L.A. Times Crossword Wednesday, October 25, 2023 Jill Singer

Theme:  Saving Face.  Some ideas about the FACE are preserved in this puzzle.  Let's see how it works.

18 A. *"Attractive!":  EYE CATCHING.  Immediately appealing or noticeable; striking.

24 A. *"Noisy!": EAR PIERCING.  A sound that is high pitched, annoyingly loud and unpleasant.

49 A. *"Amazing!": JAW DROPPING.  Causing great surprise or astonishment.

64. *"Delicious!": LIP SMACKING.  Highly pleasing or appealing to the sense of taste or smell

And the unifier -- 40 A. Many an emoji, and a feature of the starred clues and their answers?: FACIAL EXPRESSION.   A motions or position of the muscles beneath the skin of the face. According to one set of controversial theories, these movements convey the emotional state of an individual to observers. Facial expressions are a form of nonverbal communication.

So, what's going on here?  The theme fill don't really describe facial expressions - at least not in any consistent way.  So we must dig a layer deeper.  A verbal expression is the act of making your thoughts, feelings, etc., known by speech or writing.  Here we have idiomatic expressions that relate to parts of the face, hence FACIAL EXPRESSIONS.  Well done Jill Singer!

Hi gang, JazzBumpa here, with eyes wide open.  Let's nose our way into the puzzle, lick our lips,  and see what we can sink our teeth into.

Across:

1. Whomp, quaintly: SMITE.  Strike with a firm blow.  The past tense is smote.

6. Religious subdivisions: SECTS.  Group of people with somewhat different religious beliefs from those of a larger group to which they belong.  World wide, there are about 40,000 Christian denominations.  Do they qualify? 

11. Injury reminder: SCAR.  A mark left on the skin or within body tissue where a wound, burn, or sore has not healed completely and fibrous connective tissue has developed.

15. Hoosier hoopster: PACER.  The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association as a member of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference.

16. Sunlit courtyards: ATRIA.  An ATRIUM is a central hall or court in a modern building, with rooms or galleries opening off it, often glass-covered.

17. Large volume: TOME.  The dormant scientist in me wanted this to be the amount of space inside a geometric figure.  But, alas, it is a large, weighty, often scholarly book.

20. Othello's false friend: IAGO.   Iago is the main antagonist in Shakespeare's play OTHELLO, and Othello's standard-bearer. He is the husband of Emilia, who is in turn the attendant of Othello's wife Desdemona. 

21. Marketplaces on smartphones: APP STORES.  In the singular, a type of digital distribution platform for computer software called applications, often in a mobile context.

22. Urchin-eating mammal: OTTER.  Otters are carnivorous mammals in the subfamily Lutrinae. The 13 extant otter species are all semiaquatic, aquatic, or marine, with diets based on fish and invertebrates. Lutrinae is a branch of the Mustelidae family, which also includes weasels, badgers, mink, and wolverines, among other animals.  Sea urchins are spiny, globular echinoderms in the class Echinoidea. About 950 species of sea urchin are distributed on the seabeds of every ocean and inhabit every depth zone from the intertidal seashore down to 5,000 meters. The spherical, hard shells of sea urchins are round and covered in spines.  Yum!

23. Place to stop on an RV trip: KOA.   KOA (short for Kampgrounds [sic] of America) is an American franchise of privately owned campgrounds. Having more than 500 locations across the United States and Canada, it is the world's largest system of privately owned campgrounds.  It was founded in 1962 and is based in Billings, Montana, United States. 

27. Replayed tennis serve: LET.    A serve is called a LET when the ball hits the net cord but still lands in the service court. Such a serve is not considered a fault and the server may repeat the service attempt.

30. Not particularly inspiring: BLAH.  Used to refer to something which is boring or without meaningful content.  Something to which you might say, "Meh!"

31. Thin nails: BRADS.  Small wire nails with small, often asymmetrical heads.  The depressions caused by driving them are brad pits.

33. Fundamental: BASAL.   Of or relating to the foundation, base, or essence of a thing.

36. Pulitzer winner Ferber: EDNA.   Edna Ferber [1885 - 1968] was an American novelist, short story writer and playwright. Her novels include the Pulitzer Prize-winning So Big, Show Boat, Cimarron, Giant and Ice Palace, which also received a film adaptation in 1960.

43. Pedal pushers: FEET.  Pedal pushers are calf-length trousers that were popular during the 1950s and the early 1960s. Often cuffed and worn tight to the skin.  But that's not we are talking about.  We are talking about the lower extremity of the leg below the ankle, used to push the pedals of, frex, a bicycle. 

44. Heeds: OBEYS.  Complies with the command, direction, or request of a person or a law. 

45. Expert in Islamic law: MUFTI.    An Islamic scholar who is legally able to rule on various religious and personal matters. In some places, people going through a divorce might need the help of a mufti. In Islamic countries, muftis are officials who are authorized to make legal decisions or help judges in deciding cases.

46. Breakfast brand: EGGO.   Eggo is a brand of frozen waffles owned by the Kellogg Company, and sold in North America. Several varieties are available, including homestyle, miniature, cherry, blueberry, strawberry, vanilla bliss, brown sugar cinnamon, apple cinnamon, buttermilk, chocolate chip, and Thick & Fluffy. Wikipedia

48. Sunscreen letters: SPF.   Sun Protection Factor, a measure of how much solar energy (UV radiation) is required to produce sunburn on protected skin 

56. Function: USE.   An activity or purpose natural to or intended for a person or thing.

59. Say "y'all," say: ELIDE.  Omit a sound or syllable when speaking.

60. Without a rival: UNOPPOSED.   Unchallenged.

63. Big fuss: TODO.   A commotion or fuss.

66. Site with tutorials: EHOW.   eHow is an online how-to guide with many articles and 170,000 videos offering step-by-step instructions. eHow articles and videos are created by freelancers and cover a wide variety of topics organized into a hierarchy of categories.

67. Water filter brand: BRITA.   Brita GmbH is a German manufacturer of water filters headquartered in Taunusstein near Wiesbaden, Hesse. The company's manufacturing facilities are located in China, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, and the United Kingdom. Brita products are distributed in 69 countries

68. Plain text: PROSE.   Written or spoken language in its ordinary form, without metrical structure.

69. Cut, as a log: SAWN.  Here, "cut" is functioning as a verbal adjective rather than a verb, describing the condition of a log.

70. Meal that gets tossed: SALAD.   Garden salads use a base of leafy greens such as lettuce, arugula or rocket, kale or spinach; they are common enough that the word salad alone often refers specifically to garden salads.  A tossed salad is one mixed with an oil dressing.

71. More rational: SANER.  The comparative form of sane, thus, more sane.

Down:

1. Bark elicitor: SPEAK.   Command to a canine.

2. Breakfast brand: MAYPO.  

3. Winter carnival structure: ICE PALACE.   A castle-like structure made of ice.

Or this

4. Gumshoes: TECS.  Slang words for detective.

5. Latin 101 verb: ERAT.  Meaning “he/she/it was.”

6. Pelvic bones: SACRA.  The sacrum is a triangular bone in the lower back formed from fused vertebrae and situated between the two hipbones of the pelvis.

Source

7. Old anesthetic: ETHER.   A pleasant-smelling colorless volatile liquid that is highly flammable. It is used as an anesthetic and as a solvent or intermediate in industrial processes.

8. Like potato chips but not mashed potatoes: CRISP.   Firm, dry, and brittle, especially in a way considered pleasing or attractive: "crisp bacon."

9. Metal derived from cassiterite: TIN.   Tin is a chemical element with the symbol Sn and atomic number 50. A silvery-coloured metal, tin is soft enough to be cut with little force, and a bar of tin can be bent by hand with little effort.

10. Droop: SAG.   Bend or hang downward limply.

11. Sutures: STITCHES UP.  Closes a wound by sewing it shut.  An oddity of the English languages that the word up is superfluous in this construction.

12. South American mammal related to the raccoon: COATI.   Coatis, also known as coatimundis, are members of the family Procyonidae in the genera Nasua and Nasuella. They are diurnal mammals native to South America, Central America, Mexico, and the southwestern United States. The name "coatimundi" comes from the Tupian languages of Brazil, where it means "lone coati".

