Words: 72 (missing Q,Z)
Blocks: 30
If I was feeling better about last week's Silkie, then this week's
offering left me feeling downright blissful. I liked getting an early
10-letter across fill with confidence, followed by an 11-letter down-er,
and despite a few proper nouns which slowed me up, I was able to get
through this one with little resistance, in about half my personal
time. Oh - and four four-letter gimme words today, too (*). I hope your solve was just as enjoyable ( individual results may vary ). Some of the longer fill:
15a. Video game that comes in a World Tour version : GUITAR HERO - call me ".22 caliber Splynter", because I nailed it ( I was driving nails into concrete today with my Ramset ). I find the game harder to play than a real guitar
11. Freetown is its capital : SIERRA LEONE - I don't know why I put in Sierra Madre first
22. Dieter's brand : LEAN CUISINE - nailed it
O N W A R D ~!
ACROSS:
1. Breakfast spread : APRICOT JAM - really just too many choices to even start with WAGs
11. Attempt : STAB
16. Part of the Louisiana Purchase : IOWA - now this was a W.A.G.; I figured Ohio was already in the union, but now I see that it joined a mere 60 days before the U.S. spent $15mil for 828,000sq. miles
11. Attempt : STAB
16. Part of the Louisiana Purchase : IOWA - now this was a W.A.G.; I figured Ohio was already in the union, but now I see that it joined a mere 60 days before the U.S. spent $15mil for 828,000sq. miles
17. Meditation goal : INNER PEACE - I'm still looking for a piece of my inner peace
18. Vet : EX-GI
19. Allowed : OK'D
20. Bull or cow, perhaps : RHINO - popular this week
21. Pipe material : BRIER - lead, copper, plastic~? Oh, that kind of pipe
23. Imposed : FORCED
24. Patsy : PIGEON
27. Copernicus Science Centre site : WARSAW - a strange occurrence; I had -ARSA-; just needed the "W"s
29. "Herbie: Fully Loaded" actress : LOHAN
30. Place to stretch one's legs : YOGA CLASS - yes~! yes~! stretch those legs~!
33. Like many a quote: Abbr. : ANON - and many a snarky commenter
34. Like some cereal : OATEN - dah, I was going to throw this in, but hesitated
35. What we have here, to Jorge : ESTA - in other words, 'this'
36. Sports demographic : NASCAR DAD - I am a "wannabe" hockey dad - I got the hockey part taken care of....the daddy part, not so much. My NY Rangers eliminated the Penguins last night
38. Bach's "Jesu, meine Freude," e.g. : MOTET
39. Pisa native : TUSCAN - I am not familiar with specific locations of Italy - other than Rome - but once I had TU-C....as a builder and drafter, I feel the need to visit the Leaning Tower; I never had the chance to visit the World Trade Center, and I live 60mi away.
41. Caroline portrayer in "Untamed Heart" : MARISA - Tomei; IMDb - you gotta read the summary
43. One may be recurring : ROLE
44. Important star group : A-LIST
45. "The Fountainhead" architect : ROARK - I am ashamed that I did not remember his name; it came to me once I had -O-RK. Loved the book.
47. Hophni's father, in the Bible : ELI
50. Fictional knight : JEDI - Star Wars
51. Software for screenwriters : MOVIE MAGIC - Star Wars was movie magic; this is the software Wiki
53. Field laborers : OXEN
54. Secret discovered by a woodcutter : OPEN SESAME - ah, those woodcutters
55. Medium __ : RARE
56. Dating option : PERSONAL AD - SWM, 5'9", looking for SWF, never married, no kids; blue-eyed, dark-haired, about 5'4"; long legs preferred. Contact me here at the blog
DOWN:
1. Currency exchange fee : AGIO - I can never recall this
2. Kind of rock : PUNK
3. Zest source : RIND
4. Urban ending : ITE - urbanite
5. Buzzard attractor : CARRION
6. Bruce Wayne, e.g. : ORPHAN - all perps; didn't realize I got it til I came here
7. "The good is oft interred with __ bones": Shak. : THEIR - WAG
8. "Sleepy" woman in the song "Daydream Believer" : JEAN - odd; this was playing on the muzak at the restaurant this week
7. "The good is oft interred with __ bones": Shak. : THEIR - WAG
8. "Sleepy" woman in the song "Daydream Believer" : JEAN - odd; this was playing on the muzak at the restaurant this week
9. Violist's direction : ARCO - not pizzicato
10. Springfield bartender : MOE - more Simpsons this week
10. Springfield bartender : MOE - more Simpsons this week
12. "Erin Brockovich" subject : TOXIC WASTE
13. "Rats!" : "AW GEE~!"
