Theme: None
Words: 68 (missing J,Q,Z)
Blocks: 25
From
no Saturdays this year to two months in a row for Mr. Sessa, again with
a triple-axis symmetrical construction, and for the second week in a
row, we have a hashtag pattern of 15-letter spanners and climbers
crossing the grid. I believe this might be the second hardest crossword
grid to work; although there are plenty of words that connect the
corners together, the chunky 7x7 corners are unforgiving if you have
nothing to work with. I was stumped in the North until I was able to
solve the two climbers - which I had an inkling about, but not enough
to commit to filling them in. The 4 big clues/answers;
17a. Evidential standard : REASONABLE DOUBT - hear it all the time on Law & Order
3d. Happy way to end : ON A POSITIVE NOTE
A positive note~? Is that a B+, or a B#~?
54a. Foil-wrapped treats : CHOCOLATE KISSES - started to put Klondike Ice Cream in, but it didn't fit
ACROSS:
1. Buy in quantity : STOCK UP - "shop at BJs/Costco" didn't fit
8. Places of rapid growth : HOTBEDS
15. Commiserate : CONDOLE - one cel from my "ta-DA~!" was the "L" here; I had condone, and I knew it was not working with6d.
16. One taking the prize : AWARDEE
19. Old Egyptian symbol of royalty : ASP
20. Former Defense secretary who wrote "Worthy Fights" : PANETTA - filled via perps
21. __ scan : CAT - CAT~? or PET~?; had to wait
22. Pronoun not heard as often as it should be : WHOM - for whom the bell tolls
24. 2016 presidential candidate : RUBIO - I thought it was rubiN, and that was close enough
25. British art house : TATE
26. Player over 21, perhaps : LOSER - cards, and blackjack; I took $135 at poker last week
28. Common base : TEN
29. __ Hebrides : OUTER
30. Large beer mugs : SEIDELS - this filled via perps, and I had to go to Google to see if it was right; oddly, it also led to a reference about an EYE TEST, also in the puzzle, below
32. Ones in their 40s, e.g. : GEN-XERS - guess that's me
34. Crime scene barrier : TAPE - huh; filled this in, and never noticed it was correct until now
35. Squeezed (out) : EKED
36. Greet warmly : SMILE AT
39. One convinced by a drive : PLEDGER - my first thought was cars, then it was golf, and then I got it; public broadcasting TV
42. Chekov's first name on "Star Trek" : PAVEL - I typed in ANTON, and knew that was not right - I kept recalling this scene from Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (P.S., ironically, the "new" guy who plays Chekov is named Anton Yelchin, but I can't get into the new characters)
8. Places of rapid growth : HOTBEDS
15. Commiserate : CONDOLE - one cel from my "ta-DA~!" was the "L" here; I had condone, and I knew it was not working with6d.
16. One taking the prize : AWARDEE
19. Old Egyptian symbol of royalty : ASP
20. Former Defense secretary who wrote "Worthy Fights" : PANETTA - filled via perps
21. __ scan : CAT - CAT~? or PET~?; had to wait
22. Pronoun not heard as often as it should be : WHOM - for whom the bell tolls
24. 2016 presidential candidate : RUBIO - I thought it was rubiN, and that was close enough
25. British art house : TATE
26. Player over 21, perhaps : LOSER - cards, and blackjack; I took $135 at poker last week
28. Common base : TEN
29. __ Hebrides : OUTER
30. Large beer mugs : SEIDELS - this filled via perps, and I had to go to Google to see if it was right; oddly, it also led to a reference about an EYE TEST, also in the puzzle, below
32. Ones in their 40s, e.g. : GEN-XERS - guess that's me
34. Crime scene barrier : TAPE - huh; filled this in, and never noticed it was correct until now
35. Squeezed (out) : EKED
36. Greet warmly : SMILE AT
39. One convinced by a drive : PLEDGER - my first thought was cars, then it was golf, and then I got it; public broadcasting TV
42. Chekov's first name on "Star Trek" : PAVEL - I typed in ANTON, and knew that was not right - I kept recalling this scene from Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (P.S., ironically, the "new" guy who plays Chekov is named Anton Yelchin, but I can't get into the new characters)
"...rank, Admiral" @ 1:45
43. #4 at Boston Garden : ORR - hockey great
45. "__ Got Mail" : YOU'VE
46. Said yes to : OK'ED
47. Monty Python product : SPOOF - I pondered SKITS, which could work with the singular/plural of 'product'
49. Trickle : SEEP
50. Kricfalusi cartoon canine : REN - I had no clue about the name, but three-letter cartoon dog is usually REN - the Wiki
