google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Monday

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Showing posts with label Monday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Monday. Show all posts

Mar 18, 2024

Monday March 18, 2024 Mary Crane

  

Theme:        
Happy Monday, everyone! sumdaze here with a fresh and fun puzzle idea from Mary Crane. As far as I can tell, this is a debut for Mary at the LA Times. (Her NY Times debut was last July.) Congratulations, Mary!
Unfortunately, your puzzle fell on a Monday and this Monday blogger is not a fan of MAYOnnaise. I avoid all of your themed foods. Nevertheless, I am a fan of your puzzle! Well done!

The four themed answers all feature mayonnaise (a.k.a. MAYO) as a prominent ingredient:

17 Across. Hors d'oeuvre often seasoned with paprika: DEVILED EGG.

28 Across. Picnic side dish: POTATO SALAD.

36 Across. Creamy dip for buffalo wings: RANCH DRESSING.

43 Across. New England seafood sandwich: LOBSTER ROLL.

And the reveal:

59 Across. Minnesota medical center, or where one might learn how to prepare 17-, 28-, 36-, and 43-Across?: MAYO CLINIC.  The Mayo Clinic is the largest integrated, not-for-profit medical group practice in the world.

The themed clues were straightforward and without wordplay. However, revealing MAYO CLINIC as an instructional class on how to prepare recipes which contain MAYOnnaise was a delightful spin! I only wonder how Mary managed to leave out XWD favorite "aioli".

The other clues:

Across:
1. Gave a darn: CARED.  

6. Personal bearing: MIEN.  Def.:  a person's look or manner, especially one of a particular kind indicating their character or mood.
MIEN likely came to English from a French word meaning "expression".
BTW, mein is a German possessive pronoun meaning "my".

10. Spongy earth: MIRE.

14. __ and kicking: ALIVE.  

15. Like a quaint shoppe: OLDE.  

16. Unknown author, for short: ANON.  
Destiny's Child  ~  Say My Name  (1999)

19. Looped in, on email: CC-ED.  I liked how this was an almost-reflection across the black square.  
See the full grid below.

20. Corp. VIP: EXEC.  "Corporation" and "Very Important Person" are abbreviated, so is "EXECutive".

21. Quite: VERY.  Our constructor Mary is quite clever.

22. Infant's cry: WAH.

23. Skin pictures: TATTOOS.
"A rad little tidbit you may not know, the word “tattoo” actually comes from the Samoan word "tatau" which was an onomatopoeia for the sounds that were made when turtle shells tapped boar's teeth loaded with ink into the flesh. Now you know."  source

25. Calm and dignified: SEDATE.  
Ramones  ~  I Wanna Be Sedated  (1978)
I've heard this song in my head during the last eight miles of every marathon I've ran.

31. Double-reed woodwind: OBOE.

34. Charged particle: ION.

35. Helena's st.: MONT.  
where you can see Canada from your front porch

40. __ mater: ALMA.

41. "__ moved on": I'VE.  ...and so should you.

42. Parrot in Disney's "Aladdin": IAGO.  He was voiced by Gilbert Gottfried in the 1992 movie. (Robin Williams voiced the genie in the lamp.)

47. Securities backed by the govt.: T-NOTES.  Since we are in tax season, I will remind you that interest income from U.S. Treasury bills, notes, and bonds is subject to federal income tax but is exempt from all state and local taxes. Make sure to subtract this income from your state returns!  IRS site

48. Fought: BATTLED.

53. Raw mineral in a mine: ORE.

54. Supermarket area with fresh cheeses: DELI.  This was a fresh take on an old staple ... and a possible Easter egg. What do you think, C-Eh! ?

56. Hitchhiker's hope: RIDE.  Remember your towel! After all, it "is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have."