14. John Logie __, inventor of the first mechanical TV : BAIRD - there was a science program that discussed this invention, and I was fascinated; more here
21. Anjou cousin : BOSC - pairs of pears
23. Drescher of "The Nanny" : FRAN - liked her more as Bobbi Fleckman - what movie am I referring to~?? No cheating~!
24. Design : PLAN
25. Hebrides isle : IONA - I'm getting better with this clue/answer
26. 2007 Nicolas Cage title role : GHOST RIDER - seen some of the movie, but not intentionally
27. Odin's Germanic counterpart : WOTAN - perps and WAGs
28*. Like fine port : AGED
30. "Blah ..." : YADA
31. Dump closing? : STER dumpster; I need to rent one in June
32. Coll. acceptance factors : SATs
34*. Sea predator : ORCA
37. __ mgr. : ASST
38. Old calcium source? : MILKMEN - har-har
40. To a greater extent : MORE SO
41. Academic declaration : MAJOR - I declare that my only major in college was alcohol consumption, and I only "graduated" 10yrs ago
42. "Spy Kids" actress Vega : ALEXA - her first name is 55.5% of the way there
43. Comes down : RAINS - not ALITS
45. Partition, with "off" : ROPE
46*. Done : OVER
47. Alike, in Arles : EGAL - Frawnche
48. It was founded as Ciudad de los Reyes in 1535 : LIMA
49. Decorated, in a way : ICED
51. Cleanup aid : MOP
52. "__ result ..." : AS A - this is the last clue; as a result, I am signing off
Splynter
Yippeeee !
ReplyDeleteNumber One today !
(Barry G. musta overslept.)
Morning, all [I actually got up a bit on the early side for a Saturday)!
ReplyDeleteI was mostly on Daniel's mental wavelength for this one and got through the rest through some lucky guesses. Even then, however, I almost turfed it in the end.
Started in the NW corner, as usual, and quickly filled it in thanks to JEAN, ARC, MOE and GUITAR HERO. Thought I was off and running in the NE with SOUTH AFRICA at 11D, since that quickly got me STAB and WARSAW, but then things went off the rails until I finally removed SOUTH AFRICA and went with SIERRA LEONE instead. Never heard of BAIRD, but the perps took care of him.
Down in the SW, I was able to throw down both GHOST RIDER and LEAN CUISINE without much thought and that really opened up that whole area for me. Only ALEXA was unknown, but once again the perps came to the rescue.
The SE is where I almost threw in the towel. I'm not a huge Ayn Rand fan (as in, not at all), but I was very proud of myself for knowing GAULT right off the bat for 45A, which gave me GATE at 45D. Except, of course, I was thinking of John GALT and have never heard of ROARK. Which meant GATE was actually ROPE. It wasn't until I got OPEN SESAME that I realized that GATE didn't work, which led me to take out GAULT and start all over again from scratch. Fortunately, I made some correct guesses at LIMA, ELI and EGAL which gave me enough of a foothold to get going. Never heard of MOVIE MAGIC, although it was easy enough to guess once I had M____MAGIC in place...
Good morning!
ReplyDeleteI thought this one was tough! I put in old friend AGIO immediately. But then I put stuff in, took it out, put it back in again. I was just absolutely sure that CARcass was the buzzard lure! Bzzzzt! I muddled through to victory, but definitely not in record time.
I've always spelled it BRIAR, but AWGAE wasn't cutting it.
FRAN Drescher's voice was like fingernails on a blackboard!
Thanks, Daniel, for stretching my xword legs this morning. Splynter, no age range for that SWF? Your 55.5% went totally over my head -- that happens a lot lately.
