google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Tuesday, November 11, 2014 Pam Amick Klawitter

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Nov 11, 2014

Tuesday, November 11, 2014 Pam Amick Klawitter

Theme: "in the zone" - Various zones.

38A. One of two gridiron borders, and what the last words of 17-, 23-, 52- and 62-Across can have : END ZONE

17A. Big Bang, to a physicist : BEGINNING OF TIME. Time Zone

23A. Show stopper : ACTORS' STRIKE. Strike Zone

52A. Like some August sales : BACK TO SCHOOL. School Zone

62A. Alabama Slammer liqueur : SOUTHERN COMFORT. Comfort Zone

Argyle here. Tinbeni should like that last zone. It's made with amaretto, Southern Comfort, sloe gin, and orange juice. Pam's puzzle puts together four words that can have ZONE stuck on their END, included are two grid spanners. The four long columns are strong ones although a bit tame. That about sums it up; tame Tuesday.

Across:

1. Tibetan holy men : LAMAs

6. Voice above tenor : ALTO

10. Boy or girl lead-in : ATTA

14. Traditional saying : ADAGE

15. Sound of pain : MOAN

16. Scientology creator Hubbard : L. RON

20. Snarky state : SNIT

21. What comes before beauty? : AGE. " (apocryphal Dorothy Parker witticism) "The two ladies were trying to get out of a doorway at the same time. Clare drew back and cracked, “Age before beauty, Miss Parker.” As Dotty swept out, she turned to the other guests and said. “Pearls before swine.”" ~ 03.12.2012 blog

22. __-weensy : EENSY

27. Greeter and seater : HOSTESS

30. Frozen drink brand : ICEE

31. Started the pot : ANTED

32. Commercial suffix with Motor : OLA. (Motorola)

33. Pop's favorite root beer? : DAD'S

37. Old man's place, in Hemingway : SEA. "The Old Man and the Sea", a novel published in 1952.

42. Sock part : TOE

43. Hair line : PART. Didn't get me this time.

45. Aegean island : IOS. How's it looking, Montana?

46. Beachcomber's beat : SHORE

48. Selma or Patty, to Bart : AUNT. Simpsons.

50. One of the 3-Down : WISEMAN. so 3D. Gift-bearing trio : MAGI. And 29D. Guide for the 3-Down : STAR. Kalá Christoúgenna on Ios.

56. Cop __: bargain in court : A PLEA

57. Actor McKellen : IAN. The third and final movie in The Hobbit trilogy will be The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, opening December 17th.

58. Partners of cons : PROs

66. Gen. Robert __ : E. LEE

67. Truck maker with a bulldog logo : MACK

68. Mentor's charge : TUTEE

69. Fizzy drink : SODA

70. "Terrible" age : TWOs

71. Single-master : SLOOP



Down:

1. Some are chocolate : LABs. (Labrador Retriever)

2. Arabian Peninsula port : ADEN

4. Stir up : AGITATE

5. Hill VIP: Abbr. : SEN. (Senator)

6. Pamplona pals : AMIGOs

7. One who eschews company : LONER

8. Bag marker : TAG. Tote, luggage, suitcase, duffel, etc.;

9. Lennon collaborator : ONO

10. Let out, say : ALTERED

11. Singer Lopez : TRINI. Still going.



12. Siberian industrial center : TOMSK

13. In the blink of __ : AN EYE

18. 2014 N.L. East champs : NATS. (Washington Nationals)

19. Fancy party : FÊTE

24. Formally relinquish : CEDE

25. Rural skyline feature : SILO. It's come to this on the small farms.

26. Diagnostic test : SCAN

27. Door fastener : HASP

28. Most fit to be drafted : ONE A

32. Parts of lbs. : OZs. (ounces)

34. Physics particle : ATOM

35. Explorer on Nick Jr. : DORA

36. Detected : SEEN

39. Barcelona boy : NINO

40. Web address parts : DOTS

41. Name on some Canadian pumps : ESSO

44. Break for a meal and a beverage, in Britain : TAKE TEA. Steve?

47. Lending a hand : HELPFUL

49. Four Corners state : UTAH

50. Strikes sharply : WHACKS

51. Prefix with sphere : IONO

52. Fenway corners : BASES. Fenway Park, the baseball park in Boston is the oldest ballpark in MLB. Cute clue.

53. Speed skater __ Anton Ohno : APOLO. First appeared on the corner back on Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2010.

