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. 

Wedneday October 2, 2019 Jeffrey Wechsler

Theme: Taking Flight.

Jeffrey Wechsler is making a rare (At least it seems rare to me.) mid-week appearance, and so is desper-otto. Without the circles it's doubtful you'd ever find the JET, FIGHTER, GLIDER, or TURBOPROP on upward trajectories in the grid. My newspaper had the circles. My only problem was failing to look at 'em. This puzzle is a normal 15 x 15, but is symmetrical left-to-right only for those of you who care about those things. OK, let's get started...

Across:

1. Barely enough: SCANT. Scantily clad, perhaps.

6. Like a pooch's smooch: WET. It makes me cringe when folks kiss their dog or cat. It can also cost an arm and a leg...or worse. Caution: That article is not breakfast-friendly.

9. "Happy Days" actress Erin: MORAN. She fell on hard times with financial problems and depression, and ultimately succumbed to throat cancer a couple of years ago at age 56.

14. Software writer: CODER. Never considered myself just a coder. I was involved in all aspects of my applications from specifications to design to coding to beta testing and finally release to the production environment.

15. Texter's "As I see it": IMO. In my opinion, or IMHO, in my humble opinion.

16. Defunct defense gp.: SEATO. SouthEast Asia Treaty Organization. It lasted from '54 thru '77.

17. Pear variety: ANJOU. No reason, but it always reminds me of this old-timey actor Adolphe Menjou (Nobody names sons Adolph anymore.)

18. Opening setting of "Madagascar": Zoo.

19. Be carried by the current: DRIFT.

20. Fort Worth sch.: TCU. Texas Christian University.

21. RR stop: STA. Will it be STA or will it be STN? Only the perps know for certain.

23. Giuseppe's god: DIO. Italian.

25. "S" on an invitation: S'IL.Repondez s'il vous plait. French.

26. NFL's Gronk and others: TES. First I learned that his name wasn't T.E. Gronk. In fact it wasn't Gronk at all. It was Gronowski. And his first name was Rob, not something beginning with a T. Further research yielded his position. So TES stands for Tight EndS. Hooray. It'll be forgotten by lunch time.

27. Roller coaster experiences: THRILLS. Don't care for 'em, myself.

29. Previously, to a poet: ERE. Gluey.

30. 1999 Ron Howard satire: ED TV. Not his best work. It only received a 30% Rotten Tomatoes audience score.

32. Easy-to-spot jigsaw pieces: EDGES. Does everybody fill in the border first? I do.

33. Ado: FUSS. It's how we say "I do" here in redneck country [See above].

34. Turn back to zero: RESET. Illegal, if it's your car's odometer.

36. Hundred Acre Wood joey: ROO. Most of what I know about Winnie the Pooh, I learned from doing cws.

37. Egyptian Christians: COPTS. Not to be confused with the Picts who fought the Roman legions in what is now Scotland.

38. Word from Robin preceding headache, homework, and hamstrings, among others: HOLY. "Holy Hemorrhoid, Batman, what a pain!"

40. "Beetle Bailey" dog: OTTO. CSO, he said, taking a deep bow.

42. __ monster: GILA. Pronounced hē-lə -- the only venomous lizard native to North America.

43. Song and dance: ARTS. Fred and Ginger-ish

45. Ramp, and what's found in each set of circles: INCLINED PLANE. The airplane names are found in the inclined circles, doncha see.

50. Con: FOOL. Fool me once...

51. Floor models: DEMOS. Some can be good deals.

52. Putting game: GOLF. Not my game. It's 50/50 whether the ball will land in front of me or behind. I just swing and holler, "Eight!" to cover all eventualities.

54. Iconic lemon: EDSEL. The '50s sedan, not the ironic Friday Lemon.

56. "Live With Kelly and Ryan" network: ABC. I just wait on the perps.

57. Big name in whisky: DEWAR. CSO to IM, I think.

58. Small songbird: TIT. I would've clued this differently. I did not know that a chickadee is technically a tit.

59. Reevaluated favorably: UPRATED. OK, I guess. I doubt that Jeffrey's proud of this one.

62. Corp. tech boss: CIO. My former boss was one. He said it meant Career-Is-Over. He was not 39d, and died young of a heart attack -- his first and only.