This looked and felt exactly like a Silkie. And that's a compliment. Started out slow and never picked up speed, but it just sort of unfolded. First pass only yielded Jean, Moe, Fran and Briar (sic). Lots of outright wags and several all perp fills (Wotan, Alexa etc). But some of the long fill just appeared with 3 or 4 perps in place (Lean Cuisine, Sierra Leone) . A slog, but a fun one.
ReplyDeleteWD-OS about CARCASS and BRIAR. Lot of unknowns today, including MARISA, ALEXA, ELI, LOHAN, GUITAR HERO, MOVIE MAGIC. [Initially put MOVIE MAKER for the last, but it's not for screenwriters -- didnt think that one through.] So I was very surprised when the time after the "tada" showed much faster than a typical Saturday. Not quite sure how that happened.
ReplyDeleteDid it seem like there were a lot of movie clues today? "Erin Brockovich", "Untamed Heart", "Herbie: Fully Loaded", "Spy Kids", JEDI, GHOST RIDER...
Splynter, loved your joke of choosing chicken TUSCAN as the example of LEAN CUISINE, then illustrating TUSCAN architecture with the LEANing tower of Pisa.
Thanks D. N. for today's puzzle. It was fun for the picking away at it. I never work for time, so no pressure. My first entry was APRICOT JAM. I tried JAM and thought it would be okay when JEAN perped. I moved through fruit and APRICOT worked with PUNK and RIND.
ReplyDeleteEasy start for me, but I slowed down considerably after that. Couldn't remember MINERS even though I think we had that recently with miners as the clue for UTEP. New to me: AGIO. Never heard it, and wonder if I'll remember the next time it appears. Good x-word answer.
Nice tour, Splynter. I like the links. Thanks.
Good Morning:
ReplyDeleteThis was slow-going for awhile, but then, like a Silkie, a chip here, a chip there, and voila, TADA! It took me the average Saturday time. I don't time myself or try to race through a puzzle but the app gives you your time of completion.
We finally have some sunshine after what seems like endless rainy and dreary days. It is still chilly, though, with below-average temps and the never-ending wind!
Have a great day.
So sorry, I forgot to thank David and Splynter for their fine efforts. Thank you, thank you, thank you! 😌
ReplyDeleteNew Yorker cartoon.
ReplyDeleteYour Words.
There once was a teetotaling DRAGON
Who melted his gold into a flagon.
It was huge, which was fine,
Held enough red blood-wine
For a whole knight, if he fell off the wagon!
I'm a few days behind.
The Shakespeare is by Marc Antony in Julius Caesar:
ReplyDeleteFriends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears
I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.
The evil that men do lives after them,
The good is oft interred with their bones;
So let it be with Caesar.
Another I'm sorry! Thank you, DANIEL!
ReplyDeleteMiss Irish - to you, it's Mr. Nierenberg. ;-o)
ReplyDeleteSWF would have liked to have met SWM.
What'dya mean,'no kids' ?
I am prenubile, and in high school. Am I a kid ?
You age prejudiced, huh ? Mr. Senior Citizen.
DesperOtto - Alexa is 5 letters out of 9 of 'Alexa Vega', ergo 5 out of 9 is 55.5555%, say, thats actually 55.6%.
I know that because I'm studying for my PSAT and I have my alecktronic calculater right here.
Hi again ~!
ReplyDeleteSWF, i am hoping she does not HAVE kids was my point; still a long way from senior citizen, too ~!
Splynter
The SE corner got me! I refused to let go of MOVIE MAKER even though I knew LIMA was needed but I’ll take 4 bad cells on this wonderful puzzle.
ReplyDeleteMusings
-OKD, AGIO and ARCO were a NW challenge
-Pathological LIAR (2:00)
-Some think Lee Harvey Oswald was a patsy
-I guess that Bach work was not an OPERA, but I do know the infield for the 1960 Yankees! ;-)
-Klinger eventually became a recurring role on M*A*S*H
-Family and friends never tried a PERSONAL AD but had good luck here
-Yeah, I guess we interred Adolph’s good with his bones
-Daydream Believer was written by John Stewart shortly before he left The Kingston Trio. The We Five and Spanky and Our Gang passed on it.
-I wonder if a violinist ever asked for a different kind of directions here
-Ed Masry: What makes you think you can just walk in there and find what we need?
