Theme: Ultimate Business/Leisure Suit - Two word entries starting with the same two letters but not just any two letters. The two letters stand for pajamas but not just any pajamas. They represent the attire that publisher Hugh Hefner wore while conducting his business from the Playboy mansion.
18A. *Wealthy executive's plane : PRIVATE JET
39A. *Preparation using crushed Bartletts, say : PEAR JAM
63A. *Cheese with a bite : PEPPER JACK
3D. *Pizza Hut rival : PAPA JOHN'S
35D. *Ordinary-looking gal : PLAIN JANE
65D. Magazine mogul, familiarly, known for dressing in the sleepwear hinted at by the answers to starred clues : HEF
Argyle here. I felt the theme was a little flat with the feeling I'd seen it before. Still, it's tough getting all those jays in there. No complaints. The lack of long non-theme entries kicks up the word count.(80)
Across:
1. Have the blues : MOPE
5. Blackens : CHARS
10. Time gone by : PAST
14. Historical times : ERAs
15. Cooperstown's "Hammerin' Hank" : AARON. Cooperstown is the Baseball Hall of Fame location.
16. Mystical old letter : RUNE
17. Ductwork sealer : TAPE
20. Commercial suffix with Motor : OLA. (Motorola)
21. Barfly : SOT
22. Gourmand : EPICURE. Tuesday words.
23. Took issue : OBJECTED
26. Sheets with shopping reminders : LISTS
27. Midwest tribe : OTOE
28. Sea eagles : ERNEs
31. Search engine giant : YAHOO
33. Meadow bleats : BAAs
34. Omar of "House" : EPPS
38. Writer Rand : AYN
42. Lav, in Bath : LOO
43. Slob's creation : MESS
45. Zone : AREA
46. Online business : E-TAIL
48. Breath mint with Retsyn : CERTS
50. Indian garment : SARI
51. Episcopal chapel leader : VICAR. I watch "The Vicar of Dibley" ocasionally.
54. Emulate Gregory Hines : TAP DANCE
58. Kazakh-Uzbek border lake : ARAL SEA
61. Help-wanted notice? : SOS
62. __ in Juliet : J AS
65. Heavenly instrument : HARP
66. As to : IN RE
67. California/Nevada border lake : TAHOE
68. Covetousness : ENVY
69. Like a useless battery : DEAD
70. Leaves : EXITS
71. Lawyer's charges : FEES
Down:
1. "Ditto" : "ME TOO"
2. Pulsonic toothbrush brand : ORAL B
4. Opposite of WNW : ESE
5. "In Cold Blood" writer Truman : CAPOTE
6. Western writer Bret : HARTE
7. Shipping magnate Onassis : ARI
8. Wander : ROVE
9. Go ballistic : SNAP
10. Accurate : PRECISE
11. Served in its natural gravy, as roast beef : AU JUS
12. Viking family dog of comics : SNERT. He is Hägar's pet; Helga's pet is Kvack, the duck.
13. French heads : TÊTÊs
19. Roofing material : TILE
21. Exclusive story : SCOOP
24. DDE's command : ETO. Dwight D. Eisenhower / European Theater of Operations
23A. Being on hands and knees? : SCOURING POSITION. Scoring position.
45A. Follow the proverbial crowd? : VENTURE FOURTH. Venture forth.
67A. Soda fountain? : SWEET SPOUT. Sweet spot.
71A. Town boor in a western capital? : SALEM'S LOUT. Salem's Lot.
92A. Auto equipment supplier? : RADIATOR HOUSE. Radiator hose.
117A. Prescription for extremely potent medicine? : OUNCE IN A BLUE MOON. Once in a blue moon.
14D. One hyping the spud industry? : TATER TOUT. Tater tot.
78D. Court case involving a British tennis player and a rake? : ROUE V. WADE. Roe V. Wade. Not familiar with Virginia Wade. Very accomplished career.
Alan Olschwang is the constructor who used to give us a quote/quip puzzle every Thursday in our old Tribune Media Daily days.
Read my interview with him here. He retired 4 years ago.
Alan Olschwang, ACPT 2005
Across:
1. Bar stock : RYES. So many fun bars in Guangzhou/Hong Kong.
5. Work on copy : EDIT. And46D. Work on copy : REVISE
9. Student of Socrates : PLATO
14. Lemony characteristic : TANG. Also the name of the big Chinese dynasty whose capital was in Xi'An.
18. Carefree walk : AMBLE
20. Cowboy quarterback Tony : ROMO
21. Red River capital : HANOI
22. Botanical cover : ARIL. Interested to see when Rich will clue it as "pomegranate seed".
26. Small monkey : TITI
27. Closet accessory : HANGER
28. Fill fully : SATE
29. Ain't the way it should be? : ISN'T. Nice clue.
30. Bring home : EARN
31. Schooner drivers : SAILS
33. Many an outdoor eatery : CAFE
35. Red in a cellar : MERLOT
37. Story surprise : TWIST. Like the end of "Call Me Maybe". I think only Jayce watched the whole thing when I linked it two years ago.
