Tuesday September 10, 2024 Lisa Senzel and Katie Hale

Get Off the Phone!  Fun things to do with your phone when you could/should be interacting in person with family and friends.  

19-Across. *   Shortened version of a book: ABRIDGED TEXT.

39-Across. *   Light, friendly punch: LOVE TAP.

13-Down. *   Hunter's lure for a game bird: TURKEY CALL.

24-Down. *   Narrative art form that's often read right to left: HAND SCROLL.

And the unifier:

57-Across. Mouthed words that can also be said while doing the ends of the answers to the starred clues?: I'M ON THE PHONE.

Across:

1. Mac: BUB.  Male nicknames.

4. Borrower's accumulation: DEBT.

8.  Spending limit: CAP.  See the cartoon above.

11. Like an angle between 90^o and 180^o:   OBTUSE.  Today's Math lesson. 

14. Laundry pile emanation: ODOR.

15. Like antiques: OLD.

16. Working cat: MOUSER.

17. Removes, as whiteboard marks: WIPES OFF.  //  And 42-Across. Remove, as whiteboard marks: ERASE.

21. Zen garden tool: RAKE.

22. Nasdaq rival: NYSE.  Nasdaq = National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations and NYSE = New York Stock Exchange.  Both are is a global electronic marketplace for buying and selling securities. 

23. Cries of realization: AHAs!

27. Goofed: ERRED.

30. Malleable: PLIANT.

32. "Gangnam Style" rapper: PSY.  Gangnam Style was big when it came out about a decade ago.  How Park Jae-Sang (b. Dec. 31, 1977) became Psy.  [Name # 1.]

34. Mideast leaders: EMIRs.  A crossword staple.

37. Photographer Leibovitz: ANNIE.  Annie Leibovitz (née Anna-Lou Leibovitz; b. Oct. 2, 1949) is best known for her iconic portraits of the rich and famous.  [Name # 2.]

38. Legendary pro wrestler Flair: RIC.  Ric Flair (né Richard Morgan Fliehr; b. Feb. 25, 1949) had a wrestling career for over 50 years!  I don't think Annie Leibovitz ever took his portrait.  [Name # 3.]

41. Issuer of Real ID cards: DMV.  The Department of Motor Vehicles issues Real ID on driver's licenses.

44. Dodge: EVADE.

45. Set eyes on: SEE.

46. Frozen Italian desserts: GELATI.  Today's Italian lesson.  It's the plural of Gelato.  What's the difference between Gelato and Ice Cream?

48. Artifact: RELIC.

50. Part of SRO: ONLY.  As in Standing Room Only.

51. Hockey puck, e.g.: DISC.  How the Hockey puck got its name.

54. Walked: TROD.

61. Business card info: JOB TITLE.

64. Louise's film partner: THELMA.  We saw Thelma and Louise in a recent puzzle.  [Names 4 and 5, fictional.]

65. Amazement: AWE.

66. Sudsy bar: SOAP.

67. Cultivated, as soil: TILLED.

68. Teensy: WEE.

69. Some AAA rescues: TOWS.

70. Swiss peak: ALP.

Down:
1. More hectic: BUSIER.

2. Pre-owned: USED.

3. Floating chunk of ice: BERG.

Floating chunks of ice in the Iceland's Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon

4. Wearing frumpy clothes: DOWDY.

5. Prepares for publication: EDITS.

6. Nursery rhyme girl whose sheep go missing: BO PEEP.  Did you know that the poem had two verses? [Name # 6, fictional.]

Little Bo Peep has lost her sheep / And can't tell where to find them / Leave them alone and they will come home / Wagging their tails behind them.

Little Bo Peep fell fast asleep / And dreamt she heard them bleating / But when she awoke, she found it a joke / For they were all still fleeting.

7. Fearsome dino: T-REX.

 Not so fearsome now, are you T-Rex?

8. Dovecote sound: COO.

9. Furry 1980s sitcom star: ALF.  The critter on this sit-com was called ALF because it stood for Alien Life Form.  [Name # 7, fictional.]

10. Scanner output, often: PDF.  As in Portable Document Format.

11. Actor Sharif: OMAR.  Omar Sharif (Apr. 10, 1932 ~ July 10, 2015) was an Egyptian actor.  His birth name was Michel Yusef Dimitri Chalhoub.  He changed his name to Omar Sharif when he began his film career.  [Name # 8.]

Omar Sharif as Doctor Zhivago.

12. Son of Jango Fett, in "Star Wars": BOBA.  I didn't see some of the later Star Wars films, so am not familiar with the Fett Family.  [Name # 9, fictional.]

18. Deck application: STAIN.  According to this video, staining a deck is a great weekend project.

20. Radicchio relative: ENDIVE.

25. Japanese cartoon genre: ANIME.

26. Carell of "Despicable Me": STEVE.  Steve Carell (né Steven John Carell; b. Aug. 16, 1962) was also the boss on the American version of The Office.   He was the voice of Gru in the Despicable Me movies.  [Name # 10.]

