google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Tuesday, October 4, 2022 Rebecca Goldstein and Rachel Fabi

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Oct 4, 2022

Tuesday, October 4, 2022 Rebecca Goldstein and Rachel Fabi

Cleanup in the Produce Aisle:  Lots of produce in today's theme.  Not only is the answer an item of produce, but each answer can be broken into two other food items.

20-Across. *   Bright yellow sandwich topping: BANANA PEPPER.

34-Across. *   Marinara ingredient: PLUM TOMATO.

44-Across. *   Citrusy herb in Thai cuisine: LEMON BASIL.  I really wanted Lemon Grass, but the perps let me know my initial thought was wrong.

And the unifier:

57-Across. Supermarket section containing each component of (as well as the complete answers to) the starred clues: PRODUCE AISLE.  We get 3 items of produce for the price of one!

And two bonus clues:

35-Down. 57-Across spray: MIST.


39-Down. Bad sound in the 57-Across:  SPLAT.



Across:
1. Short-legged Welsh dog breed: CORGI.  The Queen loved her Corgis.


6. Opera star: DIVA.  //  And 59-Down. Opera solo: ARIA.

10. Milk in a skinny latte: SKIM.

14. WNBA team in 53-Across: DREAM.  //  And 53. Ga. capital: ATL.  The Atlanta Dream is the women's American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia.


15. Minnesota representative Ilhan: OMAR.  Ilhan Oman (née Ilhan Abdullahi Omar; b. Oct. 4, 1982) is originally from Somalia, and is now a Congresswoman from Minnesota.  Today is her 40th birthday.  [Name # 1.]


16. Actress Olin: LENA.  Lena Olin (née Lena Maria Jonna Olin; b. Mar. 22, 1955) is a Swedish actress.  She makes frequent guest appearances in the crossword puzzles.  [Name # 2.]


17. Cohort: CADRE.

18. Costa __: RICA.  Costa Rica is one of the countries in Central America.


19. Choir part: ALTO.

23. Broadway opening?: ACT ONE.

26. Sweet potato kin: YAM.  Everything you wanted to know about the differences between Sweet Potatoes and Yams but didn't know to ask.



27. Pt. of TGIF: FRI.  Thank Goodness It's Friday.
28. Low sound?: MOO.
29. Quran authority: IMAM.

32. Hostess snack: HO HO.  Apparently they come in a variety of flavors, including peanut butter.


37. Messes up: ERRS.

40. Actress Petty: LORI.  Lori Petty (b. Oct. 14, 1963) was a fairly big name in the 1990s.    She starred with Keanu Reeves in the 1991 surfing film Break Point.  [Name # 3.]


41. Quick qualifier: IMO.  Textspeak for IMOpinion.

42. Harvest: REAP.

43. Concludes: ENDS.

47. Blues guitarist Baker: ETTA.  Etta Baker (née Etta Lucille Reid; Mar. 31, 1913 ~ Sept. 23, 2006) is not our usual Tuesday guest.   [Name # 4.]


49. Longtime Swit co-star: ALDA.  A reference to Loretta Swit (née Loretta Jane Szwed; b. Nov. 4, 1937) and Alan Alda (né Alfonzo Joseph D'Abruzzo; b. Jan. 28, 2936) who both starred in M*A*S*H.  [Names # 5 and 6.]


50. Wanders in an airport?: TSA.  As in the Transportation Security Administration.




51. Sunscreen letters: SPF.  As in Sun Protection Factor.  Everything you wanted to know about SPF but didn't know to ask.


55. Ready to go: ALL SET.

61. Yesteryear: YORE.

62. Goat group: HERD.



63. Throwback diet: PALEO.  Also known as the Caveman Diet.



67. As soon as: ONCE.

68. __ Canalway Trail: 365-mile stretch in New York: ERIE.  Everything you wanted to know about the Erie Canalway Trail but didn't know to ask.