San Diego Zoo

13. Pharmaceutical giant: AMGEN.   Amgen Inc. is an American multinational biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Thousand Oaks, California. 

14. Corp. makeover: REORG.   A reorganization is a significant and disruptive overhaul of a troubled business intended to restore it to profitability. It may include shutting down or selling divisions, replacing management, cutting budgets, and laying off workers.

19. Small digit?: TOE.   Any of the five digits at the end of the human foot.  Alternatively, could be the numbers one or two.  Any of these cold also be call a low digit.

22. "You for Me" singer Rita: ORA.

25. Letter-shaped girders: I-BARS.   An iron or steel beam that is I-shaped in cross section. 

26. International fashion magazine: ELLE.   A worldwide women's magazine of French origin that offers a mix of fashion and beauty content, together with culture, society and lifestyle. The title means "she" or "her" in French. Published by the Paris-based Lagardère Group, Elle is considered one of the world's leading women magazine, with 45 editions around the world and 46 local websites.

28. Made shorter, in a way: EDITED  DOWN.   To edit down is to make changes to a text or movie, deciding what will be removed and what will be kept in, in order to prepare it for being printed or shown: 

29. Gp. known for travelers' checks: TSA.   The Transportation Security Administration: the US government organization that checks that the activities of companies transporting people or goods are safe, legal, etc.  Another cleverly misdirecting clue.

31. Buddy letters: BFF.   Best Friend Forever.

32. Issa of "The Photograph": RAE.

33. Free jazz kin: BEBOP. BEBOP is a type of jazz originating in the 1940s and characterized by complex harmony and rhythms.  On the other hand, free jazz is an improvised style of jazz characterized by the absence of set chord patterns or time patterns.  If they are kin, it is of a very distant variety.

34. Firetruck tool: AXE.  A tool typically used for chopping wood, usually a steel blade attached at a right angle to a wooden handle.

35. Intel collector: SPY.   A person who secretly collects and reports information on the activities, movements, and plans of an enemy or competitor.

37. Spread of cultural ideas, e.g.: DIFFUSION.    The spreading or merging of different cultural ideas. It occurs directly, indirectly, or through force and appears in various forms, including: Relocation diffusion: When people migrate to new places and influence or become influenced by the existing cultures.

38. "__ a chance!": NOT.   Ain't happenin'.

39. Singer-songwriter DiFranco: ANI.   Angela Maria "Ani" DiFranco [b. 1070]  is an American-Canadian 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

41. Amazon's arrow smile, e.g.: LOGO.   A logo is a graphic mark, emblem, or symbol used to aid and promote public identification and recognition. It may be of an abstract or figurative design or to include the text of the name that it represents as in a wordmark.

42. Texting tech: SMS.   Short Message/Messaging Service, commonly abbreviated as SMS, is a text messaging service component of most telephone, Internet and mobile device systems. It uses standardized communication protocols that let mobile devices exchange short text messages.

47. Hurdle for Ph.D. hopefuls: GRE.   The Graduate Record Examination is a standardized test that is an admissions requirement for many graduate schools in the United States and Canada and a few other countries. The GRE is owned and administered by Educational Testing Service.

49. Ballet leaps: JETES.  Jumps in which a dancer springs from one foot to land on the other with one leg extended outward from the body while in the air.

50. Hilo hello: ALOHA.  Hawaiian greeting.

51. Inelegant bit of typesetting: WIDOW.  A widow occurs when the last line of a paragraph is not able to fit at the bottom of a page or column. Instead, it sits at the top of the next page, looking out of place. 

52. Dilation target: PUPIL.   The opening at the center of the iris through which light passes. The iris adjusts the size of the pupil to control the amount of light that enters the eye.   It is dilated [opened wider] for certain medical examinations of the eye.

53. Place to share pics: INSTA.  Short for Instagram - a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters, be organized by hashtags, and be associated with a location — via geographical tagging.

54. Wanderer: NOMAD.   A member of a people having no permanent abode, and who travel from place to place to find fresh pasture for their livestock.

55. Dean's list no.: GPA.  Grade Point Average.

57. Gut feeling: SENSE.  A feeling or reaction based on an instinctive emotional response rather than considered thought.

58. Tool for making neat beds: EDGER.   This ambiguous clue refers to garden beds, not pieces of furniture designed for sleeping.

61. Patients' main MDs: PCPS.  Primary Care Physicians.

62. Pod in Cajun cuisine: OKRA.   Abelmoschus esculentus, known in some English-speaking countries as lady's fingers, is a flowering plant in the mallow family. It has edible green seed pods used in the cuisine of many countries.. 

64. Lots of ozs.: LBS.   Sixteen ounces make a pound.

65. George Gershwin's songwriting brother: IRA.   Ira Gershwin [1896 - 1983] was an American lyricist who collaborated with his younger brother, composer George Gershwin, to create some of the most memorable songs in the English language of the 20th century.

Here we are at the end of another Wednesday.  Did you save face?  Win by a nose?  See you next time.  I'll keep an eye out for you.

Cool regards

JzB

 

L.A. Ties Crossword Wednesday, October 11, 2023 Joseph A. Gangi

Theme - The opposite of hanging by a thread.  To explain, let's start with the unifier.

10 D. Remain uncertain until the very end, and what the answers to the starred clues do?: GO DOWN TO THE WIRE.  As explained by the clue, there's some question how things may turn out.   This term comes from horseracing, where it was long the practice to stretch a wire across and above the track at the finish line. It was extended to figurative use about 1900.  A wire is a flexible strand of metal.  Let's see how that is relevant to the other clues.  The theme entries are all vertical, so the use of "DOWN" in the unifier clue is key. 

3 D. *"You should be ashamed!": THATS DESPICABLE.  Said to someone who did something beyond the pale.  Real life incidents of this sort are plentiful.  There are different types of CABLES, but some types are wires used as electrical or communications connections.  So we can see that the vertical fill does, indeed, go down to the WIRE.  Pretty clever, eh!

5 D. *Ability to show restraint: SELF DISCIPLINE.  This is the ability to regulate one's emotions, thoughts, and behavior in the face of temptations and impulses. As an executive function, it is a cognitive process that is necessary for regulating one's behavior in order to achieve specific goals.  A LINE is a length of cord, rope, wire, or other material serving a particular purpose.

15 D. *Recent entry in Guinness, say: NEW WORLD RECORD.  This is the best global and most important performance that is ever recorded and officially verified in a specific skill, sport, or other kind of activity.   A CORD is a thin, flexible string or rope made from several twisted strands.  

Hi Gang - JazzBumpa here to unravel the skein.   Each theme fill ends in a synonym or near synonym for a WIRE.  This is an extremely clever hidden word them, and a nut I had to get some help to crack.  So thanks to my fellow blogger for the assistance.

Let's get down to it and see what other paths we will be led down.

Across:

1. Address letters: HTTP.  Hyper Text Transfer Protocol - The beginning of an Internet web address. 

5. Skyrocket: SOAR.  Here, "skyrocket" is a verb meaning to fly high.

9. Old-timey "OMG!": EGAD.  This is a softened oath, dating from the late 1600's, probably derived from "Oh, GOD!"

13. "Fancy seeing you here!": OH - HI.  One of my long ago work colleagues told the story of his brother who was walking through a shopping mall holding hands with his girl friend, when his wife came walking in the other direction.  This is what he said.

14. Disgraced energy firm: ENRON.  The corporation, founded in 1985, engaged in massive fraud, and got away with it for years.  This house of cards came tumbling down from 2000 to 2001.  You can read all about it here.

16. Zigzagged: WOVE.  Moved in a side to side forward motion.

17. Ring loudly: PEAL.  As a bell.

18. Do not disturb: LET BE.  Leave it alone.

19. Barbara who played a TV genie: EDEN.  Barbara Eden (born Barbara Jean Morehead; August 23, 1931) is an American actress best known for her starring role as Jeannie in the sitcom I Dream of Jeannie (1965–1970).   IIRC, Jeannie's belly button was always covered.  

20. Trip, as an alarm: SET OFF.  Actuate.

22. Cry of pain: YOWL.  Owie!

24. Goblin kin: ORC.  Tolkien monters.  Here is more info, if you're that kind of nerd.  [Full disclosure - I am.]

25. Simple earrings: STUDS.  A stud earring features a gemstone or other ornament mounted on a narrow post that passes through a piercing in the ear or earlobe, and is held in place by a fixture on the other side. 

