Theme: None
Total blocks: 31
Total words: 70
Brad Wilber mentioned in his interview that "As far as the "hurray for themeless" side of the coin, I like the potential for more multiword entries and the challenge of trying to engineer the first appearance of a word or phrase". In today's puzzle, he packed 17 multiword entries, including the stacked 11s in the top and bottom of the grid.
Interesting to learn that his seed entry is TRICK CANDLE (17A. It won't go out). I had guessed SPRUCE GOOSE (15A). Brad's original clue is "It's wind-resistant?". Which one do you like better?
I struggled again. It's really a Herculean task to complete a Brad Wilber puzzle.
Across:
1. Game with a hollow ball: TABLE TENNIS. We just call it Ping-Pong in China.
12. Pink Floyd guitarist Barrett: SYD
15. Unexpected nickname of a Hughes Aircraft plane built mostly of birch: SPRUCE GOOSE. Should be a gimme for those regulars who follow this blog. Carol & Dick's "Spruce Goose" photo was featured in our "Picture of the Day" last August.
16. Iberian land, in Olympic shorthand: POR (Portugal)
18. 2008-'09 Japanese prime minister Taro __: ASO. I confused this dude with Shinzō Abe, another Japanese prime minister.
19. Hitchhiker's need: RIDE
20. 1960s "New Left" org.: SDS (Students for a Democratic Society). Was unaware of the "New Left" moniker.
21. Hypothetical links: APE-MEN. The evolutionary hypothetical links. I was in the "IFS" direction.
24. Annual event won five times by Fred Couples: SKINS GAME. Was thinking of a regular PGA tournament. SKINS GAME is held each Nov/Dec after the PGA season. Fred Couples was nicknamed "Mr. Skins" due to his incredible dominance in this event.
26. False: Pref.: PSEUDO. As in pseudo-intellectual.
30. Announcer Hall: EDD. Announcer for "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno".
31. Slick, in a way: GLIB. In talking.
32. "Car Talk" airer: NPR. "Car Talk" has a tremendous podcast followers as well.
33. Worthless thing, in slang: DOG. New slang to me then.
34. Table d'__: HOTE. Literally "Host's Table". Same as "prix fixe".
35. Trees in giraffe diets: ACACIAS. Oh, I did not know this. Wikipedia says giraffes have a tough tongue that can withstand the thorns of acacias.
39. Upset winner at the 1992 Kentucky Derby: LIL E. TEE. No idea. What does E stand for?
41. "Dream Along With Me" singer: COMO (Perry). Here is the clip.
42. Teachers' gp.: NEA (National Education Association). I am used to the National Endowment of Arts abbr.
44. "Citizen X" actor: REA (Stephen). I've never seen "Citizen X".
45. Brand of daminozide, a growth regulator: ALAR. It's always clued as "Banned apple spray".
46. Predatory fish: GAR. The needlefish, having long jaws with needlelike teeth.
47. Men's periodical, in British slang: LAD MAG. Have never heard of this slang. Makes sense though.
51. Fixture near a playground, perhaps: PARK BENCH
54. "Yo, Hadrian!": AVE. Latin for "Yo". Hadrian is the Roman emperor from 117 to 138, total stranger to me.
55. Information technology giant: UNISYS
56. Hawk's cause: WAR
58. __ to the city: A KEY. Got the answer from Down entries. Not fond of this partial.
59. Med. checkup initials: LDL. The bad cholesterol.
60. Treasured correspondence: LOVE LETTERS. Ah, my sweet high school days!
63. Hanna-Barbera collectible: CEL
64. Ibsen classic: A DOLL'S HOUSE. Awesome entry.
65. Metal precioso: ORO. Precioso is Spanish for "precious".
66. 1975 Robert Redford title role: WALDO PEPPER. My first encounter with "The Great Waldo Pepper".
