google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Monday July 14, 2008 Barry Silk

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Jul 14, 2008

Monday July 14, 2008 Barry Silk

Theme: Swap Meet

20A: Change in basic assumptions: PARADIGM SHIFT

27A: Righty and lefty: SWITCH HITTER

49A: Import-export restriction: TRADE EMBARGO

58A: Wall Street fixture: STOCK EXCHANGE

Very nice theme concept! I like the cluing of the theme answers too. And I am always happy to see my Chinese name initials (ZQ) showing up in one grid. I think we are on our way to a pangram puzzle soon, either from Barry Silk or Allan E. Parrish.

I dislike the clue for OWE (56A: Be indebted) due to the answer DEBT (34A: Outstanding loan). Obviously someone drank way too much before he constructed/edited the puzzle: BEER (35D), ZIMA (5D: Coors product) and ALE (67D: Bottle of brew), since he could not see STAMP (71A: Philatelist's purchase) when he clued REC'D (21D: Shipping dept. stamp).

Or he simply binged on ARBY'S (57A: Meaty fast-food chain) and General TSO's chicken (26A: Chinese menu general), those fatty food can dull your intelligence quickly.

I have a homemade cure for the hangover: Mix one cup of TRIX (64A: Cereal for kid), one cored PEACH (40A: Georgia fruit) and two sliced & cubed RYES (72D: Deli bread) together, use a LADLE (63A: Soup dispenser) to scoop up a cup of plain STOCK (58A) and eat. It won't be TANGY (36D: Zestful), but it will sure sober you up!

Across:

5A: Uses a laser weapon: ZAPS. What exactly is a "laser weapon"? Ground based or airborne?

9A: Burlesque bits: SKITS

15A: Reykjavik's isl.: ICEL (Iceland). Not familiar with this abbreviation. Iceland is too quiet (no army) and chess-madden to be on my radar. Björk does make noise occasionally. This is her infamous swan dress at the 2001 Oscars.

16A: Brimless hat: TOQUE

18A: South of France: MIDI. No, I am not familiar with "Le MIDI" at all. I wanted SUD. "MIDI" is always "noon" to me. Here is a great explanation: "Midday was synonymous with the direction of south because in France the Sun is in the south at noon".

19A: Legend automaker: ACURA

32A: Boxer's stat.: KOS (Knockouts). Not "stats"?

38A: Greek Cupid: EROS. Here is the Avril's title page illustration of "De Figuris Veneris" (Manual of Classical Erotology).

44A: Star in Cygnus: DENEB

68A: Nice farewell?: ADIEU. "SAYONARA" in Japanese, "ZAI JIAN" in Chinese, Barry Silk should like this scrabbly phrase.

70A: Jewish month: ELUL (the 12th month of the Jewish calendar). And 47D: "Voice of Israel" author: EBAN (Abba)

73A: Unit of force: DYNE

DOWN:

3D: Skull-and-crossbones site: RAT POISON. Isn't it on the box of RAT POISON?

4D: Genetic surprise: MUTANT. And 6D: Part of DNA: ACID

5D: Coors product: ZIMA. I did not know until this morning that ZIMA is not a beer.

8D: Minimal: SLIGHT. Are they really synonymous?

11D: Resignation declaration: I QUIT

12D: Gang territories: TURFS

13D: Old Pac. pact: SEATO (Southeast Asia Treaty Organization). Abolished in 1977.

35D: Six-pack abs?: BEER BELLY. I like this clue.

41D: Cav. on a scoreboard: CLE (Cleveland). They'd better keep LeBron James beyond 2010.

45D: Burst into laughter: BROKE UP. Ha ha, it's new to me. I always associate "Break up" with "ending a relationship".

51D: Showtime original series: DEXTER. No idea. Is it good?

52D: Had words: ARGUED

53D: ___ Filipinas: ISLAS. Is this the Spanish for "The Phillippin Islands"?

54D: German city: STADT. "City" in German. Unknown to me.

59D: Skelton's Kadidlehopper: CLEM. Absolutely no idea. I got both CLEM & STADT from the across fills.

60D: Supercomptuter maker: CRAY. Another new name to me. See here for more information.

C.C.

55 comments:

Dick said...

Good morning everyone. Today I did much better than I did on Sundays ****buster. Had only one problem and that was the intersection of 15A and 8D. Otherwise this was a good puzzle, just difficult enough to try you and easy enough to get the solutions.

