google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Monday March 24, 2025 Janice Luttrell

Advertisements

Mar 24, 2025

Monday March 24, 2025 Janice Luttrell

  

Happy Monday, everyone! This is Janice Luttrell's fourth Monday puzzle in 2025. This time the theme is:  
These are the themed clues & answers:

18 Across. Completely recover from a hardship: BOUNCE BACK.  

23 Across. Seasonal cause of some flooding: SPRING THAW.  

52 Across. Play hooky: SKIP SCHOOL.  If your kids hear you bragging about ditching class 'back in the day', do not be surprised when they try it, too.  

58 Across. Buddy cop action franchise starring Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum, familiarly: JUMP STREET.  21 Jump Street was a TV show starring (among others) Johnny Depp. It was about four LAPD young-looking cops who went undercover as high school students to combat crime. It aired from 1987-1991.
In 2012 a movie version came out starring Hill and Tatum. Its sequel, 22 Jump Street, came out in 2014. There may or may not be a 23 Jump Street 'in development'.  
21 Jump Street trailer with Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum
(Coincidentally, I embedded a Jonah Hill movie clip last week.)

The reveal spans the equator:

37 Across. Successfully start a new project, and a hint to the starts of 18-, 23-, 52-, and 58-Across: GET OFF THE GROUND.  This idiom means, "To begin to operate or to proceed in a successful way."
Also, BOUNCE, SPRING, SKIP, and JUMP are all verbs used to describe feet GETting OFF THE GROUND.  

This was one of those puzzles where perps filled the squares quickly so I missed seeing several of the clues. (It was bound to happen.) Let's go through them now:

Across

1. "__ with my little eye ... ": I SPY.  This is the name of a children's guessing game where one player chooses an object within sight then gives a clue so the other players can guess what it is.

5. Sonogram target: WOMB.  A sonogram is an image produced by an ultrasound -- so target might be a bit off.

9. __ from the past: BLAST.  
"Owen! Now there's a BLAST from the past." (1:28 min.)
A line well-delivered by Olympia Dukakis in Steel Magnolias (1989).
Julia Roberts, Shirley MacLaine, Sally Field, & Dolly Parton are also in the scene.

14. Sports org. with conferences: NCAA.  organization and National Collegiate Athletic Association

15. Cooking staple, initially: EVOO.  Rachel Ray uses this initialism when she adds some Extra Virgin Olive Oil to her recipes.  
I prefer the dark glass dispensers so I can see how much is left
but still protect the oil from light. However, I do like the shape of this one!.
16. Roof overhangs: EAVES.

17. Tortilla option: CORN.  I make all my flour tortillas using 15-A. I have never tried making CORN tortillas.

20. Stadium: ARENA.

22. Autocrats of old: TSARS.

26. Govt. agent: FED.  A FEDeral employee is a government agent.

29. Handy Scrabble tile: ESS.  A letter S is handy because you can add it to the end of another word. For example, on this board, you can add it to the end of antique. Even better, below your S add CAR to get Scar (another Disney character). That way you get the total for antique (without already-used bonuses) plus the points for Scar.
It turns out this example image has a Disney theme.

30. Stocking's end: TOE.  

31. Creator, writer, and star of HBO's "Insecure": ISSA RAE.  It was fun to see both her first and last names together this time.

34. George Eliot's "__ Marner": SILAS.  I thought this was the most boring book in the world when I was forced to read it as a high school freshman. Perhaps I should give it another chance.  🤔

36. "The Nutcracker" girl: CLARA.  The story of The Nutcracker revolves around Clara Stauhlbaum, a young girl who falls asleep after a Christmas party and dreams of a battle royale, a life-size Nutcracker, and a magical candy palace filled with new friends.  
CLARA dances with The Nutcracker

42. San Antonio landmark: ALAMO.  I just now looked to see if there was an ALAMO car rental company in ALAMO, TX. Their website directed me to Pharr, TX.  

43. Really annoy: EAT AT.

44. Small corner shops: BODEGAS.  Def:  (noun) a usually small grocery store in an urban area; specifically one specializing in Hispanic groceries.  
47. Turn bad: ROT.

