Saturday, May 4, 2013

Saturday, May 4th, 2013 Frederick J. Healy

Theme: None

Words: 72 (missing B,F,J,Q)

Blocks: 29

  Cool looking grid with a couple of "arrows" shooting out from the center, but alas, I was not on the mark today - SE corner had a few unknowns for me, and so I had to resort to red-letter assistance.  This is the fourth LAT Saturday for Mr. Healy, and the first one for me.  Triple stacks of 10's in the corners, even pairs of triple stacked 7's down the sides.  Some that I thought worth mentioning;

15A. Without a firm grip on reality : IN LA-LA LAND - why, I do believe our Linda can be regularly found here ~!!!

14D. Picked up at a cocktail party? : SPEARED - those little hot dogs in a bun/pigs in a blanket, and a toothpick; for those who were curious, I can be picked up at cocktail party, too~!!! (I'm the one not drinking)


59. Pub diversion : TRIVIA GAME - I was thinking DARTS, BILLIARDS, etc.  Back in my drinking days, I would sit with a beer and a game console and play for hours

38. Gulf of Finland republic : ESTONIA - map


oNwArD~!~!

ACROSS:

1. No ordinary joe? : MOCHA LATTE

11. Fabergé egg decor : GEMS




16. Slightly off : ALOP - our "A" word for the day....

17. Mad about : REALLY INTO - got it right the first time

18. "Handwriting on the wall" word : MENE - new to me; more here

19. Pre-date stop-off, maybe : ATM - well, I did try FTD to start; the middle "T" stayed

20. Poet whose muse was Maud Gonne : YEATS

21. Rodeo catcher : RIATA - oops, not LASSO

22. Reneges, with "out" : COPS - oops, not OPTS or NODS

24. Bloemfontein's country: Abbr. : RSA

25. Coot : GEEZER - I like Terry "Geezer" Butler, bass player/song writer for Black Sabbath; here's a clip of him with Ozzy and Slash on guitar

26. Garden bulbs : LEEKS

28. Fits behind the wheel? : ROAD RAGE - the --ADR--- was there, and I tried HEAD ROOM; seemed to make sense to me; we're looking for the temper tantrum kind of "fit"

30. Terrier on "Frasier" : EDDIE - took me a minute to remember

31. Hardly a Brown cheer? : AAUGH - this refers to Charlie Brown, and Peanuts, which I don't read, watch or care for




32. Hot __ : ROD

33. Nearly extinct island language : MANX - Isle of Man; more here

35. New Mexico county or its seat : TAOS

37. Word in a manual size description : YEA - it was about "yea big"

40. River valley silt : LOESS

42. Register button : TOTAL - this just wouldn't come to me

46. "No kidding!" : "IS THAT SO?"

48. Avalanche : SPATE

49. Odorless gas : ETHANE - aren't they all?  That 'odor' is added to propane and natural gas for safety reasons

50. Oscar winner Lee : ANG - filmmaker; I was just thinking I have never actually seen "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon"

53. Málaga title: Abbr. : SRTA

54. "Paint Your Wagon" composer : LOEWE

55. "Things fall __; the centre cannot hold": 20-Across : APART

57. Squat : ZIP - this gave me fits, too - SIT, no, NIL, no....

58. Genetic lab samples : DNAs - Dah~! I started with RNAs, and messed up my 37D.

61. Run out of steam : TIRE

62. Queen Mary, e.g. : OCEAN LINER

63. Stable diet : OATS

64. Top-notch : WORLD CLASS - great fill

DOWN:

1. Wonder : MIRACLE

2. Like some salamanders or sloths : ONE-TOED

3. Held in place, in a way : CLAMPED

4. Prince in both parts of "Henry IV" : HAL - Sure, OK.

5. One working with you : ALLY

6. Coat : LAYER - semi-clecho with; 7. Cover : ALIAS

8. Horn blast : TANTARA

9. Blast causes : TNTs

10. Shogun's capital : EDO

11. More like venison : GAMIER - I have had deer; it's good

12. Biblical priest whose name means "God has helped" : ELEAZAR

13. __ Bay: Jamaican resort : MONTEGO

21. Tongue-tingling candies : RED-HOTS - I love cinnamon

23. Take from the top : SKIM

25. Loopy : GAGA

27. Prevailing winds help determine one : SEA LANE

29. Alibis : OUTS

31. Good fellers? : AXES - HAR-HAR~!!!

34. Bill : NOTE - as in money

36. Conciliatory offers : SOPS

37. Lose the battle with : YIELD TO

39. Good way to be young? : AT HEART

41. More in need of rinsing : SOAPIER

43. Los Angeles neighborhood that's the former site of an Edgar Rice Burroughs ranch : TARZANA - Funny, as the only thing I know about Los Angeles is their LA TIMES crossword, and the next clue is....

44. On occasion : AT TIMES

45. Ballerinas, often : LEAPERS - yeah, they do this, but I thought it was the "10 Lords-a..."

47. Anchor-chain openings : HAWSES - Learned this from a crossword here, about a year ago I would say, in a discussion with Spitzboov, who nailed the next one, too, I'll bet -

51. Like some blockades : NAVAL

52. Coffee selection : GRIND

55. Chevron rival : ARCO - came via perps; I knew it wasn't "ESSO"

56. Gentle application : TALC

59. Pull : TOW - Literally; nothing to do with influence

60. Jazz pianist Evans : GIL - Played with Miles Davis; more here


"MAY the Fourth be with you~!"

Splynter

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