Puzzling thoughts:
Today's puzzle size is a 16x15. Billy Bratton needed the extra row of cells to make (38-Across. *People born during the Era of Good Feelings?:) UPBEAT GENERATION fit into the grid. The puzzle has rotational symmetry - which is good - but it also has a plethora of 3-letter entries; 22 of them, to be exact. That's generally more than most Friday/Saturday grids, which tend to be more difficult to solve. But difficult clueing can overcome that obstacle
Bratton chose four phrases that are punned by adding the word "UP". 38-Across took BEAT GENERATION - defined as "a movement of young people in the 1950s who rejected conventional society and favored Zen Buddhism, modern jazz, free sexuality, and recreational drugs - and added "UP" to fit the clue chosen for this entry. The Era of Good Feelings - also called Era of Good Feeling - described the national mood of the United States from 1815 to 1825, as first recorded by the Boston Columbian Centinel on July 12, 1817. The US had just exited the War of 1812. Wikipedia gives a detailed report
18-across. *Occasion to pin back one's coif?: UPDO TIME. "DO TIME" is a phrase common to convicted prisoners; as in serving a period of time to atone for your crime/felony. "UPDO" is a word known to persons who choose to pin or contain their long hair to the top of their head
26-across. *Catchy part of a virtuous song?: UPRIGHT HOOK. I have absolutely NO CLUE what was meant here. UPRIGHT as an adjective means virtuous. UPRIGHT (noun) can also refer to a type of piano. A RIGHT HOOK in boxing is a way to throw a punch with your right hand. A HOOK could refer to a barbed wire that is used on the end of a line of a rod or pole to "catch" a fish. But where does the word "song" fit in? I'm confused; and I'm your blogger du jour
47-across. *Evening spent downloading the latest OS?: UPDATE NIGHT. OK, I think I got this one! DATE NIGHT is a newer term, used to describe - wait for it - a night on which you go on a date! Well, maybe a bit more subtle than that! Margaret and I define our "DATE NIGHT" as that night of the week where we literally disconnect from society and reality. No cellphones; no computers; no TV (well, maybe a movie, but definitely no news channels). We often play cards, have adult beverages and/or other legal recreational "goodies", listen to 1970's music on our Bluetooth speaker, and have a wonderful time together. Downloading the latest Operating System? Not on DATE NIGHT
Here is the completed grid:
Across:
1. Kilauea flow: LAVA. According to Hawaii-Guide dot com: "Kilauea volcano, on the Big Island of Hawaii, is currently erupting at its summit - flooding the floor of Halemaumau Crater with fresh LAVA flows." Closely related to 68-across. Mauna __: LOA. They actually are "related" geology-wise, though Mauna LOA hasn't spewed LAVA in over 35 years. They are about 22 miles apart (see map below)
5. Clear dishes from: BUS. This website defines the word BUS, as clued
8. Jammies: PJS. What do you call YOUR bedroom attire? Jammies? PJS? Nightgown? Nightshirt? I call my bedroon attire my birthday suit
11. Hosp. figures: DRS. RNS also fit. That slowed me down some until the perps came to the rescue
14. Longest, as odds: SLIMMEST. This one came to me immediately. And while I don't ALWAYS root for the underdog, I often look at the odds for a horse race, for example, and try to choose a horse to bet that has longer odds. This can result in a hefty payout. This year's Kentucky Derby winner, RICH STRIKE, is an example. The horse was originally set at odds of 30-1 to win the race. At the start of the race, RICH STRIKE had odds of 80-1, and had - according to the bettors - the SLIMMEST of odds to win. But the horse did, and rewarded those who bet on RICH STRIKE handsomely
16. Like many Berbers: SAHARAN. Berbers are the indigenous people of North Africa - where the SAHARA desert is found
19. Like village roads: TWO LANE. UNPAVED also could fit
20. Mediterranean country: ISRAEL. GREECE also fits. Most folks don't always think of ISRAEL first when referring to a Mediterranean country. But the image below shows that it clearly lies on the SE shores of the Mediterranean Sea
And somewhat related, we have 5-Down. Capital in the Levant: BEIRUT. The Levant is an approximate historical geographical term referring to a large area in the Eastern Mediterranean region of Western Asia
22. Mixed martial artist Rousey: RONDA. A welcomed sports clue! Knew this one. Here is her website
23. Girl of the fam: SIS. Fam:Family; SIS:Sister
29. Shortly: IN A BIT. I put "IN A SEC" into this space at first, which again slowed me down until perps appeared
32. Arboreal marsupial: KOALA. A KOALA (native to Australia) exists by eating the leaves of eucalyptus trees; which oddly enough are poisonous to most other species. KOALAs are a favorite food of pythons, owls, crocodiles, dingoes, and foxes; and oddly enough are not poisonous to other species ... as far as I know
33. "You betcha": NATCH. Slang term for "naturally"
34. Garage door opener brand: GENIE.
Garage Door seller's
Favorite '60's sitcom?
