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

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Feb 12, 2017

Sunday, Feb 12, 2017 Ed Sessa

Theme: "First Things First" - The first word can follow "First".
 
23A. Trust builder? : ESTATE PLANNER. First estate. The clergy.

31A. Result of losing two points, perhaps : LOVE- THIRTY. Unfamiliar to me. Common Tennis term?  First love.

52A. Concern for gardeners : FROST WARNING. First frost. No change of meaning on "frost" here.

75A. Wriggler on a hook : NIGHT CRAWLER. First night.

92A. Teacher's bane, at times : CLASS CLOWN. First class.

104A. Mozart's "The Hunt," for one : STRING QUARTET. First string.

37D. Any one of the NFL's top 25 career scoring leaders : PLACE KICKER. First place.
 
40D. They're spoken in anger : CHOICE WORDS. First choice.

I don't recall seeing a word that can precede/follow type from Mr. Ed. First for me.

Ed Sessa, Xword Info
Ed is one of those few constructors who are experts at building both themed and themeless puzzles. This Sunday puzzle showcases his skills nicely. Lots of sparkly long fill in this 140-worder with 8 themers.

Across:

1. Unflappability : APLOMB.. Fantastic start.

7. Responds to an alarm : AWAKES

13. Bliss : ECSTASY. Love this word as well.

20. Counterman? : GEIGER. Gimme for veteran solvers. Geiger counter,

21. On deck : UP NEXT

22. "Raging Bull" fighter : LAMOTTA (Jake). We also have 38. Descendant of the English Bulldog : BOXER

25. Clink : SLAMMER . 24. See 25-Across : PEN

26. Sent messages, before faxes and email : TELEXED. What's the first time you had internet access? 1999 for me.

27. Bit of body art : TAT. "Bit" indicates an abbreviated answer.

29. Julia of "Legends of the Fall" : ORMOND. First encounter with this actress.


30. Meat cut : LOIN

35. Convey : IMPART

39. Son of Donald : ERIC

40. Shares an email with : CCs

43. Pigeon hangouts : SILLS. Not COTES/COOPS.

44. Voice of TV's Fat Albert : COSBY. Not a welcome name.

45. Get online shopping help, say : HAVE A CHAT. Had an interesting experience with a company based in China last year. Asian sizes tend to be smaller, hence the online chat.

47. Sports org. with three major divisions : NCAA. Division I, II and III.

48. Student of Socrates : PLATO

49. Hired car : TAXI

50. TV exec Arledge : ROONE

51. Tolkien monster : ORC

55. Protest gone bad : RIOT. Still sad about the 1989 protest/riot.

56. Piggy : TOE

57. Gambling game : LOTTO

58. Veers : ZAGs

59. Pound units : OUNCES

61. Urban of country : KEITH. Happy couple.


63. Rooting area : STY. Great clue.

64. Shot with English : MASSE. Give it some English (spin),

65. Reach by schooner, say : SAIL TO

67. Canal through Oneida Lake : ERIE

69. Half of a record : B SIDE

71. Trap that's spun : WEB

74. Gremlins, e.g. : AMCs
 
78. __-Wan Kenobi : OBI

79. Some price changes : HIKES. Minnesota is giving a 25% relief on the health insurance hikes last year, D-Otto!

81. Whoop-de-__: lively parties : DOOs

82. WWII issue : E BOND

83. Suffix with Jumbo : TRON

84. Glacial expanses : ICE SHEETS

86. Night noise : SNORE

87. Edge along : SIDLE

88. Happy hour sponsor : BAR

89. Kyrgyzstan range : ALAI. I confused this range with Altai. That Wiki articled mentioned Chinese mountain range Tian Shan, meaning "Mountain of Heaven". Tian = Heaven. Shan = Mountain.

90. Refrigerant trade name : FREON

91. Troubles : NAGS AT
 
94. Celebrity : FAME

95. Like Jack and Jill, ultimately : FALLEN

98. __ lepton: physics particle : TAU. Stranger to me. We also have 68. P-like letters : RHOs


99. Fiber source : OAT BRAN. Never had it or any bran. I have a question, Steve. In this Jamie Oliver clip, did he use our old-fashioned rolled oats? Judging by the time, they seem to be steel-cut oats in sliced pieces.

