Friday, December 30, 2022, Mark Valdez and Brooke Husic

Theme: To hyphenate or not to hyphenate; that is the question!

And welcome to the penultimate puzzle of 2022!

Hi Cornerites! The penultimate puzzle of 2022 was cleverly created by a crafty couple, Mark Valdez and Brooke Husic. This is not the first time these two have collaborated on a puzzle, and it shouldn't be their last. In keeping with the new Friday-styled puzzles, today's is another play-on-words that involves the "ADDition" of the word "UP", as is clued in the reveal: (71-across. Make sense, and a hint to the answers to the starred clues: ADD UP). So the added "UP" defines what each of the four theme entries has done in the form of a noun. Interesting to note, the addition of the word UP to the selected words (BREAK, MIX, SET, and MASH) could form a verb phrase and adjective, as well as a noun. In all but one case, the noun requires a hyphen; some may argue that SETUP does, too. So if I had just the tiniest of nits to pick, a theme with four hyphenated puns would've been perfect!

Note: I edited this review several times. I wish I had sent Yellowrocks - our resident grammarian - an email asking for her explanation. Nonetheless I'll try to give it my best shot! Let's explore, shall we?

20-across. *Separation after the vernal equinox?: SPRING BREAK-UP. I like the clues for all four of today's witty entries, starting with this one. Not sure if it was Mark or Brooke or both who came UP with this extremely clever idea, and the equally clever clues. Kudos! In the first of the four, "Spring" is defined as the time of the vernal equinox. And Spring goes just fine with the word "Break" (a period of time-off). SPRING BREAK has been the rite/ritual of many a college student over the years. And I'd venture a guess that many Spring Break trips result in a "Spring Break-UP"

31-across. *Nightmare for a wedding baker?: CAKE MIX-UP. Given the enormous number of weddings on any Saturday during the spring and summer, it's certainly possible that a bakery could have a "mix-up" with their deliveries, even if they used the same batter to mix up each cake. Decorations; tiers; cake toppers; who can keep them straight?? I really wanted to insert a cake-related image here, but I think it more appropriate that CrossEyedDave find one and use it in HIS comments. Dave, are you here today? Please help me out, buddy!

45-across. *Arrangement of extras for a zombie movie?: DEAD SETUP. So first, is it dead-set or dead set? Dead set is often a phrasal adjective, but it usually follows what it modifies, so it doesn't need to be hyphenated. (as in "he was dead set against it") When it precedes what it modifies, however, dead-set is correct. The one-word deadset has not fully caught on as a replacement of the two-word form, but it is gaining ground, and may someday gain acceptance [according to grammarist dot com]. The same website discussed SETUP vs set up: Is it setup or set up? Set Up – What's the Difference? Setup is one word when it is a noun (e.g., “it was a setup!”) or an adjective (e.g., “follow the setup instructions”). It is two words—set up—when it functions as a verb (e.g., “I'm going to set up the computer”). No hyphen needed; the outlier today. And now you know!

58-across. *Halloween costume that's a sheet on the bottom and a witch's hat on top?: MONSTER MASH-UP. [dictionary dot com] MASH-UP is "a mixture or fusion of disparate elements." Clearly a halloween costume with a sheet for the bottom (ghost) with a witch's hat on the top is pretty disparate. And without sounding desperate, was this puzzle that hard or am I making more of the theme and entries than I should be? Well, that's why this blog comes with a "Comments" section!

I'm interested in seeing how you all interpreted today's puzzle. But before that, let's check out another song video that fits 58-across:

Across:
1. In the lead: FIRST. I placed the word "AHEAD" in this space, and quickly fell behind

6. Word files, informally: DOCS. Microsoft WORD has been around for a long, long time. When you save something you've created in Word, the file extension is .doc

10. Box set unit: DVD. A "boxer" set unit might be: "BVD"

13. The Gem State: IDAHO. I knew this one; when I placed it into the grid (below AHEAD), something looked weird

FUN FACT: Why is Idaho called the Gem State, you ask?

14. "By yesterday!" letters: ASAP. [spoiler alert] I got today's puzzle in an email from C.C. on the 19 December; solved it, and began writing my blog on the 20th. ASAP was my cue. Then the holidays became nigh; I only got through a few of the clues, and continued/finished writing the blog on Boxing Day ...

15. Ginger or daikon: ROOT. While I would always ROOT for Ginger, I thought Mary Ann was much hotter

17. "The Princess and the Frog" setting: BAYOU. My daughter's alma mater, LSU, is sometimes nicknamed the "BAYOU Bengals" even though their "official" sports nickname is the "Fighting Tigers". Experiencing a night game at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge is quite an event

FUN FACT: The BAYOU Bengals nickname is now bestowed upon the Cincinnati Bengals NFL team as their starting QB and WR are both LSU grads (they played together in 2019 season when LSU won the National Championship)

18. "Carol" star Rooney: MARA. This person

19. "The Country Girls" novelist O'Brien: EDNA. This person

23. Moral wrong: SIN. Although I did not grow up Roman Catholic, I had plenty of friends who did. I came to learn that they have all different kinds of SINs. Some tried to group them all into a venial SIN so as not to lose their entire grace with God ... this image may depict otherwise:

24. Round number: ESTIMATE. So if I interpret this clue and answer correctly, 3-1/3 would NOT be an ESTIMATE?

25. "And now, without further __ ... ": ADO. I bring you the clue and answer to: "when did C-Moe have his first 2 oz. pour of brown-colored liquor as he was doing his recap?" NOW!! A little Green Spot Irish Whisky in the Glencairn

28. Take to court: SUE. It's a stretch, but "WOO" fits, doesn't it??!

30. "So?": AND.

35. Epic tales: SAGAS.

39. Streetcar: TRAM. The alternate title for the Tennessee Williams play featuring Blanche DeBois was "TRAM named Desire"

40. Thompson of "Passing": TESSA. This person

42. Draped attire: TOGA. I think I once took a pair of drapes from a curtain rod to form a TOGA ...

43. Zoom alternative: SKYPE. Four words of the 21st century that never made a crossword puzzle in the past century (at least clued as such) are: ZOOM, SKYPE, LYFT, and UBER. I'm sure there are several more ...

