L.A. Times Crossword Wednesday, October 26, 2022 Baylee Devereaux

Theme: Working a second job.  The wording of regular jobs is repurposed to identify alternative activities that might or might not exist in the real world.  Moonlighting, one might say. 

16 A. Receptionist at a high-rise hotel, one might say: STORY TELLER.  One who spins a yarn, or, in this case, who tells you where to go.  Or at least what floor to arrive at.

22 A. Instagram influencer, one might say: SOCIAL WORKER.  One who helps individuals, groups, and families prevent and cope with problems in their everyday lives.  In the not so every day world, one who is a trend setter on social media.

37. Bartender pouring a selection of craft beers for tasting, one might say: FLIGHT ATTENDANT.  Up in the air, a person on a commercial air pane who serves drinks and otherwise takes care of the passengers.  Back here on earth, one who serves an array of various pre-selected beers - aka a flight..

48. Pathological liar, one might say: MAKE UP ARTIST.  One who prepares a performer's face and other features prior to their appearance on stage or set.  Alternatively, someone who generates falsehoods.  Can you believe it.

59. Audiophile with an extensive collection of club mixes, one might say: HOUSE KEEPER.  A person employed to perform cleaning and other domestic tasks in a hotel or institution.  Or a  "House Music" enthusiast.  This is named after The Warehouse club in Chicago where it originated in the early 1980's.  It is a style of electronic dance music that was developed by dance club DJs in Chicago that were influenced by early to mid-1970s dance music as spun by DJs in New York, and spread to Detroit, New York, and eventually Europe. 

Hi Gang, Jazzbumpa here, working the blog for you today. The puzzle is thematically rich, and the theme is clever and straightforward.  A couple of the entries might be a bit of a stretch, but let's bend with it.  Now we'll delve into the puzzle and hope it doesn't take us into the second shift.

Across:

1. Homes in Honduras: CASAS.  Houses in Spanish

6. "Let's put a smile on your plate" breakfast chain: IHOP.  International House of Pancakes.

10. Chop (off): LOP.

13. Like a brand-new candle: UNLIT.  Better to light one, though.

14. __ drum: SNARE.

 

 15. Mimic: APE.  Imitate.

18. Pothole filler: TAR.   A dark, thick, flammable liquid distilled from wood or coal, consisting of a mixture of hydrocarbons, resins, alcohols, and other compounds. It is used in roadmaking and for coating and preserving timber.

19. __ card: SIM.    An integrated circuit intended to securely store the international mobile subscriber identity number and its related key, which are used to identify and authenticate subscribers on mobile telephony devices

20. Kunis of "Black Swan": MILA.   Milena Markovna "Mila" Kunis [b. 1983] is an American actress. She began playing Jackie Burkhart on the Fox television series That '70s Show (1998–2006) at the age of 14. Since 1999, Kunis has voiced Meg Griffin on the Fox animated series Family Guy.

At the 2022 Oscars

21. Sharp cry: YELP.   Especially of pain or alarm.

27. French article: LES.  Meaning "THE."

28. Orchestra leader: MAESTRO.    A distinguished musician, especially a conductor of classical music.  My friend Adam, who conducts a local Symphony Orchestra, named his dog MAESTRO.

31. Capital city on a fjord: OSLO.  In Norway

34. Give up, as a right: WAIVE.  As stated.

36. In the know: HIP.    Trendy or cool, up on the latest thing.   "I'm so hip, I can barely see over my pelvis." -- Zaphod Beeblebrox

37. Bartender pouring a selection of craft beers for tasting, one might say: FLIGHT ATTENDANT.

41. Black Mission fruit: FIG.   Despite being called a fruit, a fig is technically a syconium—a tiny group of inverted flowers growing inside a pod. Each pod contains hundreds of flowers, and each flower produces a small seed, which is the actual fruit of the fig plant. An achene contains each seed.   The Mission fig (also known as Black Mission or Franciscana) is a popular variety of the edible fig (Ficus carica). It was first introduced to the United States in 1768 when Franciscan missionaries planted it in San Diego.

42. Eggs on: URGES.   Encourage (someone) to do something that is usually foolish or dangerous 

43. Rolls the credits: ENDS.   Figuratively finishes something (off.)

44. "The Office" sales rep who solves crosswords during meetings: STANLEY.    Leslie David Baker [b. 1958] is an American actor. He is known for playing disgruntled paper salesman Stanley Hudson in The Office for nine seasons (2005–2013).

