google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Wednesday, January 25, 2023 Emma Lawson

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Jan 25, 2023

Wednesday, January 25, 2023 Emma Lawson

Theme: I can't do any better than the unifier.

61 A. Make waves, and a hint to this puzzle's circles: ROCK THE BOAT.  As we'll soon see, various boats have been rocked by having the letters of their names mixed up, thus "rocked."  This is indicated by the circles in the grid.


17 A. Charitable undertaking that deserves support: WORTHY CAUSE.  Someone or something deserving support because they have the qualities or abilities required.  The hidden mixed-up word is YACHT - a sailing or power vessel used for pleasure, cruising, or racing. There is no standard definition, though the term generally applies to vessels with a cabin intended for overnight use.   Often a rich person't toy.

31 A. Bit of false modesty: HUMBLE BRAG.  An ostensibly modest or self-deprecating statement whose actual purpose is to draw attention to something of which one is proud.  We go from a potentially elegant YACHT to the fittingly humble BARGE -  a flat-bottomed inland waterway vessel which does not have its own means of mechanical propulsion.  It is typically either pushed or pulled by another vessel.

42. "Ugh, shut up already": NO ONE CARES.  A blunt statement of disinterest.   Of greater interest is the CANOE - a lightweight, narrow water vessel, typically pointed at both ends and open on top, propelled by one or more seated or kneeling paddlers facing the direction of travel and using a single-bladed paddle.

Hi, Gang.  Emma was not able to fit CRUISE SHIP into the mix.  Still, we can enjoy our aquatic excursion with a variety of mixed up vessels.  Let's sail into the rest of the puzzle and see what else we can discover.

Across:

1. __ Sutra: KAMA.   "Principles of Love" is an ancient Indian Sanskrit text on sexuality, eroticism and emotional fulfillment in life. It was written as a guide to the art of living well, the nature of love, finding a life partner, maintaining one's love life, and other aspects pertaining to pleasure-oriented faculties of human life.

5. Charlatans: FRAUDS.  Those falsely claiming to have a special knowledge or skill;

11. Smidgen: TAD.  A tiny quantity.

14. Classic Camaro: IROC.   IROC stands for International Race of Champions, a competition similar to Nascar. IROC began in 1974 by racing Porsches, but the cost of maintaining them was prohibitive, so the series turned to the Chevy Camaro in 1975.

15. Breaks things off: ENDS IT.  Brings something to a close, such as a relationship.

16. Tankard filler: ALE.  a type of beer with a bitter flavor and higher alcoholic content.

19. Right Guard alternative: BAN.  Under arm deodorants.

20. Feedback: INPUT.  Information provided in response to something.

21. Bullfighters: MATADORS.  Their job is to kill the bulls.

23. "Go for the Goal" memoirist Mia: HAMM.   Mariel Margaret Hamm-Garciaparra [b. 1972] is an American retired professional soccer player, two-time Olympic gold medalist and two-time FIFA Women's World Cup champion. Hailed as a soccer icon, she played as a forward for the United States women's national soccer team from 1987 to 2004. 


25. Tried to avoid the catcher's tag: SLID HOME.  Like this.



26. Pan: SKILLET.   A shallow metal cooking pot with a long handle, used for frying.

29. "Weetzie Bat" series writer Francesca __ Block: LIA.  Francesca Lia Block [b.1960] is an American writer of adult and young-adult literature. She is known for the Weetzie Bat series, which she began while a student at UC Berkeley. 

30. Break the tape: WIN.  Getting to the finish line first in a race.

37. Religious platform: ALTAR.   A table or flat-topped block used as the focus for a religious ritual, especially for making sacrifices or offerings to a deity.

40. Scottish refusal: NAE.

41. Tuscan city whose university was founded in 1240: SIENA.  A city in central Italy’s Tuscany region,  distinguished by its medieval brick buildings. The fan-shaped central square, Piazza del Campo, is the site of the Palazzo Pubblico, the Gothic town hall, and Torre del Mangia, a slender 14th-century tower with sweeping views from its distinctive white crown. 

45. 2016 Super Bowl MVP __ Miller: VON.   Vonnie B'VSean Miller [b. 1989] is an American football outside linebacker for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. Miller played college football at Texas A&M, where he earned consensus All-American honors and the Butkus Award. He was selected by the Denver Broncos second overall in the 2011 NFL Draft.  He tore his ACL vs the Lions on Thanksgiving day, 2022.  The Bills went on to win that game 28-25 on a field goal as time expired.  The Bills could have used him this week as the Bengals shredded their defense.

