Saturday, July 16, 2011 Tom Heilman

UGH ~!

Sorry, but this offering today had some real cringers in it. First time I have blogged Tom Heilman; the last Saturday from Tom was May 2010, and the results seemed to be on par with this puzzle....

Splynter here, on a DNF Saturday -

Words: 66

Blocks: 27

ACROSS :

1. Public mockery : PASQUINADE - tough start; had I not had the "U" in both the A. and D. clues, the Q would not have been a choice

11. Opening movement of Holst's "The Planets" : MARS - a WAG, but it IS "The Planets"

15. Cleans up : EXPURGATES - Sounds more like making the mess....

16. First Dominican-born Major League Baseball manager : ALOU - a classic CW WAG here

17. Everglades denizens : ALLIGATORS - got it

18. Hoot? : DAMN - I don't give a "hoot" about....

19. Occupation : TRADE

20. "Lady, shall __ in your lap?": Hamlet : I LIE

21. They may be geological : ERAS

22. Direct : BOSS - the verbs, here

23. A plan may be put on it : HOLD

24. Artist son of Andrew Wyeth : JAMIE - Nope, don't know these people; here's some of the art

25. Kyrgyzstan city : OSH

26. Pregnant pause, perhaps : TENSE MOMENT - good clue/answer

28. Surface phenomena affected by magma : GEYSERS - got it - more here

30. Judges : DECIDES

31. Complex design : WEB

32. Fatal opening? : NON - Like in NON-fatal injury...?

33. Statement of equality : ITS A TIE - yeah, but meh

37. Coastal freeze : FAST ICE - I knew it was some sort of __ ice

41. Established favorable conditions (for) : SET THE STAGE - good one I did NOT get

43. Pita look-alike : NAN - nailed it, but a three-letter answer on Sat. doesn't help much....

44. Narrow ridge : ARETE - here

45. Faithful : TRUE

46. Crack agent? : NARC - Crack, the rock cocaine, and the DEA man who busts you for it

47. "Okay then" : I SEE

48. Scented souvenirs : LEIS

49. Chemical prefix? : PETRO - I REFUSED to put this in, even though I had it, since there was NO WAY it could cross with PETR-....and it did....

50. Poet Walter __ Mare : DE LA - Nope, don't know this guy

51. Independent way to live : OFF THE GRID - I guess, but I wouldn't necessarily describe it as independent; more like low key, or on the "lam"

53. Barely better than none? : SLIM when your choices are "slim and none"

54. Railing with molded supports : BALUSTRADE - you know I HAD to get this one; I might have a huge balustrade to build next month

55. Court cry: Var. : OYEs - a variation on OLEs ????

56. Private : ONE-STRIPER - ARGH~! Got me, never thought of the military

DOWN:

1. Moor feature : PEAT BOG - wasn't he the lead singer of some rock group?

2. Frontman on the 1987 debut album "Appetite for Destruction" : AXL ROSE - Guns N Roses; got him, knew him, thought I might have a chance; he's the one in the middle - the guy with the cigarette is my second favorite guitarist, Slash.

3. Flamboyant : SPLASHY - Axl was splashy, not Slash-y

4. Plugs of tobacco : QUIDS - my parents are both British; to me a "quid" is slang for a buck, a pound, a dollar, and not used in the plural

5. Seriously suggest : URGE

6. Supermarket chain with Chicago H.Q. : IGA - quick, name a three-letter food store....there's one WAY out east here on Lon Guyland

7. United __ : NATIONS - see the last clue/answer, 52D.

8. Components of the Maldives : ATOLLS - had islets to start

9. Scoffed at : DERIDED

10. __ est percipi: to be is to be perceived : ESSE - Four years of Latin told me "to be" is ESSE

11. Raked it in : MADE A MINT - had MADE MONEY to start; not a bad WAG

12. Protected, in a way : ALARMED - as in your home, with the "Slomin's shield" or ADT

13. Arugula alternative : ROMAINE

14. Down times? : SUNSETS - good clue/ans. and visual

23. Beetle of note : HERBIE - OH ~! The Volkswagen ~! VERY good ~!

24. Playful : JOCOSE - Bzzz - Denied; didn't get it

26. Use a ring, maybe : TEETHE - had TIE OFF (like drapes) at first; the T_E helped

27. Household : MENAGE - Let's get DF here, and lighten this one up ~!

29. Elite tactical units : SWAT TEAMS - nailed it; today it was YES or NO - I either got it, or I didn't, and had no hope, to boot

33. Discussion-ending words : I SAID SO - I had "THAT'S IT" and couldn't shake it

34. In a word : TERSELY - got it, but spelled it TERSLEY

35. Pinball ball, perhaps : STEELIE - I love pinball, like the "Black Knight" and the Addam's Family", but did not know this term until I started writing today

36. Grammy winner for the 1993 album "Mi Tierra" : ESTEFAN - I thought PUENTE (Tito), but spelled it wrong anyway

37. Thomas Mann's "Doktor __" : FAUSTUS - Um, nope

38. Caught : IN A TRAP - yeah, I guess

39. Four-wheel drive? : CAR RIDE - Really~?!?!?

40. Spy, at times : ENCODER

42. Gimcrack : TRIFLE

46. Pola of the silents : NEGRI - image

48. Western howler : LOBO

49. Stone: Pref. : PETR - not gonna say it again....

52. President when the U.N. was created : HST - I wanted Woodrow Wilson, but he was denied his "League of Nations".

Answer grid.

Oh well, at least I move into my new apartment this weekend - I am off to lick my NON FATAL mental wounds....thanks for listening to me gripe

Splynter

Note from C.C.:

Here are a few wonderful pictures from another blog regular (and his brothers). Easy to tell who he is, yes? I love the first one.

Saturday, July 9, 2011 Doug Peterson

Theme: None

Words: 70

Blocks: 28

Wow~! - Considering the fine and challenging offers from our "Corner Constructors" of the last two days, I smoked this puzzle, without a single hesitation, and only one quick review to find my one-letter goof. We have seen Doug before on Saturday, his last being the duo with Barry Silk.

A nearly a 'pinwheel' symmetrical puzzle, with triple stacks of 10 in each "arm" - just a black square off in the NE and SW.

Onward~!

