Friday, October 11, 2019, Jeffrey Wechsler

The Game is Afoot! (This was foreshadowed Monday). I am sure iamb going to pay for my work here, but let's have some fun and peek behind the curtain.

Special collaboration to recognize the 150th published Los Angeles Times puzzle set by Jeffrey Wechsler.  He recently passed Barry Silk as the second most published at the LAT since the Corner switch.  We have conspired to show you exactly what happened between JW submitting the puzzle and its reaching publication. So let's start the ride. It will take some time but relax and enjoy it. JW's comments are in this color. Lemon comments are logically orange, and TTP's are the black ones.

Constructor’s note: 

Creating clues for crosswords can be a mixture of drudgery and creativity.  Writing between 70 to 78 clues for an average puzzle can be time-consuming and tedious, but every once in a while, a really clever or humorous idea for a clue comes along and just about makes the whole process worthwhile.   But editors have an important role to play as well.  Besides the job of straightforward editing for accuracy, spelling, grammar, and style, editors have to consider clue length and potential repetition of past clues.  And perhaps most importantly, editors have generally been accomplished constructors before they become editors, so they have the necessary creativity and experience to devise interesting clues.  Therefore, a constructor will occasionally get credit for an excellent clue that was actually devised by the editor.  (Of course, there are times that a clue considered quite clever by the constructor is not equally appreciated by the editor, and the original clue disappears, to the constructor’s dismay.)  In the crossword field, editors have the final say; a constructor will not know about any clue changes until the puzzle is published.  Because this aspect of the crossword world may be relatively unknown to most solvers, today’s constructor and reviewers present a behind-the-curtain peek at cluing.  We hope it is interesting and enlightening. 

"Needing a LEG Up"

Each of these 4 theme answers requires that you borrow an E and a G from an intersecting Down answer.   You probably first noticed that the two letters were EG, and then without hesitation noticed that each occurrence also was on top of an L, so four cases where a LEG goes up. 

15. Vermont alma mater of Alan Arkin and Peter Dinklage: BENNINGTON COLLEGE.  Bennington College.
They have many others including Betty Ford. LIST.

29. Coin of the realm: LEGAL TENDER.  Legal Tender

39. "MythBusters" target: URBAN LEGEND.  Urban Legend

55. '50s-'70s carrier with a Pittsburgh hub: ALLEGHENY AIRLINES.  Allegheny Airlines. USAIR to American Airlines.
Original clue: [Defunct carrier with a Pittsburgh hub].  The decades of the airline’s existence offer useful information and I appreciate the addition

63. Assistance, with "a" ... and literal assistance in solving the four longest answers: LEG UP.
Original clue: [Assistance – and literal assistance for solving the starred clues]. The suggested method of using starred clues was ditched -- I can never figure out why or when the “starred clues” system will be accepted or rejected.  And of course, that mention of “a” is quite useful

Borrowing a page from Husker Gary's playbook, I'm linking the grid here:

Across:

1. Long-term astronaut's home: Abbr.: ISS.  International Space Station - NASA

4. Old TWA competitor: PAN AM.
Original clue: [TWA competitor].  TWA and Pan Am are both defunct and from the same era, so I didn’t think further definition was needed.  The editor provided the “old”

9. FBI figure: AGT.  Agent

12. Mauna __: KEA.   If it's fill in the blank and three letters, enter the A in the third square, and check the perps to determine LO or KE. I have had my clue (It is higher than LOA) rejected by Rich Norris, C.C. and Jeffrey, but I still like it).

13. Sister of Terpsichore: ERATO.  Did not know Terpsichore. I never knew it it was pronounced (/tərpˈsɪkəriː/; Τερψιχόρη, "delight in dancing") who is one of the nine Muses and goddess of dance and chorus.

14. "But, as he was ambitious, I __ him" : Brutus: SLEW. JW gets his Shakespeare in early this week.

 The Evolution of Brutus

18. Provides with an alarm code, perhaps: ABETS.  Loved this clue / answer. 

19. Timeworn phrase: BROMIDE.  e.g. "Every cloud has a silver lining",  i.e. a platitude.  Very similar to clichés, which you should avoid like the plague.

20. Judicial prohibition: GAG ORDER.
Original clue: [Judicial attempt at secrecy].  The editor’s clue is accurate and terse.  Good call Does look like an improvement. 

24. Party nudge: OPEN IT.    "C'mon, OPEN IT !"
Original clue: [Christmas morning encouragement].  The editor’s clue is much harder, I think.  A “nudge” could be physical, not a verbal suggestion, and lots of parties don’t involve gift-giving Much harder for me.

25. "Bambi" doe: ENA.
Original clue: [Bambi relative].   Putting “Bambi” in quotes marks it as a title, and “doe” makes the answer female.  Careful editorial definition

26. Andy is her nephew: AUNT BEE.   There's Aunt Bee,  Andy,  Clara and ???  No idea either, anyone?
Original clue: [One attending to Opie].  The editing change makes the clue much harder.  Andy who?  There are a lot of Andys out there

28. Boomer?: TNT.   CSO to Boomer!

31. Disco era adjective: GO GO.
Original clue: [Type of 1960s dancer].  Equivalent, to my mind – each clue comes from a slightly different direction This edit is also more difficult for me.

32. Robert of "The Sopranos": ILER. A.J. SOPRANO.

33. "Got it": I SEE.

