23. Mailroom device : POSTAGE METER. Pate.
37. Sandstone, for one : SEDIMENTARY ROCK. Mayo. Impressive - can you think of any other phrase in which to hide MAYO?
49. Old West reward seeker : BOUNTY HUNTER. Butter.
61. Enthusiastic smorgasbord words ... and hint to this puzzle's circled letters : WHAT A SPREAD
Mostly a quick solve with a few exceptions. If it weren't for the circles I would never have found the hidden "spreads." Very cleverly done.
Melissa here. I am playing ketchup after being out of town for girls weekend (I relish the thought). I apologize to olive you, these are the wurst puns ever. Surely you can do butter than this.
Across
1. Barroom fisticuffs : BRAWL
6. Triangular pelvic bones : SACRA. Tricky plural form unless you've seen it recently.
11. Soldier under Stonewall Jackson : REB. "Johnny Reb" was the term for the rank-and-file confederate soldier.
15. Code of conduct : ETHIC
16. Hustle and bustle : ADO
19. Spiky plant part that sticks to your clothes : BUR. To dogs, too. Interesting story about the inspiration of Velcro.
20. Pilfers : STEALS
21. Pen filler : INK
22. Clock front : FACE
26. "Yay!" : YIPPEE
28. Beaver's structure : DAM
29. Old Opry network : TNN. Grand 'Ole Opry stage.
30. Minimum-range tide : NEAP
33. Uses lidocaine on : NUMBS
41. Damaged layer : OZONE
42. Dreamcast game console developer : SEGA
43. Questionnaire choice, in Bordeaux : OUI. Yes.
44. Swiss landscape feature : ALP. Next girls weekend?
46. B-flat equivalent : A SHARP
54. Frosty coating : RIME. Who knew there was a rime festival?
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55. Back-row bowling pin : TEN
56. Nome home : ALASKA. I was thinking gnome at first. That's different.
60. Mass vestment : ALB
63. Neckline shape : VEE
64. Driver's invitation : HOP IN
65. Canada's official tree : MAPLE
66. Be human, so they say : ERR
67. Initial appearance : ONSET
68. Plural diminutive suffix : ETTES
Down
1. Brand of skivvies : BVD'S
2. Civil uprising : RIOT
3. Both players in unison, musically : ADUE. Needed perps. Italian word, pronounced ah doo-ey. Literally meaning "by two." In French, it is à deux.
4. Program running in a browser, informally : WEB APP
5. Lounge about, in British dialect : LOLLOP. Umm ... what? Okay this is my new favorite word. Listen to the British vs. American pronunciation.
6. "Be with you in a __" : SEC. Later. As soon as I finish lolloping.
7. Sun-brightened lobbies : ATRIA
8. Cheech's buddy : CHONG
9. Took a chance on : RISKED
10. Bldg. coolers : AC'S.
11. Capital of Morocco : RABAT. I never remember this.
12. Bring out : EDUCE. Or this.
13. Hole-making insect : BORER. One who bores. I know a few.
18. Reputed Dead Sea Scrolls writer : ESSENE. Such a fascinating discovery (scroll down page to see pictures of the ruins).
22. Longest human bone : FEMUR
24. Cold temperatures : TEENS
25. Loads of : MANY.
26. Santa __ Valley: wine region in which "Sideways" was set : YNEZ. Only a few Santa _ _ _ _ possibilities.
27. Prefix with European : INDO
29. Chinese menu general : TSO
31. Had breakfast : ATE
32. Missionary's concern : PAGAN. Nice clue.
34. Keep from floating away : MOOR. Perps, please.
35. Bra size : B CUP
36. Glide on snow : SKI
38. Foolish : INANE
39. Soften, as sorbet : MELT
40. Dreadlocks wearers : RASTAS. No dreads, but if you close your eyes ...
45. "Monty __ and the Holy Grail" : PYTHON. Just a flesh wound.
47. "I need another pair of hands, please" : HELP ME. See above.
48. Where Noah landed : ARARAT. Turkey.
49. Gutsy : BRAVE. I read gusty. That's different.
50. Petroleum transporter : OILER
51. "Raw" pigment : UMBER
52. Jalopies : HEAPS
53. Set free : UNTIE. I guess. I will set free my shoes at the end of the day.
57. Pennant race mo. : SEPT. Baseball, I presume.
58. Leafy green : KALE
59. Fruity drinks : ADES
61. Investigator's pronoun : WHO
62. Tiny tunneler : ANT. Cute.
Melissa
Notes from C.C.:
1) Please click here for a few pictures from Melissa's Girls Weekend outing in Bodega Bay, the city where
hitchcock's "the birds" was filmed. Melissa further said that "... our limo driver stopped on the way
back from our winery tours to see the church and schoolhouse used in the
movie. The gentleman on the steps of the church was on holiday from the
UK, crossing off landmarks to see from his 'bucket list.'"
2) Victor Barocas, the talented NYT/LAT constructor and the self-effacing editor behind our annual Minnesota Crossword Tournament, has launched a Kickstarter to "write a series of mysteries in which the detective gets help from
solving a series of crosswords, and the solver does the crosswords along
with the detective". Please click here for details on Victor's Ada Cross, Crossword Detective. I hope you can back his project.
