google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Robin Stears

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Showing posts with label Robin Stears. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Robin Stears. Show all posts

Feb 4, 2020

Tuesday, February 4, 2020 Robin Stears

I'm so Dizzy with all this Spinning!



17-Across. Line on a Yankee uniform: PINSTRIPE.



27-Across. Youngest "American Idol" winner: JORDIN SPARKS.  I have never watched American Idol, so am not familiar with any winners.  The perps had to help supply most of the letters.  Apparently Jordin Brianna Sparks (b. Dec. 22, 1989) was just 17 years old when she became the American Idol winner.


44-Across. Several characters on TV's "The Americans": RUSSIAN SPIES.


And the Unifier:

60-Across. Washing machine feature shown graphically in this puzzle's circles: SPIN CYCLE.  The word "spin" cycles its letters around in the theme answers.

Across:
1. Madeline of "History of the World, Part I": KAHN.  Madeline Kahn (née Madeline Gail Wolfson; Sept. 29, 1942 ~ Dec. 3, 1999) played the role of Empress Nympho in the 1981 movie, History of the World, Part I.  Sadly, she died of ovarian cancer at age 57.


5. Respectful address to a woman: MA'AM.

9. Declare void: ANNUL.

14. Sailing or whaling: ASEA.

15. Jackson 5 hairdo: AFRO.

16. Golden-egg layer: GOOSE.


19. Lather, __, repeat: RINSE.



20. Have a share (of): PARTAKE.

21. Arachnophobe's worry: SPIDERS.


23. "__ questions?": ANY.

24. Lean (on): RELY.

26. "Gorillas in the Mist" primate: APE.  Gorillas in the Mist is the name of Dian Fosse's autobiography and scientific study of mountain gorillas in the forests of Rwanda.  Sadly, Fosse was murdered in December 1985 at age 53.


32. Skirt fold: PLEAT.

35. Facts and figures: DATA.

36. Square root of IX: III.  Roman math.  The Square Root of 9 is 3.

37. Open and breezy: AIRY.

38. Like babies' knees: PUDGY.  This was my last fill.  Pudgy never even occurred to me.  Do Babies Have Knee Caps?

40. Laugh really hard: HOWL.


41. Rule, briefly: REG.  Short for Regulation.

42. Pueblo-dwelling people: HOPI.  The Hopi Tribe is a sovereign nation primarily in Arizona.

43. Numerical relationship: RATIO.

48. List-ending abbr.: ETC.

49. Throw hard: HURL.

50. Morse code word: DAH.  This is another word for Dash

53. Portable charcoal grill: HIBACHI.  The chefs at Habachi grills in some Japanese restaurants can put on quite a show.

57. How some chew gum: NOISILY.

59. Novelist Wharton: EDITH.  Edith Wharton (née Edith Newbold Jones; Jan. 24, 1862 ~ Aug. 11, 1937) is an American novelist.  She was the first woman author to be awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Literature.  Some of her more well known works include House of MirthThe Age of Innocence and Ethan Frome.  She died of a heart attack at age 75.


62. Free-for-all: MELEE.

63. "The African Queen" screenwriter James: AGEE.  James Rufus Agee (Nov. 27, 1909 ~ May 16, 1955) makes frequent guest appearances in the crossword puzzles.  In 1958, he was awarded posthumously a Pulitizer Prize.  Sadly, he died of a heart attack at age 45.


64. Gas in a sign: NEON.


65. Burpee buy: SEEDS.

66. Hospital section: WARD.


67. "¿Cómo __ usted?": ESTA.  Today's Spanish lesson.


Down:
1. Phi Beta __: KAPPA.  Phi Beta Kappa is the oldest academic honor society in the United States.  It was founded in December 1776.  The name comes from its motto, which translarted from the Greek means "Love of learning is the guide of life".  The phrase in Greek is  a 3 word term:  Φιλοσοφία Βίου Κυβερνήτης.


