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

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Aug 23, 2015

Sunday August 23, 2015 Gordon Johnson

Theme: "Eight is Enough" - The first words in theme entries spell out "My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nachos".
  
23A. *"I won't tell a soul!" : MY LIPS ARE SEALED. Reminds me the logo of Ashley Madison.

36A. *"You're not even close!" : VERY COLD. This refers to little kids' "Hot and Cold" game, right?

53A. *Not just a shot in the dark : EDUCATED GUESS

59A. *Sci-fi fleet leader : MOTHER SHIP

73A. *Not seriously : JUST FOR FUN. Purported reason for some to join Ashley Madison.

82A. *Words from the aptly punished : SERVED ME RIGHT. Lament for the exposed members of Ashley Madison.

94A. *Adversarial attitude : US vs THEM

113A. *Popular party dish : NACHOS AND CHEESE.  I thought Nachos refer to the chips and cheese together?  Never had Nachos myself.

35A. Familiar octet : PLANETS

104A. A typical one for the 35-Across can be found in the first words of the answers to starred clues : MNEMONIC
This might be our constructor.  Congratulations on your LA Times debut!

I solved this as a themeless. I'm sad to say that I never heard of this mnemonic. Wish I immigrated to the US at age 13 rather than 30. Lots of simple gimmes like this are just foreign to me.


Across:

1. Unwilling to listen : DEAF. Nailed it.

5. "Please don't __" : BE MAD. 34D. "__ needle pulling thread" : SEW A. 37D. Keep an __ the ground : EAR TO. And  44D. Take __: try the pool : A DIP. 110D. "The heat __!" : IS ON.. Fill-in-blanks are often partials. Rich normally caps the partials at four for Sundays. Two for weekdays.

10. Pot holder : CHEF. I was thinking of drug.

14. Japanese comics : MANGA

19. Lacking originality : UNCREATIVE

21. Work on the road : PAVE

22. Subject of a 1989 international trade ban : IVORY. Got via crosses.

25. "Yes __!" : SIREE

26. Riyadh natives : SAUDIS. 1,200 of them are members of Ashley Madison. Adultery is punishable by death there.

27. Botanical cover : ARIL

28. One scouring the junkyard : RUMMAGER

30. Dam city : ASWAN. I kept thinking of Hoover Dam.

32. 104 of Haydn's are numbered: Abbr. : SYMS (Symphonies). More music references: 41A. Like Brahms' Third : IN F. 95D. Violinist Louis who invented the chinrest : SPOHR. 98D. Pianist Watts : ANDRE. Both unknown to me. Also, 62D. Renaissance fiddle : REBEC. We had this before. I forgot.


  
39. Burpee product : SEED
 
42. Word repeated before "sis" : RAH

43. Ending with cup : OLA. Cupola.

44. Snoopy-Red Baron conflict, e.g. : AIR WAR. Friendly crosses.

46. Where some precious metal may be exchanged : ALTAR. Oh, gold rings.

50. Valued geologic mass : ORE BODY. How is different from ORE?
 
55. Whiskered swimmer : OTTER

56. "Ah Sun-flower! ... / Seeking after that sweet golden __": Blake : CLIME. Crosses again.

57. Sheltered at sea : ALEE

58. Dune buggy, e.g., briefly : ATV

64. Storm harbinger : CLAP. Thunder clap.

65. Hilo his : ALOHAS. Read it as "Hi's". We also have 79. Nonnative Hawaiian : HAOLE. Pronounced like  "Holly", right?

66. Kubla Khan's palace : XANADU

68. Street __ : CRED

71. Cornmeal loaves : PONES

 77. "Found it!" : AHA

78. Chopped down : HEWN
 
81. Stiller's mom : MEARA. OK, Ben.

85. 1966 #1 hit for The Association : CHERISH. I only knew Madonna's "Cherish". 
 
87. DNA structure : HELIX

88. 7-__ : ELEVEN. They have fantastic snack food in Guangzhou: hot and tasty.


89. Foe of Chiang : MAO

90. Sigma follower : TAU

91. Jersey casino, with "The" : TAJ

93. Gets it : SEES
 
97. Apple and Google started in them : GARAGES. Did not know Google started in a garage as well.

101. "Dang!" : DRAT

103. Tending to ooze : SEEPY

106. Kind of agt. : GOVT. Tough crossing with VACs (107D). Roombas, briefly). I did not know what Roombas are. Robotic vacuum cleaner.



