google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Friday, October 21, 2022, Alexander Liebeskind

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Oct 21, 2022

Friday, October 21, 2022, Alexander Liebeskind

Theme: "Homophonic Daffynitions"

Puzzling thoughts:

So before I forget, might there be a couple more entries that somehow didn't make the cut? For example: Clue: "Legal recipient of an Irish estate?" LONDONDERRY HEIR. Or, Clue: "Legal wrong at a German bakery?" LINZER TORT

As the "theme" title suggests, today's puzzle uses a series of homophonic phrases as entries. What they all have in common - and what makes this puzzle unique - is that each of the phrases puns a legal term. Not as easy as you'd think ...

18-across. Legal entitlement to be invisible?: GHOST RIGHT. Plays off the word "ghostwrite"

24-across. Constitutional section on entering through the chimney?: SANTA CLAUSE. Who hasn't seen the Tim Allen movie, THE SANTA CLAUSE? Or its two sequeals? The original (1994) was cute; the other two, not so much. Well, it seems THE SANTA CLAUSES is due out this November, streaming on Disney+. I hope it lives up to its billing ... here is a trailer ...



38-across. Funds posted to free a rancher?: HAY BAIL. Hay bale. Cute

48-across. Legal advice from Yoda?: JEDI COUNSEL. The Jedi Council is a Star Wars reference. Click on the link for more info

59-across. Court statements from chess players?: CHECK PLEAS. Ha, Ha! Actually, this one works another way if the theme wasn't based on legal or court-related terms. How you ask? Well, how about this clue: "What restaurant diners never mean in Prague?" CZECH PLEASE

Alexander Liebeskind has two recent puzzles published at the New York Times, and now this one, his LA Times solo debut. For a "kid" from Brentwood, that must feel pretty cool! A Google Search reveals that he is a recent graduate of Columbia University

Here is the grid: You'll note a few words highlighted in red ... some interesting similarities ...

Across:
1. Branches: ARMS. LIMBS didn't fit

5. "Who wants my jellyfish? / I'm not sellyfish!" poet: NASH. Ogden NASH

9. Red wine on a white tablecloth, e.g.: STAIN. Use this to remove:

14. Water under the drawbridge: MOAT. Maybe the best clue of today's puzzle

15. Org. concerned with ergonomics: OSHA. Occupational Safety and Health Administration

16. City known for cheese: PARMA. It's in Italy. PARMAsan Cheese. Also known for its ham. And you thought ham and cheese was an American concoction?

17. Prod: POKE. Be careful; might find a pig in one

20. Sound investment?: STEREO. One commodity that continues to be on the top of the price list for consumer items. And is usually powered by (1-down. Rock blasters:) AMPS.

22. __ standstill: AT A.

23. Writer Anita: LOOS. Her

27. Traditional 30th anniversary symbol: PEARL. Fun Fact: [jewelrywise dot com] says, "Although Pearls are also said to represent tears, one tradition says wearing pearls on your wedding day will ensure your marriage is happy and you won't shed tears during it. In fact, many brides get their first cultured pearl necklace from their mothers or mothers-in-law — passing down a tradition"

28. Hidden agenda: ANGLE. As in, "What's your ANGLE?"

32. Avenger with a hammer: THOR.

34. Chow down: EAT.

36. Many streams: VIDEOS. It's my TV choice. I broke free from cable or satellite dish about 4 years ago

37. "Okay by moi": OUI. Frawnch

40. __ jar: TIP. Fun Fact: TIP is an acronym! "The custom originated in Europe, and while its history is not entirely clear, it is commonly traced back to 17th century England. The word "tip" is speculated to be an acronym for "To Insure Promptitude," which was printed on bowls in British coffeehouses" [businessinsider dot com]

41. Fiction and nonfiction: GENRES. We had the singular, GENRE, yesterday

43. Pro's camera: SLR.

44. Wee: ITSY. Even an ITSY bitsy spider can be scary

45. Daisylike flower: ASTER.

46. Hide away: STASH.

53. Vineyard measure: ACRE. In France they measure by a hectare; one hectare = 2.47 ACREs; and one letter different than ACHE

