Hi, Cornerites. Chairman Moe here recapping what appears to be Jonathan Potter's first LA Times crossword puzzle, and perhaps his second ever published work. Pretty impressive to have a Friday - difficulty as your first LAT entry, although I did not require the usual amount of Friday time to complete. Yes, there were some areas where C Moe had to wait for perps, but I am not the fastest solver in the world; just try to solve without looking up words.
Today's puzzle has a clever theme: 58-Across. Educators' concerns ... or, a
phonetic hint to how four long puzzle answers were derived: ABSENTEES,
as in the letter E is missing, or ABSENT from the entries, and provides
a different meaning to a well-known item or phrase. Let's "C" how this
came about!
17-Across. Annual assembly of breakfast lovers?: WAFFLE-CON. Add an "E"
and it becomes WAFFLE CONE
37-Across. Bathroom fixture trial version?: TEST TUB. Add an "E" and it becomes TEST TUBE. Although the video shows a beaker, you definitely have to follow this advice if you ever choose to dilute acid
As for a TEST TUB perhaps this is what Mr Potter had in
mind?
11-Down. Strategy for holding it while in the bathroom line?: WAIT AND HOP. Add an "E" and the phrase is WAIT AND HOPE. Here is a famous quote using the latter:
“There is neither happiness nor misery in the world; there is only the
comparison of one state with another, nothing more. He who has felt the
deepest grief is best able to experience supreme happiness. We must have felt
what it is to die, Morrel, that we may appreciate the enjoyments of life.
Live, then, and be happy, beloved children of my heart, and never forget, that
until the day God will deign to reveal the future to man, all human wisdom is
contained in these two words, 'Wait and Hope'.”― Alexandre Dumas
And of course, if you've ever been to a football game, or at a SRO
play/opera/musical, and had to pee, I'm sure we've all done this:
Last, but not least: 28-Down. Mess made while melting down old jewelry?: GOLDEN GLOB. Add the "E" and it becomes GOLDEN GLOBE. The Golden Globe Awards, as Wikipedia cites, began in 1944. In 1950, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association made the decision to establish a special honorary award to recognize outstanding contributions to the entertainment industry. Recognizing its subject as an international figure within the entertainment industry, the first award was presented to director and producer, Cecil B. DeMille. The official name of the award thus became the Cecil B. DeMille Award.
When I saw GOLDEN GLOB, the first thing that came to mind was:
Now, it's off to the races to see how quickly we can recap the rest of this puzzle! As this blog is publishing, C Moe is in Athens, GA seeing his daughter, son-in-law, and first grandson! You've all "met" him before ...
Across:
1. Draft sources: KEGS. As in the draft beer that is on tap. Kegs come
in a variety of sizes
5. Arabic for "commander": EMIR. Fresh cluing for this common x-word fill. Usually clued as Arab "ruler", but historically, the word EMIR referred to a commander
9. Parts of a code: LAWS. Although technically there are no "LAWS" in this code shown below, the Comics Magazine Association self-regulated to assure parents, perhaps, that the content in their publications was "safe" for their kids to see and read
13. Pelvic parts: ILIA. The hip bones; plural for ilium
14. __ tag: NAME. A dear departed friend of mine, named Bob, wore a shirt, just like this one, where the NAME tag was silk-screen printed onto the tee:
15. Candied, as apples: GLACE. Technically, gla·cé. From the French glacer; (of fruit) having a glossy surface due to preservation in sugar.
19. Wee Scot: BAIRN. Scottish for "child"
20. Visibly upset: IN TEARS. This video went "viral" several years ago when my (and TTP's) Pittsburgh Steelers upset the Cincinnati Bengals in a playoff game
21. Exhaust, as a welcome: OUTSTAY. I think the quote from Benjamin Franklin is: "Guests, like fish, begin to smell after 3 days." Moe is going to be with his daughter for 5 days. Hope I don't cause this reaction:
23. Sci. course: BIO. Could be clued: "what's found in one's obit"
24. Words with waves: HI'S. Note the clue ... not "his" as in what belongs to "him", but "hi's" as in the short term for "hello"
25. __ Sutra: KAMA. So, C Moe, how do you approach THIS clue/solve on your recap??!! Well, I decided on a brief (and quite informative, I'd say) explanation in a video
and then a Moe-ku (#1, if you're keeping track):
VP Elect's book
On political pleasure:
KAMA-la Sutra
26. Draft pick: LAGER. As in beer; "draft" as in what's ON TAP. So, of
course you ask: is LAGER different than beer? To begin, there is no difference
between beer and LAGER. LAGERS are beers that are fermented slowly at low
temperatures. They also ferment from the bottom up. The yeast literally rises
to the top during the fermentation process. Ales ferment quickly from the top
down and are brewed in a warmer environment. It’s important to note that LAGER
is not a type, but rather a family of beers that includes bright lagers, amber
lagers, dark lagers, bocks, doppelbocks, kellerbiers, rauchbiers, Oktoberfests
and, maybe the most popular, pilsners
29. "No problem!": SURE CAN. Remember back when we were kids and we
were constantly corrected about whether we CAN or if we may? "CAN I come over
and play?" Surely, you CAN ... but my Mom says "you
may not"
31. Playing a fifth qtr., say: IN OT. In OverTime. A
"fifth quarter" would apply to both basketball and football at the
professional level. The NBA plays 12:00 quarters; the NFL plays 15:00
quarters. In baseball, "overtime" is referred to as "extra innings". And my
Mom, bless her heart, who was totally clueless to this, would often ask my
Dad: "Is the baseball game in 'over innings'?!"
