Hello Cornerites!
sumdaze here. Today's puzzle was constructed by a Erik Agard. Erik has had several of his creations featured on the L.A. Times puzzle pages. Most (but not all) have been themeless Saturdays.
Perhaps I was a bit slow on the upTAKE; but, at times, I felt today's puzzle was both later-in-the-week difficulty and even themeless. I had to make a few laps before I was able to complete the grid and spot the pattern. In the end, it all came together nicely.
Erik has given us four 2-word entries that have a _AKE _OLD pattern.
Turning that around, we arrive at today's theme: Old Ache
I will let that thought simmer a bit while we look at the grid and appreciate its masterful symmetry. Notice how the themers align in column 8.
26 Across. Dessert-shaping aid: CAKE MOLD. This is not as gross as it sounds. It is a baking pan used to make special-occasion cakes. (This answer has the potential to keep CED occupied all morning!)
| [TAG3] |
| Here is a heart-shaped CAKE MOLD for tomorrow. |
33 Across. Inspire fearlessness in: MAKE BOLD. Another way to clue this could be "Ctrl B".
46 Across. Start to have an effect: TAKE HOLD.
52 Across. Cheap jewelry material: FAKE GOLD. Does it sound fancier if we call it "faux gold"?
And now, the mistAKEs fortOLD...
Across:
1. Cut on a cutting board: CHOP. I checked a perp before entering "dice".5. Decorative or dental creation: INLAY. Even with a double clue, I was still lost.
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| decorative wood floor & dental INLAYs |
10. Bestselling South Korean band: BTS. Credit to ATL Granny for her memory trick "Boys That Sing".
13. Duration of a massage, typically: HOUR. I am 'all in' on the hot rocks.
14. Followed a doctor's instruction: SAID AH. Two weeks ago we decided that ahh was a contented sound (see 13A) and that aah was uttered with a tongue depressor. Aargh!
16. Creature in fantasy stories: ORC.
17. See 38-Down: ALTO. and 38 Down. With 17-Across, Silicon Valley city: PALO.
PALO ALTO is named after a majestic 1,000 year old coastal redwood tree along San Francisquito Creek where early Spanish explorers once camped and has grown alongside Stanford University for more than 125 years. Palo Alto is recognized as a global leader in cutting-edge technological development and is known as the "Birthplace of Silicon Valley.”
18. As opposed to: UNLIKE. This meaning usually fits when UNLIKE is the first word of the sentence. Example: UNLIKE pre-Facebook days, today's trollers often use icons to SLAM others' ideas.
18. As opposed to: UNLIKE. This meaning usually fits when UNLIKE is the first word of the sentence. Example: UNLIKE pre-Facebook days, today's trollers often use icons to SLAM others' ideas.
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| fashionable NIA Long |
21. Highway or byway: ROAD. Cute clue!
22. Not banned: LEGAL.
24. Flag holder: POLE.
28. "Without further __ ... ": ADO.
30. "I just got it!": AHA.
32. Grains that aren't part of a healthy diet: SAND. Today's winner of The Best Misdirection Award!
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| grains of SAND |
36. Spingarn Medal org.: NAACP. I am familiar with the NAACP but was unfamiliar with the Spingarn Medal. This is what I learned.
39. Part of a process: STEP.
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| Bucatini and capellini PASTAs |
42. Criticize: SLAM. (See 18A.)
44. Studio Ghibli specialty: ANIME. Studio Ghibli is an animation studio founded in 1985 and based in Tokyo. Here is a sampling of their films:
48. "¿Qué te __, calabaza?": PASA.
Spanish slang. It literally means, "What's happening, pumpkin?" and is a childishly friendly way of asking someone what is going on.
50. Like the main characters in "Fire Island": GAY.
50. Like the main characters in "Fire Island": GAY.
Fire Island (2022) official trailer (2:21 min.)
51. "Help!" letters: SOS.
Speaking of Morse Code, did you know that the Morse Code for the letter V ( . . . -) is a tribute to Beethoven's 5th Symphony? Get it? 5=V in Roman numerals. Now say it in your head, "dot dot dot daaaaash". Source: Good Job Brain podcast (where I get most of my trivia knowledge)
56. Woman yelling at a cat, for one: MEME.
56. Woman yelling at a cat, for one: MEME.
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| Is this is what this is about? Is it supposed to be funny? I do not see the humor. |
58. NCAA basketball powerhouse: UCONN. National Collegiate Athletic Association is abbreviated, so is the University of Connecticut. The Huskies have appeared in 34 NCAA tournaments and have won 4 times. (1999, 2004, 2011, and 2014).
