google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Wednesday December 25, 2019 Blake Slonecker

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Dec 25, 2019

Wednesday December 25, 2019 Blake Slonecker

Theme: COME TO YOUR SENSES (64. Wake up ... or what five long Across answers do?) - The last word of each theme entry is a "sense".

18. Pretrial proceeding to determine if the accused is released or held during trial: DETENTION HEARING.

23. Tawdry: IN POOR TASTE.

37. Stop communicating: LOSE TOUCH.

46. Programmer's hint of a still bigger problem: CODE SMELL.

58. Soothsayer's ability: SECOND SIGHT.

Boomer here again.  

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone!  If you are traveling to greet friends and relatives I wish you all a safe trip.  Here in the frozen tundra, we are enjoying temperatures in the 30s with a bit of melting going on.  No travel for C.C, and me, except maybe to the car wash.

Packers 23 - Vikings 10. No Christmas joy in Snowyville -  Happy Holidays Green Bay!

Across:

1. "The Chosen" novelist Potok: CHAIM.



6. Doofuses: SCHMOS.  Are they all named Joe ?

12. Itinerary info: ETA.  Should be on time, weather permitting.  ETA for Santa?? He should already have come and gone.  It's a busy night for him.

15. Light weight: OUNCE.  Enjoy a cocktail, but not if you're driving.

16. Hullabaloo: HOOPLA.  Reminds me of 1958 when the Hula Hoop was the most given Christmas gift.

17. "Your Moment of __": "The Daily Show" bit: ZEN.  I used to watch the show with Jon Stewart.  Not so much anymore.

21. Family unit: CLAN.  I would not call any family a clan.  If you change the C to a K, it has a negative connotation.

22. Ties up: BINDS.

30. Get-up-and-go: ZEST.  I used to use it, but now I like Irish Spring.

31. Peddle: SELL.  Tough job in the electrical business,  I only lasted about a year, then I escaped to an office position.

32. Again, in Spanish: OTRA VEZ.  Feliz Navidad.  I said this to my friend Jorge a couple of days ago, and he smiled.  I guess I did not have the proper accent.

34. Having a low pH: ACIDIC.

41. Master: ACE.  Slang for a hole in one.  I am still waiting for my first.

42. Easy throw: LOB.  No runs, no hits, no errors and nobody Left On Base.

44. Forget a date, e.g.: ERR.  See above.

45. Actress Vardalos: NIA.


50. Pines: YEARNS.  Sometimes I YEARN for a Chocolate Chip cookie.

52. Plays at, with "in": DABBLES.

54. Costa __: RICA.

55. Source of chips: SPUD.  "You may want a Bud Light with those chips",  So says SPUDS Mackenzie.

61. Watering hole: OASIS.  Besides a water stop in the desert, there are many products that use the name.  SOAP??

63. Vicinity: AREA.

72. Chicken-king link: A LA.  This is A LA Times Crossword Corner.

73. Polar jacket: ANORAK.  Don't need it this week, Low to mid 30s all week!

74. Dishonorable fellow: KNAVE.

75. Chop off: LOP.  I chopped a six pin off a ten this week.  Yes, I cannot repeat my comment.

76. Big Apple area, with "the": BOWERY.  I guess they were a criminal clan from New York, but didn't the bowery boys actors become the Three Stooges?

77. Nasser's successor: SADAT.  I wonder what he was SAD AT?

Down:

1. Northern Pacific catch: COD.  You do not see much C.O.D. deliveries any more.  Need to use PayPal or Credit Card.

2. Cranberry or cherry: HUE.

3. Bad picnic omen: ANT.  I don't know about picnics, but these little guys can build their homes right under the asphalt in our driveway.

4. Like beer on a summer day, ideally: ICE COLD.  Or like my bowling ability on a winter day sometimes.

5. __ Park: Edison lab site: MENLO.  Thomas Edison has all the respect in the world from us Graybar folks.  I think he invented more than half the stuff that we sell.


