Tuesday, April 18, 2023 Juliet Corless

Don't Give Up!  Stick With It! 

17. Spot for holiday decorations: FRONT YARD.

26. Component of many a 1980s dance performance: MOON WALKING.

53. Fruit-flavored loaf: BANANA BREAD.

62. "Sometimes you feel like a nut" candy: ALMOND JOY.

38. Persevere, or a hint to the ends of the answers to 17-, 26-, 53-, and 62-Across: STICK WITH IT.

This is Juliet's debut crossword at the LA Times! 

Across:

1. Outdated marriage vow word: OBEY.  A true statement in many cultures.

5. "lol": HE HE.  - A restrained laugh. Almost a polite laugh.  Ha Ha -  Especially when repeated, a more uproarious laugh. 

9. Religious divisions: SECTS.  Why are there so many branches of various religions?  Because they kept having more and more sects.

14. Renown: FAME.

15. Odd's opposite: EVEN.

16. Backless slippers: MULES. 

19. Loud, as a crowd: AROAR.

20. As an example: SAY.  My wife is always looking out for my best interests and finding new ways to help me out.  For instance,  one time I mentioned that my sometimes arthritic hands felt a bit relieved when washing the dishes in the hot soapy water.  Since then, she has almost always left the dishes for me.  What a gal!

21. Tons: OODLES.

23. Pep squad cheer: RAH.

30. Like dark clouds: OMINOUS.

32. Pizza __: pie without tomato sauce: BIANCA.  Didn't she marry Mick, and become a Jagger ?   Pizza Bianca:  J. Kenji López-Alt weighs in.

33. Proofreader's catch, hopefully: TYPO graphical error.  As in say, when you intend to compliment your wife by writing to her that she's older and wiser, but you hit the d key instead of the s. 

34. Volume of maps: ATLAS.

37. Gooey lump: GOB.  Gob is also a slang word for mouth.   I learned that from the Everlasting Gobstopper scene in Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory.

42. __ Bath & Beyond: BED. Once thriving.  Now struggling to stay afloat.

44. Hang gracefully: DRAPE.

45. Farm tower: SILO.

48. Phrase from Juliet Corless's balcony scene: O ROMEO.  "... be but sworn my love" 

50. Language arts teacher's concern: GRAMMAR.  Say it ain't so!   I'm far from a grammar snob, but every time I see someone write "tho", I think "ugh", which happens to be exactly what is missing.  I wonder what these people do with all of their free time.

56. Potato growth: EYE.

57. Dot over an "i": TITTLE.

58. Golf peg: TEE.

60. Quartet in many a string orchestra: CELLI.

67. Short-lived: BRIEF.

68. Boyfriend: BEAU.

69. Minecraft or Fortnite: GAME.

70. Run-down: SEEDY.

71. "Now!," in the ICU: STAT.  Latin statim - immediately.  Right now.

72. Future platypuses: EGGS. No, the plural is not platypi.  Interesting about how they find food.

Down:

1. Away from work: OFF.  The Offspring. "I wrote her off for the tenth time today"


2. Happy hour locale: BAR.  In 80's Houston, Friday "ladies night" at the nightclubs and dance clubs drew the biggest crowds.  

3. My Chemical Romance genre: EMO.


4. Strong longings: YENS.
  
5. "Psst!": HEY YOU. 


6. "Girl in Progress" actress Mendes: EVA.   Eva and Ryan

7. Long-legged wader: HERON.

8. Fund on an ongoing basis: ENDOW.

9. Sorta tiny: SMALLISH.

10. Shout of discovery: EUREKA.  I've heard it in old movies.  I know it more as the cities in Missouri and California.

11. Semisonic hit with the lyrics "You don't have to go home / But you can't stay here": CLOSING TIME.


12. Tazo beverage: TEA.

13. 20th century map inits.: SSR.  Click to enlarge.

18. __-shanter: Scottish cap: TAM O'.    I golfed with and bowled against this guy ('s childhood friend and high school teammate). 😉

22. Blot with a tissue: DAB AT.

23. Biodegrade: ROT.

24. Advice columnist Dickinson: AMY.   Don't know, don't care.  Not trying to be mean.  It's simply that I have no interest in the typical subject matter of advice columnists.

25. Shakira's only #1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100: HIPS DON'T LIE.   Her elementary school choir teacher rejected her, and her classmates said she sang like a goat.  Who is laughing now?

27. 2019 and 2021 Australian Open winner Naomi: OSAKA.

