Advertisement
Constructed by: Joe DiPietro
Edited by: Patti Varol
Today’s Reveal Answer: You’re Missing Out
Themed clues are single letters MISSING the suffix “-OUT”:
- 57A “That’s a lost opportunity,” and what can be said to the writer of four clues in this puzzle : YOU’RE MISSING OUT
- 17A R : LOPSIDED VICTORY (Rout)
- 24A B : PRIZE FIGHT (Bout)
- 38A P : SULKY EXPRESSION (Pout)
- 46A T : CREATE HYPE (Tout)
Read on, or jump to …
… a complete list of answers
Want to discuss the puzzle? Then …
… leave a comment
Bill’s time: 11m 54s
Bill’s errors: 0
Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies
Across
6 “Mad Money” cable network : CNBC
The television show “Mad Money” started airing in 2005, and is hosted by the ebullient Jim Cramer. Cramer recommends that essential funds, such as those reserved for retirement, be safely locked away in conservative investment vehicles. Any money left over (still looking for that here!) is classed as “mad money” and can be invested in more risky stocks.
10 Actress Mazar : DEBI
Debi Mazar plays Shauna Roberts on the HBO series “Entourage”. You might have seen her on “Dancing with the Stars” a few years back, although she didn’t do so well and was eliminated in the third week. Mazar married Italian celebrity chef Gabriele Corcos in 2002. The couple co-hosted an Internet show “Under the Tuscan Gun” that focused on Tuscan cuisine. For a couple of years, they also ran a restaurant in Brooklyn called Tuscan Gun.
15 Does some horticultural work : HOES
A horticulturist is someone who manages and cultivates a garden. The term “horticulture” is probably modeled on the older term “agriculture”, using the Latin “hortus” meaning “garden”.
16 Group with reserves : OPEC
The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) controls a significant portion of the world’s oil supply. OPEC member countries account for around 44% of global oil production and 73% of the world’s oil reserves.
20 Widespread alert, for short : APB
An All Points Bulletin (APB) is a broadcast from one US law enforcement agency to another.
21 “The Tilled Field” painter Joan : MIRO
Spanish artist Joan Miro painted “The Tilled Field” in 1923-24. An oil on canvas, It is widely regarded as his first Surrealist masterpiece. The painting is now held by the Guggenheim in New York.
29 __ pen : VAPE
An electronic cigarette (also called an “e-cigarette”) is a battery-powered device that resembles a real cigarette. The e-cigarette vaporizes a solution that contains nicotine, forming a vapor that resembles smoke. The vapor is inhaled in a process called “vaping”, delivering nicotine into the body. The assumption is that an e-cigarette is healthier than a regular cigarette as the inhaled vapor is less harmful than inhaled smoke. But, that may not be so …
30 Whit : IOTA
Both “whit” and “fig” are used to describe a trivial amount, a mere trifle.
35 Reel Big Fish genre : SKA
Reel Big Fish is a ska punk band from Southern California that was founded in 1991, when the band members were all in high school.
41 “Three Little Kittens” treat : PIE
The first verse of the nursery rhyme “Three Little Kittens” is:
The three little kittens they lost their mittens,
And they began to cry,
Oh, mother dear, we sadly fear
Our mittens we have lost
What? Lost your mittens, you naughty kittens!
Then you shall have no pie.
Mee-ow, mee-ow, mee-ow.
We shall have no pie.
Our mittens we have lost.
55 “__ Flux”: 1990s MTV series : AEON
“Æon Flux” is an animated science-fiction television show that originally aired on MTV in the nineties. The TV show inspired a 2005 movie of the same name that starred Charlize Theron in the title role.
56 HHS agency : FDA
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has its roots in the Division of Chemistry (later “Bureau of Chemistry”) that was part of the US Department of Agriculture. President Theodore Roosevelt gave responsibility for examination of food and drugs to the Bureau of Chemistry with the signing of the Pure Food and Drug Act. The Bureau’s name was changed to the Food, Drug and Insecticide Organization in 1927, and to the Food and Drug Administration in 1930.
The Department of Health, Education and Welfare (HEW) was split in 1979, into the Department of Education (ED) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
64 Brief timetable : SKED
Something not yet on the schedule (“sked” or “sched.”) is to be advised/announced (TBA).
