Theme: PLANE TALK ( 63A. This puzzle's title?) - Part of a plane related two-word common phrase is substituted by a homonym, and the resulting punny phrase is humorously clued.
17A. Capri beach chairs?: ISLE SEATS. Aisle Seats. Isle of Capri.
25A. Quiz a Roman judge?: TEST PILATE. Test Pilot. Pilate is the Roman judge who ordered the crucifixion of Jesus.
38A. Affable terriers?: FRIENDLY SKYES. Friendly Skies. Skye terriers.
51A. Really dark beers?: BLACK BOCKS. Black Box. I am not familiar with the Bock beer.
Nice theme. I like the pun on "plain talk" too, though I do feel the resulting phrases are just the opposite of the tie-in PLANE TALK.
Quite a few creative clues today. My favorite is ALTAR (60A. Where to see an approaching train?). D'oh, the wedding gown "train".
Across:
1. Like a javelin's path: ARCED
6. Balancing pro?: CPA. Nailed it.
9. 2.3, roughly: C-PLUS. Oh, I don't know this equivalent.
14. "The Wreck of the Mary __": DEARE. Have never heard of this film (1959). Starring Gary Cooper.
15. Steak seasoning: RUB. Alliteration.
16. Picked up: HEARD. Did not come to me immediately.
19. Rhythmic feet?: IAMBS. Poetic feet.
20. Faint: DIM
21. "The Metaphysics of Ethics" author: KANT
22. Camera type, briefly: SLR (Single-Lens Reflex)
23. Sailing, say: ASEA. Alliteration.
30. Play with a brushing motion: STRUM. I see, play with musical instrument.
32. Fights in the sticks: RASSLES. Hillbilly for "wrestles".
33. Idealist: DREAMER
37. Post-WWII alliance: OAS
42. "Who, me?": MOI. Who will educate us about French when Kazie leaves for Oz next Wednesday? She'll be gone for a whole month!
43. They're not content to see you: RAISERS. Poker term "see", to match (a bet). Got me.
44. Stays in memory: LIVES ON
47. Greek fabulist: AESOP
55. See 54-Down: REMO. And SAN (54D. With 55-Across, Italian site of a post-WWI Allied conference). I only know it as a resort.
56. Golfer's concern: LIE. The position of the golf ball. We also have PUTTS ( 7D. Uses the "flat stick," in golf). "Flat stick" is slang for putter, which is flat comparing with other clubs.
57. Many a Middle Easterner: ARAB
59. Tokyo-based chip maker: NEC. Was unaware that NEC makes chips.
65. Like a game in baseball's record books: NO HIT. And MLB (42D. Bud Selig's org.). Selig is the current commissioner.
66. Sitcom E.T.: ALF
67. Coco rival: ESTEE (Lauder). Cosmetics.
68. Traveling options: TOURS
69. Pin site: MAT
70. "Grace Under Fire" star Butler: BRETT. Total stranger to me. A male sounding name.
Down:
1. Puma competitor: ADIDAS
2. Put up a fight: RESIST. I've learned to yield.
3. Less windy, say: CALMER
4. Bard's preposition: ERE. Before.
5. Certain sergeant's post: DESK
6. Rail relative: CRANE
8. Workout targets. ABS. This is for Jeannie. Clear Ayes likes Ryan Reynolds too.
9. Tex-Mex restaurant chain: CHILI'S. Headquartered in Texas.
10. Bits of wisdom?: PEARLS. Pearls of wisdom.
11. Flight: LAM
12. Suffix with sub- URB. Suburb.
13. 1968 Columbia U. protesters: SDS (Students for a Democratic Society). Why Columbia U in particular?
18. Put away: EAT. Not the "put away" I have in mind.
22. Hardly dense: SPARSE
24. BMW competitor: AUDI
26. Small diamonds: TREYS. Of course, I was picturing real diamonds, not playing cards.
27. Soothing lotion: ALOE
28. Chai and oolong: TEAS
29. Mountain road feature: ESS
31. Desert Storm mess, briefly?: MRE (Meal Ready to Eat). Again, I was in real snafu mess direction. Not military meal mess.
34. Prepare for court, perhaps: ENROBE. OK, for the judge.
35. Town in a 1945 Pulitzer-winning novel: ADANO. Hersey's "A Bell for Adano".
36. 11th-century year: MLI. 1,051.
38. Prevent: FOIL
39. 1972 Kentucky Derby winner __ Ridge: RIVA. Mike used the identical clue in a Sunday puzzle last year. I simply forgot. The horse won 1972 Belmont Stakes as well.
40. Malay Peninsula's Isthmus of __: KRA. See this map. Stumper for me.
41. Belgian river: YSER
45. Iced pastry: ECLAIR
46. Sidesteps: SKIRTS
48. Legislative century: SENATE. Senate has 100 members.
49. It's folded and filled: OMELET. Nailed it.
50. Sink, as a billiard ball: POCKET
52. __ lily: CALLA
53. "Make today delicious" food giant: KRAFT
58. U.K. network, with "the": BEEB. Nickname for BBC I suppose.
60. Hill dweller: ANT
61. Manchester head?: LOO. Ha ha, toilet "head". I was tricked again. I thought of MAN, since MAN starts the word Manchester.
62. Cal. column: THU
63. Robin's "Mork & Mindy" co-star: PAM (Dawber). Easy guess.
64. Dungeons & Dragons co.: TSR (Tactical Studies Rules). No idea. Wikipedia says TSR was purchased in 1997 by Wizards of the Coast, which no longer uses the TSR name for its product.
