Saturday, July 14 - Victor Fleming

I didn't solve Victor Fleming's Saturday puzzle until close to 11 last night and was way too tired to blog.

I've started contemplating the blank grid before I start to solve...you know, the design made by the black squares (which are actually light gray the way I print...to save ink). Anyway, I wasn't under the influence of anything. Just liked the patterns these last couple of days.

Now on to the puzzle, starting with the wrong answers I initially had.

20A: Former Shea players (Beatles). I was trying to put in a team name, and you know I know squat about sports.

40A: Shucks, so to speak (lies to). Like shuck and jive, I guess. I was thinking like shuck corn. Any day now we'll start getting Olathe sweet corn, the very best corn grown anywhere. For weeks on end, we will eat one or two ears of corn for dinner...occasionally with nothing else. It is to die for.

49A: Cape wearer's field (magic). I was thinking Batman and Superman, so I had crime.

51A: Focus provider? (Ford). How clever was that! After trying to think what you'd call that part of a camera, I realized where they were going.

1D: Waldenbooks alternative (BDalton). We don't have either of those here anymore. They've been replaced by Barnes & Noble and Borders, which is what I entered.

2D: It's sweet, it's said (revenge). I had success at first, but I guess it's more the smell of success that's sweet. Anyway, revenge is so-o-o-o-0 much sweeter. Just kidding, folks. I'm more likely to forgive (37D: Not hold something against) than to take revenge.

Things I liked:

14D: View coral reefs, maybe (snorkel). I love snorkeling. In just nine weeks, we'll be in Kauai where I plan to do a lot of it. By the way, be thinking about being a guest blogger during the two weeks I'm gone!

28D: Folks guilty of disorderly conduct (slobs). I love the answer, but slobs disgust me. I was in an apartment yesterday that was just awful. I don't understand how people can live that way...dirty dishes in the sink, cigarette butts (disgusting anywhere) floating in glasses of Pepsi. Yecch!

49D: One of the Gospels, in a Spanish Bible (Mateo). I loved this! Bible and foreign language rolled into one!

You had to love 8D: "Hey!?" (What's the big idea!?) running vertically down the center of the grid. After I ran through the across clues, I had only the B and the final A, so it took some time to piece that together. The B was from 37A: Molotov cocktail, e.g. (firebomb) and the A from 63A: Levied (assessed), both gimmes/good guesses that panned out.

Ooh, and I loved 15A: Infernal (devilish). Such a good word. It conjures up images of something...well, devilish.

We rarely make it through a week without a couple of Pope clues. I liked today's at 16A: Any of six popes (Adrian). I could only remember John, Paul, George and Ringo. No irreverence intended...any series that starts with John and Paul has to end that way. For me anyway.

17A: It's heard at many a wedding (Ave Maria). It wasn't done at mine, and I don't recall hearing it at any of the weddings I've attended. Did any of you have it at your wedding? It's a beautiful song, to be sure. I'm not a big Celine Dion fan, but we have her Christmas CD. She sings Ave Maria better than I have ever heard it. It's well worth $13.98, and it qualifies for Super Saver Shipping!

While I'm not crazy about the answer, I'll bet all mothers out there liked the clue for 59D: Family V.I.P.'s (mas). I do not ever want to be called Ma, or Mama. My younger daughter will call me Mama just to irritate me, which she does very well and very often. Anyway, our importance is acknowledged, and not just on Mother's Day.

Well, Don and the dogs are out on the deck waiting for me. I was invited to join them, but I said, "in a bit" (56A: "Not right now"). It's been a half hour, though, so I think it's time.

Have a good weekend. Be safe.

Linda G