Sunday July 1, 2018 Gail Grabowski

Theme: "Cool Comfort"- AC spans across each theme entry.

23A. Bottom of a pie: PIZZA CRUST.  Trade Joe's has nice pizza dough.

25A. Quality bedding material: PIMA COTTON.

46A. Where Petaluma is: SONOMA COUNTY. Wiki says "Petaluma is a transliteration of the Coast Miwok phrase péta lúuma which means hill backside and probably refers to Petaluma's proximity to Sonoma Mountain."

65A. Room in some posh residences: MEDIA CENTER.

88A. Tex-Mex dipper: TORTILLA CHIP.

112A. Oakland-based environmental group: SIERRA CLUB.

114A. 2009 Meryl Streep role: JULIA CHILD.

37D. Struggling student's option: EXTRA CREDIT.

42D. Game player's purchase: SEGA CONSOLE.

Reveal entry:

115D. Coolers, briefly, that span two words in the nine longest answers: ACS.

Another simple and fresh offering from the legendary Gail. Timely too.

On average, we have about 13 days of 90s or above in the Twin Cities every year. We've had 9 days so far. Hit 99 on Friday, even our Asiatic lilies felt too hot to remain in the bud. So they opened up. So pretty, TTP, I bet you and Katie have them in your garden also. Had to put a fence around because of the rogue rabbits.

Across:

1. Tip off: TELL.

5. Iridescent stones: OPALS.

10. Broadway restaurant founder: SARDI (Vincent). Sardi's is the birthplace of the Tony award.

15. Fancy window feature: ARCH.

19. Bizet's "Habanera," e.g.: ARIA.

20. Frequent co-star of Sly: TALIA. "Rocky".

21. From the top: AGAIN.

22. Large volume: TOME.

27. Gourmet gastropod: SNAIL. Buttery, garlicky and parsley-y escargots.

28. Puts at risk: IMPERILS.

30. Ring components: ONIONS.

31. Fish caught in pots: EELS.

33. Stock ending?: ADE. Stockade. And 74. Road closing?: STER. Roadster.

34. Historic 1804 contest: DUEL. Burr-Hamilton duel.

35. Texas city in the film "Friday Night Lights": ODESSA.

38. Org. with a New London academy: USCG. We have a New London here in MN.

41. Sites with jets: AIR BASES.

45. Leading the line: NEXT.

50. Switchboard connection: Abbr.: EXT.

51. Mil. driller: SGT.

52. For hire to sire: AT STUD.

53. It may be a lot: ACRE.

54. Wistful remark: OH GEE.

56. Burn the toast, say: ERR.

57. How much sautéing is done: IN OIL.

58. Hate the idea of: DREAD.

59. Org. founded on the 100th anniversary of Lincoln's birth: NAACP. Good to know.

60. "Dark of the Moon" poet: TEASDALE (Sara)

62. Hummus scooper: PITA.

63. Fam. tree member: DESC. Descendant.

64. Religious faction: SECT.

69. Made off with: TOOK.

72. Barely done: RARE.

75. Amazon predator: ANACONDA. Great fill.

77. Brand with a Creamy Vodka sauce: PREGO.

79. 1954 Ford debut: T-BIRD.

81. Great Plains tribe: KIOWA. And 104. Like parts of the Great Plains: SEMI-ARID.

82. Unc, to Dad: SIB.

83. "It's not my first __!": RODEO. Is this a regional saying?

84. Choral part: ALTO.

85. Teaching model: MOCK UP.

86. Hugs, on cards: OOO.

87. Manning of football: ELI.

91. Botch: FLUB.

92. Carriers of carriers: PET SHOPS. Nice clue.

94. Pre-college, briefly: EL-HI. Every 21*21 grid has a few gluey entries.

95. Female folklore fiend: OGRESS.

97. Scoffing sounds: HAHS.

98. Rel. title: REV.

100. "She Believes __": Kenny Rogers hit: IN ME.

101. Lash out at: ASSAIL.

108. Invited: ASKED.

116. Author Dinesen: ISAK. "Out of Africa".

117. Ruin, with "up": LOUSE.

118. Part of PGA: Abbr.: ASSOC.

119. Singer on a 2007 Black Heritage postage stamp, familiarly: ELLA.

120. Is just right: FITS.

121. Bring to a boil: ANGER. Fun clue.

122. Lots of paper: REAMS.

123. Overly curious: NOSY.

Down:

1. Pub hardware: TAPS.

2. Shillelagh's land: ERIN. Not familiar with this place.

3. "__ With a 'Z'": 1972 TV special: LIZA.

