Theme: None
Words: 68 (missing F,J,Q,X,Y)
Blocks: 28
A little over a month since we had a puzzle from Mr. Sessa, and I
reviewed that construction after I completed this one. Similar solving
experience, again, with getting a few of the long fills quick, but
struggling with the proper names, again. I did find some of the
"definition" clues to be somewhat off-base, but I let them slide, and
finished under my personal time. Grids were very similar, too - triple
9's in the across, and paired 11- and 10-letter fills on the 'inside'
downs. The 11-letter answers;
11. Informal talk : BULL SESSION
22. Plane lane : AIR CORRIDOR - I learned there were "lanes"
when I went flying with the architect I used to work for; we flew out of
ISP (MacArthur airport, Islip, LI, NY) and being so close to JFK and
LGA, you really had to stay in "your" lane....
Winona, MN -> Wales, AK -> Rincón de los Sauces, Argentina~!
ACROSS:
1. One not to upset? : APPLE CART - my first pass I read this as "too"; with some crossings filled in, I realized the difference
10. Title from the Aramaic for "father" : ABBOT - seen this before in crosswords, but it didn't come to me without some crossings first
15. Subject of the 2015 Erik Larson nonfiction bestseller "Dead Wake" : LUSITANIA
10. Title from the Aramaic for "father" : ABBOT - seen this before in crosswords, but it didn't come to me without some crossings first
15. Subject of the 2015 Erik Larson nonfiction bestseller "Dead Wake" : LUSITANIA
16. Hurricane peril : SURGE - thought there might be a slight deception with singular/plural, and pondered WINDS
17. Perilous situation : PRECIPICE
18. Water park attraction : SLIDE - Splish Splash is right around the corner from my place, and I have been, but only once
17. Perilous situation : PRECIPICE
18. Water park attraction : SLIDE - Splish Splash is right around the corner from my place, and I have been, but only once
19. Saruman soldier in "The Lord of the Rings" : ORC - this or ENT, so I left it blank
20. Guttural utterance : CROAK - not GROAN; that shows up later at 40a.
21. Bygone : OLDEN - made me change my "ASSIGNS" to ASSORTS
22. Similar : AKIN
23. Goes downhill : WORSENS - I had LESSENS at first
25. Flat-bottomed boats : DORIES - this came to mind, but I hesitated to fill it in
28. 19th-century dancer Lola : MONTEZ - no clue; this middle right section had me baffled for too long
29. Still : INERT
30. Takeout order? : MINUS SIGN
33. Poolroom powder : TALC
34. Capital of South Africa : RANDS - OK, I cheated - I have a 'money' chart in my dictionary
35. Fizz flavoring : SLOE
36. Used in an undignified way : STOOPED TO - eh. Around here, it's more like "behaved" than "used"
38. Test on the air : PILOT - always reminds me of the post-titles scene from Pulp Fiction
20. Guttural utterance : CROAK - not GROAN; that shows up later at 40a.
21. Bygone : OLDEN - made me change my "ASSIGNS" to ASSORTS
22. Similar : AKIN
23. Goes downhill : WORSENS - I had LESSENS at first
25. Flat-bottomed boats : DORIES - this came to mind, but I hesitated to fill it in
28. 19th-century dancer Lola : MONTEZ - no clue; this middle right section had me baffled for too long
29. Still : INERT
30. Takeout order? : MINUS SIGN
33. Poolroom powder : TALC
34. Capital of South Africa : RANDS - OK, I cheated - I have a 'money' chart in my dictionary
35. Fizz flavoring : SLOE
36. Used in an undignified way : STOOPED TO - eh. Around here, it's more like "behaved" than "used"
38. Test on the air : PILOT - always reminds me of the post-titles scene from Pulp Fiction
39. Hags : CRONES
40. Pained reactions : GROANS
41. Four-time Depp role : SPARROW - Captain Jack, of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" films
43. Either 2010 "True Grit" director : COEN - didn't see the movie, but this was a good WAG
44. Musical instruction : "HIT IT~!"
45. Even slightly : AT ALL
47. Justice Fortas : ABE - filled via perps
50. Indicator of a private thought : ASIDE
51. Riddick portrayer : VIN DIESEL - Pitch Black was a great movie; the Chronicles not so much; did not see "Riddick" from 2013
53. __ house : MANOR - oops, not OPERA
54. They often precede garage sales : ESTIMATES - I threw in "CLEAN OUTS"; but this is the 'other' reason for emptying the garage - the future man-cave
55. Some RPI grads : ENGRs - a Spitz and Splynter shout-out
56. Fitting place for sneaks : SHOE STORE - there's a "friend of Bill W." I know who calls the last row of chairs at a 12-step meeting the "Shoe Store" - sneakers, loafers and slippers; I went on to add flip-flops
DOWN:
1. Maker of TBONZ treats : ALPO - oops, not IAMS
2. Run well : PURR
3. Minute part of a minute, for short : PSEC - I tried NSEC; a picosecond falls between a nanosecond and a femtosecond; billionth, trillionth and quadrillionth of a second
