google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Paul Coulter

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Showing posts with label Paul Coulter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Paul Coulter. Show all posts

Mar 17, 2017

Friday March 17, 2017, Paul Coulter

To celebrate St. Paddy's day, here's a beautiful version of When Irish Eyes Are Smilin' by the Irish tenor who was a foil for Jack Benny for years. It makes for lovely background music!


Now, for sure and begorrah, let's be gettin' down to the puzzle!


TITLE: BACK TO FRONT

On this St. Paddy's Day, Lemon has put himself on the injured reserve list and C.C. has brought me, Husker Gary, up from the minors to take the mound.


Paul's lovely offering dredges up memories of a recent Sunday puzzle I blogged where I also put the grid at the top. In that puzzle a word was put IN the middle of a silly phrase and had to be repositioned to the front to make sense. Today Paul forces us to take the last word of a silly phrase and transport it to the front to make a single, familiar word. 


Obviously the puzzle needed no reveal, so here are the theme entries

16. Laboratory scam? : SCIENCE CON/CONSCIENCE - Jiminy's counsel to Pinnochio took a while to sink in

28. Snubbing a testimonial? : TRIBUTE DIS/DISTRIBUTE - A good passer is called a good DISTRIBUTOR




45. John Deere rep? : TRACTOR PRO/PROTRACTOR - For some reason kids often ask for a compass when they really want a PROTRACTOR

61. Ordinary law office employee? : NORMAL PARA/PARANORMAL - JoBeth Williams confronts a PARANORMAL creature in Poltergeist 



Let's see what else our Literary Leprechaun has for us today


Across


1. "Oopsy" : MY BAD

6. Grand Prix component : ESS - Curve, here's one



9. In things : FADS - Joann, where's my Nehru jacket?

13. Adult insect : IMAGO - I've only heard it here


14. Prefix with data : META - It seems someone has lots of this on all of us


15. Subject preceder : IN RE



18. Saves, say : STAT - Usually accrued by soccer and hockey goalies 


19. Challenge : CALL OUT - Matt Dillon faced one of these at the start of every episode

20. Like some flushes : ACE HIGH


22. Missed the mark : ERRED


24. Spike TV, once : TNN - The Nashville Network


25. Nile threats : ASPS


33. Take for a while : LEASE

35. B to C, e.g. : SEMITONE
 




36. Call off : END


37. Something shared on a plane : ARMREST - Sound right?

40. Pres. when Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka was decided : DDE - Ike

41. "The Social Contract" author : ROUSSEAU - Jacques - "What wisdom can be greater than kindness?"

43. Hindu ascetics : YOGIS - Did any of them catch for the Yankees?

48. Old Nair rival : NEET

49. "You betcha!" : YEP

50. Mozart opera ending : TUTTE - Cosi Fan TUTTE (Women are like that). Like what?

52. Spendthrift : WASTREL



56. Hospital test : MRI SCAN - I just listened to talk shows on my iPhone

60. Large deep-water fish : OPAH







63. Actor Auberjonois : RENE - Fr. Mulcahy in the 1970 movie M*A*S*H


64. Relaxed : EASY

65. Refresh, as a cup of coffee : TOP UP - Is this also a Mardi Gras tradition?

66. Participants in some awkward meetings : EXES


67. Case breaker, perhaps : DNA - Uh, Number 2, you might wanna have a seat

68. Flower holders : STEMS - Not a vayse or a vahze







Down

1. Category for non-recurring pd. bills : MISC


2. 1979 disco classic : YMCA



3. Payment that's posted : BAIL - Remember who sponsored The Bad News Bears? Now you can order a jersey!

4. Eternal : AGELESS - Dick Clark's middle name for years

5. Philanthropist, e.g. : DONOR

6. Common Market letters : European Economic Community

7. Ancient colonnade : STOA

8. Sacred sites : SANCTUMS

9. Stocking stuff : FISH NET - Maybe Splynter will have some for us tomorrow

10. Not backing : ANTI

11. Party pooper : DRAG


12. First family member : SETH 

14. Poet's concern : METER

17. Short : CURT

21. Being : ENTITY

23. Throw into turmoil : DISRUPT

25. On the ball : ALERT

26. Monterrey title : SENOR

27. "The Taming of the Shrew" setting : PADUA - The Montana Shakespeare In The Park Troupe chose a different setting but used Elizabethan English (mostly) 

32. Notice from Shakespeare? : SEEST - Didst thee SEEST the setting for Taming Of The Shrew cameth ere?

29. Obsessive idea metaphor : BEE - Busy as a...


30. Caravan assembler : DODGE - The original minivan - 1984

31. Common Sundance entry : INDIE

34. Time for eggs : EASTER

38. Worked on, as a cold case : REOPENED - They haven't REOPENED the Cain and Abel case. How many witnesses could there have been?

