Saturday, June 11, 2022, Debbie Ellerin

Saturday Themeless by Debbie Ellerin

Today I am happy to blog my 9th Saturday themeless puzzle from Debbie Ellerin. She is a retired computer programmer that has moved to Los Angeles after tiring of Boston winters. 

SISTER ACT: In this picture she is seen with her sister and fellow LA Times puzzle constructor Sheryl Bartol. 

Across:

1. Netflix series starring Lee Jung-jae: SQUID GAME - Synopsis: "Hoping to win easy money, a desperate Gi-hun agrees to take part in an enigmatic game; not long into the first round, unforeseen horrors unfold." Lee Jung-jae is 456 in the picture

10. "Where the Impossible Becomes Possible" park: EPCOT - I've been there over 40 times and would return tomorrow.

15. MLB great who said, "Play so good they can't remember what color you were before the season started": HANK AARON.

16. Poor showing: NO ONE 

17. Fried side: ONION RING - Fresh, never frozen, thank you.

18. Comfort-first footwear: CROCS.

 

19. Banned spray: DDT.

20. Language similar to Thai: LAO - Hello in Thai: สวัสดี (S̄wạs̄dī). Hello in LAO: ສະບາຍດີ (sabaidi)

21. Server's need: RACKET.

22. How Mulan appears for much of "Mulan": AS A MAN - Groundbreaking on gender identity

25. Bar food: SUSHI.

26. Logic game with clickable cells: MINE SWEEPER - An iPhone obsession for me 

29. Laughable: ABSURD.

32. "Spread the word": PASS IT ON.

34. Short notes?: IOU'S - The note is probably short and has to be written because your funds are short

35. App glitch: BUG.

36. Costa __: RICA - In San Jose, Costa RICA, this meal cost 1990 colóns. The currency is named for Christopher Columbus, known as Cristobal Colón in Spanish. 

37. Often turned down, in a way: DOG EARED.

40. Pointless tiles?: BLANKS.

42. Lucky charm: RABBIT'S FOOT.

44. Max on the drums: ROACH.

45. Most inexperienced: RAWEST - The RAWEST teachers often get classes with the toughest students

48. Charge: ACCUSE.

50. __ Vegas Aces: LAS.

51. Purpose: AIM.

53. Pupper: POOCH - An affectionate name for a dog or puppy

54. Colorado county with Mesa Verde National Park: MONTEZUMA.

57. Danish astronomer Tycho who lost part of his nose in a duel: BRAHE - His notes tracking the Great Comet of 1577. (TY coh or TEE coh, BRAH or BRAH hay or BRAH see)

58. Kudos: ACCOLADES.

59. Quite full: SATED.

60. "Perfection" gesture: CHEF'S KISS.

Down:

1. Pumped?: SHOD - Yup, pumps are shoes and in a recent Sunday puzzle, we had "Letters on some pumps: EEE"

2. Chance for some grilling: Q AND A - If I give a space talk, grade school kids are much more likely to engage me in a Question AND Answer session than high school kids

3. Hand and foot: UNITS.

4. When doubled, classic New Orleans song: IKO - This Mardi Gras song is too fun not to post!

5. "This Is Us" creator Fogelman: DAN - At the left

6. Gale player: GARLAND - Yes, Judy GARLAND played Dorothy Gale. BTW, Toto's real name was Terry. You're welcome.

7. European rocket: ARIANE.

8. Part of MSG: MONO.

9. Lang. of Ghana: ENG - 68% of Ghanians speak ENGlish

10. Boxes up: ENCASES.

11. Thief who may set off a glitter bomb package: PORCH PIRATE.

12. Gingerbread house?: COOKIE TIN - One might "house" gingerbread cookies in a tin

13. Not now: ONCE.

14. Bechdel __: TEST - New to me but interesting to learn

21. Regrets: RUES.

23. Off-menu small bite: AMUSE-BOUCHE

My granddaughter with a French major had never heard of this word/phrase

24. Orbiter until 2001: MIR.

25. Party favors: SWAG - This year's Oscar's SWAG Bag was valued at just over $137,000 and included items ranging from designer popcorn to a voucher for $12,000 worth of liposuction.

27. Future chips: SPUDS - Steve Gangwish is standing in front of a bin of SPUDS that are raised on several farms in Nebraska for Lay's Potato Chips. 

28. Paper loser: ROCK.

29. Swedish folk duo First __ Kit: AID - Two sisters from Stockholm. An obscure musical reference that had a pretty obvious fill.

30. Rude, crude dude: BOOR.

31. Make easier to swallow: SUGAR COAT - Yeah, I know, you thought of this too.

33. "One Mic" rapper: NAS - No links or images from me

35. Broderick of "Sabrina the Teenage Witch": BETH - Beth is on the right. I would have known this "highest charting" Kiss song

38. Mortified: ABASHED.

39. Tahdig ingredient: RICE - "Tahdig (Persian: ته دیگ, tah "bottom" + dīg "pot") is a specialty of Iranian cuisine consisting of crisp, caramelized rice taken from the bottom of the pot in which the rice (chelow) is cooked. It is traditionally served to guests at a meal." You're welcome.

 
40. Brag about: BOAST OF.

41. Bowie album with "Sound and Vision": LOW - A 45-year-old album

43. Literature Nobelist Anatole: FRANCE - Okay...

46. Mecca native: SAUDI - Some hotel rooms have arrows on the ceiling pointing toward Mecca so Muslims can pray toward their holy city

47. __ table: TIMES - One place where I support rote learning 

48. LAPD alerts: APB'S - Today - BOLO - Be On the Look Out for

49. Sox manager Alex: CORA.

50. Drink of Scotland: LOCH - Drink is slang for a large body of water and so... I wasn't sure about this and so I contacted Debbie. She said her cluing was "Nessie's hangout". C.C. and Irish also agreed with my take.

