google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: James Sajdak

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Showing posts with label James Sajdak. Show all posts
Showing posts with label James Sajdak. Show all posts

May 24, 2013

Friday, May 24, 2013, James Sajdak

Theme: Deal me in.

Each of the five theme answers are phrases with the last word of the phrase being a type of card game, clued in a modified clecho fashion. This is our 26th puzzle from James, and the first in 2013. I had the pleasure of blogging two earlier Friday efforts, one of which was a similarly themed puzzle relating to farms.

He does use the 15 x 16 grid to get his grid spanner in. He does it so seamlessly, you might not have noticed.

All our puzzles are available in the archives, as is the wonderful INTERVIEW done by C.C. I saw the theme when I got  LONELY HEARTS, and without it I would have been dead in the water as there were many clues which strained my fading memory. I am not sure all of his cluing was according to Hoyle, but we must persevere. See if you agree with my favorites as we go through the solving.

18A. Card game horn music? : WINDS OF WAR.(10) A wonderful book by Herman Wouk; I was surprised that the simplest of card games WAR is now played for money by many at casinos.

25A. Card game where one person plays all the hands? : LONELY HEARTS.(12) Like many other trick taking games, HEARTS is best played with 4 people, who should be listening to this SONG.(2:02). Before we had dating sites we had Lonely Hearts ads.

40A. Card game played in dugouts? : DIAMOND SOLITAIRE.(16) Tiffany's in New York is credited with introducing the ring with just one lone stone. Baseball is played on a diamond, where the teams wait in dugouts.

55A. Card game by the Thames? : LONDON BRIDGE.(12) The most widely played and competitive of the bidding games. Bridge columns still run on the crossword page in the few newspapers left. My favorite memory (other than my father throwing cards in frustration when Aunt Dora trumped his Ace) LINK.(2:04). The 1831 bridge was moved to Lake Havasu City Arizona. A shout out to all our Arizona posters. (Where did you go Frenchie and Robin?)

66A. Card game requiring waterproof cards? : BATH TUB GIN.(10) Gin describes a number of games in the Gin/Rummy family. Knock Gin is a big money game in the northeast. Prohibition gave us the vile homemade SPIRITS,

Across:

1. This and that : BOTH. Simple, but I did not see it.

5. Cries : SOBS. Okay, now we are off. and the almost clecho 1D. Cried : BAWLED..

9. Open the door for : ADMIT. But not the big bad wolf.

14. Met moment : ARIA. The Metropolitan Opera House in Manhattan at Lincoln Center.


15. Water-based paint : LATEX.

17. Mary ___: ship in a Hammond Innes novel : DEARE. It was titled The Wreck of the Mary Deare. He wrote 30 or so thrillers LINK.

20. Cub of comics : OLSEN (Jimmy). Reading all the old Superman comic books paid off.

21. Big backup : LOG JAM. From the problems caused by the logs sent downstream.

22. Fight in Dogpatch : RASSLE, Deserves at least one picture of the style inspired by Daisy Mae


24. 90-degree fitting : ELL.

30. 25% of Off Deep Woods : DEETN,N-Diethyl-meta-toluamide, abbreviated DEET,

32. "Am not!" retort : ARE SO.

33. Sushi shop offering : AHI. Fancy.

34. Crop up : ARISE.

37. ___ noodles: Chinese dish : WONTON. Not to be confused with wanton as in women.

45. Dream up : INVENT. Like the process of these puzzles.

46. City south of Metz : NANCY. Site of WWII BATTLE. also, 70A. WWII beachhead near Rome : ANZIO.


47. Carrying-on : ADO.

48. Consumed : EATEN. Food, jealousy?

51. Mail folder : SENT.

60. "Don't think so" : NAH.

61. "Ed Wood" Oscar winner : LANDAU. Martin Landau has been in many films and TV shows but his turn as Bela Lugosi in Plan 9 from Outer Space won him the award. LINK

62. Unlike couch potatoes : ACTIVE.

64. Pong developer : ATARI. The first.

69. Contact, in a way : RADIO. Before cell phones, we radioed for help.

71. Portly pirate : SMEE. Is Hook's man the only fat pirate?

72. Last name of Phineas in Disney's "Phineas and Ferb" : FLYNN. This with TAL almost did me in but only an L made sense. Never heard of the show/movie?

73. Tablet named for an organ : TUMS. For the tummy (an organ?)

74. Gone : PAST. Well the Acrosses are done.

Down:

2. Brightly plumed songbird : ORIOLE. They beat the Yankees yesterday.

3. Bit of excitement : TINGLE. Movie scared the crap out of me when I was little.


4. One of Islam's five pillars : HADJ.

5. Ref's aid : SLOMO. Slow motion replay.

6. Lout : OAF.

7. Texter's "Meant to tell you" : BTW. By The Way.

8. Celebrex developer : SEARLE. They were bought by Pfizer which dispense their products by prescribing....

9. ___ of reality : A DOSE.

