google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Tuesday, July 18, 2017 Howard Barkin

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Jul 18, 2017

Tuesday, July 18, 2017 Howard Barkin

Theme: Getting your just desserts - No pie, let them eat CAKE.

57A. Simple thing to do ... and what each starred clue's answer ends with?: PIECE OF CAKE

20A. *Moon's alleged makeup: GREEN CHEESE. Cheese cake.

40A. *Indian spiced drink: CHAI TEA. Tea cake.

11D. *Pre-euro Dublin currency: IRISH POUND. Pound cake.

29D. *Loofah: BATH SPONGE. Sponge cake.

Argyle here. Pinwheel grid. Pleasing.

Across:

1. "Get outta here!": "SCRAM!"

6. Computers with Apple cores: MACs

10. Designer Ricci: NINA. Nina Ricci. A fashion house founded by Maria "Nina" Ricci and her son Robert in Paris in 1932. Wiki link

14. Slip 'N Slide maker: WHAMO



15. Peter Fonda's title beekeeper: ULEE. "Ulee's Gold"{1997}.

16. Pesky one: BRAT

17. Insurance giant: AETNA

18. Nat or Natalie: COLE



19. Verdi title princess: AIDA

23. Respectful address: SIR

24. __ Lee: dessert brand: SARA

25. "South Pacific" song: "BALI HA'I"

27. Red ink item: DEBT

30. "Yikes!": "ACK!"

32. Fraidy-cat: WIMP

33. Hedging response: "I MAY"

34. Billy Joel's "__ Always a Woman": SHE'S

36. Actress Deschanel of "New Girl": ZOOEY


39. Cambridge sch.: MIT. (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

42. Spanish "a": UNA

43. Old anesthetic: ETHER

45. Lee of Marvel Comics: STAN. He has made several appearances on TBBT.

46. Cutting sound: SNIP

47. Hits the slopes: SKIs

49. Eur. realm until 1806: HRE. (Holy Roman Empire)

50. Puts two and two together: ADDs

51. Hangs crudely, as a dorm poster: TAPES UP

54. 1982 Disney sci-fi film: "TRON"

56. Sis' counterpart, and sometime rival: BRO'

62. Charged atoms: IONs

64. Stepped (on): TROD

65. Heart chambers: ATRIA

66. Fierce anger: RAGE. Partner of "rant".

67. Words following a guesstimate: OR SO

68. Sea birds: GULLS

69. Sketched: DREW

70. Sought-after private of film: RYAN. "Saving Private Ryan (1998)"

71. Overact: EMOTE

Down:

1. Pirate's booty: SWAG

2. One-named "Mask" actress: CHER. "School Registration"



3. Give stars to: RATE

4. Official forgiveness: AMNESTY

5. Animated Disney film with a Polynesian heroine: MOANA. (2016)



6. Spanish girls: MUCHACHAS. Boys are muchachos,.

7. Soothing gel ingredient: ALOE

8. TMZ figure: CELEB. (celebrity) TMZ Wiki link

9. Playground fixture for two: SEESAW

10. Steph Curry's org.: NBA. (National Basketball Association)

12. 1976 Olympics star Comaneci: NADIA

13. Arcade pioneer: ATARI

21. Sound of cymbals: [CRASH!]

22. "My Fair Lady" role: ELIZA

26. "I think," in texts: IMO. (in my opinion)

27. Thin coin: DIME

28. Let off, as steam: EMIT

31. Mets star Hernandez who dated Elaine in a two-part "Seinfeld": KEITH


35. Initiated, as a task: STARTED ON

37. Oklahoma city: ENID


38. Puppy sounds: YAPs. Not YIPS today.

40. Like fresh chips: CRISP

41. Beginning of el año: ENERO. Spanish.

44. Just __ by: barely make it: EKE

46. Holy spot: SANCTUM

48. Beau-to-be, hopefully: SUITOR

51. Classic Ford auto: T-BIRD

52. Wildly cheering: AROAR

53. Sportswear designer Ellis: PERRY. Perry Ellis, American fashion designer who founded his eponymous sportswear house in the mid-1970s.

