Theme: Various kinds of drops - The last word in the theme entries can be backed with DROP.
17A. Stuffy room need : FRESH AIR. Airdrop - Getting supplies in without actually landing.
21A. Smith, to Abigail Adams : MAIDEN NAME. Name-Drop - Claim to know famous people. Abigail was the wife of John Adams.
33A. Mello Yello rival : MOUNTAIN DEW. Dewdrop - A bead of water that forms overnight on blades of grass, if the humidity is high enough. Also the name, Dew Drop Inn; a bar of my ute.
42A. Door-controlling sensor : ELECTRIC EYE. Eye Drop - Used to try to hide the redness after staying too long at the Dew Drop.
54A. 1984 Prince hit : PURPLE RAIN. Rain Drop. The song seems to have a vigorous copyright defense. No clip of the original.
62A. Painted setting behind stage actors, or what the ends of 17-, 21-, 33-, 42- and 54-Across can literally have : BACKDROP
Argyle here. Not as tough as yesterday's but probably some can find some nits.
Across:
1. Curtain hanger : ROD
4. Exec's "Now!" : ASAP. "As Soon As Possible" but they really want sooner than possible.
8. Works for People, perhaps : EDITS. People Magazine.
13. '50s political slogan name : IKE. Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower: "I Like Ike"
15. Dead Sea discovery : SCROLL. Ancient text found in caves.
19. Overly affected : TOO TOO
20. Cab ride cost : FARE
23. UFO navigators, so they say : ETs
25. One-one, for one : TIE
26. Messy type : SLOB
27. In and of itself : PER SE
30. Tip holder : JAR
31. Me, to Matisse : MOI. or to Miss Piggy.
32. Language of Southeast Asia : LAO
38. Recipient of much Apr. mail : IRS
39. Baby seal : PUP
40. Overnight stopping place : INN. Do drop in for the night. And 48A. 40-Across postings : RATES
41. Anger : IRE
45. Like very familiar jokes : OLD
46. Acidity nos. : PHs. Solutions with a pH less than 7 are said to be acidic and solutions with a pH greater than 7 are basic or alkaline. Pure water has a pH very close to 7. - Wikipedia
47. Road crew goo : TAR
50. Resort near Ventura : OJAI
52. Spanish month : MES. No particular month, just the word for month.
53. El Al home: Abbr. : ISRael
57. Purina rival : IAMS. Pet food manufacturers.
61. Error-removal aid : ERASER
64. DVD player error message : [NO DISC]
65. Lago filler : AGUA. Water in a Spanish lake.
66. Bustle : ADO
67. Uses Avis, say : RENTS
68. Put in order : SORT
69. Kentucky Derby action : BET
Down:
1. Repeated musical accompaniment : RIFF. JzB, what say you?
2. Pod vegetable : OKRA. Another podded plant.
3. XING sign critter : DEER
4. "That's the spot" : AAH
5. Takes for a ride : SCAMS
6. Et __: and others : ALIA
7. 17th-century New England settler : PURITAN
8. First name in makeup : ESTÉE Lauder.
9. Anti-rodent brand : D-CON
10. Attaches, as patches : IRONS ON
11. Complete dolt : TOTAL IDIOT
12. Like many NFL replays : SLO-MO
16. Pop singer Lisa : LOEB
18. Dates : SEES
22. More in need of cleaning : DIRTIER
24. Entices : TEMPTS
27. Ballet bend : PLIE
28. Viscount's superior : EARL
29. Traditional New Year's Day procession : ROSE PARADE
30. Planet with the most moons : JUPITER
31. Gold rush figures : MINERS
34. Your and my : OUR
35. Unspecified number : ANY
36. Author Gardner : ERLE. Best known for the Perry Mason series.
37. Gets married : WEDS
43. Contributes for a joint gift : CHIPS IN for the married couple.
44. Melons with wrinkly rinds : CASABAs
49. Very dry : ARID
50. Start serving customers : [OPEN]
51. Courtroom panelist : JUROR
52. Former Ford autos, briefly : MERCs. (usual Mercury Grand Marquis)
53. Acquire, as debts : INCUR
55. For fear that : LEST
56. Shakespearean villain : IAGO. A character in Othello.
34. Childlike sci-fi people : ELOI. from "The Time Machine".
35. __ Lee: dessert brand : SARA
36. Ankle-length skirt : MAXI. Doesn't necessarily mean demure.
37. Provide, as with a quality : ENDUE. If you want to ENDUE a maxi with sexuality, add a slit.
38. "Star Trek: T.N.G." counselor : TROI
39. Radar image : BLIP
40. Sidewalk stand drinks : ADES
41. Empty stomach sound : GROWL
42. Sizzling sound : SSS
45. Marquee name : STAR
46. Like veggies served with dip : RAW
47. How-to handbook : MANUAL
50. Ballroom blunder : TRIP
52. Key lime __ : PIE
58. Against : ANTI
59. "In your dreams" : "NOPE"
60. Turn loose : LET GO
61. Zap with a stun gun : TASE
62. Designer Schiaparelli : ELSA. "Along with Coco Chanel, her greatest rival, she is regarded as one of the most prominent figures in fashion between the two World Wars. Wikipedia" But is she Monday suitable? I think not.
