Theme: None
Total blocks: 26
So close to the 25 blocks target I mentioned a month ago. But boy, it's a hard puzzle. Lots of unfamiliar words. Some did appear in recent puzzles before, but I simply forgot. I have too selective a memory.
I am not sure what is the record for the fewest blocks in TMS puzzle history. But it's 19 for NYT puzzles, 53 blocks being the most.
Anyway, very choppy solving today. Conquered the upper right corner very quickly, and struggled in every other corner. I kept wanting LD for 32D: 45% of M (CDL) and I knew it was wrong. Had to google CALEB (40A: Novelist Carr) to get myself out of that boggy area. Then I decided to google some more.
Dislike the clue for ASCOTS (1A: Tie types) due to TIES (5D: Draws). It's an unforgivable crossword SIN (11D: Sermon topic).
Across:
7A: Syrian capital: DAMASCUS. It is indeed the oldest city in the world, isn't it?
16A: Bologna tongue: ITALIANO. Ti amo!
17A: Gave shape to: MOLDED. I like the color of this Jello MOLD.
18A: Opposite of an enlarger: SHRINKER. Not a common word to me.
19A: Sturm __ Drang: UND. UND is "and" in German. I am not familiar with "Sturm UND Drang". I do like the translation: "Storm and Urge". Sounds so rebellious.
27A: Jewish sect member: HASID. Last times HASIDIM was clued as "Members of a Jewish sect". What a strange plural form!
29A: Radio static letters: EMI. EMI is also a British record label
31A: Common mushroom: AGARIC. I wanted BUTTON. I've never heard of AGARIC before. What's on the cap of this Fly AGARIC?
35A: Empty-nesters' vacation: SECOND HONEYMOON. Really? Don't couples take SECOND HONEYMOON anytime their schedules allow and their pocketbooks permit?
40A: Novelist Carr: CALEB. Wikipedia says he was involved in the screenplay of "The Exorcist" prequel. I've never seen "The Exorcist", have you? It sounds terrifying.
41A: Oder-___ Line: NEISSE. Not familiar with this border line (German-Polish border).
42A: "Vegas $" star: URICH (Robert). Another unknown actor. Wikipedia says he also starred in "Spenser: For Hire".
47A: Stallone role: RAMBO. Here is the new RAMBO trailor.
49A: Death rattles: RALES. Oy vey, I forgot this snake again. A gimmie for Bill I am sure. He never says die, but he sometimes RALES.
52A: Pair of 501's: MII. And CDL ( 32D: 45% of M). Why is my LD wrong?
53A: Indian bean tree: CATALPA. I forgot. It was clue as "Tree with trumpet-shaped flowers" last time. Are those beans edible?
55A: Italian possessive pronoun: SUA. His. Unknown to me.
56A: With plastic: ON CREDIT. What do you think of this clue?
58A: "Java" trumpeter: AL HIRT. I don't know this "Java" man. That's a great statue.
60A: Crystalline gypsum: SELENITE. Last time GYPSUM is clued as "Selenite, e.g.".
61A: July 26th honoree: ST ANNE. I forgot again. It appeared on Josiah Breward's July 19 puzzle with the identical clue. Oh well, "Fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can't get fooled again."
63A: Gnatlike flies: MIDGES
Down:
1D: Even though: AS MUCH AS. This answer did not come to me easily at all.
2D: Prehistoric period: STONE AGE
3D: Dead end: CUL- DE -SAC
4D: Roulette bet: ODD. (Addendum: Argyle told me about the online "Crimson or scarlet"clue for ODD. I don't understand it. How so?)
7D: Throws into confusion: DISCOMBOBULATES. Wow, I checked, it's a word. How absurb looking!
8D: Plato or Aristotle, e.g.: ATHENIAN
12D: More encrusted: CAKIER. CAKY is really a solid word, bad CAKY make-up, or Barry's eyelids. But of course, you guys are so good-looking (esp you Bill) that you don't need any make-up stuff.
13D: Irregular: UNEVEN
14D: Kierkegaard and Hansen: SORENS. I like SOREN Hansen, and Thomas Levet. I had my visor autographed by them.
24D: Wind from Sahara: SIROCCO. I have such difficulty remembering this hot, windy word.
28D: A Shore: DINAH
26D: Last period of Paleozoic Era: PERMIAN. No, no, I've never heard of it.
36D: Iron ore: HEMATITE. Sigh... no...
37D: Passing through a membrane: OSMOSING. Boy, not an easy word to obtain.
38D: Ozzy of Black Sabbath: OSBOURNE. What a dysfunctional family he has!
39D: Maternity ward VIPs: NEONATES. I was thinking of the doctors.
42D: Greatest degree: UTMOST. I was used to the NTH answer.
43D: Fassbinder or Rilke: RAINER. I know neither of them. Too obscure a clue.
44D: Eaves dripper: ICICLE. Very nice ICICLE photo, I could almost feel the drop.
50D: Burst of energy: SPASM. I penned in SURGE first.
54D: High: pref.: ALTI
57D: FDR power group: REA. I start to miss Stephen REA.