6. Japanese faith: SHINTO.

7. Dove's call: COO.  There's another bird who calls Coo Koo.

8. Dearie: HON.

9. Speed letters: MPH.  I try to keep my needle on the speed limit.  Detection is very enhanced, and well it should be.  I am not a fan of drivers zipping by me on city streets.

10. Cry repeated at soccer matches: OLE.  Ya sure, 'Dis is Sven's buddy.

11. Defunct Swedish automaker: SAAB.

12. Web mag: E-ZINE.

13. Cares for: TENDS.  I do not pretend to be super-religious, but I do believe there were animals tended in the Manger on this night years ago.

14. Insecure feeling: ANGST.

19. Old salt: TAR.  Indeed this is the asphalt I was talking about previously that ants tunnel down.

20. Channing's role in "Grease": RIZZO.  First baseman Anthony for the Chicago Cubs.


23. Genesis father of twins: ISAAC.  The bible says Isaac was 60 years old when Jacob and Esau were born!!  Some guys will do anything for a tax deduction.

24. Wafer brand: NECCO.  I remember these.  I think a roll cost a nickel.

25. Practiced, as a trade: PLIED.

26. NBA's Hawks, on scoreboards: ATL.  Also the Braves, losers of the 1991 World Series. (Thanks to Kent Hrbek and a blind umpire),

27. B'way sellout sign: SRO.  Not available on Airlines, but certainly available when you are waiting to check-in.

28. Zap with a stun gun: TASE.  I am sure they are uncomfortable, but better than a bullet.

29. More than most: EVERY.  "Every Day, It's a gettin' closer, goin' faster than a roller coaster." (Lubbock's only Buddy Holly).

33. French 101 verb: ETRE.

35. "Casablanca" heroine: ILSA.


36. Tangle removers: COMBS.  If it's really tangled it becomes a hair remover.

38. Strip of gear, as a ship: UNRIG.

39. Sure thing: CINCH.

40. Attacks: HAS AT.

43. "I'm a Mess" singer Rexha: BEBE.


47. __ Bauer: EDDIE.  Men's clothing - "Everything's on sale."  Or do they mean "for sale"?

48. Inc. kin: LLC.  Stands for "Limited Liability" but I am not business-minded to know what the advantages are.

49. Zodiac feline: LEO.  Burt Lahr was a cowardly one.  Good thing they didn't use a chicken.

51. Online news pioneer Huffington: ARIANNA.


53. Snide: SNARKY.

55. Golden St. region: SOCAL.  The land of milk and honey, (and an occasional fire).

56. Renaissance painter Veronese: PAOLO.


57. It usually shows AK and HI as insets: US MAP.  I was about 10-12 when these two states were added.  I remember the U.S. had to redesign Old Glory.

59. Ob-gyns, e.g.: DRS.  They bring "Joy to the World". 

60. Personal ad verb: SEEKS.  If you travel to Missouri and look West, you may SEE KS.

62. Stick a fork in: STAB.  Rumor has it that some of you crossword solvers eat your peas this way.

65. Plastic __ Band: ONO.

66. Pained outburst: YOW.

67. Wash. neighbor: ORE.  The State that D.B, Cooper  hopped a Northwest jet with a bag of money and parachuted out somewhere.  The pilot of the plane, Captain Lee, was from Minnetonka, MN.

68. Old Mideast org.: UAR. United Arab Republic.

69. Pathetic: SAD.  The first name of Private Sack in the funny papers.

70. Señora Perón: EVA.

71. Tennis match unit: SET.  Game SET Match.  See you Monday!!

Boomer

Notes from C.C.:

1) Happy Birthday to dear Yellowrocks (Kathy), whose strength and persistence continue to inspire me. Has anyone tried her miso salmon? Miso and honey combo is great also.
  