55. No longer a minor: OF AGE

58. Thing, to Tomás: COSA. Spanish.

59. Guthrie of folk: ARLO

60. Bagpiper's attire: KILT

61. Let up: EASE

63. Stitch: SEW


Argyle

47 comments:

fermatprime said...

Hi everyone!

Thanks to Howard and Santa! (Lonely bracket there Santa!)

Three unknowns: MOANA, NBA and KEITH! But filled in rapidly!

Hope to see you all tomorrow!

OwenKL said...

{C+, C+, C+.}

He was the honcho, the boss, the big CHEESE!
He TROD on all rivals and crushed them with EASE!
So minions shut their YAPS
When he sat with his BRATS
To have CRISPS at their make-believe TEAS!

Inside an ATARI, amongst whizzing electrons,
The characters gathered for a game of TRON.
Some in ATRIA, waiting to go,
Some in the cage, WHAM- and blam-O!
And one little WIMP, just twiddling his IONS!

There was one small rock from Mount AETNA
Who vowed nevermore he'd fret, nah.
He once glowed hot with RAGE,
But now EMOTES on the stage --
His lava-tory jokes always get "Haw"!

PK said...

Hi Y'all! Fun puzzle, Howard! Fine expo, Argyle! Loved the COLES.

Slower than yesterday with more words that needed perps. KEITH/STAN/HRE were the last to fill with the TH. Took a while to remember HRE was Holy Roman Empire even with SANCTUM filled.

Pretty heavy with CELEB names and Spanish today. Doable. Liked MUCHACHAS but hadn't heard it for a long time so took a while.

Pesky one not gnAT but BRAT.




Bill V. said...

PIECEOFCAKE today!

Jinx in Norfolk said...

FIR, but erased nemo for RYAN. Didn't know NINA Ricci, MOANA, COSA or ZOOEY Deschanel (although I'm in favor of all Zoes, regardless of how they spell it). I think I have heard of TEA cake, but can't remember the context. Programmers who are old enough to remember algorithmic programming know TRace ON as a handy debugging tool. Fun movie too, at least for we nerds.

Thanks, Howard and Santa, for a fun Tuesday.

Lemonade714 said...

An enjoyable Tuesday that filled quickly. There is a little restaurant not far from where we live that bills itself as Asian Street Food. The owners are a Thai couple, and the wife bakes. She makes Chai Tea Cake, Green Tea Cake and a Coconut Cake my wife loves. I really like the Chai Tea one.

There were many proper names but they were all recognizable. Thank you Howard and Argyle.

Lemonade714 said...

I forgot to mention I really enjoyed the movie MOANA and C.C.'s latest puzzle in today's WSJ.

thehondohurricane said...


Not many issues today, but a bit of luck. Never heard of WHAMO and I was going back and forth about the last letter.....was I or O. I did go with the O, but it was a lucky guess. ELIZA got me ZOOEY, another unknown. Everything else was simply filling in the blocks.

billocohoes said...

Today is the 41st anniversary of NADIA's first "Ten" on the uneven parallel bars

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4m2YT-PIkEc

Spitzboov said...

Good morning everyone.

Neat theme; but did not invoke it for the actual solve. Slightly crunchy for a Tuesday. PK's comments parallel my own take on today's offering. Had IffY before I MAY. Liked the plethora of long downs.

ERIE - Have not seen it in quite a few days. I fear Abejo, myself, and perhaps some others may be suffering from postpartum-like depression.

Lucina said...

Some easy fill for this MUCHACHA with UNA and COSA, too. Thank you, Howard Barkin and Argyle!

I wasn't too sure about MOANA since my granddaughters don't stay with me as much as they used to, but it filled itself as did WHAMO. I enjoyed the theme but didn't need it for the solve and virtual CAKE is about all I can have anyway. it was a grand sashay, over too soon.

Sptitz:
Perhaps the return of the long absent ULEE will fill that void.

Have a fantastic day and week, everyone! I'll see you in about 8 days.

Yellowrocks said...

