L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Saturday

Showing posts with label Saturday. Show all posts

Apr 6, 2024

Saturday, April 6, 2024, Zhouqin Burnikel

Saturday Themeless by Zhouqin Burnikel

Zhouqin Burnikel- I got permission from

C.C.to use this bio and picture of our lovely ring mistress that was printed in the program for the 2018 ACPT Competition: Zhoquin grew up in Xi'an, China, and moved to Minnesota in 2001. She started making crosswords in 2010, partly as a way to learn English, and was mentored by veteran constructor Don Gagliardo. Together they have made over 100 puzzles for various publications. Zhouqin created the L.A. Times Crossword Corner blog in 2008. The name Zhouqin comes from the first two great dynasties that ruled ancient Xi’an — the Zhou and the Qin. It is pronounced something like “ZHOH-chin.”

Across:

1. Squad whose Double-A affiliate is the Rumble Ponies: METS - A baseball lead off by C.C.!

5. Like black vinegar: AGED - This is a ten-year old bottle. C.C. says traditional Chinese vinegars are aged 6 - 10 years.

9. Bit of shut eye?: BLINK 😀

14. Rink leap: AXEL - How 'bout a triple?

15. __-free: DUTY.

16. Shoyu dish: RAMEN Recipe

17. "Don't move": STAY WHERE YOU ARE.

20. Part that has a radius but no diameter: ARM - The radius joins the wrist on the thumb side of your hand.

21. Item that may wind up in a backyard: HOSE - Oh, that use of the phrase "wind up"!

22. Program-terminating command: END NOW.

23. Feature: ASPECT.

25. Seattle hrs.: PST.

26. Political network: C-SPAN - Is there a non-political one?

27. Media company that claims to be the largest producer of Spanish-language content: TELEVISA.

32. Hiding place: LAIR.

33. Chorizo, por ejemplo: CARNE - Meat. Ten things about Chorizo

35. Agnes, in Spain: INES.

36. Italian bread: EURO - Money not a bakery product

37. Deal-maker: AGENT - AGENT Scott Boras has negotiated record $1.217 billion worth of contracts this winter. That’s about $121 million for Boras to keep for himself this winter. Team owners don't like to see him walk in the door.

38. "This can't be happening!": OH NO.

39. Ingredient in some exfoliators: ACID - Contains Salicylic Acid, Exfoliating Body Lactic Acid and Hyaluronic Niacinamide

40. Tree huggers?: VINES.

41. Deal that generates interest: LOAN

42. Investor's concern: NET YIELD - e.g. (exempli gratia - more Latin)

44. Photo finish: MATTE.

45. Boo: BAE - Really?

46. "I want no part of this!": WHO'S WE.

48. Pastry choice: ECLAIR.

52. Fisher of "Shameless": NOEL - Saturday cluing

53. TripTik org.: AAA.

55. Sighed line: THAT'S THE WAY IT IS - C'mon, you thought of him too from back when TV News mostly hid their political views.

58. Poet on some 36-Across coins: DANTE.

59. 57-Down, for one: BEER and 57. Dogfish Head's Notorious H.O.P., for one: IPA.

60. Treat for one's dogs?: PEDI - These dogs are slang for feet

61. Symptoms: SIGNS.

62. Casino figures: ODDS.

63. Side by side?: AREA 😀 Length x Width = AREA

Down:

1. Atole ingredient: MASA - Atole: In Mexico, it is a drink typically includes MASA (corn hominy flour), water, piloncillo (unrefined cane sugar), cinnamon, vanilla, and optional chocolate or fruit.

2. Trattoria request: EXTRA SAUCE - What is a trattoria? and 18. "That's enough": WHEN.

3. Rah-rah feeling: TEAM SPIRIT.

4. Cute: SLY.

5. Not permanent: AD HOC.

6. Not permanent: GUEST.

7. Infinitive of suis, sommes, etc.: ETRE.

8. Go green, say: DYE - The Chicago River on March 17

9. "The Tenant of Wildfell Hall" novelist: BRONTE - A first edition that uses Anne Bronte's pseudonym of Acton Bell.

10. Talk up: LAUD.

11. Vellani of "The Marvels": IMAN.

12. Successor to Claudius: NERO - Did he fiddle while Rome burned? Tacitus suspends judgment on Nero's responsibility for the fire; he found that Nero was in Antium when the fire started, and returned to Rome to organize a relief effort, providing for the removal of bodies and debris, which he paid for from his own funds. After the fire, Nero opened his palaces to provide shelter for the homeless, and arranged for food supplies to be delivered in order to prevent starvation among the survivors.

13. Was certain of: KNEW.

19. "We totally should!": YES LET'S.

24. Send-up: PARODY - Weird Al leaped to my mind

25. Rasta pasta pasta: PENNE.

26. Washed up: CLEAN - Dishwasher indicator

27. Influencer's concern: TREND - These are expert influencers who live on any new TREND

28. Trio in Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 3: VIOLAS - As a full service blogger, I will link to some of that

29. Facing trouble: IN HOT WATER.

30. One who may face an up-Hill climb: SENATE AIDE 😀 - Oh, going up the capitol hill!

31. In lockstep: AS ONE - Certainly the U.S.M.C. Silent Drill Platoon does just that.

33. Writing on the wall?: CAVE ART - This wonderful example of 17,000 year old CAVE ART is in the Lascaux Cave in south central France. It is no longer open to public tours.

34. Able to do splits, say: AGILE.

43. Birds that often nest with spoonbills: IBISES.

44. "Holy __!": MOLY.

