google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner

Advertisements

May 21, 2011

Saturday, May 21, 2011 Barry Silk

Theme: None

Words: 72

Blocks: 28

Good doomsday to all ~! Personally, I am waiting on December 21st, 2012 - as our constructor notes in 37D. -

Dark clouds, to some : ILL OMENS

Another Saturday Silk - the man is a monster - I have about 10 puzzles I am trying to complete for submission for publishing, and I am struggling with the more complex grids - and Mr. Silk just pounds them out, in my opinion. 

ACROSS:

1. Unhappy fans, in slang : BOO BIRDS - Good NHL semi-finals, the fans in Tampa Bay were not happy with their Bolts, shut-out at home last game - lots of Boos

9. Dinar spenders : IRAQIs - I had Iranis to start; see 9D.

15. Encroachment : INVASION

16. Scraps : REFUSE - the noun; REH - fuse

17. Cruel woman : SHE-DEVIL - Blue Öyster Cult's "Sinful Love"; it's in the chorus

18. Cheerios' cousins : ADIEUX - French, plural, and I nailed it - HA~!

19. Poitier title role : SIR - "To SIR, with love", 1967

20. Sargasso Sea spawner : EEL - I did not know this, but the perps did

21. Hunter, at times : SNARER

22. "The Little Mermaid" prince : ERIC - Loved the movie, couldn't remember him

24. Clancy hero : RYAN - and our first reference to a Harrison Ford role, along with Alec Baldwin, playing Jack Ryan, from Tom Clancy's "spy/CIA" novels

26. Principle : TENET

28. Four-note chord : TETRAD - shoulda known this; as a guitarist, I play a lot of diads and triads (much of Van Halen); actually, four notes on a guitar is a bit hard - it means skipping strings, and it's not that easy; here's the major chord standard patterns; B and D are tetrads, the X's are strings you don't strum, O's you do

30. Investment company T. __ Price : ROWE - was stuck on "BONE" for a bit

32. Dating letters : BCE - Dating, as history - Before Common Era; more here

33. 160 square rods : ONE ACRE - a rod is 5.5 yards

35. Ugly : MEAN

36. Centennial debut of 1909 : LINCOLN HEAD CENT- seed entry?

40. Downwind : ALEE

41. Sunbeam product : TOASTER

42. Nth: Abbr. : ULTimate

43. Bird suborder that includes gulls and terns : LARI - perps again for me

44. Prom queen's concern : HAIRDO - and; 53. High-profile 44-Across : MOHAWK; image

48. Divine, in a way : DOWSE - as in divining rods, fooled me at first; for finding a water source.

50. Summit : ACME - image

52. Shade of red : BEET

55. Title object of a 1981 film quest : ARK - Harrison Ford #2 - this might be my all-time favorite movie, "Raiders of the Lost Ark" - great scene

57. Rubble creator : TNT - I wonder if Mr. Silk was going for a Flintstones misdirection - Barney Rubble?

58. Fine wool : MERINO

59. Polish : SIMONIZE - both my vehicles desperately need to be washed and waxed

61. Observation while passing the buck : ANTLER - oh, very good, sir ~! "HEY!, nice rack~!"

62. Jason, for one : SEAFARER - Jason and the Argonauts, pursuing the Golden Fleece

63. On the beach : ASHORE

64. One of only three golfers who briefly kept Tiger Woods out of the World #1 spot between 1/11/1998 and 10/30/2010 : ERNIE ELS - Mr. Els makes a lot of puzzles - he's got a good arrangement of letters there

 DOWN:

1. "The Deep" co-star : BISSET - and in respect to 61A, here's Jacqueline~!

2. Available, in a way : ON HIRE - meh, FOR sounds better

3. Ready to move on : OVER IT - ah, I was looking for an "INVASION"-type answer, 'MOVE on', instead of  'move ON'

4. Sinister : BAD

5. "Of course" : I SEE

6. Mouth formation : RIVER DELTA - nailed it; started with the downs, too - image

7. Decoration under a bowl : DOILY - that lacy circle

8. Oct. 1975 TV debut : SNL - Saturday Night Live - if it's 1975 and TV, it's probably something related to this comedy sketch show

9. Modern-day theocracy : IRAN - and the "other" I-R-A_ answer

10. Make an archaeological adjustment to : RE-DATE - sort of a clecho to 32A

11. Hot : AFIRE - "A" answer

12. Colonial leader : QUEEN BEE - in the hive; a colony of bees; thought it was ants

13. "Glad to do it!" : I SURE CAN - can I blog this Saturday?  "I sure CAN~!"

14. Word with appeal or change : SEX  sex appeal, sex change - yes on one, no on the other....

21. They may wake you up : SNORES

23. "I Got a Name" singer : CROCE - Jim

25. Very old : ARCHAIC - Ancient fit at first....

27. Big top, e.g. : TENT

29. Year in Mexico : ANO

31. One concerned with clemency : WEATHERMAN - I had a high school buddy who wanted to be the TV weatherman since he was a kid - on the tube in VA today.

34. Arctic jacket : ANORAK - the Wiki

35. Fast-food pork sandwich : McRIB - for all the hype surrounding it's limited release, I have nver had one

36. Glorify : LAUD

38. Financial planning yardstick : NET WORTH

39. Traffic controller, briefly : DEA - Drug Enforcement Agent - that kind of traffic

43. One resting against a stake : LEANER - a horseshoe game reference, and I love to play - worth two points; the other winning shot is the ringer, worth three

45. Turn in : RETIRE

46. Washington of "Glory" : DENZEL

47. River rompers : OTTERS

49. 1970 Neil Diamond hit : SHILO

51. Gold medalist skier Hermann : MAIER - all perps on this one

54. Passed slowly, with "on" : WORE

56. First name in diplomacy : KOFI - Annan, United Nations

58. Barnyard bleat : MAA - also my house growing up..."Maaaa, where's my sneakers?"

59. Vane dir. : SSE

60. Clydebank contradiction : NAE - Clydebank, in Scotland - only geography for the day, up next to Glasgow, and the birthplace of some famous ships, including the QEII

Splynter

Note from C.C.:

I'm pleased to announce that Splynter (Richie) will blog all Saturday puzzles from now on. As you can see, he loves guitar and hockey. He is also an aspiring constructor and I can't wait to see his debut. I bet it'll be French free.