Theme: Saturday Silkie
Words: 70
Blocks: 31
White rabbit X3, and
we begin December with a Saturday Silkie~! A non-threatening grid from
our constructor, with NO triple-stacks and two 14-letter climbers:
5D. Lake Michigan feeder : KALAMAZOO RIVER - BIG map
16D. Range exercise : TARGET PRACTICE - Makes me think of this song, only because it's in the middle @ 2:56
Lots of 3-letter words today "*", with just a couple of abbreviations.
Onward~!
ACROSS:
1. Hints at, with "of" : SMACKS - "Well, that just SMACKS OF sarcasm...."
7*. Hikes : UPS - Aww, couldn't we get a seasonal shout-out to the boys in brown???
(taken at "lunch", then at departure time)
10. A little later : ANON - yeah, uh that driver will be returning "anon"....
14. Bar subject : TAX LAW
15. Writer's framework : PLOT LINE
17. Cartoon bird on a cap : ORIOLE - nailed it - it's the reason why I liked the team from Baltimore in the first place, back when I was a 'young'n'
18. Apparent displacement due to observer movement : PARALLAX - and the Parallax Second, or PARSEC....warning~! Science Content
19. Actress Massey : ILONA - this lady
20. Gain, for one : DETERGENT - You know, I was on this wavelength, and said to myself "hey, that's laundry soap, but it won't fit"
21. Brie alternative : CAMEMBERT - looks the same, but here's more
23*. Word on U.S. coins : GOD - I went through all my Latin; E.
Pluribus Unum, Annuit Coeptis, Novus Ordo Seclorum, and then realized
that every coin says "In GOD We Trust" - and I say it every time I
pick up an abandoned penny
24. Loosely worn garb : SARIs - Indian Garb. I tried SHIFT
25. Red Cross headquarters : GENEVA
28*. Bars on market shelves : UPC - Universal Product Code
31. Go the other way : ZAG - So if you go the first way, you ZIG~?
32. Femur neighbor : PATELLA - Ah, the knee bone; and also; 48D. Knock-__ : KNEED
34. Dominate, in sports lingo : OWN - Last year, the NY Rangers
(see also 45A.) OWNED the Philadelphia Flyers, taking all 6 games plus
the Winter Classic; curse the NHL and its Players Association
35*. Impudence : LIP - because SASS didn't fit
36*. Mariner : TAR
37. Places where cell phones are prohibited? : PRISONS - HAR-HAR~! 'Cell' phones, get it?
39. "As __ beneath a waning moon was haunted": Coleridge : EER - here's the poem, and it's not The Rime of the Ancient 36A.
40*. Block back? : ADE - BlockADE
41. Halting one? : SENTRY - "Halt~! Who goes there?"
42. Volga region language : TATAR
44*. Graynor who played Olivia's sister on "Fringe" : ARI - this lady; you think Mr. Silk likes blondes?
45. Hit on ice : BODY CHECK - for Eddy B
49. Designed to prevent intrusion, in a way : ANTI-VIRUS - Intrusion on your computer, that is
52. Native of Odessa or Paris : TEXAN - I like these deceptive clues
53. Do recon on : SCOPE OUT - Surveil didn't fit (the back formation of Surveillance)
54. Supermodel Bündchen : GISELE - Tom Brady's lady, right?
55. Statement-making accessory : POWER TIE
56. Two-direction section : S-CURVE
57. Hyphenated IDs : SSNs - The ol' Social Security Number, bottom and east friendly
58*. Also : AND - not TOO
59. Like Consumer Reports merchandise : TESTED
DOWN:
1. Hard to move : STOIC - in opinions, that is
2. Sokoloff of "The Practice" : MARLA - nope, not just blondes
3. Universal principle : AXIOM
4. Imitates : CLONES - a carry-over from yesterday
6*. Öland Isl. site : SWEden - Map
7. Shoe parts : UPPERS
8. Oliver of "Frost/Nixon" : PLATT
9. Vexed : SORE
10. Used up : ALL GONE
11. Alexandria setting : NILE DELTA
12. __ equal basis : ON AN
13. First in line : NEXT
20. Stoops : DEIGNS
22. Ripped, so to speak : BRAWNY
25. Merriment : GAIETY
26. 2004 A.L. MVP Guerrero, familiarly : VLAD - C.C., do you have his card~? (C.C: I do. I like #27. )
27. Rhein tributary : AARE
28. They closely monitor slides : UMPS - More baseball for our host; bet she nailed this one, as well
29. Shave : PARE
30. Where lion dances may be seen : CHINATOWN
32. Addresses the court : PLEADS
38. Rank indicators : STRIPES
42. Hyped : TOUTED
43. Animal for whom a blood factor is named : RHESUS - The "+" or "-" in your type: I am B+; I like to say "Be Positive~!!!"
45. Oud __: Belgian beer : BRUIN
46. Wield : EXERT
47. Have a cow : CALVE
49. Egyptian symbols of royalty : ASPs - Not ANKH, which fit, but....
50. They're often seen on base: Abbr. : NCOs - Non-Commissioned Officers
51. Speck : IOTA
54*. Setting at 0 degrees long. : GST - Greenwich Standard Time; I am at the 73.1000W longitude; where are you~???
Splynter