36. Infant's place in Hyde Park: PRAM.   That would be Hyde Park, London,  not Hyde Park, Chicago.

44. Gloaming, in verse: EE'N.
Original clue: [Poetic contraction meaning “yet”].  Ah, the ubiquitous EE'N, one of the many poetic saviors/bugbears of the crossword constructor!  I can understand that editors crave new ways to clue such words.  I appreciate “Gloaming” as an exquisitely poetic clue, but it is also likely mysterious in meaning to many solvers and therefore rather hard

45. NAPA store item: FAN BELT.   NAPA is the initialism for National Automotive Parts Association. 
Original clue: [Occasional auto engine replacement].  I suppose you must be familiar with NAPA to get the editor’s clue.  If so, no problem.  If not, your solving just hit the brakes

47. Green span: LEA.  I thought of Alan first, but the space between told me no.
Original clue: [Grazing place]  Because many of my puzzles are considered by commenters to be among the most difficult at the LA Times, I often try to maintain a certain proportion of simple clues.  The editor created a somewhat harder clue, although it’s quite evocative

48. Bothers, as one's conscience: NAGS AT.

50. Ali, per Ali: GREATEST.
Original clue: [Ali, as self-described].  Proper editorial terseness.  Brevity is the soul of wit

52. Perch in a lullaby: TREE TOP. Why do we tell babies to go to sleep after landing on their heads?

Rock-a-bye baby, in the treetop
When the wind blows, the cradle will rock
When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall
And down will come baby, cradle and all

Original clue: [Lullaby cradle perch].  Removing “cradle” makes it slightly harder, but not by much, given the well-known source.  Very reasonable

54. Fuming: IRATE.

59. Genre with hard-boiled characters: NOIR.   Many favorites for me in this category, and still discovering them on the old movie channels. Great books and graphic novels as well.
Original clue: [Moody film genre].  Removing the film reference makes the clue slightly harder, but quite gettable, especially given the frequency with which NOIR appears in crosswords.  Hey, maybe because the answer has four letters, the editor was trying to fool some solvers into inserting EGGS!

60. Greet the day: ARISE.
Original clue: [Greet the new day].  Terseness, terseness

61. Encumber, with "down": BOG.   Details are often the culprit. 

62. Letters replacing a list: ETC. 
Original clue: [List substitute]).  Equivalent, I’d say

64. Small amount of work: ERG.

Down:

1. Floral art: IKEBANA.  The  Japanese art of flower arrangement.

2. French-speaking African country: SENEGAL.

Original clue: [Neighbor of Mali]  Extra information provided -- sure, why not! Because we are geographically challenged and have no idea where MALI is. 

3. __ Domingo: SANTO.  The capital of the Dominican Republic.

I love how Tom presents parallel pictures.

4. Author: PEN.

5. Braz. neighbor: ARG.  Argentina.    Chile has the longest border with Aregentina.
Original clue: [Neighbor of Uru.]  No difference that I can see – I wonder why! More limited geography knowledge.

6. D.C. athlete: NAT.  The Washington Nationals

7. Small step: A TO B.
Original clue: [First stage of an ongoing pathway]   At the Crossword Corner, I often read comments like “Oh, that Wechsler is always creating tricky or difficult clues!”   Well, ultimately a puzzle’s degree of difficulty is often determined by the editor.  I was trying to make an unusual entry easier for the solver, but it was not meant to be

8. Louisiana Purchase negotiator who later became president: MONROE.
Original clue: [He helped negotiate the Louisiana Purchase]  Here the editorial makes things easier for the solver.  I think he was quite right to do so

9. Utterly enrapt with: ALL INTO.  

10. Castrated equine: GELDING.
Original clue: Donkey or mule, for example)  Well, well, well!  There I was, trying to craft a clue that danced around the obvious definition – maybe making a pun with “fix” – and the editor cuts to the chase, gets down to the nitty-gritty, and simply writes “castrated”.  I really thought that word was going to be a no-no, a victim of the so-called “breakfast test” for disturbing crossword content.  All I can say is – Bravo, editor!”

11. Send a short message: TWEET TO.
Original clue: [Direct a short message at]   Hmm…. Interesting.  Yes, I can see that “send”, without an added preposition, can imply the word “at” that concludes the answer.  That’s very subtle and somewhat more difficult, I think

14. Vague quantity: SOME.
Original clue: [Not very many].  Ironically, I think the word “vague” is, in this instance, more precise!

15. Torus-shaped food: BAGEL.  (Pictured with a schmear)
Original clue: [Edible torus].   Equivalent -- although I think my clue sounds funnier

16. Nation since 1948: ISRAEL. Me too!

17. Deal: COPE.
Original clue: [Deal (with)].  Another instance of the disappearing preposition.  I’ve noticed this reductivism especially in clues for Saturday LA Times puzzles, where one-word clues are common.   I suppose “deal” and “cope” are synonyms, but I feel that the “with” makes the equivalency more natural

21. Sci-fi classic set on an arid world: DUNE.

22. Gridiron maneuver: END RUN.

23. GPS datum: RTE.

27. Hush money payer: BRIBER.
Original clue: [One involved with dirty money].    Again, terseness

30. Cratchit kid: TIM.
Original clue: [Cratchit family member].   More precision = easier to solve

31. Salon supply: GEL.

34. Large word on a mall sign: SALE.
Original clue: Word written large on a mall sign).  Sure, why not

35. Involve: ENTAIL.

36. Compound with five carbon atoms: PENTANE.
Original clue: [C5H12].  I knew this one would be changed.  The publishing format for producing the puzzles probably cannot create chemical numerical subscripts in the clues, but I figured I’d give it a try

37. Parking in back: REAR LOT.
Original clue: [Parking for a street-front store, perhaps].   Short but sweet – good work, editor

38. Like a sleeping baby: ANGELIC. A bit grumpy Jeffrey.
Original clue: [Like an ideal child].   I think the new clue falls short because I don’t think a sleeping baby necessarily looks angelic by definition – I seem to recall several who did not

40. "Notorious" court initials: RBG.
Original clue: [Initialism that titles a 2018 biopic of a U.S. Justice]) Besides being way too long, my clue was wary of whether the majority of solvers knew the phrase “The Notorious RBG” in reference to Ruth Bader Ginsburg.  I’m glad the editor took this route