A fast Tuesday with a slightly sticky middle. I had ACH instead of ACK and SEAN instead of STAN, so 31D was HEIEH. Huh? Then I thought of ACK which led to KEITH and STAN. Quite a name dropper for a Tuesday.
I know MOANA but haven't seen it. I have heard of ZOOEY. I always thought the spelling was odd. I prefer ZOE, both are pronounced alike. I read that the actress's name is from Salinger's Franny and Zooey. I bet she is often called ZOO-EE.
Pesky one, brat, is epitomized by Dennis the Menace.
SKIS brought up images of Marti. I sure do miss her blogs.
There was a policeman in uniform in the news enjoying a Slip 'N Slide with a youngster on a very hot day. My grandson had one of those with the Wham-o logo.
Long ago I was given a bottle of L'air Du Temps by Nina Ricci as a gift.
I liked "Computers with Apple cores," Macs. This time I noticed the capital A.
Enjoy your time away, Lucina.

Abejo said...

Good morning, folks. Thank you, Howard Barkin, for a fine puzzle. Thank you, Argyle, for a fine review.

Spitz: You are correct. I really miss ERIE!

This puzzle was a little tough for me for a Tuesday. Had a tough time getting started up North, so I headed to the bottom and worked up.

Theme was easy. I use that phrase all the time: PIECE OF CAKE I really do not eat cake much, however.

Unknowns were: WHAMO, NINA, ZOOEY, MOANA, NBA, PERRY, COSA

Liked SANCTUM. We use the term Sanctum Sanctorum in our degrees.

Never got the grass cut yesterday, so maybe today.

See you tomorrow.

Abejo

( )

Northwest Runner said...

South Pacific two Tuesdays in a row.

MJ said...

Good day to all!

Sweet puzzle today, which filled in quickly. Thank you perps for KEITH Hernandez and ZOOEY Deschanel. Another unknown was MOANA, but I never saw the clue before coming here. Favorite clue/answer was "Computers with Apple cores" for MACS. Thanks for the tour, Argyle.

PK (from yesterday)--Yes, we took dozens of photos at the clan gathering Sunday. It was a bit of a challenge to get nine little ones ranging in age from two weeks to 7 years old to look at the camera at the same time, keep their hands out of their mouths, etc., so there is not a single perfect photo, but they are all perfectly wonderful.

Lucina--I hope you have a "cool" trip.

Enjoy the day!



Howard B said...

Thanks for the comments all, and thank you Argyle for the writeup.
MOANA is very popular in our house right now, with two daughters as avid fans (the little one especially loves the coconut pirates!).
Happy solving all!

- Howard

Irish Miss said...

Good Morning:

A nice, pleasant Tuesday, especially for those with a sweet tooth. 🎂 My only w/o was Antz before Tron. Didn't catch the theme until the reveal and that's fine. Seeing Sara (Lee) under Cheese (Cake) was neat Also liked ACK, I use it now and then when I make a big boo boo, just like comics' Cathy.

Thanks, Howard, for a fun solve and thanks, Argyle, for a lovely tour, especially the Coles' clip and the Cher scene. I saw that movie but many, many years ago.

The 3 H's are making themselves right at home, along with T-storms, thunder and lightening.

Lucina, have a wonderful trip and stay cool, if you can.

Have a great day.

C6D6 Peg said...

Thanks, Howard, for an enjoyable Tuesday puzzle. Seemed to be a bit easier than yesterday's, but liked the unknowns (MOANA, COSA, and ZOOEY), but perps to the rescue! Thanks for stopping by with your comments!

Thanks, Argyle, for the write-up. Also enjoyed the UNFORGETTABLE!

Wilbur Charles said...

Ok. I work and got up early after working late. I was tired. I should use a better pen. And, I'm a trifle stupid*. So. I spelled MUCHACHAS precisely as any Bostonian would. With an A.

But when I saw the write-up, I quickly V8-ed COLE. DUH. Or is it DOH. Dudley, help me with excuse #3.

MIT placed a device on the 50 yard line prior to the Harvard-Yale game circa 1969
It was a wildly popular and unpopular stunt at the time.

