google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Sunday September 3, 2023 Jill Rafaloff & Michelle Sontarp

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Sep 3, 2023

Sunday September 3, 2023 Jill Rafaloff & Michelle Sontarp

Theme: "Do the Math" - Each common phrase is rephrased as if it's math-related.

23. Button on a quartermaster's calculator?: MILITARY OPERATION.

30. One?: OPENING NUMBER.

50. Birds + Bees = Bundle of Joy?: BABY FORMULA.

63. Staunch advocates of quotients?: DIVISION CHAMPIONS.

80. Average thoroughfares?: MEAN STREETS.

96. Knack for reciting multiplication tables?: PRODUCT RECALL.

106. Fails to complete a subtraction problem?: MAKES NO DIFFERENCE.

Second Sunday collaboration from Jill and Michelle. We had them last December with this "Hesitations" theme.

I really like the 50A clue. So inspired. I would need to shoot an email to Fremont, Nebraska.

Across:

1. Mature: AGE.

4. "Things Fall __": Chinua Achebe novel: APART. Nigerian novelist.



9. Exam for jrs.: PSAT.

13. Lack compatibility, as colors: CLASH.

18. Clickable address: URL.

19. One of 17 properties on a Monopoly board: AVENUE.

20. Supply company in Road Runner cartoons: ACME. Regulars know that ACME = Andrea Carla Michaels. Boomer was in pain then, but walked quite a bit that day.

Boomer, C.C., Tom Pepper & Andrea, 5/26/2021

21. Must: HAS TO.

22. Simon and Garfunkel, e.g.: DUO.

26. Little rascal: IMP.

27. Term of endearment: BAE. Bao Bei in Chinese (Baby).

28. Burden: ONUS.

29. Amount consumed: INTAKE.

35. Burdened: LADENED.

36. "For sure!": YES.

37. Archer of myth: EROS.

38. Builds to a crescendo: SWELLS.

40. Colorado site of the Winter X Games: ASPEN. 41. 40-Across forecast: SNOW.

43. Thick & Fluffy waffle brand: EGGO. Never had this. Never tried some things you guys eat.

44. Detest: HATE.  And 48. Bad mood: SNIT.

45. Ceiling: CAP.

49. "__ McCartney": 2016 compilation album: PURE. Unknown to me.

54. Jump over: HOP.

55. Judean king: HEROD.

56. Stockpile: AMASS. My stockpiled frozen durians are all gone. Can't wait for the next durian season.

57. Valuable minerals: ORES.

58. Female sheep: EWE.

59. Laundry appliance: IRON.

60. Self-checkout action: SCAN.

61. Australian sextet: STATES. And 72. Down Under bird: EMU.

68. Category on Disney+: MARVEL.

70. Cries from Homer: DOHs.

71. Cogito __ sum: ERGO.

75. Neighborhood: AREA. Just learned that two units in our quad have guns. Kind of surreal to see guys doing drugs in my driveway at 4:00am. 

76. Vowel sequence: AEIOU.

78. Move furtively: SLINK.

79. Shrill bark: YAP.

83. Silent assents: NODS.

84. Actor Mostel: ZERO. Number too.

85. School of thought: ISM.

86. Tattle: TELL.

87. Dull: FADE.

88. Expand: WIDEN.

89. "Gunsmoke" star: ARNESS. James.


91. APR-reducing loan: RE-FI.

92. Author: PEN.

93. Sleeping spots for tabbies: CAT BEDS.

102. City west of Flint, Michigan: OWOSSO. Never heard of it. Famous for what?


103. Hydrox rival: OREO.

104. Lend a hand: AID.

105. Poseidon's realm: SEA.

111. Toque, e.g.: HAT.

112. Cara of "Fame" fame: IRENE.

113. Learning by repetition: ROTE.

114. In tatters: RAGGED.

115. Time for last-minute gift wrapping: EVE.

116. Pennies: CENTS.

117. Title for a fictional fox: BRER.

118. Rose: STOOD.

119. Simone de Beauvoir's "The Second __": SEX.  And 53. Sound of pain or pleasure: MOAN.

Down:

1. Video counterpart: AUDIO.

2. Curmudgeon: GRUMP.

3. Act unceremoniously?: ELOPE.

4. Birds: AVIANS.

5. Ship owner who described Ahab as "ungodly, god-like": PELEG.

6. "Both Hands" singer DiFranco: ANI.

7. Road groove: RUT.

8. Dim sum drink: TEA. From my friend Lesley. Her favorite dim sum items. She's also a tea connoisseur. Wish you guys could meet her. Sweetest Cantonese girl.