63. Action film gun: UZI. Israeli assault weapon.

64. Privately: SUB ROSA. Literally "under the rose" which supposedly has some sort of history regarding secrecy. I remember an old joke involving a subpoena

65. Journalist Curry: ANN. Spent many years with NBC. Not sure what she's doing now.

66. Brief time: SEC. Yeah, that's pretty brief.

67. Taste: TRY.

68. Charles of R&B: RAY. Didn't recognize the name...oh, Charles is his last name. D'oh! I'd been torn between RAY and ROY before the light blinded me.

69. Macaw, for some: PET. Could be a long-term commitment. Macaws can live to be 70 years old.

Down:

1. Disperse: SCATTER. Also the source of "Diaspora," so I've read. Or maybe it's versa vice.

2. Admit having lost: CONCEDE. Some folks just can't admit when they're wrong.

3. Fiddles with: ADJUSTS. In my ute there was a notice in our phone book that if you connected a tape recorder to the phone a "periodic beep would be provided to notify the other party that they were being recorded." I thought this would happen automagically. Figuring it must have something to do with magnetic fields, I put the phone atop my bulk tape eraser and turned it on. I listened for almost a minute before giving it up as a lost cause. No beep was provided. At lunch time my father came home all steamed up. "Where have you been," he accused my mother. "I've been calling every few minutes all morning long!." It took a few days to realize that we were no longer getting phone calls from anybody. The telephone repair guy, who happened to be my uncle, determined that the phone's ringer was defective, but he couldn't figure out why. He replaced the whole phone. Problem solved. A few weeks later he reported to my dad that the permanent magnet in the phone had mysteriously become demagnetized. Tom!

4. Fresh start?: NEO. Also the role played by Keanu Reeves in The Matrix films.

5. Estate manager's suggestion: TRUST. "Trust me," or the document he writes.

6. Potter's specialty: WIZARDRY. Harry Potter.

7. Angsty rock genre: EMO. Not sure I'd recognize it if I heard it.

8. "Ta-ta!": TOODLEOO. I inked this in immediately, figuring I'd soon be reaching for the Wite-Out. Nope.

9. Early PC platform: MS-DOS. I wrote some powerful, itty-bitty programs in C for the MS-DOS platform. Programs with the same capability would suffer severe bloat when Windoze came along.

10. Above, to a bard: OER.

11. Elevate: RAISE UP.

12. Initially: AT FIRST.

13. Qualifier for a minimum price: NOT LESS. I get it, but I don't get it.

22. With 48-Down, Time Lord played by various performers: THE DOCTOR. Who was your favorite? Here's mine.

24. They, in Calais: ILS. French.

28. "Need __ on?": I GO. Yes for a few more c/a's.

31. Jam ingredient?: VEHICLE. My German relatives call a traffic jam a "marmalade."

33. Cinematographer's compilation: FOOTAGE.

35. Temporary usage fee: TOLL. One man's fee is another man's tax.

37. PC key: CTRL. CTRL and ALT are two keys that are used in combination with other keys. CTRL+ALT+[key] yields still other possibilities.

39. __-back: relaxed: LAID. Type B. Guilty, as charged.

41. Solemn bugle solo: TAPS. Lyrics, according to NPR.

42. Early Christian: GNOSTIC. I've heard of the Gnostic Gospels, but didn't know what that meant. Still don't.

44. Kilimanjaro topper: SNOWCAP. The Snows of Kilimanjaro

45. Treat, as table salt: IODIZE. Added to prevent iodine deficiency -- goiter. Remember those pseudo-chocolaty pills we had to take in grade school?

46. At hand: NEARBY.

47. Put in prison: EMBAR. My dictionary says this usage is archaic. I agree.

48. See 22-Down

49. TV pal of Jerry and George: ELAINE. Seinfeld.

50. Womb occupant: FETUS. DW received an email sonogram of her niece's unborn daughter. I thought it was a radar pic of tropical storm Imelda.

