Theme: None
Words: 70 (missing J,Q,X)
Blocks: 27
A new Saturday struggle from Mr. Diehl - his last offering being just a
month previous, and I fared better with that construction - but then
again, I was awake longer than I usually am before starting today's puzzle
and blog, so a 'mental fade' might have had something to do with my need to
cave in to Google. Just too many proper names, especially in the NE. Oh
well. A grid similar to the last puzzle, with 6x10 corners in a nearly
spiral pattern, and two 9-letter climbers;
11d. Stinging builder of mud nests : MASON WASP - I should hire these guys for my next tiling job~!
11d. Stinging builder of mud nests : MASON WASP - I should hire these guys for my next tiling job~!
32. Like tournament favorites : TOP-SEEDED
ACROSS:
1. Raid units? : SPRAYS - Kills bugs dead
7. Pass after all else failed? : HAIL MARY - football reference
15. Mine shaft tool : TREPAN - I can see how this would be a rocks tool - the only "trepanning" I was aware of involved the skull
16. Ambiguous part : GRAY AREA
17. Cab Calloway catchphrase : HI-DE-HO - knew this from "The Blues Brothers"
18. Jonathan's cousins : WINESAPS - learning moment for me, on both varieties
19. She plays Hermione in "Harry Potter" films : EMMA - the one proper name I knew
20. Falls behind, perhaps : OWES - dah~! Not LAGS
22. Some sleepers : SOFAS - Dah~! Took too long to get this answer - I was thinking trains
23. Soup vegetable : LEEK - um, is there such a thing as BEET soup~? ( I looked; it could have been correct....)
24. Big name in diamonds : ZALES
26. Parishioner's place : NAVE
27. Reagan __ : ERA - grew up during this time frame
28. Word on a business card : CELL - ugh; CORP, CALL, then CELL
29. Old tankard material : PEWTER - even clued just as "tankard material" would have worked
31. Stallone, in "Capone" : NITTI - hiding in my noggin from doing past crosswords
33. Name on some euros : ESPAÑA - wondered if it was a person's name at first
35. Takes in : ABSORBS
37. Replacement for unlisted items : AND SO ON - could be parsed as AND SOON, clued as an ultimatum
41. Charity tourneys : PRO-AMS
43. Throw out an idea : OPINE
44. Takes root : SETS IN
47. Eats : CHOW - ah, the 'plural' misdirection
49. Brief subject : LAW - pondered RES, but waited
50. Spot for a scrape : KNEE
51. Starbucks order : DECAF - oops, not LATTE
53. "__-daisy!" : UPSY
54. Thumb twiddler : IDLER
56. Dough : CASH - hesitated, thought it was too easy to be "CASH"
57. Pickup spot? : NAPE - think cats, etc.
58. Baloney : FOLDEROL - never heard the term; according to the online etymology, it's derived from song refrains
60. Where Mark Twain married Olivia Langdon : ELMIRA - perps and WAGs
62. Paratrooper's start : FREEFALL
63. Like beef loin, vis-à-vis chuck : LEANER
64. Commuting metaphor : SARDINES - think subways, and people packed into a silver can
65. Bands of cerebral nerve fibers : PONTES - not the first thing that comes up on a Google search
DOWN:
1. Napa County city that's home to Beringer Vineyards : St. HELENA - the website
2. Pricey cut : PRIME RIB
3. 2-Down and others : RED MEATS
4. Vertical, more or less : APEAK - one of those "A" words; seems to be closely associated with anchor lines - Spitz~?
5. Slangy agreement : YAH
6. Loser's mistake? : SNOOZE - "you snooze...."
7. "The Shape of Things to Come" author : H.G. WELLS - I did not know this
8. Develop : ARISE
9. Ziering of "Sharknado" : IAN
10. Soapmaking compounds : LYES
12. See 14-Down : ARAFAT - circumreferential to 14d. With 12-Down, 1994 Peace Prize sharer : YASSER
13. Work on, as a road : REPAVE
21. Peace Nobelist of 1983 : WALESA - cheated. Googled.
25. Bridge : SPAN
28. High clouds : CIRRI
30. Fund : ENDOW
34. Ottoman officials : PASHAS
36. Craig role : BOND - he will return (as of today) for "James Bond 25"
38. Medium for da Vinci : OIL PAINT
39. Rampaging : ON A SPREE
40. Day of resolve : NEW YEAR'S
42. Magazine renamed Rosie in 2001 : McCALLS - no clue, but got it with half the letters from perps. I do "ReCALL" McCalls; began in 1873, "apeaked" in the 60's, changed names, and was defunct one year later....
