Words: 70 (missing Q,X)
Blocks: 32
Yes, it was feeling like we'd get a Silkie today - and the first day of summer,
officially 6:51am EDT. Not a terribly daunting puzzle, with a
different looking grid. Three-letter fill to start, which didn't help me much,
but there were a few fills on the first pass, and even more on the
Downs. Triple 11- and 7-letter corners, and two 10-letter fills on the
inside;
33. Cocktail with rum : BAHAMA MAMA - My friends and I came up with the drink name "Gilligan's
Island", which was a total misnomer - the drink consisted of Captain Morgan
and Ginger Ale, but the show had a Skipper, not a Captain....and I preferred Mary Ann anyway
37. Crusaded : CAMPAIGNED - Great fill, considering the silent "G"
oooh, uh, Onward?!?!?
ACROSS:
1. Image on many Oregon license plates : FIR - Makes sense now
4. Drink containing the antioxidant lycopene : TOMATO JUICE - shoulda had a V-8
4. Drink containing the antioxidant lycopene : TOMATO JUICE - shoulda had a V-8
15. Rock genre : EMO - Rock? Meh.
16. "I'd have never guessed!" : "IMAGINE THAT"~!
17. Male __ : EGO - Can't believe Mr. Silk threw us all under the bus with this clue
18. Fight site : BATTLEFIELD
19. Doesn't start well? : HOT WIRES - Nice
21. Georgia-based insurance giant : AFLAC - Huh - not AETNA, not GEICO
22. One way to shrink : IN FEAR - made me think of this song, with the lyric "shrinking violet"
23. "Lassie Come-Home" author Knight : ERIC
25. Nautical units : KNOTS - Sort of a 'freebie' for a Saturday
26. Soup served with sour cream : SCHAV - Total WAG; I had SC-A-; never heard of this soup, never had it
16. "I'd have never guessed!" : "IMAGINE THAT"~!
17. Male __ : EGO - Can't believe Mr. Silk threw us all under the bus with this clue
18. Fight site : BATTLEFIELD
19. Doesn't start well? : HOT WIRES - Nice
21. Georgia-based insurance giant : AFLAC - Huh - not AETNA, not GEICO
22. One way to shrink : IN FEAR - made me think of this song, with the lyric "shrinking violet"
25. Nautical units : KNOTS - Sort of a 'freebie' for a Saturday
26. Soup served with sour cream : SCHAV - Total WAG; I had SC-A-; never heard of this soup, never had it
31. "You betcha" : YUP - My first thought, and considered it too easy
32. Bring in : EARN
35. Cocktail with sweet vermouth : AMERICANO - never had one
40. Old Venetian judge : DOGE
44. Food franchise initials : IGA - another fill I hesitated on
45. Enjoy on the sly : SNEAK
46. Rancor : VENOM
47. Magazine fig. : CIRCulation
49. Menace at sea : PIRATE - I really wanted to put in KRAKEN
32. Bring in : EARN
35. Cocktail with sweet vermouth : AMERICANO - never had one
40. Old Venetian judge : DOGE
44. Food franchise initials : IGA - another fill I hesitated on
45. Enjoy on the sly : SNEAK
46. Rancor : VENOM
47. Magazine fig. : CIRCulation
49. Menace at sea : PIRATE - I really wanted to put in KRAKEN
50. Words to un caro : TI AMO - "I love you"....one of these days
53. Nassau Coliseum player : ISLANDER - Mr. Silk rocks~! Home town fill - and yes, I AM a Ranger fan, but I will root for the Islanders, just because
55. First Bond actor born after the Bond films began : DANIEL CRAIG - Most logical, and it fit; gratuitous image for one C.C.
57. Charlton's "Earthquake" co-star : AVA - IMDb
58. Redealt, say : STARTED OVER
59. No. with a prefix : TELephone
60. It includes the Jurassic period : MESOZOIC ERA
61. Close : END - Great way to "end" the Across clues
DOWN:
1. Budget-squeezing announcement : FEE HIKE - we had this discussion at Home Depot yesterday while building grills; we are trapped on Long Island, unless we're willing to pay $15 to cross the Geo. Washington Bridge - highway robbery?
