Puzzling thoughts:
One of the benefits of being a Crossword Corner blogger is having access to the puzzle well in advance of the publish date. It is also one of the disadvantages. As I begin creating my blog - a week after solving the puzzle - I am at a loss for what I "felt" after I solved it! Yes, I can go back and see how long it took me, (just under 17 minutes, which isn't "bad", as I am a terrible typist) and perhaps gauge the puzzle's difficulty/creativity/humor/et al ...
The puzzle has a "chain" of KEYS that are commonly found (and used) on a computer KEYboard. Samantha (one of today's co-collaborators) had her debut puzzle here at the LA Times last year. Since then, she has had a solo at Universal Crosswords. Katie Hale is Patti Varol's assistant editor. Together, they used the computer KEYS within the three entries to unlock today's theme:
53-across. Modern way into a building, and what each answer to 20-, 29-, and 43-Across needs to be to match its clue?: KEYLESS ENTRY.
Confused? Well let's see how they used no "physical KEY" to get this outcome
20-across. Portrait painter who specializes in primates?: ESCAPE ARTIST. First off, there are circles. I know that circles within a grid are frowned upon by some of our solvers. However, in order to make the clue fit, one must "remove" the computer KEY (in this entry, it's "ESC") from the common phrase. And et voila! ESCape Artist become APE ARTIST! A real "Houdini" if you ask me
29-across. Foot, essentially?: LEGAL TENDER. "86" the "ALT" key from this and you have "LEG ENDER"
43-across. Pilot's standard routine after leaving the gate?: RUNWAY MODEL. Delete the "DEL" key from this and you have RUNWAY M.O. (abbr. for modus operendi) This made the puzzle and its theme very (39-across. Quick with quips:)WITTY!
Here is the completed grid, and then off to the rest of the fill ... well done, ladies!
1. Eyebrow shapes: ARCS. Notice the ARCS
5. "Last four digits" ID: SSN.
8. Cold feet or cold shoulder: IDIOM. IDIOM, as defined in [dictionary dot com], "a group of words established by usage as having a meaning not deducible from those of the individual words (e.g., rain cats and dogs, see the light )"
13. Theater destination: SEAT. I like to sit in the balcony, toward the front
14. October birthstone: OPAL. Any October birthday celebrators among us?
16. Record holder?: LINER. I'm guessing this means the sleeve in which the record (LP) is contained within its package?
17. __ Alto: PALO. CA city
18. Camembert cousin: BRIE. I prefer Camembert to BRIE as it is a bit more ripe and stinky!
19. What a library does: LENDS. Margaret and I have been using our local library to borrow the seasons of Yellowstone. Great mini-series
23. Turnpike sign: NO U-TURN. Most of these turnpike signs are images now ... it's ONE WAY of looking at it, no?! ;^)
24. Tiny amount: SOU. A French word
25. CPR giver: EMT.
28. Aidy Bryant's former show, briefly: SNL. Aidy Bryant was not a person I was familiar with, but the perps helped
32. Battery fluid: ACID.
34. "The Princess Diaries" princess: MIA. Another example of using a more current "venue" to clue a proper name
35. "Toodles": CIAO.
36. Maze choices: PATHS.
38. Roller coaster feature: DIP. If roller coasters had only DIPs and not exaggerated FALLs, I might be a fan
40. Actress Falco: EDIE. Of "The Soprano's" fame
41. Novelist Wolitzer: MEG. See my response to 34-across
42. Peter of reggae: TOSH. Complete unknown, to me at least
46. Sentient hairball of 1960s TV: ITT. The Addams Family character
49. Bar barrel: KEG.
50. "Ew! Stop talking!": TMI.
51. Tea gadget: INFUSER.
55. "Later!": SEE YA.
58. Shiny fabric: LAME. Pronounced, "Lah MAY"
59. Piece of maguro: TORO. Learning "Moe-ment": TORO is the fatty part of the tuna, found in the belly of maguro which is the greasiest part of the abdomen. It has a soft texture and melts in your mouth. This is the more expensive part of maguro because it is rare and you can only get a small quantity. And that's no bull ...
60. Stable issue: FOALS. More wittisism, clue-wise
61. Significant periods: ERAS.
62. Mineral found in kale: IRON. Just because it contains IRON doesn't mean I am gonna eat it!!
63. En pointe: ON TOE. Ballet term
64. Wordle publisher, familiarly: NYT. My one "claim to fame" as a crossword puzzle constructor was using the entry "WORDLE" first among the published crossword puzzles. See 32-down ...
65. Strings for Orpheus: LYRE.
Down:
1. Quakers in a forest: ASPENS. Cute clue
2. Common sense: REASON.
3. Like a cold, ruthless villain: CALCULATING.
4. Short-tailed weasel: STOAT.
5. Came down, with "up": SOBERED. I was drunk with happiness when I solved this clue!
6. Leapt: SPRANG.
7. "Queen of Katwe" director Mira __: NAIR. I hear she waxes her eyebrows ...
8. "You'll be hearing from my lawyer!": I'LL SUE.
9. Try intermittent fasting, perhaps: DIET. Intermittent fasting never worked for me ... I am currently on a seafood DIET: I see food, and then I eat it ...
10. Suite spot?: INN. HaHa
11. Uni resource: OED. As in "UNIversity" library, perhaps? I'm guessing that is what it means. All University libraries have a copy of The Oxford English Dictionary
12. "The Marvelous __ Maisel": MRS.
15. Blab accidentally: LET SLIP.
21. Sheepdogs from Hungary: PULIS. Hands up for those of you who knew this?? I didn't. I wonder if it's related to 46-across? Here is a picture of one:
22. Letter before kappa: IOTA. Are there any fraternity or sorority members here? I recall that when pledging a fraternity I had to recite the Greek Alphabet five times, while holding a lit match ...
25. Handy feature in a shared document: EDIT HISTORY. This appears to be a first-time use for this entry
26. Substance: MEAT. A Friday clue for sure; although many of us "give up" MEAT on Fridays during lent ... just sayin'! ;^)
27. City tricked by a wooden horse: TROY.
30. Chum: AMIGO. Our "Spanish entry" du jour
31. Military police procedural: NCIS. Short for: Naval Criminal Investigative Service
33. __ toy: CHEW. My "Granddog" Guinness loves these, with or without the squeaker!
36. Company car, e.g.: PERK. I enjoyed this PERK for 35 years during my career as a sales rep/sales manager
37. Together, musically: ADUE. [wikipedia says] "A due [a dˈduːe] in Italian or à deux [a dø] in French is a musical direction meaning "for two". Most often seen in its abbreviated form a2, the marking signifies that on a staff that normally carries parts for two players, both players are to play the single part in unison"
38. Choreographer Agnes who wrote a biography of Martha Graham: DEMILLE. "Agnes" is a CSO to our own Irish Miss, as well as my maternal grandmother
39. Detective assisted by Archie Goodwin: WOLFE. Of Nero WOLFE fame
41. "Goodness gracious!": MY MY.
42. Most likely to snap, say: TENSEST. Did anyone "snap" or become "tense" whilst solving this puzzle?
44. Order to relax: AT EASE.
45. Perturb: DISMAY.
47. Babysitter's handful: TERROR.
48. "Have a taste!": TRY ONE.
52. No later than: UNTIL.
53. "The Last Jedi" villain Ren: KYLO.
54. Make: EARN.
55. Calif. hub: SFO. Airline "code" for San FranciscO
56. Countless lifetimes: EON.
57. Dine: EAT.
And there you have it! I hope I gave you enough "KEYS" to understanding this puzzle. Please enter any comments/thoughts below ...