56. "Kinda": ISH. As in, "I'll arrive around 7-ISH

57. How some stupid things are done: ON A BET. Stupid? Only in a casino, when you really think you can beat the house

62. Bust a gut: ROAR. LAUGH didn't fit

63. Part of Hispaniola: HAITI. Shares an island with the Dominican Republic

64. Ponte Vecchio river: ARNO. River through Florence and Pisa in Tuscany, and one letter different than ARGO

65. First-class: A-ONE. Also a steak sauce brand, spelled "A-1"

66. Young partner: ERNST. "Ernst & Young, which operates under the trade name EY, is one of the biggest accounting firms in the U.S. It performs broader professional services for international companies. These services include auditing, assurance, consulting, tax, and investment banking" [theforage dot com]

67. N.L. East team: METS. One of my highlighted words that goes with (13-down. N.L. East team:) NATS. The METS made the playoffs this year but lost in the first round

68. Site for artisans: ETSY. Goes with ESPN and ESPY, IMO

Down:
2. Miniseries based on a Haley novel: ROOTS. ROOTS. "Based on Alex Haley's family history. Kunta Kinte is sold into the slave trade after being abducted from his African village, and is taken to the United States. Kinte and his family observe notable events in American history, such as the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, slave uprisings and emancipation" [imdb dot com]

3. Score when debating: MAKE A POINT. How do you make points in a debate?

How to Prepare For a Debate:

a) Be a Team: Work Together. Remember that you are on a team and that means you work together

b) Write Individual Speeches. Before you come together, break off individually and have each person brainstorm on their own

c) Analyze the Evidence,

d) Arguments for Both Sides

e) Prepare Your Speeches

f) Be Confident



4. Less forgiving: STERNER. I had a golf coach in HS whose last name was STERNER. His first name was "Mr."

5. Restricted zones: NO GO AREAS. "A "no-go area" or "no-go zone" is a neighborhood or other geographic area where some or all outsiders are either physically prevented from entering or can enter at risk" [wikipedia dot com]

6. Baseball bat wood: ASH. Maple and Bamboo are also used but didn't fit

7. Sandbar: SHOAL. I don't know why, but when I saw this I thought of: Muscle SHOALs, Alabama

8. "__ luego": HASTA. HASTA in English means "Until"

9. Time of yr. for new growth: SPR. Meh. Abbr for SPRing

10. Last bit: TAIL END.

11. Oscar-winning film about a fake film: ARGO.

12. Short "As I see it": IMHO. In My Humble Opinion

19. __ cross: TAU. "The Tau cross is representative of salvation and of life, due in part to its association with the sparing of believers in the Bible. As Tau is the last letter in the Hebrew alphabet, it symbolizes the revealed Word of God, its completion and perfection. It also can be said to symbolize the Last Day" [symbolsage dot com]

21. In-flight info, for short: ETA. When they expect you to get there

25. Paint-your-own-pottery supply: CLAY. For once they didn't use a proper name for this word; maybe Henry or Cassius was too easy?

26. Catamaran mover: SAIL.

29. Lose one's place: GET THE BOOT. As in being fired from work?

30. "The Giver" novelist Lowry: LOIS. Perps to the rescue

31. Arthur Ashe Courage Award, for one: ESPY. Another highlighted word in my solved grid; similar to 68-across

32. Senate wrap: TOGA. Could you imagine our US Senators wearing these?

33. Color wheel array: HUES. Here's one for wine:

35. "The Misery Index" network: TBS. Perps to the rescue

36. Expert musicians: VIRTUOSOS. A rarely used entry

38. Present: HERE. As well, an answer to a roll call

39. As well: ALSO. Oh, look! (see 38-down)

42. Turns down: REJECTS.

44. "The Mis-Adventures of Awkward Black Girl" star: ISSA RAE. This gal has become a crossword staple. Soon, she will be listed as "crosswordese"

