Theme: "Make a Long Story Short" - The last letter of each movie title is cut.
23. Proposed network television schedule?: AIRPLANE.
25. Title for a tell-all about Cinderella's early social life?: OF MICE AND MEN.
39. Wise men bearing gifts of formula, onesies, and diapers?: PRACTICAL MAGIC.
71. "That guy prefers more formal greetings"?: HE'S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU.
119. Norm for the dinosaur era?: JURASSIC PARK.
123. Edited version seen in theaters, and what six long answers in this puzzle need to match their clues?: FINAL CUT.
Super tight set. All well-known movies with the last letters deleted. Love the title.
I
think this is first Sunday collab between Gary and Katie. Or maybe the
very first between them. I've shown Gary's photo before. Below is a
picture of Katie from Xword Info. She's based in London.
Across:
4. Curved paths: ARCS.
8. Visual multiplication tool: ARRAY.
13. Finishing touches on a letter?: SERIFS. The alphabet character. Not your sign-off.
19. Be in arrears: OWE.
20. Biblical sister of Rachel: LEAH.
21. Pinkish-purple: MAUVE. So many shades of mauve. We also have 111. Brownish-purple: PUCE.
22. Sweet liqueurs: CREMES.
27. Moore of "The Substance": DEMI.
28. Actor Michael: CERA.
30. Taj __: MAHAL.
31. Strong attraction, with "the": HOTS.
32. Wetland layer: PEAT.
34. Not so good in: POOR AT.
37. Genghis Khan follower: TATAR. Genghis Khan and the Mongol Empire are romanticized in this popular TV series.
43. "Something To Talk About" singer: RAITT.
45. Want: HOPE FOR.
46. Align properly: EVEN UP.
48. Beach, in Portuguese: PRAIA. I only know PLAYA.
50. Project ending?: ILE. Projectile.
51. Hershey rival: NESTLE.
54. Gaggle members: GEESE.
56. Filmmaker Spike: LEE.
57. Some nobles: LORDS.
60. Blunted blade: EPEE.
61. RR connection: STA.
62. Skirt that shows off ankle boots: MIDI.
63. Draft choice: IPA.
65. Monkeyshines: ANTICS.
69. Dish made with Arborio rice: RISOTTO. Creamy seafood risotto.
76. Ships abroad: EXPORTS.
77. Hit the hay: RETIRE.
78. Office no.: TEL.
79. Front or spot: LOAN. Verb "Front".
80. Estadio "Rah!": OLE.
82. Lass: MISS.
84. Argentine prairie: PAMPA.
88. Succinct "I could go on": ETC.
89. Saw logs: SNORE.
91. Chaste: VESTAL. Learning moment for me.
93. Bit of static buildup: ION.
94. Sister's daughter: NIECE. And 117. Grandma's daughter: AUNT.
96. Gave faithfully?: TITHED. From the faithful.
98. Oil used in some hair products: COCONUT. And 109. Like butter ready for whipping: SOFT.
101. Actor Haim: COREY.
106. Metamorphosis stage: PUPAL.
108. More ridiculous: INANER.
110. Impersonates: APES.
112. River near Roswell: PECOS.
114. Agitate: RILE.
116. Inserts for some noisy toys: AAAS.
125. National park in Maine: ACADIA. We have Voyageurs National Park. We also have 64 state parks.
126. Madeline Miller novel featuring Odysseus: CIRCE.
_Madeline_Milller.jpeg)
127. Member of the onion family: LEEK.
128. Artist Yoko: ONO.
129. Begrudge: RESENT.
130. Custard apple kin: PAPAW. The big seeds have medicinal benefits.
131. Icelandic epic: EDDA.
132. Racing initials: STP.
Down:
1. Cargo: LOAD.
2. Toddler's scrape: OWIE.
3. Major essay: TERM PAPER.
4. __ in a day's work: ALL.
5. Spit take, e.g.: REACTION.
6. Riddler accessory: CANE.
7. Tenzing Norgay, for one: SHERPA. For Edmund Hillary. Sherpa Tenzing was born in Tibet.
8. Latin lover's verb: AMO.
9. WWII fliers: RAF.
10. Search haphazardly (through): RUMMAGE.
11. Taking to the skies: AVIATING.
12. "Blech": YECH.
