I tagged as I solved it, and then commented during the Instant Replay after I was done.
It really was one of the funnest puzzles I've done in ages - so many answers evoked nice memories or brought a chuckle (or downright ROTFLMAO!).. Ralph solved too, so you can see his thoughts as well. This takes a solitary solve and makes it a catalyst for some fun conversation!
**SPOILER ALERT - if you haven't done the puzzle, go to www.cruciverb.com and solve it first!**
Summary
Overall comment
Write overs (word evolution)
tita
|
51D Passing remarks?
[OhIs-->OBIT]
65A Small fry [sOTS-->TOTS] 45A 1989 Beijing protest site [TIANANuENSQUARE-->TIANANMENSQUARE] 38D Easy win [ROut-->ROMP] 26A TV witch series based on L.J. Smith novels [THESEkRETCIRCLE-->THESECRETCIRCLE] 18D Tiddlywink, e.g. [DISk-->DISC] |
ralph
|
45A 1989 Beijing protest site
[TIANANMaNSQUARE-->TIANANMENSQUARE]
29D Beethoven's "Für __" [ELISa-->ELISE] |
Googled
tita
|
none
|
ralph
|
none
|
Late answers
tita
|
none
|
ralph
|
45A 1989 Beijing protest site
29D Beethoven's "Für __" |
General comments
1A "Star Trek" milieu
[SPACE]
tita
|
nice clue
gimme |
Yes, I loved the original show, I
admit it... Fun 1A!
|
2D "That was a close
one!"[PHEW]
tita
|
nice clue
|
;)
|
3D Home of the Taj Mahal[AGRA]
tita
|
crosswordese
gimme |
4D It can point you in the right
direction[COMPASS]
tita
|
nice clue
gimme |
I don't need a compass when
sailing on my little lake...
|
ralph
|
nice clue
|
5D Student's Web address ending[EDU]
tita
|
crosswordese
gimme |
6A Kermit, for one [FROG]
tita
|
nice clue
gimme |
It isn't easy....(being green,
that is...)
|
6D One of Baskin-Robbins' 31[FLAVOR]
tita
|
nice clue
gimme |
As teens, my best friend and iI
made friends with the sweet lady who owned the one by us. Brings back fond
memories.
|
8D Blade on a boat[OAR]
tita
|
Nautical micro-theme.
|
9D Made a pained face[GRIMACED]
tita
|
nice clue
|
10A Droop [WILT]
tita
|
nice clue
|
Some of my transplanted lettuces
are WILTing! :(
|
10D Bundle-up times[WINTERS]
tita
|
gimme
|
Especially in Minnesota, eh??
|
ralph
|
Why not clue it as a verb or
somebodys name?
|
12D Recline lazily[LOLL]
tita
|
nice clue
|
LOL!
|
14A "Dear me!" [OHGOD]
tita
|
SOB/OHGOD...so sad!
|
15A Pinocchio, at times [LIAR]
tita
|
nice clue
|
Cute clueing
|
16A "__ out?": choice
offered a pet [INOR]
tita
|
wow
nice clue gimme |
Every pet owner will love this!!
|
ralph
|
nice clue
|
17A Ships' drop-off location?
[BERMUDATRIANGLE]
tita
|
nice clue
|
Great clue...crossing COMPASS, was
thinking some kind of nautical or with Star Trek clue, that weird show with
Leonard Nimoy about inexplicable stuff...
|
ralph
|
nice clue
|
18D Tiddlywink, e.g.[DISC]
tita
|
nice clue
|
And yet another great word in teh
grid, and memory of childhood games...
|
19D Autobahn car[AUDI]
tita
|
nice clue
|
An A8 was our first car when we
moved to Germany - how we loved the Autobahn!
|
25A Marquis de __ [SADE]
tita
|
nice clue
gimme |
!
|
26A TV witch series based on L.J.
Smith novels [THESECRETCIRCLE]
tita
|
obscure answer
pop name |
Never ever heard of this, but easy
to infer.
|
ralph
|
Never heard of it
|
26D Between, in poetry[TWIXT]
tita
|
nice clue
|
Fun word
|
27D "Ready or not, __
come!"[HEREI]
tita
|
nice clue
|
Another fond memory of childhood
and the kid-rich neighborhood.
|
29D Beethoven's "Für
__"[ELISE]
tita
|
nice clue
gimme |
I was able to play this once upon
a time
|
30D Land by the sea, in
Saragossa[COSTA]
tita
|
nice clue
|
Isn't it ZARAGOZA? Did not know
this spelling...
|
ralph
|
Spanish for coast?
|
31D Staples Center player[LAKER]
tita
|
obscure answer
sports |
So much sports...Et tu, Andrea?
|
32D Prepare to change, as a wrong
answer[ERASE]
tita
|
nice clue
|
Like we do while puzzling...
|
33A Like Dylan Thomas, by birth
[WELSH]
ralph
|
Had Irish briefly but knew better.
