L.A.Times Crossword Corner

Jan 25, 2025

Saturday, January 25, 2025, August Miller

Saturday Themeless by August Miller

August really outdid himself for cute cluing (see 😀's below). I really had to expand my thinking on some words to come to a successful conclusion.

Well, okay, I did not get the "W" at cell block #3. I knew it was a Star Wars clue and JABAS (The Huts 😀) seemed fine to me but it turned out to be JAWAS.

Across

1. Droid vendors on Tatooine: JAWAS.

6. First band from Sweden to win Eurovision: ABBA - I need very little encouragement to post a video from this fabulous group! Here is their winning performance from Eurovision 1974.

10. TV port letters: HDMI - High Definition Multimedia Interface

14. Sushi order with salmon, crab, and avocado: ALASKA ROLL - ALASKA filled itself in and my limited sushi knowledge told me that it was probably a ROLL.

16. Like Antarctica: ARID - Very little precipitation there and the humidity level is routinely as low as .03%

17. Taking early retirement?: ZONKING OUT 😀 Retirement here means going to bed or at least taking a nap

18. What to say when one doesn't know what to say?: LINE 😀 - LINE? What a stage actor might say when he has forgotten his line so a prompter can tell him his next LINE.

19. Canadian series finale?: ZED - The Canadian name for Z

20. "I'm killing it right now!": GO ME.

21. Legitimate: VALID.

22. Pool surface: FELT - Replacing the FELT on a pool table

24. Bounty targets: SPILLS - Not a fugitive reward nor Captain Bligh's boat.

26. "See you!": CIAO.

27. Catch up, maybe: CHAT.

28. Have a bawl: SOB.

30. Comment while washing one's hands?: WHAT MORE CAN I DO 😀

33. Parking advisory?: SEATS ARE LIMITED - Where you park your rear end.

34. Short stack at a startup, perhaps: PERSONNEL FILES 😀

35. ATV component: ALL - ALL Terrain Vehicles are popular in our part of the world but their high center of gravity and narrow base can made them susceptible to roll overs.

36. Flask: VIAL.

37. Model Rau who is an ambassador for L'Oréal Paris: INES.

38. The Binghamton Rumble Ponies, for one: AA TEAM - The AA minor league team of the NY Mets

40. Discreetly keeps updated: BCCS.

41. Manhattan's __ Place: ASTOR.

42. Qatari leader: EMIR.

44. Sammy with two spreads: PB&J - My breakfast this morning.

47. Winter Palace figure: TSAR.

48. "As if!": IN A PIG'S EYE - Origin

51. "NFL Live" analyst Kimes: MINA ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

52. Living room combo: OTTOMAN SET.

53. Casual get-together: SESH - A SESH or a convo can be where you meet your peeps

54. Drew on: USED - Many constructors have drawn on C.C. to begin

55. Makeup kit item: GLOSS.

Down:

1. Toni Morrison novel set in 1920s Harlem: JAZZ.

2. Plant with tubular flowers: ALOE.

3. Makeup kit item: WAND.

4. Seek answers: ASK.

5. Navigate a slippery slope: SKI.

6. Cant: ARGOT - Huh, Peyton?

7. Good time: BOOM - We all know what stopped these.

8. Mario Kart projectile that seeks out the lead racer: BLUE SHELL ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

9. Flying fig.: ALT.

Finding your ALTITUDE
with an altimeter

10. Designation at some meat markets: HALAL.

11. Places to dig deep: DRILL SITES.

12. Heavily abridged installments: MINISODES ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Obvs, a portmanteau of MINI and EPISODE

13. Called a name?: IDED.

15. Obsession with all things British: ANGLOMANIA - An epidemic of the 60's!

21. Immune-boosting compound: VITAMIN C.

22. Some Italian imports: FIATS.

23. Tries a friend's cooking, maybe: EATS OVER - I've been to a SLEEP OVER but have never heard of an EAT OVER.

25. Guillermo del Toro franchise with kaiju: PACIFIC RIM ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Apparently the kanju is the monster

26. Falsies?: CHARLATANS - Harry Houdini spent a lot of his time exposing them.

27. Fish hamper: CREEL.

29. Beach __: BOD - My first thought was of Brian Wilson and his Beach BOYS but that didn't cut it

30. Scot's tot: WEE LASSIE.

31. They're often suspended over the holidays: ORNAMENTS 😀

32. "Frasier" role: NILES - There were so many lines to choose from