Theme: None
Total blocks: 35
Total words: 72 (the maximum word limit for a themeless)
I think this is the first time we have a themeless Saturday with a mini-theme. A mini-theme has two symmetrically placed theme answers that share something in common. In today's case, it's "environmental":
6D. Work in the environmental sector: GREEN COLLAR JOBS
9D. Environmental impact factor: CARBON FOOTPRINT
Both have 15 grid-spanning 15 letters. Awesome entries! In the language and au courant, with Obama's penchant for talking about renewable energy.
Also a bit of Italian undercurrent flowing:
34A. "__ tu": Verdi aria: ERI. Literally "were" in Italian. Tu = You. Eri tu = "It was you".
3D. Trattoria order?: MANGIA. Italian for "Eat"/"Enjoy your meal".
45D. Bologna bridge: PONTE. Italian for "bridge". As in Florence's Ponte Vecchio ("old bridge").
Very enjoyable puzzle. Still had to peek at the cheat sheet. Quite a few "D'oh" moments for me. Would have quibbled about the clue/ANSWER duplication in SARGASSO (35D. Sea named for its seaweed) and SEA (39A. Watery expanse). But I like the trivia in 35D. Great crossing of SARGASSO and SEA.
Across:
1. Like some pigeons: HOMING. Homing pigeons.
7. Little shot?: PIC. Oh, photo shot.
13. Wild Asian equine: ONAGER. See this picture. It has a a black stripe on its back.
14. "Measure for Measure" heroine: ISABELLA. I can never remember those Shakespeare character names.
17. "Receiving poorly," to a CBer: TEN- ONE. No idea. Waiting for Argyle to explain. (Here is Argyle's reply.)
18. Singer/pianist with the 2002 hit "A Sorta Fairytale": TORI AMOS. Wikipedia says "A Sorta Fairytale" is her most commercially successful single in the US to date. Have never heard of the song before.
19. Russian fighter: MIG. Used in Korean War. Acronym of its Russian designer Mikhail Iosifovich Grevich.
20. Shockers in the deep: EELS. The electric eels generate shocks.
22. Rear: BOTTOM
23. Rival of Bjorn: ILIE (Nastase). In 1970's. Too early for me to remember.
25. "On the contrary!": NOT SO
27. "Forever, __": 1996 humor collection: ERMA (Bombeck). See the book cover.
28. Likely visitor to the principal: CLASS CLOWN. Did not come to me readily.
30. Nair alternative: NEET. My first fill in the grid.
31. What it takes?: TWO. This refers to "It takes two to tango", right?
32. Locomotive output: PUFF
35. Biblical verb: SHALT. Thought of SMITE/SMOTE.
37. Sociologist's interests: MORES
41. Prosaic: BLAH
43. Bourbon flavoring: OAK. Good to know.
44. It covers all the bases: TARP. Baseball bases. Can't fool me.
46. Flats: APARTMENTS
51. Ship that sailed from Iolcus: ARGO. Jason and the Argonauts.
52. Highlight reel accompaniment: RECAP
53. Many a retired racer: SIRE. I was picturing a racing car racer, not a horse. Tricky clue.
54. Common lunchbox fare, briefly: PB AND J. Not in mine. Lovely bento box.
56. Sci-fi captain: KIRK. The ''Star Trek''. I penned in NEMO.
58. Never, to Goethe: NIE. German for "never". NEIN is "no".
59. Floundering one: LOST SOUL. I like the clue and the answer.
61. Stuck: IN A JAM
63. Coordinated outfit: ENSEMBLE
64. Like much meditation music: NEW AGE. Do any of you practice meditation? If so, have you really experienced total bliss?
65. 1906 Runabout, e.g.: REO. Here is a 1906 Runabout, complete stranger to me.
66. Stars may represent them: Abbr.: STS (States). Stars in American flag. Got me.
67. Got tight: TENSED
Down:
1. Possible source of unwanted feedback, for short: HOT MIC
2. "Mourning Becomes Electra" playwright" O'NEILL (Eugene). Electra is the sister of Orestes, who was chased by the Furies for the murdering of his mother.
5. Maui flapper: NENE. The Hawaiian goose.
7. Active time for a racetrack crew: PIT STOP. For refueling.
8. Metric lead-in: ISO. Isometric, a new word to me. Iso is a prefix meaning "equal".
10. Shade sources: ELM TREES
11. One may be late: BLOOMER. Late bloomer. Another great clue.
12. Long-grain rice of the Punjab: BASMATI. Not fond of its fragrance.
15. Playbill feature: BIO
16. Downed: EATEN. Was not thinking of food.
24. Bk. after Nehemiah: ESTH (Esther). Bk. before Job.
26. Like a butterfly in water?: SWUM. The swimming stroke "butterfly", not the insect.
33. Big name in oil filters: FRAM. Too bad, not big enough for me to know.
36. Sports trainer's supply: TAPE
39. Office tool: STAPLER
40. Incus or malleus: EARBONE
42. Defensive anger, metaphorically: HACKLES. As in "raise one's heckles". I was stumped.
47. Thor Heyerdahl craft: RA I. Absolutely no idea. There is only RA and RA II here.
48. Stealthy warriors: NINJAS. The stealthy Japanese assassin. I wrote down DRONES. They are stealthy warrior too. No?
49. Combat injury system: TRIAGE
55. Mil. award: DSM ( Distinguished Service Medal)
57. A tot may bounce on one: KNEE. Nailed it.
60. Nth: Abbr.: ULT (Ultimate)
62. Grass appendage: AWN. The bristlelike appendage.
Answer grid.
