Friday. September 28, 2012, Marti Duguay-Carpenter

Theme: TU-day is the Day. TRIBUTE (4:45) to marti.

Welcome to another addition of the Friday funnies, with much joy to come. In today's effort, our own Divine Miss M has managed to find 4 words or phrases which when the letters TU are added to the beginning create a witty new phrase. The first one is TU added to a word, rather than a phrase, but if it is okay with Rich it is okay with me. All highlighted by a perfect hint, with a twist. I hope to have you DANCING  (3:11) by the time this one is done. let us get right to the theme answers.

17A. Quarry for Henry VIII's cat? : TUDOR MOUSE.(10) A Dormouse is a particular type of rodent, which derived its name from the French DORMIR, to sleep, as this tiny group often hibernate for 6 months at a time. Cute? Henry VIII (1:46) was one of six monarchs in this short lived dynsaty that died with Elizabeth I.

26A. Dutch exporter's forte? : TULIP SERVICE.(12) I read the clue as Dutch explorer, so this took a bit. Not to give lip service to one of our resident creative people, but I cannot imagine thinking up this clue. Some how a bulb must have gone in her head.

44A. New Orleans campus sign during spring break? : TULANE CLOSED. My favorite, a shout out to Hahtoolah and a fine southern university, the GREEN WAVE, which was part of how I became part of the Corner.

60A. Garb for a private pupil? : TUTEE SHIRT. I LOVE this one, as it uses one of those stupid law type word combinations, which many hate TUTOR/TUTEE, all from a simple t-shirt.

And the absolutely classic hint:

52D. Words of reproach, and a hint to how the four longest puzzle answers are formed : ET TU Brute? ET is the Latin for "and", and we are adding the TU so it is the word/phrase AND "TU". 

Wow, and there are more clues to come....

Across:

1. It can keep a watch on you : STRAP. I think I have seen this before, but a nice way to start the day.

6. Phi follower? : BETA, you BETA know KAPPA comes next. My oldest has his key.

10. Took the bus : RODE. I am glad it was riding, because they would make you give it back if you took it. Or if you like you have 15A. Transportation option : RAIL.

14. French fry? : SAUTÉ. What a simple but brilliant clue.

16. Carafe kin : EWER. Can you pitcher that?

19. Word in a boast : VENI. This of course ties into the Roman hint from Julius Caesar.VIDI VICI to you .

20. King of fiction : STEPHEN. I wonder if our own Mainiac has run into this man?

21. Martin Luther, to Pope Leo X : HERETIC. No religion, no politics.

23. European wine region : ASTI. Spumante is Italian for sparkling.

25. Bouquet : AROMA. Most sparkling wines do not have a "nose."

32. The Olympic Australis and others : OPALS. The world's LARGEST and a shout out to our Kazie.

33. Slippery : EELY. Is this really a word?

34. Pop-ups, often : ADS. Mine are often TARTS. (0:26).

37. Hollywood VIP : IDOL. They too are often TARTS.(3:18)

38. "The Prince of Tides" co-star : NOLTE.  LINK. (2:58).

40. Bend at a barre : PLIE. Pronounced Plee ay in the Ba'al ay world.

41. LAPD section? : LOS Angeles Police Department.

42. Pay stub abbr. : FICA. Federal Insurance Contributions Act. Your funding of SSA and medicare, no religion, no politics.

43. Origami staple : CRANE. LINK. Do you know the meaning?

47. Way up : STAIR. But it is rude (boorish) to stare when she goes up the stair, no matter how.....

50. Desperate : DIRE. your personal situation. It never is a reason for you to...

51. Horns in : MEDDLES.

54. Puts in a lower position : DEMOTES. The opposite of PROMOTE, but no one is ever just moted.

59. Melville's "grand, ungodly, god-like man" : AHAB. A whale of a tale.

62. Two after do : RE MI. A bonus clue, DO(ugh) not D(ew).

63. Go like mad : TEAR. I did not tear through this one, but savored it.

64. Pitched perfectly : ON KEY. paired with the mini clecho: 

65. It's pitched : TENT.

66. Strong arms : UZIS. The Israeli made machine guns which do make a lot of

67. Racket : NOISE.

Down:

1. Former fleet : SSTS. Super Sonic Transports. Did you know the Soviet's had the first one? LINK. My brothers both flew on the Concorde and said it was amazing but cramped.

2. Tense : TAUT. I was taught this word young.

3. Boorish : RUDE.

4. Sitting on : ATOP. marti used an A word, marti used an A word.

5. Noncommittal response : PERHAPS. I should not nit pick, the nitpicker.

6. "The Tenant of Wildfell Hall" author Anne : BRONTE. The youngest of the three sisters, she died young and I was not familiar with this BOOK, only Agnes Gray, and of course Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights.