13. Graduated, in math: SCALAR. Not SCALED.
14. Directional ending: ERN.
15. Poison Ivy feature: RED HAIR. Capitalized Ivy. DC Comics character.
16. Vampire's power: IMMORTALITY. How can you kill it with a stake then?
17. Stocking stuffers: FEET.
18. Tax form IDs: SSNS.
24. Jigsaw unit: PIECE.
26. "Mangia!": EAT.
29. Letters in "You've Got Mail": AOL.
33. DOJ branch: ATF.
35. Brunch staple: OMELETTE. And 85. Bite-size Tex-Mex snacks: MINI TACOS.
36. Party with glow sticks: RAVE.
38. Gift wrapper's need: TAPE.
39. Punxsutawney weather forecaster: PHIL.
40. Foil-wrapped candy: ROLO.
41. Manitoba people: CREE.
42. Prompts to act now?: CUES. On a stage.
44. Connected with: TIED TO.
47. __ dish: PETRI.
49. Vowel quintet: A E I O U.
52. Attention __: SPAN.
53. Gist: TENOR.
55. Goody-goody: SAINT.
58. Pastrami on rye spread, perhaps: DIJON.
59. Goad: SPUR.
62. Simoleons: MOOLA.
64. __ Martin: British automaker: ASTON.
66. Wednesday's kin: ITT. Wednesday Addams.
67. Added one's two cents: CHIMED IN.
68. Attire at Hindi weddings: SARIS.
70. Dance instruction: STEP.
71. Honorary Oscar winner Keller: HELEN. Didn't known this.
Google shows that Helen Keller was given an honorary Oscar as
inspiration for the movie "Helen Keller in Her Story", a documentary
about her life.
72. "The Best __ Marigold Hotel": EXOTIC.
73. Films like "Star Wars": SPACE OPERAS.
74. Letter-shaped track: T SLOT.
75. __ drive: TEST.
81. Actor Stonestreet: ERIC.
83. Biodegradable egg containers: SACS.
86. Do a sommelier's job: POUR.
87. Upfront stake: ANTE.
89. Ooze: SEEP.
90. Horn of Africa nation: ETHIOPIA.
91. Aloe __: VERA.
92. Turned left, maybe: LOOSENED. Love the clue.
95. Tireless campaign: CRUSADE.
97. Dada pioneer: HANS ARP.
99. Fiscal VIP: CFO.
100. Ingredient in some raw dog food: OFFAL.
102. Tries to intimidate, as a Chihuahua might: YAPS AT.
104. Poetic preposition: O'ER.
105. Rum-soaked British dessert: TRIFLE.
107. Lahaina loop: LEI. Maui town.
110. Open a bit: AJAR.
113. USSR, in Russia: CCCP.
115. Committed perjury: LIED.
118. "Halt!": STOP.
120. __ bin: penalty box: SIN.
121. Classic TV brand: RCA.
122. London's __ Gardens: KEW.
124. Letters between names: AKA.
Happy 78th birthday to dear waseeley (Bill), our faithful Thursday Sherpa for many years. So happy to see both him and Lemonade on the blog these days.
Thank you for the sweet birthday messages and cards. I had a lovely day. I've been making progress. The swollen right ankle continues to bother me though. Will see the doctor in 2 weeks. Hope there's a solution to it.
C.C.
30 comments:
Good morning!
Yay, d-o sussed the theme and won the brass ring. Wasn't familiar with two of the theme films, but they filled just the same. Thanx, Gary, Katie, and C.C. (Glad to hear you're making progress.)
Happy birthday, waseeley. What's up in "Balmore?"
16 vestal virgins 'whiter shade of pale'
memories of the jersy shore summer 1967
When I saw Katie’s name in the byline I figured the puzzle would have a little more crunch than a typical Sunday, and for me that held true. FIR in 54:51, my only aid being not getting the congratulatory message when I had the grid filled. First checked for typos but I had none. “Coren” and “pupil” looked suspect, so when I changed “nips at” to YAPS AT, success! DNK PRAIA, CIRCE, SCALAR, Hillary’s SHERPA, or that ARP’s first name was HANS. Also ARRAY and TENOR as clued. The only time I’ve heard VESTAL is in Procal Harum’s song “A Whiter Shade of Pale”… “One of 16 vestal virgins who was leaving for the coast”. DW and I collaborate in making a seafood RISOTTO, the Arborio rice takes a lot more attention to cook than regular rice. Thanks to Gary and Katie for the morning fun, and to C.C. for explaining it all. Glad you are feeling better and continue to improve 😊.
