Theme: None
Total blocks: 30
I think I will enjoy themeless puzzles more once I get better at solving. I really like the open field and long words.
This is a nice puzzle. No strained or forced entries, except ELA (35D: Old time high note). I wonder how many people know about this high note on Guido's Music Notation.
I love the crossing of AMERICANA (16A: Bits and pieces of U. S. history) and VALUABLE (12D: Great worth). It reminds me of "Antiques Roadshow" and our local flea markets. I have yet to find something of "Great worth" though.
Across:
1A: Trudge (on): PRESS. I definitely need a "Iron" clue for the answer to come to me immediately.
6A: Ralph Kramden, for one: BUS DRIVER. Easy guess. I did not know who Ralph Kramden is.
17A: Buzzing: ASTIR. I thought of AROAR, too strong for the "Buzzing" clue I suppose.
19A: Stone Age implement: NEOLITH
21A: Dowel: PEG. Got it from the down clue. I did not know the meaning of "Dowel".
22A: Spoon-bender Geller: URI. This looks interesting.
25A: Chronicle: SAGA. They are not the same to me. A "Chronicle" is a real account of the event, right? SAGA is often mythified and romanticized.
26A: Team player: SPORTSMAN. I don't like this clue. A PGA Pro is a SPORTSMAN, but he is not a "Team player", unless it's for the Ryder Cup.
30A: Donnybrook: MELEE
31A: Jumper cable connection: ANODE. NY Times puzzle once had TENDONS (53A: Kin of ligaments) clued as "Jumper's cables?".
36A: Dauphin's dad: ROI. Another guess. I did not know that Dauphin means "the eldest son of the king of France from 1349 to 1830". Kind of like Prince of Wales.
37A: Leafy garnish: CRESS. It's the same as watercress, isn't it? You will more likely find dried CRESS and pickled rutabaga in Asian Stores. They are seldom eaten fresh in China.
39A: New Rochelle college: IONA. Don McLean's alma mater. I never get tired of "Starry Night". I also like his "American Pie", very touching.
42A: Shown, as in a museum: ON EXHIBIT
50A: Pacific weather pattern: LA NINA. I could only think of EL NINO.
51A: Guess at LAX: ETA
54A: Game often stalemated: TIC- TAC- TOE
57A: Miser Marner: SILAS. I have difficulty remembering this George Eliot book.
58A: Puts up with: TOLERATES
60A: Jokes like Dangerfield's: ONE LINERS. Here are some of his best ONE LINERS.
61A: Jazz vocalist Mercer: MABEL. I forgot. She appeared in our puzzle before. We just had " Normand of the silent movie" two days ago.
Down:
1D: Shop tools: PLANES
2D: Rebel: RISE UP
3D: La corrida beast: EL TORO. The clue is asking for TORO, not "EL TORO", isn't it?
4D: Admiral or cabin boy: SAILOR
5D: Actor's lines: SCRIPTS
7D: Diamond arbiter: UMP. I can't remember clearly, did they make UMP bobbleheads in the 1960's? These are adorable. Senators became the Twins.
8D: Sinuous: SERPENTINE
13D: Efforts: ENERGIES
14D: Branches out: RADIATES
20D: Check out: TEST
27D: Performer with strings attached: MARIONETTE. "Performer"? What do you call the person who manipulates the MARIONETTE then?
28D: Run _ of Hip Hop fame: D.M.C.. The answer emerged after I got the across fills. Had no familarity with this Hip Hop group.
31D: Almond liqueur: AMARETTO. I've never had it. Is it bitter?
32D: Marginal marking: NOTATION
33D: Impediment: OBSTACLE. Obstruct has the same amount of letters.
40D: Rod in a car: AXLE
43D: Horsedrawn carriage: HANSOM
44D: Gandhi of India: INDIRA. She had two sons, Rajiv and Sanjay.
45D: Cloning spot, for short: BIOLAB
46D: Present at birth: INNATE. And ENATE is "Maternally related", AGNATE is "Paternally related) and COGNATE is "Related by birth".
47D: Mortarboard fixture: TASSEL
53D: Mrs. Dick Tracy: TESS. Does any one collect Kellogg's Pep pinbacks?
