Jeffrey uses the contrasting meanings of the verb - to put out of sight, and the noun - the skin of an animal to create a puzzle where synonyms of the noun are hidden in the theme fill. To accomplish this we once again are presented with a 15x16 puzzle. It all is tied up with a ribbon with a wonderful reveal in another classic 3/5/8/11/13 placement of themers. The bigger size allows for additional wonderful sparkly answers such as INCLINE, IT SEEMS, LATCHES, ORDERED, BEDSPREAD, MERCURIAL, NON-PUBLIC, and SPRING DAY. As always with Jeffrey on Friday there are very difficult sections, but the overall puzzle, but the wit and the head slap moments are a joy.
18A. "Bummer!": THAT'S KIND OF A DRAG (16). SKIN gets right to the heart of the animal hide.
24A. An unquestionable fact: THE GOSPEL TRUTH (14). The trading in pelts was very important for the trek west in our nation's history. A pelt is a skin and fur together.
39A. Hershey's collectible: COCOA TIN (8). We associate coat with domesticated animals like horses and dogs, and generally not removed.
53A. Pressing feeling: SENSE OF URGENCY (14). Fur can be either be still attached or removed and made into an article of clothing.
And the reveal,
62. What words concealed by the other four longest Across answers do ... and also, what each of them is: HIDE IN PLAIN SIGHT (16). Hide is usually cured skin and hide and go seek is a game we all have played. The clue is perfect.
1. Bar rooms?: JAILS. BY making this two words, we get this punny clue.
6. Organic jewelry source: AMBER. Made most famous by Jurrasic Park.
11. Nation west of Mumbai: OMAN. There are many countries west of Mumbai but Oman is directly across the Arabian Sea. I do not know my geography but I can now find Thailand.
15. Part of a John Williams quintet: OSCAR. A most amazing COMPOSER.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Lo6MLSCcbw
16. High-end German appliance brand: MIELE. I never heard of this COMPANY.
17. Overhaul: REDO.
21. Harmony: SYNC. You want some?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZcmuKsyvzg
22. Odds partner: ENDS. This expression may have originated as odd ends in the mid-1500s, meaning “short leftovers of some material” (such as lumber or cloth) (dictionary).
23. Bench press target: PECtoral. Your chest muscle.
30. In the past, once: ERST. We just had this archaic word on July 2, 2018.
31. Nutritional abbr.: RDA. Recommended Daily Allowance.
32. Northern terminus of I-79: ERIE. Yeah guys, a big CSO.
33. Operatic villains, often: BASSI. More than one bass voice.
36. Veto, in Vienna: NEIN.
37. Actress Meyer of "Johnny Mnemonic": DINA. I remember this ACTRESS first from an early superhero show BIRDS OF PREY but she has worked steadily the last 25 years. For whatever reason, two roles I recall were as a Dominatrix on CASTLE and a Madam interested in Gibbs on NCIS.
38. Matterhorn, e.g.: ALP. Wheel of Fortune had their Switzerland trip this week.
43. Field concerned with fields: Abbr.: AGRiculture. I think this is a debut for this witty clue.
44. Alexa counterpart: SIRI.
46. Fishing hole site: POND.
47. Kept from squeaking: OILED.
49. Sweater fabric: KNIT. Is this a fabric? Oh, damn that was a nit!
50. What may come to those who wait: TIP. Another example of a creative wit.
51. "... that struts and frets his hour __ the stage": Macbeth: UPON. I look forward to JW's quotes from Shakespeare. This quote was very inferrable but the passage is wonderful. Act V, Scene V.
"The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more: it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing."
57. Salon application: GEL. Did you know that it was a British company, in 1929, Chemico Works invented Brylcreem, which became the market leader in hair styling products in both the U.K. and the U.S. during the following decades. In the 1960s, modern hair gel was invented in the United States, by what would later be renamed the Dep Corporation. (wiki)
58. Rancor: BILE.
59. Get rid of: LOSE.
67. West of Gotham City?: ADAM. Gotham City was/is the fictional home of Batman, played in the 60s camp version by the late Adam West.
68. Privileged group: ELITE.
70. Giant great: MAYS. The say hey kid!
Baseball legend.
71. How many commute: BY CAR.
72. What Italians may use to commute: VESPA. A little clecho especially if the car is a Fiat.
Down:
1. Notes: JOTS. Another unexpected verb - synonym.
2. Grayish: ASHY. Defined as of a pale grayish color; ashen. "the ashy shadows of the mountains"
3. "__ even!": I CAN'T. I can’t even is an emotional exclamation in response to an event. Its abrupt ending implies something is too amazing, frustrating, surprising, exciting (or any other adjective imaginable) to handle, which renders a person speechless because they’re so incredulous
4. Gate closers: LATCHES.
5. Yearbook gp.: SRS. Seniors.
6. Self-affirming query: AM I NOT. The expression aren’t I is often used in place of am I not, particularly in conversational speech. Example 1 (incorrect usage): I’m going with you on vacation, aren’t I?
Although the use of this phrase is widespread, it is atrocious English that could be considered equivalent to you is, a phrase which most educated people abhor (although for some reason, these same people have no qualms about saying aren’t I). The correct form of the sentence in Example 1 is as follows: Example 2 (correct usage): I’m going with you on vacation, am I not?
7. Watches: MINDS. The young-uns.
8. Something fit for a king?: BEDSPREAD. King sized bed, very cute.
9. Symphonic rock gp.: ELO. Electric Light Orchestra.
10. Call the game: REF.
11. Called for takeout, say: ORDERED.
12. Fickle: MERCURIAL. Mercury went retrograde Wednesday, for those who care.
13. Org. promoting fluoridation: ADA. American Dental Association.
14. Rich quaff: NOG.
19. Pub inventory items: KEGS.
20. Proper: APT.
25. "South Park" kid: ERIC.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AjaenKd5ac
26. Find better words, say: EDIT.
27. Civil rights theorist Guinier: LANI. A most accomplished Yale Law graduate working at HARVARD.
28. Trace amount: TINGE.
29. Got wind (of): HEARD.
33. Luxuriates: BASKS.
34. Dior dress: A-LINE.
35. Amy Lowell poem of a "fresh-washed and fair" time: SPRING DAY. The poem is made up of 5 parts of the day, with Bath first, and opening line, " The day is fresh-washed and fair, and there is a smell of tulips and narcissus in the air."
36. Private: NON-PUBLIC.
40. Eye-related prefix: OPTO. For example, the optometrist.
41. Salon product: COIF.
42. Common lunch hour: NOON.
45. "Indications are ... ": IT SEEMS.
48. Lean: INCLINE.
51. More nasty, as weather: UGLIER.
52. Hammer part: PEEN.
54. Yale figure: ELI.
55. Gear for a gaucho: RIATA.
56. Meditative ones: YOGIS.
60. Small business: SHOP.
61. Mediterranean mount: ETNA. The Sicilian mountain.
62. Baked __: HAM. Very random.
63. Director Lupino: IDA. This actress became a pioneer for female DIRECTORS.
64. S.D. neighbor: NEBraska. CSO to HG.
65. Work at: PLY. Like a trade.
66. Cherokee, e.g.: SUV. Jeep.
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