google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Kyle Mahowald

Advertisements

Showing posts with label Kyle Mahowald. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kyle Mahowald. Show all posts

May 7, 2016

Saturday, May 7th, 2016, Kyle Mahowald

Theme: Debut Too~!!

Words: 72 (missing J,Q,V,X,Z)

Blocks: 31

  So another new constructor for our Saturday struggle~!  I did not see Kyle's name on the list of authors for the LA Times, and I am not a regular solver of the NYT.  Whenever I see a new name, I realize that I have no experience with their puzzles, and this cuts both ways - is this going to be brutal, or a breeze~!?  Nothing terribly intimidating about the grid - triple 8x5s and 9x6s constitute the longest answers. A little heavy on the proper names again, but I did get through without a look up or red letters. One from each corner;

17a. Criminology concerns : PATTERNS


14d. "Piece of cake" : EASY PEASY - ah, not "AS PIE"

 65a. French for "stick" : BAGUETTE


32d. The Na'vi in "Avatar," for one : ALIEN RACE

OlgaWARD~!

ACROSS:

1. "You're kidding, right?" : "WAIT, WHAT~?"

9. Will matter : ESTATE - First thought, late fill

15. "I give up" : IT'S NO USE - took a moment to parse this, having "NOUS" in the middle

16. Onomatopoeic dance : CHA-CHA - there was a time when I knew how to do this dance

18. Weapons used on mounts : LANCES - big help in the NE

19. "Out of the Blue" band : ELO - total WAG, but then again, three-letter bands....

20. Beyond harmful : LETHAL

22*. Pabst brand originally brewed in Washington, familiarly : OLY - not a brand I am familiar with; filled via perps

23. They're slow to pick things up : SLOBS - I prefer neat and tidy, unless I am in the middle of a project; then it gets a bit cluttered; my bathroom project just had a deadline added - but a good one if there ever was such a thing

26. Weaken : ABATE

27. Runner's distance : LAP

28. Fall deliveries? : LIBRAS - fresh way to clue astrological signs

30. Play or school follower : MATE - playmate, schoolmate

31*. Alouette 1 satellite launcher : CANADA - Sounded Frawnche, so I put FRANCE in; Canada is "half" French, so I was close....

34. Catch : NAB - waffled in the middle here, had SPY, then GET

36. "Good __!" : IDEA - not LUCK

37*. Oakland's county : ALAMEDA - guessed from A --- A

39. Like some beaches : TOPLESS - all beaches are topless, for guys....


41. Gimlet flavor : LIME - I tried MINT; thinking Julep - must be a Kentucky Derby thing....

42*. 2011 World Golf Hall of Fame inductee : ELS - about the only three-letter golfing name I know

44. By the fire, say : TOASTY - I might be getting toasty by the fake fireplace in less than two weeks - I'll keep you posted~!

45. Sediment : LEES - familiar with this because I made my own beer in college - potent stuff

46. Programming language named for a comedy group : PYTHON - don't know the language, but I do know the comedy

I move...for no man

48*. "The world's an __": Dryden : INN - perps

49*. Mexican painter Frida : KAHLO

51*. Teamsters president James : HOFFA - ah.  Clued as "Jimmy", I would've known

55. Gp. with carriers : NRA - gun club - packing heat

56. Like old timers? : ANALOG - got it

look closely....

58. Word in many Mexican place names : LAS - tried SAN - that was 100% 33.3% correct; or, 67% correct 33.3% - you tell me, D-otto

59. Egg, perhaps : GAMETE

61. More than one can handle : A BIT MUCH

64. Stuck at a chalet, maybe : ICED IN - run away Tin~!!!

66. Fit one within another : NESTED
Russian Matryoshka

67. "There was a point here somewhere" : "I DIGRESS."

DOWN:

1. Babies"R"Us buys : WIPES

2. Even a little : AT ALL

3. Half a playground exchange : IS TOO~!

4. Stuff that goes kablooey : TNT

5. Trouble : WOE

6. Give a good toss : HURL

7. Equally close : AS NEAR - on the UK show Top Gear, Jeremy would frequently say "as near as makes no difference..." referring to a car's 200mph, 700hp, etc.

8. 1996 treaty subject : TEST BAN

9. Panache : ECLAT

10. Fissile rock : SHALE

11. Light shade ... or avoid the shade? : TAN - the adjective and the verb; here's the noun                         ;7))


12. Praise : ACCOLADES

13. Gossip's stock-in-trade : THE LATEST

21. Goes after : HAS AT - see above, 46a, @ 4:05 for an example

24. Holds accountable : BLAMES

25. Perspective : SIDE

29. Ordered : BADE

30. Pepperidge Farm treat : MILANO


31. Joining the radio show : CALLING IN - I went with PHONING in, and that messed up the whole SW corner

33. Rat : NAME NAMES - the verb in this instance

35. "Ice cream or cake?" response, perhaps : BOTH

38. Highest-ranking : ALPHA

40. Bear with a "thotful spot" : POOH

43. Educational outlines : SYLLABI

47. "Poor baby!" : "TOO BAD~!"

49*. Holmes of "Touched With Fire" : KATIE

50. Words spoken after coming to? : AN END - today's write-up is "coming to an end"

52. High wind? : FLUTE - not fooled, knew we were looking for an orchestra instrument

53. They can be hard to face : FACTS

54. Grill leftovers : ASHES - eh.  More like fire leftovers; grill to me implies food

57*. 1951 title role for Audrey : GIGI

60. Abbr. on a Miami itinerary : EDT - I am anticipating an airport arrival soon, and they, too, will have Eastern Daylight Time stamped on their paperwork

62. Pull : TUG

63. Marseille sight : MER - and we come to an end with more Frawnche


Splynter