Tuesday February 7, 2023 Darryl Gonzalez

Black and White:  There is no grey area in today's puzzle.

17-Across. *  Focaccia with kalamatas, e.g.: OLIVE BREAD.  Black Olive and White Bread.  Black and White can also apply to and White Olive (yes, there is such a thing) and Black Bread.

24-Across. *   Exclusive Hollywood clubhouse that has a Parlour of Prestidigitation: MAGIC CASTLE.  Black Magic and White Castle.  Black and White can also apply to White Magic (magic used to do good in the world) and Black Castle (It's a castle in Ireland).

47-Across. *   Virtual locale for exchanging ideas: MARKET SPACE.  Black Market and White Space.  White Market refers to legal transactions.  Black Space is an Israeli series that was released on Netflix.

56-Across. *   Holiday candle scent: FOREST PINE.  Black Forest and White Pine.  Black and White can also apply to White Forest (a fictional area in the Pokémon world) and Black Pine.

And the unifier:

35-Across. Clear-cut, and what each part of the answers to the starred clues can follow, respectively: BLACK AND WHITE.

Today's theme reminded me of the Entenmann's Black and White cookies.

Across:

1. Athletic activity: SPORT.  //  And 10-Across. Three follower: PEAT.  In sports, a Three-Peat is a third consecutive championship.

6. Diesel, e.g.: FUEL.  Also the stage name of actor Mark Sinclair (b. July 18, 1967), better known as Vin Diesel.

14. "60 Minutes" correspondent O'Donnell: NORAH.  Norah O'Donnell (née Norah Morahan O'Donnell; b. Jan. 23, 1974) has been with 60 Minutes for nearly a decade.   [Name # 1.]

15. Other, in Spanish: OTRA.  Today's Spanish lesson.  Hi, Lucina!

16. Golfer Nordqvist who won the 2021 Women's British Open: ANNA.  I don't follow golf, so was unfamiliar with Swedish golfer Anna Nordqvist (née Ana Maria Nordqvist; b. June 10, 1987), although the perms made her her name was easy enough to fill in. [Name # 2.]

19. Pesters: NAGS.

20. Buffy player Sarah Michelle __: GELLAR.  Sarah Michelle Gellar (b. Apr. 14, 1977) has been in other productions, but will forever be associated as being the Vampire Slayer.   [Name # 3.]

21. Side: FACET.

22. "Is that really true about me?": AM I?

27. TV room: DEN.  [Note:  The cartoon below is a replacement from the original that seemed to cause confusion.  I hope this one makes more sense.]

28. Actor Vigoda: ABE.  Abe Vigor (né Abraham Charles Vigoda; Feb. 24, 1921 ~ Jan. 26, 2016) is probably best known for his role as Salvatore Tessio in The Godfather and as Phil Fish on Barney Miller.   [Name # 4.]

29. Hodgepodge: OLIO.

30. Piece of granite: SLAB.  Often used in cemeteries.

32. Clutter-averse type: NEATNIK.  //  I would expect the beatnik to be 55-Across. Orderly: TIDY.

39. "Funny Face" co-star Fred: ASTAIRE.  Fred Astaire (né Frederick Austerlitz; May 10, 1899 ~ June 22, 1987) was an American dancer, choreographer, actor and singer.  He stared with Audrey Hepburn in Funny Face.  [Name # 5.]

40. Penny: CENT.

42. Caribbean landmass: ISLE.

43. "You're it!" game: TAG.

46. "The Catcher in the __": RYE.  The Catcher in the Rye is the 1951 novel by J.D. Salinger (né Jerome David Salinger; Jan. 1, 1919 ~ Jan. 27, 2010) and, when I was growing up, was read in high school.  It may be on the banned list now.  

51. Smallish battery: AAA.

52. "By Jove!": EGADS!

53. Gift giver's exhortation: OPEN IT!

60. Skin balm: ALOE.  A crossword staple.  It appeared in last Tuesday's puzzle.

61. Wide-mouthed jug: EWER.

62. Unsocial one: LONER.

63. Microscope part: LENS.

64. Marries: WEDS.

65. "Last Night in Soho" director Wright: EDGAR.  Last Night in Soho is a 2021 psychological film.    Edgar Wright (né Edgar Howard Wright; b. Apr. 18, 1974) is a British movie director.  [Name # 6.]