Splynter

ACROSS:

1. It may be picked : BASS GUITAR - I actually switched to the DOWNS first, but once I had _SS G_, I pretty much got it - I play, but use a pick more often then the finger or slap technique

11. Revival figs. : EMTs - nice misdirection, human revivers, Emergency Medical Technicians

15. Sly role, as a rule : ACTION HERO - Sylvester "Sly" Stallone, in movies such as Rambo, Cliffhanger, etc. - I still want to see "The Expendables" with "ALL" the action heroes.

16. Fly on the river, perhaps : LURE

17. One who might steal kisses : CHOCOHOLIC - those little Hershey kisses here

18. Protected from buffeting : ALEE - Saturday level cluing for this word

19. Shorten, in a way : HEW

20. Smoking choice : PIPE

21. Big name in test preparation : KAPLAN - Here

23. Certain surfer's power source : KITE - I would rather sail my Hobie Cat than do this

24. Stands in a field? : COPSES

25. Choice cut : T-BONE

28. Dealt with loose ends : MOPPED UP

30. Shadow removers : RAZOR BLADES - "5 o'clock shadow" for the hirsute man

33. Treasure State motto word : ORO

34. Intaglio stone : ONYX - Here

35. Not as refined : RUDER - I had rawer to start

36. Times to get ready : EVES

37. "The Man From U.N.C.L.E." producer : MGM - a WAG with the -G- there

38. Sinuous storytellers : HULA DANCERS - show me your links ~!

40. One of the noble metals : PLATINUM - nailed it; also Gold et. al.

42. Champion, for one : HORSE - I got it, but didn't know who Champion was....

43. Absinthe flavorings : ANISES

44. Chicago's __ House : HULL - Here's the story

46. Out there to the max : ODDEST

47. Tightly : FAST - meh, not sure about this

48. NASCAR no. : RPM

51. Doce halved : SEIS

52. "You Should Be Dancing" group : THE BEE GEES

55. Pre-bar letters : LSAT

56. Trying to get close to : ESTIMATING

57. Extremely : OHSO

58. Cops often take them at crime scenes : STATEMENTS - Huge Law & Order fan, usually this segment comes right after the first commercial break

 DOWN:

1. "Little Organ Book" composer : BACH - Four-letter organ composer?

2. Not quite smart? : ACHE - Loved this, reminds me of this

3. Put away : STOW

4. Disclaimer in a quote : SIC - most often brakceted [sic] like this....

5. More likely to ooze : GOOPIER

6. Like a pitch that's taken, ironically : UNHIT

7. "My wish is ..." : I HOPE

8. Tubby leader? : TELE - Tele-tubbies, those pastel colored things

9. 1968 newlywed, familiarly : ARI - I had LIZ at first, a WAG at Elizabeth Taylor

10. Pink Floyd's "The Wall," e.g. : ROCK OPERA

11. Slip by : ELAPSE

12. Chewed on : MULLED OVER

13. Balancing pros : TREASURERS - well-clued

14. Caught, in a way : SEEN

22. Useful downloads : APPS

23. First U.S. secretary of war (for whom a fort was named) : KNOX

24. Put into bars, say : CODED

25. Defeat badly : TROMP

26. East Pakistan, today : BANGLADESH

27. Sonnet likely inspired by Ramses the Great : OZYMANDIAS - One and the same

28. Chair's title, at times : MADAM

29. Sheriff's outfit : POSSE

31. Gentlemen's second choices? : BRUNETTES - Well, now, they happen to be this gentleman's FIRST choice

32. Corkers : LULUs

36. Sierra Club subj. : ECOL. - Ecology, hear here ~!

38. Sign of an escape? : HISS - as air from a punctured tire

39. Devils, e.g. : NHL TEAM - New Jersey - I will root for them if the NY Rangers aren't on

41. Words with organized crime : TIES TO - Another L&O reference, as in "Biegel has ties to the Masucci family..." ( I had tieD to, my only boo-boo )

44. Order clothes : HABIT - I had ROBES to start here

45. "I'm yours to command" : USE ME - I think of the lyrics here at 0:58

46. Vigeland Sculpture Park city : OSLO - Images

47. Crumbly topping : FETA - cheese, on salads, etc

48. Arabian checker : REIN - Arabian, the horse, but not Champion

49. Shut (up) : PENT

50. In-box queue: Abbr. : MSGS

53. Fair Deal initials : HST - Harry S. Truman

54. Former comm. giant : GTE - I remember these guys

Answer grid.

See ya next time ~!

Splynter

Saturday, July 2, 2011 Barry Silk

Theme: None

Words: 72

Blocks: 31

Hey~!

 We start off the holiday weekend with a Saturday Silk, two triple stacks of 10 in the NW and SE.  Lots of entertainment clues, most before MY time....Not a tough one, but I did have to check red-letter for my first guess at 9D.  Oh well.  6 "Z"s, but no 59D - missing the "Q-U"

Let's go to the video tape ~!

 Splynter

ACROSS:

1. Extraterrestrial factor in creating much of Earth's carbon-14 : COSMIC RAYS - first thoughts were SOLAR FLARE or COMET/METEOR something....

11. '90s TV toon therapist : KATZ - Dr. Katz - this was on Comedy Central, but I couldn't watch because of the annoying jittery animation, described here

15. "The Defense Never Rests" co-author : F. LEE BAILEY - I defer to others

16. You may bid on it : EBAY

17. Circulation aid : CEILING FAN - good answer, I just installed two.

18. Five-time Wimbledon winner : BORG - Bjorn, of Sweden

19. American Fur Company founder : ASTOR

20. Firenze field : CAMPO - hey, thanks to yesterday, this one was a gimme ~!

21. "__ to Canaan": Carole King hit : BEEN - tried "ROAD" to start

24. Harris trickster : BR'ER RABBIT - a contraction of "brother", he's a character of folklore with more here

27. Sin tax, e.g. : EXCISE

29. Take-charge type : DOer

30. __ Genevieve: Missouri county or its seat : STE

31. __-ovo-vegetarian : LACTO - a guess, and I surmise that this is a person who is OK with consuming milk and eggs

32. Cry of delight : YOWZAH - last word heard here (warning: lyrical content~!).  Fun to sing and play; tough solo

34. Low life? : AMOEBAE - yes, a play on the plural, like I had before; this time, the Latin plural for our one-celled organisms

36. Remote drivers? : AA CELLS - AA batteries for one's TV remote - got this one with a smile - thinking about a similar answer in a puzzle of my own....

