Words: 69 (missing F,J,Q,U,Z)
Blocks: 36
I did notice that today's grid was slightly larger than our normal
fare, which I have missed in the past - Mr. Ashwood-Smith had a similar
Saturday grid with a Quad Stack back in Nov 2012. Mostly blank through
my first pass, just a couple of three-letter fills, but I did know 57a.
Looking back, there really was not too much in the way of vagueness,
nor obscurity, IMHO. Ten-letter corners, two 12-letter spanners, and
two 10-letter climbers, one of which I nailed (*). The Quad Stack:
30. Give an essentials-only account : SPARE THE DETAILS - I had LEAVE OUT DETAILS
39. Exercises in futility : WILD GOOSE CHASES - ugh, took too long for me to get this one, especially having "-CHASES" filled in
40. Mortgagee's calculation : INTEREST PAYMENT - Started with MONTHLY PAYMENTS
41. Group project feedback : PEER ASSESSMENTS - I'd like your assessment on my solo project - here's the finished benches
39. Exercises in futility : WILD GOOSE CHASES - ugh, took too long for me to get this one, especially having "-CHASES" filled in
40. Mortgagee's calculation : INTEREST PAYMENT - Started with MONTHLY PAYMENTS
41. Group project feedback : PEER ASSESSMENTS - I'd like your assessment on my solo project - here's the finished benches
Carry ONward~!
ACROSS:
1. W. Coast force : LAPD - Police Force, Los Angeles
5. Trailer : MOBILE HOME - Dah~! I had "MOVIE -----", and that was working for a while
15. "Superman" (1978) co-producer Salkind : ILYA
16. Guacamole maker's discard : AVOCADO PIT
17. Active : SPRY
18. Struggle for a 23-Across : SENATE RACE - circular references in Saturday puzzles are the bane of some here on the blog; 23a. Goal in an 18-Across : SEAT
19. Historic Greenwich Village club : THE BITTER END - I have 'heard' of it, but that's all; their website
5. Trailer : MOBILE HOME - Dah~! I had "MOVIE -----", and that was working for a while
15. "Superman" (1978) co-producer Salkind : ILYA
16. Guacamole maker's discard : AVOCADO PIT
17. Active : SPRY
18. Struggle for a 23-Across : SENATE RACE - circular references in Saturday puzzles are the bane of some here on the blog; 23a. Goal in an 18-Across : SEAT
19. Historic Greenwich Village club : THE BITTER END - I have 'heard' of it, but that's all; their website
21. Ivanhoe, e.g. : SAXON
22. Lao-__ : TSE
26. Volume One words, perhaps : A TO - A to Amer., e.g.
28. Blame : RAP
42. Singer's asset : EAR
43. Waste no time : HIE
44. Half-day exam given four times a yr. : LSAT
47. Welcome words : "HI's~!"
50. Mil. trial : N-TEST
54. One at the end of the line : WIDE RECEIVER - Football line
57. Band with the 1986 #1 hit "Venus" : BANANARAMA
60. Marquee time : NITE - "shorthand" for NIGHT: uses less tiles/letters and space - I had to change the marquee at a "NITE" club called Casanova's, so many years ago; see 38d.
61. Help in a stock exchange? : BROKER'S TIP
62. Old 442 rivals : GTOs
63. Fast-moving game : SPEED CHESS - not for me; I have to think about my moves
64. Lacking : SANS
DOWN:
1. Joggers of a sort : LISTS - I keep mine in the cel phone now
2. Top dog : ALPHA
3. Brand introduced by Corning in 1915 : PYREX
4. Certain prep schooler : DAY BOARDER
5. Caravel feature : MAST - Our constructor had a ship clue/answer in the Nov '12 puzzle, too
6. British miler Steve : OVETT
7. Crams, with "up" : BONES - put it in, took it out
8. Comforting comment : "I CARE"
9. Up-to-the-minute : LATE
10. Wonderlands : EDENS
11. Multitude : HORDE
12. WWII cost-stabilizing agcy. : OPA - Office of Price Administraion - the Wiki
13. Jack letters : MIC - DAH~! I shoulda known this kind of jack - music; usually a different ohm rating than say, "guitar". I went with LBS, as in spare tire car jack
7. Crams, with "up" : BONES - put it in, took it out
8. Comforting comment : "I CARE"
9. Up-to-the-minute : LATE
10. Wonderlands : EDENS
11. Multitude : HORDE
12. WWII cost-stabilizing agcy. : OPA - Office of Price Administraion - the Wiki
13. Jack letters : MIC - DAH~! I shoulda known this kind of jack - music; usually a different ohm rating than say, "guitar". I went with LBS, as in spare tire car jack
14. Time for les vacances : ETE - Frawnche - haven't seen much in a long, long time
20. Former Acura model : INTEGRA
24. Gotten up : ARISEN
25. Local __ : TALENT
27. Chiwere speakers : OTOEs
29. Attention getters : PSSTs
30. Take the wrong way? : SWIPE - dah~! Went with STEAL
31. __ gland: organ that secretes melatonin : PINEAL
32. Lets out, say : ALTERS - I bought me a suit this week - my first tailored get up, and it felt good - I've lost 30lbs this summer
33. Old West transport, in dialect : HOSS - Oater-speak for "horse" - I linked genuine frontier gibberish two weeks ago
34. Historic Padua neighbor : ESTE
35. Passbook amts. : DEPs - Deposits; don't hear much about passbooks anymore; I do all my banking with direct deposit, online transactions and mobile app functions
36. Net funds : eCASH - Dah~! Went with "GROSS"
37. DNA compound : THYMINE
38*. Sessions involving steps : A.A. MEETINGS - I did a second "Fourth Step" with a new sponsor this summer; still have NOT followed up on his suggestion....terrifying
20. Former Acura model : INTEGRA
24. Gotten up : ARISEN
25. Local __ : TALENT
27. Chiwere speakers : OTOEs
29. Attention getters : PSSTs
30. Take the wrong way? : SWIPE - dah~! Went with STEAL
31. __ gland: organ that secretes melatonin : PINEAL
32. Lets out, say : ALTERS - I bought me a suit this week - my first tailored get up, and it felt good - I've lost 30lbs this summer
33. Old West transport, in dialect : HOSS - Oater-speak for "horse" - I linked genuine frontier gibberish two weeks ago
34. Historic Padua neighbor : ESTE
35. Passbook amts. : DEPs - Deposits; don't hear much about passbooks anymore; I do all my banking with direct deposit, online transactions and mobile app functions
36. Net funds : eCASH - Dah~! Went with "GROSS"
37. DNA compound : THYMINE
38*. Sessions involving steps : A.A. MEETINGS - I did a second "Fourth Step" with a new sponsor this summer; still have NOT followed up on his suggestion....terrifying
45. Up : AWAKE
46. Like a rake : TINED
47. Pulitzer journalist Seymour : HERSH
48. Hot : IRATE
49. They occur before finals : SEMIs
51. "You Must Love Me" musical : EVITA
52. Place atop : SET ON
53. Bobby pin target : TRESS
55. Jeanne __ : D'ARC
56. Means of emphasis : CAPS - I REALLY DON'T LIKE READING TEXTS LIKE THIS
57. Hardly big shots? : BBs - Cute
58. Klee contemporary : ARP
59. __ Valley: San Francisco area : NOE - map
I have one more surprise for my buddy Adam; his logo as a plaque to go opposite the benches on the bar wall of his restaurant;
Splynter
Note from C.C.:
JD's grandson Truman turned 7 years old yesterday. Here he is with his brother Grady on the right and cousin Cameron on the left.