Crossword Puzzle Blogging

 Friday, February 26, 2010   Doug Peterson

Theme: C and H kick S.

Each theme answer is a common phrase, where a final "S" has been replaced with a "CH" to humorous effect.  Do you think they're GROANERS?  I loved them all!


20. Taking pictures of potatoes and pasta?:  SHOOTING STARCH, from "shooting stars."  Watch your carbs

30. Trapdoor in an Old West saloon?:  COWBOY HATCH, from "cowboy hat." Ten gallon capacity

40. Group of show-offs?:  HOT DOG BUNCH, from "hot dog buns."  

54. Spiel from a maestro?:   ORCHESTRA PITCH, from "orchestra pit.

HI THERE gang.  I've been in a few orchestra pits, and occasionally have trouble with pitch, so I can relate.  It's JazzBumpa, your KEMOSABE trombonist.   I had all kinds of trouble, and went for red letters all over the place.



ACROSS

1. Predatory group: PACK, as in wolves

5. Grifter's ploy: SCAM.  Swindle, defraud, gyp.  Definitley not NICE.

9. Jerk: SCHMO.  A stupid or obnoxious person, so I guess it fits.

14. Stadium near Citi Field: ASHE.  Named for the late tennis star Arthur ASHE

15. Pear, for one: POME.   According to Wikipedia,  "A pome is an accessory fruit composed of one or more carpels surrounded by accessory tissue. The accessory tissue is interpreted by some specialists as an extension of the receptacle and is then referred to as "fruit cortex", and by others as a fused hypanthium or "torus"; it is the most edible part of this fruit."  There will be a quiz.

16. From the other side: THEIR.  I'm thinking over THERE, but THEY'RE in position in THEIR place over THERE.  So THERE!

17. Topical treatment: BALM.  Salve, me!

18. Bring down:  RUIN.  I had RAZE, which caused more problems.

19. Has coming:  EARNS.  Paycheck, punishment, revenge, etc.

23. Has a connection with:  TIES INTO.  This is OK, but I could not TIE INTO it.

24. Diamond brothers' surname:  ALOU.  NEIL has a brother named ALOU? 
NOPE, they are Matty, Felipe and Jesus Alou.  Not your average ball players.

25. DJIA part: Abbr.: AVG.  Dow Jones Industrial Average. Huge gap down yesterday, before scrambling back, but still ended off for the day.

26. PC key under Z: ALT.  On my desk top and lap top, it's a Windows flag symbol.  ALT is under X.  Tsk, tsk.

27. Circuit: LAP.   Once around the track.  Or this.

35. "Baudolino" novelist:  ECO.  Italian novelist Umberto ECO.  Didn't know this one.  I did read "Foucault's Pendulum."  Weird ending, but still better than anything by that hack Dan Brown.

36. Massage target:  ACHE.  Melissa - I have this knot under my left shoulder blade . . .

37. Lee who founded the Shakers:  ANN.  From Wikipedia.  "The Shakers were originally located in England in 1747, in the home of Mother Ann Lee. Both Quaker and Shaker groups believe that everybody could find God within him or herself, rather than through clergy or rituals, but the Shakers tended to be more emotional and demonstrative in their worship. Shakers also believed that their lives should be dedicated to pursuing perfection and continuously confessing their sins and attempting a cessation of sinning."   So, why aen't there more of them?


38. Ink holders:  PENS.   Why did the pig have ink all over his face?  Because he came out of the PEN.  (See 42 D)

Correction:  This answer is PAD.   Which is really a shame since it takes away a truly awful joke.

39. Sixers, on a scoreboard: PHI.  The City of Brotherly Love.  Not my experience.  Perhaps Dennis can fill me in.

44. "Kidding!":  NOT.  Well, are you kidding or NOT?"

45. Project's conclusion?:  ILE.  No comment.

46. Meat seasoning: RUB:  "Aye, there's the RUB!

For in that sleep of death what dreams may come,
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,
Must give us pause: there's the respect
That makes calamity of so long life;"
    - Piglet, or Hamlet, or one of those guys from the PEN.

47. Chiseled abbr.: ESTD.   Chiseled into the cornerstone of a building.

49. Like radon: ODORLESS.   I shall smell no evil.  It seeps out of the earth in some places.  Here is more than you want to know abuot it.

56. Talia of "The Godfather": SHIRE.  My favorite actress of Hobbit heritage.

57. Harrow rival: ETON.  Totally cricket.

58. Sound after ah: CHOO.  This one, I get.   I'm considering buying stock in Kimberly-Clark

59. Less brusque: NICER.  Rude and Curt.  If my name were "Curt" I would find this repugnant.

60. Kevin's "Tin Cup" co-star: RENE Russo and Kevin Costner.  Though the cups might be optional.

61. In a bit, poetically: ANON.  Back at ya, later B'RER.

62. "Brigadoon" composer:  LOWE.  Alan Lerner and Frederick Loewe's musical about a strangly magical Scottish town.  I spent a century there one night, but the Whisky was HERCULEAN.

