google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner

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Aug 24, 2014

Sunday August 24, 2014 Gail Grabowski

Theme: "At Present" - AT is added to each theme answer.

23A. Extra vacation clothes? : SPARE ATTIRE. Spare tire.

29A. Big party for jalopy owners? : BEATER BASH . Beer bash.

46A. Clergyman who works wonders? : MIRACLE CURATE. Miracle cure.

93A. Biker's trail? : RIDING HABITAT. Riding habit.

110A. Volga Region daily? : TATAR PAPER. Tar paper.

118A. Bees battling over nectar? : HONEY COMBAT. Honeycomb. The only one-word base phrase.

33D. Swindler at a New York zoo? : BRONX CHEATER. Bronx cheer.



42D. Gave stars to kippers? : RATED HERRING. Red herring.

Easy puzzle, yes? Gail always makes the smoothest Sunday grids. She's not going to shock and awe young solvers with edgy & trendy phrases. Her focus is always her overall solvers.

Were you bothered by the HAS OPEN (105A. Didn't fill yet, as calendar slots) clue? I had ?AS OPEN and wanted WAS OPEN due to the tense.

Across:
    
1. China problem : CHIP. And 14. China setting : FAR EAST. China clue echo. I nailed CHIP immediately.

5. Brought to Broadway : STAGED. Also 115. Fakes being : ACTS

11. Clothing fold : CUFF

15. TV talk pioneer : PAAR (Jack)

19. Like some bears' market predictions : DIRE. Not DOWN. Also  22. Bear overhead : URSA

20. Happened next : ENSUED

21. New Balance competitor : AVIA. Got easily with the crossing 12. Iris locale : UVEA. Quite a few 4-letter sneaker brands.

25. Barely burn : SEAR

26. Reactions to mice, maybe : EEKS

27. Acct. earnings : INT

28. 2010 title role for Denzel : ELI. The Book of Eli.

31. Simply not done : TABOO

34. Trying experiences : ORDEALS

36. Catamaran mover : SAIL

37. Emergency supplies delivery method : AIR DROP. Wish we could eradicate those ISIS thugs. Bloody Jihadists.

39. Coll. drilling group : ROTC

41. Ball game delayers : STORMS

45. "As I see it," in texts : IMO. Also 57A. Intimate modern message : SEXT. Slight clue/answer dupe. I thought of our passionate PK when I read these steamy letters.

51. "How relaxing!" : AAH

52. Periscope part : LENS

54. Wood shop tools : LATHES. Hi there, Splynter/Jerome!

55. Mid-Atlantic st. : DEL

56. Sight from the Sicilian village of Taormina : ETNA. Gimme for long crossword solvers.

58. Clipped, in a way : SHORN

59. Shrill cry : YELP

61. Race : TEAR. Not an easy clue.

62. Corn or cotton : CROP

64. Bores for ore : MINES

67. Fairy tale food : PORRIDGE. I call my morning oatmeal "porridge" too.

69. Rival of Brom in an 1820 novel : ICHABOD.  Ichabod Crane/Brom Bones. "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow". I drew a blank.

72. Pops in the fridge : SODAS

74. Hoisting devices : WINCHES. New word to me, Santa!  Met with Spitzboo yesterday?



75. Wildly excited : FRENETIC

77. Classic pops : NEHIs

79. Solidify : CAKE. I don't think I've used CAKE as a verb before.

80. Frog's kiddie-lit friend : TOAD

81. Condescending sort : SNOB

83. Photoshop developer : ADOBE

85. Mother of the Valkyries : ERDA. I had E?DA, then I waited.

88. Makeshift shelters : HUTS

89. "Mr. Blue Sky" band, briefly : ELO

90. Future litigator's study : PRE-LAW

91. Airport transport : TRAM

92. Virtuoso : ACE

97. Ristorante suffix : INI

98. Upheaval : THROES

100. Call for : NEED. Joann told me she enriches their garden with Miracle-Gro every two weeks. Maybe I should try that also.

