Tuesday, August 6, 2019, Craig Stowe

Vowel Progression:  A E I O U and Sometimes Y.

18-Across. MI5 headquarters named for a London river: THAMES HOUSE.  Built in 1930, the building has housed M15 only since 1994.

23-Across. TV show intro tune: THEME SONG.

33-Across. Amount defined by a small sewing gadget: THIMBLEFUL.

42-Across. Boss Tweed's caricaturist: THOMAS NAST.  Although he was born in Germany, Thomas Nast (Sept. 27, 1940 ~ Dec. 7, 1902) is considered the Father of the American Cartoon.  He created many political cartoons, especially of Boss Tweed during the 1870s.    He is also credited with creating the GOP Elephant and the modern version of Santa Claus.

53-Across. Pushed-in bulletin board hardware: THUMB TACK.  Also known as Push-Pins.

61-Across. Bouquet garni bunch: THYME SPRIGS.

Across:

1. Cuba, por ejemplo: ISLA.  Today's Spanish lesson.  Cuba is an Island.

5. Uncanny: EERIE.

10. Hard-to-describe sensation: VIBE.  It could be an eerie sensation.

14. Évian evening: SOIR.  Today's French lesson.  Évian is a brand of mineral water Évian from sources near Évian-les-Bains, in eastern France.

15. Levels of society: STRATA.

16. A party to: IN ON.

17. Facial feature with a bridge: NOSE.  Cute clue.

20. From Canada's capital: OTTAWAN.  Hi, CanadianEh!

22. Genre that represents things as they are: REALISM.

26. Asian kebab: SATAY.  Satay is a Southeast Asian dish of skewered, seasoned grilled meat.  I have also heard of a vegetarian version of the dish.

27. "Who wants my jellyfish? / I'm not sellyfish!" poet: NASH.  Ogden Nash (né Frederic Ogden Nash; Aug. 19, 1902 ~ May 19, 1971), was an American poet, best known for his humorous poetry.  He even rated his own US postage stamp.

28. Seeker of "the way": TAOIST.

31. Door hardware: HASP.  I first tried Knob.

37. Play a part (in): ACT.

38. Boardroom VIP: CEO.  As in the Chief Executive Officer.

40. The Beatles' "__ Mine": I, ME.

41. Santa __ winds: ANA.  [Note:  There should be no tilde over the N in the word Ana.]

46. Splash sound: PLOP.

47. On the same wavelength: IN SYNC.  If you drop the "I", you get the boy band 'N SYNC.

48. Meticulous to a fault: ANAL.

50. Humana rival: AETNA.  Both are health insurance companies.

57. Stars and __: STRIPES.

60. Dragster, e.g.: RACE CAR.

64. Maggie Simpson's sister: LISA.  What would a crossword puzzle be without a reference to The Simpsons!

65. Avatar of Vishnu: RAMA.

66. Chef's array: SAUCES.

67. Browse (through): LEAF.

 68. What "lama" has, as opposed to "llama": ONE L.  Another snippet from Ogden Nash.  The poem goes as follows:

The one L Lama, he's a priest

The two L Llama, he's a beast

And so I'll bet my silk pyjama

There isn't any three L Llama

Legend has it that a fire chief replied that his department occasionally responded to a three L Lllama.

69. Implant (in): EMBED.

Scorpion embedded in amber.

70. Type of prof.: ASST.  As in an Assistant Professor.  A new Ph.D. must work her way through the ranks of Assistant, then Associate, before becoming a full professor at a university. 

Down:

1. Childish comeback: IS NOT!

2. Truth, to Shakespeare: SOOTH.

3. Hears out: LISTENS TO.

4. Tourist's guide: AREA MAP.

5. Prefix with centric: ETHNO-.  As in Ethnocentric.

6. Historic time span: ERA.

7. Los Angeles NFLer: RAM.

8. Old Roman road: ITER.  In present day, ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) is the international fusion research and engineering magaproject.

9. Let up: EASE.

10. Break, as laws: VIOLATE.

11. Aleut relative: INUIT.

12. __ nova: Brazilian dance: BOSSA.  João Gilberto (June 10, 1931 ~ July 6, 2019), a Brazilian musician, was known as the "Father of the Bossa Nova."  The bossa nova is a style of Brazilian music that became popular in the 1950s and 1960s.

13. Foe: ENEMY.

15. Hidden loot: STASH.

19. Red tape, e.g.: HASSLE.

21. Director Craven: WES.  Wes Craven (né Wesley Earl Craven; Aug. 2, 1939 ~ Aug. 30, 2015), is best known for his horror films, such as Scream and Nightmare on Elm Street.

