Puzzling thoughts: OK, I got it. But I don't know what to call it. In four of the across entries, a "down" entry, which is also a BOOK title, intersects to complete the across clue. But I don't know what to call it. Maybe one of our other Crossword Corner members "knows" the name of this sort of puzzle and will comment. Confused? Let's explore:
As you look at the grid, follow the red letters: 15-across. *Folded brunch dish: FRENCHLET, when intersected by (16-down. [Robinson]: HOME, reveals "FRENCH OMELET." "There are four main types of OMELETs, distinguished by their cooking methods. There are American-style, French-style, Frittata, and Soufflé omelets ..."[clan kitchen dot com] Author Marilynne Robinson's book "HOME" was published in 2008. There's a bit of "poetic license" here, as the French spelling for OMELET is OMELETTE, but I digress ...
21-across. *Ethical challenges: MORALDILES, when intersected by (25-down.) [Austen]: EMMA, reveals "MORAL DILEMMAS". EMMA, written by Jane Austen, is a well-known BOOK/novel published in 1815
36-across. *Fleet operator headquartered in Montreal: AIR CANA, when intersected by (38-down. [Nabokov]: ADA, yields "AIR CANADA"(CSO to our neighbor from the north, CanadianEh!). ADA, or Arbor is one of Nabokov's greatest masterpieces, the glorious culmination of his career as a novelist. Published by Amazon in 1990
49-across. *Planet in the Super Mario Galaxy: MUSHRWORLD, when intersected by (50-down. [Donoghue]: ROOM, reveals "MUSHROOM WORLD". Author EMMA Donoghue published the novel ROOM in 2010. She is of Irish-Canadian descent
Which of course leads us to the puzzle's reveal: 60-across. Places to return library materials, and a hint to how the authors in four Down clues help complete the answers to the starred clues: BOOK DROPS. Pretty self-explanatory
Across:
1. "__ arigato": Japanese "thank you very much": DO MO. どういたしまして (Dō itashimashite)
5. Tats: INK.
8. Collars: NABS.
12. Pop by: BOP IN.
13. Aromatic neckwear: LEI.
14. "J'accuse!": GOT YA. Why use a French phrase for this clue?
17. Chose: OPTED.
18. Dalmatian with a red hat, maybe: FIRE DOG.
19. Gunk: GOO.
20. Walk of Fame figure: STAR.
27. Where to see Chicago touchdowns: OHARE. Airport in Chicago - MIDWAY wouldn't fit
29. Long opening in poetry?: ERE.
30. Handle: NAME. A CB-radio reference; also a Crossword Corner reference, as many of us choose "handles"/NAMEs to protect our identity. My "handle" is Chairman Moe. My real name is just Chairman
31. Hand-me-down: OLD. I have one OLDer sister, so I didn't get any "hand-me-downs"
32. Nuisance: PAIN.
33. Not for kids, in short: TV MA. When TV shows use foul language and/or sexual references which are not suitable for children
34. Capote nickname: TRU. Short for TRUman
39. Break a fast: EAT. The word "breakfast" literally means to "break a fast", and EAT
40. Optimistic: ROSY.
42. Earns after taxes: NETS. Also the nickname for the NBA team in Brooklyn
43. Grayish-brown: DUN. You know how lately many of us have cringed at so many proper names' clues? Well today, having the clue: "Bradstreet's partner" would've actually been more helpful (for me, anyway). DUN (as a color) is not a word I use - ever. But I see that it was widely used in the early 1900's. Maybe the editors were trying to appease our older crowd; REALLY old crowd ...
45. "Unböring" furniture chain: IKEA. This was solved using perps and a WAG. IKEA
46. Earlier: AGO.
47. "500" initials on Wall Street: S AND P. Standard & Poors. Does anyone remember "A AND P"? If so, please comment below
52. Tree whose seeds yield an organic insecticide: NEEM.
54. Small digit: TOE. I went out on a limb and found this answer ...
And it's "clecho": 61-down. Small digit: ONE. I went into my wallet and found this answer ...