69. Zest alternative: IVORY.  Both are brands of soaps.  Ivory floats.


70. Require: NEED.

71. Group of two: DYAD.  Not a Tuesday word.

72. Word before tea and toast: TEXAS.  One you can consume, the other ...


Down:
1. Public health org. headed by Rochelle Walensky: CDC.  Center for Disease Control and Prevention.  Everyone knows of this agency now, but how many knew that Prevention is part of the name?  [Name # 7.]


2. British singer Rita: ORA.  I am not familiar with Rita Ora's (née Rita Sahatçiu Ora; b. Nov. 26, 1990).  She was born in Yugoslavia (now Kosovo), but her family moved to England for political reasons when she was an infant.  [Name # 8.]


3. Top stripe of a pride flag: RED.


4. Actress Greta: GARBO.  Greta Garbo (née Greta Lovisa Gustafsson; Sept. 18, 1905 ~ Apr. 15, 1990) was a Swedish actress.  The American Film Institute named her in the top 10 greatest female stars of classic Hollywood.  [Name # 9.]


5. "For real!": I MEAN IT.

6. Explorer in "The Lost City of Gold": DORA.  [Name # 10.]


7. Hacker's triumphant cry: I'M IN!

8. Time away, informally: VACAY.

9. Great Plains people: ARAPAHO.

10. Smack: SLAP.

11. Underwater ecosystems: KELP FORESTS.  Everything you wanted to know about a Kelp Forest but didn't know to ask.


12. Prefix with faith: INTER-.  Interfaith.

13. New Zealand native: MĀORI.

21. Pixar clownfish: NEMO.  [Name # 11.]


22. Punk subgenre: EMO.  Everything you wanted to know about Emo can be found in the video below.


23. More than sufficient: AMPLE.

24. Analogy punctuation: COLON.  Also a part of the anatomy.


25. Exceptional performance: TOUR DE FORCE.  Today's French lesson.


30. French friend: AMIE.  More of today's French lesson.

31. "__ Mia! Here We Go Again": MAMMA.


33. Greek goddess of marriage: HERA.  Everything you wanted to know about Hera but didn't know to ask.  [Name # 12.]

36. Hammer or saw: TOOL.  I see, said the blind man, as he picked up his hammer and saw.

38. __ the roof: RAISE.



44. Fastened, in a way: LATCHED.

45. Confidentiality contracts: Abbr.: NDAS.  As in Non-Disclosure AgreementS.

46. Colorful play area: BALL PIT.





48. Greek letter before upsilon: TAU.


51. Watch covertly: SPY ON.


52. Inclined (to): PRONE.

54. Wary (of): LEERY.

56. Depart: LEAVE.

58. Act: DEED.

60. Named, briefly: ID'ED.

64. Smoked salmon: LOX.  Yummers!  Hubby's Saturday morning breakfast fare.


65. Time period: ERA.


66. Noises of exasperation: OYs!

Here's the Grid:




חתולה

May all who observe have an easy fast on Yom Kippur, which starts at sundown today.

49 comments:

  1. Once I got “banana pepper” I had some idea of the theme, and everything pretty much fell into place from there. Although I am not familiar with “lemon basil “ putting a “b” on top of “all” seemed like a good idea, and, indeed, it turned out to be, because it gave me “ballpit.” (My spellcheck doesn’t care for that word, but I think I’ve heard it before,) Anyway, FIR, so I’m happy.

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  2. Oh, excuse me. I see now that “ball pit” is actually two words, not one. No wonder my spellcheck didn’t like it!

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  3. FIR, but in a disgraceful 26 minutes. This CW was quite a struggle for a Tuesday! Lots of proper names, and LEMONBASIL took forever as I couldn’t dump LEMONGRASS. Nice theme to the CW, which, at least, I did see. W/O CORGY:CORGI (DOH!). Looking at the completed CW I really don’t see why it took me so long! Anyway, thanx, RG&RF for the entertainment. And thanx Hahtoolah for the fine write-up. I love banana peppers and this CW reminded me that I haven’t had any for quite a while. I seem to have forgotten about them. Next trip to the supermarket….

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  4. Good morning!

    Noticed the plethora of names, but the perps were kind, and it filled quickly. No foul. Read "sandwich topping" but was thinking "ice cream topping" and wondered at BANANA PEPPER. Thanx, Rebecca, Rachel, and Hahtoolah.

