Happy Monday, everyone! sumdaze here. This is Brent Sverdloff's third LAT puzzle. There was no reveal today. None was needed. For me, the theme was confirmed after the second long fill.
Theme:
 |
| I hope you performed well on this theater-themed puzzle! |
All of the themed answers are 14-letter imperative sentences that end with a theater-related word: LINE, SCENE, ACT, and PLAY.
20 Across. Get down to brass tacks: LAY IT ON THE LINE.
32 Across. Exhortation to someone building up to a tantrum: DON'T MAKE A SCENE.
39 Across. "Get it together!": CLEAN UP YOUR ACT.
52 Across. "Join us for some fun!": COME OUT AND PLAY.
 |
| The tiny caption says, "Stella!" |
Dim the lights. It's on with the show:
1. Pet rescue org.: ASPCA. About a year ago I wrote this for the same answer:
I was surprised to learn that the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is not an umbrella organization for the SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals). They are not affiliated with each other. Your local SPCA relies on local donations.
6. Titled lady: DAME. 
10. "Dark Angel" actress Jessica: ALBA. Dark Angel was a TV show that aired for two seasons from 2000 to 2002. ALBA is a crossword-friendly word.
14. Diamond weight: CARAT. If you cannot remember if you should use a C or a K, try to remember that diamonds have "4 Cs": Cut, Color, Clarity and CARAT. "Karat" is used for metals, like gold.
15. Longtime "Jeopardy!" host Trebek: ALEX.
16. "La vie en rose" singer Édith: PIAF. We had this French singer last June. Irish Miss ☘ mentioned that this is PIAF's signature song.
17. Justice Kagan of the Supreme Court: ELENA. Justice Kagan was born in 1960 in New York and went to Harvard Law School. She was appointed to the Supreme Court in 2010 by President Obama.
18. Trace of smoke: WISP.
19. Landlord's income: RENT. For a long time the common advice was to budget 10% of your rental income for unplanned expenses. I keep detailed spreadsheets on these things. As costs have risen, I now plan on 14% for that budget category. Take more off the top for planned expenses such as property managers, property taxes, insurance, HOA fees, 47-A. Oof!
23. Sponsored spots: ADS.
24. Motor homes, for short: RVS. Recreational Vehicles
25. Marina __ Rey, California: DEL. George Strait recorded a song about this town in 1982.
26. Debtor's letters: IOU.
27. Norse god of war: ODIN.
29. Film studio with a roaring lion: MGM.
36. Podcast host Maron: MARC. WTF with Marc Maron is a weekly podcast. The show was launched in September 2009. This line caught my attention when I was researching his show for today's blog: Maron ends most of his podcasts with the phrase "Boomer lives" in honor of his cat that escaped after a cross-country move.
37. Cooking spray brand: PAM. and 46 Across. Frying vessel: PAN.
38. Actor Alda: ALAN. Alan Alda and Idris Elba are two actors whose first and last names make good crossword fill.
44. Ray Bradbury's "__ for Space": S IS. This is a collection of science fiction short stories written by Bradbury and published in 1966.
45. Colony insects: ANTS.
47. "And so on" abbr.: ETC.
48. Knock the socks off: WOW.
49. German "Drat!": ACH.
57. Tool most people are willing to part with?: COMB. This was my favorite clue today!
58. TiVo forerunners: VCRS. Both were used to record television shows before streaming became a thing.
10. "Dark Angel" actress Jessica: ALBA. Dark Angel was a TV show that aired for two seasons from 2000 to 2002. ALBA is a crossword-friendly word.
14. Diamond weight: CARAT. If you cannot remember if you should use a C or a K, try to remember that diamonds have "4 Cs": Cut, Color, Clarity and CARAT. "Karat" is used for metals, like gold.
15. Longtime "Jeopardy!" host Trebek: ALEX.
16. "La vie en rose" singer Édith: PIAF. We had this French singer last June. Irish Miss ☘ mentioned that this is PIAF's signature song.
17. Justice Kagan of the Supreme Court: ELENA. Justice Kagan was born in 1960 in New York and went to Harvard Law School. She was appointed to the Supreme Court in 2010 by President Obama.
