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Showing posts with label Sunday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sunday. Show all posts

Feb 18, 2018

Sunday Feb 18, 2018 Alan Arbesfeld

Theme: "Political Insiders" - Presidential monogram spans across each theme entry.
 
23A. Kiddie lit hero created by Hans and Margret Rey (#18) : CURIOUS GEORGE. Ulysses S. Grant.

33A. It usually begins "How many (whatever) does it take ... " (#36) : LIGHTBULB JOKE. Lyndon B. Johnson.

51A. Film based on the novel "Shoeless Joe" (#32) : FIELD OF DREAMS. Franklin D. Roosevelt.
 
82A. Arizona tourist attraction (#34) : PAINTED DESERT. Dwight D. Eisenhower.

101A. Athletic retiree? (#37) : UNIFORM NUMBER. Richard Milhous Nixon.

114A. Religious high point? (#33) : CHURCH STEEPLE. Harry S. Truman.

69A. What's hidden in answers with an apt "#" in their clues : PRESIDENTIAL MONOGRAMS

With "apt" in the reveal clue, I thought there's a further layer to the theme. Nope.

We don't see Alan Arbesfeld's byline often here at LAT. He is a very accomplished constructor, with many puzzles published by the NYT and other major venues.

Don't think I've seen a LAT Sunday with only 134 words. 

Across:
     
1. Truckers' competition : ROADEO. Portmanteau of Rodeo and Road.

7. Finish behind : LOSE TO

13. Adenauer sobriquet meaning "the old man" : DER ALTE. We see ALTE more often often.

20. Turns inside out : EVERTS. Not a word I use.

21. Available : ON HAND

22. Dressing choice : ITALIAN. What's your favorite dressing?

25. Sways on a curve : CAREENS

26. Space cadet? : ALIEN. Got via crosses.

27. Suspense novelist Tami : HOAG

28. Fields of comedy : TOTIE

30. '70s-'80s batting instructor Charlie : LAU. Learned from doing crosswords.


31. Must : NEEDS TO

37. "Mi casa __ casa" : ES SU

38. Bk. after Proverbs : ECCL

40. Raise : REAR

41. Winnebago descendants : IOWAS

42. Winter wear : PARKA. Been looking for a light, short and warm jacket in red.

44. Dining __ : CAR

45. "__ to eat and run ... " : I HATE

48. Gain a lap : SIT

54. __ Gimignano: walled Tuscany town : SAN

57. "It's __ wind ... " : AN ILL

59. KOA visitor : RVER

60. Menu option : UNDO

61. Website page : HOME

62. Rhythm rattler : MARACA

64. Longtime rock 'n' roll disc jockey Dan : INGRAM. D-Otto might know him. Not me.


67. "It's suddenly clear" : I SEE NOW

72. 1991 Steve Martin film set in Calif. : L.A. STORY

73. Front line? : ISOBAR

74. Spiced up : ZESTED

75. Big ones are found on Wall Street : EGOS. Why Wall Street?

76. Altar agreements : I DOs

78. Austrian expressionist Schiele : EGON. Another stranger. Here is his self-portrait.


80. Former "60 Minutes" debater __ Alexander : SHANA
  
81. Judge of hoops : REF

86. Dorm room, perhaps : STY

87. Cartoon strip : PANEL

88. Small team : DUO

89. Put a stop to : CEASE

91. Mtge.-offering business : S AND L

94. Mosque leader : IMAM

96. Wine characteristic : BODY

97. Revelations : AHAs

105. Mr. Clean competitor : LESTOIL. Never tried this brand.


107. "M*A*S*H" extra : ROK. Solider of Republic of Korea.

108. Knight clubs : MACES

109. River to the Rhein : AARE

111. "__ woods these are I think I know": Frost : WHOSE

112. Letting it all hang out, theatrically : EMOTING

118. What love and hate share? : SILENT E. Just the last letter of love and hate.

119. "It's My Party" singer Gore : LESLEY

120. Shakespearean attendant : VARLET. I only know VALET.

121. Hybrid with thorns : TEA ROSE. I can smell it. Lovely.


122. Overage : EXCESS

123. Main squeeze : STEADY
 
Down:
 
1. Fix, as a rattan chair : RE-CANE. I'd buy a new chair.

2. Small eggs : OVULES

3. Cliff dwellings : AERIES

4. Ran out, as a supply : DRIED UP

5. Preppy jackets : ETONs

6. The Beavers of the Pac-12 : OSU. Ohio State. Oregon State University. Thanks, Dave.

7. Macy's red star, e.g. : LOGO

8. Low tie : ONE ALL

9. Japanese chess : SHOGI. Sho = General. Gi = Game. So, "General's Game".


10. Hammer site : EAR

11. "Star Trek" spin-off, briefly : TNG. The Next Generation.

12. One-named folk singer : ODETTA

13. Mirabile __: wonderful to say : DICTU. New to me.

14. Amazon business : E-TAIL

15. Cheesy "Welsh" dishes : RAREBITS

16. Brown __ : ALE

17. Stay under the radar : LIE LOW

18. Yankees' pitcher Masahiro : TANAKA. Must be Rich's clue. He's avid Yankees' fan.


19. Happens as a result : ENSUES

24. Stunning surprise : SHOCKER. Caesars Palace now charges a $10 parking fee. Sigh! Used to be fun window-shopping at the Forum.

