Saturday, May 8, 2021, Debbie Ellerin

 Themeless Saturday by Debbie Ellerin

Today I am happy to blog my 7th Saturday themeless puzzle from Debbie Ellerin. She is a retired computer programmer that has moved to Los Angles after tiring of Boston winters. 

SISTER ACT: In this picture she is seen with her sister and fellow LA Times puzzle constructor Sheryl Bartol. Here are Debbie's comments on our Saturday exercise:

Hi Gary -

Here you go...

This puzzle started with ZEITGEIST, which I thought was an interesting word, crossing with ZIGZAGGED. I liked the grouping of Z’s. 

I was happy with how most of the longer entries came together, like DUNEBUGGY, ENTOURAGE, RIDESHARE, GO ON STRIKE. I didn't realize until now how many women's names sound like two letters - that could be tricky.

I like the editor’s new clues for UNITS (Hands and feet) and MEMOS (Nonmusical notes). I’m glad that my clue made the cut for CRANE (BIrd at a construction site?) Hope you all enjoyed solving it.

As for me, your humble blogger, I got my start in the SE, moved right along and then as indicated in the grid, 11. Some scoops threw up a real speed trap. I had EDIE for 38. Woman's name that sounds like two letters which gave me the Scoops fill ending in SIDES which seemed possible. I hung on to that for dear life since I had no shot at ANCHO. Sigh, so as the Bard tells us: All's Well That Ends Well

Across:

1. TV's "Ozark," e.g.: DRAMA - It certainly looks dramatic to me

6. Comedy club regulars: MC'S.

9. Dodge: AVERT.

14. Pool service?: RIDE SHARE - No swimming or pocket billiards. Below is a scene from a great 1989 movie that featured a hilarious RIDE SHARE segment. Name this movie (Rotten Tomatoes = 91%) with Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal. *Answer at the bottom of the write-up

16. Bright, loyal breed: BOXER.

17. 1998 Academy Honorary Award-winning director: ELIA KAZAN - His IMDB

18. Dried chili pepper: ANCHO - The ANCHO Chili (wide chili) is the dried version of the Poblano Chili (chili of the people). That makes two chilis I did not know

19. Reason to shake: DEAL - Did you ever welch on a childhood bet/DEAL by saying, "We didn't shake on it!"

20. Brilliant: GENIUS.

22. Sky cat?: LEO - WARNING ASTRONOMY LESSON AHEAD: The stars of the big dipper can be used to find other points of interest in the sky including the backwards question mark that is LEO.

23. "Madam Secretary" star: TEA LEONI - I enjoy her work

25. Make calls at home, maybe: UMP - The pitcher and catcher both thought the UMP blew the call on this wicked curve ball

26. More shrewd: CAGIER.

29. Curling spots: RINKS - The U.S. Olympic Curling Team Trials will return to RINKS in Omaha this year

31. Bike chain alternative: U-LOCK - It looks much more secure than using a chain to lock up the bike.

32. Word from the German for "spirit of the age": ZEITGEIST - ZEIT (German for time) and GEIST (German for ghost or spirit). Old TV shows vividly demonstrate the change in ZEITGEIST from my yute to now!

36. Corner piece: ROOK - It always starts in a corner

37. Guinness orders: PINTS.

38. Woman's name that sounds like two letters: EVIE - Not EDIE it seems.

39. Ride in the sand: DUNE BUGGY - You can rent one in Las Vegas if you're willing to 41. Drop, as dough: SPEND $299

42. Lionsgate premium cable subsidiary: STARZ.

43. Prince Harry's dukedom: SUSSEX - The Duke and Duchess of SUSSEX don't seem to take this royalty stuff as seriously as the Queen

44. NBA on __: TNT.

46. Dry deliveries: DEADPANS - Nobody does it better!

49. Game of luck: WAR - Top player wins this "battle" shown below

50. Generated again: REGREW - Five creatures that can regrow body parts

51. Little elephant: CALF.

55. "Hotel du Lac" author Brookner: ANITA - Even I figured out this was the Lake Hotel

57. Chaotic situation, in slang: GOAT RODEO - Speaking of my life...

59. Finish, as a tat: INK UP - Maybe I could take this one for a test drive

60. Posse: ENTOURAGE.

61. Putin's denials: NYETS.

62. "The Partridge Family" actress: DEY - She and David Cassidy were a big item during the run of that show

63. Nonmusical notes: MEMOS.

Down:

1. Scott in a landmark Supreme Court case: DRED - Not a great moment in American jurisprudence

2. Upset: RILE 

3. 1998 hit from the Sarah McLachlan album "Surfacing": ADIA - Here ya go!

4. Singer's voice, e.g.: MEAL TICKET - Sinatra's MEAL TICKET lasted over 60 years

5. Part of AMA, on Reddit: ASK - Me Anything

6. Yiddish fortune: MAZEL - Tov means "good" so MAZEL TOV is...

7. Bird at a construction site?: CRANE - They have a great view but how do CRANE operators go to the bathroom?

8. Asset on the corporate ladder: SENIORITY - INTEGRITY fit when I had _ _ _ _ _ R I T Y but is that always a necessary asset?

9. Taking down a peg: ABASING.

10. Word in many German names: VON - Snoopy frequently flew his Sopwith Camel  in combat with Manfred Albrecht Freiherr VON Richthofen.

11. Some scoops: EXCLUSIVES - As you read earlier I was trying to think what SIDES could be scooped before I saw that Debbie was referring to a media scoop!

12. Take up again, in a way: REHEM.

13. Brownie bunch: TROOP.

15. Horrible comic?: HAGAR.

21. Hands and feet: UNITS - One foot = three hands

24. Cry of dismay: EEK

26. Morsel for Miss Muffet: CURD.

27. Baseball brother: ALOU - The brothers ALOU are in our lineup frequently

28. Walk out: GO ON STRIKE - I'm sure Debbie did not mean GOON STRIKE!

30. Tallies: KEEPS SCORE.

32. Didn't go straight: ZIGZAGGED - Part of Debbie's harvest of "Z's"

33. Lang. of Belize: ENG - You might be surprised that English is an official language in these countries

34. Geometry calculation: SINE - If you know the SINE of 39°, you can find the depth of the water (d) using a 30 long anchor chain. **The solution is below

35. Acronymic term for some local talks: TEDX - Here 'ya go!

37. Baby food, usually: PUREE - That's probably what I'll get in the Old Teachers's Home

40. Undeserved charges: BAD RAPS - My good friend has a pit bull named Dexter and says the breed gets a BAD RAP.

41. Bask: SUN.

43. Took care of: SAW TO.

44. "When a man loves cats, I am his friend and comrade" writer: TWAIN - Sam Clemens and I would get along very nicely on this score

45. Household helper: NANNY.

47. Modern delivery vehicle: DRONE.

48. Boglike: PEATY.

52. Scott of "Big Little Lies": ADAM - Here's his IMDB. I'm more familiar with the Australian golfer with this name 

53. Danish toy maker: LEGO - Go barefoot and you have two LEGO finders

54. Ones at odds: FOES.

56. Mild rebuke: TUT.

58. Hurricane component: RUM - The recipe uses two different types of RUM and is served in a, uh, hurricane glass

• 

        

*That RIDE SHARE occurred in When Harry Met Sally

**