"I Dream of GENIE"
35. Org. that includes the TSA: DHS. Department of Homeland Security
42. Digs in the mud: STY. Clever clue; probably Patti's. Digs (noun): living quarters. "Pigs digs" could also fit as the clue for 42-across, but that might be too obvious for a Friday puzzle
43. Battery measures: VOLTS. Battle Born Batteries dot com has a pretty simple description for battery measures: "Battery voltage is the amount of electrical potential a battery holds, measured in VOLTS. Batteries vary from a few hundredths of a volt to many hundreds of volts, depending on battery size and construction. To simplify, think of a battery as a pipe. The voltage of that battery is the water pressure in the pipe"
44. Biblical mount: SINAI.
45. Bernie in his mittens, Keanu playing with puppies, etc.: MEMES. These:
46. "Yeah, that's old news": "I HEARD".
52. Manhattan option: RYE. Manhattan, as in the name of a cocktail; RYE, as in the name of the whisky that is the preferred choice for this cocktail. I do enjoy a Manhattan. Two parts RYE to one part Sweet Vermouth; a dash of bitters (I prefer Orange Bitters); garnished with a Maraschino Cherry. This cocktail should be served "UP", so it is a fitting drink choice for today's puzzle
53. Mind: SEE TO.
54. Qualifying events: TRIALS. Another sports clue. Time TRIALS are a popular way to "select" the cars that will run in the Indy 500, for example
57. Calm: AT PEACE.
64. Brings in: GROSSES. Nice to see the word "GROSS" used in a non-derogatory meaning! In this case, GROSSes is the amount of money one makes in their job. For the record, Chairman Moe GROSSES $0.00 for writing this blog
65. "You can guess the rest": ET CETERA. According to Wikipedia dot com: "ET CETERA, abbreviated to etc., etc, et cet., &c. or &c is a Latin expression that is used in English to mean "and other similar things", or "and so forth". Translated literally from Latin, et means 'and', while cētera means 'the rest'; thus the expression translates to 'and the rest' "
66. Put away: EAT.
67. Keystone bumbler: KOP. Some poetic license here? The normal spelling of this group of bumblers is Keystone Cops. I guess that Patti allowed this spelling of "COP" so that 31-down ("Tell me if this is too personal, but ... ": I HAVE TO ASK) would fit
69. Monumental: EPIC.
Down:
1. "Geaux Tigers!" sch.: LSU. A "slam dunk" for Chairman Moe, as my daughter is an LSU alumna. This is also a CSO to Big Easy and Hahtoolah, but I might be missing other Cornerites who are from Louisiana. Their iconic fight song:
2. High point of a trip to Europe?: ALP. Notice that many of today's 3-letter words are clued cleverly and/or with more difficulty
3. YouTube clip, for short: VID.
4. Mine, in Montréal: AMOI. Frawnch
6. Many an election night graphic, for short: U.S. MAP. This map probably appeared at some time during the 2020 elections
7. Direct: STEER.
8. LAX setting: PST.
9. Yak: JAW. Yak (as spelled) could also mean the animal, but I could only think of the meaning in the image below once I got PJS for 8-across
10. Limited autonomy, so to speak: SHORT LEASH. What we bloggers were put on when it comes to contacting the LA Times puzzle constructors, prior to their puzzle being published. Maybe Billy Bratton will stop by today and offer a few comments
11. Pipe cleaner: DRANO, and 12-down. Internet stranger: RANDO. Forget about what the two words are or what they mean. Did anyone else notice that both words use the exact same letters? And if anyone cares to help define for me what a "RANDO" is, feel free
13. Quarterback maneuver: SNEAK. 3 sports-related clues today? Patti, did you know that Moe was going to be CC's blogger today??!! ;^)
15. The Colorado fourteeners, e.g.: Abbr.: MTS. The entry would be obvious if you knew what a "fourteener" is. In this case, it refers to the mountains (MTS) in Colorado that are over 14,000' in elevation
17. Hana Airport greeting: ALOHA. Hana is on the Big Island of Hawaii, and would be a logical arrival airport if you plan on visiting Kilauea or Mauna Loa