63. Makes simpler : EASES
Down:
1. Ali __ : BABA. He was not a thief.
2. Rotten to the core : EVIL
3. Extreme anger : RAGE
4. Band booking : GIG
5. Exit without fanfare : SLIP OUT. "Elvis has left the building."
6. Retail complex : MALL
7. Cathedral section : APSE
8. Wine list heading : RED
9. Transverse railroad timber : CROSS TIE
10. The "N" in TNT : NITRO
11. Money in the bank: Abbr. : ACCT.
12. Trillion: Pref. : TERA
13. Underworld river : STYX
18. Throw of the dice : ROLL
19. "Darn it!" : "NUTS!". After rolling snake eyes.
23. Direction to a pharmacist, briefly : SCRIP. A shortening of prescription.
24. Stir up : AROUSE
25. Total failures : BOMBS
26. October birthstones : OPALS
27. Horizontal graph line : X AXIS
28. Ballpark hot dog seller, e.g. : VENDOR
29. Church leader : ELDER
30. Vice President Burr : AARON
31. Ballpark throng : CROWD. Can we get a picture of a ballpark thong?
32. Coin toss call : TAILS
35. Soda-sipping aid : STRAW
37. What bachelors often do at mealtime : EAT ALONE
41. Struggle (with) : GRAPPLE
43. Sports page datum : STAT. Singular.
44. Vigor : BRIO
45. "Wake Up, Little __": Everly Brothers hit : SUSIE
47. Protective trench : MOAT
48. "The King and I" role : ANNA
49. Acrobat catchers : NETS
50. Cookbook amts. : TSPs
51. Perlman of "Cheers" : RHEA
52. La Brea Tar __ : PITS
53. "Picnic" playwright : INGE. I never knew his full name, William Motter Inge.
54. They may clash on a set : EGOs
56. D.C. regular : POL. A shortening of politician.
57. Podded plant : PEA. A play on potted plant.
Argyle
Note from C.C.:
I goofed again! Belated Happy Birthday to River Doc, originally Vegas Doc, then later on Doha Doc. I mis-remembered his birthday as August 18 rather than August 16. Sorry, Doc, blame the pickles! By the way, Dave/Irish Miss, click here for the recipe I like. Similar to the Claussen raw pickles. But not so garlicky.
Hi
Yo Silver Away! C.C.'s puzzle takes the chemical symbol for
Silver, Ag (argentum in Latin) and uses the A as a caboose for one word
and the G as the engine on the next in this Silver Streak exercise. Every fill has a silver lining!
22. *Source of mohair : ANGORA GOAT - Angora wool was the preferred material for this in my high school
28. *Runner-up to Einstein as Time's Person of the Century in 1999 : MAHATMA GANDHI- His peaceful, civil disobedience inspired Martin Luther King
47. *Super Nintendo rival : SEGA GENESIS
44. *__ Tibbets, eponymous mother of a WWII pilot : ENOLA GAY- This Omaha-built airplane changed the world
67. *1965 Beach Boys hit : CALIFORNIA GIRLS - Now for a musical interlude
91. *Black-necked honker : CANADA GOOSE- these birds and, uh, their refuse populate our golf course
94. *Hue akin to avocado : PEA GREEN
110. *Gainesville team : FLORIDA GATORS - Many memorable games against the Huskers
Reveal entry:
118. Where to find the metal whose symbol spans the words in the answers to starred clues : SILVER MINE - An episode of Bonanza had the boys figuring out how to make the SILVER MINES in Virginia City safer. Also a fun theme!!
The theme was fun to discover although not helpful to this solver out here on
the prairie, so let's see what nuggets our mistress of the blog has
left for us. Across:
20. Capone associate : NITTI - I first NITTI and NESS on this 60's TV show
21. Running __ : MATE - "You like going to funerals? Have I got a job for you!"
24. Hard-nosed : STERN
25. Land south of Moab : EDOM
26. Three, for Kentucky Derby horses : AGE - No one seems to pay any attention to horse racing except on the first Saturday in May
27. Mule parent : ASS
31. Watch a pet for a friend : CAT SIT
33. Silent movie femme fatale Theda : BARA - A little heavy on the L'Oréal eye makeup?
34. V-J Day pres. : HST - Harry wasn't told about the atom bomb until 3 1/2 mos. before he had to decide whether to drop it
