Saturday, Nov 30th, 2013, Julian Lim

Theme: None

Words: 70 (missing J,K,Q,X)

Blocks: 32

   There was a point during this solve that I started thinking there might also a steady increase in the difficulty of these Saturday puzzles as the year progresses, too - I struggled last week, and there was way too much white this week, as well.  But, little by slowly, by digging into the depths of my brain, and with a few crossword educated WAGs, I was able to close this one out - with one goof-up on my end.  Deceptive looking grid, with paired 10's hiding inside the edges, crossing two more:

33. Setting for the 2001 film "No Man's Land" : BOSNIAN WAR - IMDb - I have not heard of this film

42. Inexplicable, in a way : PARANORMAL - I learned this word in my "ute" from Ghostbusters, and 'paranormal activity'

11. Sneaker inserts : ODOR-EATERS - old commercial, I originally went with "---GELS"

12. Short-term residence, usually : FOSTER HOME - Pretty sure we were looking for a "---HOME", but had to wait for the kind of home

27. "Song based on a letter," per McCartney : P.S.I LOVE YOU - Also a movie

28. Bigoted : INTOLERANT - straight up definition, and for me the hardest part of late-week puzzles; the one-word clue/answer

O             N           W        a    R D ~!

ACROSS:

1. Leafhopper relative : CICADA - Well, I was pretty sure a leafhopper was a kind of bug, and once the "C-C" appeared....

7. 2002 Man Booker Prize-winning novel : LIFE OF PI - also a movie; never heard of this prize

15. Oath : AVOWAL

16. Show of confidence : "I CAN DO IT~!" - I think I would have preferred "Shout" over 'Show'

17. Evict : REMOVE

18. Accounting concerns : NET COSTS

19. Ad infinitum? : PR BLITZ - my only goof; for some reason, a P.A. Blitz made sense (see this clip); plus, crossing the totally unknown 2D....

21. Having a dark complexion : SWARTHY

22. Clipper target : NAIL - started with HAIR - 50% right - I think I have my math right this time~!

24. "Permit Me Voyage" poet : AGEE - I like our Corner poet, Owen - and his handicapped points reminds me of "Death Race"

25. Dish prepared hot and served cold : ASPIC - dug up from the dredges

29. Ones, e.g.: Abbr. : NOs - remember when this "#" meant number???

31. Fonda's "My Darling Clementine" role : EARP

36. Like Singha beer : THAI

38. Correction : EDIT

39. Astronomical scales : LIBRA

 40. Tremendous spans : EONS - Time spans

41. Olympic hurdler Jones : LOLO - her website

44. Stop wearing down? : MOLT - Har-Har~!  Down, the under plumage of a bird, that is

46. Fa follower : SOL - Do, re, me, fa, SOL?, la, ti, do - why does this one get three letters? Speaking of two-letters, see below

47. "I don't care if you __ again": The Cars lyric : USE ME - from "You're All I've Got Tonight"

48. Coal container : VEIN - I tried MINE - 75% right, but in the completely wrong squares

50. Showed grief : WEPT

52. Mr. Peabody's boy : SHERMAN - before my time; Rocky & Bullwinkle

55. Conic section : ELLIPSE - I wanted PARABOLA, but it didn't fit

60. Balance sheet items : PAYABLES

62. Make less musty : AIR OUT

63. Like some decals : IRONED ON - Ah, the past tense

64. Easier to see, perhaps : NEARER

65. It's not charged : NEUTRINO - subatomic particle

66. Cakewalk : BREEZE

DOWN:

1. Kvetch : CARP - Started with CRAB - again, 75% right, but only 25% in the right squares

2. 2011 Best New Artist Grammy winner Bon __ : IVER - I think I am getting to that age where the music of today makes me feel like my father did as I was growing up, when I thought Iron Maiden was the best band ever - he preferred Dean Martin, so you can see the discrepancy - I suppose it could be worse - I could have kids that actually listen to this stuff

