google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Barry Silk

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Showing posts with label Barry Silk. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Barry Silk. Show all posts

Oct 3, 2015

Saturday, Oct 3rd, 2015, Barry C. Silk

Theme: Saturday Silkie~!

Words: 72 (missing Q,Z)

Blocks: 28

  A very do-able puzzle from Mr. Silk to start October - for first time puzzlers tackling a daunting themeless Saturday, this one could very well be the inspiration to try again next week.  Not too many proper names, and for me, some easy-to-guess long answers - and nothing longer than 10-letters.  No Googling, no dictionary peeks, and I refrained from red-letters even when I did not get my "ta-DA~!" - twice.  My two 1-letter goofs are highlighted below.  Triple 10's in the across and triple 8's in the down;

1a. World War II code name : OMAHA BEACH - Saving Private Ryan was on this week; I stayed with the opening scenes showing the allied forces storming the beach; very real and terrifying - and I was not there

12d. "Sharknado" actress : TARA REID - yes, sharks in a waterspout


65a. WorkCentre cartridge filler : XEROX TONER


34. Vegetable oil source : FLAX SEED


OctoberNWARD~!

ACROSS:

11. Small matter? : ATOM - one Saturday, this will be "A to M" - half the OED

15*. For instance, in Cannes : PAR EXEMPLE - well, you all know how I feel about the Frawnche - so I had "A" and not "E" after the "X"

16. Early word : MAMA

17. Diamond rarity : TRIPLE PLAY - which diamond~? - not the stone, the baseball reference

18. First name in '80s-'90s Dodgers history : OREL - and speaking of baseball....

19. Clean __ : SLATE

20. One may be tucked : TUMMY

22. Emulating : À LA

23. Talking Heads bassist Weymouth : TINA


24. Part of CBS: Abbr. : SYStem - the other parts being Columbia and Broadcasting

25. Co-star of Humphrey in the 1954 film "Sabrina" : AUDREY - IMDb

27. Tense : ON EDGE

29*. Epson products : INKJETS - printers, that is.  I stared at INK-ETS for wa-a-a-y too long

30. In a lather, with "up"? : SOAPED - har-har

33. Last Supper question : "IS IT I~?"

34. Asian __ : FLU - I had MAU, and pondered SEA - but then that was at 54a.

37. Heading for old wagons : DUE WEST - ah - not OUT west

39. Traffic cops?: Abbr. : DEA - Drug Enforcement Administration - "smuggling" traffic

40. Fat, e.g. : LIPID

42. Element used in atomic clocks : CESIUM - I threw in CARBON, because it fit.  Only the "C" was right - so that's 16% @ 100%, right~?

44. Hindu retreats : ASHRAMS

46. Lacking radiating processes, as nerve cells : APOLAR - 83.3% perps

50. Nissan SUV introduced in 1999 : XTERRA - and to be dropped in the US at the end of this year - this fact was brought to you by a clue from a previous puzzle

51. Being in a life-imitating computer game : SIM - I am a big fan of Sim City - here's my crop circles from the UFO invasion that occurred in one of my games


53. Cowboys quarterback Tony : ROMO

54. Black __ : SEA

55. Six-Day War hero : DAYAN - learning moment for me - the Wiki

57. Railroad turnarounds : LOOPS

58. Green state? : ENVY

60. Ski area purchase : LIFT TICKET - HeartRx is trading in her blogging ticket for a lift ticket - thanks for your Thursday write-ups~!

62. Landing nos. : ETAs - I pondered FLRs, too - for staircase landings

63. Music with vocal parts : OPERA SCORE

64. 16-Across speaker : DOLL

DOWN:

1. Decides one will : OPTS TO

2. Game fish : MARLIN

3. French satellite launcher : ARIANE - mostly perps - another learning moment

4. Deadly sins and others : HEPTADS - group of seven

5. Ferris wheel component : AXLE

6. Fresno daily : BEE

7. Item sometimes redeemed : EMPTY

8. Outstanding : A PLUS

9. Secretive sort : CLAM - as in "clammed up"

10. "Yo!" : "HEY MAN~!"