4. Like the most summery day: LAZIEST.

5. Non-Rx: OTC.

6. City awarded the 2024 Summer Olympic Games: PARIS.

7. Donor drive target: ALUM.

8. Sylvester's problem: LISP.

9. Fill completely: SATE.

10. Palatable: SAPID. This word sure does not look flavorful.

11. Well-coordinated: AGILE.

12. Super Bowl XXXIV champs: RAMS.

13. 24 horas: DIA.

14. On trial: IN COURT.

15. Fifth-century Roman Empire foe: ATTILA. The Hun.

16. Revolution prefix: ROTO.

17. "Seriously?": C'MON.

18. They're often cooped up: HENS.

24. Pub round: ALES.

26. Separately: ONE BY ONE.

29. Mumbai melody: RAGA.

32. Altar sacrifice, at times?: LAST NAME. Ha ha.

34. Enjoyed some courses: DINED. Carmen just emailed me these two dishes in a Guangzhou restaurant: passionfruit with chicken wings. Orange pork ribs.

35. Initial stages: ONSETS.

36. College offering: DEGREE.

38. Freed, in a way: UNTIED.

39. iTunes Store category: SOUL.

40. Mil. authority: CMD. OK, command.

41. Intangible quality: AURA.

43. Suit: EXEC.

44. Part of a plan: STEP.

47. "__ Mio": O SOLE.

48. 2002 Nobel Peace Prize laureate: CARTER.

49. View from much of U.S. Highway 101: OCEAN.

52. Samaritan's offering: AID.

55. Can't get out of it: HAS TO.

58. Like many soup veggies: DICED. Cantonese soup normally does not have celery, onions or other diced veggies. Just big slices of lotus roots, carrots, a few herbs (Goji berries, sliced mountain yam, ginger, etc).

61. Performer's place: STAGE.

62. Keep the beat?: PATROL.

63. Use, as one's resources: DRAW UPON.

66. Last Supper question: IS IT I.

67. Meditative discipline: TAI CHI. I used to think this is for old people. Alas, I've come to this age.

68. Long, thin mushroom: ENOKI. You can find this in most Asian grocery stores.

70. Awful: ODIOUS.

71. Barbecue fare: KABOBS.

73. Water-absorbing plant part: ROOT HAIR. New term to me.

76. Tube top: CAP.

77. Kitchen job: PREP.

78. Cast assignment: ROLE.

79. Protection from the elements: TARPS.

80. Short orders?: BLTS.

81. "Mayor" author: KOCH.

85. Prefix with ware: MAL.

89. "C'est magnifique!": OOH LA LA.

90. Big name in casual garb: LEVI. I love this pair of Levi's. So stretchy and comfy. Sturdy too. I've had it for 11 years.

May 25, 2018

91. Air out: FRESHEN.

93. Predatory fish with an acute sense of smell: SHARKS. The big boss used to treat us with shark fin soup at our annual Spring Festival dinner. Now I can't even remember the taste.

96. Former car-financing org.: GMAC.

98. Green word?: RE-USE.

99. Glowing piece: EMBER.

100. Beat around the bush, e.g.: IDIOM.

101. "Get real!": AS IF.

102. Response to un capitán: SI SI.

103. Administrative hub: SEAT.

104. Wallop: SLUG.

105. Just shy of shut: AJAR.

106. Trojan Horse, for one: RUSE.

107. Rick's "kid": ILSA.

109. Drug bust unit: KILO.

110. Some annexes: ELLS.

111. 1944 turning point: D-DAY.

113. Rip off: CON.

 

Thanks for the sweet birthday wishes. They mean a lot to me. We went to Mall of America on Thursday. I claimed my free birthday gift from Sephora. Got below cleansing balm I've been eyeing for months. The birthday meal yesterday was also lovely: baked walleye, rosemary-roasted potato wedges, roasted bell peppers (wish we had cumin on hand), steamed broccoli and cauliflowers. Then we had a walk in our Central Park where a live band was performing. Just a perfect day.

C.C.

Saturday, June 30, 2018, Brian E. Paquin

Themeless Saturday by Brian E. Paquin

June 30 is set aside to celebrate National Social Media Day. The use of these sites has changed not only me but the bulk of America. It has also opened up arenas for some really nasty business but that is one of the downsides of The First Amendment. 

I consider what we do here to certainly be a cog in the Social Media machinery. I have met some lovely new friends here and deeply value my contact with them through this electronic medium and, yes, SOCIAL MEDIA was in Morton's puzzle yesterday.

