(Please click here to solve the LA Times Daily Crossword in old format.)
Theme: HOODOO (45D. Bad luck, and a hint to the four longest across answers) - HOO is added to each common phrase.
20A. Anti-sweatshirt slogan? : NEVER SAY HOODIE. Never say die.
25A. Rabid B-ball fan's shout? : HOOPS, I LOVE YOU. P.S. I Love You. Very moving movie.
43A. Conspiracy resting place? : CAHOOT'S CRADLE. Cat's cradle.
50A. Harried photographer's wish? : RESHOOT IN PEACE. Rest in peace. The clue reminded me of Anna Wintour and her demanding style.
C.C. here. Lemonade will be back in his blogging seat next Friday. He was ready to go today, but I felt he needed one more week's recovery.
I don't quite get today's unifier HOODOO. What does DOO have anything to do with the HOO addition? Other than that, all is great. Very smooth fill.
I mentioned before that 14's are tricky to maneuver, esp if they're your first/last theme entries and you have 5 long Across theme entries. Today, we have 4. So no problem here.
Across:
1. Something to do between class and homework : MCJOB. Thought of outdoor sports rather than a part-time job.
6. "Animal House" house : DELTA. Never saw the movie.
11. Acting as : QUA. This little word always gives me trouble.
14. São __ : PAULO. So, their OK sign is not really OK.
15. Unfamiliar : ALIEN
16. Prefix with form : UNI. Uniform.
17. Auger shape : HELIX. I often confuse "auger" with "augur".
18. Globe fleck : ISLET
19. Green source, briefly : ATM. Lots of clever clues for ATM, unlike EKE or URAL.
23. Shogunate seat of power : EDO (1603-1806)
24. Major course : ENTREE. What do you want for your last meal? I want sashimi, freshly grilled unagi & mochi ice cream.
31. Lennox of the Eurythmics : ANNIE. "Sweet Dreams are made of this..."
32. "__ only kidding!" : I WAS
33. Get-up-and-go : PEP. What Dennis has.
36. "Waverley" novelist : SCOTT. Sir Walter Scott. I've never heard of "Waverley", a historical novel.
37. Boston's Liberty Tree, e.g. : ELM
38. Word of welcome : HELLO. Ni Hao! Literally "You good".
40. Push-up target : PEC
41. Progress measure : STEP. Tricky clue for me.
42. Two-dimensional products : AREAS
47. Guiding light : BEACON
49. Much of the daily paper : ADS. Esp on Sundays.
56. D-backs, on scoreboards : ARI
57. Harry's Hogwarts nemesis : DRACO. Gimme for Argyle/Jazzbumpa. A draconian clue for me, a non-Harry Potter fan.
58. "The Office" airer : NBC TV
60. Uruguayan uncle : TIO
61. Saharan refuges : OASES. Lots of dates there. Fed to camels and horses. What a waste.
62. Use a short form of : ELIDE
63. __ master : ZEN. Doug Peterson is a grid master.
64. Not sharp, say : ON KEY. I need "or not flat" in the clue to think musically. Stupid!
65. Believer in the clockwork universe theory : DEIST. What is "clockwork universe theory"?
Down:
1. Daytona meas. : MPH. Nailed it, eddy? Daytona 500.
2. French city near the English Channel : CAEN
3. Styne of Broadway : JULE. "Funny Girl", "Gypsy", etc.
4. Greek salad leftover : OLIVE PIT. Have yet to finish my jar of olive pate. Incredibly salty, Steve!
5. Ardent fan's purchase : BOXED SET
6. Speaker's platform : DAIS
7. Supermodel Benitez : ELSA. Here she is. Your clue, Bruce?
8. Plant family including tulips : LILY
9. Giggles : TEEHEES
10. Caesar colleague : ANTONY (Marc). Cleopatra was a Wonder Woman.
11. Adjusted for a larger group, as a recipe : QUADRUPLED. I like this entry.
12. Free : UNTIE
13. Pop singer Mann : AIMEE
21. Dauphin's destiny : ROI. Dauphin was French ROI's oldest (eldest?) son.
22. Nebraska native : OTO
25. Door closer : HASP
26. "I'll try anything __" : ONCE. Will you, Desper-otto?
27. Irregularly : ON OCCASION. Nice answer also.
28. Not be up-front with : LIE TO
29. Nocturnal newcomer : OWLET. "Newcomer" made me laugh.
30. Improvises : VAMPS. New meaning of "vamp" to me. Jazz term.
34. Mideast flier : EL AL
35. Put forward : POSE
38. Got set : HARDENED
39. Subject to removal : ERASABLE
41. Desert bordering the Mojave : SONORAN
44. German grouse? : ACH. Lovely clue/answer for Kazie, Spitzboov and Misty, who is from Austria.
46. Ceiling : CAP
47. Lush-lipped doll brand : BRATZ. They all look quite pretty, except their "lush lips".
48. More than odd : EERIE
51. Thing to stay on : TASK. Stay on task.
52. Big name in slush : ICEE
53. Prying : NOSY
54. MX ÷ V : CCII. 1010/5= 202. I don't mind Roman numeral in a grid at all.
55. Approx. takeoff hrs. : ETDs. ETD = Estimated Time of Departure.
59. Thoroughly examine : VET. Vet a potential candidate for a Supreme Court Justice position, for example.
Answer grid.
