Theme: Playing the Ponies — Theme answers are familiar phrases that begin with words for types of racetrack bets.
[Note: I've heard from several of you about the mistake in the grid. 7D should be ARCA and 18A should be VICE. I'm at work now and can't fix it, but I will as soon as I can. -- okay, fixed.]Theme answers:
- 20A: Cellarmaster's vessel (WINE DECANTER).
- 36A: Response to sugar pills, perhaps (PLACEBO EFFECT).
- 53A: It might have a massage setting (SHOWER NOZZLE).
- 64A/65A: What the starts of 20-, 36- and 53-Across are (TRACK / BETS).
This is an interesting theme. I don't think we've seen one like this for a while, where the actual "theme" part of the theme answer isn't a word all by itself, but is hidden in another word. Wait, we see that all the time. But not at the beginning of the word, right? For some reason, this seems different to me. Maybe I'm not explaining myself well. Maybe I'm just not awake yet (more likely). Because I generally don't go looking for the reveal on early week puzzles, I had No Idea what was going on until I got there. Me: "What the hell do WINE, PLACEBO and SHOWER have in common?!?"More:
- 5A: Wife of Jacob (LEAH). One day I'll do a CW101 lesson on Bible characters. I probably need it as much as you do.
- 15A: Down-home music venue, familiarly (OPRY). I'm pretty sure it was badly damaged in the recent flood. I believe many many guitars were lost. So sad.
- 29A: Wedding symbol (RING). I was just sharing this picture with a co-worker yesterday. I received it in an email from a friend about three years ago. The subject line of the email was "The last time I saw my wedding ring…." (yeah, that's her dog)
- 40A: Wiener schnitzel meat (VEAL). The things you learn.
- 3D: "Hand in My Pocket" singer Morissette (ALANIS). I remember when this song first came out I was driving across Texas and the DJ said something like, "Oh that Alanis Morissette. She's so confused." And I yelled at my radio "She's not confused! She's *conflicted*, you idiot!" Here, you decide. Who's with me?
- 40D: Biden and Bush: Abbr. (VP'S). Tricky! When I see "Bush" in a presidential context, I pretty much think of Bush 43. But this clue refers to Bush 41.
- 50D: Nerd (DWEEB). I resemble that remark!
- 57D: __ es Salaam (DAR). I do not know what this means.
Crosswordese 101: O-LAN is the mother/wife/slave/heroine in Pearl S. Buck's award-winning 1931 novel "The Good Earth." The book was adapted for both the stage and screen, so sometimes the clue for O-LAN might refer to a "role" instead of simply a "character."Other crosswordese in the puzzle that we've already covered:
- 59A: Author Wiesel (ELIE).
- 66A: Past fast fliers: Abbr. (SST'S).
- 12D: Harem room (ODA).
- 52D: Poet Pound et al. (EZRAS).
Everything Else — 1A: Seize (GRAB); 9A: Center of Florida? (EPCOT); 14A: Move to a new city, briefly (RELO); 16A: Dutch cheese (GOUDA); 17A: The "Good Earth" heroine (O-LAN); 18A: Nasty habit (VICE); 19A: 20 Mule Team cleanser (BORAX); 23A: Small-screen heartthrob (TV IDOL); 24A: American or Continental (AIRLINE); 28A: Cock and bull (HES); 32A: In the warehouse (STORED); 33A: Like many wallets (BIFOLD); 35A: Farm females (SOWS); 41A: __-faire: tact (SAVOIR); 42A: Wan (PALLID); 45A: Inflection (TONE); 46A: Ukr. neighbor (RUS.); 49A: Finished, as a deck (STAINED); 51A: Imagined (DREAMT); 56A: Expand, as a collection (ADD TO); 60A: Colorful horse (ROAN); 61A: Lose one's cool (PANIC); 62A: Those, in Tijuana (ESOS); 63A: Mired, after "in" (A RUT); 1D: Investor's concern (GROWTH); 2D: Go through again (RELIVE); 4D: Like a fillet (BONED); 5D: Cosmo topic (LOVE LIFE); 6D: Grand in scope (EPIC); 7D: Medieval Spanish chest (ARCA); 8D: Shenzi or Banzai in "The Lion King" (HYENA); 9D: __ Sousé, W.C. Fields's "The Bank Dick" role (EGBERT); 10D: Bad sport (POOR LOSER); 11D: Mangy mutt (CUR); 13D: Penultimate line on most bills (TAX); 21D: Greek architectural order (DORIC); 22D: "My country __ of thee ..." ('TIS); 25D: __-Z: classic Camaro (IROC); 26D: Ex-Speaker Gingrich (NEWT); 27D: Mag masthead names (EDS.); 30D: Wealthy Londoners (NOBS); 31D: Be a bad sport (GLOAT); 33D: Irrational way to go (BALLISTIC); 34D: "Whip It" band (DEVO); 36D: Bog fuel (PEAT); 37D: Singer's syllables (LA LA); 38D: Affection (FONDNESS); 39D: '80s Pontiac (FIERO); 43D: At the pawn shop (IN HOCK); 44D: "Gloria in Excelsis __" (DEO); 46D: Five o'clock shadow removers (RAZORS); 47D: German diacritical (UMLAUT); 48D: Surgical blockage relievers (STENTS); 54D: Apart from this (ELSE); 55D: Urban uprising (RIOT); 56D: Liable (APT); 58D: Genetic letters (DNA).
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