11. Latin 101 word : AMO

13. Café order : OMELETTE

14. Two-part country : MALAYSIA


21. Clown around : YUK IT UP

24. 2015 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee : SEAU - Junior - I did not know about him

26. CD players : DJs - dah~! this should have come easier than it did

28. "The Great Dictator" co-star Paulette : GODDARD - half perps/half WAG

29. 7/15, e.g. : IDES - this 'par exemple' is the ides of July

31. Muscle beach display : PECS

32. Field grazer : EWE

35. Mind : LISTEN TO

36. Turmoil : UPHEAVAL

38. Musical king's land : SIAM

41. Discount abbr. : IRRegular

43. Marrakesh setting : MOROCCO

45. Antacid brand : MAALOX - the name I recalled, the spelling, not so much

47. Spectate : LOOK ON - what I like to look on;












48. Current unit : AMPERE

49. Roll : ROSTER

51. More cautious : SAFER

52. Emcee's job : INTRO

56. "Good grief!" : "YIPE~!"

57. Place for tick marks : LIST

59. Initials on L'Homme fragrance : YSL


61. Burden : TAX

Splynter


Note from C.C.:

Let's meet Lemonade's granddaughter Harper Mae, who was born last Monday Sept 28, 2015. Harper was 15 hours old when she met Grandpa Lemonade.



Charlotte, Dad, Harper & Grandpa Lemonade

Big Sister Charlotte and Harper


Click here for two more pictures.

I have a Charlotte label on my Ginger Roots. You can click here to see all Charlotte & Harper related pictures.

Sep 12, 2015

Saturday, Sep 12th, 2015, Barry C. Silk

Theme: Saturday Silkie~!

Words: 70 (missing J,Q,Z)

Blocks: 30

I figured it was Silkie time, and there you have it~!  This one started off well, went blank, then with just the minimum of crossings (perps) it filled in nicely, and well inside my personal time allotment.  No fun-sponge proper names, vague references or any other clues that would normally force me into cheating, red-letters and Google.  Makes for a pleasant start to the weekend~!  Triple 10-letter corners across, and almost triple 9's in the down, with one spanner;

35. With "The," Massachusetts license plate slogan :  
SPIRIT OF AMERICA - I can think of a couple of blog members who knew this one outright; I had no clue





~!



ACROSS:

1. Game with a Bad Piggies spin-off : ANGRY BIRDS - can you believe I have never played this~?

11. Pi preceder? : OCTO - octopi, more than one octoPUS

15. Modem interface : SERIAL PORT

16. Fizzle : FLOP

17. Westminster attraction : CLOCK TOWER - "Save the clock tower~!"


18. 17-Across display : TIME

19. Plant with tubular flowers : ALOE - always looking for a fresh way to clue this age-old crossword answer

20. Inside job : DECOR

22. "Willy and the Poor Boys" band, familiarly : CCR - Creedence Clearwater Revival

Down On The Corner

23. Poe title stowaway : PYM

24. Grain beard : AWN - could not remember this; the "W" was my second-to-last fill

26. Type of sandwich? : KNUCKLE

28. 2009 Emmy co-winner for Outstanding Talk Show Host : BEHAR - not ELLEN or OPRAH

30. Try to get : GRAB AT

31. Gateway Arch architect : SAARINEN - had it, spelled it correctly, took it out; I should trust my architectural instincts

34. Puff : PANT

38. Neophyte : TYRO

39. Calm : SERENITY - my mantra -


40. Key of Grieg's Piano Concerto : A MINOR - as always, start with - M - - OR, and go from there

43. Sturdy carts : DRAYS

44. Cork's province : MUNSTER - mostly perps, and the "U" was a WAG

46. Menu term : A LA

47. Consumer protection org. : BBB - Better Business Bureau

50. Calif. setting : PST

51. Described in letters : SPELT - Massachusetts; how do you spell it~?   " I - T "

53. Wells creation : ELOI - H.G., the author, and one the Time Machine races

54. Play group : TEAM - oh, OK.  I was thinking "play" as in actors on stage; ergo, troupe was not going to work

56. Cell warning : EMAIL ALERT - was not sure on the first pass if this was "cellular" or cell like those found in prison

59. Arctic fliers : AUKS - huh, I filled this in and forgot about it

60. Like some protests : NON-VIOLENT - I could have sworn we just had this clue/answer

61. Marvel Comics superheroes : X-MEN

62. "Through the Looking-Glass" brother : TWEEDLE DEE - I'm sure you're familiar with his twin, Tweedledum

DOWN:

1. Recording acronym : ASCAP

2. "M.O." rapper : NELLY - a WAG off the "N"

3. Stable employee : GROOM - women would like their GROOM to be STABLE, I would think

4. 2003 College World Series winner : RICE - all perps

5. Jaw : YAK

6. Short order? : BLT - Bacon, Lettuce & Tomato sa'mich order

7. Apple products : iPOD NANOS - did you hear that Apple is now coming out with sound-proof drywall panels~?  It's called "iRock"

8. 1930s-'40s pitcher "Schoolboy" __ : ROWE - again, all perps

9. Worthless trash : DRECK

10. Solid : STRONG - I pondered STURDY, but that appears at 43a.

11. "... the apparel __ proclaims the man": "Hamlet" : OFT

12. Provocative and frequently misleading link : CLICKBAIT - we had this last month (36-Across)

13. "The Sum of All Fears" author : TOM CLANCY - I knew this one, so it made me change my " - - - STATE" pre-answer for 35a.

14. Victor Herbert work : OPERETTA - if Mr. Silk says so.  Again, mostly perps

21. Influential sci-fi drama : R.U.R.- which added "robot" to the English language

24. Atmosphere: Pref. : AERI

25. Scintilla : WHIT - not IOTA

27. Warm-weather pants : CAPRIs

28. Industrial bigwigs : BARONS

29. Put another quarter in, as a parking meter : RE-FED

31. "Trust No One" Washington attraction : SPY MUSEUM - The X-Files; I own the DVD set

32. Internal combustion engine system : AIR INTAKE - I have to remove the air intake plenum on my Dodge Stratus in order to change out three of my six spark plugs.  I had a frozen brake caliper, and this week I finally wore off the pad and got down to raw metal, so I changed it today, along with the pads and rotor.  I figure I better do the other side before I grind those pads down to raw steel, too

33. Tale : NARRATIVE

35. 1765 levy repealed in 1766 : STAMP TAX

36. Board part : MEAL - as in Room & Board

37. New Age superstar : ENYA - new age~? Four letters~? = ENYA

41. Causes of "60 Minutes" delays, briefly : OTs - my mother hates it when Sunday football throws the TV sked off

42. Feel sorry for : REPENT

45. Do more lawn work : REMOW

47. Run : BLEED - ah, that "RUN".  My dictionary has 15 (subdivided) definitions of the verb run, 15 for the verb transitive, and 12 for the noun; 11a is this kind;


48. Supported : BORNE

49. Polite word, in Potsdam : BITTE - "Thanks", if I'm not mistaken

52. Pool division : LANE

53. Women's issue : ELLE - magazine issue

55. ISP choice : MSN - and a genuine clecho; 58. ISP choice : AOL

57. Top : LID - CAP~? HAT~? decisions, decisions....

Splynter

Note from C.C.:

Today we celebrate the birthday of our quick-witted friend & foodie Steve, who has traveled around the word to taste every global cuisine. How many people on our blog knows Shamoji? Amazing. Steve hikes to the Hollywood sign regularly and he's an avid runner as well.

Aug 22, 2015

Saturday, Aug 22nd, 2015, Barry C. Silk

Theme: Saturday Silkie~!

Words: 70 (missing F,J,Q)

Blocks: 30

  A pleasant challenge from Mr. Silk this week - in fact, I was not expecting a Silkie, but there it was~!  A smooth blend of phrases, common and not so common, with a smattering of proper names and a touch of the obscure to make it just a little tougher than last week's puzzle - speaking of "Z"s, we have 7 in today's grid, and three "X"s, as well.  Triple 9- and 10-letter corners, with a pair of nine's in the middle;

20a. Positive : ABOVE ZERO - ah, like temperatures, not emotions


51a. Mythological boundary : RIVER STYX




ACROSS:

1. "60 Minutes" symbol : STOPWATCH - well, I knew it was a something "watch", but I thought it was more of a pocket one than this type; can you tell I don't 'watch' the show~?