53. Weather map feature: FRONT. Why is there no weather tail?

55. Unbridled desire: LUST.

57. June 6, 1944: D-DAY.

60. Water filter brand: PUR.

61. That, in Tijuana: ESA. It could also be ESO, right Lucina?

Whew, made it all the way to the bottom. Now C.C. will magically make the grid appear below. It's been fun. Desper-otto over and out.

Thursday, September 19th 2019 Jeffrey Wechsler

Theme: Squeaky Clean - who's washing your dishes?

17A. Tall display of dishwashing liquid?: IVORY TOWER.

27A. Global donation of dishwashing liquid?: JOY TO THE WORLD.

42A. Rock band's preferred dishwashing liquid?: DAWN OF THE DEAD. The Grateful Dead.

57A. Using dishwashing liquid in the shower?: SUN-BATHING.

A quiet sashay down Aisle 11 in the grocery store and dish washing options galore. I use Palmolive, so I was not represented here. Simple enough theme, but nicely done. As always, Jeffrey pays attention to the fill and makes sure there's nothing clunky to make you wince. Some nice longer downs as always - Jeffrey and C.C seem to be masters at that aspect of construction.

Across:

1. Barista's concoction: BLEND. I started on the wrong foot here with LATTE, and I still think it's a more appropriate answer to the clue. Baristas don't blend the coffee, they brew whatever beans are blended for them.

6. Domino dots: PIPS.

10. Rotating rod: SPIT. Barbecue! Food!

14. Construction rod: REBAR.

15. Square __: ROOT.

16. Skirt with a flounce: TUTU.

19. MiG developer: USSR. In an oddly non-Soviet personal recognition move, in 1939 the USSR named the MiG fighter airplane for its developers - Artem Mikoyan and Mikhail Gurevich.

20. Wee: TINY.

21. Soy sauce taste: UMAMI. The fifth "taste" - salt, sweet, sour, bitter and umami - savory or meaty. When I need an umami "bomb" to season a casserole, for example, I go with a mixture of soy sauce, anchovy paste and Marmite.

22. Sleuth of radio, movies and TV: CHAN. Jackie.

23. Sitcom star from Melmac: ALF. Crosses all the way, this series passed me by.

25. Sticker: DECAL.

32. Set in a golf bag: IRONS. Arnold Palmer was once asked what he did if he was caught in a lightning storm when he was out on the golf course. He responded "I walk down the fairway and hold a one-iron high in the air". When asked if that was wise, he told the interviewer "Yes, even God can't hit a one-iron".

34. TV exec Arledge: ROONE. Head of ABC Sports and later ABC News.

35. Barcelona bear: OSO.

36. Short dog, for short: PEKE.

37. Or so: ABOUT.

38. 1956 crisis site: SUEZ. A kerfuffle over a canal.

39. Chest-beating beast: APE.

40. Darts: FLITS.

41. Slow, to Ravel: LENTE. Here's a great excuse to revisit one of the great performances in Ice Dance from 1984 - Jayne Torville and Christopher Dean interpret Ravel's Bolero. The dance won them the Gold medal at both the 1984 Olympic Games and the World Championships.

45. "Supergirl" actor Jon: CRYER. He's most famous, I think, for his role in "Two and a Half Men".

46. It can be thin but not fat: AIR.

47. Glance through: SKIM.

48. Goaded, with "on": EGGED.

52. Seed used in smoothies: CHIA. Do the pets get smoothied too?

56. "O brawling love! O loving __!": Romeo: HATE. A tad conflicted, was our boy Romeo:

“Why then, O brawling love! O loving hate!

O any thing, of nothing first create!

O heavy lightness, serious vanity,

Misshapen chaos of well-seeming forms,

Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health,

Still-waking sleep, that is not what it is!

This love feel I, that feel no love in this.”

59. "__ that a lot": I GET.

60. One likely to snap: CRAB. I've just finished the latest season of "Deadliest Catch". Those king crab are snappy little buggers, steer well clear.

61. Spree: BINGE.

62. Like everything in a she shed: HERS. Is a "she shed" really a thing? I've only encountered the expression on a rather lame insurance company commercial.