10. Huey, Dewey and Louie's mom, in early comics : DELLA. Nope, nothing registered.


11. 1993 Fiat acquisition : MASERATI. vroom.

12. Hostility : IRE.

13. Decimal base : TEN. Our number system is a base ten but I will let Fermat and Bill G. do their mathematical thing.

16. Looks into? : X-RAYS. Love this clue as well, really sneaking and yet literally true.

19. "Do the Right Thing" pizzeria owner : SAL. This MOVIE.(4:22).

23. Do Jeeves's job : SHOW IN. Hey Vidwan, did you know P.G. Wodehouse was coming up, you had two references to him in the last week (one makes me blush)? I had a very hard time with this as Jeeves's job was to save Bertie from himself, played so well by Dr. House.

26. Old 38-Down overseer : NASD. National Association of Security Dealers.

27. "___ Tu": 1974 hit : ERES. You are so beautiful, to me. LISTEN.(3:04)

28. Wielder of a hammer called Mjölnir : THOR. I love the comic, hated the movie.

29. Trig function : SINE.

31. Hardly exciting : TAME. Lame, what's your game?

35. Popeil of infomercials : RON. One spring while in LA on business, my brother and I spend an afternoon with a Realtor touting houses for sale, and one was Ron Popeil's house, and sure enough every closet was stuffed with things he sold. Sadly no cell phone cameras in those days.

36. Mean : INTEND. Sometimes people intend to be mean.

38. Like some stocks : OTC. Over The Counter.

39. Thumbs-down votes : NAYS.

40. Retro phone feature : DIAL. Why was it called dial tone and is it now called digital tone?

41. China lead-in : INDO.

42. Iconic sales rep : AVON LADY. Who's calling?

43. "Dedicated to the ___ Love": '50s-'60s hit : ONE I.  Made more famous by the Mama's and the Papas and the Shirelles.


44. Touch down : LAND.

49. Addis ___ : ABABA. This capital was in the first puzzle I blogged at the Corner.

50. Out of one's class? : TRUANT. Great clue, the word comes from the French for vagabond.

52. Conundrum : ENIGMA. This had me puzzled.

53. Armadas : NAVIES. 1588?

54. Large search area : THE NET. This had me fooled for a while thinking outside.

56. "Splish Splash" singer : DARIN. More 50's music. I love Kevin Spacey in the movie Beyond the Sea, worth watching, but he was not the ORIGINAL.(2:18).

57. Stew veggie : ONION. Did you stew on this clue for long?

58. Perros may chase them : GATOS. Spanish dogs apparently chase Spanish cats, and the beginning of our canine corner.

59. Old French coin : ECU. Pure crosswordese.

63. Recipe amt. : TBSP. Tablespoon of sugar? Too much, eh Mary?

64. "Can I go out?" : ARF. I LOVE this clue.

65. 1960-'61 chess champ : TAL. I have no memory of this CHAMP. Bobby Fischer is my first chess master. I never knew we had a Latvian on top of the chess world. This with FLYNN, almost did me in, but the L gave the ta da.

67. Shih ___ : TZU. Woof, woof. More puppies. A breed originating from China with a name sure to make the little ones giggle. My ex has two.

68. One of LBJ's beagles : HIM. The other was HER and there was quite the scandal when he picked on up by the ears.


Well this puzzle has gone to the dogs, so I guess it is time for me to get my pooper scooper and get out of here, leaving you all to your memories.

Until next time, L out.


Nov 29, 2012

Thursday, November 29, 2012 James Sajdak

Theme: "Deafening Silence"



Four adjectives ending in "ing" are combined with nouns to provide an auditory sense of camping in the wilderness. I'm not sure if it was intentional, but all the adjectives are formed from verbs that end in "L-E," adding another layer of tightness to the theme entries:

16-A. Campground sound #1 : SIZZLING STEAKS.

23-A. Campground sound #2 : BABBLING BROOK.

51-A. Campground sound #3 : CRACKLING FIRE.

60-A. Campground sound #4 : RUSTLING LEAVES.

I had the first two, and thought we were looking for alliterative phrases. So, CRACKLING FIRE took a while. Two 14s and two 13s are a difficult letter count to grid, but Mr. Sajdak does a fine job on this one.

Marti here, occasional constructor, regular poster, and today in my role as chief cook and blogger.

Across:

1. Early sunscreen ingredient : PABA. I don't think he means "Pan-Asian Boxing Association," so my guess is he's talking about the ingredient Para-Aminobenzoic acid.

