Theme: The Doors - all the words on the edges of the grid are types of doors as the hint has it:
38A. Not alfresco, and what this puzzle is vis-à-vis its border answers : INDOORS
The Corner's own C6D6 Peg is the constructor-in-residence today. Great word-play with the theme - all the non-theme answers are "Indoors" Artfully done and some nice fill - EXCELLED AT, COOK STRAIT, KEYNOTE and my favorite MALINGER. Good job.
We were having a discussion last week about people's different solving methods - I tend to go once across and once down, then fill in what's left, so I thought you might like to see my first pass across. I used to be a lot more careful about checking crosses when I solved on pen and paper, but now there's no inkblots I just have at it. You can see the central east was going to cause some rework, but nothing slowed me down too badly.
Let''s see what else Peg cooked up for us, or rang the bells:
Across:
1. Support financially : BACK
5. Hurricane, e.g. : STORM. Here's Rory Storm and the Hurricanes playing at the Jive Hive in 1960. That's Ringo Starr on the drums.
10. Drainpipe section : TRAP. P-Trap, not for what you might think. It's shaped like a "P"
14. Face cream additive : ALOE
15. Medicare component : PART A. Fill in PART and go back for A/B
16. Leaping critter : HARE
17. Depend (on) : RELY
18. Had superior skills in : EXCELLED AT
20. Word on really bright Crayolas : NEON. Brightens up your day:
21. Jazz great Montgomery : WES
22. Helen Reddy's "__ Woman" : I AM
23. Commentary page : OP-ED Someone asked last week what OP-EDS meant, I didn't really explain. Opinion pieces opposite the editorial page of a newspaper.
25. Turned out to be : ENDED UP
29. Blew hard : GUSTED
32. Way back when : AGES AGO. I progressed from LONG thru EONS to AGES. Got there in the end. The long way around.
33. Helped start the pot : ANTE'D
34. Comic Johnson : ARTE. See "almost Natick'ed" at 25D
36. Big __ : MAC. Oh, not SUR then. Darn. I confess that I recently ordered a Big Mac and Fries via Uber Eats when I'd spent the evening out with some friends and was home and had the munchies. It was either get back in an Uber and go get it myself, or save myself the Uber ride back and forth. Sometimes, junk food is just what you need. Delivered to your door.
37. Regret : RUE. I didn't rue the Big Mac.
41. Craft built in the 2014 film "Noah" : ARK. I tried "Bagel Delivery Van" but it didn't fit.
42. Nile snake : ASP
43. Yemeni seaport : ADEN
44. Speed : HASTE
46. Become resentful : GET SORE
49. Vampire's bed? : CASKET. Corrected my COFFIN misstep.
50. Painter Manet : EDOUARD Started to fill this in and then hesitated about the spelling; I think my first thought was right. This is "A bar at the Folies-Bergère" in London's National Gallery. Back when I was impoverished and making a pittance at my first real job, I was amazed to find that London's public galleries and museums were free. I spent quite some time looking at this painting trying to figure out if the off-kilter reflection of the server was the result of a warped mirror or just playful imagery by Manet.
51. Sketch material : GAGS
52. Commuter org. in the Loop : C.T.A. Chicago Transit Authority.
53. __ Butterworth : MRS
54. "Wild Blue Yonder" mil. group : USAF
58. Waterway between the major islands of New Zealand : COOK STRAIT. I couldn't pull this out of my brain bank on my first pass across the puzzle. I've sailed in the Cook Strait - on an America's Cup yacht. The decks were teflon-coated, not easy to stay in one place!
62. Leg-covering skirt : MAXI
63. Green Gables heroine : ANNE
64. Boardroom prop : EASEL
65. Part of FEMA: Abbr. : EMER. Federal Emergency Management Agency. Came in for a lot of criticism in the afterrmath of Hurricane Katrina
66. Caboose place : REAR. Back of the train. We call them guard's vans back in the old country. Because they were vans. And they had a guard in them.
67. Broadway platform : STAGE. All the world is one.
68. Fries, for instance : SIDE. Big Mac. Fries. Uber Eats. Yay!
Down:
1. Silo neighbor : BARN
2. Toward protection, at sea : ALEE. Also the side of the boat to be if you feel a touch of the mal de mer.
3. Great Sand Dunes National Park st. : COLO. rado. Can't you ski down them? Yes, apparently you can:
4. Pinnacle of a lecture series : KEYNOTE
5. Erupted : SPEWED. I'd make a connection to 2D but it's breakfast time for many.
6. Strained : TAXED
7. Tolkien henchmen : ORCS. Not exactly men. Hench-things.
8. GPS suggestion : RTE
9. Feign illness to avoid work : MALINGER. Great word. My mom used to accuse us of malingering when we tried to skip a day of school. She was right most of the time, until the time I came down with measles and she wouldn't hear a word of it.
