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

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Nov 12, 2017

Sunday, Nov 12, 2017 Thomas Takaro

Theme: "Your Eyes Become You" - I is replaced by U in each theme entry.

23A. Traffic jam? : MUDDLE OF THE ROAD. Middle of the road.

33A. Serve leftover rolls? : RECYCLE BUNS. Recycle bins

42A. Dispute over young flowers? : BUDDING WAR. Bidding war.

59A. Last pat? : THE BUTTER END. The bitter end.

68A. Coin-making tool? : PENNY PUNCHER. Penny-pincher.
 
84A. Mediocre deli item? : DULL PICKLE. Dill pickle.

93A. Mallard's beard? : DUCK VAN DYKE. Dick Van Dyke.

107A. Pair of vehicles in a plot? : TWO CAR COLLUSION. Two-car collision.
 
15D. Viking descendant on a rampage? : NORMAN MAULER. Norman Mailer.

59D. "Don't forget the rubber disk"? : TAKE YOUR PUCK. Take your pick.

This puzzle has 10 theme entries, occupying total 120 squares. Very heavy in themeage. I don't think I've blogged a 120-themer before.

Rich's minimum requirement is 84. Tough to fill a grid cleanly when the theme entries have over 100 squares. 120 is much much tougher, hence the 88 black squares.

This is also Thomas's first Sunday puzzle. Congratulations!

Across:
       
1. Ball stars : DEBS

5. Baseball's Hammerin' Hank : AARON. And 30. 5-Across broke his record, with "The" : BABE. Home run record. 715. That ball must be in Cooperstown. We also have 67. Giant of a Giant : MAYS (Willie)




10. Latin foot : PES

13. Cline portrayer in "Sweet Dreams" : LANGE (Jessica)

18. It comes from the head : IDEA

19. Bunkum : TRIPE

20. Meter preceder : ALTI

22. Thrown for __ : A LOOP

26. __ Rossi: Gallo brand : CARLO

27. View from Anchorage : DENALI

28. What may be intended by inadvertent wordplay? : NO PUN. No pun intended.

29. Theater giant? : IMAX

30. Verdi's "Un __ in maschera" : BALLO. Meaning "A Masked Ball". Learning moment for me.

37. "__ news?" : ANY

38. "It's Only a Paper Moon" composer : ARLEN. I need Harold in the clue.

39. Watch : EYE

40. Bay Area county : MARIN

47. Below average : SUBNORMAL

51. Rescue squad initials : EMS

52. "What should __?": dieter's quandary : I EAT

53. Totally lost : AT SEA

54. Boating implements : OARS

55. Goose cooked in its own fat, say : CONFIT. I don't think I've ever had goose. Duck yes.


57. Takes another tack : VEERS

58. Night in Nantes : NUIT

62. Low areas : DALES

63. Hawaiian non-natives : HAOLES. Just remember it as A HOLES.

64. "__ any drop to drink": Coleridge : NOR

65. Grammarians' concerns : USAGES

67. Strong sharks : MAKOs

72. Words before "of rules" : A SET

73. Beaded counters : ABACI. Mine was pretty heavy.

75. Sealy alternatives : SERTAs

76. Ma playing music : YO YO. See the three white Chinese characters? Ma Yo-Yo. Chinese put surname first.



77. Bell sounds : DONGS

78. Traveler's option : RAIL

79. Filing tool : TAB

82. Some travelers put them on in winter : SNOW TIRES

87. "__ Gold": Fonda film : ULEE'S

88. Green Giant orb : PEA

90. Letter-shaped 95-Down opening : F-HOLE. And 95. Instrument with two 90-Acrosses : VIOLA

91. Birdie plus one : PAR

99. Agreements : YESES

100. Some dadaist art : ARPs. Jean Arp.

102. Fear-inducing : HAIRY

103. Not acceptable : UNCOOL

105. Made level, with "up" : TRUED
  
112. Vanzetti's partner : SACCO. I forgot. We had this before.

113. Price-slashing event : SALE

114. Eight-related : OCTAL

115. Island near Corsica : ELBA
 
116. Westernmost Canadian territory : YUKON

117. Confident ending? : IAL. Confidential.

118. Italian's "That'll do!" : BASTA

119. Similar : AKIN
  
Down:
 
1. Darken : DIM
 
2. School URL ending : EDU

3. Garden area : BED

4. Like polo ponies : SADDLED

5. Davidson College's NCAA conference, for most sports : A-TEN. Googled afterwards. Atlantic 10 Conference.

6. Like a crowd in full voice : AROAR

7. Go through hastily, as drawers : RIFLE

8. Vision-related : OPTIC

9. Bk. after Ezra : NEH (Nehemiah)

10. Prisoner's reward : PAROLE

11. Take off to get hitched : ELOPE

12. Outfielder Rusty who played for four different expansion teams : STAUB.  A la Wiki, the four expansion teams are: Astros, Expos, Mets and Rangers. You have to be a baseball fan to come up with this clue angle.


