7.17.2011

S U N D A Y
July 17, 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: "Card Game" — The word/name/letter string JACK is placed all in one box.

Theme answers:

  • 5A: Actor Hugh (JACKMAN).
  • 18A: 1967 film starring George Hamilton as a jewel thief (JACK OF DIAMONDS).
  • 20A: Largest city by area in the contiguous United States (JACKSONVILLE).
  • 36A: Slangy sailor (JACKTAR).
  • 40A: Cold weather personified (JACK FROST).
  • 47A: Plug-in of a sort (PHONE JACK).
  • 48A: Heavy military footgear (JACKBOOTS).
  • 60A: Theme of this puzzle (JACK IN THE BOX).
  • 63A: Son of a 1970s president, or host of the weekend edition of "Today" in the late 1990s (JACK FORD).
  • 74A: Noted fat avoider (JACK SPRAT).
  • 81A: British flag (UNION JACK).
  • 101A: Dairy case item (MONTEREY JACK).
  • 103A: Forsyth novel (DAY OF THE JACKAL).
  • 110A: Wesley Snipes-Ice T drama, "___ City" (NEW JACK).
  • 5D: "Faster than you can say" guy (JACK ROBINSON).
  • 13D: Radio legend (WOLFMAN JACK).
  • 18D: Big money prize (JACKPOT).
  • 20D: Tom Clancy hero (JACK RYAN).
  • 36D: Adds to the bottom line (JACKS UP THE COST).
  • 40D: Star of the original "Hawaii Five-O" (JACK LORD).
  • 48D: European crow (JACKDAW).
  • 60D: Early TV host (JACK PAAR).
  • 63D: Chan, Collins, or Cooper (JACKIE).
  • 64D: IHOP offering (FLAPJACK).
  • 72D: 2003 Down Under comedy (KANGAROO JACK).
  • 74D: Fitness guru, 1914-2011 (JACK LALANNE).
  • 80D: Tuna for which Navy subs have been named (SKIPJACK).
  • 86D: Seaman's wool coat (PEA JACKET).
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Everything Else 1A: Fiction material? (PULP); 9A: Toss (about) (STREW); 14A: Grandkid in Genesis (ENOS); 15A: Place to play (ARENA); 16A: Leading (AHEAD OF); 22A: TV show, for ex. (PROG.); 23A: Dropcloth? (BIB); 24A: Got going (STARTED); 26A: Brand of nonstick cookware (anagram of FLAT) (T-FAL); 27A: Gretzky's team, once (OILERS); 29A: Solemn assent (I DO); 31A: Bake shop buys (RYES); 32A: Daisy portrayer in "The Great Gatsby" (MIA); 33A: Little bit (TAD); 34A: Centric intro (ETHNO-); 37A: Horrify (APPALL); 41A: Bernie Sanders, for ex. (SEN.); 42A: Carter's home (PLAINS); 43A: Word with night or right (ALL); 45A: Solitario number (UNO); 46A: California's Big ___ (SUR); 50A: Cold in a stinging way (NIPPY); 52A: Cassini et al. (OLEGS); 53A: The third one usually doesn't feel so good (DEGREE); 54A: Pin cushion? (MAT); 55A: They may need massaging (EGOS); 56A: Calif. city, in airport shorthand (SFO); 59A: Battery terminal (ANODE); 65A: Mus. partner? (WDS.); 66A: Lhasa ___ (APSO); 67A: Meadow mom (EWE); 68A: Taken, as a position (FILLED); 69A: Like some rituals (PAGAN); 71A: "I'm ___ on the ocean ..." (Brian Wilson lyric) (A CORK); 73A: Checks out (LEAVES); 75A: Pot for pods (WOK); 76A: Blood letters (ABO); 78A: Walker, on signs (PED); 79A: He played Starsky on TV (GLASER); 80A: Airline to Oslo (SAS); 83A: Vandyke's cousin (GOATEE); 84A: "SNL" bit (SKIT); 85A: Where Socrates shopped (AGORA); 86A: Weasel's sound? (POP); 89A: "Ha ha ha!" online (LOL); 90A: Gambler's marker (CHIT); 91A: Word with bees or breeze (SEA); 92A: "The King's ___" (SPEECH); 94A: Petri dish stuff (AGAR); 96A: Snare, tom, etc. (TRAP SET); 98A: Ill-fated 1789 figure (ROI); 100A: Duo before do (LA TI); 106A: 1970 hit, "___ Bell To Answer" (ONE LESS); 107A: Keats poem, "The ___ St. Agnes" (EVEOF); 108A: It's hot in here (OVEN); 109A: Are (EXIST); 111A: Astronaut Conrad (PETE); 1D: Everytown, USA (PEORIA); 2D: Develop (UNFOLD); 3D: Mountain getaway (LODGE); 4D: Greek letter (PSI); 6D: Oater cast, mostly (MEN); 7D: "___ it goes" (AND SO); 8D: Boss Tweed's artful critic (NAST); 9D: Bowling rentals (SHOES); 10D: Look after (TEND); 11D: With 4, a Toyota (RAV); 12D: Do paper work (EDIT); 15D: Bordeaux buddy (AMI); 16D: Late bloomer? (ASTER); 17D: Grain-threshing tools (FLAILS); 19D: Hard to grasp (ABSTRUSE); 21D: It serves Tel Aviv (EL AL); 25D: Main road (ARTERY); 28D: "Offside" official (REF); 30D: Flyspeck (DOT); 35D: Judge's adj. (HON.); 37D: Athol Fugard's "A Lesson from ___" (ALOES); 38D: Twinge (PANG); 39D: Thanksgiving desserts (PIES); 42D: Popular perennial (PHLOX); 43D: Evening, in Essen (ABEND); 44D: Corporate symbols (LOGOS); 46D: Bit of bickering (SPAT); 47D: Jump up and down to punk music (POGO); 49D: Golf gadget (TEE); 51D: Mae West's "___ Angel" (I'M NO); 55D: Stylist to the stars José (EBER); 56D: Work, as a puzzle (SOLVE); 57D: Shackled no more (FREED); 58D: Track figures (ODDS); 61D: "___ She Lovely" (ISN'T); 62D: Lucas creature (EWOK); 66D: Say yes (AGREE); 68D: Stomps on the gas (FLOORS IT); 69D: Exam for H.S. juniors (PSAT); 70D: Church section (APSE); 71D: Lies in store for (AWAITS); 77D: This is your life (BIO); 79D: Baby talk (GOO GOO); 81D: Abu Dhabi's fed. (UAE); 82D: Short time-out (NAP); 83D: Glitzy, for short (GLAM); 84D: Light carriages (SHAYS); 87D: Gas info (OCTANE); 88D: TV Dr. (PHIL); 90D: Trough's opposite (CREST); 91D: Barrel strip (STAVE); 93D: Parisian pupil (ÉLÈVE); 95D: Abbr. after Ron Paul's name (R-TEX.); 96D: Very, to Villon (TRES); 97D: Carl Sagan's "The Dragons of ___" (EDEN); 99D: Not running (OFF); 102D: Mr. Lilly (ELI); 104D: Poisonous evergreen (YEW); 105D: Get aboard, as a train (HOP).

