Words: 64 (missing J,Q,Z)
Blocks: 37
I would have to say I did a 43a. on this puzzle - but I did actually
finish, with just one cheat, and one bad cell. I consider it a
victory. A rare grid structure, with a high block count and a pair of
central staircases of 4,5,6,7,7,8-letter words, but the ambiguous and
nebulous cluing made this one a real grind. Always the case with Mr.
Lim on Saturday. Two climbers of 12 letters and two spanners of 13;
6d. One of an elite eatery trio : MICHELIN STAR - I did not get this until I read that there's only "three" stars given out; technically, you can actually get zero, but that's not very elite....
18d. Subject of a 1996 holiday craze : TICKLE ME ELMO - DAH~!!! the --MEEL--- in the middle just messed me up; I went to Google and typed in "1996 holiday craze" and he came up; I was taking shots at him upstate
22a. Run using water, as a plant : HYDRO-ELECTRIC - ah, that kind of plant; at first I was thinking of the "roots and leaves" kind, and yes, those do run, using water, but....
35a. Greeting words : NICE TO MEET YOU
ONWrrrrrD~!
ACROSS:
1. Meg, to Jo : SIB - no clue to start, but I surmised it would be "SIS" or something - a Little Women reference
4. Lighter : LAMP - ummm, meh
8. Fashion first name : COCO - Chanel; I was born one month after her death
12. Cathedral feature : CRUCIFIX - ummm, yeah, but I can find that in a local church, too - I was thinking more like PIPE ORGAN, which didn't fit
14. "Frère Jacques," e.g. : CANON - a musical canon, referring to the "in a round" style of singing; hey - two birds with one stone~!
15. Heartfelt class? : AEROBICS
16. Dismiss, in a way : WAVE AT - meh. I would wave OFF to dismiss
17. Adopted : RAN WITH
18. Daughter of Oceanus : TELESTO - there's more about the Saturnian moon on the internet than the mythology
19. Monopoly acquisition : DEED
20. Installments : EPISODES
24. Unsettled items : I.O.U.s
25. Gets absorbed : SINKS IN
26. Lightweight boxer? : PUP - Har-har~! Boxer, the dog breed
27. Redcap's workplace: Abbr. : STN
28. "__ Down In Darkness": Styron novel : LIE - Perps, all perps
29. Little projectiles : BBs - we shot Elmo with a .22
32. Hardly keeps cool : SEES RED - I was seeing the red of his fur....or is that Stoat?
34. Rock __ : SALT
37. Like some pasta : HOME-MADE
38. Full of vitality : GO GO
39. Filing aid : DIVIDER
40. Call before a head-to-head contest : EN GARDE
43. Reacted to a sock : REELED - yep, this puzzle punched me in the gut
44. Fruit sometimes fried : PLANTAIN - I had the "P", but still struggled to think of a fruit - then the V-8 can flew
45. City on the Rhone : ARLES - I threw in ESSEN, which was only 20% correct
46. Like some fancy stationery : EMBOSSED
47. Forest coat : MOSS
48. "Walkabout" director Nicolas : ROEG - just an 'ugly' clue/fill; more here
49. Many boomers: Abbr. : SRs - Baby-boomers, who are well on into Senior Citizen status now
DOWN:
1. Plastic surgeon's concern : SCAR - scaB? The crossing didn't help
2. "Roger that" : "I READ YOU" - always reminds me of this scene - "Do you like movies with gladiators?"
3. Reduced to ashes : BURNED UP
4. Drive in the bedroom? : LIBIDO - cute
5. Words with throw or have : A FIT - ugh; throw yes, have, meh. Just MHO
7. Spots for private shoppers?: Abbr. : PXs - Private, Army style
8. Gave : CAVED IN
9. "Almost ready!" : "ONE SEC~!"
10. Covers : COATS - like paint
11. More than not sure about : ONTO - implying some sort of shadiness
13. Quails : COWERS - ah, the verb, not the bird
14. Nutritionist's unit : CALORIE
16. Lincoln Center locale : WEST SIDE - I had ----S-D-, and it kinda came to me; had to guess EAST or WEST
4. Lighter : LAMP - ummm, meh
8. Fashion first name : COCO - Chanel; I was born one month after her death
12. Cathedral feature : CRUCIFIX - ummm, yeah, but I can find that in a local church, too - I was thinking more like PIPE ORGAN, which didn't fit
14. "Frère Jacques," e.g. : CANON - a musical canon, referring to the "in a round" style of singing; hey - two birds with one stone~!
