Words: 70 (missing J,Q,V,X)
Blocks: 27
Hey~! I finally finished a Farmer Saturday without red-letter help,
and in a respectable time as well~! There were many "alternate" answers
to clues today, which could have led to a much harder solve, and some clechos, too. Pretty pinwheel with a staircase center, triple 9's,
triple 8's. Worth a mention at the top today:
15A. Coroner's conclusion : "IT'S MURDER~!" - Frequent segment
in TV shows like "Law & Order", "CSI", "Rizzoli & Isles", etc;
personally, I like "CUPPI" - Case Undetermined Pending Police
Investigation
67A. Something to throw when you're down : PITY PARTY - I was at a birthday party tonight; anyone here been to a "pity" party lately?
14D. Villainous : SINISTER - from being on the left hand side,
which in the Latin is Sinistral, and "unfavorable"; right-handedness is
Dextral; I am 'sinister' by the way....
36. One of The United States' six : TIME ZONE
d~!
r
a
w
n
o
ACROSS:
1. Trial run for a far-fetched argument, say : LAUGH TEST - not familiar with this phrase; I was trying to get LITMUS TEST to fit
10. Developing areas : WOMBS - had UTERI to start
16. China from Japan : IMARI
17. Escape : STEAL AWAY - an Ozzy Osbourne song, for those who care; speaking of "Escape", I am looking at a 2006 Ford Escape hybrid, $9K, 68,000mi, 36MPG - depending on the UPS outcome
18. Pre-heist job : RECONaissance - I had "SCOPE", as in 'case the joint'; conflicted with my first choice for 53A."...overhead view" = (tele)SCOPE
19. Begin to develop : BUD - they're showing up here~! I just whacked down much of the apple tree in our backyard; it was literally choking itself, and the inedible fruit attracts wasps
20. Provençal sauce : AIOLI - that 'eh' crossword garlic mayonaisse
21. As a friend, to François : EN AMI - eh, more Frawnch
22. Encumbrance : ONUS
24. Tender cuts : LOINS
26. Familia titles: Abbr. : SRAs
27. Buddha's birthplace, per most scholars : NEPAL
29. Slack : DOG IT
31. Lake of the Woods prov. : ONTario
32. "Hanging __ Moment": 2001 Lifehouse hit : BY A
34. "When pigs fly!" : "NO CHANCE~!"
36. Winter Palace rule : TSARISM - I put in TSARINA to start(?); also could have been CZARISM, too, and thrown you
40. Not so cool : NERDIER - the 'hip' kind of cool
41. Whistling past the graveyard, so to speak : IN DENIAL - or knee deep on a trip to Egypt....
43. May honoree : MOM
44. __-jongg : MAH
45. Pitch indicator : G CLEF and then the "G" moves to the backside in 56A. Cause of a hair-raising experience? : ZERO G - and a clecho with 35D. Pitching specialists : AD MEN - different kind of pitch, tho
47. BB? : BETAS - um, as in two "B"s ??? (Note from C.C.: I don't get the clue either.)
51. Manages somehow, with "out" : EKES
53. Aid for an overhead view : STILT - ah, not SCOPE; stilts so you can see over heads
55. Nobel Laureate portrayed in "A Beautiful Mind" : NASH
58. Regatta racer : SLOOP - ah, not YACHT
60. Sew up : ICE - ah, not END
61. Philip Glass's "Waiting for the Barbarians," e.g. : OPERA - with a title like that, I can envision the Viking Fat Lady singing
62. Author whose only published novel won a Pulitzer : HARPER LEE
64. Saltpeter : NITER - Every time I see 'saltpeter', my mind says "hey, that's NITER, right~? Or maybe I'm wrong~?"; then the perps fill it in....
65. "Be right with you!" : "ONE SECOND~!"
