Good Morning, Cruciverbalists. Malodorous Manatee here with a recap of this Friday's puzzle by the top-flight and prolific constructor Mark McClain. From Mark: "Fun fact, my very first published puzzle was also an LAT Friday, and it was almost exactly 10 years ago (10-3-14). I think this is #68, but the first in a couple of years, so it's good to be back."
In this puzzle, Mark takes commonly known two-word combinations and, by reversing the meaning of the first word, conjures up amusing answers to the clues. There is no reveal. The word play is performed at these four places within the grid:
17 Across: People less likely to appear in a police lineup?: UNUSUAL SUSPECTS.
Casablanca
26 Across: Institute of weird learning?: ABNORMAL SCHOOL A NORMAL SCHOOL is an institution that trains teachers by teaching them pedagogy and curriculum.
Young Frankenstein
42 Across: Salad dressing ingredient that has to be special ordered?: NONSTANDARD OIL. Oil and Vinegar dressing.
55 Across: Group of TV episodes shown out of order?: IRREGULAR SEASON. During the 2024 REGULAR SEASON, the Los Angeles Dodgers won 98 baseball games. They also won 11 games during the POST SEASON.
The rest of the clues and answers can be found at:
1. Lots and lots: SCADS.
6. Some bits of harvest festival decor: COBS. Corn COBS. Swans, anyone?
10. Ladder part: STEP. Hand up for first thinking RUNG.
14. Prohibited by social custom: TABOO.
14. Prohibited by social custom: TABOO.
15. Showroom selection: AUTO. As in AUTOmobiles at a car dealership.
16. Not fancy at all: HATE. Very clever cluing here and at 33 Across. Here, the clue is taken in the British English (probably from the 16th century) sense as in "to (not) like" something. At 33 Across, the clue is taken in the sense of something not being ornate.
20. Trifecta, for one: BET. The bettor must pick the top three finishers in the correct sequence.
21. Dismissive sound: PFFT. My sentiments, exactly.
22. Really bug: EAT AT.
23. Four-time winners of the FIFA Women's World Cup, for short: USA. 1991, 1999, 2015 and 2019.
24. Suppressed, with "up": PENT.
33. Not fancy at all: PLAIN. See also 16 Across.
34. Deliver a stemwinder: ORATE. From The Grammarist:
A stem-winder or stemwinder is an exciting speech that whips the crowd into a frenzy; a rousing speech that energizes a crowd; a persuasive speech that stirs emotion. The idiom stem-winder or stemwinder is derived from a type of watch that came into use after the American Civil War. A stem-winder or stemwinder is a watch with a winding stem attached to it, rather than a key. In Britain, this type of watch was called a keyless watch. The idiom stem-winder or stemwinder to describe a speech came into use near the end of the nineteenth century. Note that the form stem-winder is a hyphenated compound word that is preferred by the Oxford English Dictionary, and stemwinder is a closed compound word with no hyphen or spaces that is preferred by other dictionaries.
36. Stand the test of time: LAST. Endure.
37. Clinic pro: NURSE. What did the nurse say to the man who fainted at the airport? I think you might have a terminal illness.
38. Tennis match units: SETS.
39. Parisian pal: AMI. A frequent French lesson.
40. Open-weave fabric: SCRIM. Often clued with a reference to stage curtains.
41. Media mogul with a book club: OPRAH.
40. Open-weave fabric: SCRIM. Often clued with a reference to stage curtains.
41. Media mogul with a book club: OPRAH.
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45. Aunts of Andalusia: TIAS. One of today's Spanish lessons.
46. D.C. summer hrs.: EDT. Eastern Daylight Time.
47. Reject: SPURN.
46. D.C. summer hrs.: EDT. Eastern Daylight Time.
47. Reject: SPURN.
50. Stand up to: DEFY. I once witnessed a magician make the fog over a lake disappear. It was mist DEFYing.
52. Glass of NPR: IRA. A frequent visitor often confused, by this solver, with ARI Shapiro.
59. First name in civil rights history: ROSA. ROSA Parks. ROSA was her first name.
60. Summoning instrument: GONG.
61. Parcel out: ALLOT.
62. Email annoyance: SPAM. Named for the canned meat product that many find unappealing.
62. Email annoyance: SPAM. Named for the canned meat product that many find unappealing.
Monty Python
63. "Les Misérables" author: HUGO.