5. "Let's get goin'!" : C'MON. The shortened "goin'" in the clue hints at a slangy answer.

9. Put ___ act : ON AN.

13. Tater : SPUD.

14. Hard to believe : LAME. "That's a lame excuse for a puzzle!"

15. Wine quality : NOSE. The aroma you get just as you bring the glass to your lips.

19. Devisish toon : TAZ.manian Devil.



20. Maine-et-Loire mate : AMI. French for "friend" (male) and a clecho with 29-Across. Hot time in Maine-et-Loire : AOUT. (French for "August".) Maine-et-Loire must be the Thursday substitute for Paris, when you are sent searching for a French word.

21. In-crowds : A-LISTS.

27. Curt refusal : I WON'T. (How rude!)

30. Renaissance painter ___ Angelico : FRA. In Florence, he came under the patronage of the Medici family.


31. Like a spot in "Macbeth" : DAMNED. "Out, DAMNED spot! out, I say!" (Often misquoted as "Out, out damned spot...")

33. Pac-12 team : UTES. Utah, in the NCAA football Division 1.

35. "Pretty Woman" co-songwriter : ORBISON. Anyone try Bill Dees, the other co-songwriter? Did anyone even know there was a co-songwriter? Here's the song. 3:00

37. Some comedy sketches : SATIRES. I had "stand-up," but realized it wasn't plural as indicated in the clue. (Drat, first ink-blot.)

42. Nov. voting time : TUES.day.  This year it was Nov. 6, and marked C.C.'s first time voting as a citizen in a U.S. Presidential election.

44. Streaker in a shower : METEOR. HaHa, loved this clue!

45. Remote power sources : AAs. Small batteries in a remote control.

48. City near Yorba Linda : BREA. Spanish for "tar." So why are they called "La Brea Tar Pits?" ("The tar-tar pits?")  (Wouldn't that be like certain Russian underarms?) (Moving on...)

50. Track contests : RACES. Not "meets." Drat! another ink blot. ("Out, DAMNED spot!")

55. "Honor Thy Father" author : TALESE. Non-fiction work about the Bonnano mafia family in New York.

56. Sargasso Sea spawner : EEL.

57. Forest's 2006 Oscar-winning role : IDI. Forest Whitaker in "The Last King of Scotland."

64. "___ baby!" : ATTA.

65. Swimmer with pups : SEAL. So, you tell me: "Which one is the pup?"

66. POTUS backup : VEEPPresident othe United States' #2 guy is the "V-P," or VEEP.

67. Hightail it : TEAR. I went TEARing through the mall this weekend, because I hate crowds.

68. Pays (for) : POPS. "I'll POP for this one..."

69. West Point team : ARMY.

Down:

1. Subtle "Over here..." : PSST.

2. Polynesian capital : APIA. Here is the astronaut's view.

3. WWII German missile nickname : BUZZ BOMB. The V-1 Flying Bomb inspired terror in the British people when the sound stopped, because the explosion followed shortly afterwards.

4. Log shaper : ADZ. A favorite word for Scrabble players.

5. Mount Everest? : CLIMB. Loved this clue!  "Mount" is a synonym for "climb."

6. Capital on the island of Luzon : MANILA. And site of the famous Ali-Frazier fight called "The Thrilla in Manila."

7. Texter's "Holy cow!" : OMGOh...my...god... (Great safety poster here.)

8. Mario Brothers console : NES. Knew only from crossword puzzles.

9. 16 oz. : ONE LB. Anyone else put "pound"? I totally ignored the "oz." abbr. in the clue. (Another ink blot...)

10. Jordin Sparks/Chris Brown song covered on "Glee" : NO AIR. Finn and Rachel sing it here. 4:23.

11. Desires from : ASKS OF. Has everyone told Santa what they desire from him this year?

12. "Iliad" wise man : NESTOR.

17. Blood typing, e.g. : LAB TEST.

18. Wrestling pair : TAG TEAM.

22. Calypso offshoot : SKA. Calypso originated in Trinidad, and was picked up by Jamaican youths who blended it with the rhythm & blues sounds they heard out of New Orleans, as well as steel-pan music and their own unique beat to form SKA in the mid-50's.

24. Years in old Rome : ANNI. Nominative plural form of "annus" in Latin.

25. Chit : IOU.

26. Crunch source : NUTS.

27. Promise before a parson : I DO.

28. Hawk's cause : WAR. We're talking political "hawks," but we don't talk politics here on the blog!

32. British travel feature, in the past? : DOUBLE L. The British double the "l" in travel, when speaking in the past tense: "We travelled to Europe last year to visit our favourite friends."