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  5. FIR, but erased soya for SKIM and momma for MAMMA. Swags from partial perps at DREAM, ETTA, and TAU.

    KELP FORESTS have killed quite a few scuba divers off Catalina Island. Apparently the way to become disentangled is also the hardest thing to do in practice: Be calm and stop moving. Instincts cause a diver to try to disentangle it or try to hack it away with a diver's knife. The benefit is the beauty of the forest, and the potential to harvest abalone.

    Yesterday was a long one. Left Freightliner at 8:30 headed for the Caterpillar dealer in Charlotte. Stopped at a Love's truck stop for fuel. Their pay-at-the-pump system wasn't working, slowing down the process and causing me to wait a while for a pump to become available. About halfway to Charlotte we hit a traffic jam. Finally got to the source - a dump truck broken down in the center lane, and police closed down the "fast" lane to provide a safe work area for the tow truck crew. Finally got to Cat, did a little paperwork, then started toward Norfolk. The GPS lost its mind, and I did a couple of loops around the I-77 and I-485 intersection before I figured out I wasn't going anywhere and reengaged what's left of my brain to take over navigation. We still arrived home before dark, which was my goal. It is rainy and cold here, but I got to sleep in my own bed last night.

    After I got home, I finished the crossword puzzle, and now need to go back to check it, read the blog and comments.

    Thanks to Rebecca and Rachel for the fun grid, and to Ha2la for the visual treat.

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  6. Took 5:26 for me to clean-up the spill in Aisle 2.

    I had duet before dyad (hey, it's a Tuesday).

    We have Diva and Aria in the same grid. Also seemed to be a lot of words ending in "o" (Arapaho, emo, hoho, tomato, paleo, alto, Garbo, and moo) but that's just IMO....

    I agree with the others that this had a lot of proper names, which certainly seems to be a trend.

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  7. Good Morning, Crossword friends.

    OY is more than a word: it is an entire vocabulary. It can be an expression of exasperation, but it can also express joy (Oy, what a delicious meal), astonishment (Oy, has that child changed), uncertainty (What should I do now? Oy, if only I knew), etc.


    QOD: A good heavy book holds you down. It’s an anchor that keeps you from getting up and having another gin and tonic. ~ Roy Blount, Jr. (né Roy Alton Blunt, Jr.; b. Oct. 4, 1941), American humorist

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  8. FIR. Clever theme. Liked everything except 66D, oys. Meh.

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  9. Good Morning:

    I loved the theme and the singular and dual produce items, and all of the themers were solid, in-the-language references. I thought some of the cluing and fill was above Tuesday level, but the perps were fair. That said, Hahtoolah listed 12 proper names of individuals, but there were many other proper names/nouns (17) throughout the grid:

    Dream
    Atl
    Rico
    Fri
    Ho Ho
    IMO
    TSA
    SPF
    Erie
    Ivory
    Texas
    Arapaho
    Māori
    Momma
    NDAs
    IDed
    EMO

    All I can add is that solving puzzles today is no where near as enjoyable as it once was. ☹️

    Thanks, Rebecca and Rachel, for a clever theme and thanks, Hahtoolah, for the informative review and the colorful visuals. I especially like the “Will Smith”-like cat!

    Have a great day.




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  10. After a one square error Sunday and a perfect Monday puzzle, I had a FIW again today, writing AMAL instead of OMAR. I should have caught it since I know ARAPAHO. We climbed Arapaho Peak in CO and spent time in Dillon CO near the ski area Arapaho Basin.

    This puzzle had its challenges but also its joys. I especially liked TSA, the airport wanders, and IVORY, the Zest alternative.

    Naturally I noticed the references to my state: ATL, DREAM and CDC (which stood for Center for Disease Control when we moved here in 1970.)

    I spend a lot of time in the produce aisle and appreciate the theme words: three fruits, two vegetables and a herb which combine to make three new words.

    Thanks, Rebecca, Rachel and Hahtoolah for the fun start to the day.

