Theme: None
Total blocks: 31
Total words: 72
This grid is framed by a pair of triple stacked 15-letter two-word answers at the top and bottom:
1A. Medieval castle feature: SPIRAL STAIRCASE. Nice entry. Good visual imagery.
16A. Harding's Laddie Boy, for one: AIREDALE TERRIER. Originated in Airedale, England. Laddie Boy was President Harding's dog. Stumped me.
17A. Health club option: PERSONAL TRAINER
59A. With "The," 1958 Hudson/Stack movie about a former WWI ace: TARNISHED ANGELS. See this poster. I've never heard of the movie.
63A. Longtime pal: OLD ACQUAINTANCE. My favorite fill today.
64A. Christianity dominates it: WESTERN RELIGION. Buddhism dominates Eastern religion. Hinduism too, I suppose, considering the number of followers in India.
Hard workout for me. Only penned in a few short entries on my first try. Then I gnawed and gnawed. Was amazed by how much I actually filled in before peeking at the cheat sheet.
Across:
19. Indicates: SAYS. Wanted CUES.
20. Asian holidays: TETS. Only in Vietnam.
21. Univ. awards: DEGS (Degrees)
23. Risked: STAKED
26. Actor Harris et al.: EDS. I liked him in "Stepmom".
29. Three-time A.L. MVP: A-ROD. Finally got his World Series ring.
30. Help a checker: BAG. Checker here refers to cashier, right?
33. Gamblers' mecca: MONTE CARLO. Las Vegas too.
37. Composer Bartók: BELA. Hungarian.
38. Barhopping: ON A TOOT. New phrase to me.
39. Some specials: ENTREES. Excellent clue.
41. Uproar: TO-DO. Nice crossing with SET-TO (22D. Tiff). We also have ADOS (5D. Fusses).
42. Gadget largely pooh-poohed by men until the 20th century: WRISTWATCH. Was unaware of this fact. How silly.
44. Dubbed period: ERA. I rather like this new clue.
45. Russian pancake: BLIN. Only know the plural blini.
46. Oldest child in the comic strip "Baby Blues": ZOE. Tough crossing with KOONTZ (25D. Dean of horror). I knew neither of them.
47. Under-the-sink item: SOS PAD. Yeah, I store mine under the sink.
53. Open end?: TOED. Open-toed (shoes).
55. "Do or do not. There is no try" speaker: YODA. From "Star Wars".
58. Miss out?: DEB (Debutante). "Miss" here is a noun. I was not fooled.
Down:
1. Tasty: SAPID. This word sure doesn't sound tasty. Maybe I am influenced by tepid.
2. See 40-Down: PIECE. And TWO (40D. With 2-Down, like a bikini).
3. Not std.: IRREG. IRR appears in grids more often.
4. They precede mis: RES. Scale notes. Do, Re, Mi ...
6. Turner, for one: LANA. Lana Turner.
7. Really cracks up: SLAYS
8. Launch of 1962: TELSTAR. Just learned that NASA was only established in 1958.
9. 1-800-CALL-__: rival of 1-800-COLLECT: AT & T
10. Cash add-on: IER. Cashier.
11. Violent, probably: R-RATED
13. Frowned-upon contraction: AIN'T. Widely used though.
14. Views: SEES
24. City that inspired van Gogh: ARLES. Absolutely love his "Bedroom in Arles".
27. __ gratias: DEO. Latin for "thanks to God".
28. Glares: SCOWLS
30. Sugar source: BEET. Pickled beet is very tasty, so is pickled herring.
31. Pollster Gallup: ALEC. Did not know Gallup's given name. So now we've had Elmo Roper and John Zogby, all pollsters.
Total blocks: 31
Total words: 72
This grid is framed by a pair of triple stacked 15-letter two-word answers at the top and bottom:
1A. Medieval castle feature: SPIRAL STAIRCASE. Nice entry. Good visual imagery.
16A. Harding's Laddie Boy, for one: AIREDALE TERRIER. Originated in Airedale, England. Laddie Boy was President Harding's dog. Stumped me.
17A. Health club option: PERSONAL TRAINER
59A. With "The," 1958 Hudson/Stack movie about a former WWI ace: TARNISHED ANGELS. See this poster. I've never heard of the movie.
63A. Longtime pal: OLD ACQUAINTANCE. My favorite fill today.
64A. Christianity dominates it: WESTERN RELIGION. Buddhism dominates Eastern religion. Hinduism too, I suppose, considering the number of followers in India.
Hard workout for me. Only penned in a few short entries on my first try. Then I gnawed and gnawed. Was amazed by how much I actually filled in before peeking at the cheat sheet.