I must have been writing while you were publishing 🤣
Does the LaT use different solving software than the WaPo - hopefully yes, and they don’t require a subscription to access the puzzles? It’s hard for me to overstate how much I loathe the piece of garbage that The Post has forced upon us - one third of the screen is chewed up by an advertisement, the color is hideous, the print is so small that the clues are barely legible, and I solve on a tablet so I keep fat-fingering typos everywhere.
It would take a programmer 15 minutes to lose the ad and give us a black and white option - but no, way to give your solvers the middle finger, WaPo. Not at all a surprise though, as that whole publication is going to hell in a hand basket and fast.
Friends, I’m just
“monitoring” this site right now.
The power at my house has been off since midnight, and I’m not real sure when it will be restored, so, I can’t afford the “ juice” it would take to actually solve the puzzle right now.
Hopefully, power will be restored soon and I will be back up to speed!
Yours,
Subgenius
Forgot to mention, happy b/day to Bill! 🎉🍻
Re The WaPo: Hear! Hear!
FIR. For me this had a little bite to it. I had to take a few WAG's here and there, praia and papaw for example, but I managed to get the win, so yay!
I have to admit I didn't get the theme till I got here. I knew these were all movies, but dropping a letter at the end escaped me. Fortunately it wasn't critical to the solve and I soldered through.
Overall an enjoyable puzzle.
@Pete S.: Yes, I believe WAPO was using the same front-end as the LAT until WAPO made its horrific, recent change. I was using WAPO, but switched to LAT which does not require a subscription.
Good Morning:
Although the title signaled the theme, there was enough challenge throughout the grid to make the solve enjoyable and satisfying. Some unknowns were the full name of Arp, Praia, Red Hair, Scalar, and Circe, but perps were fair. My biggest obstacle was holding on to Playa for so long. All the movie titles were familiar, even though I’ve only see two of them. The theme was clever and well-executed, IMO, and the grid was dreck free.
Thanks, Gary and Katie, and thanks, CC, for the usual insider’s view. Glad to hear you’re feeling better. Hope the doctor has some answers for the ankle issue.
Very Happy Birthday wishes to Bill. Hope it’s a special day! 🎂🎉🎊🎁🎈 (I miss your Thursday multifaceted tutorials and wide-ranging musical selections.)
Have a great day.
Yes, the homegrown WaPo puzzle app is now awful. I used to love solving Evan Birnholz and Merl Reagle Classics there each Sunday, in addition to the daily.
True, Nidehululi, both the current LA Times and the old WaPo use their own customized versions of the PuzzleMe App.
I don't care for the LA Times web site when solving. I don't like that the clues are always shown below the puzzle unless I change my screen resolution.
For the last 5 or 6 days I've been solving the LA Times crossword at the Chicago Tribune puzzle page:
https://fun.chicagotribune.com/game/la-times-daily-crossword?categoryId=crosswords
Similar but not the same.
- The clues are on the right side of the puzzle and you can see both the across and perping down clue at the same time.
- The answers are in blue rather than black but that's a nit.
- The thing that I noticed yesterday was that the clock keeps running even when you successfully complete the puzzle.
- It does have a pause button, and it will auto pause after a while.
Thank you, Gary Larson & Katie Hale. That was enjoyable.
Thank you, C.C. Glad to hear that you are improving. It's never fast enough, is it?
Happy Birthday, Bill! I hope your day is special.
I don’t know why my comment disappeared. When I tried to publish it, I kept getting an error message.
Many thanks to Katie and Gary, who created a fair but challenging puzzle that I was able to complete and understand! After the last two days, I feel I've gotten my mojo back. Thanks to C.C. for her always to-the-point explanations, and to all of you who highlighted the tricky parts.
Happy birthday, Bill!
Now, that's what I call a fun puzzle! Clever clues, fair perps, and lots of AHA! V-8 cans instead of a slew of WTFs? Just enough crunch, and an enjoyable gimmick. Nice way to spend a cloudy Sunday morning. More like this, please!
Well, guess what, folks?
The power came back on while I was in church .
So I’m back in business . I completely the puzzle and finally understood the reveal ( I think) .
FIR, so I’m happy.
I’ll be back in my usual spot tomorrow!
(God Willing)
That should be I COMPLETED the puzzle. Stupid autocorrect!
