Words: 72 (missing J,Q)
Blocks: 32
There are three
reactions during the solve of a crossword, I believe; 1), the "I know
this" and you fill in with confidence; 2), there comes an answer and you go "oh, I get it, that's
pretty clever";
and 3), when the V-8 can comes
sailing across the room and you think "D'oh, I shoulda known that~!" Mr. Silk's offerings are like this for me most of the
time, but today I had a fourth emotion - one of those rare,
"Rrrr", teeth-gritting moments; see below. Challenging triple 10-letter
stacks in the four pinwheels, and two 12-letter climbers:
5D. 69-Across preservation technique : FREEZE DRYING - 69-Across being "rose petals", and it's getting close to Valentine's Day, guys - personally, I have no one to cater to ;(
21d. 1982 James Bamford book about the NSA, with "The" : PUZZLE PALACE - more here, for those curious
onward~!
ACROSS:
1. "Giant" novelist : EDNA FERBER - Once I did a 'Down' pass, there were enough letters to figure this one out; falls into the #1 category
11. Sweeping : EPIC - I started with "WIDE", which slowed me down in the NE corner for too long; falls in to category #2
15. 1971 Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year : LEE TREVINO - again, enough Down fill to get this one
16. MillerCoors brand : ZIMA - the "Clear Beer" that was the big thing just as I turned 21, but alas, has gone away
17. Where one can swing close to home? : BATTER'S BOX - nailed it (that's a #1 response), and I am sure C.C. did, too
11. Sweeping : EPIC - I started with "WIDE", which slowed me down in the NE corner for too long; falls in to category #2
15. 1971 Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year : LEE TREVINO - again, enough Down fill to get this one
16. MillerCoors brand : ZIMA - the "Clear Beer" that was the big thing just as I turned 21, but alas, has gone away
17. Where one can swing close to home? : BATTER'S BOX - nailed it (that's a #1 response), and I am sure C.C. did, too
18. Jaws : RAPS - GABS, YAKS, etc
19. Pitcher of milk? : ELSIE - the spokes-cow who 'pitches' milk in ads
20. Fall preceder : SLIP - started with "TRIP"
22. Japanese drama : NOH - Part of me wanted "OKE", from our earlier-in-the-week discussion
23. Kingpin : CZAR
26. Email program named for a writer : EUDORA - never heard of this software, or the author
28. Union fighter: Abbr. : CSA - REB? or CSA? - I went with the former, of course - that's a #2 in my book - reference to the Confederate States of America
31. Cheese shop offerings : EDAMS - went with "CUBES" first, thinking about samples
34. Peels : ZESTS - PARES, the verb, RINDS, the noun? ARGHHH~!
35. With it : HEP - Filled in hIp, which was good enough to start
36. Daughter of Jacob and Leah : DINAH - not up on my Bible lineage, so I went with SARAH, and that was - D-otto, check me - 40% correct
37. Letters from Greece : ZETAs - could only be this, "Betas", or "iotas"
38. 1940s command: Abbr. : ETO - we've seen this once this week
39. Traditional Amish toy : RAG DOLL
41. Together : ONE - clever; technically, two = one
42. Evaluate : ASSAY
44. Do away with : ERASE - Had TrasH to start; 60% right
45. 10, at times: Abbr. : OCT - the 10(th) month
46. Eponymous German bacteriologist : PETRI - ah, and his dishes were popular, too
47. Pass a second time, in a race : RE-LAP
48. French article : LES - I put in DES to start
49. Overthrow target : TYRANT - For some reason, I had the image of a Quarterback's spiral in my head, so I was trying to fit "HAIL MARY" here
51. Lee of Marvel Comics : STAN
53. Flying Cloud, e.g. : REO
54. Proceeds : GATE - The noun, in this case, or money collected
57. Ruy __: chess opening : LOPEZ - this falls in to the #1 category, since I learned this from doing crosswords - and it was on a Saturday, no less; a clip for the chess player
35. With it : HEP - Filled in hIp, which was good enough to start
36. Daughter of Jacob and Leah : DINAH - not up on my Bible lineage, so I went with SARAH, and that was - D-otto, check me - 40% correct
37. Letters from Greece : ZETAs - could only be this, "Betas", or "iotas"
38. 1940s command: Abbr. : ETO - we've seen this once this week
39. Traditional Amish toy : RAG DOLL
41. Together : ONE - clever; technically, two = one
42. Evaluate : ASSAY
44. Do away with : ERASE - Had TrasH to start; 60% right
45. 10, at times: Abbr. : OCT - the 10(th) month
46. Eponymous German bacteriologist : PETRI - ah, and his dishes were popular, too
47. Pass a second time, in a race : RE-LAP
48. French article : LES - I put in DES to start
49. Overthrow target : TYRANT - For some reason, I had the image of a Quarterback's spiral in my head, so I was trying to fit "HAIL MARY" here
51. Lee of Marvel Comics : STAN
53. Flying Cloud, e.g. : REO
54. Proceeds : GATE - The noun, in this case, or money collected
57. Ruy __: chess opening : LOPEZ - this falls in to the #1 category, since I learned this from doing crosswords - and it was on a Saturday, no less; a clip for the chess player
61. Car trip game : I SPY - with my little eye, something beginning with "M"
63. Tanks : TAKES A DIVE
66. Pacific salmon : COHO - remembered this from the salmon puzzle we had recently
67. Compound used in photographic film production : ACETIC ACID
68. Was onto : KNEW
69. Florist's decorative supply : ROSE PETALS
DOWN:
1. Dresden's river : ELBE
2. Pass out : DEAL - ah, that kind of "pass out" - I used to do a LOT of the other kind
3. Brooklyn team : NETS - Basketball, and the local NBA team for me, which I don't follow; interferes with hockey, tho not as much this year.
