Good morning, cruciverbalists. Long time no sea. Just squidding. Malodorous Manatee here hoping that things are going swimmingly for all of you.
You can tell from the reactions of my friends, above, that today's puzzle from Susan Gelfand provided them with some serious guffaws. Although some solvers might believe that Ms. Gelfand should be made to walk the plankton for her groan-worthy homonyms, I suspect that most of us got through it without having to be brain sturgeons.
SOMETHING FISHY'S GOING ON HERE
At four spots within the grid, Susan Gelfand has paired an everyday item, expression, or name with an adjective and turned it into a mirthful homonym. A PERCH, a SOLE, a RAY and a SKATE are each a type of fish. But not here. Not today.
17 Across. Noble fish?: LOFTY PERCH. LOFTY PERCH has several meanings in everyday use. Things fish-related are not among them.
58 Across. Elastic fish?: RUBBER SOLE RUBBER SOUL is an album released by the Beatles in 1965. The Beetles likely would have enjoyed the pun.
11 Down. Massive fish?: COSMIC RAYS It was a bit, but not too much, of a stretch to get from Massive to COSMIC. Some Rays very much enjoy word play.
30 Down. Stingy fish?: CHEAP SKATE
That wraps up the fish jokes - at least the ones furnished by the constructor. At the end of the recap I have "thoughtfully" supplied a link to a song in which other fish jokes, homonyms, and puns are presented. There are also quite a few (non-fish) homonyms and homophones that Susan (intentionally?) seems to have teed up in the clues/answers along the way and, with your kind indulgence, we might have some fun with those - even if it is, with apologies to my friends, like shooting fish in a barrel.
Let minnow if you have any suggestions. Make up your own fish puns. Don't leave it to salmon else . . . there is no need to be koi about it.
And now . . . .
. . . on to the rest of the puzzle:
ACROSS:
1. Distressed cry: YOWL. Not to be confused with Howl which, by definition, is a different sound . . . and a poem by Allen Ginsberg.
5. Capture, in Westerns: LASSO.
Bob Dole, E.D. Spokesperson
15. Rap sheet entry: ALIAS. Fat Albert's super villain ALIAS is Fatal Bert.
16. __ Linda, Calif.: LOMA. Famous for its medical center.
19. Arthur Ashe Courage Award, e.g.: ESPY.
20. Radio tuning shortcut: PRESET. A good way to remember your plaice.
21. Longtime "American Top 40" host: KASEM. The children of Casey KASEM, from a previous marriage, charged in a lawsuit that his widow had mistreated, neglected and abused him. More lawsuits followed from both sides. All were eventually settled.
23. They're sold in bars: SOAPS. Not, in this case, shots.
They're Sold In Bars
26. Force out: EVICT. What do you call a snail who has been EVICTed? A slug.
29. Goes along with: ACCEPTS.
Actually, Larry Larsen Was The Oldest
34. Keyboard goofs: TYPOS.
37. Flute feature: STEM. As clued, a champagne glass reference.
39. Protest, in a way: FAST. FAST has so many different meanings it is difficult to even begin to play with the word. Here it is used as a verb. If you are curious, the link, below, will take you to Merriam Webster:
40. Argentine aunt: TIA. Today's Spanish lesson.
41. Caffè __: chocolate-flavored drink: MOCHA.
Out House
47. Spruce up the lawn: RE SOD. I RESOD in Southern California. Where do you resod?
48. Jim of "Wide World of Sports": MCKAY.
The Classic Opening
51. Much more than a mere fan: ZEALOT.
56. Word of lament: ALAS. There once was A LASs from Kilglass who had a magnificent ass. Not rounded and pink, as you probably think, but was grey, had long ears and ate grass.
61. Singer with The Blackhearts: JETT.
Axes
65. Chaps: GENTS. I hear that it is relatively easy to get ladies to refrain from eating Tide Pods but not so easy to deter GENTS.
66. Kind of folder: SPAM.
Monty Python
DOWN:
1. Online site whose reviews are reviewed: YELP.
Yelp
2. Fragrance: ODOR. If a polite but unclean man was heavily into wordplay would he have a pun-gent odor?
3. Certain partner: WIFE. What did the string theorist say when his WIFE caught him with another woman? "Wait, I can explain everything!"
4. Frees, with "out": LETS.
8. Fires: SACKS.
9. Fed. workplace monitor: OSHA. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
10. Short item on many a tee: SLEEVE.
18. Many RSVP responses, hopefully: YESES.
22. Notices: SEES.
22. Notices: SEES.
Sees Candy
24. Top story: ATTIC.
25. Medium: PSYCHIC. What shall we do today?
Pinky - A Famous Sidekick
27. Pure: CHASTE.
Scout and Silver
29. What you have on: ATTIRE.
31. Dot follower, at times: COM.
33. Tycoon who is an Oregon city namesake: ASTOR.
35. Play a joke on: PRANK. Usually seen as a noun. Here used as a transitive verb.
38. Day named for a satellite: Abbr.: MON.
Show Me The Moonday
39. Winter bug: FLU.
One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest
41. Anti-DUI org.: MADD.
42. Entrance area: FOYER. I was in the lobby of a hotel many years ago when I overheard Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky bragging about their prior victories. They were chess nuts boasting in an open FOYER.
44. Raises: HOISTS.
46. Variable eye colors: HAZELS.
MM Granddaughter - Hazel's Lunch
48. Touchpad alternative: MOUSE.
53. Circuit: LOOP.
Lupe Lu (Shindig Pilot Episode - 1964)
54. Earthenware pot: OLLA. A crossword staple. Ever wonder what one actually looks like? There are several styles. Here is one type:
55. Bears or Lions: TEAM. What, no Tigers?
56. 1977 Steely Dan album: AJA.
56. 1977 Steely Dan album: AJA.
57. Latin law: LEX.
Lex Luthor
59. Dog holder: BUN. One of the wurst references that we have seen here.
60. Diamond tool: BAT. A flying mammal. An eyelash movement. A piece of insulation. In this case, another baseball reference.
For those who have, by this point, had more than their fill of homonyms and terrible puns (fishy, and otherwise) you may go now and enjoy the rest of your day. For those who might prefer to dive a bit deeper into the subject, this marine mammal humbly offers the following ditty first heard on the Doctor Demento Show:
Kip Addotta - Wet Dream
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MM Out !
Carp-e diem!