10. "Private Practice" star Kate : WALSH - I recognize her from a Law & Order episode, but that's all


15. "Whatever!" : "LIKE I CARE"

16. Its southeasternmost county is Bear Lake : IDAHO - tried MAINE first


17. For the time being : AD INTERIM - Literal Latin "in the time between"

18. Centrifuge component : ROTOR

19. Effectiveness : TEETH - mostly perps, but a clever clue/ answer

22. Purpose : AIM

24. Castle and others : IRENEs - tried DRAMAS, because I like the show "Castle"

25. "Live Well" retail chain : GNC - General Nutrition Centers

28. Steering system parts : TIE RODS - I have been through several tie rods during the 273,500 miles of driving my Dodge Stratus; in fact, the front wheel came off two Sundays ago; had my friend Ed help me put it back on.  Sheared the lug bolts. 

32. Special treatment : TLC - I try to give my car all the Tender Loving Care I can; has to last me about 4 more months

33. Parent : REAR - the verb.  Lost my dad two years ago, BarryG.  My condolences.  Today is one year since the passing of a waitress who worked at A Lure; she was 20.  Must be tough on her parents; her younger sister works at aMano. 

35. Smooth coat : GLAZE

36. Current: Pref. : RHEO - as in Rheostat - literally, a device for setting the flow of current - e.g. the volume knob on a stereo or guitar - the Wiki

37. When Tony sings "Maria" : ACT I

38. Muppet rat named for a movie character : RIZZO - dah~!  I put in RATzo, which can't be right with "RAT" in the clue; oh well.

39. With 2-Down, twice-monthly phenomenon : NEAP and 2d. See 39-Across : TIDE- nailed it, even getting the words in the right positions

40. It investigates RR accidents : NTSB - National Transportation Safety Board

41. __ Era: old name for Earth's pre-life period : AZOIC - well, I had the --OIC part, but crossing ELIZA, I pretty much had to WAG

42. Goalie's goal : SAVE - how true this is~!  I played a stellar game for 52mins last week, only to have my defense flag in the heat and humidity, and we ended up losing.  I love making the "glove save"


43. Who __ Nation: New Orleans Saints fans : DAT

44. Eye : STARE AT

46. French possessive : TES - aww, Frawnche

47. It became the TV Guide Channel in 1999 : PREVUE

49. Big mouth : MAW

55. Like some French vowels : NASAL - aww, more Frawnche

59. Sluggish : INERT - eh.  At least you're moving when you're sluggish.  Inert to me means hungover & bedridden

60. Underlying layers : SUBSTRATA

62. Where Rudolf of Ruritania was imprisoned : ZENDA - perps & WAG; more here

63. Get around bigtime : GLOBETROT - I would like to do this

64. Lake Placid's county : ESSEX


65. Large, to some Southwesterners : TEXAS SIZE

DOWN:

1. Blind piece : SLAT - as in Venetian blinds

3. Dust Bowl victim : OKIE

4. Gram lead-in : PENTA - pentagram; these guys worked the "Satanic" heavy metal image


5. Hip : WITH IT - or is it "WIT HIT"~?

6. Whiz : ACE

7. Johnny's partner in the 2014 Olympic figure skating telecasts : TARA - WAG; Johnny Weir and Tara Lipinski - hello, Legs~


8. Nursery item : CRIB - oops, went with the other kind of nursery, and tried TREE

9. Circulation prefix : HEMO - blood circulation; semi-clecho with;

10. Circuit creators : WIRERS - those who wire

11. Napping : ADOZE - a 'meh' "A" word

12. Thermodynamics topic : LATENT HEAT

13. Liberty : SHORE LEAVE

14. Charts featuring houses : HOROSCOPES - I had a feeling HOME SCAPES was not right

21. Picture taker : VIDEOCAM - moving pictures, that is

23. Moves periodically : MIGRATES

25. Winner's reward : GRAND PRIZE

26. Peach mutations : NECTARINES

27. "Moonshadow" singer : CAT STEVENS

29. Broadway role for Julie : ELIZA - ah. Julie Andrews as Eliza Doolittle

30. Cutting device : RAZOR

31. Former White Sox manager Guillén : OZZIE - Baseball for C.C.

34. Needle : RIB

36. ER workers : RNs

44. Unpopular Vietnam War-financing vehicle : SURTAX - is any tax popular~?

45. Nice relatives : TANTES - aww, more more Frawnche - sounds close to its English translation of aunts

48. Mesa __ National Park : VERDE

50. Partner of all? : WARTS - I pondered "end all, be all" and "Once and for All" - ah - the phrase "I'll take it as is, warts and all"

52. USAF E-6 : T-SGT - A wordless clue/answer.  I just found out that the hostess I talked about last year is ROTC, and will graduate with the rank of second lieutenant - she's got er, um, three years to go....

