Saturday Themeless by Enrique Henestroza Anguiano
This is my fourth LA Saturday themeless with Enrique who has a background in computational linguistics.The puzzle gave me fits as some of the cluing was, to borrow a crossword we have seen here
Yes, Enrique has a lot of white real estate in his construction with 98 open squares (squares that don't touch a border or a block). The stack of three grid spanners is impressive!
As usual, I skated around and enjoyed most of the puzzle, however, I had one Natick at 27 Down/Across and could not come up with a Japanese breaded cutlet or a 3-letter name for an actor named Penn. I'll take my one bad cell and try to face tomorrow!
This just in: Yeah, I know we had KATSU in Tuesday's puzzle but I did Enrique's puzzle before Zachary's Tuesday construction. The consolation is that I did get KATSU on Tuesday. 😊
1. Way to play music that's a hit?: SLAP BASS 😀 - Yup, he's hitting or SLAPPING that BASS
9. Words after a deep breath: I'M CALM.
15. Where the action is?: MOVIE SET 😀
16. The __ Brothers: "Black Water" band: DOOBIE - A fun listen
17. Egg option: OVER EASY.
18. Position: ORIENT - A recent activity of mine
19. Mulligans: REDOS - In a friendly game of golf you can request a mulligan or to REDO a shot. Our group allows one on the front 9 and one on the back. Some guys never take one. It can also be used if you say or do anything you wish you had not, "I'd like to take a mulligan on that!"
20. Lavender brew: HERBAL TEA.
22. Jacob's twin: ESAU.
23. Unagi roll fish: EELS.
23. Unagi roll fish: EELS.
24. "Food's getting cold!": EAT.
27. "The Namesake" actor Penn: KAL - When I looked him up, he was more familiar to me as Kumar of Harold and Kumar but I still would not have had to guess at the first letter of his name.
28. Big Mac rivals?: PCS 🤨 - Enrique, I have never called my Mac computer big! Yeah, I know, it's a big rival not a Big Mac.
31. Four-part cooking series starring Samin Nosrat: SALT FAT ACID HEAT.
37. "How's about this instead!?": I GOT A BETTER IDEA - I had to swap out ANOTHER for A BETTER.
38. Election system that gets the press involved?: PAPERLESS VOTING - 😀 Yes, you press a button or icon and do not put a mark on a piece of paper.
39. Alums-to-be: SRS - The SRS where I teach are handing out grad party invites this time of year.
40. Big bird: EMU.
41. Shortish releases: EPS - Back when vinyl ruled the world, Extended PlayS held more music than a 45 but less than an album. This group made one with four songs, not two, you can get this EP record on eBay for $150.
42. Instrument once plucked with a quill: LUTE.
44. "Who's this under?": NAME 😀 Uh, Mr. and Mrs. John Smith...
48. Hot pockets?: EMPANADAS.
53. Sunny?: SOLAR 😀 - Some crops flourish under solar panels as their rotation following the sun gives just the right amount of sun and shade.
54. Friendly gesture: HAT TIP.
55. Ulaanbaatar's country: MONGOLIA.
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| VW96+R47 Unnamed Road, Ulaanbaatar 17025, Mongolia |
57. "You're making me blush!": OH STOP.
58. Oktoberfest snacks: PRETZELS.
59. Pushes boundaries?: WIDENS.
60. Be reasonable: SEE SENSE.
Down:
1. Food contraction that omits "ome": S'MORE - Short for SOME MORE. A word invented in a 1938 summer camping manual
2. Melts for: LOVES - See picture above for melting everyone LOVES
3. Estée Lauder subsidiary: AVEDA.
4. Spin on a classic ballet performance?: PIROUETTE.
5. Some queens: BEES 😀
6. "Hugo" actor Butterfield: ASA - The Hindi version
7. Brief meeting?: SESH - Short for session and seen in cwds more and more frequently
8. Eye annoyance: STYE.
9. "We Shall Overcome" phrase: I DO BELIEVE.
10. Principled: MORAL.
11. Tesla stock?: COILS - Nikolai Tesla sat inside his invention for publicity. I had a smaller Tesla Coil in my classroom.
12. Help with a heist: ABET - Michael J. Pollard, on the right, played C.W. Moss who drove the getaway car for the 1967 movie Bonnie and Clyde.
13. "I forgot what to say!": LINE - What an actor says when he is lost and needs a prompt
14. Threads owner: META.
21. Posts a GIF, perhaps: REACTS - I do that often. A picture is worth a thousand words!
25. Miles away: AFAR.
26. Some Apple Design Award winners: TABLET APPS.
26. Some Apple Design Award winners: TABLET APPS.
27. Breaded cutlet dish: KATSU - Who knew (before last Tuesday)?
28. Mani-__: PEDI.
29. William the Conqueror's burial place: CAEN - 32 miles from Omaha Beach
30. Single party election?: STAG - These guys elected to have no women at this party
31. Small suctions on cups?: SIPS 😀
32. Vegan gelatin substitute: AGAR.
33. Cuts (off): LOPS.
34. Overflowed: TEEMED.
35. Release: DROP - A British airman in WWI gets ready to DROP a bomb from the gondola of an airship
36. Prepare to go out again?: 😀 HIT SNOOZE - This took me awhile.
42. Chai __: LATTE.
43. Labor group: UNION.
45. "It's Not Me, It's You" singer Lily: ALLEN.
45. "It's Not Me, It's You" singer Lily: ALLEN.
46. Sends flying, perhaps: MAILS
48. Site with step-by-step guides: E-HOW.
49. Fish tacos choice, on menus: MAHI - Enrique, no hint on the double name in the clue? C'mon! 😀 Half fish taco choice...
50. Condition that may respond to CBT or LSD: PTSD - A thoughtful article
51. Boomers at a concert?: AMPS.
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| The Grateful Dead's Wall Of Sound |
52. Sensitive: SORE.
53. NCOs who know the drill: SGTS.
56. Jennifer Affleck, __ Lopez: NEE - Yes, she changed her name.
