LA Times Crossword 2 Sep 20, Wednesday

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Constructed by: Pam Amick Klawitter
Edited by: Rich Norris

Today’s Reveal Answer: Double Dog

Themed answers each comprise two words, both of which are types of DOGS:

  • 61A Schoolyard dare intensifier … and a hint to the five other longest answers : DOUBLE DOG …
  • 17A Pirates’ offensive : SEA ATTACK (sea dog & attack dog)
  • 23A Tour amenity : GUIDE SERVICE (guide dog & service dog)
  • 32A Homing pigeon, e.g. : DOMESTIC BIRD (domestic dog & bird dog)
  • 41A Newlyweds’ adventure, maybe : HOUSE HUNTING (house dog & hunting dog)
  • 51A Happy ending to a kidnap saga : POLICE RESCUE (police dog & rescue dog)

Bill’s time: 6m 34s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

5 Disaster response gp. : FEMA

Federal emergency management has been structured for over 200 years, but what we know today as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was created in 1979 in an Executive Order issued by President Jimmy Carter.

9 Jessica of “The Politician” : LANGE

Actress Jessica Lange is also an accomplished and published photographer. She was married for ten years to Spanish photographer Paco Grande. After separating from Grande, Lange was partnered with the great Russian dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov, with whom she had her first child.

The title character in the Netflix series “The Politician” is a wealthy resident of Santa Barbara, California who runs for a series of political positions. The main role is portrayed by Ben Platt. I haven’t seen this one …

14 Turner and a president : IKES

Musician Ike Turner is perhaps best known for the work in the sixties and seventies with then-wife Tina Turner. Turner met his future wife on the local club circuit in St. Louis in the mid-fifties, and together they formed the Ike & Tina Turner Revue. Despite all of his success, Ike’s life went downhill in the eighties and nineties, largely due to addiction to cocaine and crack. He served time in jail, and Tina later described episodes of domestic abuse in her autobiography “I, Tina”. Ike was diagnosed with emphysema in 2005, which left him very weak and in need of a constant supply of oxygen. He passed away in 2007 due to a cocaine overdose.

General Dwight D. Eisenhower (“Ike”) was in command of the European Theater of Operations (ETO) during WWII. If you’re a WWII buff like me, then I recommend you take a look at a great, made-for-TV movie starring Tom Selleck as Eisenhower called “Ike: Countdown to D-Day” that came out in 2004.

15 Cockpit calculations, briefly : ETAS

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the original “cockpit” was a “pit” used for fighting “cocks”. The term was then applied nautically, as the name for the compartment below decks used as living quarters by midshipmen. The cockpit of a boat today, usually on a smaller vessel, is a sunken area towards the stern in which sits the helmsman and others (who can fit!). The usage extended to aircraft in the 1910s and to cars in the 1930s.

16 Think tank output : IDEAS

A think tank is a research institute. The use of the term “think tank” dates back to 1959, and apparently was first used to describe the Center for Behavioral Sciences in Palo Alto, California.

20 Popular ISP : AOL

AOL was a leading Internet Service Provider (ISP) in the 1980s and 1990s. The company does still provide dial-up access to the Internet for some subscribers, but most users now access AOL using faster, non-AOL ISPs.

22 Trees with light wood : BALSAS

Balsa is a very fast-growing tree that is native to parts of South America. Even though balsa wood is very soft, it is actually classified as a hardwood, the softest of all the hardwoods (go figure!). Balsa is light and strong, so is commonly used in making model airplanes. Amazingly, in WWII a full-size British plane, the de Havilland Mosquito, was built largely from balsa and plywood. No wonder they called it “The Wooden Wonder” and “The Timber Terror”.

27 Sicilian mount : ETNA

Mount Etna on the island of Sicily is the largest of three active volcanoes in Italy, and indeed the largest of all active volcanoes in Europe. Etna is about 2 1/2 times the height of its equally famous sister, Mt. Vesuvius. Mt. Etna is home to a 110-km long narrow-gauge railway, and two ski resorts. It is sometimes referred to as “Mongibello” in Italian, and as “Mungibeddu” in Sicilian. The English name “Etna” comes from the Greek “aitho” meaning “I eat”.

