Theme: None
Words: 70
Blocks: 31
It's been seven days since the "End of the World"....how was your week?
New constructor for me and a fairly straight-forward Saturday, just a few spots that were not "REAL EASY" - for me; it was the central
36A. Gain notoriety, as via 38-Across : GO VIRAL
38A. See 36-Across : YOU TUBE
that broke it wide open. Two grid-spanners, and two climbers;
17. Moving locks? : HAIR REPLACEMENT - locks, such as this organization
58. Exact opposites? : BALLPARK FIGURES - a subtle shout out to our leader, C.C.
6D. From time to time : EVER AND ANON, a phase I have never heard, and
23D. Glancing : RICOCHETING - from obscure French
Some of you did yours "IN INK", I am sure~!
ACROSS:
1. Hardly a square : HIPSTER - wondered if this was a misdirection to 'ellipse'
8. Duplicate : REPLICA - the noun
15. Duty-free? : ON LEAVE - I am duty free from UPS til Tuesday
16. Unlikely to cheat : ETHICAL - had AXED for ICED, messed me up here
19. Service rank : ONE A - crossword standard
20. Muddy, as water : ROIL
21. Signal agreement : NOD TO
22. Juice source : BATTERY - juice, as in electricity
24. "The Sea-Wolf" captain : LARSEN - the main antagonist
28. Decide not to walk, perhaps : HAIL A CAB
33. Made an impressive delivery : ORATED
34. Corner key : ESCape
35. Exclusive : SOLE
40. Eclipse, to some : OMEN - or a Mitsubishi to others....
41. Team feature? : NO I - "there's no I in team; there's no crying in baseball~!"
43. Appear unexpectedly : CROP UP
44. Got comfy in a sofa : SANK DOWN - a bit of a giveaway, with "in" a sofa
46. Women-only residences : HAREMS - where can I get one?
47. Nonbeliever, to some : INFIDEL
49. Crossing the keel : ABEAM
53. Pre-med subj. : ANATomy
54. Magical beginning : ABRA - cadabra, love this song
61. Letters read with feeling? : BRAILLE - good one~!
62. Raving : ON A RANT
63. Fixes, as pumps : REHEELS - pumps, like these(~!~); I was thinking bike tires
64. Ma and Pa Kettle debut film, with "The" : EGG AND I - fascinating, captain; I did not know this
DOWN:
1. Cream-filled treat : HO-HO - had Oreo to start, messed me up
2. __ instant : IN AN
3. Bend at the barre : PLIE
4. Medical supplies : SERA
5. Gob : TAR - Gob is slang for a US Navy sailor, another sailor word is Tar.
7. Find a new home for, in a way : REPOT
8. Not at all complicated : REAL EASY
9. And more: Abbr. : ETC - Et Cetera
10. Derived from benzene : PHENYL
11. Long ride? : LIMO - accepted as not needing to be Abbr. in clues
12. Bumped off : ICED - where's the "TEA" when it fits ????
13. Jargon : CANT
14. Glee club member : ALTO - vocal range
18. Pliant : LITHE
22. Suds, so to speak : BEER - I, uh, liked this too much - see 57D
24. Apple and peacock, e.g. : LOGOS - these two examples
25. Bakery emanation : AROMA
26. First bird off the Ark, in Genesis : RAVEN - is this a 40A?
27. Deserve no stars : STINK - a thumbs down, I'd say
29. Notable Titanic casualty : ASTOR - 100 years, next year
30. Compact, perhaps : COUPE - as in cars
31. Place for snaps : ALBUM - snap-shots, photos
32. Summons : BEEPS
37. American enticements : LOW FARES - the airline, American
39. Caspian feeder : URAL - map
42. How hard crosswords are usually not done : IN INK
45. Golf ball feature : DIMPLE
48. Willem of "Spider-Man" : DAFOE - as the Green Goblin
49. Can. or Mex., e.g. : ABBR - a little misdirection, using countries
50. Reveal : BARE - show me some leg~!
51. Where Goliath was slain : ELAH
52. "I Just Can't Live __": Carrie Underwood song : A LIE
54. Mystique : AURA
55. Cereal material : BRAN - started with rice
56. Rip to bits : REND
57. Piedmont product : ASTI - the bubbly, loved the stuff - looks like a cool website
59. Completely : ALL
60. __ rule : GAG - had "AS A" here...