34. Clean and then some : STERILE.

36. Philip ___: 16th century Italian saint : NERI. Needed perps...not up on my 16th century Italian saints.

38. ___-Tass : ITARInformatsionnye Telegrafnoye Agentstvto Rossii–Telegrafnoe Agentstvo Sovetskovo Soyuza  (Russian for: “Information Telegraph Agency of Russia–Telegraph Agency of the Soviet Union”)

39. Pass target : RECEIVER. Wes Welker is off the injured list and caught 7 passes for 71 yds. and a TD against the Jets on Thanksgiving.  Go Pats!

40. Fair-hiring abbr. : EOEEqual Opportunity Employer - to describe the company itself.  Sometimes seen as EEO ("Equal Employment Opportunity") in want ads, to describe a job opening.

41. Many AARP mems. : SRSSeniors.

43. Rep. counterpart : SEN. Anyone else think of "dem" for Democrat? We're talking about Representatives and Senators here.

45. Play a part, or play part : ACT.

46. Genesis mountain : ARARAT.

47. Heel-click follower : SALUTE. "Yes, sir!"

49. Dating stumbling block, perhaps : AGE GAP. Not for cougars, it isn't...

52. Jai alai basket : CESTA. Know it from crosswords.

53. Pollux or Arcturus, to an astronomer : K STAR.

54. Brings down : FELLS. As in "felling" a tree.

58. Judge : DEEM.

59. Cosby/Culp TV series : I SPY. Short-lived show, from '65-'68.

61. www access : ISPInternet Service Provider.

62. Revivalist's prefix : NEO. As in NEOclassical. The recently completed Schermerhorn Symphony in Nashville TN is a good example of the "revival" of the classical style in architecture.

63. Actress Gardner : AVA

Ta-ta 'til next week!
Marti


Nov 7, 2012

Wednesday, November 7, 2012, James Sajdak

Theme: i'd like to buy a vowel

ok, sorry, i know that's a lame title. but hey, it's election night and i'm a little distracted.

18A. Tropical headgear : PANAMA HATS.  wikipedia: a traditional brimmed hat of
ecuadorian origin that is made from the plaited leaves of the toquilla straw plant. 



27A. Deal-closing aids : SWEETENERS. 'sweeten the deal.'

36A. Urbana-Champaign NCAA team : FIGHTING ILLINIcomplete unknown to me. illini (pronounced "ih-LIE-nee") is a european adaptation of the illinois indians' original word for themselves, illiniwek, which means "the best people".

50A. Powerful pin cushion? : VOODOO DOLL. i'm guessing there are a few voters who wish they had one about now.



58. False : UNTRUTHFUL

melissa here.

this had to be a bear to construct, with every theme answer having only one repeating vowel, with those vowels appearing in alphabetical order. very impressive. the middle one is an even 14-letter answer, hence the grid is 15*16 (16 columns).

there were several unknown / obscure entries that delayed my solve time a bit - guess you gotta expect that in order to pull this off.   

across:

1. Dash, e.g. : RACE. timely entry.

5. Head-hanging emotion : SHAME

10. Altoids alternative : CERTS. mints.

15. Fan favorite : IDOL

16. Earthling : HUMAN

17. Absorbed the loss : ATE IT

20. Passover ritual : SEDER

21. Dix halved : CINQ. french, dix = 10, cinq = 5.

22. Calendar abbr. : TUES

24. Prior to, in verse : ERE

25. Low-tech note taker : STENO.  short for stenographer or stenotype.

30. Unblemished : PURE

31. Line winder : REEL

32. Baking by-products : AROMAS

33. Creative enterprise : ART

34. On the fence : TORN. like all those undecided voters.

35. Six-stringed instrument, usually : VIOL



41. Two pages : LEAF. wikipedia: A single sheet within a book is called a leaf, and each side of a leaf is called a page. i guess thats where the phrase 'turn over a new leaf' comes from.

42. "Zip-__-Doo-Dah" : ADEE. from 1946 disney movie 'song of the south".

43. Tram car filler : ORE. mining car.

45. Totally absorbed : ENRAPT

48. Hon : DEAR. aw.

49. Pontiac muscle cars : GTO'S

52. "It __ hit me yet" : HASN'T

53. Mao follower? : IST. maoist.

54. Scientology's __ Hubbard : L. RON

55. Sushi bar soup : MISO

56. Cook-off potful : CHILI

63. Mixer for a mixologist : TONIC

64. Boyfriends : BEAUS

65. Couple in a rowboat : OARS

66. Run through a reader, as a debit card : SWIPE

67. Footlocker : TRUNK

68. Sandstorm residue : GRIT

down:

1. Split : RIP. i guess.

2. Org. concerned with crowns : ADA. american dental association.

3. Mozart works : CONCERTI

4. Pal of Jerry Seinfeld : ELAINE



5. Retired seven-foot NBAer : SHAQ

6. "Say that again?" : HUH

7. "I __ Rock" : AM A. 



