John is from Philadelphia but now lives in West Roxbury, MA. where he teaches math at Roxbury Latin School. He attended The Haverford School in Haverford, PA and studied math at Williams College in Williamstown, MA.
I have never written up any of John's puzzles but a search shows he has had LA Times constructions back to at least 2014. His FaceBook page contains personal information and this wonderful picture. As for the picture, John was kind enough to write:The story of the outfit is that at my school, the day before Spring Break is a dress down/costume day, and the Elvis costume was my outfit a few years back. Fun to walk around as the King for a day...
I am happy to add this for John: Also, it would be great if you could mention Boswords, a series of online crossword competitions that I co-direct ... our Fall Themeless League is starting up in a few weeks and if solvers want to see more info, they can go to www.boswords.org.
Across:
1. Consultant on a family history project, perhaps: GRANDPA - All those resources have passed away and I missed a chance to consult.
8. Spot for a note to self: POST IT.
14. Braided accent piece: ROPE RUG.
15. Univision language: ESPANOL.
17. "Ya feel me?": AM I RITE - Slang variation of a slang expression
18. Get more out of: RECYCLE.
19. Delivers à la Tig Notaro: DEADPANS - 7 minutes worth
21. Elite: A-LIST.
22. Calls a ball a strike, say: ERRS
23. Contracts of confidentiality, briefly: NDAS - We had "HUSH MONEY" last week as a possible part of Non Disclosure Agreements
25. Bone: Prefix: OSTE - From the Greek word ostéon meaning bone
26. __ milk: SOY - For lactose intolerant people
27. "Do you see anyone laughing?": READ THE ROOM.
30. Cannery row: TINS - Rows of cans from a, uh, cannery
31. Put on the line?: AIR DRY - Very common sight in my yute but rare to see now
32. Grasped: HELD.
33. Amy and Molly in "Booksmart," e.g.: PALS 4. Amy and Molly in "Booksmart," e.g.: NERDS.
34. Fills a flat again: RELETS.
36. Church recess: APSE.
37. YA novel by Matt de la Peña about a gifted athlete: BALL DON'T LIE - Synopsis
39. "Scrumptious!": YUM.
42. Time toggle: AM/PM.
43. Lacking direction?: LOST.
44. Object formed by two faces in a classic illusion: VASE.
45. Augurs: BODES.
47. Jumps on a scale?: PAY HIKES - No weighing or musical intervals
49. "This is bad, even for you": A NEW LOW.
52. Phoenix team: THE SUNS.
53. Pass on to one's followers, say: RESHARE - A common FaceBook activity
54. Device that is never free of charge?: IONIZER.
55. Uranus, e.g.: SKY GOD.
56. HS class with a mean teacher?: AP STATS - A mean (or average) would be a very introductory part of an Advanced Placement Statistics class
Down:
1. Marks: GRADES.
2. Horror film pioneer: ROMERO - George ROMERO is said to have started the Zombie craze with this 1968 "classic" where death does not 6. Cut short: PUT AN END TO life
13. Novelist who fought in the Crimean War: TOLSTOY.
Lt. Leo TOLSTOY
16. "They're gonna do what they're gonna do": LET 'EM - Bad advice for a substitute teacher
20. __ trombone: SAD - We all know this sound but I, for one, did not know it had a name. Jazzbumpa?
24. Shuttle stop: Abbr.: STAtion
27. Stirred (up): RILED.
28. Toy also called a kangaroo ball: HIPPITY HOP.
29. Sabotage with a magnet, maybe: ERASE - It may or may not do it.
30. "I need to understand": TELL ME WHY which you can say to the 32. Troubleshooting locale: HELP DESK. They might reply, "Uh, maybe you got a magnet too close to your hard drive."
34. 1976 debut punk album: RAMONES - This punk group with its plethora of vowels and low scrabble value consonants is on the bill often here
35. NBC show Jay Mohr writes about in "Gasping for Airtime": SNL - His struggle with anxiety and trying to get his "stuff" on the air at Saturday Night Live.
36. Ancient French region: ALSATIA - Also ALSACE is in France's far NE corner on the border with Germany. It has changed so often during the centuries that it is not quite French and not quite German.
37. Fictional king who "lived among men and learned much": BABAR.
38. Leading: TOP.
39. Japanese crime syndicate: YAKUZA.
40. Early web forum: USENET.
41. Salutation abbreviation: MESSRS - Plural for mister
44. Pop in: VISIT.
46. Foundry waste: SLAG - Byproduct of steel production
Welcome back Taylor to the LAT where we just solved your Saturday themeless collaboration with your mentor, the prolific Christina Iverson. Let me tell you some more about our little patch which our werowance (Zhouqin "C.C." Burnikel) dubbed Crossword Corner when she premiered this site on January 8, 2008. It started as a blog about the Tribune Media Daily, switching to the LAT on March 23, 2006 with this PUZZLE.
