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

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Apr 17, 2008

Thursday, April 17, 2008 Alan P. Olschwang

Theme: QUIP

17A: Start of a quip: A MAN THAT MAKES NO

38A: Part 2 of quip: WILL MAKES

62A: end of quip: LAWYERS HIS HEIRS

The original quote is "A man who dies without a will has lawyers for his heirs." (Anonymous).

Almost had a bogey-free round today. Breezed through most of the holes without dunking my Top-Flite into the lake or getting trapped in the bunker. But, omigod, what a hellish Amen Corner the dogleg of ISLE/FEN was! And I did not have a prayer!

I did not know the meaning of "Cartographic" and I had no idea where Pau was. I filled in BOG for 47D: Marsh, then I decided TEAM B sounded good for 44A: Supporting group, but then ASTI would be wrong. I stared at "Avoirdupois unit" and saw lots of green peas on a plate. Avoir du pois? Have peas? Have peas unit? I guess I've heard of ASTRIDE before, but it's not a word I can fish out of my brain so early in the morning. I like how it parallels with FLOOR though (if my understanding of ASTRIDE is correct).

Across entries:

1A: Abstention periods: FASTS. No, I will not deny myself of any pleasure in life.

6A: Period on the job: SHIFT. Wanted STINT.

14A: Bandleader Shaw: ARTIE. Again? Needs to lock this name up and sends it exile with key thrown away. Let me see what other ARTIE is available... ARTIE Ziff of "The Simpsons". No, not familiar with him.

20A: Rugged ridges: ARETES. I like this word "Rugged", exhibitive of a craggy, harsh, rough, weather-beaten image.

21A: Ticket details: SEATS. I rather like last time's misleading "Pants part" clue. "By the seat of your pants".

23A: "Bellefleur" author: OATES. Joyce Carol Oats. A Mensa member also? Amazing. Hope she wins Nobel Literature next year then. Wonder why the book title is "Bellefleur" rather than "Belle Fleur"? Has anyone misread the clue as "Ball Four" author?

26A: Removed moisture: DRIED

30A: Strained: TAXED

32A: Paul Anka's "__ BESO": ESO. "ESO Beso", that kiss. Give me my back my heart!

35A: Dining option: A LA CARTE

41A: Ice cream option: ONE SCOOP. I like strawberry mochi ice cream, no scooper for me.

44A: Supporting group: STAFF

48A: Dolphin Marino: DAN. Speaking of Dan, where the heck is Dan Quayle?

49A: Honest!: NO LIE!

52A: Cartographic speck: ISLE. Alright, cart(e) means map.

53A: Big name in rap: DR. DRE. Like this one.

56A: Actress Berger: SENTA. No, have never heard of her. She looks stunning.

58A: Avoirdupois unit: TON. OK, avoir-de-pois, have the weight. But why pois, why not poids? You don't say "perdre du pois", do you? Whatever, a made-up word.

59A: Arledge of ABC sports: ROONE. Ugh, ABC, what a horrible gossipy gotcha nonsense debate last night! Stephanopoulos, are you auditioning for Hillary's Press Secretary job? Bill's "Stumping and Simmering" torture was not enough?

61A: Fidel of Cuba: CASTRO

67A: Shoshone: UTE

68A: Old newspaper sections: ROTOS (Rotogravure). Saw this word before, forgot what it was.

70A: Dropout's doc.: GED (General Equivalency Diploma).

71A: Missouri River feeder: OSAGE. Could not catch a good map out of the google ocean. Hope this one works for you.

72A: Luges: SLEDS

Down entries:

1D: CAB's successor: FAA (Federal Aviation Administration). CAB stands for "Civil Aeronautics Board". Name change occured in 1967.

2D: Fleet groups: ARMADAS

3D: Intense lookers: STARERS. This suffix "er" simply drove me nuts.

5D: Melee: SET-TO

6D: California peak: SHASTA. Got it this time, aren't you proud of me?

7D: __ up (excited): HET

8D: Descartes' conclusion: I AM. I think, therefore I am. Like this clue a lot. "Cogito, ergo sum".

9D: Italian monks: FRAS. Repeat offender.

10D: Clicked one's tongue: TSKED

11D: More irritable: TESTIER

12D: Hardest to penetrate: DENSEST. Physically yes.

13D: Winter ATV, _ -CAT: SNO

18: Warm up: HEAT. Not HEAT up? Shouldn't the clue be "Warm (up)".

19D: Musician's pride: EAR

24D: Case in point: EXAMPLE

27D: Buck lover: DOE. Thought of Pearl Buck and Olan first.

34D: As written: Lat.: SIC

36D: Pau pronoun: CES. These, or those. Too tough a clue. Pau is "a city in and the capital of Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, in SW France: winter resort. " Anyone been there before?

37D: Vino region: ASTI

39D: Nol of Cambodia: LON. Great palindromic name: LON NOL.

40D: Writer Anita: LOOS. "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" author. "But Gentlemen Marry Brunettes" also.

41D: Unmatched: ODD

42D: Tell the tail: NARRATE

43D: Funded: ENDOWED

45D: Spanning: ASTRIDE. Astraddle. Not fond of this contrived "a" word.

46D: Bowled over: FLOORED

50D: Cut into: INCISE

54D: Rogers of oaters: ROY. Totally agree with him, "The minute you read something you don't understand, you can almost be sure it was drawn up by lawyer."

55D: Lain American January: ENERO

60D: Aphrodite's child: EROS. Cupid in Roman.

62D: Renowned archer: TELL. Would be an OK clue if not for 42D: Tell the tale. Sin, Mr. Editor!

57D: Grate deposit: ASHES

63D: Loutish fellow: LUG. Not familiar with this slangy word.

64D: Amtrak stop: STA. Rework on your clue next time.

65D: Overeater: HOG. Great, FASTS & HOG in the same puzzle.

C.C.