Down:

1. __-cone: shaved ice treat: SNO.

2. One running for office, informally: POL.

3. Documents brought to copy shops: ORIGINALS.

4. Big dance party: RAVE.

5. "__ & Louise": THELMA.  I can't believe that it has been 31 years since Thelma & Louise was released.  [Name adjacent]

6. Hunt for provisions: FORAGE.

7. Wombs: UTERI.

8. Pitching stat: ERA.  As in Earned Run Average.

9. Boy: LAD.

10. Camcorder maker headquartered in Osaka: PANASONIC.  Everything you wanted to know about the Panasonic company, but didn't know to ask.

11. Put into law: ENACT.

12. Heavenly figure: ANGEL.

13. Little bite: TASTE.

18. Chatter thoughtlessly: BLAB.

21. Religious belief: FAITH.  Also the name of country singer Faith Hill (née Audrey Faith Perry; b. Sept. 21, 1967).

22. Commercials: ADS.

23. Peach __: fruity dessert with vanilla ice cream: MELBA.  Peach melba was invented in the 1890s by a French chef to honor Dame Nellie Melba (née Helen Porter Mitchell; May 19, 1861 ~ Feb. 23, 1931), an Australian soprano opera singer.  [Name adjacent.]

25. Not just for women: CO-ED.

26. Prize grabber in an arcade game: CLAW.

31. Coloring agents for some textile workers: BATIK DYES.

32. SSW's opposite: NNE.  Compass points.

33. Repeating: ITERATING.

34. Maasai Mara National Reserve location: KENYA.  The Maasai Mara is an important wildlife conservation area in Africa.  It is home to large populations of lions, leopards, cheetahs and the African bush elephant.  It is also important in the Great Wildebeest Migration

36. Docket backlog: CASES.

37. Tartan wrap: KILT.  I was at the theater over the weekend, and there was a random man wearing a kilt.

38. Son of Zeus: ARES.  Ares was the Greek god of war.  [Name # 7.]

41. Lipton beverage: TEA.

43. Slim candles: TAPERS.

44. King toppers: ACES.

45. Low dryer setting: GENTLE.

47. Alloy component: METAL.

48. Nimble: AGILE.

49. Hazardous gas: RADON.  Everything you wanted to know about Radon, but didn't know to ask.

50. Studied, with "over": PORED.

54. Music-playing Apple device: iPOD.  I use my iPod all the time.  I don't know what I will do when the battery finally gives out.

56. Not many: FEW.

57. Be in debt to: OWE.

58. Teachers' org.: NEA.  As in the National Education Association.

59. Go wrong: ERR.

And here's the grid:

חתולה

Monday February 6, 2023 Patti Varol

  

Hello Cornerites!

sumdaze here. Today's theme is:              Bee Happy!

Bobby McFerrin sings Don't Worry Be Happy (1988)

May I suggest you click the 'play' button for some background music as you check out the blog?

First things first, a CSO to our Crossword Corner Wednesday Queen Blogger, Melissa Bee!

Our constructor today is none other than the editor of the Los Angeles Times Crossword herself, Patti Varol. The grid shows Patti's constructing experience. Rows 3, 6, 10, and 13 all have 15-letter, bee-themed answers plus there is a "bee" Easter egg nestled in the center at 29 Down.

Here are the 4 grid-spanners:

17 Across. Bee with fabric squares: QUILTING SESSION. A quilting bee is a get-together for people who sew and quilt to work on their individual or group projects with like-minded individuals.

26 Across. Bee on TV: ACTRESS SAMANTHA. You can book her for $100-200K here.

multi-talented, Canadian American SAMANTHA Bee

48 Across. Bee in a classroom: SPELLING CONTEST.

2022 Scripps National Spelling Bee Winning Moment (6:18 min ... but you can FFWD)

These spellers are so impressive!

62 Across. Bee near flowers: POLLEN COLLECTOR.

bees collecting POLLEN in slo-mo (1:42 min.)

At the risk of drone-ing on, let's look at the remaining clues:

Across:
1. Oxygen's atomic number: EIGHT. I could not remember the number offhand but felt confident I could work it out with just a perp or two.

6. "It all happened so fast" memory: BLUR.