That is a diamond

27. Number of players in a chess game: TWO.  

Wikipedia

28. Cry from a crib: WAH.  Baby's complaint.

Alternatively

29. Say further: ADD.  Tell us more.

31. Problems picky people pick: NITS.  Little issues of little import.

33. Outstanding: OWING.   As an unpaid debt.

35. Word after film and before cut: CREW.  A film CREW is a group of people working off camera to make a motion picture, such as the producer, camera operators, stage managers, etc.   A CREW cut is a type of haircut in which the upright hair on the top of the head is cut relatively short, graduated in length from the longest hair that forms a short pomp (pompadour) at the front hairline to the shortest at the back of the crown so that in side profile the outline of the top hair approaches the horizontal.

37. Energy option involving roof panels: SOLAR.   Solar power works by converting energy from the sun into power. There are two forms of energy generated from the sun for our use – electricity and heat. Both are generated through the use of solar panels, which range in size from residential rooftops to 'solar farms' stretching over acres of rural land.

39. Branch out (from): STEM.   To derive from some origin.

41. Steep-walled formation: MESA.  Also known and table land.  Mesa is the Spanish word for table.

42. Move at a snail's pace: CRAWL.  Literally, move forward on the hands and knees or by dragging the body close to the ground.  Figuratively, move forward or make progress very slowly.

43. Personal charisma: MOJO.  Literally, a magic charm, talisman, or spell.  Figuratively, a powerful personality.

44. "College GameDay" network: ESPN.   Originally, in 1979, the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, shortened to ESPN in 1985.

Alternatively

 
45. "That makes my blood boil!": I'M MAD.  Expression of anger.

46. Word to opt out of a text subscription: STOP.  Unless it's ignored.

47. Ab-crunching exercise: SIT UP.   The last time this came up in a puzzle I blogged, I pointed out that it is a worthless, and potentially harmful exercise.  I got some push back.  I guess anything can be a controversy.  Anyway, here it is again.

49. Many a retired racehorse: SIRE.  Used to produce the next generation of horses from a valuable blood line.

51. Snicker syllable: HEE.  Along with TEE.  Comic book laughter.

52. PC panic key: ESC.  On computer keyboards, the Esc key (named Escape key in the international standard series ISO/IEC 9995) is a key used to generate the escape character (which can be represented as ASCII code 27 in decimal, Unicode U+001B, or Ctrl+[). The escape character, when sent from the keyboard to a computer, often is interpreted by software as "stop"

53. Org. for Twins: MLB.  The Minnesota Twins team of Major League Baseball.

55. Poke fun at: TEASE.  Have fun at someone's expense.  Often not nice.

57. "I knew it!": AHA.  Syllable of recognition or enlightenment.

58. Spot to fish from: PIER.   A platform supported on pillars or girders leading out from the shore into a body of water, used as a landing stage for boats.

60. Stands too close to: CROWDS.  Violates one's personal space.

63. Cries noisily: SOBS.  Nobody looks good doing it.

65. "Super cool!": NEATO.  That's rad, man!

67. Quite urgent: DIRE.   Extremely serious or urgent, possibly dangerous.

68. App with crowdsourced reviews: YELP.   Yelp Inc. is an American company that develops the Yelp.com website and the Yelp mobile app, which publishes crowd-sourced reviews about businesses. It also operates Yelp Guest Manager, a table reservation service. It is headquartered in San Francisco, 

69. Diamond flaw?: ERROR.   Not a mar in a gemstone, but a misplay on a baseball field - usually misplaying a batted or thrown ball or throwing inaccurately.

70. Neck of the woods: AREA.   Nearby region.

71. Cruising, say: ASEA.  On a ship.  Our oldest granddaughter is wrapping up her third gig entertaining on a Disney Cruise Ship. This time she got to dance on the main stage.

72. __ money: startup funds: SEED.  Money allocated to initiate a project.

73. Stitched together: SEWN.  Attached by using thread and needle.

Down:

1.  Short flights: HOPS.   Boing!

2. "Beautiful Mistakes" rapper Megan __ Stallion: THEE.  Megan Jovon Ruth Pete [b. 1995] known professionally as Megan Thee Stallion, is an American rapper. Originally from Houston, Texas, she first garnered attention when videos of her freestyling became popular on social media platforms such as Instagram.

4. Flight school graduate: PILOT.  One in control of an aircraft.

6. Undivided: ONE.  Unified.

7. Pseudo-sophisticated: ARTY.  Making a strong, affected, or pretentious display of being artistic or interested in the arts.

8. High-tech worker: ROBOT.  A machine that does a job formerly done by a person. 

9. Farm female: EWE.  Lady sheep.

11. Everyman: AVERAGE JOE.  Typical guy, man on the street.

12. Judi who plays Queen Victoria in "Mrs Brown" and "Victoria & Abdul": DENCH.  Dame Judith Olivia Dench [b. 1934] is an English actress. Widely considered one of Britain's greatest actresses, she is noted for her versatile work in various films and television programmes encompassing several genres, as well as for her numerous roles on the stage.  Inexplicably, she also wound up in this thing.

21. Amusing: FUN.  Providing mirth and/or enjoyment.

23. Blue: LOW.  Sad.  possibly prone to sobbing.

26. Seattle's WNBA team: STORM.  The Seattle Storm is an American professional basketball team based in Seattle. The Storm competes in the Women's National Basketball Association as a member club of the league's Western Conference. The team was founded by Ginger Ackerley and her husband Barry ahead of the 2000 season.

29. Highest point: ACME.  Apex.

30. Formal footwear: DRESS SHOES.  

32. Shuts with a bang: SLAMS.  A forceful exit, perhaps.

34. Philosophies, informally: ISMS.  Belief systems.

36. Have a yen for: WANT.  Desire something.  Alternatively - I thought about going to Japan, but didn't have the yen to travel.

38. Look for: AWAIT.  Anticipate.

40. Have the blues: MOPE.  Be blue or low.

48. Ballpark figure?: UMP.  Not a statistic.  Short for umpire - a person with no clear idea of where the strike zone is located.

50. Musician's gift: EAR.  Melodic ability.

52. GPA booster: EASY A.  A class that is not challenging.

54. Stout and porter: BEERS.  Beer varieties.

56. Cola and ginger ale: SODAS.  Carbonated soft drinks.

59. Red in the center: RARE.  As cooked beef.

61. Did some doodling: DREW.  Made random sketches.

62. Actor Gunn who plays Kraglin in the MCU: SEAN.   Sean Gunn [b. 1974] is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Kirk Gleason on The WB series Gilmore Girls, and Kraglin Obfonteri in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

64. Hot tub: SPA.   A large tub filled with hot aerated water used for recreation or physical therapy.

66. Stubbing victim: TOE.  Any of the five digits at the end of the human foot.  They exist to locate furniture in dark rooms.

A lot of puzzles have their ups and downs.  This one was mostly down - in a good way.  It didn't let us down, and I'm down with that.

Cool Regards!

JzB

L. A. Times Crossword Wednesday, September 27, 2023 John Guzzetta

Theme:   A puzzle in MODE mode.  The second word of two-word in-the-language phrases represent various types of MODES.

17 A. *Ray Winstone/Ben Kingsley crime drama: SEXY BEAST.  A SEXY BEAST is someone who exudes sexuality and is difficult to resist.  BEAST MODE  refers to the aggressive, animalistic persona that one might assume when in competition or combat in order to overpower an opponent.

22 A *Period of anxiety that may be brought on by facing one's mortality: MIDLIFE CRISIS.  This is an emotional crisis of identity and self-confidence that can occur in early middle age.   CRISIS MODE is a hyper reactive condition where everything catches you off guard,  increases your stress levels and you feel panicky. 

49. *Folded missile in a classroom: PAPER AIRPLANE.  Here are detailed instructions for how to make one.

AIRPLANE MODE is a setting on a smartphone or tablet for use on board an aircraft, in which the device does not receive or transmit wireless signals and so does not interfere with the aircraft's communication systems.

