Theme: A Prolonged Effort - The vowel in the second word of a common phrase is drawn out, as indicated by the first word.
20A. Too long a ride?: STRETCH LI(I)MO. Stretch Limo. The word limo is literally stretched.
37A. Too many relatives?: EXTENDED FA(A)MILY. Extended Family. Family is extended.
54A. Too much information?: SPREADSHEE(E)T. Spreadsheet. Sheet is spread.
Quite an original and innovative theme. Excellent theme clues. Bravo Zulu, Ms. Long!
The number of theme entries is rather sparse. Maybe the constructor could not find workable phrases with possible elongated OO or UU manipulation.
I fared much better than I did yesterday. Favorite entry is EL PASO, TX (38. City SSE of Las Cruces, NM). Very cool (though frustrating) fill.
Across:
1. Spare underwear: THONG. What I am wearing.
6. Thermometer part: BULB
10. Farm female: MARE. Ewe too.
14. Joyous shout: WAHOO. And WHEE (34A. Swinger's cry) & HALLO (36A. Fox hunt call). I did not know "Hallo" is a shout used in fox hunting.
15. Most of Ohio's northern boundary: ERIE
16. Cameo gemstone: ONYX. Three X's in this grid.
17. Mideast language: IRANI. Thought their language is called Persian/Farsi.
18. A 66-Across lacks one: TAIL. And MANX (66. Critter with no 18-Across). Love cross-references.
19. Nureyev's negative: NYET. Russian for "no". Alliteration with foreign words again.
23. Sway: TEETER
24. Presidential pollster John: ZOGBY. Nope. Not familiar with this name.
27. Sellout signs: SROS
29. Orders: DECREES. Oh, noun "orders".
31. Matter in court: RES. Latin for "thing".
41. Inscribed monument: STELA. Or STELE.
42. Piano piece with "primo" and "secondo" parts, e.g.: DUET
43. Plural feature, usually: ESS. And DEES (57D. Substandard marks). One spelled-out letter entry in a grid is enough.
44. Sends a check with the order: PREPAYS. PayPal handles everything now.
46. Columnist Barrett: RONA. The gossip columnist.
49. Chop-chop: APACE
50. Calendar divisions: MONTHS
58. Weaponless self-defense: JUDO. "Gentle way" in Japanese. Their DO = Chinese TAO (way).
61. Good way for dreams to come: TRUE. Good clue.
62. Board for nails: EMERY
63. "__ happens ...": AS IT. "As It Happens" is also a CBC radio program. I find the host Barbara Budd's voice very soothing.
64. Diet label word: LITE
65. Some closet contents: LINEN. Made of flax fiber.
67. Son of Seth: ENOS
68. So yesterday: PASSE
Down:
1. Peel in a drink: TWIST
2. Roaring Camp chronicler: HARTE (Bret). Know the name, not the story.
3. Hub near the Loop: O'HARE. The Loop in Chicago.
4. Large chamber groups: NONETS. Composition for nine.
5. Thyroid problem: GOITER. Caused by iodine deficiency.
6. Aleph follower: BETH. The second letter in Hebrew alphabet.
7. River through Kazakhstan: URAL
8. DXXX ÷ X: LIII. 530 ÷10= 53
9. Mexico neighbor: BELIZE. I have a very confused Central America map in my brain.
10. LBJ or JFK: MONOGRAM. Thought of DEMOCRAT immediately.
12. Ham site: RYE. Rye bread.
13. Request to an oper.: EXT (Extension)
21. Stand very close to: CROWD. Nice clue.
22. Chocolate-flavored coffee: MOCHA
25. Misrepresent: BELIE
26. Sounds angry: YELLS
28. Lets the fur fly?: SHEDS. Nailed it.
29. Postpone: DEFER
30. Brown sauces: SOYS. Was picturing the brown roux sauce rather than soy sauce.
31. Breathing: Abbr.: RESP. Respiring? Not familiar with the abbr. at all.
32. More than usual: EXTRA. Somehow the grammar of the clue confounded me.
33. Prohibitive, perhaps: STEEP. As prices.
39. Civil rights org.: NAACP
40. Matter components: ATOMS
45. Seuss turtle: YERTLE. Yertle the Turtle.
47. Useless: NO HELP
48. Lack of vitality: ANEMIA
52. Word spoken with a raised glass: HERE'S. "Here's to ...".
53. "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" composer: STYNE (Jule). Wikipedia says he composed "Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow". Too bad. I've never heard of him.
55. Joyce's motherland: ERIN. Sometimes it's Eire. James Joyce.
56. Focus opening: AUTO. Autofocus.
58. Dilemma: JAM. In a jam.
59. "Royal Pains" network: USA. Was ignorant of the TV series "Royal Pains".
