Words: 72 (missing Q, Z)
Blocks: 34
I
have not seen this constructor before, but I have seen a grid like this
before - and typically not on Saturday. Very few long-letter fills and
simple corners, but a complex array of answers and clues that needed to
be mined for hints made this one a healthy challenge. Have to admit to
two bad cells, both relating to "country" music - oh well. We have two
9-letter crossings, and two 10's crossing 12-letter spanners;
21A. Quantum theory pioneer : MAX PLANCK
10D. Disaster : CATACLYSM
6D. "... forswear thin potations and to addict __ to sack": Falstaff : THEMSELVES - that's a long way to go for a personal pronoun
32A. Facetious Appalachian portmanteau : PENNSYLTUCKY
- I am familiar with this type of slanderous nick-name; I lived just
north of Cincinnati, near a town called Hamilton; the local yokels were
said to be from "Hamiltucky"
30D. Safari coverings : SUN HELMETS - see here
41A. Smart alecks : WISENHEIMERS - learned from watching cartoons
53A. Rare pro golf feat : GRAND SLAM - there's some ambiguity on this one; the Wiki
So, what do 10 and 12 have in common, but skips 11~?
ONWARD~!
ACROSS:
1. Handhold : CLASP - don't like
that we start with a 'meh'; I think of a CLasp as the little thingy that
closes a necklace; a handhold is more of a GRasp
6. Part of a comparison : THAN
6. Part of a comparison : THAN
10. Montreal Protocol concerns : CFCs - here's a little from the UN environment programme
14. "Men in Trees" star : HECHE - Anne; did not know of this TV series
15. Roadside chain, for short : HO JO - Howard Johnson's - they've vanished out my way
16. Take __ at: try to wallop : A RIP - tried "A RUN" - 50% correct
17. Sean who played Samwise Gamgee : ASTIN - that would be the character from "Lord of the Rings", which sadly I could not get in to
18. Dash : ELAN - this could also be "A RUN"
19. Arum family tuber : TARO - a crossword educated WAG
20. Egyptian menace : ASP
23. Glides : SASHAYS
26. Heart part? : COCKLE - I am still looking for the girl who will "warm the cockles of my heart"
27. Texter's "... but that may just be me" : IMO - In My Opinion
28. Fertile deposit : LOESS - WAGed
31. Elizabeth of "Martha Marcy May Marlene" : OLSEN
35. Old blade : SNEE - had this last week
36. Like some grazers : OVINE - I went with VEGAN first, and I like it better
37. Span. girl : SRTA
44. Complexity : DEPTH
47. Inscribed marker : STELA - dah~! I had an "E" at the end first
48. High-tech worker : 'BOT - Robot
49. Taken out, in a way : ON LOAN
51. Back in the day : LONG AGO
56. Daughter of Loki : HEL - unknown to me, hence one bad cell....
57. "We Three Kings" kings : MAGI
58. Joining device : YOKE
59. Ring material : ONION - semi-fooled me, but once the "---ON" was in place
62. Desierto's lack : AGUA - once I figured out this was not a personal name, but Spanish for desert....
63. Ravel's "Gaspard de la __" : NUIT - considered to be one of the most complex solo piano pieces - watch here at about 16:30 to see how he crosses his hands back and forth
14. "Men in Trees" star : HECHE - Anne; did not know of this TV series
15. Roadside chain, for short : HO JO - Howard Johnson's - they've vanished out my way
16. Take __ at: try to wallop : A RIP - tried "A RUN" - 50% correct
17. Sean who played Samwise Gamgee : ASTIN - that would be the character from "Lord of the Rings", which sadly I could not get in to