Down:
1. Instep coverer, at times: T- STRAP
2. Blooming times: APRILS. Fell into the trap and misread the clue as "Booming times".
3. Show indignation: BRIDLE
4. Time management expert?: LUCE (Henry). The founder of Time magazine. Great clue.
5. Johann __, 16th-century defender of Catholicism: ECK. Simply forgot. He argued against Martin Luther.
6. Film-noir heroes: TECS (Detectives)
7. "By Jove!": EGADS
8. Demand-based, briefly, as charter plane services: NONSKED. Nonscheduled. Got me.
9. Tacit approval: NOD
10. 1975 Elton John chart-topper: ISLAND GIRL. Didn't come to me readily.
11. Runs very slowly: SEEPS
12. Musical that parodies Arthurian legend: SPAMALOT
13. El Capitan's locale: YOSEMITE. Was ignorant of the rock formation El Capitan (The Captain) and its location.
14. One in service to the queen?: DRONE BEE. Was too slow to connect "queen" with "queen bee".
22. Anti-intellectual epithet: EGGHEAD
25. Loved one: IDOL
27. Pops open: UNCORKS. Wine.
28. Printer resolution meas.: DPI (Dots Per Inch)
29. Sunkist offering: ORANGE SODA. I've never developed a taste for soft drinks.
35. Cliff-diving mecca: ACAPULCO. JFK honeymooned here.
36. Holey vessel: COLANDER. I was picturing a leaking ship "vessel" rather than the kitchen utensil.
37. Texas Panhandle city: AMARILLO. Literally "yellow" in Spanish. All of the triple 8s in this corner are one-word entry.
38. Hannity of punditry: SEAN. He drives me nuts.
40. Rustic expanse: LEA
43. Fuse, in a way: ARC WELD. New phrase to me.
48. Reconcile: MAKE UP
49. Disinclined: AVERSE. It needs "with "to"', no?
50. Natural steam source: GEYSER
52. Constitution part, perhaps: BY LAW
53. Fox hunt cry: HALLO
57. Opp. of a petitioner, in court: RESP (Respondent)
58. Perched on: ATOP
61. 3-D stat: VOL (Volume). Why? I don't understand the rationale for this clue.
62. Handy article: THE. Definite article. "Handy" indeed.
Answer grid.
C.C.
Total blocks: 31
Total words: 70
Brad Wilber mentioned in his interview that "As far as the "hurray for themeless" side of the coin, I like the potential for more multiword entries and the challenge of trying to engineer the first appearance of a word or phrase". In today's puzzle, he packed 17 multiword entries, including the stacked 11s in the top and bottom of the grid.
Interesting to learn that his seed entry is TRICK CANDLE (17A. It won't go out). I had guessed SPRUCE GOOSE (15A). Brad's original clue is "It's wind-resistant?". Which one do you like better?
I struggled again. It's really a Herculean task to complete a Brad Wilber puzzle.
Across:
1. Game with a hollow ball: TABLE TENNIS. We just call it Ping-Pong in China.
12. Pink Floyd guitarist Barrett: SYD
15. Unexpected nickname of a Hughes Aircraft plane built mostly of birch: SPRUCE GOOSE. Should be a gimme for those regulars who follow this blog. Carol & Dick's "Spruce Goose" photo was featured in our "Picture of the Day" last August.
16. Iberian land, in Olympic shorthand: POR (Portugal)
18. 2008-'09 Japanese prime minister Taro __: ASO. I confused this dude with Shinzō Abe, another Japanese prime minister.
19. Hitchhiker's need: RIDE
20. 1960s "New Left" org.: SDS (Students for a Democratic Society). Was unaware of the "New Left" moniker.
21. Hypothetical links: APE-MEN. The evolutionary hypothetical links. I was in the "IFS" direction.
24. Annual event won five times by Fred Couples: SKINS GAME. Was thinking of a regular PGA tournament. SKINS GAME is held each Nov/Dec after the PGA season. Fred Couples was nicknamed "Mr. Skins" due to his incredible dominance in this event.
26. False: Pref.: PSEUDO. As in pseudo-intellectual.
30. Announcer Hall: EDD. Announcer for "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno".
31. Slick, in a way: GLIB. In talking.
32. "Car Talk" airer: NPR. "Car Talk" has a tremendous podcast followers as well.