54. In the loop, with "in" : CLUED

55. __ de Mayo : CINCO. Fifth of May.

59. Tiller lead-in : ROTO. Rototiller.

60. Black-and-white treat : OREO

61. Setup instructions word : STEP

63. 911 respondent, briefly : EMT. (Emergency Medical Technician)

64. Rarer than rare : RAW

65. Places with peaks and passes: Abbr. : MTs. (mountains)


Argyle


50 comments:

TTP said...

Thank you Ms Klawitter and thank you Mr Argyle. Thank you for your service. You too Dennis, Desper-Otto, Boomer, Anon-T, and other vets on the blog.

Got a laugh right off the bat, with "Some are chocolate" for LABS.

Then ran untouched to the END ZONE.

Chairman Moe (from yesterday), I was trying to put that game out of my mind.

AGITATE - My brother loved to do it.

Black Friday is starting at 6AM on Wednesday this year.

Where do you stand on Net Neutrality ?

Barry G. said...

Morning, all!

Slept in a bit today for Veteran's Day. Thanks to all those who have served!

Mostly smooth solve today. I think the only spot I got a bit stuck was at IONO. Wanted ATMO and just couldn't figure out what was going on until the perps forced the correct answer on me.

I completely misunderstood the theme at first. I thought the theme reveal meant we could add END to the theme answers (like the "END of TIME"). It wasn't until after I finished that I realized END just wouldn't work with all the answers ("END of COMFORT"?) and the light bulb went off.

thehondohurricane said...

Good day everyone,

Got it done, but it seemed like a lot of work to complete, especially for a Tuesday. Wasn't sure until I read Argyle's write up if I had met with success. The crossing O for LRON & TOMSK was a wag. Did not know Siberia had an industrial center and even though we've seen it before, I can never remember Mr Hubbard's first name.

Never cared foe SOUTHERN COMFORT.... too sweet for my taste.

Double dental appointment today, cleaning and some issue I can't remember but it will require time in his Chamber of Horrors,

Thanks to all who have served.

Lemonade714 said...

Thank you to all veterans

desper-otto said...

Good morning!

Only one snag in today's puzzle. Based on the clue, I expected an "ING" word. HELPING finally gave way to HELPFUL.

The polar vortex is due to swoop in about noon today. We'll get off easy, compared to those north of us. Temps will drop 30 degrees, but still remain above freezing. Wal-Mart put "Comfy Toes" bedwarmers on sale this weekend. I bought one. Go ahead and say it -- "Wimp!"

Argyle said...

I'll say...thanks for the tip.

HeartRx said...

Good morning, and thanks to all our veterans!

I did a couple stutter steps today at TOMSK and IOS (had to check perps to be sure, before filling them in) and then had to wait to see if it would be "barn" or SILO for the rural skyline.

Great links today, Argyle - "Sloop John B." is going to be running through my head all day, though.

I loved the misdirection of "Single-master," because all I could think of at first was them!! And what could be "Rarer than rare"? I wondered. Oh. Duh!

Have an easy peasy Tuesday, everyone!

Lime Rickey said...

thehondohurricane@7:04 said . . . "I can never remember Mr Hubbard's first name"

I suspect you're not alone. It's "Lafayette".

Phyllis said...

Since when is "alto" ABOVE "tenor?"

kazie said...

My first WAG was ALTO and the other notable one was the TOMSK/LRON crossing. The rest slid in very easily.

Let me add my thanks to our vets too, but when in hell are we going to end all wars?

Husker Gary said...

