google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner

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Jan 25, 2014

Saturday, Jan 25th, 2014, Barry C. Silk

Theme: Saturday Silkie

Words: 72 (missing J,Q)

Blocks: 32

    There are three reactions during the solve of a crossword, I believe; 1), the "I know this" and you fill in with confidence; 2), there comes an answer and you go "oh, I get it, that's pretty clever"; and 3), when the V-8 can comes sailing across the room and you think "D'oh, I shoulda known that~!"  Mr. Silk's offerings are like this for me most of the time, but today I had a fourth emotion - one of those rare, "Rrrr", teeth-gritting moments; see below.  Challenging triple 10-letter stacks in the four pinwheels, and two 12-letter climbers:

5D. 69-Across preservation technique : FREEZE DRYING - 69-Across being "rose petals", and it's getting close to Valentine's Day, guys - personally, I have no one to cater to ;(


21d. 1982 James Bamford book about the NSA, with "The" : PUZZLE PALACE - more here, for those curious

onward~!

ACROSS:

1. "Giant" novelist : EDNA FERBER - Once I did a 'Down' pass, there were enough letters to figure this one out; falls into the #1 category

11. Sweeping : EPIC - I started with "WIDE", which slowed me down in the NE corner for too long; falls in to category #2

15. 1971 Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year : LEE TREVINO - again, enough Down fill to get this one

16. MillerCoors brand : ZIMA - the "Clear Beer" that was the big thing just as I turned 21, but alas, has gone away

17. Where one can swing close to home? : BATTER'S BOX - nailed it (that's a #1 response), and I am sure C.C. did, too


18. Jaws : RAPS - GABS, YAKS, etc

19. Pitcher of milk? : ELSIE - the spokes-cow who 'pitches' milk in ads


20. Fall preceder : SLIP - started with "TRIP"

22. Japanese drama : NOH - Part of me wanted "OKE", from our earlier-in-the-week discussion

23. Kingpin : CZAR

26. Email program named for a writer : EUDORA - never heard of this software, or the author

28. Union fighter: Abbr. : CSA - REB? or CSA? - I went with the former, of course - that's a #2 in my book - reference to the Confederate States of America

31. Cheese shop offerings : EDAMS - went with "CUBES" first, thinking about samples


34. Peels : ZESTS -  PARES, the verb, RINDS, the noun? ARGHHH~!

35. With it : HEP - Filled in hIp, which was good enough to start

36. Daughter of Jacob and Leah : DINAH - not up on my Bible lineage, so I went with SARAH, and that was - D-otto, check me - 40% correct

37. Letters from Greece : ZETAs - could only be this, "Betas", or "iotas"

38. 1940s command: Abbr. : ETO - we've seen this once this week

39. Traditional Amish toy : RAG DOLL

41. Together : ONE - clever; technically, two = one

42. Evaluate : ASSAY

44. Do away with : ERASE - Had TrasH to start; 60% right

45. 10, at times: Abbr. : OCT - the 10(th) month

46. Eponymous German bacteriologist : PETRI - ah, and his dishes were popular, too

47. Pass a second time, in a race : RE-LAP

48. French article : LES - I put in DES to start

49. Overthrow target : TYRANT - For some reason, I had the image of a Quarterback's spiral in my head, so I was trying to fit "HAIL MARY" here

51. Lee of Marvel Comics : STAN

53. Flying Cloud, e.g. : REO

54. Proceeds : GATE - The noun, in this case, or money collected

57. Ruy __: chess opening : LOPEZ - this falls in to the #1 category, since I learned this from doing crosswords - and it was on a Saturday, no less; a clip for the chess player


61. Car trip game : I SPY - with my little eye, something beginning with "M"

63. Tanks : TAKES A DIVE

66. Pacific salmon : COHO - remembered this from the salmon puzzle we had recently

67. Compound used in photographic film production : ACETIC ACID

68. Was onto : KNEW

69. Florist's decorative supply : ROSE PETALS

DOWN:

1. Dresden's river : ELBE

2. Pass out : DEAL - ah, that kind of "pass out" - I used to do a LOT of the other kind

3. Brooklyn team : NETS - Basketball, and the local NBA team for me, which I don't follow; interferes with hockey, tho not as much this year. 

4. Top story : ATTIC - DAH~!  Gets me every time~!  The top story of a building, not the newscast

6. Election end? : EER - ElectionEER, such as a campaign manager

7. Campground array : RVs - Recreational Vehicles

8. Chest protectors : BIBS - I put in RIBS, and then "EDNA" fixed that

9. Hydroxyl compound : ENOL - such as THIS one, (neat~!, please~!) which often leads to 2d.

10. "Chicago" song : ROXIE - I was thinking of the "wrong" Chicago (the 70's band, not the musical)

11. Book before Neh. : EZR - ARGHHH~!  Here's that fourth response - The book is EZRA, and I had to Google it; dropping the last "A" makes me grit my teeth on this one - and I worked out an alternative solution in this corner to avoid the crummy abbr.  - SLR, which is a camera, SPIC, as in SPIC N Span, Lima and not Zima - done~!

12. Bench alternative : PIANO STOOL - Clearly a #3 moment for me, as I was thinking cars, and therefore BUCKET SEAT.  Here's some piano funny

13. Weight : IMPORTANCE - I had ---NCE at the end, and pondered putting in OUNCE to see if that would lead me somewhere

14. Liquid holdings : CASH ASSETS

24. Song on Sarah McLachlan's "Surfacing" album : ADIA

25. Park __ : RANGER - oh, duh - I couldn't see this on the first pass.  Um, that's a #3

27. Two-point Scrabble tile : DEE - the only other 2pt tile is "GEE", which worked, too

28. "The Flame" band : CHEAP TRICK

29. Observes : SETS EYES ON

30. Sign of possession : APOSTROPHE - very clever, - a #2 in my book -  Splynter's, e.g.

32. Sierra __ : MADRE - OK, I put in LEONE to start - also #2

33. Isles of __: Gulf of Maine locale : SHOALS - A WAG after 83% perps

40. Quarterly half-day exam : LSAT - Saturday cluing for the test for Law School - if you're interested in taking the test, here's the schedule

43. Constellation next to Scorpius : ARA


50. Volga region native : TATAR - The Wiki - I once had a cute pen-pal in Kazan

52. Acknowledge silently : NOD AT

55. Bell or shell lead-in : TACO - Taco Bell, taco shell, nice

56. Squeezes (out) : EKES

58. Type size : PICA

59. Source of harm : EVIL

60. Letters from Lancaster : ZEDs

62. "Ouch!" : YOW

64. Festival d'__ de Québec: annual music event : ETE - Saturday cluing for "Summer in Somme"

65. Taste : SIP

Splynter