41. Franklin's wife: ELEANOR.
Original clue: [Franklin’s mate].  The editor was right to use the word “wife”.  After all, this is a tricky clue: I assume that most solvers will first consider Franklin to be the last name and might wonder: “So that rat Wechsler expects us to know the name of Benjamin Franklin’s mate?!”  And “wife” will at least deter people from considering Aretha Franklin as the subject

42. Financial planning target: NEST EGG.

43. Teen gossip fodder: DATES.

45. It's inevitable: FATE.

46. Without a key: ATONAL. This was not a lock for me.
Original clue: [Like music without a key].  Terseness that makes things a bit tougher

49. Very, in Vienna: SEHR.
Original clue: [Essex : “Excellent! :: Essen : ___ gut!”).   I thought the phrase “sehr gut” might help solvers recall the German word

51. Erie or Huron, but not Superior: TRIBE.  I like this clue.

53. Ritual heap: PYRE. Musical interlude.

Original clue: [Hindu ritual structure]).   Ritual heap?  Well, maybe so, but that does seem a bit indelicate.

56. 2008 bailout co.: AIG.
Original clue: [Global NYC-based insurance and finance corp.]).  By this point, we can all say the magic word together – terseness!

57. Ames sch.: ISU.   Originally in 1870 as the "Iowa Agricultural College and Model Farm"
Original clue: [Sch. With an Ames campus]).  Remember, everyone!  Ters…  oh, enough already! Perhaps easy for the midwestern solvers, but does everyone know the Iowa State Cyclones are from Ames?

58. House fig.: REP.

The great tribute and experiment have come to an end, and I applaud each of you who stuck with this until it was finished. It may cut into your Jumble or KenKen solving, but hopefully, you now know some more and all will comment more and provide more insight. I hope this pleases the regulars and brings more of the quiet ones to join the ways. 

Friday, October 4, 2019, Mark MClain

Title:  Injured Reserve.

What a prescient title to our latest puzzle from a friend of the blog - Mark McClain. Mark is one of the many champions of those who want to create crossword puzzles, like our own C.C. and Jeff Chen. He publishes(d?) a blog discussing puzzling - Mark's Blog. As you can see he refers people to facebook collaborative group Crossword Puzzle Collaboration Directory I applaud this effort and all the help the community gives newcomers.

I, meanwhile, have been off the team all week as I recover from a health issue which when I finally sat down to solve and write this blog did not slow me down. As you see, the letters IR are inserted into various phrases to create new an entertaining fill (the IRs). This is not a typical Friday with no long fill outside of the theme which allowed me to complete in a very reasonable time. The sparkliest others are DAPPER, OTTAWA, PRONTO,  WEEDED, MILDEST and the fun NICE DOG. But the theme fits nicely.

20A. Deity worshiped by backyard chefs?: BARBECUE SPIRIT (13). BARBECUE SPIT. Not to be religious, but ancient cultures probably did.

36A. 7-10 split, to a bowler?: IRKING PINS (10). KING PINS. This is all Boomer and TTP.

44A. Distiller Walker's treatise about a whisky grain?: HIRAM ON RYE (10). HAM ON RYE. This may be the hardest of the theme fill as I am not sure how many know HIRAM WALKER the Massachusetts born founder of Canadian whisky brand Canadian Club and so much more. I am sure this was a gimme for Canadian Eh! and our Michigan solvers. It is also the most fun for me.

54A. Hester Prynne's trademark milk-producing farm?: RED LETTER DAIRY (13). RED LETTER DAY. The heroine (?) of the SCARLET LETTER bought a dairy farm- maybe? I reread the book a few years ago, meh.
The reveal:
65D. April 15 org., or, as a plural, a hint to four long puzzle answers: IRS (3).The puzzle would have especially great on 4-15.

On to the rest...

Across:

1. Crossed the mob, in a way: SANG. Sammy "the Bull" Gravano? BETRAY

5. Insignificant points: NITS. A Crossword Shout Out to all the commenters who focus on the minutiae.

9. When repeated, Second British Invasion band: DURAN. Their most famous song...

14. Second person of old?: THOU. Cute.

15. "No problems here": I'M OK. Or at least getting there.

16. "... the __ of defeat": "Wide World of Sports" phrase: AGONY. The skier's name is Vinko Bogataj.

17. Steaming flow: LAVA. Sadly my first thought was completely inappropriate.

18. Casual eatery: CAFE. A quick reappearance.

19. One spun by a juggler: PLATE. Apparently, it is an ART.

23. July 4th show failure: DUD. The term descends from the Middle English dudde, originally meaning worn-out or ragged clothing, and is a cognate of duds (i.e., "clothing") and dowdy. Eventually dud became a general pejorative for something useless, including ammunition or firecrackers. Wiki.

24. Attach, in a way: TIE.

25. NFL scores: FGS. Field Goals.

28. Underground support: ROOT. Not politics, trees.

31. "ASAP!": PRONTO. Italian pronto means ready; Spanish pronto means soon.

