I get by with a little Help from my Friends! The first word of each theme answer is the surname of a singer or
actor and the second word provides "support" for the celebrity. Note
that the first and last theme answers are males and the middle two names are
females; and the first two are musicians, and the last two are actors.
For those who don't like seeing names in puzzles, here's your due warning that
this puzzle might not be for you, since the theme itself is all 22-Down.
17-Across. Support group for singer-songwriter Neil?: YOUNG PEOPLE. [Name # 1.] In addition to a solo career, Neil YOUNG (né Neil Percival Young; b. Nov. 12, 1945) has been associated
with the band Buffalo Springfield and on and off with Crosby, Stills &
Nash, making the later to be sometimes known as Crosby, Stills, Nash &
Young. Sadly, his sometimes bandmate, David Crosby (né David Van
Cortlandt Cosby; Aug. 14, 1941 ~ Jan. 18, 2023) died last month.
David Crosby (left) and Neil Young
28-Across. Support group for singer-songwriter Ruthie?: FOSTER FAMILY. Ruthie FOSTER (née Ruthie Cecelia Foster; b. Feb. 10, 1964) is known for her blues,
gospel, and folk music. Her birthday was last Friday. [Name # 2.]
49-Across. Support group for actress Glenn?: CLOSE FRIENDS.
Glenn CLOSE (née Glenda Veronica Close; b. Mar. 19, 1947) has been in numerous
movies, but I mostly associate her with the 1987 movie, Fatal Attraction. [Name # 3.]
65-Across. Support group for actor Jude?: LAW PARTNERS.
Jude LAW (né David Jude Heyworth Law; b. Dec. 29, 1972) has also been in
numerous movies as well as television series, including The Young Pope and The New Pope. [Name # 4.]
And here is a bonus "hint" to today's puzzle:
22-Down. First entry on many a form: NAME.
Across:
1. So last year: PASSÉ.
6. Home on the "I" page of many ABC books: IGLOO. This clue
threw me for a moment, until most of the letters were filled in by the perps.
11. Beer cask: KEG. // And 18-Down. Places with
cold drafts: PUBS. The latter is a nice misdirection.
14. Communion site: ALTAR. Also the site of many weddings.
15. __ of salt: GRAIN.
16. Nest egg acronym: IRA. As in an Individual Retirement Account.
19. Pen tip: NIB.
20. Mailed: SENT OUT.
21. Burns a bit: SINGES.
23. Reggae-like genre: SKA. Everything you wanted to know
about Ska, but didn't know to ask.
24. One who tweets a lot: BIRD.
27. Beaver creation: DAM.
33. Scatter, as seeds: STREW.
36. Route word: VIA.
37. LGBT rights activist Windsor: EDIE. Edie Windsor (née
Edith Schlain; June 20, 1929 ~ Sept. 12, 2017) was the lead plaintiff in the
2019 Supreme Court case of United States v. Windsor, which held
that Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act was
unconstitutional and that the federal government could not discriminate
against married gay couples for the purpose of determining federal benefits
and protections. [Name # 5.]
38. Shepherd's __: PIE. Yummers!
39. Writing tablet: NOTE PAD.
43. Every bit of: ALL.
44. Fashion designer Schiaparelli: ELSA. Elsa Shaiaparelli (née Elsa Luisa Maria Schiaparelli; Sept. 10, 1890 ~ Nov. 13, 1973) was
a contemporary of Coco Chanel (née Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel; Aug. 19, 1883 ~
Jan. 10, 1971). Her designs were avant garde and she collaborated with
artists such as Salvador Dalí (May 11, 1904 ~ 1989). [Name # 6.]
46. In favor of: FOR.
47. Greek fable writer: ÆSOP. He appeared in last
Tuesday's puzzle, too. [Name # 7.]
53. Veto: NIX.
54. Emperor during the Great Fire of Rome: NERO. Nero probably didn't fiddle while Rome burned. [Name # 8.]
55. Slangy "How's things?": 'SUP.
58. Balanced state: STASIS.
61. Revolts: RISES UP.
64. Coif flattener: HAT.
68. Most of a snow cone: ICE.
69. Make official, as a statute: ENACT.
70. Estate units: ACRES.
71. Sci-fi escape vehicle: POD. So that's what that thing is
in front of my neighbor's house.
not my actual neighbor.
72. Sealy rival: SERTA. Both are mattress companies.
73. Under attack from all sides: BESET.
Down:
1. Foots the bill: PAYS.
2. Medicinal houseplants: ALOES. This has become a Tuesday
staple. Aloe has appeared in the last 3 Tuesday puzzles.
3. Did horribly: STUNK.
4. New Mexico's capital: SANTA FE. Anyone here from New
Mexico?