10. Motifs : THEMES
11. "Far out, dude!" : RAD!
12. Notre Dame's Parseghian : ARA
13. Kennel guest : PET
19. Put on board : LADE. I think it's a 17th-century typo that no-one bothered to fix.
24. Spa treatment : PEDI
25. Big name in stationery : EATON. I was almost Natick'ed with T here. I did a full alphabet run until on the second pass EATON almost sounded familiar. It was my best guess so in it went.
26. Ornamental fabric : DAMASK
27. Lorre's "Casablanca" character : UGARTE. Thank you crosses, I always forget this.
28. Pita feature : POCKET Food! The gyro is one of my favorite sandwiches.
29. Tech company's origin, perhaps : GARAGE. Apple, HP and Microsoft all started off in garages. Dell started off in Michael Dell's dorm room at the University of Texas
30. On the shelf : UNUSED
31. Move in the direction of : STEP TO
34. Threw in : ADDED
35. Sushi roll topping : ROE. Food! I like to top my sushi rolls with Sujiko roe, from the salmon, and the tiny Tobiko roe from flying fish.
39. Tells a story : NARRATES
40. Layered do : SHAG
45. Takes for granted : ASSUMES
47. Lollipop : SUCKER
48. Feed bag feed : OATS
49. Once-per-player chess move : CASTLE. King side or Queen side if I recall from my youth. I haven't played chess for years.
51. "Norwegian Dances" composer : GRIEG
53. Tamale dough : MASA. I buy mine from the local Vallarta market, it's much lighter than when I tried to make my own.
55. Scandinavian language : SAMI. Nailed it! Remembered this from a little while ago. The road signs need a lot of lettering:
56. Used a hatchet on : AXED
57. Cause for alarm : FIRE
58. Honda or Hyundai : CAR. My current car is a Hyundai. It's the Genesis brand, so it doesn't actually have a Hyundai badge on it.
59. Pepsi product that's also its calorie count : ONE
60. Springsteen's "Working __ Dream" : ON A. Not sure I know this one from The Boss.
61. Scoundrel : RAT
That was fun, thanks Peg! Here's the grid and I'm done!
Theme - We interrupt regular programming to bring you this hot news item - AKA: STORY. The word STORY is devided into bookends in the 3 theme entries, and revealed in the unifier. Them's the BREAKS, I guess.
20. Come out on top : SCORE A VICTORY. Win an athletic contest.
34. Retail showcase : STORE DISPLAY. Where merchandise in on view, to make you want it. Here's a famous one.
41. Particle physics concept : STRING THEORY. This is a theoretical framework which posits dimensional objects called strings, and describes their interactions. It is a theory of quantum gravity.
56. Reporter's delivery ... and what 20-, 34- and 41-Across are literally doing? : BREAKINGSTORY. Fresh from the news room to the on-screen anchors desk. Mostly these things are political, so no more than that I will not say.
Hi Gang - JazzBumpa here to BREAK down the STORY of this puzzle, and report on what our investigations can uncover. Hope it's not too shocking.
Item 1 - the constructor is our own hostess, C. C. Perhaps she will become the most prolific constructor ever.
Item 2 - STORY is broken at the first letter, the last letter, and then as close as you can get to the middle in a 5-letter word. Nice, elegant touch.
Across
1. Sporty British cars, for short : JAGS. Jaguars.
5. Omelet option : HAM. I usually get the veggie omelet with feta cheese.
8. Reef material : CORAL. Bad news. Sadly, they are under attack from star fish and the increasing acidity of the oceans. Some day there may be none left atoll.
13. Power co. output : ELECtricity. Zap!
14. Shaped like an avocado : OVAL. This is mandatory.
Found somewhere on the internet.
16. Dig deeply? : ADORE. Love, respect, worship, venerate. Clever misdirection with the clue. You are digging with your emotions, not a shovel, and the depth is into your soul, not the ground.
17. Fey with many Emmys : TINA. Known for her political satire - not gonna do it.
18. Baltic port : RIGA. The capital of Latvia, on the Baltic sea at the mouth of the river Daugava.
19. "Unbroken" director Angelina : JOLIE. A 2014 movie about Louis Zamparini, a U.S. olympic athlete and bombardier in WW II, who survived on a raft in the ocean for 47 days, and then was in PoW camps. In addition to her fame appearing on the silver screen, she has also directed several films.