2. Response to "Did you clean your room yet?" : I'M GONNA - Aww, ma~
3. Support : ROOT FOR - I don't care that the Rangers lost in the Stanley Cup - they played ALL the games they could have played this season. Not much to "rebuild", either. Rick Nash, however....
4. Fibula neighbors : TIBIAS
5. Astrologer Sydney : OMARR - I read my daily and love horoscopes before starting work at UPS each morning
6. King's demise : MATE - Chess finale - that kind of king, not "The King" ( Elvis ) or Martin Luther
58. Redealt, say : STARTED OVER
59. No. with a prefix : TELephone
60. It includes the Jurassic period : MESOZOIC ERA
61. Close : END - Great way to "end" the Across clues
DOWN:
1. Budget-squeezing announcement : FEE HIKE - we had this discussion at Home Depot yesterday while building grills; we are trapped on Long Island, unless we're willing to pay $15 to cross the Geo. Washington Bridge - highway robbery?
2. Response to "Did you clean your room yet?" : I'M GONNA - Aww, ma~
3. Support : ROOT FOR - I don't care that the Rangers lost in the Stanley Cup - they played ALL the games they could have played this season. Not much to "rebuild", either. Rick Nash, however....
4. Fibula neighbors : TIBIAS
5. Astrologer Sydney : OMARR - I read my daily and love horoscopes before starting work at UPS each morning
6. King's demise : MATE - Chess finale - that kind of king, not "The King" ( Elvis ) or Martin Luther
7. CIA employees : AGTs - ah, not G-Men
8. Up to, in ads : TIL - unTIL
9. Most fit to serve : ONE-A
10. Lynne of ELO : JEFF - forced me to change my insurance company (21a.)
11. Not worthless : UTILE
12. "Gotcha" : "I HEAR YA"
13. Element #20 : CALCIUM - semi-cheat; I have a Periodic Chart app on my phone - can you say nerd?
14. JFK announcement : ETD - Dah~! not e.t.A
20. Brand used with wings : WET-NAP - Thought it might be "HOT-NIP" or something like that, for a spicy sauce
24. Pro concerned with losses : CPA - my CPA got me a huge return this year - thank you Home Inspection classes~!
26. Military nickname : SARGE
27. 20th-anniversary gift : CHINA - A list, for those curious
28. Czech diacritical sometimes called an inverted circumflex : HAČEK - not a clue, but I WAGed it right the first time. "Little hook", according to Wiki
29. Make __ dash : A MAD
30. Police vehicle : VAN - so vague; this is Saturday cluing
33. "__ Green": Kermit's song : BEIN' - I prefer the Rainbow Connection
34. Today : MODERN
36. More, in Mexico : MAS
37. Title for Obama: Abbr. : CIC - Commander In Chief
38. Shake up : AGITATE - Nailed it, but that's not sayin' much
39. Mooring areas : MARINAs
41. Out, perhaps : ON A DATE - One of these days....
42. Didn't let bygones be bygones : GOT EVEN
43. Shade of green : EMERALD
46. Levitra competitor : VIAGRA - Left out Cialis....I don't watch TV, but when I am at mom's house after hockey, I end up watching Jeopardy, and I can't stand the commercials for these drugs - but really, what else can they depict?
48. 2011 revolution locale : CAIRO
49. Diligent worker : PLIER
51. City on the Moselle : METZ
53. Camaro __-Z : IROC
54. Statistic in baseball and hockey : SAVE - so here's another thing C.C. & I have in common~!
55. Mil. honor : DSM - Distinguished Service Medal
56. Fifth-century date : CDI - 401 in Roman numerals
Splynter
46 comments:
Puzzles have two levels of complexity
To give them sufficient perplexity.
First the words from the clues,
Next the theme that then glues
Select words together in synchronicity!
A crossword puzzle that's themeless
Is like a sleep that is dreamless.
It may meet the minimums
To halt withdrawn symptoms,
Yet I still feel fulfillment's gleam less!
Morning, all!
