Theme: None
Total words: 72
Total blocks: 34
The themeless design is quite solver-friendly, no grid-spanner or triple/quadruple stacks. The two 10s and six 9s are spread out pretty evenly. All of them lively multi-words:
13A. Positive : ABOVE ZERO. "Positive" temperature-wise.
16A. A great teacher might be one : ROLE MODEL. Most of my teachers were so stern and serious.
52A. In disorder : JUMBLED UP. Quite a scrabbly grid. Only one Q away from a pangram.
55A. Metaphorical victim of an upset : APPLECART. Upset the applecart.
8D. Oscar's covering : GOLD PLATE. The Oscar statuette.
10D. Loses big : TAKES A BATH. Nice fill.
25D. Rolls seen at the beach? : SPARE TIRES. Did not come to me quickly.
31D. Where a small hand might get caught : COOKIE JAR. Sweet clue.
Very few obscure names today. But the overall cluing made this puzzle pretty challenging.
Across:
1. Hawaiian for "strong" : MAHI. I mentioned this on the blog before. Love mahi-mahi. Delicious!
5. In __ : A FOG. I needed a bracketed "befuddled" in the clue.
9. Internet letters : HTTP. "Internet address letters", to be exact.
15. Many are imagined : FEARS. Nailed this one.
17. Libertines : RAKES. Or ROUES.
18. Urban renewal target : EYESORE
19. Proof of ownership? : DNA TEST. Oh, ownership of a baby. Or a crime.
21. Ranch handle : TEX. Cowboy nickname "handle".
22. River through New Mexico : PECOS. No idea. It flows to Rio Grande. What does "Pecos"?
23. Castigates : BASTES. Not familiar with this "baste" meaning, "lambaste", yes.
27. Environmentalist's goal : CLEAN AIR
30. Stock phrase : AT PAR
31. Punched-out pieces : CHADS
32. 'Hood handle : BRO
33. 16-time Gold Glove-winning pitcher Jim : KAAT. Gimme. He's with the Twins for a long time. We also have 36. Commit catcher's interference, e.g. : ERR. Pitcher & Catcher.
34. Layers : COATS. Hens too, lay-ers.
35. Aero-X automaker : SAAB. Drew a blank.
37. Faulkner's "__ for Emily" : A ROSE. What's it about?
38. Old-time soprano Lehmann : LOTTE. Another unknown. She died in 1976. No wonder "Old-time".
39. A lime-flavored version of it came out in 2004 : DIET COKE. Needed crossing help.
41. Acted after a coin toss, maybe : WISHED. Good clue.
42. Stanley of "Julie & Julia" : TUCCI. Loved him in "Big Night".
43. Chocolatier's container : VAT
44. Takeout option : CHINESE. Loved by Jayce. His "Da Fan Tong" (big eater) comment really made me laugh.
46. Style revived in the '60s : ART DECO. Oh, I was not aware of it.
51. 1961 Best Actress : LOREN (Sophia). For "Two Women".
54. Umiak builder : ALEUT. Umiak is literally "women's boat". Kayak = "man's boat".
56. Stinger : WASP
57. Spring (from) : RISE
58. Iowa Straw Poll city : AMES. 4-letter Iowa city is always AMES.
Down:
1. Colt source : MARE. Thought of gun.
2. "About __": Hornby novel : A BOY. Not on my radar. It's made into a movie starring Hugh Grant.
3. Driver's ultimate destination? : HOLE. Question marked "driver" always refers to golf.
4. Noted 19th-century lithographer : IVES. Currier & Ives.
5. São Miguel is the largest of them : AZORES. See this map. Belongs to Portugal.
6. Golf's __ Cup : FEDEX. You wanted RYDER, didn't you?
7. Bauxite, for one : ORE
9. Romano's "Everybody Loves Raymond" co-star : HEATON (Patricia). Here she is. Are those real?
11. Nueve's square root : TRES. Did not know Nueve = 9.
12. Subtle signal : PSST
14. One acting badly? : EMOTER
15. Donnybrook : FRACAS
20. They're not optional : NEEDS. I don't get this clue.
23. Potato choice : BAKED
24. Onetime Coleco competitor : ATARI. Needed crossing help also.
26. One might be dedicated to Mom, briefly : TAT (Tattoo)
27. Go after : CHASE
28. Burning up : IRATE
29. Dressed for court : ROBED. For judges.
34. Holey footwear : CROCS
35. One might be picked up in a storm : SOS. Should have nailed it.
37. Stress : ACCENT
38. Slightly : LITTLE
40. Mechanic's offer : TUNEUP
41. Bird's song : WARBLE
43. Sirens : VAMPS
44. Scratch : CLAW. What's the first word that came to your mind?
45. Chihuahua howdy : HOLA. Chickie's hallmark greeting.
47. Pod opening? : DECA. Prefix for "ten". Decapod (literally "ten footed) has 10 legs. Got me.
48. Dutch export : EDAM
49. Salt, perhaps : CURE. I suppose you can clue it "Smoke, perhaps" also.
50. Gets off the fence : OPTS
53. Gp. co-founded by publisher E.W. Scripps : UPI. Not in my knowledge zone. Makes sense though.
Answer grid.
