L. A. Time Crossword Puzzle Blogging Wednesday, March 30, 2011 Bruce Haight

Theme:  Being in Agreement.  Common expressions indicating agreement are reimagined as being directed to their most amusingly appropriate recipients.  And, impressively, they are all grid spanners. Rather an unusual approach.  Let's have a look.

17 A. Yes, to a cowboy? : YOU BET YOUR BOOTS.  Evidently, this expression goes back to the old west ,where a good pair of boots was as important as a reliable horse.   These days, they also make a fashion statement.

You bet

27 A. Yes, to an architect? : SOUNDS LIKE A PLAN.  Bit of wordplay here, equating a plan of action with a design drawing of a proposed structure.

  Let's plan on it

43 A. Yes, to a traffic court judge? : SUITS ME JUST FINE.  The traffic court judge is likely to issue a FINE, but there are other possibilities with this one.   Law SUITS are also settled in court, or one might obtain a SUIT of clothes from a haberdasher, and thus become SUITED in a FINE way.

Judges' suits are rather drab

54. Yes, to the Magic 8 Ball : IT IS DECIDEDLY SO.   The Magic 8 Ball has been available since the 1950's and is manufactured by Mattel.  It provides one of 20 possible answers to yes/no type questions. IT IS DECIDEDLY SO is one of the 10 positive answers that the Ball might provide.  The other 10 responses are evenly divided between negative and non-committal. 

Correctness of answers not guaranteed

Hi, Gang - JazzBumpa here, and in an agreeable frame of mind.  My last Blog outing at the Corner was a hair raising experience, coincidentally, also with Bruce.  Our stars also aligned back in January, so this is getting to be a bit of a habit.  Let's see if we can have positive responses to all of today's crossword questions.

Care Diem #936

The challenge today is to write a haiku using paradox.  This strikes me as being a very zen exercise.

The first one is built around something my father once said about a grumpy man - hence, a senryu.

The second is a nature snapshot - more legitimately a haiku, I think.

It's late, I'm tired.  This is all I've got.

that old curmudgeon 

the only time he’s happy

is when he is sad

~~::~~

a blazing sunset

turning waves red and orange

the sea is on fire

~~:::~~:::~~

C D H U

Carpe Diem Tokubetsudesu #72 Use that quote

Hello haijin and long lost friends.  Once again I return return to Carpe Diem Haiku Kai.

For this week's episode of Tokubetsudesu themed "Use That Quote" I have a nice quote for you by the Dalai Lama. A real nice quote which gives you a lot of space to create haiku (or tanka).

Here is the quote by the 14th Dalai Lama for your inspiration:

[...] "The purpose of our lives is to be happy". [...]  Dalai Lama

It's a nice quote as you can see and it really gives you freedom to create / compose an all new haiku, tanka or other Japanese poetry form.

Since they speak of the human condition, I suppose the first two entries are senryu rather than haiku.

living the moment

happiness and a full life

found in simple things

~~::~~

the way of love

to find your own happiness

make someone happy

~~::~~

springtime vibrations

the hum of a fly-struck web

happy orb weaver

~~::~~::~~

Carpe Diem Tokubetsudesu #72 Use that quote

L.A. Times Crossword puzzle Blogging - Wednesday, March 9, 2016 Bruce Haight

Cross posted at The Corner

Theme: Will my do do for you? The second words of common two-word phrases are relocated to a common location, as indicated by the unifier, so let's start there.

62. Permanent place, and a hint to the ends of the answers to starred clues : HAIR SALON.  Nice play on "permanent" indicating something of long duration, or, as in this case, a coif treatment. The SALON, of course, is the place where it all happens.

17. *Seriously indoctrinate : BRAIN WASH.  Generally BRAIN WASHING involves some radical or extreme set of ideas, and some powerful coaxing.  A HAIR WASH might be the first step in the SALON's process.

21. *Improvised rap : FREE STYLE.  New usage to me, but it's a real thing.  HAIR STYLE is the way the actual tresses are arranged.

28. *Risqué : OFF COLOR.  Of questionable taste, not suitable for polite company, or as we say here: DF.  The phrase evidently arose ca. 1860 in the diamond industry, referring to stones that are not pure white or of any definite color, and therefore of poor quality.  Hair COLORing is a SALON service.

37. *Weight-training exercise : BICEP CURL.   Demonstrated below.  People with straight HAIR want to acquire a CURL.  This seems to work the other way, as well.