47. Light touch: TAP. I know someone who gets goose bumps when I give a light touch; they've never called it a "TAP"!

49. Draw: TIE. Oddly, these still exist in NFL games; only after the teams have played a ten minute overtime period

50. "This __ to stop": HAS. Not really; I'm still on the "across" clues; had this been in 50-down, it would make more sense, "Crossword Blog-wise"! ;^)

51. "Be careful!": STAY SAFE. One of my favorite uses of this clue is: "travel SAFEly"

56. Choose: OPT. I OPT for writing my blog recap in HTML

61. Strongly encourage: URGE. I URGE you to keep reading ...

62. Falsehoods: LIES. Which coincides with 1-down. (Tell 62-Across:) FIB.

63. Broadcasting: ON AIR. A sign to alert standers-by to keep quiet

66. Big do: GALA. AFRO also fits here

67. Kick back: LAZE. A favorite activity for this returee

68. Spanish royal: REINA. CSO to Lucina, our resident REINA!

69. Sweltering: HOT. Even though November and December were below average temperature-wise in AZ, we KNOW that in the summertime it will be sweltering HOT here

70. Showcase for a soprano: ARIA. Here are some you might enjoy:

Kinda sorta goes with: (57-down. Hitting all the right notes:) TUNED.

Down:
2. Civil rights pioneer __ B. Wells: IDA. This person

3. Sunbeams: RAYS. CARS would've been a cute distraction as the answer here. Anyone recall the Sunbeam automobile?

4. Selling points?: SHOPS. This clue was a bit odd, but I get it

5. Major component of Iceland's economy: TOURISM. Not on my bucket list, but it does look like an interesting place to visit. I'd bet that Picard has some photos to share

6. __ with faint praise: DAMN. [Merrium Webster dot com] says: "to give praise without enthusiasm in a way that shows one really dislikes someone or something"

7. Great Plains people who call themselves "Children of the Middle Waters": OSAGE. Learning moment

8. Pasta nutrients, for short: CARBS. [medlineplus dot com] says: "Along with proteins and fats, carbohydrates (aka, CARBS) are one of three main nutrients found in foods and drinks. Your body breaks down carbohydrates into glucose. Glucose, or blood sugar, is the main source of energy for your body's cells, tissues, and organs"

9. Peloponnesian city-state: SPARTA. [NationalGeographic dot org] says: "The Peloponnesian War was a war fought in ancient Greece between Athens and SPARTA—the two most powerful city-states in ancient Greece at the time (431 to 405 B.C.E.). This war shifted power from Athens to Sparta, making Sparta the most powerful city-state in the region

10. Info provided to a matchmaker, perhaps: DREAM DATE. Here are the Top 14 dating websites, according to [chicagoreader dot com]. I tried Zoosk for awhile but none of those I dated were interested in a long-term relationship. I did travel with one to Belize

11. Spirit of the cosmos?: VODKA. Cute play-on-words clue. Without the question mark, Spirit of the Cosmos would refer to this tarot deck:

But in the context of the clue and correct answer, it refers to the erstwhile most popular adult beverage (for females) known as the Cosmo. Made with VODKA. Click here for the full recipe

12. Pastry with a hole: DONUT. So, is it DONUT or DOUGHNUT? [grammerly dot com] says: "DONUT is an alternate spelling of doughnut. Some dictionaries point out that donut is rarely used outside the United States. All of them recognize doughnut as the main spelling, as do some of the more popular style guides. Doughnut might be the spelling you should use if you want to be sure you're not making a mistake

FUN FACT: According to [alexaanswers dot amazon dot com] "How many donuts are made in the US each year? 10 billion! That's a lot of holes!!

16. Cassette: TAPE. [according to npr dot org] This person invented the cassette TAPE

21. Alaskan people: INUIT. ALEUT fits; ESKIMO does not

22. Zehn minus neun: EINS. 10 minus nine (in German) = one (EINS)

25. Makes a move: ACTS. "GOES" is another four-letter word that fits here

26. __ chocolate: DARK. "MILK" is another four-letter word that fits here; I prefer DARK, and it was my first choice; guessing that some of you tried MILK first

27. "Sure": OKAY.

29. Crossed (out): EXED.

32. Focus of some special elections: EMPTY SEAT. Believe it or not, it's been 10 years since the focus of the 2012 Presidential Election was on a speech given in Tampa Florida; referencing a synonym for "SEAT"

33. Function: USE.

34. Pre-coll. exam: PSAT.

36. Ancient Teuton: GOTH.

37. __ fresca: Mexican drink: AGUA. Another CSO to Lucina?

38. Depletes: SAPS.

41. "¡Hasta mañana!": ADIOS. A third CSO to Lucina?

44. Right direction?: EAST. As in the direction that is on the right side of a compass; EAST

46. "We Belong to Something Beautiful" cosmetics chain: SEPHORA. As I filled in the puzzle, the letters from the perps helped me solve this. I don't use cosmetics but I've heard of this chain

FUN FACT: SEPHORA (founded in 1969) is a French multinational retailer of personal care and beauty products. Featuring nearly 340 brands, along with its own private label, Sephora Collection, Sephora offers beauty products including cosmetics, skincare, body, fragrance, nail color, beauty tools, body lotions and haircare [Wikipedia dot com]

48. Saffron-flavored rice dish: PAELLA. Does anyone remember their first PAELLA? I do. It was at the Columbia Restaurant Ybor City, back in the mid 1990's. I guess this could be a CSO to Wilbur Charles (and Tinbeni), our Tampa resident(s) on this chat board blog. Please take a few moments to search their website as it has some interesting history. But if you're strapped for time, here is an image of the PAELLA from their menu:

51. Self-satisfied: SMUG. I've been called this before; not a trait I'm proud of, but if the shoe fits, wear it

52. Bat mitzvah scroll: TORAH. The counter-attack on Japan in WW II by some Jewish airmen was called: "TORAH, TORAH, TORAH" ... really, Moe?!