39. Exploring toon: DORA. The Nickelodeon cartoon is now a live-action MOVIE.

40. Conceals: VEILS. Such as threats from mob bosses.

41. Support for driving and kicking: TEE. Golf and football in one clue.

42. Flying toys: KITES. Do you think of them as toys?

43. Dumbo's flying aids: EARS. Another live-action version of a famous cartoon character. LINK.

46. Home of the Senators: OTTAWA. A red-letter day for our Canadian players and a hockey reference.

48. Ruckus: STIR.

49. Double curve: ESS. Sounds like golfer Ernie...

50. Two-time U.S. Open champ: ELS.

52. Played the first card: LED.

62. So it could be heard: ALOUD.

63. Where I-90 and I-79 meet: ERIE. How many CSOs do they get?

64. Rock's Bon __: JOVI. The New Jersey band fronted by JON BON JOVI. All you need to know. LINK.

66. Fire sign: SMOKE. Where there is...

67. With 68-Across, words before "easy": EGGS. So much cutesy cross-referencing coming up.

68. See 67- or 69-Across: OVER.

69. With 68-Across, studied: PORED.

70. Army installation: POST.

71. Loch with a legend: NESS.


Down:

1. Baseball Cards: Abbr.: STL.

2. Melville captain: AHAB. Arrgh, ahoy Moby Dick is back.

3. 1960s-'80s Chevy: NOVA. MYTH busted.

4. Bank employee: GUARD.

5. Words to a growler: NICE DOG. I usually make it doggie.

6. Apple on a desk: iMAC.

7. Vegan staple: TOFU. Not for me.

8. Sport with disks: SKEET. Shoot, I should have thought of that.

9. Togged out: DAPPER. So cute next to...

10. Not-cute fruit: UGLI.

11. Large chorus of cheers: ROAR. This reminds me of a very famous PLAY on words.

12. Opposition prefix: ANTI.

13. Duma "Don't think so!": NYET. This is a legislative body in the ruling assembly of Russia and of some other republics of the former Soviet Union.

21. Uses for warmth, as wood: BURNS.

22. Dainty drinks: SIPS.

25. Cops as a unit: FIVE-O. It is actually 5-0 which comes from the TV show Hawaii 5-0 which was a cop show in the 1970s brought back to life and just started its 10th season.

26. Marvelous: GREAT.

27. Get around: SKIRT.

29. Eye-related prefix: OPTI. Did I mention my recent sub-conjunctival hemorrhage?

30. Layers: TIERS.

32. Father of Thor: ODIN.

33. French possessive: NOTRE. Damn, that was easy.

34. Low cards: TREYS. Threes.

35. Relief providers: OASES. Not just Tug McGraw

37. To whom Rick says, "We'll always have Paris": ILSA. Or a lion.

38. Orderly: NEAT.

42. Divided land: KOREA.

44. Put a stop to: HALT.

45. Least spicy: MILDEST. The version Oo prepares for me. Not mild, just in comparison to the 5 alarm version she eats.

47. Tidied the garden: WEEDED. What a sweet image.

51. A lot to pay: STEEP.

53. Tangy mustard: DIJON.

54. Filing tool: RASP.

55. Dagwood neighbor: ELMO.

56. Saloon __: DOOR. This is really random, though it is a type of Door. But WHY?

57. Third of four canonical gospels: LUKE. You can read about Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John HERE but discuss them and all serious religious topics elsewhere according to the Canon of Zhouqin. Odd to see it so soon after the Coptic Gospels.

58. Thus: ERGO.

59. Fixes on the sly: RIGS. On the sly?

60. Wander: ROVE. I will not fall into the Karl trap.

61. Part of YSL: YVES. Saint-Laurent.

It is really cool to blog a puzzle by Mark as I had the pleasure of his first published PUZZLE which was exactly 5 years and one day ago. He ingratiated himself immediately with me by stopping by and telling us about himself. I always have fun and he is a good guy as well. Lemonade out.

Friday, September 27, 2019 David Alfred Bywaters

"Z Replacementz"


17. Really terrible wine?: UNPARDONABLE ZIN.  Sin.

27. Dad jokes?: POP ZINGERS.  Singers.

46. Hardware store window feature?: DISPLAY ADZ.  Ads.

56. Power nap?: MAINTENANCE DOZE.  Dose.

Across:

1. Doing something: BUSY.  Do something:  Get busy.  Now there's a word where the S really sounds like a Z.

5. Infatuated, old-style: SMIT.   Raging dopamine levels clouding one's judgement.

9. "The Goldbergs" actor George: SEGAL.

 

14. Corner: TREE.  I first read the clue as a noun, but had to read it as a verb for it to make sense.

15. First-rate: A-ONE.

16. Hardly in the dark: AWARE.  Andre Ware (A Ware ?) would be known to longtime college football fans.  He was the 1989 Heisman Trophy winning quarterback who played for the University of Houston Cougars.   He was the first African American quarterback to win the honor.

20. Master's degree seeker's assignment: THESIS.  Thesis title: “Membership of Subculture as Made Evident Through Referential Verbal Cues”  Translated title: "Nerds say nerd things to other nerds."

21. Evaluate: ASSESS.

22. Hosp. area for critical cases: ICU. 

24. Truck unit: TON.

25. PreCheck org.: TSA.  TSA Pre✓®  - Transportation Security Administration

26. Focus word in a Scripps logo: BEE.

30. Extensive periods: EONs.

31. "See ya": SO LONG.


32. Pork cuts: LOINs.

34. Beethoven wrote just one: OPERA.  My eyes deceived me.  I read "Beethoven just wrote one" and thought, "What ?  That can't be right!"

35. Academic growth: IVY.

36. Indian silk region: ASSAM.

40. Trumpet sound: BLARE.  To "blow one's own trumpet" is to talk openly and boastfully about one's achievements.  

42. Mrs. King on "Scarecrow and Mrs. King": AMANDA.  Kate Jackson starred as a divorced mother of two opposite Bruce Boxheimer as a spy.  "Goodbye, PTA...hello, foreign intrigue!"

43. HUD financing gp.: GNMA.  Ginnie Mae.  The Government National Mortgage Association in the Department of Housing and Urban Development. 

