Tuesday, March 19, 2024 Adrian Johnson & Taylor Johnson

The Screaming Meemies!  The word Me is found at the end of one word, and then immediately Repeated again at the beginning of the next word.

17-Across. Permanent patrons: LIFETIME MEMBERS.

23-Across. Line at zero degrees longitude: PRIME MERIDIAN.

44-Across. Drastic actions: EXTREME MEASURES.

And the unifier:

51. "I'll say it again," and what 17-, 23-, and 44-Across literally do?: LET ME REPEAT.

Across:

1. Pose a question: ASK.

4. "__! Humbug!": BAH.

7. Word before brow or blow: LOW.

10. Cal. neighbor: ORE.  Oregon is just north of California.

13. 1950s prez: IKE.  [Name # 1.]  Dwight David Eisenhower (Oct. 14, 1890 ~ Mar. 28, 2969) served as the 34th President of the United States.  He served two terms from January 1953 until January 1961.

14. "My mind is blown!": I'M IN AWE.

16. Guinea pig or teacup pig: PET.

20. "Say cheese!": SMILE.

21. In vitro cells: OVA.  Today's Latin lesson.

22. Impressive spread: ARRAY.

An Impressive Array of Spices in the Old Market in Jerusalem.

26. Ray gun sound: ZAP.

27. Green vegetable in samosas: PEA.  Samosa are fried South Asian pastries with a savory filling, that often includes peas as well as other ingredients, such as spiced potatoes, onions, meat, or fish.

28. Nightclub: CABARET.

32. Uses a buddy system: PAIRS UP.

36. "Beef" Emmy winner Wong: ALI.  Ali Wong (née Alexandra Dawn Wong; b. Apr. 19, 1982) has recently become a frequent guest in the puzzles.  She is probably best known as being an X-rated stand-up comic.  [Name # 2.]

37. Florida home of the Ernest Hemingway House: KEY WEST.  You can visit Hemingway's home, complete with his six-toed cats, any day from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.  [Name adjacent.]

39. Con's opposite: PRO.

40. Text status: READ.

42. Avocado center: PIT.

43. Iced dessert: CAKE.

49. Hummus ingredient: TAHINI.  Tahini is a Middle-Eastern condiment that is made from toasted ground sesame seeds.  

50. Entirely: PURELY.

55. Raised, as livestock: BRED.

57. Poker declaration: I CALL.

58. Bits of advice: TIPS.

61. Glissade garb: TUTU.

62. Valparaíso's country: CHILE.  Valparaíso is a port city on Chile’s coast. It's known for its steep funiculars and colorful, clifftop homes.  It's a 14.5 hour flight from my home.

63. Sandwich cookie: OREO.  A crossword staple.

64. Mourn, maybe: WEEP.

65. Shoe bottoms: SOLES.

66. Rip apart: REND.

Down:

1. Isn't 100%: AILS.

2. Pinch pennies: SKIMP.

3. Fermented milk drink: KEFIR.  Everything you wanted to know about kefir but didn't know to ask.

4. Evidence of a vampire attack: BITE MARK.

5. French friend: AMI.  A French boy friend.

6. Shoutout to a parent: HI, MOM!

7. Quarterback Jackson who was the NFL's MVP in 2019 and 2023: LAMAR.  Lamar Demeatrice Jackson Jr. (b. January 7, 1997) plays for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. [Name # 3.]

8. Carry a balance: OWE.

9. Cry at the end of a long road trip: WE MADE IT!

10. "The Phantom of the __": OPERA.  The Phantom of the Opera is a 1910 novel by Gaston Leroux (né Gaston Louis Alfred Leroux; May 6, 1868 ~ Apr. 15, 1927).  It was later made into a musical.

11. Aired again: RERAN.

12. Crafts website: ETSY.

15. "Scream" star Campbell: NEVE.  Neve Adrianne Campbell (b. Oct. 3, 1973) is a Canadian actress best known for her portrayal in horror films.  [Name # 4.]

18. Schuyler sister who married Alexander Hamilton: ELIZA.  Eliza Schuyler (Aug. 9, 1757 ~ Nov. 9, 1854) married Alexander Hamilton (1750s ~ July 12, 1804) in 1780.  He was killed in a duel in his late 40s.  She never remarried and lived until age 97.  [Name # 5.]

