Tuesday, August 1, 2023 Micah Sommersmith

Double Trouble or Double Fun?  Today we have a double reveal.  The FIRST word of each two-word theme answer is a physical PLACE.  The SECOND word of each theme answer relates to LOOKing.

17-Across. *   Google Maps feature: STREET VIEW.

Google Map view of Times Square

21-Across. *   Ultrasound sweep that produces a wedge-shaped image: SECTOR SCAN.  A way to see your innards.

31-Across. *   Observation wheel on the Thames: LONDON EYE.  It looks spectacular, especially at night.

41-Across. *   Local security patrol: CITY WATCH.  It's a Neighborhood Watch where I live.

FIRST Reveal:

50-Across. Top spot on the podium, and what the answers to the starred clues all have?: FIRST PLACE.

SECOND Reveal:

59-Across. Reappraisal, and what the answers to the starred clues all have?: SECOND LOOK.

Across:

1. Scratching post user: CAT.

4. Basketball Hall of Famer Weatherspoon: TERESA.  Teresa Weatherspoon (b. Dec. 8, 1965) is a professional basketball coach.  She is also a former professional basketball player.  In 1997, she was one of the original players in the WNBA; she played for the New York Liberty.  She also played basketball at Louisiana Tech, in Ruston, Louisiana.  Until June of this year, she was also an assistant coach for the New Orleans Pelicans.   [Name # 1.]

10. Healthy aura: GLOW.

14. Even a little: ANY.

15. Spinning one's wheels, literally or figuratively: IN A RUT.

16. Chopped-up fare: HASH.  Anyone here ever had Red Flannel Hash?

19. A single time: ONCE.  Once upon a time ...

20. Jets, Mets, or Nets: TEAM.  Football, Baseball, and Basketball teams respectively, all in New York.

23. Arthur of "The Golden Girls": BEA.    //  And 22-Down. McClanahan of "The Golden Girls": RUE.  Bea Arthur (née Beatrice Frankel; May 13, 1922 ~ Apr. 25, 2009) makes frequent guest appearances in the crossword puzzles.  Before becoming an actress, Bea Arthur had enlisted in the Marine Corps.  She died of lung cancer at age 84.  Rue McClanahan (née Eddi-Rue McClanahan; Feb. 21, 1934 ~ June 3, 2010) is probably best known for her role as Blanche Devereaux from The Golden Girls.  She was also the youngest of the four women in the show.  The cast was rounded out by Betty White (née Betty Marion White; Jan. 17, 1922 ~ Dec. 31, 2021) and Estelle Getty (née Estelle Scher; July 25, 1923 ~ July 22, 2008).  [Names  # 2 and 3.]

25. External: OUTER.

26. Grammy winner Carlile: BRANDI.  I was not familiar with singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile (née Brandi Marie Carlile; b. June 1, 1981).  [Name # 4.]

29. Slaw and fries: SIDES.  As in Side dishes.

33. __ and haw: HEM.

36. Acorn droppers: OAKS.

37. Gold unit: KARAT.

39. Pixar film set in Mexico: COCO.  [Name # 5.]

40. Pre-iTunes stack: CDs.

43. __-Bits: letter-shaped cereal: ALPHA.

46. Studio stands: EASELS.

47. Off-limits: TABOO.  When it's spelled Tabu, it's a perfume.

49. Actor Brynner: YUL.  Yup Brynner (né Yuliy Borisovich Briner; July 11, 1920 ~ Oct. 10, 1985) was born in Vladivostok, Russia.  He is best known for his role as King Mongkut in the musical The King and I.   Vladivostok is in the far east of Russia and is a major Pacific port city near the Chinese border.  It is a 7-day journey by the Trans-Siberian Rail to Moscow.  [Name # 6.]

55. Tablet downloads: APPs.

58. Get one's feet wet: WADE.

61. Nutrient in spinach: IRON.

62. Ottawa's country: CANADA.  //  And 51-Down. Symbol on 62-Across's flag: LEAF.  Hi, CanadianEh!

63. French yes: OUI.  Today's French lesson.

64. Dermatologist's concern: WART.  //  52-Down. Dermatologist's concern: ACNE.

65. Conditional statement type, in programming: IF ELSE.

66. British co.: LTD.  The letters LTD after a company's name stands for Limited Company.  Such a company is the type of corporation that limits the personal liability of the corporation's shareholders.  If the company goes belly-up, creditors can only go after the business assets and not the personal assets of the owners.

