2.13.2011

02.13 Sun

S U N D A Y February 13, 2011
Merl Reagle


[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: "Math Quiz" — Theme answers are names and phrases that end with words that can be math-related.

Theme answers:

  • 23A: The Phillies are in it (EASTERN DIVISION).
  • 32A: "Why are we arguing?" ("WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?").
  • 45A: Depressions, e.g. (HARD TIMES)
  • 47A: Box supper, perhaps (CHURCH FUNCTION).
  • 67A/70A: Stephen King and Dave Barry's musical group (with "the") (ROCK BOTTOM / REMAINDERS).
  • 85A: Romanian-born composer of the famously eerie theme music for "The Twilight Zone" (MARIUS CONSTANT).
  • 88A: Makeup maven (MAX FACTOR)
  • 99A: Tattoo words (DE PLANE BOSS DE PLANE).
  • 115A: Editor's comment about a puppy story, perhaps (THAT'S A CUTE ANGLE).
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Everything Else 1A: Marciano's birth name (ROCCO); 6A: It might be square (MEAL); 10A: Aussie sights, for short (ROOS); 14A: Subsists (LIVES); 19A: Screen writing? (EMAIL); 20A: Backward (IN REVERSE); 22A: 2004's ___ flu (AVIAN); 25A: Brew-filled (BEERY); 26A: Wear, as a sweater? (FRAY); 27A: Reader of this clue (YOU); 28A: Slangy shillings (BOB); 29A: E'en if (THO); 31A: Smidge (TAD); 38A: Danish scientist and poet Piet ___ (HEIN); 39A: When "Friends" and "ER" were on, orig. (THU.); 40A: Mrs. Charles portrayer (LOY); 41A: Bolger castmate of 1939 (LAHR); 42A: Perfectly (TO A T); 43A: Batteries for digital cameras (AA'S); 52A: You might be struck with it (AWE); 53A: "___ just going through a phase" (HE'S); 54A: Doglike scavenger (HYENA); 55A: "___ calls?" (ANY); 56A: Shot in a saloon? (RYE); 57A: Eggs, to Caesar (OVA); 60A: Warning, to Caesar (IDES); 62A: Greek letter (PSI); 63A: Watcher over sailors (ST. ELMO); 65A: Roof features (EAVES); 72A: Beach, in Baja (PLAYA); 73A: Maintain (ASSERT); 75A: Outlawed spray (DDT); 76A: Crossword bird or Irish river (ERNE); 77A: It might be boxed (SET); 78A: The pizzeria owner in "Do the Right Thing" (SAL); 80A: Sharable ride (CAB); 81A: Intermission follower, perhaps (ACT II); 83A: Yardbird (CON); 84A: Skating legend (ORR); 92A: Govt. aid to the disabled (SSI); 93A: Velvety green growth (MOSS); 94A: Orwell's birth name, ___ Blair (ERIC); 95A: "Mystery solved!" ("AHA!"); 96A: Harris and O'Neill (EDS); 98A: Gas station adjunct (MART); 105A: "Gross!" ("UGH!"); 106A: Urchin's place (SEA); 107A: Hurry, quaintly (HIE); 108A: Frasier's call screener (ROZ); 109A: Anapest's cousin (IAMB); 113A: Truth, old-style (SOOTH); 120A: Liqueur flavoring (ANISE); 121A: Two-continent people (EURASIANS); 122A: Stable environment? (STALL); 123A: Passover feast (SEDER); 124A: Back (REAR); 125A: Org. for Karrie Webb (LPGA); 126A: Divided country (KOREA); 1D: Snorkeling site (REEF); 2D: Pal of Gen. George (OMAR); 3D: Hombre's home (CASA); 4D: Downtown duds (CITY WEAR); 5D: Bravo's cousin (OLÉ); 6D: North Dakota city (MINOT); 7D: Brand of cleaning spray (ENDUST); 8D: Onassis, briefly (ARI); 9D: See 100 Down (LEV); 10D: Do a yard makeover (RESOD); 11D: Pygmy antelope (ORIBI); 12D: Andalusian bear (OSO); 13D: Summoned (SENT FOR); 14D: Partner of parts (LABOR); 15D: "So ___ heard" (I'VE); 16D: Kerry served there (VIETNAM); 17D: Otalgia (EARACHE); 18D: Pretzel brand, ___ of Hanover (SNYDER'S); 21D: Slangy feeling (VIBE); 24D: Actor Gosling or Reynolds (RYAN); 30D: Golden age (HEY-DAY); 33D: Military stint (HITCH); 34D: Words in Superman descriptions (THAN A); 35D: Blacklisting org. (HUAC); 36D: Crème brûlé cousin (FLAN); 37D: Author Wiesel (ELIE); 38D: 9 Lives eater (HOUSECAT); 42D: Government relief of a sort (THE DOLE); 44D: ERA, e.g. (STAT); 45D: Bridge authority? (HOYLE); 46D: 11-year-old, perhaps (TWEEN); 47D: Bird sounds (CHIRPS); 48D: Doc's needle (HYPO); 49D: Of celebrations (FESTAL); 50D: Feet, e.g. (UNITS); 51D: Like helium (INERT); 56D: "___ Perdition" (ROAD TO); 57D: Cloudy (OVERCAST); 58D: Elvis's dad et al. (VERNONS); 59D: OK (ASSENT); 61D: Top of the world? (SKY); 63D: Sling mud at (SMEAR); 64D: 2700 (MMDCC); 66D: Lime addition (-ADE); 68D: Iraqi port (BASRA); 69D: "And the ___ goes to ..." (OSCAR); 71D: Pack ___ (IT IN); 74D: Baseball info (RBI'S); 79D: Esoteric (ARCANE); 81D: Line to the audience (ASIDE); 82D: Twain essay, "What ___?" (IS MAN); 84D: Authorized: abbr. (OFCL.); 85D: Bible kingdom or Utah city (MOAB); 86D: Car category (USED); 87D: Attacked, as a gift (TORE INTO); 88D: Some jellyfish (MEDUSAS); 89D: "But those days ___" (ARE GONE); 90D: Sword-shaped (XIPHOID); 91D: House of ushers (THEATER); 97D: Freed from the slammer (SPRUNG); 98D: Rat's challenge (MAZE); 100D: Potok title character, with 9 Down (ASHER); 101D: Catherine of "Orange County" (O'HARA); 102D: Floor-sitter's instrument (SITAR); 103D: Cong. meeting (SESS.); 104D: "___ luck!" (LOTS A); 110D: Petri dish layer (AGAR); 111D: Fr. miss (MLLE.); 112D: Boris contemporary (BELA); 114D: Mao follower? (TSE); 116D: Ecru, e.g. (HUE); 117D: Afflict (AIL); 118D: Spending limit (CAP); 119D: Pose a poser (ASK).

