3.07.2010

SUNDAY, March 7, 2010 — Sylvia Bursztyn (calendar)

Theme: "Current Affair" — Theme answers are puns related to electricity.

[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 answers:
  • 23A: Links' energy supply? (POWER FOR THE COURSE).
  • 35A: Energy increase authorization? (SURGE WARRANT).
  • 62A: Educated in energy? (OHM SCHOOLED).
  • 82A: Be fair with energy? (DO WATTS RIGHT).
  • 99A: Hollywood energy? (CIRCUIT OF THE STARS).
  • 29D: Top energy accessory? (SUPREME CORD).
  • 39D: Energize energy? (ROCK THE VOLT).
  • 48D: Condition of energy? (AMPERE STATE).
Everything Else — 1A: Impolitic (TACTLESS); 9A: Asian mushroom (SHIITAKE); 17A: Uncommon sense (ESP); 20A: Cadillac Ranch town (AMARILLO); 21A: Well-balanced (CENTERED); 22A: Pro at balancing (CPA); 25A: Rent out (LET); 26A: Old Hollywood's Dunne (IRENE); 27A: Lucy's partner in hijinks (ETHEL); 28A: More minuscule (TEENSIER); 30A: Foxx of comedy (REDD); 31A: "--- Spartacus!" (I AM); 32A: Pedestrian, as text (PROSY); 34A: Beehive, for one (UPDO); 40A: Big name in printers (EPSON); 41A: Reno-to-L.A. dir. (SSE); 44A: Sum in red (LOSS); 45A: Mudder's fodder (OATS); 46A: Soft touch (CARESS); 47A: Margaret Mitchell's birthplace (ATLANTA); 49A: "Miracle on 34th Street" setting (MACY'S); 51A: Remote button (MUTE); 52A: "Bambinos'" first words (MAMMAS); 53A: They may be hard or floppy (DISKS); 54A: Cut corners (SCRIMPED); 58A: Falls like raindrops (PLOPS); 59A: "Haven't --- before?" (WE MET); 60A: Trifle (BAGATELLE); 61A: Russo of "Ransom" (RENE); 64A: Snooker sticks (CUES); 65A: Celestial sphere? (ASTRONOMY); 67A: Gladden (ELATE); 68A: WWI battle site (SOMME); 69A: Work boot feature (STEEL TOE); 70A: Margaret of "The Color Purple" (AVERY); 71A: Pay-per-cut professional (BARBER); 72A: Pig's feed (SLOP); 73A: Overrun (FLOOD); 74A: Poseidon's prop (TRIDENT); 75A: Selectric sound (TAP TAP); 78A: Get-out-of-jail fee (BAIL); 79A: Garment often worn out (COAT); 80A: ACLU issues (RTS.); 81A: Water colors (AQUAS); 86A: Air, in Erfurt (LUFT); 87A: Blackballs (SHUNS); 88A: Shade (HUE); 89A: First word of Virgil's "Aeneid" (ARMA); 93A: Cradle to grave (LIFESPAN); 95A: Rich tapestry (ARRAS); 97A: Zones (AREAS); 98A: Brink (EVE); 103A: Sun. delivery (SER.); 104A: Georgian's neighbor (ARMENIAN); 105A: Hardy's Vye (EUSTACIA); 106A: Effort (TRY); 107A: Site of some stands (ROADSIDE); 108A: Poured off port (DECANTED); 1D: Rhino cousin (TAPIR); 2D: Love, in Livorno (AMORE); 3D: Called like a crow (CAWED); 4D: In things (TRENDS); 5D: Former capital of Italy (LIRE); 6D: Brownie (ELF); 7D: Tart fruit (SLOE); 8D: Combat sallies (SORTIES); 9D: Diagrammatic model (SCHEMA); 10D: Pump back (HEEL); 11D: Bus. abbr. (INC.); 12D: Midori on ice (ITO); 13D: Old Germans (TEUTONS); 14D: Collar (ARREST); 15D: Merry Prankster Ken (KESEY); 16D: Temptation location (EDEN); 17D: Overshadow (ECLIPSE); 18D: Small trunks (SPEEDOS); 19D: Arts supporters (PATRONS); 24D: Warm spell (THAW); 32D: Supplicates (PRAYS); 33D: "Darn!" ("RATS!"); 36D: Radii neighbors (ULNAS); 37D: Turns (ROTS); 38D: Fed. property mgr. (GSA); 40D: Weird Al Yankovic hit (EAT IT); 41D: Tennis champ Pete (SAMPRAS); 42D: Most trite (STALEST); 43D: City west of West Covina (ELMONTE); 46D: Band-Aid rival (CURAD); 49D: "Jabberwocky" word (MIMSY); 50D: "Hold on ---!" (A SEC); 51D: Bobby in a Joplin classic (MCGEE); 53D: "Philadelphia" director (DEMME); 54D: A little blue (SALTY); 55D: "Mario Bros." occupation (PLUMBER); 56D: Silver or sulfur (ELEMENT); 57D: Oasis places (DESERTS); 59D: Victor's shout (WHOOP); 60D: Get on (BOARD); 62D: Leading (ON TOP); 63D: Spread in a tub (OLEO); 66D: Earthenware pots (OLLAS); 68D: Doth speak (SAITH); 70D: Fugitive's assumption (ALIAS); 71D: Crow (BRAG); 73D: Little deer (FAWN); 74D: "Tais- ---!" ("Hush!" in Le Havre) (TOI); 75D: Burj Khalifa building, currently (TALLEST); 76D: Trembling (AQUIVER); 77D: Hype (PUFFERY); 78D: Gave the heave-ho (BOUNCED); 79D: Fashioned (CREATED); 82D: Greg's sitcom spouse (DHARMA); 83D: High chair (THRONE); 84D: Go through channels? (SURF); 85D: Clan plaid (TARTAN); 87D: Veep after Hubert (SPIRO); 90D: Wince, for instance (REACT); 91D: "Dick Van Dyke Show"'s Rose (MARIE); 92D: Big name in Syrian politics (ASSAD); 94D: Cicatrix (SCAR); 95D: Only slightly (A TAD); 96D: Cruise's "Cocktail" co-star (SHUE); 97D: Screen dog (ASTA); 100D: Us, in Düsseldorf (UNS); 101D: The last "Godfather" (III); 102D: PC key (ESC).