28. Rented anew: RELET.

29. Angsty genre: EMO.  A crossword staple.

31. Boutonniere spot: LAPEL.

32. Ragú rival: PREGO.  Both are bottled pasta sauces.

33. Fire engine noisemaker: SIREN.

35. Crank (up): REV.

36. Carb in rice and potatoes: STARCH.

40. Fruit drink suffix: -ADE.  And a shout out to our very own Lemonade.

43. "__ isn't so!": SAY IT.

47. "Samesies!": I DO, TOO!

49. Computer support, for short: IT HELP.  As in Information Technology Technician.

52. Relative by marriage: IN-LAW.

53. Instruction manual units: STEPS.

55. Treater's words: ON ME.

56. Out of battery power: DEAD.

58. Very light rain: MIST.

59. "Stormy Weather" singer James: ETTA.  Etta James (née Jamesetta Hawkins; Jan. 25, 1938 ~ Jan 20, 1912) makes frequent guest appearances in the crossword puzzles.  This was a good clue to follow the light rain.  [Name # 11.]

60. "The Amazing Race" host Keoghan: PHIL.  Although he is a New Zealander, Phil Keoghan (né Philip John Keoghan; b. May 31, 1967) is best known for hosting the American version of The Amazing Race.  [Name # 12.]

61. Moose __, Saskatchewan: JAW.  Moose Jaw is the 4th largest city in Saskatchewan.  Can you name the top 3 cities in that Province? *

62. Have bills to pay: OWE.

63. Spelling contest: BEE.

Here's the Grid:

*  Saskatoon, Regina, and Prince Albert.

חתולה

Monday September 9, 2024 Sala Wanetick and Emily Biegas

  

Happy Monday, everyone! sumdaze here. Today we have DOUBLE the fun from collaborators Sala Wanetick and Emily Biegas. This is their fourth LA Times puzzle.

Theme:  

Each of the starred clues consists of two words such that the word PARK can be placed after each word to give a new concept. One might say the result is a DOUBLE PARK. Let's take a look:

16 Across. *DieHard product: CAR BATTERY.  

DieHard is a CAR BATTERY brand, not to be confused with the 1988 Bruce Willis film, Die Hard.
CAR PARK is Britspeak for "parking lot".
BATTERY PARK ( a.k.a. "The Battery") is a 25-acre public park located at the southern tip of Manhattan Island in New York City. It faces New York Harbor.

23 Across. *Presence in a pet-friendly workplace: OFFICE DOG.  

On the left is an OFFICE DOG hard at work.
An OFFICE PARK is an area where a number of office buildings are built together on landscaped grounds.
On the right is my dog, Meadow, exploring a DOG PARK when we lived in Colorado.

32 Across. *Los Angeles neighborhood in many John Singleton films: SOUTH CENTRAL.

Unknown to me but a few perps made it easily sussable. This is JS's IMDb page. We have some Cornerites from L.A. Perhaps they can tell us some of the area's better-known landmarks.  

On the left is a map of SOUTH CENTRAL Los Angeles.
SOUTH PARK is an animated TV show that first aired in 1997. It is still running and has been renewed through 2027.
New York's CENTRAL PARK is a world-famous public park, created in 1858 to address the recreational needs of a rapidly growing city. It was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux.

44 Across. *University in Muncie, Indiana: BALL STATE.

Again, not on my RADAR; but once I clocked the theme, it fell into place.  

BALL STATE University was founded in 1918.
A BALLPARK is a stadium where ball games are played. It is also a range given in an estimate.
The photo on the left is of Tahquamenon Falls STATE PARK, located in YooperPhil's neck of the woods.

Here is the unifier:

52. Leave one's vehicle in a traffic lane, and an apt description of the answers to the starred clues: DOUBLE-PARK.  This means to park one's vehicle beside a row of vehicles already parked parallel to the curb. The FedEx truck is DOUBLE-PARKed in the picture below.  

Here are the remaining clues:

Across:

1. Roof spots for holiday lights: EAVES.  Martha May Who (Christine Baranski) has the perfect tool for this job. (2 min.)  

How the Grinch Stole Christmas  (2000)

BTW, that is Molly Shannon playing Betty Lou Who.

6. Trims, as grass: MOWS.

10. Highs: UPS.  think "moods"

13. Swindler's accomplice: SHILL.  This is a person who acts as a decoy for a gambler or pitchman so bystanders (prey) are more apt to believe the con.

14. Milky birthstone: OPAL.

15. "The baby is sleeping!": SHH....

18. __ culpa: MEA.  Forgive me if I am repeating myself. "MEA culpa" is a noun which comes to us from Latin meaning, "through my fault".

19. Sinks, as an easy putt: TAPS IN.  

I think this usually refers to a golf ball -- not an alligator!

20. Vampire tooth: FANG.  Here's a quick clip of Vincent Price with Kermit the Frog.  

21. Debtor's letters: IOU.

26. Muzzles: SNOUTS.

29. Learning institution: ACADEMY.

30. Soccer superstar Lionel: MESSI.  Lionel Andrés "Leo" Messi (b. June 24, 1987) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for and captains both the Major League Soccer club Inter Miami and the Argentina national team.  

