Saturday, June 26, Matthew Sewell

  Saturday Themeless by Matthew Sewell

Today's constructor is another in our long line of  PhDs - Matt Sewell. He is also part of the Minnesota Crossword Cabal and teaches literature and film at Minnesota State University, Mankato. 

Here are Matt's comments: 

Hello Gary,

Thanks for your note, and for the work you do on the LAT puzzle write-ups. If I recall correctly, this puzzle sprang from an experiment in grid shapes. I tend to like the look of grids with relatively few Across entries -- this grid has just 31 -- and a low number of 3-letter entries (here, 8). Hopefully that translates to solver enjoyment, but I'll leave that to your readers to decide. I appreciate the editing team's improvements to the clues; I wish I could take credit for 26 Down!

Matt

Across:

1. DIY creators of under-the-skin data storage devices: BIOHACKERS - Fascinating info. In this example, you see a device implanted under your skin that can store your medical data, chart your activities or perform procedures. The data can be read by a smartphone. 

11. Home of the NCAA's Mountaineers: WVA.

14. Cap: UPPER LIMIT.

15. Leave behind: SHED.

16. Fights: DOES BATTLE.

17. __-price sale: HALF - But it was marked up by 300% so ...

18. Loan app fig.: SSN.

19. Quick tennis match: ONE SET - If you want to get it over quickly, the first person to win 6 games by at least two games wins the SET and the match.

20. Adjective evoking past times: OLDE.

21. Tolkien creature: ORC - Actor Steven Ure under all this ORC makeup for a The Lord Of The Rings installment had to fight off a panic attack.

22. __ Beach: Fla. recreation spot: ST. PETE - The Tampa/ST PETE area is currently the home of the NHL Champion Lightning, the NFL Champion Buccaneers and the MLB Champion Rays. They now call themselves Champa Bay.

24. "Not right now": I'M BUSY.

27. Tree of Madagascar: BAOBAB - Today I learned about the BAOBAB (bāō bab) or Bottle tree. Each of the trees in this picture is at least 800 years old. More info

The Avenue Of The Boababs

29. Bar order: NEAT - Our Tinman's "usual" - No ice!

30. Fast cash venues: PAWNSHOPS - Although this show was mostly staged, it was a fun watch. "Really, you have Hitler's actual toothbrush?" 😀

33. Musical exchange in many gospel songs: CALL AND RESPONSE - Six of the best minutes you'll spend today!

36. Departure notice: ALL ABOARD.

37. "Not that much": LESS.

38. Thinking of stealing, maybe: ON BASE.

39. Middle numbers in some measurements: WAISTS - Twiggy's measurements-  Bust - 30", Waist- 23", Hips - 33"

41. Impassive: WOODEN.

43. Key to going back: ESC - Upper left key on your keyboard

44. Hindu royal: RANI - The wife of a Raja or Rana

45. Distributes online: SHARES - I used my FaceBook account to SHARE before and after pictures of the house of my youth that was finally being torn down (before it fell down) this month.

49. Wellness center: SPA.

52. Goddess of Ellis Island?: ISIS - I got the fill here but struggled with an explanation. I wrote to our friends Yellowrocks and Lucina and they saw it as EllIS ISland. Thanks Kathy and Lucy! Meta Clues (self-referential) can hide in plain sight! Matt told me he will take the blame/credit for this cluing and that he was glad to see it got through.

53. White-sale holder, possibly: WINE DEALER - Maybe these?

55. Radio host John: TESH.

56. Offering proof of: EVIDENCING - Hmmm... 

57. 11-Across is on it: EST - Yes, Morgantown, WVA is on Eastern Standard/Daylight Time

58. Worked for: REPORTED TO - In subbing, I worked for the school district but always REPORTED TO the secretary (administrative assistant?) who really runs the school anyway. BTW, sub wages have been raised to $150/day for next year

Down:

1. Spring sights: BUDS - A welcome sight here in the midwest

2. Zoom and Lyft had them in 2019: IPOS - If you purchased $10,000 of Zoom at its Initial Public Offering, it would be worth $18,000 today

3. Not taken: OPEN.

4. Chaps: HES - Men? Nope.

5. Leafy spots: ARBORS - The founder of ARBOR Day was J. Sterling Morton. His mansion is now a tourist stop in Nebraska City, NE and is replete with many "leafy spots" or ARBORS.