53. Festive time : YULE

54. Wii alternative : XBOX - home video game computers

56. Indian wrap : SARI

57. All-inclusive : A TO Z - popular lately

58. Behind : LATE

61. Entrepreneur-aiding org. : SBA - Small Business Administration

Splynter

Aug 1, 2015

Saturday, Aug 1st, 2015, Barry C. Silk

Theme: Saturday Silkie~!

Words: 70 (missing F,J,Q,W,X)

Blocks: 27

  Ta-DA~!!!  This one was a real pleasure to solve - and yes, I am biased because I was able to solve it without cheating, Google, and red-letters - but it did not look promising to start.  A lot of white on the first pass both across and down, but then a few common words/phrases made sense, and they worked, too.   A tad too many vague clues, and a few proper names - two very nearly creating a Natick - but my one-letter guess was correct and thus....Ta-DA~!!  Triple 11- and almost triple 9-letter corners with two pairs of 9's crossing in the middle section;

7d. Golden Grain Company creation : RICE-A-RONI - been popular lately on Saturday; a little company history

31a. DO holder : OSTEOPATH - well, I figured it was a "Doctor of" something, and then the perps helped me out

36. Common literary technique : SYMBOLISM - like the bad guy in the black hat

Raiders of the Lost Ark

32. Watch : TIMEPIECE - simple, and clever - verb~? noun~?


O - N - W - A - R - D ~ !

ACROSS:

1. Verne vision : SPACE TRAVEL - Pondered SUBMARINE and TIME TRAVEL; both too short

12. Refrain bit : TRA

15. Jurassic time : MESOZOIC ERA - Pondered DINOSAUR AGE

16. What "8" may mean: Abbr. : AUGust - very nearly got me again - and timely, considering it's the first of the month today; the "rabbits" are 5 clues below

17. Programmer's line : INSTRUCTION

18. The Wildcats of the Big 12 Conf. : KSU

19. Spectra 70 computers : RCAs

20. Projection room inventory : REELS - early WAG

21. Org. with a rabbit in its logo : PETA - Playboy did not fit, and technically, it's a magazine, not an organization - would PETA protect these 'animals'~?

22. Critical : KEY

23. Main parts : LEADS - such as those filled by 56a.

24. Phillies pitcher Hamels : COLE - total unknown; my one-letter guess was "C"; I'm sure C.C. nailed it

25. Earth : TERRA

26. Dietary restriction : NO MEAT

28. Patron saint of dancers : VITUS - ah - so "St Vitus Dance" from Black Sabbath is a little play on words....


33. 1996-'97 NBA Rookie of the Year : IVERSON - so not into basketball, this was mostly perps

35. Breakup words : "IT'S OVER"

38. It's good in Puerto Rico : BUENO

39. Like some European scenery : ALPINE - followed by a clecho....

40. Monument Valley scenery : MESAs

42. Dark times, to poets : E'ENs - evenings

43. Speechless miner of fiction : DOPEY - ah. a Dwarf, that is


44. TV debut of 2000 : CSI

47. Unadorned : BARE

48. Confute : BELIE

49. Second Amendment subject : ARMS - oops, not GUNS

50. Links letters : PGA - couldn't be PAR or TEE

51. Teacher of skills : TRADE SCHOOL - I have an Associate's Degree from Island Drafting in Amityville, NY, essentially a trade school for AutoCAD and electronics

53. Unavailable, say : OUT

54. Shortest way : DIRECT ROUTE

55. Width measure : EEE - seems odd to see this in a Barry Silk puzzle

56. Film heroes, often : STEREOTYPES

DOWN:       

1. Unsportsmanlike look : SMIRK - not SNEER

2. Overseas coppers : PENCE - coinage, as in Britain; sort of clecho with; 48d. One in a lift, maybe : BRIT - other words, like bonnet, boot and lorry

3. Evaluate : ASSAY

4. Sacks on bases : COTS - ah, not a baseball clue; I was thinking getting tagged out for attempting to steal

5. Book before Neh. : EZRa - I have a contractor friend named Ezra

6. One seeing the sights : TOURER - because tourIST didn't fit

8. Substituted for : ACTED AS

9. Conceals : VEILS

10. Psyche's beloved : EROS

11. Data-sharing syst. : LAN

12. Go : TAKE LEAVE - had it, took it out, put it back in

13. Seriously weathered, as old cars : RUST-EATEN

14. Contents of el mar : AGUA

21. Stuffy : POMPOUS

23. Course units : LESSONS - I looked into Delaware Tech in Dover; I even have my schedule worked out for the Fall, but I'm going to have to delay until the Spring; a new car is first order.  Considering the Dodge Dart if the Toyota A-BAT is not out soon


