L.A. Times Crossword Puzzle Wednesday, January 24, 2018 Roland Huget

Theme: A GOOD CLIP.  Indicating a non-specific, but rapid rate of motion.

21 A. Fast clip around the racetrack : BLISTERING PACE.  A very fast horse.

40 A. Fast clip from the pitcher's mound : DIZZYING VELOCITY.  A 100+ mph fast ball

60 A. Fast clip down the slopes : BREAKNECK SPEED.  Downhill ski race.

Consider this -

Sails at a good CLIP

Or this -

Yankee Clipper

On the other hand  .  .  .

Pro tip: Avoid a bad clip

Here we get the theme continuity from the clues rather than the fill.  Not a common approach, but you'll see it once in a while.  Long theme fill, with a grid spanner in the middle.  Not a lot else to say.  Each two-word entry indicates extremely fast motion in a sports context.

Hi gang, JzB here.  Never known for my speed.  This time I swear to give you today's puzzle, the whole of today's puzzle, and nothing but today's puzzle - or help me, 'cuz I'll need it.  Let's proceed at whatever pace you find comfortable, and see what else we can catch up with.

Across

1. Filet mignon source : LOIN.  A superior cut of beef.

The tenderloin is found along both sides of the spine

5. __ price : ASKING.  What the seller desires.

11. Ran together : BLED.  As of patterns on a dyed cloth.

15. Actress Paquin of Netflix's "Alias Grace" : ANNA.

Bio

16. Tremble : SHIVER.  Quake.

17. Slick : OILY.  Slippery or lubed, literally or figuratively.

18. Team first managed by Casey Stengel : METS.  Casey had previously managed the Yankees for many years. My favorite baseball trivia question: What was Casey Stengel doing in 1927 when Babe Ruth of the Yankees hit 60 home runs?  [Answer at the bottom.]

19. Volcanic archipelago state : HAWAII.  Everybody knows this - right?

20. Eyelid bump : STYE.  A painful bacterial infection of an oil gland in the eyelid.

24. Internet subdivision : DOMAIN.   An identifying web address.

25. Feathered layer : HEN. Of eggs.

26. USPS assignment : RTE.  Route.

29. Eagerly took in : ATE UP.  Literally or figuratively

30. Flutist of Greek myth : PAN.  Half man, half goat, Pan is the god of the wild, fields, fertility and Spring, and companion of the nymphs.   Apollo made better music on his lyre - and that's the truth!

33. Romanov rulers : TSARS.  Russian royalty.

35. Classic shoe polish brand : SHINOLA.   You know from SHINOLA - right?  What you might not know it that the brand name now belongs to a Detroit company that makes high-end watches, bicycles, jewelry, leather goods and accessories.

39. Surmounting : ATOP.  Straddling, perhaps.

45. "Field of Dreams" setting : IOWA.  Regarding a baseball field in a corn field.

46. Lowered the grade of : DERATED.  As in creditworthiness.

47. Take potshots : SNIPE.  With a gun or one's tongue

49. Simple survey answer : YES.  

50. Poetry Muse : ERATO.  Her name comes from the same root as erotic, and indicates beauty and desirability.

55. Own, to Burns : HAE.   I guess this means "have" in highland dialect.

56. Craven of horror : WES. The director who brought us Freddie Krueger of Elm Street fame, The Hills Have Eyes, etc.

59. Mental haze : STUPOR.  Confusion.

65. "Toodles!" : CIAO.  Greeting or parting word from an old Italian root meaning "I am your slave."

67. Evening get-together : SOIREE.  From SOIR, the French word for evening.

68. One-named Deco artist : ERTE.  Romain de Tiroff.  ERTE is the French pronunciation of his initials - and mine.

69. Curved paths : ARCS.  Observable with baseballs, footballs, basketballs, tennis balls, and golf balls.

70. There for the __: easy to get : TAKING.   Come and get it.

71. Plug-in vehicle, briefly : E-CAR.  Electric powered conveyance.

72. Chinese toy : PEKE.  Small dog variety, not a child's plaything.  Take your pick.

73. Comes down hard? : SLEETS.  Frozen rain does this.  Clever clue and an unpleasantly chilly experience.

74. Dines : SUPS.  Eats supper.  Or dinner.  You decide.

Down

1. Greek letter whose lowercase indicates wavelength : LAMBDA.  Uppercase Λ, lowercase λ.

Mandatory nerd joke:  Q: What's 𝛎? A:  C/ λ, same as always. 
[Translated: Q: What's new (nu, frequency)? A: The speed of light / the wave length.]