6 comments:

JIMMIE said...

Wow! 28 theme jacks.I don't see how that relates to any card game tho. And even so, it wasn't totally easy for me, but fun.

Thanks for the post, PG.

gespenst said...

I'm assuming the card game refers to the Jack being a card. Liked the theme, but then I'm a big Merl fan anyway ;) This reminded me of another puzzle, where X= ten, all in one box.

CoffeeLvr said...

I was impressed with how many times JACK appeared. No Jumping JACK Flash, though.

Nice Reagle puzzle! Doable without cheating, though I had a few tries in AcrossLite for a letter at the end of ABEND. Could not see Music in Mus., so did not think of Words. I know very, very little German, so . . .

*David* said...

I just did the Sat LAT and was looking forward to an easy workout on a Sunday and next thing you know I'm skipping around the puzzle trying to figure out where I went wrong. JACK FROST finally broke open an unexpected rebus puzzle and then it was smooth sailing all the way through. PHLOX was a new one for me, but it must be popular after all that is the adjective used to describe it.

Steve said...

I did enjoy this - I didn't know there was a name for this kind of puzzle, so thanks @David for "rebus".

I was also skipping around wondering what was going on - the penny-drop for me was "UNION JACK" and then I could stop wondering what city called ?SONVILLE I'd never heard of.

I agree, I'm not sure the title of the puzzle really fit with the result, especially with the "JACK IN THE BOX" explanation in the middle.

I don't think I've ever done a puzzle like this before, so I guess the question I have is whether it's normal that the "rebus" squares can appear anywhere in the grid, or are there some "rules" around where they should crop up? I guess I don't see a pattern, so I'm asking if that's normal?

Thanks for a good workout, Merl, and I'm over my erroneous perception that all your puzzles are pun-based. Mea Culpa.

hmj said...

I do believe in giving credit where credit is due. Mr. Reagle got away from his life's obsession - PUNS - and came up with a very good and very interesting puzzle. Congratulations for a job well done Mr. reagle!