LA Times Crossword Answers 6 Oct 13, Sunday

CROSSWORD SETTER: Paul Hunsberger
THEME: Epicenters … today’s themed answers all have the letters EPI exactly in the center:

34A. Bearded impressionist CAMILLE PISSARRO
49A. Near East product RICE PILAF
65A. It may be a sign of chilling GOOSE PIMPLE
82A. Swatch, e.g. TIMEPIECE
98A. “Call me” LET’S KEEP IN TOUCH
9D. Peter Sellers film that began production after his death TRAIL OF THE PINK PANTHER
11D. Figure skate feature TOEPICK
24D. “Capisce?” GET THE PICTURE?
48D. TV prototypes PILOT EPISODES
86D. Rock bottom THE PITS

BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 19m 36s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across

1. Band booster AMP
An electric guitar, for example, needs an amplifier (amp) to take the weak signal created by the vibration of the strings and turn it into a signal powerful enough for a loudspeaker.

4. Fig. that rarely exceeds 4 GPA
Grade point average (GPA)

7. “Drive for show, __ for dough”: golf adage PUTT
Golfer Bobby Locke coined the phrase “You drive for show, but putt for dough.” The adage seemed to work for Locke as he became the first South African golfer to achieve success on the international circuit, and he won four Open Championships.

18. Rapper Big __ BOI
Big Boi is the stage name of rapper Antwan Patton from Savannah, Georgia. Big Boi was one half of the rap duo called OutKast, along with André 3000.

20. Cross letters INRI
The letters written on the cross on which Jesus died were “INRI”. INRI is an acronym for the Latin “Iesus Nazarenus, Rex Iudaeorum”, which translates into English as “Jesus the Nazarene, King of the Jews”.

22. 106-Across rival, for short UAL
United Airlines (UAL)

26. James Joyce accessory EYEPATCH
Irish author James Joyce was beset with eye problems from his early twenties. He had over a dozen eye surgeries over his lifetime, so often had to wear an eyepatch.

31. End-of-missive extras, for short PSS
One adds a PS (post scriptum, or simply “postscript”) at the end of a letter. A second postscript is a post post scriptum, a PPS.

34. Bearded impressionist CAMILLE PISSARRO
Camille Pissarro was a French artist, noted for working in both the Impressionist and Post-Impressionist styles. As such, he is sometimes considered as a “father figure” for many of the famous Impressionist painters that admired him, including Paul Cézanne, Vincent van Gogh and Paul Gauguin.

37. “The Art of War” author SUN TZU
Sun Tzu was a Chinese general in the 6th century BC who wrote a famous treatise called “The Art of War(fare)”. I’ve even seen the principles in Sun Tzu’s book applied to modern business.

39. Montreal-based shoe retailer ALDO
ALDO is a company based in Montreal that sell shoes worldwide. The company was founded in 1972 by Aldo Bensadoun. Aldo’s father had sold shoes in Morocco and France, and his grandfather had been a cobbler in Algeria.

41. Mogul-dodging path ESS
Moguls are the series of bumps in the surface of snow that arise naturally as a succession of skiers make turns on a slope.

49. Near East product RICE PILAF
Pilaf is a Persian word, and we use it to describe rice that is browned in oil and then cooked in a seasoned broth.

53. Poetic monogram TSE
The author T. S. Eliot was the son of Henry Ware Eliot and Charlotte Champe Stearns, so his full name was Thomas Stearns Eliot (TSE).

56. It’s a real knockout ETHER
Ethers are a whole class of organic compounds, but in the vernacular “ether” is specifically diethyl ether. Diethyl ether was once very popular as a general anesthetic.

58. Webmaster’s code HTML
HTML is HyperText Markup Language, the language used to write most Internet web pages (including this one).

60. “__ Shoes”: 2005 Cameron Diaz film IN HER
“In Her Shoes” is a 2005 comedy-drama film starring Cameron Diaz, Toni Collette and Shirley MacLaine. MacLaine plays the grandmother of two very different sisters played by Diaz and Collette. The movie is based on a novel of the same name by Jennifer Weiner.

64. Monet subject PARC
Included in the list Claude Monet’s impressionist works is a series of three landscapes painted in 1876 called “The Parc Monceau”. Parc Monceau is a public park in Paris that was a favorite of Monet, as well as the composer Hector Berlioz.

