google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Friday, March 29, 2020, Alan Massengill and Jeff Chen

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May 29, 2020

Friday, March 29, 2020, Alan Massengill and Jeff Chen

Title: Follow the circles from end to end.

We have another new collaboration featuring regular constructor Jeff Chen and noob (newbie?) Alan Massengill who already has two solo Universal puzzles published. Jeff has about 70 puzzles in the LAT of which I think 27 are collaborations. He also has 111 NYT publications, of which 70 are joint efforts. That qualifies him as HOF mentor. This primarily a visual puzzle, which once you see one of the theme answers, fills fairly easily for a Friday. Not much in the way in new fill, E-FILED, being the only introductory word. There some sparkles in the fill like AWESOME, DESSERT (this time) LOAN OUT, PARTIAL (a CWD nono) PETALED, SWISHED, FAULKNER and  HINT HINT. I hope Jeff or Alan will stop by to tell us more about this puzzle and constructor.

On to the theme:

17A. Feeling upon being stretched thinUTTER EXHAUSTIO(15). THIN is stretched from the second letter to the last.

26A. Earth-shattering realization: THE AWFUL TRUTH (13).
EARTH is broken up.

44A. Cutting-edge fashion icon: COUTURE DESIGNE(13). Designers create their fashions by cutting up cloth.

59A. Exhibit widespread political appeal: WIN BY A LANDSLIDE (15). WI and DE = WIDE which are spread far apart.

Next.

Across:

1. OTC drug overseer: FDAFood and Drug Administration.

4. Like a honeymoon couple's bed, perhaps: PETALED. Or this...

11. It may be brown or blonde: ALEASH was my first thought. That was a seed planted by Monday's puzzle.

14. Realty unit: LOT. I like this better than "acre."

15. "Killer, dude!": AWESOME. Surfer talk.

16. Proponent's preposition: FOR. This and the next are just definitions.

20. Ill-suited: INAPT.

21. Two-time Seth MacFarlane title character: TED. Why not.

22. Browses: SURFS. The other surfer,

23. Duplicity: DECEIT. No comment, too political.

25. Charges: SETS AT.

30. Actor-for-actor movie studio exchange: LOAN OUT.  READ and discuss.

31. Closest buds, for short: BFFsBest Friends Forever. The "s" is like an appendix in the human body. Followed by...

35. Open parenthesis, in some emoticons: FROWN. ಠ╭╮ಠ is what is listed in Unicode Emoticons. Also, 6D. Row of emoji, perhaps: TEXT.

36. Spiced tea: CHAI. This is generally a blend of black tea, ginger, cloves, cardamom, and cinnamon. There are variations throughout the world.

40. Cook in fat in a closed pot: BRAISE. This is to fry lightly and then stew it slowly in a closed container. Braising is used with larger or whole pieces of meat and very little liquid.

42. Cary Grant's chin dimple et al.: TRAITS. Our Charlotte has a chin dimple. Do you find them attractive or awful?

48. Zeppelin leader?: LED. Musical interlude? No Stairway today.

49. Spare tire makeup: FAT. A little deception, but men of our age do fight the battle of the bulge.

50. Hoops hanger: NET. They hang at each end of the court. Also, they make the sound in 53A. Sank perfectly, as a jump shot: SWISHED.

51. Jan. honoree: MLKMartin Luther King, Jr.

56. Top 40 song, e.g.: HIT.

62. Taiwanese tech giant: ACER.

63. Surprises in bottles: GENII. Back again.

64. Tip jar deposits: ONES. These days I see mostly quarters.

65. Tijuana Brass leader Alpert: HERB. Musical interlude. Hell yeah.

66. Fiat: EDICT. Not a car but from the Latin for "let it be done," the word fiat is a binding edict issued by a person in command. It can gain an almost Biblical aura of authority, like a movie Pharaoh saying, "So let it be written, so let it be done." Or Picard,  "make it so."

67. ASAP in the ER: STAT. It is more compelling the As Soon As Possible. It comes from the Latin and is an abbreviation of the word statim, which has the meaning "instantly/immediately."


Down:

1. Word with gender or lighter: FLUID. I knew lighter fluid but had not run across gender fluid which is a gender identity. A gender fluid person may feel male on some days, female on others, both male and female, or neither. A gender fluid person might also identify as genderqueer.