Down:

1. Acting credits list: CAST.

2. Poker buy-in: ANTE.

3. Supermodel who created "America's Next Top Model": TYRA BANKS.  Tyra Lynne Banks (b. Dec. 4, 1973) began her modeling career at age 15.  She was also the first African-American to be featured on the swimsuit cover of Sports Illustrated.  [Name # 7.]

4. Bind (to): TIE.

5. Sinus docs: ENTs.  ENT = Ear Nose and Throat.

6. "Must-see" review: RAVE.  Barbenheimer is all the rage and getting RAVE reviews.

7. Actor Stoltz: ERIC.  Eric Cameron Stoltz (b. Sept. 30, 1961) has been in numerous movies, including the 1985 film Mask and the 1994 film Pulp Fiction.  [Name # 8.]

8. Bird feeder cake: SUET.

9. "The Testaments" novelist Margaret: ATWOOD.  Margaret Eleanor Atwood (née Nov. 18, 1939) is a Canadian author.  She is probably best known for her 1985 novel The Handmaid's Tale.   The Testaments her 2019 the sequel to The Handmaid's Tale.  [Name # 9.]

10. CBS sitcom set in a haunted mansion: GHOSTS.  There is both an American version and a British version of Ghosts.  The premise is that a young married couple acquire an old house/mansion that they intend to transform into an inn.  It just so happens to be inhabited by ghosts who died on the property and only the wife can see them.  Each ghost appears just as they did at the time of their death, thus they are from various periods of history.

11. Stick on a horse?: LANCE.

12. Hollywood award: OSCAR.  The award is the Academy Award and the Statuette is called the Oscar.  The origin of the Oscar has several possibilities.  [Name # 10.]

13. "At what time?": WHEN?

18. Fixes, as text: EMENDS.

24. Big fuss: ADO.  Much ADO about Nothing.

26. Coalition: BLOC.

27. Line on a map: ROAD.

Road Map of Tel Aviv.

28. Calligraphy supply: INK.

29. Lebanon neighbor: SYRIA.

30. "__ my peas with honey ... ": I EAT.

32. Apiece: EACH.

33. Spot for a dip while on a trip: HOTEL POOL.

34. OT book after Proverbs: ECCL.  The OT = Old Testament is the hint that we are looking for the book that follows Proverbs in the Christian Bible.  ECCL is an abbreviation for Ecclesiastes.  Both books are also found in the Hebrew Bible, but the order is different.  In the Hebrew Bible, Job follows Proverbs and Ecclesiastes comes after Lamentations.

35. Mineral hardness scale: MOHS.  The Mohs hardness scale is a measure of a mineral's resistance to scratching.  It is named after Friedrich Christian Mohs (Jan. 29, 1773 ~ Sept. 29, 1839), a German chemist and mineralogist who created the scale.

38. "Ready Player One" actor Sheridan: TYE.  Ready Player One is a sci-fi film that takes place in 2045, which stars Tye Kayle Sheridan (b. Nov. 11, 1996).  [Name # 11.]

39. Like some Friday work attire: CASUAL.

42. Method: WAY.

43. Somewhere else: ABSENT.

44. Parking area: LOT.

45. Mag that produces the podcast "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week": POP SCI.  As in Popular Science.

47. Small crown: TIARA.  There is a very British protocol on wearing tiaras.

48. Zeal: ARDOR.

50. "Just sayin'," in texts: FWIW.  Textspeak for For What It's Worth.

53. Mined fuel: COAL.

54. Stops: ENDS.

56. Sulk: POUT.

57. Lose traction: SKID.

60. Actor Daniel __ Kim: DAE.  Daniel Dae Kim (né Kim Dae-hyun; b. Aug. 4, 1968) is a Korean-born actor best known for his role as Chin Ho Kelly on the remake of Hawaii Five-O.  [Name # 12.]

Here's the Grid:

חתולה

Monday, Jul 31, 2023 Jolie L'Heureux & Alexander Liebeskind

 Theme: "IN THE BEGINNING...."

    So, I was born February, 1971....oh wait, that's a long story.  This is my first time blogging a "themed" puzzle for C.C. and the LA Times, as I was the regular Saturday themeless guy for about five years.  I still work the puzzles everyday, and I read the write-ups every day.  Since I last blogged, I changed my solving style and prefer to do all the DOWN clues first, then when I switch to ACROSS, most of the perps are in place, and the theme answers a little easier to solve. We had two nine- and two eight-letter words in the downs today, which is unusual for a Monday puzzle. C.C. had asked me to "guest" blog, and I had the opportunity last month, but was way out of practice, and thus had my own "EPIC FAIL".    But enough of my long story, here are the theme answers for today;

20. Bank customer, e.g.: ACCOUNT HOLDER

28. Colorful and fuzzy street art: YARN BOMB - Never heard this term before; here's an image

 

36. Innovative concept: NOVEL IDEA

49. Big-time letdown: EPIC FAIL

 57. "I'll tell you the rest another time," and what can be said about the starts of 20-, 28-, 36-, and 49-Across: IT'S A LONG STORY

And away we go~!

