Theme: G-Rated (do they even make those kind of movies anymore??) The first words of the theme entries could follow the letter "G", thusly:
17A. *Fit perfectly : SUIT TO A TEE. A "G-suit" (or more correctly, an anti-G suit) helps pilots who fly at high speeds to prevent blackouts by inflating air bladders around the legs, thus stopping blood from draining from the brain. Aren't you glad you don't need to know this?
23A. *Sexy beachwear : STRING BIKINI. And very closely related to "G-string", no? Now this is more in line with our DF group. But, my eyes are still hurting from some of the photos that came up when I looked for a link!! (Just use your imagination here, guys!)
50A. *Behavior made automatic from frequent repetition : FORCE OF HABIT. "G-Force" is what a "G-Suit" is designed to overcome...
62A. *Superhero nickname : MAN OF STEEL. A "G-Man" is slang for a government man, or FBI agent.
and the unifier:
39. "Gosh!" (or, based on the starts of starred answers, one who is expert at solving this puzzle's theme?) : GEE WHIZ. Hah! I must be a G-reat solver to figure this one out.
Marti here to help you over the hump day...
ACROSS:
1. Sea of __: Black Sea arm : AZOV. GEE WHIZ, don't you hate it when the first word of the puzzle is one you don't know?
5. Parisian pals : AMIS. Ah yes, we are back to yesterday's French lesson.
9. Light bite : NOSH. Yiddish nashn, from Middle High German naschen "to eat on the sly".
13. In-box note, perhaps : MEMO
14. Like candy near the register, maybe : MINTY. Wanted "impulse buy", but wouldn't fit.
16. Hostile to : ANTI
19. Veggie that may be black : BEAN
20. Bone: Pref. : OSTEO
21. Golda of Israel : MEIR. She was known as the "Iron Lady" years before Margaret Thatcher was labeled with that nickname.
22. "The Wizard __": comic strip : OF ID. Irreverent, often insightful humor by Parker and Hart.
26. White Sox star who played in five decades (1949-1980) : MINOSO. Oh no, not baseball! And more than thirty years ago?
29. Shortly : ANON. Also, what some bloggers are called.
30. Graceland middle name : ARON. Ah yes, interesting story about ARON - Aaron. But we all know that already, don't we?
31. "A horse is a horse" horse : MR ED. From 60's TV comedy.
35. Partner of each : EVERY
38. Seaman's "Help!" : SOS
41. __ volente: God willing : DEO
42. Prepare to be knighted : KNEEL. Great visual from "Le Morte D'Arthur".
44. Composer Bart�k : BELA. Along with Liszt, considered Hungary's greatest composer, and well-known for his "Night music" style, wherein he imitated the sounds of nature at night in his compositions. Like this.
45. German coal region : SAAR. Mosel-Saar-Ruhr is also one of the leading wine regions of Germany. Really, coal??
46. Once again : ANEW
48. Literary alter ego : MR HYDE. "Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde", by Robert Louis Stevenson.
55. Buck suffix : AROO. I guess "kang" wouldn't be a great clue, huh?
56. Way to go : ROAD
57. Rosary units : BEADS
61. Unfocused photo, e.g. : BLUR. Or, crossword clues when blogging at midnight...
64. Single : LONE. Hands up for "stag"?
65. Hill on Vail : SLOPE. Vail, Colorado. And they are usually slippery!
66. Gal who gets what she wants : LOLA. Barry Manilow, anyone?
67. Loose things to tie up : ENDS. Or strings on a bikini...
68. Location : SITE
69. Barbershop sound : SNIP. Huh. "Harmony" doesn't fit.
DOWN:
1. Schoolyard retort : AM SO. Can we quit this schoolyard argument, already??
2. Olympian bigwig : ZEUS
3. Cut out : OMIT
4. Decides via ballot : VOTES ON
5. Latin lover's word : AMO. Love my Latin! (Or, is it "my Latin lover"...)
6. Home of the Heat : MIAMI. Basketball. Will they settle before their potential lockout on Thursday?
7. One __: unlikely chance : IN TEN. If it were the lotto, more like one in one in 593,775, according to my calculations.
