MAY MAYDAY~!
"May Day~? Why, that's the Russian New Year~!"
And the Frawnche reason for the emergency distress call
Happy first of May~! John Michael Currie is a regular here at the LA Times crossword, but it's been while; his last appearance was in Nov 2024. Today we have a calm, gimmick-free puzzle compared to last Friday, but alas, "Ah me", we have a dozen names again. 55 theme squares of the total fill, or about 30% of the construction, the theme is basically a simple 'self-regarding' play on words/abbrs, half clever, half not so much. A standard 15x15 grid, a balance again of 3-, 4- & 5-letter words, no circles, too many names, and a couple of twurds; the themers;
20. Color commentator's remark about a zebra on the field?: REF REFERENCE - typically an NFL slang term, 'zebra' refers to the REFeree
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29. Pickling, canning, headspace, annealing, etc.?: JAR JARGON - I understand pickling and canning, but I had to look up headspace, and annealing in reference to jars
37. Like clockwork, e.g.?: ANALOG ANALOGY - The clip below is too funny - and too sad
Can you tell me what time it is~?
45. Pressing the "permanent press" button?: IRON IRONY - It does seem to be Ironic
The 'perm press' setting is in the center
56. "Words are but wind"?: META METAPHOR - oooh, trippy . . .
Wait, But More There Is . . .
ACROSS:
1. Departing word: CIAO - Italian lesson
5. "Of course," in Oviedo: CLARO - Español lesson, technically means "clear"; Oviedo is this city in Spain ( geo name #1 ) - see also map at 18A.
10. Chevrolet model until 2019: VOLT - really rough way to start the first row of Across fills; foreign word/foreign word/name - sheesh, can we get an English words puzzle~?
The Wiki for those who are curious
14. Address letters: HTTP - website address, that is
15. Bleachers shoutout: "HI MOM~!" - this twurd has made 36 other crossword puzzles
16. Biblical plot: EDEN - plot as in land, not story arc
17. Dramatic sigh: "AH ME..."
18. St. Teresa's birthplace: AVILA - geo name #2 - more here
Dos cuidades
19. Succeeding: NEXT
23. Created hazardous driving conditions, perhaps: SLEETED - uh-huh . . .
24. Two-digit sign: PEACE - my parents, both born in the UK, made it clear that "palm in" was a far more vulgar version of the sign . . .
The origins of the "V" for Victory ( peace ) sign
28. Org. that promotes vegan leather: PETA - an acronym, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
33. Quaint affirmation: "'TIS"
35. Sticky stuff: GOO
36. Abnormal: ODD
42. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, for one: DUO - names #3 - the Wiki, and a tie-in to 4D.
43. Comedian Wong: ALI - name #4; see also the last Down clue
44. Prefix with binary: NON
49. Swim/bike/run races, briefly: TRIs - meh, a semi-abbr for triathlon
52. Growing alarm: PANIC - "Not only is it slightly cheaper, it has the words DON'T PANIC printed in large, friendly letters on its cover"
The Hichhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
53. Lifeblood: ESSENCE
60. Place to find one's credit history?: IMDb - the Internet Movie Database, and film credits
63. Home of Creighton University: OMAHA - filled via perps, geo name #5
64. Net: EARN - think paycheck
65. Tarot figure carrying a bindle: FOOL
From the Rider-Waite Deck
66. Program broadcast from Rockefeller Plaza: TODAY - good clue/answer for this fill; I didn't know it
67. Gastropub pours: ALES - a WAG
68. Maker of Inzone gaming gear: SONY - got most via perps; name (ish)
69. Presents inaccurately, as data: SKEWS
70. Try out: TEST
DOWN:
1. Nears burning: CHARS - I got it, but it seems slightly 'off ' - I mean, the outside is burned . . .
2. Geek Squad offering: IT HELP - this has appeared in seven other puzzles
I can't see the problem . . .
3. Charge for cash: ATM FEE - this has appeared in twenty other grids
4. Gilbert and Sullivan work: OPERETTA - filled via perps; I recognize the names, but not their legacy
5. Abrade: CHAFE - not SCUFF
6. Club record holder?: LIVE DJ - not a unique fill
7. "The Kite Runner" boy: AMIR - a name, #6, a book, and a movie - it's IMDb
8. Part: ROLE
9. Yemen neighbor: OMAN - geo name #7
10. Deceptive layer: VENEER - I suppose "deceptive" refers more to a persona, than, say, furniture
11. Amanda Gorman's "An __ We Owe": ODE - the poem, here; name (ish)
12. Latin law: LEX - oops, not RES; I can't remember a 'thing' 🙄
13. Boom operator's need?: TNT - har-har; trying to be fresh with a stale fill
21. Cybercommerce: eTAIL
22. Audit firm exec: CPA - Certified Public Accountant, CW staple
25. Spellbound: AGOG - Dah~! Not AWED; only 25% correct
26. "Dirt Cheap" country singer Johnson: CODY - the sentimental YouTube music video, name #8
27. Terminus: END
30. "From the top": AGAIN
31. Kim Possible sidekick __ Stoppable: RON - name #9 - Here's a family tree I found - I also noted that the Downy in-wash scent booster "Unstopables" product is spelled wrong . . .
Coor's Artic Ice ( missing the inner c ) is another example
32. Cusack of the "Toy Story" franchise: JOAN - I tried John, her brother, just one letter off, but still Bzzzzt~! name #10
34. Skyrocket: SOAR
37. Lighting effect: AURA - I tried HALO . . .
38. Lunch hour, for some: NOON - neither ONE PM nor TWO PM would fit
39. Mop & __: GLO - More product spelling trickery - from founders John Mop & Tom Glo 😜
I don't use Mop & Glo, but I do have the spin bucket
40. "__ luck!": LOTSA - two Fridays in a row with this answer
41. How viral videos might be played: ON REPEAT - also not a unique fill
42. Short decline: DIP - I notice the price of gasoline spikes, but only "dips" back to its previous level
46. With quick movements: NIMBLY
47. Clinch: ICE - like a playoff spot
48. Rodeo cry: "YEEHAW~!" - has made two other crosswords
50. Half of a meditative refrain: INHALE - Exhale . . . Omm . . .
Eddie Van "Inhalen"
51. Film compositions: SCORES - Ah. I filled in FRAMES; well, they are composed of frames . . .
54. Collar supports: STAYS
55. Dada pioneer Max: ERNST - name #11, but I learned this from doing crosswords - bizarre stuff
57. Fries alternative: TOTS - I got flak from my gym class people because I made my shepherd's pie "wrong" - tater tots are not the "same thing" as mashed potatoes 🙄
...and then my trainer says "It does look good~!"
58. Out of control: AMOK
59. Not natural: MADE - I guess . . . Friday vague
60. Hypotheticals: 'IFs' - A Pulp Fiction quote two weeks in a row . . . here's the NSFW clip with Jules on the phone to Mr. Wallace
61. Ranch sound: MOO - take your guess; BAA, MAA, "GIT~!" 😜
62. Put on: DON - "on" and "on" in clue & answer, a bit weak . . . but then again, the alternate is a name
Splynter
Grid Flow 22.7
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