We get our third Mike Buckley effort of 2015 with this one a sound-alike pun effort. Puns are based on humor which is such a subjective area I would guess some of you will really enjoy the theme while other will be meh. I enjoyed the theme and appreciate the extra challenge of having both parts of the theme changed to sound alike. The rest of the puzzle has some real sparkle like ASSISI, DEANNA, I RAISE, MAZDAS, PINDAR, PRAWNS, SINKER, TICTAC, YTTRIA, DEPECHE, MIAMIAN, SURGEON, AS EASY AS, NEPOTIST, PECOS BILL, SAWHORSES and some very difficult places. The three across two down pattern also was fun.
18A. Composer Dvorák in hiding? : CACHED CZECH (11). This cashed check transforms into a musical clue. LINK.
38A. Demands for quiet from the downstairs tenant? : CEILING WHACKS (13). Sealing wax is not commonly used anymore, but the clue does bring back this SONG (3:00).
58A. Wildebeests slowing down? : BRAKING GNUS (11). My favorite mental picture comes from this breaking news.
3D. Walked by a campsite? : PASSED TENTS (11). Walked is whimsically past tense.
26D. Poor jousters? : WEAK KNIGHTS (11). Can you watch them on week nights on ESPN?
Let's see what we have.
Across:
1. Spot : PIP. Like on a die.
4. "My Name Is Asher Lev" author : POTOK. Chaim Potok has written many wonderful books and appeared in puzzles often.
9. Normandy beachhead : OMAHA. No Nebraska clue on a Friday; will the next generation remember?
14. Rollover __ : IRA. This has become on of the most common of fills.
15. Send packing : EVICT.
16. Jazz section : SAXES. Your choice, this, or the music below?
17. "Hip Hop Is Dead" artist : NAS.
20. Misrepresent : DISTORT.
22. Main part : LEAD. In a play, or movie.
23. No harder than : AS EASY AS. An odd looking stretch of letters, which is good but it is a partial which I was told was bad, so ?!?
25. Edible decapods : PRAWNS. Meaning having 10 legs: Steve and Nice Cuppa can explain this more but DIFFERENCE.
29. Provide new audio for : REDUB. My son tried to get me to appreciate dubstep music.
30. More than square : CUBE. Cute.
32. Council position : SEAT.
33. Adjust, as sails : TRIM. I watched a You tube on how to sail by yourself.
35. Mythical elephant carriers : ROCS. You want to read about it? HERE.
37. "Aladdin" monkey : ABU.
41. Your Moment of __: Jon Stewart's show ender : ZEN. Obama ordered him to stay.
42. Spike : LACE. As in "lace the punch"; this was very tricky 4 letter fill.
43. Fuzzy Endor native : EWOK. Star Wars VII is coming!
44. They're often smashed : SOTS. No Tinbeni comments here, please.
46. Ellington's "__ Indigo" : MOOD. The Duke.
48. Nearby : HANDY.
51. Umbria tourist town : ASSISI. This is the landlocked part of Italy, unlike 66A. Resort off the Sorrentine Peninsula : CAPRI. This is an island.
53. One who keeps it in the family : NEPOTIST. WE all have heard of nepotism, so I guess this word exists.
55. Sports gp. with three divisions : NCAA.
57. "The Kids Are __": 1979 The Who documentary : ALRIGHT.
62. One of Kramden's hardy followers? : HAR.
63. Staff symbol : C CLEF. Music notation. 8D. "Hooked on Classics" co. : K TEL. 49D. Note in the key of B major : D SHARP. A mini-theme ?
64. Singer's asset : RANGE.
65. Ode opener? : TRI. Triode.
67. Gather together : AMASS.
68. Post-workout destination : SPA.
Down:
1. "The test of any man lies in action" odist : PINDAR. From Thebes in Ancient Greece.
2. Game challenge : I RAISE. Betting games.
4. Lover of Slue-Foot Sue : PECOS BILL. This romantic STORY.
5. Subject for Italian anatomist Fallopius : OVARY. He also invented the English subway, hence its name- the Fallopian Tube.
6. Certs alternative : TICTAC. Paddy whack...
7. "Alas!" from a lass : OCH. How is your Gaelic?
9. Grouch in a can : OSCAR. Sesame Street lives on.
10. Protegés, e.g. : MAZDAS. This took a long time to remember with the last one in the model year 2003.
11. Fire : AXE.
12. Crime-solver Ramsey of 1970s TV : HEC. The second incarnation of Richard Boone, more famous as Paladin.
13. Krakatoa output : ASH.
19. "Exciter" band __ Mode : DEPECHE. Lots of MUSIC if you are bored.
21. Alpha __, star in the Bull constellation : TAURI. This huge ORANGE star, known as Alderbarran is not related to the more familiar Alpha Centauri.
24. Cutting-edge professional? : SURGEON. Really sharp humor.
27. Snares : NABS.
28. Former Beatle Sutcliffe : STU. He left the band to pursue his work as a painter, but died at 22.
34. Dolphin, e.g. : MIAMIAN. A bit tricky but not down here in SoFla.
36. Cutting supports : SAWHORSES.
38. Co. VIPs : CEOS. Chief Executive Officers. Next to...
39. Sgt. maj., e.g. : NCO. Non-Commissioned Officer.
40. Tropical raccoon kin : COATI. You want to know more? READ.
41. Half a Gabor? : ZSA. Better than half a fly.
45. Angling aid : SINKER.
47. Counselor in Jean-Luc's command : DEANNA. Ms. Troi gets more ink than Jean-Luc.
50. Oxide in incandescent gas mantles : YTTRIA. I do not even know what a gas mantle is, but this was interesting to READ.
52. Space opera genre : SCI-FI.
54. Promotions : PLUGS. Once you see it this is easy, but it took a while.
56. Uttar Pradesh tourist city : AGRA.
58. Discreet email letters : BCC. The B is for blind, meaning you are not telling them to whom you are sending it to.
59. Nipper's label : RCA. Radio Corporation of America.
60. High peak : ALP. Another marti CSO.
61. Moll's leg : GAM. A great word from all the pulp and detective fiction I have read. Do you recognizes these gams from this old TV show where the actresses face never appeared?
Lemonade out.
