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

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Feb 8, 2023

February 8, 2023 Drew Schmenner

<>Theme: Vowel Sound Progression - With Z Sounds.  The final syllable of each them entry begins with the sound - though not always the spelling - of the letter "Z," and ends with the sound - though not the spelling - of a long vowel, in alphabetical order: A, E, I, O and U.  Let's check it out.

18 A. Small dog with a French name: BICHON FRI.   From French: bichon à poil frisé, (French pronunciation: ​[biʃɔ̃ fʁize], meaning 'curly haired dog') is a small breed of dog.  Although the Bichon breed type are originally Spanish, used as sailing dogs, also as herding dogs sometimes, the French developed them into a gentle lap-dog variety. 

The ending is pronounced ZĀ, or ZAY, if you prefer.  What are you gonna do - it's French!

23 A. Stopped worrying: RESTED EASY.  When you don't worry you can sleep well.

The ending is pronounced ZĒ, or ZEE.  This is the kind of thing that makes English as a 2nd language so hard.

41 A. Education activist who is the youngest Nobel Prize laureate: MALALA YOUSAFZAI.  (Urdu: ملالہ یوسفزئی, Pashto: ملاله یوسفزۍ, pronunciation: [məˈlaːlə jusəf ˈzəj]; born 12 July 1997), is a Pakistani female education activist and the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize laureate. Awarded when she was 17, she is the world's youngest Nobel Prize laureate, and the second Pakistani and the first Pashtun to receive a Nobel Prize.

On 9 October 2012, while on a bus in Swat District after taking an exam, Yousafzai and two other girls were shot by a Taliban gunman in an assassination attempt in retaliation for her activism; the gunman fled the scene. Yousafzai was hit in the head with a bullet and remained unconscious and in critical condition at the Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology, but her condition later improved enough for her to be transferred to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, UK.  You can read more details here

The rendering of here last name into English results in the last syllable as written above, and pronounced ZĪ, or Z-EYE. 

54 A. Leader of the Pink Ladies in "Grease": BETTY RIZZO.  Portrayed in the movie by Stockard Channing, she is a tough and sarcastic leader of the Pink Ladies. She smokes, drinks, and does not care what others think of her. Rizzo is also a girl with a "reputation". 



The ending of her name is pronounced, for a nice change of pace, pretty much like it's spelt: ZŌ. 

64 A. To a great extent, informally: OUT THE WAZOO.  To an excessive degree.

The final syllable is pronounced ZŪ.  The long U is often pronounced "YOO," rather than"OO."  But sometimes not, I guess.

Hi Gang, JazzBumpa on the scene with today's lesson in phonetics.  Let's keep an ai out for what else we can find in tode's grid. Are oo with my?

Across:

1. Derisive cry: BAH.  Sometimes along with its partner, HUMBUG!

4. Open, as a 4-Down app: TAP ON.  Accessing an app on a touch-screen device.

9. Marshmallow treats: PEEPS.  

Read about them here.

14. In the past: AGO.  This was recorded some time ago.



15. Rock's __ in Chains: ALICE.

16. "The Martian" star: DAMON.   Matthew Paige Damon (b. October 8, 1970) is an American actor, film producer, and screenwriter. Ranked among Forbes' most bankable stars, the films in which he has appeared have collectively earned over $3.88 billion at the North American box office, making him one of the highest-grossing actors of all time.He has received various awards and nominations, including an Academy Award and two Golden Globe Awards, in addition to nominations for three British Academy Film Awards and seven Primetime Emmy Awards.

In the movie, When astronauts blast off from the planet Mars, they leave behind Mark Watney (Matt Damon), presumed dead after a fierce storm. With only a meager amount of supplies, the stranded visitor must utilize his wits and spirit to find a way to survive on the hostile planet. Meanwhile, back on Earth, members of NASA and a team of international scientists work tirelessly to bring him home, while his crew mates hatch their own plan for a daring rescue mission.

17. Earth __: DAY.   An annual event on April 22 to demonstrate support for environmental protection. First held on April 22, 1970, it now includes a wide range of events coordinated globally by EarthDay.org (formerly Earth Day Network) including 1 billion people in more than 193 countries. 

20. Inbox filler: E-MAIL.   On your computer or device.

22. Spending like there's no tomorrow: ON A SPREE.   A spell or sustained period of unrestrained activity of a particular kind.

26. Isr. neighbor: SYR.  Israel and Syria.

27. Wild guess: STAB.   Sort of like a shot in the dark.

28. Tool with teeth: SAW.  I can see that.

31. Blue-green hue: TEAL.   A dark greenish-blue color, named for a duck of similar hue..

34. Pyramid, often: TOMB.   The Egyptian ones are.

37. Canterbury pens: GAOLS.  British spelling of Jail.  As a kid, when I first saw this in a Sherlock Holmes story I was quite confused.

