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

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Feb 6, 2012

Monday, February 6, 2012 Carl Esposito

Theme: puzzle² - 1 through 4 squared and the unifier.

16A. *Start of a Jackie Gleason "Honeymooners" catchphrase : ONE OF THESE DAYS (1²)

29A. *Vivaldi classic, with "The" : FOUR SEASONS (2²)

36A. *Cat's blessing, so it's said : NINE LIVES (3²)

46A. *Tennessee Ernie Ford hit about coal mining : "SIXTEEN TONS" (4²)

59A. What the starred answers start with : PERFECT SQUARES

Argyle here with PSD - post-Superbowl Depression. Sorry to say but this puzzle doesn't lift my spirits. It is an ambitious debut but the theme seems like it's been done before and there are too many abbreviations.

Across:

1. PC screens : CRTs. Can you even buy a cathode ray tube(CRT) anymore?

5. Bumbling types : OAFS

9. Washer or dryer: Abbr. : APPL. (appliance)

13. Banister : RAIL

14. "Deck the Halls" syllables : FA LA

15. Cuba, to Castro : ISLA. Spanish for island.

19. Capone associate Frank : NITTI. "The Enforcer" was in charge of all strong-arm and 'muscle' operations.

20. Political satirist Mort : SAHL

21. Pale : WAN

23. "Be right with you!" : "IN A SEC!"

25. Moe, Curly or Larry : STOOGE

28. Space-saving abbr. : ETC.

33. Pot-scrubbing brand : S.O.S. An abrasive cleaning pad made from steel wool saturated with soap.



34. Fencing sword : EPEE

35. King with a golden touch : MIDAS

39. Brainstorms : IDEAs

42. Company with a "swoosh" logo : NIKE

43. "The Racer's Edge" : STP

49. Musician's asset : EAR

50. Big name in tea : TETLEY

51. New Orleans university : TULANE. The nickname of sports teams at Tulane University is the Green Wave.

53. Orch. section : STR. (strings)

54. Coarse file : RASP

58. Pantyhose that came in a shell : L'EGGS



63. Upscale hotel chain : OMNI

64. Potatoes' partner : MEAT

65. Post-Christmas retail event : SALE

66. Bog fuel : PEAT

67. Hwy. accident respondents : EMTs. (Emergency Medical Technicians)

68. Managed care gps. : HMOs. (Health Maintenance Organization)

Down:

1. Chums : CRONIES. You don't hear CRONIES that much and when you do, it often has an unsavory connotation.

2. Met by chance : RAN INTO

3. Men's wear accessories : TIE TACs

4. Bandits in Vegas? : SLOTS. One-armed bandits.

5. More than occasionally, to a bard : OFT

6. Oohs' partners : AAHs

7. Circus insect : FLEA

8. Scout uniform component : SASH

9. Help : AID

10. Free TV ad : PSA

11. Layered building material : PLYWOOD

12. Layered ristorante offering : LASAGNA. Interesting clecho.



17. Feudal estate : FIEF. The property granted to a vassal in return for service

18. "Do it, or __!" : ELSE. Something you might hear on a fief.

22. Loch of legend : NESS. Scottish legend.

24. Filmmaker Ethan or Joel : COEN

26. Domesticated : TAME

27. Suffix with psych : OSIS

30. Ivy League sch. in Philly : UPENN. (University of Pennsylvania)

31. Got going again, as a fire : RELIT

32. Fancy watch : SEIKO

36. NHL part: Abbr. : NATL. (National Hockey League)

37. "Understood" : "I SEE"

38. Dryer outlet : VENT

39. Followers: Suf. : ISTs

40. Low-cal soda : DIET POP

41. Radical : EXTREME

43. Company associated with the alcoholic "7" in a "7 and 7" : SEAGRAM. An extensive but interesting history of Seagrams. site I am still searching for the reason it's called 7 Crown.

44. Citrus hybrid : TANGELO

45. Gets the creases out of : PRESSES

47. Brontë's "Jane __" : EYRE

48. "Star Trek" helmsman : SULU. George Takei has been receiving a lot of press lately.

52. Dog restraint : LEASH

55. Zenith : ACME. I tried APEX first.

56. Goblet feature : STEM

57. Jr.'s exam : PSAT

60. Cell "messenger," briefly : RNA

61. Tailor's concern : FIT

62. Fourths of gals. : QTs. (quarts)


Argyle