Theme: None
Total blocks: 36
Total words: 70
This puzzle is anchored by three 15-letter grid-spanning colloquial idioms:
17A. Words of consolation: YOU CAN'T WIN 'EM ALL. You win some, you lose some.
36A. "Don't cry over spilt milk": WHAT'S DONE IS DONE. Can't change the past.
54A. Sassy reply to criticism: IT'S A FREE COUNTRY! I'll do what I please!
Excellent entries, aren't they?
Alas, the rest of the fill and clues do not awe me as much. My multi-word woe continued. Some of the answer phrases are just not in my vocabulary and a few clues are simply too vague for my knowledge and enjoyment.
Felt like walking on ice the whole solve. Maybe it's solid ground for Dennis.
Across:
1. Cellbound?: IN PRISON. Bound in prison cell. Thought it might be mobile phone related.
9. Activates: TRIPS. Like "trip a switch". My hats off to you if the answer came to you immediately.
14. Sanctioned: VALIDATED
16. Brownish pigment: SEPIA. The old photo color.
19. Group with PCPs: HMO. PCP: Primary-Care Physician.
20. Día de San Valentín sentiment: TE AMO. "I love you" in Spanish. Día de San Valentín = St. Valentine's day.
21. Carbon compound: ENOL. Carbon is the same as organic, isn't it?
22. Boardroom illustration: CHART
24. Letter-shaped hardware used to strengthen joints: T- PLATE. Like this.
26. Fish also called a blue jack: COHO. Only know it as "Silver salmon". Does have some blue hue.
28. Bravo maker: FIAT. Not familiar with Fiat Bravo.
29. See a pro, say: TAKE LESSONS. Nope, did not come to quickly.
33. __ blue: SKY
38. Vague quantity: ANY. FEW too.
39. Fish tales: TALL STORIES. And LIED (48A. Wasn't true).
40. Chilean bread: PESO. The "bread" in late week puzzles often refer to money.
41. Submit formally: FILE
42. Back on the water: ASTERN. Back of a boat. Opposite bow.
45. Good thing to be up to: SNUFF. Idiom: "up to snuff". Nailed it.
49. __ Peters, author of Brother Cadfael mysteries: ELLIS. No idea. Pseudonym of British author Edith Mary Pargeter. See the book cover.
51. Intercepting device: TAP
58. Big name in falsetto: VALLI (Frankie). Of "The Four Seasons".
59. Street hazard: OPEN SEWER. I just felt so dumb.
60. Take out, in a way: ERASE
61. View for 6-Down: TREE TOPS. And SANTA (6D. Flier over 61-Across).
Down:
1. Creeper: IVY
2. Sodium hydroxide, in chem class: NAOH. Only know the sodium symbol NA.
3. Juicy fruit: PLUM
4. Bounce: RICOCHET
5. State with a panhandle: Abbr.: IDA. So many states with panhandles. The clue typifies the "could be this, could be that" toughness of the whole grid.
7. Web-footed mammal: OTTER
8. Not experienced in: NEW AT
9. Literary monogram: TSE (T.S. Eliot). The first person who popped into my brain.
10. Do a foundry job: REMELT. Did not know the meaning of "foundry".
11. Old toothpaste with a spokesbeaver: IPANA. "Brusha, brusha, brusha".
12. Fly: PILOT
13. Maison room: SALLE. French for "room". Maison is "house". I misread as "Mason room".
15. Not too smart: DIM
18. Out of the running: NOT IN IT. Not fond of any "Not ..." answer. Opens doors for NOT FULL, NOT UGLY, NOT SEXY, anything not. Arbitrary-prone.
23. Arm holder?: HOLSTER. Firearm. Loved the clue.
25. Falsely present (as): PASS OFF
26. Four-time Oscar-winning lyricist: CAHN (Sammy)
27. Fine: OKAY
28. Antagonists: FOES
29. Defunct carrier: TWA. Howard Hughes's airline.
30. "Roots" Emmy winner: ED ASNER. He played Captain Davies on "Roots". I need "Lou Grant" to make the fill a gimme.
31. Helpless?: SOLO. Nice clue.
32. NBC hit since '75: SNL
33. Land: SOIL
34. Joint with a cap: KNEE
35. "Works for me": YES
37. Fisherman's aid that floats with the current: DRIFT NET. New to me.
40. Rides on a path, perhaps: PEDALS. Perhaps, yes.
42. Full of energy: ALIVE
43. Indian strings: SITAR
44. Magnetic induction unit: TESLA. Named after Nikola Tesla.
45. Nodded: SLEPT
46. More pleasant: NICER
47. Rte. through six Eastern state capitals: US ONE. US. Route 1 runs from Maine to Florida.
50. Fifth sign: LEO. Zodiac sign.
52. Welk's upbeat: A TWO. Lawrence Welk trademark count-off: "A one and a two". Beat me.
53. __ school: PREP
55. Old-fashioned word of disapproval: FIE
56. Deploy: USE
57. Vintage nos.: YRS. On wine bottle.
Answer grid.
See you tomorrow, Crucigangsters! Thanks for the word yesterday, Jerome. FYI, cruciverbalist is a person who loves crosswords. From Latin crux/cruc "cross" + verbum "word", a modern back translation of English "crossword".
