Wednesday, Jan 22nd, 2025 ~ Parker Higgins

CURSES~!

We had National Tin Foil Hat Day last month

Parker Higgins returns with a "conspiracy" construction - he has two previous LA Times puzzles, and I don't recall this one, but the theme was quite unique.   Today we have three incidents of being foiled more than once - I am kinda '"meh" on this one, sorry - having found a clever theme from just two years ago, have we started to run out of ideas~?  No circles - we had those yesterday - 25 TLWs, and a dozen names, pretty much what I would expect for a Wednesday grid.  The themers;

17. "Another layer of wrapping before I'm cooked!?": BAKED POTATO - Aluminum Foil

33. "Another touch point for my opponent!?": OLYMPIC FENCER - Sword Foil

39. "Another literary figure whose qualities contrast my own!?": MAIN CHARACTER - Literary Foil

59. "Another plan thwarted!," or another way to phrase three clues in this puzzle?: FOILED AGAIN

And Away We Go~!

ACROSS:

1. Saweetie songs: RAPS - A name (#1) to start us off - thankfully, I do the DOWNS first - her Wiki

5. Japanese mat: TATAMI

11. Turf: SOD

14. Burn application: ALOE - I am breaking with tradition, Hahtoolah

15. Preplanned, as some viral videos: STAGED

16. Duo: TWO

19. Gun, as an engine: REV

20. "Fame" singer Cara: IRENE - name #2 , but a Crossword staple

21. Designer Jacobs: MARC - name #3 - the website - and you can have a sack bag for just $550

22. Give over: CEDE

23. Private convos: DMs - Direct Messages - for users on a social media platform, i.e., Facebook, etc. Not my thing

24. Trans- opposite: CIS

26. Queens stadium eponym: ASHE - Shea~? Citi~? Ah - the tennis place - name #4

28. Corn core: COB

29. Throbbed: PULSATED

This is what my knees feel like after squats

35. "Mamma Mia" group: ABBA - Crossword staple, name #5

37. Fish used as currency in medieval England: EEL - 'tis true; at least according to this website

38. Soap unit: CAKE

44. Kids playing in the backyard?: PET GOATS - goat juveniles are kids; seems like a "forced" fill to me; but then again, I had "GOAT YOGA" not too long ago, and that is a "thing"

45. Blue: SAD

46. Remain unsettled: PEND - AND - 12D. Outstanding: OWED

47. Up to, briefly: 'TIL 

48. "Stay With Me" singer Smith: SAM - name #6

51. Hefty alternative: GLAD - Garbage bag wars; name(ish)

53. Bangers partner: MASH - Brit-speak for sausage and potatoes

Here's a recipe link - with gravy~!

56. Computer expert, briefly: IT PRO - Information Technology 'briefly' is "I.T."

58. Untrustworthy paper: RAG - hey, now, MiB read them on a regular basis

Let's check the hot sheets

61. Wide st.: AVE

62. Flowery, as prose: ORNATE

63. Frozen drink with a domed lid: ICEE

64. Some degs.: BAs - Dah~!  My overlooked error was an "M", not a "B" degree

65. Aquarium fighters: BETTAS

66. Muppet material: FELT - and ping-pong balls; more at this museum


DOWN:

1. Overzealous: RABID - Not EAGER

2. First smartphone alert of the day, for many: ALARM

3. Jabs: POKES

4. "I feel __": SEEN - this must be 21st century-speak, as I have said this never

5. Baking amt.: TSP - I wanted to make me some brownies with a peanut butter filling and fudge topping last weekend - went to use the electric beater I got from clearing out the parent's house, and discovered the beaters were NOT in the box - they were kept separately in a kitchen drawer - D'oh~!

