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

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Feb 8, 2016

Monday, February 8, 2016 David Steinberg

 Theme: Musical Monday - Linking four bands today.

16A. Birds on United States seals : BALD EAGLES 
 

 
24A. Commonly multi-paned patio entrances : FRENCH DOORS


 
37A. Reptiles known for their strong jaws : SNAPPING TURTLES
 

 
46A. Bank transport vehicles : ARMORED CARS



56A. Musicians found at the ends of 16-, 24-, 37- and 46-Across : ROCK GROUPS

Argyle here.

Across:

1. Basil sauce : PESTO

6. Pops, to baby : "DADA"

10. Sacred assurance : VOW

13. Sound from a lily pad : CROAK

14. 88 or 98 automaker : OLDS. The Rocket 88.

 
15. Give a ticket to : CITE

18. Longing feeling : ACHE

19. Old photo hue : SEPIA

20. Started the poker kitty : ANTE'D

21. Explosion noise : [¡BAM!]

27. Hop out of bed : ARISE

29. More like a cad : RUDER

30. Send a racy phone message to : SEXT

31. Changed into : BECAME

34. Apt anagram of "aye" : YEA

40. Actor McKellen : IAN

41. Briefs, informally : UNDIES

 
42. 50-and-over organization : AARP. (formerly the American Association of Retired Persons)

43. Somber melody : DIRGE. I think some of the Doors work could be called 'rock dirge'.

45. Red-nosed "Sesame Street" character : ERNIE

51. Poetic nightfall : E'EN

52. Quicken offerings : LOANS. Now offering "Rocket Mortgages"

53. Reebok rival : ASICS. Sport shoes.

55. __ Spumante : ASTI. (Italian sparkling white wine)

61. Costa __ : RICA

 
62. Word for the calorie-conscious : LITE

63. Fertile desert spots : OASES

64. "I'm not impressed" : "MEH"

65. Arrived at second base headfirst, perhaps : SLID

66. Little songbirds : WRENS

Down:

1. Banned chem. pollutant : PCB. (polychlorinated biphenyl)A lot of it in my area.

2. Pitching stat : ERA. (earned run average)

3. South-of-the-border sun : SOL

4. Youngsters : TADS

5. Michael of "Caddyshack" : O'KEEFE. "No Coke"



6. "Git along" little critter : DOGIE. calf.

7. Edgar __ Poe : ALLAN

8. Pres. before JFK : DDE. Remember from Sunday?

9. Stubborn animal : ASS

10. Post-race place for a NASCAR winner : VICTORY LANE. February 21, 2016: Daytona 500.

11. Catchall check box : [OTHER]

12. Dandelions, e.g. : WEEDS

15. Kayak kin : CANOE

17. Earth Day mo. : APR. (April)

20. Poisonous snake : ADDER

21. Low operatic voices : BASSI

22. Sports venue with tiered seating : ARENA

23. Versatile, as a wardrobe : MIX AND MATCH

25. Shipping container : CRATE

26. Organic fertilizer : HUMUS. Not related to the chickpea mash, hummus.

28. Fuel additive brand : STP. (scientifically treated petroleum)

31. __-watching: TV viewing spree : BINGE

32. Put the kibosh on : ENDED

33. Movie SFX : CGI. (computer-generated images) Where would we be without it.

35. Tremble-inducing : EERIE

36. Trembling tree : ASPEN. Cute pairing.

38. Good vibrations, in the cat world : PURRS

39. Sticky road stuff : TAR

44. Ancient Aegean region : IONIA

 
45. Real-estate holding account : ESCROW

46. Smartphone wake-up feature : ALARM

47. Riveting icon : ROSIE


                 Ok, one more group but definitely not rock.
 
48. Desert plants : CACTI

49. Patronized a help desk : ASKED

50. Big truck : RIG

54. Zoom up : SOAR

56. Dr. Jekyll creator's monogram : RLS. (Robert Louis Stevenson)

57. Saudi Arabian export : OIL

58. "__ the Force, Luke" : USE

59. Confident crossword solver's tool : PEN

60. Escaping-air sound : SSS

 
Argyle


Feb 7, 2016

Sunday Feb 7, 2016 Alan Olschwang

TITLE: PRESIDENTIAL FIRSTS

INITIALLY, I had no idea about the gimmick and wondered what presidential firsts would have to do with TRAINS, AUDIBLES, et al and then JUST FOR KICKS hit me like a ton of feathers (which weigh the same as a ton of bricks)!




Mark's lovely Super Bowl Sunday puzzle required no reveal as he reasoned that the first letters of seven three-word-phrases will stand out like a brick in a punchbowl and, coupled with the title, would  allow solvers unravel his ploy of using the INITIALS of seven U.S. presidents to start each word in those phrases.  


Tain't easy McGee. Try it with your initials and let us know what you get.


Husker Gary back on the bandstand to serve as emcee on Alan's clever exercise. Using my initials, I'll just say it's a Gosh Darn Shame if you were expecting C.C.'s Sunday blogging. WAIT,  this just in, C.C. will make a triumphant return on Valentine's Day Sunday! Cheers rise from the assembled masses!


