Theme: None
Total words: 72
Total blocks: 30
A typical "Pack and Stack", in Clear Ayes' words. Total ten 10-letter entries, including the triple stacks in the top left and bottom right corners. A couple of 9s too.
Barry anchors his puzzle with a cool cross-spanner WIND CHILL FACTOR (36A. Heat index counterpart).
Several music references in the grid, none particularly difficult. But the clues for some of the small words are tricky. ETUI (51. Bodkin holder) is a good example. I am used to the stock "Sewing case" clue. Did not even know the meaning of "Bodkin". Dictionary defines it as "sharply pointed instrument for making holes in fabric or leather".
Across:
1. Shell seeker: HERMIT CRAB. Wikipedia says despite their moniker, hermit crabs are social animals that do best in groups.
11. Dyne-centimeters: ERGS. Again, am used to the "Work units" clue. We've seen DYNE clued as "Unit of Force" before.
15. Graphic designer's asset: TRAINED EYE
16. Strike: X OUT. Was in the "Hit hard" direction.
17. Sinclair Lewis best-seller: MAIN STREET. Thought of "Arrowsmith", which has 10-letter also. Sinclair Lewis was a pride of Minnesota.
18. River through Lake Thun: AARE. Switzerland's longest river.
19. Trip starter: LSD. Wanted EGO.
20. Needle: PROD
21. Substance in the Nash poem "Reflection on Babies": TALCUM. No idea. The whole poem consists of "A bit of talcum is always walcum". What does "walcum" mean?
23. Stray: ROAM
24. Last, in much '60s baseball: TENTH. Was unaware that there was only one extra inning in the '60s. (Correction: Argyle said there were only 10 teams in the '60s. See here.)
25. Clarinet's home key, usually: B FLAT. Well, Jazzbumpa can confirm the clue. I simply filled in ?FLAT.
28. Cable: WIRE
29. C-ration successor: MRE (Meal Ready to Eat)
32. "thirtysomething" actor: OLIN (Lena). An onager guess. She's in "Chocolat". (Correction: It's actor Ken Olin. Thanks, Lemonade.)
33. Electric generator part: STATOR COIL. New word to me.
38. Note-clarifying symbol: TREBLE CLEF
39. Grant: CEDE
40. Oklahoma native: OTO
41. Seltzer is often used after it: ALKA. I've never had Alka-Seltzer. Ginger is my cure for everything.
42. Pin site: ALLEY. Bowling pin.
43. Rolls up: FURLS
45. Soprano Te Kanawa: KIRI. Can never commit her name to my brain. She was born in New Zealand.
47. Waver on the moon: US FLAG. Did you think of Armstrong also? Nice placement of FURLS above US FLAG.
49. Where heros are made: DELI. Hero sandwich. And RYE (56D. 49-Across choice).
50. Marlowe's "The __ of Malta": JEW. Not familiar with the book.
53. Stylish: CHIC
54. Improve: AMELIORATE. Know the word. Not the exact spelling.
57. Traditional accounts: LORE
58. Quebec export: MAPLE SYRUP. What else could it be exported from Canada? Hockey players I guess.
59. Impersonator: APER
60. Caution to one getting too hot?: EASY DOES IT. The question mark alerts me "hot" does not refer to body temperature.
Down:
1. Online file suffix: HTML (HyperText Markup Language)
2. Box score stats: ERAS. Era = Earned Run Average. It's not clued as "Notable times" to avoid the duplication with AN ERA (22. End of __ ).
3. Incursion: RAID
4. Short time?: MIN. Short for "minute".
5. Where the crowd is: IN SPOT. I don't get the clue.
6. Prefix with fluoride: TETRA. Prefix for "four".Tetrafluoride is a fluoride containing four fluorine atoms. New word to me also.
7. Jewel box contents: CD ROM
8. Portland, Oregon, college: REED. Well, maybe it's a gimme to our Oregon gang. The college is certainly not on my radar.
9. Marine assent: AYE. "Aye, Aye, Sir.".
10. Making more money, say: BETTER OFF
11. Lionize: EXALT
12. Black Flag product: ROACH MOTEL. Was ignorant of this insecticide.
13. Sikh leader: GURU. Does this refer to Guru Nanak who founded Sikh religion?
14. Stalk: STEM. Plant.
23. Grammy category: R AND B
24. Spine line: TITLE. Book spine line.
25. Greet with respect: BOW TO
26. Dally: FLIRT
27. It's not safe to be in it: LINE OF FIRE. Nice entry.
28. When doubled, an Evergreen State city: WALLA. Walla Walla, Washington.
30. __ la Plata: RIO DE. Literally "River of Silver". The muddy estuary of the Paraná and Uruguay Rivers, and forms part of the border between Argentina and Uruguay. Faintly rings a bell.
31. The king of Spain?: EL REY. Literally "the king" in Spanish.
33. Thimblerig cousin: SHELL GAME. Thimblerig is not in my vocabulary.
34. Beats: TICKS
35. Fourth-century date: CCCLI. Roman 351.
37. Schumann's composer wife: CLARA. Indeed. She's an accomplished composer also.
42. Melodic: ARIOSO
44. Stress consequence, perhaps: ULCER
45. First "Idol" winner Clarkson: KELLY. Very successful after "Idol" career.
46. Admission of deceit: I LIED
47. Pac-10 school: UCLA
48. Talking point at a business dinner?: SHOP. Shoptalk?
49. Passbook amts.: DEPS. Deposits.
50. Shocks: JARS
52. Grieved: WEPT
55. Lea cry: MAA
Answer grid.
Happy 34th Wedding Aniversary to Paolo!