Musings
-I put in LIFE for BEGINNING OF _ I _ E but saw the error of my ways
-TOMSK, Russia is 12 TIME ZONES ahead of here – same time just switch the a.m./p.m.
-An umpire’s STRIKE ZONE can change a game
-Big MOTOROLA exposure. Now it’s this brand
-My barber has been cutting my hair for 25 years and still PARTS my hair on the wrong side when he’s done
-A brief synopsis of ROBERT E LEE’s remarkable US Army career before old Virginny called
-Fizzy soda maker of my ute
-If you saw five different sailboats, could you pick out the SLOOP?
-When leaving, my Uncle Bob always said he was going “to AGITATE the gravel”
-I am confident that NE’s newest SEN will do a great job
-NATS play well until playoffs
-SILO’s are bursting in the Midwest this year
-Many kids got a TWO-S deferment to avoid ONE-A and the draft in the 60’s which greatly increased college enrollments
-I didn’t know until today that Lizzie Borden was found innocent of giving her parents 40 WHACKS. Detailed account.

Anonymous T said...

Happy 11/11 to all my fellow Vets.

Everything outside of the NE felt like a Tuesday, but TRINI next to TOMSK with EENSY (ittsy, intsy, ?) crossing? Ouch. It didn't help that I had iTsA Boy/Girl! for 10a. Thanks Pam for the puzzle & Argyle for the write-up (can you explain what domain SLOOP falls into, I still don't get it).

Thanks for the heads up on "take a jacket" weather heading here D-O. I've been engrossed in books since Friday and not paying attention.

TTP - Anything less than Net Neutrality is a toll on what should be open roads. Both ends pay for their bandwidth whether it's DSL or 3 T3s. end rant.

I'm outta TIME, gotta roll.

Cheer, -T

CanadianEh! said...

Canadian Remembrance Day today. Especially meaningful with the recent loss of 2 soldiers right on Canadian soil. Thanks to all our veterans.

I must have been in the ZONE today because I worked my way through this puzzle steadily.
Hand up for HELPING before HELPFUL and I had RON unknown initial Hubbard for awhile until perps straightened me out.

Phyllis @8:33 - When you have all four parts in music, the bass note is on the bottom (lowest), then the tenor, then alto and finally soprano on top (highest). Thus ALTO is above tenor.

Husker Gary said...

Today is a day to remember all the brave men and women who have served and still serve our country in the military. Their devotion to duty make days like last Tuesday and the debate leading up to it possible.

Abejo said...

Good morning, folks. Thank you, Pam Klawitter, for a fine puzzle. Thank you, Argyle, for a fine review.

I found this puzzle easier than Monday's. Went through it quickly.

Did not know TOMSK, but the perps fixed that. As with DORA.

SLOOP reminded me of "We have met the enemy and they are ours, two ships, two brigs, one schooner, and one SLOOP." Oliver Hazard Perry, Battle of Lake Erie.

I also do not care for Southern Comfort, or any other hard liquor.

MAGI and WISEMAN were clever. That season is soon here.

I own two ROTOtillers. One non PA and one in IL.

Hope to work in the yard before the cold wave hits, if it stops raining first.

See you tomorrow.

Abejo

(221)





Irish Miss said...

Good Morning:

Nice and easy Tuesday romp. Had ouch before moan but that didn't last long. Tomsk was unknown but perps were solid. One of my nieces has a Chocolate Lab so that was a gimme. She also has a Yellow Lab. They're named Mudsy and Sudsy and then there is their Bernese Mountain Dog named Barley Moe.

Thanks, Pam, for a fun offering and thanks, Argyle, for the fun write-up.

Thanks to all who have served and continue to serve our country.

Have a great day.

Social imbiber said...



... I don't care about any hard liquor. But, soft liquor, - anything that is soft enough to be sipped - why, that's a different story altogether. Bring her on, and I will gladly partake of her and merrily indulge in her ..

Dudley said...

Hello Puzzlers -

First, thanks to all the Corner veterans for your service, without which America would be much diminished.

What Argyle said: trouble free Tuesday.

Correction from a day or two ago: I just learned that there is a scientific unit named after James Clerk Maxwell, after all. He certainly deserves the honor. The Maxwell is a compound unit of magnetic flux, and is therefore not seen much outside of scientific circles.