24. Oregon Coast Music Festival setting : COOS BAY - the "C" seemed most sensible

25. Wind farm sight : TURBINE - I've been there, remember~?


26. Take in : NET - not NAB

27. "Comin' __ the Rye" : THRO - I WAGed INTO, ONTO, and that sort of helped.  Never heard of this poem/song

28. Dow 30 company : VISA - I had the "A", but it was not much help; Actually, I did not know what made up the DOW 30 -interesting - the list

29. Quakers play in it : IVY LEAGUE - I tried AAA first, not knowing that U Penn was the school being referred to

30. Not extreme : TEMPERATE

34. Ring cheer : OLÉ

37. Do a slow burn : SMOLDER

41. Minds : SEES TO - made me change my "SEE" at 26d. 'take in'

43. Mary __: ship in a Hammond Innes novel : DEARE - perps

44. Laryngeal concern : CROUP - ah, not CROAK; that's 100% 60% correct  ;7)

45. Clobbered : SMOTE - as in "smited"

46. Key chain : ISLES - took a moment to dawn on me

47. Letters seen under antlers : B.P.O.E. - The Wiki


49. Main call : AHOY - the bounding main, that is

51. Raiders' successes, briefly : TDs - The Oakland Raiders of the NFL

52. Old PC component : CRT - cathode ray tube - the screen that usually had a burn-in from the program most often used

look familiar~?
Splynter

Jul 11, 2015

Saturday, Jul 11th, 2015, Barry C. Silk

Theme: Saturday Silkie~!

Words: 70 (missing Q,X,Z)

Blocks: 26

Dammit~!  I can't remember the last time I solved a Saturday puzzle without red-letters, and it's starting to annoy me.  I got stumped in the NE corner this time, with bad fills on my part.  Ugh - oh well.   I was really looking forward to finishing this Silkie unassisted - it did have some great fills.  Triple 10-letter corners, with triple 7-letter corners in the down paired to a pair of 11-letter climbers;

24. Cutting, as a thick steak : SLICING INTO


11. Dynamic : HIGH VOLTAGE


onweirrrrrrd....

ACROSS:

1. Band conductor? : COPPER WIRE - I got it, but it's not Mr. Silk's most wittiest; since most electric guitar, mic cables, etc., are copper wire....

11. Burlap source : HEMP

15. Kindle owner, often : AVID READER

16. Logical introduction : IDEO - ideological

17. Shipped out : SENT ABROAD

18. Beaufort scale word : GALE - here's my first cheat; I Googled the scale; could have been "CALM" as well, with 50% still correct

19. Half of sei : TRE

20. Briefly, with "in" : SUM - "in sum"

21. Drying convenience : BATH MAT - ah.  All I could think of was "towel rack"

23. Proposal figs. : ESTs

25. Head makeup : SUDS - Beer heads, that is

27. Grand Prince of Moscow, 1328-1340 : IVAN I - I tried "PETR I", figuring it would be Russian and Latin combined

28. Sphere : REALM - ah, not ARENA

30. Harpo Marx or Carrot Top : PROP COMIC - was pondering something about red-heads

32. Soap, e.g. : SERIAL - the TV soaps, that is

34. Cen. parts : YRs - centuries and years

35. River through Yakutsk : LENA - perps

36. Eye-catching link designed to generate ad revenue : CLICK BAIT

39. Sith foe : JEDI - Star Wars

42. Thanksgiving follower: Abbr. : FRI - true; it is always followed by Friday, and a Black one at that

43. Rogues : SCAMPS

47. "Beats me" : I CAN'T TELL

50. The same, in Sauternes : EGALE - our weekly dose of Frawnche

51. "In the Summertime" rock group __ Jerry : MUNGO

52. Biol. branch : ANATomy

54. Company name based on a passage from Hosea : EL AL - learning moment; Saturday cluing for "Israel airline" - Wiki says it's Hebrew for "To the Skies"

