google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Ron and Nancy Byron

Advertisements

Showing posts with label Ron and Nancy Byron. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ron and Nancy Byron. Show all posts

Jul 30, 2010

Friday July 30, 2010 Ron and Nancy Byron

Theme: Brrr! - R is added after B in each two-word B-starting familiar phrase, which then goes through a spelling change, but maintains the same vowel sound.

18A. Short-lived agitation? : BRIEF STEW. The base phrase is beef stew. Long E sound remains the same after the transformation, from EE combination to IE. BEAD/BREAD wouldn't work due to 1) same letter combination; 2) sound change.

24A. Government security for the blind? : BRAILLE BOND. Bail bond. Does Playboy really have a Braille version? Long A sound. With AI combination.

34A. Places to buy orthopedic products? : BRACE STATIONS. Base stations. Dennis said "A base station typically has satellite stations, but it's the hub". Long A sound also. Just letter A. Different from the above AI combination.

50A. Reserved section for an eight-time stolen base champ? : BROCK'S SEATS. Box seats. Hall of Famer Lou Brock. I was unaware of his stolen base record. Short O. Serious changes on this one, including the unexpected X to CK'S transformation.

56A. Place with thugs in tents? : BRUTE CAMP. Boot camp. oo sound.

What other vowel reconstruction can you think of? I came up with long I: Bide Time. Bride Time. But it has a verb phrase to noun phrase change. Not really fit the above before & after both noun phrase pattern. Besides, it has no spelling modification.

A themeless-like 72 words, with the average word length 5.31. By comparison, last Friday's Donna Levin "Hat Pun" has an average length of 4.97. I suppose some of the scrabbly letters (J, Q, V, X & Z) will return tomorrow. None today.

Favorite clue today is IN A SLUMP (38D. Making out too much lately). Making "out" in baseball. I was picturing kissing "make out".

Across:

1. Like volcanoes : CONIC. Are all volcanoes cone-shaped?

6. John follower : ACTS. Bible book after John.

10. IRS workers : AGTS. CPAS popped into my mind first.

14. Item of rodeo gear : RIATA

15. K follower : MART. Thought of LMNO, but then the clue would be plural "K followers". I like the "follower' echo.

16. Qatar University city : DOHA

17. Cold : ALGID. Real word.

20. Blues legend Smith : BESSIE. Wikipedia says she's referred to as "The Empress of the Blues". Stranger to me.

22. Una y __ vez: time and time again : OTRA. Only know it means "other" in Spanish.

23. Alley prowler : TOM. Short for tomcat?

26. Rahm Emanuel's talent agent brother : ARI. The "Entourage" agent Ari Gold is based on him. Minor agent & AGT (10A) duplication.

27. Ballpark fig. : EST (Estimate)

28. Flee : LAM. Yeah, lam can be a verb.

29. Whale's blowhole, e.g. : NOSTRIL. Didn't come to me readily.

31. "I'll have a grande decaf triple vanilla 2% __, please" : LATTE

33. "Earth's Children" series author : AUEL (Jean)

39. Toast opening, across the pond : 'ERE'S. "Here's to...". The H sound is dropped in Cockney dialect. Safe traveling across the pond, Barry G!

40. Bluebirds, to some : OMENS. Omen of what?

41. Stand-up guys? : NO-SHOWS. Was thinking of the stand-up comedian. There should not be a dash between "stand" and "up", even with the question mark, correct?

45. Part of un giorno : ORA. "Hour" in Italy. Giorno = Day. Unknown to me.

46. "Buy __ drink?": bar come-on : ME A

49. Ring stat : TKO

53. Sushi selection : EEL. Yummy!

54. Vintner's prefix : OENO. As in oenophile.

55. American Society of Magazine Editors annual awards : ELLIES. Whom is it named after?

59. Extreme : ULTRA

60. Software test version : BETA

61. "Hooked on Classics" record co. : K-TEL. New to me.

62. Spiteful sort : MEANY. Meanie also.

63. Paradise : EDEN

64. '60s-'70s Japanese leader : SATO (Eisaku). Japan's prime minister from 1964-1972. Nobel Peace Prize winner 1974. I can never remember his name.

65. Jimmies : PRIES

Down:

1. Actor who was a 1932 swimming gold medalist : CRABBE (Buster). Tarzan actor. Another stranger to me.

2. Former Texas team : OILERS. Houston Oilers. Now Tennessee Titans. Who knows? Not I! Don't even watch the Vikings.

3. Pesters : NAGS AT

4. "Who's there?" answer : IT IS I

5. Lincoln rival : CADILLAC. Awesome fill.

6. Dipl. official : AMB (Ambassador)

7. Tree pod also called the locust bean : CAROB. I peeked at the answer sheet.

8. Neptune's largest moon : TRITON. So many moons are named after Greek gods.

9. Canned heat : STERNO. On the buffet table.

10. Some pop-ups : ADS

11. "No time to talk now" : GOTTA RUN. Love this entry.

12. Conjectures : THEORIES. Always use "conjecture" as verb.

13. Board producer : SAWMILL. Fresh entry.

19. They don't last : FADS. Good clue.

21. Make ecstatic : ELATE

25. Initial response team, for short : EMTS

30. New Mexico county or its seat : TAOS

31. Small hair piece : LASH. D'oh, eyelash.

32. DDE's command : ETO (European Theater of Operations)

34. Negotiated : BROKERED

35. Steadfast : RESOLUTE

36. Wildly : AMOK. Run amok.

37. Unlike filibusters : TERSE

39. 1976 raid site : ENTEBBE. A Ugandan city. On Lake Victoria. I've never heard of Operation Entebbe. Educate me, Vidwan!

42. Double-reed instrument : OBOE

43. Ruins : WRECKS

44. Beethoven's "Hammerklavier," e.g. : SONATA. What does "Hammerklavier" mean, Kazie?

46. Tiki cocktail : MAI TAI

47. Endless, in poems : ETERNE. Archaic for "eternal".

48. Tests : ASSAYS

51. Under-the-sink brand : COMET. Scrub cleanser.

52. "Oklahoma!" aunt : ELLER. Aunt Eller. Clear Ayes likes "Oklahoma!". She loves nearly all the musicals.

57. You might get one at the pool : TAN. Can't fool me.

58. Mahmoud Abbas's gp. : PLO (Palestine Liberation Organization). Abbas succeeded Arafat.

Answer grid.

Here is a recent photo of our handsome, witty & caring counselor Lemonade714. I'll continue to show the key blog contributors in the next few Fridays.

C.C.