Good Morning, Cruciverbalists. Malodorous Manatee here with today's recap of a puzzle by Taylor Johnson who first appeared in this venue just a few days shy of one year ago (on 22 May 2022, per Bill). Taylor has also had puzzles published in other venues. Previously, he has employed themes where letters have to be removed from common words and phrases in order to form appropriate (and humorous) answers to the clues. Today, in an example of, arguably, increased efficiency, nothing has to be removed. A single letter merely has to be moved over from the start of one word to the end of the preceding word. He provides the key at:
59 Across: Makes room, and when parsed differently, an instruction for four answers in this puzzle: MOVES OVER. Or, as intended here, MOVE S OVER.
He applies this methodology at four places in the grid:
17 Across: Leg muscle of a mathlete?: GEEK'S QUAD. Geek Squad (techies) is modified by moving the S from the beginning of the word SQUAD to the end of the word GEEK thereby making GEEK possessive. At the risk of being redundant, GEEK SQUAD morphs into GEEK'S QUAD (as in quadriceps).
31 Across: Fruity pastry made by a movie boxer?: ROCKY'S TART. Similarly, ROCKY START becomes ROCKY'S TART. What Adrian certainly was not?
Theme From Rocky XIII
35 Across: Pub pour for an enlisted soldier?: PRIVATE'S ALE. Parsed differently, PRIVATE SALE.
42 Across: Vacation for a stand-up performer?: COMIC'S TRIP. COMIC STRIP.
Comic's (and POTUS's) Trip
Here is how this looks in the grid:
. . . and here are the rest of the clues/answers:
Across:
1. Informant: RAT. Hollywood gangster movie jargon.
4. MGM part: METRO.
9. Labor leader Chavez: CESAR. His granddaughter was recently tapped to be the current president's reelection campaign manager.
14. Goof: ERR.
15. Sprinter Bolt: USAIN. Among other accomplishments, an eight-time gold medalist at the Olympics.
16. Enough: AMPLE. Knock. Knock. Who's there? Four eggs. Four eggs who? Four eggs AMPLE.
19. Stacked: BUILT. A bit of a stretch. In slang, both stacked and BUILT have another meaning. Perhaps that's what was intended here.
20. "Don't you agree?," informally: INNIT. Punt!
21. Darn things: SEW. Darn, here, is used as a verb as in to mend.
23. However, poetically: THO.
24. Game requiring plug-ins?: MAD LIBS. You plug your words into the blanks without knowing the context (a second participant asks you for a noun, a verb, an adjective, etc.). The results can sometimes be hilarious.
27, Idle Talk: CHATTER
30. International gas brand: ESSO. From Standard Oil. S.O.
33. Source of a low blow?: TUBA. A bit of word play. A wind instrument that plays low notes. Hand up for first thinking of KNEE,
34. "History of the World, Part II" actress/writer Wanda: SYKES. The Hulu TV series is meant to be a sequel to the 1981 Mel Brooks movie. It's good to be the king.
39. Like part of some fusion cuisine: ASIAN.
41. Semisoft cheese: EDAM. Not all cheeses are made in the same manner. In fact, EDAM is made backwards.
45. Shirt part with a button: CUFF.
49. Tip: POINTER.
50. ESPN Deportes language: ESPANOL. The clue employs the Spanish language so the answer does also.
52. Small bill: ONE. As in legal tender, currency.
53. Crossed (out): XED
55. __ board: EMERY. A SURF board was too short. A CUTTING board was too large. Ouija board fit but didn't work. Thanks, again, perps.
56. Pegasus pair: WINGS. The mythical winged horse.
62. First name in cosmetics: ESTEE. ESTEE Lauder visits us frequently.
63. Netflix crime drama set in Missouri: OZARK.
64. Self-regard: EGO.
65. River in a van Gogh painting: RHONE.
66. Event of passing interest?: RELAY. RELAY race. Pass the baton. Literally.
67. Silent approval: NOD.
Down:
1. Ruling period: REGIME. It can be used to mean the time period although more often it refers to the government in power.
2. Entertainment centers?: ARENAS. A bit of word play. Places where you might go for entertainment. Not something like this:
3. Directions: TRENDS. Would one ever say that current directions are in the right, or wrong, direction?
4. "You honestly need me to do that?": MUST I. Quotation clues provide much flexibility.
5. Letters on some office suite doors: ESQ. ESQuire is an honorific for an attorney. Collectively, we're still working out the approriate honorific as esquiress does not seem to have caught on.
6. Sigma follower: TAU. It helps to know the Greek alphabet if one likes to solve crossword puzzles . . . or at least print it out and keep that sheet of paper handy.
7. Narrow inlets: RIAS. Crosswordese.
8. Next: ON DECK. Best known as a baseball reference. The next batter up is said to be ON DECK.
9. Indie rockers Death __ for Cutie: CAB. Often clued with a reference to wine or Uber.
10. Cassowary cousin: EMU.
11. Classic bit of slapstick: SPIT TAKE. A SPIT TAKE is a comedic technique or reaction in which someone spits a drink, or sometimes food, out of their mouth as a reaction to a surprising or funny statement.
12. "Everyone's accounted for": ALL HERE.
13. Fires back, in a way: RETORTS. Verbal bantering.
18. K, in the NATO alphabet: KILO. Same tip as for 6 Down, above.
22. Frequent question from a toddler: WHY
25. British dude: BRUV. Brother --> Brudder - -> Bruvver --> BRUV. Unfamiliar to this solver. Thanks, perps.
26. Buckwheat noodle: SOBA.
28. Indian state near Bhutan: ASSAM. An oft visited place in crosswords. Sometimes clued with a reference to tea.
29. Brief sign-off: TTYL. Talk To You Later. Hand up for first trying TA TA. Cheerio!
32. Cover the spread?: CATER. Provide the food on the table as in "that's a nice spread."
33. Hint of color: TINCT. Hand up for TINGE.
35. Olive stuffing: PIMIENTO. A red, heart-shaped pepper.
36. Cloudburst: RAIN.
37. Singer Brickell: EDIE. She knows what she knows if you know what I mean. Married to Paul Simon.
38. Drains: SAPS. SAP is another word with multiple meanings.
39. Household outlet output: AC POWER. Alternating Current.
40. "In a few": SOONISH. Acceptable . . . ish.
43. __ ed: SEX. No longer limited to those "social disease" films that they showed us in high school.
44. Shiver: TREMOR.
45. Hunting garb: CAMO. CAMOuflage
46. Bumpy: UNEVEN.
47. Precede: FOREGO. Although it is usually employed to mean relinquish or go without, FOREGO can also mean to go before.
48. Casting option: FLY ROD. Sculpture (lost wax casting)? Hollywood ensemble? To throw? To watch your cellphone screen on your TV? Nope. A fishing reference.
51. Annoying: PESKY. Where does the word "politics" come from? From the Greek "poly" for many and the English "ticks" for PESKY parasites.
54. Nap: DOZE.
57. Mil. title: GEN. GENeral Abbr / Abbr
58. Match, in poker: SEE.
60. Kilmer of film: VAL.
Nick Rivers Straightens That Rug
61. Cy Young stat: ERA. A baseball reference. Earned Run Average. The Cy Young award is given annually to the best pitcher in each of the two major leagues.
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