57. Foggy state: HAZE.

61. Scat legend Fitzgerald: ELLA.

62. Brick __ pizza: OVEN.  
63. Tiny spot: SPECK.  

64. Overly compliant: MEEK.

65. Floating ice chunk: BERG.  
66. Auto body blemishes: DENTS.  
This is what hail can do to cars in Colorado.

Down:

1. Military academy enrollee: CADET.  

2. Name said to activate an Amazon Echo Dot: ALEXA.  

3. Fastener in a girder: RIVET.  

4. Kick out: EVICT.

5. Oscar winner Benicio __ Toro: DEL.  He won for Traffic (2002).

6. Not showy: MODEST.

7. Actor Robert who hosts the podcast "Not Today, Pal" with former co-star Jamie-Lynn Sigler: ILER.  ESP. The extra-long clue makes me think nobody expected us to know this one.

8. Envelope-pushing: EDGY.  It's a peculiar saying because what could be less hip than an envelope?  

9. Opposite of pos.: NEG.  

10. Expensive nut from Hawaii: MACADAMIA.  So 'ono ("delicious" in Hawaiian)!

11. Advance slowly: INCH ALONG.  Def.:  to move by small degrees.  

12. Fish-to-be: ROE.  I loved this sushi-less angle!

13. Conclude: END.

18. Sauteing acronym: EVOO.  Rachael Ray fans know this is Extra Virgin Olive Oil.  
She usually says, "Add a tablespoon of EVOO," as she pours in half a cup.

22. Director Craven: WES.  He's one of my FAVs ... oh, wait, NO! WES Anderson is one of my FAVs. Oh well, it all worked out in the end.

24. Oil cartel acronym: OPEC.  Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries

25. "The Brady Bunch" trio: SONS.  I got this one with a little "more than a hunch". 🎵

26. Dance that takes two: TANGO.  

27. NYC summer hrs.: EDT. New York City summer HouRS are Eastern Daylight Time.

29. TV station, e.g.: AIRER.     and     
55 Down. Watchful sort: EYER.  These two feel a bit too crosswordese to me (more common in crosswords than in language).

30. Shoe front: TOE.

31. Wrinkle-resistant synthetic fabric: ORLON.  DuPont created the first acrylic fibers in 1941 and trademarked them under the name ORLON. It was first developed in the mid-1940s but was not produced in large quantities until the 1950s.

32. Hoodwink: BAMBOOZLE.  I'm going to take this opportunity to share a song I love:  Red is Blue by Ben Folds from the animated movie Hoodwinked (2005). The film is a Little Red Riding Hood derivative.  

33. Winning game after game: ON A STREAK.  Awesome fill!

37. Makes haste: HIES.  Sure thing, Willy Shakes.

38. Binge-watcher's device: DVR.

39. River sediment: SILT.

40. PC key near the space bar: ALT.

44. Casual shirt: TEE.

45. Like a kiwi: OBLONG.  An OBLONG is a shape that is longer than it is wide. We can get pedantic about weather or not "roundness" is a requirement and 2D vs. 3D. In the end, I think we knew what the constructor was going for.  
(l to r)  kiwi bird, kiwi fruit, Kiwi actor Jemaine Clement
46. Not of the clergy: LAIC.

49. Utter nonsense: TRIPE.  

50. Lightweight fabric: LINEN.

51. Formal decree: EDICT.

52. Cruise ship levels: DECKS.  
Julie, Doc, Gopher, and Isaac will meet you here.

54. Singer Grohl who founded the Foo Fighters: DAVE.  This is Dave on vocals and guitar in Best of You (2005).  

57. __ and haw: HEM.  To HEM and haw is to hesitate, to be indecisive.  
Homer, hemming & HAWing

58. Hoppy beer: ALE.

59. Disorderly crowd: MOB.

60. 1960s hallucinogen, for short: LSD.


That's a wrap for today. I think I'll go make a sandwich....

Mar 11, 2024

Monday March 11, 2024 Margi Stevenson

  

Happy Monday, everyone! sumdaze here with a Dyn-o-Mite puzzle from constructor, Margi Stevenson.

