Tuesday, September 19, 2023 Zach Moore

Spirits in the Material World:  The first word in each theme answer is an other-worldly Spirit.

20-Across. Ability to keep cool under pressure: PRESENCE OF MIND.

25-Across. Small beards: SOUL PATCHES.  Everything you ever wanted to know about a Soul Patch.

47-Across. Chile that's among the hottest in the world: GHOST PEPPER.

And the unifier:

52-Across. "I like your attitude!," and what can be said about the starts of 20-, 25-, and 47-Across?: THAT'S THE SPIRIT.

Arrgh!  Today is Talk Like a Pirate Day.  I hope you didn't abandon ship as you completed today's puzzle.

Across:

1. Like a grand-scale tale or fail: EPIC.  Don't try this at home.

5. Obligation: ONUS.

9. Activist Thunberg who is the youngest Time Person of the Year: GRETA.  Greta Thunberg (née Greta Tintin Eleonora Ernman Thunberg; b. Jan. 3, 2003) was on the December 19, 2019 cover of Time magazine.  She was 16 years old at the time.  [Name # 1.]

14. Top-ranked: A-ONE.

15. Eggplant __: Italian entree, briefly: PARM.  Yummers!  Eggplant Parmesan is one of our favorites.

16. Strung along: LED ON.

17. Civil rights icon Parks: ROSA.  Rosa Parks (née Rosa Louise McCauley; Feb. 4, 1913 ~ Oct. 24, 2005) is best known for her role in the Montgomery, Alabama bus boycott.  After her death, her casket was placed in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol for two days of public viewing. She was the first woman and the second African-American to lie in state at the Capitol.  She was the 31st person and the first American who had not been a United States government official, and the second private person (after the French city planner Pierre L’Enfant) to be honored in this way.  [Name # 2.]

18. Logician's "therefore": ERGO.  Today's Latin lesson.

19. "Let me clarify ... ": I MEAN ...  Aye, Aye!

23. "__ la vie!": C'EST.  Today's French lesson.  That's life!

24. Labor Day mo.: SEPT.  Our current month and more of today's Latin lesson.  The name September is of Latin origin.  September or meaning “seven,” from the Latin “septem.”  September is the ninth month of the calendar.  The old Roman calendar had just ten months a year and September was the seventh month.

29. Org. whose annual awards are presented at Nashville's Bridgestone Arena: CMA. The next Country Music Awards ceremony will be on November 8, 2023.

32. Spare in a trunk: TIRE.

33. Male pal: BRO.

34. Deadly: LETHAL.

36. Sought-after guests: A-LIST.

38. Sr.'s nest egg acronym: IRA.  As in the Individual Retirement Account.

40. Paper unit: SHEET.

41. Laughs at the joke, say: GETS IT.  He who laughs last didn't get the joke.

43. Roxy Music co-founder Brian: ENO.  Brian Eno makes very frequent guest appearances on Tuesdays.  [Name # 3.]

Then and Now.

45. Gutter spot: EAVE.

46. Surname in the freezer aisle: EDY.  This brand of ice cream appears often in the puzzles.  It's known for being slow-churned, which it claims makes its ice cream so good.  [Name # 4.]

50. Hip and stylish: CHIC.

51. Tangy: TART.

58. Gaggle members: GEESE.  Hi, CanadianEh!

59. Greek aperitif: OUZO.  Ouzo is a dry anise-flavored aperitif.  It is a clear liquid, but if you add water (ice), it will turn cloudy.

60. "Good job": NICE.  Also a French city on the French Riviera.

61. Clear kitchen wrap: SARAN.

62. South American country with most of the world's alpacas: PERU.

63. Kept in the email loop: CC'ED.

64. Build up: AMASS.

65. "__ on the roof / And kicked off the moss": lyrics in Elton John's "Your Song": I SAT.  Time for a musical interlude.  I don't think I ever actually listened to the words of this song.

66. Squeezes (out): EKES.

Down:

1. Wyatt of the Old West: EARP.  Wyatt Earp (né Wyatt Berry Stapp; b. Mar. 19, 1848 ~ Jan. 13, 1929) is best known for the infamous shootout at the OK Corral in Tombstone, Arizona.  [Name # 5.]