46. "I've got it!": AHA.  That moment of realization.

47. Talking back to: SASSING.   Unwelcome feedback.

50. Temporada con nieve: INVIERNO.   The snowy season in Spain is WINTER.

55. Connections: TIES.  

56. Jazz trumpeter Wynton: MARSALIS.   Wynton Learson Marsalis [b. 1961] is an American trumpeter, composer, teacher, and artistic director of Jazz at Lincoln Center. He has promoted classical and jazz music, often to young audiences. Marsalis has won nine Grammy Awards, and his Blood on the Fields was the first jazz composition to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music. 



57. Cuts: TRIMS.   Removes excess.

60. Big fuss: ADO.

64. Tech exec: CIO.  Chief Information Officer.   Probably a nerd.

65. Much of North Africa: SAHARA.  Large desert.

66. Memo phrase: IN RE.   A Latin phrase meaning “in the matter of.” The term “In re” is used in legal documents to refer to a case, particularly a case without an opposing party. For example, "In re Estate of Ruth Bentley" might be used to refer to a probate case about the estate of Ruth Bentley.

67. "Grace and Frankie" actor Waterston: SAM.   Samuel Atkinson Waterston (b.1940) is an American actor. Waterston is known for his work in theater, television and film.  He has received many awards.   

68. Lure into wrongdoing: ENTRAP.  Do this in order to achieve arrest and prosecution.

69. "On the double!" abbr.: ASAP.   As Soon As Possible.

Down:

1. New Zealand bird: KIWI.   Kiwi are flightless birds endemic to New Zealand of the order Apterygiformes. The five extant species fall into the family Apterygidae and genus Apteryx. Approximately the size of a domestic chicken, kiwi are the smallest living ratites.

2. "East of Eden" brother based on Abel: ARON.  Although Aron is likable and kind, his innate moral sensitivity is extreme, and it makes him fragile and easily susceptible to hurt. The sheltered Aron has a great deal of trouble facing the reality of human evil in the world, and Steinbeck builds a great deal of suspense in the second half of East of Eden regarding whether or not Aron will ever meet his mother, Cathy, and whether or not he will survive such an encounter.

3. Completely become: MORPH INTO.    Change very gradually from one thing into another.

4. Real: ACTUAL.   Existing in fact; typically as contrasted with what was intended, expected, or believed.

5. Tina with a recurring role on "Only Murders in the Building": FEY.   Elizabeth Stamatina "Tina" Fey [b.1970] is an American actress, comedian, writer, producer, and playwright. Fey is best known for her tenure as a cast member and head writer for the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live from 1997 to 2006. 

6. GOP org.: RNC.   Republican National Committee.

7. "Run to You" singer Bryan: ADAMS.   Bryan Guy Adams [b 1959] OC OBC FRPS is a Canadian musician, singer, songwriter, composer, and photographer. He has been cited as one of the best-selling music artists of all time, and is estimated to have sold between 75 million and more than 100 million records and singles worldwide. 



8. Typical: USUAL.  Expected.

9. Purify, in a way: DISTILL.   Purify (a liquid) by vaporizing it, then condensing it by cooling the vapor, and collecting the resulting liquid.

10. Makes less wobbly: STEADIES.  Stabilizes the position of something.

11. Simply not done: TABOO.   A social or religious custom prohibiting or forbidding discussion of a particular practice or forbidding association with a particular person, place, or thing.

12. Wake-up call?: ALARM.   Something that alerts a person to a situation

13. Pretty thick: DENSE.   Closely compacted in substance.  Figuratively, of a person - stupid.

18. Webmaster's code: HTML.   HyperText Markup Language.

22. Abu __: DHABI.   The capital and second-most populous city (after Dubai) of the United Arab Emirates.  The city of Abu Dhabi is located on an island in the Persian Gulf, off the Central West Coast. Most of the city and the Emirate reside on the mainland connected to the rest of the country. 

24. Just okay: MEH.   Expressing a lack of interest or enthusiasm.

26. Ugly duckling's true self: SWAN.  A Danish literary fairy tale by Danish poet and author Hans Christian Andersen (1805–1875), published in 1843.  A swan's egg is misplaced in a clutch of duck eggs, and the resulting cygnet becomes an outcast.  Eventually he discovers is true self and flies away.