7. Seine flower : EAU. Water in French, and the old, flower/flow-er trick.

8. Addams family nickname : TISH. MORTICIA was well LOVED.(3:31).

9. Toward shelter : ALEE. marti used an A word, marti used an A word.

10. Put on a pedestal : REVERE. Like Paul.

11. Have an outstanding loan from : OWE TO.

12. Durable fabric : DENIM. Just like Bret Favre.

13. Evergreen shrub : ERICA. This PLANT is known as HEATH,. from which the name HEATHCLIFF is derived, if you ever read Emily Bronte.

18. Muddle : MESS. I was in a the SE until TUTEE popped in my head.

22. Risqué : RACY. Like this TEASE? (3:38)

24. Swift's birthplace : IRELAND. Jonathan who wrote Gulliver's Travels and other political satire. oops, no religion, no politics. Anyway, it was great to see this answer instead of EIRE or ERIN.

26. Drudgery : TOIL. Blogging is work but not toil.

27. Prom night style : UPDO. Trying to look older so it is okay to have sex in the car.

28. Myanmar neighbor : LAOS. MAP.

29. Bugged? : ILL.He came down with the flu bug.

30. Spot checker? : VET. Really cute but are there any dogs except the one we see run named Spot anymore?

31. ___-de-France : ILE. Did we have this wealthy part of France recently, or am I having a senior  Déjà vu  moment?

34. Melodramatic moan : ALAS. Alas, a lass fell on her ass, it wan't rounded and pink as you probably think, but had long ears and ate grass..

35. Wine partner : DINE. Perhaps because she had just been wined and dined?

36. Word with poppy or top : SEED.

38. Zilch : NIL. Last week it was bupkis.

39. Andean tuber : OCA. I Yam quite familiar with these VEGGIES.

40. Arnie or Tiger, e.g. : PRO. Simple, but PGA popped into my head.

42. Roll up : FURL. Funny little word, comes from the same stem as FIRM.

43. South Carolina university : CLEMSON. The Tigers, Arnie went to Furman, also in SC. Jonathan Byrd, Lucas Glover, Kyle Stanley and Tommy Biershenk all went to Clemson.

44. Gossip morsel : TIDBIT. You like that bit.

45. Down sources : EIDERS. I would mak a bad pun, but you might throw something and I would have to duck.

46. First Nations tribe : CREE.  For all of our TEACHERS.

47. Sting : SMART. OO, that clue ..

48. Chuckle relative : TEHEE. I always say teehee.

49. Not worth ___ : A DAMN. Not to be confused with a Tinker's Dam.

53. "The Highway to India" canal : SUEZ. No idea but how many four letter canals are there?

55. "That's terrible!" : OH NO. Oh yes.

56. ___ torch : TIKI.

57. Cockney toast starter : 'ERES to you 'Enry 'Iggins.

58. Ocular nuisance : STYE.which rhymes with....

61. Clavell's "___ Pan" : TAI. Which sounds like THAI which land is next to Laos, so we have come full circle, so it must be time for me to go and find someone to squeeze some Lemons and see where that gets me. Always a pleasure to to write up a DuGuay-Carpenter (see Splynter there is another one here) creation. I hope you all have a wonderful time. 

Answer grid.

Lemonade

Thursday, September 27, 2012 Alex Boisvert

Theme: "You've got a lot of balls!"

If you are like me, you probably glance at the down clues as you solve on Thursday-Saturday, just to get a toe-hold. So I bumped into the unifier early on. (Didn’t help!)

Here it is:

7D. Diamond gambit, or a hint to a different concealed word found in each answer to a starred clue: HIDDEN BALL TRICK. When I saw “diamond”, my heart sank.  “A baseball theme?  I’m doomed!!” It took me all the perps to come up with the answer.  But from there, I could go back and find all the balls hidden in the starred entries. I have highlighted them in red for your convenience.

17A. *America's most popular dining-out occasion: MOTHER'S DAY. I remember the smell in my mémé’s closets!

28A. *Place setting item: DINNER FORK. The only “ball” that spans two words. “Nerf” is actually an acronym for “Non-Expanding Recreational Foam”. Who knew?

33A.*Last chance in court: CLOSING ARGUMENT.  A Wal-Mart staple.

42A. *Where some plates are made: STEEL MILLS . Foul!  TEE ball is a kid’s baseball game…

58A. *Political propagandist: SPIN DOCTOR . You knew I would have to link music at some point!! 2:55

Marti here, because it's Thursday. So, let's get to the rest. 

