Saturday, February 11, 2023, Rafael Musa
Themeless Saturday by Rafael Musa
Rafael Musa posted that HE got into crosswords when he read that someone had done a NYT puzzle in less than 10 minutes and set that as a goal. A little over a year later, he obtained that goal and decided to make his own puzzle.
A stark difference from last Saturday's puzzle was that this puzzle has only 62 open squares (ones that don't touch any other squares) compared to last week's 109 in Doug Peterson's puzzle.
I managed a mini struggle in the NE trying to get 10 D to start with GETTING. In the SE, AMANDA, AHMAD, TRAN and Qurratulain were no help in the SE. As Bill Shakespeare wrote, All's Well That Ends Well.
1. Large file: RASP.
5. Bumpkin: RUBE - Al Capp's version
9. Well-connected co.?: ISP - Ours
12. Chap: FELLA.
13. Hebrew for "spring": AVIV. - AVIV (אביב, or Abib) is a Hebrew word that can be translated as "spring", symbolizing renewal, and tell (or tel) is an artificial mound created over centuries through the accumulation of successive layers of civilization built one over the other and symbolizing the ancient. You're welcome.
14. Nodded discreetly, maybe: CUED - You could get that nod or a spoken CUE from a prompter's box.
16. Beset: UNDER SIEGE - Grant took control of the Mississippi River when he defeated the Confederates by putting Vicksburg UNDER SIEGE in 1863
18. Rihanna album with the hit single "Work": ANTI.
19. Book full of legends?: ROAD ATLAS - An anachronism?
20. Caper: ANTIC.
21. Australian member of the music supergroup LSD: SIA - She and her exotic headwater have made an appearance here before
22. Info needed to schedule a book tour, say: PUB DATE - A PUB(lication) DATE would seem to be useful info(rmation) for scheduling a book tour
24. "Welp": I SPOKE TOO SOON - I put in the correct fill but had never heard of this use of Welp. I'd always heard of it as referring to a young pup but...
30. Sweet-talk, say: WOO - College coaches win or lose games this time of year as they WOO kids to come to their school.
31. Bit of hardware: T-NUT.
34. Broods: MOPES
35. Racket: DIN.
36. Bake, as eggs: SHIRR - A word I learned here. Our poached eggs look very similar.
35. Racket: DIN.
36. Bake, as eggs: SHIRR - A word I learned here. Our poached eggs look very similar.
37. Vegetable with golden and Chioggia varieties: BEET.
38. Jupiter, to Saturn: SON - Yikes!
39. "Change Sings: A Children's Anthem" author Gorman: AMANDA.
40. Not taking a back seat: RIDING SHOTGUN - Did you think of the movie Stagecoach?
45. "LOL, I can't even": OMG.
46. Still on the market, in a way: UNLET - Rooms to LET, 50 cents, No phone, no pool no pets...
47. Accessory to pair with an eye patch, maybe: PIRATE HAT.
53. Bridges in Hollywood: BEAU.
54. Thread-weaving aid?: PLOT DEVICE - One PLOT DEVICE is called "A Macguffin" and this is a famous one.
55. Gives in to the munchies: EATS.
56. "The __ U Give": Angie Thomas novel: HATE.
57. Cristiano Ronaldo's jersey number: SEVEN - This framed, autographed jersey is only $1,600. My number 7 would be Mickey Mantle.
58. Finch family creator: LEE - Harper LEE famously created the family headed by this famous Finch. 😀
59. Couple: DYAD.
60. __ leches cake: TRES - A light cake with TRES (3) types of milk (leches)
Down:
1. City near Tahoe: RENO.
2. "The West Wing" Emmy winner: ALDA - He played a conservative Republican
| [TAG24] |
| Jimmy Smits Martin Sheen. Alan Alda |
3. Vehicle often steered with the feet: SLED.
4. Hits the slopes with a chute: PARASKIS - or on the flats
5. Go off on: RAIL AT.
6. Layer between the sclera and the retina: UVEA - It has those very useful vowels.
8. Night before: EVE.
9. "Leave it to me!": I CAN DO THAT.
10. Going dark: SUN TANNING.
11. __ four: PETIT - Small cakes - PETIT (small) four (oven) - Fr.
12. Abundance for a Chewbacca cosplayer: FUR - $170 on Amazon
15. Some are fuzzy: DICE - They're a small part of this number but at 2:15. Kenicke brings 'em in and I love listening to this song.
17. Pens: STIES - Pig pens
20. Transfusion letters: ABO - I'm A positive
23. GI hangout: USO.
24. Foot that's part of a meter: IAMB - Our literary group can easily find the eight IAMBS in this line
25. Blueberrylike fruit: SLOE.
26. China's weaker counterpart: PAPER PLATE.
27. What a 26-Down is designed for: ONE TIME USE - also...
28. Due (to): OWING.
32. Qurratulain Hyder's language: URDU - The grand dame of URDU poetry I found out. #1 on the trip into the wilderness of my arts knowledge that filled in themselves
33. Kelly Marie who voices Raya in "Raya and the Last Dragon": TRAN - #2
35. "Hey, be serious!": DON'T PLAY.
36. Exhaustive analysis?: SMOG TEST - Exhaust is in the clue
38. Member of the fam: SIS.
39. Jazz pianist Jamal: AHMAD - #3
41. Bindi, e.g.: DOT - Cultural learning for me - Bindi: A decorative mark on the forehead, worn by Hindu women (and members of some other religious groups), traditionally believed to be venerating an energy center of the human body or representing “the third eye,” but also worn as an adornment or a sign of marriage. You're welcome.
42. In order: SORTED.
43. Lipstick container: TUBE.
44. Youngest Oscar winner: O'NEAL - A wonderful 1974 movie made with her dad
43. Lipstick container: TUBE.
44. Youngest Oscar winner: O'NEAL - A wonderful 1974 movie made with her dad
48. Bit: IOTA.
49. At all: EVER.
50. Queen's realm: HIVE - The Queen appears to have a BINDI. 😀
51. Helpful blackjack cards, maybe: ACES and 52. Helpful blackjack card, maybe: TEN - A TEN would not be helpful on any of these hands below.
54. High deg.: PHD - We've got a lot of