8. Fisher-Price parent company : MATTEL

9. Follow logically : ENSUE

10. Potluck staple : CASSEROLE

11. Summer on the Seine : ETE. french.

12. Turn in for cash : REDEEM

13. Spain's __ de Campos : TIERRA. another unknown for me.

14. Underline, say : STRESS

19. Trio on a phone keypad : MNO. #6 key.

23. Online shopkeeper : E-TAILER

25. Place for pampering : SPA

26. Area of expertise : TURF

27. Calligrapher's flourish : SERIF

28. Question of time, to Telemann : WENN. this seems both really obscure, and a little weak … but maybe i'm missing something. so georg philipp telemann was a german composer (1681-1767), and "when" in german is wenn

29. __ me tangere : NOLI. more obscurity.

31. Barbecue spit, e.g. : ROTATOR

34. "Every Breath You Take" band : THE POLICE

35. "Myra Breckinridge" author : VIDAL

37. Tickled pink : GLAD. roughly half of america today.

38. Scottish Celt : GAEL

39. "As of yet, no" : NOT SO FAR

40. Pressing need? : IRON. cute.

44. Inexact fig. : EST. estimate.

45. Throws out : EVICTS

46. Reservation waster : NO SHOW. ugh - i get those a lot.

47. Spiral pasta : ROTINI

48. One of Dancer's partners : DONNER. two of santa's reindeers.

49. Far-from-efficient vehicle : GAS HOG

51. Reservations : DOUBT. partial clecho.

52. Best-seller : HIT

55. Perfumery scent : MUSK

57. Blistex target : LIP

59. Frat house letter : TAU

60. Flee : RUN

61. The Rams of the NCAA's Atlantic 10 Conf. : URI. another unknown to me, university of rhode island.

62. D-Day vessel : LST. landing ship tank.

 melissa

Aug 26, 2012

Sunday August 26, 2012 James Sajdak

Theme: "I'm Going First" - IM is inserted into common phrases.

23A. #1 on a motivational speaker's reminder list? : IMPRESS CONFERENCE. Press conference.

40A. Device for the Six Million Dollar Man? : POWER IMPLANT. Power plant.

47A. Early problem for the Wright brothers? : UPWARD IMMOBILITY. Upward mobility. Simply a IM prefix in this one. Mild change compared to the other 6 entries

65A. Casper in the courtroom? : IMMATERIAL WITNESS. Material witness.

84A. Hinted about a player swap? : IMPLIED ONE'S TRADE. Plied one's trade.

90A. European capital influence? : WARSAW IMPACT. Warsaw Pact.

113A. Say "Smile!" to Hugh Jackman during dinner? : IMPOSE FOR A PICTURE. Pose for a picture. Is there a reason why Hugh Jackman was in the clue?

Wonderful to see James Sajdak back. If you're new to the blog, do read my interview with him. Very inspiring.

This theme reminded me of a "I'm outta here" gimmick I proposed to Don a while ago: removing IM from common phrases. Unfortunately Rich found our new phrases lacking in surface meaning or entertainment value.

Across:

1. Swiss capital : FRANC. "Currency" capital.

6. Brand on shells : RAGU. I just couldn't see "pasta" when I saw "shells".

10. Fictional writer of "The World According to Bensenhaver" : T S GARP. Same as "The World According to Garp", right?

16. Union contract stat : CPI (Consumer Price Index). 15D. Union contracts? : PRE-NUPS. Excellent clue.

19. Outcast : LEPER

20. Love god : EROS

21. Fruit finder of rhyme : HORNER. Little Jack Horner. Plum.

22. Leia's love : HAN

26. Kawasaki Brute Force, e.g., briefly : ATV

27. Place to recover, for short : POST-OP

28. Many look forward to them regularly : FRIDAYS. Esp when there's a Lemonade & Marti combo.

29. Pearly coating : NACRE

31. Disreputable : SLEAZY. Like U.S. Anti-Doping Agency!

34. Ancient knowledge : LORE

35. Creator : AUTHOR

36. Scrooge portrayer Alastair : SIM. "A Christmas Carol" (1951).

39. Fair : EXPO

42. Start of a pregame ritual : O SAY

44. Architect Mies van der __ : ROHE

46. Former Wrigley Field star : SOSA (Sammy). No Hall calling for him next year.

54. Half of Mork's sign-off : NANU

58. Costly, as a victory : PYRRHIC. As for the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency.

59. "Almost done" : ONE TO GO

60. "Let __!": "Get going!" : IT RIP

61. "Son of Frankenstein" blacksmith : YGOR. He's a blacksmith? No idea.

