Theme: Done, but not with E's. Theeclues would need a long "E" sound added at the end for the theme fill to make sense. And even better, the "i.e." in the clue, suggesting "for example" is also the letter combo that needs to be added to the base clue to supply that sound. Quite elegant.
17. Cook, i.e.?: BAKED TREAT. Add the "E" sound for the COOKIE, not the baker.
23. Pink, i.e.?: LITTLE FINGER. Not a Game of Thrones character, but add the "E" sound to get your PINKIE.
37. Rook, i.e.?: FIRST YEAR PLAYER. With the added "E" sound a chess piece becomes a newly minted pro athlete.
61. Sort, i.e.?: AIR MISSION. With the added "E: sound we get, not a separation and arrangement of things, but rather a SORTIE, defined as a deployment or dispatch of one military unit, be it an aircraft, ship, or troops, from a strongpoint - or something of that SORT. The term originated in siege warfare. So the fill is a bit too specific for the clue.
50. E'er, i.e.?: BONE CHILLING. When you add the "E"sound, it's not a Great Lake nor a response to seeing an elephant, but rather a reaction to something strange and frightening.
Hi Gang, JazzBumpa here to E's us through this puzzle. This is a clever theme, but a bit gimmickEE for my taste. Let's see what else is going on.
Across:
1. "Encore!": AGAIN. A request for another tune at the end of a performance.6. Small strings: UKES.
Mandatory
10. Big zero: NADA. Nothing in Spanish, adopted into American slang
14. Ballet bend that's a homophone for a cheese dish: FONDU. Watch this video - which is not at all cheesy - and you can have fun doing it.
4. Utopian: IDEAL. Just about perfect.
5. Annoying sort: NUDNIK. One who is a bore or a nuisance.
6. Old Mideast alliance: Abbr.: UAR. United Arab Republics
7. Show respect, in a way: KNEEL. A position in which the body is supported by a knee or the knees, as when praying or showing submission.
8. Eiffel Tower level: ETAGE. Similar to the story of a house - in French.
9. Detonate: SET OFF. Cause to explode.
10. Part of the "Hey Jude" refrain: NANANANA. This goes on forever, and for my money, ruins an otherwise decent song. YMMV.
55. Exploits: GESTS. Adventures.
58. Sabado y domingo, por ejemplo: DIAS. Saturday and Sunday, for example, are days of the week.
59. Exclusive: SOLE. One and only - like a selected fish is a sole sole; or consider the bottom of a specific foot.
62. L.A. commuter org.: MTA. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Not exclusive to L.A.
14. Ballet bend that's a homophone for a cheese dish: FONDU. Watch this video - which is not at all cheesy - and you can have fun doing it.
15. One chip, maybe: ANTE. Start of a poker hand.
16. Love, in Lima: AMOR. Spanish
19. Canceled: NO GO.
20. 1953 Alan Ladd classic: SHANE.
16. Love, in Lima: AMOR. Spanish
19. Canceled: NO GO.
20. 1953 Alan Ladd classic: SHANE.
21. Many a dictator's quality: EGOMANIA.
25. Actress Ryan of "Courage Under Fire": MEG. Meg Ryan [b 1961] is an American actress and producer. Ryan began her acting career in 1981 in minor roles before joining the cast of the CBS soap opera As the World Turns in 1982.
25. Actress Ryan of "Courage Under Fire": MEG. Meg Ryan [b 1961] is an American actress and producer. Ryan began her acting career in 1981 in minor roles before joining the cast of the CBS soap opera As the World Turns in 1982.
28. Nickname of 1950s Reds slugger Ted: KLU. Theodore Bernard Kluszewski [1924 - 1988] also known as "Big Klu", was an American professional baseball player known for his bulging biceps and mammoth home runs in the 1950s decade. He played from 1947 through 1961 with four teams in Major League Baseball.
29. Meds-approving agcy.: FDA. Food and Drug Administration.
30. Climbing vine: IVY.
31. Brian of Roxy Music: ENO. Brian Peter George Eno [b. 1948] is a British musician, composer, record producer and visual artist best known for his pioneering work in ambient music and contributions to rock, pop and electronica.
33. Upright: ON END.
42. Elevator stop: FLOOR.
43. Leaves in small bags: TEA. Then boiled in water - just that.
44. Pitcher's stat: ERA.
45. Univ. dorm mentors: RAS. Resident Assistant is a live-in position held by students. Generally, the goal of an RA is to create a safe and comfortable environment for the residents of a dorm.
