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

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Feb 11, 2018

Sunday February 11, 2018 Ed Sessa

Theme:  "Substitute Measures" - The measure in each theme entry is replaced by its homophone or a sound-like word.

23A. Measly treat for Polly? : GRAM CRACKER. Graham cracker. Polly want a cracker.
 
32A. Work required to raise kids? : FAMILY JOULES. Family jewels.

41A. Advantage in kickboxing? : FEET OF STRENGTH. Feat of strength.

62A. The buying power of cash? : WATTS IN YOUR WALLET. What's in your wallet?

86A. Cub soda? : LITER OF THE PACK. Leader of the pack.

94A. Polished pearls? : GLAZED CARATS. Glazed carrots.

110A. Bad snippets of Miss Muffet's memory? : SPIDER BYTES. Spider bites.

Mr. Ed never disappoints. What a great mix of various measurements.

As I mentioned before, LAT Sundays often have 144 or 142 words. Ed gave us a 140 today.  It's just that hard to reduce 2 or 4 words from a 21*21. You've got to have Ed's Saturday themeless skills to pull off a low count Sunday. Ed is also a fantastic clue writer.

Across:
     
1. Hindu "sir" : BABU. As seen on "Seinfeld". Also 11. Hindu title : SWAMI

5. Beaucoup : A LOT OF. Tiny clue/answer dupe with 80. Lots (of), as cash : A WAD
 
11. Engineer's details : SPECS

16. Shortening letters : ETC. Also 67. "More than I can list" abbr. : ET AL

19. Abba not known for singing : EBAN. Abba Eban, Israel's first UN representative.



20. From the top, to Tiberius : DE NOVO

21. "Yes __": 2008 campaign slogan : WE CAN. Also  60. 2012 presidential candidate : ROMNEY (Mitt)

22. Boomer's kid : XER

25. Marinade used in Spanish cooking : ADOBO. I saw Adobo sauce in Aldi.

26. __-Magnon : CRO

27. Lizard-like amphibian : SALAMANDER. Great fill. We also have 52. Small 27-Acrosses : NEWTS

28. Latin trio word : AMAS

29. Breakers in semis : CBERS

31. Ceremonies : RITES
  
35. Decked out : ADORNED

38. Sextet in the Senate : TERM

39. Levelheaded : SANE

40. Math useful for cooks : RATIOS. I often cook by feel. Chinese cooking is very simple.

47. Fragrant compound : ESTER

48. Ancient jewelry staples : BEADS

49. Be an incredible speaker? : LIE. We also have 53. Snake oil hawker, say : CON MAN

50. President Taft's birthplace : OHIO

51. Not dressed for swimming, generally : SHOD
 
56. Wing : ELL

57. They're heard in herds : MOOS

59. Straight : TRUE

67. Like much folk music : ETHNIC

69. Face or race : MEET


70. Mad king of the stage : LEAR

71. One in a golfer's bag : TEE. Boomer now uses 3-1/4 inches tall tees, Gary/TTP!

72. Certain winner : SHOO IN

74. Some 'Vette roofs : T-TOPS

77. Musical ending : CODA

81. Divided sea : ARAL

83. Crowded-room atmosphere : FUG. Is this word familiar to you? Never heard of it.

84. Longtime name in catalogs : SEARS

85. "The Exorcist" actor Max von __ : SYDOW. Also a stranger to me.


90. Former mid-sized Chevy : LUMINA

91. "A creel of __, all ripples": Sylvia Plath : EELS

92. Fruit pastry : TART

93. Reddened, perhaps : RIPENED. Wish I could live near a persimmon tree again.

99. Barbecue brand : WEBER

100. Popular type : ROMAN. And 108. Popular type : ARIAL

101. Cleanup hitter's stats : RBIs

102. Milk choice : ONE PERCENT

107. Non's opposite : OUI

111. Topper for Rumpole of the Bailey : WIG


112. Thicket of trees : COPSE

113. Persevered in : KEPT AT

114. Traveler from 76-Down : MORK. 76. Home to 114-Across : ORK

115. Sign before Virgo : LEO

116. Lugged : TOTED

117. Treatment for some causes of backache : INSOLE. Boomer's back pain was completely gone after having tart cherry concentrate. Alas, his elbow/shoulder pain persist. Too much bowling.

