7.31.2011

07.31 Sun (calendar)

S U N D A Y
July 31, 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: "Space Exploration" — Familiar words, phrases, and names have spaces inserted in "wrong" places.

Theme answers:

  • 18A: Daydream? (DEPART MENTALLY).
  • 22A: Obvious trait of a certain two-digit number? (TWENTY-FOUR'S EVEN).
  • 38A: Rock Star Pays Kid's Bail? (BRUCE SPRINGS TEEN).
  • 45A: Prepares to play Scrabble? (TURNS TILES).
  • 57A: Tarzan's response to, "Hey, where do they keep the sugar on this ship?" (BOWL IN GALLEY).
  • 66A: Request from someone who brought his own cola? (JUST ICE).
  • 71A: Bride's guy, in France? (LE GROOM).
  • 80A: Choice of sailing topics? (WINDS OR KNOTS).
  • 98A: Registers one's answer on a computerized true-false quiz? (HOLDS DOWN THE F OR T).
  • 119A: Cowboy? (PERCHER ON HORSES).
  • 126A: Florida's new "be kind to golfers" slogan? (SAVE THE MAN A TEE).
  • 51D: Injury from an extinct bird? (MOA BITE).
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Everything d in ___ (A DRAW); 108A: Seductress (VAMP); 110A: Poisonous shrubs (SUMACS); 114A: ___ the chase (CUT TO); 117A: Part of ERA (EQUAL); 119A: Cowboy? (PERCHER ON HORSES); 125A: "Hasta ___" (LUEGO); 126A: Florida's new "be kind to golfers" slogan? (SAVE THE MAN A TEE); 127A: Graf foe, often (SELES); 128A: Tries to win at auction (BIDS ON); 129A: Outcome (RESULT); 1D: Spring time, in Minn. (CDT); 2D: Kareem, before (LEW); 3D: Uncouth one (APE); 4D: Needed rewinding (RAN DOWN); 5D: That bleeping droid (ARTOO); 6D: Eyelid woe (STYE); 7D: Vintage autos (REO'S); 8D: Ex-leader of Burma (UNU); 9D: Orch. section (STR.); 10D: Talks back to (SASSES); 11D: "May ___ you in on a little secret?" (I LET); 12D: Edison's middle (ALVA); 13D: With Boy, a fancy chair (LA-Z-); 14D: Genesis victim (ABEL); 15D: Arizona phenomenon (MIRAGE); 16D: "___ Fideles" (ADESTE); 17D: Poet Anne (SEXTON); 19D: Maker: abbr. (MFR.); 20D: So far (YET); 23D: Ex-Sen. Sam of Georgia (NUNN); 27D: Work units (ERGS); 29D: Canine on the case (ASTA); 30D: Locomotive sound (CHUG); 31D: 1947 Bugs Bunny cartoon, "Slick ___" (HARE); 32D: Deck quartet (ACES); 33D: Proposition vote (YES); 35D: Humane org. (ASPCA); 38D: Bingo call (B TEN); 39D: Skin (RIND); 40D: Arm bones (ULNAS); 41D: Ground breaker (PLOW); 42D: Seal again (RECLOSE); 43D: Words from one who's with it (I'M HIP); 44D: Perfect for basketball (TALL); 46D: Heidi's creator (SPYRI); 51D: Injury from an extinct bird? (MOA BITE); 52D: Blue indigo (ANIL); 54D: Illinois city (ALTON); 55D: Rio Grande feeder (PECOS); 56D: High on highballs, e.g. (LIT); 57D: 2007 catchphrase, "Don't tase me, ___!" (BRO); 58D: Whiz preceder (GEE); 59D: "Dee-lish!" ("YUM!"); 60D: Like Tampa weather (HUMID); 61D: Together (AS ONE); 63D: French lace town (ALENCON); 66D: Mandible (JAW); 67D: Dove sound (COO); 68D: Spanish river (EBRO); 70D: Military training ctr. (OC'S); 72D: Popular knife brand (GINSU); 73D: Outback critter, slangily (ROO); 76D: "___ it wouldn't last" (I KNEW); 78D: Slow movement (LARGO); 81D: Utterly exhausted (DEAD); 82D: Tic (SPASM); 83D: Unseat (OUST); 85D: Bartlett, e.g. (PEAR); 86D: "Harper Valley P.T.A." writer Hall (TOM T.); 89D: Lummoxes (OAFS); 90D: A distance (AFAR); 91D: Edelstein of "House" (LISA); 92D: Over again (ANEW); 94D: Orange drinks (ADES); 96D: Agent, briefly (REP); 97D: Felt hats (FEDORAS); 98D: Crude abodes (HOVELS); 99D: Not translucent (OPAQUE); 100D: Traveler Gulliver (LEMUEL); 101D: "I'll meet you further ___ the road" (Johnny Cash) (ON UP); 102D: Quieted (HUSHED); 107D: Do penance (ATONE); 109D: Beeper message (PAGE); 111D: My, to Mimi (MES); 112D: Part of U.A.E. (ARAB); 113D: Human bone total, in Roman numerals (CCVI); 114D: Joel or Ethan of filmdom (COEN); 115D: Albuquerque sch. (UNM); 116D: "___ she blows!" (THAR); 118D: Part of UCLA (LOS); 120D: Aliens, briefly (ET'S); 121D: Greek letter (RHO); 122D: "Simpsons" character, Disco ___ (STU); 123D: Shocking swimmer (EEL); 124D: Become firm (SET).

6 comments:

CoffeeLvr said...

I liked it - much more clever than inserting or dropping letters!

What did I have to relearn: OBIE, EBRO, and CHUG - could not get choo-choo out of my mind.

Steve said...

Hmmm, Blackberry post didn't post.

I loved this, great fresh theme that I couldn't figure out even after getting four or five of the theme answers - then the penny dropped.

I got TWENTYFOURSEVEN first, kept going back to it to see where on earth Space Exploration worked - then BRUCESPRINGSTEEN - saw that, but that 24/7 still didn't fit anything ... struggle struggle, but when I finally saw what was going on, awesome.

Only minor quibble was that I had Moi before MES in a key area for me - wondering if somehow the clue should have indicated a plural as I only had the M and Moi was a natural right there.

BOWLINGALLEY was just great.

gespenst said...

Can someone parse PERCHERONHORSES for me? I can't figure out the base phrase.

gespenst said...

Never mind, I found out about PERCHERON HORSES. Never heard of 'em before. Makes it harder to "get" the joke ;)

Anonymous said...

Clever - real clever. Only Utahans would know MOABITES. Learned a lot about PERCHERON HORSES from my favorite horse lady. ASlways thought RAGA was a form of ska. HOLDS DOWN TH F OR T , BRUCE SPRINGS (the) TEEN and WINS OR KNOTS are CLASSICS!

Peg said...

didn't get ragamuffin may not understand about sitars giid puzzle overall