11 comments:

CarolC said...

Thanks for posting the answer. Couldn't quite finish without googling but finally got there. Last to fill in was DE PLANE BOSS DE PLANE. I should have seen it coming!

Happy Sunday y'all

Anonymous said...

MAX FACTOR s/b in your theme answers.

Good puzzle!

PuzzleGirl said...

Thanks, Anon. Also HARD TIMES. I just fixed it.

JIMMIE said...

Thanks for the post, PG. I could not get XIPHOID but all was fun as I watched the Lakers lose.

Anonymous said...

WAAAAAY too hard for a leisurely Sunday puzzle. Gave up and filled in NW corner from answer. Theme is a stretch this week. Come on, Reagle, you're better than this!!

Anonymous said...

Puzzles that use words that don't exist ( e.g. toat, stelmo -what?) are difficult to finish, to say the least.

Add to that all the retarded abbreviations and it becomes nearly impossible.

This was not a good puzzle.

Like the previous comment "Come on Merl"! You HAVE to do better.

Mary said...

I don't understand the David Barry/ Stephen King clue.

Anonymous said...

Let me Google that for you.

Mary said...

Dang, that was impressive "Anonymous". Thank you.

lodsf said...

I always enjoy MR Sunday puzzle (it's the Sunday puzzle in the SF Chronicle). This week there were 2 that I couldn't figure out even after I had the answers but Mr. Goggle clarified that TOAT for "perfectly" is To A 'T'. And Uncle Wikipedia gave me the background for some character named Tattoo in some TV show named Fantasy Island.

PS to Anon above: St. Elmo is the patron saint of sailors.

lodsf said...

PS in general: it was because of TOAT and DE PLANE.... that I went looking for a blog for Merl Reagle. When I found this & saw that Puzzle Girl was the hostess it jogged my mind to Rex P's NYT puzzle blog where Commenters often admonish: look it up you [dummy] before bothering us with your posts. At any rate, I did get my questions answered and now I know where to go to review the MR puzzle. Thanks, Puzzle Girl. Laura O'Donovan (aka lodsf aka lodonovan -- need to get my Google Acct in order).