Words: 70 (missing Q,W)
Blocks: 26
Well,
I figured it was time for a beating from a Barry Silk puzzle, and he
did not disappoint. This one took me my full personal time, plus I
needed red-letter help to see where I went horribly wrong. Some very
clever mis-direction, plus a solid set of shady Saturday clues that
drained my brain - but I loved it~! Triple 10-letter pinwheel, with two
sets of 6/7/8-letter stacks and a low block count made this one
enjoyable - but I will admit to a cringe moment. Some of the longer
answers;
11a. Key of Brahms' Symphony No. 4 : E min - so I threw in the
"M" and waited; the second part is typically 'MAJ' or 'MIN', and the
first part is A,B,C,D,E,F, or G - easy, right?
13d. At all : IN THE LEAST - oh, so vague
55a. Device used in WWII pilot training : TRAMPOLINE - I just learned that this man was the inventor
13d. At all : IN THE LEAST - oh, so vague
55a. Device used in WWII pilot training : TRAMPOLINE - I just learned that this man was the inventor
28. Psychic : MIND READER - I had the reader part, but wanted PALM, CARD, etc.
ACROSS:
1. Emergency beeper : SMOKE ALARM
- Dah~! I was stuck in volunteer fire-fighter mode - I have a buddy of
mine who carries an emergency beeper with him at all times
15. Former Lagos-based carrier : AIR NIGERIA - I went with ---- AIR, and I was in the right frame of thinking, but bass-ackwards
16. "__ Girl": 2012 best-seller : GONE - took too long to remember this
17. Item on a therapist's office table, maybe : KLEENEX BOX - vague, but a good one
18. Airing : ON TV - I got it, but "phew"
19. Coin feature : EDGE - head, tail, face
20. Xi preceders : NUs
21. Cuthbert of "Happy Endings" : ELISHA
23. Florida pros : BUCs - ah, the football team; I should have known better with the abbr of pros; I was thinking RAYS
25. Like cockatoos : CRESTED - the original "mohawk"
26. Plain : HOMELY
29. Smoke shop choice : PANATELA - Cigars are measured by length and ring size; I smoke these, which measure 4 x 30 (cigarillios)
15. Former Lagos-based carrier : AIR NIGERIA - I went with ---- AIR, and I was in the right frame of thinking, but bass-ackwards
16. "__ Girl": 2012 best-seller : GONE - took too long to remember this
17. Item on a therapist's office table, maybe : KLEENEX BOX - vague, but a good one
18. Airing : ON TV - I got it, but "phew"
19. Coin feature : EDGE - head, tail, face
20. Xi preceders : NUs
21. Cuthbert of "Happy Endings" : ELISHA
23. Florida pros : BUCs - ah, the football team; I should have known better with the abbr of pros; I was thinking RAYS
25. Like cockatoos : CRESTED - the original "mohawk"
29. Smoke shop choice : PANATELA - Cigars are measured by length and ring size; I smoke these, which measure 4 x 30 (cigarillios)
30. Term coined by Dior : A-LINE - dress shape, and I did not know this
31. Capital of Belarus : MINSK - I had the M and K in place, and so I took an educated WAG
32. __ room : REC
33. Zest : RIND - ah, the part of the fruit, not the enthusiasm definition - I went with ELAN
34. Sole piece : FILET - ARGH~! I was so stuck on shoes and sneakers, I never caught onto the 'fish' concept
35. Starbucks offering : CHAI - OK, their tea
36. Commonly rented item : DVD - ah, not "CAR" - seemed common enough
37. Nook reads : ZINES - Meh. In fact, meh again. I went with EBOOK, which did not jive with the plural of the clue, and then EMAGS, and that makes more sense than ZINES
38. Raise : HOIST
39. Nightingale and others : HEROINES - referring to Florence, not the bird
41. Full of grime : SMUTTY - I tried FILTHY, but we're looking for the grime more commonly found in, say, Hustler
42. Discharged : EGESTED
43. Ultra Set Trap maker : d-CON - 4 letters and a "trap"~? Try d-CON
