Tuesday, April 25, 2023 Jennifer Lee and Victor Galson

Milk:  It's not just dairy anymore.  Cow's milk vs plant milk, it's quite controversial.

18-Across. Slopes accessory: SKI MASK.  Skim Milk

26-Across. Inauguration text: OATH OF OFFICE.  Oat Milk.  You can make you own at home.

38-Across. Baha Men hit single: WHO LET THE DOGS OUT.  Whole Milk.

52-Across. Dystopian thriller starring Charlton Heston: SOYLENT GREEN.  Soy Milk.  What is Soy Milk, anyway?

And the Unifier:

64-Across. Ad campaign featuring white mustaches, and a hint to the starts of the answers to 18-, 26-, 38-, and 52-Across: GOT MILK?  This puzzle gives us two forms of cow's milk and two plant-based milks.

Across:

1. American marsupial, familiarly: POSSUM.  Occasionally a Possum / Opossum will wander through our yard and we live in the city.

7. "__, Brute?": ET TU.  Today's Latin lesson.

11. Swimmer's unit: LAP.

14. Military maneuvers?: SALUTES.

16. Speckled horse: ROAN.  A Roan is a horse of a different color.

17. Rideshare driver's guess: ETA.  As in Estimated Time of Arrival.

19. French pals: AMIS.  Today's French lesson.

20. Oinker's pen: STY.

21. Autocorrect target: TYPO.  This is becoming a crossword staple.

22. Online store icon: CART.

24. TV collie: LASSIE.

28. "Searching for Italy" host Tucci: STANLEY.  Although considered as a character actor, Stanley Tucci (b. Nov. 11, 1960) has been in numerous films where he really shines.  My favorite Stanley Tucci movie is Big Night.   [Name # 1.]

31. Stackable cookies: OREOS.  A crossword staple.  The company is always trying different frosting innards to make some unique flavors of their cookies.

32. Bagel-shaped: TORIC.  Everything you wanted to know about a Torus, but didn't know to ask.  How to make your Bagel into a mathematically correct breakfast treat.

33. Jog: TROT.

35. X-ray kin: MRI.  As in Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

43. Alley-__ pass: OOP.  In basketball, an alley-oop is an offensive play in which one player passes the ball near the basket to a teammate who jumps, catches the ball in mid-air and dunks or lays it in before touching the ground. 

44. Unsubtle actors: HAMS.

45. Buenos __: AIRES.  I took my parents to Buenos Aires to celebrate their 80th birthdays.  It was a fabulous city to visit.

46. One on the Pacific Crest Trail, say: HIKER.  The Pacific Crest Trail runs from the Washington State-Canadian border to the California-Mexican border. 

49. Revolved around: ORBITED.

55. Get started on, as a problem: TACKLE.

56. Ear-related: OTIC.

57. Border: EDGE.

61. 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup champs: USA.  FIFA is the French abbreviation for the Federation Internationale de Football Association.  Football in this context is really soccer.  The FIFA was founded in Paris on May 21 1904 by representatives from Belgium, Denmark, France, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

62. Airbnb alternative: VRBO.  As in Vacation Rentals By Owner.

66. Put down: DIS.

67. Currier and __: IVES.  Currier and Ives was a printmaking company known for its lithographs.  Many of their prints were of Christmas scenes, landscapes and significant historical scenes.  They occasionally ventured into political cartoons and illustrations of current events.  The company was founded by Nathaniel Currier (Mar. 27, 1813 ~ Nov. 20, 1888) in 1835.  His partner in the company was James Merritt Ives (Mar. 5, 1824 ~ Jan. 3, 1895).  [Names # 2 and 3.]

68. "Forget it!": NO SIREE!

69. Chicago-to-Orlando dir.: SSE.  It's a South-SouthEast drive from Chicago to Orlando.

70. State bird of Hawaii: NENE.  Everything you wanted to know about Nenes but didn't know to ask.

71. Holiday treats served with applesauce: LATKES.  Yummers.  A Chanukah staple.  Latkes are potato pancakes that are traditionally eaten during Chanukah because they are fried.  They symbolize the miracle of Chanukah when the oil of the menorah in the Temple kept the flame alive for eight days even there was only enough oil for one day.