Nice Cuppa said...

It's technically Armistice Day today (80 years ago!) of course, which ended the hostilities of WWI (well for about 20 years anyway), which (although the date stuck) broadened into "Remembrance Day" or its equivalent after WWII in most of Western Europe, former British Dominions - as noted above by CanadianEh! - (and Empire, many of whom participated) which celebrates both the dead and the living of past and present wars. Two minutes silence was observed at 11 am, GMT, in most parts of Britain & Commonwealth - even the Stock Exchange fell silent- and of course lots and lots of Poppies.

The U.S. divided their respect into Memorial Day (for the dead) and Veteran's Day (for the living) since they already had a "Remembrance Day" for the Civil War (now Memorial Day).

My thoughts are with them all.

NC

Unknown said...

alto is definitely higher than tenor but tenor
and alto overlap. probably thts why some people
get confused. hope this helps. : )
Rafi • 5 years
alto is definitely higher than tenor but tenor
and alto overlap. probably thts why some people
get confused. hope this helps. : )

Nice Cuppa said...

Now back to today's crossword, which has only one reference to war veterans - General Robert E. Lee.

There were some good parts, but more standard fill than a 10 ton dumpster.

Other than that, just one major faux pas by Ms. Klawitter. Within a week of CATALONIA holding a momentous and emotional (but probably futile) referendum on independence from SPAIN, I thought the timing of the clue 39D:

BARCELONA boy = NINO

...rather insensitive.

Barcelona is the capital city of Catalonia. The Catalan word for a boy is el noi.

However, having just TAKEN TEA I am much calmer now.

NC

Nice Cuppa said...

One final parting thought. So when I am annoyed with my spouse (see 9D), a rare occurrence of course, may I now tell her that she is in fact my collaborator (and remind her of the fate of collaborators after the war). But I suppose that would simply prolong the war.

Must be time to TAKE TEA again; and maybe later a SOUTHERN COMFORT.

NC

Ergo said...



Thank you Pam and Argyle. That was fun.

Nice Cuppa said...

Erratum:

In re Armistice Day, my arithmetic went a little haywire for a moment. It was signed in 1918, which is 96 years ago today, not 80. My apologies.

JJM said...

Thanks you to all who have served this country. we will never forget.
My dad's favorite singer back in the 60's was Trini Lopez. I think the song was "Lemon Tree" He seemed to always be on the Dean Martin Show.. Loved him in the "Dirty Dozen" One of my favorite movies of all times a kid.

CrossEyedDave said...

Barry G. @ 6:26

I'm confused, shouldn't the light bulb have gone "on?" (Unless you were drinking the Southern Comfort...)

I have heard the the 4 corners monument was in the wrong place (by a couple of miles), but the gov't disagrees. (p.s., my eyes glazed over when they started comparing intended location to actual location...Good luck reading this stuff...)

I don't care for the caption, but I do like the T-shirt...

Words of wisdom, on your underwear???

The end zone, reborn...

hmm, (I think he missed it...

Chairman Moe said...

Sorry; I'm almost over it ... I still can't get over the 15 yd UC foul when we had the ball at their 6 yd line w 2nd and goal and a chance to milk the clock ...

Misty said...

Well, I found this a bit challenging for a Tuesday, although, thankfully, I got it all in the end. So, thanks, Pam, and Argyle for the expo.

Not much literature or culture in this one, but lots of drinks: SOUTHERN COMFORT, of course, but also TEA, SODA, and DAD'S ROOT BEER for the non-drinkers. Oh wait, there was the triple MAGI, WISEMAN,and STAR that I found interesting.

Irish Miss, I love your sister's dog names!

Have a great Veteran's Day and Remembrance Day, everybody!

Chairman Moe said...

It's today that we honor those, who,
Served their nations to keep peace for you;
So just once today let's
Think about all our Vet's,
And all the horror that some went through.

God Bless all of our troops and keep them from harm's way.

Bill G. said...

Thanks to all the Veterans. I (we) appreciate all of your service.

Put me down with D-O for first having HELPING instead of HELPFUL. Thanks Pam and Argyle.