2. Lai or Thai: ASIAN.

3. Name of eight English kings: HENRY.  //  And 32-Down: Henry VIII's last wife Catherine: PARR.  He is probably best known for his six wives:  (1) Catherine of Aragon (1485 ~ 1536) ~ no son, wife no more; (2) Anne Boelyn (1501 ~ 1536), vague criminal allegations, so cut off her head; (3) Jane Seymour (1508 ~ 1537), births son, then dies; (4) Anne of Cleves (1515 ~ 1557), not a beauty, so off you go; (5) Catherine Howard (1523 ~ 1542), young and beautiful, but fools around, so off with your head; (6) Catherine Parr (1512 ~ 1548), educated and clever, she outlived her king.



4. Condé __: NAST.  Condé Montrose Nast (Mar. 26, 1873 ~ Sept. 19, 1942) was an American business magnate who founded a mass media company.  Many well known and established magazines, such as The New YorkerVogue, and Vanity Fair fall under the Condé Nast umbrella.  Nast the man built up a fortune with his media company, but was nearly destroyed during the Depression.

5. Sharpie, for one: MARKER.

6. Off the beaten path: AFIELD.

7. Dadaist Jean: ARP.  Jean Arp (Sept. 16, 1886 ~ June 7, 1966) makes frequent guest appearances in the crossword puzzles.  He was a French-German sculptor and artist, who sometimes known as Hans Arp.  His mother was French and his father was German.  He was instrumental in the Dada art movement.
Shirt Front and Fork, by Jean Arp

8. "The Simpsons" bar: MOE'S.


9. Marcus __, victorious commander at Actium: AGRIPPA.


10. "I'm drawing a blank": NO IDEA!

11. Zilch: NONE.

12. 44-Across' land: Abbr.: USSR.  As in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

13. Levi's alternatives: LEE'S.  Here's the difference between Levi's versus Lee jeans.  Translation required.



18. Mystic's deck: TAROT.

22. Sickly pale: PASTY.

25. Language that gave us "kvetch": YIDDISH.

27. Gatsby of "The Great Gatsby": JAY.  The Great Gatsby is a 1925 novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald.  It has also been made in to several movies versions.


28. Remind nonstop: NAG.  This clue made no sense to me until the perps finally filled in all the letters.

29. Run amok: RIOT.

30. Fuzzy fruit: KIWI.  Yummers!


31. Fodder holder: SILO.


33. In __ of: substituted for: LIEU.

34. Energy units: ERGS.  Did you known that Ergs are also land formations in the desert.


38. Cook just below a boil: POACH.


39. Network absorbed by The CW: UPN.  The CW Network is a joint venture between the CBS Entertainment Group and WarnerBrothers, hence it's name.  UPN (United Paramount Network) apparently was absorbed by The CW at some point in time. 

40. Possesses: HAS.

42. Bums a ride: HITCHES.

43. Piece from the past: RELIC.

45. On chairs: SEATED.

46. Smaller and weaker: PUNIER.

47. Smoothed out the wrinkles: IRONED.
50. Cuts into cubes: DICES.


51. Portion out: ALLOT.

52. "Laughing" scavenger: HYENA.


53. Garment edges: HEMS.


54. Bordeaux notion: IDEE.  Today's French lesson.

55. Gallbladder fluid: BILE.

56. Part of Caesar's boast: I SAW.

58. Holiday song ender: SYNE.  Just a month or so off for this song.



61. Ryder Cup co-administrating org.: PGA.



Here's the Grid:

QOD:  If you wish to avoid seeing a fool, first break your mirror.  ~  François Rabelais (1483 ~ Apr. 9, 1553), French Renaissance writer

Jan 8, 2020

Wednesday January 8, 2020 Robin Stears

Theme - Letter Openers Redux - or - The First of the Last.  Similar to this recent puzzle we have in each clue fill a name which is a homophone of its initial letter; or, you might say, the name is that letter spelt out.  Back in October, it was done with first names, and this time with last names.