2. Developer's unit : ONE LOT.  A plot in a plat.

3. Early enough : IN TIME. Or ON TIME.

4. Bahamian capital : NASSAU. Or a town on Long Island.

5. Pale as a ghost : ASHEN.  Wan.

6. __-Pei: wrinkly dog : SHAR.

Iron deficiency?

7. Fuzzy fruit : KIWI.

8. "Ghostbusters" director Reitman : IVAN.

9. Secretariat utterance? : NEIGH.  Secretariat was an American thoroughbred race horse that in 1983 became the first triple crown winner in 25 years.

10. Complaint : GRIPE.  Grouse.

11. Anjou kin : BOSC.  A pair of pears.

12. Intelligentsia : LITERATI.  Specifically those with an interest in literature.

13. English cathedral town : ELY.   This town is about 80 miles north of London.  The church community dates back to the 7th century, with the present building dating from the 11th century.

14. Easter egg dip : DYE.   To color the shells.

22. A bit buzzed : TIPSY.  From imbibing alcohol.

23. Aardvark snack : ANT.  Or termite.

27. Bouncy gait : TROT.  A horse's or person's rapid stride.  Less than a CLIP, though, I'm guessing.

28. Best Game or Best Play : ESPY. Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Award, granted by ABC Sports, and previously by ESPN, to recognize outstanding individual and team achievements.

30. Christmas candle scent : PINE.

31. Fit to be tied : ANGRY.  Feeling choler.

32. Super stars? : NOVAE.  A super NOVA is a transient astronomic event in the last stages of a star's evolution that involves catastrophic destruction via a huge explosion.  NOVAE is the plural.  Clever clue.

34. Plant pouch : SAC.  Animals have them, too.

36. Put out of sight : HID.

37. "I'm game" : LET'S do it.




38. Newcastle Brown brew : ALE.  A decent brown ale produced by Heineken.

40. Wolfgang Puck creation : DISH.  As in entree, not a piece of porcelain dinner ware.

41. New Rochelle college : IONA. Affiliated with the Congregation of Christian Brothers, locared 20 miles north of Manhattan in Westchester County.

42. Twice-baked bread : ZWIEBACK.  Here in MI, it's Trenary Toast, from the U. P.

43. Hit with a laser : ZAP.  or warm in a microwave oven.

44. "Awake and Sing!" playwright : ODETS.

48. Farm mom : EWE.

51. "Slumdog Millionaire" money : RUPEES.  Indian currency.

52. Brief summary : APERCU.  It should make an illuminating of amusing point.  From the French verb meaning "to percieve."

53. Line dance step : TOE TAP.

54. Military instructions : ORDERS.

57. Bridge seats : EASTS.  Bridge table locations are indicated North, South, EAST and West.  In a tournament, there are several tables.  The N-S pair stays put, while the E-W pair travel in one direction and the pre--dealt cards travel the other way.

58. Scandinavian toast : SKOAL.  Traces back to an Old Norse word meaning "bowl."   Possibly filled with brown ale.

59. Surfboard stabilizers : SKEGS.  A SKEG is a fin underneath the rear of the board.

61. Got up : ROSE.

62. "Just do it" brand : NIKE.  Athletic shoes.

63. Niagara Falls source : ERIE.  Ohio's great lake.

64. Penny : CENT.  One hundredth of a dollar.

65. Ballplayer's hat : CAP.

66. Choler : IRE. Ill humor.

This was not a speed run for me.  How about you?

In 1927, when Yankee great George Herman [Babe] Ruth hit a record-setting 60 ARCS into the outfield seats, Charles Dillon [Casey] Stengel was in my home town managing the Toledo Mud Hens.  Stengel went on to manage the Yankees from 1949 to 1960.  The following year, when Roger Maris hit 61 home runs, the Yankees manager way Ralph Houk.  Stengel managed the Mets from 1962-5.

In those days I was a Yankee fan.  Forgive me, I was young and didn't know any better.

Cool regards!
JzB

L.A. Times Crossword Wednesday, January 10, 2018 Paul Coulter

Theme: Why should you never starve at the beach?  Because of all the sand which is there.  [Let the groaning begin.] Three common sandwich fillings are wrapped up inside the theme answers, in each split across the two word fill.  Let's have a taste.