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  11. I missed the W in NBA and immediately inked hawks. My first thoughts: CDC,CORGI proved correct and NW filled

    As ALDA perped I recalled Ms Swit. Aha, WAND-ers. Never saw the clue

    My group of two was team but LEERY corrected it

    I hesitate to ink GARBO. A sop to us xword veterans? There's another pop-cul Greta or two out there

    Shelden ventured into a BALL PIT

    I read epsilon. When I get subs at Publix I ask for veggies on the side. Two bags: the second has the jalapeños, olives and "those yellow things"

    OY vey, FIW finally. Not a simple Tuesday, tg, and names were not an obstacle. Just had to slow down.

    Hahtoolah, great write-up as always

    WC

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  12. Tks for counting the names , knew 5. Some filled w/o issues. So not so bad.

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  13. St⁸forward Tuesday and theme, Inkovers: Apaches/ARAPAHO.

    So today LENA is an "actress" not an actor. Thought it was G.O.A.T. group and put HERO.😄

    Unknown "Propers" : Petty, Baker, Ora

    "Ms. GARBO. can I help you with the Crossword?" "No, I vant to do it alone!!"

    Liked "Wanders in an airport" . For a "goddess of marriage" HERA had a philandering husband, ZEUS,

    "Return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear. The Lone Ranger rides again!" (I think I heard that quote on "TV Land" just yestermonth 🤠)

    ....and this "concludes" today's puzzle....

    Santa's snack...HOHO.
    It's a mistake to put on....ERRS
    LSD advocate was and was never ____...LEERY
    Amish men do and don't...RAISE THE ROOF
    Inclined to lay on the abdomen...PRONE
    If I told you one time I told you 11 times in Spanish it's ____....ONCE
    Not much tuna, but salmon? We have ____..LOX
    Sorely overlooked....MIST

    Thanks for the Laughs H2LH, greetings for the holiday

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  14. Musings
    -My partner and I drove to the course today only to find it is closed to aerate the greens. Surprise!
    -There is no chance for rain here on the plains today but I did hit a downpour of names in this puzzle
    -23 Across is also the name of our collegiate baseball summer team
    -GARBO claimed she never said, “I want to be alone” but rather said, “I want to be left alone.”
    -Always a fun write-up from Susan!

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  15. Didn’t finish . I could not come up with BALLPIT and IVORY. I really liked “low sound? MOO. I enjoyed the produce theme. I too wanted lemon grass at first. I never think of CADRE as cohort. All and all, nice puzzle if a little difficult for a Tuesday.

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  16. Easy for a Tuesday in spite of all the annoying proper nouns. Nice theme.
    I didn't know the DREAM team or ORA, but R seemed the most likely. FIR
    I waited for the perp, DUAD or DYAD, No problem because LEERY was easy.
    We used to read Mad magazine and enjoyed Spy vs Spy.
    Hahtoolah, it seems that OY is very similar to ACH in its multiple uses. I take exception to ACH always being clued as a complaint. 90% of the time that my Grandma said it, it was not a complaint.
    I much prefer yummy. Yummers grates on my ear.
    My grandson liked the ball pit at MacDonald's when he was young. In retrospect, in these germ conscious days it seems unhealthy.

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  17. Thank you Rebecca and Rachel for a tasty Tuesday treat. And thank you Hahtoolah for your enticing description of the menu. Yummers!

    Just a few favs:

    1A CORGI. Loved the video.

    18A RICA. Unlike many of its regional neighbors COSTA RICA has a long-standing and stable democracy and a highly educated workforce.

    51D SPY ON. As matter of fact today (October 4th) is the 70th Anniversary of the start of Mad Magazine. I'm sure it's completely co-incidental that it's also St. Francis of Assisi's Feast Day.

    Cheers,
    Bill

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    Replies
    1. Excellent health care in Costa Rica also.

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  18. Indeed, lemongrass b/4 basil...

    Irish Miss,
    Puzzles not enjoyable as they once were?
    (I thought it was just me...)

    Anywho,
    I feel a little produce aisle humor is needed...

    In fact, maybe I should write a book about it.
    I got the inspiration from this lady who writes a book about grocery shopping.
    I'm thinking, Real Crossword Puzzles, by CrossEyedDave might sell a few copies...