53. __-Saxon: ANGLO.

54. Man on a mission?: FRIAR. MORMON didn't fit

55. "The Death of Vivek Oji" author Akwaeke: EMEZI. Totally solved via perps. [Wikipedia dot com] says: "The Death of Vivek Oji is a 2020 fiction novel by Nigerian author Akwaeke EMEZI. It was published on 4 August 2020 by Riverhead books, it narrates the life of Vivek Oji until his death

59. Between ports: ASEA. Crossword-ese

60. Settled: PAID. As in settled a debt

64. Shiba __: dog breed: INU. I thought I knew most all breeds of dog. I don't, obviously, because this one is unfamiliar to me. It is similar to an AKITA

FUN FACT: The Akita dog protects its family. Because of its fighting dog background, it can be aggressive toward other dogs. The Shiba Inu, on the other hand, is often more tolerant of other dogs. And if you live in a smaller space or a shared environment — like in an apartment building — the Shiba Inu is better suited to adapt. This is what one looks like:

65. Megan Thee Stallion genre: RAP. This person:

Well, my timing was better tonight as my Green Spot Irish Whisky finished just as the blog did. I hope y'all had fun with the puzzle. Please add your thoughts and comments below. Here is the grid:, and see you next year!

Thursday, December 29, 2022, Damon Gulczynski

Today's constructor is Damon Gulczynski, a real blast from the past, who last visited us on February 18, 2010 and was reviewed by none other than C.C. Burnikel.  Her review is worth reading if for no other reason than to see some commenters who were members of the fledgling Corner, some whom I know and some I do not.   While he was away it seems that Damon was spending a lot of time at that other newspaper (and thanks to them we have this capsule bio).

Today Damon wants to ask us some

Questionable Questions

using 2 word clues, which are questions about the question we're asked to fill in.  There's no reveal, but these and only these 5 Across clues end in ?:

17. Trick question?: WAS THIS YOUR CARD?  A question a card sharp might ask:  shuffle and cut the deck, ask the mark to "pick a card, any card", have he/she insert it back in the deck, shuffle again, pick a card, and pop the question.  Don't ask me how it works?
 

23. Quick question?: DONE ALREADY?  A question a teacher might ask of a slow student who finishes before everybody else.

38. Burning question?: WHERES THE FIRE?  A question a cop might ask a speeder.  The real burning question might be "how much is the fine?".

49. Leading question?: WHO'S WINNING?  Everybody was asking this question about the World Cup until December 18th.  In case you were living in a cave, it was Argentina.

58. Probing question?: FIND ANY THING YET?.  Grandma asks this from time to time on Easter afternoon as the kids are probing the bushes for eggs in the back yard.

Here's the grid:

More questions for you to answer:

Across:

1. Young chaps: LADS.

5. Methodology: Abbr.: SYST.  SYSTEM.  I found many definitions for these two terms and they seemed vague, inconsistent, contradictory and sometimes circular.  In my experience a METHODOLOGY is a formal, documented approach to defining the requirements and designs of INFORMATION SYSTEMS.  There are many such methodologies. YMMV.

9. Played over: RERAN.

14. Samoa's biggest city: APIA.  Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa and until 1997 known as Western Samoa, is a Polynesian island country consisting of two main islands (Savai'i and Upolu); two smaller, inhabited islands (Manono and Apolima); and several smaller, uninhabited islands.  APIA is on Upolu island.  Not to be confused with American Samoa, which is located 64 km (40 mi) Southeast of Samoa. IIRC D-O served in the military in America Samoa.  Please correct me if I'm wrong.

15. Fat-heavy diet: KETO.

16. Prenatal test, for short: AMNIO.  Short for Amniocentesis, which is a diagnostic test that may be recommended by your health care provider following an abnormal triple test result. Inherited or genetic concerns lead some parents to choose amniocentesis to determine if specific genetic disorders may be present in their baby.

[Theme clue].

20. Role for Flockhart: MCBEAL.   Ally McBeal is an American legal comedy drama television series starring Calista Flockhart and originally aired on Fox from September 8, 1997, to May 20, 2002.

Calista Flockhart

21. Like much event swag: FREE.

22. "That's it!": AHA.

[Theme clue].

29. Fictional Wolfe who was born in Montenegro: NERO.  Nero Wolfe is a brilliant, obese and eccentric fictional armchair detective created in 1934 by American mystery writer Rex Stout. The character also appeared in a 2011 TV Series on A&E:

31. Netflix's "__ White People": DEAR.  Dear White People is an American comedy-drama television series on Netflix that follows several black college students at an Ivy League institution (the fictional Winchester University), touching on issues surrounding modern American race relations through a progressive lens.

32. By way of: VIA.

33. "Battle of the Sexes" loser: RIGGS.  In tennis, "Battle of the Sexes" describes various exhibition matches played between a man and a woman, or a doubles match between two men and two women in one case. The term is most famously used for an internationally televised match in 1973 held at the Houston Astrodome between 55-year-old Bobby Riggs and 29-year-old Billie Jean King, which King won in three sets.  What was he thinking?  The match was made into a movie starring Steve Carell  Emma Stone:

35. Like dried rose petals: PAPERY.

[Theme clue]

41. Bumps: RAISES.

42. "__ Meenie": Kingston/Bieber hit: EENIE.

43. "CODA" communication method: ASL.  American Sign Language.  CODA is a 2021 coming-of-age comedy-drama film written and directed by Sian Heder. It stars Emilia Jones as Ruby Rossi, the titular child of deaf adults (CODA) and only hearing member of her family, a teenager who attempts to help her family's struggling fishing business while pursuing her own aspirations of being a singer. The movie uses deaf actors to play the deaf characters, who, along with Jones, communicate in ASL.

