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

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May 14, 2011

Saturday May 14, 2011 Victor Fleming

Theme: None

Total words: 70

Total blocks: 29

This puzzle is anchored by two grid-spanners:

19A. Was left out, facetiously : DIDN'T GET THE MEMO. Orderly A, E, I, O, U, Y in the word "facetiously". Very unusual.

50A. Man, to Aristotle : POLITICAL ANIMAL. He said "man is by nature a political animal".

The two 15s are then crossed by two 9s each. All great entries. I especially liked GOOD CATCH (35D. Matrimonial prize).

Tough cluing overall, typified by:

45A. Case, for instance: Abbr. : SYN (Synonym). Case is a synonym of "instance": in this case/in this instance.

Across:

1. "American Pie" actress : TARA REID. Always nice to see a full name.

9. Leading, usually : ON BASE. Leading off base.

15. Refinement : ELEGANCE

16. Goes without saying? : MOUTHS. Great clue.

17. Subtle differences : NICETIES

18. "Where ignorant __ clash by night": Matthew Arnold : ARMIES. I just freeze when seeing a quote clue.

21. Round-topped topper : TAM. Scottish topper.

22. Ticked : IRATE

23. Duchamp contemporary : ARP (Jean)

26. Nursery employee : NANNY. Not plant nursery.

28. Milky way? : UDDER. Fun clue.

32. Rye server : DELI

34. Trifle : TOY. Verb.

35. It's good to be in one : GROOVE

36. Something taken by a shooter : DEAD AIM. Take dead aim.

38. Some incentives : BONUSES

39. Non-acidic vitamin brand : ESTER-C. So other brands might be acidic?

40. Labor gp. that initially supported FDR : CIO. Who knows?

41. Jack's wife in Season 1 of "24" : TERI. No idea.

42. Therapy goal : REHAB

43. Bridge units : HANDS. Game, Dummy! Not river bridge.

46. Last straw : LIMIT

48. Video end? : CAM. Oh, Video camera.

57. Throws : AMAZES. This throws me.

58. "Sure, why not?" : LET'S DO IT. Clue & answer sound very Dennis.

59. Meet people? : RACERS. "Meet" is a noun then.

60. Pedigree : ANCESTRY

61. Black-tie : DRESSY

62. Diamond gem : NO-HITTER. Baseball diamond. Two no-hitters this season. One by Twins' Liriano.

Down:

1. Keep an eye on : TEND

2. Et __ : ALII

3. Like most mailed pkgs. : REC'D

4. Deal maker : AGENT

5. Palm prevalent in Indonesia : RATTAN

6. Hard to figure out : ENIGMATIC. Like Mona Lisa's smile.

7. Frozen pop brand : ICEE

8. Fortune : DESTINY

9. It's across the Missouri from Council Bluffs, Iowa : OMAHA. Happy fill for Husker Gary.

10. Point from which one must proceed? : NO RETURN. Another tricky clue.

11. Disappointed, slangily : BUMMED OUT

12. End in __ : A TIE

13. Noah's eldest : SHEM. One of his brothers was called Ham.

14. Sinclair Oil rival : ESSO

20. Subject to strain : TRY

23. Puff __ : ADDER

24. Eponymous candy company founder : REESE

25. "Lady Lazarus" poet : PLATH (Sylvia). What a tragic life she had.

27. Henri, e.g. : NOM. Just a name.

29. Doctor's orders : DOSES

30. All possible : EVERY

31. Mastic, for one : RESIN. Did not know Mastic is plant resin.

33. Puts on a pedestal : IDEALIZES

37. Judges : ARBITERS. The constructor is a judge.

38. Storage unit : BIN

40. Pablo Casals, e.g. : CATALAN. Dali also.

43. Sound heard after a lot of shots? : HIC. Bar "shots".

44. Third-generation Japanese-American : SANSEI. San = Three/Third. Same as Chinese. Sei means "birth".

47. Rapper Elliott : MISSY

49. Core : MIDST

50. Frontier friend : PARD

51. Shortstop Vizquel : OMAR. He was with the Indians for a long time.

52. Oxford fastener : LACE

53. Star seen around midnight : LENO (Jay)

54. Suffragist Lucretia : MOTT. I forgot. I think we had her before.

55. Leeds's river : AIRE. Another stumper.

56. Astron. distance : LT-YR (Light year)


C.C.