32. Langston Hughes Library designer Maya: LIN. Maya Lin, (born October
5, 1959, Athens, Ohio, U.S.), best known for this Memorial:
33. Melted cheese concoction: FONDUE. Remember when this was a staple appetizer theme back in the day?
And Moe-ku #2:
Margaret, to Moe:
"For our upcoming party,
FONDUE? Please, 'Fon-DON't'!"
36. G, in the key of C: SOL. The fifth note of a major scale; the note "G". Interesting that in the image below it's spelled "SO"
39. 9 to 5, say: Abbr.: HRS. Many East Coast businesses operate from 9:00am to 5:00pm; their corresponding Central Time Zone businesses operate from 8:00am to 4:00pm to accommodate East Coast customers. Or so I've been told
40. Like the Inca: ANDEAN. Indigenous to the "Cordillera de los Andes"; the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America.
42. Electric __: EEL. For any of you SCUBA divers out there:
43. Marshy spots: BOGS. Interesting coincidence that a guy with THIS NAME played at FENway Park:
44. Former flier with a NY/Newark/DC/Boston shuttle: EASTERN. Former Astronaut and CEO of EASTERN Airlines, Frank Borman. Here is a bit of EASTERN Airlines Shuttle "history":
46. Prairie home: TEPEE.
47. Tirade: RANT. Moe-Quain #1:
Brutal,
Clumsy despot
Had difficulty with
A Windsor knot; that prompted a
Tie RANT
49. Plural French pronoun: ILS. Pronounced "eel'-uh". I eat and drink
"French" but can't speak a lick
50. Get: SEE. This guy "gets it", see?
51. Real asset ... or no asset at all?: BIG HELP. Sarcasm intended
53. Repeat: ITERATE. Moe-Quain #2:
Repeat:
I say, "repeat
After me, and let me
Be clear!" And to re-ITERATE,
Again
57. Keys: ISLES. From Google: "The Florida Keys are a string of
tropical islands (ISLES) stretching about 120 miles off the southern tip of
the U.S. state of Florida, between the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico.
They’re known as a destination for fishing, boating, snorkeling and scuba
diving. The southernmost city of Key West is famous for Duval Street’s many
bars, Mallory Square’s nightly Sunset Celebration and the Ernest Hemingway
Home and Museum." But I seem to recall that just before Halloween, Key West is
better known for
this. Enter
at your own risk; it's rated PG-55. Sort of like "Spring Break for AARP
members"!
60. Gruff: SHORT. The one on the left is definitely "SHORT"!
61. Together, so to speak: SANE. "So to speak" is the key to the clue. We used to say that if someone is "SANE", they had their $h** together ...
62. Smell __: A RAT. Figuratively when something doesn't seem right; literally
63. Napping, perhaps: ABED. When you are "in, at, or toward a bed". ASEA (when you are at sea) is another example many x-word constructors use to use an "A" as the start of a four-letter fill
64. Natural gas additive: ODOR. Natural gas in its native state is colorless and odorless. Mercaptan is the additive that is added to natural gas to make it easier to detect in case of a leak. The most important thing to know about mercaptan is that it stinks. Some people compare it to the smell of rotten eggs.
Mercaptans contain sulfur. That's what makes them smell. In a gaseous state, Mercaptan has much the same property as natural gas, so it will also rise and dissipate with natural gas.
Could this be another example of Natural Gas with an ODOR?
65. Sit: POSE. As in "posing" for a picture/photograph. Most everyone is sitting
Down:
1. Only bird whose beak has nostrils at the end: KIWI. I didn't know this, but it's always fun to find a picture that shows it. They're not very big
2. Verve: ELAN. More x-wordese. ELAN is not a word I use too often; nor verve
3. Talent: GIFT. Definitely a "Friday" clue; having a "GIFT" is to indicate ones talent at doing something. This?
4. Conservative choice: SAFE BET. It's a SAFE BET to say that the sun will rise in the East. Moe-Quain #3:
It's a
SAFE BET to know
That Moe will litter his
Recaps with "Ku's", "L'ick's", or now, "Qains"
Money!
