Sunday August 5, 2012 Elizabeth C. Gorski

Theme:"Double Overtime"- Each theme entry contains two OTs.

23. *Like Disneyland, vis-à-vis theme parks : PROTOTYPICAL. This is the only entry where two OTs are together.

25. *Perform efficiently : GO TO TOWN (Edited later: The two OTs here are together also.)

48. *Tryst venue : NO-TELL MOTEL. And 57. Bit of 48-Across talk : COO

67A. *Bit of campaign nastiness : POTSHOT

90A. *Get-rich-quick buy : LOTTO TICKET. We met a guy who pulled a Mickey Mantle 1/1 special insert from a $2.99 pack he bought at Walmart. He sold on eBay for $15K.

113. *Writer's bottom line? : FOOTNOTE

116. *1978 Commodores hit : TOO HOT TA TROT. Not familiar with the song. You, Argyle?

13D. *Absolutely perfect : HOTSY-TOTSY

73D. *"Zilch" : NOT ONE IOTA

117D. There are two of them in each starred ans. : OTs

The reason all the theme entries are starred is because some of the non-theme fill are longer or of same length as the theme answers. The constructor & editor did not want any potential confusion.

Look at these great entries:

22A. "I like your invention!" : "GOOD IDEA!"

93A. Oscar winner's words : "I'M HONORED"

16D. "Remind me" : "I DON'T RECALL"

66D. "Honestly ..." : "TRUTH BE TOLD"

90D. Lesser-of-evils situation : LOSE LOSE

Simply amazing. But it's nothing out of ordinary for Liz Gorski, whose originality and creativity are awe-inspiring. She does what others can't. She's always the first. The only.

Across:

1. Madison Ave. figure : AD REP. Or AD MAN.

6. DEA employees : NARCS

11. Convert into an anesthetic : ETHERIFY. New word to me. Makes sense.

19. Much of Egypt : SAHARA

21. Hawaiian welcome : ALOHA. "Ni Hao" in Chinese. Ni = You. Hao = Good.

26. Rd. atlas listings : STs

27. Dessert cart array : PIES

28. Friars Club main courses? : ROASTS. Ha ha, "main courses!"

30. Tokyo-based electronics giant : NEC (Nippon Electric Company)

31. Dancer Falana : LOLA.

32. Crochet loop : PICOT. I forgot. I googled this word a while ago.

34. "Take a shot at it" : YOU TRY

37. Meal : REPAST

40. Amy Winehouse's reaction to rehab, in the song : NO, NO, NO. "...They tried to make me go to rehab, I said, no, no, no...". From her famous "Rehab" song.

41. British Invasion drummer : STARR (Ringo)

42. Baker with the breakout album "Rapture" : ANITA

43. Oft-quoted Yogi : BERRA

44. Unwanted tabloid fame : NOTORIETY. Poor Kristen Stewart.

50. Mad as __ hen : A WET

51. Berry touted as a superfood : ACAI

52. Old Russian ruler : TSAR

53. "WKRP" costar with Gary, Gordon, Howard et al. : LONI (Anderson). Marti likes her.

54. __ Island: NY/NJ landmark : ELLIS

55. Hearty partner : HALE

56. Current designation : AC/DC

58. DNA shape : COIL

61. "May It Be" singer : ENYA. So beautiful.

63. __ Wolf: Disney comics kid : LI'L. No idea. I googled, Li'l Bad Wolf showed up. Same kid?

64. "They'll Do It Every Time" cartoonist Jimmy : HATLO. Stranger to me also.

69. Green course : SALAD

71. Drop the ball : ERR

72. First-year law student : ONE-L

75. Wreck : RUIN

76. Job particular : SPEC

78. Letters to creditors? : IOUs

80. Central Florida city : OCALA

82. They may stay till closing time : SOTS. So many wonderful bars in Guangzhou.

84. Four-ring-logo company : AUDI. I wonder what kind of ring said "Buy me" to Irish Miss during her visit to Maine.

88. "The lady __ protest ...": "Hamlet" : DOTH

89. Lake __, Blue Nile source : TANA

95. Nebraska's largest city : OMAHA

96. Physicist Bohr : NIELS

97. Twix or Trix, e.g. : BRAND

98. "Permission granted" : IT'S A GO

100. "Juno and the Paycock" playwright : O'CASEY (Sean)