44. Raging mad: IRATE.   Seeing red.

45. Barbecue rod: SPIT.   A slender pointed rod for holding meat over a fire

46. Cough syrup amts.: TSPS.  Teaspoons.

47. Alter __: EGO.  A person's secondary or alternative personality.

49. Chem class rooms: LABS.  A laboratory.  I saw a sign in one stating that here should be more labor and less oratory,

51. Quinceañera attendee, maybe: TIO.  An AUNT might attend the celebration of a girl's 15th birthday. This has cultural roots in Mexico and Europe and is widely celebrated by girls throughout Latin America. 

60. Out early: ON PAROLE.  Parole is the release of a prisoner temporarily (for a special purpose) or permanently before the completion of a sentence, on the promise of good behavior.

63. Tatum of "Paper Moon": O'NEAL.   Tatum Beatrice O'Neal [b. 1963] is an American actress. She is the youngest person ever to win an Academy Award, winning at age 10 for her performance as Addie Loggins in Paper Moon opposite her father, Ryan O'Neal. She also starred as Amanda Wurlitzer in The Bad News Bears, followed by Nickelodeon, and Little Darlings.    



67. Spill preventer: LID.   As on a child's puppy cup.


68. Like overly rehearsed comments, probably: TRITE.    Overused and consequently of little import; lacking originality or freshness.  Said of a remark, opinion, or idea.  Overly rehearsed?  I dunno 'bout that.

69. Rework, as text: EMEND.  Make corrections and improvements.

70. Beats by __: DRE.  Brand name for pricey earphones and buds.

71. Dye used in mehndi decoration: HENNA.   A  dye prepared from the plant Lawsonia inermis, also known as the henna tree, the mignonette tree, and the Egyptian privet, the sole species of the genus Lawsonia.   Mehndi is a form of body art and temporary skin decoration from the Indian subcontinent usually drawn on hands or legs.

72. Fizzy drinks: SODAS.

73. __ Lingus: AER.  The flag carrying ail line of Ireland. Founded by the Irish Government, it was privatised between 2006 and 2015 and it is now a wholly owned subsidiary of International Airlines Group. The airline's head office is on the grounds of Dublin Airport in Cloghran, County Dublin. 

Down:

1. The "B" of "Notorious RBG": BADER.   Joan Ruth Bader Ginsburg [b. 1933] was an American lawyer and jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1993 until her death in 2020.

2. Peak performance: A-GAME.   One's best possible performance,

3. Georgetown athletes: HOYAS.   According to Georgetown's Athletic Department Website, many years ago, when all students were required to take Greek and Latin, the athletic teams were nicknamed "The Stonewalls."  Rumor has it that one clever student chanted "Hoya Saxa!" which translates to "What Rocks!"  The cheer grew and students began to consistently yell "Hoya Saxa! Hoya Saxa!" Eventually, the "Saxa" was dropped and the cheer evolved to "Hoya!"

The name proved popular and all Georgetown teams were named "The Hoyas."  No, a Hoya is not a bulldog. It is not any animal, mascot, or creature of any sort. Hoya actually means "what."

So, if you ever ask: What is a Hoya? That's your answer. What? What. A Hoya is what.

4. Device with a touchscreen: TABLET.    A mobile computing device that has a flat, rectangular form like that of a magazine or pad of paper, that is usually controlled by means of a touch screen, and that is typically used for accessing the Internet, watching videos, playing games, reading electronic books, etc.

5. Wong of "Always Be My Maybe": ALI.  Alexandra Dawn "Ali" Wong [b. 1982] is an American stand-up comedian and actress. She is best known for her Netflix stand-up specials Baby Cobra, Hard Knock Wife, and Don Wong. She starred in the film Always Be My Maybe, on which she also served as a writer and producer.

6. Selfie, e.g.: PIC.  Photograph of one's self.

7. Golfer Lorena: OCHOA.   Lorena Ochoa Reyes [b. 1981] is a Mexican former professional golfer who played on the U.S.-based LPGA Tour from 2003 to 2010. She was the top-ranked female golfer in the world for 158 consecutive and total weeks, from 23 April 2007 to her retirement on 2 May 2010, at the age of 28 

8. Highlighter hues: NEONS.    Extremely bright or vivid colors, so named ny analogy to neon lamps.

9. Versatile docs: PDFS.  Documents in Portable Data File format, useable on any platform.

10. Wyatt of the Old West: EARP.   Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp [1848 - 1929] was an American lawman and gambler in the American West, including Dodge City, Deadwood, and Tombstone. Earp was involved in the famous gunfight at the O.K. Corral, during which lawmen killed three outlaw Cochise County Cowboys.

