google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Wednesday, January 4, 2023, Hoang-Kim Vu & Jessica Zetzman

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Jan 4, 2023

Wednesday, January 4, 2023, Hoang-Kim Vu & Jessica Zetzman

Theme: The Fabulous T-Birds said it best ...

 
18. *Overnight delivery, maybe: NEWBORN BABY. Nice clue.

29. *Injury treated with ice and elevation: SPRAINED ANKLE. Once you have a bad one, it never quite goes away.

50. *Secret Santa item: CHRISTMAS GIFT. Anyone give or receive one last week?

62. *Meatless meal in a tortilla: BEAN BURRITO. I just watched a video with a woman who said burritos (at least the way they are made here in the states) are not really Mexican. To be fair, their example was Taco Bell - so duh. The first episode of Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi (on Hulu) was filmed in El Paso (which was once part of Mexico), and is called Burritos at the Border. They looked pretty authentic to me (and made me hungry).

60. With 61-Down, "Get a move on!" and an instruction for the answers to the starred clues: WRAP.

61. See 60-Down: IT UP.

Four things to wrap up: a baby, an ankle, a gift, and a burrito. Did you see it?

Across:

1. Election night graphic: MAP.

4. __ vu: DEJA.

8. Noon: MIDDAY.

14. Past: AGO.

15. Stunt legend Knievel: EVEL.

16. Padre de tu padre: ABUELO. The father of your father is your grandfather.

17. Baker's unit: CUP. Tried to fool us into writing tsp, or egg.

20. Has wings, say: EATS. So sneaky.

22. "How groovy": NEATO

23. __ Speedwagon: REO. The band was named after the flatbed truck. Same original five band members still touring.


24. National Poetry Month: APRIL. I always think of Clear Ayes.

26. First-years: ROOKIES.

32. Part of some uniforms: HAT.

33. "Ella Enchanted" beast: OGRE.

34. Compass pt.: SSE.

35. "Frozen" sister: ELSA. Disney movie.

37. __ bunt: SAC. Those of us who don't follow baseball have seen this a few times. In baseball, a sacrifice bunt is a batter's act of deliberately bunting the ball, before there are two outs, in a manner that allows a baserunner to advance to another base.

39. Send out: EMIT.

43. Part of some uniforms: CAP. Deja vu.

46. Desktop light: LAMP.

49. Reddit Q&A session: AMA. Ask me anything.

53. French cake: GALETTE. Like a pie, but freeform.


55. The Carpenters' "We've Only Just __": BEGUN.

56. Mined material: ORE.

57. Chicago team: BEARS.

59. Fuzzy fruit or fuzzy bird: KIWI.

66. Gere title role: DR T. 2000 movie.

67. Nation with a Star of David on its flag: ISRAEL.

68. E-commerce icon: CART.

69. 2-Down, in French: EAU. Water. Some solvers won't like these clues - but we get both of these words often enough, they're both gettable.

70. Grammy category: GOSPEL.

71. Hoity-toity type: SNOB.

72. Tablet download: APP.

Down:

1. Spice cookie ingredient: MACE. A yellowish-brown spice that is derived from the dried lacy coating of the nutmeg seed. A Guide to Mace.

2. 69-Across, in Spanish: AGUA.

3. Toaster pastry brand: POP-TARTS. Any Gilmore Girls fans here? IYKYK.


 4. Family room: DEN.

5. Remains of the day?: EVENING. Like the clue.

6. Experts with rings, hoops, and loupes: JEWELERS.

7. Jessica of "L.A.'s Finest": ALBA. "American action comedy crime television series." Lasted two seasons.

8. Leaves high and dry: MAROONS. I like the clue.

9. Arabic for "son of": IBNAbu, Ibn, and Bin, Oh My!

10. Confer knighthood on: DUB.

11. Honey: DEARIE. The "ie" at the end made it a little tricky.

12. "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" playwright: ALBEE. Edward Franklin Albee III.

13. Goes back and forth: YOYOS.

19. __ vez: another time, in Spanish: OTRA. More Spanish.