8. "Shrek!" author William : STEIG. Unknown.
9. "Lolita" author : NABOKOV. Known.
10. Clooney/Pfeiffer comedy : ONE FINE DAY. Got meh reviews.
11. Washday challenge : STAIN. No, my washday challenge is just getting all the stuff from the bedroom down to the basement laundry room.
12. Delhi language : HINDI
15. __ Buena, town that became San Francisco : YERBA. Total WAG.
18. Little tykes : TOTS
24. "City of Seven Hills" : ROME. Nailed it. Been there, seen them.
25. Don Juan's mother : INEZ. In Lord Byron's poem, Don Juan is not a womanizer, but one who is easily seduced by women.
26. Halloween cover-up : MASK
27. Press : IRON. Who thought of gym, and "pump"?
28. Act like a snoop : NOSE AROUND. Fun clue, great fill!
32. Confederate : REB
33. Lady in the flock : EWE. Hah, didn't fool me. I knewe it wasn't you!
34. UPS rival : DHL
36. Enjoy the library : READ. Well, I think most of us here enjoy reading. But, between the Nook, Kindle, iBooks etc., are we in danger of losing this sacrosanct institution of our youth?
37. Time past : YORE. As in, "yore late"?
39. Elated feeling : GLEE. Or, a wildly popular (with "Gleeks", anyway) TV show.
40. Foot in a poem : IAMB. I amb what I amb...or, the "beat" to a poem. Like ka-BOOM, where the accent is stressed on the second syllable. Thus, iambic dimeter (two iambic "feet", or measures) would sound like:
the WAY / a CROW
shook DOWN / on ME...
-Frost
I'll leave the rest to CA.
I'll leave the rest to CA.
43. Extras for a cheering crowd : ENCORES. Loved this clue/answer!
45. Former Jewish settlements : SHTETLS. Hated this clue/answer!
47. Squirmy bait : WORMS. eeewwwww....
49. Barbecue fare : RIBS. OK, now you're talkin' DH's language!
50. Aesop work : FABLE
51. Sweater synthetic : ORLON. I never know if it's going to be nylon, rayon, or orlon! So, let's move...ON
52. Stable newborns : FOALS
53. Vietnam's capital : HANOI. Map, for anyone who wasn't around in the 50's-60's-70's.
54. Take as one's own : ADOPT
58. Long, long time : AEON. Ages, anyone?
59. Bagels and lox seller : DELI. Mmmm...I could go for some right now. Maybe I'll ask the guys in the SHTETL if they want some, too...
60. Blow with a palm : SLAP. V8 can on this one when it finally emerged. Or, a slap upside my head.
63. ATM charge : FEE. No charge for this blog. But you can contribute to my amusement fund by using PayPal at www.skigolfkayakhikecampreadgardenwino.com
Thanks for letting me share this one with all y'all!
Marti
Notes from C.C.
1) Here are two lovely pictures of MJ's grandson Drake. She said "These photos of Drake are very telling about why I am not posting daily on the blog, although I still read the blog most mornings, and very much appreciate all those who parse the daily LAT puzzles for your site." Here is her family picture we showed last August when Drake was 5-month old.
As some of you are aware, our local paper doesn't carry LAT crossword, so MJ mailed me the precious first one Don and I collaborated, the whole LA Times Calendar section carefully padded between stiff boards. And a few more later. Thanks, MJ.
2) Happy Birthday to Barry G!
Notes from C.C.
1) Here are two lovely pictures of MJ's grandson Drake. She said "These photos of Drake are very telling about why I am not posting daily on the blog, although I still read the blog most mornings, and very much appreciate all those who parse the daily LAT puzzles for your site." Here is her family picture we showed last August when Drake was 5-month old.
As some of you are aware, our local paper doesn't carry LAT crossword, so MJ mailed me the precious first one Don and I collaborated, the whole LA Times Calendar section carefully padded between stiff boards. And a few more later. Thanks, MJ.
2) Happy Birthday to Barry G!
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