47. Enero begins it: ANO. January is the first month of the year in Spain and many other countries.
49. __ Jones: DOW. Dow Jones & Company, Inc. is an American publishing firm owned by News Corp and led by CEO Almar Latour. The company publishes The Wall Street Journal, Barron's, MarketWatch, Mansion Global, Financial News and Private Equity News. Every day they publish the Dow Jones Industrial Average, a price-weighted measurement stock market index of 30 prominent companies listed on stock exchanges in the United States. I have commentary on my blog every business day, if you are interested.
56. City north of Des Moines: AMES, IOWA. The home of Iowa State University.
57. Must-haves: NEEDS. Self explanatory.
60. Stare open-mouthed: GAWP. Yes, this is actually a word, and this is what it means.
64. Inner: Prefix: ENTO-. Or endo- always need perps.
65. USAF noncom: TSGT. Technical Sargent.
66. Lombardy's land: ITALY. Northern region
67. Smartphone call record, say: LIST.
68. Citi Field predecessor: SHEA. CITI is the home of the Mets. It was completed in 2009. It replaced SHEA, with was built in 1964
69. Pluralizers: ESSES. English language word construction.
Down:
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29. Meds-approving agcy.: FDA. Food and Drug Administration.
30. Climbing vine: IVY.
31. Brian of Roxy Music: ENO. Brian Peter George Eno [b. 1948] is a British musician, composer, record producer and visual artist best known for his pioneering work in ambient music and contributions to rock, pop and electronica.
33. Upright: ON END.
42. Elevator stop: FLOOR.
43. Leaves in small bags: TEA. Then boiled in water - just that.
44. Pitcher's stat: ERA.
45. Univ. dorm mentors: RAS. Resident Assistant is a live-in position held by students. Generally, the goal of an RA is to create a safe and comfortable environment for the residents of a dorm.
47. Enero begins it: ANO. January is the first month of the year in Spain and many other countries.
49. __ Jones: DOW. Dow Jones & Company, Inc. is an American publishing firm owned by News Corp and led by CEO Almar Latour. The company publishes The Wall Street Journal, Barron's, MarketWatch, Mansion Global, Financial News and Private Equity News. Every day they publish the Dow Jones Industrial Average, a price-weighted measurement stock market index of 30 prominent companies listed on stock exchanges in the United States. I have commentary on my blog every business day, if you are interested.
56. City north of Des Moines: AMES, IOWA. The home of Iowa State University.
57. Must-haves: NEEDS. Self explanatory.
60. Stare open-mouthed: GAWP. Yes, this is actually a word, and this is what it means.
64. Inner: Prefix: ENTO-. Or endo- always need perps.
65. USAF noncom: TSGT. Technical Sargent.
66. Lombardy's land: ITALY. Northern region
67. Smartphone call record, say: LIST.
68. Citi Field predecessor: SHEA. CITI is the home of the Mets. It was completed in 2009. It replaced SHEA, with was built in 1964
69. Pluralizers: ESSES. English language word construction.
Down:
1. Edwards, in Calif.: AFB. Air Force Base
2. Dress like, for the costume party: GO AS. Impersonate someone.
3. Egyptian cross: ANKH.
2. Dress like, for the costume party: GO AS. Impersonate someone.
3. Egyptian cross: ANKH.
4. Utopian: IDEAL. Just about perfect.
5. Annoying sort: NUDNIK. One who is a bore or a nuisance.
6. Old Mideast alliance: Abbr.: UAR. United Arab Republics
7. Show respect, in a way: KNEEL. A position in which the body is supported by a knee or the knees, as when praying or showing submission.
8. Eiffel Tower level: ETAGE. Similar to the story of a house - in French.
9. Detonate: SET OFF. Cause to explode.
10. Part of the "Hey Jude" refrain: NANANANA. This goes on forever, and for my money, ruins an otherwise decent song. YMMV.
11. "You're __ friends": AMONG. Here among the cornerites.
12. Range rover?: DOGIE. A motherless calf in a range herd
13. Loud, as a crowd: AROAR. At a sporting event, frex.
18. Big name in 43-Across: TETLEY. Founded in 1837 in Yorkshire, England. It is the largest tea company in the United Kingdom and Canada, and the second largest in the United States by volume.