ACROSS:

1. Matriarch of the Three Bears: MAMA

5. Grocery shopper's aid: LIST - I have mine on my phone, listed by aisle, and my new favorite store since I moved to CT is "Big Y" because I can scan the barcodes with my phone camera, pay via credit card, and walk right out.

9. Private supply: CACHE

14. "Right away" letters: ASAP - As Soon As Possible

15. Mideast leader: EMIR

16. Catchall option on a survey: OTHER

17. At a __ for words: LOSS

18. Regarding: AS TO

19. With 4-Down, small dog from Tibet: LHASA and 4D. See 19-Across: APSO

23. 24 horas: DIA - Spanish

24. Disco __ of "The Simpsons": STU - Crossword regular now

25. Has lunch on a blanket, say: PICNICS

31. More expansive: VASTER - meh.

32. Southeast Asian language: LAO

33. Mani-__: spa treatments: PEDIs

35. "For sure": "YES"

40. Cat coat: FUR - clever clue

43. Calf-length skirts: MIDIs - I cannot resist....

44. Raspberry shade: RED

47. "The way things are ... ": AS IT IS

53. Shares a tweet on Instagram, say: REPOSTS - Spell-check doesn't like this

55. Pull the plug on: END - Sadly, I pulled the plug on my career as a Pipe Organ technician - at least for now.  I had tried to bargain for a pay increase, but the company could not come up to the offer I got from a local millwork company that needed a CAD drafter; so my three-week trip to Lynchburg VA in July was my "Swan Song"; here's me at the Washington National Cathedral; it was howling windy and raining as we unloaded.

56. Ode title words: TO A....

60. Vietnam's capital: HANOI.

62. Comfort: EASE.

63. Shape of many a car logo: OVAL - Ford, Subaru, Toyota and others

64. Houston MLB player: ASTRO - Spellcheck doesn't like this one, either

65. Squeezes (out): EKES - Crossword staple

66. How-to presentation: DEMO

67. Cereal eater's utensil: SPOON

68. Hissed "Hey!": "PSST~!"

69. Etch or sketch: DRAW

DOWN:

1. Affliction: MALADY

2. Preferring to be alone: ASOCIAL - My ex-wife is/was a counselor, and she 'diagnosed' me as being anti-social; I told her "good, that lets me off the hook" - not the answer she wanted to hear....

3. Cosmetic applied with a wand: MASCARA

5. Makeshift shelter: LEAN-TO.

6. "Haven't the foggiest": "I'M STUMPED"

7. Lightsaber wielders who are enemies of the Jedi: SITH

8. Scout unit selling cookies: TROOP

9. Unsolved crime: COLD CASE

10. Home of the Acropolis and the Parthenon: ATHENS - GREECE fit, too

11. Donation recipient: CHARITY - On my way back from Lynchburg, I saw billboards reading Mega Millions was up to $940mil - I would have to donate to more than one CHARITY if I walked away with that kind of money

 12. Father and son: HEs - Meh.  True, but I'm not a fan of this kind of answer

13. Time studied in history class: ERA

21. PC connection port: USB

22. Really steamed: LIVID - I had IRATE to start

26. Average grade: CEE

27. Graduating gp.: SRs - Abbreviated group, abbreviated SenioRs

29. Persona __ grata: NON - Latin

30. Represent inaccurately: BELIE

34. Hands out: DISPENSES - ATMs and vending machines "dispense", which I think is not quite the same as "hand out"

37. Something left out: OMISSION - $2 Monday 8-letter word

38. Photogenic expanse: VISTA

If you zoom in, this is Washington DC from the cathedral

39. "Woof!": "ARF~!" - Dogspeak

40. Few and __ between: FAR

41. Function: USE - as a designer, I am of the thought that FORM follows FUNCTION

42. Verbally attack: RIP INTO - We stayed at a popular, long-term hotel with in-room kitchens for the trip to VA - there were several issues in my room that never got resolved during my 19-day stay - so when they sent me a survey, I had to RIP INTO the chain's poor service.