6. Writer who created the Ryanverse: CLANCY 

7. Beach flier, often: KITE  - ERNE? Nope.

8. Rescue squad VIPs: EMTS.

9. Heat up: RILE.

10. "Boss of the Plains" tops: STETSONS - $149.99

11. Sea creature fossil components: WHALEBONES - My former dentist had a wonderful collection of art on WHALEBONES which is called scrimshaw.

12. Word from Afrikaans for "field": VELDT - Also a sci-fi short story by Ray Bradbury

13. Charge that may be related to traffic: AD FEE - With such huge viewer numbers (traffic) The Super Bowl AD FEE is $5M/thirty seconds

15. One who's often patronizing: SHOPAHOLIC - Fun clue! Symptoms

21. Zany: OUTLANDISH.

23. Cooking meas.: TBSP.

24. Quechua speaker: INCA - (keh chuh wuh) A beautiful map of South American languages

25. Sit-down event, usually: MEAL.

26. Job not included in the original "Around the World in Eighty Days": BALLOONIST - but in the ads...

27. Dance class support: BARRE.

28. Super-impressed: AWED.

30. Kiss cam images, briefly: PDAS - Public Displays of Affection 

31. "Over here!": PSST.

32. Cong. period: SESSion 

34. Caen cleric: ABBE.

35. Disappointing phone call result: NO ANSWER - They are not near the phone, their phone is turned off or they are blowing you off with caller ID.

39. Garden tool: WEEDER.

40. Go-ahead: ASSENT - After days of delay, Ike said, "Ok, let's go!" for June 6, 1944

41. Do novel work: WRITE - In an interview with Brian Lamb, I heard Shelby Foote say he wrote his massive three-volume The Civil War: A Narrative by hand using a dip pen

42. Havens: OASES.

46. Sweet spot?: HIVE.

47. Have __: drink in moderation: A NIP - Abandoning A SIP gave me WINE DEALER

48. Go back over: REDO.

49. Arrived home evasively: SLID - The most famous steal of home in baseball history. Yogi Berra thought he had tagged Jackie Robinson out. What do you think?

50. Shut (up): PENT - Sometimes it is hard to keep emotions PENT up

51. Ship that sailed from Iolcus: ARGO - Can you find Iolcus on the map?

54. Nail: ACE - I did ACE this puzzle by filling in all the correct letters but had to get help with the ISIS fill. 😔

Friday, June 25, 2021, Grant Boroughs

THEME: Unplug? REMOVE ADWARE

Hello, Cornerites. Our constructor du jour last visited us on April 22 of this year, when my partner in "grime", Malodorous Manatee "delighted" us (50-Across uses "delight" in a different context) with his recap - also without a "reveal" - about "freeze" phrases. Today, Grant chose a different path to pleasure us by choosing five common words or phrases that were clued with a play-on-words "question". A la my choice of today's theme. Which could've been a sixth if there was room.

Still confused? Well let's explore:

17-Across. Expending?: ALREADY DONE. In this example, the word "pending" (as part of "ex"pending) means: about to happen. And since it was ALREADY DONE, it is no longer "pending". The "ex" refers to the opposite of

24-Across. Improved?: SPECULATED. In this example, the key word is "proved", which means that a fact has been reached. In the play-on-words, SPECULATED means that it's a hypothesis, which means: a supposition or proposed explanation made on the basis of limited evidence as a starting point for further investigation. The prefix "im" means "not", so the answer fits perfectly!