63. Ballpark figure: OUTS.

64. Aconcagua's range: ANDES. 22,841 feet and the highest mountain outside Asia.

Down:

1. Pram pusher: BRIT. A baby carriage, more formally a "perambulator".

2. Son of Leah: LEVI.

3. Black, to a bard: EBON.

4. Zero, quaintly: NARY A ONE.

5. Martini specification: DRY. The only way, in my book. Ice, gin (NOT vodka!). Shaken. Glass. Twist. Drink.

6. Dance with a queen: PROM. Nice clue, it took a while for me to see this.

7. Captain Kirk's home state: IOWA. We learn something every day.

8. Common greeting card content: POEM.

9. Far from soothing: STRIDENT.

10. Masonry finish: STUCCO.

11. Bully: PUSH AROUND.

12. "Everything's ready to go!": IT'S ALL SET!

13. Chance at the spinner: TURN. Wheel of Fortune? There are some grand "Wheel" bloopers, some of which are not fit for a family publication. I'll leave it at that.

18. Clump of dune grass: TUFT.

24. Fleur-de-__: LYS. Finally - I got my LIS/LYS mojo. Nailed it!

26. Baa ma: EWE.

27. One whose work is laughable: JOKE WRITER.

28. Heavenly path: ORBIT.

29. Gear bit: TOOTH.

30. Word with hot or dog: HOUSE.

31. Zonk out: DOZE.

32. Tablet with Air, Pro and Mini models: IPAD.

33. Update the look of, as a product: REPACKAGE.

37. Like some bistros: AL FRESCO.

38. 1957 Coasters chart-topper with the refrain "Gonna find her": SEARCHIN'. Crosses, but solid. No real problem.

40. Opponent: FOE.

41. Fragrant chain: LEI.

43. MLB team with Mr. and Mrs. mascots: N.Y. METS. Crosses, but solid. I think this might be the refrain of the day for me.

44. Duchamp genre: DADA. Marcel Duchamp and Salvador Dalí play chess:

47. __ Tzu: SHIH.

49. Trusted advisor: GURU.

50. Pesky bug: GNAT.

51. Goes back: EBBS.

53. Rear: HIND.

54. "Picnic" playwright: INGE. Crosses, but solid, here we go again. A 1953 play by William Inge which, I suspect, would be long forgotten except it was the Broadway debut for Paul Newman.

55. Forever: AGES.

58. Placeholder abbr.: T.B.A. To Be Advised.

I'm going to give the rest of this blog over to the cryptic puzzle which appeared in the UK's Guardian broadsheet last Thursday while I was in the UK - the top and bottom rows spell out a quite forthright political opinion. I encourage you to read the resulting article and click the interview with the constructor, who is also a heart surgeon. (Puzzles in the Guardian and Telegraph are published under a pseudonym, the Times puzzles are published anonymously).

And now here's the grid in all its glory:

Steve

Thursday, September 12th 2019 Jeffrey Wechsler

Theme: Back to Square One - and how is that? Let's explain.

40A. Classic American board game symbolized by this puzzle's circles: CHUTES AND LADDERS. In the UK, and, I believe, Canada, the game is called "Snakes and Ladders" although there are many variations. There are even a chain of coffee shops headquartered in Toronto called "Snakes and Lattes".

The game originated in ancient India under the name Moksha Patam, and traveled to the UK to be called "Snakes and Ladders", faithful to the Indian original, and thence to the Americas, where Milton Bradley renamed it "Chutes and Ladders" and produced the first US version in 1943. I hope the clue refers to the name of the US version, and not the provenance.

It's an interesting study of morality, the ladders reward virtue and the snakes, or chutes, punish transgression. The phrase "back to square one" originated from the game.

Here's a game board preserved in the National Museum in Delhi:

OK, history lesson over.

Jeffrey served up a wonderful puzzle here, it takes great skill to be able to hide the theme entries in multiple adjoining fill, and note that the "downwards" entries are all "chutes" and the "upwards" entries are all "ladders".

Downwards: TRASH, MAIL and LAUNDRY
Upwards: ROPE, FIRE and STEP.

