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

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Jul 31, 2023

Monday, Jul 31, 2023 Jolie L'Heureux & Alexander Liebeskind

 Theme: "IN THE BEGINNING...."

    So, I was born February, 1971....oh wait, that's a long story.  This is my first time blogging a "themed" puzzle for C.C. and the LA Times, as I was the regular Saturday themeless guy for about five years.  I still work the puzzles everyday, and I read the write-ups every day.  Since I last blogged, I changed my solving style and prefer to do all the DOWN clues first, then when I switch to ACROSS, most of the perps are in place, and the theme answers a little easier to solve. We had two nine- and two eight-letter words in the downs today, which is unusual for a Monday puzzle. C.C. had asked me to "guest" blog, and I had the opportunity last month, but was way out of practice, and thus had my own "EPIC FAIL".    But enough of my long story, here are the theme answers for today;


20. Bank customer, e.g.: ACCOUNT HOLDER

28. Colorful and fuzzy street art: YARN BOMB - Never heard this term before; here's an image

 

36. Innovative concept: NOVEL IDEA

49. Big-time letdown: EPIC FAIL

 57. "I'll tell you the rest another time," and what can be said about the starts of 20-, 28-, 36-, and 49-Across: IT'S A LONG STORY

And away we go~!

ACROSS:

1. Matriarch of the Three Bears: MAMA

5. Grocery shopper's aid: LIST - I have mine on my phone, listed by aisle, and my new favorite store since I moved to CT is "Big Y" because I can scan the barcodes with my phone camera, pay via credit card, and walk right out.

9. Private supply: CACHE

14. "Right away" letters: ASAP - As Soon As Possible

15. Mideast leader: EMIR

16. Catchall option on a survey: OTHER

17. At a __ for words: LOSS

18. Regarding: AS TO

19. With 4-Down, small dog from Tibet: LHASA and 4D. See 19-Across: APSO

23. 24 horas: DIA - Spanish

24. Disco __ of "The Simpsons": STU - Crossword regular now

25. Has lunch on a blanket, say: PICNICS

31. More expansive: VASTER - meh.

32. Southeast Asian language: LAO

33. Mani-__: spa treatments: PEDIs

35. "For sure": "YES"

40. Cat coat: FUR - clever clue

43. Calf-length skirts: MIDIs - I cannot resist....


44. Raspberry shade: RED

47. "The way things are ... ": AS IT IS

53. Shares a tweet on Instagram, say: REPOSTS - Spell-check doesn't like this

55. Pull the plug on: END - Sadly, I pulled the plug on my career as a Pipe Organ technician - at least for now.  I had tried to bargain for a pay increase, but the company could not come up to the offer I got from a local millwork company that needed a CAD drafter; so my three-week trip to Lynchburg VA in July was my "Swan Song"; here's me at the Washington National Cathedral; it was howling windy and raining as we unloaded.


56. Ode title words: TO A....

60. Vietnam's capital: HANOI.

62. Comfort: EASE.

63. Shape of many a car logo: OVAL - Ford, Subaru, Toyota and others


64. Houston MLB player: ASTRO - Spellcheck doesn't like this one, either

65. Squeezes (out): EKES - Crossword staple

66. How-to presentation: DEMO

67. Cereal eater's utensil: SPOON

68. Hissed "Hey!": "PSST~!"

69. Etch or sketch: DRAW

DOWN:

1. Affliction: MALADY

2. Preferring to be alone: ASOCIAL - My ex-wife is/was a counselor, and she 'diagnosed' me as being anti-social; I told her "good, that lets me off the hook" - not the answer she wanted to hear....

3. Cosmetic applied with a wand: MASCARA


5. Makeshift shelter: LEAN-TO.

6. "Haven't the foggiest": "I'M STUMPED"

7. Lightsaber wielders who are enemies of the Jedi: SITH


8. Scout unit selling cookies: TROOP

9. Unsolved crime: COLD CASE

10. Home of the Acropolis and the Parthenon: ATHENS - GREECE fit, too

11. Donation recipient: CHARITY - On my way back from Lynchburg, I saw billboards reading Mega Millions was up to $940mil - I would have to donate to more than one CHARITY if I walked away with that kind of money

 12. Father and son: HEs - Meh.  True, but I'm not a fan of this kind of answer

13. Time studied in history class: ERA

21. PC connection port: USB

22. Really steamed: LIVID - I had IRATE to start

26. Average grade: CEE

27. Graduating gp.: SRs - Abbreviated group, abbreviated SenioRs

29. Persona __ grata: NON - Latin

30. Represent inaccurately: BELIE

34. Hands out: DISPENSES - ATMs and vending machines "dispense", which I think is not quite the same as "hand out"

37. Something left out: OMISSION - $2 Monday 8-letter word

38. Photogenic expanse: VISTA


If you zoom in, this is Washington DC from the cathedral


39. "Woof!": "ARF~!" - Dogspeak

40. Few and __ between: FAR

41. Function: USE - as a designer, I am of the thought that FORM follows FUNCTION

42. Verbally attack: RIP INTO - We stayed at a popular, long-term hotel with in-room kitchens for the trip to VA - there were several issues in my room that never got resolved during my 19-day stay - so when they sent me a survey, I had to RIP INTO the chain's poor service.

45. Dine at a friend's: EAT OVER

46. Elementary school shoebox project: DIORAMA - I helped my buddy's seven-year-old son build a "Leprechaun trap" for a school project - quite enjoyable

48. "My Neighbor __": Studio Ghibli film: TOTORO - The Wiki; I've been solving the LA Times crossword daily for the past year, and I can tell that the new editor has changed the rules - I doubt this clue/answer would fly on a Monday in the past

50. Consume: INGEST

51. Insured investments: Abbr.: CDs - I have one through my Discover card, and a savings account now getting 4.30%

52. "Stay out of trouble": LAY LOW - I had BEHAVE

54. Dream state: SLEEP

58. Thousand __: Ventura County city: OAKS - filled via perps

59. Sondheim's "Sweeney __": TODD

60. Gives birth to: HAS.

61. Egyptian snake: ASP - My #1 movie of all-time, Raiders of the Lost Ark



 

Well, I'm back, 

da-na-na-na, na-na-na-na-na-na
Fix your bent antenna, tune it in, and then I'm gonna
Enter in and up under your skin like a....

Splynter


Notes from C.C.:

Welcome back, Splynter! We missed you.

Splynter will blog next Monday's puzzle also. Sumdaze will be back on August 14th.