Theme: None
Words: 72 (missing J,X)
Blocks: 27
Ouch. Not a good way to start this year's Saturday puzzling. I had a
nearly blank grid after the first Across and Down passes, with "MOET"
and BIC" my only fills; then I tried a few WAGs, and the bottom started
to fill in. Worked my way up the sides, where MAESTRO got me into the
NE, but 24d. was a total blank - and so on came the red letters, and I
have to call Fun SPONGE on too many answers - even ones I got ( I am
looking at you, 55a.). Argh~! - yet ironic that I finished within my
personal time. Oh - and one Google cheat - might as well own up to a
complete crash and burn....Near perfect symmetry in the grid spoiled by
fill that carried a cringe factor (*) too high. Nothing longer than 8
letters;
2*. "100% juice smoothie" brand : ODWALLA - not a chance in millions was I getting this - California west coast thing, I guess
2*. "100% juice smoothie" brand : ODWALLA - not a chance in millions was I getting this - California west coast thing, I guess
14. Investor's concern, familiarly : P/E RATIO - thought it was "----TAX" at first
39. Club attention-getter : PERFUME - ah that kind of club - there was once a fragrance named "Escape" that made me swoon; it's not the scent or the liquor that gets my attention now....
43. CIA nickname : LANGLEY - Just finished "The Broker", John Grisham, featuring his CIA director Teddy Maynard, who's home base was frequently referred to as "Langley"
(redacted)
ACROSS:
1. "Easy!" : "NO SWEAT~!"
8. Scary high : BAD TRIP
15. Facebook co-founder Saverin : EDUARDO - my Google cheat; I am not on Facebook, and don't "tweet" either
16. Come by : ACQUIRE
17*. Soccer blunder : OWN GOAL - my dad would be so upset - he lived for soccer, and I never heard this phrase before
18. Arabian matchmaker : BREEDER - argh~! Horse talk
19. Site of many '60s tours : 'NAM - ah, not a musical tour, as I was thinking
20. Spread out : SPLAYED - dah~! Not ARRayed
22. MPG-estimating org. : EPA - I pondered this, and left it blank
23. Kiddie lit count : OLAF - not in my 'ute' - the Wiki
25. Provisions : TERMS
26. Eponymous 18th-century wine trader Claude : MOËT
27. Story featuring Paris : ILIAD - ah, the character, not the city
29. Govt. agency with domestic field divisions in 15 states : DEA - perps left me with D - A
30. Pacific island overrun by wild chickens : KAUA'I - I figured it was Hawaiian, but LANA'I was all I could think of
31. Original "SNL" cast member : RADNER - Gilda - got it once I had the --D--R
33. Godfather cocktail ingredient : AMARETTO - never had one; my first attempt had "----MIX"
35. Lump : GLOB - dah~! Not Blob
37. Wally who played himself in the "Taxi" episode "Latka's Cookies" : AMOS - never watched, but I can see the "Famous Amos" connection
38. Wine drink : SPRITZER
42. Forest weapon : ANTLER
46. Social group : PEERS - I tried CASTE
47. Wite-Out maker : BIC
49. Do away with : ERASE - hesitated on the first pass with this inkling
50. __ health : ORAL - I take good care of my teeth, but my gum is starting to bother me between my last two molars
51. Inexpensive vodka : POPOV - vodka was never my drink, so I pondered STOLI - 12 year anniversary tomorrow
53. Currently playing : ON TV
54. Draft letters : NFL - argh~! football sports draft
55*. Acid test supply : pH PAPER - I filled this in and said "no way"
57. "Wow!" : "GEE~!"
58. Colorful holiday candy : GUMDROP
60. First name in dognapping : CRUELLA - 101 Dalmatians
62. Stem (from) : EMANATE
63. Get gray gracefully : AGE WELL
64. Old Roman adviser : SENATOR
65. Early arrivals : RED-EYES
DOWN:
1*. "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" genre : NEO-NOIR - got the NOIR from perps, but nothing made any sense
