Tuesday, July 28, 2020 Jerry Edelstein

Summer Beach Reading.  Each summer, I pack a big bag of PAPER BACK books to take to with me on my beach vacation.  In today's puzzle, the word Paper is found at the "Back" of the last word in each theme answer.

18-Across. *   TV coverage of city events, say: LOCAL NEWS.  Newspaper

23-Across. *   Metaphorical boundary that shouldn't be crossed: LINE IN THE SAND.  Sandpaper

30-Across. *   "That'll be the day": WHEN PIGS FLY.  Flypaper

41-Across. *   Jerusalem prayer site: WESTERN WALL.  Wallpaper

47-Across. *   Phrase used by experts: TECHNICAL TERM.  Term Paper

And the Unifier:
58-Across. Softcover book, and what the last words of the answers to starred clues can have: PAPER BACK.

Across:

1. Big name in farm equipment: DEERE.  History and Timeline of John Deere.

1928 John Deere Tractor

6. Silly: DAFT.

10. Flow very slowly: SEEP.

14. __Valdez: oil-spill ship: EXXON.  //  And 31-Down. Fuel in a tank: GAS.

15. Palm tree berry: AÇAI.  This must be my special word.  This is the 4th Tuesday puzzle in a row in which this word has appeared.

16. Gucci of fashion: ALDO.  Aldo Gucci (May 25, 1905 ~ Jan. 19, 1990) was the son of Guccio Gucci (Mar. 26, 1881 ~ Jan. 2, 1953), who was the founder of the fashion House of Gucci.  He ran his father's company for years.  Sadly, in 1986, when he was 81 years old, he was convicted for tax evasion and spent a year in Federal Prison in Florida.  The following year, the family-owned company was sold.

17. Disney World's __ Center: EPCOT.  Epcot opened despite the pandemic.  I hope its July visitors didn't contract Covid-19.

20. Author of macabre fiction: POE.  Edgar Allan Poe (Jan. 19, 1809 ~ Oct. 7, 1849) had an entire puzzle devoted to him recently.

21. Container weight: TARE.  The Tare Weight is the weight of an empty vehicle or container.  Noun:  a deduction from the gross weight of a substance and its container made in allowance for the weight of the container.  As defined by Merriam-Webster.

22. Start of a choosing rhyme: EENIE.

27. Creamy pastry: ÉCLAIR.  Yummers!

29. Paintings and such: ART.

34. Amazement: AWE.

37. Geologic time frames: EONS.

38. Octogenarian's 80, e.g.: AGE.

39. Nobelist Wiesel: ELIE.  Elie Wiesel (né Eliezer Wiesel; Sept. 30, 1928 ~ July 2, 2016) was a holocaust survivor.  He is probably best known for his book Night, which was semi-autobiographical about his experiences in Auschwitz.

40. Drunkard: SOT.

45. Scot's cap: TAM.  Tam is short for Tam o'Shanter, which is a traditional cap worn by men.

46. Honks at, say: ALERTS.  //  I liked how this crossed with 34-Down. Source of a ringing warning: ALARM BELL.

53. Be mad about: ADORE.  This was my last fill.  I was thinking of mad as being angry.  Think:  I  am mad about you.

54. Historical times: ERAs.

55. Library contents: Abbr.: BKs.  As in Books.  My library now offers curb-side service.  I just picked up a whole new stack of reading materials.  They are hard cover, however, and not PaperBacks.

60. Censor: BLEEP.

62. "__ miracle!": IT'S A.

63. "Got it!": I SEE!

64. Middle East ship, perhaps: OILER.

65. Marsh growth: REED.  Reeds in the Louisiana Marshes are being destroyed by some sort of insect.  The reeds are an important element in helping to prevent land-loss along the Louisiana coastline.  Did you know that Louisiana loses the equivalent of a football field a day along its coast?