47. __ Taylor Loft: ANN. They carry sizes that fit most average women

49. Tango move: DIP.

50. Major religion of Indonesia: ISLAM.

51. French term of endearment: CHERE. More Frawnch

52. Cants: LEANS. TILTS fit, too

53. Marathon aftermath: ACHE. I ran a half-marathon and afterwords had an AC

54. Go over well?: CHAR. Meh. As in, to CHAR a steak. That's when I would use A-1

55. Free __: REIN. What CC gives us bloggers when we recap a puzzle

58. Three-spot: TREY. This:

60. Baby skunk: KIT. This clue stinks!

61. Pantry pest: ANT.

Sorry there are no haikus/moe-kus; that didn't mean I disliked the puzzle, though. I liked it just fine. Margaret and I were in the process of a physical move to a new house when this assignment came to me, so I gave it a good shot, but an abridged version for sure. I'll try to be more creative next time ...

38 comments:

Subgenius said...

This appears to have been a fairly easy week of puzzles, so far. Today’s puzzle, Friday, was no exception to this trend. Maybe Patti has heard the complaints of many Cornerites, and is taking pity on us? I’m not sure, but if so, it is an outcome devoutly to be wished. In any case, I FIRed, so I’m happy.

desper-otto said...

Good morning!

Went to bed early last night, and overslept this morning. What gives?

This one filled faster than yesterday. clever cluing, and fewer proper names. I liked it. Wanted PAST where MOAT fit, but waited on perps. No Wite-Out required. Nice LAT debut, Alexander. Enjoyed your abbreviated tour, C-Moe. (Aren't you glad that move is finished? MOVE is a 4-letter word for stressful.)

STEREO -- I spend a lot of time in the office, so I spent a lot on a good stereo system for that room. About 50% more than my first new car cost.

TOGA -- Can't picture U.S. senators in togas, but I can picture them in clown costume.

Jinx in Norfolk said...

FIR Friday! No erasures, but a few unknowns. Guessed ARGO and TBS.

TAIL END: My neighbor wants to go with me as a horse this year. Se said he will be the horse's head, and I can just stay as I am.

CHERE if you like her; CHERiE if you REALLY like her. Right, Stevie?

Not all catamarans are sail powered, unfortunately. There are lots of engine-powered ones as well. A couple of million bucks will buy you a nice used one.

Thanks to Alexander for the fun, easy-for-Friday puzzle, and to C-Moe for breaking free to narrate it.

Jinx in Norfolk said...

My neighbor wants to go with me...

should read

My neighbor wants to go TRICK-OR-TREATING with me...

Anonymous said...

This one took 6:55 to finish, and I didn't need a ghost writer.

Good puzzle, but I found this to be much too easy for a Friday. I hope the LAT doesn't associate difficulty with the need to inject those pesky proper names into puzzles.

Eat and eta have the same letters.

Anonymous said...

Agreed, this was easier than the typical Friday, I would've solved it in under 6 minutes if I didn't have a mistake at CHERi/MiTS. (In the back of my head I was thinking the MITS might be some kind of non-Big 4 sports team) Getting the theme early helped a lot.

KS said...

FIR, with little effort. Didn't seem like a Friday puzzle to me. Got the theme early, and that helped my solve.

Wilbur Charles said...

Water under the (draw)bridge could have been MOoT

The CUBS were former MET rivals but must have moved to Central

I changed a to S(PR)

CANT can mean slang or jargon. Also it's a noun.

I agree fairly easy for Fri. Ironically the Mon-Wed are getting tougher and late week easier. But Saturday could still be a bear. I agree ISSA RAE is familiar to LAT regulars else unfamiliar.

I shouldn't be surprised re. Sports ignorance on a level with my ignorance of a number of subjects, especially pop-cul

WC

TTP said...




Thank you, Alexander, and thank you, Chairman Moe.