46. Blown away: WOWED.

47. Picks up: HEARS - My kids loved using this parabolic reflector

48. Gate stats: ETDS - Airport gates

49. Masala __: CHAI - Masala chai is a popular beverage throughout South Asia, originating in the early modern Indian subcontinent. Chai is made by brewing black tea in milk and water and then sweetening with sugar. Adding aromatic herbs and spices creates chai, although chai is often prepared unspiced. You're welcome.

50. "Constant Craving" singer: LANG.

51. Routing abbr.: ATTN.

52. Not just want: NEED - Teams that NEED a QB in this year's draft.

54. Continent with nine island nations: ASIA - The Island Nations of ASIA are: The Philippines, Sri Lanka, The Maldives, Japan, Singapore, Indonesia, East Timor, Taiwan and Brunei.

56. "True Detective" network: HBO.

Notes from C.C.:

Our Thursday Sherpa waseeley (William Seeley) and I made today's USA Today puzzle. It's edited by Jared Goudsmit. Click here to solve. Congrats on your worldwide puzzle debut, Bill!

Mar 30, 2024

Saturday, March 30, 2024, Jacob McDermott

Saturday Themeless by Jacob McDermott

This a debut LA puzzle for Jacob and I was able to get through his 68-word construction in a very good time.

There were a few sticking points but, as usually happens on Saturdays, the long fills became obvious and allowed me to roll on to a satisfying conclusion. Even his very contemporary references fell with relative ease.

Across:

1. Game that's somewhat pointless?: SHUTOUT - Don Larsen's 1956 World Series perfect game SHUT OUT against the Dodgers is probably the most famous one of all. Other than that game he was only a journeyman pitcher at best but he did have his day in the sun.

8. Spanish language apps: TAPAS - Appetizers

13. Casserole nugget: TATER TOT.

15. Brightness: SMARTS 😀

17. Self-made person?: ALTER EGO - $4,500 will buy you a first edition of the most famous one in literature.

18. Like some barbecue: KOREAN - This one is in Houston.

19. Dale: GLEN.

20. Competed like Kobayashi: ATE - At a July 4th eating competition.

22. Dealt with: SAW TO.

23. Colorful wrap: SERAPE - Clint bought this himself and took it with him where he made the American western trilogy in Spain with an Italian director.

26. "The Hurting Kind" poet Limón: ADA.

28. Couple of bucks: DEER and 1. Couple of bucks: STAGS.

29. Loaded: ROLLING IN IT 😀

32. "No joke!": HONEST TO GOD.

33. Drain: SAP.

34. Texter's "Success!": FTW - Where I learned the phrase, "I'll take Totie Fields For The Win." These days it's more likely to be said after the victory.

35. Pro certified in BLS: EMT - An EMT can give CPR as a part of BLS

36. Really bad situation: DIRE STRAITS.

39. Home of Fangorn Forest and the Misty Mountains: MIDDLE EARTH - From Lord Of The Rings

40. "__ plaisir!": AVEC - With pleasure in Français

41. First name in rational egoism: AYN - Wanna know more?

42. Lineup at a charging station: TESLAS.

47. Where workers cut the mustard?: DELIS 😀

49. Shakshouka ingredient: EGG - I first saw shakshouka in a Stella Zawistowski puzzle I blogged four years ago.

51. Storm antecedent, perhaps: CALM.

52. Tolerates: ABIDES - I have trouble ABIDING obscure names crossing each other in a puzzle, but I soldier on.

54. Teen drama starring Zendaya: EUPHORIA.

57. 1977 Travolta role: MANERO - John lost 20 lbs to play Tony MANERO

58. Home inspection concern: RADON GAS - Here ya go

59. Showed again: RERAN - This is show is credited with being first to do this during the time Lucy was pregnant.

60. "Feel me?": CAPEESH - The Americanization of the Italian phrase.

Down:

2. "Ungodly Hour" R&B duo Chloe x __: HALLE - More info on this sister act

3. Unqualified: UTTER.

4. Singer __ Marie: TEENA.

5. Bobby in an iconic Stanley Cup Final photo: ORR - that led to this statue in Boston

6. Four Corners Native: UTE.

7. Pilate's wear: TOGA - Not what you wear to a pilate's class. 😀

Pilate, "Ecce Homo"

8. Verbal headshake: TSK.

9. Famous name in cookies: AMOS.

10. Models: PARADIGMS - I have seen many PARADIGM shifts in education over my many decades of teaching. Some were useful and some were failures.

11. "Right?": ARE WE NOT- ARE WE NOT crossword fans?

12. Card handed to a TSA agent: STATE ID.

14. Rando: TOTAL STRANGER - Jay Leno's hilarious encounters with rando(m) strangers.

16. Quick drink: SNORT.

21. Wikipedia tussle: EDIT WAR.

24. Set in motion: PROPEL.

25. Unit of time often used hyperbolically: EON.

27. Pangolin snack: ANT - Two pangolins at a buffet

30. T-Boz and Chilli bandmate: LEFT EYE - If you're a fan, you know who's who

31. "Faust" dramatist: GOETHE - A first edition for $7,500

32. Apple press release?: HARD CIDER 😀

33. Bench: SIDELINE - Some players can be SIDELINED by an injury which will put them on the bench

36. Source of cheap shots?: DIVE BAR - Happy Bottom Riding Club was a DIVE BAR near Edwards Air Force Base where lots of early test pilots, including Chuck Yeager, hung out. It was featured in the movie The Right Stuff