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

Advertisements

Nov 28, 2012

Wednesday, November 28, 2012 Doug Peterson

Theme: RESIDENT EVIL.  Today, Doug gives us a hidden word theme, with EVIL tucked into 4 starred entries, and plainly identified in the unifier.  I try to avoid solving the unifier too soon, so as to not spoil the gimmick, so for this kind of give-away unifier, it's good to place it close to the end.  Let's see where EVIL lurks (other than in the minds and hearts of men.)  With 4 answers, one of them grid-spanning, there is lots of opportunity.

20. *Darth Vader, e.g. : MOVIE VILLAIN.   Well, this is just about perfect.  A major nasty from a block-buster epic series.

Not a good drinking partner, no matter what the drink

28. *City near Sacramento : ROSEVILLE.   I don't know anything abut the placethough we also have one here in MI.  Maybe the CA coven can fill us in. 


Something EVIL might be happening there - if you're a crustacean.

38. *Weekly newspaper with three Pulitzers : THE VILLAGE VOICE.  The definitive source of information for news, music, movies, restaurants, reviews, and events in New Yorksuch is their claim.

Beware of EVIL content


46. *Bottom-feeding fish : DEVIL RAYS.  Also an American League baseball team since 1998.

 They only look EVIL


And the unifier -- 53. Horror video game/film franchise, and a literal feature of the answers to the starred clues : RESIDENT EVIL.  This is a series of video games and movies in the horror genre about which I know next to nothing.  But I was able to find this picture.

Alice has some big guns, but is not that EVIL looking

Hi gang.  JazzBumpa here.  This is a strong theme, and a good one if you don't give in to it.  Let's see what else is lurking in this puzzle - if you dare join me.  I'm taking amulets, a light saber, and a lobster cracker, just in case.

Across:

1. Blue toon : SMURF.  Not evil, just annoying, and not worth a link, IMHO.

6. Stats at Anaheim's "Big A" : RBI'SRuns Batted In.  It's only been a few weeks since my beloved Tigers went down to ignominious [not to mention EVIL] defeat, and already I miss baseball. Only about 3 1/2 months until Spring Training.

10. Thyme rackmate : SAGE.  Companions on the spice rack, or perhaps they might both be used to flavor a rack of lamb. I won't take the thyme to make any SAGE DF rack comments.

14. Garbage can insert : LINER.  This is referring to a plastic bag.  I just spent several futile minutes trying to find an image of an ocean LINER in a trash can.

15. Vane point : EAST.  Weather vane and direction, respectively

16. Supermodel Heidi who inspired a 2009 Barbie doll : KLUM.  I did not know that.

Those are EVIL looking heels

17. Wonderland wanderer : ALICE.   What's your opinion of the Queen of Hearts?

18. Arctic obstacle : FLOE. Serious navigation hazard. What's the difference  between a FLOE and an iceberg?

19. Words before a conclusion : IF SO.  Then again, maybe not  .  .  .

23. Educ. support org. : PTAParent Teacher's Association. 

24. Place to see long lines, briefly : DMV.   The much maligned Department of Motor Vehicles - still better than trying to deal with an Insurance Company.

25. Copier tray abbr. : LTR  "Letter" size paper - remember, it might not be EVIL, but nor is it legal.

33. Luciano's love : AMORE  Italian for Love in general, not Pavarotti's paramour in specific.

35. Common bill : ONE.  AKA "The single" -  the smallest denomination of U.S. folding money.

36. Never, in Munich : NIE.  If I were in Munich, I certainly wouldn't. 

37. Workplace in many crime shows : DNA LAB  The place where skilled technicians derive evidence from bodily residues to help track down EVIL doers.

42. It's ground in a Southern side dish : HOMINY  I've heard it's a bit gritty.

43. Desperate letters : SOS.  The universal cry of distress in Morse code for those who are asea. It was in effect internationally from 1906 until 1999. It is now illegal for a ship to signal that she is in distress in Morse code. I am not making this up.

44. __ Aviv : TEL  The second most populous city in Israel.

45. Calvin of couture : KLEIN  Maker of the world's finest designer underwear for men and women. I'm not making this up, either.

49. Weird : ODD. Like certain trombonists' senses of humor.

50. Developer of the one-named "Jeopardy!" contestant Watson : IBM  Formerly International Business Machines, now just IBM.

52. "You don't say!" : GEE  Actually, I don't say, "Gee."