52. Photon's lack: MASS - CORA and MASS were givens for this baseball fan/physics teacher.

54. Bub: MAC.

55. Literal edges: ELS - LiteraL

56. Drummer Starkey: ZAK - Ringo and Maureen Starkey and young son ZAK in mid 1960's

Friday, June 10, 2022, Billy Bratton

Theme: 60-Across. Social climbers, and what the answers to the starred clues literally have: UPSTARTS

Puzzling thoughts:

Today's puzzle size is a 16x15. Billy Bratton needed the extra row of cells to make (38-Across. *People born during the Era of Good Feelings?:) UPBEAT GENERATION fit into the grid. The puzzle has rotational symmetry - which is good - but it also has a plethora of 3-letter entries; 22 of them, to be exact. That's generally more than most Friday/Saturday grids, which tend to be more difficult to solve. But difficult clueing can overcome that obstacle

Bratton chose four phrases that are punned by adding the word "UP". 38-Across took BEAT GENERATION - defined as "a movement of young people in the 1950s who rejected conventional society and favored Zen Buddhism, modern jazz, free sexuality, and recreational drugs - and added "UP" to fit the clue chosen for this entry. The Era of Good Feelings - also called Era of Good Feeling - described the national mood of the United States from 1815 to 1825, as first recorded by the Boston Columbian Centinel on July 12, 1817. The US had just exited the War of 1812. Wikipedia gives a detailed report

18-across. *Occasion to pin back one's coif?: UPDO TIME. "DO TIME" is a phrase common to convicted prisoners; as in serving a period of time to atone for your crime/felony. "UPDO" is a word known to persons who choose to pin or contain their long hair to the top of their head

26-across. *Catchy part of a virtuous song?: UPRIGHT HOOK. I have absolutely NO CLUE what was meant here. UPRIGHT as an adjective means virtuous. UPRIGHT (noun) can also refer to a type of piano. A RIGHT HOOK in boxing is a way to throw a punch with your right hand. A HOOK could refer to a barbed wire that is used on the end of a line of a rod or pole to "catch" a fish. But where does the word "song" fit in? I'm confused; and I'm your blogger du jour

47-across. *Evening spent downloading the latest OS?: UPDATE NIGHT. OK, I think I got this one! DATE NIGHT is a newer term, used to describe - wait for it - a night on which you go on a date! Well, maybe a bit more subtle than that! Margaret and I define our "DATE NIGHT" as that night of the week where we literally disconnect from society and reality. No cellphones; no computers; no TV (well, maybe a movie, but definitely no news channels). We often play cards, have adult beverages and/or other legal recreational "goodies", listen to 1970's music on our Bluetooth speaker, and have a wonderful time together. Downloading the latest Operating System? Not on DATE NIGHT

Here is the completed grid:

Across:
1. Kilauea flow: LAVA. According to Hawaii-Guide dot com: "Kilauea volcano, on the Big Island of Hawaii, is currently erupting at its summit - flooding the floor of Halemaumau Crater with fresh LAVA flows." Closely related to 68-across. Mauna __: LOA. They actually are "related" geology-wise, though Mauna LOA hasn't spewed LAVA in over 35 years. They are about 22 miles apart (see map below)

5. Clear dishes from: BUS. This website defines the word BUS, as clued

8. Jammies: PJS. What do you call YOUR bedroom attire? Jammies? PJS? Nightgown? Nightshirt?

11. Hosp. figures: DRS. RNS also fit. That slowed me down some until the perps came to the rescue

14. Longest, as odds: SLIMMEST. This one came to me immediately. And while I don't ALWAYS root for the underdog, I often look at the odds for a horse race, for example, and try to choose a horse to bet that has longer odds. This can result in a hefty payout. This year's Kentucky Derby winner, RICH STRIKE, is an example. The horse was originally set at odds of 30-1 to win the race. At the start of the race, RICH STRIKE had odds of 80-1, and had - according to the bettors - the SLIMMEST of odds to win. But the horse did, and rewarded those who bet on RICH STRIKE handsomely

16. Like many Berbers: SAHARAN. Berbers are the indigenous people of North Africa - where the SAHARA desert is found

19. Like village roads: TWO LANE. UNPAVED also could fit

20. Mediterranean country: ISRAEL. GREECE also fits. Most folks don't always think of ISRAEL first when referring to a Mediterranean country. But the image below shows that it clearly lies on the SE shores of the Mediterranean Sea

And somewhat related, we have 5-Down. Capital in the Levant: BEIRUT. The Levant is an approximate historical geographical term referring to a large area in the Eastern Mediterranean region of Western Asia

22. Mixed martial artist Rousey: RONDA. A welcomed sports clue! Knew this one. Here is her website

23. Girl of the fam: SIS. Fam:Family; SIS:Sister

29. Shortly: IN A BIT. I put "IN A SEC" into this space at first, which again slowed me down until perps appeared

32. Arboreal marsupial: KOALA. A KOALA (native to Australia) exists by eating the leaves of eucalyptus trees; which oddly enough are poisonous to most other species. KOALAs are a favorite food of pythons, owls, crocodiles, dingoes, and foxes; and oddly enough are not poisonous to other species ... as far as I know

33. "You betcha": NATCH. Slang term for "naturally"

