Words: 70 (missing F, J, Q, X)
Blocks: 28
I figured we were headed for a Silkie, and this was no disappointment -
in fact, I feel like it was made just for me - 36A and associated
clechos. 9's and 7's intersecting in the NW & SE corners, and
nothing longer than that. Lots of Periodic Table references, too, so I
better add a link for your viewing pleasure and edification~!
36A. Game with checks : ICE HOCKEY
- I have been working on a board game that centers around the way chess
men move, and so I was stuck in that kind of "check"; then I got to -
48A. 36-Across great : ORR - and thought "hmmm, OTT and baseball~?" - and ducked, right before the V-8 can hit me; and it doesn't end there -
12. Dramatic 36-Across final-minute situation : OPEN NET - in the last 90 seconds or so of the third period in a one-goal game, an NHL coach might pull his goalie for an extra skater, giving the team's offense a chance to score as if they were on a power play; the down side is that the defensive team can just shoot for the empty net - although that might lead to 'icing', and now it's getting complicated....I am never 'pulled' from goal when I play - we suffer the ignominious defeat
BONUS:
62A. Line on New York's state quarter : ERIE CANAL
\ 'ȯn- wərd, 'än- \ ~!
ACROSS:
1. In an innovative and memorable way : SEMINALLY
10. There's a point to it : SWORD - I went with SPIRE first
15. Dangerous element : PLUTONIUM - Uranium was too short; Pu worked (q.v.#94)- why did they not go with Pl for the symbol?
16. Get to the point? : TAPER - like a candle
17. Site of 1890s gold rushes : AUSTRALIA
18. "Your wish is my command" : "USE ME"
19. Fort Laramie hrs. : MST - I threw in PST, just to see - I was off by three letters (M-N-O-P) & one time zone
20. Kirshner of "The L Word" : MIA
21. Audited : SAT IN ON - like a class, not your tax return
23. __ en scène : MISE - Mise en scène, Frawnch "placing on stage", the use of all the tools in filmmaking to produce a more dramatic effect; I found a pretty good site here
25. Cartoonist awarded a Congressional Gold Medal in 2000 : SCHULZ - Charles, for 'Peanuts'
27. AEC successor : NRC - The Nuclear Regulatory Commission - keeping their eyes on 15A
28. Poetry slam, e.g. : EVENT
30. "__ for me" : SAME - I tried "DO IT..."
31. Coordinate nicely : MESH - MESH, MELD, went with the wrong one first
32. Almost went down : REELED - like in boxing
34. Make milk : LACTATE
38. Brand of attachable rotary mower : BUSH HOG - I had not heard of this company, but I am sure there are plenty on the blog who have
40. Job seeker-to-be, often : SENIOR - from college; I was already working at Grossman's when I was 16, and a sophomore in high school
44. Shut (up) : PENT
45. First to be called up : ONE A - Draft status; Saturday cluing
47. Israeli statesman Dayan : MOSHE
49. Rhoda's sister : BRENDA - a WAG, with some perps in place
51. Brae toppers : TAMS - hills and hats in Scotland
52. Issue : PROGENY - I have always heard this meaning 'offspring' or children, but the dictionary says it applies to products, too
54. Pro-__ : AMs - Like poetry slams for professionals and amateurs
56. Well-connected co.? : ISP - Internet Service Provider
57. Israel's southernmost city : EILAT - map
58. First stroke for many : DOG PADDLE - I was thinking golf at first - DRIVE, TEE SHOT, etc
61. Whoops : YELLS
63. Christopher Hitchens work : ESSAY
64. "Lend a Hand - Care for the Land!" spokescritter : WOODSY OWL
1. Modern junk dealer? : SPAMMER - Spam, Hormels' "SPiced hAM", now redefined in the digital age as the junk you get in your email inbox
2. Hard to pin down : ELUSIVE
3. It's highly touted : MUST SEE
4. Sitcom cousin : ITT - Du-du-du DUN (snick, snick)~!
5. Benchmark : NORM
6. First name in erotica : ANAIS - Nin, usually the fill we see; more on the "DF" here
7. Sweet-smelling bloomers : LILACS
8. That guy, to Guy : LUI
9. Singer known as the "Peruvian songbird" : YMA SUMAC - again, we usually get "YMA", or "SUMAC", but never the two together~!
10. Bearcat maker : STUTZ - I am familiar with the "Blackhawk" - I have the Hot Wheels version; here's the 1912 Bearcat
11. "How __ to know?" : WAS I - "But how was I to know/that she'd been shuffled before/said she never had a royal flush/but I should have known....what song? what band?
13. Contrition : REMORSE
14. Saturate : DRENCH - what UPS does to my shirts
22. Smart ones? : ALECKS
24. Join : ENLIST
26. Fluorine or iodine : HALOGEN - in orange on the table, the "Salt formers", Fl,Cl, Br, I, and At - Astatine (q.v.#85), which, according to EMD's PTE, occurs naturally in such small quantities that the whole Earth contains about 70g.
29. Texas __ : TECH
31. Lack permission to : MAY NOT - no, you mayn't....
33. Make safer, as livestock : DE-HORN - along with "lactate", "erotica", and "must see" in the puzzle, who will be the "smart alecks" to pull it all together?
35. Overflow : TEEM
37. Muskmelon cultivar : HONEYDEW - learning moment for me; didn't know what a 'cultivar' was; I had Honey BEE to start; the Wiki
38. Smoothie sweeteners : BERRIES
39. Presents for display, as blueprints : UNROLLS - Ah, I had SPREADS first
41. Emphatic turndown : "I SAID NO~!"
42. Current principle : OHM'S LAW - Electrical current, that is
43. Edit, in a way : RESPELL
44. Robin Williams title role : POPEYE - never saw this movie; Mrs. Doubtfire did not fit
46. Slowly : ADAGIO - music scores
49. Title auto in a 1978 Harold Robbins film : BETSY - I wanted VW Bug (Herbie, the Love Bug, but that was 10yrs prior) - never heard of this movie - lots of famous names in there, too
50. Pumped (up) : AMPED
53. Big party : GALA - which one, GALA, or FETE~?
55. Pouches : SACS
59. Número atómico 79 : ORO - last chemistry of the day - Gold, in Spanish (um, well, q.v.#79....)
60. One might be lazy : DAY - rainy days are lazy days for me
Splynter
Note from C.C.:
Happy Birthday to dear Melissa, who delights us every month with her beautiful write-ups and incredibly picture & video links. I still remember vividly the first time when Melissa visited our blog. She brought us this hilarious "Sex Bomb".