Down
1 Major key for some piano works by Chopin and Schubert : G-FLAT
Frédéric Chopin was a Polish composer who spent most of his life in France. He was most famous for his piano works in the Romantic style. Chopin was a sickly man and died quite young, at 39. For many of his final years he had a celebrated and tempestuous relationship with the French author George Sand (the nom de plume of the Baroness Dudevant). Those years with Sand may have been turbulent, but they were very productive in terms of musical composition.
Franz Schubert (1797-1828) was an Austrian composer who was particularly noted for his large portfolio of lieder (songs). Schubert is also famous for his “Unfinished Symphony”. Schubert’s “Symphony No. 7” was left as a draft after he passed away, and as such was “unfinished”. However, it was more complete than his “Symphony No. 8”, which is the one we know as “The Unfinished”.
3 Climactic scene in the Eminem film “8 Mile” : RAP BATTLE
Battle rapping (also “rap battling”) is a contest in which two or more rappers “fight it out” using opposing, improvised lyrics. I’d be annihilated …
The movie “8 Mile” stars Eminem as a young rap artist in Detroit, and features the song “Lose Yourself” that was performed and written by Eminem. The song won Eminem the 2002 Oscar for Best Original Song, making him the first rap artist to be so honored.
4 Bks.-to-be : MSS
Manuscript (ms)
6 French endearment : CHERI
“Chéri” is a form of familiar address in French, meaning “dear”. “Chéri” is the form used when talking to a male, and “chérie” when addressing a female.
7 Help for the overnight shift, maybe : NO-DOZ
NoDoz and Vivarin are brands of caffeine pills.
9 Procedural franchise since 2000 : CSI
I quite enjoy the “CSI” franchise of television shows, all except “CSI: Miami”. I find the character played by David Caruso to be extremely annoying. “CSI: Miami” was canceled in 2012. No loss …
11 Unit in geochronology : EPOCH
Geologic time is divided into a number of units of varying lengths. These are, starting from the largest:
- supereon
- eon (also “aeon”)
- era
- period
- epoch
- age
18 Hollywood VIP : DIR
Director (dir.)
25 Chris who won four straight US Opens in the 1970s : EVERT
Chris Evert is a former professional tennis player from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. She has the best winning percentage in professional tennis, man or woman worldwide, losing fewer than 10% of all her matches. Evert was also the first female athlete to host “Saturday Night Live”, doing so in 1994 just after she had retired from professional tennis.
30 Web access co. : ISP
Internet service provider (ISP)
31 “Certainement!” : OUI!
In French, “oui” (yes) might be stated more emphatically as “certainement!” (certainly!).
35 Number of squares on a chess board : SIXTY-FOUR
It is believed that the game of chess originated in northwest India. It evolved from a 6th-century game called “chaturanga”, a Sanskrit word meaning “four divisions”. These four (military) divisions were represented in the game:
- Infantry (now “pawns”)
- Cavalry (now “knights”)
- Elephants (now “bishops”)
- Chariots (now “rooks”)
36 Fish that can transform into a dragon, per Japanese legend : KOI
Koi are fish that are also known as Japanese carp. Koi have been bred for decorative purposes and there are now some very brightly colored examples found in Japanese water gardens.
40 Neptune’s realm : SEA
Neptune was a Roman god, of both the sea and of freshwater. He was sometimes known as “Neptunus Equester” as he was also the god of horses and patron of horse-racing.
44 Pan-__ scallops : SEARED
A scallop is a marine mollusk that is often served as seafood. They are often served baked in milk and this method of preparation has become known as “scalloping”. So, scalloped potatoes are potatoes baked in milk.
45 Game of love : TENNIS
In sports like tennis, the score of zero is designated as “love”. Some people believe that this usage originates from the French “l’oeuf” (meaning “the egg”). The idea is that the written character “0” looks like an egg.
46 Thief : CROOK
A crook is a criminal, someone who engages in fraudulent practices. The use of “crook” in this context is American English that arose in the late 1800s. The idea is that a “crook” engages in “crooked” conduct.