29. Conan of "Conan" : OBRIEN

32. Garr of "Tootsie" : TERI

34. Tennis great Steffi : GRAF. Great match for Agassi.


35. Group in a drive : HERD

36. Veep between Dick and Mike : JOE (Biden)

39. Friend of Hobbes : CALVIN

43. Gp. created by a 1955 merger : AFL-CIO

44. Welsh herding dogs : CORGIS. Favorite dogs for Queen Elizabeth.

46. Invited to one's place : HAD IN

47. Israeli author who wrote "A Tale of Love and Darkness" : AMOS OZ


48. Array of chocolates, say : SAMPLER

49. Seething : IN A RAGE
 
50. Loses interest in : TIRES OF

52. X-ray examiner, perhaps : DENTIST. Going to see mine next week.

53. Odds and ends : RUMMAGE

54. Many Beethoven pieces : SONATAS

55. "One sec" : A MOMENT

56. Long Island paper : NEWSDAY. They also have crosswords, but not to open submissions, I don't think. Gail is one of the constructors there.

58. Has legs : LASTS

61. Pulitzer journalist Seymour : HERSH. He sure has lots of anonymous sources.



63. "Rocky" role : ADRIAN

65. '90s Indian prime minister : RAO. Nailed it.

66. Planetary reflected-light ratio : ALBEDO. New word to me.

68. Discharges : EGESTS

70. Singer Gorme : EYDIE

71. Pitcher Jesse with a record 1,252 regular-season appearances : OROSCO. He was a Twin.


77. Surfing indoors, say : ONLINE

79. Pine forest floor covering : NEEDLES

82. Trigger was one : PALOMINO. Great fill.

83. Dutch export : EDAM

84. Oversimplify, with "down" : DUMB

85. Funny Martha : RAYE

87. Common attached file : PDF

90. Diner come-on : EAT HERE. Santa loves lo mein and string beans.


91. Most confident : SUREST

92. Breakdown of social norms : ANOMIE

93. Inventor Tesla : NIKOLA

95. Physical strength : MUSCLE

96. Prepares (oneself) for impact : BRACES
 
98. Fanfare : HOOPLA

99. Like supermarkets and stadiums : AISLED. Never used this word form.

100. Cold and wet, maybe : SLEETY

102. Goes on a tirade : RANTS

103. Bobby in a 1971 #1 hit : MCGEE. "Me and Bobby McGee".

104. Country rocker Steve : EARLE

106. Exercise beads? : SWEAT

110. Matthew of "The Americans" : RHYS. Looks who he's dating? Felicity!

113. Thrice, in Rx's : TER. Gluey fill.

115. Bad spell : HEX

116. 2017 Pac-12 champs : USC

117. Sharp products : TVs.. Great clue.
 

Oh, I need to show you this sweet picture again! You'll know who that lucky guy is.



Feb 11, 2018

Sunday February 11, 2018 Ed Sessa

Theme:  "Substitute Measures" - The measure in each theme entry is replaced by its homophone or a sound-like word.

23A. Measly treat for Polly? : GRAM CRACKER. Graham cracker. Polly want a cracker.
 
32A. Work required to raise kids? : FAMILY JOULES. Family jewels.

41A. Advantage in kickboxing? : FEET OF STRENGTH. Feat of strength.

62A. The buying power of cash? : WATTS IN YOUR WALLET. What's in your wallet?

86A. Cub soda? : LITER OF THE PACK. Leader of the pack.

94A. Polished pearls? : GLAZED CARATS. Glazed carrots.

110A. Bad snippets of Miss Muffet's memory? : SPIDER BYTES. Spider bites.

Mr. Ed never disappoints. What a great mix of various measurements.

As I mentioned before, LAT Sundays often have 144 or 142 words. Ed gave us a 140 today.  It's just that hard to reduce 2 or 4 words from a 21*21. You've got to have Ed's Saturday themeless skills to pull off a low count Sunday. Ed is also a fantastic clue writer.

Across:
     
1. Hindu "sir" : BABU. As seen on "Seinfeld". Also 11. Hindu title : SWAMI

5. Beaucoup : A LOT OF. Tiny clue/answer dupe with 80. Lots (of), as cash : A WAD
 
11. Engineer's details : SPECS

16. Shortening letters : ETC. Also 67. "More than I can list" abbr. : ET AL

19. Abba not known for singing : EBAN. Abba Eban, Israel's first UN representative.



20. From the top, to Tiberius : DE NOVO

21. "Yes __": 2008 campaign slogan : WE CAN. Also  60. 2012 presidential candidate : ROMNEY (Mitt)

