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

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Apr 12, 2020

Sunday April 12, 2020 Fred Piscop

Theme: "UR Out!" - UR is deleted from each familiar phrase.
 
23. Where a displaced ex-hubby may sleep?: DIVORCE COT. Divorce court.

25. Determination as to which twin is born first?: NATAL ORDER. Natural order.

44. Poem about the letter nu?: ODE ON A GRECIAN N. Ode on a Grecian Urn.

63. Progressive Insurance icon's layoff?: SACK OF FLO. Sack of flour.

69. Dried, pulverized onions?: CRY POWDER. Curry power.

89. Three movies about skeletons?: THE BONE TRILOGY. The Bourne Trilogy.

111. Extension of an embargo?: BAN RENEWAL. Urban renewal.

114. Della's notable facial feature?: STREET CHIN. Street urchin.

Notice there are no straying UR combo in the grid at all?

Fred Piscop is a master of course. He's never one to chase after a pangram or low-word account. Smooth and clean fill is always his priority. I was very lucky to work with Fred when he was the editor for the USA Today.


Across:

1. Identifies in a Facebook photo: TAGS.

5. __ basin: TIDAL.

10. Chitchats: GABS. WeChat with my friend Carmen every day. She said most of the businesses in Guangzhou have reopened. She's still too nervous to visit the hair salon. This is a very good article about situations in China.

14. Prep for surgery: SCRUB.

19. Mil or mile: UNIT.

20. Kipling's "Lone Wolf": AKELA.


21. Release, as an odor: EMIT.

22. Reason to march: CAUSE.

27. Brunch dish: OMELET.

28. 2000 NBA MVP: O'NEAL. 100. 28-Across, for eight seasons: LAKER. The glorious days.


30. Clay-pigeon launcher: TRAP.

31. Guinness Book suffix: EST.

32. Back-to-zero button: RESET.

33. Delightful places: EDENS.

34. Closed (in): ZEROED.

36. Concerning: IN RE.

38. North Pole explorer: PEARY. Not SCOTT. Wiki says Robert Peary was buried Arlington Cemetery


40. Restaurant with skating carhops: SONIC.

50. Myriad: MANY.

51. Violinist's effect: VIBRATO. Here is Fred Piscop at the keyboard.

52. "Didn't mean it": SORRY.

53. Confession hearers: PRIESTS.

56. Lendl of tennis: IVAN.

57. Alloy containing carbon: STEEL.

58. "Any day now": SOON.

59. Body __: ART.

60. Elsinore natives: DANES.

62. Ex-White House Press Secretary Spicer: SEAN. Seems like ages ago.

66. Warning to a sinner: REPENT.

68. "__ Madness": old anti-drug movie: REEFER. Unfamiliar to me.


72. "The Swedish Nightingale" Jenny: LIND.

73. Littlest littermates: RUNTS.

77. Greek X: CHI.

78. Primatologists' subjects: APES.

79. Commonly abbreviated bit of Latin: ID EST.

81. Part of a hat trick: GOAL.

82. Hard bargain driver: HAGGLER. And 110. Flea market deal: RESALE. Guess our local flea market won't be open this year.

84. "CSI" part: SCENE.

85. African grassland: SAVANNA.

88. "Uh-huh": I SEE.

91. Clobbers with snowballs: PELTS.

93. Silents vamp Bara: THEDA.


94. Hammerhead cousin: MAKO.

95. Got ready to stop: SLOWED.

97. Needing a rinse: SOAPY. How I miss the days when Target had so many Method hand washes for me to choose.

105. "That's unfortunate": TSK.

108. Rebus animals: EWES.

109. Game akin to bingo: BEANO.

116. Poke around: SNOOP.

117. Artist who helped Hitchcock design a dream sequence for "Spellbound": DALI. Interesting trivia.


118. Colorful upholstery fabric: TOILE.

119. Gobs: A LOT.

120. Trivial: PETTY.

121. Manicure sound: SNIP.

122. Escargot: SNAIL.

123. Kitchen supplies: POTS.

Down:

1. House of Henry VIII: TUDOR.

2. "Speed Racer" genre: ANIME.