41. Remains on the shelf : SITS
43. Beginning to exist : NASCENT
48. To such an extent : INSOFAR
52. '70s Israeli prime minister : MEIR. My "Call Me Maybe" guy Daniel Craig is in"Munich" too. Who is your "Call Me Maybe" guy or girl?
53. Ahead of, in verse : ERE
54. Honey source : BEE
55. Seuss's "The 5000 Fingers of ___" : DR T
56. Indic language : URDU
57. Clear : ABSOLVE
59. Enduring work : CLASSIC
61. "The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas" author : STEIN. Who else could it be? I support some sex marriage!
62. High crime, briefly : DUI
63. Asserted one's innocence, perhaps : PLED
64. Frequent co-star of Sylvester : TALIA (Shire)
66. Bust gp. : DEA
73. __ de mer : MAL
74. Not natural : EERIE
75. Low wetlands : FENS
76. Little, in Lille : PEU. Un peu.
77. Activist Medgar : EVERS. I only learned today that he was assassinated.
79. Place to go when it rains : INDOORS
81. Stomach-related : GASTRIC
85. His show had a "Jaywalking" segment : LENO
86. "Haven't we __?" : MET. Our Splynter is too shy.
87. Family that's not kin : MOB. Great clue as well.
88. Hindu honorific : SRI
89. Lanford Wilson's "The __ Baltimore" : HOT L
90. Emotional wounds : TRAUMAS
95. Like clay pots : EARTHEN
97. "Right away!" : ASAP
98. Cohort of Threepio : ARTOO. 3PO & R2-D2.
99. Support for the Lone Ranger? : SILVER. His horse.
102. Finished a flight : ALIT
104. Leaves alone, in a way : STETS
106. Once more : ANEW
107. Pelvic bones : ILIA
109. Pouting grimace : MOUE
111. Butting heads : AT ODDS
116. Dial alternative : LAVA. Dove for me.
120. Toy on a hill : SLED
121. Stuck up? : TREED. Tricky clue.
122. Alike, to Alain : EGAL. Somehow Alain Delon was very popular in China in the late 1980s.
123. American of Japanese descent : NISEI. Ni=Two/Second.
ISSEI is First-generation Japanese-American. Is = One/First. SANSEI is
third-generation. San = Three/Third. SEI means "birth" literally.
124. Sailor's direction : ALEE
125. "The Gondoliers" lass : TESSA. Total unknown.
126. Idea beginning : GERM
127. __ pilot : TEST
Down:
1. Headlong : RASH
2. 1979 disco hit : YMCA
3. Odist's deep black : EBON
4. Vending machine tricker : SLUG
5. Directional finish : ERN. Like western.
6. Less-than-happy lot : DOG'S LIFE. Oh, I've got to share with you a story of how Jose Armenta, an ex-Marine dog handler, eventually adopted his dog Zenit. Nat Geo has a great article. Click here.
7. Thickly applied paint : IMPASTO. This is a new word to me.
8. Binge : TOOT
9. Key letter : PHI
10. Queen of rap : LATIFAH. Queen Latifah.
11. Cordial flavorings : ANISES
12. Homer, for one : TOON
13. Topical medication : OINTMENT
15. Sans serif typeface : ARIAL
16. Big bang material : NITRO
17. Flash : GLINT
19. 1974 Top 10 hit whose title means "You are" : ERES TU
24. "The Stepford Wives" novelist Levin : IRA
25. Flash : SEC
32. Rhone feeder : ISERE
34. Gets in on the deal : ANTES
36. Neon borders? : ENS. Neon.
37. "Game of Thrones" rating : TV-MA
38. Super Bowl III coach Ewbank : WEEB. He stumped me last time. Here he was with Joe Namath (1965).
39. "Last one __ a rotten egg!" : IN IS
40. Proceeded confidently : STRODE
42. Lease prohibition : SUBLET
44. Group of friends : CIRCLE
47. Interpret : READ
49. Corleone traitor : FREDO. Michael Corleone's traitor.
I was preoccupied with the authors of today's puzzle, and did not
immediately look at the grid - but when I did, I was taken aback by the
expanse of white. Very low word and block count today, with the two
triple-stacks top and bottom. I am unfamiliar with these constructors,
but clearly, it's a collaboration. I found today's cluing to be less of
a Saturday level; the only reason this was not a speed run was because I
just didn't know what we were looking for, especially in the triple
spanners;
1a. Nocturnal desert lizards : WEB-FOOTED GECKOS
16a. Column opening : I NEED SOME ADVICE
17a. Gave everything to : TRIED ONE'S BEST AT
46a. Novel republished to commemorate its
2012 centennial : TARZAN OF THE APES
49a. Text following "@" : EMAIL DOMAIN NAME
50a. Appliance used in orthodontics : PALATAL EXPANDER - argh~! right smack in the middle of this clue....