11. Dubai rulers: EMIRS.   A title of various Muslim (mainly Arab) rulers.

12. Seven-time MLB All-Star catcher Buster: POSEY.   Gerald Dempsey "Buster" Posey III [b.1987] is an American former professional baseball catcher. Posey spent his entire twelve-year Major League Baseball career with the San Francisco Giants, from 2009 until his retirement at the conclusion of the 2021 season. In September 2022, Posey joined the Giants' ownership group.

13. Snide smile: SNEER.   A contemptuous or mocking smile, remark, or tone.

19. Those opposed: NAYS.  

21. "Oof, look at the time": IT'S LATE.  Time to call it a night.

24. Target of some miners: DATA.  Data mining is the process of extracting and discovering patterns in large data sets involving methods at the intersection of machine learning, statistics, and database systems.

25. Some TikTok teens: E-BOYS.   E-girls and e-boys, sometimes collectively known as e-kids, are a youth subculture of Gen Z that emerged in the late 2010s, notably popularized by the video-sharing app TikTok. It is an evolution of emo, scene and mall goth fashion combined with Japanese street fashion and K-pop fashion.

29. Ottoman title: AGA.    A military or civil officer in the Ottoman Empire

30. Enters, as an aroma: WAFTS IN.  To WAFT is to pass or cause to pass easily or gently through or as if through the air.

31. "You've shared enough!": TMI.  Too Much Information.




32. AirPod holder: EAR.  The organ of hearing and balance in humans and other vertebrates, especially the external part of this.

33. Pie __ mode: ALA.  Literally, fashionable; in the current style or fashion.   Here in the U.S. it means the ice cream has a scoop of ice cream on it.

35. Swiffer product: MOP.   An implement made of absorbent material fastened to a handle and used especially for cleaning floors

36. Constructed: BUILT.  

38. Parts of lbs.: OZS.   Pounds and ounces.  Where does the "z" come from?  

39. Overtake and then some, on a track: LAP.  A LAP is one time around a race track.  To LAP another runner is to get one full LAP ahead of him

40. Family nickname: SIS.   Meaning sister.  I have one.

42. __ of lamb: LEG.   Lamb leg is a large and succulent cut from the hind legs that can be butchered into smaller cuts. Lamb leg is a popular Sunday dinner roasting joint, though, this is not the only way this tasty joint can be prepared.

43. Stick around: STAY.   Remain in a certain place.

48. Wind quintet wind: OBOE.   A woodwind instrument with a double-reed mouthpiece, a slender tubular body, and holes stopped by keys.




50. Stews (over): BROODS.  Thinks deeply about something that makes one unhappy.  Worries.

51. Sweet __: TOOTH.  A affection for confections.

52. Accustom: INURE.  Accustom (someone) to something, especially something unpleasant.

53. Decide to participate: OPT IN.  Choose to participate in something.

55. "As You Wish" memoirist Cary: ELWES.   Ivan Simon Cary Elwes [b. 1962] is an English actor and writer. He is known for his leading film roles as Westley in The Princess Bride, Robin Hood in Robin Hood: Men in Tights, and Dr. Lawrence Gordon in the Saw film series.





56. DÌa de San ValentÌn sentiment: TE AMO.  The Valentine's Day sentiment is, I love you."

57. Nintendo's The Legend of __: ZELDA.  The Legend of Zelda is an action-adventure game franchise created by the Japanese game designers Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka. It is primarily developed and published by Nintendo, although some portable installments and re-releases have been outsourced to Capcom, Vanpool, and Grezzo.

58. Former name of the Congo: ZAIRE.   Officially the Republic of Zaire (French: République du Zaïre, [ʁepyblik dy zaiʁ]), was a Congolese state from 1971 to 1997 in Central Africa that was previously and is now again known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Zaire was, by area, the third-largest country in Africa (after Sudan and Algeria), and the 11th-largest country in the world. With a population of over 23 million inhabitants, Zaire was the most-populous officially Francophone country in Africa, as well as one of the most populous in Africa.

59. Not as up-to-date: OLDER.  I'm taking this personally.

61. Memo abbreviation: ATTN.   Attention recipient.

62. "Better Call Saul" Emmy nominee Seehorn: RHEA.   Deborah Rhea Seehorn [b. 1972] is an American actress and director. She is best known for playing attorney Kim Wexler in AMC's Better Call Saul, for which she was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series at the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards

65. Zoo opening in London?: ZED.   The first, i.e. opening, letter of the word in Brit-speak. We just call it Zee.

66. "Based __ true story": ON A.  Said of a fictional account involving real persons and/or events.

That's all, folks.  Hope you were able to pronounce all these words.  Happy Wednesday, everyone.

Cool regards!
JzB