28 Copy room purchase : REAM

A ream is 500 sheets of paper. As there were 24 sheets in a quire, and 20 quires made up a ream, there used to be 480 sheets in a ream. Ever since the standard was changed to 500, a 480-sheet packet of paper has been called a “short ream”. We also use the term “reams” to mean a great amount, evolving from the idea of a lot of printed material.

32 Homing pigeon, e.g. : DOMESTIC BIRD (domestic dog & bird dog)

Apparently, the scientific community is not certain how homing pigeons navigate their way back from places they have not visited before. Although the specifics are disputed, there seems to be general agreement that “map and compass” elements play key roles in the birds’ navigation ability. This means that homing pigeons have some sort of innate compass that allows them to orient themselves directionally, perhaps using the position of the Sun in the sky. There is also a map mechanism in play meaning that the birds can recognize features that guide them home, perhaps while using the Earth’s magnetic field.

37 Pioneer in canned soft drinks : RC COLA

Claude A. Hatcher ran a grocery store in Columbus, Georgia. He decided to develop his own soft drink formula when he balked at the price his store was being charged for Coca-Cola syrup. Hatcher launched the Union Bottling Works in his own grocery store, and introduced Royal Crown Ginger Ale in 1905. The Union Bottling Works was renamed to Chero-Cola in 1910, the Nehi Corporation in 1925, and Royal Crown Company in the mid-fifties. The first RC Cola hit the market in 1934.

40 Pool toy : NOODLE

Pool noodles are foam flotation devices and swim-toys much-loved by kids.

47 Wanders (about) : GADS

To gad about is to move around with little purpose. The word “gad” comes from the Middle English “gadden” meaning “to hurry”.

55 Gambling spot : CASINO

The term “casino” originated in the 1700s, then describing a public room for music or dancing. “Casino” is a diminutive of “casa” meaning “house”.

59 USDA section: Abbr. : AGR

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) dates back to 1862, when it was established by then-president Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln referred to the USDA as the “people’s department” as our economy had such a vast agrarian base back then.

60 Drama Desk Award cousins : OBIES

The Drama Desk Awards are presented annually in the world of New York theater. What’s unique about the Drama Desk Awards is that all productions (Broadway, Off-Broadway and Off-Off Broadway) compete against each other in the same categories.

61 Schoolyard dare intensifier … and a hint to the five other longest answers : DOUBLE DOG …

The idiomatic phrase “double-dog dare” is very American, and dates back at least to the 1940s. One reference from back then cites the incrementally daring sequence of:

  • I dare you
  • I dog dare you
  • I double-dog dare you
  • I black-dog dare you
  • I double-black-dog dare you

64 Starbucks offering : LATTE

The term “latte” is an abbreviation of the Italian “caffelatte” meaning “coffee (and) milk”. Note that in the correct spelling of “latte”, the Italian word for milk, there is no accent over the “e”. An accent is often added by mistake when we use the word in English, perhaps meaning to suggest that the word is French.

65 Rubik’s __ : CUBE

What was originally called the “Magic Cube” became better known as “Rubik’s Cube”, and was named for its inventor Ernő Rubik. Rubik’s Cube is the world’s biggest selling puzzle game, with over 350 million sold in just over 30 years.

66 Trig function : SINE

The most familiar trigonometric functions are sine, cosine and tangent (abbreviated to “sin, cos and tan”). Each of these is a ratio: a ratio of two sides of a right-angled triangle. The “reciprocal” of these three functions are cosecant, secant and cotangent. The reciprocal functions are simply the inverted ratios, the inverted sine, cosine and tangent. These inverted ratios should not be confused with the “inverse” trigonometric functions e.g. arcsine, arccosine and arctangent. These inverse functions are the reverse of the sine, cosine and tangent.

