I am back for this post-thanksgiving puzzle. My trip to Thailand to meet my wife's family, renew our vows and get her to doctors who speak Thai was a wonderful experience. Now on to the puzzle.
We have our second puzzle from LEONARD WILLIAMS who has 8 NYT publications, and a 2016 WSJ. His LAT was a SUNDAY in 2012. This was strange creation, easy in places, but no reveal for the theme. I have blogged enough puzzles where themers all go from bottom to top, but I don't recall one without a reveal. This will likely upset those who do not like themes but it was all well put together. The five all have second word (read from the bottom to the top) synonymous with "rising."
Two relate to climb/ascent and two relate to hike/increase. I had fun.
3D. Government revenue generator, aptly : ESAERCNI XAT (11). Tax increase.
13D. Hillary's feat, aptly : TNECSA TSEREVE (13). Everest ascent.
15D. Retailer's increase, aptly : EKIH ECIRP (9). Price hike.
23D. What Red Bull provides, aptly : TSOOB YGRENE (11). Energy boost.
27D. Scale a cliff, aptly : BMILC KCOR (9). Rock climb.
Across:
1. Old AT and T rival : GTE. General Telephone and Electric.
4. __ Na Na : SHA. More from Woodstock.
7. Pigsty : DUMP. These are not synonymous for me. A palace can be a pigsty if not cleaned etc.
11. Least used : RUSTIEST. A Friday stretch.
14. Nightmare reaction : TERROR. This was obscure to me.
16. "Collages" author : ANAIS NIN. Angela Anaïs Juana Antolina Rosa Edelmira Nin y Culmell, known professionally as Anaïs Nin, was an American diarist, essayist, novelist, and writer of short stories and erotica. wiki.
17. Grammy winner for "I Believe I Can Fly" : R KELLY.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIQn8pab8Vc
18. Part of a Requiem Mass : DIES IRAE. Dies irae is a Latin hymn attributed to either Thomas of Celano of the Franciscans (1200 – c. 1265) or to Latino Malabranca Orsini. The hymn is best known from its use as a sequence in the Requiem (Mass for the Dead or Funeral Mass). wiki.
19. Name suffix : III. On any application they ask for suffixes like jr. etc.
20. Ukr. and Georgia, once : SSRS.
21. With legal tender : IN CASH. meh.
23. Even prime : TWO. The only even number that cannot be divided by any other.
26. 2016 World Series Champions : CUBS.
28. Locale : SITE.
29. Con target : SAP.
30. "The Hunger Games" nation : PANEM. Bread. LINK.
32. Pianist Templeton : ALEC. I did not know this COMPOSER.
33. Estadio shout : OLE.
34. Formal reply to "Who's there?" : IT IS I.
35. Foul line shots: Abbr. : FTS. Free Throws.
36. "Too rich for my blood" : I FOLD.
38. Loose : LAX.
39. "__ and the Real Girl": 2007 film : LARS. I ended up enjoying this very odd movie.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNcs9DrKYRU
41. Judicial attire : ROBES.
42. Altar constellation : ARA. The name means ALTAR.
43. Hudson Bay native : CREE.
44. Like kittens : SPRY.
45. Honda subcompact : FIT.
46. Actor Culkin : KIERAN. Macaulay's brother. he continues to act, 2015 in tv series Fargo.
48. Some NCOs : SGTS.
51. Nipper's brand : RCA. Nipper was a mongrel -part fox terrier part jack Russell - from Bristol, England, who served as the model for a painting by Francis Barraud titled "His Master's Voice which was used by RCA
52. Saint of "On the Waterfront" : EVA MARIE.
54. Something to exercise : OPTION.
57. Particularly noxious : VIRULENT.
58. Cialis competitor : VIAGRA.
59. Periodic table listing : ELEMENTS.
60. Numbered piece : OPUS.
61. Obstinate critter : ASS.
62. That, in Tijuana : ESA.
Down:
1. Alumni : GRADS. I know, no mention of abbreviation.
2. North African capital : TUNIS. Tunisia.
4. Emphatic Acapulco assent : SI SI.
5. Rousseau et al. : HENRIS.
6. Like many elephants : ASIAN. Here is Oo after she just fed a lime to an Asian Elephant.
7. Eins und zwei : DREI. Adding in German.
8. Google find : URL.
9. Basic chem. unit : MOLecule.
10. Ask too many questions : PRY.
12. Cold sufferer's boxful : TISSUES.
14. Sad, to Sartre : TRISTE. French.
22. Is out sick, say : AILS.
24. Pixar title robot : WALL-E.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZisWjdjs-gM
25. Slanted pieces : OP-EDS.
30. Rice dish : PILAF.
31. Longtime video game name : ATARI.
35. For the taking : FREE.
37. On the market : FOR SALE.
40. Singer Grande : ARIANA. Seems like a very real person, but what do I know.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ekZEVeXwek
44. Certain drums : SNARES.
47. Walled Spanish city : AVILA. Not sure, but I immediately thought of out dear Lucina. LINK.
49. Colors : TINTS.
50. __ precedent : SETS A.
51. Fixes, in a way : RIGS.
53. Fall bloomers : MUMS. Mums the flower as well as the WORD.
54. Lacto-__ vegetarian : OVO. They eat milk and eggs.
55. Domino depression : PIP.
56. Sigma follower : TAU.
I imagine most of us are somnabulant, but I learned today that chicken has more tryptophan than turkey. I renew my thanks to C.C. and all of you for 9 fun years.
