Tuesday September 17, 2019 Evan Mahnken

Theme: EASY ON THE EYES. (33. Pleasing to look at ... or a phonetic hint to a two-letter sequence in 16-, 20-, 51- and 56-Across ) - Each theme entry contains EZ. (Edited later: Each Z is on top of letter I. Thanks, Anon and Mark S.)

16. Amazon founder: JEFF BEZOS.

20. Very focused, as an athlete: IN THE ZONE.

26. Voices one's view: OPINES.  We got a lot of OPINES from the last debate in Houston.

51. Expatriate American poet arrested for treason in 1945: EZRA POUND.

 

55. Had a smoke: LIT UP.  Not me for the last 18 years.  What does everyone think about these relatively new flavored Vapers?  We have had one death in Minnesota.

56. Aztec emperor: MONTEZUMA.

62. Dog food brand: IAMS.

Boomer here again. Tough last Sunday in the Minnesota world of sports.  After the Twins took two from Cleveland on Saturday they looked like the bad news bears on Sunday.  The Vikings looked careless and stupid at Lambeau Field on Sunday also. They were certainly not IN THE ZONE.

Across:

1. Activist Parks: ROSA.  Very famous lady.  I would not call her an activist though.  She was just sitting in the seat that she to which was entitled.

5. First bird to attack in "The Birds": GULL.  Seagulls are beautiful birds with white feathers and gray trim.  I seem to remember the Hitchcock birds were black like crows.

9. "¿Qué __?": PASA. What??

13. Overly neat, say: ANAL.  I decided not to touch this answer. And no photo. 

14. Irish New Ager: ENYA.

15. Deep sleep: SOPOR.

18. 2001 bankruptcy headliner: ENRON. I still have some Pinnacle golf balls with Enron logos.  I know I have mentioned it before. But the same answers keep coming up in these puzzles.

19. Corn serving: EAR.  I hear with my ear but get my corn out of a can.

22. "Of course!": AHA.

24. Some dadaist art: ARPS. Jean Arp or Hans Arp.

27. Scolds: BERATES.

29. Clear dirty dishes from: BUS. "Just hop on the bus, Gus, Make a new plan Stan.  There must be fifty ways to leave your lover."  (Paul Simon) 

30. HS promgoers: SRS.  Yup, I remember a senior being someone who is 17 or 18 years old.  Now I think you need to be over 62,

31. Tops of waves: CRESTS.  I have never tried surfing but I am amazed by those that can.

32. Small batteries: AAS.  We have been searching for 9 volts for our smoke detectors.  Not in stock or very expensive.  Next stop Target.

39. Bash into: RAM.  This is an LA Times Crossword.  Shouldn't the clue be "Player at the LA Memorial Coliseum on Sundays?"

40. Rapscallions: KNAVES.

42. Soak (up), as gravy: SOP.  Standard Operating Procedure.

45. Halves of qts.: PTS.  A field goal will get you three.

46. Look over again: RE-CHECK. I would usually double-check.

47. Like Goldilocks' first bowl of porridge: TOO HOT.  Yeah, I remember the story, but I am pretty sure that bears do not eat porridge.

49. Send to the canvas: KAYO.  Famous for Ali opponents.

50. Code-breaking org.: NSA.

53. Tiresome grind: RUT.  Named after an ugly road.

60. One-eyed "Futurama" character: LEELA.

61. Earnest request: PLEA.

63. LAX landing list: ARRS.  Arrivals.

64. Some 35mm cameras: SLRS.

65. Open-handed hit: SLAP.  Also a wild hockey shot.

Down:

1. Koothrappali on "The Big Bang Theory": RAJ.

2. Common bill: ONE.  George Washington got that one because he was President number one.

3. Low-crime part of town: SAFE AREA.

4. __ Romeo: sports car: ALFA.  You better have 40 to 80 grand lying around if you want to own one.

5. "Gosh!": GEE. Whiz!

6. Opens, as a parka: UNZIPS.

7. Rhone cathedral city: LYONS.  Sue Lyon was "Lolita" but I really enjoyed her with George C. Scott in "The Flim Flam Man".

