Saturday, June 26, Matthew Sewell

  Saturday Themeless by Matthew Sewell

Today's constructor is another in our long line of  PhDs - Matt Sewell. He is also part of the Minnesota Crossword Cabal and teaches literature and film at Minnesota State University, Mankato. 

Here are Matt's comments: 

Hello Gary,

Thanks for your note, and for the work you do on the LAT puzzle write-ups. If I recall correctly, this puzzle sprang from an experiment in grid shapes. I tend to like the look of grids with relatively few Across entries -- this grid has just 31 -- and a low number of 3-letter entries (here, 8). Hopefully that translates to solver enjoyment, but I'll leave that to your readers to decide. I appreciate the editing team's improvements to the clues; I wish I could take credit for 26 Down!

Matt

Across:

1. DIY creators of under-the-skin data storage devices: BIOHACKERS - Fascinating info. In this example, you see a device implanted under your skin that can store your medical data, chart your activities or perform procedures. The data can be read by a smartphone. 

11. Home of the NCAA's Mountaineers: WVA.

14. Cap: UPPER LIMIT.

15. Leave behind: SHED.

16. Fights: DOES BATTLE.

17. __-price sale: HALF - But it was marked up by 300% so ...

18. Loan app fig.: SSN.

19. Quick tennis match: ONE SET - If you want to get it over quickly, the first person to win 6 games by at least two games wins the SET and the match.

20. Adjective evoking past times: OLDE.

21. Tolkien creature: ORC - Actor Steven Ure under all this ORC makeup for a The Lord Of The Rings installment had to fight off a panic attack.

22. __ Beach: Fla. recreation spot: ST. PETE - The Tampa/ST PETE area is currently the home of the NHL Champion Lightning, the NFL Champion Buccaneers and the MLB Champion Rays. They now call themselves Champa Bay.

24. "Not right now": I'M BUSY.

27. Tree of Madagascar: BAOBAB - Today I learned about the BAOBAB (bāō bab) or Bottle tree. Each of the trees in this picture is at least 800 years old. More info

The Avenue Of The Boababs

29. Bar order: NEAT - Our Tinman's "usual" - No ice!

30. Fast cash venues: PAWNSHOPS - Although this show was mostly staged, it was a fun watch. "Really, you have Hitler's actual toothbrush?" 😀

33. Musical exchange in many gospel songs: CALL AND RESPONSE - Six of the best minutes you'll spend today!

36. Departure notice: ALL ABOARD.

37. "Not that much": LESS.

38. Thinking of stealing, maybe: ON BASE.

39. Middle numbers in some measurements: WAISTS - Twiggy's measurements-  Bust - 30", Waist- 23", Hips - 33"

41. Impassive: WOODEN.

43. Key to going back: ESC - Upper left key on your keyboard

44. Hindu royal: RANI - The wife of a Raja or Rana

45. Distributes online: SHARES - I used my FaceBook account to SHARE before and after pictures of the house of my youth that was finally being torn down (before it fell down) this month.

49. Wellness center: SPA.

52. Goddess of Ellis Island?: ISIS - I got the fill here but struggled with an explanation. I wrote to our friends Yellowrocks and Lucina and they saw it as EllIS ISland. Thanks Kathy and Lucy! Meta Clues (self-referential) can hide in plain sight! Matt told me he will take the blame/credit for this cluing and that he was glad to see it got through.

53. White-sale holder, possibly: WINE DEALER - Maybe these?

55. Radio host John: TESH.

56. Offering proof of: EVIDENCING - Hmmm... 

57. 11-Across is on it: EST - Yes, Morgantown, WVA is on Eastern Standard/Daylight Time

58. Worked for: REPORTED TO - In subbing, I worked for the school district but always REPORTED TO the secretary (administrative assistant?) who really runs the school anyway. BTW, sub wages have been raised to $150/day for next year

Down:

1. Spring sights: BUDS - A welcome sight here in the midwest

2. Zoom and Lyft had them in 2019: IPOS - If you purchased $10,000 of Zoom at its Initial Public Offering, it would be worth $18,000 today

3. Not taken: OPEN.

4. Chaps: HES - Men? Nope.

5. Leafy spots: ARBORS - The founder of ARBOR Day was J. Sterling Morton. His mansion is now a tourist stop in Nebraska City, NE and is replete with many "leafy spots" or ARBORS.

