Words: 70 (missing F,W)
Blocks: 32
We have had both constructors on Saturdays in the past, but I do
believe this is their first duo, at least for the LA Times. Mr.
Vratsanos started our summer off with a Memorial Day weekend puzzle, and
so it seems fitting that he close out the season on Labor Day weekend
(as far as I am concerned; the Hamptons will be clearing out as of
Tuesday, and UPS will be cooling off as well). Alas, this puzzle was
almost as brutal as that one in May; I did get three corners and the
center solved, but the SW was never going to budge - so I Googled one
answer, and the rest fell into place. Oh well. Triple 10-letter
corners in a neat pinwheel grid. Some of the longer answers;
17a. Elementary sextet : NOBLE GASES - Nailed it.
14d. Its capital was Xianyang : QIN DYNASTY - hmmm, I know someone who knows a little history about Zhou, and Qin
65. High wind : SOPRANO SAX
28. Baroque wind : OBOE D'AMORE - according to Wiki, it's a third lower than a standard oboe
nadowr~?
65. High wind : SOPRANO SAX
- an a semi-clecho with;
ACROSS:
1. Eggy dessert : ZABAGLIONE - never heard of this, but working in an Italian-style restaurant, I ran with the perps and filled in what sounded good
11. La Salle of "ER" : ERIQ
15. Occurring at a constant temperature : ISOTHERMAL
16. Computer start-up? : MINI - early meh. Mini-computer. I get it, but....
11. La Salle of "ER" : ERIQ
15. Occurring at a constant temperature : ISOTHERMAL
16. Computer start-up? : MINI - early meh. Mini-computer. I get it, but....
18. Browning product : OVEN - I did not know the gun manufacturer made ovens as well
19. Older Pevensie sister in "The Chronicles of Narnia" series : SUSAN - again, perps
20. Turned brown, maybe : SAUTÉED - could you use a "browning" oven for this~?
22. Curling piece : STONE - I can actually watch this Olympic event; I like it - but I'm a big fan of shuffleboard like the one you'd find in bars
26. Square : NERDY
27. "Do wrong to __": Shak. : NONE - nixed my NONE at 57a.
30. Attended to bald spots on : SODDED - because ROGAINED didn't fit
33. Stop : BAN - not END
34. University of Miami mascot Sebastian the __ : IBIS - half perps/half wag
35. Climate Reality Project founder : AL GORE
36. __ moment : A-HA
37. Flimflam : CON
38. Slap target, informally : SKEETER - that is, mosquito, and it's better to flick than to slap, especially if it's a little more dangerous, like a stinging insect
39. Airline with the EuroBonus frequent flier program : SAS
40. Alpine parrot : KEA - oh, alpine meaning mountains - I was thinking "Alps", and didn't think you'd find any parrots there
41. Misses : LASSES - oops, not LADIES
42. Salon service : TINT
43. Names : IDs
44. Slap cause, maybe : INSULT - hysterics are about the only time I'd slap anyone
45. Dr. Jones, to Dr. Marcus Brody : INDY - characters from Raiders of the Lost Ark ( and the Last Crusade )
46. Mesoamerican crop : MAIZE
48. Column that won't support anything : PLUME - a column from a newspaper would have been a good answer, too
50. Involve deeply : IMMERSE
53. DeMille specialties : EPICS
57. It precedes one : NOON - ah, the clock. ZERO was not working
58. Dept. of State employee : US DIPLOMAT
62. Secretary of Education Duncan : ARNE - ALAN~? nope. ANNE~? nope.
63. Like pen pals' relationships : EPISTOLARY
64. Hoot : JEER
DOWN:
1. Some reds, for short : ZINfandelS
2. Not worth __ : A SOU
3. Roaring Twenties hairdos : BOBS
4. Ones for the road? : ATLASES
5. 1814 treaty site : GHENT
6. It may be shaken or pulled : LEG - or admired
7. He outlived George by 46 years : IRA - the Gershwins
8. Sacred syllables : OMs - meditations, too
9. Dumbarton denials : NAES
10. Snow Queen in "Frozen" : ELSA - did not see it; I do long to have kids some day
11. Wax theatrical : EMOTE
12. Drainage area : RIVER BASIN
13. "Help" : "I NEED A HAND"
21. Bad way to go : UNDER
23. Certain Honshu native : OSAKAN - from the Japanese city of Osaka
24. Words of emphasis : NO LESS
25. Moves stealthily : EDGES UP
27. "Pink Friday" rapper : NICKI MINAJ - I have heard OF her, but nothing from her; my Googled answer
29. Singer who had a 1959 hit with "I Loves You, Porgy" : NINA SIMONE
- the double 10-letter proper names sandwiching a vague musical
instrument in this corner killed me; I'm sure there are plenty of people
at the corner who are familiar with Nina's work
31. "Dish it up!" : "DO TELL~!"