48. Tanning line: RAY.

49. Mag. listing: EDs.

50. Some PCs: HPs.

51. Kitty alternative: KAY.   Both can be short forms of Katherine. 

52. Pertaining to a heart chamber: ATRIAL.

54. Facial feature named after an animal: GOATEE.

60. Location: PLACE. 

61. Innocent, for one: PLEA.

62. Keypad predecessor, in some cases: DIAL.

63. Rent-a-car choice: SEDAN. Alamo ? No.   Hertz ? No.    Aha, now I see !

64. Cabs and the like: REDs.  Wines.   Other reds might be Medoc and Merlot.  I learned they were reds in a USA Today puzzle last week.  Wine Folly

65. Multinational range: ALPs.   Eight Alpine countries: France, Switzerland, Monaco, Italy, Liechtenstein, Austria, Germany, and Slovenia.

Down:

1. A/C measure: BTU. Air Conditioning. British Thermal Unit.

2. Caterer's item: URN.

3. 35 to 5, say: SEPTUPLE.   You know.   Single, double, triple, quadruple etc.  Do the math.   This may be a debut for septuple.  Crossword history ?

4. Slangy assent: YEAH.

5. "Teen Angel" or "Leader of the Pack": SAD SONG.   Teenage tragedy songs of the early 60s era.  Here's another:


6. Sounds from the pasture: MOOING.

7. Holiday places: INNs. Holiday Inns.

8. English cuppa: TEA.

9. Spicy condiment: SALSA.  Spicy dance: Salsa.

10. Farm moms: EWEs.

11. Summerhouse: GAZEBO.

12. Out of bed: ARISEN.

13. They can make things clearer: LENSEs.

18. __ scan: ID method: RETINAL.

19. Soprani opposites: BASSI.

22. __ facto: IPSO.

23. Farm home: COOP.

Nice digs from the folks at Chicken Coop Mansions

25. Helen's home: TROY.  We have an Irish Miss of Troy. 

28. Kazantzakis title hero: ZORBA.  Time magazine book review from 1953

29. Fabled mischief-makers: ELVEs. The Keebler elves make Uncommonly Good cookies with elfin magic in the Hollow Tree.

30. Montaigne work: ESSAY.

33. Yoga class greeting: NAMASTE.  "... a respectful greeting said when giving a namaskar."   That clears it up.

35. Greek rainbow goddess: IRIS.

37. Charlatan's curative: SNAKE OIL.

38. "__ pinch ... ": recipe direction: ADD A.   A pinch of patience,  a dash of kindness, and a spoonful of laughter.

39. Labyrinthine: MAZY.

41. Disorient: ADDLE.

42. Andean animals: ALPACAs.

43. Dad's dad: GRAMPS.

44. Italian Christmas: NATALE.

Top 6 Italian Christmas Traditions

45. Many: MYRIAD.

47. Contacted, in a way: PHONED.

49. Gobbled up: EATEN.

53. Ancient Peruvian: INCA.

54. Wind warning indicated by two red flags: GALE.

 55. Icelandic poetic work: EDDA.

57. "Morning Edition" airer: NPR.  National Public Radio.  A number of fans here at the Corner.

58. Nuke: ZAP.  Both slang for microwave.

59. Little League leaders?: ELs.  Little League trailers: Ees.

Check your grid against this one:

Friday, September 20, 2019, Kathy Wienberg and Lewis Rothlein

Title: Your serve, it is AD OUT.

A new pairing of constructors brings us a different variation on the remove letters theme. I wonder if Kathy and Lewis got together after a crossword tournament encounter? We have a take out two letter theme to allow for an amusing result, clued appropriately. I believe AD has been used before as the basic Bigram of constructors, but no example comes to mind. Of course, my mind has a mind of its own.

While this appears to be a first-time collaboration, it seems to be a seamless effort. Humor and variety. It has some sparkle with
AERIALS, AMASSED, ANNE RICE,  DEERSKIN, PINENUTS and, SOUL FOOD.

Time for the theme.

20A. What included a top hat, for Lincoln?: GETTYSBURG ADDRESS. (15). At 6' 4" tall, Abe made quite the impression at a time when people were shorter.

26A. Unvarnished inventions?: BARE NAKED LADIES (13). It is all lies, but you should get to know this entertaining Canadian group. LINK.



43. Citi Field catcalls?: FLUSHING MEADOWS (13). I love the kitty reference, and the Mets still haven't been the same since they moved into the new park.

53A. Joe-induced speaking clarity?: CAFFEINE ADDICTION.(15). Why is coffee called JOE?
The reveal:
47D. Ubiquitous YouTube button ... and a hint to four long Across answers: SKIP AD. Now it is time to skip to the puzzle.

Across:

1. "... harmony in the motion and magnitude of the __ ... ": Copernicus: ORBS. While Copernicus wrote extensively about orbs and the planets moving around the sun, I believe it was Kepler to whom the quote should be attributed.

5. Out, perhaps: A BED. He got home and he was out like a light.

9. Maintain: CLAIM. I maintain that I am unique in every way.

14. Stable newborn: FOAL. A baby horsie. Though they often aren't that stable in the stable. LINK.

15. Particle in a beam: MOTE. There is so much more to this than I knew - a game Destiny and reading from the Christian Bible as well as what I thought.

16. Lifetime parent: A AND E. One of the most confused and confusing networks. LINK.

17. Asian tourist city: AGRA. Home of the Taj Mahal.

18. Initial game payment: ANTE. Payment is a stretch but it is Friday.

19. Lengthy sentence: RUNON. I love RUNON sentences as has often been pointed out here at the blog both my detractors and my fans who are so kind.

23. Prohibition __: ERA.

24. Support gp. founded under FDR: USO. While the UNITED SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS primarily bring to mind Bob Hope, they are so much more.

