Sunday March 26, 2023 Dylan Schiff & Matthew Stock

Theme:  "Split a Ride" - Eight different car makes are split up by one letter, those letters orderly spell out "car parts".

23. Snarky response to criticism: WELL EXCUSE ME. Lexus.

32. Snack source: VENDING MACHINE. GMC.

41. Store with discounted athletic apparel: UNDER ARMOUR OUTLET. Ram.

64. Oscar night phrase: THE ENVELOPE PLEASE. Opel.

74. Festivals with jousts: RENAISSANCE FAIRES. Nissan.

96. Cartoon Network show about a boy-genius inventor: DEXTER'S LABORATORY. Tesla.

105. The whole lot: KIT AND CABOODLE. Kia.

120. "Just wait till I tell Mom!": YOU ARE SO DEAD. Rio.

Did you guys all get the "CAR PARTS" part? Patti normally wants a reveal for this type of gimmick, but 8 long theme entries are always quite a lot to accommodate. The fill is just so smooth.

Across:

1. "Nonsense!": BOSH.

5. Illinois-Indiana border river: WABASH. Indiana state song: "On the Banks of the Wabash, Far Away"

11. With 56-Down, be connected: HAVE. 56. See 11-Across: AN IN.

15. Pops: DAD.

18. Calculus calculation: AREA.

19. Place to purchase oils: ART SHOP.

21. Mole, for one: UNIT. SI unit of amount of substance. Wikipedia gives these examples: 10 moles of water and 10 moles of mercury .

 22. Rage: IRE.

25. "Drat!": GOSH DARN. Great 8.

27. Candies on sticks, informally: LOLLIES. Candies on sticks, Chinese-style.

28. Like music from "The Twilight Zone": EERIE.

30. Prom queen toppers: TIARAS.

31. "How curious": ODD.

35. "Was that us?": DID WE?

38. Tote __: BAG.

39. "Catch my drift?": SEE.

40. Tripod's trio: LEGS.

48. Gel: SET.

49. Aesop racer: HARE.

50. Gym count: REP. Andy is now happy again. He likes the new gym. The last gym he liked did not survive COVID.

51. Standard: NORM.

52. Filing aids: TABS.

54. Writer/director Phyllis: NAGY. Learning moment for me. She wrote the screenplay for "Carol".

56. "Written in the Stars" musical: AIDA.

57. Carpentry tool: RIPSAW.

61. Put in stitches: SEW.

69. Modify to fit: ADAPT.

71. Hudson Riv. tech school: RPI. Spitzboov went there. We also have 72. The NCAA's Spartans: MSU.

73. Runs in place: IDLES.

80. Nosh: EAT.

81. First name in Indian politics: INDIRA. Gandhi. Daughter of Nehru.

82. "Fall back" interval: HOUR.

83. Drop: OMIT.

85. Tricky rink move: DEKE. Shout-out to Splynter. Maybe an updated picture?

87. Thick hair: MANE.

88. Maker of Two Baroque Pearls nail polish: OPI.

89. Yemen neighbor: OMAN.

93. Watch chain: FOB. Forgot to take the fob out when I washed my puffer. Dumb!

100. Many a Meccan: ARAB.

102. Unagi roll protein: EEL. Our local Asian store has these frozen packages of eels.

103. Dreidel, for one: TOP.

104. Get emotional, with "up": CHOKE.

111. Tuna in poke bowls: AHI.

112. App follower, often: ENTREE.

113. With 121-Down, seat of California's Orange County: SANTA. 121. See 113-Across: ANA.

114. Spanish expression of shock: DIOS MIO. My god.

118. Fibbed: TOLD A LIE.

123. Untouched serve: ACE.

124. Crowd din: ROAR.

125. Member of the "Oregon Trail Generation": XENNIAL. Portmanteau of Generation X and Millennials. According to Wikipedia, it's used to describe a "micro-generation" or "cross-over generation" of people whose birth years are between the late 1970s and the early 1980s, with some sources extending the Xennial date range to the mid-1980s. 

