Saturday, September 12, 2020, Peter Wentz

 Saturday Themeless by Peter Wentz

Pete Wentz, wife Alyx
with son Simon

Today's constructor is Pete Wentz. Here is his response to my request for information on him and this puzzle. 

This is a picture of me, my  lovely wife Alyx and the toddler asleep on my back is our son Simon. I'm an architect living in Raleigh, NC. Outside of crosswords, I'm an avid fan of podcasts, ultimate frisbee (whenever it's safe again), and walks around town.

It should be no surprise to anyone that this grid was seeded at 3-Down and continued on from there. I'm glad it found a home in the LA Times. I don't have much else to add on the puzzle itself, other than to highlight Daniel INOUYE. He's not as well-known as many long-serving senators of his era, but consistently being on the right side of history is perhaps of less interest to popular media. I'm hoping this helps undo that trend in some small way.

Congrats on a fun Labor Day! We spent most of the day in the state museum park ourselves. I go by both Peter & Pete, so it's whatever you prefer. 

Thanks everyone, and hope you enjoyed the solve!

I really enjoyed the solve and laughed hard at Pete's "seed entry". Goat cheese was new learning and  Pete's baseball mini theme was a very welcome feature. 

Let's see what our architect has drawn up for us today:

Across:

1. Gibberish: BABBLE - or Jibber Jabber

7. Out of breath: PUFFING.

14. Hawaiian senator in six decades: INOUYE - From 1963 - 2012. He was also a decorated WWII veteran who lost an arm in combat

15. Honeybunch: CUTIE PIE.

16. Revolting person?: RIOTER.

17. A rainout might be rescheduled on one: OPEN DATE - MLB games can remain uplayed if the results would have no affect on the season

18. Neutral areas, briefly: DMZS - Thousands take this tour to the Korean DMZ each year

19. Mad man's comment: I'M UPSET - not to be confused with the last clue 60. More than enthusiastic: MAD 

21. "Wayne's World" rejoinder: WAY

22. Jocund: MERRY - Have you ever dropped this word into conversation?

23. Flies high: SOARS.

Add caption

27. Dramatist Edward with three Pulitzers and three Tonys: ALBEE.

29. Parts of lunch combos: SIDES - Hmmm... I'm at the 36. Diner seating option: COUNTER and have to choose between French fries and broccoli

31. One often paid to talk: RAT.

32. Herd or host: THRONG - I love blogging here for a host of reasons

34. Sheltered area: COVE.

35. 2011 film set in Brazil: RIO

38. It's higher when it's colder: GAS BILL 

40. Caucasian native: HUN.

41. Truculent god: ARES - A god of war would probably be "eager or quick to argue or fight; aggressively defiant." I've never used this word in conversation either.

43. Goat cheese: CHEVRE.

44. Key used to stop: ESC.

45. Engendered: LED TO.

47. Situation for a sac bunt, maybe: ONE ON 

48. Try to get clean: REHAB.

50. Oil-free salad dressing property: NO FAT - LO FAT held up my solve

52. Pat: DAB.

53. Some near homers: FLY OUTS - Talk about getting robbed!

55. Mythical Spartan queen: LEDA - Here 'ya go

56. Family meal entrée: POT ROAST.

59. Former Sears Holdings holdings: K-MARTS - Only 95 total Sears and K-Mart stores still open

61. Greek courtier associated with a symbolic sword: DAMOCLES - Is COVID-19 a sword of DAMOCLES hanging over our heads?

62. Bespectacled friend of Peppermint Patty: MARCIE.

63. Checked legs for arms?: FRISKED - Gotta love this clue, Pete! Joe Friday FRISKED many a suspect to see if he was carrying any arms (weapons).

64. Whirlpools: EDDIES.

Down:

1. Cardinal fan, say?: BIRD WATCHER - My family has a HOST of St. Louis Cardinal baseball fans. At our house we just love to see them visit our feeders. Male and female always appear together. 

26. Lou Brock's 938: STOLEN BASES - A favorite among my family's St. Louis Cardinal fans. 

2. Delta Tau Chi, in a 1978 film title: ANIMAL HOUSE - It cost $3M to make and returned $160M

3. Spirited midday meal?: BOOZY BRUNCH - Pete's seed entry? 😉

4. Reservations: BUTS.

5. Cleaning chemical: LYE.

6. Like "Halloween" music: EERIE - 30 seconds of the one I always think of

7. Litter member: PUPPY DOG.

8. Salt Lake City players: UTES - JAZZ had to be put back on the bench 

9. Delicate chip, e.g.: FINESSE SHOT - The best I've ever seen!

10. Gave, as a script line: FED TO - "...or not to be"

11. Home brewer's creation: IPA and 42. Darker-than-amber brews: STOUTS.

12. Minor matter: NIT.

13. "Well, look at that!": GEE.

15. Longtime "Today" co-anchor: COURIC - Her first day

20. Title less common nowadays: MRS - My granddaughter is getting married in two weeks. I wonder if she will stay Emma Craig or become MRS. Colten White.

22. Creation hurdle: MENTAL BLOCK - O.K., she follows the yellow brick road to Oz and now what?

24. Overseas "Later!": ARRIVEDERCI - Literally means "until we meet again" The song  ARRIVEDERCI Roma was inspired by the legend that tossing a coin into the Trevi Fountain means you will return to Rome. I did. I haven't.

25. Track support: RAILROAD TIE - Buster Keaton solves a RAILROAD TIE problem 

28. Long division?: EON - Oh, division of time

30. Fire chief's concern, briefly: EVACuation of a building

33. "Unfaithful" actor: GERE.

 
37. Facial description in a classic holiday song: RED NOSED - An old pun about a communist weather forecaster has the punchline, "Rudolph The Red knows rain dear"

39. Golfer Crenshaw: BEN.

46. Bard's "frequently": OFT - I had to memorize Mark Antony's speech in 1963 and I still remember pieces of it

49. Locks that are picked: AFROS.

51. Tour guide's badge words: ASK ME.

54. Maya Lin's alma mater: YALE.

55. Hog product: LARD - This is what set my MIL's apple pies off from any others I have ever eaten

56. Adobe doc suffix: PDF - Here ya go

57. Silently propel: OAR - Oar, Oar Oar your boat, gently down the stream

58. Sarcastic "Thanks for sharing": TMI - "Wow, those are great pictures from your colonoscopy!", said no one ever.

Comments welcome:

 

Note from C.C.:

  

Happy 61st birthday to dear Steve, our faithful guide for so many years. He's also an amazing foodie. Last time I mentioned my discovery of shio koji, which is already a fixture in Steve's cooking.

 

Steve and Jill, June 12, 2016

Tea at The Queen Mary