Theme Buried Culinary Treasures. Common in-the-language phrases contain, that is to say, have room for, tasty postprandial delights.
33 A. *Mistakes made while preparing a simple breakfast?: POPTART FOULS. How wold one foul a Poptart? By dousing it in pickle juice, perhaps. In baseball, a POP FOUL is a ball hit high in the air for not much distance that lands in foul territory. Our dessert here is a TART - an open pastry case containing a filling. Don't mess it up.
43 A. *Comfort food with a high price tag?: POTPIE OF GOLD. I've heard of gilding the lily. Hmmm. Perhaps made with gold electroplated pastry dough? A POT OF GOLD is a large amount of money, especially one that is unattainable or illusory. A dessert PIE is a baked dish which is usually made of a pastry dough casing that contains a filling of various sweet or savory ingredients. As distinguished from a TART, the PIE has a top crust. Probably not made of gold, though
58. Question from a server, or what was needed to create the answer to each starred clue: ROOM FOR DESSERT. Chris made room in each of these phrases to tuck in a sweet treat. The server would be asking of you are too full to participate.
Hi gang, JazzBumpa here, in the throes of a dramatic glucose spike. Let's get going and work off some of those carbs.
Across:
1. Tracks: CUTS. Album tracks. Wasn't my first thought.
14. "Pronto" letters: ASAP. As Soon As Possible. Take your time, but hurry.
15. Delight: ELATE. Make very happy.
16. Rachel Maddow's field: NEWS. Information about current events. What's happening now.
17. Simon or Garfunkel: NAME. Ditto Smith and Jones. Again, not what one would expect from the clue
18. Terra __: COTTA. A clay-based non-vitreous ceramic, fired at relatively low temperatures. Earthenware.
19. Small valley: DELL. Often in a wooded area.
23. Purpose: USE. The reason for which something exists.
24. Shed: LOSE. Give off, discharge or expel. During the hurricane my yard shed its shed.
25. Summer hrs. in Portsmouth: EDT. Eastern Daylight Time
26. Some DEA employees: NARCS. Slang shorthand for narcotics agent, who specializes in laws dealing with illegal drugs.
28. Smallest state in India: GOA. Goa is a state in western India with coastlines stretching along the Arabian Sea. Its long history as a Portuguese colony prior to 1961 is evident in its preserved 17th-century churches and the area’s tropical spice plantations.
30. Stable staple: OAT. A nutritious breakfast for both horses and people.
38. "Frozen" sister: ELSA. Elsa is the Queen of Arendelle in the Disney cartoon feature, Frozen. I think this clue should point to her sister Anna, since Elsa is the star of the show.
41. Misstep: ERROR. Faux pas, Fingerfehler. Oops.
42. Water waster: DRIP. From a not-properly-shut-off faucet.
46. Back: AGO. In the past.
47. "The A-Team" actor: MR T. Laurence Tureaud [b. 1952] is an American actor. He is known for his roles as B. A. Baracus in the 1980s television series The A-Team and as boxer Clubber Lang in the 1982 film Rocky III.
1. Tourist destination on the Yucatan: CANCUN. Cancún, a Mexican city on the Yucatán Peninsula bordering the Caribbean Sea, is known for its beaches, numerous resorts and nightlife. It’s composed of 2 distinct areas: the more traditional downtown area, El Centro, and Zona Hotelera, a long, beachfront strip of high-rise hotels, nightclubs, shops and restaurants.
2. Chant for the red, white, and blue: USA-USA. Often heard at the Olympics.
3. Mess (with): TAMPER. Interfere with something in order to cause damage or make unauthorized alterations.
4. Job detail, for short: SPEC. Specification - a detailed description of the design and materials used to make something.
5. Geico icon: GECKO. I don't know which I hate more - the Geico adds with the gecko or without the gecko.
6. Medicinal plants: ALOES. Aloe vera is a succulent plant species of the genus Aloe. It is widely distributed, and is considered an invasive species in many world regions. An evergreen perennial, it originates from the Arabian Peninsula, but also grows wild in tropical, semi-tropical, and arid climates around the world. The leaves of Aloe vera contain significant amounts of the polysaccharide gel acemannan, which can be used for topical purposes. Aloe skin contains aloin which is toxic. Products made from Aloe vera usually only use the gel.
7. Come clean?: BATHE. Instead of admitting to some wrong-doing, here we make us of, for example, Dove or Lava soap.
8. "A Man Called __": OTTO. Tom Hanks film based on a Fredrik Backman novelm, A Man Called Ove. When a lively young family moves in next door, grumpy widower Otto Anderson meets his match in a quick-witted, pregnant woman named Marisol, leading to an unlikely friendship that turns his world upside down.
9. Down-to-earth: REAL. With no illusions or pretensions; practical and realistic.
10. Done: ENDED. Finished.
11. Excursion where one might see something brewing?: BEER TOUR. As you visit each brewery, you will learn how they differ from each other, and how their beers make them distinct from the others. You will also get to taste different kinds of beer and know each brewery's bestseller and award-winning beers.
