google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Tuesday, May 3, 2022 Catherine Cetta

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May 3, 2022

Tuesday, May 3, 2022 Catherine Cetta

For Book Lovers Only:  The word Book can come at the End of the word that the letters spell out to give us a new concept.  The circles make a nice Bookend for the letters in-between.


17-Across. "Almost!": NOT QUITE.  Notebook.

22-Across. Bargain hunter's event: RUMMAGE SALE.  Rule Book.

38-Across. Rush hour woe: COMMUTER TRAFFIC.  Comic Book.  Odd man out, since there are 3 letters at the beginning, and only 2 at the end of the answer.

49-Across. Lingers: HANGS AROUND.  Handbook.


And the Unifier:

61-Across. Items found on library shelves, and what are literally found in each set of circled letters: BOOKENDS.


Here's the Grid:


Across:
1. Prickly desert plants: CACTI.

6. Oolong and rooibos: TEAs.  Who knew there were so many types of teas.  Rooibos is a red tea and is considered an herbal tea because it is caffeine-free.


10. "The Problem With __": documentary about Indian stereotypes on "The Simpsons": APU.

13. In order to: SO THAT.  In order to complete this puzzle ...  So that I can complete this puzzle ...

14. Puts on edge: UNNERVES.


16. Springs for dinner: TREATS.


18. Distant: AFAR.

19. "Gorillas in the Mist" animal: APE.  Gorillas in the Mist is a 1988 film about Diann Fossey (Jan. 16, 1932 ~ Dec. 26, 1985) and her work in Rwanda with mountain gorillas.  Sadly, Fossey was murder in her research cabin in Rwanda.


21. Answering to: UNDER.  Think chain of command.

26. Dairy farm animal: COW.


27. Majestic homes: PALACES.  Do you know the difference between a Palace and a Castle?


32. As good as it gets: IDEAL.

36. News inits.: UPI.  United Press International.

37. __ Beds National Monument: LAVA.  I was not familiar with Lava Beds National Monument.  It looks beautiful and you can explore caves there.


42. Actress Falco: EDIE.  Edie Falco (née Edith Falco; b. July 5, 1963) is probably best known for her role as Carmela Soprano on the television series The Sopranos.


43. "I'm __ ears!": ALL.

44. Iona College athletes: GAELS.  Iona College is a private Catholic college in New Rochelle, New York.  The mascot looks a bit like a creepy Abe Lincoln.


45. Major plot twist in "The Wizard of Oz"?: TORNADO.  Cute clue!


47. Happy __ clam: AS A.

55. Permit: ALLOW.

59. Syst. with hand gestures: ASL.  As in American Sign Language.

60. Away from shore: ASEA.

64. Ludicrous: ABSURD.

66. Response to someone saying 65-Down, perhaps: BUNDLE UP.  //  And 65-Down: "It's c-c-cold": BRR!!!


67. Hairstyle that may be maintained by a professional "loctician": DREADS.

Bob Marley (Feb. 6, 1945 ~ May 11, 1981)

68. Had a bite: ATE.

69. Relay race segments: LEGS.


70. "R u for real?": SRSLY.  Text speak for Seriously.

Down:
1. Resort island in the Ionian Sea: CORFU.



2. First-stringers: A-TEAM.

3. __ City: Baltimore's nickname: CHARM.  Is this an ironic nickname for Baltimore?

4. Skin art, for short: TAT.


5. "We're on!": IT'S A GO.

6. Melodies: TUNES.

7. Roxy Music co-founder Brian: ENO.  Brian Eno (né Brian Peter George Eno; b. May 15, 1948) makes frequent guest appearances in the crossword puzzles.

Then and Now.


8. "__-Man and the Wasp": ANT.


9. Title with a "II," maybe: SEQUEL.  Do you think that there will be a sequel to 8-Down?

10. Passionate: AVID.

11. Transportation Secretary Buttigieg: PETE.  Pete Buttigieg (né Peter Paul Montgomery Buttigieg; b. Jan. 19, 1982) was the 32nd Mayor of South Bend, Indiana before he became the 19ht United States Secretary of Transportation.