32. __ room : REC
33. Zest : RIND - ah, the part of the fruit, not the enthusiasm definition - I went with ELAN
34. Sole piece : FILET - ARGH~! I was so stuck on shoes and sneakers, I never caught onto the 'fish' concept
35. Starbucks offering : CHAI - OK, their tea
36. Commonly rented item : DVD - ah, not "CAR" - seemed common enough
37. Nook reads : ZINES - Meh. In fact, meh again. I went with EBOOK, which did not jive with the plural of the clue, and then EMAGS, and that makes more sense than ZINES
38. Raise : HOIST
39. Nightingale and others : HEROINES - referring to Florence, not the bird
41. Full of grime : SMUTTY - I tried FILTHY, but we're looking for the grime more commonly found in, say, Hustler
42. Discharged : EGESTED
43. Ultra Set Trap maker : d-CON - 4 letters and a "trap"~? Try d-CON
44. Qatar locale : ARABIA
45. Word after Premier or Grand : CRU - Winery term; the Wiki
46. Like roulette wheels : SPUN - ah, very clever
50. Extinct dove relative : DODO
51. Food fit for a queen bee : ROYAL JELLY - learning moment for me; the Wiki
54. At any time : EVER
56. "Nebraska" Oscar nominee : DERN - Bruce, and he won "Best Actor" for his role at the Cannes Film festival
57. Hill prize : SENATE SEAT
DOWN:
1. Benefit : SAKE - as in "for the --- of...."
2. Not so hot : MILD - not WARM, not COLD, more like the spice of your sauce
3. Wash. neighbor : OREGon - see Onward~!
4. Calisthenics exercise : KNEE BEND
5. Article for Nietzsche : EIN - not "DER"
6. Bureau : AGENCY - I started the Castle Home Inspection AGENCY, but it's not a bureau - the FBI is a better example
7. F Sport maker : LEXUS - I was stuck in "FORD" mode, since their trucks are F-series
8. Wall St. figures : ARBS - arbitrators
9. __ Negro: Amazon tributary : RIO - WAG
10. "Castor and Pollution" artist : MAX ERNST - nice play on the constellation Gemini and the twins, Castor & Pollux
11. Not exactly the modest type : EGOIST
12. Smash : MONSTER HIT
14. California Gold Rush town : NEVADA CITY - and a semi-clecho 31d. Worked in a rush? : MINED
22. Intelligence failure : LEAK
24. Diminutive suffix : ULE - um, like miniscule~?
25. Rabologist's collection : CANES - another vague reference; some Pinterest
26. Stubborn : HARD-HEADED
27. Oil producer : OLIVE GROVE
29. A lot : PILES - vague
34. Certain master's area : FINE ARTS
35. Advises : COUNSELS
37. Ristorante order : ZITI
38. Ins. plan : HMO
40. "South Pacific" screenwriter Paul : OSBORN
41. Carve : SCULPT
43. Play, maybe : DRAMA - vague; could have been the "fun" definition of play
45. Color in the four-color process : CYAN
47. Barre move : PLIE
48. It's out on a limb : ULNA - very clever; the bone in your arm (limb)
49. Duma vote : NYET - Россия
52. Source of iron : ORE
53. Louis in a ring : JOE
12. Smash : MONSTER HIT
14. California Gold Rush town : NEVADA CITY - and a semi-clecho 31d. Worked in a rush? : MINED
22. Intelligence failure : LEAK
24. Diminutive suffix : ULE - um, like miniscule~?
25. Rabologist's collection : CANES - another vague reference; some Pinterest
26. Stubborn : HARD-HEADED
27. Oil producer : OLIVE GROVE
29. A lot : PILES - vague
34. Certain master's area : FINE ARTS
35. Advises : COUNSELS
37. Ristorante order : ZITI
38. Ins. plan : HMO
40. "South Pacific" screenwriter Paul : OSBORN
41. Carve : SCULPT
43. Play, maybe : DRAMA - vague; could have been the "fun" definition of play
45. Color in the four-color process : CYAN
47. Barre move : PLIE
48. It's out on a limb : ULNA - very clever; the bone in your arm (limb)
49. Duma vote : NYET - Россия
52. Source of iron : ORE
53. Louis in a ring : JOE
Splynter
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