Theme: None
Total words: 72. Total blocks: 32
Avg Word Len: 5.36. Missing: J Q X Z
This puzzle is anchored by triple stacks of 10s in each quadrant of the grid. All multi-words:
1A. Parts counterparts : LABOR COSTS. Car repairs.
15A. Lemon source : USED CAR LOT. Was thinking of the fruit.
17A. One lacking bias : RADIAL TIRE. Of course political "bias" came to mind. Not tire. I like how the 3 car references piled on top of one another. We also have FIN (22A. Old El Dorado feature). Would be a perfect puzzle for car nuts Argyle to blog.
58A. Holiday bloom : EASTER LILY. Nice full answer.
61A. Minor considerations? : LITTLE ONES. Great clue.
63A. Poky activity happens at it : SNAIL'S PACE. Tricky "it".
12D. Conscience : MORAL SENSE. Dennis has some, mostly just MOREL sense.
13D. Ann Landers or Abigail Van Buren : TWIN SISTER
14D. Legendary swimmer : SEA SERPENT. Mythical.
25D. Show compassion : HAVE A HEART
26D. Challenging area at Augusta National, as it's facetiously called : AMEN CORNER. Nailed it. Refers to holes No. 11, 12 & 13. We also have PARS (33D. Links numbers). Augusta National is par 72.
27D. In direct confrontation : NOSE TO NOSE
Multi-words are sure zippier than single long words. Not necessarily easier to ferret out though. Misleading clues abound today. Harvey's wit and humor are in full play.
FYI, Nancy Salomon told me a few weeks ago that it is Harvey who originated the phrase Utah Formation, referring those 5 black square clusters in the grid edges. Don "Hard G" Gagliardo calls the shape Idaho Potato. So evocative.
Across:
11. Vital team members : EMTS. Vital organs. The clue needs an abbr. hint.
16. Actor who turned down the role of Dr. Shepherd on "Grey's Anatomy" : LOWE. Rob Lowe I gather.
18. Spotlit opera event : ARIA
19. Joint with a cap : KNEE. Saw this clue before. Still like it.
20. Stumper's concern : VOTER. Was thinking of "puzzle" stumper, not one who makes stump speech.
21. Summer goals for some : TANS
23. Unspoken part of the Godfather's "offers"? : OR ELSE. Couldn't keep "make him an offer he can't refuse" out of my mind.
25. "One sec ..." : HANG ON
29. Neil Young song about Kent State : OHIO
31. Mister : SIR
32. Le Pew's pursuit : AMOUR
33. High fashion label : PRADA. Loved "The Devil Wears Prada".
34. Super vision? : ESP. Nice clue.
35. Endows, as with power : VESTS
36. Kleptomaniac film monkey : ABU. No idea. The monkey in Disney's "Aladdin". Kleptomaniac is one who is addicted to stealing.
37. 14th-century Florentine exile : DANTE. Oh, I thought he lived in a much earlier period.
39. Hydrocarbon ending : ENE
40. Fourth in a series : APRIL. No problem!
42. "Hedda Gabler" playwright : IBSEN (Henrik)
43. Undertaking : ACT
44. Closing : LAST
45. Common chuckwalla habitat : DESERT. Looks ugly.
46. They may be shod : HOOVES. Good clue.
48. The boss usually doesn't want to hear them : NOS. Do you say "No" to your boss?
49. Bald eagle cousin : ERNE
50. Curly hair, say : TRAIT. Mine is straight.
53. Quarter of a yard : SPAN. Was calculating in paper and got 9 inches.
57. Quotation abbr. : ANON
60. Kick back : REST
62. Extremely, in Amiens : TRES. Don't know where Amiens is. Somewhere in France I suppose.
Down:
1. Lie low : LURK
2. Simile center : AS AN. Wise as an owl.
3. Only native Englishman ever named Doctor of the Church by a pope : BEDE. Stumped. Wikipedia says he's often referred to as Saint Bede or the Venerable Bede.
4. Comic strip dog : ODIE. Also CALVIN (6. Comics character who said "Some days even my lucky rocketship underpants don't help"). From "Calvin and Hobbes". Got me.
5. 1986 GE takeover : RCA. New trivia to me.
7. "Entertaining Mr. Sloane" dramatist : ORTON (Joe). Not familiar with the drama or the author.
8. Fine cut : SLIT. Was picturing meat. Lovely clue.
9. Zipped : TORE
10. Olympics no-no : STEROID
11. Send : ELATE. "Darling, you send me..."
22. On the block : FOR SALE
24. Rock crew : ROADIES. Rock band.
28. __ feeling : GUT
29. Shuttle path : ORBIT. Hey, Husker Gary!
30. Arrest, with "in" : HAUL
38. Tchr.'s notation : ABS. Absent, right? I've never attended school here. Don't know the notation abbrs. Rich prepared us for Tchr = Teacher earlier.
41. Some Cassatt works : PASTELS. Sweet fill for Clear Ayes.
45. "No kidding!" : DO TELL
47. Lets off steam : VENTS
48. Capone associate : NITTI (Frank). Uh uh, don't recall his name. "The Untouchables" is quite good.
51. Shower : RAIN."Showers, e.g." would be a better clue. Yes?
52. Hollywood canine : ASTA
53. Pen repast : SLOP. Oink, oink, soupy & tasty!
54. Cóctel fruit : PINA. Cóctel is Spanish for "cocktail".
55. Novelist Waugh : ALEC
56. Place to find IBM : NYSE. My favorite clue today. IBM the company, not the product.
59. Scale tones : RES
Answer grid.