58. *Spot to store valuables when traveling: HOTEL SAFE.   A SAFE is a strong metal cupboard with special locks, in which you keep money, jewelry, or other valuable things.  There might be on in your HOTEL room.   SAFE MODE is a diagnostic mode of a computer operating system. It can also refer to a mode of operation by application software. Safe mode is intended to help fix most, if not all, problems within an operating system. It is also widely used for removing rogue security software. 

38. Fashionable, or an apt description of the ends of the answers to the starred clues: A LA MODE.  This refers to something fashionable and stylish.  Or, alternatively, a mode of serving pie, along with a scoop of ice cream.  

Hi Gang, JazzBumpa here, in puzzle analysis MODE.  {We will definitely not be getting into analyzing musical or mathematical MODES!}.  Generally, a MODE is manner in which something occurs or is experienced, expressed, or done.  Let's get into action MODE.

Across:

1. Flowerbox place: SILL.  A widow shelf.

5. Hubbub: STIR.  Ado

9. Use a 26-Down: SHAVE.  Scrape whiskers off the face, for example.

14. Nabisco cookie: OREO.  A pair of chocolate wafers with a sugary cream filling.  The crossword world's favorite desert.

15. Gallant one: HERO.  Doer of courageous deeds, or a large sandwich.  Chose wisely.

16. Wonder Woman's rope: LASSO.  A rope with a loop or noose at one end, suitable for capturing villains, perhaps.

19. "Touch of Evil" director Welles: ORSON.  This 1958 movie involves the investigation into drug trafficking after a car bomb explodes near the Mexican border.  George Orson Welles [1915-1985] was an American actor, director, screenwriter, and producer who is remembered for his innovative work in film, radio, and theatre. He is considered to be among the greatest and most influential filmmakers of all time. 

20. Some remote batteries: AAAs.  Small cylindrical batteries.

21. Bacon pieces: STRIPS.  One strip = one rasher. 

27. Apartment, say: UNIT.  A single living quarter in a larger structure.

28. "You __ to be there": HAD.  Explaining that being a direct witness is sometimes important for understanding or believing.

29. Put away: STOW.  Pack neatly in a particular place.

32. Some DVD players: SONYS.  Products of the Sony Group Corporation, a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan.

34. Assessed, with "up": SIZED.  Examined and evaluated something or someone.

36. Actor Vigoda: ABE.   Abraham Charles Vigoda [1921 - 2016] was an American actor known for his portrayals of Salvatore Tessio in The Godfather and Phil Fish in both Barney Miller and Fish TV shows.

37. Vampire vaporizer: SUN.   According to legend, these evil creatures cannot abide direct sunlight.

40. Not gross: NET.  After all charges and deductions.

41. Examine critically: EYE.  Size up, visually.

42. Waffle: WAVER.  Vacillate due to uncertainty.

43. First few pages of many books: INTRO.  Short for introduction -  a preliminary and explanatory section at the beginning of a book, report, or speech..

45. Feudal laborer: SERF.  An agricultural laborer bound under the feudal system to work on their lord's estate.

47. Neither's partner: NOR.  Used to exclude pairs of things or concepts.

48. Japanese noodle: UDON.   Wheat pasta made in thick strips.

54. Parking spots: SPACES.  Areas demarcated within a larger region for placing individual vehicles.

56. "Agreed!": DEAL.  An agreement entered into by two or more parties for their mutual benefit, especially in a business or political context.

57. Eagle's perch: AERIE.  A large nest in a high place.

63. Pertaining to birth: NATAL.  As defined.

64. Disney snowman: OLAF.  From the movie FROZEN.

65. "__ go bragh!": ERIN.  Ireland forever!

66. Do up, as hair: STYLE.  A particular arrangement of one's hair.

67. Guitar tuners: PEGS.    Short wooden or metal sticks with flat, rounded ends that are turned to make the strings on a musical instrument tighter or looser.

68. Lean (toward): TEND.  Have a natural inclination to do or be drawn toward some object of action.

Down:

1. "Help!" letters: SOS.   A Morse code distress signal used internationally, originally established for maritime use. In formal notation SOS is written with an overscore line, to indicate that the Morse code equivalents for the individual letters of "SOS" are transmitted as an unbroken sequence of three dots / three dashes / three dots, with no spaces between the letters.

2. Anger: IRE.  Negative emotional reaction to words or an event.  Hopefully, it is not forever.

3. Supervillain Luthor who co-founded the Injustice League: LEX.  Originated in Superman comics.

4. Faithfulness: LOYALTY.  A strong, reliable feeling of support or allegiance.

5. Bundle of harvested grain: SHEAF.   A bundle of grain stalks laid lengthwise and tied together after reaping.

6. Poke fun at: TEASE.   Merriment at the expense of a usually unwilling victim.

7. Org. with many auditors: IRS.  Internal Revenue Service - the Federal tax collecting agency.

8. Spoil: ROT.  Deteriorate over time, as produce.

9. Casino machines: SLOTS.   Coin-operated gaming machines that generate random combinations of symbols on a dial, certain combinations winning varying amounts of money for the player.

10. Vice president Kamala: HARRIS.   Kamala Devi Harris [b. 1964] is an American politician and attorney who is the 49th and current vice president of the United States. She is the first female vice president and the highest-ranking female official in U.S. history, as well as the first African-American and first Asian-American vice president. 

11. Prosecutor's deputy, for short: ASSISTANT D.A.   The Assistant District Attorney is responsible for assisting the District Attorney with administering the ongoing activities of the District Attorney's Office and assists in developing and implementing departmental goals and objectives within general policy guidelines.

12. Initials on a brandy bottle: VSOP.  Very Superior Old Pale.  For a cognac to be classified as a VSOP, the minimum age of the youngest eau-de-vie in the blend must be at least 4 years old.

13. Ages upon ages: EONS.   Long periods of unspecified duration.

18. "Wow at first sip" brand: BAI.  A brand of cocoanut water.

21. Allied (with): SIDED.  Joined together for some purpose, generally against organized opposition. 

22. Dishevels, as hair: MUSSES.  Runs fingers through someone's hair in a random way to mess it up.

23. Senator for whom Honolulu's airport is named: INOUYE. Daniel Ken Inouye [1924 - 2012] was an American attorney, soldier, and politician who served as a United States senator from Hawaii from 1963 until his death in 2012. Beginning in 1959, he was the first U.S. Representative for the State of Hawaii, and a Medal of Honor recipient.

24. Occasion to use the good china: DINNER PARTY.  A social occasion at which guests eat dinner together.

25. Fire-breathing Greek monster: CHIMERA.   In Greek mytholog, a fire-breathing female monster with a lion's head, a goat's body, and a serpent's tail.

26. Stubble remover: RAZOR.   An instrument with a sharp blade or combination of blades, used to remove unwanted hair from the face or body.

30. "A Midsummer Night's Dream" king: OBERON.  A king of the fairies in medieval and Renaissance literature. He is best known as a character in William Shakespeare's play A Midsummer Night's Dream, in which he is King of the Fairies and spouse of Titania, Queen of the Fairies.  Also, Oberon is a wheat ale that embodies everything we love about summer. Brewed with just wheat malt, hops, water and Bells Brewery's signature house ale yeast.  

31. Slobbery kiss: WET ONE.  Moist smooch.

33. Watched: SAW.  Observed or eyed.

34. Really relish: SAVOR.  Enjoy the flavor of.

35. "Agnus __": DEI.   Agnus Dei is the Latin name under which the "Lamb of God" is honoured within Christian liturgies descending from the historic Latin liturgical tradition, including those of Roman Catholicism, Lutheranism and Anglicanism.

39. Features of a bowling alley: LANES.  Wooden or urethane decks that are 62'10-3/4" long and 42 inches wide with ten pins spaced one foot apart 60 feet from the foul line.  

44. Mathematical void symbolized by { }: NULL SET.   In mathematical sets, the null set is a set that does not contain any values or elements. It is expressed as { } and denoted using the Greek letter ∅ (phi). Now we exit math mode.

46. Treatment that may involve a peel: FACIAL.  A beauty treatment for the face.

50. "Nope" writer/director Jordan: PEELE.  Jordan Haworth Peele [b. 1978] is an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker, known for his film and television work in the comedy and horror genres.  I don't believe he is known for his facial treatments.