19. Prickly shrub: BRIAR.

24. Fencing blade: ÉPÉE.  A crossword staple.

25. Some hoppy brews, briefly: IPAs.  This beverage appears often in the puzzles.  In fact, I provided the history of the brew just last week.

28. "Insert this" symbol: CARET.

29. Name often said in a smart home: ALEXA.  Everything you wanted to know about Amazon Alexa but didn't know to ask.  Alexa appeared in yesterday's puzzle, too.  [Name adjacent.]

30. Winter Olympian with a rifle: BIATHLETE.  A Biathlete competes in a biathlon, which is a winter sport that combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting.

31. Do some screen writing?: TYPE.  Cute clue.

32. Tennis great Sampras: PETE.  Pete Sampras (b. Aug. 12, 1971) is an American is considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time.  [Name #6.]

33. Attachment on the back of a Jeep: SPARE TIRE.

34. "Did I do that?" TV nerd: URKEL.  A reference to a 1990s television sit-com.  [Name # 7, fictional.]

35. Sonnets, odes, and the like: POESY.   The difference between a poem and a poesy.

38. "Buena Vista Social Club" director Wenders: WIM.  Wim Wenders (né Ernst Wilhelm Wenders; b. Aug. 14, 1945) is a German filmmaker.  Some of his other films include Paris, Texas, which starred Harry Dean Stanton and Nastassja Kinski, and Wings of Desire.   [Name # 7.]

41. Evaporated: DRIED UP.

43. Art collection custodian: CURATOR.

45. Tonsillitis doc: ENT.  As in an Ear Nose Throat doctor.

46. Copies: MIMICS.

47. Genius Bar computers: APPLES.

48. Bring legal action against: SUE.

52. Sound that rebounds: ECHO.  Hi, Charlie!

53. Banister: RAIL.

54. French fashion magazine: ELLE.

November 1945 issue

55. "Just so you know" shorthand: BTW.  Textspeak for By The Way.

56. Deeply regret: RUE.  Also the French word for Street.

Street signs in Lafayette, Louisiana.

59. Bic product: PEN.  These were the pens of choice when I was in junior high school.

60. Landscaping roll: SOD.

Here's the Grid:

חתולה

Monday March 18, 2024 Mary Crane

  

Theme:        

Happy Monday, everyone! sumdaze here with a fresh and fun puzzle idea from Mary Crane. As far as I can tell, this is a debut for Mary at the LA Times. (Her NY Times debut was last July.) Congratulations, Mary!

Unfortunately, your puzzle fell on a Monday and this Monday blogger is not a fan of MAYOnnaise. I avoid all of your themed foods. Nevertheless, I am a fan of your puzzle! Well done!

The four themed answers all feature mayonnaise (a.k.a. MAYO) as a prominent ingredient:

17 Across. Hors d'oeuvre often seasoned with paprika: DEVILED EGG.

28 Across. Picnic side dish: POTATO SALAD.

36 Across. Creamy dip for buffalo wings: RANCH DRESSING.

43 Across. New England seafood sandwich: LOBSTER ROLL.

And the reveal:

59 Across. Minnesota medical center, or where one might learn how to prepare 17-, 28-, 36-, and 43-Across?: MAYO CLINIC.  The Mayo Clinic is the largest integrated, not-for-profit medical group practice in the world.

The themed clues were straightforward and without wordplay. However, revealing MAYO CLINIC as an instructional class on how to prepare recipes which contain MAYOnnaise was a delightful spin! I only wonder how Mary managed to leave out XWD favorite "aioli".

The other clues:

Across:
1. Gave a darn: CARED.  

6. Personal bearing: MIEN.  Def.:  a person's look or manner, especially one of a particular kind indicating their character or mood.

MIEN likely came to English from a French word meaning "expression".

BTW, mein is a German possessive pronoun meaning "my".

10. Spongy earth: MIRE.

14. __ and kicking: ALIVE.  

15. Like a quaint shoppe: OLDE.  

16. Unknown author, for short: ANON.  

Destiny's Child  ~  Say My Name  (1999)

19. Looped in, on email: CC-ED.  I liked how this was an almost-reflection across the black square.  

See the full grid below.