5. "So, logically ... ": ERGO.
6. "No need to elaborate": I GET IT. I first tried I Got
It.
7. Miracle-__: gardening brand: GRO.
8. Spot for a napkin: LAP.
9. Cooking liquids that may be herb-infused: OILS.
10. Lake near Syracuse, New York: ONEIDA. // And
12-Down. Lake near Buffalo, New York: ERIE. The latter is
one of the Great Lakes. The former is the largest lake that is
entirely within the State of New York.
11. Ruler with a golden touch: KING MIDAS. King Midas is a Greek mythological character. [Name # 9.]
13. Chews the fat: GABS.
25. Daydream: REVERIE.
26. Slow leak: DRIP.
29. Part of MYOB and BYOB: OWN. Mind Your OWNBusiness and Bring Your OWNBooze.
30. Safe skies agcy.: FAA. As in the Federal Aviation Administration.
31. Disney's "__ & Stitch": LILO. This was a 2002
animated film. [Name adjacent.]
32. Kennel cry: YELP.
33. On __: without a contract: SPEC.
34. Cash register: TILL.
35. Struck a chord: RESONATED.
40. Not quite right: OFF.
41. Of two minds: TORN.
42. Father: DAD.
45. Tag sale caveat: AS IS.
48. Basic quality: ESSENCE.
50. Banishes: EXILES.
51. List of editorial goofs: ERRATA. Today's Latin lesson.
This is the plural of Erratum, which is just one mistake.
52. Pinot __: red wine choice: NOIR. Everything you wanted
to know about Pinot Noir, but didn't know to ask.
56. Patrons: USERS.
57. Blender setting for making baby food: PURÉE.
58. Carnival vessel: SHIP. Kathy Lee Gifford used to be
the spokeswoman for the Carnival ship line.
59. Tex-Mex order: TACO.
60. Rational: SANE.
62. Dueler's injury: STAB. Some famous sword fights.
63. Soft summons: PSST.
66. Realm of Ares and Mars: WAR. Ares is the god of war
and Mars is the Roman counterpart. [Name adjacent]
67. Fractional amt.: PCT. As in Percent, although our
friends on the West Coast might think of the Pacific Crest Trail, which is a hiking trail.
sumdaze here. Today's puzzle was constructed by a Erik Agard. Erik has had several of his creations featured on the L.A. Times puzzle pages. Most (but not all) have been themeless Saturdays.
Perhaps I was a bit slow on the upTAKE; but, at times, I felt today's puzzle was both later-in-the-week difficulty and even themeless. I had to make a few laps before I was able to complete the grid and spot the pattern. In the end, it all came together nicely.
Erik has given us four 2-word entries that have a _AKE _OLD pattern.
Turning that around, we arrive at today's theme: Old Ache
I will let that thought simmer a bit while we look at the grid and appreciate its masterful symmetry. Notice how the themers align in column 8.
26 Across. Dessert-shaping aid: CAKE MOLD. This is not as gross as it sounds. It is a baking pan used to make special-occasion cakes. (This answer has the potential to keep CED occupied all morning!)
Here is a heart-shaped CAKE MOLD for tomorrow.
33 Across. Inspire fearlessness in: MAKE BOLD. Another way to clue this could be "Ctrl B".
46 Across. Start to have an effect: TAKE HOLD.
52 Across. Cheap jewelry material: FAKE GOLD. Does it sound fancier if we call it "faux gold"?
And now, the mistAKEs fortOLD...
Across:
1. Cut on a cutting board: CHOP. I checked a perp before entering "dice".
5. Decorative or dental creation: INLAY. Even with a double clue, I was still lost.
decorative wood floor & dental INLAYs
10. Bestselling South Korean band: BTS. Credit to ATL Granny for her memory trick "Boys That Sing".
13. Duration of a massage, typically: HOUR. I am 'all in' on the hot rocks.
14. Followed a doctor's instruction: SAID AH. Two weeks ago we decided that ahh was a contented sound (see 13A) and that aah was uttered with a tongue depressor. Aargh!
16. Creature in fantasy stories: ORC.
17. See 38-Down: ALTO. and 38 Down. With 17-Across, Silicon Valley city: PALO.
PALO ALTO is named after a majestic 1,000 year old coastal redwood tree along San Francisquito Creek where early Spanish explorers once camped and has grown alongside Stanford University for more than 125 years. Palo Alto is recognized as a global leader in cutting-edge technological development and is known as the "Birthplace of Silicon Valley.”
18. As opposed to: UNLIKE. This meaning usually fits when UNLIKE is the first word of the sentence. Example: UNLIKE pre-Facebook days, today's trollers often use icons to SLAM others' ideas.
