Friday, October 23, 2020

Gary Larson

 Title: Where are they from?




ATM FEES,  BISQUES, EMERITI, EYE EXAM, GRAFTON, GRETZKY,  GROUPIE,  HAT SIZE, SIERRAS, SKI PASS, and UNMEANT.

Across:

1. Ancient wizard: MAGE.

5. Serbian-born NBA center __ Jokic: NIKOLA.

11. Fella: BRO.

14. Speck: ATOM.

15. Bordeaux wine: CLARET.

16. Narrow inlet: RIA.

17A. Grasslands around Dakar?: SENEGAL LEAS.

19. Petition: ASK.

20. High ranges: SIERRAS.

21. Holder of 61 NHL records: GRETZKY.

23. Chamber group: TRIO.

24. Comet relative: BONAMI.

25. Retire: TURNIN.

28. Jessica of "Dark Angel": ALBA.

31. Winter vacation purchase: SKI PASS.

33. Part of a late 1900s demographic: GEN-Y-ER.

35. "The Simpsons" storekeeper: APU.

36. Feature of a map of Baghdad?: IRAQ KEY.

38. MD treating canals: ENT.

39. Oklahoma tribe: PAWNEE.

41. Accidental: UNMEANT.

43. Genesis twin: ESAU.

44. Middle of a three-part start: GET SET. On your mark ...

45. Subtly points out: INFERS. Oh, this is so wrong.

48. Present time?: X-MAS.

51. Uniform concern, maybe: HAT SIZE.

53. Late author whose daughter wrote, "As far as we in the family are concerned, the alphabet now ends in Y": GRAFTON.

56. Behave: ACT.

57. Laid-back attitude in Hanoi?: VIETNAM EASE.

59. Charlotte of "The Facts of Life": RAE.

60. Bivouac: ENCAMP.

61. Times past: ERAS.

62. Uma's "Pulp Fiction" role: MIA.

63. Perceived to be: SEEN AS.

64. Caesar and others: SIDS.

Down:

1. One side of a physics equivalence principle: MASS.

2. Bit the dust: ATE IT.

3. One with no hope: GONER.

4. Honored retirees: EMERITI.

5. Indiana-based sports org.: NCAA.

6. Troubles: ILLS.

7. Penn of "House": KAL. He is all over the place. His IMDB

8. Crater Lake locale: OREGON.

9. Hear (of): LEARN.

10. Without a clue: ATSEA.

11. Longing in São Paulo?: BRAZIL YEN.

12. Take a shot at: RISK.

13. Wine nuance word: OAKY.

18. Exuberant fan: GROUPIE.

22. IRS agent: TMAN.

24. Fish restaurant offerings: BISQUES.

26. Unusual: RARE.

27. Eavesdropping org.: NSA.

29. Twisted: BENT.

30. Focus for some collectors: ART.

31. Watering holes: SPAS.

32. Hot spot in Al Ahmadi?: KUWAIT TEA.

33. Masterpieces: GEMS.

34. Test involving gradually longer lines: EYE EXAM. A wonderful clue as each successive line is longer.
EYE CHART 

35. Mimic: APE.

37. Round Table VIP: KNT. Knight abbreviation? 

40. Creatures of habit?: NUNS. Hah, hah. 

42. Some bank acct. charges: ATM FEES.

44. Homer's home: GREECE.

46. Fins: FIVES.

47. Slate, for one: E-ZINE.

49. Original Flashback games console designer: ATARI.

50. "What a pity": SO SAD.

51. Wrong: HARM.

52. Smoothie fruit: ACAI.

53. Fed. lending agency: GNMA.

54. Criticizes: RAPS.

55. Storied loch: NESS.

58. Brown shade: TAN.





Friday, October 9, 2020

Will Tobias

 Title: Play ball!

I have had the pleasure of introducing the cruciverb world to so many first time publications. One day, I should count them. In any event, Will Tobias is the next in line. His puzzle is a repurposing of common phrases used during a baseball broadcast by cluing them with descriptive and amusing images. He even includes, what I see as an unnecessary reveal.   



20A. *Where to hang a lei on a rhino?: AROUND THE HORN (13).

32A. *Bits of dialogue censored on network television?: FOUL LINES (9).

40A. *Dracula after a hearty meal?: FULL COUNT (9).

51A. *Crime of someone who wants folks to get lost?: STEALING SIGNS (13). 

The reveal: 59D. Org. in which you'd hear the answers to starred clues: MLB. Major League Baseball.

On to the rest...

Across:

1. Travel pillow spot: NAPE.

5. "Nothing but net": SWISH.

10. One often looking down: SNOB.

14. Handmade blade: SHIV.

15. George who co-wrote the graphic memoir "They Called Us Enemy": TAKEI.

16. Do the honors: POUR.

17. Blaze: FIRE.

18. Circular gasket: ORING.

19. "__ boy!": ATTA.

23. Acquire: GET.

25. Whitney and Washington: Abbr.: MTS.

26. Counted (on): BANKED.

27. Unstable time: CRISIS.

29. Bygone Russian title: TSAR.

31. Lawful: LICIT.

37. And others, in Lat.: ETAL.

38. Group of experts: PANEL.

39. "Strega __": Tomie dePaola Caldecott winner whose title means "Grandma Witch": NONA.

42. Doughnut-shaped: TORIC.

43. Women's Basketball Hall of Famer Donovan: ANNE.

44. Musical inability: TIN EAR.

45. Dark igneous rock: BASALT.

49. Suffix with bass: OON.

50. High card: ACE.

55. "The Sopranos" actor Robert: ILER.

56. "And that's __!": FINAL.

57. Elemental unit: ATOM.

60. Belafonte classic: DAYO.

61. Cereal tidbit: FLAKE.

62. Auction, say: SELL.

63. "Birds of Prey" actor McGregor: EWAN.

64. Attack: SETAT.

65. Cairo native: ARAB.

Down:

1. Bad check letters: NSF.

2. Poke tuna: AHI.

3. Given to plundering: PIRATICAL.

4. At any time: EVER.

5. Dark drafts: STOUTS.

6. Cautions: WARNS.

7. "Joke, joke": IKID.

8. Email status: SENT.

9. Tall drink: HIGHBALL.

10. Pitcher Warren with the most lifetime wins for a southpaw: SPAHN.

11. Far from acceptable: NOT OK.

12. Quite unusual: OUTRE.

13. __ awareness: BRAND.

21. Drop: OMIT.

22. Rank between marquess and viscount: EARL.

23. Staff symbol: GCLEF.

24. Verdi baritone aria: ERITU.

28. Window ledge: SILL.

29. 1,000 kilograms: TONNE.

30. Bird feeder cake: SUET.

32. Woodland spirit: FAUN.

33. Privy to: INON.

34. Stahm that may affect Bahston: NOREASTER.

35. Early computer: ENIAC.

36. "__ bleu!": SACRE.

38. Popes: PONTIFFS.

41. Ring up: CALL.

42. Sound of a tiny bell: TING.

44. __ water: TOILET.

45. It may be a sleeper hit: B-SIDE.

46. Shingle words: AT-LAW.

47. "Toodles!": SEE YA.

48. Judge on a diamond: AARON.

49. Japanese financial hub: OSAKA.

52. River delta where the Rosetta Stone was found: NILE.

53. Winged pest: GNAT.

54. Mission Control org.: NASA.

58. Goiânia greeting: OLA.


Taylor Johnson

Title: After Thoughts Welcome back Taylor to the LAT where we just solved your Saturday themeless collaboration with your mentor, the prolif...