20 A. Blindsided : CAUGHT UNAWARE.  Thus, by surprise.  The infallible internet tells me that UNAWARE is an adjective, but CAUGHT needs an adverb complement - in this case, UNAWARES. I am not making up this not.  Anyway, TUNA is a common sandwich filler, popular with both humans and felines.

33 A. Pumpkin pie maker's tool : NUTMEG GRATER.  A handy little gadget that comes in many designs and varieties.  NUTMEG is not just for deserts, though.  It goes wonderfully with pasta, spinach and Gruyere cheese.  Trust me on this one.  Concealed in this answer is an EGG.  I have not tried this with NUTMEG.  Could be promising.

41 A. One of a global septet : NORTH AMERICA. The other 6 continents are South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia and Antarctica.  HAM is of course another classic sandwich filler.  I like mine grilled with Swiss cheese.  Perhaps another NUTMEG opportunity?

And the unifier, or in this case, container -- 56. Flatbread lunch items ... and, as shown by circles, what 20-, 33- and 41-Across are? : SANDWICH WRAPS.  Typically, these are some variety flat bread, literally rolled and wrapped around the filling.

Hi, gang, JazzBumpa here.  Let's head for the dining room and see what else Paul has cooked up for us.  Bon appetit!

Across

1. Share-a-ride pickup hrs. : ETAS. Estimated Time of Arrivals.  Er - Times of Arrival. 

5. Go wild with Wild Turkey, say : TOPE.  Drink to excess, especially if done on a regular basis.

9. Golden Horde member : TATAR.  It's complicated.

14. Pope __ VI (1963-'78) : PAUL.   Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini, as Pope, continued and implemented the ecumenical reforms started under Pope John XXIII. 

15. Copied : APED.  APE see, APE do.

16. Be nuts about : ADORE.  

17. "The Simpsons" bus driver : OTTO.

Lovable stoner 

18. Drink garnish : RIND.  Citrus, typically.  Or possibly melon.  I don't claim to know all.

19. Old-time actress Shearer : NORMA.  An accomplished performer who was nominated for 5 Oscars, and best actress winner in 1930 for THE DIVORCEE.

The Queen of MGM

23. "Let's see ... " : HMM.  Thoughtful non-comment.

24. German city on the Danube : ULM.  Along with Regensburg, Passau, Donauschingen, Ingolstadt and Donauwörth, all of which have far to many letters.

25. Set ablaze : IGNITE.  Arson is suspected.

28. The hit in the baseball mantra "A walk is as good as a hit" : SINGLE.  Just as good in the lead off spot.  Not so much with a man on 3rd and two outs.

30. Sugar source : CANE.  Here in the midwest, BEET also works.

32. Cultural funding gp. : National Endowment for the Arts.

36. Beef inspection org. : United States Department of Agriculture.

39. 401(k) alternative, for short : Individual Retirement Account.  N. B. Abrvs. in. Cl. & Ans.

40. __ stick: incense : JOSS.  A thin stick made of paste and a fragrant substance burnt before a Chinese idol.  News to me.

46. Suffix with percent : -ILE.  Each of the 99 intermediate values that divide a frequency distribution into 100 groups.

47. College city on I-35 : AMES. Located in the center of Iowa, and home to Iowa State University.

48. Sharp : SHREWD.   Mentally.

52. Yom Kippur month : TISHRI.  From an Akkadian root meaning "beginning."   The first month of the civil year and 7th month of the eclesaitical year in the Hebrew calendar.

54. "Who am __ judge?" : I TO.  Who, indeed?

55. China's Chou En-__ : LAI.  Or Zhou Enlai, first Premier of the People's Republic of China, and a highly skilled diplomat.

60. Work really hard : SLAVE.  I don't suppose working hard at surfing counts.

62. '60s-'70s pitcher nicknamed Blue Moon : ODOM.  Johnny Lee ODOM, b. 1945 won three consecutive World Championships in 1973-4-5 with the Oakland A's.  He also had a pretty sever substance abuse problem.