12. Icon tapper: USER.


13. Polaris or Betelgeuse: STAR.


15. Part of RBI: RUN.  As in the baseball abbreviation for Runs Batted In.

20. Chapel bench: PEW.


23. Rights advocacy org.: ACLU.  As in the American Civil Liberties Union.  The ACLU has been around for over 100 years.

24. Datebook entry: Abbr.: APPT.

25. Wild animal's home: LAIR.

28. Communications code word for "A": ALFA



29. Casual eatery: CAFÉ.


30. Really, really bad: EVIL.
31. Biological pouches: SACS.

32. "Rhyme Pays" rapper: ICE-T.  Ice-T (né Tracy Lauren Marrow; b. Feb. 16, 1958) is known as Detective Tutuola on one of the Law & Order series.


33. Knucklehead: DODO.  CSO to our dear friend Dodo, who certainly wasn't a knucklehead.

34. Dubai dignitary: EMIR.  This is becoming a crossword staple.

35. "Right on!": AMEN.

36. http follower: URL.  The Uniform Resource Locator appears with some frequency in the puzzles.

39. "And here it is!": TA DA!


40. Musk of SpaceX: ELON.  Elon Musk (né Elon Reev Musk; b. June 28, 1971) has been the news a lot recently.  Enough said.

41. Seaweed gelatin: AGAR.  Agar makes the base for growing bacteria in the laboratory.


46. "Can't be helped": AH, WELL!

47. Pack animal: ASS.  This is becoming a crossword staple.

48. Light lunches: SALADS.




50. "Oh my gosh!" reactions: GASPS.

51. Fertile desert spots: OASES.




52. Garden-variety: USUAL.

53. Square: NERDY.

54. Both parents, in some families: DADS.

55. "Mamma Mia!" pop group: ABBA.



56. Boor: LOUT.

57. Only: LONE.

58. Approved, briefly: OK'D.

62. Word before a maiden name: NÉE.  Today's French lesson.

63. Really grooved on: DUG.


Now it's time to get back to my reading.

חתולה





46 comments:

Lemonade714 said...

Susan, either you have elves helping you or an unbeatable system of finding the most appropriate and entertaining visual links. Cow Tipping and the defibrillator caddies...oh my.

This puzzle also fits in with the new LA Times, including LAVA Beds National Monument, the documentary about APU, the word LOCTICIAN all things I did not know. None were hard to suss but it is the new normal. I had no problem with the grid spanning themer having three letters at the beginning.

Catherine Cetta (C.C. jr.?) thank you. Hahtoolah -excellent

OwenKL said...

FIRight. It's Tuesday.
No problems with entries that perps didn't resolve.
The theme, however, escaped me until the reveal. I suck at add-a-word themes, but still like them once I pass the frustration point.

As those of you who frequent the JumbleHints+Wordle blog know, I've been having computer woes the last few days. But I think I'm back up to speed. Let's see if my l'icks show it.

COMMUTER TRAFFIC in many a town
Can serve, at rush hour, to get one down.
Hang a right to flail,
Hang a left to bail,
And at a traffic circle, just HANG A ROUND!

A bargain at a RUMMAGE SALE tends
To be NOT QUITE worth what one spends!
People may jostle
Searching for a novel,
And just come away with novel BOOK ENDS!

{A-, B+.}

desper-otto said...

Good morning!

This one took longer than yesterday, but seemed faster. In true d-o fashion, someone forgot to look at the circles, missed seeing the reveal, and didn't even hear the theme as it whooshed overhead. Got 'er done, though, so life is good. Thanx, Catherine and Hahtoolah. (Great illustrations today!)

BOOKENDS: Also one of Simon and Garfunkel's studio albums.

BRR: I've read that shivering is a body's attempt to generate heat.

CHARM: Baltimore and "Charm" reminds me of Randy Newman's song about Cleveland ("City of light, city of magic") and the Cuyahoga River catching fire.

PEW: Uncomfortable seat, in oh so many ways.

Subgenius said...

