Words: 72 (missing F,J,Q,Z)
Blocks: 29
Started out really well, but this one crushed me and good - nothing
really difficult word-wise, but the cluing was so vague that red-letters
came up early, and even that wasn't good enough. John Lieb has appeared here before; C.C. mentioned David Quarfoot as one of the top themeless constructors.
 | |
| John Lieb |
 |
| David Quarfoot |
Pinwheel grid design of 9-letter and 8-letter corners, and nothing longer. No spanners, and as discussed before, when you get a 15-letter answer, it usually opens the puzzle up a bit. Some answers of note;
1. Holiday portmanteau : TURDUCKEN - The combination of a turkey, duck and chicken, one stuffed inside the other - have to say I have not tried this dish yet....
13. Kyoto-based entertainment company : NINTENDO - They make the Wii console, too - I tried the golf, and it just frustrated me; bowling was more enjoyable
35. Minor obstacle? : BABY GATE
- Oh, so good~! Took a long time for anything in the south to take
shape for me....now, if I can just work this thingy here, and then slide
that over there....
63. Stud revelations : HOLE CARDS - Poker; oh, THAT
kind of stud; it annoys me when I get into a mindset, then stay trapped
inside - I was thinking 2x4 framing lumber and males the whole time. Hole Cards are the two you're ( usually ) dealt face down to start a hand
$F%X&#ONWARD~!
ACROSS:
10. Turned up : ON END - ugh, that kind of turned "up"
15. Hoops situation involving a bonus free throw : ONE AND ONE - Basketball, when a player is fouled (?) - not my game
16. Odds, essentially : RATIO
17. Tennessee's state reptile : BOX TURTLE - Aww
15. Hoops situation involving a bonus free throw : ONE AND ONE - Basketball, when a player is fouled (?) - not my game
16. Odds, essentially : RATIO
17. Tennessee's state reptile : BOX TURTLE - Aww
18. Pointless : INANE
19. Mental health org. : APA - well, I figured it was an "A - A" group, the "P" is for Psychological, and here's a music link
19. Mental health org. : APA - well, I figured it was an "A - A" group, the "P" is for Psychological, and here's a music link
20. Longest-serving Dodger coach Manny : MOTA - echo (echo)(echo) "...now batting - Manny (Manny)(Manny) Mota (Mota)(Mota)
21. Puts forth : POSITS
22. Bucks : GELT - Money slang
24. Like some sins : MORTAL - Yay~! I got one~!
26. Holiday serving : LEG - Oh so vague....I can think of a better clue for this;
27. Dental crown alternative : ONLAY
29. People magazine Sexiest Man Alive of 1999 : GERE - I started with gOre - Um, that's not right
30. Harmonia's daughter, in Greek myth : INO
31. Vituperate : CURSE AT
34. Menu option : UNDO - Just had this - SEND, EDIT, VIEW, FILE, etc
35. Program, perhaps : BOOKLET
38. Chaac, to Mayans : RAIN GOD -various spellings
40. Looking frightened : ASHY
41. Pretend, in a way : LIP SYNC
43. NCAA year-end games system : BCS - Bowl Championship Series - the Wiki; My buddy Mike is in Philly this weekend, I worked too late to go; next weekend he starts a whirlwind tour of the East Coast NFL and college games to promote his new "Quarterback Touchdown" game
44. Word with sugar or spice : MILL - Sugar Mill, Spice Mill - took forever to see this; again, I got stuck on Spice GIRL, and Sugar PILL
45. Put in : ELECT - Ugh, that kind of "PUT"
49. Slangy agreement : YAH - Yea, Yep, just keep at it
50. Common hand span : OCTAVE - I am bruised on the forehead from the V-8 can; the hand can span the keys of a keyboard, which is an octave ( 13 keys )
53. Catch in pots : EELS - DAR~! Seen it before, couldn't remember
54. Receives : GREETS
56. Shakespearean "over there" : YONDer - Poetic
58. Go on : YAK
59. Doddering : ANILE - SEnile, yes, Anile, no. Denile is not just a river in Egypt
60. Cut : EDITED OUT
62. Sign of emptiness : TO LET - as in apartments for rent; the one at mom's house has finally been filled, and the guy seems OK - let's see what happens Dec 1
54. Receives : GREETS
56. Shakespearean "over there" : YONDer - Poetic
58. Go on : YAK
59. Doddering : ANILE - SEnile, yes, Anile, no. Denile is not just a river in Egypt
60. Cut : EDITED OUT
62. Sign of emptiness : TO LET - as in apartments for rent; the one at mom's house has finally been filled, and the guy seems OK - let's see what happens Dec 1
64. Toponymic dairy items : EDAMS - toponymic meaning name derived from a place; in this case, the Dutch cheese
65. Summer TV offering with a "Jaws of Steel Collection" DVD : SHARK WEEK - I am pleased to say this one did actually come to me, sort of a logical educated WAG; I do not care for the show; not a big fan of sharks - they are cool, but I like
DOWN:
1. Lesser Antilles island : TOBAGO
2. Sealed : UNOPEN - meh
3. Old drugstore chain : REXALL - I tried READES, and it got me part-way there
4. "Can't Help Lovin' __ Man" : DAT
5. Word on a bill : UNUM - E Pluribus Unum - Latin; 'One from Many'
6. Storage medium : CD-ROM
7. Actor Yaphet __ of "Midnight Run" : KOTTO - also Parker in Alien (on the right in the image) - what was the cat's name? Anyone?
8. Swell : ENLARGE - I started with ENGORGE - say, where's my mind?
9. Formerly : NEE
10. Yankee foe : ORIOLE - baseball for C.C.
11. Some flatbreads : NANS
12. Selling using servers : ETAILING - "E" word; online shopping, and Cyber Monday happens to be "BLACK MONDAY" at UPS
14. Acts altruistically : DOES GOOD
21. Bash, affectedly : "PAR-TAY~!"
23. Tasteless : TACKY - like the preceeding answer?
25. Rushes : TEARS - tAres, not tEErs
28. Co-star of Steve in "The Magnificent Seven" : YUL
32. They may be dug up : RELICS - had it in, took it out, put it back in
33. Circus elevator : STILT - D-oh~! Took W-A-A-A-A-Y too long to get
34. Godfather, sometimes : UNCLE
36. Academy affirmation : OSCAR NOD - great clue/answer
37. 1985 #1 hit for Ready for the World : OH SHEILA - I grew up with the song, but didn't recall the artist's name
39. Like Vivaldi's "Spring" : IN E - put in the "IN" and wait....
42. "Imagination Taking Shape" sloganeer : PLAY-DOH - Great slogan, too~!
44. Church compositions : MOTETS
46. Kiddie lit character with a detachable tail : EEYORE - Learning moment; I did not know this
47. Composer Debussy : CLAUDE
48. Reproachful warning : TSK TSK - my biggest "MEH" of the day
51. "There!" : VOILA - I definitely did not get my "Ta-DA~!!" on this puzzle
52. Join : ENTER
55. He or I, e.g. : ELEMent - way cool clue that did not fool me; Helium and Iodine
57. Sea level? : DECK - I had DOCK, which stumped me for the longest time; I was thinking dry land - sailors (tars, etc.,) might have been on the ship's deck wavelength
60. Half-hearted responses : EHs
61. Crow cousin : DAW
Splynter