59. Basketball great Leslie: LISA. LISA Leslie did not go to UCONN. She went to USC (1990-1994). She and her team played in the NCAA tournament 4 consecutive years.
61. LSD: ACID.
64. GPS stat: ETA. Global Positioning System is abbreviated, so is Estimated Time of Arrival.
65. Familiarized with: USED TO.
67. Earned: MADE.
68. "Gr8 joke!": LOL. Both are textspeak.
69. Turn indicator, e.g.: SIGNAL.
70. Squander, as cash: BLOW.
71. Spanish title: Abbr.: SRA.
72. __ dish: biologist's container: PETRI. and 25 Down. Experiment site: LAB.
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| amoebas in a petri dish |
73. Enemy's opposite: ALLY.
Down:
1. Talk a bit: CHAT.
2. Doughnut's middle: HOLE.
3. Very vocal: OUTSPOKEN.
(adjective) direct and open in speech or expression; spoken or expressed without reserve.
4. Prefix with type: PROTO.
4. Prefix with type: PROTO.
5. "Uh, yeah, it better be!": I SURE HOPE SO.
6. Prefix with tech: NANO. Hand up for first entering robO.
I learned this from listening to Neil deGrassse Tyson:
The speed of light is approximately 186,000 miles per second which is about 1 foot per NANOsecond (1 billionth of a second). So if I am sitting 3 ft. away from you, I see you 3 billionths of a second in the past.
Kind of mind-blowing, right?
7. Purple flower: LILAC.
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| Depending on where you live and the variety you choose, LILACs bloom April through June. |
8. Nike competitor: ADIDAS.
9. Talk a lot: YAK. "gAb" changed to YAK
10. Afro-Cuban drum: BONGO. Here are 3 beats:
11. Experiment: TRIAL. as in "a trial run"
12. Heat to nearly boiling, as milk: SCALD. why it is good to scald milk
15. Montana capital: HELENA.
23. Long punctuation mark: EM DASH. I remember this was discussed here on the Corner not too long ago. Here is a reminder.
27. Native Hawaiians: KANAKA MAOLI. This is a tough one but it is made 54% easier if you know that there are only 13 characters in the Hawaiian alphabet. One is a glottal stop (the okina, indicated by an apostrophe). These are the other 12:
IMHO, this clue plays a bit fast & loose with the Ante Meridiem ... but I like it.
29. Experiment results: DATA.
31. __ carte menu: À LA.
29. Experiment results: DATA.
31. __ carte menu: À LA.
34. Emergency treatment for an allergic reaction: EpiPen.
35. Setting not observed by Hawaii: Abbr.: DST. Is this because the letters D, S, & T are not in the Hawaiian alphabet? 😉
This year, all states except for Hawaii and Arizona will switch to Daylight Savings Time on Sunday, March 12, "springing forward" from 1:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m.
37. "Phew!": CLOSE CALL. Here's one for baseball fans:
37. "Phew!": CLOSE CALL. Here's one for baseball fans:
41. Word after price or phone: TAG. another fun clue!
43. Hosp. personnel: MDS. "Hospital" is abbreviated, so it Doctors of Medicine.
45. Name that means "great" in Latin: MAGNUS. Most Popular Viking Names
47. Retina's place: EYE.
| [TAG24] |
| This is Husker Gary's helpful diagram from Saturday's puzzle. |
49. Claim: ALLEGE. verbs
52. Propane and ethanol: FUELS.
53. Cast member: ACTOR.
54. Australian marsupial: KOALA.
55. "__ Cha Know?": Erykah Badu song: DIDN'T. The "cha" was a hint at the contraction.
57. Fast snake: MAMBA. Black MAMBAs are among the fastest snakes in the world, slithering at speeds up to 12.5 mph (20 kph). Tonight when you go to sleep, try not to dream about them chasing you. more black MAMBA facts
60. __ of David: STAR.
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| Israel's flag features the Star of David. |
62. Big celebrity: IDOL.
63. Description for hydrated skin: DEWY. The Dewey Decimal System is spelt differently.
66. Quick drink: SIP.
Here is one more before I go:
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| snowflAKE cOLD |
That's all for today. I look forward to reading your comments!