Theme: VOWEL TRIFECTA. In the 2nd, 4th and 6th letter position of the first word of each two-word theme entry is a repeated vowel. These entries appear in the grid in alphabetical order, viz. A-E-I-O-U. Let's have a look.
16 A. Monkey cage discard : BANANA PEEL. Stereotypically, monkeys love BANANAS, but who wants to eat the outer part, despite its having appeal? You don't want to encounter one at the top of a slippery slope
22 A. Reason for totaling, as an insured car : SEVERE DAMAGE. "Totaling," in this sense indicates declaring the vehicle to be a total wreck, destined for the junk yard. Sadly, I totaled my most favorite car in a multi-vehicle pile up on the Southfield Freeway, back in 1991.
29 A. Cause of some tan lines : BIKINI TOP. A BIKINI is a two piece swim suit consisting of a bra top and a separate bottom part. Coverage is widely variable, depending on the specific design parameters. Of course, the covered parts will not be suntanned, resulting in tan lines. Per Wikipedia: "The name was coined in 1946 by French engineer and clothing designer Louis Réard, after the recent nuclear tests at Bikini atoll —often better known than its namesake—and with the slogan 'an anatomic bomb.'''
37 A. Ornate 18th-century genre : ROCOCO ART. This is a late baroque style that originated in Paris that employed a jocular and florid approach. The style was ornate, colorful, curvy, and asymmetric, frequently based on witty or playful themes.
44 A. Fluffy sun blocker : CUMULUS CLOUD. Well described by the clue, these clouds are generally of low altitude, and often have a flat base along with a puffy, cotton-like top.
55 A. Baseball rarity, and a hint to the vowels in the first words of 16-, 22-, 29-, 37- and 44-Across : TRIPLE PLAY. Of course, the mandatory baseball reference! Here, the triple play refers to the repeated vowel in each theme entry. In baseball, it's an event in which 3 outs are made on a single batted ball. As rare as this occurrence is, this example is of what must be an even more rare variety.
Hi gang, JzB reporting for duty, with a fine puzzle by our famous dynamic duo. Clever gimmick and elegant execution. Very rich themeage, with five entries, plus a unifier. Nicely done.
Across
1. "That's enough out of you" : CAN IT. Put a lid on it; give it a rest.
16 A. Monkey cage discard : BANANA PEEL. Stereotypically, monkeys love BANANAS, but who wants to eat the outer part, despite its having appeal? You don't want to encounter one at the top of a slippery slope
22 A. Reason for totaling, as an insured car : SEVERE DAMAGE. "Totaling," in this sense indicates declaring the vehicle to be a total wreck, destined for the junk yard. Sadly, I totaled my most favorite car in a multi-vehicle pile up on the Southfield Freeway, back in 1991.
29 A. Cause of some tan lines : BIKINI TOP. A BIKINI is a two piece swim suit consisting of a bra top and a separate bottom part. Coverage is widely variable, depending on the specific design parameters. Of course, the covered parts will not be suntanned, resulting in tan lines. Per Wikipedia: "The name was coined in 1946 by French engineer and clothing designer Louis Réard, after the recent nuclear tests at Bikini atoll —often better known than its namesake—and with the slogan 'an anatomic bomb.'''
37 A. Ornate 18th-century genre : ROCOCO ART. This is a late baroque style that originated in Paris that employed a jocular and florid approach. The style was ornate, colorful, curvy, and asymmetric, frequently based on witty or playful themes.
44 A. Fluffy sun blocker : CUMULUS CLOUD. Well described by the clue, these clouds are generally of low altitude, and often have a flat base along with a puffy, cotton-like top.
55 A. Baseball rarity, and a hint to the vowels in the first words of 16-, 22-, 29-, 37- and 44-Across : TRIPLE PLAY. Of course, the mandatory baseball reference! Here, the triple play refers to the repeated vowel in each theme entry. In baseball, it's an event in which 3 outs are made on a single batted ball. As rare as this occurrence is, this example is of what must be an even more rare variety.
Hi gang, JzB reporting for duty, with a fine puzzle by our famous dynamic duo. Clever gimmick and elegant execution. Very rich themeage, with five entries, plus a unifier. Nicely done.
Across
1. "That's enough out of you" : CAN IT. Put a lid on it; give it a rest.
10. Festoons with Charmin, for short : TPS. The childish prank of Toilet Papering a tree.
13. Chicago airport : O'HARE.
14. Barak of Israel : EHUD. Prime Minister from 1999 to 2001, also a highly decorated soldier who held several other political and government positions.
15. __ butter : SHEA. A fatty substance from the nut of the SHEA tree.