Can we get some order in the court ! Fun theme answers and clues !

Tiny to itty to ITSY

I'm a fan of "Check Please", although now all we get are reruns. That's ok, because I surely haven't seen all 20 years worth of episodes. Alpana Singh hosted the most episodes over two different stints. Like Moe, she is a sommelier. The other long time host was Catherine d'Orio, who self describes as a "recovering attorney".

Did not know that TIP was an acronym.
Never heard of "The Misery Index"

"Lose one's place: GET THE BOOT. As in being fired from work?" - Or, losing your apartment or house you are renting. Perhaps the new landlord wants to make changes, or move back in. That should be familiar to you and Margaret.

Hope you are getting settled in, Moe.

From yesterday, Nice job, Dash T. How were the breakout sessions ? Probably good to network with others in the field and pickup new ideas and approaches.

Picard, is Lizzard Back the name of a mountain or is the trail ? Nice pic.

Big Easy said...

A nice clean puzzle Alex today with just a few guessable unknowns after a few perps. I always wonder if the constructor or Patti puts in the A&E clues.

Favorite clue- Go over well? for CHAR
Had no idea about LEANS for 'cants'. There's DE-cants and RE-cants but using cant without the apostrophe is new to me.

ARGO, LOIS, and ISSA RAE were the only other unknowns as clued. The might be a few VIRTUOSOS for the entertainment clues but I'm not in there club.

DIP- If I tried to do a Tango move with DW neither of us would get up or walk again. And if she did she get up, she would make sure I couldn't walk again.

Chairman- thanks for the education. I always thought Muscle Shoals, AL was spelled MUSSEL because maybe the shells formed a shoal in a nearby river.

Irish Miss said...

Good Morning:

Cute theme but, as mentioned, Friday Lite. I did notice the similarities that Moe highlighted and I would add Loos/Lois and Itsy/Etsy. My unknowns, as usual, were proper names, I.e., Lois and TBS, as clued and Issa Rae.

Thanks, Alexander, and congrats on your LA Times debut and thanks, Moe, for a very informative expo. Your Moe-kus were missed but we’ll look forward to double the fun when you’re settled in your new home and have more time to be funny and punny! Best wishes for a smooth transition and no unexpected glitches.

FLN

Anon T ~ Que sera, sera. 😉

Have a great day.

Yellowrocks said...

No wonder I solved this quickly. As others said, it was easy for a Friday.
Favorite clue was water under the drawbridge/moat, a gimme.
I was thinking of bust a gut as make a strenuous effort, try hard. I laughed when ROAR perped in.
The origin of the expression ‘pig in a poke’ comes from the 1500s, when a “poke” was a sack, and merchants would sell piglets in pokes, often sight unseen. When an unsuspecting buyer got his poke home and went to release the piglet, a chicken, duck, goose, or some other animal less valuable than a pig would come out of the bundle instead. The advice being given is “don’t buy anything until you have seen it.”
I learned this long ago. My mom told me poke was a bag.
Lois Lowry is a famous children's author. My students read, "Number the Stars."
My Mets were on top until the very end of the season, when they lost first place and became a wild card. I was disappointed in their showing in the playoffs.
In French, tip or gratuity is pour boire, literally "for drinking." Have a drink on me.
Virtuosi may be rare in crosswords, but it is fairly common in real life.

unclefred said...

Did you hear that sonic boom? That was from unclefred rocketing to a FIR in only 27 minutes! LOL! Nice CW, fun clues. I liked ITSY/ETSY/ESPY all being in the same CW. Say those five times fast! W/Os HAYBALE:HAYBAIL, REFUSES:REJECTS. Thanx for the entertainment, AL. And thanx too for the terrific write-up, CMOE.

desper-otto said...

I've heard of Muscle Shoals, but only in relation to the great music recorded at the studios there by the likes of Aretha, Rolling Stones, Wilson Pickett, Paul Simon, Etta James, Bob Seger, et al.

waseeley said...