24. Utmost degree: Nth.

25. Moo goo __ pan: GAI.  Moo goo gai pan is an Americanized version of a Cantonese dish.

29. Fail to include: OMIT.

30. "Big Blue": IBM.  As in International Business Machines.

31. Bowler or derby: HAT.  Did you know that the Bowler and the Derby are the same hat?  The Derby Hat is the term used in the US, while across the pond, the term is Bowler Hat.

32. Otto's "Oh!": ACH.  Today's German lesson.

33. Theater award named after Antoinette Perry: TONY.  I didn't know this, however, having the first name in the clue, it was easy enough to get to Tony.  Antoinette Perry (née Mary Antoinette Perry; June 27, 1888 ~ June 28, 1946 ) was an American actress and stage director.  She was the co-founder of the American Theatre Wing, which is an organization to support the theater.  It is this organization the now presents the Tony Awards.

34. Misconceptions: FALLACIES.

35. Game with Wild Draw Four cards: UNO.

36. Drink like a cat: LAP.  My cat would always barf after drinking milk, so we never gave her milk.

38. Savory finger food: CANAPÉ.  Yummers!

39. Wits' end?: ESS.  The last letter of the word "Wits" is an "S".

43. Least possible: MINIMAL.

44. Tiny army crawler: ANT.

45. It might be elementary: Abbr.: SCH.  As in an Elementary School.

46. Kneecap: PATELLA.  About 20 years ago, I was in a car accident and shattered my Patella.

48. Stockpile: AMASS.

49. "Will & Grace" network: NBC.

50. The Jetsons' dog: ASTRO.

51. Wharton's "__ Frome": ETHAN.  This book is on my To-Be-Read list, but is so far down on the list that I probably never will read it.

52. "I'm almost afraid to tell you" response: TRY ME!

54. Encouraged: URGED.

55. Barcelona abodes: CASAS.  More of today's Spanish lesson.

Casa Milá / Milá House in Barcelona

56. Cheez Whiz maker: KRAFT.

58. In __: existing: ESSE.

59. Inbox annoyance: SPAM.

62. Spice mix for ribs: RUB.  I make my own rub for fish.

63. Limited-life sculpture material: ICE.  Nice clue.

Here's the Grid:

I'll leave you with a QOD:  If you can convince yourself that you look fabulous, you can save yourself the trouble of primping.  ~  Andy Warhol (né Andrew Warhola; Aug. 6, 1928 ~ Feb. 22, 1987)

Tuesday July 30, 2019 Susan Smolinsky & C.C. Burnikel

Theme: TO ERR IS HUMAN  (65. Start of a Pope line about fallibility ... as shown by 19-, 25-, 42- and 55-Across?) - Each person has ERR hidden in their name.

19. Frequent Fred Astaire partner: GINGER ROGERS.

25. Army doctor for whom a D.C. medical center is named: WALTER REED.

42. Movies Superman portrayer: CHRISTOPHER REEVE.

55. "Glee" star who won "Dancing With the Stars" in 2017: AMBER RILEY.

Boomer here. Susan Smolinsky is Hahtoolah on our blog and this is her first puzzle for the L. A. Times.  No Runs, No hits, 4 Errors.

Hahtoolah (Susan)

Across:

1. Daytime snooze: NAP.  It can only be a nap if you do not snore.

4. Sprinkler liquid: WATER.  Have not had too much to use this year.  Mother Nature is watering our garden.

9. Nursery rocker: CRADLE. Rockabye baby

15. Mine find: ORE.  Lots of iron ore in the Northern Minnesota range near Hibbing, childhood home of Robert Zimmerman.  You may know him as Bob Dylan.

16. Classic Dior style: A-LINE.  Indeed a classic dress, Do you remember these ??

17. Eagerly unwrapped: TORE AT.  This is how we opened packs of baseball cards. 

18. Pronoun for a filly: HER.  Or SHE.

21. Salad veggie: ONION.  In potato salad maybe, I usually don't mix onions with lettuce.

23. River delta deposit: SILT.

24. Salary: PAY.  And it's work all day for the sugar in your tay, down beyond the railway

29. Close bud, in texts: BFF.

31. More loyal: TRUER.

32. Wool clippers: SHEARS.

35. '60s "acid": LSD. "Picture yourself in a boat on a river, with tangerine trees and marmalade skies. Lucy in the sky with diamonds".

38. Lewd material: SMUT.

40. Photographed from a plane: AERIAL.  I can never identify any land marks on these aerial photos.

46. Big rig fuel: DIESEL.  There are some pickup trucks manufactured to run on diesel also.  Many stations sell it, but it's a bit more expensive than gasoline, but maybe diesel produces economy mileage.