126. Facts and stats, in a debate: AMMO.

127. Poetic partner of Wynken and Blynken: NOD.

128. Figures shared with CPAs: SSNS.

129. Dependable: STABLE.

130. Polite affirmative: YES'M.

Down:

1. Sob: BAWL.

2. Cold Stone Creamery mix-in: OREO.

3. Hawk: SELL.

4. Night when Linus waits for the Great Pumpkin: HALLOWEEN.

5. Treated a surfboard: WAXED.

6. Bottle rocket paths: ARCS.

7. Utility bill meas.: BTU.

8. Burro: ASS.

9. Luster: SHEEN.

10. __ in on: HOMED.

11. Significant addition to a team: HUGE GET. Debut fill.

12. "That's __-brainer!": A NO.

13. Scenic view: VISTA.

14. Value system: ETHIC.

15. Books about everyday life?: DIARIES. Nice clue.

16. Put in order: ARRANGE.

17. Most populous: DENSEST.

20. Gilpin of "Frasier": PERI. And 26. Actress Arlene: DAHL.

24. Down source: EIDER.

29. "To recap ... ": IN SUM.

32. Improvised jazz part: VAMP.

33. Challenge to clubhouse chemistry: EGO.

34. Patty __: MELT.

35. "How obvious!": DUH.

36. Garten of "Barefoot Contessa": INA.

37. Video game with a floor mat, for short: DDR. Dance Dance Revolution.

38. Frozen dessert brand: BREYERS. I used to get this for Boomer.

42. "Gah!": ARGH.

43. Abbr. on some college apparel: UNIV.

44. Sat atop: RODE.

45. __ surgeon: ORAL.

46. Tombstone name: EARP.

47. Georgia capital: TBILISI. The country. Also 98. Ga. capital: ATL.

53. Raced: SPED.

55. Clad: ATTIRED.

58. Kid-lit classic "Caps for __": SALE.

59. On the ocean: ASEA.

60. Left in the map room: WEST.

61. Wraparound dress: SARI.

62. Idyllic setting: EDEN.

63. Mascara applicator: WAND.

65. Org. funding clean transportation: EPA.

66. Actor Sharif: OMAR.

67. Tire meas.: PSI.

68. Ace of Base genre: EUROPOP.

70. Invoice stamp: PAID.

75. Hibachi restaurant potable: SAKE. My toner has sake.

76. Blacken: CHAR.

77. Forever and ever: EONS.

78. Gas or wood: FUEL.

79. Gulf States title: EMIR.

84. Until now: TO THIS DAY. I can't wait for April.

86. Office VIP: EXEC.

87. __ toast: MELBA.

88. Thin wind: OBOE.

90. __ juice: MOO.

91. Torah holder: ARK.

92. TV's "Science Guy": NYE.

93. Color from a bottle: FAKE TAN. Tom Pepper has been in Florida for 3 months. You won't believe how tanned he is. I don't think I shared with you this picture I found on Boomer's Facebook. It was taken a little over 10 years ago when we attended the Second Minnesota Crossword Tournament. The guy the left is constructor Michael David, who now lives in Wisconsin.

Feb 2, 2013

94. Venezuelan river: ORINOCO. Nice to see the river as a fill rather than part of a clue for ENYA.

95. Went head-to-head: BATTLED.

97. Some promos: TEASERS.

99. "Gesundheit" trigger: ACHOO.

101. Play-ful sort?: BARD.

106. Closes in on: NEARS.

107. Día __ Muertos: DELOS. The Day of the Dead.

108. Part of a mineralogist's collection: ONYX.

109. Great Plains natives: OTOES.

110. Intimidate: DAUNT.

111. Usher's place: AISLE.

114. Give a hand?: DEAL.

115. Distracted boyfriend, for one: MEME.

116. Food brand with a paw print logo: IAMS.

117. Leslie __ Jr. of "Glass Onion": ODOM.

119. Olympic swimmer Thorpe: IAN.

122. Umbrella spoke: RIB.

C.C.

Monday January 2, 2023 Dylan Schiff

  

Hello Cornerites! Happy New Year to you all! Best wishes for health & happiness in 2023!

It is my pleasure to take you through Dylan Schiff's 5th L.A. Times puzzle. He has one Friday, two Sundays, and two Mondays to his credit. I hope we will see more from him in the coming months.

Today's offering has a well-hidden theme, four themers, ten 2-word answers, only four 3-letter fills (Hi Irish Miss!), a pair of 10-letter fills, and a reveal neatly tucked into the SE corner. Well done, Dylan!

