Sunday September 24, 2023 Tracy Gray

Theme: "Exchanging Words" - One word in each common phrase is replaced by X.

21. Big name in health insurance associations: BLUE X BLUE SHIELD. Blue Cross Blue Shield.

35. Quaint emporium: FIVE AND X CENT STORE. Five-and-ten-cent store.

47. Preschool activity with crayons: COLOR X NUMBER. Color by number.

67. Go it alone: X OUT ON ONE'S OWN. Strike out on one's own.

87. Hopeful expression after two failures: THIRD X A CHARM. Third time's a charm.

96. Tony Award-winning musical based on a Manuel Puig novel: X OF THE SPIDER WOMAN. Kiss of the Spider Woman.

116. Irving Stone novel about Michelangelo: THE AGONY AND THE X.  The Agony and the Ecstasy.

We've had a few puzzles in which X has different meanings. I don't recall such a replacement approach.

Hard to believe, but this is Tracy's first LAT Sunday. She's a veteran constructor known for her creative themes. 

Low-word count. Only 138 entries. Our average is between 142 and 144.

 

Across:

1. Beach community near Tourmaline Surfing Park: LA JOLLA.

8. Bear claw or beaver tail: PASTRY. Unfamiliar with beaver tail. 

14. Hunk of granite: SLAB.

18. Seething: AT A BOIL.

19. Former first lady, familiarly: JACKIE O. Often see musty Life & Look magazines at our local flea market. So many articles about her.

20. Room: SPACE.

23. Foam art medium: LATTE.

24. Lacking: SANS.

25. Like many Etsy shops: ARTSY.

26. "Don't change a thing!": I ADORE IT.

28. Mirror fogger: STEAM.

31. Old Pontiac muscle car: GTO.

32. Long time: EON.

34. Tabloid twosome: ITEM.

41. "The Voice" coach Gwen: STEFANI. No Doubt.

45. Measles symptom: RED DOT.

46. Pop star: IDOL.

51. Bogus: NOT REAL.

53. Big exporter of saffron: IRAN. Vidwan probably has this from time to time.

54. Tart-tasting fruit: SLOE.

55. Firewood protector: TARP.

58. Nintendo princess: ZELDA.

59. Sheet type: FITTED.

62. Mmes., in Mérida: SRAS.

64. Electronic control mechanisms, briefly: SERVOS. Learning moment for me.

66. Base for some sashimi: ICE.

 

70. Actress Vardalos: NIA.

73. Squanders: WASTES.

74. Entwined: WOVE.

75. Line that intersects a circle in two places: SECANT.

77. Three-dimensional: CUBIC.

80. 61-Down follower: TRES. 61. 80-Across preceder: DOS.

82. Belgian surrealist Magritte: RENE.

84. "Hold __ your hat!": ON TO.

85. Like pedi-showing shoes: OPEN TOE.

91. Lemon drinks: ADES.

92. European capital known as the "City of a Hundred Spires": PRAGUE.

95. Melodic passages: ARIOSOS.

101. Like the Atacama Desert: ARID.

102. __ port in a storm: ANY.

103. Mork's planet: ORK.

104. Software test versions: BETAS.

108. "__ Files": long-running true-crime series: FORENSIC.

111. Structural girder: I BEAM. And 115. WWII sub: U BOAT.

113. __ snuff: UP TO.

121. Where Ducks and Penguins play?: RINKS. Great clue.

122. Diehards: ZEALOTS.

123. Same old same old: ROUTINE.

124. Garlands of okika or pikake: LEIS. Did you know that the plural of lei is still lei in Hawaiian language?

125. Star-shaped bloomers: ASTERS.

126. Prodded: EGGED ON.

Down:

1. Culture centers?: LABS. Nice clue also.

2. Book replaced by GPS: ATLAS.

3. Short excursion: JAUNT.

4. Like Nero Wolfe: OBESE.

5. Cured salmon: LOX. Also 76. Silver salmon: COHO. 

6. Ad follower: LIB.

7. Penne __ vodka: ALLA.

8. Turn down: PASS ON.

9. Heading for the whirlpool, say: ACHY.

10. Enjoy Stowe: SKI.

11. Knotted accessory: TIE.

12. Repaired, as car brakes: RE-LINED.

13. Jedi who said, "Always in motion is the future": YODA.

14. Extras in trunks: SPARE TIRES. And 15. Newer, as an automobile: LATE MODEL. 19. Passat alternative: JETTA. 65. 19-Down and others, briefly: VWS.