Answer grid.
Splynter
Note from C.C.:
Click here for some info about today's constructor Bonnie L. Gentry.
Words: 70
Blocks: 31
It's been seven days since the "End of the World"....how was your week?
New constructor for me and a fairly straight-forward Saturday, just a few spots that were not "REAL EASY" - for me; it was the central
36A. Gain notoriety, as via 38-Across : GO VIRAL
38A. See 36-Across : YOU TUBE
that broke it wide open. Two grid-spanners, and two climbers;
17. Moving locks? : HAIR REPLACEMENT - locks, such as this organization
58. Exact opposites? : BALLPARK FIGURES - a subtle shout out to our leader, C.C.
6D. From time to time : EVER AND ANON, a phase I have never heard, and
23D. Glancing : RICOCHETING - from obscure French
Some of you did yours "IN INK", I am sure~!
ACROSS:
1. Hardly a square : HIPSTER - wondered if this was a misdirection to 'ellipse'
8. Duplicate : REPLICA - the noun
15. Duty-free? : ON LEAVE - I am duty free from UPS til Tuesday
16. Unlikely to cheat : ETHICAL - had AXED for ICED, messed me up here
19. Service rank : ONE A - crossword standard
20. Muddy, as water : ROIL
21. Signal agreement : NOD TO
22. Juice source : BATTERY - juice, as in electricity
24. "The Sea-Wolf" captain : LARSEN - the main antagonist
28. Decide not to walk, perhaps : HAIL A CAB
33. Made an impressive delivery : ORATED
34. Corner key : ESCape
35. Exclusive : SOLE
40. Eclipse, to some : OMEN - or a Mitsubishi to others....
41. Team feature? : NO I - "there's no I in team; there's no crying in baseball~!"
43. Appear unexpectedly : CROP UP
44. Got comfy in a sofa : SANK DOWN - a bit of a giveaway, with "in" a sofa
46. Women-only residences : HAREMS - where can I get one?
47. Nonbeliever, to some : INFIDEL
49. Crossing the keel : ABEAM
53. Pre-med subj. : ANATomy
54. Magical beginning : ABRA - cadabra, love this song
61. Letters read with feeling? : BRAILLE - good one~!
62. Raving : ON A RANT
63. Fixes, as pumps : REHEELS - pumps, like these(~!~); I was thinking bike tires
64. Ma and Pa Kettle debut film, with "The" : EGG AND I - fascinating, captain; I did not know this
DOWN:
1. Cream-filled treat : HO-HO - had Oreo to start, messed me up
2. __ instant : IN AN
3. Bend at the barre : PLIE
4. Medical supplies : SERA
5. Gob : TAR - Gob is slang for a US Navy sailor, another sailor word is Tar.
7. Find a new home for, in a way : REPOT
8. Not at all complicated : REAL EASY
9. And more: Abbr. : ETC - Et Cetera
10. Derived from benzene : PHENYL
11. Long ride? : LIMO - accepted as not needing to be Abbr. in clues
12. Bumped off : ICED - where's the "TEA" when it fits ????
13. Jargon : CANT
14. Glee club member : ALTO - vocal range
18. Pliant : LITHE
22. Suds, so to speak : BEER - I, uh, liked this too much - see 57D
24. Apple and peacock, e.g. : LOGOS - these two examples
25. Bakery emanation : AROMA
26. First bird off the Ark, in Genesis : RAVEN - is this a 40A?
27. Deserve no stars : STINK - a thumbs down, I'd say
29. Notable Titanic casualty : ASTOR - 100 years, next year
30. Compact, perhaps : COUPE - as in cars
31. Place for snaps : ALBUM - snap-shots, photos
32. Summons : BEEPS
37. American enticements : LOW FARES - the airline, American
39. Caspian feeder : URAL - map
42. How hard crosswords are usually not done : IN INK
45. Golf ball feature : DIMPLE
48. Willem of "Spider-Man" : DAFOE - as the Green Goblin
49. Can. or Mex., e.g. : ABBR - a little misdirection, using countries
50. Reveal : BARE - show me some leg~!
51. Where Goliath was slain : ELAH
52. "I Just Can't Live __": Carrie Underwood song : A LIE
54. Mystique : AURA
55. Cereal material : BRAN - started with rice
56. Rip to bits : REND
57. Piedmont product : ASTI - the bubbly, loved the stuff - looks like a cool website
59. Completely : ALL
60. __ rule : GAG - had "AS A" here...
Answer grid.
Splynter
Note from C.C.:
Click here for some info about today's constructor Bonnie L. Gentry.
43 comments:
Good Morning, all!
I had a lot of good answers...but they turned out wrong. Solo insread of sole and rates instead of fares. Good thing I did it online; I hate to think of the mess I'd have had if I did it in ink.
Morning, all!
What a wonderful Saturday puzzle! My first pass through the across clues yielded nothing in the entire top half, and I really through this one was going to destroy me, but once I started attacking the perps I made slow and steady progress until I finally got the job done.
Lots of false starts for me as well, as well as correct answers that I put in and then removed. I got NOI for 41A right away, for example, but removed it after mistakenly putting in EVER SO OFTEN instead of EVER AND ANON at 6D (and yes, I know it should have been EVERY SO OFTEN).
There were a few unknowns, like PHENYL and LARSEN, but nothing really bad. What really made the puzzle sparkle, though, were all the wonderfully tricky clues. "Can. or Mex." for ABBR! "Duty-free" for ON LEAVE! "Juice source" for BATTERY! The aforementioned "Team feature" for NO I! "Exact opposites" for BALLPARK FIGURES! Every one was a real gem.
The only part of the puzzle I didn't love, in fact, was seeing ONE A clued as "service rank." It may be a crossword standard, but I still don't think it actually means anything...
Good day folks,
After my first pass through, I was looking at roughly 99% empty spaces on the grid. But after grinding at it for awhile the South was complete and the central section was beginning to jell and finally the North came together. But, there were a ton of incorrect fills that needed to be modified along the way. Big workout for the eraser.
Had solo instead of sole, phenol instead of phenyl, take a cab rather than hail..., hiho over Hoho, etc.
Perps gave me Go Viral, Roil, & Abeam and a foothold for several other clues.
Favorites were Reheels (was thinking gas or water pumps), Letters with feeling, and moving locks. I could use hair replacement.
A lot of the clues were vague, making the puzzle all the more enjoyable. The misdirection was clever and engaged the grey matter from the start.
Everyone have a great Holiday and stay safe.
Very easy Saturday puzzle. Loved the clever cluing.
"Ever and anon is common in Shakeespeare.
"He was perfumed like a milliner,
And ’twixt his finger and his thumb he held
A pouncet-box, which ever and anon
He gave his nose and took ’t away again. "
Rocheting-A "glancing blow: ricochets off whAtever is hit.
Barry G: Service rank as in Selective Service. Here's the full list: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selective_Service_System#Classifications
One A means ready for duty!
I, too, had OREO instead of HOHO and used AS A (rule) instead of GAG, which tripped me up too.
I don't want a Ricochet Romance.(2:43)
What Barry said.
Hello Puzzlers - I had hopes of doing a no-peeky today. Not a chance. Had to find out who DAFOE was, where Goliath got ICED, and what sorts of films the Kettles were in.
Had UNTAXED for duty free, and that froze the NW for ages. Had to red-letter my way out of that.
I wonder whether my mom knew about The Egg and I. The house my folks bought back in '46 had been a chicken farm; my dad thought it would be a great idea for my mom to use the empty facilities for an egg business. After all that feeding, gathering, egg washing, grading, and delivering, it was barely a break-even enterprise.
Good Morning All, Just a quick note before we head out.
