Words: 70 (missing F,J,Q,W,X)
Blocks: 27
Ta-DA~!!! This one was a real pleasure to solve - and yes, I am biased
because I was able to solve it without cheating, Google, and
red-letters - but it did not look promising to start. A lot of white on
the first pass both across and down, but then a few common
words/phrases made sense, and they worked, too. A tad too many vague
clues, and a few proper names - two very nearly creating a Natick - but
my one-letter guess was correct and thus....Ta-DA~!! Triple 11- and
almost triple 9-letter corners with two pairs of 9's crossing in the
middle section;
7d. Golden Grain Company creation : RICE-A-RONI - been popular lately on Saturday; a little company history
31a. DO holder : OSTEOPATH - well, I figured it was a "Doctor of" something, and then the perps helped me out
36. Common literary technique : SYMBOLISM - like the bad guy in the black hat
Raiders of the Lost Ark
O - N - W - A - R - D ~ !
ACROSS:
1. Verne vision : SPACE TRAVEL - Pondered SUBMARINE and TIME TRAVEL; both too short
12. Refrain bit : TRA
15. Jurassic time : MESOZOIC ERA - Pondered DINOSAUR AGE
16. What "8" may mean: Abbr. : AUGust - very nearly got me again - and timely, considering it's the first of the month today; the "rabbits" are 5 clues below
17. Programmer's line : INSTRUCTION
18. The Wildcats of the Big 12 Conf. : KSU
19. Spectra 70 computers : RCAs
20. Projection room inventory : REELS - early WAG
21. Org. with a rabbit in its logo : PETA - Playboy did not fit, and technically, it's a magazine, not an organization - would PETA protect these 'animals'~?
12. Refrain bit : TRA
15. Jurassic time : MESOZOIC ERA - Pondered DINOSAUR AGE
16. What "8" may mean: Abbr. : AUGust - very nearly got me again - and timely, considering it's the first of the month today; the "rabbits" are 5 clues below
17. Programmer's line : INSTRUCTION
18. The Wildcats of the Big 12 Conf. : KSU
19. Spectra 70 computers : RCAs
20. Projection room inventory : REELS - early WAG
21. Org. with a rabbit in its logo : PETA - Playboy did not fit, and technically, it's a magazine, not an organization - would PETA protect these 'animals'~?
22. Critical : KEY
23. Main parts : LEADS - such as those filled by 56a.
24. Phillies pitcher Hamels : COLE - total unknown; my one-letter guess was "C"; I'm sure C.C. nailed it
25. Earth : TERRA
26. Dietary restriction : NO MEAT
28. Patron saint of dancers : VITUS - ah - so "St Vitus Dance" from Black Sabbath is a little play on words....
33. 1996-'97 NBA Rookie of the Year : IVERSON - so not into basketball, this was mostly perps
35. Breakup words : "IT'S OVER"
38. It's good in Puerto Rico : BUENO
39. Like some European scenery : ALPINE - followed by a clecho....
40. Monument Valley scenery : MESAs
42. Dark times, to poets : E'ENs - evenings
43. Speechless miner of fiction : DOPEY - ah. a Dwarf, that is
44. TV debut of 2000 : CSI
47. Unadorned : BARE
48. Confute : BELIE
49. Second Amendment subject : ARMS - oops, not GUNS
50. Links letters : PGA - couldn't be PAR or TEE
51. Teacher of skills : TRADE SCHOOL - I have an Associate's Degree from Island Drafting in Amityville, NY, essentially a trade school for AutoCAD and electronics
53. Unavailable, say : OUT
54. Shortest way : DIRECT ROUTE
55. Width measure : EEE - seems odd to see this in a Barry Silk puzzle
56. Film heroes, often : STEREOTYPES
DOWN:
1. Unsportsmanlike look : SMIRK - not SNEER
2. Overseas coppers : PENCE - coinage, as in Britain; sort of clecho with; 48d. One in a lift, maybe : BRIT - other words, like bonnet, boot and lorry
3. Evaluate : ASSAY
4. Sacks on bases : COTS - ah, not a baseball clue; I was thinking getting tagged out for attempting to steal
5. Book before Neh. : EZRa - I have a contractor friend named Ezra
6. One seeing the sights : TOURER - because tourIST didn't fit
8. Substituted for : ACTED AS
9. Conceals : VEILS
10. Psyche's beloved : EROS
11. Data-sharing syst. : LAN
12. Go : TAKE LEAVE - had it, took it out, put it back in
13. Seriously weathered, as old cars : RUST-EATEN
14. Contents of el mar : AGUA
21. Stuffy : POMPOUS
23. Course units : LESSONS - I looked into Delaware Tech in Dover; I even have my schedule worked out for the Fall, but I'm going to have to delay until the Spring; a new car is first order. Considering the Dodge Dart if the Toyota A-BAT is not out soon