70yrs Onward from D-Day
ACROSS:
18. Crew members : HANDS
19. Actor Flynn : ERROL - Um, this one was just a little too easy for Saturday
20. Demonstrate one's humanity : ERR - To Err is Human
21. They're subject to inflation : EGOs
22. On-call accessory : PAGER
23. Mid-sixth-century year : DLII - Do you know I actually put D-L-I-I in, and said, "no, I better not WAG this and throw off my downs"~?
24. Bug-eyed cartoon dog : REN
25. "Yes __!" : SIREE
26. Convey : BRING
27. Reactions to throat tickles : AHEMs
28. Carroll's caterpillar smokes one : HOOKAH
29. Restaurant with an owl logo : HOOTERS - revised logo
32. Most like a slasher movie : GORIEST - not my genre
33. They might be twisted : ANKLES
34. Sure competitor : ARRID - Deodorants
35. The Renault 5, in North America : Le CAR
36. Common hymn word : BLESS - I can see this being common
37. Recipe meas. : TSP - Teaspoon
40. Circulate : FLOW
41. Martinique volcano : PELEE - I WAGed the "P"
42. Rachel's sister : LEAH - I put BETH in - and that was 50% correct; not up on my Bible "begats"
44. "The Heart of Georgia" : MACON - again, I threw this in, took it out, and then ended up putting it back in
45. New, in Nogales : NUEVA - how do you say "easy" in Spanish~?
DOWN:
1. Shrivel : WITHER - in the down position, I thought I needed an "H" [ whither, which is a totally different word; 'to what place?' ]
2. Madden : ENRAGE
3. Share knowledge of : BE IN ON - does anyone else feel the clue/answer don't quite agree? Share knowledge of - LET in on, that makes sense
4. Gratifies : FEEDS - ah, not SATES
5. Betting figures : ODDS
6. Baja bear : OSO
7. Swingers with pickups : TONE ARMS - for those with an extensive vinyl LP collection
8. Comes out : EMERGES
9. "You Gotta Be" soul singer : DES'REE
10. Show biz sisters' surname : GABOR - ah, Eva & Zsa-Zsa
11. Biographer Leon : EDEL - the only true unknown for me; all perps
12. Walgreens rival : CVS
13. Resembling a high flier : KITE-LIKE
14. Egg-shaped wind instruments : OCARINAS
15. Correct : SET RIGHT
22. Docks : PIERS
23. iPhone competitor : DROID
- I have had my Droid now for two+ years, and all I need is a new
screen-saver, which I ordered this past week; I replaced the battery
last year because it got wet
25. Complete : SHEER - Aw, you know me, I can think of a MUCH better way to clue this~!!!
26. Rocky nemesis : BORIS - from the cartoon, not the boxing movie
28. Silver, e.g. : HORSE - nice misdirection that did not get past me
29. Semitone : HALF-STEP - Like from B to C, and E to F in the key of C
30. Nash priest, not beast : ONE-L LAMA
The one-l lama,
He's a priest.
The two-l llama,
He's a beast.
And I will bet
A silk pajama
There isn't any
Three-l lllama.
31. Tombstone location : OK CORRAL
32. Pollution control assessment : GREEN TAX
34. 2013 John Legend hit : ALL OF ME - OK, so here's another complete unknown
36. "Relax, dude" : BE COOL - I can think of two movies with the line "Be Cool"; Pulp Fiction, and the other is Dusk Til Dawn