I have also made contact with former students and colleagues including my former commuting pal who is now married, living and teaching in Ho Chi Minh City! I could do without the winter postings questioning my intelligence for staying her in the frozen tundra but that is part of game and I enjoy winter. No, really! 

On this day, Brian has supplied us with a worthy challenge that took me a lot longer than last Saturday's puzzle. There were a few fills that took some disassembling even after I got them with solid perpendicular entries including a type of clam that has escaped my purview up to now.

Let's begin our own social media exploration of Brian's Saturday offering on this last day of June:

Across:

1. Complies with a "Star Trek" order: MAKES IT SO 

10. Larkish?: HAPPY.

15. Field reporter's signoff: OVER TO YOU - Kind of hard to do if you...

16. Stan's partner: OLLIE.

17. Inspiration for many pop songs: TEEN ANGST - Exhibit A

18. Period of time: SPELL - waethre is a bad SPELL of weather

19. 120 dozen?: TENS -  A great hundred, also known as a small gross, is 120 or TEN dozen. That would be 120 of these bad boys!

20. "I Miss You" (1994) R&B singer: AARON HALL - Okay

22. Ring combination: ONE TWO - ONE - right jab, TWO - left hook. THREE - Good night sweet prince.

25. "Carmen" parts: ARIAS.

26. Gun offspring?: SON - "SON of a GUN" is my go-to phrase for a bad golf shot

27. Giving relief to: EASING - Ray later found out it was his own pain that needed EASING in Field Of Dreams. This is the only movie I can remember that had a real emotional effect on me

30. "Growing Up in New Guinea" author: MEAD - The revolutionary book by Margaret MEAD about her time in the Manus Province (after working with plains Indians in Nebraska) before missionaries and other western influences arrived

Margaret Mead directing a group of men playing
sacred flutes in Arapesh 

33. Let out, say: ALTER - I haven't had my DW "take in" any pants for a while

34. In the worst way: BADLY - Our school board wanted a new Middle School in the worst way and by golly that's what they got.

35. Stretch limits: PUSH THE ENVELOPE.

40. Two-time A.L. HR leader Tony: ARMAS - He of the Boston Red Sox of the 1980's

41. Wide-eyed: NAIVE.

42. Razor __: CLAM - Unknown to me and seldom seen here in the Platte River

43. Monty Python co-founder: CLEESE.

45. "Doctor Who" airer: BBC - All you need to know - A favorite show for Sheldon on Big Bang Theory 

48. Eastern European capital: SOFIA, Bulgaria

50. Small '90s-'00s Nissan: ALMERA- As well known as a RAZOR Clam to this blogger and also not found in the Platte River

52. Worked the room: SCHMOOZED.

56. Inventor Sikorsky: IGOR - An invention of his was featured in this 50's TV series

57. "Politically Incorrect" host: MAHER - As far to one side of the political spectrum as others are to the opposite side

58. Great Depression symbol: BREADLINE - Farmers around here were broke but at least could put food on the table

61. Putting to work: USING - I am USING MacOS High Sierra, Version 10.13.4 on my MacBook Pro

62. Dog school focus: OBEDIENCE.

63. Bug: GET TO - As I said last week, LET IT GO! Don't let 'em GET TO ya (Nolite te bastardes carorundorum)!

64. Sycophant: YES PERSON - Fans of The Office know who that is in this picture and who is the 11. Top dog: ALPHA MALE

Down:

1. Guiding principles: MOTTOS -  Mine is, "Nobody is better than I am and I am no better than anyone"

2. Johnson & Johnson brand: AVEENO

3. Wayans family member: KEENEN - Okay

4. "Trophy, Hypertrophied" artist: ERNST - Art is in the eye/checkbook of the beholder

Trophy, Hypertrophied - 1919

5. Stop: Abbr.: STA.

6. It's charged: ION - Hey, we science guys deserve a slightly arcane joke once in a while!

7. "Rack City" rapper: TYGA - It took me about 3 seconds to get the gist of his lyrics

8. McGwire rival: SOSA - They are giving credit for saving baseball after a strike and then making baseball own up to its steroid problem

9. Left in the dust: OUTRAN.

10. President after Anwar: HOSNI - Mubarak

12. "I would like that!": PLEASE DO 

13. Difficult sort: PILL.

14. Scream: YELL 

21. Dot follower: ORG.

23. Paintball mementos: WELTS 

24. Citizenship promise: OATH - Here's one - I swear (or affirm) that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada, Her Heirs and Successors, and that I will faithfully observe the laws of Canada and fulfil my duties as a Canadian citizen.

