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

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Dec 21, 2017

Thursday 21st December 2017 Morton J. Mendelson

Theme:

17A. Whirligig : SPINNING TOY. I'd call it a "spinning top", but that would rather defeat the purpose of the theme.

25A. Mont Blanc, e.g. : ALPINE PEAK. It's probably the least peak-y of the well-known Alps. It's big though. The ski resort of Chamonix sits in the valley below.


37A. Fine woolen wear : CASHMERE SWEATER.

46A. Westminster award : BEST IN SHOW. The Westminster Dog Show. This commercial for Audi never fails to make me laugh.

55A. Motown group ... and what 17-, 25-, 37- and 46-Across comprise? : THE FOUR TOPS. 

It's the same old song.  No, not the theme, the music. The theme entries came pretty easily, just one very minor nit with the toy/top issue I mentioned above.

This is a rare puzzle that I didn't finish. I thought that Charlotteville was in South Carolina, but USC didn't tie with EUREKA and I flat-out could not see VW BUGS, so that V was my blank spot.

Hindsight being 20/20, it couldn't really have been any other letter, but even multiple alphabet runs brought me up short. I'll blame jet-lag, even though I never really get affected by it!

Let's see what else Mr. Mendelson challenged us with:

Across:

1. It can generate a lot of interest : CREDIT. The interest can escalate pretty quickly unless you behave. The credit card companies love that.

7. Become less aloof : THAW

11. Texting format, briefly : SMS. Short Message Service. Pictures and what-have-you use MMS, Multimedia Messaging Service.

14. Saint of Ávila : TERESA

15. Opera set in Egypt : AIDA

16. Fell with an ax : HEW

19. Toothpaste-approving org. : A.D.A.

20. Northernmost capital on the Mississippi : ST. PAUL I'm sure C.C. knew this right off the bat. I had to wait for a couple of crosses.

21. Key of Grieg's only piano concerto: Abbr. : A MIN. Nice change from the African Dictator clue.

22. Careful way to play it : SAFE

28. Class-conscious gp.? : P.T.A.

29. Actress de Armas of "Blade Runner 2049" : ANA. Thank you, crosses. I've not seen the new Blade Runner, the original was great.

30. Swivel around : SLUE. Great word.

31. Fielding mishap : ERROR

33. Attacking fiercely : STORMING. Usually the castle. With pitchforks and torches.


40. Increased steadily : SPIRALED

41. Rogue : KNAVE

42. Lively, in mus. : ANIM. Animato, in a lively manner.

43. Charlottesville sch. : U.V.A. As I mentioned in the intro, jut could not see this.

45. Majors in acting : LEE

50. Admiral who explored the Antarctic : BYRD

51. x, y and z, in math : AXES



52. 11th Greek letter : LAMBDA. These chaps. Upper and lower case. Λ λ

54. "Hey, ewe!" : BAA!

60. Large shade tree : ELM

61. Run into : MEET

62. Garden figures in red hats : GNOMES. I'm going to launch a line of sundials with a gnome as the gnomon, if somebody hasn't already thought of it.

63. Muddy pen : STY

64. Scalawags : IMPS

65. Grieg wrote only one for piano : SONATA. In E Minor, unlike his one piano concerto. I wonder why he only wrote one of each?

Down:

1. Euro parts: Abbr. : CTS. Eurolets are cents. I'm not sure I knew that.

2. Street cred : REP. Urban slang, I'm guessing from "reputation."

3. "__ tu": Verdi aria : ERI

4. Not getting it : DENSE

5. Ain't right? : ISN'T

6. Clavell's "Shogun" sequel : TAIPAN. I boomeranged between SAIPAN, TAIPEI and finally settled on the correct answer.

7. Prepare to advance after a fly ball : TAG UP. Baseball. It's like cricket, except with round bats. And four bases. And a mound. And nine on each side. And a pitcher, not a bowler. And you only have one batter up at a time. And he's not called a batsman. And he has to run if he hits the ball fair. OK, it's nothing like cricket.

8. Schedules of items to deal with : HIT LISTS. I call mine to-do lists.

9. Hubbub : ADO

10. Path : WAY. Pathway!

11. "Tut-tut!" : SHAME!

12. __ blitz : MEDIA. Nice fill-in-the-blank. Took me a while to see this one.

13. Two-time Best Actress winner Hilary : SWANK

18. Simba's mate : NALA. The Lion King. Still on my to-do list (!) to see it on Broadway.

21. Hypothetical evolutionary link : APEMAN



22. Short glasses? : SPECS

23. Set __ for: lure : A TRAP

24. Language that gave us "bazaar" : FARSI. Also khaki, caravan and julep, among others.

26. Sweet'__: coffee additive : N LOW

27. California's motto : EUREKA! I've lived here for 25 years and didn't know this. Made official in 1963, apparently comes from the Gold Rush days.

