any day you send or receive erotic mail is a Red Letter Day, I am sure.
56A. "Something's fishy," and a hint to this puzzle's theme : I SMELL A RAT.(10) Not sure what smelling has to do with adding but if you did not see the little rats before, this should have helped.
Now let us look at all of the yummy 5, 6 and 8 letter fill.
Across:
1. Collected : CALM. Cool, calm and collected, yes that described your friendly Friday fanatic.
5. Tilting tool : LANCE. Ah the good old days of jousting, like in Game of Thrones.
10. Swift : FAST. Fast has an entirely different meaning to those of us atoning next Tuesday/Wednesday.
14. Apple application no longer in use : ALAR.
15. Eponymous William's birthplace : OCCAM. This name and the principle of Occam's razor have both undergone modernization. LINK.
16. Gospel writer : LUKE.
19. God in both Eddas : ODIN. From Norse myth and mythological writings; we see both often.
20. The orange kind is black : PEKOE TEA. Really cute clue, and I love seeing the whole phrase.
21. Tape deck button : RE-WIND. Anybody still have theirs? and, a mini-theme: 40A. Go green, in a way : RE-USE. But please, not your moist towelette. 60A. Modernize : RE-DO. But not, 45A. English class assignment word : READ. So simple an answer.
23. Uno e due : TRE. This is a math problem for Lawrence Welk in Italian.
24. Fairy tale baddie : OGRE. Don't tell Shrek and Fiona they are bad.
33. Sound, perhaps : INLET. I grew up 40 miles from Long Island Sound, so I understand this one, but it required perps.
34. Insect-eating singers : WRENS. Am I the only one who thought only of this IMAGE? (0:14)
35. Rapper ___ Jon : LIL. Do not know him and after listening to two songs, could not bring myself to link anything. In fact the songs left a....
36. Lasting impression : SCAR. I like this simple misdirection.
37. Just a bit wet : MOIST. Towelette?
38. Stove filler : COAL. Not wood, and not in my lifetime.
39. "___ American Cousin," play Lincoln was viewing when assassinated : OUR. All you wanted to know about the PLAY and more.
41. Linney of "The Big C" : LAURA. I have not watched this show, but she was quite good in the mini-series John Adams, and was Frazier Crane's last girlfriend, I think.
47. Remote insert : AA CELL. Another Friday made up phrase, for double A batteries.
50. By oneself : ALL ALONE. The state I try to be in when doing this blog; many interruptions tonight. Arrgh!
55. Big-screen format : IMAX. Avatar was so good in the 3-D Imax.
58. Pantheon feature : DOME. This historic STRUCTURE.
59. "Fear Street" series author : STINE. R.L. author of the Goosebumps books which my boys loved. LINK.
61. Tools for ancient Egyptian executions : ASPS. Speaking of snake in the grass puzzles from our own Cleopatra, you are on the clock, marti.
62. 16th-century English architectural style : TUDOR. I have always preferred a FORDOR.
63. Zombie's sound : MOAN. That is such a horrible image, and could take all the fun out of.....
Down:
1. Andy of comics : CAPP. We begin the down clues with the famous unemployed northern Brit of comic strip fame.
2. Soothing agent : ALOE. Rhymes with how Andy says Hello, coincidence?
3. Bird symbolizing daybreak : LARK. From WIKI: The lark in mythology and literature stands for daybreak, as in Chaucer's "The Knight's Tale", "the bisy larke, mesager of day" (I.1487; Benson 1988), and Shakespeare's Sonnet 29, "the lark at break of day arising / From sullen earth, sings hymns at heaven's gate" (11-12). I only think of this CLASSIC. (1:00)
4. '70s TV teacher : MR. KOTTER. The "star" of Welcome Back Kotter, was created and played by Gabe Kaplan, who went on to become a professional poker player. Aside from launching the career of John Travolta, Gabe had a limited show biz career. I had the misfortune of working with him when I was in Gainesville doing Gator Growl, where he was the performer the year after Bob Hope. Mr. Hope was a gracious gentleman, Gabe was not.
5. Idle : LOITER. A close friend of PROWL.
6. Farm unit : ACRE. We are seeing this lately.
7. Sports gp. with divisions : NCAA. National Collegiate Athletic Association.
8. Garfield, for one : CAT. Another comic strip character.
9. Budding : EMERGENT. A nice long fill and a perfect lead in to
10. Blossom : FLOWER. which is not a river in England.
11. European wheels : AUDI.
12. Crispy roast chicken part : SKIN. The yummy unhealthy part.
13. Take care of : TEND. do you tend your flock?
18. 1996 Reform Party candidate : PEROT. H. Ross, could not buy the office.
22. Messes up : ERRS. A mini reminder of our errata?
24. Short tennis match : ONE SET. Is one set a match?
25. Biker helmet feature : VISOR. Otherwise you will need Visine.
26. Provoke : INCUR. Nope, did not see this one.
27. Nurse Barton : CLARA. A very interesting and accomplished WOMAN, who like Mr. Lincoln had her life changed by the Civil War.
28. Willing words : I WOULD, if I could.
29. Stand : ARISE. I dub thee sir lemon man.
30. Not just mentally : ALOUD. did I say that?
31. Papal topper : TIARA.
32. Soothe : ALLAY. Not to be confused with earlier ALL ALONE, put your fears aside. or More LLs, in 44D. Like Everest, vis-à-vis K2 : TALLER.
37. Lauded Olympian : MEDALIST. another nice long word.
38. One might keep you awake at night : CAR ALARM. I have not heard one going off at night in a long time. Do you all recall this MOVIE? (2:17).
40. Fishing gear : REEL. Really?
41. By the book : LEGAL. Well I guess it depends on the book.
43. Prehistoric predators : T-REXES. If you do not parse this correctly, it could be very hard.
47. Musical with the song "Another Pyramid" : AIDA. Do you like the Broadway VERSION? (3:34)
48. Hebrew prophet : AMOS. One of the 12 minor prophets.
49. Pitch a tent, maybe : CAMP. There you are marti, both tent and camp.
50. Enclosed in : AMID. eh.
51. TV host with a large car collection : LENO. And a large chin.
52. Circular treat : OREO. C is still for cookie.
53. Bupkis : NADA. Yiddish באָבקעס (remember from right to left). This is not a nice way of saying "nothing, zilch, zip", but I will let you explore on your own.
54. David Cameron's alma mater : ETON. We are back to England for their youngest PM in 198 years.
57. Early Beatle bassist Sutcliffe : STU. And to come full cirle for the down clues, we have the Scottish born bass player, who with John Lenno named the band, but who left to become a painter, only to die very young.
Answer grid.
Well I had a very nice time this very straightforward Friday Frolic, and look forward to your comments. Happy Birthday Heidi, and best to you all until next time. Now I guess they will have Gareth blog this at the Fiend, enjoy.
Lemonade