3. Parting aid : COMB - I liked this, but it took a moment to 'get it'

4. Taps absentee, possibly : AWOL

5. Renaissance standout : DA VINCI

6. Hal Foster's Queen of the Misty Isles : ALETA

7. Author Yutang : LIN

8. Refreshing treats : ICES

9. Islamic ruling : FATWA - another one I dredged up

10. Put behind bars : ENCAGE

13. Substance : PITH

14. Far from substantial : ITSY

20. Hummingbird attractors : ZINNIAS -  went with PISTILS - can you tell I skipped Biology?

23. Like some humor : LOWBROW - according to one source, phrenologists of the late 19th century claimed that the height of one's brow was a clear indicator of intelligence

25. Genesis son : ABEL - and a slight clecho;

26. Genesis city : SODOM

30. Ball Park Franks owner : SARA LEE

32. 2011 ABC show with multiple pilots : PAN AM - subtle misdirection, as a 'pilot' of a show is the first one the producers make

34. The tallest one is nearly 16,000 feet high : ALP - If this were Jeopardy!, the response would be "What is Mount Blanc?"

35. Took off : RAN

37. Emerald __ : ISLE

43. Statistical anomaly : OUTLIER

45. Building material : TIMBER - Ha-HA~!  I had LUMBER, and that's 67% right, and in the proper squares~!!!

49. Nita of early filmdom : NALDI

51. Backup : PLAN B

52. __ doctor : SPIN - I had EXPENSES at 60A, and this answer made me change it

53. Hopping game? : HARE - Game as in hunter's prey

54. __ Carrot: Crayola color : NEON - well, I can see that

56. Requiem title word : IRAE - "Dies Irae", crossword staple

57. Plant's stoma, e.g. : PORE - yeah, see 20D.

58. 1956 crisis site : SUEZ

59. French 101 word : ÊTRE

61. __-Cat : SNO

 This week's discussion on M & Ms (@9:15am) reminded me of a similar game I came up with back in my bar days.  I will give two letters, and I'm looking for two words that start with those letters, but having opposite meanings.  Some easy ones to start;
L - R
H - C
U - D
and some maybe a little more difficult - and there's more than one answer in some cases
S - S
B - E
B - F
 Have fun - let me see what you come up with

Splynter

Saturday, Nov 23rd, 2013, John Lieb & David Quarfoot

Theme: None

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

Blocks: 29

     Started out really well, but this one crushed me and good - nothing really difficult word-wise, but the cluing was so vague that red-letters came up early, and even that wasn't good enough.  John Lieb has appeared here before; C.C. credits David Quarfoot with the pinwheel grid design of 9-letter and 8-letter corners, and nothing longer.  No spanners, and as discussed before, when you get a 15-letter answer, it usually opens the puzzle up a bit.  Some answers of note;

1. Holiday portmanteau : TURDUCKEN - The combination of a turkey, duck and chicken, one stuffed inside the other - have to say I have not tried this dish yet....

13. Kyoto-based entertainment company : NINTENDO - They make the Wii console, too - I tried the golf, and it just frustrated me; bowling was more enjoyable

35. Minor obstacle? : BABY GATE - Oh, so good~! Took a long time for anything in the south to take shape for me....now, if I can just work this thingy here, and then slide that over there....

63. Stud revelations : HOLE CARDS - Poker; oh, THAT kind of stud; it annoys me when I get into a mindset, then stay trapped inside - I was thinking 2x4 framing lumber and males the whole time.  Hole Cards are the two you're ( usually ) dealt face down to start a hand

$F%X&#ONWARD~!

ACROSS:

10. Turned up : ON END - ugh, that kind of turned "up"

15. Hoops situation involving a bonus free throw : ONE AND ONE - Basketball, when a player is fouled (?) - not my game

16. Odds, essentially : RATIO

17. Tennessee's state reptile : BOX TURTLE - Aww

18. Pointless : INANE

19. Mental health org. : APA - well, I figured it was an "A - A" group, the "P" is for Psychological, and here's a music link

20. Longest-serving Dodger coach Manny : MOTA - echo (echo)(echo) "...now batting - Manny (Manny)(Manny) Mota (Mota)(Mota)

