Theme: Kinship - KIN is inserted into a familiar phrase.
17A. Gear up for Halloween?: PRIME THE PUMP(KIN). Dictionary defines "prime the pump" as "to increase government expenditure in an effort to stimulate the economy". So the current economic stimulus package is pump-priming, correct?
38A. Yokel resting in the woods?: BUMP(KIN) ON A LOG. "Like a bump on a log" = unmoving/inactive. New idiom to me.
60A. Steals the dinner cloth from Garfield's lap?: TAKES A CAT NAP(KIN). Take a catnap. Garfield is a cat in comic strip "Garfield".
How I wish the last theme answer started with KIN*! It would be very balanced.
We seem to follow the old TMS Daily mode now. Monday and Tuesday puzzles get a bit tougher than normal and the late week puzzles are considerably easier.
How do feel about this trend? Happy? Unhappy? Come to the Comments section and let me know your opinion.
Across:
1. Held (on) by stitches: SEWN. It's clued as "Attached with thread" the other day. Rich mentioned he tries not to repeat the same clue for at least 2 months.
5. Cavalry weapon: LANCE. Oh, still no Armstrong reference? "It's Not about Bike" is a great read.
10. Farm females: EWES. Tell us more about EWE or you, Windhover. What are you going to bring to the Farmer's Market tomorrow?
15. Starting unit: A-TEAM
20. Heart-to-heart talk: TETE-A-TETE. Just mentioned this phrase the other day. Literally "head to head".
21. Hurricane feature: EYE
22. Maui strings: UKE. Waiting for Al for some G string education.
23. Pin near the gutter: TEN. Or SEVEN.
24. Per se: AS SUCH
27. "Frankenstein" author Shelley: MARY. Poet Shelley's wife.
29. Swings around: SLUES
32. Mahmoud Abbas's gp.: PLO (Palestine Liberation Organization). Abbas looks like a person of reason. Arafat was hopeless.
36. How ballerinas dance: ON TIPTOE
41. Split up: SEPARATE
43. Withdrawal site, for short: ATM. Ha ha, money. I was picturing a REHAB center.
44. Arcade games trailblazer: ATARI
46. Univ. sports organizer: NCAA
50. Any one of Cinderella's stepfamily, e.g.: MEANIE. JD has over 60 versions of Cinderella.
52. Expert on IRS forms: CPA. This answer pops up way too often.
55. Fest mo.: OCT. Octoberfest.
56. Wood of the Rolling Stones: RON
57. Enter stealthily: SNEAK INTO. There is a KIN inside this phrase.
63. Rink jump: AXEL
65. Ballesteros of the PGA: SEVE. He'll be at the British Open next year. No Tom Watson miracle I am afraid.
66. Queens team: METS. Sigh! Tigers won again, Jazzbumpa/Fred.
Down:
1. Facial wall that may be deviated: SEPTUM. New word to me. The clue means nothing to me.
2. "Bingo!": EUREKA. Ah, California!
3. Columnist, e.g.: WRITER. "Blogger, e.g." too.
4. Alaskan gold-rush town: NOME. Gold-rush around 1899, when NOME was the most populated city in Alaska.
5. Cappuccino cousin: LATTE
6. Capital north of the Sea of Crete: ATHENS
7. Big name in hair-removal cream: NEET. Rival of NAIR.
9. Big bird: EMU. Big and flightless. I like the two "Big" clue echo.
10. Annual sports awards: ESPYS. ESPY Awards = Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Awards.
11. Be roused from sleep by, as music: WAKE UP TO
12. Yale Blue wearer: ELI. "Boola Boola" is Yale's fight song.
18. Put away: EAT. Got the answer from Across fill. Not a familiar definition to me.
19. Handel oratorio: MESSIAH. Handel's most famous work.
24. Health insurance giant: AETNA. Named after the volcano ETNA. AETNA might have start ed as fire insurance company.
25. Roto-Rooter target: CLOG
26. Weeding tool: HOE. I am going to grow zucchini next year. Sounds fun.
28. Arizona city on the Colorado River: YUMA
30. Soloist?: LONER. Reminds me of the single bullet theory. Who do you think killed JFK?
31. Game with Skip cards: UNO
34. Wrist twists, e.g.: SPRAINS. I've sprained my left ankle three times.
35. Boot with a blade: SKATE
38. __ noire: bane: BETE. Literally beast. BETE noire = black beast.
39. High-end, as merchandise: UPMARKET. New word to me.
41. Friend of Frodo: SAM. Easy guess. Have never read "The Lord of the Rings".
45. Summer drink with a lemon twist, maybe: ICE TEA. Or ICED TEA. The latter is more common. I only drink hot tea.
47. Bopped on the bean: CONKED
48. On the go: ACTIVE
53. Cultivated violet: PANSY. Delicate yet hardy.
54. Rap sheet letters: AKA
58. Part of N.L.: Abbr.: NATL
59. __ facto: IPSO. Literally itself. facto= fact. IPSO facto = by the fact itself.
60. Skye cap: TAM. Skye is an island in Scotland. The clue plays on skycap the airport porter.
61. Dismiss, informally: AXE
62. Pal of Pierre: AMI. Boring clue, isn't it? Alliteration won't help.
Answer grid.
When you have time, read this crossword article Dennis linked yesterday. The constructor Bernice Gorden is 95 years old and still at it.
Come back tomorrow to celebrate the birthday and the guest-blogging debut of a regular commenter.
