google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: John Lampkin

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Showing posts with label John Lampkin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label John Lampkin. Show all posts

Jan 8, 2016

Friday, January 8, 2016, John Lampkin

Theme: What could be worse than a curse a from nurse where you end up in a hearse? More of my verse?

John Lampkin, a true renaissance man and friend of the Corner brings us his first 2016 effort, a sound change makes merry puzzle. Three phrases with three words containing a central "OR" sound are changed to an "UR" sound leaving an amusing new fill clued with skill.  While many Fridays are loaded with theme fill, the three chosen are consistent  and fun and  leave room for much sparkly fill.
CAPULET,  POP SONG,  SCEPTER,  SEA LEGS, HONDURAS, INTERNET,  NANNY CAM, TAX HAVEN,  THAT’S A GO,  WE’RE RICH are all in this gem. No insect learning moment, so do not get antsy, we will now solve.

20A. Cuisine to swear by? : THREE CURSE MEAL (14). Three course meal is a standard fare.

35A. Site of a mortician's monopoly? : ONE HEARSE TOWN (13). The one horse towns of old are going the way the kerosene lamp.

55A. Ode to a Nightingale? : OLD NURSE POETRY (14). The clue references a real POEM but I am sure Florence appreciates the reworking. Old Norse poetry is a CSO to our Norwegian contingent.

Across:

1. Short one at the bar? : ATTorney. I only really see 'atty' abbreviation but I have been in many bars.

4. Flabbergasts : AWES.

8. One taking up slack? : IDLER. Nice clue reversal.

13. Landlocked African country : CHAD. There are 15 such countries in Africa, all perps. I used o go to the office building in NYC with my brother which held his literary agent and the Chad consulate. I thought the name was fake. Who names a country after an actor.
15. Thread bits : LINT. Check your navel. 26A. Traps for 15-Across : NAVELS.

16. Running bowline, e.g. : NOOSE. The beginning of an undercurrent of boating/fishing terms. LINK.

17. Prepare to take off : TAXI. Anybody know the etymology of this usage meaning to go from  a terminal to the runway.

18. Mediterranean landmark : ETNA.

19. Dessert that just sounds wrong : TORTE. A Tort in law is a civil wrong.

23. __ orange : OSAGE.  I know them as horse apples. Our  botany LESSON.

24. Trail follower : HIKER.

25. Downed a link, say : ATE. Sausage, not a golf course. 49A. Link for Ludwig : UND. Beethoven.
66A. Linking device : YOKE. Not on the internet but on your oxen. John Loves clechos.

28. Caught porgy and bass : ANGLED. Cute Porgy and Bess  fish pun.

30. Ice __ : AGE. Can you believe it is 13 years?
31. Feuding house of Verona : CAPULET. Romeo, Romeo wherefore art thou, and our continued Friday Shakespeare.

40. Swift output : POP SONG. Showing my age, my first thought was Jonathan Swift not the ubiquitous TAYLOR.

41. CafĂ© freebie : EAU. Water in French.

43. Charmingly retro : QUAINT. Last week it was Tisn't...

46. Rejects : SPURNS.

50. Believes : DEEMS. Another common word in the law.

54. Actress Graff : ILENE. She was a regular on Mr. Belvedere and more recently Hart of Dixie 

58. Shock source : TASER. Don't tase me bro!

59. Bit of concert memorabilia : STUB.

60. Quinoa alternative : RICE. We do have rice at my house.

62. Latin stars : ASTRA. Whence Astronomy, astrology etc.

63. New Yorker cartoonist Peter : ARNO. He had a very recognizable style, but has been gone for almost 50 years.
The caption says, "He is not ours, try the River House."
64. Rent-__ : A-CAR.

65. Drives off : SHOOS.

67. Med. care option : HMOHealth Maintenance Organization.

Down:

1. Fake it : ACT. Don't get nervous boys.

2. "We're on!" : THAT"S A GO. A nice phrase.

3. Green shelter? : TAX HAVEN. Not ecology but economy.

4. "Hard __!": captain's command : A LEE. Boats.

5. Baker's neighbor in "Into the Woods" : WITCH.  The MOVIE with Meryl Streep as the witch.

6. Jaded state : ENNUI. Always a nice fill.

7. Barren : STARK. Will Catelyn be back?

8. Shopper's mecca : INTERNET.

9. Dire destiny : DOOM. Oddly this is in conflict with 14D. Gloomy air : DIRGE as they are from the same Latin source.

10. Cosmetics giant : L'OREAL.

11. What you will : ESTATE. More hidden law.

12. Landed, with "in" : REELED. A big fish?

21. Shocking swimmer : EEL. Fish?

22. Sailor's ability : SEA LEGS. See what I mean; when I got off from a long cruise, it often seemed like the land was moving.

23. __ roll : ON A.  Give me some butter, because...

27. Sovereign symbol : SCEPTER.

29. Bygone muscle car : GTO. My brother had one and it was too fast.
32. Small juice sources? : AAS. Batteries.

33. Ace : PRO. My meh of the day.

34. Org. with subs : USN. Cool misdirection- United States Navy. Ships.

36. Prefix for a lifesaving "Pen" : EPI, I have two in my house-bees.

37. Mosquito Coast country : HONDURAS. It is not Star Wars
38. Reaction to suddenly becoming flush? : WE'RE RICH! Powerball anyone? If we each chipped in $2.00....

39. Concerned parent's installation : NANNY CAM.

42. Employment : USE.

43. Mandated amounts : QUOTAS.

44. Remove, as bindings : UNLASH.

45. Expands, as a deck : ADDS TO. A deck of cards? The deck Splynter built? The one marti and I sat together at her house on?

