Saturday, September 15, 2018, Michael Ashley

A Themeless Saturday Puzzle by Michael Ashley

Today we celebrate that fruit that the old saw says if ingested daily can keep the doctor away. It is significant to me because it falls so near my 9/11 birthday. It has become a tradition for my lovely bride and I to meet our kids and their kids in Nebraska City, NE at the Kimmel Orchards where we pick fruit from the trees and peruse their country wares in the store. Following that we go up to the Lied Lodge and Conference Center for a wonderful meal overlooking the lovely country bordering the Missouri River. I'll be so sad when we no longer do this.

Today's constructor is Michael Ansley. He writes of himself - I lived nearly 20 years in Manhattan, New York, and have now lived with my wife and two children in Scottsdale, Arizona, since 1993. Besides being a maniacal online chess buff, in my spare time I dabble at another sport which, on my better days, strongly resembles golf. 

Michael is a wonderful crossword constructor and is very prolific in the construction of Acrostics. Click here to read more about Michael and see more of his other publications on Amazon.

My solving involved searching for any port in a storm and then eventually there were no more cells to fill.  The SE corner was a treasure trove of known answers as soon as I remembered how to spell the rope-soled shoe.


Across:

1. Ones going downhill fast: SKI JUMPERS  - Many of us remember when ABC's Wide World Of Sports opening used this SKI JUMP accident to show The Agony of Defeat

11. Opulent: LUSH and 11. Opulent: LUXE - I am not likely to use one of these synonyms 

15. They always get underfoot: INNERSOLES - Get a "custom" one at these kiosks 

16. Biblical preposition: UNTO.

17. Pop music feature: TOP TEN LIST - TOP TEN LIST of songs for every year since 1950

18. Wolverine, for one: X-MAN - If you're interested, you already know about him

19. "Westworld" airer: HBO - A violent sci-fi (yes, I said sci-fi) western

20. '70s-'80s self-improvement course: EST - Erhard Seminar Training A very intense course that eventually was labelled a cult and died out

21. Notre Dame's river: SEINE  - Yup!

22. Legendary chanteuse: PIAF  - A very young girl doing an fabulous imitation of Edith PIAF's distinctive singing/warbling style 

26. Max.: ULT - Max(imum)/ULT(imate)

28. Equivalents of pairs of FGs: TDS

29. Somewhat out of place, as hair: MUSSED

31. __ dish: PETRI.

33. Type of medicine: HOLISTIC - Do what you like but I'll take my doctors

35. 1969 retail clothing debut: THE GAP - The founder Don Fisher couldn't find a pair of jeans that fit him so he opened his own store on Ocean Ave. in San Francisco.

38. Second film with Craig as Bond: QUANTUM OF SOLACE - Ah something new! A beautiful woman, suggestively attired, wearing illogical footwear and walking away from mayhem

40. "Counting Sheep" purchases: SERTAS - We have one and it is wonderful!

41. Monthly reading: GAS METER - Do meter readers still roam the landscape?

42. Pampers, with "on": DOTES.

44. More stingy: MEANER - Which was your favorite stingy Scrooge? Mine is Reginald Owen - circa. 1938

45. "Avatar" actress Saldana: ZOE - Her makeup probably took as long as John Travolta's for Hairspray

47. Attorney's letters: ESQ - Perry Mason, Esq.

48. Origin abbr.: ESTD - LA Times Crossword Corner - ESTablisheD 1/21/2008

49. Pointed: AIMED

51. Small city?: URB - The Oxford Dictionary says it is, "An urban area, a city" and so URB is a small word for a city

54. Base figs.: GI'S - A crazy bunch of GI'S in Stripes, shot on BASE at Fort Knox.

57. Scheme: PLAN.

58. Left in the dust: SAILED PAST - What Usain Bolt did in his Olympic races

62. Hang: PEND.

63. Shoe with a rope sole: ESPADRILLE - The spelling took some perp help

64. Contributes: ADDS.

65. Film with cues: THE HUSTLER  - A great movie that garnered Oscar nominations for Paul Newman, Jackie Gleason and George C. Scott

Down:

1. Jedi foes: SITH - Their starting lineup

2. Round handle: KNOB.

3. Hot: IN POPULAR DEMAND - The Beanie Babies were IN POPULAR DEMAND in the 90's but that craze wore off and some got stuck with lots of toys that did not appreciate in value

4. Fly quickly: JET.

5. Midge __, co-organizer of the Live Aid benefit concert: URE - Midge was a phonetic reversal of his given name Jim

6. AOL alternative: MSN.

7. German's neighbor: POLE - In 1939 the Germans dropped in on their neighbors unexpectedly and violently 

8. "__ Comin'": Laura Nyro song: ELI'S - I remember Three Dog Night singing that song

9. Gather one's strength: REST UP 

10. Retired flier: SST - A crash in 2000, the 2001 Trade Center attack and rising maintenance costs grounded our crossword friend

12. Brass: UNMITIGATED GALL

13. Orchestra pit aid: STAND - Usually with lights

14. Brushes up on: HONES  

21. Westernmost of the Virgin Islands: ST. THOMAS and 55. 21-Down, e.g.: ISLE.

23. Digs: IS INTO.

24. Per prior mention: AS STATED  - AS STATED in paragraph 4, subsection c... 

25. Some ultrasound images: FETUSES - I would have liked to have known the gender of our children before they were born. You?

