Theme: None
Total blocks: 27
We seem to have a lot of 27-block themeless on Saturdays. FYI, our lowest is a 26-block puzzle (a hard one) by Robert Wolfe on August 23.
I like this puzzle. It has such an eye-pleasing grid, so open and receptive. I wish I could solve it unassisted. But I enjoyed my struggle today.
I did not know why NIMRODS (8D) is clued as "Silly hunters?". After seeing the explanation from dictionary, I thought it's rather clever to have both NIMRODS and NOAH ( 19A: Ancient miner?) structured in one grid.
Across:
1) :-), for example: EMOTICON. A happy start for me.
9A: Zigzag braid as trimming: RIC-RAC. See Little Trimmings. New term to me.
15A: So-called feather of song: MACARONI. From "Yankee Doodle". I did not know this.
16A: Contend: ALLEGE
17A: Top-to-bottom renovation: EXTREME MAKEOVER
20A: Red-and-white sign: BARBER POLE
21A: Saharan formations: DUNES. This reminds me of "The English Patient".
24A: Take off the top: SKIM. Really? Is this the "Take off the top" in your mind?
25A: Infuses: STEEPS
27A: Brit bombshell Diana: DORS. She sure has the Marilyn Monroe look.
32A: Galley notation: STET. I got it from the across fills. Not familiar with "Galley" as a printing term.
34A: Scope of Tweed's influence?: BOSSDOM. Big stumper. I had never heard of Boss Tweed or Tammany Hall before.
38A: Parched: THIRSTY
43A: Poetic palindrome: ERE. Able was I ERE I saw Elba.
46A: Confuse: MUDDLE. And STIR UP (29D: Agitate)
52A: David's "Kill Bill" co-star: UMA. Don't know who David is. But UMA Thurman is always clued as "Kill Bill" star.
55A: Highly respected woman: GRANDE DAME. Like whom?
60A: Call a truce but remain at odds: AGREE TO DISAGREE
63A: Happening quickly and dizzingly: IN A WHIRL
64A: Entertainer O'Shea: TESSIE. Total stranger to me.
65A: Super bowl start: COIN TOSS
Down:
1D: Puts right: EMENDS
2D: Use up all credit: MAX OUT. Have you seen "MAXED OUT"?
4D: Carolina athletes: TAR HEELS. No idea. Why are they called TAR HEELS?
10D: Robert of "The Sopranos": ILER. I can never remember his name. It's a very rare surname, isn't it?
11D: Equine footfalls: CLOPS
12D: Those who annul: REVOKER. If you say so.
13D: Maturity cutoff point: AGE LIMIT
14D: Formal event: CEREMONY. I've never attended a Japanese tea CEREMONY, have you? That geisha's face is too white.
18D: Costello's straight man: ABBOTT. "Who's on first?" I love baseball.
22D: Web user: SPIDER. Ha, so simple, but I overthought.
34D: Boastful individual: BRAGGART. Learned a new word this morning: blow-hard.
35D: Win a debate: OUT- ARGUE. Is this a word?
36D: Track officials: STEWARDS. What track?
37D: Latino boy band: MENUDO. No idea. Did not know that Ricky Martin was a member of MENUDO.
39D: Stop signal: RED LIGHT
42D: Always on the move: NOMADIC
47D: Hollywood Dolores: DEL RIO. No idea. Wikipedia says she starred in "Madame DuBarry". That's the same DuBarry in the song "Lydia" (Guiess, DuBarry, Garbo./Rolled into one), right?
49D: Detroit duds: EDSELS. I am used to the "Ford flops" clue.
51D: Places for pads: KNEES
57D: Disk extension: ETTE. Diskette.
58D: Morales of "La Bamba": ESAI. I've never seen "La Bamba". I like his role Tony Rodriguez in "NYPD Blue".
61D: Grass bristle: AWN. This is Paul's Word of the Day.