55. Most suggestive : RACIEST


57. 21st Greek letter : PHI - yeah.  I had to wait on perps

59. "Rugrats" infant : DIL - OK, cheated here, too; didn't know the last letter

60. God in both Eddas : ODIN

61. Doesn't wait one's turn : CUTS IN LINE - gives me a chance to link this Paul Simon song, third verse

The Afterlife - "no one here likes a sneak"

64. __-Tremblant, Quebec : MONT - Frawnche, deux

65. Unauthorized underground city explorer : URBAN CAVER - there was a Law & Order: Criminal Intent episode that opened with a young man into something similar

66. "And so ..." : ERGO

67. Deli counter customers, as a rule : MEAT EATERS

DOWN:   

1. Moving aids : CASTERS - I stripped off the casters of an old BBQ last week to mount them on a refrigerator at one of the restaurants.  Also building a new 'side stand' for water and a computer terminal - I hope to get done before vacation next week; off to Delaware to scout out UPS, the tech school, and apartments - my friend Mike is officially a Delawarian.

2. Supervise : OVERSEE - too bad the supervisor at my UPS is a micro-managing moron; maybe they're better in Dover (actually, Harrington - hey, Bluehen, where are the other terminals~?)

3. Subject of a 1983 incident in which a George Brett homer was originally nullified : PINE TAR - ah yes, I recall this incident, and Brett thundering out of the dugout

4. L.A. summer setting : PDT

5. Big times : ERAs

6. "Concentration" feature : REBUS


7. Throw in a pen : WARM UP - ah, more baseball

8. ''Yes'' : I DO - [sigh] some day

9. Take in again : REABSORB

10. Mother of the Valkyries : ERDA

12. Sushi bar appetizer : EDAMAME

13. Albino's lack : MELANIN - argh~!  Not PIGMENT

14. Horace's "Ars __" : POETICA - all I could think of was 'ars gratia artis'

22. Mannerism : TIC

26. Lumber processing equipment : DRY KILN - meh.  dryING kiln works better for me


29. __ du pays: homesickness : MAL - trois Frawnche

31. Free spots, briefly : PSAs

33. Pick up : LIFT

37. Animal : CREATURE

38. It may be shaved : ICE - Run away, Tin~!

39. CBS Sports Radio host : JIM ROME - his show was called "Jim Rome is Burning" - har-har

40. Gran Colombia successor state : ECUADOR - half perps

41. Like the queen in a 1977 #1 hit : DANCING - ABBA

44. __ Islands: former name of an Indian Ocean republic : MALDIVE










45. Less pretentious : PLAINER

46. Bears, often : SELLERS - Stock Exchange lingo

48. Nail holder : TOE

49. Washes against : LAPS AT

53. Biblical possessive : THINE

56. Pond problem : SCUM

58. Pachacuti, for one : INCA - perps; didn't see this until I was working on the write-up

62. TV Guide abbr. : TBA

63. Small muscle? : LAT - dah! Not PEC
One for the ladies

Self portrait ( NOT~!!)
Splynter

Jun 20, 2015

Saturday, Jun 20th, 2015, Barry C. Silk

Theme: Saturday Silkie~!

Words: 70 (missing K,Q,X,Z)

Blocks: 29

   It looked pretty grim for me in the SE today, but it eventually came together.  I concede that I cheated, but it was never "43a."  I used my dictionary for one clue, and then Googled the seventh largest state just to get me some traction in that corner.  11-letter triples in the across, and 9-letter triples in the down, with two 10-letter climbers framing the center;

16a. Graphic with three-digit numbers : AREA CODE MAP - you can zoom in
Area Code Map

 54a. Spotted cat : EGYPTIAN MAU - had to give up on "COCO" for 53d.


 9d. Best-selling 2011 comedic autobiography : BOSSYPANTS - Tina Fey - I get a free gratuitous leg image out of it~!


 27. Picture frame feature : MITER JOINT











onDErd~!

ACROSS:

1. Cowboys, on scoreboards : DAL - always good to start out right; Dallas of the NFL - granted, it was only 3 letters....