6. Small matters?: ATOMS - cute

7. "Toodles!": "TA-TA~!" - I tried "CIAO" first

8. Food thickener: AGAR - LFDC

9. "Lady Bird" Oscar nominee Laurie: METCALF - name #7

10. Words one utters in an altar-ed state?: "I DO." - har-har

11. Transport largely replaced by light rail: STREETCAR

13. Peace sign: DOVE

18. Diversionary tactic: DECOY

22. Risked: CHANCED

25. ThinkPad maker before Lenovo: IBM

Vintage~!

27. NNW opposite: SSE

28. Sounded like heavy metal?: CLANGED - sounded like Heavy Metal~? - let me count the ways - OK, this one has some clever harmonics that sound like bending metal . . .

Blue Öyster Cult - Heavy Metal; The Black & Silver

29. Fishing spots: PIERS - I was recently contacted by two friends from high school for the first time in decades - one of them is the weatherman on TV in Richmond VA, and he has a podcast on fishing - but he prefers upstate NY to the pier

30. Sch. based in Westwood: UCLA - I'm East Coast

31. "A mouse!": "EEK~!"

32. Beats by __: DRE

33. Newspaper section with notable passages?: OBIT PAGES - forced

34. Bog makeup: PEAT

35. Source of feedback for a guitarist?: AMP - Clever clue, but not deceptive - one could argue there's no "abbr" in there, so it should be "amplifier"

36. Hon: BAE - Cringe.  But I did find . . . .

"Bae" clothing line from Shein; I could get to like this . . .

40. Mark against: CON - meh.

41. Went for seconds: HAD MORE - forced - but has been in another puzzle

42. Forensic drama with regional spinoffs: CSI

43. Actress Shire: TALIA - name #8

47. Eta follower: THETA - Greek letters 

48. Elbow room: SPACE

49. Mermaid played by Halle Bailey: ARIEL - name #9

50. "Water Lilies" painter: MONET - two weeks ( for me ) having to guess the "A" or "O"; name #10

51. Snag: GRAB - Ah.  The verb, not the noun

52. Floor material, in a children's game: LAVA - "don't touch the floor~!"; 'composition' or 'make up' would have been a better word than 'material', but I still got it - I would pretend to be Indiana Jones when we had this "exercise" in gym class

54. Casual contraction: AIN'T - I tried Y'ALL

55. Thin strip: SLAT - oops, not LATH

57. "Yay, the weekend!" letters: TGIF

Thank Grover It's Funny~?

59. Car remote: FOB

60. __ Plaines, Illinois: DES - LFDC

Splynter

Tuesday, January 21, 2025 Janice Luttrell

Haute Couture, or the creation of exclusive high-end fashion.  The letters in the circles spell out sewing terms.  Seams and Hems can be found in just about all clothing, high fashion or not.  Darts are found in women's dresses, blouses, and many styles of pants.

20-Across. Studio co-founded by Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, and others: UNITED ARTISTS. DARTs are folds (tucks coming to a point) sewn into fabric to take in ease and provide shape to a garment, especially for a woman's bust.  United Artists was founded in February 1919.

24-Across.  Like Vera Wang and I.M. Pei:  CHINESE AMERICAN.  A SEAM is the joining of two or more layers of fabric held together with stitches.  Vera Wang (née Vera Ellen Wang; b. June 27, 1949) is an American fashion designer, so she is quite familiar with the sewing terms in this puzzle.  I. M. Pei (né Ioeh Ming Pei; Apr. 26, 1917 ~ May 16, 2019) was an especially creative architect. Two of his iconic designs are the Kennedy Library in Boston, Massachusetts and the Dallas City Hall.  was born in Guangzhou, China.  He moved to the United States when he was 17 to attend college.  He became a naturalized citizen in 1954.  He was 

43-Across. Completely unplanned: SPUR OF THE MOMENT.  In sewing, a HEM is the finished edge of a piece of cloth.  It often refers to the bottom of a skirt or the legs of pants.

And the unifier:

49-Across. Social groups that work on embroidery projects, or what can be found three times in this puzzle?: SEWING CIRCLES.  The circles in the puzzle are necessary for this clue and answer to fully make sense.  Additionally, an embroidery CIRCLE is a necessity for embroidery projects.

