Theme: State Fare
1A: Gators state: FLORIDA
27A: Razorbacks state: ARKANSAS
31A: Rainbows state: HAWAII
49A: Jayhawks state: KANSAS
51A: Cornhuskers state: NEBRASKA
73A: Violets state: NEW YORK
11D: Fightin' Blue Hens state: DELAWARE
39D: Wildcats state: KENTUCKY
Are there any common denominator among those 8 states? Am I missing something here?
I did not know that Violets is the name of NYU's sport teams. I also had no idea that the nickname for the University of Hawaii is Rainbows.
Nice puzzle, very smooth. But I was a bit annoyed by the below clues:
64A: End of cash?: IER. Terrible editorial oversight. See CASH (59D: Money). "Back of front?" would be fine.
68D: Back of station?: ARY. Someone really needs to get creative with "ARY". I am so tried of "Back of the station". How about "End of honor/budget"?
Across:
11A: "Agnus ___": DEI. Have you read "The Da Vinci Code"? I am very intrigued by this whole Opus DEI mysterious secrecy.
14A: Student's performance: RECITAL
15A: Flax product: LINSEED
17A: Tiered bric-a-brac shelves: ETAGERE. I would prefer the clue to be "Tiered bric-a-brac stand".
18A: Radar of "M*A*S*H": O'REILLY. Have vaguely heard of this nickname "Radar" somewhere before. Did not know his full name is Corporal “Radar” Walter O’REILLY. Interesting name.
22A: Former sports org.: NASL (North American Soccer League). Faintly remember this defunct organization (1968-1984) as I was into Minnesota Kicks collection for a very short period of time. But I would not have obtained this answer without the down clues
34A: Fluffy dessert: MOUSSE. I want a piece of this berry MOUSSE.
36A: Accordionist Floren: MYRON. Unknown to me. Wikipedia says he is best known as the accordionist on "The Lawrence Welk Show". What's the meaning of Tico Tico?
44A: Mr. T's group: A-TEAM
55A: Dyer: TINTER. Is this a made-up word?
58A: Gust of wind: SCUD. I am just so used to the "Gulf War missile" clue.
60A: "___ Restaurant": ALICE'S. I got it from down clues. Wow, this is a song title. I thought it was referring to ALICE Waters' restaurant.
65A: Lizard constellation: LACERTA. Latin for Lizard. New to me also.
67A: Ottoman Turk: OSMANLI. Again, I got it from down clues.
Down:
1D: Soft-drink choice: FRESCA
3D: The Cars singer: OCASEK (Ric). "Just What I Needed", for Danielle & Martin.
9D: Cherry brandy: KIRSCH. From German Kirschwasser (Cherry water). Unknown to me also.
10D: Serpent tail?: INE. Lots of ? clues today.
13D: Pastoral poem: IDYL. Idle, Idol, IDYL are all pronounced the same, right?
21D: Shrink time? SESS. I suppose adding an "abbr." in the clue will take way the zest of the "?".
26D: "If I had a ___": HAMMER. I like some of Peter, Paul & Mary's songs.
28D: Shark of golf: NORMAN (Greg). Ha, the Sunday collapse syndrome! Someday I am going to watch the 1996 Masters replay and see how Nick Faldo took away the green jacket from the Shark.
42D: NY gambling parlor: OTB (Off-track betting)
47D: Curcifix letters: INRI
52D: "Sophie's Choice" character: STINGO. Foreign to me. I've never read the book or seen the movie. Dictionary says STINGO is a British slang for "strong ale".
53D: Dancer Ruby: KEELER. I googled her name. I had KEE?ER sitting at this corner for a long time.
61D: Ethan or Joel of movies: COEN. The COEN brothers. I like "Fargo" a lot.
62D: Salinger lass: ESME. ''For ESME With Love and Squalor''. I've never read this short story, have you?
63D: Old World duck: SMEW. I can not see the eyes of that male SMEW. Is he dozing off? Do ducks sleep on the water?
