Words: 69 (pangram)
Blocks: 38
I
was glad when this one was over. The quad stack was not the problem -
everything else was. Too bad, really. Just some way-too-obscure fill -
if you don't know it, it makes no difference how the clue reads. A bit
of a choppy grid, with 16 rows and the standard 15 columns. Two
11-letter climbers, and the big 6; the quad stack and other two;
16. "A London Symphony" composer : VAUGHAN WILLIAMS - mostly perps and WAG
28. Minimal complications : LEAST RESISTANCE - the clue is a bet "eh"
36. Landscape brighteners : ORNAMENTAL TREES - my idea of ornamental;
36. Landscape brighteners : ORNAMENTAL TREES - my idea of ornamental;
Or how about this~?
37. "West Side Story" duet : ONE HAND, ONE HEART - I had one LOVE - can you tell I have no interest in musicals~?
38. Failed big-time : MET ONE'S WATERLOO - like this puzzle
54. Publication known for rankings : FORTUNE MAGAZINE - CONSUMER REPORTS fit, and that just did me in
ONWARD~
ACROSS:
1. Actor in four "Planet of the Apes" films : McDOWALL - did not help that I spelled his name with an "E", not an "A"
9. Antenna support : MAST
13. Traffic report source : CAR RADIO - I no longer listen to the "radio" of my car radio; I run Pandora on my phone thru the MP3 jack
14. Farm report? : BAA-BAA - I figured this was where we were headed....Moo-moo, etc.
18. Dutch banking giant : ING - their US portion was bought out by Capital One, and my retirement was there - and I despise Capital One. The ING Wiki
19. It may be deviated : SEPTUM - There's a line in a Megadeth song that includes this phrase
20. London-born miler : COE - filled via perps, but I recall the name from crosswords
21. "That's a riot" : HA-HA-HA - I almost filled this in, but waited on perps
23. __ Werner, Best Actor nominee for "Ship of Fools" : OSKAR - a WAG on the "S", the rest was perps
25. Tokyo-based carrier : JAL - the "L" was not happening for me
26. Struggle with assessments? : LISP - cute
39. Whimper : MEWL - I was just not going to get this because of my LOVE over HAND; all the Down crossings were making no sense to me, and the domino effect....
40. __ de veau: sweetbread : RIS - eeeew~! Not what I thought it was, and this marks the return of Frawnche after a very long absence....c'est la vie
41. Turning points : AXLES - meh. period. meh. Axles are shafts, not points
44. Stein's "The Autobiography of __ Toklas" : ALICE B. - her Wiki
48. Word that sounds like its last letter : WHY - I C Y, D U?
49. Saudi neighbor : QATARI - the "Q" was a WAG, and that helped
51. Remove : LOP - think ornamental trees
58. Early online forum : USENET
59. Turkey, mostly : ANATOLIA - and I gotta link the "Istanbul (not Constantinople)" song
9. Antenna support : MAST
13. Traffic report source : CAR RADIO - I no longer listen to the "radio" of my car radio; I run Pandora on my phone thru the MP3 jack
14. Farm report? : BAA-BAA - I figured this was where we were headed....Moo-moo, etc.
18. Dutch banking giant : ING - their US portion was bought out by Capital One, and my retirement was there - and I despise Capital One. The ING Wiki
19. It may be deviated : SEPTUM - There's a line in a Megadeth song that includes this phrase
20. London-born miler : COE - filled via perps, but I recall the name from crosswords
21. "That's a riot" : HA-HA-HA - I almost filled this in, but waited on perps
23. __ Werner, Best Actor nominee for "Ship of Fools" : OSKAR - a WAG on the "S", the rest was perps
25. Tokyo-based carrier : JAL - the "L" was not happening for me
26. Struggle with assessments? : LISP - cute
39. Whimper : MEWL - I was just not going to get this because of my LOVE over HAND; all the Down crossings were making no sense to me, and the domino effect....
40. __ de veau: sweetbread : RIS - eeeew~! Not what I thought it was, and this marks the return of Frawnche after a very long absence....c'est la vie
41. Turning points : AXLES - meh. period. meh. Axles are shafts, not points
44. Stein's "The Autobiography of __ Toklas" : ALICE B. - her Wiki
48. Word that sounds like its last letter : WHY - I C Y, D U?
49. Saudi neighbor : QATARI - the "Q" was a WAG, and that helped
51. Remove : LOP - think ornamental trees
58. Early online forum : USENET
59. Turkey, mostly : ANATOLIA - and I gotta link the "Istanbul (not Constantinople)" song
60. Wear well : LAST - this was like my first, and only, across fill on pass #1
61. Cuts from the back : SIRLOINS - ah. I was thinking someone who "cuts" in line
61. Cuts from the back : SIRLOINS - ah. I was thinking someone who "cuts" in line
DOWN:
1. Year in the reign of England's Henry I : MCVI - we had an English history lesson last week
2. Scott of "Hawaii Five-0" : CAAN - I like his acting style, so I liked this version of "Five-O" as much as the original; he plays Turk in the Ocean's movies, too
1. Year in the reign of England's Henry I : MCVI - we had an English history lesson last week
2. Scott of "Hawaii Five-0" : CAAN - I like his acting style, so I liked this version of "Five-O" as much as the original; he plays Turk in the Ocean's movies, too