Our theme is:  BURN, BURN, BURN

Johnny Cash, Ring of Fire

Let's start with the 4 starred clues:

20. Across*  Frozen structures that help with some winter migration: ICE BRIDGES.  Here's one theory.

27. Across*  Food that lacks nutritional value: EMPTY CALORIES.  Definition, Food List, & Examples

44. Across*  For all to see, after "in": BROAD DAYLIGHT.

50. Across*  Yoga mat material: FOAM RUBBER.  Types of Foam in Yoga Mats

What could possible connect these 4 themers? Let's go to the reveal:

54. Down.  "Hamilton" song about destroying love letters, or what one can do to the ends of the answers to the starred clues: BURN.

If you are not familiar with the song, you might guess at BURN. Here is the song with the lyrics:

Burn is sung by the character Eliza Hamilton. (See 42 Down.)

So now, with 20A we have BURN BRIDGES.  An idiom meaning to do something that cannot be easily undone or reversed in the future (often because one has behaved offensively or unfavorably.)

... with 27A, we have BURN CALORIES. Perhaps a New Year's resolution?

... with 44A, we have BURN DAYLIGHT. My first thought went to this clip from The Cowboys (1972), starring John Wayne. (42 sec.)

That is Roscoe Lee Browne playing Jebediah Nightlinger.

... and with 50A, we have BURN RUBBER.  peel out

Let's not BURN any more daylight before we move on to the rest of the grid...

Across:
1. List on the side of a taco truck: MENU.  ¡Muy Delicioso!

5. TV's __ at Nite: NICK.  a cable TV channel

9. College student's declaration: MAJOR. They call it that because it is a MAJOR decision.

14. 8-Down mineral: IRON. and 8D. Leafy vegetable rich in 14-Across: KALE.

Prior to becoming a "superfood", one of the biggest purchasers of KALE was Pizza Hut. Surprised? They used it to decorate the perimeter of their salad bars.  Kale & Pizza Hut

15. Vegetable pod that thickens gumbo: OKRA.

16. Photoshop maker: ADOBE.  an American software company

17. NPR journalist Totenberg: NINA.  You can hear her on All Things Considered.

18. Rotary phone part: DIAL.

the evolution of the phone

19. Add to an email, as a gif: EMBED.  The above comic is EMBEDed into this blog.

Bonus:  hard or soft 'g'?

23. __ facto: IPSO.

adverb

1. by that very fact or act.

   "the enemy of one's enemy may be ipso facto a friend"

24. Small batteries: AAs.

25. Pang: THROE.  We usually encounter this word in its plural form, as in "collapsed in the THROEs of agony".

33. Stories: TALES.  Tall TALES are skyscrapers.

34. Valentine's Day icon: CUPID.

35. Bubble bath spot: TUB.  where you can wash off the CRUD

38. Yucky buildup: CRUD.

39. __ throat: STREP.

40. Word on some diet products: LITE.

41. Stitched border: HEM.

42. Scornful smile: SNEER.

43. Trite: BANAL.

47. Before, with "to": PRIOR.

48. 20-vol. lexicon: OED.  "Vol" is abbreviated. So is The Oxford English Dictionary.

49. Many an Eastern European: SLAV.

57. Group of pundits on a TV news show, e.g.: PANEL.

Hi unclefred!

59. Difficult trip: TREK.

Hi Picard!

60. Mystical glow: AURA.

61. Braugher of "Brooklyn Nine-Nine": ANDRE.  I have seen this show so I am familiar with this actor. The show aired for 8 seasons (2013-2021). It is full of laughs and has a talented, fun-to-watch cast. ANDRE played the intensely pragmatic Capt. Raymond Holt.

Capt. Holt giving work & life advice. (35 sec.)

62. Oscar winner Malek: RAMI.  2019 Best Actor for Bohemian Rapsody

RAMI in the role of Queen's Freddy Mercury
He rocked!

63. Baby bed: CRIB.

64. Authority to decide: SAY-SO.

65. __ vera gel: ALOE.  good for sunBURNs

66. ACL location: KNEE.  Anterior Cruciate Ligament

Down:
1. Short skirt: MINI.

a history of the MINI skirt by Vogue (5:39 min.)

