Saturday, Sep 10th, 2016, Debbie Ellerin

Theme: #2~!

Words: 72 (missing J,Q,X,Z)

Blocks: 32

  This is Debbie's second Saturday this year (4/16/16), and a similar solving experience for the second time, too.  A lot of blank space on the first pass, got just enough from WAGs to get a toe-hold in some sections, and even the proper names filled in after the fact.  A non intimidating grid, with just a couple of 10's and paired 9's;

17a. Enjoy all the seasons : BINGE WATCH - I binge watched all the episodes of "The X-Files" on DVD two years ago

48a. Most, with "the" : LION'S SHARE - this I nailed, and was a huge help in the SW

sONgWARD~!

ACROSS:

1. Object of Canaanite worship : BA'AL - the Wiki

5. Green Goblin portrayer in "Spider-Man" : DAFOE - I remembered this character and the actor

10. Bolted down : ATE

13. Voice from a loft : ALTO - lots of clues with singing/voices today; I was curious about voice classification and found this - I was told in music class back in high school that I was "baritone" - but I can do some high stuff during karaoke

14. Filing aid : EMERY

15. Corporate bigwig : SUIT - went with EXEC, which messed me up in the NE

16. Put in stitches : SEWN - ah, nothing to do with humor

19. "This American Life" host : IRA GLASS - mostly perps and WAGs

21. Hapless toon : COYOTE - my first thought, but I hesitated

22. Support providers : CORSETS - as a carpenter, GIRDERS was my first thought; this is a much better image

23. What some pros often do : MAKE PAR - amateur mini-golfers can hit the mark, too

24. Groundbreaking invention : HOE -  I thought a "?" would have been appropriate for misdirection - but then again, it really is a ground-breaking invention....

25. Unbranded? : GENERIC - similar to NO FRILLs, as in 1d.

26. Relay link : BATON

29. Friend of Mozart : HAYDN - man, I thought this was right, but hesitated again

30. Army officers: Abbr. : LTs

32. "As if!" : "I BET~!"

33. Longtime CBS head : PALEY - all perps, WAGed the "L"

34. Catchy melody : HOOK - yeah, I tried TUNE but it didn't seem correct

35. Lon of Cambodia : NOL

36. Disguise : COVER

37. Swab : MATEY - not Q-TIP, which didn't fit

38. Doesn't give up on : RETRIES

40. Former SSR : RUSsia

41. Draws out : SIPHONS

42. Great expectation : HIGH BAR

46. Thunderstruck : AGHAST

47. Right part of a map? : RED STATE - ah.

50. Vocal support : AYES

51. Canadian singer Murray : ANNE - I remembered her

52. School aide : TUTOR

53. Butter from the farm : GOAT - I was well aware this was going to be "BUTT-er", but BULL did not seem right

54. Dead end? : DEE - clever; deaD

55. Eclipses, to some : OMENS - Columbus used one to his advantage

56. Tots : SUMS - ah, not LADS, which I refrained from filling in; British slang "Tot up" for adding together

DOWN:

1. No-frills : BASIC

2. Olds compact : ALERO

3. Doing battle : AT WAR

4. One not likely to succeed : LONG SHOT

5. Forensic competition : DEBATE - I had the "D", and thought it might be "DNA---" - bzzzt

6. Off the mark : AMISS

7. Boston park, with "The" : FENS - makes sense with Fenway Park in Boston, too

8. Address ending : ORG. - website address

9. It'll turn your head : EYE CANDY - you know what turns my head....

so many to choose from.....

10. Unthinking state : AUTOPILOT - my first thought, with the "A" in place, but EXEC did not agree....

11. Game that's hard to lose : TIC-TAC-TOE - hard to win, too, technically - and saves the day in "War Games" - try typing in "shall we play a game" on Google....

12. It's a real knockout : ETHER - har-har

15. "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing" singer Leo : SAYER - I didn't know the name of the singer, but I recall the song with the unmistakeable falsetto style

I could do this at karaoke....

18. Gotten up : WOKEN - RISEN~? AWAKE~? argh~!!

20. Spanish province or its capital : LEON

23. Mobster Lansky : MEYER - no clue, all perps

25. Serious blows : GALES - ah, not fists of fury, fits of Fujita; I noticed with the last tropical storm the "F" classification was now "EF" - it's been 'enhanced'

26. Place for a bargain : BIN - bargain bin

27. Early inhabitant : ABORIGINE

28. Game played in whispers : TELEPHONE - a great game where the initial storyteller hears his message retold, often to a humorous end - I found this link

29. Well-to-do types : HAVES - I pondered "ELITE" and "A-LIST"

31. The limit, perhaps : SKY - confirmed my "TUNE" was wrong

33. Indicates : POINTS TO

34. They can also represent pounds : HASH TAGS - the other other use of "#"

36. Vampire repellent : CROSS - pondered STAKE

37. Faces, in slang : MUGS

39. Macbeth, vis-à-vis Glamis : THANE

40. Commuters : RIDERS

41. Mixed dish : SALAD

42. Great blue wader : HERON

a wader wailer

43. "Blue __": 1963 and 1977 hit : BAYOU

44. Starters : A-TEAM

45. Takes ten : RESTS

47. Review : RATE

49. "Rattle and __": U2 album : HUM

Splynter