29. Stylish suit : ARMANI. Depends who's wearing it. I know people who could make an Armani suit look like a bunch of old rags.

32. "Darn it!" : OH RATS!

33. But, to Brutus : SED. Thank you, Latin lessons.

34. See 43-Down : ITALY

35. When the sun rises in the west : NEVER. Took me a while to figure this out. I toyed with SIX AM for absolutely no sensible reason until the penny dropped.

36. Avarice : GREED

38. Mother of Sam and Charlie Woods : ELIN. Tiger's offspring. I recognized the names, but couldn't place them at first.

39. Dreaming phase : R.E.M. SLEEP. Rapid Eye Movement.

43. Man, in 34-Down : UOMO

44. Beetles : VW BUGS. Stymied by the V. It's odd, I would call a VW Beetle a Bug, but not the converse.

46. Innocent ones : BABES

47. Sing the praises of : EXALT

48. Hardly wholesome : SEAMY

49. Sword handles : HAFTS. I associate hilts with swords and hafts with hand axes or hatchets.

50. Relay stick : BATON

53. Spy-fi villain on Crab Key : DR. NO. Nailed it! Thank you, ghosts of crosswords past.

55. "I don't need the deets!" : TMI! Texter's Too Much Information!

56. Fence (in) : HEM

57. Medical suffix : -OMA Haematoma, glaucoma, Sonoma - no, scrub that last one.

58. Odie, to Jon Arbuckle : PET. Garfield's apparently dim-witted co-pet.

59. Org. funded by FICA : S.S.A. Payroll taxes raised by the Federal Insurance Contributions Act fund the Social Security Administration.

I think that does it for me. Hasta luego!

Steve


Dec 20, 2017

Wednesday Dec 20, 2017 Agnes Davidson & C.C. Burnikel

Theme: WHAT'S FOR DESSERT? (59A. Dinner table question answered by this puzzle's circled letter)- Torte, Pie, Sorbet and Flan are hidden in each theme entry.
 
17A. Polygraph procedure : LIE DETECTOR TEST 

23A. Aunt Bee's boy : OPIE TAYLOR - PIE is contained in one word.

38A. Five-card draw variation : JACKS OR BETTER-

48A. Tract : PLOT OF LAND -

Boomer here.

I just want to start by wishing all of you faithful blog visitors a very Merry Christmas or Happy Hanukkah as the case may be, and a prosperous New Year 2018!!! 

Across:     

1. Jeans joints : SEAMS - Seams like old times

6. Big coffee holders : URNS -  Every morning I yearn for a coffee urn

10. Window unit : PANE - A window can be a pane in the glass !

14. Major deity in Indonesia : ALLAH

15. Sentence structure element : NOUN - No un ever called a noun an element.  An Element is a mini Honda SUV.

16. Entry on a list : ITEM

20. Boots from school : EXPELS - Here in Minnesota in December kids wear boots to school.

21. Latte option : MOCHA - Most of these coffee names make no sense to me.  I think Starbucks named them so they could charge more bucks per cup.

22. Small swallow : SIP - Do people really swallow sips?  I thought we were looking for a small bird flying in to Capistrano !

28. Jicama or ginseng : ROOT - Root, root, root for the home team, if they don't win it's a shame!

31. Two-time Oscar-winning director Lee : ANG

32. Stock market debut, initially : IPO - IPOs should do well in this bull market, and that ain't no bull!

33. Racket : NOISE

35. St. Peter holds its keys : HEAVEN - Time out. A fellow named Tony passed away and was met by St. Peter and was issued a harp and wings.  He asked St. Pete if he knew a friend of Tony's, Sam Fink who had passed earlier.  Peter said no, but he could check down at the other place.  Tony went down and found his friend running a nightclub discotheque. They had a long chat but then Tony returned to the pearly gates.  St. Peter stopped Mr. Bennett and asked about something missing.  "Oh my gosh" said Tony, "I left my harp in Sam Fink's Disco."  

41. Professional pursuit : CAREER

42. Sidekick who rode Scout : TONTO - "Who was that masked man, I wanted to thank him."  I bowled a tournament now and then at the now closed West Side Lanes in St. Paul.  They had a back dining room with hundreds of autographed 8 X 10s, one of which was Clayton Moore.  I often wondered if he had a silver bowling ball.