13. Place to swim, in Paris : LAC. Lake.

14. Jai __ : ALAI

16. __ Heights: disputed Mideast region : GOLAN. Somehow Golan Heights and Al-Qaeda were frequently covered in the daily 5-minute international news segment when I lived in China, the latter was just called "The Base". Boomer never heard of Al-Qaeda until 9/11.

17. Powerful adhesive : EPOXY

21. SSA-issued info : ID NUMBER

24. Actress Téa : LEONI

25. Suffix with consist : ENCY. ENCE works also.

 
31. Lily family member : ARUM

32. Honorary law degs. : LLDs

34. "You bet __ boots!" : YER

35. Grandmas : NANAs. 婆婆 (Po Po) or 奶奶 (Nai Nai) in Northern China. Different in Cantonese or other regions.

36. Welcome sign for concert promoters : SRO

41. Early metalworking period : IRON AGE

43. Sorrowful mother of legend : NIOBE

44. Group of related species : GENUS. And  96. Joshua tree's 44-Down : YUCCA

45. Float on the breeze : WAFT

46. Having a spat : AT IT

47. WWII firearm : STEN. I learned from doing crosswords.

48. Broken in : USED

49. Sign of spring : ARIES.  Perfect clue for ROBIN.

50. WWII carriers : LSTs

53. Some printer labels : AVERYS

55. Cartoon components : CELs

56. Game with yellow balls : TENNIS
 
60. Nocturnal hunter with a distinctive call : HOOT OWL

61. Mets sports commentator Darling : RON


62. Morse code tones : DAHS

63. Is attired in : HAS ON

65. Preposition often shortened to one syllable : UNTIL

66. Skull covering : SCALP

68. Window __ : PANE

69. Drs.' orders : ECGs

70. Biodiverse South American country : PERU

71. River to the Caspian : URAL

73. "Later, Louis!" : ADIEU

74. Sour red soups : BORSCHTS. Did not know this soup can be pluralized.

79. Ring outcomes, briefly : TKOs

80. Everyone, in Essen : ALLE

81. Fliers with stingers : BEES

83. "Ideas worth spreading" acronym : TED. Ted Talks. I just love Derek Sivers' first Ted Talk.

84. Father figure : DAD

85. "Nice Work __ Can Get It": 2012 Broadway musical : IF YOU

86. Handler with a self-named Netflix talk show : CHELSEA. Close friend of Jennifer.


88. Package : PARCEL

89. Irish New Ager : ENYA

91. Cline of country : PATSY

92. Pianist Claudio : ARRAU. Chilean pianist. We also have 94. Japanese piano maker : KAWAI
  


97. Half hitch and bowline : KNOTS

98. Showiness : ECLAT

101. Vino __: dry wine : SECO

104. Southwestern pot : OLLA

106. Author DeLillo : DON. "White Noise".

108. Hijack, e.g. : ROB

109. Sort : ILK

110. Wrap for Cio-Cio-San : OBI. "Madama Butterfly".

111. Indian flatbread : NAN
 

   
Happy birthday to Rich Norris, editor of LA Times Daily Crossword. I suspect today's STAUB clue is Rich's. He always tries to add interesting trivia, fun and humor to all the clues. Often half or more clues of our daily puzzles are Rich's hard work. 

Last time when I had STATE FAIR, Rich changed my [Place to see giant produce] clue to [Minnesota's annual one is held in Falcon Heights]. It brought a big smile to my face. Lots of clever clues you guy like in my grids are from Rich. He's just an incredibly generous and encouraging editor. We're so lucky. I'm very lucky.


PS: I forgot to mention that our Melissa was married yesterday. She left her beloved job in California a few years ago and moved to Oregon. Since then, she's been totally committed to Adopt an Inmate project, working long hours and going through incredible difficulties alone. Best wishes on your new journey, dear Melissa!



Left to Right: Melissa's daughter, Melissa's mom Barbara B, Melissa