48. Lingerie top: BRA.

51. USN rank: ENS.  United States Navy and ENSign

55. Travis Kelce's older brother: JASON.  (b. Nov. 5, 1987) Both brothers were/are in the NFL. Jason played Center for the Philadelphia Eagles for all 13 years of his professional career. Travis and Jason host a podcast together called New Heights.  
Jason & Travis
57. "__ luego": HASTA.  A direct translation from Spanish is "until then"; however, a better translation would be "Until later," or "See you then." It is close to Arnold Schwarzenegger's famous line:  

63. Leave speechless: STUN.  

64. Useful quality: ASSET.  

65. "__ chic!": TR
ÈS.  It is borrowed from French and means "very stylish".

66. "Beloved" novelist Morrison: TONI.  (1931-2019)  This 1987 novel is widely regarded as her masterpiece.

67. Japanese comics: MANGA.  
A common feature of MANGA is Japanese onomatopoeia .
Here, gun gun (pronounced goon goon) means  "making progress". 
They are typically a repeated pair of syllables.

Here is another one. Kyu kyu is used to describe a squeaking or rubbing sound.
(The upper corner is just exhaling moist air on the cloth. haa~ ) 

68. "Halt!": STOP.  imperative verb     and     69 Across. Halts: ENDS.  verb
I am partial to a grid that ENDS with ENDS.

Down:

1. "__ of fire, break glass": IN CASE.  

2. Orgs. with a special tax designation: S CORPS.  I used to do taxes for a lot of S CORPorationS at my last job. An S Corp is a business structure that passes its taxable income, credits, deductions, and losses directly to its shareholders to be reported on their individual returns.  more from Investopedia

3. Apple-peeling tools: PARERS.

4. "Sensuous Chill" New Age pianist: YANNI.  Yanni released the album Sensuous Chill in 2016. This song, What You Get, is from that album.  

5. The last "w" in www: WEB.  World Wide WEB  
The Web was invented by English computer scientist Sir Tim Berners-Lee while at CERN in 1989 and opened to the public in 1993.
I am currently reading Bill Gates' book, Source Code. I am at the part where he is a freshman at Harvard and the WWW has not yet been invented. 

6. Lacto-__ vegetarian: OVO.  This is someone who eats a vegetarian diet plus dairy and eggs.

7. Be sassy, with "off": MOUTH.  
Click to enlarge.

8. Tree-shaping art: BONSAI.  Years ago I had a lovely time visiting the BONSAI exhibit at the National Arboretum in Washington, DC.
(internet photo)
9. Budweiser, for one: BEER.  
When I was in school, I did a report on their Clydesdales.

10. Black or chocolate dogs, for short: LABS.  Oh, goodie, an excuse for a cute picture! (I know IM☘ will be expecting one.😊
11. Director DuVernay: AVA.  her impressive IMDb page

12. Jiffy: SEC.  Think:  "I'll be with you in a jiffy" and "I'll be with you in a SECond".

13. Cluck of reproof: TSK.  
19. Crow calls: CAWS.  Watch how this clever crow figures out how to get his snack. (1:45 min.)  

21. Like some eyeglass spray: ANTIFOG.  These sprays were in high demand when everyone was wearing covid masks.

24. Game with putting: GOLF.  ... and driving.
25. Udder part: TEAT.

26. German woman: FRAU.

27. Bring in, as pay: EARN.

28. Out of juice: DEAD.  Some classic Monty Python....  (50 sec.)
"I'm not DEAD!"

32. Minor abrasion: SCRATCH.  More Monty Python....  (2 min.)
"'Tis but a SCRATCH."

33. Bunches: A LOT.     and     34 Down. A few: SOME.     and     39 Down. Tiny amounts: TADS.
35. "That's all __ wrote": SHE.  meaning & origin

37. Kaplan of 1970s TV: GABE.  (b. Mar. 31, 1945) He played the teacher in  Welcome Back, Kotter (1975-1979).
38. North Carolina college: ELON.

40. Old West icon Wyatt: EARP.

41. Classic Pontiac muscle cars: GTOS.

45. Helper: Abbr.: ASST.  assistant

46. Culottes kin: SKORTS.  Both culottes and SKORTS have individual leg holes but, from a distance, look like skirts.
culottes fashion history

48. New England city on the Charles River: BOSTON.  The Charles River—which English explorer John Smith named in 1614 to honor Prince Charles (later King Charles I)— is one of the three major rivers of metropolitan Boston. At eighty miles in length it is the longest river entirely within the borders of Massachusetts. Note:  The current king is Charles III.

