Wednesday, Oct 2nd, 2024~Jay Silverman

  WAH~!

Calvin & Hobbes

Yesterday we had UNFAIR for an answer, today it's a lot more.  I have not had the pleasure of blogging a Jay Silverman puzzle, who last appeared at the LA Times on 11 June this year.  No circles, a mere 10 TLWs, thirty-six four-letter words, and just a handful of proper names, most of which are "fairly" common, at least to us Cornerites, in crosswords.  Three things that are "not fair" for themers, as defined by the reveal at 60 Across;

17. Like some brunettes: DARK-HAIRED - most of my exes - perhaps it's time for a FAIR-haired girl

It could be I'm "Autumn-ing" for her. . . .

26. Location of on-deck circles: FOUL TERRITORY - FAIR ball~! - some baseball for C.C.

44. Rough conditions: STORMY WEATHER - Do you have any "fair-weather friends~?" Here's a song co-written by 'Buck Dharma', the guitarist from Blue Öyster Cult on his 1982 solo album "Flat Out"

"Wind Weather and Storm"

60. Petulant cry, and what might be said about 17-, 26-, or 44-Across?: "IT'S NOT FAIR~!"

And Away We Go~!


ACROSS:

1. Authoritative doctrine: DOGMA

6. Crush, for one: SODA - Ah.  I do the Downs first; fooled me on the first pass

I loves me some orange soda

10. Large primates: APES

14. Districts: AREAS - I liked the movie "District 9"

The IMDb for those interested

15. Throw hard: HURL - also a clue yesterday

16. Say a novena, e.g.: PRAY

19. Benefit: PERK

20. Hit the snooze bar: SLEEP IN - I have done way too much of this lately - need to get some house projects finished

21. Publication whose name comes from an old Venetian coin: GAZETTE - The Wiki

23. "Good __!": IDEA

25. Promising words: OATHS

32. Gentle hills: RISES - "it's just over that rise there"

33. Defensive excavation: MOAT - seven syllables : one syllable = clue : answer

34. May honoree: MOM - & - 40A. Summer month: JUNE - & - 1D. 40-Across honorees: DADS

37. Canned brand: ALPO

38. Exasperated: FED UP - I thought this was the merger of FedEx and UPS. . . .

I'm still waiting for my first recliner to be delivered via FedEx. . . .

41. CIA relative: NSA - I can't tell you any more about this - it's a secret

42. Many a fundraising party: GALA - I had the first "A"

43. Soap star Susan: LUCCI - name #1, and I know this one

48. Map of Hawaii, often: INSET

A "variation" on the usual INSET

50. Splinter group: SECT - HEY~!  It's a self-proclaimed shout-out~!

51. Alternatives to tablets: LAPTOPS - I was issued one for work with the drafting software loaded for work in our second warehouse

54. London's Globe, for one: THEATRE - Learning moment for me

59. Hamper emanation: ODOR

62. iPhone helper: SIRI  - name(ish)

63. Largest of the Three Bears: PAPA

64. Extreme vigor: ARDOR

65. Body art, briefly: TATS - tattoos; I don't have any, don't really find them attractive

66. Social media platform with stories, colloquially: SNAP - I don't Snapchat, Facebook, or Instagram, and I have been "banned" from Pinterest.

67. They may butt heads: GOATS - How 'bout these "G.O.A.T.s~?

Josh Allen vs. Tom Brady

DOWN:

2. __ phase: ORAL - part of Freud's psychoanalysis - more here; I chew my fingernails, so. . . .

3. Richard of "Chicago": GERE - name #2, also one I know

4. Cobble together: MAKE

5. Barbecue receptacles: ASH PITS - I vacuumed out my fireplace ash pit last weekend - we are good to go for this winter~!

6. Black eye: SHINER

7. John Green's "The Fault in __ Stars": OUR - Here's the Wiki 

8. Leftover bit: DREG

9. "Same Time, Next Year" actor Alan: ALDA - name #3, I know, but not this movie - IMDb

10. Materialize: APPEAR

11. "Mostly, yes!": "PRETTY MUCH..." - and a fresh Xword fill, too

12. View from the moon: EARTH - one of the 20th century's greatest photographs

Earthrise, taken by Apollo 8 crew member Bill Anders on December 24, 1968

13. "I'ma Be Me" comedian Wanda: SYKES - name #4, and I know it

18. Assistant: AIDE

22. __ suit: ZOOT

I wonder if I can still fit in my Zoot Suit

24. Sessions that may involve curls and presses: ARM DAYS - my bother and his gym friends talk like this - Thursday is "Arm Day", Saturday is "Chest Day", Monday is "cardio"

26. Kukla and Ollie's partner: FRAN - vaguely familiar with this name, #5  - The Wiki

TV show, 1947 -1957

27. Essential __: OILS

28. Small book with an eagle on its cover: US PASSPORT - Great fill

29. Footballer Messi, to fans: LEO - name #6, becoming a crossword staple

30. Debtor's note: I.O.U.

31. Dance like Savion Glover: TAP - a good WAG, but then again, three letters....name #7 ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

35. Starter of many a storybook: ONCE - ". . .upon a time. . . "

36. Golda who was a prime minister in the early 1970s: MEIR - name #8

38. Nowhere nearby: FAR

39. West __: high-end furniture retailer: ELM

name(ish)

40. Protrude: JUT

42. Usual choice: GO TO - when I get Chinese, it's always General Tso's Chicken

43. Reason for a safe call: LATE TAG - do you remember this Miller Lite commercial~?

Bob Ueker - "He missed the tag~!"

45. "From Russia With Fun!" arcade game: TETRIS

46. Barbecue wipe: WET NAP

47. Canyon sound: ECHO

48. Brief concession statement: "I LOST."

49. Gymnast Comaneci: NADIA - name #9, and one I know 

52. Gladys Knight's guys: PIPS - technically a name, but I know this one, as well~!

I heard it through the grapevine

53. Suffix on seven Asian country names: STAN - getting a break from the 21st century definition

Five of the Top 18 countries in Asia

55. Roundish hairstyle: AFRO

56. "I did it!": "ta-DA~!"

57. Real hoot: RIOT

58. Isn't perfect: ERRS

61. Site for relaxation: SPA

Here's the Washington National Cathedral site for their pipe organ & restoration

That's me, your Wednesday blogger Splynter, on the left