2. ISP suffix: DOT NET. Many of these mixed answer spelling out punctuation.

3. Stick on: ATTACH.

4. Not all there: PARTIAL. The dreaded crossword faux pas.

5. Farm female: EWE. Only you...

7. ESPY Courage Award namesake: ASHE. Arthur has had a great career in puzzles. His hair was neither ash brown nor blonde.

8. Unit to be washed: LOAD. Sunday was a wash day for us.

9. Layer of dark green eggs: EMU. An Emu egg is the equivalent of approximately 10 chicken eggs. The shell has a beautiful teal color (sometimes darker in color) and is prized as a decorative piece. We recommend using a chisel and hammer or dremel-type tool to get into the egg. Emu eggs make an incredible omelet or frittata. Also, irritating commercials if you ask some.

10. Napoléon, for one: DESSERT. This was not a tribute dessert but the cake initially named mille-feuille (which means a "thousand layers" in French) was brought to Russia in the early 19th century and was widely cooked during the festivities after the victory against the French army of Napoléon Bonaparte in 1812.

11. Something never done before: A FIRST. This collaboration for example.

12. Exfoliating sponge: LOOFAH. Loofahs — sometimes spelled luffas — are popular shower accessories used for cleaning and exfoliating your skin. No relation to sea sponges;  natural loofahs are made from a gourd in the cucumber family.

13. Bond villain Blofeld: ERNST. He has appeared, played by many actors, in SEVEN Bond films. Can you name them?

18. Dueling sword: EPEE.

19. Fantasia hippo's outfit: TUTU.

24. BOGO offering: TWOFERHYACINTH

25. Evel doings?: STUNTS. Knievel- take that Robbie.

27. Not even close: FAR. Literal again and in a logical place.

28. Card game whose name is spoken during play: UNO. My maternal grandmother, may she rest in peace, traveled with a deck in her purse.

29. Dirty: LOW. Down rat!

31. English channel: BBC.

32. To and __: FRO.

33. Only Mississippi-born Literature Nobelist: FAULKNER.

34. Browsing target: SITE.

36. Animal house: CAGE.

37. Comment with a wink and an elbow: HINT HINT.

38. Consumed: ATE.

39. Med. country: ISRael.

41. Like bubble baths: SUDSY. And generally covering bouncy boobies. Unlike...

43. Cantaloupe coverings: RINDSNutrition but then boobies can be melons.

45. Submitted returns online: E-FILED.

46. Water brand: DASANI. For some reason, my least favorite of the bottle brands.

47. Cultural, as cuisine: ETHNIC.

51. [Blown kiss]: MWAH.

52. Causes of some head-scratching: LICE. Very literal.

54. Minimum __: WAGE. The new reality.

55. Revise: EDIT.

57. A light bulb may symbolize one: IDEA.

58. Sample: TEST.

60. "Hang on a sec," in texts: BRBBRight Back.

61. __ Alamos, NM: LOS. We finish with Los Alamos and its  National Laboratory (LANL) is probably the most famous federal government laboratory. Synonymous with both clandestine and well-known paradigm-shifting research, it is most recognized as serving as the birthplace of the atomic bomb.


I am outta here after another week having fun and with a new twist on an old concept. Thank you, Alan and Jeff,

63 comments:

PK said...

Hi Y'all! Once again I cringed when I saw Jeff Chen's name and almost went back to bed. However, I kept plugging away at the puzzle and filled it more easily than expected. Thank you, Alan & Jeff. Enjoyed your comments, Lemony.

Didn't quite get the theme despite having circles in place. This is getting to be a disgusting habit.

Read "Realty" as "Real-i-ty" which slowed things down a LOT.

Took a while to figure out what was in the newly-wed bed. Racy thoughts issued forth... This rose PETALED thing is overdone, methinks. No appeal for me at all. Rather have an intact rose on my pillow than the mess of PETALs

BFFS: one of the very few text abbrevs I know.

FAULKNER: a very lucky WAG. Yippee!

Lemonade: Don't think I ever saw a chin dimple in real life off the screen.

My "tire" is anything but "spare". FAT a gimmee.

"M" in MLK/MWAH was last fill. Kept trying an "S". MWAH? MWAH? Meh! Guess I haven't thrown any kisses lately.

DNK: Fiat = EDICT. GenderFLUID? (Really? the things you learn in CW.) EMU egg color. How to spell LOOFAH. ERNST.

Lemonade714 said...

PK, I think I have shared pictures of my oldest granddaughter who has a definite chin dimple. Not as dramatic as some, but on her it is cute

Yellowrocks said...

