Saturday Themeless by Jacob McDermott
This a debut LA puzzle for Jacob and I was able to get through his 68-word construction in a very good time.
There were a few sticking points but, as usually happens on Saturdays, the long fills became obvious and allowed me to roll on to a satisfying conclusion. Even his very contemporary references fell with relative ease.
Across:
1. Game that's somewhat pointless?: SHUTOUT - Don Larsen's 1956 World Series perfect game SHUT OUT against the Dodgers is probably the most famous one of all. Other than that game he was only a journeyman pitcher at best but he did have his day in the sun.
15. Brightness: SMARTS 😀
17. Self-made person?: ALTER EGO - $4,500 will buy you a first edition of the most famous one in literature.
22. Dealt with: SAW TO.
23. Colorful wrap: SERAPE - Clint bought this himself and took it with him where he made the American western trilogy in Spain with an Italian director.
29. Loaded: ROLLING IN IT 😀
32. "No joke!": HONEST TO GOD.
33. Drain: SAP.
34. Texter's "Success!": FTW - Where I learned the phrase, "I'll take Totie Fields For The Win." These days it's more likely to be said after the victory.
36. Really bad situation: DIRE STRAITS.
39. Home of Fangorn Forest and the Misty Mountains: MIDDLE EARTH - From Lord Of The Rings
41. First name in rational egoism: AYN - Wanna know more?
47. Where workers cut the mustard?: DELIS 😀
49. Shakshouka ingredient: EGG - I first saw shakshouka in a Stella Zawistowski puzzle I blogged four years ago.
51. Storm antecedent, perhaps: CALM.
52. Tolerates: ABIDES - I have trouble ABIDING obscure names crossing each other in a puzzle, but I soldier on.
54. Teen drama starring Zendaya: EUPHORIA.
58. Home inspection concern: RADON GAS - Here ya go
59. Showed again: RERAN - This is show is credited with being first to do this during the time Lucy was pregnant.
Down:
2. "Ungodly Hour" R&B duo Chloe x __: HALLE - More info on this sister act
3. Unqualified: UTTER.
4. Singer __ Marie: TEENA.
6. Four Corners Native: UTE.
7. Pilate's wear: TOGA - Not what you wear to a pilate's class. 😀
7. Pilate's wear: TOGA - Not what you wear to a pilate's class. 😀
9. Famous name in cookies: AMOS.
10. Models: PARADIGMS - I have seen many PARADIGM shifts in education over my many decades of teaching. Some were useful and some were failures.
11. "Right?": ARE WE NOT- ARE WE NOT crossword fans?
12. Card handed to a TSA agent: STATE ID.
14. Rando: TOTAL STRANGER - Jay Leno's hilarious encounters with rando(m) strangers.
21. Wikipedia tussle: EDIT WAR.
24. Set in motion: PROPEL.
25. Unit of time often used hyperbolically: EON.
27. Pangolin snack: ANT - Two pangolins at a buffet
32. Apple press release?: HARD CIDER 😀
33. Bench: SIDELINE - Some players can be SIDELINED by an injury which will put them on the bench
36. Source of cheap shots?: DIVE BAR - Happy Bottom Riding Club was a DIVE BAR near Edwards Air Force Base where lots of early test pilots, including Chuck Yeager, hung out. It was featured in the movie The Right Stuff
33. Bench: SIDELINE - Some players can be SIDELINED by an injury which will put them on the bench
36. Source of cheap shots?: DIVE BAR - Happy Bottom Riding Club was a DIVE BAR near Edwards Air Force Base where lots of early test pilots, including Chuck Yeager, hung out. It was featured in the movie The Right Stuff
45. Protective cover?: ALIAS - George Costanza's favorite
46. Big hit: SMASH.
48. Transfusion fluids: SERA - SERA vs Plasma