101. Boil : SEETHE . I don't know how I reacted if I were Husker Gary's niece.

103. Caterpillar rival : DEERE

104. Some faux outerwear : FURS

105. Routine : ACT

106. Ahab's kingdom : ISRAEL. All friendly letters, hence its frequent appearance in crossword.

109. Confirmation, e.g. : RITE

110. __TV: Court TV, since 2008 : TRU

120. Joined the Navy : ENLISTED. Ah, for Spitzboov/D-Otto/eddyB.

121. Rob of "90210" : ESTES

122. St. Francis's birthplace : ASSISI

123. Six-pack units : SODA CANS.


124. Score notations : RESTS

125. Prop for Monet : EASEL

Down:

1. Deadly snakes : ASPS

2. Blowgun missile : DART

3. P-like letters : RHOs

4. Enjoy, with "up" : EAT. My cherry tomatoes are especially good this year.

5. Offer : PROPOSAL

6. Afternoon breaks : NAPs

7. "American Gladiators" co-host Laila : ALI. The only Laila I know.

8. Mythical bird : ROC

9. Patio bagful : CHARCOAL

10. Tavern : SALOON

11. Nog basics : EGGS

12. Traffic sound : TOOT

14. Shogun stronghold : EDO. Modern sushi started in Edo Era.

15. Score slow-up: Abbr. : RIT

17. Not as many : FEWER

18. '50s TV adventurer __ Derringer : YANCY. Sigh. No idea. The only thing I want from '50s is the baseball cards. I like '60s though. The fashion, the cat eyes, Jane Birkin.

20. Leaning : ATILT

24. Vote for : YEA

29. Like some 20th-century music : ATONAL

31. Indirect and creative, as thinking : LATERAL

32. White House entrance : PORTICO

33. Memo starter : IN RE

35. Stick in a scull : OAR

36. Dickens baddie Heep : URIAH

37. Lose control : RANT

38. Baseball's Slaughter : ENOS. And 110. Speaker of Cooperstown : TRIS

39. Pocket bread : PITA

40. Light on Broadway : NEON

41. Oktoberfest purchase : STEIN

43. College QB, often : BMOC (Big Man on Campus)

45. Barn baby : OWLET. Thought of PK for no reason.

46. Sylvester's "Rocky" co-star : TALIA

47. Triangular sign : YIELD

49. Honorary legal deg. : LLD

54. K-12 : EL-HI

59. Other, in Oaxaca : OTRA

60. The Bengals of the Big Sky Conf. : ISU (Idaho State University). Don't know anything about this conference.

62. Widow in "Peer Gynt" : ASE. Peer Gynt's mother.

64. Alpine heroine : HEIDI

65. Forster's "__ With a View" : A ROOM

67. Flier : PLANE

68. In "Wicked," say : ON STAGE. Hahtool liked "Wicked".

70. Trees favored by giraffes : ACACIAS. Kazie mentioned they were called wattles in Oz.

74. Online greeting : E-CARD

76. Ancient public walkway : STOA

77. SFO setting : PST

79. Brief : SHORT

81. Fancy-schmancy : LA-DI-DA

83. Emperor after Galba : OTHO. He reigned for only 3 months. This appeared a few times in in the old Wayne R. Williams puzzles.

85. Luau instruments : UKES

86. Take-out order? : DELE. Great clue.

87. Wee : ITSY

91. "A Book of Verses underneath the Bough" poet : OMAR

92. Bump up : INCREASE

94. Slangy turndown : NAH

99. Seesaw : TEETER

100. "I'm __ here!" : OUTTA

101. They may be blown or cracked : SAFES. What were you thinking?

102. Low-budget lead-in : ECONO

104. In good shape : FIT

107. British submachine gun : STEN

108. Wine list heading : REDS

109. Supreme leader? : ROSS (Diana). "The Supremes". Nothing Iran related.

111. It's romantic to give one : ROSE. I want these.


112. Condo expense: Abbr. : UTIL

114. __ Maria: liqueur : TIA

115. Presidential policy support gp. : NSC (National Security Council)

118. Worked (up) : HET

119. Flight safety org. : TSA

Answer grid.
C.C.

