Theme: None
Words 68 (missing B,F,J,K,Q,Z)
Blocks: 25
A
perfectly symmetrical construction with chunky corners and no way to
get from one to the other without going through 15-letter spanners and climbers
makes this possibly the most difficult grid to work with; I
have to own up to one Google cheat, but other than that, I call this one
a win - no fun-sponge answers, and solid fill throughout. The last
Saturday puzzle from Mr. Huget was nearly an identical grid, and I
re-read my write-up and it was a struggle then as well. Still,
I liked the challenge, and I was within my personal allotted time, so
one cheat is fair, right~? Anyway, the four spanners and climbers;
31a. Classic children's story about healing : THE SECRET GARDEN - I'd heard of it, but knew nothing about it, so I went to the the Wiki
36a. '60s TV sidekick : AGENT NINETY-NINE - from Get Smart - one of my favorite openings for a show and theme song - here's the 60's Agent 99; I liked Anne Hathaway in the 2008 movie myself
7d. Find the weakness of : HIT WHERE IT HURTS
8d. Accessory for FDR : CIGARETTE HOLDER - see also 55d. for a WWII contemporary
8d. Accessory for FDR : CIGARETTE HOLDER - see also 55d. for a WWII contemporary
bONnieWARD~!
ACROSS:
1. "Yikes!" : "OMIGOSH~!"
8. Whitewash : COVER-UP
15. Ancient Roman coins : DENARII - I took Latin for four years in school, so the couble "I-I" at the end was acceptable
16. "It's not an option for me" : "I HAVE TO." - I have to add a leg image - it's not an option for me
17. Court exhibit, perhaps : DNA TEST
18. Squared up : GOT EVEN - I was not sure if this was a carpentry clue, or an "I.O.U." one
19. Customs : MORES - dah~! Not NorMs
20. '70s org. for 21-Down : WHA - I immediately filled in NHL, as I knew who we were looking for at 21d - and I was wrong~! The WHA was the World Hockey Association, a league I had never heard of - I grew up with the NY Rangers, the team my dad followed before the birth of the Islanders - who got their start from the legal battles of the NHL with the WHA - the Wiki
8. Whitewash : COVER-UP
15. Ancient Roman coins : DENARII - I took Latin for four years in school, so the couble "I-I" at the end was acceptable
16. "It's not an option for me" : "I HAVE TO." - I have to add a leg image - it's not an option for me
17. Court exhibit, perhaps : DNA TEST
18. Squared up : GOT EVEN - I was not sure if this was a carpentry clue, or an "I.O.U." one
19. Customs : MORES - dah~! Not NorMs
20. '70s org. for 21-Down : WHA - I immediately filled in NHL, as I knew who we were looking for at 21d - and I was wrong~! The WHA was the World Hockey Association, a league I had never heard of - I grew up with the NY Rangers, the team my dad followed before the birth of the Islanders - who got their start from the legal battles of the NHL with the WHA - the Wiki
22. Viking family dog of comics : SNERT - Hägar the Horrible
23. Notable periods : ERAS - a gimme for Saturday
24. Side issue? : THORN - a "thorn in one's side" - har-har
26. Piano __ : TRIO - yeah, this one was vague, at best; I pondered LEGS
27. Hound : NAG
- oops, not the 'other' hound - DOG - I have an idea for a new board
game that I have been working on all week, and there's a good chance I
can produce it if the prototype is good - my friend Mike works with China to produce backyard games and such
28. Little ones : PEE-WEES
30. "Microsoft sound" composer : ENO - perps
34. "What's Hecuba to him, __ to Hecuba": Hamlet : OR HE - OK, the only fill that was "meh", but not too bad when you quote Shakespeare
35. St Ives gallery : TATE - a WAG off '--TE'
43. Discount tag abbr. : IRRegular
44. One giving a thumbs-up? : HITCHER - Always makes me think of the Hitch-hiker's Guide to the Galaxy
45. Put the kibosh on : NIX - ARGH~! not HEX, not POX
46. Actors Glass and Silver : RONs - both have died; I knew Ron Silver - he was a lawyer on Law & Order, but I had to look up Ron Glass - ah, from Barney Miller, just before my time
48. Total confusion : CHAOS - I mentioned this word last week - and KAOS was in Get Smart, too
49. High seas adverb : THAR - she blows~!
50. Creamer of the LPGA : PAULA - perps and WAG
52. Search result : URL - oops, not HIT
53. "Rocky IV" antagonist Ivan : DRAGO - this was "my time", but Rocky movies were not my thing; 1985 was a good movie year - Back to the Future, A View to A Kill, and a tie-in to 28a. - see here
54. Being tracked, in a way : ON RADAR
56. Think it likely : DARESAY - I pondered DEEMS SO
58. Reference : RESPECT - should this have been reVerence~? I'm calling blooper
59. Hyundai 1990 launch : ELANTRA - Nailed it, even if it was a WAG
60. Locks : TRESSES
61. Unfair treatment : RAW DEAL
24. Side issue? : THORN - a "thorn in one's side" - har-har
26. Piano __ : TRIO - yeah, this one was vague, at best; I pondered LEGS
28. Little ones : PEE-WEES
30. "Microsoft sound" composer : ENO - perps
34. "What's Hecuba to him, __ to Hecuba": Hamlet : OR HE - OK, the only fill that was "meh", but not too bad when you quote Shakespeare
35. St Ives gallery : TATE - a WAG off '--TE'
43. Discount tag abbr. : IRRegular
44. One giving a thumbs-up? : HITCHER - Always makes me think of the Hitch-hiker's Guide to the Galaxy
46. Actors Glass and Silver : RONs - both have died; I knew Ron Silver - he was a lawyer on Law & Order, but I had to look up Ron Glass - ah, from Barney Miller, just before my time