C.C.
Theme: HOODOO (45D. Bad luck, and a hint to the four longest across answers) - HOO is added to each common phrase.
20A. Anti-sweatshirt slogan? : NEVER SAY HOODIE. Never say die.
25A. Rabid B-ball fan's shout? : HOOPS, I LOVE YOU. P.S. I Love You. Very moving movie.
43A. Conspiracy resting place? : CAHOOT'S CRADLE. Cat's cradle.
50A. Harried photographer's wish? : RESHOOT IN PEACE. Rest in peace. The clue reminded me of Anna Wintour and her demanding style.
C.C. here. Lemonade will be back in his blogging seat next Friday. He was ready to go today, but I felt he needed one more week's recovery.
I don't quite get today's unifier HOODOO. What does DOO have anything to do with the HOO addition? Other than that, all is great. Very smooth fill.
I mentioned before that 14's are tricky to maneuver, esp if they're your first/last theme entries and you have 5 long Across theme entries. Today, we have 4. So no problem here.
Across:
1. Something to do between class and homework : MCJOB. Thought of outdoor sports rather than a part-time job.
6. "Animal House" house : DELTA. Never saw the movie.
11. Acting as : QUA. This little word always gives me trouble.
14. São __ : PAULO. So, their OK sign is not really OK.
15. Unfamiliar : ALIEN
16. Prefix with form : UNI. Uniform.
17. Auger shape : HELIX. I often confuse "auger" with "augur".
18. Globe fleck : ISLET
19. Green source, briefly : ATM. Lots of clever clues for ATM, unlike EKE or URAL.
23. Shogunate seat of power : EDO (1603-1806)
24. Major course : ENTREE. What do you want for your last meal? I want sashimi, freshly grilled unagi & mochi ice cream.
31. Lennox of the Eurythmics : ANNIE. "Sweet Dreams are made of this..."
32. "__ only kidding!" : I WAS
33. Get-up-and-go : PEP. What Dennis has.
36. "Waverley" novelist : SCOTT. Sir Walter Scott. I've never heard of "Waverley", a historical novel.
37. Boston's Liberty Tree, e.g. : ELM
38. Word of welcome : HELLO. Ni Hao! Literally "You good".
40. Push-up target : PEC
41. Progress measure : STEP. Tricky clue for me.
42. Two-dimensional products : AREAS
47. Guiding light : BEACON
49. Much of the daily paper : ADS. Esp on Sundays.
56. D-backs, on scoreboards : ARI
57. Harry's Hogwarts nemesis : DRACO. Gimme for Argyle/Jazzbumpa. A draconian clue for me, a non-Harry Potter fan.
58. "The Office" airer : NBC TV
60. Uruguayan uncle : TIO
61. Saharan refuges : OASES. Lots of dates there. Fed to camels and horses. What a waste.
62. Use a short form of : ELIDE
63. __ master : ZEN. Doug Peterson is a grid master.
64. Not sharp, say : ON KEY. I need "or not flat" in the clue to think musically. Stupid!
65. Believer in the clockwork universe theory : DEIST. What is "clockwork universe theory"?
Down:
1. Daytona meas. : MPH. Nailed it, eddy? Daytona 500.
2. French city near the English Channel : CAEN
3. Styne of Broadway : JULE. "Funny Girl", "Gypsy", etc.
4. Greek salad leftover : OLIVE PIT. Have yet to finish my jar of olive pate. Incredibly salty, Steve!
5. Ardent fan's purchase : BOXED SET
6. Speaker's platform : DAIS
7. Supermodel Benitez : ELSA. Here she is. Your clue, Bruce?
8. Plant family including tulips : LILY
9. Giggles : TEEHEES
10. Caesar colleague : ANTONY (Marc). Cleopatra was a Wonder Woman.
11. Adjusted for a larger group, as a recipe : QUADRUPLED. I like this entry.
12. Free : UNTIE
13. Pop singer Mann : AIMEE
21. Dauphin's destiny : ROI. Dauphin was French ROI's oldest (eldest?) son.
22. Nebraska native : OTO
25. Door closer : HASP
26. "I'll try anything __" : ONCE. Will you, Desper-otto?
27. Irregularly : ON OCCASION. Nice answer also.
28. Not be up-front with : LIE TO
29. Nocturnal newcomer : OWLET. "Newcomer" made me laugh.
30. Improvises : VAMPS. New meaning of "vamp" to me. Jazz term.
34. Mideast flier : EL AL
35. Put forward : POSE
38. Got set : HARDENED
39. Subject to removal : ERASABLE
41. Desert bordering the Mojave : SONORAN
44. German grouse? : ACH. Lovely clue/answer for Kazie, Spitzboov and Misty, who is from Austria.
46. Ceiling : CAP
47. Lush-lipped doll brand : BRATZ. They all look quite pretty, except their "lush lips".
48. More than odd : EERIE
51. Thing to stay on : TASK. Stay on task.
52. Big name in slush : ICEE
53. Prying : NOSY
54. MX ÷ V : CCII. 1010/5= 202. I don't mind Roman numeral in a grid at all.
55. Approx. takeoff hrs. : ETDs. ETD = Estimated Time of Departure.
59. Thoroughly examine : VET. Vet a potential candidate for a Supreme Court Justice position, for example.
Answer grid.
C.C.