118. Puts to bed : ENDS

Down:

1. Assumes the point of, as a question : BEGS

2. Start of a magical chant : ABRA

3. Canaanite idol : BAAL

4. Certain singles bar frequenter, in theory : UNMARRIED MAN

5. Spot charges : AD RATES

6. Showed bias : LEANED

7. How many boxed sets are recorded : ON CDS

8. Blackjack table gratuity : TOKE

9. Puts too much in the fishtank : OVER-FEEDS

10. On behalf of : FOR
 
12. Organ part : PEDAL

13. Coral reef, e.g. : ECOSYSTEM. Another sparking fill.

14. Hailed wine? : CAB. OK, Cabernet.

15. Cool, colorful treat : SNO-CONE

16. Reign supreme : EXCEL

17. Land at Orly? : TERRE. Just "land" in French.

18. Dracula repellent : CROSS

24. Key with three flats : C MINOR

28. Shells on Omaha Beach : AMMO

30. Good, in Guadalupe : BUENO

33. Painting and dancing : ARTS

34. Preserves holder : JAR. So what's your favorite peanut butter brand? Here's mine. Chunky.


35. Trojan War god : ARES

36. Mrs. on a spice rack : DASH

37. Germany's von Bismarck : OTTO. D-Otto's wife speaks fluent German. Her mom and brother live in Germany.

38. Suckling's milk source : TEAT

41. How many are chosen? : FEW. But few are chosen.

42. Ground grain : FLOUR

43. Muscle-bone connection : SINEW

44. Belgian treaty city : GHENT

45. 4-point F, for one : TILE

46. Word with Ghost or Grail : HOLY

48. First lady before Mamie : BESS. Truman.

52. Tally-keeping cut : NOTCH

53. Wine label word : CRU

54. City NW of Marseille : ARLES. The cover of my compact mirror

55. Pelican St. acronym : NOLA

58. Mayberry tippler : OTIS

59. Little one : TOT

61. Marvin Gaye classic subtitled "The Ecology" : MERCY MERCY ME. Great 12.

62. Gluten source : WHEAT

63. Texas Hold 'em declaration : I'M OUT

64. Mustang sally? : NEIGH. Googled afterwards. Sally means "outburst" here.

65. Tokyo dough : YEN

66. Hurdle for Hannibal : ALPS

68. Actress Hatcher : TERI

73. Ad-libbed : OFF-SCRIPT

74. Unwraps excitedly : TEARS OPEN

75. Political asset : TACT

78. One-eyed Norse deity : ODIN

79. Ready to eat : DONE
 
82. '90s daytime talk show : LEEZA (Gibbons)


84. Brief quarrel : SPAT

85. Unrivaled : SUPERB

87. Bring to life, in a way : RE-ENACT
 
88. From the past : OLD

89. Ones affected by bad weather, briefly : ETAs
 
90. First word in France's motto : LIBERTE. Liberté, égalité, fraternité.

93. Opposite of pass : REPEAL

94. One might elicit a nervous "Nice dog" : GROWL

95. "Taxi" dispatcher : LOUIE. Now you won't see LOUIE C.K. in crosswords again.

96. La Paz paisano : AMIGO

97. Belittle : ABASE

98. Nettled : RILED

99. Single-minded about : WED TO

103. Little snorts : NIPS

104. Berkshire school : ETON

105. Socially awkward one : NERD. Guess who coined this word? Dr. Seuss.

106. Sounds of disapproval : TSKS

109. Jack, jill or joey : ROO

110. One of a pair on a rack : SKI



Look what I finally found: Picture of Lucina. I think Dave 2 asked for this weeks ago. Lucina was a Sister of the Precious Blood Community.

 Lucy as Novice/ Lucy with Mom and sister Marge