Well, I managed to got through this one unassisted, but only because I finally accepted that maybe, just maybe, SCHAV was a real thing and kept it in the grid despite "knowing" that it was wrong.
Struggled a bit in the NE with ETA instead of ETD, BATTLE ARENA instead of BATTLEFIELD (due to the aforementioned ETA) and AETNA instead of AFLAC. Also tried JEAN instead of JEFF at one point.
Down south, I shot myself in the foot thinking "un caro" was Spanish and went with TE AMO instead of TI AMO. I finally STARTED OVER down there, however, and got it right the second time.
Elsewhere, I hated PLIER, only vaguely remembered HACEK (hence my hesitation on SCHAV) and had to guess on the drink names. Somehow it all managed to work out in the end, though.
Up and early on this first 'real' day of summer. Many complete unknowns and had to be WAGed or completed by perps. NW started badly by placing MISFIRES instead of HOTWIRES, unfamiliar with EMO, and have never heard of WETNAP ( wet napkin?) and I wanted 1D to be I'M BROKE. I don't like wing sauce). TOMATO JUICE, BAHAMAMAMA- those two came easily but I have never heard of AMERICANO which made it a DNF because the soup could have been SC_A_(r or v) for VAN or CAR. HACEK- a special mark in a foreign language that I am completely unfamiliar with.
This Saturday went smoother than most and IF I had finished it I would have been happier. PERPs solve JEFF Lynne, TIAMO, ERIC Knight, AVA, DSM. and IGA.
Luckily my grandmother used to make SCHAV and the rest was doable for Saturday Silkie.
Is Sidney Omarr still out there?
Happy longest day of the year
Good morning!
YUP, I stuck with AETNA (I knew the first A was correct) much too long. And like Splynter, JEFF showed me the light. I HEAR YA, Barry Silk.
Down south I shot myself in the foot by starting with DANIEL CRAne before VIAGRA straightened me out. Still, in the end, I came here for a learning experience, because SCHAV just couldn't be right. But it was... Finished in better than normal Saturday time, so all is good.
Time for that 10-mile bike ride...
Hello Puzzlers -
Typical for a Saturday Silkie, I got a piece here and a bit there until it was filled, but no TaDa. Hmmm. Trouble was I had Animate for Agitate, and though it didn't fit the clue as well, it seemed better in the grid.
Barely recalled Haček from earlier puzzles, and Schav was 100% perps. Never heard of a cocktail called Americano either.
Time for coffee.
With a hole remaining in the center I thought this might finally be the end of my modest streak. But I took an (educated?) guess with AMERICANO, WAGged the "H" in SCHAV and HACEK, and heard the (surprisingly unsatisfying) music.
[14:51]
Good morning Saturday Solvers!
YUP, same stumbling blocks as everyone else. SCHAV? Never heard of it, but perps were solid.
When I lived in Milan, I would always order an AMERICANO after work. Not because I liked them, but because I didn't like them, and would therefore sip very, very slowly. That way, I could keep up with my Italian friends who could down three or four drinks before going to dinner at 9:00!!
My major problems were with the slangy answers - I'M GONNA, BEIN, I HEAR YA and YUP (I had YeP at first.)
In the SE my "Out, perhaps" was "at lunch" instead of ON A DATE, and in the SW, my MARINAS were "wharves." I finally STARTED OVER and took out everything I had put in. Slowly, cautiously, carefully, I put in answers I knew like CIC, CAIRO, TI AMO. That gave me the kick start I needed, and I finally filled the rest from bottom to top. Whew!
Have a great day everyone!
I had to google for schav and hacek. Got everything else. I have finished a Saturday puzzle by 9 am in months.
I should have said "First time I have finished..."
Good Morning:
Well, this was a typical Silkie solve: first pass=a few write-ins and many head-shakes; second pass=more write-ins and a lot of ahas!; third pass=filling in the blanks, aided by perps and, in the case of schav/háček, a correct wag on the H and then the big TADA!
Thanks, Barry, for keeping us on our toes and thanks, Splynter, for keeping us informed.
Have a great day.
