Frannie and I did this one together, and at the end she saved me from leaving RTa in where RTE (44A: Metro line: Abbr.) belonged, mostly because ENTRY (46D: Password provision) is a word we know, and "antry" isn't. But I don't particularly like that cross, or either of those clues. I suppose a metro line is a "route," and a password grants entry, but I was thinking more along the lines of "Regional Transit Authority" and, well, I don't know what for the other one. Still, we ended up with the dreaded "Finished With One Error" today because we entered OYEz for 57A: Cry for silence and attention (OYES). Oyez Googles up much better, at least the way I did it just now. Incidentally, it comes to us from Latin "audire" (to hear) through French, and it's that second person plural ending that gives the "ez" ending. I guess maybe some people have anglicized it, but not everyone.
But that one sore spot aside, this was a pretty nice Saturday. We both knew approximately what we were looking for with "1A: 1960-62 home of Lee Harvey Oswald" (MINSK), but couldn't come up with it without a couple crosses. The name itself is fun to say, and it's an interesting factoid to bring up, but I have to take points off for the whole killing the president thing, so let's give it a B+.
Elsewhere we have such nice fill as CULMINATE (31D: Wind up), COFFEERUSH (6D: Morning buzz, maybe), TIGERSEYE (12D: Semiprecious pendant option), SCENARIO (30A: Hypothetical situation), and HOEDOWN (49A: Baleful affair?). Cute clue on that last one. I tried "Boston" at 9D: 1912 and 2013 World Series setting (FENWAY), and I won't soon forgive Mr. Silk for choosing for choosing 2013 instead of 2014. Hmph!
Neither of us were familiar with the term TRIJET (39D: 727, e.g.), or remembered 50D: "I Married ____" (1987 ABC sitcom) (DORA), but those were small things. ROBIN (44D: Sidekick of 1960s TV), LECAR (21D: Old alternative to a Rabbit), EIEIO (35D: Letters associated with animal sounds), and CHRISTO (36D: Big name in environmental art) (my mind went first to "Goldsworthy," but that was too long) were all quite fun. Overall, a satisfying Saturday.
- Horace
70:07
ReplyDeleteThis was a tough one, but doable. I knew MINSK and with two crosses got DANTE, which was clued with an unfamiliar (to me) quote. I thought that 59A Like the Sahara (SANDY) was odd, but all-in-all, everything was fair. The clue for TOTO was nice (54A The "him" in the 1939 film line "I won't let you take him!").