Theme: ABCs of ambulation.
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| Jackson Musker |
In the last two months, Jackson Musker has published crossword puzzles in the Wall Street Journal and Universal Crossword. Today marks his debut in the Los Angeles Times. Congratulations, Jackson! You are on a roll! If you, dear reader, listen to public radio in Los Angeles, you may remember Jackson as a reporter on KPCC's Off-Ramp, or perhaps you enjoyed The Dinner Party Download, which Jackson produced for American Public Media. For updates on his audio career, see jacksonmusker.com. For more about today's puzzle, keep reading!
The theme clues and answers are:
18-Across. Enjoy a prime position: SIT PRETTY. The idiom "sitting pretty" means being in a favorable, comfortable, or financially secure position.
23-Across. Cramped areas under some houses: CRAWL SPACES. A crawl space is an unfinished, narrow space between the earth and the bottom floor of a building, typically measuring about 1 to 4 feet in height. Very common here in Los Angeles, where basements are rare.
36-Across. Ben E. King hit that begins "When the night has come / And the land is dark": STAND BY ME. Released in 1961, this song became a hit again in 1986 when it was used in Rob Reiner's movie of the same name, based on a Stephen King novel called "The Body."
51-Across. Biopic about Johnny Cash and June Carter: WALK THE LINE. The 2005 movie stars Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon.
57-Across. Slow-but-steady progress, or the progression found at the starts of 18-, 23-, 36-, and 51-Across: BABY STEPS. Aha! SIT, CRAWL, STAND, and WALK are stages in a baby's development. Our one-year-old grandson has completed the first three steps, but does not yet walk unsupported. That's okay. Baby steps!
Across:1. Weeper's output: TEARS.
6. Aid and __: help on a heist: ABET.
10. Miles away: AFAR.
14. Planetary path: ORBIT.
15. Puzzle cube creator Rubik: ERNŐ. Ernő Rubik is a Hungarian architect known for creating the Rubik's Cube (1974).
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| Have you ever unscrambled one? |
16. Tiny, in tech: NANO. A nanometer is one billionth of a meter. Nanotechnology is the manipulation of matter with at least one dimension measuring between 1 to 100 nanometers. There are 25,400,000 nanometers in 1 inch.
17. Long-lived desert plants: CACTI.
18. [Theme clue]
20. Ration out: ALLOT.
22. "America's Got Talent" judge Mandel: HOWIE. Howie Mandel is a Canadian comedian, film and television actor, and producer. He voiced Gizmo in the Gremlins films; played an ER doctor on NBC's St. Elsewhere; is a judge on America's Got Talent; and hosts The Price is Right Tonight in Canada.
17. Long-lived desert plants: CACTI.
18. [Theme clue]
20. Ration out: ALLOT.
22. "America's Got Talent" judge Mandel: HOWIE. Howie Mandel is a Canadian comedian, film and television actor, and producer. He voiced Gizmo in the Gremlins films; played an ER doctor on NBC's St. Elsewhere; is a judge on America's Got Talent; and hosts The Price is Right Tonight in Canada.
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| Howie Mandel through the ages |
23. [Theme clue]
27. African antelope: GNU.
29. Turned down: DENIED.
30. Sci-fi blasters: RAY GUNS.
32. Grill briquettes: COALS.
33. Ukraine's capital: KYIV.
35. Be a bookworm: READ.
36. [Theme clue]
39. Danish shoe company: ECCO. ECCO has been making shoes since 1963, and opened its first retail store in 1982. The brand owns leather tanneries in the Netherlands, Thailand, Indonesia and China. ECCO shoes are sold in 101 countries. Their reputation is for comfort and durability.
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| ECCO Men's Nubuck Lace-Up Sneaker |
42. Soft throw: TOSS.
43. Solemn promises: OATHS.
47. Ivy League school in Ithaca, New York: CORNELL.
49. Extremists: ULTRAS.
50. Classic Pontiac muscle car: GTO. The Pontiac GTO started the trend for "muscle cars" in the 1960s. Muscle cars are two-door, four passenger cars with powerful engines.
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| 1966 Pontiac GTO |
51. [Theme clue]
54. Many a middle schooler: TWEEN. BeTWEEN childhood and the TEENage years are the TWEEN years -- roughly ages 9 to 12.
56. Actress Tyler who voices Lana Kane on "Archer": AISHA. Aisha Tyler is an American actress, talk show host and director. She played Andrea Marino in the first season of Ghost Whisperer, Dr. Tara Lewis in Criminal Minds, Mother Nature in the final two The Santa Clause films, and voiced Lana Kane in Archer. She also had recurring roles on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and Friends.
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| Aisha Tyler |
57. [Theme clue]
59. Swedish stores with flatpack furniture: IKEAS.
63. Petri dish gelatin: AGAR.
64. Stratford's river: AVON. William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, lived there with his wife and children, and is buried there in Holy Trinity Church.