28. Understand: SEE.

29. Sherlock's adversary Adler: IRENE - Lovely Lara Pulver is a great IRENE to Benedict Cumberbatch's SMUG, off-the-wall Sherlock in this recent BBC iteration

31. Lofty peak: ALP.

32. Tint: DYE - My hair vanity has not reached that point yet!

33. Lighting event?: AHA MOMENT - While Dr. Percy Spencer was working on a magnetron for military radar in 1946, he reached into his pocket and discovered his chocolate peanut cluster had melted. His AHA MOMENT turned into the invention of the microwave oven. The next day he put popcorn next to the device

34. Angled cut: BEVEL

35. Super __: PAC - To whom do I make out the check senator?

36. Browser bookmark: URL - Part of today's special day

37. Blockbuster: SMASH HIT - The list

38. "Auld Scotland wants __ skinking ware": Burns: NAE - Burns tribute to his beloved Haggis, and "NAE skinking ware that jaups in luggies" translated here

39. Passport endorsement: VISA.

43. Tech boss: CIO  - Chief Information Officer

44. Big name in taking it easy: LA-Z-BOY - A great couch potato option

45. Kicks off: BEGINS - The NFL wants to make kickoff ssafer and they are implementing these new rules

46. Super Bowl 50 champ: BRONCO - It was said of Peyton Manning in Super Bowl 50, "He was the oldest quarterback to start a Super Bowl and he played like it." The Broncos' defense won this game and Peyton was just along for the ride with his ineffective passing.

47. Lean dangerously: CAREEN

49. Waive: FORGO.

51. Bannister, for one: MILER - Having a last name that is also a common noun allows for crossword mischief 

53. Trophy holder: CASE - Sir Roger Bannister and his Trophy CASE

52. Self-satisfied: SMUG - You just knew SMUG Biff Tannen would get his just desserts before the closing credits in Back To The Future 

54. "Law and Order: CI" actress Kathryn: ERBE  - Okay

55. They leave a lot of room for improvement: DEES - Despite what you might think, this letter never graced any of my report cards

59. Payroll service co.: ADP.

60. 21-spot item, typically: DIE - ...and six sides. Add up the spots

Now use our social media to give us your well-considered, thoughtful commentary:

DA GRID

Friday, June 29, 2018, Morton J. Mendelsohn

Title: Somewhere Under the Rainbow.

This is puzzle number 6 here at the LAT for retired PROFESSOR MENDELSOHN a well-published Psychology researcher from McGill University in Montreal. He first published twice in the NYT followed by 5 LATs last year with one being a Friday. MJM uses a theme which we have seen before, where words in the down fill are clued to represent B(under)A phrases. He makes it his own by locating 4 unique to the puzzle world phrases that work. He adds triple stacks of 6 letter words in the NW and SE corners, with doubled up 8 letter fill in the NE and SW which include the sparkly LOOKED IN, MERE HINT and USO SHOWS. He sprinkles some amusing word combos and some geography.  There are included stuff from other puzzles for the week. See how many you recognize. we have:

4D. Carefully consider, literally: ADVISEMENT TAKE (14).  Take UNDER Advisement.

8D. Add to the list of possible perps, literally: SUSPICION PUT (12). Put UNDER Suspicion.

16D. Ail, literally: THE WEATHER FEEL (14). Feel UNDER the Weather.

20D. Rein in, literally: CONTROL BRING (12). Bring UNDER Control.

Across:

1. Fix: ATTACH. Not an easy start for me.

7. Egyptian symbols of royalty: ASPS. All you need to know about these SNAKES.

11. Fitness stat.: BMI. Body Mass Index. Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson (6'5" 262 pounds)  comes in as "obese" with a reading of 31.1. Yeah, right.

14. Greeted casually, with "to": SAID HI. I did not need the "to."

15. Grill: QUESTION.

17. Classic London theatre: OLD VIC. The Old Vic, originally named the Royal Coburg Theatre, was designed in 1818 by Rudolph Cabanel, where it stands now south-east of Waterloo Station. various.

18. They raise camp spirit: USO SHOWS. SO? Hmm.

19. Arrive on an air taxi: FLY IN. Air Taxi?

20. Cereal box rank: CAP'N. I guess this makes this puzzle crunchy.

21. North-of-the-border gas: ESSO. An example?

22. "Could be better": SO SO. Cute next to ESSO.

