The Theme That Wasn't There (or Was It?)
This looks like a first for Michelle Kenney in the LA Times. But she has been mentored by Jeff Chen, one of the best in the business. For a snapshot of how she came to be here check this link at XWord Info.
Today's theme seems subtle and multi-leveled. At the simplest level the themers and the reveal are concerned with some common state changes in water, one of the most abundant substances on the planet. At a deeper level they seem to hint at state changes to our body politic, something that constructors don't normally deal with in these grids. But we reviewers have to tread lightly on such matters, so to stay out of trouble I'll try to stick to literal, rather than historic-metaphoric treatments of the themers and the reveal.
17A. Ended corruption:
DRAINED THE SWAMP. The first attempt to do this was a long, long time ago, and we
don't seem to have made much progress:
 |
| Anger! |
48A. Made everything clear: LIFTED THE FOG.
63A. Historical turning point ... and, as three words, a literal description of 17-, 27- and 48-Across: WATER SHED MOMENT. Let us hope that we are not on the verge of an historical turning point.
I hope I haven't read too much into this. Now, let's turn our attention to the present moment, solving the rest of this puzzle.
Across:
1. Rearmost, as decks: AFT.
4. Winter wear: PARKA. A relative of the Anorak and today's Inuktitut lesson. A CSO to CanadianEh! (and you too Ray - O).
9. App with pics, familiarly: INSTA. As in Instagram, an
American photo and video sharing social networking service. The Corner
is my social media, but if you're interested in Instagram
this will tell you all about it.
14. Lead-in to gender: CIS. Gender used to be a simple
thing. Now, not so much.
15. Brown and Yale: IVIES. Ivy League universities.
16. Auctioned autos, often: REPOS. Repossess for failure to keep up the payments.
20. __ fire: CEASE. Not likely any time soon.
21. Tofu source: SOYA.
22. First Nations tribe: CREE. The Cree are a North American Indigenous people. They live primarily in Canada, where they form one of that country's largest First Nations. That's another one CanadianEh!!
23. Shindig: GALA. GALA sounds a little highfalutin for a "Shindig" to me. Not for an apple though.
25. "__ in the Boys Room": 1973-'74 hit: SMOKIN. Passed on the videos as all the smoke was FOGGING up my glasses. But here's the Brownsville Station album:
32. Actor Somerhalder of "Lost": IAN.
Ian Joseph Somerhalder (born December 8, 1978) is an American
actor, model, activist and director best known for playing Boone Carlyle
in
Lost, a scifi/supernatural TV series.. Ian got his start in the TV series The Big Easy, a
CSO to our very own. Here he is ...
33. Lizard-approved coverage?: GEICO.
34. Place to get clean: REHAB.
38. Shakespearean verb: DOTH. And its negative DOTHN'T, language common during the reign of Elizabeth I.
40. Intense anger: WRATH. I think we covered that in 27A.
42. What some queens do: RULE. Britannia may RULE the waves, but its current monarch, Elizabeth II, is having a rough time trying to RULE over a very UNRULY family.
43. Boston suburb named for an English county: ESSEX. Many
places in the US were named by people nostalgic for the old country.
And many were taken from place names used by the indigenous peoples.
45. Common conveyances for Calvin and Hobbes: SLEDS. Calvin and Hobbes first appeared like a bright meteor in the skies of the comics world on November 18, 1985. It was a sad day in December 31, 1995 when Bill Watterson finally hung up his pen:
47. Depression Era pres.: FDR.
51. Nielsen of "The Naked Gun" films: LESLIE. And speaking of Queen Elizabeth:
|
|
Ian (not George) |
34. Place to get clean: REHAB.
38. Shakespearean verb: DOTH. And its negative DOTHN'T, language common during the reign of Elizabeth I.
40. Intense anger: WRATH. I think we covered that in 27A.
42. What some queens do: RULE. Britannia may RULE the waves, but its current monarch, Elizabeth II, is having a rough time trying to RULE over a very UNRULY family.
 |
| Queen Elizabeth II |
45. Common conveyances for Calvin and Hobbes: SLEDS. Calvin and Hobbes first appeared like a bright meteor in the skies of the comics world on November 18, 1985. It was a sad day in December 31, 1995 when Bill Watterson finally hung up his pen:
51. Nielsen of "The Naked Gun" films: LESLIE. And speaking of Queen Elizabeth:
54. Caesar's 18-Down: VIDI. Veni, VIDI
Vici. I came, I SAW, I conquered.
Here's the backstory.
55. Swift steed: ARAB.
56. Sushi pairing: SAKE.
60. Brief but sharp pains: PANGS.
66. Timberlake's old crew: NSYNC. Justin Randall Timberlake (born January 31, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer and actor who got his start with the boy band NSYNC. Here's his Mirrors (at first his high tenor made me think it was an alto doing the singing).
55. Swift steed: ARAB.
56. Sushi pairing: SAKE.
60. Brief but sharp pains: PANGS.
66. Timberlake's old crew: NSYNC. Justin Randall Timberlake (born January 31, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer and actor who got his start with the boy band NSYNC. Here's his Mirrors (at first his high tenor made me think it was an alto doing the singing).