Down:

1. Attention-getting hiss: PSST!

2. Like wine aged in certain barrels: OAKY.  Not to be confused with Oat milk

3. __ of the tongue: SLIP.

4. Japanese wrestling form: SUMO.

5. The NBA's Jazz, on scoreboards: UTA.  The basketball team, Jazz, formerly of New Orleans (hence the name), is now located in Salt Lake City, Utah.

6. Smoky liquor made from agave: MESCAL.

7. Muse of poetry: ERATO.

8. Celebrity chef Colicchio: TOM.  I am not familiar with Tom Colicchio (né Thomas Patrick Colicchio; b. Aug. 15, 1962), but apparently he has been a judge on Top Chef.  [Name # 4.]

9. Customize for: TAILOR TO.

10. Treacherous: UNSAFE.

11. "You're trying too hard": LESS IS MORE.  This phrase was adopted with the architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (né Maria Ludwig Michael Mies; Mar. 27, 1886 ~ Aug. 17, 1969).

Van der Rohe's iconic style of Less is More.

12. Scary story?: ATTIC.  I guess an attic is a scary place to venture into.

13. Venmo recipient: PAYEE.  The name Venmo comes from vendere, Latin for "to sell," and "mo" for mobile.

15. Enjoy the roller rink: SKATE.

23. Part of R&B: RHYTHM.

25. Bay Area hub, for short: SFO.  The San Francisco International Airport.

26. __ in a blue moon: ONCE.  According to Britannica: The term blue moon originated from the 16th-century expression “the Moon is blue,” meaning something that was impossible.  For two years following the eruption of the Krakatoa volcano in Indonesia in 1883, people around the world reported seeing strangely coloured sunsets and a Moon that appeared blue.  With this possible, but uncommon, occurrence, “once in a blue moon” came to mean rare rather than impossible.

27. Comestibles: FOOD.

28. NYC nabe near Little Italy: SOHO.  SoHo is an acronym for South of Houston Street in New York City.  It is a neighborhood that features galleries, and high-end commercial and luxury boutiques.

29. Place to store cups and bowls?: TROPHY CASE.

30. Feel unwell: AIL.

32. Pair: TWO.

34. Vacation spot: RESORT.  My ideal spot would be on the beach.

36. Regretted: RUED.

37. "__ go time!": IT'S.

39. "I can't believe they did that!": THE NERVE!

40. Like Key lime pie: TART.  Yummers!

41. Acquire: GAIN.

42. Word often said while holding a treat: SIT.

47. Kind: ILK.

48. Temperature unit: KELVIN.  The Kelvin temperature scale is a scale where there is an absolute zero, below which temperatures do not exist.  Absolute is the temperature where molecular energy is at a minimum.  Absolute zero is -273.15 Celsius.  The temperature scale is named after William Kelvin (1824 ~ 1907), a physicist and mathematician.  He proposed the concept of this temperature scale over 170 years ago.  How to convert Kelvin to Fahrenheit.  [Name adjacent.]

50. 1952-2022, for Queen Elizabeth II: REIGN.  Her Majesty the Queen.  

51. "Don't embarrass me": BE COOL.

52. Small earrings: STUDS.

53. Fertile desert spot: OASIS.

54. Bird in a gaggle: GOOSE.  But did you know that a bunch of crows is called a murder?

57. Let off: EMIT.

58. NBA great Nowitzki: DIRK.  Dirk Werner Nowitzki (b. June 19, 1978) is a German former professional basketball player.  He had a long career with the Dallas Mavericks.  [Name # 5.]

59. Mirth: GLEE.  It's also the name of a television musical about a high school glee club that ran from 2009 to 2015.

60. Squeezes (out): EKES.

63. Actor Kingsley: BEN.  Sir Benjamin Kingsley (né Krishna Pandit Bhanji; b. Dec. 31, 1943) has starred in numerous films.  He won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Gandhi in 1982 movie of the same name.  [Name # 6.]

65. Airport safety gp.: TSA.  As in Transportation Security Administration.

Here's the Grid:

חתולה

Monday April 24, 2023 Brian Callahan

  

Hello Cornerites!

Today's title is a tribute to the Little Old Ladies of the Corner. We love reading your insights, comments, and stories!

