Theme: None
Words: 68
Blocks: 33
Another Brad Wilber in the month of October (the 8th), this one with the lowest word count I think I have had for a Saturday, and four "cheater" squares, a term I am not thrilled about; it refers to the black squares in the two corners and the symmetrical ones above 36D, and below 13D. This grid, with its "plus" pattern has spawned some interesting non-Saturday themes - specifically, one where the theme tie-in was Plus Sign, and Positive - I just can't remember who it was - my guess is yesterday's constructor, John Lampkin. Anyway, Brad's puzzle was pretty smooth today, just a few changes and one or two learning moments - or maybe I am just getting better at Saturdays....
ONWARD ~!
ACROSS:
1. In secret : ON THE QT - nice - starting with a "Q" in an abbreviation, QT meaning "quiet", and discussed here
8. Picks up slowly : GLEANS
14. Staunch : TRUE BLUE
15. Tank top? : TURRET - didn't fool me
16. Divine dinner : AMBROSIA - had _ _ _ ROAST to start, but wasn't working
17. Bergman of film : INGMAR
18. Pricey order from a butcher : LOIN
19. Caldecott Medal winner __ Jack Keats : EZRA
21. Tropical cousin of the raccoon : COATI - Image
22. Capital of Lithuania? : ELL - Capital letter of Lithuania. Put this in right away, then thought it might be a reference to the "money" capital of the country, but nope, I was spot-on
23. 1971 Matthau film directed by Jack Lemmon : KOTCH - more here
25. "__War": Shatner series : TEK - never watched it; but I am a huge TREKKIE
26. One involved in litigation : SUER
28. Hard times : MISFORTUNE - meh, this doesn't quite fit, like "I fell on hard times, I fell on misfortune"....meh
30. Parenthetical passage : ASIDE - I like saying the word PA-ren-THEH-ti-cal
32. Sommelier, often : POURER - Sommelier, a wine specialist at a restaurant
33. Pitchman's pitches : SPIELS
35. Became less ardent : COOLED
36. Aesop character, usually : ANIMAL
37. Skunk cabbage and jack-in-the-pulpit, e.g. : ARUMs - I could not figure out exactly what the correlation of these words were; they are all plants, that much I know....
38. Much-devalued holding, in modern lingo : TOXIC ASSET - sub-prime mortgage homes are a pretty good example that I can think of....
40. Yorkshire river : AIRE - Map (boy was this HARD to find ~!)
44. Rule, in Rouen : LOI - Ah, French, my guess is it's "LAW"
45. Overpromoted : HYPED
46. Common URL finish : COM - as in "Dot Com"
47. Cub Scouts pack leader : AKELA - this was new to me
49. Stem-to-branch angle : AXIL
51. Radiohead frontman Yorke : THOM - Cool video
52. Eat one's words : RECANT
54. Pervasiveness : UBIQUITY - I like using "Ubiquitous", so this one came to me easy
56. '90s Seattle-born music style : GRUNGE - Not a fan of the style, but I did love Nirvana
57. Lively musical passages : ALLEGROs
58. Regard : ESTEEM
59. Plays for a fool : LEADS ON
DOWN:
1. Ornamental gilded bronze : ORMOLU - a WAG from knowing OROBLU, and this is what the clue is referring
2. Developed, in a way : NUBILE - oh, this is developed
3. Fork-tailed bird : TERN
4. Original network of "Fraggle Rock" : HBO - I remember when HBO was "exotic"
5. Unnamed alternative : ELSE
6. Radio game show with a panel of gifted children : QUIZ KIDS
7. Apricot-like shade : TEAROSE
8. Hatchback with a TSI engine : GTI
9. Home of counterculture? : LUNCHROOM
10. Logical term : ERGO
11. Sculptor's framework : ARMATURE - also in Stop-motion animation
12. Put in order : NEATENED
13. Person in a picket line : STRIKER
14. Raconteur's repertoire : TALES
20. Justice Dept. bureau : ATF - Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms
24. Lame excuse : COP OUT
27. "Spider-Man" director Sam : RAIMI
28. Female poet known to friends as "Vincent" : MILLAY
29. Oral Roberts University site : TULSA
31. Dramatic transformation : SEA CHANGE
33. Plays for a fool : SNOOKERS - I have yet to play a game of Snooker
34. Halle Berry's hairstyle : PIXIE CUT - not a fan of Halle, but this style does look good
35. Like a good witness : CREDIBLE
36. Not in custody : AT LARGE
37. Like some spore reproduction : ASEXUAL
39. Place for a rest cure : SPA
41. Suzuki of the Mariners : ICHIRO - I defer to our baseball expert, C.C. (From C.C.: My first-ever baseball card is Ichiro's rookie card.)
42. Act the cheerleader : ROOT ON
43. Winged statuettes : EMMYs
48. Swim meet division : LANE
50. Reader's Digest co-founder Wallace : LILA
51. Harbor vessels : TUGS
53. President pro __ : TEM
55. Logical letters : QED - and wrapping it up with another "Q" abbreviation ~!
Answer grid.
Splynter
Notes from C.C.:
1) Happy 86th birthday to our witty and caring Dodo (L-R back row: Chickie, Clear Ayes, Garlic Gal; Front: JD, Lucina, Dodo). The photo is from their June 23, 2011 gathering.
2) To regular posters: If you want to be included in our blog photo archive, please send me your picture(s) at this address: crosswordc@gmail.com. We'd love to "see" you.