35. L x XXXI : MDL -The year chocolate was introduced into Europe
36. Loaded one : SOT
37. Highest U.S. capital : SANTA FE - Santa Fe - 7,000', Cheyenne 6,400', then the mile high city
39. Pinkerton logo : EYE
41. School address ending : EDU
50. Ostentatious, in a way : LOUD - Didn't Herb Tarlek of WKRP write the book on that?
51. Key above G : A FLAT
54. Proof goofs : TYPOS - Typos were a bigger pain when we had to use typewriters
55. Tragic fate : DOOM
56. Yahoo! rival : MSN
57. Manxmen, e.g. : GAELS - Occupants of the Isle of Mann (also called Manx) where a branch of the Gaelic language is spoken
58. Fire dept. volunteer, perhaps : EMT - On July 3rd, EMTs had to save my doctor's life at his lake house when he had a heart attack
59. High chain : SIERRA
61. Car buyer's choice : SEDAN - Joann's now an SUV gal and ain't goin' back to a sedan
64. Knock on : RAP AT - Knock, knock, knock Penny. Knock, knock, knock Penny. Knock, knock, knock Penny.
66. They may be planted : KISSES
72. "Full House" actor : STAMOS - A 90's heartthrob
74. Stifled laugh : SNORT - milk out your nose?
75. Produces interest, say : EARNS - Banks here are paying a whopping 0.95% on savings
79. Cup holder : SAUCER - Does anyone really put one under your coffee cup at home?
80. Sphere : ORB
83. Fish similar to the stingray : SKATE - Forms of rays and skates predate trees
85. One-third of an inning, to a pitcher : OUT - Great line by Robin Williams in Good Morning Vietnam - Sgt. Major Dickerson:
[Pointing to his rank insignia]
What does three up and three down mean to you, airman?Adrian Cronauer:
End of an inning?
86. Longfellow's "The Bell of __" : ATRI
87. Spine-chilling : EERIE
89. Easy basket : TIP IN
90. Words before dash or pinch, in recipes : ADD A
96. iOS part: Abbr. : SYS - My iOS doesn't necessarily like OSX let alone Windows 8
97. "Hold On Tight" rock gp. : ELO
98. Biblical quartet : GOSPELS - the four that made the cut
101. Pooh pal : ROO
102. Old jazz standard "__ Liza Jane" : LIL
104. Chip, say : MAR
106. Windex target : PANE - Nia Vardolas explains the use of Windex in My Big Fat Greek Wedding
107. Do a pitcher's job : PEDDLE
114. Stooge with bangs : MOE - Brothers Moe and Shemp Howard were two of the original Four (yes, four) Stooges
115. Clear (of) : RID
116. "Here's the thing ..." : LOOK
117. Continuously : ON END
121. Church recess : APSE
122. Ugli coats : RINDS
123. Where el-Sisi is president : EGYPT
124. Uniform : EVEN - Some our greens are still not uniform due to winter kill
125. Bane in a bed : WEED - Maybe Denver can be higher than Santa Fe...
126. "Transcendence" actress Mara : KATE
127. Capone nemesis : NESS - Nitti's too
128. Telescopic __ : LENS
Down
1. First name in sci-fi : ISAAC
2. Japanese comics : MANGA - Okay.
3. Washington State Ferries setting : PUGET SOUND - Here's Joann at the top of the Space Needle two weeks ago with the Puget Sound as a lovely background
4. __-mo replay : SLO - Umpires and referees get it right now
5. It usually pops up : TOAST - Great for holding up PB&J
6. Fairy tale staples : HAGS
7. Midori on the ice : ITO
8. Tribal healer : SHAMAN - White Bull was a Cheyenne SHAMAN who foresaw a great victory coming over Custer. Some say he may have killed Custer.
9. Work out : HIT THE GYM
10. Newsy tidbits : ITEMS - We don't need no stinkin' three sources. Print/tweet it!
11. Flag-capturing board game : STRATEGO
12. Join the chorus : SING
13. Polish, as text : EMEND -I did my best...
14. Achy from riding : SADDLE SORE - Bike and horse saddles
15. Texter's "Then again ..." : OTOH - On other hand, I have a wart ;-)
16. Truck stop sight : SEMI - Steeds for Interstate cowboys
19. Kick off : START - The Huskers kick off the season August 30th
Mr. White's last puzzle was a Saturday also, Oct. last year - with its
triple-triple grid spanners. The relatively 'easy' triple-7 corners of
today's grid made this one look less of a challenge, but there were
plenty of vague clues and proper names to slow me down, plus a fair
amount of multi-word answers, too. Had to admit to one bad letter - happened
in that Oct. puzzle, too - but in reviewing that crossword, I treated
myself to the Van Halen link I posted~! Just the two 11-letter spanners
to round out today's longer fill;
20a. Like one claiming to be short, maybe : TIGHT-FISTED
57a. Source of wisdom : TRIBAL ELDER
Oh, so close, but On...(ugh)...ward
ACROSS:
1. Like fairies : MAGICAL - oh, uh, that kind of fairie
8. Avocation, slangily : BAG - custom carpentry is "my bag"
11. Plant activity: Abbr. : MFG - first fill, and it felt iffy
14. "Almost done" : ONE TO GO...
