Words: 72 (missing J,Q,W,X,Z)
Blocks: 32
Ta-DA~!!! I can once again claim success on a Saturday, with no
cheating, no Googling, and no red-letters~! It was not looking that way
to start, though, and then I hit the center, with the triple-stack
spanners, and thought - ugh. However, triple-stacks usually mean
shorter crossings, and so I was hoping to catch a break there [not].
Way too many proper names*, and
one or two fun-sponges, but ultimately a satisfying solve - even if I'm
biased just for finishing it~! The triple stack spanners;
33. Best Picture of 1965 : THE SOUND OF MUSIC - the hills are alive....
40*. Mario Lanza classic : ARRIVEDERCI ROMA - with about half the perps, this made as much sense as anything else - despite not knowing the artist nor the song
41. Winner : LAST ONE STANDING
40*. Mario Lanza classic : ARRIVEDERCI ROMA - with about half the perps, this made as much sense as anything else - despite not knowing the artist nor the song
41. Winner : LAST ONE STANDING
Aaaaaahn - ward~!
ACROSS:
1. Hot tub feature : EDDY
- I can personally verify this, because I'm in my hot tub right now~!
Having this as the first clue of the day - on my vacation - seemed so
appropriate~!
5. Air carrier : DUCT - I was thinking airplanes first
9. Bargain : STEAL
14. Clamors : BROUHAHAS
16*. Eponymous WWII flying ace Edward : O'HARE - more airplanes
17. High muck-a-muck : BIG KAHUNA - I'll refrain from a video clip; just an image
5. Air carrier : DUCT - I was thinking airplanes first
9. Bargain : STEAL
14. Clamors : BROUHAHAS
16*. Eponymous WWII flying ace Edward : O'HARE - more airplanes
17. High muck-a-muck : BIG KAHUNA - I'll refrain from a video clip; just an image
18*. One of Johnny's two final "Tonight Show" guests : BETTE - Midler; his other guest was the late Robin Williams
19. Reel kin : SPOOL - think movies, not fishing
20. Garden grower : HERB - we made an herb garden at the front of restaurant aMano
22. In the thick of : AMID - my first fill, 10 clues in
23. Spoiler of a perfect GPA : ONE B - I got "one B" in manual drafting, which annoyed me
19. Reel kin : SPOOL - think movies, not fishing
20. Garden grower : HERB - we made an herb garden at the front of restaurant aMano
22. In the thick of : AMID - my first fill, 10 clues in
23. Spoiler of a perfect GPA : ONE B - I got "one B" in manual drafting, which annoyed me
25. Military group with an insect in its logo : SEABEES - "CBs"; Construction Battalions
27. Swing voter: Abbr. : INDependent - eh
29. Pacific landing handout : LEI
32. Mag wheels? : EDs - I was going to throw this in - editors - because we've seen it before; but I was thinking it might be something a little more clever
42. Familia member : TIO - OK, no immediate ta-DA~!, because I had tiA
43. Disdainful click : TSK
44. Golf club part : TOE
29. Pacific landing handout : LEI
32. Mag wheels? : EDs - I was going to throw this in - editors - because we've seen it before; but I was thinking it might be something a little more clever
42. Familia member : TIO - OK, no immediate ta-DA~!, because I had tiA
43. Disdainful click : TSK
44. Golf club part : TOE
45. "Yup, sorry to say" : " 'FRAID SO" - did you hear the one about the rope that went into the bar~?
49. Some Ivy Leaguers : ELIs
52. "... where was __ Urania / When Adonais died?": Shelley : LORN - perps & WAG
53. Additions, perhaps : ELLS - elis and ells
56. __ directed : USE AS
59. As much as you like, '60s-style : A GO-GO
61*. Augustine St. Clare's daughter, in an 1852 classic : LITTLE EVA - not that I knew this proper noun, but it has appeared in a Saturday puzzle before
63*. Prince Ramiro in Rossini's "La Cenerentola," e.g. : TENOR - um, OK
64. Volunteer's declaration : "I'M YOUR MAN~!"
65*. "Goosebumps" series author : STINE - hey, I knew this name~!