12. Pointed tools: AWLS. Tools with which holes can be punctured in a variety of materials, or existing holes can be enlarged. They are also used for sewing heavy materials, such as leather or canvas. They have a thin, tapered metal shaft, coming to a sharp point, either straight or slightly bent.
13. Designer monogram: YSL. The initials of Yves Saint Laurent. I will wear clothes with his monogram when he wears clothes with the RLT monogram.
21. To boot: ALSO. The term comes from the Old English to bote, which was once used as part of a legal term in English law, meaning something extra that is added as part of a bargain or compensation.
You don't hear this expression much here in the States. But I watch a lot of hockey, and it seems quite common in Canada
22. Like many students at Gallaudet University: DEAF. Gallaudet University is a private federally chartered university in Washington, D.C., for the education of the deaf and hard of hearing. It was founded in 1864 as a grammar school for both deaf and blind children.
27. Sleep apnea apparatus, initially: CPAP. CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) is a machine that uses mild air pressure to keep breathing airways open while you sleep. Your healthcare provider may prescribe CPAP to treat sleep-related breathing disorders including sleep apnea.
28. High seas quaff: GROG. A strong alcoholic drink, originally rum, mixed with water
29. Other, in Oaxaca: OTRO. Spanish.
31. Wong of "Birds of Prey": ALI. Alexandra Dawn Wong [b. 1982] is an American stand-up comedian, actress, writer, producer, and director. She is best known for her Netflix stand-up specials Baby Cobra, Hard Knock Wife, and Don Wong. She has also starred in the romantic comedy film Always Be My Maybe, on which she also served as a writer and producer.
32. Recipe amt.: TSP. Teaspoon.
34. Equal: PEER. One that is of equal standing with another
35. Relaxed pace: TROT. A pace faster than a walk
36. Dog park sound: ARF. Barking.
37. Likelihood: ODDS. Probability that something will happen.
38. BEACH Act org.: EPA. Environmental Protection Agency
39. Record: LOG. Enter (an incident or fact) in the log of a ship or aircraft or in another systematic record.
40. Brief visit: STOP OVER. To stay at a place for a short period of time on the way to somewhere else or before returning home.
44. Islamic leader: IMAM. Any of various rulers that claim descent from Muhammad and exercise spiritual and temporal leadership over a Muslim region
45. "Not that much": LESS. Comparatively not as much.
49. Place to drive: TEE BOX. In golf, the start of each hole where you take your first swing.
50. Show up: ARRIVE. Reach a place at the end of a journey or a stage in a journey.
51. Part of RBI: BATTED. RBIs are Runs batted in: a run that is scored as a result of a specific batter's hit, walk, sacrifice, etc.
53. Canapé base, maybe: TOAST. A canapé is a small piece of bread or pastry with a savory topping, often served with drinks at a reception or formal party.
54. Worker with a monotonous routine: DRONE. a person who is obliged to do menial, routine or boring work
55. Cold feet or hot seat: IDIOM. A type of phrase or expression that has a meaning that can't be deciphered by defining the individual words. Appropriately, the word “idiom” is derived from the ancient Greek word “idioma,” which means “peculiar phraseology.”
56. Full of cheer: MERRY. Cheerful and lively.
58. Breathe fire, say: RAGE. Be extremely angry and vocal. Another example of an idiom.
59. Inevitable end: FATE. The development of events beyond a person's control, regarded as determined by a supernatural power.
60. Pizza place: OVEN. Where it is cooked, not where it is eaten.
61. Bartender's supply: SODA. Bubbly water.
62. Chocolate __: LAB. The Hershey product research facility. No, wait -- The Chocolate Lab is a brown colored variety of Labrador Retriever, a friendly, confident and loving dog with great character and huge appeal as a pet.
And on that friendly note we draw today's treats to a close. We had some fun snacks and a few opportunities to clean up. Hope you found it satisfying.
Hi gang, JazzBumpa here, in the throes of a dramatic glucose spike. Let's get going and work off some of those carbs.
Across:
1. Tracks: CUTS. Album tracks. Wasn't my first thought.
14. "Pronto" letters: ASAP. As Soon As Possible. Take your time, but hurry.
15. Delight: ELATE. Make very happy.
16. Rachel Maddow's field: NEWS. Information about current events. What's happening now.
17. Simon or Garfunkel: NAME. Ditto Smith and Jones. Again, not what one would expect from the clue
18. Terra __: COTTA. A clay-based non-vitreous ceramic, fired at relatively low temperatures. Earthenware.
19. Small valley: DELL. Often in a wooded area.
23. Purpose: USE. The reason for which something exists.
24. Shed: LOSE. Give off, discharge or expel. During the hurricane my yard shed its shed.
25. Summer hrs. in Portsmouth: EDT. Eastern Daylight Time
26. Some DEA employees: NARCS. Slang shorthand for narcotics agent, who specializes in laws dealing with illegal drugs.
28. Smallest state in India: GOA. Goa is a state in western India with coastlines stretching along the Arabian Sea. Its long history as a Portuguese colony prior to 1961 is evident in its preserved 17th-century churches and the area’s tropical spice plantations.
30. Stable staple: OAT. A nutritious breakfast for both horses and people.
38. "Frozen" sister: ELSA. Elsa is the Queen of Arendelle in the Disney cartoon feature, Frozen. I think this clue should point to her sister Anna, since Elsa is the star of the show.