34. Garage door opener brand: GENIE.

Garage Door seller's
Favorite '60's sitcom?
"I Dream of GENIE"

35. Org. that includes the TSA: DHS. Department of Homeland Security

42. Digs in the mud: STY. Clever clue; probably Patti's. Digs (noun): living quarters. "Pigs digs" could also fit as the clue for 42-across, but that might be too obvious for a Friday puzzle

43. Battery measures: VOLTS. Battle Born Batteries dot com has a pretty simple description for battery measures: "Battery voltage is the amount of electrical potential a battery holds, measured in VOLTS. Batteries vary from a few hundredths of a volt to many hundreds of volts, depending on battery size and construction. To simplify, think of a battery as a pipe. The voltage of that battery is the water pressure in the pipe"

44. Biblical mount: SINAI.

45. Bernie in his mittens, Keanu playing with puppies, etc.: MEMES. These:

46. "Yeah, that's old news": "I HEARD".

52. Manhattan option: RYE. Manhattan, as in the name of a cocktail; RYE, as in the name of the whisky that is the preferred choice for this cocktail. I do enjoy a Manhattan. Two parts RYE to one part Sweet Vermouth; a dash of bitters (I prefer Orange Bitters); garnished with a Maraschino Cherry. This cocktail should be served "UP", so it is a fitting drink choice for today's puzzle

53. Mind: SEE TO.

54. Qualifying events: TRIALS. Another sports clue. Time TRIALS are a popular way to "select" the cars that will run in the Indy 500, for example

57. Calm: AT PEACE.

64. Brings in: GROSSES. Nice to see the word "GROSS" used in a non-derogatory meaning! In this case, GROSSes is the amount of money one makes in their job. For the record, Chairman Moe GROSSES $0.00 for writing this blog

65. "You can guess the rest": ET CETERA. According to Wikipedia dot com: "ET CETERA, abbreviated to etc., etc, et cet., &c. or &c is a Latin expression that is used in English to mean "and other similar things", or "and so forth". Translated literally from Latin, et means 'and', while cētera means 'the rest'; thus the expression translates to 'and the rest' "

66. Put away: EAT.

67. Keystone bumbler: KOP. Some poetic license here? The normal spelling of this group of bumblers is Keystone Cops. I guess that Patti allowed this spelling of "COP" so that 31-down ("Tell me if this is too personal, but ... ": I HAVE TO ASK) would fit

69. Monumental: EPIC.

Down:
1. "Geaux Tigers!" sch.: LSU. A "slam dunk" for Chairman Moe, as my daughter is an LSU alumna. This is also a CSO to Big Easy and Hahtoolah, but I might be missing other Cornerites who are from Louisiana. Their iconic fight song:

2. High point of a trip to Europe?: ALP. Notice that many of today's 3-letter words are clued cleverly and/or with more difficulty

3. YouTube clip, for short: VID.

4. Mine, in Montréal: AMOI. Frawnch

6. Many an election night graphic, for short: U.S. MAP. This map probably appeared at some time during the 2020 elections

7. Direct: STEER.

8. LAX setting: PST.

9. Yak: JAW. Yak (as spelled) could also mean the animal, but I could only think of the meaning in the image below once I got PJS for 8-across

10. Limited autonomy, so to speak: SHORT LEASH. What we bloggers were put on when it comes to contacting the LA Times puzzle constructors, prior to their puzzle being published. Maybe Billy Bratton will stop by today and offer a few comments

11. Pipe cleaner: DRANO, and 12-down. Internet stranger: RANDO. Forget about what the two words are or what they mean. Did anyone else notice that both words use the exact same letters? And if anyone cares to help define for me what a "RANDO" is, feel free

13. Quarterback maneuver: SNEAK. 3 sports-related clues today? Patti, did you know that Moe was going to be CC's blogger today??!! ;^)

15. The Colorado fourteeners, e.g.: Abbr.: MTS. The entry would be obvious if you knew what a "fourteener" is. In this case, it refers to the mountains (MTS) in Colorado that are over 14,000' in elevation

17. Hana Airport greeting: ALOHA. Hana is on the eastern part of Maui, and would not be the logical arrival airport if you plan on visiting Kilauea or Mauna Loa

21. Compares: LIKENS.

Dermotologist
Makes money comparing zits:
LIKENS the lichens

23. Facial cavity: SINUS. My SINUSes have been less active since moving to the desert

24. Unsuitable: INAPT. Something I hope I'm not when it comes to blogging

25. Watched from the sidelines: SAT BY. Sports clue #4? I guess this could refer to what a back-UP or reserve player does, as they sit on the sidelines (bench) at a sporting event

27. Left: GONE. Past participles: Leave:LEFT; Go:GONE. DEM'S could also fit with this clue

28. Locks: HAIR. Friday clue for a Monday word

30. Letters in ancient history: BCE. [from some website I found on Google] "People ask: Is BC and BCE the same era?" Answer: "They're just another example of the evolution of human time-tracking and mean exactly the same thing as AD (anno Domini) and BC (before Christ). Simply put, BCE (Before Common Era) is a secular version of BC (before Christ)"

34. Understands: GETS IT. SEES IT works, too

35. Currency of Serbia and Jordan: DINAR. The DINAR is also the main currency in six other countries formerly belonging to the Ottoman Empire: (from west to east) Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, (the aforementioned Serbia and Jordan), Iraq, Kuwait, and Bahrain

36. White with frost: HOARY.

Prostitutes are known
To be cold and uncaring,
Or perhaps, HOARY??

