Theme: None
Total words: 72
Total blocks: 34
I'm guessing either FORT MCHENRY (23A. War of 1812 battle site) or the intersecting KEY BRIDGE (21D. Potomac span named for a poet, familiarly) is Barry's seed entry.
Wikipedia says Fort McHenry (in Baltimore) is named after James McHenry, Secretary of War under George Washington & John Adams. And it was during this bombardment of this fort that Francis Scott Key was inspired to write "The Star-Spangled Banner". Interesting Key connection in the crossing two clues.
It always delights me when the constructor weaves various clues together, like the below different bugs:
40A. Small bug: MITE
9D. Bugs: ANNOYS
50D. Really bugged: ATE AT
I struggled again today, despite the friendly help from various plural S answers. Some of the clues are just too tricky and certain answers out of my knowledge zone. INC (57D. Business issue) for example. I've never heard of the business magazine Inc. So my "Aha" moment came only after I googled post-solve.
Across:
1. Dramatic descents: SWOOPS
7. Down with relish: SCARF UP. Only familiar with "scarf down".
14. Adorns, as curtains: TASSELS. Verb here.
16. Grant: CONCEDE
17. Mike's Hard Lemonade, e.g.: ALCOPOP. From Alco(hol) + (soda)pop. New word to me.
18. Organs and such: INNARDS. Haggis really looks awful.
19. Health and Human Services agcy.: FDA (Food and Drug Administration). Was unaware that FDA belongs to the Dept. of Health and Human Services.
20. Start enjoying: TAKE TO
22. Stutz contemporary: REO
26. Coll. divisions: YRS
27. No matter what: AT ANY COST
29. 1970s CIA director, familiarly: BUSH SR. He was the CIA director from Jan 1976 to Jan 1977. Got me.
32. North Sea country: Abbr.: BEL (Belgium). I miss Christmas in Brussels.
33. "@&#^$%!," e.g.: OATH
37. Legalese, say: ARGOT. Jargon.
38. J and others: DRS. Drew a blank, even though I knew NBA's Dr. J.
39. "Laugh-In" regular: BUZZI. Have never heard of Ruth Buzzi. What a strange surname!
41. French pronoun: TOI. "You".
42. Send by wire: TAP OUT. Such an old feel.
43. Nightly news snippet: SOUND BITE. Great answer.
46. Stick (out): JUT
49. 1993 Dean Koontz best-seller: DRAGON TEARS. No idea. Here is the book cover.
53. "Until every one comes home" org.: USO (United Service Organizations)
54. Ingratiate: ENDEAR. To me, "ingratiate" has a negative connotation. Endear does not.
55. Honduras family member: TIA. Spanish for "aunt".
56. Portia's maid in "The Merchant of Venice": NERISSA. Man, I can't even remember Portia.
58. Not in over one's head: SOLVENT. So, "in over one's head" means "insolvent"?
61. Narrow window: TRANSOM. The one above the double door.
62. Like child's play: TOO EASY. Did not come to me readily.
63. Refuse collectors: ASH CANS
64. More prosperous: FATTER. I guess it's too sensitive to clue it as "chubbier".
Down:
1. Employees: STAFF
2. Literary middle name: WALDO. Ralph Waldo Emerson.
3. Prize since 1929: OSCAR. And SLOT CAR (6. Lionel creation of 1912). I like the year trivia in both clues.
4. Bear, in Bolivia: OSO. And PESO (13D. Cuban currency). Alliteration in both clues.
5. Sparkle: PEP
7. Math and others: SCIENCES. We see the abbreviated SCI too often.
8. Mastery: CONTROL
10. Company that developed TV's Indian Head Test Pattern: RCA. Unknown fact to me also.
11. Styx crosser: FERRY. Souls of the dead were ferried across Styx, a river in the underworld Hades.
12. Dairy container?: UDDER. The clue makes me smile.
15. Winningest baseball southpaw: SPAHN (Warren). Ah, I mentioned this trivia last time when he appeared in our puzzle. Total 363 wins. Hall of Famer.
24. Chevy SUVs: TAHOES
25. __ Helens, Wash.: MT ST
28. It may cover a spot: TOUPEE. I sure was not thinking of bald spot.
29. Emeril exclamation: BAM. Bam! Kick it up a notch! Emeril is sweet.
30. Ocean State sch.: URI (University of Rhode Island)
Total words: 72
Total blocks: 34
I'm guessing either FORT MCHENRY (23A. War of 1812 battle site) or the intersecting KEY BRIDGE (21D. Potomac span named for a poet, familiarly) is Barry's seed entry.
Wikipedia says Fort McHenry (in Baltimore) is named after James McHenry, Secretary of War under George Washington & John Adams. And it was during this bombardment of this fort that Francis Scott Key was inspired to write "The Star-Spangled Banner". Interesting Key connection in the crossing two clues.
