L.A. Times Crossword - Wednesday, August 24, 2020. David Alfred Bywaters

Theme:  Double or NO thing.  Each theme answer is a unique phrase that you might never see anywhere else; and it contains a duplicated word.  But you have to surgically remove a certain letter combination: that NO thing, in order to see it.  Let's start with the unifier.

69 A. "Find another way out" sign and a feature of four answers in this puzzle: NO EXIT.  The type of wording you might see over an entrance-only doorway.  And here it indicates that the "NO" letter combo must be excised from the answer.

20 A. Teatime treat topped with shaved ice?: SNO-CONE SCONE.  This is a frosty treat you're not liable to find any time soon.  But it might be good.  Let me know.  Maybe have two, for a SCONE SCONE

33 A. Feature of King Arthur's court?: NOTABLE TABLE.  The notable thing about King Arthur's table was that it was round.  So nobody was seated at the head nor the foot; and all were equal.  So anyone at the TABLE could TABLE the discussion.

41 A. Gaggle native to northern Italy?: GENOESE GEESE.  Genoa is the northern-most city on the western shore of the Italian peninsula.  Do GEESE there mate for life?  Maybe I'm thinking of swans.  Anyway, you get a pair of gaggles here.  And maybe a giggle or two.

54 A. Trainee's bad habits?: NOVICES' VICES.  A NOVICE is a person new to or inexperienced in a field or situation.  I've been playing the trombone for decades and, sadly, still have bad habits.  Perhaps the novice can overcome hers.  Or she might double down and Get caught in the VICE'S Jaws.

Hi, gang. JazzBumpa, your humble blogger for the day, is in awe of this theme.  It combines the duplicated word idea with the removable syllable technique, with a resulting variable degree of silliness.  I can't imagine how David found these examples.  Seriously -- Wow!

Let's move on and what else is notable.

Across:

1. State with conviction: ASSERT.  AVER and AVOW are both too short.

7. Adventurous: BOLD.  Willing to take risks and do new things.

11. Hit the slopes: SKI.  Slide down a hill side on wooden slats attached to your feet.  I tried this once. The slope hit back.

14. Less abundant: SPARER.  A condition of having no excess.  Not sure there can be degrees of spareness.  A comparative based on a root ending in -R always seems awkward.

15. Purple berry from Brazilian palms: ACAI.  The açaí palm, Euterpe oleracea, is a species of palm tree cultivated for its fruit, hearts of palm, leaves, and trunk wood. Global demand for the fruit has expanded rapidly in the 21st century, and the tree is cultivated for that purpose primarily.

16. Midmorning hour: TEN.  That's when I like to be on the treadmill; though the word "like" is used rather ironically here.

17. State that's an archipelago: HAWAII.  Located about 2000 miles from the U.S. mainland, the Hawaiian archipelago contains 137 volcanic islands spanning 1,500 miles. 

18. Went on and on: YAMMERED.  Yadda, yada, yada . . .

22. Bistro: CAFE.  A small restaurant.

25. Spanish article: UNA.  Meaning "one," or the English article "a."

26. Wind quintet wind: OBOE.  A woodwind instrument with a double-reed mouthpiece, a slender tubular body, and holes stopped by keys.  Can also be used as a drumstick -- at least once.

27. Pub order: ALE.  Bottoms up.

28. Played the part of: ACTED AS.  Either in a play, or some real life situation.

32. Put a stop to: END.  Make it quit.

36. Buffet fuel: STERNO.  Flammable hydrocarbon jelly supplied in cans for use as fuel for cooking stoves or chafing dishes.

37. Farfalle shape: BOWTIE.  Small pieces of pasta shaped like bows or butterflies' wings.

45. Augment with superfluous verbiage: PAD.  Lengthen a speech, piece of writing, etc. with unnecessary material.  Hence the admonition to write tight.

48. Runs again: REPLAYS.  As a TV program or sports highlight.

49. "It's __ good": ALL.  Phrase used to express a sense of general approval, despite a perceived slight, sometimes used ironically.

50. Biblical land west of Nod: EDEN.   EDEN is the biblical earthly paradise inhabited by the first created man and woman, Adam and Eve, prior to their expulsion for disobeying the commandments of God.  After killing his brother, Cain was exiled to the land of Nod.  "Nod" (נוד‎) is the Hebrew root of the verb "to wander" (לנדוד‎). Therefore, to dwell in the land of Nod can mean to live a wandering life. Perhaps this suggests that Cain would not know peace.

