google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Tuesday, March 10, 2015 John Lampkin

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Mar 10, 2015

Tuesday, March 10, 2015 John Lampkin

Theme: Rossini opera - I'll not link the overture; it's already playing in my head.

20A. *Ornamental flower with clustered blooms : SWEET WILLIAM

36A. *Blab about one's romantic life : KISS AND TELL

43A. *Luxury car until the 1930s : PIERCE-ARROW

57A. *Former PBS science show with a fruit in its title logo : NEWTON'S APPLE

65A. Body support for the end of 57-Across, in a Swiss folk tale suggested by the ends of the answers to starred clues : HEAD (Placed directly under APPLE)

Argyle here. Now this is more like it. I would not expect anything less from John.

Across:

1. Cavern effect : ECHO

5. Cornfield call : [CAW!]

8. "Frozen" studio : DISNEY

14. Amorphous mass : BLOB

15. "Say again?" : "HUH?"

16. Mercedes-Benz sedan line : E CLASS

17. Disapproving cries from bleacher "birds" : BOOs. The Boo Birds

18. Prefix with meter : ODO

19. "I do" setting : CHAPEL. And 33. "I do" : "YES"

23. Wall St. index : NYSE

24. Steeped brew : TEA

25. Badlands bovine : BISON

29. "Green Eggs and Ham" guy : SAM

31. Marshmallow-filled snack : MOON PIE


39. Brainchild : IDEA

41. "Dancing With the Stars" move : TWIRL

42. Law school newbie : ONE L. First year law student.

46. Like deadpan humor : DRY

47. Bringing up the rear : ENDMOST

48. Tail movement : WAG and 54A. Comment from Fido : [WOOF!]

50. "Speak up!" : "SAY IT!". "Good dog!"

51. Had a meal : ATE

61. African desert : SAHARA

64. Beat it : RAN. Made a hasty retreat.

66. Online form entry : USER ID

67. __-fi : SCI

68. Ireland, in poetry : ERIN

69. Sonnet features : RHYMES

70. 1930s N.L. home run king Mel : OTT. A Giant in crossword clues.

71. __ avis : RARA

Down:

1. Flows back : EBBS

2. Kids' party performer : CLOWN

3. Twaddle : HOOEY. Love it.

4. Think constantly about something : OBSESS

5. Food on the trail : CHOW. First thought, GORP.

6. Review of books? : AUDIT

7. Unbroken : WHOLE

8. Tenth: Pref. : DECI. Deca - comprised of ten.

9. Crane who fled the Headless Horseman : ICHABOD

10. Hit very hard : SLAM INTO

11. Snooze : NAP

12. Peoria-to-Cincinnati dir. : ESE

13. French designer's initials : YSL. (Yves Saint Laurent)

21. Shipbuilding wood : TEAK

22. Hedy of Hollywood : LAMARR



26. Use up cash : SPEND

27. Persian Gulf ship : OILER

28. Nice __: prude : NELLY. ...or not so nice.


30. Teeny parasites : MITES

32. At the minimum setting : ON LOW

33. "Goodness me!" : YIPES

34. Twin Cities suburb : EDINA

35. Like a run-down motel : SEEDY

37. Go after, as a mosquito : SWAT AT

38. Elton John's title : SIR

40. Linked while walking, as friends : ARM IN ARM

44. Circle of friends : COTERIE

45. H2O, to a toddler : "WAWA"

49. Burrowing rodent : GOPHER

52. Sculpted figure : TORSO

53. Put into law : ENACT

55. "The Marriage of Figaro," e.g. : OPERA

56. Knack : FLAIR

58. Rolls of money : WADS

59. Agitated state : SNIT

60. Funny Dame : EDNA. "Funny" funny dame.



61. Big __, California : SUR

62. Hearth remains : ASH

63. "Yo!" : "HEY!". "Wake up, the party's over!"


Argyle


Note from C.C.:

Happy Birthday to our foodie Avg Joe! I could not locate his signature Ham and Split Pea Soup recipe on the blog last Christmas and winged it. The soup turned out to be very tasty but thick. Very filling.




