Monday May 20, 2024 Max Schlenker

  

Happy Monday, everyone! sumdaze here with a Max Schlenker offering. Max had two LAT puzzles published last year -- a Wednesday and a Thursday. 

Today's theme is:  

Each of the six themed answers begins with a voiced vowel name. Additionally, they appear in alphabetical order. Here they are:

17 Across. Hurdles for British students hoping to attend university: A-LEVEL EXAMS.  Advanced Levels are qualifications in particular subjects that are usually the final academic courses taken before a student attends university.

They were unfamiliar to me but easily sussable after I saw EXAMS on my second lap.

23 Across. App for finding a main squeeze: EHARMONY.  Not an app for buying avocadoes, eHarmony is an on-line dating website launched in 2000. I read that it mainly attracts heterosexual men and women aged 35 to 55 who are currently single and looking to meet (and eventually marry) their soul mate.

Did you meet your SO (Significant Other) on-line? If not, how? DH and I met running. It's a great story for another day.

28 Across. Apple tablet option: IPAD PRO.  It was first introduced in 2015. The newest edition is M4 and is only slightly thicker that the diameter of a pencil-top eraser.

46 Across. National song celebrating "the True North strong and free": O CANADA.  ♪♪

Last week I missed an opportunity to note a CSO to CanadianEh!. This week I am sending her (and all Canadians) not only a CSO but also good wishes for a Happy Victoria Day!

51 Across. Rental option on moving day: U-HAUL VAN.  U-Haul has been serving do-it-yourself movers since 1945. They launched their SuperGraphic program in 1988. Since then, over 250 different images have been created, each one honoring individual states and provinces, and saluting North America's public.  Here's one for Husker-Gary:  

No, that's not me kissing the rhino SuperGraphic.

60. Sex-determining heredity unit: Y CHROMOSOME.  Children learn in school that "Y is sometimes a vowel". (See 48A and 69A for two excellent examples.)

Here's an early look at the grid so you can see the theme-dense construction. The themers are 11-, 8-, 7-, 7-, 8-, and 11-letters. Well done, Max!  

Let's facetiously move on to the other clues and answers. As it turns out, every one of them contains an A, E, I, O, U, or (sometimes) Y.

Across:
1. 20s dispenser: ATM.  twenty dollar bills

Are you seeing $50 bills at ATMs? I guess $20 does not go as far as it once did.

4. See 65-Across: CHEST.     and     65 Across. With 4-Across, storage unit made of fragrant wood: CEDAR.

I used to live in an old ranch house that had CEDAR-lined drawers and closets in the bedroom. I loved it!

9. Apex: ACME.  Companies liked the name back when it appeared near the top of an alphabetical order phone book listing.  

13. Brit's restroom: LOO.

14. "Reading Rainbow" host Burton: LEVAR. (b. Feb. 16, 1967) In 2017 he created and hosted the podcast, LeVar Burton Reads, sometimes described as "Reading Rainbow for adults."  

15. In the boonies: RURAL.

16. 401(k) kin: IRA.  Individual Retirement Account.  

19. Frank and sincere: CANDID.  One definition of CANDID is "marked by honest and sincere expression". Another definition is "relating to photography of subjects acting naturally or spontaneously without being posed." It is that second definition that gave us the alliteratively titled TV show, Candid Camera.  (2:45 min.)

21. Face covering: VEIL.  In the 13th century, VEIL was considered a noun. In the 14th century, people started also using it as a verb.

22. Main squeeze: BAE.  According to 23 Across, you can find one with an app.

25. Bubbly drink: SODA.

27. Military sch. located in "America's Sailing Capital": USNA.  I do like a good trivia clue with an embedded hint! 

The United States Naval Academy is located in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established in 1845. It's motto is Ex Scientia Tridens, which means "Through Knowledge, Sea Power".  more history

31. "Shaun of the Dead" actor Simon: PEGG.  He plays the titular character in this 2004 zombie-themed film.

PEGG is in the foreground.

34. Coal mine carrier: TRAM.  How strong and huge must one be to carry a coal mine? I am reminded of the title of this book:  

36. Bus station: DEPOT.

37. Egg cells: OVA.

38. 1300, in military time: ONE P.M.  

The clock at the USNA only goes to 12.  😜

40. "Thanks a __!": LOT.  Is it just me or does this apology seem insincere?