48. Total confusion : CHAOS - I mentioned this word last week - and KAOS was in Get Smart, too
49. High seas adverb : THAR - she blows~!
50. Creamer of the LPGA : PAULA - perps and WAG
52. Search result : URL - oops, not HIT
53. "Rocky IV" antagonist Ivan : DRAGO - this was "my time", but Rocky movies were not my thing; 1985 was a good movie year - Back to the Future, A View to A Kill, and a tie-in to 28a. - see here
54. Being tracked, in a way : ON RADAR
58. Reference : RESPECT - should this have been reVerence~? I'm calling blooper
59. Hyundai 1990 launch : ELANTRA - Nailed it, even if it was a WAG
60. Locks : TRESSES
61. Unfair treatment : RAW DEAL
DOWN:
1. Leftover : ODDMENT
2. Festival of Lights symbol : MENORAH - big help in the NW
3. Really ticked : IN A RAGE
4. 36-Down areas : GATES - did not work with my NorMs
5. They may be picked out : ORES - ah, a fresh clue for an old fill
9. "Look what I found!" : "O HO~!"
10. Brewery fixtures : VATS
11. What happened : EVENT
12. Venerated : REVERED - still calling blooper at 58a.
13. Womb-related : UTERINE
14. Floatplane feature : PONTOON
21. Six-time Hart Trophy winner : HOWE - either HOWE or HULL
24. Lego line that may include gears and motors : TECHNIC - my favorite collection of Lego sets; I have several kits still in a closet at mom's house, including the "old" helicopter set - here's the latest helicopter, but all the new kits have pre-molded parts that take some of the fun out of building
25. Countermands : NEGATES
28. Capital of Western Australia : PERTH - ooh, good WAG off just the "H"
29. Faun look-alike : SATYR
32. Male issue : SON
33. Cartoon canine : REN
36. Site with scanners : AIRPORT
37. It usually doesn't get a laugh : GROANER
38. Hospital triage pro : ER NURSE
39. Mayberry's home: Abbr. : N. CARolina
40. At the last minute, say : IN HASTE
41. New York county north of Erie : NIAGARA - my one cheat - and living in NY, I shoulda known....
42. 2016 World Series MVP Ben Zobrist, e.g. : EX-ROYAL - hockey is my thing, not baseball
47. Sharp rebukes : SLAPS
49. General direction : TREND
51. Citrus coolers : ADES
53. Main attraction : DRAW
55. Dogfight participant : ACE - Iron Maiden's Aces High
57. Like : À LA
2. Festival of Lights symbol : MENORAH - big help in the NW
3. Really ticked : IN A RAGE
4. 36-Down areas : GATES - did not work with my NorMs
5. They may be picked out : ORES - ah, a fresh clue for an old fill
6. Family nickname : SIS
9. "Look what I found!" : "O HO~!"
10. Brewery fixtures : VATS
11. What happened : EVENT
12. Venerated : REVERED - still calling blooper at 58a.
13. Womb-related : UTERINE
14. Floatplane feature : PONTOON
21. Six-time Hart Trophy winner : HOWE - either HOWE or HULL
24. Lego line that may include gears and motors : TECHNIC - my favorite collection of Lego sets; I have several kits still in a closet at mom's house, including the "old" helicopter set - here's the latest helicopter, but all the new kits have pre-molded parts that take some of the fun out of building
25. Countermands : NEGATES
28. Capital of Western Australia : PERTH - ooh, good WAG off just the "H"
29. Faun look-alike : SATYR
32. Male issue : SON
33. Cartoon canine : REN
36. Site with scanners : AIRPORT
37. It usually doesn't get a laugh : GROANER
38. Hospital triage pro : ER NURSE
39. Mayberry's home: Abbr. : N. CARolina
40. At the last minute, say : IN HASTE
41. New York county north of Erie : NIAGARA - my one cheat - and living in NY, I shoulda known....
NW corner - polar opposites; I'm in Suffolk, SE
42. 2016 World Series MVP Ben Zobrist, e.g. : EX-ROYAL - hockey is my thing, not baseball
47. Sharp rebukes : SLAPS
49. General direction : TREND
51. Citrus coolers : ADES
53. Main attraction : DRAW
55. Dogfight participant : ACE - Iron Maiden's Aces High
Splynter
Note from C.C.:
Happy Birthday to dear JD, who joined our blog after she retired in 2008. Below is the first picture JD shared with us back when her daughter Shelby got married. Truman was only a baby then. How time flies. You can click here for many beautiful pictures JD shared with us over the years.