C.C.
Total words: 72. Total blocks: 32
Avg Word Len: 5.36. Missing: J Q X Z
This puzzle is anchored by triple stacks of 10s in each quadrant of the grid. All multi-words:
1A. Parts counterparts : LABOR COSTS. Car repairs.
15A. Lemon source : USED CAR LOT. Was thinking of the fruit.
17A. One lacking bias : RADIAL TIRE. Of course political "bias" came to mind. Not tire. I like how the 3 car references piled on top of one another. We also have FIN (22A. Old El Dorado feature). Would be a perfect puzzle for car nuts Argyle to blog.
58A. Holiday bloom : EASTER LILY. Nice full answer.
61A. Minor considerations? : LITTLE ONES. Great clue.
63A. Poky activity happens at it : SNAIL'S PACE. Tricky "it".
12D. Conscience : MORAL SENSE. Dennis has some, mostly just MOREL sense.
13D. Ann Landers or Abigail Van Buren : TWIN SISTER
14D. Legendary swimmer : SEA SERPENT. Mythical.
25D. Show compassion : HAVE A HEART
26D. Challenging area at Augusta National, as it's facetiously called : AMEN CORNER. Nailed it. Refers to holes No. 11, 12 & 13. We also have PARS (33D. Links numbers). Augusta National is par 72.
27D. In direct confrontation : NOSE TO NOSE
Multi-words are sure zippier than single long words. Not necessarily easier to ferret out though. Misleading clues abound today. Harvey's wit and humor are in full play.
FYI, Nancy Salomon told me a few weeks ago that it is Harvey who originated the phrase Utah Formation, referring those 5 black square clusters in the grid edges. Don "Hard G" Gagliardo calls the shape Idaho Potato. So evocative.
Across:
11. Vital team members : EMTS. Vital organs. The clue needs an abbr. hint.
16. Actor who turned down the role of Dr. Shepherd on "Grey's Anatomy" : LOWE. Rob Lowe I gather.
18. Spotlit opera event : ARIA
19. Joint with a cap : KNEE. Saw this clue before. Still like it.
20. Stumper's concern : VOTER. Was thinking of "puzzle" stumper, not one who makes stump speech.
21. Summer goals for some : TANS
23. Unspoken part of the Godfather's "offers"? : OR ELSE. Couldn't keep "make him an offer he can't refuse" out of my mind.
25. "One sec ..." : HANG ON
29. Neil Young song about Kent State : OHIO
31. Mister : SIR
32. Le Pew's pursuit : AMOUR
33. High fashion label : PRADA. Loved "The Devil Wears Prada".
34. Super vision? : ESP. Nice clue.
35. Endows, as with power : VESTS
36. Kleptomaniac film monkey : ABU. No idea. The monkey in Disney's "Aladdin". Kleptomaniac is one who is addicted to stealing.
37. 14th-century Florentine exile : DANTE. Oh, I thought he lived in a much earlier period.
39. Hydrocarbon ending : ENE
40. Fourth in a series : APRIL. No problem!
42. "Hedda Gabler" playwright : IBSEN (Henrik)
43. Undertaking : ACT
44. Closing : LAST
45. Common chuckwalla habitat : DESERT. Looks ugly.
46. They may be shod : HOOVES. Good clue.
48. The boss usually doesn't want to hear them : NOS. Do you say "No" to your boss?
49. Bald eagle cousin : ERNE
50. Curly hair, say : TRAIT. Mine is straight.
53. Quarter of a yard : SPAN. Was calculating in paper and got 9 inches.
57. Quotation abbr. : ANON
60. Kick back : REST
62. Extremely, in Amiens : TRES. Don't know where Amiens is. Somewhere in France I suppose.
Down:
1. Lie low : LURK
2. Simile center : AS AN. Wise as an owl.
3. Only native Englishman ever named Doctor of the Church by a pope : BEDE. Stumped. Wikipedia says he's often referred to as Saint Bede or the Venerable Bede.
4. Comic strip dog : ODIE. Also CALVIN (6. Comics character who said "Some days even my lucky rocketship underpants don't help"). From "Calvin and Hobbes". Got me.
5. 1986 GE takeover : RCA. New trivia to me.
7. "Entertaining Mr. Sloane" dramatist : ORTON (Joe). Not familiar with the drama or the author.
8. Fine cut : SLIT. Was picturing meat. Lovely clue.
9. Zipped : TORE
10. Olympics no-no : STEROID
11. Send : ELATE. "Darling, you send me..."
22. On the block : FOR SALE
24. Rock crew : ROADIES. Rock band.
28. __ feeling : GUT
29. Shuttle path : ORBIT. Hey, Husker Gary!
30. Arrest, with "in" : HAUL
38. Tchr.'s notation : ABS. Absent, right? I've never attended school here. Don't know the notation abbrs. Rich prepared us for Tchr = Teacher earlier.
41. Some Cassatt works : PASTELS. Sweet fill for Clear Ayes.
45. "No kidding!" : DO TELL
47. Lets off steam : VENTS
48. Capone associate : NITTI (Frank). Uh uh, don't recall his name. "The Untouchables" is quite good.
51. Shower : RAIN."Showers, e.g." would be a better clue. Yes?
52. Hollywood canine : ASTA
53. Pen repast : SLOP. Oink, oink, soupy & tasty!
54. Cóctel fruit : PINA. Cóctel is Spanish for "cocktail".
55. Novelist Waugh : ALEC
56. Place to find IBM : NYSE. My favorite clue today. IBM the company, not the product.
59. Scale tones : RES
Answer grid.
C.C.
