Theme: TAG you are it. Each of the four theme answers are in the language two word phrases which change into completely different and witty new phrases by adding a TAG before the final E in the second word. There is also a unifier, which I found unnecessary, but then this seemed a really easy Friday.
Hey, it is lemonade, and I confess I am unfamiliar with any prior puzzles from Mr. Sutphin. I have seen his name mentioned around the ACPT, but that is all. Maybe he is a lawyer getting ready to retire. Anyway, here we go.
20A. Gnome held against his will?: GARDEN HOSTAGE. GARDEN HOSE, I wonder why people began adding garden to hose; we use the same on to wash the car, or the dog. I do like the visual of the TRAVELOCITY Gnome tied up and held for ransom.
27A. Meteorologist's view?: WEATHER VANTAGE. WEATHER VANE, the twirly on top of your house if you live in New England, and a nice use of VANTAGE as view.
43A. Team equipment manager's snafu?: JERSEY SHORTAGE. I have never watched an episode of JERSEY SHORE, and you will have to provide your own links.
51A. Stamps with nudes?: EROTIC POSTAGE. An EROTIC POSE, does not have to be nude.
66A. Some graffiti signatures (which were used to form this puzzle's four longest answers): TAGS. Of course you should know HOW TO.
Okay on to the rest of the story.
ACROSS:
1. It's covered in silk: CORN. My ex-wife, just would not fit. You think it is HEALTHY ?
5. British bakery buy: SCONE. I may be half French, but I love me a good scone. My youngest bakes great ones.
10. Mass measure: GRAM.
14. Head start?: IDEA. Oh I get it, the idea starts in our head!
15. "Breaking Bad" actor __ Paul: AARON. never heard of this ACTOR, who shares my sons name and my birthday. Anybody watch the show?
16. Result of getting too far behind, briefly: REPO. Nice new way to clue this standard crossword fill.
17. Extends, with "to": ADDS. Like Rory McIlroy at the U. S. Open and his lead.
18. Serious alarm: DREAD. No one is quite sure where this word comes from but it has an almost onomatopoeia like sound about it.
19. Skip and jump lead-in: A HOP. The hop skip and jump is now known as the triple jump. The phrase is still used by some to convey a place being close by; my house is a...
23. Runner on snow: SKI. A literal answer.
25. Drink in a yard: ALE. Our obligatory BEER reference, and a fun GAME ?
26. Math ratios: SINES. Not to be confused with THIS.
32. Faris of "Scary Movie" films et al.: ANNAS. Do you like this ACTRESS? Blonde or brunette?
33. They may shrink if they aren't fed: EGOS. Nice clue, and the Corner can be a place to feed some.
34. Visit: GO TO.
35. Pasty: WAXEN. Hmm, I like the other set, 53D. Whiten: PALE.
37. Light touches: PATS. There my dear, stop crying and I will get you an ice cream cone.
41. Unrivaled: A ONE. Really, numero uno?
42. Debonair neckwear: ASCOT. A formal neck tie, popularized in the 1880's, taking its name from the Royal Ascot race meeting, where all the fine gentleman wore this looser version of the starched cravat.
48. "12 Angry Men" director: LUMET. A wonderful play and movie, you might enjoy his INTERVIEW.
49. "No thanks, I just __" : ATE. gave at the office?
50. Stop up: DAM. I am not one to miss a chance to link to BEAVER.
56. Jackson 5 brother: TITO. The only brother still getting any pub.
57. Coffeehouse order: LATTE. No thanks, I am a straight coffee drinker.
58. Tony relative: EMMY. The name "Emmy" was chosen as a feminization of "immy", a nickname used for the image orthicon tubes which were in early TV cameras. Coincidentally, the prime time nominations were made public yesterday.
61. Doesn't waste: USES.
62. Take in, maybe: ALTER. Like the waist in my pants; oops, no that is let out.
63. Short evening?: NITE. Is this now an acceptable word?
64. Benchmarks: Abbr.: STDS. Standards.
65. Lowly workers: PEONS. A degrading word from the Spanish pe�n meaning an unskilled laborer, like an indentured servant.