Our constructor is Chicagoan Brian Callahan. We met him earlier this year when he collaborated with Katie Hale on this puzzle. Congratulations on your first L.A. Times solo grid, Brian!!

Brian has packed an impressive 5 lengthy themers plus a brief reveal into his puzzle.  Here they are:

17 Across. Palm crease read by fortunetellers: LINE OF LIFE.

24 Across. Wash unit: LOAD OF LAUNDRY.  

36 Across. Esports giant from Riot Games: LEAGUE OF LEGENDS.  New to me. It was easy enough to guess for the puzzle but I had to look it up in order to explain it to you.

Esports is a term for competitive video gaming.

Riot Games, Inc. is an American video game developer, publisher and esports tournament organizer based in Los Angeles.

LEAGUE OF LEGENDS, commonly referred to as "LEAGUE", is a 2009 multiplayer online battle arena video game developed and published by Riot Games.

46 Across. Illinois nickname: LAND OF LINCOLN.  A CSO to Brian's home state. President Abraham Lincoln lived in Illinois for 31 years. 

I knew this one from their license plates.

57 Across. Letter ender similar to XOXO: LOTS OF LOVE.  

The reveal is the very last Down clue:

60 Down. Response to a funny text, and a hint to this puzzle's five longest answers: LOL.

Across:

1. Desert plants on Arizona's state quarter: CACTI.  CSO to our Cornerite Arizonans!

6. "Succession" cable network: HBO.

9. Mr. Potato Head limbs: ARMS.  I think maybe the humor here is that he has feet but no legs???  

13. Feature of many a clock app: ALARM.

14. "Sunday Night Baseball" nickname: A-ROD.  Alex Rodriguez

16. Lye, to a chemist: NAOH.  Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH)

19. "__ Murders in the Building": Hulu series: ONLY.  

Season One teaser (2021)

20. Really angry: MAD.

21. Malty beer: ALE.  Anything "beer" with 3-letters, I guess ALE or IPA. Interestingly, the A in IPA stands for ALE. So is this one of those things where all IPAs are ALEs but not all ALEs are IPAs?

22. __ party: BRIDAL.

In 27 Dresses (2008), Katherine Heigl played a character who was in 27 BRIDAL parties.

In this scene, she shows James Marsden the dresses she wore. (2:39 min)

28. Backyard border: FENCE.  "Good FENCEs make good neighbors" is the theme of this Robert Frost poem.

29. "Gangsta Rap" rapper: ICE-T.

30. Gem: JEWEL.

31. Ring up: CALL.  

33. Persian Gulf fed. with seven members: UAE.  The 7 members of the United Arab Emirates are Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al-Quwain, Fujairah, and Ras Al Khaimah.

40. Old Mac platform: OSX.  Operating System X

41. Superficially cultured: ARTY.  

This cartoon made me think of Friday's puzzle
and today's 2 Latin clues, 51A and 2D.

42. Wall-climbing vines: IVIES.  

predecessor to rooftop gardens???

43. Spanish "other": OTRA.  Spanish adjectives are challenging because we have to wait for perps to see if they will be masculine or feminine (like this one).

45. Hunter who shines at night?: ORION.  

Look for him November - February.

51. Latin for "as originally positioned": IN SITU.

Example sentence from the internet:  At Titan, the on-going Cassini mission has been providing a rich dataset of IN SITU measurements of the ionosphere.

Today's assignment: work this phrase into your next Starbuck's order and report back on the response.

52. Slangy turndown: NAH.  

53. Wager: BET.  Wanna BET Calvin's mom was not happy when she walked into the kitchen?

56. Frozen dessert brand: EDY'S.

61. Chap: GENT.

62. Type: SORT.  Oh...the noun!  

63. __ the Riveter: ROSIE.  

link to an article from The History Channel

64. PC bailout keys: ESCS.  

Keyboarding tip:  The Esc key can be faster when you are in a stack of nested dialog boxes where each Cancel button is in a different position. Instead of chasing the Cancel buttons around your screen with your mouse, just keep pressing Esc until all the dialog boxes are closed.

65. Spanish "today": HOY.  

66. Last name of the "Full House" twins: OLSEN.  

10 times twins shared an acting role

Mary-Kate and Ashley OLSEN

Down:
1. Relaxed: CALM.  