63. Battle of Normandy city : CAEN. And 64. French cathedral city : AMIENS.

70. Largish jazz ensemble : SEPTET. Click here. I'm often amazed by Jazzbumpa's knowledge.

72. List : MENU

73. Genesis creator : SEGA

74. Makeup item : GLOSS. I like Alba pineapple gloss.

75. Rough up? : COARSEN. Like what?

78. Feelings : HUNCHES

83. Addams family spouse, affectionately : TISH

86. Paris possessive : A TOI

88. Disney president during the Pixar acquisition : IGER (Bob). Looks like Ken & Barbie.


89. Vaccine type : ORAL

97. Ewes' guys : RAMS

100. Global financial org. : IMF (International Monetary Fund)

101. Rush violently : HURTLE

102. Former Israeli prime minister Olmert : EHUD

103. Brahms work : SONATA

105. "Wicked Game" singer Chris : ISAAK

106. Dreamt things : IMAGERY

108. Throat : GULLET

112. WWII Sherman carrier : LST. Sherman tank. I bet Spitzboov/D-Otto/eddy-B nailed this one.

117. Prussian pronoun : SIE. You.

118. Less complex : EASIER

119. Half a menu combo : SURF. Surf & Turf.

120. Tropical plant with large foliage : CANNA.


121. Media mogul Turner : TED

122. They may be crossed : SWORDS. Tricky clue.

123. Homeric creation : EPIC

124. Chaos antithesis : ORDER

Down:

1. Resell in a week, say : FLIP

2. San __: jet set resort : REMO

3. They're on the phone : APPS

4. "Darn!" : NERTS

5. Emeril specialty : CREOLE. I have two Thai pepper plants producing like crazy. They look pretty, but way too hot for me.

6. Hi-__ monitor : RES

7. Trajectory : ARC

8. Inane : GOOFY

9. Natl. Guard counterpart : USNR (United States Navy Reserve).

10. Investor's index : THE DOW. 65. They cause stirs on 10-Down: Abbr. : IPOs. I feel sorry for those who bought Facebook stock on the hype.

11. Like a June day, to Lowell : SO RARE. "And what is so rare as a day in June?..."

12. Aging, in Ontario : GREYER

13. Lee and Landers : ANNS

14. __ center : REC

16. Ballroom dance : CHA CHA

17. Artist's support : PATRON

18. Turn upside down : INVERT

24. Eyewear, in ads : SPEX

25. Dough for spanakopita, perhaps : FILO. Never heard of Spanakopita before. It means "Spinach pie".


30. Sunken naval power, per Plato : ATLANTIS.

32. Jam fruit : APRICOT

33. Get close, in a way : ZOOM

35. Taiwan Strait port : AMOY. Called Xiamen now. They speak very hard-to-understand dialect.

36. Bisque or broth : SOUP

37. Car trip alternative to Geography : I SPY. Got via crossings.

38. Bryn __ College : MAWR

40. One doing hard labor : PEON

41. Analogy words : IS TO

43. "Babi __": Yevtushenko poem : YAR

45. Aetna offering, briefly : HMO

48. Sounds mostly the same : RHYMES

49. Try to unearth : DIG AT

50. Snarky reply to "Why?" : BECAUSE

51. Bold relative: Abbr. : ITAL. In font.

52. Eponymous theater mogul : LOEW

53. Fire, to 85-Down : IGNIS. No idea. 85. First-century emperor : NERO

55. Warrior god : ARES

56. "Little Birds" writer : NIN (Anaïs). Where did she get those wild fantasies?

57.
"We ♥ Logistics" co.: UPS. . Do you, Splynter?

60. "Let me rephrase that ..." : I MEANT

62. Swab over : RE-MOP

64. Beef cattle : ANGUS

66. Northern Calif. landmark : MT SHASTA. Melissa's Shangri-la.

67. Factual : REAL

68. Calvary letters : INRI. Iesus Nazarenus, Rex Iudaeorum ("Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews"). Latin has no J, right?

69. 1943 Allied conference site : TEHERAN. I'm used to the Tehran spelling.

70. NCO with three chevrons : SGT

71. Actor Wallach : ELI

75. CDLI doubled : CMII. 902.

76. Polish writing : EDIT

77. Winter quaff : NOG

79. Zagreb's land, to the IOC : CRO (Croatia).

80. Dancer-turned-spy : HARI (Mata)

81. Deli wheel : EDAM

82. Note recipient? : SELF. Self-note.

84. "__ you big-time" : I OWE

87. 1920s Hollywood breakthrough : TALKIES

90. "__ I alone did call upon thy aid": Sonnet 79 : WHILST

91. Tasmanian, e.g. : AUSSIE. Hi there, Kazie.

92. Not for kids : R-RATED

93. "Out of Africa," for one : MEMOIR

94. Gradually eased (in) : PHASED

95. Boring tools : AUGERS

96. Half of a major scale : CDEF. Music scale. Always my blind spot.

98. Star seekers : MAGI

99. Plaster finish : STUCCO

103. Maple product : SYRUP. I have been searching for mulberry jam. But no luck in our local stores.

104. Rite place : ALTAR

106. __ facto : IPSO

107. Stood : ROSE

109. Swedish university city : LUND. Not familiar with Lund Univeristy. Wiki said it's "Scandinavia's largest institutions for education and research."