48 Celerity : HASTE
Celerity is swiftness or speed, coming from the Latin “celeritas” that has the same meaning. And as an aside, in Einstein’s famous equation E=mc², the “c” stands for the speed of light, from the Latin “celeritas”.
49 Some 20 Questions answers : YESES
The parlor game called Twenty Questions originated in the US and really took off in the late forties as it became a weekly quiz show on the radio. Am I the only one who thinks that there aren’t enough quiz shows on the radio these days? Apart from a couple of great shows on NPR, I have to resort to listening to the BBC game shows over the Internet …
50 Luau fare : POI
Nowadays, the word “luau” denotes almost any kind of party on the Hawaiian Islands. To the purist, a luau is a feast that always includes a serving of poi, the bulbous underground stems of taro.
53 “Revolutionary Road” author Richard : YATES
Richard Yates was a novelist and short story writer from Yonkers, New York. The most famous of his works was his first novel, “Revolutionary Road”, published in 1962. The novel was adapted into a 2008 movie of the same name starring Kate Winslet and Leonardo Di Caprio.
58 “__ Doubtfire” : MRS
The 1993 comedy “Mrs. Doubtfire” is based on a 1987 novel called “Madame Doubtfire” by Anne Fine. The movie is set and was filmed in San Francisco. The title role is played by Robin Williams, who spent most of the movie dressed as the female Mrs. Doubtfire. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the movie won the Oscar for Best Makeup.
Read on, or …
… return to top of page
Complete List of Clues/Answers
Across
1 Sanitizer targets : GERMS
6 “Mad Money” cable network : CNBC
10 Actress Mazar : DEBI
14 Lab vessel : FLASK
15 Does some horticultural work : HOES
16 Group with reserves : OPEC
17 R : LOPSIDED VICTORY (Rout)
20 Widespread alert, for short : APB
21 “The Tilled Field” painter Joan : MIRO
22 Speed : RACE
23 Leaves in hot water? : TEA
24 B : PRIZE FIGHT (Bout)
27 Trifle (with) : TOY
29 __ pen : VAPE
30 Whit : IOTA
32 What coastlines and hairlines may do : RECEDE
35 Reel Big Fish genre : SKA
38 P : SULKY EXPRESSION (Pout)
41 “Three Little Kittens” treat : PIE
42 Quick bursts : SPURTS
43 Go : EXIT
44 Like racehorses : SHOD
45 Skin pic : TAT
46 T : CREATE HYPE (Tout)
51 “Go me!” : YAY!
54 Harvest : REAP
55 “__ Flux”: 1990s MTV series : AEON
56 HHS agency : FDA
57 “That’s a lost opportunity,” and what can be said to the writer of four clues in this puzzle : YOU’RE MISSING OUT
61 Spoonful, perhaps : DOSE
62 __ learning : ROTE
63 “Go me!” : I RULE!
64 Brief timetable : SKED
65 Takes to court : SUES
66 Organizes : SORTS
Down
1 Major key for some piano works by Chopin and Schubert : G-FLAT
2 Travel to an away match? : ELOPE
3 Climactic scene in the Eminem film “8 Mile” : RAP BATTLE
4 Bks.-to-be : MSS
5 Revealing, in a way : SKIMPY
6 French endearment : CHERI
7 Help for the overnight shift, maybe : NO-DOZ
8 Writer/activist Harris in the documentary “Hacking Democracy” : BEV
9 Procedural franchise since 2000 : CSI
10 Mental decline : DOTAGE
11 Unit in geochronology : EPOCH
12 Top of the art world? : BERET
13 Distant : ICY
18 Hollywood VIP : DIR
19 “Jinkies!” : CRIPES!
25 Chris who won four straight US Opens in the 1970s : EVERT
26 Tapered haircuts : FADES
28 Wine cask wood : OAK
30 Web access co. : ISP
31 “Certainement!” : OUI!