Barbb last Saturday you posted a lot of photos of the Oregon affair and I was wondering which photo was the one of you.

Darn I misspelled PARADIGM somehow I got and E in place of the G. No wonder I could not get slight for 8D. Yuck!

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

Dick,
Shouldn't the "Skull-and-crossbones site" be the box of RAT POISON (3D)?

Chris in LA said...

Good morning CC etal,
Did well today - cruised with no googles until "Deneb" & "Clem", but overall I felt like it was a good effort - even figured out the theme (shift, switch, trade, & exchange) before I got to the fills, which is a first for me!
Hope everyone has a great day today.
CC: answered your questions from Sunday late - not sure if you saw them.

Kim said...

Hi CC & gang,

It's been awile, I get the 6 am feeding so I usually don't get to do the puzzle early, but this morning I lucked out!

I loved this puzzle. Wasn't a slam dunk for me, but not too bad. I really liked the theme of this one. Had trouble with Paradigm, thought there was a y in there, but eventually got it, along with my other trouble spots.

I hope everyone has a wonderful day. I go home mid next week, so I can get back to a "real" puzzle again instead of the online version!

My granddaughter is 2 weeks old today, and she is a beauty!

NYTAnonimo said...

Liked this scrabbly puzzle by Barry Silk. He had one in the NYT last week that did use every letter of the alphabet. But it was a Friday themeless that gave me a lot of grief.
This was much easier.

Dick said...

Absolutely Cc the "Skull and Crossbones" should be on the rat poison box.

Dick said...

Kim I have been hit or miss with the comments the last few weeks and missed the birth of your granddaughter. Congrats to you and your family!!

Dick said...

Cc I had no idea about 51D DEXTER it filled from the crosses. I never heard of the show but I bet drdad will be able to enlighten us.

Dr. Dad said...

Good morning C.C. and DF's. Closing in on Dennis today - 5 minutes.
I liked the six pack abs.
Red Skelton was the best. Able to make people laugh without the use of a four letter word. Clem Kadiddlehopper, Freddie the Freeloader, Gertrude and Heathcliff. (Sigh!) Good night, and God Bless.
Congrats, Kim, on your granddaughter.
Björk's dress does nothing for me.
I thought "rat poison" was okay.

Today is Bastille Day.

Last week was Nude Recreation Week. Today is:
National Nude Day - a way to keep cool on a hot , sticky summer day. So, take it off......take it all off.

Dr. Dad said...

For anyone who cares, here is Red Skelton's Pledge of Allegiance.

flyingears said...

Fun puzzle today, BUT some clues are questionable.

C.C., BROKE UP, although not common, it can be used. However, I agree with you using it with a relationship going south. I like the title you gave to the puzzle theme.

SLIGHT. My X/W dictionary adds the word "AMOUNT", but is not even considered with the word alone. SLIGHT alone is used as in SLIM, THIN, LEAN...

ENO's name is used too often as a clue...

flyingears said...

C.C., Forgot to comment on yesterday's golf. Kenny Perry did not win. Both Williamson and Adamonis lost by hitting their shots into the pond... Kenny had just bogied the 18th, so he was in serious trouble as Adamonis was putting for a bird on the 18th. I still am happy for Kenny's win, although I was looking forward to see Adamonis get the win. His dad has three types of cancer and Adamonis was with his dad recently during his dad's (chemo?) therapy. Adamonis seems to have a great game and I can see him on top of the chart with some frequency.

Barry G. said...

Morning, all!

Nice puzzle overall and I loved seeing PARADIGM SHIFT as an answer. No problems solving it, but I'm really not sure ICEL is a vild abbreviation and I agree that RAT POISON isn't really where the skull and crossbones are located.

Ah well, I'll be nice to my namesake and blame those errors on the editor... ^_^

Barry G. said...

Oh -- and with regard to 53D, that is indeed Spanish for Philippine Islands.

KittyB said...

Good morning, c.c. and all.

Today's puzzle was certainly easier than the Sunday puzzle! I got through it with help on just two words. I'd tell you which, but I lost the completed puzzle when I opened the new window. It might be time for a new computer with more of everything. This one is truly a dinosaur.

I object to the clue "cloth border" for HEM. I'm sure you all figured out what Silk wanted, but the clue is incorrect. A "border" implies that an additional band of fabric has been added. A "hem" is usually created by turning the fabric to the back of the garment and sewing it down. "Garment edge," "shirt bottom," "alteration," or "to crowd," might have been better clues.