15. Mostly : AS A RULE
17. Experienced : VETERAN - the adjective, here
18. Attacks with gusto : DIVES IN
19. "Rescue 911" fig. : EMT
22. Persian Gulf capital : DOHA - Shout out to Doc~!
24. One in charge of many couples : NOAH - Dah~! This nearly got me for the second time in two weeks
25. White __ : NOISE - I threw in HOUSE - BzzzT~!
26. Yards, e.g. : UNITS - ah, that's the word I couldn't think of...
28. Colorado __, Colo. : SPRS - my "meh" answer for the day; SPRINGS abbr. (?!)
30. Common result of use : WEAR
31. Grinder : PESTLE - I went with HOAGIE, the sa'mich Grinder/Sub/Hero, but we're looking for the implement here
33. A little, in music : POCO
35. Some NFL blockers : RTs - Right Tackles
36. Cleese antic in a Monty Python sketch : SILLY WALK
39. Ring gp. : WBA - World Boxing Association, that kind of 'ring'
42. Per __ : DIEM
43. Dominions : REALMS
47. Flavor enhancer : HERB - Tried SALT
49. Stop : STEM
51. "Paper Moon" Oscar winner : O'NEAL
52. 19th-century presidential middle name : ABRAM - James Abram Garfield, whose term lasted the second shortest in Presidential history - Wiki
54. Hat tipper's word : MA'AM - Pondered "G'Day"
56. Kerfuffle : TO-DO
60. Identify : PEG - I had her 'pegged' as being about 21....see 63d.
61. Hogan dwellers : NAVAHOS - my one bad letter - went with "J" and not "H", plus it worked in "MAJAL", too - at least, in my head
62. Evil laugh : "MWA-HA-HA~!!!"
64. Excess : OVERAGE
65. One that didn't show? : ALSO-RAN
66. JFK speechwriter Sorensen : TED - a WAG with "D" in place; I figured it was not a self-gratuitous "NED"
67. Burn cause, perhaps : LYE - Tried "SUN"
68. Unknowns to figure out : X's AND Y's - Brilliant bottom line fill; good thing I know who Mad Max is
DOWN:
1. Advanced : MOVED UP
2. Clematis relative : ANEMONE
3. Rumor starter? : GET THIS...
4. Brooklyn closer : ITE - BrooklynITE
5. Actor Bud of "Harold and Maude" : CORT
6. "Not __!" : AGAIN
7. Solo couple? : LONG Os - Following the "Hard C"s of yesterday's puzzle, S-ō-L-ō
8. It may be over one's head at first : BAD THROW - I watched
some Little League World Series at the restaurant where the bench project is going on - blow out in the first inning, 13-0
9. "Oh, sure" : AS IF - "Sha, as if"
10. MacLeod of "The Love Boat" : GAVIN
11. More like the typical attic : MUSTIER
12. Attacks : FLIES AT
13. Bases for some roles : GENDERS
16. Plant anew : RESOW
21. McDonald's offering : HAPPY MEAL
23. Court workers: Abbr. : ATTorneys
27. Dropped : SLID - like the price of gas around here since July 4th - not complaining~!
29. Traumatize : SCAR
32. Clinton and both Bushes, but not Obama : ELIs - Yale attendees
34. Stick in a dish : OLEO
37. "Hmm ..." : "LET ME SEE..."
38. "The Metaphysics of Morals" writer : KANT
39. More of the same : WHATNOT
40. Encouraging words : BE BRAVE - Had the first "B" and last "E" - total WAG on this one
41. Got in : ARRIVED
44. Impala predator : LEOPARD - the hostess at the restaurant
had a leopard print dress on last
Friday; the one she wore Tuesday? - ha-muna-ha-muna
45. Seized the opportunity : MADE HAY - Progessing nicely with the bench project; did not waste anything but scrap in getting the corner backrest angles correct~!
46. Spot finishers, often : SLOGANS - Commercial Advertisement "spots"
48. "Histoire de __": French children's book : BABAR - filled via perps
50. Mel Gibson persona : MAD MAX - there's a new one in the works
53. Urdu for "palace" : MAHAL - and "Taj" means 'crown'
55. Whimpers : MEWLS
58. Hardly energetic : LOGY - Pondered LAZY, but the "Z" wouldn't work
59. Tabula __ : RASA
63. Doll : HON - and yes, the hostess is a doll - looks like
Taylor Swift; I was "\ /" this close to asking her out today when I
found out how old she was; don't ask....
Theme: Look what the WIZARD of ID did to our puzzle, all the Freudian sex stuff added!
Wow, JW is back again, and this time he has inserted the letters ID into four phrases to change their meaning to a new humorous clue. His reveal is in the dead center of the puzzle,
36A. Bouncer's demand, and this puzzle's title : LET'S SEE SOME ID. I added my title to the mix since two of the new phrases sound like the Wizard (soft ID) and two sound like what you have to produce to satisfy a big, steroid raging bouncer (hard ID). Except for some difficult clues/fill, this felt more like a mid-week puzzle, with many 3/4 letter words, with a few nice answers like: DEMEANS, BUMS A RIDE, I’LL BE AWAY, PEKINGESE, and ROSE MARIE, though the ID in "bum's a ride" is a little troubling. Let's examine this latest from Jeffrey, the self-proclaimed Rip Van Winkle of construction.
