Words: 70 (missing J,Q,X)
Blocks: 30
Phew~!
I feel I've not been doing so well lately with my regularly scheduled puzzles, and
when my first pass through this one remained about as white as the
ground around these parts last week, I figured I was in for another
orthorunic beating. Ironically, it was a Frawnche word (and a sports
car) in the Down that helped me gain some traction, and despite a grid
with one too many (OK, more like 7 too many) proper names*,
I was able to wrap it up - alright, so I cheated on ONE....One 15-letter
spanner crossing a 15-letter climber, and some brutal 8- and 6- letter
corners - but I have to say, some clever non-fun-sponge cluing;
8. Acted insubordinately : TALKED OUT OF TURN - Once I filled the SE corner, I had enough to suss the "-ED OUT OF..." phrase, and guessed that the 'verb' was TALK
37. Mating setting : CHESS TOURNAMENT - and since we had TURN and "TOURN", I imagine it could make for a "theme"
I found some fascinating chess sets when I went looking for this image; I have always wanted to build my own set, and something original - both indoors and OUT.
I found some fascinating chess sets when I went looking for this image; I have always wanted to build my own set, and something original - both indoors and OUT.
~!
ACROSS:
1. Entry level? : AGE LIMIT - OK, a little 'meh' on the first clue; I was looking for something a little more clever, like "Ground Floor"
9*. "Making Your Case: The Art of Persuading Judges" co-author : SCALIA
15. Big picture : PANORAMA - I finally saw Star Wars VII - in IMAX 3-D, so that was my thought on 'big picture'
16. Fly-fishing gear : WADERS
17. Wet blanket : BUZZKILL
18. Surfaces : ARISES - dah~! I was trying to think of a synonym for a horizontal plane, but we're talking verb here
19. Purplish fruit : SLOE
20*. Robert Southey, notably : LAKE POET - my one Google; I had LAKE----, and I suppose if I wasn't feeling a personal urge to get this puzzle solved, I could have put some thought in, and maybe even tried a WAG
22. Got comfy : NESTED
24. Outlying areas : 'BURBS - I was thinking "URBS", yet (su)BURBS did not pop into my mind
27. Juanita's pal : AMIGA - ah. I had a final "O", but then again, I should have seen it was not Juan but his sister....
30. Leg up : EDGE - legs~? See 43A.
32. Carrying a grudge : SORE
33. Some trainees : CADETS
35. Fodder bit : OAT
36*. "O Were My Love __ Lilac Fair": Burns : YON
41. Lisbon greeting : OLA - good guess on my part
42. Invoice abbr. : AMounT
43. Forward, in Firenze : AVANTI - oops, had a final "E", and this is why;
44. Dump, perhaps : SELL - the last time "dump" was in the clues, it messed me up
46*. Michelle of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" : YEOH - the "Y" was my last fill
48*. Zollverein Industrial Complex city : ESSEN - Saturday crossword cluing for a common crossword answer - and I should have WAGed it right away
49. Set of closely related notes : TRIAD - very familiar with this "chord" formation; OK, my guitar cronies, get out your axes and tell my what song this intro, predominantly triads, is from
9*. "Making Your Case: The Art of Persuading Judges" co-author : SCALIA
15. Big picture : PANORAMA - I finally saw Star Wars VII - in IMAX 3-D, so that was my thought on 'big picture'
16. Fly-fishing gear : WADERS
17. Wet blanket : BUZZKILL
18. Surfaces : ARISES - dah~! I was trying to think of a synonym for a horizontal plane, but we're talking verb here
19. Purplish fruit : SLOE
20*. Robert Southey, notably : LAKE POET - my one Google; I had LAKE----, and I suppose if I wasn't feeling a personal urge to get this puzzle solved, I could have put some thought in, and maybe even tried a WAG
22. Got comfy : NESTED
24. Outlying areas : 'BURBS - I was thinking "URBS", yet (su)BURBS did not pop into my mind
27. Juanita's pal : AMIGA - ah. I had a final "O", but then again, I should have seen it was not Juan but his sister....
30. Leg up : EDGE - legs~? See 43A.
32. Carrying a grudge : SORE
33. Some trainees : CADETS
35. Fodder bit : OAT
36*. "O Were My Love __ Lilac Fair": Burns : YON
41. Lisbon greeting : OLA - good guess on my part
42. Invoice abbr. : AMounT
43. Forward, in Firenze : AVANTI - oops, had a final "E", and this is why;
LevantE pantyhose
46*. Michelle of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" : YEOH - the "Y" was my last fill
48*. Zollverein Industrial Complex city : ESSEN - Saturday crossword cluing for a common crossword answer - and I should have WAGed it right away
49. Set of closely related notes : TRIAD - very familiar with this "chord" formation; OK, my guitar cronies, get out your axes and tell my what song this intro, predominantly triads, is from
51. Measure of concern for aerobatic pilots : G-FORCE - waiting for the day this is clued as the good guys from the cartoon "Battle of the Planets"
53. Starbucks order : SOY LATTE
55. Beyond gross : RANK
59. __ call : CATTLE
61*. "Respect for Acting" writer : UTA HAGEN - this one I did get with just --HAG--, but then again, the name makes enough crosswords....
