google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Bill Thompson

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Showing posts with label Bill Thompson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bill Thompson. Show all posts

Oct 3, 2023

Tuesday, October 3, 2023 Bill Thompson

Swingers:  The word Swing can be placed before the first word of each theme answer to swing the phrase into an entirely new concept.


OR


17-Across. *  Capital letter creator: SHIFT KEY.  Swing Shift.  The Swing Shift is a work shift that occurs between the day and night shifts, typically from about 4:00 pm to Midnight.  It is called the Swing Shift because is is between day and night.  It was also the name of a 1984 rom-com movie that starred Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell.


25-Across. *  Group that plays in foursomes: BRIDGE CLUB.  Swing Bridge

36-Across. *  Say something that doesn't need to be said: STATE THE OBVIOUS.  Swing State  We'll probably be hearing a lot about Swing State in the coming year.  A Swing State is defined as a US State where the two major political parties have similar levels of support among voters, thus it is viewed as critical in determining the overall result of a presidential election.

44-Across. *  Classic Motown hit about a wedding ring: BAND OF GOLD.  Swing Band.  Instead of the Motown hit, I'll give you some swing from Brian Setzer.

And now for the unifier:

55-Across. Playground fixture, or an apt description of the beginnings of the starred clues: SWING SET.


Across:
1. Humble home: HUT.

4. Guest speaker's platform: DAIS.  I thought I knew what a Dais was, but apparently I was confusing it with a Podium.  Did you know the difference?




8. One of Santa's reindeer: DASHER.  After getting the "D" and "ER" in place, I had several choices:  Dasher, Dancer or Donner, as per the song Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer.  But did you know that in the original 1823 poem we now know as "Twas the Night Before Christmas", the reindeer names were: Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet and Cupid, Dunder and Blixem.  The final two names were changed in 1949. [Name # 1, fictional.]


14. Sense of self: EGO.


15. Labor agcy.: OSHA.  As in the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.


16. Protect in glass, say: ENCASE.


19. Legendary Kentucky basketball coach Rupp: ADOLPH.  Since very few people are named Adolph these days, his name alone indicates that he did not coach recently.  Adolph Fredrick Rupp (Sept. 2, 1901 ~ Dec. 10, 1977) played basketball for the University of Kansas in the early 1920s.  After coaching high school basketball for a few years, he moved to the University of Kentucky, where he coached the game for over 40 years.  [Name # 2, real person.]

20. __ Angeles Guitar Quartet: LOS.  Everything you wanted to know about the LAQG but didn't know to ask.  [Name adjacent.]



21. "Now I get it!": AHA!

23. Ma's ma: NANA.  The most popular names for Grandmother by State.  

24. Bygone Russian space station: MIR.  This Russian space station orbited the earth from 1986 until 2001.

28. Danced to "La cumparsita," say: TANGOED.  The musical piece was written in early 1916 by an 18-year old architecture student  Gerardo Hernán Matos Rodríguez (Mar. 18, 1897 ~ Apr. 25, 1948).  The title of the piece means Little parade.  Although the piece is not a Tuesday-level clue, Tango was the first thing that popped into my brain.



30. Chip's partner: DALE.  Chip and Dale are chipmunk cartoon characters.  They are named in reference to the 18th century furniture maker, Thomas Chippendale (1718-1779).  [Name # 3, fictional.]



31. Bullion bars: INGOTS.  This word has been in the news recently.

32. Raison d'__: ÊTRE.  Today's French lesson.

33. Singer Sumac: YMA.  We haven't see Ms. Sumac in quite a while.  She used to appear with some frequency.  Her full name was Zoila Emperatriz Chávarri Castillo (Sept. 13, 1922 ~ Nov. 1, 2008).  No wonder she went by Yma.  Her stage name means How Beautiful in Quechua language, which is spoken by the indigenous people of Peru.  [Name # 4, real person.]


39. Head cover: HAT.


40. Peek: LOOK.

41. Duration: LENGTH.

42. Bravo preceder: ALFA.  A reference to the NATO phonetic alphabet.

43. Able to feel: SENSATE.

48. Covert __: OPS.

49. "This seems bad!": UH, OH!

50. NBA legend Ming: YAO.  At 7-feet, 5-inches, Yao Ming (b. 12, 1980) had to become a basketball player.  After playing basketball for the Shanghai Sharks for several years, he was drafted by the Houston Rockets, where he played for nearly a decade.  His wife, Ye Li, is over 6 feet tall, and played professional basketball in China women's national basketball team at the 2004 Summer Olympics.  [Name #5, real person.]


51. "It's __-win situation": A NO.