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| NaomiZ-upon-Avon last month |
65. Release: LET GO.
66. "A __ formality": MERE.
67. Colorful amphibian: NEWT.
68. Future JDs' exams: LSATS. Law School Admission Tests are required of those seeking Juris Doctor degrees.
Down:
66. "A __ formality": MERE.
67. Colorful amphibian: NEWT.
68. Future JDs' exams: LSATS. Law School Admission Tests are required of those seeking Juris Doctor degrees.
Down:
1. List of chapters at the front of a book: Abbr.: TOC. Table Of Contents.
2. Chapter in history: ERA.
3. Alphabet starter: ABC.
4. Actress and philanthropist who has co-produced films with Tom Hanks: RITA WILSON. Margarita Wilson Hanks is an actress, singer, and producer with a long list of credits. With her husband, actor Tom Hanks, she supports women's cancer research, among other charities. They also support the Shakespeare Center of Los Angles. Bet they've been to Stratford-upon-Avon!
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| Rita Wilson and Tom Hanks |
5. Most calm: STILLEST. WordHippo.com says that other words for STILLEST include peacefullest, tanquilest, placidest, and silentest. None of these sound good to me.
6. Greek fable writer: AESOP.
7. Water filter brand: BRITA. I gave up using Brita pitchers years ago because they developed molds that were impossible to remove, and had to be replaced regularly. It turns out that a Brita pitcher filter does not remove most of what can make water unsafe, including bacteria, viruses, parasites, arsenic, nitrate, fluoride, and dissolved solids. If you can afford to install a reverse osmosis system, it does a much better job. Activated charcoal filters and water softeners are also superior to Brita.
8. Sinus MD: ENT. ENT stands for ear, nose, and throat. It refers to a medical specialist who treats conditions in these areas
9. Likely to tip over: TOP HEAVY.
10. Over again: ANEW.
11. Exhaustion: FATIGUE.
12. Insect's feeler: ANTENNA.
13. "You Got It" singer Orbison: ROY. Roy Orbison (1936-1988) was an American singer, songwriter and guitarist known for his powerful voice and emotional ballads. He was popular in the early 1960s and again in the late 1980s when he performed as a member of the Traveling Wilburys: Roy Orbison, Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, and Tom Petty. What a group they made! Here's Roy Orbison, solo, performing "You Got It."
19. Pink, as cheeks: ROSY.
21. Psychedelics study subj.: LSD. LSD (Lysergic acid diethylamide), commonly known as acid, is a hallucinogenic drug derived from ergot, a type of fungus. Psychedelics are powerful psychoactive substances that alter perception and mood and affect cognitive processes. They are generally considered physiologically safe and do not lead to dependence or addiction. They may lead to countercultural revolutions, though!
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| As a TWEEN in the 1960s, I was concerned that being a young adult would involve dropping acid regularly and having sex with random people. |
23. Public health agcy.: CDC. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
24. __ Speedwagon: REO. REO Speedwagon -- named for a brand of truck -- was an American rock band formed in Illinois in 1967. The band had great success throughout the 1980s. Their best-selling album, Hi Infidelity (1980), contained four US Top 40 hits and sold more than 10 million copies. Take a listen to "Can't Fight This Feeling."
25. "Knives Out" actress de Armas: ANA. Ana de Armas grew up in Cuba, moved to Spain, and then moved to Los Angeles, playing leading film and TV roles along the way. She was the holographic AI Joi in Blade Runner 2049 (2017), nurse Marta Cabrera in the mystery film Knives Out (2019), Paloma in the James Bond film No Time to Die (2021) and Marilyn Monroe in Blonde (2022), for which she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress.
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| Ana de Armas |
26. Nursery beds: CRIBS.
28. Amer. currency: USD. United States dollar.
31. North American quintet depicted on the Michigan quarter: GREAT LAKES.
28. Amer. currency: USD. United States dollar.
31. North American quintet depicted on the Michigan quarter: GREAT LAKES.
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This Michigan quarter was "colorized" by a private company after issuance by the U.S. Mint. |
33. Grassy mound: KNOLL.
34. Gridiron figs.: YDS. American football fields are called "gridirons" and are measured in YarDS.
37. Many a fan of the Hawks and the Dream: ATLANTAN. The Atlanta Dream are a women's team in the Women's National Basketball Association, and the Atlanta Hawks are a men's team in the National Basketball Association. Makes sense that an Atlantan would cheer them on.
38. Bump that indicates a lawn infestation: MOLEHILL. If your lawn is full of adorable furry mammals, can you really call it an infestation?