37. Frisbee golf starting point : TEE PAD - I have played Frisbee golf, but did not know it was called the tee "pad"
38. Helpless heroine's plea : "SAVE ME~!" - I'm looking for a damsel in distress - "I'll save you~!"
39. Electric guitar effect : PHASER
- The sound effect produced by this resembles a wah-wah/chorus mix; I
have it built into my guitar stompbox, but prefer the flanger sound; there are numerous Van Halen
songs that utilize the sound; it's most effective at the intro of Atomic Punk, but I just don't like the song, so I'll give you Eruption instead
41. It eats shoots and leaves : PANDA - ah, not KOALA
42. Comics daughter of Nancy and Frank DeGroot : LUANN
44. Shake alternative : MALT
45. "99 Luftballons" singer : NENA
47. Bhutto's overthrower : ZIA - President of Pakistan; more from Wiki
Well after you zipped through yesterday's puzzle and marti's fun write up, we have a more normal Friday with smaller word count, but with a visual theme. The reveal is in the middle of the grid, across, and the three theme answers in the Down clues, This requires the solver to read the hidden word from bottom to top, as TIDE is hidden in each of the three theme answers, and the letters are 'rising.' We have had bottom to top theme answers before, so I do not expect this to be as polarizing a puzzle as last week, especially as the puzzle has so many 7,8 and 9 letter fill. ANILINE, ARIANNA, ARMADAS, DIETARY, VIRGINS, YES MA'AM, AVOIDING, INNATELY, PILSNERS, REMNANTS, ANNAPOLIS and DANDELION, three of which are new to the LA Times. Comparatively light on proper names, you all should have some fun here. This is Maryland's Frank VIRZI's third LAT, I blogged his first back in 2010, but he is obviously very prolific.
35A. Boat lifters found in this puzzle's three longest answers : RISING TIDES.(11).I like the definition of 'boat lifter' to be the rising tide; Alabama under Nick Satan was a rising tide, now we will see if they will ebb.
4D. Bank offerings : CREDIT LINES.(11). Many years ago these loans were unsecured, not any more. Picture reading from right to left and the TIDE emerges.
7D. Journalism bigwigs : MANAGING EDITORS. (15). I know our learned audience will help me understand the dynamic of the Managing Editor and the Publisher in a working newspaper.
26D. Journeys of discovery : EXPEDITIONS. (11). Another nice definition which required perp help, but as it was down, it was there.
Across:
1. Gush forth, as chimney smoke : BELCH. Really, how PC. As a child we had 24 hour smoke billowing from the textile mill furnaces, I have read about smoke being belched out, but never seen it. We lost our factories, the air was better but there were no jobs.
10. Fix, in a way : SPAY. Never understood this euphemism; I certainly would not feel fixed, and would...
14. Foil : AVERT. any such plan, as it would ruin my...
15. Pace : GAIT. No desire to be an Unsullied, no thank you.
16. Old Milano moola : LIRE. Personally, being paid in Milano cookies sounds appealing.
17. Shakes, as a tail : LOSES. These days, with drones and tracking devices and gps in your phone, a detective's life sounds easier. It reminds me how with the advent of caller ID, television mysteries had to resort to the 'burner' phones to explain why they did not catch the bad guy when he called.
18. Capital on Chesapeake Bay : ANNAPOLIS, One of the new fill, and odd that no mention of the capital of Maryland, or the home of the Naval Academy ever appeared in a LA Times puzzle. How many love the Maryland crabs from the bay?
20. Lost traction : SLID.
21. Drug initially studied for use in treating angina : VIAGRA. After hanging their clip boards of data gingerly for a while, it occurred to the Pharma that the other use might be profitable. Is it me, or was pairing with 21D. Vestal __: Roman flame tenders : VIRGINS a Freudian gesture from Mr. Virzi? More virgins? 33A. Carmelite, e.g. : NUN. The mountain from which they were founded. LINK.
22. To whom Ilsa said "I'll hum it for you" : SAM. She was so beautiful. (4:05).
23. Shying away from : AVOIDING.
25. Natural dye : HENNA. I was thinking about getting a Henna tattoo to freak my kids out, what with father's day coming up and all.
27. Advise : MENTOR. A favorite word and a lost art.
28. Nest egg item, for short : IRA. Individual Retirement Account.
31. Spinoff of TV's "Hercules" : XENA. Lucy Lawless, what a great name!
32. Place for a cast : LEG. Not at the end of the movie.
34. Buckingham buggy : PRAM. The benefit of all the British mystery fiction is knowing what Steve grew up learning in person. A new Martha Grimes hit the stands yesterday. Welcome back Richard Jury.
38. Port near the Red Sea : ADEN.
40. Alumni directory word : NEE. Is this fair, or should it have said ALUMNAE directory word?
41. Chap : LAD.
42. Winter coat : RIME. Not related to:
43. Nursery supply : SOD. Not Desitin, or talcum powder.
44. Reply to "No, you couldn't have!" : I DID SO.
48. It was founded in Oxford in 1946 : MENSA. I did not know this, do I have to give up my membership?
50. From the start : INNATELY.
52. One-time connection : AT A. Not a connection that has been lost, but one that connects one and time.
53. White terrier, for short : WESTIE. They look odd. LINK.(2:48).
56. California's Mission Santa __ : INES. Not up on my California Missions but have been to many really old ones in Florida.