25. Like Yosemite's El Capitan: SHEER.

31. P&L report column: YTD. Year To Date.

32. Symbol of ease: PIE.

33. Part of a baby's repertoire: COO. This verb is from 1660s, "to utter a low, plaintive, murmuring sound," echoic of doves. Compare, in the same sense, Danish kurre, German girren; also Hindi kuku "the cooing of a dove."

34. Stops lying?: RISES. Great misdirection.

37. One often stands alone in a split: PIN. A quick CSO to Boomer and TTP and a reminder of the unknown to me -PIN OAK.

38. Devote, as time: SPEND.

40. Gp. inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017: ELO.

41. They're often seen on trees: KIN. Hah hah - family trees, not Pin Oaks.

42. Disposed of: ATE.

48. "The Night They Invented Champagne" composer: LOEWE.
A classic movie and SONG.

49. Mentalist Geller: URI.

50. Sch. in Manhattan: KSU. Kansas State University is on the way to Denver.

57. Get around: AVOID.

58. Food stamp?: USDA.

59. 67, for Beethoven's Fifth: OPUS.

60. Invisible turnout?: NOONE.

61. Unlikely: TALL.

62. Olive Oyl's mother: NANA.

63. Wound up: ENDED.

64. Goes after: SUES. Meh.

65. Go around in circles?: EDDY. Whirlpool.


Down:

1. 18 or 21, typically: OF AGE.

2. Court rival of Rafael: ROGER. Nadal and Federer.

3. Bill for shots: BARTAB. Not inoculation.

4. Picket fence piece: SLAT.

5. Assembled: AMASSED.

6. Small chocolate-covered candy: BONBON.  This is what I see

7. Classic accusation: ET TU. Brute.

8. Moccasin leather: DEERSKIN.

9. Asked for ID: CARDED.

10. Victory wreath: LAUREL. I hope it is a Hardy one.

11. Lestat de Lioncourt creator: ANNE RICE. It started here...

12. Promises at the altar: I DOS.

13. YMCA part: MENS.

21. Mongolian tents: YURTS.

22. Butter used to deep-fry samosas:  GHEE. Ghee is a form of highly-clarified butter that is traditionally used in Asian cooking. Like butter, ghee is typically made from cow's milk.


27. Agreement word: AYE. We all missed yesterday's talk like a Pirate Day.

28. Mimicry: APING.

29. Geological time span: EON.

30. Scandinavian roofing material: SOD.

34. Whistle-blower: REF. Cute.

35. Down with the flu: ILL.

36. Deep South cuisine: SOUL FOOD.

37. Pesto ingredients: PINE NUTS. Today is the anniversary of my mother's birth so here is a story. When I bought first house in Gainesville, we had many pine trees and I had learned about the sweet nut inside the pinecones. My mother tasted some and had an immediate anaphylactic reaction. Sorry, Mother Dnaveear.

38. Poker-faced: STOIC.

39. Nave seat: PEW. You find them in the main part of the interior of a church.

41. New Zealand bird: KIWI.

42. Reception aids: AERIALS. I gave up cable and now use an HD antenna.

44. 1959 Fiestas hit: SO FINE. I hope you like it.

45. Followed: HEEDED.

46. Confused mess: MUDDLE. This is late Middle English (in the sense ‘wallow in mud’)

51. Squeak or creak: SOUND. Rhyme time.

52. Take back: UNSAY.

53. Prop for Chaplin: CANE.

54. The Bard's river: AVON. Finally, our Shakespeare!

55. Biblical hunter: ESAU. Jacob was a farmer, Esau a hunter.

56. Atmosphere: TONE.

I am worn out with all the music links I have followed. Hope you had a good time and welcome autumn. Also, I am dedicating this write up to my mother, may she rest in peace. Thank  you, Kathy and Lewis, see you again.

Friday, September 13, 2019 Steve Faiella

"Non-rhotic Dancing"

15. Time for an Oktoberfest tradition?: POLKA NIGHT.   Poker night.

23. Movie about a Jewish wedding staple?: HORA FILM.   Horror film.

33. Festive Brazilian gathering?: SAMBA OCCASION.   Somber occasion.

48. One in a line of frolicking sea creatures?: CONGA EEL.   Conger eel.

56. Wedding reception highlight ... and a feature of four puzzle answers: FIRST DANCE.

Common phrases change meanings to well known dances by replacing the "r" sound of the last syllable of the first word to a short "a" sound.   Reminds me of talking with some folks from New England.   I can hear Wilba dropping the R sounds as I read his words.


This is Steve's debut on the grand stage of the LA Times crossword.  Great job, Steve !

Across:

1. Pretend to be: ACT.  Or,  do something.  Don't just sit there.  Get moving.  It's good for your metabolism and general health.

4. Center: MIDST.

9. Foot, in zoology: PES.   Latin.

12. "Isn't __ Lovely": Stevie Wonder hit: SHE.  Great musician, songwriter and singer. 

13. Toyota until 2006: CELICA.  In 1979, Toyota introduced the Celica Supra.

Here's the 2020 Supra, minus the Celica:

14. Posted: SENT.

17. Erase: UNDO.   The electronic version, as compared to using that little piece of rubber on the top end of your #2 Ticonderoga.

18. Deplorable sort: LOUSE.  A parasitic insect too !

19. Where to find letters on tracks: MAIL CAR. 

21. Medical events in a 1977 Robin Cook thriller: COMAS.  "...Susan researches what happened to her date and discovers Boston Memorial’s dirty secret: their rates for patients lapsing into coma during surgery are above the norm."  Forgotten Bestsellers - Review at tor.com

24. Celebrity chef Garten: INA.  The self-taught chef of "The Barefoot Contessa" fame.

25. Set of values: ETHOS.  Beliefs.

28. Thinks intently (over): MULLS.  Ponders.

29. Impedes, with "up": GUMS.  Gear driven machinery needs oil and lubricants to run smoothly.  Dust, dirt and debris can turn the lubricant into a heavy viscous sludge that prevents smooth operation.  It was from the industrial age that we got the expression, "Gums up the works".

