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The previous LA Times "Z-D-L" puzzle was one I blogged on Wednesday back in November - the Monty Python and the Holy Grail "just a flesh wound" masterpiece - if you happen to be a fan . . . Today Mr. Levy's construction features four themers that have a synonym for "speak" going UP the Down fills, but defined as its homonym; I was perplexed as to why I could not get the answer for 9D to gibe with the crossings, until - the V-8 can. Not too difficult for a Friday, IMO, but we get a bit bogged down with the names again; a standard 15 x 15 grid, more than double the number of four-letter words to 3LWs, no circles, and missing only the "Q" for a pangram *. The themers and reveal;
4. Fast service: SSERPXE MAIL - Express is spelled "up" in the grid
9. Seize-the-day type: OG GETTER - here's where I sussed the theme, as I knew it had to be "GO"
27. Many a land-grant university: ETATS SCHOOL - State, going "up"
40. Hogwash: RETTU ROT - Utter, going "up"
25. Comment to a low talker, or what is found in 4-, 9-, 27-, and 40-Down: SPEAK UP - here's the collection of scenes from the "low talker" episode of Seinfeld
She appeared in court for the finale, too
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t r e
t i e r
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B W T M
ACROSS:
1. Sticks (out): JUTS - AND it's crossing - 1D. Talked and talked: JAWED ( and a theme Easter Egg )
Now there's a juts/jawed combo
5. Site of an 1836 siege: ALAMO - starting with a geo name, #1
10. Got 100% on: ACED
14. Latin 101 word: AMAS
15. Enter again, as data: RELOG - a bit meh
16. Opera star: DIVA
17. Rouse: WAKE
18. Greg Maddux's record 18: GOLD GLOVES - I know so little about baseball, I started with NO HITTERS, but it didn't fit - name #2
20. "Self-Reliance" essayist: EMERSON - ah - Ralph Waldo; learning moment; more here - name #3
22. __ urchin: SEA
23. Sorta: "ISH" - many crossword clues/answers of late have drifted too far towards "ish"
24. Challenges, as a credit card charge: DISPUTES
26. Neutrogena product: T-GEL
It "appears" you need glasses to use the product
28. Crosses (out): X'ES - to "E" or not to "E"; that is the question - "X's" looks correct to me; but then again, "X'ed" seems OK
29. Stone fruit center: PIT - I've never eaten a stone - are they any good~? Sounds crunchy
31. Lean: TILT
34. Department with direct marketing campaigns: SALES
37. __ noire: BETE - Frawnche, literally "black beast"; i.e., one's bane or bugbear
38. Côte d'__: AZUR - plus Frawnche; "azure ( blue ) coast" = French Riviera
39. Teen dance: PROM
40. Put on again: RE-AIR - pump in again; re-air
Now how's she gonna pedal in those shoes~?
41. Actress Garr: TERI - I liked her in "Young Frankestein" - name #4
Now listen very carefully . . .
42. "Casablanca" role: ILSA - name #5
44. London's neighboring county: ESSEX - geo name #6
45. Terse denial: "NOT I."
46. Letter after sigma: TAU
47. __ Technica: tech news website: ARS - filled via perps and a WAG
48. Stick together: CLOT
50. Conveyances also known as tricycle rickshaws: PEDICABS
The Deluxe Model
55. Energizer size: AAA - ooof; not AAs
57. Run smoothly: HUM
59. Magenta kin: FUCHSIA - spelling moment for me - I had FUSCHIA
60. Spaceflight company based in Kent, Washington: BLUE ORIGIN
63. Stalwart trees: OAKS - I could argue that all trees are "stalwart", by definition
64. In case: LEST
I like this
65. Eye-shaped windows: OCULI - most of what I find online is round, not "eye" shaped; the Wiki
When I hear 'oculus', I think of the Pantheon
66. Possessive pronoun: ONE'S - e.g. "gird one's loins"
67. Org chart topper: EXECutive
68. Fundamental principle: TENET
69. Countess's title: LADY - Here's Tom Jones, now 85yrs old, married for 59(~!) years until the passing of his wife and lifetime love Melinda in 2016; I grew up listening to his baritone voice, as my parents were born & raised in England - more on Tom from Wiki here
"Never Had A Lady Before"
from "Rescue Me", his 1979 "disco" album; so many great songs
DOWN:
2. Savory quality: UMAMI
3. Views: TAKES - Friday cluing; as in "what's your ___ on this~?" but pluralized, meh
5. Jargons: ARGOTS - the "lingo" of a (usually secret) social group - the plural is again a bit 'meh'
6. Sierra __, Africa: LEONE - geo name #7
7. "__ set": ALL - vague; Friday
8. Online admins: MODS - moderators
10. Fuss: ADO
11. Makes more sophisticated: CIVILIZES - a weapon from a more "civilized age"
Your father's lightsaber
12. Festive nights: EVES - what are festive days~? Adams~?
13. Run without saying goodbye, perhaps: DASH
19. Gamer's woe: LAG - think online gaming ( or someone taking too long to play a word in Scrabble )
21. Goes after, in a sense: SUES
30. Terse confirmation: "IT IS."
32. Entice: LURE
33. Cereal coveted by a silly rabbit: TRIX - name(ish) . . .
. . . are for kids~!
34. Whirl: SPIN
35. Folk singer Guthrie: ARLO - name #8, crossword staple
36. Fruitless endeavor: LOST CAUSE - stone fruitless = LOST QUARTZ 😜
37. Dracula player Lugosi: BELA - Here's Bella - one of the other trainers at the gym, wearing the shirt I made for my trainer Brett - that's him on the shirt; he and some of the other members are always mocking me for calling the gym equipment "tools" - hey, I do "work"(out) with them . . . name #9
44. Writer/illustrator Carle: ERIC - Didn't recognize the name - #10 - filled via perps - but I do recognize his work; I see he passed in 2021 at age 91. His website
47. Marketing space: AD UNIT - I tossed in AD PAGE
49. "What do we have here?": "O-HO~!"
51. IRS convenience: eFILE
52. Mat position: ASANA - yoga~! yoga~! yoga~!
Animal House announces toga party
53. Trained for part of a triathlon: BIKED - good WAG; running and swimming are the other two events
54. Not very respectful: SASSY
55. Up to the task: ABLE
56. Ken's "Jeopardy!" predecessor: ALEX - I watched Mr. Trebek growing up; have not watched any Jennings episodes - name #11
58. Maze runners: MICE - Dah~! I put in RATS
61. Brief "Blah, blah, blah": etc.
62. Squirt __: GUN - I bought a pair that actually have a pretend, Glock-like "slide"
You lock the slide back to expose the fill hole, thus "loading" it
Splynter