52 comments:

Ergo said...


Looking for some non-puzzle related feedback. How do you pronounce "Mantra?"

Is it 'man-tra' or 'mohn-tra'? Even the online audio pronunciation programs differ. Regional dialect perhaps.

Thank you and you may now begin puzzle commentary. :-)

Barry G. said...

Morning, all (and Happy Birthday, Avg Joe)!

Smooth puzzle, for the most part. Started reading the clue for the theme reveal at 65A and gave up (TL/DR). Fortunately, didn't need to know the theme to get the rest of the puzzle. After I finished the solve, I went back and had a nice *AHA* moment when I saw what John had done.

Almost crashed and burned by putting in YIKES instead of YIPES. I'm not familiar with the PIERCE ARROW, but I knew that KIERCE ARROW probably wasn't right. And thankfully I was able to dredge up COTERIE from somewhere, otherwise I would have been left with KIER_E ARROW and no clue...

As for "mantra", I've always pronounced it as man-tra and I'm from the Boston area where we say awnt for aunt. Go figure.

Lemonade714 said...

I loved this puzzle especially the placement of the APPLE on the HEAD.

There were some other fun fill like COTERIE ICHABOD and MOON PIE.

Thank you JL and a great write up Argyle.

MAHNTRA for me. OM ON

Lemonade714 said...

OOPS HBDTY HBDTY hbdaj and many more

desper-otto said...

Good morning!

Zip, zip, done. Never got the theme -- Florida was filled by the downs, so I never saw the reveal clue. Nice fill this morning from JL with ICHABOD, COTERIE, HOOEY and CHOW. MITES seem to be the only bugs who were called upon to perform.

CSO to C.C with EDINA.

Happy birthday, Avg Joe! And many more!

Ergo, I say it like a man.

Hahtoolah said...

Good Morning, Argyle and friends. Fun Tuesday puzzle. The theme came easily to me. I knew of the PIERCE-ARROW from reading old novels.

Hedy LAMARR was more than just an actress. She was also an inventor and pioneer in wireless communications, whose contributions helped during WWII.

Hand up for thinking GORP before CHOW, but i knew that CAW was correct.

I also had Vow before YES for I DO.

My sister called breakfast cereal WA WA.

Happy Birthday, Avg Joe.

QOD: Realize when you are “middle aged” you have a chance for a whole second career, another love, another life. ~ Sharon Stone (b. Mar. 10, 1958)

Ergo said...

Happy birthday Avg Joe. With the prevailing SW wind I can detect the aroma of the German Sweet Chocolate cake that permeates the air.

OwenKL said...

In an old Swiss canton, sad to TELL,
A contest was held, with consequence fell.
A APPLE was placed upon a HEAD,
The archer felt an awful dread.
His hands had a quiver he strove to quell.

His son blew to WILLIAM a confident kiss,
From the sheriff's men came an evil hiss.
ARROW nocked in trusty bow,
Sweating fingers letting go --
That day, of all days, did Bill Blooper miss!

┘╔╗└
╔╝╚╗
╚╗╔╝
┐║║┌
┐╚╝┌

Want to make your car look special? Check out my shticker on Zazzle.

thehondohurricane said...

Good day folks,

Got thru today without any errors or major hold ups, but with a learning moment or two.

I'm sure no vase in our home has ever displayed Sweet William. That is because filled vases have usually been bought and paid for by Sweet Skip!

HOOEY is Twaddle? Okay, fine by me if Mssrs Lampkin & Norris say so.

Anyone but me wonder why daylight savings time begins so early in the year and runs so late?

Happy birthday Ave Joe. Have a fun day.

HeartRx said...

Happy Birthday, Avg Joe!I hope you have lots of fun today - I always enjoy your comments and links.
¸¸¸.•*¨*♫♥♫¸¸¸.•*¨*♫♥♫¸¸¸.•*¨*♫♥♫¸¸¸.•*¨*♫♥♫

Argyle, I'm starting to sound like a "yes-woman," but I agree with you again today.