My Sonic Song feat. Thora Daughn It's All a Blur

10. Sailboat pole: MAST.

American author Richard Henry Dana wrote Two Years Before the MAST about his experiences onboard the Pilgrim as it sailed from Boston in 1834, around the Cape Horn, then north to the California coast.  Goodreads link

14. Philosopher Kierkegaard: SOREN.

15. Church recess: APSE.

APSE at the Cathedral of Sainte-Marie in Bayonne, France

16. Beauty store chain: ULTA.  I remember encountering this in one of my previous blogs but I needed a couple of perps to stimulate my memory.

You can find XWD favorites Dior and Estee Lauder here.
Probably some aloe-based products, too!

20. Car care brand: STP. what STP stands for

My big brothers told me STP stood for Super Toilet Paper.
I still think of that every time I see the logo.

21. Letting in air, as a door: AJAR.

22. Safe URL starter: HTTPS.

"Technically, the http:// (or https:// if the site is secured) is required but the browser will add it for you. This part of the address is known as the “protocol” (HTTP stands for Hypertext Transport Protocol) and it defines the communication rules that the web browser and the server use when exchanging web pages." (source:  webdancers.com)

23. Grover's buddy: ELMO.

ELMO (red) and Grover (blue)
(not a political reference 😊)

25. Watery expanse: SEA.

34. Frock: DRESS.

35. Numero di colori on the Italian flag: TRE.  Italian for 3 (colors) Italian Flag history & meaning

36. Nanny __: GOAT. So obvious but not my first thought so it took a bit.

 and 67 Across. British baby carriage: PRAM. 

Pram is short for PeRAMbulator, "one who walks or perambulates," which gained the meaning "baby carriage" in the 1850s. 

This nanny GOAT is pushing a PRAM.

37. Cacophony: DIN.

38. Shows respect to, in a way: SALUTES.

42. Fib: LIE.

43. "Insecure" star Rae: ISSA. Constructors like both her first and last name but what about her middle name? It turns out that ISSA Rae is her middle name. She was born Jo-Issa Rae Diop on January 12, 1985 but is credited professionally as ISSA Rae.

45. Longtime Dodgers announcer Scully: VIN.  (1927 - 2022)

some of VIN's most legendary calls (3:25 min.)

46. Hollers: YELLS.

52. Passing craze: FAD.

Pet rocks were a FAD that started in 1975 and lasted about 6 months (including Christmas, of course).

53. St. Louis landmark: ARCH.  It's the smallest National Park and other fun facts.

54. Like Andean pyramids: INCAN.  I was trying to think of a word to describe their "step-y" shape. Sometimes I overthink the clues....

57. Fitzgerald of jazz: ELLA.  Here is the fabulous Ms. Fitzgerald singing Cheek to Cheek (Berlin 1935). Listening to this recording sent me on a tangent thinking about what else was happening in Berlin in 1935.

59. Actor McKellen: IAN.

Sir IAN McKellen played Gandalf in LOTR.
Notice the staff, identifying headpiece, beard, wise eyes, and draped cloak.

66. Norwegian saint: OLAF.

St. OLAF, Patron Saint of Norway
Notice the staff, identifying headpiece, beard, wise eyes, and draped cloak.

68. Letter after beta: GAMMA. Could "beta" be another Easter egg? Let's see what CanadianEh! thinks. She is good at spotting them.

69. Journalist Bash who co-hosts CNN's "State of the Union": DANA. 

There is a new rule that limits bloggers to just one DANA per review. Please see Richard Henry DANA of 10A.

70. Not minding one's manners: RUDE.

71. Elizabeth of "WandaVision": OLSEN.  WandaVision explained

Down:
1. Lawyer's letters: ESQ. This is an abbreviation for ESQuire. The other choice, ABA, would have required the atomic number for oxygen to begin with the letter "a".

2. Informal promises of repayment: IOUS.  I Owe YouS

3. Stubborn determination: GRIT.

In this iconic scene from True GRIT (1969), Marshal Rooster Cogburn holds his reins with his teeth and goes after the bad guys (3:50 min.) Watch for stars John Wayne, Glenn Campbell, Dennis Hopper, and some excellent horse stunts.

4. "Look for the __": advice from Mr. Rogers: HELPERS.