46. Actor Meadows: TIM.   Timothy Meadows is an American actor and comedian who was one of the longest-running cast members on Saturday Night Live, where he appeared for ten seasons and for which he received a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series in 1993.

53. "Take a __ breath": DEEP.   Calm down.

55. Futbol cheers: OLÉS.  Used as a shout of approval, triumph, or encouragement.

56. Female sheep: EWE.   As defined

58. Part of BYOB: OWN.  Bring Your Own Bottle.

63. Top of a semicolon: DOT.  Can be seen here -- ;

64. Place of refuge: OASIS.    Figuratively. More literally,  a fertile spot in a desert, where water is found.

65. Unleash upon: LET AT.   To allow one to attack someone or something.

66. Approves: OKS.  

67. Bring (out): TROT.   To bring forward for display or use

68. Cereal tidbit: FLAKE.   A small, flat, thin piece of something, typically one that has broken away or been peeled off from a larger piece.

Down:

1. Talk a blue streak?: CUSS.  Another alternate meaning.  Instead of being verbose, using cruse language.

2. Those opposed: ANTIS.  The PROS are those in favor.

3. Replay tech: SLO-MO.  Abbrv for Slow Motion.

4. __ guitar: AIR.  An imaginary guitar one pretends to play.  Air trombone, on the other hand, is the real thing.

5. Completely stump: STYMIE.    Figurative.  Literally, to prevent or hinder the progress of.

6. Kin by marriage: IN-LAW.   If you get divorced, they become out-laws.

7. "2001" supercomputer: HAL.  Each letter off one from IBM.  A mere coincidence.

 

8. Some underground rock bands?: ORE.  We are deep [so to speak] into second meanings today.  This band is not musicians, but rather a stratum of a mineral that is economically viable; a bed or a distinct layer of vein of rock in other layers of rock.

9. According to: PER.  Literal.

10. After: LATER THAN.  As stated

11. Birthstone for some Libras: OPAL.

12. BOLO target: PERP.  Be On The LookOut for a one who has committed a crime.

14. Advice from a nervous stockbroker: SELL.  About 10 1/2 months late.  This year has been brutal.

17. Spanish aunts: TIAS.  En la familia.

21. "Be glad to": YES.  I will do that.

23. Heavy shoe: CLOG.   A shoe, sandal, or overshoe having a thick typically wooden sole.

24. Fails to mention: OMITS.   Leaves out.

25. Carry on: RAVE.  Not continue, but to behave or speak in a foolish, excited, or improper manner.  Generally used in the phrase, "rant and rave."

26. Sharp: KEEN.  As of a blade or someone's mind.

29. Cocktail garnish: RIND.  Of a lemon or lime.

30. Chooses: OPTS.  Picks one thing as opposed to another.

31. Send-__: farewells: OFFS.  A demonstration of goodwill and enthusiasm for the beginning of something new (as a trip.)

32. Buttonhole, e.g.: SLIT.  A long, narrow cut in something.

33. Bone-connecting tissues: LIGAMENTS.  Short bands of tough, flexible fibrous connective tissue which connect two bones or cartilages or hold together a joint.

34. Japanese cattle breed used for Kobe beef: WAGYU.  Now you know.

35. Had a bite: ATE.  

38. She-__: Marvel role for Tatiana Maslany: HULK.  Tatiana Gabriele Maslany [b1987] is a Canadian actress. She rose to prominence for playing multiple characters in the science fiction thriller television series Orphan Black, which won her a Primetime Emmy Award, two Critics' Choice Awards, and five Canadian Screen Awards.

39. Ancestry.com printout: TREE.  Family representation in a diagram.

40. Singer Lovato: DEMI.   Demetria Devonne Lovato [b. 1992] known as Demi Lovato, is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. After appearing on the children's television series Barney & Friends, Lovato rose to prominence for playing Mitchie Torres in the musical television film Camp Rock and its sequel Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam.

You probably haven't heard this recently.

45. Short snooze: NAP.  About mid-afternoon for me.

46. Taxing trip: TREK.   A long arduous journey, especially one made on foot or in a star ship.

47. In and of __: ITSELF.  Intrinsically, or considered alone

49. Hypothesize: POSIT.   Put forward as a basis of argument.

50. Stout and porter: ALES.   types of beer with a bitter flavor and higher alcoholic content.

51. Nasal partitions: SEPTA.   A partition separating two chambers, such as that between the nostrils or the chambers of the heart.