51. Luggage label: I.D. TAG.  Item to identify the ownership of an item of luggage.

52. Hangouts for some schools?: REEFS.  A ridge of jagged rock, coral, or sand just above or below the surface of the sea.  The school here is of the fishy variety.  

53. Friend: PAL.  Buddy amigo.

54. Without: SANS.  In French.  I relish a puzzle sans French. 

55. Organic fuel: PEAT.   Peat is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation or organic matter. It is unique to natural areas called peatlands, bogs, mires, moors, or muskegs. 

58. Short jump: HOP.  I HOP means I make a short jump.  IHOP is where I'm taking Gloria later this week for pumpkin pancakes. 

59. Copa Mundial cheer: OLE.   Copa Mundial is Spanish for World Cup, the FIFA international soccer [futbol] tournament.  I had a bit of trouble tracking it down, since Google just wanted to show me shoes of the same name.  Olé is a Spanish interjection used to cheer on or praise a performance commonly used in bullfighting and flamenco dance. 

60. What "will be" will be: ARE.  Forms of  the verb "to be."  This is a playful little excursion into tenses, where the future of the past becomes the present. 

61. Sign of a shark: FIN.  The shark's dorsal fin can sometimes be seen above the water line.  Not a good sign.

62. Goal: END.   The aim or purpose of an activity.  Also the END of this puzzle.  Well placed.

OK, Gang - that wraps up another Wednesday, and a fine ride it was.  I am now in sign-off mode.

Cool regards, 

JzB

L. A. Times Crossword - Wednesday, September 13, 2023 Max Schlenker

Theme: ALL DOLLED UP.  Theme answers have a final syllable that is a homophone for DOLL 

But first, today's theme song.

Sammy Nestico's arrangement of Satin Doll, played by the 

Dearborn Big Band at the Plymouth, MI Fall Festival - 9/10/23 

17 A. Primatologist who wrote "The Chimpanzees of Gombe": JANE GOODALL.  Dame Jane Morris Goodall DBE; born Valerie Jane Morris-Goodall; (3 April 1934) formerly Baroness Jane van Lawick-Goodall, is an English primatologist and anthropologist. She is considered the world's foremost expert on chimpanzees, after 60 years studying the social and family interactions of wild chimpanzees.

She is the founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and the Roots & Shoots programme, and she has worked extensively on conservation and animal welfare issues. As of 2022, she is on the board of the Nonhuman Rights Project.[6] In April 2002, she was named a United Nations Messenger of Peace. Goodall is an honorary member of the World Future Council.

27 A. Plaything made from a clothespin, perhaps: WOODEN DOLL.  No homophone this time - instead the real thing.  [If you consider a DOLL to be a real thing.]

Ana shows you how to make them

49 A. Actress/entrepreneur whose son is Lorenzo Lamas: ARLENE DAHL.  Arlene Carol Dahl (August 11, 1925 – November 29, 2021) was an American actress active in films from the late 1940s. She was one of the last surviving stars from the Classical Hollywood cinema era.

She was also an author and entrepreneur. She founded two companies, Arlene Dahl Enterprises and Dahlia, a fragrance company.

In her personal life, Dahl had six husbands, including actors Lex Barker and Fernando Lamas, and was the mother to three children the eldest of whom is actor Lorenzo Lamas. 

63 A. Lentil dish from western India: GUJARATI DAL. Sweet, spicy and tangy,  Gujarati Dal is comfort food at its best! This thin consistency dal is tempered with lots of spices like cinnamon, cloves, cumin, mustard and flavored with ginger, jaggery, lime juice. Best enjoyed with plain rice.  Recipe here.  Gujarat is a state in western India.  Dal can refer to several kinds of legume.

Hi Gang, JazzBumpa here.  A theme like this requires a different spelling for each homophone, or it would lack elegance.  And here that requirement is nicely achieved.  Not the theme I expected at first look, but it works well.  Let's see what else we can discover.

Across:
1. Say "I'll be there," maybe: RSVP.  An initialism of the French phrase, "répondez s'il vous plaît." This directly translates to "Respond, if you please." The initialism is often used to confirm attendance for an event, such as a wedding, birthday party or baby shower.

5. Officers-to-be: CADETS.  Trainees in uniformed organizations.

11. In the past: AGO.  Lone upon a time.

14. Aspire laptop maker: ACER.  A Taiwanese multinational hardware and electronics corporation specializing in advanced electronics technology, headquartered in Xizhi, New Taipei City. 

15. Firenze locale: ITALIA.  we cal it Florence, Italy.  But what do we know?   It is the capital of Italy’s Tuscany region, and home to many masterpieces of Renaissance art and architecture. One of its most iconic sights is the Duomo, a cathedral with a terracotta-tiled dome engineered by Brunelleschi and a bell tower by Giotto. The Galleria dell'Accademia displays Michelangelo’s “David” sculpture. The Uffizi Gallery exhibits Botticelli’s “The Birth of Venus” and da Vinci’s “Annunciation.”

16. Break in continuity: GAP.  I something missing?

19. Draw upon: USE.  Take, hold, or deploy (something) as a means of accomplishing a purpose or achieving a result; employ.

20. Jungian inner self: ANIMA.  Jung described the animus as the unconscious masculine side of a woman, and the anima as the unconscious feminine side of a man, each transcending the personal psyche. Jung's theory states that the anima and animus are the two primary anthropomorphic archetypes of the unconscious mind, as opposed to the theriomorphic and inferior function of the shadow archetypes. He believed they are the abstract symbol sets that formulate the archetype of the Self.  And no, I don't understand it either.  But I. am trying to get in touch with my female side.  Maybe that is being animated.

21. Photographer Goldin: NAN.   Nancy Goldin (born September 12, 1953) is an American photographer and activist. Her work often explores LGBT subcultures, moments of intimacy, the HIV/AIDS crisis, and the opioid epidemic. Her most notable work is The Ballad of Sexual Dependency (1986). The monograph documents the post-Stonewall, gay subculture and includes Goldin's family and friends. She is a founding member of the advocacy group P.A.I.N. (Prescription Addiction Intervention Now). She lives and works in New York City.

22. Provo resident: UTAHN.  People from Utah.

24. Cream ingredient: ALOE.   Aloe vera] is a succulent plant species of the genus Aloe. It is widely distributed, and is considered an invasive species in many world regions.

An evergreen perennial, it originates from the Arabian Peninsula, but grows wild in tropical, semi-tropical, and arid climates around the world. It is cultivated for commercial products, mainly as a topical treatment used over centuries. The species is attractive for decorative purposes, and succeeds indoors as a potted plant.

The leaves of Aloe vera contain significant amounts of the polysaccharide gel acemannan which can be used for a wide range of medical purposes. The skin contains aloin which is toxic. Products made from Aloe vera usually only use the gel.   I certainly hope so.

26. Double __ Oreos: STUF.  Oreo is a sandwich cookie with a sugary filling between two cocoa wafers.  I am not a fan.  The double stud variety has a thicker layer of sugary STUF.  No, thank you.

32. Liberated: FREE.   Showing freedom from social conventions or traditional ideas, especially with regard to sexual roles.

35. Fictional gentleman thief Lupin: ARSENE.   Arsène Lupin is a fictional gentleman thief and master of disguise created in 1905 by French writer Maurice Leblanc. The character was first introduced in a series of short stories serialized in the magazine Je sais tout. The first story, "The Arrest of Arsène Lupin", was published on 15 July 1905. 

36. Brazilian port: RIO.   Rio de Janeiro is a huge seaside city in Brazil, famed for its Copacabana and Ipanema beaches, 38m Christ the Redeemer statue atop Mount Corcovado and for Sugarloaf Mountain, a granite peak with cable cars to its summit. The city is also known for its sprawling favelas (shanty towns). Its raucous Carnaval festival, featuring parade floats, flamboyant costumes and samba dancers, is considered the world’s largest.

