I knew it was Friday and we were in for some shenanigans when I saw the blank grid with the three interesting shapes from NW to SE. I was not immediately sure what they were, but having done Bruce's E puzzle, I was ready. The asterisks and the reveal made this doable but it was a challenge. Bruce has decided to create a six themer,with a reveal, where each 7 letter word has only letters which can be notes (A B C D E F and G). This one is a visual treat, with the short theme answers leaving room for a boatload of sparkly fill. AKIHITO, A LACK OF, APOLLO I, BAGGAGE, BUSSING, DO I DARE, EROTICA, GONERIL, LATINOS, OLEANNA. ON TOP OF, RELEARN, POP-UP ADS, BICAMERAL, NATURALIST, POLICEWOMAN. These are not all easy, but they were fun. He also uses the downs to create triple stacks of 7s in each corner with the theme on the outside, intersecting with two double stacks. Add two 10 letter climbers and there is your puzzle. Bruce, I like your style. let's walk.
32A. *Vandalized, in a way : DEFACED (7). Like your street artists?
39A. *Head of the produce section? : CABBAGE (7). Lettuce dispense with bad vegetable puns, please!
1D. *Yielded : ACCEDED (7).
12D. *Place for oats : FEEDBAG (7). No horsing around.
36D. *Emotional burden : BAGGAGE (7). Looks like CABBAGE's evil twin.
42D. *Wiped out : EFFACED (7). I realize with the limitation of using only 7 letters things will look similar, but this and 32A are really close.
and the reveal
52A. They're graphically represented three times in this grid ... and the answers to starred clues are the six longest common words than can be spelled using only them : NOTES (5).
Across:
1. Stirs : ADOS.
5. He wrote about "a midnight dreary" : POE. Now, 170 years since publication; a sample:
Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
`'Tis some visitor,' I muttered, `tapping at my chamber door -
Only this, and nothing more.'
8. Gobble (up) : SNARF.
13. Die, with "out" : CONK. Like a car engine.
14. Blog entry : POST. Weekly.
15. Capital of India : RUPEE. We get both kinds back to back in this clecho.
16. Capital __ : CITY.
17. Colorful fish : OPAH. Also known as moonfish.
19. Old Tokyo : EDO.
20. Haul to the kitchen, as groceries : LUG IN. I like the word lug, but no this fill.
22. Word before or after dog : SLED. I do like the challenge of before and after words. 4D. Word before or after blue : SKY.
23. High-five relative : DAP. We had this fist bump recently.
24. Poison remedy : IPECAC. Now controversial emetic. LINK. And more next door clecho.
26. Poison test site : LAB.
27. Steamy stuff : EROTICA.
30. Queen of the Goths in Shakespeare's "Titus Andronicus" : TAMORA. We get some Shakespeare almost every Friday.
33. Romantic activity : BUSSING. Great word; not affirmative action but "a kiss," 1560s; probably of imitative origin, as are Welsh and Gaelic bus "kiss, lip," French baiser "kiss" (12c., from Latin basiare), Spanish buz, German dialectal Buss. (Dictionary).
34. Words of wisdom : SAWS. Generally old ones.
35. Country on the Strait of Hormuz : IRAN.
43. Old-style warning : ALARUM.
44. Rather little : A LACK OF.
45. Understand : GET. Ah, I get it.
46. Deli staple : SALAMI.
49. Like Beethoven's "Pastoral Symphony" : IN F.
50. Horse show concern : GAIT.
53. 2000 World Series venue : SHEA. The SUBWAY Series.
54. Yearbook, e.g. : ANNAL.
56. Bakery buy : TART.
57. Newspaper fig. : CIRCular.
58. Little garden party? : GNOME. Really cute clue for an ugly statue.
59. Mazatlán Mrs. : SRA. Senora.
60. End in __ : A TIE.
61. Facilitated : EASED.
62. Suffer : AIL.
63. Squealed : TOLD. My brothers and I learned early to never squeal on each other.
Down:
2. "Is it worth the risk?" : DO I DARE. Nice letter pattern and stack.
3. Knowledgeable about : ON TOP OF. Old Smokey?
5. Online annoyances : POP-UP ADS.
6. Oklahoma county in which a 2008 Pulitzer-winning drama is set : OSAGE. Anybody? LINK.
7. Work __ : ETHIC.
8. Many AARP mems. : SRS. Seniors,
9. "Darn it!" : NUTS.
10. Ill-fated 1967 mission : APOLLO I. Sad HISTORY. HG?
11. Brush up on : RELEARN.
14. Member of the force : POLICEWOMAN. PEPPER was so spicy. 28D. 14-Down's need, at times : TASER.
21. Darwin, for one : NATURALIST. He ran around without clothes?
25. Fruit named for a Turkish town : CASABA. This MELON named for KASABA.
29. Legendary flier : ICARUS. Poor guy, it was his fall that made him famous.
31. "Morning Joe" airer : MSNBC. Do you watch?
33. Like Congress : BICAMERAL. Two bodies.
37. 1992 Mamet play : OLEANNA. And 1994 MOVIE.
38. Fast-growing U.S. ethnic group : LATINOS.
40. Reigning emperor of Japan : AKIHITO.
41. Regan's poisoner, in Shakespeare : GONERIL. An extra Will.
47. "__ luck!" : LOTSA.
48. Asteroids maker : ATARI.
53. "Buzz off!" : SCAT. I see scat for four legged animals, buzz off for two.
55. Went first : LED. In this case, out the door as another week has passed. Thanks Bruce for your semi-annual Friday LAT. Another week, on that note.... Lemonade out.