57. Aster relative : DANDELION. I did not know this. Wild Flower or WEED?
59. Schubert's "Eine kleine Trauermusik," e.g. : NONET. From the Latin meaning 9, as they require 9 instruments. Otherwise, JzB, please HELP!
60. Martial __ : ARTS.
61. French 101 infinitive : ETRE. être ou ne pas être.
62. Make nasty comments : SNIPE. The kind that hurt people. Clecho: 64A. Make nasty comments : CUSS. The kind where the words are unacceptable, but not necessarily mean.
63. GPS part: Abbr. : SYSTem. Global Positioning System.
65. From Nineveh: Abbr. : ASSYR. Eeeeek. Is this an abbreviation of Assyrian? Am I an Americ? Assyria is now known as Iraq.
Down:
1. Fragrant fir : BALSAM. A common choice for Christmas TREE.
2. Develop gradually : EVOLVE.Like the various Corner blogging styles.
3. Sore spot : LESION. I like this clue/fill a lot and I am not sure why
5. Abbr. after Cleveland or Brooklyn : HTS. In my schools they came from Shaker Heights.
6. "Come __?" : AGAIN? I did not hear you.
8. Sign of engine trouble, perhaps : PING.
9. One billed higher than the rest : STAR. In my world they are called senior partners.
10. Traffic warning : SLO. Is it really worth removing the 'W?" Two days in a roW?
11. Pale lagers : PILSNERS. My beer brewing sons would be very unhappy with this clue/fill. All Beer is either Lager (cold bottom fermentation) or Ale (warm top fermentation). Pilsners (named after the city in Czechoslovakia where the style was created) are a form of lager, though most are golden in color. They are pale compared to the more robust lagers. Your basic Beck's, Heineken and the like are pilsners.
12. Author Huffington : ARIANNA. Her Huffington Post was bought by AOL for $315 Million; if interested you go to this LINK.
13. Polite assent : YES MA'AM. Many women under 35 find this greeting very offensive.
19. Tuba note : PAH. And its friend OOM.
24. Executes : DOES.
29. Track : RUT.
30. Dye-making compound : ANILINE.
35. Leftovers : REMNANTS. Hi honey, let's have some remnants for supper.
36D. Natal opening : NEOnatal.
37. Word from a crib : DADA. Or the now familiar TV staple, "get off my turf, mofo."
38. Seagoing forces : ARMADAS. The tale of the defeat of the SPANISH ARMADA in 1588 was a riveting one when I was in grammar school.
39. Like many supplements : DIETARY.
45. Hall of Fame pitcher Eckersley : DENNIS. Eck who went from being a successful starter to being a great reliever when he was traded to Oakland and manager Tony LaRussa and pitching coach Dave Duncan. STATS. He started with Cleveland but was traded when his wife had an affair with another Cleveland player. He also was traded from the RedSox to the Cubs in the deal that brought Bill Buckner to Boston.
46. Nodding : SLEEPY. Which makes me want to go to bed, but then...
47. Bed denizen : OYSTER. if ever I wake up and find an oyster in my bed I am going to be livid.
49. Leave dumbstruck : AWE.
51. Dressing extreme? : NINES. Origin per askville: "Dressed to the nines, or dressed up to the nines are merely a version of the phrase that is applied to clothing. That is first cited in John C. Hotten's A Dictionary of Modern Slang, Cant, and Vulgar Words, 1859 as: 'DRESSED UP TO THE NINES', in a showy 'recherché' manner."
54. Monthly pmt. : ELECtricity. This is an extruded clue/fill as you do not pay your Elec, you pay the bill.
55. As found, with "in" : SITU. Latin, and familiar to all from the TV CSI type shows.
59. Surveillance org. : NSA. National Security Agency A timely fill that keeps coming up in the puzzles and the news.
June is here, soon it will be summer and the days will start getting shorter again; in the meantime I hope you enjoyed this puzzle and have a pleasant week end. Father's Day is coming
Lemonade out.
Notes from C.C.:
1) The third Minnesota Crossword Tournament will be held on June 22, 2014 at The Landmark Center in Saint Paul. Please clickhere
for more information. Now they have a short bio of each constructor.
2) JD emailed me these two wonderful pictures. She said:
"Yesterday (June 4 Wednesday) the coven had our yearly trek over to Dodo's, and had a lovely
time. Dodo was in good spirits and seeing Lucina makes this trip extra
special. We could have spent the whole afternoon, after a delicious lunch,
chatting, but unfortunately the drive takes us 2 1/2 hours if we get on the
road before the commuters.
BTW, Garlic Gal did a spectacular job of weaving thru the truck traffic and
the back seat in her car was most comfortable. Couldn't even tell it was 92
outside with the AC."