5. Start of el año: ENERO. January, in Español
6. Computers with Apple cores: MACS. Cute. The capital letter "A" in
Apple gave it away
7. Twitter shorthand: IMO. In My Opinion.
Honest
8. "Le déjeuner des canotiers" painter: RENOIR. In English, the
Luncheon of the Boating Party. 1880-1881
9. Pride Month letters: LGBT. Lesbian Gay Bi-Sexual Transgender. June is "Month" in which they celebrate. "Pride" as opposed to shame or social stigma
10. One with a home in Nome: ALASKAN. At the 3:00 mark, this erstwhile VP candidate spoke (in a SNL spoof) about seeing Russia from ALASKA. Maybe in Nome you could?
12. Skedaddle: SCRAM. To depart quickly; run away; SCRAM
16. "Dark Sky Island" singer: ENYA. Nice
18. Den: LAIR. Synonym
22. Worthwhile: USEFUL. Scott Van Pelt used this word to describe a great golf shot, when he worked for The Golf Channel network
24. Camouflage wearers, at times: HUNTERS. This combination of colors seems a bit odd when you think of it ... but maybe the deer are color-blind?
26. Edelstein of "The Kominsky Method": LISA. Complete unknown to C
Moe, but now that I am streaming, and have a Netflix account, I will have to
catch up; looks like a
great cast
27. Quote book abbr.: ANON. We certainly have had our share of
"ANON"ymous posters here at the Corner ...
29. Part of the fam: SIS. My SIS and I at the RnRHOF in 2018
30. Male swan: COB. I hope that Spitzboov will confirm this, but male swans are called a "COB" due to the knob on its beak. The word "knob" comes from the German "knopf"
32. Soup legume: LENTIL. Moe-ku #3:
We decided to
Give up legumes, pre-Easter.
Our LENTIL promise.
34. Desire: URGE. What one has before 11-Down kicks in
35. Latin infinitive: ESSE. Not to be confused with ESSO, which of
course is Canadian Gas ... or, if Hamlet were an ancient Roman, he'd have
uttered: "ESSE aut non ESSE? Illud est quaestio ..."
37. Univ. aides: TAS. Teaching Assistants. Usually a grad
student who assists the professor of a course in teaching or mentoring
undergraduate students at a University or College
38. Pin in the back: TEN. Wow! What a clue! Boomer probably
spotted this right away. Pin, as in bowling pin. The TEN pin is in the back of
the "rack" of pins, along with the SEVEN, EIGHT, and NINE. I know Boomer has
20 perfect (300) games in bowling, but I wonder how many times he's picked up
this split (the dreaded, 7-10):
41. Blinking diner sign: EAT HERE. Couldn't find any images with a "blinking" sign, but here are a couple to amuse you. The second one is definitely where this Stooge goes to EAT
43. Draft source: BEER TAP. Oh, not the Selective Service "draft".
During the Vietnam War, and when I was eligible to be drafted, I was first
1-A, then 2-S, and finally, 1-H. I'm pretty sure that I found a BEER TAP in a
local bar, more than a few times
45. Sun Bowl city: EL PASO. The
Sun Bowl
is, along with the Sugar Bowl and Orange Bowl, second to the Rose Bowl as the
oldest post-season college football game. It currently features an "at large"
matchup between schools/teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and the
Pacific 12 Conference (PAC-12).
The stadium is called the "Sun Bowl", and is ergonomically positioned into a
natural "bowl" on the campus of the University of Texas, El Paso. The
post-season "bowl game" has been played without interruption since 1935;
however, the 2020 game has been canceled due to the Coronavirus
46. __ Vogue: TEEN. Been waaay too long for me to know about this; not
even sure it was around back when my daughter was a teenager
47. Cleanup hitter's stats: RBIS. Technically, it's Runs Batted In, but I guess Jonathan needed the plural here and used some poetic license. But, you could also argue that this refers to how people say the plural abbreviated phrase: "ribbies"
48. "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" host Tyler: AISHA. Aisha Naomi Tyler (born September 18, 1970). AISHA "replaced" Drew Carey when "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" resurfaced on the CW Network in 2013. Regulars Colin Mochrie, Ryan Stiles, and Wayne Brady make this one of the funniest comic improv shows. Here's the cast with Arsenio Hall:
50. Guide: STEER. Is this redundant?
52. City limits sign abbr.: ESTD. Established. However, a thorough visit of "City Limits Sign ESTD" proved to me that this clue was forced. All of the ones I found abbr. it as EST
53. Money-object link: IS NO. I can't recall the last time I used cash money to pay for anything ...
54. Leader of space?: AERO. AEROspace, as in the branch of industry associated with aviation and space flight
55. Tazo products: TEAS. Tazo TEA Company was founded in Portland, OR in 1994. It is currently a part of the Unilever family of food and beverage products
56. Santiago-to-Buenos Aires dirección: ESTE. Spanish for "east"
59. Unenviable: BAD. As in not desirable or pleasant; which fortunately, (for me, anyway) recapping these puzzles is not "BAD"
The Grid:
Compliments of our friend Malodorous Manatee:
There is "no Moe"! Give me your best shot below. See you again on Christmas Day ...