102. The littlest bit : ONE IOTA

109. Verify : CONFIRM

110. Colored tee, perhaps : TIE DYE

111. Bawled (out) : REAMED

112. Aflutter : IN A FLAP. Got via crosses.

113. Hill group : SENATE

114. Border maintainers : EDGERS. Not GUARDS.

 Down:

1. Time of one's life : AGE

2. Fruit fly or gnat : PEST

3. Loser's ad word : LITE

4. Nebraska city named for a Native American tribe : OGALLALA. I just noticed the Sioux tribe name is spelled Oglala. Always thought it's Ogalala.

5. Streakers in showers : METEORS. Smiled at this clue.

6. Withdrawal in 2016 headlines : BREXIT. Great fill/clue as well.

7. "Should __ acquaintance ... " : AULD

8. FDR program : WPA. Always need crossing help.

9. Gothic novelist Radcliffe : ANN

10. Understanding : KEN. Beyond my ken/understanding.

11. Oxford college : EXETER

12. Classic Fender guitar, briefly : STRAT. Gimme for Bill G/Splynter.

13. Golfing countryman of Player : ELS. Gary Player was in our 3M tournament last year. Quiet.

14. Unit of heat : CALORIE

15. Diminutive two-seater : SMART CAR

16. "Pinball Wizard" opera : TOMMY. Drew a blank.


17. Spherical opening? : ATMO

18. WWII British firearm : STEN

19. Spot to spot Spot : YARD. The art of cluing, Irish Miss!

28. WWII alliance : THE AXIS

31. Was beaten by : LOST TO

32. U-shaped river bend : OXBOW

33. "Oy __!" : VEY

34. Monte of Cooperstown : IRVIN. Old timer. I don't think we have any of his original cards.


35. Schoolyard argument : IS NOT

36. Itsy-bitsy : MICRO

38. Bit of braggadocio : BOAST. Poor Boomer lost all his matches to a 80-year-old on Friday night. He always tries hard though, but the nerve pain sometimes is unrelenting.

41. Transport for Chingachgook : CANOE. Got via crosses. "The Last of the Mohicans". 

42. Editors' marks : STETS

44. Quilter's need : CLOTH

45. Dangle : HANG

46. Pedal problems : CORNS. I sure was not thinking of "foot".

48. Subatomic particle : PROTON

49. Serving convenience : TRAY

52. Flutter by like a butterfly : FLIT

53. Templo Mayor builder : AZTEC

54. Driven to act : GOADED

60. Tablet buyer, usually : USER. And 94. 60-Down's info source : FAQ

62. "It's nobody __ business" : ELSE'S

63. Poses : SITS

64. Pooh creator : MILNE

65. Ahmedabad address : SAHIB. Wiki says that "In 2012, The Times of India chose Ahmedabad as the best city to live in in India".

66. Livorno lady friend : AMICA. vs. Amico.

67. Hard one to work with : EGOTIST

69. Thick-furred primate : BABOON

70. Like court testimony : SWORN

72. Virus first identified in Zaire : EBOLA

73. IQ test pioneer : BINET (Alfred). Learned from doing crosswords.


76. Thoughts : IDEAS

77. Extend one's Self? : RENEW. Self magazine.

80. Petroleum produced from rock fragments : SHALE OIL

83. Jazz standard that became an LSU fight song : TIGER RAG. Guessable. LSU Tigers.

85. Hyundai compact : ELANTRA. Word without meaning.

86. "No seats" letters : SRO

87. Performed a ballroom dance : SAMBAED

90. 1984 Heisman Trophy winner Doug : FLUTIE

91. The great outdoors : NATURE. Getting warmer here. So happy to walk outdoors again.

92. Site of an ascent : CLIFF

93. Playbill listings : CASTS

95. Central points : FOCI

96. In short order, in verse : ANON

97. Dunham of "Girls" : LENA

99. Ornate arch : OGEE

100. My way : AT ME. Can you give me an example of how the clue matches the answer?

101. __-do-well : NE'ER

103. Band accessory : AMP

105. Neurotic toon pooch : REN. Ren & Stimpy,

106. Potato source: Abbr. : IDA (Idaho)

107. Paper read on the LIRR, perhaps : NYT

108. Cardinal points, briefly? : TDs. Arizona Cardinals.




Happy Birthday to dear LaLaLinda, a die-hard Red Sox fan. Linda still reads our blog faithfully, but health has prevents her from posting daily. Your presence is very much missed here, Linda!

C.C.