23. Intends to hit : AIMS AT. Use your good eye.
24. Sushi roll fish : EEL. Any of 800 species of elongated fish lacking pelvic fins. Many also lack pectoral fins. It has a single fin ribbon running down the back for most of its length. They swim by generating body waves, and can swim backwards by reversing the wave.
25. "NewsHour" channel : PBS. Public Broadcasting System.
28. Novelist Rita __ Brown : MAE. [b 1944] Prolific author of novels, mysteries and screen plays, including the Mrs. Murphy mystery novel series.
29. [I give up!] : SIGH. AKA: SMH.
32. Vacation location : RESORT. Would you resort to staying in such a place?
36. Per item : EACH. Unit pricing.
39. Area for critical patients, briefly : Intensive Care Unit.
40. Diamond great Sandberg : RYNE. Played 2nd base for the Phillies, briefly in 1981, and then with the Cubs from 1982 until he retired mid-season in 1994. He came back and played for the Cubs again in 1996-7. He won 9 gold gloves and made 10 consecutive all star appearances. He was inducted into the MLB Hall of Fame in 2005.
46. Pub quiz fodder : TRIVIA. Unimportant bits of information.
47. Red Muppet who refers to himself in the third person : ELMO.
48. Bit of toy "ammo" : CAP. A paper or plastic disk containing a small amount of a shock-sensitive explosive compound. In a toy gun this simulates the noise and smoke of a real fire arm.
51. Gentle touch : DAB. As in blotting with a napkin.
52. Okay mark : CEE. I never felt they were OK.
54. Knuckleheads : IDIOTS. In slang, a generic term for stupid people - or perhaps those you don't agree with.
60. Humdinger : BEAUT. A particularly fine example of something, or sarcastically, the opposite.
62. Kitchenware brand : EKCO. They make all sort of kitchen gadgets: basters, peelers, knives, cutting boards, measuring spoons and cups, etc.
63. Blueprint detail : SPECification.
64. Subject of a certain management class : ANGER. There's a movie about it that I'm pretty glad I didn't see.
65. They may be choppy : SEAS. In high winds or stormy weather.
66. Fit together nicely : MESH. Hand in glove.
67. High-maintenance : NEEDY. Said of a person who requires an excess of emotional or monetary investment in a relationship.
68. "That's the spot" : AAH. You scratch my back . . .
69. Art Deco luminary : ERTE. Romain de Tirtoff [1892-1990] a Russian-born French artist known as ERTE from the French pronunciation of his initials*, was a pioneer in art deco.
* Hey, I could be ERTE, too!
Down
1. Goods thrown overboard : JETSAM. Things that have been jettisoned from a ship at sea, frequently to lighten the ship's load. Not to be confused with flotsam - things lost from a vessel due to shipwreck or accident. The difference is significant in maritime law. Flotsam may be claimed by the original ship, JETSAM is the property of whoever finds it.
2. "Girl on Fire" singer Keys : ALICIA.
3. Biological mapping subject : GENOME. The complete set of genes present in an organism.
4. Permanent marks : SCARS.
5. Fictional captain Hornblower : HORATIO. A fictional officer in Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars in the novels of C. S. Forester.
6. Tel __, Israel : AVIV. Major city on the Mediterranean coast.
7. Christmas trio : MAGI. The three wise guys --- er . . . men.
8. Persuades with flattery : CAJOLES.
9. Air Wick target : ODOR.
10. Short and chubby : ROLY POLY. Obese - but we are not into fat shaming here. Also, a terrestrial crustacean of the order isopoda, also known as a pill bug or doodle bug, with the ability to roll into a ball.
12. Jack Reacher creator __ Child : LEE. Pen name of British author James D. Grant [b 1954.] Reacher is a fictional character who is a former army officer who drifts around the country getting into dangerous situations.
15. Doily fabric : LACE. A small ornamental mat of embroidery, lace, or paper that is placed under an item.
21. __ Los Angeles : EAST. An unincorporated area in Los Angeles County. At 96.7% Latino, it is the least diverse community in the county.
22. Actress Polo : TERI. Theresa Elizabeth Polo [b 1969] is an American TV and movie actress.
27. Eye problem : STYE. Inflammation at the eyelid caused by a bacterial infection of the gland at the base of an eyelash.
30. Determination : GRIT. It's true.
31. Anne of "Wag the Dog" : HECHE. Anne Celeste HECHE [b 1969] is an American actress, director and screenwriter.
33. Nimble : SPRY. Usually spoken of older people - maybe it's unexpected.
34. Improvised blade : SHIV.
35. Fight that may involve drawing : DUEL. Using drawn swords or pistols.
36. Started, as a co. : EST'D. Established.
37. Gillette brand : ATRA. Introduced in 1977, the first razor to feature a pivoting head.
38. Pegboard game : CRIBBAGE. A game played with cards in which a peg board is used to keep score. You can read about it here.
