The NW corner of Christopher's lovely puzzle drove me crazy but finally yielded to persistence. Seeing a Q, X, J and Z in close proximity made me think this might be a pangram. Sure enough, it is!
My challenges were something old, something new and something blue (POUTER). Here were my issues in the starting blocks:
1. Bay of __, which includes the Cantabrian Sea: BISCAY - The Cantabarian Sea was not familiar to me but the Bay Of Biscay soon became obvious
15. Odysseus' kingdom: ITHACA - _ T H _ _ _ gave me ATHENS first
17. Cuts off contact with: GHOSTS - Uh, dude, you're so being GHOSTED!
19. Makes a long face: POUTS - _ O U _ _ gave me MOUES first
1. Rap hit heard in the 2009 biopic "Notorious": BIG POPPA - I had no idea on this song or stomach for the lyrics
6. "__, queen!": slangy celebratory words: YAS - A 1:45 explanation of this "too hip for me" meme
Now let's see what else Christopher has for us today as I start my third year as your Saturday docent:
7. Port captured in Sherman's March to the Sea: SAVANNAH - Christmas present to President Lincoln
18. Sense organ: RECEPTOR.
20. Kingston address: MON.21. Site with "Living Healthy" guides: WEB MD - Uh, you might still want to consult a doctor 😏
22. Alibis: OUTS - OJ's didn't hold up but he was still found not guilty (as opposed to innocent)
23. Two-faced god: JANUS - JANUS was the Roman god of doors, choices, beginnings and endings. The first month of the year is called January after him. Got those resolutions ready?25. Breeze (through): SAIL.
26. Family-friendly ratings: PG'S - 1996 was a strange year for Oscar. Three nominees for best picture were rated PG - Apollo 13, Il Postino and Sense and Sensibility and one was rated G - Babe.
27. Smooth operator, one would hope: SURGEON
29. "The Last Jedi" heroine: REY - Here 'ya go
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| REY played by Daisy Ridley |
30. Tight military formation: PHALANX and 34. Charge: ATTACK!!
32. Makeup kit item: Q-TIP - My ENT and audiologist emphatically say, "Keep 'em out of your ears!"
35. Monopoly pieces: HOUSES - Landing on Boardwalk with four HOUSES will run you $1,700
39. Expert: WHIZ - Some of us baseball 23. Buffs: JUNKIES remember this 1950 team that had Richie Ashburn (middle of this picture) from Tilden, NE on it41. Florida's first two-term Republican governor: JEB BUSH.
42. Black __: OPS - The one that killed Bin Laden
45. "Listen to me ... ": SEE HERE.
47. Early GE subsidiary: RCA.
48. Down times: NAPS.
50. Sound from one who's out: SNORE - My wife and my heart are glad I now use a CPAP
51. Bird's-eye view?: BEAK
52. Minor arguments: SPATS - "We had a quarrel, a lover's SPAT, I write I'm sorry but my letter keeps coming back"
54. Black Hills terr.: DAK.
55. Biathlete's need: RIFLE - Canadian Mackenzie Turner competing carrying hers
56. Apparent displacement due to perspective: PARALLAX - The stellar background can change from season to season
58. Some cells: NOKIAS - Today this vintage one would be called a brick
59. Agreeable way of seeing: EYE TO EYE.
60. Go too far: OVERDO - Don't start a vigorous exercise program on January First if you're not ready!
61. Oopsy or Funshine, e.g.: CARE BEAR - Okay
62. "Pippin" Tony winner: VEREEN.
Down:
3. Gives an earful: SHOUTS AT.
4. Groups of players: CASTS - TEAMS or 2. "... or so __": I THOUGHT.
5. What many a player does: ACTS.
7. It's a wrap: SARONG - Dorothy Lamour's signature outfit
8. Tony-winning musical that draws inspiration from "Sesame Street": AVENUE Q - "A musical with humans and foul-mouthed puppets"
9. Ford's Crown __: VIC - An alternate steed for the RCMP
10. Not many: A FEW
11. Shaving spots: NAPES - Also where our cat carried her little ones
12. Nature Valley offering: NUT BAR.
13. Breakdown of social norms: ANOMIE - Anyone else think of this?
14. Barely: HARDLY - A 13-second use of the double negative NOT HARDLY
20. Chico was the first-born one: MARX.
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| Groucho, Gummo, Minnie (mother), Zeppo, Sam (father), Chico, and Harpo. |
27. Big name in investment banking: SACHS - Too big to fail?
28. Mythical weeper: NIOBE - Aptly named
31. Bar subject: LAW.
33. Bar: PUB - A very different bar
36. Guaranteed: SURE FIRE.
37. Cadillac SUV: ESCALADE - Click arrows for a tour of a $99,230 ESCALADE
38. Agrees to, in a way: SHAKES ON.
40. Singer/actress who voices Meechee in "Smallfoot": ZENDAYA
41. Soda __: JERK.
42. How much freelance work is done: ON SPEC.
43. Tropical fruit: PAPAYA - Everything you could possibly want to know
44. More scant: SPARER
46. Charlatan: HOAXER.
49. Condition: STATE.
51. Hog owner: BIKER.
53. Disorderly sort: SLOB.
55. Gad about: ROVE.
57. Author Harper: LEE - 55 years between publication dates
58. 11, at times: Abbr.: NOV.
YAS QUEEN, what fun (I really can't pull that off can I?) Comment at will:
Christmas update: This year the grandkids had to find envelopes of cash I hid around the neighborhood using a GPS device from my physics lab on a lovely early winter's day.