C.C.
Total words: 72
Total blocks: 30
A typical "Pack and Stack", in Clear Ayes' words. Total ten 10-letter entries, including the triple stacks in the top left and bottom right corners. A couple of 9s too.
Barry anchors his puzzle with a cool cross-spanner WIND CHILL FACTOR (36A. Heat index counterpart).
Several music references in the grid, none particularly difficult. But the clues for some of the small words are tricky. ETUI (51. Bodkin holder) is a good example. I am used to the stock "Sewing case" clue. Did not even know the meaning of "Bodkin". Dictionary defines it as "sharply pointed instrument for making holes in fabric or leather".
Across:
1. Shell seeker: HERMIT CRAB. Wikipedia says despite their moniker, hermit crabs are social animals that do best in groups.
11. Dyne-centimeters: ERGS. Again, am used to the "Work units" clue. We've seen DYNE clued as "Unit of Force" before.
15. Graphic designer's asset: TRAINED EYE
16. Strike: X OUT. Was in the "Hit hard" direction.
17. Sinclair Lewis best-seller: MAIN STREET. Thought of "Arrowsmith", which has 10-letter also. Sinclair Lewis was a pride of Minnesota.
18. River through Lake Thun: AARE. Switzerland's longest river.
19. Trip starter: LSD. Wanted EGO.
20. Needle: PROD
21. Substance in the Nash poem "Reflection on Babies": TALCUM. No idea. The whole poem consists of "A bit of talcum is always walcum". What does "walcum" mean?
23. Stray: ROAM
24. Last, in much '60s baseball: TENTH. Was unaware that there was only one extra inning in the '60s. (Correction: Argyle said there were only 10 teams in the '60s. See here.)
25. Clarinet's home key, usually: B FLAT. Well, Jazzbumpa can confirm the clue. I simply filled in ?FLAT.
28. Cable: WIRE
29. C-ration successor: MRE (Meal Ready to Eat)
32. "thirtysomething" actor: OLIN (Lena). An onager guess. She's in "Chocolat". (Correction: It's actor Ken Olin. Thanks, Lemonade.)
33. Electric generator part: STATOR COIL. New word to me.
38. Note-clarifying symbol: TREBLE CLEF
39. Grant: CEDE
40. Oklahoma native: OTO
41. Seltzer is often used after it: ALKA. I've never had Alka-Seltzer. Ginger is my cure for everything.
42. Pin site: ALLEY. Bowling pin.
43. Rolls up: FURLS
45. Soprano Te Kanawa: KIRI. Can never commit her name to my brain. She was born in New Zealand.
47. Waver on the moon: US FLAG. Did you think of Armstrong also? Nice placement of FURLS above US FLAG.
49. Where heros are made: DELI. Hero sandwich. And RYE (56D. 49-Across choice).
50. Marlowe's "The __ of Malta": JEW. Not familiar with the book.
53. Stylish: CHIC
54. Improve: AMELIORATE. Know the word. Not the exact spelling.
57. Traditional accounts: LORE
58. Quebec export: MAPLE SYRUP. What else could it be exported from Canada? Hockey players I guess.
59. Impersonator: APER
60. Caution to one getting too hot?: EASY DOES IT. The question mark alerts me "hot" does not refer to body temperature.
Down:
1. Online file suffix: HTML (HyperText Markup Language)
2. Box score stats: ERAS. Era = Earned Run Average. It's not clued as "Notable times" to avoid the duplication with AN ERA (22. End of __ ).
3. Incursion: RAID
4. Short time?: MIN. Short for "minute".
5. Where the crowd is: IN SPOT. I don't get the clue.
6. Prefix with fluoride: TETRA. Prefix for "four".Tetrafluoride is a fluoride containing four fluorine atoms. New word to me also.
7. Jewel box contents: CD ROM
8. Portland, Oregon, college: REED. Well, maybe it's a gimme to our Oregon gang. The college is certainly not on my radar.
9. Marine assent: AYE. "Aye, Aye, Sir.".
10. Making more money, say: BETTER OFF
11. Lionize: EXALT
12. Black Flag product: ROACH MOTEL. Was ignorant of this insecticide.
13. Sikh leader: GURU. Does this refer to Guru Nanak who founded Sikh religion?
14. Stalk: STEM. Plant.
23. Grammy category: R AND B
24. Spine line: TITLE. Book spine line.
25. Greet with respect: BOW TO
26. Dally: FLIRT
27. It's not safe to be in it: LINE OF FIRE. Nice entry.
28. When doubled, an Evergreen State city: WALLA. Walla Walla, Washington.
30. __ la Plata: RIO DE. Literally "River of Silver". The muddy estuary of the Paraná and Uruguay Rivers, and forms part of the border between Argentina and Uruguay. Faintly rings a bell.
31. The king of Spain?: EL REY. Literally "the king" in Spanish.
33. Thimblerig cousin: SHELL GAME. Thimblerig is not in my vocabulary.
34. Beats: TICKS
35. Fourth-century date: CCCLI. Roman 351.
37. Schumann's composer wife: CLARA. Indeed. She's an accomplished composer also.
42. Melodic: ARIOSO
44. Stress consequence, perhaps: ULCER
45. First "Idol" winner Clarkson: KELLY. Very successful after "Idol" career.
46. Admission of deceit: I LIED
47. Pac-10 school: UCLA
48. Talking point at a business dinner?: SHOP. Shoptalk?
49. Passbook amts.: DEPS. Deposits.
50. Shocks: JARS
52. Grieved: WEPT
55. Lea cry: MAA
Answer grid.
Happy 34th Wedding Aniversary to Paolo!
C.C.
