L.A.Times Crossword Corner

Mar 30, 2024

Saturday, March 30, 2024, Jacob McDermott

Saturday Themeless by Jacob McDermott

This a debut LA puzzle for Jacob and I was able to get through his 68-word construction in a very good time.

There were a few sticking points but, as usually happens on Saturdays, the long fills became obvious and allowed me to roll on to a satisfying conclusion. Even his very contemporary references fell with relative ease.

Across:

1. Game that's somewhat pointless?: SHUTOUT - Don Larsen's 1956 World Series perfect game SHUT OUT against the Dodgers is probably the most famous one of all. Other than that game he was only a journeyman pitcher at best but he did have his day in the sun.

8. Spanish language apps: TAPAS - Appetizers

13. Casserole nugget: TATER TOT.

15. Brightness: SMARTS 😀

17. Self-made person?: ALTER EGO - $4,500 will buy you a first edition of the most famous one in literature.

18. Like some barbecue: KOREAN - This one is in Houston.

19. Dale: GLEN.

20. Competed like Kobayashi: ATE - At a July 4th eating competition.

22. Dealt with: SAW TO.

23. Colorful wrap: SERAPE - Clint bought this himself and took it with him where he made the American western trilogy in Spain with an Italian director.

26. "The Hurting Kind" poet Limón: ADA.

28. Couple of bucks: DEER and 1. Couple of bucks: STAGS.

29. Loaded: ROLLING IN IT 😀

32. "No joke!": HONEST TO GOD.

33. Drain: SAP.

34. Texter's "Success!": FTW - Where I learned the phrase, "I'll take Totie Fields For The Win." These days it's more likely to be said after the victory.

35. Pro certified in BLS: EMT - An EMT can give CPR as a part of BLS

36. Really bad situation: DIRE STRAITS.

39. Home of Fangorn Forest and the Misty Mountains: MIDDLE EARTH - From Lord Of The Rings

40. "__ plaisir!": AVEC - With pleasure in Français

41. First name in rational egoism: AYN - Wanna know more?

42. Lineup at a charging station: TESLAS.

47. Where workers cut the mustard?: DELIS 😀

49. Shakshouka ingredient: EGG - I first saw shakshouka in a Stella Zawistowski puzzle I blogged four years ago.

51. Storm antecedent, perhaps: CALM.

52. Tolerates: ABIDES - I have trouble ABIDING obscure names crossing each other in a puzzle, but I soldier on.

54. Teen drama starring Zendaya: EUPHORIA.

57. 1977 Travolta role: MANERO - John lost 20 lbs to play Tony MANERO

58. Home inspection concern: RADON GAS - Here ya go

59. Showed again: RERAN - This is show is credited with being first to do this during the time Lucy was pregnant.

60. "Feel me?": CAPEESH - The Americanization of the Italian phrase.

Down:

2. "Ungodly Hour" R&B duo Chloe x __: HALLE - More info on this sister act

3. Unqualified: UTTER.

4. Singer __ Marie: TEENA.

5. Bobby in an iconic Stanley Cup Final photo: ORR - that led to this statue in Boston

6. Four Corners Native: UTE.

7. Pilate's wear: TOGA - Not what you wear to a pilate's class. 😀

Pilate, "Ecce Homo"

8. Verbal headshake: TSK.

9. Famous name in cookies: AMOS.

10. Models: PARADIGMS - I have seen many PARADIGM shifts in education over my many decades of teaching. Some were useful and some were failures.

11. "Right?": ARE WE NOT- ARE WE NOT crossword fans?

12. Card handed to a TSA agent: STATE ID.

14. Rando: TOTAL STRANGER - Jay Leno's hilarious encounters with rando(m) strangers.

16. Quick drink: SNORT.

21. Wikipedia tussle: EDIT WAR.

24. Set in motion: PROPEL.

25. Unit of time often used hyperbolically: EON.

27. Pangolin snack: ANT - Two pangolins at a buffet

30. T-Boz and Chilli bandmate: LEFT EYE - If you're a fan, you know who's who

31. "Faust" dramatist: GOETHE - A first edition for $7,500

32. Apple press release?: HARD CIDER 😀

33. Bench: SIDELINE - Some players can be SIDELINED by an injury which will put them on the bench

36. Source of cheap shots?: DIVE BAR - Happy Bottom Riding Club was a DIVE BAR near Edwards Air Force Base where lots of early test pilots, including Chuck Yeager, hung out. It was featured in the movie The Right Stuff