Theme:          
Jimmie Walker as J.J. Evans in Good Times (1974-1979)
His catchphrase really blew-up in popular culture.

We'll begin with the four themed clues:

17 Across. Sound of the 1970s: DISCO MUSIC.

29 Across. Electronic source of percussion: DRUM MACHINE.

45 Across. Unaccredited source of degrees: DIPLOMA MILL.

61 Across. Hypothetical space stuff that doesn't interact with light: DARK MATTER.

The reveal is nicely tucked into the bottom, right corner: 

69 Across. Private chats, briefly, and what 17-, 29-, 45-, and 61-Across literally are: DMS.  Direct Messages
It's what you do when you want to chat with someone, but not in the general comments forum.

Across:
1. Was ahead: LED.     and     
15 Across. Ahead by a small margin: UP ONE.  
The home team is leading by one point.

4. __ eclipse: daytime celestial event: SOLAR.  A big one is coming up on April 8. 
Where & When - NASA site

9. Iowa State's home: AMES.

13. Opera solo: ARIA.

16. Discourteous: RUDE.

19. Radiate: EMIT.

20. Pours from one container to another: DECANTS.  DECANTing allows red wines to aerate. This hack works for me:  pour one glass then put the cork back in the bottle. Shake the bottle hard. Remove the cork and let sit a few minutes before pouring the other glasses. (You can sip on the first glass while you wait. 😉)
Click to enlarge.

21. Blue Ribbon brewery: PABST.  Established in Milwaukee, WI in 1844 and currently based in San Antonio, TX.
<no DECANTing required>

22. __ and beans: RICE.  I just made a big pot of this yesterday. Two pounds dried pinto beans to 1 cup rice is a good ratio.

23. Novelist O'Brien: EDNA.  This D was my last fill. It crosses with another name in 24-Down.

26. Early email provider: AOL.

27. Organ with an iris: EYE.  At first I was thinking of Splynter's variety of organs but today it was an EYEball.

32. Cry: WEEP.

34. "Heck if I know": NO IDEA.  "SAT XWD" also fit...

35. Looks up to: ESTEEMS.  ...which is why I hold our Sat. blogger Husker Gary in such high ESTEEM.

38. Wine shop event: TASTING.  Today I saw this ad in my weekly 'downtown events' email. I thought it was odd to call it a "Cigar Tasting". Have you heard of these?

42. G major analogue: E-MINOR.  The song in 63-D is in F Major.
This is another way of asking what the relative key is for G Major. Both scales only have one sharp (F#).

44. Qatari leader: EMIR.

50. Suffix with percent: -ILE.  

51. Florida NBA team, on scoreboards: ORL.  ORLando Magic...as in the Magic Kingdom (Disney World)

52. CrossFit units: REPS.

53. Wood stove output: HEAT.  The Miami HEAT NBA team also plays in Florida.

55. "Works __ time": EVERY.

57. Carrying capacity of a cargo ship: TONNAGE.

60. Trig function that models light waves: SINE.  Light acts as both a wave and a particle.  
Visible light is one component of the electromagnetism spectrum.

64. Not taken in by: ONTO.  Def.:  being aware of a scheme.

65. Figure of speech: IDIOM.  The IDIOM "barking up the wrong tree" means you are wrong or mistaken.

66. Word repeated after "Que" in a classic song: SERA.  
Doris Day famously sang Que Sera, Sera when she appeared in Hitchcock's 
The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956).
Her co-stars were Jimmy Stewart and Peter Lorre.

67. Locksmith's supply: KEYS.

68. Canadian honker: GOOSE.  

Down:
1. Diane of "Chesapeake Shores": LADD.  Chesapeake Shores aired on the Hallmark Channel from 2016 to 2022.