27. Approximately 2.2 lbs.: KILO.  The kilogram is the unit of mass in the International System of Units, having the unit symbol kg. It is a widely used measure in science, engineering and commerce worldwide, and is often simply called a kilo colloquially. It means "one thousand grams."

28. Fish in a negitoro roll: TUNA.  Negitoro is diced tuna with green onion. You'll most often find it served as a sushi roll. The tuna is sourced from scraping near the bones and from scrap pieces.  Yum!

32. Mo. after Leap Day: MAR. Leap day is Feb.29, occurring every 4th year not divisible by 100.  The following month is March.

33. Orchard pollinators: BEES.

34. Subsequent drafts: REVISIONS.  Of a text.

35. Quote book abbr.: ANON.  Anonymous.

36. Crew: GANG.  A group of people who work closely together.

38. Diarist Nin: ANAIS.  Angela Anaïs Juana Antolina Rosa Edelmira Nin y Culmell  [1903 – 1977] was a French-born American diarist, essayist, novelist, and writer of short stories and erotica. Born to Cuban parents in France, Nin was the daughter of the composer Joaquín Nin and the classically trained singer Rosa Culmell. Nin spent her early years in Spain and Cuba, about sixteen years in Paris (1924–1940), and the remaining half of her life in the United States, where she became an established author.

39. Prepare for a show: REHEARSE.   Practice (a play, piece of music, or other work) for later public performance.  I usually do this on Monday and Wednesday evenings.  Speaking of boats - granddaughter Amanda is in Toronto REHEARSING for her 3rd gig as a cast member on a Disney cruise ship.

43. Assistance in getting a ride?: CAR LOAN.  Money borrowed to purchase a vehicle.  Clever clue.

44. Plopped down in a chair: SAT.

48. Location: SITE.   

49. Croatia neighbor: SERBIA.  A landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe.  The two countries have similar spoken languages, but different written languages, as Serbia uses the Cyrillic alphabet.

50. Apple desktops: I-MACS.  Brand designation for lines of personal computers.

51. Gymnast Comaneci: NADIA.   Nadia Elena Comăneci Conner [b. 1961] is a Romanian retired gymnast and a five-time Olympic gold medalist, all in individual events. In 1976, at the age of 14, Comăneci was the first gymnast to be awarded a perfect score of 10.0 at the Olympic Games.

The IOC has blocked the video from sharing{?!?)  You can see it HERE

52. Revving sound: VROOM.



53. Not, in German: NICHT.   Literal.

54. Liam's "Schindler's List" role: OSKAR.  Oskar Schindler [1908 - 1974] was a German industrialist, humanitarian and a member of the Nazi Party who is credited with saving the lives of 1,200 Jews during the Holocaust by employing them in his enamelware and ammunitions factories in occupied Poland and the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia. 

58. "Where Am I Now?" memoirist Wilson: MARA.   Mara Elizabeth Wilson (b. 1987) is an American actress and writer. She rose to prominence as a child for playing Natalie Hillard in the film Mrs. Doubtfire (1993) and went on to play Susan Walker in Miracle on 34th Street (1994), the title character in Matilda (1996), Annabel Greening in A Simple Wish (1997), and Lily Stone in Thomas and the Magic Railroad (2000). Wilson took a 12-year hiatus following the last film to focus on writing. She returned to acting in 2012, and has predominantly worked in web series.

59. Pedometer unit: STEP.   An act or movement of putting one leg in front of the other in walking or running.

62. La-la lead-in: TRA.   Nonsense syllables sometimes occurring in songs, sometimes used to suggest gaiety, lightheartedness, or playful derision.

63. Luck, to Shakespeare: HAP.   Obsolete term for luck or good fortune, from Middle English "happe."  This is the root of our modern word "happy."

Now we bring this ship into port.  Hope you had a HAP voyage, and keep on rowing.

This popped up on FaceBook recently.


Cool regards!
JzB




46 comments:

  1. Well, I certainly didn’t know what the circles indicated until the reveal; then I got it. And there was no way I would have gotten “invierno*” without ESP (every single perpendicular letter). Anyway, in the end, I managed to FIR, so I’m happy.

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  2. Good morning!

    Today is a drying out day. We got over 4" of rain in a couple hours yesterday. Our house was an island for a while, and the road out front was impassible. We escaped getting water in the house...barely.