47. Excursion: TRIP.  See 35A.

48. Lion's lair: DEN.  Also a pack of Cub Scouts.

49. Attached with glue: PASTED.

51. Layered cookies: OREOS.

54. Kid's bleat: MAA.

60. Grounded fast flier: SST.  There once was a plane called a Concorde that could get you to Europe in less than three hours.  Grounded now, but I'll bet some of those millionaire golfers would have been happy to take it to the British Open.

62. "I did it!": TA DA. And 59-Down: "I did it!": YAY ME.

64. What the nose knows: AROMA.

70. Coquettish: COY.

71. Palindrome ending: I'M ADAM.  Once in Las Vegas, I traveled to the Arizona border near lake Mead and there was a big wall in the river.  I asked what it was and it said "____". 

72. Surrounded by: AMONG.

73. Quarterback's asset: ARM.  A good tight end and a couple of wide receivers will help also.

74. Zones for different usage, say: RE-MAPS.

75. Foamy coffee: LATTE.  I never had one, but I heard you can get one at Starbucks for the same price as 2 gallons of diesel.  Probably tastes better but could mess up your carburetor.

76. Caustic solution: LYE.

Down:

1. "Ain't gonna happen": NO HOW.  Slang, but what the heck?  It's a crossword puzzle.

2. Gladiator's milieu: ARENA.  Lots of NBA games will be starting soon.

3. Problem for Pauline: PERIL.

4. Ring Cycle composer: WAGNER. I have heard of Wagner Spray Tech and also Honus.

5. Boxer who proclaimed, "I am the greatest!": ALI.  He was quite a showman.  He left us in 2016.
  
6. Sardine container: TIN.  With a skate key attached to the lid, that you had to turn to open.  "Do you remember these ??"

7. Required H.S. class: ENG.  Odd, I went to high school with a whole bunch of guys and we all spoke English pretty well.  But we still had to take the class.

8. Witherspoon of "Big Little Lies": REESE.  A fantastic baseball shortstop for the Brooklyn Dodgers, (and a little before my time.)  Pee Wee Reese was elected to Cooperstown in 1984. 

9. PC corner key: CTRL.

10. Classic A&W soda: ROOT BEER.  My father used to make root beer in a basement crock. It was pretty good, maybe not as good as A&W or Hires, but we really liked it. 

11. Neighbor of Uru.: ARG.

12. Like fish and chips: DEEP-FRIED.  I generally bake the fish, and do not prepare greasy French Fries.

13. "Doctor Zhivago" heroine: LARA.  "Although the snow, covers the hope of Spring."

14. Online craft shop: ETSY.  I'll bet Etsy does not have my homemade boondoggle zipper pulls.

20. Clears (of): RIDS.

22. Baseball great Mel: OTT.  Another great player for the New York Giants. A little before my time, his 21 year career ended in 1947.  He was inducted to Cooperstown in 1951.

26. Steal steers: RUSTLE.

27. San __: Riviera resort: REMO. I've never been to Italy, but my sister Connie goes there now and then.  Not sure if she visits San Remo. 

28. Blow, as a volcano: ERUPT. Or explode at umpires like Aaron Boone (Yankees).  A great Billy Martin imitation a couple of weeks ago.

30. Taxi charge: FARE.

33. Creator of Atticus, Scout and Jem: HARPER.  Phillies Right fielder Bryce who left Washington for greener pastures,

34. All but: SAVE.

35. TV screen type: LCD.

36. Be sent via FedEx or UPS: SHIP.  I think Fed Ex and UPS both use trucks and airplanes.

37. Group of star athletes: DREAM TEAM.  Maybe the 1965 All-Star Game, with Mantle and Killebrew.  I am not a big basketball fan.

39. Beat strongly: THROB.

41. Spy novelist Deighton: LEN.

43. "Insecure" Emmy nominee __ Rae: ISSA.

44. Attempt to ensnare, with "for": SET A TRAP.  We had to set traps for mice, mostly in the garage, but once or twice in our basement.  I am not sure how they get in, but since we bought new doors for our home, we don't see the little critters anymore.