17 A. "Killing Eve" star: SANDRA OH. [b 1971] Winner of many awards.


21 A. Award-winning "A Raisin in the Sun" actress: RUBY DEE. 1922-2014] Actress, poet, screenwriter and civil rights activist.  Also a winner of many awards, she was married to Ossie Davis, and often performed with him.


36 A. "Full Frontal" host: SAMANTHA BEE. [b 1969] Yet another award winner. She was a regular correspondent on The Daily Show for 12 years.


55 A. First chief justice: JOHN JAY. [1745 - 1829]    He was "an American statesman, patriot, diplomat, Founding Father of the United States, abolitionist, negotiator and signatory of the Treaty of Paris of 1783, second Governor of New York, and the first Chief Justice of the United States (1789–1795). He directed U.S. foreign policy for much of the 1780s and was an important leader of the Federalist Party after the ratification of the United States Constitution in 1788." [Wikipedia]

61 A. "Take Good Care of My Baby" singer: BOBBY VEE. Robert Thomas Velline [1943 - 1916] was an American singer, songwriter and musician.  He had 6 gold singles in his career.




Hi Gang, and happy new year.  JazzBumpa here. Not quite on topic - before my sister got married her initials spelt her name - PAT.  It's a red letter day for the famous people featured in our theme. These are my initial thoughts.  Let's see what else is in store.

Across:

1. Clemson's NCAA div.: ACC. Atlantic Coast Conference.

4. Thom of shoes: MCAN.  Brand name and former chain store, founded in 1922.  The brand is now controlled by Sears.

8. Preposterous: ABSURD.  Not to be taken seriosly

14. Mexican Mrs.: SRA.  Abrv. for Señora.

15. "__ that the truth!": AIN'T.  Well, maybe it is and maybe it ain't.

16. Bullpen ace: CLOSER. In baseball, a pitcher brought in to secure a win in the last inning of play.

19. Remote: LONELY.  Far away from everything, as in lonely outpost, frex.

20. Cockpit figure: AVIATOR.  Aircraft pilot.

22. Yin partner: YANG.  Not Andrew.  A cosmic duality, sets of two opposing and complementing principles or cosmic energies that can be observed in nature.


23. It's a long story: SAGA.  Originally a Norse story of heroic achievement.  Now any long and involved story.

25. Legal postponement: STAY.  A court ruling to stop a legal process.  Subsequently, the stay might or might not be lifted.

26. Terrific bargain: STEAL.  Figuratively speaking.

28. West with 21 Grammys: KANYE. [b 1977] American rapper, producer and fashion designer.

31. Sugar suffix: -OSE.  Generic ending for the names of various sugar molecules.  The Latin root means "full of," "given to," or "like."

32. Open __ night: MIC.  A live show in which audience members may participate.  Feel free to display your wisdom or foolishness.

34. Bathtub buildup: SCUM.  This occurs when hard water ions, like calcium or magnesium combine with the soap to make a hard, insoluble substance.

35. Spot for pillow talk: BED.  Or sleeping.  Your choice.

39. 23-campus West Coast ed. system: CSU. The California State University System

41. General Bradley: OMAR.  [1893 - 1981] He graduated from West Point in 1915, along with Dwight David Eisenhower.  In 1941 he became the commander of the United States Army Infantry School.  He saw extensive service during WW II, and was appointed as the first chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1950.

42. Ariz. neighbor: NEVada.  States in the western U.S.

43. Part of MYOB and BYOB: OWN. That which is yours.  Mind it, and bring it.

44. Justice Sotomayor: SONIA.  [b 1954]  You can read about her life and distinguished career here.

46. Big name in whisky: DEWAR.  An award winning brand of  Scotch whisky originally created in 1846, now owned by Bacardi.

50. Wine quality: NOSE. Aroma.

52. Long-running Mark Harmon military drama: NCIS. A police procedural TV drama based on special agents from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.  It has aired for 16 full seasons and gone into syndication.