As always, Jeffrey hides some landmines, so just when you think you have the thing beat, you find a section that you stare at, fiddle with, write stuff in, take stuff out, you just can't figure it out. For me this week was the top-center, I had terrible trouble getting that straight.

So Bravo! Mr. Wechsler. Let's take a look at what we have:

Across:

1. "Are you getting 100%?" cereal: TOTAL

6. Lover: FLAME. As I mentioned above, this section took me an age to figure out. I just couldn't see FLAME, OILER and even when I finally tripped to PULLMAN I was lost.

11. Excludes: BANS

15. Place to play: ARENA

16. Gulf of Oman vessel: OILER

17. Neutral tone: ECRU

18. Charcuterie fare: MEATS. Food! Originally a way of preserving meats, mainly pork, before refrigeration. Nowadays extends to pates, sausage, and all kinds of interesting stuff.

19. Quaint sleeping coach: PULLMAN CAR. The UK railways ran various all-Pullman services which were first-class only. White tablecloths, candles, waiter food service. I have a couple of Pullman cars on my model railway.

21. Target, as a receiver: PASS TO

23. "Moonlight Sonata" opening movement, e.g.: ADAGIO. Here's Beethoven's masterpiece adagio. Don't bother reading the snarky comments below the piece, it's amazing how those keyboard warriiors want to find some, any excuse to criticize. I think comments should be closed for YouTube.

24. Stand buy: ADE. Lemonade, Ice-T :) What was that commercial for? It was funny.

25. Dromedary feature: HUMP

28. Hybrid fruits: UGLIS

31. Cheerleader's cry: GO TEAM! Or GO WRONG TEAM! as this USC cheerleader celebrates Vince Young's winning touchdown in the 2006 Rose Bowl which confirmed Texas as the National Champions. Ooops.

33. Top __: BANANA

34. "Garfield: __ of Two Kitties": A TAIL. Unheard of, but an easy guess.

37. Deceptive appearance: GUISE

39. __ Plaines: DES

44. Fish often fried: COD. Back in me youth, we ate fish on Fridays, as did all good Catholics (or bad Catholics, in our case, but we had to keep up appearances). The local "chippy" was my mother's night off cooking, we had take-out of fried fish and chips. Three choices, battered cod or haddock; or my dad's favorite, breaded plaice. Wrapped in genuine newsprint. Happy days.

45. Famille member: ONCLE

46. Out of practice: RUSTY. Like my piano skills, I might be able to knock out a "Moonlight Sonata" but I'd have the dogs howling, and not at the moon.

47. Deceptive: TRICKY. A bit like Jeffrey's puzzles.

50. Took to heart: HEEDED

52. Sleep soundly?: SNORE. Loved this clue/answer.

53. Classic movie theaters: RKO'S. RKO had a crack at "verticalization" before anyone had even thought of the term. They figured that if they were producing the movies, they may as well air them in their own theaters and take the box office directly without giving a cut to the theater owners.

54. Maple yield: SAP

57. Martial arts teacher: SENSEI. Literally "one who comes before". An honorific shared in both Chinese and Japanese.

61. Knesset country: ISRAEL. The Israeli Parliament.

63. Brit's afternoon drink: A SPOT OF TEA. Tough to parse if you have all the letters from crosses: ASPOTOFTEA. What? It's the "POT" that throws you.

67. Raised landform: BUTTE

68. Stable baby: FOAL

69. Befuddled: AT SEA

70. It was originally a sitting meditation pose: ASANA. Now a yoga position.

71. Capital on the Tiber: ROME

72. With 22-Down, intimidate: PSYCH (out).

73. Reach: GET AT

Down:

1. __ Bay Rays: TAMPA. When did they drop the "Devil" part of the name? C.C. would know.

2. Nymph associated with Artemis: OREAD. Not one, but many. These were mountain nymphs, allegedly aggressive, but they didn't seem to have any trouble attracting attention. I wonder why?