|
34A Caustic drain unclogger [LYE]
tita
|
crosswordese
nice clue |
Sure, it's xwordese, but I love it
because it is the secret ingredient in Bavarian pretzel bread -
Laugenbroetchen - that we have actually gotten pretty good at making...Danke
schoen!
|
35A Fly in the clouds [SOAR]
tita
|
nice clue
|
How relaxing...
|
37A Helped with the dishes [DRIED]
tita
|
nice clue
|
37D Jurassic beast[DINOSAUR]
tita
|
nice clue
|
38D Easy win[ROMP]
tita
|
sports
|
ALmost got me...hat ROut, but
noticed before submitting the puzzle and fixed it. I couldn't spell TIANANMEN
properly otherwise.
|
39A Calypso cousin [SKA]
tita
|
crosswordese
|
Guess....it took me a few decades
to finally memorize this bit of xwordese!
|
40A TV warrior princess [XENA]
tita
|
crosswordese
pop name gimme |
I actually have seen her show a
few times... Memorable name...
|
41D San __ Fault[ANDREAS]
tita
|
nice clue
gimme |
Ha ha!!!!!! You're so vain - I
mean, You're so meta!! ;)
|
ralph
|
No faults here
|
42A Cyclades island [IOS]
tita
|
obscure answer
|
Was in a very recent puzzle -
still needed crosses to get it, though...
|
43A Can't stomach [HATES]
ralph
|
Had to think about the S
|
44D Coin-operated cafeteria[AUTOMAT]
tita
|
nice clue
|
I was in Horn & Hardart in
Manhattan once.
|
ralph
|
Precursor of the vending machine
|
45A 1989 Beijing protest site
[TIANANMENSQUARE]
tita
|
nice clue
|
Not sure of spelling,, but crosses
were fair.
|
ralph
|
This did me in but was the best
answer in the puzzle.
|
46D Bedouin, e.g.[ARAB]
tita
|
gimme
|
47D Pasta piece[NOODLE]
tita
|
nice clue
|
Always a fun word in hte
grid...though the clue isn't as fun as it could be... :(
|
48D Notable pen name in
storywriting[SAKI]
tita
|
crosswordese
obscure answer pop name |
Did not know.
|
49A Roller coaster feature [DROP]
tita
|
nice clue
|
50A Brewer's kiln [OAST]
tita
|
crosswordese
|
Haven't seen this in puzzlesin a
long time....
|
51A "Gone With the Wind"
family [OHARAS]
tita
|
pop name
gimme |
51D Passing remarks?[OBIT]
tita
|
nice clue
redirect |
Almost fooled me...Briefly thought
OhIs - as in Oh, hi!...
|
ralph
|
redirect
|
54A Just fine, at NASA [AOK]
tita
|
nice clue
gimme |
I was a space-age baby - Walter
Cronkite and any astronaut were my heroes!
|
54D Politico Landon and an
extraterrestrial[ALFS]
tita
|
nice clue
pop name |
Hah!!!
|
ralph
|
nice clue
|
56D "Damn Yankees"
seductress[LOLA]
tita
|
crosswordese
nice clue pop name |
Oh so nice crossing
BASEBALLDIAMOND! I remember Phil Silvers, and "Whatever LOLA wants, LOLA
gets"...
|
59A "Field of Dreams"
field [BASEBALLDIAMOND]
tita
|
nice clue
|
AHA!! got the theme! Second theme
answer I completed. Sad that it is not nautical or mysterious in nature, but
love that it is geometric!
|
ralph
|
Did not see where theme was going
yet
|
60D The NCAA's Fighting Tigers[LSU]
tita
|
sports
natick |
Sports Natick with USFL - say it
ain't so..
|
61D Beast of burden[ASS]
tita
|
nice clue
|
!
|
62A Ingrid's "Casablanca"
role [ILSA]
tita
|
crosswordese
pop name gimme |
63A Unsuccessful '80s gridiron org.
[USFL]
tita
|
obscure answer
sports natick |
64A Caesar or Waldorf follower
[SALAD]
tita
|
gimme
|
65A Small fry [TOTS]
tita
|
Nice - making us wonder if its
plural or not...
|
Wow, thanks for such a thorough review and so happy it triggered so many positive memories, that's what it's all about, baby!
ReplyDeleteCracked up about "et tu, Andrea" re: sports!!
As i said, mea culpa on LSU/USFL. And LAKER is because, like me, they are From Minnesota and moved to California!
(at least it wasn't asking you to name an obscure player's nickname!)
Anyway, cool site, neat invention, and glad to be a part of YOUR creativity!
Wow, one of my nonrobot captchas is DORRIA as in the Andrea Doria! Maybe it's doing some spying crucimetrics itself! On second thought, maybe it's DORRLA who can tell with these F#%{^ng things!
@Andrea - thanks for stopping by - we mere mortals always love to get those little bits of insight into the constructors' minds...
ReplyDelete