67. "Trade discount" quintet: AEIOU. Somehow I've lived most of
my adult life not thinking about the fact that there are "parts of speech"
(the latter phrase not one of them), that contain all of the vowels in
order. It turns out that there is a cottage industry that is tracking
down and cataloguing these words and phrases.
This article has a bit of the recent history.
68. Portuguese saint: SAO. In last Friday's puzzle it was clued as "Brazil map word".
69. Sleeping giant: SERTA. Not SEALY. Not even close.
70. Grabbed forty winks: SLEPT. I do this every day around Noon. In fact it's about that time. See ya later.
71. Oil additive brand: STP. Helps your vehicle's engine maintain Standard Temperature and Pressure.
Down:
1. "Back in Black" group: ACDC. For those of you who are not into heavy metal, you might dig this version:
68. Portuguese saint: SAO. In last Friday's puzzle it was clued as "Brazil map word".
69. Sleeping giant: SERTA. Not SEALY. Not even close.
70. Grabbed forty winks: SLEPT. I do this every day around Noon. In fact it's about that time. See ya later.
71. Oil additive brand: STP. Helps your vehicle's engine maintain Standard Temperature and Pressure.
1. "Back in Black" group: ACDC. For those of you who are not into heavy metal, you might dig this version:
2. Kindle __: FIRE. It's how you start a FIRE. Derived from the word KINDLING, the small sticks you light first. Well actually you use TINDER first. But that's a dating APP. Oh wait! Maybe Michelle meant this, a tablet that can also be used as an E-reader:
You can get one on Amazon. I can't say any more as it would violate our policy on product advertising.
3. Modern-day wand wielders: TSA AGENTS. Modern day MAGI? Arthur C.Clark once said that "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic".
4. Source of Yuletide coziness: PINE LOG. OAK LOGS are much less likely to create a chimney fire.
5. "__ Maria": AVE. The first words that the Angel Gabriel spoke to Mary in Luke 1:28. I don't think they were in Latin though. Probably Hebrew.
6. Divests: RIDS.
7. Low-carb, high-fat diet: KETO. I am not a dietitian, nor I do I play one on TV, so you should take the following articles with a grain of salt (unless of course you have HBP): Ketogenic diet and Paleo vs. Keto Diet.
8. Pale: ASHY.
9. Apr. addressee: IRS. It'll be here before we know it.
10. Often-hazed member: NEWCOMER.
11. Lively quality: SPARK.
12. Marisa of "The Wrestler" (2008): TOMEI. The Wrestler is a 2008 American sports psychological drama film starring Mickey Rourke, Marisa Tomei, and Evan Rachel Wood. Rourke is an over the hill wrestler and Tomei, a pole dancer at a local club, is his love interest. You can find an interesting YouTube interview with Marisa about her challenges in making the film, but I won't include it here.
13. Sawatch Range resort: ASPEN. The Sawatch Range, a sub-range of the Rocky Mountains of North America, is located in the center of the U.S. state of Colorado. It has 243 named mountains with Mount Elbert both the highest and most prominent. The range hosts several other ski resorts in addition to ASPEN. Hi MalMan!
18. 54-Across, here: I SAW, i.e. VIDI.
19. Verb that sounds like multiple vowels: EASE i.e. EEEZ.
24. Not lots: A FEW.
26. Damage: MAR.
27. __ one's time: be patient: BIDE. Please be patient. We're getting there.
28. Vietnam neighbor: LAOS. Laos, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia.
29. Top spot: FIRST.
30. E to E, e.g.: SCALE. One of my few regrets in life is that, despite being a big music fan, I never learned to play a musical instrument (although I do warble a bit). But I can Google, and here is a link I surfed up on the E Major SCALE and one on the twelve notes of Western music.
31. Carried: TOTED.
35. Arrogance: HUFFINESS.
36. Canadian shoe retailer: ALDO. The ALDO Group branded as ALDO, is a Canadian multinational corporation retailer that owns and operates a worldwide chain of shoe and accessories stores. The company was founded by Aldo Bensadoun in 1972 and is headquartered in Montreal, Canada. And that's a "hat trick" for CanadianEh!
37. Scary floater: BERG. Clever clue. Definitely not a MOTE in your eye.
39. Recklessly determined: HELL BENT. I'm HECK BENT on getting this review finished.
41. Many a flat-screen: HDTV. What is HDTV?
44. Top of many a dial: XII. This reference may escape some of our Gen Zers. Do we have any Gen Zers?
46. Begin a naval deployment: SHIP OUT. A CSO to our beloved Spitzboov, who has deployed to better shores.
49. Own (up): FESS. Could also be clued as "CON follower".
50. Wax-coated cheese: EDAM. A CSO to Chairman Moe for a recommended wine pairing.
51. Targets of much fertilization: LAWNS. And weed killers, thatchers, and mowers, oh my!
52. Rub off: ERASE.
53. Woodland deity: SATYR. Wild and crazy guys.
57. Light-bulb moments: AHAS.
58. Ship stabilizer: KEEL. I wanted GYROSCOPE, but it was too long. There turn out to be LOTS of definitions for KEEL, but "RED OCHER"?