Kathy, Japan
2) Happy 81st Birthday to Lorraine (Fermatprime)! I just got a short note from her yesterday and I hope she checks in today. Do you still solve the daily puzzles, Lorraine?
Thanksgiving, 2015

29 comments:

Lemonade714 said...

A Shout Out to Yellowrocks and Fermatprime and all the Christmas babies who no matter their religion share the limelight on their birthday, and many more.

I think Blake may have gotten a present today of his first national puzzle publication. Good job. You look like a college professor named after John Forsyth . Good job and welcome.

Boomer, you are awesome and I hope you get a 700 series for your holiday gift.

FLN, CED -you and the girls were wonderful! Thank you for sharing.

desper-otto said...

Good morning!

All is quiet chez d-o this morning. Even the cats have called a temporary truce. We don't decorate. Dw used to set up a Christmassy display atop the piano. I sold it -- the piano, not the display.

WOOD/SPUD and ONES/YOUR kept this one from being Wite-Out free. Not familiar with DETENTION HEARING or CODE SMELL, but they perped easily. Managed to get the theme, so life is good. Congrats on your LAT debut, and thanx for your yeoman service, Boomer.

MENLO: "He invented more than half the stuff we sell." I'm not sure he invented more than half the stuff he "invented."

BOWERY: The Bowery Boys (Huntz Hall and Leo Gorcey) were favorite Saturday movies of my ute. Also Randolph Scott westerns.

SPUD: I'll take a CSO for that one. I've got 10 pounds to run through the grinder this afternoon on their way to becoming potato dumplings.

Happy birthday to our resident word researcher, YR. And happy belated birthday to Fermat.

Hope all the cornerites are having a merry Christmas or a happy Hanukkah or are fondly looking back on Festivus.

desper-otto said...

That was supposed to be "Congrats on your LAT debut, Blake..."

Boomer said...

I need to add this Christmas story. C.C. and I live in a quad townhome (sharing a wall with two of our neighbors). My hearing is not the best, but two years ago on Christmas morning, C.C. could hear a weak call for help from the other side of one of our walls. We called 911 and they needed to break in the door of our neighbor's residence, and found her on the floor having suffered from a stroke. Of course she was taken to the hospital and survived and still lives in our quad building. C.C, received a commendation from our Brooklyn Park mayor, What a Christmas experience for us. And the reason I mention this on Christmas morning is that C.C. extends my life daily by making sure I take my pills and eat proper foods so maybe I will hit that 700 series predicted by Lemonade. Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas to all !!

Jinx in Norfolk said...

FIR, but had to fix rETENTION HEARING, ANaRAK, and PAbLO. I guess Santa forgot to bring me a sense of spell again this year. I always have to wait on UA (e or r).

I always think of the Corner's dear, departed Scott "Santa" on Christmas day.

DNK CODE SMELL, BEBE Rexha, or Veronese.

Merry Christmas to everyone. HBDTY, yellowrocks and Frematprime. Jimmy Buffett too.

We'll be using our cellular data starting Friday while we're thawing out in Ocala. I won't be looking at Youtube because it is such a data hog, so today I'll throw in the song We Built This City that lent its lyrics to the album title Knee Deep In The HOOPLA.

Thanks to Blake for the fun grid, and to Boomer for picking up the holiday shift.

Wilbur Charles said...

FLN
CED, fantastic. Why, because I stayed rapt for it all. BTW, I moved from parochial school to public in the burbs and lo and behold Christmas music was playing
And…. For the first time ever, OHN was heard by these catholic ears.

Randy, good luck to your bro, Rudolph. Remember what Mrs Claus told Santa that if he's not sure if it's actually snow that "Rudolph the Red knows rain, dear"

WC

billocohoes said...

Merry XMas everybody!
A family is part of a clan, not the other way around, or a CLAN is an extended family. See Scottish clans, or clans within Native American tribes.
An LLC is so that if the business goes bust, creditors can only take the company’s assets, not your personal wealth. Also probably tax advantages
Never heard of CODE SMELL, but yeah, could recognize bad coding and not be surprised if something bad happened.