43. Ventilate : AIR - I supposed there was not room in the puzzle for AIR OUT.

44. Article in Der Spiegel : EIN - The first word Army soldiers stationed in Deutschland learned.  The second word was bier

45. Veterinarian's subj. : ANAT

53. Tease : RIB - Adam traded one in for his wife.

55. "I understand!" : GOT IT

56. Disney World's county : ORANGE - Absolutely !  Minnesota Twins used to hold Spring training in Orange County but they moved to Lee. (I wonder if they make Jeans with Seams there).

63. No longer here : GONE

64. Ancestry.com diagram : TREE - Their commercials drive me crazy.  Who pays money to find out where their great great grandpa was from?  Apologies to any of you who have done it.

65. Pop by: VISIT

66. They catch fish : NETS - Terrible, give the fish a chance.  Use a rod, reel, hook, line and sinker like most of us Minnesotans do.

67. "Size matters not" Jedi master : YODA - Not the best looking, but at least the most intelligent.

68. Out of style : PASSE - Or this could be in Tom Brady's play book, right after Pass A, B, C, and D.
  
Down:
  
1. Black Friday events : SALES - We survived this over- advertised promotion to shoppers,  The only black Friday I ever experienced was November 22, 1963.

2. Magical mixture : ELIXIR

3. Syrian city on the Silk Road : ALEPPO-Chris Matthews of MSNBC made a mockery of Gary Johnson when he was not familiar with Aleppo


4. Conjured up : MADE

5. Author Silverstein : SHEL - Famous for his work in Playboy Magazine.

6. One, for Monet : UNE

7. Mythical big bird : ROC - I am a Roc, I am an Island !

8. Apple pie spice : NUTMEG - I am no baker but cinnamon seems more appropriate,  I guess there were not enough spaces for a longer word.  Shows you what I know about crossword puzzles.

9. Supercilious type : SNOOT - I believe there are too many "O"s in this answer.

10. Brief and forceful : PITHY

11. Totally creamed : ATE ALIVE - Hey watch your third grade grammar.  Should be "EATEN ALIVE".

12. Video game letters : NES - Nintendo Entertainment System.  "Legend of Zelda" will drive you crazy.  How do you think I got this way?

13. Life-saving pro : EMT - This is an acronym for something.  My Graybar Electric career taught me that EMT was electric metallic tubing. aka thin-wall pipe.

18. General on Chinese menus : TSO

19. Early TV maker : RCA - Also early phonograph maker, advertised famously by Nipper.

24. __ Robles, California : PASO - See Tom Brady's list above.

25. Subject of Newton's first law : INERTIA - What goes up, must come down.

26. "0" button letters : OPER - Remember when you had to dial "O" to get an operator to assist you on a long distance call.  This must be an Agnes clue.  C.C. is not old enough to know why OPER is on the "0" button.

27. Director Howard : RON - A repeat reference to OPIE TAYLOR.  Famous for American Graffiti, Happy Days and lots of good stuff.

29. It may be enough : ONCE - It could also be upon a time.

30. Dealer's tip : TOKE

34. Negev Desert land: Abbr. : ISR

35. Lady bird : HEN - No Way !  Claudia Johnson would be unhappy with that response.  Lyndon and Lucy Baines may not like it either.

36. Soul singer James : ETTA

37. Oceans : A TON - I am sure that oceans weigh more than that

38. "Just Visiting" Monopoly square : JAIL - Of course.  Tell the truth in comments if you have a Monopoly game in your home.  Some of the newer versions are fascinating.

39. Overbearing : ARROGANT

40. City on the Rhine : BONN

41. Gas tank cover : CAP - Well, the CAP really does not cover the tank.  My clue would have been "Anson of the Chicago White Stockings".


44. Matador's opponent : EL TORO - This is Bull

46. "Gunsmoke" star James : ARNESS - Matt Dillon of "Gunsmoke" fame was born in Minneapolis Minnesota in 1923.  The most popular Western aired for 20 years and is now rerun regularly on cable and satellite TV.  PS. Dennis Weaver did not really have a limp.

47. Mosul Dam's river : TIGRIS - Euphrates River runs parallel and said to host the Garden of Eden.  Whaddya think?

49. Convenient bags : TOTES

50. Some NHL endings : OTs

51. Old Glory's star count : FIFTY - One for each state,  But a U.S Grant bill is said to be bad luck in Las Vegas.

52. Female deer : DOE - A deer, a female deer, Re, a drop of Golden sun, Mi, a name I call myself, Fa, a long, long way to run.  Sol, a needle pulling thread, La, a note that follows sol, Ti, a drink with jam and bread, that will bring us back to Do.  And the hills are alive, with the Sound of Music.

