Saturday August 30, 2008 Barry Silk

Theme: None

Total blocks: 29

Disaster, total disaster today.

Maybe Barry Silk should write a book on how to read his mind and how to conquer his puzzles. Stan Newman's "Saturday-savvy" tip (top row consonants-heavy, lower row high occurrence of the quartet letters REDS) did not help me at all.

I started recklessly with a LIFT for 1D: Plagiarize. CRIB is always baby's bed to me. Then I filled in HADJ for 2D: Pilgrimage to Mecca and I was 100% sure that I was right. Then I was so confused by my LHA* start for 1A.

Flitted away quickly to the upper right corner, and filled in IVE rather than IAL for 11D: Adjective-forming suffix. Had no idea that both Christmas and Easters were Islands. Wanted EVES and it did not fit. I was very annoyed and gave up the puzzle after 10 minutes.

I think I need more rest, having trouble staying asleep lately.

Across:

1A: Action flick staple: CHASE SCENE. Which movie do you think has the best car CHASE SCENE?

11A: Christmas, Easter, etc.: ISLS (Islands). Big stumper. Here are Christmas Island (Terriroty of Australia, Indian Ocean) and Easter ISLAND (Territory of Chili, South Pacific Ocean).

15A: Up the duties: RAISE TAXES. If only taxes are raised for the sole benefits of the taxed.

16A: Blood-related: AKIN

17A: Water-cooler rumors: IDLE GOSSIP. Is there any non-IDLE GOSSIP? So the plural form of GOSSIP is still GOSSIP?

18A: Prose finisher?: LYTE. Very unexpected clue, nice!

19A: Wholesale club: BJ'S. I've never heard of this warehouse chain. Only know Sam's Club & Costo.

20A: Bankrupt: RUINED

23A: Alpine tool: ICE AX. Here is one. Leon Trotsky was killed by an ICE AX. I think I am more used to the AXE spelling.

25A: Observation: REMARK

27A: Singer Lopez: TRINI. I always wanted JENNIFER for this "Singer Lopez clue".

30A: Misdirected: LED ASTRAY. Women are more easily to be LED ASTRAY (though sometimes willingly).

32A: Worth mentioning: OF NOTE

34A: Overtake on foot: RUN PAST. And 62D: Take off: RUN. I dislike having two RUN's in the grid.

35A: Shopping ctr.: MKT. I dislike this clue also. MKT brings to mind NYSE/NASDAQ. I am OK with the STORE (6D: Shopper's stop) though.

38A: VW model: GTI. What does GTI stand form?

39A: Dinger or drum starter: HUM

41A: Tranquilizes: SEDATES

44A: Peterson and Wilde: OSCARS. Don't know who OSCAR Peterson is.

46A: Part of SALT: STRATEGIC. SALT is the acronym of Strategic Arms Limitations Talks.

49A: Wheel-alignment measure: CAMBER. Was this a gimme to you?

50A: Ill-gotten profit: LUCRE. Filthy LUCRE.

53A: Goddess of the moon: SELENE. The Greek Goddess. Luna is the Roman equivalent. There seems to be another pair of moon Goddesses: Artemis (Greek) & Diana (Roman). I don't know what's the difference.

60A: "Wayne's World" co-star: DANA CARVEY. So silly.

64A: Plotters: INTRIGUERS. I was only familiar with the "capture" meaning of INTRIGUE. Interesting, dictionary explains that INTRIGUE can also refer to "a secret or illicit love affair" (noun) or "To carry on a secret or illicit love affair" (verb). Now I am really intrigued!

65A: City on the Irtysh River: OMSK. I had no idea where Irtysh River was. Here is a good map, so close to Borat's Kazakhstan.

66A: Type of pliers: NEEDLE-NOSE. I did not know that this kind of plier is called NEEDLE-NOSE.

Down:

2D: Pilgrim to Mecca: HADJ. Or HAJJ.

5D: Neurological test letters: EEG. I forgot. My brain is so selective that it only remembers what it wants to remember.

8D: Former Philly pro, so to speak: EX-SIXERS. Hard, hard for me. I don't follow NBA. HOFer Mike Schmidt, a real "Former Philly pro", popped into my mind immediately.

7D: Offhand: CASUAL

9D: Nuremberg negative: NEIN. "NEIN, danke"; "Ja, bitte!"

10D: Artificial international language: ESPERANTO. I forgot again. Saw this clue before. Does anyone actually speak this language?

11D: Adjective-forming suffix: IAL. As in presidential and differential.

12D: Airline-safety figure: SKY MARSHAL. I am more familiar with AIR MARSHAL.

13D: Art of words: LITERATURE. Somehow I wanted Rhetorics.

13D: Backdoor: SNEAKY. I was imagining a real backdoor.

21D: One in hate mode: DESPISER. Such a made-up word.

23D: Daughter of Cadmus: INO. Greek to me. Dictionary says INO is "sea goddess who rescued Odysseus from drowning by giving him a magic veil."

24D: Mild chelating agents: CITRATES. No guts to clue it as "Sildenafil ___ (Viagra)"? Of course I did not get it. I did not even understand the meaning of "chelating".

26D: Kingston Trio hit: MTA. Here is the clip. I've never heard of it before.

27D: Mix of oaters: TOM. Did not know him. TOM Cruise yes. I was really picturing a group of oaters chatting idly on a ranch.