44. Blues singer Thomas: IRMA.  Irma Thomas (née Lee; born February 18, 1941) is an American singer from New Orleans. She is known as the "Soul Queen of New Orleans."  Here's her cover of Jerry Ragovoy's Time Is On My Side:

45. Soaks (up): SOPS.

[Theme clue]

54. Currency of Laos: KIP.  KIPS were trading for 17,296.782 for a dollar on the day this was written.  This will tell you if that number has changed.

55. Roth investments: IRAS.

56. Screenwriter Cody who won an Oscar for "Juno": DIABLO.  Juno MacGuff (Ellen Page) is a fairly typical 16-year-old teenager with attitude and a quick tongue. She decides to experiment with sex with her friend Paulie Bleeker (Michael Cera). This results in an unwanted pregnancy.

Diablo Cody, is the pen name for Brook Maurio (née Busey; born June 14, 1978), an American writer and producer.

Diablo Cody

[Theme clue].

63. Hawaii or Alaska, on many a map: INSET.

64. Bread served with mattar paneer: NAAN.   Peas and paneer is our all time favorite Indian dish.  You can substitute cottage cheese for the paneer, buy it in Indian food stores, or make your own.  Here's a recipe for the mattar paneer:

Mattar Paneer

65. Radiate: EMIT.

66. Grind, as teeth: GNASH.

67. Fail suddenly, with "out": CONK.

68. Turn down: DENY.

Down:

1. Wyatt Earp, for one: LAWMAN.  Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp (March 19, 1848 – January 13, 1929) was an American lawman and gambler in the American West, including Dodge City, Deadwood, and Tombstone. Earp took part in the famous gunfight at the O.K. Corral, during which lawmen killed three outlaw Cochise County Cowboys.

Wyatt Earp

2. Southwestern people: APACHE.  The Apache (/əˈpætʃi/) are a group of culturally related Native American tribes in the Southwestern United States, which include the Chiricahua, Jicarilla, Lipan, Mescalero, Mimbreño, Ndendahe (Bedonkohe or Mogollon and Nednhi or Carrizaleño and Janero), Salinero, Plains (Kataka or Semat or "Kiowa-Apache") and Western Apache (Aravaipa, Pinaleño, Coyotero, Tonto (so his name was just an adjective?)). Distant cousins of the Apache are the Navajo, with whom they share the Southern Athabaskan languages. There are also Apache communities in Oklahoma and Texas, and reservations in Arizona and New Mexico.  Did I miss anybody?

Apachean tribes, c. 18th century
WA: Western Apache N: Navajo
Ch: Chiricahua: M Mescalero
J: Jicarilla L: Lipan
Pl: Plains Apache

3. Keep from practicing?: DISBAR.  A legal term.

4. Fill until full: SATE.

5. Places to recover after going downhill fast: SKI LODGES.  A CSO to MalMan.  When he's not frolicking in tropical lagoons, he spends his time going downhill (but I understand not as fast as in former days).

6. "Sweet!": YES.

7. Farm pen: STY.

8. Over the line: TOO FAR.  For some reason, this hit by Brewer and Shipley was the first thing that popped into my head.  DNK the railway station.  Hand up if you do?

9. Like more expensive art, often: RARER.

10. Awards show host: EMCEE.

11. Genetic molecule translated into protein: RNA.  DNA would have fit as well, so you have to wait for perps.  Here's a simplified view of the translation process. PET PEEVE: I have a lot of problems with orthodox explanations of this process because they employ circular reasoning, a logical fallacy formally known as petitio principii  and commonly called "begging the question".  For example, a key component of the translation process involves a large enzyme (a type of protein) called a ribosome, which is  a complex assembly of various proteins and ribosomal RNA (rRNA).   Thus proteins and RNA are precursors to the synthesis of proteins and RNA.  Thus the premise assumes the conclusion.  Scientists have been trying to explain how this process originated (was "bootstrapped") ever since Francis Crick formulated his famous central dogma in 1958.  So far the explanations all boil down to this:

12. Ultrathin MacBook: AIR.

13. Go-ahead: NOD.

18. Conned: HAD.

19. Short address: URL.

24. Photo sources: NEGS.  NEGATIVES, a term which might seem a little negative to any Gen X,Y, or Zers reading this, i.e. anyone who was raised taking digital pictures with cellphones.   This article will give you much more than you'd  ever want to know about the ancient analogue world of film photography, but it does have a lot of pretty photos.

25. Conference of Magic and Wizards: EASTERN.  That is the NBA conference of the Orlando Magic and the Washington Wizards.  As near as I could tell it has nothing to do with Harry Potter.

26. Assert as true: AVER.

27. Bleak: DIRE.

28. "Woot!": YAY.  A CSO to Anonymous -T.  I hope he's way better by the time he reads this.

30. Rich deposits: ORES.

34. Intense anger: IRE.

35. No-frills drawing style: PEN AND INK.  This is MC Escher's "No-frills" pen and ink sketch,

 the study for this famous lithograph:

Hand with a Reflecting Sphere
MC Escher, 1935

36. "100 Greatest Movie Quotes of All Time" org.: AFI.  I think we can all guess #1 -  here are all them  from the American Film Institute.

AFI is also an abbreviation for A Fire Inside, an American rock band from Ukiah, California, formed in 1991. Since 1998, it consists of lead vocalist Davey Havok, drummer and backing vocalist Adam Carson, bassist, backing vocalist and keyboardist Hunter Burgan, and guitarist, backing vocalist and keyboardist Jade Puget. Originally a hardcore punk band, they have since delved into many genres, starting with horror punk and following through post-hardcore and emo into alternative rock and gothic rock.  Here's their emo hit Leaving Song Pt. II from their Platinum album Sing the Sorrow:

37. Traditional March 14 desserts: PIES.  That date comes every year on 3.14, and is celebrated with homophonic PIs by geeks everywhere.  And I'll betcha raspberry pi is -T's favorite flavor.