37. Biting: SNIDE. Was that last Moe-ku a bit SNIDE?

39. Large volume: TOME.

40. Singer Campbell: GLEN. He liked to use state and city names in his song titles; and he always seemed to be leaving them or heading towards them. "I am a lineman for the county ..."

41. Draw: TIE. Sports-related clue #5, but who's counting?

45. Two socks, hopefully: MATES. Ha Ha! This is something quite real in our household. And even though Margaret is going to proof-read my notes, she cannot refute the fact that several of her socks have no MATES!!

46. Mississippi source: ITASCA. Another gimme for Moe. Lake ITASCA is in Northern Minnesota - close to the city of Park Rapids - and is considered the source of the Mighty Mississippi. The elevation at Lake ITASCA is just under 1,500' above sea level. The Mississippi river also passes through Baton Rouge, LA - home of 1-down (LSU) and also the state capital. The river's length is just under 2,350 miles

From Wikipedia Dot Com: "Lake Itasca is a small glacial lake, approximately 1.8 square miles in area. Located in southeastern Clearwater County, in the Headwaters area of north central Minnesota, it is notable for being the headwater of the Mississippi River. The lake is in Itasca State Park"

Fun Fact: When Chairman Moe worked for 3M he got to see this area UP close

47. Linguistic practices: USAGE. A CSO to Yellowrocks, who probably rolls her eyes at my butchering of the English language!! ;^)

48. Violinist/singer Haden: PETRA. Confession: This was the only clue I HAD to google. The other words all seemed to mesh together once I confirmed this person: [Wikipedia] PETRA Haden (born October 11, 1971) is an American musician and singer. She has been a member of That Dog, Tito & Tarantula, and The Decemberists. I couldn't name a song of hers if my life depended on it ... maybe someone who does will link one for us to hear

49. Light rail stop: DEPOT. Here is a description about Light Rail

50. Slop: GRUEL. Despite the negative connotation of this clue, GRUEL is not defined as something unpleasant or inedible - as per [Wikipedia]:"GRUEL is a food consisting of some type of cereal—such as ground oats, wheat, rye or rice—heated or boiled in water or milk". Slop, to me, sounds like something you'd feed the occupants of 42-across

51. Aware of: HIP TO.

55. Cell service letters: LTE.

56. Appease fully: SATE.

58. Citigroup's Jane Fraser, e.g.: CEO. Chief Executive Officer

59. Super vision?: ESP. As opposed to "supervision"; for which I couldn't find a 3-letter word to fit into this space

61. Set component: REP. Yet another sports-related clue?? A REP (short for REPitition) refers to one of several motions performed by a weightlifter, for example

62. Tetra- minus one: TRI. Tetra: from Greek, from tettares ‘four’; TRI: from Greek treis 'three'

63. __ bunt: SAC. For those non-sports (baseball) solvers: "A SACrifice bunt occurs when a player is successful in their attempt to advance a runner (or multiple runners) at least one base with a bunt. In this vein, the batter is sacrificing themself (giving up an out) in order to move another runner closer to scoring."

Not sure if Billy offered this clue or one of the editors ... but I'm going to call "foul"! Rarely do baseball players, managers, coaches, reporters/broadcasters, or even fans refer to it as a SAC bunt. The full word "sacrifice" is more common. Now, if the clue had been ___ fly, I'd be fine with the word "SAC"

Ok, folks. Now it's your turn. Comment away. See you in a couple of weeks

Thursday, June 9,2022,Michael Schlossberg

Today's constructor is Michael Schlossberg, who last appeared here with his second LAT puzzle on January 23, 2022.  He has also had puzzles published in the NYT.  Today he warns us about 

Some spots you might want to avoid

 
The key to discovering the theme of this puzzle is a clue within the reveal.  I didn't catch it the first time around and had to get some help (see acknowledgements at the end of the review*).

58A. Product used on four of this puzzle's clues: SPOT REMOVER.  Reveal clue italics added by the blogger.  A careful reading of  the clue indicated that something had been removed from the clues, not the fill, as is often the case.  If we add SPOT back in, the clue becomes an idiom synonymous with the idiomatic fill.  Here are the themers:

17A. Tough: DIRE STRAITS.  Tough spot to be in.  The Greek hero Odysseus, on his long journey home from the Trojan War found himself  between two monsters, the Scylla and the Charybdis, guarding the the Strait of Messina.  This story has long been a metaphor for choosing between two lethal alternatives, either of which will probably fail!

The Scylla and the Charybdis

DIRE STRAITS, a British rock band formed in London in 1977 adopted the modern equivalent of this metaphor for their moniker.  Here's their break out hit Sultans of Swing:

28A. Hot: THE PLACE TO BE. Hot spot to be.  A place that might make you sweat, like a dance club, or under a bright light in a police interview room.

34A. Sore: TOUCHY SUBJECT.  Sore spot.  Sadly the number of touchy subjects in today's society is on the increase,  and meaningful discussions about them are on the decrease.

42A. Weak: ACHILLES HEEL.  Weak spot.  We associate this weakness with Achilles, the hero of the Homer's Iliad (see 17A about the hero of volume two The Odyssey).  But surprisingly the origin of this flaw derives not from Homer, but from Greek mythology, which describes Achilles' mother Thetis dipping him in the River Styx to convey invulnerability, save on the heel by which she held him. This same idea is repeated in Richard Wagner's opera Siegfried. While this hero is bathing in dragon's blood to obtain invulnerability, a single leaf falls between his shoulder blades.  This is of no concern to him as he would never turn his back and run from an enemy.  In the end he is betrayed by a false friend, who having found out about the vulnerability through subterfuge, stabs Siegfried in the back.  Here Wagner portrays Siegfried's death and funeral march (10 very moving minutes)

Here are the rest of the clues:

Across:

1. Conspiring circle: CABAL. I filled this first with what later became 1D, but it didn't perp.  Semantically however they might be interchangeable.

