Theme: None
Words: 70 (missing J,Q,Z)
Blocks: 26
We have not seen a Saturday construction from Mr. Collins since 2013;
his most recent LA Times contribution was a Thursday puzzle this past
June; that last Saturday grid was in June, as well. I looked over my
review from that one, and wrote that I had trouble with the long
answers, but not the proper names. This time, I breezed through the
long answers, but got stuck on the shorter ones. Imagine that. The
grids, however, are similar, with a non-intimidating look, the long
fills on the 'inside', and triple 10-letter corners no so easy to
parse in the Down. Some of the longer fill;
17. Layoff order? : "DON'T START IN ON ME~!" - my attitude at UPS lately
51. Words shouted out an open window : "LEARN HOW TO DRIVE~!" - yes, I am good for this - along with HANG UP THE Fkn PHONE~!!!
51. Words shouted out an open window : "LEARN HOW TO DRIVE~!" - yes, I am good for this - along with HANG UP THE Fkn PHONE~!!!
Or this one~?
7. Giving up the ball after a fake punt, say, in football lingo : TURN OVER ON DOWNS - timely clue/answer - I saw pre-season football on TV this Thursday~!
On Wed.~!(8/9)
ACROSS:
1. Part of the back forty : ACRE - for some reason I thought "back forty" was related to the states after the original colonies (hence my first thought being UTAH); in a sense, I was right - see here
5. Genghis Khan subject : TATAR - ah, as in a member of the lower class, not "a" class
10. Go after, as flies : SHAG - I had SNAG. Shag~? Yeah, baby, yeah~!
14. Words of self-pity : I'M A FAILURE
16. One heading for the cape? : TORO - my first fill was KENT, as in Clark, on his way to becoming Superman
19. Remnant : END
20. Water carriers : MAINS - I tried EWERS; this is a clever clue for the pipes of a city system
21. Rooney and Griffith : ANDYS
22. "Haven't the foggiest" : DUNNO
23. Calligraphy problems : SMEARS - knew what we were looking for, pondered SMUDGE(s)
24. Law school course : ETHICS
27. Area between highlands : VALE
29. Word whose meaning can be the same when read backward : PAT - and the reverse, TAP, which makes a very clever clue
30. Take the wrong way? : POACH - got it, but had STEAL to start
31. ADHD drug : DEXEDRINE - no clue, filled via perps, WAGed the "R" (tho it made sense)
33. Triangle relationship : SINE
34. Removed a cylinder from, maybe : CORED - kept thinking about car engines at first
35. Kurylenko of "Quantum of Solace" : OLGA - I know her well
36. Like throwbacks : OLD SCHOOL
38. Reacted to a call at home, maybe : BOOED - baseball fans
39. Came together : MET
40. Notable feature of Africa : HORN
41. Father's changing room : VESTRY - after the third look at this clue, I realized the father here refers to a priest. A-ha~!
42. Plug : STOP UP - hah~! I was looking for a "PITCH" like a sales campaign
44. Like "The Age of Reason" doctrine : DEIST
46. One of Israel's 12 tribes : ASHER
47. Vermouth name : ROSSI
48. Took : WON
54. Go south : TANK
55. Compilation publication since 1984 : UTNE READER
56. Factory regs. : STDs -the factory standard table for the back of an Airstream trailer does not work with reclining chairs, so my landlord's buddy who was in town for two weeks asked me to build him a custom one....
57. 30% of essentials : ESSES - hey, D-Otto, he does math like us~!
58. Proceed : WEND
DOWN:
1. Hamilton, to General Washington : AIDE
2. "What are you waitin' for?' : C'MON
3. Author born Alisa Zinov'yevna Rosenbaum : RAND - first (pseudo) name AYN
4. Baby newt : EFT
5. Cronus and Rhea, e.g. : TITANS
6. Harlem Renaissance writer Locke : ALAIN - filled via perps
8. Word in many degrees : ARTS
9. Outdoor gear giant : REI - seen this one before, so I have gotten used to it
10. Georgia's __ Mountain : STONE
11. Acura MDX relative : HONDA PILOT - my first "long answer" fill, and I was on a roll
12. Elite military member : ARMY RANGER
13. Sees only one person : GOES STEADY
15. To the same degree : AS MUCH - I had AS WELL to start
18. Called : NAMED
22. Does a kitchen job : DICES
23. Dog follower : SLED - oops, not STAR
24. Bath additive : EPSOM SALTS - I have added this to my bath in the past
25. Head rest? : TOILET SEAT - clever, but I got it from --ILE----T
26. Like some combat : HAND-TO-HAND
28. Winter Olympics maneuver : AXEL
31. Word with front or pocket : DOOR - my bathroom has a pocket door, and I just finished helping a friend frame out and trim his new bathroom pocket door
32. Stick in a cage : ROOST - the noun, not the verb
34. Martial arts move : CHOP
37. Agitate : CHURN
38. Not relevant to : BESIDE
41. Shade providers at golf clubs : VISORS - I like the trees that line the courses I play for shade; Cedars has more trees than Sandy Pond. My golfing buddy Fred just invested $700 in a set of clubs - I was a little more frugal, and spent $42 on a pull cart from eBay.
