Theme: None
Total words: 70
Total blocks: 32
Barry placed one grid-spanner flanked by two 14s in the middle of his grid, the first two are making their major newspaper debut today:
30A. Dangerous inner city area : CONCRETE JUNGLE. Learning moment for me.
36A. Munsee-speaking people : DELAWARE INDIANS. I suspect this is Barry's seed entry.
38A. Subject of Michael Crichton's "Prey" : NANO TECHNOLOGY. Great answer.
As usual, some nice cross-references in Barry's themeless:
41A. 1-Down attendees: Abbr. : SRS. And PROM (1D. Event for 41-Across).
11D. Eastern leader since 1994 : KIM JONG-IL. Bad person. Good answer. Kim = Gold. Jong = Straight. Il = Sun. Il, with a different character, but same pronunciation, can also mean the F word.
44D. North __, 11-Down's country : KOREA
Quite a Scrabbly puzzle, two Js, one Z/X, only one Q away from being a pangram.
Across:
1. Psychiatrist's recommendation : PROZAC. So is Zoloft.
7. "Spanish Harlem" singer : BEN E. KING. Unknown to me. Here is the clip.
15. NFL team named for a Poe poem : RAVENS. Baltimore Ravens. Their mascot is named Poe. Very cool.
16. Male models, often : ADONISES
17. Dalí had a pet one : OCELOT. Unaware of the trivia.
18. Sitcom with a robot named Hymie : GET SMART. Only saw the silly film starring Steve Carell/Anne Hathaway.
19. Reason for an award : MERIT
20. TV host with a substantial car collection : LENO (Jay)
21. Morning choice : JAVA. Not mine.
22. Halloween sightings? : GHOULS
24. __ face : POKER
25. Music-licensing org. : BMI (Broadcast Music, Inc)
28. New York and Chicago have the oldest ones in the Americas : ELS
29. Circulation aid : FAN
39. "The Chronic" Dr. : DRE. The rapper. Was ignorant of the album. Great clue then.
40. Gas: Pref. : AER. Gas? I thought it's a prefix for "air", as in aerate.
42. Polyester used in casting : ALKYD. Both the clue & answer mean nothing to me.
45. Topsy-turvy state : BEDLAM
48. Inventor who received a lifetime achievement Grammy in 1970 : MOOG (Robert). Synthesizer inventor.
49. Tarot suit : CUPS. Stumped. Know nothing about tarot.
50. Old Asian title : SAHIB. Literally "master," used in Colonial India.
54. Gall : IRRITATE
56. Scour, e.g. : ABRADE
57. Weaken : ENERVATE
58. Easy to handle : DOCILE. Apropos of nothing, I just read it somewhere that women prefer to date men who have dumped their partner before, while men prefer the dumpee because they are afraid of being dumped next. True?
59. Great Lakes routes : SEA LANES.
60. O, in many cases : OXYGEN. Was thinking of Oprah's O.
Down:
2. Tear : RACE
3. Through : OVER
4. Woody Allen film : ZELIG. The 1983 mockumentary.
5. Synonymous with, with "for" : ANOTHER WORD. Didn't come to me immediately.
6. Gary hrs. : CST. Gary, Indiana. I wonder what our Husker Gary was thinking.
7. Follower of everything? : BAGEL. Is "Everything bagel" a NY thing? I've never heard of it before.
8. Perfect places : EDENS
9. Say __: refuse : NO TO
10. Cincinnati trio? : ENS. The trio in the word Cincinnati.
12. "Wicked Game" singer Chris : ISAAK. Faintly rang a bell. Here is the song.
13. Courage : NERVE
14. The sun is one : G-STAR. Bill G linked this terrific comparison chart last time.
20. Brilliance, in Bristol : LUSTRE. Bristol, England. Hence the RE ending.
23. Fatty acid ester : OLEATE. Learned from doing Xword.
24. Repository of Greek mythology : PANDORA'S BOX. Great entry.
25. Alphabet trio : BCD
26. Big name in faucets : MOEN
27. At Dodger Stadium, briefly : IN LA
29. Pouring aid : FUNNEL
31. She "sets my heart awhirl," in a 4 Seasons hit : CANDY GIRL. Do you like the song?
32. Continental trade gp. : EEC (European Economic Community).
33. Holy wars : JIHADS. Literally.
34. Vientiane's land : LAOS
35. Caltech grad's occ., often : ENGR
37. Part of MS-DOS: Abbr. : SYS
42. Nice friends : AMIES. Nice the city in France.
43. Greene of "Bonanza" : LORNE
45. Mesa's cousin : BUTTE
46. Cousins of foils : EPEES
47. Mount __, New York's highest peak : MARCY. No idea, Argyle!
49. "Brian's Song" Emmy nominee : CAAN (James). Dennis the Dummy liked the movie, if I remember correctly. About Brian Piccolo. Quite sad.
51. Reagan secretary of state : HAIG (Alexander). "I'm in control here".
52. Not engaged : IDLE
53. "It's __ too long" : BEEN
55. Knoxville-based agcy. : TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority)
56. Bother : ADO
Answer grid.