55. Cox of "Orange Is the New Black": LAVERNE. This is the only LAVERNE that I immediately knew. For the benefit of those who are Gen Z's/Millennials, LAVERNE is the one on the right
57. __ ball: MATZO. "What do matzo balls taste like? It's incredibly similar to chicken noodle soup minus the noodles, while they taste a bit like dumplings but are meatier and have a bit more flavor due to the garlic, onions, eggs and chicken fat (schmaltz)." Here is a recipe for MATZO [also spelled "MATZAH"] Ball Soup
62. Pulitzer-winning composer Ned: ROREM. The video below is quite long
63. "__ volunteers?": ANY. This was answered by (5-down. "Send me!":) I'LL GO
64. Some running shoes: AVIAS. ASICS are my favorite shoes for running; OBOZ are my favorite shoes for hiking
65. Terrier breed: SKYE. Named for an Isle in Scotland, where they also craft some pretty fine whisky
66. Light shade?: RED. As in the RED light district? Here's TripAdvisor's take on it
67. Shout: YELL. Otis Day and the Knights - Animal House, c 1976
Down:
1. Flamin' Hot chip: DORITO.
2. Places where things often end on a high note?: OPERA HOUSES; and it complements (23-down. Solos in 2-Down:) ARIAS.
This was not a high note at the end of the OPERA, but it was still plenty high enough
3. __ water: MINERAL. These are just a sampling of all of the seven-letter words that could have been used instead of MINERAL
4. How some mixtapes are really stored: ON CD.
6. Once called: NEE. Well, we had a tree in this puzzle called NEEM. And now, NEE. Shouldn't we also have this:
7. Harington of "Game of Thrones": KIT. Alas, I never watched "GOT" so this one didn't resinate with me
8. "Ugh, why bother?": NO POINT. What many LA Times Crossword Puzzle solvers are saying lately; especially on Saturdays
9. NFL stat: ATT. Short for ATTempt - usually a passing ATTempt by the QB, but could also refer to the PK who ATTempts both XP's and FG's
10. "Later!": BYE.
11. Blue: SAD.
12. Close chums, for short: BFFS. Text speak
14. "I approve": GOOD.
19. Close in theaters: GLENN. Not seats. If anything, today's movie theaters make it very difficult to "make out", as the seats are much larger than when I was a zit-faced teenager
22. Nuclear plant: REACTOR.
24. Calming aromatherapy option: LAVENDER OIL. I have found - since living in the SW - that LAVENDER OIL is also a natural repellent for scorpions
26. Plane reservation: SEAT. Unlike in theaters, airline SEATs are getting much smaller
28. Nutritional amt.: RDA. Recommended Dietary Allowances
32. Ragú rival: PREGO. It also means, "you're welcome" - as something said in Italy after you say, "Grazie". See my comment in 1-Across for "you're welcome" in Japanese
34. Cut to fit: TRIM.
35. Device for cord cutters: ROKU. I will never go back to cable now that I have a ROKU
37. Floored: IN AWE.
41. Triumphant cry in a dice game: YAHTZEE. Margaret plays this on her Android phone, just to pass the time when Ch Moe is doing a blog or constructing a puzzle ...
44. Rattle: UNNERVE. Did this puzzle and/or its clues UNNERVE you today?
47. Neb. neighbor: S. DAK. IOWA also fit, but that's not an abbr. OKLA - an erstwhile college football rival of NEB - does not share a border with them. Neb. is a CSO to Husker Gary - our Saturday blogger
48. Foreign correspondent?: PEN PAL. Cute clue; compared to the epistolary one a few days ago
51. Two-time Olympic soccer gold medalist Carli __: LLOYD. I recall her but her name was not on the tip of my tongue. This LLOYD was popular back when TV sets weren't equipped with a remote control. I've never asked her, but I wonder if IM is a fan of his?
53. Extreme clutter: MESS.
56. Feb. 14: V-DAY. For lovers. Valentine's Day
57. "The Marvelous __ Maisel": MRS. Another entry targeted toward the under 35 year old crowd?
58. Just peachy: A-OK. Speaking of peaches ... has anyone else here ever tried a Palisade's Peach? They're amazing!
59. "Give it a go!": TRY. What we all should do tomorrow when the Saturday LAT puzzle publishes; if for no other reason than to read Gary's blog. Tomorrow's puzzle is by someone we all know
60. Soap unit: BAR. I use BAR soap; period
Sorry, OMK; no haikus or Moe-kus today. Nor kudos. Remember a week or so ago I asked if it was OK for we bloggers to just say "Thumper"? Well, I took the higher road and didn't, but this puzzle really didn't give me any warm and fuzzy feelings, nor did it spark any wordplay. But YMMV, so please comment below. See you in a couple weeks ...
