Theme: None
Total blocks: 28
Total words: 70
Noticed how this puzzle differs from the ones offered by Allan E. Parrish and Barry Silk? It has no letter X, Z or Q. There are also no Matthew Higgins style obscure librarian words.
Just a simple, straightforward, pop culture-free puzzle, with no twisted gimmicks. I've seen ELEVEN (2D: Side-by-side ones?) clued as "One by one?" before, so there was no "Aha" for me today either.
After seeing those suffixes like ER, EST, ED and S, I kind of missed the old "Sea Eagle" clue for ERN (5D: Directional suffix). Also, "Serpent tail?" for INE (60D) lost its appeal to me several months ago. Don't you think "Carol ending?" is more fitting for the Christmas season?
I also disliked the clue for DENIABLE (37D: Possible to contradict). Can you come up with a better one?
Across:
1A: Hijiki or sargassum: SEAWEED. Here is the photo. Unknown to me. Easy guess though. I only cook with kelp and wakame. And nori for my rice ball wrapping.
2A: Greek letters: LAMBDAS. Got it from the down clues. This letter and OMICRON often give me trouble. So do those rivers in Europe.
16A: Iridescent: OPALINE. I think "opalescent" is more commonly used. Does anyone collect Fenton milk glass?
22A: Backs of neck: NAPES. I want to see SCRUFFS clued as "Backs of neck" in our puzzle some day. Lots of consonants in that word, not as many as STRENGTHS though.
28A: "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" co-star Garr: TERI. Where is TERI Hatcher's agent? Or he might think Tribune Media puzzle is too small for his client to make an appearance.
31A: Switch attachment?: EROO. Switcheroo. Smackeroo. Are you familiar with the slang Sockeroo?
33A: Insists upon the observance of: STANDS ON. I was only familiar with STANDS ON as in "STANDS ON the shoulders of giants".
38A: Gilded: AUREATE. Five vowels in this word. This is interesting. Have you ever used "Euouae" when playing Scrabble?
45A: French wines: VINS. Kind of boring clue, isn't it?
46A: Iris in heraldry: FLEUR-DE-LIS. Great to see its full name in a puzzle.
51A: Egyptian goddess of fertility: ISIS. OK, here is ISIS feeding her son Horus again. AMON/AMEN/AMUN is the "Egyptian fertility god". I wonder if President Clinton knows the meaning of IS IS.
54A: Open horse-drawn carriages: SHAYS. Here is an old one horse SHAY. Unknown to me.
62A: Country on the Adriatic: ALBANIA. See this map. Tirana is its capital. Lek is its currency. Wikipedia says that ALBANIA means "Land of the Eagle" in native language, hence the double-headed eagles on its flag. They sure don't look like eagles though.
67A: Stable seat: SADDLES
Down:
1D: Deli hangar: SALAMI. These are Cantonese style sausages, which are made of pork and sweet in taste.
2D: Side-by-side ones?: ELEVEN. 11.
3D: Victoria's consort: ALBERT. Easy guess. I did not know who was Queen Victoria's husband. Is that a real photo?
4D: Runs out of energy: WEARIES. I was thinking of WEAR OUT.
7D: Hereditary monarch: DYNAST. I only knew DYNASTY.
8D: Cut off: LOP. And 49D: Cut into: INCISE. Made me think of the Lorena Bobbitt story you guys talked about several days ago. I had never heard of it before.
12D: Spread far and wide: DISPERSE
13D: Foyer: ANTEROOM
24D: Certain musical chord: TRIAD
42D: Ancient empire on the Tigris: ASSYRIA. Wow, Its territory is bigger than I thought.
47D: Arctic boats: UMIAKS. I completely forgot this boat. Those guys look very cold.
48D: Minature train name: LIONEL. Forget about the train, I love "We Are the World". I only recognized LIONEL Richie, Michael Jackson, Kenny Rogers, Tina Turner, Diana Ross, Willie Nelson and Bruce Springteen. Who is the singer at 2:29?
50D: Summer ermines: STOATS. He is adorable.