24. Second of a Caesarean three: I SAW. VIDI.

26. Undressed: BARE.

29. "Squawk Box" channel: CNBC.

31. Feinted: DEKED. We hockey fans know this term,

35. Cheese town: EDAM. Edam is a semi-hard cheese that originated in the Netherlands and is named after the town of Edam in the province of North Holland. Packed in red.

36. Abruzzi bell town: ATRI. Long ago there was a king in Italy who was known for his goodness and wisdom. King John of Atri believed in justice, and so one day he purchased a great bell to hang in a tower in the village square...

37. The Congo, formerly: ZAIRE.

38. Tune (out): ZONE.  Not related to 33D. White out: ERASE.

39. Agonize (over): BROOD. This verb was originally used with an object, i.e., ‘to nurse (feelings) in the mind’ (late 16th century), a figurative use of the notion of a hen nursing chicks under her wings.

41. Catching strategy: TRAP. For C.C. What is Trapped? A baseball term that describes the state of a fly ball or line drive that touches the ground just prior to being concealed and secured by a player's glove.

42. Key wood: EBONY. It took a moment too long for me to see this LINK.

44. Hyatt competitor: OMNI. The one in Miami closed but THESE are still open.

45. Horde: HOST.

46. Slow movement: LENTO. In music. 58A. Major relative to F minor: A-FLAT. JzB, help me!

47. Canter: LOPE.

48. Pre-event periods: EVES.

49. Pyramid, to Tut: TOMB.

51. Kindle reader, say: USER. One who uses the Kindle not the device.

53. Quartet named for its members: ABBA. Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad.

56. Q.E.D. word: ERAT. Quod Erat Demonstrandum.

62. Checked (on): LOOKED IN. With so many oldsters living here, we look in and bring homecooked treats to them.

64. Mock: PSEUDO.

65. Barely a trace: MERE HINT. Like good perfume.

66. Party to a search: SEEKER.

67. Is for some: ARE. Cute, think about it.

68. Declines: SAGS. nothing but un-pc comes to mind.

69. Least well: ILLEST. Not a favorite.

Down:

1. Dating from: AS OF.

2. Hard to believe: TALL. Tale. The HISTORY?

3. Not like a sty: TIDY.

5. Slacks material: CHINO.  Versus KHAKI?

6. Kool-Aid alternative: HI-C.

7. Marine opening?: AQUA.

9. Lowly laborers: PEONS. Not since the serf days?

10. Cooking-burger sound: SSS.



11. Dust jacket blurbs: BIOS.

12. Manicures, in a way: MOWS. The lawn, or for Steve and NC and others, the garden.

13. __ many words: IN SO.

23. One who crosses the line: SCAB. From blemish … to strikebreaker, the history of the word scab … shows a displacement of meaning from the visceral or physical to the moral register … Just as a scab is a physical lesion, the strikebreaking scab disfigures the social body of labor—both the solidarity of workers and the dignity of work.

25. Wood dresser: ADZ.

26. Gem mounting: BEZEL. Bezel settings use a type of elevated collar which wraps the rim of the diamond in a complete metal edging

27. Pueblo building material: ADOBE.

28. Talked nonstop: RAN ON. Like many of my sentences.

30. Stomach relief, briefly: BROMO.

32. Bolshoi rival: KIROV.

34. Firm parts: Abbr.: DEPTS.

40. Runs out of juice: DIES.

43. Hoo's first?: YOO. Chocolate drink.

50. Social __: MEDIA.

52. Brainstorming staple: EASEL. Whiteboard these days.

53. Operatic Gluck: ALMA.

54. Dutch colonist: BOER. More cute pairing with...

55. Put to sleep: BORE.

57. Unwanted workers: ANTS.

59. Uncle to Ben Solo: LUKE. Ben Solo, Princess Leia's son. A dark warrior strong with the Force, Kylo Ren commands First Order missions with a temper as fiery as his unconventional lightsaber.

60. Vitamin C sources: ADES. Yay! CSO for me!!!!!

61. Libel or slander: TORT.   A civil wrong.

63. Doubtful interjections: EHS.

64. Tire shop meas.: PSI. Pounds per Square Inch.

We have almost put another month in the corner record books, with HG closing the deal tomorrow with one of his exhaustive explications. I hope to see you all back here next month. Thank you, Morton and cornerites, Lemonade out.

Note from C.C.:

Happy Birthday to dear Barry G, a regular on our blog for many years. How's work, Barry? Do you still have to drive a long way to work? How's Joshua?

July 2, 2016