"Anagrammer lesson" is similar to "grammar lesson." That was the only good caption I could think of. And with that.....Jerome Gunderson's
Los Angeles Times crossword today includes
Foppish neckwear: SILKASCOT
Political nickname for the Pacific states: LEFTCOAST
Protective botanical layers: SEEDCOATS
Mexican seafood entree: FISHTACOS
The central answer is "Puccini title heroine" TOSCA, whose name is an anagram of the last word of each of those four phrases.
35-across, "European peak," is ALP. There are 160 mountain ranges in the United States, including the Rocky Mountains, Blue Ridge Mountains and Appalachian Mountains. I have never heard any individual peak referred to as a "Rocky Mountain," "Blue Ridge Mountain" or "Appalchian Mountain." Similarly, I have never heard any individual peak of the Alps referred to as an "Alp"---except, of course, in crossword puzzles.
I'm reminded of a line spoken by Professor Quincy Wagstaff (Groucho Marx) while giving a lecture in the 1932 movie
Horse Feathers: "Beyond the Alps lies more Alps and the Lord alps those that alps themselves."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mountain_ranges#United_StatesSometimes a crossword creator includes five similar words, each one containing, respectively, an A, E, I, O and U or the sound thereof. Today is one of those times. Michael Torch's
Daily News puzzle includes RIVERSEINE, CRASHSCENE, LORDGIVEMEASIGN, CUTANDSEWN ("Like clothing customized from raw fabric") and COMINGSOON ("Phrase over a movie poster").
The Universal crossword includes COLLISIONCOURSE, COMMONCOMPLAINT and COLORCOMMENTARY. A medical doctor might say that the puzzle contains 3 CC's. Well.....maybe he wouldn't say that. But
I would. In fact, I
did.