33. Worthless thing, in slang: DOG. New slang to me then.
34. Table d'__: HOTE. Literally "Host's Table". Same as "prix fixe".
35. Trees in giraffe diets: ACACIAS. Oh, I did not know this. Wikipedia says giraffes have a tough tongue that can withstand the thorns of acacias.
39. Upset winner at the 1992 Kentucky Derby: LIL E. TEE. No idea. What does E stand for?
41. "Dream Along With Me" singer: COMO (Perry). Here is the clip.
42. Teachers' gp.: NEA (National Education Association). I am used to the National Endowment of Arts abbr.
44. "Citizen X" actor: REA (Stephen). I've never seen "Citizen X".
45. Brand of daminozide, a growth regulator: ALAR. It's always clued as "Banned apple spray".
46. Predatory fish: GAR. The needlefish, having long jaws with needlelike teeth.
47. Men's periodical, in British slang: LAD MAG. Have never heard of this slang. Makes sense though.
51. Fixture near a playground, perhaps: PARK BENCH
54. "Yo, Hadrian!": AVE. Latin for "Yo". Hadrian is the Roman emperor from 117 to 138, total stranger to me.
55. Information technology giant: UNISYS
56. Hawk's cause: WAR
58. __ to the city: A KEY. Got the answer from Down entries. Not fond of this partial.
59. Med. checkup initials: LDL. The bad cholesterol.
60. Treasured correspondence: LOVE LETTERS. Ah, my sweet high school days!
63. Hanna-Barbera collectible: CEL
64. Ibsen classic: A DOLL'S HOUSE. Awesome entry.
65. Metal precioso: ORO. Precioso is Spanish for "precious".
66. 1975 Robert Redford title role: WALDO PEPPER. My first encounter with "The Great Waldo Pepper".
Down:
1. Instep coverer, at times: T- STRAP
2. Blooming times: APRILS. Fell into the trap and misread the clue as "Booming times".
3. Show indignation: BRIDLE
4. Time management expert?: LUCE (Henry). The founder of Time magazine. Great clue.
5. Johann __, 16th-century defender of Catholicism: ECK. Simply forgot. He argued against Martin Luther.
6. Film-noir heroes: TECS (Detectives)
7. "By Jove!": EGADS
8. Demand-based, briefly, as charter plane services: NONSKED. Nonscheduled. Got me.
9. Tacit approval: NOD
10. 1975 Elton John chart-topper: ISLAND GIRL. Didn't come to me readily.
11. Runs very slowly: SEEPS
12. Musical that parodies Arthurian legend: SPAMALOT
13. El Capitan's locale: YOSEMITE. Was ignorant of the rock formation El Capitan (The Captain) and its location.
14. One in service to the queen?: DRONE BEE. Was too slow to connect "queen" with "queen bee".
22. Anti-intellectual epithet: EGGHEAD
25. Loved one: IDOL
27. Pops open: UNCORKS. Wine.
28. Printer resolution meas.: DPI (Dots Per Inch)
29. Sunkist offering: ORANGE SODA. I've never developed a taste for soft drinks.
35. Cliff-diving mecca: ACAPULCO. JFK honeymooned here.
36. Holey vessel: COLANDER. I was picturing a leaking ship "vessel" rather than the kitchen utensil.
37. Texas Panhandle city: AMARILLO. Literally "yellow" in Spanish. All of the triple 8s in this corner are one-word entry.
38. Hannity of punditry: SEAN. He drives me nuts.
40. Rustic expanse: LEA
43. Fuse, in a way: ARC WELD. New phrase to me.
48. Reconcile: MAKE UP
49. Disinclined: AVERSE. It needs "with "to"', no?
50. Natural steam source: GEYSER
52. Constitution part, perhaps: BY LAW
53. Fox hunt cry: HALLO
57. Opp. of a petitioner, in court: RESP (Respondent)
58. Perched on: ATOP
61. 3-D stat: VOL (Volume). Why? I don't understand the rationale for this clue.
62. Handy article: THE. Definite article. "Handy" indeed.
Answer grid.
C.C.
