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

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Mar 27, 2013

Wednesday, March 27, 2013 C. C. Burnikel

Theme:  Just take it two days at a time.  Common words that can all precede the word "DAY" and thus describe a recognized event are stacked in the puzzle so that they can be considered paired.

13A. *Shady spot : ARBOR.  A garden alcove formed by trees or climbing plants over a trellis.  ARBOR DAY.  A day devoted to the planting and care of trees, nationally on the last Friday in April, but at various times from January through May around the continental U.S. and the first Friday of Nov. in Hawaii.

16A. *Furry forecaster? : GROUNDHOG. A burrowing rodent (Marmota monax), also known as the woodchuck, whistle-pig, or land-beaver.  Nobody knows how much wood it would chuck.  GROUNDHOG DAY.  Feb 2. when the eponymous rodent is coaxed from its cozy hole in the ground to give a mostly inaccurate prediction about the duration of winter.  Also the title and subject of a now classic movie.




27A. *Jolly Roger, e.g. : FLAG. A piece of fabric with a distinctive design that is used as a symbol, a signaling device, or decoration.  Roger's design is more distinctive than jolly.




FLAG DAY.  Celebrated on June 14th, commemorates the adoption of the U.S. Flag by the 2nd Continental Congress on that day in 1777.

30A. *Formal beginning : INAUGURATION.  The start of a new operation, practice or administration.  INAUGURATION DAY.  The day of the official swearing in of a U. S. president to signal the beginning of her/his administration.

45A. *Freedom from control : INDEPENDENCE.  A condition of a nation, country, or state in which its residents and population exercise self-government.   INDEPENDENCE DAY.  Celebrated in the U.S. on July 4th, commemorates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence of the 13 colonies from the Kingdom of Great Britain.  The rest is history.

48A. *Leave the ground : LEAP.  Launch oneself skyward, an activity that before which one should generally look.




LEAP DAY.  Feb 29, the added day in leap year, making the most miserable month even longer.  Big mistake, IMHO.

61A. Big name in publishing, and a visual hint to the three adjacent pairs of answers to starred clues : DOUBLEDAY.   Famous publisher of many fiction and non-fiction books.  DOUBLE  DAY.  Two days at a time, or one day at a time if you live under a double star.

Hi, gang, it's JzB guiding you though a nifty DOUBLE play turned by our fearless leader and dynamic soloist.  Come along, let's make a day [or two] of it.

Across:

1. '60s activist Bobby : SEALE.  Co-founder of the Black Panther Party

6. Forward sail : JIB.  A triangular staysail that sets ahead of the foremast of a sailing vessel.

9. Flavonoids-rich berry : ACAI.  Comes from a variety of palm tree.

14. Mesabi Range output : ORE.  I can dig it.

15. Not for minors : ADULT.  The minors can't dig it.  Relates to the language, visuals or situations of a publication or production.

18. Chain with a red cowboy hat logo : ARBY'S.  They have a good fish sandwich this time of year.

19. Some spring rolls? : SOD.  Rolls of green grass.  Clever.

20. Former "Today" co-anchor Curry : ANN.  Her departure was not amiable.

21. Plant sold in animal-shaped pots : CHIA.    Makes a great gift.

22. Gave away, as true feelings : LET ON. As ANN did on her last Today day.

25. One __ time : AT A.  Unless you live under a double sun.

33. Lip balm stuff : ALOE.  Common ointment for puzzlers.

35. Subleased : RELET.

36. __-ray Disc : BLU.

37. Gives substance to, with "out" : FLESHES.  Otherwise all you have is a skeleton.

39. Decks out : ATTIRES.  Puts clothing on. After fleshing out. Proper sequencing is important.

41. L.A.'s __ Center: second-tallest building in California : AON.  A mere 62 stories, located at 707 Wilshire Boulevard in downtown Los Angeles.

42. Salsa ingredient : ONION.  Tomatillo doesn't fit.

44. Hard-to-hit server : ACER.  An unreturnable serve is an ACE.

49. Stoplight color : RED.  Poorly timed ones make me see RED.

50. "Done!" : THERE!  See! Told ya'!

53. Vagrant : HOBO.  A wandering laborer, not just an ordinary bum. Vagrants are beggars, so this isn't quite right.

55. PSAT takers : JRS.  High School juniors take the Pre-Scholastic Achievment Test.

57. Acct. accrual : INT.  If accounts accrue interest, do no-accounts accrue disinterest?

59. Summers in China? : ABACI.  The original digital calculators.  Clever again.

64. "My Little Grass Shack" singer : DON HO.  Is his little grass shack filled with tiny bubbles?

