Theme: Saturday Silkie
Words: 70 (missing J,Q,U,V,X)
Blocks: 30
Well now, today's offering from Mr. Silk was still tough in some spots,
but do we feel better about our crossword solving ability since the
beating I think we all took from last week's bear~? I did have to wait
on the hefty answers while I did my first pass through the Downs, then I was able to get a grip. Several "exclamations" in the grid today (*). Triple 11-letter stacks in the NW and SE, with four 10's and six 9's to round out the long fill of the grid:
1a. Performing poorly : FALLING DOWN - also a movie starring Michael Douglas; they "Stopped Serving Breakfast"
15a. Music lover's resource : iHEART RADIO - Don't care for
anything "i" these days; "I" listen to Pandora Internet Radio, and I am
sad to say that didn't fit the space....
20a. Think : CEREBRATE - Oooh, that's a $2 word you can use in passing today....
12d. Spider producer : ALFA-ROMEO - the latest Alfa as I have seen from watching the BBC show "Top Gear" is this one, the Disco Volante ( "fly wheel")
28. Aristotelian ideal : GOLDEN MEAN - The Wiki; I could argue that this is the principle of Alcoholics Anonymous as well; I am a card-carrying member
ONWARD~!
ACROSS:
12. Hematological system : ABO - Blood types; I am "B positive~!"
16. Crucible setting : LAB - I was concerned this might have to do with the novel at first
17. Accept financial responsibility : BEAR THE COST
18. Not to : FRO - cute; "To & Fro"
19. St. Louis bridge architect : EADS - Beautiful, but I happen to like bridges in general
22. RR crossing sites : RDs - Dah~! Went with STs first - Roads, not Streets
23. Chaotic scene : ZOO
25. Rum company founder Fred : MYERS
26. Onslaught : BARRAGE
29. Animal shelter : COTE - LAIR, CAVE, COTE all worked
31. Satisfied : MADE GOOD ON - MADE ENDS MEET was too long
34. Latin 101 word : AMAT - "He loves" - had amaS to start
35. Pulitzer playwright Zoë : AKINS
36. Brooks of Hollywood : MEL - The man who brought us "Young Frankenstein" and "Stand-up Philosophers"
37. Dog in a horned helmet : SNERT - from the comic strip Hägar the Horrible
38. Qajar dynasty country, today : IRAN
39. Bar seller : CANDY STORE - ah, that kind of bar
41. Norton Sound city : NOME
42. Broken up : IN TEARS - emotionally broken up, that is
43. Food mfr.'s calculation : NET WT.
45. At 5,343 ft., Mt. Marcy is its highest point : NYS - huh - New York State - I live here, and did not know this - did you, Argyle?
46. HDTV brand : RCA
49. Netherlands port : ROTTERDAM
52*. Cries of discovery : "O-HOs~!"
53. Cuban Revolution name : CHE
54. They may come from ostriches : BOA FEATHERS
57. Craft whose name means "peace" : MIR - Russian space station
58. Picture in your head : MENTAL IMAGE
59. Batt. terminal : POSitive
60. Forensic technique : DNA ANALYSIS - with a semi-clecho to start the downs -->
DOWN:
1. Bit of forensic evidence : FIBER
2. Not trying to catch anyone : AHEAD - some crafty clechoing here, too -->
3. Doesn't have to catch anyone : LEADS - being 'ahead' in a race, e.g.
4. Norwegian-born chemistry Nobelist Onsager : LARS
5. NYC subway : IRT - gimme, being that I do live 60mi from New York City; the Interborough Rapid Transit
6. Degree in math : NTH
7. Wrestling style : GRECO-ROMAN
8. Freshwater fish : DACE
9. Suggestive quality : ODOR - did this puzzle has an 'odor' of "DNF"~?
10. Guys with gifts : WISE MEN - SUITORS fit, too
11. __ a long shot : NOT BY
13. MVP of the first two Super Bowls : BART STARR - had to dredge this one up from the depths. Much cerebrating.
14. Wind up on stage? : OBOE - Wind, short e, not Wye-nd
21. Takes back : RECANTS
23. Turns abruptly : ZAGS
24. Montana motto word : ORO - Shout-out~!!!
26. Floyd __ Field, NYC's first municipal airport : BENNETT - great, another NYS learning moment for me - hey, I did know the name of JFK before it was called JFK Airport
27. Make __ in : ADENT
30. Usher follower? : ETTE - usherETTE - my 'meh' clue for the day
31. Key : MAIN - ah, not ISLE
32. LeBron James' birthplace : AKRON, OHIO - mostly perps on this one
33. Circle measures : DIAMETERS
37. Cold War gp. : SSRs - I have a bit of a nit with the plural nature of the answer
39. French auto pioneer : CITROËN - André-Gustave, read about WWII sabotages and more here
40*. "Way to go!" : "YAY~!"
44. Site with a Symptom Checker : WebMD - I have had reason to stop by this website
46. Flightless birds : RHEAs
47. Cardigan or Pembroke dog : CORGI - I had the "C", took a W.A.G.
48. Burden-bearing team : ASSES - I'd like to see this clued 'another' way....
49. Law org. with an annual Musical Ride tour : RCMP - Royal Canadian Mounted Police
50. Actress Delany : DANA
51. Mennen lotion : AFTA
52*. "Wow!" : "OH MY~!"
55. After : A'LA - as in styled "after"....
56. Up to, briefly : (un)TIL
Splynter
Notes from C.C.:
Happy Birthday to dear Irish Miss & Abejo, two of our very loyal
and caring regulars. I still feel guilty forgetting their birthday last
year.
Here is a picture of Irish Miss (Agnes) with her sister Eileen. The
picture was taken on Nov 22, 2013 at their sister Peggy's house. Any
special plans today, Agnes?
Let's meet Abejo (Bradley):
Abejo said:
This is a photo of myself and Fermatprime's friend Harvey
about a year and a half ago. I am on the left as you are looking at the
picture. Harvey is on the right. We were in Virginia together. This
organization, the Knights Templar, is what I do in my spare time.