September 4, 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: "Lost in Translation" — What those movie critic blurbs really mean.
Theme answers:
- 23A: "Colossal ... !" (WASTE OF TALENT).
- 35A/45A: "Extraordinary ... !" (with 45 Across) (ACTUALLY THAT / SHOULD BE TWO WORDS).
- 58A: "This is the one ... !" (TO MISS).
- 61A: "It's on my A-list ... !" (AS IN AWFUL).
- 71A/87A: "Four stars ... !" (with 87 Across) (UNFORTUNATELY NO / ACTORS).
- 83A: "It's a ten ... !" (TON TURKEY).
- 97A/124A: "Fascinating ... !" (with 124 Across) (FOR ABOUT TWO OF ITS / NINETY MINUTES).
- 108A: "I smell Oscar ... !" (MAYER BALONEY).
Everything — 1A: Dust-up (SCUFFLE); 8A: Head of the costume department (EDITH); 13A: Proverbial backbreaker (STRAW); 18A: Wear (APPAREL); 19A: Ohio city (XENIA); 20A: Indiana player (HOOSIER); 23A: "Colossal ... !" (WASTE OF TALENT); 25A: Warren married her (ANNETTE); 26A: Dine (SUP); 27A: Totals: abbr. (AMTS.); 28A: The backup one is B (PLAN); 29A: Places to get down to cases: abbr. (CTS.); 30A: With 33 Across, small pets (LAP); 33A: See 30 Across (DOGS); 35A: "Extraordinary ... !" (with 45 Across) (ACTUALLY THAT); 39A: Name on a razor (ATRA); 41A: Diet-ad verb (LOSE); 43A: Parks at a bus stop? (ROSA); 44A: Amniotic ___ (SAC); 45A: See 35 Across (SHOULD BE TWO WORDS); 50A: No-win situation (DRAW); 53A: Exchange (TRADE); 54A: Bulletins and such (NEWS); 55A: Mojito component (RUM); 57A: Industrial ___ (AGE); 58A: "This is the one ... !" (TO MISS); 60A: Critical review (PAN); 61A: "It's on my A-list ... !" (AS IN AWFUL); 64A: Out of date: abbr. (OBS.); 65A: Mom and pop org. (PTA); 67A: Go underground (TUNNEL); 70A: Prominent (NOTED); 71A: "Four stars ... !" (with 87 Across) (UNFORTUNATELY NO); 75A: Functional (UTILE); 78A: Giraffe cousins (OKAPIS); 79A: Lit. initials (TSE); 80A: Cigar city, on bag tags (TPA); 83A: "It's a ten ... !" (TON TURKEY); 85A: ___ Paulo (S&Agilde;O); 87A: See 71 Across (ACTORS); 90A: Homer's path (ARC); 91A: Word before or after "pack" (RAT); 92A: Brother in Genesis (ESAU); 94A: Book after Daniel (HOSEA); 95A: Gag reflex? (HAHA); 97A: "Fascinating ... !" (with 124 Across) (FOR ABOUT TWO OF ITS); 103A: Bikini top (BRA); 105A: Adored one (IDOL); 106A: Hawaiian island (OAHU); 107A: Golden rule word (UNTO); 108A: "I smell Oscar ... !" (MAYER BALONEY); 113A: Guzzlers of a sort (SOTS); 115A: OB-___ (GYN); 116A: Ring legend (ALI); 117A: Ring site? (NOSE); 118A: Niagara byproduct (MIST); 120A: "CSI" setting (LAB); 122A: Albert, to Victoria (CONSORT); 124A: See 97 Across (NINETY MINUTES); 130A: Performer's bane (HECKLER); 131A: Big name in arcade games (BALLY); 132A: Facing a jury (ON TRIAL); 133A: Water opening? (HYDRO-); 134A: Glasgow's river (CLYDE); 135A: Cafe cousin (BEANERY); 1D: Witnessed (SAW); 2D: Figures figure, briefly (CPA); 3D: Delivery giant (UPS); 4D: "The Hustler" character (FATS); 5D: Ego expert (FREUD); 6D: Conductor Stokowski (LEOPOLD); 7D: One with a Pole position (ELF); 8D: Student's hurdle (EXAM); 9D: Big name in faucets (DELTA); 10D: Pending, as a house sale (IN ESCROW); 11D: Like an Oz man (TIN); 12D: Pate protector (HAT); 13D: "___ we go?" (SHALL); 14D: Of sound, in a way (TONAL); 15D: Opie portrayer et al. (RONNYS); 16D: Enzyme ending (-ASE); 17D: Sorcery and such (WITCHCRAFT); 21D: Singer James (ETTA); 22D: Breather (REST); 24D: Cup, in Calais (TASSE); 28D: Early late-night host (PAAR); 30D: "... always the ___ know" (LAST TO); 31D: Pulsating (ATHROB); 32D: Golf events (PRO-AMS); 34D: Slangy sailor (GOB); 36D: Helps to the garage (TOWS); 37D: Show on the front? (USO); 38D: Little bit (TAD); 40D: BMW rival (AUDI); 42D: Sicilian smoker (ETNA); 46D: Chopin's "___ Sylphides" (LES); 