Thanks Alexander and thanks Moe (not to worry, ya done great). A punful puzzle with not particularly difficult cluing for a Friday.

Some favorites:

5A NASH crossing 6D ASH. While ASH is still used for baseball bats it's on the decline because of a destructive pest called the Emerald Ash Borer. Until about 10 years ago our street was line with majestic ASH trees planted at the turn of the 20th century. Now they're all gone.

24A SANTA CLAUSE. Dear Lord, I pray that archeologists may have finally rescued the image of the real St. Nicholas of Myra from the clutches of Coca-Cola.

25D CLAY. I like the stuff.

36D VIRTUOSOS. VIRTUOSI was too short.

55D REIN. Yeah MOE and I keep taking more and more of it. But then Teri REINS me in from time to time.

FLN:

What's not to like about a DAB puzzle? My favorite constructor and he has a great website with free puzzles, paintings, and Victorian Novels.

And thanks for the recap Dash -T! Found a remaindered copy of "The Tipping Point" for 5 bucks. Sounds a lot like Chaos Theory.

Cheers,
Bill

TTP @7:57A Apparently TMI is a TV show about Schadenfreude.

p.s. Hey gang, knock it off with all the "easy" comments. Patti may just be pulling punches for tomorrow.

Ray - O - Sunshine said...


There ARNO words to describe the pleasures of a punny puzzle, from Alex"Lovechild"

WEES, kyna EZ for a Friday.

Started to pen bows for branches, then stopped cuz it didn't pass the perp test.

"Young partner"....Crosby? Stills? Nash?..(Nope ERNST)....TAU cross?

Lotsa unknown names etc. but FIR...to compensate for yesterday shameful showing.

Inkovers: genera/GENRES, refuses/REJECTS , wind/SAIL , cherí/CHÈRE....(I actually put PEARs!!! first for 30 anniversary symbol!! 🙄)

A "Color wheel" would light up those ugly awful 1960's aluminum Christmas trees. What were we thinking?? 😖

Not French for "itsy"...OUI
In winter what I need not do to the lawn...MOAT
"Dear" little toddlers should learn to ____ CHÈRE.
King Charles III will ____ but not rule....REIN.

Tough week, glad it's over. 🙁






Anonymous said...

Nice Friday puzzle. - challenging but doable. Thanks A.L. for the puzzle, and C-Moe for the review. I thought the theme was very clever. Got it with SANTA CLAUSE (24A) and could follow the theme with the others.
SE corner was the last to fill. Once I got ITSY (not TINY) (44A) and remembered ISSA RAE (though I only know her name, not her fame), the rest came together.
I once worked for a company that had ERNST (66A) and Young come in for an evaluation. They interviewed all the workers, gathered the best of all their ideas, and put it in a report at, I imagine, great cost to the company. Something I thought could just as easily been done internally. Ah, the art and justification of business....

Husker Gary said...

Musings
-My word, Alexander is a renaissance man!
-LOOS, LOIS and ISSA RAE went quietly in this paucity of proper names
-Water under the drawbridge/Rock blasters, et al.? This puzzle is in my cluing hall of fame!
-GHOST RIGHT talked me out of an “add-a-letter” gimmick in SANTA CLAUSE
-ANGLE – Beware of Greeks bearing gifts
-TIP - Chances R is a famous Nebraska steak house in York, NE and our waitress did very well for us golfers yesterday and we for her. Their menu.
-TINY/ITSY and REFUSES/REJECTS were minor speed bumps
-I had a principal named Bucky STERNER who was living proof of the Peter Principle
-People who play the card game Pitch, know the TREY can be very valuable
-Nice job, Chairman!

Picard said...

Serious proper name cluster in NW with PARMA, ARGO, LOOS, NATS. WAGs to FIR. Amusing theme.

Here I was along the ARNO RIVER looking at the PONTE VECCIO.

