Saturday, February 26, 2022, Jamey Smith

 Saturday Themeless by Jamey Smith

Jamey is our Longhorn constructor who worked at the University of Texas for 25 years as a 
writer/editor in the university’s development communications office. As always he gives us a very nice challenge today.

Thanks for checking in, Gary, and a big hello to Saturday solvers far and wide.

This puzzle was something of a departure for me in that I began with no particular seed entries in mind. Instead I set myself the challenge of designing an interesting-looking grid and then seeing where it might take me fill-wise. This resulted in, well, a little something for everyone — at least that’s my hope. My favorite juxtaposition is the pair of eight-letter entries in the NE corner. The lower one pretty much sums up my reaction to the “conquest” above!  

Warm wishes,
Jamey  

Across:

1. Be temporarily: ACT AS.

6. Pulitzer-winning journalist for her Clinton-Lewinsky columns: DOWD - The ten columns she wrote

10. Part of an ear: COB.

13. Heckle: TAUNT - Tit for tat

Works both ways

14. 2018 documentary about Alex Honnold's conquest of El Capitan: FREE SOLO. 17. "Are you serious!?": WAIT! WHAT? - "You want me to climb El Capitan with no equipment?"

16. Like a classic Reuben: ON RYE.

18. Key of Chopin's Ballade No. 1: G MINOR - Oh...

19. Mariner's worry: REEFS.

20. Minute quality: TININESS - Yeah, I suppose that would be the noun from the adjective tiny

23. Pastoral sounds: BAAS - Jamey included sheepishly.

24. Return address for guilty sorts?: SCENE OF THE CRIME - Fun clue!

28. Written in the stars: MEANT TO BE - In a recent q/a with Neil de Grasse Tyson, I heard him say that karma and such. is just a bunch of bunk.

29. 6-Down info: ETAS - That is sometimes a moot point

33. "My Fair Lady" composer: LOEWE 

34. Law school newbie: ONE-L 

This great movie's 
main characters

35. Postgame celebrations: FIST PUMPS - Matt Stafford didn't get many during his dismal years with the Detroit Lions. After being traded to the LA Rams, his 37. Elusive result: FAIRY TALE ENDING is being a Super Bowl Champion. 

44. Enervate: TIRE - A word I use about as often as last Sunday's ROISTERED

45. Well-thought-of: ESTEEMED.

46. John of Scotch fame: DEWAR - This 32-year-old version will run you about $150 56. Mellow, in some cases: AGE - Can be an expensive process

48. Showrunner Shonda: RHIMES.

Three of Shonda's Shows

49. Colorful quartz variety: AMETHYST.

53. Victim of Hermes: ARGUS - If you're interested

54. Trepidatious query starter: DARE I ASK.

55. [Shrug]: DUNNO 

57. What one often wears out?: COAT - I've been wearing this one for 22 years old and it's still going strong!

58. City near Düsseldorf: ESSEN.

Down:

1. __ Fireball: hot candy: ATOMIC

2. Boxer, for instance: CANINE - Woof!

3. Call it a night: TURN IN - If it's bed time, Joann has our kitty staring at her.

4. Fishing line?: ANYONE - Fun clue! Of course you thought of this scene:

5. Sound choice: STEREO.

6. Tex. airport that's bigger than Manhattan: DFW.

7. 1/24 of un giorno: ORA - 24 means hours, giorno means Italian and 1/24 means one ORA (hour)

8. One of China's Northern Dynasties: WEI.

386 A.D to 535 A.D.

9. Take away: DETRACT.

10. Unity: COHESION - In the zero-g of the ISS, water's cohesion pulls itself into a sphere

11. "Frozen" snowman who sings "In Summer": OLAF.

12. Some spammers: BOTS - There's this Nigerian Prince...

15. Certify: SWEAR TO.

18. Sporty rides: GT'S - Gran Turismo - Italian for Grand Touring 

21. Calif. home of works by Matisse and Warhol: S.F. MOMA - The San Francisco Museum Of Modern Art

22. Skyline feature: STEEPLE - The soaring STEEPLES of Cologne were used as landmarks on WWII bombing runs and were left untouched while the rest of the city was leveled

23. Prefix with diction: BENE - Gluey, Jamey?

25. Mooring cable openings: HAWSES.

26. U.K. honor: MBE - These lads are Members Order Of The British Empire

27. Sushi bar fare: EEL.

29. False start?: EFF - False

30. __ Maria: TIA - Aunt Maria 

31. So to speak: AS IT WERE - Hall of fame QB Dan Marino is also famous, AS IT WERE, for never having won a Super Bowl. 

32. Mark with bands: STRIATE.

33. Ukulele forebear: LUTE - What is a LUTE?

36. Like a costly victory: PYRRHIC - The Confederate victory at Chancellorsville was PYRRHIC because Lee's "right arm" Stonewall Jackson was killed by friendly fire

38. Schwab rival: E-TRADE 

39. '60s-chic jackets: NEHRUS - Yeah, I had a green one

40. Stoops: DEIGNS - Many thought she was so snobbish she would not DEIGN to even acknowledge others

41. Protected, in a way: IMMUNE - I've had three Covid shots, a flu shot and a shingles shot this past year

42. "Taken" trilogy surname: NEESON - Rotten Tomatoes critics gave it a 59%.