21. Puts forth : POSITS

22. Bucks : GELT - Money slang

24. Like some sins : MORTAL - Yay~! I got one~!

26. Holiday serving : LEG - Oh so vague....I can think of a better clue for this;

27. Dental crown alternative : ONLAY

29. People magazine Sexiest Man Alive of 1999 : GERE - I started with gOre - Um, that's not right

30. Harmonia's daughter, in Greek myth : INO

31. Vituperate : CURSE AT

34. Menu option : UNDO - Just had this - SEND, EDIT, VIEW, FILE, etc

35. Program, perhaps : BOOKLET

38. Chaac, to Mayans : RAIN GOD -various spellings


40. Looking frightened : ASHY

41. Pretend, in a way : LIP SYNC

43. NCAA year-end games system : BCS - Bowl Championship Series - the Wiki; My buddy Mike is in Philly this weekend, I worked too late to go; next weekend he starts a whirlwind tour of the East Coast NFL and college games to promote his new "Quarterback Touchdown" game

44. Word with sugar or spice : MILL - Sugar Mill, Spice Mill - took forever to see this; again, I got stuck on Spice GIRL, and Sugar PILL

45. Put in : ELECT - Ugh, that kind of  "PUT"

49. Slangy agreement : YAH - Yea, Yep, just keep at it

50. Common hand span : OCTAVE - I am bruised on the forehead from the V-8 can; the hand can span the keys of a keyboard, which is an octave ( 13 keys )

53. Catch in pots : EELS - DAR~! Seen it before, couldn't remember

54. Receives : GREETS

56. Shakespearean "over there" : YONDer - Poetic

58. Go on : YAK

59. Doddering : ANILE - SEnile, yes, Anile, no.  Denile is not just a river in Egypt

60. Cut : EDITED OUT

62. Sign of emptiness : TO LET - as in apartments for rent; the one at mom's house has finally been filled, and the guy seems OK - let's see what happens Dec 1

64. Toponymic dairy items : EDAMS - toponymic meaning name derived from a place; in this case, the Dutch cheese

65. Summer TV offering with a "Jaws of Steel Collection" DVD : SHARK WEEK - I am pleased to say this one did actually come to me, sort of a logical educated WAG; I do not care for the show; not a big fan of sharks - they are cool, but I like

DOWN:

1. Lesser Antilles island : TOBAGO

2. Sealed : UNOPEN - meh

3. Old drugstore chain : REXALL - I tried READES, and it got me part-way there

4. "Can't Help Lovin' __ Man" : DAT

5. Word on a bill : UNUM - E Pluribus Unum - Latin; 'One from Many'

6. Storage medium : CD-ROM

7. Actor Yaphet __ of "Midnight Run" : KOTTO - also Parker in Alien (on the right in the image) - what was the cat's name?  Anyone?

8. Swell : ENLARGE - I started with ENGORGE - say, where's my mind?

9. Formerly : NEE

10. Yankee foe : ORIOLE - baseball for C.C.

11. Some flatbreads : NANS

12. Selling using servers : ETAILING - "E" word; online shopping, and Cyber Monday happens to be "BLACK MONDAY" at UPS

14. Acts altruistically : DOES GOOD

21. Bash, affectedly : "PAR-TAY~!"

23. Tasteless : TACKY - like the preceeding answer?

25. Rushes : TEARS - tAres, not tEErs

28. Co-star of Steve in "The Magnificent Seven" : YUL

32. They may be dug up : RELICS - had it in, took it out, put it back in

33. Circus elevator : STILT - D-oh~!  Took W-A-A-A-A-Y too long to get

34. Godfather, sometimes : UNCLE

36. Academy affirmation : OSCAR NOD - great clue/answer

37. 1985 #1 hit for Ready for the World : OH SHEILA - I grew up with the song, but didn't recall the artist's name

39. Like Vivaldi's "Spring" : IN E - put in the "IN" and wait....

42. "Imagination Taking Shape" sloganeer : PLAY-DOH - Great slogan, too~!

