L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Husker Gary

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Jan 25, 2025

Saturday, January 25, 2025, August Miller

Saturday Themeless by August Miller

August really outdid himself for cute cluing (see 😀's below). I really had to expand my thinking on some words to come to a successful conclusion.

Well, okay, I did not get the "W" at cell block #3. I knew it was a Star Wars clue and JABAS (The Huts 😀) seemed fine to me but it turned out to be JAWAS.

Across

1. Droid vendors on Tatooine: JAWAS.

6. First band from Sweden to win Eurovision: ABBA - I need very little encouragement to post a video from this fabulous group! Here is their winning performance from Eurovision 1974.

10. TV port letters: HDMI - High Definition Multimedia Interface

14. Sushi order with salmon, crab, and avocado: ALASKA ROLL - ALASKA filled itself in and my limited sushi knowledge told me that it was probably a ROLL.

16. Like Antarctica: ARID - Very little precipitation there and the humidity level is routinely as low as .03%

17. Taking early retirement?: ZONKING OUT 😀 Retirement here means going to bed or at least taking a nap

18. What to say when one doesn't know what to say?: LINE 😀 - LINE? What a stage actor might say when he has forgotten his line so a prompter can tell him his next LINE.

19. Canadian series finale?: ZED - The Canadian name for Z

20. "I'm killing it right now!": GO ME.

21. Legitimate: VALID.

22. Pool surface: FELT - Replacing the FELT on a pool table

24. Bounty targets: SPILLS - Not a fugitive reward nor Captain Bligh's boat.

26. "See you!": CIAO.

27. Catch up, maybe: CHAT.

28. Have a bawl: SOB.

30. Comment while washing one's hands?: WHAT MORE CAN I DO 😀

33. Parking advisory?: SEATS ARE LIMITED - Where you park your rear end.

34. Short stack at a startup, perhaps: PERSONNEL FILES 😀

35. ATV component: ALL - ALL Terrain Vehicles are popular in our part of the world but their high center of gravity and narrow base can made them susceptible to roll overs.

36. Flask: VIAL.

37. Model Rau who is an ambassador for L'Oréal Paris: INES.

38. The Binghamton Rumble Ponies, for one: AA TEAM - The AA minor league team of the NY Mets

40. Discreetly keeps updated: BCCS.

41. Manhattan's __ Place: ASTOR.

42. Qatari leader: EMIR.

44. Sammy with two spreads: PB&J - My breakfast this morning.

47. Winter Palace figure: TSAR.

48. "As if!": IN A PIG'S EYE - Origin

51. "NFL Live" analyst Kimes: MINA ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

52. Living room combo: OTTOMAN SET.

53. Casual get-together: SESH - A SESH or a convo can be where you meet your peeps

54. Drew on: USED - Many constructors have drawn on C.C. to begin

55. Makeup kit item: GLOSS.

Down:

1. Toni Morrison novel set in 1920s Harlem: JAZZ.

2. Plant with tubular flowers: ALOE.

3. Makeup kit item: WAND.

4. Seek answers: ASK.

5. Navigate a slippery slope: SKI.

6. Cant: ARGOT - Huh, Peyton?

7. Good time: BOOM - We all know what stopped these.

8. Mario Kart projectile that seeks out the lead racer: BLUE SHELL ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

9. Flying fig.: ALT.

Finding your ALTITUDE
with an altimeter

10. Designation at some meat markets: HALAL.

11. Places to dig deep: DRILL SITES.

12. Heavily abridged installments: MINISODES ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Obvs, a portmanteau of MINI and EPISODE

13. Called a name?: IDED.

15. Obsession with all things British: ANGLOMANIA - An epidemic of the 60's!

21. Immune-boosting compound: VITAMIN C.

22. Some Italian imports: FIATS.

23. Tries a friend's cooking, maybe: EATS OVER - I've been to a SLEEP OVER but have never heard of an EAT OVER.

25. Guillermo del Toro franchise with kaiju: PACIFIC RIM ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Apparently the kanju is the monster

26. Falsies?: CHARLATANS - Harry Houdini spent a lot of his time exposing them.

27. Fish hamper: CREEL.

29. Beach __: BOD - My first thought was of Brian Wilson and his Beach BOYS but that didn't cut it

30. Scot's tot: WEE LASSIE.

31. They're often suspended over the holidays: ORNAMENTS 😀

32. "Frasier" role: NILES - There were so many lines to choose from

33. Place with cucumbers and peels: SPA.

39. Ark scroll: TORAH.

40. Stand on two legs: BIPOD.

41. Bodega fixtures: ATMS.

43. King-toppling move: MATE - Black concedes the game

44. Moneda mexicana: PESO - Moneda is currency in Spanish

45. Rounds off?: BYES 😀 - No opponent in a round in a tournament

46. Delta force?: JETS.

48. Indication of shyness?: IOU 😀 Shy of money

49. __ gift: GAG.