42. "So close, yet so far" : NICE TRY. A good, but unsuccessful effort, or, ironically, an attempt that was either not good or not a good thing to do.
43. Mother Earth, in Greek mythology : GAEA. The earth goddess who gave birth to both the Titans and the first humans.
44. "Holy cow!" : OMIGOSH. Oh my gosh - nice try!
45. Curtain supports : RODS. Devices used to support curtains, above windows or along showers.
48. Writer for whose father the National Baseball Hall of Fame city was named : COOPER. Cooperstown, New York is the municipality in question. Dad from the clue was William Cooper, who founded a village on Otsego Lake in the 1780's. His son, James Fenimore Cooper wrote many novels, including The Deerslayer and The Last of the Mohicans.
49. Idle : AT REST.
50. Freudian analyst's concern : PSYCHE. The soul, mind or spirit that inhabits a human body. To Freud, the the structural model of the mind, or "psychic apparatus" comprises the id, ego, and super ego.
53. __ out: barely makes : EKES.
55. "Who's there?" answer : IT'S ME.
57. Was sorry about : RUED.
58. Furniture chain popular in dorms : IKEA. Purveyor of furniture you can assemble, miselaneous household items, and lingonberry jam. Our oldest granddaughter is a fan.
59. Sweet Sixteen org. : NCAA. The National Collegiate Athletic Association sponsors and organizes a single-elimination basketball tournament each spring, involving the 32 champions of division I conferences and 36 at-large teams chosen by a selection committee. The "Sweet Sixteen" are the teams winning early rounds that winnow the field down to 16 contenders.
60. Prohibit : BAN.
61. Suffix with ethyl : -ENE. This chemistry suffix indicates a double bond between the 2 carbon atoms in the molecule. Since your eyes are already glazing over, I'll leave it at that.
OK, folks - that's the end of this STORY. Hope you found it news worthy.
Cool regards!
JzB
Note from C.C.:
Happy
Birthday to Tinbeni, who joined our blog in 2009. We'll all be toasting you at sundown!
56. Beaujolais or Burgundy: WINE. 39-Down. 56-Across choices: REDS
57. Red __: spicy candies: HOTS
62. "The Mammoth Hunters" novelist Jean: AUEL. I transposed the E/U but almost got it first time.
63. Dictator Amin: IDI
64. Rain or snow, briefly: PRECIP. (precipitation) The main forms of precipitation include drizzle, rain, sleet, snow, graupel and hail. The term graupel comes from the German for soft hail or snow pellets.
43A. Task for roadies? : LOAD THE BASSES. Load the bases.
65A. Bit of criticism from Ravi Shankar? : CLOSE BUT NO SITAR. Close but no cigar.
93A. Percussionist's answer to "When do you practice?"? : IN MY SNARE TIME. In my spare time.
110A. Hi-hat for high society? : STATUS CYMBAL. Status symbol.
5D. Instrument carved from the Tree of Knowledge? : FORBIDDEN FLUTE. Forbidden fruit.
51D. What Tubby brushes with? :TUBA TOOTHPASTE. Tube toothpaste.
No label for Adam in our blog, so this must be his LAT debut. Congratulations!
As
I mentioned in our "Something's Fishy" pun theme two weeks ago, I just
don't have grasp of this theme type. Some are homophones, some have
added vowel sound, some have consonant change.
I love the grid design. Two of the Down themers intersect two other Across themers. Amazing.
Across:
1. Spiced rice : PILAF. I need to eat more spicy and salty food to increase my low blood pressure. Scary to feel dizzy.
6. Idle in sketches : ERIC. Eric Idle.
10. Popular tablet : iPAD
14. Potential replacement sites : HIPs. Hip replacement.
18. Mexican marinade : ADOBO
19. Former Cubs slugger : SOSA. Such drastic change, TTP!
20. "__ cloud in the sky, Got the sun in my eyes ... ": Carpenters lyric : NOT A
21. '50s pol Stevenson : ADLAI
23. Starting blocks user : RACER
24. Rejects : TURNS DOWN
26. Wikipedia policy : NO ADS
27. Chinese tea : CHA, Literally "tea". Does the Chinese character look soothing to you?
28. Author Harte : BRET
32. Tiny colony defender : SOLDIER. Ant colony.
34. Safari sight : LION
35. School interlude : RECESS
36. Pkg. payment methods : CODs
37. Used a dugout : CANOED. Dugout canoe.
39. Top note in a common triad : SOL. Stumped me.
40. Airer of old MGM films : TCM . Also 110. "I'm Dying Up Here" airer, for short : SHO
46. Cross : SORE
47. Text ender? : UAL. Textual. We also have 22. Expert's conclusion? : ISE. Expertise.Also 96. Bar opening? : ISO. Isobar.