44. Church compositions : MOTETS

46. Kiddie lit character with a detachable tail : EEYORE - Learning moment; I did not know this

47. Composer Debussy : CLAUDE

48. Reproachful warning : TSK TSK - my biggest "MEH" of the day

51. "There!" : VOILA - I definitely did not get my "Ta-DA~!!" on this puzzle

52. Join : ENTER

55. He or I, e.g. : ELEMent - way cool clue that did not fool me; Helium and Iodine

57. Sea level? : DECK - I had DOCK, which stumped me for the longest time; I was thinking dry land - sailors (tars, etc.,) might have been on the ship's deck wavelength

60. Half-hearted responses : EHs

61. Crow cousin : DAW

Splynter

Saturday, Nov 16th, 2013, Barry C. Silk

Theme: Saturday Silkie

Words: 70 (missing K,Q,X)

Blocks: 30

   Again I sensed we were getting a Silkie....Lots of 'awards' * in this one. Triple 9's in two corners, and double 10-letter climbers in the other two; curiously, but probably not unplanned, the first pair both end in "-DAY", which resulted in baseball related crossings:

2. Event celebrated in "Through the Looking-Glass" : UNBIRTHDAY

3. When "you're gonna want me for your girl," in a 1963 hit : "ONE FINE DAY"

30. Album that includes "Michelle" : RUBBER SOUL - The Beatles
 
31. Disbeliever's comeuppance : "I TOLD YOU SO~!" - I seem to say this a lot; guess I need to be a little more insistent the first time....

o n w a r d

ACROSS:

1. Elevates : BUOYS - I was feeling jaunty today, and just went right ahead with whatever thought came to mind; so this was "LIFTS" at first - hey, I figured the "S" was right....

6. Nearly : JUST ABOUT - and this went right in as well - and stayed

15. Reaction to flatness : ENNUI - I thought we might be looking for a variation of "PTUI", spitting out flat soda

16. Not predestined : AVOIDABLE - UPS has a category of accidents they classify as "avoidable" - in other words, one that they can blame on "ME".  We did get our computers installed for the new "ORION" system this past week - see D-Otto's comment from Tuesday

17*. 1975 Pulitzer winner for criticism : EBERT - well, now that I see it, seems pretty obvious

18. Early German fliers : ZEPPELINS

19. Whiskey purchase : FIFTH - not QUART

20. Jolts : ZAPS

21. Substantive part : MEAT

22. Sanskrit term of respect : SRI

23. Old Spanish bread : PESETA - money slang

25. Safe investment choices : T-NOTES - went with T-BONDS, which was 67% right

28. Bad mark : DEMERIT

33*. "Monster" Oscar winner : THERON - Charlize

34. Court service : JURY DUTY

35. Accessory : ADD ON

36. "Shirt Front and Fork" artist : ARP - Image

37. Drum accompanying a fife : TABOR - ah, not snare, but essentially, a portable snare drum; the classic image

38. Team nicknamed the Halos, briefly : L.A. ANGELS

40. Risk : GAMBLE

41*. Five-time 30-game winner of early baseball : CY YOUNG - and the MLB pitcher's award

42. Got tight : TENSED

43. Moisture overload results, in plants : EDEMAS

45. Manhattan part : RYE - the mixed drink, which was popular with my family, but not me

47. Door support : JAMB

51. Source of a cc : ORIGinal - the carbon copy cc, not a "VIAL" cc - and a shout out to our host~!

52. "Lolita" co-star, 1962 : MASON - IMDb

54. Side unit : ONION RING - side DISH would have to be plural

56. One way to think : ALOUD

57. Court expert : TENNIS ACE

58. "The Liberty Bell" composer : SOUSA

59. Made more attractive, as a deal : SWEETENED

60. Serf : HELOT

DOWN:

1. Gripes : BEEFS

4. Mongolian dwelling : YURT - fixed my "LIFTS"

5. Jedi foes : SITH - fear of the "Darths"

6. Spices (up) : JAZZES

7. Eye parts : UVEAs

8. Absorbed : SOPPED UP

9. Adviser of a sort : TIPSTER

10. Cannon attachment : ADE - Cannonade

11. Soother : BALM

12*. Drama Desk relative : OBIE - Broadway Awards

13. Prismatic bone : ULNA - well, you can sort of see it in this image - 

14. Lab work : TEST

23. Parker product : PEN

24. "The Joy Luck Club" author : AMY TAN - won a BAFTA award

26. Campus town near Bangor : ORONO  - Ha HA~! I knew this would come around sooner or later

27. Shoe part : TONGUE

29. Semi-hard cheeses : EDAMS

32. London flat? : TYRE - British spelling for the rubber that meets the road - and sometimes a nail or screw in that same road