18. Trace of smoke: WISP.
 |
| (Click to enlarge.) Get it? It's like when PEOPLE TYPE IN ALL CAPS. |
19. Landlord's income: RENT. For a long time the common advice was to budget 10% of your rental income for unplanned expenses. I keep detailed spreadsheets on these things. As costs have risen, I now plan on 14% for that budget category. Take more off the top for planned expenses such as property managers, property taxes, insurance, HOA fees, 47-A. Oof!
23. Sponsored spots: ADS.
24. Motor homes, for short: RVS. Recreational Vehicles
25. Marina __ Rey, California: DEL. George Strait recorded a song about this town in 1982.
26. Debtor's letters: IOU.
27. Norse god of war: ODIN.
29. Film studio with a roaring lion: MGM.
36. Podcast host Maron: MARC. WTF with Marc Maron is a weekly podcast. The show was launched in September 2009. This line caught my attention when I was researching his show for today's blog: Maron ends most of his podcasts with the phrase "Boomer lives" in honor of his cat that escaped after a cross-country move.
37. Cooking spray brand: PAM. and 46 Across. Frying vessel: PAN.
44. Ray Bradbury's "__ for Space": S IS. This is a collection of science fiction short stories written by Bradbury and published in 1966.
 |
| They are very organized. |
48. Knock the socks off: WOW.
57. Tool most people are willing to part with?: COMB. This was my favorite clue today!
58. TiVo forerunners: VCRS. Both were used to record television shows before streaming became a thing.
59. Devour: EAT UP.
60. Wine and __: DINE.
62. Cropped up: AROSE. By any other name it would be "ascended".
63. Reached base feet-first: SLID. Notice the past tense in the clue called for the past tense of slide.
64. Deeply absorbed: RAPT.
65. Surgical beam: LASER.
Down:
63. Reached base feet-first: SLID. Notice the past tense in the clue called for the past tense of slide.
 |
| It was not immediately obvious to me that the base in this clue referred to baseball. |
64. Deeply absorbed: RAPT.
Down:
1. Amtrak express train between Washington, D.C., and Boston: ACELA. The Acela (pronounced "uh-SEL-uh") is Amtrak's fastest passenger train. Its top speed is 150 mph and its average speed is 70 mph. It uses a special "tilting" technology that helps the train to lean into curves so it can go faster without making passengers feel uncomfortable. There are 12 stops on the Acela route, as shown on this map.
2. Waldorf __: SALAD. If you order a Waldorf salad you can expect it to contain apples, celery, nuts, and grapes with a mayonnaise-based dressing. "The recipe was created by the maitre d’hotel Oscar Tschirky at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City in 1893. It was served at a dinner for 1,500 society folks from Boston, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and of course New York, to celebrate the opening of the famed hotel which at the time was just called the Waldorf Hotel." Cole Porter's 1934 song You're The Top added to this salad's popularity. Here is that song with the lyrics. Give it a listen. It's a fun song!
2. Waldorf __: SALAD. If you order a Waldorf salad you can expect it to contain apples, celery, nuts, and grapes with a mayonnaise-based dressing. "The recipe was created by the maitre d’hotel Oscar Tschirky at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City in 1893. It was served at a dinner for 1,500 society folks from Boston, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and of course New York, to celebrate the opening of the famed hotel which at the time was just called the Waldorf Hotel." Cole Porter's 1934 song You're The Top added to this salad's popularity. Here is that song with the lyrics. Give it a listen. It's a fun song!
🎵 You're the top. You're a Waldorf SALAD.
You're the top. You're a Berlin ballad. 🎵
3. Hunts, with "on": PREYS.
4. "Pleeease?": CAN I. Great clue. Oops, I meant "grating" clue.
5. With some speed, to equestrians: AT A TROT.
7. Settled on a perch: ALIT.
8. Breathable fabric: MESH.
9. Travel-booking website: EXPEDIA. Their logo is a plane crossing a globe.
A LIEN represents a creditor's legal claim to the debtor's property as collateral, ensuring financial obligations are met. Whether through voluntary agreements or court judgments, liens allow creditors to seize assets if debts aren't repaid. Read more here.
12. __ of one's existence: BANE.
13. Toward the stern: AFT.
12. __ of one's existence: BANE.