50. Sarah Sherman's show, for short: SNL ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Jan 18, 2025

Saturday, January 18, 2025, Jess Rucks

Saturday Themeless by Jess Rucks

Jess returns after a nine month hiatus and brightens our Saturday with a wonderful puzzle. I sailed through in good time and was slowed only to be amazed and amused by her skill. I found Jess on FaceBook and can't tell you what a bright, engaging person she is. She and her family recently drove through Lincoln and wanted to make a connection with me but couldn't make it work.

Jess has separated from the Air Force after five years of service where she told me served as an Urdu linguist, not interpreter. She now lives in Colorado Springs with her husband who serves in the U.S. Space Force. This is a picture with her and her then 5-year-old son having a good time on the playground. Jess assures me this is Urdu for, "I hope you enjoyed Jess's puzzle."

مجھے امید ہے کہ آپ نے جیس کی پہیلی کا لطف اٹھایا

Across:

1. Music genre with roots in swing: BEBOP.

6. Observation deck?: TAROT 😀 Oh, a deck of TAROT cards!

11. Record label for P!nk and Cat Burns: RCA.

The RCA logo is in there somewhere.

14. Vegan beauty brand headquartered in Minnesota: AVEDA ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

15. "Should I be worried about us?": ARE WE COOL?

17. Monopoly property based on a historical monopoly: READING RAILROAD - The READING (pronounced redding) RAILROAD became a huge company because it owned the mines in NE Pennsylvania and also the railroad that hauled it to Philadelphia and points south. This monopoly was broken up.

19. Write alot, say?: ERR 😀 Oops, nospace!

20. Hound: DOG.

21. Instrument whose name comes from the Latin for "heavenly": CELESTA.

Celesta are keyboard glockenspiels

22. Anatomical pouches: SACS.

24. "Mary Poppins" chimney sweep: BERT.

26. Team that retired Willie Mays's No. 24: METS - Willie was one of the best to ever play the game but will always be a NY/SF Giant.

27. Banjo ridge: FRET.

29. Clear for takeoff?: DE-ICE.

31. Pong consoles: ATARIS - I remember being amazed with this "cutting edge" technology in the 70's!

33. Third of a cappuccino: FOAM.

34. Choose: OPT.

37. "Great, now I'm scared of this" hashtag: NEW FEAR UNLOCKED -it implies a sudden realization of a previously unknown vulnerability.

MY FIRST THOUGHT!

40. Not virtually, virtually: IRL - In Real Life, a shark is not likely to ever threaten you

41. Once menos ocho: TRES - In Mexico 11 - 8 = 3

42. Lilikoi and lychee: FRUITS - Lilikoi are also know as passion fruit

43. Rips into: HAS AT.

45. Electric __: EELS.

46. Painter Thomas of the Hudson River School: COLE.

49. Entreaty: PLEA.

51. Gin berry: SLOE.

53. Island home of the Ka Hula Piko festival: MOLOKAI - The name intimated Hawaii and I just went through the names of the islands until one fit.

55. Tiny issue: NIT.

57. Coder's concern: BUG.

58. Elaboration intro: AND ANOTHER THING - Ya gotta love Clouseau!

61. "Voilà!": I'VE DONE IT.

62. Best: OUTDO.

63. Scand. land: NOR.

64. Tries out: TESTS.

65. Garlic __: PRESS.

Down:

1. Uncovers: BARES and the opposite 12. Covers: COATS.

2. Drew Barrymore film promoted as "A Cinderella Story": EVER AFTER.

3. Strength exercise done on all fours: BEAR CRAWL.

4. "Huh": ODD.

5. Part of PTO: PAID - Out here in farm country, it will much more likely mean Power Take Off than Paid Time Off

6. Reached a friend on the playground?: TAGGED 😀

7. Timetable abbr.: ARR.

8. Big stink, e.g.: REACTION - George Brett had a bad REACTION when a home run he hit was declared illegal because of too much pine tar on his bat

9. Baby bump, in baby talk: OWIE.

10. Invitation to elaborate: TELL ME MORE - It's a four minute clip but this is a fun song and ear bug where TELL ME MORE is a oft repeated lyric.

11. Crow bar?: ROOST 😀

13. "Clear+Vivid" podcast host Alan: ALDA - Science and Alan ALDA, what's not to like?

16. "Spirit Rangers" voice actress Summer: CREE - She's very big in the voice actor genre

18. Noodle: NOB - Euphemisms for someone's head

23. Peasant: SERF.

25. No: REFUSAL.

28. Join a union?: TIE THE KNOT - Very uniquely in some cases.