Dick said...

Cc STADT is German for city. At first I was looking for a particular city name and then the light came on.

Bill said...

Good Morning All,
Busy weekend so no comments on Sat xword except to say I got it.
Liked todays; took awhile because I'm in the shop doing computer work in between clues. Done with no help!
Now, as to the Red Skelton link. Haven't seen that for quite some time. But I think that it should be REQUIRED viewing for EVERY citizen, wannabe citizens and ALL of our elected officials!!!
And, on a daily basis, if necessary, to keep the meaning firmly embedded!!!!
'Nuff said, I'll get down from my soapbox and say CYA later!

Dennis said...

Good morning, gang - extremely fast one this morning, with perp help. C.C., agree about 3D.
I, of course, being a dolt, didn't pick up the theme until the last clue; evidently I don't retain much if I'm trying to do it quickly.
Had a fun flight down here - after getting blown all over the sky (Lois, don't even think about it)in a pretty hefty storm, and running low on fuel, we diverted to W. Palm Beach, where we sat for an hour, refueled, and made the 17-minute flight to Ft. Lauderdale. Lots of very tight sphincters on the flight, lol.

This is the rainy season down here, so the week's not looking too good; hope it's a great one wherever you are.

Dick said...

drdad thanks for the great link to Red Skelton. Sure wish this could be played on the 6:00 o'clock news every night.

lois said...

Good morning CC & DF's: It's good to see Dick, drdad and Kim all here. Kim, she is a beauty!

CC, loved your cure for hangovers. Very cute, but I'll stick w/aspirin and a shot of the venom.

As to the puzzle, I still don't get 7D w/cab and loved 35D...cute! Thought this was going to be a dull one until Hoe 29D and Trix 64A came together. Then Boxer's stat 32A showed up and I'm thinkin' S-M-L..XL for the 'morel' guys. When the Eros 38A link came up...Holy Hotlinks! Uh-huh, that'd make a 'nun' 'hum'. It certainly 'set' my tangy 'seat o'fire! Made my paradigm shift! I'll koch you all later. I quit! I'm really gone! Woohoo!!!

drdad: loved the Pledge link. He was a great guy and so dang funny!

Enjoy this gorgeous 'nat'l nude day' before the front moves in... which is probably why it's moving in. Not a bad thing.

Barry G. said...

Lois:

Pedicab = rickshaw, if that helps any.

lois said...

It's good to see Dennis and Bill here too.
Dennis: you are soo funny! Job well done!...I'm talking about being blown all over the sky.

Bill: met some people Sat night who attend that Amelia Festival and have relatives who live in Powhatan (sp?). They go every year and I will go to the next one w/them. Just want to give you
(af)fair warning. I'm thrilled! Small world, huh.

lois said...

Barry: Thank you. Yeah, that helps a lot! I've never heard that term and envisioned something like that, but thought 'hah'. Learn something new here every day.

MH said...

Good puzzle but I couldn't get the top middle. I guessed ZAPS and got ACID and I had PARADIGM SHIFT at the bottom but didn't know ZIMA, PEDI, SLIGHT, ICEL, MIDI. I think ICEL is a poor abbreviation for Iceland, never heard of midi for South of France and still don't get it. Didn't get the theme until I read the blog but got all the theme answers anyway. Have a good day everyone.

Dick said...

Lois you are crazy and that is a good thing. You get my day started with a good laugh!!

Bill said...

Lois, the next Amelia fest is in Aug.
We won't be going till the May fest.
Not enough days in the month of Aug for all that is on my schedule.
IF you go in May, we'll be the noisy group camped in the "Bottom".
Don't ask! I don't know the origin!

lois said...

Bill: I'll go to both and will be very familiar with your 'Bottom' by next May. Noisy 'Bottom' sure conjurs up some wild images and lends itself to some interesting interpretations ...musical and otherwise! I'm really really looking forward to the one in May now.

Anonymous said...

C.C.,
You have a very interesting mind. I often find myself inspired by the way you write.

David

Danielle said...

Good puzzle, but not that much fun - loved the theme, but lots of awkward answers (like ICEL). I was (pleasantly) surprised I got it without any help from Google.

Dexter is a show about a mild mannered guy who is a serial killer, but the twist is, he only kills people who are guilty of a crime (he works for the police dept). I've heard great things about it and I loved Michael C Hall (the star of the show) when he was on Six Feet Under (on HBO), but on principle, I avoid entertainments featuring serial killers (SO overdone).

http://www.sho.com/site/dexter/home.do

carol said...

