Theme: None
Total blocks: 28
There is slight stream of financial terms running in this puzzle:
28A: Nest-egg initials: IRA
31A: Financial specialist: ECONOMIST
5D: Wall St. unit: SHR
7D: Tax act letters: ERISA (Employee Retirement Income Security Act)
I liked this puzzle, some of the clues are so refreshing. For example:
16A: Where Aesop shopped?: AGORA. The Greek mall.
19A: Zodiac butter?: RAM. I thought "Butter?" is even better.
33A: Spar alone?: SHADOW BOX
51A: Curly poker?: MOE
21D: Second course?: PLAN B
But shouldn't the clue for NAIL SETS (14D: Carpenter's tool) be in plural form? (Addendum: Please ignore this comment. The answer is NAIL SET. I made a mistake when I typed in the blog entry)
I had to google today. There is no way I can complete a Barry Silk puzzle unaided.
Across:
1A: Freezes: STOPS DEAD. I was brought to an immediate & complete halt by this clue.
15A: 1965 hit by the Zombies: TELL HER NO. No, no, I've never heard of this song.
16A: Crenshaw or casaba: MELON. Neither is my favorite. I like honeydew. What's your favorite MELON? How do you serve them? In balls?
17A: Backing: ENDORSING
18A: ___ Gras: MARDI. Ah, I am so hungry for some FOIE gras on toast.
20A: NASA's ISS partner: ESA (European Space Agency). Or "That" in Spanish.
21A: Melatonin gland: PINEAL. No idea.
22A: Warriors' org.: NBA. I don't think I've seen NBA clued as "Timberwolves' org." before. We have great sports teams here in MN: Twins (MLB), Vikings (NFL), Wild (NHL) and T'wolves (NBA). Oh, we have Thunder & Lightening too.
23A: Argue noisily: WRANGLE
29A: Writing-on-the-wall word: MENE. New to me. Dictionary defines MENE as "numbered, one of the words of the mysterious inscription written "upon the plaister of the wall" in Belshazzar's palace at Babylon. The writing was explained by Daniel".
35A: Pool game: EIGHT- BALL
38A: Insults wittily: ZINGS
43A: Linguistics suffix: EME. I misread the clue as "Language suffix", so I wanted ESE.
44A: Exam cramming: REVIEW. I don't understand this clue/answer. Is REVIEW here a noun or a verb?
46A: Annoyed: HASSLED
48A: Nashville-based awards org.: CMA (Country Music Association). I really do not understand Kenny Chesney's appeal.
49A: Six-feet of water: FATHOM
52A: 911 responder: EMT. Nice change from the"CPR specialist" clue.
54A: Retaliation: TIT FOR TAT
57A: "Odyssey" sorceress: CIRCE. She "detained Odysseus on her island and turned his men into swine". Not familiar with this Greek mythology at all. It kind of reminded me of the seamen-luring SIRENS.
58A: Make slender: ATTENUATE
59A: Exalt to the heavens: ENSKY. New to me also.
60A: Cut: SHORTENED. It seems that whenever "Cut" or "Read" are clued, the answer is always in past tense.
Down:
1D: Less flexible: STERNER
2D: Rationally defensible: TENABLE
3D: Children's card game: OLD MAID. Just learned this card game when we had WAR clue the other day.
6D: Skip out on: DESERT. I like this verb fill rather than "Sahara/Gobi" DESERT.
8D: 1993 Playmate of the Year: ANNA NICOLE SMITH. I thought of Pamela Anderson first.
11D: Alaska's fist governor: EGAN. It's clued as "Magnet and Steel" singer on Barry's Sept 5 puzzle.
12D: Marilyn's blond part?: LORELEI. Another unknown. I've never seen "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes". Dictionary says LORELI is "a quasilegendary nymph of the Rhine who lured sailors to shipwreck on her rock by singing". So, another SIREN?
27D: Undemanding: CUSHY. Really? Give you give me an example?
29D: 2014: MMXIV
31D: Dutch cheeses: EDAMS. Or GOUDAS if there is one more blank.
34D: Crosswise, nautically: ABEAM. It's perpendicular to the keel, isn't it? We seem to have nautical term every day now.
35D: Imposing structure: EDIFICE
37D: Old-fashioned footwear: GAITERS. Another unknown. Here is a picture. They look pretty cool to me.
39D: Comment to a sun worshiper: NICE TAN
40D: Having buds: GEMMATE. I can feel Spring.
44D: Sailor's jacket: REEFER. What's the difference between a REEFER and a pea coat?
46D: Hive product: HONEY. HONEY, you thrill me.
50D: Unrespected writer: HACK. What do you call those people who write fanfictions?