2. Below average: POOR.

3. State of self-doubt: INSECURITY.

4. Never-ending: CEASELESS.

5. Subwindow in a browser: OPEN TAB.

6. Drug cop: NARC.

7. Insist: URGE.

8. Press into a small space: SMOOSH.

9. Brief looks: GLIMPSES.

10. Send money: REMIT.

11. Genesis garden: EDEN.

12. Frog kin: TOAD.

13. __ Taylor Loft: ANN.  Ann Taylor Loft is a women's clothing store.  Clothing sold there is cheaper / less expensive than similar clothing sold at at Ann Taylor.  There is no actual person named Ann Taylor  related of the store.  [Name adjacent.]

21. Sixth sense letters: ESP.  As in ExtraSensory Perception.  A bit of a bonus as ESP may relate to today's theme.

22. Sense: FEEL.

25. Place for a play: STAGE.

26. Lubricated: OILED.

27. One more than bi-: TRI.

28. Pear centers: CORES.

29. Rock band known for the power ballad "The Flame": CHEAP TRICK.  The band Cheap Trick has been around since 1973 and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016.  [Name # 6.]

30. Novelist Binchy: MAEVE.  Maeve Binchy (née Anne Maeve Binchy; May 28, 1939 ~ July 20, 2012) is an Irish novelist.  I read one of her novels for one of my book clubs.  It was like reading a Lifetime movie.  [Name # 7.]

31. Change: ALTER.

35. Political treatise by Machiavelli: THE PRINCE.  The Prince was and attempt by Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli (May 3, 1469 ~ June 21, 1527) to provide a political guide on how to acquire poser, create a state and keep it.   His belief that politics has its own rules shocked his readers.  His name has become a synonym for political maneuvers marked by cunning, duplicity, or bad faith.  Interestingly, The Prince was first published in 1532 ~ 5 years after Machiavelli died.

37. Makes less loose, as screws: TIGHTENS.

39. Aardvark's morsel: ANT.

42. "Watch __ space": THIS.

44. Decides to withdraw: OPTS OUT.

48. Squid kin: OCTOPI.

49. "The Raven" poet's monogram: EAP.  Edgar Allan Poe (Jan. 19, 1809 ~ Oct. 7, 1949) wrote The Raven.  [Name # 8.]

50. Homes in Havana: CASAS.  Today's Spanish lesson.

52. United group: TEAM.

53. Olympian queen who cursed Echo: HERA.  Hera is the Greek goddess of women, marriage and childbirth.  [Name # 9.]

54. Tints: HUES.

55. Vampire Weekend lead singer Koenig: EZRA.  I'm not familiar with either the band nor its lead singer.  Ezra Koenig (né Ezra Michael Koenig; b. Apr. 8, 1984).  [Name # 10.]

56. Drink brand with a polar bear in its logo: ICEE.  Yummers!  Especially refreshing on these hot summer days.

57. "Bill & __ Excellent Adventure": TED'S.  Keanue Reeves (né Keanu Charles Reeves; Sept. 2, 1964) and Alex Winter (né Alexander Ross Winter; July 17, 1965) starred in the 1989 film, Bill & Ted Excellent Adventure.  It was about 2 high school students who traveled in time.  [Name # 11.]

58. Govt. property overseer: GSA.  As in the General Services Administration.  Sumdaze thinks the office is usually closed on Mondays, but that's because it is a bit obscure for the beginning of the week.  It looks like you can Chat with the office from Sunday at 9:00 pm through Friday at 9:30 pm Eastern Time.  So, GSA may be the word of the week ~ just not on Saturdays.

Here's the Grid:

חתולה

Monday September 18, 2023 Dan Caprera

  

Hello Cornerites!

Constructor Dan Caprera is back with his 5th L.A. Times puzzle. He is known for fun and clever ideas. Let's see what he has dealt out for us today.

Theme:        Cut It Out  

There are four starred clues. Each has circles that draw attention to the first and last letters of the answers.

