Title: I spy a little l in my I.
So guess who is back again before you, this time as himself? It is I the lemon in iced tea. This played hard in many places with the cluing (his or the editors?) opaque and the structure different. If I am correct this is a puzzle with east/west symmetry...more about that later. First, I want to acknowledge some fun sparkly fill - FAUCETS, RANGOON, ROSEBUD, SUITS ME, WRESTLE, SECTIONS, THE BIRDS, ATE A LITTLE, and GERIATRICS. Part of being sparkly is that they are longer and if you do not get the clue/fill combination, the puzzle becomes exponentially harder. Which brings us to the theme. Today JW gives a classic letter substitution puzzle, where the letter L at the end of a word in a familiar phrase is replaced with the letter I. Then it is clued to suggest the new meaning of the phrase. Clever - one of the arrows in his creative quiver. I said we have left/right symmetry with the themers going from 15 to 11 to 9 and finishing at 13. If you were looking for convential 17A to start symmetrical theme placements, it could be a long Friday.
The themers:
17A. Field worker having a pastrami on rye?: FARMER IN THE DELI (15). We begin with a gridspanner linking working in the fields to going to a delicatessen and ordering a pastrami on rye, which is a very popular order in most delis. This changes the children's nursery rhyme Farmer in the Dell just a little. The beauty is the simplicity, yet subtlety of such a tiny change causing such a completely new image.
27A. Prominent part of a Tex-Mex chain's logo?: THE BIG CHILI (11). This may be my favorite because it also has added imagery (the Big Chili in the chain's ads). The movie, also was
an amazing introduction to many who became major stars, including the late William Hurt who just passed on March 13, 2022. Not updated, but here is the CAST. This does not list the very famous actor who was hired to play the friend who died, but whose footage was cut. It was...( ) fill in the blank.49A. Indonesian dive bar?: BALI JOINT (9). Next, ball joints which are spherical bearings that connect the control arms to the steering knuckles, and are used on virtually every automobile made are repurposed as a cheap bar on a key island that is part of Indonesia. When I owned a travel agency it was a favorite honeymoon spot for clients. I have never been. Anyone?
51A. Memory of the 1996 Olympic flame lighting?: ALI IN YOUR MIND (13). Do many of your remember when Muhammed Ali lit the Olympic Torch to begin the 1996 Olympics held in Atlanta?
It was very significant in many ways. It was a time of healing and hope after many traumatic summer games. It was time of inclusivity after murder and mayhem had dogged the games. It was a time to acknowledge Ali and his spirit, as he was in the grips of Parkinson's brought on by years of being hit in the head. He also had been villified as a draft dodger rather than an observant Muslim. But there is no sentiment in baseball or the LA Times so on we go.
Across:5. Group playing mind games: MENSA. When this blog started everyone wondered who among the solvers belonged. Now we so not care.
10. Criticizes: RAPS. They gave him a bad rap.
14. Mocks: APES. Is aping always mocking?
15. Poem of 15,000+ lines: ILIAD. Aren't you glad they didn't make you memorize that one in school.
20. Like the Godhead: TRIUNE. A very Friday word. Since we do not discuss religion here, I will merely quote the Brittanica "There is One God, who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Other ways of referring to the Trinity are the Triune God and the Three-in-One. The Trinity is a controversial doctrine; many Christians admit they don't understand it, while many more Christians don't understand it but think they do."
21. Fantasized: DREAMT.
22. Diplomacy: TACT. Not my strong suit.
23. "Isle of Dogs" director Anderson: WES. Here is a GUIDE to his films.
26. Tom or jack: MALE. Designation for animals, e.g TOM CAT, JACK ASS.
30. Bygone Mideast gp.: UAR. United Arab Republic (U.A.R.), Arabic Al-Jumhūriyyah al-ʿArabiyyah al-Muttaḥidah, political union of Egypt and Syria proclaimed on February 1, 1958, and ratified in nationwide plebiscites later that month. It ended on September 28, 1961, when Syria, following a military coup, declared itself independent of Egypt. More Brittanica.
32. Capital of colonial Burma: RANGOON. It is now part of Myanamar and known as YANGON. These renamings passed on 18 June 1989 to reflect the fact that the "r" sound is no longer used in Standard Burmese and merged with a "y" glide.
