Saturday Themeless by Hoang-Kim Vu
A global health and international development professional with twelve years’ experience in directing complex global public health programs, with specific expertise in malaria and behavior change communication. Deep expertise in project management especially for USAID, leading field programs to improve activity implementation, operations, and client service.WOW! The triple stack of grid spanners at the top and bottom with one in the middle for good measure were very eye-catching! The top set went very easily but the bottom, especially on the left hand side, of this puzzle had beaucoup issues for me. I'll try to make a case for my struggles in the write-up.
1. "Not my first choice, but it's fine": I GUESS THAT WORKS.
16. Dating milestones: MONTHIVERSARIES - Two days ago was the MONTHIVERSARY of my surgical procedure.
17. Fare for some Catholics on Lenten Fridays: PESCATARIAN DIET - Not a word I've ever used but pretty easy to suss out.
18. GPS heading: SSE.
19. Comedian Foxx: REDD - Redd did 23. Talk dirty: SWEAR on his LP's of sixty years ago but it all seems so tame now.
20. Dubious ability: ESP.
21. Cranks (up): AMPS.
27. Warts and all: AS IS is what is implied when you 28. Select: OPT to buy something at a garage sale
29. Peach: GEM.
32. Smooch in a lift, say: SNOG.
33. Sportswear portmanteau: ATHLEISURE.
37. "Been there": I KNOW THE FEELING.
39. Color choices for bandages, e.g.: FLESHTONES.
40. Sister who brings the snowman Olaf to life: ELSA.
41. "Chopped" host Allen: TED.
42. Post-WWII alliance: OAS.
43. Soften up: MELT.
44. Knife block insert: PARER - PARE is a common verb here
46. __-Rooter: ROTO.
47. Gibbon, for one: APE.
49. Squeezed (out): EKED.
51. "CrazySexyCool" trio: TLC.
54. The Marshall Project cause: PRISON ABOLITION - I had trouble coming to terms with this social construct. Therefore it was not much help with some tough down fills. More info
59. Lacrosse strategy: ONE ON ONE DEFENSE - Man-to-man is much more common term. Saying person-to-person for girls has never really caught on.
60. Quality inspection?: PERSONALITY TEST - Want to take one?
Down:
1. Rascals: IMPS.
2. Says: GOES - I go, "Where do want to go eat?" She GOES, "Any place is fine." I go, "How about The Hacienda on 22nd St?" She GOES, "No, I don't want to go there!" I go, "😧".
3. Lacking flavor or experience: UNSEASONED - UNSEASONED players can be a liability in a championship game
4. More succinctly?: ETC. 😀
5. Medical waste collected in red containers: SHARPS - My grandson, the "phleb" goes through dozens of SHARPS in a day.
6. Spots: SITES - Our school district has just spent big dollars to get SITES for new grade schools to replace 70-year-old buildings we now have
7. Spot: TV AD - Not a problem with Netflix
8. Steers steers: HERDS 😀
9. Graynor of "The Disaster Artist": ARI - The woman in this pictorial collage
10. Gp. known for screenings: TSA.
11. Haggard, perhaps: WAN - This word has stuck with me since H.S. English
12. Sequence: ORDER - Currency in my billfold has to all be in ORDER and facing the same direction.
13. Social reformer Jacob: RIIS.
14. Last: KEEP - Honey is one food that will KEEP forever I'm told
15. Retired boomer: SST.
22. "Bad and Boujee" hip-hop group: MIGOS - Google if you must for lyrics I can't post
24. Fictional detective who was born in Montenegro: WOLFE
25. Pentathlon equipment: EPEES.
26. End in __: A TIE.
27. Tattoo joint?: ANKLE.
29. French Revolution device: GUILLOTINE - As soon as I saw this word I thought of our lovely Madame DeFarge (Janice) who is definitely not as callous as the one in Tale Of Two Cities!
30. "The Elephant Celebes" painter Max: ERNST - What's it all about?
33. Perfume oil: ATTAR - A frequent crossword scent
34. "All __ in favor ... ": THOSE.
36. Nasty fall: SLEET.
38. "Mind. Blown.": WHOA - How 'bout changing the light at the top of the Empire State Building.
44. Mexican cheese?: PESOS - It is not queso, it's just slang for money.
45. "Jojo Rabbit" actress Wilson: REBEL - Bottom left in this picture
46. Fill a flat again: RELET - REAIR is the red herring here. Of course a flat is a British apartment where there might some snogging going on.
47. "Rule, Britannia" composer: ARNE - His tomb is in St. Paul's Courtyard in London
48. Docking station: PIER.
50. "The Power of the Dog" Oscar nominee Smit-McPhee: KODI - KODI, Benedict Cumberbatch and Kirstin Dunst attend a screening in NYC.
52. "Your __": LOSS.
53. Tech news dot-com: C-NET - Their website
54. Grammy category: POP - How many of these 2022 nominated songs do you know?
55. Half an iconic 1981 Rolling Stone cover: ONO.
56. Start to sense?: NON
58. Holiday celebrated with bánh chu'ng: TET - Vietnamese, square, sticky rice cake