39. Fold, spindle or mutilate : MAR

42. Crop cutters : SCYTHES

44. Buck : ONESPOT - Really?

46. Gin __ : RUMMY - Remember this Bond Villain who cheated at Gin RUMMY using a spy with binoculars and an earpiece? 

47. Other, in Oaxaca : OTRA - No, descartar la OTRA tarjeta (No, discard the other card)

51. Slopes : TILTS

52. Had on : WORE 


53. Top : APEX

54. Fit to be tried : SANE - Two psychiatrists testified as to whether this Omaha man was SANE enough to stand trial for his four murders.

55. Student's request : LOAN 

57. Vacation spot : CAPE

58. Jack-in-the-pulpit family : ARUM

59. Gets caught off guard : NAPS

62. The ANC's country : RSA Republic of South Africa





Now before you start celebrating reasonably (let your conscience be your guide), how 'bout some comments:









Jan 8, 2017

Sunday, January 8, 2017 Paul Coulter

Theme:  "Dine Out" - Parse the title as as "D in E out".  E is replaced by D in each theme entry.  The changes all happen with the last letter of a key word,

23A. Basis for evaluating an archaeology dig? : EARNINGS PER SHARD. Earnings per share.

35A. Warning to Bo Peep that her sheep are really hiding nearby? : HERD'S LOOKING AT YOU, KID. Here's looking at your, kid. But it's grammatically correct to say "Herd are looking at you", right?

58A. "When leaving the beach, hose off your feet before putting on your shoes"? : SAND ADVICE. Sane advice is not a familiar phrase to me.

68A. Must choose among less volatile investment options? : HAVE A BOND TO PICK. Have a bone to pick.

81A. Infant dressed for rain? : BABY BOOTED. I would not know how to clue it. Baby bootee.

100A. Have a good day birding? : FIND FEATHERED FRIENDS. Fine- feathered friends.
 
119A. Paragraph in a lemon law? : DUD PROCESS CLAUSE. Due process clause.

What a great title!

There are some stray E's in the theme answers. It's impossible to replace all of them, given that E is the most frequently used letter in English.

Paul's approach is quite consistent. No first letter or middle letter E to D change. 
 
Across:

1. Get hot online : GO VIRAL. Surprised that Paul crossed it with GOER (1. Attendee).
 
8. Slithery squeezer : BOA

11. San Francisco/Oakland separator : BAY

14. Signature Southern vegetable : OKRA. Constructors love Vowel??Vowel combo.

18. Treeless tract : OPEN AREA

20. High esteem : RESPECT

22. Motley : PIED. Never used this word other than Pied Piper

25. "Goodness gracious!" : EGAD

26. "Wide Sargasso Sea" author Jean : RHYS. Wiki says "The novel is written as a prequel and response to Charlotte Brontë's noted novel Jane Eyre".


27. Chain founded by Ingvar Kamprad : IKEA

28. 2016 A.L. Manager of the Year Francona, familiarly : TITO. Known for ending Red Sox's 86-year drought. We also have ARM (105. Pitcher's pride).