40. Attached, as some decals : SEWN ON - meh, but I guess if it read "patches" instead of decals, it'd be a gimme.  I tried IRON ON to start

 

42. Certain elephant : ASIAN - funny, but I couldn't get Indian or African to fit....

43. Dander : IRE

46. Pro __ : RATA

47. Miss Hungary of 1936, familiarly : ZSA-ZSA - our cop-slapping drunk driver - here

48. Where Massenet's "Don Quichotte" premiered : MONTE CARLO

51. Grate : RASP

52. Obscured : HAZED

53. Edge : SIDLE

55. Desert antelope : ORYX - image

56. Insolvent bailout beneficiary : ZOMBIE BANK - today's learning moment for me; based on the way things are after the $700B bailout of '08, I would prefer my "cut" of $22,000.

61. Michelle Phillips was one in the '60s : MAMA -of the Mamas & Papas

62. Man in the street : AVERAGE JOE - I could do without this guy's 15mins of fame in the next presidential election....but a shout out to one of our new members~!

63. Hot times in 48-Across : ETES - not gonna say it....

64. Coconut-flavored cocktail : PI�A COLADA - gettin' caught in the rain....

DOWN:

1. Ozone-threatening compound : CFC - ChloroFluoroCarbon - here

2. Word of support : OLE~!!!

3. Half of dodici : SEI - Italian for 12 and 6 - it filled itself in via perps

4. Black garnets : MELANITES - image

5. Spoonbill's cousin : IBIS

6. "No way!" : CAN'T BE

7. Inflexibility : RIGOR

8. Served with a creamy cheese sauce : ALFREDO

9. Word of support : YEA - I had "PRO" to start, and it wasn't working for me - "FOR" was not much better; considered "BRA".

10. Lexicon abbr. : SYNonym

11. Word from the Turkish for "roasted meat" : KEBAB

12. Subj. of Cold War tests : A-BOMBS

13. Asphalt trap : TARPIT

14. Fallopian tube traveler : ZYGOTE - that is, coming down....

20. Bol�var's birthplace : CARACAS - map - Simon Bolivar

21. Coach of Nadia and Mary Lou : BELA - too 52A for me - I just know these were two Olympian gymnasts.

22. Physical, e.g. : EXAM

23. Danish shoe brand : ECCO

25. Martin's partner : ROWAN - Rowan & Martins' Laugh-in, which I saw in reruns as a kid, and where I learned about Arte Johnson - lots of famous people, including 47A

26. Iran's Mohammad Shah __ Pahlavi : REZA - um, OK, sure...

28. Dried out, with "up" : SOBERED - I "dried out" 2,365 days ago

32. Busybody : YENTA

33. 1962 chart topper whose title subject "doesn't do what everybody else does" : HE'S A REBEL - someone else might appreciate this more than I do

35. "Never Wave at __": 1952 film : A WAC - WAAAY before my time

37. "__ With a 'Z'": 1972 TV special : LIZA - again, WAAAY before my time - I WAGed it when the Z showed up

38. Miss : LASS

39. Breeze : SNAP - as in "that was a _"

41. Crew members : OARSMEN - SAILORS fit, too

43. Arrival announcement : I'M HOME

44. Find very funny : ROAR AT

45. Catalytic protein : ENZYME

47. Group of signs : ZODIAC - nailed it.  How's your life now that there are 13 signs?  I actually had to "switch" to Capricorn from Aquarius - it's OK, it's a more manly sign, anyway.

49. Gulf state : TEXAS

50. 47-Down member : LIBRA - my younger brother is one

54. Block brand : LEGO - loved this toy as a kid - still have it all in my closet

56. Reheat, in a way : ZAP - we say "Nuke" in my house

57. Duct opening? : OVI - I had VIA to start; any relation to the Zygote?

58. Grammy-winning Steely Dan album : AJA - I like old Steely Dan; the new stuff, not so much

59. Doze : NOD - NAP fit, too.

60. Mauna __ : KEA - OK, so did you go with LOA or KEA to start?

Answer grid.

Splynter

Saturday, June 25, 2011 Julian Lim

THEME: None

WORDS: 70

BLOCKS: 26

Wow, just a brutal second themeless offering from Mr. Lim, with some clues that were very vague, and others that I downright had to just wince at. Just the one grid spanner today,

36. "The sea was angry that day," e.g. : PATHETIC FALLACY

an "expanded" metaphor, so to speak, with what I thought was the original answer - PERSONIFICATION....and that was just the first of many mistakes :-((

ACROSS:

1. Bounce : DRIBBLE - Ugh, Basketball - I was on the Echo/Toss Out wavelength...

8. Site of the largest WWII Allied Pacific amphibious assault : OKINAWA - IWO JIMA fit, too

15. Pigment used in some primer paints : RED LEAD - Did not know this

16. Worldly : SECULAR - I was on the "global" wavelength

17. Glowing, perhaps : PLEASED - started with RADIANT

18. "You're in charge!" : SEE TO IT

19. Courage : HEART

20. Fightin' with : AGIN' - Against, in "drawl-speak"

22. Exobiologist's org. : SETI - Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence - shoulda got this from the "Exo-" part, but I was thinking bugs...

23. Covering an outfield position : IN LEFT - good baseball answer, I had center at first

25. Byzantine emperor known as "the Armenian" : LEO V - here's his Wiki

27. Some hosps. : VAs - Veteran's Affairs Hospitals

28. Mil. officers : LTs - Lieutenants

29. Demolish, in Durham : RASE - the Anglo version of RAZE

31. Most recently introduced : NEWEST

33. Summons : TICKET - Argh~! I started with this, and took it out

35. One putting on shows : AIRER - Meh, but yeah

40. Hatch of Utah : ORRIN - knew it wasn't Estes, but I couldn't think of him at first

41. Neil Diamond title words after "I am the tune" : PLAY ME - I'll leave the links to you

42. One may be packed with Oreos, briefly : PB AND J - a Peanut Butter and Jelly sa'mich - really~!?  Are there any of us out there that put Oreos in there too~?  Yecht - I'll keep mine for dessert....

44. Uma's role in "The Producers" : ULLA - Uma, Ulla, Uma, Ulla

45. Label for Nilsson : RCA - WAGed EMI, MCI, but ultimately, did not know this guy

48. Yom __: holiday, in Hebrew : TOV

49. Kosovo resident : SERB

51. Hawks' contacts, perhaps : ARMERS - Ugh, as in those who supply arms to militant types, also known as "hawks"

53. Uncultivated, probably : ARID - well, not necessarily, but what can I say....

55. Banter : JEST - I don't see the synonym here - Banter is light talk, Jest is to joke, for me.

57. Does a word-processing task : SAVES - EDITS, DELES, STETS, TYPES, nope - what every application file needs - to be saved; not limited to word-processing....

