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

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Jun 26, 2010

Saturday June 26, 2010 Joel Fagliano

Theme: None

Total words: 70

Total blocks: 32

The empty grid sure does not look intimidating, does it? No forbidding stacks of long letter entries or grid spanners. Just a couple of 8s and 9s, then a bunch of 7s (total 24).

But it's a tough journey for me. The clues are very tricky, epitomized by TO BE (50A. Part of a stage question). "To be, or not to be". Devious!

I'd also like to highlight the "it/its" clues in this puzzle:

7A. You might be unprepared for it: POP QUIZ. Scrabbly. Letters H & X are unused in today's grid.

16A. It makes it easier for you to lose your balance: ATM CARD. Sly clue!

27A. Its capital is Doha: QATAR. Know it only because of Doha Conference.

46A. It may be thrown in: TOWEL. Throw in the towel.

51A. Old Navy is one of its brands: GAP. I like their jeans.

Do you enjoy those "it/its" or too many for your taste?

Across:

1. Comfort food snack for some, briefly: PB AND J. It's either "Comfort food" or "snack" for me. I've never used the full term "Comfort food snack".

14. Country with a mostly red, white and blue flag: SERBIA. OK, here's their flag. Why "mostly"? It seems the flag consists of those three colors only.

15. Receiving aid: ANTENNA

18. General plan: ROAD MAP

19. Time out?: NAP. The question mark did not prevent me from thinking of sports.

20. Einstein and Planck, e.g.: GERMANS. Not familiar with Max Planck, founder of quantum theory.

22. Unproven ability, for short: ESP

23. Brew choice: DRIP. Oh dear. I was thinking of beer. Don't drink coffee.

25. One of the Allmans: DUANE. Not familiar with his name either. He died at age 24 of a motorcycle accident.

26. Scruff: NAPE

29. LP filler?: MNO. Alphabet: L (MNO) P. Nailed it.

30. Colombian title: SENOR

31. Modus operandi: SYSTEM

33. Gettysburg general: PICKETT (George). Have vaguely heard of Pickett's Charge. Could only think of R.E. Lee.

35. Weighed: EVALUATED

37. "I intend to live __. So far, so good": Steven Wright: FOREVER. I guessed.

39. Forgetful, in a way: SENILE

43. Crow: VAUNT

44. Five-time Fiesta Bowl champs, for short: ASU (Arizona State University). The Sun Devils.

47. Digging, so to speak: INTO

48. Six-time U.S. Open winner: EVERT (Chris). Tennis. Sad to hear her marriage to Greg Norman ended so quickly.

52. Urges: PRESSES

54. Accident consequence: JAM. Did not leap to me quickly.

55. Salad bar option: ITALIAN. Dressing.

57. Trig inverse: ARC SINE. No idea. I was totally confused at my high school math class. Inverse of sine.

59. Driving need: LICENSE

60. Shade of pink: SALMON. I bet this was a gimme for ARBAON. She was just talking about
salmon and coral the other day.

61. Like aftershave: SCENTED

62. Wide of the mark: ERRANT. Shouldn't be "Wide off the mark"?

Down:

1. Things to mind: PS AND QS. Mind one's Ps and Qs.

2. Radioactive emission: BETA-RAY. New phrase to me.

3. Axillae: ARMPITS. This I knew.

4. "Heroes" home: NBC

5. Bishop's rte.: DIAG (Diagonal). Don't play chess.

6. "Chapter 27" star Leto: JARED. His mug looks familiar. Don't recall his name at all.

7. "Knowing all the facts," according to Woody Allen: PARANOIA. The quote clue feels incomplete to me. I'd prefer: "It's knowing all the facts, " according to Woody Allen.

8. Two __: hockey advantage: ON ONE. Hockey clue always stumps me.

9. Class-conscious orgs.?: PTAS. Got me again.

10. Logical letters: QED. Can't jam ERGO in.

11. Not intended: UNMEANT. Man, I checked. It's in the dictionary.

12. Up the creek: IN A SPOT

13. Remote: ZAPPER. Was unaware that zapper is slang for remote control.

17. Word with kettle or steel: DRUM

21. Handbag counterparts: MAN PURSES. Just like this?

24. Major college football's winningest coach: PATERNO (Joe). Penn State. Some blog comments about him a while ago.

26. Is unobliged to: NEED NOT

28. Protect from erosion, as a riverbank: REVET. First encounter with this word.

30. Shooting sport: SKEET

32. Amer. Airlines Center player: MAV. Dallas Mavericks.

34. Tender abbr.: CTS. I don't get this one. Cents? Tender here refers to "money"?

36. Unlike matzo: LEAVENED

37. Monomaniac: FANATIC

38. Beat: OUTPACE

40. Mount Suribachi's island: IWO JIMA. I peeked at the answer sheet.

41. Part of ancient Phoenicia, today: LEBANON. Gimme, JD?

42. Gold, e.g.: ELEMENT

43. Watches: VIGILS. I was looking at my own watch and could not come up with anything.

45. __ Minor: URSA. Penned in ASIA.

48. Remove: ERASE

49. Clipped: TERSE. Can you give me examples about how they are interchangeable?

52. Pub serving: PINT

53. __ tissue: SCAR

56. Football Hall of Famer Dawson: LEN

58. Point-and-shoot alternative, briefly: SLR (Single-Lens Reflex)

Answer grid.

Happy 45th Wedding Anniversary to Spitzboov! Have a great cruise to Bermuda!

C.C.