Fred Rogers, an American treasure

5. Dynamite letters: TNT.

6. Bluegrass strings: BANJOS.

Edie Brickell sings When You Get To Ashville (2013),

accompanied by Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers

7. Lexi Thompson's org.: LPGA.  Ladies Professional Golf Association

Lexi and her winning smile ... and shoulders
official website

8. World power in many spy-fi novels: USSR.  Fiction is abbreviated, so is Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

Which is your favorite spy-fi novel?

9. Drummond of the Food Network: REE. 

This is Pioneer Woman REE and this is her recipe for Chicken Spaghetti.

10. Ford that's the namesake of the "pony car" class of autos: MUSTANG.  Did you know... "As the automotive industry moves away from sedans and toward electric vehicles, Ford will mainly sell trucks, SUVs and commercial vehicles. Since the beginning of 2021, Ford has only been making one car: the Ford Mustang. That means there won’t be any new Ford Fiesta, Fusion, Focus or Taurus models released in upcoming years."?

11. Landed: ALIT.

12. Discontinue: STOP.

13. Shades on the beach: TANS.

"shades" Get it? Haha!

18. Veterinary Formula brand: IAMS.

19. __ butter: SHEA.

24. Not as expensive: LESS.

25. "Peter Pan" pirate: SMEE.

Mr. SMEE did not seem the pirate sort.

26. __ Ababa: ADDIS.  the capital and largest city in Ethiopia. Its elevation is 7,726 ft. (2,355 metres or 1.46 miles), the highest of any African capital.

27. Like fresh lettuce: CRISP.

Have you heard of "salad tables"? They are simple to build, easy to tend, and provide handy greens to enhance your meals.

28. Far from relaxed: TENSE.

29. Wounded by a bee: STUNG. a nicely positioned Easter egg.

Reading The Honey Bus by Meredith May increased my (already high) appreciation of bees. According to May, a bee knows it will die upon stinging someone. It will only do so when it feels it has no other options. So who was wounded?

30. Museum collection: ART.

31. "The Power of Now" writer Eckhart: TOLLE.  4 stars on Goodreads

32. Comes (from): HAILS.  as in, "Adam originally HAILS from the Garden State."

33. "This is only __": A TEST.

39. Like devoted fans: AVID.

40. "His Dark Materials" actor __-Manuel Miranda: LIN.  This multi-award winning writer/performer might best be known as the creative brains behind Hamilton.

41. Match, as sound and video: SYNC.

a  really bad overdub (2 min.)

44. Sprouts source: ALFALFA.

47. Guided by good: ETHICAL.

49. Bowler's assignment: LANE.  This is a CSO we all like!

50. Blondie hit with the lyric "Anytime, anyplace, anywhere, any way": CALL ME.

Blondie CALL Me (1980) from the soundtrack to American Gigolo

51. __ hygiene: ORAL.

54. Apple gadget: iPOD.

55. Mardi Gras city, familiarly: NOLA.  New Orleans, Louisiana  (Hi, Big Easy!)

This year Fat Tuesday is 2/21/23.

56. Family unit: CLAN.

57. Off-white hue: ECRU.

58. Dryer capacity: LOAD.

60. Cash dispensers: ATMS.

61. Coastal Alaskan town: NOME.

North to Alaska by Johnny Horton (1960)

"They crossed the Yukon River and found the Bonanza gold

Below that old white mountain, just a little South-East of Nome."

63. "Morning Edition" network: NPR.  This 2-hour radio show airs weekdays. You can listen to segments here.

64. Sense of self: EGO.

65. Skedaddled: RAN.  "Skedaddled" is a fun word!

This is the last answer so...

Just a quick PSA before I sign off....

It's now tax season in the States. The IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and the Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) programs offer free tax help for taxpayers who qualify. This will be my 5th year as a VITA preparer. (I like putting numbers in boxes even more than I like putting letters in boxes!)

If you know someone who needs assistance with filling out and filing their forms, perhaps recommend they try VITA. We do both Federal & State income taxes. Certain complicated returns are out-of-scope. This is the link to find an IRS VITA location near you:  VITA free tax prep

That's all for today. I look forward to reading your thoughts!

Sunday February 5, 2023 Ed Sessa

Theme: "Three's Company" - The first word of each theme entry is a homophone of first part of a common phrase. The second part suggests a group of things.

