Sunday June 1, 2025 Paul Coulter

Theme:  "Symbolic Language" - Part of each theme clue is replaced by its keyboard symbol. 

22. Gets right to the .: TELLS IT LIKE IT IS. Gets right to the point. 

31. In the ***: MEANT TO BE. In the stars.

51. Balder-: HORSE FEATHERS. Balderdash. 

70. Dog #: ANIMAL SHELTER. Dog pound.

89. One %: THE UPPER CRUST. One percent.

102. Plays @: DABBLES IN. Plays at.

120. Non+: THROW A CURVEBALL. Nonplus. 

The dot in the first theme clue is subtle. The other symbols are easier to spot. 

Very fresh and creative theme from Paul. Very tight set with limited choices. 

Across:

1. Make the world a better place: DO GOOD.

7. Passed into law: ENACTED.

14. Poker pronouncement: I CALL.

19. Not necessarily against: OPEN TO. And 63. Words of likelihood: APT TO. 128. Meet: RISE TO. 16. "We __ please": AIM TO. 

20. Like cast iron and silicone: OVEN-SAFE.

21. Payoff: BRIBE.

24. Actor Jason: MOMOA. The Aquaman.

25. Small vortex: EDDY.

26. Hide out: LIE LOW.

27. Grenoble peak: ALPE.

29. PIN sites: ATMS.

30. Talkative bird: MYNA.

33. Pastoral people of Kenya and Tanzania: MASAI. Also spelled as Maasai. 

37. Tiny pest: ANT.

39. Pacific tuna: AHI. 33. Taco choice, on menus: MAHI.

41. Latin heart: COR. Learning moment.

42. Gentle skin care brand: AVEENO.

44. First name in jazz: ETTA.

46. Plunge after a workout: ICE BATH. 81. Steam after a workout: SAUNA.

55. Royal Shakespeare Company venue: THEATRE.

56. Data: INFO.

57. Handbill: FLIER.

58. Shorthand for a person who prefers platonic partners: ARO. Aromantic.

60. Sure to happen: FATED.

61. Former: PRIOR.

66. Trig function: COSINE.

67. Part of many Arab names: IBN. Son of.

73. USN rank: CDR. I miss our Spitzboov, Commander Al in real life, and Santa of course.

Al & Scott

74. Dairy din: MOOING.

76. Jane Curtin title role: ALLIE. Kate & Allie.

77. Movie credits and music charts: LISTS.

79. Dad: POPPA.

80. HMO alternative: PPO. Preferred Provider Organization.

83. Game with suspect tokens: CLUE.

87. Red disk hieroglyph: EYE OF RA.

93. Dogie catcher: LASSOER.

94. Has: OWNS.

95. Cheers: ELATES. JD just sent me this picture. Her oldest grandson Truman will be off college in the fall. He was just a little baby when JD joined our blog. 

Truman, Cameron, Dylan, JD, Bob and Grady (Truman's younger brother)

96. G7 member: USA.

97. Native people of Colorado: UTE.

98. Sinuous swimmer: EEL.

101. Copycatting: APERY.

107. Prone to snooping: NOSY.

109. Biblical birthright barterer: ESAU.

110. Fight like a knight: TILT.

111. Discarded devices: E-WASTE.

114. Role for Ingrid: ILSA. "Casablanca".

118. Ban alcoholic beverages: GO DRY.

123. Fish: ANGLE.

124. Clear French brandy: EAU DE VIE.

125. Bring out: ELICIT.

126. Informal farewell: SEE YA. 68. "That's how it's done!": BOO YA.

127. Displayed contempt: SNEERED.
 
Down:

1. Shower with love: DOTE.

2. "Say your piece" piece: OP-ED.

3. Neuter, as a horse: GELD.

4. "For your eyes __": ONLY.

5. Periods before soccer shootouts, briefly: OTS.

6. Embroidered mat: DOILY. 115. 6-Down material: LACE.

7. Wicked: EVIL.

8. Alt-country singer Case: NEKO. Beautiful.

9. Again: ANEW.

10. CBS forensic drama series: CSI.

11. Woven mat: TATAMI.

12. Paperless IRS option: E-FILE.

13. 2017 hit for Luis Fonsi: DESPACITO.

14. Co. with an iconic 8-bar logo: IBM.

15. Dalmatia native: CROAT.

17. Word dropped when things are getting serious, informally: L-BOMB.

18. Dealer's offer: LEASE.

20. Fat substitute brand: OLEAN.

23. "The Best" singer Turner: TINA.