"While short skirts were worn by noblemen in Ancient Egypt and in China by women of the Duan Qun Miao, the miniskirt entered the contemporary fashion lexicon in the West during the swinging 1960s."

2. "What Truth Sounds Like" writer Michael __ Dyson: ERIC.  4.1 stars on goodreads

3. Zero: NONE.

4. Without any reduction in intensity: UNABATED.

5. DVD player error message: NO DISC. Fun clue!

6. "Just messin' with ya!": I KID.  the opposite of "I KID you not"

7. Jagged rock: CRAG.

9. "Parenthood" actress Whitman: MAE. I have never seen this show. Here's a pic of Mae and her beautiful smile.

10. Respect: ADMIRE.

11. Entry on Indeed.com, e.g.: JOB POSTING.  Indeed.com explained

12. Like many sumo wrestlers: OBESE. I am a bit uncomfortable with this clue because we are talking about dedicated athletes with intense training regimes. There is more to it.

13. Start over: REDO.  Need a REDO? No prob! Just hover over this button.

21. Tampa Bay team: RAYS.  Baseball. "Bucs" (football) also fits.

22. Narrow piece: STRIP.  Ray Stevens sang about STRIPping in 1974.

"Don't look, Ethel!"

26. Kept secret: HID.

27. __ A Sketch: ETCH.

28. Female horse: MARE.  In common cowboy parlance, a female horse is a filly until she is bred; after which, she is referred to as a MARE. The world of horse racing has its own criteria.

29. Distilled alcohol made with fruit: PLUM BRANDY. My friend Aki-san's dad gave me a bottle of his homemade PLUM BRANDY. He knew what he was doing.

30. Played a part: ACTED.  theater

31. Drew (in): LURED.

A LURE is used to LURE fish.

32. "The Phantom of the __": OPERA.  So many wonderful songs from which to choose. Today I will go with Michael Crawford singing The Music of the Night (1987).

36. Salt Lake state: UTAH.  State motto:  Industry;      State snack:  Jell-O

37. Accessory with a buckle: BELT.

39. Wolf (down): SNARF.

40. Easygoing: LAID BACK.

42. Tony nominee Phillipa: SOO.

Phillipa originated the role of Eliza in Hamilton.

43. Chicken cordon __: BLEU.  5-star recipe

45. Missouri and Ohio: RIVERS.  "States" also fits. Nice misdirection!

46. Small terrier: YORKIE.

Yorkshire Terrier
originally bred for "ratting"

47. Opening strategy: PLAN A.

49. Health resorts: SPAS.

51. Spanish "other": OTRA.  used to modify feminine palabras

52. Depleted Asian sea: ARAL.  I need to keep these straight:  Ural Mountains & ARAL Sea.

53. Personnel note: MEMO. I was surprised to read that the first known use of "MEMO" was in 1705.

55. Cleveland's lake: ERIE.  My idea of Eden is to play an aria on an oboe as I roam the shores of Lake ERIE while snacking on an Oreo before going to two spas where they will cover me in aloe.

56. Broccoli __: RABE.

58. Novelist Tolstoy: LEO.  Born 9/9/1828, making him a Virgo.

Here's the completed grid:

That's all for today. I look forward to reading your comments!

Monday October 17, 2022 Dylan Schiff

Theme: STUFFED PEPPERS (54. Tex-Mex fare found with increasing spiciness in this puzzle's circled letters?)  - Three peppers are stuffed inside.

20. Annual honorees in chemistry, physics, economics, etc.: NOBEL LAUREATES. Bell pepper.

33. Military division: BRANCH OF SERVICE. Ancho pepper.

41. WordPress, for one: BLOG HOSTING SITE. Ghost pepper.

Boomer here.

I have to admit that we visit Taco Bell now and then. I like the burritos there. Also, the VA cafeteria serves HUGE burritos for a bit more $$$$ but one fills me up there.

Across:

1. Camel feature: HUMP.

5. "Saving Mr. Banks" actress Thompson: EMMA.  Ernie was not saved.  Hall of Famer passed in 2015.

