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

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Mar 10, 2012

Saturday, March 10th, 2012, Barry C. Silk

Theme: Saturday Silk

Words: 72

Blocks: 29

Hi There~!

Triple 10's, triple 9's and a very low block count make up today's offering from Mr. Silk. Started off well by skipping the stacks and filling in the shorter answers first, and then on the second pass got most of the tough fill. Closed out in the SW corner, ironically with LOOSE ENDS - imagine that. Two 11-letter climbers as well;

10D. Dylan hit originally written for "Midnight Cowboy" :

LAY LADY LAY - I will let you link

30D. Basketball formation with numerous play options : SET OFFENSE - more at 60A, too - as you may not know, basketball is just not my thing - in fact, a game was on the TVs for sale in the Radio Shack I was shopping in, and just that squeak of sneakers made me want to leave...

ONward ~!

ACROSS:

1. Natural liniment : WITCH HAZEL

11. Beliefs : -ISMS

15. MacLeish work inspired by a treatise published circa 18 B.C. : ARS POETICA

16. "The Grapes of Wrath" traveler : OKIE

17. Decent sort : REGULAR GUY

18. Turner of records : TINA

19. Rubble creator : TNT

20. WWII leadership monogram : D.D.E. - Dwight David Eisenhower, usually clued as having played a part in the "ETO" campaign

21. Picks up : LEARNS

23. Like many poll questions : YES/NO

25. "Paradise Lost" figure : SATAN - not the NHL hockey player; has gone on to play in Slovakia

28. Period in a sonnet : E'EN - Evening

29. Without getting excited : IN STRIDE - as in "he took it in stride"

31. Govt. benefits provider : SSA - Social Security Administration - I am paying in to a benefit program I will not be able to draw from....

32. Bleep : DELETE - ah, not CENSOR

35. Sauté : FRY

36. Golfer's concern : HOOK

37. Mexican salamander : AXOLOTL - YIKES~!!

39. The States, to Mexicans : EL NORTE

41. Reunión attendees : TIOS - Uncle in Spanish, no?

42. Word of awe : OOH - and we have; 46D. "That feels great!" : AAH

44. Main arteries : AORTAS

45. Sudanese leader? : ESS - the capital "S"

46. "Age before beauty!" : AFTER YOU~!

48. __-Julie: Montreal suburb : STE - French abbr. for Saint

49. Media workers' org. : AFTRA - website

50. Employ against, as tear gas : USE ON

54. Develop canines, say : TEETHE - not the dog; see 26D

56. Welcome site : MAT

58. Jacuzzi setting : SPA - the locale, not "HOT", "JET", or "OFF" - hey, that could be a cute misdirection....

59. Last Stuart monarch : ANNE

60. Participant in an annual event since 1951 : NBA ALL-STAR

64. Year of Alexander V's death : MCDX - 1000, (-)100, 500, 10 = 1410

65. Dude ranch problem : SADDLE SORE

66. Nuisance : PEST

67. They require discussions : ESSAY TESTS

DOWN:


1. Toady? : WARTY

2. Castle seen in "The Whirl of Life" : IRENE - ah, the person, not the structure

3. USAF E-6's : T-SGTS - Forgive me if we have a Technical Sergeant who reads our blog, and I have forgotten who you are

4. Apple core, briefly : CPU - Apple, the computer company, that is

5. Keep : HOLD ONTO - again, not the structure

6. Command : HEAD - had LEAD here, made my first Across Witch Laze(r)

7. Idle : AT REST

8. First half of an indirect course? : ZIG - and of course, the second half being "ZAG"

9. Antique French coin : ECU

11. Speck : IOTA

12. Getaway that gives you a lift : SKI RESORT - what's your fave, HeartRx~?

13. Where Brooklyn Park is : MINNESOTA - not MANHATTAN; C.C., nearby perchance ?? (From C.C.: Oui!)

14. Eel-like marine reptiles : SEA SNAKES

22. Ethyl ending : ENE - Ethylene

24. Nobelist Bohr : NIELS - WARNING~! Science Content

26. Boxer's cry : ARF - this BOXER

27. Weary : TIRE - This doesn't jive for me - tireD, yes (C.C.: Weary can be a verb.)

32. Office gadget : DATE STAMP

33. Ontologist's concern : EXISTENCE - sounds like they're making life even MORE complicated

34. Unfinished business : LOOSE ENDS

36. Falcon-headed god : HORUS - if ANT stops in, he'll appreciate this one - it's the album cover I think I liked best from Iron Maiden



38. Longtime Mississippi senator : LOTT

40. Bad sign for one seeking a shortcut : NO OUTLET - here on Long Island, you see this too often - lots of "exclusive" developments



43. Unnamed woman : HER

47. Inn choice : RAMADA

51. These, in Tijuana : ESTOS

52. Bridget Riley genre : OP-ART - take your pick

53. Nasal passages : NARES - pretty straight forward

55. Modern dialogue unit : TEXT - best church sign I have seen in a long time:

"HONK if you love Jesus; Text while driving to meet him now"

57. One who's with you : ALLY

61. Humanities degs. : BAs

62. Plugs : ADS - usually the verb for advertises is "plugs"

63. Helmsman's hdg. : SSE
 



Splynter