I actually found this puzzle to be easier than yesterday's puzzle. There were very few proper names, and those that were were well-known or easily perped. FIR, so I'm happy.

Lemonade714 said...

Well done OKL.

Anonymous said...

Well, 28 across, communication code word really should be ALPHA, as shown in the graphic, not ALFA. It’s the greek letter we’re talking about here.

Jinx in Norfolk said...

FIR, but erased oH WELL when TORNADO blew in. DNK CORFU, CHARM City, ANT, "The Problem With", LAVA Beds Nat'l Monument (would have guessed it would be in HI), and loctician. I thought that the whole origin of DREADS was that they were never groomed at all - no pick, no comb, no washing. (But I DID love me some DREADS on Bo Derek in "10".)

ABSURD. My first thought for "ludicrous" was 'rapper", and it fit. But I passed it by, then discarded the thought when ICE T filled our rapper quota.

SpaceX - I knew I had heard of that Musk guy somewhere.

I like that we had the DADS as both parents with Mayor PETE as another fill.

I'm so old that I remember when the ACLU defended the rights of anyone, regardless of their political view.

I always heard "happy as a clam" until I started hanging out with sailors; they say "happy as a clam at high water". My first trip to Pismo Beach showed me why.

Thanks to "the other" CC for the fun Tuesday puzzle. I always appreciate a little ASS in the fill. And thanks to Ha2la for another fun tour. I must admit that, like Lemony, I wonder if you have help finding all those clever graphics week after week. I envision interns at the law firm boning up on their research techniques by finding them.

desper-otto said...

Anon@6:25 -- Note the question and spelling of the answers in the yellow box from the NATO website.

Hahtoolah said...

Good Morning, Crossword friends. Interesting that so many of you find a sea change with the new crossword editor. To me the change seems seamless.

The Lava Beds Monument was new to me, but I am sure our California contingent is well aware of this national treasure.

QOD: The secret of dealing successfully with a child is not to be its parent. ~ Mel Lazarus (né Melvin Lazarus; May 3, 1927 ~ May 24, 2016), American cartoonist

Anonymous said...

I booked this one in 4:30.

I wanted "alpha" instead of "alfa", initially blanked on "Corfu" and "Gaels," and I'm seriously glad that I didn't see "srsly" as an answer.

Oh joy, circles.

ATLGranny said...

A FIR Catherine Cetta Tuesday puzzle that went smoothly, mostly. At the beginning I thought I might have a rare WO free day, only to write in DOlt instead of DODO. That was followed by two words written in the wrong squares. Seeing the clue "really, really bad" I wrote SiCk where SACS belonged in 31Down The S and C were already there and that's my excuse for the error. My other was an even sloppier error, but hey, I FIR and the grid is generally tidy. Thank you, Catherine.

As for the theme, I needed the reveal to see what was happening although I still missed the deeper meaning of the circles being bookends for the phrase. Thanks, Hahtoolah, for explaining and for the many chuckles as I read your extensive review. No complaints about the fill as perps were helpful.

Nice work, OwenKL. We have a small traffic circle nearby which is a great improvement for COMMUTER TRAFFIC. Hope everyone has a terrific Tuesday!



KS said...

FIR. Once again we have circles, yuk. I found several clues to be more in line with my daughters' generation than mine, so I guess I'm getting older!

Irish Miss said...

Good Morning:

I needed the reveal to see the theme and that’s fine with me. No w/os and only Lava, as clued, was unknown. Lots of fun pairings include Apu/Ape, Agar/Afar/Asea, Cow/Palace(s), Eno/Tunes, Amen/Pew, Cacti/Oases, User/URL, ASL/As A, All/Allow, Brr/Bundle Up, and Up/UPI. Once again, we have a literal A Team (2D) with Lava, As A, Asea, Tada, ABBA, and Alfa and a mini-mini creature theme with Ant, Cow, Ape, Dodo, Ass, Lair, and Treats. (No elves, Anon T!) Catherine didn’t stint on the CSOs, either: Moe and Lucina (Cacti), CC (Teas), Anon T (Alfa), IT Gang (Nerdy), and Bill W (Charm (City).

