Words: 68 (missing J)
Blocks: 29
Well this one was just a complete "Fun Sponge". I was just about blank
on the first few passes, across and down, but then I was able to break
through in some areas - but I could get nowhere in the NW, and the
combined foreign words/proper names vagueness just dragged this one out
way past my personal time, so off to Google I went. Such a shame,
really, but there's got to be one or two puzzles that just beat me up
and take my lunch money, or I would not learn anything by trying. Big,
chunky quad-6- and 8-letter corners with two climbers;
3. Eagle touchdown site : TRANQUILITY BASE
12. It might make you comfortable : SOUND INVESTMENT
unward :7(
ACROSS:
1. Strips near the water : ISTHMI - ugh. strips of land, as in "isthmuses"- so I had an "S" in there for the longest time
7. One giving you a pointer? : UNCLE SAM - he wants you
15. Tire tube, e.g. : TOROID
16. New York racing venue : SARATOGA - horse racing in Argyle's neck of the woods. I needed the first two "A"s before I remembered this - and I lived in Albany for a few years
17. Sycophantic : SMARMY
18. Skiing maneuver : STEM TURN - did not know this, but I am sure HeartRx did
19. Strands in a tree : TINSEL - Dah~! I was thinking strands as in "abandons", not strands of silvery metal Christmas decorations
20. Wincing words : I HOPE NOT - "you gonna spend $15K to get your roof fixed~?"
21. Ques. : INQuiry - my first thought, but it seemed a bit of a s-t-r-e-t-c-h
22. Jerry who was head coach of the Utah Jazz for 23 seasons : SLOAN - just the "L" was a WAG; the rest, perps
24. Over the limit, on the rd. : DUI - .08 is the limit here; my first "infraction" was almost 3X that
25. Verdun's river : MEUSE - UGH. Frawnche.
28. Dominate, in slang : OWN - The NY Rangers 'owned' the TB Lightning last night, winning 5-1; going back to MSG tied 2 games a piece
29. Mighty efforts : PAINS
31. What one might need to leave : EXIT VISA
33. Buff : FIEND - you know what I am a fiend of....the summer is officially kicking in this weekend, and the summer staff has returned to the restaurants - some familiar faces again, and some new cute ones~!
7. One giving you a pointer? : UNCLE SAM - he wants you
15. Tire tube, e.g. : TOROID
16. New York racing venue : SARATOGA - horse racing in Argyle's neck of the woods. I needed the first two "A"s before I remembered this - and I lived in Albany for a few years
17. Sycophantic : SMARMY
18. Skiing maneuver : STEM TURN - did not know this, but I am sure HeartRx did
19. Strands in a tree : TINSEL - Dah~! I was thinking strands as in "abandons", not strands of silvery metal Christmas decorations
20. Wincing words : I HOPE NOT - "you gonna spend $15K to get your roof fixed~?"
21. Ques. : INQuiry - my first thought, but it seemed a bit of a s-t-r-e-t-c-h
22. Jerry who was head coach of the Utah Jazz for 23 seasons : SLOAN - just the "L" was a WAG; the rest, perps
24. Over the limit, on the rd. : DUI - .08 is the limit here; my first "infraction" was almost 3X that
25. Verdun's river : MEUSE - UGH. Frawnche.
28. Dominate, in slang : OWN - The NY Rangers 'owned' the TB Lightning last night, winning 5-1; going back to MSG tied 2 games a piece
29. Mighty efforts : PAINS
31. What one might need to leave : EXIT VISA
33. Buff : FIEND - you know what I am a fiend of....the summer is officially kicking in this weekend, and the summer staff has returned to the restaurants - some familiar faces again, and some new cute ones~!
34. Shuttle sites : LOOMS - I took a moment to consider the Space shuttle, or a weaving shuttle - ah ha~!
35. "The Simpsons" shower : FOX TV
36. Drops : SINKS
37. Cuban genre also called the "contradanza" : HABANERA
40. Belgian-born artist with the 2012 Grammy-winning album "Making Mirrors" : GOTYE - total fun sponge
41. Slangy "No reason" : "CUZ" - because. If I'm writing dialogue, I spell it " 'cos "
42. Flattened, as a flat : RASED - the flat reference to an apartment building should have clued me into the British spelling of raZed
43. Kid with a trombone : ORY - Did not know this guy
44. Start of a wistful remark : "AH YES...."
46. ID checker : TSA - part of Homeland Security
47. Tiger Electronics' Poo-Chi, for one : ROBOT DOG - I was thinking "robo-pet" at first
50. Give nothing away : CLAM UP; and clecho at 26d. Giving nothing away : STONY
53. Pal of Beegle Beagle : GRAPE APE - I did watch this, I think
54. '60s defense secretary McNamara : ROBERT - I did actually recall this proper name
55. Entering with care : EASING IN - huh - last week, we had Eased Out
56. Right, in a way : AVENGE
57. Smooths : SLEEKENS
58. Liquidated? : MELTED
DOWN:
1. "Let's go" : IT'S TIME
2. ZzzQuil alternative : SOMINEX - eh, I spelled it wrong; happens in the 'down'
53. Pal of Beegle Beagle : GRAPE APE - I did watch this, I think
54. '60s defense secretary McNamara : ROBERT - I did actually recall this proper name
55. Entering with care : EASING IN - huh - last week, we had Eased Out
56. Right, in a way : AVENGE
57. Smooths : SLEEKENS
58. Liquidated? : MELTED
DOWN:
1. "Let's go" : IT'S TIME
2. ZzzQuil alternative : SOMINEX - eh, I spelled it wrong; happens in the 'down'
4. __-la-loi: outlaw : HORS - more F'n Frawnche
5. Art with no lines : MIME
6. Theocritus works : IDYLS
7. It carried FDR to a 1943 "Big Three" meeting : USS IOWA - I had the first "S" and the last "A", and this was a pretty good WAG
8. Lane on Broadway : NATHAN - Clever clue, but didn't fool me; this guy
9. Theban ruler in "Antigone" : CREON - had to Google
10. Standing __ : LAMP - Ugh, really~? I mean, I get it, but....
11. Novel ending : ETTE - meh. I thought it was NoveLLA
13. Not a good way to run : AGROUND - Ooops~!
9. Theban ruler in "Antigone" : CREON - had to Google
10. Standing __ : LAMP - Ugh, really~? I mean, I get it, but....
11. Novel ending : ETTE - meh. I thought it was NoveLLA
13. Not a good way to run : AGROUND - Ooops~!
14. Short prayer? : MANTIS - the bug, that is
23. It may be insured : LOSS
27. Draw out : EVOKE
29. "Cars" studio : PIXAR
30. "Building a healthier world" sloganeer : AETNA
32. Virtual chats : IMs
33. Time keeper? : FOB - I was trying to come up with a magazine Time collector, but it's just the watch chain we're looking for
35. Trouble : FAZE - as in "that did not --- me"
36. Sisterly : SORORAL - ah - the other kind of sister
37. Christiaan who invented the pendulum clock : HUYGENS - this guy
38. Rise again : RESURGE
39. Modified : ADAPTED
40. Indulges and then some : GORGES
41. Most of his works were for solo piano : CHOPIN - a WAG having just the "I"
44. Bit of grandmotherly advice : ADAGE
45. Ejection interjection : "SCRAM~!"
48. Tyke of vintage TV : OPIE
49. Quite a run : TEN-K
51. "A temporary insanity curable by marriage," per Ambrose Bierce : LOVE - cute
52. Explorer Tasman : ABEL
Splynter