28. Genesis patriarch: ENOCH.

30. Go for the gold?: MINE. Ha.

32. Backyard hideaway: TREE FORT.

34. Big name in cosmetics: AVON.

35. Feudal worker: SERF.

36. "The Ape and the Dolphin" fabulist: AESOP.

38. French crown: TETE.

39. Broke bread: ATE.

40. Hardy follower: HAR.

43. Foreseeable future: OFFING.

45. In the __ of: totally absorbed by: THRALL.

47. Lamb bleats: BAAS.

48. Creepy story?: ATTIC. Floor.

49. Blow up on social media: TREND.

50. "Blades of Glory" actor Jon: HEDER. Known for his role in "Napoleon Dynamite".

52. "The Time Machine" race: ELOI.

53. Chart made from overhead photos: AIRMAP. Images from the plane.

54. Fill: SATE.

59. Act like a startled doodlebug: ROLL UP.

62. Violated, with "of": RAN AFOUL.

64. Air pump meas.: PSI.

65. Auspicious tarot card: THE SUN.

66. Opera singer Siepi: CESARE. Another learning moment.

67. Drive: IMPEL.

69. Slangy denials: NOPES.

71. Much of the time: A LOT.

72. Food sticker: TINE. Stick-er.

75. NYSE banner events: IPOS.

78. Deep-six or eighty-six: SCRAP.

80. Sponges: PARASITES.

82. Abbey area: APSE.

84. Mandolin cousin: LUTE. I was thinking of this. But it's spelled as Mandoline. 

85. Computer operator: USER.

86. Vintage etailer: ETSY.

88. Change after a blackout, as a clock: RESET.

90. All the rage: HOT.

91. Farm female: EWE.

92. Court material: CLAY.

97. "That's a lie!": UNTRUE.

99. Come after: ENSUE.

100. "The Hobbit" sequel series, for short: LOTR.

102. Impressionist Edgar: DEGAS.

103. All together: AS ONE.

104. Girl Scout's award: BADGE.

105. Big and strong: BURLY.

106. Minnesota representative Omar: ILHAN. Her daughter has a very crossword-friendly name: Isra Hirsi. 

108. Break, as ties: SEVER.

111. Decorative pitcher: EWER.

112. Surfing need: WAVE.

113. Battery contents: ACID.

114. Sacred Nile wader: IBIS.

116. Letter opener cut: SLIT.

117. Voice above tenor: ALTO.

119. Vote for passage: YEA.

121. Poem of tribute: ODE.

122. Connecticut collegian: ELI.

Robert (Picard) and his wife Merlie visited Splynter last Wednesday. Hopefully Splynter will tell you more of the visit next week. I chuckled when he told me about his 7-hour nap afterwards. Picard is the first blog regular Splynter met in real life, I think.

Picard and His Wife Merlie 

Wednesday, Feb 5th, 2025 ~ Paul Coulter

FINAL: ELEVEN  -  ZIP

Now that's a hockey game "blow-out" - sorry, CanadianEh!  Paul Coulter returns, having several LA Times puzzles under his belt - the last one was here back on a Monday in January 2024.  Four 10- & 11-letter themers, no reveal, all definitions of the word/phrase 'blowout'.   We have two bonus 9- and 10-letter fills* in the Down today, too - great fills, but usually frowned upon when two of the themers are the same length.  Too many names, IMHO, a balance of 21 TLW and 22 4LWs, and no circles - they were in yesterday's puzzle, two weeks in a row.  The theme answers;

17. Group that might enjoy a blowout: WINNING TEAM - there's a line about Brooklyn in Billy Joel's song "We Didn't Start the Fire" @1:35

30. Host who might throw a blowout: PARTY GIVER

Bobbi Flekman, the hostess with the mostess

48. Wheel that might experience a blowout: RADIAL TIRE - happened to me in my 2006 Dodge Grand Caravan doing 72mph on I-395 trying to make the Cross Sound Ferry in the summer of 2023 - I limped off the highway into a parking lot, determined not to miss the boat, and installed the spare in 13 minutes - and that's an accomplishment because the spare is on a chain you crank inside the van from the floor center to drop the donut beneath the vehicle  😜

And if it's rusted from non-use . . . .f$%^#@&~!

63. Professional who might provide a blowout: HAIR-STYLIST  - Everything you wanted to know about a HAIR blowout - here

And Away We Go~!

