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

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Sep 21, 2013

Saturday, Sep 21st, 2013, Brad Wilber & Doug Peterson

Theme BW&DP

Words: 72 (missing J,Q,Z)

Blocks: 30

  The "other" dynamic duo appears again, this time with the authors trading places in the title; DP&BW gave us Saturday's puzzle just 3 weeks ago.  Two meaty corners tied to two grid spanners, with a pair of 10-letter climbers to tie the top and bottom halves together:

17. It's hard to write with one : NON-DOMINANT HAND - I am left-handed, and the hand-held devices UPS drivers use for package deliveries are designed with right-handed people in mind. There are some other obviously "biased" items; guitars, scissors, etc., but did you ever consider that ALL vending machines and ATMs assume you are right-handed?  Tape measures annoy me, too....so I am polling the reading audience today to find out what your dominant hand is <--

53. Hunter's companion : GOLDEN RETRIEVER - I knew we were looking for a dog, but I had to wait for a few perps first

12. "Color me surprised!" : "I HAD NO IDEA~!"   I liked how this crossed 21D. "Hah!" : "TOLD YA~!"

Sorry for any goof-ups....I have spent the last 5 days in UPS driver training; the classes were easy, but the commute would kill me if I had to do it every week....about 90mins to get from Suffolk into NYC - and I'm talking Queens, not Manhattan - and then a minimum 2 hours on the way out.  One-way in miles?  55.  ARRGHH~!! and that's not pirate talk~!  Had this great view though

ONWARD~!

ACROSS:

1. Faux-antique décor : SHABBY CHIC - speaking of Faux, see 7D.

11. Nurses : SIPS - anyone really reaaaly want LPNS ? (can't be); this is the "takes too long with your beer" nurses

15. Words next to many 22-Down : YOU ARE HERE; 22D. Check alternatives : Xes - I found this image, too
16. Malaysian Chinese shoe designer Jimmy : CHOO - Marti NNNNNAILED this one

19. Cub games setting: Abbr. : CDT - Dah~! went with CHI(cago) - nope - Central Daylight Time

20. Hidden Valley competitor : KEN'S - Salad dressings and marinades


22. Small-screen princess : XENA - warrior princess

23. Sing ballads, say : CROON

24. Word in a Le Pew address : CHERI and a clecho of sorts; 49. Star of Looney Tunes' "for Scent-imental Reasons" : PEPE - he's Frawnch~!


26. Tab alternative : DIET COKE - Tab, the cola; movie clip

29. Foe of the fictional spy agency CONTROL : KAOS - "would you believe...?"

30. Pump parts : TOES - On those Jimmy Choo shoes

32. Authorizing : OKing

33. First-aid practitioner, briefly : EMT - Popular this week

34. In reality : DE FACTO

36. Cutting remark : DIG

37. Don't bother : LET BE

39. Jardín occupant : FLOR - Garden and flower in Spanish

40. They're built on benches : PECS - the muscles, and bench presses

41. Pretends : PLAY-ACTS

43. Yupik craft : UMIAK - cool  - or would that be frigid?

45. Thomas who co-created "Free to Be... You and Me" : MARLO - the Wiki

46. Spanish autonomy Castile and __ : LEON

47. Astronomy Muse : URANIA - the ruling planet of my astrological sign is Uranus - check out this link here - rather racy, I must say ( but I don't like my sex 'fast' )

49. Stick with a spring : POGO

50. Brief black-and-white flash? : APB - The 'flash' of a message received in a police car (black & white) is an All Points Bulletin

56. Singer of the children's album "Camp Lisa" : LOEB - I have had this clue/answer on a Saturday before, I believe

57. Prevented from getting unruly : KEPT IN LINE

58. Minute : ITSY - dah~! Went with TINY

59. Biological cooler : SWEAT GLAND

DOWN:

1. What collaborators should be in : SYNC

2. Garment feature that's sometimes detachable : HOOD

3. Family title : AUNT

4. Like some news : BAD

5. Stock character? : BROKER

6. Dweller on the Red Sea : YEMENITE

7. Hutch contents : CHINA - D-Otto's story on Sunday about "faux pas" finishes reminded me of a customer I had waaay back in the day at the home improvement store; a woman came in and asked for a "china closet".  I took her to the RTA furniture department and showed her what we had.  She got very snotty with me, stating that I "must not be very smart", because that's not what she meant.  Turned out that she wanted a porcelain (china) water closet - in other words, a toilet. 

8. European trio in a Christmas song : HENS ...Four Calling Birds, three Frawnch HENS...

9. Soc. Sec. supplement : IRA

10. Rogers __: Toronto stadium : CENTRE - and then there's Rogers Arena, where the Vancouver Canucks play; Roger's got some sweet man-caves, I'd say

11. Cheesy stuff : SCHLOCK

13. Shot glass : PONY - In light of yesterday's wonderful "AA" grid spanner, I have not lifted a PONY in 8years, 8months, 13days

14. Bar supply available at the touch of a button : SODA -yeah, heavy on the Jack, light on the diet coke....

18. Pretentious : TOO-TOO

23. "Welcome to the human network" tech giant : CISCO


24. Desert mount : CAMEL - "Mike, Mike Mike, you know what day it is~!"



25. "GET FIRED UP!" candy : HOT TAMALES

26. Passes out : DEALS - anyone else on the "too drunk to stand" = passes out wavelength~?

27. Phil Jackson, for most of the '70s : KNICK - Basketball; the game just interferes with the hockey season

28. Early birds? : EGGS - HAR-HAR~!

29. It may wash up onshore : KELP

31. Leaving for : OFF TO

34. Toots : DEARIE - I had a buddy who called his wife "toots" all the time

35. 2010 Western remake that garnered 10 Oscar nominations : TRUE GRIT -never saw either the original or this one

38. Presently : BY AND BY

40. Success on a mat : PIN - wrestling - don't we have some people here with young'uns who rassle?

42. Haunted house sounds : CLANKS - I went with CREAKS first

44. Farm sound : MOO-ING

46. Ton o' : LOTTA

47. Jamaican hybrid fruit : UGLI

48. Act like a pig, in a way : ROOT

50. Fitness brand : AVIA - athletic footwear

51. Ivy League member : PENN - Dah - went with YALE

52. Cultivated : BRED

54. FF's opposite : REW - Ya know, on those, um, thingies with the tapes that play in them?  Fast Forward and REWind

55. Bent piece : ELL

Splynter



Note from C.C.:

I got an email from Elissa Grossman, who runs the annual Crosswords LA (this year slated for Saturday, October 26). Please click here for details.

Elissa said "This year's event will include crosswords and puzzle games constructed by Liz Gorski, Jeffrey Harris, Aimee Lucido, Todd McClary, Andrea Carla Michaels, Pete Muller, Trip Payne, John Doppler Schiff, Dave Shukan, Marc Spraragen, David Steinberg and Zoe Wheeler (with development managed by Tyler Hinman). It's likely that Merl Reagle will join us for the event finals. All money raised (over costs) is donated to a great non-profit (Reading to Kids)."

Those are all brilliant constructors. I hope you'll participate. You'll have fun! The great Doug Peterson made the puzzle for the event the past 2 years. Maybe he'll be there this year competing. I think Rich Norris (LA Times Crossword editor) was there last year also.