52. Walks leisurely: MOSEYS.


59. Christie sleuth Hercule: POIROT.  Agatha Christie (née Agatha Mary Clarissa Miller; Sept. 15, 1890 ~ Jan. 12, 1976) created the fictional Belgian detective Hercule Poirot 1920, when he appeared in her first published novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles.  He was so popular that he appeared in 33 of Christie's novels and many more short stories.   [Name # 6, real person and Name # 7, fictional.]


60. Panache: ELAN.

61. Corn serving: EAR.

62. Burnout cause: STRESS.

63. "Auld Lang __": SYNE.  Should auld acquaintance be forgot And never brought to mind?  Why is this song sung on New Year's Eve?


64. Oinker's pen: STY.



Down:
1. Steers and rams: HEs.  Male cattle and sheep.

2. Cry of disgust: UGH!

3. Working hard on: TOILING AT.


4. Morse Code components: DOTS. and Dashes.




5. All one has to do, sometimes: ASK.


6. "Rumor has it ... ": I HEARD ...


7. Be friendly, in a way: SAY, "HI."

8. Narc's org.: DEA.  DEA = Drug Enforcement Administration.




9. Plus: AND.

10. Wall-mounted light: SCONCE.


11. Prepared in accordance with Muslim law: HALAL.

12. College sports channel: ESPNU.



13. Post-injury regimen: REHAB.

18. Had a memory lapse: FORGOT.


22. Supplement: ADD TO.

24. __ ray: tropical swimmer: MANTA.




25. Most well-to-do: BEST OFF.  Richest also fits into the spaces provided.

26. Difficult to understand: GARBLED.

27. Vegas natural: ELEVEN.  Everything you wanted to know about the Game of Craps.

28. Mrs. Addams, to Gomez: TISH.  The Addams Family is a fictional cartoon family that was created by Charles Samuel Addams (Jan. 7, 1912 ~ Sept. 29, 1988).  He was known for his darkly humorous and macabre characters, signing the cartoons as Chas Addams.  The Addams Family was a television show that ran for only 2 years in the mid-1960s.  It was also adapted into a 1991 movie.  [Name # 8, fictional.]


29. Verdi opera with Desdemona and Iago: OTELLO.  Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi (Oct. 10, 1813 ~ Jan. 27, 1910) was an Italian composer best known for writing operas.  Otello is one of his best known operas.  You can read a summary of the Opera here.  [Name # 9, real, Names # 10 and 11, fictional.]


32. "A mouse!": EEK!



33. Asanas: YOGA POSES.


34. Mixed breeds: MUTTS.

35. Tennis legend Arthur: ASHE.  Arthur Ashe (né Arthur Robert Ashe, Jr.; July 10, 1943 ~ Feb. 6, 1993) makes frequent appearances in the puzzles.  [Name # 12, real person.]



37. Composer Carmichael: HOAGY.  Did you know that in addition to being a composer and musician, Hoagy Carmichael (né Hoagland Howard Carmichael; Nov. 22, 1899 ~ Dec. 27, 1981) briefly practiced law.  [Name # 13, real person.]


38. Joyous way to break out: IN SONG.

42. Cling (to): ADHERE.

43. __ but surely: SLOWLY.

44. Speed deterrents: BUMPS.


45. Give __: care: A HOOT.


46. Polite denial: NO, SIR.

47. Fertile desert spots: OASES.




51. "The Accidental Tourist" novelist Tyler: ANNE.  Anne Tyler (b. Oct. 25, 1941) is a prolific writer.  She has published 24 novels and is best known for The Accidental Tourist and Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant, both of which were adapted into movie versions.  [Name # 14, real person.]


53. Some "Rocky" dialogue: YOs.  [Name # 15, fictional.]



54. GPS lines: STS.  As in Streets.

56. Actor McKellen: IAN.  That's Sir Ian McKellen (né Ian Murray McKellen; b. May 25, 1939), to you.  He performs on the state and in movies.  [Name # 15, real person.]


57. "Mangia!": EAT.  Today's Italian lesson.

58. Give it a go: TRY.

Here's the Grid:


חתולה




 

Aug 21, 2023

Monday August 21, 2023 Bill Thompson

  

Hello Cornerites! 

Today's theme is:  
Well, not necessarily the soap opera....
And, not necessarily the puzzle....
It is our Cornerite Solvers who are Bold and/or Beautiful! (I will let you self-categorize. 😀)

Builder Bill Thompson earns extra points for fitting 5 horizontal themed answers into his grid. Each is a 2-word answer where both of the words begin with the letter B. We have:

18 Across. Some barbecue ribs: BABY BACKS.  These pork ribs come from the back loin section so they are smaller and more tender than regular spare ribs.