16 Across. *LGBT+ organization founded in 1990: QUEER NATION.  QUEEN

Queer Nation NY History page

24 Across. *"Chin up!": KEEP SMILING.  KING

36 Across. *Musical film about a convict who learns to play the guitar in prison: JAILHOUSE ROCK.  JACK  

Of course it was Elvis who played that convict in 1957. This was his third movie.

49 Across. *Completely unapproachable: AS COLD AS ICE.  ACE  

Foreigner sang about this in 1977 on their debut album.

Dan shows his hand with the unifier at

59 Across. Prepare a deck before dealing, and what the answers to the starred clues literally do: CUT THE CARDS.

The names of four playing cards (QUEEN, KING, JACK, and ACE) have been "cut" into two parts.

As they say, "Trust everybody but cut the cards." If you are not a card player, you might want to go here to learn about the how & why of cutting cards.

With that, we'll CUT to the chase and look at the other 73 clues....

Across:
1. Cheese __: Wisconsin snack: CURDS.  I tried these once when I visited the Tillamook Cheese Factory in Oregon. Did you know they squeak in your mouth? You can learn why they squeak and much, much more here.

6. October birthstone: OPAL.  

I looked at a few charts. There is some disagreement. Apparently this is not as standardized as I thought.
I suggest you buy the one you like best.

10. Solemn oath: VOW.  

13. Turner of "Game of Thrones": SOPHIE.  

This is SOPHIE and SOPHIE's GoT character, Sansa Stark.

14. Lymph __: immune system part: NODE.  You have lymph NODES throughout your body, including your neck, armpits, and groin. From the Mayo Clinic website:  They function as filters, trapping viruses, bacteria, and other causes of illness before they can infect other parts of your body.

15. Amazement: AWE.

18. Bumped into: MET.  "MET" can mean a first-time meeting or it can refer to an encounter with an established friend (both past-tense). Context is the key.

19. Bone parallel to the radius: ULNA.

20. __-mo replay: SLO.  

A Harlem Globetrotter gives a fan a SLO-mo high five. (47 sec.)

21. Open, as a keg: TAP.  and  17 Down. Keg filler: ALE.

23. Use an abacus, perhaps: ADD.  One year I taught a summer school elective course on using an abacus. My students and I became surprisingly proficient. It was fun plus it reinforced basic math concepts in a way that felt "new" so the students were not saying, "This again. Ugh."

29. Sample size?: TASTE.  Cute clue! Think 'Costco'.

31. The North Star: POLARIS.  Great fill, Dan!

NASA website's POLARIS page

32. Hi-__ graphics: RES.

34. Doja Cat genre: RAP.  

Doja Cat doing some gardening chores.

35. Mineral that adds shimmer to cosmetics: MICA.  According to the internet, there is controversy over this ingredient.

40. Glass unit: PANE.  Think windows, not martinis.

41. Name on a 1950s campaign button: IKE.  Since there are no abbreviations in the clue, we were not looking for initials.  

His made the list of Time Magazine's Top 10 Campaign Ads.

42. In a funk: SAD.  If you are in a funk, listening to this song might cheer you up!  

Play That Funky Music by Wild Cherry (1976)

43. Part of a bedroom set: DRESSER.  furniture

45. Kidney-related: RENAL.  "RENAL" is an adjective whereas "kidney" is a noun.

news about pig kidney transplant

53. Egg cells: OVA.  "Cells" is plural so we needed the plural of "ovum".

You probably know that the largest ovum today would be an ostrich's egg, but did you know that they are the smallest eggs relative to the size of the adult bird?

