For all of you who were wondering where our Friday friend JW has been hiding in 2018, he is back and presents the third visual puzzle that has been constructed for our consternation. We have 13 (!) clues which consist only of a number. Good news though, we get a reveal! Oops, not helpful yet. Must solve and wait for perps. Hmm, three letter fill at 26 and 52 across. 26- nope not there. 52? Ahh- BUN! 41- ROLL! Eureka! Thirteen is a baker's dozen. Ta-dah- bakery items! This was a struggle in places, but I am a big fan of most of the goods here, especially a warm buttery CROISSANT and a moist SCONE. What are your favorites? The rest was in my wheelhouse, with SUK requiring all of the perps. The purists will hate the themers being so short and having non-theme fill longer words, but I enjoyed BELDAME, BOSNIAN, CAT SCAN, DEEPENS, ELOCUTE, QUIETED, BLINDERS, and CITY PLAN as fun but challenging fill. I applaud Jeffrey for finding 13 items that not only fit the theme, but allow him to build a classic grid with complete thematic symmetry. A puzzle that completely depends on perps and the reveal...
I wonder if the grid was inspired by The Cross of Salem, also known as a pontifical cross because it is carried before the Pope. This is - after all a CROSSword puzzle.
1A. #1: MUFFIN (6). RECIPE. opposite 70A. # 10: DANISH (6). RECIPE.
7A. # 2: BRIOCHE (7). RECIPE. opposite 69A. # 9: BISCUIT (7). RECIPE.
37A. # 5: CAKE (4). RECIPE. opposite 41A. # 6: ROLL (4). RECIPE.
20D. # 12: CROISSANT (9). RECIPE. the center.
38A. It's a bit more than it sounds, and hints at this puzzle's theme: BAKER'S DOZEN (11). Wal-Mart sells their doughnuts 13 to a box. Let's get cooking with the solve.
Across:
14. Crone: BELDAME. Finally a clue, but not a gimme fill. This archaic WORD is clearly a Friday Saturday fill. A very hard start.
15. Sarajevo citizen: BOSNIAN. The country is Bosnia and Herzegovina. LINK.
16. Gets to: ATTAINS.
17. Settled down: QUIETED.
18. Merry, in Metz: GAI. Metz is a city in northeast France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers. Located near the tripoint along the junction of France, Germany, and Luxembourg, the city forms a central place of the European Greater Region. Wiki. 55A. Pique-nique setting : PARC. French.
19. Prog. formally reinstated at Harvard in 2011: ROTC. Reserve Officer Training Corps programs were another casualty of the Vietnam War. LINK.
21. Hotel experience: STAY.
22. Sturdy trees: ELMS. Dutch elm disease as a problem but the TREE is making a return.
29. Future D.A.'s hurdles: LSATS.
31. Future salmon: ROE. Fish eggs.
32. Troubles: ILLS.
33. Belg. locale: EUR.
35. Travel guide listing: INN.
43. MS-__: DOS. Recently popular fill.
44. Party bowlful: DIP.
45. Goddess usually depicted holding an ankh: ISIS. This EGYPTIAN. And the Symbol which is also a CROSS.
46. "M*A*S*H" rank: Abbr. : MAJ. Random, but better than E-______?
48. Some archaeological sites: TOMBS. King Tut was actually named Tutankhamun. Mini-theme?
56. Karate training site: DOJO. Dōjō (道場) is a Japanese term which literally means "place of the way." My brother created one in the 60s in our hometown.
59. Lose steam: TIRE.
61. __ Speedwagon: REO. Musical interlude, only 1 hour and 20 minutes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqRpzyWJ5vM
62. Becomes more complex: DEEPENS.
65. High-tech med. procedure: CAT SCAN. What you need to KNOW.
67. Police actions: ARRESTS.
68. Speak well in public: ELOCUTE. Elocution from Latin elocution-, elocutio, from eloqui. Elocute is a back word from elocution.
Down:
1. Most of the periodic table: METALS.
2. __ Thule: distant place in medieval geography: ULTIMA. You want to ARGUE the point?
3. HHS agency: FDA. Health and Human Services.
4. Sunny: FAIR.
5. "You are!"retort: I'M NOT. Are too!
6. Argonaut known for wise counsel: NESTOR. He was a member of Jason's crew before the Trojan War. LINK.
7. Cookout fare, briefly: BBQ.
8. Awaken : ROUSE.
9. "Ya think?" : IS IT? I SIT? Isis' sister?
10. Fit-for-service designation: ONE-A. I have my draft card from the 60's somewhere.
11. Urban design: CITY PLAN. Pompano Beach is working on their PLAN.
12. "Some __ meat and canna eat": start of the Selkirk Grace: HAE. This probably predates Robert Burns. One of my favorite modern detectives is Hamish MacBeth, so I know the word.
13. Conclusion: END.
23. Lifts: STEALS.
25. Have an inclination: TEND.
27. Variety: ILK. I always like this word.
28. Language suffix: ESE.
30. Czech composer Josef, son-in-law of Dvorák: SUK. All perps for this MAN.
32. Frozen treat: ICEPOP. Would you like to read the HISTORY of the Popsicle?
34. Like half of Poland's flag: RED.
36. Silent assent: NOD.
38. Horse racing accessories: BLINDERS. The reason WHY.
39. Ex-quarterback Tony: ROMO. He has done well in his SECOND CAREER.
40. Clearasil target: ZIT.
41. Cookout morsel: RIB. I am not sure a rib is a morsel.
42. Brutus Buckeye is its mascot: Abbr. : OSU. The Ohio State University. Oklahoma State last week, perhaps Oregon State next.
47. Really pumped: JUICED. Not to be confused with juiced by steroids.
49. __ Aurelius, second-century Roman emperor: MARCUS. One of my favorite EMPERORS.
50. What a sprinter might run out of : BREATH.
53. "__ know you?" : DON'T I.
54. Musical nonsense syllables : TRA LA.
57. Intl. energy group: OPEC.
58. Bach's "__, Joy of Man's Desiring" : JESU. I had no idea and it seems counter-intuitive.
60. Hugh Laurie's alma mater: ETON. One of the myriads of foreign-born actors who portray US Americans on television.
62. Unit of hot mustard, for most: DAB. Not for Asians or me.
63. NW Penn. airport: ERI. A CSO to many who comment here.
64. Aircraft in the Smithsonian Inst. collection: SST.
66. Chem., for one : SCI. Abbreviation - abbreviation.
Well JW is back in business. I liked the grid, the theme, and the reveal. A note from C.C. below, which I echo. Lemonade out.
Note from C.C.:
Happy birthday to dear Splynter (Richard), who turns 47 years old today. Splynter was our trusted Saturday guide for a long long time. Hope all's well with your new job and new home, Splynter. Don't forget your friends here at the Corner. Visit us from time to time.