2. Et __: and others: ALIA.  (Latin) We usually see et al. This is from grammarly.com:

Et al. is an abbreviation for et alia (neuter plural). But it can also be an abbreviation for et alii (masculine plural), or et aliae (feminine plural). This phrase means “and others.” Most commonly, et al. indicates other contributors (authors, editors, etc.) in a bibliographic list. There should always be a period after et al. to show it is an abbreviation.

3. Drip from a menorah: CANDLE WAX.

4. Final album in the Green Day trilogy that includes "¡Uno!" and "¡Dos!": TRÉ  

I got mixed up thinking about this U2 song:

Vertigo (2004)

5. "As I see it" shorthand: IMO.  In My Opinion, it is no surprise that AISI didn't catch on.

6. Winnie-the-Pooh greeting: HALLO.

7. Legal write-up: BRIEF.  

Tighty Whitie takes the stage.

8. Gasp of pain: OOF.

9. Appropriate rhyme for "appoint": ANOINT.

10. Dept. that tests new products: R AND D.  Research AND Development

In the pharmaceutical world, the average R AND D for a new drug is from $1 billion to more than $2 billion dollars.  source

11. Back tooth: MOLAR.

12. In a timid way: SHYLY.

15. Utter fiasco: DEBACLE.  (noun) a sudden and ignominious failure; a fiasco.

Example:  a zeppelin filled with hydrogen. #Hindenberg.

18. Grow dim: FADE.

23. Regret: RUE.  

25. Universal donor's type, briefly: O NEG.  

26. First Amendment advocacy gp.: ACLU. and 33 Down. Labor leader: UNION BOSS.

27. Activist Ledbetter for whom the 2009 Fair Pay Act is named: LILLY.  

Born April 14, 1938 in Jacksonville, AL, she was the plaintiff in the
2007 U.S. Supreme Court case Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.
regarding employment discrimination.

28. Bank add-ons: FEES.

30. Half of Bennifer, familiarly: J.LO.  Jennifer Lopez married Ben Affleck last year. In 2003 they starred together in Friday's puzzle's 52 Down movie, Gigli.

Ben + Jennifer = Bennifer.

Coincidentally, she started dating 14 Across A-ROD in 2017, became engaged to him in 2019, and ended the relationship in 2021.

Meh.

31. Reef makeup: CORAL.  OTOH, I am much more interested in this answer.

an underwater video of a coral reef

amazing ... beautiful ... CALMing

32. Away from the bow, on a boat: AFT.  as in AFTer the front

34. Yemen coastal city: ADEN.  ADEN is found in the Old Testament's Book of Ezekiel. source

35. Snaky letter: ESS.  

37. Lengthy rebukes: EARFULS.  (noun) [informal] A prolonged amount of talking, typically an angry reprimand.

38. Big name in bike and snow helmets: GIRO.  I just checked. Mine are GIROs.

At first the company only made bike helmets so the name referred to a circuit or tour, as in a cycling competition.

Bike (left) & Snowboarding (right)
I wear them to protect my grape!

39.  Really, really bad:  EVIL and 50 Down. Really, really bad: NASTY.

43. Laudatory poets:  ODISTS.

44. Tyke:  TOT.

45. Nueve menos uno: OCHO.  9-1 = 8

46. Feudal lord: LIEGE.  When I looked this up, I kept finding pictures of LIEGE waffles. recipe

47. South American mountain range: ANDES.  3 Fun Facts:

• The summit of Mount Chimborazo in the Andes is the planet's tallest point when measured from the Earth's center.
• The Andes are the longest mountain chain in the world.
• Potatoes and tomatoes originated in the Andes.  (Gotta love them for that!!)

48. Justin Timberlake's former band: NSYNC.  1995's BTS

49. Many a 101 course: INTRO.  true clue!

54. 1960s pop singer Sands: EVIE.  Born 1946 in Brooklyn, NY. She was the first artist to record the classic song Angel Of The Morning, but her version was overshadowed by Merrilee Rush's when legal problems rendered Evie's single out of print.