54. MyHeritage sample: DNA.  I have not done this. Have you?

55. Bonfire residue: ASH.  

Bonfire of the Vanities (1990) Marshall goes for a walk (1 min.)

featuring Tom Hanks & Kim Cattrall

56. Sink annoyance: DRIP.

57. Sci-fi vehicle: UFO.  "Science Fiction" is abbreviated, so is Unidentified Flying Object.  

63. Clever remark: MOT.  as in "bon MOT"

64. Reflex hammer's target: KNEE.

65. Literary comparison: SIMILE.  See 49A.

66. Body spray with a Dark Temptation scent: AXE.  a FAV among constructors and teenage boys

67. Transgressions: SINS.

68. Fresh: SASSY.  

Down:
1. Might've: COULDA.  Coulda Shoulda Woulda

2. Radically changes: UPENDS.

3. Actress Perlman: RHEA.  She might best be known for her role on the TV show Cheers.

1 minute of some of Carla's best burns

4. N, NE, or NNE: DIR.  DIRection

5. __ of humor: SENSE.

6. Leading the pack: ON TOP.  

The Leader of the Pack by The Shangri-Las (1964)

7. Finger food at luaus: POI.  dig in

8. "Much __ About Nothing": ADO.  Shakespeare

9. Soup legume: LENTIL.  I eat a lot of LENTILs. Here's why:  

10. Like some "What We Do in the Shadows" characters: VAMPIRIC.  I am unfamiliar with the show but "shadows" and a couple of perps hinted that the answer would have something to do with vampires.

11. Have an open tab, say: OWE.  not an iPAD TABlet

12. Not just damp: WET.  

13. Crouch down: SQUAT.

22. Très chic: À LA MODE.  Def:  (adjective)  1. Fashionable, stylish. 2. topped with ice cream 

a fashionable amphibian

 24. Topple (over): KEEL.  To KEEL over is to turn or upset so as to bring the wrong side or part uppermost. I am picturing a boat with the KEEL facing upwards. I had not thought of it that way before. In Hawaii, the word for overturning an outrigger canoe is to "huli". Also, chicken cooked on a rotisserie is called "huli huli chicken". It's a fun connection.

Another definition is to fall as in a faint.

25. Hot springs: SPAS.   They rhyme with "ahs". Coincidence?

26. Sulks: MOPES.

27. "The Last of Us" actor Offerman: NICK.  You might remember him as Ron Swanson on Parks and Recreation. Or maybe you've read his book.  

NICK is unlikely to huli his canoe.

28. Agcy. managing federal real estate assets: GSA.  General Services Administration  gsa.gov
I think they are usually closed on Mondays.

30. Tests for fit: TRIES ON.  

33. __ away from: SHIED.

34. Actress McClanahan: RUE.

36. Pickle containers: JARS.  I like gherkins.

37. Often-amusing story: ANECDOTE.  

Sometimes this word is confused with "antidote".

38. Gumbo thickener: OKRA.

39. Hard to come by: RARE.   12 of the RAREst things on Earth (fixed) I have seen #3 at the Honolulu Zoo and I have grown #7 in my garden.

40. Tech replaced by smartphones: PDA.  Personal Digital Assistant

The Golden Age of PDAs was roughly 1992 to 2007.

44. Trousers: SLACKS.

46. Former "All Things Considered" host Michele: NORRIS.  ATC website

I recently read current host Mary Louise Kelly's book, It. Goes. So. Fast. It is mostly about work/life balance but she does tell a few stories about hosting this NPR program.

47. With zeal: AVIDLY.  a good thing

48. Run out, as insurance: LAPSE.  not a good thing

50. Fills fully: SATES.

51. "Kinda": -ISH.

52. Game with grandmasters: CHESS.  

56. River blockers: DAMS.  Here is a 2:30 min. video showing beavers building dams. So cute!!

57. Actress Thurman: UMA.  Here's UMA's dance scene with John Travolta in Pulp Fiction (1994). IMHO, few are in John Travolta's league when it comes to movie dance scenes...Saturday Night Fever, Grease, Urban Cowboy, Pulp Fiction, plus plus.

58. Crafty one: FOX.

60. Mono- kin: UNI-.  Both are prefixes indicating "one".

61. X, at times: TEN.  Roman numeral

The cost of joining the Roman Numeral Society is exactly $499. They wouldn't let me in because I did not have ID.

62. Spy-fi org.: CIA.  

This is the completed grid. I liked that there was a little 'meat' in the SE today.

Now it's time for me to cut out and let you do the talking!