NW- At least no Africa for a change

Jinx, I did COBOL and about a 1/2 dozen query languages. Algorithms would be too fancy a description.

Owen. You're a tough marker. I'm switching you to the Wilbur method: today you get 3 Ws. I not only liked them, I think I "Got" them.

I'll stop here

WC

PS. Re. TBBT. I see there's a Childe-Sheldon slated for fall. eg. An incredibly onnoxious kid.

* I forgot to mention that along with a better pen, I should use reading glasses.
I'm going to go get an eraser-mate that Lucina mentioned. Maybe red. Ok. Bright blue.

Wilbur Charles said...

Oops. Dudley that's actually excuse #5

WC

PK said...

Oh no! Now I'm craving cake. I haven't had any in about 3 years. Steady girl!

CrossEyedDave said...

Yesterday's got me surfing every Danny Kaye clip on the internet,
today's made me look up the Cher movie Mask on YouTube.
I had never seen, nor heard of it.
I bookmarked it for later, just too busy right now.
I was thinking Jim Carrey's "the Mask,"
Diaz might fit, but isn't her 1st name Cameron?
Nice dance number, starts out good, but then it gets a bit over the top...

Wilbur Charles? MIT 1969? 50 yard line?

CanadianEh! said...

Quick Tuesday outing today. Thanks for the fun Howard and Argyle.
WEES re names requiring perps.

I put the final S in for the sea birds and waited for perps to show Ernes or Terns. What, we have GULLS today!
Like Lucina, I noted all the Spanish today but unlike Lucina I had to wait for perps for proper spellings. I know more French than Spanish.

My Indian-born DIL says that CHAI TEA is redundant because Chai means tea and thus you are saying Tea tea! It probably should be called Masala tea for the spices used.

Thanks to all who commented on my new granddaughter yesterday. MJ, I know what you mean about trying to get a photo. Recently, I had to photoshop to get 5 kids from age 5 down to 3 months all looking the same direction, and I can imagine the fun with 9!

Beautiful weather here. 80 and sunny.
Enjoy your day.

Bill G said...

Hi everybody.

That was a fun Tuesday puzzle. Thanks Howard and Argyle.

I've read several places including here about thr three H's of summer weather. What are they? I figured on Heat, Humidity and ?? I was thinking maybe the third H was Haze.

I have mentioned how much I enjoyed Grantchester. My favorite episode was the one that included his relationship with the jazz singer Gloria. The one after that (Episode 5?) has his friend Georgie getting shot. Is that all of them?

Husker Gary said...

Musings
-The fill and theme came easily
-HRE – Voltaire in 1761: “It is neither Holy, Roman nor an Empire”
-Oscar SWAG bag contents
-I saw more kids hurt on SEESAWS growing up than any other device
-Where is it where, “One thin DIME won’t even shine your shoes”?
-Another teacher just got sentenced to jail here in Nebraska yesterday because she was “with” a boy not OF AGE

Jayce said...

Neato puzzle. I liked it.

Howard B said...

... on Broooooadway...

Misty said...

Well, I thought this was a delightful speed run--it was!--but in the end I goofed on one letter--putting TINA instead of NINA and TBA INSTEAD OF NBA. Should have gotten both of them, and hate messing up a great Tuesday puzzle like this, but hey, it's only one letter--not that big a deal. I actually liked seeing all the names, like CHER and NADIA and the fictional ones. So, many thanks, Howard, and you too, Santa, as always!

I watched "Grantchester" last night and was startled to see Sydney back with Amanda. How is that going to turn out? Wish there weren't so many tensions involving several of the main characters right now, all of whom I care about.

Today is the second year since the day I lost my sweet husband Rowland. Friends have been sending kind notes, and it's lovely that they remember. My own feeling is one of intense gratitude for the lovely years we had together, even after his stroke when he was still able to read, and write short stories, and read the NY Times on his computer, and take walks with his walker and caregiver in the park. I'm so grateful he had those additional seven good years.

Have a good day, everybody!

OwenKL said...

MIT hack This is the one you want, CED!

