L.A.Times Crossword Wednesday, July 11, 2021 Enrique Henestroza Anguiano and Steve Mossberg

Theme: STRING THEORY.  Things described are discrete collections of small, roughly similar items that are arranged on and suspended by a string, cord or wire. 

17. A *Popular display after Thanksgiving: CHRISTMAS LIGHTS.  

Only the best

27 A. *Jewelry-themed treat: CANDY NECKLACE.  I guess whether I would want to eat it or not would depend on who had worn it.

Only $5.00

45 A. *Stereotypical fortuneteller's entrance item: BEADED CURTAIN.

Not much privacy

59 A. Chamber groups ... and the answers to starred clues?: STRING ENSEMBLES.  In the theme we get those collections I described above.  At Berklee, we get this.

 

Hi Gang.  JazzBumpa here to string you along.  Let's get at it.

Across:

1. Overnight portmanteau: MOTEL A traveler's accommodation named as a mash-up of Motor and hOTEL.

6. Virtual video game characters: SIMS.    Because they are SIMulated.

10. Earn: MAKE.  Receive as take-home pay.

14. Northeast speedster: ACELA.  Amtrak Service

15. Cookie with a Red Velvet limited edition: OREO.  The prototypical crossword cookie.  Sadly, never any love for Hydrox - which was the original.

16. Gobi location: ASIA.  The desert and it's continent.

20. Word that can be possessive or objective: HER.  Give HER HER things.

21. __ moment: AHA. When that sudden realization happens

22. Easiest to kick back in: HOMIEST.  Most comfortable and inviting.  But does it really fit?

23. Sci-fi zappers: RAY GUNS. Hand held weapons that typically emit beams of energy.

26. "You've got mail" ISP: AOL.  America On Line.  Does anyone still subscribe?

32. 5-Down attribute: AROMA.  Appetizing.

34. Have: EAT.  Consume something edible.

35. Common quote "source": Abbr.: ANON.  Anonymous - therefore highly reliable.

36. Dirt road feature: RUT.  Wheel tracks.

37. Sty guys: BOARS. Male hogs.

39. Ecstatic shout: YAY.  Hooray and yippee don't fit.

40. Negative start: ANTI-.  For whatever you are against.

42. Torah holder: ARK.  

43. Cabbage or cheddar: MOOLA.  Slang terms for money - though cheddar is new to me.

49. Walgreens rival: CVS.  Retail pharmacies

50. Highly intelligent dogs: POODLES.  Arf!

52. Vacuum challenge: PET HAIR.  

56. Strummed strings: UKE.

57. Petting zoo bird: EMU.  Really?  Anyway, the male does the incubation; during this process he hardly eats or drinks and loses a significant amount of weight. The eggs hatch after around eight weeks, and the young are nurtured by their fathers. 

62. "That's enough!": STOP!

63. Cub pickup spot: NAPE.  The scruff of the neck.

64. Market path: AISLE.

65. They may be fake: TANS.  Potentially sprayed on.

66. Agile: SPRY.  active and lively.

67. Caroler's selections: NOELS.

Down:

1. Eponymous physicist Ernst __: MACH.   The ratio of an object's velocity to the speed of sound is its Mach number, named in his honor.

2. Autumn tone: OCHER.  A natural ferrous clay pigment. varying in tone from yellow to orange to deep brown..

3. Color that literally means "baked earth": TERRA COTTA.  A brownish-orange hue named for the natural color of the clay.

4. He's "coming," in a Laura Nyro song: ELI.    

5. Layered entrÈe: LASAGNA.  Meat, noodles, cheese and tomato [usually] based sauce

6. Quite a lot of: SO MANY.

7. Golden yrs. fund: IRA.  Individual Retirement Account.

8. Netting: MESH.  A material of open texture with evenly spaced holes. 

9. One-person shows: SOLO ACTS.

10. Gorilla of '60s cartoons: MAGILLA.

 

 11. Queens stadium namesake: ASHE.  Named for the famous tennis star.

12. Hobbyists' purchases: KITS.  a set of articles or equipment needed for a specific purpose.

13. Right on the map: EAST.

18. Floor-hitting sound: THUD.

19. Reassurance heard after a crash from another room: I'M OK.  Are you OK?

24. November tuber: YAM.  Typically part of Thanksgiving dinner.

25. Prepare to surprise, with "on": SNEAK UP.

28. Shape of orecchiette pasta: EAR.

Rather a vague resemblance

29. "Last chance to speak up!": ANYONE ELSE.

30. Out-of-favor power source: COAL.  Dirty energy.

31. "Orinoco Flow" singer: ENYA.   Eithne Pádraigín Ní Bhraonáin [b. 1961]

32. Speedy steed: ARAB.   With a distinctive head shape and high tail carriage, the Arabian is one of the most easily recognizable horse breeds in the world. It is also one of the oldest breeds, with archaeological evidence of horses in the Middle East that resemble modern Arabians dating back 4,500 years. [Wikipedia]

33. Mystical video game symbol: RUNE.  In the real world, runes were an alphabet used by Germanic-speaking peoples until they were replaces by the Latin alphabet.  They were sometimes associated with mystical or magical significance

37. Dark clouds, say: BAD SIGNS.  BAD OMENS also fits.  Either way, events or observations believed to tell the future.

38. Tolkien villain: ORC.  A fictional humanoid monster similar to a goblin.   The goblins of THE HOBBIT are ORCS in THE LORD OF THE RINGS.

41. Implanted tracking devices, briefly: ID CHIPS.  As described - a  subcutaneous object that may include an identifying integrated circuit RFID device encased in silicate glass which is used to implant in the body of a human being. This type of subdermal implant usually contains a unique ID number that can be linked to information contained in an external database, such as personal identification, law enforcement, medical history, medications, allergies, and contact information.

43. Guy who's set for life: MADE MAN.  One whose success in life is assured.

44. Olive extract: OIL.

Is this wrong?

46. "Dear __ Hansen": Tony Award-winning musical: EVAN.  Dear Evan Hansen is a coming-of-age stage musical with music and lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, and book by Steven Levenson

47. Wrestler Ronda: ROUSEY.  Ronda Jean Rousey [born February 1, 1987] is an American professional wrestler, actress, retired mixed martial artist, and judoka. She is best known for her time in UFC and her stint as a WWE wrestler. Her longstanding nickname, "Rowdy", was inherited from late professional wrestler Roddy Piper. Rousey has not wrestled since she took time off from WWE after WrestleMania in April 2019. [Wikipedia]

Wikipedia

48. Joint puff: TOKE.  Mary Jane

51. One of the senses: SMELL.  Can let you know if Mary Jane is in the room.

52. Whispered call: PSST.  Attempted attention getter.

53. James with soul: ETTA.

 

 54. 2010 sci-fi sequel subtitled "Legacy": TRON.   In the original, Kevin Flynn, a computer programmer and video game developer who is transported inside the software world of a mainframe computer where he interacts with programs in his attempt to escape. 

55. Collect, as rewards: REAP.   By analogy to harvesting.

58. Trades on: USES.

60. D.C.-based airwaves org.: NPR.  National Public Radio

61. Twitter profile info: BIO.  Short for biography.

That wraps up another Wednesday.  Hope you didn't end up beady-eyed.

Cool Regards,

JzB