Theme: INLETS (43D. Coastal irregularities, and word anagrammed in this puzzle's four longest answers) - The starting word of each theme entry is an anagram of INLETS.
17A. Respond to Uncle Sam's poster request: ENLIST IN THE ARMY. Pat Tillman did.
28A. Movieland: TINSELTOWN. Hollywood.
40A. "Pay attention!": LISTEN HERE! "Here" did not come to me readily. I could only think of "Listen Up".
53A. Passive-aggressive tactic: SILENT TREATMENT. It causes bitterness on both ends.
Today's Dan Naddor Index (non-theme entries with 6 or more letters) is 19. Quite high. And 13 of them are Down entries, several crossing two theme entries.
Smooth sailing for me. Simple theme and mostly straightforward clues. I tend to have trouble with Dan's sound change puzzles due to my poor command of English pronunciations.
Across:
4. Absurd sham: FARCE. A tragedy played at a thousand revolutions per minute.
9. Music performance rights org.: ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers). And TIN PAN (2D. __ Alley: old music-publishing district).
15. Where work may pile up: INBOX
16. Bit of wisdom: PEARL. Pearls of wisdom (succinct sayings).
20. Navajo relative: APACHE. The Military helicopter is named after this tribe.
21. Wood decay: DRY ROT. Caused by fungi.
22. Tall and long-limbed: LANKY. Can you use LANKY to describe Gisele Bünchen?
23. Hope/Crosby film title word: ROAD. "The Road to ...".
24. Captured: TOOK. Tricky past tense.
33. Outdoor nap site: HAMMOCK
36. Women, in old-fashioned parlance: FAIR SEX. I remember Dennis used this phrase before. Maybe he is old-fashioned.
38. Blow one's top: ERUPT
39. Chasms: GULFS. See, letter L is pronounced in Gulf, but not in HALF/CALF.
43. Pesky little tyke: IMP
46. Retailing pioneer R.H. __: MACY. Odd to see the old Marshall Field's become Macy's.
47. Eternities: EONS
48. Zellweger of "Chicago": RENEE. She played Roxie.
56. Land along the ocean: COAST. Alas, "Coastal irregularities..."
57. Two under par, on a hole: EAGLE. "On a hole" seems so unnecessary.
59. Aches: HURTS. Not PAINS.
60. Father of Beau and Jeff: LLOYD (Bridges). OK, here is a picture of Jeff, LLOYD and Beau. Stumper for me.
Down:
17A. Respond to Uncle Sam's poster request: ENLIST IN THE ARMY. Pat Tillman did.
28A. Movieland: TINSELTOWN. Hollywood.
40A. "Pay attention!": LISTEN HERE! "Here" did not come to me readily. I could only think of "Listen Up".
53A. Passive-aggressive tactic: SILENT TREATMENT. It causes bitterness on both ends.
Today's Dan Naddor Index (non-theme entries with 6 or more letters) is 19. Quite high. And 13 of them are Down entries, several crossing two theme entries.
Smooth sailing for me. Simple theme and mostly straightforward clues. I tend to have trouble with Dan's sound change puzzles due to my poor command of English pronunciations.
Across:
4. Absurd sham: FARCE. A tragedy played at a thousand revolutions per minute.
9. Music performance rights org.: ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers). And TIN PAN (2D. __ Alley: old music-publishing district).
