Theme: None
Total blocks: 24
Total words: 66
Nice looking grid, isn't it? So open. Only 24 blocks (black squares). This is a record for us. More often we have between 27-32 on a Saturday themeless puzzle. NY Time's fewest block record is 18.
I think I am going to count the total words for Saturday grids from now on. 66 sounds quite low. Our average is probably 70. FYI, the maximum words allowed for a TMS themeless is 72 (78 for themed puzzle). This puzzle holds the record for lowest word count (only 59) in Jim's database.
The plethora of affixes (S, ER & ING) still bother me. But they sure helped me tremendously in tackling today's offering. TARSALS (26D: Ankles) are "Ankle bones", not "Ankles", right?
I have to say again, this grid just looks so pretty.
Across:
8A: Run playfully: SCAMPER. This word always brings to mind the photo of JFK Jr. crawling out of the Oval Office desk. He later said in an interview that the space was too small for Bill Clinton and Monica to play around.
15A: Quintessence: EPITOME. I would like to see QUINTESSENCE clued as "Epitome" some day.
16A: Greek cafe: TAVERNA. New to me. Ink, is this a neuter or a feminine noun?
17A: Invigorate: LIVEN UP
18A: Ice-breaking remarks: OPENERS
19A: Old Turkish title: AGA. I have a question regarding AGA Khan. Is it an Irani hereditary title? Where is his office based? I seem to remember a Pakistani AGA Khan who was active in the 1950s and dated some Hollywood actresses.
20A: Goldbrick: SLACKER. Not familiar with this slang. I was thinking of ingot.
27A: Sees a mental picture: ENVISIONS
29A: More inadequate: LAMER. INANER came to my mind first.
30A: Makes certain: SEES TO IT
31A: Action of endearment: CARESS. And LONGINGS (33D: Strong persistent desires). Hmmm, "amor vincit omnia". What a wonderful 15-letter phrase! Perfect for a Valentine's Day theme answer.
32A: Swinging freely: PENDULOUS. This is the only "ing" clue that I liked.
37A: Athenian philosopher: SOCRATES. He said "Know thyself".
41A: Word-weary: BLASE
42A: One of Sri Lanka's languages: SINHALESE. Or Sinhala. Fascinating, Wikipedia says "Sinha" means "lion", and "la" means "to seize". Unknown to me. The only Sri Lanka language I was aware of is Tamil. And I always associate it with the Tamil Tiger force.
43A: Stadium top, often: DOME. Can you believe that the Twins new stadium will be roofless?
44A: Mold, mildew and smut: FUNGI
45A: Bristle: SETA. Bristly would be setal or setose.
46A: Dos Passos trilogy: U.S.A. I was so happy I finally remembered this trilogy.
49A: Slap the cuffs on: NAB
54A: ABaAabAB rhyme scheme: TRIOLET. No idea. Waiting for Clear Ayes to explain what this scheme is. Funny how it has "Trio" as prefix rather than "Octo" since it has eight lines.
Down:
1D: Interacts: RELATES. I like how it intersects with TOLD (23A: Informed). Wish the clues reflected the tie between the two.
2D: Mediocre imitator of an artist: EPIGONE. New word to me. All I could think of is copycat.
3D: Cockle or mussel: BIVALVE. Oyster is also BIVALVE too. Do you like raw oysters? So tasty!
6D: Light-sensitive photographic coating: EMULSIONS. Got it from the across clues.
7D: Resembling a calyx: SEPALOID. Wow, it's a word. I did not know this. Sepal-oid.
9D: Canaveral and Coral: CAPES. Have never heard of Coral CAPE before.
14D: Scan-line patterns: RASTERS. Another new word to me.
21D: Bruising: CONTUSING. The noun form contusion is more commonly used, isn't it?
24D: Arrange: DISPOSE. Not a familiar definition to me.
28D: Cubic meter: STERE. Who actually uses this word in their daily life?
29D: Classic Gene Tierney film: LAURA. Ha ha, I got LAURA today. Felt a bit sorry for LAURA Bush. She deserves a clue.
31D: Red dye from insects: COCHINEAL. Completely unheard of. Sounds so cruel to crush the insects to get the dye. Wikipedia says the COCHINEAL insects live on cacti. Look at these harvesting baskets.
35D: Conclusion: CLOSURE. I wonder any constructor has thought of a "SURE" puzzle, you know, with CLOSURE, COMPOSURE, EXPOSURE, LEISURE, MEASURE, etc.
36D: Small, bushy-tailed monkey: TAMARIN. New monkey to me. It's tiny. Strange mustache. Wikipedia says TAMARIN's gestation is "typically 140 days, and births are normally twins". And they live to be 18 years old when in captivity.
38D: "I was a __ Werewolf": TEENAGE. I forgot. Mr. Higgins used the same clue in his last puzzle. Looks scary.
42D: Guarantee: SURETY
44D: Peggy Lee classic: FEVER. See this clip. I guessed. I actually thought of NEVER first.
53D: One of Bobbsey Twins: NAN. I bet our editor does not like Indian food. Otherwise, he would have clued NAN as "Indian bread".