Across:

1. Map site : ATLAS

6. Senate figure : WHIP

10. Brash : BOLD

14. Winner of the 2005 Best Picture Oscar : CRASH. Not my taste. Trailer. 2:25

15. Verdi title princess : AIDA. More my taste. (I won't torture you with more opera links this time!)

16. Rapier cousin : EPEE

19. Flavorful plant : HERB. I grow my own dill, thyme, rosemary, sage, oregano, chives, basil and tarragon. In the fall when I bring them in to dry, the aromas are heavenly!

20. Spot : EYE. "I spy with my little eye..."

21. Shows the way : LEADS

22. Heaven-sent food : MANNA

23. Academy freshman : PLEBE

24. Give way : FALTER. Because "blink" was too short.

25. Chess announcement : MATE. I like to say "check mate", better.

30. One way to sing : ALONG. Fun clue! I almost started filling "in tune" before I ran out of room...

32. Smack on the head : BONK. Anyone else have "conk"? (Anyone?)...(Anyone??) (With thanks to TTP!!)

40. Semitic deity : BA'AL. Meaning "Master" or "Lord".

41. Frigid : POLAR

48. Vodka in a blue bottle : SKYY. Gimme!! Shaken over ice, with a squeeze of lime.

49. Rug often groomed : TOUPEE. Funny!

50. Honor, in a way : TOAST. With SKYY, of course!

52. "...but I could be wrong" : OR NOT...maybe with Scotch?

53. Wear slowly : ERODE

54. ___-mo video : SLO

57. Old stage line? : REIN. This one had me going in circles, until I realized they were talking about the reins of a horse on an old stage coach!

60. Department store founder Rowland Hussey ___ : MACY. Appropriate clue for a Thursday.  "'Miracle On 34th Street' store owner " would have been too easy...

61. Asian staple : RICE. Anyone else want "sake"? (Anyone?)...(Anyone??)

62. Standard : USUAL

63. Arise : STEM

64. Gross : ICKY

65. Swing era dance : LINDY

Down:

1. Fictional corporation that sells earthquake pills and portable holes : ACME. In old Looney Tunes Road Runner cartoons. Yes, earthquake pills. 5:49 (Go ahead, watch the whole thing- we could all use some cartoons in our lives!!) And 46D. ___ Tunes : LOONEY

2. Hector's home : TROY

3. Behind schedule : LATE...which is what I am getting to be. So I'd better move this along!

4. Flooring wood : ASH. Anyone else want "oak"? (Anyone?)...(Anyone??)

5. Yellow-and-red gas station symbol : SHELL.

6. Sushi condiment : WASABI. Great for the sinuses...

8. Lupino and others : IDAS. Go ahead, name another famous one...

9. Salary : PAY

10. Sake : BEHALF. I wanted "Asian staple" for the answer...

11. Not against trying : OPEN TO.

12. Loewe's partner : LERNER. Of "My Fair Lady", "Camelot", "Brigadoon"and "Paint your Wagon" fame.

13. Get off at the pier : DEBARK

18. Clarinetist's need : REED

22. Retail price component : MARKUP

23. Writers : PENS. I dunno..."pens" with "writers"?

24. ___ shui : FENG

25. Scot's nickname, maybe : MAC

26. Tide rival : ALL. Detergents.

27. As well : TOO

29. "___ any drop to drink": Coleridge : NOR. From "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner":

"Day after day, day after day,

We stuck, nor breath nor motion;

As idle as a painted ship

Upon a painted ocean.

Water, water, every where,

And all the boards did shrink;

Water, water, every where,

Nor any drop to drink."

31. Kind of gravy : GIBLET. Thanksgiving is fast approaching!

34. Tag information : NAME

35. Moo goo ___ pan : GAI. Yumm.

36. Lion's share : MOST

37. Caribou cousin : ELK

38. Disagreeing word : NAY

39. Give it a go : TRY

42. Leaves in a huff, with "out" : STORMS

43. Attacked eagerly, as a wrapped gift : TORE AT. Or, as your wife's clothes?

44. Kennedy who married Sargent Shriver : EUNICE. Being from MA, this was a gimme.

45. Euclid vis-à-vis geometry : EPONYM

47. Road safety gp. : SADD. Students Against Drunk Driving.

51. Han River capital : SEOUL

53. Large in scope : EPIC

54. Floor : STUN

55. Truck filler? : LOAD

56. Airport south of Paris : ORLY

58. ___ Lanka : SRI. Map. Just below India.

59. TV franchise since 2000 : CSI. Crime Scene Investigation. One of the most popular dramatic series on TV. Me? I prefer TBBT, with a season premiere tonight!

Answer grid.

See you next week!

Hugs,
Marti