Across:

1. Taken __: surprised: ABACK.

6. Oscar winner Guinness: ALEC.  That's Sir Alec to you.  Alec Guinness (né Alec Guinness de Cuffe; Apr. 2, 1914 ~ Aug. 5, 2000) was an English actor.  He began his stage career in 1934, then made the transition to a film career.  He is best known to me as portraying Obi-Wan Kenobi in the original Star Wars movies.

10. Think (over): MULL.

14. Heartless: CRUEL.

15. Showroom sample: DEMO.

16. Length x width: AREA.

17. Soup scoop: LADLE.

18. "Sunflowers" and "Water Lilies": PAINTINGS.  Vincent Van Gogh (né Vincent Willem van Gogh; Mar. 30, 1853 ~ July 29, 1890) made numerous paintings of sunflowers.  Claude Monet (né Oscar-Claude Monet; Nov. 14, 1840 ~ Dec. 5, 1926) was fond of painting the water lilies in his garden in Givenry, France.

Some of Van Gogh's Sunflowers

Monet's Water Lilies

22. Eggy holiday drink: NOG.

23. Air traffic org.: FAA.  As in the Federal Aviation Administration.

33. Luxury watch brand: ROLEX.

34. The red planet: MARS.  Did you know that Mars named after the Roman god of war because its red color reminded them of blood?

35. The "A" of IPA: ALE.  As in India Pale Ale.  The backstory of India Pale Ale.

36. Numbered musical composition: OPUS.

37. Manicure targets: NAILS.

39. Fencer's handful: HILT.

40. Telluride or Escalade: SUV.  Both are Sports Utility Vehicles.  The Telluride is made by Kia and the Escalade is made by Cadillac.

41. Fireplace stack: LOGS.

42. Muscular strength: SINEW.

47. Always, poetically: EER.

48. Soak (up), as gravy: SOP.

56. Careful examination: CLOSE LOOK.

58. __ and kicking: ALIVE.

59. Assistant: AIDE.

60. Folk tales: LORE.

61. Gymnast Comaneci: NADIA.  Nadia Elena Comăneci (b. Nov. 12, 1961) is a five-time Olympic gold medalist, all in individual events.  In 1976, at the age of 14, Comăneci was the first gymnast to be awarded a perfect score of 10.0 at the Olympic Games.  In 1996, she married fellow gymnast Bart Conner (b. Mar. 28, 1958).

62. Paella vegetables: PEAS.  Yummers!

63. Absolut rival: SKYY.  There are lots of brands of vodkas out there.  Here is one man's review of many vodka brands.

64. Beginning stage: ONSET.  This is becoming a crossword staple.

Down:

1. First Amendment advocacy gp.: ACLU.  As in the American Civil Liberties Union.  The ACLU was founded on Jan. 19, 1920.

2. High-fiber cereal ingredient: BRAN.

3. German auto: AUDI.  A history of the Audi.  This car manufacturer also makes SUVs.

4. Gael, for one: CELT.

5. Facial tissue brand: KLEENEX.  Kleenex is a registered trademark of Kimberly-Clark Corporation. The generic term for Kleenex is facial tissue.  "Kleenex" has become so commonly used that it's now considered interchangeable with the generic term "tissue".

6. Newspaper income source: AD PAGE.

7. Shakespearean king with three daughters: LEAR.  King Lear is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare.  It is loosely based on the mythological Leir of Britain.  As King Lear approached his old age, he divides his power and land between his daughters Goneril and Regan, who pay homage to gain favor, feigning love.  Our friend, Old Man Keith could have told us a lot about this Shakespearian play.

8. Give off: EMIT.

9. Many Christmas trees: CONIFERS.  Conifers produce cones instead of flowers or fruit.  The name "conifer" comes from the cones that produce seeds.