Thanks, Catherine, for a fun, smooth solve and thanks, Hahtoolah, for another fun fest. Loved the Easter Bunny’s baskets and all of the cute kitties. I also enjoyed the article on the Charm City origin.

FLN

Leo III, I typed in ARod without a moment’s hesitation as he is almost as ubiquitous in crosswords as Erie and Oreo. He is not on my list of favorite Yankees, though.

Have a great day.

inanehiker said...

Enjoyable theme with two layers of works that END in BOOK as well as the different types bookending their answer!

I have never been to the California LAVA Beds Nat'l Monument, but I have been to the LAVA River Cave which is part of the Newberry National Volcanic Monument - near the Bend/Sun River, Oregon area. My SIL has a vacation home near there. Always need to remember to bring a jacket because it is very cool under there even if it is very hot outside.
https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/deschutes/recarea/?recid=38396

Thanks Susan and Catherine!

waseeley said...

Thank you Catherine for a delightful Tuesday puzzle. Great cluing and a fun theme. I've always said that you can't have too many books, but their hold on our household space is finally coming to an END. As we begin the painful process of downsizing, they are the hardest things to part with: some will go to charity, others to our grandchildren, others to friends. We've been working on it for months now and have barely made a dent. We estimate that the process will literally take years.

And thank you Hahtoolah for an informative and as always, entertaining, review.

A few favs:

26A COW. After careful research I have discovered that COW TIPPING is an urban legend.

1D CORFU. If you haven't seen The Durrells in Corfu, which streams on PBS, you are in for a treat. Based on a true story of a real family.

3D CHARM. For a long time I said that Baltimore is a nice place to live, but I wouldn't want to visit it. Then the Rouse Company built Harbor Place in 1980 and suddenly there was the National Aquarium, a new Science Center, shops, restaurants, and all was good. Now over 40 years later the glory has faded and with the pandemic it has become like a ghost town. But a white knight has come to its rescue and he promises a renaissance. Time will tell.

Cheers,
Bill

Hahtoolah said...

Waseeley: I haven't seen the Durrells in Corfu, but Gerald Durrell was a naturalist and zookeeper. He traveled extensively and wrote many books about his travels. I read The Whispering Lands, which is based on his travels in Argentina and the Patagonia.

CanadianEh! said...

Terrific Tuesday. Thanks for the fun, Catherine and Hahtoolah.
I FIRed in better time than yesterday, and saw the theme (but only with the reveal) for the TADA.
Only one inkblot to change Crete to CORFU.

This Canadian had several American unknowns (LAVA, GAELS, PETE) but they perped easily.
Irish Miss beat me to the duos. I did smile at APE, APU, UPI. I counted 20 three-letter fills, plus four three-letter plurals ( TEAS, SACS, LEGS, DADS).

SRSLY was a meh ending, but I guess texting spellings are OKD now.
We still have to BUNDLE UP here and say BRR in the Great White North. Come on Spring.
FLN, if we have several thousand visitors to the blog every day, there must be more Canadians than me reading. How about an occasional post to make me feel less lonely. Even a “Go Mattea” or “Go Maple Leafs” would suffice.

Wishing you all a great day.

Anonymous said...

Misspelling ALPHA? Not cool. Also can we stop dissing NERDs?

ATLGranny said...

FLN About the number of visitors to the blog each day, does that mean different people for each visit or does it include return visits from some of us? C Moe, TTP and others in the know, can that be seen? I have wondered about that for a while since I check the blog multiple times a day usually.

Yellowrocks said...

Haaloolah, you come through with a delightful, funny, informative blog every week. Thank you. Catherine, fun puzzle. I needed the reveal to get the theme.
As good as it gets often means ideal. OTOH, it can be resignation That is as good as it gets, can also mean AH WELL, that's the best we can do.
Deceptively, salads are not always light fare. Not light
I didn't know Rooibas, glad oolong was included.
Yes adding "in high tide" makes happy as a clam more understandable. Google: The idea behind this expression is that clams are happiest when the ocean is at high tide. When the water it as high tide, the clams are protected from predation by birds. This idiom originated in the United States around the year 1830.
I do not care for the Gaels' mascot.
I know most people pronounce every letter in U-R-L. I am in the habit of saying EARL.
Thank goodness for the nerds in the Geek squad. When my computer lost its audio my Geek slid the volume arrow back and forth and the audio returned. Now I will know what to do. While I was logged on I had him give me a tune up and update paid for by my membership.

