Saturday, July 28, 2012

Theme: None

Words: 70

Blocks: 30

   A fun solve today from Julian Lim - oh, "F" - just shy of a pangram for a Saturday ( I see OMAN, LEG OF and FESS as a way to squeeze it in; my grid here ).  Triple stacks of 9- and 10-letters in a pinwheel fashion, plus two more 9's, including;

20A. Line from one with no match : "GOT A LIGHT?" - Reminds me of two funny things; the first is when someone asks to bum a cigarette, and asks "got a light?" too - the response is "would you like me to smoke it for you?" - and the other you'll have to email me for....

other notables;

1A. Great Basin locale : WESTERN U.S. - Image

12D. Bad copying : PLAGIARISM - great fill

27. The Fab Five of '80s rock : DURAN DURAN - one of my favorites from these guys (4:23)

63A. Shower needs : UMBRELLAS - I like umbrellas in art, like this, and this 

Onward ~!

ACROSS:

10. Shock : APPAL - yep, it's "55A." - from the French to turn pale

15. Angry Birds, originally : iPHONE APP

16. 1972 missile pact : SALT I - had this last week, too, but without the Roman numeral

17. Excoriates : TEARS INTO - my boss at UPS has not had to "excoriate" me in a while....

18. Hospitality giant : HYATT

19. Comic introduction? : SERIO - serio-comic, having a mixture of seriousness and sport

22. Ruminant's chew : CUD - I knew what ruminant meant

24. Like peons : MENIAL

25. Drop (off) : NOD

28. Intercalary event : LEAP DAY - did you make use of your Leap Second a few weeks back?

32. Used (up) : ATE

33. Burden : ONUS

35. Pollo partner : ARROZ - Chicken and Rice, no???

36. Misguesses, e.g. : ERRS - and then you get excoriated

37. Dean's "Lois & Clark" co-star : TERI



38. Lorna of literature : DOONE

39. Vaccine holder : VIAL

40. Kodak film brand : T-MAX - ah, yes, B&W film - took photography in high school; would have been much better with a decent camera

41. Like many a superhero : CAPED - see above for details

42. Barker in early Hollywood : ASTA - D'oh~!  barker, as in "to bark"; stuck on Bob Barker, Ma Barker, Clive Barker....more on the dog, here

43. Solo in space : HAN - meet Han Solo, Star Wars

44. Where a belt is almost always required to be worn : CAR SEAT

46. Dues payer: Abbr. : MEMber

47. Final purpose : END-ALL

49. Atlantic City resort, with "The" : TAJ - the Taj Mahal, Donald Trump.

51. 2010 Grammy winner for "Just the Way You Are" : BRUNO MARS - not familiar to me

55. Not shady : LEGIT

59. Continental circulators : EUROS

60. RealPlayer alternative : QUICKTIME - Sorry, I'm a PC

62. Playwright Bernard who created "The Partridge Family" : SLADE

64. Article of faith : TENET

65. Descendants of ancient Mesopotamians : ASSYRIANS - good bottom edge fill with 3 "S's", a "Y", an "R", and an "N"

DOWN:

1. Cards : WITS

2. Event with an attack called a flèche : ÉPÉE - I thought this was the weapon, not the event, but def. #2 says it's also 55A.

3. __-Pei : SHAR - Awww - wrinkly image

4. Like Cheerios : TORIC - its donut-shape, the torus. 

5. Fill with spirit : ENSOUL - meh, what can you do....

6. Portuguese royal : REI - we just has this recently, too - king in Portuguese, Rey in Spanish

7. Vietnam's Da __ : NANG - I remember this from the show Magnum, P.I.

8. Plotting : UP TO - hey, what are you up to over there....?

9. Lend, as a fin : SPOT - a fin is a $5 bill

10. "High School Musical" actress Tisdale : ASHLEY

11. Add, as to one's IRA : PAY IN

13. If things continue as they're going : AT THAT RATE - I had 'at THIS rate' to start

14. Bridge coup : LITTLE SLAM - Don't play bridge, but I am familiar with some terms, so I filled in SLAM and waited

21. Floored by : AMAZED AT

23. Sailor's concern : DEAD CALM - no wind, the doldrums, like in Rime of the Ancient Mariner

25. Somewhat lacking : NOT THE BEST

26. Despotism : ONE-MAN RULE

29. Like bowls, at times : AROAR - ah, as in the Superbowl, with the fans a-roar

30. Respect, in slang : PROPS - I have heard this

31. Foundation, perhaps : DONEE - like the Lustgarten,   not the concrete one

34. Pack count : SIX

36. Stowe girl : EVA

44. Hanging site : CLOSET - great clue/answer

45. One who runs on : TALKER - I had "SUNNY" for LEGIT, so I had GASSER here

48. Jumping connection : ANODE - Car jumping, that is

50. "The Expendables" (2010) co-star : JET LI - and now there's the sequel, out next month

52. __-Lung : AQUA - diving, here; in music, a Jethro Tull album - not a fan; even less so for getting a Grammy for "Metal" - IMHO

53. Zombie bases : RUMS - ah, the drink, here - Tin, a shout out at sunset? Do one for me, I am off the sauce these days....

54. Sasha and Malia, e.g. : SIBlingS - the daughters of our president - I linked their pic last week

56. River through Yuma County : GILA

57. Model married to David Bowie : IMAN

58. Hardy woman : TESS

61. Call out : CRY

Splynter