45. Dine at a friend's: EAT OVER

46. Elementary school shoebox project: DIORAMA - I helped my buddy's seven-year-old son build a "Leprechaun trap" for a school project - quite enjoyable

48. "My Neighbor __": Studio Ghibli film: TOTORO - The Wiki; I've been solving the LA Times crossword daily for the past year, and I can tell that the new editor has changed the rules - I doubt this clue/answer would fly on a Monday in the past

50. Consume: INGEST

51. Insured investments: Abbr.: CDs - I have one through my Discover card, and a savings account now getting 4.30%

52. "Stay out of trouble": LAY LOW - I had BEHAVE

54. Dream state: SLEEP

58. Thousand __: Ventura County city: OAKS - filled via perps

59. Sondheim's "Sweeney __": TODD

60. Gives birth to: HAS.

61. Egyptian snake: ASP - My #1 movie of all-time, Raiders of the Lost Ark

 

Well, I'm back, 

da-na-na-na, na-na-na-na-na-na
Fix your bent antenna, tune it in, and then I'm gonna
Enter in and up under your skin like a....

Splynter

Notes from C.C.:

Welcome back, Splynter! We missed you.

Splynter will blog next Monday's puzzle also. Sumdaze will be back on August 14th.

Sunday, July 30, 2023 Desirée Penner & Jeff Sinnock

Theme: "Double Plays" - Each theme entry is mashup of two songs by the same musician.

 

23. "Time to blaze a trail in frozen desserts, Ms. Lee": GO YOUR OWN WAY SARA. Go Your Own Way. Sara. Fleetwood Mac

37. "You'll never make it big in the toy industry, Holly Hobbie!": DREAM ON RAG DOLL. Dream On. Rag Doll. Aerosmith.

50. "Stop tormenting the mail carrier, you mangy mutt!": DON'T BE CRUEL HOUND DOG. Don't Be Cruel. Hound Dog. Elvis.

73. "Whoa there, cowboy!": TAKE IT EASY DESPERADO. Take It Easy. Desperado. The Eagles.

88. "Stop futzing with that, Mr. Law": HEY JUDE LET IT BE. Hey Jude. Let it Be. The Beatles.

106. "Get off the court, Ms. King!": BEAT IT BILLIE JEAN. Beat It. Billie Jean. Michael Jackson.

OK, this beautiful couple must be our constructors. Congrats on your wedding and your LAT debut!

Thought of D-Otto, not only because of Desperado, but his love of music and wordplay.

Across:

1. Buddhist monks: LAMAS.

6. Totals (up): ADDS.

10. NPR host __ Simon: SCOTT. Host of the Weekend Edition.

15. Up in the air: IFFY.

19. Clock app feature: ALARM.

20. Female kangaroos: DOES. And 22. Garden digger: MOLE.

21. Blanches: PALES.

26. Frigate front: PROW.

27. Classic songs: STANDARDS.

28. Nnedi Okorafor genre: SCI-FI. Hugo Award & Nebula Award winner.

29. Tosses, slangily: YEETS. We just had this & YEET.

30. Gibson ingredient: GIN.

31. Lay out in advance: PLAN.

32. Mold, mildew, etc.: FUNGI.

33. Like fancy caramel: SALTED.

42. Farm team followers: PLOWS. The real "farm".

43. Welcome: SEE IN.

44. Banque currency: EURO.  And 47. Bank claim: LIEN.

45. __ flottante: French dessert: ILE. Floating island. Wikipedia says it's "a dessert consisting of meringue floating on crème anglaise (a vanilla custard). The meringue used is baked in a bain-marie. It may be served at room temperature or chilled."

46. Brazilian berry: ACAI.

48. __Clean: laundry brand: OXI.

49. Hiccup: SNAG.

57. "Paradise Lost" figure: EVE.

58. Croupier's tool: RAKE.

59. Handwriting features: LOOPS.

60. Bouncy Milne character: ROO.

61. Sunday message: SERMON.

63. Former name on a Chicago skyscraper: SEARS. Sears Tower.

64. Get-up: OUTFIT.

68. Geologist's unit: EON.

69. Mails: SENDS.

70. Arts town east of Georgia O'Keeffe's Ghost Ranch: TAOS. So dry.

72. High court action?: LOB. Tennis court.

77. Corner shop: MART.

79. Family guy: DAD.

80. Roadie's burdens: AMPS.

81. Moriarty of "The Boys": ERIN.

82. Ballpark fig.?: ERA. Or RBI.

83. "Let's __ it a night": CALL.