4. Some field hands : DAY LABORERS

15. N.Y. campus that's home to the Engineers : RPI - a shout-out to Spitzboov and myself, tho my time there was not worth the cost

17. Msg. after an escape, perhaps : APB - All Points Bulletin; I tried S.O.S. - hey, if I got out, I'd want someone to come get me

18. 40-member California group : STATE SENATE - healthy WAG on my part

19. Overweight : FLESHY

21. Surprise fictional visitors : ETs

22. Mother of Sam and Charlie Woods : ELIN - Tiger's Ex

23. A bit sour : TARTY - meh

24. Law order : STAY - tried WRIT

25. Suffix with poly- : GLOT - Polyglot; 1. - a book containing versions of the same text in several languages /2. - composed of numerous linguistic groups (my dictionary is still open)

26. Adorable : CUTE

27. Hearty pastry : MEAT PIE

29. Patient of Dr. Liz : ODIE - from Garfield, the comic strip
30. Ready to roll : IN GEAR

31. Org. with a Retirement Estimator web page : SSA - dah~! Not IRS

34. Eye : PEER AT - would this be considered an ansecho~?  46d. Nobility : PEERS

36. Put in order : NEATEN

38. Furlong's 220: Abbr. : YDs - a healthy guess here, too

39. Hikes : LEGS IT - ah, not RAISES

43. Time to give up : LENT

44. Acts by those who won't give up : HEROICS

45. Slalom opening : GATE

46. Child: Pref. : PEDO - so what's a pedometer~? 

49. 7, often : JULY - Nailed it

50. Trap : HEM IN - did NOT nail it

51. Switch attachment? : EROO - Switheroo - this is one of "those" clues/answers that keeps me going sometimes

52. World Cup chant : OLÉ

53. Connecticut town in which some "Stepford Wives" scenes were filmed : DARIEN - I am familiar with this town only because 99.1 WPLR has traffic reports for CT, but we hear them on Long Island

57. Bio subject : RNA

58. 1950 Muddy Waters song : ROLLIN' STONE

59. Calendar abbr. : OCT - ugh - when the corner's blank, that leaves 12 choices

60. Brand of protective clothing : STEALTHWEAR - their website

61. Seventh-largest st. : NEVada - I did not know that IOWA is bigger than NY~!!! Wiki list

DOWN:   

1. Developmental version : DRAFT COPY

2. Praised : APPLAUDED

3. What a screenwriter may take with a novel : LIBERTIES - Off the top of my head, I know that things worked out better for John Hammond in the script of Jurassic Park than they did in the book

4. Stylish : DASHY - Y one

5. Pretentious : ARTY - Y two

6. Bit of support : YEA - Y oh Y

7. Reason for a baseball manager's challenge : LATE TAG - Remember this commercial~?

"He missed the tag~!!"

8. Overlay material : ACETATE - FORMICA®  fit, too

10. Dedicated work : ODE

11. Fail to deliver : RENEGE

12. Online shopping mecca : eMALL - ah, not one specific website

13. Pi, but not rho : RATIO

14. Drained : SPENT

20. Direct : STEER

24. 1/100 of a Cambodian riel : SEN - here's where I busted out the dictionary - it's got a cool "MONEY" table from all over the world

28. Hot condition : IRE

31. One sitting on a board : STEAM IRON - extremely clever

32. Consciousness : SENTIENCE

33. Airer of classic shows : ANTENNA TV - never heard of it, but some perps and an educated WAG....

35. Bass, for one : ALE - dah~!  The beer, not the instrument

37. "Ragged Dick" author : ALGER - Perps - the Wiki

40. Hodgepodge : GOULASH - took a moment to get the spelling correct

41. Wreck initiator? : SILENT W - har-har~!  W-R-E-C-K; more spelling

42. Like some stares : ICY - ah, not SLY

44. Fuss : HOOPLA

47. Grain disease : ERGOT - spelled it A-rgot first

48. Watson's creator : DOYLE - another one of "those" clues

50. "Crossworlds" actor Rutger __ : HAUER - another one of "those"; can't think of too many Rutgers....

53. Tabu creator : DANA - did not know what to put in after COCO went bad; the Wiki

55. Word after "open," in store signs : 'TIL

56. Animated barkeep : MOE - The Simpsons

Splynter - (( I can't talk right now - I'm in Delaware ))


Note from C.C.: 

Our dear Husker Gary felt sick on Wednesday and had to be rushed into the emergency room. He's still in the hospital. Please let's send him our thoughts and prayers. We need you and your musings back as soon as possible, Gary!


Joann, Granddaughter Elise & Gary