Again the bottom two thirds went quickly, but the top third was not all that difficult. FIR I had no idea what the words in the circle meant. Thanks, Lemonade. Simple, in hindsight, and clever.
PK, I agree that the petaled bed is not appealing. I'll take the intact rose on my pillow, too. I, also, was thinking reality at first.
I have a dimple in my chin. I always liked it. One time I met someone who said what a shame my chin was like that. I felt highly insulted. I still like it.

Anonymous said...

I think your explanation of the theme was a "stretch".

desper-otto said...

Good morning!

Had the circles. Forgot to look at 'em. Theme? Welcome to the world of the theme-challenged, PK. PETALED, because SWEATY and UNMADE were too short. HINT HINT began life as WINK WINK (nudge nudge, say no more). Enjoyed the outing, even if I thought it was a Friday themeless. I did notice the left-right symmetry. Thanx, Alan, Jeff, and Lemonade. (Kirk Douglas had a famous dimple.)

"Appendix" -- I read an article that perhaps there is a function for the appendix. When the body is under duress, it provides a refuge where the bacteria can hide until it's once again safe to come out and play.

TTP said...


Good morning !

Getting the theme is as important (to me) as a successfully solved grid, and as understanding why every answer fits a clue.

Today I'll swap your SWISH sound with a whoosh sound. That's the sound as it flew right over my head. Had I paid attention to the circles while solving each of the long answer clues, I may have noticed a clue word was in circles.

Looking at the four circled words and trying to find some commonality, independent of reading the clues proved fruitless. D'OH !

Thanks for pointing out the obvious to the oblivious me, Lemonade.

LOAN OUT is a new term to me in the sense of the clue. Not all that up on Hollywood vernacular.

Dare I say AWESOME ? Husker has indicated that he encourages his tutees to use other adjectives from time to time.

DOT NET and NET. Didn't notice during the solve.

When I got to "Exfoliating sponge", I was like, "Oh yeah, that word with a U in it. What is it ? I know it. Darn it." After a few perps, "Duh ! The word starts with a long U sound."

Thanks, Alan and Jeff. Tripped over my toes a few times and stumbled, but never bit the dirt. Still fun to solve, just disappointed that I didn't see that which was apparent.

Hungry Mother said...

Wow! A fun-filled slogfest today. Loved the theme, but it didn’t help much in the solve. My grid passed the Rorschach test again with inky write-overs galore. I’ll take the W.

jfromvt said...

Didn’t get the theme, needed Lemonade’s write-up. Now so obvious. Duh. Also had ASH instead of ALE, which slowed me down a bit.

Big Easy said...

I stumbled out of the blocks before crawling to a finish today. FDA & LOT were easy. Gender FLUID- never heard of but some guy's singing "Feel Like A Woman" by Shania Twain. A honeymoon bed - RUMPLED was all I could think of until the perps change that. PETALED was perps- unknown.

Even after completion and looking at the circled fills I couldn't figure out what THIN, EARTH, EDGE, & WIDE had to do with the puzzle.

LOAN OUT, TED, FROWN- perps. I'm not into emojis or emoticons.

Lemonade- SWEATY, UNMADE among other things.

Anonymous said...

Got the theme only after finishing and reading about it here. Bob's your Uncle. Friday fun .

Husker Gary said...

Musings
-The gimmick was hidden in plain sight, cluing was beyond clever, and eraser was kept busy! Wow!!
-Honeymoon bed? Off the rails!
-I thought I had plenty of time to make my tee time but Alan and Jeff had other ideas with this great puzzle!
-FORE

OMaxiN said...

FIR. Two Fridays in a row. Wow! Not many tricky clues.
Totally missed the circles.
TED & MWAH filled by crosses
Not familiar with gender FLUID
Thanks Jeff Alan & Lemonade
MO

Brian said...

I thought the theme was brilliant. I especially liked how WI DEspread was spaced as far apart as possible.

Teachermommak said...

Why is partial I see CWD no no ?

Spitzboov said...

Good morning everyone.

Finally got it all without error. A doozy, though. Was hung up on the top central for a long time. Finally got UTTER EXHAUSTED (after I was), and guessed at ASHE. Wasn't exactly thinking PETALED which retarded the solution. Makes sense, though. Went thru the same LOOFAH thought/spelling process as TTP. Flirted a long while with Napoleon's job description before taking the other tack and entering DESSERT. Got all the theme fill but had to read Lemon's write-up to fully appreciate the circles.
All-in-all a fine tour de force by Messrs. Alan and Jeff. BZ.

