google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner

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Jun 9, 2012

Saturday, Jun 9th, 2012, Michael Wiesenberg

Theme: None

Words: 70

Blocks: 26

Hi there~! Hope your morning solve was a tough, but enjoyable one - this is my first time analyzing a Mr. Wiesenberg construction in the year I have been here at the blog, and I either knew his answers, or I was completely lost - and no 51D. was going to help. Triple stacks of 11- and 10-letters in a classic pinwheel frame, most of which came easy with a few letters; it was the middle "stairs" that did me in - yes, I cheated today. oh well.... ONWARD with some of the longer strings -

17A. Western Hemisphere group : THE AMERICAS - we'll start with a map - one that everyone should be familiar with....so I went with an "ALT" (q.v. 45A) light pollution version

53A. Skinny : ECTOMORPHIC - I thought this guy was an "Ectomorph", and he ain't skinny

14D. Opalescent gems : MOONSTONES - sounds cool, like they came from the moon, but they're found right here on Earth



25D. Snooze : GRAB SOME Z'S - just great fill here - I got it from the crossing "ZEE"

I already said it, my Orthorunican friends~!!!

ACROSS:

1. "See ya!" : I'M OUTTA HERE - nice start, since I was not going anywhere until I was finished; I did have to wait until I had some downs filled first. Reminds me of Dennis Miller's sign off on SNL, 4 rows down here

12. Part of an org. : MEMber

15. Overprotective governments : NANNY STATES

16. Simpson judge : ITO

18. HBO alternative : SHO - Showtime TV - their website is www.sho.com

19. Ruman of Marx Brothers films : SIG

20. Wing: Pref. : PTER - as in Pterodactyl - this fella

21. Good sense : REASON

23. Place for a Valentine's Day gift : VASE - "Aww, you brought that tall man some flowers..." - OK, what movie, huh? huh?

24. Puts (in) conditionally : PENCILS - as in "he pencils in a tentative lunch time"

25. "Brighton Rock" author : GREENE - actually, the whole middle section was Proper names, and I knew none of them

28. Guinevere's lover : LANCELOT - well, OK, I know this one, but had to wait for some perps

29. "Conjuring" author James : RANDI

30. Siesta time : TARDE - OK, total unknown for me - I tried ONE PM, since I thought the clue was asking for a specific moment; I am guessing this means "late"~??? A little help here, with my language barrier (Added late: It's "afternoon".)

31. Trip taker of a kind : EGO

32. "__ boy!" : ATTA

33. Fur sources : MINKS

34. Not backin' : AGIN'

35. Short life story? : BIO

36. "South Pacific" Tony winner : PINZA (Ezio) - Unknown to me

37. Jaded : BLASÉ

38. What Balboa called the Pacific : SOUTH SEA - 36A. Pacific clecho, too

40. Lures : TEMPTS

41. Some entrées : ON-RAMPS - now, I figured this out early, because I am familiar with on-ramps and cloverleafs, but I figured since it was "French" in needed to be "On Rampe", or some "ALT" spelling....

42. Hardly a sign of support : HISS; and 54A. Puff adder's warning : SSS - some snake clecho

43. Lorin __, who succeeded Szell as the Cleveland Orchestra's music director : MAAZEL - well, now, I just linked this guy whose CD I "promoted" last week with "1812" - which by the way, was the year we had a war, 200 years ago

44. Cabinet div. : DEPT

45. Alt's opposite : NEU - completely lost on this clue: at first I was looking for the "ALTernative" to ALTitude, but nothing was coming to me; I call it brain-lock when you hit a "Sticking Point" (that is not a "TINE") and you refuse to give up - I am guessing it's German for Old and New - I found this link to a synagogue

48. Taina of "Les Girls" : ELG - Another unknown for me

49. Longtime separatist Sri Lankan group : TAMIL TIGERS - tried PAPER tigers, but I know what a paper tiger is, and it has nothing to do with Sri Lanka

52. Omega counterpart : ZEE - last letter in two alphabets

55. Having another look at : REASSESSING - Great bottom edge fill, with two "E"s, and four "S"s

DOWN:

1. QBs' stats : INTerceptionS - one stat a QB wants to keep really low....

2. When doubled, a fish : MAHI-mahi

3. NASA acceleration unit : ONE G - a measure of the force of Earth's gravity

4. Actress Merkel : UNA

5. Kettledrums: Var. : TYMPANI

6. Safari threat : TSETSE

7. Up __ : A TREE

8. 2009 Broadway revival : HAIR- other 4-letter plays; CATS, RENT

9. Inclusive abbr. : ETC - Et Cetera, and other things from Latin

10. Hits after a screech, probably : REAR-ENDS

11. Core : ESSENCE

12. Perceived Cold War weapons disparity : MISSILE GAP - the space between dart throws, when playing for beer....

13. One studying animals' behavior in their natural habitats : ETHOLOGIST

22. Poker plus, usually : ACE

23. Hindu sacred text : VEDA

24. Cold wear : PARKA

26. Bases : RATIONALE

27. Followings : ENTOURAGES - love the show, too

28. "The Great Caruso" star : LANZA - the movie, here

30. Sticking points : TINES - nice mis-direction for me - I was looking for "bones", or something that holds up a contract negotiation - nope~! Just these

33. Lose : MISPLACE

34. Charity : ALMS

36. Acidity-measuring device : pH METER - I was fairly certain of the "pH" part, but I tried TESTS, then PAPER - but it crossed my other WAG at PAPER (49A.)

37. Rouses to action : BESTIRS

39. Toon whirlwind from Australia, familiarly : TAZ

40. Sneak : TIPTOE - I had " - - - -OE", and thought nah, that's not going to...oh, wait~!

42. Big wheels at sea : HELMS - DAH~!! I was trying to get LINERS and OILERS here - and we were looking for the actual BIG wheel....

44. De Soto's deity : DIOS

45. Classic fruit-flavored drink : NEHI - Crossword favorite, new(ish) clue

46. Ireland, poetically : ERIN

and three closing initialisms -

47. SOS responder : USCG - The United States Coast Guard

50. Common commuting letters : MTA - e.g., Metro Transit Authority

51. Help for lost drivers, for short : GPS - Global Positioning System - once a piece of expensive military equipment, most cars and smart phones now come with one, and I think it's a good idea - so why do I always end up lagging behind some Cidiot (C.C.: I'm such a City idiot. I had to google to see what Splynter means!) lost on his way out to "Wine Country" at the end of Long Island ~????
Splynter

Notes from C.C.:

1) Happy Birthday to Annette. Hope all's well.

2) Here is Part Four of Kazie's Spain Travel. Great to see the railway station where she and her husband first met.