52. Tinker with: TWEAK.   Make a fine adjustment to a mechanism or system.

53. Long-extinct bird: DODO.   An extinct flightless bird with a stout body, stumpy wings, a large head, and a heavy hooked bill. It was found on Mauritius until the end of the 17th century.

54. "Star Wars" critter that looks like a teddy bear: EWOK.   The Ewok is a fictional species of small, furry, mammaloid, bipeds in the Star Wars universe. They inhabit the forest moon of Endor and live in arboreal huts and other simple dwellings, being seen as primitive in comparison with other sentient species.   Ewoks debuted in the 1983 film Return of the Jedi and have since appeared in two made-for-television films.

57. Art Deco icon: ERTE.  Romain de Tirtoff [1892 – 1990] was a Russian-born French artist and designer known by the pseudonym Erté, from the French pronunciation of his initials (pronounced [ɛʁ.te], AIR TAY) which he shares with me. He was a 20th-century artist and designer in an array of fields, including fashion, jewellery, graphic arts, costume and set design for film, theatre, and opera, and interior decor.

59. Spicy: HOT.  Literally, the last sensation of spicy foods, such as peppers.  Figuratively, overtly sexual.

60. Lifeboat blade: OAR.   For rowing to safety

61. GI morale booster: USO.   The United Service Organizations Inc. (USO) is an American nonprofit-charitable corporation that provides live entertainment, such as comedians, actors and musicians, social facilities, and other programs to members of the United States Armed Forces and their families. 

62. Electric __: EEL.   The electric eels are a genus, Electrophorus, of neotropical freshwater fish from South America in the family Gymnotidae. They are known for their ability to stun their prey by generating electricity, delivering shocks at up to 860 volts. Their electrical capabilities were first studied in 1775, contributing to the invention in 1800 of the electric battery.  

That wasn't too much hard work, and there were some clever moments.  Hope you enjoyed it. See you next month.

Cool Regards!

JzB

L.A. Times Crossword Wednesday, October 12, 2022 Amie Walker

Theme: Once again, I can't do any better than the unifier.  

55. Revived game show hosted by Jane Krakowski that's also an apt title for this puzzle: NAME THAT TUNE.  This is a game show in which contestants attempt to identify a tune played by an on-stage orchestra in a minimum number of notes.  It started on radio in 1952, and then appeared on TV from 1943 to 1959.  Over the decades it has had several reincarnations, most recently in January, 2020.  In the puzzle, theme fill are song titles.  Let's see how it works.

18. Protest song?: COME ON EILEEN.  A 1982 hit by Dexys Midnight Runners.  "Come on" is plaintive plea for someone to be more compliant or stop being annoying.

 

33. Backing track?:  HELP ME RHONDA.  A 1965 hit by The Beach Boys.  To back someone is to help out in some sort of way.

41. Opening number?:  DEAR PRUDENCE.  From the Beatles White Album, released in 1968.  "Dear Someone" is the typical opening of a snail mail letter, if anyone sends them anymore.

Hi,  Gang - JazzBumba here to fill your day with song.  Don't feel bad it you found the theme to be a bit opaque.  I had to appeal to the Corner blogger team to help figure it out.  Special thanks to Husker Gary who saw the deepest.  Some added layers here are that song, track and number are all synonyms for a tune, with each in a different context; and that each theme entry contains a girl's or woman's name, for an added touch of elegance.

Across:  

1. "We can seat you now" gadget: PAGER.  It beeps and flashes in a restaurant.

6. Italian wine used in cooking: MARSALA.   A fortified wine made in Sicily. Marsala is most commonly used in cooking to create nutty, rich caramelized sauces. 

13. Puts in a row: LINES UP.  Puts things in order.

15. "So it would appear": I GATHER.  I guess so.

16. Spoon, for one: UTENSIL. A tool or implement.

17. The 4,080-piece Disney Castle, e.g.: LEGO SET. 

It's expensive

20. Boy in the "Star Wars" prequel films: ANI.   Anakin Skywalker was a legendary Force-sensitive human male who was a Jedi Knight of the Galactic Republic and the prophesied Chosen One of the Jedi Order, destined to bring balance to the Force. Also known as "Ani" during his childhood, Skywalker earned the moniker "Hero With No Fear" from his accomplishments in the Clone Wars. His alter ego, Darth Vader, the Dark Lord of the Sith, was created when Skywalker turned to the dark side of the Force, pledging his allegiance to the Sith Lord Darth Sidious at the end of the Republic Era.