Well we have filled lots of three, four and fives, so let's see what the Downs do.
DOWN:
3. Arcturus, for one: RED GIANT. A star classification, we had a nice discussion of these after a Jerome puzzle back on April 23, 2010.
4. Galileo's patron: NASA. A nice deception, not the ancient astronomer, but the exploration program of our SOLAR SYSTEM.
5. It might be Western or English: SADDLE. How many ride? I like it but not many horse live in condos.
6. Professional pursuit: CAREER. I was going to put their secretary, but it would not fit.
7. Israeli ambassador to the U.S. Michael: OREN. He wrote the RESPONSE to the Obama plan. No politics, but an interesting read.
8. First matchmaker?: NOAH. Well if you are going on a boat and can keep only two, you had better get your kids companions.
9. Prefix with morph: ENDO. The opposite of ECTO.
10. Part of e.g.: GRATIA. Our Latin lesson, exempli gratia. For example.
11. Put back up: REHANG. I guess....45D. Second flip: RETOSS. Fits with REHANG. Icky/
12. Zenith: APOGEE. We just had this discussion.
13. Acts gloomily: MOPES. From Ger. mopen "to sulk."
21. Sounds from stands: RAHS. Rah Rah Ree, kick em in the knee, Rah Rah Rass, kick em in the other knee.
22. Grounded big birds?: SSTS. Supersonic transports.
23. Booty: SWAG. What do you think, Stole Without A Gun?
24. Game with 80 balls: KENO. Las Vegas; original lottery game.
28. "The __ of Steve": 2000 comedy: TAO. An obscure, but critically acclaimed romantic comedy.
29. Bugs: VEXES.
30. Beauty antecedent?: AGE. I always held the door for my two older brothers and always said, "Age before beauty." I was an endearing child.
31. Reims rejection: NON. French lesson Lolita, a toughy" NON = No.
35. Tribulation: WOE. A good guilt word, woe is me.
36. "__ takers?": ANY. I wanted UNDER and feel bad about that thought process.
37. Eureka hrs.: PST. Pacific Standard Time.
38. Dean's domain: ACADEMIA. Sounds so pompous.
39. Draped attire: TOGA. Made more famous by Animal House than anything else.
40. A snifter has a short one: STEM. IMAGE.
41. Piedmont wine region: ASTI.
42. Two-dimensional analogue of volume: AREA. Height time Width, no depth.
43. Legal scholar: JURIST. Yeah, that is me all right.
44. Frustrated the director, perhaps: EMOTED. Hammed it up is the phrase.
46. Expedite: HASTEN. Not Expedia, Travelocity Gnome.
47. Furry frolickers: OTTERS. They love to play.
48. "__ go then, you and I": Eliot : LET US.
"Let us go then, you and I,
When the evening is spread out against the sky
Like a patient etherized upon a table;
Let us go, through certain half-deserted streets,
The muttering retreats
Of restless nights in one-night cheap hotels
And sawdust restaurants with oyster-shells:
Streets that follow like a tedious argument
Of insidious intent
To lead you to an overwhelming question ...
Oh, do not ask, �What is it?�
52. Show support: CLAP. Let us give him a great big hand.
54. Comics dog: OTTO. Sgt. Snorkel's dog in Beetle Bailey, who is the younger brother of Lois, from Hi and Lois.
55. Mannerly man: GENT. Okay almost time for this gent to depart.
59. Short session?: MTG. This meeting is nearing an end.
60. Word said with a fist pump: YES. Time for my fist pump, another in the record books. A tough blog, but I did it.
Happy belated Bastille Day.
Lemonade
Note from C.C.:
Here is another "Hard to Believe" picture, a curious boy with his sisters. Tell me who the boy is. Hint: He is one of the very few regulars who have read every post/comment on this blog.
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