28. Staff sgt., e.g.: NCO.  An enlisted rank of E-5 in the Air Force.   In the Army, a Staff Sergeant is an E-6. 

29. Gift of __: GAB.

31. "__ on my watch!": NOT.

35. County div.: TWP.  Township.

36. Feudal lord: LIEGE.

39. Call by name: IDENTIFY.


40. Zagreb native: CROAT.

41. Belief system suffix: ISM.  

42. Short cut: BOB. 

43. Memorable historical period: ERA.

46. Install, as tiles: LAY. 

47. Mined metal: ORE.

49. Sent, as a postcard: MAILED.  How quaint.  Regardless,  sending and receiving handwritten mail adds a personal touch that seems to be missing in emails and texts.

51. Snitch on: RAT OUT.  Tattles ?

52. Yemen's Gulf of __: ADEN.

54. Says too much: BLABS.  Tattles ?

55. Find a new tenant for: RELET.

59. One of 12 on a cube: EDGE.

60. "Blue Bloods" TV network: CBS.

61. Before, in classic poetry: ERE.

63. Goat's bleat: MAA.   They thought Shakira sounded like a goat ?

64. High-end British car, for short: JAG.   In Pittsburgh and Chicago, the word and its derivatives have a different meaning.

65. "No. Way.": OMG.  Did you hear oxygen and magnesium got together? They had a certain chemistry.  It's OMg.

66. "That's right": YES.

Yes, that's right.   I was asked to sub today.  Unbelievable, right ?   I thought Dash T was the sub.  When will we see him again ?

The Grid:

Monday April 17, 2023 Catherine Cetta

  

Hello Cornerites!

One of the fun aspects about solving XWD puzzles is the connections we encounter between the puzzle and a our own life events. We have an example of that today. Perhaps many of you were thinking, "Hey, we just talked about that."

You are correct! The L.A. Times Friday, April 7 puzzle featured the clechos 25 Down. Full of beans:  LYING and 30 Down. Full of beans:  PHONY. Pedant the Brit commented, "To me 'Full of beans' means lively, energetic and not lying or phony." AnonT helped to explain with a link to his 3rd favorite reference**, Blazing Saddles. More fun comments followed.

Today, seasoned constructor Catherine Cetta has served up a full puzzle dedicated to this phrase. It is a good reminder of how editor Patti Varol is not only thinking about each day's puzzles, but also about how the puzzles follow each other.

Fortunately for me, I only have to think about Mondays. My title for this Monday is

Beans, Beans the Magical Fruit  ♪♪♪

First, the themed clues:

17. *"Don't be a stranger!": KEEP IN TOUCH.  pinto beans

27. *Vision in the mind's eye: MENTAL IMAGE.  lima beans

43. *Enthusiastic compliment in the fitting room: THAT IS SO YOU.  soy beans

And the reveal:

58. Completely wrong, and what the answers to the starred clues literally are?: FULL OF BEANS.

Here's the scoop:  Each starred clue's answer contains a type of bean, making the phrases "FULL OF BEANS". The circles are there to help identify the beans.

I wondered if there could be an element of insincerity in the comments, adding an extra layer to the "not true" idea. However, MENTAL IMAGE does not seem to fit that idea.

Of course we want AnonT to smile, so here is his Blazing Saddles (1974) link:

Let's sort through the other clues:

Across:
1. Hornets and yellow jackets: WASPS.

6. Meghan Trainor's "All __ That Bass": ABOUT.  (2014)

not a song about fish!

11. Poorly lit: DIM.  

14. Change: ALTER.  When saying "I do", one might ALTER her name at the altar.

15. Italian grandma: NONNA.  

Momento di Tenerezza,(Moment of Tenderness)
paining by Italian artist Gaetano Bellei (1857-1922)

16. Earth-friendly prefix: ECO.

19. Word with baseball or bottle: CAP.  Clues like this make for a fun solve.

20. Former flames: EXES.  A good piece of trivia to know about pop star Taylor Swift is that she is known for writing songs about her high-profile EXES. Here is a list of 30 songs presumed to be about her EXES.

21. Mischievous types: IMPS.

22. Screen symbols: ICONS.  There is a fun double-meaning here if you think of the Silver Screen and a computer screen.

24. "Save Your Tears" singer Grande: ARIANA.

26. Begin: START.

31. Celeb's entourage: POSSE.  

35. Many moons __: AGO.

36. Resting on: ATOP.  "The weathervane is perched ATOP the barn."

37. Poker buy-ins: ANTES.  

38. Prez on a fiver: ABE.

39. Military unit: TROOP.

40. "Watch your __!": STEP.  Mind the gap.