C.C.
17A. Gear up for Halloween?: PRIME THE PUMP(KIN). Dictionary defines "prime the pump" as "to increase government expenditure in an effort to stimulate the economy". So the current economic stimulus package is pump-priming, correct?
38A. Yokel resting in the woods?: BUMP(KIN) ON A LOG. "Like a bump on a log" = unmoving/inactive. New idiom to me.
60A. Steals the dinner cloth from Garfield's lap?: TAKES A CAT NAP(KIN). Take a catnap. Garfield is a cat in comic strip "Garfield".
How I wish the last theme answer started with KIN*! It would be very balanced.
We seem to follow the old TMS Daily mode now. Monday and Tuesday puzzles get a bit tougher than normal and the late week puzzles are considerably easier.
How do feel about this trend? Happy? Unhappy? Come to the Comments section and let me know your opinion.
Across:
1. Held (on) by stitches: SEWN. It's clued as "Attached with thread" the other day. Rich mentioned he tries not to repeat the same clue for at least 2 months.
5. Cavalry weapon: LANCE. Oh, still no Armstrong reference? "It's Not about Bike" is a great read.
10. Farm females: EWES. Tell us more about EWE or you, Windhover. What are you going to bring to the Farmer's Market tomorrow?
15. Starting unit: A-TEAM
20. Heart-to-heart talk: TETE-A-TETE. Just mentioned this phrase the other day. Literally "head to head".
21. Hurricane feature: EYE
22. Maui strings: UKE. Waiting for Al for some G string education.
23. Pin near the gutter: TEN. Or SEVEN.
24. Per se: AS SUCH
27. "Frankenstein" author Shelley: MARY. Poet Shelley's wife.
29. Swings around: SLUES
32. Mahmoud Abbas's gp.: PLO (Palestine Liberation Organization). Abbas looks like a person of reason. Arafat was hopeless.
36. How ballerinas dance: ON TIPTOE
41. Split up: SEPARATE
43. Withdrawal site, for short: ATM. Ha ha, money. I was picturing a REHAB center.
44. Arcade games trailblazer: ATARI
46. Univ. sports organizer: NCAA
50. Any one of Cinderella's stepfamily, e.g.: MEANIE. JD has over 60 versions of Cinderella.
52. Expert on IRS forms: CPA. This answer pops up way too often.
55. Fest mo.: OCT. Octoberfest.
56. Wood of the Rolling Stones: RON
57. Enter stealthily: SNEAK INTO. There is a KIN inside this phrase.
63. Rink jump: AXEL
65. Ballesteros of the PGA: SEVE. He'll be at the British Open next year. No Tom Watson miracle I am afraid.
66. Queens team: METS. Sigh! Tigers won again, Jazzbumpa/Fred.
Down:
1. Facial wall that may be deviated: SEPTUM. New word to me. The clue means nothing to me.
2. "Bingo!": EUREKA. Ah, California!
3. Columnist, e.g.: WRITER. "Blogger, e.g." too.
4. Alaskan gold-rush town: NOME. Gold-rush around 1899, when NOME was the most populated city in Alaska.
5. Cappuccino cousin: LATTE
6. Capital north of the Sea of Crete: ATHENS
7. Big name in hair-removal cream: NEET. Rival of NAIR.
9. Big bird: EMU. Big and flightless. I like the two "Big" clue echo.
10. Annual sports awards: ESPYS. ESPY Awards = Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Awards.
11. Be roused from sleep by, as music: WAKE UP TO
12. Yale Blue wearer: ELI. "Boola Boola" is Yale's fight song.
18. Put away: EAT. Got the answer from Across fill. Not a familiar definition to me.
19. Handel oratorio: MESSIAH. Handel's most famous work.
24. Health insurance giant: AETNA. Named after the volcano ETNA. AETNA might have start ed as fire insurance company.
25. Roto-Rooter target: CLOG
26. Weeding tool: HOE. I am going to grow zucchini next year. Sounds fun.
28. Arizona city on the Colorado River: YUMA
30. Soloist?: LONER. Reminds me of the single bullet theory. Who do you think killed JFK?
31. Game with Skip cards: UNO
34. Wrist twists, e.g.: SPRAINS. I've sprained my left ankle three times.
35. Boot with a blade: SKATE
38. __ noire: bane: BETE. Literally beast. BETE noire = black beast.
39. High-end, as merchandise: UPMARKET. New word to me.
41. Friend of Frodo: SAM. Easy guess. Have never read "The Lord of the Rings".
45. Summer drink with a lemon twist, maybe: ICE TEA. Or ICED TEA. The latter is more common. I only drink hot tea.
47. Bopped on the bean: CONKED
48. On the go: ACTIVE
53. Cultivated violet: PANSY. Delicate yet hardy.
54. Rap sheet letters: AKA
58. Part of N.L.: Abbr.: NATL
59. __ facto: IPSO. Literally itself. facto= fact. IPSO facto = by the fact itself.
60. Skye cap: TAM. Skye is an island in Scotland. The clue plays on skycap the airport porter.
61. Dismiss, informally: AXE
62. Pal of Pierre: AMI. Boring clue, isn't it? Alliteration won't help.
Answer grid.
When you have time, read this crossword article Dennis linked yesterday. The constructor Bernice Gorden is 95 years old and still at it.
Come back tomorrow to celebrate the birthday and the guest-blogging debut of a regular commenter.
C.C.