63. Sibling, in dialect:  B'RER.  A brother of Remus's niece

64. Casual dissent: NOPE.  Aint gonna do it.  Wouldn't be prudent.

DOWN.

1. Brewer Frederick: PABST.  What'll you have?  Pabst Blue Ribbon!  Alas, I put in Coors.

2. Leading Japanese brewery: ASAHI.  Leading glass company too.  True story. Some visitors came from Ahasi Glass.  Their business cards were in Japanese on one side, and English on the other.  On the English side, they said: Asahi Grass Company.  I am not making this up.

3. Lover of Daphnis:  CHLOE.  Ravel knew them when they were young.

4. Friend in old Westerns?:  KEMOSABE.  Don't care for the clue.  Not just any old westerns!

5. Elastic:  SPRINGY.  And Boingy.

6. Matter:  COUNT.   If it matters, I'll count it.  Or, I'll let the COUNT decide.

7. Placido's pal:  AMIGO.   Mi amigos, I was expecting a specific person, not a generality.

8. Retail store department:  MENS.  Where guys might go to slack off.

9. Tiger's asset: STEALTH.   Well . . .

10. "Cuchi-cuchi" entertainer:  CHARO.  She is well known for being famous.

11. Requiring superhuman effort:  HERCULEAN.  But just right, if you have the right dad.

12. Ho Chi __ City:  MINH.   Named for the National hero of Viet Nam

13. Hosp. areas:  ORS.  Operating rooms.  Or ERS, emergency rooms.  Of course, I guessed wrong.

21. Record, in a way:  TIVO.  New, hi-tech crosswordese.

22. Powder source: TALC.  A mineral, if you're playing 20  questions.  AKA,  H₄Mg₃Si₄O₁₀(OH₎₂


26. "... __ additional cost to you!":  AT NO.   But wait, there's more . . .

28. Elec. designation:  AC/DC.  Alternating current / Direct current.   Not one of my favorite groups, and not so current. I do like seeing it cross "circuit."

29. Ritzy:  POSH.  And possibly spicy.

30. Crunch's rank:  CAP'N.   Cute.  It got me.  Daws Butler did the voice.  I thought it was Jim Bacus.

31. Cuatro doubled:  OCHO  I ate this one up.

32. Jambalaya basic:   WHITE RICE.   Really wanted something more spicy.  (See 29A.)

33. Find repugnant:  HATE.   I love the way this crosses ILE.

34. So-so center?:  AND.   Center of the expression "so-and-so." A so-and-so is someone who is not NICE.

38. Tavern keeper:  PUBLICAN.  I did not know that.  From public house, perhaps?  Is that where PUB comes from?  So, if someone is a tavern keeper, then does something else, then become a tavern keeper again, is he a - Hold on. No politics!

40. "Howdy!":  HI, THERE.  Hola mi amigas y mi amigos.

41. Shoppe modifier:  OLDE. As in curiosity, maybe? 

42. Pun, often:  GROANER.  Well, I'd say that depends on who you ask.

43. Tupperware sound:  BURP.  Excuse me, but nobody has ever called me "Tupperware" before.  Maybe I associate with too many PUBLICANS.

48. Thread site:  SCREW.   Machine screw.  But you knew that.  Didn't you?

49. Weasel relative:  OTTER.  Playful as an OTTER works for me.  Playful as a weasel just doesn't seem right.

50. Mindless worker:  DRONE.  You just never know what TEH Google will reveal.

51. Prefix with centric:  ETHNO.  ETHNOcentric.  My group is better than your group.  I had HELIO, which caused no end of problems.

52. Exclusive story:  SCOOP.  I always like exclusive stories about ice cream.

53. Performed superbly:  SHONE.  Like the recently completed ladys' skating programs.  Nothing short of ERCULEAN!

54. Wheeling's river:  OHIO.  What is the greatest feat of strength on the map?  Wheeling West Virginia on the Ohio River.   I can't remember important stuff, but dumb jokes stay with me forever.

55. Balkan native:  SERB.   Serbians and Croatians have the same (or very close) spoken language, but different written languages. 

56. Show with a "Weekend Update" segment, briefly:  SNL.  Saturday Night Live.  Crossward stalward.  Pick a skit.

Pretty good puzzle,, and fun to blog.  Thats all, folks.
Cheers!
JzB

Cross-posted with changes and corrections at THE CORNER
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