54. Davis of "All About Eve" : BETTE

57. Invitation request : RSVP - This is an acronym for French - "Let me know if you are coming or not.

58. Much of the Silk Road is in it : ASIA

59. Chicago-based cable superstation : WGN - Too bad, they no longer have White Sox or Cubs games.  I guess Fox Sports pays more money to the team at Guaranteed Rate Field, or the gum chewers at Wrigley.

60. Tool that gets ground up : HOE - Clever clue, I was thinking of coffee.

61. Flushed : RED - I may have clued the "Galloping Ghost" (Mr. Grange.)

62. Org. in the 2000 film "Traffic" : DEA - That would be the Drug Enforcement Agency. I think they only deal with PEDs and Opioids.  My Metformin is safe.

Boomer


Dec 19, 2017

Tuesday, December 19, 2017 ~ Grant Boroughs

                          Theme: Musical Ascension - 

17A. Music medium that succeeded the cassette tape: COMPACT DISC

24A. Music legend known as the First Lady of Song: ELLA FITZGERALD

38A. Equipment for rock bands: GUITAR AMPLIFIER

48A. Lennon-McCartney collection whose publishing rights were once owned by Michael Jackson: BEATLES' CATALOG

58A. When strung together, musical sequence represented by the initials of 17-, 24-, 38- and 48-Across: C MAJOR SCALE

Argyle here. It's been over a year since Grant's debut, a Monday. Quite a different follow-up, I'd say. Ol' Man Keith has his diagonal solve but from right to left, bottom to top, aptly for this puzzle, eh. It certainly had me wondering until the reveal. The entries are all somewhat musically connected.

Across:

1. Fire remnants: ASHES

6-Across is at the end.

11. Dazzle: AWE

14. Companion of reduce and recycle: REUSE

15. Log dwelling: CABIN

16. Composer Rorem: NED. Amazingly prolific. Selected works

19. Martini liquor: GIN

20. Confer knighthood on: DUB

21. Camping gear retailer: REI. (Recreational Equipment, Inc) We've had it often enough that I remembered the letters if not the exact order.

22. Verdi creation: OPERA. Ned Rorem has a few.

29. Yale grads: ELIs

30. State strongly: AVER

31. Gelatin dish: ASPIC

33. Lucy's old sitcom partner: DESI. Desi Arnaz, Sr.

35. 42-Across doubled: TWO

42. 35-Across halved: ONE

43. Grandson of Adam: ENOS

44. Formally gives up: CEDEs

45. Test for an aspiring atty.: LSAT.(Law School Admission Test)

47. Anti-fur-farming org.: PETA. (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals)

54. South Beach city: MIAMI. Life's a beach.


55. __ Baba: ALI

56. Michelle of the LPGA: WIE


57. Bath's land: Abbr.: ENG. (England)


63. Birthday count: AGE

64. Gold purity unit: KARAT

65. Lives like a nomad: ROVES

66. Partner of neither: NOR

67. Searches for: SEEKS

68. Stockholm native: SWEDE

Down:

1. Paris' __ Triomphe: ARC DE


2. South Korean capital: SEOUL


3. Comeuppance that's "eaten": HUMBLE PIE

4. Seer's claim: ESP. Not 'every single perp' like some claim.

5. Watery expanse: SEA

6. Group of eight: OCTET

7. Spanish port city: CADIZ. And this concludes today's travelogue.


8. __-Wan Kenobi: OBI. Star Wars. Has anybody seen The Last Jedi yet?

9. Prefix with spell: MIS

10. "Play more music!": "ENCORE!"

11-Down is at the end.

12. Really out there: WEIRD. 13. Flamboyant Dame: EDNA. 12-, and 13-Down, now there's a pairing!


18. NFL sportscaster Collinsworth: CRIS


23. Golf course standard: PAR

25. Came down to earth: ALIT

26. Pay stub acronym: FICA. (Federal Insurance Contributions Act)

27. Surprised sounds: GASPS. Kids with their first pay check and discover FICA.

28. Rotten to the core: EVIL

31. Before now: AGO

32. Daylight provider: SUN

33. "Divine Comedy" poet: DANTE

34. Revealing rock genre: EMO

35. Coastal flooding cause: TIDAL WAVE

36. Tiny: WEE

37. Surgery ctrs.: ORs. (operating room)

39. Genuine: REAL

40. "Law & Order: SVU" actor: ICE T


41. Greek cheese: FETA

45. Go on the __: skip town: LAM

46. Hangs (around): STICKS

47. Au __: live-in nanny: PAIR. Originally, French for ‘on equal terms’ but now a young foreign person, typically a girl, who helps with housework or child care in exchange for room and board.

48. "You got it!": "BINGO!"

49. Raring to go: EAGER

50. "Wheel of Fortune" host: SAJAK. Pat.