2. The "E" of the Great Lakes HOMES mnemonic: ERIE.  
This Great Lakes mnemonic is less helpful.

3. Careful about what one reveals: DISCREET.

4. Historic fort in South Carolina: SUMTER.  National Parks website plus a video

5. Numbered musical work: OPUS.

6. Part of UCLA: LOS.  the University of California, Los Angeles

7. Singer DiFranco: ANI.

8. __ room: place for a foosball table: REC.  

9. Square footage: AREA.

10. India's largest city: MUMBAI.  The weather there today is expected to be sunny with highs in the low 90s and lows in the 70s with light winds and no rain.

11. Inventor Thomas who co-founded General Electric: EDISON.

12. Accept, with "for": SETTLE.

14. Antioxidant berry: ACAI.

18. How software was once sold: ON CD.

21. Dueling steps: PACES.

23. Angsty genre: EMO.

24. Composer Shostakovich: DMITRI.  As I said at 23-Across, this D was my last fill. The M made me first do a mental run of the vowels and then the letter S. Nothing felt right. Finally I noticed that the last name was Russian and that gave me DMITRI.
Here is his Suite for Jazz Orchestra #2  (1938).  

25. Zero: NADA.     and     
40 Down. Zero: NIL.

27. Woolly mama: EWE.  cute play on "wooly mammoth"

28. Agreeable reply: YES.

30. Open with a pop: UNSNAP.  Def.:  unfasten or open with a brisk movement and a sharp sound.

31. Despise: HATE.

33. Tangerine coat: PEEL.

36. Georgia school that's one of the New Ivies: EMORY.

37. Play charades, say: MIME.     and     
39 Down. Aped: IMITATED.

41. Test for M.A. hopefuls: GRE.  The Graduate Record Examinations is a standardized test that is part of the admissions process for many graduate schools in North America. One would need to attend a graduate school to earn a Master of Arts degree.

43. Mantra syllables: OMS.  

45. Makes a decent living: DOES OK.
The latest census numbers indicate what income ranges constitute the middle class (as of 2020). This will depend on family size. For a single individual, a middle-class income ranges from $30,000 - $90,000 per year. For a couple it starts at $42,430 up to $127,300; for a family of three, $60,000 - $180,000; and four $67,100 - $201,270.  Investopedia article

46. "Trainspotting" novelist Welsh: IRVINE.  goodreads link

47. More than enough: PLENTY.

48. YSL men's fragrance: L'HOMME.  
about $33 per oz. at Nordstrom

49. "Girls" creator Dunham: LENA.  Girls was a show on HBO from 2012-2017.

54. Industrious insects: ANTS.

56. Vintage Speed Wagons, e.g.: REOS.  
1949 D19XA Pickup  website

57. Boxing match decisions, for short: TKOS.  Technical Knockouts

58. Antiseptic target: GERM.

59. Notable times: ERAS.  "ERAS" is also the name of Taylor Swift's current tour.

61. Use a shovel: DIG.  

62. Ruckus: ADO.

63. Ipanema's city: RIO.  It's not the first time you've heard this song...and it likely won't be the last. 😊

What a lovely finish to a Delightful Monday solve! Here's the grid:  

Dasvidaniya Mates!
 
Notes from C.C.
 
I made today's  "Making the Right Move" for the Atlas Obscura. Give it a whirl.
 
 

Mar 4, 2024

Monday March 4, 2024 Susan Gelfand

  

Happy Monday, everyone! sumdaze here. Jinx will probably get to this; but, I just wanted to mention that today is National Grammar Day. Perhaps you are asking, "Why is March 4th National Grammar Day?" Well, not only is March Fourth a date but it is also an imperative sentence. How fun is that?! Now, let us march forth with today's puzzle.

Theme:          

Constructor Susan Gelfand had me at "shoes". Let's begin with her reveal:

36. Step in for another, and what the answers to the starred clues literally do: FILL ONE'S SHOES.

Next, let's see how the four starred clues provide "fill" for shoes. My red letters represent the circled letters. Notice how they are on the outsides of the phrases. The black letters "fill in" the gap to create something altogether different.