64. Really stinks: REEKS. A local man was causing a disturbance in town because he stunk like fish. He was REEKing haddock on the neighborhood.
Down:
1. Scant Wikipedia article: STUB. Often clued with a reference to concert, or other types of, tickets.
2. Stroller's accessory: CANE. Not stroller as in baby carriage. Stroller as in a person taking a walk.
3. Lie against: ABUT.
4. __ Equis beer: DOS. Literally, Two X's.
5. "Dinner's ready!": SOUP'S ON. "Soups on" is an idiom of Anglo-Saxon origin. This idiomatic phrase was originally used to alert others that the Soup was ready and it was time to eat. In a broader context, it is often used to signify that something is ready or about to begin. Whether it is a meal, an event, or a project, the phrase can denote a sense of readiness and urgency. Therefore, the phrase can be used in a variety of situations not limited to food, expanding its versatility in everyday language.
6. Leg part: CALF.
7. Remove from office: OUST.
8. HVAC meas.: BTU. British Thermal Unit
9. "Mamma Mia!" number: SOS. ABBA have sold over 150 million records. This solver owns none.
10. Blade cover: SHEATH.
11. Sense of appropriateness: TACT.
12. "Call My Name" singer James: ETTA.
13. Annoying sort: PEST.
18. Off in the distance: AFAR.
19. London coppers: PENCE. Coppers as in coins, not as in police.
23. Military outfit: UNIT.
24. Obsolete display type: PLASMA. A PLASMA display is a type of flat-panel display that uses ionized gas to create images. Plasma TVs were the first large flat-panel displays to be released to the public, but they have been superseded by other technologies such as OLED and QLED.
25. Spanish direction: ESTE. East. One of today's Spanish lessons.
26. San Antonio landmark: ALAMO. Frequently visited in our puzzles.
27. Bathroom fixture: BASIN. It's best to just let this one sink in.
28. Feels sorrowful: MOURNS.
29. Ban rival: ARRID. A deodorant reference. Both are brand names.
30. Comic actor Cheri: OTERI. On the subject of women's history:
Saturday Night Live
31. In base eight: OCTAL.
32. Cosmetics retailer known for vegetarian and vegan products: LUSH. New to this solver.
33. Strategize: PLAN.
37. Frozen Four org.: NCAA. The ice hockey version of the Final Four (basketball). Abbreviated clue .... abbreviated answer.
38. See in a crowd: SPOT.
40. Beekeeping hazard: STING. Bee puns really sting. Bee warned.
41. 2023 or 1999: ODD YEAR. So many from which to choose.
43. Watch a series on Disney+, say: STREAM.
44. NBA game trio: REFS. REFerees. A basketball REFerence.
47. House of Lords titles: SIRS.
48. Stagehand concern: PROP. Someone leaked the prop notes for the movie Thor Ragnarok. They had to use a lot of low-key lighting.
50. "Oh, heck!": DANG.
Roger Miller
51. Consequently: ERGO.
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52. Cruise ship stop: ISLE.
53. Chess piece: ROOK.
54. Colony insects: ANTS.
56. "This tastes awful!": UGH.
57. Brock in the Baseball Hall of Fame: LOU. Renowned for his base stealing.
56. "This tastes awful!": UGH.
57. Brock in the Baseball Hall of Fame: LOU. Renowned for his base stealing.
58. Brewpub option: ALE. My local bar ran out of ALE. It was a bitter disappointment.
This solver enjoyed the puzzle. While the gag was not difficult it was amusing. The two fifteen-letter answers were a nice touch and the relative lack of proper nouns (bucking the recent trend that we have seen of puzzles as trivia contests) was refreshing. Besides, the constructor has very good initials. Welcome back, Mark.
. . . and a hearty, although belated, "Thank you!" to NoamiZ for filling in for me a couple of weeks ago. Your efforts are very much appreciated.
Here is the completed grid:
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