21. "What __, your maid?": AM I.  Sarcasm.  But clean up after yourself - OK?.

22. Short mission?: RECON.  An abbreviated form of reconnaissance - an exploratory military survey of enemy territory

26. Alexander of "Rizzoli & Isles": SASHA.  Suzana Drobnjakovic [b 1973,] known by her stage name Sasha Alexander, is an American actress and TV director. She played Gretchen Witter on Dawson's Creek and has acted in films including Yes Man and He's Just Not That Into You. Alexander played Caitlin Todd for the first two seasons of NCIS.

30. Msg. to the whole squad: APB.   All Points Bulletin.  An electronic information broadcast sent from one sender to a group of recipients, to rapidly communicate an important message.

32. Drink suffix: -ADE.  Generally used with drinks made from citrus fruits.

37. Twix ingredient: CARAMEL.  Along with chocolate and a cookie.

40. Directly toward the sunset: DUE WEST.   The cardinal compass point that is a 270 degrees. westward.

43. Go bad: ROT.   Decay.

44. "Hey, that's enough!": T M I.   Too Much Information.  Please tell me less.

45. "Hey, that's enough!": OK NOW.  Stop it already.

48. Derisive look: SNEER.  often with a curled lip.

51. Virginia Woolf's "__ Dalloway": MRS.  Social commentary on upper class life in England after WW I.

53. Gear tooth: COG.   As defined.

60. Prodded: POKED AT.   Jabbed with a finger or other object

63. Rely on excessively: USE A LOT.  

64. Buttercup family member: ANEMONE.   Anemone is a genus of flowering plants in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae. Plants of the genus are commonly called windflowers. They are native to the temperate and subtropical regions of all continents except Australia, New Zealand and Antarctica.

Grown from bulbs

65. Array for BB gun target practice, perhaps: TIN CANS.  Cheap targets.

66. Broadway props?: TONY NOD.  Props as praise rather than accessory items - clever clue

67. Really love: ADORE.

Down:

1. Climbing spikes: PITONS.   Pegs driven into a rock or crack to support a climber or a rope.

2. Low-hemoglobin condition: ANEMIA.   A low number of red blood cells.

3. __ therapy: GENE.   The transplantation of normal genes into cells in place of missing or defective ones in order to correct genetic disorders.

4. Exxon, in Canada and Europe: ESSO.   Brand name for auto fuel.

5. Damage beyond repair: RUIN.   Destroy

6. Many-legged arthropod: MILLIPEDE.  Any of a group of arthropods that are characterised by having two pairs of jointed legs on most body segments; they are known scientifically as the class Diplopoda, 

7. Outfielder Tommie in the NY Mets Hall of Fame: AGEE.  Tommie Lee Agee [1942 - 2001] was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a center fielder from 1962 through 1973, most notably as a member of the New York Mets.  He was the American League rookie of the year in 1966 and a two time gold glove winner. 

8. Wild party: RAGER.   A larger gathering usually of highschool or college students where massive amounts of alcohol are consumed.

9. "La La Land" Oscar winner Emma: STONE.   Emily Jean Stone [b 1988,] known professionally as Emma Stone, is an American actress. She is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and a Golden Globe Award.

10. Relieved sounds: AHS.  An exhaled exclamation used to express a range of emotions including surprise, pleasure, sympathy, and realization.

11. Novelist Harper: LEE.   Nelle Harper Lee [1926 - 1916] was an American novelist best known for her 1960 novel To Kill a Mockingbird. It won the 1961 Pulitzer Prize and has become a classic of modern American literature. 

12. Class with smocks: ART.  To protect from paint spatters.

13. Pixar film that lost to "Encanto" for a Best Animated Feature Oscar: LUCA. A 2021 American computer-animated coming-of-age fantasy film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. Set on the Italian Riviera, the film centers on Luca Paguro, a young sea monster boy with the ability to assume human form while on land, who explores the town of Portorosso with his new best friends,

14. Urgent request: PLEA.

19. Mosque authority: IMAM.  A title of various Muslim leaders, especially of one succeeding Muhammad as leader of Shiite Islam.

