Total words: 72
Total blocks: 30
Merry Christmas! Today we've got a symmetrically placed Christmas mini theme:
1A. Noted list keeper : SANTA CLAUS. Ho Ho Ho, lovely entry for our Santa Argyle.
60A. Ad exec's pithy description of 1-Across? : NICK AT NITE. Fun clue/answer.
We also have NOEL (3D. "The First __") and NAST ( 14D. Cartoonist credited with the modern image of 1-Across). Thomas Nast.
Doug placed ten 10s in the grid, triple stacks of Acrosses & pairs of Downs. The puzzle is anchored by a flashy grid spanner OFF-SPEED PITCHES (35A. Surprises for some swingers). Curveballs/Changeups, etc.
Across:
11. Deuce follower, at times : AD IN. Tennis. Ad(vantage) In.
15. Depot : STOREHOUSE. Was picturing a train station.
16. Isle of Mull neighbor : IONA. On the lower left. Hebrides isle.
17. Superhero who had an arch foe named Bull's-Eye : GREEN ARROW. Unknown figure to me.
18. Expeditions, e.g. : SUVs
19. Latvian chess champ of 1960-'61 : TAL (Mikhail)
20. Biblical reformer : EZRA. I can only nail EZRA when it's poet Pound related.
21. "Ri-i-ight" : I'LL BET
23. Not well-defined : HAZY
24. Gets down, in a way : KNEELS. Thought it might be duck down.
25A. They might be stolen : BASES. I sure was not thinking of baseball. GOODS popped up in my mind.
28. __ Bass Fishing: video game : SEGA. Educated guess.
29. And such: Abbr. : ETC
31. "Haven't decided yet" : I MAY
32. Battle of Salamis victors : GREEKS. Battle of Salamis is between Greeks and Persians in 400 BC. Also new to me. Salamis is an island west of Athens.
34. Tenn. awards org. : CMA (Country Music Association)
38. Gallic title: Abbr. : MME (Madame)
39. Take over : INFEST
40. Breakfast item : LINK. Felt silly staring at ???K forever. I just don't eat links.
41. Penn. is on it : EST (Eastern Standard Time)
42. Change one's position : STIR
43. Philippics : RANTS. Dictionary says Philippic comes from the Athenian orator Demosthenes, who delivered several attacks on Philip, king of Macedon.
44. "'Tis he, that villain Romeo" speaker : TYBALT. No idea. From "Romeo and Juliet". Tybalt is Juliet's cousin.
46. Time for action : D-DAY
48. Composed : SERENE. Adjective "composed".
49. A-line designer : DIOR. Christian Dior pioneered A-line.
50. "That's odd ..." : HMM
53. __ Mountains: Mt. Narodnaya's range : URAL. Mt. Narodnaya is the highest peak of the Urals. Not in my radar.
54. Military foothold : BRIDGEHEAD. Also a new word to me.
57. Diamond with records : NEIL. Neil Diamond.
58. Bath additive : EPSOM SALTS. I add three big spoons to my bath every night.
59. Nut for drinks : KOLA. Same as cola, isn't it?
Down:
1. Mil. squad leader, perhaps : SSGT
2. Its Plus version has a lubricating strip :.. Was ignorant of Atra Plus.
4. Roman numeral : TRE. Hmm, not III.
5. Trojan War survivor : AENEAS. Protagonist of Virgil's "Aeneid".
6. Palminteri of "A Bronx Tale" : CHAZZ. Gimme for Melissa/Dennis. Both have seen his performance in person.
7. Hampshire hauler : LORRY. Hampshire England.
8. Subtle quality : AURA
9. Private entertainers, for short? : USO. Nailed it.
10. Place for pins and needles : SEWING KIT. Nice clue.
11. Target area : AISLE. Target store.
12. Chewing gum could help prevent one : DOUBLE CHIN. Great entry.
13. Bond, for one : INVESTMENT. Not James Bond.
22. Numerical extreme : LEAST. Don't get the clue.
23. Cries for attention : HEYs
24. Doesn't go bad : KEEPS
25. Tundra or coral reef, e.g. : BIOME
26. Auto feature : AM/FM STEREO. Lots of nice multi-words in the grid.
27. Toddler's bed attachment : SAFETY RAIL.
28. Meal during Nisan : SEDER
30. Staved containers : CASKS
32. '60s TV role for Bruno the Bear : GENTLE BEN. Blind spot for me.
33. Ready for another voyage : REFIT
36. Fibonacci, by birth : PISAN. Fibonacci is also known Leonardo of Pisa, Italian mathematician. Total foreign to me.
37. Makeup of Martha's Vineyard's Gay Head Cliffs : CLAY. Tough clue for me.
43. Hardest to get hold of : RAREST
45. "Twilight" protagonist : BELLA. Have never seen "Twilight".
46. Got by : DID OK
47. Bane of liberal religion : DOGMA
48. Doomed : SUNK
49. Piece in the game Reversi : DISC. First encounter with Reversi.
50. Pad opener : HELI. Helipad.
51. Simpsons creator Groening : MATT
52. Inventory abbr. : MDSE (Merchandise)
55. Tech sch. overlooking the Hudson : RPI (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute). OK, another shout-out to Splyinter who graduated from there.
56. Solo in sci-fi : HAN. "Star Wars".
Answer grid.
Safe travels, Dennis. You've made it. Have fun in Florida!