49. Plump: ROTUND.  
Click here to read about the artist Fernando Botero (1932-1923).

50. "Ironic" singer Morissette: ALANIS.  This song:

53. Motionless: INERT.  Def.:  (adj.)  lacking the power to move.

54. __ makes waste: HASTE.  This proverb tells us that rushing can lead to costly mistakes.

55. Digital image format: JPEG.  Short for Joint Photographic Experts Group, JPEG is a computer file format for the compression and storage of digital images. You will see it as ".jpg" in File Explorer. (See highlights below.) 

56. "The Thin Man" dog: ASTA.  ESP for me.
Skippy was a Wire Fox Terrier dog actor who appeared in dozens of movies during the 1930s
and is best known for the role of the pet dog "Asta" in the 1934 detective comedy.

58. Traffic problem: JAM.  Pro tip:  When planning an upcoming trip in Google Maps, after setting your destination and starting point, click on "Leave now" then choose either "Depart at" or "Arrive by" to set your desired time. This will help you see the usual traffic problem areas for the time of your travel.  

59. Can. neighbor: USA.  Both are abbreviated.

60. Yahoo! rival: MSN.  Both were early internet domains.

61. Fair-hiring inits.: EEO.  Equal Employment Opportunity

62. Recipe amt.: TSP.  teaspoon

Today's grid:  
78 words -- the LAT  limit for M-F
Leaping lizards! We're finally finished! Enjoy your day!

33 comments:

Subgenius said...

Not “skirts” but “skorts.”
Other than that, I would grant this puzzle the “coveted” title of “a walk in the park.” FIR, so I’m happy.

desper-otto said...

Good morning!

Five minutes and done. No mystery, no drama. Still, I had a good time. Thanx, Janice and sumdaze. (Sumdaze is probably too young to remember Welcome Back, Kotter, but at GABE's right is Sweathog Vinnie Barbarino, played by a very young John Travolta.)

Jinx in Norfolk said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Jinx in Norfolk said...

FIR without erasure.

The NCAA Sweet Sixteen© is set. A record seven teams are from one conference, the SEC. My Kentucky Wildcats will face the Tennessee Volunteers on Thursday. Kentucky beat Tennessee in both meetings this season, but on paper Tennessee is the better team. I don't like our chances, but I'll still cheer for the team from afar.

Wonder if C-Eh! recognized "that's all SHE wrote." Apparently, it's not widely used outside the USA. This version of the country hit Jackson by Johnny Cash and wife June Carter Cash ends with the line "'goodbye,' that's all she wrote." (It was written by a West Virginia hillbilly who was inspired by Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf" while he was as student at Yale.)

Thanks for another puzzle to ease our way into the work week. And thanks to sundaze for another fine review. Let us know how the Gates bio is. I loved Steve Jobs' bio, and they were both pioneers of the same era.

KS said...

FIR. No problems with this Monday presentation.
Interesting to see Issa Rae in the puzzle, first and last name. One of these days I may actually see her in action instead of as a staple clue in crosswords.
I got the theme early on, and it helped with the solve.
Overall an enjoyable puzzle.

BobB said...

Have not seen The Thin Man dog Asta in a xword in some time, wonder how many people under 30 will get that?

Anonymous said...

Took 4:12 today for me to leap ahead.

I knew today's actress (Issa Rae). Bonus points for using her first and last name. I passed the foreign language exam (hasta, frau, & tres), and I even knew the writer (Toni).

I've never seen nor heard "The Thin Man" or "Asta" outside of crossword puzzles.

waseeley said...

Jinx @6:52AM The beautiful Annapolis pin came this past Thursday -- "I have lived free and I will die free." I would have notified you sooner but I lost your PMP email. Thank you so much! Where did you say you got it?

Irish Miss said...

Good Morning:

When I see Janice’s byline, I know I’m in for a fun and pleasant solve. Janice has a knack for creative themes, clean and crisp grids, fair cluing, and varied and fresh fill. This was a great puzzle for newbies, with its cute and easy to determine theme. As mentioned, the full Issa Rae entry was a treat.

Thanks, Janice, for starting the week off so pleasantly, and thanks, sumdaze, for the many interesting tidbits of knowledge, plus the frosting on the cake with the adorable labs. I enjoyed the videos of The Nutcracker and Steel Magnolias, and the photo of the Clydesdales, as they have always intrigued me.

