L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Taylor Johnson

Showing posts with label Taylor Johnson. Show all posts

Sep 11, 2024

Wednesday, September 11th, 2024, Taylor Johnson

FOOT PRINT

It is 7D. "fitting" that I be the blogger for September 11th - I was in Long Island, a mere 65 miles from the Word Trade Center during the attacks in 2001. Taylor Johnson, last seen here at the corner with two Saturday themeless grids, has given us a grid with left-right "mirror" symmetry only, and I wonder if it was intentional that there are two "towers" of 10-letter Down fills on each side of the theme reveal. No circles, more four-letter words than TLWs, and a lot of proper names, again. Careful when you put your FOOT down on the themers;

19. *Withings product: BATHROOM SCALE - I did not know what "Withings" was, but the theme reveal helped with the fill - and one item you may NOT care to acknowledge when you "step on it"

Sadly, this is me

22. *Construction toy piece: LEGO BLOCK - I had plenty of Lego growing up - the other item you may NOT care to feel when you "step on it"

YEEEOW~!

25. *Entryway rug: WELCOME MAT - I want this one for my front door

Dare you 'step on it' ~?

28. *One of three under a baby grand: PIANO PEDAL - What the three pedals effect when played

she can walk all over me

37. "Go, go, go!," or an instruction one *may or may not* want to follow for

the answers to the starred clues: STEP ON IT

And Away We Go~!

ACROSS:

1. Swear words: OATH - my favorite is "d#f^j*k$@l&pf%ht"

5. Post-WWII alliance: OAS - Organization of American States - their website

8. Q-tip, e.g.: SWAB

12. Spanish : señora :: German : __: FRAU - When "Frau" appears in a puzzle, I must add this link

Blucher~!

13. Fold animals: SHEEP - not origami-related, had the "P" already, so a WAG on the animal "group"

more animal group names found here

15. Ponytail place: NAPE

16. Small amounts: TADS

17. Concur: AGREE

18. "Who __?": "ELSE~?"

23. Beach bag item: TOWEL - Douglas Adam's explanation on Towels

I have this towel

26. Susan of "The Partridge Family": DEY - name #1

27. Fatty acid, e.g.: LIPID

31. Made to resemble soft leather: SUEDED - check out my latest leather furniture addition

I now own a rocking/swivel/heat & massage RECLINER - It's official: I am "old"

33. "Make kind choices": "BE NICE."

34. Southern city where Cartoon Network has its HQ: ATLanta - name(ish)

35. Go from site to site, say: NET-SURF - web browsing

39. Small batteries: AAs

40. Arena concert genre: ROCK - see 53A.

42. The first "M" of MGM: METRO - Goldwyn - Mayer; name(ish)

43. Latin years: ANNI - plural of anno

44. Fencing blade: FOIL - not ÉPÉE this time

46. Hoops stat: REBound

47. Scent: ODOR

48. "Hand it over!": "GIMME~!"

49. Tavern initials: IPA

50. Construction __: PAPER - used for origami~?

52. Keats piece: ODE - name(ish)

53. Musket attachment: BAYONET - Iron Maiden, arena rockers still going at 50yrs

The Trooper - You'll fire your musket / but I'll run you through

56. Quarterback Manning: ELI - name #2

57. Missing clownfish in a Pixar film: NEMO - name #3

59. Charged toward: RAN AT - see 53A.

60. Some handheld organizers, briefly: PDAs - Public Display of Assistant~?

Bell and WATSON~!

61. Bread served with saag paneer: NAAN

62. "Seven Samurai" and "Rashomon" director Kurosawa: AKIRA - George Lucas drew inspiration for Star Wars from him; his Wiki; name #4

63. Give five stars, say: RATE

64. Referencing: AS TO

65. Fly catchers?: MITTS - baseball reference, fly balls and gloves

66. Fútbol cheers: OLÉs

DOWN:

1. Much more than ne'er: OFT - more often than never

2. Many a Yemeni: ARAB - name(ish)

3. "Voilà!": "ta-DA~!"

4. Picked up the pace: HUSTLED

5. "What a relief!": "OH GOOD~!"