9. Liam of One Direction: PAYNE.

10. Uses steel wool, maybe: SCOURS.

11. Increases, with "up": AMPS.

12. "Fore!" site: TEE.

13. Friend on "Friends": CHANDLER. Bing.

14. Foamy hot beverages: LATTES.

15. From the Philippines, e.g.: ASIAN.

16. Stir up: STOKE.

17. Sharpened: HONED.

19. Insomnia option: AMBIEN.

24. Rips off: ROBS.

25. Oldest bridge spanning Venice's Grand Canal: RIALTO.

31. Duma veto: NYET.

32. Campari cocktail: NEGRONI.

33. Goaded: URGED.

34. Farm sound: MOO.

35. Flips (through): LEAFS.

39. Reasons: WHYS.



40. Arthur in the International Tennis Hall of Fame: ASHE.

42. Wildly improbable goal: PIPE DREAM. Great fill.

43. Portuguese bread?: EUROS.

45. Greeted a queen, perhaps: CURTSEYED. I spell it as CURTSY.

46. Away from the wind, nautically: ALEE.

47. "Hard no": PASS.

49. Hazard: PERIL.

50. Greek god of wine: BACCHUS.

51. Indian nurses: AMAHS. Lots of Filipino amahs in Hong Kong. They're the largest ethnic minority there.


52. "Munich" star Eric: BANA.

55. Bee hub: HIVE.

60. Supercilious sort: SNOOT.

61. Inks: SIGNS.

62. __ one's time: TOOK.

64. Lendl in the International Tennis Hall of Fame: IVAN.

65. Garfield's goofy housemate: ODIE.

66. Like a hummable tune: MELODIC.

67. June celebration: PRIDE.

68. Spanish term of affection: MAMI. Our Mommy.

69. Son of Zeus: ARES.

73. Female zebra: MARE.

74. Over: UPON.

76. City in Provence: ARLES. The cover of my compact mirror. Got it at Musée d'Orsay 23 years ago.


77. Snaky fish: EELS. And 87. Made dinner for: FED. I want to be fed grilled eels.

78. Big blunder: SNAFU.

81. Emphasizes: STRESSES.

82. Muscle-bone connector: TENDON.

84. Metal in pennies: ZINC.

88. Tidied the garden: WEEDED. My #1 goal is to keep our Asiatic lilies alive. Boomer loved them so much.

89. Away: ABSENT.

90. Pixie: SPRITE.

91. Ski rack spot: ROOF.

92. __ to sell: PRICED.

93. Open mic performer, often: COMIC.

94. Plugged in: AWARE.

95. Arcade coin: TOKEN.

97. Send (to): REFER.

98. Letter between Sierra and Uniform: TANGO.

99. Clambake leftovers: ASHES.

100. Split: LEAVE.

101. Paint choice: LATEX.

103. Stench: ODOR. The intense, relentless odor from my neighbor's week-long weed parties (so so many guys and girls came for the orgies)! The day Splynter blogged for me, I was on the trails early in the morning for fresh air, then again in the hot afternoon, for a total 6 hours. Crazy.

107. Globe: ORB.

108. Hosp. areas: ERS.

109. "I smell a __!": RAT.

110. Psyche component: EGO.

C.C.



31 comments:

Subgenius said...

A town called “Owosso”? It seemed hard to believe but the perps demanded it, so I put it in. Otherwise, I didn’t have too much trouble with this puzzle. FIR, so I’m happy.
One more thing, that I’ll say before everyone else does: “So the neighborhood’s gone to “pot” C.C.? Too bad, I feel for ya!”
And with that, Subgenius out!

desper-otto said...

Good morning!

Cute theme that even d-o could suss. This one came in well under 20 minutes, filled quickly for a Sunday grid. In most cases my first guess was the correct guess. Thanx, Jill and Michelle. Enjoyed your expo, C.C. (I had to look up "flutter kicks" -- when I returned to the blog, they were gone!)

Big Easy said...

Jill and Michelle's puzzle had us doing elementary math but in crosswords it MAKES NO DIFFERENCE if it's the basic four or calculus. Very few proper names for a Sunday puzzle that Needed perps to fill. CHANDLER, BANA, PAYNE, OWOSSO. IVAN Lendl and Arthur ASHE were gimmes. MAMI- new to me.

CAT BED- cats sleep anywhere they feel like
CURTSEYED- knew it but it took perps to spell it

OREO had a new competitor. Last night DW and I went late night grocery shopping at WalMart and they have their own brand called "Twist & Shout". Saturday's at WalMart NIGHT always look like a tornado came through earlier. That's why I usually go early in the morning.

