Theme - HOMOPHONIA. Silly three-word phrases starting with the letter A, and having the indefinite article A in the middle constitute internal echoes. Actually, the clues themselves are also quite silly. Call me crazy, but I love the word play in this theme.
17 A. Fall in love with something at the home improvement center? : ADORE A DOOR. Furniture and appliances are OK, but seldom give you this kind of an opening.
25 A. Bring Bugs into harmony? : ATTUNE A TOON. TOONS, of course, are cartoon characters. Bugs is one of the truly great TOONs, and great TOON singers. And how could he be more ATTUNED than this?
37 A. Get voices in all ranges? : ACQUIRE A CHOIR. Sopranos, altos, tenors and basses [not to be confused with 61A.] Anyway, there are no bugs here.
52 A. Severely criticize the store special? : ASSAIL A SALE. This is a correct usage for ASSAIL - I checked. Any time you come to The Corner, you get your money's worth
61 A. Criticize the stringed instrument? : ABASE A BASS. More like degrade than criticize. But bassist Christian McBride, who I had the great pleasure of preforming with a couple years ago, is above reproach.
Hi, Gang. JazzBumpa on duty. Let's see what else Bruce has in store for us.
Across
1. Got taller : GREW. Use gruesome in a sentence. OK. I visited my grandchildren in PA last week. Since the last time I saw them, they gruesome.
1. Got taller : GREW. Use gruesome in a sentence. OK. I visited my grandchildren in PA last week. Since the last time I saw them, they gruesome.
5. Etching supplies : ACIDS. A mask is used to protect the rest of the surface, and ACID etches into the exposed area to create an image.
10. Ski area in Utah's Wasatch Mountains : ALTA.
14. See 66-Across : RACE. Here it is --
66. With 14-Across, event with batons : RELAY. A track and field event of a set distance in which each team has several runners [usually 4.] At the end of a runner's turn, the baton is handed off to the next runner.
66. With 14-Across, event with batons : RELAY. A track and field event of a set distance in which each team has several runners [usually 4.] At the end of a runner's turn, the baton is handed off to the next runner.
15. Bad news for the waiter : NO TIP. Rude, too. We give a minimum 20%, and usually in cash.
16. Classic cars : REOS. Ransom E. Olds started the Olds Motor Vehicle Company in 1897. This later became Oldsmobile, a division of General Motors. He left the company on 1905 and started the REO Motor Car Company in 1905. It remained in operation until 1975, when assets were liquidated in a bankruptcy proceeding.
19. "Pretty please?" : MAY I. Childish begging.
20. "Frasier" role : NILES. Brother of the eponym, Frasier Crane, played by David Hyde Pierce and Kelsey Grammer, respectively.
21. Debuting on screen : NEW.
23. iPhone, e.g., briefly : PDA. Personal Data Assistant. Anyone still have a Blackberry?
24. Scooby-__ : DOO. Toon dog. I was never a fan.
30. Golf tee, e.g. : PEG.
31. "Flashdance...What a Feeling" singer Cara : IRENE.
32. Barbecue pair : TONGS. A device with two movable arms, either joined at one end or in the middle, used to pick up and hold things.
33. Solo in a spotlight : ARIA. This is the Italian word for air [not to be confused with Ned Stark's younger daughter.] An air is simply a song, but an ARIA is a dramatic solo in a opera. I'm not a fan.
35. Smallish batteries : AAs.
36. Med. condition with repetitive behavior : OCD. Obsessive Compulsive Behavior. Every time I type that, I have to go wash my hands.
42. Colony resident : ANT. Usually under ground.
43. Gallery filler : ART.
44. Went like crazy : SPED.
46. Second thought : DOUBT.
49. Get fuzzy, as vision : BLEAR.
51. Grand __ Opry : OLE. A weekly country music concert in Nashville, Tennessee, founded in 1925. Not a fan of this either.
54. "Breaking Bad" org. : DEA. Drug Enforcement Agency.
55. Org. offering written and road tests : DMV. Department of Motor Vehicles.
56. Mason jar attachment : LID. That tops it off.
57. Humdrum : BANAL. Vapid, insipid, old-hat.
59. Start bubbling : BOIL. No toil, no trouble, just turn on the heat.
65. Greek peak : OSSA. Because Etna is in Sicily.
67. Site with tech reviews : c|net. Technology oriented website
68. __ end : DEAD. The termination of a road or passage with no exit. Figuratively, any kind of impasse.
69. Wild West transport : STAGE. A stagecoach was a closed, horse-drawn vehicle used to carry passengers and mail along regular routes
70. Run-of-the-mill : SO-SO. Mediocre.
Down
1. __ Joe, Charlie's companion on his tour of Wonka's chocolate factory : GRANDPA.
2. Time before TV : RADIO ERA. Back in the day.
3. Environment-related : ECOLOGIC.
4. "Where __ you?" : WERE. Time for excuses.
5. Actress Ortiz of "Ugly Betty" : ANA. [b 1971] Singer, actress, and domestic abuse advocate.
6. Fish sticks fish : COD.
7. Midori on the ice : ITO. Olympic skater. Many videos of various length here.
8. Pop singer Warwick : DIONNE.
9. Binge : SPREE.
10. Reliever's asset : ARM. Baseball relief pitcher.
11. Seize, as an opportunity : LEAP ON.
12. Pooch in your lap, maybe : TOY DOG. A breed of dog that has been bred to a reduced size.
13. Most people : ASIANS. Asia is by far the largest continent, and has by far the highest population density.
18. Actor Morales : ESAI. Frequent crossword visitor.
22. Keep an eye on : WATCH. Would you keep an eye on my WATCH, please?
26. Personal attribute : TRAIT. A genetically determined characteristic.
27. Rip (up) : TEAR. Forcefully pull apart
28. Opens, as an official document : UNSEALS. Without TEARING it, one would hope.
29. Commotions : TO-DOS. Disturbances, fracases, brouhahas.
34. Jordan's only port : AQABA. Located at the northern end of the Gulf of Aqaba, which extends N-N-E from the Red Sea.
36. In base eight : OCTAL. My eyes glazed over pretty quickly, but if you're interested in base 8, you can read about it here.
38. No later than : UNTIL.
39. Space : AREA.
40. Tiny tunes player : IPOD NANO. A portable media player, now in it's 7th generation.
41. Big events for film studios : RELEASES.
45. Gives a hand : DEALS TO. Aha - cards, not a helping hand.
46. Somewhat flabby male physique, informally : DAD-BOD. Never heard this term before, but I guess I have one.
47. Diffuse slowly through a membrane : OSMOSE. Moving from the side of the barrier with greater concentration to the side with lesser concentration.
48. Permit to enter the States : U.S. VISA. Allows the visitor to enter, leave or stay for a specified period.
49. Unwise wager : BAD BET.
50. Country's McEntire : REBA. [b 1955] Singer, song writer, actress, record producer, and eponym for a TV show.
53. Whopper creators : LIARS. Prevaricators, not burger flippers.
58. Basics : ABCs. Early steps.
60. Young chap : LAD.
62. According to : A LA. Common in English, adopted from French. (Cf. 46 D)
63. Give in to gravity : SAG. As telephone wires, or protruding body parts.
64. Word after eagle or hawk : EYE. Either way, sharp vision.
That wraps it up. Hope you had fun with it.
Cool regards!
JzB
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This is a fun blog. Light-hearted banter is welcome. Snark is not. If you want to fight, find my other blog.
Play nice, and we'll all have fun.
I like to return visit, when I can - but I need to find you. If you have multiple blogs, please leave a direct link to the appropriate post.
Cheers!
JzB