6. Singer/actress Thorne: BELLA.  Annabella Avery Thorne (born October 8, 1997) is an American actress, model, singer, and writer.  She is the recipient of several accolades, including an Imagen Award, a Shorty Award, a Teen Choice Award and three Young Artist Awards.

Bella Thorne

11. Briefs brand: BVD.  An eponymous brand of men's underpants dating back to 1876.

14. Kitchen magnet?: AROMA. 

15. Snacker's stack: OREOS.  There must be a thousand ways to clue these cookies.

16. Tool that only works in water: OAR.  Clever clue.

19. Iberian cheer: OLE.  The Iberian peninsula encompasses Spain and Portugal, where soccer and bullfighting are popular.  A CSO to Lucina.

20. Second printing: REISSUE. 

21. Kerfuffle: RUCKUS.

23. Key above ~: ESC.  A gimme if you're filling this on a laptop.

24. Osso __: BUCO.  Ossobuco or osso buco is a specialty of Lombard cuisine of cross-cut veal shanks braised with vegetables, white wine and broth.  Here's a recipe (2 hrs 15 min, but only 15 minute is prep time).

27. Party of the first part in the Bible?: MOSES.  The "first part" of the Bible is the Torah, the books Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.  I'm guessing here but the "party of the first part" implies MOSES, who is considered by many to be the narrator of these books.  Scholars point out however that as Moses died near the end of Deuteronomy he couldn't have written all of it.  But other scholars counter that he dictated the end of the Torah to his successor Joshua.  But the question arises, on what did he write it down?  It's unlikely that the Israelites carried supplies of parchment scrolls and ink as they wandered through the desert for 40 years.  

However, these stories were actually recorded in human memory during that time, as the transmission of history by early Jews was largely through oral recitation. Thus it is likely that the books of the Torah were written down long after the events described in them.  Scholars believe that this probably occurred during the period of the Babylonian Captivity and second exodus (597 - 537) after the destruction of the Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem.  It was the means to survive as a nation in a foreign land by canonizing and preserving ancient Biblical traditions at a time when Jewish culture was under great stress.

The Flight of the Prisoners (1896)
the exile of the Jews from Canaan to Babylon
James Tissot

31. "Becoming Madame __": Anchee Min novel set in China: MAO.  Becoming Madame Mao is a historical novel by Anchee Min detailing the life of Jiang Qing. She became Madame Mao after her marriage to Mao Zedong. In this story Min tries to cast a sympathetic light on one of the most controversial political figures in the People's Republic of China.

Jiang Qing 1976

32. "Well, well, well!": OHO.  Caught you in the act!

33. Homer's well-meaning neighbor: NED.  Not the same Homer as in 17A and 42A.
 

Ned Flanders

39. Sweets: BAE.  The Baltimorese for BAE is HON.  Baltimore Hons are distinguished by their beehive haircuts, flashy dress, and feather boas.  Every year there is a HonFest celebrating Hons in the Hampden neighborhood in East Baltimore:

Baltimore Hons

40. Street sign abbr.: AVE.

41. Massive lexicon: Abbr.: OED.  Oxford English Dictionary.  CSO to constructors, for only £100 you can get a yearly subscription.

47. Simple semiconductor: DIODE.  A diode is a two-terminal electronic component that conducts current primarily in one direction; it has low (ideally zero) resistance in one direction, and high (ideally infinite) resistance in the other.  Wait, there's more.

48. Space heater?: STAR.  Our STAR heats a LOT of space.

49. Three-time World Series of Poker champion Ungar: STU.  No, not Disco STU, this STU:
 

Stuart Errol Ungar
(Sept 8, 1953 – Nov 22, 1998)

52. Hyperformal "Blame me": IT WAS I.  Don't look at me!

54. Haberdashery clips: TIE BARS.  Draw in a pub crawl?  Menswear buggy whips?

57. "New Rules" singer __ Lipa: DUA.  Dua Lipa (born 22 August 1995) is an English singer and songwriter. Dua is a mezzo-soprano known for her signature disco-pop sound.  In all the "official" videos of her songs I viewed, it was difficult to separate all the packaging from the human being.  Finally I stumbled on this live performance of "Don't Start Now" on SNL in 2021 that liberates her from (most of) the glitz (lyrics):

61. Goof: ERR.

62. Big name in the cosmetics aisle: ESTEE.

63. Data visualization discovery, perhaps: TREND.  The Opte project (kinda technical) uses visualization to show trends in the growth of the Internet.  Here's their website.  Very pretty.

64. "So?": AND.  So?

65. "Copy that": NOTED.  ROGER didn't perp..

66. Ish: SORTA.  Kinda.

Down:

1. Inner circle: CADRE.  This is what I had for 1A at first.  I'm sure that CABALS have CADRES.  Somebody has to give orders to the fall guys.

2. First sign of spring?: ARIES.  Of course ROBIN would have fit (they're a lot smaller than RAMS), but didn't perp.

3. __ acid: BORIC.  This contains some visualizations of Boric Acid.   Didn't see any TRENDS though.