20. Corp. VIP: EXEC.  "Corporation" and "Very Important Person" are abbreviated, so is "EXECutive".

21. Quite: VERY.  Our constructor Mary is quite clever.

22. Infant's cry: WAH.

23. Skin pictures: TATTOOS.

"A rad little tidbit you may not know, the word “tattoo” actually comes from the Samoan word "tatau" which was an onomatopoeia for the sounds that were made when turtle shells tapped boar's teeth loaded with ink into the flesh. Now you know."  source

25. Calm and dignified: SEDATE.  

Ramones  ~  I Wanna Be Sedated  (1978)

I've heard this song in my head during the last eight miles of every marathon I've ran.

31. Double-reed woodwind: OBOE.

34. Charged particle: ION.

35. Helena's st.: MONT.  

where you can see Canada from your front porch

40. __ mater: ALMA.

41. "__ moved on": I'VE.  ...and so should you.

42. Parrot in Disney's "Aladdin": IAGO.  He was voiced by Gilbert Gottfried in the 1992 movie. (Robin Williams voiced the genie in the lamp.)

47. Securities backed by the govt.: T-NOTES.  Since we are in tax season, I will remind you that interest income from U.S. Treasury bills, notes, and bonds is subject to federal income tax but is exempt from all state and local taxes. Make sure to subtract this income from your state returns!  IRS site

48. Fought: BATTLED.

53. Raw mineral in a mine: ORE.

54. Supermarket area with fresh cheeses: DELI.  This was a fresh take on an old staple ... and a possible Easter egg. What do you think, C-Eh! ?

56. Hitchhiker's hope: RIDE.  Remember your towel! After all, it "is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have."

57. Foggy state: HAZE.

61. Scat legend Fitzgerald: ELLA.

62. Brick __ pizza: OVEN.  

63. Tiny spot: SPECK.  

64. Overly compliant: MEEK.

65. Floating ice chunk: BERG.  

66. Auto body blemishes: DENTS.  

This is what hail can do to cars in Colorado.

Down:

1. Military academy enrollee: CADET.  

2. Name said to activate an Amazon Echo Dot: ALEXA.  

3. Fastener in a girder: RIVET.  

4. Kick out: EVICT.

5. Oscar winner Benicio __ Toro: DEL.  He won for Traffic (2002).

6. Not showy: MODEST.

7. Actor Robert who hosts the podcast "Not Today, Pal" with former co-star Jamie-Lynn Sigler: ILER.  ESP. The extra-long clue makes me think nobody expected us to know this one.

8. Envelope-pushing: EDGY.  It's a peculiar saying because what could be less hip than an envelope?  

9. Opposite of pos.: NEG.  

10. Expensive nut from Hawaii: MACADAMIA.  So 'ono ("delicious" in Hawaiian)!

11. Advance slowly: INCH ALONG.  Def.:  to move by small degrees.  

12. Fish-to-be: ROE.  I loved this sushi-less angle!

13. Conclude: END.

18. Sauteing acronym: EVOO.  Rachael Ray fans know this is Extra Virgin Olive Oil.  

She usually says, "Add a tablespoon of EVOO," as she pours in half a cup.

22. Director Craven: WES.  He's one of my FAVs ... oh, wait, NO! WES Anderson is one of my FAVs. Oh well, it all worked out in the end.

24. Oil cartel acronym: OPEC.  Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries

25. "The Brady Bunch" trio: SONS.  I got this one with a little "more than a hunch". 🎵

26. Dance that takes two: TANGO.  

27. NYC summer hrs.: EDT. New York City summer HouRS are Eastern Daylight Time.

29. TV station, e.g.: AIRER.     and     55 Down. Watchful sort: EYER.  These two feel a bit too crosswordese to me (more common in crosswords than in language).

30. Shoe front: TOE.

31. Wrinkle-resistant synthetic fabric: ORLON.  DuPont created the first acrylic fibers in 1941 and trademarked them under the name ORLON. It was first developed in the mid-1940s but was not produced in large quantities until the 1950s.

32. Hoodwink: BAMBOOZLE.  I'm going to take this opportunity to share a song I love:  Red is Blue by Ben Folds from the animated movie Hoodwinked (2005). The film is a Little Red Riding Hood derivative.  

33. Winning game after game: ON A STREAK.  Awesome fill!

37. Makes haste: HIES.  Sure thing, Willy Shakes.

38. Binge-watcher's device: DVR.

39. River sediment: SILT.

40. PC key near the space bar: ALT.

44. Casual shirt: TEE.

45. Like a kiwi: OBLONG.  An OBLONG is a shape that is longer than it is wide. We can get pedantic about weather or not "roundness" is a requirement and 2D vs. 3D. In the end, I think we knew what the constructor was going for.  