33. It's 1 on the Mohs scale : TALC - Hardness - for minerals, that is - see here

34. Some coll. students : JRs

36. Constantine native : ALGERIAN

39. Back : ENDORSE

40. Some microwaves : GEs - I went with LGs first

42. Caught stealing, say : TAGGED - I tried NABBED, but the two crosses ending with "B" seemed a bit too much

44. Chop up : MINCE

46. Stop by : END AT

47. Little bits : JOTS

48. Fresh : ANEW

49. Place for a rock group? : MINE - nice

50. Something to pick? : BONE - "I've got a bone to pick with you~!" - a bit of history

52. Plymouth potato dish : MASH

53. 11-Down substance : ALOE - good way to avoid having to clue this "lotion ingredient"

55. Young louse : NIT - and those little things in crosswords that tend to irk some solvers~!

Splynter

Saturday, Nov 9th, 2013, Norm Guggenbiller

Theme: None

Words: 68 (missing J,Q,W,X)

Blocks: 38

   This is a new constructor for me, but Norm's last LAT was this year in May.  As for the puzzle, lots of white on the first Across pass, but then some solid perp(endicular)s on the Down run filled in enough to go back and take some W.A.G.s.  Triple 9's in two corners and then a nifty little 4-way spiral of 9-letter words in the center, plus two 11-letter spanners intersecting two 11-letter climbers;

20A. Questionable strategy for a runner? : SMEAR TACTIC - Political office runners, that is

45A. Golf tournament display : LEADER BOARD - Lee Westwood is sponsored by UPS

11D. Bring up something sensitive : TOUCH A NERVE - Didn't quite "Nail It", more like I "pre-drilled" the hole for it - I pre-filled in "-N-E-S-S" for 29A, since a clue using "quality" usually implies this attribute

22D. Bodybuilding goal : SCULPTED ABS - I knew where this was going, but I started with SIX PACK, which was too short, then ROCK HARD, and that wasn't working.  So, for the ladies -

(dreaming) ONWARD~!

ACROSS:

1. Long-odds track bets : PERFECTAS - I never understood horse racing bets - here's a link for anyone else who feels the same

10. Early launch rocket : ATLAS - some history

15. Marketing resource : EMAIL LIST - ends up in my SPAM folder

16. Gear part : TOOTH

17. Small-time : PENNY ANTE

18. All, in Assisi : TUTTO - like this?

19. Piece of work : ERG - Ah - not "ART"

22. Tastes : SIPS - had it in, took it out, put it back in

23. Kept from spreading : IN CHECK

24. Media __ : CIRCUS

27. Kind of colorful shirt : ALOHA - I wanted Hawaiian, but it didn't fit - never heard it called an aloha shirt before today

28. Bad blood : ODIUM

29. Stale quality : TRITENESS

33. Fire : ZEAL - Early on, I cannot tell if it's the "AXE" kind of fire, or this, the enthusiasm kind

34. A cup may be one : PRIZE - So where was my mind?  I had --IZE, and thought B-SIZE cup, C-SIZE cup, D-SIZE....oh, a trophy, like in hockey....

 35. Computer menu option : EDIT - gee, FILE, SAVE, UNDO, VIEW, COPY....

36. Polite assent : YES, PLEASE

38. Scrubber's target : GRIME

39. Comedian Fields : TOTIE - quick bio

40. Capitulate : CAVE IN - DAH~! I had giVE IN, which messed me up

41. Soil test measure : PH LEVEL

44. Reduce : PARE - my first thought, and yet one of my last fills

47. Cristal maker : BIC - Totally baffled me - Cristal is Champagne, the 'good stuff'; here the reference is to the pen from the company of disposable products

50. "__ Smith and Jones": '70s TV Western : ALIAS - IMDb

51. Available to order : ON THE MENU

53. "__ honest ..." : I'LL BE

54. Like a tense person's teeth? : SET ON EDGE

55. One who's doomed : TOAST - see 52D

56. Read impatiently : SKIP AHEAD - Like this scene ( @ 0:46 )?

DOWN:

1. Latino Muppet prawn : PEPE - Never heard of him, but I do recognize him

2. It calls for immediate attn. : EMERgency

3. Buzzed : RANG

4. "Jaws" omen : FIN - Na-num.

