Saturday, Apr 5th, 2014, Barry C. Silk

Theme: Saturday Silkie

Words: 70 (missing J,Q,U,V,X)

Blocks: 30

   Well now, today's offering from Mr. Silk was still tough in some spots, but do we feel better about our crossword solving ability since the beating I think we all took from last week's bear~?   I did have to wait on the hefty answers while I did my first pass through the Downs, then I was able to get a grip.  Several "exclamations" in the grid today (*). Triple 11-letter stacks in the NW and SE, with four 10's and six 9's to round out the long fill of the grid:

1a. Performing poorly : FALLING DOWN - also a movie starring Michael Douglas; they "Stopped Serving Breakfast"

15a. Music lover's resource : iHEART RADIO - Don't care for anything "i" these days; "I" listen to Pandora Internet Radio, and I am sad to say that didn't fit the space....

20a. Think : CEREBRATE - Oooh, that's a $2 word you can use in passing today....

12d. Spider producer : ALFA-ROMEO - the latest Alfa as I have seen from watching the BBC show "Top Gear" is this one, the Disco Volante ( "fly wheel")

28. Aristotelian ideal : GOLDEN MEAN - The Wiki; I could argue that this is the principle of Alcoholics Anonymous as well; I am a card-carrying member

ONWARD~!

ACROSS:

12. Hematological system : ABO - Blood types; I am "B positive~!"

16. Crucible setting : LAB - I was concerned this might have to do with the novel at first

17. Accept financial responsibility : BEAR THE COST

18. Not to : FRO - cute; "To & Fro"

19. St. Louis bridge architect : EADS - Beautiful, but I happen to like bridges in general

22. RR crossing sites : RDs - Dah~! Went with STs first - Roads, not Streets

23. Chaotic scene : ZOO

25. Rum company founder Fred : MYERS

26. Onslaught : BARRAGE

29. Animal shelter : COTE - LAIR, CAVE, COTE  all worked

31. Satisfied : MADE GOOD ON - MADE ENDS MEET was too long

34. Latin 101 word : AMAT - "He loves" - had amaS to start

35. Pulitzer playwright Zoë : AKINS

36. Brooks of Hollywood : MEL - The man who brought us "Young Frankenstein" and "Stand-up Philosophers"

37. Dog in a horned helmet : SNERT - from the comic strip Hägar the Horrible

38. Qajar dynasty country, today : IRAN

39. Bar seller : CANDY STORE - ah, that kind of bar

41. Norton Sound city : NOME
 

42. Broken up : IN TEARS - emotionally broken up, that is

43. Food mfr.'s calculation : NET WT.

45. At 5,343 ft., Mt. Marcy is its highest point : NYS - huh - New York State - I live here, and did not know this - did you, Argyle?

46. HDTV brand : RCA

49. Netherlands port : ROTTERDAM

52*. Cries of discovery : "O-HOs~!"

53. Cuban Revolution name : CHE

54. They may come from ostriches : BOA FEATHERS

57. Craft whose name means "peace" : MIR - Russian space station

58. Picture in your head : MENTAL IMAGE

59. Batt. terminal : POSitive

60. Forensic technique : DNA ANALYSIS - with a semi-clecho to start the downs -->

DOWN:

1. Bit of forensic evidence : FIBER

2. Not trying to catch anyone : AHEAD - some crafty clechoing here, too -->

3. Doesn't have to catch anyone : LEADS - being 'ahead' in a race, e.g.

4. Norwegian-born chemistry Nobelist Onsager : LARS

5. NYC subway : IRT - gimme, being that I do live 60mi from New York City; the Interborough Rapid Transit

6. Degree in math : NTH

7. Wrestling style : GRECO-ROMAN

8. Freshwater fish : DACE

9. Suggestive quality : ODOR - did this puzzle has an 'odor' of "DNF"~?

10. Guys with gifts : WISE MEN - SUITORS fit, too

11. __ a long shot : NOT BY

13. MVP of the first two Super Bowls : BART STARR - had to dredge this one up from the depths.  Much cerebrating.

14. Wind up on stage? : OBOE - Wind, short e, not Wye-nd

21. Takes back : RECANTS

23. Turns abruptly : ZAGS

24. Montana motto word : ORO - Shout-out~!!!

26. Floyd __ Field, NYC's first municipal airport : BENNETT - great, another NYS learning moment for me - hey, I did know the name of JFK before it was called JFK Airport

27. Make __ in : ADENT

30. Usher follower? : ETTE - usherETTE - my 'meh' clue for the day

31. Key : MAIN - ah, not ISLE

32. LeBron James' birthplace : AKRON, OHIO - mostly perps on this one

33. Circle measures : DIAMETERS

37. Cold War gp. : SSRs - I have a bit of a nit with the plural nature of the answer

39. French auto pioneer : CITROËN - André-Gustave, read about WWII sabotages and more here


40*. "Way to go!" : "YAY~!"

44. Site with a Symptom Checker : WebMD - I have had reason to stop by this website

46. Flightless birds : RHEAs

47. Cardigan or Pembroke dog : CORGI - I had the "C", took a W.A.G.

48. Burden-bearing team : ASSES - I'd like to see this clued 'another' way....

49. Law org. with an annual Musical Ride tour : RCMP - Royal Canadian Mounted Police

50. Actress Delany : DANA

51. Mennen lotion : AFTA

52*. "Wow!" : "OH MY~!"

55. After : A'LA - as in styled "after"....

56. Up to, briefly : (un)TIL

Splynter

Notes from C.C.:

Happy Birthday to dear Irish Miss & Abejo, two of our very loyal and caring regulars. I still feel guilty forgetting their birthday last year. 

Here is a picture of Irish Miss (Agnes) with her sister Eileen. The picture was taken on Nov 22, 2013 at their sister Peggy's house. Any special plans today, Agnes?

Eileen & Agnes

Let's meet Abejo (Bradley):

Abejo & Harvey

Abejo said:

This is a photo of myself and Fermatprime's friend Harvey about a year and a half ago. I am on the left as you are looking at the picture. Harvey is on the right. We were in Virginia together. This organization, the Knights Templar, is what I do in my spare time.