21. Self-care getaway option: SPA.

25. __ de Janeiro: RIO. The iconic Christ the Redeemer statue can be seen from just about anywhere in Rio de Janeiro. Located on top of Corcovado Mountain, the 38-meter-tall sculpture reigns as the world’s largest Art Deco statue. It’s worth getting up early to hike up to the summit before it gets too hot or crowded. If you don’t feel up to the hike, you can take a train all the way to the top, or a cab to the parking lot and take a shuttle bus from there. 14 Best Things to Do in Rio de Janeiro.


 27. Blesses: OKS.

28. Bauhaus artist Paul: KLEE.

29. __/her pronouns: SHE.

30. Chum: PAL.

31. Gave a hand?: DEALT. Great clue. Playing cards.

36. Blue-Emu target: ACHE.


 38. Geological period with a noted "explosion": CAMBRIAN.

40. Gist: MAIN IDEA.

41. Global finance org.: IMF. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) works to achieve sustainable growth and prosperity for all of its 190 member countries.

42. Skin pic: TAT. Tattoo.

44. Works in a gallery: ART. Ahhh, noun not verb.

45. Champion on "Parks and Rec," for one: PIT BULL. In the episode "The Comeback Kid" April and Andy adopt a three-legged dog named "Champion."  But Champion actually isn't a "he" at all; Champion is played by Lucy, who was adopted from a pit bull rescue in Los Angeles in 2004. She's actually a very prolific actress; she's been in commercials and was also an extra in "Hotel for Dogs." 


 47. Baton holder: MAESTRO.

48. Messi's team, familiarly: PSG. From Wikipedia: Lionel AndrΓ©s Messi, also known as Leo Messi, is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain and captains the Argentina national team.

50. Resets, as one's browser history: CLEARS.

51. Crystal ball gazer: SEER.

52. Soup, in Koreatown: GUK. The native Korean word for soup.

53. Shoot for the stars: GO BIG.

54. "You __ right!": ARE SO.

58. Circle segments: ARCS.

63. Snooze: NAP.

64. Buzzworthy creature?: BEE.

65. Wagering site, initially: OTB. Off-track betting. Legal gambling on horse racing outside of the race track.



36 comments:

  1. I didn’t know the Spanish grandfather or the French cake, but the perps were kind for both of them. And I had just been reading about the “Cambrian explosion “ the other day. It’s an interesting phenomenon in the history of evolution that apparently gave Charles Darwin fits, and still awaits a good, clear scientific explanation. But time marches on, anyway! And, anyway, I managed to FIR, so I’m happy.

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  2. Good morning!

    D-o loves a themeless Wednesday -- no need for a reveal which would also be missed. Yay. Hand up for that TSP fox pass. Otherwise, this one was very straight-forward. Well, EAT, not so much. Finished in good time, and got 'er done. Thanx, Vu, Jessica, and Melissa Bee. (I noticed your SO at 64d.)

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  3. FIR, but erased ibu for IBN, img for IMF, and abuleo for ABUELO. Hey, I can mispel in two languages! UNTIE! DNK GALETTE (sounds like a 4' 5" female human) and PSG (sounds like a utility, like Pacific Sewer and Gas).

    In electrical / electronics, light bulbs are called LAMPs. One climbs the tower to re-lamp it.

    I remember DR T. I also remember hearing the acronym DRT - "dead right there" - when there was no need for an ambulance ride. Alternative to DOA.

    I finally have AMA down pat. "Redditt Q&A session" must be as trite as "Doc bloc" if even I can remember it.

    Thanks to Vu and Jessica for the fun. I especially liked "gave a hand?" for DEALT. And thanks to melissa for the fun tour.

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  4. FIR, despite several unknowns like abuelo, Cambrian, and guk. The perps saw me through to the end.

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  5. Clues in another language should not be allowed!!

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  6. Took 7:21 to wrap this one up.

    Didn't know (and didn't care for) the Korean soup, the French cake, the Spanish grandfather, or the Arabic son.
    Hmmm, isn't/wasn't there someone on this blog who goes by Abuelo/a?

    I also didn't know Messi's team (I wanted "Arg" for Argentina, but that wouldn't work), or mace as a spice.