68 Hawkish god : ARES

The Greek god Ares is often referred to as the Olympian god of warfare, but originally he was regarded as the god of bloodlust and slaughter. Ares united with Aphrodite to create several gods, including Phobos (Fear), Deimos (Terror) and Eros (Desire). Ares was the son of Zeus and Hera, and the Roman equivalent to Ares was Mars.

The dove is a symbol of peace, and the hawk is a symbol of war.

Down

1 Face : VISAGE

“Visage” is the French word for “face”, and is a term we’ve imported into English to mean “face” or “facial expression”.

4 Org. using wands : TSA

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is the agency that employs the good folks who check passengers and baggage at airports.

5 Greek salad toppings : FETAS

Feta is a Greek cheese made from sheep’s milk, or a mixture of sheep and goat’s milk. The cheese is salted and cured in a brine solution for several months before it is eaten.

6 Tchotchke stand : ETAGERE

An “étagère” is a piece of furniture with open shelves that are often used to display small ornaments. The name is French, coming from “étage” meaning “shelf”. I can’t stand étagères …

“Tchotchke” is a slang term meaning “cheap, showy trinket”.

7 It’s big at the Golden Arches : MAC

The McDonald’s fast-food chain uses a stylized letter M as a logo, with the logo going by the name “Golden Arches”. Those Golden Arches are commonly integrated into the architecture of purpose-built McDonald’s restaurants.

9 Spring scent : LILAC

The ornamental flowering plant known as lilac is native to the Balkans, and is a member of the olive family.

10 “Rolling in the Deep” singer : ADELE

“Rolling in the Deep” is the lead single on the album “21” that was released in 2011 by English singer Adele.

11 Barclays Center hoopsters : NETS

The Barclays Center is an arena in Brooklyn, New York that is home to the Brooklyn Nets of the NBA, and to the New York Islanders of the NHL. Barclays ended up paying over $200 million for the naming rights, even though the London-based banking group has no retail banks or ATMs in the US.

12 Bonkers : GAGA

The word “bonkers” meaning “crazy” originated in the fifties. The term might come from navy slang meaning “slightly drunk”, behaving as though one received a “bonk” on the head.

13 Those, in Taxco : ESOS

Taxco de Alarcón is a small city in southern Mexico. Taxco is a center for silver mining, and is also well known for the production of silverware and fine items made using silver.

18 Start of many Grisham titles : THE …

John Grisham is a lawyer and an incredibly successful author best known for his legal thrillers. After graduating from law school, Grisham practiced law for about ten years and then went into politics. He served in the Mississippi House of Representatives for six years, during which time he wrote his first novel, “A Time to Kill”.

22 Chain in the Bahamas : BIMINI

Bimini is the western part of the Bahamas, and the closest point to the mainland United States. Bimini was home to Ernest Hemingway from 1935-37, and while there he saw an Atlantic blue marlin captured that weighed about 500 pounds. This catch was the apparent inspiration for his story “The Old Man and the Sea”. More recently, in 1987 Senator Gary Hart’s political career was derailed when photos of him with model Donna Rice surfaced. The pictures were taken on the yacht “Monkey Business” while docked in Bimini.

24 Workshop grooves : DADOS

In the world of joinery, a dado is a slot cut into a piece of wood across the grain. On the other hand, a groove is a slot cut with the grain.

29 Bit of eBay input : BID

There have been some notable things sold on eBay over the years. For example:

  • Ad space on a guy’s forehead, in the form of a temporary tattoo – $37,375
  • William Shatner’s kidney stone – $25,000
  • A cornflake shaped like Illinois – $1,350
  • A single corn flake – $1.63
  • A box of 10 Twinkies – $59.99
  • The original Hollywood sign – $450,400
  • The meaning of life – $3.26

30 It might be bookmarked : URL

An Internet address (like NYXCrossword.com and LAXCrossword.com) is more correctly called a Uniform Resource Locator (URL).