Sherry said...

Never seen oasis spelled with an e instead of an I. Otherwise pretty straightforward.

Subgenius said...

Sherry, "oases" is actually the plural of "oasis." I know it seems counter-intuitive, but it's true. FYI.

Monkey said...

Except for the TORNoDO, the CW went smoothly. Hahtoolah gave us some cute little jokes to illustrate the clues. Thank you.

Wilbur Charles said...

In FLA us seniors BUNDLE UP to go INside. I usually have t-shirt, shirt,pullover,sweater combination. Sweater is for indoors. But, many of my senior friends are t-shirt all the time. I think it's the 5-way bypass I had in 98

Aha, I perped out SRSLY but had no idea

I bet I'm not tho only one to ink in Capri/CORFU. Also dolt/DODO

Speaking of Transportation: PETE should think of making the artificial demand price of gas/diesel($5.80?) include a hefty tax. It wouldn't, by definition, change the actual price.

Bo Derek had DREADS? I didn't notice

I think the difficulty chart(FLN) that showed Tuesday easier than Monday is proving correct. At least lately.

WC

Another great write-up from hahtoolah

Husker Gary said...

Musings
-After seeing the gimmick, I thought this might be the reveal
-I always lose HANDBOOKS for new stuff, but they are always online and there is usually a video
-Ducky on NCIS disdainfully says Lipton bags are full of tea powder not real tea.
-By that definition, Downton Abbey is a PALACE, but in “reality” it is called Highclere Castle, hmmm…
-Wilbur, Dang, I knew CAPRI was in the Tyrrhenian Sea but C_ _ _ _ tempeted me and I had to correct
-IT’S A GO – Nope cool, wet weather cancelled Tuesday morning league for the third week in a row
-3” of rain this week was VERY WELCOME!
-Movies with the most SEQUELS
-ACLU – arguments rage about what is “free speech” today. Depends on whose ox is being gored.
-Fun write-up Susan!

Jayce said...

I enjoyed this puzzle but did wrinkle my nose at SRSLY. I also wondered that the answer for that R in RBI was RUN; isn't that R an abbreviation for RUNS? Anyway...

Good wishes to you all.

Picard said...

Enjoyed the BOOK ENDS theme which I got quickly. And enjoyed there being few proper names. GAELS was utterly unknown, but ESP took care of that. What more can we ask for? Except Hahtoolah indeed made it even better with her wonderful humorous finds.

Learning moment about BALTIMORE as CHARM CITY. I grew up not far from there and found it one of the scariest places to visit. Maybe we can hope it will eventually grow into its name.

I have been to LAVA BEDS and LAVA tubes in Hawaii, but this was a wonderful learning moment that we have them here in California. Very far from our home, but maybe worth a visit someday.

UConn offers this DAIRY bar where you can watch the COWs as you enjoy your ice cream!

As a child I enjoyed this UConn DAIRY and the COWs. I went back in 2015 to visit and wondered if the ice cream would taste as good as I remembered. It was even better than I remembered!

I seem to remember there are other UConn people here? How did you like the DAIRY experience?

Lucina said...

Hola!

Thank you, Catherine Cetta and Hahtoolah for today's entertainment. The grid filled with no problems ever though I've never watched the Simpsons. APU has become a crossword staple.

I'll take a CSO at CACTI; I'm surrounded by them, not too many here in the city but all around us in the distant mountains. It's illegal to cut them or destroy them.

BOOKS and BOOKENDS are right up my alley and I dread the day I have to purge those book shelves. Mama Mia What a chore that will be.

I really miss DODO. She was a sweetheart whom I and other cornerites visited a few times.