    No real problems with this puzzle. D-o noticed the circles, read the full reveal clue, and managed to figure out the theme. There's a saying about some old dog... Today, whenever I got stuck, the perps came to the rescue. Didn't know INVIERNO was Italian for Winter, but I use a very similar word for it -- INFERNAL. My former boss was the corporate CIO; he claimed it translated to "Career Is Over" (HUMBLE BRAG). His idea of winning an argument was to talk faster, louder, longer than anyone else. He was definitely Type A, and died of a heart attack at age 50. Enjoyed the challenge, Emma, and the erudite expo, JzB.

    Fluorescent light in the walk-in closet failed yesterday. New bulbs didn't fix it. Today's project: Determine if the problem is the switch or the ballast, and replace same.

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  3. FIR, but erased cab fare for CAR LOAN.

    Wasn't the Camaro an IROC Z, not just an IROC?

    Isn't ASAP an acronym, not an abbr?

    I thought it was odd to have two types of boats (canoe and barge), and one category (yacht). BTW, the HUMBLE barge is more than a floating bucket. Many of them have a lot of engineering behind them, and have price tags starting at $1 million.

    Thought of baseball for "I've got it!" "Mine!"

    I wish I knew more about esoteric phrases like HUMBLE BRAG, but I guess I waste too much of my time reading to blind orphans instead of expanding my vocabulary.

    "Run to You" brings to mind Tainted Love by Soft Cell:
    Once I ran to you (I ran)
    Now, I'll run from you
    This tainted love you've given
    I give you all a boy could give you
    Take my tears and that's not nearly all
    Oh, tainted love

    Scott Adams knows all about DISTILLing complex data for executive edification.

    Thanks to Emma for the fun midweek challenge, and to JzB for the informative tour.

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  4. Took 5:37 today to, um, excuse me, fart my way through it.
    [raft]

    I don't care for the foreign word (invierno) atop of the proper name (Marsalis), while both crossing another foreign word. Plus, those crossed both Oskar and Nadia -- too much.

    As USUAL, I didn't know today's female writer (Mara) or her work, or the other female writer's middle name (Lia) or her work. However, I did know today's female athlete (Hamm) and today's female diarist (Anais).

    Oh joy, circles....

    Favorite answer was 35D: ANON

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  5. FIR today and it seemed easier than expected. I needed the reveal to unscramble the circled boat names. Words that fit but were wrong slowed down filling some areas: cast/GANG, ENTice/ENTRAP. And misspelling OScAR/OSKAR and MARSALaS/MARSALIS needed corrections when perps filled. Knowing a little German and Spanish helped today. Nice puzzle, Emma, thanks!

    Thanks, JazzB, for being our jolly captain today. The KIWI picture was my favorite today.

    Now that the rain went through early, it looks like we'll have a good day for walking to Book Club after lunch. Enjoy your day!


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  6. Good Morning:

    I thought I was so clever parsing the first scrambledword as Cathy, and wondering where this was leading, but parsing Barge next threw cold water on Cathy which morphed into Yacht and the Aha led to Canoe. The only mystery left was the reveal which proved to be the cute and clever Rock The Boat. My feelings about unnecessary circles apply to this offering., but to be fair, though, maybe the editor feels that Wednesdays, like Mondays and Tuesdays should be more accommodating to beginning solvers than to more experienced ones. My only w/o was Axe/Ban but I needed perps for Lia, Von, Adams, Nicht, Mara, and the impossible Invierno. I’ll let someone else fume about unfamiliar foreign words, but one foreign word that I don’t mind at all is Wilbur’s Nae!

    Thanks, Emma, for a mid-week treat and thanks, JazzB, for the entertaining and enlightening review. It’s hard to believe that Nadia Comaneci is 62 years old. I still remember her as that tiny, slight little dynamo who thrilled us with her talent and tenacity. I have enjoyed Sam Waterston in Law and Order for many years, but his most memorable role, to me, was that of the journalist, Sydney Schanberg, in The Killing Fields.

    We’re expecting more snow later today. Old Man Winter is finally showing us who’s boss!

    Have a great day.

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  7. FIR, got the theme early. But some of the clues were a little odd, like "bit of false modesty". Humble brag?

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  8. Hi, Gang -

    Snow day here in the Detroit Metro Area has things closed. So my normal full up Wednesday has become empty. Maybe I'll go back to bed.