119. Simone de Beauvoir's "The Second __": SEX. And 53. Sound of pain or pleasure: MOAN.- What a combo for a Sunday morning.

Anonymous said...

Took 14:50 today, if I counted correctly.

As usual, I struggled with proper names and/or foreign words (the Greek god, the city in Provence, the Spanish term, the Venetian bridge, and more locally, the very obscure Michigan city). But, cute theme.

PK said...

Hi Y'all! Took me 47:24 to fill. A challenge but much more enjoyable than yesterday. Thanks, Jill & Michelle.

Thanks, C.C., for an always interesting expo. I'll worry about you with those druggy neighbors. Scary! The husband of an old friend recently retired from the police force in your area and I think it might have been because of the rough customers moving in there and last years riots.

Always try lEGO before EGGO. DUH! That's because of that "Leggo my EGGO" spiel, I guess. C.C. I don't eat EGGOs either. I haven't eaten a durian either. Don't ever remember seeing one.

DNK: PURE, APART, OWOSSO, PELEG, NEGRONI. Perped & WAGd okay.

inanehiker said...

Steady fill today with an amusing theme!

I wouldn't have known NEGRONI but we just had a Campari used in Negroni for fill a few weeks ago - I think IM mentioned that she liked it.

Good timing on Arthur ASHE since the US OPEN tennis tournament is in progress Some of the biggest matches are played in Arthur Ashe Stadium with a 23,000+ capacity, it is the largest tennis stadium in the world. Along with IVAN Lendl who was in the US Open final 8 consecutive times and won 3 of them.

I went recently to a special Van Gogh exhibit in St.Louis with focus on his time in ARLES.

I think of BACCHUS more as the Roman god of wine, but the Greeks used it too interchangeably with Dionysus.

Thanks CC for the blog - sweet to see the pics of Boomer with other xword pals and to Jill & Michelle for the amusing puzzle

KS said...

FIR. Did not know negroni and probably wouldn't since I don't drink, mami meant nothing to me, and Owosso was totally off the charts. Thank heavens for perps.
The theme was clever and very enjoyable. What a treat after yesterday's crash and burn effort.

Lee said...

OWOSSO??? Never heard of it, but I don't live in Michigan. I, along with C.C., loved the 50A clue. Quite inspired.

Agreed, cats will sleep anywhere. I have two that sleep, on the floor, dining room chair, sofa, bed, table (not encouraged), window sill, and under various pieces of furniture. It is rare that they sleep on a cat bed or pad.

Theme was well executed, but not balanced with two having the last word theme oriented, four, first word oriented and one last word theme oriented. Would have been better as a 2-3-2 orientation. Can't win them all, I guess.

Only one spot PoIsED/PRICED caused some consternation for me .

Kudos to Jill and Michelle for their swell work and to C.C. for her illuminating roundup.

CIAO

billocohoes said...

Pretty easy except for trying to fit vecchiO into RIALTO

ARLES a gimme after going to a virtual Van Gogh exhibit in Schenectady. It's finally about to close after over a year.

Jinx in Norfolk said...

FIR with 8 erasures and two WAGs (MAMI x MARVEL and PURE x NEGRONI.)

Today is:
NATIONAL WELSH RAREBIT DAY (I thought we said “rarebit, rarebit” on the first, not the third)
U.S. BOWLING LEAGUE DAY (if you plan to pick up that 4-7, 6-10 split today, speak to your…)
NATIONAL PASTOR’S SPOUSES DAY (the “other half” is busy orating today)

A SNAFU isn't a blunder. It is an acronym for a status: "Situation Normal," followed by some other descriptive words. You encounter a SNAFU (or possibly create one by making a blunder.)

Why put your skis on the ROOF? Why not just stow them in one of the cubby-holes in the cockpit?

Thanks to Jill and Michelle for the fun workout, and to CC for the review, especially the photos.

waseeley said...

Thank you Jill & Michelle for a Sunday walk in the park that didn't tax my ENIAC.

And thank you C.C. for the recap. Well I for one don't eat EGGOS, but then I don't eat DURIANS either!

A few favs:

4A APART. Learned about Chinua Achebe from one of the Nigerian parishioners in my church who knew him.

59A IRON. The most commonly used element in ceramic glazes.

61A & 72A Today's Jumble has an Australian related theme.

102A OWOSSO. Well for one they have the Curwood Castle. Look for it soon in a puzzle near you. Oh, and they also had the American Record Pressing Company, accredited for The Beatles first vinyl pressing in the US. The went out of business in 1972 so they didn't press Pure McCartney

85A ISM. E.g. DarwinISM is the predominant "School of thought" these days.