47. Sales meeting metaphor : PIE.

48. Conservative leader? : ULTRA.

51. Outlet for one's thoughts : ESSAY. Put them on paper.

52. Densely populated area, briefly : METRO.

53. Spirit : SPUNK. A trait of mixed benefit.

56. Emperor famous for playing an instrument that hadn't been invented yet : NERO. Did he FIDDLE around?

57. Wind in the reeds : OBOE. A simple musical clue from our very musical friend. To me it brought to mind this POETRY. Yes Yeats along with earlier Keats.

61. Ranch closing? : ERO. Huevos rancheros while I finish writing?

Always a pleasure to see a JL byline, though we are missing anything to bug us, unless you do not like puns.  Thanks John. Lemonade out.

May 29, 2015

Friday, May 29, 2015, John Lampkin

Theme: It is T time, so let's have some dessert.

A Friday frolic with our musical bug man, photog, where a T is is added as the first letter of the second word of a common phrase, resulting in an amusingly clued dessert. With only three themers and a reveal there is plenty of room for creativity in the grid. First, I like the visual of this puzzle, JL's photographer's eye I am sure helped. (A hint is hidden in the grid: look closely at the middle). Instead of the regular look, we have mirror symmetry. We also have standard Friday low word count with longer average word length. The longer fill is loaded with sparkle: ANY TIME,  BIDS FOR,  BREWSKI,  DETENTE,  ETERNAL,  FLAT FEE,  INCUBUS, MUD PIES,  NOT IN IT,  YES DEAR, APIARIST,  BOB FOSSE,  EVIL TWIN,  RETRACTS with much of it word strings which are a challenge to suss. Any puzzle that ranges from ROO and MUD PIES to INCUBUS is a joy to me. Let us follow John's lead.

17A. Self-preparing dessert? : AUTOMATIC TRIFLE (15). A nice change from a weapon of destruction to an English yummy. RECIPE.

27A. Dry, powdery dessert? : DUST TRUFFLE (11). We just bought a new comforter with matching dust ruffle, but I should have gotten a chocolate treat. RECIPE.

34D. Surreal dessert? : DADA TART (8). We all should know this MOVEMENT from Jean Arp and others. The simple tart comes in many forms. RECIPE.

36D. Like the desserts in this puzzle, literally? : DONE TO A T (8). A Friday reveal.


Across:

1. Like some timers? : OLD. 20 mule team borax anyone?

4. Kids' rainy day projects : MUD PIES. The only time little boys are encouraged to 'cook.'

11. Watch kids : SIT. We get to baby sit Charlotte.

14. Piglet bud : ROO. From the world of Winnie.

15. Boring, facetiously : ETERNAL. This definition required perp inspiration, but it makes sense.

16. Kyrgyzstan city : OSH. B'gosh, I get this right away finally.

20. Supple : LITHE.

21. Red meat source : EMU. Too late for Memorial Day, but you can order these for the Fourth. LINK.

22. Red giant : S-STAR. This has been appearing regularly.

23. 37-Down's concerns : BEES. A tricky cross-reference but it is Friday. 37D. See 23-Across : APIARIST. A five dollar word for bee keeper. Where are Ulee and Sherlock? John any great Bee pictures? How about an original...

24. Year during Augustus' reign : ONE BC. For all the southern readers, "How many headache powders do you need to take?"

26. Val-d'__: French department : OISE. Oise is a river you need to know because of the great use of vowels. For Splynter, you can practice your FRENCH.

30. Human __ : RACE. I thought "kind" first.

31. Big bunch : SCAD. Not used to the term in the singular.

32. Moisten, as garden cobwebs : BEDEW. A nice Shakespearean word.

35. Shingle wood : CEDAR.

39. Biological duct travelers : OVA. Eggs.

40. Wagering letters : OTBOff track betting. I believe this has been replaced with online choices like TVG  etc.

43. You'd be amazed to stand in it : AWE. Really nicely crafted clue/fill for such a simple answer.

45. Unlock, to Byron : OPEn. Read some POETRY?

46. Tries to obtain : BIDS FOR. This works two ways, both literally and figuratively.

48. Dead last, say : NOT IN IT. Tough letter string, but accurate.

50. Hourly-rate alternative : FLAT FEE. A very large part of law practice, one of the three types of fee arrangements: hourly, contingency, and flat fee.

51. Marital concession : YES DEAR. My favorite fill of the entire puzzle; so well put.

52. Anne Frank's father : OTTO. I did not remember this

53. Belts : SWATS.

55. __ vez: Juan's "again" : OTRA.

56. Grassy surface : SWARD. This appears to be the LAT debut of this Friday word. It along with STORER almost did me in.

58. Bio, e.g. : SCIence.

59. Indifferent : STOIC.

60. Yes-Bob link : SIREE.

61. One of the Kardashians : KIM. If you want a link, go for it.

62. Sandwich request : TOAST.

63. Blog input : ENTRY. A CSO to us all.

64. Compound suffix : IDE. This old bromide...

65. Annie of "Designing Women" : POTTS. I enjoyed the series but I like Annie better in this ROLE  (0:29).

Down:

1. Colgate rival : ORAL B. I started with Crest.

2. Mascot of the NHL's Blues : LOUIE.


3. Like pointillist works : DOTTED. My father studied and practiced this type of painting

4. Cultural idea that may go viral : MEME. If you paid attention yesterday....

5. Acting legend Hagen : UTA.

6. Political thaw : DETENTE. Not in fashion any more. Now the Olympic arrests are a US scheme to take the World Cup from Russia, according to Vladimir Putin.

