Words: 70 (missing Q,X,Z,)
Blocks: 32
Well, I am surprised at how easily this one filled in - and there were
plenty of proper names and vague clues to make think otherwise at the
start. I have worked Saturday puzzles from both constructors, but not as a duo; strangely, I used the phrase "Plan B" (see 16a.) in the write-up of Mr. Christian's 7/26/14 offering. A rare grid with three separate climbers and one spanner, and
no-so-intimidating corners;
36. Does some political maneuvering : JOCKEYS FOR POWER
3. Reaction to excessive attention to detail : BUT WHO'S COUNTING~?
7. Unplugs in a big way : LIVES OFF THE GRID
11. Post-washing warning : CAUTION WET FLOOR
underwa[te]rd~!
ACROSS:
1. Card __ : TABLE - ah. This did not occur to me until I had --BLE
6. "The Hobbit" being : ELF - not ENT - pondered ORC, too
9. Tied accessory : ASCOT - threw it in, and it stayed
14. Cameron Indoor Stadium college hoopster : BLUE DEVIL - an educated WAG from ----EVIL
16. It has a backup : PLAN A
17. Feigns innocence : ACTS NAÏVE
18. Like Zitronen : SAUER - German for lemons, and sour; I gathered it meant "citrus"
19. Inexperienced : RAW
20. Tons : A SLEW
21. First : ON TOP
22. Acidity nos. : pHs
24. Virtue of the 2010 Olympic champion ice dancing team Virtue and Moir : TESSA - I had TE--A, and went with "RR" - Bzzzt~! ( I knew a girl in Florida named Terra )
26. Gershon of "Killer Joe" : GINA - could not think of her name
27. It involves pockets : POOL - Had it, took it out, put it back in. I like shooting pool, but have not done so in about 6 years - even have my own cues
29. Some crosses : ROODS - went with ANHKS first
31. Alley ending? : OOP - Alley-oop
32. Freelancers' encls. : SAEs - Self-Addressed Envelopes
34. Ross Sea sight : FLOE
35. Captain's dir. : NNE
40. Tokyo-born artist : ONO
41. Lit __ : CRIT - perps - Literary Criticism; the study, evaluation, and interpretation of literature. I am presently reading Nelson DeMille's "The Gate House". I like his stuff
42. Kennel pickup area : NAPE - ah - where you literally pick up an animal, from the back of the neck
43. Coin first minted in 13th-century France : ECU - Learned doing crosswords; we almost got away with a Frawnche-free puzzle this week
44. Challenging pitch : HIGH C - I had the "C" first, so I was not feeling it
46. Baryshnikov, at birth : LETT
48. What "c" may mean in South Africa : CENT - their "dollar" is the rand, and therefore....
50. "One can say everything best over __": George Eliot : A MEAL
52. Corp. treasurer, perhaps : CFO
53. Playground comeback : AM TOO - are so, is not....couldn't decide at the beginning
55. __ Dei : AGNUS - OK, I was in a "Da Vinci Code" frame of mind, couldn't get past "OPUS"
57. Bodybuilder Ferrigno : LOU - best known for the greener side of the TV series "The Incredible Hulk"
59. Ballerina Shearer : MOIRA - a WAG from M--RA
60. Eccentrics : CRACKPOTS - nailed it
62. Big name in auditing : ERNST - I had a room-mate in college who was destined for the "Ernst & Young" accounting firm
63. Police-search discovery : HIDEY-HOLE
64. Colorful Danish export : LEGOs - not LILIES (didn't fit), and not DELFT, the dishware - because they're Dutch
65. B.C. neighbor : IDA - ah. IDAHO - I was stuck up in 45d., thinking it was either ALBerta, or SASkatchewan
66. 10th-century English king : EDRED - never heard of this guy
DOWN:
1. It takes you to the top : T-BAR - skiing
2. Sadie Hawkins creator : AL CAPP
4. "__ Troyens": Berlioz opera : LES - like I said, almost
5. Krabappel of "The Simpsons" : EDNA
6. More wicked : EVILER - my one "meh" clue for the day
8. Traveled alone, perhaps : FLEW SOLO - I'm still flying solo :7(
9. Lhasa __ : APSO
10. Urban Dictionary content : SLANG - there's a lot of funny stuff on the site, but a little on the vulgar side; I found this one to be amusing
12. Game for two : ONE-ON-ONE
13. Roofing material : TAR PAPER - it's but one layer of a roof
15. Bridge column word : EAST - figured it was 50/50 - this or "WEST"
23. Gouge : SOAK
25. Festoon : ADORN
28. Clinging type : LEECH
30. Calyx part : SEPAL
33. Aleppo's land : SYRIA
36. Marlboro Man contemporary : JOE CAMEL - I remember the controversy, and the suble sexual innuendo of the image
37. Again : ONCE MORE
38. Frat founded in 1855 at Ohio's Miami University : SIGMA CHI
39. Gp. that includes Nigeria : OPEC
45. Country with the largest surface area of water : CANADA - I knew this, for some odd reason; probably came up in a crossword clue from the past
47. Amble (along) : TOOTLE - I had -OOT--; didn't think "FOOTED" was right
49. Statue subject : TORSO
51. "__ and His Empire": 1972 Pulitzer-winning biography : LUCE
54. Mare's mouthful : OATS
56. Terrier type : SKYE
58. Like many eBay items : USED
61. One hanging out in a coll. office? : PhD
6. "The Hobbit" being : ELF - not ENT - pondered ORC, too
9. Tied accessory : ASCOT - threw it in, and it stayed