93A CAT BEDS. A CSO to Hahtoolah.

15D ASIAN. A CSO to our fearless leader!

Cheers,
Bill

Charlie Echo said...

Got 'er done. A bit of a workout, but a very enjoyable workout! OWOSSO is the home of the Steam Railroading Institute, which owns the locomotive used in the Polar Express.

Husker Gary said...

Musings
-We math peeps really loved this salute to our discipline
-I’d be “pleased as punch” to give you all the math you need from Fremont, C.C.!
-CLASH, my DW gives me a wary eye every time I emerge from the closet
-That DUO made a lot of money but grew to hate each other and could find no bridge over troubled waters
-The Star Spangled Banner SWELLS to a crescendo
-The IRON gets very little use in our house these days
-My Wordle starter of AUDIO has four of those in that vowel sequence and was the first word this week!
-To TATTLE is a common grade school practice but not in secondary
-REFI’s are down over 50% this year.
-Our Lily never uses any of the CAT BEDS we have gotten for her. She prefers our bed.
-TEE times are all before noon this week!
-MELODIC: Tomorrow from Annie was in my head all last week
-SNAFU has a scatological first cousin in Whiskey TANGO Foxtrot

inanehiker said...

@Jinx - didn't know that there was a day for one of the hats I wear- I'll have to text my fellow pastor's wives to celebrate today

Lucina said...

Hola!

No time to read comments. Later.

Finished the MATH puzzle and I have to say that's the first time I ever related to anything mathematical! Thank you, Jill and Michelle.

When I saw OWOSSO I doubted it and was sure it was wrong.

I know of ARLES only because of Vincent Van Gogh.

Clever clue for BABY FORMULA.

There is a town called CHANDLER, AZ.

MEAN STREETS is also clever.

Time to go. Have a great Sunday, everyone!

Monkey said...

Not too difficult, clever clues.very few obscure clues, except OWOSSO(?), BAE I know only from past CW. I struggled with BACCHUS since he’s the Roman God of wine, but Dionysus wouldn’t fit.

ARNESS and ZERO are echos from a long ago past.

Several years ago I spent a month in Arles at a translation center located in the repurposed hospital where Van Gogh spent some time. For some reason the place was popular with Japanese tourists. We’d see them taking pictures of our rooftop terrace. I was told some translators as a joke sometimes would parade there with a bandage over their ear. 😆

CC: I hope you keep your beautiful flowers going for a long time. My niece has done the same thing with her birds of paradise which were her deceased husband’s favorite flowers.

Malodorous Manatee said...

Owosso !?
Have a great long weekend, everyone!

Acesaroundagain said...

Finished with the correct guesses on a couple of spots. I enjoyed the theme. Love seeing the pic of Boomer. I remember him fondly always. So sorry you have to deal with drugs around you. GC

Picard said...

CC Happy to see you note SEX and MOAN together! Way cool about your ARLES compact from Musée d'Orsay. You are quite an amazing lady. But we already knew that.

As a MATH guy I very much enjoyed this puzzle. BIDE before TOOK and cross of ?AMI/MARVEL only cause for pause.

By amazing coincidence, a high school classmate just sent me this clipping from our school newspaper about our PSAT achievement.

Learning moments about OWOSSO, PURE (not PAUL) MCCARTNEY, MAMI.

Kelly Clark said...


In the minority here, I know, but this native Michigander thoroughly enjoyed seeing OWOSSO in the puzzle! And I enjoyed the puzzle, too -- particularly the clue for BABY FORMULA. Thanks, C.C. for a wonderful review...I feel your pain about your weed-smoking neighbors. Why does it have to smell so much like skunk???

Jayce said...

I liked this puzzle. Reasoning and thinking were all that was required to solve it, rather than having a repertoire of trivia knowledge. I liked the theme very much and enjoyed the cleverness of it.

Lucina said...

Our pastor offered a formal letter of resignation so it remains to be seen who the next pastor will be. In the meantime, our former pastor, now retired, who is much loved has been offering the Mass for us.

Anonymous T said...

Sunday Lurk say...

C.C. - Do the police do nothing? I'm pretty sure pot is legal in Minnesota but certainly nuisance laws can be enforced.

25a - The top flat in the building at the base of the RIALTA is available via Air B&B. Atop the building you see a structure. It's a roof-top double-decker patio where DW & I ate chocolates & drank our wine every eve. That's St. Mark's in the background.
//BTW, the flat is 5 flights up - no elevator. One morning DW forgot her umbrella and asked me to go back up & get it;
Me lookup up the stairwell...: "I'll buy you another umbrella. Let's go." :-)

Cheers, -T

sumdaze said...

