Theme: Counting on you.
In the time I have been blogging I have had times where it is hard to name a puzzle and describe the the theme, but I usually manage, but this one has me, well, puzzled. The reveal is the a three step multi-word answer reminiscent of the quotation themes from days of yore. There is no way to solve the three parts to get the reveal except through perps, though because I always place the number of letters in a theme fill after the words, the concept came quickly. This allowed me to get it done after I had some of the letters. 54 theme letters and the wonderfully preserved symmetry makes this an impressive work from Victor Barocas, the Minnesota based constructor who was pictured along with C.C. in her Sunday write up. He has done early week puzzles for us before now, and this effort does include many 3 and 4 letter words which helped, but a trade off for such an intricate two headed theme. Let's dissect this one.
18A. With 33 and 52-Across, what 23-, 42- and 61-Across have in common : EACH OF THEM,(10)
33A. See 18-Across : ENDS WITH. (8).
52A. See 18-Across : ITS LENGTH. (9).
then:
23A. Intermediate level : MEZZANINE. Notice the number of letters in this entry? Exactly 9. The only one where the pronunciation changed.
42A. How some veggies are sold : BY WEIGHT. This entry has 8 letters.
61A. Creator of Emma Woodhouse : JANE AUSTEN. This entry has 10 letters. This took a bit to focus on which Emma it might be, and it is nice to see a complete name. LINK. (2:17).
Across:
1. Pooh-pooher of the provincial : SNOB.
5. Round trip? : ORBIT. Actually, most orbits are elliptical not round.
10. Barclays Center team : NETS. This is tricky and meant for a true sports fan as the Brooklyn Nets are not a household name. What is most interesting is the appearance the team was bought only as part of a master real estate development PLAN.
14. Irish pop group family name : CORR. All perps, but they seem interesting, will have to listen, LINK.
15. How most fly : COACH. Nice clue/fill and more true now than ever.
16. Overseas "other" : OTRA. Straight translation.
17. Start to till? : ROTO. I was thinking how cool it would have been if the previous fill was OTRO, which along with ROOT is an anagram.
20. B-boy link : AS IN. Speaking of B-Boy, has anyone watched the Liberace movie on HBO with Michael Douglas and Matt Damon?
21. Foofaraw : ADO. Never heard of this word but the fill was easy.
22. It's often grated : ROMANO. Cheesy but easy answer when Parmesan did not fit. Not to be confused with this CHEESY (8:02) one.
26. Lets use for now : LENDS. Poor Polonius.
27. Skye writing : ERSE. The old language of this North Sea Island.
28. Tree sacred to the Druids : OAK.
30. Wheel man? : SAJAK. He has made a Fortune standing while they spin; as Fermatprime pointed out, he lends his name to the publication of some crosswords.
38. Force on Earth, for short : ONE G.
39. "___ of Identity": Conan Doyle story : A CASE. One of Sherlock Holmes most fun cases with the added twist that is a fiction story telling how life is stranger than fiction.
41. ___ Cakesters : OREO.
44. Get value out of, in a way : SMELT. Another fishy clue, that misled me completely.
45. Firing org.? : NRA. National Rifle Association.
46. Massage target : ACHE. It was not knot.
48. Not now? : DATED. Not new not now?
57. 1972 self-titled pop album : OLIVIA. She was young when I was young, and a CUTIE. (3:28)
59. Service support gp. : USO. United Service Organizations. Bob Hope anyone?
60. Blind element : SLAT. Literal clue originally from Venice?
63. Drop : LOSE. A few pounds? Money? Weight?
64. Eclipse, to some : OMEN.
65. Sierra ___ : LEONE.
66. Connecticut's State Composer : IVES. This Danbury born MAESTRO.(6:01).
67. Puts turf on : SODS.
68. Game with doubles and triples : DARTS. Not baseball this time C.C.
69. "Sesame Street" roommate : BERT. Why are some "E" and some "U"?
Down:
1. "Out!" : SCRAM.
2. Image on a poster for Eastwood's "Hang 'Em High" : NOOSE. I cannot find one to post, though there are many for sale, they all seem protected.
3. 2006 A.L. home run champ : ORTIZ. Red Sox star Big Papi David Ortiz.
4. Period marked by copper use : BRONZE AGE. I smelt out the answer to this one quickly.
5. Title word with eleven, twelve or thirteen : OCEANS. Brad Pitt, George Clooney...
6. Tour toter : ROADIE. Nice alliteration and I was initially thinking redcap or the like.
7. Quiche Lorraine ingredient : BACON. My favorite RECIPE.(26:46).
8. German I : ICH. This week was the 50th anniversary of the famous JFK speech, Ich bin ein Berliner, a speech which many claim means he was a jelly doughnut.
9. Title foe of Loki in a 2011 film : THOR. Ladies?
10. "Sorry, wrong guy" : NOT ME.
11. Wharton's Frome : ETHAN. A very sad tale.
12. Vogue : TREND.
13. Birthplace of Pythagoras : SAMOS. He had figure out all the ANGLES.
19. People : FOLKS.
24. Ship with two zebras on it : ARK. and two aardvarks.
25. Long periods : EONS.
29. Lemon attachment : ADE. Wow, a full blown shout out to your Friday phrase flinger!!! It is enough to make me...
30. Blubber : SOB.
31. One or more : ANY.
32. Shylock, e.g. : JEW.
33. Get down : EAT. I was thinking more of jamming with some good music, but I have also choked down some food.
34. Movement that fought stereotypes : WOMEN'S LIB. Really nice long fill.
35. Spleen : IRE.
36. Rolodex no. : TELephone.
37. ___ pants : HOT. Boys?
39. Dept. with a plow on its seal : AGRiculture.
40. Spiced tea : CHAI. Interesting because the YUMMY is very much tied to the culture of....
43. Columbus's elusive destination : INDIA.
44. Ella's English counterpart : SHE.
46. Nod, say : ASSENT.
47. "Star Wars Episode II" soldiers : CLONES. This MOVIE. (2:31).
48. Schools where boards may be used to measure ability : DOJOS. Really fun Karate clue, where breaking a board is part of the training, as opposed to taking a medical or legal board exam.
49. Where Davy Crockett died : ALAMO. San Antonio however lost it in Miami in the last 25 seconds of game 6.
50. Pointed at the table? : TINED. Meh.
51. Ties : EVENS.
53. Seneca, to Nero : TUTOR. Really interesting history, though I must warn you the link includes ancient Roman politics. READ.
54. Boxer's protection : GLOVE. Interesting thought, because the padded glove is important in reducing injury, though not completely effective.
55. It's a stunner : TASER. Nice phrased clue, bro.
56. Operation Redwing event, 1956 : H-TEST.
58. "___ Lang Syne" : AULD. really? It is almost July?
62. Black or Labrador : SEA. I liked this deception, and the black lab image made it harder to focus on the simple answer.
Another Friday done, and another month almost gone; I am very curious how you all will react to this effort. Keep those cards and letters coming and have a wonderful week end. Thank you Victor.
Lemonade out.
Note from C.C.:
Here is the photo Lemonade mentioned earlier. Our local constructors had a delightful get-together when Andrea Carla Michaels visited MN last week. Andrea, who is based in San Francisco, grew up here. Victor Barocas is a professor at the University of Minnesota.
Left to right: Tom Pepper; Marcia J. Brott; George Barany; David
Hanson; DK, C.C.; Andrea;
Boomer & Victor