3. Needle: TEASE

4. Tiny tunnelers: ANTS

5. Eighteenth, usually: LAST HOLE. My last hole is the nineteenth - the clubhouse bar.

6. Clotheshorse: FOP

7. Sch. with a Brooklyn campus: LIU. This innocuous little fill was the source of a good 20 minutes of head-scratching - couldn't see past NYU. NYU went in, came out, went in, came out, we do the hokey-pokey and we turn about and end up with NYU all over again. Long Island University - of course. Now if you were asking about Iced Tea, you'd be speaking my language.

8. Penne __ vodka: ALLA. Food! I know you wanted "A LA", as did I - but we are speaking Italian, not French. Here's my dinner tonight - ragu Bolognese I made yesterday (the flavors develop if you leave it overnight), linguine, Parmegiano Reggiano, basil from my own bush and - the killer - a poached egg. So I present "Lingine alla Bolognese con l'uovo" in my terrible Italian.

9. Fuse: MELD

10. Writer Bombeck: ERMA. I still struggle to remember ERMA vs IRMA. Sorry, Irma - I mean, Erma.

11. Inoffensive: BENIGN

12. Praise: ACCOLADES

13. New Deal agcy.: NRA

14. __ La Table: cookware shop: SUR. There's one next to the original Farmer's Market on Fairfax here in LA. It has a magnetic attraction - when I shop the market, I swear they teleport me in there and do the hypnosis finger-snap just after I've finished buying something. I have a rather lovely paella pan from my last telekinetic moment, but I have to say it's had a lot of use.

20. Bonn : Wasser :: Barcelona : __: AGUA

22. See 72-Across: OUT

26. Soccer star Rapinoe: MEGAN

27. Beer belly: PAUNCH

29. Unlikely to react: INERT

30. Likely to react?: SASSY

31. "Scram, varmints!": GIT

32. 2017 "Hello, Dolly!" Tony winner: MIDLER. Bette, of course.

33. TV's Arthur: BEA

34. Billing nos.: ACCTS

35. "This __ / Doth to our rose of youth rightly belong" (Shakespeare): THORN. The "thorn" of love.

Countess: Even so it was with me when I was young:

If ever we are nature's, these are ours; this thorn

Doth to our rose of youth rightly belong;

All's Well that Ends Well, Act III sc i.

36. Intrusive MP3 files: AUDIO SPAM. Is this a thing? I know the two words go together, but had anyone ever had an unwanted intrusion of MP3 files? I know U2 came in for some flak a while ago when they gave their latest album away free to anyone who had an Apple iTunes account, but I can't think of anything which might come close to spam. Anyone?

38. Aerodynamic: SLEEK

41. __ sauce: SOY

42. Bridal gown storage option: DRESS BAG. Hmmm, OK.

43. It'll never work: DUD

48. Big Easy cuisine: CREOLE. Food!

49. Co-worker of Lane and Olsen: KENT. Superman in his day job.

51. "Where __ sign?": DO I

54. Pulled a chair up to: SAT AT

55. Insurance giant: AETNA. Founded as the Aetna (Fire) Insurance Company of Hartford, Connecticut. Why Aetna? Based on the name of Etna, the active volcano beloved of crossword constructors.

56. Skirt fold: PLEAT

58. Dove, e.g.: SOAP

59. Young salamanders: EFTS

60. Wee: ITSY

62. Sleight of hand: RUSE

63. Egypt's cont.: AFRica. If you'd like a little different take on the by-now bland "Toto" song, here's my favorite Norwegian heavy metal and legendary cover artist Leo Morachiolli. Ear defenders advised for the weak at heart, or hearing.

64. Jack of "Barney Miller": SOO

65. Common Market letters: EEC. European Economic Community.

66. Hot tub sigh: AAH!

I'm in the UK for a few days, I'm crossing my fingers that civil war doesn't break out while I'm here and the hordes descend on Heathrow Airport with pitchforks and torches. If that happens, I'll just pop into the pub for a pint or two and maybe a spot of tea and wait for it to rain. The last time there were major riots in England when I lived there it was during a spell of nice weather. Once it started raining, the rioting subsided. No-one likes to riot in the rain.

Pip-pip, old Chaps! Toodle-oo!

Steve

Note from C.C.:

Happy 60th birthday to dear Steve, the Cal Ripken Jr. of our blog. Steve has a busy job and travels often, but he always prioritizes our blog and writes many posts on the road. Thank you so much for your incomparable dedication and humor, Steve!