51. Taking away : REMOVAL
53. Sign at a popular play : SRO
57. Winner of the Breaking News Reporting Pulitzer for 2016, briefly : LA TIMES - hey~!! A group shout-out~!
58. Most loaded : RICHEST - the owner of the winery might have the dollars, but not a lot of sense
59. Exam involving reading letters : EYE TEST - and for the second week in a row, we will hear from Zed in Men In Black
60. Chicken requests : BREASTS
DOWN:
1. Hard-to-read words : SCRAWLS
2. Ballerina's footwear : TOE SHOE
4. IRA options : CDs
5. Surgeon general under Reagan : KOOP - I could picture the guy's face (you can't forget it, really), but it took the "-OO-" before I could recall his name - C. Everett
6. __ nerve : ULNAR
7. A toy piano is often seen in it : PEANUTS - Schroeder
8. Uncertain : HALTING
9. Have because of : OWE TO
10. Cry with a flourish : "Ta-DA"~! - I did not get my "ta-DA~!" once the grid filled
11. Main man : BRO - I tried C E O
13. Con, half the time : DEBATER - as opposed to "pro"
14. They may be Irish : SETTERS
18. Neuwirth of "Cheers" : BEBE - one of the only proper names I actually knew
23. Got the gold, say : MEDALED
25. Black-tie wear : TUXEDOS
27. Turn back : REPEL - like the bad guys in a James Bond movie
29. In tune : ON KEY
31. Pastoral expanse : LEA
33. Sea scavenger : EEL - did not know they were scavengers; three letters and one "E" was already there
36. Trivia quiz website : SPORCLE - never heard of it, and it looked funny in the grid; the website is here - I played the "mis-matched movies" game, and missed one - only because I got too itchy with the mouse finger
37. What some do while the sun shines? : MAKE HAY
38. Rigging support : TOPMAST
39. Words of wisdom : PROVERB
40. Hillary's conquest : EVEREST - not the politician aiming for the presidency
41. Announces again, in a way : REPOSTS - the 21st century way - although I am not on Facebook
44. Heart : ROOT
47. Two-time US Open winner : SELES - I had just the last "S", so it was not EVERT
48. Hindu ascetic : FAKIR - filled via perps
51. Cooking apple named for an Ohio township : ROME - oops, I had POME
52. Minute parasites : LICE
55. Op. __ : CIT - the period made this clear that it would not be "ART"; instead the Latin 'opere citato', the "work already cited", found in footnotes
56. Doo-wop syllable : SHA
Splynter
45. "__ Got Mail" : YOU'VE
46. Said yes to : OK'ED
47. Monty Python product : SPOOF - I pondered SKITS, which could work with the singular/plural of 'product'
49. Trickle : SEEP
50. Kricfalusi cartoon canine : REN - I had no clue about the name, but three-letter cartoon dog is usually REN - the Wiki
51. Taking away : REMOVAL
53. Sign at a popular play : SRO
57. Winner of the Breaking News Reporting Pulitzer for 2016, briefly : LA TIMES - hey~!! A group shout-out~!
58. Most loaded : RICHEST - the owner of the winery might have the dollars, but not a lot of sense
59. Exam involving reading letters : EYE TEST - and for the second week in a row, we will hear from Zed in Men In Black
DOWN:
1. Hard-to-read words : SCRAWLS
2. Ballerina's footwear : TOE SHOE
5. Surgeon general under Reagan : KOOP - I could picture the guy's face (you can't forget it, really), but it took the "-OO-" before I could recall his name - C. Everett
6. __ nerve : ULNAR
7. A toy piano is often seen in it : PEANUTS - Schroeder
9. Have because of : OWE TO
10. Cry with a flourish : "Ta-DA"~! - I did not get my "ta-DA~!" once the grid filled
11. Main man : BRO - I tried C E O
13. Con, half the time : DEBATER - as opposed to "pro"
14. They may be Irish : SETTERS
18. Neuwirth of "Cheers" : BEBE - one of the only proper names I actually knew
23. Got the gold, say : MEDALED
25. Black-tie wear : TUXEDOS
29. In tune : ON KEY
31. Pastoral expanse : LEA
33. Sea scavenger : EEL - did not know they were scavengers; three letters and one "E" was already there
36. Trivia quiz website : SPORCLE - never heard of it, and it looked funny in the grid; the website is here - I played the "mis-matched movies" game, and missed one - only because I got too itchy with the mouse finger
37. What some do while the sun shines? : MAKE HAY
38. Rigging support : TOPMAST
39. Words of wisdom : PROVERB
40. Hillary's conquest : EVEREST - not the politician aiming for the presidency
41. Announces again, in a way : REPOSTS - the 21st century way - although I am not on Facebook
44. Heart : ROOT
47. Two-time US Open winner : SELES - I had just the last "S", so it was not EVERT
48. Hindu ascetic : FAKIR - filled via perps
51. Cooking apple named for an Ohio township : ROME - oops, I had POME
52. Minute parasites : LICE
55. Op. __ : CIT - the period made this clear that it would not be "ART"; instead the Latin 'opere citato', the "work already cited", found in footnotes
56. Doo-wop syllable : SHA
Splynter
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