16. When Alexander meets Eliza, in "Hamilton": ACT I.

17. Borscht base: BEET.

20. Roulette wheel components: SLOTS.

22. Craving: URGE.

27. "Same for me!": DITTO.

29. Many miles off: AFAR.

30. Cable series about an erotic magazine for women: MINX. Unknown to me.

32. Put forth, as energy: EXERT.

33. Med. condition portrayed on "Monk": OCD.

36. French wines: VINS.

37. Beats by __: DRE.

38. Amateur: NON-PRO.

39. Map line: ROAD.

40. Spanish "she": ELLA.

41. Hugo Award genre: SCI-FI.

42. Cheerio-shaped: TORIC.

43. Make happy: ELATE.

44. Arial, for one: FONT.

48. Belfast's province: ULSTER.

49. Despondent: MOROSE.

50. "Ivy and __": kid-lit series by Annie Barrows: BEAN.

52. Breakout area, to dermatologists: T ZONE. Real thing, guys.

56. "Yours" alternative: AS EVER.

57. Deal with an email error message, maybe: RESEND.

60. On the money: EXACT.

63. Farm noun or verb: SOW.

68. Speaks: UTTERS.

69. Onigiri wrapper: NORI. Cute.

70. Grannies: NANAS.

71. Prologue: INTRO.

72. Bohr model subjects: ATOMS.

73. Series of successes: WIN STREAKS. And 79. Chef Boyardee concoction: BEEFARONI. Nice stack here.

77. Cable cable, familiarly: COAX.

78. Off-the-neck hairstyle: UP DO.

81. Prepare for an 83-Down, say: STUDY. 83. Apt rhyme for "cram": EXAM.

86. Slanted columns: OP-EDS.

88. Laugh half: HEE.

89. Many a Saudi native: ARAB.

90. French film: CINE.

93. Southwestern people: APACHES.

94. Negroni need: GIN.

97. Help for those at sea: HINTS.

98. Many "Westworld" characters: ROBOTS.

99. Builders of dome-shaped nests: WRENS.

100. "Works for me!": OKAY.

105. Mozart's "Così fan __": TUTTE.

106. Peony pest: APHID.

107. __ pad: STENO.

108. Roll up: FURL.

109. Stage honor: OBIE.

110. Chichén __: pyramid site: ITZA.

111. Grammy-winning album for Tyler, the Creator: IGOR.

112. Female horse: MARE. And 114. Yoked bovines: OXEN.

117. Scarf down: EAT. Plenty of food and drinks in this grid.

118. Hoppy quaff: ALE. And 119. Eggy quaff: NOG.

120. Sought buried treasure, perhaps: DUG.

C.C.

Wednesday June 29, 2022 Tracy Gray

 Theme: "Spa Menu" 

Tracy Gray is no stranger to the crosswording world. Her puzzles have appeared frequently in "that other newspaper." But, as near as I can tell, this is only her second LAT entry. The first was a 2021 collaboration with Jeff Chen. For those of you who've been asking for fewer proper names, fewer pop culture references, and fewer "cute" clue/answers, today is your day. The majority of this puzzle consists of straight-forward clue definitions/synonyms. Enjoy. I finished this puzzle and had no idea what the theme might be. Wednesday themeless? Probably not. It finally dawned on me that perhaps there was a reveal clue that I'd somehow failed to read. Yup. Tucked in at 63d was SPA. -- "Place to enjoy the kinds of pampering found at the starts of the answers to the starred clues." Hmmmm, so there were starred clues as well. Hadn't noticed that. 

18a. *Operating room assistants. SCRUB NURSES. A spa SCRUB could be an exfoliating, exhilarating, moisturizing experience. In any case, it usually involves being rubbed with an abrasive product like coffee, salt, or nutshell husks. Sounds like fun. [Not!]

28a. *Employ flowery language. WAX POETIC, à la Chairman Moe or OwenKL. According to Merriam-Webster, one definition of "WAX" is "to assume a (specified) characteristic, quality, or state : BECOME." At the spa it's more likely to involve a bikini wax -- liquid wax applied, allowed to dry, and then ripped off like a band-aid. Sounds like fun. [Not!]

36. *Indulgent request made by Mae West in "I'm No Angel": PEEL ME A GRAPE. A facial PEEL involves having caustic goop smeared on your face...allowing it to "set a spell"...and then wiping it off. This kills off the top layer of skin which you can rip off in a day or two, like a sunburn. Sounds like fun. [Not!]

