Theme: None
Total blocks: 26
I hope you found beautiful red, red roses in this thorny puzzle. It's way too tough for me. Felt like climbing Mountain Everest without a shirpa. I definitely need a theme to guide me.
Too many unknowns and strange cluings. I was stumped immediately by KAMPALA (1A). Letter K was simply impossible for me as I was not familiar with crossing KIWANIS (1D) at all. And I got bogged down in MENOTTI area for a long time. Had to ask Google for help.
Across:
1A: Capital city of 15A: KAMPALA. Here is the map. It's located on Lake Victoria.
8A: "The Consul" composer: MENOTTI (Gian Carlo). I forgot. Vaguely remembered seeing his name somewhere before. Wikipedia says he won Pulitzer (1950) for The Consul". He wrote both the music and the libretto for the opera. Amazing. He must love Wagner.
15A: Infamous dictator: IDI AMIN. I still don't understand why he is called "The Last King of Scotland".
16A: Protein in cereal grains: ALEURON. No idea. I could only think of GLUTEN. Dictionary says it's a "granular protein found in the endosperm of many seeds or forming the outermost layer in cereal grains." ALEURON is Greek for "meal".
17A: Rhode Island city: WARWICK. We get quite a few TMS solvers there.
18A: 3-D miniature scene: DIORAMA. New word to me. Beautifully done.
22A: Hindu sect member: SIKH. Literally, "disciple" in Sanskrit. I always confuse this word with ANKH, the Egyptian cross.
23A: City in NE France: NANCY. METZ was clued as "City near NANCY" on a July puzzle. I wonder why the editor has never considered cluing RANCY Reagan.
25A: Death rattles: RALES. This word should really be mothballed.
28A: Subcontinent leader?: INDO. INDOCHINA. Trickey clue.
29A: Adriatic seaport: BARI. It's here in Italy. Unknown to me.
30A: Seed covering: TESTA. Also, "head" in Italian.
34A: Up to the patellae: KNEE DEEP. Interesting clue, so literal.
36A: Omnispective: All -SEEING. "Omnispective" is a new word to me.
38A: Paginated: FOLIATED. No idea. I always thought FOLIATE is an adjective. I've never heard of "paginate" before.
45A: Cricket segments: OVERS. No. Dictionary defines OVER as "the number of balls, usually six, delivered between successive changes of bowlers". I originally thought OVERS might be like our "innings" in baseball.
48A: "The Lion King" character: NALA. "Can you feel the love tonight?...". Beautiful song from "The Lion King".
53A: One-tenth of MDXL: CLIV. I cannot think of any other non-Roman numberal way to clue this "CLIV", can you?
55A: Lumberjack's two-man tool: PIT SAW. Hard work!
58A: Otological problem: EAR ACHE. Be prepared, the answer might be OTALGIA next time.
60A: Bereft: SO ALONE. I disagree, they are not synonymous.
62A: Commonplace: PROSAIC
63A: Cutting tooth: INCISOR
64A: Nerve connection: SYNAPSE. This puzzle should please our fellow solver Flyingear.
65A: Suppurates: FESTERS. I did not know the meaning of "Suppurates".
Down:
1D: Worldwide service club: KIWANIS. Unknown to me once again. It's "an organization founded in 1915 for the promulgation of higher ideals in business, industrial, and professional life".
3D: "Right to remain silent" warning: MIRANDA. "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law..."
6D: Tiny insects: LICE. I penned in NITS.
8D: Kahn of "Blazing Saddles": MADELINE. I googled her name. I've never heard of "Blazing Saddles".
12D: Gad about: TRAIPSE
13D: 1992 U.S. Open winner: TOM KITE. Know him, but had no idea he was the 1992 Open champion. I was thinking of Lehman. That ball did land in the hole.
14D: Randomly piled: IN A HEAP. I got this after cheating with the across fills.
21D: Delineated: MARKED OUT
24D: 1997 Nicolas Cage movie: CON AIR. Good movie, good song too.
26D: Gregg user: STENO. Did not know what "Gregg" is.
29D: Wallop: BELT. Nice BELT.
31D: Abutting: EDGING. No need to clue *ING answer with an *ING. "Border" is just fine.
37D: Carefully planned and executed performance: SET PIECE. New phrase to me also.
38D: Medical implement: FORCEPS. Completely foreign to me. Here are some surgical FORCEPS.
39D: Of plant seeds: OVULARY. Sigh... no, no.
40D: Shackle: LEG IRON. Techincially it's "lower shackle".
42D: California city: SAN JOSE. "Do You Know the Way to SAN JOSE?"
43D: Rigby of song: ELEANOR. Not familiar with this Beatles' song. Only know ELEANOR Roosevelt.
44D: Lumberyard employs: SAWYERS. I always thought it was SAWERS.
47D: Isolated mountain: MASSIF. New to me also. It's defined as "A large mountain mass or compact group of connected mountains forming an independent portion of a range". Behind them is the Himalayan Annapurna MASSIF.
51D: Plant pest: APHIS. I forgot. Saw this clue before. Strange plural form APHIDES.
52D: Aircraft surveillance acronym: AWACS (Airborne Warning And Control System). Nope, too sophisticated for me to undertand and remember.
54D: Swedish ship that sank on maiden voyage: VASA. No idea. I like the bright colors on this VASA model.