54. Congregation area: NAVE.  The central part of a church structure, adjacent to the chancel or sanctuary.

58. Made a comeback: RALLIED.  A significant recovery after a period of weakness; said of an ill person, lagging sports team or equities market.

60. Synchronicity: UNISON. Nope.  Synchronicity is the idea of "meaningful coincidence:" that events could be connected by meaning, without a common cause.  This is a paranormal concept; whereas science considers such events to be spurious correlations or mere coincidences, since the concept is neither testable nor falsifiable.



62. Fame: RENOWN.  A wag once said that a celebrity is someone famous for being well know.  It's possible I have this backwards.

63. Luminous glow: AURA.

64. KC-to-NYC dir.: ENEEast by North East - the very antithesis of a 1959 Alfred Hitchcock
thriller.



65. English Channel swimmer: EDERLE. Gertrude [1905 - 2003] accomplished this feat on Aug. 6 1926.  Whereas William the Conqueror sat on the continental side for months in 1066 waiting for a favorable wind.

66. Walk of Fame figure: STAR.  Any old star.

67. CD-__: ROM.  Digital data storage device.

Down:

1. Analyzes for purity: ASSAYS.  Conducts chemical tests for composition and quantity.

2. Decorative neckwear: CRAVAT.  Now a rather non-specific designation for various neck-ties, but originally as pictured.



3. Bloodhound, e.g.: CANINE.  Any old dog.

4. Gas station store: MART.  Convenience store.  I like Wawa.

5. They're often exchanged in Venice: CIAOS.  Word of greeting or parting.

6. Hooded Arctic jacket: ANORAK.  An anorak is typically a waterproof, hooded, pull-over jacket whereas parka is a long weatherproof jacket with a fur-lined hood. Most importantly, a parka is typically longer than an anorak. Moreover, some anoraks have drawstrings at the waist or cuffs whereas parkas do not have drawstrings.  [If you're interested]

7. Unspecified degree: NTH. Unlike B.S. M.S. and Ph. D. which are all specified.

8. Org. with a "Speak Freely" blog: ACLUAmerican Civil Liberties Union.

9. Gooey mass: BLOB.


Or see G.R.R.M.'s story A Song For Lya

10. Some HDTVs: SONYS. popular brand name.

11. Was: USED TO BE.  Formerly

12. Turn loose: RELEASE.  Uncage, untie.

13. Unmoved: DRY EYED.  Not in tears.

18. Portuguese explorer Vasco: DA GAMA.  [ca. 1460's - 1524] Portuguese explorer and the first European to reach india by sea, traveling around the southern coast of Africa. The first such voyage started in 1497.

21. Italian alternative: RANCH. Salad dressings.

24. Stomach-related: GASTRIC. The word traces back to Greek, via modern Latin.

27. Bridal party rides: LIMOS.  Large, luxurious, chauffeur-driven automobiles.


29. Chinese currency: YUAN. Approx. 0.14 U.S. Dollar

30. Insert into an email, as a video: EMBED.  Or into a blog post.

33. Commando garb, for short: CAMO.  Clothing with a combination of colors and patterns typical of camouflage, designed to blend in with surroundings.

36. Pleasant forecast word: SUNSHINE. A cloudless sky.

37. Live-in helper, perhaps: NANNY.  Children's care taker.

38. In equal shares: EVENLY.  It's only fair.

39. Cast a spell, say: CONJURE.  More exactly, call forth a spirit or demon.

40. Passed out: SWOONED. Fainted.

45. Freshen by opening windows: AIR OUT.  Let the stale air escape.

47. Written relinquishing of rights: WAIVER. Officially giving up a right or claim.

48. "Skin Mind Balance" brand: AVEENO.

49. Cash in: REDEEM. As coupons.

51. Former CNN journalist David: ENSOR.  He had a long and distinguished career in journalism and government. [reference]

53. Hummus brand: SABRA.  I have some in the fridge.

56. Lower jaw: JOWL.  The meaty part, not the bone.

57. Pulitzer poet Sexton: ANNE.

59. Letter-shaped brace: L-BAR. For mounting shelves, etc.

61. English lit degrees: BAS. Batchelor of Art.

We've come from the beginning to the end, with more awards and initials along the way.  Hope your initial reactions were favorable.