Mandatory

37. Locally organized lecture series: TEDX.   TEDx are independent events similar to TED in presentation. They can be organized by anyone who obtains a free license from TED, and agrees to follow certain principles. TEDx events are required to be non-profit, but organizers may use an admission fee or commercial sponsorship to cover costs. Speakers are not paid and must also relinquish the copyrights to their materials, which TED may edit and distribute under a Creative Commons license.   TED Conferences, LLC (Technology, Entertainment, Design) is an American-Canadian non-profit media organization that posts international talks online for free distribution under the slogan "ideas worth spreading"

38. Minor issue: NIT.  A more or less trivial annoyance.

39. Accomplish: ACHIEVE.   Get 'er done!

42. Gather dust: SIT.  Be idle, as of machinery or a work force.

43. Cartoon girl whose best friend is Boots: DORA.  

45. Director Ang: LEE.   Ang Lee OBS [b 1954] is a Taiwanese filmmaker. Born in Pingtung County of southern Taiwan, Lee was educated in Taiwan and later in the United States. As a filmmaker Lee's work is known for its emotional charge and exploration of repressed, hidden emotions.

46. Spanish "precise": EXACTO.  As translated.

48. Sweater spoiler: SNAG.  A small fabric defect caused by threads getting caught on an object.

51. Study feverishly: CRAM.   Study intensively over a short period of time just before an examination.

53. Fish sought by Marlin and Dory: NEMO.

54. Like udon, ramen, and pho: ASIAN.  In various types of Asia cuisine, these are two noodles and a soup.

56. Play a part: ACT.  portray a character in a movie or play.

58. Goads: PRODS.  Provoke or annoys someone)so as to stimulate some action or reaction.

62. Moroccan cap: FEZ.   The fez, also called tarboosh/tarboush, is a felt headdress in the shape of a short cylindrical, truncated hat, usually red, typically with a black tassel attached to the top. The name "fez" refers to the Moroccan city of Fez, where the dye to color the hat was extracted from crimson berries.

Source

66. Issa of "Barbie": RAE.   Jo-Issa Rae Diop [b 1985] credited professionally as Issa Rae, is an American actress, writer, and producer. Rae first garnered attention for her work on the YouTube web series Awkward Black Girl.

67. Trapped: SNARED.  Caught, literally or figuratively.

68. Short letter: NOTE.  A short informal letter or written message.

69. Meditation sounds: OMS.   A mystic syllable, considered the most sacred mantra in Hinduism and Tibetan Buddhism. It appears at the beginning and end of most Sanskrit recitations, prayers, and texts.  Not to be confused with the Great God Om from Terry Pratchett's brilliant novel "Small Gods."

70. High-calorie cakes: TORTES.  Rich, usually multilayered, cakes that are filled with whipped cream, buttercreams, mousses, jams, or fruit. Ordinarily, the cooled torte is glazed and garnished. Tortes are commonly baked in a springform pan.

71. Alum: GRAD.  Alumni are former students or graduates of a school, college, or university. The feminine plural alumnae is sometimes used for groups of women. The word is Latin and means "one who is being nourished". The term is not synonymous with "graduate"; one can be an alumnus without graduating.  Have I discovered a nit?

Down:

1. Punjabi prince: RAJA.   RAJA is the name for a monarch — a king or a princely ruler — in historic India. While there are still rajas today, they no longer hold any real power. Through the long history of India, there have been many rajas who ruled over small areas of the continent.

2. Virus check: SCAN.  Look at all parts of (something) carefully in order to detect some feature.

3. "__, vidi, vici": VENI.   "I came; I saw; I conquered" is a Latin phrase used to refer to a swift, conclusive victory. The phrase is popularly attributed to Julius Caesar who, according to Appian,] used the phrase in a letter to the Roman Senate around 47 BC after he had achieved a quick victory in his short war against Pharnaces II of Pontus at the Battle of Zela (modern-day Zile, Turkey).

4. Put together early: PRE-MADE.  Made or assembled in advance.

5. Tech-focused exec: CIO.  Chief Information Officer.

6. Paid for one's sins: ATONED.  Made amends or reparation.

7. Absurdist art movement: DADA.  DADA or Dadaism was an art movement of the European avant-garde in the early 20th century.  Developed in reaction to World War I, the Dada movement consisted of artists who rejected the logic, reason, and aestheticism of modern capitalist society, instead expressing nonsense, irrationality, and anti-bourgeois protest in their works.

8. Joie de vivre: ELAN.   Energy, style, and enthusiasm.

9. "How Long __ Black Future Month?": N.K. Jemisin collection: TIL.   Up to the point in time or the event mentioned; until.

10. Port __: creamy French cheese: SALUT.  Port Salut is a semi-soft pasteurised cow's milk cheese from Pays de la Loire, France, with a distinctive orange rind and a mild flavour. The cheese is produced in wheels approximately 23 cm in diameter, weighing approximately 2 kg. 

11. Taqueria drink with tamarindo and horchata varieties: AGUA FRESCA.  (English: cool waters, lit. 'fresh waters') are light non-alcoholic beverages made from one or more fruits, cereals, flowers, or seeds blended with sugar and water. They are popular in Mexico and some other Latin American countries, as well as parts of the United States such as the Southwest. 

12. Deep cut: GASH.  A long deep slash, cut, or wound.

13. Vulnerable: OPEN.  Allowing access, passage, or a view through an empty space; not closed or blocked up.

18. Lead-bearing ore: GALENA.   The natural mineral form of lead sulfide. It is the most important ore of lead and an important source of silver. Galena is one of the most abundant and widely distributed sulfide minerals. It crystallizes in the cubic crystal system often showing octahedral forms.

23. Feathery cluster: TUFT.    A bunch or collection of threads, grass, hair, etc., held or growing together at the base.

25. Buck: ONE CLAM.  A single U.S. dollar

26. Eastern European language: SLOVENE.  Slovene or Slovenian is a Western member of South Slavic languages, which belong to the Balto-Slavic branch of the Indo-European language family. Most of its 2.5 million speakers are the inhabitants of Slovenia, majority of them ethnic Slovenes.

27. Mascara applicators: WANDS.  In this usage, a slender staff used to apply a substance to a specific location.

28. Film production company named for a constellation: ORION.   Orion Pictures (legal name Orion Releasing, LLC) is an American film production and distribution company currentlyowned by Amazon through its Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) subsidiary.  It was formed in 1978 as a joint venture between Warner Bros. and three former senior executives at United Artists. From its founding until its buyout by MGM in the late 1990s, Orion was considered one of the largest mini-major studios

29. Shuns: OSTRACIZES.   Shuns or excludes from a society or group.

30. Cantilevered window: ORIEL.   A form of bay window which protrudes from the main wall of a building but does not reach to the ground. 

31. Stretch the truth: LIE.  An assertion that is believed to be false, typically used with the purpose of deceiving or misleading someone. 

33. "Downton Abbey" sister: EDITH.

34. Laud: EXTOL.  Praise enthusiastically.

40. "How Stella Got __ Groove Back": HER.   Used as the object of a verb or preposition to refer to a female person or animal previously mentioned or easily identified.   The novel, told in Stella's own exuberant, dead-on, dead honest voice, How Stella Got Her Groove Back is full of Terry McMillan's signature humor, heart, and insight. More than a love story, it is ultimately a novel about how a woman saves her own life—and what she must risk to do it.

41. Not subject to taxes: EXEMPT.   Free from an obligation or liability imposed on others.

44. Taj Mahal city: AGRA.   A city on the banks of the Yamuna river in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, about 230 kilometres south-east of the national capital Delhi and 330 km west of the state capital Lucknow.    The Taj Mahal, built by Shah Jahan as a mausoleum for his favourite empress. 

47. Loving lots: ADORING.  Love and respect someone deeply.

50. Main course: ENTREE.  The main course of a meal.

52. Fretful feeling: ANGST.  A feeling of deep anxiety or dread, typically an unfocused one about the human condition or the state of the world in general.

54. Hairstyle for Diana Ross and Bob Ross: AFRO.  A hairstyle, worn predominantly by Black people, in which naturally kinky or tightly curled hair is styled in a rounded shape.

55. Baseball gripping point: SEAM.   A line along which two pieces of fabric are sewn together in a garment or other article.

Sew it seams

56. Not closed all the way: AJAR.   Slightly open.

57. Links transport: CART.   A golf cart.

59. Aroma: ODOR.  Aroma sounds more attractive than smell.

60. Spreadsheet input: DATA.   A collection of discrete or continuous values that convey information, describing the quantity, quality, fact, statistics, other basic units of meaning, or simply sequences of symbols that may be further interpreted formally.

