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

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Jun 12, 2011

Sunday June 12, 2011 Paul Hunsberger

Theme: Wide-Eyed - W is attached to the start of one word in each common phrase, which also goes through a spelling change. The resulting vowel sounds remain the same. Neither I nor Argyle gets the title though. Marti?

23A. Sale at the helicopter dealer? : WHIRLYBIRD SPECIAL. Early bird special.

39A. Breakfast table exposé? : THE WAFFLE TRUTH. The awful truth.

60A. Bittersweet title for a waterskier's memoirs? : WAKES AND PAINS. Aches and pains.

84A. Lacking lingerie? : OUT OF THIN WEAR. Out of thin air.

104A. Sweater under the tree? : CHRISTMAS WEAVE. Christmas Eve.

123A. Charge against an illegal fly-fishing conspirator? : WADING AND ABETTING. Aiding and abetting.

16D. Comment to an out-of-shape runner who reaches the finish line? : WHEEZY DOES IT. Easy does it.

67D. Homo sapiens' cleverness? : THE WILE OF MAN. The Isle of Man.

Notice there's no extraneous W in any of the theme entries? An important factor to consider in this letter dropping/adding/substituting gimmick.

I think this might be Paul Hunsberger's LA Times debut. If so, congratulations! I like the theme entry arrangement & overall fill. Very well done. Smooth! Several V-8 clues. Could be from Rich. That's his lovely wife Kim on the left, sharp wordsmith as well.

Across:

1. Builder of paper houses : WASP. Did you nail it, JD?

5. [Yawn] : HO-HUM. First thought was ENNUI.

10. Avenue before the Income Tax square, in Monopoly : BALTIC. I've never played Monopoly.

16. Bath bathrooms : WCs. Bath the city in England.

19. Guitarist's effect : WAWA

20. Where the puck stops ... and starts : ARENA. Hockey, just for eddyB & Splynter.

21. Iberian wine city : OPORTO. North of Lisbon. Porto also.

22. Prosciutto, e.g. : HAM

26. Poet's "before" : ERE

27. Press-on cosmetic : NAIL. Wanted LASH.

28. It's nothing in Normandy : RIEN. De rien = You're welcome.

29. Down Under dog : DINGO

30. Greek "H" : ETA

31. Ticker tape, briefly? : ECG. Or EKG.

33. White team : SOX. White Sox.

35. "La Vie en Rose" singer : PIAF (Edith)

37. Air purifying gadget : IONIZER

44. Pastoral poems : IDYLs

45. Animated explorer : DORA

46. Cause for a shootout : TIE. Not gunfight.

47. Smoky places : FLUEs. Was picturing a smokey bar.

49. Some green rolls : SOD. Not money.

50. Buzz together : SWARM

52. Weak, as an excuse : LAME

55. Make swell : BLOAT

57. Green lights : OKs

64. "Twin Peaks" Emmy nominee Sherilyn : FENN. Total stranger to me.

65. Play kickoff : ACT ONE. Made me think of football.

68. Beats by a nose : EDGES

69. Loc. __ : CIT

70. Cruising : ASEA

71. Hawaiian priests : KAHUNAS. Nice entry.

73. 2000s leadership nickname : DUBYA. I like Sr.