58. Reacts in fear, in a way : REARS UP

60. Like some soap : ON A ROPE - Cute GAG GIFT ( last week ), and a necessity in prison, I would think....

62. "Eugene Onegin" heroine __ Larina : TATIANA

63. NBAer orig. from Minnesota : L.A. LAKER - great, more basketball - getting to be like French around here - when is MY puzzle going to show up with all the hockey in it?

64. Made red-faced? : SLAPPED - this was a good one - had ANGERED to start, knew I was not quite right with the "?"

65. Evidence provider : DNA TEST

DOWN:

1. "Family First" author, familiarly : DR. PHIL - a phony, if you ask me

2. Give in : RELENT

3. Epitomes : IDEALS

4. Play up to the max? : BLARE - is this true, JzB~?

5. Some buds : BEST FRIENDS - got stuck on a "plant-like" wavelength with 'buds'

6. Papua New Guinea port : LAE - Map, in the middle

7. Snorri Sturluson's "Prose __" : EDDA - the Wiki

8. Walter's "I'm Not Rappaport" co-star : OSSIE - not familiar with this

9. Really into : KEEN ON

10. Plans may be put on it : ICE

11. More than just touched : NUTS

12. Herbal medicine plant : ALOE VERA - the whole name

13. "Not so fast!" : WAIT A SECond

14. Craft : ARTISTRY - Nice clue/answer for a Saturday

21. Competitors in a Fox comedy-drama : GLEE CLUBS - the EE gave it to me

24. Bumpkin's lack : TACT

26. Trattoria offering : VEAL MARSALA - had VEAL_, couldn't recall the second half - I have had Chicken Marsala, which I believe is wine & mushroom sauce - I am not the chef here, but I do "use pot"....

30. Problem with an old record : SKIP - "...like a rhinestone...like a rhinestone...like a rhinestone..." my 45 had a SKIP right there

32. Bit of cunning : WILE

33. Like a poor argument : THIN - WEAK, TAME, nope

34. Maker of nonstick cookware : T-FAL

36. Toaster brand : POP-TARTS - ugh - tried too hard to make Oster fit, etc.

37. Like kinkajous : ARBOREAL - Here's a pic

38. "Fallen woman," in an opera title : - La TRAVIATA, by "Joe Green" (Victor Borge)

39. "The Clan of the Cave Bear" protagonist : AYLA

43. Not exciting : JEJUNE - that's French~!

45. Take away : REVOKE

46. Brunch fare : CREPES - had MIMOSA and OMELET to start - fare is one of those single/plural words, like fish

47. Maintain : ASSERT

50. Fix, as brakes : RE-PAD - I have had many a chance to fix brakes, but never said "RE-PAD"

52. Corday victim : MARAT - French revolution, she slayed him in the bath

54. Cone eater's concern : DRIP

56. Let in on : TOLD - TELL and TALK did not work

59. Enervate : SAP

61. Turkic flatbread : NAN

Answer grid.

Splynter, going back to bed to heal the brain damage....

Saturday, June 18, 2011 Peter A. Collins

Theme: None

Words: 70

Blocks: 28

A tough offering from one of our regular constructors - I went with the Downs first, and so I didn't nail the first grid spanner right away-

17A. Top 10 single on the 1970 album "Abraxas" : BLACK MAGIC WOMAN - Santana

...had me a grid that was predominately blank for most of the time, until I hit on

29A. They're not near the action : CHEAP SEATS

... which broke it open for me; before that, I was considering throwing in the "red-letter" towel; and the other spanner,

54A. Didn't just go : ASKED PERMISSION - a simple, yet thoughtful fill

Splynter, here with another Saturday offering for your perusal

Across:

1. Old Eurasian letters : USSR - did anyone else start with CCCP, the Cyrillic version?

5. Bean counter : NUMBERS GUY - stared at "_u_bers guy" for a long time...

15. Home of H. Rousseau's "The Sleeping Gypsy" : MOMA - TATE? had to be a museum or art gallery, I figured

16. How travelers' bags are screened : ONE AT A TIME - I have not traveled by air for 8 years, was thinking "IN AN XRAY _ _"

19. Old-style street show : RAREE - I have heard of this

20. Tub contents : BATH - I had oleo to start

21. Depend : REST - I had RELY to start

22. Affected : ARTSY

23. A, B or C, perhaps: Abbr. : ANS - thought KEY, GRADE, etc.

24. Like an alias : FALSE - I usually hear "FALSE ALIBI", not FALSE ALIAS

25. Writ word : HABEAS - we have legal experts on the blog who can step in here

27. Wane : SAG - I had EBB to start

28. 1992 gold medal-winning Dream Team coach Chuck : DALY - I don't do basketball - personally, a waste of time and good hardwood....

35. Some six-pack contents : ALE - Felt good about my "ABS" here

36. Six-pack alternative? : BEER GUT - great answer, I had BEER KEG

37. It's best if it's well-seasoned : WOK - cast iron pans, too

38. Party stipulation : NO CHILDREN - I agree

40. Gentle way to go : EASY

41. Picker-upper's concern: Abbr. : ETA - Did anyone else think "Bounty", the paper towel?

42. Shuts out, in slang : SKUNKS - Both the Bruins and Canucks got shut out twice in the Stanley Cup finals; Vancouver in game 7, at home - they just plain "STUNK" in the series.  My brother drove up to Boston for the parade

44. Takes it slow : LOLLS

47. Eastern way : TAO - getting to be a crossword standard

49. '70s toothpaste with "green sparkles" : GLEEM

51. Call, in a way : HAIL - as a cab

52. Pot user : CHEF - uh, not my first thought....

53. Language that gives us "shampoo" : HINDI

57. Very loud : STENTORIAN - A STRAIGHT UP ADJECTIVE I HAVE NEVER HEARD BEFORE - BUT TYPING IN CAPITALS TENDS TO IMPLY SHOUTING; DOES IT BOTHER YOU ????