4. Hawkeye State college town: AMES.  Here's the ISU website.

5. Miss: LASS.  A Scottish Miss no doubt.

6. Withstood hardship: BORE UP.

7. Stretch often named for a music genre: ERA.  The Baroque Era spanned the years 1600 to 1750.  Here's a very brief tutorial on the Baroque genre (5:28).  At the end there is a short list of pieces characteristic of this era, all of which I'm sure are also available on YouTube.

Hands up from anyone who would venture a name for the the musical ERA we're living in now?

8. Wreath of plumeria blossoms: LEI.  Also known as frangipani.

9. Tolkien trilogy, briefly: LOTR.  As clued the Lord of the Rings refers to three novels (The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King) written in stages between 1937 and 1949.  I've read this captivating series twice, once to my son, who in turn has read them multiple times to his children.  Oxford professor J.R.R.Tolkien wrote them at the urging of his publisher due to the success an earlier novel called The Hobbit, which is essentially a prequel to LOTR, introducing many of the main characters. The novels describe the inhabitants and the cosmic struggles of Middle Earth, a fantasy world in which readers become quickly immersed.  The Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit were essentially cult classics until director Peter Jackson released three beautifully crafted films for the novels from 2001 - 2003.  Here is a trailer for The Fellowship of the Ring (vocals by Enya):

10. Take on: ASSUME.  Well we all know what happens when we ASSUME.

11. Audible precursor: BOOKS ON CD.  I've never been attracted to recorded books.  There is something about seeing the words on a page.

12. Pot-building poker wager: VALUE BET.  This is how you can make big bucks.  One of the tricks that I'm sure Stu Ungar (49A) had up his sleeve.

13. Decent, so to speak: DRESSED.  As opposed to "naked buck" as my grandchildren would say.

18. __ top: TUBE.  A tight-fitting strapless top made of stretchy material and worn by women or girls.  Here's an array you can choose from at Walmart:

22. Easy-to-store bed: COT.

25. Like the winner in a number-guessing contest: CLOSEST.

26. Island that hosts the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing: OAHU.  Here are the winners since 1983.  Don't try this at home:

28. Sigma follower: TAU.

29. Ad __: HOC.

30. Male swan: COB.  SWAN and the associated COB, PEN, and CYGNET are becoming crosswordese.  The Finish composer Jean Sibelius showed great affection for these graceful birds with musical odes to them in at least two of his pieces: the finale of his 5th Symphony (1:18 min) and in his haunting tone poem the Swan of Tuonela (reportedly J.R.R. Tolkien's favorite piece of music).  Here's the complete work (8:13 min):

and if you're pressed for time here's a short clip from it with the evocative English Horn solo (2:43).

31. Leader of a slapstick trio: MOE HOWARD.  And a CSO to our Chairman.  Moses Harry Horwitz (June 19, 1897 – May 4, 1975), known professionally as Moe Howard, was an American comedian and actor. He is best known as the leader of The Three Stooges, the farce comedy team who starred in motion pictures and television for four decades.  Here's a picture of the Chairman taken from his good side:

Howard in 1937

34. Saying little: TACITURN.  Not a problem I have.

35. Unblinking sci-fi villain: HAL.  Who needs eyelids anyway?

36. First name in couture: YVES.  More commonly known as YSL.

37. Java: JOE.  Where did the term "Cup of Joe" come from?  Here are some folks at Java Joe's enjoying a brew.  Is that YooperPhil on the right?
 

38. Swimmer that hunts using electrolocation: EEL.  There is an electric eel (Electrophorus electricus) at the National Aquarium in Baltimore.  Mean looking critter!

39. "I wouldn't do that": BAD IDEA.  I wish I had a nickel for everybody who ever told me that (and I'd listened!).  I'd be millionaire.

43. Ore. neighbor: IDA.  The great state of IDAHO.

44. Tone down: LESSEN.

45. "__ is the coward's revenge for being intimidated": Shaw: HATRED. 

46. Great Lake near the Pro Football Hall of Fame: ERIE.  Hand if  you've been there (the HOF not the lake)?  Save this URL and you will always know exactly how many dd:hh:mm:ss it is until the next enshrinement.

49. Screen __: SAVER.

50. Reznor of Nine Inch Nails: TRENT.  Michael Trent Reznor (born May 17, 1965) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, and composer. He serves as the lead vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and principal songwriter of the industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails^.

51. Vitamin intake std.: US RDA.  Recommended Dietary Allowances derived from standards defined in the National Institutes of Health's Nutrient Recommendations: Dietary Reference Intakes.  How's that for a mouthful?

53. __ facto: IPSO.  Today's Latin lesson: "By the very fact", in other words:

55. CPR pros: EMTS.  Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation.  CPR is one of many skills required of EMTS and PARAMEDICS (a more advanced occupation).  Here's a brief description of these services from the Bureau of Labor Statistics website.

56. NYC division: BORO.  Since the clue was an acronym, the fill was a shorthand for BOROUGH.  For all of you folks who live in the other half of the US here the New York City boroughs.

59. Mel who hit 511 career home runs: OTT.  Here they are in column 4.  Melvin Thomas Ott (March 2, 1909 – November 21, 1958), nicknamed "Master Melvin", was an American professional baseball right fielder, who played for the New York Giants, from 1926 through 1947 and made the trip to Cooperstown in 1951.  Tragically he died at age 48 a week after an auto accident in Mississippi.

Mel Ott

60. Capital of Thailand?: TEE.  The question mark is a clue to misdirection.  In this case TEE is the first letter in the word Thailand. Alternate clues for it could be "Golfer's support" or "Cheap short-sleeved shirt with a silk-screened meme on the back".