60. Loud noise: DIN
Answer grid.
C.C.
20A. Too long a ride?: STRETCH LI(I)MO. Stretch Limo. The word limo is literally stretched.
37A. Too many relatives?: EXTENDED FA(A)MILY. Extended Family. Family is extended.
54A. Too much information?: SPREADSHEE(E)T. Spreadsheet. Sheet is spread.
Quite an original and innovative theme. Excellent theme clues. Bravo Zulu, Ms. Long!
The number of theme entries is rather sparse. Maybe the constructor could not find workable phrases with possible elongated OO or UU manipulation.
I fared much better than I did yesterday. Favorite entry is EL PASO, TX (38. City SSE of Las Cruces, NM). Very cool (though frustrating) fill.
Across:
1. Spare underwear: THONG. What I am wearing.
6. Thermometer part: BULB
10. Farm female: MARE. Ewe too.
14. Joyous shout: WAHOO. And WHEE (34A. Swinger's cry) & HALLO (36A. Fox hunt call). I did not know "Hallo" is a shout used in fox hunting.
15. Most of Ohio's northern boundary: ERIE
16. Cameo gemstone: ONYX. Three X's in this grid.
17. Mideast language: IRANI. Thought their language is called Persian/Farsi.
18. A 66-Across lacks one: TAIL. And MANX (66. Critter with no 18-Across). Love cross-references.
19. Nureyev's negative: NYET. Russian for "no". Alliteration with foreign words again.
23. Sway: TEETER
24. Presidential pollster John: ZOGBY. Nope. Not familiar with this name.
27. Sellout signs: SROS
29. Orders: DECREES. Oh, noun "orders".
31. Matter in court: RES. Latin for "thing".
41. Inscribed monument: STELA. Or STELE.
42. Piano piece with "primo" and "secondo" parts, e.g.: DUET
43. Plural feature, usually: ESS. And DEES (57D. Substandard marks). One spelled-out letter entry in a grid is enough.
44. Sends a check with the order: PREPAYS. PayPal handles everything now.
46. Columnist Barrett: RONA. The gossip columnist.
49. Chop-chop: APACE
50. Calendar divisions: MONTHS
58. Weaponless self-defense: JUDO. "Gentle way" in Japanese. Their DO = Chinese TAO (way).
61. Good way for dreams to come: TRUE. Good clue.
62. Board for nails: EMERY
63. "__ happens ...": AS IT. "As It Happens" is also a CBC radio program. I find the host Barbara Budd's voice very soothing.
64. Diet label word: LITE
65. Some closet contents: LINEN. Made of flax fiber.
67. Son of Seth: ENOS
68. So yesterday: PASSE
Down:
1. Peel in a drink: TWIST
2. Roaring Camp chronicler: HARTE (Bret). Know the name, not the story.
3. Hub near the Loop: O'HARE. The Loop in Chicago.
4. Large chamber groups: NONETS. Composition for nine.
5. Thyroid problem: GOITER. Caused by iodine deficiency.
6. Aleph follower: BETH. The second letter in Hebrew alphabet.
7. River through Kazakhstan: URAL
8. DXXX ÷ X: LIII. 530 ÷10= 53
9. Mexico neighbor: BELIZE. I have a very confused Central America map in my brain.
10. LBJ or JFK: MONOGRAM. Thought of DEMOCRAT immediately.
12. Ham site: RYE. Rye bread.
13. Request to an oper.: EXT (Extension)
21. Stand very close to: CROWD. Nice clue.
22. Chocolate-flavored coffee: MOCHA
25. Misrepresent: BELIE
26. Sounds angry: YELLS
28. Lets the fur fly?: SHEDS. Nailed it.
29. Postpone: DEFER
30. Brown sauces: SOYS. Was picturing the brown roux sauce rather than soy sauce.
31. Breathing: Abbr.: RESP. Respiring? Not familiar with the abbr. at all.
32. More than usual: EXTRA. Somehow the grammar of the clue confounded me.
33. Prohibitive, perhaps: STEEP. As prices.
39. Civil rights org.: NAACP
40. Matter components: ATOMS
45. Seuss turtle: YERTLE. Yertle the Turtle.
47. Useless: NO HELP
48. Lack of vitality: ANEMIA
52. Word spoken with a raised glass: HERE'S. "Here's to ...".
53. "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" composer: STYNE (Jule). Wikipedia says he composed "Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow". Too bad. I've never heard of him.
55. Joyce's motherland: ERIN. Sometimes it's Eire. James Joyce.
56. Focus opening: AUTO. Autofocus.
58. Dilemma: JAM. In a jam.
59. "Royal Pains" network: USA. Was ignorant of the TV series "Royal Pains".
60. Loud noise: DIN
Answer grid.
C.C.
