Words: 70 (missing J,Q,X,Z)
Blocks: 34
Mr. Sessa's name in the constructor's space usually means "fail" in my
space, but today was a break from the norm. It was a long December at UPS - I was in a new position, and we had a
poorly managed peak season, but I got thru it, with just three more days to go
before it becomes a ghost town thru April. But I digress. The grid
did not seem intimidating, though I did think there were a tad too many
proper names - all of which filled in with a few perps, so not that many
WAGs. Two spanners and a 13-letter central fill, all of them not in my
wheelhouse, at least as clued;
17. Condition resulting from oversharing : FACEBOOK FATIGUE
- I am not on Facebook; however, I did karaoke at the restaurant's
annual party on Wednesday; got a lot of gaping stares - guess they
didn't think the mechanic could sing~! I know someone's phone camera
was recording; might go viral on YouTube....not
32. Noodles and beans dish : PASTA e FAGIOLI - isn't this the classic 'slander' for Italians and the language~?
52. Little Johnny Jones, in a George M. Cohan song : YANKEE DOODLE BOY
ONWARD~!
ACROSS:
1. Hero married to Jimena Díaz : EL CID - learning moment
6. Lip : SASS - seemed too easy for Saturday
10. Quarter moons, e.g. : ARCS
6. Lip : SASS - seemed too easy for Saturday
10. Quarter moons, e.g. : ARCS
14. Sierra __ : LEONE
15. Coaster section : LOOP - guess on my part, but then again, what else in 4 letters~?
16. Gun barrel measure : BORE
20. Florida horse country city : OCALA
21. SEAL insignia : TRIDENT
15. Coaster section : LOOP - guess on my part, but then again, what else in 4 letters~?
16. Gun barrel measure : BORE
20. Florida horse country city : OCALA
21. SEAL insignia : TRIDENT
22. Discipline : CHASTEN
24. Grouse or carp : KVETCH - pondered a single word for "fowl and fish"
25. Dull finishes : MATTES
26. Commercial prize : CLIO
28. Word for a lady : SHE
29. Space : AREA
30. Graceful : GAINLY - 'Tis the season~! - and in this season of sharing, I found one for the ladies - oh, and I found this, too
37. Cat, at times : YOWLER - I tried PURRER
38. Road warning : HONK - I was thinking "SIGN"
40. Dinner hrs. : PMs -
43. A&W rival : DAD'S - did not immediately come to mind
24. Grouse or carp : KVETCH - pondered a single word for "fowl and fish"
25. Dull finishes : MATTES
26. Commercial prize : CLIO
28. Word for a lady : SHE
29. Space : AREA
30. Graceful : GAINLY - 'Tis the season~! - and in this season of sharing, I found one for the ladies - oh, and I found this, too
38. Road warning : HONK - I was thinking "SIGN"
40. Dinner hrs. : PMs -
43. A&W rival : DAD'S - did not immediately come to mind
44. 44-Down model : FIESTA - pleased with myself for getting this and it's cross-reference from just the "S"; 44d. 44-Across maker : FORD
46. May 1 Hawaiian celebration : LEI DAY
48. Across the board : TOTALLY - I did consider this, but hesitated
49. First name in '60s beach party films : ANNETTE - Funicello, and I got it, but the whole beach party thing was before before my time
51. Met approval : BRAVO - clever - the Met, as in the opera
56. Miracle Mets star Tommie : AGEE - I tried "JOHN", but he was TommY, and a Yankee - not a fan of that team, being from L.I.
57. City SSE of Sana'a : ADEN - I knew the city was in the Middle East....
46. May 1 Hawaiian celebration : LEI DAY
48. Across the board : TOTALLY - I did consider this, but hesitated
49. First name in '60s beach party films : ANNETTE - Funicello, and I got it, but the whole beach party thing was before before my time
51. Met approval : BRAVO - clever - the Met, as in the opera
56. Miracle Mets star Tommie : AGEE - I tried "JOHN", but he was TommY, and a Yankee - not a fan of that team, being from L.I.
57. City SSE of Sana'a : ADEN - I knew the city was in the Middle East....
58. "Fingers crossed" : I HOPE - and an IHOP clue at 36d.
59. Koppel and Knight : TEDs
60. Org. whose logo includes a cocktail and a car key : MADD
61. Spanish seashore : COSTA - my good friend Gerry just popped down there Dec 7th for a 3 month stay; last year he was going to "write his memoirs"; I wonder if he plans to work on them again
DOWN:
1. St. Nicholas, in the poem : ELF - "a right jolly old..." - there are verses I did not know about
2. Verdant stretch : LEA
3. Reggae singer whose name sounds like a beverage : COCOA TEA - according to my search, it IS a beverage
4. Blissful : IN ECSTASY - I can think of a few things that would get me there
5. It has its pros and cons : DEBATE - with the two "E"s in place, I went with SeNATe
6. "Wake of the Ferry" painter : SLOAN - all perps
7. Thumbs-up : A-OK
8. "Wait a moment," to Romeo : SOFT - I had the "S" and "O"; the rest was perps - took a moment to understand where the clue was coming from
9. Like some live wires : SPARKING - sorry, can't resist - one of my favorite songs to play on the drums, especially with the cymbal chokes at the end - and Nikki Sixx on fire....