27. "Well, as I recall ... ": LET'S SEE, I think I told you I take a 30. Skeptical, as a view: DIM view of your talking while I am talking

29. Grimace: MOUE.

32. Cave: RELENT - She did neither 

33. Command ctrs.: HQS  - The Strategic Air Command's  (Now Stratcom) HQ is just south of Omaha

34. Small part: COG.


36. Maker of Swift laptops: ACER.

37. Each: PER.

39. Sibs, uncs, etc.: FAM - The FAM dynamics at the funeral for my niece this week weren't all that great

43. Suppress: SQUASH.

45. 1997 Grammy Lifetime Achievement awardee: ZAPPA - Okay

46. Quieted, in a way: OILED  - Get some on that squeaky wheel

50. Closes: ENDS.

52. Fit for harvesting: RIPE - This corn looks RIPE but is not fit for harvesting because the moisture content is too high at 29.2%

53. Boring: BLAH  - Is that the best ya got, Husker Gary?

56. End of a mob?: STER - Is Al Capone your first image?

58. Full collection: SET.

59. Loyola domain: EDU - Loyola University of Chicago's web site is http://www.lcu.edu

60. OR principals: DRS - Do you know the names of any of these TV DRS or the show that featured them?

61. Peril in a Poe title: PIT - I chose the less graphic depiction of this 1843 Poe classic tale

Treat yourself to some caramel dip with an apple as you comment for us today!

LETTER COUNT:

DA GRID:

Sunday June 24, 2018 Michael Ashley

Theme: "Hey, That Hurt!" - OW is added to each theme entry.

23A. "Fire!," say?: ALARM BELLOW. Alarm bell.

44A. "That bloke is hurt!": FELLOW DOWN. Fell down.

67A. Disappointing digs for pigs?: DRY WALLOW. Drywall.

92A. Sign attracting wickerwork craftspeople?: FREE WILLOW. Free will.

115A. High-tech all-night study aid?: SMART PILLOW. Smart pill.

33D. Consumer who admires store displays?: WINDOW SURFER. Windsurfer.

40D. Pale yellow, light brown, etc.?: FALLOW COLORS. Fall colors. Different Fall from 44A.

This looks like Michael's LAT debut. Xword Info shows that he has 11 puzzles published by the New York Times, 7 of them are Sundays.

Xword Info

Cluing this type of letter addition theme takes skills and imagination. Some of the clues are so vivid and fun. That's the images Rich wants.

Only 7 theme entries, so Michael took full advantage of it and gave us lots of sparkly long fill.

 Across:

1. Primary aspirant's challenge: SMEAR. Primary election.

6. Tough test metaphor: A BEAR. Tiny partial.

11. Skunk River city: AMES.

15. "Let's move it!": C'MON.

19. Historic Jordanian city: PETRA.

20. Tree native to southern Brazil: BALSA.

21. Bar purchase: SOAP.

22. 1985 U.S. Open champ Mandlikova: HANA.

25. Pittsburgh Steelers' founder: ART ROONEY. Wiki says he had about 75 great grandchildren, including actress sisters Kate Mara and Rooney Mara.

27. "Peer Gynt" widow: ASE. Regular in our old Tribune days.

28. Web portal since 1994: LYCOS. Don't think I've used Lycos.

30. Egg-shaped wind instruments: OCARINAS.

31. Time to party: NEW YEARS.

35. Stopover spot: INN.

36. "Two and a Half Men" co-star: CRYER (Jon). A few other names here, but all familiar figures: 38. "Happy Days" actor: BAIO (Scott) 47. Racer Yarborough: CALE.

37. Subject to discussion: AT ISSUE.

39. Unflappable: COOL. Half a drum!

40. Sprat no-no: FAT.

43. Fact or fiction starter: NON.

48. Weaken by eroding: UNDERMINE.

52. Prefix with natal: NEO.

53. Muse of comedy: THALIA. Here is a picture from Wiki.

55. Scent: ODOR.

56. Age __: GAP.

58. Crime lab holdings: DNA SAMPLES. Great fill.

61. Searches with a divining rod: DOWSES.

63. Stately steed: ARAB.

65. Chant, often: MONOTONE. Who mentioned "Sleep with Me" podcast for insomnia a while ago? 

66. Planning considerations: IFS.

70. Serving liquor, as a town: WET.

71. Dropped an egg?: OVULATED. Ha ha.

75. Back: REAR.

76. Puts into words: VOICES.

79. Mountaineer's rope fasteners: CARABINERS. New term for me.

82. __-pitch: SLO.

