Saturday, June 16, 2012

Saturday, Jun16th, 2012, Brad Wilber

Theme: None

Words: 68

Blocks: 32

 All I can say is - deceptive.  Mr. Wilber gives us a grid that seems 'middle-of-the-week" in nature, yet without too much obscurity, it still managed to beat me up pretty good - but I am a better solver for it~!  6 cheater squares, but only one "answer of expanse", the 13-letter:

36A. Junk food, to a nutritionist : EMPTY CALORIES - which I nailed - just happened to be talking about this earlier in the week with a friend; he said yogurt is not very filling

crossing -

21. Shudder-inducing nature, in modern slang : ICK FACTOR - which I got, too, because I think it's from my generation's language - though your kids might know it....

 - and now to show you where I botched this one up pretty good....

onward....

ACROSS:

1. Small big-eyed flier : ELF OWL - DAH~!! Started with OWLET(s), and then switched to ---OWL, but still had no clue such a creature existed...

7. Kids' padded recreation area : BALL PIT - Dah~! my mind was stuck on "bouncy house" so all I could come up with was PLAYPEN;  I don't think of a ball pit as a "padded" area....

14. Where to pick up leaves in bags : TEA SHOP - I had a dumpster delivered to the house to start a massive remodeling project;  I moved a bush, mowed the grass, trimmed a tree, then picked up "leaves in bags" before the truck showed; thus, I was mentally mired in clipping clean up

16. State bordering a panhandle : ALABAMA - next to Florida; I was trying to be cute with Montana next to Idaho; map

17. Fictional pilot who said, "Never tell me the odds" : HAN SOLO - Nailed it, but then again, I grew up on Star Wars - can anyone tell me the odds?  C-3PO stated it in the movie; more here

18. Offering extra traction : NON-SLIP - Not "GRIPPIER"

19. Anomalous : ODD - Anomaly, a Star Trek word

20. Tiffany glassmaking rival : LALIQUE - some very cool items; link to their collections

22. Nice time to tan? : ETE - our French fill for summer, Nice the city

23. Appliance with a timer : STOVE - not RANGE

25. Post-op stop : ICU

26. Hitherto : SO FAR

28. The toe of an Asian "boot" : OMAN - meh, I don't think of the Arabian Peninsula as "ASIAN", thus I went with something else that I knew was wrong, but....

29. Refs' judgments : TKOs - Boxing, a "Technical Knock-Out"

31. Become a patsy : BITE

32. Decorating pattern : MOTIF

34. In one's slip? : MOORED - didn't fool me, I knew we were talking boats here; just had to wait on some perps

39. More spiced-up : RACIER

40. Pet store array : CAGES

41. They're often beaten : EGGS - Tried RUGS here, at first

42. Groom's bagful : OATS

44. Classic Pontiacs : GTOs

47. Hail at the luau : ALOHA

49. Bobs, e.g. : DOs - Ugh, hair, I forgot about this 'bob' definition; stuck on "lure"

50. Ancient port on the Tiber : OSTIA

52. Part of R&D: Abbr. : DEVelopment, and it's friend Research

53. Loud and clear : CLARION - also the brand-name of my first "pull-out" car radio

56. White House spending watchdog org. : OMB - Office of Management and Budget - I say no more....

57. Concoct : DREAM UP

59. Ideal : EPITOME

61. Sincerely zealous : EARNEST

62. Studio up-and-comer : STARLET

63. Members of a ruling line : DYNASTS

64. Expressions of mockery : SNEERS

DOWN:

1. Collective sentiment : ETHOS

2. Bring on : LEAD TO

3. Blog readership, collectively : FANDOM - we're all fans here - excluding the Anons, of course

4. WWII covert org. : OSS - gaffed this with "OAS" to start

5. Stemless symbol : WHOLE NOTE - nailed it, but then again, I write my own music, so I knew this; I am betting that JazzB does, too~!

6. "Dress cut down to there" wearer of song : LOLA - I have to say, I despise this song, so someone else can link it

7. Fleance's father : BANQUO - I had no clue; the "-UO" slowed me down; Macbeth

8. Either of the first two runners-up to Rose for the 1968 N.L. batting title : ALOU - when in doubt, go with the crossword favorite "A-L-O-U"

9. They run between shoulders : LANES - nailed it, but then it screwed up my "Montana"

10. Birth announcement abbr. : Lbs - UGH~!! I missed this one, and now I feel dumb; how much did you weigh~??? I was 9lb4oz

11. What the "arrant thief" of a moon "snatches from the sun," in Shakespeare's "Timon of Athens" : PALE FIRE - not the first thing that comes up on Google; this play is considered "obscure"; imagine a body of work so great that future scholars would classify some of your work as "obscure"....

12. Uses as a model : IMITATES - I had SKETCHES first, did not help me at all

13. Like chopsticks : TAPERED - I was so locked into "PAIRED" that I could not 'grasp' this answer at all

15. Prudent : POLITIC - so why aren't "politicians" as such~????

24. Not very innocent-looking : VAMPISH

27. "The Rite of Spring" quartet : OBOISTS

30. Unpleasant blanket : SMOG - Well, some of you might think SnOw is an unpleasant blanket; I for one would take snow over summer every time ~!

33. First-timer : TYRO

35. Portland daily, with "The" : OREGONIAN - makes sense when you consider the city of Portland, Oregon

36. Winged undersea mollusk hunter : EAGLE RAY

37. Loser in a '70s landslide : McGOVERN - no clue; I was that 9lb lad in 1972; fascinating for me when I learn things that took place in my lifetime, and how it might affect me now....

38. "Brigadoon" extras : LASSIES - I have heard of this, but this is the first time I looked into it;  sounds like it might be a fun movie

39. Checked, as a check : RE-ADDED - could not parse this one

43. Isn't too rigid : ADAPTS

45. 2002 Honorary Award Oscar recipient : O'TOOLE - the Wiki

46. Soup recipe directive : SIMMER - not STIR IN

48. Culminations : ACMES

51. Supports in skullduggery : ABETS

54. "Curiosity is the __ of the mind": Hobbes : LUST

55. Stops vacillating : OPTS

58. Archivist's suffix : ANA - this reminds me of a Dungeons & Dragons text called "Unearthed Arcana" - I still have it, and my "Dungeonmaster's Guide" - say what you will....

60. Cuba's "Boyz n the Hood" role : TRE - nailed it, great movie

I see you peeking ~!



Splynter

No comments:

Post a Comment