Friday, April 24, 2015, Harald Hornung

Theme: FOR score and seven puzzles ago...

In our second offering from Mr. Hornung (not  Paul) we have FOR added to the first word of an in the language phrase, creating a new and amusingly clued phrase. The first three all are attached to words beginning with "G" - the last not. We remain in our current pattern of average word length of less than 5 letters on Friday. Some good intermediate fill like ANGELO, GLOBES, GOTCHA, HEAPED, ORWELL, PHOTOG,, DISSUADE, LOVE SEAT, LOOKING ON,  TAX REFUND. When you are adding three letters it limits the choices and I think these themes are all amusing.

20A. Advice to a shaken quarterback? : FORGET THE SACK (13). Being sacked (fired) is worse than being tackled behind the line.

27A. Eschew a potassium source? : FORGO BANANAS (12). From losing it to restricting your diet.

43A. Excuse that last jeer? : FORGIVE A HOOT (12).  This CAMPAIGN came to mind.

53A. Take a vow of silence? : FORSWEAR WORDS (13). My favorite fill and for many not using the f word would keep them silent.


Across:

1. Hogwarts co-founder Hufflepuff : HELGA. Not a devotee of Harry (Potter or Prince) but the alliteration seemed logical.

6. Claimed in court : PLED. I hope this debate has been put to bed, if not I will feel...

10. In a funk : GLUM.

14. Betelgeuse's constellation : ORION. If I were to go back to college now I would study Astronomy as this all is very fascinating. The STAR is not named after a Michael Keaton movie.

15. Pad opening : HELI. No go to this week.

16. Exude : OOZE.

17. Rue Morgue killer : ORANG.  Spoiler alert! The murderer in the very first 'officla' mystery from Mr. Poe. I do not understand why we need CHIMP, ORANG etc.  Are we HUMA?

18. Stout trees : OAKS. Last week staid elms, this week....

19. Considerable effort : TOIL. The syntax seems off, though I toiled and I put forth considerable effort and filled.

23. Prom attendees: Abbr. : SRS. Seniors.

24. Language of Southeast Asia : LAO. Similar in structure to Thai, which I am learning very slowly. LINK. More language in 36A. Where some natives speak Azeri or Luri : IRAN. I personally favor Persian, but if you want to know more. LINK 2.

25. Square : UNHIP. Be there or be square.

31. King's downfall : MATE. Really cute misleading visual clue.

34. Style : MODE.

35. Grissom on "CSI" : GIL. William Petersen is long gone and after starring on the number show on TV is now back on WGN original SERIES.

37. Feudal lord : LIEGE.

39. Singer commonly seen wearing sunglasses : BONO.

40. Site for aspiring idols : FOX. The network of the fading American Idol.

41. "Star Trek" race : BORG. They had Jean-Luc Picard for a while.

42. Throw in a chip : ANTE.

48. Big fight : MELEE.

49. Balancing aid : EAR.  If you want to LEARN.

50. Indian state known for its beaches: GOA.

57. Musical souvenir : STUB. Tricky; how may have used Stub Hub?

59. Russell's "Tombstone" role : EARP. Wyatt.

60. They're heavier than foils : EPEES.

61. You may look through one : PANE.

62. Luyendyk of auto racing : ARIE. There are two, a senior and junior. I could not find a picture of them together.

63. Discovered accidentally : LIT ON. A vague Friday; HIT ON appealed to me.

64. Puts in : ADDS.

65. Put up, in a way : TEED. Also tricky, on a small stick.

66. Isn't straight : LEANS. Pisa anyone?

Down:

1. Legs (it) : HOOFS. Archie Goodwin was always deciding to hoof it rather than getting the Heron from the garage.

2. Slip : ERROR.

3. Humbugs : LIARS. Humbug is a fun word.

4. Big ringer : GONG.  There are t-shirts which say, "I have a really big Gong."

5. San __, Texas : ANGELO.

6. SLR buff : PHOTOG.

7. Mother of Judah : LEAH.

8. Paul's "The Prize" co-star : ELKE. Newman and Somer. The movie is based on an Irving Wallace novel about certain prize winners; I read most of his at the time. It also included Peter Sellers' future wife Britt Ekland as a nudist in an uncredited part where Paul must undress. Interestingly, the following year Sellers had a similar scene in a nudist colony with Elke Somer.