3. Helps the cause: GIVES.

4. Made off with: STOLE.

5. Negotiating asset: TACT.

6. Clanton gang leader: IKE. Ike Clanton.  O.K. Corral.


7. __ ring: encryption toy: DECODER.

8. One way to work: ALONE.

9. Grow dark: LATEN.

10. USAF VIP: GENL.

11. Org. with an oft-quoted journal: AMA.

12. Marsh bird: BITTERN.


13. Bright at night: STARRY.

14. Sharpshooters' aids: SCOPES.

15. Sleeping __: CAR. Very effective fill-in-the-blank clue, since there are a few three-letter candidates.

16. Far from polite: RUDE.

17. Doesn't waste: USES.

18. Muppet with a unibrow: BERT.

24. Eye part: RETINA.

26. Vientiane native: LAO. Their food is very similar to Thai food. Both love long-grained sticky rice. Short-grained sticky rice is more popular in China and Japan.


29. Set a high goal: ASPIRE.

33. Logician's word: ERGO.

34. Buffoon: ZANY.

35. Fuller's geodesic creation: DOME.

37. MLB Expo, since 2005: NAT. Who are you top three Montreal Expo players?

39. Counts' equals: EARLS.

41. __ spray: NASAL.

42. Toastmaster's opening: INTRO.

43. Dermatologist's concern: CYST.

44. "Amores" poet: OVID.

45. Operatic icon: DIVA.

46. Abba of Israel: EBAN.

47. Difficult: ORNERY. Great word.

48. Ritzy spread: ESTATE.

49. Either "Fargo" director: COEN. Pride of Minnesota.


53. Elbowed: POKED.

54. Urban sunbather's spot: ROOF.

55. Derive: INFER.

57. Orders to go: SENDS.

58. Potpourri quality: SCENT.

61. Bud protector: SEPAL. Saw buds in our neighborhood hedge yesterday.

62. Home of the Ninja Turtles: SEWER. No idea.


64. No longer in bed: ARISEN.

65. Thrifty: FRUGAL.

67. St. Peter's Square figure: POPE.

69. Climactic film scene: CHASE.

70. Bright Orion star: RIGEL.

71. Pressed through a sieve: RICED.

72. Celeb with a TV "Garage": LENO.

74. Pitcher's gem, in baseball lingo: NO NO. No hitters.

75. Brand associated with NASA missions: TANG. Also a big & prosperous Chinese dynasty.


76. Crack up: SLAY.

77. Casino disk: CHIP.

80. Lower in status: DEBASE.

83. Catches on to: GETS.

84. Slough off: SHED.

85. Stick around: STAY.

86. Torah holder: ARK.

87. Roy G. Biv hue: VIOLET.

89. Saint-Saƫns work with a memorable cello solo: THE SWAN. Also unknown to me.


90. Big-box stores, e.g.: EMPORIA. Plural of "emporium".

92. Yawning, say: SLEEPY.

93. Coarse woolens: TWEEDS.

96. Part of BYOB: OWN.

98. Brewers' ovens: OASTS.

99. Playwright Chekhov: ANTON. "Three Sisters".

101. Tunesmiths' org.: ASCAP.

102. Hayek's "Frida" role: KAHLO. She nailed the role.


103. "Silas Marner" author: ELIOT.

104. Monopoly fees: RENTS.

105. 1/2 fl. oz.: TBSP.

106. Level-headed: SANE.

107. Half hitch, e.g.: KNOT.

109. Dot on a radar screen: BLIP.

110. "Riverdance" dance: REEL.

112. Hogwash: ROT.

113. Dethroner of Foreman: ALI.

115. Lilly of pharmaceuticals: ELI.



Last week I linked one of the YouTube videos by constructor Todd Gross. You can watch all of his work here. 

This 21*21  is particularly interesting. I can't imagine the amount of work that went into that grid. 

C.C.