    But, being CED, I got sidetracked, and started thinking about Prot. The tachyon beam travelling alien that found Earths produce worth the trip...

    (Just an aside here,)
    K-Pax, is an intriguing film, that probably won't be appreciated by most.
    But it get you in the mood, imagine an insane asylum, where a catatonic man suddenly wakes up, and claims to be a visiting alien from another world. The movie is from the head Psychiatrists point of view, and is a bit of a mystery, suspense, head scratcher,
    And if you watch the whole thing, you may begin to wonder too...

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  19. Greetings!I had a natick in the NW corner with CDC. Unfamiliar with name Walensky, also the WNBA team name. Foreboding when the first box has unknowns, but the rest of the puzzle went quite well. DYAD was unknown, but got it from the perps.
    Started out with Roma tomatoes, but changed to PLUM from the perps. Roma is what my grocery store calls them so I went with that first. Researched that a Roma is a variety of PLUM tomato. Love when the CW gives a chance to learn!

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  20. Plethora of short names, but I knew half of them and the perps were a snap so it didn't matter. More challenging than normal Tuesdays so I like that. Enjoyed "wanders at the airport". I enjoy the puzzles and especially the camaraderie of this blog. If something doesn't work with me I know where to go to get some clarification.

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  21. A cute theme and a few clever clues. However our editor seems to love proper names much to the disdain of the majority of regular puzzle solvers. In my opinion its like being in an toxic marriage where your partner is unwilling to change an annoying behavior that takes a daily toll on you.

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  22. I only knew TRIPTYCH because of my DW, the artist. When she started work on her first one, I thought of the old AAA navigation aid they called "TripTik". It was a collection of little map strips spiral-bound on top, and as you progressed on your journey you would flip to the next page. I think these are virtual now. One of the reasons I no longer have AAA is that they started phasing out paper maps.

    (I'm so old that I remember when a driver could go into a gas station office while the pump jockey dispensed the fuel, checked tire pressure and oil level, and tried to sell you fan belts you didn't need. If asked, the station would provide free paper maps to help get you to your destination. Gas stations were the "go-to" sources of local directions too.)

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  23. FLN Thanks, Sumdaze, for explaining Em Dash. Amazingly, as a literacy teacher, I’d never heard of it.

    Anon. At 12:07 - my feeling about lots of proper names in a puzzle is that it becomes more of a simple trivia contest than a cw. Either you know the name or you don’t, and if two unknowns cross, you’re sunk. Today, though, there were a few great misdirections such as Wanders in an Airport, Low Sounds, and Ivory, so I won’t complain about all the names.
    Like others, the enjoyment factor lately, for me, is diminished. The Jeffrey Weschlers et al seem few and far between.



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  24. Hola!

    Jinx, yes! I remember all that, too. My sisters and I traveled across the country and gas stations aided the process. Nowadays, even Stuckey's stores are gone along I-10.

    Thank you, Rebecca and Rachel, for a Tuesday treat. Except for SKIM milk, I like the PRODUCE and fruit. You might as well drink water as SKIM milk.

    I was introduced to LOX at a wedding and embarrassed myself by stuffing so much of it. I LOVED IT!

    My best memory of LENA Olin is in the movie, CHOCOLAT.

    It's good to be back home but I so enjoyed reuniting with my extended family and many friends after two years of absence. The BELIEVE WALK was a huge success; much money was raised for breast cancer research. But for me it was a bust. I just could not make it. My legs gave out and my son-in-law, bless him, went for the car and took me home to my sister's house. I walked only a few blocks but enjoyed the enthusiastic cheerleaders and cheerful bands along the way. About forty people attended the brunch later and stayed to visit. Much lively conversation and laughter ensued.

    On the Saturday before the walk, my nephew-in-law (husband of my late niece) hosts a barbecue dinner at his home where the festivities get started.

    In the puzzle, I also noted the many propter names and knew most of them except ETTA as clued.

    I hope you all enjoyed a good weekend.

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  25. My late niece, who died of breast cancer, is the main driver for us to attend the Believe WAlk. My late brother, Fred, also died of cancer.