22. Boomer's kid : XER

25. Marinade used in Spanish cooking : ADOBO. I saw Adobo sauce in Aldi.

26. __-Magnon : CRO

27. Lizard-like amphibian : SALAMANDER. Great fill. We also have 52. Small 27-Acrosses : NEWTS

28. Latin trio word : AMAS

29. Breakers in semis : CBERS

31. Ceremonies : RITES
  
35. Decked out : ADORNED

38. Sextet in the Senate : TERM

39. Levelheaded : SANE

40. Math useful for cooks : RATIOS. I often cook by feel. Chinese cooking is very simple.

47. Fragrant compound : ESTER

48. Ancient jewelry staples : BEADS

49. Be an incredible speaker? : LIE. We also have 53. Snake oil hawker, say : CON MAN

50. President Taft's birthplace : OHIO

51. Not dressed for swimming, generally : SHOD
 
56. Wing : ELL

57. They're heard in herds : MOOS

59. Straight : TRUE

67. Like much folk music : ETHNIC

69. Face or race : MEET


70. Mad king of the stage : LEAR

71. One in a golfer's bag : TEE. Boomer now uses 3-1/4 inches tall tees, Gary/TTP!

72. Certain winner : SHOO IN

74. Some 'Vette roofs : T-TOPS

77. Musical ending : CODA

81. Divided sea : ARAL

83. Crowded-room atmosphere : FUG. Is this word familiar to you? Never heard of it.

84. Longtime name in catalogs : SEARS

85. "The Exorcist" actor Max von __ : SYDOW. Also a stranger to me.


90. Former mid-sized Chevy : LUMINA

91. "A creel of __, all ripples": Sylvia Plath : EELS

92. Fruit pastry : TART

93. Reddened, perhaps : RIPENED. Wish I could live near a persimmon tree again.

99. Barbecue brand : WEBER

100. Popular type : ROMAN. And 108. Popular type : ARIAL

101. Cleanup hitter's stats : RBIs

102. Milk choice : ONE PERCENT

107. Non's opposite : OUI

111. Topper for Rumpole of the Bailey : WIG


112. Thicket of trees : COPSE

113. Persevered in : KEPT AT

114. Traveler from 76-Down : MORK. 76. Home to 114-Across : ORK

115. Sign before Virgo : LEO

116. Lugged : TOTED

117. Treatment for some causes of backache : INSOLE. Boomer's back pain was completely gone after having tart cherry concentrate. Alas, his elbow/shoulder pain persist. Too much bowling.

118. Puts to bed : ENDS

Down:

1. Assumes the point of, as a question : BEGS

2. Start of a magical chant : ABRA

3. Canaanite idol : BAAL

4. Certain singles bar frequenter, in theory : UNMARRIED MAN

5. Spot charges : AD RATES

6. Showed bias : LEANED

7. How many boxed sets are recorded : ON CDS

8. Blackjack table gratuity : TOKE

9. Puts too much in the fishtank : OVER-FEEDS

10. On behalf of : FOR
 
12. Organ part : PEDAL

13. Coral reef, e.g. : ECOSYSTEM. Another sparking fill.

14. Hailed wine? : CAB. OK, Cabernet.

15. Cool, colorful treat : SNO-CONE

16. Reign supreme : EXCEL

17. Land at Orly? : TERRE. Just "land" in French.

18. Dracula repellent : CROSS

24. Key with three flats : C MINOR

28. Shells on Omaha Beach : AMMO

30. Good, in Guadalupe : BUENO

33. Painting and dancing : ARTS

34. Preserves holder : JAR. So what's your favorite peanut butter brand? Here's mine. Chunky.


35. Trojan War god : ARES

36. Mrs. on a spice rack : DASH

37. Germany's von Bismarck : OTTO. D-Otto's wife speaks fluent German. Her mom and brother live in Germany.

38. Suckling's milk source : TEAT

41. How many are chosen? : FEW. But few are chosen.

42. Ground grain : FLOUR

43. Muscle-bone connection : SINEW

44. Belgian treaty city : GHENT

45. 4-point F, for one : TILE

46. Word with Ghost or Grail : HOLY

48. First lady before Mamie : BESS. Truman.

52. Tally-keeping cut : NOTCH

53. Wine label word : CRU

54. City NW of Marseille : ARLES. The cover of my compact mirror

55. Pelican St. acronym : NOLA

58. Mayberry tippler : OTIS

59. Little one : TOT

61. Marvin Gaye classic subtitled "The Ecology" : MERCY MERCY ME. Great 12.

62. Gluten source : WHEAT

63. Texas Hold 'em declaration : I'M OUT

64. Mustang sally? : NEIGH. Googled afterwards. Sally means "outburst" here.

65. Tokyo dough : YEN

66. Hurdle for Hannibal : ALPS

68. Actress Hatcher : TERI

73. Ad-libbed : OFF-SCRIPT

74. Unwraps excitedly : TEARS OPEN

75. Political asset : TACT

78. One-eyed Norse deity : ODIN

79. Ready to eat : DONE
 
82. '90s daytime talk show : LEEZA (Gibbons)


84. Brief quarrel : SPAT

85. Unrivaled : SUPERB

87. Bring to life, in a way : RE-ENACT
 
88. From the past : OLD

89. Ones affected by bad weather, briefly : ETAs
 
90. First word in France's motto : LIBERTE. Liberté, égalité, fraternité.

93. Opposite of pass : REPEAL

94. One might elicit a nervous "Nice dog" : GROWL

95. "Taxi" dispatcher : LOUIE. Now you won't see LOUIE C.K. in crosswords again.