6. Writer who created the Ryanverse: CLANCY 

7. Beach flier, often: KITE  - ERNE? Nope.

8. Rescue squad VIPs: EMTS.

9. Heat up: RILE.

10. "Boss of the Plains" tops: STETSONS - $149.99

11. Sea creature fossil components: WHALEBONES - My former dentist had a wonderful collection of art on WHALEBONES which is called scrimshaw.

12. Word from Afrikaans for "field": VELDT - Also a sci-fi short story by Ray Bradbury

13. Charge that may be related to traffic: AD FEE - With such huge viewer numbers (traffic) The Super Bowl AD FEE is $5M/thirty seconds

15. One who's often patronizing: SHOPAHOLIC - Fun clue! Symptoms

21. Zany: OUTLANDISH.

23. Cooking meas.: TBSP.

24. Quechua speaker: INCA - (keh chuh wuh) A beautiful map of South American languages

25. Sit-down event, usually: MEAL.

26. Job not included in the original "Around the World in Eighty Days": BALLOONIST - but in the ads...

27. Dance class support: BARRE.

28. Super-impressed: AWED.

30. Kiss cam images, briefly: PDAS - Public Displays of Affection 

31. "Over here!": PSST.

32. Cong. period: SESSion 

34. Caen cleric: ABBE.

35. Disappointing phone call result: NO ANSWER - They are not near the phone, their phone is turned off or they are blowing you off with caller ID.

39. Garden tool: WEEDER.

40. Go-ahead: ASSENT - After days of delay, Ike said, "Ok, let's go!" for June 6, 1944

41. Do novel work: WRITE - In an interview with Brian Lamb, I heard Shelby Foote say he wrote his massive three-volume The Civil War: A Narrative by hand using a dip pen

42. Havens: OASES.

46. Sweet spot?: HIVE.

47. Have __: drink in moderation: A NIP - Abandoning A SIP gave me WINE DEALER

48. Go back over: REDO.

49. Arrived home evasively: SLID - The most famous steal of home in baseball history. Yogi Berra thought he had tagged Jackie Robinson out. What do you think?

50. Shut (up): PENT - Sometimes it is hard to keep emotions PENT up

51. Ship that sailed from Iolcus: ARGO - Can you find Iolcus on the map?

54. Nail: ACE - I did ACE this puzzle by filling in all the correct letters but had to get help with the ISIS fill. 😔

Tuesday, September 19 2017, Matthew Sewell

Theme: Fun Fourplay Featuring F. Each theme answer contains four f's.

17. Extemporaneous, as a speech : OFF THE CUFF

27. Appointed White House overseer : CHIEF OF STAFF. This office was created in 1939 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt and is responsible for a variety of critical functions in support of the president's work and agenda. From Wikipedia: Chris Whipple, author of The Gatekeepers: How the White House Chiefs of Staff Define Every Presidency, loosely describes the role of a White House chief of staff through his interview with former President Barack Obama: "During the last days of his presidency, Barack Obama observed: 'One of the things I've learned is that the big breakthroughs are typically the result of a lot of grunt work—just a whole lot of blocking and tackling.' Grunt work is what chiefs of staff do."

49. Laundry service option : FLUFF AND FOLD

64. Beanstalk giant's chant : FEE FI FO FUM

40. Not suitable for military service ... or an apt description of 17-, 27-, 49- and 64-Across : FOUR F 

 Across:     

1. "More or less" suffix : ISH

4. Rose and fell on the waves : BOBBED

10. Tax pros : CPA'S. Certified Public Accountant's.

14. Cohort of Larry and Curly : MOE

15. Not widely understood : ARCANE

16. Boffo review : RAVE. Wasn't sure if Boffo was good or bad, had to wait for the V to fill in. "Boffo: (of a theatrical production or movie, or a review of one) very successful or wholeheartedly commendatory.

