google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Monday, Feb 4, 2008 Michael T. Williams

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Feb 4, 2008

Monday, Feb 4, 2008 Michael T. Williams

Theme: Silver Screen Diamond Flicks (Baseball Films)

17A: The Natural
26A: Eight Men Out
40A: The Bad News Bears
53A: Major League
63A: Bull Durham

I've seen 4 of the above 5 films. I never heard of The Bad News Bears. I watch Major League every year when the season starts. I also love Field of Dreams. My husband can lip almost every line of Bull Durham. Silly.

You would think I would breeze through this puzzle given my love for baseball. But I failed miserably. The problem started with 7D: Wetlands. I put a MOORS rather than MARSH. Then I put ALTER rather than ADAPT for 8D: Changes to fit. I had ENSUED rather than TAILED for 18D: Followed. So I could not get the movie Eight Men Out.

Here are the recaps:

1A: Amo, ___, amat: AMAS. Oh Latin.

15A: __-masochism: SADO. I felt sick after learning the meaning of this word. Those people should watch Major League.

20A: Nabokov book: ADA. I only knew Lolita.

21A: Sample: SPECIMEN

23A: Clicking sound : TSK

29A: Color of the Italian sky: BLU. That's the color of my dream too.

50A: Elec. switch: IGN. I don't like this clue. I put OFF immediately.

59A: Vespers service: EVENSONG. New word to me.

Down Clues:

1D: Knack: ART

2D:__ - Jongg: MAH. Most of the Mah Jongg players are retired folks, right?

5D: 2nd Best: GRADE B. I could not get this one out.

9D: Sacred: SOLEMN

10D: Dead, as a dragon: SLAIN

11D: Cinematic Topper: COSMO. (Update: Please read the Comments part, one reader has explained very well why COSMO is the answer).

12D: Nice farewell?: ADIEU. No need for the question mark after the clue, Editor, we know Nice is a city.

13D: Intended: MEANT

18D: Followed: TAILED. I put ENSUED first.

22D: Show-biz notable: CELEB. Clooney & Pitt are real CELEBS, look at what they have done for Darfur & New Orleans. Randy Moss is a controversial CELEB.

23D: Willful injuries: TORTS.

24D: "Magnificent Obsession" director: STAHL (John). The 1935 film, not the 1954 film with Jane Wyman.

25D: Part of ROK: KOREA. South Korea (Republic of Korea). Kim Jong-il's North Korea is DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea).

27D: '50s TV series "Peter __": GUNN. Never heard of it.

32D: Naut. direction: EBN (East by North)

38D: Muse of poetry: ERATO. I got this one.

42D: Early American political party: WHIG

43D: Made a smooth transition: SEGUED. Got it.

49D: Faculty status: TENURE.

51D: Interstellar cloud: NEBULA

54D: Hail from a sailor: AVAST. I put AMAST first.

55D: Cafeteria dessert: JELLO

56D: In a dominant position: On TOP (I put AT TOP initially)

57D: Love-lit: AGLOW. I was thinking of some literature, like Chick Lit.

66D: Peer Gynt's mother: ASE. Only learned last week who Peer Gynt was, now his mother.

Have a good week everyone.

C. C.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

EbN east by North

Zhouqin (C.C.) Burnikel said...

Thank you Anonymous,

You've saved my life. I have been bothered the whole morning by this EBN.

C. C.

Zhouqin (C.C.) Burnikel said...

By the way, I tend to update my post after I get an answer from some readers regarding my queries earlier.


C. C.

Anonymous said...

Back in the 1950s, there was a TV show called Topper. The leading role was "Cosmo Topper", an associate of Nick and Nora Charles who with their dog Asta were ghosts. Now if the writer of the crossword would have clued ______ Kramer, it would have been too easy.

Zhouqin (C.C.) Burnikel said...

Many thanks Anonymous. I've never heard of this "Cosmo Topper" TV show. Cosmo Kramer, yes, yes.

C. C.

Anonymous said...

wow, now I finally know the name of the show, after all those years of writing 'Asta' when the puzzle clue was 'television dog'

Zhouqin (C.C.) Burnikel said...

Babs,

Asta is also the dog on "The Thin Man".

C. C.

Anonymous said...

Congratulations on surpassing 100,000 hits on your blog. I look forward to everyone's comments.

Zhouqin (C.C.) Burnikel said...

Tme,
I think you meant 10,000. I only noticed that you left feedback today when I was checking for some clues. Sorry for the late response. Thank you for paying attention to my blog hits.