C.C.
Total blocks: 28
There is slight stream of financial terms running in this puzzle:
28A: Nest-egg initials: IRA
31A: Financial specialist: ECONOMIST
5D: Wall St. unit: SHR
7D: Tax act letters: ERISA (Employee Retirement Income Security Act)
I liked this puzzle, some of the clues are so refreshing. For example:
16A: Where Aesop shopped?: AGORA. The Greek mall.
19A: Zodiac butter?: RAM. I thought "Butter?" is even better.
33A: Spar alone?: SHADOW BOX
51A: Curly poker?: MOE
21D: Second course?: PLAN B
But shouldn't the clue for NAIL SETS (14D: Carpenter's tool) be in plural form? (Addendum: Please ignore this comment. The answer is NAIL SET. I made a mistake when I typed in the blog entry)
I had to google today. There is no way I can complete a Barry Silk puzzle unaided.
Across:
1A: Freezes: STOPS DEAD. I was brought to an immediate & complete halt by this clue.
15A: 1965 hit by the Zombies: TELL HER NO. No, no, I've never heard of this song.
16A: Crenshaw or casaba: MELON. Neither is my favorite. I like honeydew. What's your favorite MELON? How do you serve them? In balls?
17A: Backing: ENDORSING
18A: ___ Gras: MARDI. Ah, I am so hungry for some FOIE gras on toast.
20A: NASA's ISS partner: ESA (European Space Agency). Or "That" in Spanish.
21A: Melatonin gland: PINEAL. No idea.
22A: Warriors' org.: NBA. I don't think I've seen NBA clued as "Timberwolves' org." before. We have great sports teams here in MN: Twins (MLB), Vikings (NFL), Wild (NHL) and T'wolves (NBA). Oh, we have Thunder & Lightening too.
23A: Argue noisily: WRANGLE
29A: Writing-on-the-wall word: MENE. New to me. Dictionary defines MENE as "numbered, one of the words of the mysterious inscription written "upon the plaister of the wall" in Belshazzar's palace at Babylon. The writing was explained by Daniel".
35A: Pool game: EIGHT- BALL
38A: Insults wittily: ZINGS
43A: Linguistics suffix: EME. I misread the clue as "Language suffix", so I wanted ESE.
44A: Exam cramming: REVIEW. I don't understand this clue/answer. Is REVIEW here a noun or a verb?
46A: Annoyed: HASSLED
48A: Nashville-based awards org.: CMA (Country Music Association). I really do not understand Kenny Chesney's appeal.
49A: Six-feet of water: FATHOM
52A: 911 responder: EMT. Nice change from the"CPR specialist" clue.
54A: Retaliation: TIT FOR TAT
57A: "Odyssey" sorceress: CIRCE. She "detained Odysseus on her island and turned his men into swine". Not familiar with this Greek mythology at all. It kind of reminded me of the seamen-luring SIRENS.
58A: Make slender: ATTENUATE
59A: Exalt to the heavens: ENSKY. New to me also.
60A: Cut: SHORTENED. It seems that whenever "Cut" or "Read" are clued, the answer is always in past tense.
Down:
1D: Less flexible: STERNER
2D: Rationally defensible: TENABLE
3D: Children's card game: OLD MAID. Just learned this card game when we had WAR clue the other day.
6D: Skip out on: DESERT. I like this verb fill rather than "Sahara/Gobi" DESERT.
8D: 1993 Playmate of the Year: ANNA NICOLE SMITH. I thought of Pamela Anderson first.
11D: Alaska's fist governor: EGAN. It's clued as "Magnet and Steel" singer on Barry's Sept 5 puzzle.
12D: Marilyn's blond part?: LORELEI. Another unknown. I've never seen "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes". Dictionary says LORELI is "a quasilegendary nymph of the Rhine who lured sailors to shipwreck on her rock by singing". So, another SIREN?
27D: Undemanding: CUSHY. Really? Give you give me an example?
29D: 2014: MMXIV
31D: Dutch cheeses: EDAMS. Or GOUDAS if there is one more blank.
34D: Crosswise, nautically: ABEAM. It's perpendicular to the keel, isn't it? We seem to have nautical term every day now.
35D: Imposing structure: EDIFICE
37D: Old-fashioned footwear: GAITERS. Another unknown. Here is a picture. They look pretty cool to me.
39D: Comment to a sun worshiper: NICE TAN
40D: Having buds: GEMMATE. I can feel Spring.
44D: Sailor's jacket: REEFER. What's the difference between a REEFER and a pea coat?
46D: Hive product: HONEY. HONEY, you thrill me.
50D: Unrespected writer: HACK. What do you call those people who write fanfictions?
C.C.