48. SEC Network owner : ESPN
49. Employs : HIRES
51. The Willis in Chicago, for one : TOWER
52. Contempt : SCORN
54. Discontinue : STOP
57. Spirit of Saint-Louis? : ANGE. I did not know the this French king was a saint.
58. Join : UNITE
59. Deprived (of) : BEREFT
61. One of the U.S.'s 435 : REP. Eight are from Minnesota.
63. Radii, e.g. : ARM BONES
70. Have faith in : RELY UPON
73. Require treatment, perhaps : AIL
74. Britain's Penny Black and Two Penny Blue : STAMPS.
Wiki says "The Two Penny Blue or The Two Pence Blue was the world's
second official postage stamp, produced in the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland and issued after the Penny Black."
78. Legislate : ENACT
79. Voting coalition : BLOC
82. Quarter of a bushel : PECK
85. Red, yellow or white veggie : ONION. Also 34. Black or yellow pet : LAB
86. Like certain gases : NOBLE
87. Envisioned being : SAW AS. Yeah, Jayce, new contact lenses for this astigmatism.
89. Transient with a bindle : HOBO
91. PC dial-up upgrade : DSL
92. Skin product enhancement : ALOE
97. __ gibbon: zoo animal : LAR. Learning moment for me.
98. A.L. East squad : TOR (Toronto)
101. Delivery on deliverance : SERMON
102. "Now I get it!" : AH SO
103. Cold-weather wear : PARKAS. Ah, winter! Somehow the smooth groundof malls often trips Boomer, who can't get himself up without help. Asphalt ground is hard on his left hip. Thankfully we have many trails to choose in the summer. Boomer loves cushion-y soft trails.
106. Appearance : MIEN
107. Tariffed goods : IMPORTS
113. She, in Capri : ESSA. How is it different from ELLA?
114. "Science Guy" Bill : NYE
115. "The King and I" group : HAREM.
116. They have ideas : INVENTORS
118. "Cheese!" consequence : SMILE. Here is Boomer in front of the Mary Tyler Moore house, close to Lake of the Isle.
120. Not bottled : ON TAP
121. Dark genre : NOIR Also 33. Classic O'Brien 121-Across film : D.O.A.
122. Biblical brother : ESAU
123. In shape : TONED. Followed by 124. Places to get in shape : GYMS
125. Polish, in a way : EDIT
126. Gambit : RUSE
127. Some MIT grads : ENGRS Down:
1. __ nationaux: French tourist attractions : PARCS. Never heard of it. Looks pretty.
2. Pocatello locale : IDAHO
3. Regional asset : LOCAL COLOR. Lots of great long fill in this puzzle.
4. Face on a fiver : ABE
6. Glyceride, for one : ESTER
7. Force into ignominious retreat : ROUT
8. Mideast nation: Abbr. : ISR
9. Baja bar : CANTINA
10. World's largest island country : INDONESIA.
Plenty of coconuts there. Aroy-D (Thailand) is the tastiest canned
coconut brand I've found. So incredibly rich. But the cream does not
rise to top as other canned coconuts do, even if I put them in fridge
for a day or two. So odd. Must have some hidden emulsifier.
11. [It's gone!] : POOF
12. Clashing : AT WAR
13. End zone celebrations : DANCES
14. "Water Music" composer : HANDEL
15. Hollywood faves : IDOLS
16. Goes for the gold : PLAYS TO WIN. Another fantastic fill.
17. __ City, Iraq : SADR
25. "Just Do It" logo : SWOOSH
29. Breaks : RESTS
31. Novelist Umberto : ECO
37. Red coin? : CENT
38. Laura of "Jurassic Park" : DERN
41. Labyrinth site of myth : CRETE
42. Parisian parents : MERES. Mothers. Ma mere. Mon pere.
43. Tatting fabric : LACE
44. PC options : HPs
45. Genesis and Dreamcast : SEGAs
46. Arizona desert : SONORAN
47. Thumb drive port : USB
50. Pak of the LPGA : SE RI. Retired now. She opened the door for all the Korean golfers.
53. Get more out of : RECYCLE
55. Ball : ORB
56. Little, in Lille : PEU. "Un peu".
60. Finest : TOP
62. Harper Valley org. : PTA
64. Cascade components: Abbr. : MTs
66. Blubbers : SOBS
67. Zhou __ : ENLAI. Very
faithful to Mao, even during Cultural Revolution. But his reputation
was untarnished. He just quietly saved many lives from prosecution.