CanadianEh, are you familiar with the Canadian series, Remedy? I’ve been watching it on Amazon Prime and enjoying it very much.

FLN

Inanehiker, I have a lockbox on my front door with the house keys inside and the combination, as well as the garage key pad code, is known to the emergency responders, but those means of entrance are for a true emergency, which yesterday’s occurrence wasn’t. That’s why I unlocked the door. Thanks for passing along this information, though.

Lucina, I liked Zero Day but, at times, I was a bit confused with the various story lines.

Have a great day.

TehachapiKen said...

Today's was another enjoyable Monday excursion by Janice Luttrell. The puzzle was well-constructed, boasted a reveal that was a grid-spanner, and had a cute theme.The few obscurities and proper names were easily perped or wagged.

I note BobB's observation about the dog Asta. My response would be that "The Thin Man" and its sequels starring Myrna Loy, Bill Powell, and Skippy (as Asta) represent the gold standard in the genre of sophisticated comedy/suspense films. So I made sure my children and other young people saw it. I guarantee they would have recognized "Asta" in a crossword, and I suspect they're not alone in the under-30 crowd. Incidentally, Myrna Loy didn't like Skippy because he was temperamental, and used to bite her.

A March Madness clarification: the Sweet Sixteen lineup is NOT set. The MEN'S Sweet Sixteen is set; the WOMEN'S Sweet Sixteen will be finalized later today.

Thanks, Janice, for a delightful Monday-approprate challenge. And thanks, sumdaze, for your first-rate recap.

inanehiker said...

Glad you're all set Agnes!

Monkey said...

WEES. Neat CW, fun theme and fair clues, many of which i didn’t get to solve because they were already filled by the Across ones.

I watched some episodes of Welcome back Kotter and remember one line: “Up your nose with á rubber hose”. !!!!

Thank you sumdaze for á nice review. I always like á Snoopy comic.

CanadianEh! said...

Moving Monday. Thanks for the fun, Janice and sumdaze.
I FIRed in good time, and was able to GET OFF THE GROUND.

One problem area in the NW corner, but perps to the rescue. This Canadian has never heard of S CORPS, and even when it perped, I did not parse.
YANNI was also unknown.

I noted HASTA crossing HASTE, plus the already noted A LOT vs. SOME and TADS. I also smiled at the appropriate STOP and ENDS.
I think of a SCRATCH as more like a small cut (ie. from cat claw), while a SCRApe is more of an abrasion. I changed when I saw I needed another letter.

Our international fill includes BODEGAS, HASTA, MANGA, FRAU, TRES.
I must say that Canadians have been 63Aned by the recent actions of our neighbour 59A. It continues to 43a us, and we can only hope it will 54D to a 68A.

Wishing you all a great day.

CanadianEh! said...

No, Irish Miss, I am not familiar with Remedy. Glad you are enjoying it.

Misty said...

Neat Monday puzzle, many thanks for this treat, Janice. And we always enjoy your helpful commentary, Sumdaze, thanks for that too.

Well, a SPRING THAW makes this a good time to GET OFF THE GROUND and BOUNCE BACK and get a job to EARN some income. Then, at the end of the day you can enjoy a BEER and EAT AT a nice diner, and then go out and play some GOLF. Makes for a pretty good life, wouldn't you say?

Have a great week coming up, everybody.

sumdaze said...

I am enjoying reading your comments. Thank you for the thank-yous! Have a great week, everyone!

CanadianEh! said...

Jinx- Although the “that’s all SHE wrote” filled in immediately, it caused a small nose-wrinkle. Now, I see why, as it is not a familiar phrase in my Canadian/British vocabulary.

John M27 said...

Enjoyable Monday fare. I too had to pause at the full name ISSA RAE. I have to confess that after it perped, I spent about 5 seconds scratching my head trying to figure out how to pronounce it as one name.

For those of you unfamiliar with the Thin Man movies, you might at least give the first one a try. The plot ‘wanders” a bit, but there are some humorous “pre-code” lines. This is my favorite (time-stamped)

https://youtu.be/uvT6Dtlzvkg?t=27

A few more are compiled here (especially the last one):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWRZMRZZXTU

Anonymous said...