Irish Miss said...

Good Morning:

Three strikes and yer out! This was the third day this week that the theme completely eluded me. Hats off to the constructors for the cleverness and subtlety of this theme and execution. There were numerous fun duos: Test/Text, BRB/BBC, Fro/For, Ewe/Emu, Wage/Cage, and the catchy trio of Far, For, and Fer! I fell into the Napoleon trap by entering Emperor right off the bat. I also had Dot Com before Net. My only unknown was Ernst as I’m not familiar with James Bond movies.

Thanks, Alan and Jeff, for a very enjoyable solve (albeit the cause of much lice-free head scratching!) and thanks, Lemony, for explaining the obvious but unseen, to me, theme and thanks, also, for the visuals and links. Who could forget the cover of that Herb Albert album? Speaking of Charlotte’s cute dimple, aren’t we due for some current pictures of the three grands?

I’m due to receive “Little Women” from Netflix tomorrow and am looking forward to watching it. I get several daily emails from Netflix alerting me to all the new shows and movies on the streaming site. Sadly, the Fall TV season looks bleak at this stage. What will I do without Tom Selleck? 😢

Stay safe, all.

inanehiker said...

Well I FIR - but I definitely needed to come here to get the theme explanation- very impressed by the cleverness once I did! I had a few misdirections "animal house" went from COOP to CAVE to CAGE as the perps got me back to correct course.

I think of dimples in the chin as a neutral issue- hard to believe that someone would have that strong of an opinion about something that is genetic and the person has no control over either way. I guess it's like preferring brown eyes over blue or hazel. But not liking something by personal preference and then telling the person - very rude! I find it interesting - genetically- because it is an autosomal dominant trait- so only needs to be passed on by one parent as opposed to something like a recessive trait that needs passing on by both parents to have it show up in a child (eg left handedness or blond hair)

Thanks Lemonade and the Alan & Jeff duo!

SwampCat said...

Thanks for the workout, Alan and Jeff. Took all morning but it was worth the effort.

Favorite was zeppelin lead I just because love Led Zep. Layer of green eggs was a learning moment.

I have a problem with chin dimple as a TRAIT. I think of a TRAIT as a personality characteristic not some physical condition one can’t control, like eye color. It filled with perps so I can’t claim a foul, but it bothered me. YMMV

Lots of fun today. Lemon, thanks for the expo.

oc4beach said...


No Red Letters, no look ups but took almost 30 minutes to get done. No circles because I use the Merriam-Webster SITE, so really didn't get the theme until Lemon explained it.

Wasn't sure which Farm female they wanted, so I started with EWE. Lucky guess.

I put in FLUID strictly based on the lighter. No idea about gender FLUID. Back in the day I carried a Lighter because of the other Gender who might need a cigarette lit. Same reason for carrying a clean handkerchief, in case a lady needed it.

Fell into the same trap as others with DOT COM before DOT NET.

What's the problem with PARTIAL? I wanted something along the lines of DAFT, CRAZY or INSANE, but they didn't fit.

Four letter sports figure had to be ASHE.

Frankly, I'm getting more than a little tired of the LIMU EMU and Doug. Of course the Joe Namath ads are starting to get to me also. Repetition, repetition, repetition, etc.

SUDSY again. I guess it's one of Rich's new go-to words.

Our county gets to go to the Green phase today. More businesses get to open, but there are still restrictions. I think I'll be sticking with take-out for a while.

Be safe and have a great day.

Shankers said...

What a pleasant surprise for a Friday. Paid no attention whatsoever to the theme. It was a moderately slow but steady fill without hiccups. FIR in 20.

Anonymous said...

This was a fast Friday for me, with the timer stopping at 9:03. Never saw the theme, until I came here. I wanted inept for inapt.

Ron in LA said...

Why is partial a cw faux pas ? Thanks.

Lucina said...

Hola!

Whew! Thank you, Alan and Jeff, for the challenge. Actually, the south blossomed early and easily with memories of trying to read FAULKNER's opus, he of the one sentence paragraph!

I laughed at HINTHINT, got the IDEA, then had to do some white-out of cleft before TRAITS. My late DH had two killer dimples that made me swoon and our daughter inherited them.

Up north boded trouble, spelled LOOFAH differently, desperately wanted ASH until forced to give it up and don't drink ALE. Also I don't watch Bond movies so ERNST perped itself.