3. Tranquilize : DRUG
4. URL ending : .org
5. Distressed cry : WAH - pretty cool guitar effect, too
6. Recipe phrase : A DASH - "A" clue
7. Form opener : LINE A - clue "A"
8. Acidic : LOW pH - nice
9. Printemps period : MAI - more Frawnche
10. Taken __ : ABACK - tsszzz - one too many "A" answers~?
11. Its capital is Apia : SAMOA - HA~! Nailed it
12. Law enforcement tool : TASER
14. __-ray Disc : BLU
15. "It won't be long now" : ALMOST THERE
17. Repubblica __: European country : ITALIANA - um, OK. Perps.
21. Lives : HAS A HOME - gee, I think I liked the original version - see the interview
22. In the style of the 1975 film "Nashville," say : ALTMANESQUE - never heard the phrase, and in the 'down', was not going to fill for me - but a learning experience after the fact - his Wiki
24. Barbecue fare : SPARE RIB - PORK RIBS~? SHORT RIB~? I tried too many, and missed the obvious
25. One of the Jacksons : JANET
27. Minor key? : ISLET - since I got burned a few weeks ago, I did not fall for this again
28. Device with shuttles and treadles : LOOM
29. Shore raptor : ERNE
30. Freshen : RENEW
31. Runs over : ENDS LATE - my landlord is in Florida, and we're expecting to get hammered with a blizzard today. High winds combined with the high tide/full moon, he's worried the property will flood - it's on Peconic Bay; that's the kind of "runs over" that was on my mind....
32. Put away : STOW
33. Actress Patricia and drummer Jeff : NEALS - I knew neither person - and I know a few drummers, as I play myself; she was before my time. His Wiki / Her Wiki
34. Dos minus dos : CERO
35. __ perpetua: Idaho's motto : ESTO
4. URL ending : .org
5. Distressed cry : WAH - pretty cool guitar effect, too
6. Recipe phrase : A DASH - "A" clue
7. Form opener : LINE A - clue "A"
8. Acidic : LOW pH - nice
9. Printemps period : MAI - more Frawnche
10. Taken __ : ABACK - tsszzz - one too many "A" answers~?
11. Its capital is Apia : SAMOA - HA~! Nailed it
12. Law enforcement tool : TASER
14. __-ray Disc : BLU
15. "It won't be long now" : ALMOST THERE
17. Repubblica __: European country : ITALIANA - um, OK. Perps.
21. Lives : HAS A HOME - gee, I think I liked the original version - see the interview
22. In the style of the 1975 film "Nashville," say : ALTMANESQUE - never heard the phrase, and in the 'down', was not going to fill for me - but a learning experience after the fact - his Wiki
24. Barbecue fare : SPARE RIB - PORK RIBS~? SHORT RIB~? I tried too many, and missed the obvious
25. One of the Jacksons : JANET
27. Minor key? : ISLET - since I got burned a few weeks ago, I did not fall for this again
28. Device with shuttles and treadles : LOOM
29. Shore raptor : ERNE
30. Freshen : RENEW
31. Runs over : ENDS LATE - my landlord is in Florida, and we're expecting to get hammered with a blizzard today. High winds combined with the high tide/full moon, he's worried the property will flood - it's on Peconic Bay; that's the kind of "runs over" that was on my mind....
32. Put away : STOW
33. Actress Patricia and drummer Jeff : NEALS - I knew neither person - and I know a few drummers, as I play myself; she was before my time. His Wiki / Her Wiki
34. Dos minus dos : CERO
35. __ perpetua: Idaho's motto : ESTO
41. Very bad : AWFUL - like the next clue/answer
42. Bantu language : XHOSA
43. Strummed instruments : LYRES
45. Dharma teachers : LAMAS
46. Mashhad native : IRANI
47. Symbol of victory for immortal Celtics coach Red Auerbach : CIGAR
50. Formic acid source : ANT
51. Actress Taylor : LILI
52. From here __: henceforth : ON IN - 'round here, it's "on OUT", so I tried "UP". Bzzzt
53. Mendel research subject : PEAS - at first, I didn't understand, but then I realized I had this man confused with this man, so I had tried "ATOM"
42. Bantu language : XHOSA
43. Strummed instruments : LYRES
45. Dharma teachers : LAMAS
46. Mashhad native : IRANI
47. Symbol of victory for immortal Celtics coach Red Auerbach : CIGAR
50. Formic acid source : ANT
51. Actress Taylor : LILI
52. From here __: henceforth : ON IN - 'round here, it's "on OUT", so I tried "UP". Bzzzt
53. Mendel research subject : PEAS - at first, I didn't understand, but then I realized I had this man confused with this man, so I had tried "ATOM"
55. It may be activated by a plunger : TNT
56. View from Kennebunkport, Me. : ATLantic - I tried PEI - Prince Edward Island, but Nova Scotia is in the way....
56. View from Kennebunkport, Me. : ATLantic - I tried PEI - Prince Edward Island, but Nova Scotia is in the way....
57. Confusing scene : ZOO
Splynter