C.C.
Total words: 72
Total blocks: 34
The themeless design is quite solver-friendly, no grid-spanner or triple/quadruple stacks. The two 10s and six 9s are spread out pretty evenly. All of them lively multi-words:
13A. Positive : ABOVE ZERO. "Positive" temperature-wise.
16A. A great teacher might be one : ROLE MODEL. Most of my teachers were so stern and serious.
52A. In disorder : JUMBLED UP. Quite a scrabbly grid. Only one Q away from a pangram.
55A. Metaphorical victim of an upset : APPLECART. Upset the applecart.
8D. Oscar's covering : GOLD PLATE. The Oscar statuette.
10D. Loses big : TAKES A BATH. Nice fill.
25D. Rolls seen at the beach? : SPARE TIRES. Did not come to me quickly.
31D. Where a small hand might get caught : COOKIE JAR. Sweet clue.
Very few obscure names today. But the overall cluing made this puzzle pretty challenging.
Across:
1. Hawaiian for "strong" : MAHI. I mentioned this on the blog before. Love mahi-mahi. Delicious!
5. In __ : A FOG. I needed a bracketed "befuddled" in the clue.
9. Internet letters : HTTP. "Internet address letters", to be exact.
15. Many are imagined : FEARS. Nailed this one.
17. Libertines : RAKES. Or ROUES.
18. Urban renewal target : EYESORE
19. Proof of ownership? : DNA TEST. Oh, ownership of a baby. Or a crime.
21. Ranch handle : TEX. Cowboy nickname "handle".
22. River through New Mexico : PECOS. No idea. It flows to Rio Grande. What does "Pecos"?
23. Castigates : BASTES. Not familiar with this "baste" meaning, "lambaste", yes.
27. Environmentalist's goal : CLEAN AIR
30. Stock phrase : AT PAR
31. Punched-out pieces : CHADS
32. 'Hood handle : BRO
33. 16-time Gold Glove-winning pitcher Jim : KAAT. Gimme. He's with the Twins for a long time. We also have 36. Commit catcher's interference, e.g. : ERR. Pitcher & Catcher.
34. Layers : COATS. Hens too, lay-ers.
35. Aero-X automaker : SAAB. Drew a blank.
37. Faulkner's "__ for Emily" : A ROSE. What's it about?
38. Old-time soprano Lehmann : LOTTE. Another unknown. She died in 1976. No wonder "Old-time".
39. A lime-flavored version of it came out in 2004 : DIET COKE. Needed crossing help.
41. Acted after a coin toss, maybe : WISHED. Good clue.
42. Stanley of "Julie & Julia" : TUCCI. Loved him in "Big Night".
43. Chocolatier's container : VAT
44. Takeout option : CHINESE. Loved by Jayce. His "Da Fan Tong" (big eater) comment really made me laugh.
46. Style revived in the '60s : ART DECO. Oh, I was not aware of it.
51. 1961 Best Actress : LOREN (Sophia). For "Two Women".
54. Umiak builder : ALEUT. Umiak is literally "women's boat". Kayak = "man's boat".
56. Stinger : WASP
57. Spring (from) : RISE
58. Iowa Straw Poll city : AMES. 4-letter Iowa city is always AMES.
Down:
1. Colt source : MARE. Thought of gun.
2. "About __": Hornby novel : A BOY. Not on my radar. It's made into a movie starring Hugh Grant.
3. Driver's ultimate destination? : HOLE. Question marked "driver" always refers to golf.
4. Noted 19th-century lithographer : IVES. Currier & Ives.
5. São Miguel is the largest of them : AZORES. See this map. Belongs to Portugal.
6. Golf's __ Cup : FEDEX. You wanted RYDER, didn't you?
7. Bauxite, for one : ORE
9. Romano's "Everybody Loves Raymond" co-star : HEATON (Patricia). Here she is. Are those real?
11. Nueve's square root : TRES. Did not know Nueve = 9.
12. Subtle signal : PSST
14. One acting badly? : EMOTER
15. Donnybrook : FRACAS
20. They're not optional : NEEDS. I don't get this clue.
23. Potato choice : BAKED
24. Onetime Coleco competitor : ATARI. Needed crossing help also.
26. One might be dedicated to Mom, briefly : TAT (Tattoo)
27. Go after : CHASE
28. Burning up : IRATE
29. Dressed for court : ROBED. For judges.
34. Holey footwear : CROCS
35. One might be picked up in a storm : SOS. Should have nailed it.
37. Stress : ACCENT
38. Slightly : LITTLE
40. Mechanic's offer : TUNEUP
41. Bird's song : WARBLE
43. Sirens : VAMPS
44. Scratch : CLAW. What's the first word that came to your mind?
45. Chihuahua howdy : HOLA. Chickie's hallmark greeting.
47. Pod opening? : DECA. Prefix for "ten". Decapod (literally "ten footed) has 10 legs. Got me.
48. Dutch export : EDAM
49. Salt, perhaps : CURE. I suppose you can clue it "Smoke, perhaps" also.
50. Gets off the fence : OPTS
53. Gp. co-founded by publisher E.W. Scripps : UPI. Not in my knowledge zone. Makes sense though.
Answer grid.
C.C.