15. Where work may pile up: INBOX
16. Bit of wisdom: PEARL. Pearls of wisdom (succinct sayings).
20. Navajo relative: APACHE. The Military helicopter is named after this tribe.
21. Wood decay: DRY ROT. Caused by fungi.
22. Tall and long-limbed: LANKY. Can you use LANKY to describe Gisele Bünchen?
23. Hope/Crosby film title word: ROAD. "The Road to ...".
24. Captured: TOOK. Tricky past tense.
33. Outdoor nap site: HAMMOCK
36. Women, in old-fashioned parlance: FAIR SEX. I remember Dennis used this phrase before. Maybe he is old-fashioned.
38. Blow one's top: ERUPT
39. Chasms: GULFS. See, letter L is pronounced in Gulf, but not in HALF/CALF.
43. Pesky little tyke: IMP
46. Retailing pioneer R.H. __: MACY. Odd to see the old Marshall Field's become Macy's.
47. Eternities: EONS
48. Zellweger of "Chicago": RENEE. She played Roxie.
56. Land along the ocean: COAST. Alas, "Coastal irregularities..."
57. Two under par, on a hole: EAGLE. "On a hole" seems so unnecessary.
59. Aches: HURTS. Not PAINS.
60. Father of Beau and Jeff: LLOYD (Bridges). OK, here is a picture of Jeff, LLOYD and Beau. Stumper for me.
Down:
1. Lofty principles: IDEALS
3. Old White House middle name: DELANO. The "D" in FDR.
4. Suspicious: FISHY
6. Sac fly stat: RBI. I wonder what's the record for the most sacrifice flies in a ball game.
7. Approve tacitly: CONDONE
8. Crowd scene actors: EXTRAS
9. Copycat: APER. Reminds me of DEEMER.
10. Furry North Pacific swimmers: SEA OTTERS. And FURS (38D: Animal rights activists' concerns).
11. Hanna-Barbera output: CARTOONS
13. Thickness: PLY
19. Jekyll's alter ego: HYDE. Dr. Jekyll's evil side.
23. Actuary's calculation: RISK. Did you hear the news about a 4-month old 17-pound baby being denied health insurance because he's too fat? Just absurd.
25. Cut or scrape, in totspeak: OWIE
26. Lego relative: K'NEX. How can I remember this brand name? What the heck does it mean?
29. Eric the Red's son: LEIF. Literally "heir". Learned from doing Xword.
30. Loneliness syndrome when kids leave home: EMPTY NEST. I am sure many of you have experienced such loneliness.3. Old White House middle name: DELANO. The "D" in FDR.
4. Suspicious: FISHY
6. Sac fly stat: RBI. I wonder what's the record for the most sacrifice flies in a ball game.
7. Approve tacitly: CONDONE
8. Crowd scene actors: EXTRAS
9. Copycat: APER. Reminds me of DEEMER.
10. Furry North Pacific swimmers: SEA OTTERS. And FURS (38D: Animal rights activists' concerns).
11. Hanna-Barbera output: CARTOONS
13. Thickness: PLY
19. Jekyll's alter ego: HYDE. Dr. Jekyll's evil side.
23. Actuary's calculation: RISK. Did you hear the news about a 4-month old 17-pound baby being denied health insurance because he's too fat? Just absurd.
25. Cut or scrape, in totspeak: OWIE
26. Lego relative: K'NEX. How can I remember this brand name? What the heck does it mean?
29. Eric the Red's son: LEIF. Literally "heir". Learned from doing Xword.
33. Captain's position: HELM
34. "Carmen" highlight: ARIA
35. Like weightlifters: MUSCULAR. Don't often see this word in a grid.
37. Draft choice: ALE. Was thinking of sports draft.
39. Five-star leader: GENERAL. My first thought was hotel ranking.
42. Low-cost lodging: HOSTEL
44. Stinker: MEANIE. Are they synonymous to you?
45. Mortar and __: PESTLE. Great to ground toasted sesame seeds.
51. Tolkien tree people: ENTS
52. Six-time Emmy winner Tyne: DALY. Dan Naddor (or Rich Norris) must not like John Daly. They keep cluing this Tyne lady.
54. Chit: IOU. We just had CHIT clued as "IOU" on Monday.
Answer grid.
I'd like to update the list of newspapers that carry LA Times Daily Crossword. Come to the Comments section if your paper is not there, or your paper has dropped LAT. Thanks.
C.C.
