Theme: Horsing Around? Neigh!
17A: City horse-to-be?: MARE (MAYOR) ELECT
62A: Equestrian leather work?: REIN (RAIN) MAKER
11D: Stable stall? MANE (MAIN) OFFICE
28D: Horse's blinder?: BRIDLE (BRIDAL) VEIL
This would have been a perfect Derby Day puzzle.
I was so enthralled by those homophonic puns, very interesting to solve. I wanted to merge 38A & 40A and somehow created **SADDLE**. I like puzzles with a run-through theme answer.
This constructor is very good at wordplay, and I think he loves animals, which are often found roaming around in his puzzles. I wonder when he is going to clue WOLF.
I am not fond of putting too many *SS words in one grid: ASS (44D: Pompous fool); USELESS (21A: Serving no purpose); HISS (47A: Spy Alger); ROSS (13D: Flag fabricator); SASS (31D: Lip). HARASS (47D: Really bother).
Quite A FEW (37A: Not many) new words/names to me, but they were all conquerable by the crossing fills.
Across:
5A: Firefighter's sprayer: HOSE. I like this outdoor sink with HOSE reel. It does not look too sturdy though.
9A: Truman's birthplace: LAMAR (MO)
16A: Balbo or Calvino: ITALO. I am tired of this clue. Why not clue it as "From Rome, prefix" to please all those ITALOphiles?
19A: Canonical hour: NONES. Here is a wonderful list Ken found last week:
Vigils: Night prayer
Matins: Sunrise prayer (note the spelling)
Lauds: Also at sunrise
Prime: first hour (6:00 am)
Terce: third hour (9:00 am)
Sext: 6th hour (12:00 noon)
None: 9th hour (3:00 pm )
Vespers: Sunset
Compline: (just before bed)
20A: Printing guide: STENCIL
25A: Ring above the collar?: HALO. Such a heavenly clue! I like it.
26A: Some roof ends: GABLES. What purpose do GABLES serve? Or are they just decorative features?
35A: Gold: AURUM. I only know its symbol is AU. Had no idea of its complete spelling. AG is for silver.
38A: Destroyer escort: FRIGATE. Foreign to me. I got it from the down fills.
40A: Sporting dog: SPANIEL. Spot looked so confused.
43A: Arab garments: ABAS. Yawner. Have some courage to rebel. "ABAS le roi"!
45A: Empirical philosopher: LOCKE (John). Know him only because of his "tabula rasa" idea, which was originally pioneered by Aristotle.
53A: Contrary: ADVERSE
64A: Filaments: HAIRS. Are you happy with this clue?
66: In __ veritas: VINO. So true, "There is truth in wine".
67A: "___ Shrugged": ATLAS. I've never read the book, probably as difficult as Sylvia Plath's "Ariel". I don't think I can understand.
69A: Novelist Shusaku: ENDO. Unknown to me. He wrote "The Samurai". Interesting way to clue ENDO, which is also the prefix for "Inner". See EXO (63D: Outer: pref). But I suppose the direct oppsite of ENDO is "ECTO".
Down:
1D: Money for mendicants: ALMS. "mendicant" is a new word to me.
2D: Perfectly: TO A T
5D: Greek sun god: HELIOS. Sol for the Romans.
6D: Nancy of "Access Hollywood": O'DELL. What's that red dot on her dress?
8D: Caesar's penultimate words: ET TU. BRUTE just appeared yesterday.
9D: Narrow and elongated: LINEAR
18D: Itchy skin woe: ECZEMA. I can never remember the spelling of this word.
26D: Faux pas: GAFFE. Isn't GAFFE a big "faux pas"?
27D: Of the ear: AURAL. Or OTIC.
29D: Racing sled: LUGE
39D: Follows: TAILS. Have to show you again this PREHENSIBLE TAIL Argyle found last week.
41D: Call to arms: ALARUM. Unknown to me also. It's the archaic spelling of ALARM. The clue should have "once" to indicate its old-fashionedness.
48D: Gordon ___, aka Sting: SUMNER. New to me again. I only knew Sting as Sting.
52D: Goldoni of "Shadows": LEILA. I've never seen "Shadows". Have never heard of her name either. (Addendum: The answer is wrong, should be LELIA)
C.C.