17A. Cause of brittle cigars? : DRY HUMIDOR. A little self assessment here, with his sense of humor becoming a excuse for bad cigars. Does he puff?
29A. Rebuke a revolutionary? : CHIDE GUEVARA. Now here is where it gets eerie; as you recall Robin Stears just had Che as a theme answer where she added "IT" (taking out the H) to her theme answers. ID happens to be the Latin word for IT, which is where Freud got the term, but it is all irrelevant because JW was thinking Identification ID. Oops, Freud wrote about THAT as well.
44A. Tolerate a Midwest capital? : ABIDE LINCOLN. A CSO to HG and his Nebraska buddies, built from Honest Abe.
60A. God of honeymoon truck rentals? : RYDER CUPID. Very timely fill, as the Ryder Cup (US versus Europe) is coming soon. Phil's second place finish at Valhalla cemented his position on the team, while Tiger (wisely) withdrew from consideration. Rory's third win, and second major in a row makes Europe the favorites. (Another clue fill conflict) 62D. Ryder Cup team : USA. JW?
And I remind you of the reveal:
36A. Bouncer's demand, and this puzzle's title : LET'S SEE SOME ID.
let's see some action:
Across:
1. Classic beginning or ending? : HARD C. This one had me going for a while, until I got 4D (DOH) and 5D (CLUTCH) then the bell in my head rang. Hey Don Gagliardo!
6. __ bag : GRAB.
10. Some NYSE traders : ARBS. Back again.
14. Playwright Fugard : ATHOL. I did not know this man at all, but he seems INTERESTING.Maybe Gareth Bain can provide some insight, enjoyed his puzzle on Thursday.
15. Smart Simpson : LISA. You all can finally catch up watching every episode, all 207 hours. 4D. "I should have thought of that!" : DOH. The Homer Simpson spelling.
16. Wet course : SOUP. Logical but I am unfamiliar with this term.
19. "This __ Song": Petula Clark hit : IS MY. College years. Going Downtown.
20. Intention : AIM. It is our aim to entertain and educate and learn.
21. Bit : TAD.
22. Artistic surroundings? : FRAMES. Cute.
24. Inventor for whom a N.J. township is named : TAE. Those of you who do not know Edison Township, or think it is unfair to get just the initials of Thomas Alva Edison did not see that NJ tells you what is coming.
25. Said "You're on!" to : CUED.
27. Friar __ de Torquemada : TOMÁS. No clue about first name of this man mentioned in the Catholic ENCYCLOPEDIA. No religion, no politics, no comment. One of the Friday clues/fill.
32. NYSE event : IPO. Initial Public Offering.
34. Tortilla dough : MASA. Well this is the Spanish word for dough. Corn tortillas I think are made of masa de maize (help Lucina!). A Friday clue.
35. Manipulate illegally : RIG. Boxing, basketball and the 1919 Black Sox come to mind.
41. Jan. honoree : MLK. Martin Luther King.
42. 7UP's opposite? : COLA. Remember WHEN (1:01)? Clecho- 50A. 7UP, e.g. : SODA.
43. "Pioneer Woman" cookbook writer Drummond : REE. Another CHEF.
49. Red head : LENIN. Cute misdirection.
51. Olympic diver's ideal : TEN.
54. Former vice-presidential family : AGNEWS. Hmm, there are so many...and the plural?
57. "... from __ far country blows": Housman : YON. From A.E. Houseman's 40th poem in A Shropshire Lad, also inspired the title of of Nevil Shute's The Far Country. (per wiki and other places).
Into my heart an air that kills
From yon far country blows:
What are those blue remembered hills,
What spires, what farms are those?
That is the land of lost content,
I see it shining plain,
The happy highways where I went
And cannot come again.
58. Kitchenware giant : OXO.
59. Actor Wilson : OWEN. Luke also has 4 letters. I now find Luke boring.
63. Vintner's quantity : CASE. Cask?
64. Certain tunnelers : ANTS.
65. Virtual transaction : E-SALE. Now we have A words and E words.
66. Batik artist : DYER. I was looking for a famous one, not just the job.
67. Garden headache : PEST.
68. Obliterates : RAZES. Always loved how the homophone RAISES is so opposite, learning English is such fun.
Down:
1. Tackled : HAD AT.
2. Heart chambers : ATRIA.
3. Sound mostly the same : RHYME. A CSO to all of our resident poets.
5. Shifting aid : CLUTCH. More than aid, I think.
6. Moved smoothly : GLIDED. Not when I am driving stick....
7. Free : RID. Finally I am free of those stupid emails.
8. Since : AS OF.
9. Epstein-__ virus : BARR. Completely unrelated to Roseanne. LINK. One of those from the happy herpes family.
10. Heinlein contemporary : ASIMOV. To me the greatest.
11. "The Dick Van Dyke Show" actress : ROSE MARIE. She was a child actress.