41. Short-range basketball shot: LAYUP.  Here is a how-to video:  

44. Colorful eye part: IRIS.

45. Low-carb diet: KETO.

48. Agile: SPRY.     and     69 Across. Sneaky: SLY.  

...and sometimes Y

50. Rex Stout's stout sleuth Wolfe: NERO.  IIRC, Splynter has been reading these books lately.

55. Was introduced to: MET.  I wonder if Patti has ever MET a NY MET?

57. Ripped: TORN.

59. Cut in two: CLEAVE.  CLEAVE is one of those Janus words that can also mean its opposite, "to adhere firmly". 

63. Golf target score: PAR.  

64. Multicountry org. based in NYC: THE UN  "New York City" is abbreviated, so is "The United Nations".

66. Celebration at the end of Ramadan, informally: EID.  more info.

67. Goal in the board game Sorry!: HOME.  Great clue! Perhaps this is where the phrase, "Sorry, not sorry," originated.  

Remember the SLIDEs?
If you land on the first space of a SLIDE that is not your color, you get to move all the way to the end of it, bumping any opponents in your way back to their own START spaces.
Sorry!

68. Wails woefully: KEENS.  KEEN as a verb means to lament, mourn, or complain loudly.

Down:
1. Girl who meets the Cheshire Cat: ALICE.  One of my favorite soundtracks is the one for Alice in Wonderland by Danny Elfman (2010).  

2. Holy text in Hebrew: TORAH.

3. Disney film set in Polynesia: MOANA.  Here is the trailer for the 2016 Disney animated film. A live action version (also starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson) will come out in 2026.  

4. Calls dibs on: CLAIMS.  

5. Retained: HELD ON TO.

6. Holiday lead-in: EVE.

7. Practical know-how: SAVVY.  The verb form is an alteration of sabi  (or sabe or sapere) meaning "to know" in Latin-based languages such as Portuguese and Spanish.  

8. Elm or oak: TREE. 

9. "La Cage __ Folles": AUX.

10. Small sour fruit: CRABAPPLE.  Speaking of trees, here is a CRABAPPLE tree.  

11. First word for some babies: MAMA.  

12. "What __ is new?": ELSE.

15. Bring up again, as a web page: RELOAD.  I started with "reopen".

18. Struggle with "s" sounds when speaking: LISP.

20. The "D" of FDA: DRUG.  The Food and Drug Administration is a federal agency in the Department of Health and Human Services.

24. "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" realm: NARNIA.  C.S. Lewis penned this novel in 1950. It is the best known of the seven-novel series.

26. 1950s POTUS: DDE.  Dwight David Eisenhower was the 34th President Of The United States.  The Eisenhower Tunnel is located about 60 miles west of Denver on I-70.

28. Mischievous: IMPISH.

29. Cheer (for): ROOT.  

"Let me ROOT, ROOT, ROOT for the home team."  ♪♪

(It's cute when he eats the pop fly.)

30. Director Preminger: OTTO.  (1905-1986)  his IMDb page

31. Casual top with a collar: POLO.  

32. Relocation in an emergency, for short: EVAC.  EVACuation

33. Song in a Pride event set list: GAY ANTHEM.  This fill crossed O CANADA.

Here is a Spotify list of 50 songs considered to be GAY ANTHEMs. YMCA is on that list but we had that one last Monday. Let's go with a Diana Ross tune....  

I'm Coming Out  (1980)

35. Bubbly prefix: AER-.  It means "air".

39. 1980s maze runner with a red bow: MS. PAC-MAN.  

42. French one: UNE.  

for future reference....

43. Superstar Dolly: PARTON.  Dolly Rebecca Parton was born January 19, 1946 in Pittman Center, TN. She is an American singer-songwriter, actress, and philanthropist, known primarily for her decades-long career in country music. Her website calls her a living legend and who can argue with that? Here is an old clip of Dolly singing Jolene on The Porter Wagner Show in 1973.  

45. "South Park" kid in a green hat: KYLE.  While there technically isn't a town called "South Park" in Colorado, most people consider Fairplay, CO (population 737), located in the South Park National Heritage Area to be the setting for this animated TV series. I used to drive through it on my way to go snowboarding in Breckenridge. 

They have one of those signs where you can put your face in the holes. I did Stan.
L to R:  Kenny, Stan, Kyle, and Eric

47. __ and gloom: DOOM.

49. Focus of some lessons in history class and math class: RULERS.  This was my favorite clue today!  

Human body parts made handy measuring devices before someone invented a standardized rod.  read more

51. "I wish I could __ that!": "My eyes!": UNSEE.  The definition of UNSEE is to erase the image of something from one's memory. It does not have to be a bad thing. For example, once you see Australia this way, you might always think of these images. 