65. It may be a sign of chilling GOOSE PIMPLE
The goose bumps that occur on a person’s skin are the result of exposure to cold or experience of strong emotion. The bumps are the result of tiny muscles attached to hair follicles contracting, causing the hair to stand on end and creating a “bump” in the skin around the hair.

68. O’Hara home TARA
Rhett Butler hung out with Scarlett O’Hara at the Tara plantation in Margaret Mitchell’s “Gone with the Wind”. Tara was founded by Scarlett’s father, Irish immigrant Gerald O’Hara. Gerald named his new abode after the Hill of Tara back in his home country, the ancient seat of the High King of Ireland.

72. Moon-related phenomena TIDES
Tides of course are caused by the gravitational pull of the moon on the oceans. At neap tide, the smaller gravitational effect of the sun cancels out some of the moon’s effect. At spring tides, the sun and the moon’s gravitational forces act in concert causing more extreme movement of the oceans.

74. Gorbachev’s land: Abbr. USSR
Mikhail Gorbachev was the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1985 until the USSR dissolved in 1991. As well being associated with the ultimate collapse of the Soviet Union, Gorbachev’s name is linked with the policies of “Perestroika” and “Glasnost”. “Perestroika” (meaning “restructuring”) was his political and economic initiative to make socialism work more efficiently to better meet the needs of consumers. “Glasnost” (meaning “publicity, openness”) was Gorbachev’s policy of increased transparency of government in order to reduce levels of corruption in the Communist Party and government.

75. Perfume, as at High Mass CENSE
In the Roman Catholic tradition, a High Mass is more elaborate than a Low Mass. The former is usually a sung Mass and may involve more than one celebrant.

76. Parts of some baby splits TWO PINS
In ten pin bowling, a baby split occurs when either the 2-7 or 3-10 pins are left standing.

81. 2012 Stanley Cup champs, initially LAK
The Los Angeles Kings beat the New Jersey Devils in 2012 to win the Stanley Cup for the first time in the franchise’s history.

The Stanley Cup is named for Lord Stanley of Preston, the Governor General of Canada from 1888 to 1893. Lord Stanley’s sons became avid fans of ice hockey while in Canada, and so he donated the trophy in 1909, originally as a challenge cup for the country’s best amateur club.

82. Swatch, e.g. TIMEPIECE
Swatch is a Swiss manufacturer of watches that was founded in 1983. The name “Swatch” is a melding of the words “second watch”. The initial focus of the company was to produce a watch that was casual and fun, a “second watch” that was relatively disposable.

84. Port of Crete CANEA
Chania (also “Canea”) is a port city on the northern coast of the island of Crete.

Crete is the largest of the Greek Islands. Crete figures heavily in Greek mythology. Zeus was born in a cave at Mount Ida, the highest peak on the island. Crete was also home to the Labyrinth where the Minotaur was slain by Theseus. Icarus and Daedalus, after having crafted the Labyrinth, escaped from the island using wings that they crafted.

89. Some IRAs ROTHS
Roth Individual Retirement Accounts (Roth IRAs) were introduced in 1997 under a bill sponsored by Senator William Roth of Delaware.

102. “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now” singer DION
“It’s All Coming Back to Me Now” is a ballad record by Céline Dion in 1996. The song was written Jim Steinman. Inspired by the Emily Brontë novel “Wuthering Heights”, “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now” was Steinman’s attempt to write “the most passionate, romantic song” that he could. The song was also released by female band Pandora’s Box, and as a duet by Meat Loaf.

103. Grimm menace OGRE
The Brothers Grimm (Jacob and Wilhelm) were two German academics noted for collecting and publishing folk tales. Among the tales in their marvelous collection are “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”, “Sleeping Beauty” and “Cinderella”.

106. Atlanta-based airline DELTA
Today, Delta was the world’s largest airline for a while (after merging with Northwest Airlines in 2008) and is also the oldest airline still operating in the US. Delta’s roots go back to 1924 before it started carrying passengers and was called Huff Daland Dusters, a crop dusting company based in Macon, Georgia. The name Delta Air Service was introduced in 1928.