Like PK, my thoughts for the honeymoon bed were FAR removed from PETALED until ASHE dispelled them. I also changed UNEPT for INAPT. It's better.

PARTIAL made me chuckle; it's so literal!

CSO to my computer at ACER.

Though my grid is sprinkled with white spots I didn't LU anything!

I have not IDEA who or what TED is in the Seth MacFarlane character.

Thank you, Lemonade, for your elucidation!

I hope you are all safe and healthy!

Abejo said...

Good morning, folks. Thank you, Alan Massengill & Jeff Chen, for a fine puzzle. Thank you, Lemonade, for a fine review.

I started on top and got nowhere. So, I headed south and filled its all in. Slowly. Headed back up North and eventually filled it win. Lots of trial and error. Lots of perps and a few wags.

TWOFER came slowly, but it helped a lot with the perps it provided.

TUTU was a wild guess. Worked,

Like ALE for 11A. Had me confused for a while. Then I thought about it.

I got the theme words, but was not able to connect them to their purpose. I did not look hard enough. Pretty tricky.

See you tomorrow.

Abejo

( )

Misty said...

Well, Fridays are of course toughies for me, but I was very happy to get the bottom half of this one before I had to start cheating. Many thanks, Alan and Jeff. And always enjoy your comments, Lemonade.

Got WAGE and EDICT and that made me think twice about the funny surprises in a bottle--oh GENI (plural?) okay, GENII.

As soon as I put in BFFS I got FAULKNER, which gave me MLK.
Once I got the first HINT, I took a chance on the second HINT. It worked!

My favorite clue was EVEL DOINGS--what else could it be but STUNTS, if you were sharp enough to see it wasn't EVIL?

Have a good Friday, everybody.

AnonymousPVX said...


This was a crunchy Friday grid.

Had to come back to the north, couldn’t get any traction.

Write-overs...LOOFAS/LOOFAH.

I would much prefer a chocolate on my pillow, regardless of the “occasion”. Plus, what if you have allergies?

See you tomorrow, stay safe.

Anonymous said...

Add me to the list of people who want to thank Lemonade for explaining what the theme was. Thank you, Lemonade!

Ray - O - Sunshine said...

I realize that you have to think outside the box as the esoteric end of the week puzzle challenge is offered but had issues ..INAPT, SETSAT, LOW for dirty ? (Maybe from the non quote. "You dirty rat!!). BOGO twofer?

If Alan doesnt make it as a CW constructionist he can probably fall back on his family's product line..found in your nearest pharmacy.

FIR bit THE AWFUL TRUTH IS (and don't even ask!) I had no idea what the theme was.

Learned what BRAISE means. The FATcoming from a porker's "spare tire?" (Someone mentioned it's called COVID 19 because you gain 19 lbs due to isolation.)

Spelled LOOFAH wrong three times. (Sptiz..TTP)

Sam is there a large slab of ham to go along with that large green egg?

Napolean, Bismarck, Pershing....famous men in history? wrong famous pastry or donut like desserts. (Quick nod to the ladies. Loved Lorna Dunes in milk)

I still preferred as a teenager to "Dream of Jeanie" in that Arabian Nights outfit!! 🏺🧞‍♀️

If you had 3 wishes you'd say....stop him...too late

Mom claimed smoking cigarettes ______ a kid's growth.
......STUNTS.

You'll never ascend "The Stairway to Heaven" with a _____ Zeppelin .....LEAD

Miss Piggy caught in the act. "Who? ____ ?
.....MWAH.

On to Dreaded Saturn's Day.

NaomiZ said...

FIR and even understood the theme, for a change! It certainly felt like I had met my Waterloo, but ultimately enjoyed my just DES[S]ERT[S]! (With a nod to "Napoleon, for one.") Thanks, Alan, Jeff, and Lemonade.

SansBeach said...

Good Afternoon, All. Agreeing with some of the above comments, the bottom end of this xword filled without too many surprises. I knew Dasani but spelling for me is always challenging. With f_T and not quite thinking about men's spare tires. A,E,I...and the light came on. Fat. DNF The top just wasn't happening: Petaled still doesn't have any meaning, except what Lemonade referenced, I wagged tutu, thought I should know loofah but couldn't recall, it's over 3 three letters. Had inept for inapt (not sure I knew inapt was a word) I feel bad at letting emu get by, but laying green eggs??? Hoo gnu. Still don't quite understand 6d answer text??? How is that text? MWAH had to LIU as above explanations didn't clear this one up. It perped in. I can only guess that it is the cyber replacement for SWAK. Thanks Alan and Jeff for the xword and thanks Lemonade for the fine explanation.