7. First coat : PRIMER.

8. Nocturnal demonic visitor : INCUBUS. My first thought was SUCCUBUS but it did not fit.

9. Corrode : EAT. The rust ate away my outdoor furniture.

10. Some pic takers : SLRSSingle Lens Reflexes.

11. Pushover : SOFTIE.

12. Lands in el mar : ISLAS. Spanish.

13. Pointing remark : THERE. Cute clue. An excuse for this CLIP. (0:26)

18. "And I'm Cleopatra" : OH SURE. I thought it was Queen of Sheba.

19. Wagnerian soprano : ISOLDE. Inspector Morse loved his Opera. They just announced a 9th season of Lewis in addition to the 3rd for Endeavor.

24. Needing no Rx : OTCOver The Counter.

25. Ozone-threatening compound : CFCChlorofluorocarbon. Better known as FREON.

28. Prune : SAW OFF. A branch on a tree, not a dried plum.

29. Aspects : FACETS.

32. Choreographer with nine Tonys : BOB FOSSE. We like to see full names in puzzles. hard to believe he has been dead almost 30 years.

33. Facetious scapegoat : EVIL TWIN. Also a TV favorite PLOT.

38. Pulls back : RETRACTS.

41. Digits displayed on beaches : TOES. Sing-a-long.


42. Suds : BREWSKI.

43. "Whenever" : ANYTIME.

44. Travails : WOES.

47. Acorn woodpecker, e.g. : STORER. JL like birds and bugs, but this clue bugs me.

49. "Ditto" : I DO TOO. Fun letter string.

54. Lithographer's material : ACID. This answer should be etched in your mind.

57. "L.A. Law" actress : DEY. A partridge that grew up. Interestingly, she was replaced by Annie Potts in the TV Series Love and War. I liked her in LINK.

59. Indy initials : STP. Scientifically Treated Petroleum. Andy Granatelli.

Well another fun effort from a dear friend to the Corner. See you in June. Lemonade out.

Apr 21, 2015

Tuesday, April 21, 2015 John Lampkin

Theme: Voyeurism - Cruciverbally watching someone take a shower.

18A. Controversial coal-extraction process : STRIP MINING

27A. Buy lots of presents for : SHOWER WITH GIFTS

47A. Wry wit : DRY SENSE OF HUMOR

59A. Opera house section : DRESS CIRCLE. Diagram

57D. Appropriate room for the sequence comprised of the starts of 18-, 27-, 47- and 59-Across : BATH

Peeping Argyle here. Did you need John's unifier? Two spanners again today and a touch of tomfoolery. Well done.

Across:

1. Stick (out) : JUT

4. Chocolate syrup choice : BOSCO. Perhaps oc4beach said it best. "When I was a kid I believed the Bosco commercials and pestered my mother until she bought a jar for me. After one glass of it I realized it was terrible Brown Sludge. To teach me a lesson, my mother made me drink a glass every day until it was gone. I didn't pester her as much about buying stuff after that."

9. Call to mind : EVOKE

14. Self-image : EGO

15. Chipmunk's morsel : ACORN

16. "America by Heart" author Sarah : PALIN

17. Good name for a tree-lined street : ELM

20. Long gun : RIFLE

22. Really mad : BOILING

23. __-Loompa: fictional chocolate factory worker : OOMPA. No Bosco here.

26. Bagpiper, often : SCOT

33. "2001" computer : HAL

34. Cinematic shootout time : NOON

35. Monica of tennis : SELES

36. Allowed to ripen, as cheddar : AGED

38. Kind of card or drive : FLASH. It seems there is a large online market for flash cards.

41. Senate slot : SEAT

42. Rose (up) on hind legs, to a cowhand : RARED

44. Beat to a froth : WHIP

46. Doctor's org. : AMA

51. "¿QuĂ© __?" : PASA. "What's up?"

52. Jazz singer Krall : DIANA



53. Curse-inflicting stare : EVIL-EYE

56. Some Balkanites : SERBS

62. Kit __: candy bar : KAT

63. Everglades wader : EGRET

64. Pro basketball player, briefly : NBAer. Member of the National Basketball Association

65. H-like letter : ETA

66. "Think again!" : "NOT SO!". "Au contraire, mon frère"

67. Decent chaps : GENTS

68. "Give __ thoughts no tongue": "Hamlet" : THY. Mum's the word.

Down:

1. Bit of heckling : JEER

2. Aptly named fruit : UGLI

3. Horseplay : TOMFOOLERY

4. Infielders : BASEMEN. What about the shortstop?

5. Autumn mo. : OCT.

6. Fraternity counterpart: Abbr. : SOR. (sorority)

7. Nursery bed : CRIB. Time to think about garden nurseries. Just heard my first thunder for the year.

8. Like some military housing : ON POST

9. Literary postscripts : EPILOGS

10. Makeup tables : VANITIES

11. "Chocolat" actress Lena : OLIN

12. Royal flush card : KING

13. Second lang., for some : ENG. (English)

19. Wisc. neighbor : MICH.

21. Stuck-in-the-mud gear : LOW. Just when it was drying up, we get a week of rain. Would like to send it to those of you that need it.

24. University VIP : PROF. (professor)

25. AFB truant : AWOL. (AFB-Air Force Base)

27. Broken pottery piece : SHARD

28. Helga's Viking husband, in comics : HAGAR. Not a shower man.

29. Extremely impressed : IN AWE

30. Bargain hunter's mecca : FLEA MARKET. Look for C.C. there.

31. Spanish "I love you" : "TE AMO"

32. Astronomical red giant : S-STAR

37. More than dislikes : DESPISES. Snarky anons.

39. Not barefoot : SHOD

40. Old audio system : HI-FI

43. Includes in the poker game : DEALS TO

45. Sci-fi weapons : PHASERS

48. Tiny fraction of a min. : NSEC. One billionth (10-9) of a second.

49. Adage : SAYING

50. One in Paris : UNE

53. Therefore : ERGO

54. Opposite of hor. : VERT. Could be a perp in either direction.

55. Kathryn of "Law & Order: C.I." : ERBE

58. Legal suspension : STAY

59. Family room : DEN

60. Soda container : CAN

61. Do-over on the court : LET. Tennis court.


Argyle


Mar 10, 2015

Tuesday, March 10, 2015 John Lampkin

Theme: Rossini opera - I'll not link the overture; it's already playing in my head.

