9.12.2010

S U N D A Y   September 12, 2010
Merl Reagle (calendar)

Theme: "Let's See What This Baby Can Do" Baby puns!

[Note: This is the puzzle that appears in the Sunday L.A. Times newspaper. If you don't get the paper, you can find the puzzle here. Scroll down to see today's syndicated puzzle.]


Theme answers:
  • 23A: Result of getting too close to a happy baby? (BURBLE BATH).
  • 33A: Stopping temporarily, baby-style? (CRAWL WAITING).
  • 53A: Brand of teething ring sold only in Los Angeles? (VALLEY GURGLE).
  • 67A: Famous actor as a baby? (BURP LANCASTER).
  • 86A: Hurry, baby-style? (GO FULL TODDLE).
  • 102A: Result of some digit-sucking? (DROOL OF THUMB).
  • 117A: Maternity ward? (THE WET WING).
  • 3D: "This baby needs a rest," for example? (NAP DECISION).
  • 71D: What a baby does if it doesn't succeed? (CRY CRY AGAIN).
Everything Else — 1A: Eccentric (BENT); 5A: Puccini opus (TOSCA); 10A: Actor Tamiroff (AKIM); 14A: "Misery" star (CAAN); 18A: Dr. Pavlov (IVAN); 19A: Run ___ of (AFOUL); 20A: Come-on (LINE); 21A: Plump (PUDGY); 22A: Continued (KEPT); 25A: "No Time for Sergeants" playwright (LEVIN); 26A: Remnant (END); 27A: More stale-smelling (FUSTIER); 28A: Other, to Orozco (OTRA); 30A: "___ takers?" (ANY); 31A: Engine type (DIESEL); 37A: Ingredient from Mars (CARAMEL); 40A: Mu ___ pork (SHU); 41A: Automatic door opener? (GENT); 42A: Cannes canful (FILM); 43A: Robt. ___ (E. LEE); 45A: Sacred river in Coleridge's "Kubla Khan" (ALPH); 48A: In the least (AT ALL); 51A: Elaborate verse forms (SESTINAS); 56A: Nobelist Wiesel (ELIE); 57A: It has cup-shaped flowers (ANEMONE); 59A: "Norma ___" (RAE); 60A: Ref. giants (OED'S); 61A: Skilled in (GOOD AT); 63A: See 25 Across (IRA); 64A: Aquarium buys (TETRAS); 66A: Dancer Reinking (ANN); 71A: Audit rep (CPA); 74A: Northern (BOREAL); 75A: Received (GOT); 76A: Of an air element (NITRIC); 78A: Where Goliath fell (ELAH); 81A: Do something (ACT); 82A: Most unsettling (EERIEST); 85A: Baseball's Sandberg (RYNE); 89A: Whodunit roster (SUSPECTS); 91A: Word before sing or dance (GOTTA); 92A: "The ___ Love" (ONE I); 93A: Brooklyn pronoun (DESE); 95A: Galley propellers (OARS); 96A: Sicilian hothead? (ETNA); 98A: Ultimate (NTH); 100A: Constancy (LOYALTY); 106A: "Gil Blas" author (LESAGE); 109A: 1960s style (MOD); 110A: Turner who turned heads (LANA); 111A: Well-meaning type (GOOD KID); 114A: Pump content (GAS); 115A: Kirkuk native (IRAQI); 120A: Sailors (TARS); 121A: Second showing (RERUN); 122A: Sol's opening (AERO-); 123A: Mortise insert (TENON); 124A: Undercover apparatus (WIRE); 125A: "Puppy Love" singer (ANKA); 126A: Rhyming word in "Light My Fire" (PYRE); 127A: "Awake and Sing!" penner (ODETS); 128A: Cameo stone (ONYX); 1D: Rode, in a way (BIKED); 2D: "___ know that" (EVEN I); 4D: It levels the playing field (TNT); 5D: ___ rasa (TABULA); 6D: Just the two ___ (OF US); 7D: Do a laundry chore (SORT); 8D: Dilbert workspace (CUBICLE); 9D: To go, in Bordeaux (ALLER); 10D: Tirane's land: abbr. (ALB.); 11D: Sorento maker (KIA); 12D: Under one's control (IN TOW); 13D: Conductor from Mumbai (MEHTA); 14D: Prompt (CUE); 15D: Edge (ADVANTAGE); 