8. At the back of the pack: LAST.

9. Swindler with a scheme named for him: PONZI. There were a lot of these going around in the eighties.  I think folks have wised up a bit now.  I was approached but I am not quite that stupid.

10. Cooks' wear: APRONS.  Yes but there is also one at the end of my driveway.

11. Earlier: SOONER. "Oh Oh Oh klahoma where the wind comes sweeping down the plain."

12. "Gunsmoke" actor James: ARNESS.  Marshal Dillon was born in Minneapolis in 1923.

15. Leaks slowly: SEEPS.

17. Like an overtired child, perhaps: BRATTY.

21. One may be hidden under a welcome mat: HOUSE KEY.  I cannot believe that people do this.

22. "Grey's Anatomy" network: ABC.  I am old enough to remember when our choices were NBC and CBS.  ABC came along a bit later.

23. "__ goes nothing!": HERE.

25. Fall back on: RESORT TO.

28. Beast of burden: ASS.  I will also leave that answer alone.  Sorry.

29. Scroogean scoff: BAH. Humbug!!

32. 20s dispenser: ATM.  I have said this before.  In Las Vegas the ATMs dispense Benjamins.  Then you go back to the tables and turn them into 20s.

34. "Old Town Road" rapper Lil __ X: NAS.

35. Cry after a stunning performance: ENCORE.  When I performed solo in the Benilde H.S. Glee Club, no one ever "ENCORED" me.  But I did once bring the house town when I rode on the MTA at a parish in Crystal.  "Poor Old Charlie"

36. Slangy assent: YAH.  "She loves you Yah Yah Yah."  Beatles on Ed Sullivan's Show, circa 1963.

37. Happening later: EVENTUAL.

38. Moments, briefly: SECS.  60 of them equals a MIN.

41. Caribbean music: SKA.

42. __ Artois: Belgian beer: STELLA.  I have never liked beer. Lucky me. However my short hitch in Germany rated German beer as the worst.

43. More slimy: OOZIER.

44. Stout relative: PORTER.

45. Dad: POPPA.  This seems old.  I never heard anyone call their dad Poppa.

46. Original "SNL" cast member Gilda: RADNER.

48. Lugs: HAULS. I have three bowling balls and two pairs of shoes I lug into the bowling centers.

49. Small hill: KNOLL.

52. Baseball's "men in blue": UMPS. I am not able to understand why Joe West and Laz Dias are still holding this job,

54. Guns from Israel: UZIS. I know nothing about guns - Nor do I want to know.  Thank you.

57. Univ. aides: TAS.

58. UFC fighting style: MMA.

59. Egyptian snake: ASP.  She gets what she wants irregardless of price, Yeah did you see her ring that was some hunk of ice!  She has 30 minks that she's never worn twice, What kind of life is that?  Would you take that kind of life it it was offered to you?  You can bet Cleopatra's ASP you would.  (Chad Mitchell Trio).

Boomer

Tuesday, April 3, 2018 Evan Mahnken

Enclosed ORBs !

Fooled me with the first two starred clues.  Thought the theme would be Sci-fi related.

18A. *Sci-fi energy ray that grabs ships : TRACTOR BEAM

3D. *Sci-fi classic featuring Robby the Robot : FORBIDDEN PLANET

8D. *Vessels pulling water-skiers : MOTOR BOATS

11D. *Sign outside a new store : OPEN FOR BUSINESS

28D. *Unable to tell red from green, say : COLOR BLIND

Tying the starred clues together, we get a great hint...      

59A. Small, influential group ... and a hint to the word hidden in each answer to a starred clue : INNER CIRCLE

We welcome Evan Mahken on his Los Angeles Times Crossword debut !   Read more about Evan in this article.    Well done young man !

ACROSS:
       
1. Sound from Rover : ARF

4. Quite anxious : ALARMED

11. Canada's most populous prov. : ONTario.  Help me out here Canadian Eh.  According to what I've read on the internet, Ontario has a 2018 population estimate of over 14 million, and half of them are on the 401 at any point in time. 