C.C.
Total words: 70
Total blocks: 32
Barry placed one grid-spanner flanked by two 14s in the middle of his grid, the first two are making their major newspaper debut today:
30A. Dangerous inner city area : CONCRETE JUNGLE. Learning moment for me.
36A. Munsee-speaking people : DELAWARE INDIANS. I suspect this is Barry's seed entry.
38A. Subject of Michael Crichton's "Prey" : NANO TECHNOLOGY. Great answer.
As usual, some nice cross-references in Barry's themeless:
41A. 1-Down attendees: Abbr. : SRS. And PROM (1D. Event for 41-Across).
11D. Eastern leader since 1994 : KIM JONG-IL. Bad person. Good answer. Kim = Gold. Jong = Straight. Il = Sun. Il, with a different character, but same pronunciation, can also mean the F word.
44D. North __, 11-Down's country : KOREA
Quite a Scrabbly puzzle, two Js, one Z/X, only one Q away from being a pangram.
Across:
1. Psychiatrist's recommendation : PROZAC. So is Zoloft.
7. "Spanish Harlem" singer : BEN E. KING. Unknown to me. Here is the clip.
15. NFL team named for a Poe poem : RAVENS. Baltimore Ravens. Their mascot is named Poe. Very cool.
16. Male models, often : ADONISES
17. Dalí had a pet one : OCELOT. Unaware of the trivia.
18. Sitcom with a robot named Hymie : GET SMART. Only saw the silly film starring Steve Carell/Anne Hathaway.
19. Reason for an award : MERIT
20. TV host with a substantial car collection : LENO (Jay)
21. Morning choice : JAVA. Not mine.
22. Halloween sightings? : GHOULS
24. __ face : POKER
25. Music-licensing org. : BMI (Broadcast Music, Inc)
28. New York and Chicago have the oldest ones in the Americas : ELS
29. Circulation aid : FAN
39. "The Chronic" Dr. : DRE. The rapper. Was ignorant of the album. Great clue then.
40. Gas: Pref. : AER. Gas? I thought it's a prefix for "air", as in aerate.
42. Polyester used in casting : ALKYD. Both the clue & answer mean nothing to me.
45. Topsy-turvy state : BEDLAM
48. Inventor who received a lifetime achievement Grammy in 1970 : MOOG (Robert). Synthesizer inventor.
49. Tarot suit : CUPS. Stumped. Know nothing about tarot.
50. Old Asian title : SAHIB. Literally "master," used in Colonial India.
54. Gall : IRRITATE
56. Scour, e.g. : ABRADE
57. Weaken : ENERVATE
58. Easy to handle : DOCILE. Apropos of nothing, I just read it somewhere that women prefer to date men who have dumped their partner before, while men prefer the dumpee because they are afraid of being dumped next. True?
59. Great Lakes routes : SEA LANES.
60. O, in many cases : OXYGEN. Was thinking of Oprah's O.
Down:
2. Tear : RACE
3. Through : OVER
4. Woody Allen film : ZELIG. The 1983 mockumentary.
5. Synonymous with, with "for" : ANOTHER WORD. Didn't come to me immediately.
6. Gary hrs. : CST. Gary, Indiana. I wonder what our Husker Gary was thinking.
7. Follower of everything? : BAGEL. Is "Everything bagel" a NY thing? I've never heard of it before.
8. Perfect places : EDENS
9. Say __: refuse : NO TO
10. Cincinnati trio? : ENS. The trio in the word Cincinnati.
12. "Wicked Game" singer Chris : ISAAK. Faintly rang a bell. Here is the song.
13. Courage : NERVE
14. The sun is one : G-STAR. Bill G linked this terrific comparison chart last time.
20. Brilliance, in Bristol : LUSTRE. Bristol, England. Hence the RE ending.
23. Fatty acid ester : OLEATE. Learned from doing Xword.
24. Repository of Greek mythology : PANDORA'S BOX. Great entry.
25. Alphabet trio : BCD
26. Big name in faucets : MOEN
27. At Dodger Stadium, briefly : IN LA
29. Pouring aid : FUNNEL
31. She "sets my heart awhirl," in a 4 Seasons hit : CANDY GIRL. Do you like the song?
32. Continental trade gp. : EEC (European Economic Community).
33. Holy wars : JIHADS. Literally.
34. Vientiane's land : LAOS
35. Caltech grad's occ., often : ENGR
37. Part of MS-DOS: Abbr. : SYS
42. Nice friends : AMIES. Nice the city in France.
43. Greene of "Bonanza" : LORNE
45. Mesa's cousin : BUTTE
46. Cousins of foils : EPEES
47. Mount __, New York's highest peak : MARCY. No idea, Argyle!
49. "Brian's Song" Emmy nominee : CAAN (James). Dennis the Dummy liked the movie, if I remember correctly. About Brian Piccolo. Quite sad.
51. Reagan secretary of state : HAIG (Alexander). "I'm in control here".
52. Not engaged : IDLE
53. "It's __ too long" : BEEN
55. Knoxville-based agcy. : TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority)
56. Bother : ADO
Answer grid.
C.C.