52. Part of t.i.d., on an Rx: TER.  Three.  T.I. D. is short for ter in die. three times a day.

53. Lover of Aphrodite: ARES.  It's complicated.  Aphrodite was the wife of Hephaestus.  It did not go well.

59. Microscope blobs: PROTOZOA. An informal term for a group of single-celled eukaryotes, either free-living or parasitic, that feed on organic matter such as other microorganisms or organic tissues and debris.

60. Excuses: ALIBIS.  An ALIBI is a claim or piece of evidence that one was elsewhere when an act, typically a criminal one, is alleged to have taken place.  An excuse is an attempt to lessen the blame attaching to (a fault or offense); seek to defend or justify.  These are not even close equivalents.

64. Folk singer DiFranco: ANI.  Angela Maria "Ani" DiFranco (b. 1970) is an American singer-songwriter. She has released more than 20 albums. DiFranco's music has been classified as folk rock and alternative rock, although it has additional influences from punk, funk, hip hop and jazz. She has released all her albums on her own record label, Righteous Babe.

65. Champagne designation: BRUT.  The word Brut is French for “dry” which means that Brut Champagne is a dry, sparkling wine. 

66. "That's it for me!": I'M DONE.  Can be literal, meaning some task is finished, or as an expression of  anger or exasperation. 

67. Drug in Michael Pollan's "How to Change Your Mind": LSD.  A synthetic crystalline compound,  Lysergic Acid Diethyl amide, that is a potent hallucinogenic drug.

68. Feed adequately: SATE.  Satisfy (a desire or an appetite) to the full.

Down:

1. Tennis star Barty who announced her retirement in 2022, familiarly: ASH.   Ashleigh Barty (b. 1996) is an Australian retired professional tennis player and cricketer. She was the second Australian tennis player to be ranked No. 1 in the world in singles by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) after fellow Aboriginal Australian Evonne Goolagong Cawley, holding the ranking for 121 weeks overall. 

2. Day __: SPA.   A business that provides a variety of services for the purpose of improving health, beauty, and relaxation through personal care treatments.

3. Adage: SAW.  A proverb or short statement expressing a general truth.

4. Wipe out: ERASE.  Remove or eliminate.

5. Halter attachment: REIN.  A long, narrow strap attached at one end to a horse's bit, typically used in pairs to guide or check a horse while riding or driving.

6. Half a sextet: TRIO.  A group of three individuals engaged in a collective activity.

7. Rifle attachment: BAYONET.  A blade that may be fixed to the muzzle of a rifle and used to stab an opponent in hand-to-hand fighting.

8. Anthem with the line "The True North strong and free": O CANADA.   A genuinely great anthem.

  

 9. Fabric with metallic threads: LAMÉ.  Fabric with interwoven gold or silver threads.

10. Turns down: DIMS.  As, frex., a lamp.

11. Flashing light: STROBE.   A type of specialized lamp that produces a continuous series of short, bright flashes of light.

12. Heavily into: KEEN ON.  Very enthusiastic or excited about. 

13. "No doubt": INDEED.   Used to emphasize a statement or response confirming something already suggested.

19. Prefix with friendly: ECO-.    Not harmful to the environment.

21. Adorable: CUTE.   Attractive in a pretty or endearing way.

22. Some recyclables: CANS.  Along with bottles and paper.

23. Much: A LOT.   An indefinite large quantity

24. Big party: FETE.   A celebration or festival.

28. Doubleday incorrectly credited with inventing baseball: ABNER.  Abner Doubleday (1819 – 1893) was a career United States Army officer and Union major general in the American Civil War. He fired the first shot in defense of Fort Sumter, the opening battle of the war, and had a pivotal role in the early fighting at the Battle of Gettysburg.  In San Francisco, after the war, he obtained a patent on the cable car railway that still runs there.   In 1908, 15 years after his death, Doubleday was declared by the Mills Commission to have invented the game of baseball (a claim never made by Doubleday during his lifetime). This claim has been thoroughly debunked by baseball historians.