I enjoyed solving your debut puzzle on December 4, 2021 in the Universal site. Your wordplay there helped prepare me for this write-up. Also, you have launched your own site which has since become a pay to view site, but the first puzzle was great.
You included some tasty long down fill, ORANGE SODA, SKEDADDLE, IT's NO RUSH and OSCAR PARTY joining the across fill BEER NUTS and and DEAD LAST to make this a Friday puzzle. It did have many 3 and 4 letter fill but I enjoyed. So let's get to work on the theme.
17A. Teacher's request, literally?: CLASS SEE ME. This took a while to grok (see 23A below) See Me AFTER Class.
29A. Like falling dominoes, literally?: THE OTHER ONE. One AFTERthe Other.
47A. Note to a spy, literally?: READING BURN. Burn AFTER Reading.
63A. Enticing ad words, literally?: REBATE FREE. Free AFTER Rebate.
You have to use your imagination, or at least I did. Maybe Taylor will comment here on her puzzle process. On to the rest.
Across:
1. "Sure, no __!": PROB. I plunked this right in and was happy it turned out to be correct, as a colloquial does not need to be an abbreviation.
5. Common bugs: COLDS. Nice misdirection; is that all COVID is?
10. __-bitty: ITTY. Had itsy-bitsy/
14. Weird sensation before some migraines: AURA. I have read about the sensation, never experienced it. For me migraines were just pain.
15. Sag: DROOP. A n aggressively mean word.
16. Cuisine with green curry: THAI. Wow, thanks for the Coincidental Shout Out, Taylor. (see explanations to the right).
19. Part of many a lunch special: SOUP. I used to like the soup and 1/2 sandwich at Panera Bread.
20. Belief: TENET. Synonyms.
21. Bar bowlful: BEER NUTS. Beer Nuts is an American brand of snack food building on the original product, peanuts with a sweet-and-salty glazing. The ingredients include peanuts, coconut oil, corn syrup and salt. various.
23. Grok: GRASP. This is a word I did not know until C.C. taught it to us years ago and it really comes in handy.
26. Corp. head: CEO. Chief Executive Officer.
27. "That's all __ wrote": SHE.
35. "The Handmaid's Tale" Emmy winner: MOSS. This ACTRESS has had a busy and successful career.
37. Taj Mahal city: AGRA. Can I still say, Man's greatest erection for woman?
38. Binds: FUSES. They are shown as being synonymous but this had me going.
39. "Star Wars" critter who lives on Endor: EWOK.
He/she/it looks too cuddly and doesn't
40. Stare angrily: GLARE. Though he may suggest you...
42. "Make tracks!": SCAT.
43. Helped: AIDED. Ms. Iverson has helped many in the puzzle world.
45. Sister who sings "Into the Unknown" in "Frozen II": ELSA.
46. Abhor: HATE. I recall ABHOR as my first grown up word.
51. Drink that may be brown, blonde, or red: ALE. Once again my sons and their extensive and continuous involvement in the liquor field made this easy.
52. Eat inelegantly: SLURP. This seems a bit regional and judgmental.
54. Bringing up the rear: DEAD LAST. 59. Coped (with): DEALT. It has been a year for many of us, none more so than C.C. and Boomer.
62. Enthusiastic: AVID. From the Latin avidus meaning to crave.
66. Cash drawer: TILL. noun (1) \ ˈtil \ Definition of till (Entry 4 of 5) 1a : a money drawer in a store or bank also : cash register. b : a box, drawer, or tray in a receptacle (such as a cabinet or chest) used especially for valuables.
67. Short on flavor: BLAND. Is it true about British cuisine? Bill, Joseph, anyone?
68. Like some emphasized text: Abbr.: ITALicized.
69. Option word: ELSE. Or...
70. Fabric measures: YARDS. At least here in the US...
71. Kind: TYPE. If you are kind, you are more likely to find someone your type, so says Confusedcious.
Down:
1. Agreement: PACT. Pact sounds so much more serious like you have to bleed.
2. "No cellphones at dinner," say: RULE. A wonderful rule never to be followed.
3. Fizzy ingredient in a Creamsicle float: ORANGE SODA. This just needs you to close your eyes and imagine where you put the vanilla ice cream that would make you think of a Creamsicle.