Ol' Man Keith said...

Ta-DA!
PIECE OF CAKE for sure, and we're not just Barkin' YAPS here! A well-wrought pzl with a moderate degree of chewiness. Thanks to its creator and commentator!

The cakes covered by the theme are each delicious. They led me to think of the cakes I like that are missing, such as German Chocolate (Mmmm...) and that hard, chewy Christmas Fruit Cake that we always order from that Texas company that knows how to do it right!
But the cake that I haven't had in years and probably wish for the most is Upside Down Cake. (Mmmm! That sweet, gooey topping/bottoming? - and the nuts and cherries and pineapple! Aaah...)
Our Mom used to make it from scratch, and I just realized how sorely I miss it.

Misty said...

Well, now I am hungry for some cake, Ol'Man Keith. You sure give them all a mouth-watering description!

CrossEyedDave said...

Thanks OwenKL, that was an interesting prank.
(I am sure the football people got ticked off about it...)
But Wilbur mentioned the prank of 69'
and I can't find it anywhere...

But it get get me in the mood for some silliness,
hmm, can I find a silly link for each, and every cake?

hmm, this challenge is definitely a piece of something...

#1 Cheesecake: No worries, got it covered...

#2 Tea cake? What the heck is a tea cake anyway?
---Oh! So that's what it is!

Cont...

Anonymous said...

This was the easiest puzzle I've done lately! Thank you, Howard B., for the fun! Thank you, Argyle, for the fun expo and links!

Only hang-up was 28d: Let off, as steam= venT/EMIT. Perps finally led me to the light and it was done. A couple unknowns were filled by perps and caused no trouble.

We have heat and humidity but no haze. Thank you, Willis Carrier, for inventing modern air conditioning!

Bon voyage, Lucina! Have a great trip!

Canadian Eh, congratulations on the new grandbaby!

CrossEyedDave said...

Hmm, I'm feline like "pound cake" deserves 2 links...

#3 cont...

& finally, sponge cake. Sigh, I wonder why I keep getting rejected by M.I.T.?

Wilbur Charles said...

I thought it was way back in '69,'70. 1982. That recent

Hungry Mother said...

Everythinbg known today; easy one.

Trubrit said...

Thanks for a great CW today. I sing with a women's group and John Musker's wife is a member. John is the one responsible for MOANA, so of course I got it immediately. I ran a "Charm School" for many years and I used to put a spot of Nina Ricci's L'air Du Temps of the wrist of teens to get them to soften their faces with a smile, eyes closed.
I got the theme easily today. I absolutely love cheesecake. Don't eat too much cake these days, though.

Thanks to all responsible for todays crossword.

Have a great day.

tawnya said...

Howdy!!

CAKE!! I love cake! Everybody likes CAKE! Don't forget: Cake can Go the Distance
Well done, Howard! I enjoyed your Tuesday offering.

@Misty - thinking of you today. And I'm glad your friends and family are reaching out to you.

Not a lot to say today because I'm distracted by cake! Anything chocolate for me! DH gets German Chocolate cupcakes for his birthday. One of my favorites of all time is very easy and a sure-win crowd pleaser: Cinnamon Toast Cupcakes from the Cake Mix Doctor books. Seriously, they are just amazing. I also use that frosting on from-the-can cinnamon roles (because I'm lazy enough to buy those rolls but can't stoop to eating that frosting that comes in it.)

Gonna go drink some water and try not to throw together that box of brownies in the cupboard that keeps screaming my name. My diet does not thank you, Howard ;)

Happy Tuesday!

t.

TTP said...

Well, I have waited long enough.

I really have grown to love solving crossword puzzles. I have these Walter Mitty dreams that someday I'll be able to compete at a high level. Unfortunately, I can't read my own printing very well, and my typing leaves a lot to be desired.

Hello Hungry Mother. "Everythinbg known today; easy one." LOL. At least it was easier to understand than some of those hieroglyphic posts that Anon - T writes ! Anyway, I have more than a few FIW's due to those kind of typos. Especially when I'm trying to hit the keys fast !