65. Die down : EBB.  As when the bubbly goes flat.

66. Hoover rival : ORECK.  Vacuum cleaners.

67. A&W rival : DAD'S.  Old Fashioned Root Beer.  Full of tiny bubbles.

68. Versatile Scrabble tile : ESS. The letter "S" spelt out.

69. Small bite : TASTE

Down:

1. Loses muscle tone : SAGS. Not to be confused with Cooper's Droop.

2. Dashing Flynn : ERROL.  Famous buckler of swashes.

3. Dwelling : ABODE.  The place where I abide

4. Reed of The Velvet Underground : LOU.  Not my cup of Earl Grey.  YMMV.

5. Compass point ending : ERN.  Suffix for East-; West-; North-; and South-.  Any direction the sea-eagle may fly.

6. Poet Keats : JOHN  A quote:

For simple sheep; and such are daffodils
With the green world they live in; and clear rills
That for themselves a cooling covert make
'Gainst the hot season; the mid-forest brake

7. Historic toolmaking period : IRON AGE.  After the bronze age, metallurgy became more sophisticated, and men learned to make useful things out of iron, a. much harder and more durable metal. 

8. Importune : BEG.  What HOBOS don't do.

9. Lacking purpose : ADRIFT.  Much better than being ASEA.

10. Tropical rum drink : CUBA LIBRE. Rum and Coke over ice with a lime wedge.  Probably not Tinbeni's cup of Earl Grey.

11. Prince __ Khan : ALY.  I wanted AGA, but that was his dad.

12. "__ in the bag!" : IT'S.  It is.  Really

15. "That hits the spot!" : AAH.  Like a nice cold CUBA LIBRE.

17. "Body of Proof" actress Delany : DANA.  Cute, but I don't recognize her.




21. Insertion symbol : CARET.   This thing "^" tells you where to put it in.

23. Cancún uncles : TIOS.  Spanish.

24. Like many an easy grounder : ONE HOP.  Who would have imagined our first baseball reference wouldn't occur until 24D?

26. New Orleans school : TULANE

28. IM user : AOLER.  AOL users can send Instant Messages to other AOL users
 
29. Safari sights : GNUS.  A word derived from the indigenous Khoikhoi name for the Wildebeest, the Afrikaans name for wild cattle.

31. Like grizzlies : URSINE.  They go bear in the woods.

32. Tack on : ATTACH. [Cf 59D]

33. Solo : ALONE.  As in flying an airplane, performing music, or constructing a crossword puzzle

34. Pitch in : LEND A HAND.  Help somebody

37. Flunk out : FAIL.

38. Año beginner : ENERO.  January begins the year.  Más españoles.

40. Slurpee cousin : ICEE.  Do you suppose Tinbeni enjoys these?

43. PennySaver ad subjects : ODD JOBS.  Or, what HOBOS might do.

46. Big times : EPOCHS.  Can denote any of various times or time spans; geologically speaking, less than a period and greater than an age.

47. Black-box analyzers: Abbr. : NTSBNational Transportation Safety Board

51. Takes for a spin : RIDES

52. Pass : ENACT.  As, a law.

54. Theater program item : BIO.  Biography
 
56. Chafes : RUBS.  Probably the wrong way.

58. Little one : TYKE.

59. Tack on : ADD. Hey look - a clecho! [Cf 32D]

60. Accessorizing wrap : BOA.  A long thin stole of feathers or fur worn around a woman's neck

61. Below-average grade : DEE.  The letter "D" spelt out.

62. Parking place : LOT.  For some reason I had a LOT of trouble with this one.

63. Stat for R.A. Dickey : ERAEarned Run Average.  And a perfect ending with some more baseball. Robert Allen Dickey is a pitcher who has bounced around both leagues, spent some time with the Twins, and is now with the Blue Jays.  Last year, while with the Mets he led the N.L. in strikeouts, and won the Cy Young award.

OK, folks, THERE!  A fun puzzle with a clecho, some top-notch pitching and a ONE HOP hit into a DOUBLE play.  Hope you enjoyed the game.  See ya' next time.

Cool Regards!
JzB

Mar 26, 2013

Tuesday, March 26, 2013 Gail Grabowski and Bruce Venzke

Theme: Shoot! - Various projectiles start off today's theme entries.

17A. Sleight-of-hand scam : SHELL GAME. The classic hide the pea under one of three walnut shells.