31 ’50s pres. monogram : DDE

Dwight D. Eisenhower (DDE) was the 34th US president, but he wanted to be remembered as a soldier. He was a five-star general during WWII in charge of the Allied Forces in the European Theater of Operations (ETO). President Eisenhower died in 1969 at Walter Reed Army Hospital. He was buried in an $80 standard soldier’s casket in his army uniform in a chapel on the grounds of the beautiful Eisenhower Presidential Library in Abilene, Kansas.

34 Hawaiian thanks : MAHALO

In Hawaiian, “mahalo” means “thank you” and “mahalo nui loa” translates as “thank you very much”.

36 MLB Hall of Famer Wade : BOGGS

Wade Boggs is a former Major League Baseball player. He was a third baseman noted for his hitting ability.

37 Pi follower : RHO

Rho is the Greek letter that looks just like our Roman letter “p”, although it is equivalent to the Roman letter R.

38 Fish with chips : COD

In Britain and Ireland, the most common fish that is used in traditional “fish and chips” is Atlantic cod. Cod has been overfished all over the world, and is now considered to be an endangered species by many international bodies. Confrontations over fishing rights in the North Atlantic led to conflicts called “the Cod Wars” between Iceland and the UK in the 1950s and the 1970s, with fishing fleets being protected by naval vessels and even shots being fired.

42 Ocean State sch. : URI

The University of Rhode Island (URI) was chartered as an agricultural school back in 1888. Rhody the Ram was chosen as the school’s mascot in 1923, a nod to URI’s agricultural past. As a result, the school’s sports teams are known as the Rams. URI’s main campus is located in the village of Kingston.

Rhode Island is the smallest state in the union, and is the second-most densely populated. (after New Jersey). Rhode Island is known as the Ocean State (and more informally “Little Rhody”), largely because about 14% of the state’s area is made up of ocean bays and inlets. Exactly how Rhode Island got its name is a little unclear. What is known is that way back in 1524, long before the Pilgrims came to New England, the Italian explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano likened an island in the area to the Island of Rhodes in the Mediterranean. There were subsequent references to “Rhode Island” in English publications, before the colonists arrived.

43 __-1701: Starship Enterprise markings : NCC

The USS Enterprise is a starship in the “Star Trek” universe (pun!). There have been several generations of starships with the name Enterprise, starting with the vessel numbered NCC-1701, which appeared in the original TV series. My favorite “Star Trek” series is “Next Generation”, which features USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D.

44 London Underground : THE TUBE

The official name London “Underground” is a little deceptive, as over half of the track system-wide is actually “over ground”, with the underground sections reserved for the central areas. It is the oldest subway system in the world, having opened in 1863. It was also the first system to use electric rolling stock, in 1890. “The Tube”, as it is known by Londoners, isn’t the longest subway system in the world though. That honor belongs to the Shanghai Metro. My personal favorite part of the Tube is the Tube map! It is a marvel of design …

48 Park near Bar Harbor : ACADIA

Acadia National Park in Maine was created in 1919, although back then it was called Lafayette National Park in honor of the Marquis de Lafayette who famously supported the American Revolution. The park was renamed to Acadia in 1929.

Bar Harbor is a town on the Maine coast that is a popular place to visit in the summer. Cruise ships are a common sight in the harbor from May through October. One of the town’s more famous sons was former US Vice President Nelson Rockefeller, who was born there in 1908.

49 Manatee cousin : DUGONG

The dugong is a large marine mammal related to the manatee, and an ugly-looking brute. It feeds upon seagrass, and is the only marine mammal that is a strict herbivore.

Manatees, also known as “sea cows”, are very large marine mammals that can grow to 12 feet in length. The manatee is believed to have evolved from four-legged land mammals and probably shares a common ancestor with the elephant.

50 Suit fabrics : SERGES

Serge is a type of twill fabric with diagonal ridges on both sides. The name “serge” comes from the Greek word for “silken”.

