Theme: Most telling put downs - Each humorous two-word answer consists of a noun preceded by a two-syllable verb
that indicates a negative action or feeling, and whose second syllable
connects with the noun to yield an in-the-language phrase, all clued as "Put down ..." Or to put it simply, DE is added to the start of each noun phrase.
17A. Put down toddlers? : DECRY BABIES. To DECRY is to publicly denounce. CRY BABIES complain, whether they have a reason to or not.
28A. Put down formal education? : DEGRADE SCHOOL. To DEGRADE is treat or regard someone with disrespect. GRADE SCHOOL
is the designation for grades 1 through some number between 5 and 8,
depending on whether your district has middle school and what year it
starts.
48A. Put down thoroughfares? : DEMEAN STREETS. DEMEAN means to cause a severe loss of dignity or respect. MEAN STREETS, besides being a 1973 Martin Scorsese movie, means a part of town known for violence and crime.
64A. Put down a rock genre? : DEBASE METAL. DEBASE means to reduce the value or quality of something. BASE METAL is something other than a precious metal. Copper, tin and zinc all qualify.
Hi
gang, JazzBumpa here. Rather a brilliant theme, IMHO. But I love word
play of all sorts. This kind of involuted pun is somewhat akin to the
old Tom Swifty. Kinda, sorta, maybe.
Across:
1. Stockpile : AMASS.
6. A.L. West player : ASTRO. Cellar dwellers from Houston.
11. Place to see reeds : FEN. Bog, swamp.
14. Like some trains and anesthetics : LOCAL. Odd pairing, but I can't quibble.
15. "Gigi" star Leslie : CARON. She was 27 when they made this movie. Maurice Chevalier was a bit older. My grandmother had a thing for him, as did Gigi's.
16. Pollution-policing org. : EPA. Environmental Protection Agency
19. It's in many poems : TIS. Keeping with the involution idea, it's "it's" turned inside out, Would a poet do that? 'TIS a shame.
20. Wirehair of whodunits : ASTA. Nick and Nora's terrier.
21. Start of a morning diner order : A CUP. Of coffee, tea, hemlock, bile . . .
22. Hunt illegally : POACH. Why would anyone ever illegally hunt an egg?
24. Petty of "A League of Their Own" : LORI. Can't say I remember her.
26. Sediment : LEES. Dregs in wine making.
33. Handle the helm : STEER.
35. They're not from around here, briefly : ET'S. Extra-Terrestrials.
36. Ship of Greek myth : ARGO. Jason and the Argonauts. They went for the gold, and got fleeced.
37. Rand who created Dagny Taggart : AYN. Worst! Novel! Ever!
38. Went by : ELAPSED.
42. The Matterhorn, e.g. : ALP.
43. Plumbing concern : DRIP.
45. GI entertainers : USO. United Service Organizations
46. British __ : ISLES. There are well over 100 of them. I'm rather fond of Islay.
52. Hook's sidekick : SMEE. He's getting to be a regular here.
53. Caesarean rebuke : ET TU. And you, Brutus? Very disappointing day for Julie.
54. "Me too!" : SO DO I.
57. Pay, as expenses : MEET.
59. Russian assembly : DUMA. Government council.
63. Fuss : ADO.
67. Spruce cousin : FIR. Evergreen trees.
68. Soothing application : SALVE. What -- not ALOE?!?
69. Cockamamie : INANE. Now, that's just silly.
70. Comics cry : EEK. I tawt I taw a mouse.
71. Ancestral diagrams : TREES. Not to be confused with 67 A.
72. Dumas swordsman : ATHOS. One of the musketeers. But shouldn't they have been the three swordsmen?
Down:
1. "The West Wing" Emmy winner : ALDA. Alan
2. Homer's hangout : MOE'S. 'Tis HOMER Simpson, not the Greek poet.
3. IRA part: Abbr. : ACCT. Individual Retirement Account.
4. Big name in frozen desserts : SARA LEE. Everybody doesn't like something . . .
5. Crafty : SLY. Like advertising slogans
6. Thorny shrub : ACACIA. With a strange flower.
7. "Elephant Boy" actor : SABU. Of 1940's movie fame.
8. Rare sights in nurseries : TRIPLETS. babies, not plants.
9. Lobster eggs : ROE. Fish eggs, too.
10. How many writers work : ON SPEC. Writing done without a guaranteed sale for the finished work.
11. Greek salad topper : FETA. What I had for dinner, with enough leftover for tomorrow's lunch. [Well, today, as you're reading this.]
12. Larger-than-life : EPIC.
13. 1950s Rambler maker : NASH. Compact car, famous, at the time.
18. Virologist who worked with Epstein : BARR. Wikipedia: The Epstein–Barr virus (EBV), also called human herpes virus 4 (HHV-4), is a virus of the herpes family, and is one of the most common viruses in humans.
23. Worker protection agcy. : OSHA. Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
25. Storybook baddie : OGRE.
27. To be, to Brutus : ESSE. Him again? Latin
28. Wrangler material : DENIM. Forever in blue jeans.
29. Station : DEPOT. A heavy handed station master is the DEPOT despot. Don't mess with his tea pot.
30. 47-Downs have to talk their way out of them : ORALS. Clever. Exams for certain students, like dental hygienists, perhaps.
31. Look at lecherously : OGLE. Makin' eyes.
32. Cuts off : LOPS.
33. H.S. sobriety crusaders : S.A.D.D. Students Against Destructive Decisions.
34. Spare, in Soho : TYRE. Spare tire, nor an extra of anything else. British spelling. Soho London.
39. Moon over Marseille : LUNE. French.
40. Put together : ASSEMBLE. Who assembled the DUMA?
41. Waist management : DIET. Cute.
44. Cuban cabbage? : PESO. Money.
47. Loan recipient, often : STUDENT. Of the collegial variety.
49. In the center of : AMIDST.
50. Popular pieces : REESE'S. Candy.
51. Rock follower? : ETTE. The famous dancing troupe at Radio City Music Hall. Granddaughter Amanda spent a week with them earlier this month. Still hate these affix clues, though.
54. Sound partner : SAFE.
55. Drooling comics dog : ODIE. From Garfield
56. Idiot : DORK. Is that really what this means?
58. Water-draining aid : EAVE.
It's raining here, and the downspout on my garage came disconnected from
the EAVE. I'll deal with it tomorrow. [Today, as you read this.]
60. Canyonlands National Park locale : UTAH.
61. Hand, to Jorge : MANO. Español.
62. Pub server's trayful : ALES.
65. Tuner's asset : EAR.
66. "Mamma __!" : MIA. Italian expression cum ABBA musical.
Well, among other things, we've had movies, song and dance, salad and a snack. Pretty filling, I'd say. Hope you enjoyed the excursion.
Cool regards!
JzB