66. Kings and queens: BEDS.  Fun misdirection.

67. Word with laugh or dance: BELLY.  You, too, can learn how to Belly Dance.

Down:

1. Thought-provoking: DEEP.

2. Montreal MLBer before 2005: EXPO.

3. Like A+ work: EXCELLENT.

4. Piglet's joey pal: ROO.  A reference to A.A. Milne's critters from Winnie the Pooh.

5. Tolkien talking tree: ENT.  I'm not a fan of Tolkien, but this word appears with some frequency in the puzzles. 

6. __ Lama: DALAI.

The 14th and current Dalai Lama.

7. Nut from an oak: ACORN.

8. Gem surface: FACET.

9. Acapulco aunt: TIA.  Today's Spanish lesson.

10. Most sensible: SANEST.

11. Colleague of Ruth and Sonia: ELENA. Sonia Sotomayor (b. June 25, 1954), Ruth Bader Ginsburg (b. Mar. 15, 1933), and Elena Kagan (b. Apr, 28, 1960).

12. Astronomer Hubble: EDWIN.  The Hubble Telescope is named in honor of Edwin Hubble (Nov. 20, 1889 ~ Sept. 28, 1953).

13. Sat for a photo: POSED.  I had the present tense of this verb last week.

19. Suspicious: LEERY.

21. Actress Garr: TERI.  Teri Garr (b. Dec. 11, 1944) is a comedic actress.  She was in Tootsie.

24. McShane and McKellen: IANs.  I am not familiar with Ian McShane (b. Sept. 29, 1942), but Sir Ian McKellen (b. May 25, 1939) is more familiar.

Ian McShane

Ian McKellen

25. Little bite: NIP.

26. "2001" computer: HAL.

27. Female sheep: EWEs.  //  And 36-Down. "Electric" fish: EELs.  The words Sheep and Eel can be both plural or singular.  In this case, both were plural.

28. Half a toy train?: CHOO.

32. Army NCO: SGT.  As in Sergeant.

33. Lawyer's charge: FEE.

35. Go limp: WILT.

39. Big pitcher: EWER.  Change the R to an S and you get 37-Down.

41. Lloyd or Paul of Cooperstown: WANER.  The brothers Paul Glee Waner (Apr. 16, 1903 ~ Aug. 29, 1965) and Lloyd James Waner (Mar. 16, 1906 ~ July 22, 1982) both played for the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1920s and 30s.  Paul was known as Big Poison and Lloyd was called Little Poison.

Lloyd (left) and Paul (right) Waner.

42. Former U.K. recording giant: EMI.  The name is the initialization of the originally named company of Electic and Musical Industries.

43. "Darn!": RATS.

44. N.Y. Mets' division: NLE.  As in Baseball's National League East.  From Sunday, we also know that the Phillies are in the NLE.

45. Needle eye insert: THREAD.

47. Hoglike animal: TAPIR.

48. Skype appointment: E-DATE.

49. Thicket of trees: COPSE.  Not to be confused with Corpse.

50. Halt: CEASE.

51. Shaped like a rainbow: ARCED.

52. "Great" quintet: LAKES.

56. Ship's spine: KEEL.

57. Quick-footed: SPRY.

59. Tot's food-catching chest protector: BIB.

60. Hope or Newhart: BOB.

 Bob Hope (né Leslie Townes Hope; May 29, 1903 ~ July 27, 2003).  Yesterday was the 17th anniversary of his death.

Bob Newhart (né George Robert Newhart; b. Sept. 5, 1929)

61. Falsehood: LIE.

Here's the Grid:

Which is the hardest to say?

a.   You are right, I was wrong.  I'm sorry.

b.   I need help.

c.   Worcestershire sauce

d.   I love you.

Monday July 27, 2020 Matt McKinley

Theme: Even Numerical Order

17. Chicago-based improv group, with "The": SECOND CITY.

23. Imagined barrier between actor and audience: FOURTH WALL.

34. Beethoven's "Pastoral" or Tchaikovsky's "Pathétique": SIXTH SYMPHONY.

45. Musical symbol also called a quaver: EIGHTH NOTE.

56. When Buster Douglas knocked out Mike Tyson, in a classic 1990 bout: TENTH ROUND.

Boomer here.  