49. *Markdown : PRICE CUT.  Of course, those of us with HAIR need to have it CUT occasionally, even if, as in my case, there's not a lot of it.  A PRICE CUT means you can save money on your purchase - but not as much as if you opt not to make it.

56. *Brand created in Toronto in 1904 : CANADA DRY.  Soft drinks.  And drying the HAIR is what completes the process.

Hi gang - JazzBumpa here, doing my part, so to speak.  With 6 theme entries plus a unifier, this puzzle is unusually thematically rich.  Let's see if we can make it through without getting either clipped or locked up.

L.A. Times Crossword Puzzle Blogging - Wednesday, February 17, 2016 Todd Gross

[Cross-posted at The Corner.]

Theme: It's all about space.  But what about time, I wonder?  What would Einstein say?  Actually, that's misleading.  Today's theme goes off to a different dimension - or at least in a different direction.

No double meanings in today's straight forward, sideways and up and down theme.  Simply the grid-spanning titles of three 3-D movies.   No - that's not quite right, either.  As we are about to see, it's the THREE D titles of three movies.

So, first the unifier.   63 A. Like some movies ... literally including 17-, 37- and 56-Across : THREE D.   Usually, this designation indicates that the movie is presented in THREE Dimensional format, where interesting or frightening objects seem to jump out of the screen at you.   But here, it's reconsidered to mean movies with the letter D appearing THREE times in the title.

17 A. 1986 movie set partly in the Australian Outback : CROCODILE DUNDEE.   As near as I can tell, this movie was only released in TWO D flat screen format.  And as near as I can recall, it's a movie about a knife.

37 A. 1988 movie set in a Southern California high school : STAND AND DELIVER.  About a math teacher who inspired a tough group of drop-out prone kids to excel in calculus.  Originally released in 2D, it was re-released in 3D in 2012.

56 A. 1996 movie set in Nevada's Area 51 : INDEPENDENCE DAY.  A seemingly invincible alien force attacks earth on July 2nd.  The scrappy earthlings - specifically Americans - figure out a way to win, a mere 2 days later.   A THREE D rerelease was planned in 2012, but cancelled.

Hi gang, JazzBumpa here to explore what goes along with this solid [see what I did there?] theme.  Let's dig in. 

L.A. Times Crossword puzzle Blogging Wednesday, February 3, 2016 C. W. Stewart

[Cross-posted at The Corner.]

Theme:  Something you find on a fish.  No, not FINS or GILLS.  Think more musically - no, not even Vince Gill - and the reveal will make it clear.  So let's start there.

38 A. Musical sequence found at the starts of the answers to the starred clues : SCALE.   This word has many disparate meanings as both a noun and a verb.  Here, we are talking about a set of musical notes, ordered by pitch.  This puzzle has them ordered in ascending sequence, though, of course, you can also go the other way.  We're not told if the quality of the scale is major, minor, nor if it is one of the many modal variants.  But we can sing along anyway.  

The beginnings of the first words of eight in-the-language phrases name the notes of the SCALE.

1 A. *Where deliveries may be left : DOOR STEP.   The spot where mail-order deliveries end up.  DO is the first scale note, and the tonal center, aka tonic, for the SCALE and any music based upon it.

17 A. *Airport pickup : RENT-A-CAR.   The plane does not take you to your final destination.  You usually need to drive there, and you can use a conveniently located vehicle for a price.  RE is the 2nd SCALE step, a whole tone above the tonic.   We won't talk about the Phrygian mode, the comma of Pythagorus, nor vibrational frequencies.

So - who is she?

20 A. *Modest garment : MIDI-SKIRT.  Mid-calf-length to protect delicate legs from winter winds and prying eyes.  Seems a bit awkward.  MI is the third scale step, another whole tone above RE in a major scale, but only a half tone up if the quality of the SCALE is minor.  BTW - the distance from one note to another is called the interval.

Is midi evil?

26 A. *Hiker's pouch : FANNY PACK.  A container on a belt, often perched over a person's back side. [But not in England.]  FA is the fourth scale step above the tonic.  This note does not vary between major and minor scales, and its interval above the tonic is called the perfect fourth. 

Chic accessory?

51 A. *Infant's dietary prohibition : SOLID FOOD.  Mom's milk is best, formula is OK.  Save the bran flakes for when they're a bit older.  SOL is the fifth scale step, always a perfect fifth above the tonic.  