5. Mythological paradise : ELYSIUM - because Utopeea is not how you spell it

6. Woodworking devices : CLAMPS - ah, not LATHES
Na-num
7. They have points : TINES - they ARE points

8. Dog star : ASTA

9. Make safe for use, in a way : STERILIZE
Na-num Na-num
10. Diplomacy figure : ATTACHÉ - I went with LIAISON - BZZZT~!!!

12. Singer Lenya : LOTTE - recognize her in "From Russia With Love"

13. Where to see some old clothes : ATTIC

14. Culture __ : SHOCK
Na-num Na-num Na-num Na-num
21. Fed. security : T-NOTE

24. Conspiratorial : COZY - I went with CAGY - seemed more appropriate

25. French bean product? : IDEE - Frawnch for 'idea'

26. River inlets : RIAs
Na-Na Na-Na Na-Na Na-Na Na-Na Na-Na Na-Na Na-Na~!
27. Come about : ARISE - like him?

29. Head out West? : TRAIL BOSS

30. Emmy winner Falco : EDIE

31. __ Valley : SIMI

32. Uzi predecessor : STEN

34. Actor Gallagher : PETER

37. Tennis shutout : LOVE SET

38. Floral-sounding Los Angeles suburb : GARDENA - down in the grey area on this map - never been to L.A.

40. Sonic server : CAR-HOP

41. Braid : PLAIT

42. First response to a call : HELLO

43. Former boxer Ali : LAILA - Daughter of Muhammad

44. Page of music : PATTI

46. Short run, for short : ONE K

47. Eliot title character : BEDE - Adam Bede - a WAG, since I was not sure of BIC

48. "Listen to Your Heart" singer in the musical "Young Frankenstein" : INGA - could have been IGOR for all I know - loved the movie, didn't know there was a musical

49. Prompted : CUED

52. "Big deal" : MEH - and a crossword solver's response to an answer that seems a bit of a stretch for the clue

Splynter

Saturday, Nov 2nd, 2013, Barry C. Silk

Theme: Saturday Silkie

Words: 70 (missing X,Z)

Blocks: 32

    I expected a Saturday Silkie, and was not disappointed.  Today's offering was pretty straight forward, at least for me.  Not too many obscurities, and enough 'easy' crossings to take a healthy stab at the longer fills.  Interesting middle stack of a spanner and two offset 14-letter words, and triple 8's and 6's in the corners.  For today:

 33. Sirius B, for one : WHITE DWARF STAR - I knew we were looking for a "STAR" here, but on my first pass, I thought it was a BINARY, um, something-something STAR.  I am a huge fan of "Ancient Aliens", and the show repeatedly mentions how this star system has something to do with extra-terrestrials

38. Food safety aid : MEAT THERMOMETER

39. They included Chopin's "Prelude in E Minor," in a film title : FIVE EASY PIECES - funny, but now that I know the movie has a character who was once studying piano, the title makes much more sense....

!~DRAWNO

ACROSS:

 1. Some legal cases : ATTACHES - DAH~! Right off the bat, I got "43A" thinking this was a court 'case', not a brief 'case'

9. Its results commonly fall between 70 and 130 : I.Q. TEST - I was tested in high school; care to guess what my number was?

15. Take inventory? : SHOPLIFT - "Marriage is a punishment for shoplifting in some countries"  - What movie~!?!?!?

16. Shade : NUANCE - ooh, good Saturday clue for this word

17. Nurturing : MOTHERLY

18. Shilling spender : KENYAN - I threw in BRITON, but was pretty sure it was wrong - a Kenyan shilling is worth about .012 US dollars as of yesterday

19. O or A, e.g. : ALer - ARGH~!  Got me again~!  The Athletics and Orioles of MLB; I went with "TYPE", because they're both blood types; it wasn't until Aphrodite showed up ( alas, only in today's puzzle ) did I give it up


20. Bottom topper : TALC - Ah, yes, a quick pat on the bum with the baby powder

22. Old-school lament : EGADS~!

23. Discharged British soldier : DEMOB - to be demobilized - got it

25. Electronic music genre : TECHNO - I like the electronic genre - odd, coming from a kid who grew up on Iron Maiden.  An electronica sample

27. Cologne article : DER

29. Sign of summer : LEO Astrological sign; I've been reading my horoscope a lot lately - it seems to be a day behind, instead of ahead....