Answer grid.
C.C.
17A. Capri beach chairs?: ISLE SEATS. Aisle Seats. Isle of Capri.
25A. Quiz a Roman judge?: TEST PILATE. Test Pilot. Pilate is the Roman judge who ordered the crucifixion of Jesus.
38A. Affable terriers?: FRIENDLY SKYES. Friendly Skies. Skye terriers.
51A. Really dark beers?: BLACK BOCKS. Black Box. I am not familiar with the Bock beer.
Nice theme. I like the pun on "plain talk" too, though I do feel the resulting phrases are just the opposite of the tie-in PLANE TALK.
Quite a few creative clues today. My favorite is ALTAR (60A. Where to see an approaching train?). D'oh, the wedding gown "train".
Across:
1. Like a javelin's path: ARCED
6. Balancing pro?: CPA. Nailed it.
9. 2.3, roughly: C-PLUS. Oh, I don't know this equivalent.
14. "The Wreck of the Mary __": DEARE. Have never heard of this film (1959). Starring Gary Cooper.
15. Steak seasoning: RUB. Alliteration.
16. Picked up: HEARD. Did not come to me immediately.
19. Rhythmic feet?: IAMBS. Poetic feet.
20. Faint: DIM
21. "The Metaphysics of Ethics" author: KANT
22. Camera type, briefly: SLR (Single-Lens Reflex)
23. Sailing, say: ASEA. Alliteration.
30. Play with a brushing motion: STRUM. I see, play with musical instrument.
32. Fights in the sticks: RASSLES. Hillbilly for "wrestles".
33. Idealist: DREAMER
37. Post-WWII alliance: OAS
42. "Who, me?": MOI. Who will educate us about French when Kazie leaves for Oz next Wednesday? She'll be gone for a whole month!
43. They're not content to see you: RAISERS. Poker term "see", to match (a bet). Got me.
44. Stays in memory: LIVES ON
47. Greek fabulist: AESOP
55. See 54-Down: REMO. And SAN (54D. With 55-Across, Italian site of a post-WWI Allied conference). I only know it as a resort.
56. Golfer's concern: LIE. The position of the golf ball. We also have PUTTS ( 7D. Uses the "flat stick," in golf). "Flat stick" is slang for putter, which is flat comparing with other clubs.
57. Many a Middle Easterner: ARAB
59. Tokyo-based chip maker: NEC. Was unaware that NEC makes chips.
65. Like a game in baseball's record books: NO HIT. And MLB (42D. Bud Selig's org.). Selig is the current commissioner.
66. Sitcom E.T.: ALF
67. Coco rival: ESTEE (Lauder). Cosmetics.
68. Traveling options: TOURS
69. Pin site: MAT
70. "Grace Under Fire" star Butler: BRETT. Total stranger to me. A male sounding name.
Down:
1. Puma competitor: ADIDAS
2. Put up a fight: RESIST. I've learned to yield.
3. Less windy, say: CALMER
4. Bard's preposition: ERE. Before.
5. Certain sergeant's post: DESK
6. Rail relative: CRANE
8. Workout targets. ABS. This is for Jeannie. Clear Ayes likes Ryan Reynolds too.
9. Tex-Mex restaurant chain: CHILI'S. Headquartered in Texas.
10. Bits of wisdom?: PEARLS. Pearls of wisdom.
11. Flight: LAM
12. Suffix with sub- URB. Suburb.
13. 1968 Columbia U. protesters: SDS (Students for a Democratic Society). Why Columbia U in particular?
18. Put away: EAT. Not the "put away" I have in mind.
22. Hardly dense: SPARSE
24. BMW competitor: AUDI
26. Small diamonds: TREYS. Of course, I was picturing real diamonds, not playing cards.
27. Soothing lotion: ALOE
28. Chai and oolong: TEAS
29. Mountain road feature: ESS
31. Desert Storm mess, briefly?: MRE (Meal Ready to Eat). Again, I was in real snafu mess direction. Not military meal mess.
34. Prepare for court, perhaps: ENROBE. OK, for the judge.
35. Town in a 1945 Pulitzer-winning novel: ADANO. Hersey's "A Bell for Adano".
36. 11th-century year: MLI. 1,051.
38. Prevent: FOIL
39. 1972 Kentucky Derby winner __ Ridge: RIVA. Mike used the identical clue in a Sunday puzzle last year. I simply forgot. The horse won 1972 Belmont Stakes as well.
40. Malay Peninsula's Isthmus of __: KRA. See this map. Stumper for me.
41. Belgian river: YSER
45. Iced pastry: ECLAIR
46. Sidesteps: SKIRTS
48. Legislative century: SENATE. Senate has 100 members.
49. It's folded and filled: OMELET. Nailed it.
50. Sink, as a billiard ball: POCKET
52. __ lily: CALLA
53. "Make today delicious" food giant: KRAFT
58. U.K. network, with "the": BEEB. Nickname for BBC I suppose.
60. Hill dweller: ANT
61. Manchester head?: LOO. Ha ha, toilet "head". I was tricked again. I thought of MAN, since MAN starts the word Manchester.
62. Cal. column: THU
63. Robin's "Mork & Mindy" co-star: PAM (Dawber). Easy guess.
64. Dungeons & Dragons co.: TSR (Tactical Studies Rules). No idea. Wikipedia says TSR was purchased in 1997 by Wizards of the Coast, which no longer uses the TSR name for its product.
Answer grid.
C.C.