66*. Irving Bacheller's "__ Holden" : EBEN - but not this one
67. Latin 101 verb : ESSE - dah~! not AMAS
DOWN:
1. Subsides : EBBS - crossing EDDY is quaint
2. __-dry : DRIP
3. Many social reformers : DO-GOODERS
4. 3,185-kilometer river : YUKON - no guess until --K-N
5. Code word : DAH - I filled in the "D", and waited; this is MY code word for the head-slap V-8 can moment
6. "No way!" : "UH-UH~!"
7. Raspberry stem : CANE - new one to me
8. Medieval Bulgarian rulers : TSARs
61*. Augustine St. Clare's daughter, in an 1852 classic : LITTLE EVA - not that I knew this proper noun, but it has appeared in a Saturday puzzle before
63*. Prince Ramiro in Rossini's "La Cenerentola," e.g. : TENOR - um, OK
64. Volunteer's declaration : "I'M YOUR MAN~!"
65*. "Goosebumps" series author : STINE - hey, I knew this name~!
66*. Irving Bacheller's "__ Holden" : EBEN - but not this one
67. Latin 101 verb : ESSE - dah~! not AMAS
DOWN:
1. Subsides : EBBS - crossing EDDY is quaint
2. __-dry : DRIP
3. Many social reformers : DO-GOODERS
4. 3,185-kilometer river : YUKON - no guess until --K-N
5. Code word : DAH - I filled in the "D", and waited; this is MY code word for the head-slap V-8 can moment
6. "No way!" : "UH-UH~!"
7. Raspberry stem : CANE - new one to me
8. Medieval Bulgarian rulers : TSARs
9. Blubber : SOB - dah - not "FAT"
10*. Theater for Beckett? : "THE ABSURD" - "The Wiki"
11. Invitation Alice accepted : EAT ME
12*. Wheelchair-bound "Glee" character : ARTIE - never seen it
13. West Yorkshire city : LEEDS
15. Sound : HALE
21. Some pinups : BEEFCAKE - one for the ladies; or is this more to your liking~?
24. Prude : BLUENOSE - I knew it was BLUE - something
26. Running group, informally : ADMINistration
27. Underlining alternative: Abbr. : ITALics; don't know why I was thinking underWIRE
30*. "The Neverending Story" author : ENDE
31. Words usually abbreviated : ID EST - that is, i.e.
34. Withholding : SITTING ON
35. Roundish : OVOID
36. Remnants : ORTS - ah, not LEES
37. "By all appearances" : "SO IT SEEMS"
38. Mae West's "__ Angel" : I'M NO
39. Imprison : CAGE - nailed it
45. Broken glass dangers : FLATS - meh. I wanted SHARDS, but not enough space. Glass doesn't threaten my tires, nails and screws are the real problem
46. Wordsmith's reference : ROGET - his thesaurus, that is
47. "The San Francisco Treat" suffix : A-RONI
48. One-toothed dragon of '50s TV : OLLIE - I thought it was this guy
Gumby & Prickle
50. Beaut : LULU
51. Grenoble's river : ISERE
54. Danger metaphor : LIMB - as in "out on one"
55. Bump on a lid : STYE - dah~! I went with SEAL; hey, it's the bump on a lid of jelly
57. Audio/visual production awards : AVAs - BTW, not the Adult Video Awards
51. Grenoble's river : ISERE
54. Danger metaphor : LIMB - as in "out on one"
55. Bump on a lid : STYE - dah~! I went with SEAL; hey, it's the bump on a lid of jelly
57. Audio/visual production awards : AVAs - BTW, not the Adult Video Awards
58. Levelheaded : SANE - made me change my "AMAS" @ 67a.
60. Celestite, e.g. : ORE
62. Workload hyperbole : TON - these days, it's a s**t-load
60. Celestite, e.g. : ORE
62. Workload hyperbole : TON - these days, it's a s**t-load
Splynter