32. Grains that aren't part of a healthy diet: SAND. Today's winner of The Best Misdirection Award!
grains of SAND
36. Spingarn Medal org.: NAACP. I am familiar with the NAACP but was unfamiliar with the Spingarn Medal. This is what I learned.
39. Part of a process: STEP.
40. Bucatini or capellini: PASTA.
Bucatini and capellini PASTAs
42. Criticize: SLAM. (See 18A.)
44. Studio Ghibli specialty: ANIME. Studio Ghibli is an animation studio founded in 1985 and based in Tokyo. Here is a sampling of their films:
48. "¿Qué te __, calabaza?": PASA.
Spanish slang. It literally means, "What's happening, pumpkin?" and is a childishly friendly way of asking someone what is going on.
50. Like the main characters in "Fire Island": GAY.
Fire Island (2022) official trailer (2:21 min.)
51. "Help!" letters: SOS.
Speaking of Morse Code, did you know that the Morse Code for the letter V ( . . . -) is a tribute to Beethoven's 5th Symphony? Get it? 5=V in Roman numerals. Now say it in your head, "dot dot dot daaaaash". Source: Good Job Brain podcast (where I get most of my trivia knowledge)
56. Woman yelling at a cat, for one: MEME.
Is this is what this is about? Is it supposed to be funny? I do not see the humor.
58. NCAA basketball powerhouse: UCONN. National Collegiate Athletic Association is abbreviated, so is the University of Connecticut.
59. Basketball great Leslie: LISA. LISA Leslie did not go to UCONN. She went to USC (1990-1994). She and her team played in the NCAA tournament 4 consecutive years.
61. LSD: ACID.
64. GPS stat: ETA. Global Positioning System is abbreviated, so is Estimated Time of Arrival.
(adjective) direct and open in speech or expression; spoken or expressed without reserve.
4. Prefix with type: PROTO.
5. "Uh, yeah, it better be!": I SURE HOPE SO.
6. Prefix with tech: NANO. Hand up for first entering robO.
I learned this from listening to Neil deGrassse Tyson:
The speed of light is approximately 186,000 miles per second which is about 1 foot per NANOsecond (1 billionth of a second). So if I am sitting 3 ft. away from you, I see you 3 billionths of a second in the past.
Kind of mind-blowing, right?
7. Purple flower: LILAC.
Depending on where you live and the variety you choose, LILACs bloom April through June.
23. Long punctuation mark: EM DASH. I remember this was discussed here on the Corner not too long ago. Here is a reminder.
27. Native Hawaiians: KANAKA MAOLI. This is a tough one but it is made 54% easier if you know that there are only 13 characters in the Hawaiian alphabet. One is a glottal stop (the okina, indicated by an apostrophe). These are the other 12:
28. Morning hrs.: A.M.S. a.m. plural
IMHO, this clue plays a bit fast & loose with the Ante Meridiem ... but I like it.
29. Experiment results: DATA.
31. __ carte menu: À LA.
34. Emergency treatment for an allergic reaction: EpiPen.
35. Setting not observed by Hawaii: Abbr.: DST. Is this because the letters D, S, & T are not in the Hawaiian alphabet? 😉
This year, all states except for Hawaii and Arizona will switch to Daylight Savings Time on Sunday, March 12, "springing forward" from 1:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m.
37. "Phew!": CLOSE CALL. Here's one for baseball fans:
41. Word after price or phone: TAG. another fun clue!
43. Hosp. personnel: MDS. "Hospital" is abbreviated, so it Doctors of Medicine.
This is Husker Gary's helpful diagram from Saturday's puzzle.
49. Claim: ALLEGE. verbs
52. Propane and ethanol: FUELS.
53. Cast member: ACTOR.
54. Australian marsupial: KOALA.
55. "__ Cha Know?": Erykah Badu song: DIDN'T. The "cha" was a hint at the contraction.
57. Fast snake: MAMBA. Black MAMBAs are among the fastest snakes in the world, slithering at speeds up to 12.5 mph (20 kph). Tonight when you go to sleep, try not to dream about them chasing you. more black MAMBA facts
60. __ of David: STAR.
Israel's flag features the Star of David.
62. Big celebrity: IDOL.
63. Description for hydrated skin: DEWY. The Dewey Decimal System is spelt differently.
66. Quick drink: SIP.
Here is one more before I go:
snowflAKE cOLD
That's all for today. I look forward to reading your comments!
1)
Belated "Happy Birthday" to Splynter (Richard), who turned 52 on
Thursday. How did you celebrate, Splynter? What's the plan for
Valentine's Day?
2)
Happy Birthday to La La Linda, who used to comment on our blog
regularly when she was healthy. Linda still reads our posts and comments
every day. Thanks for the sweet card, Linda!
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