12. Hitches : BUMS A RIDE. Nice hard Friday fill, but the ID in the fill seems ????
13. Furtive sort : SPY.
18. Wailuku's county : MAUI.
23. Crackerjack group : A-TEAM. No Mr. T.?
26. Humiliates : DEMEANS.
28. Lose some support : SAG. I am sure Lois has never lost her support from here at the Corner.
29. Camp sight : COT.
30. Natural resource : GAS. When I am around my youngest son, I am not so sure how natural it is.
31. Mil. morale booster : USO.
32. "That's my vacation time" : I'LL BE AWAY.
33. Typically long-haired breed : PEKINGESE. Did you do the NYT where the fill was PIQUE PEKE PEAKED, or something like that?
37. Dramatic division : SCENE.
38. Sonora sun : SOL. Another Spanish word.
39. Timothy Omundson's role on "Xena" : ELI. No clue. Watch.
40. Coastal raptor : ERN.
41. Content beginning? : MALcontent. From the French for bad.
45. "What's for __?" : DINNER. Really? Leftovers.
46. Least straightforward : COYEST. Nice clue.
47. Burning sulfur quality : ODOR. Funny, as this is often related to damnation.
48. Cavalry soldier : LANCER.
51. November birthstone : TOPAZ.
52. Napoleon, ultimately : EXILE. Using it as a noun was tricky.
53. Meeting places : NODES. CLUBS? No. I love this misdirection, as this botanical and biologic term does define where things meet, or intersect. I would like to intersect with the young lady from Splynter's last blog.
55. Stole, for one : WRAP.
56. January 1 word : SYNE. This clue getting auld?
59. It typically involves repetitive behavior, briefly : OCD. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.
61. Sot's woe : DTS. Delerium Tremens. 11th grade math teacher, first period, his coffee cup shaking and rattling- a memory for all time!
Speaking of memories, I recall it is time to thank JW for another romp in his world, thank you all for reading, thank C.C. for being our Werowance and best wishes for Alan, and the three people who I know who are have their birthday today, and DIL tomorrow. Lemonade out.
18-Across. "Good lad!" : THERE'S MY BOY. The phrase sounds strange to my ear. I would more likely say "That's my boy!" And only in reference to a dog.
23-Across. "I'm positive" : NO MISTAKE.
30-Across. Atlas index listing : PLACE NAME.
47-Across. "Whatever floats your boat" : LIKE I CARE. I had "As if I CARE" at first. (As if you care, right?)
54-Across. Base among boxes : HOME PLATE.
61-Across. Character who, in an 8/15/1939 Hollywood premiere, speaks the first words of this puzzle's five other longest answers : DOROTHY GALE. "The Wizard of Oz" gal.
58 theme letters is pretty dense, and you might expect some compromise in the fill. But this seemed pretty straight-forward, almost Monday-like.
Across
1. Clothing line : HEM. I have seen the same clue for "seam."
4. "Egad!" : YIPE. or YIPEs. Both are correct.
8. Sprint Cup org. : NASCAR. The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing. The title seems a bit redundant, with both Car and Auto. But it would be too difficult to pronounce NASCR, I guess. And 46-Down. Earnhardt of 8-Across : DALE.
14. Toothpaste letters : ADA. American Dental Association.
15. Arabian ruler : EMIR.
16. Pump figure : OCTANE. It's about $3.49 / gallon around here.
17. Netflix rental, for short : VID. In 1956, a video recorder was about $50,000, and a single 1 hour videotape cost $300. I don't think Netflix would get much business at those prices!
20. Latin catchall : ET ALII. And others.
22. Looks like a wolf : LEERS.
26. LAX postings : ETAS. I took a chance and entered the A before checking perps.
29. One "who intimately lives with rain," in a poem : TREE. And then we have 41-Down. Slam offering : POEM. The first poetry slam was held in Chicago in 1984. It is a competition where poets read their compositions and are judged by selected audience members. Do you think Kilmer would have won with this?
33. Muscular problem : SPASM. "Cramp" would also fit...just sayin'.
36. Start of a series : OPENER.
37. Salon item : GEL. It was a toss-up between GEL and "dye."
40. Ab __: from the beginning : OVO.
41. Historic beginning? : PRE. Prehistoric.
42. Strands in a cell? : DNA.
43. Good to grow : ARABLE.
45. Like cutlets : BONED. I had B*kED at first because of a goof at 31-Down. Huh? Baked cutlets? (I always sauté them.) (And PaEM made absolutely no sense for 41-Down.)
