Theme: ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS. I'll defer the explanation until after we've reviewed the theme entries.
3 D. *Staff symbol for a bassoon piece: TENOR CLEF. This monstrosity. European symphonic music uses it for trombone parts, to my great dismay.
The TENOR of a situation can also refer to the general conditions or attitude present,
9D. *Symphonic composition that evokes another art form: TONE POEM. A piece of orchestral music, typically in one movement, on a descriptive or rhapsodic theme, intended to evoke vivid imagery. TONE can also refer to the general character or attitude of a place, piece of writing, situation, etc.
33. *Wig adhesive: SPIRIT GUM. A quick-drying solution of gum, chiefly used by actors to attach false hair to their faces. SPIRIT can also refer to those qualities regarded as forming the definitive or typical elements in the character of a person, nation, or group or in the thought and attitudes of a particular period.
37D. *Accessory that changes color: MOOD RING. A finger ring that contains a thermochromic element, or "mood stone", that changes colors based on the temperature of the finger of the wearer. Finger temperature, as long as the ambient temperature is relatively constant, is significantly determined by peripheral blood flow, which, presumably, is modulated by the autonomic nervous system. A mood ring contains liquid crystals that change color depending on the temperature. MOOD can also relate to a state of mind or being.
And the unifier -- 7D. Layer in which space stations orbit Earth, and what the answers to the starred clues literally have?: UPPER ATMOSPHERE. A collective term that refers to various layers of the atmosphere of the Earth above the troposphere and corresponding regions of the atmospheres of other planets. Read about it here. The troposphere is the lowest layer, containing 75% of total atmospheric mass. It is where most weather happens. ATMOSPHERE can also relate to the pervading tone or mood of a place, situation, or work of art.
Hi, Gang, JazzBumpa here to gauge the collective mode here at the Corner. Don't feel bad it you had trouble sussing today's theme. It's clever, subtle, and actually on the abstract side. But I didn't let it spoil my mood. I appealed to my fellow bloggers, and they figured it out for me. Thanks, guys! The definition I found for ATMOSPHERE actually uses some of the words in the theme fill, so this theme is really solid.
Also, when the theme is presented vertically, there is usually a related gimmick. Here it is the word UPPER, indicating the the meaningful part of the theme fill will be located high in the vertical position - the first word of the two word fill. Really well done.
Let's check out the rest of the puzzle.
Across
6. Early riser?: SUN. It's always up at the crack of dawn.
9. Folded fare: TACOS. Meal in a hard corn flour shell.
14. Vegan beauty brand: AVEDA. Maker of hair and skin care products.
15. Tax pro: CPA. Certified Public Accountant.
16. Surname of Bo and Sunny: OBAMA. Bo, a male Portuguese water dog was a family pet of the Obama's from 2009 until it died in 2017. Sunny, a female of the same breed, joined the family in 2013.
17. "Despacito" singer Luis: FONSI. Luis Alfonso Rodríguez López-Cepero (b. 1978), known by his stage name Luis Fonsi, is a Puerto Rican singer. He is known for his soulful and dance oriented songs.
Take it slow
18. Tablet download: APP. Short for APPLICATION - a functional program for the device.
19. Taking a personal day, say: NOT IN. Away from the job or office.
20. Cube root of eight: TWO. 2x2x2 = 8.
21. When an album drops, e.g.: RELEASE DATE. The date on which it is available for purchase or distribution.
24. 46-Down Emmy winner Gilda: RADNER. Gilda Susan Radner (1946 –1989) was an American actress, comedian, writer, and singer. Radner was one of the seven original cast members of the "Not Ready For Prime Time Players" on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live from its inception in 1975 until her departure in 1980. In her routines on SNL, she specialized in parodies of television stereotypes, such as advice specialists and news anchors. In 1978, Radner won an Emmy Award for her performances on the show. She also portrayed those characters in her highly successful one-woman show on Broadway in 1979. Radner's SNL work established her as an iconic figure in the history of American comedy.
26. Divest of wrapping paper, perhaps: OPEN. As birthday or Christmas presents.
27. Decongest: UNCLOG. Open a drain pipe or nasal passage.
29. "°Hasta luego!": ADIOS. Later, alligator.
31. "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" actress Little __: NELL. Laura Elizabeth Campbell (b. 1953) better known as Nell Campbell or by her stage name Little Nell, is an Australian actress, singer, and former club owner. She is best known for her role as Columbia in the 1975 film The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and the original stage play from which it was adapted.
