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

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Jul 24, 2011

Sunday July 24, 2011 Caleb Rasmussen

Theme: An Author Thing Coming - Punning on well-known author names.

26A People who recite "Jabberwocky" door-to-door during the holidays? : CHRISTMAS CARROLLERS. Christmas carolers. Lewis Carroll.

49A. Fictional tornado protection? : BAUM SHELTER. Bomb shelter. L Frank Baum: "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz".

56A. Periods when Harry Potter books are unavailable? : ROWLING BLACKOUTS. Rolling blackouts. J. K. Rowling.

67A. "A Room of One's Own" writer wearing a wool sweater? : WOOLF IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING. Wolf in sheep's clothing. Virginia Woolf.

84A. Medical procedure done while reading "The Outcasts of Poker Flat?" : OPEN HARTE SURGERY. Open heart surgery. Bret Harte.

95A. "Salomé" writer's pet? : WILDE ANIMAL. Wild animal. Oscar Wilde.

113A. Not as hard to pronounce as some 17th-century poetry? : EASIER SAID THAN DONNE. Easier said than done. John Donne.

I think this is Caleb Rasmussen's debut LAT. Congratulations!

The first theme answer confused me. Why not CHRISTMAS CARROLL for theme consistency? All the others have the author names. Am I missing something?

Across:

1. Guadalajara gal pal : AMIGA. Alliteration.

6. Determined by the stars, as time : SIDEREAL. Strange looking word.

14. Music box? : CD CASE. Nice clue.

20. Indiana's senior senator : LUGAR (Dick)

21. Pre-fight steps? : WAR DANCE

22. Eavesdropper, say : HEARER. Sometimes you just need a cringy fill.

23. Reason for a market recall : E. COLI

24. Totaled, with "to" : AMOUNTED

25. Home of big-eared elephants : AFRICA

29. Name of 13 popes : LEO

30. Match part : SET. Tennis.

31. Disney lioness : NALA."The Lion King".

32. Gp. jet-setters stand in line to see? : TSA. Fun clue.

35. Miles per hour, e.g. : RATE

38. Stick in : ADD. Needed Dummy Dennis to explain this clue for me. Sometimes simple things stymie me.

41. Applies lightly : DABs

44. Betrays : RATS OUT

46. For K-12 use : EL-HI. El(mentary)-Hi(gh). It's here to stay.

47. Lows in a field : MOOs

51. One of a Vegas pair : DIE. Singular of dice.

52. Feverish fits : AGUEs

54. Apt. units : RMs

55. Stuffed grape-leaf dish : DOLMA. I've only had stuffed banana-leaf dish.

62. More than tear up : WEEP

63. Allen or Frome : ETHAN

64. Prepare for takeoff : TAXI

65. Helpful connections : INs

77. Lennon lover : ONO

78. Phillies catcher Carlos : RUIZ. Here he is. Not as cool as Joe Mauer.

79. Ear-related : AURAL

80. Russian car : LADA. And 59D. 1980s-'90s Olds : CIERA. Ask Argyle if you have any car questions.

90. Them, with "the" : ENEMY

92. Appomattox loser : LEE

93. Highlights segment : RECAP

94. Small belt : NIP. Oh, that belt.

99. Closed : SHUT

100. Vital part : PITH

101. "Can we proceed?" : IS IT A GO. Yes!

102. Smell : ODOR

104. "No seats" sign : SRO (Standing Room Only)

105. Victrolas, e.g. : RCAs

106. D.C. VIP : SEN

107. Better part of a loaf? : HALF. "Half a loaf is better than none".

109. Guitar great Paul : LES. Both Splynter & Al play guitar.

111. Super Mario Galaxy 2 console : WII

122. Dashingly? : AT A RUN. Couldn't parse my answer.

124. Broadly and happily : EAR TO EAR

125. Out on a limb : TREED

126. Steppes settlers : TATARs

127. Most suave : URBANEST

128. Square things : ATONE. Square is verb here.

129. Lace place : EYELET

130. Expresses opposition : DISSENTS

131. Lost cause : GONER

Down:

1. Smart fellow? : ALEC

2. Little's opposite : MUCH

3. Stereotypical lab assistant : IGOR. "Young Frankenstein".

4. Name on Pisa's airport : GALILEI. Galileo Galilei Airport.

5. Get up : ARISE

6. Stroked : SWAM

7. "__ Rock": 1966 hit : I AM A

8. Inferior material : DROSS

9. Brought out : EDUCED

10. Accumulated charges : RAN A TAB

11. __'acte : ENTR

12. Excellent server : ACER. Rich never clues this as the computer brand. Don't know why.

13. Tricked : LED ON

14. Braided bread : CHALLAH. Faintly recall Clear Ayes likes this eggy bread.

15. Vanquished : DEFEATED

16. Mystery writer John Dickson __ : CARR

17. Teacher of Alexander the Great : ARISTOTLE

18. You may be asked to hold on for one : SEC. Hold on a sec.

19. Period : ERA

27. Without exception : TO A MAN

28. Metallica drummer Ulrich : LARS. No idea. I'm sure it's a gimme for Red State Democrat.

33. Defiant challenge : SUE ME

34. "It's __!": warning shout : A TRAP

35. Sketched over : RE-DREW

36. San Francisco mayor, 1968-'76 : ALIOTO (Joseph). Tough to spell.

37. "My Generation" band : THE WHO

39. Rapper Snoop __ : DOGG

40. Misgivings : DOUBTs

42. Dogwood cover, aptly : BARK. Another fun clue.

43. Contest in a dohyo : SUMO. Dohyo is sumo ring. New to me also.

45. Decelerate : SLOW

48. Repeated word in Psalms : SELAH

50. East Lansing sch. : MSU

53. __-Coburg: former Bavarian duchy : SAXE

57. Kobe's team, on scoreboards : LAL. Bill G's LA Lakers.

58. Dope : INFO

60. Up to, in ads : TIL

61. __-cone : SNO

66. Night sight : STAR

68. Rescuer of Odysseus : INO. Drew a blank.

69. Queue before Q : NOP. Alphabet.

70. Siamese sign of contentment : PURR

71. Places : SITEs

72. Pole neighbors : CZECHs

73. Affectionate gesture : HUG. Can you imagine meeting with Marti for the first time?

74. Peaceful : IRENIC

75. Japan Airlines hub : NARITA. This could be a problem for some.

76. Pictographs : GLYPHs

80. "Mere Christianity" author : LEWIS. C. S. Lewis.

81. Licorice-flavored seed : ANISE

82. Describe pictorially : DELINEATE

83. Bill of Rights part: Abbr. : AMDT. OK, amendment.

85. Samuel's teacher : ELI

86. Nautilus captain : NEMO

87. Move (toward) : HEAD

88. Dino's tail? : SAUR. Dinosaur.

89. Like Harlem in Manhattan, say : UPTOWN

91. Sarcastic reply : YEAH SURE

96. Touching : AGAINST

97. Florida State player, familiarly : NOLE. No idea. Short for Seminole?

98. Flirtatious adolescents : LOLITAs. Hi Jeannie!

100. Before : PRIOR TO

103. Fixed up : RE-DONE

108. Slip eponym : FREUD

110. Dutch painter Jan : STEEN

112. Collar accessory for Fido : ID TAG

114. Asian sea : ARAL

115. Indian wrap : SARI

116. Wall St. traders : ARBs (Arbitragers)

117. "And __ thou slain the Jabberwock?" : HAST

118. Skills : ARTS

119. Sign gas : NEON

120. Hawaii's state bird : NENE. Do you know what is Minnesota's mushroom?

121. Linda of Broadway's "Jekyll & Hyde" : EDER. Forgot also. Here she is.

122. Consumed : ATE

123. Scotland's longest river : TAY. River Tay.

Answer grid.

Saturday's "Hard to Believe" adventurer is Sallie.

C.C.