(Is Tasmania is a coughed-up furball? 😀)

52. Flouts a "No Smoking" sign, perhaps: VAPES.  Flout  vs. flaunt:  Flout is to ignore the rules. Flaunt is to show off. Good job, LAT editors!

53. To no __: in vain: AVAIL.  

54. Geeky: NERDY.

55. Legend: MYTH.

56. Empty room sound: ECHO.

58. Boulder: ROCK.

61. Feel remorse over: RUE.

62. Poem in tribute: ODE.

I will sign off with one more vowel giggle....

Sunday May 19, 2024 Amanda Cook

Theme:  "IV Infusion" - IV is added to each theme entry.

22. 10-meter dash?: TRIVIAL RUN. Trial run.

33. Weekend activity for a group of clairvoyant sommeliers?: WINE AND DIVINE. Wine and dine.

46. Autograph on a rare baseball card?: CURSIVE OF THE BAMBINO. Curse of the Bambino.

62. Prayer candle depicting Taylor Swift as a saint?: POPULAR VOTIVE. Popular vote.

80. Excusing friends who secretly planned a surprise party?: FORGIVING AN ALLIANCE. Forging an alliance.

96. Ranking of recipes from most to least appetizing?: SALIVARY SCALE. Salary scale.

109. Turf damage caused by a raucous Czech band?: POLKA DIVOT. Polka dot.

Congrats on Amanda's Sunday debut! We've had quite a few weekday puzzles from her in the past few years.

 

I bet many of you figured out the gimmick just by glancing at the puzzle title, which aptly captures the theme. The key for this type of addition/deletion theme is that the new words share no roots with the original words.

Big "xie xie" for covering for me last Sunday, TTP, you saved me again!

Across:

1. Lullaby opener: HUSH. "Hush, Little Baby".

5. Brewpub assortment: KEGS.

9. Sacred poem: PSALM.

14. Shore recess: COVE.

18. In the know about: ONTO.

19. Disney princess and restaurateur: TIANA. She's from New Orleans. The restaurant is called Tiana's Palace.

20. Expedition: HASTE.

21. Pt. of EMT: EMER.

24. Two trios and a duo: OCTET.

25. Melodic structure of some Indian music: RAGA.

26. Punched metal: TIN.

27. Nine-digit IDs on some W-9s: SSNS.

28. Nabe near NYU: SOHO.

29. Vinyasa series: ASANAS.

31. Game where it's bad to catch a break?: EGG TOSS. Fun clue.

36. Presuppose: ASSUME.

37. Right now: TODAY.

38. Many a dog agility competition: RACE.

39. More chill: MELLOWER.

41. Pet container: CRATE.

43. Stone fruit center: PIT.

49. Succulent spot: SILL.

51. Smidgen: TAD.

52. Smashes into: RAMS.

53. Chip in?: ANTE.

54. Stop making progress: PLATEAU.

57. Language of a haka chant: MAORI. Saw haka dance in person ages ago. Guys slapped their chests so hard and stuck their tongues out.

59. Domed recess: APSE.

61. Pilot's fig.: ALT.

66. Ragdoll or tuxedo: CAT.

69. Durable wood: TEAK.

71. Swell: BULGE.

72. Shows the ropes: MENTORS.

74. Get a lift, but not a Lyft: UBER. Ha.

76. Fender blemish: DENT.
 
77. Scrooge's 9-Down: BAH. 9. "Drat!": PHOOEY.

79. A law __ oneself: UNTO.

87. Tense WNBA periods, for short: OTS.

88. Shadow puppet shapers: HANDS.

89. Bygone big Apples: IMAC PROS. Discontinued in 2021.

90. Doily fabric: LACE.

91. Engages in witty banter: SPARS.

92. Strand at the ski lodge: SNOW IN.

101. Like the Ninja Turtles: TEENAGE.

102. Mercury, but not zinc: PLANET.

103. Soooo many: A LOT.

104. "Auld Lang __": SYNE.

105. "Modern Comfort Food" author Garten: INA. Her voice is comforting.

106. Alleviate: EASE.

107. Word with circle and peace: INNER.

112. Word before a Mass exodus?: AMEN. Smiled at the clue.

113. "Frozen" sauna owner: OAKEN. Learning moment for me.