 

24A. Dvorak, Masaryk, Havel?: CZECH MATES. Checkmates.

39A. Holiday, Hampton, Red Roof?: INN CROWD. In crowd.

60A. Queen, drone, worker?: BEE TEAM. B team.

66A. Pharoah, Chou, Leno?: JAY CREW. J Crew.

87A. First, Second, Third?: BASE TRIO.

103A. Galahad, Lancelot, El Cid?: KNIGHT CLUB. Night club.

3D. ChapStick, Burt's Bees, Lip Smacker?: BALM SQUAD. Bomb squad.

34D. Bering, Coral, Baltic?: SEA SECTION. C section.

50D. King Arthur, Gold Medal, Pillsbury?: FLOUR CHAIN. Flower chain.

73D. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday?: WEEK LINKS. Weak links.

I don't pronounce "balm" and "bomb" the same. How about you? The others are total homophones to me.

Very inspired theme from Ed. I don't recall such a trio clue approach. The theme entries are short by nature. There are just not many phrases starting with J, B and C, then you have to add the second "group" layer. Very tight.

Across:

1. Creature of __: HABIT.

6. Profound: DEEP.

10. Golden Arches pork sandwich: MCRIB. Here's the rice noodles with char siu I had at a Hong Kong-style restaurant last Thursday with the Eucharistic minister Bill and his wife Margaret, both are still very involved in my life. 

 

15. Crime novelist Buchanan: EDNA.

19. Lingering evidence: TRACE.

20. One-named singer from Ireland: ENYA.

21. Pimento holder, perhaps: OLIVE.

22. Mireille of "Big Love": ENOS.

23. Big brawl: MELEE.

26. Riveted: RAPT.

27. Wee woolly one: LAMB.

28. Bit of heckling: BOO.

29. Great Plains people: KIOWA. From Wikipedia: "Today, they are federally recognized as Kiowa Indian Tribe of Oklahoma with headquarters in Carnegie, Oklahoma. As of 2011, there were 12,000 members. The Kiowa language (Cáuijògà), part of the Tanoan language family, is in danger of extinction, with only 20 speakers as of 2012. Look at this image. It has three tones.

30. Asian island capital: TAIPEI. Pei means "north". So it's in the north of Taiwan. Same as the "Bei" in Beijing, also meaning "north".

32. More mad: SORER.

34. Sp. misses: SRTAS.

35. Suez Canal ship: OILER. And 45. Harbor haulers: TUGS.

36. Find not guilty: ACQUIT. Our local Star Tribune covered the Richard Liu case thoroughly. He settled the lawsuit. He's like China's Jeff Bezos.

38. Jeans line: SEAM.

42. Circular: ROUND.

43. Declares: STATES.

46. Evergreen tree: FIR.

47. Fair __ coffee: TRADE.

48. Touch lightly: KISS.

49. Small amphibians: EFTS. So orangey. I wonder how long they live.

51. Number of billiard ball colors: NINE.

52. Down in the dumps: SAD.

53. Cathedral topper: SPIRE.

55. Exclusively: ONLY.

56. Music genre with accordions: POLKA.

57. Voucher: CHIT.

58. Home buyer's option: CONDO.

62. Two-bit: CHEAPO.

64. Continental org.: THE EU.

65. Measure of brainpower: IQ TEST.

67. Aesop's grasshopper, e.g.: IDLER.

68. Some golf trophies: CUPS. The famous Claret Jug.

69. MacDowell of "Four Weddings and a Funeral": ANDIE.

70. "Stay" singer Lisa: LOEB.

71. Longtime NPR news analyst Roberts: COKIE. Quite a few names here.

73. "I knew it __ you": WAS.

76. With 92-Across, "The Dragons of Eden" writer: CARL. 92. See 76-Across: SAGAN.

77. Actress Merrill: DINA.

78. Elisabeth of "Leaving Las Vegas": SHUE.

79. Put up: ERECT.

81. Prefix with meter: ODO.

82. "Severance" actor Scott: ADAM. Also a well-known golfer.