68. Bit from a bottle : NIP
69. Flamenco shout : OLE
70. Concerning kidneys : RENAL
71. __ Gay: WWII bomber : ENOLA
72. Group once led by Meir and Rabin : LABOR PARTY
75. When some late risers get started : MID-MORNING. Reveal of a puzzle Agnes and I made.
76. Model act : POSE
77. NBC skit show : SNL
80. Admits, with "up" : OWNS
81. Creamy French cheese : CAMEMBERT. Another great fill.
83. Actor/stuntman Jackie : CHAN. It's spelled CHEN in Taiwan and Mainland China. Same character.
84. "MASH" milieu: Abbr. : KOR (Korea). The life expectancy is so high there. The magic of fermented food.
88. Damascus denizen : SYRIAN
90. Rays : BEAMS
94. Ore refinery : SMELTER
95. __ compos mentis : NON
98. Outdoes : TRUMPS
99. Approves : OKs
100. Wisconsin city on Lake Michigan : RACINE. See it? Were you born in Stevens Point, D-Otto?
104. Mr. T's troop : A-TEAM
105. Layer in ecclesiastical governance : SYNOD
107. Give out : ISSUE
108. Tenth American president : TYLER
109. Planted pips : SEEDS
111. Sharpness : TANG
112. XIX x LIII : MVII. Got via crosses. Too complicated to calculate.
There
is one other LA Times puzzle from Matthew, from Thursday March 23rd of
this year. Today's offering was a really pleasant solve, with very few
proper names or abbreviations and plenty of clever clues to make it
tough, but do-able. I admit to not getting my "ta-DA~!" because of one
cel, and I just switched to red-letter to find it; more below, and it's
quite funny in retrospect. Big block count today, a friendly grid, and
just a pair of 11-letter spanners in the across and few 8-letter answers
throughout;
33. Look for business? : WORK CLOTHES
Or how 'bout her~?
She definitely does not work at my terminal....
38. Peruse, as a catalog : LOOK THROUGH - I filled in "THROUGH" and waited on either LOOK or SCAN
brOwNWARD~!
ACROSS:
1. Bass-baritone role in an 1885 Savoy Theatre premiere : MIKADO - never a good start when you have no clue - or is that answer~?
7. King Features Syndicate parent : HEARST
13. Brown world? : ACADEME - Funny, I wonder if Mr. Sewell knew I would be doing the blog, because half my world IS Brown - UPS brown, that is. Since UPS did not fit, I wondered if it
was a reference to Charlie [Brown], but no, it's about an ivy league
school
15. "I have a bad feeling about this" : "OH DEAR...." - and a line from Han Solo - four times
16. Strike a chord : RESONATE - my first thought was guitar related
18. There's one right in front of you : PUZZLE - ah. Yes. I had Muzzle, which is technically correct, and hoMe before 'against' made sense, but not after as well
19. MSN, for one : ISP - Internet Service Provider
20. Wore with jaunty confidence : ROCKED - I like rocking my plus-fours on the golf course. Not.
and Argyle socks~!
22. Scuttle : NIX
23. Most of a pool cue : SHAFT - like 99.5%
26. 11, at times: Abbr. : NOVember - I always get duped by this, especially since "11" to me is usually a guitar amplifier reference
27. Cooked : DONE
28. Vital vessels : AORTAS
30. W-9 filers : NEW HIRES
35. Panasonic flat-screen : VIERA
36. Welsh herder : CORGI
41. Majesty : SPLENDOR
44. Four-time WWE World Champion Brock __ : LESNAR - all perps
46. Wharf : QUAY - dah~! not DOCK
47. Dressy accessory : TIE - I went with BOA - 100% wrong
49. Curling piece : STONE
50. Audible pauses : UMs - I had UHs to start
51. How cherries jubilee is served : FLAMBÉ
54. Dungeons & Dragons bird : ROC - I'm such a nerd. I got this. But hey~! I think I might have a cool name for my board game~!
55. Shout on arrival : I'M HERE
57. 1984 Winter Olympics city : SARAJEVO - didn't come to me right away - I got it after I had the "S" and "O"
60. Strongly suggest : REEK OF - the word 'reek' always reminds me of a band that played the night club I managed; they called themselves REEKING HAVOC - not WREAKING
61. Alito and Thomas : YALE MEN - I thought we were looking for two guys named the same, so I threw an "S" in at the end. Bzzzt.