Cool regards!
JzB




Dec 15, 2019

Sunday December 15, 2019 Robin Stears

Theme: *Black Magic"- Both words in each theme entry can follow "Black".

23. *Landmark near Waikiki: DIAMOND HEAD. Black diamond. Blackhead.

29. *Down time on Wall Street?: BEAR MARKET. Black bear. Black market.

47. *It's larger than a littleneck: CHERRY STONE. Black cherry. Blackstone.

50. *Where land and ocean meet: SEA BOARD. Black Sea. Blackboard.

66. *Cowhide accessory: LEATHER BELT. Black leather. Black belt.

81. *Negative-studier's aid: LIGHT BOX. New phrase to me. Black light. Black box.

83. *Kozy Shack dessert: RICE PUDDING. Black rice. Black pudding.

104. *Fancy decoration particles: GOLD POWDER. Black gold. Black powder.

112. *Former Queens home of the US Open: FOREST HILLS. Black Forest. Black Hills.

I don't often see a title with an asterisk mark. This type of theme often has a reveal.

Don and I did this Black Monday puzzle ages ago. It was a hard work then. I'm just so amazed at the number of entries in Robin's theme.

Across:

1. Pulitzer-winning Ferber novel: SO BIG. 1924 novel.


6. PC key not used by itself: CTRL.

10. "Joy to the World," e.g.: CAROL.

15. Costa del __: SOL.

18. Mocedades song covered by Eydie Gormé as "Touch the Wind": ERES TU. It's You.

20. Riskily off base: AWOL.

21. All-inclusive adjective: EVERY.

22. Peak pique: IRE.

25. Carafe size: LITER.

26. Opposite of trans: CIS. Cisgender. Transgender.

27. Comes down with: GETS.

28. Printer supply: TONER.

31. 67.5 deg.: ENE.

32. Junior: SON.

33. '80s soap rebooted in 2017: DYNASTY. Looks intriguing.


35. __ podrida: Spanish dish: OLLA. Pork and beans.


36. "Sweeney Todd" tool: STROP.

38. Mary __: KAY.

40. One-named Deco artist: ERTE.

41. Sick to the max: ILLEST. Odd form.

43. What prospective borrowers compare: RATES.

45. Discipline with poses: YOGA.

46. 2015 Best Actress Larson: BRIE. "Room". I don't remember the film at all.



54. Cascades peak: SHASTA.

55. Bethesda medical agcy.: NIH.

56. Cut: SEVER.

57. Society page word: NEE.

58. Duck named for the long-feathered part of its anatomy: PINTAIL. Helpful clue.


60. Stand-up quality?: POSTURE. That duck has good posture.

63. "Straight Up" singer: ABDUL (Paula)

65. Bad road condition?: RAGE. Minnesotans are generally polite drivers.

69. One often has ticks: LIST.

70. "Consequently ... ": AND SO.

72. Snuggled, in a way: SPOONED.

73. Broad Eurasian region: SIBERIA. Remember this Siberian family?

75. GATT successor: WTO.

76. Plain __: obvious: TO SEE.

78. Gist: NUB.

80. Recall targets: LEMONS.

86. MTV sci-fi show "__ Flux": AEON.

87. Quick run: DASH.

88. Tough tests: ORALS.

89. 1964 Nobel Prize decliner: SARTRE. Here with Simone de Beauvoir.


92. Tenth: Pref.: DECI.

93. Narc's org.: DEA.

94. Best way to leave the casino: AHEAD. Boomer loves nickel poker.

98. "A Death in the Family" writer: AGEE.

99. Land adjoining a mansion: DEMESNE. New word to me.

101. "Miss Saigon" setting: NAM.