18 Across. *Online journals for DIYers: CRAFT BLOGS.  
CLOGS  are shoes with thick, wooden soles.

23 Across. *Warm alcoholic beverages with sugar and spices: MULLED WINES.  
MULES have no backs or constraints on the foot's heel.

52 Across. *Horse-drawn excursions: SLEIGH RIDES.  
SLIDES are a comfortable sandal with a wide strap across the front part of the foot.
You can slide your foot in without adjusting buckles or laces.

58 Across. *Low-effort posts of vacation pics, say: PHOTO DUMPS.  
There are many variations of PUMPS but the classic style
is a slip-on shoe with a closed toe, one-piece design, and an appropriately chic heal.

Hmmm... I am just now noticing an additional layer to Susan's theme set. All four of the shoe styles are slip-ons. Perhaps that relates to the "step in" part of the reveal???

In case you were wondering... a PHOTO DUMP is a collection of photos and videos gathered together in one post on apps like Instagram. Rather than perfectly edited photos or videos, a PHOTO DUMP is a low-effort collection that conveys a story or a mood. I found this example on-line: 

Now might be a good time to try the grid on for size:  
Let's keep walking....

Across:
1. Graceful long-necked bird: SWAN.

5. Hoover Dam lake: MEAD.  If you're in the area, I recommend the Hoover Dam tour.  

9. Colorful quartz: AGATE.  
Wow! They certainly are colorful!

14. Roof spot for holiday lights: EAVE.

15. Moreno who owns the MLB's Angels: ARTE.  I suppose SoCal solvers who actually read the LA Times are more familiar with this name.

16. Like some pools: TIDAL.  This link takes you to some tips for exploring tide pools and a quick video of some of the curious-looking creatures you might see.

17. Cabbage side often served in tiny cups: SLAW.  

20. "The Little Mermaid" role for Halle Bailey: ARIEL.  Halle Bailey is not to be confused with Halle Berry just as the mermaid ARIEL is not to be confused with the font arial.  
Halle Bailey performing at Disneyland

22. Take up again, as a case: REHEAR.  court of law reference

26. Back in time: AGO.

29. Twisty letter: ESS.     and     30 Across. Neckline shape: VEE.  

31. "j" topper: DOT.  Remember to DOT your J's and cross your X's.

32. Cereal container: BOX.

33. Update to reflect new districts, say: REMAP.

35. Nondairy spread: OLEO.  Not to be confused with OLiO which is a miscellaneous collection of things. My memory trick is you can eat OLEO.  
What is Oleo -- And Why Is It In So Many of My Grandma's Recipes?

41. Printer stoppages: JAMS.  

42. The "C" of CEO: CHIEF.  CHIEF Executive Officer

43. Signs off on: OKs.

44. "C'__ la vie!": EST.  It's French for "Such is life!"
As it turns out, this is the title of the book currently at the top of my tsundoku.  

47. Turkish title: AGA.

48. Gibbon or gorilla: APE.

51. Former GM division with a globe in its logo: GEO.  
55. Respectable: DECENT.  

57. Divination deck: TAROT. cards

62. Brood: MOPE.  
Lily is the broody teen character in Duolingo.

63. Charitable sort: DONOR.

64. Uncommon: RARE.

65. Peevishness: BILE.  This is a good example of how a one-word clue can be much more difficult than a constructor might have intended.

66. Expert dealmaker: AGENT.

67. Storm centers: EYES.  Think "centers of storms" as opposed to "Weather Channel base camps".

68. Much of a sunflower: STEM.  
This is a pic of a "volunteer" sunflower in my yard when I lived in Colorado.
Yeah, mostly STEM.
Also, that's my dog, Meadow. She is mesmerized by the floating, blue circle.