61. Downhill racer: SLED.   A land vehicle that slides across a surface, usually of ice or snow. It is built with either a smooth underside or a separate body supported by two or more smooth, relatively narrow, longitudinal runners similar in principle to skis. This reduces the amount of friction, which helps to carry heavy loads.

64. __, dos, tres: UNO.  Spanish is as easy ONE, two, three.

65. Some internet search results: ADS.  Advertisements for products or services.

OK.  For this Wednesday, that's all.  Hope y'all had a ball, didn't brawl, fall, crawl or hit a wall.

Cool regards!

JzB

L.A. Times Crossword - Wednesday, July 30, 2023 Rebecca Goldstein

Theme: CAFETERIA RUMBLE.  It's all about a lunch time brawl

Let's start with the unifier to make things clear.

62 A. Cafeteria combat epitomized by the actions in 17-, 36-, and 42-Across?: FOOD FIGHT.  This is a presumably not-too serious battle in which food stuffs are used as projectiles.  Serious or not, it's sure to make a mess.

17 A. Condiment often served with egg rolls: DUCK SAUCE.  This is a sweet-sour condiment made from plums or other fruit, with sugar, vinegar, ginger and chili peppers.  Its name may have originated from a similar sauce served with Peking Duck.  Here, though, DUCK is verb meaning to get low and out of the way, as from, perhaps, a thrown [or flying] DUCK.

36 A. Budget beef cuts: CHUCK STEAKS.   Or maybe the flung object could be  a rectangular cut of beef, about 2.5 cm thick and containing parts of the shoulder bones.  It could be CHUCKED, that is to say "thrown" of "heaved" from across the room.  [Such a waste.  Sad.]

42 A. Vegetables that rank high on the Scoville scale: FIRE PEPPERS.  Prairie fire peppers are a type of Capsicum Annuum, the same species that gives us jalapeño and bell peppers. However, unlike those mild peppers, prairie fire peppers are much hotter, with a Scoville heat range from 70,000 to 80,000 SHU. This heat is comparable to spicy Thai peppers, with a fruity flavor that sets them apart from your typical ornamental pepper.   These chilies are nine to thirty-two times hotter than jalapeño peppers.  To FIRE something is to throw or propel it with great force.  If a pepper hits you in the eye, let's hope it is of a mild variety.

Hi Gang, JazzBumpa here to see if we can whip up some culinary delights, and get through the fray without any serious damage - or even a mess to clean up.

1. Arabic for "tower": BURJ.  As much as I like to give constructors a lot of leeway, and hate to start off on a sour note, I consider this entry to classify as a gratuitous obscurity.   Foreign words are, at best, second rate fill; and a word that is likely to be completely unknown to most solvers falls even lower.  Some grace could be given if the perps were easier than normal, but, alas, this is not the case.  Let's move on.

5. Hermana de la madre: TIA.  Your mother's sister is your aunt.  Another foreign word, but this one can be excused, as it's a word you could have encountered in daily life.  Plus, Spanish is a much more familiar language here in the USA.

8. "Skip me": I PASS.   It's my turn, but I don't want it.

13. State with Blue Jackets: OHIO.  The Columbus Blue Jackets are a team in the National Hockey League

14. Like bald tires: WORN.  A tire is WORN when the tread depth is depleted by use.  This can be dangerous, so get a new set.

16. Pastry in a pink box, in Los Angeles: DONUT.  A donut is a type of tire-shaped confection made from leavened fried dough.  No esta bien para los diabéticos.

19. "Drop it!": LET GO.  Either literally release your grip on something, or figuratively stop doing or thinking about something.

20. Extremely steep: SHEER.  Like a mountain cliff.

21. Circle or square: SHAPE.  The external form, contours, or outline of something.

23. Kings, on NBA scoreboards: SAC.  The Sacramento team in the National Basketball Association.

24. Queen Latifah's genre: RAP.  A type of popular music originating among African American communities in which words are recited rapidly and rhythmically over a prerecorded, typically electronic instrumental backing.

26. National Pickleball mo.: APR.  April.

Oh, yeah.. I LOVE this

27. Tined utensil: FORK.  In cutlery or kitchenware, a fork is a utensil, now usually made of metal, whose long handle terminates in a head that branches into several narrow and often slightly curved tines with which one can spear foods either to hold them to cut with a knife or to lift them to the mouth.

28. Loops in discreetly: BCCS.   Tricky clue.  Includes someone in a communication by Blind Copying them, i.e. eliminating their name form the published copy list

31. News letters: UPI.   United Press International, an American international news agency whose newswires, photo, news film, and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines, radio and television stations for most of the 20th century.  

33. Works for: EARNS.  Perceives a money payment for labor or services renderd.

35. NPR host Glass: IRA.    Ira Jeffrey Glass is an American public radio personality. He is the host and producer of the radio and television series This American Life and has participated in other NPR programs, including Morning Edition, All Things Considered, and Talk of the Nation.  I can't speak to the condition of his individual retirement account.

39. Cute nickname for a fuzzy pet: FUR BALL.   Self explanatory.

41. Reach new heights?: LEVEL UP.  A phrase from gaming meaning to finish one phase of the game and move on to the next, typically with new powers or abilities.  More generally, to improve one's self or some situation in a meaningful way.

44. "Yo," in Rio: OLA.  I recognize this word as informal greeting in English and Spanish.  The official language of Brazil is Portuguese, so let's assume it works there, as well..

45. Get a feeling: SENSE.  To have a thought about something based on real or imagined indirect clues, rather than factual information.

46. Go "vroom vroom": REV.  Increase the running speed of an engine or the engine speed of a vehicle by pressing the accelerator, especially while the clutch is disengaged.

47. Hideous: UGLY.  Unpleasant, especially in physical appearance.

48. Blow off steam: VENT.  The expression or release of a strong emotion, energy, etc.

49. Animal house?: ZOO.  Unlike the 1978 movie about a group a college misfits, this is a facility in which animals are kept within enclosures for public exhibition, and often bred for conservation purposes.

51. Triage ctrs.: ERS.  Emergency Rooms, hospital departments that provides immediate treatment for acute illnesses and trauma.   Triage is the preliminary assessment of patients or casualties in order to determine the urgency of their need for treatment and the nature of treatment required.

53. Rough calculation, briefly: EST.  Estimate.

54. Burdensome: HEAVY.  Oppressive or overwhelming, as of a task or situation.

56. Website with customizable RSVP options: EVITE.  A social-planning website for creating, sending, and managing online invitations. The website offers digital invitations with RSVP tracking. They also offer greeting cards, announcements, eGift cards, and party planning ideas. 

60. Performance platform: STAGE.  A raised floor or platform, typically in a theater, on which actors, entertainers, or speakers perform.

64. Ski equipment: POLES.   Lightweight slender shafts used in skiing that have a handgrip and usually a wrist strap at one end and an encircling disk set above the point at the other end

65. Inner Hebrides isle: SKYE.  The Isle of Skye, connected to Scotland's northwest coast by bridge, is known for its rugged landscapes, picturesque fishing villages and medieval castles. The largest island in the Inner Hebrides archipelago, it has an indented coastline of peninsulas and narrow lochs, radiating out from a mountainous interior. The town of Portree, a base for exploring the island, features harbourside pubs and boutiques.   MAP.

66. Fly high: SOAR.   As defined.

67. Church nooks: APSES.  Any large semicircular or polygonal recess in a church, arched or with a domed roof, typically at the eastern end, and usually containing the altar.

68. Proterozoic or Hadean: EON.  An indefinite and/or very long period of time.  The Proterozoic Eon, meaning “earlier life,” is the eon of time after the Archean eon and ranges from 2.5 billion years old to 541 million years old. The Hadean Eon, named after the Greek god and ruler of the underworld Hades, is the oldest eon and dates from 4.5–4.0 billion years ago. This time represents Earth's earliest history, during which the planet was characterized by a partially molten surface, volcanism, and asteroid impacts.  Now - don't you suddenly feel young?

69. "Voyage to India" singer India.__: ARIE.  India Arie Simpson [b. 1975] also known as India Arie, is an American singer and songwriter. Her debut album, Acoustic Soul, was released in 2001, and she has since released six more studio albums.   Voyage to India is an album.  You can listen to it here.