Hi C.C. and everyone:
WOW, that is some picture of Eros!! Made me forget the Puff adder again and makes me glad it's National Nude Day! :) What do ya think, Lois?

Agree that the skull & crossbones would have to be on a label, box, bag,etc. as a "site", rather than expecting it to be on the poison itself.

Had a tough time with 20A and couldn't seem to get enough perps at first to solve it..got it after I figured out 8 & 9D and 13D.

As Dick said, it was just difficult enough for some head scratching.

Dennis, sounds like a fun plane trip...you're sure you're not a mem ber of the "Mile-High Club"??? At least your --- muscles were in good shape after your "test" a few weeks ago. :)

Anonymous said...

David @ 10:15 AM
I often find myself inspired by the way you write.


Hear hear! I loved CC's tale of the author's Arby's/General Tso overdose. So funny!

If I remember correctly, CBS aired a few (less?) gruesome episodes of Showtime's Dexter. As Danielle explained, the premise is that Dexter is a serial killer who targets serial killers. The latter would not otherwise be "brought to justice" (too little evidence to convict, etc).

I had problems with "3D RAT POISON" but mainly because I somehow convinced myself that "skull-and-crossbones site" was a reference to the Yale University secret society "skull and bones" and was determined to make it fit - Duuuuh. Silly me.

Anonymous said...

mark Buenos Aires

Legend maker is Honda, Ive never heard of Acura. I can understand different marks from the same manufacturer eg Taunus and Cortina, but different manufacturers for the same mark defeats me!

Beautiful winter´s day here, not quite touching 70

God Bless to all

Dennis said...

mark, the Legend here was badged as an Acura. Acura is to Honda what Lexus is to Toyota; their upscale division.
Carol, believe it or not, my sphincter was fine, thanks for asking, lol. I tend, for whatever reason, to get calmer the worse the situation is.
And yes, I joined that illustrious club back in the late 60's, thanks to a 'deadheading' Delta stewardess. Lois, is that a setup for you or what?

Crockett1947 said...

Good morning everyone! Had to make some adjustments before calling this one good. MIDI and DEXTER are new to me. Once I dragged ZIMA from the memory banks all was good. Kim, you wouldn't be prejudiced about that grandbaby now would you? You certainly sound thrilled! Dr dad, Red's pledge is a classic. Thanks for the link.

Barb B said...

Good morning cc and all,
Puzzle made me feel a little dull this morning – had more trouble than usual for a Monday. Didn’t know --
Icel
Midi
Deneb
Elul
dyne
Cle
Islas
Stadt (thanks Dick for explaining that)

Agree with Kittyb about “cloth border”. Not even close to being a hem. In fact, borders can have a hem.

Barry, thanks for the pedicab definition. Missed it entirely.

I loved the theme answers, and they helped me fill in the words I didn’t know.

Lois, in answer to your comment yesterday, yes it would be fun to get together, but perhaps I’ve been underestimating the level of df in this group. I did think the OCF is the epitome of df. I’ll have to adjust my perspective a bit.

I do look forward to reading all your comments; it’s a nice way to start the day. CC, you are a gracious hostess. No wonder you hit 400k.

Anonymous said...

I really liked "six-pack abs?" = "beer belly".

I didn't have a real problem with Rat Poison as a "skull and crossbones site". I don't think it's a big difference between the poison and the container with the poison.

If I saw a rat and said "get me the rat poison," I would expect someone to bring me the poison still in the container.

This reminds me of a TV episode! On Barney Miller, one of the detectives was on the phone:

"Of course rat poison can kill your husband! How much did he take? (pause) What do you mean none yet?"

Anonymous said...

Good puzzle today, but I agree that Icel is a poor abbreviation; did not want to put that "l" there.
drdad, thanks for Red's Pledge of Allegiance. Just recently, a nearby rural school expelled a couple students for refusing to recite the Pledge, but the parents hired lawyers, and pretty soon the school board reversed themselves, and now the pledge is voluntary. Rather than hold the students to a higher standard, it became a matter of free speech. The matter created quite a ruckus around here for a while.

lois said...

Dennis, that is hilarious beyond belief! She took 'deadheading' not only to another level but to another dimension as well. She took being an attendant seriously! That's what I call service! What a ride! She may not have been on the clock, but she was clockin' something..making time. Did you tip her?

carol said...

barb b, might be a bit much to have all us D.F.'s visit but I'm very sure we would "liven up" the place! In all probability we would get our pictures taken.(most likely, it would be worse than that). Corn dog, anyone?