Yesterday my new mattress was delivered and yes, I slept like a baby. The old one was more than 20 years old. Time for it to go.

CMoe: I don't know if you saw my note that the puzzles did not print.

Have a beautiful day, everyone!

Lucina said...

Oops! EVEN not ever

Picard said...

From Yesterday:
CrossEyedDave Good to know you also share my frustration of carburetors, along with that rare joy of getting one to work. I was thrilled as a teen when I got our old lawn mower to work after it had been stashed in the crawl space for about ten years. I remember fiddling with the carburetor along with the ignition system.

But my first car was a 1984 Sentra. The last year they tried to cram too many pollution control things onto an ancient piece of carburetor technology. It never started reliably. I have only ever owned one other car. My current Corolla wagon. With multi-port fuel injection. What a joy! No finicky carburetor!

Jinx, Jayce, AnonT Thank you for sharing your IC memories! It seems we had similar experiences. The 555 was the only IC I ever bought new. It would run on a wide range of voltages and needed no regulated power supply. I went on to buy surplus circuit boards. My big investment was a propane torch which I still have. I would heat up the back of the board, then bang it on the edge of a table and the ICs would drop out onto the floor.

I did the ring of lights trick and many other fun projects with those ICs.

Jinx Your story of your foolish and unappreciative instructor was priceless. I was fortunate to avoid that infuriating experience by teaching myself from borrowed books from the library and data books from garage sales.

Yes, the KILN roof was the main reason I called the shed "dilapidated". Thanks for taking a look at it!

Misty said...

Fun Tuesday puzzle, many thanks, Catherine. And really enjoyed all your pictures, Susan, thanks for those too.

Started with some negative stuff in the northeast corner, like UNNERVES and NOT QUITE, and UNDER.

Sorry to see it continue on the bottom east, with ABSURD and DREADS (I know a different DREADS, but still).

On the other hand, the west side had some positive stuff, like CHARM and TREATS and IDEAL.
Makes me thankful I live in California.

Okay, the southwest wasn't totally great either, with that TORNADO and that LOUT.

Loved your "traffic" verse, Owen.

Have a great day, everybody.

Yellowrocks said...

Can't there be just one RBI, a single runner batted home?

Oases is the plural of oasis.

I spent two years, 1957-1959, at a small school in the Baltimore suburbs taking my Christian education major in combination with my main studies at Susquehanna U. in PA. We lived in a converted charming southern mansion on a broad expanse of lawn. That was before Charm City was coined. Baltimore had many charming sections, as well as problem areas.

Jinx in Norfolk said...

YR and others - The Gaels may have an ugly mascot, but it's probably not their fault. I'm guessing that Notre Dame got first pick for an Irish icon.

Bill - I have always felt that Locust Point has a lot of CHARM. Fewer tourists than Fells, and a good neighborhood camaraderie. Haven't been there since the sport of burning inner cities has become popular. Hope it is still intact.

Picard, at least I was being paid union wages to rework that project. (It seems to me that I spent about half my 25-year telco career as management and half as an hourly employee. Objectively, it was 3 years in craft and 22 years in a suit. Actually, several suits.)

Never been to UCONN, but University of Kentucky used all their own dairy products when I was there. TV basketball announcers still say that visiting announcers consider getting some of the UK soft-serve ice cream is a must. UK used to have a cow that had a plexiglass panel installed in its side for educational purposes.

desper-otto said...

The University of Wisconsin also had an on-campus dairy barn and sold their milk and ice cream at Babcock Hall. At least they did. I haven't visited the campus in almost 35 years and that time was just a brief drive-thru.

Canadian Eh!, Mattea is doing great. Canada should be proud. She's in that rarefied air breathed by few Jeopardy! contestants.

Husker Gary said...