16D: Purview of a President's council (AGING); 17D: Woody's home: abbr. (NY, NY); 21D: Level area on a chart (PLATEAU); 24D: Distinctive times (ERAS); 27D: Manhattan Project member (FERMI); 29D: Fit out (RIG); 32D: Like some nuts (SALTED); 34D: Starbuck's quarry (WHALE); 35D: Temporary calm (LULL); 36D: Openings (INTROS); 38D: Nasty companion (MEAN); 39D: In addition (ELSE); 42D: Lawbreaker (FELON); 44D: City just east of Lisbon (EVORA); 46D: Shimon of Israel (PERES); 47D: Hilton rival (HYATT); 49D: Law prof's degree (LLD); 50D: "___ Liaisons Dangereuses" (LES); 51D: Nintendo rival (SEGA); 52D: Kin of organic (NATURAL); 54D: Sedaka's "Next Door to ___" (AN ANGEL); 55D: Managers, formerly (GERENTS); 58D: Grain grinder (MILL); 62D: Blood-type trio (ABO); 64D: Director Jacques (TATI); 65D: Bush spokesman Fleischer (ARI); 68D: Right-hand page (RECTO); 69D: "Cry, the Beloved Country" author (PATON); 70D: Prepared, as apples (CORED); 72D: Ice cream amounts (PINTS); 73D: "Cloud hoppers" (ACES); 74D: Pakistan's first female prime minister (BHUTTO); 77D: Dog rewards (TREATS); 78D: Urge (on) (EGG); 79D: Elton's john (LOO); 80D: At night (AFTER DARK); 82D: Head of Paramount (EDITH); 83D: Old brand of 114 Across (ESSO); 84D: Chop ___ (SUEY); 87D: Cosmetic ingredient (LANOLIN); 88D: Rear end problem? (DENT); 90D: Propelled, as a gondola (POLED); 94D: Nudged rudely (ELBOWED); 97D: Atticus Finch's state: abbr. (ALA.); 99D: Beyond successful (HUGE); 101D: Adjusts, as wheels (ALIGNS); 102D: "Quiz Show" figure Charles Van ___ (DOREN); 103D: Scheduled (ON TAP); 104D: Blues guitarist John (FAHEY); 105D: Slogan (MOTTO); 107D: Activist-chess star Kasparov (GARRY); 108D: Elizabeth I's favorite (ESSEX); 109D: Actress Sorvino (MIRA); 112D: Sup in style (DINE); 113D: Sheepshank, e.g. (KNOT); 116D: Sine ___ non (QUA); 118D: Miss an easy fly (ERR); 119D: Heartache (WOE); 120D: Tango minimum (TWO).

5 comments:

badrog said...

This is not the puzzle that was in my newspaper this morning!

The title and the commentary match OK, but the filled-in grid doesn't match anything!

PuzzleGirl said...

My fault. I get so confused on Sundays with the two puzzles! I tried to fix the mistake I made in the grid for the other puzzle and replaced this grid instead. Should all be good now.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for continuing to do both puzzles. I do get the LA Times and this is the one that was published today. I found it very hard, had to google a lot. Although I could kind of see the theme, it didn't help me a lot.

badrog said...

Thanks for the fix, PG.

Wasn't an especially interesting puzzle at all.

Learned one new word @ 55D: clue says "managers, formerly" and I ended up with GERENTS. Every on line dictionary I checked said gerent is a "rare" word for manager, but doesn't say "obs." Are they synonymous in CW-ese?

Time for my burblebath.

John Wolfenden said...

Cute theme from Merl. I kept thinking of the Far Side cartoon in which the pilot is saying to the copilot, "All right James, let's get this baby off the ground." And of course, they're sitting in the cockpit of a GIANT BABY.