From Yesterday and Today:
PK Thank you for noticing my less than colorful shirt as I gave water to the LEMURs! Yes, we were severely limited in the weight we could carry. No bright shirts. Just a few very light weight quick drying shirts. Very grateful to DW for taking care of the daily washing.

Jayce, AnonT, CanadianEh, TTP Thank you for the very kind words, comments and questions regarding my VISTA, LEMUR and other photos and videos.

The VISTA was at a place called Lizard's Mouth. Because of a rock that looks like that. The "Back" part was because I took that hike in "The Back Way" instead of from where the Lizard is located.

Monkey said...

Nice puzzle. Didn’t we have a Jedi recently? W-C, I too had MOOT at first, and when I saw MITS I knew I had to downgrade CHERI to CHERE. I thought the gimmick clever and fun to discover.

C-Moe: hang in there. Once you have all your “stuff” in one place you can relax and take your time figuring out what goes where, what you should have discarded but didn’t and what you discarded and wish you had kept. Yes moving is very stressful.

CanadianEh! said...

Fabulous Friday. Thanks for the fun Alexander and CMoe. (I loved your alternate themer suggestions! Hope your move is going well.)
Officially a FIWed due to my personal Natick cross of LOIS and TIP. I also had Esmy instead of ESPY (M was left over from entering Jam jar). That mid- east coast was a mess. (We already had LOOS which eliminated the O for the second vowel choice in LOIS /TIP).
But I did see all the legal homonyms.

I also was held up in the NW corner until ROOTS broke it open. I was misdirected to TNTs for “rock blasters”.
My streams were Hidden before VIDEOS. Another misdirection.
CHAR was another misdirection.
Arne before ARNO slowed down VIRTUOSOS (great word).
Hand up for Tiny to ITSY.

It only took the P to jog my memory re 30th Anniversary symbol. Hand up for wearing pearls as a bride. I had a Pearl-drop necklace and earrings as a gift from DH, that I wore with my “going-away” outfit. (That term dates me as brides don’t seem to have those outfits anymore!). I wore the earrings for the wedding but borrowed a string of pearls from an aunt. (Daughter wore that Pearl necklace for her wedding too.)

Wishing you all a great day.

PK said...

Hi Y'all! Fine puzzle, Alexander. I didn't find it as easy as WEES. Took longer than any others this week. Theme was fun. I've been reading legal thrillers.

Thanks, Moe, for a fine expo that was creative enough. Hope you got a bit of much needed rest from unpacking while sitting to do the blog.

Wanted NO fly zones which fit but NO GO with perps. My private pilot husband had to detour in the sky to avoid a USAF base & bombing range when we made some trips. Never heard of NO GO AREAS.

Wind, wave before SAIL. My present was a "gift" before HERE.

DNK: LOIS, LOOS, TBS, ANN, Misery Index. I thought I didn't know ISSA RAE, but I had SS & filled in the name like I knew it. Probably retained it from trailers or cw.

inanehiker said...

Enjoyed the creativity of the theme- CM helped by pointing out the extra layer of legal terms.
Congrats to Alex on his debut!

Before I saw 67A with another NL East Team - I thought the 13D was going to be some lettered abbrev. like NYM for the Mets - but couldn't think of a 4th letter - and perps helped make the change to NATS. Store changed to STASH.

SHOAL came quickly as there is the Bull SHOALs lake at the Missouri/Arkansas border which is beautiful and quieter than the other more known nearby lake, Table Rock, where Branson is located.
https://www.bullshoals.com/

Different ANGLE on ISSA RAE - with her first AND last name in the answer. I know her more from her HBO series "Insecure" . Such a gifted writer and actress, and a distinguished alumna of my university!

TAU Cross is also thought to be what the shape of the cross that Christ was crucified on "T"
Thanks CM for the fun blog- I thought it was quite detailed!

Lucina said...

Hola!

Puns! More puns! How I love them.