4. Top story : ATTIC - DAH~! Gets me every time~! The top story of a building, not the newscast
6. Election end? : EER - ElectionEER, such as a campaign manager
7. Campground array : RVs - Recreational Vehicles
8. Chest protectors : BIBS - I put in RIBS, and then "EDNA" fixed that
9. Hydroxyl compound : ENOL - such as THIS one, (neat~!, please~!) which often leads to 2d.
10. "Chicago" song : ROXIE - I was thinking of the "wrong" Chicago (the 70's band, not the musical)
11. Book before Neh. : EZR - ARGHHH~! Here's that fourth response - The book is EZRA, and I had to Google it; dropping the last "A" makes me grit my teeth on this one - and I worked out an alternative solution in this corner to avoid the crummy abbr. - SLR, which is a camera, SPIC, as in SPIC N Span, Lima and not Zima - done~!
12. Bench alternative : PIANO STOOL - Clearly a #3 moment for me, as I was thinking cars, and therefore BUCKET SEAT. Here's some piano funny
13. Weight : IMPORTANCE - I had ---NCE at the end, and pondered putting in OUNCE to see if that would lead me somewhere
14. Liquid holdings : CASH ASSETS
24. Song on Sarah McLachlan's "Surfacing" album : ADIA
25. Park __ : RANGER - oh, duh - I couldn't see this on the first pass. Um, that's a #3
27. Two-point Scrabble tile : DEE - the only other 2pt tile is "GEE", which worked, too
28. "The Flame" band : CHEAP TRICK
29. Observes : SETS EYES ON
30. Sign of possession : APOSTROPHE - very clever, - a #2 in my book - Splynter's, e.g.
32. Sierra __ : MADRE - OK, I put in LEONE to start - also #2
33. Isles of __: Gulf of Maine locale : SHOALS - A WAG after 83% perps
40. Quarterly half-day exam : LSAT - Saturday cluing for the test for Law School - if you're interested in taking the test, here's the schedule
43. Constellation next to Scorpius : ARA
50. Volga region native : TATAR - The Wiki - I once had a cute pen-pal in Kazan
52. Acknowledge silently : NOD AT
55. Bell or shell lead-in : TACO - Taco Bell, taco shell, nice
56. Squeezes (out) : EKES
58. Type size : PICA
59. Source of harm : EVIL
60. Letters from Lancaster : ZEDs
62. "Ouch!" : YOW
64. Festival d'__ de Québec: annual music event : ETE - Saturday cluing for "Summer in Somme"
65. Taste : SIP
63. Tanks : TAKES A DIVE
66. Pacific salmon : COHO - remembered this from the salmon puzzle we had recently
67. Compound used in photographic film production : ACETIC ACID
68. Was onto : KNEW
69. Florist's decorative supply : ROSE PETALS
DOWN:
1. Dresden's river : ELBE
2. Pass out : DEAL - ah, that kind of "pass out" - I used to do a LOT of the other kind
3. Brooklyn team : NETS - Basketball, and the local NBA team for me, which I don't follow; interferes with hockey, tho not as much this year.
4. Top story : ATTIC - DAH~! Gets me every time~! The top story of a building, not the newscast
6. Election end? : EER - ElectionEER, such as a campaign manager
7. Campground array : RVs - Recreational Vehicles
8. Chest protectors : BIBS - I put in RIBS, and then "EDNA" fixed that
9. Hydroxyl compound : ENOL - such as THIS one, (neat~!, please~!) which often leads to 2d.
10. "Chicago" song : ROXIE - I was thinking of the "wrong" Chicago (the 70's band, not the musical)
11. Book before Neh. : EZR - ARGHHH~! Here's that fourth response - The book is EZRA, and I had to Google it; dropping the last "A" makes me grit my teeth on this one - and I worked out an alternative solution in this corner to avoid the crummy abbr. - SLR, which is a camera, SPIC, as in SPIC N Span, Lima and not Zima - done~!
12. Bench alternative : PIANO STOOL - Clearly a #3 moment for me, as I was thinking cars, and therefore BUCKET SEAT. Here's some piano funny
14. Liquid holdings : CASH ASSETS
24. Song on Sarah McLachlan's "Surfacing" album : ADIA
25. Park __ : RANGER - oh, duh - I couldn't see this on the first pass. Um, that's a #3
27. Two-point Scrabble tile : DEE - the only other 2pt tile is "GEE", which worked, too
28. "The Flame" band : CHEAP TRICK
29. Observes : SETS EYES ON
30. Sign of possession : APOSTROPHE - very clever, - a #2 in my book - Splynter's, e.g.
32. Sierra __ : MADRE - OK, I put in LEONE to start - also #2
33. Isles of __: Gulf of Maine locale : SHOALS - A WAG after 83% perps
40. Quarterly half-day exam : LSAT - Saturday cluing for the test for Law School - if you're interested in taking the test, here's the schedule
43. Constellation next to Scorpius : ARA
55. Bell or shell lead-in : TACO - Taco Bell, taco shell, nice
56. Squeezes (out) : EKES
58. Type size : PICA
59. Source of harm : EVIL
60. Letters from Lancaster : ZEDs
62. "Ouch!" : YOW
64. Festival d'__ de Québec: annual music event : ETE - Saturday cluing for "Summer in Somme"
65. Taste : SIP
Splynter