Happy Birthday, Bill!
Happy Birthday Bill
Delightful Sunday puzzle, many thanks, Gary and Katie. And your commentary is always a treat, C.C., many thanks for that too. And also Happy Birthday, Bill.
Well, I was looking forward to an ARRAY of colors, starting with that lovely MAUVE, but I didn't get what I did HOPE FOR, except for that RED HAIR, which would have been a treat if it hadn't been on the ivy. But there was plenty of stuff to RAVE about, like AIRPLANE rides and MAGIC, and visits with a TENOR who might be singing on SPACE OPERAS and going on CRUSADES in ETHIOPIA, or in JURASSIC PARK. By now we're probably all getting tired so its time to NESTLE on a pillow, not play any antics, and pet some GEESE before starting to RETIRE and SNORE. After we get up, let's eat some RISOTTOS and some TACOS before starting to work on that TERM PAPER.
Here's my FINAL CUT: have a delightful, happy Sunday, everybody.
I finally finished one, but it took a guess to finish the NE. I know PLAYA from geology but PRAIA was unknown. My thought for Poison Ivy was RED SPOT. I didn't notice the capital "I". The comic book character was unknown.
Wednesday's kin was unknown and ITT came from perps
HELEN Keller as Oscar winner was another A&E unknown. Add EXOTIC hotel, ERIC, CIRCE, and Custard apple & PAPAW to the list.
92. Turned left, maybe: LOOSENED. Love the clue. NOT ME. The south end is turning RIGHT at the same time, counter clockwise.
Excellent puzzle Gary and Katie. Enough crunch to slow you down a little. Offal is pronounced just like it should be, awful. Lefty loosey, righty tighty. Good clue. I had never heard of the comic book character. "Wednesday's kin" got me for a minute then I remembered. I hope you heal quickly CC.
I liked this puzzle but didn't get the gimmick until reading CC's explanation.
"Poison Ivy" always makes me think of the movie "Pretty Poison" starring Tuesday Weld.
I remember COREY Haim from the movie "Stand by Me", starring a very young Wil Wheaton.
There's an old saying "Scratch a Russian and find a TATAR."
Happy birthday, waseeley!
Hola!
Happy birthday, Bill! I hope you are celebrating.
Fairly easy Sunday puzzle. Thank you, Gary and Katie. The titles are all familiar to me, even PRACTICAL MAGIC which my daughter loved. I just spoke to her, and they had gone to see the newest version of JURASSIC PARK.
OF MICE AND MEN was required reading in lit class.
When my sisters and I visited the northeast, we toured ACADIA National Park. What a beautiful area as is so much of our country.
I did not realize that VESTAL means chaste and if so, then VESTAL VIRGINS is redundant.
C.C.,I hope your ankle heals soon and you return to good health.
Have a lovely day, everyone!
Thought I was going to finish this offering from Katie and Gary on cruise control, but I got hung out to dry by the Natick down in South Texas — the Dada artist’s name crossing a novel’s title is a bit fugly in my book. But the rest of the puzzle was such fun that I will forgive (this time 😎). There were a couple of other unsnazzy fills — like PAPAW, which I’ve not ever seen with only one W (look it up in the dictionary!), and I’ve always known MOOLA to have an H at the end. And is AVIATING really a word? If so, I’ll bet it is an archaic one…
ASTON Martin has some of the most swoopy-looking designs in the auto world; if you’re not all that familiar with the marque, look up DB9 or Vantage. Yum!
Happy Birthday, Waseeley! Keep ‘em comin’, brother — hope to read you here again soon. C.C., hang in there, girl; at our ages, healing just seems to take way longer than it should…
====> Darren / L.A.
Glad your power was restored. I detest autocorrect - it often does weird things like changes the word MY to MYRTLE… especially aggravating when I’m sending a quick text and fail to proofread. Grrrrrrrrrrr
Happy birthday and many more Bill, and thank you for the shout out C.C., it is nice to be remembered. For a Sunday the puzzle had some bite, PRAIA and SCALAR are not gimmes. I also liked the deception in clues such as Finishing touches on a letter? SERIFS and Project ending?: ILE. Projectile. . How many of you know RISOTTO is made with Arborio rice? Thank you, Gary and Katie.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vestal_Virgin
These were specific virgins dedicated to the goddess Vesta. Took an oath to serve for 30 years and remain chaste the entire time.
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