32. 1974 hit sung entirely in Spanish : ERES TU - popular enough in crosswords that I threw this in having just the first "E" and last "U"
38. Foxier : SLIER
42. "The Banquet of Cleopatra" painter : TIEPOLO
47. __ cards, used in ESP experiments : ZENER - I did not know these had a name; derived from the psychologist's name - anyone else think of the opening of Ghostbusters~?
49. Dieter's breakfast : MELON - ah, not TOAST
51. Petitions : SUES
52. Beantown NHL nickname : ESPO - Phil Esposito - now here's a proper name I am familiar with
54. "Look at me, __ helpless ...": "Misty" lyric : I'M AS
55. Word spoken con affetto : CARA - not AMOR
56. Final crossing? : STYX - Two weeks in a row~? I'm getting nervous
59. Party bowlful : DIP
60. Nation since 1948: Abbr. : ISRael
61. Ed. group : PTA
19. Older Pevensie sister in "The Chronicles of Narnia" series : SUSAN - again, perps
20. Turned brown, maybe : SAUTÉED - could you use a "browning" oven for this~?
22. Curling piece : STONE - I can actually watch this Olympic event; I like it - but I'm a big fan of shuffleboard like the one you'd find in bars
27. "Do wrong to __": Shak. : NONE - nixed my NONE at 57a.
30. Attended to bald spots on : SODDED - because ROGAINED didn't fit
33. Stop : BAN - not END
34. University of Miami mascot Sebastian the __ : IBIS - half perps/half wag
35. Climate Reality Project founder : AL GORE
36. __ moment : A-HA
37. Flimflam : CON
38. Slap target, informally : SKEETER - that is, mosquito, and it's better to flick than to slap, especially if it's a little more dangerous, like a stinging insect
39. Airline with the EuroBonus frequent flier program : SAS
40. Alpine parrot : KEA - oh, alpine meaning mountains - I was thinking "Alps", and didn't think you'd find any parrots there
41. Misses : LASSES - oops, not LADIES
42. Salon service : TINT
43. Names : IDs
44. Slap cause, maybe : INSULT - hysterics are about the only time I'd slap anyone
45. Dr. Jones, to Dr. Marcus Brody : INDY - characters from Raiders of the Lost Ark ( and the Last Crusade )
"an army that carries the Ark before it is invincible"
48. Column that won't support anything : PLUME - a column from a newspaper would have been a good answer, too
50. Involve deeply : IMMERSE
53. DeMille specialties : EPICS
57. It precedes one : NOON - ah, the clock. ZERO was not working
58. Dept. of State employee : US DIPLOMAT
62. Secretary of Education Duncan : ARNE - ALAN~? nope. ANNE~? nope.
63. Like pen pals' relationships : EPISTOLARY
64. Hoot : JEER
DOWN:
1. Some reds, for short : ZINfandelS
2. Not worth __ : A SOU
3. Roaring Twenties hairdos : BOBS
4. Ones for the road? : ATLASES
5. 1814 treaty site : GHENT
6. It may be shaken or pulled : LEG - or admired
8. Sacred syllables : OMs - meditations, too
9. Dumbarton denials : NAES
10. Snow Queen in "Frozen" : ELSA - did not see it; I do long to have kids some day
11. Wax theatrical : EMOTE
12. Drainage area : RIVER BASIN
13. "Help" : "I NEED A HAND"
21. Bad way to go : UNDER
23. Certain Honshu native : OSAKAN - from the Japanese city of Osaka
24. Words of emphasis : NO LESS
25. Moves stealthily : EDGES UP
27. "Pink Friday" rapper : NICKI MINAJ - I have heard OF her, but nothing from her; my Googled answer
31. "Dish it up!" : "DO TELL~!"
32. 1974 hit sung entirely in Spanish : ERES TU - popular enough in crosswords that I threw this in having just the first "E" and last "U"
38. Foxier : SLIER
42. "The Banquet of Cleopatra" painter : TIEPOLO
the artist
51. Petitions : SUES
52. Beantown NHL nickname : ESPO - Phil Esposito - now here's a proper name I am familiar with
54. "Look at me, __ helpless ...": "Misty" lyric : I'M AS
55. Word spoken con affetto : CARA - not AMOR
56. Final crossing? : STYX - Two weeks in a row~? I'm getting nervous
59. Party bowlful : DIP
60. Nation since 1948: Abbr. : ISRael
61. Ed. group : PTA
Splynter