Steve and Jill, June 12, 2016

Tea at The Queen Mary

Friday, August 23, 2019, Jeffrey Wechsler

Title: I must P!

Hi, Lemonade here back with my Friday foil, Jeffrey Wechsler. It was fun to read Tom's slant on JW's last two Fridays. It reminded me of when marti was reviewing Jeffrey's Thursdays when he first appeared here at the LAT. But now I am back on the clock with another over-sized offering that no doubt was the product of (my guess) the inspired 16 letter fill - PART APPRECIATION (16). With Jeffrey's background as a  curator, I am betting that was where this gem started. Of course, he had to then make the rest of the themers grid-spanners, the middle two at 15 spaces and the outside two 16 spaces. He also introduced some unused fill, one with one prior appearance in any mainstream puzzle (ICY HOT), and AHIAHI brand spanking new. We also get to reveal EXTERNS, HOE CAKE, NYMPHET,  TITULAR, HANDKNIT, and PURLOINS.  There are some very fun words there.

17A. Gratitude for a well-played role?: PART APPRECIATION (16). A literal but funny clue/fill.

27A. Crackin', peelin' and fadin'?: PAINT MISBEHAVIN' (15). By far my favorite, as I could hear the music in my head as this filled.

45A. Couples therapist?: PAIR CONDITIONER (15). How many have ever tried couples therapy?

55A. Extreme example of layering for cold weather?: PANTS IN ONE'S PANTS (16). This is absurd which is its charm, though the second P is distracting.

Time to solve...

Across:

1. Irrigation need: PIPE.

5. '90s trade pact: NAFTA. North American Free Trade Agreement.

10. "Go no further!": HALT. Reminds me of Sergeant Schultz from Hogan's Heroes.

14. Heart: CRUX. The heart of the matter. Hey marti, hope you are well.

15. "... __ player, / That struts and frets his hour upon the stage": Macbeth: A POOR. Jeffrey's Shakespeare quote.

16. Lake near Carson City: TAHOE. It may be the perfect place on Earth.

20. Papal messenger: LEGATE. Now it is an ecclesiastic delegated by the pope as his representative. Historically it was a provincial governor of senatorial rank appointed by the emperor in ancient Rome.

21. On the other side of: Abbr.: ACRoss.

22. Enzyme suffix: ASE.

23. Unscrupulous: AMORAL. As opposed to Anthony Gael Moral.

25. Youthful maiden of myth: NYMPHET. I think of Lolita and Nabokov's words, "Now I wish to introduce the following idea. Between the age limits of nine and fourteen there occur maidens who, to certain bewitched travelers, twice or many times older than they, reveal their true nature which is not human, but nymphic (that is, demoniac); and these chosen creatures I propose to designate as 'nymphets.' " - Part One, Chapter 5." Please no Jeffrey Epstein comments.

31. Clean, as greens: RINSE.

32. Newton honorific: SIR. Isaac.

33. LGBT History Mo.: OCTober.

34. '60s campus gp.: SDS. Students for a Democratic Society.

35. Start growing: SPROUT. Add an "S" and you have the newest grocery chain coming to my neighborhood, LINK.

37. Hem partner: HAW. Hee.

40. Asian language: LAO. Like THAI, just the beginning of the land.

42. Hammer site: EAR. The ear bones - the malleus, or hammer, the incus, or anvil, and the stapes, or stirrup.

43. Kofi Annan's birthplace: GHANA. His BIOGRAPHY.

49. Like Macbeth in "Macbeth": TITULAR. Like eponymous. A bonus Shakespeare reference.

50. Jumpy: ON EDGE.

51. Jeff Lynne rock gp.: ELO. Electric Light Orchestra

52. HP product: INK. Funny, not technology.

53. Hit: STRUCK. No violence, please.

60. Discrete things: ITEMS.

61. Poetry Muse: ERATO.

62. Fruit with fuzz: KIWI.

63. First name in Latin bands: DESI. Arnaz.

64. "Holy cow!": YIPES. Yipes?