It always delights me when the constructor weaves various clues together, like the below different bugs:
40A. Small bug: MITE
9D. Bugs: ANNOYS
50D. Really bugged: ATE AT
I struggled again today, despite the friendly help from various plural S answers. Some of the clues are just too tricky and certain answers out of my knowledge zone. INC (57D. Business issue) for example. I've never heard of the business magazine Inc. So my "Aha" moment came only after I googled post-solve.
Across:
1. Dramatic descents: SWOOPS
7. Down with relish: SCARF UP. Only familiar with "scarf down".
14. Adorns, as curtains: TASSELS. Verb here.
16. Grant: CONCEDE
17. Mike's Hard Lemonade, e.g.: ALCOPOP. From Alco(hol) + (soda)pop. New word to me.
18. Organs and such: INNARDS. Haggis really looks awful.
19. Health and Human Services agcy.: FDA (Food and Drug Administration). Was unaware that FDA belongs to the Dept. of Health and Human Services.
20. Start enjoying: TAKE TO
22. Stutz contemporary: REO
26. Coll. divisions: YRS
27. No matter what: AT ANY COST
29. 1970s CIA director, familiarly: BUSH SR. He was the CIA director from Jan 1976 to Jan 1977. Got me.
32. North Sea country: Abbr.: BEL (Belgium). I miss Christmas in Brussels.
33. "@&#^$%!," e.g.: OATH
37. Legalese, say: ARGOT. Jargon.
38. J and others: DRS. Drew a blank, even though I knew NBA's Dr. J.
39. "Laugh-In" regular: BUZZI. Have never heard of Ruth Buzzi. What a strange surname!
41. French pronoun: TOI. "You".
42. Send by wire: TAP OUT. Such an old feel.
43. Nightly news snippet: SOUND BITE. Great answer.
46. Stick (out): JUT
49. 1993 Dean Koontz best-seller: DRAGON TEARS. No idea. Here is the book cover.
53. "Until every one comes home" org.: USO (United Service Organizations)
54. Ingratiate: ENDEAR. To me, "ingratiate" has a negative connotation. Endear does not.
55. Honduras family member: TIA. Spanish for "aunt".
56. Portia's maid in "The Merchant of Venice": NERISSA. Man, I can't even remember Portia.
58. Not in over one's head: SOLVENT. So, "in over one's head" means "insolvent"?
61. Narrow window: TRANSOM. The one above the double door.
62. Like child's play: TOO EASY. Did not come to me readily.
63. Refuse collectors: ASH CANS
64. More prosperous: FATTER. I guess it's too sensitive to clue it as "chubbier".
Down:
1. Employees: STAFF
2. Literary middle name: WALDO. Ralph Waldo Emerson.
3. Prize since 1929: OSCAR. And SLOT CAR (6. Lionel creation of 1912). I like the year trivia in both clues.
4. Bear, in Bolivia: OSO. And PESO (13D. Cuban currency). Alliteration in both clues.
5. Sparkle: PEP
7. Math and others: SCIENCES. We see the abbreviated SCI too often.
8. Mastery: CONTROL
10. Company that developed TV's Indian Head Test Pattern: RCA. Unknown fact to me also.
11. Styx crosser: FERRY. Souls of the dead were ferried across Styx, a river in the underworld Hades.
12. Dairy container?: UDDER. The clue makes me smile.
15. Winningest baseball southpaw: SPAHN (Warren). Ah, I mentioned this trivia last time when he appeared in our puzzle. Total 363 wins. Hall of Famer.
24. Chevy SUVs: TAHOES
25. __ Helens, Wash.: MT ST
28. It may cover a spot: TOUPEE. I sure was not thinking of bald spot.
29. Emeril exclamation: BAM. Bam! Kick it up a notch! Emeril is sweet.
30. Ocean State sch.: URI (University of Rhode Island)
31. Pepper, e.g.: Abbr.: SGT. "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" from the Beatles. Of course, I was thinking of salt & pepper.
34. __ dye: chemical coloring: AZO. Learned from doing crossword.
35. Shih __: Tibetan dog: TZU. Shih Tzu is Literally "lion" in Chinese. The complete name is Shih Tzu Kou. Kou = dog.
36. Successful: HIT. Successful is an adjective. Hit is a noun. How can they be equivalent?
38. Actor who often said, "Sorry about that, Chief": DON ADAMS. In "Get Smart". I peeked at the answer sheet.
39. Matted cotton sheet: BATT. New word to me.
41. Excites: TURNS ON
42. Inexpensive home protector: TIN ROOF. Ah, cat likes a hot one.
44. West Texas city named by Russians: ODESSA
45. Let out hot air?: BOAST. Nice clue.
46. Small ruling faction: JUNTA. Burma is ruled by the military junta.
47. Web browsers, e.g.: USERS
48. Ark contents: TORAH. The Torah cabinet ark, Not Noah's Ark.
51. Salon job: RINSE
52. Member of Dionysus' retinue: SATYR. The guy (left) with a perpetual erection. Part human, part goat, forever drinking & chasing nymph.
59. Long, on Niihau: LOA. Hawaiian for "long'. Niihau is island in Hawaii. Mauna Loa = Long Mountain.
60. Examine carefully: VET. Some of the vetting process goes too far.