Down:
1. __ seed bun: SESAME.  A surprisingly interesting 2 min. read on the history of hamburger buns

2. Arctic mammal with tusks: WALRUS.  Time for an (obvious) musical interlude.  
I Am The Walrus was part of The Beatle's Magical Mystery Tour in 1967.
It was released as the B-Side to Hello, Goodbye.
Lennon said part of his inspiration for the song was Lewis Carroll's poem

3. Makes use (of): AVAILS.

4. Banister post: NEWEL.  Even though it is a Monday, we can build our vocabularies.
5. Apple desktop: MAC.  

6. Make a mistake: ERR.

7. Pong producer: ATARI.  
How can something so groundbreaking in 1972 seem so lame today?

8. Stick up for: DEFEND.

9. Optimally: AT BEST.

10. Arizona river: GILA.  

11. Cute as can be: ADORABLE.  
The chick on the right is saying, "I don't remember you from the nest."

12. Identify, as on Facebook: TAG.

13. Above-the-street trains: ELS.

19. James of "The White Lotus": THEO.  IMDb page

21. Be honest (with): LEVEL.  
Can I LEVEL with you?
This comic feels forced.

24. First stage in many an HGTV renovation show, informally: DEMO.  Here is a 1:13 min. video montage of DEMO scenes from The Property Brothers.  

25. Gradually stop nursing: WEAN.

27. __ for it: takes a chance: GOES.

28. Kitchen gadget brand: OXO.

33. "Treasure Island" writer's monogram: RLS.  Treasure Island was Robert Louis Stevenson's (1850-1894) first novel. Here's a short bio.  He lived here in Monterey for a few months while waiting for his future wife's (Fanny's) divorce to finalize.

34. Bench press muscle, for short: PEC.

35. Gut punch reaction: OOF.

36. Art world fraud: FAKE.  This was my FAV clue today.  

37. "This is it for me!": I'M SO DONE.  Actually, there are still 17 clues left....

38. Hair or carpet style: SHAG.  
(L to R) SHAG carpet, SHAG haircut, Disney's  The SHAGgy DA movie (1976)

39. Express relief: SIGH.

40. Artichoke core: HEART.   Many of us save them for the "last bite". If you've only eaten artichokes from a jar or freezer, you do not know what you are missing!
Castroville, CA is the "Artichoke Capital of the World".
Go there to see the World's Largest Artichoke...
or just enjoy this pic!

41. Get some exercise on the track: JOG.  "JOG", like pong, is a 1972 reference.

44. Compact Ford succeeded by the Focus: ESCORT.  I changed ESCape to ESCORT.
The North American version of the Ford ESCORT entered the market in 1981 and lasted all the way until 2003. Hot Cars article

45. Snow coaster: SLED.

46. Time in office: TENURE.

48. Skillful: ADROIT.

49. Human beings: PEOPLE.  

50. Regard highly: ESTEEM.

53. "That could happen": IT MAY.

54. Poetic feet in Shakespeare: IAMBS.  Def. (noun) a metrical foot consisting of one short (or unstressed) syllable followed by one long (or stressed) syllable. For example, the words amuse (a-MUSE), portray (por-TRAY), delight (de-LIGHT), and return (re-TURN) are all IAMBS.
The opening line to Romeo and Juliet has five IAMBS, making an iambic pentameter.
(2 syllables X 5 = 10 syllables)
Two households both alike in dignity

56. Venerable British school: ETON.  When Prince William enrolled at Eton College in 1995, he became the first senior royal to enroll there. His father (King Charles) and his grandfather (Prince Philip) both went to a boarding school in Scotland (Gordonstoun), but Princess Diana's father and brother had both attended Eton.

58. Kissing in the park, briefly: PDA.  "Briefly" does not refer to the duration of the kiss. It alerts us to an abbreviated answer.  Public Display of Affection  
59. Harley bike: HOG.  It's a nickname.

60. Post- opposite: PRE-.  ICU is a post-op place but Susan is referring to prefixes here.

61. French "his": SES.  

That's the last one. Have a great day, everyone and feel free to march forth in whichever shoes you prefer!