Erin Brockovich: They’re called boobs, Ed.
-It RAINED 1¾” here last night
SWF Wannabe -- thanx for the math explanation. BTW, I also have to take those PSA tests.
ReplyDeleteMmmmm, HG,
ReplyDeleteWe Five and Spanky and Our Gang. Good Memories. When I woke up this morning. . . . .
Lots of Movie & Actor references today…. good thing I go to a lot. ( Actually saw 'Age of Adeline' yesterday with my wife. It had potential, then took a nosedive 1/2 way thru. Dumb)
ReplyDeleteNormal Sat. solve time. Have a nice weekend!
This is baseball's newest MAJOR PUNK. With ARod keeping his mouth shut and producing with a PED free body, this guy Ventura has become MLB's biggest villain.
ReplyDeleteEGAL in French means equal and this does not mean alike or similar in any language. It means identical.
ReplyDeleteThank you Daniel and Splynter.
ReplyDeleteThings looked really bleak after the first pass. Then I boldly inked in WAGS for three completely blank double-digit answers.
I groaned a bit over "Decorated, in a way" ICED and "Field Laborers" OXEN.
I have received many honors in my lifetime, but the greatest honor occurred the day that she said 'I do.' Not sure what the 33 year gift is. Will have to look that up.
Say... do I sense a crossword theme here?
I don't know why, but I didn't like this puzzle, perhaps in part because of such cluing as those for ORPHAN and RHINO. Most of the solves elicited "Oh, so that's it?" reactions. And I dislike that spelling of briar. OATEN, really? "Here, dear, have some nice oaten cereal." Um, no thanks. Maybe I just got out of the wrong side of the bed this morning.
ReplyDeleteBest wishes to you all.
IMHO, the finest Saturday puzzle of the year. Simply terrific words and phrases at every turn. Bravo. Mr. Nierenberg!
ReplyDeleteEGAL - My LaRousse inludes 'alike' in its definition of 'egal'.
ReplyDeleteWhat Avg Joe said. I thought OATEN was apt, Scratched my head over RHINO; and learned BRIER is a variation of briar. It's Saturday.
I did pretty well for a Saturday pzl. I didn't get BRIER, because I couldn't get my mind to expand on "Anjou cousin" from French geography to pears. This left me with a weird one--TOSC instead of BOSC-- and from there to TRILL for "Pipe material."
ReplyDeleteNow, if you pause to see it with my eyes, you'll see what a sweet misdirection that could have been (hearing in my mind's ear the high pitched warble of a military band's pipe or fife), and you would have been willing, as I was, to give up the three wrong perps that resulted.
Hi Y'all! Great puzzle, Daniel! Pretty fast for me. Great expo, Splynter!
ReplyDeleteI was so proud to immediately type in SIERRA LEONE and be surprised it didn't turn red. Don't know how I got that one.
LEAN CUISINE came more slowly than it should have. I eat the stuff almost daily (the only reason I don't weight 500#.)
"Herbie: Fully Loaded" actress = LOHAN, who is reputedly often "fully loaded". LOL!
AGIO? Really? Huh!
APRICOT JAM was one of the last to fill despite that, having 13 apricot trees on the farm, I made gallons of the stuff most years. What probably confused me: we didn't eat it for breakfast much, not big toast or pancake eaters.
Greetings!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Daniel and Splynter!
Did not have enough patience. ORPHAN just wouldn't come. Two AM really too late to start these Saturday puzzlers.
We had approx. 1/200 inch of rain here, I think, after waiting for it for a week. (Gov. Jerry Brown has imposed penalties on water usage. Oh joy. Guess that I shouldn't complain about the cold, gloomy weather. Have lots and lots of roses. Lots of squash plants may not survive.)
Cheers!
Missed the party altogether today. Busy schedule attending a conference then baby sitting grandkids.
ReplyDeleteStarted late on the puzzle and got on Daniel's wave length until halfway through it. Slogged through the rest and overall found it easier than most Saturdays.
I hope your weekend is going great, everyone!
A day late finishing, but I love reading this. I'm just ignorant on what WAG and perps are?
ReplyDeleteWAG - wild ass guess
ReplyDeleteperps - entries that are perpendicular to the current one you are working on.