107. Sandwich order PASTRAMI
In the US, pastrami was originally called “pastrama”, a dish brought to America by Jewish immigrants from Romania in the second half of the the nineteenth century. The original name may have evolved from the Turkish word “pastirma” meaning “pressed”. “Pastrama” likely morphed into “pastrami”, influenced by the name of the Italian sausage that we call salami.

112. Somme summer ETE
The Somme is a river in the north of France. The name “Somme” comes from a Celtic word meaning “tranquility”. Paradoxically, the Somme is remembered as the site of a devastating WWI battle. The river separated British and French forces from the German army from July to November 1916. By the end of the battle, over one million soldiers had been wounded or killed.

116. Post-op stop ICU
ICU Intensive Care Unit (ICU)

119. Work measures ERGS
An erg is a unit of energy or mechanical work. “Erg” comes from the Greek word “ergon” meaning “work”. A dyne is a unit of force. The name “dyne” comes from the Greek “dynamis” meaning “power, force”. Ergs and dynes are related to each other in that one erg is the amount of energy needed to move a force of one dyne over a distance of one centimeter.

121. Talk Like a Pirate Day mo. SEP
International Talk Like a Pirate Day is September 19th every year, a “holiday” that was created in 1995. The event started out as an inside joke between John Baur and Mark Summers of Albany, Oregon, but when they shared the notion with the columnist Dave Barry, he promoted the idea and it took off.

Down
1. Los Alamos test subjects, informally A-BOMBS
The town of Los Alamos, New Mexico takes its name from the Spanish for “the poplars” or “the cottonwoods”. Famously, it is home to Los Alamos National Laboratory which was founded during WWII to work on the Manhattan Project, the development of the first atomic bomb. The town of Los Alamos didn’t exist as such, until it was planned and constructed to support the employees working on development of the bomb.

2. Wells’ island doctor MOREAU
“The Island of Doctor Moreau” is an 1896 novel penned by H. G. Wells. The book tells the story of a shipwrecked man who ends up on the island of Doctor Moreau. Moreau engages in vivisection and creates new beasts by combining different species.

7. Flower part PISTIL
The stamen is the male reproductive organ of a flower. The part of the stamen known as the anther carries the pollen, which is picked up by the bee and transferred from flower to flower. The pistil is the female reproductive organ, and it accepts the pollen.

9. Peter Sellers film that began production after his death TRAIL OF THE PINK PANTHER
“Trail of the Pink Panther” is the seventh in the “The Pink Panther” series of films starring Peter Sellers as Inspector Clouseau. Although it was a commercial failure, the film is remarkable in that the star of the movie, Peter Sellers, died 18 months before production started. All of Clouseau’s scenes are flashbacks and outtakes from previous films.

10. Spine line TITLE
In the US, the convention is to write the title on the spine of a book from top-to-bottom. In most of Europe, the convention is to write the title from bottom-to-top. We have a lot of books in the “library” in our house from both sides of the Atlantic, and so there is a lot of moving of the head from left to right as we glance along our bookshelves.

12. Epic with a trip home to Ithaca ODYSSEY
“The Odyssey” is one of two epic poems from ancient Greece that is attributed to Homer. “The Odyssey” is largely a sequel to Homer’s other epic, “The Iliad”. “The Odyssey” centers on the heroic figure, Odysseus, and his adventures on his journey home to Greece following the fall of Troy.

13. Texas oil city ODESSA
The city of Odessa, Texas has as its symbol the jack rabbit. This is because from the thirties through the seventies the city hosted a rodeo for roping rabbits. The Humane Society applied pressure and the city did away with the tradition in 1977.

16. Game with meshed sticks LACROSSE
Even though lacrosse was dropped from the Olympics after the 1908 games, it is currently enjoying a resurgence of popularity outside of North America.

17. Pre-coll. ELHI
“Elhi” is an informal word used to describe anything related to schooling from grades 1 through 12, i.e. elementary through high school.

24. “Capisce?” GET THE PICTURE?
“Capisce?” is Italian for “Understand?”

27. Busy time for a CPA APR
A Certified Public Accountant (CPA) is busy around tax time in April (Apr.).

April 15th wasn’t always Tax Day in the US. The deadline for returns was March 1st from 1913-18, when it was moved to March 15th. Tax Day has been April 15th since 1955.

30. __ Steaks OMAHA
Omaha Steaks is a company that sells meat and related products directly to end customers. Omaha steaks are shipped directly to purchasers in coolers packed with ice.