Juice Newton's 1981 cover of Angel Of The Morning

55. Many a character in YA fiction: TEEN.  YA is Young Adult. These are books written for readers between the ages of 12 and 18.  Need to buy a present for a YA? Check out this list:  Time Magazine's 100 Best YA Books of All Time

58. "__ la la!": OOH.

59. Move to and __: FRO.

And that is the Last Of the List!
Here's the grid:

FWIW, I count 18 +1 L's and 21 O's. That's 21% of the white squares. So about 1 in 5 of the letters is either an L or an O.

That's all for today. Have a great week!

Sunday April 23, 2023 Garrett Chalfin

Theme:  "In the End"  - N sound is added to the end of each common phrase.

23. Exclamation at a Chinese New Year parade?: WHAT A DRAGON. What a drag.

25. Homemade cat costume?: DIY KITTEN. DIY kit.

42. Havana cigar that hits all the right notes?: PERFECT CUBAN. Perfect cube.

65. Evian, e.g.?: WATER TITAN. Watertight.

67. To whom a young sea monster goes for advice?: WISE KRAKEN. Wisecrack.

87. Unusually low tax bill?: LITTLE BURDEN. Little bird.

105. So tired of eating pork for breakfast?: OVER BACON. Over-bake.

107. Observation at a zoo's big cat exhibit?: THAT IS A LION. That is a lie.

Another LAT debut. Congrats, Garrett! And a Sunday. See here. He's only 18. Stunning.

This theme often daunts me, esp when spelling changes are involved. I just lack the basic English knowledge and imagination needed to pull off this type of theme. 

Lots of great fill in this grid.

Across:

1. 2006 NBA Finals MVP Dwyane: WADE. With the Miami Heat then.

5. Wiccans, Druids, etc.: PAGANS.

11. Start of an idea: GERM.

15. Soaks (up): SOPS.

19. "I wasn't finished!": WAIT.

20. Greetings: HELLOS.

21. Old music halls: ODEA. Plural of "odeum".

22. Atmosphere: AURA.

27. Sammie: SUB. Xi'an style. So good.

28. Ilhan of Congress: OMAR.

29. Lunch spot, for short: CAF.

30. Spoke without a sound?: ELIDED.

31. Crime drama character: COP.

33. Buffalo NHL player: SABRE. Can't remember which team Splynter roots for.

35. Pixar fish: DORY.

36. Chocolate chips and walnuts for banana bread, perhaps: ADD INS.

37. Very soon after: UPON.

39. Steamed bun: BAO. Actually "baozi".  No one says "bao" alone in China. Cha siu bao, Xiaolongbao, etc. So so good.

40. Sound from a pen: OINK.

41. Untamed: WILD.

45. Motivation: DRIVE.

47. Bathroom or kitchen device: SCALE.

48. BTS genre: K POP. Just look at this practice video for "Butter".  Talk about professionalism.  The guy in khaki shorts is Jimin, my favorite.

49. Schoolyard retort: ARE SO.

50. Old den device: VCR.

53. "__ Miz": LES.

56. [I have to explain this again?]: DEEP SIGH.  Also 72. "You'll see--this'll be easy!": IT'S A SNAP.

58. __-chic: BOHO.

59. Like a rave review: FIVE-STAR.

63. Mario Kart participant: RACER.

64. Euripides tragedy: MEDEA.

69. Affirms: AVERS.

70. Morgan of Arthurian legend: LE FAY.  The sorceress.

73. Barber's tool: COMB.

74. Fizzless drink: FLAT SODA. No sodas in our fridge now.

76. Early Beatles bassist Sutcliffe: STU.

77. Hosp. theaters: ORS.

78. CBS sportscaster Phil: SIMMS. Wikipedia says he spent his whole career with the New York Giants.

79. Camper's snack: GORP.

81. Charter: LEASE.

86. Songs: TUNES.

90. Family nickname: PAPA. Baba in Chinese.

91. Biceps, slangily: GUNS.

92. Melber of MSNBC: ARI.

93. Urge on: GOAD.

94. Whine tearfully: SNIVEL.

96. "Sula" novelist Morrison: TONI.

