Wednesday, January 18, 2023, Jason Reich & Katie Hale

Theme: 

 

 27. Downpour, or when parsed another way, what can be found in this puzzle's sets of circles: FALLING RAIN / FALLIN' GRAIN

The circled letters spell four different grains, SPELT, RYE, WHEAT, and RICE. Whole grains A-Z. Because they're all downs, they're FALLING.

We've seen Katie Hale's puzzles before, but this appears to be Jason Reich's debut at the corner. We hope we hear from one or both of you.

Across:

1. Droops: SAGS.

5. Future yearling: FOAL. A yearling is a male or female horse, between one and two years of age.

9. Lengthy test answer: ESSAY.

14. Furrow maker: PLOW. Not BROW.

15. Off course: AWRY.

16. __ lazuli: LAPIS. Intense blue, semi-precious stone. Considered the alternative birthstone for the month of September, together with Sapphires.

17. To whom Rick says, "The Germans wore gray. You wore blue": ILSA. Casablanca.

18. Commits an email faux pas: REPLIES ALL. I once had a (female) boss who accidentally "replied all" with some comments about the sender that should not have been public. I was so glad it wasn't me. Also know a woman who accidentally sent a picture of herself flipping off her cheating spouse ... to everyone on her contact list. The pitfalls of technology are many.

20. Wannabe: COPYCAT.

22. Inscribe: ETCH.

23. Lamb nurser: EWE.

24. Unaccounted for, for short: AWOL. Away without leave.

26. Prop for Gandalf: STAFF. All FIVE Of Gandalf's Staffs (& When They Appear).

29. Reader's Digest co-founder Wallace: LILA.

31. Stink: ODOR.

33. Battery size: AAA. Unless I'm missing something, this couldn't be anything else, since AAA is the only battery size that has three letters (with no numbers). List of battery sizes.

35. Space bar neighbor, on a PC: ALT KEY. The space bar has many neighbors, because of its width. On a Mac, it's labeled  "option."

37. Crowdsourced source, briefly: WIKI.

38. Sass: LIP.

39. Tempter of Odysseus: SIREN. Sirens in The Odyssey were alluring creatures who sang beautiful songs that could drive a man mad just by hearing them. The sirens were one of the first ordeals Odysseus and his crew had to pass through so they could continue on their journey home to Ithaca.

40. Unit of resistance: OHM.

41. Matches a bet: CALLS. Poker.

43. Post-op area: ICU. Intensive Care Unit in a hospital.

44. Challenge: DARE. So many activities turned into a challenge now, like a decluttering challenge. Everything has to be a contest. Remember when cooking shows were just people cooking regular food? Like Julia Child's The French Chef, Jeff Smith's The Frugal Gourmet, and  Graham Kerr's The Galloping Gourmet. I would sit in front of PBS on Saturdays, pre-internet, with a pad of paper to write down the recipes.

46. Undoing: DEMISE.

47. Didn't need to be let out: FIT. Ohhhh ... as in altering clothing. I was thinking dog. Cats of course always need to be let in or out, wherever they're not.

48. "Mamma Mia!" pop group: ABBA.

49. Rider's strap: REIN. Horse rider.

50. Actress Birch: THORA. First I remember paying attention to her was in 1995's Now and Then. On the left below. Melanie Griffith played her adult counterpart.

52. Greenish blue: TEAL.

54. Gimlet liquor: GIN.

57. Classic PC game: MYST.

59. Words of apology: I'M SORRY. My son and I have been watching Curb Your Enthusiasm from first season to current. We're up to season 9 now. Larry David apologizes in virtually every single episode. Warning: language.

61. Salisbury Plain megaliths: STONEHENGE. This is what the Salisbury Plain looked like before Stonehenge.

65. Michigan, for one: LAKE.

66. Justice Sotomayor: SONIA. “There are uses to adversity, and they don’t reveal themselves until tested. Whether it’s serious illness, financial hardship, or the simple constraint of parents who speak limited English, difficulty can tap unexpected strengths.”

67. Adderall target, briefly: ADHD.

68. Plan from a nutritionist: DIET.

69. Lack of musical talent: NO EAR.

70. "Roar" singer Perry: KATY.

 
71. Stops: ENDS.

Down:

1. Rub component: SPICE.

2. Greenlight: ALLOW.

3. Undeniably accurate statement: GOSPEL TRUTH.

4. Convince: SWAY.

5. Like a dreamy look: FARAWAY. Faraway vs. far away.

6. Have because of: OWE TO

7. Dadaism pioneer Jean: ARP. Jean (Hans) Arp.

8. Crocodile in Bernard Waber children's books: LYLE.

 9. Fish that shock prey: ELECTRIC EELS.

10. Beyoncé's "I Am... ___ Fierce": SASHA. 6 facts you might not know about Beyoncé's 'I am... Sasha Fierce'

11. Place for some "me time": SPA.

12. Feel off: AIL.

13. DKNY rival: YSL. Fashion houses. Donna Karan New York and Yves Saint Laurent.

19. Generous response to 59-Across: IT'S OK.

21. January 1 to December 31: CALENDAR YEAR.

25. Like sous vide cooking: LOW HEAT. What is Sous Vide?

28. Stops working: FAILS.

30. Barinholtz of "The Mindy Project": IKE.

 32. Not so bright: DIM.

34. Semicircular church area: APSE.

35. "Dream on": AS IF.

36. Permitted by law: LICIT.

40. Poetic sphere: ORB.

42. French pal: AMI.

45. Embarrass: ABASH. Only see this word in crosswords and books.

46. Hybrid genre: DRAMEDY. Drama+comedy.

51. Labor __ vincit: Oklahoma motto: OMNIA. Latin phrase meaning "Work conquers all."

53. Small cube?: EIGHT. A cube number is the result when a number has been multiplied by itself twice. The symbol for cubed is ³. 8 is a cube number because it’s 2 x 2 x 2 (2 multiplied by itself twice); this is also written as 2³ (“two cubed”). The first ten cube numbers are 1, 8, 27, 64, 125, 216, 343, 512, 729 and 1000.

55. Got to: IRKED. Verb - annoyed.

56. Russian refusals: NYETS.

58. Hardwood used for pricey salad bowls: TEAK. What is teak wood and why is it so great?

60. Shoppe adjective: OLDE.

61. Oft-redacted ID: SSN. Social Security number.

62. In addition: TOO.

63. Number of players needed to play solitaire: ONE.

64. Secret-protecting doc: NDA. Non-disclosure agreement.

Tuesday, January 17, 2023 Rebecca Goldstein

Where's the Beef?  In-N-Out Burger serves Animal Style burgers.  Hopefully the burgers are still made with beef and not the animals depicted in today's puzzle.

3-Down. *  Short stiletto: KITTEN HEEL.

6-Down. *  Updo in a scrunchie, maybe: PONY TAIL.

9-Down. *  Shirt with a snug collar: TURTLE NECK.

51-Across. Option on In-N-Out Burger's not-so-secret menu, or the fashion sense that includes the answers to the starred clues?: ANIMAL STYLE.  In-N-Out Burger is a California-based burger chain, so unless you live in that area, you might not be aware of the various "not-so-secret" menu of their burgers.  That may change soon, however.  Just this past weekend, the company announced it will be opening a restaurant in Nashville, Tennessee.

Across:

1. Some cast-iron cookware: WOKS.

5. Letters on a foundation?: SPF.  As in Sun Protection Factor.  Everything you wanted to know about SPF but didn't know to ask.

8. Singer Redding: OTIS.  Otis Redding (né Otis Ray Redding, Jr.; Sept. 9, 1941 ~ Dec. 10, 1967) was a talented singer and songwriter.  Tragically, he his career was cut short when he was killed in a plane crash at age 26.  [Name # 1.]

12. Reebok rival: AVIA.  Both are brands of running shoes.

13. Husband-to-be: GROOM.

15. "That hurt!": OUCH.  //  And 8-Down. "That hurt!": OOF!

16. Oval Office override: VETO.

17. Trivial: MINOR.

18. On the house: FREE.

19. Doc with an otoscope: ENT.  As in Ears, Nose, and Throat.

20. Component of some paint and nails: ACRYLIC.

22. "More info soon": TBD.  As in To Be Determined.

23. Severe: STERN.  Also the back of the boat.

25. Had a bite: ATE.

26. Angels' auras: HALOS.

28. With crisp resolution: IN HD. High Definition.

29. Currency with loonies and toonies, briefly: CAD.  Everything you wanted to know about Loonies and Loonies but didn't know to ask.  Hi, Canadian, Eh!

I guess there will have to be a new version of the Toonie now that Elizabeth is gone.

30. Kingston with a recurring role on "Doctor Who": ALEX.  Alex Kingston (née Alexandra Elizabeth Kingston; b. Mar. 11, 1963) is a British actress who portrayed Dr. Elizabeth Corday on the television series ER.  She also has a recurring role as River Song on the British series Doctor Who.  [Name # 2.] 

31. Textspeak qualifier: IMHO.  In My Humble Opinion, I am not keen on this type of cluing.

32. Leveling strips: SHIMS.

34. "You only live __": ONCE.  YOLO!

36. Nourish: FEED.

37. Prefix meaning "primitive": PALEO-.  It's also a trendy diet.

38. Recover: HEAL.

39. Causing goose bumps, maybe: FREAKY.

41. Clobbers: WHACKS.

43. French couture monogram: YSL.  Yves Saint Laurent (né Yves Henri Donat Mathieu-Saint-Laurent; Aug. 1, 1936 ~ June 1, 2008) was a French fashion designer. In 1962, he founded his eponymous fashion label.   [Name # 3.]

44. Green prefix: ECO-.

46. Noodle soup garnished with basil and lime: Phở.  I ate a lot of Phở on my recent trip to Southeast Asia.  It is really delicious.

47. Hawaii's Mauna __: KEA.  Mauna Kea is a dormant volcano on the Big Island.  It is the highest point in the State of Hawaii.

48. Revelatory cries: AHAs!

49. Overnight __: breakfast dish: OATS.  You, too, can make this breakfast dish.  I have never eaten overnight oats, but it might be worth a try.

54. Arrange in a row: ALIGN.

56. Obtained: GOT.

57. "Yer __ here!": OUTTA.

60. Spanish toast: SALUD.  Today's Spanish lesson.  Hi, Lucina!

61. Prefix with Pen: EPI-.  The EpiPen was the center of a scandal a few years back.

62. Unit of salt or sand: GRAIN.

63. Group of friends: POSSE.

64. Place that may be kept quiet?: SET.  Think of a movie set.

65. Suitably: APTLY.

Down:

1. Surfer's need: WAVES.

2. Kitchen counters?: OVEN TIMERS.  Cute clue.

4. "Saint," in Portuguese place names: SÃO.  Portuguese is spoken in Brazil, and São Paulo is one of its major cities.

5. Condiment also known as "rooster sauce": SRIRACHA.  Sriracha is a hot pepper sauce that has its origin in Thailand.  Apparently, it is known as Rooster Sauce because of the rooster on the company's logo.

7. "I had no idea!": FOOLED ME!

10. Chilled dessert: ICEBOX CAKE.  If you feel so inspired, here is a recipe.

11. Storage structures: SHEDS.

13. Hummer EV automaker: GMC.  These were hot items several years back.

14. Hosp. scan: MRI.  As we learned last week, they are not kin to the CT.

20. "Your point being?": AND.  //  And 33-Down. "Your point being?": SO WHAT.

21. Tea, in Mandarin: CHA.

24. Valerie Harper sitcom of the 1970s: RHODA.  Valerie Harper (née Valerie Kathryn Harper; Aug.  22, 1939 ~ Aug. 30, 2019) began her career as a dancer on Broadway.  She is probably best known, however, for her portrayal of Rhoda Morgenstern on the Mary Tyler Moore Show and its spinoff Rhoda.  [Name # 4.]

27. Waikiki welcome: ALOHA.

31. Far from certain: IFFY.

32. Hidden video gadget: SPYCAM.

35. Idina's "Frozen" role: ELSA.  Idina Kim Menzel (b. May 30, 1971) is primarily known for her work in Broadway musicals, especially her role as Elsa on Frozen.  [Name # 5.]

40. "President Barack Obama" portraitist __ Wiley: KEHINDE.  Kehinde Wiley (b. Feb. 28, 1977) is a Nigerian-American artist best known for his portraits.  [Name # 6.]

42. Exercise discipline in a very warm studio: HOT YOGA.  It is a trending form of yoga, but not a form I practice.

45. Great Plains people: OSAGES.  For a good history of the Osage tribe, I recommend Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann.

46. Sticky note: POST IT.

48. Scottish beef cattle: ANGUS.  Everything you wanted to know about the Black Angus cattle, but didn't know to ask.

50. Drink noisily: SLURP.

51. Isn't well: AILS.

52. Easy stride: LOPE.

53. Californie, par exemple: ÉTAT.  Today's French lesson.

54. Venomous snake: ASP.  A crossword staple.

55. Thai neighbor: LAO.  What do Thailand and Laos have in common?

58. "Don't knock it __ you try it": TIL.

59. "__ minute now": ANY.  Any minute now you will comment on this blog.

Here's the Grid:

חתולה

Monday January 16, 2023 Jack Murtagh

  

Hello Cornerites!

sumdaze here. Today's puzzle comes to us from constructor Jack Murtagh. Searching our blog, I could only find one other L.A. Times puzzle by Jack. That one appeared on Thursday, Aug. 1, 2019 and had a fun, step-down gimmick. Welcome back, Jack!

The theme for today's puzzle is        GO FIGURE!

an idiomatic expression that expresses perplexity, puzzlement, or surprise.

One might find a bit of each of those in today's offering. Let's take a look.

Beginning with the themed clues, we find:

20 Across. *Spiderlike arachnid: DADDY LONG-LEGS.

Why "Spiderlike"?

33 Across. *Does some rear-tire balancing on one's bike: POPS A WHEELIE.

41 Across. *Personification of a snowy season: OLD MAN WINTER.

Old Man Winter by Keegan Currier
pen & ink on bristol board

And the unifier:

56 Across. Some male role models, and what can be found at the starts of the answers to the starred clues: FATHER FIGURES.

noun

1. an older man who is respected for his paternal qualities and may be an emotional substitute for a father.

DADDY, POPS, and OLD MAN are all synonyms for FATHER. (You can ask Anon-T about the 2nd one.) CSO to all the Cornerite FATHERs & FATHER FIGURES!

Now that we have that straightened out, I will warn you that, in recognition of the FATHERly subject matter, I am going to intersperse today's write up with a dozen DAD jokes.  Groan!

Dad Joke #1:  Why do spiders know everything?  They get their information from the web.

Dad Joke #2:  Why didn't the bicycle stand up?  It was tw0 tired.

Still here? OK, let's move on to the rest of the grid.

Across:

1. Fastener that's an apt rhyme of "clasp": HASP.  a flat metal plate with a loop through which the lock goes in. 

5. Damp: MOIST.  MOIST makes the List of Words Everyone Seems to Hate

10. Units of electrical resistance: OHMS. and 10 Down. Greek letter that represents 10-Across, in physics: OMEGA.  Nice crossing!

14. Norway's capital: OSLO. Its currency is the Krone.

15. Elevator button symbol: ARROW.

16. TV alien played by Robin Williams: MORK.

Mork & Mindy 1978 - 1982
Hand up for having a pair of ranibow suspenders like Mork's.

17. Bank claim: LIEN.  Add an 'a' to get 16A.

18. Sierra __, Africa: LEONE.  7 Interesting Facts

19. Marketplace for unique gifts: ETSY.  Founded in 2005. How did constructors manage before that?

23. French toast need: EGG.  My grandmother immigrated from Marseilles, France. French toast was her best dish.

Dad Joke #3:  What kind of cars do EGGs drive?  Yolkswagons.

24. Mantra syllables: OMS.  Not to be confused with 10A. OHMS.

25. Slushy drink: FRAPPÉ.  I do not drink caffeine so I had to look this up. It appears to be a shaken iced coffee drink invented in Greece in the 1950s, though the name derives from the French word for "shaken".

28. Sitcom title role for Brandy: MOESHA.  Here is the IMDB Page.

30. Alien-hunting org.: SETI.  Acronym for Search for ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence. about SETI and a Primer on SETI

32. Large deer: ELK.  Differenece Between Elk and Deer

36. Mother Earth, in Greek myth: GAIA.

39. "It's the end of an __": ERA.

40. Pub orders: ALES.

46. Female deer: DOE.  a deer, a female deer ♪♪♪

47. Charged particles: IONS.

48. Attribute (to): IMPUTE.

52. Rudder locales: STERNS.

54. Computing pioneer Lovelace: ADA.  Recognizing Ms. Lovelace's contributions is a good opportunity to recommend this episode of the Planet Money podcast on women and computing. Episode 576: When Women Stopped Coding (You can listen for 17 minutes or read the transcript.)

55. Green vegetable: PEA.

Dad Joke #4:  I went to see a beet poet the other day. There were a lot of hip PEAs there.

60. Protruding part of a fedora: BRIM.

Indiana Jones wore a brown fedora.

62. Speechify: ORATE.

Speechify:  verb

1. deliver a speech, especially in a tedious or pompous way.

63. Post-it __: NOTE.

Lisa Kudrow in Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion (1997)

"Um, I invented Post-Its."

64. Like a five-star hotel: LUXE.

adjective

1. expensive and of high quality; luxurious.