Down:

1. Figures, casually: BODS.  This had me thinking of numbers or geometry, but it refers to the shapes of human torsos - bodies, or BODS, informally.

2. "Nope": UH-UH.  Informal negation.

3. Sushi roll ingredient: RICE.  As a cereal grain, domesticated rice is the most widely consumed staple food for over half of the world's human population, particularly in Asia and Africa. It is the agricultural commodity with the third-highest worldwide production, after sugarcane and maize.   A sushi roll is a type of sushi wrapped in seaweed; usually cut into bite-sized pieces.

4. Wild cards?: JOKERS.  A wild card is a playing card that can have any value, suit, color, or other property in a game at the discretion of the player holding it.  The Joker is a playing card found in most modern card decks, as an addition to the standard four suits (Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts, and Spades).  it often acts as a wild card, but may have other functions such as the top trump, a skip card (forcing another player to miss a turn), the lowest-ranking card, the highest-value card or a card of a different value from the rest of the pack 

5. JFK hotel named for a defunct airline: TWA.   John F. Kennedy International Airport, colloquially referred to as JFK Airport, Kennedy Airport, New York-JFK, or simply JFK, is the main international airport serving New York City.   TWA is the only on-airport, AirTrain-accessible hotel at JFK  Trans World Airlines [TWA] was a major airline in the United States that operated from 1930 until 2001 when it was acquired by American Airlines. It was formed as Transcontinental & Western Air to operate a route from New York City to Los Angeles via St. Louis, Kansas City, and other stops, with Ford Trimotors. 

6. Chits: IOUS. An IOU (abbreviated from the phrase "I owe you") is usually an informal document acknowledging monitary debt. An IOU differs from a promissory note in that an IOU is not a negotiable instrument and does not specify repayment terms such as the time of repayment. 

7. Ancient: ARCHAIC.  Very old or old-fashioned - of an earlier eon, perhaps.

8. Waste time: IDLE.  This looks like an adjective, but here it's a verb, indicating doing nothing.

9. "The Raven" poet: POE.  Edgar Allan Poe [1809 - 1849] was an American writer, poet, author, editor, and literary critic who is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre. He is widely regarded as a central figure of Romanticism and Gothic fiction in the United States, and of American literature.

10. Celery topped with peanut butter and raisins: ANTS ON A LOG.    A snack made by spreading peanut butter, cream cheese, ricotta cheese, or another spread on celery, pretzels or bananas and placing raisins (diced olives, chocolate chips, etc.) on top. The snack and its name are presumed to be from the 1950s.   The classic peanut butter version of ants on a log is recommended as a healthy snack by the McKinley Health Center at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

11. Day of the Dead symbol: SUGAR SKULL.   A sugar skull is a type of Calavera [any artistic representation of skulls or skeletons] or a representation of a human skull. These are called sugar skulls since they’re traditionally made of sugar. Today sugar skulls are often made of a variety of things like chocolate, nuts, and other treats. These skulls play a large role in the Day of the Dead. This holiday follows All Saints’ Day, and it’s a way for people to honor their dead. Families flock to gravesites, offering gifts and food for their ancestors. People join together to eat, drink, tell stories, and celebrate the circle of life.

12. Market share?: STOCK.   This is a nice word play and misdirection.  Market share means the portion of a commercial market controlled by a particular company or product.  A stock is a security that represents a fractional ownership in a company. When you buy a company's stock, you're purchasing a small piece of that company, called a share.  Shares of stock are bought and sold on the stock market.  Very tidy.

15. Semimonthly tide: NEAP.   This is a tide just after the first or third quarters of the moon when there is least difference between high and low water.

18. Mexican Mrs.: SRA.   Abbreviation of Señora, a title or form of address used of or to a Spanish-speaking woman, corresponding to Mrs. or madam.

22. Save for later, in a way: PRESERVE.  Assuming this is referring to food stuffs [and why not]  to can, pickle, or similarly prepare for future use.   Otherwise to keep something safe or intact.

25. "Gimme a break": PUH-LEEZE.   Used to express exasperation, protest, or disbelief.

27. Available: FREE.  As a day or time when one has unscheduled time, or unoccupied, as of a rest room.

28. "Back to the Future" bully: BIFF.

29. Port of call: CRUISE STOP.  Scheduled locations for the ship to dock so that passengers can have excursions on the land.  Granddaughter Amanda is on her 3rd cruise ship gig, traveling to stops in Alaska.

30. Wheels away?: CAR RENTALS.  Typically, this would indicate a rapid departure by vehicle.  But "Wheels," as a noun, is an also slang term for a vehicle, usually an automobile.  So  this clue refers to a CAR RENTAL when you are are away from home.  Clever.

32. Juicer discard: PULP.  The stringy fibre or crushed mass which is often removed from fruit juice

34. Dune buggies, e.g.: Abbr.: ATVS.  All Terrain Vehicles.

36. Lids offerings: CAPS. Lids or Hat World, Inc. is an American retailer specializing in athletic headwear. It primarily operates under the Lids brand with stores in the U.S., Puerto Rico, Canada, Australia, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom plus various websites.  I did not know that.

37. Artist whose name is a homophone of a sculpture medium: KLEE.  Paul Klee [1879 - 1940]was a Swiss-born German artist. His highly individual style was influenced by movements in art that included expressionism, cubism, and surrealism.

38. Fix, as a dog: SPAY.   Sterilize a female animal by removing the ovaries.

40. Dog-eared, say: BENT.   The folded down the corner of a page of a book or magazine, typically to mark a place.  Collectors and librarians hate this.  Cf next entry.

43. Get a rise out of: PROVOKE.  Stimulate or give rise to a reaction or emotion, typically a strong or unwelcome one, in someone.  

47. Document from an Amer. embassy: US VISA.  An endorsement on a passport indicating that the holder is allowed to enter, leave, or stay for a specified period of time in a country, issued by the United States.

48. Milanese moped: VESPA.   Vespa is both Latin and Italian for wasp—derived from the vehicle's body shape: the thicker rear part connected to the front part by a narrow waist, and the steering rod resembled antennae.

50. Bumblers: OAFS.   Stupid, uncultured, or clumsy persons.

52. WNBA official: REF.   Referee - an official who watches a game or match closely to ensure that the rules are adhered to and (in some sports) to arbitrate on matters arising from the play.   Here, one such in the Women's National Basketball Association.  There are also Refs in many other leagues and sports.

54. Collectible toy truck brand: HESS.  Created as a way to provide a fun, high-quality, and affordable toy for families during the holiday season, the first Hess Toy Truck was introduced in 1964. Ever since, the annual release of a new toy truck is a highly anticipated event and a treasured holiday tradition for millions of families.

55. Toy with an Eiffel Tower trick: YO-YO.  A yo-yo (also spelled yoyo) is a toy consisting of an axle connected to two disks, and a string looped around the axle, similar to a spool. It is an ancient toy with proof of existence since 500 BCE.

57. Rangers goalie Shesterkin: IGOR.  Igor Olegovich Shestyorkin (Russian: Игорь Олегович Шестёркин, commonly spelled as Shesterkin; born 30 December 1995) is a Russian professional ice hockey goaltender for the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected by the Rangers in the fourth round, 118th overall, of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. In his first 82-game season in 2021–22, Shesterkin won the Vezina Trophy as the league's best goaltender.

58. Pad see ew cuisine: THAI.  Thai cooking places emphasis on lightly prepared dishes with strong aromatic components and a spicy edge. Australian chef David Thompson, an expert on Thai food, observes that unlike many other cuisines, Thai cooking is "about the juggling of disparate elements to create a harmonious finish. Like a complex musical chord it's got to have a smooth surface but it doesn't matter what's happening underneath. Simplicity isn't the dictum here, at all."

59. Raison d'__: ETRE.  The most important reason or purpose for someone or something's existence.

61. "Golly!": GEE.   A multi-purpose room in a home that can be used as a secondary living space, an office, an at-home library, a games room, a kid's playroom, and much more. It can be distinguished from other rooms like the living room and dining room because it functions as a more private and informal space. 

And so we end on that informal note.  I had my not, but despite that blemish this was a good puzzle with a tight theme and some lever clues.  Nope you enjoyed it.

Cool regards!

JzB