Words: 70
Blocks: 30
A fun solve today from Julian Lim - oh, "F" - just shy of a pangram for a Saturday ( I see OMAN, LEG OF and FESS as a way to squeeze it in; my grid here ). Triple stacks of 9- and 10-letters in a pinwheel fashion, plus two more 9's, including;
20A. Line from one with no match : "GOT A LIGHT?" - Reminds me of two funny things; the first is when someone asks to bum a cigarette, and asks "got a light?" too - the response is "would you like me to smoke it for you?" - and the other you'll have to email me for....
other notables;
1A. Great Basin locale : WESTERN U.S. - Image
12D. Bad copying : PLAGIARISM - great fill
27D. The Fab Five of '80s rock : DURAN DURAN - one of my favorites from these guys (4:23)
63A. Shower needs : UMBRELLAS - I like umbrellas in art, like this, and this
Onward ~!
ACROSS:
10. Shock : APPAL - yep, it's "55A." - from the French to turn pale
15. Angry Birds, originally : iPHONE APP
16. 1972 missile pact : SALT I - had this last week, too, but without the Roman numeral
17. Excoriates : TEARS INTO - my boss at UPS has not had to "excoriate" me in a while....
18. Hospitality giant : HYATT
19. Comic introduction? : SERIO - serio-comic, having a mixture of seriousness and sport
22. Ruminant's chew : CUD - I knew what ruminant meant
24. Like peons : MENIAL
25. Drop (off) : NOD
28. Intercalary event : LEAP DAY - did you make use of your Leap Second a few weeks back?
33. Burden : ONUS
35. Pollo partner : ARROZ - Chicken and Rice, no???
36. Misguesses, e.g. : ERRS - and then you get excoriated
37. Dean's "Lois & Clark" co-star : TERI
38. Lorna of literature : DOONE
39. Vaccine holder : VIAL
40. Kodak film brand : T-MAX - ah, yes, B&W film - took photography in high school; would have been much better with a decent camera
41. Like many a superhero : CAPED - see above for details
42. Barker in early Hollywood : ASTA - D'oh~! barker, as in "to bark"; stuck on Bob Barker, Ma Barker, Clive Barker....more on the dog, here
43. Solo in space : HAN - meet Han Solo, Star Wars
44. Where a belt is almost always required to be worn : CAR SEAT
46. Dues payer: Abbr. : MEMber
47. Final purpose : END-ALL
49. Atlantic City resort, with "The" : TAJ - the Taj Mahal, Donald Trump.
51. 2010 Grammy winner for "Just the Way You Are" : BRUNO MARS - not familiar to me
55. Not shady : LEGIT
59. Continental circulators : EUROS
60. RealPlayer alternative : QUICKTIME - Sorry, I'm a PC
62. Playwright Bernard who created "The Partridge Family" : SLADE
64. Article of faith : TENET
65. Descendants of ancient Mesopotamians : ASSYRIANS - good bottom edge fill with 3 "S's", a "Y", an "R", and an "N"
DOWN:
1. Cards : WITS
2. Event with an attack called a flèche : ÉPÉE - I thought this was the weapon, not the event, but def. #2 says it's also 55A.
3. __-Pei : SHAR - Awww - wrinkly image
4. Like Cheerios : TORIC - its donut-shape, the torus.
5. Fill with spirit : ENSOUL - meh, what can you do....
6. Portuguese royal : REI - we just has this recently, too - king in Portuguese, Rey in Spanish
7. Vietnam's Da __ : NANG - I remember this from the show Magnum, P.I.
8. Plotting : UP TO - hey, what are you up to over there....?
9. Lend, as a fin : SPOT - a fin is a $5 bill
10. "High School Musical" actress Tisdale : ASHLEY
11. Add, as to one's IRA : PAY IN
13. If things continue as they're going : AT THAT RATE - I had 'at THIS rate' to start
14. Bridge coup : LITTLE SLAM - Don't play bridge, but I am familiar with some terms, so I filled in SLAM and waited
21. Floored by : AMAZED AT
23. Sailor's concern : DEAD CALM - no wind, the doldrums, like in Rime of the Ancient Mariner
25. Somewhat lacking : NOT THE BEST
26. Despotism : ONE-MAN RULE
29. Like bowls, at times : AROAR - ah, as in the Superbowl, with the fans a-roar
30. Respect, in slang : PROPS - I have heard this
31. Foundation, perhaps : DONEE - like the Lustgarten, not the concrete one
34. Pack count : SIX
36. Stowe girl : EVA
44. Hanging site : CLOSET - great clue/answer
45. One who runs on : TALKER - I had "SUNNY" for LEGIT, so I had GASSER here
48. Jumping connection : ANODE - Car jumping, that is
50. "The Expendables" (2010) co-star : JET LI - and now there's the sequel, out next month
52. __-Lung : AQUA - diving, here; in music, a Jethro Tull album - not a fan; even less so for getting a Grammy for "Metal" - IMHO
53. Zombie bases : RUMS - ah, the drink, here - Tin, a shout out at sunset? Do one for me, I am off the sauce these days....
54. Sasha and Malia, e.g. : SIBlingS - the daughters of our president - I linked their pic last week
56. River through Yuma County : GILA
57. Model married to David Bowie : IMAN
58. Hardy woman : TESS
61. Call out : CRY
Answer grid.
Splynter