43. Dept. store stock: GDS - GooDS or MERCHandise

46. Post-WWI art movement: DADA - Dada was an art movement formed during the First World War in Zurich in negative reaction to the horrors and folly of the war.

47. Kindle read: E-MAG.

50. Former hoopster __ Ming: YAO.

7'6" Yao and his 6'3" wife Ye Li

51. Org. funded by FICA: SSA - Social Security Administration helps fund me!

52. Box office buy: Abbr.: TKT.

On Broadway

Friday, February 25, 2022, Karen Lurie

Title: What the "H" is going on? Of course you can use her reveal if you prefer. I admit hers is better.

Welcome to the LAT debut puzzle from Karen who already has two published puzzles: August 25, 2021 in the American Values Crossword Club (AVCX) and earlier this year the NYT on January13, 2022. She is " a comedy and game show writer" who used the "at home time" of the pandemic to try her hand at making crosswords. Here is the PICTURE she provided the NYT for her publication. An example of her writing is the sadly accurate MEMO  on the workplace. It is extra fun to have this creative female constructor to balance Wednesday's other creative female. I smell change in the air; I hope it is more than nickels.

She presents us with a familiar A/B/B/A theme with a reveal. The other longish answers are limited BAD LUCK,  IN CHECK,  IT'S LATE and RESHOOT but she does include 26 five letter fill, a surprise gift for all the WORDLE players. I solved this after a terrible day where it took me all 6 guesses to get the word. Players, can you pick which one it was? So lets begin the fun...

20A. Aroma of a freshly grilled steak?: NEW CHAR SMELL (12).

I am not sure I would have associated a new CAR smell with food but I used to like charred meat.

32A. Horror film writer's mantra?: PUT A SHOCK IN IT (13). I really like this multi-word variation. Put a sock in it is a colloquial British phrase that originated in the early 20th century. It is generally used when someone is being so noisy as to annoy others.

40A. What Stanford University catchers' gear protects?: CARDINAL SHINS (13). Shin guards were not my first catchers' protective thought, but then I realized they do all that kneeling both on the field and in Church.

55A. "Always dust before you vacuum" and others?: CHORE BELIEFS (12). The parentheses signify the basic nature of this CORE belief which makes perfect sense - I think.

And the reveal:

51D. Cold War concern ... and what created 20-, 32-, 40- and 55-Across?: HBOMB (5). This is a variation of the PHOTOBOMB which has become a ritual in modern life, with the lonely letter jumping into all the phrases. 

Across:

1. Go on or come off: OCCUR. Did the strike go on? Did they get it to come off?

6. Had a bite: ATE. Unless it is a worker's head?

9. Checks: BILLS. Sure they are; a good Friday combination.

14. Prize money: PURSE. This usage goes all the way back to the 1400s when both men and women carried purses.

15. Jorja of the "CSI" franchise: FOX. She is back in the reboot of the CSI: Las Vegas series. Everytime my wife sees her on screen she says the Jorja is "ไม่สวย" No s̄wy. Use your imagination, or ask me.

16. Something bid: ADIEU. More nice Friday misdirection.

17. Agenda entries: ITEMS. Getting a condo board to prepare an agenda and then stay with the items is a challenge.

18. Brief plan for the future?: IRA. Brief suggesting an abbreviation and this is your retirement plan, or part of it. 

19. Artful evasion: DODGE. My favorite was introduced by in Oliver Twist, by Charles Dickens. A young pickpocket named Jack Dawkins who most people refer to him as "the Artful Dodger" The nickname describes his skill at his trade: his mind is cunning, his fingers are sly, and he's quick on his feet. 

23. Hosp. areas: ERS. Meh.

24. Sweet little sandwich: OREO. Despite the endless clues used for this fill, this version is brand new.

25. Employs a hard sell: PUSHES. I do hate a pushy salesperson.

29. Nemesis, say: FOE. Did she get a bad rap, she was just doing her job. In ancient Greek religion, Nemesis, also called Rhamnousia or Rhamnusia (Ancient Greek: Ῥαμνουσία, romanized: Rhamnousía, lit. 'the goddess of Rhamnous'), is the goddess who enacts retribution against those who succumb to hubris, arrogance before the gods.