C.C.
1A: Gators state: FLORIDA
27A: Razorbacks state: ARKANSAS
31A: Rainbows state: HAWAII
49A: Jayhawks state: KANSAS
51A: Cornhuskers state: NEBRASKA
73A: Violets state: NEW YORK
11D: Fightin' Blue Hens state: DELAWARE
39D: Wildcats state: KENTUCKY
Are there any common denominator among those 8 states? Am I missing something here?
I did not know that Violets is the name of NYU's sport teams. I also had no idea that the nickname for the University of Hawaii is Rainbows.
Nice puzzle, very smooth. But I was a bit annoyed by the below clues:
64A: End of cash?: IER. Terrible editorial oversight. See CASH (59D: Money). "Back of front?" would be fine.
68D: Back of station?: ARY. Someone really needs to get creative with "ARY". I am so tried of "Back of the station". How about "End of honor/budget"?
Across:
11A: "Agnus ___": DEI. Have you read "The Da Vinci Code"? I am very intrigued by this whole Opus DEI mysterious secrecy.
14A: Student's performance: RECITAL
15A: Flax product: LINSEED
17A: Tiered bric-a-brac shelves: ETAGERE. I would prefer the clue to be "Tiered bric-a-brac stand".
18A: Radar of "M*A*S*H": O'REILLY. Have vaguely heard of this nickname "Radar" somewhere before. Did not know his full name is Corporal “Radar” Walter O’REILLY. Interesting name.
22A: Former sports org.: NASL (North American Soccer League). Faintly remember this defunct organization (1968-1984) as I was into Minnesota Kicks collection for a very short period of time. But I would not have obtained this answer without the down clues
34A: Fluffy dessert: MOUSSE. I want a piece of this berry MOUSSE.
36A: Accordionist Floren: MYRON. Unknown to me. Wikipedia says he is best known as the accordionist on "The Lawrence Welk Show". What's the meaning of Tico Tico?
44A: Mr. T's group: A-TEAM
55A: Dyer: TINTER. Is this a made-up word?
58A: Gust of wind: SCUD. I am just so used to the "Gulf War missile" clue.
60A: "___ Restaurant": ALICE'S. I got it from down clues. Wow, this is a song title. I thought it was referring to ALICE Waters' restaurant.
65A: Lizard constellation: LACERTA. Latin for Lizard. New to me also.
67A: Ottoman Turk: OSMANLI. Again, I got it from down clues.
Down:
1D: Soft-drink choice: FRESCA
3D: The Cars singer: OCASEK (Ric). "Just What I Needed", for Danielle & Martin.
9D: Cherry brandy: KIRSCH. From German Kirschwasser (Cherry water). Unknown to me also.
10D: Serpent tail?: INE. Lots of ? clues today.
13D: Pastoral poem: IDYL. Idle, Idol, IDYL are all pronounced the same, right?
21D: Shrink time? SESS. I suppose adding an "abbr." in the clue will take way the zest of the "?".
26D: "If I had a ___": HAMMER. I like some of Peter, Paul & Mary's songs.
28D: Shark of golf: NORMAN (Greg). Ha, the Sunday collapse syndrome! Someday I am going to watch the 1996 Masters replay and see how Nick Faldo took away the green jacket from the Shark.
42D: NY gambling parlor: OTB (Off-track betting)
47D: Curcifix letters: INRI
52D: "Sophie's Choice" character: STINGO. Foreign to me. I've never read the book or seen the movie. Dictionary says STINGO is a British slang for "strong ale".
53D: Dancer Ruby: KEELER. I googled her name. I had KEE?ER sitting at this corner for a long time.
61D: Ethan or Joel of movies: COEN. The COEN brothers. I like "Fargo" a lot.
62D: Salinger lass: ESME. ''For ESME With Love and Squalor''. I've never read this short story, have you?
63D: Old World duck: SMEW. I can not see the eyes of that male SMEW. Is he dozing off? Do ducks sleep on the water?
C.C.