63. Bro : PAISAN
64. Empathize with : RELATE TO
65. Get promoted : ASCEND - pondered something like "RISE UP", but the "P" was not user-friendly
66. Tops in malice : NASTIEST
DOWN:
1. BOLO equivalents : APBs - Be On the Look Out, All-Points Bulletin
2. Caesarean section? : GAUL - har-har
3*. Footwear designer Angiolini : ENZO
4. Pharmacy buys : LOZENGES
5. Exasperate : IRK
6. Submits : MAILS - and a clecho; 26D. Submitted : SENT IN
55. Beyond gross : RANK
59. __ call : CATTLE
61*. "Respect for Acting" writer : UTA HAGEN - this one I did get with just --HAG--, but then again, the name makes enough crosswords....
63. Bro : PAISAN
64. Empathize with : RELATE TO
65. Get promoted : ASCEND - pondered something like "RISE UP", but the "P" was not user-friendly
66. Tops in malice : NASTIEST
DOWN:
1. BOLO equivalents : APBs - Be On the Look Out, All-Points Bulletin
2. Caesarean section? : GAUL - har-har
3*. Footwear designer Angiolini : ENZO
4. Pharmacy buys : LOZENGES
5. Exasperate : IRK
6. Submits : MAILS - and a clecho; 26D. Submitted : SENT IN
7. "Gotta run!" : "I'M LATE~!"
9. __ meet : SWAP
10. Evergreen with edible pods : CAROB - ah, similar to cocoa - did not know they were 'evergreens'; I was thinking "what can you eat on a pine, spruce, cedar or yew~?"
11. Parting words : ADIEUs - more Frawnche; see 39D.
12*. Berlioz opera based on the "Aeneid" : LES TROYENS - more more Frawnche; "The Trojans"
13. Land where hurling reportedly originated: Abbr. : IREland - oh, uh, this kind of hurling. I'm more familiar with the drunken stupor kind....
14. Beast in some fables : ASS
21*. Catherine's husband in "Wuthering Heights" : EDGAR - I know this Edgar
23. "Good __": Alton Brown show : EATS
25*. "Wuthering Heights" author : BRONTË - oops, went with ALCOTT
27. Buttonhole : ACCOST
28*. Composer of an incomplete Tenth Symphony : MAHLER
29. Romantic : IDEALISTIC - ah, not the "intimate" kind of romantic; I was trying to find a link to associate the two clue terms, but it was a little more convoluted than I expected
31. Site of Vulcan's workshop : ETNA - makes sense, but I went looking for a specific reference - found one here
34. Order in the court : STAY
38. 007's watch since 1995 : OMEGA - I'm annoyed that I missed "Spectre" in theatres; gratuitous image for C.C.
39. With, on le menu : AVEC
40. Car with a trident emblem : MASERATI
45*. "Tao Te Ching" sage : LAO TSE
47. Spot in the afternoon : HOT TEA - I got the TEA part; the HOT part was not obvious
50*. Subject of the Robert Shelton biography "No Direction Home" : DYLAN
52. Rational and irrational numbers : REALS
54. Generate interest, in a way : LEND
56*. Miracle Mets star : AGEE - a good WAG
57. Has to spend : NETS - tough to grasp the clue's concept at first, but the answer ties it all in
58. Stomach trouble : KNOT - not ACHE - 100% 100% wrong
59. Pro with schedules : CPA
60. Wireless keyboard inserts : AAs
62. Outline in the Arby's logo : HAT
25*. "Wuthering Heights" author : BRONTË - oops, went with ALCOTT
27. Buttonhole : ACCOST
28*. Composer of an incomplete Tenth Symphony : MAHLER
29. Romantic : IDEALISTIC - ah, not the "intimate" kind of romantic; I was trying to find a link to associate the two clue terms, but it was a little more convoluted than I expected
31. Site of Vulcan's workshop : ETNA - makes sense, but I went looking for a specific reference - found one here
34. Order in the court : STAY
38. 007's watch since 1995 : OMEGA - I'm annoyed that I missed "Spectre" in theatres; gratuitous image for C.C.
40. Car with a trident emblem : MASERATI
47. Spot in the afternoon : HOT TEA - I got the TEA part; the HOT part was not obvious
50*. Subject of the Robert Shelton biography "No Direction Home" : DYLAN
52. Rational and irrational numbers : REALS
56*. Miracle Mets star : AGEE - a good WAG
57. Has to spend : NETS - tough to grasp the clue's concept at first, but the answer ties it all in
58. Stomach trouble : KNOT - not ACHE - 100% 100% wrong
59. Pro with schedules : CPA
60. Wireless keyboard inserts : AAs
62. Outline in the Arby's logo : HAT
Splynter