(l to r)  kiwi bird, kiwi fruit, Kiwi actor Jemaine Clement

46. Not of the clergy: LAIC.

49. Utter nonsense: TRIPE.  

50. Lightweight fabric: LINEN.

51. Formal decree: EDICT.

52. Cruise ship levels: DECKS.  

Julie, Doc, Gopher, and Isaac will meet you here.

54. Singer Grohl who founded the Foo Fighters: DAVE.  This is Dave on vocals and guitar in Best of You (2005).  

57. __ and haw: HEM.  To HEM and haw is to hesitate, to be indecisive.  

Homer, hemming & HAWing

58. Hoppy beer: ALE.

59. Disorderly crowd: MOB.

60. 1960s hallucinogen, for short: LSD.

That's a wrap for today. I think I'll go make a sandwich....

Sunday March 17, 2024 Doug Peterson

Theme: "County Fair" - Each common phrase contains an Irish county.

23. Subway request: HOLD THE MAYO.

33. Light verse best not shared with kids: DIRTY LIMERICK.

53. Actress who plays Anita Hill in the HBO film "Confirmation": KERRY WASHINGTON.

67. New Year's Eve popper: CHAMPAGNE CORK.

91. "C'mon, live a little": LET YOUR HAIR DOWN.

102. Italian saint who founded a Franciscan religious order: CLARE OF ASSISI.

120. Matinee idol of the 1930s and 1940s: TYRONE POWER.

A perfect puzzle for our Irish Miss and Steve Marron. Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I'm not familiar with County Down or County Tyrone, but any puzzle by Doug Peterson is a treat. His grids, including Saturdays, are always super clean and smooth. Doug is also a super solver. This pic is from ACPT 2008.

Doug Peterson & Will Shortz

Across:

1. Ancient fabulist: AESOP. Also a pricey soap brand.

6. Pesky insects: GNATS.

11. Shelter org.: SPCA.

15. __ capsule: TIME.

19. Set of beliefs: CREDO.

20. Betray, in a way: RAT ON. I know OMERTA.

21. Chalky powder: TALC.

22. Make muddy: ROIL.

25. Bibliography abbr.: ET AL.

26. Roadside retreats: INNS.

27. Club music genre, familiarly: EDM. Electronic Dance Music.

28. "We can seat you now" buzzer: PAGER. Pagers were very popular when I was in college. We only had one phone in school building.

29. "Funny, right?": GET IT.

30. Travel document: VISA.

31. Beach town atmosphere: SEA AIR.

37. Geek (out): NERD.

39. Unit of resistance: OHM.

40. Travelers' gp. with annual dues: AAA.

41. Vehicle in many a Jack London story: SLED.

44. Filling station number: OCTANE.

47. Unbelievably impressive: SCARY GOOD. Great fill.

56. "I Can't Drive 55" singer Hagar: SAMMY.

57. "Until we meet again, chérie": ADIEU.

58. Drought relief: RAIN.

59. Elizabeth's role in Marvel movies: WANDA. Elizabeth Olsen. Wanda Maximoff, the Scarlet Witch.

61. Leonine feature: MANE.

62. Like a small vineyard, perhaps: TEN-ACRE.

64. Clothing pioneer Strauss: LEVI.

65. Sign-on need: USER ID.

72. Like a live fumble: IN PLAY.

76. "What __ is new?": ELSE.

77. Hind site?: TAIL END. So many fun clues in this puzzle:  113. Kick starters?: FEET. 112. Santa Fe foursome: TIRES. 121. Passing remark?: YEA.

82. Editor's "Lose this": DELE.

83. "Open wide!": SAY AH.

85. Shopper's reference: LIST.

88. Revved up: EAGER.

89. Pixel pattern: IMAGE.

94. Stagnate: GO NOWHERE.

96. Refuse to be associated with: DISOWN. 109. Refuse to yield: INSIST.

97. "Which __ say ... ": IS TO.

98. Bud visitor: BEE.

99. Dowel: PEG.

100. Hand sanitizer ingredient: ALOE.

114. __ apso: LHASA.