Thanks bhart for spotting the missing grid, and thank you C.C. for the temporary bailout!

 And as always thanks to Teri for proof reading and constructive suggestions

*Also it was Teri who helped me figure out the theme. My long range plan is to get her to do the whole blog!  Anywho, after solving the puzzle the theme didn't jump out at me right away, and as I was headed upstairs for my afternoon nap I asked her to take a look at the theme clues. Within 5 minutes she came upstairs and triumphantly announced her findings.

waseeley

Cheers,

Bill

Michael, you are invited to post anything you'd like to share about this puzzle, its evolution, the theme, or whatever in the Comments section.  We'd love to hear from you.

Wednesday, June 8, 2022 Huang-Kim Vu and Wendy L. Brandes

 Theme:   Elementary, my dear Puzzle Solver.  One word of each them fill is a chemical element from the periodic table. 

17 A. There's an element of doubt to it?: WAFFLE IRON.  This is a kitchen device for pressing batter into a shape with dimpled surfaces.  IRON is a metallic element with the atomic number 26 and symbol Fe.  By mass, it is the most common element on earth.

23 A. There's an element of romance to it?: CARBON DATING.  This is the determination of the age or date of organic matter from the relative proportions of the CARBON [symbol C] isotopes carbon-12 and carbon-14 that it contains. The ratio between them changes as radioactive carbon-14 decays.  DATING is activity with someone - often, but not always, of the other gender - in pursuit of a romantic relationship. 

53 A. There's an element of mystery to it?: SILVER SCREEN.  Literally, the screen n which a motion picture is projected; by analogy, movies collectively, or the movie industry.  SILVER, beside being the Lone Ranger's horse, is a soft, white, lustrous transition metal with atomic number 47 and symbol Ag.  It has the highest electrical and thermal conductivity of any metal.  Movies can be, among other things, mysteries, or dramas, or like 64 A.  I think this clue is a bit of a stretch.  But, then, silver is malleable.

64 A. There's an element of humor to it?: COMEDY GOLD.  This is common phrase describing something that is very funny.  GOLD  is a yellow metallic element with atomic number 79 and symbol Au, used especially in jewelry and decoration and to guarantee the value of currencies. 

Found this on Facebook

Hi, Gang - JazzBumpa here to analyze this elementary puzzle.  As someone with two long defunct chemistry degrees, I absolutely love this theme.  

Looks like this is the premier appearance for Huang-Kim Vu, so congratulations, and welcome!

Now, let's see what other riches we can discover.

Across:

1. Where to hear cutting remarks?: SALON.  A place where a stylist can do your do.  Nicely clued.

6. Tiff: SPAT.  Quarrel.

10. "The one over there": THAT.   Indication of. specific thing.

14. "Gotta run!": I'M OFF.  Alternatively, "There's something wrong with me."

15. Sharpen: HONE.  As a knife edge or set of skins.

16. Corned beef __: HASH.  A mixture of chopped corned beef and potatoes.

19. Crazy about: INTO.  Relating to something you are involved with or enjoy.  Crazy about might be overstating it.

20. Prosecco kin: ASTI.   A pair od sparkling iotalian wines.

21. Start to matter?: ANTI-.  Anti-matter is a substance composed of subatomic particles that have the mass, electric charge, and magnetic moment of the electrons, protons, and neutrons of ordinary matter but for which the electric charge and magnetic moment are opposite in sign.  Matter can mean stuff, as a noun, or be of some importance, as a verb.  Despite the clever word play, this type of cutesy affix clue has long outlived it usefulness and amusement value.

22. Sing smoothly: CROON.

 

 26. Increased: ADDED TO.  Amped up.

29. Carving of a Polynesian god: TIKI.  In Polynesian mythology, tiki often represents the first human being on Earth created by the atua (deity) Tane, who, together with Hine-ahu-one, is considered humankind's progenitors. In areas of Polynesia, carved tiki figures were often thought to be a repository for a certain god's mana (prestige).

30. "Hips Don't __": Shakira hit: LIE.  Fairly sure this is not crooning.

 

There is no deceit in these body parts

 

31. "Yikes!": OH NO.  Exclamation of dismay.

33. Nana alternative: MEEMAW.  A grandmother's title, as bestowed by an infant.  This is what my son's kids called Gloria when they were learning to talk.  In contract, I remember, her son's oldest, Amanda, asking: "Do I have to call you that?"  We said she didn't.  

37. __ pressure: PEER.   Influence from members of one's peer group.  Can be good or bad.

39. Keebler baker: ELF.

 

 41. Gazpacho, por ejemplo: SOPA.  An example of soup - specifically, a cold soup made of raw, blended vegetables, of Spanish origin.

42. Fla. coastal city: ST. PETE.  More formally, St. Petersburg, on the Gulf coast, known as the sunshine city.

45. "The Daily Show" correspondent Lydic: DESI.   An American comedian and actress [b 1981] who is a correspondent on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah. From 2011 to 2016, she starred as guidance counselor Valerie Marks on the MTV comedy-drama series Awkward. 

Correspondent

48. Fellows: MEN.  Guys.

49. __ Bradley bags: VERA.   This is an American luggage and handbag design company, founded by Barbara Bradley Baekgaard and Patricia R. Miller in 1982.

51. If nothing else: AT LEAST.  What you might have to settle for.

57. Leg joints: KNEES.   The joints between the thighs and the lower legs in humans.

58. Target on a putting green: HOLE.  Where you sink you putts.  And no gimmies!

59. "Got it": I SEE.  Understood.

