James is back on Friday for the first time in a couple of years. I first blogged him in 2011 the same day C.C. posted the INTERVIEW she did with him. This is his 30th LAT publication and he has no consistent style, either in themes or themeless. Like last week we are dealing with puns and humor. While this theme was not as much fun, the rest of the puzzle was wonderful. We have a few spectacular words, GIBRALTAR, SASQUATCH, AFICIONADO and TOM FOOLERY. We also have so much information and wit, I am going to move on the the write up.
20A. Salute in an old orbiter?: MIR FORMALITY (12). Mere formality.
35A. Stadium scene after a big win?: TIERS OF JOY (10). Tears of joy.
42A. Fishing parties?: PIER GROUPS (10). Peer group.
57A. Edward Scissorhands' syndrome?: SHEAR MADNESS (12). Sheer madness.
Across:
1. Disagreement: SPAT.
5. Her first speaking role was in MGM's "Anna Christie": GARBO. 88 years ago.
10. Unlikely: SLIM. My chances were slim and none.
14. Fashion designer Rabanne: PACO. This is not his real NAME.
15. Cold shoulder or hot corner: IDIOM. This was fun misdirection, as both are idiomatic.
16. Elizabeth of "Jacob's Ladder": PENA.
17. Wee bit: ATOM.
18. It might be uncured: BACON. Not my area of expertise.
19. Plant with hips: ROSE. I used to drink the tea.
23. Arizona neighbor: SONORA.
24. Former SETI funder: NASA.
25. Pokémon Go finder: Abbr.: GPS. I have watched these crazies running around 'capturing' the various Pokémon. My boys were more Dragonball Z, but they did have some Pocket Monsters.
28. Spa supplies: OILS. Massage or painting?
30. African megalopolis: CAIRO.
32. Nonstick kitchen product: T-FAL. I have never owned any from this COMPANY.
39. Normandy river: ORNE. Not one of the 12 common crossword rivers but a big deal nonetheless. LINK.
40. Foil firm: ALCOA. Will always be tinfoil in my mind even though I know it is aluminum.
41. It borders both the Missouri and the Mississippi rivers: IOWA. More rivers.
44. Early Disney productions: CELS. Cartoons.
45. __ del Carmen, Mexico: PLAYA. Beach
46. Distant beginning?: EQUI.
48. Photog's choice: SLR. Single-Lens Reflex camera.
49. Org. offering shelter for some homeless: SPCA.
53. It merged with Chevron in 2005: UNOCAL.
59. Chain part: ISLE.
62. 1975 Pulitzer winner for criticism: EBERT. 1975: Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times, "for his film criticism during 1974"
63. Old film dog: ASTA. Back again; do you remember the actor?
64. Catty reply: MEOW. and the clecho 67A. Cat catchers: PAWS.
65. __ attack: PANIC.
66. Flit: DART.
68. Seriously reduce: SLASH. Like prices, not to be confused with 43D. Wicked slice: GASH. Not Tiger's driving at the Masters but a long deep slash, cut, or wound.
69. Prizes in los Juegos Olímpicos: OROS. Gold medals.
1. Bombards with e-junk: SPAMS.
2. Deck alternative: PATIO.
3. Nut with a cap: ACORN.
4. Nonsense: TOMFOOLERY. Another great fill that has such a great LINK.
5. Iberian peninsula territory: GIBRALTAR. You could LEARN more.
6. Economist Smith: ADAM. The FATHER of economics.
7. Puerto __: RICAN.
8. Half an Ivy cheer: BOOLA. The Cheer from 1901.
Boola boola, boola boola
Boola boola, boola boola
When we rough house poor old hahvahd
They will holler, “Boola boo”
Oh Yale, Eli Yale! Oh Yale, Eli Yale!
Oh Yale, Eli Yale! Oh Yale, Eli Yale!
9. Dodges of old: OMNIS.
10. Agile: SPRY
11. Uncle on "Seinfeld": LEO
12. Advantages for job seekers: INS
13. Novelist Rita __ Brown: MAE. A writer for CED and our other cat lovers, her mysteries are solved by cats. But she is so much more, and a Florida Gator as well. WIKI.
21. "He's mine, __ am his":"Coriolanus": OR I. A Friday Shakespeare - Scene X, page 218.
22. Stand snack: TACO
25. Boy toy?: GI JOE. A great fun clue.
26. Lurk: PROWL.
27. Milk sources: SOYAS. My bride like soymilk.
29. Prairie skyline feature: SILO.
31. Buff: AFICIONADO. It was a mid 19th century (denoting a devotee of bullfighting): from Spanish, ‘amateur,’ past participle of aficioner ‘become fond of’ used as a noun, based on Latin affectio(n-) ‘(favorable) disposition toward’ (see affection).
32. Name on collectible cards: TOPPS. They made some headlines a few years ago. NASTY.
33. Bell or whistle?: FRILL. Something added on.
34. At hand, poetically: ANEAR. I wish this afar.
36. Old French coin: ECU. Not the sou.
37. It's often skipped: ROPE. really cute.
38. Cryptozoologist's quarry: SASQUATCH. And any other of the CRYPTIDS.
47. Conjunction in a German article: UND. An article in a newspaper article. Witty.
50. Buds, slangily: PEEPS. Almost timely. Try THESE.
51. Band of intrigants: CABAL. The intigrants (those who makes secret plans to do something illicit or detrimental to someone else) get together and form a cabal - a secret political clique or faction.
52. Concert setting: ARENA
54. Romero who played The Joker: CESAR. With Adam West. LINK.
55. Dog in Orbit City: ASTRO.
56. Exams for future attys.: LSATS. Actually, it is only a test for future law students.
59. Little demon: IMP.
61. Bit of cowspeak: LOW. I am not familiar with the term, but I got the idea.
That was a loaded baked potato of a puzzle and I had so much trouble with getting it ready, so forgive me if I just say, thank you, James, all who come to the Corner and phew! Lemonade out.