33. Bill: TAB. Short for tabulation.
36. "No objection here": SUITS ME. I like blogging. Though I...
38. Try to deal (with): WRESTLE. with scheduling my time.
40. Sharply outline: ETCH. They use acid.
41. Israeli-born designer Tahari: ELIE. 45 years i
42. Kane's boyhood sled: ROSEBUD. Does anybody not know this from Orson Welles' classic Citizen Kane?
46. Taps: FAUCETS. It is CONFUSING.
55. Lucretius' love: AMOR. Titus Lucretius Carus was a Roman poet and philosopher, he wrote Latin where Amor is the word for love.
56. Spry: AGILE. Synonyms: easy moving, more acute, most easy-moving, sprighter, most sportive, mercurial, most easy moving, quick trigger, quick the draw, sprightest, quick witted, quick draw, more easymoving, more easy moving, easymoving, sportive, most easymoving, more easy-moving, quick on draw, quick the trigger, quickwitted.
57. Rowers: OARS. Not the people, the instrument.
59. Pastoral group: HERD. Not an actual Pastor but related to the keeping or grazing of sheep or cattle.
60. Sly tactics: RUSES. This is an action intended to deceive someone; a trick.
61. Simone of song: NINA.
62. Revolution constant: AXIS. If it is revolving, it does so on an axis.
63. Since Jan. 1: YTD. Year To Date.
64. Impede: SLOW. Block.
Down:
2. Besides, with "from": APART. Apart from watching the Masters, do you watch golf on TV?
3. Job field that embraces seniority: GERIATRICS. Sounds like fun for this geriatric.
4. To an equal extent: AS MUCH.
5. Bog: MIRE.
6. Ivy attendee: ELI. Not to be confused with our Israeli designer.
7. "Collages" novelist: NIN. Anais, author of many books and way more appearances in crosswords.
8. Couldn't stand anymore?: SAT. Ha ha, not anger but tired legs.
9. Condition treated by Ritalin, briefly: ADHD. We did not have this condition or Autism when I was a kid.
10. Overturned card consequence, perhaps: REDEAL.
11. Nibbled: ATE A LITTLE.
12. ___ d'Or: Cannes award: PALME. Here are some favorite winners of this AWARD.
13. Cut: SLIT. Like someone's throat if you watched all those movies.
18. Records: ENTERS. A CSO to our accountants.
19. Fur that's a symbol of royalty: ERMINE. From a glorified rat.
23. Its nose says a lot about its quality: WINE. Hi Chairman.
24. __ roll: EGG. My wife prefers making fresh roll.
25. Refuse craft: SCOW. Another Asian treat.
28. Cartoon ruckus sound: BAM.
29. Old TV knob: HOR.izontal. TV abbreviation=
30. One often paying a fee: USER.
31. Soul, for one: AUTO. By KIA.
34. Came down: ALIT.
35. They work in cells: BEES. Funny, but true. A new clue, is it yours JW.
37. 1963 film that was a 1991 Horror Hall of Fame inductee: THE BIRDS. Alfred Hitchcock and Tippi Hedren. I was 14, it did not haunt me, I love birds.
39. Strings, woodwinds, etc.: SECTIONS.
43. Keurig Dr Pepper brand: BAI.
44. Like the "funny bone" nerve: ULNAR. Not like, it is the nerve.
45. Mr. Fixit, casually: DIY GUY. Do It Yourself Guy.
46. Made illegal contact with, in some sports: FOULED. In pretty much all sports.
47. Buenos __: AIRES. Argentina.
48. Albuquerque sch.: UNM. Hey OKL, how are you doing?
50. Floor support: JOIST. A joist is a horizontal structural member used in framing to span an open space, often between beams that subsequently transfer loads to vertical members. wiki.
51. Visa competitor: AMEX.
52. Actress Petty: LORI. Best known for this movie.
53. File target: NAIL.
54. Bond baddie: DR NO. Joseph Wiseman was a Canadian-American theatre, film, and television actor, well known for starring as the villain Julius No in the first James Bond film, Dr. No in 1962.
55. "Eureka!": AHA. Aha we are almost done.
58. Bromide: SAW. Guess what? Another synonym.
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