58. Wood fastener : T-NUT - this do-dad

59. Certain tax determinant : ASSESSMENT

60. They may be first class: Abbr. : SGTS

Down:

1. Sunspot center : UMBRA - Latin for shadow; in this case, it's actually a "cool" spot on the sun's surface, relatively speaking

2. Phenomenon caused by ice crystals between the Earth and sun : SOLAR HALO - I don't think I have witnessed this; I have seen something similar, at night with the moon, so I thought "LUNAR" at first - I did have the HALO part....and two Astrological clues in a row....

3. One making cracks : SMART ALEC

4. Happens quickly : RACES BY

5. Camus, for one : NOM - see 43D - Albert Camus was "French", hence his "name" in French

6. Brazen : UNABASHED

7. Kid-lit Judy Moody series author McDonald : MEGAN - new movie coming out based on this popular character when I was a kid - but I was a boy, I didn't read about 'girls', with their cooties....

8. Entices : BAITS

9. Permanently mark : ETCH

10. Word with deal or nerves : RAW - First fill for me

11. Possible reason for folding : STORAGE

12. Letter on a dreidel : GIMEL  - I am not up on my Hebrew alphabet

13. Sch. with a Lowell campus : UMASS - so here's a map, just because there isn't much to link today

14. "Fiddler on the Roof" matchmaker : YENTE - Did consider YENTA to start

18. __ Luke of Charlie Chan films : KEYE

24. Ritual abstinence : FAST

26. Rapid Northeast train : ACELA - AMTRAK

27. Moxie : SPUNK

28. Castellaneta who voices Homer Simpson : DAN - the man who improvised "D'oh", which is now in the dictionary

30. Transpose digits, say : ERR

31. Golden, Silver, Bronze and Iron, to Ovid : AGES OF MAN - tried "precious" here

32. One may be rude : AWAKENING

33. Ejected : TOSSED OUT

34. Diving milieu : SKY - had SEA first

36. Smithereens : BITS

39. Athens native : HELLENE - Tried GRECIAN early on

40. Volunteers : ENLISTS

43. Disgusted chorus : UGHs - like seeing French in my crosswords....

44. High capital : LHASA - DENV'R didn't fit

45. Hops driers : OASTS

46. Fancies : LIKES

47. 100,000 BTU : THERM - Learning moment for me

48. John Denver album with an eagle's silhouette on the cover : AERIE - I am a HUGE fan, but this one I did not know - came out when I was 9 months old....nice alternative to "high nest"

50. Cashier's counter bowlful : MINTS - the progress was PENNY, COINS, CENTS, MINTS

52. Naval noncoms : CPOs - Chief Petty Officer

55. AA issue : DTs - Delirium Tremens, more of a medical issue - THEN they suggest you start going to meetings....trust me, I have been there, and I am still there - see "Leaving Las Vegas" for a good example

56. QB's miscue : INT-erception, that is, passing it to the other team

Answer grid. 

Splynter

Saturday, June 11th, 2011 Doug Peterson & Barry Silk

Five Spanner Saturday

An intimidating, but do-able Saturday grid from one of my "regulars" in a duo with another constructor whom I've seen before - Doug's "Run" puzzle from May 10th with Angela Olson Halsted.  Today we have three spanners, and two climbers;

34A. Copyright, e.g. : INTANGIBLE ASSET

38A. "Right on!" : NOW YOU'RE TALKING

39A. It can help you carry a tune : TRANSISTOR RADIO

5D. Song sung by Pinocchio : I'VE GOT NO STRINGS

10D. Lab synthesis substance : CHEMICAL REAGENT

Very blank grid to start, wondered if I had any chance at all ~!

Theme: None

Words: 70

Blocks: 36

ACROSS:  ( I actually started with the DOWNS )

1. Chia Pet, perhaps : GAG GIFT - CH- CH- CH- CHia ~! - never had one, but I think it's a cool gift, tho

8. "That's too close!" : BACK OFF

15. Stop flowing, in a way : ICE OVER - good misdirection; I was thinking clot

16. Daughter of Polonius : OPHELIA - From Shakespeare's Hamlet - not that I know any line from her

17. Drawing room? : GALLERY - First thought was Drafting Studio, but, uh, it wouldn't fit

18. Foil : PREVENT

19. Security item : I.D. TAG

20. Fancy wraps : MINKS

21. Handles abroad : NOMS - names, in French; handles, as in CB radio 'nicknames'

24. Key : MAIN

26. Non-coml. interruption : PSA - Public Service Announcement; I still zip through on the DVR

29. Body image, briefly : TAT - D'oh~! I had MRI, CAT, PET...TATtoo, body art

30. __ lamp : ARC - Thought I was sharp with OIL here

31. American leader? : ALL - ALL-American, like Bob Hope used to 'host' when I was a kid

40. Anthem elision : O'ER - "over the ramparts we watched" does sound a bit strained

41. "__ Calling": 2003-'05 supernatural drama : TRU - don't remember this show; two seasons on Fox

42. Will's "Glee" adversary : SUE - I do not watch this show

43. Bill holder: Abbr. : ENV - ENVelop(e), depending on where you are, I guess

44. Word in some school names : PREP - I figured this was going to be some Latin, like "Omni"

45. Quaint interjection : EGAD

47. "Romeo Must Die" star : JET LI

50. Power systems : GRIDS

54. Shake up : UNHINGE - Love this line from "Addams Family"

57. Curse : SWEAR AT

59. Deceiving : LYING TO

60. Conservative commentator who wrote "Let Freedom Ring" : HANNITY - I so do not buy into any of these "all news, all day" programs; truly, just talking heads.  Sean Hannity, another Fox TV show

61. Jerks, as a bell rope : YANKS ON - hey now, down in front....

62. Wind in a combo : ALTO-SAX - Isn't this Bill's instrument? (the other one...)

DOWN:

1. 1958 film with the song "The Parisians" : GIGI

2. Sch. : ACAD - ACADemy

3. Yiddish dough : GELT - got this from the clue last week - one of the few answers I had to start

4. __ Heights: disputed Mideast territory : GOLAN - took a moment for me to remember; had GAZA on the brain, and that's the strip, not the geography

6. Tableau P�riodique #26 : FER - FER-ench for IRON, on the Periodic Table - actually, I like this better than "not agin"

7. Effort : TRY

8. Dizzy music? : BOP - Be-bop, from Dizzy Gillespie, and probably a shout-out to our own Jazzbumpa ~!

9. Loan letters : APR - you can tell my state of mind - I had IOU to start....

11. Bacon from Philadelphia : KEVIN - first answer I got, then wondered if it was Roger

12. Author Robert __ Butler : OLEN - Prize winner

13. Rat : FINK

14. Nuts are rich in them : FATS - this is where i got my first toe-hold, and finished the NE corner, inspired me to carry on

22. 1996 Cruise title role : MAGUIRE - Also from '96 was Ethan Hunt, Mission Impossible, but it didn't fit; SAMURAI did, but that was from "The Last Samurai", 2003

23. Provokes : STIRS UP

24. Brewery sugar : MALTOSE - so it actually helped that I brewed my own beer in college - and man, that stuff was strong ~!