Frère Jaques on Pipe Organ
15. Heartfelt class? : AEROBICS
16. Dismiss, in a way : WAVE AT - meh. I would wave OFF to dismiss
17. Adopted : RAN WITH
18. Daughter of Oceanus : TELESTO - there's more about the Saturnian moon on the internet than the mythology
19. Monopoly acquisition : DEED
20. Installments : EPISODES
24. Unsettled items : I.O.U.s
25. Gets absorbed : SINKS IN
26. Lightweight boxer? : PUP - Har-har~! Boxer, the dog breed
27. Redcap's workplace: Abbr. : STN
28. "__ Down In Darkness": Styron novel : LIE - Perps, all perps
29. Little projectiles : BBs - we shot Elmo with a .22
32. Hardly keeps cool : SEES RED - I was seeing the red of his fur....or is that Stoat?
34. Rock __ : SALT
37. Like some pasta : HOME-MADE
38. Full of vitality : GO GO
39. Filing aid : DIVIDER
40. Call before a head-to-head contest : EN GARDE
43. Reacted to a sock : REELED - yep, this puzzle punched me in the gut
44. Fruit sometimes fried : PLANTAIN - I had the "P", but still struggled to think of a fruit - then the V-8 can flew
45. City on the Rhone : ARLES - I threw in ESSEN, which was only 20% correct
46. Like some fancy stationery : EMBOSSED
47. Forest coat : MOSS
48. "Walkabout" director Nicolas : ROEG - just an 'ugly' clue/fill; more here
49. Many boomers: Abbr. : SRs - Baby-boomers, who are well on into Senior Citizen status now
DOWN:
1. Plastic surgeon's concern : SCAR - scaB? The crossing didn't help
2. "Roger that" : "I READ YOU" - always reminds me of this scene - "Do you like movies with gladiators?"
4. Drive in the bedroom? : LIBIDO - cute
5. Words with throw or have : A FIT - ugh; throw yes, have, meh. Just MHO
7. Spots for private shoppers?: Abbr. : PXs - Private, Army style
8. Gave : CAVED IN
9. "Almost ready!" : "ONE SEC~!"
10. Covers : COATS - like paint
11. More than not sure about : ONTO - implying some sort of shadiness
13. Quails : COWERS - ah, the verb, not the bird
14. Nutritionist's unit : CALORIE
16. Lincoln Center locale : WEST SIDE - I had ----S-D-, and it kinda came to me; had to guess EAST or WEST
21. Sword's superior? : PEN - "The PEN is mightier than the SWORD~!"
22. Not square : HIP - your social quality
23. Venerable : ESTEEMED
27. Forms a new state : SECEDES - had it, spelled it with two "C"s, took it out, put it back in
29. Aquatic plant that reduces erosion : BAY GRASS - Total WAG from "B------SS"; in fact, it was not until the write-up that I actually noticed it did not change
30. More rare, in a way : BLOODIER - ah, like your steak
31. __ Redman, Gary Sinise's role in Stephen King's "The Stand" : STU - I thought it was SYD, but then "nice to meet you" had to be correct
32. Like expressions? : SIMILES - an expression using the word "like"; 'her eyes are like pools of water'
33. Fuel __: reactor component : ROD - nuclear reactors
34. Rabbit predators : STOATS - new clue for the old "ermine/mink kin" answer. I found this video of a stoat hypnotizing a rabbit
35. They have plots : NOVELS - yes, they do
36. Traditional beverage : EGG NOG
37. Prefix meaning "sacred" : HIERO - so, Hieroglyphs are sacred carvings, eh?
39. Scotch serving : DRAM - thank God it was not three letters~!
41. Local theater, informally : NABE - short for "neighborhood" (ney-bər-hoo d)
42. Purposes : ENDS
44. __ se : PER - Latin, "in itself"
22. Not square : HIP - your social quality
23. Venerable : ESTEEMED
27. Forms a new state : SECEDES - had it, spelled it with two "C"s, took it out, put it back in
29. Aquatic plant that reduces erosion : BAY GRASS - Total WAG from "B------SS"; in fact, it was not until the write-up that I actually noticed it did not change
30. More rare, in a way : BLOODIER - ah, like your steak
31. __ Redman, Gary Sinise's role in Stephen King's "The Stand" : STU - I thought it was SYD, but then "nice to meet you" had to be correct
32. Like expressions? : SIMILES - an expression using the word "like"; 'her eyes are like pools of water'
33. Fuel __: reactor component : ROD - nuclear reactors
34. Rabbit predators : STOATS - new clue for the old "ermine/mink kin" answer. I found this video of a stoat hypnotizing a rabbit
35. They have plots : NOVELS - yes, they do
36. Traditional beverage : EGG NOG
37. Prefix meaning "sacred" : HIERO - so, Hieroglyphs are sacred carvings, eh?
39. Scotch serving : DRAM - thank God it was not three letters~!
41. Local theater, informally : NABE - short for "neighborhood" (ney-bər-hoo d)
42. Purposes : ENDS
44. __ se : PER - Latin, "in itself"
Splynter