32. Far from fresh: STALE. As defined.
33. Spot for a soak: SPA. A mineral spring considered to have health-giving properties, or a location or a facility offering something similar.
36. Big goal: DREAM. A cherished aspiration, ambition, or ideal.
38. "I wonder ... ": HMM. Used to express reflection or hesitation.
39. Clean a spill: MOP UP. Wipe liquid away from a surface with something absorbent.
41. Taking a personal day, say: OFF. Away from the job or office. Look - a clecho!
42. Pungent bulb: ONION. An edible bulb with a pungent taste and smell, composed of several concentric layers, used in cooking.
44. Dig up: MINE. To dig holes in the ground in order to find and obtain coal, diamonds, etc.
45. Chicken homes: COOPS. Cages or pens for confining poultry.
46. Street __: SMARTS. The experience and knowledge necessary to deal with the potential difficulties or dangers of life in an urban environment.
48. Edamame units: PODS. Long, narrow, flat parts of some plants, such as beans and peas, that contain the seeds and usually have a thick skin
49. Food word that is plural in Italian but singular in English: PANINI. Over there, more than one piece or loaf of bread. Over here, a sandwich, usually toasted, made from Italian bread
51. Chad Michael Murray teen drama set in North Carolina: ONE TREE HILL. One Tree Hill is an American drama television series created by Mark Schwahn, which ran from 2003 until 2012. The show is set in the fictional town of Tree Hill in North Carolina and initially follows the lives of two half-brothers, Lucas (Chad Michael Murray) and Nathan Scott (James Lafferty), who compete for positions on their school's basketball team and the drama that ensues from the brothers' romances.
54. Brief "I can't unhear that": TMI. Too Much Information. Not on my need-to-know list.
57. Rock icon Smith who wrote the memoir "Just Kids": PATTI. Patricia Lee "Patti" Smith (b. 1946) is an American singer, songwriter, poet, painter, and author who became an influential component of the New York City punk rock movement with her 1975 debut album Horses.
19. Taking a personal day, say: NOT IN. Away from the job or office.
20. Cube root of eight: TWO. 2x2x2 = 8.
21. When an album drops, e.g.: RELEASE DATE. The date on which it is available for purchase or distribution.
24. 46-Down Emmy winner Gilda: RADNER. Gilda Susan Radner (1946 –1989) was an American actress, comedian, writer, and singer. Radner was one of the seven original cast members of the "Not Ready For Prime Time Players" on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live from its inception in 1975 until her departure in 1980. In her routines on SNL, she specialized in parodies of television stereotypes, such as advice specialists and news anchors. In 1978, Radner won an Emmy Award for her performances on the show. She also portrayed those characters in her highly successful one-woman show on Broadway in 1979. Radner's SNL work established her as an iconic figure in the history of American comedy.
26. Divest of wrapping paper, perhaps: OPEN. As birthday or Christmas presents.
27. Decongest: UNCLOG. Open a drain pipe or nasal passage.
29. "°Hasta luego!": ADIOS. Later, alligator.
31. "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" actress Little __: NELL. Laura Elizabeth Campbell (b. 1953) better known as Nell Campbell or by her stage name Little Nell, is an Australian actress, singer, and former club owner. She is best known for her role as Columbia in the 1975 film The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and the original stage play from which it was adapted.
32. Far from fresh: STALE. As defined.
33. Spot for a soak: SPA. A mineral spring considered to have health-giving properties, or a location or a facility offering something similar.
36. Big goal: DREAM. A cherished aspiration, ambition, or ideal.
38. "I wonder ... ": HMM. Used to express reflection or hesitation.
39. Clean a spill: MOP UP. Wipe liquid away from a surface with something absorbent.
41. Taking a personal day, say: OFF. Away from the job or office. Look - a clecho!
42. Pungent bulb: ONION. An edible bulb with a pungent taste and smell, composed of several concentric layers, used in cooking.
44. Dig up: MINE. To dig holes in the ground in order to find and obtain coal, diamonds, etc.
45. Chicken homes: COOPS. Cages or pens for confining poultry.
46. Street __: SMARTS. The experience and knowledge necessary to deal with the potential difficulties or dangers of life in an urban environment.