C.C.
Total blocks: 30
I think I will enjoy themeless puzzles more once I get better at solving. I really like the open field and long words.
This is a nice puzzle. No strained or forced entries, except ELA (35D: Old time high note). I wonder how many people know about this high note on Guido's Music Notation.
I love the crossing of AMERICANA (16A: Bits and pieces of U. S. history) and VALUABLE (12D: Great worth). It reminds me of "Antiques Roadshow" and our local flea markets. I have yet to find something of "Great worth" though.
Across:
1A: Trudge (on): PRESS. I definitely need a "Iron" clue for the answer to come to me immediately.
6A: Ralph Kramden, for one: BUS DRIVER. Easy guess. I did not know who Ralph Kramden is.
17A: Buzzing: ASTIR. I thought of AROAR, too strong for the "Buzzing" clue I suppose.
19A: Stone Age implement: NEOLITH
21A: Dowel: PEG. Got it from the down clue. I did not know the meaning of "Dowel".
22A: Spoon-bender Geller: URI. This looks interesting.
25A: Chronicle: SAGA. They are not the same to me. A "Chronicle" is a real account of the event, right? SAGA is often mythified and romanticized.
26A: Team player: SPORTSMAN. I don't like this clue. A PGA Pro is a SPORTSMAN, but he is not a "Team player", unless it's for the Ryder Cup.
30A: Donnybrook: MELEE
31A: Jumper cable connection: ANODE. NY Times puzzle once had TENDONS (53A: Kin of ligaments) clued as "Jumper's cables?".
36A: Dauphin's dad: ROI. Another guess. I did not know that Dauphin means "the eldest son of the king of France from 1349 to 1830". Kind of like Prince of Wales.
37A: Leafy garnish: CRESS. It's the same as watercress, isn't it? You will more likely find dried CRESS and pickled rutabaga in Asian Stores. They are seldom eaten fresh in China.
39A: New Rochelle college: IONA. Don McLean's alma mater. I never get tired of "Starry Night". I also like his "American Pie", very touching.
42A: Shown, as in a museum: ON EXHIBIT
50A: Pacific weather pattern: LA NINA. I could only think of EL NINO.
51A: Guess at LAX: ETA
54A: Game often stalemated: TIC- TAC- TOE
57A: Miser Marner: SILAS. I have difficulty remembering this George Eliot book.
58A: Puts up with: TOLERATES
60A: Jokes like Dangerfield's: ONE LINERS. Here are some of his best ONE LINERS.
61A: Jazz vocalist Mercer: MABEL. I forgot. She appeared in our puzzle before. We just had " Normand of the silent movie" two days ago.
Down:
1D: Shop tools: PLANES
2D: Rebel: RISE UP
3D: La corrida beast: EL TORO. The clue is asking for TORO, not "EL TORO", isn't it?
4D: Admiral or cabin boy: SAILOR
5D: Actor's lines: SCRIPTS
7D: Diamond arbiter: UMP. I can't remember clearly, did they make UMP bobbleheads in the 1960's? These are adorable. Senators became the Twins.
8D: Sinuous: SERPENTINE
13D: Efforts: ENERGIES
14D: Branches out: RADIATES
20D: Check out: TEST
27D: Performer with strings attached: MARIONETTE. "Performer"? What do you call the person who manipulates the MARIONETTE then?
28D: Run _ of Hip Hop fame: D.M.C.. The answer emerged after I got the across fills. Had no familarity with this Hip Hop group.
31D: Almond liqueur: AMARETTO. I've never had it. Is it bitter?
32D: Marginal marking: NOTATION
33D: Impediment: OBSTACLE. Obstruct has the same amount of letters.
40D: Rod in a car: AXLE
43D: Horsedrawn carriage: HANSOM
44D: Gandhi of India: INDIRA. She had two sons, Rajiv and Sanjay.
45D: Cloning spot, for short: BIOLAB
46D: Present at birth: INNATE. And ENATE is "Maternally related", AGNATE is "Paternally related) and COGNATE is "Related by birth".
47D: Mortarboard fixture: TASSEL
53D: Mrs. Dick Tracy: TESS. Does any one collect Kellogg's Pep pinbacks?
C.C.
