L.A.Times Crossword Corner

Feb 2, 2019

Saturday, February, 2, 2019, C.C. Burnikel

Themeless Puzzle B C.C. Burnikel

Duh, I know it's Ground Hog Day but since that is so obvious I'm going to mention the celebration of a different animal for February 2nd. Today we observe National Sled Dog Day that commemorates the February 2, 1925 arrival of the famous dogsled team on the last leg of the relay from Nenana, Alaska to Nome with serum to stop the diphtheria epidemic. Below at the left you see the dogs in Nome with the lead dog Balto. At the right you see the statue in NYC's Central Park of that lead dog who led the team through a blinding blizzard on that last leg and became a national hero.

Today we get a fun themeless puzzle from our resident den mother and ringmaster, C.C. When I took that left turn in Des Moines a few years ago to go north to Minneapolis, I was carrying precious cargo for her and here you see her wearing it. This shirt makes her a proud, if temporary, Cornhusker. I know it can be dangerous wearing it in Golden Gopher country or in this cold weather but nobody wears it better.

I made it through her puzzle today in decent time and, as always, I had fun. For her to know so much about our language after arriving here from Guangzhou, China in 2001 is one thing but to know it at such an incredible level that she can make up fiendish clues blows my mind

Now let's see some of the gems she has for us today.

Across:

1. Green side: SALAD - I had to abandon my golf green idea for the adjunct to a meal

6. Fruit named for a horticulturist: BOSC - All I can find is that an M. BOSC was the director of the Paris Arboretum when this fruit was developed

10. Target Field athlete: TWIN - Jeffrey Wechsler had "6 Down Target field" recently and the fill was RETAIL

14. Smart timepiece: APPLE WATCH - Mine reminds me of an old Newspaper comic I used to read that some of you are probably too young to recognize

16. "That can't be good": OH NO - The Cigarette Stamp Ring above had better be wary

17. Reason for a case: LEGAL ISSUE - A Florida man got a Quarter Pounder with cheese but didn't want the cheese. So instead of saying, "Quarter Pounder with no cheese" he sued McDonalds for $5M for adding extras he and others shouldn't have to pay for.

18. Neck and neck: TIED - Usually a photo finish

19. Vet: EXAMINE - Some people have rued the day they didn't sufficiently vet people they hired and consequently 23. Refined: HONED that process

20. Chicken __: fast food nuggets: MCBITES.

22. Special nights: EVES - How many people did you have over last night for your Groundhog's Day EVE party? Me too.

24. Hot spot: HADES - One of many euphemisms for H, E, double hockey sticks

26. Ski carriers: GONDOLAS - Fancier than t-bars

29. Jordanian dough: DINAR - Maybe you should get in on the Ramadan Toyota lease specials in Jordan.

30. Disney dog: LADY - C'mon, you thought of the spaghetti kiss with Tramp didn't you?

31. Unpaid assistant in many offices: SIRI - SIRI got me to C.C.'s house for free

32. Weather-sensitive stat, often: ETD - This SWA flight's Estimated Time of Departure should have been delayed because of the icy weather in Omaha two weeks ago that made the plane go off the runway

33. Get ugly with: SNIPE AT - Ain't our government leaders swell?

36. Da Vinci's "The Last Supper," for one: OIL - Leonardo painted the masterpiece on the wall of the refectory in Milan and the perspective makes it appear to be an extension of the room

37. Policy affecting returns: AS IS.

39. Scrapes (out): EKES - We EKED out a living on $112/wk when I started teaching

40. Beethoven's "Rage Over a Lost Penny," e.g.: RONDO - A RONDO keeps repeating a theme

42. Tears: RAMPAGES - Upset Saints fans wanted to go on a tear/RAMPAGE two weeks ago

44. Light wash: RINSE.

45. Han River city: SEOUL - The km. markers along and across the HAN River for a half marathon

46. Bits of thread: LINT - Cleaning our dryer's LINT filter is necessary now because laundry can not be 53. Left out to dry: HUNG in our development

47. Resonated, in a way: CLANGED - This field goal kicker CLANGED this kick off an upright

49. Place to find the Silk Road: ASIA MAP - The end of the SILK Road on this map is in Chang'an, China which is now Xi'an, China where C.C. grew up

54. Film with dangerous jobs: CRIME DRAMA - Law And Order did this well on TV

56. Gallic gal pal: AMIE - Your French female friend

57. Game whose heroine was played by Angelina Jolie in a 2001 film: TOMB RAIDER - This must be what a TOMB RAIDER 58. Goes (for): OPTS to wear to work

59. Beachgoers' specs: SPFS.

60. Biblical verb: DOEST - Psalm 86 - For thou art great and DOEST wondrous things

Down:

1. Spring __: SALE - Nah, I've got all the springs I need

2. Pinnacle: APEX - Who will reach the APEX of pro football tomorrow?

3. Org. for women drivers: LPGA - Ladies Professional Golf Association

4. County where the Golden State Warriors play home games: ALAMEDA - Next season the Warriors will move across the Bay to the Chase Center in San Francisco City/County

5. Drops off: DELIVERS - Does your neighborhood have "porch pirates"?

6. Diamond foursome: BASES - Three of them are rectangles and one is a pentagon

7. Some games end in them, for short: OTS - Both NFL Conference championships were settled in OverTIme this year

8. Ugly film: SCUM.

9. Republic in southwestern Russia: CHECHNYA - It's a red 48. Slight amount: DROP in the Russian bucket on this map

10. Pizza roll brand: TOTINOS

11. Cats with light blond coats: WHITE LIONS - It is said there are about 300 left in the wild

12. What an extended thumb might indicate: I NEED A RIDE - Film buffs know Claudette Colbert's raised skirt worked better than Clark Gable's thumb

13. Silent signals: NODS - Be careful at auctions

15. Results of some press releases?: WINES - Famous wine pressing

21. Compact figure?: BOD - I wish my BOD were more compact

24. Makes out too much, say: HITS A SLUMP - Hmmm... C.C.

25. Words of reinforcement: AND I MEAN IT - An effective parental phrase if there is follow through

26. Looks amazed: GAPES - OMG, he made that field goal!

27. Laudatory lines: ODES.

28. Farm structure: SILO - This SILO is all that is left of the famous Boys Town farms in West Omaha. The buildings were razed and the ground cleared for a $1.2B development

29. Prized: DEAR.

30. What an extended thumb might indicate: LIKE 👍 for this puzzle

34. Slights: NEGLECTS

35. Half a two-island country: TRINIDAD - Their football association emblem has an outline of their divided island as well

38. Dish cleaners: SPONGES.

41. London locale: ONTARIO - A 2-hr drive from Detroit, Michigan

43. Mo. named for an emperor: AUG - Caesar AUGustus in 8 B.C.

44. Choir elevator: RISER - In my ute I stood on them wearing black slacks and a white shirt

46. Gentle sorts: LAMBS.

47. First female Asian-American Cabinet member: CHAO - Here is Elaine CHAO, Secretary of Transportation with her husband you probably recognize

50. Crafted: MADE.

51. Home of the Iowa State Daily: AMES - It reported on a riot on the Iowa State University campus during the annual spring VEISHA celebration. VEISHA has since ended.