38. Break-even proposition: WASH.

39. Oldest city in Hawaii: HILO.  Around 1100 AD, the first Hilo inhabitants arrived, bringing with them Polynesian knowledge and traditions. Although archaeological evidence is scant, oral history has many references to people living in Hilo, along the Wailuku and Wailoa rivers during the time of ancient Hawaii. Oral history gives the meaning of Hilo as "to twist", no doubt the origin of everybody's favorite crosswordese dance.  Hilo was about 800 years old when this picture was taken in 1907 (not bad for a film camera).

Hilo, Hawaii 1907

40. Half up front?: HEMI. HEMI as in "half";  "up front" as in "prefix",  as in HEMISPHERE:

41. Gritty, in a way: RAW.

44. Thinking alike: IN SYNC.

46. "No objection here": OK BY ME.  Sounds like these conversers are IN SYNC.

47. Enter en masse: PILE IN.  This clue was last seen on the Corner in a DAB puzzle on October 20th, 2022, reviewed by -T (who co-incidentally illustrated his theme title with a lithograph by MC Escher).

48. Like bad cell reception: SPOTTY.

50. Teams: SIDES.

51. Intense anger: WRATH.  As in DIES IRAE ("Day of WRATH"), the Latin poem used in the Catholic Office for the Dead.   Here's Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducting a commemorative performance of Verdi’s Requiem on the 20th anniversary of 9/11:

52. McKellen who plays Gandalf: IAN.  Here's Ian McKellen in what is for me the most memorable  scene in the Lord of the Rings.  It expresses not only WRATH, but intense SADNESS: (spoiler alert: don't watch this if you haven't seen LOTR; you owe it to yourself to see the whole saga first):

53. Martini ingredient: GIN.

57. Matured: AGED.  I didn't know that GINS could be AGED.  You might have to give away your AGE to get into this site.

58. Newton fruit: FIG.

59. Overnight option: INN.

60. DOD intel arm: NSA.  No Such Agency is just down the pike from where we live.

61. Living-in-harmony principle: TAO.  Good advice whatever your beliefs.

62. "To All the Boys" novelist Jenny: HAN.  Jenny Han is an American author of young adult fiction and children's fiction. She is best known for writing The Summer I Turned Pretty Trilogy which was adapted into a TV series of the same name beginning in 2022 and is still ongoing.  Here's the trailer for one of the stories, To All the Boys I've Loved Before:

Cheers,
Bill

As always, thanks to Teri for proof reading and for her constructive criticism. 

waseeley

Damon Gulczynski,  you are invited to post anything you'd like to share about this puzzle, its evolution, the theme, or whatever, in the Comments section below.  We'd love to hear from you.

 

Wednesday, December 28, 2022 - Julian Lim

D-V-S

I really don't know much about Julian Lim except he's a deft constructor. I'm pretty sure he's had at least two other LATs this year and, while maybe on the more difficult side, his are always fun.  Also, Lim has some NYT grids, so that's cool.

Wait, hang tight...

With Props to HG for some background: Dr. Lin (my appologies, good Dr.) holds a B.S. in Psychology from Duke and a PhD from The University of Pennsylvania in the same discipline. I wonder if Eldest has crossed his research. [Eldest is working towards PhD in Psych at GM].
If I'm to trust my Google-fu, Dr. Lin continues research in cognative/sleep depravation at the Centre For Sleep and Cognition, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore. And, apperently, Dr. Lin, has time to entertain word-play. [bet he doesn't sleep either]
//Oh, he'd have a field-day in our house. I think Eldest went into Psych [PhD candidate in 4.5 more years!] just to undo me :-)

Enough of the couch...
Let's breakdown the themers:

17. Actress who wrote the 2022 memoir "Dying of Politeness": GEENA DAVIS.

Oh! Her. Bettlejuice.WikiP 

24. Expeditions made by freegans, say: DUMPSTER DIVES. I don't know if this is still a thing but freegans are (were?) anti-corporates who look for food(?!?) in the trash. It was the hipster thing to do there for a while.
The other type of Dumpster Diving is inre: hacking - reconnaissance to find important documents $corp$ #HackTarget tossed. (Shreaders!, people. shreaders).

42. Policy debate sides during an international conflict: HAWKS AND DOVES. Those who want to release the dogs of war and those that try to appease.

58. Prima donnas: OPERA DIVAS. I'll let waseeley take this one. All I can think of is #Karens.

35. Sly, and a phonetic hint to the pattern in the last words of 17-, 24-, 42-, and 58-Across: DEVIOUS. D-V-S. Dig?

Cute theme, no? Last words in *clues are D_V_S with diffent vowels thrown in to make 'em words.

Across:
1. Title of respect: MA'AM. Don't forget to doff your HATS (64a), gentlemen.

5. Suffix with "Wrestle": MANIA.

10. Stinging insect: WASP. Fire ant was too long.

14. Both: Pref.: AMBI. When my (Army) Bro bragged he had two girlfriends, DW quipped: "AMBI and Dextrous?"

15. Scent: AROMA. Smell #1

16. Prepared to veto: ANTI. Don't know why I just noticed but veto is an anagram of vote.

17. [See: theme]

19. House spot: SEAT. Cute. Said about a sold-out show, "Not a SEAT in the house."

20. Spike Lee heist film starring Denzel Washington: INSIDE MAN.

Actually looks really goood.

21. Croquet sites: LAWNS.

Alice plays Croquet

22. Hawaii's "Valley Isle": MAUI.

23. Groovy: FAB. FAB-U-lous.

24.[See: theme]

30. Born in: FROM. "Where you from? No, really from?" caused a Royal todo recently.

32. Beer foam: HEAD. Aha... Guinness

Guinness Foam

33. Longoria of "Telenovela": EVA. No clue.

Eva for the Gents

34. Olympic swimmer Thorpe: IAN. Australian with five (5) gold medals.

Ian for the Ladies

35. [See: theme]

38. Band's job: GIG. (CEO) Bro's got a Dad-Band. They Gig for beer.

39. Bay Area airport letters: SFO. San FrancisO International Airport. We learned last week there's two BART-lines in/out.