114. Winter of "Modern Family": ARIEL.

115. Parisian papa: PERE.

116. Photoreceptor cells: RODS.

117. Tree houses: NESTS.

118. Subway Series side: METS. And 99. Subway Series side, familiarly: YANKS.

119. Yemeni port: ADEN.

Down:

1. Drink that may be sweetened with honey: HOT TEA. Going to make myself some Hong Kong Lemon Tea.

 

 

2. Strips of gear, as a ship: UNRIGS.

3. Beekeeper boo-boos: STINGS.

4. Ride-sharing lane: Abbr.: HOV.

5. Ceramics ovens: KILNS.

6. Corn units: EARS.

7. Serengeti antelope: GNU.

8. Japanese honorific: SAN. So I'm C.C. San. And C.C.= 200. And San also means 3 in Japanese. You can just call me 203.

10. Satirist Baron Cohen: SACHA.

11. __ Martin: British sports car: ASTON.

12. 5G precursor: LTE.

13. Info about info: METADATA.

14. Skin care brand: CERAVE. Their best product.

15. Yemeni neighbor: OMANI.

16. Like Gardein products: VEGAN. I did not know "Gardein", a portmanteau of garden and protein.

17. Wipe clean: ERASE.

19. Curtain danglers: TASSELS.

23. Chemical relative: ISOMER.

28. Consume greedily: SNARF.

30. Guard dog's incitement: SIC EM.

32. Din: TUMULT.

33. Amazed: WOWED.

34. Logical prefix: IDEO.

35. Dribs partner: DRABS.

37. "L'Shana __": Rosh Hashanah greeting: TOVA.

40. Like a Christmas tree at night: LIT UP. And 43. Holiday garland embellishment: PINE CONE.

41. One-named flamenco guitarist: CHARO.

42. Transfer payment: REMIT.

44. Defensive take, for short?: INT. Interception.

45. Ballerina's pivot point: TOE.

46. Crashes: CLATTERS.

47. Treasure __: TROVE.

48. __-relief: BAS.

49. Break room?: SPA. I don't get this clue. Never been to a spa. What "break"?

50. Queasy: ILL.

55. Green Power Partnership org.: EPA.

56. Just peachy: AOK.

57. Mediterranean island country: MALTA.

58. 2022 World Cup winner: Abbr.: ARG.

59. Pennsylvania in D.C.: AVE.

60. Back-to-school purchase: PEN.

63. Pipe trap: U BEND.

64. Important organs for a flutist: LUNGS.

65. "Sounds good, man": I'M HIP.

67. Oil production?: ART. Oil painting.

68. Chinese kitchen general: TSO. We should ask Splynter to show off his non-authentic Chinese dishes.

70. Unit of work: ERG.

73. University of Arizona city: TUCSON.

74. ET's ride: UFO.

75. Captcha target: BOT.

76. Greasy spoon: DINER.

77. Lay on, as a horn: BLARE.

78. MLB postseason semifinal: ALCS. American League Championship Series.

81. "__ a dream ... ": I HAVE.

82. Time off: VACATION.

83. Bite playfully: NIP AT.

84. British barrister Clooney: AMAL.

85. North London soccer club: ARSENAL.

86. "It's already taken care of": NO NEED. 

90. Goods with a dedicated closet: LINENS.

91. Looks down on: SCORNS.

93. Didn't enforce: WAIVED.

94. Pretend not to notice, maybe: IGNORE.

95. Declutter: NEATEN.

96. Pointy fishing tool: SPEAR.

97. Memorable Texas landmark: ALAMO.

98. Zapped surgically: LASED.

100. Wintry rain: SLEET.

101. Wee ones: TYKES.

104. Skirt feature: SLIT. Prominent feature of Chinese traditional Qipao.

108. Glasgow no-go: NAE.

109. Actress Dawber: PAM.

110. Mine find: ORE.

111. Hoppy brew letters: IPA.

C.C.

Saturday, May 18, 2024, Parker Higgins

  Themeless Saturday by Parker Higgins

Parker is a Brooklyn-base artist and activist.  This construction has a whopping 101 open squares which makes for a lot of white space with multiple stacks of 9!

The top third of the puzzle had some interesting fill as I did not know EDGE CASES, GIBED (shoulda knowed how to spell it!), DEREN, TROLL (as clued), ESOS, THIRST TRAP and SANSA. I fought my way through and will take only two bad (stupid error) cells and try to make a coherent blog.

Across

1. Results of unpredictable user behavior, perhaps: EDGE CASES. Events that occur only under extreme conditions. An example I saw was sound distortion when a stereo is turned up to max. 

10. Older daughter of Winterfell: SANSA - SANSA Stark from Game Of Thrones. Crosses got it, so no complaints.

15. Unhurried: LEISURELY.

16. Patent __: TROLL.

17. Branch location?: ARBORETUM - Lauritzen Gardens is located in Omaha just above the Missouri River. It has a 100 acre ARBORETUM and has added a $21M conservatory.