49. Memo demand : ASAP.
53. More than passed : ACED.
57. Sonneteer's Muse : ERATO.
60. Nativity tableau : CRÈCHE.
65. Gun in the driveway, maybe : REV. Haha. Were you picturing a chalk outline and key evidence?
66. Keys with Grammys : ALICIA.
67. First word of "Greensleeves" : ALAS. Here's a lovely version by Celtic Women. 3:19
68. Billings-to-Bismarck dir. : ENE.
69. Less bold : MEEKER.
70. Risks : BETS.
71. Pop : DAD.
Down
1. "__ the foggiest!" : HAVEN'T. I started filling in "I haven"...and ran out of room.
2. Text __ : EDITOR.
3. European title : MADAME. I was looking for something more noble.
4. Hard-to-photograph Himalayans? : YETIS.
5. Paintball cry : I'M HIT.
6. Trivial Pursuit symbol : PIE.
7. Make a left instead of a right, say : ERR.
8. It smells : NOSE. Haha.
9. It can't be topped : ACME.
10. Compound used in plastic manufacturing : STYRENE.
11. Where business is picking up? : CAB STAND.
12. Enero to enero : ANO.
13. "Summertime Sadness" singer Lana Del __ : REY. All perps.
19. Zeno's home : ELEA.
21. Is situated : LIES.
24. Lhasa __ : APSO.
25. Air France-__: European flier : KLM. The two airlines merged in 2004.
27. Revival cry : AMEN.
28. They're measured in shots : SERA. Because "booze" wouldn't fit!
31. It may be popped : CORN. Naturally, I had "cork" at first...which led to no end of problems with the perps.
32. Foil kin : EPEE.
34. __ sci : POLI.
35. Preposition for Poirot : AVEC. French "with."
37. Blowout, so to speak : GALA.
38. "South Park" boy Cartman : ERIC.
39. Site of a critical 1813 battle : LAKE ERIE. The Battle of Put-in-Bay. I bet Abejo knows all about it.
44. Firm foundation : BEDROCK. It's where the Slate Rock & Gravel Company was founded...
;-)
45. Guy friend : BRO.
48. Hailing cry : AHOY.
50. Like some cows : SACRED.
51. Greek goddess of wisdom : ATHENA.
52. In a snit : PEEVED.
55. Showy display : ÉCLAT.
56. Button word : PRESS. So simple.
58. End in __ : A TIE.
59. Yonder, on the Pequod : THAR.
61. Block up : DAM.
62. Bit of World Cup encouragement : OLÉ.
63. Go on and on : GAB.
64. Draft order : ALE. I'll leave this for others to toast at sunset.
Cheers!
Marti
Note from C.C.:
The beautiful Andrea Carla Michaels (who co-authored our Monday LAT puzzle) visited Minnesota again this week. Below is a picture of the local constructor gathering last night. I did not feel well enough to make the trip. I snacked the whole jar of homemade pickles on Tuesday and my lower right abdominal pain just won't go away.
Also missed the PBA50 finals yesterday. Boomer went alone and watched Walter Ray Williams won the tournament. I did chat with Walter Ray again last Sunday, TTP. Also met Norm Duke for the first time.
L to R: VictorBarocas, George Barany,
Andrea Carla Michaels, David
Hanson & Tom Pepper
Theme: Critic's Nightmare - The last word of each theme entry indicates a less-than-stellar assessment of a production.
17A. High-jump style named for 1968 Olympic gold medalist Dick : FOSBURY FLOP. Revolutionary (!) technique introduced by this OSU student:
23A. Morning-after shot : HAIR OF THE DOG. I swear I've never felt like I've needed one, honestly. No, really. Oh well, maybe once.
36A. Last Martin/Lewis film : HOLLYWOOD OR BUST. Dean and Jerry road caper also starring Anita Ekberg. She gets the picture honors.
49A. Subject of 1950s testing : HYDROGEN BOMB.
58A. Lays it on the line : TALKS TURKEY. A curious expression, with no truly believable explanation as to it's origins (apostrophe uncertainty precedes).
Hi everyone - Steve here with Kurt's latest midweeker. I enjoyed the theme and, as convention allows, there's no reveal required as the link between the entries is reasonably obvious. Some nice long downs too. Although there were quite a few 3's, the grid was thankfully light on abbreviations. Nice job! Let's see what else jumps out.
Across:
1. AARP concern : AGEISM
7. Other, in Oaxaca : OTRA
11. AOL chats : IM'S. Instant messages, IMHO.
14. Quick look : GLANCE
15. Need to retake in summer school, say : FAIL
16. Sylvester, to Tweety : TAT. More usually "Puddy Tat".
19. Andean vegetable : OCA. They call it a yam in New Zealand, for absolutely no good reason that I can see. Popeye in New Zealand says "I oca what I oca". No, I made that up. Food!
20. Adams of "American Hustle" : AMY. Thank you, crosses. 2013 comedy drama which never even blipped on my radar, I had to go look it up.
