Saturday Themeless by Sarah Sinclair and Erik Agard
Agard alert, Erik is back co-constructing. This time he pairs up with Sarah Sinclair and the product has what seems to be some Agrardian entries like the fill for Super Duper which I'll discuss later.
About Sarah: I currently live in Seattle where I work as a product manager for Microsoft. I also freelance as a crossword puzzle constructor and have had puzzles published in The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Atlantic, and the Universal Crossword.
One added note: On the day that Sarah had this picture taken, she wore a dress that she made herself! Cool!
1. Catalyst: IMPETUS - Caitlin Clark was a true catalyst who 8. Prompted: SPURRED - many changes in her sport.
15. Generational tendency to delay speaking on video recordings: MILLENNIAL PAUSE - New to me. The "millennial pause" is a habitual, brief hesitation, often accompanied by a thoughtful gaze, that many millennials make at the start of a video before they begin speaking. Originating from early, slower video technology like Snapchat or Instagram, it serves as a self-assured check to confirm recording has actually begun.
17. Something taken by a teller?: DRAMATIC LICENSE - Fred Hayes was one of the actual astronauts on Apollo 13 and he told our group, "The director, Ron Howard, said we are going to have to punch some things up or we won't sell any popcorn!!" Astronaut Jim Lovell actually said, "Houston, we've had a problem here." The screenwriters changed it to the more dramatic line below:
18. Hosp. areas: ORS.
19. Settings: LOCALES.
20. Like pitching machines and dinner guests: FED 😀 Pitching machines do indeed have to be FED!
21. "Ya es suficiente": NO MAS - Roberto Duran is reputed to have said this when he quit against Sugar Ray Leonard.
23. 2015 NL Rookie of the year Bryant: KRIS - He was a big factor in breaking the Cubs' 106 year World Series drought.
24. Sole: LONE.
25. Focuses of some museums: ERAS - A beautiful but, in one sense, sad museum in Kansas City
26. Start to some health consultations?: TELE - T E _ _ led me to believe a TEST might start a medical consultation
27. __ of nature: FORCE - Continuing with my sport's references.
28. Fencing defense: PARRY - Deflect your opponent's attack.
30. Call into question: BELIE - The facts BELIE. your story.
31. Rigs: FIXES.
32. Angular: GAUNT.
33. Traps, in a way: MIRES.
34. Place that has rooms and a board: CONDO 😀 - A CONDO has rooms and usually a CONDO board that makes and enforces policy.
35. Garments often adorned with metallic thread called zari: SARIS.
36. Big name in comfort footwear: TAOS ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
37. "As if": PFFT.
41. "What she said": AMEN.
42. Hit the runway: LAND.
43. Stiller's partner: MEARA - I remember this husband and wife act on The Ed Sullivan Show and the reunited to be in the King Of Queens sitcom.
44. Software vehicles, once: CDS.
45. "Hello __": classic barbershop song: MARY LOU - This will always be Ricky Nelson's song from the 60's but I love barbershop too.
45. "Hello __": classic barbershop song: MARY LOU - This will always be Ricky Nelson's song from the 60's but I love barbershop too.
47. Garage occupant: CAR.
48. When one might find a blowout sale?: HAIR APPOINTMENT 😀
51. Pulitzer-winning play chronicled in the oral history "The World Only Spins Forward": ANGELS IN AMERICA - The Connection
52. Headspring?: RINGLET -This is really "out there"! A headspring is an acrobatic move to switch from a head stand to springing into standing up. Sarah and/or Erik and/or Patti switched this to RINGLETS of hair springing from a head.
53. Feature of the logos of Heineken and Macy's: RED STAR.
Down:
1. Finish line: I'M DONE.
2. Source of a good self-image: MIRROR
3. Composition of most of the observable universe: PLASMA More
4. West __: upscale furniture store: ELM.
5. Some dabbling ducks: TEALS 😀
6. __ itself: UNTO.
7. Candy named for a Mars family horse: SNICKERS.
8. Big name in loans: SALLIE - SLMA - Student Loan Marketing Association
9. French dips?: PLIES 😀
10. Short lines at the register?: UPCS 😀 They spelled the doom of this clerk's machine
11. "Diet Pepsi" singer Addison: RAE - The only mention in the song is
Break all the rules 'til we get caughtFog up the windows in the parking lotSummer love (ah, ah), sexySitting on his lap sippin' Diet Pepsi
12. Scram: RUN FOR IT.
13. Magazine whose first editorial director was Gordon Parks: ESSENCE - Gordon was also the first black photographer for Life Magazine
16. Miranda Cosgrove sitcom: I CARLY ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
22. Popular tablet: ASPIRIN - I have an iPad tablet and when I was 8, I had a Big Chief tablet 😀
24. "Haha, u wish": LOL NOPE 😀
26. Chic accessory?: TRES - Here or in Paris I would never be described as being TRES chic. 😀
27. Bitter rivalry: FEUD.
29. Pair o' graphs?: AXES - We math people use them a lot
30. Prohibits: BANS.
31. Sagittarius, for one: FIRE SIGN - My belief in astrology is lower than minimum.
32. Super duper?: GOOD LIAR - Someone who dupes people by lying could be called a duper. If they are really good at it, they'd be a super duper.😳
33. Zohran who walked the length of Manhattan on June 20, 2025: MAMDANI - NYC's current mayor.
34. Gorge: CANYON.
35. "Holes" novelist Louis: SACHAR.
36. Trinidad's Pitch Lake, for one: TARPIT.
38. "Be honest with yourself": FACE IT.
39. Lingua __: FRANCA - A common language for people who do not speak the same language. English is the most common and all international airline pilots are required to speak English
42. Coverage issue: LAPSE.
43. Subtle, as colors: MUTED.
45. King of Prussia attraction: MALL - The King Of Prussia, PA MALL has over 450 stores
46. Statement after putting down a card: ON ME.
49. On the __: chronically, casually: REG - "On the reg" is an informal phrase meaning regularly, frequently or consistently. My Saturday blogging is on the reg.
50. Title for some spouses: MRS.
5 comments:
Well, like most
Saturday crosswords, it took me a long time to get any headway. I’d say I spent more than an hour on it. I did end up getting it, eventually, but it was quite a struggle.
FIR, so I’m happy.
Didn't participate. I have low regard for the puzzles of Mr. Agard.
It was absurd
It was absurd
What she said?
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