Saturday Themeless by Kyle Dolan and Dylan Schiff
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| Kyle |
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| Dylan |
Kyle is a science and tech consultant at the British consulate in Chicago and I have
blogged many of his themeless Saturday puzzles. Today he teams up with Dylan Schiff, who is a middle school science teacher like I was for 42 years. This was a big test for this solver and I enjoyed it immensely as I never felt I was out of it (except for two cells!). My issues were the two cells you see highlighted here in the grid. I had never heard of BOSS FIGHTS and so I had BOSS HIGHS? where HEAT was a possible Guiness record data and SASHA could have been a character in a TV show. Buzz, we have some lovely parting gifts for you, Gary.
1. Next-level experience?: BOSS FIGHT Boss Fight Entertainment is an American video game development company based in Allen, TX.
10. "The Hobbit" figure: DWARF.
15. Around: IN THE AREA - Middle infielders used to only have to be "IN THE AREA" at second base and not tag the base to have the runner called out. Not so any more after new rules make the fielders safer by making it illegal to "go after" the infielder.
16. Registration info: OWNER - I always intend to fill those out...
17. Strips at a party: STREAMERS π
18. Emma Roberts, to Julia Roberts: NIECE.
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| Emma, Julia and Lisa who is Emma's mother and Julia's sister |
19. Raises: HOISTS - A double HOIST
20. London institution with a Los Angeles namesake, familiarly: THE TIMES - For a price you can get this London TIMES edition proclaiming a 54-year-old event. Addendum: The British Open simply calls itself The Open Championship and The London Times simply calls itself THE TIMES
22. Drop (out): OPT.
23. Industry titan: CZAR.
24. Chichi: POSH - A POSH stateroom on the Titanic that could have hosted John Jacob Astor and his wife. Astor made a huge fortune in 29. Hides: SKINS but it didn't save him from drowning on that April night in 1912.
25. High wind: PICCOLO - A stirring patriotic John Phillips Sousa song with a famous PICCOLO descant that starts at 2:00.
31. Technical drawing: SCHEMATIC - Beautiful movie star Hedy Lamarr famously drew up a schematic on a cocktail napkin. Her device helped in the WWII effort and was the forerunner for a lot of modern technology. All you'd like to know
35. Doesn't surprise, in a way: LIVES UP TO - LaBron James skipped his last two years of high school playing for the Irish of St. Mary's in Akron, Ohio. He has LIVED UP TO every expectation.
37. Allow: LET.
38. Place where stuff sells left and right: SHOE STORE π
42. Coastal habitat: MARSH.
44. Carry a torch for: CRUSH ON - to have a feeling of romantic love for someone. She is CRUSHING ON him.
45. Like many of Ruth Bader Ginsburg's jabots: LACY - Jabot (zha bΕ or ja bΕ): a pleated frill of cloth or lace attached down the center front of a woman's blouse or dress, from the French for bird's crop. You're welcome.
46. "Now, about ... ": AS TO - RGB might have written, "This is unconstitutional, now AS TO what we are going to do about it..."
49. Yoga roll: MAT π
50. Onetime carrier based in Cairo: AIR SINAI - Air Egypt also fit and I found out AIR SINAI was a subsidiary of Air Egypt
52. "The Crown" role, familiarly: LADY DI - Actual and images from The Crown
55. Short-tailed weasel: STOAT.
56. Taboo gathering?: GAME NIGHT - π Can you make your partner say the top word on the card?
Saying the word or the other five words is Taboo
58. Flip side?: TAILS - This choice starts every Super Bowl
59. "All good?": ARE WE COOL?
60. Diamond Jubilee number: SIXTY - QEII on her 60th year of rein. It's also used for 75th year.
59. "All good?": ARE WE COOL?
60. Diamond Jubilee number: SIXTY - QEII on her 60th year of rein. It's also used for 75th year.
61. Beach club?: SAND WEDGE π - If someone lands in a sand trap, others are likely to say kiddingly, "Hey, you're on the beach!"
1. Chess pieces known as elephants in Russia: BISHOPS - Yes, Castles (yeah, I know it's rooks) fit too.
2. Focused: ON TOPIC
3. Elaine who had a recurring role as Jack's mother on "30 Rock": STRITCH.
4. First word of Tom Petty's "Free Fallin'": SHE'S.
She's a good girl, loves her mamaLoves Jesus and America tooShe's a good girl, is crazy 'bout ElvisLoves horses and her boyfriend too
5. Potential Guinness entry, say: FEAT - Cycling backwards on a bike for 60km in 5hrs.
5. Potential Guinness entry, say: FEAT - Cycling backwards on a bike for 60km in 5hrs.
6. Perfect Portions brand: IAMS - I wonder what our Lily would think
Since she believed him to be both candid and trustworthy, she refused to consider the possibility that his statement had been __________.
A irrelevant
B facetious
C mistaken
D critical
E insincere
9. Smith of TV's "Empire": TASHA.
10. "That's a bad idea": DON'T.
11. O'Hare and Bush, for two: WWII PILOTS - O'Hare had the Chicago Airport named for him. George H.W. Bush was also a hero and our 41st president
12. Sea __: ANEMONE - A clownfish with a symbiotic relationship with a Sea ANEMONE
13. Nook: RECESS.
14. Straight from the garden: FRESH.
21. Unsure sounds: ERS.
23. __ du RhΓ΄ne: COTES - Literally "the hillsides of Rhone" that is the home of great wines
26. Seasoning on a Chicago-style hot dog: CELERY SALT - I never ask my lovely bride for her input but on a whim, I asked Joann if she knew a 10-letter seasoning for a Chicago-style hot dog. After ten seconds she gave me the correct answer!
27. Forgets, maybe: OMITS.
28. Heathrow facilities: LAV - LAV or LOO?
30. Japanese cutlet: KATSU - Another name for something I have never heard of.
32. "Roughly": ISH.
33. "The Flight Attendant" star: CUOCO - Of course we know Kayley broke through in Big Bang Theory
36. What "p" may stand for: PER - I'm probably the only person thought of how p resembles the Greek letter rho ⍴
37. Brand with a Pamplemousse flavor: LACROIX - Pamplemousse is French for grapefruit. La Croix is French for the cross and was founded in La Crosse, Wisconsin.
39. "What?!": OH MY GOD.
40. One who crosses the line?: ROADHOG - Our new car gives a slight tug in the opposite direction and gives the warning you see here on the dash if you hit the dividing line.
41. Warrant: ENTITLE.
42. Cocktail flavored with orgeat syrup: MAI TAI - Full recipe
43. "Always and Forever, Lara Jean" novelist Jenny: HAN.
45. Holds up: LASTS.
47. Long-term investment accounts?: SAGAS - I wrote to Kyle about this clue/fill. I told him I thought it was about stories (accounts) told to people who a real interest (investment) in a common history (long-term). Kyle said that I did have it right he was glad I wrote both of which made me very happy.
48. Pageant prize: TIARA - I'm not sure if this a TIARA or a crown but it is picture of a lovely girl I had in class fifty years ago. She is the same girl that I told you about that now raises Alpacas in the highlands of Colorado and makes hats out of their hair.
51. Minute: ITSY.
52. Blue: LEWD - The girl with the TIARA/crown above said she would look for a picture with a TIARA but felt she do better with this clue! She's a hoot.
53. Again: ANEW.
54. Boggle pieces: DICE.