C.C.
Total blocks: 26
I hope you found beautiful red, red roses in this thorny puzzle. It's way too tough for me. Felt like climbing Mountain Everest without a shirpa. I definitely need a theme to guide me.
Too many unknowns and strange cluings. I was stumped immediately by KAMPALA (1A). Letter K was simply impossible for me as I was not familiar with crossing KIWANIS (1D) at all. And I got bogged down in MENOTTI area for a long time. Had to ask Google for help.
Across:
1A: Capital city of 15A: KAMPALA. Here is the map. It's located on Lake Victoria.
8A: "The Consul" composer: MENOTTI (Gian Carlo). I forgot. Vaguely remembered seeing his name somewhere before. Wikipedia says he won Pulitzer (1950) for The Consul". He wrote both the music and the libretto for the opera. Amazing. He must love Wagner.
15A: Infamous dictator: IDI AMIN. I still don't understand why he is called "The Last King of Scotland".
16A: Protein in cereal grains: ALEURON. No idea. I could only think of GLUTEN. Dictionary says it's a "granular protein found in the endosperm of many seeds or forming the outermost layer in cereal grains." ALEURON is Greek for "meal".
17A: Rhode Island city: WARWICK. We get quite a few TMS solvers there.
18A: 3-D miniature scene: DIORAMA. New word to me. Beautifully done.
22A: Hindu sect member: SIKH. Literally, "disciple" in Sanskrit. I always confuse this word with ANKH, the Egyptian cross.
23A: City in NE France: NANCY. METZ was clued as "City near NANCY" on a July puzzle. I wonder why the editor has never considered cluing RANCY Reagan.
25A: Death rattles: RALES. This word should really be mothballed.
28A: Subcontinent leader?: INDO. INDOCHINA. Trickey clue.
29A: Adriatic seaport: BARI. It's here in Italy. Unknown to me.
30A: Seed covering: TESTA. Also, "head" in Italian.
34A: Up to the patellae: KNEE DEEP. Interesting clue, so literal.
36A: Omnispective: All -SEEING. "Omnispective" is a new word to me.
38A: Paginated: FOLIATED. No idea. I always thought FOLIATE is an adjective. I've never heard of "paginate" before.
45A: Cricket segments: OVERS. No. Dictionary defines OVER as "the number of balls, usually six, delivered between successive changes of bowlers". I originally thought OVERS might be like our "innings" in baseball.
48A: "The Lion King" character: NALA. "Can you feel the love tonight?...". Beautiful song from "The Lion King".
53A: One-tenth of MDXL: CLIV. I cannot think of any other non-Roman numberal way to clue this "CLIV", can you?
55A: Lumberjack's two-man tool: PIT SAW. Hard work!
58A: Otological problem: EAR ACHE. Be prepared, the answer might be OTALGIA next time.
60A: Bereft: SO ALONE. I disagree, they are not synonymous.
62A: Commonplace: PROSAIC
63A: Cutting tooth: INCISOR
64A: Nerve connection: SYNAPSE. This puzzle should please our fellow solver Flyingear.
65A: Suppurates: FESTERS. I did not know the meaning of "Suppurates".
Down:
1D: Worldwide service club: KIWANIS. Unknown to me once again. It's "an organization founded in 1915 for the promulgation of higher ideals in business, industrial, and professional life".
3D: "Right to remain silent" warning: MIRANDA. "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law..."
6D: Tiny insects: LICE. I penned in NITS.
8D: Kahn of "Blazing Saddles": MADELINE. I googled her name. I've never heard of "Blazing Saddles".
12D: Gad about: TRAIPSE
13D: 1992 U.S. Open winner: TOM KITE. Know him, but had no idea he was the 1992 Open champion. I was thinking of Lehman. That ball did land in the hole.
14D: Randomly piled: IN A HEAP. I got this after cheating with the across fills.
21D: Delineated: MARKED OUT
24D: 1997 Nicolas Cage movie: CON AIR. Good movie, good song too.
26D: Gregg user: STENO. Did not know what "Gregg" is.
29D: Wallop: BELT. Nice BELT.
31D: Abutting: EDGING. No need to clue *ING answer with an *ING. "Border" is just fine.
37D: Carefully planned and executed performance: SET PIECE. New phrase to me also.
38D: Medical implement: FORCEPS. Completely foreign to me. Here are some surgical FORCEPS.
39D: Of plant seeds: OVULARY. Sigh... no, no.
40D: Shackle: LEG IRON. Techincially it's "lower shackle".
42D: California city: SAN JOSE. "Do You Know the Way to SAN JOSE?"
43D: Rigby of song: ELEANOR. Not familiar with this Beatles' song. Only know ELEANOR Roosevelt.
44D: Lumberyard employs: SAWYERS. I always thought it was SAWERS.
47D: Isolated mountain: MASSIF. New to me also. It's defined as "A large mountain mass or compact group of connected mountains forming an independent portion of a range". Behind them is the Himalayan Annapurna MASSIF.
51D: Plant pest: APHIS. I forgot. Saw this clue before. Strange plural form APHIDES.
52D: Aircraft surveillance acronym: AWACS (Airborne Warning And Control System). Nope, too sophisticated for me to undertand and remember.
54D: Swedish ship that sank on maiden voyage: VASA. No idea. I like the bright colors on this VASA model.
C.C.