48. Edamame units: PODS. Long, narrow, flat parts of some plants, such as beans and peas, that contain the seeds and usually have a thick skin
49. Food word that is plural in Italian but singular in English: PANINI. Over there, more than one piece or loaf of bread. Over here, a sandwich, usually toasted, made from Italian bread
51. Chad Michael Murray teen drama set in North Carolina: ONE TREE HILL. One Tree Hill is an American drama television series created by Mark Schwahn, which ran from 2003 until 2012. The show is set in the fictional town of Tree Hill in North Carolina and initially follows the lives of two half-brothers, Lucas (Chad Michael Murray) and Nathan Scott (James Lafferty), who compete for positions on their school's basketball team and the drama that ensues from the brothers' romances.
54. Brief "I can't unhear that": TMI. Too Much Information. Not on my need-to-know list.
57. Rock icon Smith who wrote the memoir "Just Kids": PATTI. Patricia Lee "Patti" Smith (b. 1946) is an American singer, songwriter, poet, painter, and author who became an influential component of the New York City punk rock movement with her 1975 debut album Horses.
Over 9 minutes - you have been warned
58. Crossed (out): X-ED. Deleted. To show (something written) to be no longer valid by drawing a cross over or a line through it.
59. Golden beer: LAGER. A beer (such as a bock or pilsner) that is brewed at cool temperatures by slow fermentation with a slow-acting yeast. Lagers tend to have a lighter, clearer appearance than ales with a usually lower alcohol content and slightly higher sugar content. The yeast used to ferment lager is often referred to as "bottom-fermenting" since it does not rise to the top of the brewing vessel during fermentation.
61. Scandal-plagued energy company: ENRON. Enron Corporation was an American energy, commodities, and services company based in Houston, Texas. It was founded by Kenneth Lay in 1985 as a merger between Lay's Houston Natural Gas and InterNorth, both relatively small regional companies. Before its bankruptcy on December 2, 2001, Enron employed approximately 20,600 staff and was a major electricity, natural gas, communications, and pulp and paper company, with claimed revenues of nearly $101 billion during 2000. Fortune named Enron "America's Most Innovative Company" for six consecutive years. At the end of 2001, it was revealed that Enron's reported financial condition was sustained by an institutionalized, systematic, and creatively planned accounting fraud, known since as the Enron scandal. Enron has become synonymous with willful corporate fraud and corruption.
62. Is for you?: ARE. Second person, present tense, both singular and plural form of the verb "to be."
63. Upscale Honda: ACURA. Acura is the luxury and performance division of Japanese automaker Honda, based primarily in North America. The brand was launched on March 27, 1986, marketing luxury and performance automobiles. Acura sells cars in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Panama, and Kuwait.
64. "Nothing __!": DOING. There is no prospect of success or agreement.
65. Shirt size: Abbr.: MED. Medium.
66. Country on the Gulf of Aden: YEMEN. Yemen, officially the Republic of Yemen, is a country in West Asia. It is located in the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, and borders Saudi Arabia to the north and Oman to the northeast. It shares maritime borders with Eritrea, Djibouti and Somalia.
59. Golden beer: LAGER. A beer (such as a bock or pilsner) that is brewed at cool temperatures by slow fermentation with a slow-acting yeast. Lagers tend to have a lighter, clearer appearance than ales with a usually lower alcohol content and slightly higher sugar content. The yeast used to ferment lager is often referred to as "bottom-fermenting" since it does not rise to the top of the brewing vessel during fermentation.
61. Scandal-plagued energy company: ENRON. Enron Corporation was an American energy, commodities, and services company based in Houston, Texas. It was founded by Kenneth Lay in 1985 as a merger between Lay's Houston Natural Gas and InterNorth, both relatively small regional companies. Before its bankruptcy on December 2, 2001, Enron employed approximately 20,600 staff and was a major electricity, natural gas, communications, and pulp and paper company, with claimed revenues of nearly $101 billion during 2000. Fortune named Enron "America's Most Innovative Company" for six consecutive years. At the end of 2001, it was revealed that Enron's reported financial condition was sustained by an institutionalized, systematic, and creatively planned accounting fraud, known since as the Enron scandal. Enron has become synonymous with willful corporate fraud and corruption.
62. Is for you?: ARE. Second person, present tense, both singular and plural form of the verb "to be."
63. Upscale Honda: ACURA. Acura is the luxury and performance division of Japanese automaker Honda, based primarily in North America. The brand was launched on March 27, 1986, marketing luxury and performance automobiles. Acura sells cars in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Panama, and Kuwait.
64. "Nothing __!": DOING. There is no prospect of success or agreement.
