Themeless Saturday by Kelly Morenus and Erik Agard
Kelly and Erik have provided an enjoyable challenge that was a challenge where I never felt out of it. Let's see what they had for us. 
Across:
1. Advice to someone who's about to blow?: MAKE A WISH 😀
10. Applications: USES.
14. Good-looking?: IDEALISTIC.
16. Patriots quarterback Drake: MAYE - He has led the NE Patriots resurgence this year.
17. It's the thought that counts: MENTAL MATH - I can at least approximate this very quickly.
18. Card dealer?: AMEX - Pick a card, any card
19. Caribou relative: ELK.
20. Number in brackets: SEED - In an 8-team tournament, the team with the best record will be SEEDED #1 and will play the team with the worst record who is SEEDED #8 in the first round.
20. Number in brackets: SEED - In an 8-team tournament, the team with the best record will be SEEDED #1 and will play the team with the worst record who is SEEDED #8 in the first round.
21. Like Santa Fe, among U.S. capitals: OLDEST - Santa Fe, NM was founded in 1610 and is the oldest capital city in America.
23. Ran out of juice: DIED.
25. Oil formations: SLICKS - I had spills first
27. Tool in a shed: HOE.
28. Biblical son of Seth: ENOS.
30. Drew: LURED and 38. Draw (into): SUCK.
31. Dendriform Tolkien character: ENT.
32. Choose: OPT.
34. Challenges for students and senators: MIDTERMS.
36. Toast types: GONERS 😀
39. Exercise named for a physiologist: BURPEE.
40. Get even: LEVEL OUT - Airplanes use an artificial horizon indicator
42. Fan's request: PIC.
43. Suffix with origin or liquid: ATE.
44. "__ gusto": "Pleased to meet you": MUCHO.
46. Ceremony: POMP and circumstance
49. Dwelling for some modern nomads: VAN - RVS did not work
50. __ price: ASKING - Does anyone pay this?
52. Slander, e.g.: TORT.
54. Eurasian weasel: ERMINE.
56. Snitch: NARC - A NARC can NARC on someone.
58. Former capital of Brazil: RIO.
59. Type of PED: ROID - Short for Performance Enhancing Drugs like steroids which can lead to
60. Asset turned liability?: ROGUE AGENT.
63. Bit of critique: NOTE - TV shows and movies routinely get NOTES from producers and others that suggest changes.
64. Structure installed to annoy a neighbor: SPITE FENCE.
65. Ambulance team: Abbr.: EMTS.
66. "Absolutely relatable behavior right there": AS ONE DOES.
Down:
1. Performed silently: MIMED.
2. Most widespread species of penguin: ADELIE.
3. Puzzle invented by Tetsuya Miyamoto: KENKEN - How to play
4. Celebrate Eid al-Fitr, e.g.: EAT - Following Ramadan fasting
5. "Sadly ... ": ALAS.
6. Bits of trickery: WILES.
7. "Please tell me the shower's available": I SMELL.
8. Show place: STADIUM.
9. Word with single or home: HIT.
10. Question from a troll: U MAD.
11. "Twinsies!": SAME HERE.
12. Gander-herding call?: EYES ON ME - Don't be gandering!
13. Volleyball teams, e.g.: SEXTETS - Here a Nebraska VB SEXTET playing in front of 92,000 fans last year.
15. Overcome, in a way: CHOKED UP.
22. Experience that might include hallucinations: LSD TRIP.
24. Lorna __: DOONE.
26. Home, informally: CRIB.
29. Alma mater of Stacey Abrams: SPELMAN.
33. Formal bottoms: TROUSERS - Yeah, for both genders
35. Park with a reproduction torii gate and stave church: EPCOT - One is in the Japan pavilion and the other is in the Norway pavilion.
37. Protection when things are heating up: OVEN MITT.
40. Cox of "Orange Is the New Black": LAVERNE - I knew of this character but not the character's name
41. "About that ... ": THING IS.
45. Mindlessly: ON AUTO 😀
47. "One Day at a Time" star: MORENO - The Netflix reboot and the original cast
48. Royals prospect?: PRINCE 😀
51. Light that never stops?: GREEN 😀
53. Bags often given as swag: TOTES.
55. Time to beware: IDES.
57. Feature of some bookstores: CAFE.
61. Celebratory Greek cry: OPA.
62. Goal for some night sch. students: GED.
I couldn’t quite get it, so I
ReplyDeletegot lazy and called on the red letters for help. I got it then but I’m not particularly happy about it. I am happy to be here, though, and see how the rest of you did. Subgenius out!
I enjoy Agard puzzles, except those that are published on days ending in "y". I pass. I didn't read Gary's write-up because if most of you loved it, I'll give it a look this afternoon.
ReplyDeleteYet another reason for me to skip Saturday puzzles altogether.
ReplyDeleteAfter three Saturday failures in a row I was able to FIR w/out help, no red letters, no look ups. I had to take a break after about 25 minutes with maybe half the grid filled, came back and finally pieced it together in 50:19, last fills being WAGs at the M and Y in MAYE. At the risk of being verbose I won’t list all my DNKs, which was the majority of the puzzle. In the “worst clue of the month” category, the one for EPCOT deserves consideration. It could have said “Theme park….”. I was just at EPCOT three weeks ago, but torii gate and stave church?? Who knew? Had to changes ruses to WILES and loft became wifi which finally yielded to CAFE. Didn’t know there was a remake of “One Day at a Time”. Thanks Kelly and Erik for your collaboration, and to HG for the summary. I know it’s a game and not an exam, but this one definitely tested my patience.
ReplyDeleteI'm posting from my phone because my Internet is out. Lack of Internet access is frustrating enough but this puzzle increased the frustration two-fold. Kudos to those who completed it without help, but I TITT after much hair pulling and teeth gnashing. My criticisms are too numerous to mention but let's just follow Thumper's wise advice.
ReplyDeleteThanks, HG, for your upbeat and positive outlook.
Have a great day.
Sorry, it's Irish Miss.
DeleteTook 15:15 today.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know either of the Actresses of the Day (Laverne & Moreno).
Bottom-right portion took as much as the rest of the puzzle, having never heard of "spite fence", the Greek saying, and struggling with "as one does."