44. One-person boats : SKIFFS
45. "Bewitched" role : ENDORA - I am not too young to remember this show, even if I saw it in syndication
46. Worker in a cage : TELLER - ah, here's my "cage" from last week
48. Useful : OF HELP
52. Nice school : ÉCOLE
53. Dispirit : UNMAN
55. S&L offering : RE-FInance
59. Fared poorly in the wash : RAN
61. Early August arrival : LEO
7. Pass after all else failed? : HAIL MARY - football reference
15. Mine shaft tool : TREPAN - I can see how this would be a rocks tool - the only "trepanning" I was aware of involved the skull
16. Ambiguous part : GRAY AREA
17. Cab Calloway catchphrase : HI-DE-HO - knew this from "The Blues Brothers"
18. Jonathan's cousins : WINESAPS - learning moment for me, on both varieties
not the Hermione you knew
22. Some sleepers : SOFAS - Dah~! Took too long to get this answer - I was thinking trains
23. Soup vegetable : LEEK - um, is there such a thing as BEET soup~? ( I looked; it could have been correct....)
24. Big name in diamonds : ZALES
26. Parishioner's place : NAVE
27. Reagan __ : ERA - grew up during this time frame
28. Word on a business card : CELL - ugh; CORP, CALL, then CELL
29. Old tankard material : PEWTER - even clued just as "tankard material" would have worked
found this one, as well
33. Name on some euros : ESPAÑA - wondered if it was a person's name at first
35. Takes in : ABSORBS
37. Replacement for unlisted items : AND SO ON - could be parsed as AND SOON, clued as an ultimatum
41. Charity tourneys : PRO-AMS
43. Throw out an idea : OPINE
44. Takes root : SETS IN
47. Eats : CHOW - ah, the 'plural' misdirection
49. Brief subject : LAW - pondered RES, but waited
50. Spot for a scrape : KNEE
tragedy~!!!
53. "__-daisy!" : UPSY
54. Thumb twiddler : IDLER
56. Dough : CASH - hesitated, thought it was too easy to be "CASH"
57. Pickup spot? : NAPE - think cats, etc.
58. Baloney : FOLDEROL - never heard the term; according to the online etymology, it's derived from song refrains
60. Where Mark Twain married Olivia Langdon : ELMIRA - perps and WAGs
62. Paratrooper's start : FREEFALL
63. Like beef loin, vis-à-vis chuck : LEANER
64. Commuting metaphor : SARDINES - think subways, and people packed into a silver can
65. Bands of cerebral nerve fibers : PONTES - not the first thing that comes up on a Google search
DOWN:
1. Napa County city that's home to Beringer Vineyards : St. HELENA - the website
2. Pricey cut : PRIME RIB
3. 2-Down and others : RED MEATS
4. Vertical, more or less : APEAK - one of those "A" words; seems to be closely associated with anchor lines - Spitz~?
5. Slangy agreement : YAH
6. Loser's mistake? : SNOOZE - "you snooze...."
7. "The Shape of Things to Come" author : H.G. WELLS - I did not know this
8. Develop : ARISE
9. Ziering of "Sharknado" : IAN
10. Soapmaking compounds : LYES
12. See 14-Down : ARAFAT - circumreferential to 14d. With 12-Down, 1994 Peace Prize sharer : YASSER
13. Work on, as a road : REPAVE
21. Peace Nobelist of 1983 : WALESA - cheated. Googled.
25. Bridge : SPAN
28. High clouds : CIRRI
30. Fund : ENDOW
34. Ottoman officials : PASHAS
36. Craig role : BOND - he will return (as of today) for "James Bond 25"
39. Rampaging : ON A SPREE
40. Day of resolve : NEW YEAR'S
42. Magazine renamed Rosie in 2001 : McCALLS - no clue, but got it with half the letters from perps. I do "ReCALL" McCalls; began in 1873, "apeaked" in the 60's, changed names, and was defunct one year later....
44. One-person boats : SKIFFS
45. "Bewitched" role : ENDORA - I am not too young to remember this show, even if I saw it in syndication
46. Worker in a cage : TELLER - ah, here's my "cage" from last week
48. Useful : OF HELP
52. Nice school : ÉCOLE
53. Dispirit : UNMAN
55. S&L offering : RE-FInance
59. Fared poorly in the wash : RAN
61. Early August arrival : LEO
Splynter