29. Knockoff: CLONE.    A product that is very similar to another one that it was copied from.

30. Westminster landmark: ABBEY.   Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is a large, mainly Gothic abbey church in the City of Westminster, London, England, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the United Kingdom's most notable religious buildings and the traditional place of coronation and a burial site for English and, later, British monarchs.   Construction of the present church began in 1245 on the orders of King Henry III.

31. Tedious journeys: SLOGS.   A spell of difficult, tiring work or travelling.

34. Bol. neighbor: ARG.  South American countries Bolivia and Argentina.

35. Short-horned bighorn: EWE.  The female of any ovine species.

38. Hot streak: TEAR.  Having great success over a period of time 

39. Land in the water: ISLE.  Not making a splash [a verb], but instead, a part of the earth's surface [a noun] extended above the surface of a body of water.

40. Slithery fish: EELS.  A snake-like fish with a slender elongated body and poorly developed fins, proverbial for its slipperiness.

42. Chooses not to participate: OPTS OUT.  Just so.

43. Raise: ELEVATE.  Move to a higher level, either literally or figuratively.

44. South Asian garb: SARI.   A garment consisting of a length of cotton or silk elaborately draped around the body, traditionally worn by women from South Asia.

Instruction on how to do it

45. Epistolary friend: PEN PAL.   A person with whom one becomes friendly by exchanging letters, especially someone in a foreign country whom one has never met.

46. Festoons: ADORNS.  Decorates.

47. Without, with "of": DEVOID.  Entirely lacking or free from.

51. Minor issue: NIT.   A small imperfection or a minor glitch in a system or piece of software.

53. Out of the way: ASIDE.  Literal.

55. Picnic discards: COBS.  From ears of corn.

56. "The Snowy Day" Caldecott winner __ Jack Keats: EZRA.  Ezra Jack Keats (né Jacob Ezra Katz; 1916 – 1983) was an American writer and illustrator of children's books. He won the 1963 Caldecott Medal for illustrating The Snowy Day, which he also wrote. 

57. Adam's eldest: CAIN.  In Genesis, Cain was the first human offspring.  He murdered his younger brother, Abel.  Cf also 50 A.

58. Red Muppet with a pet goldfish named Dorothy: ELMO.

61. Amazon.com delivery: BOX.  A container full of stuff, used for transporting said stuff.

62. Suffix on some pasta names: -INI.  As in rotini, linguini, etc.

63. Good to go: SET.  Prepared to do something.

That wraps up another Wednesday.  Let's get set for whatever the next adventure might be.

Cool regards!

JzB

L.A. Times Crossword Wednesday, August 10, 2022. Catherine Cetta

Theme: A puzzle for one seasoning.   As we shall see, this is a well-seasoned puzzle.  This will make more sense if we start with the unifier.

60 A. Quantity applied to dubious advice, and what's found in the answer to each starred clue: GRAIN OF SALT.   To take something with a "grain of salt" is an English language idiom that suggests to view something, specifically claims that may be misleading or unverified, with skepticism or to not interpret something literally.  However, the chemist in me [and yes I have BS and MS degrees in chemistry] recognizes that the symbol for a molecule of common table salt is NaCl.  Na is the symbol for sodium [natrium in the original Latin] and Cl is the symbol for chlorine.  The combination is called sodium chloride.

17. *When "you can see forever," per the classic song: ON A CLEAR DAY.

 

30. *Genetic lab project: DNA CLONING.  A set of experimental methods in molecular biology that are used to assemble recombinant DNA molecules and to direct their replication within host organisms.

35. *Almost got the gold: RAN A CLOSE SECOND.  If you run someone a close second, or run a close second, you almost beat them in a race or competition. So - probably took the silver.

If you take a granular look at each of these answers, you will find the it does indeed contain a modicum of salt

Hi, Gang -- JazzBumpa here to analyze todays experiment in criciverbalism.  Let's grab our lab coats and get going.

Across:

1. Starts a triathlon: SWIMS.  A triathlon is an endurance multisport race consisting of swimming, cycling, and running over various distances. 

6. Airplane assignments: SEATS.  Aisle, window or [ugh] center.

11. Short lines at the register?: UPC.   The Universal Product Code (UPC or UPC code) is a barcode symbology that is widely used worldwide for tracking trade items in stores.