Andy Rooney agreed with Kazie about ending all war. Here are his thoughts on the matter. Andy Rooney I think it's possible to remember and honor the Vets, their sacrifice and service, and still hope for the end to wars.

CMoe, great words of wisdom. Warmly seconded.

Jayce said...

Hello everybody. An important day today. Especially significant this year because the VA is finally getting their act together to provide the medical services our veterans so much deserve. I hope major improvements are forthcoming soon. I wish Mr. McDonald success in his endeavors.

Net neutrality? It seems FCC chairman Tom Wheeler thinks we don' need no steenking net neutrality. Heck, just declare broadband providers as "common carriers" and the problem is immediately solved. Even that judge of the DC Circuit Court of Appeals pointed the way in that court's ruling a few months ago. FCC, take a clue!

Best wishes to you all this fine Veterans' Day.

thehondohurricane said...

LimeRickey @8:23 AM

Thanks for the info. Always thought it was Lron ,but its L(Afayette) Ron like Me who formally goes by R Kurt. Now I got to find out who the Hell is L Ron Hubbard.

HeartRx said...

thehondohurricane @ 1:27, L Ron Hubbard was not a good guy:
"His critics including his own son have characterized him as a liar, a charlatan, and mentally unstable." Wiki

He also falsified his war record - despicable, considering all those we are honoring today.

Lemonade714 said...

This puzzle brought to mind one of the early times I read this blog back in 2008 where the initial initial was t h e clue and the theme. Fun to look back.

Which JD was that?

My son stayed on Ios during his dig
In The Cyclades

Yellowrocks said...

The region of Catalonia has two official languages, Spanish and Catalan, both of which are spoken. In offices and schools, Catalan is the dominant language. Road signs and labels e.g. in museums are usually bilingual. Barcelona boy/ nino is plausible, but Madrid boy might have been a little better, especially on a Tuesday.

Yellowrocks said...

Cute cats. Recognize any furry pal at your house?
Link adorable

Tinbeni said...

Marti @1:40
I agree with you totally.
I have to endure endless solicitations from his Scientology followers whenever I'm in downtown Clearwater.

Unique experience solving today ... I only used the Down Clues.
(Though I did "check-off" 7 Across Clues when I used them to check the perps).

As such ... I especially enjoyed Argyles write-up ... since I had NOT used (or read) half the clues.

Hmmmm, I have never had an Alabama Slammer ... but have enjoyed (on occasion) a SOUTHERN COMFORT ... NEAT, of course!!!

My first toast tonight at Sunset is to ALL the VETERANS who served our Country.
Cheers!!!

aka thelma said...

"Honor Our Veterans"- today and everyday... I thank you all.....

thelma :)

Avg Joe said...

Thank you veterans, one and all.

Easy speed run today, but also an enjoyable theme. However, I'd really like to see more themeless puzzles since there is so much emphasis on originality. IOW, it's possible all the good ideas have been used up, so I wish the editors would either put less emphasis on something that's never been done before, or eliminate the restraints imposed by a theme on a more frequent basis.

Net neutrality? Hmmm... It's a serious issue, but it's got a lot of moving parts. The most fundamental problem is the last mile bottleneck. The neutrality argument developing right now is a byproduct of that. If the incumbents (RBOCs, CLECs and cable cos) could be unseated by either regulation (i.e. No more monopoly status in their markets) or technology (i.e. WiMax or some such) the problem wouldn't exist. However, since it does exist, it only seems reasonable to restrict their ability to charge "luxury fees" on both the providers and the consumers of the content. All of the infrastructure is in place except for the final delivery method, and the keepers of that gate are not only refusing to go quietly, they want ransom on their way out the door.

Spitzboov said...

Good afternoon everyone.

Tuesday level with a little edge.
Liked the END ZONE theme
SLOOP had a great clue.
TOMSK - Got from the perps. Figured on the SK ending - Most Siberian cities end in SK.
WISEMAN - At first tried to think of the MAGI names before realizing all that was sought was what each one was: WISEMAN
At one time I favored SOUTHERN COMFORT, but now opt for Bourbon. Beer usually suffices, however.

