Theme: None
Total blocks: 27
Total words: 68
Letter S must be all constructors' favorite letter. It can start a word and end a word. It can be followed by either a vowel or a consonant. I guess that's why we see it popping up everywhere in the grid, esp the first row & last row, first column and last column.
We get 27 S'es today, too many for my taste. But one thing I really like about Higgins' puzzle is the lack of pop culture and actor/actress names, which often stump me. Additionally, he always does solid research on his clues. Nearly all of them are dictionary-accurate, though not lively.
Some of the clues today are pretty good:
32A: Virginia, for one: REEL
5D: Half and half?: ONE. Without the "?", the clue would be good too, but boring.
50D: Bannister, for one: MILER. Roger Bannister is the first man to run the mile in less than four minutes.
Across:
1A: Considers probable: SUPPOSES. Three S'es for the first word, three S'es for the last word (SCORSESE).
9A: Nabokov novel: LOLITA. Have you see the movie remake? My favorite Jeremy Irons movie is "Damage".
17A: Squatter: NESTER. Homesteader. I thought a "Squatter" is someone who squats.
20A: Sinuous: SERPENTINE. "Sinuous" is a new to me. I know "tortuous" though.
26A: Greek harp: TRIGON. It's "an ancient Greek stringed instrument with a triangular shape". New to me. I only know LYRE. If you find a TRIGON picture, please share with us. I could not find one on the internet. (Addendum: Here is a TRIGON picture, and here is LYRE).
28A: Roman deck count: LII. 52. Also the "Number of weeks in a year" for the Romans.
30A: Fix firmly: SECURE. I like the verb cluing.
35A: Wheys: SERA. I am more familiar with the "Blood fluids" clue.
42A: State in northwestern Mexico: SONORA. It's bordering Arizona.
53A: Cancellation: RESCISSION. Only knew the verb RESCIND.
57A: Bay windows: ORIELS. I tend to confuse ORIELS with ORIOLES.
60A: French department on the bay of Biscay: VENDEE. See this map. I've never heard of it before.
61A: Subtraction starters: MINUENDS
63A: "Mean Streets" director: SCORSESE. Have you seen "Mean Streets"? Looks interesting.
Down:
1D: Groups in groups: SUBSETS
3D: Like plunder at sea: PIRATIC. I wanted PIRATEY. I've never heard of PIRATIC before.
9D: State of being cheerlessly solitary: LONELINESS. LONELINESS can be beautiful and inspiring, esp if you are comfortable being alone.
11D: Tilt to one side: LIST. Is this solely a nautical term?
12D: Arteries' innermost linings: INTIMAE. New to me. The plural form of INTIMA can also be INTIMAS.
13D: "I Was a __Werewolf": TEENAGE. Have you seen the movie? It looks horrifying.
14D: Gland near the kidneys: ADRENAL. This is where adrenaline comes from, correct?
21D: Ballet movements: PLIE. These girls are pretty.
27D: Close calls: NEAR-MISSES
29D: Forms into small pellets: GRANULATES. OK, I checked, it's a word.
41D: Statements of obvious veracity: TRUISMS
43D: Semi-translucent glass: OPALINE. It's the same as opalescent, isn't it?
C.C.
Total blocks: 27
Total words: 68
Letter S must be all constructors' favorite letter. It can start a word and end a word. It can be followed by either a vowel or a consonant. I guess that's why we see it popping up everywhere in the grid, esp the first row & last row, first column and last column.
We get 27 S'es today, too many for my taste. But one thing I really like about Higgins' puzzle is the lack of pop culture and actor/actress names, which often stump me. Additionally, he always does solid research on his clues. Nearly all of them are dictionary-accurate, though not lively.
Some of the clues today are pretty good:
32A: Virginia, for one: REEL
5D: Half and half?: ONE. Without the "?", the clue would be good too, but boring.
50D: Bannister, for one: MILER. Roger Bannister is the first man to run the mile in less than four minutes.
Across:
1A: Considers probable: SUPPOSES. Three S'es for the first word, three S'es for the last word (SCORSESE).
9A: Nabokov novel: LOLITA. Have you see the movie remake? My favorite Jeremy Irons movie is "Damage".
17A: Squatter: NESTER. Homesteader. I thought a "Squatter" is someone who squats.
20A: Sinuous: SERPENTINE. "Sinuous" is a new to me. I know "tortuous" though.
26A: Greek harp: TRIGON. It's "an ancient Greek stringed instrument with a triangular shape". New to me. I only know LYRE. If you find a TRIGON picture, please share with us. I could not find one on the internet. (Addendum: Here is a TRIGON picture, and here is LYRE).
28A: Roman deck count: LII. 52. Also the "Number of weeks in a year" for the Romans.
30A: Fix firmly: SECURE. I like the verb cluing.
35A: Wheys: SERA. I am more familiar with the "Blood fluids" clue.
42A: State in northwestern Mexico: SONORA. It's bordering Arizona.
53A: Cancellation: RESCISSION. Only knew the verb RESCIND.
57A: Bay windows: ORIELS. I tend to confuse ORIELS with ORIOLES.
60A: French department on the bay of Biscay: VENDEE. See this map. I've never heard of it before.
61A: Subtraction starters: MINUENDS
63A: "Mean Streets" director: SCORSESE. Have you seen "Mean Streets"? Looks interesting.
Down:
1D: Groups in groups: SUBSETS
3D: Like plunder at sea: PIRATIC. I wanted PIRATEY. I've never heard of PIRATIC before.
9D: State of being cheerlessly solitary: LONELINESS. LONELINESS can be beautiful and inspiring, esp if you are comfortable being alone.
11D: Tilt to one side: LIST. Is this solely a nautical term?
12D: Arteries' innermost linings: INTIMAE. New to me. The plural form of INTIMA can also be INTIMAS.
13D: "I Was a __Werewolf": TEENAGE. Have you seen the movie? It looks horrifying.
14D: Gland near the kidneys: ADRENAL. This is where adrenaline comes from, correct?
21D: Ballet movements: PLIE. These girls are pretty.
27D: Close calls: NEAR-MISSES
29D: Forms into small pellets: GRANULATES. OK, I checked, it's a word.
41D: Statements of obvious veracity: TRUISMS
43D: Semi-translucent glass: OPALINE. It's the same as opalescent, isn't it?
C.C.