41. Misstep: ERROR. Faux pas, Fingerfehler. Oops.
42. Water waster: DRIP. From a not-properly-shut-off faucet.
46. Back: AGO. In the past.
47. "The A-Team" actor: MR T. Laurence Tureaud [b. 1952] is an American actor. He is known for his roles as B. A. Baracus in the 1980s television series The A-Team and as boxer Clubber Lang in the 1982 film Rocky III.
48. Abbr. before a year: ESTAB. Established - referring to the year something was founded.
52. Fundraising org.: PTA. Parent-Teachers Association, a network of of families, students, teachers, administrators, and business and community leaders devoted to the educational success of children and the promotion of family engagement in schools.
54. Gets faint: DIMS. Reduces in brightness or image clarity.
57. Laundry brand: ERA. A P&G product.
62. Soap brand: LAVA. Lava is a heavy-duty hand cleaner in soap bar form manufactured by the WD-40 Company. Unlike typical soap bars, Lava contains ground pumice, which gave the soap its name. The soap and pumice combination is intended to scour tar, engine grease, paint, dirt, grime, filth, and similar substances from the skin.
63. French 101 infinitive: AVOIR. Meaning to have.
64. Last remarks?: OBIT. Not a last utterance, but funereal comments about the recently departed.
65. Improves in a cellar, say: AGES. As wine or cheese.
66. Barbershop quartet part: TENOR. Unlike choral harmony in which the parts from top down are soprano, alto, tenor and bass, with the melody usually in the soprano part; in barbershop harmony the tenor sings a harmony part that is consistently above the melody, which is sung by the lead. Below that are baritone and bass. So the voices from top down are tenor, lead, baritone and bass.
67. Soap brand: DOVE. A brand of facial soap made by Unilever that comes in a variety of specialized uses. Dove chocolate tastes better than any of them.
68. Pigeon fancier on "Sesame Street": BERT. This was not a great success.
52. Fundraising org.: PTA. Parent-Teachers Association, a network of of families, students, teachers, administrators, and business and community leaders devoted to the educational success of children and the promotion of family engagement in schools.
54. Gets faint: DIMS. Reduces in brightness or image clarity.
57. Laundry brand: ERA. A P&G product.
62. Soap brand: LAVA. Lava is a heavy-duty hand cleaner in soap bar form manufactured by the WD-40 Company. Unlike typical soap bars, Lava contains ground pumice, which gave the soap its name. The soap and pumice combination is intended to scour tar, engine grease, paint, dirt, grime, filth, and similar substances from the skin.
63. French 101 infinitive: AVOIR. Meaning to have.
64. Last remarks?: OBIT. Not a last utterance, but funereal comments about the recently departed.
65. Improves in a cellar, say: AGES. As wine or cheese.
66. Barbershop quartet part: TENOR. Unlike choral harmony in which the parts from top down are soprano, alto, tenor and bass, with the melody usually in the soprano part; in barbershop harmony the tenor sings a harmony part that is consistently above the melody, which is sung by the lead. Below that are baritone and bass. So the voices from top down are tenor, lead, baritone and bass.
67. Soap brand: DOVE. A brand of facial soap made by Unilever that comes in a variety of specialized uses. Dove chocolate tastes better than any of them.
68. Pigeon fancier on "Sesame Street": BERT. This was not a great success.
69. Adversary: ENEMY. One that contends with, opposes, or resists.
70. Took a hatchet to: AXED. Hewed or chopped.
Down:
70. Took a hatchet to: AXED. Hewed or chopped.
Down:
1. Tourist destination on the Yucatan: CANCUN. Cancún, a Mexican city on the Yucatán Peninsula bordering the Caribbean Sea, is known for its beaches, numerous resorts and nightlife. It’s composed of 2 distinct areas: the more traditional downtown area, El Centro, and Zona Hotelera, a long, beachfront strip of high-rise hotels, nightclubs, shops and restaurants.
2. Chant for the red, white, and blue: USA-USA. Often heard at the Olympics.
3. Mess (with): TAMPER. Interfere with something in order to cause damage or make unauthorized alterations.
4. Job detail, for short: SPEC. Specification - a detailed description of the design and materials used to make something.
5. Geico icon: GECKO. I don't know which I hate more - the Geico adds with the gecko or without the gecko.
6. Medicinal plants: ALOES. Aloe vera is a succulent plant species of the genus Aloe. It is widely distributed, and is considered an invasive species in many world regions. An evergreen perennial, it originates from the Arabian Peninsula, but also grows wild in tropical, semi-tropical, and arid climates around the world. The leaves of Aloe vera contain significant amounts of the polysaccharide gel acemannan, which can be used for topical purposes. Aloe skin contains aloin which is toxic. Products made from Aloe vera usually only use the gel.
7. Come clean?: BATHE. Instead of admitting to some wrong-doing, here we make us of, for example, Dove or Lava soap.
8. "A Man Called __": OTTO. Tom Hanks film based on a Fredrik Backman novelm, A Man Called Ove. When a lively young family moves in next door, grumpy widower Otto Anderson meets his match in a quick-witted, pregnant woman named Marisol, leading to an unlikely friendship that turns his world upside down.