31. Paramedic letters: EMT. Emergency Medical Technician.    Lifesaver.

32. Old brew revived in the 2000s: PBR.   Pabst Blue Ribbon.   Husker Gary had "Pabst dispenser" on Saturday.

38. Rapper will.__: i am.  will.i.am is the singer / songwriter / frontman and more for the Hip Hop group Black Eyed Peas.   If you are not otherwise familiar with them,  you may have heard part of the lyrics from their song "Let's Get it Started" in the Walmart back to school commercials.

39. Stick in a lock: OAR.  Interestingly enough, the u or o shaped devices attached to the gunwales* of a rowing boat that secure the oars are called oarlocks.  Sometimes this language makes complete sense.

* sides, for you other landlubbers.

40. Jazz vocalist Laine: CLEO.  Didn't know, but perpable:


42. See 14-Down: ACIDS.

45. Charged: RAN AT.   Possibly ran up, if you charged too much on your credit card.

47. Reservoir creator: DAM.

50. Increases, with "up": RAMPS.  Drop the R and you get the same effect.

52. Creator of a sci-fi "Traveller": HG WELLS.  HG Wells is credited with creating the sci-fi concept of time travel.  The character in The Time Machine is known only as the Time Traveller.  He meets Eloi and Morlocks in the future.  

53. Schroeder's toy: PIANO.   Good grief !   A love triangle.   Lucy is in love with Schroeder, but the prodigy's true love is the classical compositions of Ludwig van Beethoven.  Name that toon.

55. Getting __ years: ON IN. 

60. Rolled __: OATS.

61. Conceptualize: IDEATE.  In a sense, incubate.

62. One may be bruised: EGO.   One may be interlocked: Lego.

63. MIT, for one: SCH.

64. "Cool!": NEATO.  Rad.  Phat.  Awesome.  More ?

65. Yang's opposite: YIN.

Down:

1. Nile danger: ASP.

2. John of "Star Trek" (2009): CHO.   Also of "Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle" fame.


3. 1967 Etta James hit: TELL MAMA. I don't remember this song:


4. Target section: MENS.

5. Nastase on the court: ILIE.

6. Archaeological site: DIG.

7. Jerks: SCHMOS.

8. Member of Genghis Khan's horde: TATAR. 

9. Write (in) tentatively: PENCIL.  Perhaps with a #2 Ticonderoga. 

10. Ultimate objective: END-ALL.

11. Weather headliners: STORMS.   Dorian dominated the news for a couple of weeks.  Terrible tragedy in the Bahamas.

13. Reason: CAUSE. 

14. With 42-Across, corrosive substances: SULFURIC.

16. Camping letters: KOA.  The world's largest system of privately held campgrounds. New 2019 Campgrounds     Jinx can tell us more, perhaps about best and worst experiences.

20. Shakespeare's plays are full of them: IAMBS.

 Well la di da !

21. Slangy smoke: CIG.arette.

22. Heavy weight: ONUS.

23. Glowing barbecue bit: HOT COAL.  Do you start your grilling with Kingsford, Royal Oak or chunks of hardwoods, known as lump charcoal ?


26. Orioles, e.g.: TEAM.  MLB AL East cellar dwellers of late for this once perennial powerhouse.

27. Medical care gp.: HMO.

30. Bits: SMIDGENS.

32. Prefix with sail: PARA. 

34. __ metabolism: BASAL.  Just read base metabolism.  The minimum body processes needed to keep you alive without using artificial means. 

35. Recyclable item: CAN.

36. Source of status: OLD MONEY.  Old money as with the Vanderbilts.   As compared to new money like the Gates.

37. Tide table term: NEAP.   Spitzboov nailed this with the N.

41. Sounds heard at an ashram: OMs.  A monastery in Indian religions.

42. Blessing evokers: ACHOOs.  Bless you.

43. Colombard grapes product: COGNAC.  Had a cognac exactly once in my lifetime.  Not my cuppa, but it was at once the best and worst cognac I've ever had.

44. Part of, as a gang: IN WITH.   I'm in with the in crowd.   I go where the in crowd goes.

45. Live: RESIDE.  Got the answer quickly after changing the vowel in the clue from a long i to a short i.

46. Sports news: TRADE.

49. Like the Hollow Tree Factory bakers: ELFIN.  You can get Uncommonly Good cookies made by elves using magic ovens from the Hollow Tree Bakery.

51. Santa __: ANA.  He ordered the attack on the Alamo, and then later ceded Texas.  Wait, no, that was two n Anna. 

53. Exam for jrs.: PSAT.   Juniors / Preliminary SAT.   Rick Singer and Mark Riddell can get your scholastically challenged girls into USC with a high SAT or ACT score and an athletic scholarship to the water polo or crew teams.

54. "Leave __ me": IT TO.  I'm leaving it all up to you.  You decide what you're gonna do.  Or are we through ?

57. Stephen of "The Crying Game": REA.  He was nominated for an Academy Award in this movie. This three letter answer should be a gimme for any LA Times solver, as it seems to be Rich's go to clue for this answer.