13. Toward the stern: AFT.
21. Egg cell: OVUM. An OVUM is a female gamete. The plural form is ova.
22. Telescope glass: LENS.
27. Signs off on: OKAYS.
28. Expo presentation: DEMO. Exposition is shortened, so is DEMOnstration.
29. Sporty Spice of the Spice Girls: MEL C.
 |
| Mel C is in the middle, sporting the animal print dress. |
30. Pesky insect: GNAT.
32. Surrealist Salvador: DALI. (1904-1989)
 |
| Dali painted Galatea of the Spheres in 1952. |
34. Date with a doc: APPT. Doctor is abbreviated, so is appointment.
last Monday's blog, but you might not want to.
36. Show hosts, informally: MCS. Could this clue also be written, "Hosts shows, informally"?
40. Kid-lit boy detective __ the Great: NATE. There is also the Ted Lasso character, NATE, whom Ted nicknamed Nate the Great. Here is a scene from Season 1:
41. Remove a lid from: UNCOVER.
42. Second word of many a fairy tale: UPON. Once UPON a time....
43. Short end of the stick: RAW DEAL. Both describe instances of unfair treatment. I like how the informal clue matched the informal answer.
47. Add to an email, as a GIF: EMBED. The moving slinky in 52-Down is an example of an EMBEDed .GIF file.
48. "I __ born yesterday!": WASN'T.
49. Voices above tenors: ALTOS.
50. __ and effect: CAUSE.
51. All keyed up: HYPER. This is a good example of how language changes. HYPER used to be short for hyperactive, as in "overly active"; but now Merriam-Webster lists it as a legitimate word.
52. Slinky's shape: COIL.
53. Bygone Dodge subcompact: OMNI. This 5-door hatchback came out in 1978. It reminds me of the Volkswagen Rabbit, which was introduced to the American market in 1975.
54. Home of the NCAA's Bruins: UCLA. National Collegiate Athletic Association is abbreviated, so is University of California, Los Angeles.
55. Lint collector: TRAP. Think "clothes dryer".
40. Kid-lit boy detective __ the Great: NATE. There is also the Ted Lasso character, NATE, whom Ted nicknamed Nate the Great. Here is a scene from Season 1:
41. Remove a lid from: UNCOVER.
42. Second word of many a fairy tale: UPON. Once UPON a time....
43. Short end of the stick: RAW DEAL. Both describe instances of unfair treatment. I like how the informal clue matched the informal answer.
47. Add to an email, as a GIF: EMBED. The moving slinky in 52-Down is an example of an EMBEDed .GIF file.
48. "I __ born yesterday!": WASN'T.
50. __ and effect: CAUSE.
51. All keyed up: HYPER. This is a good example of how language changes. HYPER used to be short for hyperactive, as in "overly active"; but now Merriam-Webster lists it as a legitimate word.
52. Slinky's shape: COIL.
 |
| slinky on a treadmill |
 |
| 1985 Dodge OMNI |
55. Lint collector: TRAP. Think "clothes dryer".
Dryer Doctors recommends a thorough cleaning of your dryer's vent system every 1-3 years.
56. Prefix with legal or normal: PARA-. I found a book that combines a PARAlegal with the PARAnormal. I cannot recommend it because I have not read it but goodreads gave it 4.38 stars.
57. Fixed-term bank accts.: CDS. Certificates of Deposit
56. Prefix with legal or normal: PARA-. I found a book that combines a PARAlegal with the PARAnormal. I cannot recommend it because I have not read it but goodreads gave it 4.38 stars.
57. Fixed-term bank accts.: CDS. Certificates of Deposit
Today's grid:
 |
| All four of the themed answers are 14 letters long. |
Time for me to exit stage left. Have a good week, everyone!
10 comments:
Although this puzzle
at first looked a little intimidating, with three grid spanners, it ended up being another typical Monday walk in the park.
FIR, so I’m happy.
Good morning!
Fastest solve in quite some time. Themeless Mondays are my favorite. D'oh. My Wite-Out only CaME OUT TO PLAY to correct awe to WOW. Nice one, Brent. Thanx for your always-fun write-up, sumdaze. (Duck-Duck-Go also comes up with March April May, citing tryhardguides.com, danword.com, and crosswordsolver.com. Once an error is posted on the Internet, it lives on forever.)