40. Scent: ODOR. Smell #2

41. Black-tie party: GALA.

42. [See: theme]

47. Onyx, for one: GEM. A dark-blackish stone. Wanna know more? Click here.

48. Freeway sign: EXIT.

Downtown Houston

49. Stop and go: VERBS. Cute. I was stuck in traffic for a moment.

52. Competition with rockets: SPACE RACE. USA is back in it with Artemis but this time v. China.

I can watch this over and over. 

 All the mission tapes are stored 

here in Houston at JSC. I got to see the vault once!*

57. Hertz rival: AVIS. Car rental rivals.

58. [See: theme]

59. Afternoon fare: SOAP. What, no sandwich? Kenny & Ziggy's does the best chicken-noodle & grilled-cheese to head-off a head-cold. Ain't cheap but it's tasty & effective.
//I just caught this: [See: my 51d fill when the V-8 finally clanked against my skull].
The c/a refers  to afternoon Telenovelas and NOT lunch | SOuP. Can I blame #dyslexia for missing this for so long? :-)

60. More sage: WISER. [See: 1d MAGI]

61. Half of dix: CINQ. Todays French lesson. Five is half of ten.

62. Playwright Kushner: TONY. A) great 1st name B) Anthony Robert Kushner is an American author, playwright, and screenwriter. Lauded for his work on stage he's most known for his seminal work Angels in America which earned a Pulitzer Prize and a Tony Award. [WikiP] C) (and I looked this up) no relation to Jared.

63. Derisive sound: SNORT. Or what some people do when they laugh [guilty].

64. "__ off to you!": HATS. Bravo!

Down:
1. Crèche figures: MAGI. #Learning: Crèche (Brit) is a nursery and ('Merican) a Baby-Jesus Manger model. //And here I thought it was French for something. (WikiP says Latin(?))

2. Blessing ender: AMEN. Now dig in. //Pop's lasagna was *chef's kiss*

3. Hollywood's Vigoda and basketball's Saperstein: ABES.

Vigoda

Saperstein

I was thinking the Basketball-guy was someone current. Check this bit of #Learning: Abraham Michael Saperstein (July 4, 1902 – March 15, 1966) was the founder, owner and earliest coach of the Harlem Globetrotters. Saperstein was a leading figure in black basketball and baseball from the 1920s through the 1950s, primarily before those sports were racially integrated.
Saperstein revolutionized the game of basketball and took the Globetrotters from an unknown team touring small farm towns in the Midwestern United States during the height of the Great Depression to a powerhouse that went on to beat the best team in the all-white National Basketball Association. He also introduced the three-point shot, which went on to become a mainstay of modern basketball.
Wow!

4. Least amount: MINIMUM. "It's the Least I could do." "Yes, I believe it is." :-)

5. Reconciled: MADE UP. I love the c/a. MADE UP is also conjure. Took me a second to see see two kids shaking hands / reconciling after a brawl.

6. One of the Musketeers: ARAMIS. Ha! I looked this up 'cuz of ZORRO last week and... being curious paid-off.

7. Old Chevy model: NOVA. I'll let those that owned one comment.

8. "Sounds like a plan!": IM IN. Hold my beer.

9. Thin batteries: AAS. Hand-up if you almost ink'd AAA. //I still didn't have GEENA DAVIS yet.

10. __ peas: WASABI. My kids love these (and they'll clear your sinuses!)

11. All over again: ANEW. From the top!

12. Comics icon Lee: STAN. Stan made a cameo in Marvel Movies of the characters he created (and then some). If you were a child of the '50s and had your comics burned 'cuz they'll melt your mind - that was my '80's re: video games.

Stan Lee - Corruptor of Youth

13. La Brea Tar __: PITS. From the Redundant Office of Redundancy.

18. Maroon 5 lead singer Levine: ADAM. Name.

21. Actresses Cheryl and Diane: LADDS. Cheryl gave it away. I didn't know of Diane LADD.

23. German woman: FRAU. You know I'm compelled to do this:

24. "What am I supposed to __?": DO NOW? I mean, with a fill like FRAU...

25. "Hot corner" base: THIRD. Baseball! It's called the Hot Corner because, typically, the three-bagger plays closest in on the infield.

Maybe this helps

26. Job listing inits.: EEO. Equal Employment Opportunity. Did anyone else miss the memo that it was no longer EOE (Equal Opportunity Employer)?

27. "What happens in __ ... ": VEGAS. Stays in Vegas... including your gambling money.

28. Wicked: EVIL.

29. Drawn-out account: SAGA.

30. Sneakily probe (for): FISH. Fishing for an answer; fishing for a complement. Not to be confused with Phishing for a password or ABE Vigoda.

31. Nadal of tennis, familiarly: RAFA. Rafael Nadal has won 22 Grand Slams [Tennis].

35. Medical units: DOSES. Who else was thinking M*A*S*H-plural(?)?. My (Army) Medical (Reserve) unit was based out of Bossier City, LA. So, me getting to DOSES took a V-8 dope-slap.

36. Semisoft cheese: EDAM.

37. 2016 Super Bowl MVP Miller: VON. Perps. WC, HG, help us out :-)

41. Make a bundle: GET RICH. You can build a better mouse-trap or a better Ponzi scheme #NFTs

43. Cold War agent: KGB SPY. A spy for Komitet Gosudarstvennoy Bezopasnosti, the precursor to Kaos(?).

44. More highly cherished: DEARER.

45. Vehicle pulled by yoked animals: OXCART. Is that one word or two? And, if it's a OX CART, shouldn't the oxen be in it? You know, like an apple-cart? (You don't see apples pulling apple-carts down the street). We should be told. #SteveM

46. Contended: VIED. "I coulda been a vie'er!"

49. Stretching on and on: VAST. And if it's a story... SAGA.

50. Vinaigrette ingredient, briefly: EVOO. Extra Virgin Olive Oil. I import from Italy (though Greece & CA has some good ones too).