30. Roxy Music alum : ENO

40. Princeton Review subj. : GRE - Graduate Record Examinations, follwed by -

41. MIT Sloan degree : MBA - Master of Business Administration

42. Wheels : CAR - I'm going to have to wait on new wheels - I am officially "cut" as a driver on Jan 15th, and then all trainee drivers will be brought back s-l-o-w-l-y

43. Took in : MISLED - not the sewing/altered took in, not the "movie" took in

46. Staircase support : NEWEL - Meh - this is more of a stair handrail support, but I'm a nit-picking carpenter

50. Arabic for "struggle" : JIHAD - a WAG, but a sensible one - the SW was my last corner to fill in

53. Salts : TARS - Slang words for sailor

55. "The Diana Chronicles" author Brown : TINA

56. Fulfills a need : AVAILS

58. They get high on occasion : SOPRANOS - Har-har~!

60. More futile : VAINER

61. Ring : ENCIRCLE - the verb today

62. Makes hot : ANGERS - ah, not ANNOYS

63. 2012, e.g. : LEAP YEAR - partial hybrid solar eclipse tomorrow AM

DOWN:

1. Equally hot : AS MAD - ah, the same kind of "hot" found in 62A

2. Oarlock pin : THOLE - sticking up from the gunwales

3. Tribal emblem : TOTEM - this is what I wanted to fill in, but it was not agreeing with my "TYPE"

4. Venus counterpart : APHRODITE - sheesh~!  Check out from whence she was born....

5. Indians' home, on scoreboards : CLEveland - always a little baseball for C.C.~!  (BTW, "Major League" was on the other night - still funny, IMO )

6. "Cotton Candy" musician : HIRT - I'll let you link away

7. Key for some clarinets : E FLAT - fill in "FLAT", and wait....

8. Panache : STYLE

9. Newspaper supply : INK

10. Nickname for Leona Helmsley : QUEEN OF MEAN

11. Sierra follower, in the NATO alphabet : TANGO - see below

12. Singer born Eithne Patricia Ní Bhraonáin : ENYA - crossword staple, and pretty much an educated WAG

13. Whole lot : SCAD

14. Place for an adder? : TENS - one who 'adds' uses ones, tens, hundreds, etc., columns to line up for summing

21. Wood shop device : C-CLAMP - great for doing you brake pads, too - which is on my to-do list this weekend

24. Author of the children's book "The Saga of Baby Divine" : BETTE MIDLER

26. Valiant : HEROIC

28. Therapy goals : REHABS - sober house goals, too

30. Major finale? : ETTE - majorETTE

31. Highland rejections : NAEs

32. Bruin great : ORR - Hockey; the NY Rangers are starting to improve; EddyB's Sharks are 10-1

33. Small dam : WEIR

34. Eat : HAVE - ah, not DINE

35. Make potable, as seawater : DESALT

36. Like some humor : WRY - minor change from Dry to Wry

37. Cabinet part : SECRETARY - Government cabinet, that is - I was all in carpentry mode; stile, rail, panel, shelf, etc.

38. Plant activity: Abbr. : ManuFacturinG - industrial plant, that is

43. Bates College locale : MAINE - Oddly, I WAGed ORONO, because of the "O" from ANNOYS; HEY - I was in the right state~!

44. Oil holder : EASEL - ooh, a bit of a stretch, but yes, an oil painting can be supported by an easel

45. Go (on) dully : DRONE

47. Recoil : WINCE

48. Name on a WWII flier : ENOLA - Gay, dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima

49. Surgery tool : LASER

50. Language of software engineers : JAVA

51. Novelist Turgenev : IVAN

52. White House chief of staff after Haldeman : HAIG

54. Humane org. : SPCA

57. Yearbook sect. : SRs - Here's my senior pic, 24yrs ago

59. Criticize : RIP - and yes, you can "RIP" into my photo all you want~!!!

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