Many streams really misled me for a long while as I wracked my brain for a synonym. Oh, those streams, VIDEOS. And I had to ask Alexa's help for ISSA RAE. Never heard of Awkward Black Girl and have seen only ISSA or RAE in puzzles never both together.

Otherwise it was a fun pun trip. I immediately knew NASH. What a punster!

Though I read THE GIVER several years ago with my class I could not recall LOIS Lowry. What an imagination to write a book like that.

I have fond recollections of walking along the ARNO River on one of my trips. Also riding in a Catamaran in Hawaii.

CMoe, good luck with your move and thank you for taking the time to deal with the puzzle during this busy time for you.

Have a fantastic Friday, everyone! Movie day today to see Ticket to Paradise.

Anonymous T said...

Hi All!

To paraphrase Jayce... I liked this puzzle. Tons o' fun, Alexander. Thanks for the smiles.

Moe - you don't need to apologize, the 'tip' re: TIP was enough. Thanks for hosting while you're moving.
//I still couldn't find my nice work-shoes (I know they're in a box somewhere) after 8 weeks. I just bought new ones.

WOs: STric[t]er -> STERNER, HAndAId (which is kinda funny) -> HAY BAIL, tinY -> ITtY ->ITSY ('cuz of the way the letters are drawn, you can only see ugly-ink at the S)
ESPs: CHERE|ARNO, ISSA RAE
Fav: I liked the A/V pairing of STEREO (the only 'instrument' I can play) w/ VIDEO. #Video KilledtheRadioStar

Present | HERE [TVMA - Key & Peele 3:02] Wait for it.

NO GO AREAS - MIL always warns me "Don't go down that dark alley..." when I bring up something DW doesn't want the unGLOSSY truth about.
I do anyway ;-)
//Mom calls me ornery for a reason ;-)

D-O: Pop got me a STEREO receiver for Christmas. "Well, turn it on Son. I want to hear what this costs."
"Pop, I gotta buy speakers next."
My paper-route Christmas TIPs paid for Teacs.

TTP - I've heard of "Misery Index" as an economy term - not a TV show. After watching commercials on TBS during the ACLS; yeah, seems the channel for it...
Re: HouSecCon: I sat thought 1/2 of one presentation and then went back to the hall to catch up with folks. One guy (vendor) offered to give his input on our new project. I'll take it - he's smart & funny.

BTW - some behind-the-blog inside info.... TTP is not only god of the comments section / SPAM deletor(?sp?), he's one hell of an editor. I LEAN on him before publishing - and he polishes. Props to him for making me parse-able. Thanks TTP.

BigE - LOL the DIP. I tried that on DW last year...
"WTF???" was her response :-)

@10:40am - That's the best part of consultancy... Ask what the peons want, distill, PowerPoint, & present to Management. Easy-peasy gig.
//I should be ashamed of myself but it got me through dry spells.

Cheers, -T

CrossEyedDave said...

18-across. Legal entitlement to be invisible?: GHOST RIGHT
ghosts have no rights in this world...

And, don't get me started on Yoda...

38-across. Funds posted to free a rancher?: HAY BAIL.
Well, you might want to loose the cows on him and we might have him freed by Christmas...

And speaking of Mumbo Jumbo legalese...
Have you ever tried to rent a Santa Claus Costume?
Page one of seven???

sumdaze said...

FIR. IMHO, there is so much to like about this puzzle! Rock blasters, Score when debating, HAY BAIL, Senate wrap, Go over well, plus the themers. Well done, Alexander! I look forward to seeing more from you!

C-Moe: 53D. I see what you did there. Good one!
Wishing you and Margaret many years of much love & happiness in your new home.

ATLGranny said...

Another FIR for me today, and it's Friday! I love Alexander "Lovechild" (as RayO noticed) and his interesting puzzles. Nice touch with the punny themes having a legal connection too. Thanks, Alex.

Some WOs on my puzzle: tiny/ITSY and hay back/HAY BAIL. ROAR surprised me as I was thinking of exertion too, YR, for bust a gut. And I wasn't thinking of LEANS for cants, but slang or jargon too, WC. Perps helped for both fills.