Arrghh! Our chorus group has just finished practicing and then performing "Our Love Is Here To Stay". I must have sung it 30 times. What else could the puzzle fill be other than "EVER AND A DAY"? Ella.
Rain, rain go away! We ain’t gonna flood but it is cold, wet and windy out here in the hinterlands! This puzzle was a real slog but seemed fairer and, as my kids say, “funner” than yesterday. Everything was gettable!
Musings
-The golf ball DIMPLE was my first real toe hold.
-I was getting ready to go online to Redletterville after 45 minutes of some success but after a 5 minute break, HAIRREPLACEMENT (not transplant) appeared and I whupped it!
-No ink on Saturday!
-Some overpaid, over the hill ball players are whining if not crying these days!
-Laid down on that sofa? Not so much!
-CROPUP not DROPIN (bane of Seinfeld).
-HAREM and not seraglio is answer!
-Loved Braille and Low Fares clue too!
-Trump would never have gone down with that ship!
Tough one! Very ambiguous as a good puzzle should be.
Did not get 17 nor 58 across. Thought 58 at least had some merit but lost me completly on, 17 across, "hair replacement"
Not convinced either of these answers were less than misdirection.
Good morning Splynter, C.C. and Saturday Solvers all.
This was not in the REAL EASY category, but perserverence paid off and I finally got it done... IN INK! It's not a pretty sight, though.
HOHO was my first choice which gave me 'hexagon' for 1a. Oops! Repacks a pump? Nope, REHEELS. Hand up for 'laid down' and 'drop in', but HAIL A CAB was one of my few first pass entries.
Thanks C.C. for the link to our constructor's bio. I'm not sure I could trust a financial advisor that puts together such a devious puzzle though...
Splynter, my first 'career' from '62 to '74 was with UPS in Buildings and Facilities Maintenance.
Good morning puzzlers.
This was an old fashioned rasslin' match for me. Started working across, but the first fills were the downs TAR, ETC, LITHE and ASTOR. From there I just jumped around and had to trust my instincts on numerous wags. Took forever, but got it done. The only thing I didn't like was Ever and Anon. I get it now that I've read the comments, but it still feels badly off.
Good Morning C.C., Splynter and all,
Super write-up, Splynter and thanks to the link to our constructor, C.C.; having just finished the puzzle, I am definitely impressed with Bonnie Gentry.
This was quite difficult for me. The biggest misdirection for me was 60D; one of my first entries and my last correction. Wow! I looked up 48D and it opened up the obstructions in the entire south.
The long fills were exceptional. I keep scanning this puzzle for the plain enjoyment of the fill.
Thanks, Bonnie.
Going to read the posts now; then I’m out of here .
Have a nice day everyone.
I started this one on paper, but after getting only the top third with any success switched to the LA site with red letters. That revealed some errors which had held up progress and the rest went quickly--20 minutes, which never would have happened on paper.
I had started with TAKE for HAIL, SHOW, then TURN for CROP, and I can't quite equate CANT with jargon. Both LARSEN and EGG AND I were unknowns, but there was a lot of clever clueing to like in this puzzle.
JD,
I hope the surgery went well for your DH.
Have a great weekend, all of you.
Good morning all. Nice commentary, Splynter.
Argyle; LOL. Pretty much my experience, too.
Somewhat nautical today. RAVENS are smart. Do you suppose it was first because it understood "All ashore that's going ashore"? While I don't think I've ever 'crossed a keel', I guess ABEAM works. Here is "A GOB is a Slob" from Oscar Brand's bawdy ballads. About a sailor ON LEAVE.
The solve pretty much went from west to east. The big breakthrough occurred when RICOCHETING loomed. It was tough but fair and clever with lots of bright fill. Loved the clueing for BALL PARK FIGURES and BRAILLE.
Enjoy this special weekend.
I should know better than to try a Saturday puzzle. What a mess. I guess if I keep at it I can only get better.
No sky in sight, just more rain. Drats!