51. Coagulates: CLOTS

52. Quieted, as noisy hinges: OILED

53. Birds in a gaggle: GEESE

54. Not at all nice: MEAN

59. Sassy West: MAE


60. "Roses __ red": ARE

61. H.S. grads-to-be: SRs. (seniors)

62. Dairy farm animal: COW

6. "__, all ye faithful ... ": O, COME. 11D. Heavenly being: ANGEL




Argyle

Dec 18, 2017

Monday, December 18, 2017 ~ Brock Wilson

Theme: This - What we have here is...what we have here.

17A. Shunning public utilities and such: GOING OFF THE GRID

22A. Even-steven: ALL SQUARE

39A. Respond to cries of "Encore!": DO ANOTHER NUMBER

51A. Is totally in the dark: HAS NO CLUE

60A. Where to find the last words of 17-, 22-, 39- and 51-Across: CROSSWORD PUZZLE

Argyle here. Three spanners and a pangram; what a way to start the week. Ya' can't say this isn't in your wheelhouse.

Across:

1. Trains with a view of the street below: ELs

4. Second-string squad: B TEAM

9. Cherokee and Wrangler: JEEPs

14. VCR go-back button: REW. (rewind)

15. 1945 "Big Three" conference city: YALTA. A resort city on the south coast of the Crimean Peninsula surrounded by the Black Sea.


16. "Snowy" bird: EGRET

20. "Blame It __": Caine film: ON RIO

21. Continental coin: EURO

26. Twelfths of yrs.: MOs. (months)

29. "Say what?" responses: "HUH?"s

30. Horror film reaction: SCREAM

33. __ fatso: bit of Archie Bunker language-mangling: IPSO. (ipso facto)

37. World games org.: IOC. (International Olympic Committee)

38. Oktoberfest dance: POLKA

43. Delivery doc: OBGYN. (Obstetrics and gynecology) Don't most people pronounce this by the letters, oh-be-gee-why-en?

44. Prefix with natal: NEO. Neonatal: Pertaining to the newborn.

45. Breathe like a hot dog: PANT

46. "You can't leave this way" sign: [NO EXIT]

48. Soprano superstar: DIVA

50. Notepad file extension: TXT. (text file)

56. Classic 900 automaker: SAAB

                            prototype Saab 92.001













58. No-brainer: CINCH


66. Cry of dismay from Charlie Brown: "AAUGH!"

67. Grape holders: VINES

68. McKellen of "X-Men": IAN


69. Minor, as a complaint: PETTY

70. Online social appointment: eDATE

71. Z's 10, in Scrabble: Abbr.: PTs. (points)

Down:

1. Therefore: ERGO

2. British pop singer Lewis: LEONA. I linked it but couldn't watch it.



3. Ice cream pattern: SWIRL

4. "Golly!": "BY GOSH!"

5. Lao Tzu principle: TAO

6. Helper in Santa's workshop: ELF. Couldn't do it without them (but don't say I said that).

7. Justice Dept. arm: ATF. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

8. Mom in Middlesex: MATER. Steve, help!

9. Sound of bleachers discontent: JEER

10. Toaster waffle choice: EGGO

11. Goof: ERR

12. Architect I.M. __: PEI

13. Par for the course: Abbr.: STD. (standard)

18. Zero, in soccer: NIL

19. Color variations: HUES

23. Storm out of work for good: QUIT

24. "Oops!": "UH-OH!"

25. Climbs: ASCENDS

26. Word before toast or after peach: MELBA


27. Like the old bucket of song: OAKEN. If you watch it on YouTube, the whole poem is listed below it.



28. Intelligent: SMART

31. PC brain: CPU. (central processing unit)

32. Easy victory: ROMP

33. "__ get it": I DON'T

34. Mail dely. compartment: PO BOX

35. Bob of "Fuller House": SAGET

36. Black gem: ONYX

40. Covert maritime org.: ONI. (Office of Naval Intelligence)

41. Equestrian strap: REIN

42. De __: again: NOVO. “from the new.”

47. Melt: THAW

49. Point a finger at: ACCUSE

52. Below's opposite: ABOVE

53. Actress Taylor, familiarly: LIZ. Oh, those eyes!


54. Open, as a ski suit: UNZIP

55. Brilliant display: ECLAT

56. NCO rank: SSGT. (Staff Sergeant)

57. Like used fireplaces: ASHY

59. Coop layers: HENS

60. Baseball hat: CAP

61. Charlotte of "The Facts of Life": RAE. (Mrs Garrett)



62. On a date, say: OUT

63. Unburdened (of): RID

64. "CSI" evidence: DNA

65. Family dog, e.g.: PET


Argyle

Dec 17, 2017

Sunday Dec 17, 2017 Jim Holland

Theme: "Two for One"- The first word in each original theme entry is split into homophonic two parts, changing spelling as needed.