Let's first see the themeage:


23. Austria's Railjet, for one (#33) : HIGH SPEED TRAIN - Our 33rd president Harry (stands for nothing) Truman or this train capable of 143 mph




45. Changes the play at the line of scrimmage (#21) : CALLS AAUDIBLE - Our 21st president Chester Alan Arthur or what Peyton will be doing today in the Super Bowl to change the play by yelling



74. Words from a returning traveler (#43) : GUESS WHOS BACK - Our 43rd president George Walker Bush or what Yankee fans might have said about our crossword pal A-ROD this year



102. D.C. trip highlight (#27) : WHITE HOUSE TOUR - Our 350 lb. 27th president William Howard Taft or the purpose for which these are used. 




130. Drinking song popularized by the Glenn Miller Orchestra (#36) : LITTLE BROWN JUG - Our 36th president Lyndon Baines Johnson or the traveling trophy for the winner of the annual Minnesota/Michigan game. Michigan leads the series 74 - 25 - 3




17. On a lark (#35) : JUST FOR KICKS - Our 35th president John Fitzgerald Kennedy or why the Carolina Panthers hired Graham Gano



67. Could be more productive (#34) : DON'T DENOUGH - Our 34th president Dwight David Eisenhower or my biking output




Across     

  
1. Got a four, probably : MADE PAR - Jusitn Spieth's 8-under scorecard for the first round of the 2015 Master's shows most golf holes are PAR Fours




8. Undermines : ERODES

14. With one's back against the wall : IN A JAM


20. Unsettle : AGITATE


21. Ridicule : DERIDE - What some do to the men in our theme


22. Retiring : DEMURE


25. Has a life : EXISTS


26. Fatuous : INANE


27. "The Lion King" baddie : SCAR


28. French connections? : TETE A TETES - Some 
Tête-à-Têtes are très discret


30. Derisive shout : HOOT


32. Source of twigs called withies : OSIER - Our Red OSIER Dogwood were 
beautiful in all seasons




34. __ nouveau : ART


35. Take the high way? : FLY - Cute


36. Vietnam's __ Dinh Diem : NGO - He was assassinated 3 wks before JFK by... 


38. MLB scorecard entry : SAC - SACrificing your turn at bat to perhaps score the GO AHEAD RUN from yesterday's Silkie or at least move a baserunner up


40. Most massive known dwarf planet : ERIS - Pluto's new family




42. Word on mail from Madrid : AEREO 




50. NutraSweet developer : SEARLE - Their Enovid was the first FDA-approved birth control pill and was very lucrative for the company


53. Fatty acid type : OLEIC


54. Sea-Tac abbr. : ARR - Our ARR(ival) at the SEA(ttle)-TAC(oma) airport in 2014 was delayed in Minneapolis by what Delta called a "sick airplane"


55. Some oscilloscope users: Abbr. : EE'S - We physics teachers use 'em too like Electric Engineers


56. Invited : ASKED


57. Actor with a mohawk : MR T - I pity the fool with a haircut like his


59. "Football Night in America" network : NBC


62. "Avatar" extras : ET'S 


64. Telling tales : LYING - Maybe the current FX Series People vs OJ Simpson will tell us the truth (actors in top row, real life people in bottom)




65. Like many an infielder's throw : SIDE ARM - Much quicker


69. Missoula home : MONTANA - Also our good friend Darlene


72. Spotty affliction? : ACNE


73. Latin trio word : AMO - AMO, amas, amat, amamus, amatis, amant. That's a whole lot of lovin' 

78. White wine aperitif : KIR - I had this in last Sunday's OFF CENTER puzzle


79. "M" director Fritz : LANG


81. 1988 NFL MVP : ESIASON - Boomer ESIASON's foundation was on the 101st floor of the WTC North Tower on 9/11/01. All employees were survived as they were to report to work late that day