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  26. FIR. Thanks for the fun puzzle, Rebecca and Rachel. I enjoyed your fresh theme.
    KELP is a theme-related fill -- high nutritional value!
    Wonderful review, Hahtoolah. Thank you for the ETTA Baker and barn RAISE-ing clips!

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  27. I liked this puzzle and all the produce. Hand up for wanting LEMON GRASS. Loved the feeling of figuring out those wand-ers. Sports being my weak point, I didn't know DREAM, which only filled from the perps. Didn't even see IMO. Despite the names I enjoyed solving this puzzle today. I agree with what Wendybird said about names.

    For a moment I was going to pick a nit (hey, somebody's gotta pick 'em) about LOX not being smoked but looked it up and saved myself the embarrassment.

    Jinx, I'm glad you eventually got home all right and were able to sleep in your own bed.

    Totally coincidentally, last night my wife asked me what's the difference between a YAM and a sweet potato.

    Lucina, I empathize with you about not being able to walk very far any more. I still haven't quite come to full acceptance of this limitation on my mobility.

    Hahtoolah, thank you once again for your recap.

    Good wishes to you all.

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  28. Lucina, "the BELIEVE WALK...for breast cancer...was a bust." Funny, though I'm sure you weren't trying to be humorous.

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  29. desper-o
    No! I didn't even think about how that sounds!

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  30. Along the way, which takes place in Redlands (don't know if I mentioned that) the local residents participate by putting up banners, decorations and other items that are, ahem, bust-related. It's amazing how many of those they find but since it's been an annual event for several years, I guess merchants have picked up the spirit with "perky" items. I can't imagine where they find crepe paper chi-chis.

    Men wholly participate, too, with decorative "falsies" on themselves. After all, they, too, are affected by their suffering women-folk. As you can imagine, the enthusiasm is palpable.

    Pets also participate. Many types of dogs, large and small, walk or are carried in carts by their owners. There was even a small pony trotting along. Girl Scouts and other groups provide water for the walkers. It's a total community event. Stater Brothers Grocers sponsor it and have tote bags for us. I didn't get to the end but usually they also have booths with fruit and other goodies.

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  31. Hi All!

    Thanks Rebecca & Rachel for a very-crunchy Tuesday grid with a tasty theme. Fun.

    As always, thanks so much for the expo, Hahtoolah. Always a treat.

    WOs: duet->DYAD, BALL Pen->PIn->PIT
    ESPs: ORA | DREAM, ARAPAHO, LENA, LORI
    Fav: I'M IN! But gaining access isn't anything like in the movies. Usually, it's hours/days of boredom.

    Sumdaze beat me calling out KELP as healthy PRODUCE.

    Back to work. Cheers, -T

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  32. Locally, the big weekend "supporting" the fight against breast cancer is called the Bra-Ha-Ha. Fun events that raise substantial funds.

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  33. I don't know if anyone from the jumble blog has let you know but I'm in the hospital for the last couple of weeks ,hospitals or .rehab. No access to my laptop so haven't been able to follow the crosswords. Today is the first time I've checked the blog since I ended up in here I know you all wish me well well don't know whether I'll check the block again tonight or tomorrow or ever.

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  34. Puzzling thoughts:

    FIR; first puzzle I've solved here, other than the ones I blog, in a long time. I still prefer a printed puzzle in a paper newspaper. Solving puzzles on-line is not my cup of TEA (TEXAS or otherwise)

    I've been to Costa RICA and would consider it among the few countries outside the US where I'd live

    I liked the theme and the entries and the recap

    Oh, Costa RICA's currency is called the (24-Down answer)... COLON

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  35. C-Moe, The Grown-Up's Guide for Running Away From Home also has good things to say about Costa Rica being a good place to become an American ex-pat.

    Wishing OKL better health and a fast return to our Corner.

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  36. I'm feeling a bit stupid today.

    I don't see how "once" is an answer for "As soon as"?

    I suspect I'll feel stupider (more stupidish?) once it's explained to me. :-)

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  37. Owen, are you able to do emails? Would love to send you a message.