23A. Athlete Jackson discusses immunization options? : BO TALKS INJECTIONS. Botox injections. Bo Jackson.

36A. Spring spelling event could face cancellation? : MAY BEE MAYBE NOT. Maybe maybe not.

71A. Seaman's complete canvas expense? : WHOLE SAIL COST. Wholesale cost.

103A. "2 + 2 = 5" problem? : SUM THINGS WRONG. Something's wrong.

122A. Writer anticipates a vacation? : AUTHOR EYES TIME OFF. Authorized time off.
 
16D. Situation when a frat room is empty? : NO BUDDY HOME. Nobody home.

70D. Average salary on a Detroit team? : PAY PER TIGER. Paper tiger.

Did you all grok the theme immediately? I need Santa's help to fully understand the gimmick.

This is the type of theme only a master wordsmith can dream of and execute. I'm in awe.

Across:   

1. "Don't panic" : BE CALM!

7. Lincoln who was the first screen adult Tarzan : ELMO. Silent movies. We also have 75. Tarzan player Ron : ELY. This ELMO is a stranger to me.




11. Adlai's 1956 running mate : ESTES (Kefauver)

16. Japanese theater form : NOH

19. Astronomy Muse : URANIA

20. "King __" : LEAR

21. Lacking company : ALONE

22. "What have we here?!" : OHO

26. Put an end to : BAN

27. Bit of porch furniture, perhaps : SETTEE. TTP/D-Otto/Splynter could build this screened-in porch. Who else are carpenters on our blog?



28. Beauty pageant band : SASH

29. Cruise purpose : PLEASURE. Never been on a cruise. You?

31. Seville : Sra. :: Seattle : __ : MRS. Alliteration in the clues.

33. Wee amount : TAD

35. Quick, as service : SAME DAY

44. __ Sea : DEAD. Not our regular ARAL.

45. Rotting results : ODORS

46. General Bradley : OMAR

47. Writer Bagnold : ENID

49. Places with courts : GYMS. Not judicial.

52. NBA nickname since the '70s : MAGIC. Oh, Magic Johnson.

53. Actress Gaye of "Ali" : NONA. No idea. Daughter of Marvin Gaye.


54. Former Renault : LE CAR

56. "Could be trouble" : UH OH

57. Forgers of a sort : SMITHS. Not art forgers.

59. Roof rack items : SKIS

61. Basic French infinitive : ETRE

62. Greiner of "Shark Tank" : LORI. Another stranger to me.


63. Brief moments : SECs

65. Denver-to-Omaha dir. : ENE

66. What "it takes," at the start of many macho mantras : A REAL MAN. The A makes it a long partial to me.

68. Nile biter : ASP

76. How rural areas are populated : SPARSELY

78. "More than I wanted to know" : TMI

79. Garden invader : WEED

81. Actor Diggs : TAYE. He was married to Idina Menzel for a long time.


82. Rover's turf : MARS

84. Chooses : OPTS

86. Checked (out) : SCOPED

90. Dadaist collection : ARPS. Not ARTS.

91. Clapton et al. : ERICs

93. Offer of help : I CAN

95. Rodeo accessory : REATA

96. Borscht veggie : BEET.  In the huge basket of goodies Agnes sent to me, there's a bag of Veggie Chips. They're actually potato flour with spinach and beet powder. So good.


97. Phobia beginning : ACRO. Acrophobia.

98. Islamic branch : SHIA

99. Bean in Hollywood : ORSON

100. "Friends" friend : ROSS (Geller). Monica's goofy brother.

106. Draw : ATTRACT

109. CEO's credential : MBA

110. LAX inspection org. : TSA

111. Like serious errors : GRIEVOUS

113. Pizazz : ELAN

116. Slowly : ADAGIO

121. Tease : RAG

126. Key for Debussy? : ILE. Last time is "Key for Ravel?".

127. Thin porridge : GRUEL. My grandma always prepared us millet or cornmeal gruel for breakfast. We had it with steamed bread, leftover veggies or pickled veggies. No eggs.


