Sounds like time to have some fun with Mark F. In the language phrases are reimagined with the first word of the phrase replaced with a sound-a-like animal sound clued using the animal. Mark seems obsessed with animal sounds if you recall his AUGUST puzzle blogged by marti. I last blogged his work on Black Friday last November. Five themers, including a gridspanner and a tricky use of sound make this a Friday effort. I was all in with BARK and BRAY, but the NEIGH/DAY slowed me down. 1,2 and 5 are pretty easy to suss, with a single letter change (ignoring the different spellings of GREY) with 3,4 requiring more imagination. The bird is the only non-mammal non-4 legged creature. Once you get the theme idea, the transition is quick. With some 8 letter fill in the theme, it is hard to include much long fill but CHEESIEST, IN ESSENCE , EAGLETS, LOCATOR, PANACHE, SPANISH are all nice. I left out BEGRIME, as to me it is a BE word like the A words, used in desperation. I do like that he does not rely on just the animal speaking, but uses a different set up for each sound. Well time to get to work.
17A. Where dogs chat? : BARK PLACE (9). Park Place emerges with a simple P to B switch. Is this Monopoly or just people in the park?
24A. Where donkeys make noise? : BRAY AREA (8). Grey Area also a simple.
37A. Where horses are treated for laryngitis? : NEIGH CARE CENTER (15).Day Care Center
45A. Where lions practice intimidation? : ROAR ZONE (8). War Zone. War is intimidating.
58A. Where birds sing? : TWEET SPOT (9). Sweet Spot. Golf?
Across:
1. One may be under a jacket : VEST. A literal beginning.
5. Drift on the breeze : WAFT. A fun word; her perfume wafted in the room and brought back all those memories.
9. Military group : BRASS.
14. Basically : IN ESSENCE.
16. Storyteller of a sort : YENTA. Really an old gossip, so the clue was tricky.
18. Sobriety symbol : WAGON. The derivation of 'on the wagon' meaning not drinking alcohol is unresolved. LINK.
19. Hosp. test : ECG. ElectroCardioGram. No need to renew the nit.
20. Pilot's stat. : ALTitude.
21. Manifest : PATENT. The answer was obvious.
22. Harsh : STERN. Howard Harsh has such good alliteration.
26. Fight a cold, say : AIL.
28. Ages and ages : EONS.
29. King of Naples in "The Tempest" : ALONSO. You remember the PLAY.
32. Fed. property overseer : GSA. General Services Administration.
33. Traveling, in a way : ASEA. An accepted A word.
40. Scrabble piece : TILE.
41. Singer DiFranco : ANI. We have not seen her in a while.
42. Alias : HANDLE. The CBers made this famous.
43. Small matter? : ATOM. I really like this cluing, and of course it reminds me of Sheldon and Dark Matter.
44. Freudian topic : EGO.
49. Not upfront : LYING.
53. Show : APPEAR.
54. Historic opening? : PRE. Prehistoric. Simple, classic crossword cluing.
56. Guernsey sound : MOO. A bonus animal sound.
57. Savage : FERAL. More animal related
61. Drivel : TRIPE. Didn't we discuss ways to say this...applesauce, codswallop (my favorite), folderol, rubbish, trash, trumpery, wish-wash. Right next to its cousin...
62. Most tacky : CHEESIEST. I think of cheesy as someone like Herb Tarlek.
63. Pace product : SALSA.
64. Coltrane collaborator : MONK. Thelonious. LISTEN (7:01) if you want.
65. Entreaty : PLEA.
Down:
1. Feelings : VIBES. A word from my youth.
2. Make official : ENACT.
3. Suit material : SERGE. Hard to see the fabric, but...
4. "Shame on you!" : TSK. Only one?
5. Excellently : WELL.
6. Vet sch. course : ANATomy.
7. TV monitor : FCC. Federal Communications Commission. Perhaps most famous for the reaction to Janet Jackson 'wardrobe malfunction' at the Super Bowl.
8. Rectangular links area, usually : TEE. (Tee box). Golf area where you begin each hole, which are generally rectangular.
9. Minor roads : BYWAYS. As opposed to the highways....
10. Lasso : REATA.
11. Steam : ANGER. The cartoons always show steam coming out of the ears.
12. Curling slider : STONE. The sport of curling; this what you slide to score in frozen shuffleboard. An Olympic sport.
13. Legendary guy traditionally wearing black boots : SANTA. Hey Argyle.
15. What mayo might be : SPANISH. I did not realize they do not capitalize the month.
21. Grand style : PANACHE. Fun word.
23. Gamut : RANGE.
24. Make dirty : BEGRIME. Of course this is accurate but when have you ever used this in a sentence.
25. Wine choice : ROSE. Where is my accent?
27. Kind of map : LOCATOR.
29. Social worker? : ANT. Another nice Friday clue.
30. Island garland : LEI. Me wan we are getting LEI'd so many ways these days.
31. Cook's supply : OIL.
33. Pester : ANNOY.
34. Norm: Abbr. : STD. A standard abbreviation.
35. It might be electric : EEL.
36. "__ you happy now?" : ARE. Usually said after doing something your spouse wanted done, which you did not want to do.
38. Any day now : ANON. A fun Shakespearian favorite word.
39. Young raptors : EAGLETS.
43. Spring bloomer : AZALEA.47D. Spring time : APRIL.
45. Loads : RAFTS.
46. Renée Fleming's field : OPERA. Perhaps most famous for this performance.
48. Brings in : REAPS.
50. Drive forward : IMPEL. This took longer than it seems in retrospect.
51. Western omen : NOOSE. Not a good omen at that.
52. "__ go!" : GOTTA. Not yet, a few more to unravel.
54. Rounded tool part : PEEN. I hope I do not have hammer home this clue/fill.
55. Smell : REEK. My image:
58. Old films channel : TCM. Turner Classic Movies, not to be confused with anagram TMC.
59. "The __ Sell Out": 1967 rock album : WHO.
60. Nurse : SIP. Tin when you are enjoying your neat Pinch, do you sip?
Time to move on out, and remind everyone who reads this blog how grateful I am for C.C. and the amazing work she has done to create this little Corner where people come to talk puzzle, and family and life. As Thanksgiving approaches I once again ask all who read and enjoy to take a moment to write in; lurkers, regulars, now and thenners, MIAs each and everyone of you. Take time on Sunday or sometime this upcoming week to check in and say hello. We would not be here without C.C., and we would not still be here without you all.
Thanks Mark.
Lemonade out
Note from C.C.:
Our own Steve Marron is today's author (setter) of Guardian's Daily Quiz. Please click here to solve. Congratulations, Steve!