24. Oregon Coast Music Festival setting : COOS BAY - the "C" seemed most sensible
25. Wind farm sight : TURBINE - I've been there, remember~?
26. Take in : NET - not NAB
27. "Comin' __ the Rye" : THRO - I WAGed INTO, ONTO, and that sort of helped. Never heard of this poem/song
28. Dow 30 company : VISA - I had the "A", but it was not much help; Actually, I did not know what made up the DOW 30 -interesting - the list
29. Quakers play in it : IVY LEAGUE - I tried AAA first, not knowing that U Penn was the school being referred to
30. Not extreme : TEMPERATE
34. Ring cheer : OLÉ
37. Do a slow burn : SMOLDER
41. Minds : SEES TO - made me change my "SEE" at 26d. 'take in'
43. Mary __: ship in a Hammond Innes novel : DEARE - perps
44. Laryngeal concern : CROUP - ah, not CROAK; that's 100% 60% correct ;7)
45. Clobbered : SMOTE - as in "smited"
46. Key chain : ISLES - took a moment to dawn on me
47. Letters seen under antlers : B.P.O.E. - The Wiki
49. Main call : AHOY - the bounding main, that is
51. Raiders' successes, briefly : TDs - The Oakland Raiders of the NFL
52. Old PC component : CRT - cathode ray tube - the screen that usually had a burn-in from the program most often used
23. Main parts : LEADS - such as those filled by 56a.
24. Phillies pitcher Hamels : COLE - total unknown; my one-letter guess was "C"; I'm sure C.C. nailed it
25. Earth : TERRA
26. Dietary restriction : NO MEAT
28. Patron saint of dancers : VITUS - ah - so "St Vitus Dance" from Black Sabbath is a little play on words....
35. Breakup words : "IT'S OVER"
38. It's good in Puerto Rico : BUENO
39. Like some European scenery : ALPINE - followed by a clecho....
40. Monument Valley scenery : MESAs
42. Dark times, to poets : E'ENs - evenings
43. Speechless miner of fiction : DOPEY - ah. a Dwarf, that is
47. Unadorned : BARE
48. Confute : BELIE
49. Second Amendment subject : ARMS - oops, not GUNS
50. Links letters : PGA - couldn't be PAR or TEE
51. Teacher of skills : TRADE SCHOOL - I have an Associate's Degree from Island Drafting in Amityville, NY, essentially a trade school for AutoCAD and electronics
53. Unavailable, say : OUT
54. Shortest way : DIRECT ROUTE
55. Width measure : EEE - seems odd to see this in a Barry Silk puzzle
56. Film heroes, often : STEREOTYPES
DOWN:
1. Unsportsmanlike look : SMIRK - not SNEER
2. Overseas coppers : PENCE - coinage, as in Britain; sort of clecho with; 48d. One in a lift, maybe : BRIT - other words, like bonnet, boot and lorry
3. Evaluate : ASSAY
4. Sacks on bases : COTS - ah, not a baseball clue; I was thinking getting tagged out for attempting to steal
5. Book before Neh. : EZRa - I have a contractor friend named Ezra
6. One seeing the sights : TOURER - because tourIST didn't fit
8. Substituted for : ACTED AS
9. Conceals : VEILS
10. Psyche's beloved : EROS
11. Data-sharing syst. : LAN
12. Go : TAKE LEAVE - had it, took it out, put it back in
13. Seriously weathered, as old cars : RUST-EATEN
14. Contents of el mar : AGUA
21. Stuffy : POMPOUS
23. Course units : LESSONS - I looked into Delaware Tech in Dover; I even have my schedule worked out for the Fall, but I'm going to have to delay until the Spring; a new car is first order. Considering the Dodge Dart if the Toyota A-BAT is not out soon
25. Wind farm sight : TURBINE - I've been there, remember~?
27. "Comin' __ the Rye" : THRO - I WAGed INTO, ONTO, and that sort of helped. Never heard of this poem/song
28. Dow 30 company : VISA - I had the "A", but it was not much help; Actually, I did not know what made up the DOW 30 -interesting - the list
29. Quakers play in it : IVY LEAGUE - I tried AAA first, not knowing that U Penn was the school being referred to
30. Not extreme : TEMPERATE
34. Ring cheer : OLÉ
37. Do a slow burn : SMOLDER
41. Minds : SEES TO - made me change my "SEE" at 26d. 'take in'
43. Mary __: ship in a Hammond Innes novel : DEARE - perps
44. Laryngeal concern : CROUP - ah, not CROAK; that's 100% 60% correct ;7)
45. Clobbered : SMOTE - as in "smited"
46. Key chain : ISLES - took a moment to dawn on me
47. Letters seen under antlers : B.P.O.E. - The Wiki
51. Raiders' successes, briefly : TDs - The Oakland Raiders of the NFL
52. Old PC component : CRT - cathode ray tube - the screen that usually had a burn-in from the program most often used
look familiar~?
Splynter