52a. #Cast celebration. WRAP PARTY. The WRAP party is held after major movie shooting has been completed. At the spa, a WRAP is often liquid mud which is applied, allowed to dry, and then ripped off like a band-aid. Sounds like fun. [Not!] Have you noticed that the spa is beginning to sound like a rip-off joint?

61a. *Retail event with deep discounts. BLOW OUT SALE. When it comes to the spa...hmmmm...don't think I want to go there.

Across:

1. Boarding area: GATE. At the airport.

5. Sugar substitute: STEVIA.

11. Liberal group?: ARTS. Where I fearlessly sifted and winnowed, that part of the university was the College of Letters and Science.

15. Strait-laced: PRIM. And proper.

16. How stir-fry is often served: ON RICE. Rice is that fine Houston institution where Uncle Ben was converted.

17. Vichyssoise need: LEEK. Learning moment. Did not know that LEEKs were an essential ingredient. On the other hand, I've never had vichyssoise, so how would I know? I tend to avoid foods I can't spell.

20. Hathaway of "Ocean's 8": ANNE.

21. "__ as directed": USE.

22. "Dig in!": EAT. Grace ender.

23. __ Pueblo, New Mexico: TAOS. When we visited, dw was taken with some pottery with a silvery-charcoal appearance. We were told that horse manure was involved. Maybe Waseeley can elaborate.

25. Aardvark snack: ANT.

26. Dog in RCA Victor ads: NIPPER. Here he is atop the old RCA Building in Albany, just for Irish Miss.

30. Native peoples of the Arctic: INUIT. Will it be ALEUT, INUIT, or YUPIK? Only the perps know for certain.

31. React to yeast: RISE.

32. Lightning burst: FLASH.

 33. Number in a 10-day forecast, for short: TEMP. Around here the TEMPs have been scary-high all month, and it's only June. I dread the next electric bill. 

34. Connecticut WNBA team: SUN.

35. "Argo" org.: CIA. In this 2012 movie a CIA operative attempts to rescue six Americans detained in Tehran during the '79 hostage crisis. Received 96% on the Tomatometer at Rotten Tomatoes.

41. Utter: SAY.

42. Route: WAY. As seen on your 1d.

43. Hissy fit: SNIT. 

 

46. Come to pass: OCCUR.

49. For you and me: OURS.

51. Brief tussle: SET-TO. Without the hyphen it just means "to begin."

54. Early '90s pres., familiarly: BUSH SR. When I ventured into the awl patch in the early '80s, I joined a company that he'd started. Never met him; he was no longer affiliated with it.

55. Hasty escape: LAM. Have you everr heard anybody say it...except Mary, of course?

56. Education acronym: STEM. I've also seen it as STEAM -- the A is for Arts.

57. Plot device?: HOE. Har-de-har-har. A little attempt at humor...very little.

58. Grammy category since 1989: RAP. Have never been a fan.

59. Black-__ Susan: EYED. Hahtoolah is a Susan, but she's not black-eyed.

 64. "To Venus and Back" singer Amos: TORI. This was TORI's fifth album, a two-disc affair. It has no title track.

 

 65. Categorize: ASSORT. Assorted chocolates does sound more appetizing than categorized chocolates, but "chocolates" never sounds bad.

66. Walk heavily: PLOD.

67. Hidden obstacle: SNAG.

68. Jackson Hole backdrop: TETONS. Visited there in the mid '60s on a summer college road trip with a buddy. We also stayed one night at the Broadmoor and took in a Smothers Brothers show on that trip.

69. Sax type: ALTO. Invented by Belgian Adolphe Sax back in the mid-1800s. There are at least 14 different types. You can check 'em out HERE.

Down:

1. Garmin device: GPS UNIT. No Garmin for me, mine is a TomTom, naturally.

2. Inverse trig function: ARCSINE. Arcsine(theta) is the angle whose sine is theta. This c/a is a tad arcane for the non-math-oriented. See what I did there?

3. Cyclist's accessory: TIRE PUMP. Won't do you much good, unless you also carry a tube patching kit.

4. Ostrich kin: EMU.

5. Underwater detector: SONAR. Evokes memories of a sonar lesson for Seaman Beaumont in The Hunt For Red October. Lucky for you, I couldn't find a clip.