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Shocking dissatisfying (={
Next Sundya I will waste an hour by some other means...perhaps watching paint dry.

Anonymous said...

ENOUGH with the banal PUNS! There MUST be a smarter crossword puzzle source the LA Times could dig up?

Anonymous said...

Time for the Times to save some more ink space by dropping the Puzzler. Or should I say it this way: Watt a waist of mai tai hem! Can't the Arts & Books editor find a decent crossword to publish that doesn't rely on terrible puns that are not fullfilling, and while cleaning up the content, how about writing clues that don't rely on foreign languages!!!

Anonymous said...

No matter how one types Sundya, it suits the LA times SunDAY crossword as it matters not how one spells out the answers to those not-so-punny clues!

Tinbeni said...

@Anon
Sooooo, the puzzle kicked your ass with its STEEL TOE and Watt do you do?
Trash it, TAP TAP ... I surrender.
Well 1A sums you up. TACTLESS.

@PG
Thanks for the puzzle connection.
I enjoyed this one very much.
Puns reminded me of doing a Dan.

Word of the Puzzle, EUSTACIA (thx, crosses).

ITO in both, Oh well ...

Time for Scotch to be DECANTED.
Not really necessary, I just like the sound of it as it PLOPS into my snifter.

Anonymous said...

@ Anon, amen to the foreign languge clues, seems to be a preponderance of them lately both here and the NYT.

JIMMIE said...

Oh Fiddleleedee. I liked it, bad puns and all. AMPERESTATE and ROCKTHEVOLT were the worst, but I got a kick out of OHMSCHOOLED and DOWATTSRIGHT. ARMA was the most popular first word in the Latin language, but first I tried to get in "I sing of warfare" before I realized that it starts with "Of warfare (ARMA) I sing."

Anyway, thanks again PG for your efforts.