Without the reveal, would you have associated the clues with their answers?
32. Words creditors don't want to hear ... or what each starred clue is with reference to its answer :
CHAPTER ELEVEN.
The title of Chapter 11 for each book in the answer, becomes the clue:
16. *"Finds Print of Man's Foot on the Sand" : ROBINSON CRUSOE. I was pretty sure we were looking for this book, but wasn't sure how the clue related to it.
23. *"Wendy's Story" : PETER PAN. Again, I was pretty sure this was a reference to PETER PAN.
46. *"Nightgown" : MOBY DICK. I got waylaid here, thinking it might be about Scrooge. But "A Christmas Carol" wouldn't fit!
53. *"What I Heard in the Apple Barrel" : TREASURE ISLAND. Never read that one, so this one relied mostly on perps.
I believe this is Danny's LAT debut. He gave us a very difficult Thursday, with some tough crossings and new words. But I got 'er done without any help, so I'm a happy camper. Welcome aboard!
Across
1. Protective garment : SMOCK. I knew enough to check perps before blithely filling in "apron."
6. Nothing like wetlands : ARID.
10. New car stat : MPG. Miles Per Gallon. I couldn't get MSRP out of my head for the longest time.
13. One of four men who managed both the Mets and Yankees : TORRE. Joe TORRE was only briefly a player-manager for the Mets in 1977. The other three were Yogi Berra, Casey Stengel and Dallas Green. (Yeah, right - I totally didn't look that up...)
14. "Eva __": Isabel Allende novel : LUNA. I finished "Girl On the Train" yesterday, and really enjoyed it. (Did you break down and invest, CanadianEh?) So, I'm looking for my next read, and think I have to add this one to the list.
15. JFK datum : ARR.ival
19. __ were : AS IT.
20. Excited exclamation : OH! OH!
21. Actress Katey : SAGAL. She played Gemma on "Sons of Anarchy." You may also know her as Peg Bundy from "Married...With Children."
25. Jai alai ball : PELOTA. And the basket is called the "cesta."
26. Arena sounds : RAHS.
27. Foretells : HERALDS.
28. "Psych" finale? : OSIS. PsychOSIS.
30. Is for more than one? : ARE.
31. Moneyed : FAT. As in, "FAT cat." Mine aren't moneyed...they're just FAT.
37. Here, in Havana : ACÁ. Ouch¡ I wanted Aquí. Cuban Spanish.
38. Magic show prop : HAT.
39. Soggy ground : MIRE. The noun form of the word.
40. Like campsites, at times : FIRELIT.
43. Rhett's last word : DAMN.
45. Tops : APEXES.
50. Wednesday Addams portrayer of film : RICCI. Christina, of "The Addams Family."
51. 1998 Australian Open winner Korda : PETR. Awful crossing here. I bet more than a few people never heard of this guy and the obscure 44-Down. Dugout shelter : ABRI. Petr's daughter is a successful pro golfer on the LPGA tour.
52. Popular berry : ACAI.
56. ISP biggie : AOL.
57. Ship protected by Hera : ARGO.
58. Ripped at the gym : TONED.
59. Many Sam Goody sales : LPs.
60. It hits the nail on the head : PEEN. Good clue for a crossword staple.
61. "Nope!" : NOT SO.
Down
1. Pump part, perhaps : STRAP. The shoe, not the tire inflater.
2. Maine flag image : MOOSE. "Dirigo" means "I lead."
3. Curved path : ORBIT.
4. Measures : CRITERIA.
5. One of a toydom pair : KEN. Hoo boy, I'm getting old. My first thought was "Ann." (Raggedy Ann and Andy.)
6. Words heard coming and going : ALOHAS.
7. Extended sentence : RUN-ON.
8. Creep : INCH. Move slowly, not the shady looking guy at the playground.
9. Patriotic org. : DAR. Daughters of the American Revolution.
10. __ chai: spiced tea : MASALA.
11. Woods, e.g. : PRO GOLFER. I entered the answer without thinking twice.
12. Marmaduke of the comics is one : GREAT DANE.
17. Jr. preceder : SOPH.omore and junior.
18. Notebook owner : USER.
22. "__ call!" : LAST. Tinbeni's least favorite phrase?
24. Rough file : RASP.
25. Strip : PEEL.
27. Central Eur. power until 1806 : HRE. Holy Roman Empire.
28. __ lobe: brain area : OCCIPITAL. Ouch, I wonder how many knew this off the top of their brain?
29. What tenant farmers do : SHARECROP. Exactly what it says - they share crops with the owner of the land.
30. It's "not what you see, but what you make others see": Degas : ART. Inferable.
33. "What I'm holding ..." : THIS.
34. Wear away : EAT.
35. Award since 1949 : EMMY.
36. Indian curry dish : VINDALOO. I wonder if Cindy Lou Who likes VINDALOO.
37. Where some worship from : AFAR.
41. Rises to the top : EXCELS.
42. One of a pair of sci-fi twins : LEIA. Wouldn't ya know, I had the "L" in place and went with Luke at first. Of "Star Wars" fame.
43. Spoil rotten : DOTE ON.
46. Construction area sign : MERGE.
47. "Sorry, impossible" : I CAN'T.
48. Props for Astaire : CANES. Here's a routine I bet you have never seen him perform. (The original dance routine was to the tune "Puttin' on the Ritz.") 4:14
49. Buddy : KIDDO.
51. Word with luck or gold : PURE.
54. Easy mark : SAP.
55. Penn, e.g.: Abbr. : STN. Station.
The End.
Marti