6. Bolt holder: T-NUT.

7. Throw wide of the cutoff man, say: ERR. Sports clue, I'm guessin'.

8. Panoramic views: VISTAS. Like this one. 

9. Mountaineering tool: ICE AXE. Six letters, four vowels, what's not to like if you're a crossword constructor?

10. Greek fabulist: AESOP. There's some question whether he actually existed.

11. Taking after: À LA. In the fashion of, or somesuch.

12. First name of Italian sopranos Tebaldi and Scotto: RENATA. Some might consider this an obscure proper name.

13. Wimbledon sport: TENNIS.

14. Quick drawing: SKETCH.

19. Vegetable that may stain a cutting board: BEET. You either love 'em or hate 'em.

24. Bulgaria's capital: SOFIA.

27. Joins the conversation: PIPES UP.

28. Viognier or Vouvray: WINE. I've never had either. Have I mentioned that I tend to avoid foods (and drinks) that I can't spell?

29. Ticks by: ELAPSES.

31. Mojito liquor: RUM. Brunchy. GIN or RYE could also fit...but would be wrong.

34. Shifty: SLY.

35. Shed tears: CRY.

37. O.K. Corral brothers: EARPS. Wyatt, Virgil, and Morgan all made an appearance that day. We visited Tombstone and watched the re-enactment.

38. Askew: AWRY.

39. Neon or freon: GAS.

40. Captivate: ENTHRALL. Tried ENTRANCE first. Wite-Out, please.

44. "This is all more than I can handle": IT'S A LOT.

45. Ruin, as plans: TORPEDO. In my ute these frozen summer treats were called "Torpedoes."

46. Nocturnal nestlings: OWLETS. "Nocturnal" gives it away.

47. Medium for most refrigerator art: CRAYON.

48. Shape outlined in Instagram's logo: CAMERA.

49. Vague threat: OR ELSE.

50. Absolute: UTMOST.

51. Haggis ingredient: SUET. Never had it. Have I mentioned that I also tend to avoid some foods that I can spell?

53. Baseball stat: AT BAT.

54. Matches: BOUTS.

57. Rhinoceros feature: HORN. The horn is made of keratin, the same material as fingernails. Some folks mistakenly believe the horn has magical/medicinal properties. Rhinos are endangered, due to poaching and habitat loss. 

 

60. Use a spade: DIG.

62. Court: WOO.

63. Place to enjoy the kinds of pampering found at the starts of the answers to the starred clues: SPA. This is a perfectly good "reveal" clue. If only folks would take the time to read them. D'oh.

Here's the grid courtesy of C.C. Desper-otto out. 

 

Notes from C.C.:

1) Thank you so much for filling in the two Wednesdays in June, D-Otto! Thanks for always coming to my rescue.

2) Happy 56th birthday to Barry G, a regular in our blog in the earlier days. Barry, the other day Janice, a long-time reader who never commented on our blog, mentioned you in her letter to Boomer. It made me smile. You're still remembered and missed by many.

Saturday, May 22, 2021, Tracy Gray and Jeff Chen

Themeless Saturday by Tracy Gray and Jeff Chen

In today's puzzle we have another Jeff Chen collaboration; this time with veteran constructor Tracy Gray who seems to be making her first LA Times appearance.

Their long fills were very "gettable" and even the usually sarcastic French expression at 28 Down was familiar. 

Across:

1. "Yeah, like I believe that!": WHAT A CROCK - Al Pacino completes this phrase in a colorful manner about 25 seconds into this famous scene.

11. Yo-yo, say: VARY 

15. Lozenge flavor: HONEY LEMON.

16. Together, on scores: A DUE - The a2 below is musical notation shorthand for A DUE

17. Competitively whipped: EATEN ALIVE.

18. Eighty-six: TOSS - Several possible sources

19. Bailing aid: EXIT - If you want to "bail out" of a situation, an EXIT would be helpful

20. Shiny sheet material: SATEEN 

22. NBA Sixers, on scoreboards: PHI - Wilt Chamberlain is the most famous player the PHIiladelphia 76ers ever had and shot free throws underhanded. His made so few, the 76er's could not depend on him to 32. Put away a game: ICE IT.