I enjoyed today's math theme. Thanks, Jill and Michelle!
FIR when I entered the bottom, right X. How often does that happen?
FAVs: Act unceremoniously? and PRODUCT RECALL

We had 40A ASHE and 99D ASHES

Thank you for your tour, C.C.! Hand up for never having eaten an EGGO but I did eat durian in Thailand. Thankfully, my skunk-pot smoking neighbor moved away. I hope yours does, too.

Jinx in Norfolk said...

I've eaten my share of EGGOs. The thick ones with cinnamon are actually pretty good. I would put them nearly on par with the Krusteaz Belgian Waffle Mix, but not nearly as good as from-scratch batter (but better than Waffle House, IMO.) Bottom line is that all of them are mere vehicles for butter, maple syrup and a side of bacon.

I'm waiting for my favorite obscure city, Shipshewana, IN, in a crossword puzzle.

Anonymous said...

Clever, fun theme; made for a leisurely cruise on this Sunday puzzle. Except for OWOSSO, but as did many of you, got it via the perps.

@HuskerGary, AUDIO is also my go-to starter for Wordle (since it’s got every vowel except E) — but d’ya think I used it as such three days ago when it was the solution?? ==sigh==

Timing is everything… 😎

====> Darren / L.A.

kerrys said...

HG: Dont't forget FUBAR

I also thought of vecchio.
cin cin

Vidwan827 said...



I finally got the courage too tackle a Sunday, what with the ongoing theraphies and all today, and a med zoom etc. I'm glad I did it, for it was a very enjoyable experience.
Thank you Jill Rafaloff and Michelle Sontarf ... for the pleasure and your craftsmanship ..!

I was also charmed and delighted to read dear CC's blog.
I missed the sad occasion when dear Boomer passed away,... it must have been last year when I spent six plus months in the hospital. I really didn't think I would make it, but fate ruled otherwise. My heartfelt belated condolences to you ... and I pray and hope that God gives you the courage, the hope, and the strength to carry forward with renewed vigor.
Its always the toughest on the survivors.... (sigh)

I am also sorry that you have to deal with such obnoxious neighbors and such scary and persistent behaviors. I used to have a situation when our neighbor rented to a jazz aficionado, ... but he always called us up and let us know when he was having an all night jazz session.

Marijuana, of the recreational kind, is not yet legal in Ohio, ... but that may change with the general election, this November... If my neighbor smoked the stuff, I would not have noticed, or objected, since, in my opinion, ... the acrid smoke of tobacco is much worse.

BTW, I have tasted a Durian, and the smell of a Durian, is something else ... it takes a week or more, to get used to. It smells reminiscent of raw se--ge or worse.

I know it is a felony in Singapore, to carry a raw or ripe Durian on a public transport, like a bus etc.,

But ... it is still a King of fruits, and one of the most popular and desirable flavor in all Asian sweets, ice creams and candies, .... and seven times more expensive, in the US, than a fresh jackfruit.- which is its nearest cousin. Someday, I might try it again, god willing.

Vidwan827 said...


I got so carried away in my thinking, I forgot all about the puzzle.
I loved Math, especially all the way, until it became too abstract at the Master's level.

I remember my father made me commit my multiplication tables, to memory, every day, from 1 x 20, ... all the way, to 20 x 20... by rote, and to be repeated before I ate my dinner ... much like saying Grace ...
I have now forgotten the last 16x -, 17 x - , etc., but what I do remember has always stood me in good grace, in my life, despite the availability of small calculators.

Unfortunately, the puzzle did not require math, as much as it required word play ... that is only natural. But the answers were still very cute.

19D Insomnia Option:: Ambien. Drug ::- Zolpidem.
This is the worst sleeping aid medicine, .... it is very effective, only too effective. It can cause sleep walking, sleep talking, horrific nightmares and much, much worse. And it is very strongly addictive !! ... and I speak from experience !!@!!! Many hospital pharmacies, in Pennsylvania and Ohio, will not even carry this drug, as a matter of principle. You are forewarned.

IN India, nurses, of the baby sitting or wet nursing kind, are called AYAHS not Amahs ... the latter name maybe true in the far east like the Phillipines and China.
Ironically, the name Ama is from a Portugese word for a wet nurse.

Have a great week ahead, you all !!

Lucina said...

Many years ago, before it was even legal, I had some next door neighbors who smoked pot in their patio. The smell is certainly distinctive! They eventually moved away.

Grumpy Granny said...

Busy Sunday and only got started on this entry after supper. Caved at 3:30 a m. with one gaping hole in the middle. Silly theme made it less enjoyable and doable! Finally ....off to bed!!