SansBeach said...

Oops, I was wondering if Lemony was going to get away with those references to the anatomy. Some of us see the humor, but apparently not everyone. LOL

Anonymous T said...

Hi All!

Hand-up -- I too missed the theme.
//actually, made up my own: THIN, EDGE, WIDE, EARTH - must be flat-Earthers, deniers of science, you know, morons.

Thanks Alan & Jeff. I'm guessing Alan did much of the cluing 'cuz puzzle was more on my wavelength than a solo JW typically is.

Thanks Lem for the expo and 'splainin' the theme.

WO: DECENT [sic]
ESP: MWAH (for spelling). Many fills needed 80%+ perpage b/f the penny-drop.
Fav: Thought clue for BBC was nice misdirection and, of course, thinking of Python's 'Nudge Nudge'
//Evel doings was cute too

Napoleon: "It's Friday so it's not going to be the guy w/ his hand in his coat, so it's gotta be Animal Farm [couldn't be 'movie' 'cuz full title is Napoleon Dynomite]. Pig? Swine?, What's the '-ovine' for pigs?"
DESSERT? Thank you Lem.

FLN - C, Eh! predicted STAT | ASAP today. :-)

I knew FAULKNER 'cuz DW is an English Prof. and I recall reading her "As I Lay Dying" paper in college.

You tell me what you can't get out of your head at "-ET A LE -" @4a. Those were the last two letters to fall.

Ray-O: You forced my hand you dirty LOW down [Boz Scaggs]
Reading WC daily, I learnt BOGO=Buy One Get One... A Two-for-one. He lives in FL, so maybe it's regional(?).

SansBeach - you TEXT a string of emoji (self-plural?) if you're my Youngest & her friends. They know what it means, Daddy-O.

Is anyone else doing "touchless shopping" and then getting surveys? Home Depot just emailed asking me to rate the WD-40 I got two weeks ago. Me thinks someone needs to learn their AI the hardware business.

Cheers, -T

CrossEyedDave said...

The puzzle?

I had no idea what was going on...
Touche (the only French I would ever use...)
Never saw the theme circles (melons?)

I give the Constructors a full fledged "Ya got me!"

However,

When Lemon said...

& then Offended said...

Well, then I guess equal time is in order...

In order to have a sane, & non partial debate,
we should discuss this subject in detail...
(from both sides...)

Who wants to go first...

Ray - O - Sunshine said...

Anon T. @b2:40... The link lead-in to that great song on You tube was a request to sign a birthday card for POTUS..hmmm.

Anyhoo.

The clue was dirty sooo IMHO the answer should have been LOWdown not just LOW.

I was thinking of that internet company Boingo that pops up when you're trying to get WIFI on a flight. "Buy One Get One Free" is now etched in my mind and won't be forgotten (until the next puzzle) 🙈🙉🙊

Steve said...

"LOAN OUT" has long ceased to be a thing. Actors used to be contracted to a particular studio and couldn't appear in another studio's productions unless they were sanctioned to do so.

The "star system" was a way of keeping the actors in line - if someone strayed, they were basically benched and didn't get paid. United Artists was formed by Pickford, Chaplin, Fairbanks and others as a way to break the studio's control over the talent and eventually the system was abandoned by the 1960's.

Lawsuits were brewing anyway and the studios wouldn't have had a leg to stand on regarding restraint of trade violations.

Thanks for the review, Lemonade.

PK said...

YR: Strange that somebody would think your "chin dimple" was "too bad". Some of the most famous sex symbols of our time like Kirk Douglas & Cary Grant had them. Glad you didn't let one idiot ruin your self esteem.

Offended at 1:14, why would you find Lemonade's remark "derogatory sexist comments"? Sounded like a fond & affectionate term to me. Or are you flat chested, dear?

Ol' Man Keith said...

AWESOME?
When I was an undergrad studying phonetics and regional accents, we (in San Francisco, Northern California) were taught that Southern Californians could not pronounce the "Aw' sound.
The example we were given was the word "Awesome," pronounced "AH-sum" by Surfer Dudes.
Now that I have been living in SoCal for 40 years I have learned this is not true.
In fact, there are at least 8, maybe 9, folks here who can say "aw" correctly!

