October 1, 2011
Barry C. Silk
Theme: None
This puzzle put up a pretty good fight, but in the end I was victorious. A couple things I didn't know, a couple bad guesses, some misdirection here and there … good stuff for a Saturday.
Bullets:
- 5A: ___ Sea, off Siberia (KARA). Never heard of it.
- 22A: "1-2-3" singer Barry (LEN). Wow. I haven't heard this guy's name since … Barry Silk's last puzzle. :-)
- 23A: Tracker or Canyon (GMC). I tried SUV first, then thought it might be UTE, but GMC eventually appeared.
- 27A: Brand for which Garfield was once spokescat (ALPO). Okay, I laughed at myself here. I actually thought it might be RAGU.
- 30A: They fall in war films (PARATROOPS). Anyone else try PARACHUTES first?
- 55A: Deadpan features (MONOTONES).
- 2D: London's setting (ONTARIO). Ha! You can't fool me! I've seen this trick too many times!
- 20D: Hockey game clincher (EMPTY NET GOAL). I've never heard this phrase, but I'm not much of a hockey fan. Luckily, it was easy enough to piece together through crosses.
- 23D: Driving problem (GLARE). I thought this was going to be golf-related.
- 41D: Many Suffragette opponents (SEXISTS). At one point, I had penciled in a D at the end of 44A and already had the I and the ending TS in place and, even though it's obviously not the right number of letters, the first word that popped into my head was IDIOTS.
- 45D: Half a legendary bluegrass duo (FLATT).
Everything — 1A: Party leader (HOST); 5A: ___ Sea, off Siberia (KARA); 9A: Short-necked European fruit (ANJOU); 14A: Neutralizer of a sort (ANTI-TOXIN); 16A: Theater name (LOEWS); 17A: Ben Franklin, e.g. (STATESMAN); 18A: City on the Aar (BERNE); 19A: Solutions for unfair situations? (GALOSHES); 20A: Not so tough (EASIER); 21A: Modern address (URL); 22A: "1-2-3" singer Barry (LEN); 23A: Tracker or Canyon (GMC); 24A: Fifth-century date (CDI); 25A: Haberdashery item (TIE BAR); 27A: Brand for which Garfield was once spokescat (ALPO); 28A: Patricia Neal's Oscar film (HUD); 29A: Fountain output (SODA); 30A: They fall in war films (PARATROOPS); 33A: One may go over your head (HAIR DRYER); 35A: Space-saving display (FLAT SCREEN); 38A: Brothers (FRAS.); 42A: Lucy of "Kill Bill" (LIU); 43A: Body protector (SKIN); 44A: Worn out (EFFETE); 46A: Gives a thumbs-up (OK'S); 47A: Antiquity, quaintly (ELD); 48A: Old televangelism letters (PTL); 49A: Burden (TAX); 50A: Adjust at the garage, perhaps (RETUNE); 52A: Composer for whom an annual violin competition is named (PAGANINI); 54A: Nonreactive (INERT); 55A: Deadpan features (MONOTONES); 56A: Suit material (SERGE); 57A: Woman in a tree? (GREAT AUNT); 58A: Suit material (TWEED); 59A: Give away (TELL); 60A: Tablets from docs (MEDS); 1D: Shows nerve (HAS GUTS); 2D: London's setting (ONTARIO); 3D: Conked out (STALLED); 4D: One of the Jacksons (TITO); 5D: Carnegie Deli offering (KOSHER PICKLE); 6D: Dismissive sorts? (AXMEN); 7D: Narrow inlets (RIAS); 8D: "Barbara __": Beach Boys hit (ANN); 9D: White meat source (ALBACORE); 10D: Rejections (NOES); 11D: Bible's City of Palm Trees (JERICHO); 12D: Confessed (OWNED UP); 13D: They get you in (USER ID'S); 15D: Magnetic induction unit (TESLA); 20D: Hockey game clincher (EMPTY NET GOAL); 23D: Driving problem (GLARE); 26D: Currency with King Mongkut on the fifty (BAHT); 27D: "As You Like It" forest (ARDEN); 31D: Secret rival (ARRID); 32D: "O Fortuna" composer (ORFF); 34D: Agreed (ASSENTED); 35D: Wedding arranger? (FLORIST); 36D: Perfectly restored (LIKE NEW); 37D: Stark (AUSTERE); 39D: Attendants (RETINUE); 40D: Done (AT AN END); 41D: Many Suffragette opponents (SEXISTS); 45D: Half a legendary bluegrass duo (FLATT); 48D: Advisory group (PANEL); 51D: Press (URGE); 52D: Minute opening (PORE); 53D: First name in linguistics (NOAM); 55D: Co. heads (MGT.).
20 comments:
A solid DNF for me. My "worst" LAT performance. This is one of those times my brain and the puzzle just refused to meet.
Think "Secret rival" is a clever clue. Although you could pick it apart. The clue for Paratroops drove me nuts. Guess I'm just not used to seeing that word without the "ers" on the end. Galoshes was another one.
Oh well. Interested to hear if this seemed harder than usual or it was just one of those days.