L to R: Chickie, Lucina, Garlic Gal, JD, and Dodo.
13. Former Riverfront Stadium player : RED. Home of the Cincinnati Reds (baseball), it was later renamed "Cinergy Field" until it was demolished in 2001.
21. Chopper topper : ROTOR. I was off on a whole different tangent...
22. Provoke : ROIL.
26. Flibbertigibbet : TWIT. Love the word "flibbertigibbet," but I would have had a tough time coming up with the correct spelling. Now I know!
28. Ewe or doe : SHE.
29. Pay attention in class : LEARN.
30. Drizzly : WET.
31. Many a character in TV's "The Americans" : SPY. Never saw the show.
35. Quick on the uptake : APT. As in, "He was an apt student."
36. Opposite of nuts? : SOUP.
37. Italian dessert : TIRAMISU.
38. Raucous call : CAW.
39. Popular exercise regimen : TAE BO. TAE BO is a portmanteau of tae kwon do and boxing.Total body fitness, really intense. I will stick to t'ai chi, thank you very much.
40. LAPD alert : APB. All points bulletin. It may also be a BOLO: "Be On the Lookout." Or an ATL: "Attempt to locate."
42. Cold Stone Creamery purchase : CONE. Last week we had A&P, which is a local chain in the Northeast, and now we have Cold Stone Creamery, which only has locations in MA, CT and RI. I guess Häagen-Dazs would be too easy for a Thursday? [Update: Cold Stone Creamery is nationwide.]
57. Fleece-lined boot brand : UGGS. So named because of their ugliness.
58. Gear tooth : COG.
59. Mayo to mayo : ANO. Spanish May to May, and year.
Hasta la próxima semana!
Marti
Note from C.C.:
1) Happy 20th wedding anniversary to our sweet Misty and her husband Rowland! What's the special planning today, Misty? (Sorry I goofed, Irish Miss.)
Misty & Rowland 2009 (15th Anniversary Party)
2) Happy Birthday to dear TTP (Took The Plunge), the unsung hero of our blog. TTP patiently guided me through each trouble this blog faced the past few years and is always there when I'm in need. He's one of the very few regulars that I've talked on the phone. Don't know if he hooks or slices on the golf course, but he used to be a good bowler until he hurt his back. He served Uncle Sam as well.
Theme: Precious Stones - The start of each theme entry can follow "diamond" to create a sparkle-related noun.
Hi gang! Steve here with Mike P's latest. Pretty smooth sailing; I didn't see the theme until the reveal which gave me that nice "Oh! I see!" moment.
17A. *Computer logic game named for a warship : MINESWEEPER. Diamond Mine. Pre-internet, this was one of the biggest PC-based time-vampires(Solitaire was the other).
24A. *Loose-leaf organizer : RING BINDER. Diamond Ring
37A. *Upscale golfwear brand : CUTTER AND BUCK. Diamond Cutter. The immensely-talented Annika Sorenstam was one of their most famous pitch-people.
46A. *Recruiting specialist : HEADHUNTER. Diamond Head. This seems to be the odd man out of the theme entries as it's the only one not directly related to the gemstone itself - it's a volcanic cone overlooking Waikiki beach in Honolulu.
58A. Phoenix-based ballplayer, and what the start of each answer to a starred clue can be : DIAMONDBACK. Arizona's team. Quick, C.C. - excluding the ambiguous Yankees and Mets, how many other Major League Baseball teams are named for their state, not their city?
(From C.C.: 8? How do you classify the Twins then? It's named after the Twin Cities.)
Tidy enough theme and no trip-ups or gaffes for me, as smooth sailing as a Wednesday could be. What else caught my eye?
Across:
1. Elevators, in Leeds : LIFTS. Gimme, for me. I lived in Leeds when I was a little kid. The city's major department store, Schofield's, had a lift operated by an attendant; thrilling for a 5-year old.
6. Milo of "Ulysses" : O'SHEA.
11. Squelch : GAG
14. Classic soap : IVORY. I was thinking along the "Days of Our Lives" lines first.
15. Complete, for short : THORO
16. Gold, in them thar cerros : ORO. Loved this clue.
19. Novelist Umberto : ECO
20. Place to pick up litter? : PET STORE
21. "__ better to have loved ...": Tennyson : 'TIS
23. Radical '60s gp. : SDS. "Students for a Democratic Society" group. The original was dissolved in 1969; it formed anew in 2006.
36. Elevator innovator : OTIS. I can't recall if he made the Leeds lift; it was a long time ago!
40. Indochina country : LAOS
41. Elevated for driving : TEED
42. "Draft Dodger Rag" singer Phil : OCHS. I knew the singer, didn't know the song.