ACROSS:

1. Cry like a baby: BAWL - crossing BOWL

5. First game of a doubleheader: OPENER -  I am sure C.C. can't wait

11. Appear onstage: ACT

14. Sandwich cookie: OREO - two weeks in a row for me

15. Not tricked by: WISE TO - quit cracking wise - I am reading the first book of the Robert Crais detective series - a great read, and there's 19 more in the series - a new one in 2025

16. "The Queen's Gambit" actress Anya Taylor-__: JOY - name #1, more here

at the Council of Fashion Designers of America awards

19. Band's sound booster: AMP - I'm told this is an acceptable "non-abbr" here at the corner

20. Sooner or __: LATER

21. Melancholy: SAD - four syllables :: one syllable

22. Shake hands (on): AGREE

24. Lingering amount: TRACE

26. All alternative: NONE - briefly thought we were looking for a laundry detergent, as in TIDE

28. Spanish "those": ESOS - Español #1

35. Auden's "Musée __ Beaux Arts": DES - filled via perps, the Wiki

36. Video game archaeologist Croft: LARA - name #2 - there was a movie, too - but I am not an Angelina Jolie fan - shocking, but true

37. Place: LOCALE

38. Davis of "Stuart Little": GEENA - name #3 - the IMDb

40. [Not my error]: SIC

42. Some nesting figures: DOLLS - e.g., Russian Matryoshka

Incredible Artwork - sold at 61D. here

  43. "On it, Captain!": "AYE - AYE~!" - Picard~! Picard~!

45. Gym cushions: MATS

47. Gymnast Suni: LEE - name #4 - becoming the common clue for this answer

50. Landlord's income: RENT

51. "Puppy Love" singer Paul: ANKA - name #5

52. "Bad, Bad" Brown of song: LEROY - name #6

54. Head of cabbage?: HARD C - "C"abbage - I know some Cornerites don't much care for these kinds of ( meta ) clues, but I am OK with them

57. __-Wan Kenobi: OBI - name #6

59. Pond buildup: ALGAE

62. Many moons __: AGO - many moons ago, there were no names in a crossword

66. Mojito liquor: RUM

67. Discounted: ON SALE

68. "Battle Cry" novelist Leon: URIS - name #7

69. Atlas page: MAP - AND - 60D. Atlas section: ASIA

70. Far from fresh: ROTTEN

71. Theater production: PLAY

DOWN:

1. Many a New Year's Day football game: BOWL - The Buffalo Bills are out, so I am rooting for the Philadelphia Eagles, but I am not watching the Super Bowl for the second year in a row - I even canceled my live stream TV service to prove it.

2. "Tosca" solo: ARIA - three-vowel crossword staple

3. Became shabby: WENT TO SEED* - from whence we get the phrase - another link here

4. Reclusive sorts: LONERS - HERMITS didn't fit

5. Private: OWN - as in, "it's my _ collection"

6. Pork-based dog treats: PIGS EARS - sorry, Irish Miss, but I am still waiting on my new house mate - but I do have another lead on where to look for a rescue Schnauzer~!

7. "¿Cómo __ usted?": ESTA - Español #2

8. "You __ bother!": NEEDN'T - I am tiring of these kinds of fill-in clues

9. In-flight info, for short: ETA

10. Mercury and Saturn: ROMAN GODS* - name(s) #8, waited to see if we were looking for auto manufacturers

11. Letting in light, as a door: AJAR - Also in yesterday's grid - and Meh.  I have a diamond window in my front door, and three "lites" in my sunroom door - they let in light, but they're not ajar- especially when it's -5° outside . . . .

12. "The best is yet to __": COME

13. Use a keyboard: TYPE

18. 401(k) kin: IRA - I have an IRA that changed banks literally five times since I opened it, and every time it does, I have to jump though hoops to verify it - so I figured it's time to be done with the nonsense....

23. Insurance company with a spokeslizard: GEICO - my choice for car insurance

25. Tax pro: CPA - Certified Public Accountant - busy season is upon them - I just got my W-2

27. Olive in the comics: OYL - name #9

28. "The Dance Class" painter Degas: EDGAR - name #10

Oil, 1874, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC

29. "Bye now": "SEE YA~!"

31. "Spider-Man" trilogy director: RAIMI - name #11, but we had him some time last week

32. Stereotypical Southern California teen of the 1980s: VALLEY GIRL* - Like I totally was going to insert Frank Zappa's "Valley Girl" clip, but I could not take a full five minutes of the dialect

33. Daytime talk show that ended in 2022: ELLEN - name #12, never watched

34. Button clicked by a password forgetter: RESET - ...part of the IRA fiasco was having to RESET my password with each acquiring bank, so I decided to cash out last week, penalties be damned

36. Secure a ship: LAY ANCHOR*

39. Water nymph: NAIAD - I knew this, but could not recall how to spell it; is there a "Y" in there~?

41. "Heaven Is a Place on Earth" singer Belinda: CARLISLE - Ha~! Same here - is there a "Y" in there~?  She is the lead vocalist for the Go-Go's, too - and name #13

44. Antlered animal: ELK - I pondered RAM, but those are more like "horns"

46. Casual top: TEE - T-shirt

49. Disciple of Lao-tzu: TAOIST - name(ish) #14 - Taoism per Nat Geo

50. Prepare to store, as a sleeping bag: ROLL UP

"Sandwiches~!"

