Theme: None
Total words: 72
Total blocks: 28
Quite low black square count. One letter V away from being a pangram.
Barry framed this puzzle with 12 ten-letter entries, triple-stacked in each quadrant:
5A. Younger partner : JESSE JAMES. The Younger brothers. Four Js in the grid, two in this fill alone.
16A. Field for bug bugs : ENTOMOLOGY. I used to confuse it with etymology.
18A. They need to be transcribed : STENO NOTES
58A. Networking asset : SHARED FILE. Gorgeous entry.
62A. Scotch part? : PINE NEEDLE. Not familiar with Scotch Pine.
64A. Agent's accounts : SPY STORIES
1D. Southwestern national park, or the primary plant that grows there : JOSHUA TREE. This is a theme answer in Jerome's tease puzzle, with JOSH embedded in front.
2D. Apparent : OSTENSIBLE
3D. Strength-training exercises : ISOMETRICS. No idea. It strengthens an isolated area?
30D. Three-time U.S. Open champ : TIGER WOODS. Nailed it.
31D. He played Max Bialystock in "The Producers" : ZERO MOSTEL. Nailed it as well, since I got the crossing TZU easily.
32D. Act diplomatically : USE FINESSE.
A typical Silk puzzle. Long & scrabbly answers. Several baseball references as well, including his home team.
Across:
1. Bring together : JOIN
15. Bone, to Benito : OSSO. Osso Buco = Bone with a hole.
17. USAF plane for limited runways : STOL (Short Takeoff and Landing). Drew blank again, Dudley!
19. Surgical instrument that stops bleeding : HEMOSTAT. Hemo is prefix for "blood".
21. Ice cream choice : QUART. Was thinking of flavor.
22. A, in Arles : UNE
23. Crime show in its 11th season : CSI. "Crime" hint was a big help.
24. Modem speed unit : BAUD. Kept reading "Modern speed unit".
26. "Per ardua ad __": RAF motto : ASTRA. Literally "Through Adversity to the Stars".
28. Pope before Paul V : LEO XI. Educated guess.
30. Lao-__ : TZU. It's Lao-Zi in Mandarin Chinese. Literally "Old Master".
33. Bitter outburst : TIRADE
35. 2008 World Series champs : PHILLIES. Barry made a tribute puzzle to celebrate the win.
37. Baseball stats : RBIS
38. Small opening? : MICRO. As in microscope.
40. Fiend : OGRE
41. Stiff's nickname : EL CHEAPO. I was picturing a priggish old woman.
43. Formed from : MADE OF
45. Some MIT grads : EES
46. Screams : RIOTS
48. Manhattan Project notable : FERMI (Enrico). 1938 Nobel Winner in Physics.
49. Forward : BOLD
50. Result in a roped-off area, briefly : TKO. Boxing.
52. Earned : WON. Oh, as in earned/won the trust.
53. Equally hot : AS MAD. I had different "hot" in mind.
56. Cobra-killing carnivore : MONGOOSE. Was ignorant that it feeds on cobra.
61. Scribbles : JOTS
63. Sidewalk sale items : ADES
65. Bikini component : ISLE. No bra. Just Bikini Atoll.
Down:
4. Court plea, briefly : NOLO. Nolo contendere.
5. Kids : JESTS
6. Necessitate : ENTAIL
7. Proof mark : STET. "Ignore the change" mark.
8. Didactic term of address : SON. Nice clue.
9. Expressive rock genre : EMO. Three letter rock genre has to be EMO. Dark stuff.
10. Flower in the amaryllis family : JONQUIL. No idea. See here. Dictionary says it's rooted in Latin juncus, meaning "rush".
11. Voiced : ALOUD
12. Manny with 150 career pinch hits : MOTA. Totally unknown. See this photo. #11. Dodgers. Did you get it immediately, Bill?
13. Hungarian wine region : EGER. Well, maybe Jazzbumpa knows.
14. Part of SSS: Abbr. : SYST
20. Large number : SCAD. And 55. Myriad : MANY.
24. Quantum physics pioneer : BOHR (Niels). Nobel Physics 1922.
25. Accepted principle : AXIOM
27. Impetuous : RASH
29. Disney acronym : EPCOT
34. Spam, at times : EMAIL
36. Rich supply : LODE
39. 2001 high-tech debut : IPOD. That early?
42. Like wind and surf : ERODENT
44. Clueless, after "in" : A FOG
47. 1966 U.S. Open champ Fred : STOLLE. Tennis. I drew a blank. Just knew it's can't be Couples. Fred Couples has never own US Open.
49. Discloses : BARES
51. Places for pads : KNEES. And MIDI (56. It covers the 51-Down). Did you want PADS?
53. Ancient royal symbols : ASPS. Ancient Egypt.
54. Crow's-nest sighting : SHIP
57. Resort NNE of Ventura : OJAI. Man, this has become a popular city in Xword.
59. __ gratias : DEO. "Thanks be to God".
60. French iron : FER. No idea. Fer-de-lance = Iron of the lance. Strange name for a snake.
Answer grid.
