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

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Sep 28, 2013

Saturday, Sep 28th, 2013, C.C. Burnikel

Theme: C.C. Saturday~!

Words: 72 (missing Q,V,X,Z)

Blocks: 30

BAM~!!!  How's that for a Saturday Grand Slam~!  I get to blog a puzzle from our Northmost Host~!  ( OK, maybe our Montana is further up....) - a themeless from our very own C.C.  I was getting a little worried in the NE corner, but then things started to come to mind.  Two proper names crossing in the center form a mini-theme (both names start and end with the same letters):

36A. Youngest male tennis player to be No. 1 in the ATP Rankings : LLEYTON HEWITT -  Never heard of this "JOE"

21D. Duel personality? : AARON BURR -  Alexander Hamilton - the "JOE" on the $10 bill - was shot and mortally wounded by Burr; I knew of the duel, but not the history preceding the event - but I did remember this spot for milk;




And triple-7 corners - then there's the six 8-letter climbers; and, of course, one's of a baseball nature~!  Lots of two-word answers. 

8. Show known for its slow-motion shots : BAYWATCH - this is funny - but I gotta tell ya, I never got into this show; not a huge fan of bathing suits - I prefer the smartly dressed type.  For the rest of the male population, I offer this

38. Where most hits wind up : OUTFIELD - I played baseball for one season when I was about 14 - our record was 1-11, but in our only win, I had a blooper single that scored the winning run - HA~!  BTW, I was hit by more pitches than the number of times I made contact with the bat....now I jump in the way of the ball intentionally - a hockey ball, that is.

Should have saved for today~!

 ONWARD~!


ACROSS:

1. Piece of fruit? : SILENT I - knew we were looking for some trickery; "früt"

8. Time capsule ceremonies : BURIALS - I recommend the movie "Knowing" with Nicolas Cage; the story begins with the opening of a time capsule, and the movie has some chillingly realistic CGI scenes

15. Barhopping : ON A TOOT - Yep, Fridays were usually the 'official' bar-hopping night; as many as you could get to; Thurdays were typically Ladies Night

16. Awkward at gatherings, say : ASOCIAL - and I was pretty much this "JOE" at every one of those bars....

17. Big oaf : PALOOKA - my favorite scene involving this word; *warning!* language

18. "I need an answer now!" : YES OR NO - who else thought of this song?

19. __-Locka, Florida : OPA


20. Shortens again, as a board : RESAWS - measure once, cut twice - oh, wait - that only works if you need it shorter

22. Medieval fight club? : MACE


23. Move, briefly : RE-LOcate

25. Frozen Four org. : NCAA - the hockey version of the college tournament

26. Pequod co-owner : PELEG - Moby Dick

27. Give up a seat : STAND

29. Pianist Schnabel : ARTUR

31. Ivy League nickname : ELI

32. Wild West : MAE - nice mis-direction

34. Prefix with -syllabic : OCTO - poetry in eight lines - Yellowrocks?

35. NBAer Artest who changed his name to Metta World Peace : RON

40. Guy : JOE - G.I. Joe or Joe the Plumber?

41. Short remnant : STUB

42. Cagy : SLY

43. Battle of Shiloh monogram : U.S.G. - Ulysses S Grant - the "JOE" on the $50 bill; born Hiram Ulysses Grant, the "S" stands for nothing

44. Erect : PUT UP - yeah, what were you thinking....?

46. Bollywood garments : SARIs - Indian garb

50. Bedroom label : SERTA - mine now says "Sleep Number", and I have settled on "45"

52. Some brothers : FRAs - Italian monks, from the Latin 'frater', brother; my brother just celebrated his 40th B-day on Thursday - same day as Dennis

54. Having a single channel : MONO - in audio equipment

55. NYC train, familiarly : THE "A"

56. Historic events : FIRSTS

58. 16th-century date : MDL - 1550 A.D.

59. Certain tie : NO SCORE

61. "Now, listen ..." : SEE HERE

63. As good as it gets : OPTIMAL

64. All-purpose : GENERAL

65. Covent Garden locale : WEST END - another musical link

66. Fuddy-duddy : OLD FOGY

DOWN:

1. Deep sleeps : SOPORS

2. Hot under the collar : IN A PET

3. Syllables sometimes said with one's fingers in one's ears : LA-LA-LA - I can't hear you, Linda~!

4. 1940s arena: Abbr. : ETO - popular this week

5. Queen who is also a humanitarian activist : NOOR of Jordan - beautiful

6. Keepsake : TOKEN

7. Mississippi source : ITASCA - oh, so this is in Minnesota, too~!

9. Capitalizes on : USES

10. Sigur __: ethereal Icelandic band : RÓS - I gave it a listen; it's a bit wandering for me

11. "Where __ from ..." : I COME

12. Wartime signal : AIR ALERT - and another music link

13. Loyal friend of Gawain : LANCELOT - "We're knights of the round table..."

14. Alabama Slammer ingredient : SLOE GIN - amaretto, Southern Comfort, OJ, and sweet & sour - never over ICE~!

24. Words someone 15-Across loves to hear : ON ME - loved these two words

26. Hunts : PROWLS

28. Mani-pedi spot : DAY SPA - there's a Day Spa on my new training route - I have not seen any cuties in there yet

30. Rugged vehicles : UTES

33. Incredulous accusation : ET TU, Brute?

36. Stop looking for a rescue plane : LOSE HOPE

37. Recliner features : LEG RESTS

39. Start of Popeye's credo : I YAM what I yam, and tha's all what I yam

40. Seconds ago : JUST NOW

45. Turn a corner, in a game : PASS GO - Monopoly

47. The Joker portrayer : ROMERO

48. Like comic Eddie Izzard, at times : IN DRAG

49. Alone : SOLELY

51. Unspoken : TACIT

53. Symbol of strength : STEEL

56. "Happily Divorced" actress Drescher : FRAN - Drescher, also starred in This Is Spinal Tap - one of my all-time favorites

57. Cellphone button : SEND

60. Cockney abode : 'OME

62. Mag mogul : HEF - ahh, to finish up with the Playboy himself, Hugh Hefner

 


Splynter