19. Theater honor : OBIE

20. "Firework" singer Perry : KATY

21. Near-perfect bridge feat : SMALL SLAM. Cards. Not being a bridge player this was lost on me.

23. Amigo : PAL

26. Liam of "Michael Collins" : NEESON

32. __ Vegas : LAS

33. Peaceful : CALM

34. Dalai Lama's homeland : TIBET. Richard Gere reveals how suporting Tibet turned his career.

38. Planets, in poems : ORBS

43. Thick book : TOME

44. Salami type : GENOA

46. Nevada senator Harry : REID

48. Red wine choice, for short : ZIN

53. '60s dance craze : WATUSI

55. Opus __: "The Da Vinci Code" sect : DEI

56. DJ known for playing novelty tunes : DR DEMENTO

59. Surrealist Salvador : DALI. Scene from Midnight in Paris, with Adrian Brody as Salvador Dali. 

63. Geological age : AEON

67. Unclothed : BARE

68. Like bears : URSINE

69. Alias, on police blotters : AKA

70. List of appts. : SKED. Shortened version of the word "schedule."

71. English writer Edward Bulwer-__ : LYTTON. New to me. A bit obscure for a Tuesday. Born in 1858.

72. "Oedipus __" : REX
 

Down:

1. "Didn't hurt a bit!" : I'M OK

2. Living room seat : SOFA

3. Lift with effort : HEFT

4. Scoff from Scrooge : BAH

5. Calif. neighbor : ORE

6. Covertly sends an email dupe to : BCC'S. Blind Carbon Copy.

7. "The Wizard of Oz" author : BAUM

8. __ terrible: difficult child, in French : ENFANT

9. Rid of parasites, as a dog : DE-FLEA

10. Multi-discipline strength-training program : CROSSFIT. So popular.

11. Painter Picasso : PABLO. More Midnight in Paris.

12. Like many nest-builders : AVIAN

13. Look (like) : SEEM

18. Tap out a text, say : TYPE

22. Departed : LEFT

24. N.Y. Jets' org. : AFC

25. Bread shape : LOAF. Never thought of loaf as a shape, but it makes sense.

27. Bathtub blockage : CLOG

28. Cocksure Aesopian racer : HARE. Like this clue.

29. Library ID : ISBN

30. Mel's Diner waitress : FLO

 
31. Blue toon : SMURF

35. Memorable clown : BOZO

36. Disney's "__ and the Detectives" : EMIL

37. See to : TEND

39. Began to melt : SOFTENED

41. Stephen of "Michael Collins" : REA

42. Locate : FIND

45. Grad : ALUM

47. Pres. before JFK : DDE

50. Beneficial : USEFUL

51. Fancy duds : FINERY. "All the lovely ladies in their finery tonight ..."

"... to every man who answers to the letter of the law, and all the rest in prison by mistake ..."

52. Pal of Rover : FIDO

53. Perpetrate, as havoc : WREAK

54. Love to pieces : ADORE

56. Pats gently : DABS

57. Exam : TEST

58. "Think nothing __" : OF IT

60. Many miles off : AFAR

61. "Use the Force, __" : LUKE

62. Big-screen format : IMAX

65. Masculine Italian suffix with bamb- : INO

66. Marshland : FEN

Note from C.C.:

Melissa's beautiful granddaughter Jaelyn turned one-year-old on August 18, 2017. Here are a few pictures.

Saturday, Aug 19th, 2017, Matthew Sewell

Theme: None

Words: 68 (Pangram~!)

Blocks: 39

There is one other LA Times puzzle from Matthew, from Thursday March 23rd of this year.  Today's offering was a really pleasant solve, with very few proper names or abbreviations and plenty of clever clues to make it tough, but do-able.  I admit to not getting my "ta-DA~!" because of one cel, and I just switched to red-letter to find it; more below, and it's quite funny in retrospect.  Big block count today, a friendly grid, and just a pair of 11-letter spanners in the across and few 8-letter answers throughout;

33. Look for business? : WORK CLOTHES

Or how 'bout her~?

She definitely does not work at my terminal....

38. Peruse, as a catalog : LOOK THROUGH - I filled in "THROUGH" and waited on either LOOK or SCAN

brOwNWARD~!

ACROSS:

1. Bass-baritone role in an 1885 Savoy Theatre premiere : MIKADO - never a good start when you have no clue - or is that answer~?