C.C.
Total blocks: 24
Total words: 66
Nice looking grid, isn't it? So open. Only 24 blocks (black squares). This is a record for us. More often we have between 27-32 on a Saturday themeless puzzle. NY Time's fewest block record is 18.
I think I am going to count the total words for Saturday grids from now on. 66 sounds quite low. Our average is probably 70. FYI, the maximum words allowed for a TMS themeless is 72 (78 for themed puzzle). This puzzle holds the record for lowest word count (only 59) in Jim's database.
The plethora of affixes (S, ER & ING) still bother me. But they sure helped me tremendously in tackling today's offering. TARSALS (26D: Ankles) are "Ankle bones", not "Ankles", right?
I have to say again, this grid just looks so pretty.
Across:
8A: Run playfully: SCAMPER. This word always brings to mind the photo of JFK Jr. crawling out of the Oval Office desk. He later said in an interview that the space was too small for Bill Clinton and Monica to play around.
15A: Quintessence: EPITOME. I would like to see QUINTESSENCE clued as "Epitome" some day.
16A: Greek cafe: TAVERNA. New to me. Ink, is this a neuter or a feminine noun?
17A: Invigorate: LIVEN UP
18A: Ice-breaking remarks: OPENERS
19A: Old Turkish title: AGA. I have a question regarding AGA Khan. Is it an Irani hereditary title? Where is his office based? I seem to remember a Pakistani AGA Khan who was active in the 1950s and dated some Hollywood actresses.
20A: Goldbrick: SLACKER. Not familiar with this slang. I was thinking of ingot.
27A: Sees a mental picture: ENVISIONS
29A: More inadequate: LAMER. INANER came to my mind first.
30A: Makes certain: SEES TO IT
31A: Action of endearment: CARESS. And LONGINGS (33D: Strong persistent desires). Hmmm, "amor vincit omnia". What a wonderful 15-letter phrase! Perfect for a Valentine's Day theme answer.
32A: Swinging freely: PENDULOUS. This is the only "ing" clue that I liked.
37A: Athenian philosopher: SOCRATES. He said "Know thyself".
41A: Word-weary: BLASE
42A: One of Sri Lanka's languages: SINHALESE. Or Sinhala. Fascinating, Wikipedia says "Sinha" means "lion", and "la" means "to seize". Unknown to me. The only Sri Lanka language I was aware of is Tamil. And I always associate it with the Tamil Tiger force.
43A: Stadium top, often: DOME. Can you believe that the Twins new stadium will be roofless?
44A: Mold, mildew and smut: FUNGI
45A: Bristle: SETA. Bristly would be setal or setose.
46A: Dos Passos trilogy: U.S.A. I was so happy I finally remembered this trilogy.
49A: Slap the cuffs on: NAB
54A: ABaAabAB rhyme scheme: TRIOLET. No idea. Waiting for Clear Ayes to explain what this scheme is. Funny how it has "Trio" as prefix rather than "Octo" since it has eight lines.
Down:
1D: Interacts: RELATES. I like how it intersects with TOLD (23A: Informed). Wish the clues reflected the tie between the two.
2D: Mediocre imitator of an artist: EPIGONE. New word to me. All I could think of is copycat.
3D: Cockle or mussel: BIVALVE. Oyster is also BIVALVE too. Do you like raw oysters? So tasty!
6D: Light-sensitive photographic coating: EMULSIONS. Got it from the across clues.
7D: Resembling a calyx: SEPALOID. Wow, it's a word. I did not know this. Sepal-oid.
9D: Canaveral and Coral: CAPES. Have never heard of Coral CAPE before.
14D: Scan-line patterns: RASTERS. Another new word to me.
21D: Bruising: CONTUSING. The noun form contusion is more commonly used, isn't it?
24D: Arrange: DISPOSE. Not a familiar definition to me.
28D: Cubic meter: STERE. Who actually uses this word in their daily life?
29D: Classic Gene Tierney film: LAURA. Ha ha, I got LAURA today. Felt a bit sorry for LAURA Bush. She deserves a clue.
31D: Red dye from insects: COCHINEAL. Completely unheard of. Sounds so cruel to crush the insects to get the dye. Wikipedia says the COCHINEAL insects live on cacti. Look at these harvesting baskets.
35D: Conclusion: CLOSURE. I wonder any constructor has thought of a "SURE" puzzle, you know, with CLOSURE, COMPOSURE, EXPOSURE, LEISURE, MEASURE, etc.
36D: Small, bushy-tailed monkey: TAMARIN. New monkey to me. It's tiny. Strange mustache. Wikipedia says TAMARIN's gestation is "typically 140 days, and births are normally twins". And they live to be 18 years old when in captivity.
38D: "I was a __ Werewolf": TEENAGE. I forgot. Mr. Higgins used the same clue in his last puzzle. Looks scary.
42D: Guarantee: SURETY
44D: Peggy Lee classic: FEVER. See this clip. I guessed. I actually thought of NEVER first.
53D: One of Bobbsey Twins: NAN. I bet our editor does not like Indian food. Otherwise, he would have clued NAN as "Indian bread".
C.C.