14. Chocolate source: CACAO.   Theobroma cacao, also called the cacao tree and the cocoa tree, is a small evergreen tree in the family Malvaceae. Its seeds, cocoa beans, are used to make chocolate liquor, cocoa solids, cocoa butter and chocolate.

15. "I've __ up to here!": HAD IT.   Exclamation of impatience or incipient anger.

16. Swelter: FRY.  Experience an unpleasant level of heat.

19. Watch chain: FOB.  A chain attached to a watch for carrying in a waistcoat or waistband pocket.

20. Top __: TEN.  A type of most popular list.

21. Requests: ASKS.

22. DVR pioneer: TIVO.   TiVo is a digital video recorder developed and marketed by Xperi and introduced in 1999. 

23. Rich cake: TORTE.   a rich, usually multilayered, cake that is filled with whipped cream, buttercreams, mousses, jams, or fruit.  It is often glazed and garnished.

25. Air purifying gadget: IONIZER.   Devices that remove certain airborne particles using negative ions. The purpose of an air ionizer is to help air particles settle and collect out of the air.

28. Skateboarding star Tony: HAWK.  Anthony Frank Hawk (b. 1968), nicknamed Birdman, is an American professional skateboarder, entrepreneur, and the owner of the skateboard company Birdhouse

32. Qatari bigwigs: EMIRS.   A Muslim (usually Arab) military commander or local chief.

34. "__ I say more?": NEED.   Have you heard enough?

42. Word on Irish euros: EIRE.  Éire is Irish for "Ireland", the name of both an island in the North Atlantic and the sovereign state of Ireland which governs 84% of the island's landmass. 

43. Finnish hot spot: SAUNA.   A small room or building designed as a place to experience dry or wet heat sessions, or an establishment with one or more of these facilities. 

44. *Long, curved barrette: BANANA CLIP.   a clip that is slightly curved and used to hold a person's hair in place. 

50. Academic acronym: STEM.  STEM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math education. It is an interdisciplinary approach that helps students succeed in college and in their future careers. The focus of a STEM education is hands-on, problem-based learning.

51. Glasses for bookworms: READERS.  Eyeglasses used for reading or close work.  I have a special pair for reading music.  Otherwise I get trapped in bifocal hell.

52. Court attire: ROBES.   A robe is a loose gown worn by judges, barristers and officials in court.

54. Itch: URGE.  Yen, desire, craving, impulse, yearning . . .

55. Han who said, "It's not wise to upset a Wookiee": SOLO.  Portrayed by a former camera man.

Source

56. [shrug]: MEH.  We are not impressed.

59. __ sale: TAG.   A sale of used belongings where the price of the item is discounted and marked on a price tag.

64. Put away: ATE.   Probably with considerable enthusiasm.

65. Very serious: ACUTE.   Present or experienced to a severe or intense degree.

66. Leading: FIRST.  Outperforming the competition.

67. __ light bulb: LED.    Light Emitting Diode. LED lighting products produce light up to 90% more efficiently than incandescent light bulbs.

68. Cookie source: BAKER.  A person who makes bread and cakes - and, of course, cookies - especially as a trade.

69. Ready to flow: ON TAP.  All set to go.

Down:

1. Person in Paisley: SCOT.  A person from Scotland.  The town Paisley is an industrial centre, Renfrewshire council area and historic county, in west-central Scotland, 7 miles (11 km) west of Glasgow. It is situated on the River White Cart, a tributary of the River Clyde.

2. Diminish: WANE.   Ebb, decline, shrink, contract.

3. "Gosh, no one is happy with me!": I CAN'T WIN.  An expression of dismay.

4. PC alternative: MAC.  An Apple computer.

5. __ power: SOLAR.  The conversion of energy from sunlight into electricity, either directly using photovoltaics (PV), indirectly using concentrated solar power, or a combination. 

6. Like some martinis: SHAKEN.  As opposed to being stirred.  Mine are swirled.

7. AirPods holders: EARS.  Apple's entirely wireless earbuds. They were first released in 2016. AirPods are compatible with iPhones, iPads, iPods, Macbooks, and Apple TVs.  EARS are the organs of hearing and balance in humans and other vertebrates, especially the external part of this.