66. Schoolboy jackets : ETONS - From the school outside London, which is NOT in continental Europe; see 1D.
DOWN:
1. Westernmost capital in Continental Europe : LISBON - (Portugal); I stopped myself before finishing "LONDON"
2. Harmonize : ATTUNE
3. Tapped out : USED UP
4. TV debut of 1975, for short : GMA - Good Morning America, not "SNL" - Saturday Night Live
5. Dance in a raffia skirt : HULA - can't pass up a "skirt" link....
6. Track : TRAIL
7. Title director in a 1994 biopic : ED WOOD - did not see this movie
8. Aquarium attraction : SEA LION
9. Fitting activity : TRYING ON - and clecho 48D. Fitting employee : TAILOR
10. Spy wear, maybe : WIRE
11. Tarot cards, e.g. : OMENS - I have a deck of TAROT cards; I like them for the art, but I do treat them as having an "aura", so they're wrapped in silk - not Barry Silk, mind you
12. Salad component : MACARONI
13. Modern-day male bonding : BROMANCE - I am just not into the "Hangover"-type movies, and I do not consider any of male friends as part of a Bro - mance.
23. 1999 Stanley Cup finals competitor : SABRE - from Buffalo; not STARS, the winners in 1999; Dallas made it to the Cup final the next year, too, but lost to the NJ Devils; tonight it's Rangers v. Islanders for 7th place in the Eastern Conference - should be a game worthy of the early rivalry between these two teams that has not had much weight lately, since the Islanders last playoff appearance was 2003
25. Unlikely command to a Chihuahua : SIC 'EM
28. Prone : LYING - we had this discussion recently
30. Beat : THROB
33. Converse rival : ASICS - Sneaker companies
37. Hostile environment : SNAKE PIT - also the name of Slash's band for two albums after Guns N' Roses - the first one was titled "It's Five O'clock Somewhere", Tin~!
38. Follow : ADHERE TO
39. Jukebox setting : MALT SHOP
42. "Sweet __": Oscar-winning song from "Waikiki Wedding" : LEILANI
46. Piece of broccoli : FLORET
49. Rise : ASCENT
50. Ally of the Brat Pack : SHEEDY - I mis-read this on the first pass as "RAT" pack; in the 80's, the "Brat Pack" included these actors/actresses
52. "Either/Or" writer Kierkegaard : SØREN - Also mentioned in the "Types" personality book that I frequently talk about; more here
54. Stowe slave girl : TOPSY - not familiar with her; all perps for me
57. Long-nosed fish : GARS - did the fish(es) fool you?
59. Sound often prohibited? : PEEP - "Not a peep from you, young lady~!"
63. Kelly Clarkson record label : RCA
I passed my UPS driving test despite stalling at a green light in traffic; I was prepared for the crappiest stick-shift they could find (all the 'good' trucks were out on deliveries) and I actually "delivered" a package, as opposed to 'driving around the block'....now I have to wait for either a really busy Spring/Summer, or the next contract in August, when new terms might lead to more retirements. Thanks for the kind words~!
Splynter
10. Developing areas : WOMBS - had UTERI to start
16. China from Japan : IMARI
17. Escape : STEAL AWAY - an Ozzy Osbourne song, for those who care; speaking of "Escape", I am looking at a 2006 Ford Escape hybrid, $9K, 68,000mi, 36MPG - depending on the UPS outcome
18. Pre-heist job : RECONaissance - I had "SCOPE", as in 'case the joint'; conflicted with my first choice for 53A."...overhead view" = (tele)SCOPE
19. Begin to develop : BUD - they're showing up here~! I just whacked down much of the apple tree in our backyard; it was literally choking itself, and the inedible fruit attracts wasps
20. Provençal sauce : AIOLI - that 'eh' crossword garlic mayonaisse
21. As a friend, to François : EN AMI - eh, more Frawnch
22. Encumbrance : ONUS
24. Tender cuts : LOINS
26. Familia titles: Abbr. : SRAs
27. Buddha's birthplace, per most scholars : NEPAL
29. Slack : DOG IT
31. Lake of the Woods prov. : ONTario
32. "Hanging __ Moment": 2001 Lifehouse hit : BY A
34. "When pigs fly!" : "NO CHANCE~!"