25. Decorator's suggestion : AREA RUG - was on the wavelength, tried ART _ _ to start

26. Mottled horse : PINTO - since ARAB and ROAN wouldn't stretch - maybe an AROAN?

27. "Boring" : SNORE - "Snore ~!" - I had ENNUI to start

28. Not just squabbling : AT WAR

31. Out of the way : ASIDE

32. Red head : LENIN - I had HENNA here, but knew it was a lead-in to "red", as in communist Russia, and ask me about my "Vladimir" story....

33. Statehouse official: Abbr. : LT. GOV - Lieutenant Governor, like here in NY -David Paterson rose to the first seat after Elliot Spitzer wound up in the hot seat....

35. First name in objectivism : AYN - AYN Rand, of the "Fountainhead" and "Atlas Shrugged" books - nailed it.

36. It's made by one who doesn't go out : BET - not sure I get this

37. Jamaican genre : SKA - since REGGAE didn't fit

44. Xylophone sound : PLINK - when the answer's blank, a Xylophone can make a whole lot of sounds

46. Liquid lye brand : DRANO

47. Pioneer Day month, in Utah : JULY - only two choices, right?  June, and July - I guessed wrong

48. "Watermark" musician : ENYA - got it

49. Watery : THIN

51. Romance novelist Johansen : IRIS

52. Excel fodder : DATA - Excel, the Microsoft application software for compiling information into a spreadsheet

53. Netherworld flower : STYX - well, I seriously doubt there are fl-OW-ers in Hell.... Flow-ers = Things that flow.

55. Song from the same era as "Little Deuce Coupe" : GTO - the Beach Boys with "Little Deuce Coupe", and this number, from the days of my youth

56. Quite a stretch : EON - well, it's not "ages", right?

57. Oldie syllable : SHA - as in SHA-NA-NA

58. Retail store opening? : WAL - Wal-mart, the super chain - I don't shop there - I won't go near the place....

Answer grid.

Thanks, and we'll see you next week - Same Spy Time, same Spy Channel

Splynter

Saturday, June 4, 2011 Gareth Bain

Theme: None

Words: 70

Blocks: 32

Four criss-crossing "theme"-like answers, two spanners, two climbers;

20A. Line before "Et tu, Brute?" : SPEAK HANDS FOR ME - Shakespeare's Julius Caesar

54A. Ethical concern for a bar association : AMBULANCE CHASER - I shoulda known this

3D. Symbol of phoniness : THREE-DOLLAR BILL

11D. Dearborn attraction : HENRY FORD MUSEUM - this one I nailed

Wow, this one kicked my butt - too many obscure references in the NW for me to complete it without red-letter help

ACROSS:

1. Candy vehicle : SCTV - Canadian skit show, at least I guess - I have no clue on the "Candy" part....{ it just came to me, about 2 hours later - John Candy }

5. Imported wheels : SAAB - I once owned an '83 900

9. Gone crackers? : HIHOS - crackers, no longer available; Sunshine, then Keebler, then Kellog's were the companies

14. Education acronym : ELHI - ugh, I don't think of this as an acronym; it's abbreviation for EL-ementary thru HI-gh school....

15. Brad's role in "Inglourious Basterds" : ALDO - great movie; this guy's performance outdid Brad's

16. Certain Yemeni : ADENI - again, ugh, really? Am I a "Long Island-i" ?

17. Brings out : AIRS

18. Side of beef part : SLAB

19. Like some raincoats : LINED

23. Tailless mammal : APE - had "MAN" first

24. Self-titled 1988 R&B album : LATOYA - one of the Jacksons

25. Initial response to a yenta? : MYOB - Mind Your Own Business - Yenta is yiddish, originally a woman's name, comes to mean a "busy-body" or gossip

26. Skyscraper feature : LEDGE - UGH~!  There are ledges here in my one-story house....

28. Part of psi?: Abbr. : LBS - now this was a good one - psi, for Pounds per Square Inch, like tire pressure,  and the imperial abbreviation for pounds - lb., from the Roman libra, a weight measure.

30. Dom alternative : FRA - not really sure; I think this is airport codes, but it could be types of champagne for all I know....

31. Metaphors, e.g. : TROPES - never heard this; from Greek tropos "to turn"

33. Ice cream parlor order : MALT - hey, I got one ~!

34. "... lay the sod __ me": "Streets of Laredo" lyric : O'ER - poetic contraction, over

35. Celebrity mentioned in Warren Zevon's 1978 hit "Werewolves of London" : LON CHANEY, JR. - super fun song 2:38

38. World Chess Champion after Botvinnik : TAL - sure, OK

40. Valley in the first book of Samuel : ELAH - um, OK, here's a map?

41. Heavy hitter : SLEDGE - I typo'ed Stylish as styhish, so it took a moment for this to appear.

44. Santa __ : ANA - California

45. Some signatures : XES - makes me think of the Blues Brothers, right Melissa Bee?

46. Blend : IMMIX - yup, it's a "word", from Latin

47. "Beetle Bailey" cartoonist Walker : MORT

49. Members of an Afrocentric movement : RASTAS -short for Rastafarian

53. Exhaust : USE

57. Daughter of Muhammad : LAILA - the boxer, Ali - she boxes, too.

58. Court ritual : OATH

59. Green : GELT - a long way to go, from Yiddish for money to dollar bill color

60. Coty Award winner Perry : ELLIS - designer

61. Fonda's beekeeper : ULEE - from the movie, Ulee's Gold - popular crossword answer

62. Golden __ : RULE

63. Willowy woman : SYLPH

64. Polanski film based on a Hardy novel : TESS

65. Wrote, as an AOL buddy : IM'ed - Instant Message

Down:

1. Epicure's condiment : SEASALT - an epicure is a connoisseur, did not know

2. Fast ship : CLIPPER - I went down my list of ships, and forgot this one

4. Traveler's need : VISA

5. White House girl : SASHA - Obama

6. __ once : ALL AT - "all at once, it came to me that I was NOT going to finish"

7. Hersey setting : ADANO - "A Bell for Adano", by John Hershey.  Total stumper - was thinking Pennsylvania for the park

8. Winner of a 2008 Pulitzer Prize Special Citation for his "profound impact on popular music and American culture" : BOB DYLAN - not a fan

9. Game division : HALF - really only soccer; all others are quarters, periods and innings

10. Way of putting things : IDIOM - I wanted a Monty Python link; this is, um, the scene, at 1:19

12. Encore, basically : ONE MORE ~!!!

13. News supplement : SIDEBAR - this is more legalese than news related, for me

21. Box for a cold : KLEENEX - had tissues to start, funny how a lot of words and phrases have same letter-number commonality

22. Luxury furs : SABLES

27. Mail hub: Abbr. : GPO - General Post Office, more British

29. In : STYLISH

32. White of the eye : SCLERA

33. __-jongg : MAH - a game

36. Isn't trapped : HAS AN OUT - always leave yourself an "out" when driving - I have avoided many a cell-phone driver this way....

37. "To Kill a Mockingbird" brother : JEM

38. Cantina servings : TAMALES - not the Cantina I was thinking of....

39. Unusual occurrence : ANOMALY - like in Star Trek, or the X-files, an "anomaly" was usually the seed for the episode.

42. Princess in Disney's "Enchanted" : GISELLE - image

43. Applied : EXERTED - as force

48. __ mania, 17th-century Dutch phenomenon : TULIP

50. Model aspect : SCALE -had ratio to start

51. Sorbonne heads? : TETES - French for head, Sorbonne, France

52. Inflammation symptoms : ACHES

55. Tie securely : LASH - had bind to start

56. Business intro? : AGRI - frequently appears in crosswords. Agribusiness.

Answer grid.

OK, I am ready for a Monday/Tuesday now ~!

Splynter

Saturday, May 28, 2011 Bonnie L. Gentry

Theme: None

Words: 70

Blocks: 31

It's been seven days since the "End of the World"....how was your week?

New constructor for me and a fairly straight-forward Saturday, just a few spots that were not "REAL EASY" - for me; it was the central

36A. Gain notoriety, as via 38-Across : GO VIRAL

38A. See 36-Across : YOU TUBE

that broke it wide open. Two grid-spanners, and two climbers;

17. Moving locks? : HAIR REPLACEMENT - locks, such as this organization

58. Exact opposites? : BALLPARK FIGURES - a subtle shout out to our leader, C.C.

6D. From time to time : EVER AND ANON, a phase I have never heard, and

23D. Glancing : RICOCHETING - from obscure French

Some of you did yours "IN INK", I am sure~!

ACROSS:

1. Hardly a square : HIPSTER - wondered if this was a misdirection to 'ellipse'

8. Duplicate : REPLICA - the noun

15. Duty-free? : ON LEAVE - I am duty free from UPS til Tuesday

16. Unlikely to cheat : ETHICAL - had AXED for ICED, messed me up here

19. Service rank : ONE A - crossword standard

20. Muddy, as water : ROIL

21. Signal agreement : NOD TO

22. Juice source : BATTERY - juice, as in electricity

24. "The Sea-Wolf" captain : LARSEN - the main antagonist

28. Decide not to walk, perhaps : HAIL A CAB

33. Made an impressive delivery : ORATED

34. Corner key : ESCape

35. Exclusive : SOLE

40. Eclipse, to some : OMEN - or a Mitsubishi to others....

41. Team feature? : NO I - "there's no I in team; there's no crying in baseball~!"

43. Appear unexpectedly : CROP UP

44. Got comfy in a sofa : SANK DOWN - a bit of a giveaway, with "in" a sofa

46. Women-only residences : HAREMS - where can I get one?

47. Nonbeliever, to some : INFIDEL

49. Crossing the keel : ABEAM

53. Pre-med subj. : ANATomy

54. Magical beginning : ABRA - cadabra, love this song

61. Letters read with feeling? : BRAILLE - good one~!

62. Raving : ON A RANT

63. Fixes, as pumps : REHEELS - pumps, like these(~!~); I was thinking bike tires

64. Ma and Pa Kettle debut film, with "The" : EGG AND I - fascinating, captain; I did not know this

DOWN:

1. Cream-filled treat : HO-HO - had Oreo to start, messed me up

2. __ instant : IN AN

3. Bend at the barre : PLIE

4. Medical supplies : SERA

5. Gob : TAR - Gob is slang for a US Navy sailor, another sailor word is Tar.

7. Find a new home for, in a way : REPOT

8. Not at all complicated : REAL EASY

9. And more: Abbr. : ETC - Et Cetera

10. Derived from benzene : PHENYL

11. Long ride? : LIMO - accepted as not needing to be Abbr. in clues

12. Bumped off : ICED - where's the "TEA" when it fits ????

13. Jargon : CANT

14. Glee club member : ALTO - vocal range

18. Pliant : LITHE

22. Suds, so to speak : BEER - I, uh, liked this too much - see 57D

24. Apple and peacock, e.g. : LOGOS - these two examples

25. Bakery emanation : AROMA

26. First bird off the Ark, in Genesis : RAVEN - is this a 40A?

27. Deserve no stars : STINK - a thumbs down, I'd say

29. Notable Titanic casualty : ASTOR - 100 years, next year

30. Compact, perhaps : COUPE - as in cars

31. Place for snaps : ALBUM - snap-shots, photos

32. Summons : BEEPS

37. American enticements : LOW FARES - the airline, American

39. Caspian feeder : URAL - map

42. How hard crosswords are usually not done : IN INK

45. Golf ball feature : DIMPLE

48. Willem of "Spider-Man" : DAFOE - as the Green Goblin

49. Can. or Mex., e.g. : ABBR - a little misdirection, using countries

50. Reveal : BARE - show me some leg~!

51. Where Goliath was slain : ELAH

52. "I Just Can't Live __": Carrie Underwood song : A LIE

54. Mystique : AURA

55. Cereal material : BRAN - started with rice

56. Rip to bits : REND

57. Piedmont product : ASTI - the bubbly, loved the stuff - looks like a cool website

59. Completely : ALL

60. __ rule : GAG - had "AS A" here...

Answer grid.