BobB said...

Otra Vez, maybes the reason Jorge smiled was it is a very good limited release beer from Sierra Nevada. Puzzle finished, time to open presents. Merry Christmas!

Irish Miss said...

Good Morning:

This was an easy, breezy solve with only a few unknowns: Zen, as clued, Otra Vez, Code Smell, and Paolo. I associate Cod with the North Atlantic waters; is it that prevalent in the Pacific? I caught on to the senses theme early on, but the reveal was still a fun Aha. There were more three letter words than I'd like, but nothing grating.

Thanks, Blake, for an enjoyable solve and congrats on your LAT debut and thanks, Boomer, for pinch hitting, especially on a holiday. I have a feeling that you and CC are pretty equal in the sharing and caring department. 💞

Happy Birthday, Kathy, hope it's a very special day. 🎂🎁🎉🎈🍾

Happy Birthday, Lorraine, hope you're up to enjoying the day. 🎂🎁🎉🍾🎈

FLN

CED, thank you for sharing your very talented daughters' beautiful rendition of one of my favorite Christmas hymns.

Dave4, thanks for the chuckles that the Randy tale induced.

Merry Christmas to all! 🎄

Have a day filled with happiness, peace, and joy.

inanehiker said...

No paper today in this small city- so did the on line solve while all my kids are sleeping in/slowly arising - big change from when they were younger!

I was hoping for a holiday themed puzzle today - but just a straightforward Wednesday!
We played a game one of the kids brought home - that is easy, not too long, with lots of wordplay called "Code Names" I would recommend it if you have at least 4 people!

Thanks Boomer for the always amusing blog and Blake for the puzzle!
Happy birthday to Kathy and Lorraine!

Lucina said...

Feliz Navidad!

Thank you, Blake Slonecker, and congratulations on your debut! It was quick and fun.

I did not feel any ANGST over this puzzle. It appealed to my SENSE of humor and quelled my puzzle needs.

CODESMELL seemed untenable but it perped and BEBE was unknown. OTRA VEZ was welcome and a given for me (literally, another time).

Happy birthday, Kathy (Yellowrocks)!
Happy birthday, Lorraine!
I wish you both an abundance of years more.

Thank you, Boomer, for stepping up today! Do you get paid triple time? You do certainly enliven the Blog with your wit.

Have a joyous Christmas Day, everyone!

Spitzboov said...

Merry Christmas everyone.

Happy Birthday to Fermatprime.

Thanks to Boomer for doing yeoman duty in what must be a busy week.

Got it all but needed a bit of wite-out. Had LOSE track before perps and theme dictated LOSE TOUCH. Interesting theme - the 5 senses. Don't suppose Rich is going to let variations on that get through very often.
KNAVE - German has a related word; 'Knabe' meaning boy or youth. Nothing pejorative. Funny how meanings can diverge.
ANGST - Bisschen Deutsch. Also ÊTRE; bit of French, and OTRA VEZ; bit of Spanish.

Have a great day.





Husker Gary said...

Musings
-Having no idea/chance at 1 across? As Tommy James beautifully sang, It’s All In The Game
-The CLAN that assembles here today pales in comparison to the crowd that used to descend on Grandma Opal’s in my yute.
-Reporters LOB softball questions to their favorite candidates and SNARKY ones to those with whom they have issues
-I have driven 4-MPH over the limit for a long time without any problem
-I’ve seen teen ANGST “up close and personal” for 50 years. Victims tend to not show up for class reunions.
-Motherly advice to us: “TEND to your own knitting”
-Happy Birthday to Kathy and Lorraine!

Hungry Mother said...

Nice present of a quick solve before the grandkids come down for present opening here in Vegas.

Ray - O - Sunshine said...

Merry Christmas to all who DABBLE in crosswords and everyone else...

Finished with dumb mistakes. Had Inga instead of ILSA. Realized I've never seen the complete film.