 

 

Notes from C.C.:

I made today's Atlas Obscura "Get So Emotional" puzzle. Click here to solve.

It's edited by Samir Patel, the editor-in-chief of Atlas Obscura.

 

Sunday September 17, 2023 Pam Amick Klawitter

Theme: "Subtraction" - Parse it as Subtract ION.

21A. Court case brought by an upstanding citizen?: CLASS ACT(ION) LAWSUIT.

36A. Parade of lumber workers?: MILL(ION)MAN MARCH.

67A. "More than a million Earths can fit inside the sun," e.g.?: SPACE STAT(ION).

96A. Searching for that one lost shoe after a night on the town, e.g.?: AWKWARD QUEST(ION).

115A. Printer-ready manuscript with a signature?: AUTOGRAPHED EDIT(ION).

14D. Failure to use tact in a delicate situation?: DIPLOMATIC MISS(ION).

45D Much-loved member of a D.C. squad?: MOST FAVORED NAT (ION)

 

We had this same theme a while ago. No surprise about the title repeat, as it's just perfect. 

Have not seen Mike's Sunday byline for a while. He used to be very active when I started solving the L.A. Times crosswords. Pam was also active then.

Across:

1. Face of technology: EMOJI. So wild in WeChat.

6. __ squad: PEP. And 57. Support squad: ALLIES. One more neighbor has joined our fight. She called the cops last Sunday about gunshots from 5501. No idea what happened later. The cops never updated us on who killed the previous 5505 renter two years ago.

9. TV monitor: FCC.

12. Gave up: CEDED.

17. Fathered: SIRED.

18. Shaker fill: SALT.

19. Preppy pullover: POLO.

20. Walled Spanish city: AVILA.

24. Compensate: REPAY.

25. Prince in "Frozen": HANS. The cruel prince.

26. Filmmaker Ephron: NORA.

27. Tall concert instrument: HARP.

28. Be convincing: SELL IT.

29. Barely beat: EDGE.

30. Half of 9-Down: TWO. 9. Twice 30-Across: FOUR. 99. Twice 9-Down: EIGHT.

31. Filmmaker Brooks: MEL.

32. Pacers of the 1970s, e.g.: AMCS.

34. "I See Rainbows" artist Yoko: ONO.

35. Deli choice: RYE.

39. Sign: OMEN.

40. Used (up): ATE.

41. Name on a Chicago cap: SOX. I like A.J. Pierzynski. Colorful guy.

42. Marathoner's asset: STAMINA. Sumdaze!

44. "Gotta go!": I'M LATE.

47. __ one's time: BIDES.

50. Words to live by: TENETS.

52. Since: AS OF.

53. Joan of __: ARC.

55. Silent actors: MIMES.

59. "Miracle on Ice" losing team: Abbr.: USSR.

60. Title said with a curtsy, perhaps: MA'AM.

62. Feed and protect: NURTURE.

64. __-Magnon: CRO.

65. Booking.com quotes: RATES.

69. Florida host of the ReliaQuest Bowl: TAMPA. Unfamiliar to me.

71. "Who's a good boy?" reply: ARF.

72. Frito-Lay puffs: CHEETOS.

74. Drywall support: STUD.

76. Santa Monica landmark: PIER.

77. Yellow Teletubby: LAA LAA.

79. Spread here and there: STREW.

81. __ on the side of caution: ERR. And 89. Badly mistaken: OFF BASE.

82. Phishing fodder: Abbr.: SSNS.

83. Turns inside out: EVERTS.

85. Skating legend Sonja: HENIE. Norwegian.Wikipedia says she was also a big film star.

87. Most fresh: NEWEST.

91. Presidential advisory gp.: NSC.

93. Bro counterpart: SIS. Andy just calls me "Jie", meaning "sis" in Chinese.

94. Civil suit cause: TORT.

100. Gym cushion: MAT.

103. World Cup cheer: OLE.

104. Latin years: ANNI.

105. Home work letters?: DIY. Great clue.

106. Spanish aunt: TIA.

107. Miffed: SORE.

108. Stark patriarch: EDDARD. Ned. "Game of Thrones". Played by Sean Bean.

110. "All of Me" singer Legend: JOHN. And 112. Rapper Snoop __: DOGG.