C.C.
Total blocks: 28
Total words: 70
Noticed how this puzzle differs from the ones offered by Allan E. Parrish and Barry Silk? It has no letter X, Z or Q. There are also no Matthew Higgins style obscure librarian words.
Just a simple, straightforward, pop culture-free puzzle, with no twisted gimmicks. I've seen ELEVEN (2D: Side-by-side ones?) clued as "One by one?" before, so there was no "Aha" for me today either.
After seeing those suffixes like ER, EST, ED and S, I kind of missed the old "Sea Eagle" clue for ERN (5D: Directional suffix). Also, "Serpent tail?" for INE (60D) lost its appeal to me several months ago. Don't you think "Carol ending?" is more fitting for the Christmas season?
I also disliked the clue for DENIABLE (37D: Possible to contradict). Can you come up with a better one?
Across:
1A: Hijiki or sargassum: SEAWEED. Here is the photo. Unknown to me. Easy guess though. I only cook with kelp and wakame. And nori for my rice ball wrapping.
2A: Greek letters: LAMBDAS. Got it from the down clues. This letter and OMICRON often give me trouble. So do those rivers in Europe.
16A: Iridescent: OPALINE. I think "opalescent" is more commonly used. Does anyone collect Fenton milk glass?
22A: Backs of neck: NAPES. I want to see SCRUFFS clued as "Backs of neck" in our puzzle some day. Lots of consonants in that word, not as many as STRENGTHS though.
28A: "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" co-star Garr: TERI. Where is TERI Hatcher's agent? Or he might think Tribune Media puzzle is too small for his client to make an appearance.
31A: Switch attachment?: EROO. Switcheroo. Smackeroo. Are you familiar with the slang Sockeroo?
33A: Insists upon the observance of: STANDS ON. I was only familiar with STANDS ON as in "STANDS ON the shoulders of giants".
38A: Gilded: AUREATE. Five vowels in this word. This is interesting. Have you ever used "Euouae" when playing Scrabble?
45A: French wines: VINS. Kind of boring clue, isn't it?
46A: Iris in heraldry: FLEUR-DE-LIS. Great to see its full name in a puzzle.
51A: Egyptian goddess of fertility: ISIS. OK, here is ISIS feeding her son Horus again. AMON/AMEN/AMUN is the "Egyptian fertility god". I wonder if President Clinton knows the meaning of IS IS.
54A: Open horse-drawn carriages: SHAYS. Here is an old one horse SHAY. Unknown to me.
62A: Country on the Adriatic: ALBANIA. See this map. Tirana is its capital. Lek is its currency. Wikipedia says that ALBANIA means "Land of the Eagle" in native language, hence the double-headed eagles on its flag. They sure don't look like eagles though.
67A: Stable seat: SADDLES
Down:
1D: Deli hangar: SALAMI. These are Cantonese style sausages, which are made of pork and sweet in taste.
2D: Side-by-side ones?: ELEVEN. 11.
3D: Victoria's consort: ALBERT. Easy guess. I did not know who was Queen Victoria's husband. Is that a real photo?
4D: Runs out of energy: WEARIES. I was thinking of WEAR OUT.
7D: Hereditary monarch: DYNAST. I only knew DYNASTY.
8D: Cut off: LOP. And 49D: Cut into: INCISE. Made me think of the Lorena Bobbitt story you guys talked about several days ago. I had never heard of it before.
12D: Spread far and wide: DISPERSE
13D: Foyer: ANTEROOM
24D: Certain musical chord: TRIAD
42D: Ancient empire on the Tigris: ASSYRIA. Wow, Its territory is bigger than I thought.
47D: Arctic boats: UMIAKS. I completely forgot this boat. Those guys look very cold.
48D: Minature train name: LIONEL. Forget about the train, I love "We Are the World". I only recognized LIONEL Richie, Michael Jackson, Kenny Rogers, Tina Turner, Diana Ross, Willie Nelson and Bruce Springteen. Who is the singer at 2:29?
50D: Summer ermines: STOATS. He is adorable.
C.C.