7. King Features Syndicate parent : HEARST

13. Brown world? : ACADEME - Funny, I wonder if Mr. Sewell knew I would be doing the blog, because half my world IS Brown - UPS brown, that is.  Since UPS did not fit, I wondered if it was a reference to Charlie [Brown], but no, it's about an ivy league school

15. "I have a bad feeling about this" : "OH DEAR...." - and a line from Han Solo - four times

16. Strike a chord : RESONATE - my first thought was guitar related

18. There's one right in front of you : PUZZLE - ah.  Yes.  I had Muzzle, which is technically correct, and hoMe before 'against' made sense, but not after as well

19. MSN, for one : ISP - Internet Service Provider

20. Wore with jaunty confidence : ROCKED - I like rocking my plus-fours on the golf course.  Not.

and Argyle socks~!

22. Scuttle : NIX

23. Most of a pool cue : SHAFT - like 99.5%

26. 11, at times: Abbr. : NOVember - I always get duped by this, especially since "11" to me is usually a guitar amplifier reference

27. Cooked : DONE

28. Vital vessels : AORTAS

30. W-9 filers : NEW HIRES

35. Panasonic flat-screen : VIERA

36. Welsh herder : CORGI

41. Majesty : SPLENDOR

44. Four-time WWE World Champion Brock __ : LESNAR - all perps

46. Wharf : QUAY - dah~! not DOCK

47. Dressy accessory : TIE - I went with BOA - 100% wrong

49. Curling piece : STONE

50. Audible pauses : UMs  - I had UHs to start

51. How cherries jubilee is served : FLAMBÉ

54. Dungeons & Dragons bird : ROC - I'm such a nerd.  I got this.  But hey~! I think I might have a cool name for my board game~!

55. Shout on arrival : I'M HERE

57. 1984 Winter Olympics city : SARAJEVO - didn't come to me right away - I got it after I had the "S" and "O"

60. Strongly suggest : REEK OF - the word 'reek' always reminds me of a band that played the night club I managed; they called themselves REEKING HAVOC - not WREAKING

61. Alito and Thomas : YALE MEN - I thought we were looking for two guys named the same, so I threw an "S" in at the end.  Bzzzt.

62. Danny, vis-à-vis the "Bloodline" siblings : ELDEST - no clue, via perps

63. Sharp weapons : SABERS - Dah~!  not SPEARS - that's 83.3% at 50% correct

DOWN:

1. Best Supporting Actress two years after Whoopi : MARISA - Ms. Tomei, for My Cousin Vinny, and Ms. Goldberg for Ghost

2. Exhibition with blades : ICE SHOW - Good clue.  Hockey games, too

3. '90s loser to Deep Blue : KASPAROV - I didn't know this.  More chess, too~! The Wiki

4. Flap : ADO - so what's a MIK   ADO~?  (nyuk nyuk nyuk)

5. Forest digs : DEN

6. "Rubáiyát" poet : OMAR

7. Word before and after against : HOPE - hope against hope - ah, that makes sense

8. Israel's Olmert : EHUD - perps and a WAG

9. Sharp-edged tool : ADZ

10. Nine Inch Nails founder Trent : REZNOR - the one proper name I did know - I'd link a song, but most of the popular stuff is a bit raunchy - if you must, check out "Closer".  On the flip side, Hurt was covered by Johnny Cash

11. Briny : SALINE - ah.  SALTY was too short

12. Natural history museum attractions, briefly : T-REXES

14. School with trimesters called halves : ETON

17. Cheap opening : ECONO-

21. Bellyache : KVETCH

24. Kan. Army installation : Ft. RILEY - I was pretty confident of my ACROSS answers, so the FTR--- to start helped a lot

25. Go up against : TAKE ON

27. Turn off and then some : DISGUST

29. Cape Cod catch : SCROD

31. Forensics ridge : WHORL - fingerprints

32. Stallone roles, e.g. : HEROES

34. Sitting Bull's people : LAKOTA

37. "Forget I said anything" : "IGNORE ME."