62. Danny, vis-à-vis the "Bloodline" siblings : ELDEST - no clue, via perps
63. Sharp weapons : SABERS - Dah~! not SPEARS - that's 83.3% at 50% correct
DOWN:
1. Best Supporting Actress two years after Whoopi : MARISA - Ms. Tomei, for My Cousin Vinny, and Ms. Goldberg for Ghost
2. Exhibition with blades : ICE SHOW - Good clue. Hockey games, too
3. '90s loser to Deep Blue : KASPAROV - I didn't know this. More chess, too~! The Wiki
4. Flap : ADO - so what's a MIK ADO~? (nyuk nyuk nyuk)
5. Forest digs : DEN
6. "Rubáiyát" poet : OMAR
7. Word before and after against : HOPE - hope against hope - ah, that makes sense
8. Israel's Olmert : EHUD - perps and a WAG
9. Sharp-edged tool : ADZ
10. Nine Inch Nails founder Trent : REZNOR
- the one proper name I did know - I'd link a song, but most of the
popular stuff is a bit raunchy - if you must, check out "Closer". On
the flip side, Hurt was covered by Johnny Cash
11. Briny : SALINE - ah. SALTY was too short
12. Natural history museum attractions, briefly : T-REXES
14. School with trimesters called halves : ETON
17. Cheap opening : ECONO-
21. Bellyache : KVETCH
24. Kan. Army installation : Ft. RILEY - I was pretty confident of my ACROSS answers, so the FTR--- to start helped a lot
25. Go up against : TAKE ON
27. Turn off and then some : DISGUST
29. Cape Cod catch : SCROD
31. Forensics ridge : WHORL - fingerprints
32. Stallone roles, e.g. : HEROES
34. Sitting Bull's people : LAKOTA
37. "Forget I said anything" : "IGNORE ME."
39. Downsizes : TRIMS
40. German royal house, 1714-1901 : HANOVER
41. Knight aide : SQUIRE
42. Buffet : PUMMEL - I didn't know if it was BUH-fet, or buh-FAY
43. Tied up : LASHED
45. Scouting ops : RECONS
48. Weird Al song that wonders, "Tell me why I bid on Shatner's old toupee" : eBAY - man that's funny; I DID buy a golf cart on eBay - and I found a rare Tom Jones CD, Rescue Me, sold by a guy in Russia....
JW is back with another of his intricate visual puzzles, this time presenting 5 different iterations of the word FILES set out in an X pattern indicated by circles. The only strictly theme fill is the reveal:
39A. '90s-'00s sci-fi hit ... or what this puzzle's circles graphically depict : THEX-FILES (9).
The genius comes in when you place the five Xs in the grid so that together they create super X. This is the result of connecting the Xs from NW to SE and SW to NE.But wait - there's more! If the circles in each set are seen as a series, going from left-to-right and top-to-bottom as follows:
1 2
3
4 5
you will notice that the letters in FILES rotate in strict sequence from one set to the next. That is, in the NW set, F is at position number 1, with the other letters following. In the NE set, the F has shifted to position 2, and the other letters follow. In the central set, the F is at position 3, and so on. Thus, the positioning of the letters in FILES is not a random scrambling, but a precise progression. The Z pattern he employed to present his pattern eluded me for a very long time.
Another technical marvel of construction.
We also have some fun fill, like ACCOSTS, ACETONE, AT A RACE, BAD SPOT, DOLEFUL, EATS OUT, PROPMAN, PUFFERS, UPLIFTS, GRAIN SILO, LEXINGTON but it pales in comparison to the architectural masterpiece. Another YMMV, I guess, but let's see.
Across:
1. Sound check item : AMP. Amplifiers have been known as amps for some time!
4. Went down : SANK. Simple, but so many SYNONYMS.
14. Skewer relative : PRONG. A skewer is single. The better QUESTION.
16. Hipbone-related : ILIAC. No more please.
17. Woofer's output? : ARF. Not the tweeter.
18. Even less given to emotion : ICIER.
19. Quantum of solace? : SOFT C. This had me almost as confused as the title of the BOND movie. Here it just means the "C" in the word solace.
20. Leave in disarray, probably : RIFLE.
22. Copier room quantity : REAM. 500 sheets.
24. "Taking that as a given ... " : IF SO. Logic terminology.