Lots of fun fill:
CLOWN HOOEY BLOB BOOS makes a fun corner for starters, with WOOF WAG and WA-WA rounding out the game.

ergo, same as Lemony: "mahn-tra."

Tinbeni said...

Happy Birthday Avg.Joe!!!

Argyle, Nice write-up. Especially enjoyed the LAMARR link.
John: Thank you for a FUN Tuesday solving experience.

Fave today was HOOEY.

If the only thing to drink is TEA, I'll have to look around Villa Incognito for something a bit stronger.
Cheers!

oc4beach said...

Nice Tuesday puzzle. I had a few hiccups with ENDMOST and COTERIE, but perps came to the rescue again. Otherwise it was fairly straightforward.

ERGO: A number of the dictionary web sites give both pronunciations. I've always said MAN-tra.

The temperature got to 54 degrees yesterday and the snow is starting to melt. Spring is coming.

CanadianEh! said...

Fun puzzle today with a little bite for a Tuesday. Last to fall was the mid west coast because I had YIKES and my motel was WEARY.

Hand up for Vow before I DO. I was trying to spell GOFER and SMORE (didn't know MOON PIE) but they wouldn't fit.
I always have to wait for perps to decide between ERIN or EIRE.

We had HEY, HUH, and YES but no EH!
Like a good Canadian, I say man-tra.
HBD Avg Joe!

Irish Miss said...

Good Morning:

This was a fun and easy offering from JL, as usual. I saw the theme when I filled in Pierce Arrow. Clever, indeed.

So, thank you, Mr. Lampkin for brightening our day and thank you, Mr. Argyle, for you wit and wisdom.

A very Happy Birthday to Avg Joe. Hope you do something special to celebrate.

Hand up for mahn-tra.

Have a great day.

Avg Joe said...

A fun little romp from John Lampkin today. Like many I started with Yikes, but knew Pierce Arrow, so that straightened out in a hurry.

Odd that Clown was a fill today. I'm not sure it's a good thing, but the first thought that went through my head as my feet hit the floor this morning was Isn't it rich...

Thanks for all the birthday wishes. Nothing strenuous planned. Shrimp Lo Mein for dinner made in my gift from LW, a new Sur La Table wok. And my favorite cake...cheesecake.

Abejo said...

Good morning, folks. Thank you, John Lampkin, for a fine puzzle. Thank you, Argyle, for a fine review.

First, Happy Birthday, Average Joe, and many more. Always enjoy your posts.

Second, Ergo, I pronounce Mantra with a short "a." I expect the preferred is the "ah" version, however.

Third, I just got back from giving a pint of blood this morning. That is where I started the puzzle. Finished at home.

Got through the puzzle easily. Theme was fine. I had them all before NEWTON'S APPLE and HEAD. Clever. Not me the theme.

Liked TEA for 24A. I am on my 4th cup of Earl Grey, as we speak.

I am not a fan of MOON PIEs. Too sweet for me.

I also thought of GORP for 5D. Held off until I had an across which gave me CHOW. My mother used to make her own GORP when she hiked the Appalachian Trail. It was pretty good.

The snow is starting to melt here in Chicagoland. Just hope it does not melt too fast.

My 324 seedlings have almost all risen from their beds. I can't wait to plant them outside. Tomatoes, Eggplant, peppers, and celery. All the rest I plant in the garden from seed.

See you tomorrow.

Abejo

( )

Husker Gary said...

Musings
-A lovely Tuesday entry but I missed the APPLE/HEAD juxtaposition
-Like The William Tell Overture, Also Spach Zarathustra is now associated with a modern media. Others?
-BOOing high school players is gauche
-I wonder what the divorce rate is for those married in this CHAPEL?
-This famous mogul grazes thousands of BISON on his Nebraska ground
-My grandkids are “creeped out” by CLOWNS
-A pure slice of Americana music (3:07) about something Unbroken most of you will know without clicking
-A paradigm shifting ARM-IN-ARM march from 50 years ago
-Happy Birthday to fellow Husker, Level Headed Joe!
-Name the speaker/movie, “I think he wants to SAY IT. I think he's pissed off that he's gotta hide from this. I think he wants to SAY that he made a command decision and that's the end of it.”