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| Cute! |
39. Heartbeat check, for short: ECG. Electrocardiogram.
40. Humble home: COTTAGE.
41. Prying tool: CROWBAR.
44. Uni- + bi-: TRI.
45. Chewie's co-pilot: HAN. Chewbacca and Han Solo are characters in the Star Wars films.
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| Chewie and Han |
46. NNW reversal: SSE. Opposite points of a compass.
48. Meadow moms: EWES. Mama sheep.
49. Syllables of uncertainty: UHS. I tried UMS first.
52. Punch sound: KAPOW.
53. Naysayer's quaint contraction: 'TISN'T. An old fashioned way of saying "it isn't."
55. Charlotte Brontë's "Jane __": EYRE. Jane Eyre is the title of Charlotte Brontë's 1847 novel, and the name of its heroine.
57. Punch sound: BAM.
55. Charlotte Brontë's "Jane __": EYRE. Jane Eyre is the title of Charlotte Brontë's 1847 novel, and the name of its heroine.
57. Punch sound: BAM.
58. Night before: EVE.
60. Due-in hr.: ETA. Estimated Time of Arrival.
61. Writer's rep: AGT. A writer's representative is her agent.
62. Distress letters: SOS. SOS is a Morse code distress signal ( ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ) designed for ease of use and recognition. SOS did not represent any words when first used. Later, backronyms were created for it in popular usage, and SOS became associated with phrases such as "Save Our Souls" and "Save Our Ship."
Here's the grid:
Solvers,
Did any part of today's puzzle bring you to TEARS? Were you DENIED the coveted FIR (Finished It Right)?
Or was it just BAM, KAPOW, done?
We always look forward to your comments.
-- NaomiZ
FIR, but KYeV->KYIV.
ReplyDeleteI remember HOWIE and Howard Stern discussing their common problems dealing with OCD. Their odd compulsions were quite entertaining, and sometimes sad. Once again, there but for the grace of God...
Back in the day I had a friend who said she was TRIsexual. She said she would TRy anything once. (Unfortunately, I remained in her "friend zone.")
Thanks to Jackson for the good start to the work week, even though I didn't know any of the three actresses. And thanks to NaomiZ for another entertaining review, and for the information on BRITA. I've always used them in my motor home, but since it has a whole-house activated charcoal filtration system I guess I needn't bother. I change my filter cartridge every spring, and it always looks like it's stopped a lot of stuff.
Zipped right through this one with nary a hiccup. Impressive debut, Jackson. Enjoyed your expo, NaomiZ.
ReplyDeleteNo CRAWL SPACEs around here. Every house is built on a steel-reinforced concrete slab. The gumbo soil doesn't provide any other options. Home re-leveling (foundation repair) is a big business here. When he's not pitching his own brand of beef (see what I did there?), Nolan Ryan moonlights on ads for a foundation repair company.
You Got It seems a weird pick for a Roy Orbison hit. Better known would be Oh, Pretty Woman, Crying, Only The Lonely, or this one. Linda Ronstadt had a popular cover of it, too.
When I moved to Dallas, I leased a house for six months to give me time to compare neighborhoods. One term in my lease was that I agreed to water the foundation at specified intervals (that I don't remember.) I thought it was funny at the time, but I learned that expansive soil was no joke. A lot of newish houses near our HQ were built on concrete piers.
DeleteWeird spelling of
ReplyDelete“Kiev.” Otherwise, this puzzle was a cinch, which is what I would expect of a Monday.
FIR, so I’m happy.
The "Y" in KYIV was my last letter.
DeleteKyiv is the official Ukraine translation while Kiev was the Soviet translation
ReplyDeleteFIR. As expected for a Monday a very easy puzzle. Everything with the exception of a few proper names was simple to suss out.
ReplyDeleteI went through this puzzle so fast that I didn't pay attention to the theme until I got to the reveal. Very clever indeed.
Overall a most enjoyable puzzle.
Good Morning:
ReplyDeleteI saw the theme early on but the reveal was a cute surprise. Stillest sounds very awkward to my ears and the Kiev/Kyiv entry gave me a FIW. I, apparently, wasn’t thinking broadly enough to realize the more currently preferred spelling was needed, so that’s on me. Other than that, the solve was quick, easy, and enjoyable, IOW, a typical Monday offering.
Thanks, Jackson, and congrats on your LA Times debut and thanks, Naomi, for your enlightening review and the nostalgic musical pieces.
FLN
DO, Hannaford’s online ordering ability remains unresolved. It’s now a whole week of frustration and, in some cases, desperation.
Have a great day.
Took 3:21 today to furniture surf my way through this one.
ReplyDeleteI knew 2/3 of the Actresses of the Day (Rita Wilson and Ana, not Aisha).
Spelling "Kyiv," "Ecco," and "Erno" were the tough parts.
Such a cute theme. I was CRAWLing along the grid not noticing the progression moves until the nice surprise reveal. I vaguely remembered RITA WILSON’s name, but AISHA was all perps. Not quite a BAM, KAPOW, NaomiZ, but I was SITting PRETTY.