23. Word with candy or sugar: CANE.  Works either way.

24. Track figures: ODDS.   The probability that one thing is so, or will happen rather than another thing.

25. Tidy: NEAT.   Orderly.

27. __-Pei: dog breed from China: SHAR.   The Shar Pei is a dog breed from southern China. Traditionally kept as a chicken eating dog and property guardian, the Shar Pei was driven to the brink of extinction in the 20th century. The breed is known in the West for its deep wrinkles, whilst a traditional less wrinkled form is maintained in Hong Kong. 

28. Natural rope fiber: HEMP.   Hemp, or industrial hemp, is a botanical class of Cannabis sativa cultivars grown specifically for industrial or medicinal use.  It is used to make a variety of commercial and industrial products, including rope, textiles, clothing, shoes, food, paper, bioplastics, insulation, and biofuel.

29. 30-Across, for one: ALERT.  Warn someone of a danger, threat, or problem, typically with the intention of having it avoided or dealt with.

31. "24K Magic" singer Mars: BRUNO.   Peter Gene Hernandez (born October 8, 1985), known professionally as Bruno Mars, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, musician, dancer, and music video director. He is known for his stage performances, retro showmanship, and for performing in a wide range of musical styles, including pop, R&B, funk, soul, reggae, disco, and rock. 

I like this one more

34. Took a nosedive: PLUMMETED.  Like the stock market this year.

35. "Darn it all to __!": HECK.   Bowdlerized exclamation of anger or dismay.

36. John Irving's "A Prayer for __ Meany": OWEN.   A Prayer for Owen Meany is the seventh novel by American writer John Irving. Published in 1989, it tells the story of John Wheelwright and his best friend Owen Meany growing up together in a small New Hampshire town during the 1950s and 1960s. According to John's narration, Owen is a remarkable boy in many ways; he believes himself to be God's instrument and sets out to fulfill the fate he has prophesied for himself.

37. USN officers: CDRS.  The written abbreviation for Commanders when it is used as a title.

38. Many millennia: AEON.  An indefinite and very long period of time, often a period exaggerated for humorous or rhetorical effect.

39. Matter of interest?: RATE.  Referring to the annual charge per year on a borrowed amount of money.

42. Gossip: DIRT.   Casual or unconstrained conversation or reports about other people, usually negative, and typically involving details that are not confirmed as being true.

46. Eye-related: OCULAR.

47. Had meager success in a series of games: WON ONE.  Like, frex., the 1-4 Lions.

49. Foe: ENEMY.  Adversary.

50. Home detector target: RADON.  Radon is a chemical element with the symbol Rn and atomic number 86. It is a radioactive, colourless, odourless, tasteless noble gas.

52. Boarded up: SHUT.  Closed for business.

54. Understands: GETS. Comprehends.

56. Spanish hand: MANO.  Literal.

57. __ Kate Dillon of "Billions": ASIA.   Asia Kate Dillon [b.1984] is an American actor, best known for their roles as Brandy Epps in Orange Is the New Black and Taylor Mason in Billions. Dillon is non-binary and uses singular they pronouns.

58. Look after: TEND.   Take care of.

59. Folded snack: TACO.  In the U.S. this is a Mexican dish consisting of a fried tortilla, typically folded, filled with various mixtures, such as seasoned meat, beans, lettuce, and tomatoes.  It is the Spanish word for sandwich.  Once in Mexico I ordered a jamon con queso taco and got a ham and cheese sandwich on white bread.  True story.

60. "The Women of Troy" novelist Barker: PAT.   Patricia Mary W. Barker  [née Drake; b. 1943] is an English writer and novelist. She has won many awards for her fiction, which centres on themes of memory, trauma, survival and recovery. Her work is described as direct, blunt and plainspoken

61. "Woman Power" singer Yoko: ONO.  Yoko Ono [b. 1933] is a Japanese multimedia artist, singer, songwriter, and peace activist. Her work also encompasses performance art and filmmaking. Ono grew up in Tokyo and moved to New York City in 1953 with her family.   In 1969 she married English musician John Lennon of the Beatles. 

62. "__ Burns: America": KEN.   Kenneth Lauren Burns [b. 1953] is an American filmmaker known for his documentary films and television series, many of which chronicle American history and culture. His work is often produced in association with WETA-TV and/or the National Endowment for the Humanities and distributed by PBS.

That's all folks.  Hope you enjoyed the music.

Cool regards!

JzB