Anonymous said...

Hello blogger author,

Are you the same C.C. from Guangzhou?

Guillaume (Hill Bar/Dusk Till Dawn, remember me?)

embien said...

8:26 today, and no unknown words.

I think technically speaking that a rickshaw is different from a pedicab. Rickshaws are two-wheeled carts that are towed by a human. Pedicabs are carts attached to a bicycle-type device and are pedaled around. A picture may help: Rickshaw Pedicab

I agree that ICEL is ugly (and possibly wrong, I don't know if there are official abbreviations for Iceland.)

embien said...

Forgot to mention that I worked (rather briefly) for Cray Research back in the early 90's (I think) when they acquired the company I was working for at the time that went bankrupt (Floating Point Systems). If you're truly interested, follow the link to the AP-120B on the latter page and you'll read about the computer I worked on in those days.

More than anyone needs to know about such stuff these days, but I couldn't resist, especially since I have no "mile high" stories like dennis.

lois said...

Embien: thank you for the pix. I rode in a pedicab in Boston last summer but never heard that term. Very fun too..and the scenery was great from behind the young hunk who was pedaling us around.

Your AP-120B had a 38 bit Floating Point Adder...talk like that may excite Carol and make her forget her Puff Adder again.

KittyB said...

Thank you, barb b! I was starting to think I was nit picking.

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

KittyB & BarB B,
You sewing B's are right about HEM (Cloth border).I don't think our editor has learned from his SEAM (Hemline) mistake in June.

Guillaume @ 1:45pm,
Yes & Yes.

carol said...

Lois and Embien: If the adders "point" is big enough, it will surely float-we could play in the water :)and I could find his 2 "stages". The 3 stage multiplier sounds interesting too, but is it an "adder"? That Puff is a "hard" act to follow! Oops :)

Dennis said...

embien, right on the money regarding rickshaw/pedicab; rode in a rickshaw in Japan, and a pedicab in Vietnam....the rickshaw, of course, was substantially faster.
And thanks for the Cray stories - still an amazing machine. I, on the other hand, almost go back to Eniac days.

Lois, yes, I gave her a handsome tip.

lois said...

Dennis: LMAOROTF...I bet you did!

Dennis said...

Any bets on whether melissa b survived Girls' Weekend Out?

ndw said...

Not bad once I got a nap in to have a clearer brain (working mids permanently now)so that I could finish this. Got stuck on Rat Poison and was not familiar with Paradigm Shift (got that off Bill's). Had the whole bottom (starting with 26D) all filled in correctly. Oh Well.

Lois: If you like music especially Bluegrass - You will have a fantastic time at Amelia. You cannot go there and not have fun. We have made so many friends at Bluegrass Festivals I cannot begin to count them. We are looking forward to meet you.

Have a Great Day
Nancy

lois said...

I'm sure Melissa survived it. She's the mother of 2 teenagers. That's credentials enough to survive dang near anything. I hope she had a fabulous time. I bet she's either sleeping it off or catching up it.

Nancy: I love all music. Bluegrass is happy stuff. I'm looking forward to meeting 'all y'all' (that's plural form of y'all).

ndw said...

I finally updated my profile too!

lois said...

nancy d: sweet picture. Who's the baby?

Anonymous said...

Hi CC,

Easy peasy one today - under 5 minutes!

As always from Barry Silk, a finely executed puzzle, but I suspect some of his cluing was changed by the editor. Remember not too long ago, Barry himself commented here and told you how his original puzzle was different from the published one?

At least there were no misspellings today! My head is still shaking over that one!

Favorite answer today: 35D BEERBELLY. Loved it!

Least favorite: 15A ICEL. The dictionary says it's correct, but it certainly looks awkward.

Yes, I am working on some new puzzles. I have two Sunday-sized ones to send to TMS, and several daily-sized ones I'm fine tuning that I want to send to NYT. I'm going to keep trying until (a) I get published or (b) they tell me to go away! :)

Then again, I'm not sure I want to subject myself to this group's critique! Just kidding!

Ciao!

ndw said...

Hi Lois;
Thank-You. The baby in the picture is of my Great Niece her name is Maayan - pronounced My On. I had to search for a picture of me as I am usually the one behind the camera and when someone does get a picture of me, it is usually horrid!.

CYA
Nancy