63. Walkman descendant: I-POD.  A portable electronic device for playing and storing digital audio and video files.

66. Course catalog?: MENU.  The courses of a meal.  Another clever clue.

67. Father of Eros: ARES.  Ares is the Greek god of courage and war. He is one of the Twelve Olympians, and the son of Zeus and Hera.   Eros is the Greek god of love and sex.   Shakira reveals the truth about him.

68. Shoyu flavor: UMAMI.  Umami, or savoriness, is one of the five basic tastes. It has been described as savory and is characteristic of broths and cooked meats. People taste umami through taste receptors that typically respond to glutamates and nucleotides, which are widely present in meat broths and fermented products.

69. Cold spell: SNAP.  A weather event involving a cooling of the air, or the invasion of very cold air, over a large area. It is marked by a drop of average temperature well below the typical averages of a region.

70. Action at the track: BETS.  Wagers.

71. Analyze grammatically: PARSE.  Analyze a sentence into its parts and describe their syntactic roles.

Down:

1. Dancer/YouTube star JoJo __: SIWA.  Joelle Joanie "JoJo" Siwa [b2003] is an American dancer, singer, and YouTuber.  If interested, you can search her many videos on YouTube.

2. Reddit Q&A sessions: AMAs.  Ask Me Anythings.  [I might even answer.]

3. Ann Taylor __: LOFT.  Loft, originally Ann Taylor Loft, was established in 1996 as an extension of the original Ann Taylor brand, offers more relaxed fashions for work and home, in the "moderate" priced category.

4. One end of some commutes: OFFICE.  Work place for many.

5. Org. with Giants and Titans: NFL.  National Football League.

6. Tibia: SHIN BONE.  The tibia is the shinbone, the larger of the two bones in the lower leg. The top of the tibia connects to the knee joint and the bottom connects to the ankle joint. Although this bone carries the majority of the body's weight, it still needs the support of the fibula.  If hips dlm't lie, do fibula fib?

7. Coastal city on the Iberian Peninsula: PORTO.  Port in Spanish.

8. Choose, as a successor: ANOINT.   Figurative.  More literally, ceremonially confer divine or holy office upon (a priest or monarch) by smearing or rubbing with oil.

9. Uniform number for Sue Bird: TEN.   Suzanne Brigit Bird [b 1980] is an American-Israeli professional basketball player for the Seattle Storm of the Women's National Basketball Association. 

10. Decade that is less than a decade away: THIRTIES.  We are now in the twenties.  They are not roaring.

11. Location of Hoan Kiem Lake: HANOI.  In Viet Nam

12. __ Martin: British car: ASTON.  Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings PLC is an English manufacturer of luxury sports cars and grand tourers. 

13. Flip-flop: THONG.   A shoe that is held on by two straps that go next to the big toe. 

18. Habitat for humanity: EARTH.   Our home planet.

22. Celebratory slice: CAKE.  For birthdays, weddings, graduations, etc.

24. Big fuss: ADO.  A state of agitation or fuss, especially about something unimportant.

25. __ sum: bite-sized Chinese fare: DIM.  It is a large range of small Chinese dishes that are traditionally enjoyed in restaurants for brunch.

26. Range for yodelers?: ALPS.  Range can mean a number of things, depending on context.  Here it refers to mountains, not vocal tessitura. 

27. Nutrition regimen: DIET.  Foodstuffs selected in a nutritional strategy.

28. Profound: DEEP.  

32. Outdated: OLD.

34. NYC home of Frida Kahlo's "Self-Portrait With Cropped Hair": MOMA.  Museum Of Modern Art,  Frida came up the last time I blogged.

35. Chimps and gorillas: APES.   Any large primate that lacks a tail, including the gorilla, chimpanzee, orangutan, and gibbon.

36. Desire: WANT.

38. Really got going: REVVED UP.  Excited or enthused.

40. Like skeleton racers, seemingly: FEARLESS.   Skeleton is a winter sliding sport in which a person rides a small sled, known as a skeleton bobsled, down a frozen track while lying face down and head-first. 

43. Some concert merch: TEES.  Simple shirts, possibly with complex art work.

44. Mistakenly hit reply all, e.g.: ERR.  Make a mistake.

46. Trusty mount: STEED.  Just so.

47. __ de la Cité: Paris landmark: ILE.  An island in the river Seine in the center of Paris. In the 4th century, it was the site of the fortress of the Roman governor. In 508, Clovis I, the first King of the Franks, established his palace on the island.

50. On dry land: ASHORE.

52. Puzzle: ENIGMA. Something that is mysterious, puzzling, or difficult to understand.

53. Leafs (through): SKIMS. An act of reading something quickly or superficially.

54. How contracts are usually signed: IN PEN.  For permanence.  INK also fits.

55. "Bleeding Love" singer Lewis: LEONA.  Leona Louise Lewis [b, 1985] is a British singer, songwriter, actress, model and activist.

Lips can lie

56. Cleaner sold in green canisters: COMET.  

60. Rocket: SOAR.  Fly high.

61. Shady bunch?: ELMS.  Shade giving trees - they don't lie.

62. Singer Brickell: EDIE.  Edie Arlisa Brickell [b 1966] is an American singer-songwriter widely known for 1988's Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars, the debut album by Edie Brickell & New Bohemians, which went to No. 4 on the Billboard albums chart. She is married to singer-songwriter Paul Simon.

64. Taxi: CAB.  A vehicle that carries paying passengers 

65. "You betcha": YUP.  Slangy agreement.

So ends another Wednesday's offering.  Hope you reacted well to it.

Cool regards!

JzB