30A. Agenda item : BULLET POINT. The dot before item in a list.

49A. Filmed like most of today's films : SHOT IN COLOR

65A. Fight fiercely to the end : SLUG IT OUT

70A. Armory supply, and a hint to the starts of 17-, 30-, 49- and 65-Across : AMMO

Argyle here. A well stocked armory may even have stones for your sling shot.

Across:

1. PC screens largely replaced by LCDs : CRT's. liquid crystal display/cathode ray tube

5. Exchange goodbyes : PART

9. Breed, as salmon : SPAWN. A major event for grizzly bears, bald eagles and ad men.


14. Ghostly glow : AURA

15. "Nothin' doin'!" : "UH, UH!"

16. "Dallas" matriarch : ELLIE. A character on the TV series, Dallas, Miss Ellie was portrayed by Barbara Bel Geddes.

19. Cold temperatures : TEENS

20. Fountain of Rome : TREVI. Facts of Trevi Fountain LINK.

21. Levies on smokes and booze : SIN TAXES

23. Prefix with present : OMNI

26. Playfully shy : COY

27. Houston of Texas : SAM. LINK. A great example of the use of bullet points.

36. World's largest rainforest : AMAZONIA


38. Pearl Jam singer Eddie : VEDDER. Here doing a solo with Clarence(his electric ukulele) on Letterman. LINK.(4:05)

39. Early whirlybird, for short : GIRO. It seems gyro means other things although they share the same Greek root.

40. Winding curve : ESS

42. Body wash brand : OLAY. "I love the smell of OLAY cream (the original). Been using it since my college days." C.C., July 21, '09.

43. Dressy ties : ASCOTS

46. Mariachi's headwear : SOMBRERO


51. Hyphenated ID : SSN. xxx-xx-xxxx

52. Fair-hiring abbr. : EOE. (Equal Opportunity Employer)

53. Wax-wrapped cheese : EDAM. Question: Which cheese appears most in crosswords?

55. Alphabet soup, so to speak : MIXED BAG

60. Have an inkling : SENSE

64. Abrasive mineral : EMERY

68. Barely burn : SINGE

69. Continental cash : EURO

71. Left one's seat : STOOD

72. Slight impression : DENT

73. Author Uris : LEON. Published Exodus in 1958.

Down:

1. Plaster bandage : CAST

2. Essen's region : RUHR. Germany.

3. "Magic __ House": kiddie lit series : TREE. Jack and Annie's Excellent Adventures

4. Battleship barrage : SALVO. Spitzboov, care to share one of your favorite photos?

5. Curly-tailed pooch : PUG

6. "So that's what that means!" : "A-HA!"

7. Caribbean liquors : RUMS

8. It might be broken at a party : THE ICE. You'll need it for the Piña Coladas.

9. Prepare some letterpress printing : SET TYPE. Speaking of old type setting equipment...Irish Miss, how is the Times Union doing with their new press? (It broke down on the second day in use.)

10. Appeal : PLEA

11. Author Haley : ALEX. "Roots: The Saga of an American Family".

12. Bistro beverage : WINE

13. Stack's role in "The Untouchables" : NESS


18. "How low can you go?" competition : LIMBO. LOL Now the question is how low can I go and still get back up.

22. Grounding rule, perhaps : NO TV

24. Convent resident : NUN

25. "On second thought, that's not true" : "I LIE"

27. Long stories : SAGAs

28. Pennsylvania Mennonites : AMISH

29. Call before "Polo!" : "MARCO!"

31. Dogie catcher : LASSO

32. Reminder to take out the trash? : ODOR

33. Fritters away time : IDLEs

34. Gets within a stone's throw of : NEARS. The first ammo?
35. Check for size : TRY ON

37. Type of baggy '40s suit : ZOOT

41. One and only : SOLE

44. Colored, hippie-style : TIE-DYED

45. Snooty sort : SNOB

47. '60s chic : MOD

48. "The Godfather" hoodlum Luca : BRASI. Luca Brasi was a feared personal enforcer for the Corleone family.

50. Discontinued : CEASED

54. Lead or zinc : METAL

55. Military chow hall : MESS

56. "You're looking at the one and only" : "I'M IT"

57. Strange: Pref. : XENO

58. Therefore : ERGO

59. Scrapbook adhesive : GLUE

61. Alaskan seaport : NOME. Way up north, end point of the Iditarod.

62. Osaka wrestler : SUMO

63. Henry VI's school : ETON

66. Spigoted server : URN

67. Came down with : GOT. I hope you are all feeling well.


Argyle