45. Land of the banshee: EIRE.

50. June honorees: DADS.  That was a brand of root beer.  Not the stuff Dad brewed in the basement.

52. Breakfast juice flavor: ORANGE.

53. Title for Paul McCartney: SIR.  "To Sir, With love" sung by Lulu in a great movie with Sidney Poitier.

56. Taj __: MAHAL.

57. Bus that makes all the stops: LOCAL.  When I play golf I stop at all 18 greens on the local course.

58. Atlanta university: EMORY.

60. Recipe instruction: STIR.

61. Not all: SOME.

63. Goals: AIMS.  Sign in the men's rest room - "We aim to please, you aim too please."

66. Old food label abbr.: RDA. I think it was an acronym for Required Daily something or other.

67. Thurman of "Pulp Fiction": UMA.

68. Witty remark: MOT.

69. Pantry pest: ANT.  We do not see them in the house, but we have plenty in the driveway.

 
Confidential to TTP.  Several weeks ago we suggested that Twins Jake Odorizzi and Lucas Giolito could be competing for a Cy Young award.  Well, Jake gave up nine runs to the Yankees in four innings, and Lucas coughed up seven runs to the Twins in half a game last week, so I am withdrawing my vote.

Boomer

Notes from C.C.:

Congratulations on your debut, Susan! You're such a joy to work with. So fast and efficient.

Tuesday, July 16, 2019 Jennifer Lee & Victor Galson

I Feel Good.    Ah, the dreaded Circle puzzle.   The letters in the circles are anagrams of feelings.  Sadly, most of the anagrammed feelings shown today are not pleasant ones.

17-Across. "La La Land" Oscar nominee: RYAN GOSLING.  As in ANGRY.

But how can you be angry with Ryan Gosling?

25-Across. Obsolescent coin-op communication device: PAY PHONE.  As in HAPPY.

47-Across. Secondhand rides: USED CARS.  As in SCARED.

55-Across. Eerie stillness: DEAD SILENCE.  As in SAD.

And the unifier:
34-Across. What a bittersweet moment may evoke ... and a hint to each set of circled letters: MIXED FEELINGS.

The above graphic shows regions of the body whose activation is either increased or decreased when feeling the emotion.  The graphic is from a journal article by Lauri Nummenmaa, and can be found in the January 14, 2014 issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.  I'd link the article, but the blog isn't cooperating with links and videos today.

Across:

1. Singer LuPone: PATTI.  Patti LuPone (née Patti Ann LuPone; b. Apr. 21, 1949) played the role of Eva Perón in the Broadway production of Evita.  She later played the mother on the television drama Life Goes On.

6. Certain Jamaican, religiously: RASTA.

11. Dol. parts: CTS.  100 Cents makes up 1 Dollar.

14. Get-go: ONSET.

15. Predictable: USUAL.

16. Poke bowl fish: AHI.  Poke bowls are becoming very trendy.  Poke (pronounced "po-kay") means "to cut" or "to slice crosswise" in Hawaiian and is a raw sliced fish dish.  I first had poke when visiting in Hawaii and it was delicious.

19. Gym exercise unit: REP.  As in a Repetition.

20. Beat in a hot dog contest: OUT EAT.  The Annual Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest was held earlier this month ~ on July 4th.  The winner downed 74 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes.  Wouldn't you rather slow down and enjoy your food?

21. Farm yield: CROP.

Crop Circles

22. Singer Styles and illusionist Houdini: HARRYs.  I am not familiar with Harry Styles (b. Feb. 1, 1994).

Harry Styles

Harry Houdini

Harry Houdini (né Erik Weisz; Mar. 24, 1874 ~ Oct. 31, 1926) was a well known illusionist.  I learned recently that he had a younger brother who was also a magician and illusionist.  His brother went by the name Theodore Hardeen (né Ferenc Dezső; Mar. 4, 1876 ~ June 12, 1945).

Harry and Theodore

28. Fateful March day: IDES.  Beware the Ides of March.  Actually, each month has an ides, which is the middle of the month.  March is particularly fateful because it is the traditional date that Julius Caesar was killed.

29. Not timely, as a birthday wish: BELATED.

30. African adventure: SAFARI.

Not to be confused with the Web browser.

33. Jazz great Fitzgerald: ELLA.  Elle Jane Fitzgerald (Apr. 25, 1917 ~ June 15, 1996) and I have become good friends.  This is the third time she has made a guest appearance on a day I prepare the blog commentary.

39. "I don't believe you!": LIAR.  See, even feelings can arise when thinking about a liar.

40. Rudely sarcastic: SNARKY.

42. "Dirty" drink: MARTINI.

46. Two of a kind: PAIR.

49. Bites (on): CHOMPS.

51. Eye covers: LIDS.

52. Dr. Seuss' real last name: GEISEL.  We remember Dr. Seuss (né Theodor Seuss Giesel; Mar. 2, 1904 ~ Sept. 24, 1991), as a children's author.  Before he began writing children's literature, however, his early work was much darker, discriminatory and was often censored.