58 A. *Breaking point : LAST STRAW.  An ancient measure of camel capacity being the last straw minus one.   LA is the 6th scale step, a major or minor sixth above the tonic, depending on the quality of the scale.

67 A. *History book chart : TIME LINE.   A graphic representation of what happened when.  TI is the penultimate SCALE step, either a major or minor seventh interval above the tonic.  As you may have gleaned by now, the natural minor SCALE differs from the major by having lowered 3rd, 6th, and 7th SCALE steps.   There are other versions, but we needn't get into that here

72 A. *Words of admonishment : DON’T DO IT.   Have we heard these words?  Have we heeded them?  Probably not.  This brings us to another DO, a perfect octave above where we started.  Despite what I said earlier, I'll point out that the frequency is exactly twice that of the previous DO.

Hi gang.  JazzBumpa conducting for today's thematically rich excursion.  Note that though the spellings are right on for the eight notes, the pronunciations vary a bit.  Rogers and Hammerstein wrote a song, based on a major scale, that illustrates all this, but I hate it and will not link. However, I will wave my arms around - so let's see where the music takes us.

L.A. Times Crossword Puzzle Blogging - Wednesday, January 27, 2016 Bruce Haight

[Cross-Posted at The Crossword Corner]

Theme: Wealth well within the dreams of avarice.  Phrases representing large sums of money are clued in such a way that the phrase relates to a person's occupation or avocation.  

17. Tidy sum, to a coin collector? : PRETTY PENNY.   This phrase is known to go back to the 1760's.  In this instance, PENNY is a synecdoche for money in general, as contrasted to its usual indication of an insignificant amount, so the phrase incorporates a modicum of sardonic humor.  A coin collector would have above average appreciation for a literal PRETTY PENNY, if it were of sufficient rarity.   Alternatively, one may consider  .  .  .

According to Theory

28. Tidy sum, to a chairmaker? : AN ARM AND A LEG.  This phrase is not known to go back any further than 1949.  It may be derived from 19th century phrases like "I'd give my right arm for . . ." which seems familiar and " . . . even if it takes a leg," which does not.  In any event, it's more in-the-language than A SEAT AND A BACK, which the chairmaker must also consider.

43. Tidy sum, to a soothsayer? : SMALL FORTUNE.  This phrase is more literal, and I can't find any information on where it came from.  It indicates a sum beyond what is reasonable in some circumstance, but certainly less than a large fortune.   A soothsayer can presumably use some occult mechanism to predict your future.  But - can you afford it?

56. Tidy sum, to a chess player? : KING’S RANSOM.  Now we're talking real money.  The phrase is only known to go back to the 13th Century.  In 1260, during the 7th Crusade, King Louis IX of France was captured in Egypt by Turks, who demanded a large amount of money to secure his release. However, during the 3rd Crusade, Richard I Plantagenet of England was captured in December, 1192 by Duke Leopold of Austria who had a real or imagined grudge.  The amount demanded for his release was more than twice the annual income of the English crown.   Taxes were raised, the churches were looted of their treasures, and eventually the money was delivered.  Richard was released on Feb. 4, 1194.  As a side note, Richard's brother John offered a tidy sum if Richard would be detained until Michaelmas - Sept 29th.  This offer was rejected.   It's highly unlikely that any chess piece, even the King, would demand such a quantity.

Hi gang,  JazzBumpa here - sadly, no richer than the last time we met.  We were shopping that day, and today we can consider if we perhaps paid too much.

Onward, then, to the rest of the puzzle.

L.A. Time Crossword Puzzle Blogging - Wednesday, January 13, 2016 C. C. Burnikel

Theme:  But wait, there's more  .  .  .  The first words of three theme entries describe ways in which you can make purchases from the comfort of your own home.

18 A. Worker in a red, white and blue truck : MAIL CARRIER.   For the U.S. Postal Service.   You can use it to order by mail.

37 A. eBay event : ON-LINE AUCTION.   And you can also order ON-LINE from Amazon and many traditional retailers.

61 A. Document that might be subpoenaed : PHONE RECORD.   I'll let our legal experts explain why PHONE RECORDS might be gathered as evidence.   But you can also make your purchases by phone.  Have your credit card handy.