31. Drippy ice cream choice: CONE.     and     43 Across. Thawed: MELTED.  

37. Et __: and others: ALIA.  The Latin phrase, et alia means "and others".  I was surprised to read Merriam-Webster's entry saying its first known use in English was in 1953.

38. Exposed: BARED.  

40. Lavish: OPULENT.  This would not be a good adjective to describe 20-Down. On the other hand, it fits another crossword favorite, Art Deco.  

46. Nickname of the 34th president: IKE.     and     39 Down. Initials of the 34th president: DDE.

47. Disability Pride Month: JULY.  

48. Keyboard instruments: PIANOS.

51. Stately tree: ELM.

56. Sch. whose alumni include Anthony Bourdain and Roy Choi: CIA.  Both are chefs who attended the Culinary Institute of America. Click here to see about making a reservation at a CIA restaurant.

57. Competent: ABLE.

58. Muppet who sings to his rubber duckie: ERNIE.

59. Full complement of players, in men's lacrosse: TEN.  ESP. I am at a loss when it comes to lacrosse. 😜 I did not even know the clue was asking for a number.

60. Kitchen protector: MITT.  

61. High-end hair dryer manufacturer: DYSON.  "High-end" indeed. Their supersonic hair dryers run from $430 to $600.

Down:

1. Key for exiting full-screen mode: ESC.

2. "I've got it!": AHA.

3. Accomplished musician: VIRTUOSO.     and     11 Down. Young sensation: PHENOM.

A VIRTUOSO excels at the technique of an art. A PHENOM is a young person of phenomenal ability or promise. Mozart was both. Here is Rondo Alla Turca (Turkish March) played on a 48-Across.  

4. "Zootopia" voice actor Idris: ELBA.  He voiced Chief Bogo in this 2016 animated film.

Hi Lucina!

5. High-five sound: SLAP.  

Maverick and Goose  ~  Top Gun ~  1986

6. Repeating design: MOTIF.  This explains it better than I can.

7. Like some sandwiches: OPEN FACE.  They do not have tops. Use your napkin.

8. Two-person card game: WAR.

9. Probably plotting: SLY.  cute

10. Sporting a union label, perhaps: U.S. MADE.  Did anyone else think of these TV commercials from the late 70s/early80s ?

12. Like the coats of most sheepdogs: SHAGGY.  

Underneath all that hair, Old English Sheepdogs weigh 60-100 lbs.

17. General __ chicken: TSOS.  I think my neighbor might be cooking this tonight. Something smells good!

20. Architectural style that flourished after the American Revolution: FEDERAL.  I am linking an article from This Old House plus information on the Hamilton Grange National Monument (as in "Alexander Hamilton").  

Geometrical designs are a common 6-Down of the FEDERAL style.

21. Ideological suffix: -ISM.

22. Singles: ONES.  dollars

24. Symbol: ICON.

25. "No way": CAN'T BE.  Or can it?

27. Most of the time: USUALLY.  

28. Filmography list: TITLES.  You can find these on the IMDb website.

33. Clue: HINT.  I had the "H" so I entered "Help" which did not help with the SW (my trickiest area today).

34. Boulder-hurling weapon: CATAPULT.  Poor Wile E.! He forgot to read the fine print. (2:30 min.)

35. Craftspeople: ARTISANS.  You can find these on the Etsy website.

36. Chive kin: LEEK.  I like to put cooked LEEKs on my pizza.

40. Item: OBJECT.

41. Rocky's best friend in the "Rocky" films: PAULIE.  "Adrian" also has six letters. Paulie Pennino was Adrian's brother.   

this Rocky's friend     ...     not     that Rocky's friend

42. Comedian Tracey: ULLMAN.  Tracey Ullman (born Trace Ullman; 30 December 1959) is a British-American actress, comedian, singer, dancer, screenwriter, producer, and director. She starred in The Tracey Ullman Show (1987-90) and, more recently, as Irma Kostroski on Curb Your Enthusiasm. Perhaps you have heard that The Simpsons famously first appeared on The Tracey Ullman Show. 

43. Supper, e.g.: MEAL.

45. Neighbor of Nepal: TIBET.  

49. Necessity: NEED.  "The mother of invention" did not fit.

50. Nashville's Grand Ole __: OPRY.

52. Beaver creation: DAM.

53. __-Wan Kenobi: OBI.  Star Wars

54. __ de Janeiro: RIO.  Oklahoma City, U.S.A. is a sister city to Rio de Janeiro.  I wonder what they have in common.

55. "Jeopardy!" host Jennings: KEN.  Both Ken and Idris were in yesterday's puzzle.

CSO to Tehachapi Ken, who I hope is on the mend! 

Feel free to do a double take on today's grid:

Did you enjoy today's walk in the PARK puzzle? Thanks to Sala and Emily for this MEMORIAL THEME!