65. Shirt size: Abbr.: MED. Medium.
66. Country on the Gulf of Aden: YEMEN. Yemen, officially the Republic of Yemen, is a country in West Asia. It is located in the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, and borders Saudi Arabia to the north and Oman to the northeast. It shares maritime borders with Eritrea, Djibouti and Somalia.
Down:
1. Drift on the breeze: WAFT. As a pleasant odor, perhaps from baked goods.
2. Declare openly: AVOW. Or AVER - always need perps
4. Items in jewel cases: CDS. Compact Discs - storage media for recorded music or data.
5. Coif: HAIR DO. A hairstyle, hairdo, haircut or coiffure refers to the styling of hair, usually on the human head but sometimes on the face or body. The fashioning of hair can be considered an aspect of personal grooming, fashion, and cosmetics, although practical, cultural, and popular considerations also influence some hairstyles. What then is a hair don't?
6. Beaufort __: SCALE. The Beaufort scale is an empirical measure that relates wind speed to observed conditions at sea or on land. Its full name is the Beaufort wind force scale.
8. Cabbage in baechu kimchi: NAPA. Napa cabbage is a type of Chinese cabbage originating near the Beijing region of China that is widely used in East Asian cuisine. Since the 20th century, it has also become a widespread crop in Europe, the Americas and Australia. In much of the world, it is referred to as "Chinese cabbage".
10. Homes: ABODES. Dwellings.
11. Settlement-building game with hexagonal tiles: CATAN. Catan, previously known as The Settlers of Catan or simply Settlers, is a multiplayer board game designed by Klaus Teuber. It was first published in 1995 in Germany by Franckh-Kosmos Verlag as Die Siedler von Catan.
12. Exclude: OMIT. Leave out or ignore.
13. Levelheaded: SANE. Rational.
22. Lang. of Canada: ENG. The English Language, spoken if parts of Can.
23. Planter contents: SOIL. Dirt. I can dig it.
25. Penne __ vodka: ALLA. Penne alla vodka is a pasta dish made primarily with vodka and penne pasta (or similar shapes such as rigatoni), usually accompanied with heavy cream, crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce, onions, and sometimes small meats and vegetables like sausage, pancetta or peas. The pure alcohol apparently helps intensify and accentuate flavors in the dish, among other claims.
27. Back up, on a PC: UNDO. Not back up, as to make a reserve copy, but to reverse and erase characters while typing at the keyboard, or negate some operation.
28. Foam toy brand: NERF. Nerf is a toy brand formed by Parker Brothers and currently owned by Hasbro. Most of the toys are a variety of foam-based weaponry, with other Nerf products including balls for sports such as American football, basketball, and baseball. Their best known toys are their dart guns (referred to by Hasbro as "blasters") that shoot ammunition made from "Nerf foam" (partially reticulated polyether type polyurethane foam). Their primary slogan, introduced in the 1990s, is "It's Nerf or Nothin'!". Annual revenues under the Nerf brand are approximately US$400 million
30. 2017 Kendrick Lamar album: DAMN. The fourth studio album by American rapper Kendrick Lamar, dropped on April 14, 2017. DAMN received widespread critical acclaim, with many naming the album one of the best albums of 2017 and the decade.
32. Endorse as a couple, in slang: SHIP. To take an interest in or hope for a romantic relationship between (fictional characters or famous people), whether or not the romance actually exists. I'm guessing this is derived from relationship, but -- who knows? I don't have that kind of street smarts.
34. Fourth-down play: PUNT. In American football, kicking the football away to the opposing team in an attempt to give them worse field position. This is done when it is unlikely to achieve a first down - the next short term goal of the team with the ball.
35. Bonobos, e.g.: APES. Large primates that lack a tail, including the gorilla, chimpanzees, orangutan, gibbons and certain British Bishops. The bonobo, also historically called the pygmy chimpanzee, is an endangered great ape and one of the two species making up the genus Pan (the other being the common chimpanzee.)
40. Country northeast of 66-Across: OMAN. Oman, officially the Sultanate of Oman, is a country located in West Asia. It is situated on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, and spans the mouth of the Persian Gulf. It shares land borders with Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen, while sharing maritime borders with Iran and Pakistan. The capital and largest city is Muscat.