6. Oxygen-dependent organism: AEROBE - ah. a generic organism; good fill

7. Fitting: SEEMLY

8. Attend a movie without a ticket, say: SNEAK IN

9. Fenway's Green Monster, for one: WALL - I drove past the Green Monster last week on my way to doing field work; had to cut a new hatch into a chamber floor for a new set of pipes - here's the organ façade, seen from below

Trinity Church, Boston

10. Basilica area: APSE - speaking of churches....

11. Drone, e.g.: BEE - think "rank"

13. Puppeteer Tony: SARG - Never heard of him, name #5 - his Wiki

14. Mexican money: PESO

20. Hunt of "Twister": HELEN - name #6; I liked her in Mad About You and Cast Away, too

21. Symbol seen on viola sheet music: C CLEF

23. Old Russian leader: TSAR

24. Lacking inspiration: OUT OF IDEAS

29. "Same for me": "I CAN RELATE."

30. From South Asia, perhaps: DESI - I had to look this up - a new definition for me

32. Many a blue state sen.: DEMocrat

33. "Dude!": BRO~!

36. Glaze made with soy sauce and mirin: TERIYAKI -soy I know, and I have bought rice wine to make my General Tso's, did not know it was called "mirin"

38. Murals, park statues, etc.: URBAN ART - I tried ARTWORKS first

41. First name of bassists Gordon and Deal: KIM - Cool clue; Gordon from Sonic Youth, and Deal from the Pixies/Breeder; two other female bass players - Tal Wilkenfeld and Sean Yseult - name(s) #7

43. Poet laureate Limón: ADA - name #8

45. Syr. neighbor: LEBanon - name(ish)

47. Choose: OPT

48. Plannin' to: GONNA

51. Elevates: RISES - meh. rAises sounds better

54. Composer Khachaturian: ARAM - no clue - more here; name #8

55. Car service predictions, for short: ETAs

58. Singer Yoko: ONO - name #9

60. For: PRO

Splynter

Notes from C.C.:

Happy birthday to dear Husker Gary, our creative Saturday guide, and my caring and generous friend. I look at this picture often. It was taken in August 2014 when Gary and his wife Joann visited Minneapolis for a wedding. I'll never forget the first time I heard his voice.

Left to Right: Boomer, Gary, C.C. & Joann

Jun 4, 2024

Tuesday, June 4, 2024 ~ Taylor Johnson

Party On!

Aurora, IL Party Animals

It took me a second for the party-penny to drop but each creature is proceeded by a type of party.

17. Vegetable patch pest: GARDEN SNAIL. Garden Party.

25. Feline who lives indoors: HOUSE CAT. House Party.

37. Workplace companion: OFFICE DOG. Office Party.

52. New York City rodent that went viral in 2015: PIZZA RAT. Pizza Party.

In case you missed the viral video

62. Really fun person, or an apt descriptor of 17-, 25-, 37-, and 52-Across?: PARTY ANIMAL.

My kids loved this book.

Across:
1. Pool or polo: GAME. Pool as in billiards not swimming.

5. Groups of troops: ARMIES.

11. Understood, as a joke: GOT.

14. Persian Gulf country that borders Armenia: IRAN.

15. Noggin: NOODLE. Brain.

16. NPR host Shapiro: ARI. He also plays with Pink Martini.

17. [See: Theme]

19. "Mm-hmm": YEP.

20. Lawyer's org.: ABA. American Bar Association (the antithesis of AA ;-))

21. Unwilling (to): LOATH.

22. Band bookings: GIGS.

23. Native Costa Ricans, informally: TICOS.

25. [See: Theme]

28. Anthem heard in Nova Scotia: O CANADA. (Hi C, Eh!)

31. Olympic gymnast Biles: SIMONE. She grew up in Spring, TX.

And is Amazing!

32. Vanity Fair publisher Condé __: NAST. Publisher of The New Yorker, GQ, Wired, [see: clue], Vogue, etc.

33. Tooth's outer layer: ENAMEL.

36. Neither's partner: NOR.

37. [See: Theme]

40. Cable network with many reruns: TBS. Turner Broadcasting System.

43. "Good enough": IT'LL DO.