C.C.
Total blocks: 36
Total words: 70
This puzzle is anchored by three 15-letter grid-spanning colloquial idioms:
17A. Words of consolation: YOU CAN'T WIN 'EM ALL. You win some, you lose some.
36A. "Don't cry over spilt milk": WHAT'S DONE IS DONE. Can't change the past.
54A. Sassy reply to criticism: IT'S A FREE COUNTRY! I'll do what I please!
Excellent entries, aren't they?
Alas, the rest of the fill and clues do not awe me as much. My multi-word woe continued. Some of the answer phrases are just not in my vocabulary and a few clues are simply too vague for my knowledge and enjoyment.
Felt like walking on ice the whole solve. Maybe it's solid ground for Dennis.
Across:
1. Cellbound?: IN PRISON. Bound in prison cell. Thought it might be mobile phone related.
9. Activates: TRIPS. Like "trip a switch". My hats off to you if the answer came to you immediately.
14. Sanctioned: VALIDATED
16. Brownish pigment: SEPIA. The old photo color.
19. Group with PCPs: HMO. PCP: Primary-Care Physician.
20. Día de San Valentín sentiment: TE AMO. "I love you" in Spanish. Día de San Valentín = St. Valentine's day.
21. Carbon compound: ENOL. Carbon is the same as organic, isn't it?
22. Boardroom illustration: CHART
24. Letter-shaped hardware used to strengthen joints: T- PLATE. Like this.
26. Fish also called a blue jack: COHO. Only know it as "Silver salmon". Does have some blue hue.
28. Bravo maker: FIAT. Not familiar with Fiat Bravo.
29. See a pro, say: TAKE LESSONS. Nope, did not come to quickly.
33. __ blue: SKY
38. Vague quantity: ANY. FEW too.
39. Fish tales: TALL STORIES. And LIED (48A. Wasn't true).
40. Chilean bread: PESO. The "bread" in late week puzzles often refer to money.
41. Submit formally: FILE
42. Back on the water: ASTERN. Back of a boat. Opposite bow.
45. Good thing to be up to: SNUFF. Idiom: "up to snuff". Nailed it.
49. __ Peters, author of Brother Cadfael mysteries: ELLIS. No idea. Pseudonym of British author Edith Mary Pargeter. See the book cover.
51. Intercepting device: TAP
58. Big name in falsetto: VALLI (Frankie). Of "The Four Seasons".
59. Street hazard: OPEN SEWER. I just felt so dumb.
60. Take out, in a way: ERASE
61. View for 6-Down: TREE TOPS. And SANTA (6D. Flier over 61-Across).
Down:
1. Creeper: IVY
2. Sodium hydroxide, in chem class: NAOH. Only know the sodium symbol NA.
3. Juicy fruit: PLUM
4. Bounce: RICOCHET
5. State with a panhandle: Abbr.: IDA. So many states with panhandles. The clue typifies the "could be this, could be that" toughness of the whole grid.
7. Web-footed mammal: OTTER
8. Not experienced in: NEW AT
9. Literary monogram: TSE (T.S. Eliot). The first person who popped into my brain.
10. Do a foundry job: REMELT. Did not know the meaning of "foundry".
11. Old toothpaste with a spokesbeaver: IPANA. "Brusha, brusha, brusha".
12. Fly: PILOT
13. Maison room: SALLE. French for "room". Maison is "house". I misread as "Mason room".
15. Not too smart: DIM
18. Out of the running: NOT IN IT. Not fond of any "Not ..." answer. Opens doors for NOT FULL, NOT UGLY, NOT SEXY, anything not. Arbitrary-prone.
23. Arm holder?: HOLSTER. Firearm. Loved the clue.
25. Falsely present (as): PASS OFF
26. Four-time Oscar-winning lyricist: CAHN (Sammy)
27. Fine: OKAY
28. Antagonists: FOES
29. Defunct carrier: TWA. Howard Hughes's airline.
30. "Roots" Emmy winner: ED ASNER. He played Captain Davies on "Roots". I need "Lou Grant" to make the fill a gimme.
31. Helpless?: SOLO. Nice clue.
32. NBC hit since '75: SNL
33. Land: SOIL
34. Joint with a cap: KNEE
35. "Works for me": YES
37. Fisherman's aid that floats with the current: DRIFT NET. New to me.
40. Rides on a path, perhaps: PEDALS. Perhaps, yes.
42. Full of energy: ALIVE
43. Indian strings: SITAR
44. Magnetic induction unit: TESLA. Named after Nikola Tesla.
45. Nodded: SLEPT
46. More pleasant: NICER
47. Rte. through six Eastern state capitals: US ONE. US. Route 1 runs from Maine to Florida.
50. Fifth sign: LEO. Zodiac sign.
52. Welk's upbeat: A TWO. Lawrence Welk trademark count-off: "A one and a two". Beat me.
53. __ school: PREP
55. Old-fashioned word of disapproval: FIE
56. Deploy: USE
57. Vintage nos.: YRS. On wine bottle.
Answer grid.
See you tomorrow, Crucigangsters! Thanks for the word yesterday, Jerome. FYI, cruciverbalist is a person who loves crosswords. From Latin crux/cruc "cross" + verbum "word", a modern back translation of English "crossword".
C.C.