14. Corporate VIP : CEO. Chief Executive Officer.

15. Pudding choice : TAPIOCA.  "Thanks, but none for me. Thank you for asking."

16. Canada's least populous prov. : PEI.  Prince Edward Island.  Approx. 150,000 people in an area of about 2900 sq. miles, which is slightly larger in land area than Delaware.  Nearby Naperville, IL has a similar population in about 39 sq. miles.  Anonymous T's brother lives in Naperville. Chances are that there are more Crossword Corner followers in Naperville than in P.E.I.

17. Mess up : ERR. ''To err is human, to moo is bovine.''  I'm no Bluehen.   I accidentally doused the chicken breasts with balsamic vinegar last week while playing sous chef and prepping for fajitas.  The bottle is similar is shape, size, and label colors to our extra virgin olive oil.  Blotted the breasts off a bit, put on some olive oil, added the chipotle seasoning and then grilled.  That balsamic vinegar definitely added another layer of flavor.

20. Set of guidelines, as for grading papers : RUBRIC.   I'll humbly defer, and ask the distinguished educators on this blog to submit an explanation of rubric in the comments section. 

22. Big stretch of time : EON

23. Pay to play : ANTE

24. Tattle : SNITCH.  "I'm going to tell on you !" 

25. Cheer on : ROOT FOR.  As Yellowrocks would remind us, our language and usage is fluid. "Who do you root for ?" rolls off the tongue.   It is not nearly as formal and stiff sounding as "For whom do you root ?"

27. __ Moines : DES.  Iowa's largest city.  Went there on business.  Nice clean downtown and the people were all friendly.  I left with a positive impression. 

28. Hailed car : CAB

30. Sign before Virgo : LEO.  The Lion.  July 22nd to August 22nd.  That makes DW a Leo, and I just read that Leo's are compatible with Gemini's (me).  Aha ! The pieces of the puzzle are finally coming together. We fit.

31. "Then what happened?" : AND. 

33. Sang 29-Down : SOLOED. 

35. Tattle : RAT.  Clecho with 24A. 

38. "Joltin'" DiMaggio : JOE. According to author Richard Ben Cramer, "The most propitious of Joe Dimaggio's nicknames was "Joltin Joe."  Another was "DiMag",  as Mark McClain taught some of us in February. 

39. Puts in new film : RELOADS

40. "Dawg!" : BRO.  Randy Jackson explains why he always says "Dawg" as he talks with Oprah Winfrey on an episode of the OWN network's "Where Are They Now ?"

41. Columnist Landers : ANN

42. Sees right through : IS ON TO

43. Salt Lake City athlete : UTE

44. Family cat, e.g. : PET

46. In medias __ : RES. "From the Latin "into the middle of affairs," in medias res refers to a literary technique in which a story begins after the action has already begun and the explanation of plot, character roles, the importance of setting, and so on are left to be revealed via flashback, a character's thoughts or dialogue, or a "reverse chronology" in which the story is told backwards." Chegg.com

47. "Big Brother" channel : CBS

49. Soda can feature : PULL TAB.  After the "church key", and before the "Stay-Tab."  The Wikipedia article says that they were invented ca. 1950 in Thunder Bay, ONT,  but the discussion page calls that claim dubious as Thunder Bay did not exist until 1970. 

52. Yacht spot : MARINA

55. Word of lament for "poor Yorick" : ALAS

56. __-pitch softball : SLO

58. The "U" in "MVEMJSUN" : URANUS.  My very educated mother just served us nachos. A mnemonic for the acronym to remember the planets.  Alas, poor Pluto.  Like Yorick, he was a jester, and had us all fooled into thinking he was a planet.

62. Suffix with ranch : ERO.  As vaquero is to cowboy, ranchero is to ranch hand.  Also the name of the Ford utility vehicle, but then ranch would have been capitalized in the clue. 

63. "Norma __": Sally Field film : RAE.  Sally Field won her first Academy Award, for Best Actress in a Leading Role.   

64. Witty remarks : BON MOTs.  Usually one-liners.  Often humorous. So many witty people here.  Desper-otto makes them all the time.  PK commented that she hadn't previously heard the term off-piste and looked it up.  D-O replied,  "off piste" -- I've usually heard it in reverse -- piste off."