9. Convince not to : DISSUADE

10. Prankster's cry : GOTCHA.

11. Gawking, perhaps : LOOKING ON.

12. Gun designer __ Gal : UZI.

13. Porky's longtime voice : MEL.

21. It's on the road: TAR.

22. Last Stuart queen : ANNE. She succeeded William and Mary, her sister. She managed to be survived by no children despite 17 pregnancies. She seemed a pleasant woman. LINK.

26. Coat material : PAINT. A little Friday trickery.

27. Swampy area : FEN. and the clecho 29A. Swampy area : BOG.

28. Horseshoe-shaped letter : OMEGA. Ω.

30. Liquor-flavoring fruit : SLOE. Used with gin.

31. Rile : MIFF.

32. Woolf's "__ of One's Own" : A ROOM.

33. Source of extra spending money : TAX REFUND. Where you get your own money back to spend; how wonderful.

37. Place where three's a crowd : LOVESEAT. I love this clue/fill.

38. Snit cause : IRE. I do not like the clue.

39. Cricket __ : BAT.

41. Oktoberfest quaff : BIER.

44. Geography aids : GLOBES. Another Nero Wolfe related clue (if you are me)

45. Supplied in abundance : HEAPED.

46. Boat propeller : OAR. Har, har.

47. Creator of the language Newspeak : ORWELL. How cool is it that this clue from Nineteen Eighty-four is next to...

50. "On the Record" host Van Susteren : GRETA.

51. Pope's "__ Solitude" : ODE ON.

52. Gps. with similar goals : ASSNS.

54. Kitchen attachment : WARE. Kitchenware generates about 31,300,000 results(0.42 seconds) on Google. 

55. City seen from Presque Isle State Park : ERIE. Wow has this become the go to CSO or what?

56. Old sitcom redhead : OPIE. Ron Howard, they will never forget!

57. Hotel amenity : SPA. Is it an amenity if you have to pay extra?

58. Little : TAD. What a perfect place to end if we add an "A."  TADA!

Well my time is done and now it is your turn.  Have at it. Lemonade out.

Wednesday, January 14, 2015, Harald Hornung

Theme: BLOODY HELL!   Common two-word adjective-plus-noun phrases are re-imagined in such a way that the adjective is used as a British pejorative.  Clever use of alternate meanings.  The word "confounded" in all the theme clues had me on the wrong track right away, thinking that the modified word would be mixed up rather than a cause of anger or annoyance.   So this additional use of an alternate meaning in the clue confounded me from the get go.

20 A. Confounded British illumination? : BLINKING LIGHTS.  Lights that flash on and off or lights that cause consternation. You decide

40 A. Confounded British posies? : BLOOMING FLOWERS.  Who could be annoyed by these buds opening up and showing off their beauty?  Someone with a pollen allergy, perhaps.

56 A. Confounded British residences? : FLIPPING HOUSES.   To flip a house is an attempt at real estate arbitrage: buying it for a [presumed] cheap price and then selling it quickly for dear.  During the bubble a decade or so ago, properties could be flipped repeatedly in the same day.  Not so much any more.  After the crash [pro tip: bubbles ALWAYS crash] FLIPPING those FLIPPING HOUSES got a lot harder, more risky and less profitable.

Hi gang, JazzBumpa here.  Maybe Steve should have had this one.  I'll admit, solving it was not a doodle for me.  Excellent theme, with a grid-spanner and two 14's.  Also, some impressive long downs.   Let's see if I can get through this write up without making a dog's dinner of it.