23. Brooklyn-based handicrafts etailer: ETSY.

25. Blew off an early appointment, maybe: SLEPT IN - OCD me has never done this

27. Contractors' needs: PERMITS 

30. Maroon: STRAND - What was the name of the ship that foundered and left this group STRANDED? *Answer at bottom

31. Quinque follower: SEX.

34. Beetle Bailey nemesis: SARGE.

35. Letters on Drago's track suit in "Rocky IV": CCCP - This isn't his Soviet Union suit track suit with the Cyrillic letters for USSR, but you can get this autographed ring jacket signed by Dolph Lundgren (Ivan Drago) for $349

37. Stuffed: SATED.

39. Board at Belmont: TOTE - The TOTE board at Churchill Downs would have shown these numbers for this year's Kentucky Derby. A $2 bet on Medina Spirit would have returned $26.20. Even if this winning horse is disqualified you get to keep your money but the owner has to return his winnings.

40. "Precision Crafted Performance" sloganeer: ACURA - Honda's luxury line

42. Brawl: MELEE.

44. Recipe word: ADD.

45. Light cutters: LASERS - "No, Mr. Bond, I expect you to die!"

47. Some are made in garages: DEMO CDS - I suppose they could make one there if they are 49. Proficient in: ADEPT AT playing

51. "Narcos: Mexico" actor Michael: PENA - He's on the right

52. Brainiac: WIZ.

53. Like some mules: SLIP ON.

55. Fold, as a poker hand: MUCK - Throw your cards in to indicate you are quitting the hand

59. "Hitchcock" role: ALMA - The wedding picture of Alfred Hitchcock and his wife and vital collaborator ALMA. Alfred's brother is behind him and his mother is behind ALMA.

61. Movie in which Ricardo Montalban says, "Kirk, my old friend, do you know the Klingon proverb ... 'Revenge is a dish best served cold'?": STAR TREK II 

63. Healthy look: GLOW.

64. Hitting close to home: ALL TOO REAL.

65. Place for roots: SOIL.

66. Comes to one's senses: SEES REASON.

Down:

1. Apt "squee" rhyme: WHEE - Squee is new to me!

2. Deceptive act: HOAX.

3. Not behind: ANTI - The ANTI marijuana and ANTI sports betting people are losing ground in this state

4. Waver: TEETER - Yikes!

5. Writer Rand: AYN - Familiar to us solvers 

6. Some Beethoven works: CLASSICS and classical

7. Its anchor shouldn't weigh it down: RELAY TEAM - The anchor is the last runner on a relay team and here is our hometown Fremont anchor runner finishing the 4 x 400 relay Thursday to clinch the first Girl's State Track Championship in school history

8. Fail to mention: OMIT.

9. Pirate hideouts: COVES - This marks the North Carolina COVE from where this pirate launched many of his raids

10. Does floor work, maybe: KNEELS - These could help

11. Tub for chocolate: VAT.

12. Street cleaner's program: ADOPT A ROAD - Kramer adopted a road

13. Some NFL scores: RUSHING TDS.

14. "Well, of course!": YES INDEED.

21. Makes: NETS - My sister once asked me, "What is this FICA that is always subtracted from my check?"

24. "I'll never be able to unsee that!": TMI 

26. Keister: PRAT - Tom Locke's May 11, 2021 puzzle was built on these euphemisms - Cheeks, Bum, Seat and Buns. It turns out that PRAT is also a name for buttocks. Thus a pratfall is...

27. Petty offense: PECCADILLO.

28. Nice statement of indignation?: EXCUSEZ MOI - What the peccadilloes above might say

29. Put in a spot: SITED.

31. Reprobates: SCALAWAGS

33. Relocates, sci-fi-style: TELEPORTS.

36. Sous-chef's work: PREP - From "sous", the French word for under. The second-in-command in the kitchen

38. Foul creature that guarded Azkaban in the Potterverse: DEMENTOR - My dearth of Potterverse knowledge required this to fill in itself, which it did.

41. The "A" that makes STEM into STEAM: ARTS 

43. Loads of lifetimes: EON.

46. Some dips: SALSAS.

48. Cell component: CAMERA - Will this telephoto lens really allow my iPhone cell CAMERA do this?

50. Viscount, e.g.: TITLE.

54. Wan: PALE - Ah, 11th grade English class

56. Instruments played by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole: UKES - Guaranteed to lift your spirits today!

57. European aloha cousin: CIAO - An Israeli cousin too. This got Lemon's seal of approval although the Hebrew is read in the opposite direction. 😊

58. Firing place: KILN.

60. Boring thing: AWL.

62. Topper for a chirashi bowl: ROE.

*Gilligan and his fellow ship mates were MAROONED when the S.S. Minnow foundered