41. Kerfuffle: ADO.

42. Trumpets and tubas: HORNS.  Last Tuesday OMK brought up John Philips Sousa so I thought I'd include this trivia for HORNS:  [The sousaphone was] developed in 1893 at the direction of the American bandleader John Philip Sousa, it was designed so that it is easier to play than a regular concert tuba, whether the player is marching or standing. It was also made to carry its sound above the heads of the rest of the marching band members. Unlike the tuba, which is carried in front of the player, the sousaphone is circular and fits around the player’s body. source

47. Utopias: EDENS.

48. Familiar saying: OLD SAW.  An oft-repeated saying, maxim, or proverb: a clichéd or hackneyed expression.  Ex:  An apple a day keeps the doctor away.

52. Soul singer Baker: ANITA.

53. "Creations from la cocina" brand: GOYA.  "Cocina" translates to "kitchen", a hint at "food". This brand is featured in the ethnic foods aisle in the store where I shop.

more beans

55. Ninny: TWIT.  Someone who tweets?  

57. Weeding tool: HOE.

61. Curvy letter: ESS.  

62. "August: __ County": Meryl Streep film: OSAGE.  I have not seen this movie but after watching this trailer, I put it on my library queue. A lot of good actors appear in it.

Trailer (2013)

63. Novelist Jong: ERICA.  "Ms. Jong is most famous for her rollicking debut novel, Fear of Flying, which has sold more than 37 million copies worldwide and will have its 50th anniversary next year." (NY Times 9/24/2022)

64. Intersected: MET.  

These 2 circles do not intersect.
Pretty trippy, huh?

65. Lose it: GO MAD.  Speaking of... last week Al Jaffee of Mad Magazine passed away at the age of 102. RIP.  Rolling Stone obit

66. Sign on many doors: ENTER.  

This is one of my favorite Gary Larson comics.

Down:
1. Rouse from sleep: WAKE.

2. Apple : Siri :: Amazon : __: ALEXA.  A lot of SAT questions take this format. Read, "Apple is to Siri as Amazon is to __."

3. Take the helm: STEER.  

He is using his reins to STEER the Texas Longhorn STEER.

4. One side in the cola wars: PEPSI.  the cola wars of the 1980s

5. __ Lanka: SRI.  

SRI Lanka tourism

6. Insect-sized superhero played by Paul Rudd: ANTMAN.  

Paul Rudd seems like he would be a polite guest if you invite him over to dinner...
but maybe not to a picnic.

7. Jazz Age cartoon Betty __: BOOP.  

8. Heavy burden: ONUS.  My old boss, Matt, used to say this word a lot. It seeped into my lexicon.

9. Duke's ACC rival: UNC.  Atlantic Coast Conference and University of North Carolina

10. Island in French Polynesia: TAHITI.  

French Polynesia was made an overseas territory of France in 1946.

11. Interior designer: DECORATOR.  how much an interior decorator costs in 2023

My décor is basically books, plants, and art I like even though it does not match the couch.

12. Melodramatic cry of exhaustion: I CAN'T GO ON.

13. Unkempt dos: MOPS.  

The Beatles helped popularize the MOP top haircut in the 60's.

18. Number of innings in most baseball games: NINE.

23. Chevy muscle car: CAMARO.  GM has said the last of the 2024 model year will come off the assembly line in Lansing, MI next January. npr article

25. Iowa city north of Des Moines: AMES.  

But how far is it from AMES to Please?

26. __-mo: SLO.

28. Definite no-no: TABOO.  (adj.)  prohibited or restricted by social custom.

a TABOO tattoo

29. Mature: AGE.  not necessarily synonymous 😜

30. "Love & Basketball" actor Omar: EPPS.  (2000) 3 1/2 stars on IMDb 

Yesterday he was 109A. "House" actor Omar.

31. Yesteryear: PAST.

32. Precisely: ON THE NOSE.  

33. Most reliable, in a way: STEADIEST.

34. Days of the week, e.g.: SEPTET.  More clues like this one, please!

38. Pop-ups in many free apps: ADS.

39. Dull impact sound: THUD.

Close to Home by John McPherson

41. Braying quadruped: ASS.

44. Rather out of it: IN A FOG.  The title of The Foggiest Place in the World goes to an area of the Atlantic Ocean called the Great Banks, lying off the coast of Newfoundland.  source: 8 Facts about Fog

45. Fluctuated wildly: YO-YOED.  After you listen to this 3 min. clip of a performance by American cellist Yo-Yo Ma, you will have YO-YOED.

