Theme: Pyramid Power
18A. Instruction for this puzzle : JOIN THE VEES. It will help tremendously if you know what a 60-Across looks like.
39A. Small, numbered 60-Acrosses : FOUR SIDED DICE. Duh, I was trying to draw a cube by connecting the VEES. It did not end well...
60A. What you'll draw in this grid if you 18-Across with six straight lines : TETRAHEDRON. Like this:
I believe this is Mike Buckley's LAT debut, although he had had several puzzles published elsewhere. This one is just missing a "Q" for a pangram. Marti here, to explore the rest:
Across:
1. Former "Idol" judge, to fans : J-LO. Jennifer Lopez.
4. Head of Slytherin House, in Potter books : SNAPE. Nailed it. Loved the books!
9. "The Hobbit" dragon : SMAUG. Oh dear, what does it say about me when I nailed this one, too? He was slain, and never made it to the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy.
14. Rower's tool : OAR.
15. Fax ancestor : TELEX. Ancestor? Ancestor??? I used to telex to European customers all the time when I first started in biotech. Gawd...I am ancient!!
16. Gdansk dance : POLKA. Nice alliteration in the clue.
17. A, in Acapulco : UNA.
20. Food fish : SALMON.
22. Iris family flowers : CROCI. Only a few more weeks before they start poking their heads out of the ground up here in New England!
23. Leg bone : TIBIA.
24. Inamorato : BEAU.
25. Goes out to sea : EBBS.
29. Bygone dagger : SNEE.
31. Coke competitor : RC COLA.
33. "Really?" responses : OHS.
35. Spanish custard : FLAN. Goya has a package mix that keeps me coming back for more.
38. Curved : ARCED.
42. Five-0 detective, familiarly : DANNO. "Book 'em, Danno!" And 41-Down. Daniel ___ Kim: "Hawaii Five-0" actor : DAE. The original 68-80 TV show had an "O" instead of the "0" in the re-make series.
43. Poet Pound : EZRA.
44. Bill's adventurous partner : TED. "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure." Metalheads slackers. 1:54
45. Swellhead : EGOIST.
47. Caesar's "I came" : VENI. vidi, vici.
49. "Jeopardy!" creator Griffin : MERV.
50. See from afar : ESPY.
53. Set of eight : OCTAD. I waited for the perps before deciding between OCTAD or OCTet.
57. ___ Sketch: toy : ETCH A. The French-born inventor, Andre Cassagnes, died on January 16 at the age of 86. Did you ever do this with your Etch A Sketch?
59. Pretender : POSEUR. Love that word!
64. ___ Lanka : SRI.
65. Reprimander's slapping spot? : WRIST.
66. Guitarist Eddy : DUANE. I always remember this one. 4:20
67. Actress Ullmann : LIV.
68. Caravan stopovers : OASES. How about a little "Midnight at the Oasis"? 4:00
69. Lustful deity : SATYR.
70. High card : ACE.
Down:
1. Knight game : JOUST. How many of you put "chess" first? (Hand up here.)
2. Hawaii's Pineapple Island : LANAI.
3. Dental brand : ORAL-B. Did you know that the "B" stands for "brush?"
4. Title of a G.B. Shaw play : ST. JOAN.
.gif)
5. Broadway light : NEON.
6. Baba who outwitted thieves : ALI.
7. Shilling's five : PENCE.
8. Soldier in a war film, e.g. : EXTRA.
9. What freelancers may work on? : SPEC.ification
10. Star givers, often : MOVIE CRITICS.
11. Stout relative : ALE.
12. "My dog has fleas" instrument : UKE. Marilyn played it so well...
13. ___ guzzler : GAS.
19. Appointment time : HOUR.
21. International contest with a cosmic name : MISS UNIVERSE. Last year's winner was from Rhode Island, Miss Olivia Culpo. Beautiful!
24. Prove otherwise : BELIE.
26. Italian bowling game : BOCCE.
27. Run, as colors : BLEED.
28. Like Eeyore : SAD.
30. Pair in Banff? : EFS. Did the clue fool you?
32. Bounder : CAD.
33. Old enough : OF AGE.
34. ___ among thieves : HONOR.
36. Wood carver : ADZ. (Because "Geppetto" wouldn't fit...)
37. Brazen : NERVY.
40. Children's author Asquith : ROS. I only know her from x-words.
42. BHO, but not GWB : DEM. Barack Hussein Obama, but not George Walker Bush.
46. MIT's newspaper, with "The" : TECH.
48. Tryst at twelve : NOONER. Maybe they are married?
51. Gets rid of : SHEDS.
52. St. Anthony's home : PADUA.
54. Magnetic induction unit : TESLA.
55. Apt first name of Fleming's Goldfinger : AURIC. Au is the chemical symbol of gold.
56. Automatic transmission gear : DRIVE.
58. Skin pictures, briefly : TATS (Tattoos)
59. Doodle's ride : PONY. Yankee Doodle, that is.
60. Not quite a crowd, so they say : TWO. "Two's company, three's a crowd."
61. Swing or jazz follower : ERA. I tried to fit "bumpa," but no (six-sided) dice.
62. "Tain't" rebuttal : TIS. Also, a great memoir by Frank McCourt. Anyone read it?
63. Squealer : RAT.
That's all for now. I have been visiting my BFF of almost 50 years in Florida, and will be back in cold, icy New England this afternoon, where a big Nor'easter is predicted for Friday. Brrrr!
Hugs,
Marti
Notes from C.C.:
Here is a lovely picture of dear Marti with a manatee two days ago. Don't you just love her hair?
Love the hair here too.
 |
| Marti & Husband (Crimson Tide) |
