I am back for my final blog of 2015, and fittingly it is to write up a Jeffrey Wechsler creation. By my impromptu count, this will be the 15th one I have done in 15. This is a wide open grid with 63 theme letters and 93 white squares not near a black one. The center is the grid spanning fill with triple sevens in the NW and SW and triple sixes in the NE and SE. Each theme fill has has a very consistent four letter ending anagram with an I in the middle and a silent E at the end.. When I saw lite and mite I was thinking maybe a word ladder was coming our way, and tire seemed confirm that until rite popped into my head and then I 'saw' the earlier anagrams. I wish I could come up with a FIRE/ RIFE fill to make it a ladder as well, but I am sure JW already saw that path was closed. Lots of common crossword filler, unusual for Jeffrey and a few of his trademark multi-word fill. Let's unwrap this baby.
19A. Word game for beginners? : SCRABBLE LITE (12). I like the clue and fill , but I did not see the gimmick here. TILE becomes LITE.
27A. Ordinary little insect? : STANDARD MITE (12). TIME becomes MITE. Very nice clue, I do hate those dust mite pics.
45A. Fate of one constantly reliving the past? : CIRCULAR LIFE (12). The ever needed circular FILE for all of those great interoffice memos that appear in a big firm.
55A. Memoirs of an African river explorer? : I WALK THE NILE (12). We will let me Cash sing us into the rest of the puzzle.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lq0fUa0vW_E&list=RDLq0fUa0vW_E#t=0
Across:
1. Sport enjoyed by Henry VIII : TENNIS. This FACT I learned watching the TUDORS on Showtime.
7. Goes for broke : RISKS ALL.
15. Sitcom friend of Jerry : ELAINE.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xi4O1yi6b0
16. "It eludes me ... " : I DON'T SEE. And generally I do not care.
17. Olympian drink : NECTAR. Depends on who you ASK.
18. Great Sand Dunes National Park location : COLORADO. You want to see? LINK.
21. It starts in juin : ETE. Juin is June in French, not too hard to guess.
22. Big Ben trio : III. On the clock...
23. Fund-raising target : ALUM. Friday so you get no hint that it is an abbreviation.
32. Chancel neighbor : APSE.
35. Edge : INCH. You can edge toward someone or inch like INCH BY INCH.
36. Metaphoric vilification : MUD.No politics, so no mudslinging.
42. Waterfront org. : ILA. Those fun longshoremen.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=uBiewQrpBBA
43. Penicillin, often : CURE. We will not ask what we are using it to cure.
44. Province of Catania attraction : ETNA. We just had this.
50. "A Day Without Rain" artist : ENYA. She is like a dandelion in the spring. LINK. (2:45)
51. Indefinite pronoun : ONE. Not male or female.
52. U.S. Army award since 1918 : DSM. Distinguished Service Medal.
61. Liqueur made with Jamaican rum : TIA MARIA.. Some HISTORY. I never knew this brand was owned by the people who also owned Kahlua.
64. Ancient looker : ADONIS. Slightly censored I guess, here with Venus.
65. Inborn : IMMANENT. One of a confusing TRIO.
66. Hotel supply : LINENS.
67. Security booth site : MAINGATE.
68. Green Party concern : ENERGY.
Down:
1. Frazzled : TENSE.
2. Choose : ELECT.
3. Mother-of-pearl : NACRE.
4. Female rock guitarist Strauss : NITA. Hmm, I WATCH and am reminded of a female bassist.
5. "Soon" : IN A BIT.
6. Landlocked European nation : SERBIA. There are 16 landlocked countries in Europe: Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Belarus, Czech Republic, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Moldova, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Switzerland and Vatican City, only one has six letters.
7. Dirty __ : RICE. Interestingly, Barry Silk had the fill DIRTY RICE and 20D. Vietnam Veterans Memorial designer : LIN both in his November 14 offering.
8. One with loyal followers : IDOL. and 14D. Confident and loyal sort, so it's said : LEO.
9. Most piano sonatas : SOLI. One player.
10. Square or slip follower : KNOT.
11. Continuous flow : STREAM. Like videos these days.
12. Botanist Gray : ASA. I was ready thanks to Mark Bickham and the slew of obscure ASA clues.
13. Wasn't behind anyone : LED.
24. Boundary : LIMIT.
25. Rush hour improbability : U-TURN. Much nicer than UIE or UEY.
26. Euripides tragedy : MEDEA. An oddly unsuccessful PLAY about the tragedy of Jason.
27. Sun. address : SERmon.
28. Kitchen gadget : DICER. The earlier rice made this easier.
29. Singer DiFranco : ANI.
30. Alabama label : RCA.
31. UPS competitor : DHL.
32. Cold __ : AS ICE. All I heard was THIS. (3:15).
33. "The Python Years" diarist Michael : PALIN. Everyone get the spelling correct now?
34. Like nightmares : SCARY.
38. Hosp. section : ICU. Intensive Care Unit.
39. Spoon extension? : FUL. You want one MORE? (2:32).
40. Investment initials : IRA
41. Apparel with a message, perhaps : TEE
46. South American crocodilian : CAIMAN.
47. Developer's offering : LOT.
48. Checkup request : INHALE.
49. Supply with, as carrots to a food processor : FEED IN.
52. 24-hour eatery, often : DINER.
53. Medical support : SLING.
54. Complicated : MESSY. Speaking of which...
56. Big name in early computers : WANG. Doe history REPEAT?
57. Expanse : AREA.
58. Home filter target : LINT.
59. The Duchess of Cambridge, familiarly : KATE.
60. "... for __ of woman born / Shall harm Macbeth" : NONE. Jeffrey's dose of Will.
Be bloody, bold, and resolute. Laugh to scorn
The power of man, for none of woman born
Shall harm Macbeth.
61. Robbins of "The Shawshank Redemption" : TIM. One of my top ten favorite movies, from a Stephen King story. TRAILER. (2:11)
62. "__ Man": Spencer Davis Group hit : I'M A this SONG (2:52) followed immediate by the anagram....
63. Côte d'Azur companion : AMI. We end with French, so I will say à bientôt, and hope you all are having a great Christmas. Thanks for sharing your lives here at the Corner. Lemonade out.