38-Across. Unstable?: PUT OUT TO PASTURE. "Stable" is the key word - meaning an enclosure for farm animals - and when you "un" stable horses, e.g., you might PUT (them) OUT TO PASTURE. Brilliant!

50-Across. Delight?: EXTINGUISH. Unlike the word delight/delightful, this p-o-w focuses on how one might turn off a light (think of a match or bonfire), and of course EXTINGUISH definitely "holds water"

61-Across. Distress?: GET A HAIRCUT. "Tress" is another word for hair; "dis" - as in remove - would absolutely mean "GET A HAIRCUT". Something that C-Moe no longer needs to do, now that he is shaving his head, and looking a bit like this guy (minus the earring):

And do you now "get" my theme entry? Unplug? In this case, "plug" refers to a type of promotion (or in my case, "spam"), and when you "un"plug, you can (hopefully) REMOVE ADWARE!

Across:
1. Org. visited by zombie victims in season one of "The Walking Dead" (there was no cure): CDC. Center for Disease Control has been a popular acronym over the past 15 months or so, with the pandemic aka "COVID-19". This guy has not become a "zombie victim" yet, although he is "dead" or "alive" to many who followed his advice. YMMV

4. Looks after: TENDS TO. One of my "retread" haikus uses this term:

Biblical Shepherd
Started gardening. And TENDS
TO his phlox, by night

11. Place to relax: SPA. I wonder if this word could be spelled "SPAHH"?

14. Virgo preceder: LEO. "LEO" was recently an LA Times crossword puzzle "theme" word hidden in entries, when the reveal was "lionhearted"

15. Begin: START ON. I chose to START ON this recap a full week before it was due to publish

16. Not talking: MUM. Moe-ku #2:

The florist wants to
Promote a new arrangement.
I hear "MUM's the word . . .

19. Zoo draw: APE. This came to mind when I saw the word "draw", but I think it means "an animal that draws people in to view them!"

20. Only single-syllable surname in an immortal '60s quartet: STARR. Would this image be a zoo draw?

21. Drilling structure: RIG. The word "RIG" has several meanings, as our Thesaurussaurus knows:

22. Family nickname: GRAN. NANA also fits

23. Conceal, in a way: PALM. As in to "PALM" a card. How about a "back" PALM? This example:

27. He beat Connors at Wimbledon in 1975: ASHE. Arthur ASHE has had his surname used in crossword puzzle thousands of times

29. Note next to a D?: SEE ME. I could only find one next to an "F", but a "D" is also a failing grade

30. Signal for help: SOS. In Morse Code, “SOS” is a signal sequence of three dits, three dats, and another three dits spelling “S-O-S”. The expression “Save Our Ship” was probably coined by sailors to signal for help from a vessel in distress. I hope that Spitzboov never had to signal this

33. Party VIP: HOST. "HOST" also refers to the sacremental bread used in the Christian ritual of the Eucharist, but I doubt that if a party HOST served this, they'd be much of a VIP

35. Optimistic: SUNNY. Please don't ask me why this came to mind, but it did. My folks were big fans of this quartet

42. Word of distinction: FIRST. Charles Dryden coined this phrase back when the Washington Senators were the laughingstock of the Major Leagues: "“Washington: FIRST in war, FIRST in peace, and last in the American League.” No distinction, there

43. As it __: WERE. Second person singular past, plural past, and past subjunctive of the word "be". And foreigners wonder why the English language is so difficult . . .