Across:
19. Indicates: SAYS. Wanted CUES.
20. Asian holidays: TETS. Only in Vietnam.
21. Univ. awards: DEGS (Degrees)
23. Risked: STAKED
26. Actor Harris et al.: EDS. I liked him in "Stepmom".
29. Three-time A.L. MVP: A-ROD. Finally got his World Series ring.
30. Help a checker: BAG. Checker here refers to cashier, right?
33. Gamblers' mecca: MONTE CARLO. Las Vegas too.
37. Composer Bartók: BELA. Hungarian.
38. Barhopping: ON A TOOT. New phrase to me.
39. Some specials: ENTREES. Excellent clue.
41. Uproar: TO-DO. Nice crossing with SET-TO (22D. Tiff). We also have ADOS (5D. Fusses).
42. Gadget largely pooh-poohed by men until the 20th century: WRISTWATCH. Was unaware of this fact. How silly.
44. Dubbed period: ERA. I rather like this new clue.
45. Russian pancake: BLIN. Only know the plural blini.
46. Oldest child in the comic strip "Baby Blues": ZOE. Tough crossing with KOONTZ (25D. Dean of horror). I knew neither of them.
47. Under-the-sink item: SOS PAD. Yeah, I store mine under the sink.
53. Open end?: TOED. Open-toed (shoes).
55. "Do or do not. There is no try" speaker: YODA. From "Star Wars".
58. Miss out?: DEB (Debutante). "Miss" here is a noun. I was not fooled.
Down:
1. Tasty: SAPID. This word sure doesn't sound tasty. Maybe I am influenced by tepid.
2. See 40-Down: PIECE. And TWO (40D. With 2-Down, like a bikini).
3. Not std.: IRREG. IRR appears in grids more often.
4. They precede mis: RES. Scale notes. Do, Re, Mi ...
6. Turner, for one: LANA. Lana Turner.
7. Really cracks up: SLAYS
8. Launch of 1962: TELSTAR. Just learned that NASA was only established in 1958.
9. 1-800-CALL-__: rival of 1-800-COLLECT: AT & T
10. Cash add-on: IER. Cashier.
11. Violent, probably: R-RATED
13. Frowned-upon contraction: AIN'T. Widely used though.
14. Views: SEES
24. City that inspired van Gogh: ARLES. Absolutely love his "Bedroom in Arles".
27. __ gratias: DEO. Latin for "thanks to God".
28. Glares: SCOWLS
30. Sugar source: BEET. Pickled beet is very tasty, so is pickled herring.
31. Pollster Gallup: ALEC. Did not know Gallup's given name. So now we've had Elmo Roper and John Zogby, all pollsters.
32. Razor cut, maybe: GASH. Did not come to me readily.
33. Dust unit: MOTE
34. Words before before: ON OR. Was this a gimme to you?
35. Zilch: NADA
36. Anchor position: ATRIP. Just clear off the bottom. Learned from doing Xword.
37. Highland hillsides: BRAES
43. Next Christmas: IN A YEAR. Not really fond of this clue, despite its Christmas connection.
45. Dirndl part: BODICE
47. Gérard Larcher is its current president: SENAT. French Senate. Don't think Gérard Larcher is well known outside France.
48. Stevens who sang "Pink Shoe Laces" (1959): DODIE. No idea. Here is the clip. Wikipedia says she's only 13 when she recorded the song.
50. Certain Arabian Peninsula native: ADENI. Oh, the native of Aden is Adeni.
51. Car battery pioneer: DELCO. Unknown to me also. It stands for Dayton Engineering Laboratories Co.
52. "Barnaby Jones" star: EBSEN (Buddy). Recognized his face only when I googled him.
53. Account: TALE
54. Traffic regs., e.g.: ORDS (Ordinances)
56. Twain's jumping frog: DAN'L (Webster). Completely foreign to me. Why Dan'l instead of Daniel?
57. Like contrarians: ANTI
59. Auto club service: TOW
60. Plaza abbr.: SQR. Square?
61. Vandal: HUN. Like Attila.
62. Choke or joke: GAG. Superb clue. Nice rhyme.
33. Dust unit: MOTE
34. Words before before: ON OR. Was this a gimme to you?
35. Zilch: NADA
36. Anchor position: ATRIP. Just clear off the bottom. Learned from doing Xword.
37. Highland hillsides: BRAES
43. Next Christmas: IN A YEAR. Not really fond of this clue, despite its Christmas connection.
45. Dirndl part: BODICE
47. Gérard Larcher is its current president: SENAT. French Senate. Don't think Gérard Larcher is well known outside France.
48. Stevens who sang "Pink Shoe Laces" (1959): DODIE. No idea. Here is the clip. Wikipedia says she's only 13 when she recorded the song.
50. Certain Arabian Peninsula native: ADENI. Oh, the native of Aden is Adeni.
51. Car battery pioneer: DELCO. Unknown to me also. It stands for Dayton Engineering Laboratories Co.
52. "Barnaby Jones" star: EBSEN (Buddy). Recognized his face only when I googled him.
53. Account: TALE
54. Traffic regs., e.g.: ORDS (Ordinances)
56. Twain's jumping frog: DAN'L (Webster). Completely foreign to me. Why Dan'l instead of Daniel?
57. Like contrarians: ANTI
59. Auto club service: TOW
60. Plaza abbr.: SQR. Square?
61. Vandal: HUN. Like Attila.
62. Choke or joke: GAG. Superb clue. Nice rhyme.
