L.A.Times Crossword Corner

Jul 15, 2023

Saturday, July 15, 2023, Rachel Fabi & Rebecca Goldstein

Saturday Themeless by Rachel Fabi and Rebecca Goldstein

Rachel is a Associate Professor
of Bioethics and Humanities at
SUNY Upstate Medical University.

Rebecca is a research scientist
at Merck, developing
cancer immunotherapies.

Today we have a lovely challenge from two constructors who are prominent in the Medical field.

Like last week there were some respites along the way that made the solve very smooth.

Across:

1. Poor, unfortunate souls: WAIFS - Did anyone else's imagination run to Dickens?

6. Catch a ride to the beach?: SURF - 😀 From the ocean side

10. Small songbird: WREN.

14. Walk in the park, say: AMBLE.

15. Chiwere speaker: OTOE.

16. Spot that generates a lot of buzz: HIVE 😀

17. Cap: LIMIT.

18. Commercial pest control?: BODEGA CAT - This one is a mouse catcher and a greeter.

20. Aegean spot called the "Island of the Poets": LESBOS.

22. Tour de France crowds: PELOTONS - either the whole pack of 219 riders from 22 teams participating in the Tour de France, or the V-shaped main pack of riders drafting off one another. Peloton literally means little ball or platoon.

23. Nosy one: BUTTINSKI.

There's a witch in there!

25. Fall back: RETREAT - Many of the thousands of British troops who escaped at Dunkirk, France back to England in 1940 would cross the channel the other way to Normandy, France in 1944 on D-Day.

26. Sort of up: ASTIR.

30. Eur. kingdom: NOR.

31. Explorer Bancroft who was the first woman to complete an expedition to the North Pole: ANN. This, of course, is NOT the ANNE Bancroft who played Mrs. Robinson.

32. Stevenson villain: MR. HYDE - This 1886 first edition will run you $6,500.

33. Analog reminders: POST ITS - A funny take on them.

35. Stuck again: RETAPED - Patrick Mahomes reinsured a sprained ankle but just had the trainer RETAPE it right over his shoe so he could finish the game.

36. Iroquois Confederacy nation known as the "People of the Standing Stone": ONEIDA.

37. Pussy foot: PAW.

38. __ milk: PEA.

39. Mule sound: LONG U (ū) 😀 Nice meta clue.

40. Got one's exercise on track?: RAN LAPS - Many tracks ask casual runners to avoid the inner lane where most competitors run in a meet.

42. "Just listen!": INDULGE ME.

44. Feature of pugs and Pekingese: SNUB NOSE.

47. "Gracias" reply: DE NADA.

51. Element of environmental economics: CARBON TAX - Here ya go

53. Open-source operating system: LINUX.

54. Right hand, often: AIDE.

55. Apt rhyme for crocodile: NILE.

56. Gathered documents: INTEL.

NCIS agents doing just that

57. Bubbly spec: BRUT.

58. Nailed (it): ACED.

59. Likely to bend over backwards, maybe: AGILE.

Down:

1. Missing element in an open floor plan: WALL.

2. Parisian pal: AMIE.

3. "Think" PCs: IBMS - IBM's one word famous motto

4. Twit: FLIBBERTIGIBBET - Describing the main character in The Sound Of Music.

How do you find a word that means Maria?

A flibbertijibbet! A will-o’-the wisp! A clown!

5. Take a first step: SET OUT.

6. Sound of distress: SOB.

7. Perfect: UTOPIAN.

8. Gopher, e.g.: RODENT.

9. Emotions, slangily: FEELS - Slang strikes again

10. "Nothing. makes. sense.": WHAT IS HAPPENING? - Name the great movie with this scene. *Answer at bottom.

11. Part of P.R.: RICO.

12. Emmy nominee __ Rachel Wood: EVAN.

13. Clears: NETS.

19. Vehicle operated without a license: GO KART.

21. Layers on layers: STRATA.

24. Hamilton bills: TENS.

49. Head-to-head combat: DUEL - The gentleman on the above-mentioned $10 bill took second place in this famous DUEL.

25. Nevada senator Jacky: ROSEN.

27. Sorts: TYPES - It takes all sorts...

28. Exclamation point?: IDEA.

29. Cab, for one: RED - Cabernet wine of course

30. "That's so wrong": NONO.

32. Sounded pitiful: MEWLED - Kitties come to mind

33. D.C. insider: POL.

34. [Shrug]: I DUNNO.

35. Called up: RANG - A Brit might say, "I RANG you up" to say they had made a call.

37. Light beer?: PALE ALE.

40. __ chic: RUSTIC.