4. More wicked: BASER. Another fill that took perps and an open mind.
5. Low-risk IRA components: CDS. Certificates of Deposit.
6. Some Minecraft blocks: ORE. My sons play, but I never have but with that name this was easy.
7. "Feel What U Feel" Grammy winner Lisa: LOEB.
8. Planetarium roof: DOME. So you can see the big sky.
9. Address: SPEECH.
10. "At your leisure!": IT'S NO RUSH. I think more of "There's No Rush" but this was not hard.
11. The old you?: THOU. I really liked this misdirection, not me but the word's history.
12. At a breaking point, maybe: TAUT. Taut is tight
13. Pound sounds: YIPS. We have many animal rights activists here.
18. Fantasy league no.: STATistics.
22. Colorful ecosystem: REEF. The Coral reefs from here through the Bahamas are amazing and you do not have dive deep to see a show.
24. __ carpet: SHAG. A perfect reference for our age group. and 33D. "Groovy!": NEAT-O.
25. Stereotypical pirate feature: PEGLEG. Long John Silver? I liked their battered fish.
27. Spread messily: SMEAR.
28. Singer Dorough who co-founded the Backstreet Boys: HOWIE.
30. Sonicare rival: ORAL-B. Ah, the toothbrush wars...
31. Ankle bones: TARSUS.
32. Awards night gathering: OSCAR PARTY. There are more and more events each year and is you get to go you leave with a swag bag loaded with goodies, Back in the day...
34. Big name in cosmetics: ESTEE.
36. Make tracks: SKEDADDLE.
41. House of Lords figure: EARL.
44. Egg salad herb: DILL.
48. Close: NEARBY.
49. Hose shade: NUDE.
53. Provide new equipment for: REFIT.
54. Palm fruit: DATE. If it is a date palm.
55. Pernicious: EVIL.
56. Feels crummy: AILS.
57. Ward of "Gone Girl": SELA.
58. Way up the slope: T-BAR.
60. Big advance: LEAP.
61. Start to commute?: TELE.
64. "Your point being ... ?": AND.
Once again you get only a piece of me for this fun puzzle, but we are getting ready to go to Thailand as Oo's mother celebrates her 100th years. I enjoyed the puzzle and I am sure you all will finish my unfinished symphony. I will be in Thailand when you read these words and I will miss you all, at least until I get my internet set up there. Be well. Lemonade out.
This is constructor Micah Sommersmith's second outing with the LA
Times, the previous one being August 9, 2022,
reviewed by our favorite feline. Micah describes himself as "a
musician, crossword constructor, and generally curious individual".
Here's his website.
Today he presents us with a straightforward theme, revealed by 5 theme
clues consisting of the word
GREEN, and filled by idioms and
metaphors:
16A. Green:BURNING WITH ENVY. ENVY is often confused with JEALOUSY, but they are
quite different emotions. As nouns the difference between envy and jealousy
is that envy is resentful desire of something possessed by another or others
(but not limited to material possessions) while jealousy is
(uncountable) a state of suspicious guarding towards a spouse, lover etc, from
fears of infidelity. - WikiDiff.
21A. Green:PUTTING AREA. A CSO to Husker, Boomer, and TTP. The PUTTING AREA on a golf
course is at the end of a hole, with neatly manicured grass, a CUP and
a removable FLAG. In looking for an illustration of a green, I
discovered that some courses, notably St. Andrews in Scotland, can have
more than one cup per green. This green has only one.
36A. Green:FAT STACKS OF CASH. WADS was too short. An entire film,
The Color of Money, starring Paul Newman and Tom Cruise (his debut) was devoted to this
metaphor.
44A. Green: ECO FRIENDLY. What does "Eco-Friendly" actually mean? Don't fall victim to "green washing" - 10 companies that aren't green, but say they are. 55A. Green:HOPELESSLY NAIVE. IMHO
HOPELESSLY is hyperbole. With sufficient attendance at the school
of hard knocks a NAIVE person (newbie, noob, tyro,
rank amateur) will eventually harden into a skeptical cynic.
Here's the grid. A pretty impressive second outing with 5
Thursday themers, including 3 grid spanners:
I think this puzzle was pretty "solver friendly". I hope no
one got green around the gills filling it. Across:
1. Info in a bank: DATA. They don't keep any
GREEN there anymore, just bits and
bytes.
5. "May I speak?": AHEM.
9. ABC show for early risers, briefly: GMA.
Good Morning America. They'll be celebrating their 50th anniversary in November of 2025.
14. "Hard pass": NOPE. An exclamation
used to express firm rejection or dismissal, e.g. "$150? Hard pass! -
Oxford languages dict.