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  38. As soon as: Once you return your documents we will decide.

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  39. Late signing on today.
    I had to handle a demanding personal "event" first. It was a shower day for me and, with my physical limitations, that is a challenge requiring motivation, planning, and careful execution.
    I am happy to report that all went off without a hitch. I finished drying off in the late afternoon sunshine, which is always a treat.

    Today's XWD by the Goldstein/Fabi team is brought to us by our own Hahtoolah, with her illustrious trademark illustrations.

    This felt like a midweek PZL, quite doable, but tougher than usual for a Tuesday.

    Thank you, Hahtoolah, for introducing me to ETTA Baker, a real living treasure. Here she is playing the "One Dime Blues." I checked her out on a few other numbers, and this woman is truly brilliant. What she can accomplish, picking with just two fingers (thumb & index) is amazing!

    I never heard of a BANANA PEPPER topping--or sandwich.
    ~ OMK
    ____________
    DR:
    Two diagonals, one to a side.
    Together they present a paucity of vowels. The near side offers only two, and the far side but three.
    Going with "three," I see a four-word anagram (13 of 15 letters), apparently a reference to a scheme developed by those insane freeway drivers who are always trying to speed past you, no matter what the condition of traffic.
    I am referring of course to the...

    "MAD MEN MPH PLAN"!

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  40. It must National Slow Irishman Day here at the rancho, 'cuz even after I wandered around, I just cannot fathom what "wanders in an airport" has to do with the TSA.

    I just remembered why Costa Rica is so neat -- it is (I believe, the only) country WITHOUT an army. Yes, there's police, but they don't misbehave.

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  41. Think of wanders as a person who uses a wand. The TSA, of course.

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  42. Anon@728: re. "I suspect I'll feel stupider (more stupidish?) once it's explained to me. :-)
    As soon as it's explained to me

    I happened to see AZO TEA earlier and told Phil. "We had that in the xword yesterday "
    His response: "Sure Dad, that's called product placement, a chance to nake a few extra bucks "

    Out of the mouths…

    Could it be that this plethora of Proper names and pop-cul has a mercenary purpose?

    Can't wait to try my new TAZO Chamomile

    WC

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  43. Michael, the TSA people use WANDS at Security checkpoints

    WC

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  44. OKL - I'm sorry to read you're in the hospital. God Speed, eFriend.

    OMK - You've never had an real Italian sub until you top it (inside the bread) with Banana Peppers.

    Michael: The TSA are the ones at airport-security with Wands to check you for guns, knives, under-wire bra. They "Wand-er" if you're a threat. #SecurityTheater

    LOL - Bra Ha Ha, Jinx. Buddy's wife has a pink-ribbon on the back of her car with caption "Save the Ta-Tas."

    Cheers, -T

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  45. WC - YR 'splained it: Once you do x, y happens. As soon as you do x, y happens. -T

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  46. Anonymous @7:48, now that you mention it I don’t know either how ONCE means “as soon as”.

    OKL. We missed your poems. Get well.

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  47. Terrific Tuesday. Thanks for the fun, Rebecca and Rachel, and Hahtoolah.
    I FIRed and got the PRODUCE theme.
    Smiled at Low and when I got “wanders”
    Changed Duad to DYAD.

    Late to the party after a beautiful day in Niagara-on-the-Lake (food, theatre, wine, flowers)! We had ACT ONE, two and three at the Shaw today.

    If you follow that bike trail west shown on the ERIE canal link and reach Buffalo, you can cross over the Peace Bridge to Canada (bring your passport, but ArriveCAN app re Covid no longer needed). You can bike north beside the Niagara Parkway through Niagara Falls to NOTL (where I was today). The Circle trail can take you west to St Catharines, south to Pt Colborne (on the Welland Canal) and then back east along Lake ERIE to Buffalo. Please allow more than one day!

    Good evening to all.
    "G'mar chatimah tovah”

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  48. Dear Friends: Thanks for the clarification on "wanders" ... I got stuck a while ago in 'not all who wander are lost,' and couldn't see Aragorn as a TSA agent. The TMI Syndrome, I guess.

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