It also doesn't help, as HeartRx used to describe, that I'm "A little slow on the uptake."

Even with solving multiple puzzles a day, I'm still not at the point where I could finish in the top tier of any crossword solving tournament. Maybe with years of experience (and knowledge) that I don't yet have...


We have a celebrity in out midst today. In case you weren't aware, Howard is an ACPT Champion. In 2016, he knocked off reigning champion Dan Feyer. I realize we have some very fast solvers here. But can you imagine solving a Saturday level NY Times in 7:59, onstage, in front of most of the country's best solvers, to dethrone the champ ? Read one of the articles here.

Thanks for the puzzle today Howard, and belated congratulations on your ACPT victory !

Howard B said...

Thanks! Know that even though i have done the speed-solving parlor tricks, I still prefrr to settle in at leisure to solve or create them. The comments and anecdotes I read make it all worth it.

TTP said...

Hey Howard ! You're welcome.

Now, maybe throw a few speed-solving bones to some of us wannabes ? Well, maybe not those prime rib bones. Ya never know if Feyer, Hinman et alia are listening in... :>)

Bill G, did they ever fix that Time Warner / Dodgers contract problem in LA ? Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers are visiting the White Sox here, and he's dealing. First time I've been able to watch a Dodgers game all year. MLB news stories and standings seem to indicate they're pretty good. If the pundits are correct, it looks as if it'll be an I-10 series against the 'stros when all is said and done.

Wilbur Charles said...

I know where I got 1969. That was the year of a famous Harvard-Yale game won in the final seconds. Ok, I just looked it up. 1968, Pete Varney. I was at Lejeune

Misty, my thoughts and prayers are with you*. You two were fortunate to have each other.

TTP, we call those brain lapses Misty moments.

CED, thx for the links. Tawnya too.

Missing a square, no big deal-HA. But I recovered when I finished NYT Sunday. Actually previous Sunday, TBT carries it a week late. The F-Th one.

I cheated though. I was tired and topped my McDonald's senior decaf with regular. When the jolt of caffeine kicked in I was solving at Howard-ian speed.

WC in the gloaming (much like Varney's two point conversion. )

* Warning. I mess up those prayers. I asked for prayers for Jose** at Mass the other day. I looked at Betsy and said "Did I just say Tony?" Yep.

** Jose had his fourth cancer surgery. Remember him too.

Wilbur Charles said...

Oh. Re. TBBT. I tape the reruns. They're doing season 1. LoB-ian. Especially, when Leonard held up the sign SARCASM

WC

Anonymous T said...

Hi All!

We that was fun; thanks Howard for a CRISP offering. If I MAY, 'no clunkers need apply...', smooth fill.

Thanks Argyle for the expo; COLEs were nice, but I coulda used some Billy Joel

WOs: s in ELIsA, Aor^H^HTRIA
ESPs: MOANA, NINA, ZOOEY

Sparkle: SANCTUM; ATARI and TRON in the same grid.
Fav: EASE crossing PIECE OF CAKE - just a nice touch.

{B,B+,B}

Thanks for dropping by Howard.

Gotta run. Cheers, -T

Jinx in Norfolk said...

WC - I agree about COBOL from the little I know (having programmers report to me and a very little rubbing off). I took IBM 360/370 assembler, Fortran and Pascal in college, and played with Basic as a hobby. About as useful as knowing celestial navigation, but not as much fun.

Stan Lee was immortalized today at what used to be Grauman's Chinese Theater in LA. We see a lot of him here in the Corner.

Misty - My heart is with you tonight.

Bill G said...

Misty, good thoughts going from me to you...

TTP, no, they never resolved the problem. If Magic Johnson and Vin Scully would get together and speak out, I'll bet the impasse would be resolved quickly.

It's the ninth and Kershaw has given way to a closer or so I read on CBSNews.com
RATS!

Misty said...

How lovely to get all those sweet messages from Tawnya, Wilbur, Jinkx, and Bill G., How very kind of you to think of me--thank you so much. You've also cheered up my day, and Rowland would be happy too to know that our friends are thinking of both of us today!