    While solving online, the themed answer blocks are shaded. That was my only hint to the theme until I reached the lower-right corner.




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  7. DNK: GALETTE, ABUELO, IBN, PSG or GUK. So a lot of perps needed all over this CW. For once, DID know all proper names, which helped. Overall, seemed like a Wednesday level CW, and, whaddaya know, it’s Wednesday! I did see and understand the theme, which also helped. Anyway, FIR after some struggles. Thanx, HKV&JZ for the fun. Thanx too to Melissa Bee for the terrific write-up.

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  8. Hello, Cornerites. I have been preoccupied these last weeks. I have solved most of the puzzles and read the blog almost daily. I am hoping to become a regular again and get back to a daily schedule. Holidays, family and health issues for Alan and me distracted me. Since Christmas I am participating only in gatherings where there is not a crowd, due to Covid fears and so I am spending more time in my apartment and on the computer.
    Thank you CED for the lovey dancers on my birthday cake and for the birthday wishes from some of the others.I could never ice a cke so deftly and beautifully.
    These puzzle was not difficult. New to me were PSG, DRT, so I needed ESP, every Single Perp. EAU and AGUA needed at least one perp to be guessable.
    I know abuela, so I changed the A to O for grandfather.
    Subgenius, thanks for leading me to research the Cambrian Explosion. I had heard of it, but all I remembered was the term. Interesting.
    Favorite clue was has wings/eats, although it took me a while to parse.
    To me all the foreign clues, except GUK are common place. Knowing some foreign words increases my vocabulary. Much of English is derived from foreign roots thus making some English words guessable. Living in an area where we are exposed to many different cultures helps.

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  9. So GUK was also completely unknown.

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  10. A wonderful Wednesday FIR, improving my week! I did have the problem of writing ISRAEL in the wrong place so WOs there when I realized that. Otherwise a clean grid, greatly helped by perps where I had unknowns. Thanks, Vu and Jessica, for good perps.

    Thanks, Melissa B, for your interesting review today. Hand up for not seeing the connection between the themers until the reveal. And hand up for receiving a CHRISTMAS GIFT. My vote goes to DEALT for most surprising fill.

    Anon @ 7:43 AM, are you thinking of Abejo, who used to comment regularly?

    I'll WRAP IT UP now. Have a fine day, everyone!

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  11. I naturally had arG for Messi's Club. DNK GALETTE, ABUELO, GUK

    YR, good to see you , you were missed.

    As noted perps were friendly for the above UNKs. Old fashioned Wednesday

    WC

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    Replies
    1. Yay! A foreign language puzzle.

      Delete
  12. Too many foreign words. Some I knew: French cake, grandfather, etc. Felt that #2 down crossed referred with 69 across was unnecessarily convoluted. Most proper names were easy fills.

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  13. "Not WEES"
    (WARNING, Thumper-ists Mehs ahead...)

    (I should have said "GUK" and let it go at that...)

    I dunno, maybe I got up on the wrong side of "le lit," (la Cama) (sarir).
    But congratulations on annoying not only English speakers, but Spanish and Arabic peoples,too!

    (Hmm, how to lighten my mood...)
    I know, it was clever of you to stump me with the son crossing the grandfather.

    Yeah I got the theme, but now I'm so cranky, I think that the themers should have been vertical, and backwards to boot!

    Melissa, thank you for "splainin" it all.
    NIDNK (No, I did not know) about the pop tarts!

    Maybe I should have JKMMS ( just kept my mouth shut ) and kept my opinions under wraps...

    Ok, that's it, I'm outta here..

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  14. Sorry Wilbur. Didn't mean to send a reply to you. Must have hit the wrong button.

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  15. Musings
    -I had a POP TART for breakfast and am meeting my fellow crossworder in Wahoo for lunch at NOON
    -The themers were obviously the second word but I needed the last fill for the connection
    -Only a few states on that election night MAP make the difference
    -Time zones: when the sun is straight south of me today, my clock will read 12:28 not NOON.
    -If they’ll let me, I try to give good advice to ROOKIE teachers
    -GALETTE - Lincoln has a fun restaurant called the Green Gateau which means green cake
    -This non-chef reluctantly put in MACE and then saw wings as edible, aha!
    -GIST – Tell me the time, not how a watch works
    -OTB and casinos: Nebraska got over its sanctimony and has started casino gambling. The Iowa, Missouri and Kansas casinos are losing a big revenue stream.