128. Approval indicator : SEAL

129. Aerial mission : SORTIE

130. Two above an eagle : PAR

131. Lamb piece : ESSAY. Nailed it. Charles Lamb.

132. Spot : ESPY

133. Fighting ender : TREATY

Down:

1. Pal : BUB

2. Cupid, to Plato : EROS. And 117. 2-Down, to Cato : AMOR

3. Actress Blanchett : CATE

4. Med school subj. : ANAT

5. Easy rhythm : LILT

6. Arms-folded response : MAKE ME

7. Brother of Peyton : ELI

8. Camera component : LENS

9. Subject of clothed and nude Goya portraits : MAJA

10. Handel opera written in Italian : ORESTE. I only know Orestes.

11. Absorb, as a loss : EAT

12. Unintended revelation : SLIP

13. Kit set : TOOLS

14. Set of nine : ENNEAD

15. Bun choice : SESAME. Always have toasted sesame in our cupboard.

17. Tara surname : O'HARA

18. Darling : HONEY

24. Weekly inspiration for many : SERMON. Nice clue.

25. No. 5 maker : CHANEL

30. Shore squawker : SEAGULL

32. Island birthplace of Pythagoras : SAMOS. See this map. Off the coast of Turkey.



34. Gift recipient : DONEE. Do you actually use this word?

36. Grandmas, earlier : MOMs. OK, earlier.


37. Podcaster Carolla : ADAM. Know him, though I'm not subscribed to his podcast.


38. "Pic-a-nic" basket-seeking toon, familiarly : YOGI

39. The Beatles, e.g. : BRITS

40. Avoids like the plague : ESCHEWS

41. Pinstripes wearer : YANKEE

42. Smarts : BRAINS

43. Certs competitor : TIC TAC

48. 1925 Bryan foe : DARROW (Clarence). Got me. William Jennings Bryan, who was opposed to opposed Darwinism, according to Wiki.

50. Aesopian ending : MORAL

51. Reflective : SHINY

55. Big name in candy : REESE'S. Boomer went to a big Christmas party two weeks ago. He said the beef melted in his mouth, the dessert table was amazing and "I only took a piece of cake and two cookies"

58. Plot : SCHEME

60. Defense gp. dissolved in 1977 : SEATO

64. Toyota Camry model : SOLARA

67. Was humbled : ATE CROW

68. Take __ at : A STAB

69. Success on the second roll : SPARE. Bowling.

72. Ira Gershwin's forte : LYRICS

73. Mischievous : IMPISH. Hi there Spitzboov.

74. Chinese evergreen : LITCHI. My favorite fruit ever. In Guangzhou, you can find them cheap at the fruit stands in June/July. 

77. Bring back to a former state : RESTORE

80. Anthony __, Pulitzer winner for "All the Light We Cannot See" : DOERR. Never heard of the author or the book.


83. Rugby action : SCRUM. Like this.



85. Leslie Charteris hero, with "The" : SAINT. Also an unknown to me.


87. El __, Texas : PASO

88. Harrow competitor : ETON

89. Mild oath : DANG

92. Gloomy : SOMBER

94. Bugs : NAGS AT

101. Brutal : SAVAGE

102. Searches all over : SCOURS

104. "Unto the Sons" memoirist : TALESE (Gay)

105. Word derived from a marquis : SADIST. Marquis de Sade.

106. "Get __!": "Control yourself!" : A GRIP

107. Refrain syllables : TRA LA

108. Ballet outfits : TUTUS

112. Where the Mets played : SHEA. Before Citi Field.

114. Motion passers : AYES

115. Tide type : NEAP

118. "Chicago" star : GERE

119. Meager amount : IOTA

120. "What __?" : OF IT

123. Beer originally brewed near a Northwest capital, briefly : OLY. Googled afterwards: Olympia Beer.


124. Foxy : SLY
 
125. Poehler "Weekend Update" co-host on "SNL" : FEY



Dec 16, 2017

Saturday, December 16, 2017, Peter Wentz

Themeless Saturday Puzzle

Hello, my puzzling friends, this is Husker Gary about to 40. Sail : GO TO SEA on the S.S. LA Crossword - Saturday edition. After years of devoted effort, Splynter has retired from the helm and I hope my blog 34. Causes to be : RENDERS a useful service to you in the enjoyment of our weekend challenges.


So let's cast off lines, weigh anchor and shove off. 




We'll miss Splynter's style but to quote my second favorite Sammy Davis Jr. Song, I've Gotta Be Me! 

Let's set sail and... (Hey, enough of the nautical metaphors already!) 

Across


1. Overwhelming place for many country folk : THE BIG CITY


11. Once-a-week mantra : TGIF - Everyday is Friday when you're retired!


15. Early second-millennium style : ROMANESQUE - Architecture characterized by Roman Arches. Ground was broken in 1063 for this fabulous example: The Dumo di Pisa. Hey, isn't the building in the background famous too?