25. Comfortable (with) : AT EASE.
27. Indisposed : ILL.
29. Dawn goddess : EOS. I had her many times a few years ago - in my puzzles anyway.
30. Bread component : CARB.
31. Toy used on flights : SLINKY. Not airplanes, stairs.
34. Rural road track : RUT.
35. Disney character who sings, "The cold never bothered me anyway" : ELSA.
36. Go Fish request : TENS. Random, could be ace, two, six or ten.
37. Turns red, maybe : RUSTS. Reddish, actually I believe we call it rust color.
42. 2006 demotion : PLUTO. Yes Mickey was mad at him. Oh, the planet!
45. Heracles' beloved : IOLE. The STORY is more complicated. I do like seeing the Greek name for Hercules in keeping with Friday. .
46. Very little : A DAB. A little one will do you.
50. Agent : REP. Another word that is now acceptable as a word not just an abbreviation.
51. 1962 "Happy Birthday, Mr. President" singer : MONROE. There is a longer version on You Tube.
53. Fla. resort : BOCA. This is a bit misleading as Boca is now a city of almost 100,000 permanent residents. LINK.
54. Natural resource : OIL.
55. Physics unit : ERG.
56. Shut off completely, as lights : KILLED.
58. Trident-shaped letters : PSIS. More Greek.
60. Order to Spot : STAY.
63. Sugar source : BEETS.
64. Civilian garb : MUFTI.
66. Pair in the score for Beethoven's Fifth : OBOES. This is not an additional reference to Marilyn.
68. Dandy : FOP. Similar to last week's TOFF.
69. Partner of ciencias : ARTES. Arts and Sciences...pretty inferrable.
70. Forward attitude : NERVE.
71. Pizzeria chain : UNO. They opened three franchises of this Chicago Pizzeria here in late 70s; they are all gone.
72. Stick dwellings : NESTS. I like this simple clue/fill.
73. Holden Caulfield, for one : TEEN. Catcher in the Rye.
74. Court call : LET. Tennis
Down:
1. Visiting Pimlico : AT A RACE. The Preakness.
2. __ counseling : MARITAL.
3. Blowfish : PUFFERS.
4. Furtive sorts : SPIES.
5. Golf chip path : ARC.
6. "The Big Sleep" genre : NOIR.
7. Walk-in joint? : KNEE. I am left with my creaky knees and sore hips.
8. Inaccurate introduction? : MIS. Do?
9. Wells race : ELOI. I thought Yvette Mimieux was beautiful, but enough is enough.
10. Suggests an alternative : DIFFERS.
11. Enjoys a buffet, usually : EATS OUT.
12. Engages with boldness : ACCOSTS.
15. Farm structure : GRAIN SILO.
21. Company that survived Canada's Prohibition : LABATT. Labatt survives Canadian Prohibition by producing full-strength beer for export south of the border and by introducing two "temperance ales" (brews with less than two percent alcohol) for sale in Ontario. When Prohibition was finally repealed in 1927, Labatt was one of the 15 remaining breweries — giving them a strong, fresh start. (Labatt material)
23. Jan. honoree : MLK.
26. Tequila sunrise direction : ESTE. Two days in a row.
28. Old plucked strings : LYRE.
32. Minuteman Statue city : LEXINGTON. There is this ONE. Or this OTHER. You can tell JW is not from New England.
33. About to receive : IN FOR.
38. Not to be wasted : USABLE.
40. Diamond plate : HOME.
41. Garlic relative : LEEK. All you need to know; marry a cook. LINK.
42. Stage employee : PROPMAN.
43. Down time : LEISURE.
44. Makes joyous : UPLIFTS.
47. Joyless : DOLEFUL.
48. Paint thinner solvent : ACETONE.
49. Dicey situation : BAD SPOT.
52. Hosp. areas : ORS.
57. "An Enemy of the People" playwright : IBSEN. If you want to study. LINK.
59. Editor's afterthought : STET.
61. Act as lookout, say : ABET.
62. Time long past : YORE.
65. Orbiting research facility: Abbr. : ISS. International Space Station.
67. "Fairest of creation," in a Milton classic : EVE. Paradise Lost No Will, either play or poem, but one of my favorites, John Milton.
“O fairest of all creation, last and best
Of all God's works, creature in whom excelled
Whatever can to sight or thought be formed, an enemy of the people
Holy, divine, good, amiable, or sweet!
How art thou lost, how on a sudden lost,
Defaced, deflow'red, and now to death devote?”
Another interesting Friday with most of the cluing fair, but the layers used to create the visual difficult to recognize. I struggled with the pattern. For those who do not like complicated themes, this was intricate but the grid could be filled without circles and without understanding or appreciating the skill needed to build this one. Thank you JW, and thank you all for stopping by. Lemonade out.