Theme: None
Total words: 70
Total blocks: 26
I often look at the empty grid before I attack a puzzle. Today's sure doesn't look too intimidating. No grid spanner or long triple stacks. But it took me eons to gain a toehold.
Tough cluing overall, typified by GAI (20A. "__-Jin": Clavell novel), would be a gimme if it were clued as "Moo goo __ pan". I was ignorant of the book. Gai-Jin is Japanese for "foreigner". Gai = outside. Jin = Person. Same as Chinese character.
The three 9s don't really grab me today, but the eight 8s are solid. My favorites are:
1A. It might make marks on your dog : BBQ GRILL. Hot dog.
15A. "Great job!" : YOU DID IT. Great answer.
58A. Part of a smear campaign : ATTACK AD
Across:
9. Walks quickly : LEGS IT
16. Johnson & Johnson skin care brand : AVEENO. Wikipedia says Aveeno is derived from the scientific name for the common oat, Avena sativa. No wonder oats are featured prominently in their products.
17. Some mousses : HAIR GELS
18. Destinies : KARMAS. Or in sense of "vibes".
19. Auto insurer's request: Abbr. : EST
21. One concerned with bites : DENTIST. Tricky clue.
22. Rate __: be perfect : A TEN
24. Entrapments : SETUPS
26. H.S. support group : PTA
27. Start over, in a way : RESET. Reset a button.
29. Make go away : SHOO
30. Subj. partner : PRED (Predicate). Got me.
31. Geographical parallel : TROPIC. Tropic of Cancer & Tropic of Capricorn.
33. Skunk River city : AMES, IOWA. Home of Iowa State University (The Cyclones). Went there once, but don't remember the Skunk River.
35A. Entirely, with "from" : HEAD TO TOE
37. Utter fiasco : WATERLOO
40. Logo, e.g. : SYMBOL
44. "__ Esau": kids' rhyme book : I SAW. Don't know the book.
45. Advanced : LENT. Oh, like money then.
47. Restaurateur known for satiric wall art : SARDI. Of Sardi's.
48. Recipe amt. : TSP
49. Post product : CEREAL
51. Network meeting point : NODE
52. Ones going to court? : SUITORS. Court = Woo. Of course I was thinking of judge & lawyers.
54. Sony competitor : NEC
56. Japanese band : OBI. Sash band. Not music. Nailed it.
57. Verdi title bandit : ERNANI. Sigh! I can never remember this name.
60. Brought home : NETTED. EARNED has same number of letters.
61. Worst of the worst : FROM HELL
62. Some smart phones : DROIDs. Dennis lost his, in his own store.
63. Spoon : CANOODLE . Sweet.
Down:
1. Without notes : BY HEART. Know something by heart.
2. Bigmouth : BOASTER
3. "Most assuredly" : QUITE SO
4. E. Berlin's land : GDR (German Democratic Republic). Didn't come to me immediately.
5. 1997 Emmy winner for TV's "Rebecca" : RIGG (Diana). Might have got her if the clue were "The Avengers" related.
6. Head lights? : IDEAS. Saw this clue before.
7. Ornamental flowers : LILIES
8. West Point grads: Abbr. : LTS (Lieutenants).
9D. Coleridge, Southey and Wordsworth : LAKE POETS. Is this a well-known term?
Total words: 70
Total blocks: 26
I often look at the empty grid before I attack a puzzle. Today's sure doesn't look too intimidating. No grid spanner or long triple stacks. But it took me eons to gain a toehold.
Tough cluing overall, typified by GAI (20A. "__-Jin": Clavell novel), would be a gimme if it were clued as "Moo goo __ pan". I was ignorant of the book. Gai-Jin is Japanese for "foreigner". Gai = outside. Jin = Person. Same as Chinese character.
The three 9s don't really grab me today, but the eight 8s are solid. My favorites are:
1A. It might make marks on your dog : BBQ GRILL. Hot dog.
15A. "Great job!" : YOU DID IT. Great answer.
58A. Part of a smear campaign : ATTACK AD
Across:
9. Walks quickly : LEGS IT
16. Johnson & Johnson skin care brand : AVEENO. Wikipedia says Aveeno is derived from the scientific name for the common oat, Avena sativa. No wonder oats are featured prominently in their products.