Chairman Moe said...

"puzzling thoughts":

HBDTY, Avg Joe! Enjoy the Chinese dinner and cheesecake

MAN-tra

Just a few ink blots today; again, no checking on perps, and I had DECA instead of DECI, so SWEET WILLIAM looked like SWEET WILLAAM

Overall, I enjoyed the puzzle and found it challenging enough for a Tuesday; thanks Mr Lampkin for a cute theme and clever cluing

Two clue observations: first time I can recall OTT being clued by a reference to the decade in which he was a HR "King"; Law School Newbie = ONE L; not getting the meaning. Someone hit me with a V8 can, OK?

Daylight Saving Time began early for me after an entire day of travel (Saturday 9:00 am departure - 1:00 am Sunday arrival), and it's kicking my a$$ right now. Body clock and wrist watch are not in sync

69A - RHYMES - reminded me that it's been awhile since I posted/created a limerick; of course Owen has been nailing them lately, so I'll defer and enjoy his

Montana said...

Nice Tuesday puzzle.

Happy Birthday, Ave Joe!! May weather treat you kindly!

Montana

C6D6 Peg said...

No "Aha" moment, even after Argyle's explanation. Had to review the grid several times before I saw it.

Nice puzzle, John. Thank you.

And nice write-up, Argyle.

Unknown said...

I had heard of Hedy Lamarr, but left to my own devices, would have spelled it Heddy Lamar!

Lucina said...

Greetings, puzzlers! Thank you, John Lampkin for a fun filled grid and Argyle, too.

Happy birthday, Avg Joe! It sounds like a lovely celebration for you.

I love it when a puzzle combines both fun and FLAIR. JL does it.

I laughed at the crossing of WAWA, WAG and WOOF.

Have a delightful Tuesday, everyone!

John V said...

I grew up on Buffalo, NY, and recall the old Piece Arrow plant on Elmwood Avenue, pretty close to Cardinal Dougherty, my high school. Fun to see those words again, after a very long time.

Misty said...

I always love John Lampkin puzzles, but was a tad worried this morning--huge relief that PIERCE ARROW turned out to be right. Also thought of VOW before YES, but changed it quickly. I couldn't imagine what the theme was going to be as I worked along, until I got the reveal. Clever, clever, clever! A real satisfying treat in the end.

Have a wonderful birthday dinner, Av Joe!

And have a great Tuesday, everybody!

Jayce said...

Very cool puzzle today. I enjoyed it greatly.

MAN truh.

I love the name Ichabod, but I'm glad it isn't my name. You know who they ask what your name is when you come into a restaurant or order a coffee, and then when they are ready they call your name on the loudspeaker? Well, I always say my name is Ichabod, or sometimes Algernon, because I can't audibly distinguish my single-syllable name from so many other single-syllable names that sound similar when announced hurriedly over the intercom.

Happy birthday greetings, Avg Joe, and best wishes to you all.

John Lampkin said...

Thanks all for the kind words.
Argyle, I am now kicking myself for not linking OPERA to Rossini as a "bonus entry"!
Very amusing links. Nice finds!

coneyro said...

Quick and easy today. Only unknowns to me were SWEETWILLIAM and PIERCEARROW, but perps and knowing the theme helped fill them in.

RE: Rainman's questions yesterday....

A convert would be accepted into temple if the conversion was done within the religious specifications of that group. There are different main "sects" of Judaism i.e.Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform(and variations thereof) with each having their own criteria to be met.
Jews are NOT all Israelis. Those born or live in the Holy Land are. Jews born in Israel are also known as SABRAS. Nationality is the country of origin. I am an American Jew. Judaism is a religion NOT a nationality.
Hope that answers it for you.

Speaking of Israel, who has watched the new show DIG? I found it very ala DA VINCI CODE. It has promise and I'm enjoying the mystery.

Got to run. Bye for today.

Dudley said...

Hello Puzzlers -

A thoroughly enjoyable JL today. Hand up for being unaware of Hedy Lamarr's inventions. I'm sorry that our society was hard-wired against recognizing women's contributions for so long. At least it's getting better

I have only heard Mahn-tra. The other way sounds strange to me.