115. Browning spots: OVENS.

117. Non opposite: OUI.

118. Driver of many trailers: ADAM. Adam Drive the actor.

119. Recover from a run: PANT. Oh guys, my 25-meter freestyle record is now 30 seconds. It was 35 seconds last December. Butterfly is still a mess. I'm in the stage between butterwhy and buttercry.

123. Arizona landform: MESA.

124. "Laugh-In" comedian Johnson: ARTE.

125. Tackle again: RE-TRY.

126. Sidestep: EVADE.

127. Elysian locale: EDEN.

128. Cherished: DEAR.

129. Cinch of a course: EASY A.

130. December candy shapes: CANES.

Down:

1. Is tender: ACHES.

2. Slowly cut into: ERODE.

3. One of Marge Simpson's sisters: SELMA.

4. Somewhat strange: ODD.

5. Course with a crust: POTPIE.

6. Hall of Fame pitcher Maddux: GREG. We used to have a ton of his cards.

7. Known as: NAMED.

8. Gaming trailblazer: ATARI.

9. 75-Down, e.g.: TOY. 75. Figure included in the Gotham City Cycle Chase set: LEGO BATMAN.

10. __-Cat: winter vehicle: SNO.

11. Girder alloy: STEEL.

12. Soul icon LaBelle: PATTI.

13. Insurance filing: CLAIM.

14. Knee injury common among athletes: ACL TEAR. And 15. Pub entertainment with a host: TRIVIA GAME. Doug is terrific themeless constructor.

16. Like some bonds: IONIC.

17. Belarus capital: MINSK.

18. Disney character loosely inspired by "The Snow Queen": ELSA.

24. Soil-loosening implement: HARROW.

29. Athletic center: GYM.

32. Tenor Bocelli: ANDREA.

34. Samurai without a lord: RONIN.  浪人. Literally "wanderer".  Same in Chinese.

35. In those days: THEN.

36. Sunshine, slangily: RAYS.

38. Region with many Commanders fans, briefly: DC AREA.

41. Card game in which 10s score higher than kings and queens: SKAT.

42. News article intro: LEDE.

43. "__ go bragh!": ERIN.

45. Airport security org.: TSA.

46. Sushi tuna: AHI.

47. Barrel strip: STAVE.

48. Like some water cooler cups: CONIC.

49. Plus: AND.

50. Ilhan of Congress: OMAR. The 5th district. I live in the 3rd district.

51. Luxury hotel chain headquartered in Dallas: OMNI.

52. Recolored: DYED.

54. Desert plant in the asparagus family: YUCCA.

55. "The Sweet Escape" singer Stefani: GWEN.

60. Paranormal vibe: AURA.

63. "House of the Dragon" actor Ifans: RHYS.

64. Shirt size abbr.: LGE.

66. Slalom competitor: SKIER.

68. __ lemon: citrus hybrid: MEYER.

69. Dish: PLATE.

70. Pallid: ASHY.

71. Capital west of Montreal: OTTAWA.

72. "Yeah, man": I DIG.

73. Pixar clownfish: NEMO.

74. Course of action: PLAN.

78. Part of LPGA: LADIES.

79. Swelled heads: EGOS.

80. Semiaquatic salamander: NEWT.

81. 007's first film foe: DR NO.

84. Flagon beer: ALE.

85. Video game brother: LUIGI. The Mario Brothers.

86. Org. with auditors: IRS.

87. "Dexter: New Blood" airer, for short: SHO.

90. Still-life jug: EWER.

92. "To a ... " poems: ODES.

93. Waiting to buy tickets, say: IN LINE. Boomer and I used to stand in line for over 4 hours to get those Twins bobbleheads. He loved those activities. He could talk up a storm with anyone.

95. Shoe insert: HEEL PAD.

99. Educational ad: PSA.

101. Unsolicited, as a manuscript: ON SPEC.

102. Relinquished: CEDED.

103. Charter: LEASE.

104. Chicago airport: O'HARE.

105. Soda with a Piña Colada flavor: FANTA.

106. Autumn blossom: ASTER.

107. Classifies: SORTS.

108. Off-white shade: IVORY.

110. Sioux City resident: IOWAN.

111. Upholstery choice: SUEDE.

113. Struggling actor's dream: FAME.

116. Singer born in County Donegal: ENYA. One more county reference.

120. Uno + due: TRE.

122. Reproductive cells: OVA.

C.C.