46. NBC show with Punkie Johnson: SNL. Saturday Night Live.
47. "A Few Figs From Thistles" writer: MILLAY. Edna St. Vincent Millay (1892 – 1950) was an American lyrical poet and playwright. Millay was a renowned social figure and noted feminist in New York City during the Roaring Twenties and beyond. Millay won the 1923 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry for her poem "Ballad of the Harp-Weaver"; she was the first woman and second person to win the award. In 1943, Millay was the sixth person and the second woman to be awarded the Frost Medal for her lifetime contribution to American poetry. Millay's 1920 collection A Few Figs From Thistles drew controversy for its exploration of female sexuality and feminism. She was promiscuous and bisexual before it was cool.
1. Drift on the breeze: WAFT. As a pleasant odor, perhaps from baked goods.
2. Declare openly: AVOW. Or AVER - always need perps
4. Items in jewel cases: CDS. Compact Discs - storage media for recorded music or data.
5. Coif: HAIR DO. A hairstyle, hairdo, haircut or coiffure refers to the styling of hair, usually on the human head but sometimes on the face or body. The fashioning of hair can be considered an aspect of personal grooming, fashion, and cosmetics, although practical, cultural, and popular considerations also influence some hairstyles. What then is a hair don't?
6. Beaufort __: SCALE. The Beaufort scale is an empirical measure that relates wind speed to observed conditions at sea or on land. Its full name is the Beaufort wind force scale.
8. Cabbage in baechu kimchi: NAPA. Napa cabbage is a type of Chinese cabbage originating near the Beijing region of China that is widely used in East Asian cuisine. Since the 20th century, it has also become a widespread crop in Europe, the Americas and Australia. In much of the world, it is referred to as "Chinese cabbage".
10. Homes: ABODES. Dwellings.
11. Settlement-building game with hexagonal tiles: CATAN. Catan, previously known as The Settlers of Catan or simply Settlers, is a multiplayer board game designed by Klaus Teuber. It was first published in 1995 in Germany by Franckh-Kosmos Verlag as Die Siedler von Catan.
12. Exclude: OMIT. Leave out or ignore.
13. Levelheaded: SANE. Rational.
22. Lang. of Canada: ENG. The English Language, spoken if parts of Can.
23. Planter contents: SOIL. Dirt. I can dig it.
25. Penne __ vodka: ALLA. Penne alla vodka is a pasta dish made primarily with vodka and penne pasta (or similar shapes such as rigatoni), usually accompanied with heavy cream, crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce, onions, and sometimes small meats and vegetables like sausage, pancetta or peas. The pure alcohol apparently helps intensify and accentuate flavors in the dish, among other claims.
27. Back up, on a PC: UNDO. Not back up, as to make a reserve copy, but to reverse and erase characters while typing at the keyboard, or negate some operation.
28. Foam toy brand: NERF. Nerf is a toy brand formed by Parker Brothers and currently owned by Hasbro. Most of the toys are a variety of foam-based weaponry, with other Nerf products including balls for sports such as American football, basketball, and baseball. Their best known toys are their dart guns (referred to by Hasbro as "blasters") that shoot ammunition made from "Nerf foam" (partially reticulated polyether type polyurethane foam). Their primary slogan, introduced in the 1990s, is "It's Nerf or Nothin'!". Annual revenues under the Nerf brand are approximately US$400 million
30. 2017 Kendrick Lamar album: DAMN. The fourth studio album by American rapper Kendrick Lamar, dropped on April 14, 2017. DAMN received widespread critical acclaim, with many naming the album one of the best albums of 2017 and the decade.
32. Endorse as a couple, in slang: SHIP. To take an interest in or hope for a romantic relationship between (fictional characters or famous people), whether or not the romance actually exists. I'm guessing this is derived from relationship, but -- who knows? I don't have that kind of street smarts.
34. Fourth-down play: PUNT. In American football, kicking the football away to the opposing team in an attempt to give them worse field position. This is done when it is unlikely to achieve a first down - the next short term goal of the team with the ball.
35. Bonobos, e.g.: APES. Large primates that lack a tail, including the gorilla, chimpanzees, orangutan, gibbons and certain British Bishops. The bonobo, also historically called the pygmy chimpanzee, is an endangered great ape and one of the two species making up the genus Pan (the other being the common chimpanzee.)
40. Country northeast of 66-Across: OMAN. Oman, officially the Sultanate of Oman, is a country located in West Asia. It is situated on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, and spans the mouth of the Persian Gulf. It shares land borders with Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen, while sharing maritime borders with Iran and Pakistan. The capital and largest city is Muscat.