113. Memo heading: IN RE.

114. "Won't you let me?": CAN'T I.

118. Colorful marble: AGATE.

119. Coll. hotshot: BMOC. Big Man on Campus.

120. Hart of wrestling: BRET. Nicknamed "The Hitman". Boomer knew lots of wresting personalities and their ring names.

121. Tequila plant: AGAVE.

122. Bouquet bit: PETAL.

123. Large primate: APE.

124. Pentagon VIP: GEN.

125. "Twilight" author Stephenie: MEYER. More women: 15. Sitcom friend of Jerry and George: ELAINE. 40. Actress Woodard: ALFRE. 44. "Insecure" creator/star: ISSA RAE. 48. "Out of Africa" writer Isak: DINESEN.

Down:

1. Artist M.C. whose work inspired the art of the game Monument Valley: ESCHER. OK, more men: 4. Williams of "Grey's Anatomy": JESSE. 13. First name in stunts: EVEL. 61. Rhys who plays Perry Mason: MATTHEW.

 

2. Title said with a curtsy, perhaps: MILADY.

3. Apt county for Tangerine, Florida: ORANGE. Interesting trivia.

5. Passports, e.g.: IDS.

6. Makes the rounds: PATROLS.

7. R&B singer __ Mai: ELLA.

8. School support org.: PTA.

10. Ready-made digital graphics: CLIP ART.

11. Camp bed: COT.

12. Gives a hoot: CARES. Oh, I put tights in the bag I mentioned last week. I also have this bag for my fins, kick board, etc.

16. Ohio home of the Wright Brothers: DAYTON.

18. Grouchy look: SCOWL.

19. Song of worship: PSALM.

22. Civil War battle site in Western Maryland: ANTIETAM. Wikipedia says this "remains the bloodiest day in American history, with a combined tally of 22,727 dead, wounded, or missing".

23. Timely question: WHEN.

28. Bagel spread: SCHMEAR. I don't eat cream cheese, can I call my peanut butter "schmear"?

31. Saw: MAXIM.

33. MD-to-be's exam: MCAT.

36. NYC subway org.: MTA.

37. Unruly bunch: MOB.

38. Maintains: ASSERTS.

39. New law student: ONE L.

43. Fjord, e.g.: INLET.

46. Clear data from: ERASE.

49. Aussie flock: EMUS. Scary looking.

51. Snake: SERPENT.

52. Ear-related: AURAL.

54. Superhero wardrobe staples: CAPES.

56. Say aloud: STATE.

58. Heads up: SOARS.

63. Risky maneuver on a busy highway: U-TURN.

66. Frosty accessory: SCARF. We had 89.7 inches of snow last winter. Brutal.

68. Workout focus: CORE.

70. Church niches: APSES.

73. Stetson decor: HATBAND. And  75. Equestrian event: DRESSAGE.

78. Took off: LEFT.

80. Suitable for kite flying, say: WINDY.

84. Like ready-to-use planks: SAWN.

86. Law firm abbr.: ESQ.

88. Cleverness: WIT.

90. Winter Olympics ramp: SKI JUMP.

92. Start carving, as a watermelon: CUT OPEN. Boomer and I used to buy a big watermelon every week in the summer time.

94. Work boot feature: TOECAP.

95. Gerontology focus: OLD AGE.

97. Specialized, committee-wise: AD HOC.

98. Nose adornment: RING.

100. Weekend follower: MONDAY.

101. Make it big: ARRIVE.

102. Have trouble balancing: TEETER.

104. Winter of "Modern Family": ARIEL. Very pretty.

107. Long-lasting battle: SIEGE.

109. Flour for naan and chapati: ATTA.

111. Great Plains people: OTOE.

112. Take a chance: DARE.

115. Atty.'s group: ABA.

116. SCOTUS member from 1993 to 2020: RBG.

117. Lake Mead creator: DAM.

C.C.