14. Cameron Indoor Stadium college hoopster : BLUE DEVIL - an educated WAG from ----EVIL
16. It has a backup : PLAN A
17. Feigns innocence : ACTS NAÏVE
18. Like Zitronen : SAUER - German for lemons, and sour; I gathered it meant "citrus"
19. Inexperienced : RAW
20. Tons : A SLEW
21. First : ON TOP
22. Acidity nos. : pHs
24. Virtue of the 2010 Olympic champion ice dancing team Virtue and Moir : TESSA - I had TE--A, and went with "RR" - Bzzzt~! ( I knew a girl in Florida named Terra )
26. Gershon of "Killer Joe" : GINA - could not think of her name
27. It involves pockets : POOL - Had it, took it out, put it back in. I like shooting pool, but have not done so in about 6 years - even have my own cues
29. Some crosses : ROODS - went with ANHKS first
31. Alley ending? : OOP - Alley-oop
32. Freelancers' encls. : SAEs - Self-Addressed Envelopes
34. Ross Sea sight : FLOE
35. Captain's dir. : NNE
40. Tokyo-born artist : ONO
41. Lit __ : CRIT - perps - Literary Criticism; the study, evaluation, and interpretation of literature. I am presently reading Nelson DeMille's "The Gate House". I like his stuff
42. Kennel pickup area : NAPE - ah - where you literally pick up an animal, from the back of the neck
43. Coin first minted in 13th-century France : ECU - Learned doing crosswords; we almost got away with a Frawnche-free puzzle this week
44. Challenging pitch : HIGH C - I had the "C" first, so I was not feeling it
46. Baryshnikov, at birth : LETT
48. What "c" may mean in South Africa : CENT - their "dollar" is the rand, and therefore....
50. "One can say everything best over __": George Eliot : A MEAL
52. Corp. treasurer, perhaps : CFO
53. Playground comeback : AM TOO - are so, is not....couldn't decide at the beginning
55. __ Dei : AGNUS - OK, I was in a "Da Vinci Code" frame of mind, couldn't get past "OPUS"
57. Bodybuilder Ferrigno : LOU - best known for the greener side of the TV series "The Incredible Hulk"
campy
60. Eccentrics : CRACKPOTS - nailed it
62. Big name in auditing : ERNST - I had a room-mate in college who was destined for the "Ernst & Young" accounting firm
63. Police-search discovery : HIDEY-HOLE
64. Colorful Danish export : LEGOs - not LILIES (didn't fit), and not DELFT, the dishware - because they're Dutch
65. B.C. neighbor : IDA - ah. IDAHO - I was stuck up in 45d., thinking it was either ALBerta, or SASkatchewan
DOWN:
1. It takes you to the top : T-BAR - skiing
2. Sadie Hawkins creator : AL CAPP
4. "__ Troyens": Berlioz opera : LES - like I said, almost
5. Krabappel of "The Simpsons" : EDNA
Edna Krabappel - The Simpsons Wiki
6. More wicked : EVILER - my one "meh" clue for the day
8. Traveled alone, perhaps : FLEW SOLO - I'm still flying solo :7(
9. Lhasa __ : APSO
10. Urban Dictionary content : SLANG - there's a lot of funny stuff on the site, but a little on the vulgar side; I found this one to be amusing
12. Game for two : ONE-ON-ONE
13. Roofing material : TAR PAPER - it's but one layer of a roof
15. Bridge column word : EAST - figured it was 50/50 - this or "WEST"
23. Gouge : SOAK
25. Festoon : ADORN
28. Clinging type : LEECH
30. Calyx part : SEPAL
37. Again : ONCE MORE
38. Frat founded in 1855 at Ohio's Miami University : SIGMA CHI
39. Gp. that includes Nigeria : OPEC
45. Country with the largest surface area of water : CANADA - I knew this, for some odd reason; probably came up in a crossword clue from the past
49. Statue subject : TORSO
54. Mare's mouthful : OATS
56. Terrier type : SKYE
58. Like many eBay items : USED
61. One hanging out in a coll. office? : PhD
Splynter
I was saddened to learn from Patti Varol yesterday that Leslie Billig, editor of Crosswords Club, passed away Wednesday morning. Patti said "Her creativity and wit, as well as her sharp eye for detail, shaped not only Crosswords Club and Uptown, but many publications at Dell Magazines. Leslie's passion for puzzles and her infectious giggle will be sorely missed by everyone who knew and worked with her. I already miss her more than I know how to express."
Notes from C.C.:
I was saddened to learn from Patti Varol yesterday that Leslie Billig, editor of Crosswords Club, passed away Wednesday morning. Patti said "Her creativity and wit, as well as her sharp eye for detail, shaped not only Crosswords Club and Uptown, but many publications at Dell Magazines. Leslie's passion for puzzles and her infectious giggle will be sorely missed by everyone who knew and worked with her. I already miss her more than I know how to express."
I
never met Leslie in person. Only a few email exchanges regarding a
distracting RAMBO in a AM/PM two-way rebus. As Patti said, she had a
keen eye for detail. She was very warm & encouraging. She quietly edited my puzzles, corrected my mistakes and spiced up my clues with her wits. She made me look good. Thank you, Leslie!
You can click here for a great interview Leslie did with Puzzle Nation.
 |
| Leslie Billig, ACPT, 2004 |