51 Michelangelo work in St. Peter’s : PIETA

The Pietà is a representation of the Virgin Mary holding in her arms the dead body of her son Jesus. The most famous Pietà is undoubtedly the sculpted rendition by Michelangelo that is located in St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City. That particular sculpture is thought to be the only work that Michelangelo signed. In some depictions of the Pietà, Mary and her son are surrounded by other figures from the New Testament. Such depictions are known as Lamentations.

The Basilica of St. Peter in Rome was built during the late Renaissance and has the largest interior of any Christian church in the world, capable of holding 60,000 people. There is a popular misconception that St. Peter’s is the cathedral of Rome, but actually it isn’t, and instead is a papal basilica. The Basilica of St. John Lateran is the cathedral church of Rome.

53 Bedroom closet hangers : ROBES

In Old French a “clos” was an enclosure, with the diminutive form “closet” describing a small enclosure or private room. Over time this evolved into our modern usage of “closet”, describing a cabinet or cupboard.

54 Sushi bar fare : EEL

Anyone going to a sushi restaurant can order all types of raw fish (known collectively as “sashimi”). However, eel is always served cooked, and that’s because the blood of eels contains a protein that cramps muscles if eaten. If the heart muscle “cramps”, the result can be death. The protein is easily rendered harmless by applying heat, i.e. by cooking.

55 Wild West weapon : COLT

Samuel Colt was fascinated as a young man by the science behind gunpowder and its use in weapons. He decided early on in his life that he would respond to the challenge of the day, how to achieve the impossible, a weapon that fires more than two times before reloading (like a double-barreled shotgun). He came up with the concept of the revolver while at sea, modeling his design on the spoked wheel that steered the ships on which he served. His revolver made him a very rich man in his own lifetime. By the time he died in 1862, his estate was valued at around $15 million. Can you imagine? $15 million back in 1862?

56 It’s often walked into in jokes : A BAR

Seeing as I’m one of three brothers, I have a favorite “So a guy walks into a bar” joke:

So a guy walks into a bar and orders three beers.

The bartender brings him the three beers, and the man proceeds to alternately sip one, then the other, then the third, until they’re gone. He then orders three more and the bartender says, “Sir, I know you like them cold, so you can start with one, and I’ll bring you a fresh one as soon as you’re low.” The man says, “You don’t understand. I have two brothers, one in Australia and one in Ireland. We made a vow to each other that every Saturday night, we’d still drink together. So right now, my brothers have three beers, too, and we’re drinking together.” The bartender thinks it’s a wonderful tradition, and every week he sets up the guy’s three beers. Then one week, the man comes in and orders only two. He drinks them and then orders two more. The bartender says sadly, “Knowing your tradition, I’d just like to just say that I’m sorry you’ve lost a brother.”

The man replies, “Oh, my brothers are fine — I just quit drinking.”

57 Browsing target : SITE

A web browser is a piece of software used to access the World Wide Web. The first web browser was called “WorldWideWeb” and was invented in 1990 by Tim Berners-Lee, the man who created the World Wide Web. The browser known as Mosaic came out in 1993, and it was this browser that drove so much interest in the World Wide Web, and indeed in the Internet in general. Marc Andreessen led the team that created Mosaic, and he then set up his own company called Netscape. Netscape created the Netscape Navigator browser that further popularized the use of the Web starting in 1994. Microsoft responded by introducing Internet Explorer in 1995, which sparked the so-called “browser war”, a war that Microsoft clearly won. As Netscape floundered, the company launched the open-source Mozilla project which eventually led to the Firefox browser. Apple then came out with it’s own Safari browser in 2003. Google’s Chrome browser, introduced in 2008, is by far the most popular way to view the Web today.

61 Reagan Airport code : DCA

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) is located in Arlington, Virginia. It is one of the two main airports serving the nation’s capital, along with Washington Dulles. Washington National opened for business in 1941, and was dedicated to President Ronald Reagan in 1998.

63 Soft opening? : ESS

The opening letter in the word “soft” is letter S (ess).