82. Sentence sections : PHRASES


84. Bits in a byte, e.g. : OCTET - 8 bits in a byte in Computerland 


86. Vague number : ANY


87. One who might be given the business : SON 


89. Ages and ages : EON


90. Acknowledge tacitly : NOD TO


91. Prophet's claim : ESP - "Hey, prophet, shall I bet the Panthers and lay the points?"


93. Yet, to Yeats : THO


96. Put a handle on : NAMED - C'mon, you know the song with - "Who could put a NAME on you?"


100. Cuddles : SPOONS

106. Author Madeleine L'__ : ENGLE - Best known for A Wrinkle In Time


108. Holly genus : ILEX


109. Sports __ : BRA - The most famous picture of one




110. Valuable deposit : ORE


111. Former Saturn model : ION


113. Max. : ULT


115. Drained of color : ASHEN


117. Alibi problems : GAPS


120. Critical point : CROSSROADS Two roads diverged in a yellow wood...


124. Lotion additive : ALOE


126. Agricultural pioneer : DEERE 




129. Call on the carpet : HAUL UP


133. '90s veep : AL GORE


134. Bumpy : UNEVEN


135. Andalusian city : GRANADA


136. Snickered : TE HEED - or TEE HEED


137. Roma road : STRADA - Artisti di STRADA a Roma (Street artists in Rome)




138. Tossed about : STREWED - Less common past participle of STREW
 
Down


1. When doubled, a common dolphinfish : MAHI


2. Back-country "contrary to" : AGIN


3. Do spadework : DIG A HOLE - or quit... (3 words but no prez initials)




4. Centric start : ETHNO


5. '90s Toyota : PASEO


6. Netmen's gp. : ATP Association of Tennis Professionals


7. "Cheers" actor Roger : REES


8. Icelandic literary works : EDDAS - Do you see EDDA in there?




9. Gave it another go : RETRIED - I Retired from teaching and after 6 months I RETRIED it for another six years


10. Skating legend : ORR


11. Venomous venting : DIATRIBE - A lot of us know what famous comedian was unleashing a DIATRIBE on actress Edie McClurg in this hilarious scene




12. Nicollette's "Desperate Housewives" role : EDIE - Or an actual EDIE above


13. Words with letter or fax : SENT A


14. Conceptualizes : IDEATES


15. To follow : NEXT


16. Sweetie along the Seine : AMIE

18. Soviet cooperative : ARTEL - An ARTEL of Russian (pre-Soviet) artists in 1863




19. Unkempt : MESSY


24. Green wheels : ECO CAR


29. One may be named for a president : ERA


31. Screening org. : TSA - Some women claim TSA agents ask them to go through the scanner more than once




33. NW Penn. airport : ERI - ERI(E) Airport. In NY a lake, county and canal 


36. Base fig. : NCO - Remember the NCO who was in charge of the motor pool at Ft. Baxter?


37. __ pal : GAL


39. Santa __ winds : ANA


41. Rains hard? : SLEETS


43. Like Pinocchio, eventually : REAL


44. Cinch course : EASY A


46. Bar fruit : LIME


47. Beanpole : SCRAG


48. Immortalized vessel of rhyme : URN - Keats' last two lines from his Ode On A Grecian URN




49. Abbr. before a year : ESTAB


51. "Law & Order" detective Briscoe : LENNIE - Jerry Orbach also did movies and trod the boards of Broadway 


52. Trimming tools : EDGERS


58. "No argument" : TRUE - See Keats above


60. Mercedes rivals : BMW'S - I only learned it was Bavarian not British Motor Works when we toured around Munich 


61. Pacific salmon : COHOS


63. Walk in the park : SNAP


65. Drawing rooms : SALONS


66. End of the '50s TV intro that began "This is the city" : I'M A COP - Later changed to "I carry a badge" following police officer complaints




68. Badlands formation : MESA


70. Verboten thing : NO NO


71. Aleve can alleviate one : ACHE


75. Toughness : SINEW


76. Greets, with "to" : SAYS HI


77. Danish capital : KRONE - You'd receive 34 KRONER (pl.) in change for this bill when getting a McDonald's Combo meal in Copenhagen 




80. Board : GET ON


83. Structural subj. : ANAT - ANATOMY abbr.


85. Half a patio pair : TONG - TONGS


88. High degree : NTH


92. Columnlike architectural piece : PILASTER - Some rather famous ones




94. Hang out : HOBNOB - Archaic - From Hob and Nob - give and take - drinking to each other's health


95. "__ Gang" : OUR - Last Sunday we saw Alfalfa and Buckwheat


97. Saskatchewan city : MOOSE JAW - The Peacock Collegiate High School teams in MOOSE JAW are called the Toilers




98. Asian lead-in : EUR


99. "The Chronic" Dr. : DRE


101. Downed noisily : SLURPED


103. French possessive : TES - e.g. TES livres (your books)


104. Blew out : EXHALED


105. Give a little : SAG


107. Gp. that hired an orchestra for its "Eldorado" album : ELO


111. Phased-out Apple messaging tool : iCHAT


112. Papal garment : ORALE - Today called the FANON - the white/gold striped cape - yet to be worn by Francis 




114. Anklebone : TALUS


116. Barack's 2010 High Court appointee : ELENA


118. Exchange of nasty spots : AD WAR - Finally, with Iowa Caucuses gone, some of you others can have these


119. Shells alternative : PENNE


121. Astringent fruit : SLOE


122. Foolproof : SURE - "Is that right Mr. Madoff?"


123. By __ of: due to : DINT


125. Joule components : ERGS - An ERG = An ant doing a pushup and a Joule = 10,000,000 ants doing a pushup

127. Snippy, say : RUDE

128. "Great Scott!" : EGAD


131. Power agcy. created in 1933 : TVA - The Danville, KY elevator that was left when the TVA dammed the Tennessee River. The bottom five floors were flooded as Kentucky Lake was formed




132. Fido's find : ORT


Using my initials again, I'd call Alan's puzzle Genuinely Delightful Solving! Now let's go see your INTIAL responses -


The Grid: