(Note: Tomorrow's puzzle involves circles, which are unsupported by LA Times website. I'll release the pdf & puz files on the blog around 9:00pm tonight.
(Updated @9:05pm. Here is the pdf version of tomorrow's puzzle.)
Theme: None
Total words: 70
Total blocks: 29
This puzzle has two grid-spanning marquee answers, all lively colloquial phrases:
17A. "You've made your point!" : OK, I GET IT ALREADY
60A. Reference to a long-forgotten acquaintance : OLD WHAT'S HIS NAME?
They are intersected by a couple of 9s and 11s:
3D. Swing both ways : SWITCH HIT. Did you think of baseball immediately?
11D. Hardly a Michelin three-star eatery : GREASY SPOON. Guess which city has the most Michelin starred restaurants?
23D. Catnap : CATCH A FEW Z's
35D. Decide to defend someone, say : TAKE A CASE. Didn't come to me easily.
The ladder structure in the middle of the grid gives the puzzle an amazing interconnectedness. Quite challenging to put together, as one bad answer could cause a collapse of the whole puzzle.
Across:
1. Sources of inside info? : CT SCANS. "Info" hints an abbreviated answer.
8. Small hounds : BEAGLES
15. Question at a wine tasting : HOW IS IT? Also 36D. Wine selection concern : AGE & 37D. Wine selection : RED. "Wine" clechos (clue echos).
16. Like some glass display cases : REAR LIT
19. Stroke : PET. Both noun/verb work.
20. Atomic number of nitrogen : SEVEN. I forgot all I learned in the chemistry class.
21. Place for controls : PANEL. Oh, control panel.
22. Starfleet registry prefix : NCC. Drew a blank. From "Star Trek".
24. E-mails : SENDS
26. Hurting : SORE
27. Turn left : HAW. GEE is "Turn right".
29. In a level-headed way : SANELY
31. 1987 Beatty bomb : ISHTAR. The name escaped me again. We had this clue before. JD mentioned the Babylonian Ishtar before. Goddess of love/war/fertility.
34. One who draws exceptionally well? : MEGASTAR. Because megastars have drawing power?
38. Insert casually : STICK IN
40. Surfer's destination : WEB PAGE. Internet surfer.
41. Precisely : ON THE DOT. Wanted ON TARGET.
43. Short-changed : ROOKED
44. Energy problem : ANEMIA. Lack of iron.
46. Preschool group? : ROE. It has not become fish, which travel in school.
47. Beehive, say : COIF
50. Health, in Le Havre : SANTE. ''A votre santé!''
52. "Coming Home" subject : NAM. Have never heard of the movie. Starring Jane Fonda. How ironic! I bet Dennis boycotted it.
54. Wrinkles : LINES
56. Tank swimmer : TETRA
58. One sold at Sotheby's in 1989 for more than $50,000 : CEL. Not surprised. Saw some expensive ones in "Antique Roadshow".
63. Taking by force : SEIZURE
64. Truman secretary of state : ACHESON (Dean). Nope. Complete stranger.
65. He played Captain Davies on "Roots" : ED ASNER. His name consists of all common letters, hence the frequent appearances in Xword.
66. Number one : THE BEST. I like how it ends the grid.
Down:
1. Do some food prep : CHOP
2. Keepsake : TOKEN
4. Smoke, briefly : CIG
5. Grieg's "__ Death" : ASE'S. No idea. Here is a clip. Edvard Grieg. ASE is sometimes clued as "Peer Gynt's mother". Ibsen play.
6. Evenings in the classifieds : NITES
7. Destination in a poetic riddle : ST. IVES. Riddle: "As I was going to St. Ives. / I met a man with seven wives...". Got me.
8. Cherry, so to speak : BRAND NEW. New meaning of "cherry" to me.
9. Fish often smoked : EEL. Not to my taste. I liked pickled fish.
10. Seniors' PAC : AARP
12. Plain in the Southwest : LLANO
13. It might get you down : EIDER. Awesome clue.
14. Pizazz : STYLE
18. When Sunday NFL action starts on the West Coast : TEN AM. Big game this weekend for the Vikings. Against Al's Packers.
25. "Against the Wind" singer : SEGER (Bob). See this clip.
28. Rise, and maybe shine : WAKEN. What exactly does "shine" refer to?
30. Cabinet department since 1913 : LABOR. Nice to know.
31. Equal opening : ISO. As in isobar.
32. Place to buy tkts. : STN
33. Teases : RIDES
39. Irrespective of : NO MATTER. WHATEVER has 8 letters too.
42. Some silverware parts : TINES
45. In addition : AT THAT
47. Nip and tuck : CLOSE
48. Smashed : OILED. Yet another slang for "drunk".
49. Birthplace of Merle Oberon : INDIA. I don't even know who Merle Oberon was. British actress.
51. __ Maria Remarque, author of "All Quiet on the Western Front" : ERICH. Nope. This author is not in my memory shelf either.
53. Notes : MEMOS
55. Steer clear of : SHUN
57. "Off the Court" autobiographer : ASHE (Arthur)
59. Fast time : LENT. I've never fasted. Don't have the will.
61. Art today? : ARE. "Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?". Great clue.
62. Lincoln's st. : NEB
Answer grid.
C.C.
(Updated @9:05pm. Here is the pdf version of tomorrow's puzzle.)
Theme: None
Total words: 70
Total blocks: 29
This puzzle has two grid-spanning marquee answers, all lively colloquial phrases:
17A. "You've made your point!" : OK, I GET IT ALREADY
60A. Reference to a long-forgotten acquaintance : OLD WHAT'S HIS NAME?
They are intersected by a couple of 9s and 11s:
3D. Swing both ways : SWITCH HIT. Did you think of baseball immediately?
11D. Hardly a Michelin three-star eatery : GREASY SPOON. Guess which city has the most Michelin starred restaurants?
23D. Catnap : CATCH A FEW Z's
35D. Decide to defend someone, say : TAKE A CASE. Didn't come to me easily.
The ladder structure in the middle of the grid gives the puzzle an amazing interconnectedness. Quite challenging to put together, as one bad answer could cause a collapse of the whole puzzle.
Across:
1. Sources of inside info? : CT SCANS. "Info" hints an abbreviated answer.
8. Small hounds : BEAGLES
15. Question at a wine tasting : HOW IS IT? Also 36D. Wine selection concern : AGE & 37D. Wine selection : RED. "Wine" clechos (clue echos).
16. Like some glass display cases : REAR LIT
19. Stroke : PET. Both noun/verb work.
20. Atomic number of nitrogen : SEVEN. I forgot all I learned in the chemistry class.
21. Place for controls : PANEL. Oh, control panel.
22. Starfleet registry prefix : NCC. Drew a blank. From "Star Trek".
24. E-mails : SENDS
26. Hurting : SORE
27. Turn left : HAW. GEE is "Turn right".
29. In a level-headed way : SANELY
31. 1987 Beatty bomb : ISHTAR. The name escaped me again. We had this clue before. JD mentioned the Babylonian Ishtar before. Goddess of love/war/fertility.
34. One who draws exceptionally well? : MEGASTAR. Because megastars have drawing power?
38. Insert casually : STICK IN
40. Surfer's destination : WEB PAGE. Internet surfer.
41. Precisely : ON THE DOT. Wanted ON TARGET.
43. Short-changed : ROOKED
44. Energy problem : ANEMIA. Lack of iron.
46. Preschool group? : ROE. It has not become fish, which travel in school.
47. Beehive, say : COIF
50. Health, in Le Havre : SANTE. ''A votre santé!''
52. "Coming Home" subject : NAM. Have never heard of the movie. Starring Jane Fonda. How ironic! I bet Dennis boycotted it.
54. Wrinkles : LINES
56. Tank swimmer : TETRA
58. One sold at Sotheby's in 1989 for more than $50,000 : CEL. Not surprised. Saw some expensive ones in "Antique Roadshow".
63. Taking by force : SEIZURE
64. Truman secretary of state : ACHESON (Dean). Nope. Complete stranger.
65. He played Captain Davies on "Roots" : ED ASNER. His name consists of all common letters, hence the frequent appearances in Xword.
66. Number one : THE BEST. I like how it ends the grid.
Down:
1. Do some food prep : CHOP
2. Keepsake : TOKEN
4. Smoke, briefly : CIG
5. Grieg's "__ Death" : ASE'S. No idea. Here is a clip. Edvard Grieg. ASE is sometimes clued as "Peer Gynt's mother". Ibsen play.
6. Evenings in the classifieds : NITES
7. Destination in a poetic riddle : ST. IVES. Riddle: "As I was going to St. Ives. / I met a man with seven wives...". Got me.
8. Cherry, so to speak : BRAND NEW. New meaning of "cherry" to me.
9. Fish often smoked : EEL. Not to my taste. I liked pickled fish.
10. Seniors' PAC : AARP
12. Plain in the Southwest : LLANO
13. It might get you down : EIDER. Awesome clue.
14. Pizazz : STYLE
18. When Sunday NFL action starts on the West Coast : TEN AM. Big game this weekend for the Vikings. Against Al's Packers.
25. "Against the Wind" singer : SEGER (Bob). See this clip.
28. Rise, and maybe shine : WAKEN. What exactly does "shine" refer to?
30. Cabinet department since 1913 : LABOR. Nice to know.
31. Equal opening : ISO. As in isobar.
32. Place to buy tkts. : STN
33. Teases : RIDES
39. Irrespective of : NO MATTER. WHATEVER has 8 letters too.
42. Some silverware parts : TINES
45. In addition : AT THAT
47. Nip and tuck : CLOSE
48. Smashed : OILED. Yet another slang for "drunk".
49. Birthplace of Merle Oberon : INDIA. I don't even know who Merle Oberon was. British actress.
51. __ Maria Remarque, author of "All Quiet on the Western Front" : ERICH. Nope. This author is not in my memory shelf either.
53. Notes : MEMOS
55. Steer clear of : SHUN
57. "Off the Court" autobiographer : ASHE (Arthur)
59. Fast time : LENT. I've never fasted. Don't have the will.
61. Art today? : ARE. "Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?". Great clue.
62. Lincoln's st. : NEB
Answer grid.
C.C.