110. Bird that fishes : ERNE. That's an odd use of "fishes". To me, you use rods to fish.

111. Eye dropper? : TEAR

114. Gaping hole : MAW

115. Jackie's second : ARI

116. Rank below cpl. : PFC

Answer grid.

C.C.

Feb 26, 2012

Sunday Feb 26, 2012 James Sajdak

Theme: Coif It Up - One word in each common phrase is punnily replaced by a hair salon term.

27A. Salon for Trump and his imitators? : WE SHALL OVER-COMB. We shall overcome.

35A. The queen's salon? : SCISSORS PALACE. Caesars Palace. What's the connection between "queen" and "scissors"?

70A. Salon specializing in plaits? : BRAIDER JOE'S. Trader Joe's.

100A. Salon for swimsuit models? : BEACHED BLONDES. Bleached blondes. Reverse theme entry, isn't it? The hair-related word is out. So, no "Coif it Up" here as the title suggests. BLEACHED WHALE would fit the pattern.

111A. London salon? : BRITISH HAIR WAYS. British Airways.

15D. Salon for newlyweds? : BRUSHING BRIDES. Blushing brides.

48D. Salon for idealists? : CURL OF MY DREAMS. Girl of my dreams.

As I mentioned before, punning is very subjective. It produces giggles in some, and groans & grins in others. I'm afraid I will never fully appreciate the fun of English puns due to my background. Coming to America at age 30 is too late to grasp the nuance of the language.

But I was excited to see James Sajdak's byline. He's a great constructor. He mentioned before that he likes "feel good, fun puzzles" and dislikes war references. He said "I make a conscious effort to avoid things like A TEST, N TEST, DESERT STORM and other militaristic references".

Sometimes theme & answer selection reflect a constructor's background, interests and principles.

Across:

1. Comprehend : GRASP

6. Southern Russian city : OMSK. In Siberia.

10. Sources of a 2000 ballot controversy : CHADS. It's in the clue for Splynter's FLA yesterday.

15. University QB, e.g. : BMOC (Big Man On Campus)

19. Out of control : ROGUE. Going rogue!

20. Soda with fruity flavors : NEHI

21. Rarin' to fight : HET UP

22. First woman attorney general : RENO (Janet)

23. Vote in : ELECT

24. Settled : ALIT

25. Kitchen drawer? : AROMA. Always a fun clue.

26. Took advantage of : USED

30. Computer file acronym : ASCII

31. Natural balm : ALOE

32. Sushi staple : AHI. Yellowfin tuna.

33. Fair share for a pair : ONE HALF

42. Having ruffles : FRILLY

43. Needle : RIB

44. "... and __ a good-night!" : TO ALL

45. Dieter's breakfast : MELON. And 74A. Convenient breakfast fare : EGGOS. Clecho (clue echo).

47. "Mother, please, I'd rather do it myself!" product : ANACIN. Not familiar with the line.

51. Fender unbender? : BODY SHOP. "Unbender" indeed.

54. Speakeasy employee : B-GIRL

58. Prepare to operate : SCRUB UP. For surgery.

60. "Mon Oncle" star : TATI (Jacques)