65. Venerable college that owns a river island: ETON. Did you know? Queen's Eyot (pronounced 'eight') is an island on the River Thames close to Windsor. The island has been owned by Eton College since 1923 and has a beautiful clubhouse used for weddings etc.

Down:

1. Angel dust, briefly: PCP. Phencyclidine.

2. Investment option, briefly: IRA.

3. Misappropriates: PURLOINS. There was a famous letter.

4. Nonresident doctors: EXTERNS. Intern ≠ extern.

5. Controversial combat material: NAPALM. This is a highly flammable sticky jelly used in incendiary bombs and flamethrowers, consisting of gasoline thickened with special soaps.

6. Cal. entry: APPT. Calendar - appointment.

7. Golf alert: FORE. Mini-clecho.

8. Golf club part: TOE.

9. Understood by few: ARCANE. Jeffrey's middle name?

10. Seuss title top: HAT. Cat in the...

11. "Aloha __": Hawaiian "Good evening" that sounds like a repeated fish: AHIAHI. Not to be confused with AHI AHI. Timing so soon after the lovely Jimmy B. C.C. puzzle.

12. Ease: LOOSEN.

13. Principle: TENET.

16. Lighting area?: TARMAC. My guess is this refers to the runway lights at airports. Very Friday clue/fill.

18. Patterned mineral: AGATE. This one is for sale at $4,200.00

19. Lidocaine brand endorsed by Shaq: ICY HOT. The second appearance of this brand, It was introduced to the LAT and all major newspapers by one C.C. Burnikel July 25, 2017.

23. Car loan nos.: APRS. An annual percentage rate (APR) is the annual rate charged for borrowing.

24. Hotel employee: MAID.

26. Mil. rank: PVT.

28. Comcast, e.g.: Abbr.: ISP. Internet Service Provider.

29. Warning sound: SIREN.

30. Wide-ranging: BROAD.

35. "You're not the only one!": SO CAN I.

36. Ocean State sch.: URI. The University of Rhode Island.

37. Like some homemade sweaters: HAND KNIT. We have a friend who gives Oo something she knitted every time we see her. I am not sure she should have retired.

38. Rare blood type, briefly: A-NEG.

39. Word with hard or soft: WARE.

40. Lucy of "Elementary": LIU. Dr. Watson.

41. Bygone HBO series about a sports agent: ARLISS. You can now stream this series.

43. Generate: GIN UP. Not a phrase I know. The idiom gin something up means to increase something, to get something going, to stir something up, to agitate or perhaps make a little trouble, sometimes through less than honest means. grammarist.com

44. Southern cornmeal fare: HOECAKE. A hoecake is cornbread made minimalist—a thin, unleavened round made from the simplest batter (cornmeal, water, and salt).

45. "Ecce homo" speaker: PILATE. His Latin name was Marcus Pontius Pilatus. As a child, I heard him called Pontius Pilate (Pilot). It should have been said like the exercise.

46. Makes up (for): ATONES. A continguous clue with religious overtones.

47. Scottish archipelago: ORKNEY. You can READ ALL ABOUT. More arcane knowledge about Great Britain.

48. Ancient statuary fragments: TORSOS.

49. Unenthusiastic: TEPID.

53. Cinch: SNAP.

54. Parisian bean?: TETE. Bean as noggin or the like in French.

56. "That's quite enough": TMI. Too Much Information.

57. "Do it, __ will!": OR I. Sounds ominous.

58. What a V-sign probably means in a restaurant: TWO. I love this clue. Very visual.

59. Envy, say: SIN. One of seven supposedly deadly ones.

Where do all the Fridays go? Another gone, but not before some good old fashioned Jeffrey Wechsler challenge and humor. My two granddaughters are now going to school after a very fun summer. Labor Day approaches. Thank you, Jeffrey and all who read. Lemonade out.

Notes from C.C.:

Here are a few cute pictures of Lemonade's grandchildren Charlotte, Harper and Owen. You can see more pictures here. 

2) Happy birthday to the always cheerful and happy Tinbeni, who's been with our blog for a long long time. Hope it's a day full of adventure and fun, Tinbeni!