34. Nobelist of 1903 and 1911 CURIE
Marie Curie lived a life of firsts. She was the first female professor at the University of Paris, the first woman to win a Nobel Prize, and indeed was the first person to win two Nobel prizes (in 1903 and 1911). Most of Curie’s work was in the field of radioactivity, and was carried out in the days when the impact of excessive radiation on the human body was not understood. She died from aplastic anemia, caused by high exposure to radiation. To this day, Curie’s personal papers are kept preserved in lead-lined boxes as they are highly radioactive, even her personal cookbook.

38. “Valley Girl” co-songwriter Frank or Moon ZAPPA
Frank Zappa was an American composer and guitarist, a solo artist as well as the founding member of the rock band Mothers of Invention. You might like to meet his four children: Moon Unit, Dweezil, Ahmet Emuukha Rodan, and Diva Thin Muffin Pigeen.

44. 35mm shooter SLR
SLR stands for “single lens reflex”. Usually cameras with changeable lenses are the SLR type. The main feature of an SLR is that a mirror reflects the image seen through the lens out through the viewfinder, so that the photographer sees exactly what the lens sees. The mirror moves out of the way as the picture is taken, and the image that comes through the lens falls onto unexposed film, or nowadays onto a digital sensor.

49. Law gp. in red serge tunics RCMP
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (the Mounties; RCMP) is an unusual police force in that it provides all policing for the whole country. The RCMP works on the national level, and right down to the municipal level. The force’s distinctive uniform of red serge tunic, blue pants with a yellow stripe, stetson hat etc. is known internally as “Review Order”. The red uniform dates back to the days of the North-West Mounted Police, which was one of the existing forces that were merged in 1920 to form the RCMP.

50. “The Life __”: “Mary Poppins” tune I LEAD
The “Mary Poppins” series of children’s novels was written by Australian-born English writer and actress P. L. Travers. Mary Poppins is a magical children’s nanny with a best friend called Bert. In the famous musical film adaptation of the Mary Poppins stories, Poppins is played by Julie Andrews and Bert is played Dick Van Dyke.

51. Leadership nucleus CADRE
A “cadre” is most commonly a group of experienced personnel at the core of a larger organization that the small group trains or heavily influences. “Cadre” is a French word meaning a “frame”. We use it in the sense that a cadre is a group that provides a “framework” for the larger organization.

58. “I’m sorry, Dave” speaker of sci-fi HAL
In Arthur C. Clarke’s “Space Odyssey” (famously adapted for the big screen as “2001: A Space Odyssey”) the computer system that went rogue was called HAL 9000, or simply “HAL”. HAL stands for Heuristically programmed ALgorithmic computer.

60. Moths with colorful eyespots on their hind wings IOS
The Io Moth is a colorful moth that is native to North America.

62. Prima __ case FACIE
“Prima facie” is Latin for “first encounter” or “at first sight”. In the world of the law, a prima facie case is one in which the evidence is deemed to be sufficient for a judgment to be made unless the evidence is contested.

63. Euro forerunner FRANC
The French franc was made up of 100 centimes, before being replaced by the Euro.

66. Boston Garden legend ORR
Bobby Orr is regarded as one of the greatest hockey players of all time. By the time he retired in 1978 he had undergone over a dozen knee surgeries. At 31 years of age, he concluded that he just couldn’t skate anymore. Reportedly, he was even having trouble walking …

69. Cathedral part APSE
The apse of a church or cathedral is a semicircular recess in an outer wall, usually with a half-dome as a roof and often where there resides an altar. Originally apses were used as burial places for the clergy and also for storage of important relics.

71. Nominees for them are announced in January OSCARS
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) is the organization that gives the annual Academy Awards also known as the “Oscars”. The root of the name “Oscar” is hotly debated, but what is agreed is that the award was officially named “Oscar” in 1939. The first Academy Awards were presented at a brunch in 1929 with an audience of just 29 people. The Awards ceremony is a slightly bigger event these days …

76. Texter’s “Don’t go there!” TMI!
Too much information (TMI)

80. Guam Air Force base ANDERSEN
Andersen AFB is located on Guam, on the opposite end of the island to Naval Base Guam. Andersen was one of the few location in the world where NASA Space Shuttles were allowed to land.