43. Entertainer : ARTISTE
45. Durable wood : ASH
49. eHarmony.com abbr. : SWM. Single White Male. Seems it should be "caucasian" these days.
52. Leaves at Starbucks? : TEA
53. Like herb gardens : AROMATIC. Herb. Erb. No, I still can't say "erb".
56. Serious hwy. violation : D.U.I. What's the difference between "Driving Under the Influence" and "Driving While Intoxicated"? Some states seem to have one, some the other.
61. NASDAQ debut : I.P.O. Initial Public Offering of stock in a company, aka Get Rich Quick for a few.
62. Like some seals : EARED
63. Minolta competitor : LEICA
64. Mark, as a survey box : X-IN
65. PowerPoint unit : SLIDE
66. WWII surrender celebration : V.E. DAY. Cue street parties and public displays of affection. This coming Friday marks the 70th anniversary of the Normandy landings on D-Day, 1944.
Down:
1. Favors one side : LIMPS. Because "crooked match-fixing referee" doesn't fit.
2. Like some college walls : IVIED
3. Assortment in a formatting menu : FONTS
4. Cuatro menos uno : TRES. Math class en español today.
5. Fed. Reserve, for one : SYST. The banking system in the U.S. There are 12 Federal Reserve banks identified by the letter/number combination on the banknote. A1 is Boston, L12 is San Francisco. I learned them all when I moved here for no good reason.
6. '90s "SNL" regular Cheri : OTERI
7. Polished look : SHEEN
8. Old school dance : HOP
9. Before, to Blake : ERE
10. __ valve: heart part : AORTIC. The other three are the mitral, tricuspid and pulmonary. Quick research shows that "mitral" has appeared once in the LAT crossword back in 2007. The others are still eagerly awaiting their debut. Aortic leads the pack with a mighty ..... two, including today.
11. Splits the tab : GOES DUTCH. Do the Dutch "Go English" and do they have a couple of pre-battle drinks to get "English Courage?".
12. Welding flash : ARC
13. Slime : GOO
18. Fishhook attachment : WORM
22. Communicating regularly : IN TOUCH
25. Endocrinologist's concern : GLAND
26. Give a little : BEND
27. Estrada and Satie : ERIKS. Cue some relaxing piano music from M. Satie.
28. Legal thing : RES
29. Slim, as chances go : OUTSIDE
30. Bowler, e.g. : HAT. When I first started work in an office in London's financial district, the "City gent" uniform was pinstripe suit, furled umbrella, old school tie and a bowler hat. Within about five years, no-one was wearing one anymore.
32. Without __ in the world : A CARE
33. Entry at Bartleby.com : QUOTATION. “The nice thing about doing a crossword puzzle is, you know there is a solution.”
- Stephen Sondheim.
34. There's always a hole in one : GREEN. Pithy play on words with "hole in one".
35. West of Hollywood : MAE
38. Caesarean rebuke : ET TU
39. Fenway team, on scoreboards : BOS. The Red Sox.
40. "Well, __-di-dah!" : LAH
44. Oakleys or Ray-Bans : SHADES. Seems a little odd that there's no "slangily" clue modifier here, but no hesitation with the answer.
45. Elvis' middle name : ARON
47. Under control : TAMED
48. Cut into : ERODE
49. Unemotional : STAID
50. Book of Shadows religion : WICCA. Thank you, crosses.
51. Emmy-winning sportscaster Jim : MCKAY. Funny, I'm a sports nut and I don't think I've heard of this gentleman.
54. 16th-century yr. : MDLV. or 1555 if you prefer. I amused myself mightily a couple of weeks ago by coming up with a 15x15 crossword composed entirely of roman numerals, then C.C. did some digging and found out that it had been done before by Peter Gordon under the heading "The World's Worst Crossword". Dang!
55. Have __ in one's bonnet : A BEE
56. New Jersey fort : DIX. The Romans would call it Fort 509.
57. Press initials : U.P.I. Washington-based news bureau United Press International.
59. Suffix with adverb : IAL. Magisterial, e.g.
60. The 58-Acrosses, on scoreboards : ARI. Cute finish tying into the theme with the final down. Arizona.
Note from C.C.:
Mike's puzzle today was accepted way before my DIAMOND HEADwas
published last Dec. I had been eagerly waiting to see how Mike tackled
his grid. We both had 5 entries, but Mike had a tough 13-letter in the
middle. I had an easy grid spanner. Noticed how our first three theme
entries had the same clue numbers?
