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

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Sep 7, 2013

Saturday, Sep 7th, 2013, Alan Olschwang

Theme: None

Words: 68 (missing F,J,Z)

Blocks: 28


    This was a very enjoyable puzzle - there seemed to be plenty of plausible answers that I filled in and was wrong about, but they gave me enough to work with, and I wrapped it up in the SW corner.  Our last construction from Alan came in Jan of '12.  A bit of a clunky grid; two spanners and one climber, plus two 10's and 9's ( but separated ).  Several multiple-word answers, too*.  The 'big ones':

24A. End of a wedding planner's promise : EVERY LAST DETAIL - I got married 'medieval style', and my ex-wife and I planned every last detail; too bad the marriage didn't have the details worked out....

46A. NFL practice team member : TAXI SQUAD PLAYER - first of a few new words/phrases for me; here's what I found

7D. Michael Caine memoir : WHAT'S IT ALL ABOUT - well, he played Alfie, didn't he~?  A little wit and wisdom here

Oh! (35A.) - I think this might be the shortest "down" count I have seen....

O~~~~N~~~~W~~~~A~~~~R~~~~D~!

ACROSS:

 1. Asia's __ Sea : ARAL - Always good to start out with a gimme.  For Saturday, I don't think we need the "Asia" part

5. "One more thing," for short : BTW - By The Way, usually seen in texts

8*. Reaffirming words : YES I DO

14. Michael of "Year One" : CERA - His IMDb; can't say I have seen any of his movies

15. "Feels won-n-nderful!" : AHH~!

16*. Knows about : IS IN ON

17. Charity : ALMS

18. Dairy aisle selection : GRADE A EGGS - Great fill, and I had just --A E-- when I WAGed it

20. Relaxation of a kind, briefly : DE-REGulation

22. Abbr. seen in repeat citations : ET AL.

23. Sonic Dash publisher : SEGA - Video game

27. Publishing houses and such : MASS MEDIA

28. Old-time sidewalk show : RAREE - The Wiki on what's probably more commonly known as a Peep Show

29. NFL miscue : INTerception; if you want to get off the taxi squad....

30. Old Bikini Bare competitor : NEET - NAIR? NEET? which one~?

31. Univ. peer leaders : RAs - Resident Assistants - the ones who can get you the beer if they're cool, or take it away if they're not

32. They're beside the point: Abbr. : CTs - Dollars and Cents, tho it doesn't make sense; they're both beside the point ($14.95)

33. Pop-up costs : AD RATES

35. Raised-eyebrow words : OHs

38. Letters at sea : U.S.S. A clue for Spitzboov, et al.

39. Southwestern ridge : LOMA - another new word for me today

40. "Krazy" critter : KAT

41. One taking a cut : AGENT - what....about 10%~?  I'm looking for a book publishing agent

44. In cut time, musically : ALLA BREVE

48. Give the heave-ho : OUST - I had FIRE first

49. Goya's "Duchess of __" : ALBA - Whoa~! I dare you to look for images of JUST 'Duchess of Alba'



50*. Finish with : END ON

51. Toy based on a sports legend, e.g. : ACTION DOLL - I confidently put in "BOBBLE HEAD", and was wrong - I am not too sure about a toy being based on a sports legend = action doll; a movie or comic book character, that's more likely; I had Star Wars 'action figures' ( not dolls, you see ), and then it was G.I. Joe


54. Overindulge, in a way : TOPE - another new word

55. Used a Bic, maybe : SHAVED - Dah~!  I was thinking "PENNED", SIGNED, LIT ONE ( lighter, that is )

56. Illegal freeway maneuver : UIE - I went with UEY first; the various ways to abbreviate U-Turn; extremely dangerous on a highway, I might add

57. Scratches (out) : EKES

58. Patricia McCormick was the first American professional one in Mexico : TORERA - Bull fighter who passed this year - the Wiki

59. S.E. Hinton novel set on a ranch : TEX

60. Trade-in factor : DENT - I am thinking about a Ford Focus ST or the new Dodge Dart; I will not be trading in my 2000 Dodge Stratus SE; it has no dents, but it does have 238,000 miles on the clock - and counting

DOWN:

1. Purely theoretical : ACADEMIC

2. Like things that matter : RELEVANT

3. Some are ergonomic : ARMRESTS

4. Light-show lights : LASERS

5. Market option : BAG - As in paper or plastic? or is it cart/basket/bag

6. Sewing kit device : THREADER



8. Give : YIELD

9. Tampico "that" : ESA

10. Naps : SIESTAS

11*. Engaged : IN GEAR - ah, nice mis-direction; transmissions, not transgressions

12. Window occupant of song : DOGGIE - how much is that gorilla in the window?  - what show???

13*. Not as steep as it used to be : ON SALE - ah, prices, not hills

19. Target of some mining : DATA

21. Athletes on horses : GYMNASTS - anyone else want JOCKEYS? POLO-ERS? A pommel horse

25. City near Manchester : LEEDS - map; my family is from Nottingham; this was a gimme, too

26. Like whiteboards : ERASABLE

31. Draw new borders for : RE-MAP

34*. Wasn't straight : TOLD A LIE

35. "No problemo!" : OKEY-DOKE

36. Need to fill, as a job : HAVE OPEN - my position as Pre-loader at UPS is one they will HAVE OPEN in about 2-3 weeks; they delayed the training course for now

37. Least lenient : STERNEST

38. Promoting accord : UNITIVE - I had unitING; once I changed this, I got my "Ta-Da~!"

41*. Glass raiser's cry : "A TOAST~!"

42. Pampas rider : GAUCHO

43. Old-Timers' Day celeb : EX-STAR

44. Second word of a January song : AULD The song is "Should Auld acquaintance..."; not the second word of the TITLE - A-ha~!

45. Threw a fit : RANTED

47. Post-presentation period : Q AND A - Bang~! Nailed it Questions and Answers

52. "The Last Time I Came __ the Moor": Burns : O'ER

53. Livy's law : LEX - Latin language, and alliteration

Splynter