90. 1994 Olympic gold medalist skater Baiul OKSANA
Oksana Baiul is a Ukrainian figure skater, the 1994 Olympic champion. Baiul had a rough start to her life as her father deserted her and her mother when she was just two years old, and then her mother died when she was thirteen. Her grandparents had died earlier so she was left as an orphan, sleeping on a cot in her hometown ice rink.

95. Award-winning sci-fi writer Connie WILLIS
Connie Willis is an American writer of science fiction. Her “Time Travel” series of novels feature time travel by a group of history students at an Oxford University of the future. Sounds interesting …

100. Basketry fiber ISTLE
Istle is a fiber that is obtained from various tropical plants, including the agave and yucca tree.

101. Place to follow politics C-SPAN
C-SPAN is a privately-funded, non-profit cable channel that broadcasts continuous coverage of government proceedings.

103. Page with sentiments OP-ED
Op-ed is an abbreviation for “opposite the editorial page”. Op-eds started in “The New York Evening World” in 1921 when the page opposite the editorials was used for articles written by a named guest writer, someone independent of the editorial board.

106. Applied henna, e.g. DYED
Henna has been used for centuries as a dye, not just for leather and wool, but also for the hair and skin. In modern days, henna is also used for temporary tattoos.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Band booster AMP
4. Fig. that rarely exceeds 4 GPA
7. “Drive for show, __ for dough”: golf adage PUTT
11. Steam whistle sound TOOT
15. Fútbol cheer OLE!
18. Rapper Big __ BOI
19. Sinuous swimmer EEL
20. Cross letters INRI
21. They may be even or long ODDS
22. 106-Across rival, for short UAL
23. Italian dressing herb OREGANO
25. ESPN datum STAT
26. James Joyce accessory EYEPATCH
28. Nearly 40 inches METER
29. Masseur’s bottleful HOT OIL
31. End-of-missive extras, for short PSS
32. Scope opening? PERI-
33. Fly, in fly-fishing BAIT
34. Bearded impressionist CAMILLE PISSARRO
37. “The Art of War” author SUN TZU
39. Montreal-based shoe retailer ALDO
40. Mountaineer’s tool ICE AX
41. Mogul-dodging path ESS
43. Brutal HARSH
45. Evil-smelling FUNKY
47. “Not interested” I PASS
49. Near East product RICE PILAF
53. Poetic monogram TSE
54. Evening affair SOIREE
55. Sound-activated infomercial gadget CLAPPER
56. It’s a real knockout ETHER
58. Webmaster’s code HTML
59. __ circus MEDIA
60. “__ Shoes”: 2005 Cameron Diaz film IN HER
61. Abstains from LAYS OFF
64. Monet subject PARC
65. It may be a sign of chilling GOOSE PIMPLE
68. O’Hara home TARA
70. Construction site sights DETOURS
72. Moon-related phenomena TIDES
73. Postgame postmortem RECAP
74. Gorbachev’s land: Abbr. USSR
75. Perfume, as at High Mass CENSE
76. Parts of some baby splits TWO PINS
78. Laundry supply STARCH
81. 2012 Stanley Cup champs, initially LAK
82. Swatch, e.g. TIMEPIECE
84. Port of Crete CANEA
85. It can be used in dating STAMP
87. Baseball teams NINES
88. Ducked down, say HID
89. Some IRAs ROTHS
91. Some hieroglyphic squiggles ASPS
94. Top parts CROWNS
98. “Call me” LET’S KEEP IN TOUCH
102. “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now” singer DION
103. Grimm menace OGRE
104. Maple yield SAP
105. Plays guitar chords, in a way STRUMS
106. Atlanta-based airline DELTA
107. Sandwich order PASTRAMI
109. Flimsy THIN
110. Biweekly stub, perhaps PAYSLIP
112. Somme summer ETE
113. “Sometimes you feel like __ …” A NUT
114. Let use for now LEND
115. Fruity quencher ADE
116. Post-op stop ICU
117. Retreat DEN
118. Welcome center offerings MAPS
119. Work measures ERGS
120. Go-ahead NOD
121. Talk Like a Pirate Day mo. SEP

