Theme: Fun Fourplay Featuring F. Each theme answer contains four f's.
17. Extemporaneous, as a speech : OFF THE CUFF
27. Appointed White House overseer : CHIEF OF STAFF. This office was created in 1939 by President Franklin
D. Roosevelt and is responsible for a variety of critical functions in
support of the president's work and agenda. From Wikipedia: Chris Whipple, author of The Gatekeepers: How the White House Chiefs of Staff Define Every Presidency,
loosely describes the role of a White House chief of staff through his
interview with former President Barack Obama: "During the last days of
his presidency, Barack Obama observed: 'One of the things I've learned
is that the big breakthroughs are typically the result of a lot of grunt
work—just a whole lot of blocking and tackling.' Grunt work is what
chiefs of staff do."
49. Laundry service option : FLUFF AND FOLD
64. Beanstalk giant's chant : FEE FI FO FUM
40. Not suitable for military service ... or an apt description of 17-, 27-, 49- and 64-Across : FOUR F
Across:
1. "More or less" suffix : ISH
4. Rose and fell on the waves : BOBBED
10. Tax pros : CPA'S. Certified Public Accountant's.
14. Cohort of Larry and Curly : MOE
15. Not widely understood : ARCANE
16. Boffo review : RAVE. Wasn't sure if Boffo was good or bad, had to wait for the V to fill in. "Boffo: (of a theatrical production or movie, or a review of one) very successful or wholeheartedly commendatory.
19. Theater honor : OBIE
20. "Firework" singer Perry : KATY
21. Near-perfect bridge feat : SMALL SLAM. Cards. Not being a bridge player this was lost on me.
23. Amigo : PAL
26. Liam of "Michael Collins" : NEESON
32. __ Vegas : LAS
33. Peaceful : CALM
34. Dalai Lama's homeland : TIBET. Richard Gere reveals how suporting Tibet turned his career.
38. Planets, in poems : ORBS
43. Thick book : TOME
44. Salami type : GENOA
46. Nevada senator Harry : REID
48. Red wine choice, for short : ZIN
53. '60s dance craze : WATUSI
55. Opus __: "The Da Vinci Code" sect : DEI
56. DJ known for playing novelty tunes : DR DEMENTO
59. Surrealist Salvador : DALI. Scene from Midnight in Paris, with Adrian Brody as Salvador Dali.
63. Geological age : AEON
67. Unclothed : BARE
68. Like bears : URSINE
69. Alias, on police blotters : AKA
70. List of appts. : SKED. Shortened version of the word "schedule."
71. English writer Edward Bulwer-__ : LYTTON. New to me. A bit obscure for a Tuesday. Born in 1858.
72. "Oedipus __" : REX
Down:
1. "Didn't hurt a bit!" : I'M OK
1. "Didn't hurt a bit!" : I'M OK
2. Living room seat : SOFA
3. Lift with effort : HEFT
4. Scoff from Scrooge : BAH
5. Calif. neighbor : ORE
6. Covertly sends an email dupe to : BCC'S. Blind Carbon Copy.
7. "The Wizard of Oz" author : BAUM
8. __ terrible: difficult child, in French : ENFANT
9. Rid of parasites, as a dog : DE-FLEA
10. Multi-discipline strength-training program : CROSSFIT. So popular.
11. Painter Picasso : PABLO. More Midnight in Paris.
12. Like many nest-builders : AVIAN
13. Look (like) : SEEM
18. Tap out a text, say : TYPE
22. Departed : LEFT
24. N.Y. Jets' org. : AFC
25. Bread shape : LOAF. Never thought of loaf as a shape, but it makes sense.
27. Bathtub blockage : CLOG
28. Cocksure Aesopian racer : HARE. Like this clue.
29. Library ID : ISBN
30. Mel's Diner waitress : FLO
31. Blue toon : SMURF
35. Memorable clown : BOZO
36. Disney's "__ and the Detectives" : EMIL
37. See to : TEND
39. Began to melt : SOFTENED
41. Stephen of "Michael Collins" : REA
42. Locate : FIND
45. Grad : ALUM
47. Pres. before JFK : DDE
50. Beneficial : USEFUL
51. Fancy duds : FINERY. "All the lovely ladies in their finery tonight ..."
"... to every man who answers to the letter of the law, and all the rest in prison by mistake ..."
52. Pal of Rover : FIDO
53. Perpetrate, as havoc : WREAK
54. Love to pieces : ADORE
56. Pats gently : DABS
57. Exam : TEST
58. "Think nothing __" : OF IT
60. Many miles off : AFAR
61. "Use the Force, __" : LUKE
62. Big-screen format : IMAX
65. Masculine Italian suffix with bamb- : INO
66. Marshland : FEN
Melissa's beautiful granddaughter Jaelyn turned one-year-old on August 18, 2017. Here are a few pictures.
