Saturday, July 4, 2015

Saturday, July 4th, 2015, Alan Olschwang

Theme: Star-spangled Saturday

Words: 68 (missing J,V,W,Z)

Blocks: 27

  The fireworks have started already - I bombed on this one.  Alan's last Saturday slog was over a year ago, and I got just as beaten up then as I did today - but for some reason, this one seemed to be a complete fun-sponge instead of a chance to enjoy myself by learning some new things.  Oh well.  Way over my personal time, and yes, I caved in to red-letters.  Triple 9-letter corners with two 11-letter spanners and another pair of 9-letter climbers on the inside;

30a. Miner matters : ORE DEPOSITS - my cousin Carole, who lives in England, was just here for 10 days - her brother Trevor was a miner

40a. Traveler's alternative : HILTON HOTEL - alternative~? pretty specific if you ask me; I'm taking a vacation in two weeks and staying in a hotel in Dover - with a JACUZZI~!  :7))

 (OK, I'm exaggerating)

7d. Fungus usually considered poisonous : TOADSTOOL


 33a. Words before taking off : I GOTTA RUN - BBQ and bonfire - right after I'm done here~!

NO ReWArD....

ACROSS:

1. Washington music festival named for a legend : SASQUATCH - Alan had this fill in that last Saturday puzzle, too - I wonder if he knows something....

10. Prima __ case : FACIE - hear this all the time on Law & Order, but I went with an "A" at the end; later it dawned on me that I might not have it right

15. Apprehended : IN CUSTODY

16. Old Bristol-Myers dental product : IPANA - put it in, took it out....do the hokey-pokey...

17. Hot spot : FIREPLACE - the house I like in Dover has a real fireplace - love them

18. __ panel : SOLAR - dah~!  This took W-a-a-a-a-y too long to come to me

19. Autocrats of old : TSARS

20. Sports radio host Patrick : DAN - can never remember his name

21. Meteorological conditions : CLIME - I always think of Monty Python & The Holy Grail when I hear this word


@0:54, regarding swallows....

22. Finalist-to-be's hurdle : SEMI

23. Indian silk-producing region : ASSAM

25. Biting : ACID - meh.  I prefer acidIC

26. Remove chemically : ELUTE - a Natick for me; I did the alphabet run for the "L", as it crossed the unknown "LETHE"

28. __ rod : AARON'S - ah.  Biblical. The Wiki.  It suggests that the rod may be in the Ark of the Covenant

34. Slamming door, perhaps : CUE - do you think they're angry~?

35. Bouvier __ Flandres: herding dog : DES - Frawnche - just can't get away from it

36. Way of the East : TAO - or ZEN~?  which one, which one....

37. 1998 title role for Angelina : GIA - Don't recall this one; sounds racy.  IMDb

38. __ loss : AT A

39. Code word : DIT - or DAH~? which one, which one....

43. Unsettling sort : STARER





















(I pondered this one, as well)

45. Ordered room service, e.g. : ATE IN

46. Dispense, with "out" : METE  - Dah~!  Not DOLE; 25% right

47. "A Town Like Alice" novelist : SHUTE - Perps

49. Title VII enforcer: Abbr. : EEOC - Equal Employment Opportunity Commission - I looked up "VII" because it was enacted before my time

53. Where the action is : ARENA

55. Altar on high : ARA - the constellation
 
(in keeping with my comment last week, I also like the name Andromeda)

56. Chevy Corvair option, briefly : TURBO - I pondered T-TOPS first; I did not know this was a rear-engine car; more here

57. __ Stone, winningest woman coach in college hockey : KATEY - never heard of her, but if she coaches hockey, that's cool with me~!

58. Unsportsmanlike conduct : DIRTY POOL

60. Eiffel Tower level : ÉTAGE - more Frawnche, but this was in last week's puzzle, too

61. Like some pliers : SNUB-NOSED - or dogs and revolvers

62. Curly-coated cats : REXES - got it via perps, but had to Google after to see


63. Masseur's concern : TENSENESS - God, I need a massage~!

DOWN:   

1. Scrutinizes : SIFTS

2. Absinthe flavoring : ANISE

3. "Git!" : "SCRAM~!"

4. Asked : QUERIED

5. Carrier's org. : USPS - oh, those carriers - Pbbbbt~!!!

6. A&P part: Abbr. : ATLantic & Pacific

8. Holders for holders? : CD CASES - mostly perps; the clue doesn't jibe for me

9. Shenzi, Banzai or Ed, in "The Lion King" : HYENA

10. Kind of yr. : FISCal

11. Like some nerve cells : APOLAR

12. Multicolored pet : CALICO CAT

13. Words betraying lack of readiness : IN A MINUTE

14. Sea lion, for one : EARED SEAL

23. Some domestic workers : AU PAIRS

24. Broadway offering : MATINEE

27. Infernal flower? : LETHE - well, I was not fooled by flow-ers - I knew we wanted a river in Hell (Hades); just didn't know there were FIVE

29. Kirin competitor : ASAHI - I knew Kirin was Japanese beer, but none of its competitors

30. One working on lines : ODDS MAKER

31. Continue to stress : REITERATE - ah. stress as in insist, not 'pace'

32. Heir's headache, maybe : ESTATE TAX

41. Bullish : TAURINE

42. Slightly ahead of : ONE UP ON

44. Back out : RENEGE

48. "... tell'st me where thou __ this ring": Shak. : HADST

50. Irregularly notched : EROSE - remembered from doing crosswords

51. Mellow winds : OBOES

52. They're easily caught : COLDS

54. All those in favor : AYES

56. Newcastle's river : TYNE - toyed with AVON at first

59. Current "American Dad!" airer : TBS - have to close on the Fourth of July with this

Good Morning U.S.A.~!!!

Splynter

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