Saturday, Jul 9th, 2016, Pawel Fludzinski

Theme: None

Words: 70 (missing J,Q,W,X,Z)

Blocks: 28

Our last Saturday puzzle from Mr. Fludzinski was over a year ago, though he did drop in with a couple of Wednesday grids for the LA Times in between.  I filled in 1-across straight away ( wrongly, I might add ), and thought we might do alright today - especially when some of the longer fill went right in.  Sort of a strange solving style for me today; I seemed to switch back and forth between across and down; one letter giving me enough to work with 'orthogonally'.  This one moved along at a brisk pace, so when I got stumped in the NW, I didn't hesitate and just cheated - ah, Wisconsin.  10-letter fill all over the place;

33a. 1996 Richard Gere thriller : PRIMAL FEAR - I managed to see the last 5mins of the movie, so I pretty much failed my own 19across....

38a. Premium Scotch choice : SINGLE MALT 

 

6d. Percussion staples : SNARE DRUMS - I have one, it's steel, and I'd like a wood one

29d. Detect vulnerability : SMELL BLOOD

 ON

    NW

       WA

           AR

              RD

                 D~!

ACROSS:

1. Splitting target : ATOM - Well, OK then, it's not "HAIR"; semi-clecho with 14a.

5. Taqueria adjective : ASADA

10. Heavy wind? : TUBA - I sensed the misdirection, but "BASSOON" was all I could think of; also semi-clecho with; 49d. High wind? : OBOE

14. Splitting : BREAKING UP

16. Author Blyton : ENID - I knew this proper name

17. Degree seekers : CANDIDATES

18. Hendrix hairdo : AFRO - I'm a lefty guitar player - four of mine are still upside down righties

19. Alert follower, perhaps : SPOILER

20. They may be spilled : SECRETS - BEANS and GUTS weren't long enough

22. Reason for many a school absence : STREP

24. "In __, I know not why I am so sad": "The Merchant of Venice" : SOOTH

25. '90s Philippine president Fidel : RAMOS - WAGed the vowels

28. JAMA subscribers : DRs

30. It merged with SAG in 2012 : AFTRA - I knew this one, too

32. Cal's "East of Eden" brother : ARON

35. Nigerian native : IBO - the Wiki

36. Some vents : LOUVERS

37. GPS suggestion : RTE

40. Enthusiastic : KEEN - ah, not AVID - but I am keen on this

I'm an "avid" reader, too~!

41. Flummoxed : AT SEA

42. Blues with sticks: Abbr. : STL - hockey reference; the St. Louis Blues

43. Performed, in Shakespeare : DIDST

44. __ scheme : RHYME - dah~! Not PONZI

46. "The Other Side of Oz" autobiographer : EBSEN

48. Buddy : PAISANO

50. Sticks around : LINGERS - not REMAINS

54. Eclectic magazine : UTNE

55. Hardly a light six-pack? : ABS OF STEEL

57. Staple in 48-Down : BEER - circumreferential to; 48d. 57-Across sellers : PUBS

58. NYC saloon featured in a 2000 film : COYOTE UGLY

59. The Stans were among them: Abbr. : SSRs

 

60. Ministers : TENDS

61. Chinese menu possessive : TSO'S

DOWN:

1. Essentials : ABCs

2. Corner : TRAP

3. Santa Ynez Valley prefix : OENO - "wine"; we have a burgeoning wine country on the North Fork of LI, too

4. Badger State city : MADISON - here's why the state got the nickname

5. Help, in Le Havre : AIDER - Frawnche

7. G-man : AGT - dah~! Not FED

8. Union requirement : DUES - I know this firsthand

9. Church areas : APSES

10. Detach, in a way : TEAR OFF

11. Free : UNFETTERED - nailed it

12. Demographers' concerns : BIRTH RATES

13. Flaps : ADOS

15. Highland attire : KILTS

 There can be only one

21. Barbecue supply : COALS - dah~!  Not SAUCE, MEATS, or CLAMS

23. Like much property : PRIVATE

25. Mrs. Gorbachev : RAISA

26. Resolves, as a contract dispute : ARBITRATES

27. Still runner : MOONSHINER

31. Isn't for you? : AREN'T

33. Baltimore bard : POE

34. Wall adornment : ART - I have this print - I think it's awesome

Gargoyles - Michael Parkes

36. Beast of burden : LLAMA

39. Springs with steam : GEYSERS

40. 18th-dynasty Egyptian pharaoh : KING TUT

43. Crowded : DENSE

45. Make official : ENACT

47. Goes through carefully : SIFTS

51. Lines of thought? : EEGs - har-har

52. Pull up stakes, informally : RELOcate

53. Stone and others : SLYs

56. Preserves, for keeps: Abbr. : SYNonym

Splynter