29. Heartthrob : FLAME

30. Medicare segment : PART A

32. As to : IN RE

34. Called the shots : LED

44. "The Sage of Concord" : EMERSON

45. Romeo or Juliet : TEEN. Thought of  ROLE first.

46. South of France : MIDI. Why is South of France called "Le Midi"?

47. Holds firmly : RIVETS

48. Dilates : WIDENS

50. Times for vespers : EVES. I forgot the meaning of "vespers". Could only picture the Bond Girl Vesper.


54. Knock for a loop : STUN. Tiny dupe with 113. Stunned accusation : ET TU

55. Schleps : TOTES

62. Jiffs : SECs

64. Slip cover : DRESS

66. Yorkshire river : OUSE. We also have 126. River to the Fulda : EDER

67. Bygone bird : MOA. Locally known as Mall of America. I went to Zara the second day it opened.

73. Bossy remark? : MOO. Great clue.

76. Wine center NNE of Monaco : ASTI

77. Flaw-spotting aid : LOUPE

78. Canterbury's county : KENT

85. Bas-relief medium : GESSO. Learned from doing crosswords.

87. Dashed : TORE

89. Cavaradossi's "Recondita armonia," for one : ARIA. Of the five words in the clue, I know two.

90. Cooper's creations : STAVES

92. Green need : PUTTER. Golf green.

94. Bring in : REAP

98. Where Java may be found : ASIA

99. Before : EARLIER

106. Meh : DRAB

107. Breaks : RIFTS

108. Nursing a sprain, perhaps : GIMPY. Not a word I use.

110. "Good going!" : NICE
 
114. Come together : KNIT

118. Fever with chills : AGUE

123. Needle holder : PINE. You wanted ETUI, didn't you?
124. Espionage asset : STEALTH. Great word. Consonant-rich.

125. More frothy : YEASTIER

127. It's used for some trips : LSD

128. WWII venue : ETO (European Theater of Operations)

129. __ step: deceptive hoops tactic : STUTTER. Learning moment for me.
 
Down:
2. Moonfish : OPAH

3. Darned : VERY

4. Quaint stopovers : INNs

5. Italian counterpart of the BBC : RAI. Stands for Radiotelevisione Italiana. We had this last year. 

6. Prince Valiant's son : ARN

7. Shackle : LEG IRON

8. Onetime California oil town : BREA

9. "__ the fields we go" : O'ER

10. Kind of prof. : ASST

11. Marching orders? : BEAT IT. Great fill/clue.

12. Radar or laser : ACRONYM. Did not know laser is an acronym.

13. Accountant's initialism : YTD

14. European automaker that was originally a sewing machine company : OPEL. Interesting trivia.

15. Rwanda's capital : KIGALI. Got via crosses.

16. Didn't just criticize : REAMED

17. Put on : ADDED

19. Invite for : ASK TO

21. Honor society leader? : PHI. Oh,  Phi Beta Kappa.

24. Reach a high : PEAK

29. Clan clash : FEUD

30. "Hey ... over here!" : PSST

31. "__ good name is ne'er retriev'd": John Gay : A LOST. Also got via crosses.

33. King of France : ROI

35. "His," to Bierce : HERS. We had this clue a while ago.

36. Gives off : EMITS

37. Variety show : REVUE

38. Soak : DRENCH

39. "Yea, verily" : IT IS SO
 
40. Outlaw Kelly : NED

41. Thug's thousands : GEES

42. "The King and I" role : ANNA

43. City on the Dnieper : KIEV

48. Winning Super Bowl III coach Ewbank : WEEB. I tried to use him in a puzzle once.

49. Busybodies : SNOOPS

51. Get-up-and-go : VIM

52. "Foucault's Pendulum" author : ECO

53. Yellow __ : SEA. Between China and South Korea. We call it Huang Hai, literally "Yellow Sea". Hai = Sea. But in Cantonese, Hai means "Yes", same as Japanese.

56. Start of a tribute : ODE TO

57. Pride and prejudice : TRAITS. Got via crosses.

59. Fools : DUPES

60. Faulkner's "__ Lay Dying" : AS I

61. Card collection : DECK. Not baseball cards.

63. Car from Trollhättan : SAAB

65. NBC show since 1975 : SNL

69. After-dinner drink letters : VSO

70. Literary fold : DOG EAR. So simple in retrospect.

71. Third of seven: Abbr. : TUES

72. "Fine" holder of fish? : KETTLE. Fun clue.

73. Wharton deg. : MBA

74. Crew member : OAR

75. Kimono closer : OBI. Kimono is so pricey. Lots of girls just wear Yukata. It has OBI also

79. Away from the office : NOT IN

80. In a tough spot : TREED

82. It's a long story : YARN. No SAGA today.

83. South Dakota, to Pierre : ETAT. Good old clue.

84. Pizzazz : DASH

86. Eyeball-bending work : OP ART

88. Drops the ball : ERRS

91. Go (for) : VIE

93. 1999 "A God in Ruins" novelist : URIS. Not familiar with the book.


95. Go around in circles? : EDDY. Another great clue.

96. It's south of Eur. : AFR

97. Small change : PEANUTS

99. Gushes : EFFUSES

100. Standoffish : FRIGID. The "Standoffish" weather here in Minnesota makes me feel tough. Very Fargo-like.

101. Protected, as from prosecution : IMMUNE

102. Put up with : ABIDED. The Hotmail/Outlook rehaul last year is driving me nuts, TTP. They create double space every time I press Enter.  Read here. The glitch has been on for over three years, thought I only encountered this since the rehaul. I'm not sure this happens to every user. I did not notice this problem with Argyle's emails. It's also incredibly slow. I've been using Gmail more and more.
103. Art Deco artist : ERTE

104. Scatterbrained : DITSY

105. Slack-jawed : AGAPE

109. House of Lords member : PEER

111. Balancing pro : CPA. Are you a CPA, D-Otto?

112. Agatha contemporary : ERLE

113. Bounce back : ECHO

114. Nicky of "Boston Public" : KATT. Stranger to me.

115. Jour's opposite : NUIT. Day and night.

116. "Got it" : I SEE

117. Amer. Samoa, e.g. : TERR

119. ISP alternative : DSL. No. ISP offers DSL service.

120. Polo Grounds legend : OTT (Mel).

121. Be-bopper : CAT

122. The Tigers of the SEC : LSU




So what keyboard are you using? We're going to buy a new one soon and I'd like to know your suggestion. Thanks.