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  16. This was a fun puzzle with a cute theme - I have participated in all the ways to WRAP IT UP!
    The most deliveries of overnight NEWBORN BABies was when I was a resident in Chicago and I tallied 9 because it was losing DST in October so I had an extra hour of call that night!

    Few slips were initially putting in pan and then bun for baker's unit until perps led me to CUP. I confidently put in gateaux for the French cake after having the GA - BZZT - had to change it to GALETTE from the perps.

    Thanks Melissa Bee for the blog and Hoang-Kim & Jessica for the puzzle!

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  17. My problem with this CW, which I eventually FIR, I was getting stuck in the NW. I had cap for CUP, so the AGUA wasn’t flowing, therefore neither was the EAU. So when I finished, I didn’t even notice the reveal. Looking back over the puzzle I see lots of clever clues.

    A GALETTE is not my idea of a cake.

    I love KIWI fruits. GUK, I’m not familiar with but the name is off-putting. All the foreign language words were no particularly uncommon.

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  18. YOU ARE SO RIGHT – TV law enforcement shows must feature a young, beautiful 120-lb woman in incredibly tight clothing. PRONOUNS – “Look at Jessica ALBA, they are so good looking.” Nope, overturning centuries of grammar is a delusional, "woke" pipe dream.

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  19. WRAPPED UP Wednesday. Thanks for the fun, Hoang and Jessica, and melissa bee. Officially a FIW, but I did get the theme (yes CED, the themes going UP would have been great, but difficult).

    I had a Lava light, with ARG for Messi (PSG was unknown to me). Perps had corrected all but the A.

    GUK was another correction by perps. I had Pho, but that is Vietnamese.
    We are culturally diverse today. ABUELO required perps also, but I knew AGUA and EAU.
    Did anyone else want an Ugli fruit ( but it wasn’t a bird)?
    My JEWELERS have two Ls, but I knew better here.
    An example of YOMV- YR (welcome back) liked the clue for EARS, while I (and d’o) hated it.

    Wishing you all a great day.

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  20. Good morning! I was determined not to like this puzzle when I saw the foreign words, but I was pleasantly surprised. It flowed nicely and there was only one spot where I had to run the alphabet. The # 38 box "C". It was a clever theme. As I worked the starred clues, I couldn't imagine how they could be connected until I got to the SE - my AHA moment! Thanks, Vu and Jessica.
    ABUELO and GUK were new words to me, but I got them with the perps.
    And thanks Melissa for your review. I love the story about Lucy, and you refreshed my memory of Poptarts on Gilmore Girls. I think I saw every episode, some a couple of times.
    GALLETTE may be called a "cake" but has all the characteristics of a pie. Hmmm...

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  21. Hola!

    Aha! A multi-lingual puzzle! If learning expands the mind, puzzle solvers must have an enormous one by now. Just kidding. I like the challenge and FIW.

    Sadly by the time I was born both of my ABUELOs were gone. My grandmothers each married a man who was much older than they were so of course their spouses died while they were widowed in their prime.

    I might need a NAP today. I had insomnia until almost three A.M. I finished cleaning the kitchen which still had remnants of CHRISTMAS GIFTs, sorted through some bills, rearranged a drawer then finally was able to go to sleep. I'll be a zombie through most of today, though.

    I SPRAINED an ANKLE at about age nine or ten while trying to learn to skate. Have I ever mentioned that I am prone to awkwardness and have not been successful in any sport? Hence, my affinity and preference for reading and other sedentary activities like sewing.

    Thank you, Hoang-Kim Vu and Jessica as well as Melissa. I enjoyed this solve.

    Have a joyous day, everyone! Every day is a gift.




