Friday, November 19, 2021

Jeffrey Wechsler

 Title: F as in Factor

As luck would have it, by switching with Moe to blog a JW puzzle, I am blogging another of his Friday frolics. One of his classic styles is an add a letter to create many punny places. Today is a simple exercise in adding an "F" to the beginning of an in the language phrase. The result is some serious frivolity, he said ironically. There may be more to it, but I have had an incredibly hectic week. The puzzle is sprinkled with so much yummy fill DIG THIS, LATERAL, PC DESKS, UNLINED, ADRIAN II, CEREMONY, DARKSIDE, DOG BRUSH, MEANNESS, PREPARED, RED NOSED and  STEMWARE. If you do not like the introduction of PC Desks it generates about 244,000,000 results (1.29 seconds) on google.The feel is much more of a traditional Friday with fewer words and more open spaces and no abstruse gimmick. I am not suggesting it is an easy puzzle, certainly 1A was not a gimme but it is a Friday crossword.

19A. Like one hiding contraband on his person?: FRISK AVERSE.(11). Perhaps some LSD? You can't be risk averse if you are carrying.

24A. First-time hot-dog griller?: FRANK AMATEUR (12). By far my favorite of the themers, as I picture someone who keeps losing the dogs between the grill parts. The phrase “rank amateur” employed this sense to mean, as the Oxford English Dictionary puts it, “a person who is completely inexperienced or inept at a particular activity” 

44A. Like designers of Halloween costumes?: FRIGHT MINDED.(12). Right minded is probably too political and Fright minded missed the deadline. 

55A. Campus anti-hazing policy, basically?: FRAT CONTROL (11).
Some might say RATs and FRAT boys are hard to tell apart.
On to the rest

Across:

1. Takes over: CO-OPTS. One meaning is to assimilate, take, or win over into a larger or established group: The fledgling Labor party was co-opted by the Socialist party.

7. Set: PREPARED. Are you ready? I am all set.

15. Mendeleev's homeland: RUSSIA. This clue is used periodically.

16. Nobel Prize presentation, say: CEREMONY. More 8 letter fill  COURTESY, EXERCISE, FUNCTION, HOLY RITE,  OCCASION, PRACTICE, PRIMNESS and PROTOCOL that are synonyms. 

17. Fix: ATTACH. Really?

18. Vader's choice: DARKSIDE. Actually it was Ani's choice for love.

21. "Dropped" drug: LSD. Why is LSD the only drug that is dropped?

22. Texas __: oil: TEA


23. Notable times: ERAS.

32. Aqua relative: TEAL


35. Flutes, for example: STEMWARE. Drinking glasses

36. Notepad option: UNLINED

40. Gridiron maneuver: LATERAL

41. Like some allergy sufferers: RED NOSED. No reindeer here.

43. __ Stone, co-star of the "Jacques Brel" musicals: ELLY
LINK

48. Scout in "To Kill a Mockingbird," e.g.: GIRL.

49. Peninsular U.S. st.: FLA. CSO to all of us Flo-ridians

52. Org. with briefs: ABA. A CSO to all of us with law backgrounds
 
59. Lab neatener: DOG BRUSH. Not the laboratory but the puppies.

61. Face: VISAGE.

62. Ninth-century pope: ADRIAN II. You might not think this would be hard but there were twenty-one, yes 21 9th Century Popes!

63. Fill with love: ENAMOR.

64. Bully's trait: MEANNESS. Too many in the world.

65. Supremely irked: SOREST. It makes me sore.

Down:

1. Boats: CRAFT.

2. Quite odd: OUTRÉ. I always liked this word.

3. Harbor city of ancient Rome: OSTIA.

4. Useful TV spots: Abbr.: PSAS. Public Service Announcements

5. Wall Street crawl: TICKER. When I began watching the stock market with my father when I was 12, that was literally how the prices came into the Hempill Noyes office.

6. Much of Algeria: SAHARA. Are desert their just desserts?

7. Modern office furniture: PC DESKS. This has billions of hits

8. With 13-Down, has a fender bender with: REAR. 13D. See 8-Down: ENDS

9. Isn't correct: ERRS.

10. Toy since ancient times: PEKE. More very difficult cluing, as we are looking for a toy dog!

11. KLM hub letters: AMS. Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (IATA: AMS), known informally as Schiphol Airport is the, myself. main international airport of the Netherlands. If you know where KLM is based this is inferable. I like to call the airline Koninklijke Luchtvaartmaatschappij. 

12. Agitate: ROIL. The word roil is often confused with rile, which has a slightly different meaning. If you roil someone you're stirring them up but not necessarily annoying them. To rile someone is to deliberately provoke or antagonize them. Dictionary.

14. Like gumdrops: DYED. Gumdrops are notoriously unhealthy, but I never thought about the food colorings being dyes.

20. Ute relative: VAN. I do not equate the colloquialism for a utility vehicle for a van which is an abbreviation of caravan.

24. It often includes trysts: FLING. Not on the football field.

25. Falcons' home: Abbr.: ATL. American Football.

26. "Give __ break!": ME A.  

