Words: 70 (missing F,J,Q,Z)
Blocks: 28
Thank you all for last week's get well comments; I had such a high
fever I thought I was going to lose my mind - literally. This is the
first time I've gotten to a crossword in two weeks. I was able to
review the last three LAT this week, and I have to say thank you to C.C.
for covering my part last Saturday, and for a stellar effort on
Thursday's puzzle. As for today, when I saw Steve's name at the top, I
figured I was looking at a DNF - I am usually thwarted by his
misdirection and vagueness, but with only one cheat, I was able to
finish this one. Nothing longer than the two 11-letter cross fills
today;
31A. "Violator" band : DEPECHE MODE
- JUDAS PRIEST fit, too - but I knew that was wrong; I was finally able
to tune in to Pandora for the first time in a month yesterday, and Depeche Mode
pops up on my favorite channel with this song
39A. 1996 film with the tagline "YIKES! They've Landed!" : MARS ATTACKS! - Hysterical parody of science fiction and horror directed by Tim Burton with a cast of big names - and Tom Jones, too~!
Onward~!
ACROSS:
1. There may be tears in them : DUCTS - Right off we have ambiguity; tEErs, or tAIrs~???
6. Track event : GRAND PRIX - the Indy car kind of track; clecho 16A. Track event : RELAY RACE - the human leg kind of track
15. Like some office boxes : IN/OUT
17. Yellow-flowered medicinal plant : SENNA
18. Champing at the bit, and then some : OVEREAGER
19. "__ Cheerleaders": 1977 comedy-horror film : SATAN'S - I wonder if the people at IMDb feel like they really, really need to include these types of films; then again, the summary does sound intriguing....
21. Campus not far from LAX : USC - well, I figured it was University of something/something California
22. Camera that uses 70mm film : IMAX - So far, I've only seen Skyfall in IMAX (and a nature film at the Museum of Natural History)
23. Exploit : USE
24. Casual evening? : NITE - night (evening) spelled casually
6. Track event : GRAND PRIX - the Indy car kind of track; clecho 16A. Track event : RELAY RACE - the human leg kind of track
15. Like some office boxes : IN/OUT
17. Yellow-flowered medicinal plant : SENNA
19. "__ Cheerleaders": 1977 comedy-horror film : SATAN'S - I wonder if the people at IMDb feel like they really, really need to include these types of films; then again, the summary does sound intriguing....
21. Campus not far from LAX : USC - well, I figured it was University of something/something California
22. Camera that uses 70mm film : IMAX - So far, I've only seen Skyfall in IMAX (and a nature film at the Museum of Natural History)
23. Exploit : USE
24. Casual evening? : NITE - night (evening) spelled casually
26. Inedible orange : OSAGE
27. Aspire to greatness : AIM HIGH
29. "84, Charing Cross Road" novelist Hanff and others : HELENEs
33. Deco designer : ERTE
34. Agreeing words : "SO AM I"
35. Latin quarters? : CASA
41. Arizona retirement community : SUN CITY
45. Black-footed albatrosses : GOONEYS - also the nickname of the Douglas C-47
47. Savory, e.g. : HERB
48. Tex.-based carrier : SWA - Southwest Airlines - they are the leading airline at my 'local' jet airport, MacArthur; gets so little respect being in the neighborhood of JFK and LGA....
49. "Such a shame" : PITY
50. It's a mess : STY
52. Zen awakening : SATORI
54. Daily reading for many : HOROSCOPE - NEWSPAPER fit, too - and I DO read my daily horoscope each morning; said nothing about getting sick, tho
57. Nitpick : CAVIL
58. New members : INITIATES - Rookies, probies, neophytes (hey, that one fit) - I am a 'new member' of the driver's group at UPS - but I have not made their UNION yet
59. Whence Icarus fled : CRETE
60. Ones on the way up : ASCENDERS - yes, they, are....
61. Had a row : OARED - and another ambiguous word; roe, or rOW
DOWN:
1. Convince otherwise : DISSUADE - took a little too long to let go of PERSUADE
2. More disturbed : UNEASIER
3. Disdain : CONTEMPT
4. Skipjack, perhaps : TUNA - my one look-up; I was sure it was a boat, and it turns out it's also a block cipher, and the one we needed - TUNA
5. Tinny : STANNIC - which means "containing TIN"- STANA KATIC is better
6. Nursery product word : GRO - Miracle-Gro, e.g.
7. Follies : REVUE
8. Draft picks : ALES
9. Traffic blocker? : NARC - the drug traffic
10. Shade provider? : DYE - the "?" meant it was NOT "ELM"
11. Extol : PRAISE
12. Dealer in old clothing : RAGMAN
13. Way more than a cold snap : ICE AGE
14. Darius I's successor : XERXES - Persian (likely Bibilical) kings
20. Reacts to with an eye roll, perhaps : SIGHS AT - wasn't there a 'Friends' episode where Joey wasn't allowed to roll his eyes at what Phoebe said?
25. Something to test : THEORY
26. Cry of approval : OLE - I had O-HO, then OYE, and I wondered what other "Heyenes" there could be (29A)
28. Laugh line? : HEE - hee-hee
29. Respect : HOMAGE - if you're being really reverent, it's an OH-MAHJE
30. Corrections staff? : EDITORS
32. Humanities degs. : MAs
35. Soup holder : CAN - sometimes, the simplest answers....
36. Best kind of full house : ACES OVER - I had ACE/KINGS, and that stopped me from getting anywhere in the SE for the longest time
37. Use lofty words? : SKYWRITE - HAR-HAR~!!!
38. Pounced on : ASSAILED
39. Short time? : MINute
40. Caldwell's "__ Road" : TOBACCO
41. Most popular baby girl's name of 2011 and 2012 : SOPHIA - what's the inspiration? Usually there's a super-popular female singer/star that causes the increase in popularity; Britney Spears was one I recall
42. They may be civil : UNIONS - wars, rights, engineers
43. __ acid : NITRIC
44. Prairie predator : COYOTE
47. Bouncing off the walls : HYPER
50. Large amount : SCAD
51. Haul : TOTE
53. Frank Kennedy saved it from foreclosure : TARA - the plantation from "Gone With the Wind"
55. Moral lapse : SIN
56. Twisty character : ESS - as in
Splynter