59. Composer Bartók : BELA  One of the most important composers of the 20th century - and a Hungarian.

62. Privy to : IN ON.  Like the Privy Council I once discussed.

63. Pizzeria order : SLICE.  We had a mountain of pizza Thanksgiving Eve

64. Folk singer associated with Dylan : BAEZ  I don't remember the association, but it's been a looong time.

65. As is proper : DULY.  Such as giving the devil his due.

66. Chromosome components : GENES.  The genetic bits that add up to make you what you are.

67. Student's surprise : QUIZ  An EVIL sort of surprise.

68. This, in Havana : ESTA  Spanish

69. Bouquets : ODORS  Technically, this is correct. But we don't typically speak of appetizing odors and EVIL bouquets.

Down:

1. Sound of an angry exit : SLAM  Don't let the door hit you .  .  . OK - too late.

3. Deg. issuer : UNIV  Degree and University, respectively

4. Rachael Ray offering : RECIPE  Does anybody ever use recipes they find on TV?

5. Motel come-on : FREE TV  This is quite retro.  Now free TV is a given and the come-on is free WIFI - though that's pretty much a given too, these days.

6. Mtge. payment-lowering option : REFI  ReFinance - take out a new loan, with more favorable terms, to pay off the old one.

7. Musket projectile : BALL 

8. Lover of Tristan : ISOLDE  A legend dating back to the 5th century, made into a 3 act opera by Wagner, and a 2006 movie by Ridley Scott.  It is full of violence, death, weird turns of fate, and illicit love.  The early pilot for all soap operas.

9. Mirror obscurer : STEAM  The bathroom mirror.

10. Shallot covering : SKIN  OK - but why not onion, or apple, or any person?

11. TV E.T. : ALF  Extra-terrestrial and Alien Life Form - yet another TV show I never watched.

12. Mercury Seven astronaut Grissom : GUS  He was the 2nd American in space, and the first to go there twice.  Along with Ed White and Roger Chaffee, he died in a fire during a pre-launch test of Apollo 1 in January, 1967.  The module contained a wide range of lethal hazards, and this sort of tragedy was, alas, probably inevitable.

13. Mopey music genre : EMO  Derived from mid 80's hard core punk, originally called "emotional hardcore" or "emocore."  The rest is history

21. For naught : VAINLY

22. Joint tsar with Peter I : IVAN V  IVAN was the nominal Czar from 1682 to 1696.  He was a chronic invalid with sever physical and mental deficiencies.

25. Nabokov nymphet : LOLITA  Humbert Humbert's favorite ingenue. Will our Lolita show up today?

26. Actress Gold of "Growing Pains" : TRACEY  She played Carol Seaver on this 80's sitcom that I never watched.

27. Rejects authority : REBELS  Here, REBELS is a verb.  I can relate.

28. "Orange, Red, Yellow" painter Mark : ROTHKO  You tell me.

29. In phone limbo : ON HOLD  Where you end up after climbing the infernal automated telephone tree - a truly EVIL invention. 

30. Came off as : SEEMED

31. Hip-hop's __ Kim : L'IL  Image.   Doesn't look so L'IL.  Maybe she's short.

32. Car shopper's option : LEASE  Mine is up in March. Maybe I'll buy this time.

34. 1972 host to Nixon : MAO  I'll bet C.C. knows more about him than I do. (From C.C.: Trivia: Chairman Mao loved hot & spicy food. He was born and grew up in Hunan Province, where they put loads of hot peppers in their dish.)


37. Decorator's study : DESIGN

39. Final article of the Constitution : VII.  The full text:  The Ratification of the Conventions of nine States, shall be sufficient for the Establishment of this Constitution between the States so ratifying the Same.  I think it was a success.

40. Navel variety : INNIE  We all know what this means.  This turned out to be another time waster, since I couldn't find an attractive picture that I thought met the high standards of this blog.

41. URL ending for many agencies : GOV  For Government agencies.

46. It's usually barely passing : D-MINUS  Try harder, please.

47. "Time to split!" : LET'S GO

48. Aroused the patrolman's suspicion : REELED  This one confused me, until I figured out he suspected you were drunk.

51. Hit back? : B-SIDE  The flip side of a hit record.  Tricky.

53. Make fun of : RAZZ    Derived from "raspberry."  I wanted JAPE.  I just like that word.

54. Blockhead : DOLT

55. Gaelic music star : ENYA. Eithne Ní Bhraonáin and I must have some sort of mystical connection. I get her every time.

56. Ristorante beverage : VINO   Italian wine for an Italian eatery.

57. Éclair finisher : ICER  One who applies icing.

58. Reduced by : LESS  According to the free dictionary, in this usage, LESS is a preposition.  Five less three is two.

59. Jul. 4th party, often : BBQ  Burger, dog or brat?

60. __ Claire : EAU  A city in WI.  "Clear Water" in French

61. Ring of blooms : LEI   A new clue for a crossword stalwart.

There you have it.  A pretty solid puzzle with no blatant clunkers, but with 20 3-letter words and an abundance of abbreviations and a smattering of foreign words. Not sure how I feel about that. What about you?

Cool Regards!
JzB