Yo-Yo Ma and Kathryn Stott - The Swan (Saint-Saëns)

46. Elsa and Anna's snowman pal: OLAF.  

Lt to Rt:  OLAF, Elsa, Anna from Frozen

49. Back of a boat: STERN.

50. Eagerly expect: AWAIT.

51. Show a bit of pain: WINCE.  

Tiger hits a regrettable one.

52. "I can hear you, you know": AHEM.  over-dramatic throat clearing noise 

53. Glitzy genre: GLAM.  

She may be a bit overdressed for her surroundings.

54. Gymnast Korbut: OLGA.

56. Bygone Russian ruler: TSAR.

59. GI entertainers: USO.

USO Bob Hope Christmas show in Vietnam War archival footage (1 min.)

60. Honey-making pollinator: BEE.  It is estimated that pollinators (including 1A. WASPS) are responsible for 1/3 of the food we eat.

Here's the grid:

That's all for today. Now that I am finished, I aM UNGlued from my computer!

** AnonT's 1st favorite reference is Monty Python, 2nd is anything Rush-related, and 3rd is Blazing Saddles. Do I have that correct?  😉

Sunday April 15, 2023 Amie Walker

Theme: Stereo Types - Different sounds bookend each theme entry.

22. *Space to recover: BREATHING ROOM. Boom.

37. *Sending mixed messages, maybe?: DRUNK TEXTING. Ding.

50. *Pickle-y condiment: SWEET RELISH. Swish.

67. *Ham it up for the camera, say: PUT ON A SHOW. Pow.

70. *Chewable candy with a comic in its wrapper: BAZOOKA GUM. Bam.

83. *Satisfactory compromise: HAPPY MEDIUM. Hum.

98. *10 or 11, at many hotels: CHECK OUT TIME. Chime.

Reveal:

113. Home theater feature, and a feature of the answers to the starred clues?: SURROUND SOUND.

My type of Sundays. Simple theme that's never done before. Reminds me of the great Gail Grabowski.

Amie also took advantage of Patti's 144 word limit and black square limit. Clean fill. Lots of great entries in Down slots.

Across:

1. Just slightly: A TAD.

5. Golden State sch.: USC. The Trojans. Also 25. Ohio college town: OBERLIN.

8. Lambs' moms: EWES.

12. Loose-fitting tops: TUNICS.

18. Whittle (down): PARE.

19. Sold-out letters: SRO.

20. Egg-shaped tomato: ROMA.

21. 100%: TOTALLY.

26. Smoothie berry: ACAI. Ingredient in so many products.

27. Warty hopper: TOAD.

28. Pro __: gratis: BONO.

30. Received: GOT.

31. Food Network garb: APRONS.

33. Have a bite: EAT.

34. Westley's repeated line in "The Princess Bride": AS YOU WISH. He meant "I love you".

41. GPS tech: SAT NAV. Satellite Navigation.

42. Iditarod runners: DOGS.

43. Steel-cut grain: OAT.

44. Raccoon kin: COATI. So cute.

46. Word with market or circus: FLEA.

48. Smartphone tech: SMS. Short Message Service.

49. Pediatricians, e.g.: Abbr.: DRS.

54. Part of a parfait: LAYER. Durian parfait! The smell will repel many of you. Very thorny & hard to cut. But the taste, oh my goodness, wish I could have fresh durian every day.

56. Air filter acronym: HEPA.

57. Baton: ROD.

58. Sheridan of "Ready Player One": TYE.

59. Indian tea region: ASSAM.

62. Historical divisions: ERAS.

64. Skate park fixture: RAIL.

66. "Sarah, Plain and __": Newbery winner by Patricia MacLachlan: TALL.

72. Spanish model Sastre: INES.

73. Not quite dry: DAMP.

74. Director Preminger: OTTO.

75. Science class models: ATOMS.

76. Gas additive brand: STP.

77. Actress Gadot: GAL.  "Wonder Woman".

78. Obstacles to good teamwork: EGOS.

80. Panoramic view: VISTA.

86. Secret agent: SPY.

87. Genetic material in some vaccines: RNA.

90. Warm, in a way: NEAR.

91. Not fitting: INAPT.

93. Latvia, once: Abbr.: SSR.

94. Notary's imprint: SEAL. Guess how long the probate process take in Minnesota? At least 6 months. Boomer would be so mad.

