Paul is back with one of the most difficult Fridays for me in a very long time. It is a strange puzzle, with 84 words, 60 of which are 3 or 4 letters long. Just because the fill is not long does not mean it was easy. HENNAING and LIE-ABEDS are the only long fill outside of the grid-spanning reveal - 42A. Result of polar ice melt graphically shown by the second part of six two-part puzzle answers: RISING SEA LEVELS (15). This made the theme sort of easy to spot, and I saw that if 63A BAL moved up next to 57A TIC, it named a sea I was familiar with (BALTIC). Likewise, ARAB and IAN (ARABIAN) but from there it was a learning experience made more challenging by the US failure to teach geography. The (2) and (1) made finding the remaining pairs easy. There are six pairs, and I only was sure of those two. Well, I really look forward to Paul's comments today, and all of yours. My information is from various sources online.
The theme:
Pair one- 25A. Univ. aides (1): TAS (3). 20A. "Wow!" (2): MAN (3). The TASMAN SEA is a section of the southwestern Pacific Ocean, between the southeastern coast of Australia and Tasmania on the west and New Zealand on the east; it merges with the Coral Sea to the north and encloses a body of water about 1,400 miles (2,250 km) wide and 900,000 square miles (2,300,000 square km) in area.
Pair two- 28A. Damage (1): MAR (3). 22A. Actress Kate (2): MARA (4). The MARMARA SEA is an inland sea located entirely within Turkey's borders. It separates Turkey's Asian and European parts by connecting the Black Sea to the Aegean Sea. It does so by connecting the Black Sea to the Marmara Sea via the Bosphorus Strait and the Aegean Sea to the Marmara Sea via the Dardanelles Strait. The Marmara Sea is the world's smallest sea covering only 4,380 square feet.
Pair three- 30A. Helpless? (1): SOLO (4). 24A. Cal. column (2): MON (3). The SOLOMON SEA is a portion of the western South Pacific Ocean, bounded on the west by New Guinea, on the north by New Britain, and on the east by the Solomon Islands. With an area of 280,000 square miles (720,000 square km), the sea contains the Louisiade Archipelago, New Georgia, and Guadalcanal Island.
Pair four- 58A. Happy hour spot (1): BAR (3). 54A. Sinusitis docs (2): ENTS (4). The BARENTS SEA, a marginal sea of the Artic Ocean, was once known as the Murmanskoye Morye by the Russians. It appears as such in a 1595 atlas. The basin countries of the Barents Sea are Russia and Norway (they drain into this body of water).
Pair five- 61A. Many an Omani (1): ARAB (4). 56A. Author Fleming (2): IAN. The ARABIAN SEA's largest islands include Yemen's Socotra, Oman's Masirah Island, India's Lakshadweep, and Pakistan's Astola Island. Countries that have coastlines along the Arabian Sea include India, the Maldives, Pakistan, Oman, Yemen, and Somalia.
Pair six- 63A. Remaining loan amt. (1): BAL (3). 57. Sign of nerves, maybe (2): TIC (3). The BALTIC SEA is the youngest sea on our planet, emerging from the retiring ice masses only some 10,000-15,000 years ago. Governed by special hydrographical and climatic conditions, the Baltic Sea is one of the planet’s largest bodies of brackish water. It is composed of salt water from the North East Atlantic and fresh water from rivers and streams draining from an area four times larger than the Sea itself
Again the reveal:
42A. Result of polar ice melt graphically shown by the second part of six two-part puzzle answers: RISING SEA LEVELS (15).
Well if you are not all worn out, let's solve all the rest.
Across:
1. Take to the cleaners: HOSE. We start with a tricky slang verb- slang : to deprive of something due or expected : TRICK, CHEAT.
5. Lay low: HID. After hosing them you need to.
8. Pretty companion?: PLEASE. With a cherry on top.
14. Windows alternative: UNIX. UNIX is an operating system which was first developed in the 1960s, and has been under constant development ever since. By operating system, we mean the suite of programs which make the computer work.