20A. *Ornamental flower with clustered blooms : SWEET WILLIAM

36A. *Blab about one's romantic life : KISS AND TELL

43A. *Luxury car until the 1930s : PIERCE-ARROW

57A. *Former PBS science show with a fruit in its title logo : NEWTON'S APPLE

65A. Body support for the end of 57-Across, in a Swiss folk tale suggested by the ends of the answers to starred clues : HEAD (Placed directly under APPLE)

Argyle here. Now this is more like it. I would not expect anything less from John.

Across:

1. Cavern effect : ECHO

5. Cornfield call : [CAW!]

8. "Frozen" studio : DISNEY

14. Amorphous mass : BLOB

15. "Say again?" : "HUH?"

16. Mercedes-Benz sedan line : E CLASS

17. Disapproving cries from bleacher "birds" : BOOs. The Boo Birds

18. Prefix with meter : ODO

19. "I do" setting : CHAPEL. And 33. "I do" : "YES"

23. Wall St. index : NYSE

24. Steeped brew : TEA

25. Badlands bovine : BISON

29. "Green Eggs and Ham" guy : SAM

31. Marshmallow-filled snack : MOON PIE


39. Brainchild : IDEA

41. "Dancing With the Stars" move : TWIRL

42. Law school newbie : ONE L. First year law student.

46. Like deadpan humor : DRY

47. Bringing up the rear : ENDMOST

48. Tail movement : WAG and 54A. Comment from Fido : [WOOF!]

50. "Speak up!" : "SAY IT!". "Good dog!"

51. Had a meal : ATE

61. African desert : SAHARA

64. Beat it : RAN. Made a hasty retreat.

66. Online form entry : USER ID

67. __-fi : SCI

68. Ireland, in poetry : ERIN

69. Sonnet features : RHYMES

70. 1930s N.L. home run king Mel : OTT. A Giant in crossword clues.

71. __ avis : RARA

Down:

1. Flows back : EBBS

2. Kids' party performer : CLOWN

3. Twaddle : HOOEY. Love it.

4. Think constantly about something : OBSESS

5. Food on the trail : CHOW. First thought, GORP.

6. Review of books? : AUDIT

7. Unbroken : WHOLE

8. Tenth: Pref. : DECI. Deca - comprised of ten.

9. Crane who fled the Headless Horseman : ICHABOD

10. Hit very hard : SLAM INTO

11. Snooze : NAP

12. Peoria-to-Cincinnati dir. : ESE

13. French designer's initials : YSL. (Yves Saint Laurent)

21. Shipbuilding wood : TEAK

22. Hedy of Hollywood : LAMARR



26. Use up cash : SPEND

27. Persian Gulf ship : OILER

28. Nice __: prude : NELLY. ...or not so nice.


30. Teeny parasites : MITES

32. At the minimum setting : ON LOW

33. "Goodness me!" : YIPES

34. Twin Cities suburb : EDINA

35. Like a run-down motel : SEEDY

37. Go after, as a mosquito : SWAT AT

38. Elton John's title : SIR

40. Linked while walking, as friends : ARM IN ARM

44. Circle of friends : COTERIE

45. H2O, to a toddler : "WAWA"

49. Burrowing rodent : GOPHER

52. Sculpted figure : TORSO

53. Put into law : ENACT

55. "The Marriage of Figaro," e.g. : OPERA

56. Knack : FLAIR

58. Rolls of money : WADS

59. Agitated state : SNIT

60. Funny Dame : EDNA. "Funny" funny dame.



61. Big __, California : SUR

62. Hearth remains : ASH

63. "Yo!" : "HEY!". "Wake up, the party's over!"


Argyle


Note from C.C.:

Happy Birthday to our foodie Avg Joe! I could not locate his signature Ham and Split Pea Soup recipe on the blog last Christmas and winged it. The soup turned out to be very tasty but thick. Very filling.




Jan 2, 2015

Friday, January 2, 2015, John Lampkin

Theme: You had to be a big shot didn't ya. LISTEN. (4:03)

I ended the year with John Lampkin, and I begin with another from the clecho king. This time the theme seems simple, the second word, or second part of a known word or phrase is a synonym for boss. The clecho part is that each are clued with "TOP" meaning the best or the boss. The grid is filled with sparkly stuff like  AT FAULT, AURORAS, BAD CALL, DOLLS UP, HAYSEED, I’M TOAST, SPARROW, SPEEDOS, TEARFUL, COPY DESK and SUSPENSE.

17A. Top horticulturist? : BUSHMASTER. This SNAKE breaks into parts for the theme. It is part of the viper family.

27A. Top orthopedist? : BONEHEAD. Any bonehead know orthopedists deal with bones.

36A. Top dairyman? : CREAM CHEESE. Like wheel below, this one needs a "Big" before it to project the same meaning as the rest of the theme.


47A. Top entomologist? : FLYWHEEL. You had to know John would get something buggy into the grid. A flywheel is a rotating mechanical device that is used to store rotational energy. Flywheels have a significant moment of inertia and thus resist changes in rotational speed. The amount of energy stored in a flywheel is proportional to the square of its rotational speed. Energy is transferred to a flywheel by applying torque to it, thereby increasing its rotational speed, and hence its stored energy. Conversely, a flywheel releases stored energy by applying torque to a mechanical load, thereby decreasing the flywheel's rotational speed. per wiki.