Had otro instead OTRA. Should have known better; the Italian cognate of VEZ is "vece" which is feminine.

When I was about 10 in the early 60s my parents took me to New York City for the first time. We took a bus tour. Including the Bowery. The driver/guide actually stopped the bus to point out the unfortunate alcoholics and homeless asleep or stumbling along the sidewalk. Like it was theater. For a kid it was shocking not to mention his callous attitude. Things have improved in some ways and worsened in others...


The wife is calling for help in the kitchen. Can't convince her that completing the daily crossword should supercede peeling potatoes.

Have a great day.

desper-otto said...

Husker, I think you meant Tommy Edwards.

Husker Gary said...

Dang! Thanks D-O. I still have the site open where I listened to the lovely song but couldn't transport his name to the adjoining tab. Getting old ain't for sissies! :-)

Misty said...

I was so happy to get a good start on this delightful Wednesday puzzle. It may not be Christmas themed, but it's exciting to get your debut today, Blake--many thanks for that, and we look forward to many more. Some funny words popped up right away, like SCHMOS and HOOPLA. My Spanish, sadly, is not great, so I was happy that perps produced OTRAVEZ. Nice to see my SO CAL/ AREA pop up in the puzzle. Interesting that ANORAK has been appearing in puzzles lately--maybe because it's winter. Anyway, a pleasure to work on this, thanks again, Blake. And, Boomer, I loved hearing your and C.C.'s heroic Christmas story--many thanks for sharing it. And wonderful to have you blog today--you're a real treasure.

Happy birthday, Yellowrocks--I always love your commentaries. And happy birthday to you too, Lorraine.

Wilbur, what a cute Rudolph joke!

Have a beautiful Christmas day, everyone. And thank you for your year-round company.

Abejo said...

Good afternoon, folks. Thank you, Blake Sloneker, for a fine puzzle. Thank you, Boomer, for a fine review.

Happy Birthday to Fermatprime and Yellowrocks. How nice. Christmas Birthdays.

Puzzle went fine. Theme appeared and it was a good one. SENSES.

A few tough words: CHAIM, OTRA VEZ, CODE SMELL, RIZZO, EZINE, BEBE, ATRIANNA, PAOLO. Perps and a couples wags got it done.

I do not like ICE COLD beer anytime. About 55 degrees is perfect.

I have the morning to myself. My wife is working today at the CVS for four hours only. We have our Christmas tonight. Should work out. We are having prime rib. Our daughter and her friend are coming over. I was given orders to wrap gifts. I had better get cracking.

Merry Christmas to all the Cornerites!

Abejo

( )

Spitzboov said...

Just realized I forgot to wish Yellowrocks a Happy Birthday. Tough to compete with the specialness of the Day. Hope you have a great time.

Montana said...

Solved the puzzle last night without problems.
Love Boomer's expos.
Happy New Year to everyone!

Montana

PK said...

Merry Holiday! Congratulations, Blake, on a fun puzzle debut. Thank you, Boomer, for playing Santa for us with your big bag of humor. Ho! Ho! Ho!

I had enough SENSE to find the theme after a couple long ones filled.

Happy Birthday, Kathy, and hope we have many more years together on the Corner, friend.

Happy Birthday, Lorraine! We miss you.

Wilbur Charles said...

MPH: I finally agree with my son. Traveling on I75 it's best to put cruise on 80 and sit there. The old saw about "move over for faster" is obsolete. Main reason: the 90+ drivers weaving from far right to the middle.

I thought I needed "Again" in Swedish. Shades of Minnie Bottoms of Bridge who confuses Jacks and Kings. I really need to use my reading glasses for solving.

Speaking of bridge: Unlucky Louie had a pal that borrowed money for facial reconstruction. "Now he's disappeared and I don't know what he looks like!"

Hbd's to YR and FermaT.

