Title: Watch the bouncing I.
Michael has been publishing puzzles since 2012, mostly here at the LAT. This is his first collaborative effort, but certainly not for Kevin who is not only prolific, but generously stops by to share his insights here at the Corner. Once I accepted the placement of a random I in the middle of the theme fill, I was prepared for the reveal at 52D, which was part of every theme clue. 52D. Chain with an alternate 28-letter name ... and what you need to write five puzzle answers? : IHOP (4). INTERNATIONAL (13) HOUSE (5) OF (2) PANCAKES (8). I guess the image is to be of the I hopping into the middle. Creative, but still a bit puzzling to me but the solve went well. The only non-theme long fill are BRIBE MONEY and LIKE A CHARM both of which are introduced to major puzzle publications here and are placed symmetrically in the grid. -+
The theme:
18A. Item served at 52-Down: POACHED I EGG (11). I have eaten their poached eggs on toast.
24A. Item served at 52-Down: FRENCH I TOAST (12). They use thick cut French Bread and have many varieties.
38A. Item served at 52-Down: BANANA I PANCAKES (15). A grid spanner with the central I, and along with chocolate chip very popular.57A. Item served at 52-Down: HASH I BROWNS (11). Always an iffy choice, but they also breakfast potatoes, potato pancakes and french fries.
They also have a nice 55+ menu if you eat out, and they have kids eat free days but I have not been in about 20 years so my comments may not be helpful. On to the puzzle.
Across:1. Surfing venue: WEB. Not a sea, but a sea of words.
4. Tapered off: ABATED. You be careful about being too proficient about tapering off.
10. Yankees' foes: JAYS. Or the CUBS, METS, RAYS, REDS ...
14. Nautical pronoun: HER. The HISTORY.
15. Chowder chunk: POTATO. Chowdah again so soon?
16. Wind in the reeds: OBOE. The tuning one.
17. Ring star: ALI. Muhammed.
20. 1988 self-titled country album: REBA. McIntyre.
22. Three, in Bari: TRE. Italian from this CITY in Southern Italy.
23. One of the "Emerging 7" nations: INDIA.
28. Word associated with Denver: MILE. Mile high, both literally and with all the legal marijuana smoked, eaten, etc. First I flew there was on a learjet and it semi-unreal to the altimiter at 7000 feet as we were about to land.
29. Govt. health org.: CDC. Center for Disease Control. No comment - way too political.
30. Flight: LAM. An ARTICLE for thought?
33. Kitchen draw: AROMA. Not a storage area, but what brings people there.
35. Mum of Charlotte, George and Louis: KATE. She is tall.
41. Stuntman Knievel: EVEL.
42. Like Vassar since 1969: COED. Of the original Seven Sisters, 4 are still women's colleges. Bryn Mawr, Mount Holyoke College, Smith College, and Wellesley College decided against adopting coeducation.
43. Lift providers: UBERS. Not LYFT?
44. Mystery writer Josephine: TEY. Her first novel was made into a movie by Alfred Hitchcock. As a mystery writer, she was a MYSTERY.
45. "Can I help you?": YES. No way, leave me alone!
46. Orange County city: BREA. Did you lose your LA?
52. More unfriendly: ICIER. Ah ha, maybe that is Tin's idea?
55. Heckle: BOO. Hiss, or Jeckle?
56. One-horse ride: SHAY. According to the dictionary, it derived from the word chaise, French for chair. It also was Tyrion's favorite whore, and when we solved our dance puzzle this week, it reminded my of Lucina and her sashaying.
61. Non-verbal syst.: ASL. American Sign Language.
62. Tony kin: OBIE. Not Tigger but the award for theatrical productions. Broadway / off-broadway
63. Begin to associate (with): FALL IN. Generally a bad crowd,
64. 2016 Olympics host: RIO. And now 5 years later we have the 2020 olympics in Tokyo.
65. Prepare for a pic: POSE.
66. Dumpster fire: FIASCO. The LINK.
67. ISP option: MSN. Micro Soft Network
Down:
2. Conger chaser: EELER. A big meh.
3. Loot to keep mute?: BRIBE MONEY. I love the clue and the fill, a rhyme and an introduction.
4. Smartphone software: APP.
5. "The Women" playwright Clare __ Luce: BOOTHE. Boy, is the old timey fill. If you do not here STORY, you must at least read the link. She was a very powerful woman as I was growing up.
6. Millipede maker: ATARI. the game maker and 13D. 6-Down rival: SEGA.
7. Musical "don't play": TACET. MUSIC
8. E. African land: ETH. ETH is the three-letter country abbreviation for Ethiopia. so now you know.
9. Buck's mate: DOE. Oh, Deer. More sexual innuendo.
10. Combined: JOINT. There they are cavorting, joined at the hip!
11. In the sack: ABED. What did I tell, sex, sex sex.
12. Hindu ascetic: YOGI. Not Berra, not Bear. The word is from the Sanskrit - yogi 'one who performs yoga. But historically they were much more. Did you ever read or watch Marvel's in Hindi?
19. Clay pigeon, e.g.: DISC.
21. __ kingdom: ANIMAL. Why? and why is the Lion the King?
25. Scottish family: CLAN.
26. Group of eight: OCTAD.
27. Port on its own gulf: ADEN.
31. Declare: AVER. I avow that I hate to aver. Or to 33D. Help, as a hood: ABET. Or even to 36D. Imitate: APE a friend. It could lead to an...
32. Untidy situation: MESS.
34. Wild, all-night party: RAVE. Do raves need to be all-night? IDK.
35. Newspaper stand, e.g.: KIOSK. A lovely word like Khaki
39. Taiwanese laptop brand: ACER.
40. Street border: CURB. Not to be confused with the Rave credo PLUR.
45. __ Gagarin, first human in outer space: YURI. Back in the day also
46. Jaime Sommers, TV's "__ Woman": BIONIC.
47. Chuckle: TEHEE.
48. Congo River tributary: EBOLA.
49. Feline complaints: YOWLS.
50. Refuge from the heat: OASIS.
51. Early seat belt material: NYLON.
53. Mexican resort, for short: CABO.
54. Sister of Osiris: ISIS.
58. Lifelong bud, initially: BFF.
59. Italian counterpart of the BBC: RAI.
60. __-cone: SNO.
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