TWO, FOUR, SIX, EIGHT,  Who do we appreciate?  Monday puzzles are GREAT.  I checked with Tony the Tiger while he was eating a bowl of Frosted Flakes.

Across:

1. Really easy task: CINCH.  Will the Twins win the AL Central ?

6. Serious cut: GASH.  Remember the old golf balls?  you could GASH them with a 9 iron and peel the cover and unwind the rubber band.  Not anymore. 

10. Sect. on a concert ticket: ORCH. Orchestra.

14. In flames: AFIRE.

15. Brink: EDGE.  Reminds me of EDGErton Minnesota.  A very small town where the High School basketball team won the state championship about 40 years ago.

16. Dodgers or Cubs: TEAM.  Twins or White Sox?

19. Semester: TERM.

20. Bit of memorabilia: KEEPSAKE.  Last Friday was opening day for the Twins and many other major league teams. On a shopping trip to Target, I wore my Justin Morneau T-shirt and my Twins baseball cap which I have adorned with many KEEPSAKE stadium giveaway pins and buttons.  I probably have $150.00 worth of collectors items on the hat and it's fairly heavy to wear, but "BATTER UP"!

21. Bee secretion: WAX.  The Hollywood WAX museum has many notables, including: Robin Williams, Johnny Cash, Elvis (Who needs no surname), Frank Sinatra, and James Dean.

22. Camera type, for short: SLR.

28. Old fast fliers: SSTS.  Super Sonic Transports.  Sometimes when they flew overhead we could hear a loud BOOM.  I suppose you could call them a loud Boomer, which others have sometimes called me.

30. Dallas region inset on a Texas atlas page, e.g.: AREA MAP.  An unfortunate area now dealing with many coronavirus cases.

31. Really tiny: WEE.  Michelle Wie is not so tiny.  Now a Mom named Michelle Wie West.

32. Photographed: SHOT.

33. Fingers in a lineup: IDS.  The IDS Center is a 57 story tower and a landmark of Minneapolis.  I remember when it was built around 1970.  Now other skyscrapers are not allowed to go higher than the IDS.

38. Philip of "Kung Fu": AHN.

39. Regrets: RUES.

40. Barely make, with "out": EKE.  I know many of you solvers barely EKE out crosswords, but usually not on Monday.

41. Pool stick protector: CUE CASE.  A lot of pro pool cues are two pieces screwed together, and need to be separated to fit in the case.

43. Lat. and Ukr., formerly: SSRS.  Maybe so, but I see Super Seniors which is my level in bowling tournaments.  I am still waiting for a vaccine before rolling the ball again.

47. Hoopla: ADO.  Much ADO about nothing.

50. Fairway position: LIE.  Also what some of my golf friends do about their score.

51. Mattress you can "float" on: WATERBED.  Never had one of these. Since our bedroom is in an upper floor, I would be afraid the weight would crash through the floor and we would be sleeping in the garage.

54. Fellow, to a Brit: CHAP.  Sometimes my lips in the winter in Minnesota.

58. Fastening device: HASP.

59. "Not a __": "No idea": CLUE.  I think it was done by Miss Scarlet with the rope in the kitchen.

60. Pasta sauce herb: BASIL.

61. Online craft shop: ETSY.  Never used it.  I get my Boondoggle from Kwik Crafts.

62. Conks on the head: BOPS.

63. Outlaw, to a sheriff: ENEMY.

Down:

1. Oak containers: CASKS.  Minnesota passed a mandatory mask law last week.  "Mask it or Casket"

2. "It's my opinion ... ": I FEEL.  "I feel Pretty and Witty and Wise"  Julie Andrews

3. More kind: NICER. A Zamboni is a NICER ICER.

4. Farm yield: CROP.  We had a late Spring but I think the farmers are doing fine now.  Your farm girl C.C. has tomatoes and cucumbers growing high as an elephant's eye.