17A: City horse-to-be?: MARE (MAYOR) ELECT
62A: Equestrian leather work?: REIN (RAIN) MAKER
11D: Stable stall? MANE (MAIN) OFFICE
28D: Horse's blinder?: BRIDLE (BRIDAL) VEIL
This would have been a perfect Derby Day puzzle.
I was so enthralled by those homophonic puns, very interesting to solve. I wanted to merge 38A & 40A and somehow created **SADDLE**. I like puzzles with a run-through theme answer.
This constructor is very good at wordplay, and I think he loves animals, which are often found roaming around in his puzzles. I wonder when he is going to clue WOLF.
I am not fond of putting too many *SS words in one grid: ASS (44D: Pompous fool); USELESS (21A: Serving no purpose); HISS (47A: Spy Alger); ROSS (13D: Flag fabricator); SASS (31D: Lip). HARASS (47D: Really bother).
Quite A FEW (37A: Not many) new words/names to me, but they were all conquerable by the crossing fills.
Across:
5A: Firefighter's sprayer: HOSE. I like this outdoor sink with HOSE reel. It does not look too sturdy though.
9A: Truman's birthplace: LAMAR (MO)
16A: Balbo or Calvino: ITALO. I am tired of this clue. Why not clue it as "From Rome, prefix" to please all those ITALOphiles?
19A: Canonical hour: NONES. Here is a wonderful list Ken found last week:
Vigils: Night prayer
Matins: Sunrise prayer (note the spelling)
Lauds: Also at sunrise
Prime: first hour (6:00 am)
Terce: third hour (9:00 am)
Sext: 6th hour (12:00 noon)
None: 9th hour (3:00 pm )
Vespers: Sunset
Compline: (just before bed)
20A: Printing guide: STENCIL
25A: Ring above the collar?: HALO. Such a heavenly clue! I like it.
26A: Some roof ends: GABLES. What purpose do GABLES serve? Or are they just decorative features?
35A: Gold: AURUM. I only know its symbol is AU. Had no idea of its complete spelling. AG is for silver.
38A: Destroyer escort: FRIGATE. Foreign to me. I got it from the down fills.
40A: Sporting dog: SPANIEL. Spot looked so confused.
43A: Arab garments: ABAS. Yawner. Have some courage to rebel. "ABAS le roi"!
45A: Empirical philosopher: LOCKE (John). Know him only because of his "tabula rasa" idea, which was originally pioneered by Aristotle.
53A: Contrary: ADVERSE
64A: Filaments: HAIRS. Are you happy with this clue?
66: In __ veritas: VINO. So true, "There is truth in wine".
67A: "___ Shrugged": ATLAS. I've never read the book, probably as difficult as Sylvia Plath's "Ariel". I don't think I can understand.
69A: Novelist Shusaku: ENDO. Unknown to me. He wrote "The Samurai". Interesting way to clue ENDO, which is also the prefix for "Inner". See EXO (63D: Outer: pref). But I suppose the direct oppsite of ENDO is "ECTO".
Down:
1D: Money for mendicants: ALMS. "mendicant" is a new word to me.
2D: Perfectly: TO A T
5D: Greek sun god: HELIOS. Sol for the Romans.
6D: Nancy of "Access Hollywood": O'DELL. What's that red dot on her dress?
8D: Caesar's penultimate words: ET TU. BRUTE just appeared yesterday.
9D: Narrow and elongated: LINEAR
18D: Itchy skin woe: ECZEMA. I can never remember the spelling of this word.
26D: Faux pas: GAFFE. Isn't GAFFE a big "faux pas"?
27D: Of the ear: AURAL. Or OTIC.
29D: Racing sled: LUGE
39D: Follows: TAILS. Have to show you again this PREHENSIBLE TAIL Argyle found last week.
41D: Call to arms: ALARUM. Unknown to me also. It's the archaic spelling of ALARM. The clue should have "once" to indicate its old-fashionedness.
48D: Gordon ___, aka Sting: SUMNER. New to me again. I only knew Sting as Sting.
52D: Goldoni of "Shadows": LEILA. I've never seen "Shadows". Have never heard of her name either. (Addendum: The answer is wrong, should be LELIA)
C.C.