FIR with no erasure.
Marina DEL Rey is the largest small-boat harbor in the USA. Many people fought its creation, saying that it would be an enormous burden on taxpayers, and only benefit the rich. In reality, it has been a huge financial success - its bonds were paid off early, and it continues to enrich the coffers of LA County. (I was a member of Windjammers Yacht Club, one of the many MdR yacht clubs, when I lived in LA.)
Waldorf SALAD, because Waldorf, Maryland wouldn't fit.
I have an APPT with my doc at 9:00 today to follow up on my recent trips to Emergency.
"I WASN'T born yesterday," or the more recent "I was born at night, but it WASN'T last night."
The Offspring had a big hit with their quirky COME OUT AND PLAY. Ya gotta keep 'em separated.
Thanks to Brent for the Monday-easy puzzle. My favorite was the clue for COMB. And to sumdaze for the chuckles. Loved the Gallop poll toon.
Being that each themer was a stand alone word, and not spanning two or more, it was easy enough to suss the theme sans circles, which should make some folks happy. Quite a few names but only two required perps, PIAF and MARC, the others pretty well known. FIR in 8:26, so I guess I would call it another walk in the hay. Thanks Brent for the nice start to the CW week, I liked the theme and the progression. Also thanks to sumdaze for another uplifting expo, I liked the slinky on the treadmill and the penguins with the frozen🍷. In one of my poorer life decisions, in 1979 I traded in a Camaro for a new economical Dodge OMNI when gas prices hit a dollar a gallon, worst vehicle I ever owned.
FIR. This was somewhat easy to solve despite so many proper names. With each name the perps were there to help.
It took unveiling three long answers to finally see the theme for all four. I must admit I did not pay much attention to the theme since the solve was so easy.
Overall an enjoyable puzzle.
Good morning, Cornerites! When I checked the blog this morning to make sure everything published OK, I noticed something about this puzzle I had not noticed before. The progression goes from a LINE that is part of a SCENE that is part of an ACT that is part of a PLAY. I like that added layer, Brent!
Well, that was smooth. No erasures, only one UKN, MARC, and á cute theme that required no circles. I too liked the clue for COMB.
We had ELENA, ELAN, ALAN.
Great review sumdaze. I loved the room temp wine cartoon.
Today's was a nicely constructed puzzle by Brent, with four near-grid spanners, each ending with the theme--four different theater terms. Without a Reveal (or circles), the theme was perhaps not obvious. Indeed, some have already called this puzzle "themeless."
The 49 Down clue is incorrect, and it's not the first time I've seen this clue in the LAT crossword, so perhaps the blame lies not with Brent, but the editors. A correct clue would be "Voices below sopranos." Choral groups often have a few altos sing in the tenor section, and the tenor line, being high, means that that their voices as tenors are HIGHER than the altos'.
Thanks, Brent, for a satisfying and Monday-appropriate outing. And thanks, sumdaze, for the entertaining recap.
Good Morning:
Well, this was a nice, smooth solve to begin the last week of August. I saw the theme almost immediately but it neither helped nor hurt the solving process, which was a typical Monday, i.e., easy-peasy, no unknowns, no w/os, and no complaints. This is a perfect puzzle for a newbie, IMO.
Thanks, Brent, and thanks, sumdaze, for a terrific review and for the many chuckles. Actually, I laughed out loud at the Gallop Poll comic, and was similarly amused by the Wine-drinking Penguins, the Horse Play’s Stella, the Sock Drawer, and the Shouting Smoke signal. Thanks for the time and effort you expend to entertain and enlighten us so thoroughly and, I might add, successfully! 😘
Have a great day.
Took 3:24 today to get through intermission.
I knew the Actress of the Day (Alba), despite the clue being a show that ran for all of two seasons, twenty plus years ago. I didn't know the French singer or her song, nor "melc". Somehow, I knew the podcaster (Marc), but nowadays, with the ubiquitous nature of podcasts, there should be more to a clue than "podcaster ___".
I also thought of Nate from Ted Lasso.
Yep, today was a WITP.
Post a Comment