4. ID with a photo : LICense
5. iPhone movie purchase : eTICKET
6. Garb named for an island : CAPRIS - somewhere between short and pants, and now like this~!
40. Pained reactions : GROANS
41. Four-time Depp role : SPARROW - Captain Jack, of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" films
43. Either 2010 "True Grit" director : COEN - didn't see the movie, but this was a good WAG
44. Musical instruction : "HIT IT~!"
45. Even slightly : AT ALL
47. Justice Fortas : ABE - filled via perps
50. Indicator of a private thought : ASIDE
51. Riddick portrayer : VIN DIESEL - Pitch Black was a great movie; the Chronicles not so much; did not see "Riddick" from 2013
53. __ house : MANOR - oops, not OPERA
54. They often precede garage sales : ESTIMATES - I threw in "CLEAN OUTS"; but this is the 'other' reason for emptying the garage - the future man-cave
55. Some RPI grads : ENGRs - a Spitz and Splynter shout-out
56. Fitting place for sneaks : SHOE STORE - there's a "friend of Bill W." I know who calls the last row of chairs at a 12-step meeting the "Shoe Store" - sneakers, loafers and slippers; I went on to add flip-flops
DOWN:
1. Maker of TBONZ treats : ALPO - oops, not IAMS
2. Run well : PURR
3. Minute part of a minute, for short : PSEC - I tried NSEC; a picosecond falls between a nanosecond and a femtosecond; billionth, trillionth and quadrillionth of a second
4. ID with a photo : LICense
5. iPhone movie purchase : eTICKET
6. Garb named for an island : CAPRIS - somewhere between short and pants, and now like this~!
Wolford Bella Capri
7. Cation's opposite : ANION - way too easy, so I filled it in and expected it to be wrong
8. Costa __ : RICA
9. Art form offering plenty of kicks? : TAEKWONDO - the Wiki
10. Puts into groups : ASSORTS
12. Wedding planner's nightmare : BRIDEZILLA
13. City near the Great Salt Lake : OGDEN
14. Many Beliebers : TEENS - Justin Bieber fans
8. Costa __ : RICA
9. Art form offering plenty of kicks? : TAEKWONDO - the Wiki
10. Puts into groups : ASSORTS
12. Wedding planner's nightmare : BRIDEZILLA
13. City near the Great Salt Lake : OGDEN
14. Many Beliebers : TEENS - Justin Bieber fans
24. Sisyphus' stone, e.g. : ONUS
- a "pointless task" just came up in a conversation recently, and I was
curious to know where the story originated - this is why I do
crosswords~! The Wiki
25. Morse "H" quartet : DITS
26. Go __ great length : ON AT
27. Changing places : RELOCATING
28. They may be thin : MINTS - red lines didn't fit
30. Stirred things up : MADE WAVES
31. "And?" : GO ON....
32. Realizes : NETS - another "eh" - I prefer GETS or SEES; 'realizes' was a s-t-r-e-t-c-h in another recent puzzle
34. First female attorney general : RENO - WAG, had the "O"
37. Pub orders : PORTERS - semi-referential to; 48d. 37-Down, e.g. : BEER
38. Minor matches : PRELIMS - funny - I switched "CLEAN OUTS" to "ESTATE---", which left the "T" at the end of this answer - and I thought a prelit match was sort of dangerous....
25. Morse "H" quartet : DITS
26. Go __ great length : ON AT
27. Changing places : RELOCATING
28. They may be thin : MINTS - red lines didn't fit
30. Stirred things up : MADE WAVES
31. "And?" : GO ON....
32. Realizes : NETS - another "eh" - I prefer GETS or SEES; 'realizes' was a s-t-r-e-t-c-h in another recent puzzle
34. First female attorney general : RENO - WAG, had the "O"
37. Pub orders : PORTERS - semi-referential to; 48d. 37-Down, e.g. : BEER
38. Minor matches : PRELIMS - funny - I switched "CLEAN OUTS" to "ESTATE---", which left the "T" at the end of this answer - and I thought a prelit match was sort of dangerous....
oh, that kind of match....
40. Best Supporting Actress two years before Cloris : GOLDIE
- clues phrased like this, which are great if you know the answers, are
useless if you don't - like I was. The movie was Cactus Flower from
1969 - I'm from 1971. IMDb
41. Disgrace : SHAME
42. Fibonacci or Galileo : PISAN - from this city....
41. Disgrace : SHAME
42. Fibonacci or Galileo : PISAN - from this city....
43. Poem division : CANTO
46. Mrs. Addams, to Gomez : 'TISH - Morticia
46. Mrs. Addams, to Gomez : 'TISH - Morticia
Tish, that's Frawnche~!
47. Concerning : AS TO
49. Besides that : ELSE
52. Parental encouragement : "EAT~!!!"
Splynter