C.C.
Total blocks: 30
Merry Christmas! Today we've got a symmetrically placed Christmas mini theme:
1A. Noted list keeper : SANTA CLAUS. Ho Ho Ho, lovely entry for our Santa Argyle.
60A. Ad exec's pithy description of 1-Across? : NICK AT NITE. Fun clue/answer.
We also have NOEL (3D. "The First __") and NAST ( 14D. Cartoonist credited with the modern image of 1-Across). Thomas Nast.
Doug placed ten 10s in the grid, triple stacks of Acrosses & pairs of Downs. The puzzle is anchored by a flashy grid spanner OFF-SPEED PITCHES (35A. Surprises for some swingers). Curveballs/Changeups, etc.
Across:
11. Deuce follower, at times : AD IN. Tennis. Ad(vantage) In.
15. Depot : STOREHOUSE. Was picturing a train station.
16. Isle of Mull neighbor : IONA. On the lower left. Hebrides isle.
17. Superhero who had an arch foe named Bull's-Eye : GREEN ARROW. Unknown figure to me.
18. Expeditions, e.g. : SUVs
19. Latvian chess champ of 1960-'61 : TAL (Mikhail)
20. Biblical reformer : EZRA. I can only nail EZRA when it's poet Pound related.
21. "Ri-i-ight" : I'LL BET
23. Not well-defined : HAZY
24. Gets down, in a way : KNEELS. Thought it might be duck down.
25A. They might be stolen : BASES. I sure was not thinking of baseball. GOODS popped up in my mind.
28. __ Bass Fishing: video game : SEGA. Educated guess.
29. And such: Abbr. : ETC
31. "Haven't decided yet" : I MAY
32. Battle of Salamis victors : GREEKS. Battle of Salamis is between Greeks and Persians in 400 BC. Also new to me. Salamis is an island west of Athens.
34. Tenn. awards org. : CMA (Country Music Association)
38. Gallic title: Abbr. : MME (Madame)
39. Take over : INFEST
40. Breakfast item : LINK. Felt silly staring at ???K forever. I just don't eat links.
41. Penn. is on it : EST (Eastern Standard Time)
42. Change one's position : STIR
43. Philippics : RANTS. Dictionary says Philippic comes from the Athenian orator Demosthenes, who delivered several attacks on Philip, king of Macedon.
44. "'Tis he, that villain Romeo" speaker : TYBALT. No idea. From "Romeo and Juliet". Tybalt is Juliet's cousin.
46. Time for action : D-DAY
48. Composed : SERENE. Adjective "composed".
49. A-line designer : DIOR. Christian Dior pioneered A-line.
50. "That's odd ..." : HMM
53. __ Mountains: Mt. Narodnaya's range : URAL. Mt. Narodnaya is the highest peak of the Urals. Not in my radar.
54. Military foothold : BRIDGEHEAD. Also a new word to me.
57. Diamond with records : NEIL. Neil Diamond.
58. Bath additive : EPSOM SALTS. I add three big spoons to my bath every night.
59. Nut for drinks : KOLA. Same as cola, isn't it?
Down:
1. Mil. squad leader, perhaps : SSGT
2. Its Plus version has a lubricating strip :.. Was ignorant of Atra Plus.
4. Roman numeral : TRE. Hmm, not III.
5. Trojan War survivor : AENEAS. Protagonist of Virgil's "Aeneid".
6. Palminteri of "A Bronx Tale" : CHAZZ. Gimme for Melissa/Dennis. Both have seen his performance in person.
7. Hampshire hauler : LORRY. Hampshire England.
8. Subtle quality : AURA
9. Private entertainers, for short? : USO. Nailed it.
10. Place for pins and needles : SEWING KIT. Nice clue.
11. Target area : AISLE. Target store.
12. Chewing gum could help prevent one : DOUBLE CHIN. Great entry.
13. Bond, for one : INVESTMENT. Not James Bond.
22. Numerical extreme : LEAST. Don't get the clue.
23. Cries for attention : HEYs
24. Doesn't go bad : KEEPS
25. Tundra or coral reef, e.g. : BIOME
26. Auto feature : AM/FM STEREO. Lots of nice multi-words in the grid.
27. Toddler's bed attachment : SAFETY RAIL.
28. Meal during Nisan : SEDER
30. Staved containers : CASKS
32. '60s TV role for Bruno the Bear : GENTLE BEN. Blind spot for me.
33. Ready for another voyage : REFIT
36. Fibonacci, by birth : PISAN. Fibonacci is also known Leonardo of Pisa, Italian mathematician. Total foreign to me.
37. Makeup of Martha's Vineyard's Gay Head Cliffs : CLAY. Tough clue for me.
43. Hardest to get hold of : RAREST
45. "Twilight" protagonist : BELLA. Have never seen "Twilight".
46. Got by : DID OK
47. Bane of liberal religion : DOGMA
48. Doomed : SUNK
49. Piece in the game Reversi : DISC. First encounter with Reversi.
50. Pad opener : HELI. Helipad.
51. Simpsons creator Groening : MATT
52. Inventory abbr. : MDSE (Merchandise)
55. Tech sch. overlooking the Hudson : RPI (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute). OK, another shout-out to Splyinter who graduated from there.
56. Solo in sci-fi : HAN. "Star Wars".
Answer grid.
Safe travels, Dennis. You've made it. Have fun in Florida!
C.C.