96. La Paz paisano : AMIGO

97. Belittle : ABASE

98. Nettled : RILED

99. Single-minded about : WED TO

103. Little snorts : NIPS

104. Berkshire school : ETON

105. Socially awkward one : NERD. Guess who coined this word? Dr. Seuss.

106. Sounds of disapproval : TSKS

109. Jack, jill or joey : ROO

110. One of a pair on a rack : SKI



Look what I finally found: Picture of Lucina. I think Dave 2 asked for this weeks ago. Lucina was a Sister of the Precious Blood Community.

 Lucy as Novice/ Lucy with Mom and sister Marge

Feb 4, 2018

Sunday Feb 4, 2018 Lee Taylor

Theme: "Right for the Job" - Each phrase is replaced by a sound-like given name & surname combo, corresponding to the job in each clue. 

27A. Aptly named therapist? : OPHELIA PAINE. I feel your pain.

39A. Aptly named dietitian? : EATON WRIGHT. Eating right. Then we have 112. Had a bite : ATE. Tough to spot this type of dupe.

93A. Aptly named easy chair salesman? : RICK KLEINER. Recliner.

108A. Aptly named gardener? : ALONSO GREENE. A lawn so green.

13D. Aptly named editor? : ADELINE MOORE. Add a line more.

24D. Aptly named sommelier? : MERL O'DALEY. Merlot daily.

59D. Aptly named barber? : LES OFFENBACH. Less off in back.

62D. Aptly named policewoman? : LAURA BIDEN. Law abiding. 

This seems to be Lee's LAT debut. Congratulations!

Did you all get the original phrases? Santa helped me get the set, then D-Otto confirmed Santa's answers.

There are eight theme entries, each Across one intersects a Down one. Very nice. This takes luck and skill. 

Across:      

1. Code __ : RED

4. "Rubáiyát" poet : OMAR

8. Regional UN headquarters since 1946 : GENEVA. The big headquarters is New York City. Wiki says the other two regional headquarters are Vienna & Nairobi.

14. Slather : SMEAR

19. Lead-in for carte or mode : A LA

20. "__ la France!" : VIVE

21. Brought up : RAISED

22. Jobs creation : APPLE. Steve Jobs.

23. Australian island state : TASMANIA. Great fill.

25. Mysterious : ARCANE

26. Capricious notions : WHIMS

29. Misfortunes : ILLS

31. Like many a tree at Christmas : LIT

32. __-friendly : USER. You can ask D-Otto anything except sports, he'll give you a very easy to understand answer.  He always gets into the core of things.

33. Self-described "King of All Media" : STERN (Howard)

34. Largest continent : ASIA

35. Frat party wear : TOGA

36. Electric car brand : TESLA. Hey, our Picard and his wife toured the factory.


38. One of the Gershwins : IRA

42. Capital with a Viking Ship Museum : OSLO. Would be a super exciting Super Bowl had our Vikings beat the Eagles.

44. With no exceptions : BAR NONE

46. Sharp : ACUTE

47. Pull a fast one on : HOODWINK. Another sparkling fill.

51. Small test : QUIZ

52. Mangabeys, e.g. : MONKEYS. I did not know the meaning of Mangabey.

54. Thought of but not shared : UNSAID

55. Goes back to the front, perhaps : RE-UPS. Oh the front line.

57. URL ending : ORG

58. King's domain : REALM

59. Ties off in surgery : LIGATES

61. Cats native to much of the Americas : OCELOTS

66. Unit on the set : TAKE. Movie set.

67. Mexican coin : PESO

68. Prominent Dumbo feature : EARS

70. Mine access : ADIT. Looks like this. I learned from doing crosswords.


71. TV's Buffy and Faith, e.g. : SLAYERS

73. Moral consideration : SCRUPLE. Consonant-rich.

77. Set of furniture : SUITE

78. Startling word : BOO

79. Shade-tolerant garden plant : HOSTA

80. Old schoolmaster's disciplinary tool : FERULE. Do you use Ferule or Ferrule?

81. Avoid trespassing on : STAY OFF

85. Turns sharply : ZIGS

86. Bowed, in Basra : SALAAMED. We kowtowed to elders during Spring Festival. Then we got the red pocket with money in.

88. Chocolate source : CACAO

89. Constitution VIPs : FRAMERS

92. Like hands without mittens, maybe : NUMB. In cold winter.

95. Big time : ERA

97. Works with flour : SIFTS

101. Pub pours : ALES

102. Green state? : ENVY. Gimme for regulars.

103. Puzzle part : PIECE. Boomer has tackled a few jigsaw puzzles this winter.

105. Leak : DRIP

106. Hip : MOD

107. Woodcutter Ali : BABA

111. Thorny plant : BRIAR

113. "MASH" director : ALTMAN (Robert). He also directed the movie "A Prairie Home Companion". Big deal for Minnesotans then. How things have changed in a short time.