22. Pain relief brand marketed to women: MIDOL.
24. Ditty: TUNE. A simple song
25. Annoy: MIFF. Be a NUDNIK.
26. Like villains: EVIL. Well sure - they're the bad guys.
27. Greek lamb sandwich: GYRO. The meat is a dense lamb meat loaf cooked on a rotating [hence gyro] vertical spit.
32. Breakfast cereal grain: OAT.
34. Checked out: EYED. Leered or ogled, maybe.
35. Lyre-playing emperor: NERO. Imperator Nero Cladius Divi Claudius filius Caesar Augustus Germanicus [37 - 68 CE] was the fifth emperor of Rome. He was adopted by the Roman emperor Claudius at the age of thirteen, and succeeded him to the throne. Nero seems to have been popular with his Praetorian guards, and with lower-class commoners in Rome and the provinces, but was deeply resented by the Roman aristocracy.
36. Sketch: DRAW.
38. Touchy subject: SORE SPOT. Something difficult to talk about.
39. Singing sister of Toni Braxton: TRACI. [b. 1971] is an American singer, reality television personality and radio personality.
40. Authentic: REAL. Not ersatz.
41. Pressed Italian sandwich: PANINI. A grilled sandwich made with Italian bread.
46. Young hogs: SHOATS. Weaned piglets.
48. Single-piece outfit for a baby: ONESIE.
50. Breakfast item: BAGEL. A dense bread roll in the shape of a ring, made by boiling dough and then baking it.
51. Muscat native: OMANI. Oman is a country on the south-east cleat of the Arabian peninsula.
52. Older efts: NEWTS. Semi-aquatic salamanders.
53. "If only": I WISH.
54. Coffeehouse order: LARGE. Grande, perhaps.
12. Range rover?: DOGIE. A motherless calf in a range herd
13. Loud, as a crowd: AROAR. At a sporting event, frex.
18. Big name in 43-Across: TETLEY. Founded in 1837 in Yorkshire, England. It is the largest tea company in the United Kingdom and Canada, and the second largest in the United States by volume.
22. Pain relief brand marketed to women: MIDOL.
24. Ditty: TUNE. A simple song
25. Annoy: MIFF. Be a NUDNIK.
26. Like villains: EVIL. Well sure - they're the bad guys.
27. Greek lamb sandwich: GYRO. The meat is a dense lamb meat loaf cooked on a rotating [hence gyro] vertical spit.
32. Breakfast cereal grain: OAT.
34. Checked out: EYED. Leered or ogled, maybe.
35. Lyre-playing emperor: NERO. Imperator Nero Cladius Divi Claudius filius Caesar Augustus Germanicus [37 - 68 CE] was the fifth emperor of Rome. He was adopted by the Roman emperor Claudius at the age of thirteen, and succeeded him to the throne. Nero seems to have been popular with his Praetorian guards, and with lower-class commoners in Rome and the provinces, but was deeply resented by the Roman aristocracy.
36. Sketch: DRAW.
38. Touchy subject: SORE SPOT. Something difficult to talk about.
39. Singing sister of Toni Braxton: TRACI. [b. 1971] is an American singer, reality television personality and radio personality.
40. Authentic: REAL. Not ersatz.
41. Pressed Italian sandwich: PANINI. A grilled sandwich made with Italian bread.
46. Young hogs: SHOATS. Weaned piglets.
48. Single-piece outfit for a baby: ONESIE.
50. Breakfast item: BAGEL. A dense bread roll in the shape of a ring, made by boiling dough and then baking it.
51. Muscat native: OMANI. Oman is a country on the south-east cleat of the Arabian peninsula.
52. Older efts: NEWTS. Semi-aquatic salamanders.
53. "If only": I WISH.
54. Coffeehouse order: LARGE. Grande, perhaps.
55. Exploits: GESTS. Adventures.
58. Sabado y domingo, por ejemplo: DIAS. Saturday and Sunday, for example, are days of the week.
59. Exclusive: SOLE. One and only - like a selected fish is a sole sole; or consider the bottom of a specific foot.
62. L.A. commuter org.: MTA. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Not exclusive to L.A.
63. Albany is its cap.: NYS. Capitol of New York State.
That wraps up our Wednesday - not too hard and not too EEzy. Did you brEEze through it?
Cool regards!
JzB
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