10. Put up with : ABIDE
11. Webster's cousin? : ROGET'S - and his Thesaurus
12. Nestlé chocolate bar : CRUNCH
13. Bristle : SEETHE
18. Fútbol cheers : OLÉs
19. Copenhagen's __ Gardens : TIVOLI
22. Awards co-hosted by Brad Paisley: Abbr. : CMA - country music awards - not my thing - see above
23. Instrument featured in the opening of "Waltz of the Flowers" : HARP - and strangely, when it comes to music, I always love to hear The Nutcracker Suite on my Christmas station
26. Some Wi-Fi providers : CAFÉS
27. Storyteller : LIAR
30. Neuter, as a horse : GELD
31. "Song of the Volga Boatmen" refrain : YO HEAVE HO - didn't know it, but it fit with some perps
33. Until now : TO DATE
34. One getting more boos than cheers : AWAY TEAM
35. "La Bamba" band : LOS LOBOS - about the only reference I knew
36. IHOP section?: Abbr. : INT'L - House Of Pancakes
39. Michael's wife in "The Godfather" films : KAY
40. Not be serious about : PLAY AT
41. Household : MENAGE - can't think of this as "stand alone", especially with the clue that follows:
42. Transgressed : SINNED
45. Stressed, in a way : ITALIC
47. Hockey maneuvers : DEKES - have not played hockey in weeks
48. Govt. debt instrument : T-BOND
50. Icelandic literary work : EDDA - knew from doing crosswords
53. Ref. section staple : OED - Oxford English Dictionary
54. Go (for) : OPT
55. Vote for : YEA
59. Koppel and Knight : TEDs
60. Org. whose logo includes a cocktail and a car key : MADD
61. Spanish seashore : COSTA - my good friend Gerry just popped down there Dec 7th for a 3 month stay; last year he was going to "write his memoirs"; I wonder if he plans to work on them again
DOWN:
1. St. Nicholas, in the poem : ELF - "a right jolly old..." - there are verses I did not know about
2. Verdant stretch : LEA
3. Reggae singer whose name sounds like a beverage : COCOA TEA - according to my search, it IS a beverage
4. Blissful : IN ECSTASY - I can think of a few things that would get me there
5. It has its pros and cons : DEBATE - with the two "E"s in place, I went with SeNATe
6. "Wake of the Ferry" painter : SLOAN - all perps
7. Thumbs-up : A-OK
8. "Wait a moment," to Romeo : SOFT - I had the "S" and "O"; the rest was perps - took a moment to understand where the clue was coming from
9. Like some live wires : SPARKING - sorry, can't resist - one of my favorite songs to play on the drums, especially with the cymbal chokes at the end - and Nikki Sixx on fire....
Mötley Crüe - Live Wire
10. Put up with : ABIDE
11. Webster's cousin? : ROGET'S - and his Thesaurus
12. Nestlé chocolate bar : CRUNCH
13. Bristle : SEETHE
18. Fútbol cheers : OLÉs
19. Copenhagen's __ Gardens : TIVOLI
22. Awards co-hosted by Brad Paisley: Abbr. : CMA - country music awards - not my thing - see above
23. Instrument featured in the opening of "Waltz of the Flowers" : HARP - and strangely, when it comes to music, I always love to hear The Nutcracker Suite on my Christmas station
27. Storyteller : LIAR
30. Neuter, as a horse : GELD
31. "Song of the Volga Boatmen" refrain : YO HEAVE HO - didn't know it, but it fit with some perps
33. Until now : TO DATE
34. One getting more boos than cheers : AWAY TEAM
35. "La Bamba" band : LOS LOBOS - about the only reference I knew
36. IHOP section?: Abbr. : INT'L - House Of Pancakes
39. Michael's wife in "The Godfather" films : KAY
40. Not be serious about : PLAY AT
41. Household : MENAGE - can't think of this as "stand alone", especially with the clue that follows:
42. Transgressed : SINNED
45. Stressed, in a way : ITALIC
47. Hockey maneuvers : DEKES - have not played hockey in weeks
48. Govt. debt instrument : T-BOND
50. Icelandic literary work : EDDA - knew from doing crosswords
53. Ref. section staple : OED - Oxford English Dictionary
54. Go (for) : OPT
55. Vote for : YEA
Splynter