Happy Birthday to Patti Varol, Rich's assistant and editor for the Crossword Club. Patti taught me by example on how to make clean puzzles. I'm so grateful for her unfailing patience and attention to details.



C.C.

PS: To those who get the wrong grid today, please click here for the correct puzzle. On the top right, you should see Print or Download button. If you still have trouble, please email me crosswordc@gmail.com, I'll email me the grid. (I've removed the puzzle link. Email me if you need the grid.)

Sep 18, 2016

Sunday, Sept 18, 2016 Paul Coulter

Theme: "Doctor Hoodoo" - An rhyming syllable is added to the last word of each theme entry.
 
23A. Wimpish newspaper writer? : EDITORIAL WIENIE. Editorial we.

36A. Corleone family member providing free downloads? : SONNY AND SHAREWARE. Sonny and Cher. Sonny is the hot-tempered brother killed by the rival mob.

59A. Succeed after leaving the band? : REAP WHAT YOU SOLO. Reap what you sow.
 
87A. Gardening during karate training? : RAKING IN THE DOJO. Raking in the dough.

103A. Old Aspen music maker? : ROCKY MOUNTAIN HI-FI. Rocky Mountain High.

126A. "The comedian just wasn't funny"? : NOT MY CUP OF TE-HEE. Not my cup of tea.

As the title "Doctor Hoodoo" ("Doctor Who") subtly hints, all the last words go through spelling change before the extra syllable is added. The theme really needs an creative mind to make it happen.

I was in a Vietnamese-style mooncake coma and stalled quite a few times in the solving. I thought the extra syllables might spell out something. Asked Argyle, who said he saw nothing special.


Across:

1. Agcy. that does searches : TSA

4. Curry spice : CUMIN. Also the essential seasoning in Xi'an style shish kabob. Lots of hot red peppers too.


9. Letter-moving gp. : USPO

13. Kind of cookie? : SMART. Sweet clue.

18. Song and dance : RIGAMAROLE. Not a word we often see in grids.

21. Auction cry : SOLD

22. Have second thoughts : WAVER

 25. Patsy's "Ab Fab" pal : EDINA. I only know the city Edina here in MN.

26. Divvy up : ALLOT

27. Bourbon and others: Abbr. : STs

28. Small birds with complex songs : WRENS

29. Fit the facts : ADD UP

30. Home on the range : TEEPEE

32. Mine, in Marseilles : A MOI. Alliteration.

34. Winter Palace resident : TSAR

44. Bowlers, e.g. : HATS

48. Biol. or chem. : SCI

49. With 17-Down, warning cry : IT'S A. 17. See 49-Across : TRAP

50. Heather family shrubs : ERICAs. Learning moment for me.

51. Blew it : ERRED

53. Bermuda Triangle locale: Abbr. : ATL

55. Comes down with : GETS

58. "JAG" spin-off : NCIS

64. Katniss' "Hunger Games" ally : PEETA. Another learning moment.

65. South Carolina river : SANTEE. I only know PEE DEE.

66. Foreword : INTRO

67. Closet concern : MOTH

69. Muddy home : STY

70. Game ragout : SALMI.  Never heard of it. Wiki says this: A salmis is a preparation from classical French cooking. When a roast or sautéed piece of meat is sliced and reheated in sauce, the result is a salmis.