54. Chocolate dog: LAB.

60. Swelled head: EGO.

61. NOW co-founders: WOMEN.  NOW stands for the National Organization for Women.  It was founded in 1966 by 28 women, including Representative Shirley Chisholm (1924 ~ 2005), Betty Friedan (1921 ~ 2006), and Pauli Murray (1910 ~ 1985).

62. Ski run bump: MOGUL.

63. __ screen: medical test for poisons, etc.: TOX.

64. Nonreactive, as gases: INERT.  The inert gasses are on the far right of the Periodic Table.  They include Helium, Neon, Argon, Krypton, Xenon, and Radon.

65. Uppity types: SNOBS.  They probably have swelled heads.

Down:

1. Spanish "for": POR.  Today's Spanish lesson.

2. "Pick a card, __ card": ANY.

3. Homeland Security screening org.: TSA.  As in the Transportation Security Administration, which is housed in the United States Department of Homeland Security.

4. Jazz ensemble instrument: TENOR SAX.

5. PC troubleshooter: IT GUY.  As in the Information Technology Guy, more commonly known as the Techie.

6. Trick: RUSE.

7. __ on the wrist: A SLAP.

8. Befitting: SUITABLE.

9. Sun-lover's hue: TAN.

10. "Solve for x" subj.: ALG.  As in Algebra.

11. Snack for Bugs: CARROT.

12. Dream partner: THE ONE.  Cute clue.

13. Drank daintily: SIPPED.

18. Tie-breaking NHL periods: OTs.  As in Over Time periods in the National Hockey League.

21. When doubled, a Latin dance: CHA.  The dance is the Cha-Cha.

22. That dude's: HIS.

23. 2018 Best Supporting Actor Oscar nominee Driver: ADAM.  Adam Driver (b. Nov. 19, 1983) received the Best Supporting Oscar for his role in BlacKKKlansman, in which he played a white undercover police officer who infiltrated the Klan on behalf of his black partner.

24. Int.-lowering mortgage deal: RE-FI.  As in ReFinancing the mortgage.

26. Hollers: YELLS.

27. Like the nose on your face?: PLAIN.

31. Ancient artifact: RELIC.  Ancient Relics may appear where you least expect them.

32. Menzel who voices Elsa in "Frozen": IDINA.  Idina Menzel (b. May 30, 1971) had been in many Broadway musicals.

33. Racket end?: EER.  As in Racketeer.

35. Legitimate target: FAIR GAME.

36. Custard-filled pastry: NAPOLEON.  Yummers!

37. Mass unit: GRAM.

38. Uno card: SKIP.  I can't remember the last time I played Uno, so didn't remember this card.

41. Nos. on wine labels: YRS.  As in the Year of the vintage.

42. Short-in-front, long-in-back men's hairstyle: MULLET.  Definitely NOT the Dream Partner.

43. Crumbly Italian cheese: ASIAGO.

44. Netflix competitor: REDBOX.  Redbox began as a DVD rental service found in malls and grocery stores.  They now offer a streaming service.

45. QB stats: TDs.  A football reference to the Quarter Backs and Touch Downs.

48. Ritual Jewish meal: SEDER.  Here is a brief explanation of the items found on the SEDER plate.  There are at least 5 items on the Seder plate: (1) a Shank Bone; (2) an Egg; (3) Bitter Herbs, also known as mayor; (4) vegetable; and (5) Charoset, a sweet mixture generally made of fruits and nuts.  Many seder plates all include an additional bitter herb.

49. Long-running forensic series: CSI.  Stands for Crime Scene Investigation.  I watched the original show for a few years when it first came on in the early 2000s, but lost interest after a few years.  The show ran for 15 years.

50. Command posts: HELMS.  Hi, Spitzboov!

53. Stevie Wonder's "__ She Lovely": ISN'T.  I'l play the clip for you but the I can't get the video portion to play for me today.

55. Sobriety checkpoint initials: DWI.  As in Driving While Intoxicated.

56. Loooong time: EON.

57. Nonprofit aid gp.: NGO.  As in a Non-Governmental Organization.  A brief history of the NGO.

58. Baby bear: CUB.

59. Raised railroads: ELs.

The El in Chicago.

I hope this puzzle left you feeling Happy.  I known I am happy.

And here's the grid:

I'll leave you with a QOD:  Every once in a while, someone will mail me a single popcorn kernel that didn’t pop.  I’ll get out a fresh kernel, tape it to a piece of paper and mail it back to them. ~  Orville Redenbacher (né Orville Clarence Redenbacher; July 16, 1907 ~ Sept. 19, 1995)