Saturday Themeless by C.C. Burnikel
Today we have another engaging, themeless puzzle by our Mistress of Ceremonies, C.C. Burnikel; shown here as a Chinese/Minnesota girl supporting my Huskers. I had a nice solving experience and told C.C. that LAMB BURGER, FARRO and FORESIDE were new for me. These are her comments:
Hi Gary,
My notes below. I also attached my first grid. (C.C. gave me permission to post her original grid on the right below -hg)
Here's my original grid. It had a different upper stack. Rich, a longtime Yankees fan, felt TRUE YANKEE was a bit snobbish and would not resonate with solvers.
As usual, some great clues are Rich's: ANT, BARD, etc.
1. Grilled sandwiches sometimes served with yogurt sauce: LAMB BURGERS - LAMB BURGER with feta-yogurt sauce and cucumber, tomato, onion, dill salad
12. Spinning music holders: CDS - I was a generation early with LPS
15. Annual promotional period: OSCAR SEASON - MGM ran this full page ad in Variety promoting Norma Shearer to get 42. Like Oscars and Emmys: AWARDED the OSCAR again in 1931
16. Blame: RAP.
17. "Casino" Best Actress nominee: SHARON STONE - She held her own with some real heavyweight actors. This mini-poster she autographed can be yours for $259.
18. "__ moved on": I'VE.
19. P&L report column: YTD - Year To Date
20. Took a course: ATE - The course of a meal, uh, of course
21. Mass production?: SERMON -That's a great clue for part of a Catholic service.
23. Homes with brakes: RVS - This RV carries another vehicle that has brakes
24. Least likely to volunteer, probably: LAZIEST
25. DVD alternative: BLU-RAY - ZDNet says BLU-RAY is dead
29. Largest of New York's Finger Lakes: SENECA - Yup!
30. Fleet: RAPID
31. "My bad": THAT'S ON ME.
34. Admin. aide: ASST - Many school secretaries are now called Administrative Assistants
35. Grain of emmer or spelt: FARRO - Two varieties of Italian wheat. All about FARRO
37. Unseal without ripping: STEAM OPEN.
39. Old hat: STALE.
40. Went on the road: TOURED - Even with advancing age and weight, Axl Rose and Guns 'N Roses are TOURING and drawing big bucks at the 8. Total ticket receipts: GATE.
41. Strung treasures: PEARLS.
45. Green sides: SALADS.
46. Little fox: KIT.
47. TV monitor: FCC
50. Jazz __: AGE.
51. Studies in a foreign country, say: LIVES ABROAD - Here is my granddaughter Emma in 2017 studying and living in Grenoble, France.
51. Studies in a foreign country, say: LIVES ABROAD - Here is my granddaughter Emma in 2017 studying and living in Grenoble, France.
55. Skagerrak country: Abbr.: NOR - It is a strait in the area of the world where the names of the countries are easily decipherable.
56. Opinion page perspective: EDITORIAL WE - No one on the EDITORIAL staff can take sole blame or credit for this opinion
57. One in an army: ANT.
58. Many a sports fan's criticism: SECOND GUESS - Seattle coach Pete Carrol's decision to pass instead of run from the one-yard line in Super Bowl XLIV may be the most SECOND GUESSED decision in sports history. Malcolm Butler made the interception and New England was the champion.
Down:
1. Andalusian article: LOS - LOS niños de Andalusia están en el sur de España (The children of Andalusia live in southern Spain)
2. Pale: ASHY - Lady Gaga definitely is using that shade
3. Aspiring doc's hurdle: MCAT - Sample question: (I have no idea what the answer is)
4. Avon product?: BARD - Stratford Upon Avon's most famous native was a BARD and C.C. said she admired Rich's cluing here
5. Fella: BRO.
6. "Top Gun" org.: U.S. NAVY.
5. Fella: BRO.
6. "Top Gun" org.: U.S. NAVY.
9. Pamplona pronoun: ESO - How I remember this Spanish pronoun
10. Hall of Famer whose #10 was retired by the Cubs: RON SANTO
11. Dismisses as insignificant, with "at": SNEEZES.
12. "The Charge of the Light Brigade" setting: CRIMEAN WAR - Often compared to Pickett's Charge at Gettysburg
13. Swiss skiing mecca: DAVOS.
14. Tuckered out: SPENT.
22. Cheese for cannoli: RICOTTA.
23. "Wicked!": RAD.
24. Hear: LEARN - How did you LEARN/hear of the 9/11/01 attack?
25. Cup holders?: BRAS.
26. Go the distance: LAST - One of Ray's messages in Field Of Dreams
27. Sports show warning message: UPSET ALERT - What some sports prognosticators say before they predict an UPSET in a game
28. "R.I.P." singer: RITA ORA - Her IMDB
29. Trace, as of evidence: SHRED.
31. Caught on video: TAPED.
32. "A System of Logic" author, 1843: MILL - All you need to know about John Stuart Mill's book
33. They're sometimes blocked on social media: EXES - It would seem unusual to allow an EX to be a FaceBook friend.
35. Front: FORESIDE.
38. Confused states: MUDDLES - Verb form: We all MUDDLE through puzzles sometimes
39. Understand: SEE.
41. Old explosive device: PETARD.
42. Wall-assisted handstand, e.g.: ASANA - A yoga pose
43. Tot's ride: WAGON.
44. Plains grazers: BISON - Reminiscent of the tuba/sousaphone confusion
46. Fat-heavy diet: KETO.
47. Hamburg honorific: FRAU - Claris Leachman was brilliant as FRAU Blücher in Young Frankenstein
48. Porter on a piano: COLE - COLE Porter produced beautiful music during what some would call his tortured life
49. Sounds near the ears: CAWS - Oh, those ears...
52. Hall of Fame tennis player __ Seixas: VIC - 1953 Wimbledon Champion who is now 98 years old
53. Front-page: BIG.
