Saturday, January 2, 2021, Craig Stowe

 Themeless Saturday by Craig Stowe

Another Canadian drops in for the first Saturday puzzle of what will hopefully be a much better year!

Previous remarks from Craig: 

As always, thanks to Rich et al. for accepting my work and improving on it. I am always amazed when a puzzle is published. 

I've posted a bit about myself before but in case you missed it... I was born and raised in a small town in Newfoundland, Canada (you'll find two Newfoundland references in Craig's puzzle) but have lived in Toronto, Ontario since 2000 (you are all welcome to visit anytime; shout out to all my Canadian neighbours!) I work as a kitchen porter in a rather large hotel, which is even less exciting than it sounds. I solve and construct crosswords in my spare time. 

Cheers!

Across:

1. Payments to some volunteers: HONORARIA - I've given lots of free NASA presentations. HONORARIA? Uh, no, unless you count stale pastries and coffee.

10. Band wind instruments: JUGS - Briscoe Darling always played one on The Andy Griffin Show

14. "Is everything resolved now?": ARE WE GOOD?

15. Peel out, maybe: GUN IT.

16. 1994 Chuck Norris movie: HELLBOUND.

17. Pope's "An __ on Criticism": ESSAY - The manuscript as sent to the printer in 1711 along with notes to the printer

18. Apiece, in scores: ALL - 74 ALL. Looks like OT!

19. Art Deco icon: ERTE, 35. Eastern nurse: AMAH and 55. Grandson of Abraham: ESAU three cwd stalwarts

20. Reconcile: ATTUNE 

21. Entertainer with a desk: CLASS CLOWN 

23. Spectrum: SCALE - The visible spectrum of radiation is on a scale from about 400 nanometers to 700 nanometers

25. Neologism: COINAGE - A neologism is literally a new word or phrase that is coined. Our constructor Chuck Deodene is also a reader for the Oxford English Dictionary and is always on the lookout for these.

27. Megan of "The Blacklist": BOONE.

28. Robert __, unsuccessful 1987 Supreme Court nominee: BORK - His treatment by the senate became a neologism in 1982 

29. Poet's preposition: THRO - I hath ne'er slept THRO an alarm

31. Without delay: RAPIDLY.

33. Drop: DESCEND - They DESCEND the same in the vacuum of the Moon

36. Pac-12 team since 2011: UTES - On March 3rd of this year, the UTE Indian tribe signed an agreement to let Utah University continue to use UTE as a mascot

38. "Me __!": THREE.

39. Tools used on the way up: ICE AXES - This autographed replica of Sir Edmund Hilary's ICE AXE he used to summit Everest can be yours for $5,000. When Sir Edmund was signing these, I'm sure someone said 42. "Just one more": ALMOST DONE.

41. Island birthplace of Pythagoras: SAMOS - 14 hrs via ferry and an hour by plane from Athens

44. Poor: SUBPAR - My golf game is SUBPAR because I can't shoot SUBPAR scores

46. Jazz phrase: RIFF - $8 at Amazon

47. Electrify: ZAP.

50. Sanctions: OKAYS - Sanctions is a contronym

51. Small driers, to Brits: TEA TOWELS.

53. "Jay __ Garage": Emmy-winning reality show: LENOS.

54. Reveres: VENERATES - Jay VENERATES cars

56. Refuse to budge: STAND FAST - General McAuliffe told the Germans this when they demanded he surrender at Bastogne during the Battle Of The Bulge

  

Down:

1. "Funny not funny": HA HA - Sarcasm 101

2. Russian city: OREL (Oryo) - Just a nice drive SSW of Moscow on the M-2 and E-105

3. Dudley Do-Right's love: NELL - Can you pick her out?

4. Symbol of Athena: OWL - Athena and Glaukopis

5. Rose up: REBELLED.

6. Hellenic gathering places: AGORAE - Ruins of ancient AGORAE can be found on Samos

7. Creams: ROUTS - The Nationals did Cream/ROUT the Mets in this game

8. "Rhinoceros" playwright: IONESCO - Bio of Eugène Ionesco

9. Cookbook directive: ADD.

10. "Pay attention and see how it's done": JUST WATCH ME - "Final words for some"

11. One who didn't get what they deserved: UNSUNG HERO - Every Doctor, EMT, Nurse and first responder!

12. 17th-century sculptor Bernini: GIAN - GIAN Bernini's design of St. Peter's Square includes Doric columns that represent the embrace of the Mother Church

13. Ocular woe: STYE.

15. Board: GET ON.

20. Matching in many ways: ALIKE -  This animal and the background look so much ALIKE it is hard to pick him out (*answer at bottom of write-up)

21. Offer to a customer: CAN I HELP YOU? Jack Benny could never shake this guy

22. Wood lots: CORDS.

23. "Same here": SO AM I.

24. Manilow hit featuring Tony and Lola: COPACABANA - Live on GMA

26. White-tailed fliers: ERNES.

27. Hood accessory: BRA - A GAT is an accessory for the wrong kind of hood. This BRA is what I had for the hood on my Mazda Miata.

28. Units usually prefixed: BYTES.

30. Poetic tribute: ODE.

32. Vegas hotel that once had a King Tut's Tomb replica: LUXOR - It is said that the light at the top of LUXOR's pyramid can be seen by pilots 30o miles from Vegas.

34. Home of the Cardinal: STANFORD - In 1971 STANFORD abandoned its Indian mascot for the Cardinal

37. Where the Boss' band once rehearsed: E-STREET E-Street runs northeast through the New Jersey shore town of Belmar. According to Springsteenlore, the band took its name from the street because original keyboard player David Sancious's mother lived there and allowed the band to rehearse in her house.

40. Corral: AMASS - Politicians have just finished the season of trying to (insert appropriate verb) votes

41. Give in a bit: SOFTEN.

43. Mythical hunter: DIANA - ORION gives way to a lady hunter 

44. Exclusive: SOLE.

45. Bari __: low-pitched strings: UKES - A portmanteau of baritone and ukelele 

47. Sixth of 24: ZETA - A group of 24 makes you think Greek alphabet

48. Porters, e.g.: ALES.

49. Sibilant "Hey!": PSST - Sibilant means hissing so...

51. Sharp offerings: TVS - Sharp's first color TV in 1960

52. Post-WWII feminine flier: WAF - WAF is in the small print but it is a "keen" sign!

*A wolf is peeking around a tree just to the left of the center of the picture.