Across

1. Monday Night Football regular until 1983 : COSELL.  Howard.  He was a good announcer - for boxing, and by all accounts a fine human being who did a lot to promote the appreciation of black athletes in all sports.   Sadly, though, he knew bugger all about American football and his presence in the press box on Monday nights was a flipping embarrassment.  

7. Gobbled, as a turkey : ATE.  An American tradition is to gobble the gobbler and fall asleep on the couch watching football.

10. Site with a "Buy It Now" option : EBAY.  Etail pioneer.

14. Mecca's peninsula : ARABIA.  Geography

15. In the bath : WET.  Or in car wash.  Soapy, too. 

16. "__ Rock" : I AM A.  Feeling no pain.

17. Hires a new crew for : REMANS.

18. Styled after : A LA.

19. Shot up : GREW.  Quickly.  Not to be confused with launched, did drugs, or filled with bullets.

23. Jamaican genre : SKA.

24. Walkway material : SLATE.  Alternative to concrete.  It has a very smooth surface that can be hazardous in winter.

25. Meter or liter : UNIT of measurement.

29. Med. plan option : HMO.  Health Maintenance Organization.

31. "Twin Peaks" co-creator David : LYNCH.   It's coming back next year. 

34. White House maiden name between Pierce and Welch : RODHAM.  Recent first ladies.  One of these ladies could also be the first at something else.

37. Dr. J hairstyle : AFRO.  Julius Erving was a basketball star in the 70's and early 80's.

 Source

39. Lone Ranger and Tonto, e.g. : DUO.  Like Batman and Robin.

43. First __ : AID.  Amateur medical treatment for minor injuries.

44. Horner's find : PLUM.  Jack in a corner, with pie.

45. Have a strong desire (for) : STARVE for attention, maybe.

46. Things to fulfill : NEEDS.  Or wishes.

48. It's on the streets : TAR.   Macadam pavement.

50. Flanders river : YSER.  Map.

51. Vinegar vessel : CRUET.  A flat bottom, narrow-necked vessel, often with an integral spout and handle.

53. Dangerous snake : ASP.  The infamous Egyptian cobra.

62. Actor Bean of "Game of Thrones" : SEAN.   Lord Eddard Stark, like every character SEAN Bean plays, dies on screen.  Mercifully, you will not see it in this clip from season 1.   Embedding disabled.  You can see it here.

63. Aegean __ : SEA.  Between Greece and Turkey.

64. Give one's word : ASSURE.

65. Stock options, e.g. : PERK.   Short for perquisite, an extra prize given to someone due to their position.  Note that there is no consideration of merit.

66. WWII intel agcy. : O. S. S.  Office of Strategic Services.

67. Look through partially open curtains, say : PEER IN.   Peer out and peep in seem more likely.

68. Round components : ALES.  Rounds of drinks.  Nice deception.  Also making the rounds:
11 D. Round servers : BARTENDERS.   A round is one drink for everyone in the party.
47 D. Round components : DRINKS.   Steps toward getting loaded.
It's a clecho-go-round.

69. Vague degree : NTH.  Yes, it is not specified, but it means to whatever degree is necessary, generally assumed to be a very high degree indeed.

70. Flowed in circles : EDDIED.   You can see it happening early in the video taken where the pacific Ocean meets the Sea of Japan.




Down

1. Prep for a marathon, with "up" : CARB.  Carbohydrate loading to boost the energy reserve.

2. N.L. Cy Young Award winner three years after Dwight : OREL.  In 1985 Dwight Gooden of the N. Y. Mets went 24-4 with an amazing 1.53 ERA and 269 K's.   That's Earned Run Average, and strikeouts, for the uninitiated.  In 1988 OREL Hershiser of the L. A. Dodgers went 23-8 with a 2.26 ERA and 178 K's.  He also recorded 1 save.  Since 1967, 5 N. L. relief pitchers have won the award.  Among N. L. starters, only Hershiser recorded a save.