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  22. Was sure I was headed for a DNF but waited for the next break and pieces fell into place..including the Wrap it Up theme.

    Started to fill NEW Year BABY, a bit too long and then "Big Bang" but stopped, illogical not geological. Almost sampled "gateau" for French cake, too short. Marie Antoinette allegedly said "let them eat brioche" not "cake" and definitely not GALETTE

    Forgot "blue emu" from a last years puzzle.

    GUK? Sounds appetizing? 😳.

    Dah BEARS 🐻🐻🐻

    REO - RIO, ALBA -ALBEE

    KIWI... add... "fuzzy" New Zealander

    Inkovers: hat/CAP, abu/IBN, jugglers/JEWELERS ("loupe" shoulda given it away),

    Lucina: I think it's time you gave us Spanish lessons, (Zoom or Skype) maybe not now but an "otra vez" ?

    SPA used so often I feel like I've been to one. Always forget the Reddit clue πŸ™„.

    Approaching a tied score....EVENING
    " ___ working on the rail road"....IBN
    _____ so that's how you say "water" in French!...EAU

    Busy humpday so far...
    πŸ™

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  23. D'Oh! FIW at ABEUjO :-(

    Hi All!

    Thanks Hoang-Kim & Jessica for a foreign-word infused puzzle. Most were doable but I can't spell in English so... [See: FIW]

    mb - I love it! [The Fabulous Thunderbirds] Thanks for the expo. The BURRITO clip is on point - and Taco Bell is an abomination. There are so many good Tex-Mex joints in and around Houston that only a stoner would visit Taco Bell ['cuz they're open at 2am ;-)] I'm sure Lucina and our AZ contingent know different beautiful flavors.

    WOs: EAU in DRT's squares, BaRRITO (told you I can't spell in two languages :-))
    ESPs: Yes, many. Thank you very much. The grid was fill a letter here, fill a letter there where there foreign reigned.
    Fav: REO Speedwagon [Ridin' the Storm Out - live]

    YR - It's nice to read you again - I was starting to get worried.

    C, Eh!, I was thinking Pho too. Pho gives chicken-noodle or matza soup a run for it's money when it comes to a cold.

    Ray-O beat me to Swerski's super-fans: Da' Bears.

    Lucina - a) sign me up for SSL (Spanish as a Second Language - not Secure Socket Layer) classes b) go with your body's rhythm - mine flips about every 4 months where I sleep all day but get massive work done overnight. Fortunately, boss-man rolls with it.

    Back to work; play later.
    Cheers, -T

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  24. Enjoyed the WRAP IT UP THEME, but didn't get it until I was finished. EATS WINGS completely mystified me, until the LAMP went on. Very funny! Not sure what official puzzle policy is, but I appreciate learning basic foreign words as long as crosses are fair.

    CrossEyedDave I did not understand the POP TARTS link. But I loved the condom WRAP image. The world would be so much better if people did this!

    Here you can see the STAR OF DAVID FLAGs as we entered ISRAEL from Jordan.

    Here our JEWELER friend Diane proudly posed for us with her "Golden Peacock Award" for her beautiful decorations.

    Diane took care of making my wedding ring and re-working my grandmother's wedding ring for my wife.

    From Yesterday:
    Learning moment about PETIT FOURS being prepared in a cooling brick OVEN.

    Pets are clearly matters of individual taste. I cannot imagine why anyone would want a dog as a pet. I am not aware of any letter carrier being bitten by a TARANTULA!

    From Monday:
    Wilbur Charles Yes, I very much enjoyed the Las Vegas Star TREK experience! Thanks!

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  25. Picard,
    Sorry if the pop tart link didn't work for you.
    I didn't realize when I linked it that it was page 15 of a slide show, detailing The Gilmore Girls/pop tart association. But it was an interesting (wrap up?) of the sequel listing 26 Easter eggs that related back to the original series that only fan(atic)s would appreciate. The problem with these click bait slide shows is the further you click, the more the ads will slow down your device. I made it to the second slide show detailing famous guest stars on the show (Rachael ray? I don't remember seeing her.) but my iPad slowed to a crawl, and then froze on slide 3...