43. Exec's extras : PERKS - first thought, second guessed; I was thinking we need an abbr. because of exec
45. Competitor of Helena : ESTÉE - got it. Upon reading both Wiki pages, they had quite a lot in common; Lauder; and Rubenstein
47. Breaks down : ROTS - the answer I was thinking we were looking for at 54a.
48. Off the mark : WIDE - not AWRY
49. Rising spot : OVEN - ah, not EAST
50. Stereotypical techie : NERD
52. Tangerine or peach : HUE - obviously FRUIT was not going to fit, and I had the "E" already
53. Unadulterated : RAW - so why is an "Adult" film considered "RAW", too~?
5. Genghis Khan subject : TATAR - ah, as in a member of the lower class, not "a" class
10. Go after, as flies : SHAG - I had SNAG. Shag~? Yeah, baby, yeah~!
14. Words of self-pity : I'M A FAILURE
16. One heading for the cape? : TORO - my first fill was KENT, as in Clark, on his way to becoming Superman
19. Remnant : END
20. Water carriers : MAINS - I tried EWERS; this is a clever clue for the pipes of a city system
21. Rooney and Griffith : ANDYS
22. "Haven't the foggiest" : DUNNO
23. Calligraphy problems : SMEARS - knew what we were looking for, pondered SMUDGE(s)
24. Law school course : ETHICS
27. Area between highlands : VALE
29. Word whose meaning can be the same when read backward : PAT - and the reverse, TAP, which makes a very clever clue
30. Take the wrong way? : POACH - got it, but had STEAL to start
31. ADHD drug : DEXEDRINE - no clue, filled via perps, WAGed the "R" (tho it made sense)
33. Triangle relationship : SINE
34. Removed a cylinder from, maybe : CORED - kept thinking about car engines at first
35. Kurylenko of "Quantum of Solace" : OLGA - I know her well
36. Like throwbacks : OLD SCHOOL
38. Reacted to a call at home, maybe : BOOED - baseball fans
39. Came together : MET
40. Notable feature of Africa : HORN
41. Father's changing room : VESTRY - after the third look at this clue, I realized the father here refers to a priest. A-ha~!
42. Plug : STOP UP - hah~! I was looking for a "PITCH" like a sales campaign
44. Like "The Age of Reason" doctrine : DEIST
46. One of Israel's 12 tribes : ASHER
47. Vermouth name : ROSSI
48. Took : WON
54. Go south : TANK
55. Compilation publication since 1984 : UTNE READER
56. Factory regs. : STDs -the factory standard table for the back of an Airstream trailer does not work with reclining chairs, so my landlord's buddy who was in town for two weeks asked me to build him a custom one....
58. Proceed : WEND
DOWN:
1. Hamilton, to General Washington : AIDE
2. "What are you waitin' for?' : C'MON
3. Author born Alisa Zinov'yevna Rosenbaum : RAND - first (pseudo) name AYN
4. Baby newt : EFT
5. Cronus and Rhea, e.g. : TITANS
6. Harlem Renaissance writer Locke : ALAIN - filled via perps
8. Word in many degrees : ARTS
9. Outdoor gear giant : REI - seen this one before, so I have gotten used to it
10. Georgia's __ Mountain : STONE
11. Acura MDX relative : HONDA PILOT - my first "long answer" fill, and I was on a roll
13. Sees only one person : GOES STEADY
15. To the same degree : AS MUCH - I had AS WELL to start
18. Called : NAMED
22. Does a kitchen job : DICES
23. Dog follower : SLED - oops, not STAR
24. Bath additive : EPSOM SALTS - I have added this to my bath in the past
25. Head rest? : TOILET SEAT - clever, but I got it from --ILE----T
26. Like some combat : HAND-TO-HAND
28. Winter Olympics maneuver : AXEL
31. Word with front or pocket : DOOR - my bathroom has a pocket door, and I just finished helping a friend frame out and trim his new bathroom pocket door
32. Stick in a cage : ROOST - the noun, not the verb
37. Agitate : CHURN
38. Not relevant to : BESIDE
41. Shade providers at golf clubs : VISORS - I like the trees that line the courses I play for shade; Cedars has more trees than Sandy Pond. My golfing buddy Fred just invested $700 in a set of clubs - I was a little more frugal, and spent $42 on a pull cart from eBay.
43. Exec's extras : PERKS - first thought, second guessed; I was thinking we need an abbr. because of exec
45. Competitor of Helena : ESTÉE - got it. Upon reading both Wiki pages, they had quite a lot in common; Lauder; and Rubenstein
47. Breaks down : ROTS - the answer I was thinking we were looking for at 54a.
48. Off the mark : WIDE - not AWRY
49. Rising spot : OVEN - ah, not EAST
50. Stereotypical techie : NERD
52. Tangerine or peach : HUE - obviously FRUIT was not going to fit, and I had the "E" already