A special Toast to all you veterans. Went to 99 Restaurant today to enjoy their free Veteran's entree.

TTP said...

College Football and especially the Division 3 Rankings I'll be pulling for Mount Union first, then Mary Hardin Baylor (nee "Baylor Female College"). Interestingly, # 1 UW-Whitewater plays a lot of other UW teams. I don't think they would fare very well against UW-Madison... The Divison 3 champion is usually either UW-WW or Mount Union.

Husker Gary, true that White House Press Secretaries can have a tough job, but they are well paid. White House Salaries

Mitchell Baker on Net Neutrality

I want it to remain an open net. If I want to link to ETSY or some such, I should be able to get to their website as easily as I can get to e-bay or Amazon. And if a google search returns a local retail business that I might want to consider, I shouldn't have to wait and wait for their home page and subsequent page selections to be delivered to my browser, versus getting lightning quick response from some mega retailer...

Thanks Joe, Anon-T and Jayce.



Wake Forest has a nice little interactive that allows you to easily look up the nutritional value of some of the chain fast food joints. Not that you ever eat at one.

Getting cold outside. This deep freeze should get all the bugs, perhaps excepting those that have managed to sneak inside.

TTP said...

Spitzboov,

I apologize profusely for omitting you as I called out other known vets on the blog. From what I gather, you would be both the longest-serving and highest-ranking vet on the blog. Thank you for your service !


Chairman Moe, I know. They frustrate the heck out of me. And, I am not a Todd Haley fan. Are you from the Pittsburgh area ? I went to an estate sale the other day, and met a guy wearing the same style Steeler hat that I was wearing. "I like your hat." He was from Beaver.

fermatprime said...

Greetings!

Thanks, Pamela and Santa! Took a bit longer than the usual Tuesday, though, no problems.

Deepest thanks to out vets.

Looks like it might rain. (Hope so, for sure!)

Cheers!

Chairman Moe said...

TTP @ 6:11

Grew up in "Pennsylvania Dutch" country but became a big Steeler fan when I attended Pitt. I was there (Pittsburgh) before their first Super Bowl win; about the time Noll started as the coach. My S/O is originally from New Castle. Lots of Steeler fans in her family and mine . . .

I see from your profile you are in the greater Chicago area. I lived for a few years in St Charles; back when I was subjected to transfers about every three to five years . . . thankfully, those days are over. But I did like the "Fox River Valley" area - St Charles, Geneva, et al. Nice places.

Bill G. said...

Avg Joe, I for one don't care much for themeless puzzles. I completely agree with you though that too much emphasis is placed on originality. I'd rather see a really well-done puzzle with a variation on a clever theme that has done before instead of a weak but original theme. Just my two cents.

I was expecting a holiday crowd along the bike path today but no; just me and the Pacific.

Montana said...

Overslept this morning so didn't work on the puzzle until tonight. It was a typical Tuesday one in difficulty.

My family has had someone in every branch of the service except Coast Guard. I have a niece in basic training for the Marines right now. She should be done in a couple weeks.

My neighbor now has a Home Health nurse coming in daily and will get Meals-On-Wheels for awhile. She lives alone.

Still plenty cold here--below zero and windy.

Montana

Spitzboov said...

TTP @1811. Thanks for the kind words. I didn't mention anyone by name, earlier, for fear of leaving someone out. I appreciate and am thankful for all of their commitments to service.

Anonymous said...

Thanks Montana and your family.

And thank you all.

kazie, It is not ironic as to who wonders about war while not participating. We do not encourage it for you anyway.

Anonymous T said...

Insomnia strikes again says...

ACTORS STRIKE is not as bad as writer's STRIKE - now we have "reality TV" that must be SEEN.

Since no one linked BACK TO SCHOOL there's your MOAN.

For fun (I won't link), Google Ralphie May DORA. MA only.

C, -T

Anonymous said...

The sun is filled with ice
and gives no warmth at all
and the sky was never blue

The stars are raindrops
looking for a place to fall
And I never cared for you