115. Scotty on the Enterprise, e.g. : ENGINEER

116. Slowly, in music : LENTO

117. Spicy cuisine : CREOLE. Never had Creole food.

118. Kerfuffles : ADOS

119. Rowboat propeller : OAR

120. Brinks : EDGES

121. Many-sided evils : HYDRAS. Many-headed. Also 53. Monstrous Tolkien creations : ORCS

122. Fail miserably : TANK

123. Cook in a wok : FRY. I loved these fried rice balls. Often filled with sweet red adzuki paste or sesame paste. Most of Chinese/Japanese/Koreans desserts contain adzuki paste and sesame paste/seeds.


Down:

1. Snitch on : RAT OUT

2. Tick away : ELAPSE

3. Short races : DASHES

4. __ Office : OVAL

5. Knee revealers, and then some : MINIS

6. Earhart's art : AVIATION

7. Grim character? : REAPER. We've seen this clue before.

8. Tiny amount : GRAIN

9. Bring home : EARN

10. Word on Santa's checklist : NICE. What a blessing to have a Santa on our blog. He now has a new cat called Moaning Myrtle.

Moaning Myrtle
11. Former NHL forward Tikkanen : ESA. Unknown to me. Wiki says he's Finnish.


12. Hunter's meat : VENISON

14. Makes the cut : SAWS. Great clue.

15. Dashboard letters : MPH

16. Afterword : EPILOGUE

17. Supremely powerful : ALMIGHTY

18. Amends, as corporate earnings : RE-STATES

28. __ Spring : ARAB. Now Arab Winter.

30. USA Patriot Act, e.g. : LAW

34. Including everything : A TO Z

35. Check (off) : TICK

37. Take __: enjoy the pool : A SWIM

39. Lose one's temper : ERUPT

40. Ouzo flavoring : ANISE. I gather it tastes similar to star anise? I was surprised to find out that the five-spice powder made in Taiwan does not include Sichuan peppercorn. They have ginger root. I much prefer ours.

41. Mountain chain : RANGE

43. Pot top : LID

45. Greenish blue : AQUA

47. Elicits an "Ouch!" : HURTS

48. "Inside the NBA" analyst : O"NEAL. Shaq.

49. Japanese port : OSAKA

50. Kardashian matriarch : KRIS



56. They may be inflated : EGOS

60. Labor Day mo. : SEPT. Our flea market season here starts around Memorial Days and ends around Labor Day.

63. Loathing : ODIUM

64. Information on a spine : TITLE. And 72. Kindle download : E-BOOK

65. Spirited mount : STEED

67. TA's boss : PROF

69. Word of regret : ALAS

74. Relative of a knock : CHIME

75. "I copy" : ROGER

76. Gorbachev's land: Abbr. : USSR

77. Lines of clothing : SEAMS

80. Winter malady : FLU. So glad I beat it. Now I can eat pickles & Kimchi (mild) again. Both irritated my throat when I coughed.

81. Prepare, as eggs : SCRAMBLE

82. Fitted : TAILORED

83. Agreeing : ACCEDING

84. Himalayan pack animals : YAKS

85. Wacky : ZANY

87. World's largest snake by weight : ANACONDA. Another great fill.

90. Serious competition : RIVALRY

91. To be, in Bavaria : SEIN. Unknown to me.

94. "Glee" actress __ Michele : LEA

96. Move from window to aisle, say : RE-SEAT. Aisle for Boomer.

98. Done with : FREE OF

99. Tone deafness : TIN EAR

100. Boat shoe brand : SPERRY

103. Corn breads : PONES. These look like corn cookies.



104. Goad : EGG ON

107. Warner or Ringling follower : BROS

108. Don Juan's love : AMOR

109. In __ land : LA LA. Hi there, LaLaLinda!

110. Game of world conquest : RISK

114. Williams in Cooperstown : TED


Jan 28, 2018

Sunday January 28, 2018 Matt Skoczen

Theme: "On the Road"- Six different anagrams of GEARS span across each theme entry.

23A. One of three presidents who served in 1881 : JAMES GARFIELD. ESGAR.

35A. It's just outside the Oval Office : ROSE GARDEN. SEGAR.

44A. Kitchen gadget : CHEESE GRATER. SEGRA.

74A. Private company paperwork : STOCKHOLDERS' AGREEMENT. SAGRE,

103. Certain sci-fi superfan : STAR WARS GEEK. ARSGE.

111. "Awesome!" : THAT'S GREAT! SGREA.
  
130A. Unexpectedly changing one's attitude ... and what's literally hidden in six long puzzle answers : SHIFTING GEARS

We often see four-letter anagrams. Five-letter is a little trickier, fortunately the letters here are all relatively common.

Chunky upper right/lower left corners. Those 7*7 are not easy to fill cleanly. Love the lower left corner.

Across:
     
1. Distinguished : ENNOBLED

9. One in on the deal? : CARD. Nice clue.

13. 1984 Martin/Tomlin film : ALL OF ME. Never saw it.