44. Job inspection org.: OSHA. Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

48. Baltimore ballplayer: ORIOLE.

You know #8

50. Walked stealthily: SNEAKED.

52. [See: Theme]

55. Mixes: STIRS.

56. School support orgs.: PTAS.

57. Coral producer: POLYP.

60. Combat sport, briefly: MMA. Mixed Martial Arts.

61. Ad-__: improvise: LIB.

Two of the best at Ad-libbing.

62. [See: Theme]

65. Subj. for some new immigrants: ESL. English as a Second Language.

66. Zoo section with birds: AVIARY.

67. Actress Russo: RENE.

68. __/her pronouns: SHE.

69. Prime-time soap opera set in Texas: DALLAS.

70. Commotions: ADOS.

Down:
1. Unit of explosive force: GIGATON. ~50 megatons is biggest nuclear bomb tested; a gigaton is on the order of a mile-wide asteroid's impact.

2. Coffee bean variety: ARABICA. Arabica beans are grown in high-altitudes and have a smoother, sweeter, and more complex flavor than other coffees.

3. Seed-filled percussion pair: MARACAS.

I read these are not found in Spain but in
Mexico / S.A. because of the African slave trade.

4. Stop: END.

5. __ Domini: ANNO.

6. Civil rights activist Parks: ROSA.

7. Calendar viewing option: MONTH.

8. Washington neighbor: IDAHO.

9. Former quarterback Manning: ELI.

10. Salt, in French: SEL.

11. Judy Garland or Cher: GAY ICON.

12. Herb in Italian seasoning: OREGANO.

13. Bettor's adviser: TIPSTER.

18. Anna's sister in "Frozen": ELSA.

22. Precious stone: GEM.

24. Not fooled by: ONTO.

26. Applied to: USED ON.

27. Storage tower: SILO.

29. More adroit: DEFTER. ? I'd say more deft.

30. Deep blue dye: ANIL.

34. Oft-torn knee pt.: ACL. Austin City Limits, er... anterior cruciate ligament.

35. Rx items: MEDS.

38. Seoul-based athleisure brand: FILA.

39. Billy __: GOAT.

40. Brings down: TOPPLES.

41. "The Great __ Baking Show": BRITISH.

42. Quite large: SIZABLE.

45. Read quickly: SKIMMED. Cute - past tense.

46. Spanish brother: HERMANO. Just learned this on Duolingo.

47. Revenue source for magazines: AD SALES.

49. Parts of lbs.: OZS. Pounds / Ounces.

51. "SportsCenter" network: ESPN.

53. Earth Day time: APRIL.

54. Add up to: TOTAL.

58. Harp-shaped constellation: LYRA.

If you say that's a harp, um, OK.

59. Celebratory shouts: YAYS.

62. Cushion: PAD.

63. Filmmaker DuVernay: AVA.

64. Nest egg letters: IRA.

The Grid

The Grid

The WOs, ESPs, etc. will have to wait; I left my original grid at the office.

Cheers, -T

Mar 19, 2024

Tuesday, March 19, 2024 Adrian Johnson & Taylor Johnson

The Screaming Meemies! The word Me is found at the end of one word, and then immediately Repeated again at the beginning of the next word.

17-Across. Permanent patrons: LIFETIME MEMBERS.

23-Across. Line at zero degrees longitude: PRIME MERIDIAN.

44-Across. Drastic actions: EXTREME MEASURES.

And the unifier:

51. "I'll say it again," and what 17-, 23-, and 44-Across literally do?: LET ME REPEAT.

Across:

1. Pose a question: ASK.

4. "__! Humbug!": BAH.

7. Word before brow or blow: LOW.

10. Cal. neighbor: ORE. Oregon is just north of California.

13. 1950s prez: IKE. [Name # 1.] Dwight David Eisenhower (Oct. 14, 1890 ~ Mar. 28, 2969) served as the 34th President of the United States. He served two terms from January 1953 until January 1961.

14. "My mind is blown!": I'M IN AWE.

16. Guinea pig or teacup pig: PET.

20. "Say cheese!": SMILE.

21. In vitro cells: OVA. Today's Latin lesson.

22. Impressive spread: ARRAY.

An Impressive Array of Spices in the Old Market in Jerusalem.

26. Ray gun sound: ZAP.

27. Green vegetable in samosas: PEA. Samosa are fried South Asian pastries with a savory filling, that often includes peas as well as other ingredients, such as spiced potatoes, onions, meat, or fish.