HBTY Avg. Joe!

Lemonade714 said...

JL always brings out the silliness in me so how about this quiz/answers for all the Corner teachers:

Q1.. In which battle did Napoleon die?
* his last battle

Q2.. Where was the Declaration of Independence signed?
* at the bottom of the page

Q3.. River Ravi flows in which state?
* liquid

Q4.. What is the main reason for divorce?
* marriage

Q5.. What is the main reason for failure?
* exams

Q6.. What can you never eat for breakfast?
* Lunch & dinner

Continued...

Lemonade714 said...

Q7.. What looks like half an apple?
* The other half

Q8.. If you throw a red stone into the blue sea what will it become?
* Wet

Q9.. How can a man go eight days without sleeping ?
* No problem, he sleeps at night.

Q10. How can you lift an elephant with one hand?
* You will never find an elephant that has one hand.

Q11. If you had three apples and four oranges in one hand and four apples and three oranges in other hand, what would you have?
* Very large hands

Q12. If it took eight men ten hours to build a wall, how long would it take four men to build it?
*No time at all, the wall is already built.

Q13. How can u drop a raw egg onto a concrete floor without cracking it?
*Any way you want, concrete floors are very hard to crack.

Lemonade714 said...

Those who believed in the deity who was with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Moses did not become either Israelites or Jews until the kingdom of Israel was formed after the 40 years in the desert and the temple built.

Israel broke into two regions, Israel and Judah.

Jews pray in Synagogues because there can be no temple without the ark of the covenant, though convention has given every synagogue a "Temple" name.

Being a Jew is complicated because it does involve many religious and non-religious aspects, prejudices and choices. Most of us are proud to be considered a Jew, but the meaning of that varies. There are rabbis who believe to be a Jew you must merely declare to G-d and the world that you are a Jew. Others believe you must survive a lengthy and difficult process.

Most agree that dealing with the continuing subtle forces of anti-semitism discourage most from casually declaring their allegiance. But hey, no religon, no politics

CrossEyedDave said...

My reaction to seeing John Lampkin under the puzzle grid this A.M.

HBD Avg Joe! Chinese & Cheesecake? Really?
(press the arrow in the pic for the full how to video, & if it hits an apple, it's not my fault...)

How I feel after Chinese & Cheesecake....

Bill G. said...

Happy birthday Joe! I hope you have a great day.

Mahn-tra for me.

I LOVE Dame Edna! Thanks for the link.

Spitzboov said...

Good afternoon everyone.

Happy Birthday, Avg. Joe.

Always fun to do a John Lampkin puzzle. Theme fill was easy. Clever idea! Only slowdown was getting ONE L parsed correctly. Wanted 'church' before CHAPEL. Favorite fill was HOOEY.

Slow day on comments today so let me offer this head-scratcher ala Bill one G:

This year is the 100th anniversary of the Navy Reserve. Who are the 6 US Presidents who who had served earlier as young officers in the Navy Reserve?

CrossEyedDave said...

What to do AFTER the puzzle? Oh Good Grief!

Wait a Nsec, this is a little more fun. (The guy dies in different ways depending on where you hit him...)

Appleshooter2.com

It's a FLASH based game, so it will not work on Apple devices, (Ironic, isn't it...)

Anonymous said...

Bill Clinton?

no...wait...

Barack Obama?

Rainman said...

Avg Joe, Happy Natal Anny!!!

Lemony, thanks for the education. Lots to know.

John Lampkin, thanks for a very satisfactory endeavor today. Yeah, your avatar still reminds some of us of Kevin Spacey. Your William Tell theme made me think of all the possibilities you may have considered, such as Rossini's OVERTURE.

Unknown said...

I had heard of Hedy Lamarr of course, but left to my own devices, would have spelled it Heddy Lamar! She sounds interesting - I'm going to have to read up on her!

JD said...

Delightful puzzle, Mr. Lampkin. Loved the fill, although twaddle>hooey took all perps.

HB Avg. Joe...enjoy your day.