75. Requiring slower driving : CURVIER

77. Smooth : EVEN

78. Some like it hot : TEA. I do. I've never watched the movie though.

80. Money : LUCRE. Filthy.

82. Mosey : TOOTLE. New meaning to me.

83. Salacious : LEWD

87. "Take me __ am" : AS I

88. Kodak prefix : INSTA. Instant?

89. Get a whiff of this : ODOR

90. Actors without lines : MIMEs

94. Civil Rights Memorial architect : LIN (Maya). Lin is a quite popular surname in China, meaning "forest".

96. The Concert for Bangladesh instrument : SITAR. I know Ravi Shankar was involved.

99. Antique auto : REO

101. Color on a Florida Marlins uniform : TEAL. C'est vrai.

102. Spy : AGENT

108. Got free, in a way : MOOCHED

111. Nutmeg spice : MACE

112. Trans-Canada Hwy. rate : KPH. Kilometers/Kilometres per hour.

113. Conducted : LED

114. '80s sitcom puppet : ALF

115. Avoid a reception : ELOPE. Wedding reception.

118. Staked shelter : TENT

120. "Don't play" symbol : REST

122. Dandy guy? : JIM. Jim Dandy.

128. Reproductive cells : OVA

129. Tout de suite : AT ONCE. Would be nice to see TOUT DE SUITE as an answer someday.

130. Psychology __ : TODAY. Unaware of this magazine. Maybe Lois reads.

131. Le Havre lady friend : AMIE

132. Cartoon Chihuahua : REN

133. Emphatic acceptance : YES, YES

134. Hitches : SNAGs

135. Get loud : YELL

Down:

1. Dot-com start-up? : WWW

2. Hot tub reaction : AAH

3. Benny Goodman is credited with starting it : SWING ERA. My favorite fill today.

4. Trooper lead-in : PARA. Paratrooper.

5. Rural storage area : HAYLOFT

6. __ weaver: spider : ORB

7. Next in line : HEIR

8. Like green peppers : UNRIPE. Tricky clue.

9. Arrived : MADE IT

10. Jazz genre : BOP

11. Mimicked : APED

12. Hubs : LOCI

13. Singer Lopez : TRINI. Learned from doing Xword.

14. Give __: try : IT A GO. Two partials in this grid. Not bad.

15. Mayflower passenger : COLONIST

17. Price-fixing group : CARTEL

18. Slings mud at : SMEARS

24. Overachieving Simpson : LISA

25. Wolf (down) : SNARF

31. Deicing may delay them: Abbr. : ETDs

32. Grub : CHOW

34. Folder for Mulder : X-FILE. Fox Mulder. Nice rhyme.

36. Lust ending : FUL. Lustful.

38. Short agreement : I DO

40. Battle scar : WAR WOUND. Thought of the Marlboro marine.

41. Car dealer's offer : LEASE

42. Low wind : TUBA. Wind instrument.

43. Spiral: Pref. : HELIC

48. Former Seattle NBAer : SONIC

51. "Death in Venice" author : MANN (Thomas)

53. None-for-the-road gp.? : MADD. No alcohol!

54. Swamp : ENGULF

56. Sharp : ASTUTE

58. Be in the front row in a team photo, say : KNEEL. Vivid image.

59. Trap : SNARE

61. "Annie Hall" Oscar winner : KEATON (Diane). Hence sometimes we see "Hall of fame" for ANNIE.

62. Unveiling : DEBUT

63. Hitchcock classic : PSYCHO

64. One paying the least : FAVORITE

65. Cub Scout leader : AKELA

66. Troglodyte homes : CAVEs. Did not know the meaning of "troglodyte".

72. "The Sneetches" author : SEUSS

74. Not greenery-friendly : ARID

76. Drift : ROAM

79. Place with dusty keepsakes : ATTIC. Where's the shoebox with old baseball cards?

81. Vast, in odes : ENORM

85. Colorful words : OATH

86. Unleash, as havoc : WREAK

88. Like obstacles : IN THE WAY

91. Periodic table period? : MEALTIME. Not chemical.

92. A downspout may begin under one : EAVE

93. Husky's burden : SLED

95. Part of many bus. names : INC

97. One of a swinging pair? : ARM. Another devious clue!

98. Calf catcher : RIATA

100. Hawks once threatened by DDT : OSPREYs. Unaware of this trivia.

102. Key of Beethoven's "Kreutzer Sonata" : A MAJOR. Music is always my blind spot.

103. Cut to a roving reporter : GO LIVE. I like this entry too.

105. Bloodhound pickups : SCENTS

106. Muscle/bone connection : TENDON

107. Pique : WHET. Any tip on how to pick a good avocado at grocery store?

109. Thrill : ELATE

110. Bygone birds : DODOs. Hey, Dodo!

116. Like some air fresheners : PINY

117. Differ finish : ENCE. Difference.

119. "All finished!" : TADA

121. "Don't move a muzzle!" : STAY

124. Some light bulbs : GEs. GE's stock performance has been dismal.

125. Sack : BAG

126. Not a bit : NIL

127. Shaver's option : GEL