15. Loving murmurs: COOS.
16. [see theme expo]
19. River that forms the Michigan-Ontario border: ST MARYS.
The St. Marys River, sometimes written St. Mary's River, drains Lake Superior, starting
at the end of Whitefish Bay and flowing 74.5 miles (119.9 km) southeast
into Lake Huron, with a fall of 23 feet (7.0 m).
20. Buck who was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2022:
O'NEIL.
John Jordan "Buck" O'Neil Jr.
(November 13, 1911 – October 6, 2006) was a first baseman and manager in the
Negro American League. After his playing days, he worked as a scout and became
the first African American coach in Major League Baseball. In
his later years he played a major role in establishing the
Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, Missouri. He was elected
to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2022 as an executive.
Buck O'Neil
21. [see theme expo]
25. Nike rival: REEBOK.
29. Quaint word of dismay: ALAS.
30. Fur tycoon for whom a northwest Oregon city was named:
ASTOR. The city is named
ASTORIA, for a fort founded there by the company owned by John Jacob Astor.
Astor is probably more famous for the way he died,
giving up a seat on one of the lifeboats of the Titanic, just before it sank in 1912.
John Jacob Astor
31. Nae sayer: SCOT.
32. Lewd material: SMUT. Shading a bit
BLUE here.
36. [see
theme expo]
39. Early pt. of a week: TUES.
40. Condé __: NAST.
Condé Nast
is a global mass media company founded in 1909 by Condé Montrose Nast, and
owned by Advance Publications. Its headquarters are located at One World
Trade Center in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan.
41. Up: RAISE. As in UP the ante. We saw this recently.
42. Other, in Spanish: OTRO. Today's Spanish lesson.
43. Gently towel off: PAT DRY.
44. [see theme expo]
49. "Ghost World" star Birch: THORA.
Ghost World is a 2001 black comedy film
directed by Terry Zwigoff and starring Thora Birch, Scarlett Johansson, Brad
Renfro, Illeana Douglas and Steve Buscemi. Based on the 1993–97 comic book of
the same name by Daniel Clowes.
Thora Birch
50. Minor flaws: FOIBLES.
55. [see theme expo]
59. Once, once upon a time: ERST.
60. Insignificant amount: IOTA. Also the 9th letter of the Greek
alphabet. Save this, you'll probably need it:
Ελληνικό Αλφάβητο (today's Greek lesson)
61. Welcome: GREET.
62. "Star Wars" heroine mentored by Luke: REY.
Daisy Jazz Isobel Ridley
(born 10 April 1992) is an English actress. She rose to prominence for her
role as Rey in the Star Wars sequel trilogy:
The Force Awakens (2015), The Last Jedi (2017), and
The Rise of Skywalker (2019).
Daisy Ridley 2015 San Diego Comic-Con
63. Numbskull: DOLT.
64. Subject that may come up in a frank discussion?: BUNS. Or a
discussion about BRATS, the imps of the
SAUSAGE world.
Down:
1. Blots gently: DABS.
2. Stuck in __: A RUT. "In a settled or established habit or
course of action, especially a boring one." - dictionary.com.
Or "a periodic and often annually recurring
state of certain male animals (such as deer or elk) during which
behavior associated with the urge to breed is displayed" -
Merriam Webster.
3. Stretch in office: TERM.
4. Faris of "Mom": ANNA. Mom is an American
television sitcom that aired on
CBS from September
23, 2013, to May 13, 2021, lasting eight seasons. Set in Napa,
California, it follows dysfunctional daughter/mother duo Christy (Anna Faris) and Bonnie Plunkett (Allison Janney), who, after having been estranged for years
while both struggled with addiction, attempt to pull their lives and their
relationship together by trying to stay sober and attending Alcoholics
Anonymous.
9. One who's done for: GONER. It's how they go out in oaters.
The Lone Ranger, "The Indians have got us surrounded Tonto, I think we're
GONER'S!" Tonto, "What do you mean WE paleface?"
10. "Argo" or "Fargo": MOVIE. Specific clue. General
fill.
11. Safe havens: ASYLA. The plural of ASYLUM, and more
Greek. The
right of asylum
(sometimes called right of political asylum; from Ancient Greek ἄσυλον
(ásulon) 'sanctuary') is an ancient juridical concept, under which people
persecuted by their own rulers might be protected by another sovereign
authority, like a second country or another entity which in medieval times
could offer sanctuary. The
American Immigration Council
is just one of many organizations in the US who support asylum seekers.
13. Place with numbered gates: AIRPORT.
15. "Peacemaker" star John: CENA.
Peacemaker
is an American superhero television series starring
John CENA, based on the DC Comics character Peacemaker. It is the first DC Extended
Universe (DCEU) television series and a spin-off from the 2021 film
The Suicide Squad.