Lucina said...

oops. forgot, it's man-tra for me

Anonymous said...

Thank you for the puzzle, John Lampkin! I was out of town for a couple days and this was an easy way to unwind from my drive home. Thanks for the expo, Argyle. I'll go back later tonight and see the links.

Favorite c/a: 34d: Twin Cities suburb. My daughter was born in Fairview/Southdale hospital in EDINA, MN.

Also liked 12d: Peoria-to-Cincinnati dir: Cincinnati is home.

Happiest of birthdays to you, Avg Joe! Dinner sounds great!

Lemonade: enjoyed the silly quiz/answers

Hope your Tuesday is a great one!

Pat

Sallie said...

Happy birthday, Avg. Joe.

Please put the answers to the six presidents in soon, Spitzboov.

DNF today. I got stuck on quite a few. Like PIERCE ARROW and SWEET ?

Cheers

Spitzboov said...

Sallie admonished me to list the answers to my 1425 post:

The Presidents were Messrs. Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter and Bush (41).

Maci45 said...

Knew the Pierce-Arrow. Hand up for Yes and Vow. I remember Moonpies from New Orleans. No idea about the Sweet William. Tried Mame before Edna. Wasn't thinking Bison for the bovine.

I say mohn-tra.

fermatprime said...

Greetings!

NONSENSE CED! You can play the game on any standard Mac.

Great puzzle, John, as usual! Swell expo, Santa!

Still sick here. It is nice and warm outside.

Cheers!

fermatprime said...

Happy Birthday, Joe!

Man-tra.

Anonymous T said...

Hi All!

Happy Birthday AveJoe! I always look forward to your posts. Hope your day was great!

YES! What a fun puzzle from Mr. Lampkin; I always enjoy your puzzles (maybe just not as much as CED / Sheldon). Nice writeup & title Argyle; loved the Blazing Saddles link.

W/os - 41a Tango -> TWIRL, 15a wha before HUH, 56d I confidently put in Forte, and at 63d: Yo!, sup? Last one: WEES YIkES. I kept thinking KIER?E was some German car kompany :-)

All worked out in the end, so no BOOS.

Fav: USERID. I had the same uid all through college, DOD stint, and my last employer of 15 yrs. With my new position, it's first.last@ :-(

Does any one remember APPLE'S NEWTON?

coneyro - DW and I watched DIG last night. It was pretty good. I hope they go BBC-like and end it after 12 or 14 episodes and don't drag it out like Lost; they lost me there.

Ergo - I pronounce it mon-tra, but I wouldn't listen to how I say things(WKRP).

Cheers, -T

Barry G. said...

Thanks for the silly questions, Lemonade! I printed them out and shared them with my son, who thought they were a hoot.

Occasional Lurker said...

Happy Birthday, Average Joe, and many more -

Re: Mantra - Are we just taking a survey of how we pronounce the word - or how the word is originally pronounced ?

In India, ( sanskrit - ) it is pronounced mun-tr(a). The first syllable rhymes with 'hun' ( as in 'honey'), and the last vowel 'a' is so soft as to be non existent.


Lemonade, Regarding your quiz questions #1

In which battle did Napoleon die ?
* his last battle.

Is this a trick question ?? - because Napoleon did not die in any battle - he died 9 years into exile in St. Helena. He probably died in some battles between alchoholism and boredom .... or of arsenic poisoning, if the best selling book is to be believed.

I just read the Wikipedia, chapter, yesterday, of how the return of his body, to Paris, after 20 Years !!! .....unseated the existing King Louis Phillipe and eventually put a Napoleon's nephew ( Napoleon the III) on the throne, of sorts.

Avg Joe said...

Thanks again for all the birthday wishes everyone. It's been an interesting day, with a lot of phone calls, so I'm beat.

The shrimp lo mein was pretty good. The strawberry cheesecake was wonderful. I'm full.

Goodnight all.

Anonymous T said...

OcL - Being in tech, I have many Indian friends; perhaps that's why I pronounce it closer to mun-tra than man-tra. Thanks. C, -T

Anonymous T said...

G'night Joe - glad you had a good one. -T