C.C.
Total words: 72
Total blocks: 28
Quite low black square count. One letter V away from being a pangram.
Barry framed this puzzle with 12 ten-letter entries, triple-stacked in each quadrant:
5A. Younger partner : JESSE JAMES. The Younger brothers. Four Js in the grid, two in this fill alone.
16A. Field for bug bugs : ENTOMOLOGY. I used to confuse it with etymology.
18A. They need to be transcribed : STENO NOTES
58A. Networking asset : SHARED FILE. Gorgeous entry.
62A. Scotch part? : PINE NEEDLE. Not familiar with Scotch Pine.
64A. Agent's accounts : SPY STORIES
1D. Southwestern national park, or the primary plant that grows there : JOSHUA TREE. This is a theme answer in Jerome's tease puzzle, with JOSH embedded in front.
2D. Apparent : OSTENSIBLE
3D. Strength-training exercises : ISOMETRICS. No idea. It strengthens an isolated area?
30D. Three-time U.S. Open champ : TIGER WOODS. Nailed it.
31D. He played Max Bialystock in "The Producers" : ZERO MOSTEL. Nailed it as well, since I got the crossing TZU easily.
32D. Act diplomatically : USE FINESSE.
A typical Silk puzzle. Long & scrabbly answers. Several baseball references as well, including his home team.
Across:
1. Bring together : JOIN
15. Bone, to Benito : OSSO. Osso Buco = Bone with a hole.
17. USAF plane for limited runways : STOL (Short Takeoff and Landing). Drew blank again, Dudley!
19. Surgical instrument that stops bleeding : HEMOSTAT. Hemo is prefix for "blood".
21. Ice cream choice : QUART. Was thinking of flavor.
22. A, in Arles : UNE
23. Crime show in its 11th season : CSI. "Crime" hint was a big help.
24. Modem speed unit : BAUD. Kept reading "Modern speed unit".
26. "Per ardua ad __": RAF motto : ASTRA. Literally "Through Adversity to the Stars".
28. Pope before Paul V : LEO XI. Educated guess.
30. Lao-__ : TZU. It's Lao-Zi in Mandarin Chinese. Literally "Old Master".
33. Bitter outburst : TIRADE
35. 2008 World Series champs : PHILLIES. Barry made a tribute puzzle to celebrate the win.
37. Baseball stats : RBIS
38. Small opening? : MICRO. As in microscope.
40. Fiend : OGRE
41. Stiff's nickname : EL CHEAPO. I was picturing a priggish old woman.
43. Formed from : MADE OF
45. Some MIT grads : EES
46. Screams : RIOTS
48. Manhattan Project notable : FERMI (Enrico). 1938 Nobel Winner in Physics.
49. Forward : BOLD
50. Result in a roped-off area, briefly : TKO. Boxing.
52. Earned : WON. Oh, as in earned/won the trust.
53. Equally hot : AS MAD. I had different "hot" in mind.
56. Cobra-killing carnivore : MONGOOSE. Was ignorant that it feeds on cobra.
61. Scribbles : JOTS
63. Sidewalk sale items : ADES
65. Bikini component : ISLE. No bra. Just Bikini Atoll.
Down:
4. Court plea, briefly : NOLO. Nolo contendere.
5. Kids : JESTS
6. Necessitate : ENTAIL
7. Proof mark : STET. "Ignore the change" mark.
8. Didactic term of address : SON. Nice clue.
9. Expressive rock genre : EMO. Three letter rock genre has to be EMO. Dark stuff.
10. Flower in the amaryllis family : JONQUIL. No idea. See here. Dictionary says it's rooted in Latin juncus, meaning "rush".
11. Voiced : ALOUD
12. Manny with 150 career pinch hits : MOTA. Totally unknown. See this photo. #11. Dodgers. Did you get it immediately, Bill?
13. Hungarian wine region : EGER. Well, maybe Jazzbumpa knows.
14. Part of SSS: Abbr. : SYST
20. Large number : SCAD. And 55. Myriad : MANY.
24. Quantum physics pioneer : BOHR (Niels). Nobel Physics 1922.
25. Accepted principle : AXIOM
27. Impetuous : RASH
29. Disney acronym : EPCOT
34. Spam, at times : EMAIL
36. Rich supply : LODE
39. 2001 high-tech debut : IPOD. That early?
42. Like wind and surf : ERODENT
44. Clueless, after "in" : A FOG
47. 1966 U.S. Open champ Fred : STOLLE. Tennis. I drew a blank. Just knew it's can't be Couples. Fred Couples has never own US Open.
49. Discloses : BARES
51. Places for pads : KNEES. And MIDI (56. It covers the 51-Down). Did you want PADS?
53. Ancient royal symbols : ASPS. Ancient Egypt.
54. Crow's-nest sighting : SHIP
57. Resort NNE of Ventura : OJAI. Man, this has become a popular city in Xword.
59. __ gratias : DEO. "Thanks be to God".
60. French iron : FER. No idea. Fer-de-lance = Iron of the lance. Strange name for a snake.
Answer grid.
C.C.