95. Risked putting one's students to sleep, say: DRONED.

101. Virgo and Scorpio, for two: STAR SIGNS.

104. Poke bowl tuna: AHI. 

105. Brings about: CAUSES.

106. Holds: HAS.

107. Peacekeeping gp. since 1949: NATO.

108. Classic muscle cars: GTOS.

109. "House" actor Omar: EPPS.

110. Left out: OMITTED.

118. Cinnamon candies: RED HOTS.

119. Brunei's continent: ASIA. Surrounded by Malaysia, big durian exporter.

120. "We'll square up later" letters: IOU.

121. Paper unit: REAM.

122. Accord: TREATY.

123. Claim to be untrue: DENY.

124. Recipe amt.: TSP.

125. Phased-out jets: SSTS.

Down:

1. BOLO kin: APB.

2. 2022 film starring Cate Blanchett as a conductor: TAR.

3. Some floor decor: AREA RUGS.

4. Church officers: DEACONS.

5. Required H.S. course, often: US HISTORY. I learned more while studying for my citizenship exam.

6. __ Lanka: SRI.

7. Frame of reference: CONTEXT.

8. Unpredictable: ERRATIC.

9. Lumber: WOOD.

10. Punk offshoot: EMO.

11. Afro-Brazilian dance: SAMBA.

12. As well: TO BOOT.

13. Four Corners Native: UTE.

14. Professional org. for some brokers: NAR. The National Association of Realtors.

15. "All right, let me try": I'LL GIVE IT A GO. Great fill.

16. Ad prizes: CLIOS.

17. Keytar, e.g., briefly: SYNTH.

21. Skater Harding played by Margot Robbie: TONYA.

23. Lose purposefully: TANK.

24. Billy __: GOAT.

29. "Do the Right Thing" actor Davis: OSSIE.

31. Does the math: ADDS.

32. Teen soiree: PROM.

35. Hungry, probably: UNFED.

36. Outlet site: WALL.

38. Lighten: EASE.

39. Snoops (around): NOSES.

40. Stare open-mouthed: GAWP.

45. Try to rip: TEAR AT.

47. Sanctuary: ASYLUM.

49. Pulitzer-winning Kendrick Lamar album: DAMN.

51. Half a sextet: TRIO.

52. Caramel candy: ROLO.

53. Command posts: HELMS.

54. Thailand neighbor: LAOS. I finally tried the green papaya salad last week. A bit heavy on the fish sauce & shrimp paste for my taste. That Asian grocery store also carries Lao beef larb and pork larb.

55. Longtime NPR host Diane: REHM. 86 years old. Still working.

56. Hem's counterpart: HAW.

59. Mighty silly: APISH.

60. Beach acquisition: SUNTAN.

61. Got out of the way: STEPPED ASIDE.

63. Convince to participate: ROPE IN.

65. Sea of __: Black Sea arm: AZOV.

66. "Toodles!": TA TA.

68. "Severance" actor Scott: ADAM. Also a great golfer.

69. Blowout event: SALE.

70. "Dynamite" K-pop group: BTS. Their "Butter" is my favorite.

71. "Harleys in Hawaii" singer Perry: KATY.

74. Zing: OOMPH.

77. Greek wraps: GYROS. 79. Avocado dip, casually: GUAC. Food. Here's our Foodie Steve at his NBC Universal Studio office. I just learned that he's 98% Irish. Guess what's the other 2%.

81. "This __ unfair!": IS SO.

82. Refreshed, as decor: SPRUCED UP.

84. "The Incredibles" family name: PARR.

85. Neglected to: DIDN'T.

87. Prints a new edition of: RE-ISSUES.

88. Identify: NAME.

89. Brewpub libations: ALES.

92. Serving piece for an afternoon social: TEA TRAY.

93. Slopes outfit: SKI SUIT.

94. Fogs: STUPORS. Is it a verb?

96. A- on a test, e.g.: NINETY.

97. "Jeepers!": EGADS.

99. Shoe designer Jimmy: CHOO. His real name is CHOW. CHOO is a misspelling. Chow is the same character as the Zhou in my Zhouqin.

100. Designates: TAPS.

101. Brief: SHORT.

102. Less wild: TAMER.

103. "Such a pity": SO SAD.

108. Broad smile: GRIN.

111. Fourth letter of the Arabic alphabet: THA. Learning moment for me. Glad of the new clue angle.

112. Small fry: TOT.

114. Mileage, in a sense: USE.

115. Crossword clue features: Abbr.: NOS.

116. MLBer since '05: NAT.

117. "__ are open": invitation to reach out on social media: DMS.

C.C.