   "the luxe 65-room Four Seasons hotel"

65. Some spouses: WIVES.

66. Actress Arlene: DAHL.  (Aug. 11, 1925 - Nov. 29, 2021) She is known for playing the lead in the 1959 version of Journey to the Center of the Earth and for being Lorenzo Lamas' mother. No relation to Roald, a more 'Monday-ish' name.

Arlene & Lorenzo

After completing Sunday's puzzle, I had to add this note to my write-up. Did you remember Arlene's last name? It turns out that C.C. and I grabbed the same pic from the internet.

67. Adolescent: TEEN.

68. Part of some school uniforms: SKIRT.

69. Mined materials: ORES.  Not to be confused with 6D.

Down:
1. Texas __: poker variety: HOLD 'EM.  Another HOLDover from yesterday's puzzle.

2. Nutty Italian cheese: ASIAGO.

Dad Joke #5:  What do you call cheese that isn't yours?  Nacho cheese.

3. R&B singer Percy: SLEDGE.  Perhaps best know for When a Man Loves a Woman (1966).

4. Frog habitat: POND.

Just for the smiles....

Dad Joke #6:  Why do frogs never park illegally?  They are afraid of getting toad.

5. Store locator in a large retail space: MALL MAP.

6. Cookies that came in limited-edition Neapolitan and Snickerdoodle flavors in 2022: OREOS.  25 Really Weird Oreo Flavors

7. Waffle __: IRON.  clever way to clue this CW staple

Dad Joke #7:  Why didn't the man IRON his 4-leaf clover?  He didn't want to press his luck.

8. Tune: SONG.  Let's enjoy a cheerful Sesame Street throwback (in Spanish, too).

9. Last of a dozen: TWELFTH.  The 12th elf taught me a trick for writing  this word.

11. Tough stretch of summer: HOT SPELL.

Dad Joke #8:  What is the witch's favorite subject in school?  SPELLing.

12. __ Claus: North Pole resident: MRS. 

13. Cloud's place: SKY.

21. Start of a pirate chant: YO HO. A pirate's life for me!

a YO HO sing-a-long

Dad Joke #9:  How much does a pirate pay to get his ears pierced? A buck an ear.

22. New York canal: ERIE.

26. Ballet class bend: PLIÉ.

27. Squeaks (by): EKES.

29. Email filter target: SPAM. Speaking of OREOS (6D) and SPAM...

Any takers?

30. South Asian dresses: SARIS.

31. Actor McGregor: EWAN.

34. Stitched up: SEWN.

I wonder what this Stitch is Up to?

35. Wyatt of Tombstone: EARP.

36. Neil Gaiman's "American __": GODS.  Not really my thing but I did read it a couple of years ago out of curiosity. Speaking of FATHER FIGURES, it is full of symbolism.

37. Very often: A LOT.

Dad Joke #10:  Why was the math book crying?  Because it had A LOT of problems.

38. French phrase meaning "obsession": IDÉE FIXE.  My French grandmother did not teach me this one.

42. "__ that the truth!": AIN'T.

43. Absentees: NO SHOWS.

44. Most clutter-free: TIDIEST.

45. Online periodical: EMAG.  Electronic MAGazine

49. Commotion: UPROAR.

Dad Joke #11:  What kind of lion doesn't roar?  A dandelion.

50. Sprout incisors: TEETHE.  "Sprout" is a verb here, so it "TEETHE".

51. Art studio stands: EASELS.

53. Budget noodle dish: RAMEN.  When I used to snowboard in Japan, I always liked to stop for a steaming bowl of ラーメン at lunchtime. Then, with a warm belly, I would go upstairs to the napping area.

54. __-dinner mint: AFTER.  Hand up for missing the hyphen and getting stuck on trying to think of a brand name.

57. Miami Heat coach Spoelstra: ERIK.  Men's basketball. Perps helped.

On April 28, 2008, Spoelstra became the 6th Head Coach in Heat history. As of this writing, his team is at 22 (W) and 20 (L). I wonder if any of his players think of him as a FATHER FIGURE.

58. Sitarist Shankar: RAVI.

Dad Joke #Last of a dozen:  Knock knock. Who's there? Ravi. Ravi who? Ravioli.

59. "Go back!" computer command: UNDO.

60. Sandwich letters: BLT.  Bacon, Lettuce, & Tomato

61. "You will __ the day!": RUE.  I hope not. The DAD jokes weren't that bad.

Here's the grid:

That's all for today. I look forward to reading your thoughts!