30. Third of a game?: TIC. I bet you all got this one

31. "These __ the times ... ": Paine: ARE.  "These are the times that try men's souls: the summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country..." Written in Dec. 1776 by Thomas Paine who wrote the COMMON SENSE pamphlets which were so important during the revolution.
They also were just recognized in "Seth Bisen-Hersh's puzzle on Tuesday. The world my be folding in on itself.

36. Paralyze with surprise: STUN.

38. Beige cousin: TAN. They are not allowed to date.

39. García Lorca wrote them to Whitman and Dalí: ODES. This the ONE to Whitman.

45. Stein filler: ALE. My first thought TOKLAS would not fit.

46. Choice word: NOR. Nicely phrased. 

47. Native suffix: ITE. I think I may be related to the WORDNIK site.

48. Laundry room supply: BLEACH. According to CSI it is used to erase traces of blood!

50. Some Drs.: PHDS. Phudee duddee?

52. Small Indian state: GOA. So happy to see my birth twin Vidwan is back; perhaps he will expand on this. 

58. Papier-__: MACHE. Staying in India, papier-mâché was introduced to India in the 14th century by the Persian mystic Mir Syed Ali Hamdani. He was visiting the Kashmir region from Persia, and brought along skilled artisans and craftsmen.

61. 2008 Visa event, briefly: IPO. Initial Public Offering.

62. Be bratty: ACT UP.

63. Worshiper of the rain god Tlaloc: AZTEC. Tlaloc, (Nahuatl: “He Who Makes Things Sprout”). He was the eighth ruler of the days and the ninth lord of the nights.

64. PIN point: ATM. Another cute clue.

65. Mock: TEASE.

66. "Find out": GO ASK. Such simple advice to give your children; parents, you do not need to know everything so stop lying to your kids.

67. Loft: LOB. Tennis or hand grenades?

68. Fruity-smelling compound: ESTER. But she was helluva fun girl at parties.

Down:

1. Express views: OPINE. Just a fancy way to say give an OPINion.

2. More like a puppy: CUTER. Mine is cuter than yours.

3. Teams: CREWS. The mafia likes calling their teams crews as did the recent fat tuesday celebrants.

4. Mil. branch: USMC. United States Marine Corps.

5. Result of a botched line: RESHOOT. Do not say this near Alec Baldwin.

6. Lit: AFIRE. An A word. 

7. Tailor's dummy, e.g.: TORSO.

8. Skills barometer: EXAM.

9. Gambler's concern: BAD LUCK. 

10. Stars watched by many: IDOLS.  Season 20 is on. I am not a Ryan Seacrest fan.

11. Shadow target: LID. Make-up your mind.

12. Part of a journey: LEG.

13. WNBA star Bird: SUE. Another University of Connecticut Husky star. Her story.

21. Land measure: AREA. Perimeter etc.

22. Sweeping: EPIC.

26. Jazz __: dance technique: HANDS.

27. Pennsylvania city on I-90: ERIE. Like Oreo, Erie is also always here. CSO to all of you living near there.

28. Establishes: SETS. The rules, the tone...

29. Back: FUND. The backers fund the play, the business, the action.

30. A whole bunch: TONS. That would be an impressive bouquet.

32. Tomato product: PUREE. You can puree any vegatable or fruit as it is simply a smooth, creamy substance made of liquidized or crushed fruit or vegetables.

 
33. Night light: STAR. How sweet.

34. Shakespearean prince: HAL. Henry V, who grew up once he became King but never quite fit the part..

35. Actress Skye: IONE. Born into fame as singer Donovan's daughter, she has had an interesting LIFE.

36. Healing sign: SCAB. 

37. Unlikely: TALL. For Friday blogs, that is quite true as Chris and I are both vertically challenged but comfortable on an airplane.

41. Under control: IN CHECK.

42. NYC neighborhood above Houston Street: NOHO. North of Howston (houston). Opposite of SOHO.

43. Obscure: HIDE. Children are always trying to obscure things from their parents like the porn, drugs and the positive pregnancy test.

44. "I should probably get going": IT'S LATE. A classic passive/agressive "I want to have sex with you" line. If he/she/they say, "No, no, stay." You are in like Flint.

49. Soreness: ACHES. You may however wake up the next day with much...

50. __-Bismol: PEPTO. Pepto was a marketeer's version of pepsin, a natural substance that aids digestion. Bismol is named for bismuth, the active ingredient that works, by “coating the stomach.” Even though Pepto is now pepsin-less, no one could bear to change the name.