5. Farm cluckers: HENS.  I know I mentioned this before, but my uncle in Siren, Wisconsin had dozens of noisy HENS.

6. Lizards like the Geico mascot: GECKOS.  "Just kick it back to over 75 years of sales and service"

7. French farewell: ADIEU. I will hang my heart on the weeping willow tree, and may the world go well with thee..

8. Cpl.'s superior: SGT.  We're SGT Pepper's lonely hearts club band, We hope you will enjoy the show! The Beatles, of course.

9. "Psst!": HEY.  Hey, Hey Paula!

10. Canada's capital: OTTAWA.  AKA OTTAWA EH.  USA Covid outbreak scared off the MLB.  The Blue Jays are playing in upstate New York.

11. Check out again, as a patient: RE-EXAMINE.  I used to be examined every three months.  Now, due to Covid, my doctor just examines my blood draw.

12. Train unit: CAR.

13. "I'm thinking": HMM.

18. Bonkers: DAFT.

21. If: WHETHER.

24. Obama chief of staff Emanuel: RAHM.  After a big win at Memorial ten days ago, I did not see Jon RAHM at our 3M Open this past week.  His tax bracket must have gone up.

25. Stadium in St. Pete, with "The": TROP.  Tropicana Field, home of the RAYS.

26. Gaga or Godiva: LADY. "Seventeen, a beauty queen, she made a ride that caused a scene in the town."  Peter and Gordon.

27. Record albums, briefly: LPS.  Wow, I only have about 8.  They are collector's items.  I have nothing to play them on.

28. Census datum: SEX.

29. Unvarying fee: SET RATE.  A lot of investment firms no longer charge for trades.

31. Cabernet holder: WINEGLASS.

32. NES part: Abbr.: SYS.

34. Feng __: SHUI.  Not my language.

35. "Quiet!": HUSH.  "Hush, Hush sweet Charlotte." Patti Page.

36. Observed: SEEN.

37. Approves: OKS.

38. Royal flush card: ACE. I have only hit one royal flush on a casino poker machine.  It was at Treasure Island in Southern Minnesota. Playing five nickels and won $200.00.

42. Marked by contentiousness, as a game: CHIPPY.  Also a bit of a short shot near the greenie.

43. Idaho and Iowa: STATES. I think we forgot INDIANA and ILLINOIS.

44. Actor Rogen: SETH.

46. Admit (to): OWN UP.  I admit it.  While you are doing this puzzle, I am playing golf.

47. Seriously overdo, as a privilege: ABUSE.

48. Dungarees fabric: DENIM.  I used to call them blue jeans. I did not wear them - never comfortable.

49. "Strange to say ... ": ODDLY.

52. Kathryn of "Law & Order: C.I.": ERBE.  ODDLY, I do not watch Criminal Intent.  I only like the original Law & Order.

53. Equine hue: ROAN.  Maybe we will see one in the Kentucky Derby in September ?

54. Michael of "SNL": CHE.

55. Stetson __: HAT.  Named after John B. Stetson and only seen on "In the Heat of the Night".

56. Getting the job done, initially: TCB.  "Takin' Care of Business".  Bachman, Turner, Overdrive.

57. "Xanadu" rock gp.: ELO.

Boomer

Note from C.C.:
 
In case you were not here the past two days, Husker Gary has updated our Crossword Corner map. Please email Gary (gschlapfer@gmail.com) if you want your name to be added or removed from the map.

Thanks for your hard work, Gary! You're just incredible!

2020 L. A. Times Crossword Corner Map

Here is the current map as of today (6/07/24). I'll take additions or other  editing at gschlapfer@gmail.com at any time.

Click on the map to enlarge it.

Sunday July 26, 2020 David Alfred Bywaters

Theme: "Endives" - Parse it as "En-dives". The N dives from the top themer to the down themer.
 
3D. Tearjerker's quality?: SOB APPEAL. Snob appeal.

69D. Tales of social climbers?: SNOB STORIES. Sob stories.

7D. Mysterious foliage-sprouting proclivity?: CHIA SYNDROME. China syndrome. Not a familiar term to me.