51. "Knives Out" filmmaker Johnson: RIAN. *Googles who(?)* Wait - It's not RIuN? I didn't get soup for lunch? Oy! I FIW!?!
//hangs head, waits for dunce-cap, and I'm familiar with the stool in the corner. Cue: everyone point & laugh.

52. Washer cycle: SPIN. Your Maytag.

53. Manila money: PESO.

54. Sneaker brand: AVIA.

55. "__, or won't?": CAN'T. Priorities, people.

56. Legal honorifics: Abbr.: ESQS. Python's sketch pops to mind (sorry folks). Starts with Evening Squire

58. Yelps of pain: OWS. Here's a question: Do you yell OW! before you've checked to see if you actually hurt yourself?

The Grid:

The Grid
//Green highlight is gratuitous :-)

Thanks Julian for the fun, it's nice to see your by-line again. (Even though you got me at SOuP.)

WOs: N/A
ESPs: GEENA DAVIS, IAN, EVA, ADAM (as clued) VON, RIUN | TONY
FIW: I really do like soup on wintery afternoons.
Fav: FISH & ABE Vigoda in the same grid. I don't know if that was Julian's intent but, I like it.

I hope everyone had a wonderful time with Lim's puzzle and the Hollidays.
Come into The Corner, take off your jacket, and talk about either. (Er, puzzle | hollidays - I'm not really concerned about your coat (unless it's a real nice light-wieght warm one - where's it FROM?)).

Cheers, -T
*JSC video vault contains films from all the missions from Apollo to current. As I scanned the shelf, my heart fell when I saw there was only one slot labeled STS-25 (Challenger).

Tuesday, December 27, 2022 Margaret Seikel

"Boot Up" is the reveal and makes for an apt title.   And heads up, it's an LA Times Crossword debut for Margaret. 

Hi all !  Anonymous T(tp) here, subbing for Hahtoolah.    No cartoons, but I did hide three Easter eggs.   Can you find them ?

This puzzle was a real doozy.  Let's get right at it.

The reveal is BOOT UP.  Read the starred clues from the bottom up, and look for a famous boot name.

6. *Small child, facetiously: ANKLE BITER.   The first one is the heralded RE-TIB, made by ELK, NA.   These boots are commonly known as Wapitits because of the company name.   They feature two hooves in the front, and sport the instantly recognizable big white rump on the back of the heel.   The TIB was original men's version.    The redesigned RE-TIB model shed the decorative antlers after numerous product liability lawsuits were filed.    Not my cuppa, in either the original or redesigned version.  

10. *Endangered cat that turns white in winter: SNOW LEOPARD.  Boot # 2 is the equally famous DRAPO EL WONS.    I got a pair of these stylish winter boots for Christmas, and let me tell you, yes, they are "As-advertised."   They are the warmest winter boots I've ever had.    These heavily lined boots were originally made near the lowlands of Mont Blanc and marketed heavily in the French newspaper LE MONDE, using the French word drapeau, meaning woolen cloth maker.   I think they were a little too clever targeting an international market, combining French, Spanish and English.   It's been debated as to whether the intent was to be "The Winners" or "The Ones."    Regardless, look for these at high-end retailers.

Wait.   Cool your jets.  Hold the phone.  This just in.   That's not what's going on here.  Not even close.

Just read the first word (the "Up" word) in each of the theme answers, and add Boot to it.

6. *Small child, facetiously: ANKLE BITER.   - Ankle Boot

10. *Endangered cat that turns white in winter: SNOW LEOPARD. - Snow Boot

16. *Salad of corn and black-eyed peas that originated in Texas: COWBOY CAVIAR.  - Cowboy Boot.

26. *Sleeping option that lacks a box spring: PLATFORM BED.  - Platform Boot.

32. *Cinnamon roll with currants: CHELSEA BUN.  - Chelsea Boot.

62. Start, as a computer, and what each answer to a starred clue has?: BOOT UP.

That makes a lot more sense.   Down running theme answers, and the up (first, top) word is a style of boot.   I knew each of the styles by name except for Ankle and Chelsea.  

15 x 16 grid today.   A fine puzzle, Margaret.  Feel free to comment.

Across::

1. Enclosure for changing into a swimsuit: CABANA.   You might find one poolside when you take some time off to spend at at a relaxing resort in the southern climes.   

7. One of the original Seven Sisters schools: VASSAR.  The Hudson Valley college in Poughkeepsie that was named for a brewer.

13. Roused from sleep: AWOKEN.  Disturbed.

14. French daily paper: LE MONDE.  It's read at Notre Dame.  The one in Paris. 

15. Mostly shaved hairstyle: MOHAWK.   DeNiro's haircut in "Taxi Driver."

16. Commutes with co-workers: CARPOOLS.   HOV lane users.

17. __-mo replay: SLO.  The instant replay feature that often takes too long to review.

18. Arm joints: ELBOWS.  They're brutally effective in hand to hand combat and self defense. 

20. Foolish sort: TWIT. 

21. Like some GameStop merchandise: PRE-OWNED.  Used.

23. Units of wt.: LBS.   My New Year's resolution was to lose ten of them.  Only twelve more to go.

24. Home screen array: APPS.  Applications shown on your phone or browser.

27. __ and weaves: BOBS.   How a boxer moves to avoid getting hit.

28. Issa of HBO's "Insecure": RAE.   No relation to Norma.

30. __ monster: GILA.  The venomous lizard of the Sonoran desert.  Venomous, but not normally fatal to healthy adult people.   Any stories, Yuman  ?  Or anyone that's been to that desert ?
 
31. Ad abbr. for "seeking": ISO.    Do you think that ... ?  Is it true  ...  ?   Am I SO out of touch I don't know what ISO means ?   In search of.