52. Insinuate: GET AT. What are you trying to get at when you say I...?

53. Valuable: OF USE.

54. According to: AS PER.

56. Iranian bread: RIAL. Money in Iran.

57. Street fair treats: ICES. Do we have street fairs in the US?

58. E-__: MAG. Meh 2.

59. Nitrogenous dye: AZO. I hope this clears up any confusion: Azo dyes are prepared in a two step reaction, the first being the synthesis of an aromatic diazonium ion from an aniline derivative. The next step is coupling of the diazonium salt with an aromatic compound 

60. Commuter org. in the Loop: CTA. We are ending today's tour in the windy city exiting a Chicago Transit Authority bus so we can visit TTP and some of our other Northen friends. We have many living in that area over the years and I think Madame DeFarge and WikWak are still dealing with the brutal winters. Good luck to all north of Orlando.

An exciting week of new talent here and some very fun themes and and other clue/fill combinations. I wish the world were having as much fun as we are. I not really know much about Eastern European politics but they produce so many very beautiful people. Good luck to all especially those at the Corner and of course Boomer. Jessie, Pet and Andrew please stop by and tell us about this collaboration.

Lemonade out.

Thursday, February 24, 2022, Jessie Fielding, Peter Muller, Andrew White

 

Aloha, Cruciverbalists!  Joseph, AKA Malodorous Manatee, here on the Big Island of Hawaii where Valerie and I are visiting friends.  Fortunately, the internet knows almost no boundaries so this marine mammal is able to take some time away from the Moorish Idol fish and other denizens of the local reefs and stay connected with his friends here on the Crossword Corner.

Today we have a trio of constructors in what may be their L.A. Times debut as a team.  I don't know if the published names are real or if they are using noms de plume but, at four places in the puzzle, they have cleverly managed to work in the letters AKA which, of course is an abbreviation for Also Known As.  For the first time that I can recall, the reveal came right at the beginning (if you started at 1 Across):

1.  With 60-Across, disguise one's identity ... and what the answers to starred clues subtly do?: 

                                USE AN

60. See 1-Across:     ALIAS

The starred clues:

16 Across. *"On the Waterfront" director: ELIA KAZAN.  Appropriately, or sneakily, the first starred answer was an ALIAS (or at least a truncation) for Elias Kazantzoglou.  This might have led us to think that the themed answers were going to be the names of well-known people using pseudonyms.  But, no.

22 Across. *Open-water paddlers: SEA KAYAKERS.

33 Across. *Pungent French beef dish: STEAK AU POIVRE.  POIVRE is French for pepper.

44 Across. *Historic Pearl Harbor event: SNEAK ATTACK.  December 7, 1941.

54 Across. *"Godspeed" to the cast of "Godspell," say: BREAK A LEG.  An ironic "dead metaphor" (origin unknown) used as a jovial encouragement said to actors for good luck before they go on stage.  Some say that the phrase dates back to Elizabethan times when, instead of clapping, audience members would bang chairs on the ground.  If they liked the show well enough the legs of the chairs would break.

Here is how this all looks within the grid:

And now, for the rest of the story.

6. Common commuter org.: MTA.  Metropolitan Transit Authority.  Why didn't she simply put a nickle in with the sandwich?

The Kingston Trio

9. Key with no sharps or flats: Abbr.: C MAJ.  A musical reference.  C MAJor.  A MINor also fits the definition.

13. Gender identity spectrum: NON-BINARY.  A relatively recent addition to our vocabulary.

15. Origami bird: CRANE.  The standard bearer of the craft.

17. Lena of "The Wiz": HORNE.  

18. Switz. neighbor: AUST.  AUSTria.  It could have been FRAN, GERM, ITAL, or LIEC.

19. XL x XL: MDC.  A Roman Numeral math problem:  40 x 40 = 1,600

20. Not so concentrated: WEAKER.

21. MLB's Cards, on scoreboards: STL.  A baseball reference.  The Saint Louis Cardinals Major League Baseball team.

24. "Yikes!": YEESH.  Yeesh.

26. Econ. measure: GNP.  We never know if it is going to be the Gross National Product or the Gross Domestic Product but two out of the three letters can be quickly entered either way.

27. Madre's sister: TIA.  Today's Spanish lesson.  Mother's sister.  Aunt.

28. Green-sounding Navy jacket: PEA COAT.  Originally worn by sailors of European navies.  Peas are green (usually).  The coats are blue (usually).