Sunday March 11, 2012 Elizabeth C. Gorski

Theme: Le Puzzle - LE is attached to CK-ending words in 7 common phrases.

22A. Cheap laugh? : TWO-BUCK CHUCKLE. Two-buck chuck. Fun clue/Answer.

32A. Create belt hardware in record time? : MAKE A FAST BUCKLE. Make a fast buck.

50A. Sweet-and-sour pita sandwich with a crunch? : PICKLE POCKET. Pickpocket. Sounds delicious. I love pickled everything.

68A. Pet's protective-yet-amusing neckwear? : FLEA AND TICKLE COLLAR. Flea and tick collar.

89A. Old-fashioned restraint with a built-in boom box? : RADIO SHACKLE. RadioShack.

102A. Plumber's inquiry about a drippy faucet? : TRICKLE QUESTION. Trick question.

119A. Like an off-key football lineman? : SHARP AS A TACKLE. Sharp as a tack. "Like a bright football lineman" would not have changed the base phrase much. So, I like the "Off-key" clue.

This is another puzzle with fairly long theme entries and tricky letter combo in CKs, which could make the gridding challenging.

A few hiccups for me. But an enjoyable solving. I was excited to see Liz Gorski's name. This is her first LA Times since we made the shift in March 2009. Her puzzles are always original, creative and often feature a visual element.

Across:

1. Not more than : AT MOST

7. Mayo to mayo, e.g. : ANO. Mayo = May.

10. "__ Blue": George Strait hit : AM I. It's been covered by many.

13. One of the Three Bears : MAMA

17. Pacify : SOOTHE

18. No : REFUSAL. I don't think Splynter will say No to this one.

20. Quieted : LULLED

24. It can knock you out : OPIATE. And 28D. Old knockout agent : ETHER. Clecho (clue echo).

25. Commentator Coulter : ANN. I like her hair. That's about all.

26. "Evita" role : CHE

27. Casino attraction : SLOT

28. Rescue squad initials : EMS

29. Ripken of baseball : CAL. "Iron Man". Very classy. He came to Kirby Puckett's funeral and his anecdote moved me to tears.

30. U.S. territory divided in 1889 : DAK

37. Caspian feeder : URAL

39. Letters under TUV, on many phones : OPER

40. About 30% of Africa : SAHARA. Literally "desert".

41. "Nothing Compares 2 U" singer O'Connor : SINEAD. Her latest marriage/divorce has been heavily covered by the tabloid.

43. Gad about : ROAM

46. Hiker's power lunch? : ENERGY BAR. I love Larabar.

53. Earth, to Mahler : ERDE

54. Japanese veggie : UDO. Here it is. Mountain veggie, though some are farmed.

55. Iceland-to-Ireland dir. : SSE

56. Vegas-based TV drama : CSI

57. Fusses : ADOs

59. Ocean diver : OSPREY

61. Old cash register key : NO SALE

64. Bakery artists : ICERS

67. Big 12 Conference city : AMES. Iowa State.

73. Ran away : FLED

74. Norwegian king who died in 1000 : OLAV I. Always need the crossing for the last letter of these OLAV/OLAF answers.

75. Los __ : ALAMOS

76. Untrustworthy sort : WEASEL

79. Beau and Jeff, to Lloyd : SONS

81. "Pshaw!" : BAH

82. Have dinner : SUP

85. DC Comics collectible: Abbr. : ISS (Issue). Lots of comic books at our local flea market.

86. Actress Hatcher : TERI

93. Protein shake spoonful : WHEAT GERM. Never had it.

96. Future D.A.'s exam : LSAT

97. Bless with oil : ANOINT

98. Sounds heard from herds : BAA BAA

99. Sports doc's pix : MRIs

101. College application nos. : GPAs

108. Botanist Gray : ASA. Learned from doing Xword.

109. Startled cries : OHs

110. Common Mkt. : EEC

111. Battleship color : GRAY. Battleship gray.

112. Yellow wheels : CAB

114. Knock : RAP

117. Morning rounds? : DONUTS. Sweet clue.

123. Latin carol starter : ADESTE. "Adeste Fideles".

124. Least arduous : EASIEST

125. Manhattan-to-Far Rockaway service : A-TRAIN. I've never been to NY.

126. Sources of red berries : YEWS

127. Soul, to Sartre : AME

128. Galoot : APE

129. Paine and others, religiously : DEISTS. My friend Linda reads Bible every night.

Down:

1. Whodunit pooch : ASTA

2. Hamlet's kin : TOWN

3. Van Morrison album or song : MOON DANCE. Gimme for Melissa.

4. Handicapper's hangout, for short : OTB (Off-Track Betting)

5. Oyster shell : SHUCK

6. PC doctor : TECH

7. Not the shortest line between two points : ARC. So, what's the shortest line between two points then?

8. O.T. book : NEH

9. Handy : OF USE

10. Demand from : ASK OF

11. Glucose-creating enzyme : MALTASE. Sometimes we see ASE clued as "Enzyme suffix".

12. Suffix with infant : ILE

13. 1051, on a monument : MLI

14. Old-style term of regret : ALACK. Alas and alack.

15. Mercury, for one : METAL

16. High-heeled Astaire : ADELE. But this Adele is everywhere now.

19. Team with 17 official Final Four appearances : UCLA

20. Guy in front of an orchestra : LOMBARDO. Oh, his name is Guy Lombardo. No idea.

21. High rises : UPSURGES

23. Dole running mate : KEMP (Jack)

31. Supermodel Wek : ALEK. Lovely.

33. Dynamic leader? : AERO. Aerodynamic.

34. Big cheese linked with Big Macs? : KROC (Ray). Great clue.

35. Not certifiable? : SANE. I'm not familiar with the "insane" meaning of "certifiable".

36. Low island : CAY

37. Mail letters : USPS

38. Social reformer Jacob : RIIS. Another name I learned from doing Xword.

39. Potemkin mutiny city : ODESSA. Drew a blank.

42. Wrap initialism : ALCOA (Aluminum Company of America)

44. Rap sheet initials : AKA

45. Healing : MEDICINAL. Has anyone tried traditional Chinese herbal medicine?

47. Myanmar, formerly : BURMA

48. "Doe, __, a female ..." : A DEER

49. Rogers and Lichtenstein : ROYS

51. Cliburn's instrument : PIANO. Van Cliburn.

52. Every other second? : TOCK. Tick tock. Tricky clue.

58. Actress Ward : SELA

60. Chums : PALS

61. Composer Rorem et al. : NEDS.

62. "Bad" cholesterol, briefly : LDL

63. JFK postings : ETAS

65. Faith syst. : REL

66. Picket line crossers : SCABS

68. Blood partner : FLESH

69. It may involve a flat fee : LEASE. Flat = Apartment. Always a good word to mislead solvers.

70. "The Lodger" actor Novello : IVOR. Another learning moment. Looks like he was wearing eyeliners.

71. Sioux enemies : OMAHAS

72. "Mean Girls" actress : LOHAN. She's back!

73. IMHO cousin : FWIW (For What It's Worth)

77. Teen comic originally focused on social graces : ETTA KETT. Gimme, Argyle?

78. Some fine print : LEGALESE

80. '60s campus gp. : SDS

82. Duds for the downwardly mobile? : SKI PARKAS. Well, for Marti. I don't feel stupid not getting this clue, since I'm not "downwardly mobile".

83. Forearm bone : ULNA

84. Vet's charges : PETS

87. Medieval violin-like instrument : REBEC. See here. Unknown to me.

88. Jordan neighbor : IRAQ

90. "__ Said": Neil Diamond hit : I AM I

91. Other, in Oaxaca : OTRO

92. Sprockets : COGS

94. "Modern Family" airer : ABC

95. "Of Human Bondage" author : MAUGHAM

100. Machu Picchu architect : INCA

102. Longtime morning show : TODAY

103. __ Island : RHODE

104. "So what else __?" : IS NEW

105. Delete : ERASE

106. Indian wedding dress, perhaps : SARI. So, can the bride and groom kiss at their wedding?

107. Like go-getters : TYPE A

108. Ease : ABATE

113. Barely : A TAD

115. Came down to earth : ALIT

116. Cross creations : PENS. And 119. Crossing site : SEA

118. __ Constitution : USS

120. Egyptian viper : ASP

121. Fr. holy woman : STE

122. Dernier __ : CRI



C.C.