September 3, 2011
Barry C. Silk
Theme: None
Super quick write-up today. It's almost 10:00 (Eastern) and I just finished the puzzle. Took a stab at it last night after watching some of the tennis, but couldn't get far. Decided I must be too tired and figured I'd finish up in the morning. Well, I chipped away at it in fits and starts for quite a while this morning. Finally had everything except the dreaded northeast corner. I think that corner took me as long as the whole rest of the puzzle. Once I got it pieced together, the only thing that looks completely out of place is that SCARNE character (13D: "The Odds Against Me" autobiographer John). Apparently, he's a magician. Anybody heard of him? I sure haven't.
Other problems for me included the vague clue for DRS. (60D: J et al.) since it was crossing ELEAZAR (62A: Son of Aaron), a biblical reference (not exactly my strong suit). I had to run the alphabet there. BEATLES CONCERT took me a long time to see. With the O,N and T in place I faintly penciled in "ONE HIT," thinking that seemed like a reasonable ending for an answer having something to do with baseball. I had OHMS for RHOS (32D: Density symbols, in physics) for quite a while. Also HAIR for HEAT (5D: Wave makeup) and MADE IT for MADE DO (7D: Squeaked by). I'm gonna call this one tough but fair although I'm pretty sure there will be some disagreement about the fair part in the comments. Let's hear it!
Everything — 1A: Name thought to mean "father of many" (ABRAHAM); 8A: Like Rubens (FLEMISH); 15A: Song title words after "The future's not ours to see" (QUE SERA); 16A: Novel genre (ROMANCE); 17A: 20th-century Riyadh-born ruler (IBN SAUD); 18A: Axes to grind (AGENDAS); 19A: 1966 Candlestick Park highlight (BEATLES CONCERT); 21A: Pier gp. (ILWU); 22A: Correct (EDIT); 23A: "I give up!" ("DUNNO!"); 24A: Inclement weather sounds (PEALS); 26A: Early L.A. Times publisher Harrison Gray __ (OTIS); 28A: Acronymous gun (STEN); 29A: Old Turkish leader (SULTAN); 31A: "The Curse of Capistrano" hero (ZORRO); 33A: Small missions? (OPS); 34A: Baseball glove part (WEB); 36A: Theoretical extreme (NTH); 37A: Health facility (SPA); 40A: Not at all active (INERT); 42A: Mainline? (AORTAL); 44A: Ride (SPIN); 47A: Stiff (TAUT); 49A: Close call (SCARE); 50A: They're involved in joints (ULNAS); 52A: Old pol. divisions (SSR'S); 54A: Emmy-winning NFL analyst Collinsworth (CRIS); 55A: Subject of an annual contest held in Brooklyn (NATHAN'S HOT DOGS); 58A: Suppress (SQUELCH); 59A: Ambushed (WAYLAID); 61A: "1984" superstate (EURASIA); 62A: Son of Aaron (ELEAZAR); 63A: Arrival time for the fashionably late? (TEN PAST); 64A: Diminishes (LESSENS); 1D: EPA stat (AQI); 2D: Aptly named soda brand (BUBBLE UP); 3D: Circulation measure (RENEWALS); 4D: Charge (ASSAULT); 5D: Wave makeup (HEAT); 6D: "Any fool can make __": Thoreau (A RULE); 7D: Squeaked by (MADE DO); 8D: Small part (FRACTION); 9D: Wikipedia's globe, e.g. (LOGO); 10D: Correct (EMEND); 11D: Nick of "Heartbreakers" (MANCUSO); 12D: Move from the edge (INDENT); 13D: "The Odds Against Me" autobiographer John (SCARNE); 14D: 1956 Moses player (HESTON); 20D: __ bath (SITZ); 21D: __ facto (IPSO); 25D: Shortened, in a way (SAWN); 27D: Certain Eur. miss (SRTA.); 30D: Old Nair alternative (NEET); 32D: Density symbols, in physics (RHOS); 35D: Military bigwig (BRASS HAT); 37D: Daydream (STARGAZE); 38D: Sartre, for one (PARISIAN); 39D: They may be brown or pale (ALES); 40D: Not stacked (IN A HEAP); 41D: Rear (TUSH); 43D: Pops since 1905 (R.C. COLAS); 44D: Final stage, as of a career (SUNSET); 45D: Memorial tablet (PLAQUE); 46D: How batters must bat (IN TURN); 48D: Gardening gadget (TROWEL); 51D: Hot stuff (SALSA); 53D: Old (STALE); 56D: CBS maritime drama (NCIS); 57D: Hair treatments (DYES); 60D: J et al. (DRS.).