39. Downsizes : TRIMS

40. German royal house, 1714-1901 : HANOVER

41. Knight aide : SQUIRE

42. Buffet : PUMMEL - I didn't know if it was BUH-fet, or buh-FAY

43. Tied up : LASHED

45. Scouting ops : RECONS

48. Weird Al song that wonders, "Tell me why I bid on Shatner's old toupee" : eBAY - man that's funny; I DID buy a golf cart on eBay - and I found a rare Tom Jones CD, Rescue Me, sold by a guy in Russia....

The Wiki on the song

51. Picked dos : 'FROS

52. Took off : LEFT

53. Noteworthy times : ERAS

56. Stretch (out) : EKE

58. Like : Á LA 

59. Politico with a father, brother and son named George : JEB - the Bushes

Splynter

P.S.> I was shocked to see that my name now appears in the "labels" settings~!

Thursday March 23 2017 Matthew Sewell

Theme: Bigger is Better? Augmented alternatives. Three options and then the fourth as the unifier.

17A. 7-Eleven's Big Gulp, for one : SUPER-SIZED DRINK. This one weighs in at 30oz of soda, the Super Big Gulp is 40oz and the Double Gulp is, weirdly, 50oz, considering the Gulp is 20oz. Whichever one you pick you've got way too much sugar. Yikes.

25A. It makes for easier reading : LARGE PRINT BOOK. I'm not sure one of these would help if I lose my glasses. You turn 40 - boom! Everything goes blurry.

46A. Teased style : BOUFFANT HAIRDO. Here's one of the most famous:

59A. What a deejay might do to create energy ... or a request that may lead to 17-, 25- and 46-Across : PUMP UP THE VOLUME. I just had my own personal volume-pump - Bob Dylan's "Blood on the Tracks" album just popped up on my iTunes. That will see me nicely through blog-duty. As a segue, here's a recording of a Bob Dylan song on the aforementioned album I hadn't heard until today.

Great theme - three variations on "volume" - the fluid ounces of a soda, the book-volume print size and the updo bouffi-ness of (e.g.) Marge's hair. Great fill too, I don't believe there was one "ugh" moment for me. Of course, your mileage may vary, so let's hear it in the comments.

Let's see what else:

Across:

1. Munro pen name : SAKI. Why do I always fill in TAKI and then take it out?

5. Fix, as faulty code : DEBUG. Yep. Many of these moments in my programming career. One in (something) lines of code contains a bug. I think I was one-in-ten. You'll be grateful I wasn't working on the Airbus fly-by-wire systems.

10. Shorten : CLIP

14. Scoundrel of "Tess of the D'Urbervilles" : ALEC. He was a dashed rotten cove. Great book, a Thomas Hardy classic.

15. One of Chekhov's "Three Sisters" : IRINA. I'll learn them all one day. I've seen the play, but I can't recall the character traits of any of the sisters.

16. Sharpen : HONE

20. Prepare to relax : SIT BACK. SIT DOWN didn't work. Eventually corrected.

21. "__ Pointe Blank": 1997 film : GROSSE

22. Shipping nickname : ARI. Aristotle Onassis. Still a popular crossword fill after all these years.

23. Marketing gimmick : TIE-IN

31. McKinley's first lady : IDA.

32. Like mud in election season : SLUNG. Plenty of that in 2016, and it hasn't really stopped since.

33. Serious violations : SINS. You get a pass on venial ones, if memory serves correctly, as long as you confess. Mortal ones not so much.

35. PC's spacebar neighbor : ALT. No-look answer, as befitting March Madness.

36. Mayor pro __ : TEM. For now. Don't get used to the seat.

37. Swallow : EAT. Be careful, otherwise there'll be Heimlich involved. Bite, chew, swallow.

40. Replayed service : LET. I used to want the job of the net umpire at Wimbledon. You've got the best seat in the house, you put your finger on the top of the net, call a "LET!" or not, then watch the rest of the rally. Rinse and repeat. Awesome.