8. Total: ADD.  Sum it up.

9. Hermana de la madre: TIA.   Mom's sister is your aunt, not only in Spanish speaking regions.

10. Farm pen: STY.  Home for pigs.

11. Florence gallery with Botticelli's "Birth of Venus": UFFIZI.   A prominent art museum located adjacent to the Piazza della Signoria in the Historic Centre of Florence in the region of Tuscany, Italy. One of the most important Italian museums and the most visited, it is also one of the largest and best known in the world and holds a collection of priceless works, particularly from the period of the Italian Renaissance.

Venus emerged fully grown from the sea.

12. Tried and true: PROVEN.  We know it will work.  Or so we hope.

13. Seven of Nine of "Star Trek," for one: CYBORG.  A fictional or hypothetical person whose physical abilities are extended beyond normal human limitations by mechanical elements built into the body.  They appear as recurring antagonists in the Star Trek fictional universe.  Not sure what the 7 of 9 refers to.

18. Founded, for short: EST'D.  Established.

22. Pewter component: TIN.  Along with lead.

24. Gumbo vegetable: OKRA.    Abelmoschus esculentus, known in many English-speaking countries as ladies' fingers or ochro, is a flowering plant in the mallow family. It has edible green seed pods. 

25. Cold, slushy treat: ICEE.    A frozen carbonated beverage available in fruit and soda flavors. 

26. World Cup chants: OLÉS.  From Spanish-speaking countries -- an exclamation used to express approval, triumph, joy, etc.

27. Network connections: NODES.  In telecommunications networks, a node (Latin: nodus, ‘knot’) is either a redistribution point or a communication endpoint. The definition of a node depends on the network and protocol layer referred to. 

28. She/__ pronouns: HER.  Putting She/Her in a bio means that the individual is declaring their pronouns. Now people know that they should use She/Her when speaking about or to that person.

29. "No question is too personal" session, for short: AMA.  Ask Me Anything.  [I might even answer.]

31. "Yosemite Valley Winter" photographer Adams: ANSEL.   Ansel Easton Adams 1902 – 1984) was an American landscape photographer and environmentalist known for his black-and-white images of the American West. 

33. Part of an act: SCENE.   As in a stage play.

36. Storyteller: LIAR.  One prone to mendacity.

37. Tolkien creatures: ORCS.  Evil beings that cannot abide the light of day.

38. Wholesale quantity: CASE.  A case of some merchandise is a collection of items packaged together. A case is not a strict unit of measure.
 
39. Get the better of: OUT SMART.   Defeat or get the better of (someone) by being clever or cunning.

40. U-turn from SSW: NNE.  Opposite compass directions

41. Hydroelectric power source: DAM.  A barrier constructed to hold back water and raise its level, forming a reservoir used to generate electricity or as a water supply.

44. Merciless: BRUTAL.  Cruel and nasty

45. Gas up?: AERATE.  Introduce a gas into a liquid.

46. Hounded: NAGGED.   Persistently harassed someone to do something.

47. Stand buy: ADE.    I have no idea what this means.

48. Wrinkle remover: IRONER.  A person ironing clothing or other fabric items

49. Casual top: POLO.   An informal style of cotton shirt, with short sleeves, a collar, and some buttons at the neck 

53. Awesome, in showbiz: BOFFO.  High praise or great success.

55. Etsy, e.g.: SITE.   A set of related web pages located under a single domain name, typically produced by a single person or organization.

57. "Frozen" sister: ELSA.  Elsa and Anna are the royal sisters of Arendelle. 

58. Start of an address: HTTP.   For a web site.

60. Shoot the breeze: GAB.   Yack.

61. Color TV pioneer: RCA.

62. North Sea diving bird: AUK.  A bird of the family Alcidae in the order Charadriiformes. The alcid family includes the murres, guillemots, auklets, puffins, and murrelets.

63. Transgression: SIN.   In the original Greek writing of the New Testament, the most common word translated as “sin” or “sins” is “hamartia,” which means “literally missing of the mark.”  If I understand correctly, it is a term from archery. 

Well - that's not the most pleasant way to bring a puzzle to a close.  But it was a good experiment, and I think it hit the mark. I'll call it a success.

Cool regards!

JzB

P. S.  I have family coming in from out of town, so I probably won't be checking the blog.