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

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Mar 30, 2013

Saturday, Mar 30th, 2013, Barry C. Silk

Theme: Saturday Silkie

Words: 68 (missing F,J,Z)

Blocks: 28

  This one was a fun romp for yours truly today, as I was done well within my personal allotted time.  With the exception of one,  I found the answers dwelling deep inside my crossword cranium.  Triple 9- and 10-letter triple stacks in a pinwheel grid, with some notables:

31. Ambergris source : SPERM WHALE - ambergris is essentially "poop"; a substance found in the digestive system- the Wiki

42. Relatives of penny dreadfuls : DIME NOVELS - I got the "DIME" part, and novels seemed to make sense; some interesting reading; made me think of "pulp fiction" - but I'll refrain from a movie clip

57. Instigator of '70s-'80s wars : BURGER KING - I half expected this to be so variation of Coca-Cola or Pepsi; once the perps filled in, I recalled the 'other' war of the same time period - that between the answer and McDonald's.  I am a BK fan myself; they have sweet potato fries now~!

Onward~!

ACROSS:

1. Its goal is to include "all words in all languages" : WIKTIONARY - I don't usually visit this part of Wikipedia

11. Walker of the 1960s 76ers : CHET - all from the perps; not a basketball fan

15. Approaching the hour : A QUARTER TO - First line of a Blue Öyster Cult song (a quarter to 'five')

16. Bar mitzvah staple : HORA - feeling better, Lemon?

17. Retreats : RUNS SCARED

18. Without restraint : AMOK - not FREE

19. The Panthers of the Big East : PITT - from Pittsburgh

20. Bond first bought by FDR in 1941 : SERIES E - hey, I found a clip of the president pitching the idea~!

22. Heavenly approach? : STAIRWAY - No Stairway, denied~! (to Heaven, a la Led Zeppelin)

27. Open living rooms : LANAIs - why do I think this is called a "patio"?

28. Schools overseas : ECOLES - Frawnch for "school"

30. Spartan toiler : HELOT - I dug this one out from deep within my skull

35. Wiped out, with "in" : DONE

36. Texting nicety : THX - 'Thanks', and I am guilty of using it

37. Birds with colorful mates : PEAHENS - it's the male peaCOCKs (easy there) that have the plumage


39. Little break : NAP

40. Tim of "WKRP in Cincinnati" : REID

44. Dramatist Chekhov : ANTON - crossword staple, so I got it

46. Caved : GAVE IN

47. Ancient Mexican : TOLTEC - because AZTECS is more than one Mexican

49. Fertile Crescent area : NEAR EAST

53. Musical name that means "Love God" : AMADEUS - huh, well, that makes sense AMA, DEUS

55. Mid-second-century date : CLII - Roman 152; the second century was 101-200

56. Actress Rowlands : GENA - another crossword staple

62. Hydrocarbon endings : ENEs - propene, octene, etc.

63. Sign of a bad waiter : IMPATIENCE - went to a Japanese Hibachi restaurant last night - I dig the "stunt cooking" - the chef pitched broccoli florets to us to catch in our mouths

64. British side : MASH - bangers (hey now) and mash - sausage and potatoes

65. Take over : COMMANDEER

DOWN:

1. They may be found in board examinations : WARPS - HA~!!! I put in KNOTS first - carpenter's clue


2. Resigning words : I QUIT - felt like walking out at UPS today - not enough vans running for a holiday weekend

3. Kinte in "Roots" : KUNTA

4. More palatable : TASTIER

5. E-file org. : IRS

6. Nasdaq predecessor : OTC - just like the "Monday" cluing, this is Over-The-Counter finance

7. PBS benefactor : NEA

8. LAX datum : ARRival

9. They usually involve turns: Abbr. : RTEs

10. Singing cowboy's refrain : YODEL

11. Bound, in a way : CHAINED

12. Film in which Marv says, "He's only a kid, Harry. We can take him." : HOME ALONE

13. Caused by weathering : EROSIONAL

14. Act : TAKE STEPS

21. Fan sound : RAH

23. Ottawa-based enforcement gp. : RCMP - Royal Canadian Mounted Police - another Blue Öyster Cult song, also in the first line

24. Amazed : WOWED

25. Ron Reagan's first secretary of state : AL HAIG - full name, nice

26. Cat's assent : "YEAH MAN~!"

29. Record holder : SLEEVE

31. Gambit : STRATAGEM

32. Events : PHENOMENA

33. Turnoffs : EXIT LANES - good misdirection; not 'bad breath', e.g.

34. Octa- plus one : ENNEA - I study the Personality Types of the Enneagram; I know Yellowrocks does, too - I am a Five with a Four-wing

38. Liszt's "Harmonies du __" : SOIR - this was the one that was totally out of my wheelhouse

41. A, to Morse : DOT DASH


43. Unlike crews : V-NECKED - The VN--- was there, and I thought "no....oh wait~!" - we're talking T-shirts here

45. Formerly : NEE

48. __ yard : CUBIC

50. Dress with a flare : A-LINE

51. Subsequently : SINCE

52. Clemson player : TIGER

54. Sport for heavyweights : SUMO

58. Dash letters : RPM

59. Pinup highlight : GAM - can't get out without linking some GAMS, you know me~!


60. Frat vowel : ETA

61. Film dog's first name? : RIN - tin-tin, that is; not ASTA

Splynter