63. Huge : EPIC.  

64. Awards for Asimov et al. : HUGOS.  Named for HUGO Gernbach, founder of the magazine Amazing Stories, they are presented each year at the World Science Fiction Convention.   Isaac Asimov is an American biochemist who became a science-fiction and then non-fiction author and editor of hundred of books

65. Computer list : MENU. Or cafe.  We do have a sandwich theme!

66. Concerning : AS TO.  In re:

67. Suits : EXECS.  Corp big wigs.  I've met a few and was not impressed.

68. Musically low : BASS.  

69. Floral neckwear : LEIS.  Flower garlands associated with Hawaii.

Down 

1. Young Cleaver, for short : BEAV.  From the 50's - 60's sit-com about Wally Cleaver's younger brother Timothy, portrayed by Jerry Mathers.

2. Idris of "Luther" : ELBA.  British actor, producer, musician, and DJ.

3. Service call? : AMEN.  Actually a response at a religious service.

4. Penicillin source : MOLD.  This was discovered completely by accident when mold spores got into petri dishes of Staphylococcus aureus while microbiologist Alexander Fleming took a long week end in 1928.

5. She sang about McGee : JOPLIN.  Janice, aka Pearl.




6. Iroquois tribe : ONEIDA.  Native Americans of the Great Lakes region in the U.S and Canada.

7. Willy or Lenny of Manhattan deli fame : KATZ.  Proprietors of Katz's Deli [Est. 1888] in Manhattan, not the Manhattan Deli chain, as near as I can tell.

8. Pentathlon sword : EPEE.  Famous competitive dueling sword, often crossed in crossword puzzles.

9. 35mm camera type : Single Lens Reflex.

10. Russell __ Candies : STOVER.

11. Heart chambers : ATRIA. Two auricles, two ventricles, no oracles.

12. Played over : RERAN.

13. "You __ cool!" : ARE SO.  Why thank you. [blushing]

16. Selma's state : ALABAMA.

20. "So that's the puzzle theme!" : AHA.  Or, occasionally, HMM.

24. Torso topper : HEAD.  Anatomy.

25. Torah chests : ARKS.   Housing for the Torah scrolls in a Synagogue.

26. One of a vivacious pair? : VEE.  This letter appear twice in the subject word.  Self-referential clue. Meh!

27. Origami bird : CRANE.  Folded paper art.

28. Discontinued Saturn model : ION.

29. Noir weapon : GAT.  A gangster's gun, in a sub-genre of American crime fiction.

30. School support org. : Parent-Teachers Association.

32. Cooped (up) : PENT.

33. Co-worker of Clark : LOIS.

34. "The good is __ interred with their bones": Antony : OFT. Marc, via that spear-shakin' guy.

36. Stuffed one's face : ATE A TON.  As I did on thanksgiving.

37. Throw on : DON. As apparel.

38. Jettas, e.g. : VWs.  Der Gute Deuetsche VolksWagen.

39. Rev : GUN.  An engine.  Has nothing to do with a GAT.

43. Protégé : MENTEE.  One who mentored.

Not this

44. Midnight rider : REVERE.  Yet another Paul.  I'm a-Pauled.  This one was an American silversmith, engraver, early industrialist, and Patriot in the American Revolution. He is best known for his midnight ride to alert the colonial militia in April, 1775 to the approach of British forces before the battles of Lexington and Concord.

45. Like a ripped-up check : VOIDED.  To void a check, you write the word VOID across it.  This check can then be used to set up direct deposit or automatic electronic payments.  A ripped up check is just shredded paper.

46. Taylor of fashion : ANN.  Not a real person.  This is a group of retail apparel shops founded by Richard Liebeskind in New Haven, Connecticut.  Ann Taylor was the name of a best selling dress at his father's shop.  Dad gave both the dress and the name to his son.

47. On the blink : KAPUT.  Inoperative.

48. Maureen of "The Quiet Man" : O'HARA.  Maureen Fitzsimmons [1920-2015] was an Irish actress and singer who often worked with John Ford and Marion Mitchell Morrison [aka John Wayne.]

49. Wedding bands : RINGS.

52. Layered mineral : MICA.

53. Arabian Sea sultanate : OMAN.

54. Loads : GOBS.  Large quantities.

55. Vaccine holder : VIAL.  A small cylindrical container, usually made of glass, used to hold medications or scientific samples.

56. "Not only that ... " : ALSO. In addition  .  .  .

57. Politburo no : NYET.  Russian negation.

59. "Newhart" production co. : MTM.  Named for Mary Tyler Moore.  The Newhart program ran on CBS from 1982 to 1990.

Well, that [ahem] WRAPS is up for another Wednesday.  Sadly, no love for peanut butter.  Hope you didn't EAT A TON.

Cool regards!
JzB