John Cena
17. Stooge chuckle: NYUK. A CSO to our Chairman.
18. Takes too much for oneself: HOGS.
22. Adds at the last minute: TACKS ON.
23. "This wasn't my game": I LOST.
24. Alliance headed by Jens Stoltenberg: Abbr.: NATO.
Jens Stoltenberg
(born 16 March 1959) is a Norwegian politician who has been serving as
the 13th secretary general of NATO since 2014. He's certainly got his
work cut out for him.
Jens Stoltenberg
25. River float: RAFT. Rafts can also float on
oceans. Yet another Norwegian, adventurer and ethnographer
Thor Heyerdahl (1914 - 2002), led theKon-Tiki expedition,
a 1947 journey by RAFT across the Pacific Ocean from South America to
the Polynesian islands.
28. Significant video game foe: BOSS. In video games,
a boss is a significant computer-controlled opponent. A fight with a boss character is commonly referred to as a
boss battle or boss fight. Bosses are generally far stronger
than other opponents the player has faced up to that point. Boss battles are
generally seen at climax points of particular sections of games, such as at
the end of a level or stage or guarding a specific objective. I wouldn't
was to mess with this BOSS:
34. KGB country: USSR. Now it's called the FSB and a
former KGB boss is the head of RUSSIA. "Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose!"
35. Gender-neutral pronoun: THEY.
37. Nay sayer: ANTI. Or a member of the
EQUINE persuasion.
38. Coming apart at the seams?: FRAYING. Actually it means coming apart at the edges. Also used to metaphorically, e.g. "His nerves were FRAYING".
42. Like some traditions: ORAL. Oral tradition, or oral lore, is a form of human communication wherein knowledge, art, ideas and cultural material is received, preserved, and transmitted orally from one generation to another. The transmission is through speech or song and may include folktales, ballads, chants, prose or verses. In this way, it is possible for a society to transmit oral history, oral literature, oral law and other knowledge across generations without a writing system, or in parallel to a writing system.
43. Cunning maneuver: PLOY. A common technique for transmitting crossword puzzle clues. Not this one of course.
44. Early anesthetic: ETHER. The word has several other meanings, including "a
medium that in the wave theory of light permeates all space and
transmits transverse waves". The existence of this medium was
disproven in 1887 by the Michelson-Morley experiment, which paved the way for the acceptance of Einstein's Special Theory of Relativity.
47. Stew (over): FRET. This word is a constructor's dream. After stewing over its many meanings, I stumbled on this segue into the next clue (the ad at the end may be of interest to Corner guitarists.).
48. Black key above C: D FLAT. D-flat major (or the key of D-flat) is a major scale based on D♭, consisting of the pitches D♭, E♭, F, G♭, A♭, B♭ and C. Its key signature has five flats. It is enharmonically equivalent to C-sharp major.
51. Acerbic remark: BARB. BARBS occur frequently in the contemporary language of modern politicians and op-ed writers.
52. In __ of: LIEU. In LIEU of flowers send comments.
53. Tied up: EVEN. This review isn't EVEN, but we're almost there.
54. Related groups: SETS.
56. __ al-Fitr: EID. Eid al-Fitr (/ˌiːdəlˈfɪtər,-trə/; romanized: Eid al-Fiṭr, lit. 'Holiday of Breaking the Fast')
is the earlier of the two official holidays celebrated within Islam
(the other being Eid al-Adha). The religious holiday is celebrated by
Muslims worldwide because it marks the end of the month-long
dawn-to-sunset fasting of Ramadan.
57. Phillipa who was the original Eliza in "Hamilton": SOO. Phillipa Anne Soo (born May 31, 1990) is an American actress, best known for originating the role of Eliza Hamilton in the Broadway musical Hamilton
in 2016. The performance earned her a nomination for a 2016 Tony Award
for Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical and a Grammy Award for
Best Musical Theater Album in the same year.
I wasn't able to get tickets to any of Ms. Soo's performances in Hamilton, but I did find this funny interview with her by Stephen Colbert, where she talks about how she got into showbiz (at age 3 in her parents' living room) and relates losing her cool when Julie Andrews came to visit her backstage after one of the shows.
58. Gateway Arch city, for short: STL. Designed by the constructor's favorite architectEERO Saarinen. Hand up if you've been to the top of it. ✋
And as always, thanks to Teri for proof reading and her constructive talents.
waseeley
Cheers,
Bill
Micah Sommersmith, you are invited to post anything you'd like to share about this puzzle,
its evolution, the theme, or whatever, in the Comments section below. We'd love to hear from you.
