(Note from C.C.: Cruciverb & some your local papers have the incorrect grid, hence the perplexing comments in Splynter's write-up. Here is the correct answer grid. Splynter's grid looks like this. A pair of symmetrically placed letters, the D in HOSTED (33A, clued as "Moderated") and the M in MAILED (37A, clued as "Sent") were accidentally blacked out. Two missing Down entries: EDU (31D, clued as "URL ending") & HMO (32D, clued as "Wellness gp."). Please click here for the correct Across Lite file.)
Theme: None
Words: 68
Blocks: 31
Ah, so this is what it feels like to get beaten up mentally....took me an extra 2 minutes beyond my 'personal' allotted time, and that was after switching over to red-letter after two passes, and all too pale. There was just too much vagueness and/or ambiguity in the clues for me. Plus, there's what I would call "orphaned" letters ( no perpendicular crossing clues ) in this puzzle, which I thought was a construction no-no, found in the 11-letter spanners;
30A. Does some wedding planning : SETS THE DATE - meh, I filled this in early, and it stayed, but doesn't really strike me as "some" wedding planning; more like THE wedding plan
36A. Where a collector may browse : ANTIQUE SHOP
So onward with what 35acrossed me....
ACROSS:
1. Letter in red and violet : SHORT E - dah~! filled this and still didn't get it, until the separation between the T & E came to me; rĕd and violĕt
7. Moves right for, say : LETS PASS - how annoying is it when someone is cruising at 55-60 in the fast lane? Please, please, move right, and let us pass ~!
15. One-dimensional : LINEAR - I overthought this; AutoCAD-wise, a line has a starting point, and a direction, hence more than 'one' dimension....
16. Even further evidence : EXHIBIT C - when your first two examples are just not enough
17. Ideal conditions : OPTIMA - filled it, didn't like it, had to keep it.
18. Sailor : SEAFARER
19. __ Mints : THIN - stuck on "breath" and "junior", but like Calvin said in the comic strip the other day, I had to write really small to get it to fit....
20. Came out with something : SAID IT - and I am not going to SAY IT....
22. Daisy __ : MAE
23. Friend, in slang : HOMIE
25. Reacts to errors, maybe : BOOS - sporting events; in hockey, it's usually a response to poor officiating
26. Only : MERE
27. Used : SPENT
28. Burma's first prime minister : U NU - this guy
29. 1956 title monster : RODAN - oh yeah, nailed it~!
31. Chilean island south of Tierra del Fuego : HOSTE - map
35. Suffered : AILED
40. Little sedative? : TRANQuilizer - ugh, I guess
41. Uppermost number, sometimes : XII - the last "I" was there, and so I switched to Roman numeral thinking, and then the clock fell off the wall and clocked me in the head; 12, at the top of the dial
42. Take out, in a way : EJECT - THROW out, yes; take out = EVICT, ERASE, EXTRACT....
47. Implores : BEGS
48. '70s TV co-host : CHER - with Sonny, so long ago
49. Court game using mallets : ROQUE - the Wiki; sounds like fun - I will have to build one in the big space in the backyard where the old shed once stood
50. Mirror : APE - new clue for an old fill
51. Bluish purples : MAUVES - in my part of the world, mauve is reddish purple, so this one was blank a very long time; according to the standard RGB numbers, there is more B than R
53. Repeated words from one who's been rebuffed : BUTS - but, but, but....
54. "Can't use it" : NOT FOR ME
56. Sign up : ENLIST - had ENROLL, screwed me up for a long time
58. Laura Innes's "ER" role : DR. WEAVER - didn't watch, couldn't begin to guess - but once I had D_WEAVER, the "R" was the only logical solution
59. Unification Church member : MOONIE - can you guess where the name came into play from this link?
60. Most thickset : STOUTEST - I mis-read this about 3 times before I saw thick SET - so I was trying DUMBEST, etc.
61. Aim : INTEND - the verb; I aim to please with my blogging.
Down:
1. Armadillo relatives : SLOTHS
2. Rap : HIP-HOP - meh, two different musical genres, if you ask me - then again, the Beastie Boys ain't "gangsta" rap; R.I.P. Adam Yauch
3. Prompt : ON TIME
4. Get to slow down : REIN IN
5. One may be worn with a kilt : TAM - hey, I got one, first pass ~!
6. Significant stretches : ERAS
7. Tissue problems : LESIONS
8. Removed : EXED OUT - and spelled out, this time
9. Rama IX subjects : THAIs - Mentally mired in Ramses, and therefore Egyptian thoughts kept popping up; also, isn't there a space program that has a name like this, too - Husker?
10. Pan for gold, say : SIFT
11. Gp. found in alleys : PBA - well, I knew it referred to bowling, but that it wasn't ABA, or WBA - I'll bet Boomer know all about the Professional Bowler's Association
12. Reward for an ace : AIR MEDAL - ugh, really???
13. Hydrogenated oil : STEARATE - I had -----RATE, and WAGed from there
14. Checked (for) : SCREENED & clecho 46D. Checked (for) : TESTED
21. Sit next to : ABUT
24. And those that follow, in notes : ET SEQQ - for those who "ugh"ed at this one, we have seen it before on the blog; half way down this page
26. __ operandi : MODI - well, I know it's modUS, but guessed the Latin plural counts, too - method-S of operations.?.?.?
29. Grim character? : REAPER - I like the Family Guy version the best
31. Trilby circlets : HATBANDS - sort of a small Fedora
32. Not favorably written up : ON REPORT - meh, to me, "on report" means probation
33. Second leg : STAGE TWO
34. Cookie holders : TINS
37. Brings to light : EXHUMES
38. Radiation dose unit : SIEVERT - see here
39. Bring in : HIRE
43. Unit of assorted merchandise : JOB LOT
44. Mustang, for one : EQUINE - yeah, but I like the FORD CAR better
45. Interrupts on the floor : CUTS IN
48. Slice : CARVE
51. Zoo protection : MOAT
52. One of two decisive games : SEMI
55. Blaise's blaze : FEU - French for fire; we had one going tonight; and clecho #2 ↓
57. Blaise's brush-off : NON
Answer grid.
Splynter