18. Dash : ELAN - this could also be "A RUN"
19. Arum family tuber : TARO - a crossword educated WAG
20. Egyptian menace : ASP
23. Glides : SASHAYS
26. Heart part? : COCKLE - I am still looking for the girl who will "warm the cockles of my heart"
27. Texter's "... but that may just be me" : IMO - In My Opinion
28. Fertile deposit : LOESS - WAGed
31. Elizabeth of "Martha Marcy May Marlene" : OLSEN
35. Old blade : SNEE - had this last week
36. Like some grazers : OVINE - I went with VEGAN first, and I like it better
37. Span. girl : SRTA
44. Complexity : DEPTH
47. Inscribed marker : STELA - dah~! I had an "E" at the end first
48. High-tech worker : 'BOT - Robot
49. Taken out, in a way : ON LOAN
51. Back in the day : LONG AGO
56. Daughter of Loki : HEL - unknown to me, hence one bad cell....
57. "We Three Kings" kings : MAGI
58. Joining device : YOKE
59. Ring material : ONION - semi-fooled me, but once the "---ON" was in place
62. Desierto's lack : AGUA - once I figured out this was not a personal name, but Spanish for desert....
63. Ravel's "Gaspard de la __" : NUIT - considered to be one of the most complex solo piano pieces - watch here at about 16:30 to see how he crosses his hands back and forth
64. Nice book : LIVRE - French for "book". Ugh, enough with the foreign stuff, OK~?
65. Treated : SEEN - like doctors; I was thinking "ON ME"
66. Mdse. containers : CTNs - I C a lt f ctns @ UPS
67. Pool events : MEETS
DOWN:
1. Chinese tea : CHA
2. Nessman of WKRP : LES
3. Be a team : ACT AS ONE
4. Turkish skewer : SHISH - kebabs~!
5. Friends you may never see : PEN-PALS - I saw that this was part of a popular discussion this week
7. Havana "How do" : HOLA
8. Trojan War hero : AJAX
9. Like some rude jokes, briefly : NON-PC
11. Cookout fare : FRANKS
12. Wait to land, perhaps : CIRCLE
13. Reserved, with "for" : SPOKEN
22. Style : LOOK - here's where I twas thinking "ELAN" first
23. Takes it slow, in a way : SIPS - I don't take it at all - Jan 8th was my 10-yr AA anniversary
24. "Yes!" : AMEN - huh; I had the "M" and "N", so I went with "I'm In"
25. Chuckleheads : YO-YOs
29. Hitch : STINT - Got it this time
65. Treated : SEEN - like doctors; I was thinking "ON ME"
66. Mdse. containers : CTNs - I C a lt f ctns @ UPS
67. Pool events : MEETS
DOWN:
1. Chinese tea : CHA
2. Nessman of WKRP : LES
3. Be a team : ACT AS ONE
4. Turkish skewer : SHISH - kebabs~!
5. Friends you may never see : PEN-PALS - I saw that this was part of a popular discussion this week
7. Havana "How do" : HOLA
8. Trojan War hero : AJAX
9. Like some rude jokes, briefly : NON-PC
11. Cookout fare : FRANKS
12. Wait to land, perhaps : CIRCLE
13. Reserved, with "for" : SPOKEN
22. Style : LOOK - here's where I twas thinking "ELAN" first
23. Takes it slow, in a way : SIPS - I don't take it at all - Jan 8th was my 10-yr AA anniversary
24. "Yes!" : AMEN - huh; I had the "M" and "N", so I went with "I'm In"
25. Chuckleheads : YO-YOs
29. Hitch : STINT - Got it this time
34. Songwriter Green : CeeLo - had a huge hit with "F*** You"
38. 1991 "Favorite Album - Country" American Music Award winner : REBA LIVE - Reba TIME~!? Nope. Reba VIBE~!? Uh-uh. Dang.
39. 1970 sci-fi film starring Joan Crawford in her last big-screen performance : TROG - Never heard of it - IMDb
Blue Oyster Cult had fun with her, tho ( more piano, too~! )
40. Regarding : AS TO
42. Start of a favorite-meal reminiscence : I HAD
43. 1998 "King Lear" Olivier Award winner : IAN HOLM - I know him from "Alien"
44. Doctrines : DOGMAS
45. Anger : ENRAGE
46. Harass : PLAGUE
50. "This I Promise You" band : *NSYNC - not that I heard the song, but with the "C" in place....
52. Bottled-up type? : GENIE - har-har
54. Boor : LOUT
55. Similar : AKIN
60. Scrap for Fido : ORT
61. Video game letters : NES - Nintendo Entertainment System
Splynter
Note from C.C.:
Please click here for a Caesar coleslaw recipe Yellowrocks (Kathy) sent to me last night. Here is what a savoy cabbage looks like. As Kathy says, you have slice it thinly, the leaf has a kale-like quality.
Note from C.C.:
Please click here for a Caesar coleslaw recipe Yellowrocks (Kathy) sent to me last night. Here is what a savoy cabbage looks like. As Kathy says, you have slice it thinly, the leaf has a kale-like quality.