108. Arrive, as clouds : ROLL IN. And  112. Contribute : ADD IN
 
117. "The Three Sisters" sister : IRINA

118. More than think : KNOW. MUSE won't fit.

119. Environmental activist : ECO-WARRIOR. Nailed it.

120. Allowed : LEGAL. So is LEGIT.

121. Alluring : SEXY

122. Moving about : ASTIR

123. Shore thing : SAND. Not DUNE.

Down:

 1. Doo-wop syllables : DUMS. Crosses again.

2. "Orinoco Flow" singer : ENYA

3. NSA wiretap challenger : ACLU

4. When Shabbat begins : FRIDAY

5. Linden tree : BASSWOOD. Did not know Linden = Basswood.

6. BWI posting : ETA. BWI = Baltimore Washington International. Learning moment to me also.

7. Arizona opponent in a landmark Supreme Court case : MIRANDA

8. Categorically state : AVER

9. Both Arnaz guys : DESIs

10. Tax season VIP : CPA

11. Shakespearean prince : HAL. Prince Hal.

12. Where or when attachment : EVER

13. Exasperated : FED UP

14. Handle badly : MISMANAGE

15. Frequent flier's malady? : AVIAN FLU. Nice clue.

16. Sweden : Sverige :: Norway : __ : NORGE. What Norway is in Norway.

17. Meet partner : GREET. Meet and greet.

18. Australia's __ Rock : AYERS

20. Certain Prot. : EPISC

24. Mythological heaven : ELYSIUM. I like this word.

29. 11th-century year : MLI. 1051.
 
31. Friend : ALLY

33. Macon university : MERCER. Never heard of it.  What are they famous for?

36. Formula One sound : VROOM
 
38. Butler with "a cynical humor in his mouth" : RHETT. Just fill in RHETT whenever you see "Butler" in the clue.

40. Record collection : DATABASE

45. Cave : RELENT

47. Bluish green : TEAL

48. Hammett hound : ASTA

49. It may contain regrets : RSVP. Had ??V? in the slot and wondered about LOVE.

51. Get conned : BE HAD

52. Russian city east of Kiev : OREL


53. Beethoven honoree : ELISE

54. Unleaded? : DECAF. Got me again.

56. Speaks for spirits : CHANNELS

60. Lured (in) : ROPED

61. "This I gotta see" : SHOW ME

63. Rejoice : EXULT

64. One using salt, perhaps : CURER. Oh, literally.

67. Rounded roof : DOME

68. Kind of cow? : CASH

69. South Korean president, 1948-1960 : RHEE. Nailed it as well. Korean RHEE = LEE = Li (as Jet Li). Same character.

70. "Downton Abbey" title : EARL

72. Cold response : SHIVER

73. Biblical baptist : JOHN

74. "Taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase": MLK : FAITH. Also the name of my mother-in-law. Her two other sisters are named Hope and Charity. 
 
75. Latin bears : URSAE

76. Book describing the fall of Nineveh : NAHUM. Stumper for me.

78. Like typical snowflakes : HEXAGONAL

80. Way back when : AGES AGO

83. Carrot nutrient : VITAMIN A. Don't drink too much carrot juice. It makes your skin orange.

84. Swamp thing : REED

85. Check out, as a joint : CASE

86. Sci-fi transport : HOVERCAR. No idea. Like this?


89. Prohibitive words : MUST NOT

92. "Friends" actress, familiarly : JEN. Newly married. So happy for her. Can't less less about Angelina.


96. 1840s White House family : TYLERs

97. AOL alternative : GMAIL

99. Excavate again : RE-DIG

100. Founders : SINKS. Verb.

102. Where cruise ships go : TO SEA. Partial in disguise.

105. Sugar source : CANE

109. Sister of Luke : LEIA
 
111. Stereotypical computer whiz : NERD

114. Crew chief : COX. Coxswain.

115. Pacific Coast or Alaska: Abbr. : HWY. And 116. 115-Down offense : DWI
 

I'm still in shock that we lost the crossword legend Merl Reagle. I never met Merl in person. Just a few email exchanges with him over the years. He was always sweet, kind and encouraging. You'll always be in my mind, Merl!


Happy Birthday to Tinbeni, whose daily sunset toast to blog regulars often makes me smile.  Hope it's a day full of pleasant surprises and romances, Tinbeni.

C.C.