44. Print maker: PAW. Cute clue. PAW prints. These:

45. Beethoven's "Ah! perfido" and others: ARIAS.

48. Vineyard measure: ACRE. Your resident Sommelier, C-Moe, HAD to get this one! Many wineries specify how many "tons" of grapes they harvest, per ACRE of vineyards, as a measurement of its perceived quality. The fewer the tons/ACRE the more robust. And that's achieved through pruning during the growing season

53. Stout-bodied rodent: VOLE. This cute little bugger. My image compares its difference to a MOLE

57. Bric-a-__: BRAC. Bric-à-BRAC or bric-a-BRAC, first used in the Victorian era, refers to lesser objets d'art forming collections of curios, such as elaborately decorated teacups and small vases, compositions of feathers. Wikipedia. And another Moe-ku:

Commissioned mason
Formed a wall that looked like cups.
Called it "Brick-a BRAC"

58. Pacific __: RIM. Both a geographical and political term which refers to the Asian countries that border the Pacific Ocean

59. Sweet potato casserole topper: PECAN. Also a component of pralines, which I prefer to sweet potatoes

60. Personal holder of tricks?: BAG. Did anyone else think of this?

64. Look at: EYE.

65. Looking closely: PEERING. I had PEEKING/PEERING. A W-O for the Chairman

66. "You __ here": ARE. Akin to "WERE", but this is: second person singular present and first, second, third person plural present of the word "be". As I said earlier, English is a complicated language

67. Mil. honor: DSM. Distinguished Service Medal. The Distinguished Service Medal is a military decoration of the United States Army that is presented to soldiers who have distinguished themselves by exceptionally meritorious service to the government in a duty of great responsibility. Wikipedia

68. Court stat: ASSISTS. Court, as in basketball. An ASSIST in basketball is when a player passes to another, or sets that player up for a made shot. The all-time ASSISTS leader in the NBA is none other than this guy, with 15,806 total for his 19 year career. He averaged 10.5 per game:

69. Scratch, e.g.: MAR. Glad that Grant didn't use an abbr. for the third month of the year for this clue

Down:
1. Hold tight: CLASP. Are these still being worn? Ties, or the CLASPS, aka clips or bars? This image will show you where to wear it

2. Fraternity letter: DELTA. Fun fact: DELTA Kappa Epsilon (ΔΚΕ), commonly known as DKE - or - Deke is one of the oldest fraternities in the United States, currently with fifty-six active chapters across North America. Founded at Yale University in June of 1844. Just celebrated its 177th birthday

3. Snorkeler's sight, perhaps: CORAL. Pretty

4. Old Eurasian ruler: TSAR. Another crossword staple

5. Gate info: ETD. Estimated Time of Departure. These aren't going anywhere soon

6. Voice vote option: NAY. I'll leave this open for RAY-O-Sunshine to pun

7. Death Row Records co-founder: DR DRE. Interesting label. DR DRE - aka Andre Romelle Young - is an American rapper who co-founded Death Row Records in 1992! Man, don't you feel old knowing that "rap" has been around that long? By Source, Fair use

8. Imperturbable sorts: STOICS. It's not in this image, but STOIC basically means all that. It's Friday folks; clues get tougher!

9. Shoe part: TONGUE. Moe-ku:

Penny Loafer struck
Man on his butt. "Really hurts!"
He said, TONGUE in cheek . . .

10. Only Fibonacci number that appears twice in the sequence: ONE. Helps to know what the Fibonacci System is! Well, here it is: The Fibonacci sequence is ONE of the most famous formulas in mathematics. Each number in the sequence is the sum of the two numbers that precede it. So, the sequence goes: 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, and so on. See? It's ONE! Friday, Friday, Friday

11. Make spiffy: SMARTEN UP. 3rd definition at Merrium Webster: SMARTEN UP: to make (someone or something) neat and attractive. Spiffy

12. Larvae precede them: PUPAE. Did this one bug you as much as it bugged me?

13. Update for the better: AMEND. The US Constitution has 27 AMENDments

18. Writer Bombeck: ERMA. Another crossword staple

22. Spectrum: GAMUT. Moe-ku:

Sometimes these puzzles'
Clues, really pisses me off.
GAMUT all to hell!