3. Raisin brand : SUN-MAID - ah, this company I know of
4. Reaction to a treat, maybe : WAG - oops, not "ARF"
5. Lover of Psyche : EROS
6. One way to cope : ADAPT
7. Sounded : TOLLED - I had ---LED; Called, Yelled~?
8. 2008 Poehler/Fey comedy : BABY MAMA
9. Real estate measures : ACRES - clecho with; 21d. Real estate measure : AREA - one outdoor, one indoor
10. Removed for a rules violation, briefly : DQ'ed - my online search pulled up dq'd, no "E" - short for disqualified
11. Day of the wk. : TUEsday - blank, I had a one-in-seven shot; give me a "U" and....
12. Weather : RIDE OUT - the verb, not the noun
13. Emphatic words : "I REPEAT"
24*. Obsessive young devotee : FAN GIRL - ugh. Never heard the term - but it was a movie from last year
26. Baton holder : MAESTRO
28. Benching targets, briefly : DELTS
30. Greenland currency : KRONE
32. Waitress in the comic strip "Shoe" : ROZ
34. Doctors' org. : AMA - oooh~! A gimme~!
36. Certain jazzman : BE-BOPPER
38. They hold water : SPONGES - FUN Sponges do not
40. Quiche shunner, in an '80s best-seller : REAL MAN - ah, did not know it was a book - the Wiki
41. Longtime morning host : RIPA - made me take out STOLI
44. One-named "American Boy" singer : ESTELLE - almost all perps
45. Lets out : REVEALS
48. Wheels of justice? : COP CAR - har-har
51. A filter may be used to produce it : PHOTO
52. Edge : VERGE
55. Start to fall? : PRAT
56. Regretted : RUED
59. Some trial evidence : DNA
61. Rebus animal : EWE
8. Scary high : BAD TRIP
15. Facebook co-founder Saverin : EDUARDO - my Google cheat; I am not on Facebook, and don't "tweet" either
16. Come by : ACQUIRE
17*. Soccer blunder : OWN GOAL - my dad would be so upset - he lived for soccer, and I never heard this phrase before
18. Arabian matchmaker : BREEDER - argh~! Horse talk
19. Site of many '60s tours : 'NAM - ah, not a musical tour, as I was thinking
20. Spread out : SPLAYED - dah~! Not ARRayed
22. MPG-estimating org. : EPA - I pondered this, and left it blank
23. Kiddie lit count : OLAF - not in my 'ute' - the Wiki
25. Provisions : TERMS
26. Eponymous 18th-century wine trader Claude : MOËT
29. Govt. agency with domestic field divisions in 15 states : DEA - perps left me with D - A
30. Pacific island overrun by wild chickens : KAUA'I - I figured it was Hawaiian, but LANA'I was all I could think of
33. Godfather cocktail ingredient : AMARETTO - never had one; my first attempt had "----MIX"
35. Lump : GLOB - dah~! Not Blob
37. Wally who played himself in the "Taxi" episode "Latka's Cookies" : AMOS - never watched, but I can see the "Famous Amos" connection
38. Wine drink : SPRITZER
42. Forest weapon : ANTLER
46. Social group : PEERS - I tried CASTE
47. Wite-Out maker : BIC
49. Do away with : ERASE - hesitated on the first pass with this inkling
50. __ health : ORAL - I take good care of my teeth, but my gum is starting to bother me between my last two molars
51. Inexpensive vodka : POPOV - vodka was never my drink, so I pondered STOLI - 12 year anniversary tomorrow
53. Currently playing : ON TV
54. Draft letters : NFL - argh~! football sports draft
55*. Acid test supply : pH PAPER - I filled this in and said "no way"
57. "Wow!" : "GEE~!"
58. Colorful holiday candy : GUMDROP
62. Stem (from) : EMANATE
63. Get gray gracefully : AGE WELL
64. Old Roman adviser : SENATOR
65. Early arrivals : RED-EYES
DOWN:
1*. "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" genre : NEO-NOIR - got the NOIR from perps, but nothing made any sense
3. Raisin brand : SUN-MAID - ah, this company I know of
4. Reaction to a treat, maybe : WAG - oops, not "ARF"
5. Lover of Psyche : EROS
6. One way to cope : ADAPT
7. Sounded : TOLLED - I had ---LED; Called, Yelled~?
8. 2008 Poehler/Fey comedy : BABY MAMA
9. Real estate measures : ACRES - clecho with; 21d. Real estate measure : AREA - one outdoor, one indoor
10. Removed for a rules violation, briefly : DQ'ed - my online search pulled up dq'd, no "E" - short for disqualified
11. Day of the wk. : TUEsday - blank, I had a one-in-seven shot; give me a "U" and....
12. Weather : RIDE OUT - the verb, not the noun
13. Emphatic words : "I REPEAT"
24*. Obsessive young devotee : FAN GIRL - ugh. Never heard the term - but it was a movie from last year
26. Baton holder : MAESTRO
WTF~?
30. Greenland currency : KRONE
32. Waitress in the comic strip "Shoe" : ROZ
36. Certain jazzman : BE-BOPPER
38. They hold water : SPONGES - FUN Sponges do not
40. Quiche shunner, in an '80s best-seller : REAL MAN - ah, did not know it was a book - the Wiki
41. Longtime morning host : RIPA - made me take out STOLI
44. One-named "American Boy" singer : ESTELLE - almost all perps
45. Lets out : REVEALS
48. Wheels of justice? : COP CAR - har-har
51. A filter may be used to produce it : PHOTO
52. Edge : VERGE
55. Start to fall? : PRAT
56. Regretted : RUED
59. Some trial evidence : DNA
61. Rebus animal : EWE
Splynter