97. Viswanathan who was the first chess grandmaster from India: ANAND. He's a Hindu.

99. Texting nicety: PLS.

100. Clemson athletes: TIGERS.

101. Fix, in a way: RIG.

102. Disdainful sounds: TSKS.

103. Trawling need: NET. Steve's father-in-law was a fisherman for many years. The guy probably still fishes. The other 2% is Vikings blood, Jayce!

111. Drudge: PEON.

112. Swag: LOOT.

113. Had a victory: WON ONE. Homophones.

114. Unaided: SOLO.

115. Avec's opposite: SANS.

116. Giant fair: EXPO.

117. Sunset shade: ORANGE.

118. Freshly: ANEW.

Down:

1. URL letters: WWW.

2. "That hits the spot": AAH.

3. Scattered population: DIASPORA. Greek in origin, meaning "scattering".

4. "Julius Caesar" accusation: ET TU.

5. Prof's deg., often: PHD.

6. Stunt pilot: AEROBAT.

7. Campy 1970s music genre: GLAM ROCK. David Bowie!

8. Sushi roll exterior: ALGAE. Nori seaweed.

9. Former Queen of Jordan: NOOR.

10. Tax form digits: SSN.

11. Stop posting on social media, say: GO DARK.

12. Enlighten: EDIFY.

13. "Summertime Sadness" singer Lana Del __: REY. I love her "Young and Beautiful". Incredible voice.

14. Words said after lighting birthday candles: MAKE A WISH.

15. Went unused: SAT IDLE.

16. Eclipsed: OUTDID.

17. Groom feathers: PREEN.

18. Smooths, as wood: SANDS.

24. Crunch time target?: ABS. Ab crunch.

26. "Amor & Pasión" popera vocal group: IL DIVO. Learning moment for me.

29. Hartford's st.: CONN.

31. Beer pong receptacles: CUPS.

32. Gp. founded in Baghdad in 1960: OPEC.

34. "The Bachelor" network: ABC.

35. Luvs product: DIAPER.

38. Org. for Cardinals and Saints: NFL.

40. Concert wind: OBOE.

43. Fishers with pots: EELERS. You can see that fisherman. Taiwan brand. Tastier than the frozen eels at the Asian grocery stores.

44. Kite aids: UPDRAFTS.

45. Least rainy: DRIEST.

46. Go back: REGRESS.

49. Pictures of characters: ASCII ART.

50. Cape Cod alcohol: VODKA.

51. Sound from a nest: CHEEP.

52. Equine hue: ROAN.

54. NYC hrs.: EST.

55. Jojo Moyes novel about a woman starting a new life: STILL ME. Unfamiliar with the book or the author.

57. Furry foot: PAW.

58. Lima __: BEAN.

59. Party gift: FAVOR.

60. Inventory list: ITEMS.

61. Move or groove: VERB.

62. Top squads: A TEAMS.

64. Longtime Takei role: MR SULU. Iconic.

65. Texas city featured in most "Fixer Upper" episodes: WACO.

66. "One Mic" rapper: NAS.

68. Actress Dennings: KAT.

71. Hindu or Buddhist spiritual leader: YOGINI.

74. "No refunds" transaction: FINAL SALE.  The fill is  78. Top-notch: SUPERB.

75. Polka __: DOTS.

80. Sea food: PLANKTON. Consonants-heavy.

82. Joule fraction: ERG.

83. Animal shelter goal: ADOPTION. My neighbor wants me to adopt a dog for company. Sadly I can't even take care of myself.

84. Letter closer: SEAL.

85. Wraps up: ENDS.

86. Bars: TAVERNS.

87. Organ with alveoli: LUNG.

88. Blackboard chore: ERASING.

89. Receptacle: BIN.

90. Bird in Mo Willems books: PIGEON.

91. Start discussing: GO INTO.

94. Timetable listings: STOPS.

95. Skin care brand in blue containers: NIVEA.

96. Girl Scout's outfit?: TROOP.

97. Lotus position, e.g.: ASANA.

98. Genetic letters: DNA.

102. Hammer-wielding superhero in Marvel films: THOR.

104. Older "Frozen" sister: ELSA.

106. Actress Courteney: COX. She'll always be Monica Geller to me.

107. Couple: TWO.

108. Understand: SEE.

109. Flamenco shout: OLE.

110. This second: NOW.

C.C.