After a red letter, multiple alpha run Friday...and Saturday...AND Sunday...TGIM! In spite of 16 names, 4 DNK among them, I managed to FIR in 10, and was quite pleased until I read the comments where this CW is being filled in 4 or 5 minutes. I can assure everyone I will never be able to do that. Anyway, I enjoyed this CW quite a bit, thanx JL. Clever theme, many good clues. I looked at SCORPS and wondered what SCORPS are...then V-8 can hit: S-CORPS. (Oy!) I was surprised I remembered ASTA. Like FDR's dog FALA. Terrific write-up, Sumdaze, thanx for all the time and effort.

Charlie Echo said...

A pleasant start to the week, with an enjoyable recap by sumdaze. Always like a good Monty Python clip or two!

Husker Gary said...

Musings
-A fun puzzle that was well summarized by Sumdaze.
-A lot of verbs that could pertain to all the March Madness. Three Nebraska teams were in but exited early so my interest is minimal. Players are now employees and have no real connection or allegiance to whatever school they represent.
-The NCAA maintenance of “amateur” athletics has ended and they have become mostly irrelevant.
-Blizzard knocked out traffic lights but people politely treated intersections as 4-way STOP signs
-Filmdom’s BONSAI master
-We’re putting up the porch swing and moving the lawn mower out today.
-Me too with Irish, as usual! :-)

Anonymous said...

Lovely puzzle, Janice! It gave me a lift! ;-) Sumdaze, your reviews are always a pleasure.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous at 11:43 AM is NaomiZ. This is what happens when you clear your phone history!

NaomiZ said...

Better!

RustyBrain said...

A perfect Monday puzzle for solving downs-only...except I didn't know the dog's name and MANGo seemed right. Bzzzt!

Jinx in Norfolk said...

Bill, I'm glad the pin was just a little delayed. I'm not sure where I got it, but suspect it was at a party at East Port Yacht Club for the participants in the Annapolis Bermuda Ocean Race. We were in and out of Annapolis several times in preparation for that race.

C-Eh! I'm not surprised. I have worked in an area that is less than 100 miles from where I grew up, and it took me a couple of months to get used to their sayings.

Anonymous said...

Enjoyable puzzle except for the crossing of EVOO and OVO

Lucina said...

I understand your confusion as I watched it over a three day period and grappled with some of the story lines, too. I will likely watch it again and hope for more clarity the second time around.

Lucina said...

Hola! Ooh! So late to this party which is full of great comments. I, too, finished in good time but 5 minutes will never be accomplished by me.
"I SPY WITH MY LITTLE EYE" was good entertainment for our children when we drove across the country to visit my sister in Charlotte. I believe it also kept them alert to whatever scenery and landmarks we were passing.
Visiting a display of BONSAI creations is a real treat as was the botanical garden in Honolulu mentioned in yesterdays CW.
HASTA LUEGO, friends. I am expecting a tech to install my new thermostat which is supposed to save me mucho dinero. Thank you, sumdaze for your helpful narrative.

Ray - O - Sunshine said...

Nice easy puzzle just getting to it at the beach . See below* so as Lucina says: late to the party (fashionably? 😌

We use the term “ targeted” ultrasound if the order is for a limited study as just “Liver” instead of an whole “abdominal scan”

BONSAI: yelled before attacking a miniature tree. I agree, remember nothing about the forced reading of SILAS Marner in HS…. “stocking’s end” wasn’t gee. scrape oops too short for SCRATCH and ASST not aide

The original “The Thin Man” movie and TV (Peter Lawford and Phyllis Kirk is what I remember)..series dog, (….”and Asta as Asta”) long gone. “ASTA la vista perrito”.

And welcome back Mr. “Kah-TARE”

Can. to USA “Though shalt not covet thy neighbor

A crow’s answer to “why?” …. “CAWS”
Farmers who grow boscs and anjous…PARERS
If they needed a “helper” they could’ve just ___ … ASST

*Attending a conference in Rio Grande Puerto Rico on the seashore with El Yunque rain forest a walk away 7:30 till noon this week. It’s snowing again back home (snow day today) but 80 and sunny here 😎. Just had a liquid lunch 🍹

CrossEyedDave said...

Seriously!

There are posts missing from yesterdays blog!

Did anyone check the filter?

I could use some help here...

CanadianEh! said...

LOL Ray-o re your Commandment. Enjoy your conference - great timing to avoid the snow at home.

Lucina said...

CEDave@4:49
LOL! I want that mug! Or maybe on a t-shirt.