L.A.Times Crossword Corner

Oct 28, 2023

Saturday, October, 28, 2023, Barbara Lin

Saturday Themeless by Barbra Lin

After many years of enjoying crosswords and other word puzzles, Barb began constructing crossword puzzles in 2019. Her puzzles have appeared in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Universal, Los Angeles Times, Fireball, and Boswords Themeless League. Barb lives with her husband in their empty nest in suburban Philadelphia and works as an engineer.

I was able to waltz through Barbara's excellent puzzle in 25 minutes. I know many of you will notice and appreciate that used only five 3-letter words: EPA, FRI, KIA, OHM and RAD.

Across:

1. Subject of the Caldecott Honor book "The Right Word": ROGET - This took longer than it should have. I wonder if ROGET has a synonym for "Duh!"

6. Lines of praise: ODES.

10. "The __ Tour": record-setting 2023-24 concert series: ERAS - Daughter and two granddaughters attended this concert in this venue. Taylor returned here in October to watch her KC Chiefs' beau Travis Kelce play at Arrowhead.

14. Butterfly's stage: IMAGO - A familiar stage in crossword biology

15. Stroke of luck?: HOLE-IN-ONE - Yup, that's yours truly! A nice easy swing with a 9 Iron on a 115 yd hole.

17. City between Bismarck and Minneapolis on I-94: FARGO.

18. __ store: MOM AND POP - They are becoming extinct partly because of 30. Net income?: E-TAIL.

19. Swiss cheese?: FRANCS - Cheese is another euphemism for money

21. Camp site: MESS TENT - Can you find it?

22. Being of Jewish folklore: GOLEM - an artificial human being in Hebrew folklore endowed with life. Yeah, I knew that. 😙

24. Unleavened flatbread: ROTI.

25. Band whose work is featured in the musical "Head Over Heels": THE GO-GOS.

28. Go on and on: NATTER.

32. Cool kin: RAD.

33. Relish: SAVOR.

35. Cheek muscle, for short: GLUTE - 😀

36. Acrobat's company: ADOBE.

38. AQI monitor: EPA.

39. Played again: RERAN.

40. Brown ermine: STOAT.

41. "__ Baby": 2020 film set during a Jewish ritual: SHIVA - Rotten Tomatoes

43. Soul provider: KIA - Names for car models are common on the cwd lot

44. Shirley Jackson's genre: HORROR - I read The Haunting Of Hill House as a teenager in one of mom's condensed collection

46. Biological building block: STEM CELL.

48. Emotional wound: SCAR

50. Assortment: ARRAY.

51. Threat to some colonists: ANTEATER 😀

55. Seuss reptile: YERTLE - Was I the only one who first put turtle?

58. Barrier visited by tourists: CORAL REEF - My first thought was the Berlin Wall

The Great Barrier Reef

60. Hawkeye missile: ARROW 😀

61. One who doesn't like to just veg?: MEAT LOVER - MEAT EATER? Not so much.

62. Two-terminal device: DIODE.

63. Trees with oval leaves: ELMS.

64. Sub contractor?: DELI 😀

65. Elusive Himalayans: YETIS.

Down:

1. Jazz motif: RIFF - Some RIFFS are improvised.

2. Ilhan who was the first person to wear a hijab on the House floor: OMAR.

3. Remote target: GARAGE DOOR 😀

4. Holiday concoction: EGGNOG.

5. Extremely tight: TOO CLOSE TO CALL.

6. Omega, in physics: OHM

7. Bad lot: DOOM - Not my lot in life

8. Bull in a product name: ELMER - It held the table I made in 9th grade shop together over 60 years ago.

9. Salt, say: SEASON 😀

10. Theme that plays over the closing credits: END TITLE - Final scene of Breakfast Club, END TITLE and credits. Bonus: What 1968 film used Strauss' Blue Danube for the END TITLE? (*answer at bottom)

11. Hitchcock's first film in color: ROPE.

12. Soon, long ago: ANON 😀

13. Third-qtr. month: SEPT.

16. Photogenic: INSTAGRAM READY - Whether the subject is ready or not

20. Beneficiary of a Sonic boom?: SEGA.

23. Shifts: MOVES.

25. Refuse: TRASH - ree FYUZ or REH fyus?

26. Was compelled: HAD TO.

27. Some campus returnees: SOPHS 😀

29. Ragtime dance: TURKEY TROT - More than you'd ever want to know (2:42)

31. Nephric: RENAL - RENAL: Of or relating to the kidneys

34. Yogurt-based condiment served with 24-Across: RAITA - A creamy Indian yogurt sauce with cucumber, mint and cilantro.