Picture and captions from John Lampkin: 

I don't pretend to be a FLY WHEEL myself, but I do enjoy photographing them! This bee-mimic Robber Fly captured a beetle and landed on my friend Doug's pant leg. The other members of our group who were 20 feet away were wondering why I was photographing Doug's crotch. Anything for a shot.

57A. Top cinematographer? : FILM LEADER. The TERM is also about movies but I did not know it.

Across:

1. Like Sherlock's game : AFOOT. An A word that is really used, and for a detective story lover, this was a great way to start.

6. Jerk : BOOB. This meaning for the word boob has long been supplanted by the slang word for female breast, which makes JL's intersecting 6D. Museum work : BUST so amusing. The king of the cross-reference strikes again. I found the clue/fill slowed me down big time.

10. Medical ending : OSIS. For some reason HALITOSIS popped into my head, even though HYPNOSIS, OSMOSIS and TUBERCULOSIS are clearly more common.

14. Sierra Nevada tourist attraction : TAHOE. A truly awesome place to visit with the mountains, the lake and the casinos.

15. Bruin's home : UCLA. This took much longer than it should have, perhaps a product of growing up near Boston, though my first answer was CAVE.

16. Leave in a bad way : DUMP. Ah the heartbreak of it all. Any great stories of broken romances? 35D. Like some goodbyes : TEARFUL.

19. East in Ecuador : ESTE. How odd that of all the Spanish speaking countries, JL picked Ecuador. We have clients involved in a big project there.

20. Puncture opening? : ACUpuncture.

21. Lay : PUT. Not sure, Lay Down?

22. Main signal : SOS. In this case the bounding main of the open seas.

24. "I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity" writer : POE. An interesting and tragic figure. You can read more HERE.

25. Less inclined to ramble : TERSER.

29. Get a leg up ... and down : STEP.

30. Pearl Buck heroine : OLAN. How lucky can I get, we just had this.

32. Playground retort : CAN SO. Can not.

33. Comparable to a beet : AS RED.

35. Private meetings : TRYSTS. Well usually private and naughty.

38. Emulates a fan : ADORES.

40. Lessen : ABATE.

41. Go __ : TO POT. Or Colorado?

42. Rosa's rosa, e.g. : FLOR. Is this flower in both Spanish and Italian?

43. Cut, in a way : ETCH.

49. Homburg kin : FEDORA. Hats off to John, who actually wears hats for getting this fill in the grid.

51. City VIP : ALDerman.

52. Lamp opening? : ELL. The letter, silly.

53. Cannes confirmation : OUI. Must have some French for Splynter.

54. Even so : YET.

55. Applications : USES.

60. Verdant : LUSH. Usually associated with growing things.

61. "Young Frankenstein" Fräulein : INGA. The incomparable Teri Garr and her knockers.


62. "If only!" : I HOPE.

63. I-76 in Penn., e.g. : TPKE.

64. Handy : NEAR.

65. "Good Lord!" : OH GOD.

Down:

 1. Chances for a walk in the park? : AT BATS. Some baseball misdirection as the park is the ball park. It is safe to say John likes to be misleading, as in another baseball clue 27D. Mistake at home, perhaps : BAD CALL.

2. Tap : FAUCET. So simple but I started out struggling in the NW corner.

3. "And I'm Cleopatra" : OH SURE. followed by...

4. Awed response : OOH. Now if the next clue were Buckeye state, we would have quite a progression. We also have 59D. Spa sound : AHH.

5. Home of Arizona State : TEMPE. I have quite a few cousins who got degrees there.

7. Calendar pg. : OCTober.

8. Nellie __, character in Laura Ingalls Wilder's "Little House" books : OLESON. This was all guesswork.

9. Low-grade peer : BARON. Downton Abbey will be back soon.

10. Lyric tribute : ODE.

11. Film genre : SUSPENSE.

12. "My goose is cooked" : I'M TOAST. Two cooking references. Two I references.

13. Small trunks : SPEEDOS. Joe Manganiello anyone?


18. Dawns : AURORAS. Better than my old friend Eos.

23. It may be told in anger : SECRET. 34D. Rage below the surface : SEETHE. 46D. More than dislike : HATRED. Mini-theme? Hmm, some issues JL?

26. Field chirper : SPARROW.

28. Yokel : HAYSEED. Fun fill.

31. Apollo 11's Eagle, briefly : LEM. Thanks JL for the CSO.

36. News editing site : COPY DESK. Where is our newswoman? Do they still have these.

37. Starz rival : HBO. Is this still an initialism for Home Box Office?

38. Liable : AT FAULT. Florida has no fault divorce and car insurance.

39. Dons fancy duds : DOLLS UP. Fun phrase.

42. One may be in your lap : FELINE. The perfect clecho for the Corner. For CED.

44. One may be in your lap : TOY DOG. For Manac.

45. Sleazeball : CREEPO. So many variations of the word creep, but I did not know this one.

48. Puckish : ELFIN. Just watched the final of the Hobbit Trilogy. Filled with Elves who were not ELFIN. I also rewatched ELF for Christmas.

50. Farm sequence? : EIEIO. Old MacDonald would be proud of so many O words.

53. "A Book of Verses underneath the Bough" poet : OMAR.

56. Ship, to the captain : SHE. On the bounding main.

58. JFK alternative : LGA. Three letter airport codes. MSY, MCO, ORD are trickier to suss.

Well another year has begun with a challenging but doable Friday (only 74 words and 34 blocks, so we had to work hard). Thank all for the good wishes after my wedding and have a great year.

Lemonade out.