Musings
-Subbing today on a cool, breezy day. A 6’ 3”, 190 lb boy just asked, “May I please go to the bathroom, Mr. Schlapfer?” I of course said yes and he replied, “Thank you.” After 40+ yrs in middle school I’ll never get used to that.
-RBI has always been the singular form for Run Batted In. [He/she just got an RBI with that single] For generations RBI’s has been used as the plural for Runs Batted In. [He/she had 94 RBI’s in 2025]. In some circles it has now become RBI as plural also (Runs Batted In) like attorneys general. RBI as a plural still clangs on my ear. To further complicate the matter, baseball peeps call an RBI a “ribbie” with the plural “ribbies”

gmony said...

Was in military so "A" is spelled ALFA or ALPHA. 15 down is RUNS. You even explained it in your answer segment. Big fan of Brian Eno and I love and collect Tea.

unclefred said...

I FIR in 23 so early this morning I barely remember the CW until I came here to the blog. Before I could post, the guys showed up to fix the ceiling where part of it collapsed due to the catastrophic termite damage. Complete roof replacement, including many new rafters and replacement of most of the tongue-in-groove 1x6s with plywood due to termite damage. $51,600. Fixing the ceiling another ~$3,000 (they're still working on it). Then the pool guy showed up. The termite guy just left after spraying AGAIN (I found more live termites Saturday!!) Do NOT use Hulett!! I've had them since 2017: they treat but never seem to actually KILL the termites. Anyway, I finally have time to post about the CW: very nice theme and clues, thanx, CC #2. And thanx too for the as usual terrific write-up, Hahtoolah.

PK said...

Hi Y'all! Fun puzzle, thanks, Catherine. Bravo, Hahtoolah, very chuckle-worthy expo to brighten a gloomy day.

Couldn't figure out the BOOK theme. And I'm an avid reader also thinking of downsizing and wondering how to dispose of books I haven't read since I got my Kindle because the print is too small.

Never heard of "loctician", but I have never personally known anyone with DREADS. Jinx, I'm amazed that you noticed Bo Derek had them. I don't remember that.

Could not remember PETE's first name. With a last name like that being memorable...

SRSLY: will the English language eventually phase out the use of vowels because of texting?

Jinx in Norfolk said...

WC and PK, now that I think about it, Bo sported "cornrows", not DREADS. I'm not sure about the difference, but I'm sure there is some. My style leans toward "chrome".

Chairman Moe said...

Puzzling thoughts:

FIR with just the one write-over - CAPRI/CORFU (Hello, Wilbur)

Not sure that this puzzle needed circles

Despite the clue changes (and this is happening in nearly every Crossword Puzzle venue, not just the LA Times) I didn't feel that this puzzle was difficult; quite easy, actually. And perhaps that's because the "perps" helped solve any unknown answers (due to "different" clues)

Maybe whoever said it yesterday was correct: Tuesday's puzzles are the easiest of the week

Thanks as always to the constructor and blogger

ATLGranny @ 9:36 --> you said, "About the number of visitors to the blog each day, does that mean different people for each visit or does it include return visits from some of us? C Moe, TTP and others in the know, can that be seen? I have wondered about that for a while since I check the blog multiple times a day usually". I think that the number of visitors is a cumulative one, so yes, it includes re-visits

Lucina @ 12:07 --> I was concerned that you didn't get my email with the new link. This has me stumped. My sister encountered the same problem with the "original" link, but when I sent her the .pdf it printed just fine. If I knew your address I would send one to you in the mail

TANGO ALFA FOXTROT MIKE NOVEMBER

SRSLY, Moe??

Jinx in Norfolk said...

"When the younger generation rewrites history it will be misspelled and have no punctuation"

Accredited to ESPN's Woody Paige. Not sure if he coined it or stole it.

Lemonade714 said...

Picard, the Dairy Barn was a longer walk than the Campus Restaurant so in my years on campus I did not go often, but it was always very yummy ice cream. When I last was in Storrs in 2015, I did go and have some ice cream with a friend. It is always an emotional visit as my brothers and parents have left this plane. Also, in 1967 my father had arranged a franchise to open a Macdonald's on campus and at the last minute the school reneged. That would have changed the trajectory of my life, so I am not sure if it was for the best but it was very disappointing at the time.

Vidwan827 said...