24. Camera operator's concern: SHOT. Another W-O. I had "STOP", as in F-STOP

25. Nuisance: PEST. 2nd definition: PEST - an annoying person or thing; a nuisance

26. Minor: LESSER. How come we don't say: "The minor of two evils?"

28. Recluse: SHUT IN. This could also mean someone who is rehabbing from an illness, I think

30. UV-blocking letters: SPF. I use SPF 30. You?

31. Jacque's okay: OUI. If Splynter were blogging, he'd say "Frawnch"

32. Scheme to gain an end: STRATAGEM. STRATEGEM: a plan or scheme, especially one used to outwit an opponent or achieve an end. Wow! A straightforward clue, for a change!

34. Drag along: TOW.

36. Org. once led by Charlton Heston: NRA. National Rifle Association. A less polarizing clue, perhaps, might've used this acronym defintion instead: The National Recovery Administration (NRA) was a prime agency established by U.S. president Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR) in 1933. The goal of the administration was to eliminate "cut throat competition" by bringing industry, labor, and government together to create codes of "fair practices" and set prices. Wikipedia. But the right to bear arms is outlined in the 2nd AMENDment

37. Tree in the genus Taxus: YEW. ELM fit. But the "genus" Taxus refers to a conifer, so now YEW know

39. "Hamlet" courtier: OSRIC. W-O for C-Moe. I put YORIC in, not "K"nowing that it ended with a "K"

40. Garden __: PEAS. This was a stretch! I had "no clue". Garden PEAS? Really? Another Moe-ku:

Garden PEAS went viral.
They decided the best way
Was via podcast

41. Aqueduct feature: ARCH. My first thought was about horse racing venues, but I couldn't fit "Daily Double" into four squares

46. Signs, with "to": AGREES. Another Friday clue. When someone "signs" a document, it's a verification that they AGREEs TO the contents

47. Hotel options: SUITES. Great movie!

49. Even once: EVER. But of course!

50. Pulled back: EBBED. EBB: intransitive verb. 1 : to recede from the flood. 2 : to fall from a higher to a lower level or from a better to a worse state his popularity EBBED

51. Discovery honored with the inaugural Nobel Prize in Physics: X-RAYS. The Nobel Prize in Physics 1901 was awarded to Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen "in recognition of the extraordinary services he has rendered by the discovery of the remarkable rays subsequently named after him. But who calls it "Röntgen RAYS"?

52. Japanese porcelain: IMARI. This:

54. Name associated with a razor: OCCAM. The term "OCCAM's Razor" comes from a misspelling of the name William of Ockham. Ockham was a brilliant theologian, philosopher, and logician in the medieval period. ... The idea is always to cut out extra unnecessary bits, hence the name "razor." Examples of Occam's razor:

“You have a headache?”, “Oh no… you might have the Black Death!” Sure, it's true that one of the symptoms of the Black Death is a headache but, using Occam's razor, it's obviously much more likely that you're dehydrated or suffering from a common cold. Google

55. "Family Matters" daughter: LAURA. Kellie Shanygne Williams-Jackson (née Williams; born March 22, 1976) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as LAURA Lee Winslow, the middle-born child of Carl and Harriette Winslow on the ABC/CBS television series Family Matters which ran from 1989–1998

56. Oft-used key: ENTER.

59. Orwell's Napoleon and Snowball: PIGS. Napoleon is a fictional character and the main antagonist of George Orwell's 1945 novel Animal Farm. He is described as "a large, rather fierce-looking Berkshire boar" who is "not much of a talker" and has "a reputation for getting his own way". Snowball is also a character in Animal Farm, and is largely based on Leon Trotsky, who led the opposition against Joseph Stalin. He is shown as a white PIG on the movie posters for both the 1954 and 1999 film versions of Animal Farm. Wikipedia

61. School stat: GPA. Grade Point Average. Look here for more info

62. Relaxed greetings: HI'S. "HI" is a relaxed/informal greeting meaning "hello"

63. Certain farm worker: ANT. Friday clue

Here's the grid:

Comments welcomed!