C.C.
Total blocks: 35
Total words: 72 (the maximum word limit for a themeless)
I think this is the first time we have a themeless Saturday with a mini-theme. A mini-theme has two symmetrically placed theme answers that share something in common. In today's case, it's "environmental":
6D. Work in the environmental sector: GREEN COLLAR JOBS
9D. Environmental impact factor: CARBON FOOTPRINT
Both have 15 grid-spanning 15 letters. Awesome entries! In the language and au courant, with Obama's penchant for talking about renewable energy.
Also a bit of Italian undercurrent flowing:
34A. "__ tu": Verdi aria: ERI. Literally "were" in Italian. Tu = You. Eri tu = "It was you".
3D. Trattoria order?: MANGIA. Italian for "Eat"/"Enjoy your meal".
45D. Bologna bridge: PONTE. Italian for "bridge". As in Florence's Ponte Vecchio ("old bridge").
Very enjoyable puzzle. Still had to peek at the cheat sheet. Quite a few "D'oh" moments for me. Would have quibbled about the clue/ANSWER duplication in SARGASSO (35D. Sea named for its seaweed) and SEA (39A. Watery expanse). But I like the trivia in 35D. Great crossing of SARGASSO and SEA.
Across:
1. Like some pigeons: HOMING. Homing pigeons.
7. Little shot?: PIC. Oh, photo shot.
13. Wild Asian equine: ONAGER. See this picture. It has a a black stripe on its back.
14. "Measure for Measure" heroine: ISABELLA. I can never remember those Shakespeare character names.
17. "Receiving poorly," to a CBer: TEN- ONE. No idea. Waiting for Argyle to explain. (Here is Argyle's reply.)
18. Singer/pianist with the 2002 hit "A Sorta Fairytale": TORI AMOS. Wikipedia says "A Sorta Fairytale" is her most commercially successful single in the US to date. Have never heard of the song before.
19. Russian fighter: MIG. Used in Korean War. Acronym of its Russian designer Mikhail Iosifovich Grevich.
20. Shockers in the deep: EELS. The electric eels generate shocks.
22. Rear: BOTTOM
23. Rival of Bjorn: ILIE (Nastase). In 1970's. Too early for me to remember.
25. "On the contrary!": NOT SO
27. "Forever, __": 1996 humor collection: ERMA (Bombeck). See the book cover.
28. Likely visitor to the principal: CLASS CLOWN. Did not come to me readily.
30. Nair alternative: NEET. My first fill in the grid.
31. What it takes?: TWO. This refers to "It takes two to tango", right?
32. Locomotive output: PUFF
35. Biblical verb: SHALT. Thought of SMITE/SMOTE.
37. Sociologist's interests: MORES
41. Prosaic: BLAH
43. Bourbon flavoring: OAK. Good to know.
44. It covers all the bases: TARP. Baseball bases. Can't fool me.
46. Flats: APARTMENTS
51. Ship that sailed from Iolcus: ARGO. Jason and the Argonauts.
52. Highlight reel accompaniment: RECAP
53. Many a retired racer: SIRE. I was picturing a racing car racer, not a horse. Tricky clue.
54. Common lunchbox fare, briefly: PB AND J. Not in mine. Lovely bento box.
56. Sci-fi captain: KIRK. The ''Star Trek''. I penned in NEMO.
58. Never, to Goethe: NIE. German for "never". NEIN is "no".
59. Floundering one: LOST SOUL. I like the clue and the answer.
61. Stuck: IN A JAM
63. Coordinated outfit: ENSEMBLE
64. Like much meditation music: NEW AGE. Do any of you practice meditation? If so, have you really experienced total bliss?
65. 1906 Runabout, e.g.: REO. Here is a 1906 Runabout, complete stranger to me.
66. Stars may represent them: Abbr.: STS (States). Stars in American flag. Got me.
67. Got tight: TENSED
Down:
1. Possible source of unwanted feedback, for short: HOT MIC
2. "Mourning Becomes Electra" playwright" O'NEILL (Eugene). Electra is the sister of Orestes, who was chased by the Furies for the murdering of his mother.
5. Maui flapper: NENE. The Hawaiian goose.
7. Active time for a racetrack crew: PIT STOP. For refueling.
8. Metric lead-in: ISO. Isometric, a new word to me. Iso is a prefix meaning "equal".
10. Shade sources: ELM TREES
11. One may be late: BLOOMER. Late bloomer. Another great clue.
12. Long-grain rice of the Punjab: BASMATI. Not fond of its fragrance.
15. Playbill feature: BIO
16. Downed: EATEN. Was not thinking of food.
24. Bk. after Nehemiah: ESTH (Esther). Bk. before Job.
26. Like a butterfly in water?: SWUM. The swimming stroke "butterfly", not the insect.
33. Big name in oil filters: FRAM. Too bad, not big enough for me to know.
36. Sports trainer's supply: TAPE
39. Office tool: STAPLER
40. Incus or malleus: EARBONE
42. Defensive anger, metaphorically: HACKLES. As in "raise one's heckles". I was stumped.
47. Thor Heyerdahl craft: RA I. Absolutely no idea. There is only RA and RA II here.
48. Stealthy warriors: NINJAS. The stealthy Japanese assassin. I wrote down DRONES. They are stealthy warrior too. No?
49. Combat injury system: TRIAGE
55. Mil. award: DSM ( Distinguished Service Medal)
57. A tot may bounce on one: KNEE. Nailed it.
60. Nth: Abbr.: ULT (Ultimate)
62. Grass appendage: AWN. The bristlelike appendage.
Answer grid.
C.C.