Words: 68
Blocks: 33
Another Brad Wilber in the month of October (the 8th), this one with the lowest word count I think I have had for a Saturday, and four "cheater" squares, a term I am not thrilled about; it refers to the black squares in the two corners and the symmetrical ones above 36D, and below 13D. This grid, with its "plus" pattern has spawned some interesting non-Saturday themes - specifically, one where the theme tie-in was Plus Sign, and Positive - I just can't remember who it was - my guess is yesterday's constructor, John Lampkin. Anyway, Brad's puzzle was pretty smooth today, just a few changes and one or two learning moments - or maybe I am just getting better at Saturdays....
ONWARD ~!
ACROSS:
1. In secret : ON THE QT - nice - starting with a "Q" in an abbreviation, QT meaning "quiet", and discussed here
8. Picks up slowly : GLEANS
14. Staunch : TRUE BLUE
15. Tank top? : TURRET - didn't fool me
16. Divine dinner : AMBROSIA - had _ _ _ ROAST to start, but wasn't working
17. Bergman of film : INGMAR
18. Pricey order from a butcher : LOIN
19. Caldecott Medal winner __ Jack Keats : EZRA
21. Tropical cousin of the raccoon : COATI - Image
22. Capital of Lithuania? : ELL - Capital letter of Lithuania. Put this in right away, then thought it might be a reference to the "money" capital of the country, but nope, I was spot-on
23. 1971 Matthau film directed by Jack Lemmon : KOTCH - more here
25. "__War": Shatner series : TEK - never watched it; but I am a huge TREKKIE
26. One involved in litigation : SUER
28. Hard times : MISFORTUNE - meh, this doesn't quite fit, like "I fell on hard times, I fell on misfortune"....meh
30. Parenthetical passage : ASIDE - I like saying the word PA-ren-THEH-ti-cal
32. Sommelier, often : POURER - Sommelier, a wine specialist at a restaurant
33. Pitchman's pitches : SPIELS
35. Became less ardent : COOLED
36. Aesop character, usually : ANIMAL
37. Skunk cabbage and jack-in-the-pulpit, e.g. : ARUMs - I could not figure out exactly what the correlation of these words were; they are all plants, that much I know....
38. Much-devalued holding, in modern lingo : TOXIC ASSET - sub-prime mortgage homes are a pretty good example that I can think of....
40. Yorkshire river : AIRE - Map (boy was this HARD to find ~!)
44. Rule, in Rouen : LOI - Ah, French, my guess is it's "LAW"
45. Overpromoted : HYPED
46. Common URL finish : COM - as in "Dot Com"
47. Cub Scouts pack leader : AKELA - this was new to me
49. Stem-to-branch angle : AXIL
51. Radiohead frontman Yorke : THOM - Cool video
52. Eat one's words : RECANT
54. Pervasiveness : UBIQUITY - I like using "Ubiquitous", so this one came to me easy
56. '90s Seattle-born music style : GRUNGE - Not a fan of the style, but I did love Nirvana
57. Lively musical passages : ALLEGROs
58. Regard : ESTEEM
59. Plays for a fool : LEADS ON
DOWN:
1. Ornamental gilded bronze : ORMOLU - a WAG from knowing OROBLU, and this is what the clue is referring
2. Developed, in a way : NUBILE - oh, this is developed
3. Fork-tailed bird : TERN
4. Original network of "Fraggle Rock" : HBO - I remember when HBO was "exotic"
5. Unnamed alternative : ELSE
6. Radio game show with a panel of gifted children : QUIZ KIDS
7. Apricot-like shade : TEAROSE
8. Hatchback with a TSI engine : GTI
9. Home of counterculture? : LUNCHROOM
10. Logical term : ERGO
11. Sculptor's framework : ARMATURE - also in Stop-motion animation
12. Put in order : NEATENED
13. Person in a picket line : STRIKER
14. Raconteur's repertoire : TALES
20. Justice Dept. bureau : ATF - Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms
24. Lame excuse : COP OUT
27. "Spider-Man" director Sam : RAIMI
28. Female poet known to friends as "Vincent" : MILLAY
29. Oral Roberts University site : TULSA
31. Dramatic transformation : SEA CHANGE
33. Plays for a fool : SNOOKERS - I have yet to play a game of Snooker
34. Halle Berry's hairstyle : PIXIE CUT - not a fan of Halle, but this style does look good
35. Like a good witness : CREDIBLE
36. Not in custody : AT LARGE
37. Like some spore reproduction : ASEXUAL
39. Place for a rest cure : SPA
41. Suzuki of the Mariners : ICHIRO - I defer to our baseball expert, C.C. (From C.C.: My first-ever baseball card is Ichiro's rookie card.)
42. Act the cheerleader : ROOT ON
43. Winged statuettes : EMMYs
48. Swim meet division : LANE
50. Reader's Digest co-founder Wallace : LILA
51. Harbor vessels : TUGS
53. President pro __ : TEM
55. Logical letters : QED - and wrapping it up with another "Q" abbreviation ~!
Answer grid.
Splynter
Notes from C.C.:
1) Happy 86th birthday to our witty and caring Dodo (L-R back row: Chickie, Clear Ayes, Garlic Gal; Front: JD, Lucina, Dodo). The photo is from their June 23, 2011 gathering.
2) To regular posters: If you want to be included in our blog photo archive, please send me your picture(s) at this address: crosswordc@gmail.com. We'd love to "see" you.