ReplyDeleteNice review and photo.
It was pretty much BAM, KAPOW, done for me on this one, a lot of verts filled by the acrosses, many of which I didn’t see till Naomi’s review cuz I didn’t see the clues. FIR in about 7. My only real unknown was AISHA, I know of ANA, but not by the extracurricular stuff in the clue. I liked the theme and very fitting for a Monday, difficulty wise. ROY and the rest of the Wilburys were one of my favorite bands ‘End of the Line’ another great tune. Thank you Jackson for the fun solve and to NaomiZ for your follow-up commentary, nice photo on the Avon! Also I’ll take a CSO on the Michigan quarter.
ReplyDeleteA usual MOLEHILL (not mountainous) Monday. No Inkovers.
ReplyDeleteThe theme kynda reminds me of the “Riddle of the Sphinx”.
ECCO appears but infrequently as an answer so I always need perps. TOC needed a perps as well.
RAYGUNS are so “yesterday” replaced by Laser weapons
IKEA should pay something to the blog for all the free advertising it gets or send some complimentary meatballs
NANO (Latin/Italian: “dwarf”)
If you want an EKG instead hop on a flight to Düsseldorf. 😄
Someone needs to come up with a chest strip or jacket rather than sticky leads applied and removed one by one. The tracing itself is completed in a NANO second.
We know what ANA and AISHA are up to but what is CHEWIE doing these days?
Trousers that exhaust: FATIGUES
Raven’s saloon. CROWBAR
Moonshine maker: STILLEST
NaomiZ don’t be surprised if you get a nasty letter from the Brita folks 🫢
Gonna be a sunny week 😎
Marvellous Monday. Thanks for the fun Jackson (congrats on your LAT debut) and NaomiZ.
ReplyDeleteI FIRed in good time and saw the BABY STEPS with the reveal.
Two inkblots to change SerenEST to STILLEST and KieV to KYIV. (Kiev is the old name under the Russian regime while KYIV respects the Ukrainian language heritage. Tsk, tsk on me for disrespecting DH’s ancestral home.)
Unknown-to-me names like AISHA perped fairly.
CORNELL has been in the news lately for all the wrong reasons.
ECG or EKG? Perps gave me my familiar one.
This Canadian had a wry smile with GREAT LAKES. I am not changing my mnemonic device from HOMES to SHAME,
Ontario has a Stratford on AVON too - complete with swans. I have a lovely photo of 3 of our grandchildren (but I can’t post them) by the river in September when we took them to The Stratford Festival to see The Hobbit.
Wishing you all a great day.
A sweet start to the puzzling week. Congratulations to Jackson on your LAT debut and I hope that we see more of your work in the coming months. Like IM, I figured out the theme quickly but still found the apt reveal to be a delight. The twin punch sounds were fun.
ReplyDeleteThanks to NaomiZ for the characteristically wonderful review. Your captions for AVON and LSD had me laughing out loud!
Nice theme, and in order, too! 17 names though, DNK 6. Other than too many names, a fun Monday jaunt, FIR in 8.
ReplyDeleteThanx for the fun, JM, I hope to see more of your CWs, but hopefully with fewer names.
Thanx too to NaomiZ for the very nice write-up. Nice pic "on-Avon", too. That's a really pretty quarter! I have an under-the-sink water filter that uses activated charcoal as part of the filtering mechanism. All drinking water runs through that filter. Fortunately, I bought several cartridges from the plumbing store before the store went belly-up.
Hola! A very nice, easy Monday puzzle from Jackson Musker. Have we seen his work before? I breezed through it and only had trouble with KYIV. On my globe it's KIEV, of course. And when it comes to sports, I'm hopeless so YDS escaped me.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in the UK I visited and toured Shakespeare's home which was a thrill.
Thank you, NaomiZ. Your narratives are always helpful. Have a wonderful day, everyone!
I liked this puzzle. Took me a while to remember how to spell KYIV.
ReplyDeleteNice way to start the week (and his first puzzle) from Jackson. The OCD in me appreciated that the BABY STEPS were in developmental order.
ReplyDeleteI had a run in with CORNELL as a child. Nothing to do with the current flap, but a head-butt from a junior relative of the founder while playing sandlot football in Syracuse, NY. After chipping one of my teeth, he said, "Everyone wants a chipped tooth!" Lucky me.
Great pic of Naomi-upon-AVON. You're almost famous!
No mention of a certain GRASSY KNOLL?
ReplyDeleteFun puzzle. Hand up UMS before UHS. FIR.
I remember that certain grassy knoll!
ReplyDeleteKyiv caused me to FIW. I had Kiev and cribs changed it to Keiv…still not right. Fun puzzle and theme. Thanks Jackson and NaomiZ!