41. Lay on the line : RISK

43. "The Haywain Triptych" painter : BOSCH. I think I knew this. I was more familiar with "The Haywain" by John Constable in the National Gallery in London. Crosses helped. Here's Constable's:

45. Keen perception : EAR

50. Many a "Call the Midwife" character : NURSE!

51. Part of FWIW : IT'S. Those pesky texters, extending the language! For What It's Worth.

52. Yak-like : SHAGGY

55. Honeymoon spots : RESORTS

62. Digital imaging brand : AGFA. Are these guys still around?

63. Lodging : ABODE

64. Highly prized : DEAR. Dear to my heart.

65. Exec's dispatch : MEMO. More likely an irate email blast nowadays, quickly regretted.

66. iPods since 2005 : NANOS. I had one, I think I lost it at a TSA checkpoint in Atlanta.

67. "The Facts of Life" mentor Garrett : EDNA. Thank you crosses, never saw the show.

Down:

1. Get fresh with : SASS

2. His, in Le Havre : A LUI "To him". You know the French still don't officially have email? "Courrier  électronique", s'il vous plaît.

3. Didn't surrender : KEPT. Held onto.

4. Old-style hangover relief : ICE BAG. I'm pretty sure this never worked. Hydrate before you go to bed, get up with the sun and go hike up a big hill. Carbonated Coca Cola was invented by a desperate gentleman one morning in an Atlanta drugstore though, history has it. How big was the Gulp?

5. Devoted follower : DISCIPLE

6. He played Frank on "CHiPs" : ERIK. Estrada. He's not impressed one bit with the new WB movie reboot.

7. Commercial URL suffix : BIZ. Hand up for "COM". Was wrong.

8. French article : UNE

9. Many an infomercial offering : GADGET

10. Greek personification of time : CHRONOS

11. Lane often in distress : LOIS

12. Honeymoon options : INNS

13. Long-haired lap dog, familiarly : PEKE

18. Most interesting to a collector : RAREST

19. Minute amount : DRIB. Marginally smaller than a DRAB I'm told. Or largest.

23. Element in pewter : TIN, plus copper, antimony and lead. It was the lead that did for you when you used a pewter mug for your beer. It was that leaching thing, you know.

24. Swallow : INGEST

25. Accusatory retort : LIAR

26. Impulsive line : AD-LIB

27. "I'm walkin' here!" speaker of 1969 : RATSO. "Midnight Cowboy". Best Picture at the Oscar ceremony in 1970. Not an easy subject, but a great movie.

28. "Dancing With the Stars" dances : RUMBAS

29. Persian Gulf sight : OILER. Didn't we talk about these last week?

30. Massage : KNEAD

34. Texas ALer : 'STRO Houston, natch.

38. Pulls off : ACHIEVES

39. "Oh yeah?" : THAT SO?

42. Spicy Chinese dish : KUNG PAO. Now, this surprises me. This entry has only been used once before by Matt Skoczen in the LAT (last year) and never in the NYT. I did raise my eyebrows when I saw it - it's a preparation method for chicken, not a finished dish. Nevertheless, food!

44. A : ONE

47. Fish whose preparation is strictly regulated in Japan : FUGU. A slip with the knife during prep will make you definitely ill, if not being measured up for your funeral. However, just avoid the liver, ovaries and intestines and you're fine. Which is what I would probably avoid anyway. I'm trying to think if I've ever eaten a fish liver. I've had goose intestines in Hong Kong, but they were harmless enough. I wouldn't recognize a fish ovary if I tripped over it in the street, even if it came from a sturgeon.

48. Griddle alternative : FRY PAN. For my fugo. Sans liver, thank you.

49. Lover of Tristan : ISOLDE

52. Virtually bombard : SPAM. I read the clue as "Visually bombard". I told you I need reading glasses

53. Voluminous : HUGE

54. Switch on a radio : AM/FM

55. Modernize : REDO

56. Kicked oneself about : RUED

57. IRS agent : T-MAN. Don't mess with these people.

58. Vaccines : SERA

60. Placeholder abbr. : T.B.A. To Be Arranged. I'm having lunch with a gentleman today at a venue in Burbank T.B.A.

61. Sweetheart : HON

Well, after a little diversion due to the fugu discussion, here's the grid!

Steve

Notes from C.C.:

1) I agree with Steve on Kung Pao, but Wiki says "Versions commonly found in the west, called "Kung Pao chicken", "Kung Po"", or just "chicken chilli and garlic"..."  Do you call the dish "Kong Pao" alone?

2) PK asked me to thank all of you for your kind birthday wishes.