Thank You Catherine Cetta for a very nice and the easiet puzzle, I've had in a very long time.
Maybe Tuesdays are indeed the easiet, as WC pointed out yesterday (?)

Hahtoolah, you outdid yourself and your cartoons were a pleasure to behold.
Each one seemed better than the previous one ....

((.... and the video on ..Thye're changing guard at Buckingham Palace, and a two hour documentary following wasted a lot of my time today....))

Learnt a new word, Loctitian ... better than Locksmith .. ha, ha.

Pete Butti gieg ... ia pronounced ' But(t) - a - judge' . and is of Maltese ancestry. I have a distant nephew who was on a committee, when Pete B was contemplating running for Prez.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

If a tea decoction or concoction does NOT have caffeine or theophiline or theobromine etc., then it could called a tea, but it is really a ....Tisane or a herbal decoction, ..... loosley called a 'tea'.

Such infusions and /or decoctions are very common in various parts of the world ... I have known about and prepared over a dozen varieties myself .... although I generally dont drink tea or Chai, or whatever, excepting once or twice a week...

I meant to post earlier, but got tied up in some urgent work, so here is my late post. Sorry.
Have a nice rest of Tuesday, and a great week, you all.

Ace’s Deuce said...

Editors, can’t proper names in a CWP be deemed non-allowable, just like in Scrabble? I consider those clues “searchable”.

LEO III said...

FIR, with little trouble. Got the themers and the reveal.

Thanks, Catherine and Susan!

When I lived in the DC area during and after high school (as opposed to the two other times I lived there), we did not speak too highly of Baltimore. Got to like it a little more, when I was stationed there in the service, and really liked the parts I saw when I visited the Inner Harbor --- whenever that was. It NEVER was Charm City to me, though. Of course, I ALWAYS detested (I’ll use the polite word) both the Colts and the Orioles! Still do!

IM, I feel the same about A-Rod as you do, which is probably why he would have been far down on my list or suspects, had I tried to start with 1A yesterday.

Anonymous T said...

Hi All!

Thank you Catharine for a nice Tuesday puzzle. Theme didn't hit me until after the reveal. Center California was the last to fill

Thank you Hahtoolah for the LOL review. I appreciate the time you must spend finding apropos comics.

WOs: oH, WELL (Hi Jinx!)
ESPs: CORFU, GAELS, LAVA (as clued)
Fav: ALFA (Romeo)
gmony - yep! Army is Alpha NATO is ALFA

I'll let Lucina claim the CACTI CSO even though I have 5 ;-) [oh, look, she did! LOL]

{A, B+}

waseeley - LOL. That's how I feel about Houston. I love living here but, other than NASA's JSC, your team playing the Astros [MLB] / Texans [NFL] / Rockets [NBA] / Dynamo [whatever soccer is], and conventions we actually win, there's no reason to visit.
//I built-out more built-ins to hold more books.

YR - I thought the latter re: 'As good as it gets' before IDEAL came into view.

HG - All those SEQUELS. Nope, after III I'm done with it - Unless it's the 5-volume Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy trilogy.

Subgenius - thanks for the explanation on OASES being plural. I thought 'I' too but then I'm a really bad speller so let the perps decide :-)

unclefred - insurance gonna cover some of that? Oy!
In FL, I suspect your termites just get high on treatment-spray. ;-)

Picard, et.al. others curious to the point of NERDY... How many things did you take apart as a kid, put back together, have left-over bits, and it still works thinking... "I should call the company and tell them they don't need these. Maybe they'll pay me."
//from my upcoming autobio "Diary of an 8 year-old's fantasy" :-)

C, Eh! If you paid any attention from AFAR to US Democrats' Primaries, you'll remember "Mayor PETE" who ran against Biden as an openly gay-married guy. Their kid has two DADS.
//can I be an honourary Canadian? I love RUSH and all the comedians that came out of the Great White North to Second City & SNL.

AH WELL, we lost the house we put a bid on yesterday. However, today!, DW found another that we're putting a bid on tomorrow morning. This one is 10x better and something she could live in until I want goats.

Cheers, -T