17A. "Please let me get my beauty rest" : "I'M TRYING TO SLEEP"
30A. "Too much noise" : "KEEP IT DOWN"
49A. "No one can know" : "IT'S A SECRET"
65A. "Junior needs his nap time" : "DON'T WAKE THE BABY"
41A. Warning that often precedes 17-, 30-, 49- and 65-Across : "SHH!"
Argyle here with our constructor from Zelienople, Pa.(8-13-2013) A fun and unique puzzle today. Eighty words but not that noticeable and two very noticeable grid spanners. The unifier smack in the middle.
Across:
1. A Swiss Army knife has many of them : USEs
5. Halley's __ : COMET. Its next appearance should be in 2061.
10. Crow calls : CAWS
14. Peel in a cocktail : ZEST
15. Stylish : SWANK
16. Nueve preceder : OCHO. Spanish 8, 9
20. Half of a 45 : SIDE A
21. Title for a superior : SIR
22. Loosens, as restrictions : EASES
23. Place for a massage : SPA
25. Hymn finale : AMEN. Sometimes said when the sermon finally ends.
27. Kitchen amts. : TSPs
36. Need to remit : OWE
37. Shopping aid : CART
38. "My __ Amour": Stevie Wonder hit : CHERIE
39. __ toast : MELBA
43. Remove from the board : ERASE
44. Bistro, e.g. : EATERY
46. Ages and ages : EONS
48. Joe and Rose Kennedy's youngest : TED
51. Exceedingly : VERY
52. Burn a lot ... or slightly : CHAR
53. Pink or purple : HUE
55. Wyoming neighbor : IDAHO
58. Altar agreement : "I DO"
61. Make a case : ARGUE
68. Fashion designer Marc : ECKO. Not familiar with him.
69. "Super!" : "NEATO!"
70. U.S. native : AMER. This should generate some comments.
71. Like the ground after a campfire : ASHY
72. Climbing rope material : NYLON
73. Bard's instrument : LYRE
Down:
1. Israeli guns : UZIs
2. Truck stop rig : SEMI
3. Storefront sign abbr. : ESTD. (established)
4. Emotional strain : STRESS
5. Long-running TV crime drama : CSI
6. Possesses : OWNS
7. O. Henry's "The Gift of the __" : MAGI
8. Lure into a crime : ENTRAP. Lure into a corner : rope-a-dope.
9. Ref's decision : TKO. (technical knockout)
10. Lettuce-washing aid : COLANDER
11. Poker "bullets" : ACES
12. Sledding shout : "WHEE!"
13. Soaks (up) : SOPS
18. Run off at the mouth : YAP
19. Does a slow burn : SEETHES
24. Wanted poster initials : AKA. (also known as)
26. Audio jack label : MIC. (microphone)
27. Marisa of "The Wrestler" : TOMEI. She'll always be Mona Lisa Vito to us.
28. Workout output : SWEAT
29. Trapper's goods : PELTS
31. "This can't wait" hosp. areas : ERs
32. Bygone anesthetic : ETHER
33. Speak with pomp : ORATE
34. More sage : WISER
35. Down-and-out : NEEDY
37. Where models stand by models : CAR SHOW
40. Plastic shovel, for one : BEACH TOY
42. Soil chopper : HOE. Is it safe to transplant the tomatoes yet? Maybe.
45. Supporting vote : YEA
47. Ultimate degree : NTH
50. "Holy moly!" : "CRIKEY!". Australian.
51. Spoken : VERBAL
54. Seven-member Mideast fed. : UAE. (United Arab Emirates)
55. Overhead exclamation point, in comics : IDEA
56. HMO staffers : DOCs
57. Egyptian royal cross : ANKH
59. Business agreement : DEAL
60. "Beetle Bailey" bulldog : OTTO
62. Like wild boar meat : GAMY. Who here has had wild boar meat?
63. Over, in Germany : ÜBER
64. Brontë's Jane : EYRE
66. Cape NNW of Cod : ANN
67. Dearie : HON. (presumptuous terms of endearment)
Argyle
Notes from C.C.:
1) Here is a pretty picture of
Chickie's great-granddaughter Cecelia Rose (nicknamed Cece), who was
born on Wednesday May 28, 2014. Cece lives in Tacoma, WA and she's the first great-grandchild for Chickie.
36- hour
old Cece
2)
Happy birthday to dear Owen! When I talked with him last November, he mentioned he preferred to forget his birthday (not surprising after his poem on Sunday). He also said "... knowing how I tend to lose interests in
things, I'll be mildly
surprised if I'm still around then. But I get so much positive feedback
from our supportive group that this might be an exception."
He's still here, entertaining us every morning with his wits, humor & hard work. Thank you, Owen! Now I don't feel a LAT crossword is complete until it's been Owenized.