 

84. Make right: REPAIR.

86. Panasonic TV line: VIERA. Learned from doing crosswords.

89. Purple flower: IRIS.

90. Boris who won three Wimbledon championships in the 1980s: BECKER.

91. City on the Seine: PARIS. Also 95. Azadi Tower city: TEHRAN.

94. Boardroom stand: EASEL.

97. Assertive to a fault: PUSHY.

98. Wily: SLY.

99. Michelle, to Barack: WIFE.

102. Cooking show appliance: OVEN.

106. Strength: SINEW.

107. Marshy land: MIRE.

108. Radii neighbors: ULNAE.

109. Dynamic start?: AERO. Aerodynamic.

110. Lower joint: ANKLE.

111. Ran, as dye: BLED.

112. Scholarly article reviewers: PEERS.

113. "Probably shouldn't open this in your cubicle" shorthand: NSFW. Not Safe For Work.

114. Younger siblings, probably: PESTS.

Down:

1. Web programming language: HTML. HyperText Markup Language.

2. Focus of study: AREA.

4. Frozen over: ICEBOUND. Not a word I use. I've been snowbound a few times this winter.

5. Light shirt: TEE.

6. Interior design: DECOR.

7. Automaker Ferrari: ENZO.

8. Organ with a lens: EYE.

9. Hoarders: PACK RATS.

10. "Dune" actor Jason: MOMOA.

11. Lobster portions: CLAWS.

12. "Let You Love Me" singer Ora: RITA.

13. "So __ heard": I'VE.

14. Topping: BESTING.

15. More creepy: EERIER.

16. Genetic fingerprints: DNA PROFILES. And 33. Vanpool, e.g.: RIDESHARE. Ed is also a great themeless constructor.

17. "Nothing doing": NOPE.

18. Prosecco kin: ASTI.

25. Blackjack request: HIT ME.

28. Wager: BET.

31. MLB playoff event: ALCS. American League Championship Series. Also 104. Nats' div.: NLE. NL East.

35. Responsibility: ONUS.

36. Liberal __: ARTS.

37. Red Sox manager Alex: CORA.

38. Recipe instruction: STIR.

39. __-bitty: ITTY.

40. Pretend not to notice: WINK AT.

41. __ journal: DREAM. I think our Splynter used to keep one.

43. Bunny slope conveyance: SKI TOW.

44. Mail recipient: SENDEE.

51. Short messages: NOTES.

54. Plumbing part: PIPE.

55. 16 oz.: ONE LB.

56. Personal sources of aggravation: PET PEEVES.

57. Poet Day-Lewis who wrote mysteries as Nicholas Blake: CECIL. Learning moment for me. He's the father of actor Daniel Day-Lewis.

59. Worrywart's lament: OH DEAR.

60. Squabble: BICKER.

61. Prefix with distant: EQUI.

62. Manitoba's country: CANADA.

63. All the Earth's water: HYDROSPHERE.

66. Social reformer Riis: JACOB. Often we get RIIS.

70. Fancy transport: LIMO.

72. French affirmatives: OUIS.

74. Part of a plot, maybe: ACRE.

75. One of Old Glory's 50: STAR.

77. Place of honor: DAIS.

78. Graffiti artist's handful: SPRAY CAN.

80. Fermented beverage in Asian cuisine: RICE WINE. Sake, mirin, etc.

82. Gillette razor: ATRA.

83. "Down the hatch!": DRINK UP.

85. Elite __: March Madness round: EIGHT.

88. Merited: EARNED.

90. __ window: BAY.

92. Baking staple: SUGAR.

93. Campfire remnants: ASHES.

94. Macaroni shape: ELBOW.

95. Many an archaeological site: TOMB. The most famous tomb in China. An hour away from where I grew up.

96. Hardly holy: EVIL.

97. Evergreen tree: PINE.

98. Banzai Pipeline feature: SURF. Hawaii.

100. Sensed: FELT.

101. Woolly ones: EWES.

105. French article: LES.

106. Drain: SAP.

Belated "Happy Birthday" to Bill G! So sorry I missed your birthday. Life has been hectic. Hope you had a great day with your kids and grandkids. This picture was taken ages ago when Bill used to go out daily for his bike ride and coffee.

Bill and His Wife Barbara and Grand-kids

Our Steve Marron sent me this stunning picture yesterday while hiking to the Hollywood Sign. Steve is now with the Universal Pictures.