23 Across. Safest courses of action: BEST BETS.  I'm not a gambler but I can pass on to you that the casino game with the best odds of winning is blackja
ck, at a 49% chance of coming out ahead.

36 Across. Star of classic TV's "The Incredible Hulk": BILL BIXBY.  
Bixby played Dr. David Banner and Lou Ferrigno played Hulk. (1978-1982)
Sadly, Bill passed away in 1993 at the age of 59 due to complications from prostrate cancer.

50. Nickname of boxer Ray Mancini: BOOM BOOM.  Mancini was an American southpaw boxer who held the WBA Lightweight title from 1982-84. Today he works in the entertainment industry. His 1982 bout vs Duk Koo Kim is said to have changed boxing forever.

55. Cartoon rabbit with a Brooklyn accent: BUGS BUNNY.  
Bugs Bunny at the Symphony "Rabbit of Seville" Excerpt (2:14 min.)

Plus the unifier:

50 Down. Cozy lodging hinted at by 18-, 23-, 36-, 50-, and 55-Across: B AND B.  Bed and Breakfast  (not the same as Airbnb)

BeeBopped along through today's puzzle. The theme was easy to spot and could have been helpful should one need an 'it starts with a B' hint. The television actor and the boxer's nickname might have caused some solvers difficulty; however, this time, both were in my punchbowl (#GenXer).

Before moving on to the rest of the clues, it seems fitting to enjoy a musical break featuring the one, the only B.B. King!  
Don't Answer the Door by B.B. King (1966)

Across:
1. Elbow gently: NUDGE.  I find interesting U.S. economist Richard Thaler's ideas on NUDGE Theory. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economics in 2017 for his work in Behavioral Economics. An example of NUDGE Theory is when a company makes participation in a retirement plan the default option because it is a good thing to do. In order to opt out, one would need to take extra steps. It seems like a small push (a "nudge", if you will) but the opposite (having to fill out a ton of paperwork to opt in) can be enough of a hurdle to discourage participation. If this is your cup of tea, I recommend Thaler's 2021 book, Nudge: The Final Edition

6. Questions: ASKS.  Both are verbs. However, we are hearing "ask" as a noun more and more these days.

10. "Jeopardy!" contestant lineup, e.g.: TRIO.  
It's pretty easy to overthink this one.

14. Hybrid garment: SKORT.  skirt + short. I usually wear these while doing errands on my bicycle.

15. Made off with: TOOK.  

16. Hockey venue: RINK.  and  39 Down. NHL great Bobby: ORR.

17. Cars: AUTOS.

20. Kareem's former name: LEW.  Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr. on April 16, 1947. He went by LEW Alcindor until he changed his name when he converted to Islam in 1971 while studying at UCLA.

21. Low-tech leaf blower alternative: RAKE.  Haha! Yes, this is my kind of gardening.

22. Lacto-__ vegetarian: OVO.  vegetarians who also eat dairy products and eggs

25. Food pkg. info: NET WT.  "Package" and "information" are abbreviated, so is "net weight".

28. Hawaiian hellos: ALOHAS.  ALOHAS are also "Hawaiian good-byes."
The Beatles perform Hello, Goodbye (1967) from their Magical Mystery Tour album.
(George does not look happy in that hat.)

29. Abruptly broke off communications: GHOSTED.  "Ghosting" is when someone cuts off all online communication with someone else without an explanation. Instead of saying why, they just vanish -- 
 like a ghost. 👻 Ouch!

31. Japanese currency: YEN.  Last week the rate was 1 USD = 146 YEN.

32. Site: LOCALE.

35. Folder projections: TABS.  Oh, those types of projections!  
38. Song sung alone: SOLO.

41. Spoken: VERBAL.

42. Perform on stage: ACT.

45. Math exercise: PROBLEM.  

47. __ pub: GASTRO.  The term "gastropub" was coined in 1991 and is a combination of the words  "gastronomy" and 
"pub" to emphasize the food aspect of this kind of establishment. Basically, it is an edgy restaurant in a pub. source

49. Island near Venezuela: ARUBA.  and 
24 Down. Island near Java: BALI
A perp or two helped to pinpoint these familiar XWD destination islands.

52. Citi Field team, on scoreboards: NYM.  New York Mets
As of this writing, they are 23 games back in the NL East.

53. Madeline of "Blazing Saddles": KAHN.  For the BS fans....
Madeline Kahn sings I'm Tired in Mel Brooks' 1974 movie, Blazing Saddles. (4:34 min.)