Splynter

Note from C.C.:

Click here for some info about today's constructor Bonnie L. Gentry.

Saturday, May 21, 2011 Barry Silk

Theme: None

Words: 72

Blocks: 28

Good doomsday to all ~! Personally, I am waiting on December 21st, 2012 - as our constructor notes in 37D. -

Dark clouds, to some : ILL OMENS

Another Saturday Silk - the man is a monster - I have about 10 puzzles I am trying to complete for submission for publishing, and I am struggling with the more complex grids - and Mr. Silk just pounds them out, in my opinion. 

ACROSS:

1. Unhappy fans, in slang : BOO BIRDS - Good NHL semi-finals, the fans in Tampa Bay were not happy with their Bolts, shut-out at home last game - lots of Boos

9. Dinar spenders : IRAQIs - I had Iranis to start; see 9D.

15. Encroachment : INVASION

16. Scraps : REFUSE - the noun; REH - fuse

17. Cruel woman : SHE-DEVIL - Blue �yster Cult's "Sinful Love"; it's in the chorus

18. Cheerios' cousins : ADIEUX - French, plural, and I nailed it - HA~!

19. Poitier title role : SIR - "To SIR, with love", 1967

20. Sargasso Sea spawner : EEL - I did not know this, but the perps did

21. Hunter, at times : SNARER

22. "The Little Mermaid" prince : ERIC - Loved the movie, couldn't remember him

24. Clancy hero : RYAN - and our first reference to a Harrison Ford role, along with Alec Baldwin, playing Jack Ryan, from Tom Clancy's "spy/CIA" novels

26. Principle : TENET

28. Four-note chord : TETRAD - shoulda known this; as a guitarist, I play a lot of diads and triads (much of Van Halen); actually, four notes on a guitar is a bit hard - it means skipping strings, and it's not that easy; here's the major chord standard patterns; B and D are tetrads, the X's are strings you don't strum, O's you do

30. Investment company T. __ Price : ROWE - was stuck on "BONE" for a bit

32. Dating letters : BCE - Dating, as history - Before Common Era; more here

33. 160 square rods : ONE ACRE - a rod is 5.5 yards

35. Ugly : MEAN

36. Centennial debut of 1909 : LINCOLN HEAD CENT- seed entry?

40. Downwind : ALEE

41. Sunbeam product : TOASTER

42. Nth: Abbr. : ULTimate

43. Bird suborder that includes gulls and terns : LARI - perps again for me

44. Prom queen's concern : HAIRDO - and; 53. High-profile 44-Across : MOHAWK; image

48. Divine, in a way : DOWSE - as in divining rods, fooled me at first; for finding a water source.

50. Summit : ACME - image

52. Shade of red : BEET

55. Title object of a 1981 film quest : ARK - Harrison Ford #2 - this might be my all-time favorite movie, "Raiders of the Lost Ark" - great scene

57. Rubble creator : TNT - I wonder if Mr. Silk was going for a Flintstones misdirection - Barney Rubble?

58. Fine wool : MERINO

59. Polish : SIMONIZE - both my vehicles desperately need to be washed and waxed

61. Observation while passing the buck : ANTLER - oh, very good, sir ~! "HEY!, nice rack~!"

62. Jason, for one : SEAFARER - Jason and the Argonauts, pursuing the Golden Fleece

63. On the beach : ASHORE

64. One of only three golfers who briefly kept Tiger Woods out of the World #1 spot between 1/11/1998 and 10/30/2010 : ERNIE ELS - Mr. Els makes a lot of puzzles - he's got a good arrangement of letters there

 DOWN:

1. "The Deep" co-star : BISSET - and in respect to 61A, here's Jacqueline~!

2. Available, in a way : ON HIRE - meh, FOR sounds better

3. Ready to move on : OVER IT - ah, I was looking for an "INVASION"-type answer, 'MOVE on', instead of  'move ON'

4. Sinister : BAD

5. "Of course" : I SEE

6. Mouth formation : RIVER DELTA - nailed it; started with the downs, too - image

7. Decoration under a bowl : DOILY - that lacy circle

8. Oct. 1975 TV debut : SNL - Saturday Night Live - if it's 1975 and TV, it's probably something related to this comedy sketch show

9. Modern-day theocracy : IRAN - and the "other" I-R-A_ answer

10. Make an archaeological adjustment to : RE-DATE - sort of a clecho to 32A

11. Hot : AFIRE - "A" answer

12. Colonial leader : QUEEN BEE - in the hive; a colony of bees; thought it was ants

13. "Glad to do it!" : I SURE CAN - can I blog this Saturday?  "I sure CAN~!"

14. Word with appeal or change : SEX  sex appeal, sex change - yes on one, no on the other....

21. They may wake you up : SNORES

23. "I Got a Name" singer : CROCE - Jim

25. Very old : ARCHAIC - Ancient fit at first....

27. Big top, e.g. : TENT

29. Year in Mexico : ANO

31. One concerned with clemency : WEATHERMAN - I had a high school buddy who wanted to be the TV weatherman since he was a kid - on the tube in VA today.

34. Arctic jacket : ANORAK - the Wiki

35. Fast-food pork sandwich : McRIB - for all the hype surrounding it's limited release, I have nver had one

36. Glorify : LAUD

38. Financial planning yardstick : NET WORTH

39. Traffic controller, briefly : DEA - Drug Enforcement Agent - that kind of traffic

43. One resting against a stake : LEANER - a horseshoe game reference, and I love to play - worth two points; the other winning shot is the ringer, worth three

45. Turn in : RETIRE

46. Washington of "Glory" : DENZEL

47. River rompers : OTTERS

49. 1970 Neil Diamond hit : SHILO

51. Gold medalist skier Hermann : MAIER - all perps on this one

54. Passed slowly, with "on" : WORE

56. First name in diplomacy : KOFI - Annan, United Nations

58. Barnyard bleat : MAA - also my house growing up..."Maaaa, where's my sneakers?"

59. Vane dir. : SSE

60. Clydebank contradiction : NAE - Clydebank, in Scotland - only geography for the day, up next to Glasgow, and the birthplace of some famous ships, including the QEII

Answer grid.

Splynter

Note from C.C.:

I'm pleased to announce that Splynter (Richie) will blog all Saturday puzzles from now on. As you can see, he loves guitar and hockey. He is also an aspiring constructor and I can't wait to see his debut. I bet it'll be French free.