    I sussed CANOE first and BARGE last. Would have been completely lost without the circles.

    Enjoyable puzzle. Hope you all have a great day.

    Cheers!
    JzB

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  9. Slight correction:
    -- A year may be a leap year if it is evenly divisible by 4.
    -- Years that are divisible by 100 (century years such as 1900 or 2000) cannot be leap years unless they are also divisible by 400. (For this reason, the years 1700, 1800, and 1900 were not leap years, but the years 1600 and 2000 were.)
    If a year satisfies both the rules above, then it is a leap year.

    Also, did anyone else note that "canoe" and "ocean" are anagrams? I first thought that the those circles resolved to "ocean", which made sense given the reveal clue; wasn't 'til after the other clues' circles became clear that I saw "canoe" vs. "ocean". For whatever reason, that tickled by funnybone. (I'm easily tickled.)

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  10. Nope, didn't see OCEAN, but I did see CATHY (Hi I-M!)

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  11. Too many names but perps and wags sufficed to FIR. I thought OCEAN for CANOE with the theme of things that rock. Hello. Barry T. Then I saw CATHY and YACHT and the error of my ways.
    ALE is always described as bitter, but I don't experience that. I like IPAs. I love hoppy and don't perceive it as bitter.
    I am a big fan of Winton Marsalis.
    Back in the day I was also a fan of tiny. talented NADIA.
    To some bosses ASAP means STAT, impossible or not.
    I know humble brag. In some instances, false humility and pretending to be mild and unassuming is just passive aggressiveness. These folks actually do have an agenda, usually hidden. I coordinate better with straight forward people. There is no guessing what they mean or where they stand.
    I know NIEVE is snow. With INV- I remembered INVIERNO as winter. TEMPERADO was unknown but easily guessed. I supposed that this clue might trip up some solvers. Most so called "foreign" words in puzzles have been adopted into English, but not these.
    Most of my friends and acquaintances thought Schindler's List was too dark and too sad. I thought of it as a light shining in the darkness, a great positive movie.
    Snow is coming after lunch. Alan is thrilled to have a snow day at his day program.

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  12. ROCK THE BOAT? It needs to be done many times. If not, nothing would ever change. KAMA Sutra can certainly do that.

    Good morning. A TAD racy puzzle today with erotica writer ANAIS and KAMA. Glad the LAT didn't BAN it. But maybe a word like INVIERNO should be, perps today. MARA and LIA were fill ins that were also perped. No other snags.

    Before my local US Post Office was moved I would go and pick up our company mail and pass the MARSALIS Maison (a small hotel for black musicians), that was close to my office. Owned by the father of Ellis Marsalis, and grandfather of Branford and Wynton Marsalis. Torn down years ago. Currently occupied by a veterinary hospital and a fancy dog grooming and boarding facility.

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  13. Well I managed to bail out of this one in 14:20 for a FIR, might not have figured out the theme without the circles (sorry ANON). Only a few complete unknowns, INVIERNO being the most obscure, but being rich with vowels I wouldn’t be surprised to see it again although I probably wouldn’t remember the clue. Thank you Emma for the Wednesday treat!

    JzB ~ always enjoy your reviews, very in depth reporting! Didn’t realize you are a fellow Michigander.

    Owned a ‘75 Camaro, 350 2 barrel, three on the floor, best handling, road hugging vehicle I ever had.

    ARON is sometimes clues as Elvis’s middle name (which was later changed to Aaron)

    Barry T ~ nice catch on the anagram.

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  14. This CW started easy and then became difficult. First circles I saw CATHY and thought the theme was gonna have something to do with that. Only after the reveal did I go back and unscramble the circles correctly. Only W/O NAY:NAE. I always thought IN RE meant “in regards to”. Never knew it was Latin until JzB enlightened me today. This CW has too many names (13), many of which are obscure. I only knew 3. And as some others mentioned, INVIERNO was all perps, and that entire SW area was difficult due to the proper names and foreign words. I did eventually manage to FIR, but, for me, it was a struggle. Thanx EL for the mental workout. And thanx JzB for the informative and fun write-up.

