google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner

Advertisements

Mar 2, 2010

Tuesday, March 2, 2010 Donna S. Levin

Theme: Insurance - The first word of the theme entries is related to insurance.

17A: Government declaration of its intentions: POLICY STATEMENT.

25A: Vietnam War defoliant: AGENT ORANGE.

43A: Gold Rush villain: CLAIM JUMPER.

55A: High-octane fuel: PREMIUM GASOLINE.

Argyle here. Ugh! This reminds me my auto coverage is due this month.

I am curious as to how the theme was chosen. I mean Donna did a good job and the insurance meaning of the target words is different from their use in the phrases and it did take me awhile to grok the theme, but still.... You might consider STATEMENT as a bonus word but it doesn't jump out as a related word.

Another low count of three letter fill and stale crosswordese.

Across:

1A: Palindromic title: MADAM.

6A: Ashen: PALE.

10A: Interrupter of a bad act, on an old game show: GONG. From the Seventies. Plenty of clips on
YouTube. Remember Gene, Gene, the Dancing Machine and The Unknown Comic? (He performed with a paper bag over his head.)

14A: Word after horse or soap: OPERA.

15A: Elvis __ Presley: ARON.

16A: Mayberry kid: OPIE.

20A: Prefix with gram: EPI. EPIGRAM - A witty saying tersely expressed. Great for Twitter.

21A: Modest shelters: HUTS. Almost time to get these
HUTS off the lake.

22A: Madison Square Garden et al.: ARENAS.

23A: Variety of lily: SEGO.

24A: 1998 animated bug movie: ANTZ. With the voices of Woody Allen, Dan Aykroyd, Anne Bancroft.

29A: Speed Wagon maker: REO. Ransom E. Olds.

32A: Velma's rival in "Chicago": ROXIE.
Together.

33A: Chat room chuckle: LOL.

34A: Detained at the precinct: HELD.

35A: Electrical network: GRID. Is this your original clue, Donna? Not crossword related?

36A: Pigs and hogs: SWINE.

38A: Etcher's need: ACID.

39A: Leer at: OGLE.

40A: Scepter's partner: ORB.
Scepter and ORB with crown.

41A: Emulate Cicero: ORATE.

42A: Betty Ford, __ Bloomer: NEE. Born in Chicago(1918) to William and Hortense Bloomer.

46A: Jockey's tool: WHIP.

47A: Hearing requirements: EARS.

48A: Displaying buoyancy: AFLOAT.

51A: Periodic table no.: AT. WT.. Atomic Weight

52A: Protrude, with "out": JUT.

58A: Having all one's marbles: SANE.

59A: Rotary phone feature: DIAL.

60A: 1988 film farce fish: WANDA. Triple alliteration.

61A: School on the Thames: ETON.

62A: Bobbles the ball: ERRS.

63A: Taboos: NO-NOS.

Down:

1D: Sulk: MOPE.

2D: Each: A POP.

3D: Supermarket section: DELI.

4D: "Entourage" agent Gold: ARI. Entourage is an American comedy-drama on HBO. The series was created by Doug Ellin and chronicles the rise of Vincent Chase, a young A-list film star. ARI Gold (Jeremy Piven) is Vince's abrasive but lovable agent. The role has led to several nominations and Emmy Awards for Piven.

5D: Bushwhacker's tool: MACHETE.

6D: Congregation leader: PASTOR.

7D: Humanities: ARTS.

8D: Mauna __: LOA.

9D: Involve, as in a sticky situation: ENTANGLE.

10D: Morticia's mate: GOMEZ. The Addams Family. The family that the cartoons, movies, games, and television shows have been based on.

11D: Bid one club, say: OPEN.

12D: "Project Runway" judge Garcia: NINA. An American reality television series on Lifetime Television, focused on fashion design and is hosted by model Heidi Klum.
NINA.

13D: Understands: GETS.

18D: '80s-'90s Serbian auto import: YUGO.

19D: One-named Deco designer: ERTÉ. Romain de Tirtoff was a Russian-born French artist and designer known by the pseudonym Erté, the French pronunciation of his initials, R.T..

23D: Insinuating: SNIDE.

24D: Soon, to the bard: ANON.

25D: Fluorescent bulb gas: ARGON.

26D: Stuff (oneself) with food: GORGE.

27D: "The Man Without a Country" hero, for one: EXILE. "The Man Without a Country" is a short story by American writer Edward Everett Hale, first published anonymously in the Atlantic Monthly in December 1863. The novel is the story of American army lieutenant Philip Nolan, who renounces his country during a trial for treason and is consequently sentenced to spend the rest of his days at sea without so much as a word of news about the United States. I can remember hearing an adaptation of it on the radio in my youth.

28D: Suspect's excuse: ALIBI.

29D: Sports show summary: RECAP.

30D: Upper echelon: ELITE.

31D: More strange: ODDER.

34D: Injures: HARMS.

36D: Isolation: SOLITUDE.

37D: Sandwich in a tortilla: WRAP. I'm not sure the clue is worded correctly; maybe Sandwich made from a tortilla would be better?

41D: Thornton Wilder classic: "OUR TOWN".

43D: Spiced Indian beverage: CHAI. And
54D: 43-Down et al.: TEAS.

44D: Gold and silver: METALS.

45D: Shark flick: "JAWS".

46D: Part of NOW: WOMEN.

48D: Church recess: APSE.

49D: Toga party setting: FRAT.
Animal House.

50D: Jay seen at night: LENO.

51D: Culture medium: AGAR.

52D: Arabian folklore spirit: JINN. (Genie)

53D: Reverse: UNDO.

56D: Space station for about 15 years: MIR.

57D: Vientiane native: LAO. Vientiane is the capital city of Laos.

Answer grid.

Happy one-year Crossword Corner commenting anniversary to Frank, KQ & Andrea!

Argyle