53. Beam: RAY

54. Damage: HARM

55. Lago contents: AGUA - Español #3

56. Frolic: ROMP

58. Pesky kid: BRAT

61. Retail site with art and collectibles: ETSY

64. "So that's __?": "A NO~?" - I tried ALL - still don't like this type of fill-in clue

65. Low card in a royal flush: TEN

There's nothing LOW about being a "TEN"

Splynter

Monday January 8, 2024 Paul Coulter

  

Theme:        The Progressive Write

Happy Monday, everyone! sumdaze here on what would have been Elvis Presley's 89th birthday. Due to a twist brought about by today's theme, we instead have Elvis Costello & The Attractions with Everyday I Write the Book (1983).  

Constructor Paul Coulter submitted a textbook Monday grid. The first word of each of the four longest answers progresses from LINE to PAGE to CHAPTER to BOOK, as does the writing process. The gimmick is logical and cleanly presented. Paul earns extra points for the inclusion of nine multi-word fill answers (in addition to the four themers). 

16 Across. Activity at a country western bar: LINE DANCING.  

26 Across. Error message that results from clicking a broken link: PAGE NOT FOUND.  

Flashback from yesterday's puzzle, anyone? This one happens when your browser is asking a website to display something but the website cannot find the right page to display so it gives you an error message.  Example

47 Across. Fraternity building: CHAPTER HOUSE.  According to this Greek Life Glossary, this is a house on a college campus where members of the organization reside. Not all campuses have CHAPTER HOUSEs. Some have designated rooms given to each fraternity or sorority called Chapter Rooms, or a special residence hall where each group gets a floor.

If you were not sure of this one, sussing the theme provided an extra clue.  

62 Across. "Hawaii Five-O" catchphrase: BOOK 'EM DANNO.  This was a Steve McGarrett (played by Jack Lord) catchphrase in the original series (1968-1980), spoken to James MacArthur's character, Dan Williams. To the delight of viewers, the line was reprised in the 2010-2020 re-make.

And now for the rest of the story....
Across:
1. "SNL" alum McKinnon: KATE.  She is so funny! Here is KATE pretending to be an airport chauffer in The Spy Who Dumped Me (2018) with Mila Kunis. 

5. Made off with: STOLE.  

As the mastermind of the largest known Ponzi scheme in history, Bernie Madoff made off with tens of billions of dollars of investors' money.

10. Set the dog (on): SIC. as in "sic 'em"

13. Wildly out of control: AMOK. Today AMOK is synonymous with "unruly" but its etymology reveals a murderous meaning.

14. Don, as boots: PULL ON.  The straps on the sides of cowboy boots are called mule ears and are used to PULL ON the boots. Some styles are more pronounced than others. You can see how they got their name. 

15. __-la-la: singer's syllables: TRA.

18. Crew team's blade: OAR.

19. __ foo yung: EGG.  

This 5-star recipe is very adaptable to whatever is on hand.
The foodie writes, "It is believed to have originally been created by Chinese chefs in America
as a way to use up leftovers, so it’s not strictly authentic though there are similar dishes in China."

20. Wrap up: END.  

21. Nervous system cells: NEURONS.  NEURONS in the news

23. Longtime Dodgers manager Tommy: LASORDA.  (1927-2021)

This is a great fit for an LA Times puzzle! He managed the LA Dodgers from 1976-1996, winning two World Series plus two more National League pennants.  National Baseball Hall of Fame page

25. Snow vehicle pulled by huskies: SLED.  

31. "Are you really making me do this?": MUST I.  

34. Director DuVernay: AVA.     crosses     28 Down. Reproductive cells: OVA.

35. Practice in the ring: SPAR.  boxing

36. Absorbed, as a cost: ATE.  To "eat the cost" is to agree to bear the cost of something, usually monetarily and often begrudgingly.

37. Skill on the verge of extinction: LOST ART.  Hand up for trying to think of a specific skill as opposed to a synonym. 

41. Greek T: TAU.

42. "Darn it all!": RATS.  