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Protective wear for swimmers : VEST
5 Disaster response gp. : FEMA
9 Jessica of “The Politician” : LANGE
14 Turner and a president : IKES
15 Cockpit calculations, briefly : ETAS
16 Think tank output : IDEAS
17 Pirates’ offensive : SEA ATTACK (sea dog & attack dog)
19 “Drop it!” : LET GO!
20 Popular ISP : AOL
21 Fabled broom rider : HAG
22 Trees with light wood : BALSAS
23 Tour amenity : GUIDE SERVICE (guide dog & service dog)
27 Sicilian mount : ETNA
28 Copy room purchase : REAM
29 Sign of spring : BUD
32 Homing pigeon, e.g. : DOMESTIC BIRD (domestic dog & bird dog)
37 Pioneer in canned soft drinks : RC COLA
40 Pool toy : NOODLE
41 Newlyweds’ adventure, maybe : HOUSE HUNTING (house dog & hunting dog)
45 Emotional poem : ODE
46 Cat’s back shape, at times : ARCH
47 Wanders (about) : GADS
51 Happy ending to a kidnap saga : POLICE RESCUE (police dog & rescue dog)
55 Gambling spot : CASINO
58 Tot’s little piggy : TOE
59 USDA section: Abbr. : AGR
60 Drama Desk Award cousins : OBIES
61 Schoolyard dare intensifier … and a hint to the five other longest answers : DOUBLE DOG …
64 Starbucks offering : LATTE
65 Rubik’s __ : CUBE
66 Trig function : SINE
67 Trick alternative : TREAT
68 Hawkish god : ARES
69 Gives a bit : SAGS

Down

1 Face : VISAGE
2 Barely manage : EKE OUT
3 Keep from escaping : SEAL IN
4 Org. using wands : TSA
5 Greek salad toppings : FETAS
6 Tchotchke stand : ETAGERE
7 It’s big at the Golden Arches : MAC
8 “That’s a big __” : ASK
9 Spring scent : LILAC
10 “Rolling in the Deep” singer : ADELE
11 Barclays Center hoopsters : NETS
12 Bonkers : GAGA
13 Those, in Taxco : ESOS
18 Start of many Grisham titles : THE …
22 Chain in the Bahamas : BIMINI
24 Workshop grooves : DADOS
25 Hi-__ audio : RES
26 Dye holder : VAT
29 Bit of eBay input : BID
30 It might be bookmarked : URL
31 ’50s pres. monogram : DDE
33 Yolanda’s “Yay!” : OLE!
34 Hawaiian thanks : MAHALO
35 Trick : CON
36 MLB Hall of Famer Wade : BOGGS
37 Pi follower : RHO
38 Fish with chips : COD
39 Signal to enter : CUE
42 Ocean State sch. : URI
43 __-1701: Starship Enterprise markings : NCC
44 London Underground : THE TUBE
48 Park near Bar Harbor : ACADIA
49 Manatee cousin : DUGONG
50 Suit fabrics : SERGES
51 Michelangelo work in St. Peter’s : PIETA
52 Start : ONSET
53 Bedroom closet hangers : ROBES
54 Sushi bar fare : EEL
55 Wild West weapon : COLT
56 It’s often walked into in jokes : A BAR
57 Browsing target : SITE
61 Reagan Airport code : DCA
62 Word for us : OUR
63 Soft opening? : ESS

26 thoughts on “LA Times Crossword 2 Sep 20, Wednesday”

  1. Got stuck for a while in the middle. I went with BIKINI for 22D and left it. That gave me REAK for 28A. Seemed off. I kept telling myself BIKINI Atoll chain isn’t in the Bahamas? Didn’t know BIMINI. And for goodness sake why couldn’t REAM have just jumped up at me?? Just couldn’t let go… Oh well.

  2. No errors, but took some time to work through it. Never heard of a Dugong. Any time I hear Double Dog dare, I think of the schoolyard etiquette faux pas going straight to Triple Dog dare from just a dare. From “A Christmas Story”.

