Theme: None (Egypt~?)
Words: 70
Blocks: 28
Words: 70
Blocks: 28
This is my first blogging of Mr. Bickham, and it may be Mark's first LAT Saturday (indeed anywhere, since I don't follow any other crossword blogs), and his last appearances here were a Wednesday in March with "Body Types", and the "hidden trees" puzzle from Sunday, Feb 5th. Lots of blank boxes after my first pass, but with a few minor changes and re-fill, I was able to get on his wavelength. Two spanners, and one climber;
34A. Start-up processes : INITIALIZATIONS
41A. 1991 film in which both lead actresses got Oscar nominations (neither of them won) : THELMA AND LOUISE - did not see the movie; actresses Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis lost to Jodie Foster for her role in "Silence of the Lambs"; I do know that Brad Pitt got his 'break' here - he was paid $6000 for the role.
8D. View opposed by the intelligent design movement : DARWINIAN THEORY - I am not going to start a religious debate; Darwin's Theory is that of natural selection in evolution - and leave it at that....
And ON WARD ~!
ACROSS:
1. Campy dance gesture : JAZZ HANDS - never heard this "move" called as such- Image
10. Puts up : HANGS
15. Like capybaras and piranhas : AMAZONIAN
16. Exercise output : SWEAT
17. Caution to one who overlooks you? : DON'T STARE
18. Button material : NACRE
19. Tom, Dick or Harry : ANYONE
20. Twisted, as a grin : WRY - ah, not SLY
22. "Get a __!" : GRIP - ah, not "Life"
23. Wall map insert : PIN - ah, not "KEY"
24. "Like __ not ..." : IT OR - hey, this one was right the first time ~!
26. CIA progenitor : O.S.S. - "53A", I had OAS - the Wiki
27. __-to : HOW - ah, not "SET"
30. One of the Poor Clares : NUN
32. Oracle city : DELPHI - "53A", I goofed trying to fit "Adelphi" (University here on LI)
38. Minute groove : STRIA
39. Highland turndown : NAE
40. Fill again, as a flat : RE-LET - I was really, really hoping this was not going to be "Re-Air", as in filling a "flat" tire.....
44. Lab verification : RE-TEST
45. "Four Quartets" poet's monogram : TSE - This guy
46. Abbr. on old maps : SSR - Soviet Socialist Republic
47. Stevedores' org. : ILA - International Longshoreman's Assoc.
48. Promise : OATH
50. Friend of Pepé Le Pew : AMI
53. "My bad!" : OOPS
55. Directly : DUE - as in "due North"
56. Classic theater name : PALACE
60. Something often intended? : NO PUN
62. Semimonthly period, roughly : FORTNIGHT - Two weeks - I know this because both my parents are British, and used this phrase often
64. Grenoble's river : ISERE
65. U.S. official whose office has been vacant for more than nine of the last 50 years : TREASURER - I did not know that; I can think of some "other" offices that seem to be "vacant", too....
66. Gives up : CEDES
67. Bring order to : SYSTEMIZE
DOWN:
1. "Ali" actress __ Pinkett Smith : JADA - Wife of Will Smith, whose MIB³ comes out next month
2. Main Theban deity : AMON - various spellings, but basically, Egyptian
3. Buffoon : ZANY
4. "Afterburner" band : ZZ TOP - The follow-up to "Eliminator", with all their pop hits, I love this one from Afterburner
5. Egypt's Mubarak : HOSNI -more Egypt
6. WiFi necessity : ANTENNA - usually built-in
7. Actress Vardalos : NIA
9. Kvack's housemate : SNERT - ah, Hägar the Horrible
10. TV mall, basically : HSN - Home Shopping Network
11. Like tongues in a gabfest : AWAG - Did not need a "WAG" to get this one (but it did change my "life" to grip")
12. Giza attraction including the Great Pyramids : NECROPOLIS - literally, "death city" - more Egypt
13. Flash : GARISHNESS
14. Folk tale meany : STEP-SISTER
21. "Judge me by my size, do you?" speaker : YODA
25. Back in : RETRO
27. Melodramatic : HISTRIONIC
28. Running amok : ON THE LOOSE
29. Bugged : WIRE-TAPPED
31. Wrist-to-elbow bone : ULNA
33. Substitute word : LIEU
35. Cedar shake alternative : TILE
36. Insistent retort : I AM SO
37. Puzzle pieces, in Sydney? : ZEDS - "Zee" tiles in Scrabble; I watch the UK version of Top Gear; they use Zed, too, and the word coupé - with the "E" pronounced; makes a slick car like the "280ZX" sound awkward.... (Added later: There are two Z's in Puzzle.
42. Not very much : A TAD
43. Really went for : LEAPT AT
49. Massachusetts university : TUFTS - hey - it's an .edu site~!
51. Parsonage : MANSE
52. Largest pelvic bone : ILIUM
54. Guaranteed : SURE
57. Business head? : AGRI -business
58. Bistro awning word : CHEZ
59. Peut-__: French "maybe" : ETRE
61. Video game letters : NES - Nintendo Entertainment System
63. Hi-__ graphics : RES - no Hi-Res graphics on your NES; but they were for its time
Answer grid.
Splynter
Notes from C.C.:
1) Today's constructor Mark Bickham is Placematfan on the blog.
2) I got this email from Norma Rosenfield of Marbles: The Brain Store
CROSSWORD TOURNAMENT NEWS
What: Marbles: The Brain Store’s Fourth Annual Crossword Tournament featuring unpublished NYT crosswords by Will Shortz
Who: Marbles: The Brain Store – www.marblesthebrainstore.com
When: Saturday, April 28, 2012
Where: FOUR LOCATIONS
- Mall of America in Bloomington, MN
- Mall in Columbia, MD
- Philadelphia/King of Prussia Mall
- Downtown Chicago, IL at 55 East Grand Ave.
