Friday, August 15, 2014

Saturday, Aug 16th, 2014, Ned White

Theme: None

Words: 72 (missing J,Q,Z)

Blocks: 28

  Mr. White's last puzzle was a Saturday also, Oct. last year - with its triple-triple grid spanners.  The relatively 'easy' triple-7 corners of today's grid made this one look less of a challenge, but there were plenty of vague clues and proper names to slow me down, plus a fair amount of multi-word answers, too.  Had to admit to one bad letter - happened in that Oct. puzzle, too - but in reviewing that crossword, I treated myself to the Van Halen link I posted~!  Just the two 11-letter spanners to round out today's longer fill;

20a. Like one claiming to be short, maybe : TIGHT-FISTED

57a. Source of wisdom : TRIBAL ELDER

Oh, so close, but On...(ugh)...ward

ACROSS:

1. Like fairies : MAGICAL - oh, uh, that kind of fairie


8. Avocation, slangily : BAG - custom carpentry is "my bag"

11. Plant activity: Abbr. : MFG - first fill, and it felt iffy

14. "Almost done" : ONE TO GO...

15. Mostly : AS A RULE

17. Experienced : VETERAN - the adjective, here

18. Attacks with gusto : DIVES IN

19. "Rescue 911" fig. : EMT

22. Persian Gulf capital : DOHA - Shout out to Doc~!

24. One in charge of many couples : NOAH - Dah~! This nearly got me for the second time in two weeks

25. White __ : NOISE - I threw in HOUSE - BzzzT~!

26. Yards, e.g. : UNITS - ah, that's the word I couldn't think of...

28. Colorado __, Colo. : SPRS - my "meh" answer for the day; SPRINGS abbr. (?!)

30. Common result of use : WEAR

31. Grinder : PESTLE - I went with HOAGIE, the sa'mich Grinder/Sub/Hero, but we're looking for the implement here

33. A little, in music : POCO

35. Some NFL blockers : RTs - Right Tackles

36. Cleese antic in a Monty Python sketch : SILLY WALK

39. Ring gp. : WBA - World Boxing Association, that kind of 'ring'

42. Per __ : DIEM

43. Dominions : REALMS

47. Flavor enhancer : HERB - Tried SALT

49. Stop : STEM

51. "Paper Moon" Oscar winner : O'NEAL

52. 19th-century presidential middle name : ABRAM - James Abram Garfield, whose term lasted the second shortest in Presidential history - Wiki

54. Hat tipper's word : MA'AM - Pondered "G'Day"

56. Kerfuffle : TO-DO

60. Identify : PEG - I had her 'pegged' as being about 21....see 63d.

61. Hogan dwellers : NAVAHOS - my one bad letter - went with "J" and not "H", plus it worked in "MAJAL", too - at least, in my head

62. Evil laugh : "MWA-HA-HA~!!!"


64. Excess : OVERAGE

65. One that didn't show? : ALSO-RAN

66. JFK speechwriter Sorensen : TED - a WAG with "D" in place; I figured it was not a self-gratuitous "NED"

67. Burn cause, perhaps : LYE - Tried "SUN"

68. Unknowns to figure out : X's AND Y's - Brilliant bottom line fill; good thing I know who Mad Max is

DOWN:

1. Advanced : MOVED UP

2. Clematis relative : ANEMONE

3. Rumor starter? : GET THIS...

4. Brooklyn closer : ITE - BrooklynITE

5. Actor Bud of "Harold and Maude" : CORT

6. "Not __!" : AGAIN

7. Solo couple? : LONG Os - Following the "Hard C"s of yesterday's puzzle, S-ō-L-ō

8. It may be over one's head at first : BAD THROW - I watched some Little League World Series at the restaurant where the bench project is going on - blow out in the first inning, 13-0

9. "Oh, sure" : AS IF - "Sha, as if"

10. MacLeod of "The Love Boat" : GAVIN

11. More like the typical attic : MUSTIER

12. Attacks : FLIES AT

13. Bases for some roles : GENDERS

16. Plant anew : RESOW

21. McDonald's offering : HAPPY MEAL

23. Court workers: Abbr. : ATTorneys

27. Dropped : SLID - like the price of gas around here since July 4th - not complaining~!

29. Traumatize : SCAR

32. Clinton and both Bushes, but not Obama : ELIs - Yale attendees

34. Stick in a dish : OLEO

37. "Hmm ..." : "LET ME SEE..."

38. "The Metaphysics of Morals" writer : KANT

39. More of the same : WHATNOT

40. Encouraging words : BE BRAVE - Had the first "B" and last "E" - total WAG on this one

41. Got in : ARRIVED

44. Impala predator : LEOPARD - the hostess at the restaurant had a leopard print dress on last Friday; the one she wore Tuesday? - ha-muna-ha-muna


45. Seized the opportunity : MADE HAY - Progessing nicely with the bench project; did not waste anything but scrap in getting the corner backrest angles correct~!













 46. Spot finishers, often : SLOGANS - Commercial Advertisement "spots"

48. "Histoire de __": French children's book : BABAR - filled via perps

50. Mel Gibson persona : MAD MAX - there's a new one in the works

53. Urdu for "palace" : MAHAL - and "Taj" means 'crown'


55. Whimpers : MEWLS

58. Hardly energetic : LOGY - Pondered LAZY, but the "Z" wouldn't work

59. Tabula __ : RASA

63. Doll : HON - and yes, the hostess is a doll - looks like Taylor Swift; I was "\ /" this close to asking her out today when I found out how old she was; don't ask....


Splynter

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