Frank is back to Friday in 2015, and the first Friday since his coincidental LEM ON ADE puzzle two days after my birthday. This is a sound rather than a visual challenge, with the last word in a common phrase altered by adding an LLL sound to create a new last word. The difficulty in constructing was enhanced by the themers all ending up as gridspanners. Some nice 6 letter fill like DC AREA, GETS UP, I DO I DO, LYRICS and SITS ON as well as some sparkly longer ones: SHINERS, UPLIFTS, EINSTEIN, HIDEAWAY, DIET PEPSI, TRIES HARD. As with all punny themes, you need to find humor, and I did. Let's take a look.
17A. "Pardon my sword fight"? : DON'T MIND IF I DUEL (15). 'Don't mind if I do' is the phrase that transforms. I sussed the theme here, always good on a Friday to get the theme early.
26A. "The good news: mostly A-OK. The bad news: __"? : TEN PERCENT AWFUL (15). 'Ten percent off...'
47A. Tool for putting a Ping-Pong ball in orbit? : LAUNCHING PADDLE (15). 'Launching pad.' My favorite of the theme, as the image in my brain is cool.
62A. Big affair for E.T.? : ALIEN LIFE FORMAL (15). 'Alien life form.' Another fun visual, and my way of always remembereing the spelling of Allen's name.
Across:
1. Like some restrictive dinners : STAG. Men only, dearie. Very unpc.
5. Andrew of "Melrose Place" : SHUE. He played Billy Campbell I am told by wiki, but I knew he has a famous older sister.
9. First, for now : AHEAD. Yes, the 5 horse was there at the top of the stretch, but...
14. Strives : TRIES HARD. Also an unpc term when parents use this phrase to describe their disappointing child.
16. Brewery prefix : MICRO. Not to be confused with CRAFT brewery. Who would ever guess I would end up knowing about beer?
19. Refuses to release : SITS ON. I assume this clue is in the context of information, though this pic came to mind.
20. "Lifts the spirits" gp. : USO.
21. Eau Claire-to-Green Bay direction : EAST. They will all be going in that direction for the big game against Dallas, Sunday at 1:05PM, EST. The Dallas/Green Bay match ups of the 60's were awesome. Back at the 'frozen tundra of Lambeau Field.'
22. All-purpose rides : UTES. I have never heard a person in real life use this term.
24. Ocean predator : ORCA.
33. Singer Carly __ Jepsen : RAE. She has apparently supplanted Norma and Charlotte in puzzledom. I was introduced to this Canadian by Gareth in 2013.
34. Start of some Texas city names : SAN. And some California cities as well.
35. Mrs. Robinson's daughter : ELAINE. A Friday clue for this name, though the actress should be remembered, quite the face. Coo coo ca choo.
36. Milo of "The Verdict" : O' SHEA. He died this past year.
39. Play about Capote : TRU.
41. With an __: mindful of : EYE TO. Nice new fill 1.
42. Words : LYRICS. Nice new fill 2.
44. Okla. campus with a Prayer Tower : ORU. For newer solvers, the fact that OKLA. is an abbreviation is a clue that the answer is also an abbreviation. Oral Roberts University.
46. Author Yutang : LIN. A very interesting MAN; I wonder what he was thought of in the China of C.C.'s childhood? A Friday name.
51. Boer village : STAD. From their Dutch German heritage. I am sure Gareth Bain could give a more complete perspective on these people.
52. Monthly pmt. : ELECtricity.
53. Boom holder : MAST. Not a microphone.
56. Court : WOO. Not where judges hang out.
58. "Magic Hour" author Susan : ISAACS. I did not know that book, but I love the book and movie Compromising Positions. LINK. Susan Sarandon and Raul Julia were great.
65. McGwire broke his record : MARIS. Roger whose 61 home run record went the way of Mark McGuire's bat during the dawning of the steroid age. Roger ended as a beer distributor living in Gainesville.
66. "Love every sip" sloganeer : DIET PEPSI.
67. Concert venue : ARENA.
68. Poems of praise : ODES.
69. Memo demand : ASAP. As Soon As Possible.
Down:
1. Stylebook entries: Abbr. : STDS. Standards. This GUIDE.
2. Picard's counselor : TROI.
3. "__ No Sunshine": Bill Withers hit : AIN'T.
4. Averts a knockout : GETS UP. Such a simple answer. Paired with 5D. Fight souvenirs : SHINERS. Not what you buy at the concession stand.
6. Solo in space : HAN. Episode VII is on its way.
7. Source of khaki? : URDU. The word, not the cloth.
8. New Jersey township with the motto "Let There Be Light" : EDISON. Thomas Alva will live on always, expecially in puzzles.
9. "Moi?" : AM I? Which is often the clue in French.
10. Retreat : HIDEAWAY. My recollection was THIS. My parents loved Broadway musicals which helped with 48D. "My Cup Runneth Over" musical : I DO, I DO. Mary Martin and Robert Preston, 1967.(6:53).
11. S.A. country at 0 degrees latitude : ECUAdor. Odd, once again. Last time we learned thast the name came because it is at the Equator.
12. Father of Phobos : ARES. The Greek who who gave us our word PHOBIA.
13. Fool : DOLT.
15. Whacked, biblically : SMOTE.
18. Strong suit : FORTE. Fort or fortay?
23. "Beat it!" : SCAT. For all the non-lovers of cats.
25. NASCAR's Yarborough : CALE.
26. Chat room persona non grata : TROLL. Don't feed th trolls.
27. GPA booster : EASY A.
28. Big name in Indian politics : NEHRU. And jackets.
29. With 30-Down, a former name of Minute Maid Park : ENRON. We just had this referenced last week.
30. See 29-Down : FIELD.
31. No later than : UNTIL.
32. Freetown currency : LEONE. Freetown, the capital is used to clue the Leone, the capital of Sierre Leone.
37. Matthau's "I.Q." role : EINSTEIN. This odd movie with Meg Ryan.
38. Passbook abbr. : ACCT.
40. Drive : URGE.
43. Loosely worn garment : SHAWL. My youngest son's girlfriend knitted one for Oo for the holidays.
45. Buoys : UPLIFTS. Gurls ? Up____?
49. "The Fox and the Grapes" writer : AESOP. Fabulous fox fable.
50. Beltway environs : DC AREA.
53. Household nickname : MAMA. No Papa today.
54. Apple application no longer in use : ALAR.
55. Filly's father : SIRE. DAM this was easy.
57. "The Wizard __" : OF ID. The same number of letters as OZ. Coincidence? I think not. LINK.
59. Cranks (up) : AMPS. From amplifier, or the original ampere?
60. Julio's home : CASA. Some Spanish for Lucina et al.
61. Faux pas : SLIP. And of course, French for Splynter.
63. Org. whose seal includes an eagle perched on a key : NSA. So much controversy in 2014.
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