59. Falco of "Nurse Jackie": EDIE. Nurse Jackie, is an American medical comedy-drama television series that ran from June 8, 2009 to June 28, 2015. The show starred Edie Falco (atoning for abetting the Sopranos?) as the title character, Jackie Peyton, an emergency department nurse at All Saints' Hospital in New York City. For Jackie, "every day is a high wire act of juggling patients, doctors, fellow nurses, and her own indiscretions."
61. Pesky insect: GNAT.
62. "No más!": STOP. Today's Spanish lesson. Okay, okay! I'll skip the next two clues.
64. Early TV maker: RCA.
65. Swabbie's tool: MOP.
 |
| Amazon Fire |
3. Modern-day wand wielders: TSA AGENTS. Modern day MAGI? Arthur C.Clark once said that "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic".
4. Source of Yuletide coziness: PINE LOG. OAK LOGS are much less likely to create a chimney fire.
5. "__ Maria": AVE. The first words that the Angel Gabriel spoke to Mary in Luke 1:28. I don't think they were in Latin though. Probably Hebrew.
6. Divests: RIDS.
7. Low-carb, high-fat diet: KETO. I am not a dietitian, nor I do I play one on TV, so you should take the following articles with a grain of salt (unless of course you have HBP): Ketogenic diet and Paleo vs. Keto Diet.
8. Pale: ASHY.
9. Apr. addressee: IRS. It'll be here before we know it.
10. Often-hazed member: NEWCOMER.
11. Lively quality: SPARK.
12. Marisa of "The Wrestler" (2008): TOMEI. The Wrestler is a 2008 American sports psychological drama film starring Mickey Rourke, Marisa Tomei, and Evan Rachel Wood. Rourke is an over the hill wrestler and Tomei, a pole dancer at a local club, is his love interest. You can find an interesting YouTube interview with Marisa about her challenges in making the film, but I won't include it here.
13. Sawatch Range resort: ASPEN. The Sawatch Range, a sub-range of the Rocky Mountains of North America, is located in the center of the U.S. state of Colorado. It has 243 named mountains with Mount Elbert both the highest and most prominent. The range hosts several other ski resorts in addition to ASPEN. Hi MalMan!
18. 54-Across, here: I SAW, i.e. VIDI.
19. Verb that sounds like multiple vowels: EASE i.e. EEEZ.
24. Not lots: A FEW.
26. Damage: MAR.
27. __ one's time: be patient: BIDE. Please be patient. We're getting there.
28. Vietnam neighbor: LAOS. Laos, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia.
 |
| Laotian Flag |
30. E to E, e.g.: SCALE. One of my few regrets in life is that, despite being a big music fan, I never learned to play a musical instrument (although I do warble a bit). But I can Google, and here is a link I surfed up on the E Major SCALE and one on the twelve notes of Western music.
31. Carried: TOTED.
35. Arrogance: HUFFINESS.
36. Canadian shoe retailer: ALDO. The ALDO Group branded as ALDO, is a Canadian multinational corporation retailer that owns and operates a worldwide chain of shoe and accessories stores. The company was founded by Aldo Bensadoun in 1972 and is headquartered in Montreal, Canada. And that's a "hat trick" for CanadianEh!
37. Scary floater: BERG. Clever clue. Definitely not a MOTE in your eye.
39. Recklessly determined: HELL BENT. I'm HECK BENT on getting this review finished.
41. Many a flat-screen: HDTV. What is HDTV?
44. Top of many a dial: XII. This reference may escape some of our Gen Zers. Do we have any Gen Zers?
46. Begin a naval deployment: SHIP OUT. A CSO to our beloved Spitzboov, who has deployed to better shores.
49. Own (up): FESS. Could also be clued as "CON follower".
50. Wax-coated cheese: EDAM. A CSO to Chairman Moe for a recommended wine pairing.
52. Rub off: ERASE.
53. Woodland deity: SATYR. Wild and crazy guys.
57. Light-bulb moments: AHAS.
58. Ship stabilizer: KEEL. I wanted GYROSCOPE, but it was too long. There turn out to be LOTS of definitions for KEEL, but "RED OCHER"?
59. Falco of "Nurse Jackie": EDIE. Nurse Jackie, is an American medical comedy-drama television series that ran from June 8, 2009 to June 28, 2015. The show starred Edie Falco (atoning for abetting the Sopranos?) as the title character, Jackie Peyton, an emergency department nurse at All Saints' Hospital in New York City. For Jackie, "every day is a high wire act of juggling patients, doctors, fellow nurses, and her own indiscretions."
 |
| Edie Falco |
62. "No más!": STOP. Today's Spanish lesson. Okay, okay! I'll skip the next two clues.
64. Early TV maker: RCA.
65. Swabbie's tool: MOP.
Here's the grid:
And thanks as always to Teri for proofreading and for her constructive criticism.
waseeley
Cheers,
Bill