103. TiVo predecessor: VCR.

107. Come to pass: OCCUR.

109. Phony (up): HOKE. Is "hoke up" a common phrase? Never heard of it.

110. The "E" in BCE: ERA.

111. Alaskan native: ALEUT.

114. Not of the cloth: LAY.

115. Victoria, to William IV: NIECE.

116. Computer __: USER. Never used a computer until 1995. How about you?
117. Gets to the bottom of: SOLVES. I just wait for D-Otto.

118. Cry of success: YES.

119. Unloaded?: SOBER.

120. Submerged threat: REEF.

121. Art of verse: POESY.

Down:

1. Papyrus plants, e.g.: SEDGES.


2. Get situated: ORIENT.

3. Jalopy: BEATER.

4. Things to believe in: ISMS.

5. '60s song car with "three deuces and a four-speed and a 389": GTO.

6. "Call Me Irresponsible" lyricist: CAHN (Sammy)

7. Outdoorsy, taste-wise: TWEEDY. Another learning moment for me.

8. Detroit Lions' mascot: ROARY. Big Easy and I used this word in our CHIEF JUSTICE puzzle a few years ago.


9. Honorary degree for attys.: LLD.

10. Sugar Plum Fairy's instrument: CELESTA.


11. Fly: AVIATE.

12. Take another shot: RETRY.

13. City on Utah Lake: OREM.

14. Vega's constellation: LYRA.

15. Tool with a curved blade: SICKLE.

16. Protruding windows: ORIELS.

17. "The Vampire Chronicles" vampire: LESTAT. Tom Cruise.


19. Word that may precede itself: UNTO. Unto itself.

24. Shrek's bestie: DONKEY.

29. River transport: BARGE.

30. Loggers' contest: ROLEO.

32. Peloponnesian War victor: SPARTA.

34. Noble gas: NEON.

37. Electra's brother: ORESTES.

39. PGA part: Abbr.: ASSN.

41. "Dies __": IRAE.

42. Early fall baby's sign: LIBRA.

44. Are losing: TRAIL.

45. Talk Like a Pirate Day refrain: YO HO HO.

46. Cuts at an angle: BEVELS.

47. Red wine: CHIANTI.

48. Sad sack: HANGDOG.

49. Walk quietly: TIPTOE.

50. Desertlike: SERE. Fixture in our old Tribune Media days.

51. Hearth item sometimes called a firedog: ANDIRON.

52. Extending the life of: REUSING.

53. Mouth formations: DELTAS.

54. Urban planner's concern: SPRAWL.

56. Pin in a ring, say: SUBDUE. Verb "pin".

59. Textbook section: LESSON.

61. Six-yr.-term pol: SEN.

62. Ditch: TRENCH.

64. Complexion spoiler: BLEMISH.

67. High point: APEX.

68. Actress Swinton: TILDA. She's in "Burn After Reading".


71. Weasel relative: OTTER.

74. Madhouse: BEDLAM.

77. Shawm descendant: OBOE.

79. Fraternal gp.: BPOE.

82. Despised: HATED.

83. Indy entrant: RACER.

84. Egyptian fertility goddess: ISIS. And 87. Harvest goddess: DEMETER.

85. Voyager 2 destination: URANUS.

89. How Yoda spoke: SAGELY.

90. Trading places?: AGORAE. They wouldn't believe how we shop today.

91. Track events: RELAYS.

92. Figure out: DEDUCE.

93. Formal order: DECREE.

95. Advance in the race?: EVOLVE. Human race.

96. "Supernatural" co-star Jensen __: ACKLES. No idea.


97. Beyond "business casual": DRESSY.

99. Dimwitted "We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story" dinosaur: DWEEB.


100. Rope loop: NOOSE.

102. Liberal __: ARTS.

105. Chef's collection: PANS. Have you tried Tuscan chicken before?


106. Potpourri: OLIO.

108. Random House co-founder: CERF.

109. Hawaii County seat: HILO.

112. Pelt: FUR.

113. Kangaroo move: HOP.