L.A Times Crossword Wednesday, October 7, 2020 Ed Sessa

Theme: The unifier says it all.

63. Making a killing in Vegas ... or what happens in 17-, 28- and 47-Across: BREAKING THE BANK.  Winning a bigger pot than the house can pay.  Alternatively, buying things beyond your ability to pay for them.   Here in the puzzle, it's a book end theme, where the letters of the word BANK begin and and the theme answers.

17 A. Substantial return: BANG FOR ONE'S BUCK.  Getting a substantial return for your investment in time, money or other resources.

28 A. Color named for a dancer: BALLERINA PINK.  Not a particular dancer, but a category of dancer. 

Also available as a paint color

47. Bleeping: BLANKETY BLANK. In broadcasting, profanity and colorful language is often covered over with a bleep sound.  People sometimes substitute BLANKETY BLANK for similar wording n daily conversation.  Either way, the meaning and intent are usually pretty clear.

The first two split BANK down the middle, and the last one after the B.  It would have been more elegant to split them all the same, all different, or put the odd one in the middle; but sometimes life ain't easy.

Hi gang, JazzBumpa here, hoping today's puzzle isn't to costly.  Let's see what we can afford.

Across:

1. Something to pay: DEBT.  An old song has it: "I owe, I owe, so off to work I go."  

5. "Nothing's broken": I'M OK.  Words sometimes spoken after a fall.

9. Lawn game: BOCCE.  Read about it here.

14. Fir fellers: AXES.  Tools for cutting down trees.

15. Cool off in a shallow stream, say: WADE.  Walk through [ not on] water.  This should cool your feet.

16. Weasley family owl: ERROL.  From HARRY POTTER.

20. Popeye's nemesis: BLUTO.

This guy

21. Zagreb native: CROAT.  Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of Croatia.

22. Salon creations: DOS.  Something done to hair.

23. NCR product: ATM.  Automatic Teller Machine, a device for making deposits and withdrawals.  Not likely to break the bank.  Or this.

24. "You betcha": YAH.  For sure!

26. Mohel's rite: BRIS.  The Jewish circumcision ceremony performed on a male child on the 8th day after birth.

34. Dodger who befriended Jackie Robinson: REESE.  Harold Peter Henry Reese, aka Peewee [1918-1999] played shortstop for the Brooklyn and L.A. Dodgers from 1940 to 1958.  He was a 10 time all star, and helped his team win 7 National League championships.  As a double play combination with Robinson at 2nd base, they became fast friends and remained so for the rest of their lives.

35. Peter of "The Maltese Falcon": LORRE.   László Löwenstein [1904 – 1964) was a Hungarian-American actor of Jewish descent.  He left Germany when Hitler came to power, and went on to a long career in the movies.  He was given a star in the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960

36. Word of regret: ALAS.  It traces back to the Latin word lassus, meaning weary, coming into Middle English via old French.  

39. Sudden burst: SALVO.  A sudden aggressive act, or a simultaneous discharge of weaponry in battle.

42. 9/11 Commission chair Tom: KEAN. Thomas Howard Kean Sr. [b 1935] was the 48th governor of New Jersey from 1982 to 1990.  After that he was president of Drew University until retiring in 2005.  He is most famous for chairing the  National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States in 2002.

 

43. Star transports: LIMOS.  Fancy wheels for celebrities of all types, as well as some prom attendees.

45. Emulated Van Winkle, after 20 years: AWOKE.  I had no idea I emulated this fictional character every morning.  The things you learn!

51. Toni Morrison novel: SULA.  Her second novel, published in 1973.

52. Reluctantly absorb, as a loss: EAT.  Causes indigestion.

53. Little bite: NIP.  

56. Admiral's rear: AFT.   Back end of a ship.

59. Toon duck triplet: LOUIE.  Huebert, Deuteronomy and Louis Duck are Donald's triplet nephews.  Packaged together, they are a box of quackers.

Duck, duck, duck

61. "Fame" singer Cara: IRENE. [b 1962] is an American singer, song writer and actress.

66. Do the Thanksgiving honors: CARVE.  Turkey work, if you're a cut up

67. Start to scope: TELE.  Affix I'd like to tele to stop.

68. __ fixe: IDEE.  An idea or desire that dominates the mind - an obsession.