32. Uses crayons: COLORS.  Stay between the lines.  Thems the rules.

35. Travel discount provider: AAA.  And a small battery size.

36. Courtroom fig.: ATTY.  A professional in briefs. 

37. Many a Woodstock attendee: HIPPIE.   I believe Lemonade said he was there.  Yasgur's farm, Bethel, N.Y.  

38. Chant: INTONE.  Enunciate slooowly.

 
40. Prompted on stage: CUED.   The forgetful actor was fed a line.

42. Get on in years: AGE.  Mature.  Maybe.  Maybe not.

43. "That's cheating!": NO FAIR.  "I was robbed!"

44. The Hawks, on scoreboards: ATL anta.   I must commend ATLGranny for always projecting such a positive attitude.   Not to take away from the other positive minded people here; it's just that I had that opening with ATL.  

45. __ and proper: PRIM.  Like many schoolmarms ?

46. Greenlights: OKS.  Approves.  Thumbs up !

47. Numbered rds. in a city: AVES.   Not so much in Chicago.  Generally, avenues here are named.

48. Stirs in: ADDS.  Combines.  The verb.  Not the generic name of the harvesting equipment.

49. Time off, briefly: RNR.  Rest and R (elaxation, ecuperation, ecreation, ...) Pick one.

51. Completeness: ENTIRETY.  The whole kit and caboodle.

54. Rhythmic foot: IAMB.   The metrical foot in poetry.

56. Hebrew prophet: ISAIAH.  Michelangelo painted him on the Sistine Chapel ceiling.

57. Relaxing resort: SPA.   A place to get some RNR.

60. "I expect more from you": DO BETTER.  "Improve, or else!"

64. Retired, as a professor: EMERITA.  Honored in academia.

65. Orders for regulars: USUALS.   The regular customers, and what they'll order.

66. 2022 documentary about actor and activist Poitier: SIDNEY.   Great actor.   The documentary is on Apple TV+

67. Weed with stinging hairs: NETTLE.   Plan on 30 to 45 minutes of stinging pain if you come in contact with a Texas Bull Nettle.   Click the pic for a close up.

Down:

1. Pic takers: CAMS.   Incredible overhead shots of the Argentinians celebrating.  I'm happy for Messi.

2. GI sought by MPs: AWOL.  I knew a few that received an Article 15 under the Uniform Code of Military Justice for not reporting for duty, but never knew anyone that got written up for the much more serious charge of being AWOL.   That's Article 87 of the UCMJ.  I just looked it up.

3. __-chic: 37-Across-influenced style: BOHO.  Boho-chic.  Bohemian stylish.  "While boho and hippie fashions have certain things in common, boho is more about encouraging a more romantic appearance and a more nomadic way of living.  Hippie and boho fashions both attempt to break away from conventional dress. Boho fashion, in contrast to hippie fashion, has no political roots."  - All news to me.

4. Alias letters: AKA.  As in, "Chicago, aka the Windy City, the City of Big Shoulders, or the Second City, is noted for ..."

5. Next gen: NEWER.  Next gen has become a marketing buzzword, and may or may not represent any real improvement or advancement in a product or service offering.  So it's often only hype, but it sells better than using descriptors like last gen or old gen. 

7. Song segment: VERSE.  Second verse, same as the first. 

8. Concert device: AMP.   The Story of the Marshall Amp.   Thanks, Dash T !

9. Chimney grime: SOOT.  How does Santa's suit stay so clean ?

11. Improvise on stage: AD LIB.  Spontaneous remarks or actions.  Riffing.  Sometimes by the forgetful actor that wasn't cued.

12. Takes five: RESTS.  A five minute RNR ? 

14. Grassy yards: LAWNS.  A coworker who was also a neighbor relocated here from Arizona, and hated mowing his large back yard, and also hated paying to have it mowed.  He hired a landscaping company to spray with a non-selective systemic herbicide, and then had them blanket the whole kit and caboodle with truckload after truckload of stones and rocks.  Apparently it wasn't enough to remind him of home, or maybe it was the winters, because as soon as he retired he moved back to Arizona. 

19. Helpful push upward: BOOST.   Physical, emotional or career wise. 

21. Anti-vaping spot, for short: PSA.  Public Service Announcement.  The current PSA encourages parents to "Get your head out of the cloud, and to talk to your kids about vaping."  Just so you know, nicotine is the third most addictive substance behind heroin and cocaine.

22. Sci-fi robot: DROID.  Abbreviated from android, I suppose.

24. "Can you repeat that?": AGAIN.    I said, "abbreviated from android, I suppose."

25. Baby grand, e.g.: PIANO.  Unlike baseball, the active player sits on the bench.

29. Swiss mountain: ALP.  

 Click here to open the enlarged version of this map

33. Inflexible: RIGID.   Are we talking about a character trait, or are we describing the physical properties of certain materials ?   I suppose the clue and answer works either way. 

34. Looks like: SEEMS.  Seems to me, you just turn your pretty head and walk away.

36. Licoricelike herb: ANISE.   Depending on the dish, a little goes a long way.

39. Acorn tree: OAK.  Squirrels love them.

41. Wombs: UTERI.   Gestation stations.

45. Pick up the tab: PAY.   Treat. 

47. Completely confused: AT SEA.   Is anyone puzzled by this ?

49. Uber offerings: RIDES.  Cedar Point attractions: Rollercoasters.  Rides.

50. Model Campbell: NAOMI.  Not just model.  1990s Supermodel.

52. __-gritty: NITTY.   The essentials.  The crux of the matter.  "Let's skip the chit chat and get down to the nitty gritty."  Brass tacks.

53. That and that: THOSE.  Them ones.  No, that's not correct.  It's them thar ones.

55. Swiss capital: BERN.   Zoom in, zoom out.  The ALPs shown in 29D are southeast of Bern.

 

57. Sports fan's datum: STAT istic.

58. Injure, as a muscle: PULL.  Been there, done that.

59. Cathedral recess: APSE.  The view from a pew.

61. Even score: TIE.   Baseball games rarely end in one. 

63. Not at home: OUT.   Gone fishin', perhaps.  I'm out.  Next time I'll try to do better.