Theme: None
Total block: 27
I really don't understand why Mr. Higgins continues to construct themeless. If the only weapons he has are those annoying affixes-laden "artificial long fills" (Embien's term) and obscure libraian words, then he should give up. There should be a limit on the number of ER, RE, ED, EST, ING & S allowed in a puzzle.
He could have fiddled with the grid a bit and made LANCES (55A: Knight's weapons) singular. He could have tied it in with ITO (21A: Simpson trial judge) and created a O. J. Simpson themed puzzle, with CHASE in the middle.
I really dislike the clue for ASCENDANCE (42A: Coming into prominence). The clue is asking for ASCENDING, isn't it? "Several" in the ROES (27D: Several small Eurasian deer) made me feel condescended. The clue for ARABLE (42D: Suitable for farming) is simply horrible. SUITABLE is the answer for the crossing 51A "Fitting".
I do like "Type of committee" for STEERTING (6D). Nice one.
Across:
1A: "When __ Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd": LILACS. "And the great star early droop'd in the western sky in the night..." Whitman's elegy for Lincoln. Nice "O Captain! My Captain!" animation.
15A: Ark's resting place: ARARAT. I always thought that Mountains of ARARAT and Mount ARARAT are the same.
16A: Soapstone: STEATITE. New word to me.
17A: Bell's clapper: TONGUE. I had no idea that the metal in the middle of the bell is called TONGUE.
18A: Horse-drawn vehicle operator: COACHMAN
19A: Lack of sufferance: INTOLERANCE. Are you OK with the clue? It feels so strained to me.
21A: Simpson trial judge: ITO (Lance). He has never written a book about the trial, has he?
22A: Himalayan gazelle: GOA. I always want YAK, which is an ox. Argyle found this GOA picture last time when we had the "Tibetan gazelle" clue.
25A: Cantankerous state: ORNERINESS. I always associate ORNERY with stubborn.
30A: Edible mushroom: MOREL. Another 5-letter edible Asian mushroom is the long-stemmed ENOKI, which has a very firm, chewy and textured taste if prepared properly.
34A: Helen's conductor: PARIS. He was portrayed by Orlando Bloom in "Troy". The guy on the left is Hector, played by Eric Bana ("Munich"). Helen's wife is Oenone.
47A: Part of APB: ALL. I had a mental block and wrote down AIR, thinking of the Air Pollution Index.
48A: Evil-doers: MALEFACTORS
53A: Compel with force: COERCE. Another "compel" clue is 38D: Compel: ENFORCE.
54A: Spotless: UNSOILED
57A: Thrust out: EXSERT. Unknown to me. I wanted EXERT.
Down:
1D: Cinch tightening straps: LATIGOS. No idea. Is LATIGO the white leather belt around the horse's stomach?
3D: Verbena plant: LANTANA. Doesitinink mentioned this Geoffrey Rush movie "LANTANA" last time. Have you seen it?
5D: Greater omentum: CAUL. No idea.
9D: Corps, pipes and officers: PEACES. Peace Corps, peace pipes, peace officers. Wow, is this a legitimate cluing? I do like it though.
10D: Portion of humanity: RACE. "Portion"?
12D: Degree of eminence: STATURE. I wish the constructor had tied in Lincoln with the clue.
14D: Ancient Greek beverage: OENOMEL. OENO is prefix for wine, MEL is from Greek MELI, meaning honey. I've never heard of this drink before. I only knew mead.
20D: Futhark alphabet: RUNES. Saw this clue before.
26D: Descried: ESPIED. I tend to confuse descry with decry.
33D: Highest point: PINNACLE. I rather like PINNACLE golf balls. Distance Doesn't Have to be Hard: Softer Feel.
34D: Winged horse: PEGASUS. I forgot. It's created from Medusa's blood. Red PEGASUS is the old Mobil mascot.
35D: Moon orbiter's apogee: APOLUNE. Absolutely no idea. It's opposite perilune, which is "Moon orbiter's perigee".
37D: Diatribes: SCREEDS
48D: Flexible type of armor: MAIL. New meaning of MAIL to me.
49D: Persuade gently: COAX. Lovely "Maggie May": "... I laughed at all of your jokes, my love you didn't need to COAX..."