18. Phone using a tower : CELL.
19. Govt. agency that supports startups : Small Business Administration.
20. Kettle output : STEAM.
21. Ride in the desert : CAMEL. The ship of the desert.
24. Social ranking : STATUS.
27. Many mobile downloads : APPS. APPlications.
28. Coral component : POLYP. This is an individual animal that, when combined into large clusters can form a coral reef.
34. "All Things Considered" co-host Shapiro : ARI.
35. Day of song : DORIS. Not a day of the week.
36. Fleece source : EWE. Lamb's mom.
40. Thyme piece : SPRIG. A small stem, including it's minor branches.
42. Pre-hurricane emergency op : EVACuation.
43. Runs after : CHASES. Can also involve vehicles.
49. "No one can beat me" : I RULE. Arrogant.
50. Poker game concern : CHEAT. Well - any game, really.
51. Unit of resistance : OHM. Electricity.
54. Poker at the table? : TINE. Part of a fork.
57. Where buds may go : EARS. For listening to music, podcasts, etc.
58. Right hand : AIDE. Top assistant.
59. Meditation teachers : YOGIS.
60. "The Affair" network, briefly : SHOtime.
61. Flow with force : SPEW.
62. Place on a pedestal : EXALT.
62. Place on a pedestal : EXALT.
Down
1. Corny leftovers : COBS.
2. Starbuck's boss : AHAB. Characters from Moby Dick.
3. Child tender : NANA. Grandmother.
4. Tax-deferred plan, briefly : Individual Retirement Account.
5. Stiffen in fear : TENSE UP.
6. Prairie home : TEPEE. A portable conical tent made from skins, cloth or canvas on a frame of poles.
7. The Supremes' "__ a Symphony" : I HEAR.
8. "See if I care!" : SUE ME.
9. Cholesterol letters : High Density Lipoprotein.
10. Annual Augusta National event : THE MASTERS. Golf tournament.
11. "Pequod" co-owner : PELEG. The pequod is the Nantucket-based whaling ship from the novel Mobey Dick.
12. Room in a maison : SALLE. French for house and room, respectively.
15. Shrimp dish : SCAMPI. This is the Italian word for prawn, which is a crustacean similar, but not quite identical to a shrimp. You have to count their legs to tell. The dish is typically made by broiling with garlic butter.
17. Off-roaders, for short : ATVS. All Terrain Vehicles.
21. 2-Down's title, informally : CAP'N.
22. Dirty digs : STY. A pig's place.
23. Place of honor : DAIS. A low platform for a lectern, seat of honor, or throne.
24. Prep for a bout : SPAR. Boxing practice.
25. Big name in riding mowers : TORO.
26. Canadian short story writer awarded a Nobel Prize in 2013 : ALICE MUNRO. [b. 1931] Her stories explore human complexities in an uncomplicated prose style.
26. Canadian short story writer awarded a Nobel Prize in 2013 : ALICE MUNRO. [b. 1931] Her stories explore human complexities in an uncomplicated prose style.
29. Lavish wrap : BOA.
30. Discount rack abbr. : IRRegular.
31. First-aid gear : KIT.
32. Boo-boo : OWIE. Kid-speak for a minor injury.
33. Cribbage markers : PEGS.
35. Prefix with drama : DOCU-.
38. Small eggs : OVULES.
39. NASCAR's Yarborough : CALE. [b. 1939] One of only two NASCAR drivers to win three consecutive championships, with 83 total wins on the all-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series winner's list.
40. Z's : SHUT EYE. Sleepy time.
41. Elbow protector : PAD. Cushioning gear to protect against injury.
43. Mine extraction : COAL. A combustable black or brown rock composed of fossilized organic material.
44. Names as a reference : CITES. Typically in a foot note.
45. Hater of David, in Dickens : URIAH. Mr. Heap, the obsequious weasel from the Charles Dickens novel, David Copperfield.
46. Rx : SCRIP. A doctor's prescription for a certain medication.
47. Reprimand : CHIDE.
48. Aggressive cat lover of cartoons : LEPEW. Pepe.
51. Gymnast Korbut : OLGA. She won 4 gold and 2 silver medals for the Soviet team in the 1972 and 1976 Summer Olympics.
52. Flag down : HAIL.
53. Classic PC adventure game : MYST. A graphic puzzle-adventure game having a variety of endings, depending on the player's choices.
55. Some univ. proctors : TAS. Teaching Assistants.
56. Curse : POX.
56. Curse : POX.
Lots of good stuff here, including a whale of a sub-theme. No less than we would expect from this all star team.
Cool regards!
JzB
Note from C.C.:
Happy Birthday to dear PK, who turns 76 years old today. She can read our blog write-ups and comments, but she can't comment. Her iMac is so un-Apple!