9. Snares: TRAPS.  Kramer got in deep trouble for poaching the lobster traps. 

14. Birthstone after sapphire: OPAL.  October stone.  My birthday is coming up!

15. Without rocks, in a bar: NEAT.  Years ago I always ordered my VO Manhattan on the rocks.

16. During: WHILE.

17. Texas Hold 'em, e.g.: POKER GAME.  We always had a nickel ante poker game going in the caddy shack.

19. "__ Meenie": Kingston/Bieber song: EENIE.  Minee Mo.

22. "One Night in Miami" actor Goree: ELI.

23. Notice: SPOT.  4392 dogs have this name.

24. Corn discard: COB.  Always better on the COB than from the can.

27. Doctrine suffix: ISM.

29. Red root vegetables: BEETS.  Also better not from a can.

38. Lavish party: GALA.

39. Bowler's target: PIN.  The ten is the toughest. Too close to the gutter.

40. Online auction giant: EBAY.  We have spent many hours there.

46. "That's unfortunate": SO SAD.

47. __ for the course: PAR.  I would make them now and then.

48. Animal in some fables: ASS.

49. Fibs: LIES.  Never on this blog.

52. Dot on a domino: PIP.  I don't remember FATS having any.

61. Tim who was the first sophomore to win a Heisman: TEBOW.

62. Vanish: GO MISSING.

64. NBA venue: ARENA.  Now they are usually named after a sponsor.

65. Southernmost Great Lake: ERIE.  Have only seen Superior.

66. Music genre of the boy band BTS: K-POP.  Never heard of them.

 

67. Late: TARDY.

68. Adjusts, as a clock: SETS.  Partial tennis match.

69. Conifers with pliable wood: YEWS.

Down:

1. Jump on one foot: HOP. You can shake it there

2. "__ further reflection ... ": UPON.

3. Powerful shark: MAKO.

4. West Point cadet: PLEBE.

5. School subject with lots of reading: ENGLISH.  Been there, done that.

6. Lunch or brunch: MEAL.  Done that too!

7. Two of the "California Dreamin'" quartet: MAMAS. On such a winter's day!

8. Totally believed: ATE UP.

9. Woofer's counterpart: TWEETER.  Did Elon Musk buy this too?

10. "Better Call Saul" Emmy nominee Seehorn: RHEA.

11. "You __ seen nothin' yet": AIN'T.  AIN'T AIN'T a word

12. Ballet bend: PLIE.

13. Recognizes: SEES.

18. Archaeological artifact: RELIC.  Many churches have a RELIC of their namesake.

21. Post-shower wrap: ROBE.  I just use a towel.

24. Bygone NYC punk club: CBGB.

25. Exams for Ph.D. candidates: ORALS.

26. "The Jungle Book" bear: BALOO.  I thought this was a cat's name.

28. Deck-swabbing tools: MOPS.  Does not work well on carpet.

30. Nights before special days: EVES.  My birthday EVE is coming soon.

31. Fibula neighbor: TIBIA.  My bones are still working.  Not much meat on them anymore though.

32. Improvises vocally: SCATS.

34. Badgers constantly: NAGS.  No comment.

35. In shape: FIT.  Clothes are a bit loose now.

36. Small cut: SNIP.

37. Peepers: EYES.  Jeepers creepers, where did you get them?

42. In the middle: HALFWAY.  You are now over HALFWAY there.

43. "Garfield" dog: ODIE.

44. Diapers, in Britain: NAPPIES.  Afternoon sleep in the US.

45. Holds tight: GRIPS.  Great for the golf clubs

50. Barely beats (out): EDGES.

51. Fern seed: SPORE.

53. Hard to get rid of: PESKY.  Johnny was an infielder for the Red Sox.

54. Bit of sports trivia, for short: STAT.  Makes MLB more interesting

55. Hard drive capacity prefix: TERA.

56. Ridesharing rival of Lyft: UBER.  C.C. uses it occasionally. I do not like it.

57. Sweet on, with "of": FOND.

58. Give off: EMIT.  Thank you sun.

59. Ready to eat: RIPE.

60. Winter forecast: SNOW.  Only about 4-5 months here in Minnesota.

63. Navigation tech: GPS.  Global Positioning System.

Boomer

Notes from C.C.:

Happy Birthday to Wilbur Charles (Bill), a Vietnam veteran who's been posting on our blog regularly for quite a few years.