61. Yippie Hoffman : ABBIE

62. Adjusts the boundaries for, perhaps : REMAPS

65. Battlefield cry : MEDIC. Gimme for Dennis, who risked his life in Vietnam and was shot in the knee.

66. Stabs : TRIES

67. Rapper __ Moe Dee : KOOL. Rappers all think they're kool.

73. Ain't the way it should be? : ISN'T

76. Prepare for a dubbing : KNEEL. Oh, dubbing a knight. Not movies.

77. Wanting : IN NEED

79. Dutch pottery city : DELFT. The distinctive blue & white pattern is originated in China.

80. Sensible : SANE

81. Racer Maserati : ERNESTO. Well, eddyB, your turn! If the clue is not Che Guevara related, then I know nothing.

85. Memo from upstairs : SEE ME

86. Reagan era scandal : IRANGATE. Iran-Contra.

91. Help develop : FOSTER

92. One who shouldn't be in your business? : YENTA. In every culture.

94. Nutritional std. : US RDA

96. Eponymous western tribe : UTE

97. Only just : HARDLY

106. What "they've all gone to look for," in a Paul Simon song : AMERICA. For Boomer.

108. Jean-__ Picard: "Star Trek: TNG" captain : LUC

109. Cryptic character : RUNE

110. Soprano Fleming : RENEE

119. Edmonton's prov. : ALTA. Alberta.

120. Embarrass : ABASH

121. Slangy hangout, with "the" : HOOD

122. Dublin theater : ABBEY. Abbey Theater.

123. Where Anna was governess : SIAM. Anna in "The King and I".

124. Chip choice : NACHO. And 125. Chip, maybe : ANTE. Another clecho.

126. Italy's fashion center : MILAN. AC Milan too.

127. "Do the Right Thing" pizzeria : SAL'S

128. Schindler with a list : OSKAR. "Schindler's List".

129. Service dining hall : MESS

130. Noblemen : PEERS

Down:

1. Cultivated : GREW

2. Something to read for : ROLE. Oh, for audition.

3. Gets older : AGES. My mother died at age 36. Sometimes I see her when I look at myself in the mirror.

4. For example : SUCH AS

5. Potpourri items : PETALS

6. Ready : ON ALERT

7. Dramatic opening? : MELO. Melodramatic.

8. Thug's knife : SHIV

9. Flier on the beach, often : KITE

10. Cuban dance : CHA CHA

11. Like brave deeds : HEROIC

12. Molecular bit : ATOM

13. Timothy Q. Mouse's title friend : DUMBO

14. Baths : SPA

16. Agave liquor : MESCAL. How does it taste?

17. '70s-'80s House speaker : O'NEILL (Tip).

18. Systematize, as rules : CODIFY

28. John for Elton : LOO. John = Loo.

29. Unite for a cause : RALLY

30. Stunt pilot, e.g. : AEROBAT

34. Bears' org. : NFL

35. Titles for esposas: Abbr. : SRAS. "Esposas" is Spanish for "spouses" I gather.

36. POTUS, to the military : CINC (Commander-in-Chief). POTUS = President of The United States.

37. Support beam : I-BAR

38. More than sniffle : SOB

39. Kung __ chicken : PAO. Kung = Palace. Pao = Guard. The dish is named after an official who worked in the Qing Dynasty palace. Kung Pao is Cantonese. In Mandarin, it's Gong Bao chicken.

40. City council mem. : ALD

41. It may be repressed : EMOTION

46. Unisex : EPICENE. New word for me.

49. "May __ frank?" : I BE

50. Asleep, as a foot : NUMB

52. Trick ending? : STER. Trickster.

53. Mecca-bound pilgrim : HADJI. Or HAJJI.

55. Head of the Egyptian god Thoth, in many renderings : IBIS. Sacred bird to the ancient Egyptians.

56. It means nothing to Nanette : RIEN. Literally "nothing".

57. For fear that : LEST

59. Puts one's seat on a seat, in slang : PARKS IT

63. Favoring Mideast unity : PAN-ARAB

64. Tuscan city : SIENA. Brings to mind "Under the Tuscan Sun".

65. Blanc with many voices : MEL

67. Sneaker brand : KEDS. Any Doc Martens fan here?

68. S-shaped molding : OGEE

69. Look like a Lothario? : OGLE. Alliteration.

71. Restaurateur Paula : DEEN. Well, no one is perfect. "Kiss my grits!"

72. Feudal peasant : SERF

75. Metal marble : STEELIE. Crossword word.

78. "Another Green World" musician Brian : ENO

82. Game with a hole card : STUD

83. Beret holder : TETE

84. Galena and hematite : ORES

87. Italian bag man? : GUCCI. FENDI has 5 letter also, and Italian luxury bag brand as well.

88. Louisville Slugger wood : ASH

89. Half of sei : TRE

90. Announcer Hall : EDD

93. MoMA locale : NYC

95. Rubs the wrong way : ABRADES

97. Bedevil : HARASS

98. 2009 title role for Hilary : AMELIA. Hilary Swank.

99. Cottage at the beach, often : RENTAL

101. Inventor Otis : ELISHA

102. Appreciative cry after a play : AUTHOR. I don't get this clue.

103. Him, in Le Havre : LUI

104. Location for potential mergers? : ON RAMP. Was thinking of business mergers.

105. Neophyte : NEWBIE

107. Arafat's successor : ABBAS

112. Pool triangle : RACK

113. Hoax : SHAM

114. Perfect : HONE

115. Intense attraction, with "the" : HOTS

116. Willing follower? : ABLE. Ready, willing and able.

117. It changes annually : YEAR. True.

118. Dict. entries : SYNS

120. "Is that __?" : A NO

Answer grid.


C.C.