9. Down-to-earth: REAL. With no illusions or pretensions; practical and realistic.
10. Done: ENDED. Finished.
11. Excursion where one might see something brewing?: BEER TOUR. As you visit each brewery, you will learn how they differ from each other, and how their beers make them distinct from the others. You will also get to taste different kinds of beer and know each brewery's bestseller and award-winning beers.
12. Pointed tools: AWLS. Tools with which holes can be punctured in a variety of materials, or existing holes can be enlarged. They are also used for sewing heavy materials, such as leather or canvas. They have a thin, tapered metal shaft, coming to a sharp point, either straight or slightly bent.
13. Designer monogram: YSL. The initials of Yves Saint Laurent. I will wear clothes with his monogram when he wears clothes with the RLT monogram.
21. To boot: ALSO. The term comes from the Old English to bote, which was once used as part of a legal term in English law, meaning something extra that is added as part of a bargain or compensation.
You don't hear this expression much here in the States. But I watch a lot of hockey, and it seems quite common in Canada
22. Like many students at Gallaudet University: DEAF. Gallaudet University is a private federally chartered university in Washington, D.C., for the education of the deaf and hard of hearing. It was founded in 1864 as a grammar school for both deaf and blind children.
27. Sleep apnea apparatus, initially: CPAP. CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) is a machine that uses mild air pressure to keep breathing airways open while you sleep. Your healthcare provider may prescribe CPAP to treat sleep-related breathing disorders including sleep apnea.
28. High seas quaff: GROG. A strong alcoholic drink, originally rum, mixed with water
29. Other, in Oaxaca: OTRO. Spanish.
31. Wong of "Birds of Prey": ALI. Alexandra Dawn Wong [b. 1982] is an American stand-up comedian, actress, writer, producer, and director. She is best known for her Netflix stand-up specials Baby Cobra, Hard Knock Wife, and Don Wong. She has also starred in the romantic comedy film Always Be My Maybe, on which she also served as a writer and producer.
I think I'll pass
32. Recipe amt.: TSP. Teaspoon.
34. Equal: PEER. One that is of equal standing with another
35. Relaxed pace: TROT. A pace faster than a walk
36. Dog park sound: ARF. Barking.
37. Likelihood: ODDS. Probability that something will happen.
38. BEACH Act org.: EPA. Environmental Protection Agency
39. Record: LOG. Enter (an incident or fact) in the log of a ship or aircraft or in another systematic record.
40. Brief visit: STOP OVER. To stay at a place for a short period of time on the way to somewhere else or before returning home.
44. Islamic leader: IMAM. Any of various rulers that claim descent from Muhammad and exercise spiritual and temporal leadership over a Muslim region
45. "Not that much": LESS. Comparatively not as much.
49. Place to drive: TEE BOX. In golf, the start of each hole where you take your first swing.
50. Show up: ARRIVE. Reach a place at the end of a journey or a stage in a journey.
51. Part of RBI: BATTED. RBIs are Runs batted in: a run that is scored as a result of a specific batter's hit, walk, sacrifice, etc.
53. Canapé base, maybe: TOAST. A canapé is a small piece of bread or pastry with a savory topping, often served with drinks at a reception or formal party.
54. Worker with a monotonous routine: DRONE. a person who is obliged to do menial, routine or boring work
55. Cold feet or hot seat: IDIOM. A type of phrase or expression that has a meaning that can't be deciphered by defining the individual words. Appropriately, the word “idiom” is derived from the ancient Greek word “idioma,” which means “peculiar phraseology.”
56. Full of cheer: MERRY. Cheerful and lively.
58. Breathe fire, say: RAGE. Be extremely angry and vocal. Another example of an idiom.
59. Inevitable end: FATE. The development of events beyond a person's control, regarded as determined by a supernatural power.
60. Pizza place: OVEN. Where it is cooked, not where it is eaten.
61. Bartender's supply: SODA. Bubbly water.
62. Chocolate __: LAB. The Hershey product research facility. No, wait -- The Chocolate Lab is a brown colored variety of Labrador Retriever, a friendly, confident and loving dog with great character and huge appeal as a pet.
And on that friendly note we draw today's treats to a close. We had some fun snacks and a few opportunities to clean up. Hope you found it satisfying.
Cool regards!
JzB
48 comments:
FLN -- PRIVET is Russian for 'greeting' or 'welcome.'
Obviously, “ ruts” for “tracks” wasn’t right, as there is no such place as “Rancun,” but I didn’t see the “album tracks” at first . Other than that, I didn’t have too much trouble with this puzzle, and I even had some idea what the reveal was going to be before I solved it. FIR, so I’m happy.
Good morning!
We suffered CUTS and got AXED, but were washed up along the way with DOVE, LAVA, and ERA. My first theme entry started out as CUPCAKE HOstess, and I was sure we were seeing a turn-around theme. D'oh. Nicely done, C-Moe. Enjoyed your always esoteric expo, Jzb. (Thanx for 'splainin' POP FOUL. It flew over d-o's head.)