C.C.
Total blocks: 26
So close to the 25 blocks target I mentioned a month ago. But boy, it's a hard puzzle. Lots of unfamiliar words. Some did appear in recent puzzles before, but I simply forgot. I have too selective a memory.
I am not sure what is the record for the fewest blocks in TMS puzzle history. But it's 19 for NYT puzzles, 53 blocks being the most.
Anyway, very choppy solving today. Conquered the upper right corner very quickly, and struggled in every other corner. I kept wanting LD for 32D: 45% of M (CDL) and I knew it was wrong. Had to google CALEB (40A: Novelist Carr) to get myself out of that boggy area. Then I decided to google some more.
Dislike the clue for ASCOTS (1A: Tie types) due to TIES (5D: Draws). It's an unforgivable crossword SIN (11D: Sermon topic).
Across:
7A: Syrian capital: DAMASCUS. It is indeed the oldest city in the world, isn't it?
16A: Bologna tongue: ITALIANO. Ti amo!
17A: Gave shape to: MOLDED. I like the color of this Jello MOLD.
18A: Opposite of an enlarger: SHRINKER. Not a common word to me.
19A: Sturm __ Drang: UND. UND is "and" in German. I am not familiar with "Sturm UND Drang". I do like the translation: "Storm and Urge". Sounds so rebellious.
27A: Jewish sect member: HASID. Last times HASIDIM was clued as "Members of a Jewish sect". What a strange plural form!
29A: Radio static letters: EMI. EMI is also a British record label
31A: Common mushroom: AGARIC. I wanted BUTTON. I've never heard of AGARIC before. What's on the cap of this Fly AGARIC?
35A: Empty-nesters' vacation: SECOND HONEYMOON. Really? Don't couples take SECOND HONEYMOON anytime their schedules allow and their pocketbooks permit?
40A: Novelist Carr: CALEB. Wikipedia says he was involved in the screenplay of "The Exorcist" prequel. I've never seen "The Exorcist", have you? It sounds terrifying.
41A: Oder-___ Line: NEISSE. Not familiar with this border line (German-Polish border).
42A: "Vegas $" star: URICH (Robert). Another unknown actor. Wikipedia says he also starred in "Spenser: For Hire".
47A: Stallone role: RAMBO. Here is the new RAMBO trailor.
49A: Death rattles: RALES. Oy vey, I forgot this snake again. A gimmie for Bill I am sure. He never says die, but he sometimes RALES.
52A: Pair of 501's: MII. And CDL ( 32D: 45% of M). Why is my LD wrong?
53A: Indian bean tree: CATALPA. I forgot. It was clue as "Tree with trumpet-shaped flowers" last time. Are those beans edible?
55A: Italian possessive pronoun: SUA. His. Unknown to me.
56A: With plastic: ON CREDIT. What do you think of this clue?
58A: "Java" trumpeter: AL HIRT. I don't know this "Java" man. That's a great statue.
60A: Crystalline gypsum: SELENITE. Last time GYPSUM is clued as "Selenite, e.g.".
61A: July 26th honoree: ST ANNE. I forgot again. It appeared on Josiah Breward's July 19 puzzle with the identical clue. Oh well, "Fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can't get fooled again."
63A: Gnatlike flies: MIDGES
Down:
1D: Even though: AS MUCH AS. This answer did not come to me easily at all.
2D: Prehistoric period: STONE AGE
3D: Dead end: CUL- DE -SAC
4D: Roulette bet: ODD. (Addendum: Argyle told me about the online "Crimson or scarlet"clue for ODD. I don't understand it. How so?)
7D: Throws into confusion: DISCOMBOBULATES. Wow, I checked, it's a word. How absurb looking!
8D: Plato or Aristotle, e.g.: ATHENIAN
12D: More encrusted: CAKIER. CAKY is really a solid word, bad CAKY make-up, or Barry's eyelids. But of course, you guys are so good-looking (esp you Bill) that you don't need any make-up stuff.
13D: Irregular: UNEVEN
14D: Kierkegaard and Hansen: SORENS. I like SOREN Hansen, and Thomas Levet. I had my visor autographed by them.
24D: Wind from Sahara: SIROCCO. I have such difficulty remembering this hot, windy word.
28D: A Shore: DINAH
26D: Last period of Paleozoic Era: PERMIAN. No, no, I've never heard of it.
36D: Iron ore: HEMATITE. Sigh... no...
37D: Passing through a membrane: OSMOSING. Boy, not an easy word to obtain.
38D: Ozzy of Black Sabbath: OSBOURNE. What a dysfunctional family he has!
39D: Maternity ward VIPs: NEONATES. I was thinking of the doctors.
42D: Greatest degree: UTMOST. I was used to the NTH answer.
43D: Fassbinder or Rilke: RAINER. I know neither of them. Too obscure a clue.
44D: Eaves dripper: ICICLE. Very nice ICICLE photo, I could almost feel the drop.
50D: Burst of energy: SPASM. I penned in SURGE first.
54D: High: pref.: ALTI
57D: FDR power group: REA. I start to miss Stephen REA.
C.C.