54. Actress de Armas: ANA.

58. Corn-based breakfast side: GRITS. Back when I was in college, I lived with a couple from Georgia who occasionally made GRITS. I'm afraid that is the extent of my GRITS experience.

60. Apt name for a tuxedo cat: OREO.  
Click to enlarge.

61. Bar mixer: SODA.  not a person

62. Bert's "Sesame Street" pal: ERNIE.  a person-like Muppet

63. "Ideas worth spreading" spinoff: TEDx.  TED Conferences are organized and run directly by TED. TEDx events are fully planned and coordinated independently, on a community-by-community basis. more info.

64. "Dear" advice giver: ABBY.  

65. Boston airport: LOGAN.  
an aerial image of BOS

Down:
1. Intelligence org. with a Cryptologic Museum: NSA.  "Organization" is abbreviated, so is National Security Agency. The museum is "NSA's gateway to the public and educates visitors about the role of cryptology in shaping history." It is located in Annapolis Junction, MD. website

2. Luau instrument: UKULELE.  Ukes were probably introduced to Hawaii in 1879 by Portuguese settlers from Madeira.  source
Hawaiian sweet bread is another example of a Portuguese influence in Hawaii.

3. Spoils, as a grandchild: DOTES ON.

4. __ chart: kid's height tracker: GROWTH.  

5. "Take me to your leader" speakers, briefly: ETS.  

6. Chance to get a hit, in baseball: AT BAT.

7. Relaxes in the tub: SOAKS.  

8. Japanese beef city: KOBE.  神戸
Perhaps you are more familiar with Wagyu beef. "Wagyu" refers to any cattle that are bred in Japan. KOBE beef is a subset of Wagyu called Tajima-Gyu, which are raised to strict standards in the prefecture of Hyogo. KOBE is the capital city of Hyogo, thus the name.

9. Rainbow's place: SKY.

10. __ of justice: case that makes a mockery of the court: TRAVESTY.

11. Italian cheese in stuffed shells: RICOTTA.  pasta shells  

12. Pen filler: INK.

13. Greenlights: OKs.  Did anyone else read Matthew McConaughey's book?  

19. U2 lead singer: BONO.  Paul David Hewson (b. May 10, 1960) is known by his nickname BONO. He is an Irish singer/songwriter, activist, and philanthropist.  
U2 performs Sunday Bloody Sunday (released March 1983)
at the Red Rocks Amphitheater in Colorado.
The song is about a deadly clash in Northern Ireland on Sunday, Jan. 30, 1972.

21. Clear up, as a dispute: RESOLVE.

23. Chesapeake __ Bridge-Tunnel: BAY.  You can travel its 17.6 miles (28.3 km.) via this 3 min. video.  

26. Spider's trap: WEB.  You can watch a garden spider spinning its WEB in this 1:51 min. video.  

27. NFL scores: TDS.  "National Football League" is abbreviated, so is "Touch DownS".

29. Smooth-talking: GLIB.  

30. Six-sided shape: HEXAGON.
"Regular" means that all sides and angles are congruent (equal).

33. Skelton's Kadiddlehopper: CLEM.  
CLEM Kadiddlehopper was a comedic character portrayed by American entertainer Red Skelton
(b. July 18, 1913; d. Sept. 17, 1997).
My grandfather used "CLEM" to describe a person making not-bright choices. Perhaps this is why???

34. Like some dicts.: ABR.  "Dictionaries" is abbreviated, so is "ABRidged".

36. Anklets worn with poodle skirts, informally: BOBBY SOX.
I used to play BOBBY SOX softball when I was a teenager. Our uniform socks were knee-highs. 
37. "Bang!": BLAM.  It has been a while since I bestowed the Giant Leap award.  
38. Health resort: SPA.

40. Took it easy: LOUNGED.

42. Making up (for): ATONING.

43. Zagreb's country: CROATIA.  This capital city's population in 2019 was 806,341 people.
44. Actor Hanks: TOM.  You cannot get more 'Monday' than this clue!  
TOM Hanks' first appearance on The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson (1982)

46. Young sheep: LAMB.

48. Mall pizza chain: SBARRO.  We had this one last Monday.

51. "What a great surprise!": OH YAY.

53. Door handle: KNOB.

55. Plant sci.: BOT.  "Science" is abbreviated, so it "BOTany".
Capt. James Cook named Botany Bay (near Sydney, Australia) because of the "great quantity of new plants collected there."

56. Suffix with script: URE.

57. Mex. neighbor: USA.

58. Salon goo: GEL.  
59. Capitol Hill VIP: SEN.

Here's the grid. Notice how the reveal lies in the center column. Well done!

That's all for today. Wishing everyone a good week. Bye Bye!