Bruce Haight came up with a unique theme for today's
Los Angeles Times crossword. Here are the clues:
'Pay attention' (Ford)
Type of pride (Honda)
Minute Maid Park player (Chevy)
Beat (Ford)
Venomous snake (Dodge)
Space explorer (Ford)
Atlas, for one (Nissan)
Western skiing mecca (Chevy)
The central answer is TBONECOLLISIONS, clued as "Car mishaps." Each of the four pairs of theme answers includes a horizontal word and a vertical word which are models of cars and which share a letter -- circled in the grid but in boldface here -- and form the shape of a T. The answers, in order, are FO
CUS &
CIVIC , AS
TRO &
TEMPO, VI
PER &
PROBE, and TI
TAN &
TAHOE.
We "common people" refer to a collision in which the front end of a vehicle hits the side of another vehicle as a "T-bone" but insurance companies prefer the term "broadside collision" or "right-angle collision." Without witnesses, it is very difficult to prove who is at fault in such an accident. More information is at
http://www.caraccidentattorneyinsandiego.com/t-bone-collisionIn Greek mythology, Atlas was the Titan who held up the sky. In modern times, he is often erroneously depicted holding up the earth. If he really was large enough to hold up the sky, I'd love to know where he bought his clothes.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlas_(mythology)
Also in today's crossword:
Convened again: REMET (Awkward)
Place for a key: Abbr: IGN (Awkward)
Time for new growth: Abbr: SPR (Awkward)
Like many roofs: EAVED (Awkward)
Seine sight: ILE (not used in English)
"Prize for a picture" is OSCAR. This year's Academy Awards ceremony will be held on February 28. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences has presented the awards every year since 1929 when the "best picture" award went to the World War drama
Wings, a silent film starring Clara Bow, Buddy Rogers, Richard Arlen and Gary Cooper. Why is an Academy Award popularly called an "Oscar"? Nobody is certain. It is most likely that Bette Davis nicknamed the award for her first husband, Harmon Oscar Nelson. However, some historians think the nickname could refer to Oscar Pierce, a cousin of the first executive director of the Academy.
I think it's sad that the number of people commenting on crosswords here is smaller than the number of people running for President. The late New York Yankees catcher Yogi Berra once observed, "If people don't want to come out to the ballpark, nobody's going to stop them." Similarly, I suppose if crossword fans don't want to participate here, I can't stop them. I just wish I knew how to get more people to take part in the discussions. On most days there isn't even a discussion. There's a monologue. *Sigh*