58. Movie SFX: CGI.  Special effects / computer generated imagery

59. DMV wait time, seemingly: EON.   Hyperbole for the time spent at the Department of Motor Vehicles.   Illinois residents know that they will have to get a Real ID if they want to take a domestic flight or enter any federal facilities starting Oct 1, 2020.   The current drivers license does not meet federally mandated requirements.  I've read some of the stories and talked to some people who have waited for hours at the DMV only to be rejected because they didn't have the required documentation.  Here's a link to what is required:  Real ID Documentation Checklist

Check your answers here:

Friday, September 6, 2019, Bruce Haight

Title: Football season is here once again as is

One of my Friday regulars, Bruce Haight is back with his position paper on the NFL. All five of the themers are two-word phrases with the second word representing a football player's role. The clues all mention football players but the fill has an alternate meaning totally unrelated to the sport. It would have been super cool if he could have presented the offensive line in order, but hey I am feeling greedy. As always he fills in the blanks with some fun words and phrases like PANACHE, TAKEN TO, CLAM ROLL, FLIED OUT,  I AM TOAST, and ON COURSE. Well luckily DORIAN did not stay on course to destroy us, so let's solve a puzzle.

18A. Philanthropic football player?: GIVING BACK (10). I like the pseudo alliteration

24A. Football player who's PR-savvy?: MEDIA CENTER (11). Do people still have these central places for TV, music, DVDs, etc?

36A. Football player with a line?: FISHING TACKLE (13). Football players don't usually use a line, though form one.

50A. Football player with management skills?: BUSINESS END   (11). I associate that phrase with the barrel of a pistol.

57A. Football player at the beach?: COAST GUARD (10). I grew up near the Coast Guard Academy and was going to go there for college until they learned how blind I really was.

Across:

1. Source of seasonal color: LEAF. One of the things I miss about New England.

5. Like bubble baths: SUDSY. Silly.

10. Golfer at Royal Troon, often: SCOT. I want to go in the spring.

14. "I'm buying!": ON ME.

15. "America" soloist in "West Side Story": ANITA.

16. It parallels a radius: ULNA. He is trying hard to trick you, mathematics people.

17. Hot spot: OVEN. Not for a computer or a cellphone.

20. Varieties: KINDS.

22. "Diana" singer: ANKA.

23. Stooge Howard: MOE. We all miss Chairman Moe and his contributions.

27. Head for the hills: RUN.

28. Spots: ADS.

29. Groovy cousin: RAD. More like an evil nephew.

30. Usher: ESCORT.

32. No different from, with "the": SAME AS. Same old, same old.

35. "One more thing ... ": ALSO. Remind you this?

40. Work out ahead of time: PLAN. Oo is a planner, I am not.

41. Appropriate: SEEMLY.

42. Targets: AIMS AT.

45. Fjord kin: RIA. Water, water everywhere.

46. Book jacket info: BIOgraphy.

49. Goal feature: NET. Soccer (futbol) basketball and more.

54. Hubbub: ADO.

55. Fictional hunchbacked helper: IGOR. Eegor, or Eyegor?

56. Like many windows: PANED. Also many bad puns - pained ones.

61. It's abuzz with activity: HIVE. Who doesn't love bee humor?

62. Cover for an ear: HUSK. And corny humor!

63. Ending with poly-: ESTER. Want a cracker.

64. Chills: ICES.

65. "At Last" singer James: ETTA.

66. Monopoly stack: DEEDS.

67. Friend of Mary Poppins: BERT. Dick Van Dyke.

Down:

1. Start of a kid's show-offy cry: LOOK MA. Seen in many professional sporting events.

2. Painfully wished one had: ENVIED.

3. Changes, as a law: AMENDS.

4. Luxury handbag brand: FENDI. This BRAND.

5. Give somewhat: SAG.

6. Start to cycle?: UNI.

7. Backless sofa: DIVAN. This is a long low sofa without a back or arms, typically placed against a wall.

8. Period of work: STINT. Meh.

9. "Sandman" or "Joltin' Joe": YANKEE. CSO to Tinman.

10. Long sandwich: SUB. A mini-clecho with...

11. Seafood sandwich: CLAM ROLL.

12. Headed the right way: ON COURSE.

13. Fallen for: TAKEN TO.

19. Long-nosed fish: GARS.  Gar, any of seven species of large North American fishes of the genera Atractosteus and Lepisosteus, in the family Lepisosteidae. Gars, which are related to the bowfin in the infraclass Holostei, is confined chiefly to freshwater, though some of the species descend to brackish or even saltwater.

21. Joe's 2008 election counterpart: SARAH. I have almost forgotten her. Governor PALIN?

25. Lingerie item, briefly: CAMI. LINK.

26. Blissful settings: EDENS. Our garden is growing here.

31. Like dried mud: CAKY.

32. Govt. IDs: SSNS.

33. Time of one's life?: AGE.

34. Harsh: STERN. Howard?

36. Hit one that was caught on the warning track, say: FLIED OUT. Baseball for C.C.

37. Acknowledgment of being sunk?: I AM TOAST.  Slang meaning "a goner, person or thing already doomed or destroyed" is recorded by 1987, perhaps from the notion of computer circuits being "fried."

38. Parisian friend: AMIE. Just French.

39. Hold tight: CLASP.

40. Pizazz: PANACHE. What a fun word, meaning flamboyant confidence of style or manner.

43. Barely more than not at all: A BIT.

44. Pulled: TUGGED. Carol Burnett's ear?

46. "No fighting, now": BE NICE.

47. "The nerve!": I NEVER.

48. Weird to the max: ODDEST.

51. Drunkard: SOUSE.

52. Ticked off: IRATE.

53. Indian title of respect: SAHIB. This is a word of Arabic origin meaning "companion". As a loanword, it has passed into several languages, including Persian, Kurdish, Turkish,[1] Urdu, Hindi, Punjabi, Pashto, Bengali, Gujarati, Marathi, and Somali.

58. Reggae relative: SKA.

59. Wine choice: RED. White? Rosé?  Another Moe, CSO.

60. No and J: DRS. The Bond movie and the basketball player.

We are past our first hurricane scare in two years, and now the days are getting shorter but the puzzles are not. I really like the rotation of Friday constructors that Tom and I get to discuss. Now if we had a couple of female creators, it would be in balance. Be well all. Lemonade out.