21. Compares: LIKENS.
Dermotologist
Makes money comparing zits:
LIKENS the lichens
23. Facial cavity: SINUS. My SINUSes have been less active since moving to the desert
24. Unsuitable: INAPT. Something I hope I'm not when it comes to blogging
25. Watched from the sidelines: SAT BY. Sports clue #4? I guess this could refer to what a back-UP or reserve player does, as they sit on the sidelines (bench) at a sporting event
27. Left: GONE. Past participles: Leave:LEFT; Go:GONE. DEM'S could also fit with this clue
28. Locks: HAIR. Friday clue for a Monday word
30. Letters in ancient history: BCE. [from some website I found on Google] "People ask: Is BC and BCE the same era?" Answer: "They're just another example of the evolution of human time-tracking and mean exactly the same thing as AD (anno Domini) and BC (before Christ). Simply put, BCE (Before Common Era) is a secular version of BC (before Christ)"
34. Understands: GETS IT. SEES IT works, too
35. Currency of Serbia and Jordan: DINAR. The DINAR is also the main currency in six other countries formerly belonging to the Ottoman Empire: (from west to east) Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, (the aforementioned Serbia and Jordan), Iraq, Kuwait, and Bahrain
36. White with frost: HOARY.
Prostitutes are known
To be cold and uncaring,
Or perhaps, HOARY??
37. Biting: SNIDE. Was that last Moe-ku a bit SNIDE?
39. Large volume: TOME.
40. Singer Campbell: GLEN. He liked to use state and city names in his song titles; and he always seemed to be leaving them or heading towards them. "I am a lineman for the county ..."
41. Draw: TIE. Sports-related clue #5, but who's counting?
45. Two socks, hopefully: MATES. Ha Ha! This is something quite real in our household. And even though Margaret is going to proof-read my notes, she cannot refute the fact that several of her socks have no MATES!!
46. Mississippi source: ITASCA. Another gimme for Moe. Lake ITASCA is in Northern Minnesota - close to the city of Park Rapids - and is considered the source of the Mighty Mississippi. The elevation at Lake ITASCA is just under 1,500' above sea level. The Mississippi river also passes through Baton Rouge, LA - home of 1-down (LSU) and also the state capital. The river's length is just under 2,350 miles
From Wikipedia Dot Com: "Lake Itasca is a small glacial lake, approximately 1.8 square miles in area. Located in southeastern Clearwater County, in the Headwaters area of north central Minnesota, it is notable for being the headwater of the Mississippi River. The lake is in Itasca State Park"
Fun Fact: When Chairman Moe worked for 3M he got to see this area UP close
47. Linguistic practices: USAGE. A CSO to Yellowrocks, who probably rolls her eyes at my butchering of the English language!! ;^)
48. Violinist/singer Haden: PETRA. Confession: This was the only clue I HAD to google. The other words all seemed to mesh together once I confirmed this person: [Wikipedia] PETRA Haden (born October 11, 1971) is an American musician and singer. She has been a member of That Dog, Tito & Tarantula, and The Decemberists. I couldn't name a song of hers if my life depended on it ... maybe someone who does will link one for us to hear
49. Light rail stop: DEPOT. Here is a description about Light Rail
50. Slop: GRUEL. Despite the negative connotation of this clue, GRUEL is not defined as something unpleasant or inedible - as per [Wikipedia]:"GRUEL is a food consisting of some type of cereal—such as ground oats, wheat, rye or rice—heated or boiled in water or milk". Slop, to me, sounds like something you'd feed the occupants of 42-across
51. Aware of: HIP TO.
55. Cell service letters: LTE.
56. Appease fully: SATE.
58. Citigroup's Jane Fraser, e.g.: CEO. Chief Executive Officer
59. Super vision?: ESP. As opposed to "supervision"; for which I couldn't find a 3-letter word to fit into this space
61. Set component: REP. Yet another sports-related clue?? A REP (short for REPitition) refers to one of several motions performed by a weightlifter, for example
62. Tetra- minus one: TRI. Tetra: from Greek, from tettares ‘four’; TRI: from Greek treis 'three'
63. __ bunt: SAC. For those non-sports (baseball) solvers: "A SACrifice bunt occurs when a player is successful in their attempt to advance a runner (or multiple runners) at least one base with a bunt. In this vein, the batter is sacrificing themself (giving up an out) in order to move another runner closer to scoring."
Not sure if Billy offered this clue or one of the editors ... but I'm going to call "foul"! Rarely do baseball players, managers, coaches, reporters/broadcasters, or even fans refer to it as a SAC bunt. The full word "sacrifice" is more common. Now, if the clue had been ___ fly, I'd be fine with the word "SAC"
Ok, folks. Now it's your turn. Comment away. See you in a couple of weeks