20. Wetsuit substance : NEOPRENE


21. Feng __ : SHUI. Literally "water". Feng = "wind".

22. Causes of tots' tears : BOO BOOs

25. Dignitaries working abroad : CONSULS. You can find US Consulates in five major cities in China.

26. Wife of Wang Lung in "The Good Earth" : O-LAN. Great book about the old village life in China.

27. Joke closing? : STER. Jokester.

28. A fancy one may not include prices : MENU. Tiny dupe with 63. Asian menu assurance : NO MSG. I finally figured out why the Vietnamese carrot and daikon pickles in our local Asian grocery store is so much better than my own, Anon T. They put MSG in theirs.

30. Surprise from a lamp : GENIE

31. 1983 Streisand film : YENTL

33. Scratches (out) : EKES

38. Caveman Alley : OOP

40. Mich. NBA team : DET. Detroit Pistons. Can't be clued as short for detective due to 41. Sam Spade type : TEC

42. Word on a fast food sign : THRU

43. "Billy Budd" captain : VERE. Unknown to me.

50. Subj. for some newcomers : ESL

51. "__ to you, matey!" : 'ERE'S. Gluey.

52. Thumbs-up cry : A-OK. And 84. Thumbs-up cry : YES

53. Biblical name meaning "hairy" : ESAU

54. Cone filler : ICE CREAM. Boomer (diabetic) is happy with the sugar-free ice cream at Walmart.

57. Discipline with poses : YOGA

59. Sagan's sci. : ASTR. Also 114. Suffix from the Greek for "world" : COSM

61. 21st of 24 : PHI

62. Fired up : GUNG-HO. From Chinese "Gong He", literally "working together".

67. It measures rpm : TACH

69. Pennsylvania railroad town : ALTOONA

73. More achy : SORER

79. Some bar food : SUSHI. And 110. 79-Across fish : EEL. Love eel rolls.


80. USA Today owner : GANNETT. I think they once owned our Star Tribune also.

81. Somme spouses: Abbr. : MMEs

82. Move, as artwork : RE-HANG
 
85. "Ozark" actor Morales : ESAI

87. Cartagena cat : GATO

91. Stop one's horse, in England : DRAW REIN. New expression to me.

95. Envelope-pushing : EDGY

97. Half a dance : CHA

98. Passion-ate composer? : BACH. See here. I drew a blank.

102. __ trip : EGO

106. Dos cubed : OCHO. 2/8. Also 71. Uno e due : TRE

107. Pinup's asset : GAMs. We also have 6. Staying power : LEGS

109. Sold-out letters : SRO. Standing Room Only.

117. Role for Dustin : RATSO. "Hey, I'm walking here!"

121. King or queen : TITLE. 11. King or queen : RULER

122. Taunting word usually repeated : NYAH

124. Persian for "king" : SHAH

126. Ostrich cousin : RHEA

127. The Beatles' last studio album : LET IT BE

133. 50-50 shot : EVEN BET

134. Hendryx who was part of the "Lady Marmalade" trio Labelle : NONA


135. Alienate : ESTRANGE

136. Allergy symptom : RED EYES

137. Big refs. : OEDs. Oxford English Dictionary.

138. Aficionados : DEVOTEES

Down:

1. Fancy : ENJOY. Been enjoying this Shea body butter Jim (JimmyB) sent to me. So rich and healing.




2. Author Zora __ Hurston : NEALE

3. "__ is an island": Donne : NO MAN

4. Sandal feature : OPEN TOE

5. Abbr. in home sale ads : BRs
 
7. Related on mom's side : ENATE. Have not seen this fill for a long time.

8. Literature Nobelist Walcott : DEREK. Wiki says he's an "Saint Lucian poet and playwright".


9. "__: Cyber": 2015 spin-off : CSI

10. "May I speak?" : AHEM
 
12. Quick denial : DID NOT

13. Pie equivalent, in a simile : ABC

14. Canterbury commode : LOO

15. Half a strait-laced pair? : LONG A. Oh, two long A sounds in strait-laced.

16. Witness : OBSERVE

17. Stumble, as a horse : FOUNDER. Learning moment for me.

18. "L'ecole des femmes" playwright : MOLIERE

19. Reputed Dead Sea Scrolls transcribers : ESSENES. This has become a gimme.

24. "Band of Gold" singer Payne : FREDA. Never heard of her.