FIR without erasure.
Today is:
NATIONAL BACKWARD DAY (I’ve known a lot of folks whose motto should be “Ready – Fire – Aim”)
NATIONAL HOT CHOCOLATE DAY (not a panting LAB. The drink that doesn’t spike well, except maybe with kahlua)
INSPIRE YOUR HEART WITH ART DAY (explore the many genres of art and let it inspire us)
I REALLY wanted 16a to be "bias" instead of NEWS.
NARC can also be a verb in slang - "Junior will NARC to mom if dad drive too fast)
I pity the fool who doesn't know who MR T is. (Ok, ok, if that's you, "I pity the fool..." was MR T's catch phrase on The A Team.)
Waited for OTRa/ OTRO.
Thanks to Chris for the challenging midweek puzzle. I didn't like the theme at first, because CUPCAKE got me thinking that was the dessert. Then POPTART, which I thought was stretching it. But POTPIE? Comfort food, yes - but not dessert. Then Jzb straightened things out. But the stack of V8 cans fell when JzB explained it was record (or any other medium) tracks for CUTS.
And thanks to JzB for the review, without which I would have had a sour taste left from this fine puzzle.
Took 7:30 today for me to finish every last little bite.
Like Jinx, "cupcake" threw me off of the eventual theme, but that's fine, JzB explained it to me later.
Not a fan of the Goa clue crossing the Gallaudet U. clue, but otherwise, a solid mid-week puzzle.
I liked the movie, "A Man Called Otto." Not sure I don't like any Tom Hanks movies.
FIR. Misstepped my first answer and threw down ruts. That spoiled the NW for me until Cancun suddenly came to me. I got hung up on cupcake holders for a while, but went on with the rest and when I came back to it I had an aha moment.
There were a lot of soaps today: Era, Dove, Lava. And a manageable amount of proper names.
The theme was clever, and overall I enjoyed this puzzle a lot.
Thank you Ch. Moe and JzB. The puzzle was, as said above, both clever and enjoyable with some clues that, while not obtuse, did force me out of some usual mental "ruts". The review was concise, thorough and informative. Bravo.
Thank you MOE! Puzzling thought - please correct me if I'm wrong, but is this not your LA Times debut? Loved the puzzle and got (most of) the theme. Saw the scrumptious desserts but missed the common phrases in which they were embedded.
And thnk you Ron for your erudite and comprehensive review.
Some favs:
5A GABOR. EVA was not just a femme fatale, but a funny femme fatale.
18A COTTA. Probably the most common type of ceramics in the world, as it can be made from widely available clays and fuels (e.g. cow dung) and simple kilns (no more complicated than a 60A. But TERRA COTTA has also been used in high art, e.g. the funerary army created circa 210 - 209 BC in C.C.'s homeland.
23A USE ... IT OR 24A LOSE ... IT. Funny I'm not using it and I'm GAINING!
66A TENOR. Harmony above the main melody is called a DESCANT.
10D BEER TOUR. I suspect that you've conducted WINE TOURS MOE, but how about BEER TOURS?.
22D DEAF. We once went to the wedding of one of Teri's cousins who was DEAF and who had graduated from Gallaudet. It was in a small church and was attended by many of the bride's friends. It was amazing to see them all "chattering away" in ASL all across the church. The tables were turned on us as we couldn't understand a word that was said.
27A CPAP. I'm addicted to mine.
62D LAB. We had two over the years: Neptune, a BLACK LAB and Jupiter, a YELLOW LAB who both lived for about 15 years. We still miss them. 😢
Cheers,
Bill
Got a little mixed up trying to put Dove where Lava went but it all came out in the Era wash. Tried mAlE before NAME but perps abused that mistake.
Cute theme but needed JzB's V8 cans to fall on me to see the theme.
Congrats to Chris and JzB for their swell contributions today.
Courage is what you have, bravery is what you show to others.
Persist.
Fun puzzle and expo. Yes, cupcake, at first, kept me from seeing that cake was the intended dessert which found room inside the phrase. The reveal opened my eyes and added a nice layer to the theme.
I grew up with PA Dutch pot pie, which is a type of home made noodle cooked with chicken broth and chicken. I liked the leftovers best, drained and browned in butter. My MIL made the more common pot pie with left over roast, gravy and vegetables baked in pie dough. I made it like my MIL, but with only a top crust.
Our book club read A Man Called OVE by Backman. I enjoyed it so much that I decided to read Bear Town by the same author and liked it even more. The story used ice hockey as the vehicle, but the well developed characters and the moral dilemma they faced were the hook. Does loyalty to a team and a town trump making the difficult moral choice? This dilemma is so apropos in today's world.
LAVA soap and DOVE soap were both ends of the soap continuum from harsh to gentle.
I find it interesting that words that are dissed here keep popping up in my reading that same week. I am seeing BAE more and more. According to Google it is becoming as popular as LOL. I see a generation gap here.
Alan admits the CPAP helps him breathe better, but he finds all kinds of excuses not to use it. It is uncomfortable for him.
GOA is the only three letter Indian state that I know of.
YR @ 9:44 AM You might suggest to Alan that he switch masks. I use a light weight Dreamware mask and you hardly know it's there. It's designed to make it easy for you to roll over at night without the hose getting in the way.