21. Sitter's handful : BRAT
22. Signal to stop, with "down" : FLAG
27. Spoke out against : OPPOSED
30. Zany : LOONY. Tweety's "Tunes" brand name is spelled with an additional "E".
31. Lobster part : CLAW. Not if you're a spiny lobster. Food!
32. "Wish you __ here!" : WERE
33. Expose, in verse : OPE. Romeo, on the subject of Juliet:
"She will not stay the siege of loving terms,
Nor bide th' encounter of assailing eyes,
Nor ope her lap to saint-seducing gold."
She sounds like one tough cookie!
41. Cold War missile prog. : S.D.I. Strategic Defense Initiative, or derisively "Star Wars".
42. Sound from a pen : OINK
43. Former VOA overseer : USIA. Unknown to me - thank you, crosses! I now know that the United States Information Agency was the overseer of the Voice of America broadcasts.
44. "Bye Bye Bye" boy band : 'N SYNC. No music links yet - I'll spare you this one.
46. Stumped : AT A LOSS
52. Big-grin borders : EARS. Fun clue. Grinning from ear to ear.
53. Flying prefix : AERO
54. Unlike a spring chicken : OLD
57. "Alice" waitress : FLO. 70's-80's CBS sitcom.
62. San Antonio NBA star Duncan : TIM. A very pleasant, self-effacing man if you've ever seen him interviewed.
63. Skin soother : ALOE
64. Daily special, e.g. : ENTRÉE. When I moved to the US I was confused by this being the main course - in England and France it means a course between the appetizer and the main. Marti would not bat an eyelid at three courses, but wonder why we don't all have aperitivo, antipasto, primo, secondo e contorno, insalata, formaggi et fruti, dolce, caffè and digestivo every Wednesday. And that doesn't even include the wine! Fooood! I'm moving to Italy.
65. "Comprende?" : SEE? The more I think about this, the more it seems odd - wouldn't we expect a Spanish answer here (except that the only one I can think of is "Entiende?" and that doesn't fit!)?
66. Remain up in the air : PEND
67. Swordfish servings : STEAKS. Food-fest today.
Down:
1. Former Belgian camera brand : AGFA. Knew the name, but didn't know it was a Belgian company.
2. Steal, slangily : GLOM. Crosses helped here - I thought GLOM meant "cling to, annoyingly".
3. Simple : EASY
4. Having five sharps, musically : IN 'B'
5. Dives with a tank : SCUBAS
6. Like olde England : MERRIE. Quite a lot of times not so much; plenty of wars, famine, pestilence and London catching fire to keep you on your toes.
7. __ a good start : OFF TO
8. 1960s chess champ Mikhail : TAL. Crosses again. This might be a little obscure, what do you think?
9. Ebro, por ejemplo : RIO. 578 miles long, it drains into the Mediterranean Sea. Pretty!
10. Swiss skyline sight : ALP
11. "Shoulda listened to me!" : I TOLD YOU SO
12. Region on the South China Sea : MACAO. A short ferry ride from Hong Kong and popular with gamblers.
13. Immortal college coach Amos Alonzo __ : STAGG
18. Farm attachment? : YARD
22. Bog : FEN. This seems to have cropped up a few times recently.
23. Lupine cry : HOWL
24. Took it on the lam : FLED
25. Deere competitor : TORO
26. Field worker : HOER. Hmmmm. I'll leave it at that.
27. Adolph of publishing : OCHS. Former "New York Times" owner. I never made the connection before, but when Ochs built a new headquarters in 1904 for the Times on what was then Longacre Square in Manhattan, the city renamed it "Times Square".
28. Walk with effort : PLOD
29. Mom or dad, e.g. : PALINDROME. Nice word, fun clue.
46. Fivers : ABES. "Lady Godivas" in UK rhyming slang (she's not on the note, alas!)
47. Flourless cakes : TORTES. Food!
48. Invoice figure : AMOUNT
49. Lifts with effort : HEFTS
50. Connecticut collegian : YALIE. We had the plural on Monday.
51. In one's birthday suit : NAKED. Just like Lady Godiva.
54. Pickled or deep-fried veggie : OKRA. Food!
55. Onion relative : LEEK. Food!
56. Colorist's supplies : DYES
58. Bug on a wire : TAP
59. Microbrew choice : ALE. Comes out of a 58D!
60. Horror star Chaney : LON
61. Driver's decision: Abbr. : RTE. I let Google Maps make those decisions for me now, it does a much better job than I ever did.
And, in the words of Sylvester and Tweety: That's all, Folks!
Steve
Notes from C.C.:
1) Happy Birthday to our Jam Master Chickie! Chickie has a loving & tight-knit family. Her kids and grandkids will probably celebrate her birthday this weekend.
L to R: Chickie, Lucina, Garlic Gal, JD, and Dodo
2) Happy Birthday to Spitzboov's wife Betty as well! Don't miss this"It Matters Where You Put the Tag" & this Christ the Redeemer construction work links Spitzboov got for us the past couple of days. This vacuum one made me laugh out loud also.
Spitzboov
& Betty at the reunion dinner held at the US Coast Guard Academy, New London, CT, 2012
2. Pod vegetable : OKRA. Another podded plant.
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