32. Sq., for one: RECT.  A SQuare is a RECTangle with all sides being of equal length.  The abbreviation in the clue yields the abbreviated answer.  RECT ?  A partial and a bit of a punt.

36. Cache: STOW.  Used here as a verb.

37. Vehement: INTENSE.

38. Inner __: EAR.

39. FGs often end them: OTS.  Field Goals often end football games that have gone into OverTime.

40. "Am not!" retort: ARE SO.  Kids say the darnedest things.  "ARE TOO" would not fit.  "Bite Me" wouldn't either.

49. French possessive: TES.  Another French lesson.  We never know if it's going to be MES, CES or TES. . . or MON, SON or TON.

50. Puma rival: ADIDAS.  A sports shoe reference.  Not an animal kingdom reference.

51. Bobby on ice: ORR.  A frequent visitor.

Bobby Orr

52. Siena sweetheart: CARA.  Today's Italian lesson.

"CaraMia" - Jay and the Americans - John (AKA Jay) Traynor, Howard Kirschenbaum (AKA Howard  Kane), Kenneth Rosenberg (AKA Kenny Vance) and Sandy Yaguda (AKA Sandy Dean)

53. Bride of a title Orkan: MINDY.  From the TV show "Mork and Mindy"

56. __ Park, Colo.: ESTES.

57. Orange variety: TANGERINE.  Mandarin orange.

58. Slip end?: SHOD.  SlipSHOD.

59. "__ La La": Manfred Mann hit: SHA.  Doo ___  Diddy.  Wha? Wah.

Down:

1. Perturbed: UNEASY.  Rattled.

2. Many an "instant" product, e.g.: SOLUTE.  A substance dissolved in another substance.

3. Isolate, in a way: ENISLE.  We have seen this one several times previously.

4. "Grab __": "You're pinch-hitting": A BAT.  Another baseball reference.

5. Beat or neat suffix: NIK.  Maynard G. Krebs (beatNIK) or Felix Unger (neatNIK).

6. Miata maker: MAZDA.

1990 Mazda Miata

7. Place to race: TRACK.

8. "Atlas Shrugged" author Rand: AYN.  The 1957 novel that became the "bible" of  Objectivism.  John Galt visited us last Thursday which leads to the question:  Who is John Galt?

9. Raven's sound: CROAK.  Not a frog?

Caw vs Croak

10. Member of a pitching staff?: MARKETER.  Not, this time, a baseball reference.  A pitchman.

11. "The Vampire Chronicles" author: ANNE RICE.  Another author, today.   "Claudia, you've been a very very naughty little girl."

12. Taunts: JEERS AT.

14. Newborn's acquisition: NAME.  Just ask Jim Croce.

Django Unchained

15. For a song: CHEAP.

20. Jazz trumpeter Marsalis: WYNTON.  Also a very good classical trumpeter.

Hummel Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra - 1984

22. Kind of butter used in skin care: SHEA.

23. Showing surprise: AGAPE.

25. Gush: SPEW.  I had better be careful around here.

Mauna Loa

29. Strong watchdogs: AKITAS.  What kind of dog wears a uniform and medals?  A guard dog.

30. Art able to: CANST.  The archaic second-person singular form of can.

31. Tagged, perhaps: OUT.  A baseball reference.

32. Camper with a camper: RV'ER.  Recreation Vehicle ER

33. Plymouth Colony VIP: STANDISH.  Miles STANDISH was hired as the military advisor to the Colony.

34. Excoriated: TORE INTO.

35. "Out of Africa" author Dinesen: ISAK.  Yet another author.

36. Bits on some buns: SESAMES.

39. Green-lights: OKAYS.

41. Latin catchall: ET ALII.  And Others.

42. Legendary sister of Venus: SERENA.  Legendary? Was that to make us think they were looking for something pertaining to the Goddess.

43. Plains tribe: OSAGES.  That pluralizing S threw me for a bit.

45. Did sum math?: ADDED.  Nice wordplay.

46. Ark document: TORAH.  Not the title to Noah's boat.

47. Play area: ARENA.  More wordplay.  Not STAGE.

48. Jagged little hill: CRAG.  Jagged Little Pill?

52. Sigmund contemporary: CARL.  First name used in the clue . . first name for the answer.  Sigmund Freud / Carl Jung.

Carl Gustav Jung

54. First Korean act to perform at the Grammys: BTS.  The BangTan Boys.  A seven-member Korean boy band.

55. Hawaii's Mauna __: KEA.  An appropriate final entry.

Ski Mauna Kea

. . . and on that note . . . back to the reef . . . to the Humuhumunukunukuapua'a . . .

. . .  and the whales

Photo By MM

ALOHA!

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