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  15. Musings
    -Me too, today I learned KATHY and YACHT use the same letters
    -In 2014 MLB enacted a new rule about SLIDING into home plate
    -INVIERO had plenty of help for us monolinguals
    -TRIMMING meat all day in a packing house has the immediate risk of getting cut and the long-range danger of carpal tunnel syndrome
    -A TV series built on ENTRAPMENT
    -My doctors now weigh in KILOS which about halves your weight number. I was 90 KG two days ago
    -Composing my daily remarks in Word allows for easy REVISIONS before copying and pasting
    -ANAÏS wrote of things that at the time were thought to be TABOO
    -My Apple watch tells me I took 8,993 STEPS yesterday

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  16. I started at the bottom and got ROCK THE BOAT pretty quickly, so it helped with the circles. The middle top was the last to fill since I was convinced conmen were the charlatans, then I realized the Tina was Fey.

    Yellowrocks: I agree with you concerning ALE and IPAs. And I share your admiration for Winton MARSALIS.

    HUMBLE BRAG?

    Yes, a lot of proper names, but perps helped. So FIR.

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  17. Someone bumped the computer and accidentally knocked it into "harder" mode middle of week. Not a USUAL humpday....albeit with luck and lots of perpaid ended with a FIR ...but ...thought the first circled anagram was CATHY like IM but being much smarter'n me she corrected it, I didnt, wondering if maybe the theme was girls' names for boats? So no luck on the theme...Inkover: fakers/FRAUDS

    DO: INVIERNO is Spanish, inverno is Italian (close to the Italian work for Hell Inferno.)

    Negitoro, (it's only Wednesday, why such strange clue for TUNA?), Mia, Wilson, Weenzie Bat, HUMBLEBRAG? wha? c'mon 🙄. Plus
    Uncommon foreign words..(where's my international dictionary?)... ASAP: (As soon as possible) does not imply "on the double". Keeps getting clued incorrectly.

    Have seen first 2 seasons of "Only Murder in the Building" yet had to think twice.. anyway... not many Tina comedic actresses (actors?) with a 3 letter last name. Thought "pan" was gonna be a bad review.

    Isn't INPUT the opposite of "feedback"?

    "East of Eden" a flick on my bucket list

    It's said of actor Damon______ making "Jason Bourne" movies...MATADORES
    What's done when the coffin slides out of the limo....REHEARSE
    Arabian refusal...NAE
    German TRIMS with str8 razor, and got ___....NICHT
    Dwayne Johnson's personalized sail craft...ROCK THE BOAT
    Girl or boy friends...STEADIES

    In for another winter snow storm. 🌨






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  18. The top was pre-Monday easy, but (as mentioned already) in the bottom we find INVIERNO over MARSALIS with ANAIS and NICHT as crossers. Cruel and unusual.

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  19. As others said: a few names, foreign words, and other things I didn't know. However, the perps were pretty forgiving (along with Red Letters finally being turned on.)

    YooperPhil @ 9:27am: I also had a '75 Camaro, 350 with a 2 barrel carb, but it wasn't a stick. I loved driving it, but it was terrible in the snow. Also, the 350 required unleaded gas which was not that easy to find in '75. I ran it into the ground in about 20 years before it rusted out from under me.

    Speaking of snow, the storm heading east has arrived in Central PA and everything is white. Don't have to go anywhere, so, it's enjoyable just watching it come down.

    Have a great day everyone.

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  20. Good Morning! Some sections came together smoothly, and then came to a screeching halt. NC took forever for some reason, but then when it finally filled, I thought DUH!
    DNK LIA, VON, ADAMS, MARA or HAP but got them w/ perps.
    DNF because of the crossing of two UNK foreign words: INVER_O and _ICHT. Thanks, Yellowrocks for stating it so well. Hands up to this "tripped solver."
    Thanks, Emma, for the mental exercise. I'm humbled.
    Thanks, JazzB, for the review. Your recap was enlightening, and the theme a mystery until your reveal.

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  21. Hola!

    Thank you, JazzBumpa, for your USUAL clarity and guidance.

    And thank you, Emma Lawson. I enjoyed the solve today. Circles helped to find the BOATS.

    Erased TOREROS for MATADORS which should be MATAFORES. I know. It's anglicized. But INVIERNO is correct. Even here winter has made its appearance with a freeze last night/NICHT.

    I, too, like Wynton MARSALIS. His trumpet sounds every week on Sunday Morning with Jane Pauley.

    Wake up call, ALARM, is good.

    The first time I saw SAM Waterston on Law and Order I was hooked.