Sumdaze, thanks for pointing out the joke with C Moe's entry for 53D. "AC" being half the word (to go with half marathon) didn't occur to me before your post.

And thanks for to C Moe for his very capable blog written during a busy time. No need to apologize for it, though we do get an extra chuckle when you include your Moe-kus!

TGIF everyone! Enjoy!

Ol' Man Keith said...

A Liebeskind PZL, offered up by a busy Chairman Moe...

Enjoyed the theme.

I had to cheat one time (only!) because I did not know the first name of the 30D novelist. Two perp letters depended on my getting it right.

14A was OK, Moe, but my fave was 36A, "Many streams."
~ OMK
____________
DR:
Three diagonals on the near end.
The central diagonal's anagram (12 of 15) seems to refer to partial or hesitant growth by a young shoot, possibly a sugar cane.
(Note that it has nothing at all to do with the celebrated character with whom it rhymes.)
Yes, I mean a...

"BALKY RATTOON"!

AnonymousPVX said...

YR - the Mets…it could be worse, you could be a Yankee fan watching them swing and miss, swing and miss, ad infinitum, ad nauseam..you can’t win if you don’t hit. And they aren’t hitting at all.

Misty said...

Neat Friday puzzle, many thanks, Alexander. And thanks for your always helpful commentary, Chairman Moe--much appreciated.

As soon as I saw STAIN I was prepared for some negativity in this puzzle, and at first it turned out to be a little STERNER in some ANGLES than I expected. Those restricted NO GO AREAS made me worry that a lot of my answers would be REJECTed, but in the end, it wasn't a big deal. It was just important not to listen to the ROAR, and to avoid having things CHAR you, so you wouldn't get an ACHE. And Yay! I survived.

Bet I owed some thanks to SANTA CLAUSe for that good turnout, and I'm now beginning to hope I might get a PEARL for Christmas, and maybe some VIDEOS, and maybe a French dictionary so I can work on my French, OUI! I'm not much of a VIRTUOSO, but a little music would also be nice, or maybe a TOGA in some pretty HUES. Or even a trip to HAITI! Thank you, CHERE SANTA CLAUSe.

In that good mood I'll stop and wish you all a great weekend.

Anonymous said...

The main reason for the decline of ash wood for bats is due to Bobby Bonds using maple wood bats. Maple wood is now widely used in the 21st century.

Lucina said...

Back from seeing the movie, Ticket to Paradise. Very entertaining and amusing. Light and fun and of course, beautiful scenery! If it was filmed on location I want to go there!

I believe most of the theaters here now have recliner seats and that enhances the experience!

It's worth going to see it.

Jayce said...

To paraphrase Anonymous T, I liked this puzzle. The only wart was that meh-ISH SPR. As for whose clues they are, I'll make A BET that all the clues with a book, movie, or song title, or the name of a person or place, or a quote from one of the above in them are Patti's. I like to think that the really clever clues, such as "Water under the drawbridge", "Sound investment", and "Many streams" are the constructor's.

Well done (not CHARred), Chairman Moe!

Good to read you all.

P.S. You can see my name on that circuit board in one of the videos I linked yesterday.

Jayce said...

Lucina, I'm glad you liked the movie. On a related note, I was incentivized to go get a library card so that I could borrow and read at least some of the books many of you folks have enjoyed and praised.

CrossEyedDave said...

I post this because it is so hard to find, and often disappears soon after it is available.

A Christmas Carol Goes Wrong.

Enjoy,
And
Ouy sselb...

Anonymous said...

Memories of a honeymoon on the Arno overlooking Michaelangelo's David in the park on the other side of the river! Oh My!!

TTP said...


Long day in the gardens and lawn for the end of season cleanup. I am exhausted.

Dash T, I'm gushing. I don't need to edit your posts. Any suggestions I make are inconsequential. You stand on your own accord, and you shine.