Saturday, Nov 24th, 2012, Brad Wilber

Theme: None

Words: 72

Blocks: 30

 A very solvable and not-so-intimidating puzzle from one of our getting-to-be very regular Saturday contributors, Brad Wilber.  With the nice run of "XYZ", this is also a pangram, which we haven't had in some time on a Saturday.  4 corners of triple-stacked 7's, and one grid spanner today;

35. Garden blooms named for medieval music makers : CANTERBURY BELLS

 

Only 8 3-letter words, and not much in the way of proper nouns/names or foreign words, too, at least the ones here were 'gettable' for me~!

 OnwarD~!

 ACROSS:

1. Cup holder site : ARMREST - ah, not CONSOLE, like the center one in your car

8. Pedestrian : PROSAIC - this word always makes me think of "Prostetnic Vogon Jeltz" from "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" - dangerous poetry ~!

15. New Jersey City across from Staten Island : BAYONNE - map

16. Play that inspired Puccini : LA TOSCA

17. 19th-century literary trio : BRONTËS - some Wiki for the curious

18. Not 26-Down : UNIFIED - and 26D. Like exes : APART - uh, that's where I'm at; the latter

19. Pickett's Charge soldier : REB - The South, in the Civil War

20. Some moves, briefly : RELOs - Re-locations, as in moving house, right Dennis?

22. First family when D.C.'s earliest cherry trees were planted : TAFTS - William Howard Taft was president from 1909-1913; I was surprised it was in the 20th century

23. 1790s diplomatic powder keg : XYZ AFFAIR - Involving the newly formed US of A and France - funny, but I had ADAMS as the first family at 22A - or is that ADAMSES???

25. Chianti container : CARAFE

28. Takes off the shoulder, perhaps : TOWS - oh, could have been DF, but this is just a car needing a ride to the mechanic

29. La Paz-to-Montevideo dir. : SSE - just like I was talking about last week....

32. Expeditiously : APACE - OK, so an "A" word....

33. Miami Dolphins uniform color : AQUA - ah, not teal

34. Fluff pieces? : BOAS

38. Ship with a prophetic prow : ARGO - Jason, and his Argonauts; strange this was not clued as the new movie.  I have not seen it - I saw Skyfall, tho.

39. Mythical bowman : EROS

40. Motrin competitor : ALEVE - OTC medications

41. Oklahoma tribe : OTO - sometimes spelled OTOE

42. Barrel of laughs : RIOT

43. Flavor, in a way : SEASON

44. Highly rated court figure : JUDGE JUDY - TV ratings, that is

46. Claptrap : HOKUM - "that's a lot of ___~!"

49. Clay + straw + water + sunshine : ADOBE - excellent clue; I gave this one some extra thought, and then "A-HA~!" it was there - more here

50. Recipe meas. : TeaSPoon; see 1D.

53. Type of mining used for near-the-surface minerals : OPEN PIT

55. Sample tray sign : TAKE ONE

57. Ecstasy : RAPTURE - not ELATION

58. Walk all over : TREAD ON

59. What con men may assume : ALIASES

60. "Act I: Daily Life" play : OUR TOWN

DOWN:
 
1. 50-Across, e.g. : ABBReviation

2. Infrequent : RARE

3. Initial warning to an intruder? : MYOB - "Mind Your Own Business~!"

4. Longtime Cub Santo : RON - to you, C.C.

5. Contestant's payment : ENTRY FEE

6. Reaction to a tickle, maybe : SNEEZE - not GIGGLE, not TEE-HEE

7. Inventor hired by Westinghouse : TESLA

8. Golfer's knickers : PLUS FOURS - I just learned that the name comes from being "+4 inches below the knee", like this

9. Operated : RAN

10. Canal malady : OTITIS - the canal of the EAR, that is

11. To date : SO FAR

12. "Never gonna happen!" : "AS IF~!" - I was looking for a Wayne's World clip

13. "Johnny Mnemonic" actor : ICE-T

14. Heels : CADS

21. Like an old saw : OFT QUOTED - of course, I was thinking about DULLED, RUSTED, etc.

23. Maker of the Vortex electric pencil sharpener : X-ACTO - hobbyists' knives company

24. Off : AWAY

25. Evergreen bean : CACAO

27. Movie chameleon voiced by Johnny Depp : RANGO

29. Clog bottoms : SOLES

30. Volley : SALVO

31. Ruhr valley city : ESSEN - crossword staple; look for it on the Right/East side with its friendly "E's" and "S's"

33. Repeals : ABROGATES - nice word; I'm gonna try and use it today

34. Anchor, as a nautical rope : BELAY

36. Senate Majority Leader after Frist : REID

37. Tourist guidebook publisher : BAEDEKER - and now online~!

42. Clamor : RUMPUS - not RUCKUS

43. Legacy producer : SUBARU - nice misdirection

44. Coup group : JUNTA

45. Game with five-letter words : JOTTO - We've seen this link before; addicting

46. Traditional dance : HORA

47. Australian export : OPAL - getting to be a crossword staple

48. Foreign Legion cap : KEPI - this thingy

50. Clamor : TO-DO

51. Bamboozle : SNOW

52. School in the Quaker Consortium : PENN

54. Haranguer's fuel : IRE

56. Absorb, as costs : EAT

Splynter