    Seeing OSKAR on Schindler's List was very emotional for me. In fact, i cried through the entire movie.

    If I donated to every WORTHY CAUSE that contacted me I would soon be bankrupt. There are a limited number of those to which I give.

    I loved the book, East of Eden and read it more than once, possibly three times.

    Rooney MARA is more familiar to me than MARA Wilson.

    Have a lovely day, everyone! I'm sorry if your winter is severe.





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    Replies
    1. Lucina, the German word for night is nacht,

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  22. Oh, oh. MATADORES, not matafores. Wear your glasses, girl!

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  23. Ok!
    are we all on board with this puzzle?

    Honorable mention, simply because I wonder what he could be singing...

    I thought about getting a boat once,
    Just the first couple of "how not to's" made me change my mind...

    Desper-Otto,
    You didn't mention the starter, the weak link in the circuit.
    do fluorescents still come with these things?

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  24. Clever Wednesday puzzle, many thanks, Emma. And I always appreciate your very helpful commentary, JazzB, thanks for that too.

    Well, I worried a little that when ARON lost his job he feared that the GANG would subject him to SASSING and END it and ENTRAP him into doing TABOO gigs involving FRAUDs, while the whole time NO ONE CARES, which should raise a lot of ALARM. But luckily he found work supporting a WORTHY CAUSE, which STEADIEd his situation, and he now enjoys nice meals of a KILO of TUNA cooked in a SKILLET along with a glass of ALE. He's safe now and has stable TIES with a girlfriend and will soon end up at the ALTAR.

    Have a good rest of the week, everybody.

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  25. CED, those starters are a thing of the past. My problem turned out to be a bad ballast. A new ballast would've been cheaper, but I opted to replace the whole fixture with an LED model. Simple install. Twenty minutes later and the closet is no longer dark.

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  26. DO, they have also changed the bulbs as well. Ran Into the same problem. Bought a new led, better light, Instant on, less electric,

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  27. CED, DO, the better question is why wouldn't you just change out the florescent lamps with LEDs? I did that throughout my basement with my 4 footers, and the light is better, it never blinks, will last much longer, and consumes half the power. I had to do some minor rewiring of the fixture, but they were very easy mods. In my kitchen I replaced the three 18" (or maybe 24") fixtures, bulbs and all. Even easier, have great light color and the fixtures look nice.

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  28. Sorry. Lee. Should have refreshed before posting. WHAT LEE SAID.

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  29. Hi Y'all! Thanks, Emma, for the challenge. I filled it, but struggled WEES. I never came up with either YACHT or CANOE. Got cathy & thought of Yellowrocks. Got ocean and quit trying. Thanks to JzB, I am enlightened.

    More snow & frosted trees last night. Trying to decide if driveway is just wet or slick before I try to roll my full trash can & recycling to the curb. Old age has turned me into such a wimp. My kids remember me as a "full speed ahead & get 'er done type".

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  30. Infrequent poster here:

    Hello Cornerites! Thanks for the enjoyable puzzle, Emma L., and for the great write-up, JzB!

    Hand up for cathy/YACHT. I got the theme when JxB explained it. I like the circles. Doing the puzzle online it's too easy to check the grid when I'm stuck to see where I have erred so I don't remember incorrect entries.

    Rock the Boat brought up this song immediately.

    My daughter participated in gymnastics from age 2 1/2 until she graduated from high school so 51D Gymnast Comaneci NADIA was a gimmee. Nadia You can scroll down a few rows to see Nadia, my current favorite dog at the shelter. She was hit by a car when she was a year old, had to have her front right leg amputated, (she's now a tri-pawd) then was in a house for 4 years. She was unsocialized until she came to us but now she's learning to enjoy being with a few people at a time, being petted, and exploring new places.

    Fortunately, our forecasted 4"-5" of snow was all rain! We got an unexpected 4" of snow on Sunday so we've had enough for a while.

    Enjoy the rest of your day!

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  31. Clever work, Misty, tying all those unrelated words together.
    I am impressed by your ARON. Any guy capable of downing a full KILO of TUNA at a sitting is a man of prodigious..er, appetite!

    Years ago(oh, far too many to count), I had the pleasure of directing SAM Waterston as George in the George+Emily soda shop scene from Our Town.
    I was in grad drama school and he was an undergrad of a sweet, innocent nature perfect for that role.
    ~ OMK
    ____________
    DR:
    Four diagonals, three on the near side.
    The main diagonal (on this side) gives an anagram (11 of 15) that expresses an actor's problem when he looks in the mirror, then discovers that he has applied Max Factor 7A instead of 6A!
    "Ut Oh! I'm facing a...