YR @9:44 AM to be specific the Dreamware nasal mask shown at the right of the link.
I thought I got the theme: skip the middle word but what does ”room dessert” mean?
“Pronto” is STAT (NOW!) not ASAP but CW constructors seem convinced otherwise. I had the last T from “stat” perped with ITEM for “Job detail” both ultimately wrong and finally corrected once I started shouting USA USA for the win.
Inkovers: aim/USE,
I saw the original Swedish version of a “Man called Ove” (Didn’t get why his name was too short for the clue). I AXED myself , which is deeper a dale or a DELL? The GABOR sisters’ mother wrote a book “How to Raise Children for Fun and Profit”
Thought the high seas drink shoulda been rum (As in “Yo Ho Ho and a bottle of said drink”). Not a golfer so… TEEBOX? (Had put TEEOFF first) 🏌️♂️
Have heard of a Brewery Tour. We have one here in town at the West End Brewery but not a “Beer Tour” (sounds more like a “pub crawl” )
🍺
Have a great 🐫day
waseeley @ 9:27 "62D LAB. We had two over the years: Neptune, a BLACK LAB and Jupiter, a YELLOW LAB who both lived for about 15 years. We still miss them. 😢"
Over the years I have had two chocolate labs (Baxco and Kodiak) and a yellow (Rustler). My son currently has two black labs. Wonderful beings.
Rustler
I got the theme on the first fill, but then got to the second fill and lost my confidence, then I told myself that that must be baseball speak and went on. Some fills were hard to come by like BERT and ELSA; had leak for DRIP, hay for OAT, and for some shameful reason I entered DEAd for DEAF.
Green Acres goes back in time.
JzB went beyond the call of duty with so much great info on the definitions. I love this blog.
Good Morning! Wish I had some happier news, but I wasn’t on a wavelength with today’s puzzle. In a lot of places my synonyms didn’t seem to fit so it was a grind until it eventually came together. Sorry, Chairman Moe.
AVOIR: It’s accepted that foreign words appear in crosswords, but to have to know their parts of speech too? That’s asking too much on any day of the week…
Thanks, JazzB, in reading your recap it seems my difficulty was more so in the cluing, not in the fill. And I loved the sweet Chocolate Lab photo. I had one and she was a willful pup, but so much personality.
Good Morning:
I've solved enough of Chris's puzzles to expect some clever, devious (but fair) cluing and today's offering had its share. I stumbled over Dale/Dell, Aft/Ago, Etsy/eBay, and Same/Peer, and needed perps for Avoir. I saw the sweets but the reveal was a true Aha surprise, an example of Chris's creative theme talents, IMO. I'm a fan of clecho cluing and was surprised to see the Soap Brands, plus a Detergent brand, especially because all three products are also common words. Chris also kept the three letter word count to a minimum, and gave us a liquid mini theme of Grog, Beer, Soda, and Toast.
Thanks, Chris, for a challenging, enjoyable solve and thanks, JazzB, for the delightful riff on the theme and the fact-filled commentary. The video of Bert and the gang was too funny and I always enjoy seeing Tom Hanks* who can do no wrong in my book. I never heard of the movie Birds of Prey and after seeing the trailer, I wish I could still say that! BTW, my favorite "dessert" in your write-up was the Chocolate Lab!
*SS @ 7:25 ~ I'm with you on Tom Hanks versatility and talents, however, his talents were not enough to salvage one of the worst adaptations of a terrific novel, The Bonfires of The Vanities, into such a mess of a film, due in part to the colossal miscasting of Mr. Hanks as Sherman McCoy. My personal opinion, of course.
FLN
Lucina, the memorial for Regina must have been bittersweet for you and your family members, enduring your loss but being comforted by the caring community honoring her life and memory. 🙏
Have a great day.
Tricksy but sweet puzzle...
Beer tour reminded me that I have a diploma from beer school that I put away for safe keeping. That was 20 years ago, and I still can't find it...
cupcake holders are just the thing for parties!
Pop tart fouls?
My apologies, I thought the website said 6 foul flavours. my mistake,,, 46???
My pot pair of gold has to be Finnians Rainbow...
Again, my apologies. I think it was something Ray-O said.. Room,,,dessert...
Today’s Corner is delving into two of my knowledge areas – more than 20 years of sports journalism and at least that many years of barbershop quartet singing.
I enjoyed CMoe’s artistry with today’s puzzle, but I thought the POP FOULS answer was a bit off. A high foul ball caught near third base might be “popped foul,” but I don’t think I’ve ever heard such a pop-up called a “foul pop.” That was my last fill, and I’m sorry it made me groan.
I’m also wrestling with arguing about whether a barbershop tenor’s part is really a descant. There’s no doubt that Art Garfunkel was singing descants in most of his two-part collaborations with Paul Simon (as did Phil Everly, over Don’s melodies), and there’s a lot of room for counterpoint in two-part arrangements. But is ALL harmony above a melody a descant? A barbershop tenor, though singing a harmony part above the melody, is usually in lockstep with the baritone and bass, with the lead making most of the departures from total synchronization. Whether it really is a descant or not, the discussion at least preserved the distinction between “barbershop” (tight four-part harmony with the second tenor singing the melody) and “barber shop,” a place to get a haircut, so thanks, JzB.