10. Rum and Curaçao cocktail: MAI TAI.  Yummers!  One version of how the drink came into being.

11. Large coffee dispensers: URNS.

12. Table support: LEG.

13. __ Vegas: LAS.  Las Vegas, Nevada was founded in 1905 as a railroad stop in the desert between Salt Lake City and Los Angeles.  It wasn't until the 1940s that it became the gambling mecca that it is known for today.

19. Former Russian rulers: TSARs.  The term tsar, a form of the ancient Roman imperial title caesar.  The title was first used by Ivan IV, (b. Aug. 25, 1530 ~ Mar. 1584) when he proclaimed himself as Tsar.  He was also known as Ivan the Terrible.

Tsar Ivan IV

21. Spanish two: DOS.  Today's Spanish lesson.

24. Symbol of Christianity: CROSS.  Apparently there are various versions of the cross and its history pre-dates Christianity.

25. Invitation to a dog while patting the bed, perhaps: HOP UP.

26. Candy heart words: I LUV U.

27. Super Mario Bros. console: NES.

28. Barn-raising sect: AMISH.

29. "Bad" prefix: MAL-.

30. "Alfie" star Michael: CAINE.  That's Sir Michael to you.  His given name is actually Maurice Joseph Micklewhite (b. Mar. 14, 1933).

31. "The Bear" Emmy winner Jeremy __ White: ALLEN.  Jeremy Allen White (b. Feb. 17, 1991) portrays Carmy Berzatto, a chef inherits his family's Italian beef sandwich shop after the death of his older brother.  He is left to deal with his brother's unresolved debts, a rundown kitchen, and an unruly staff, while dealing with his own pain and family trauma.   The Bear is considered a "psychological comedy-drama."

32. Food package abbr.: NET WT.  As in Net Weight.

37. Without any extras: NO FRILLS.

38. Simon Cowell's competition show, briefly: AGT.  As in America's Got Talent.

39. He/__ pronouns: HIM.

41. "My Fair Lady" composer Frederick: LOEWE.  Frederick Loewe (né Friedrich "Fritz" Löwe; June 10, 1901 ~ Feb. 14, 1988) was an American composer.  He collaborated with lyricist Alan Jay Lerner (Aug. 311, 1918 ~ June 14, 1986) on many of Broadway musicals, including Brigadoon and Camelot, as well as My Fair Lady.

42. Opera heroine, often: SOPRANO.

44. Big name in peanut butter candy: REESES.  Yummers!

45. "Get me outta here" button: ESC KEY.

46. "Pretentious? __?": MOI.

49. Fountain drink: SODA.

50. Alcove: NOOK.

51. Unpleasant, as details: GORY.  Cartoonist Edward Gorey (Feb. 22, 1925 ~ Apr. 15, 2000) often created gory cartoons.  His name was very appropriate.

52. Family: CLAN.

53. Tupperware toppers: LIDS.  Tupperware containers were invented in the 1940s by Earl Tupper (né Earl Silas Supper; July 28, 1907 ~ Oct. 5, 1983).

54. Pop singer Sands: EVIE.  Evie Sands (b. July 18, 1946) is probably best known for her 1967 song, Angel of the Morning.

55. Airplane assignment: SEAT.

56. Ballplayer's hat: CAP.

57. Fib: LIE.

Here's the Grid:

חתולה

Many thanks to Anon-T and Naomi Z for filling in on Tuesdays while I was away down under.

Businesses closed due to Snow!

Notes from C.C.:

1) Welcome back, Hahtoolah!

2) Happy 77th birthday to Madame DeFarge! Hope you're doing well, Janice, we miss your presence on the blog.

 

From L To R: Abejo, WikWak and Madame DeFarge

 

3) Happy birthday to sumdaze, our creative and loving Monday Sherpa. Renee is also a triathlete, who runs, bikes and swims long distance. 

4) Happy 17th birthday to our blog! Thank you so much for visiting and commenting.