36. Winter Palace rule : TSARISM - I put in TSARINA to start(?); also could have been CZARISM, too, and thrown you
40. Not so cool : NERDIER - the 'hip' kind of cool
41. Whistling past the graveyard, so to speak : IN DENIAL - or knee deep on a trip to Egypt....
43. May honoree : MOM
44. __-jongg : MAH
45. Pitch indicator : G CLEF and then the "G" moves to the backside in 56A. Cause of a hair-raising experience? : ZERO G - and a clecho with 35D. Pitching specialists : AD MEN - different kind of pitch, tho
47. BB? : BETAS - um, as in two "B"s ??? (Note from C.C.: I don't get the clue either.)
51. Manages somehow, with "out" : EKES
53. Aid for an overhead view : STILT - ah, not SCOPE; stilts so you can see over heads
55. Nobel Laureate portrayed in "A Beautiful Mind" : NASH
58. Regatta racer : SLOOP - ah, not YACHT
60. Sew up : ICE - ah, not END
61. Philip Glass's "Waiting for the Barbarians," e.g. : OPERA - with a title like that, I can envision the Viking Fat Lady singing
62. Author whose only published novel won a Pulitzer : HARPER LEE
64. Saltpeter : NITER - Every time I see 'saltpeter', my mind says "hey, that's NITER, right~? Or maybe I'm wrong~?"; then the perps fill it in....
65. "Be right with you!" : "ONE SECOND~!"
66. Schoolboy jackets : ETONS - From the school outside London, which is NOT in continental Europe; see 1D.
DOWN:
1. Westernmost capital in Continental Europe : LISBON - (Portugal); I stopped myself before finishing "LONDON"
2. Harmonize : ATTUNE
3. Tapped out : USED UP
4. TV debut of 1975, for short : GMA - Good Morning America, not "SNL" - Saturday Night Live
5. Dance in a raffia skirt : HULA - can't pass up a "skirt" link....
6. Track : TRAIL
7. Title director in a 1994 biopic : ED WOOD - did not see this movie
8. Aquarium attraction : SEA LION
9. Fitting activity : TRYING ON - and clecho 48D. Fitting employee : TAILOR
10. Spy wear, maybe : WIRE
11. Tarot cards, e.g. : OMENS - I have a deck of TAROT cards; I like them for the art, but I do treat them as having an "aura", so they're wrapped in silk - not Barry Silk, mind you
12. Salad component : MACARONI
13. Modern-day male bonding : BROMANCE - I am just not into the "Hangover"-type movies, and I do not consider any of male friends as part of a Bro - mance.
23. 1999 Stanley Cup finals competitor : SABRE - from Buffalo; not STARS, the winners in 1999; Dallas made it to the Cup final the next year, too, but lost to the NJ Devils; tonight it's Rangers v. Islanders for 7th place in the Eastern Conference - should be a game worthy of the early rivalry between these two teams that has not had much weight lately, since the Islanders last playoff appearance was 2003
25. Unlikely command to a Chihuahua : SIC 'EM
28. Prone : LYING - we had this discussion recently
30. Beat : THROB
33. Converse rival : ASICS - Sneaker companies
37. Hostile environment : SNAKE PIT - also the name of Slash's band for two albums after Guns N' Roses - the first one was titled "It's Five O'clock Somewhere", Tin~!
38. Follow : ADHERE TO
39. Jukebox setting : MALT SHOP
42. "Sweet __": Oscar-winning song from "Waikiki Wedding" : LEILANI
46. Piece of broccoli : FLORET
49. Rise : ASCENT
50. Ally of the Brat Pack : SHEEDY - I mis-read this on the first pass as "RAT" pack; in the 80's, the "Brat Pack" included these actors/actresses
52. "Either/Or" writer Kierkegaard : SØREN - Also mentioned in the "Types" personality book that I frequently talk about; more here
54. Stowe slave girl : TOPSY - not familiar with her; all perps for me
57. Long-nosed fish : GARS - did the fish(es) fool you?
59. Sound often prohibited? : PEEP - "Not a peep from you, young lady~!"
63. Kelly Clarkson record label : RCA
I passed my UPS driving test despite stalling at a green light in traffic; I was prepared for the crappiest stick-shift they could find (all the 'good' trucks were out on deliveries) and I actually "delivered" a package, as opposed to 'driving around the block'....now I have to wait for either a really busy Spring/Summer, or the next contract in August, when new terms might lead to more retirements. Thanks for the kind words~!
Splynter
