Saturday Themeless by Matthew Sewell
Today's constructor is another in our long line of PhDs - Matt Sewell. He is also part of the Minnesota Crossword Cabal and teaches literature and film at Minnesota State University, Mankato.
Here are Matt's comments:
Hello Gary,
Thanks for your note, and for the work you do on the LAT puzzle write-ups. If I recall correctly, this puzzle sprang from an experiment in grid shapes. I tend to like the look of grids with relatively few Across entries -- this grid has just 31 -- and a low number of 3-letter entries (here, 8). Hopefully that translates to solver enjoyment, but I'll leave that to your readers to decide. I appreciate the editing team's improvements to the clues; I wish I could take credit for 26 Down!
Matt
1. DIY creators of under-the-skin data storage devices: BIOHACKERS - Fascinating info. In this example, you see a device implanted under your skin that can store your medical data, chart your activities or perform procedures. The data can be read by a smartphone.
11. Home of the NCAA's Mountaineers: WVA.
14. Cap: UPPER LIMIT.
15. Leave behind: SHED.
15. Leave behind: SHED.
16. Fights: DOES BATTLE.
17. __-price sale: HALF - But it was marked up by 300% so ...
18. Loan app fig.: SSN.
19. Quick tennis match: ONE SET - If you want to get it over quickly, the first person to win 6 games by at least two games wins the SET and the match.
20. Adjective evoking past times: OLDE.
17. __-price sale: HALF - But it was marked up by 300% so ...
18. Loan app fig.: SSN.
19. Quick tennis match: ONE SET - If you want to get it over quickly, the first person to win 6 games by at least two games wins the SET and the match.
20. Adjective evoking past times: OLDE.
21. Tolkien creature: ORC - Actor Steven Ure under all this ORC makeup for a The Lord Of The Rings installment had to fight off a panic attack.
22. __ Beach: Fla. recreation spot: ST. PETE - The Tampa/ST PETE area is currently the home of the NHL Champion Lightning, the NFL Champion Buccaneers and the MLB Champion Rays. They now call themselves Champa Bay.
24. "Not right now": I'M BUSY.
27. Tree of Madagascar: BAOBAB - Today I learned about the BAOBAB (bāō bab) or Bottle tree. Each of the trees in this picture is at least 800 years old. More info
 |
| The Avenue Of The Boababs |
29. Bar order: NEAT - Our Tinman's "usual" - No ice!
30. Fast cash venues: PAWNSHOPS - Although this show was mostly staged, it was a fun watch. "Really, you have Hitler's actual toothbrush?" 😀
33. Musical exchange in many gospel songs: CALL AND RESPONSE - Six of the best minutes you'll spend today!
36. Departure notice: ALL ABOARD.
37. "Not that much": LESS.
38. Thinking of stealing, maybe: ON BASE.
39. Middle numbers in some measurements: WAISTS - Twiggy's measurements- Bust - 30", Waist- 23", Hips - 33"
41. Impassive: WOODEN.
43. Key to going back: ESC - Upper left key on your keyboard
44. Hindu royal: RANI - The wife of a Raja or Rana
45. Distributes online: SHARES - I used my FaceBook account to SHARE before and after pictures of the house of my youth that was finally being torn down (before it fell down) this month.
44. Hindu royal: RANI - The wife of a Raja or Rana
45. Distributes online: SHARES - I used my FaceBook account to SHARE before and after pictures of the house of my youth that was finally being torn down (before it fell down) this month.
49. Wellness center: SPA.
52. Goddess of Ellis Island?: ISIS - I got the fill here but struggled with an explanation. I wrote to our friends Yellowrocks and Lucina and they saw it as EllIS ISland. Thanks Kathy and Lucy! Meta Clues (self-referential) can hide in plain sight! Matt told me he will take the blame/credit for this cluing and that he was glad to see it got through.
55. Radio host John: TESH.
57. 11-Across is on it: EST - Yes, Morgantown, WVA is on Eastern Standard/Daylight Time
58. Worked for: REPORTED TO - In subbing, I worked for the school district but always REPORTED TO the secretary (administrative assistant?) who really runs the school anyway. BTW, sub wages have been raised to $150/day for next year
Down:
1. Spring sights: BUDS - A welcome sight here in the midwest
2. Zoom and Lyft had them in 2019: IPOS - If you purchased $10,000 of Zoom at its Initial Public Offering, it would be worth $18,000 today
3. Not taken: OPEN.
4. Chaps: HES - Men? Nope.
5. Leafy spots: ARBORS - The founder of ARBOR Day was J. Sterling Morton. His mansion is now a tourist stop in Nebraska City, NE and is replete with many "leafy spots" or ARBORS.
5. Leafy spots: ARBORS - The founder of ARBOR Day was J. Sterling Morton. His mansion is now a tourist stop in Nebraska City, NE and is replete with many "leafy spots" or ARBORS.
6. Writer who created the Ryanverse: CLANCY
7. Beach flier, often: KITE - ERNE? Nope.
8. Rescue squad VIPs: EMTS.
9. Heat up: RILE.
10. "Boss of the Plains" tops: STETSONS - $149.99
11. Sea creature fossil components: WHALEBONES - My former dentist had a wonderful collection of art on WHALEBONES which is called scrimshaw.
12. Word from Afrikaans for "field": VELDT - Also a sci-fi short story by Ray Bradbury
13. Charge that may be related to traffic: AD FEE - With such huge viewer numbers (traffic) The Super Bowl AD FEE is $5M/thirty seconds
15. One who's often patronizing: SHOPAHOLIC - Fun clue! Symptoms
21. Zany: OUTLANDISH.
23. Cooking meas.: TBSP.
24. Quechua speaker: INCA - (keh chuh wuh) A beautiful map of South American languages
25. Sit-down event, usually: MEAL.
26. Job not included in the original "Around the World in Eighty Days": BALLOONIST - but in the ads...
27. Dance class support: BARRE.
28. Super-impressed: AWED.
30. Kiss cam images, briefly: PDAS - Public Displays of Affection
30. Kiss cam images, briefly: PDAS - Public Displays of Affection
31. "Over here!": PSST.
32. Cong. period: SESSion
34. Caen cleric: ABBE.
32. Cong. period: SESSion
34. Caen cleric: ABBE.
35. Disappointing phone call result: NO ANSWER - They are not near the phone, their phone is turned off or they are blowing you off with caller ID.
39. Garden tool: WEEDER.
40. Go-ahead: ASSENT - After days of delay, Ike said, "Ok, let's go!" for June 6, 1944
41. Do novel work: WRITE - In an interview with Brian Lamb, I heard Shelby Foote say he wrote his massive three-volume The Civil War: A Narrative by hand using a dip pen
46. Sweet spot?: HIVE.
47. Have __: drink in moderation: A NIP - Abandoning A SIP gave me WINE DEALER
48. Go back over: REDO.
49. Arrived home evasively: SLID - The most famous steal of home in baseball history. Yogi Berra thought he had tagged Jackie Robinson out. What do you think?
48. Go back over: REDO.
49. Arrived home evasively: SLID - The most famous steal of home in baseball history. Yogi Berra thought he had tagged Jackie Robinson out. What do you think?
50. Shut (up): PENT - Sometimes it is hard to keep emotions PENT up
51. Ship that sailed from Iolcus: ARGO - Can you find Iolcus on the map?
54. Nail: ACE - I did ACE this puzzle by filling in all the correct letters but had to get help with the ISIS fill. 😔