Misty ~ I too found the top portion harder than the bottom. I finally got it but only after one cheat. I needed to look up Blofeld's first name.
Damn! I read ALL the James Bond books to pass the time when I was doing summer stock. But I couldn't remember ERNST, even after reckoning that "S" had to be the next-to-last letter.
Except for that lapse I would have had a perfect
Ta ~DA!

The other one that slowed me down was STUNTS. I wanted LEAPS, but it wouldn't fit. All of Evel's memorable STUNTS (at least that I remember) were great LEAPS over parked vehicles or vast chasms.
I used to ride motorcycles, and I was less impressed by his daring than by the vicarious PAIN we onlookers had to absorb on his Landings! Ye-OW!!
~ OMK

SansBeach said...

Anon T. Thanks for the comment. I am guessing it is language for the misguided youth and not to be understood by those over a certain age. :o)

Yellowrocks said...

When celebrity women air kiss on TV talk shows they do say MWAH. I have often seen MWAH written so I am familiar with the spelling, too.

National chains and mom and pop stores use BOGO, more frequently than twofer. Quite common.

Anonymous T said...

Thanks Steve. I knew the term (after many perps) but not the history in your industry.

Ray-O: I got two "Text #### to #### to support [or buy something]" text-messages this morning.
However, YouTube ads are on you... Google's AI thinks you want it -- I got an ad for SaltStack [Google it today and you'll find a Cisco patch for their SaltStack's default deploy] because I Googled SaltStack two weeks ago when the flaw was disclosed.

Re: LOW == DIRTY. "He's hitting below the belt! Anoda LOW blow! Look out! He's fightin' dartdy, Rocky!" [SEE: Mic who cuts]

"Oh, That was Dirty."
"Oh, So Low".
//Them's the best arguments I gots

Won't Offended be surprised to find PK was a wife?

-T

Wilbur Charles said...

-T The Publix chain uses that expression. Winn Dixie does the same but not labeling it BOGO

Re. LOAN OUT
It was a Hollywood actress sueing to escape her contract charging "indenture" or peonage that finally forced the MLB owners hand in the Marvin Miller labor action. The Owners in their classic stupidity allowed an arbitration panel which quickly escalated to what became Free Agency. Which leads into the current dispute about how to divide a smaller pie after Corona. I'll LIU this.
It was Olivia DeHavilland who won her "indenturement" lawsuit in the Calif Supreme Court(1943-45). Miller used this decision after Curt Flood's suit was defeated in the US Supreme Court.

WC

Wilbur Charles said...

Ps, indenture was outlawed 20 years before the 13th amendment.

CrossEyedDave said...

Offended @ 4:05

No one used (in your words)
the aforementioned term in regard to your mother or wife or daughter?

This is a Crossword Blog,
We enjoy the banter involved in the "Parsing" of clues & answers...

Pls leave Lemons Maternal Grandmother out of this...

Derogatory comments are consigned to the rule of Thumper
(which you are sorely lacking...)

Only Females fair targets?
Do you read this Blog?
(IE: Tennis balls - do not touch...)
(mark your own balls with magic marker before you touch them...)
(Hello?)
Sheesh, We are here for entertainment, & puzzles explained,
Lighten Up!

The only thing offensive I have seen today
is your attempt to censor any communication that "YOU" do not agree with...

Lemonade714 said...

Anon at 6:30 - funny.

I am unaware of bouncy being a "derogatory" term. Was it sexist? Sure I am a boy and am a great admirer of all women from "flat-chested" on up. Melon was just a coincidental reference. If I wrote my comments to not offend anyone, I also would not entertain anyone. Puzzles are games, and yes I would make the same jokes in front of all my dear departed relatives, male and female. bottom line, if I offended you, I apologize. But after 10+ years your offense meter is set very low

SwampCat said...

Lemonade, as always you say things so plainly. An elder relative told me many years ago, Don’t take offense where none was intended.

If I thought you intended to insult me, well, I could still choose to be insulted or not. But I found your remarks funny as usual!

Avg Joe said...

As fate would have it, today's For Better or Worse comic strip sorta tied into this issue. It doesn't quite rise to descriptive terms like "bouncy", but leaves little to the imagination: https://www.gocomics.com/forbetterorforworse/2020/05/29

SwampCat said...

Offended , please go away. You obviously don’t like us . Why stay?

Jayce said...

I liked this puzzle but didn't get the theme at all. So cook in fat was not CONFIT. Last area to solve was the top center, because there is no way I would ever come up with PETALED.