Oi!! Totally defeated me. Schav? Never heard of it. "Diligent worker" is a "plier"? Ha?? Still don't understand that one. "Brand used with wings" I tried and tried to think of the caffeine drink that "gives you wings". Couldn't think of it. Woulda been wrong anyway. And so it went for me for this CW.
Once again: OI!!
How apt, the longest time I have spent on a puzzle this year on the longest day of the year (I was somewhat daunted)! If you count confirming (not looking up) CALCIUM and ERIC and if scHav/Hacek is right, I’m gold! Oh well, after 4” of rain last night, I’m not golfing anyway.
Musings
-Loved – HOT WIRES and WET NAPS for wings, King’s demise wasn’t a COUP
-MIMOSA tempted me with M _ M_ _A but I think that needs champagne
-GREEN COFFEE, BOXING ARENA and AETNA fit in NE, VOTE FOR in the NW, CENOZOIC ERA in the SE
-The beautiful DOGE’s Palace in Venice
-I’M GONNA has never cut it around here
-On one trip to Florida, a 14-year-old girl had a hygiene issue and I was dispatched by another sponsor to buy a maxi product “with wings”. Talk about no idea!
-Uncle Virgil (aka SARGE) caught malaria during his WWII Pacific stint
-Heavy rain at the College World Series last night forced fans to make A MAD dash for cover
-Your MARINA might be in your front yard today after all our rain
-As a ute, TV did not carry ads for impotence, condoms, adult diapers, catheters nor, uh, lawyers ;-)
-Our OLEO is a stick or tub
-Name the song - “I took off my hat and said IMAGINE THAT, Me workin’ for you”
Click here for the answer to HG's lyric quiz.
HELP! My friend showed me this cartoon from his Elk’s magazine and said he didn’t get it. I confidently looked at the cartoon and then after a lot of time, I confessed I didn’t get it either. I told him I knew some really smart people on my blog and assured them that they’ll figure it out. Please let me know the answer when you make sense of it.
Good morning everyone.
Had the same experience as most others with SCHAV but left it because the perps were reasonably solid. Vaguely remembered HACEK from the past with perp help. Only red-letter help was with EMO - meh.
The syntax for HOT WIRES seemed awkward.˙
Musings 3
-If you watch Al’s video answer to my lyric question and don’t laugh out loud, you need a funny bone transplant! Wow, those are hilarious!
-If your druid outfit is in the wash, you might miss this most famous solstice celebration today
-We’re off to our reclining seats theater in Omaha to see Clint Eastwood’s cinematic take on Jersey Boys. The reviews say it is much darker and more realistic (R-rated for some violence and frequent “f-bombs”) than the stage play. Hey, if it’s got Sherry, Big Girls Don’t Cry, Walk Like a Man, etc., how bad can it be?
Well, I know I promised not to call it that again after I got my first Silkie a while back, but I can't help it, this was a DREADED SILKIE! Got only OMARR and DOGE on the first pass, and put in ETA and ARENA, eventually giving me BATTLE ARENA instead of BATTLEFIELD. Had to cheat to get almost everything else. Rotten Saturday morning. But at least Owen's poems made me smile.
Have a good weekend, everybody!
The product with wings also made my mind go to ladies protective pads. Even when I got WET NAPS with perps couldn’t see why [Buffalo Wings] I though, “Wet Naps don’t have wings.” And for UncleFred, Red Bull “gives you wings” and helps you pass finals.
I took plier to be one who “plied his trade” but it wasn’t a good fit.
I also think HOT WIRES do start a car Well; But they don’t do it GOOD [because you are stealing the car, presumeably]
The HAČEK is used in Karel Čapek, the Czech writer who coined the word Robot in his play RUR, of Wed. puzzle this week. This makes his name sound like tcha-pek .
I also only recall Kermits sad song as “It’s Not Easy Being Green” kept thinking there are not enough squares. Seemed “a drop the last consonant day” for the puzzle.
Husker Gary I think the joke in the Elks’ cartoon is that the 2 men have the mixed blessing of having an experiment work [or discovering a new species], but being eaten by a giant cricket.
Greetings, Weekend Soldiers!
A salute, to you Splynter, if you did this unassisted.