29. Theater work : USHERING

32. Be outscored : LOSE

34. Alien-seeking gp. : SETI

36. Highland tongue : ERSE

37. Solzhenitsyn subject : GULAG

39. Passover : PESACH. Also a new word to me.
 
44. Great Barrier Reef feature : CAY

45. Boo mate? : HOO. Boo hoo.

46. Heart doc's readout : EKG

47. Guzzler on the road : GAS HOG. Great 6-letter fill.

48. Hard thing to get out of : RUT

49. Share on Facebook, as a picture : RE-POST

55. Complete, in law : CHOATE. Lemonade/Hahtoola might know it. Not me.

56. Paris's __ Rodin : MUSEE

58. "Right back __" : AT CHA

60. Curtin castmate : RADNER

64. Masters prog. entrance criterion : GRE

65. Female lobster : HEN

66. Uneaten bit : ORT

68. "There's __ of Hush": Herman's Hermits hit : A KIND

70. They can make things clearer : LENSES
 
72. Philip II's fleet : ARMADA

74. Bygone cartography initials : SSR

75. Third col., usually : TUE. Column.

76. __Kosh B'gosh : OSH

77. Female nonclericals : LAYWOMEN

78. Asylum seeker : EMIGRE

83. Shorthand pioneer : GREGG

86. Stitch : SEW

88. One may be high or low : ACE

89. With 104-Down, what bosses rule : THE. And 104. See 89-Down : ROOST

90. Wood used to age spirits : OAK

92. Preserves thickener : AGAR. Widely used in Asian desserts. Vegetarian gelatin.


93. "__ a date!" : IT'S

94. Buster? : NARC. Bust-er.

96. 1914 battle river : YSER

98. Soft drink manufacturer, e.g. : BOTTLER. We sent to a Pepsi bottler once. Very complicated procedure.

99. Get by effort : ACHIEVE

100. Exchanged texts, say : CHATTED. Such a luxury not to own a smart phone. Or on social media.

101. Emergency phone link : HOTLINE
 
105. Quietly show anger toward : GLARE AT

108. Disagrees : SAYS NO

112. Put on ice : SET BY

113. Sierra Nevada resort : TAHOE

115. Backed (away) : SHIED

116. Parson's place : MANSE

118. __ of Glamis: Macbeth : THANE

119. Worsted variety : SERGE

120. Resting places : OASES

123. Rear : HIND

125. Cable channel for remodelers : HGTV

128. Queen's subject : BEE

129. French connections? : ETs. Just French for "and". Toi et moi.

131. Fourth notes : FAs

132. Miracle-__ : GRO

If you're struggling with cough from the flu, try Robitussin. It finally brought me peace last Wednesday. The Formula 44 did not work at all. Thank God I don't need codeine, Picard/Big Easy!

C.C.


Jan 21, 2018

Sunday Jan 21, 2018 Paul Coulter

Theme: "Bit Parts" - CAMEOS  is orderly added to six movies.

22A. Film about a convict's lame claims of innocence? : JAILHOUSE CROCK. Jailhouse Rock. Elvis movie.

39A. Film about St. Peter's favorite striped stone? : HEAVEN'S AGATE. Heaven's Gate.
 
60A. Film about the last of the old-time schoolteachers? : A FAREWELL TO MARMS. A Farewell to Arms.

70A. Film about dealing with a class of five-year-olds? : KINDERGARTEN COPE. Kindergarten Cop.
 
 91A. Film about yet another complaint? : THE THIRD MOAN. The Third Man.

112A. Film about a devastating blizzard? : APOCALYPSE SNOW. Apocalypse Now (Thanks, Howard!)

I don't get the last one. The key word does not change meaning at all. The S entry is added probably because there are not enough themage. (Updated: I parsed 112A wrong earlier.)

The other five are all nice,  though I did not know COPE can be a noun in 70A. Great selection of movies. Tough job when the movies have to be in order.
  
Across:       

1. Many a reggae musician : RASTA. Their god is JAH.

6. Flavor : SAPOR

11. Involved stories : EPICS. Had SAGAs first.

16. Montezuma's people : AZTECS

18. Books smaller than quartos : OCTAVOS. Two more number-related entries: 15. Sonnet section : SESTET.  6. And 73. The Supreme Court, for one : ENNEAD. 9.

20. Arenas, say : VENUES

24. Play the market : INVEST. Hope you don't own GE.

25. European skyline sight : ALP

26. __ Marbles: historic sculptures : ELGIN

27. Longtime film critic for The New Yorker : KAEL (Pauline)


29. "¿Cómo __ usted?" : ESTA

30. Pays attention to : HEEDS

32. Chow line? : LEASH. Great clue.

35. P&L report column : YTD

36. High hat : MITER

37. "__ was saying ... " : AS I

38. Go public with : AIR

42. Wildebeests : GNUS. Look at his face. It's like having a charcoal face mask on.




44. Barrel-bottom stuff : LEES

45. Cookie baking session output : BATCH. I don't bake cookies. I buy these Daifuku for treat.



46. Put to the test : TRIED

48. K-12 : EL-HI. Sad to see it's back.

49. River to the North Sea : YSER

50. Stage hog : HAM

53. Lady of León : SENORA

55. Duck : EVADE

57. Inherent character : NATURE

59. Back muscle, familiarly : LAT

64. First husband of Bathsheba : URIAH. Her second husband was King David.

67. Bar stock : ICE

68. Aurora's Greek counterpart : EOS

69. Leftover : EXTRA

76. Arles article : LES

77. Form of aphasia involving the inability to name objects : ANOMIA. Oh, I might have it. I just say "that thing in our junk drawer..." to Boomer.

78. Loi maker : SENAT. French "senate".

79. Hot spots : STOVES

82. "Do the Right Thing" pizzeria owner : SAL

83. Disco family name : GIBB

86. Cherbourg cherub : ANGE. French for "angel".

87. It usually involves a getaway car : HEIST

88. Plump Capp critter : SHMOO


89. "Beowulf" beverage : MEAD

90. "Well done!" : GOOD

95. __ Colinas: upscale neighborhood in Irving, Texas : LAS. Unknown to me. Wiki says it's located  between Dallas and Fort Worth. Must your EDINA, D-Otto/AnonT.