    Re: yest, (I think it was Jinx)
    Thanks for splainin sweet sixteen in relation to basketball,
    but I still don't get it, and unfortunately never will.
    I am not sports oriented type of guy, though I appreciate a good baseball or football play as much as anyone.
    (Except maybe DW)
    She gets mad at me when when I get excited about the underdog making a great play against "her" team...
    But when it comes to basketball, the only thing I ever got out of it was a badly sprained thumb...

    In way of apologies for my rant foreign language in an English speaking puzzle,
    Here is some wrap trivia:

    They now make decal style wraps for your car!
    exhibit A

    some people have gotten very inventive about it.

    Other people? not so much...

    ReplyDelete
  26. Anon T ...Went to Santa Fe NM a few years ago for a conference. At noon break asked a colleague where we should go to lunch. We were driving. He suggested the Taco Bell we just passed....Nothing against TB but in Santa Fe?..I absolutely refused...😠

    ReplyDelete
  27. CED - pretty simple... Sweet 16 teams play one, each. Winners are the Elite Eight (only 8 teams left after 1/2 of the teams lose). And those, after winning, go onto the Final Four. NCAA basketball - not something I watch but the sport pages in the paper (and PK) helps keep me abreast.

    BTW, your links are the giggles I needed today. Thanks mate.

    Cheers, -T

    ReplyDelete
  28. Neat puzzle this morning, Hoang-Kim and Jessica, many thanks. And I always enjoy your commentary, Melissa, thanks for that too.

    Well I think that puzzle mother deserves some EATS for her MIDDAY meal after producing a NEWBORN BABY this morning: maybe a BEAN BURRITO followed by a GALETTE along with a CUP of wine--No, no, not if she's nursing--better just a CUP of AGUA or EAU.

    Gave a fun day, everybody.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Ray-O
    Taco Bell in New Mexico! Unbelievable! The best green chile (besides my mother's) I have ever eaten was in Santa Fe and Alburquerque. Yum.

    I would love to teach Spanish here on the Blog but there are so many good sites to learn it and I would have to charge competitively, of course. LOL

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  30. -T @ 12:50: So if you go out and have a beer and some food with it, isn't that a bArrito?

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  31. ABUILO, GALETTE, DR.T (I don't pity the fool), GUK, and PSG- I got 'em but never heard of them. At least I knew CAMBRIAN and IBN. Perps saved me today.

    Ray-O and Lucina- about30 years ago A friend and I were playing golf at some course south of Tucson very close to Mexico. We stopped of I-15 to get gas and what was the busiest place? Taco Bell.

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  32. A Vu/Zetzman PZL, presented by melisssa bee...

    The ads for Dr. T discouraged me from seeing it.

    I swear I have never said "DEARIE" in my entire life. C'mon!

    I worked a show as an actor for Edward ALBEE. It was a premiere of one of his lesser works, and he was directing.
    His directing style left much to be desired, as it consisted mainly of line-readings. I can understand why a playwright wants his cast to "speak the words... as I have pronounced them to you," but it is terribly limiting to do this with experienced actors.
    Actors and authors have much to teach each other; it is not a one-way street.
    He won several awards for his scripts--but none for his directing.
    ~ OMK
    ____________
    DR:
    One diagonal, near side.
    Its anagram (13 of 15 letters) is limited by only "A" vowels. It is a curious one, apparently a reference to an unpopular Halloween or party disguise.
    You would only want this item if you wished to pass yourself off as a supporter of anti-ageism or, contrariwise, to make fun of old folk.
    Say hello to a...

    "GRANDPAPA MASK"!

    ReplyDelete
  33. BigEasy:
    There is no accounting for some people's taste!

    ReplyDelete
  34. FIR. Thanks, HOANG-Kim Vu, Jessica Zetzman and Melissa Bee! Nice puzzle and nice expo!

    My unknowns ran along the same lines as already mentioned, but the perps were good to me.

    OMK, I haven’t thought of this one in ages. Unfortunately, the automatic caption maker didn’t do a very good job, but after a couple of plays, it all comes together.

    "Dearie"

    ReplyDelete

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