At first I thought this was too easy as my pencil almost flew through each quadrant. Then the center stopped me cold as I'm not up on my cocktails but managed to WAG both but then SC_AV hit me like a bolt. Finally I had to Google and must say had never heard of that soup.
In the NW I thought I'd be stumped but it was a case of overthinking. HOTWIRES finally jumped out at me and the whole section filled. Whew!
However, I should have reviewed. Originally I had CENOZOIC ERA and never thought of changing the C to M. Still I feel triumphant over all.
I'll read you later.
Have a super first day of summer, everyone! Gee, it might get hot!
WES about SCHAV (Except Lemonade!). Thanks for the expo, Splynter.
I'm more familiar with AMERICANO in a Starbucks context. The recipe for the cocktail doesn't sound appealing.
@unclefred - I'm reading "plier" to mean someone who plies a trade. Why that makes you diligent, I'm not sure.
@HG - no idea about the cartoon, unless it's some very obscure reference to the "giant grasshopper" fake photos from the 30's.
Near the end of this Eddie Izzard rant on Latin in a comment about Latin nouns. At about 5:50min into it.
Eddie Izzard on Latin
I forgot to say this is in regards to the "Is it te amo or ti amo?" issue since Spanish is really modern Latin.
This is the third Silkie that I got large parts of it quickly, in this case the long fills at the top & bottom, then figured out here & there. I then used red letters to get the rest except for the Northeast which took a lot head scratching.
VirgianiaSycamore:
What an intriguing pronouncement that "Spanish is really modern Latin" and I'm compelled to ask you why you think that?
Lemonade:
I'm really glad you confirmed the existence of SCHAV as I had doubts about it.
I'm afraid Mr. Silk's obscurities and vaguenesses made this an impossible task for me. I had only 92% accuracy. But the upside is that I learned about SCHAV--and so must give it a try.
I don't recall it on the menu of any of the restaurants we visit. I expect we will need to expand our culinary explorations.
Responding to some of my friends' postings...
I'm pretty sure the average ALIEN is a more diligent worker than the PLIER with whom I was finally forced to settle.
HOT WIRES is not in my experience in any way akin to "Doesn't start well." Sure, hot wiring might follow such an observation, but I'm with Spitzboov in that the syntax is not right. I can't go as far as VirginiaSyc in supposing a jacking is involved. The only time I saw it done was as a kindness after a key was lost.
And I'm with Splynter in questioning "Male" EGO.
As Eddie Izzard would say, QTF?
VirginiaSycamore, regarding your "ti amo/te amo" comment: TI AMO is Italian (Un caro" is Italian for "a dear"). So you are right - it is basically modern Latin.
But if it were Spanish, it would be this.
HI Y'all! This puzzle was way out of my wave length. Seeing the name Barry Silk always makes me cringe IN FEAR (of failure).
TIBIA, TOMATO JUICE, & EMERALD were the only fills on the first pass through. WEES. The rest were a few letters at a time & WAGs. I got BAHAMA MAMA only because I had the "B" & 2 "M's". Had to do several red-letters runs to get a start on words. Perseverance let me fill everything, but left me grouchy.
D-O: I got a mental picture of "VIAGRA straightening you out". Woohoo, only thrill of the day!
All the signs gave me enough chuckles to sweeten the puzzle mood. Thanks!
Splynter, honey, I hope you make "some day" happen soon before you get too far "over the hill"? Just sayin' it's time. Thanks for the great expo!
My first captcha was a solid black bar! No visible word or number....
HeartRX:
LOL! Te amo! I've never seen that but then cigars are not a major interest for me.
I suppose it could be said that all the current romance languages (Spanish, Italian, French, Romanian, and Portuguese)are actually modern Latin inasmuch as they derived from vulgar Latin intermingled with the local parlance of the time and if they all follow the structure and syntax as Spanish, then that is certainly based on Latin.
Spanish grammatical structure is multi-tiered as is Latin with all those cases, declensions, gender, etc.