Dec 19, 2014

Friday, December 19, 2014, John Lampkin

Theme: Wherefore ARt thou AR?

Man what more could a guy ask for: marti, followed by C.C., followed by a John Lampkin special. I am in blogger heaven. Good thing this is not November 19. Letter removal puzzles require the result to be entertaining and John does not disappoint. CRIER PIGEON, MINAMALIST T, BROOM BRAWL (featuring witches) and PILL TO POST all evoke (see 49A) very funny images to me. The rest of the fill is loaded with stuff like CAPITOL, ECLIPSE, EXPORTS, ONE EYED, OOMPAHS, ORIGAMI, SPARE ME, TOENAIL, HOOFED IT, I’M NO FOOL. John always slides in some insects and some music, so lets play.

20A. Easy mark with a sob story? : CARRIER PIGEON (11). Someone who is a sucker for a crying female. Carrier pigeons are in retirment now, and should not be confused with this long gone COUSIN.

54A. Shirt that hardly covers anything? : MINIMALIST ART (11). Which would you rather have: Skimpy T-shirts

or

10D. Ruckus at a coven? : BARROOM BRAWL (10). Broom being the un-PC way to refer to witches. We have our California coven here at the Corner; hello ladies.

28D. Very small pharmaceutical mail order? : PILLAR TO POST(10). Yes, mailing a single pill sounds silly, but with the price of some of the new drugs, it might just make sense. I recall the announcers at the Gillette Friday Night Fights used the term  "he was battered from 'Pillar to Post.'"
And the hint
67A. Noble gas, and a homophonic hint to how this puzzle's four longest answers are formed : ARGON (5).  AR is GONE from each phrase. Regional accents may make this more difficult.

Across:

1. What Rudolph used to be called : NAMES. A semi clecho. 41. 1960 Olympic gold medalist Rudolph : WILMA.

All of the other reindeer
Used to laugh and call him names
They never let poor Rudolph
Join in any reindeer games

6. One in a wild bunch? : OAT. Sowing anyone?

9. Beatles song syllables : OBLA. Does this parse  OHHB LAHH, or OOOO BLAH?

13. Pilot : AVIATE. JL, really?

15. Baseball letters : RHE. Runs Hits and Errors on the scoreboard. JL is the undipsuted King of Clechos, as is seen here.

16. Baseball's Hershiser : OREL. He works in the booth now. A repeat fill with totally diferent clue.

17. Baseball champs of 2013 : RED SOX. So many years of futility followed by such success, I wonder if Joe Maddon can do that for the Cubs?

18. "What do you take me for?" : I'M NO FOOL. I/ME today, a minI theme? 31A. Part of a team observation : NO I. Just two weeks after I used this as part of my name for marti's Friday puzzle. 7D. Woeful words : AH ME. 32D. "I've heard enough" : SPARE ME. (Also, s CSO to Boomer). 38D. "No real damage" : I'M OK.

22. Trail terminus: Abbr. : OREgon. Sounds like ARGON? I wonder if terminus refers to the fact the Oregon Trail ends in Oregon, or that Trail is added to the end of Oregon?

23. British pop singer Lewis : LEONA. She won X-Factor.

24. Expressionist painter LeRoy : NEIMAN. I think football made him famous. See the SITE.

26. Habitat for some ibexes : ALPS. You run into many, marti?

29. Coke go-with : RUM.

30. Balkan native : SERB. I wonder if they serve rum and coke in Serbia?

32. Fine groove : STRIA.

34. Salt's output : YARNS. Sailors love to spin them.

37. It's seldom total : ECLIPSE. Unless it is of the HEART. GLEEFUL.


39. Digital filer's target : TOE NAIL. Devlish misdirection with digital referencing the 'digit" i.e. toe, for all you pedicure experts.

42. Cape Cod catch : SCROD. It is baaack!

44. Intl. commerce group : WTO. World Trade Organization. 14D. International commerce components : EXPORTS.

45. One-third of a WWII film : TORA. "Tora! Tora! Tora!", named after the code words use by the lead Japanese pilot to indicate they had surprised the Americans, covers the days leading up to the attack on Pearl Harbor, which plunged America into the Second World War. (Wiki). Interestingly, the screen play credits both American and Japanese authors.

47. Wind often affects it : AIM. Yes, in shooting, golf etc.

48. Joy : GLEE. Nene Leakes is/was on Glee.

49. Calls to mind : EVOKES.

51. Some future fliers : PUPAE. larvae, pupae, John loves dem bugs, see below for more.

53. Hint : TIP. Do not try giving your server a hint.

59. Didn't ride : HOOFED IT. Archie Goodwin was always hoofing it from the old brownstone and leaving the Heron in the garage.

61. Hamper : HOGTIE.

62. "... we fat all / creatures __ to fat us": Hamlet : ELSE. I love this scene where the King asks Hamlet where Polonious is, and is told he is at supper, the king asks where Polonious is eating his supper and Hamlet replies:
                                                
Not where he eats, but where he is eaten. A certain convocation of politic worms are e'en at him. Your worm is your only emperor for diet. We fat all creatures else to fat us, and we fat ourselves for maggots. Your fat king and your lean beggar is but variable service—two dishes, but to one table. That’s the end.

63. Roger or Brian of music : ENO. There will alway be music in John's puzzles as there is in his soul.

64. Bundle up on the farm : SHEAVE. A perfect winter misdirection.

65. Speedometer reading, e.g. : RATE.

66. Margarita condimento : SAL. salt in Spanish.


Down:

1. Buster? : NARC. The question mark is your clue to the clue as it means one who busts.

2. Affirm as true : AVER.

3. Noon in Paris : MIDI. Time for a Midi? Mini or maxi? Skirted that issue.

4. Stands by an artist : EASELS. Only thing I think of

5. Put away : STORE.

6. Folding craft : ORIGAMI.

8. Dovetail sections : TENONS. Splynter, hope you get some rest.

9. Punch line? : OOF. See cartoon.

11. The first Mrs. Arrowsmith : LEORA. From the eponymous Sinclair Lewis book. She was played by Helen Hayes in the movie.