44. Wrestler Flair nicknamed the "Nature Boy": RIC.  

Ric, flaunting his flair

45. Beside: ALONG.

51. Snowblower brand: TORO.  In the summer, this word is clued as "Lawnmower brand".

52. New York's Waldorf __ hotel: ASTORIA.  

The original Waldorf Hotel was built at 33rd Street and Fifth Avenue in 1893 by William Waldorf Astor. Four years later, John Jacob Astor IV, William’s cousin and familial rival, built an even taller hotel next door in an act of one-upmanship. The cousins finally agreed to a truce and the two buildings were connected through a 300-foot marble corridor known as Peacock Alley. The Waldorf-Astoria was born.  more history

56. Shield from harm: PROTECT.

59. Simple top: TEE.

60. Early ISP: AOL.  Internet Service Provider and America Online

61. __ and reel: ROD.

65. Throw in: ADD.

66. Whole: ENTIRE.

67. End-of-the-week letters: TGIF.  not the Monday end

68. "You got it": YES.  Also, a rock band from London that released this song in 1971.  

I've Seen All Good People:  Your Move

69. Wails with grief: KEENS.  Learning moment. KEENS is the 3rd person present form of the verb keen, as defined in the clue. Example:  She KEENS over her lover's lifeless body.

In a similar vein, KEENS are Irish funeral songs accompanied by wailing.

70. Ham or lamb: MEAT.

Down:
1. Superman's birth name: KALEL.  

Five for Fighting. Superman (It's Not Easy) (2001) 

2. Latina friend: AMIGA.  Latina is feminine so we did not have to wait for perps to see if it was amigo or amiga.

3. Kitchen picker-uppers: TONGS.

4. __ out a living: just get by: EKE.

5. Dairy Queen order: SUNDAE.  

My friend calls these "Texas stop signs".

6. Special attention, for short: TLC.

7. Lena of "Chocolat": OLIN.

8. Symbol on the Texas flag: LONE STAR.  Speaking of Texas...

9. Overwhelm: ENGULF.  Are there any other David Sedaris fans on The Corner?

When You are Engulfed in Flames (2008)

10. Didn't back down from: STOOD UP TO.  

I Won't Back Down was the lead single on Tom Petty's first solo album, Moon Fever.

Look for George Harrison and Jeff Lynne (co-founder of XWD favorite ELO) on guitar.

That's Ringo Starr in the video but he was not the drummer for the recording.

11. Shiraz's country: IRAN.  Along with being a city in IRAN, Shiraz is a red wine historically produced in that area. I think it is the same grape as an Australian Syrah. Perhaps C-Moe, our wine guy on The Corner, can elaborate.

12. Autos: CARS.     and     22 Down. Early 20th century autos: REOS.  

14. Ivory soap company, informally: P AND G.  Procter AND Gamble  

17. Upset, as a plan: DERAIL.

24. Decide to leave, with "out": OPT.

27. Slangy "Of course!": NATCH.  NATCH-urally

29. Bread baked in a tandoor: NAAN.  This man makes NAAN every Tuesday at my local Farmer's Market. He told me that the dough sticks to the sides of the oven because it (the dough) is a little bit wet.

30. Medication: DRUG.

31. Painter Chagall: MARC.  (1887 Belarus - 1985 France)

In this self-portrait (1912-1913), he has seven fingers on his left hand,
possibly because he was born 7/7/1887.

32. Provo's state: UTAH.

33. Caused a disagreement between, say: SET AT ODDS.

38. Cookie-flavored ice cream holder: OREO CONE.  

Will wonders never cease?

39. Round Table title: SIR.

40. Had a bite of: TASTED.

43. "You missed a __": SPOT.  So annoying!

46. Zodiac sign before Virgo: LEO.  also the only 3-letter sign

48. Alex whose job was in "Jeopardy!" for many years: TREBEK.  

After hosting 11 previous game shows, he started his Jeopardy! gig on September 10, 1984.
I am not sure but I think this pic is from that first show.

49. Horse operas: OATERS.  a.k.a. westerns

50. "I'm at your disposal": USE ME.

53. Driving __: golfer's practice site: RANGE.  

Free Range Golfers

54. Ancient Aegean region: IONIA.  I worked this one out by remembering the three types of Greek columns:  Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian then later looked it up. IONIA was a territory in western Anatolia (modern-day Turkey). Twelve cities formed the Ionian League but it was not a political nor a military alliance. One of those cities was Miletus, as in the Greek philosopher, Thales of Miletus (624 BC - 527 BC).

55. High up: ALOFT.

56. Seek divine guidance: PRAY.

57. Went in a biker's sidecar, say: RODE.  This clip is from the Marx Brothers:

58. Handy bag: TOTE.  

NPR knows we like them!

63. Extended family: KIN.

64. Spot for fast cash: ATM.  

The epilogue:

That's all for today. I look forward to reading your comments!