Breakfast is calling, have a good one.
good morning c.c., splynter, and all,
great job splynter, and a great puzzle. like barry g, at first i thought i'd get beat up .. but ended up with a faster time than yesterday. some wildly clever clues.
someone please help me out with 'exact opposites' for ballpark figures ... what 'dis mean?
and marti, a belated welcome to the blogging team, you make a great addition.
Addendum - Why I don’t use ink on Saturday
MB: A ball park figure is 'approximate' or an estimate. I guess that could be the opposite of 'exact'; hence 'exact opposites'
thx spitz ...
MB, I had to think about that one too. The opposite of 'exact' is an estimate. Another expression for estimate is a 'ballpark figure.' So the tricky clue means the opposite of the word exact is a ballpark figure.
Here's the list of the words spelled correctly from yesterday according to the Reader's Digest.
1. Asinine
2. Braggadocio
3. Rarefy
4. Liquefy
5. Pavilion
6. Vermilion
7. Impostor
8. Moccasin
9. Accommodate
10. Consensus
11. Rococo
12. Titillate
13. Sacrilegious
14. Mayonnaise
15. Impresario
16. Inoculate
17. Supersede
18. Obbligato (preferred to obligato.)
19. Desiccate
20. Resuscitate
Lots of clever mis-direction.
Thanks Bonnie for a FUN Saturday.
A few write-overs.
'Take-a-cab' for HAIL-A-CAB.
'Drop-in' for CROP UP.
If I "RE-POT" it probably has nothing to do with "Finding a new home."
"Got-er-done" IN INK. But it was a slog.
I always do the puzzles "On-paper/in ink."
Never know if the puzzle is going to be "a hard one" until the Ink-Blot test appears.
LARSEN (all perps) as "The Sea-Wolf" captain was the learning moment.
BRAILLE got the days grin.
The EGG-AND-I todays gimmie (and first entry).
Bill G, so "obligato" (#18) is an acceptable spelling? So I may have gotten one right?
MB - thanks, even though it's only an occasional pinch-hitting session. I still don't know how you guys do it all the time!
Husker - is there anything left of the paper? Looks like you were also trying to erase the back squares in spots just to make your answers fit, LOL!
Cuban sandwich site: INFIDEL
Is an INFIDEL allowed to enter a mosque? Yes, IF LED IN.
Good morning Splynter, C.C. et al,
No time to read blog yet. Enjoyed all the misdirections. Had to change a few: in pen to in ink.
G'd to fill Larsen and Egg and I . Perps were good for sera, phenyl...
ho ho's- knew 'em/never bought them; girls remind me often. I think they chose friends whose parents bought junk food!
American-low fares- got a double ha ha
favorite-long ride = limo
DH's surgery went well..thanks
C.C.-thanks for info on Bonnie. Enjoyed this one, because I could complete it. :))
Boys on way over; they are putting in front lawn today.
You're right Marti, it was gruesome but a lot of fun after some of the CANT from yesterday. It looks like I took the Ann Margaret route where she was filing down jigsaw puzzle pieces so they would fit. Does anyone remember that movie?
Just came from replacing 88 yr. old MIL's phone and the Y. We are then headed out to help host my nephew's H.S. graduation party. Heckle and Jeckle yesterday and the rest of the family today.
"Exact opposites" for BALLPARK FIGURES. Could anyone explain??
Anon, see Spitzboov @ 11:14 AM
Argyle: Thanks for the help! I am in the Fond du Lac, WI area that I have seen clued at least twice. I enjoy the blog.
Greetings, everyone! Thank you for a humorous and educational write up, Splynter. Have never heard of GOB meaning sailor!
For my experience see thehondohurricane's first paragraph. Finally skipped about here and there until finishing 95% but the NW beat me as I would not give up OREO or RELIEVE. It was exhausting.
Bonny Gentry's name rang a bell and I recalled she had been either on the city council or board of education in Scottsdale. Thanks for the workout, Bonny.
The Egg and I is very funny and worth renting.
duty free? ONLEAVE, cute
Spitz, thank you for exact opposite.
Have a great weekend, everyone!
Bill G:
I have always considered myself an excellent speller, but now must drastically downgrade myself.