Down
1. Los Alamos test subjects, informally A-BOMBS
2. Wells’ island doctor MOREAU
3. Baker’s container PIE TIN
4. Transmission selection GEAR
5. Pocket protector insert PEN
6. Tropical hi ALOHA
7. Flower part PISTIL
8. Not yet shared UNTOLD
9. Peter Sellers film that began production after his death TRAIL OF THE PINK PANTHER
10. Spine line TITLE
11. Figure skate feature TOEPICK
12. Epic with a trip home to Ithaca ODYSSEY
13. Texas oil city ODESSA
14. Kitchen meas. TSP
15. Where to catch the sound of music? OUTER EAR
16. Game with meshed sticks LACROSSE
17. Pre-coll. ELHI
24. “Capisce?” GET THE PICTURE?
27. Busy time for a CPA APR
30. __ Steaks OMAHA
34. Nobelist of 1903 and 1911 CURIE
35. Missing person? PINER
36. Universally accepted principles AXIOMS
38. “Valley Girl” co-songwriter Frank or Moon ZAPPA
42. Toronto-to-D.C. dir. SSE
44. 35mm shooter SLR
46. They’re often email addresses USER IDS
48. TV prototypes PILOT EPISODES
49. Law gp. in red serge tunics RCMP
50. “The Life __”: “Mary Poppins” tune I LEAD
51. Leadership nucleus CADRE
52. Swamps FENS
54. Cause of eyelid redness STYE
57. What one may be taken for? THE TEAM
58. “I’m sorry, Dave” speaker of sci-fi HAL
60. Moths with colorful eyespots on their hind wings IOS
61. CD precursors LPS
62. Prima __ case FACIE
63. Euro forerunner FRANC
65. Spout GUSH
66. Boston Garden legend ORR
67. Convene MEET
69. Cathedral part APSE
71. Nominees for them are announced in January OSCARS
73. Rodeo performer ROPER
75. Brooch fastener CLASP
76. Texter’s “Don’t go there!” TMI!
77. Barmaid, to the Bard WENCH
78. Learning ctr. SCH
79. Pickup feature TAILGATE
80. Guam Air Force base ANDERSEN
83. “To recap …” IN SUM
85. Anger STEAM UP
86. Rock bottom THE PITS
90. 1994 Olympic gold medalist skater Baiul OKSANA
92. Piano part STRING
93. Hits with force POUNDS
95. Award-winning sci-fi writer Connie WILLIS
96. Perceive NOTICE
97. Buy quickly SNAP UP
99. Vietnamese holiday TET
100. Basketry fiber ISTLE
101. Place to follow politics C-SPAN
103. Page with sentiments OP-ED
106. Applied henna, e.g. DYED
108. Colorado State athlete RAM
111. Bustle ADO

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6 thoughts on “LA Times Crossword Answers 6 Oct 13, Sunday”

  1. Done in by two letters! Ack!
    3 spellings tries in Moreau.
    Thought mogul dodging was trying not to get hit by a taxi.
    Baby split brought thoughts of Solomn telling the two women to cut the baby in half.
    Sun WHO?
    Couldn't think of anyone with a beard doing impressions of John Wayne of James Cagney. LOL
    And if you ever order from Omaha steaks be prepared to be bombarded EVERY day with more offers.
    Thanks, Bill, great blog!

  2. While the computer HAL had an inventive anagram name, a more interesting theory is that each letter was set to be one letter each before "IBM".

  3. @Pookie
    Congrats on the near completion. I was lucky with "Moreau" as I listened to a radio drama version of the book on the BBC not too long ago. And I'll skip the Omaha steaks … veggie here 🙂 Enjoy what's left of your weekend, Pookie.

    @Anonymous
    HAL and IBM … nice link. I hadn't heard that before 🙂 Thank you!

  4. I can't seem to get the 12D/ 31A cross to work. Can you clarify? The grid has one answer, but your write-up has another for 31A. I agree with your answer, but that doesn't fit the down.
    Thanks!

  5. Ah, never mind… I get it now. One of those clumsy pluralized initialisms.
    BTW, you left "toepick" off your write-up, I think.

  6. Hi there, "Anonymous".

    I see now how I might have confused with that "pps" explanation to the answer "pss". My bad!

    I did indeed leave TOEPICK out of the write-up. I have to skip over some answers as there just isn't time to comment on every clue, and I think that might be unnecesary anyway. I have to be selective, especially on a Sunday, and decided to let TOEPICK stand by itself 🙂

Comments are closed.