    Bob in Erie

  3. No errors, but didn’t understand the theme until I read Bill’s
    explanation. Took awhile but didn’t have to Google anything today.

  4. I put lala instead of gaga and that screwed things up. I also wanted Bikini, never heard of Bimini. Didn’t know Dugong (and still don’t). I never heard double dog dare until I was well into adulthood. We just said double dare. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

  5. Never heard of dugong. Also had bikini before Bimini. Otherwise got double dog through the theme. THE was a stand-alone answer and also part of another answer, which I thought was odd.

  6. 11:01 Had TEDS (TED Turner, TEDdy Roosevelt) before IKES and CEDARS before BALSAS – was thinking of the bark color rather than the weight of the wood. I knew the term BIMINI – just wasn’t sure it was in the Bahamas. Didn’t pay attention to the theme until I read Bill’s explanation

  7. I Googled for BOGGS, DADOS, ETAS, RES. Did not actually know BIMINI, but knew BIkINI was in the Pacific. Did not know DUGONG, ACADIA, MAHALO, NCC, DCA or DOUBLE DOG. This was a difficult solve for me.
    Bar Harbor, ME is familiar to me since my paternal grandfather (Fritz Drees), a waiter on the Kronprinzessin Cecilie, arrived at that port at the very beginning of WWI. This was the choice of the captain to avoid the Germans as they had silver and gold bullion aboard. So, he eventually became a US citizen w/o having planned to.

  8. If anyone is interested, a very clever Wall Street Journal puzzle today. Bill, you should start a blog!

    1. 11:29, no errors. Wasn’t that clever of a theme (“TINA” alternating in boxes), but a little stiffer than normal for the long sections.

      1. @glenn
        I was about to tackle the wsj puzzle. Thanks for ruining it for me. (But thank goodness I now know how long it took you to complete!)

    2. FWIW, I agree with Laura that the WSJ theme was very clever. The TINAs were not just “alternating” (whatever that might mean); they were turning, so they were TINA TURNERs.

  9. Well! Either I got every answer wrong, or my newspaper printed the wrong puzzle. I was hoping to see an explanation of the theme.
    If I have next Wed’s puzzle, I’m going to get a great time.

  10. I didn’t know Bimini was in the Bahamas either. But I remember a swimming pool in Long Beach, Ca. while growing up called Bimini Baths. When the ‘k’ in Bikini didn’t fit, my childhood memory kicked in and helped.

  11. 15:33 and DNF: three tightly grouped naticks in the bottom right. 59A is one of the poorest clue and fill combinations in recent memory. What the hell is THAT??? and crossing that with DUGONG??? WTF????

  12. 9:29 no errors, once the theme helped me figure out that 23A was not GUIDESADVICE. Hey! The theme helped!

    So that’s what Mahalo means…

  13. I wish that the people referring to puzzles other than the LAT would indicate what they are talking about. Some of these posts are all about the WSJ, NYT, etc. I’ve stopped reading most of your comments and even posting because none of it makes any sense. Not that anyone cares. Remember this is Bill’s post for the LAT’s. Thank you.

  14. Kind of easy Wednesday for me; took 16:43 on-line with a bit of waiting for crosses and some guessing. Only by doing crosswords did I know DUGONG and ACADIA. I also thought AGR as a section of USDA was odd; I mean that IS the main and primary section of the USDA, even if they do some other things as well.

    @Rich in FL – Apparently Hi-Res audio is a thing. It implies > 16 bit/44.1khz sampling rate.

  15. Hi folks!!🦆

    Challenging Wednesday for me, even though I got the theme pretty quickly. No errors ultimately. Wasn’t sure of DCA/CUBE. I actually kinda thought it was spelled Rubik’s KUBE. Can’t spell it; certainly can’t solve it I guess!🤔

    I only knew BIMINI cuz there’s a street by that name in my hood.

    Be well~~⚾️

Comments are closed.