101. Puts on the right track : ORIENTS

103. Evil sitcom organization : KAOS. Get Smart.

109. They may be rough : EDGES

114. Sharp turn : ZAG

115. __ premium : AT A

116. Traveling : AWAY

117. Cantina cooker : OLLA. It's similar to the traditional Cantonese soup pot.


123. "In your dreams" : NOPE

124. Wiped out : DEAD

125. Friendly court contest : ONE SET. Tennis.

126. Toledo's lake : ERIE

127. Delighted : GLAD

128. Three-part figs. : SSNs

129. Mouth formations : DELTAS

130. Identical : SAME

Down:

1. They may be writable : CDs

2. Fanny pack spot : HIP. Here is our Yellowrocks. Thanks for the book recommendations yesterday.



3. Portfolio element, for short : IRA. And 44. Portfolio units : SHARES

4. Game division : PERIOD

5. Reserved __ : SEAT

6. Demolition aid : TNT

7. Sunflower relative : ASTER. My daises bloomed for a very short period this spring.

8. Artisan group : GUILD

9. Like many King novels : EERIE

10. RMN was his VP : DDE. Nixon.

11. Analytical write-up : CASE STUDY

13. Punto and Bravo : FIATS. All crosses.

15. Colorado county or its seat : PUEBLO

16. Geometry figure : AREA

17. Sets a price of : ASKS

18. Reckless : RASH

24. Vast, in verse : ENORM

29. Voting coalition : BLOC. They did not ask for my ID  when I voted in the primary two weeks ago. I did see the $10,000 fine warning for vote fraud.

30. Baptism, e.g. : RITE

31. Formal affair wear : TAILS

32. Singer Mann : AIMEE

34. Media mogul with a Presidential Medal of Freedom : OPRAH. I just cannot warm up to her.

35. Mars, to the Greeks : ARES

38. Drips on the driveway : OIL SPOTS

40. Move like ivy : CREEP

43. Run : MANAGE

47. Elementary bit : ATOM

48. Matthews of "Hardball" : CHRIS. Very aggressive.

49. Fab Four name : LENNON

50. Sanction : ALLOW

53. Leaves high and dry : STRANDS

56. Flier's printout : E-TICKET

60. Competition with slashing : PRICE WAR. Oh, price slashing.

63. 2001 honor for J.K. Rowling : OBE. Order of the British Empire.

65. Suffix with stamp : EDE

66. Much of Libya : SAHARA

68. Genetic messenger : RNA

69. "Maybe even less" : IF THAT. Can you give me an example of how the clue & answer match?

70. Catching position : CROUCH

71. Enjoyed some courses : DINED

73. It's usually not a hit : SIDE B

76. 2014 U.S. Senior Open winner Montgomerie : COLIN. Surly & annoying at times.


78. Diva highlights : SOLI

82. Jerks : BONEHEADS. Lovely entry.

84. Relay stick : BATON

86. Poet who feuded with Pope Boniface VIII : DANTE. Easy guess.

87. Off the mark : AMISS

90. Advanced degs. : PhDs

93. Bring up : REAR

94. 14-legged crustaceans : ISOPODS. I didn't know they have 14 legs.

95. Equipment : GEAR

96. Connect with : TIE TO

99. Signed off on : OKAYED

102. One of four singing brothers : ED AMES. All crosses.

104. Corporate division : SALES

106. Form of oxygen : OZONE

107. Comic strip frame : PANEL

108. Spew out : EGEST

110. Strong flavor : TANG

111. Mil. no-show : AWOL

112. Appetizer in una taberna : TAPA

113. Not leave things to chance : PLAN

118. Mortar trough : HOD. This little word used to stump me.

119. Word of support : YEA

120. One may be padded : BRA. Have you been in a relationship where the guy loves shopping bras with you?

121. Intention : AIM

122. Driving need? : TEE

C.C.