88D. Ceramic dog, maybe?: CHINA PET. Chia pet.

12D. Remit with goatskin?: PAY IN KID. Pay in kind.

65D. Western hero noted for his thoughtfulness?: BILLY THE KIND. Billy the Kid.

16D. Vehicle for transporting bark spice?: CINNAMON BUS. Cinnamon buns.

83D. Farmers market baked goods?: LOCAL BUNS. Local bus.

We've seen N deletion before. Or N addition. But not this style. Very creative. David is just incredible.

The theme entries were placed in Down slots for visual effect. They look like four grid spanners, but the grid is much more challenging to design and fill.

Across:

1. Take pieces from?: DISARM.  Firearm "pieces".

7. Applaud: CLAP.

11. Practice fighting: SPAR.

15. Likely to evoke an "Eww!": ICKY.

19. Big fan: ADORER.

 20. Sword handle: HILT. Quite ornate.

21. Andrew Jackson carried one with a sword in it: CANE. Wow, I did not know. This just looks like a cane.

22. Not just eat: DINE.

23. Marie Curie has two of them: NOBELS.

24. Tiny bit: IOTA.

25. Juan's "yesterday": AYER. Today is HOY. Tomorrow is MANANA.

26. Grandson of Eve: ENOS.

27. Spirited style: ELAN.

28. Disney film set in Polynesia: MOANA.

30. Amphetamines, e.g.: STIMULANTS.

32. Petit four purveyor: PATISSERIE. Sweet fill.

35. West Coast ZIP starter: NINE.

36. Wore (away): ATE.

37. Econ. indicator: GDP.

39. Alcohol type: ETHYL.

40. Braided Jewish bread: BABKA. We also have 51. Hebrew winter month: ADAR.

42. Julia Louis-Dreyfus' eleven: EMMYS.

44. Deutsche darling: LIEBCHEN. Piece of cake for Spitzboov. Learning moment for me.

46. Lab dish eponym: PETRI.

47. It was inspired by Sunshine Hydrox cookies: OREO.

48. Not quite circular: OVAL.

49. Dangerous snake: ADDER. Also 99. African snakes: MAMBAS.

53. Finishes: ENDS.

56. Ill will: MALICE.

59. Something you don't see everyday: RARITY.

61. Derby favorite, say: BEST BET.

63. Black-and-white: PATROL CAR.

65. Get some rays: BASK.

66. Neighbor of Mex.: USA.

67. Rehab symptoms, briefly: DTS. Delirium Tremens.

70. Where Tennyson's "light brigade" charged: CRIMEA. Wiki says "The Charge of the Light Brigade was a failed military action involving the British light cavalry led by Lord Cardigan against Russian forces during the Battle of Balaclava on 25 October 1854 in the Crimean War."

71. Noble Brit: ARISTO. More familiar with "aristocrat".

73. Cloud site: SKY.

74. Very long time: EON.

75. Gift-wrapping aid: TAPE.

76. Asset in a crisis: LEVEL HEAD.

79. Trite saying: BROMIDE.

81. Happened to: BEFELL.

82. Use just one water ski: SLALOM.

86. Hamlet's first option: TO BE.

87. Letter abbr.: ENCL.

89. 1986 U.S. Open champ Raymond __: FLOYD. Hall of Famer.

91. Over with: DONE.

92. Dupes: SAPS.

94. Organic fertilizer: HUMUS.

96. Domestic platforms: TERRACES.

99. Not at all glossy: MATTE.

101. Actor Douglas and quarterback Cousins: KIRKS. Kirk Cousins is Vikings' quarterback.

102. Snowboarder White: SHAUN.

103. Cigar discard: ASH.

104. Latin lover's assertion: AMO.

105. Horse color: ROAN.

107. Playground game with a rope and a pole: TETHERBALL.

110. Wallabies and wombats: MARSUPIALS.

113. Bread source: BAKER.

114. Not much: A BIT.

117. Soft cheese: BRIE.

118. Notice: ESPY.

119. Sushi seaweed: NORI. Have any of you tried Kimbap (the Korean sushi)?

120. Ready to play: IN TUNE.

122. Over again: ANEW.

123. Silhouetted road sign animal: DEER.

124. Soon, long ago: ANON.

125. Succumbs to static: CLINGS.

126. Impertinence: SASS.

127. Span. miss: SRTA.

128. Warp: BEND.

129. Becomes aware of: SENSES. 

Down:

