Monday Puzzle #27 or "Feels Like the Very First Time"

I’m just going to get right into the puzzle because #27 SUCKED. MW tells me that “sucked” means “to be objectionable or inadequate.” So, to clarify, I sucked at puzzle #27. The puzzle itself, I’m sure, is very lovely – especially to those who obtain and retain knowledge normally.

So, let’s get into it. These are the clues and answers I was not able to complete:

31 across, “Pharmacy weights.” DRAMS. MW tells me dram means “1a. see weight table, b. fluid dram, 2a. a small portion of something to drink, b. a small amount.” It also provides the etymology of the word – from Greek “drachme, literally, handful, from drassesthai to grasp.” I’m going to need to look this up a little more because I’m not seeing any reference to pharmacy weights. Well, just Googling pharmacy and dram shows that the term is clearly related to the field. I did find that 8 drams equals one ounce.

37 across, “Exactly right.” DEAD ON. I thought it might be spot on, but that wasn’t making sense for the other clues/answers. I didn’t get those other clues/answers either.

40 across, “Long-billed marsh bird.” SNIPE. So, I thought it might be that, but isn’t a Snipe that thing really hilarious hazers send you out hunting for as a joke? Well, that’s confusing. It IS what hilarious hazers send you out hunting for as a joke. However, it is actually a real bird. So, who’s the joke on? Huh? Huh? huh.

45 across, “Pitts of Hollywood.” ZASU. ZaSu was a film actress and started in silent films. Interesting fact from WikiP: “Mae Questel caricatured Pitt’s voice for the character Olive Oyl for the…animated cartoon version of the comic strip Popeye.”

49 across, “1972 Olympic swimming sensation.” MARK SPITZ. I should remember that since they talked about him so much during the last Olympics when…whatzhisname…shit. Dammit, now I have to look it up…wait! Michael Phelps? Yes! Phew…see, the stuff is in there (i.e. the brain) somewhere.

51 across, “1960’s civil rights org.” SNCC. That is the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee.

22 down, “George Eliot’s ‘Adam ___’.” BEDE. WikiP tells me that Adam Bede is the first novel written by Mary Ann Evans, who used the pen name George Eliot.” It was published in 1859. I am adding it to my reading list.

30 down, “Henry’s fair lady.” ELIZA. I know that…it just didn’t come to the surface today.

32 down, “Slow symphonic movement.” ADAGIO. I thought that’s what it was, but I was feeling so unsure of myself because I didn’t know so many of the answers…I wrote it in and then erased it.

33 down, “Sacred songs.” MOTETS. MW tells me a motet is “a polyphonic choral composition on a sacred text usually without instrumental accompaniment.” Sounds just plain glorious.

37 down, “Kneehole site.” DESK. What is a kneehole? Well, MW tells me it is “an open space (as under a desk) for the knees.” That makes so much sense. It does make me wonder, however, if we actually need a word for that. We probably do…in the manufacturing plant they are having big conversations about how big the kneehole should be. There's some designer getting a big kneehole innovation award. They are recalling desks with kneeholes that are too small and are, as a result, causing injury.

46 down, “Grp. with F-16’s.” USAF. Again, figured that was it – had the a and the f. Put the US in, but erased it because I thought 49 across might be Mario Pitz (instead of Mark Spitz). Whatever.

52 down, “Musical endings.” CODAS. Same thing – had odas. Was pretty sure it was codas, but not sure enough.

Those were just the answers I didn’t complete. The answers I got, but don’t really know are:

38 across, “Humorist Bennett who co-founded Random House.” CERF.

48 across, “Johanna ____, author of ‘Heidi’.” SPYRI.

7 down, “’____ la Douce,’ 1963 film.” IRMA. I’ve added it to the Netflix queue.

Wow, I feel like a crossword virgin. Filling in those boxes for the very first time. I was beat. Incomplete. Ok, that’s as far as I can take the “Like a Virgin” lyrics.