96. Diminish : EBB

99. Rival of Paris : ROMEO

100. Marshal at Waterloo : NEY. Our old pal.

101. Cause harm : DO ILL

103. Studied, with "over" : PORED

105. "Sounds like fun to me!" : I'M IN

106. Utah lily : SEGO

107. Metaphor for opportunities : DOORS

109. Pie in the sky? : UFO

110. Jaguar, e.g. : BIG CAT

117. À la King : EERILY. Stephen King.

118. Calmed down : SEDATED. Boomer just got me Vicks Formula 44. The dry cough just won't leave me. Thankfully no more fever/shivering.


119. Stylish filmmaker : AUTEUR. The likes of Hitchcock, Quentin Tarantino, etc.

120. Chill : RELAX

121. Runoff collector : SEWER

122. Commuter's read : DAILY

Down:  

1. Indian prince : RAJAH

2. Georgia's state wildflower : AZALEA. The Masters.

3. Mushroom stems : STIPES. Another learning moment for me.


4. Bus. card info : TEL

5. Yearns : ACHES

6. Extended operatic solo : SCENA

7. PDX tower group : ATC. OK, PDX is the code for Portland International Airport.

8. Most golfers never break it : PAR. For the round, right? Most golfers can make a par on a Par 3.

9. Ab __: from the start : OVO

10. 1990 Stallone flick with the tagline "Go For It" : ROCKY V

11. Bad to the bone : EVIL

12. Stock holder : PEN

13. Protest bitterly (against) : INVEIGH

14. Hill with one steep side : CUESTA. Good to learn.




17. One before la : SOL

18. Basket material : OSIER. See here.



19. Achieve with minimal effort : SKATE BY

21. Impolite look : STARE

23. Hybrid fruits : UGLIs

28. Author Ferber et al. : EDNAs

31. Make a stand : DIG IN. I don't get how these two are equivalents.

33. Put on hold : SHELVE

34. Variety show set in Kornfield Kounty : HEE HAW. We see HEE alone often.


36. Fabric beltmaker's technique : MACRAME

38. Lindley of "Three's Company" : AUDRA. Another stranger to me.



40. Line to the audience : ASIDE

41. Gregg user : STENO

43. "The Matrix" hero : NEO

44. Some wolves : LEERERS

46. Catherine the Great, e.g. : TSARINA

47. Vitamin A form : RETINOL. Important additive in eye creams.


50. Moves speedily : HURTLES

51. One often shared in flight : ARMREST

52. Flat-topped lands : MESAS

54. "I don't give __" : A FIG

56. In : ELECTED

58. Duty : TAX

59. "Witness" actor Haas : LUKAS

61. Obamacare, briefly : ACA. Sure wish I still had my pre-ACA plan. It's 1/3 of what I'm paying now.

62. John, to Ringo : LOO

63. Recipe amts. : TSPs

65. Gen.'s counterpart : ADM

66. Fictional miners' work song : HEIGH HO

71. "Spider-Man" director : RAIMI (Sam)

72. Latin lover's line : TE AMO

74. Where Tara Lipinski won her Olympics gold medal at age 15 : NAGANO

75. Community character : ETHOS

80. War on Poverty agcy. : OEO (Office of Economic Opportunity)

81. Hulu offering : VIDEO

84. Carried : BORNE

85. Spanish convenience stores : BODEGAS. Great fill.

88. Lettering guide : STENCIL

90. Lively country dance : GALOP

91. Extended family : TRIBE. Have any of you tried that those ancestry DNA tests? So glad I don't need one.

92. More cozy : HOMIER

93. Political fugitive : EMIGRE

94. Mr. Magoo et al. : MYOPES

95. Bridges in movies : LLOYD

97. Sultanate on the South China Sea : BRUNEI. Surrounded by Malaysia.


98. Make dirty : BEFOUL

102. One in an airport taxi line, for the most part : IDLER

103. False: Pref. : PSEUD

104. Bridal estate : DOWRY. This looks like my mom's dowry chest. Traditional Chinese dowries often include pretty bed sheets, blankets, new clothing for the bride, etc. My mom later put our rationed sugar in this chest, fearing my brother and I would steal the sugar. The chest was locked of course. The sugar was only used for desserts during Chinese Spring Festival.


106. "Come Sail Away" band : STYX

108. ANC country : RSA

111. Mobile home: Abbr. : ALA

113. "__ to Billie Joe" : ODE

114. Cry near the ears : CAW

115. Broke bread : ATE

116. B&O stop : STA

Happy birthday to dear Madame DeFarge, who turns 70 years old today. She looks young. Hope you guys can have another get-together this year with TTP, the mysterious problem solver of our blog.

Madame DeFarge and Abejo, Nov 15, 2017
Today we also celebrate the 10th birthday of our blog! I'm amazed by the journey we've taken together. A huge "Thank you" to Argyle, Melissa, Ron, Steve, Lemonade and Gary, who tirelessly guide us week in and week out. I'm also grateful for all our regulars, you guys make this blog what it is today.

Thank you!

C.C.