47D: Rose (WENT UP); 48D: Exercises (DRILLS); 49D: Rising star? (SUN); 51D: Chills (AGUE); 52D: Fuse, as metal (WELD); 56D: "Death in Venice" author (MANN); 59D: Tanning lotion letters (SPF); 60D: Pfizer subsidiary, ___-Davis (PARKE); 61D: Crumb carrier (ANT); 62D: Take care of (SEE TO); 63D: Try to win over (WOO); 66D: Grew fond of (TOOK TO); 68D: Cycle starter (UNI-); 69D: Bahamian capital (NASSAU); 71D: Nth: abbr. (ULT.); 72D: Prefix with -algia (NEUR); 73D: Scotland's longest river (TAY); 74D: "I support the motion" (YEA); 75D: Setting of HBO's "Big Love" (UTAH); 76D: One-third of a war film (TORA); 77D: Gradually (INCH BY INCH); 80D: Cagney musical, "Something ___ About" (TO SING); 81D: Word with penny or poison (PRETTY); 82D: How Ben-Hur is treated by Arrius in Rome (AS A SON); 84D: Battle of Britain grp. (RAF); 86D: Insurance category (AUTO); 88D: Comic Margaret (CHO); 89D: Hot and sour soup staple (TOFU); 92D: Black, to a poet (EBON); 93D: How to swear? (SOLEMNLY); 96D: Exist (ARE); 98D: Vex (RILE); 99D: Hubbub (ADO); 100D: Scrumptious (TASTY); 101D: Reporter's question (WHO); 102D: Syllabus (OUTLINE); 104D: Historian Toynbee (ARNOLD); 108D: Jet-speed word (MACH); 109D: Natural balm (ALOE); 110D: Hole-making bug (BORER); 111D: Texas player (ASTRO); 112D: Street sign (YIELD); 114D: Cupid's driver (SANTA); 119D: Eyelid woe (STYE); 121D: Create, as a CD (BURN); 123D: ___ blue (SKY); 124D: "Seinfeld" was on it (NBC); 125D: Different ending? (-IAL); 126D: Tough crowd? (MOB); 127D: Reason for overtime (TIE); 128D: Whisperer's target (EAR); 129D: Like some grins (SLY).
10 comments:
To my mind, this is the weakest style of theme - guessing at wacky phrases. I did like "It's on my A list, AS IN AWFUL."
I found this Reagle easy enough. Did not know Glasgow's river CLYDE, but got it from crosses.
It is impressive that this big grid has very little crap, well, TPA, and almost all the entries are accessible.
When I was a kid, SKY blue was my favorite color of Crayon.
Not bad. Might have been easier if I'd noticed there was a note attached to it, but the title and ellipses in the clues gave me enough of a hint to figure it out on my own.
Interesting coincidence: SLY was the last down entry in both the print and the syndicated LA Times puzzles today.
@CoffeeLvr, here's an authentic Glaswegian phrase you can try to work into conversation: "D'ya think I just came up the Clyde on a bike?" It's the local equivalent of "Do you think I was born yesterday?"
I thought this was actually a lot of fun after I figured out that the answers were all cranky put-downs.
Our dachshunds (they hate the designation "wienerdogs") were nonetheless delighted by "lap dogs" and "Oscar Mayer baloney."
MN
I didn't see the note either so had to do nearly all of the fill first so as to cross into the theme words. Great to do watching the Dodger game.
Thanks, PG
First time commenting, love this site/blog which ever it is. Been doing the LA Sundays for about 10 years, Dearly miss the past grid makers that have passed on recently. Reagle is coming along nicely though. Todays Sunday seemed a bit easy but had some clues that made me chuckle. Thanks.
Greg
Lost in Translation is the title of a movie.
I always like the calendar Sunday puzzles. I like ? clues, and very often this puzzle is full of them.
I found the theme answers cute.
Too many discontinues answers (i.e. "with 87 across")! It complicates the solving "flow" (especially for us dyslexics). Can anyone explain "poison pretty/pretty poison?
It's bologna. "Oscar Mayer has a way with b o l o g n a" the jingle.
As usual, Reagle puns are not regal puns.
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