69. Pulled a fast one on: DUPED.  Deceived or tricked.

70. Beef bourguignonne, for one: STEW.  STEW for one?  Usually there are more diners.

 

 71. Old geopolitical states: Abbr.: SSRS.  Parts of the Soviet Union.

Down:

1. Flintstone word: DABBA.  Part of an expression of happiness or excitement.

 

 2. Hold in awe: EXALT.  From Latin, meaning to raise high.

3. Anesthetize: BENUMB.  More generally to deprive of physical or emotional feeling.

4. Air Force NCO: TSGT.  Technical Sergeant is the sixth enlisted rank (pay grade E-6) in the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force, just above staff sergeant and below master sergeant.

5. __ Jima: IWO.  An island 750 miles south of Tokyo with 2 strategic airfields.  A major battle, eventually won by U.S. marine and naval forces, was fought there from Feb. 19 to March 26, 1945.

6. Italian noblewoman: MARCHESA. 

7. Dump feature: ODOR.  You can smell it before you see it.

8. Jedi Master Obi-Wan __: KENOBI.  Mentor and friend to Aniken Skywalker [later Darth Vader] and as an older Jedi, mentor to Luke Skywalker.

9. Brutish: BESTIAL.  Nasty. 

10. Uranus, for one: ORB.  A planet, or, more generally, any sphere.

11. Scummy deposit: CRUD.  A dirty unpleasant substance.

12. Gabrielle Chanel, familiarly: COCO.  [1883 - 1971] A French fashion designer and business woman who founded the Chanel brand.

13. Fraternal order: ELKS.  The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks is an American fraternal order founded in 1868 originally as a social club in New York City.  The original purpose was to evade N.Y. restricting the hours for public taverns.  They now run various charitable activities,  including programs for youth and veterans.

18. British detective played by Michael Kitchen: FOYLE.

19. Deserve: EARN.  Merit via achievment.

25. Lager alternatives: ALES.  It's all beer to me.

27. Like many addresses: SPOKEN.  Not a street address unless you are speaking in the middle of the road.

29. Incendiary acts: ARSONS.  Starting fires criminaly.

30. Race for four, commonly: RELAY.  One runner at a time.

31. Dander: IRE.  Foul temper.

32. Gun lobby org.: NRA.  National Rifle Association.

33. "Jeopardy!" whiz Jennings: KEN.

36. Priest's white garment: ALB.  A full-length white linen ecclesiastical vestment with long sleeves that is gathered at the waist with a cincture.  From the Latin album, meaning white.

37. Unlike Abner, really: LI'L.  He was big

38. Geriatrician's gp.: AMA.  American Medical Association.

40. Bug on the road?: VW BEETLE.  The "people's car" was made from 1838 to 2003.  The New Beetle was introduced in 1997.  Production of another version continued until last year.

41. Dancing girl in "Return of the Jedi": OOLA.

 

She never looks happy

 

44. Moved stealthily: SKULKED.  Kept out of sight, typically with a sinister or cowardly motive.  From Scandinavian language into Middle English, similar to lurk. 

46. Journalist Couric: KATIE.  Katherine Anne Couric[b. 1957] is an American television and online journalist, presenter, producer, and author. She is founder of Katie Couric Media, a multimedia news and production company.

48. Wells' sci-fi race: ELOI.  In the year 802701 A.D. they are a happy, simple people preyed up by the troglodyte-like Morlocks.  

49. Bully's array: TAUNTS.  Remarks made in order to anger, wound, or provoke someone.

50. Works with dough: KNEADS.  Mixes the ingredients by hand.

54. Word with tube or circle: INNER.  

55. Some toys, briefly: PEKES.  Miniature dogs are referred to as toys.  This breed originated in China as a lap dog for royalty.

56. It's sung to the same tune as "Twinkle, twinkle": ABCD.  A alphabet song.

57. Lady of the Haus: FRAU.  Woman or wife in German

58. Md. athlete: TERP.  The University of Maryland was founded in 1856.  It's sport teams are called the Terrapins, or TERPS for short.

60. "__ a Kick Out of You": Porter song: I GET.

 

 62. Slugger's stats: RBIS.  Runs Batted In.

64. Latin greeting: AVE.  Hi, there!

65. Fell, as firs: HEW.  With AXES.

Hope you got your money's worth today.

Cool regards!

JzB