Words: 72 (missing B,F,J,Q)
Blocks: 29
Cool looking grid with a
couple of "arrows" shooting out from the center, but alas, I was not on
the mark today - SE corner had a few unknowns for me, and so I had to
resort to red-letter assistance. This is the fourth LAT Saturday for
Mr. Healy, and the first one for me. Triple stacks of 10's in the
corners, even pairs of triple stacked 7's down the sides. Some that I
thought worth mentioning;
15A. Without a firm grip on reality : IN LA-LA LAND - why, I do believe our Linda can be regularly found here ~!!!
14D. Picked up at a cocktail party? : SPEARED - those little hot dogs in a bun/pigs in a blanket, and a toothpick; for those who were curious, I can be picked up at cocktail party, too~!!! (I'm the one not drinking)
59. Pub diversion : TRIVIA GAME
- I was thinking DARTS, BILLIARDS, etc. Back in my drinking days, I
would sit with a beer and a game console and play for hours
38. Gulf of Finland republic : ESTONIA - map
oNwArD~!~!
ACROSS:
1. No ordinary joe? : MOCHA LATTE
11. Fabergé egg decor : GEMS
16. Slightly off : ALOP - our "A" word for the day....
17. Mad about : REALLY INTO - got it right the first time
18. "Handwriting on the wall" word : MENE - new to me; more here
19. Pre-date stop-off, maybe : ATM - well, I did try FTD to start; the middle "T" stayed
20. Poet whose muse was Maud Gonne : YEATS
21. Rodeo catcher : RIATA - oops, not LASSO
22. Reneges, with "out" : COPS - oops, not OPTS or NODS
24. Bloemfontein's country: Abbr. : RSA
25. Coot : GEEZER - I like Terry "Geezer" Butler, bass player/song writer for Black Sabbath; here's a clip of him with Ozzy and Slash on guitar
26. Garden bulbs : LEEKS
28. Fits behind the wheel? : ROAD RAGE - the --ADR--- was there, and I tried HEAD ROOM; seemed to make sense to me; we're looking for the temper tantrum kind of "fit"
30. Terrier on "Frasier" : EDDIE - took me a minute to remember
31. Hardly a Brown cheer? : AAUGH - this refers to Charlie Brown, and Peanuts, which I don't read, watch or care for
32. Hot __ : ROD
33. Nearly extinct island language : MANX - Isle of Man; more here
35. New Mexico county or its seat : TAOS
37. Word in a manual size description : YEA - it was about "yea big"
40. River valley silt : LOESS
42. Register button : TOTAL - this just wouldn't come to me
46. "No kidding!" : "IS THAT SO?"
48. Avalanche : SPATE
49. Odorless gas : ETHANE - aren't they all? That 'odor' is added to propane and natural gas for safety reasons
50. Oscar winner Lee : ANG - filmmaker; I was just thinking I have never actually seen "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon"
53. Málaga title: Abbr. : SRTA
54. "Paint Your Wagon" composer : LOEWE
55. "Things fall __; the centre cannot hold": 20-Across : APART
57. Squat : ZIP - this gave me fits, too - SIT, no, NIL, no....
58. Genetic lab samples : DNAs - Dah~! I started with RNAs, and messed up my 37D.
61. Run out of steam : TIRE
62. Queen Mary, e.g. : OCEAN LINER
63. Stable diet : OATS
64. Top-notch : WORLD CLASS - great fill
DOWN:
1. Wonder : MIRACLE
2. Like some salamanders or sloths : ONE-TOED
3. Held in place, in a way : CLAMPED
4. Prince in both parts of "Henry IV" : HAL - Sure, OK.
5. One working with you : ALLY
6. Coat : LAYER - semi-clecho with; 7. Cover : ALIAS
8. Horn blast : TANTARA
9. Blast causes : TNTs
10. Shogun's capital : EDO
11. More like venison : GAMIER - I have had deer; it's good
12. Biblical priest whose name means "God has helped" : ELEAZAR
13. __ Bay: Jamaican resort : MONTEGO
21. Tongue-tingling candies : RED-HOTS - I love cinnamon
23. Take from the top : SKIM
25. Loopy : GAGA
27. Prevailing winds help determine one : SEA LANE
29. Alibis : OUTS
31. Good fellers? : AXES - HAR-HAR~!!!
34. Bill : NOTE - as in money
36. Conciliatory offers : SOPS
37. Lose the battle with : YIELD TO
39. Good way to be young? : AT HEART
41. More in need of rinsing : SOAPIER
43. Los Angeles neighborhood that's the former site of an Edgar Rice Burroughs ranch : TARZANA - Funny, as the only thing I know about Los Angeles is their LA TIMES crossword, and the next clue is....
44. On occasion : AT TIMES
45. Ballerinas, often : LEAPERS - yeah, they do this, but I thought it was the "10 Lords-a..."
47. Anchor-chain openings : HAWSES - Learned this from a
crossword here, about a year ago I would say, in a discussion with
Spitzboov, who nailed the next one, too, I'll bet -
51. Like some blockades : NAVAL
52. Coffee selection : GRIND
55. Chevron rival : ARCO - came via perps; I knew it wasn't "ESSO"
56. Gentle application : TALC
59. Pull : TOW - Literally; nothing to do with influence
60. Jazz pianist Evans : GIL - Played with Miles Davis; more here
"MAY the Fourth be with you~!"
Splynter
