Saturday's New York Times puzzle solved: January 13, 2018

My time: 18:52, not so bad.

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Alan Derkazarian constructed this Saturday toughie, with such interesting fill as UNITED FRONT, ERAGON, SEMI-ARID, EGG MCMUFFIN, LANGUOR, and GO DEEP.  I'M IMPRESSED.

A phsyiognomist studies FACES, which I only got through crossfill.

Palma is the largest city and capital of the Ballearic Islands, Spain, off the east coast.  Palma is located on the popular holiday resort island, MAJORCA, also spelled Mallorca.  I didn't know about this, which was the start of my NE corner troubles that stopped me from getting close to my record.

"Little GTO" is a 1964 song by Ronnie & the Daytonas, a Beach Boys clone.  "Three deuces and a four-speed / And a three-eighty-nine / Listen to her tachin' up now / Listen to her whine."  Not sure I get all of that.

ZINC has the atomic number 30.  How do we remember that?  Once you're thirty, you're an adult, and it's either zinc or swim.

The former Ecuadoran currency is SUCRES.  This is has been replaced by the U.S. Dollar.

Charles HAID was an actor who starred in Altered States and is probably best known for portraying Officer Andy Renko in "Hill Street Blues."

"London or Manchester" is a tricky one.  It refers to Jack London and William Manchester.  The latter served in WWII and got a Purple Heart, then wrote about his experiences in Goodbye Darkness.  His most famous book is probably The Death of a President, about the JFK assassination.  So, in sum, the answer is WRITER.

I've heard of Leonhard EULER, of course, but I didn't know he was blind.  He spent nearly forty years blind from eye strain, fever, and later a cataract, but it's didn't slow down his prodigious output of work in all manner of scientific fields.

Being a fan of classic rock, alternative, folk, singer-songwriter, world, and the generally outré music scene, I'm aware of SOLANGE, but had no idea she had a #1 album called A Seat at the Table.

"Like an eisteddfod festival" is WELSH. This is a term for any festival of Welsh culture, food, and writing.  The National Eisteddfod is eight days of music and poetry competitions entirely in Welsh.  I wish I could go!

ASTER appeared on November 13, 2017 as "fall bloomer."  Now it's "bloom that is often white or lavender."

"1940 Fonda role" gave me trouble.  I thought maybe "Deed?" But of course that's Deeds and also it stars Gary Cooper.  It's JOAD, from Grapes of Wrath.

In music, 2/2 time signature is known as duple time.  But it is also known as common time or CUT TIME, represented by a C-shaped symbol.  It is also called alla breve.

"Related to colored rings" is a roundabout clue for AREOLAR.

I noted that the PRIDE PARADE is in June, because June is Pride Month, back on December 18, 2017.

Did you know a Newfoundland or golden retriever is an example of a WATER DOG?  Me neither.

Okay, I have never heard of MLB pitcher Orlando Hernández, much less his nickname, EL DUQUE.  I see his half-brother shot seven women and then killed himself in June 2010.

Another country musician today: Mike ELI.  He is the singer of the Eli Young Band.  He's from these here parts where I live!

A few sly jokes in the clues this time around.  "Hope was once its driving force" is USO TOUR, ha!  "Throw a bomb" is GO DEEP. "Field work" is NORMA RAE, which is very clever.

Well, that's it, and now I MUSSED BOLT.