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

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Jan 18, 2014

Saturday, Jan 18th, 2014, Mark Bickham

Theme: None

Words: 70 (missing Q,U)

Blocks: 31

   I get very dismayed when I see Mr. Bickham's name listed as the constructor on the crossword,  because I find his Saturday puzzles to be very difficult to solve.  While today's grid has a very cool look to it, there was also a LOT of white, and my first pass did not yield much.  BUT - as is always the case, by plugging away, and throwing a few WAGs in, I was able to complete it.  There was a technical glitch,  so forgive me for typos and omissions.  Two grid spanners:

17a. Traditional Austrian dish : WEINER SCHNITZEL - I started to fill in VIENNA SAUSAGE, but that just wasn't working with the down answers that I knew were correct

56a. Annual People feature : SEXIEST MAN ALIVE - Adam Levine of "The Voice" and Maroon 5 fame was the winner in 2013 - very racy pic here

Onward~!

ACROSS:

1. Lake Titicaca forms part of its border : BOLIVIA - oh, what a name~! map

8. Rug treatment : SHAMPOO - for both the carpet and the toupée versions

15. Demanding attention : EXIGENT

16. Performing a spiritual ritual : CENSING - the wafting of the thurible - I just learned something

19. Promise that doesn't always work out : I DO - I did, but now I don't; maybe....

20. Baby blues, e.g. : PEEPERS - I have blue eyes; the hostess at the Italian restaurant has gorgeous ones - she's so adorable, I'm thinking about "I DO" again

21. Half a Gabor? : ZSA-zsa

22. It can help you avoid ads : TIVO - or your local cable company's DVR, which is just about the only way I'll watch television these days

24. _____ Gras : MARDI

25. Swabber's aid : PAIL - I thought we might get our "Q" with Q-tip, the cotton swab, and the "U" on the DOWN side

26. Bohemia native : CZECH - could be from right here on Long Island, too~!


28. Food often served in chains : PIZZA - not links, as in sausage

29. Cry upon arriving : HERE I AM~!

32. Breezes (through) : WALTZES - tough, but entertaining clue/answer

34. Anabaena or chlorella : ALGA

35. Andean root vegetables : OCAs

36. Cyclist's wear : SPANDEX

39. Milky : WHITISH

43. Patty Hearst's SLA alias : TANIA

44. "Pearly Shells" singer : DON HO - now that I think about it, this should have been an easy WAG

45. Prophetess in Luke : ANNA - Saturday cluing for a common name

46. Conforms : JIBES

51. Fresh-mouthed : PERT

52. Way to go: Abbr. : RouTE

53. More than just enthusiastic : FANATIC

55. Mark, as a ballot : X IN

59. Didn't need instructions : KNEW HOW - I'm a "Type 5"; even if I do KNOW HOW, I still read the instructions - which came in handy doing a laminate floor last year; the installation for the larger tile style requires the longer side to be tapped into place, not the shorter one

60. Christmas eave sparklers : ICICLES - Did NOT fool me - I saw the "a" in the homonym eve

61. Straightforward demand : YES OR NO ?

62. Banks, e.g. : LENDERS

DOWN:

1. Entrance : BEWITCH - DAH~!! totally fooled by this en-TRANCE, not EN-trance; I was looking for a doorway that ended in ---ITCH

2. Discolor, as banana peels, e.g. : OXIDIZE

3. Be postponed for later attention : LIE OVER - meh; I think of LIE OVER as in airports

4. Engine starter: Abbr. : IGNition; too bad there was no way to deceive us with "KEY"

5. #2 : VEEP - The "V.P."

6. Directed against a thing, to lawyers : IN REM - Lemonade?

7. Clueless : AT SEA

8. TV listing : SCHEDule; TV is technically an Abbr.

9. '50s-'70s Montreal Canadiens star ____ Richard : HENRI - brother of Maurice, the "rocket"; this led Henri, younger, to be nicknamed the "pocket-rocket"

10. Spanish cordial : ANIS - anise in English

11. Colo. hours : MST - Mountain Standard Time

12. Dash : PIZZAZZ - Scrabbly fill

13. It fits all, so they say : ONE SIZE


14. Crazy Horse and Red Cloud : OGLALAs - according to Wiki, one of seven subtribes of the Great Sioux Nation

18. "Kiss of life", briefly : CPR - Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation - and I spelled it correctly without looking it up~!

23. "1984" location : OCEANIA - or Eddie Van Halen's backyard, if you're thinking about this 1984

25. Rest area visit : PIT STOP - I had PI-S-O- , and thought....naw, can't be

27. "Broom-____": comic strip : HILDA

28. Geometric pattern : PLAID

30. Gray : AGE - put it in, took it out, went back in

31. Nth degree : MAXimum

32. Blow away : WOW

33. Rhine whine : ACH~!

36. 2004 Stiller title role : STARSKY & Hutch - IMDb; Owen Wilson as Hutch, but even better was Snoop-Dogg as Huggy Bear

37. Pro-V hair care brand : PANTENE


38. Takes over : ANNEXES

40. Banished : IN EXILE - better than "ENISLE"

41. McGovern's running mate : SHRIVER

42. Sex appeal : HOTNESS


46. Bourne of Ludlum's novels : JASON - I saw a fourth book at the Salvation Army last week; almost bought it for $.99

47. Apart, in a way : IN TWO

48. "... like THAT!" : BAM~!!!

49. .biz biz : ETAIL - I like the redundancy

50. "____  I Don't Have You" : 1959 hit : SINCE - I would link the Guns N' Roses version for Slash's great opening guitar work, but Axl ruins the rest of the song

53. NHL Player's Association director Donald : FEHR - Oh, I know this name all too well for the fiasco from last season, and its shortened schedule

54. "Am I my brother's keeper?" speaker : CAIN

57. Iconic Japanese island, familiarly : IWO Jima

58. PC monitor type : LCD


Splynter

Note from C.C.:

Happy Birthday to dear Blue Iris (Susan), who was a school nurse for many years. Hope you're doing well, Susan!