12. Kind of wrench : ALLEN. Actually it is a Hex Key, but Allen manufacturing from Hartford seems to have cornered the market.

19. Like some picture cards : ONE EYED. I think we had Jacks recently.

21. Gets used (to) : INURES.

25. Land with a red, white and green flag : IRAN. Man there are a lot of them. LINK. I should have paid more attention when watching...

26. Over : ANEW. Starting over- starting anew? Not easy JL.

27. Point sets, in math : LOCI. Bill G., this is all yours.

33. Court : ATRIUM. Noun, not a verb.

35. Time in ads : NITE.

36. Sour fruit : SLOE. Not in a Singapore Sling.

40. Marching band lows : OOMPAHS. Oh those TUBAE! 50D. String quartet part : VIOLA.  two violins, one cello and a viola. John Lampkin is  an accomplished piano player, teacher and composer.

43. Hill building : CAPITOL.

46. Dramatic devices : ASIDES. Shakespeare anyone?

48. Counter man : GEIGER. Har har.  It actually is the Geiger–MĂĽller counter. LINK.

49. It's a real knockout : ETHER. Har har, though knockout drops were Chloral hydrate (please insert intelligent comment scientists).

52. Wahine's greeting : ALOHA.

55. Two-time Atlantic crosser of 1493 : NINA. I did not know this tidbit.

56. __ party : STAG. Most bachelor parties are stag; my first wedding had one but it was boooring.

57. DVR option : TIVO. How are they doing now that cable, dish people provide the DVRs?

58. Adult, at one time : TEEN. Being a teen is 7 years for each of us on the calendar, a lifetime for most males.

60. Commission : FEE. FIE FO FUM.  I finish with an introduction to some of the photography of our multitalented constructor John Lampkin, who takes the best bug pictures even if bugs are yucky. He also offers his commentary. See you after Christmas, Happy Chanukah to those who light the candles. Lemonade out. Here are pictures and words from JL. Thanks John for the puzzle and more.



For 51 Across – PUPAE
This Armyworm caterpillar (seen head downwards) had been parasitized by a very tiny braconid wasp. She had stung the caterpillar laying dozens of eggs. The eggs  hatched and the wasp larvae ate the caterpillar from the inside out avoiding all vital organs toward the head end. The wasp larvae then crawled out through the caterpillar’s skin and formed the white fuzzy pupae  sticking out of the caterpillar.  The caterpillar was still alive when I shot the pic. My Florida naturalist friend Karen Finch, bless her,  took everything home in a jar and hatched out the wasps to confirm our ID. Since parasitized larvae like this Armyworm nearly always die, braconid wasps can be an eco-friendly control of garden pests like Tomato Hornworms.
Total lunar eclipse I shot as a time-lapse from my yard at 3:33 am, December 21, 2010. 

From Wikipedia: The eclipse was the first total lunar eclipse to occur on the day of the Northern Winter Solstice (Southern Summer Solstice) since 1638, and only the second in the Common Era

 
 

May 18, 2014

Sunday May 18, 2014 John Lampkin

Theme:  "Addressing the Crowd" - Each theme answer ends with a street address, all clued appropriate for the profession mentioned in each clue.

23A. Apt address for hit men? : VICIOUS CIRCLE

28A. Apt address for prizefighters? : BELT LOOP

41A. Apt address for petrologists? : ROCKY ROAD. Misty's husband is a petrologist, I think.

50A. Apt address for surgeons? : INSIDE LANE

68A. Apt address for an Orlando team? : MAGIC SQUARE
 
86A. Apt address for photographers? : FLASH DRIVE. We all know John is a nature photographer.

94A. Apt address for gossip columnists? : DIRT TRAIL. Miss the old MSNBC Entertainment coverage.

109A. Apt address for dairymen? : MILKY WAY

118A. Apt address for Australian zookeepers? : KANGAROO COURT

What a great title!

Not a pangram as John's typical Sunday puzzles. 9 theme entries are not easy to deal with, esp if the first one starts with a 13, as you're forced with deep stacks of 7's on the upper right immediately. John could put another black square in square 22, but then he would have exceeded the word limit. 

Same with square 19. This is a potentially 3-letter heavy puzzle (I could easily see 20 in the top and bottom three rows alone), but John is a grid master.

Across:
 
1. Braying beast : ASS. Alliteration.

4. PC display : LCD

7. Places for prayer leaders : APSES

12. Bourbon barrel wood : OAK

15. "Silly me!" : D'OH!. And 18. Silly talk : TWADDLE. I like this word.

20. Collar attachment : LEASH. And 26. Helmet attachments : STRAPS

21. Certify : SWEAR TO

25. "Get busy!" : HOP TO IT!
   
27. Porcine cry : OINK

29. Overjoys : ELATES

31. "C'est magnifique!" : OO LA LA. Hi there Linda!

34. "Besides that ..." : ALSO

35. i follower : POD. iPod.

37. Capable, kiddingly : EPT

38. Chiapas chaperon : DUENA. New word to me. Also not familiar with the Mexican state Chiapas. Another Mexican state in the clue of AMIGA (122. Jalisco gal pal).

39. Mollycoddle : COSSET. No idea. Never been cosseted. 

45. Basic dance : TWO-STEP

47. It's a gas : OZONE

48. Native Canadian : CREE

55. Put under a spell : BEWITCH

57. Liberal group? : ARTS. Good old clue.

59. Scientific map subjects : GENOMES

60. "Three Days of the Condor" org. : CIA. I liked the movie. I like Robert Redford.