85. Enlists again: RE-UPS.

87. Deplete: SPEND.

92. Highland girls: LASSES.

93. Stands watch for, say: ABETS.

94. Not on a tape delay: LIVE.

95. Baton: ROD.

96. Sings like Ella: SCATS.

97. Nickname of the NBA star whose #3 was retired by the Heat: D-WADE. Dwyane Wade. Minority owner of the Utah Jazz.

99. Native American ceremony performed in the dry season: RAIN DANCE.

105. Pans with high sides: WOKS.

108. "Bonne __!": IDEE. Good idea!

109. Run the show: EMCEE.

110. Apogee: ACME.

111. __ Domingo: SANTO.

112. Knight-time story: GEST.

113. Stuff on a shelf: GOODS.

114. Honey brew: MEAD. Never had this. Good?

115. Arborist's charges: TREES.

Down:

1. Straggles: LAGS.

2. Substantially: A LOT.

3. Poet Angelou: MAYA.

4. "East of Eden" brother: ARON. I watched this movie years ago.

5. Performs a Native American cleansing ritual: SMUDGES.

6. Beautify: ADORN.

7. Ann of "The Leftovers": DOWD. Don't know her.

8. Comfy retreats: DENS.

9. Vane dir.: SSW.

10. Secret recording device: SPYCAM.

11. House of cards?: CASINO.

12. Snowman who says, "Some people are worth melting for": OLAF. Oh, I think I'm worth melting for.

 

13. "The Fosters" actress Polo: TERI.

14. Org. that checks bags after check-in: TSA.

15. Loom: IMPEND.

16. Just mentioned: FOREGOING.

17. Small armada: FLOTILLA.

18. Conifers with bright red berries: YEWS.

24. "Kills bugs dead" brand: RAID. I like this brand with picaridin. I have both the spray and the lotion. It does not have that chemical smell.

25. Lion of Narnia: ASLAN.

29. Car on many "worst cars of all time" lists: YUGO.

31. Canadian prov.: PEI.

32. Word repeated in "Star Wars" introductions: FAR.

33. Trick-taking game: SPADES.

34. Nook: ALCOVE.

35. Courtesy car: LOANER.

36. Flibbertigibbet: TWIT.

37. Name on much farm equipment: DEERE.

38. Lens care brand: RENU. Contact lens.

39. Meeting point: NEXUS.

40. Trash: RUIN.

41. Limb lifted in a développé: LEG. Ballet move. Learning moment for me.

43. Unwell: SICK.

47. Romance novelist Banks: LEANNE. Wikipedia says she has written over 60 romance novels since 1991. Stunning.

48. Klutz's cry: OOPS.

49. Fire proof?: SOOT.

51. Streamlet: BROOK.

52. Justice Kagan: ELENA.

53. Washday units: LOADS.

54. Carousel mount, to a tot: HORSY.

55. Sags: DROOPS.

56. Hit with a water balloon, say: DOUSE.

62. Spam or ham: MEAT. No no for my sister-in-law Connie, who does not even eat chicken.

63. Bird feeder filler: SEED.

65. Bell-bottoms features: FLARES.

66. First aid tincture: IODINE.

67. Some low-risk investments, briefly: T-BONDS.

69. Drag one's feet: STALL.

70. Home of Sun Devil Stadium: TEMPE.

71. Egyptian snakes: ASPS.

73. Sheet cakes, in British parlance: TRAYBAKES. Never heard Steve mentioned this term.

74. Going nowhere: IDLE.

75. Apply crudely: DAUB.

76. Gym units: REPS.

77. "Nothing to write home about": MEH.

78. 213 or 323 for Los Angeles, e.g.: AREA CODE. OK, I had to look at Steve's number. Neither for Studio City.

83. Skips, as class: CUTS.

84. Commercials: ADS.

85. Construction fastener: RIVET.

86. French summer: ETE.

87. Most blue: SADDEST.

89. Frequent fliers: JET SET.

90. Tickled pink: ELATED.

91. Declutters, perhaps: TIDIES.

92. Comedian Love: LONI.

95. Worked (up): RILED.

96. Big gulp: SWIG. Just had two big gulps of my kombucha. My favorite.

97. Free software version: DEMO.

98. Texas city where Dr Pepper was invented: WACO.

99. Bibimbap base: RICE. Bap is Korean for "rice".

100. __ mater: ALMA.

101. Almost closed: AJAR.

102. Hawaiian honker: NENE.

103. Oscar winner Blanchett: CATE.

104. Actress Mireille: ENOS.

106. Ask earnestly: BEG.

107. "Kapow!": BAM.

C.C.