-Dean
This was a tough one. I managed to finish, but still had MGs/sELL instead of MGT/TELL (tried TELL, but didn't get the connection to Give away till after seeing PG's writeup and immediately thought of a TELL in poker). Also guessed KAlA/lIAS instead of KARA/RIAS. I should have remembered RIAS.
Two days in a row with a reference to FLAT SCREEN TVs. The clue for GALOSHES was pretty clever. That took me a while to figure out. For a long time I had fake IDS for USER IDS, which I still like better. I really thought EMPTY NET GOALS should have been overtime GOALS, as I think hockey OTs are sudden-death, and that would make sense with "clincher." But I don't know enough about hockey to say.
Lots of tough clues, but not a lot of interesting fill. Could have gone with HAIRpiece at 33A, but went with the more mundane HAIR DRYER. KOSHER PICKLE comes the closest to non-boring, but it's still the least interesting thing at the Carnegie Deli. This is why I usually prefer the themed CWs.
Pretty smooth for a no theme sat. Never saw plural of no spelled that way. Most puzzles pluralize ok as okays don't they? Maybe they should retune paganini's violin because at the garage I go to they better get a tune-up right the first time.
I'm with PG, a hard fight but finally victorious! I also thought golf for the driving problem and tried SLICE at first. I knew the "London's setting" was misdirection, but I couldn't get past Jack London and the Yukon (Call of the Wild) for a while. I also had SERGE where TWEED belonged for a while... but it all fell into place eventually. Great puzzle today and I enjoyed the Saturday difficulty level.
NW had me. Googled Kara and the rest fell. Kicked myself for not being able to get my head beyond dill pickle. Oy Vey
Solutions for unfair situations? GALOSHES. Unfair, I guess means the weather wasn't fair? That thought didn't even kick in until @Alexscott made mention of the clue. Guess my head was not in the clouds....
This was a DNF and a Googlefest for me, which I never mind, as I enjoy reading about the things I'm not familiar with. RETINUE, ASSENTED, EFFETE-all good words. EMPTY NET GOAL is usually referred to as an "Empty Netter." Saw goalie Marty Brodeur score one once! Pretty sweet!
Who is the guy in the second picture? Not a good puzzle day for me, too many clues were "over" my "head"......
Pretty tough Saturday puzzle from the redoubtable Mr. Silk. Put a big DNF on me.
Rather than TESLA, had Gauss for 15D "Magnetic induction unit". (This unit is named for the German mathematician and physicist Carl Frederich Gauss.) That mistake messed up the entire NW section.
FWIW, to "degauss" or "degaussing" means to demagnetize or neutralize a magnetic field. This is often done to restore normal functioning to some electrical or electronic gizmo that has inadvertently become magnetized.
A real toughie for me, although I enjoyed the challenge. Got the NE and SW corners right away (at least I know my suits) but trouble with the rest. Kept think facial with respect to "deadpan," and still don't get "monotone." Kept resisting "Alpo" because I could swear Garfield is a cat. Shouldn't Odie have been the spokesdog? And "woman in a tree" drove me crazy. Eve? Under a tree, not in a tree. Lady Godiva, on a horse, not in a tree. Never did get this one, although I now think it's a hoot. Great way to start the weekend.
Got "sexist" in two seconds. It pays to be a feminist!
anon, if you mean Steven Wright, he is the king of deadpan humor,IMHO,of course. Thanks PG and Mr.Silk.
I had to give up and Google for KARA and ARDEN - I had AlDEN. Also Googled Geo to confirm it was the Tracker maker, but Canyon was not one of that brand's models. So really stumped there. (Geo did make Trackers, but so did GMC at one time.) Oh, well, tomorrow is Sunday.
Had to change TIEtAc to TIEBAR.
I was still puzzled by GALOSHES when I came here. Got it all from crosses, but really resisted it.
Thought I was so clever, putting "bleaches" (instead of "galoshes" for 19A: solutions for unfair (ie. not blond) situations! Of course that totally messed me up for a while until none of the crosses worked. Tough one for me in general today.
Really wanted Ben Franklin to be ladiesman!
19 across, unfair?....NOT FAIR!
Could not finish Southeast grid (but that's usually why I'm here!) Tried "Parachutes" as well, but ended up getting that one later. Tried "Eroded" for worn out and wanted to fit "Waiters" for attendants...very tough today, which is nice...I guess...
RC
Anao Bob is entirely right. Gauss is a much more appropriate answer to #15 down than is Tesla.
Fantastic puzzle! Always like Barry Silks work. From now on I'm going to print them out so I can savour them.
This meaning for effete is new to me, and I like the non-plural sounding retinue and mgt. Clever!
Started this yesterday and had a load of trouble. Finished it up today (Sunday) but not without googling for NOAM, LEN and KARA. I suspect I could have completed it eventually w/o googles but my patience was AT AN END ...and other tasks were calling me. Loved the clues/answers for FLORIST, GALOSHES and GREAT AUNT. I always admire a Barry Silk puzzle.
The SI unit of magnetic induction is the Henry. The Tesla is the SI unit of magnetic field. Completely different things. Barry needs a dictionary.
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