61. Scena segment : ARIA

62. Miler Sebastian : COE

64. Bug user : SNOOP. Wiretap bug.

65. Jerk : DORK.  Nope. Dorks are not jerks.

72. Football Hall of Famer Marchetti : GINO. Look, he even attached HOF in his signature.


73. Projecting window : ORIEL

75. Finder's reward : FEE

76. It may be artificial : TURF

77. Grate stuff : ASH

79. Pull back, as talons : RETRACT. Vivid clue.

81. Two in seventy-five? : VEES. Two letter V's.

82. Aaron Burr was once tried for it : TREASON. He was? This guy was so problematic.

89. Africa's Mobutu __ Seko : SESE

91. Kiddie lit redhead : PIPPI

92. Car deal component : TRADE-IN

96. Synagogue leaders : RABBIS

100. Two-time US Open winner : SELES (Monica). 

102. Burn at the beach : FRY. Shout-out to a blog regular, who loves his Pirates.

103. Bee follower : CEE

104. Jai __ : ALAI

105. Ankle-related : TARSAL

106. What burglars may walk on : TIPTOE

112. Hummable bit : TUNE. So simple, so beautiful. Make me think of the young Spitzboov, Argyle & PK.

114. Fairy tale brother : HANSEL. And Gretel.

117. Searches for anew : RE-SEEKS

121. For kicks : ON A LARK

123. Missing more marbles : LOONIER. Fun clue.

124. Mil. award : DSM (Distinguished Service Medal)

125. Turning meas. : RPS

126. River to the Bering Sea : YUKON
 
127. USCG officer : ENS (Ensigns)

128. Carol contraction : 'TIS

Down:

1. Some three-wheelers, briefly : ATVs

2. "M*A*S*H" actress : SWIT. "Hot Lips".

3. Untouchable : SACRED COW. Lovely entry.

4. Parkinson's treatment : L-DOPA

5. Tight gathering : CLUSTER

6. __ Plaines, Illinois : DES

7. Et __ : ALII

8. Anise-flavored liqueur : PERNOD. Gimme for Argyle, not me.


9. Grab some z's : SACK OUT

10. Subj. for aliens : ESL

11. Boater's pronoun : SHE. Not "Boater" hat.

12. Irish actor Milo : O'SHEA

13. Like a GI who missed the boat? : AWOL. On purpose then.

14. Didn't trash : KEPT

15. Responds to kitchen aromas : DROOLS. Do you miss your grandma's kitchen? I do.

16. Futile : OTIOSE. This word looks fat to me.

17. British stew : HOT POT. Chinese too.

19. Where to see hands on a wrist : DIAL. Another fun clue.

22. Traveler's aid : ATLAS

24. Credit sharer : CO-STAR

28. Coty Award winner Bill : BLASS. See here. He won in 1983. The Award was discontinued in 1985.

30. Big period : EPOCH

32. 2013 Women's British Open winner Stacy : LEWIS. Old course at St. Andrews. JD was there once.


33. Auth. unknown : ANON

35. SAT item : PROB. And 70. SAT item : QUES. Problem and Questions.

36. Exude : OOZE

39. Hand over : CEDE

40. Pops the top off : OPENS

42. Old-style golf wear : KNICKERS

43. Sasquatch kin : YETI

44. Honey substitute? : DEARIE. Sweet!

46. Member of the Panthera genus : TIGER

49. Spy novelist Ambler : ERIC

51. Classical music lover, facetiously : LONG HAIR. Both John & Rich are long hair(s) then!

52. Mine, in Monaco : A MOI

53. Vegas light : NEON

54. Beantown hockey hero : ESPO. Phil Esposito.

56. Nanny follower : CAM. Nanny cam.

58. Aesthetic attitude : TASTE

61. Negotiate a figurative hill? : AGE. I don't get this clue.

62. Put under a spell : CURSED

63. Klutz : OAF

65. German village : DORF. Learning moment for me.

66. Sportscaster Hershiser : OREL

67. Poet Dove : RITA

69. Performers' union acronym : AFTRA (American Federation of Television and Radio Artists)

71. Wing for Dumbo : EAR

74. "Chicago Hope" Emmy winner : LAHTI (Christine)

78. Equinox mo. : SEPT

80. Burned media, for short : CD-Rs. CD-R = Compact Disc-Recordable.

81. Salome septet : VEILS

82. Country singer Clark : TERRI

83. Apollo protection : SPACE SUIT. I was thinking of Greek god Apollo, Gary!

84. Mayberry moppet : OPIE

85. River to the Mediterranean : NILE

87. "In my opinion ..." : I'D SAY

88. Deviate : VEER

90. Bakery tool : SIFTER

93. One who's bound to order? : NEATNIK. Loved the clue and answer.

95. Tropical blow : TYPHOON

96. Muzzleloading aid : RAMROD

97. Far-out bunch? : ALIENS

98. Holiday tree : BALSAM

99. Theodore of "The Defiant Ones" : BIKEL. He looks familiar. I must have googled him before.


101. Nancy's buddy : SLUGGO

105. Things to do : TASKS

107. Mexican restaurant staples : TACOS

108. "__, you noblest English": "Henry V" : ON, ON

110. Coin datum : YEAR

111. Sitcom radio station : WKRP

113. Tandoori bread : NAAN

115. "... __ saw Elba" : ERE I

116. P.O. deliveries : LTRS

118. Kick starter? : KAY. Letter K. Or our Kazie's real name.

119. __ Darya River : AMU

120. Corrida kudos : OLE

C.C.