Theme: "Winging It" — Bird 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 the write-up of today's syndicated puzzle.]
Theme answers:
- 23A: Bird with a badge? (LOON OFFICER).
- 28A: Bird royal? (PRINCE OF QUAILS).
- 41A: Coos bird? (DUCK OF THE BAY).
- 67A: Blend of bird voices? (FOUR PARROT HARMONY).
- 92A: Turned toward birds? (GULL ORIENTED).
- 108A: Standard bird? (TYPICAL TANAGER).
- 116A: Hold over birds? (WREN CONTROL).
- 14D: Birds' build? (GROUSE ANATOMY).
- 56D: Bourgeois birds? (SQUARE FINCHES).
Everything Else — 1A: Soaks up some sun (BASKS); 6A: Black-ink entry (ASSET); 11A: Pen name (BIC); 14A: Karmann --- (GHIA); 18A: Caper (ANTIC); 19A: Freedom, in Swahili (UHURU); 20A: Old Tokyo (EDO); 21A: Sonata section (RONDO); 25A: Elton John title (SIR); 26A: Law partner (ORDER); 27A: Cold plain (TUNDRA); 31A: "I'm broke it's ---" (OKE); 32A: Rhyme-free writing (PROSE); 34A: Madagascar mammals (LEMURS); 35A: Gallic "co." (CIE); 36A: "The Da Vinci Code" priory (SION); 37A: Winner of 2008 (OBAMA); 39A: Sporting dog (SETTER); 46A: Volga language (TATAR); 48A: One can be a whole lot (ACRE); 49A: Got a head? (FOAMED); 50A: Cartoonist Keane (BIL); 51A: Specialty (NICHE); 55A: Imperfections (FLAWS); 57A: Plotted plant? (SPY); 58A: Faction (SECT); 59A: Go on --- (revel) (A TOOT); 60A: "... I --- a puddy tat" (TAW); 61A: Rather (QUITE); 64A: Here, to Statius (HIC); 65A: Tomorrowland attraction (AUTOPIA); 71A: Hot-air balloon fuel (PROPANE); 73A: Loophole (OUT); 74A: Barak Valley state (ASSAM); 75A: Diminish (EBB); 78A: More convinced (SURER); 79A: Sidewalk side (CURB); 81A: 911 responder (EMT); 82A: Swiss air (YODEL); 84A: Ampère or Watts (ANDRE); 85A: Sol. (ANS.); 86A: Pastor (CLERIC); 89A: Powdery (FINE); 90A: "--- only a mother could ..." (A FACE); 94A: Black currant cordial (CASSIS); 97A: Diminish (ABATE); 99A: Bored intro? (I'M SO); 100A: Director Grosbard (ULU); 101A: Warmer, in a way (NEARER); 103A: Foundation (BASIS); 105A: Short shot (PIC); 112A: Space cloud (NEBULA); 114A: Head of costume design (EDITH); 115A: Bit of resistance (OHM); 118A: Gamut (RANGE); 119A: Mod or nod ender (-ULE); 120A: Big boat (LINER); 121A: Sinuous (CURVY); 122A: Classic cars (REOS); 123A: Pink Floyd cofounder Barrett (SYD); 124A: Silvery fish (SMELT); 125A: "Rock On" rocker David (ESSEX); 1D: Kevin Bacon-voiced film canine (BALTO); 2D: Aimée of the movies (ANOUK); 3D: It may get cut and set (STONE); 4D: Considerate (KIND); 5D: Whoopi Goldberg, astrologically (SCORPIO); 6D: "--- Wiedersehen" (AUF); 7D: Fleet components (SHIPS); 8D: Sugar, in Chartres (SUCRE); 9D: "... --- saw Elba" (ERE I); 10D: Spoil (TURN); 11D: Old-fashioned suit? (BESEEM); 12D: Vernacular (IDIOMATIC); 13D: Ionian Sea island (CORFU); 15D: Dance at a Haifa wedding (HORA); 16D: Charge (INDICT); 17D: Antarctic penguin (ADELIE); 22D: Skater Brian (ORSER); 24D: Remote (FAR OFF); 29D: Kind of pot or pigeon (CLAY); 30D: Four ahead of U (QRST); 33D: Wise about (ONTO); 36D: Distort (SKEW); 37D: Mind (OBEY); 38D: Spoiled (BAD); 40D: Son, or moon, of Neptune (TRITON); 41D: Kooky (DAFT); 42D: Campus S. of Sunset (UCLA); 43D: Chace, Cindy or Joan (CRAWFORD); 44D: Until, in Uxmal (HASTA); 45D: Pu Yi and Napoleon (EMPERORS); 47D: Wedding settings (ALTARS); 50D: Mornay minus cheese (BECHAMEL); 52D: Tweak text (COPYEDIT); 53D: --- polloi (HOI); 54D: LAX stat (ETA); 58D: Take a chair (SIT); 62D: Samovar (URN); 63D: Medicinal syrup (IPECAC); 64D: Word with pot or potato (HOT); 66D: Lucy's "Kill Bill" co-star (UMA); 68D: Puccini productions (OPERAS); 69D: Hitch, to Hamlet (RUB); 70D: Houston pro (ASTRO); 71D: Free TV spot (PSA); 72D: Bank woe (RUN); 76D: Well, to Raphael (BENE); 77D: Shook down (BLED); 80D: Supernatural (UNEARTHLY); 81D: Glamour rackmate (ELLE); 83D: --- consequence (OF NO); 86D: Piece of the action (CUT); 87D: Pupil's place (IRIS); 88D: "The Deer Hunter" director (CIMINO); 91D: Cruising (ASEA); 92D: Senator aboard Discovery (GARN); 93D: Distillate (ESSENCE); 94D: More darling (CUTER); 95D: Archrival of Affirmed (ALYDAR); 96D: Back down? (SUPINE); 98D: Was all smiles (BEAMED); 102D: Diamond clan (ALOUS); 103D: Blass contemporary (BEENE); 104D: Journey's new frontman Pineda (ARNEL); 105D: Abyssinian's sounds (PURRS); 106D: "Everyone Says --- You" (I LOVE); 107D: Flower feature (CALYX); 109D: "Let ---!" (IT GO); 110D: Punching tools (AWLS); 111D: Gloomy (GRIM); 113D: A/C units (BTUS); 117D: Obsolescing PC part (CRT).
12 comments:
Solved the puzzle but don't understand the reference for two of the theme answers. What is GULL ORIENTED and SQUARE FINCHES? Also, has anyone ever seen OK spelled oke?
Gull oriented is a pun on "Goal Oriented", either yuppese or corpspeak.
The other is probably a pun of square inches. Kind of uninteresting compared to the other theme entries if that's really it, but with that many, they can't all be gems.
I remember having heard oke doke, both words having two syllables with a long E at the end; seems kind of dated these days.
@Moore
I got goal oriented, but not sure about SQUAREFINCHES.
Harder than most Sunday CWs, what with ASSAM, ORSER, UHURU and the like.
Thanks again, PG.
I believe I'm broke: its oke is from a Frank Sinatra song. Don't get mornay minus cheese= bechamel? Why no comments today PG? Took awhile but then not that tough but big. Golfballman
PG probably took a look at the puzzle and decided she wasn't qualified to comment on it.
;-)
@Golfballman, PuzzleGirl posts the solution and lays out the theme for Sylvia Bursztyn's Calendar every other week, with no additional commentary. That's just the way it is. Our lovely readers are, of course, welcome to share their thoughts on the puzzle here in the comments.
Enjoyed this puzzle. It took me a while to complete. Thought the theme was fun and really had to try to remember my bird species. Loved the reference to Tweetie Bird "I taw a puddy tat." Director Grosbard-- there is a bird species "grosbeak." I might be stretching it here.
Hey, guys!@PG has a life! Her writeup on Dan Naddor puzzle was delightful, and all that takes time. Nice of her to give us what she can! (Ditto Orange and Rex)
That said, all of you usually come up with some fairly interesting and entertaining analysis on your own!
@Golfballman, a Bechamel sauce is made from a roue of butter and flour to which milk or cream is added. It is heated and thickened on the stove, and is also known as a basic "white sauce." Add cheese (Gruyere, perhaps?), some seasonings and Voila! You have a Mornay Sauce-richer and tastier, but OH so many more calories!
Add some shrimp, scallops and crabmeat, then roll in a crepe, bake in the oven, and Yum!
Saw "Blind Side" today. Great feel good flick.
@Al, once again, thanks for the info from the other day.
I agree with Jimmie that this one was tougher than usual. I had YACHT and then LAUNCH before finding LINER because a boat is smaller than a ship.
"She's broke. That's oke" lyric from "The Lady's a Tramp" and variations in a basic roux control viscosity of all French sauces.
What is the phrase Typical tanager pun reference?
@Djinn, I think, "Typical Teenager."
Amy, I think you recently wished for ARNEL to be clued as Journey's new lead singer... Thanks, Sylvia!
This puzzle was a TOTAL waste of time - as most of Bursztyn's messes are - all silliness!
@Anon, then why DO you waste your time?
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