Wednesday April 19, 2023 ~ Bruce Venzke

Theme: FOOLPROOF

Make it foolproof and you'll discover a bigger fool.

Bruce (Wayne, not Venzke) tries to woo Catwoman

19a. FOOLPROOF: CAN'T MISS.

58a. FOOLPROOF: IRON-CLAD.

8d. FOOLPROOF: SURE-FIRE.

38d. FOOLPROOF: IN THE BAG.

Bruce is a veteran constructor with > 20 years of puzzles under his belt. He offers us a nice pinwheel grid with little A&E today.

Across:
1. Mind reader's knack: ESP. Learn mentalism.

4. Register figure: COST. Cash register.

8. Winter transport: SLED.

12. Additive-free: PURE.

14. Length x width: AREA.

15. Smooth-talking: SUAVE.

16. Big-screen movie format: IMAX. 59' x 79' is a big-screen.

17. Sign on for another tour: RE-UP. (Army) Bro stopped RE-UPing after his 22nd year.

18. __ legend: URBAN. Some are (kinda) true.

19. [See: theme]

21. Smart, in a way: DRESSY.

22. Egyptian beetle: SCARAB.

Harmless

23. Small fishing boat: SKIFF.

25. Love of Spain: AMOR.

27. Won't take no for an answer: INSISTS. Makes an offer you can't refuse.

31. "You are here" display: MAP.

Meta, eh?

34. Puts together, as Lego sets: BUILDS.

36. Plant anchor: ROOT.

37. Heart chambers: ATRIA.

39. Turn down?: DIM.

40. Cliff dwelling: AERIE. How is this fill not Cheers?

Cliff's Dwelling

41. Day break?: NOON. Cute - AM breaks to PM and you lunch.

42. Gecko or iguana: LIZARD.

44. Majestic tree: ELM.

45. Ginormous number: UMPTEEN. Pop always told me for the UMPTEENth time not to blah, blah,...

47. Alaskan gold rush town: NOME.

49. Chills out (with): HANGS.

51. Childbirth technique: LAMAZE. No painkillers method. DW called the anesthesiologist her new best friend.

55. Hacker's goal: ACCESS. Well, I mean access is a step but we probably have a larger goal.  #lulz

58. [See: theme]

60. Investigation: PROBE.

61. "Tell me about it, __": "Grease" line: STUD.
 

You're the One That I Want

62. New Haven collegians: ELIS. ELIhu Yale donated a bucket-ton of money to Collegiate School and, in 1718, they changed the name of the school to Yale.

63. "Bike faster!": PEDAL. That ET Scene comes to mind.

64. High top __: hairstyle: FADE.
 

High top FADE

65. Green land: EIRE. Biden was there last week.

66. Trade-show freebies: SWAG.
 

Stickers are the best SWAG [one of my laptops]

67. Desert antelope: ORYX. I had ibeX.
 

Straight Horns

68. Dragon roll fish: EEL. ? I know roe, shrimp tempura, and/or spicy tuna but not EEL. Took me a while to find a recipe that even mentions EEL in a Dragon roll. 

Y'all that know better, please correct me.

Down:
1. Sweeping stories: EPICS. Oh, not the stories about much of my time in the Army.

Sweep and Mop and Dust the floor

Your Left. Right. Left.

#Army - Be All You Can Be ;-)

2. Herb in the spice blend za'atar: SUMAC. A Middle-Eastern blend that includes the herbs oregano, marjoram or thyme along with toasted sesame seeds, dried sumac, salt, as well as other spices. [internet]

3. Vital force, in yoga: PRANA. Prana is a Sanskrit word that has a number of interpretations in English, including "life force," "energy" and "vital principle." The term is used in Hindu and yogic philosophy to refer to all the manifest energy in the universe, present in both living beings and inanimate objects. [ibid]

4. Yukon game: CARIBOU.
 

5. Metal containers?: ORES.

6. Creator of the Lorax: SEUSS. Theodor Seuss Geisel wrote The Lorax in 1971.
 

7. Bar fixture: TAP.
 

Have 200 different beers and your name goes on a saucer on the wall.

8. [See: Theme].

9. Chocolate or yellow dogs, for short: LABS.
 

Yellow, Black, and Chocolate

10. Some NASA data-retrieval missions: EVAS. Extravehicular Activities - outside the spacecraft.

Outside the Tin Can [Chris Hadfield's version of Space Oddity]

11. Refuse to admit: DENY.

13. Polar Ice gum brand: EXTRA.

15. Sees the sites: SURFS. Cute: SURFS web-sites.

20. Deadly African snake: MAMBA.

21. Commotions: DINS.

24. "Big Little Lies" actress Nicole: KIDMAN. HBO show that DW's has probably watched. Nicole's website.

26. Dependent (on): RIDING. I started 'relying' before running out of squares.

28. Feeling the effects of too much exercise, say: SORE. Hand-up if you also inked achE first.

29. Sweat and strain: TOIL.

30. Flute part: STEM. Champagne flutes have stems.
 

A Flute's Stem

31. Premier League team, to fans: MAN-U. Soccer's, erm football's, Manchester United is a UK Premier League team. That and "don't use your hands" is near the extent of my knowledge of the sport. 

//I'm learning more from Ted Lasso.

32. Tiny particle: ATOM.

33. Theater accessory: PROP.

35. Claiborne of fashion: LIZ.

38. [See: theme]

40. Jingle-writing guy: AD MAN.

42. Part of SLR: LENS.

43. Low-tech card file: ROLODEX. I have not heard "Rolodex" in years and, yet, the last puzzle I expo'd [Sunday 4/9] also had it?!?

46. Supporter of the arts?: EASEL. Cute but the "?" gave it away.

48. Toaster or roaster, maybe: EMCEE. Or both [Peter Falk toasts & roasts Ol' Blue Eyes - 11:53]

50. Stringed instrument in Hindi cinema: SITAR.

52. Four-time WNBA 3-Point Contest champion Quigley: ALLIE. After UChicago, she went onto Chicago Sky.
 

Allie Quigley

53. Former name of Kinshasa's country: ZAIRE. I didn't get the memo.

54. Unsuccessful Ford: EDSEL.

55. Programs that may update on their own: APPS. On your iThing or 'Droid.

56. College sport on the water: CREW. Rowing.

57. Musical ending: CODA. Anyone else ink "aria" out of habit?

59. Football film starring Sean Astin: RUDY [IMDB]. No clue.

61. Hub northwest of LAX: SFO. Los Angeles International and, NW, San Francisco International.

The Grid:
 

The Grid

Thank you Bruce for a fun puzzle with little bits of learning.

WOs: I always spell S[h]ure wrong, ibid PEDle, relyi->RIDING, ache->SORE, aria->CODA, ibex->ORYX
ESPs: PRANA, RUDY, ALLIE
Fav: SURFS for "Sees the [web] sites."

I hope the expo provided a little something for everyone.  Y'all have a Wonderful Wednesday!
Cheers, -T

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?  😉