18. Did a dress rehearsal: RAN IT. - Places everyone! We'll have an audience tomorrow!

19. Sets (up): TEES.

20. Off-target, in a way: WIDE.

21. Domicile: ABODE.

22. See 27-Across: END and 27. With 22-Across, message before credits: THE 😀

23. __ splicing: GENE - I filled it easily but here is the explanation. Yikes!

24. Many a bridesmaid: SISTER.

25. Tax law pros: CPAS.

26. Mild rebuke: TUT - TUT, TUT, tsk, tsk.

28. Hot shots?: THIRST TRAPS - New to me: A thirst trap is a type of social media post intended to entice viewers sexually. It refers to a viewer's "thirst", a colloquialism likening sexual frustration to dehydration, implying desperation, with the afflicted individual being described as "thirsty" It had to fill itself in.

32. Whole __: HOG.

33. Optimistic: ROSY.

34. English scientist who coined the term "cell" in his 1665 work "Micrographia": HOOKE.

35. Pattern that's often pixelated, for short: CAMO - Can you see the soldier in a  pixelated CAMO uniform on this couch?

36. Singer Garfunkel: ART - The voice of an angel

37. In-person appointments that require an online application?: TINDER DATES - Swipe left or swipe right.

39. See to one's seat, slangily: USH 😀

40. WSW opposite: ENE.

41. "Cut that out!": STOP.

42. Riffing on, online: MEMING.

44. College figs.: GPAS.

45. Knicks spot, briefly: MSG - The third Madison Square Garden was built in 1925 and became the home of the NY Knicks NBA team the year I was born (1946).

48. Flowering plants native to the Mediterranean: ARUMS.

49. Slicks back, maybe: GELS.

50. Fabrication specialist?: LIAR 😀

51. "For the love of good food" cereal brand: KASHI.

52. Dazed: IN A TRANCE.

54. "You should get a cold pack on that sprain": ICE IT.

55. Ingratiatingly friendly: NICEY NICE.

56. Short-tempered: TESTY.

57. Come to one's senses: SEE REASON.


Down:

1. Absolutely delight: ELATE.

2. "Meshes of the Afternoon" director Maya: DEREN - Maya was a Ukrainian-born American experimental filmmaker and an important part of the avant-garde in the 1940's and 1950's. 

3. Called mean names, say: GIBED - My alternate spelling of JIBE didn't work out.

4. Spanish "those": ESOS - ¡Me encantan ESO Cornhuskers! (I love those Cornhuskers!)

5. Mutt: CUR - A flag on the play for me! Many mutts are lovable and not a CUR

6. Defining question?: ARE WE A THING.

7. Unchangeable: SET IN STONE - A favorite poem of mine contradicts this.

8. Get around: ELUDE.

9. Culture writer Rachel: SYME - Okay...

10. Narrow channels: STRAITS.

11. Many Maghrebis: ARABS - The Maghrebi

12. "Anything but!": NO NOT THAT - Sometimes it's just a trick

13. Dirty a plate?: SLIDE HOME 😀 - I got this one right away.

14. Extra lives?: ALTER EGOS - Sometimes when I praised a child at a Parent/Teacher conference, parents would reply they are nothing like that at home.

23. Rte. finder: GPS.

24. One with many good buds: SUPER TASTER - TASTER filled first and eventually SUPER made sense

25. Shout: CRY.

26. Occurs: TAKES PLACE.

28. First responder's pack: TRAUMA KIT.

29. Derby, e.g.: HORSE RACE.

30. Landmasses with two coasts: ISTHMUSES.

31. Dowsing tool: ROD.

35. Limit: CAP.

37. Stretched-ness: TENSITY.

38. Bobs and weaves: DOS.

43. "They got me!": I'M HIT.

44. "Aladdin" figure: GENIE - This Jeannie was told by NBC to keep her belly button hidden, but her high waisted pants sometimes slipped but no one said anything.

45. "The Italian Job" vehicles: MINIS - The MINI Coopers were a big part of this heist film

46. Anarchist convicted with Vanzetti in a 1921 murder trial: SACCO.

47. Not yet ripe, maybe: GREEN.

49. Stirs (up): GINS - Agents are constantly trying to GIN UP interest in their clients for them to get hired. Definition and several etymologies 

50. "Summertime Sadness" singer Del Rey: LANA.

53. Pastrami bread: RYE.