Thought for a while I was gonna be all washed up on this one. The across run produced little traction, and left a few wrong guesses. I also thought BIAS fit perfectly at 16a, Jinx! A bit of the old P&P, and things began coming together. Cuts was a D'oh! moment, and I really overthought the Simon and Garfunkel clue. D'oh again! Last to fall was the chocolate Lab. Could not grok the dog, which is strange, seeing that we have had three Yellow Labs! Great dogs. A truly enjoyable effort, Moe, and a nice feeling of accomplishment. Another entertaining recap, JzB!
Nice puzzle, Chris! I liked the theme. I was wondering how CUPCAKE, POP TART and POT PIE were going to be associated. The reveal surprised me! Fun! Very clever.
JzB, great theme title. I laughed at your closing statements in the opening. Nice segue.
Waseeley, this is the sixth LA Times Gross puzzle. Four were by Todd, and we now have the second by Chris. (His first LAT was 10/04/21.) I look forward to more.
Musings
-Mal Man hid his clever theme out in plain sight. What a hoot, Chris!
-We don’t do appetizers, split entrees and drink water. DESSERT? Never!
-A podcast I listen to claimed Paul and Art’s Bridge Over Troubled Water is the most beautiful song of all time.
-Rachel Maddow and Sean Hannity both deliver the “NEWS” but their accounts are very different
-LOSE: A 290 lb. FB tackle here at school had been wrestling for two months and now weighs 240 lb. I hardly recognized him last night.
-DRIP: Our 11” of snow is now meeting 50F warmth.
-It’s been my experience that barbershop quartets have trouble finding high TENORS
-I can visualize the ad campaigns/song from all these insurance companies
-Did anyone else see the similarities between OTTO and Grand Torino?
-Not even Tom Hanks could save the abysmal Ladykillers
-Unfortunately, all my flights to Orlando from Omaha required a STOP OVER in an intermediate city
FLN Lucina, my paternal grandmother's name was Regina. When my daughter was born, my (later to be ex-) wife informed me that I would have no say at all in naming the child who was named Lauren without my input. A few months later, I was leafing through a baby-naming book at a friend's home and I looked up Lauren. It said something along the lines of "from the French la reina, the queen. See also: Regina". Forty years later, I still smile when I think about how that turned out.
H.G. you seem to have inadvertently mixed me up with my Friday partner-in-crime Chairman Moe.
Ray, The Kardashians obviously read mother gabor's book.
I sit corrected @9:27 AM MOE informs me that he had a previous collaboration with Rich Norris and this is his first time working with Patti.
Descant be true
FIR, which should ELATE me, but failing to parse the theme answers DIMS my enjoyment. I won't DRONE on ... I enjoyed the challenge and am grateful to JzB for revealing the ERROR in my thinking. Onward!
Hola!
CANCUN brings back some very nice memories of my visit there in 1984.
These days, whether I have ROOM for it or not, DESSERT is out of the question.
DOVE is my favorite SOAP along with Caress.
Tom Hanks can play any role and "A man Called OTTO" really proved that.
I've been on a wine TOUR in Napa but never a BEER TOUR and I likely would not be interested in one.
One of my nieces has a black LAB that is extremely friendly.
IrishMiss
Yes. The memorial for Regina was bittersweet but it was lovely to meet her former co-workers of whom she spoke so highly. They had fond memories of her as did we. The larger-than-life size photo of her that was projected on the wall spoke volumes of their admiration for her.
Enjoy the last day of January, everyone!
H.Gary, one big difference is that Rachel Maddow's work is supposed to be news. Hannity's work isn't news, his is an opinion show. If you want news from Fox, ya gotta tune in to Bret Baier's or Jon Scott's show. I have no idea what their politics are. Neil Cavuto is business news, which tends to be conservative by nature, but his show is party-neutral. Bill Hemmer is polite and non-confrontational with all his guests, but I think he leans conservative.
Baier kinda reminds me of Walter Cronkite - until he retired, the viewer never knew his political news. It was nice when that was a virtue for news readers.
Speaking of tv ad theme songs, the ones I cannot abide have to be the dancing diabetes drug ads...
Reminds me of the show, the good place, when the bad place had a meeting, they would start with their theme song...
HG: Yes, barbershop tenors are scarce. I've gotten some mileage out of being one.
HG: "A Man Called Ove" reminded me of Craig Lancaster's 2009 debut novel, "600 Hours of Edward," complete with similar new neighbors, except Edward's problems were related to Asperger's Syndrome.
Wonderful Wednesday. Thanks for the fun, Chris (CMoe) and JzB.
I FIRed and got the “DESSERT stuck in the middle” theme.
I saw the PIE and TART first, and was not misled by CUPCAKE.
Several inkblots.
Else changed to ALSO. Silly quick fill when I saw the LS. This Canadian is familiar with “to BOOT”. (Apparently pronounced here like About LOL)
I started 40D with Short but perps changed to STOP.
