Words: 70 (missing J,Q,X)
Blocks: 33
A great puzzle
from our Saturday Stalwart, Sr. Silk - we had to wait a bit since his
last (Apr 5th; almost a month~!) I liked this puzzle because I cheated, W.A.G.ed and actually
knew some things, too - and that means I learned something. Nifty
little pinwheel design with double-word-only stacks in a spiral pattern,
plus a couple more 9- and 10-letter words on the inside as well. The "it looks easy" 4-4-5 across the top was deceiving, to say the least; some of the longer fill:
18a. Bonobo, e.g. : CHIMPANZEE - Also a musician
28d. Australian red formerly called Hermitage : SHIRAZ WINE - a guide for those who can partake of the alcoholic grape
47a. It needs to be refined : CRUDE METAL - Because CRUDE OIL was not enough - how about some crude metal hair band music?
3d. Out of order : ON THE BLINK - When I was growing up, it was usually the TV that suffered this malady
ACROSS:
1. Trudge : PLOD - Um, OK, so, TREK, WALK, STEP....
5. Sonoma County seat Santa __ : ROSA - A WAG off the "O"
9. Square : PLAZA - anyone else in "dweeb" mode here? Oh, that kind of square
14. Late great? : LENO - Ah, the V-8 can - DUCK~!
15. Sci. subject : ASTRonomy - For some reason, I was pre-qualifying this as a "high school" subject, and not Science in general
16. Eponymous golf promoter Samuel : RYDER - His famous Ryder Cup is the prize for the winning team of USA vs. Europe players
17. FYI relative : ATTN.
20. Brief disclaimer : IMHO - Seen frequently here at the Blog, "In My Humble Opinion"
21. Provider of sound testimony? : EAR-WITNESS
22. Saw things : TEETH - Nailed it - did not fool me with "seeing"
24. Priceless? : FREE - Yup
25. Crayola color since 1949 : BRICK RED
28. Diving duck : SMEW - I tried TEAL
32. Uses a management training technique : ROLE PLAYS
34. Title imaginary friend in a Neil Diamond hit : SHILO - I have spent my music links
35. Fast ship : CLIPPER - "Fast ship? You've never heard of the Millennium Falcon?"
36. DVD staple : TRAILER - Annoying, actually - and I do not have Star Wars on DVD - just VHS ( for shame )
38. Silicon Valley college : MENLO - all perps
39. Tempo notation : ALLA BREVE
41. Slow : POKY
42. Liver delicacy : FOIE GRAS
43. "The Wizard of Oz" farmhand : ZEKE
44. San Diego State athlete : AZTEC - Total cheat on my part - Googled it
5. Sonoma County seat Santa __ : ROSA - A WAG off the "O"
9. Square : PLAZA - anyone else in "dweeb" mode here? Oh, that kind of square
14. Late great? : LENO - Ah, the V-8 can - DUCK~!
15. Sci. subject : ASTRonomy - For some reason, I was pre-qualifying this as a "high school" subject, and not Science in general
16. Eponymous golf promoter Samuel : RYDER - His famous Ryder Cup is the prize for the winning team of USA vs. Europe players
17. FYI relative : ATTN.
20. Brief disclaimer : IMHO - Seen frequently here at the Blog, "In My Humble Opinion"
21. Provider of sound testimony? : EAR-WITNESS
22. Saw things : TEETH - Nailed it - did not fool me with "seeing"
24. Priceless? : FREE - Yup
25. Crayola color since 1949 : BRICK RED
28. Diving duck : SMEW - I tried TEAL
32. Uses a management training technique : ROLE PLAYS
34. Title imaginary friend in a Neil Diamond hit : SHILO - I have spent my music links
35. Fast ship : CLIPPER - "Fast ship? You've never heard of the Millennium Falcon?"
36. DVD staple : TRAILER - Annoying, actually - and I do not have Star Wars on DVD - just VHS ( for shame )
38. Silicon Valley college : MENLO - all perps
39. Tempo notation : ALLA BREVE
41. Slow : POKY
42. Liver delicacy : FOIE GRAS
43. "The Wizard of Oz" farmhand : ZEKE
44. San Diego State athlete : AZTEC - Total cheat on my part - Googled it
53. Policy pro : WONK - New word for me; these two across clues messed up the whole SE
54. Transcends : RISES ABOVE
55. Prefix with Aryan : INDO
56. Free __ : AGENT
57. "The Last King of Scotland" tyrant : AMIN
58. Caution to a German shepherd, say : NEIN - Ah, not "HEEL" - that would be a German Shepherd - ah, you deceiver, Barry Silk~!
59. Longtime NFL coach Schottenheimer : MARTY - WAG/perp for me
60. Stop : REST
61. Uruguay's Punta del __ : ESTE
DOWN:
1. Braid : PLAIT
2. "I can do it" : LET ME
4. Phrase in much computer-generated mail : DO NOT REPLY
5. Speed : RACE - RUSH was my first try
6. Federal inspection org. : OSHA
7. Cook quickly : STIR FRY
8. Compete in a strength contest : ARM WRESTLE
9. Jabber : PRATE
10. "Coal Miner's Daughter" subject : LYNN - Loretta
11. Shop shaper : ADZE - LATHE was too long, so I pondered RASP and FILE
12. You might catch a few : ZEES - Had it, removed it, put it back in
13. Father of Deimos : ARES - Greek Gods
19. Patchy : PIED - when this filled, I had to duck again
23. Semiaquatic heavyweight : HIPPO
26. Largest OH airport : CLEveland - Cincinnati's airport is actually in Covington, KY
27. Place to enjoy a sharp drinker? : KARAOKE BAR - musically "sharp", but most of the time, 'atonal' is a better way to describe it
29. Noteworthy events : MILESTONES
30. Abbr. on some city limit signs : ELEVation
31. Had on : WORE
32. Ottawa-based law gp. : RCMP - One of those "ooh, I know this one~!" answers
33. Stick on a fridge door : OLEO - another bit of misdirection that did not get past me - a stick of margarine, not a magnet
34. Tel Aviv native : SABRA
37. Syncopated piece : RAG
40. 1962 hit with the lyrics "the truth could mean I'd lose you" : LIE TO ME
42. Disaster relief org. : FEMA
43. Piquant : ZESTY
45. Split up : END IT
46. Designer fragrance : ck ONE
47. Squeeze : CRAM
48. Baltic seaport : RIGA - No more maps for you~!
49. End __ : USER
50. Noticeable progress : DENT - I am making a dent in my list of
things to get done around here, and it feels good, too. The rental
apartment at mom's house is vacant again, so that needs to be cleaned
up, I just replaced the valve cover gasket on my car, and changed the
plugs; today I tackle the thermostat. Now the battery idiot light came
on in the other car - the list never seems to get shorter....
51. Dollar alternative : AVIS - Rental car places
52. Nearly six-week period : LENT - An educated WAG
Splynter