43. Bouquet: NOSE. Aroma, such as one that might waft, or more likely from a bottle of wine.
45. "The fabric of our lives," per an ad slogan: COTTON. Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus Gossypium in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose, and can contain minor percentages of waxes, fats, pectins, and water.
45. "The fabric of our lives," per an ad slogan: COTTON. Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus Gossypium in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose, and can contain minor percentages of waxes, fats, pectins, and water.
It's fun to play
It is a curious fact of the music world that marches written for fairs and expositions almost always fade into oblivion. Two notable exceptions are Sousa’s “King Cotton” and “The Fairest of the Fair.” The former was written for the Cotton States and International Exposition of 1895, and the latter for the Boston Food Fair of 1908.
Sousa and his band had great drawing power at fairs and expositions and were much sought after. But officials of the Cotton States and International Exposition in Atlanta attempted to cancel their three-week contract with the Sousa Band because of serious financial difficulties. At Sousa’s insistence they honored their contract, and at the first concert they became aware of their shortsightedness. Atlanta newspapers carried rave reviews of the band’s performances.
"Sousa’s march, “King Cotton,” has proved a winner. It has been heard from one end of Dixie to the other and has aroused great enthusiasm and proved a fine advertisement for the Exposition."
The Sousa Band did indeed bring the exposition “out of the red,” and the same officials who had tried to cancel Sousa’s engagement pleaded with him to extend it. “King Cotton” was named the official march of the exposition, and it has since become one of the perennial Sousa favorites.
-- From notes to the video
46. NBC show with Punkie Johnson: SNL. Saturday Night Live.
47. "A Few Figs From Thistles" writer: MILLAY. Edna St. Vincent Millay (1892 – 1950) was an American lyrical poet and playwright. Millay was a renowned social figure and noted feminist in New York City during the Roaring Twenties and beyond. Millay won the 1923 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry for her poem "Ballad of the Harp-Weaver"; she was the first woman and second person to win the award. In 1943, Millay was the sixth person and the second woman to be awarded the Frost Medal for her lifetime contribution to American poetry. Millay's 1920 collection A Few Figs From Thistles drew controversy for its exploration of female sexuality and feminism. She was promiscuous and bisexual before it was cool.
48. __ dish: PETRI. A Petri dish is a shallow transparent lidded dish that biologists use to hold growth medium in which cells can be cultured,
50. Helped: AIDED. Assisted or abetted, depending on what was attempted.
51. Piece with a view: OP-ED. An opinionated article printed opposite to the editorial page.
52. Prefix with bot: NANO. Nano is a unit prefix meaning one billionth. Used primarily with the metric system, this prefix denotes a factor of 10⁻⁹ or 0.000000001. Nanobots are the object of an emerging technology field creating machines or robots whose components are at or near the scale of a nanometer.
53. LSAT, e.g.: EXAM. An examination or test is an educational assessment intended to measure a test-taker's knowledge, skill, aptitude, physical fitness, or classification in many other topics. The Law School Admission Test is a standardized test administered by the Law School Admission Council for prospective law school candidates.
55. Only: MERE. That is solely or no more or better than what is specified.
56. Country north of 40-Down: IRAN. Iran, also known as Persia and officially as the Islamic Republic of Iran, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea and Turkmenistan to the north, Afghanistan and Pakistan to the east.
50. Helped: AIDED. Assisted or abetted, depending on what was attempted.
51. Piece with a view: OP-ED. An opinionated article printed opposite to the editorial page.
52. Prefix with bot: NANO. Nano is a unit prefix meaning one billionth. Used primarily with the metric system, this prefix denotes a factor of 10⁻⁹ or 0.000000001. Nanobots are the object of an emerging technology field creating machines or robots whose components are at or near the scale of a nanometer.
53. LSAT, e.g.: EXAM. An examination or test is an educational assessment intended to measure a test-taker's knowledge, skill, aptitude, physical fitness, or classification in many other topics. The Law School Admission Test is a standardized test administered by the Law School Admission Council for prospective law school candidates.
55. Only: MERE. That is solely or no more or better than what is specified.
56. Country north of 40-Down: IRAN. Iran, also known as Persia and officially as the Islamic Republic of Iran, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea and Turkmenistan to the north, Afghanistan and Pakistan to the east.
60. Pro: ACE. An expert in some activity or endeavor.
Thus endeth another Wednesday. We had some fun music and a middle-eastern geography lesson. So it's all good and the atmospheric conditions should be quite positive.
Adios, and Cool Regards!
JzB
