Saturday, July 1, 2017

Saturday, Jul 1, 2017, Greg Johnson

Theme: None

Words: 64 (missing J,Q,W,X,Z)

Blocks: 44~!

Second Saturday in 2017 for Mr. Johnson - and despite a slow start, I ended up breezing through today's offering.  I reviewed his puzzle from March 25th, and also his debut back in 2013, just to see if there was any reference to him being Australian - which has been a topic of his clues/answers these last two constructions.  None that I could see.  Unusual grid design, sort of a backwards "S" ( or is that "Z"~? ), which again strands us in corners and little to work with getting into the others.  Lots of long across answers, which leaves us with nearly 60% more down clues and answers;

14a. Elaborate sci-fi costume component : FULL BODY MAKE-UP - big fan of the show "Face Off" on SyFy, and much as I like making movies, make up was not one of my strong points - but I certainly would like to try





46a. Spicy meatless dish : VEGETABLE CHILI


24a. Australian Stock Horses, perhaps : POLO PONIES - enough downs to figure this out





36a. They may be excuses : SOB STORIES


ONWARD~!

ACROSS:

1. Annual July 1 celebration marking the 1867 signing of the British North America Act : CANADA DAY - the "DAY" part appeared via crossings, and then it was a sensible WAG being that it was North America

10. Some Australian carvings : ABORIGINAL ART - "ART" showed, so I figured this was another sensible WAG

16. Supermarket count : AISLES - ITEMS was too short - and appears at 21d.

17. Old Andorran currency : PESETA

18. Arrive : GET IN - first thought, but hesitated

19. Dickensian denouncement : BAH~!

22. Guided : LED

23. Get out of Dodge : FLEE - in my case, I have to get IN the Dodge to get out of Dodge - my Grand Caravan, that is

28. Annex : ADD - oops, not ELL

29. Yusufislam.com musician : CAT STEVENS

30. Having a short cut : BOB-HAIRED

31. Like home, say : FOUR-LETTER - yes, but it's such a pleasant four letter word

33. Hang (around) : PAL

37. Didn't miss, as a bus : MADE

38. "Gr8 joke!" : LOL

39. Unisex nickname : SAM - I tried "PAT"

40. 4/8/74 record breaker : AARON - half perps, half WAG

41. Brie who played Trudy on "Mad Men" : ALISON - half perps, half WAG

45. Home Depot work apparel : APRONS - I used to don one (Don Juan~?) when I was a kitchen designer back in 2002

50. Legacy Hartsfield-Jackson tenant : DELTA AIRLINES - looked like one of those "huh??" clues until I had half the crossings, again

51. Thinking indicator : LONG PAUSE - ah, not LIGHT BULB (which connotes "idea"), not HOUR GLASS (like the Microsoft icon)
DOWN:

1. Beardie, for one : COLLIE

2. Former senator Specter : ARLEN

3. Twizzlers pieces : NIBS

4. Ancient history adjective : AGO

5. Completed : DID

6. This, that or the other : ANY

7. Not soaked yet : DAMP

8. Winglike parts : ALAE - first of a couple 'plural' misdirections (no "S" ending)

9. Centuries-old Asian wool sources : YAKS
10. Off-topic : AFIELD

11. Out of order : BUSTED

12. Catch from the pier : REEL IN

13. Learners, hopefully : TUTEES

15. Shoulder protection : PADS - "singular" clue with a plural answer

16. Imaging company once big in film : AGFA - the Wiki

19. Bugs : BOTHERS

20. Ancient French region : ALSATIA

21. It flies off store shelves : HOT ITEM

24. Artist Picasso : PABLO

25. Netanyahu's predecessor : PERES

26. CBer's punctuation : OVER - always reminds me of the movie "Airplane!"


27. Friend of Homer : NED - Flanders~!

29. "Harold and Maude" co-star Bud : CORT - perps

30. Mover of many : BUS - ah, not "ARK"

31. Misled : FOOLED

32. Do a favor for : OBLIGE

33. Sentence ender : PAROLE - good one - not PERIOD

34. Head turner : ADONIS

35. It helps you focus : LENS - ah, a singular noun with an "S" ending~!

36. Many a Balkan : SLAV

37. Nautical : MARINE

40. Plant-ruining genus : APHIS

42. Make believable : SELL

43. Palindromic fellow : OTTO - and a clecho;

44. Palindromic bread : NAAN

45. Rights org. : ACLU

47. Lunch holder : BAG

48. In most mammals, the upper one has a groove called a philtrum : LIP - ha~! I knew this

49. Memorable time : ERA

Splynter

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