WEES. For product with wings I started with TAMPAX, then wondered if PLAYTEX was spelled without a Y to fit. WET NAP? I keep a canister in the bathroom. They're great for finishing up the paperwork. Usually I use the store brand, but I've used Cottenelle and some other brand. Oh, that's right, it's not just a generic term like kleenix, it's also a specific Brand Name, isn't it!
The big grasshopper/locust/cricket? Hawkins: No, Ed, I don't realize what this means!
Lucina, really? I would've taken you for a cigar-smokin', whiskey dirnkin', gun-totin' Annie Oakley type!!
….(^0^)
Hi all!
A Big Fat DNF - DKS*!
1st pass "um-lycopene... I know that"... "CALCIUM, YUP, that was easy." "BAHAMA MAMA?" "Fit's AMAD dash"...
2nd pass - V8 smack TOMATOe JUIC ^Hx5 TOMATO JUICE! KNOTS, EARN, BEIN.
3rd & 4th passes gave me not much else else. Curses Silkie! One of these days.
Splynter - thank you for all the answers! And it's not just Tortilla soup w/ sour cream? Whoda thunk?
Lucina - I see you in a chair on the front porch with a big fattie (cigar) and a shot-gun by your side. You go girl!
Al C. I had tears in my eyes. I love FMEB's Signs and the mashup of signs was funny as hell.
HG - I can only imagine grasshoppers love a human cocktail as much as we love a grasshopper?
----
A grasshopper walks into a bar, the bartender says, "Hey, we have a drink named after you!".
The grasshopper responds, "You have a drink named Bob?"
Cheers, -T
*Don't Know S**
HG - I've thought about your cartoon a bit more... Perhaps it is the absurdity of curious folks (like all of us?) being so to the end. Still obliviously asking Why while others panic for their lives. Put that way, its a funny juxtaposition. Just my $0.02. C, -T
I don't much care for Saturday puzzles. Does Barry Silk every produce a themed puzzle? I've never seen one.
Gary, I always enjoy reading your musings.
Al, great signs!
Barbara used to serve homemade chilled Vichyssoise with a dollop of sour cream and a chilled soup spoon. Delicious!
I agree.
Victory! Found that cartoon (about 2/3rds down the page)! The original caption was subtly different, but enough to make sense. (Don't you hate when editors try to "correct" things like captions or crossword clues?)
Bill G. @ 7:08 - Vichyssoise is one of my favorites, although I haven't made it in ages. (cooking for one is boorrriinngg!). I used to make it as a starter for dinner parties.
Speaking of cooking, I spent the entire afternoon making Baked Stuffed Shells. I made a tray for my neighbor and her son, had some for dinner, and froze the rest in individual ramekins. I don't know which was worse-making them or the clean-up. (Or the sore feet and back from standing so long!)
Lucina, a few false rumors and a girl's reputation is completely askew! LOL!
I don't think Lucina would ever smoke a cigar.
Ok, people, you've been watching too much Duck Dynasty. That's not anywhere near my radar.
Owen, wow! I can't believe some editor thought he/she was making an improvement by changing that grasshopper cartoon caption. I'd like to think it was just a mistake...
The past couple of nights I've been watching old movies. Last night, Fargo, and I'd forgotten what a bloody massacre and that it's a true story. Don't know why I thought it was a comedy.
Tonight, Something's Gotta Give and again, I'd forgotten what a good movie it is. Diane Keaton, Jack Nicholson and Keanu Reeves really deliver.
In my earlier post I failed to admit to the whiskey. But that's all!
Hey Lucina, I assume you're referring to Fargo the movie rather than the TV show. Actually, it doesn't make any difference; neither of them is true. Apparently it was a little joke perpetrated on us by the Coen Brothers. According to Snopes: The 1996 movie Fargo begins: "This is a true story. The events depicted in this film took place in Minnesota in 1987. At the request of the survivors, the names have been changed. Out of respect for the dead, the rest has been told exactly as it occurred."
Great opening. And not a word of truth to it.
Read more here.
Snopes
The CIC always says we're gonna in case u don't catch it. gonna is common to him. LISTEN.
LS
Late with this but... ...a BIG problem when you are just SURE that the drink with sweet vermouth is a Manhattan -- and it fits. Never heard of an Americano.
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