Words: 70 (missing F,J; see below)
Blocks: 35
This was the most arduous Saturday Silkie I
have had the pleasure of working in a long time~! The answers came
slowly, and the proper name crossings did not speed things up at all.
Very unusual grid design, with a set of overlapping 'rings'; I wonder if
the blocks preceding 29a and 45a were not there originally. Either
way, we have triple 10-letter stacks and two 11-letter climbers:
11d. Orderly traffic pattern : ZIPPER MERGE - This just doesn't work; at least not here on Long Island - if Long Islanders (typically) could comprehend this, there would be no such thing as "rush hour" traffic - and I don't just mean work zones, either.
23d. Phone book feature : AREA CODE MAP - our local phone books actually have an area map that is folded up in the back
sfig-mow, uh, sfig-man-a, sfig-mumble-mumble, DAH~! - ONWARD~!
ACROSS:
1. End of a descent : SPLASHDOWN - astronauts and re-entry
11. Alternate courses : ZAGS - a WAG, but I did have -A-S
15. Gwadar Bay is an inlet of it : ARABIAN SEA - there was -R---N--A after some crosses, so "SEA" felt right; the ARABIAN part seemed like a good WAG, too
16. Fertile Crescent land : IRAQ
17. Commit, in a way : GET ENGAGED - some say you might need to be committed if you decide to get engaged
18. Indiana city where the International Circus Hall of Fame is located : PERU
11. Alternate courses : ZAGS - a WAG, but I did have -A-S
15. Gwadar Bay is an inlet of it : ARABIAN SEA - there was -R---N--A after some crosses, so "SEA" felt right; the ARABIAN part seemed like a good WAG, too
16. Fertile Crescent land : IRAQ
17. Commit, in a way : GET ENGAGED - some say you might need to be committed if you decide to get engaged
18. Indiana city where the International Circus Hall of Fame is located : PERU
19. Take up : USE - Meh
20. Dedicated lines : ODE
21. Telephone __ : POLE - a little history here; I also heard that Morse was under pressure to deliever his proposal to go country-wide to the US government, and having failed to bury his telegraph line, stuck ceramic wire supports in trees to carry the line from Baltimore to D.C. - now we're stuck with the system. How many of our bloggers live in an area where there are NO telephone poles?
20. Dedicated lines : ODE
21. Telephone __ : POLE - a little history here; I also heard that Morse was under pressure to deliever his proposal to go country-wide to the US government, and having failed to bury his telegraph line, stuck ceramic wire supports in trees to carry the line from Baltimore to D.C. - now we're stuck with the system. How many of our bloggers live in an area where there are NO telephone poles?
22. Big name in shaving : ATRA
24. French 101 verb : AVOIR - I don't speak Frawnch, but I believe this is "to have"
26. "Mrs. Battle's Opinions on Whist" essayist : ELIA
27. Sound of waves : ROAR - neat little play on words
28. Uncovered : NUDE
29. Delay cause : WRECK - yeah, that and weather
30. How some equipment is acquired : ON LEASE
32. Drift : ROAM
34. Oil source : SESAME - canola, corn, shale, and dinosaur are some other sources
35. "Long-lasting" chocolate brand : RIESEN
24. French 101 verb : AVOIR - I don't speak Frawnch, but I believe this is "to have"
26. "Mrs. Battle's Opinions on Whist" essayist : ELIA
27. Sound of waves : ROAR - neat little play on words
28. Uncovered : NUDE
29. Delay cause : WRECK - yeah, that and weather
32. Drift : ROAM
34. Oil source : SESAME - canola, corn, shale, and dinosaur are some other sources
35. "Long-lasting" chocolate brand : RIESEN
39. Collectible sheets : CELS - I thought they were individual frames; I wouldn't call them 'sheets'
41. Routine that's not funny : RAT RACE
42. Colorful flowers : PHLOX - any one else throw in a plural "S" at first?
41. Routine that's not funny : RAT RACE
42. Colorful flowers : PHLOX - any one else throw in a plural "S" at first?
45. Not procrastinating : ON IT
47. Wax : GROW - a 'waxing gibbous' moon is one that is growing from first quarter to full
48. Crucifix : ROOD - learned this because I had an American history teacher, Mr. David Rood
49. Nitrogen compound : AMIDE
50. Downs : EATS
51. At a previous time : ONCE
52. Jack insert, briefly : MIC - this "M" was the last letter to fill, and I had to duck for the flying V-8 can; I should have guessed this immediately, as I have discovered not one, but TWO open-mic nites this past New Year's Eve - I can't wait to get up and jam~!
53. Barrett of Pink Floyd : SYD - one of the founding members; for those who do not know his story
54. Support piece : BEAM
60. __ noche: tonight : ESTA
61. Traces : DELINEATES - the 'outline' definition, not the 'last vestiges' one
62. Put one's foot down : STEP
47. Wax : GROW - a 'waxing gibbous' moon is one that is growing from first quarter to full
48. Crucifix : ROOD - learned this because I had an American history teacher, Mr. David Rood
49. Nitrogen compound : AMIDE
50. Downs : EATS
51. At a previous time : ONCE
52. Jack insert, briefly : MIC - this "M" was the last letter to fill, and I had to duck for the flying V-8 can; I should have guessed this immediately, as I have discovered not one, but TWO open-mic nites this past New Year's Eve - I can't wait to get up and jam~!
53. Barrett of Pink Floyd : SYD - one of the founding members; for those who do not know his story
54. Support piece : BEAM
60. __ noche: tonight : ESTA
61. Traces : DELINEATES - the 'outline' definition, not the 'last vestiges' one
62. Put one's foot down : STEP
DOWN:
1. Sonoran Desert natives : SAGUAROS
2. Coolant giant : PRESTONE
3. Some gridiron passes : LATERALS
4. See 43-Down : ABE; 43D. With 4-Down, one-time White House nickname : HONEST
5. It's not a good thing : SIN
6. Witchy woman : HAG
7. Evidence of descent : DNA - semi-clecho, but this has a different 'descent' meaning
8. James whose company published the first U.S. edition of "The Prince and the Pauper" : OSGOOD
9. More unkempt, lawn-wise : WEEDIER
10. "Unsafe at Any Speed" author : NADER
12. Ring of color : AREOLE - it's been a while since we saw this one [C.C., can you find that classic link?] (From C.C.: Sure thing. And it's not copyrighted. What a big relief! The second one is for D-Otto!)
14. Barely get (by) : SQUEAK
24. Adams of filmdom? : ANSEL - black and white film, that is
25. Saturn SUV : VUE - I had ION at first - which is their 4-door sedan
29. Take no action : WAIT
31. Former Food & Wine publisher, familiarly : AMEX - the Wiki
33. Make a delivery : ORATE - ah, not drive-brown-truck....
36. City south of Tampa : SARASOTA
37. Adaptable subspecies : ECOTYPES
38. Paper department : NEWS DESK
40. Aid for the restless : SOMINEX
41. Divest : RID
42. Examines closely : PROBES - not SCOPES - that showed up in 55a.
42. Examines closely : PROBES - not SCOPES - that showed up in 55a.
44. Pinpoint : LOCATE
46. Well : NICELY - such as saying "That will do well (nicely)"
49. "Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands" author : AMADO
56. Eurasian aircraft acronym : MiG - more Wiki
57. Unified : ONE
58. Hill fig. : SEN - REP, POL, which one?
59. Carolina quarterback Newton : CAM - the only sports figure I know named CAM is the former player and now preisdent of the Boston Bruins, Cam Neely
Splynter