15. Drop the ball: ERR.
16. Dragster's wheels: HOT ROD. Some history. LINK.
17. Wedding ring?: HORA. Very tricky, but literally a dance in a circle and popular at Jewish weddings. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Hdz2oX_yLY
18. Class-conscious org.?: NEA. More tricky cluing, class like in school. National Education Association
19. Charge: ACCUSE. For me, it brings to mind J'ACCUSE.
32. Infamous Amin: IDI. Amin (in Arabic أمين) is an Arabic and Persian male given name that means "faithful, trustworthy"
33. Constriction of the eye's pupil: MIOSIS. I did not know this.
35. Apple's apple, e.g.: LOGO. Another fun clue.
39. Hail, to Hadrian: AVE. He built a wall in Rome.
40. All over again: ANEW.
41. "I'll second that": AMEN.
47. Isn't idle: ACTS.
48. Deep blue: ANIL.
49. Track meet segment: LAP.
50. Authenticity emblem: SEAL. Still used by courts and clerks.
51. Parlor furniture item: SETTEE. The settee, a precursor to the sofa and type of love seat, is characterized by a straight back, room for two people, and founded atop four legs.
53. Hot time in Haiti: ETE. Summer.
65. Individually: APIECE.
67. Dug, with "up": ATE.
69. Big times: ERAS.
73. A through E, at times: WIDTHS. Shoes.
74. Sprout: LAD.
75. Courteous: NICE.
76. Snares with a loop: LASSOS.
77. Med. show locales: ERS.
78. Serve sparingly, with "out": DOLE.
Down:
1. "Say what?": HUH.
2. Dedicatee of Lennon's "Woman": ONO. Yoko next to...
3. McCartney's title: SIR. Paul.
4. Checkup: EXAM.
5. Applying a temporary tattoo: HENNAING. Very big in Key West.
6. Boiling state: IRE.
7. Scotch serving: DRAM. Poor Hamish Macbeth has to dole out many a wee dram.
8. Seven Wonders lighthouse: PHAROS. A long HISTORY.
9. One from town: LOCAL. We always called them townies.
10. "Yada yada yada" letters: ETC. Thank you george Costanza.
11. Jack-in-the-pulpit family: ARUM. We are talking PLANTS not about a preacher named Jack.
12. Fair: SO SO.
13. First place?: EDEN. Not leading the league, but where it all began.
21. Mideast capital: AMMAN. Jordan.
23. Faulkner's "__ Lay Dying": AS I. His writing is very respected and his novel the subject of much DISCUSSION.
25. Pageant toppers: TIARAS.
26. It may be unsolicited: ADVICE.
27. Daybreak?: SIESTA. More misdirection, a break during the day not dawn.
29. Agile deer: ROES. This is a small, agile Old World deer, Capreolus capreolus, the male of which has three-pointed antlers. CUTE.
31. Norse patron: OLAV.
34. Hard work: SWEAT. Blood, sweat and tears.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFEewD4EVwU
36. Fare filled and folded: OMELET.
37. Trattoria desserts: GELATI. The plural. Gelato is simply the Italian word for ice cream, but in English, it has come to mean specifically Italian or Italian-style ice cream.
38. With no guarantee of payment: ON SPEC. Spec homes are still popular here in South Florida where an older home is torn down and replaced with a much bigger house.
43. Cartography dot: ISLE.
44. Against: ANTI.
45. Reluctant risers: LIE-ABEDS. An old-fashioned word that has appeared in much literature.
LINK.
46. Barack's 2010 High Court appointee: ELENA. Please no more politics. KAGEN.
51. Emphasize: STRESS.
52. That, in Tijuana: ESA.
55. Snack chip: NACHO.
58. Much more than a sniffle: BAWL.
59. Samoa's capital: APIA. A better clue than, "Either Lindstrom or Zadora."
60. Purges (of): RIDS.
62. One may be stored in a barn: BALE. Is that anyway to treat this man?
64. Advance: LEND.
66. Sci-fi staples: ETS. Extra-terrestrials.
68. Blacken, in a way: TAR. Not La Brea today.
70. Copacabana city: RIO.
71. Commonly torn ligament, briefly: ACL. The anterior cruciate ligament is one of the key ligaments that help stabilize your knee joint. The ACL connects your thighbone (femur) to your shinbone (tibia).
72. Note: SEE.
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