16. Modern-day carpe diem : YOLO - According to Ian Fleming's 
007 book and his buddy Roald Dahl's screenplay, You Only Live Twice (not Once)

17. '80s scandal : IRAN CONTRA - Every president seems to have at least one scandal




18. Pro shop purchase : POLO - My golf shirts tend to be "Whatever's on sale at Kohl's"


19. Remove fluff from, perhaps : EDIT - and 22. Dispatch to the cutting room floor : DELETE. He'd be great at it!




20. Blond, in many cases : DYED


21. Moved to another table : RESAT 


24. Easy money, in theory : SURE BETS - Sonny Liston was an 8 - 1 SURE BET against Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali) in 1964. Uh, not so  much.



26. Some retirement purchases : RVS - We love to walk through Recreational Vehicles but don't know if our marriage could survive living/traveling in one


27. Pinkberry competitor : TCBY




28. Hardened, as concrete : SET - Like the Hollywood "Walk Of Fame"



29. Layers : PLIES - Baltic Birch plywood in different PLIES

32. Make a mild romantic overture to : ASK IN - Said the spider to the fly


33. Eastern way : TAO


36. Anka hit with a Spanish influence : ESO BESO - "Ooh, THAT KISS!"


38. Iron-__ : ONS


39. Era, perhaps : REIGN - The Victorian Era during the 64-year REIGN of Queen Victoria wasn't a real hoot for most 


41. Place for a pin : LAPEL


42. Opening : GAP - This very famous one through the Appalachians helped open up the West

43. Facts and figures : INFO - Not DATA as it turns out

44. Physical pros : MDS - "Turn your head and cough!" 45. "Right, understood" : OH I GET IT - "I know what you're checking."


47. Fig. at the state's courtroom table : ASST DA - Law And Order had some hot ASSistanT District Attorneys



51. "Odyssey" fruit : LOTUS - When Odyessus' ship got blown off course to the land of the Lotus Eaters, his men partook of the local LOUTS food/narcotic and had to be dragged back to the ships



52. They have small roles : COGS - We are all vital COGS at this blog

54. Unlike narrators, usually : SEEN - Peter Coyote was "heard but not SEEN" narrating six Ken Burns' documentaries 


55. Duty-__ : FREE


56. Could conceivably get : HAS A SHOT AT - Nebraska HAS A SHOT AT yet another VB national championship tonight like this one in 2015 (and five others)




58. Hazzard County deputy : ENOS

59. "Is it safe to talk?" : ARE WE ALONE


60. Calls the game : REFS - Some cheat while calling the game




61. Plot markers : HEADSTONES



Down


1. Strained, e.g. : TRIED - Wonderful Paul Robeson sang: "You an' me, we sweat an' STRAIN, Body all achin'' and' racked wit pain" 


2. Large mass : HORDE - Here's the Khanate of the Golden HORDE below




3. Modern box filler : EMAIL

4. Went back and forth : BANTERED




5. Business issue : INC


6. Natural history museum objects : GEODES - A huge GEODE at the Harvard Museum of Natural History




7. "Ohio" group, initially : CSNY - The initials of the group!




8. Educational placement aids : IQ TESTS 


9. Double-stuffed holiday dish : TURDUCKEN - Yes, it's a TURkey stuffed with a deboned DUCK and a deboned chickEN. Voila, you have this portmanteau 




10. Pro's call : YEA - As opposed to the anti's call of nay 


11. Generally unstressed : TYPE-B - Working for a TYPE-A person can make you 13. Twitchy : ILL AT EASE


12. Stiff-legged stride : GOOSE STEP - Ahhh...




14. Chair accessory : FOOT STOOL

21. Big name in aluminum history : REYNOLDS

23. Pilot's ideal outcome? : TV SERIES - Despite a lousy pilot that simply copied the British version, this show adapted and became a great TV SERIES. Clever clue!


25. MLB stats : RBIS

29. FedExCup seeker : PRO GOLFER



30. Subject of the biography "Stormy Weather" : LENA HORNE - Her biography was named for her signature song

31. Notwithstanding : IN SPITE OF

32. "Big deal" : AS IF I CARE - One must judge if this phrase is bantering or bullying

35. Let out for a time : RENT - My friend LETS out his winter Texas home in the summer

37. Jazz club highlight : BASS SOLO

44. Ordinary people : MASSES - I needed two more letters for HOI POLLI 


46. One may be educated : GUESS

48. Western Wyoming county : TETON


49. Revolutionary diplomat Silas : DEANE - He was a hero for negotiating an armament deal with France and then was disgraced by accusations he profiteered

50. Opening stakes : ANTES

53. "Oh mah __!" : GAWD - A Valley Girl term of amazement

56. "Unlikely!" : HAH

57. Banded Wonderland wear : HAT - The numbers on the Mad Hatter's hat indicated it cost 10 shillings and 6 pence



Ok, lower the gangplank and transfer over to the comment area!

DA GRID