Theme: Ups and Downs - Each theme entry consists of a phrasal verb and a compound noun, all in the pattern of "Word+Down/Up + Same word Ups/Downs".
17A. What older baseball pitchers might do? : WIND DOWN WIND-UPS
23A. Fetch Halloween costumes from the attic? : GET DOWN GET-UPS
53A. Post snide comments on a blog? : PUT UP PUT-DOWNS. Great clue, as evidenced occasionally on our blog.
64A. Join the high school wrestling team? : TAKE UP TAKE-DOWNS
C.C. here, filling in a blogging schedule gap.
I think this is Kurt Krauss' LA Times debut. Congratulations! We have so many new constructors this year. I was just talking to Dummy Dennis the other day that we haven't had Rich's byline this year. He doesn't need to create extra puzzles.
It's a nice & consistent theme, though I think adding on/off or other similar patterned phrases will add more excitement to gimmick.
Across:
1. Kilmer of "Batman Forever" : VAL
4. Nostalgic soft drinks : NEHIS
9. Latish wake-up time : TEN AM. Too late.
14. Object of a conquistador's quest : ORO. Gold.
15. Conjure up : EVOKE
16. As a friend, to François : EN AMI. So, Kazie, if I say this to a friend, it would be "En amie"?
20. "Scarborough Fair" herb : SAGE. I love this song.
21. Huey, Dewey and Louie, e.g. : TOONS
22. Dull routine : RUT
27. Mice and lice : VERMIN. I never think of lice as vermin. I associate it with rodent only.
29. Quick-flash link : AS A. I just adore this picture. Truman is becoming a big boy now. Sorry about the cat, JD.
30. French land mass : ILE
31. Early pamphleteer : PAINE (Thomas)
35. Big name in baseball cards : TOPPS. Lovely entry for me, Dennis and Hondo. Football/Hockey cards too. (From Dennis: Topps only has baseball and football licenses now; no hockey or basketball. Basketball is exclusively Panini and hockey is Panini/Upper Deck.)
39. "Can I get a word in?" : AHEM
41. Muffler : SCARF
43. Intimate apparel purchase : SLIP. Do people still wear slips?
44. Wrinkle-prone fabric : LINEN
46. Work with one's hands : KNEAD
48. NATO founding member : USA
49. Classy org.? : NEA. Excellent clue, though Husker Gary might disagree.
51. Dulles alternative : REAGAN. Airport.
59. Italian diminutive suffix : INO. Can you give me an example?
60. "Pagliacci" clown : TONIO. I can never remember this damned clown.
61. Dundee denials : NAES
68. Early Indo-European : ARYAN
69. Actress Dunne : IRENE
70. Volstead __: Prohibition enabler : ACT
71. Campfire treat : S'MORE. I have yet to have one.
72. Enjoyed, as a beach blanket : LAY ON. I have trouble understanding the clue.
73. "Go for it!" : YES. Annette is in love!
Down:
1. Swears : VOWS
2. Certain stage solo : ARIA
3. Scratch : LONG GREEN. Did not know "Scratch" is slang for money. It's not food item like cabbage, lettuce, dough, bread, etc.
4. Composer Rorem : NED. Last time ROREM stumped quite a few. Not Jayce, I don't think.
5. HTC smartphone : EVO. HTC = High Tech Computer. Based in Taiwan. Unknown to me. What does EVO stand for?
6. Mr. Fixit's genre : HOW TO
7. "Don't remind me" : I KNOW
8. Attach, in a way : SEW ON
9. Most likely to crack : TENSEST
10. Bring down the curtain: END. I'm sure Marti noticed this dupe. She's very observant.
11. Tiny Pacific republic : NAURU. World's smallest island nation.
12. Rally, as a crowd : AMP UP. Oops, a stray UP.
13. Thin sprays : MISTS
18. Think : DEEM
19. Actress Swenson : INGA. Of "Benson".
24. Fall (over) : TIP
25. Geneticist's concerns : DNAs
26. Art colony town : TAOS
27. Medicine chest item : VIAL
28. K-12 : EL-HI. See, it just won't go away, due to its ideal letter combination.
32. "Ew!" : ICK
33. Mary Bobbsey's older daughter : NAN
34. Poetic preposition : ERE
36. Keeps at it : PLUGS AWAY. Great entry.
37. Galileo Galilei Airport city : PISA
38. Attention __ : SPAN
40. Choice reading? : MENU. Tricky clue.
42. Casino game : FARO
45. Its largest moon is Triton : NEPTUNE. Gimme for Bill G & Spitzboov.
47. Drops on a blade? : DEW. A blade of grass.
50. Each : A POP
52. Monument word : ANNO
53. Gyro essentials : PITAs
54. Render weaponless : UNARM. Yeah, disarm is more accurate.
55. Godzilla's stomping ground : TOKYO. Has anyone read "Norwegian Wood"?
56. "Wait __ Dark": 1967 film : UNTIL
57. Pageant trophy : TIARA
58. "Okey-__!" : DOKEY
62. Verb-to-noun suffix : ENCE. Refer, reference.
63. Droop-nosed fliers : SSTS. Here you go, Abejo. Miss ASP?
65. Mr. Potato Head piece : EAR
66. "Small Craft on a Milk Sea" musician : ENO (Brian). Ignorant of the album.