I waited for the O or A choice to perp as OTRO. Ditto with Anna or ELSA.
Hand up for wanting Ove before OTTO. (AnonT is a fan of the book.)
DEAF perped as the university was unknown to me.
CPAP has been in our news with Philips recall and suspension of production of some machines.
GOA is the smallest Indian state in area (but fourth-smallest in population). I have become familiar in this last year with Maharashtra, the third-largest in area. (I won’t hold my breath waiting for that one to make a CW.)
Wishing you all a good day.
Although I did know GOA is the smallest state, I know very little about India but when I read The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese, I felt a bit of a connection with India. I have also read one or two other books that occur in India, so they have given me some insight into the caste system as well as the value placed on family.
The movie, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, showed the very crowded streets of India.
Hello from dreary Cincinnati. After about 18 cloudy days this year we are supposed to clear out and have some sunny days for a while. That would be nice.
I thought this puzzle was easy but the theme escaped me, as usual. Only a couple w/o's so not too bad. Thanks for the puzzle, Chris, and for explaining things to me, JzB!
Fav c/a 36d Dog park sound/ARF. Our shelter has 4 fenced play yards where we can take the dogs, take off the leash (after you make sure you can get the dog back) and let them romp. About 4-5 times a week the staff do play groups of 2-6 dogs together in the yard but with leashes left on just in case humans need to intervene. Today when I walked out to the group these 2 dogs were roughhousing and trash talking. When I took out my phone and turned on video they decided to show what little angels they are! No ARFs until after I went back inside. Play group 1 Play group 2
I enjoy all the comments from other Cornerites, especially the fun and games with yesterdays fish theme!
I liked this puzzle. CIRCA had to be changed to ESTAB, MOLT to SHED, and HAY to OAT. GECKO revealed Terra COTTA. I love my CPAP.
Thanks to C-Moe for his tasty puzzle! Great to see your name on the byline!
FAVs: Come clean? and Oh, those types of tracks.
Thanks to JzB for another wonderful write-up! Your title perfectly explained the situation. It was interesting to learn about barbershop from both you and Copy Editor today.
I use LAVA soap to scrub my skin whenever I come into contact with poison oak. DOVE will not cut it for those oils.
CED@12:39. Funny you should put up The Good Place link. I just finished the last episode on Tuesday. Great show! I think -T recommended it a while back.
Sorry, Chris, I knew you were Chairman Moe but just blew it. I always enjoy your puzzles here and at other venues.
Thanks for the gentle reminder, Joseph!
Wait, wait. Are you all saying Chris Gross is actually C-Moe? Our C-Moe?
Yes, Monkey. Our very own C-Moe.
Malman
Re the name Lauren. I always thought it was the feminine version of Lawrence (Fr Laurent). You said La Reina which is Spanish for The Queen. I think you meant La Reine which is French pronounced La Ren. Italian it’s the same as Latin La Regina
🙂
Pat's 2 short doggie videos (from her 3:39 comments)
Pat's Play Group 1
Pat's Play Group 2
Thank you, TTP @7:09, for linking my videos. It's my first time linking from this site so I don't know for sure what I'm doing wrong or not doing right.
Puzzling thoughts:
FIR with no write/overs ... wait a darn minute! I'm the constructor! I hope I would solve it without any mistakes!! 😂😂😀
Thanks to all who checked out JazzB's recap and solved (or tried to solve) my puzzle. I owe a great deal of thanks, too, to Patti and Katie for their continual help in making this puzzle "just right". As most of you know, the editors are here to help we constructors get the best puzzle for you to work on
And yes Monkey - and anyone else - my "nom de plume" (screen name) is Chairman Moe, but my parent's given name is Chris Gross. As pointed out, I had my LAT debut with Rich Norris in 2021; today was my first (and hopefully the beginning of many more) with Patti
BTW, Ron (aka JazzBumpa) mentioned he'd "sheath the daggers" when he recapped my puzzle; thanks, sir!
See you down the road ...
Chris, we hope indeed for many of your CW puzzles on LAT. I really liked this one. 👍
Pat, you're welcome.
You did well. You were so close. You had the correct formatting for the a href html to create the link successfully.
The issue was with the URL that you pasted. Hover over one of your links, then right click it and select Copy Link. Then paste it in a notepad or the body of an email note. Do the same on mine, and then compare. You will see the difference quickly.
Great puzzle, Chris! Fun to work. Thanks, JzB.
I had a sweet male black lab that someone dumped at our farmhouse. Everybody loved him except our male German shepherd who already lived there.
Hi All!
I loved the puzzle Chris! Theme was well executed and the fill didn't suffer (much :-))
Thanks JzB for the excellent expo - loved the pic of the LAB.
WO: AmI -> ALI
ESPs: GAO, ALI, CUTS (V8! Love it!)
Fav: What's not to like about a BEER TOUR?
Anyone notice there's Mr T (47a) and Dr One (54d)?
IIRC, this is your solo LAT debut (your debut in 2021 / 22(?) was with C.C., right?). Anyway, if I'm right, Congrats Chris!
I will read all y'all tomorrow. I've been up since 3:30a and have to get up tomorrow at 5:30a.
Cheers, -T
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