28D: Former Redskins home: RFK STADIUM. I did not know that the Redskins played at RFK STADIUM before. Might have got the answer if the clue were "Washington Nationals home".

29D: Burials: INTERMENTS. New word to me also.

33D: Joined, redundantly: ENTERED IN. It's indeed reduandant.

37D: Pc.: SEG

40D: NetZero rival: MSN. I like their butterfly logo. I like this pair of butterfly earrings too.

43D: Quiet finish of fame or fortune: SILENT E. Good clue.

45D: French key: CLE. I am truly tired of this French related clue. Tell me why you don't like the Cleveland Indians.

46D: Singer Renata: SCOTTO. I don't understand a word she is singing. I like her earrings. I've never heard of her name before. No problem for Sallie I am sure.

47D: Steamship line founder: CUNARD (Samuel). Another unknown. According to Wikipedia, CUNARD Line is the operator of Queen Elizabeth 2, Queen Mary 2, & Queen Victoria.

51D: Beany's pal: CECIL. Nope. Complete stranger to me. Here is a clip.

54D: Travel channel?: LANE. Good clue.

55D: Chevy model: AVEO. Did this come easily to you?

56D: Generation after boomers: XERS

57D: Disappear, as symptoms: LYSE. I forgot. It's clued as "Subside, as disease" on August 10 Sunday. I disliked the clue then, I still don't like it now.

C.C.

Friday, August 29, 2008 Allan E. Parrish

Theme: Let's Say

18A: July 14th in France: BASTILLE DAY

59A: Spendable salary: TAKE HOME PAY

3D: Crosby movie: GOING MY WAY

24D: First Chief Justice: JOHN JAY

29D: Bobby Bloom hit: MONTEGO BAY

And CAY, FAY, GAY, HAY, LAY and MAY. What else?

I've never heard of JOHN JAY before, very interesting name. With Sheryl CROW, Christopher WREN and Peter FINCH, you can create a "Bird Spotting" themed puzzle. That will elate Larry BIRD.

A tough puzzle for me today. I got up late, and was stumped immediately by 1A. I wanted SIR and I knew it's not right. Somehow my mind was fixed on the physicist Newton. Never really gained any momentum, and struggled on various spots.

Across:

1A: Newton's first name ?: Why is it called FIG Newton Cake instead of Cookie/Bar?

4A: Chevy model: CAMARO. Here is the first ever Chevy CAMARO commercial.

14A: English privy: LOO. I think I really like "Elton's john" clue.

15A: Sandy or Roberto of baseball: ALOMAR. A rare gimme. I like how ALOMAR intersects MOST (6D: Part of MVP) because both of them were All-STAR Game MVPs (1997 & 1998). This is their father Sandy ALOMAR Sr (1966 Topps).

16A: 1997 Peter Fonda title role: ULEE. "ULEE's Gold". I've never seen it, have you?

24A: Actress Leigh: JANET. I don't like "Psycho", too scary.

25A: Man in Metz: HOMME. French for man. Here is Picasso's "Vieil HOMME Assis, Mougins". Another French word is OUI (49D: Nice assent).

28A: Hardly hemen: WIMPS. Are you OK with this clue?

32A: Poet Lowell: AMY. Unknown to me. What poem is she famous for?

38A: Alphrazolam brand name: XANAX. I simply forgot. Identical clue in a May TMS puzzle. It's an anti-anxiety drug.

43A: Digital image format: JPEG. I can never rememer its full name: Joint Photographic Experts Group.

48A: Fertile loam: LOESS. I sure have difficuty commmitting this word to my memory.

52A: QB Flutie: DOUG. No, I've never heard of him. A cover on Sports Illustrated? He must be very good during his college years then.

53A: Long Island institution: ADELPHI. New to me also. Is it very famous?

63A: Northern Illinois University city: DEKALB. Another unknown. WP says supermodel Cindy Crawford was born and grew up here. Here is the map.

66A: "___ Fideles": ADESTE. I don't understand a word Enya is singing, but it's beautiful.

Down:

2D: Actress Skye: IONE. No idea, even though I just watched her movie "Say Anything..." (with John Cusack) a few weeks ago.

4D: Minnelli film: CABARET. "Why Should I Wake Up?"

8D: Vituperate: RAIL AT

9D: Wrinkle-free fabric: ORLON. I had no idea that ORLON is a Du Pont trademark.

10D: Pool hall item: CUE STICK. Paul Newman's "The Hustler" is pretty good.

13D: Tunisian ruler: BEYS. Alwayst thought BEYS were Turkish rulers.

19D: Cinema-chain name: LOEWS

25D: Sister's clothing: HABIT

27D: Media bus. grp.: MCA. What is it?

35D: Devon river: EXE. It appeared in a Feb TMS puzzle, and of course I forgot. Here is the map. It flows to the English Channel.

42D: Infection type: STAPH

44D: Good gracious!: GLORY BE. I've never heard anyone say "GLORY BE!" alone as an exclamation. Is it like "Man Alive"?

54D: Confront boldly: DARE. "Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue, and dreams that you DARE to dream really do come true..." Now, tell me, do you DARE? " 'Cause if you do, I'll take you there...."

55D: Med. tests for the heart: EKGS. I forgot which one is more commonly used, EKG or ECG?

57D: Pakistan tongue: URDU. Nailed it this time.

C.C.