72. Fields who founded Mrs. Fields : DEBBI

74. Carpet manufacturers' contraptions : LOOMS

76. It's generally higher on the hwy. : MPG. Also 14. Highway safety org. since 1980 : MADD

78. Fuzz : LINT

80. Bring up : RAISE

82. Vehicle with caterpillar treads : SNO-CAT. Oh, that's interesting trivia.

85. Jays and Rays : ALERS. Every puzzle needs a few glue entries.

90. Jupiter's wife : JUNO

91. Emperor after Claudius : NERO

92. "Your point being ... ?" : SOO. Not AND,

93. Driver's choice : SEDAN

94. Good-for-nothing : OTIOSE. Not a word I use.

96. PGA part: Abbr. : ASSN

100. __ de coeur: pained outburst : CRI

102. Insignificant : MERE. Not PUNY or TINY.

108. Desolate : LORN

109. Hammett hound : ASTA

110. Soft sweater : ANGORA

115. Ocean ring : ATOLL

119. Champagne buckets, e.g. : ICERS. I guess so.

121. Medicinal amt. : TSP

124. "America's Funniest Home Videos" host : SAGET

125. Craze : MANIA

129. Long-distance commuter's community : EXURB

130. Actress Gershon : GINA

131. Capital on the Danube : BRATISLAVA. Slovakia's capital. Great fill.

132. Japanese-American : NISEI. Or ISSEI.

133. Painful rebuke : SLAP. I thought it might be ET TU.

134. Common thing? : SENSE

135. Came upon : MET

Down:

1. Late October option : TREAT. Felt silly not nailing it.

2. Move furtively : SIDLE

3. Quick : AGILE

4. It's driven : CAR

5. "The Haj" novelist : URIS (Leon)

6. Zoo barrier : MOAT

7. "And how!" : I'LL SAY

8. Just out : NEW

9. Log-in requirements : USER IDS

10. Loudness unit : SONE

11. Statue base : PLINTH. Consonants-heavy.

12. Black Sea port : ODESSA

13. One on the stand : SWEARER. Same letter count as WITNESS.
 
15. All fired up : AVID

16. Eye care solution brand : RENU
 
19. Crowning : ATOP

20. Tiny particles : MOTES

24. "Forget it!" : I WON'T

31. Daybreak goddess : EOS

33. Printemps period : MAI. May. Printemps is also a huge department store in Paris. I got this double-layered chiffon top there at the end of last century. Gosh, been so many years. It still fits nicely. The colors probably confuse D-Otto.


35. Chariot-riding god : ARES

37. Sweet Sixteen org. : NCAA

38. Capone colleague : NITTI

39. Starch-producing palm tree : SAGO

40. Press release? : WINE. Great clue.

41. Online security feature : ACCESS CODE. Great fill.

42. "Something to Talk About" singer : RAITT (Bonnie)

43. Bacon serving? : ESSAY. Francis Bacon.

44. Half a matched set : HERs

45. Atlas stat : AREA

46. Like some organisms modified in labs : TRANSGENIC. Got via crosses.

47. Anatomical walls : SEPTA. Plural of septum.

52. Fixates (on) : DWELLS

54. "Casino Royale" Bond girl Vesper __ : LYND. Played by Eva Green. This girl might be Splynter's type.


56. 20th-century blight victim : ELM

57. Item on a belt : TOOL

60. Spherical opening? : HEMI. Not ATMO.

61. "SNL" castmate of Ferrell and Gasteyer : OTERI

62. Name of eight popes : URBAN

63. Pulitzer-winning Ferber novel : SO BIG. Nailed it.

64. Calls : PHONES

68. Baloney, to Brits : TOSH. I thought it's BOSH.

71. As to : IN RE

73. Sister of Osiris : ISIS

75. Data transmitter : MODEM

76. Very important : MAJOR

77. Demotion in 2006 news : PLUTO

79. Bluejacket : TAR.  I did not know "bluejacket" means sailor, Spitzboov!

81. Methuselah's father : ENOCH

83. A bit cracked : AJAR

84. Color quality : TONE

86. Hornswoggle : ROOK.  Is "Hornswoggle" a word you use in your daily life?

88. Zen riddle : KOAN

89. Doughnuts, shapewise : TORI

91. Captain of the Nautilus : NEMO

95. Class guides : SYLLABI

97. Astronomer's aid : STAR MAP

98. Pert : SASSY

99. It might be picked : NIT

101. "__ tree falls ... " : IF A

104. Circular gaskets : O RINGS

105. Straighten out : UNCOIL

106. Simple life some strive to get back to : NATURE. It feels good to be off line one day a week.

107. Tech. schools : INSTs

111. Highlands native : GAEL

112. Early Irish alphabet : OGHAM. Maybe Irish Miss knows. Never heard of it.

113. "Still Me" memoirist : REEVE (Christopher)

114. Bothered big-time : ATE AT

115. "Right on!" : AMEN

116. Curbside call : TAXI

117. Responsibility : ONUS

118. Old Italian capital : LIRE

120. Italian hot spot : ETNA

122. Cross : SPAN

123. Kitties : POTS

127. It has an eye on television : CBS. Simple in retrospect.

128. "Shame on thee!" : FIE. This clue makes me smile.

C.C.