28. Nightclub: CABARET.

32. Uses a buddy system: PAIRS UP.

36. "Beef" Emmy winner Wong: ALI. Ali Wong (née Alexandra Dawn Wong; b. Apr. 19, 1982) has recently become a frequent guest in the puzzles. She is probably best known as being an X-rated stand-up comic. [Name # 2.]

37. Florida home of the Ernest Hemingway House: KEY WEST. You can visit Hemingway's home, complete with his six-toed cats, any day from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. [Name adjacent.]

39. Con's opposite: PRO.

40. Text status: READ.

42. Avocado center: PIT.

43. Iced dessert: CAKE.

49. Hummus ingredient: TAHINI. Tahini is a Middle-Eastern condiment that is made from toasted ground sesame seeds.

50. Entirely: PURELY.

55. Raised, as livestock: BRED.

57. Poker declaration: I CALL.

58. Bits of advice: TIPS.

61. Glissade garb: TUTU.

62. Valparaíso's country: CHILE. Valparaíso is a port city on Chile’s coast. It's known for its steep funiculars and colorful, clifftop homes. It's a 14.5 hour flight from my home.

63. Sandwich cookie: OREO. A crossword staple.

64. Mourn, maybe: WEEP.

65. Shoe bottoms: SOLES.

66. Rip apart: REND.

Down:

1. Isn't 100%: AILS.

2. Pinch pennies: SKIMP.

3. Fermented milk drink: KEFIR. Everything you wanted to know about kefir but didn't know to ask.

4. Evidence of a vampire attack: BITE MARK.

5. French friend: AMI. A French boy friend.

6. Shoutout to a parent: HI, MOM!

7. Quarterback Jackson who was the NFL's MVP in 2019 and 2023: LAMAR. Lamar Demeatrice Jackson Jr. (b. January 7, 1997) plays for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. [Name # 3.]

8. Carry a balance: OWE.

9. Cry at the end of a long road trip: WE MADE IT!

10. "The Phantom of the __": OPERA. The Phantom of the Opera is a 1910 novel by Gaston Leroux (né Gaston Louis Alfred Leroux; May 6, 1868 ~ Apr. 15, 1927). It was later made into a musical.

11. Aired again: RERAN.

12. Crafts website: ETSY.

15. "Scream" star Campbell: NEVE. Neve Adrianne Campbell (b. Oct. 3, 1973) is a Canadian actress best known for her portrayal in horror films. [Name # 4.]

18. Schuyler sister who married Alexander Hamilton: ELIZA. Eliza Schuyler (Aug. 9, 1757 ~ Nov. 9, 1854) married Alexander Hamilton (1750s ~ July 12, 1804) in 1780. He was killed in a duel in his late 40s. She never remarried and lived until age 97. [Name # 5.]

19. Prickly shrub: BRIAR.

24. Fencing blade: ÉPÉE. A crossword staple.

25. Some hoppy brews, briefly: IPAs. This beverage appears often in the puzzles. In fact, I provided the history of the brew just last week.

28. "Insert this" symbol: CARET.

29. Name often said in a smart home: ALEXA. Everything you wanted to know about Amazon Alexa but didn't know to ask. Alexa appeared in yesterday's puzzle, too. [Name adjacent.]

30. Winter Olympian with a rifle: BIATHLETE. A Biathlete competes in a biathlon, which is a winter sport that combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting.

31. Do some screen writing?: TYPE. Cute clue.

32. Tennis great Sampras: PETE. Pete Sampras (b. Aug. 12, 1971) is an American is considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time. [Name #6.]

33. Attachment on the back of a Jeep: SPARE TIRE.

34. "Did I do that?" TV nerd: URKEL. A reference to a 1990s television sit-com. [Name # 7, fictional.]

35. Sonnets, odes, and the like: POESY. The difference between a poem and a poesy.

38. "Buena Vista Social Club" director Wenders: WIM. Wim Wenders (né Ernst Wilhelm Wenders; b. Aug. 14, 1945) is a German filmmaker. Some of his other films include Paris, Texas, which starred Harry Dean Stanton and Nastassja Kinski, and Wings of Desire. [Name # 7.]