32 Tend to an overgrown plant : REPOT
33 Give off : EXUDE
34 EMT skill : CPR
35 Number of squares on a chess board : SIXTY-FOUR
36 Fish that can transform into a dragon, per Japanese legend : KOI
37 Little pest : ANT
39 Tuning fork feature : Y-SHAPE
40 Neptune’s realm : SEA
44 Pan-__ scallops : SEARED
45 Game of love : TENNIS
46 Thief : CROOK
47 Get more mileage out of : REUSE
48 Celerity : HASTE
49 Some 20 Questions answers : YESES
50 Luau fare : POI
52 Not for minors : ADULT
53 “Revolutionary Road” author Richard : YATES
57 NFL stat : YDS
58 “__ Doubtfire” : MRS
59 Letters of credit? : IOU
60 Syllable in some lawn product names : GRO
Leave a comment (below), or …
… return to top of page
13 thoughts on “LA Times Crossword 8 Mar 24, Friday”
Comments are closed.
This is supposed to be a commuter puzzle, well it is not!we are used to Jacquelyn matthews puzzles, so you can see why this puzzle was not well received.
There are different levels of crossword users. This was a terrible disappointment. I like a puzzle that is fun and one I can complete in 30 min or less. Just a wrong fit.
No errors…the clue at 57A really opened this one up👍👍
Stay safe😀
Anyone else have trouble getting on this website?
17:34, no errors. This one was a lot of fun. Obviously getting the theme with 57A was necessary but after that things fell into place nicely. For me the last area to be solved was the top center with NODOZ falling into place with the aid of PRIZEFIGHT and then CNBC, MIRO, etc.
I especially enjoy Friday and Saturday puzzles because they are usually more difficult for me than the rest of the week’s puzzles. This is news to me that this is supposed to be a commuter puzzle and is supposed to be easy every day.
22:39 – no errors or lookups. False starts: FAR>ICY, USHAPE>YSHAPE, NOYES>YESES, TDS>YDS, TOUGH___>YOURE___.
New or forgotten: DEBI Mazar, “The Tilled Field,” Joan MIRO, “Reel Big Fish,” “AEON Flux,” BEV Harris, “Hacking Democracy,” “celerity,” “Revolutionary Road,” Richard YATES.
After getting the top half of the grid filled in, and much of the bottom, I was having difficulty completing the bottom half. Finally figured out pan-SEARED, corrected TDS>YDS, and filled in 57A. Having already filled 17A and 24A, I saw the scheme to add “out” to the single-lettered clues, figured out 38A and 46A, made a couple of corrections, and then completed the rest of the grid.
Had initially considered only the top half of a tuning fork’s shape, hence the U>Y correction.
Duplicate cluing with “Go me!”.
Poi, koi, toy, oy! Lots of three letter answers, (iou – oui) and I didn’t love sked, but Joe Dipietro creates NYT puzzles and this one felt like one of them. Tough to get started and I did not get the theme until I came here, but finished with one error, no lookups – taste instead of haste (I know that makes no sense). I liked it. Yesterdays Doug Peterson contribution was also a little tough and he does NYT puzzles too.
12 minutes 54 seconds and needed Check Grid help to find an error in 4 fills. In all, this puzzle was cynically clued, the theme was just “a step too far” for most people to have to make, and indicative of the terrible job our “new” editor is doing. Cleverer-than-thou CRAP.
Since I didn’t understand the one letter clues and since I didn’t solve 57A, I played from behind. My first thought was they stood for words R (are), B (be or bee), P (pee😋) and T (tea)…but then the first long “theme clue” that I got was 38A and there went that idea.
I did manage to complete 3/4ths of it before getting frustrated and deciding the challenge was no longer worth my time.
I also had a problem posting my comment. I kept getting an error message.
Have a great weekend everyone
A bit too tricky for me today; took 32:01 with 5 errors and 2 check-grids to finally get the NE and a few scattered squares. Got the theme reveal but couldn’t work with it the top theme clue…which in retrospect is pretty easy. So, really should’ve got it all
These are supposed to be commuter puzzles?? Not!!
This one was way to tough for me though.
That took way too long… about 30 minutes.. but no errors!!!!!!!
YAY for me! Or GO ME! I RULE!!!
JINKIES!!!
IM-OUT!!
I’m always amused at the different ways that “elope” is clued! This one may be my favorite.
I saw the letter clues, and figured I better try to get the theme, so I went immediately to 57A. Once I got that the rest fell into place, though I have never heard of “jinkies”. I got that only by getting the crosses.