Aaarrgggh!! DETENTION. My bame in Jr high. It was all Popeye's fault. I was 15 minutes away and 1:10 was deadline. Popeye cartoon ended at 1255. Off I went* , making it 9 times out of ten meant I'd just finished two weeks of DETENTION and now I had three weeks.

I see y'all are busy now with family and feast.

WC

T*shortcut had a drawback. I had to dodge around the fierce, growling bulldog, Smokey. I could just edge by as he strained and growled, foam dripping from mouth at the very end of his chain.

Ol' Man Keith said...

Didn't know if I'd get time for the Corner today, but glad to find a coupla free minutes between gifting, eating, and napping (!)
Happy too that I can catch up with birthdays for Yellowrocks & Fermatprime! Congratulations, dear ladies!

Wilbur ~ Funny Rudolph joke! Thank you.

Boomer, glad you and C.C. are staying put up in the frozen north. I learned in my years in N.E. that battening the hatches and huddling by the fire is the only sensible plan for holidays (and non-holidays, Brrr).
I feel for all those poor souls who are separated from family and must travel in the worst weather of the year.
The older we get, the more sensitive we are to the cold. Even here in SoCal, my favorite present under the tree was an extra space heater for my office. It is oscillating behind me as I type this.
(The one great problem of my new machine occurs when I have to leave my desk to join others in the now-much-chillier common rooms. WowZa!)

I think my mood is also affected by the relative cold--now more than ever before. My thoughtful wife got me a S.A.D. lamp. I don't know if it is a real thing, but I'm gonna find out this season.

Merry Christmas to all!
~ OMK

OwenKL said...

Happy NewtonMas, everyone!

Starting with CHAIM and SCHMOS, I thought we were going to have a Jewish theme for this anniversary of a Jewish kid's birth. But what to make of SADAT in the opposite corner? Well, the kid did grow up in Egypt before returning to his native Nazareth.

There ought to be some HOOPLA today
To celebrate ISAAC Newton's birthday!
This virtual eunuch
Has a physical unit
Of three-point-six OUNCES in play!

(Newton, who died a virgin, is the namesake of the SI unit for force. 1 newton is equal to 3.5969431019354 ounces.)

D4E4H said...

Carol and I FIR in 29:11 min.

Good evening Cornerites.

Thank you Blake Slonecker for your enjoyable Wednesday CW. 

Thank you Boomer for your excellent review.

Happy Birthday to Yellowrocks and Fermatprime.


The US MAP usually shows AK and HI as insets.  What about the home of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer?

Ðave

Bill G said...

Hi everybody!

I hope all of you had a great day.

I enjoyed the puzzle. I was expecting a holiday theme but this was excellent too. Thanks to Boomer too.

I'm glad CC heard from Fermatprime. I'm happy she's OK. Happy birthday to her and Yellowrocks!

I came to love "Casablanca" fairly late in life. Now it's one of my all-time favorite movies, right up there with "The Third Man" and "Love Actually" and ???

Doppler radar shows rain in closing in and arriving soon. Very excellent!

Lucina said...

Bill G:
We've had rain off and on all week including today and it is predicted until Friday. It's good news for the desert but always adds stress for drivers.

Our celebration was wonderful as always with the family gathered in loud, noisy unity. I love it!

Anonymous T said...

Merry Un-Christmas to y'all and Happy un-Birthdays to YR & FermatPrime [glad to know you're doing well Fermat!]

FIW w/ SHINTu / uTRAVEZ [ever mention Spanish was the only class I got a D in?]

Fun puzzle Blake (congrats on the debut!) and fun expo Boomer.

WO: GOS AT [sic] b/f HAS AT.
ESPs & WAGs: the area around OTRAVEZ, ETRE, RIZZO [educated guess].
Fav: SO CAL near the US MAP

{A+ for near historical accuracy}

Enjoyed reading everyone between festivities today but I didn't have time to post / respond. I don't really now either as I gotta get up for work in the am.

Play tomorrow.

Cheers, -T