    MAKEUP ERROR!"

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  32. Thank you for the kind words, Ol' Man Keith--a comfort on a tough day for me.

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  33. Mia married Nomar of the Redsox. Mia HAMM (spoiler: very long article)


    The circles reveal took longer than five seconds so I let JzB inform me

    Actually this seemed Monday level after Friday coming on Tuesday. Perps took care of Unks per WEES

    How many cornerites does it take to change a light bulb again?

    Oops, FIW; I had MARSALaS/NaCHT. I guess I was thinking of the wine, fln

    WC

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  34. I was stumped by Temporada con nieve: INVIERNO.

    Names:
    "Go for the Goal" memoirist Mia: HAMM
    "Weetzie Bat" series writer Francesca __ Block: LIA
    2016 Super Bowl MVP __ Miller: VON
    Jazz trumpeter Wynton: MARSALIS
    "Grace and Frankie" actor Waterston: SAM
    "East of Eden" brother based on Abel: ARON
    Tina with a recurring role on "Only Murders in the Building": FEY
    "Run to You" singer Bryan: ADAMS
    Diarist Nin: ANAIS
    Gymnast Comaneci: NADIA
    Liam's "Schindler's List" role: OSKAR
    "Where Am I Now?" memoirist Wilson: MARA

    Good wishes to you all.

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  35. Good puzzle. I usually find the circles helpful but not this time. Thanks, JzB for helping me unrock the boats...and for the W. Marsalis tune...and for the kiwi facts!

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  36. Anonymous@1:23
    Thank you. German is definitely not a language I speak or know very well.

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  37. FIW at MARSALaS | NaCHT :-(

    Emma's puzzle was super-crunchy today. Fun, but crunchy.

    Thanks JzB for the detailed expo - I needed it. And maybe some of it will stick :-)

    WO: oil (I read tanker) -> ALE
    ESPs: ARON, LIA, VON, INVIERNO, MARA, SKILLET (oh, not give a bad review)
    Fav: SIENA brought back memories of our anniversary trip in 2019. Cool city.

    Humble-Brag: I'm so dumb - I always I get tickets for going too fast in my Bugatti.

    Pat - I too had The Hues Corporation's Rock the Boat playing in my head all day.

    I enjoyed reading everyone.

    Cheers, -T

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  38. Wrocking Wednesday. Thanks for the fun, Emma and JzB.
    Officially a DNF since I needed to Google for VON and SIENA (but now I know that it is the 4th oldest university in Italy, Bologna being the oldest, founded in 1088).
    And then I arrived here to discover I FIWed; same Natick cross as others NICHT and MARSALIS - I had A instead of I.
    But I got the theme (but hand up for seeing Cathy first).

    Was STEADIES an Easter Egg to the ROCK THE BOAT theme?

    But this Canadian knew Bryan ADAMS and KILO.
    My Spanish does not extend to INVIERNO; the French hiver (clued as saison de neige) I would have known.

    I smiled at IRIC crossing ARON; where was ARod?

    FLN- Jayce, glad that the cataract surgery went well.

    Wishing you all a Gute Nacht.

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  39. That should be IROC (*** autocorrect!)

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  40. JzB, I hope your granddaughter is enjoying Toronto . . . and our snow! I think it will be warmer on the cruise ship.

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  41. C, Eh - I think it was '87* when I saw Bryan Adams in concert. He opened for RUSH (The Greatest Mapleleaf-Trio / Band ever!). RUSH has always been kind to other Canadian entertainers [See: Trailer Park Boys].

    Adams was the opener on the Hold Your Fire tour in, of all places, Shreveport, LA.

    It was a great concert 'cuz when Bryan Adams was done with his set, 99.9% of the girls up-front left. I turned to my buddies we and rushed to the stage. I was standing less that 20' from Alex Lifeson [RUSH's guitarist for those that don't know] and was struck how happy Alex was playing his licks.

    Cheers, -T
    *ILIU: it was Jan '88 in Shreveport.

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  42. C-Eh! @ 10:31 -- I always thought the program was called "autoDEfect. Known world-wide for its amazing ability to 'auto-humiliate' us all.

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