And the reveal:  40 D. Catalog come-on ... three ways to do it begin 18-, 37- and 61-Across : ORDER NOW.   Our sales executives are standing by.  Act fast and at no extra charge  .  .  .  Well, you get the idea.

Today's constructor is, as Robert Plant once said, "a lady we all know."  And it looks like she's getting ready to buy something.  Even if the stores are all closed, she's discovered several ways to get what she came for.

Hi gang - JazzBumpa here, repping for The Corner Crew.  Are you in a buying mood?  It makes me wonder. Ooh, it really makes me wonder.  Let's check out the merchandise.

L. A. Time crossword Puzzle Blogging Wednesday, December 30, 2015 Michael Dewey

Theme: Having a go at it -  or - disappointing Yoda.  The last word of multi-word in-the-language phrases are all synonyms for striving to achieve something.



17 A. It may lead to an acquisition : TAKE OVER ATTEMPT.  One corporation ATTEMPTS to take over another.

28 A. Coalition : JOINT ENDEAVOR.  Working together for a common goal.  Rather a different shade of meaning, as compared to ATTEMPT.

48 A. With "the," one's best shot : OLD COLLEGE TRY.  This is a wild and desperate ATTEMPT to achieve something, perhaps with a bit of showboating along the way.

62. Sincere intention to be fair : GOOD FAITH EFFORT.  This is actually a legal term, relating to "what a reasonable person would determine is a diligent and honest EFFORT under the same set of facts or circumstances." Troutt v. City of Lawrence, 2008 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 61641 (S.D. Ind. Aug. 8, 2008)

As I see it, all except JOINT ENDEAVOR carry some implication of failure, realized after the fact. Does that seem right?

Hi, gang, JazzBumpa here.  Nicely constructed theme, with a couple of grid-spanners.  The rest of the puzzle lies before us.  Shall we do or not do?

L. A. Times Crossword Puzzle Blogging Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2015 Kurt Krauss

Theme: DIVESTITURES, being the opposite of mergers, in which companies come together.  For today's theme, they come apart. To make sense of this, let's part with tradition and start with the unifier.

38 A. Went different ways ... or what each of six sets of circled letters literally represents : PARTED COMPANY.   Anyone who has an Ex or two can relate. But here, COMPANY means a profit oriented business organization.  In the grid, COMPANY names are bookends in the theme fill, PARTED by the central letters.   The letters in the names are indicated with circles in the grid.  If you didn't get them, then the whole thing was probably baffling.

18 A. WWI aircraft : TRIPLANE.  A fixed wing aircraft with three vertically stacked wing planes.  TRANE COMPANY makes heating and air conditioning units for homes.

20 A. They may coordinate with floor mats : SEAT COVERS.  Automotive interior accessories.  SEARS is a chain of department stores founded in 1886

29 A. Bedstead part : FOOT BOARD.  Bedstead is a word you don't see every day.  It is the framework that holds the box springs and mattress.  At a minimum, there will be a head board, FOOT BOARD and side rails of some nature.  FORD is a venerable maker of automobiles and light trucks.

45 A. In the opposite order : VICE VERSA.  Silly me.  I thought this was about DF poetry.  But no, it's a reversal.  You can call me collect and VICE VERSA the charges.  VISA is an American-based multi-national financial services company.  Per Wikipedia, they "do not issue credit cards, extend credit or set rates and fees for consumers; rather, Visa provides financial institutions with Visa-branded payment products that they then use to offer credit, debit, prepaid and cash-access programs to their customers."   

58. Some deal closers : HAND SHAKES.  One of my musician friends just got stiffed on a HAND SHAKE agreement.  His advice, and I think our in-house legal staff would concur, is to always get it in writing.  HANES is probably best known for their undergarments, but they also make other types of clothing for men, women, and children.

62. Hit-by-pitch consequence : DEAD BALL.  Baseball.  DEAD BALL is a type of official time out, when the ball is not playable, and runners may not advance farther than they are forced.  In the hit-by-pitch situation, the hit batter is awarded first base.  A runner on that base advances to 2nd base, but no farther.  Runners on other bases stay put until play is again commenced.

Each company name consists of either 4 or 5 letters.  The 4 letter names are parted 2 and 2, while the 5 letter words are parted either 2 and 3 or 3 and 2 - as close to the middle as you can get.  The six theme entries are arranged symmetrically, with the unifier in the middle.  It's a pretty elegant construction.

Hi, Gang - Jazzbumpa here.  Let's see what else we can find.