Frances McDormand has a chin dimple. So does my dentist (real life guy). Then there are (were) those deep cheek dimples that Red Skelton had and that Mario Lopez has.

The only FROWN emoticon I know is :(

My sister used to have a huge crush on HERB Alpert. Oh, and she liked his music, too.

You know you're old when your balls get wet when you sit on the toilet.

I, too, can't stand those Joe Namath ads.

I, too, will miss Tom Selleck. He's been doing some reverse mortgage ads :(

See you all tomorrow.

Ol' Man Keith said...

Irish Miss & Jayce ~
Where did you get the word that Blue Bloods is canceled?
Snopes says the rumor of the show's demise is false.
Independent fact checking on the web is tricky, because old bulletins remain posted even when superseded by later news. But as I interpret the postings, Blue Bloods was apparently canceled--tentatively--in February, then renewed in early May.
If you have a different source, please share it.
~ OMK

CrossEyedDave said...

Jayce @6:16

I TAKE OFFENSE AT YOUR STATEMENT!

(I do not like being called old...)

Irish Miss said...

Keith @ 6:29 ~ I didn’t say that “Blue Bloods” was cancelled. I was referring to the probability that there might not be a new Fall schedule of shows because of the pandemic.

Jayce said...

Ol' Man Keith, I don't remember where I heard it or read it. As so often happens, I may be totally wrong. In this case, I hope I am.

I raise my glass and tip my hat to you, CrossEyedDave :)

SwampCat said...

Jayce I hope you have appeased Offended. Maybe now he’ll leave us alone. Sheesh. ....

Lemonade714 said...

Avg.Joe COMIC

PK said...

Offended: you don't read well enough to understand what you were told. I am FEMALE, one in a long line of females with well-endowed mammary glands: mother, grandmother, great grandmother, and daughters. I thought Lemony's comment was more affectionate than offensive. You can raise all the ruckus about this you want to, but I'm not offended by Lemony. Chill out!

Lemonade714 said...

You cannot appease the attackers. Relax, I am still having fun. Offended should have seen the blog when I started with the comments dominated by innuendo and outright blue humor. Lois, Lolita, Promise me...oh my, those were days.

PK said...

Lemonade: Yeah, I got in on the tail end of those days when Dennis was planning to get a career fitting bras and Lois had some choice things to say.

Acesaroundagain said...

Lemonade, there was nothing wrong with your comments. I hate "anonymous" type criticism. Also, what do you mean by partial being a CWD nono and a faux pas?

Lemonade714 said...

I keep hoping one of our many constructors who read the blog would jump in and explain partials. I do not do it well but it involves avoiding partial phrases, or parts of phrases. I if your fill was YOHO, from the Pirate phrase yo ho ho and a bottle of rum that would be unacceptable. Hopefully by Sunday C.C. will expound

CanadianEh! said...

Late to the Friday party. Thanks for the fun, Alan (congrats on your debut) and Jeff, and Lemonade.
This CW took some P&P, but eventually I FIRed but could not get the theme. I took several readings of Lemonade's explanation before that lightbulb switched on and I got the IDEA. Congrats to NaomiZ - you must be one of the few who got it.

This Canadian's answer for "Killer, dude!" would be AWESOME Eh!

Yes AnonT, I thought that Rich must have read my post yesterday re ASAP/STAT, and made a last-minute change in the clue for STAT. (Smiley face emoticon here not a FROWN!)

Ray - I LOLed at your comment re Alan's family product line (FDA approved?). I have plenty of OTC experience to catch your meaning.

I am reaching the UTTER EXHAUSTION point of the day, and will leave my other comments too WEES.

Good evening all.

Lucina said...

Offended:
Me thinks thou dost protest too much!

Limerick Larry said...

To offended:

There was once a young girl, who begat
Three male babies, named Nat, Pat, and Tat.
‘Twas fun in the breeding,
But hell in the feeding,
When she found there was no tit for Tat.

Suckle on that one!

Bobbi said...

Full day of getting ready for graduations. My organizations are giving almost $15,000 in college scholarships - this year over the internet. Had to select winners using ZOOM on the computer. I was in such a good mood, the inanity of this theme bothered me only a moment when I looked it up here. Again to much Q&C (Quirky & Cute), not enough C&TP (Clever &Thought Provoking) Food drive tomorrow - expect over 1000 cars. Should be exhausting 😂