I did those RD tests for years, too!
Calling "ONE A" a service rank is a classic mistake made by people that didn't take the time to find out the truth. As a decorated enlisted Viet Nam veteran who served a year on the DMZ in the 5th Infantry Division, I would like to correct the clue for ONE A. I am looking at my last Selective Service card with my 1-A on it. It is in a blank labeled "is classified in Class". It is not a service rank. It is a draft classification. 1-A is defined under Selective Service Classifications as "Registrant available for military service".
Please inform your colleagues of this correction.
It's a bit unfortunate that Bonnie doesn't seem to be familiar to folks at the Corner. She's been making great puzzles for a long time and is very highly respected among other constructors.
Spitz explained the "Exact opposites" clue well. But you might also think of "Inexact" as what ballpark figures are.
Glenn B,
I had the same reaction to that clue, and I've had no connection to anyone in the military here. It just didn't seem to be the same as 'rank'.
Lucina,
At least you weren't alone--I was disgusted with my performance on those spelling words too. i blame the phonetics a little too. My vowels don't always equate the American pronunciation.
Anon @1:52,
We have others in WI too--Al in Green Bay, Marge in the Baraboo area, and I'm in Richland Center.
Fun puzzle. I did it IN INK even though I found it hard. Almost got caught with the Pump Fix, then I remembered some women's shoes are called pumps.
No airline offers very good enticements these days - have seen decent low fares in ages.
Remember those who served the country this weekend.
Glenn- You're right, ONEA is a draft classification. But the "Service rank" clue is still correct. In this case "rank" is simply meant to signify one's standing in terms of draft status. It is not equating ONEA to being a Private, General, Colonel, etc. Rank has layers of meanings.
Thank you, Kazie, for commiserating; misery does love company!
Kaxie, Lucina and others; I think that's a really hard spelling list so don't feel bad. I still misspell some of them and I posted the list.
Re. words like obligato that are a variation of the preferred spelling. Don't a lot of those words end up in the dictionary because people misspell them so often they become acceptable? I remember we had 'ukelele' in a crossword puzzle about a year ago instead of 'ukulele' and there was no (var.) indication. For me, I would prefer to learn the correct way to spell a word rather than settle for a variation that resulted from a dictionary accepting a misspelling that has become commonplace. That's sort of like somebody here (Lucina maybe?) noticed that some dictionary said that 'imply' and 'infer' had become interchangeable. Interesting...I just started reading an old Nero Wolfe mystery that started with his tearing up a new dictionary he had purchased because it had imply/infer as interchangable.
Bill, there may be many variations because we have changed many words from the old English spellings. Judgement/judgment might be an example of that.
Anyone read the Sunday comics yet? Earl(from Pickles) is now sculpting peach pits.
Bill and Spitz, thanks for the explaining ballpark figures.
Anon @1:52,
I just realized I left out Dot and Irv, just outside Madison and Andrea in Madison. So there are a lot of us. Any other Wisconsinites lurking out there?
Sorry, Bill, I can't take credit for that; I just ranted about it after it was posted.
Good Morning, folks. It is almost 3:30AM, Sunday morning. Thank you Bonnie for a tough, but interesting and fun, puzzle. Thank you Splynter for the write-up.
Well, I was out on the street all day selling onions. Did not really work the puzzle until I got home. I was so tired I crashed on the couch until midnight, then worked on the puzzle.
I, also, did it in ink. I always do. However, it has lots of write-overs.
Had BASS instead of ALTO for a while. Had LARSON instead of LARSEN. Had DROPIN instead of CROPUP.
Do not understand GO VIRAL/YOU TUBE. Got them with perps, but. . . .
ONE A seemed easy because I assumed that Service referred to Selective Service.
ASTI was tough to get for a while because I was thinking of Piedmont as in the U S Piedmont area in the East. Then Italy hit me and ASTI became obvious.
I was hesitant to enter REAL EASY for a while because it just seemed too Easy. Eventually I wrote it down and it worked.
See you later today for the Sunday puzzle.
Abejo
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