C.C.
Total block: 27
I really don't understand why Mr. Higgins continues to construct themeless. If the only weapons he has are those annoying affixes-laden "artificial long fills" (Embien's term) and obscure libraian words, then he should give up. There should be a limit on the number of ER, RE, ED, EST, ING & S allowed in a puzzle.
He could have fiddled with the grid a bit and made LANCES (55A: Knight's weapons) singular. He could have tied it in with ITO (21A: Simpson trial judge) and created a O. J. Simpson themed puzzle, with CHASE in the middle.
I really dislike the clue for ASCENDANCE (42A: Coming into prominence). The clue is asking for ASCENDING, isn't it? "Several" in the ROES (27D: Several small Eurasian deer) made me feel condescended. The clue for ARABLE (42D: Suitable for farming) is simply horrible. SUITABLE is the answer for the crossing 51A "Fitting".
I do like "Type of committee" for STEERTING (6D). Nice one.
Across:
1A: "When __ Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd": LILACS. "And the great star early droop'd in the western sky in the night..." Whitman's elegy for Lincoln. Nice "O Captain! My Captain!" animation.
15A: Ark's resting place: ARARAT. I always thought that Mountains of ARARAT and Mount ARARAT are the same.
16A: Soapstone: STEATITE. New word to me.
17A: Bell's clapper: TONGUE. I had no idea that the metal in the middle of the bell is called TONGUE.
18A: Horse-drawn vehicle operator: COACHMAN
19A: Lack of sufferance: INTOLERANCE. Are you OK with the clue? It feels so strained to me.
21A: Simpson trial judge: ITO (Lance). He has never written a book about the trial, has he?
22A: Himalayan gazelle: GOA. I always want YAK, which is an ox. Argyle found this GOA picture last time when we had the "Tibetan gazelle" clue.
25A: Cantankerous state: ORNERINESS. I always associate ORNERY with stubborn.
30A: Edible mushroom: MOREL. Another 5-letter edible Asian mushroom is the long-stemmed ENOKI, which has a very firm, chewy and textured taste if prepared properly.
34A: Helen's conductor: PARIS. He was portrayed by Orlando Bloom in "Troy". The guy on the left is Hector, played by Eric Bana ("Munich"). Helen's wife is Oenone.
47A: Part of APB: ALL. I had a mental block and wrote down AIR, thinking of the Air Pollution Index.
48A: Evil-doers: MALEFACTORS
53A: Compel with force: COERCE. Another "compel" clue is 38D: Compel: ENFORCE.
54A: Spotless: UNSOILED
57A: Thrust out: EXSERT. Unknown to me. I wanted EXERT.
Down:
1D: Cinch tightening straps: LATIGOS. No idea. Is LATIGO the white leather belt around the horse's stomach?
3D: Verbena plant: LANTANA. Doesitinink mentioned this Geoffrey Rush movie "LANTANA" last time. Have you seen it?
5D: Greater omentum: CAUL. No idea.
9D: Corps, pipes and officers: PEACES. Peace Corps, peace pipes, peace officers. Wow, is this a legitimate cluing? I do like it though.
10D: Portion of humanity: RACE. "Portion"?
12D: Degree of eminence: STATURE. I wish the constructor had tied in Lincoln with the clue.
14D: Ancient Greek beverage: OENOMEL. OENO is prefix for wine, MEL is from Greek MELI, meaning honey. I've never heard of this drink before. I only knew mead.
20D: Futhark alphabet: RUNES. Saw this clue before.
26D: Descried: ESPIED. I tend to confuse descry with decry.
33D: Highest point: PINNACLE. I rather like PINNACLE golf balls. Distance Doesn't Have to be Hard: Softer Feel.
34D: Winged horse: PEGASUS. I forgot. It's created from Medusa's blood. Red PEGASUS is the old Mobil mascot.
35D: Moon orbiter's apogee: APOLUNE. Absolutely no idea. It's opposite perilune, which is "Moon orbiter's perigee".
37D: Diatribes: SCREEDS
48D: Flexible type of armor: MAIL. New meaning of MAIL to me.
49D: Persuade gently: COAX. Lovely "Maggie May": "... I laughed at all of your jokes, my love you didn't need to COAX..."
C.C.
