Words: 72 (missing Q,X,Z)
Blocks: 30
This one from our flip-flopping Saturday Duo was 50/50 for me. I
smoked through the top half, but then faltered in the bottom. Ended up
taking my usual solve time. Two grid spanners:
17A. Irish folk song that was a Grammy-winning vehicle for Metallica : WHISKEY IN THE JAR - Nailed it - a music link must....the 'official' video is more to the point, but it won't pass the "breakfast test"
53A. Woolf pack? : BLOOMSBURY GROUP - a complete unknown; learning moment
Six 10's:
1A. Italian for "little ribbons" : FETTUCCINE
12D. Asian aluminum exporter : TAJIKISTAN - Crossword constructors gotta love places with these names - map
15A. High anxiety? : ACROPHOBIA - nailed it; I know my "fear of heights" $2 word
25D. Late 1990s Nasdaq phenomenon : DOT COM BOOM - anyone here fall into this bust?
57A. Iron Man and Captain America, e.g. : TITLE ROLES - I wanted "-- HEROES", or something like that
59A. One who goes out regularly : STEADY DATE - I'm accepting applications today
And four 8's:
6D. Subcompact that debuted in 1975 : CHEVETTE - My buddy Jeff owned one in high school, and he used to like to say he had a " 'Vette "
41A. Goldbricks : GOOF OFFS - I tried GOOSE (E)GGS, but it had only one "E"; definition
35D. Seemed to own the runway, say : SASHAYED
ACROSS:
11. Site of the Delicate Arch : UTAH - not featured in Indiana Jones & the Last Crusade, tho
16. Cold caller's reward : SALE
19. Montréal label : NOM
20. Anxious times for some : EVES - Like kids at Christmas
21. One of the halogens : IODINE - I had "SODIUM" (BZZZT~!), which is the other half of the "salt" equation; alkali metals + halogen gas = salt; periodic chart
22. Pressure source : PEER - "everybody's doing it; you're nobody if you don't~!"
23. Criticize : KNOCK
24. Make some concessions : ADAPT
29. "Get real!" : C'MON
30. Old autocrat : TSAR
32. Problematic lighting? : ARSON - firebug crime
34. Cranky : PECKISH
36. Be a burden to : TRY - "You're peckishness is TRYing my patience~!"
37. Come about : OCCUR
39. Cave-dwelling princess in Donald Duck comics : OONA
40. Mariner's org. : NASA - Dang it~! Fooled me again - not sports related; Husker got it, I'm sure
43. Rise to the top : SHINE
45. Unifying idea : MOTIF
46. Great Lakes catch : CHUB - I had SOLE, then CRAB, then CRUB....which doesn't sound any less appetizing than the actual answer
47. "Epitaph for a Spy" novelist : AMBLER - Eric, and the Wiki
49. "The Godfather" Oscar nominee : CAAN - I tried PUZO; I was 'right' - list of awards
50. Union busters of the 19th cen. : CSA - the Union of the North, and the Confederate States of America
56. Venting venue : BLOG - No one vents on OUR blog....
58. __ Martin: cognac brand : RÉMY - another potable NEVER over ice
DOWN:
1. Play the sycophant to, with "over" : FAWN
2. Agree by repeating : ECHO - like sycophants - "oh, yes, yes, sir~!"
3. Barber shop request : TRIM
4. Set-__: rows : TOS - a Set-to is a fight; a rOW, not rOE
5. Homeowner's concern : UPKEEP - Now that I am working as a driver 7am to 6, 7, 8, 9pm, my UPKEEP is a lot harder
7. Not as forthcoming : COYER
8. Winged University of Miami mascot : IBIS
10. Busy with courses : EATING - Those courses
11. With 33-Across, Saturn or Mercury site : USED CAR and 33A. See 11-Down : LOT
13. Freed from radio music : ALAN - Perhaps could have used a "?", since this is a proper name here; Alan Freed - his Wiki
14. Present : HERE
18. Shout of triumph : HOORAH - DAH~!!! I had hooraY, and that just messed me up
22. One-star write-up : PAN
23. Heineken distributor in Japan : KIRIN
24. Standard Oil offshoot : AMOCO
26. Sharks whose teeth were used in Maori jewelry : MAKOs
27. Old tongue that gave us "rotten" and "egg" : NORSE
28. Gaelic music star : ENYA
29. Thick-soled shoe : CLOG
31. Speak derisively : SCOFF
34. For now : PRO TEM - Latin, pro tempore
38. Focus of an annual festival in New Mexico : UFOLOGY - Once I put the "U" and New Mexico together, this became an 'educated' WAG - Roswell; a "great place to crash~!"
40. Penpoint : NIB
42. Ones for the record book : FIRSTS
44. Strongly motivated : HUNGRY
46. "Cheers" role : CARLA - Coach, Cliff, Diane and Woody fit, too
47. 48-Down, e.g. : ABBReviation
48. M.'s counterpart : MademoiseLLE
49. Clever : CUTE - this stymied me for a long time
50. It gets flat over time : COLA - or SODA....
51. Steak-and-kidney-pudding ingredient : SUET - Eww
52. Abbey nook : APSE - or NAVE....
54. Was taken in : BIT - I had "FIT", like clothing taken in; this is like the people taken in, or 'bit', but the DOT COM BOOM
55. Fly __ : ROD
Splynter
Note from C.C.:
I hope our readers in Southern California will take part in this year's Crossword LA
to be held next Saturday Oct 26. Our own Steve will be there competing. Do say hello to today's
co-constructor Doug Peterson, who will be volunteering at the event. Look, I found this nice photo of Brad & Doug & Tyler Hinman.