67. Home viewing room : DEN
Answer grid.
C.C.
17A. What older baseball pitchers might do? : WIND DOWN WIND-UPS
23A. Fetch Halloween costumes from the attic? : GET DOWN GET-UPS
53A. Post snide comments on a blog? : PUT UP PUT-DOWNS. Great clue, as evidenced occasionally on our blog.
64A. Join the high school wrestling team? : TAKE UP TAKE-DOWNS
C.C. here, filling in a blogging schedule gap.
I think this is Kurt Krauss' LA Times debut. Congratulations! We have so many new constructors this year. I was just talking to Dummy Dennis the other day that we haven't had Rich's byline this year. He doesn't need to create extra puzzles.
It's a nice & consistent theme, though I think adding on/off or other similar patterned phrases will add more excitement to gimmick.
Across:
1. Kilmer of "Batman Forever" : VAL
4. Nostalgic soft drinks : NEHIS
9. Latish wake-up time : TEN AM. Too late.
14. Object of a conquistador's quest : ORO. Gold.
15. Conjure up : EVOKE
16. As a friend, to François : EN AMI. So, Kazie, if I say this to a friend, it would be "En amie"?
20. "Scarborough Fair" herb : SAGE. I love this song.
21. Huey, Dewey and Louie, e.g. : TOONS
22. Dull routine : RUT
27. Mice and lice : VERMIN. I never think of lice as vermin. I associate it with rodent only.
29. Quick-flash link : AS A. I just adore this picture. Truman is becoming a big boy now. Sorry about the cat, JD.
30. French land mass : ILE
31. Early pamphleteer : PAINE (Thomas)
35. Big name in baseball cards : TOPPS. Lovely entry for me, Dennis and Hondo. Football/Hockey cards too. (From Dennis: Topps only has baseball and football licenses now; no hockey or basketball. Basketball is exclusively Panini and hockey is Panini/Upper Deck.)
39. "Can I get a word in?" : AHEM
41. Muffler : SCARF
43. Intimate apparel purchase : SLIP. Do people still wear slips?
44. Wrinkle-prone fabric : LINEN
46. Work with one's hands : KNEAD
48. NATO founding member : USA
49. Classy org.? : NEA. Excellent clue, though Husker Gary might disagree.
51. Dulles alternative : REAGAN. Airport.
59. Italian diminutive suffix : INO. Can you give me an example?
60. "Pagliacci" clown : TONIO. I can never remember this damned clown.
61. Dundee denials : NAES
68. Early Indo-European : ARYAN
69. Actress Dunne : IRENE
70. Volstead __: Prohibition enabler : ACT
71. Campfire treat : S'MORE. I have yet to have one.
72. Enjoyed, as a beach blanket : LAY ON. I have trouble understanding the clue.
73. "Go for it!" : YES. Annette is in love!
Down:
1. Swears : VOWS
2. Certain stage solo : ARIA
3. Scratch : LONG GREEN. Did not know "Scratch" is slang for money. It's not food item like cabbage, lettuce, dough, bread, etc.
4. Composer Rorem : NED. Last time ROREM stumped quite a few. Not Jayce, I don't think.
5. HTC smartphone : EVO. HTC = High Tech Computer. Based in Taiwan. Unknown to me. What does EVO stand for?
6. Mr. Fixit's genre : HOW TO
7. "Don't remind me" : I KNOW
8. Attach, in a way : SEW ON
9. Most likely to crack : TENSEST
10. Bring down the curtain: END. I'm sure Marti noticed this dupe. She's very observant.
11. Tiny Pacific republic : NAURU. World's smallest island nation.
12. Rally, as a crowd : AMP UP. Oops, a stray UP.
13. Thin sprays : MISTS
18. Think : DEEM
19. Actress Swenson : INGA. Of "Benson".
24. Fall (over) : TIP
25. Geneticist's concerns : DNAs
26. Art colony town : TAOS
27. Medicine chest item : VIAL
28. K-12 : EL-HI. See, it just won't go away, due to its ideal letter combination.
32. "Ew!" : ICK
33. Mary Bobbsey's older daughter : NAN
34. Poetic preposition : ERE
36. Keeps at it : PLUGS AWAY. Great entry.
37. Galileo Galilei Airport city : PISA
38. Attention __ : SPAN
40. Choice reading? : MENU. Tricky clue.
42. Casino game : FARO
45. Its largest moon is Triton : NEPTUNE. Gimme for Bill G & Spitzboov.
47. Drops on a blade? : DEW. A blade of grass.
50. Each : A POP
52. Monument word : ANNO
53. Gyro essentials : PITAs
54. Render weaponless : UNARM. Yeah, disarm is more accurate.
55. Godzilla's stomping ground : TOKYO. Has anyone read "Norwegian Wood"?
56. "Wait __ Dark": 1967 film : UNTIL
57. Pageant trophy : TIARA
58. "Okey-__!" : DOKEY
62. Verb-to-noun suffix : ENCE. Refer, reference.
63. Droop-nosed fliers : SSTS. Here you go, Abejo. Miss ASP?
65. Mr. Potato Head piece : EAR
66. "Small Craft on a Milk Sea" musician : ENO (Brian). Ignorant of the album.
67. Home viewing room : DEN
Answer grid.
C.C.
