Theme: None
Total words: 68
Total blocks: 27
Barry frames this themeless with eight 9s, six of which are stacked in the upper left & lower right, crossed by another triple columns of Down 8s.
Let's look at his marquee answers:
1A. Breakfast-on-the-run choice for some : COLD PIZZA. Has to be his seed entry. Fantastic answer. Two Zs in action.
15A. Work on a table : OPERATION. For doctors/nurses.
17A. Driven to have : DEAD SET ON
53A. Sitcom array : ONE LINERS. Or Jazzbumpa's blog array. Full of zingers.
57A. Boarded en masse : PILED INTO
59A. Up-and-down time? : SKI SEASON. Tricky clue: "Up-and-down". Maybe HeartRx/Gunghy nailed it.
11D. Album before "Help!" : BEATLES VI. Got via crosses.
30D. Strawberry dessert : SHORTCAKE. Sweet!
How long do you normally spend on a Saturday puzzle? I always punt after 30 minutes. Forgive me, Father, for I always cheat!
Across:
10. Put to shame : ABASH. See this word in "unabashed" form more often.
16. Martinique volcano : PELEE.Not familiar with Mount Pelée. Wikipedia says it's French for "Bald Mountain".
18. Not as bright : PALER. We also have 36D. Having a better chance of recognizing : NEARER TO. Two ER adjective suffixes in this grid.
19. Structural opening? : INFRA. Only know the noun infrastructure.
20. When parents may need to call their kids : MEAL TIME
22. Four-time Daytona 500 champ Yarborough : CALE. Tell us more about him, eddyB!
23. Resident on the Arno : PISAN. We often see ARNO clued as "Pisa's river" or "Florence's river".
25. Sediment : LEES
26. Hot feeling : IRE
27. Corporeal : BODILY
28. Fluid dynamics phenomenon : EDDY. Hey, another shout-out to eddyB. Can't believe your Eros & Eons mix-up on Thursday.
29. Makes privy to : LETS IN ON
31. Arcade game nos. : PTS (Points)
33. Parades : SASHAYS. Lucina has not used this word for some time.
34. Croat's neighbor : SLOVENE. Of Slovenia.
38. München-to-Wien heading : OST. German for "east". München = Munich. Wien= Vienna. I drew a blank.
39. Designer of Dulles Airport's main terminal : SAARINEN (Eero). First time we see his surname in a grid.
40. Service expert : ACER. Tennis.
43. Meat garnishes : ASPICS
45. GPS determination : LAT (Latitude)
46. Encircled : GIRT
47. Busy : IN USE. As in restroom.
48. Entangle : MIRE
49. Knighted son of King Ban : LANCELOT. Wow, I never know Lancelot's father was a king.
51. Speleologist : CAVER. Speleology is the study of caves. I only know spelunk/spelunking.
52. Words after follow or blow : A LEAD. Didn't come to me quickly.
56. Like some investments : RISKY
58. Colorado's __ Park : ESTES
Down:
1. Will supplements : CODICILS. Complete stranger to me. Looks like it's related to code.
2. Place to set up camp : OPEN AREA
3. Ads, perhaps : LEAFLETS
4. Titled rapper : DR. DRE. First time we have his full name.
5. "El Condor __": Simon & Garfunkel song : PASA. Here is a clip. Boomer loves Simon & Garfunkel. He just bowled another 300 this week.
6. Mineral suffix : ITE. As in hematite.
7. ZENMED target : ZIT. Was ignorant of the brand ZENMED. Manufactured by whom?
8. Enhances the details : ZOOMS IN
9. Temper : ANNEAL
10. Range, e.g.: Abbr. : APPL (Appliance)
12. Teamed up : ALLIED
13. Looked : SEEMED
14. Joan of Arc's crime : HERESY
21. Wherever : ANY PLACE
23. Clipped style : PONYTAIL. Like this. Was thinking of JFK's clipped accent. Not hairstyle.
24. Lifetime exchange for many : I DOs
27. Fairness obstacle : BIAS
32. Rocky crests : TORS. Classic crosswordese.
34. Je ne __ quoi : SAIS
35. Invigorates : ENLIVENS
37. Begins : ENTERS ON
39. It means "traveling companion" in Russian : SPUTNIK. I am quite fond of Obama's "Sputnik moment". You?
40. Blazing : AGLARE
41. Tadalafil brand : CIALIS. Don't know the meaning of "Tadalafil".
42. __ Evans, Chubby Checker's birth name : ERNEST. New trivia to me.
44. Peepers : SNOOPS
48. Crosswords in the 1920s, e.g. : MANIA. This is true.
50. Slow Churned ice cream : EDY'S
51. Fungi ending : CIDE. Eww!
54. "The Book of __": 2010 Denzel Washington film : ELI. Have you seen the movie? Good?
55. "__ Troyens": Berlioz opera : LES. Wikipedia says Les Troyens = The Trojans.
C.C.