83. Red Muppet: ELMO.

84. Jenna of "Dharma & Greg": ELFMAN.

85. Big tower, briefly: Abbr.: AAA. Tow-er.

87. Demanded maximum effort: ASKED A LOT. Debut entry.

91. Takes to court: SUES.

96. Corrida chant: OLE.

97. Sonnet ending?: EER. Sonneteer.

98. Baby marsupial: JOEY.

99. Cold, in Cartagena: FRIA. Allitration.

100. Held in high regard: ADMIRED. And clue echo: 123. Hold in high regard: ADORE.

104. Capital on I-84: BOISE.

105. Arabic "son of": IBN. Arabic Mac.

106. Some Guggenheim works: PICASSOS.

107. Designated, perhaps incorrectly: SO-CALLED.

110. Workout regimen: TAE BO.

112. Crazy Eights cousin: UNO.

113. "Hold on now, pal": WHOA THERE! Another great fill.

120. Jersey, for one: ISLE. Not sportswear or the cow.

121. Bustles: ADOS.

122. Sushi bar supplier: EELER.

124. Impel: GOAD.

125. Child measures?: Abbr.: TSPS. Julia Child.

126. Snarky: SNIDE.

127. Red-carpet figure: CELEB. 

Down:

1. Swimming pool adjunct: SPA. This looks like a dream. TTP might make it true someday.

2. Blanc behind Bugs: MEL.

3. LAX posting: ETA.

4. Orderly arrangements: ARRAYS.

5. Big name in Egyptian kings: RAMSES.

6. Fiver: ABE.

7. Quartet for walking?: BALLS. Baseball.

8. TV hillbilly __ May Clampett: ELLY.

9. Withdrawn: ASOCIAL.

10. Ring on a burger: RAW ONION. Chinese call spring onion as "Cong". We call onion as "Yang Cong", literally "foreign Cong". There are also "Yang" in front of tomatoes, bell peppers and potatoes, so you know for sure those are not native Chinese veggies. Foreigners are called "Yang Ren", literally "foreign human beings".

11. __ rule: AS A.

12. Where Fez is: MOROCCO.

13. Make a humble retraction: EAT CROW.

14. Bronzing method: SPRAY-ON TAN. Another sparkly fill.

15. Tabernacle singers: CHOIR.

16. "The Insider" director Michael: MANN. Sorry, I don't know you.

17. Fit for service: ONE A.

18. Floor opposition: NAYS. House/Senate floor.

24. Swain: BEAU.

26. Turgenev's birthplace: OREL. "Fathers and Sons" author.

29. Bamboozled: SNOWED.

31. Sitcom sign-off word: NANU. Nanu Nanu. "Mork and Mindy".

32. Berkshire school: ETON.

34. APR reducer: RE-FI.

38. Hard to make out: BLEARY.

41. Property recipient, in law: ALIENEE.

42. Afternoon services: TEA SETS.

45. Start of a duel: EN GARDE.

46. Marlins manager Mattingly: DON. Dodgers' manager for a few years also.

47. Adm.'s subordinate: CAPT.

49. Masthead VIPs: EDS. Our crossword VIPs.

Kim Taylor and Rich Norris

50. Caviar: ROE.

51. Wedding consequence, perhaps: MRS.

54. Med. care group: HMO.

57. Foot in a pound: PAW. Great clue.

59. Spanish sherry: AMOROSO.

60. Farm female: SOW.

61. Bishop's jurisdiction: DIOCESE.

62. Useful: OF VALUE.

64. __ exam: BAR.

67. Room for a home theater: DEN.

68. CBS CEO Moonves: LES. Husband of Julie Chen.

69. "I'm not listening to you": LA LA LA.

72. Hightails it: LAMS.

73. Professional org. since 1878: ABA.

74. Presumed defense against mind-reading: TIN FOIL HAT.

76. Symbol of peace: VEE.

77. Ancient: OLD.

78. "__ Believer": '60s hit: I'M A.

80. Issa __, creator of HBO's "Insecure": RAE. Had to clue her in a recent puzzle, so gimme.

81. Deemed appropriate: SAW FIT.

86. Homes for F-16s: AIR BASES.

88. 1957 war movie title river: KWAI.

89. Pat on a pancake, perhaps: OLEO. Boomer likes this spread from Aldi.

90. Danson and Knight: TEDS.

93. Works on bare spots: RE-SEEDS.

94. Bit of ocular relief: EYE DROP. My doctor recommended this last time when I had the abrasions.

95. Tackles, e.g.: LINEMEN.

98. Shocker: JOLT. Our local Asian store finally starts to carry this mountain yam. Alas, they want $3.99 per pound. Crazy! I learned that these yams grow in North Carolina too, but locals regard them as invasive species. I'll stick with my dried ones.

101. Victoria's Secret spec: D CUP.

102. Hit song from "Flashdance": MANIAC.

103. Wagnerian soprano: ISOLDE. Lover of Tristan.

104. Acted sheepishly?: BAAED.

106. Went (over) thoroughly: PORED.

107. Big belt: SWIG.

108. Very: OH SO.

109. A jerk may serve one: COLA.

111. Indonesian resort island: BALI.

114. Slow start?: ESS. Slow.

116. One-third of nove: TRE.

117. Online guffaw: LOL.

118. Wash. neighbor: ORE.

119. Complex trap: WEB.

C.C.