Beware: bad puns ahead.
15A, *Final resting place for old autos? – KHARTOUM
24A, *Father of the Ziploc? – BAGHDAD
49A, *Wide show specification? – TRIPOLI
63A, *Recently opened sandwich shop? – NEWDELHI
2D, *Multiplyin’ by two? – DUBLIN
48D, *Base of a fragrant tree? – BEIRUT
36A, Pun-crimes committed by the answers to the six starred clues? – CAPITALOFFENSES
Categories: Solving Time
Today’s puzzle features a word ladder, in which each successive theme answer has one letter that’s different from the previous one.
1A. *Start of a 38-Across – NINE
15A, *Small part of a spork – TINE
18A, *Musical quality – TONE
22A, *Made tracks – TORE
35A, *Teed off – SORE
44A, *Put into piles – SORT
56A, *Locale in a western – FORT
64A, *It may precede a stroke – FORE
67A, *Ax – FIRE
71A, *End of a 38-Across – FIVE
38A, Hint to the word ladder in the answers to the starred clues – STANDARDWORKDAY
Categories: Solving Time
10A, ___ as a post – DEAF
20A, ___ as an arrow – STRAIGHT
24A, ___ as a pin – NEAT
25A, ___ as a fox – CUNNING
26A, ___ as an ox – STRONG
37A, ___ as an owl – WISE
41A, ___ as a dog – SICK
56A, ___ as an eel – SLIPPERY
66A, ___ as a judge – SOBER
67A, ___ as a doornail – DEAD
68A, ___ as a diamond – HARD
6D, ___ as a drum – TIGHT
25D, ___ as a whistle – CLEAN
27D, ___ as a rail – THIN
29D, ___ as a bell – CLEAR
34D, ___ as a kite – HIGH
51D, ___ as a rock – SOLID
54D, ___ as a bat – BLIND
51A, Theme of this puzzle – SIMILES
Categories: Solving Time
Oooh, one of my best Monday times.
24A, Animated TV character whose best friend is Boots – DORATHEEXPLORER
35A, 2008 campaign personality – JOETHEPLUMBER
50A, Norman Rockwell painting subject of W.W. II – ROSIETHERIVETER
Categories: Solving Time
“Roughly Speaking”, a puzzle in which certain squares in the theme answers contain hesitation words like “ER” and “UM”. Sorry, only the acrosses today since there are so many:
23A, Op-ed piece, e.g. – NEWSPAP(ER)COL(UM)N
25A, Worries for ransom recipients – S(ER)IALN(UM)B(ER)S
27A, Resident of Asmara – (ER)ITREAN
37A, Parts of some cages – ST(ER)N(UM)S
43A, Annually – P(ER)YEAR
44A, Anakin Skywalker flew one in “Star Wars Episode I” – PODRAC(ER)
48A, Shadow - (UM)BRA
55A, Baseball Hall-of-Famer George – SISL(ER)
57A, More obstreperous – NOISI(ER)
59A, Blood bank supply – S(ER)(UM)
68A, Actress Amanda – PL(UM)M(ER)
70A, Salon product for flat hair – VOL(UM)IZE
73A, Possible item in a window box – G(ER)ANI(UM)
85A, Lousy tip – B(UM)STE(ER)
98A, Crowded, in a way – B(UM)P(ER)TPB(UM)P(ER)
102A, Individual debtors pay it – CONS(UM)(ER)INT(ER)EST
109A, One who’s barely working? – STRIPP(ER)
110A, North Carolinian, e.g. – EAST(ER)N(ER)
114A, Units in physics – (ER)GS
Categories: Solving Time
I confess I had to do a couple of “Check”s over the course of solving this puzzle. I mainly had trouble with the upper third.
1A, Runs through a petcock, e.g. – DRAINSOFF
10A, They have big bells – TUBAS
24A, Fond of – KEENON
31A, Desirable trunk feature – WASHBOARDABS
38A, 1980 Truffaut film that won 10 Cesar awards – THELASTMETRO
42A, Introducer of the math symbol “e” – EULER
47A, Unagi restaurant suppliers – EELERS
60A, Relative of alliteration – ASSONANCE
1D, Discussion ender – DROPIT
8D, “New York, New York” lyricist – FREDEBB
10D, Like some seats – TAKEN
21D, “The Impressario” composer – MOZART
23D, Lose it – GOWILD
38D, Something dreadful – THEPITS
39D, Who said “I’ll try anything once, twice if I like it, three times to make sure” – MAEWEST
57D, Boasts – HAS
Categories: Solving Time
I thought I was never going to get that NE corner. I almost gave up, but then I had a breakthrough when I realized RELISH for 13D, “Spirit” was wrong.
1A, Now out … or “it” – TAGGED
7A, Its flag features an image of a stone-carved bird – ZIMBABWE (of course! how stupid of me not to have known that)
24A, 1984 perfect game pitcher Mike – WITE
26A, Texas county named for a Civil War general, with its seat in Longview – GREGG (not GRANT)
28A, Carrier of a very destructive cargo – ENOLAGAY
32A, Pair of elephants? – BIGEARS
38A, Reducer of pier pressure? – JETTY
47A, Phenomena associated with some drawfs – NOVAE
48A, Way up state? – MANIA
1D, Drafting aids – TSQUARES
7D, Alfred Kinsey’s field – ZOOLOGY
12D, Like Old Prussian – BALTIC
20A, Big drink – OCEAN
24D, Reanimate – WAKEN
32D, Home of the World Museum of Mining – BUTTE
33D, They’re located above the kidneys – ADRENALS
37D, Lost soul – STRAYER
38D, Transported – JOYFUL
51D, Local govt. unit – TWP
Categories: Solving Time
Thursday’s puzzle was posted much earlier than the usual 10pm.
17A, See 71-Across – GODFATHEROFSOUL
27A, See 71-Across – FEDEXCOMPETITOR
49A, See 71-Across – CLEVELANDPLAYER
65A, See 71-Across – IVYLEAGUESCHOOL
71A, Shade that defines 17-, 27-, 49- and 65-Across – BROWN
Categories: Solving Time
17A, With 59-Across, A-B-C-A in the illustration – MAIN
25A, F-G – KEEL
30A, C-D – MAST
43A, A-B – BOOM
49A, E-F-G-H-E – HULL
59A, See 17-Across – SAIL
And some other maritime answers:
18A, Ship in “Pirates of the Carribean” – BLACKPEARL
55A, Ship to the New World – SANTAMARIA
Categories: Solving Time
17A, 1908 Cubs player and position – TINKERSHORTSTOP
25A, 1908 Cubs player and position – EVERSSECONDBASE
43A, 1908 Cubs player and position – CHANCEFIRSTBASE
57A, What 17-, 25- and 43-Across were, famously – DOUBLEPLAYCOMBO
Categories: Solving Time
