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

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Apr 14, 2012

Saturday, Apr 14th, 2012, Mark Bickham

Theme: None (Egypt~?)

Words: 70

Blocks: 28

This is my first blogging of Mr. Bickham, and it may be Mark's first LAT Saturday (indeed anywhere, since I don't follow any other crossword blogs), and his last appearances here were a Wednesday in March with "Body Types", and the "hidden trees" puzzle from Sunday, Feb 5th. Lots of blank boxes after my first pass, but with a few minor changes and re-fill, I was able to get on his wavelength. Two spanners, and one climber;

34A. Start-up processes : INITIALIZATIONS

41A. 1991 film in which both lead actresses got Oscar nominations (neither of them won) : THELMA AND LOUISE - did not see the movie; actresses Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis lost to Jodie Foster for her role in "Silence of the Lambs"; I do know that Brad Pitt got his 'break' here - he was paid $6000 for the role.

8D. View opposed by the intelligent design movement : DARWINIAN THEORY - I am not going to start a religious debate; Darwin's Theory is that of natural selection in evolution - and leave it at that....

And ON WARD ~!

ACROSS:

1. Campy dance gesture : JAZZ HANDS - never heard this "move" called as such- Image

10. Puts up : HANGS

15. Like capybaras and piranhas : AMAZONIAN

16. Exercise output : SWEAT

17. Caution to one who overlooks you? : DON'T STARE

18. Button material : NACRE

19. Tom, Dick or Harry : ANYONE

20. Twisted, as a grin : WRY - ah, not SLY

22. "Get a __!" : GRIP - ah, not "Life"

23. Wall map insert : PIN - ah, not "KEY"

24. "Like __ not ..." : IT OR - hey, this one was right the first time ~!

26. CIA progenitor : O.S.S. - "53A", I had OAS - the Wiki

27. __-to : HOW - ah, not "SET"

30. One of the Poor Clares : NUN

32. Oracle city : DELPHI - "53A", I goofed trying to fit "Adelphi" (University here on LI)

38. Minute groove : STRIA

39. Highland turndown : NAE

40. Fill again, as a flat : RE-LET - I was really, really hoping this was not going to be "Re-Air", as in filling a "flat" tire.....

44. Lab verification : RE-TEST

45. "Four Quartets" poet's monogram : TSE - This guy

46. Abbr. on old maps : SSR - Soviet Socialist Republic

47. Stevedores' org. : ILA - International Longshoreman's Assoc.

48. Promise : OATH

50. Friend of Pepé Le Pew : AMI

53. "My bad!" : OOPS

55. Directly : DUE - as in "due North"

56. Classic theater name : PALACE

60. Something often intended? : NO PUN

62. Semimonthly period, roughly : FORTNIGHT - Two weeks - I know this because both my parents are British, and used this phrase often

64. Grenoble's river : ISERE

65. U.S. official whose office has been vacant for more than nine of the last 50 years : TREASURER - I did not know that; I can think of some "other" offices that seem to be "vacant", too....

66. Gives up : CEDES

67. Bring order to : SYSTEMIZE

DOWN:

1. "Ali" actress __ Pinkett Smith : JADA - Wife of Will Smith, whose MIB³ comes out next month

2. Main Theban deity : AMON - various spellings, but basically, Egyptian

3. Buffoon : ZANY

4. "Afterburner" band : ZZ TOP - The follow-up to "Eliminator", with all their pop hits, I love this one from Afterburner

5. Egypt's Mubarak : HOSNI -more Egypt

6. WiFi necessity : ANTENNA - usually built-in

7. Actress Vardalos : NIA



9. Kvack's housemate : SNERT - ah, Hägar the Horrible

10. TV mall, basically : HSN - Home Shopping Network

11. Like tongues in a gabfest : AWAG - Did not need a "WAG" to get this one (but it did change my "life" to grip")

12. Giza attraction including the Great Pyramids : NECROPOLIS - literally, "death city" - more Egypt

13. Flash : GARISHNESS

14. Folk tale meany : STEP-SISTER

21. "Judge me by my size, do you?" speaker : YODA

25. Back in : RETRO

27. Melodramatic : HISTRIONIC

28. Running amok : ON THE LOOSE

29. Bugged : WIRE-TAPPED

31. Wrist-to-elbow bone : ULNA

33. Substitute word : LIEU

35. Cedar shake alternative : TILE

36. Insistent retort : I AM SO

37. Puzzle pieces, in Sydney? : ZEDS - "Zee" tiles in Scrabble; I watch the UK version of Top Gear; they use Zed, too, and the word coupé - with the "E" pronounced; makes a slick car like the "280ZX" sound awkward.... (Added later: There are two Z's in Puzzle.

42. Not very much : A TAD

43. Really went for : LEAPT AT

49. Massachusetts university : TUFTS - hey - it's an .edu site~!

51. Parsonage : MANSE

52. Largest pelvic bone : ILIUM

54. Guaranteed : SURE

57. Business head? : AGRI -business

58. Bistro awning word : CHEZ

59. Peut-__: French "maybe" : ETRE

61. Video game letters : NES - Nintendo Entertainment System

63. Hi-__ graphics : RES - no Hi-Res graphics on your NES; but they were for its time

Answer grid.

Splynter

Notes from C.C.:

1) Today's constructor Mark Bickham is Placematfan on the blog.

2) I got this email from Norma Rosenfield of Marbles: The Brain Store

CROSSWORD TOURNAMENT NEWS

What: Marbles: The Brain Store’s Fourth Annual Crossword Tournament featuring unpublished NYT crosswords by Will Shortz

Who: Marbles: The Brain Store – www.marblesthebrainstore.com

When: Saturday, April 28, 2012

Where: FOUR LOCATIONS
  • Mall of America in Bloomington, MN
  • Mall in Columbia, MD
  • Philadelphia/King of Prussia Mall
  • Downtown Chicago, IL at 55 East Grand Ave.