3. Nordic language : SAMI.  The SAMI people, speakers of this language, also known as Lapplanders, are the northernmost indigenous people of Europe.

4. "Voice of Israel" author : EBAN.    This book by Abba EBAN was published in 1969.

5. Rory McIlroy's milieu : LINKS.   Famous for McIlroy's sweet 'n' spicy maple chipotle sausages.  No, wait - he's a golfer.

Brassed off or cheeky?

6. Big name in vision correction : LASIK.   Laser eye surgery.

7. Like an excited puppy's tail : AWAG.  The dreaded a- word.  I'm not chased off, nor am I chuffed.  A bit of meh! perhaps; not my cup of tea.

8. Takes to task : TELLS OFF.  Scolds

9. Web business : ETAIL.  Electronic retail portmanteau.

10. San Francisco-to-Teaneck interstate : EIGHTY.   I-80 includes the OH and PA turnpikes.

Source

12. Iowa State city : AMES.   Iowa State University is in AMES.

13. Swerve from a course : YAW.   An unwanted right or left off-course deviation.

21. "I'll pass" : NAH.   Informal, slangy negation.

22. Clumsy sort : GALOOT.  I picture a rather large, nice but socially awkward guy in a western movie.

25. Citified : URBAN.  Ironically clued the other day as country singer Keith.

26. "Cross my heart" : NO LIE.  Declaration of honesty

27. "Bless my soul!" : I DO DECLARE.   Gor blimey! An exclamation of surprise.

28. Howe'er : THO.  But, but, but . . . abbreviated.

30. Molten rock : MAGMA.  While underground.  Above ground it's lava.

32. Bend : CURVE.  An arc.

33. Car wash employee, at times : HOSER.   Hose operator.

Source

 Equal time

 35. Excites : AMPS UP.   Amplifies anything, so I guess excitement could be included.  Not a rock solid connection, though.

36. Wire thickness unit : MIL.   Thousandth of an inch.

38. "Kidnapped" author's monogram : RLS.   Did Robert Louis Stevenson have restless leg syndrome?

41. Most eccentric : NUTTIEST.   Bonkers!

42. Manner : WAY.  Behavioral norms.

49. Cloth remnant : RAG.

52. HP competitor : EPSON.  Printers

54. Configure : SHAPE.

55. Prepared for a shot : POSED.  Like this.

56. Texture : FEEL.   The tactile quality of a surface or object.

57. "I don't mind eels / Except as meals / And the way they feels" poet : NASH.  A texture thing, I suppose; from Ogden NASH, who also gave us "Candy is dandy/ But liquor is quicker.

58. Previously driven, say : USED.  Cars

59. TomKat's daughter : SURI.  Modern couple portmanteau construction mashes the two names together, thus Tom and Katie give us TomKat, even long after they have split.   Katie comes from my home town, along the shore of  .  .  .

 In happier days

60. Lake at one end of the Niagara River : ERIE.

61. Final email step : SEND.   Once you push that button, it's too late to say, "Ooops!"

62. Place for a pedi : SPA.  Pedicure at a commercial establishment offering health and beauty treatments.

Well, there it is.  Not easy peasy by any means.  Looks like this might be the first L. A. Times puzzle for Harald Hornung, so congrats to him.   I thought the theme was brill, the whole puzzle was ace, and Bob's your uncle.

Cool regards!
JzB

P. S.  If you want to brush up your British slang, it can be found here.

Note from C.C.:

Happy Birthday to dear JD, who's exploring the Great Barrier Reef at the moment. She and her husband Bob have been visiting New Zealand (very beautiful, she said) and Australia.  She was in Melbourne when she emailed me two days ago. Have any of you been to Melbourne?

 

Left to Right: Cameron, Truman, Grady, JD & Dylan