C.C.
Total blocks: 27
We seem to have a lot of 27-block themeless on Saturdays. FYI, our lowest is a 26-block puzzle (a hard one) by Robert Wolfe on August 23.
I like this puzzle. It has such an eye-pleasing grid, so open and receptive. I wish I could solve it unassisted. But I enjoyed my struggle today.
I did not know why NIMRODS (8D) is clued as "Silly hunters?". After seeing the explanation from dictionary, I thought it's rather clever to have both NIMRODS and NOAH ( 19A: Ancient miner?) structured in one grid.
Across:
1) :-), for example: EMOTICON. A happy start for me.
9A: Zigzag braid as trimming: RIC-RAC. See Little Trimmings. New term to me.
15A: So-called feather of song: MACARONI. From "Yankee Doodle". I did not know this.
16A: Contend: ALLEGE
17A: Top-to-bottom renovation: EXTREME MAKEOVER
20A: Red-and-white sign: BARBER POLE
21A: Saharan formations: DUNES. This reminds me of "The English Patient".
24A: Take off the top: SKIM. Really? Is this the "Take off the top" in your mind?
25A: Infuses: STEEPS
27A: Brit bombshell Diana: DORS. She sure has the Marilyn Monroe look.
32A: Galley notation: STET. I got it from the across fills. Not familiar with "Galley" as a printing term.
34A: Scope of Tweed's influence?: BOSSDOM. Big stumper. I had never heard of Boss Tweed or Tammany Hall before.
38A: Parched: THIRSTY
43A: Poetic palindrome: ERE. Able was I ERE I saw Elba.
46A: Confuse: MUDDLE. And STIR UP (29D: Agitate)
52A: David's "Kill Bill" co-star: UMA. Don't know who David is. But UMA Thurman is always clued as "Kill Bill" star.
55A: Highly respected woman: GRANDE DAME. Like whom?
60A: Call a truce but remain at odds: AGREE TO DISAGREE
63A: Happening quickly and dizzingly: IN A WHIRL
64A: Entertainer O'Shea: TESSIE. Total stranger to me.
65A: Super bowl start: COIN TOSS
Down:
1D: Puts right: EMENDS
2D: Use up all credit: MAX OUT. Have you seen "MAXED OUT"?
4D: Carolina athletes: TAR HEELS. No idea. Why are they called TAR HEELS?
10D: Robert of "The Sopranos": ILER. I can never remember his name. It's a very rare surname, isn't it?
11D: Equine footfalls: CLOPS
12D: Those who annul: REVOKER. If you say so.
13D: Maturity cutoff point: AGE LIMIT
14D: Formal event: CEREMONY. I've never attended a Japanese tea CEREMONY, have you? That geisha's face is too white.
18D: Costello's straight man: ABBOTT. "Who's on first?" I love baseball.
22D: Web user: SPIDER. Ha, so simple, but I overthought.
34D: Boastful individual: BRAGGART. Learned a new word this morning: blow-hard.
35D: Win a debate: OUT- ARGUE. Is this a word?
36D: Track officials: STEWARDS. What track?
37D: Latino boy band: MENUDO. No idea. Did not know that Ricky Martin was a member of MENUDO.
39D: Stop signal: RED LIGHT
42D: Always on the move: NOMADIC
47D: Hollywood Dolores: DEL RIO. No idea. Wikipedia says she starred in "Madame DuBarry". That's the same DuBarry in the song "Lydia" (Guiess, DuBarry, Garbo./Rolled into one), right?
49D: Detroit duds: EDSELS. I am used to the "Ford flops" clue.
51D: Places for pads: KNEES
57D: Disk extension: ETTE. Diskette.
58D: Morales of "La Bamba": ESAI. I've never seen "La Bamba". I like his role Tony Rodriguez in "NYPD Blue".
61D: Grass bristle: AWN. This is Paul's Word of the Day.
C.C.