17. Some mousses : HAIR GELS
18. Destinies : KARMAS. Or in sense of "vibes".
19. Auto insurer's request: Abbr. : EST
21. One concerned with bites : DENTIST. Tricky clue.
22. Rate __: be perfect : A TEN
24. Entrapments : SETUPS
26. H.S. support group : PTA
27. Start over, in a way : RESET. Reset a button.
29. Make go away : SHOO
30. Subj. partner : PRED (Predicate). Got me.
31. Geographical parallel : TROPIC. Tropic of Cancer & Tropic of Capricorn.
33. Skunk River city : AMES, IOWA. Home of Iowa State University (The Cyclones). Went there once, but don't remember the Skunk River.
35A. Entirely, with "from" : HEAD TO TOE
37. Utter fiasco : WATERLOO
40. Logo, e.g. : SYMBOL
44. "__ Esau": kids' rhyme book : I SAW. Don't know the book.
45. Advanced : LENT. Oh, like money then.
47. Restaurateur known for satiric wall art : SARDI. Of Sardi's.
48. Recipe amt. : TSP
49. Post product : CEREAL
51. Network meeting point : NODE
52. Ones going to court? : SUITORS. Court = Woo. Of course I was thinking of judge & lawyers.
54. Sony competitor : NEC
56. Japanese band : OBI. Sash band. Not music. Nailed it.
57. Verdi title bandit : ERNANI. Sigh! I can never remember this name.
60. Brought home : NETTED. EARNED has same number of letters.
61. Worst of the worst : FROM HELL
62. Some smart phones : DROIDs. Dennis lost his, in his own store.
63. Spoon : CANOODLE . Sweet.
Down:
1. Without notes : BY HEART. Know something by heart.
2. Bigmouth : BOASTER
3. "Most assuredly" : QUITE SO
4. E. Berlin's land : GDR (German Democratic Republic). Didn't come to me immediately.
5. 1997 Emmy winner for TV's "Rebecca" : RIGG (Diana). Might have got her if the clue were "The Avengers" related.
6. Head lights? : IDEAS. Saw this clue before.
7. Ornamental flowers : LILIES
8. West Point grads: Abbr. : LTS (Lieutenants).
9D. Coleridge, Southey and Wordsworth : LAKE POETS. Is this a well-known term?
10. Mary Ann __, George Eliot's birth name : EVANS. Who knows?!
11. Goldfinger portrayer Fröbe : GERT. Recognized the face, not the name.
12. Part-time, in a way : SEMI-PRO
13. Het up : IN A STEW
14. Taco relative : TOSTADA. Looks yummy.
21. Milano cathedral : DUOMO. No idea. Wiki says it's a generic Italian term for a cathedral church. Derived from Latin "domus", meaning "house".
23. One crying uncle? : NEPHEW. Fun clue.
25. Choice words : THAT ONE
28. Level : TIER
30. Acquaintance of Simon : PIE MAN. "Simple Simon met a pie man...". The nursery rhyme.
32. Revealing numbers : CALLER IDS
34. Edamame beans : SOYS. Edamame is just green soybean in its pod.
36. They don't just sit around : DOERS
37. Giving-up point : WIT'S END. At wit's end.
38. One offering comfort : ASSURER. This puzzle has two ER suffix words.
39. Draw on : TAP INTO. Resource, experience, etc.
41. Put up with : BROOK. New meaning of "brook" to me.
42. Eccentric : ODDBALL
43. Remain in mothballs : LIE IDLE
46. Asian enlightenment doctrine : TANTRA. Sanskrit for "warp", hence "underlying principle". a la dictionary.
49. Shaped like a megaphone : CONED
50. Gave away : LET ON
53. Filmmaker Jacques : TATI. The guy who directed "Mon Oncle".
55. Outfit you don't want to be seen in, briefly : CAMO
58. Jets' org. : AFC. NY Jets. I don't really know which ones belong to AFC or NFC.
59. John who played Sulu in "Star Trek" (2009) : CHO. Very handsome. He's of Korean root, just as Margaret Cho. Cho is a Korean name. Same character as Chinese zhao/cao.
Answer grid.
C.C.