27. Qty.: AMT. Amount.

28. Wool fabric: TWEED. All you need to KNOW.

29. "Downton Abbey" title: EARL
30. Long border range: URAL.

31. Bank (on): RELY.

32. Gang land: TURF. Slang; the neighborhood over which a street gang asserts its authority.
                                       
33. Dept. formed under Carter: ENERgy.

34. German family-owned discount market: ALDI. There is so much more to this STORY than just cheap prices. TRADER JOE'S anyone?

37. Kabuki relative: NOH. Japanese theater alternatives.

38. Nov. NJ setting: EST.

39. Rep. foe: DEM.

42. "Oh, man, check it out!": DIG THIS. Another flashback Jeffrey?

45. Actor Cage, casually: NIC. Is he ever casual?

46. Large numbers: DROVES. They will come in droves comes from cattle drives. Makes you think.

47. Climate-disrupting phenomenon: EL NINO.

49. Home-building stage: FRAME.

50. Colonel Sanders' head, and its ilk: LOGOS. I like this.

51. Watchful: ALERT

52. Driver with lines: ADAM. Have you seen his sex scenes with Lady Gaga?

53. "This was my dream. What it doth __, God knows": "Henry VI, Part 2": BODE. Jeffrey will always include some Will in his puzzles, it just depends if Rich leaves it in.

54. India tourist city: AGRA.

55. Writer Lebowitz: FRAN. Xtra, xtra, read all about it.
HER UPDATE

56. Early writing symbol: RUNE.

57. Sale condition: AS IS.

58. Past 15-Across leader: TSAR.

60. Receptacle: BIN. Laden?

And so we continue our trek toward so many holiday for so many, one for everyone and early present from our own Jeffrey W. I was too busy, but I had fun. Love to hear from you. Lemonade out.




Friday, November 5, 2021

Gary Larson

Title: Furniture $1,000.00 Mayim.

I had to resist my inclination to be sad when I finished solving this Friday from Gary "Taking over the World" Larson because for me it is a take off on JEOPARDY . Naturally I do not


Across:

1. Simple starts: ABCS

5. Move unsteadily: LURCH.

10. Mex. title: SRTA.

14. Yawn-inducing: SLOW.

15. "That's __": 1953 Top 10 hit: AMORE.

16. Close relative, often: HEIR.

17. Stuffing ingredient: SAGE.

18. Furniture for an angler?: WATER TABLE.

20. German article: EINE.

21. Kind of barbecue: OPENPIT.

22. Furniture for an efficiency expert?: SNAPPY DRESSER.

26. Worldly: SECULAR.

27. Highways: Abbr.: RTES.

30. Small game pieces: PAWNS.

32. Alphabetically fifth of Santa's reindeer: DASHER.

34. Phone download: APP.

37. Hidden: CLOAKED.

39. One attached to a binding, perhaps: SKI.

40. Organized set: SERIES.

42. Family group: MAFIA.

44. Cheat, in a way: PEEK.

45. Gather dust: LIE IDLE.

49. Furniture for a military officer?: SERVICE BUREAU.

54. Against: NOTWITH.

55. Anna Pigeon mystery series writer Nevada __: BARR.

56. Furniture for an event planner?: PARTY CHAIR.

59. Plus: ALSO.

60. You won't get cards without it: ANTE.

61. Actress Knightley: KEIRA.

62. Barely go (through): SEEP.

63. Red ink: LOSS.

64. Touch, say: SENSE.

65. White-tailed shore bird: ERNE.

Down:

1. Weigh: ASSESS.

2. Illusionist David known for death-defying stunts: BLAINE.

3. Hennessy product: COGNAC.

4. Remove with a broom: SWEEP UP.

5. __ of diminishing returns: LAW.

6. First name in "Pulp Fiction" credits: UMA.

7. Turbine part: ROTOR.

8. __ paper: CREPE.

9. "__ a bottle and an honest friend!": HERE'S.

10. Woodworking tools: SHAPERS.

11. New beginnings: REBIRTHS.

12. List: TILT.

13. Equals: ARE.

19. Heavy wts.: TNS.

23. Word after fire or first: PLACE.

24. Two-masters: YAWLS.

25. 1962 villain played by Joseph Wiseman: DRNO.

28. Startled cry: EEK.

29. Hindu title: SRI.

31. Short beer order: SAM.

32. Emergency room treatment, for short: DEFIB.

33. Parting word: ADIEU.

34. Hieroglyphics creature: ASP.

35. One of a peppery trio?: PEE.

36. Does a laundry task: PRESORTS.

38. Mustard family member: KALE.

41. Aptly named backing group for the Turners: IKETTES.

43. Flight center: AIRBASE.

46. Place to get wheels: DEALER.

47. Yankee Don who pitched the only no-hitter (a perfect game) in World Series history: LARSEN.

48. Iceland is in it: EUROPE.

50. Letters after either Cowboy St. senator's name: RWY.

51. Maker of NyQuil and DayQuil: VICKS.

52. "... __ wed": ITHEE.

53. Mountain __: CHAIN.

54. Technology start: NANO.

56. Amigo: PAL.

57. Org. that takes many forms: IRS.

58. Issa of "Awkward Black Girl": RAE.

Taylor Johnson

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