65. ID on a W-9 form : SSN.  Social Security Number for our readers in other countries.  The IRS Form W-9 is a "Request for Taxpayer Identification and Certification."  The most common form of taxpayer identification is the SSN.

66. Concorde, e.g., briefly : SST.  The Concorde Supersonic Transport.  Faster than the speed of sound. Why We Don’t Have an SST

67. Martyred bishop of Paris : ST. DENIS.

68. "Ha! Told ya!" : SEE.  "See, I told ya I was going to tattle on you !"


DOWN:

1. Taiwanese laptops : ACERs

2. Syndicated sitcom, say : RERUN. Friends, MASH, Everybody Loves Raymond, et alii.

4. Top stories : ATTICS. Hot off the press, there's nothing but insulation in my attic.

5. Durable wood : LARCH.  A coniferous tree with deciduous tree habits.  It sheds its needles in the autumn. "...valued for its tough, waterproof and durable qualities. Top quality knot-free timber is in great demand for building yachts and other small boats..."  paraphrased from Wikipedia and Encyclopaedia Britannica.

6. Mental health org. : APA.  American Psychiatric Association.  My wife's cousin's husband is a psychiatrist.  Asks me a lot of leading questions.  Makes me uneasy at times.

7. Beans go-with : RICE. Houston's Treebeards restaurant's red beans and rice recipe.

9. Budget, in product names : ECONO.  EconoLodge motels, with over 830 locations in the U.S. and Canada, was founded in 1969 in Norfolk, VA.  It is the second largest brand for Choice Hotels International, Inc. a hospitality holding corporation based in Rockville, Maryland.

10. Patriotic women's org. : DAR.  Daughters of the American Revolution

12. "That's awesome!" : NEATO

13. Sometimes egg-shaped kitchen gadget : TIMER.  I wonder ?

19. Diminish : BATE.  As many solvers might question, "Wha ?  What happened to the A ?   Shouldn't that be ABATE ?"    Merriam-Webster tells us,  "3 - archaic : to lower especially in amount or estimation."

21. Numbered rd. : RTE.  Road and route abbreviations.

26. Auto pioneer : OLDS. Ransom E. Olds.  Born at Geneva-on-the-Lake, Oh in Ashtabula_County,   just across the state line from Abejo's Erie.  Ashtabula means "always enough (fish) to go around, to be given away."  

29. Without company : ALONE

31. "How to Get Away With Murder" actress __ Naomi King : AJA.  I've never seen the program.

32. "Smoking or __?" : NON

33. French "his" : SES

34. Tokyo, once : EDO

36. Word after op or pop : ART.  Op(tical) art and Pop art.  A brief history of Pop Art  from MoMA

37. Foot part : TOE

39. "Hud" director Martin : RITT.  Melvyn Douglass and Patricia Neal won an Academy Award for their performances in Hud.  Paul Newman and Martin Ritt were nominated.  Ritt also directed Norma Rae.  "...his surest touch was for movies about little people who went up against the system.  "Norma Rae" was probably his most representative film..."  Encyclopaedia Britannica, Roger Ebert, IMDb

45. Ultimatum word : ELSE

47. Tender touch : CARESS

48. Sports __ : BRA.  Note to self:  Do not call it a training bra.

49. Socks from the dryer, hopefully : PAIRS

50. Radii neighbors : ULNAs. Please hover over the figure to get a brief info about the body parts.

51. Fancy neckwear : ASCOT

52. Vitamin prefix : MULTI

53. Rehab center staffer : NURSE.  Argyle, we hope you have attentive nurses to help you progress.  We all miss you !

54. Synchronously : AS ONE

57. "It's her __": relationship ultimatum : OR ME

60. NFL playmakers : RBs. Running Backs.  Penn State's Saquon Barkley is projected to be the first running back picked in the upcoming 2018 NFL draft.  Penn State has had a few first-round RB  busts, but this guy looks like the real deal.  Time will tell.   

61. Cheat : CON.   Tried to cheat on 20A, and con one of the teachers into explaining rubric.  They've seen it all, and assuredly saw through my ruse, but hopefully one or more will offer their thoughts in the comments section.

See all y'all later n'at !