1. Jutland native: DANE.

2. False god: IDOL.

4. Large venue: ARENA.

5. Brother, e.g.: Abbr.: REL.

6. Title assassin in a 2005 Pitt-Jolie film: MR SMITH. I like Jennifer. You?

8. Model train giant: LIONEL.

9. Vow locale: ALTAR.

10. Org. concerned with students: PTA.

11. Vocal improv: SCAT.

13. Persistent weakness: ANEMIA. I'm borderline anemic. I don't feel weak though. I grew up eating meat once a year (Chinese Spring Festival). Meat was rationed, so were sugar, oil and other stuff.  We ate this kind of corn bread (salt & corn flour) for every meal.

14. Show again: RERUN.

15. Notion: IDEA.

17. Difficult to solve: KNOTTY.

18. Words of assent: YESSES.

29. Rapper Ice Cube's first name: O'SHEA. O'Shea Jackson.

30. Senator's place: SEAT.

31. Lascivious look: LEER.

33. Gumshoe: TEC.

34. Spanish airline: IBERIA.

37. Seize, slangily: GLOM. Glom onto.

38. Met celebrity: DIVA.

41. Donkey song?: BRAY. Oh, play on Donkey Kong.

43. Come across: MEET.

45. Radar screen spot: BLIP.

46. Sheet material: PERCALE. Wiki Dictionary defines it as "a fine, closely woven fabric, made from cotton, polyester or a mix of these, and used for sheets and clothing."

47. Greek victim of the Furies: ORESTES. What a mess.

50. Glen cousin: DALE.

52. Shame: ABASH.

54. Writing __: DESK.

55. Legal suspension: STAY.

57. Desert plants: CACTI.

58. Online stock transactions: E-TRADES.

60. Moving memoir subject?: TRAVELS. We also have 72. Move, in some ads: RELO.

62. Nordic toast: SKOAL.

64. Get ready to eat?: RIPEN.

67. Card balance, say: DEBT.

68. Matador's opponent: TORO.

77. Gush: EFFUSE.

78. Pops, to baby: DADA.

80. Essence: MEAT. And 108. Steak named for its shape: T-BONE.

81. Short-term memory?: BLUR.

84. Change for a five: ONES.

85. Netting: MESH.

90. "The Wreck of the Mary __": DEARE.

93. Quechua is one of its official languages: PERU.

95. Trading places: Abbr.: MKTS. Markets.

97. Text entries named for their traditional red color: RUBRICS. We had this before. I forgot.

98. Genetic letters: RNA.

100. Historic Nile excavation site: AMARNA.

101. Roll or emperor: KAISER.

102. 2000s Israeli leader Ariel: SHARON.

106. Slanted columns: OP-EDS.

109. Virgil's language: LATIN.

111. Stitches up: SEWS.

112. Heavenly harp: LYRA.

115. Kansas-born playwright: INGE (William). "Picnic".

116. Hardy's "Pure Woman Faithfully Presented": TESS.

119. Pick up: NAB.

121. Phillies' div.: NLE. NL East.

Message from Husker Gary:

Crossword Map Update

After four years,I decided to update my map of our LA Times bloggers. I went through the old map and deleted some names that didn't seem to be active any more. My memory is very suspect and I may have eliminated some people who are still contributing but I know we have some new members who are not included. I have also received requests from others who do not usually post but want to be on the map.

Please email me at gschlapfer@gmail.com if you want to add your name and location or edit what is already there. I am truly sorry if I have omitted anyone and am anxious to get the map up to date.

Gary 

(click on image or open in a new tab to enlarge)