I blogged Dan's debut here back 5 + years ago, click if you want to REMEMBER. I do not believe James Bond was the inspiration, but perhaps we can induce Dan to stop by and let us know. In the interim, the theme is straightforward, though a bit varied. There are 5 themers and a reveal. The first two have CU replaced, the third has one of its two CUs replaced. Next has CUE, and the last CCU. It is consistent because in each and every case it is the sound kju that is replaced. he does provide a reveal if you hadn't gotten the hint, though it too could be confusing. 56 theme spaces do not leave much room for outside sparkle but did leave room for lots of linguistics. We see many languages featured in this grid and I have highlighted some that I saw but maybe not all, or even correctly. The time change adjustment makes this blog harder than doing it in Thailand. See for yourself...
10A. Like many Miamians: QBAN (4). My son is married to a young lady of CUBAN descent.
17A. Not to be tolerated: INEXQSABLE (10). If I had used all the bad puns that came to mind with this theme, you likely would have found it INEXCUSABLE.
26A. Unruffled: COOL AS A QCUMBER (14). While scientifically correct - cucumbers internal temperature will be 11 to 20 degrees cooler and its surroundings, the phrase was first recorded in a poem by the British poet John Gay 'New Song on New Similies' in 1732: "Cool as a cucumber could see the rest of womankind". This is challenging because of the double "CU" but the second is not pronounced with the long U.
43A. Potentially lifesaving efforts: RESQ OPERATIONS (14). RESCUE operations are organized procedures to bring people or a person out of danger, attack, harm, etc. Collins dictionary. Here the Q replaces CUE.
62A. Charge: AQSE (4). I ACCUSE (J'ACCUSE in the original) was made famous from a letter written by Emile Zola defending Alfred DREYFUS.
The reveal:
56A. Words before entering ... and a hint to five puzzle answers: THAT'S MY CUE (10).
The reveal:
56A. Words before entering ... and a hint to five puzzle answers: THAT'S MY CUE (10).
and that is mine to get on with reviewing and discussing...
Across:
1. Accommodate: ADAPT.
6. "Who, me?": NOT I. Very formal.
14. Craft pointed in two directions?: CANOE. We begin our world of words with a word that came to us from mid 16th century: from Spanish canoa, from Arawak, from Carib canaoua .
15. __à-brac: BRIC. French.
constellations. Latin for bear.
19. Farm feed: OATS.
20. Pasture moisture: DEW. Not the same as Mountain Dew.
21. One of the two most recent Pac-12 members: UTES.
The STORY.
22. Xerxes' empire: PERSIA. This guy...
24. Krombacher output: BIER. This German BREWER makes beer which is bier in German (CSO to my son's current career in craft beer distribution).
25. In __: undisturbed: SITU. Latin, meaning “in position. We hear it in archaeology (CSO to my son's graduate school time).
32. Native American shelter: WIGWAM. This is from Algonquian language.
33. Polynesian carving: TIKI. This from the Maori language. In Māori mythology, Tiki is the first man created by either Tūmatauenga or Tāne. He found the first woman, Marikoriko, in a pond; she seduced him and he became the father of Hine-kau-ataata.
34. Waze suggestion: Abbr.: RTE. I never heard of this app (WAZE) until this year and now I have seen it often including in last Saturday's Puzzle Society by Chris King.
35. Flubs: ERRS.
36. Dominate: OWN. Tom Brady owned Peyton Manning.
37. "La Vie en Rose" singer: PIAF. The troubled but talented French singer
38. Duffer's dream: ACE. A golfer who is not very good who wishes for a hole in one.
39. Final notes: CODA. From Italian, the concluding passage of a piece or movement, typically forming an addition to the basic structure
41. Gym wear: SWEATS.
46. One often paying a fee: USER.
47. Seagoing shortening: BOSN. Boatswain.
48. Stay put: REMAIN.
51. Stare slack-jawed: GAPE. Better than agape.
52. Sleeve: ARM.
55. Like __ of sunshine: A RAY. A golden ray?
59. Beatles song that begins, "Is there anybody going to listen to my story": GIRL.
LYRICS.
60. Exude: OOZE.
61. Like some kitchens: EAT IN. These are usually the most popular room in the house.
63. Old-style "Wow!": EGAD.
64. Exceedingly: NO END. Did I mention we are going to see the King and I tonight
Down:
1. Stinging: ACID.
2. Many a "Hamlet" character: DANE. Friday Will S; cool. Well, he was Prince of Denmark...
3. Freshly: ANEW.
4. Curse: POX. A Shakespearian word.
5. Drink with blanco and plata varieties: TEQUILA. This is a Mexican liquor made from an agave. Interestingly to me, the two types mentioned really are the same though there are other KINDS.
7. "Nor to their idle __ doth sight appear": Milton: ORBS. A line by John Milton, the blind poet, in a sonnet to CYRIAK SKINNER.
8. Up to, in ads: TIL.
9. Chip maker: ICEPICK. A very difficult clue to parse, luckily the perps were there. Keebler fit.
10. Number needed for official business: QUORUM. Tricky since the answer is not a number, these meetings are often mind-numbing.
11. Support group?: BRAS. Hard to think of bras as a group; they never had a hit album.
12. Italian wine region: ASTI.
13. Rocket launcher: NASA.
18. Anger: STEAM.
23. Holder of needles: ETUI. Not Eric but ➡
French.
24. Bends over forward: BOWS. Alfonse? Gaston?
25. Newspaper ad meas.: SQIN. This is used as an acronym for SQare INch.
26. "Odyssey" sorceress: CIRCE. Inspired so many imitations including GOT's Cersei
27. Cruel sorts: OGRES.
28. Fighting big-time: AT WAR.
29. Beach Boy Wilson: BRIAN.
30. States overseas: ÉTATS. French and related languages.
31. Whistle blowers: REFS. Nice misdirection; not whistleblowers.
32. Sport: WEAR. My grandmother even in senility always commented when my mother was sporting a new outfit.
36. Frankfurt's river: ODER.
37. McJob holder: PEON.
39. Mozart's "__ fan tutte": COSI. Italian, they all do it.
40. Like pedi-showing shoes: OPEN TOE. Not open tutte.
41. Bus route components: STOPS. Such a fancy word for a bus stop.
42. Stable visitors: WISEMEN. Not one who has it together but who went to a specific stable.
44. Veep before Gore: QUAYLE.
45. Let up: ABATED.
48. Sitar music: RAGA. I do not think I knew this. The word is from Sanskrit.
49. Actor La Salle: ERIQ. I wish I could think of the actor who first came to mind with a toothpick in his mouth, but this is ERIQ.
50. Blemishes: MARS.
51. Controversial Mideast strip: GAZA. Hard to discuss as a non-political issue but here is some HISTORY.
52. Partie d'une comédie: ACTE. French.
53. Destruction: RUIN. A "u" sound but not kju.
54. Use thread on threads, say: MEND. I like this clue/fill a lot.
57. Monopolize: HOG.
58. Former hoopster __ Ming: YAO. A mini CSO to my sweet Thongyao. In Chinese Yáo, literally means ‘precious jade.' Or maybe not- Jayce? Barry G.?
I made it to the end, in a sort of zen/zombie state and I hope made some sense here and there. Thank you, Dan and all who read and write. Lemonade out.
