Words: 68 (missing F,J,Z)
Blocks: 28
This one was a fun romp for yours truly today, as I was done well
within my personal allotted time. With the exception of one, I found
the answers dwelling deep inside my crossword cranium. Triple 9- and
10-letter triple stacks in a pinwheel grid, with some notables:
31. Ambergris source : SPERM WHALE - ambergris is essentially "poop"; a substance found in the digestive system- the Wiki
42. Relatives of penny dreadfuls : DIME NOVELS - I got the "DIME" part, and novels seemed to make sense; some interesting reading; made me think of "pulp fiction" - but I'll refrain from a movie clip
57. Instigator of '70s-'80s wars : BURGER KING
- I half expected this to be so variation of Coca-Cola or Pepsi; once
the perps filled in, I recalled the 'other' war of the same time period -
that between the answer and McDonald's. I am a BK fan myself; they
have sweet potato fries now~!
Onward~!
ACROSS:
1. Its goal is to include "all words in all languages" : WIKTIONARY - I don't usually visit this part of Wikipedia
11. Walker of the 1960s 76ers : CHET - all from the perps; not a basketball fan
15. Approaching the hour : A QUARTER TO - First line of a Blue Öyster Cult song (a quarter to 'five')
16. Bar mitzvah staple : HORA - feeling better, Lemon?
17. Retreats : RUNS SCARED
18. Without restraint : AMOK - not FREE
19. The Panthers of the Big East : PITT - from Pittsburgh
20. Bond first bought by FDR in 1941 : SERIES E - hey, I found a clip of the president pitching the idea~!
22. Heavenly approach? : STAIRWAY - No Stairway, denied~! (to Heaven, a la Led Zeppelin)
27. Open living rooms : LANAIs - why do I think this is called a "patio"?
28. Schools overseas : ECOLES - Frawnch for "school"
30. Spartan toiler : HELOT - I dug this one out from deep within my skull
35. Wiped out, with "in" : DONE
36. Texting nicety : THX - 'Thanks', and I am guilty of using it
37. Birds with colorful mates : PEAHENS - it's the male peaCOCKs (easy there) that have the plumage
39. Little break : NAP
40. Tim of "WKRP in Cincinnati" : REID
44. Dramatist Chekhov : ANTON - crossword staple, so I got it
46. Caved : GAVE IN
47. Ancient Mexican : TOLTEC - because AZTECS is more than one Mexican
49. Fertile Crescent area : NEAR EAST
53. Musical name that means "Love God" : AMADEUS - huh, well, that makes sense AMA, DEUS
55. Mid-second-century date : CLII - Roman 152; the second century was 101-200
56. Actress Rowlands : GENA - another crossword staple
62. Hydrocarbon endings : ENEs - propene, octene, etc.
63. Sign of a bad waiter : IMPATIENCE - went to a Japanese Hibachi restaurant last night - I dig the "stunt cooking" - the chef pitched broccoli florets to us to catch in our mouths
64. British side : MASH - bangers (hey now) and mash - sausage and potatoes
65. Take over : COMMANDEER
DOWN:
1. They may be found in board examinations : WARPS - HA~!!! I put in KNOTS first - carpenter's clue
2. Resigning words : I QUIT - felt like walking out at UPS today - not enough vans running for a holiday weekend
3. Kinte in "Roots" : KUNTA
4. More palatable : TASTIER
5. E-file org. : IRS
6. Nasdaq predecessor : OTC - just like the "Monday" cluing, this is Over-The-Counter finance
7. PBS benefactor : NEA
8. LAX datum : ARRival
9. They usually involve turns: Abbr. : RTEs
10. Singing cowboy's refrain : YODEL
11. Bound, in a way : CHAINED
12. Film in which Marv says, "He's only a kid, Harry. We can take him." : HOME ALONE
13. Caused by weathering : EROSIONAL
14. Act : TAKE STEPS
21. Fan sound : RAH
23. Ottawa-based enforcement gp. : RCMP - Royal Canadian Mounted Police - another Blue Öyster Cult song, also in the first line
24. Amazed : WOWED
25. Ron Reagan's first secretary of state : AL HAIG - full name, nice
26. Cat's assent : "YEAH MAN~!"
29. Record holder : SLEEVE
31. Gambit : STRATAGEM
32. Events : PHENOMENA
33. Turnoffs : EXIT LANES - good misdirection; not 'bad breath', e.g.
34. Octa- plus one : ENNEA - I study the Personality Types of the Enneagram; I know Yellowrocks does, too - I am a Five with a Four-wing
38. Liszt's "Harmonies du __" : SOIR - this was the one that was totally out of my wheelhouse
41. A, to Morse : DOT DASH
43. Unlike crews : V-NECKED - The VN--- was there, and I thought "no....oh wait~!" - we're talking T-shirts here
45. Formerly : NEE
48. __ yard : CUBIC
50. Dress with a flare : A-LINE
51. Subsequently : SINCE
52. Clemson player : TIGER
54. Sport for heavyweights : SUMO
58. Dash letters : RPM
59. Pinup highlight : GAM - can't get out without linking some GAMS, you know me~!
60. Frat vowel : ETA
61. Film dog's first name? : RIN - tin-tin, that is; not ASTA
Splynter
