Theme: "A Storm Is Brewing*"- The first words in starred answers all lightning and thunder- related.
23A. *Vegas visitor's hope : STREAK OF LUCK. See The Mirage on the back? This is outside Caesars Palace. No streak of lightning, but it rained two days while I was there this year. Highly unusual.
25A. *Seemingly impromptu public performance : FLASH MOB. Isn't flash of lightning same as streak of lightning?
45A. *Classic 1974 sports contest : RUMBLE IN THE JUNGLE. Odd that they held the match in Africa.
68A. *Solution for a forgotten combination : BOLT CUTTERS. Lock.
92A. *Historic 20th-century disaster : CRASH OF TWENTY NINE. 20th should not be in the clue.
115A. *Bama rallying cry : ROLL TIDE
118A. *Arrange hastily : CLAP TOGETHER. Never heard of this phrase before.
I feel there's a slight sequence. Argyle is not fully convinced.
Matt stacked his 8-letter themers with two more 8-letter entries. Pretty daring. Those chunks of whites in the upper right and lower left are hard to fill cleanly.
Across:
1. Office alerts : MEMOS. Smooth start.
6. Lubricate : GREASE
12. Golfer for whom the original web.com Tour was named : BEN HOGAN. Unknown trivia to me. Wiki said it's originally named Ben Hogan Tour. Minor league for golfers.
20. Vols' school : U Tenn
21. Family reunion attendees : NIECES
22. Baja tourist city : ENSENADA. Google shows it means "bay" in Spanish. Sure it's a long word.
26. Brief and on point : SUCCINCT
27. Corn serving : EAR
29. Buffalo NHLer : SABRE
30. Director Jean-__ Godard : LUC
31. Formal opening : DEAR SIRS
36. Troon turndowns : NAES. Troon is known for its golf course. Host of many British Opens.
37. Greek earth goddess : GAIA. Or GAEA.
41. Caught in __ : THE ACT. Rare 6-letter partial. The norm is 5-letter.
43. Frisbee golf starting point : TEE PAD
48. Word to a restaurant host : TWO
51. Barcelona bye : ADIOS
52. Chargers linebacker Manti __ : TE'O. I remember the girlfriend hoax story a few years ago. So cruel.
53. Unusual : ODD
54. "Honest!" : I SWEAR
56. Sales chart, e.g. : VISUAL AID. Thought of Husker Gary, my very first Facebook friend! (Can you spot my mystery friend in the group?) Also 59. Sales chart metaphor : PIE
60. Attic function : STORAGE
61. Reputed UFO fliers : ETS
62. Arcade no-no : TILT
63. Where to find "The Blacklist" : ON NBC. I thought it's ON HBO.
65. "Mr. __ Passes By": Milne play : PIM. Learned from doing crosswords.
66. Time fraction: Abbr. : NSEC
72. USAF noncom : TSGT. Never know which one to choose: MSGT, SSGT, or TSGT.
75. Driver's lic. info : DOB
77. Aired for binge-watching, say : RE-RAN
78. Film princess : LEIA
80. Screened leader? : PRE. Pre-screened.
81. Nestlé candy with a white covering : SNO-CAPS
84. "Another thing ... " : AND
85. Old-style delivery man : TOWN CRIER
87. Exotic pet : IGUANA
88. Bermuda hrs. : AST
89. Word in discount store names : SAV
90. Long-eared critters : HARES. Not ASSES.
91. Base bed : COT
97. "Frankenstein" genre : GOTHIC. Not HORROR.
98. Cause to be : RENDER
99. Old Roman road : ITER. Root for itinerary.
100. Word from a doll : MAMA
103. Extreme folly : INSANITY
105. 120-Down source : TAP. 120. Scottish __ : ALE. How is it different from the Irish ale, Steve?
107. 2003 NBA Rookie of the Year Stoudemire : AMAR'E. Forgot. My computer showed that I googled him before.
109. Brian of ambient music : ENO
110. Fish pond treatment : ALGICIDE. New word to me. Wiki said it can also be "algaecide".
122. It established Congress : ARTICLE I. Also 83. Saga opening : PART I
123. Ancient serfs : HELOTS
124. Dental treatment : CROWN
125. Box for bags : TEA CHEST. Like this? I just call them tea boxes.
126. Plant swellings : EDEMAS
127. Best Game and Best Upset : ESPYs. Easy in retrospect.
Down:
1. Disarray : MUSS
2. Words to a traitor : ET TU
3. Grand Marquis, for short : MERC
4. 100 smackers : ONE C
5. Mail modifier : SNAIL
6. Ristorante dumplings : GNOCCHI. Need good sauce, TTP! What's your handicap, by the way? Boomer shot 103 in his first round of golf, about his average.
7. Break : RIFT. And 35. Breakup : SPLIT
8. Anago or unagi : EEL
9. Start to pressure? : ACU. Acupuncture.
10. Champagne label word : SEC
11. Glacial ridge : ESKER. The mountain ridge is ARETE.
12. Get close to : BEFRIEND
13. Photo lab svc. : ENL
14. DOD intel arm : NSA
15. Company with toy trucks : HESS. I see lots of rusted Tonka trucks at the flea market. Not many Hess. Tonka is based here in Minnesota.
16. Available : ON HAND
17. Viola da __ : GAMBA. Learning moment as well.
18. Cherish : ADORE. And 64. Cherished : BELOVED
19. Theaters in the area, briefly : NABES. Know the word. Never used it in real life.
24. Immortal coaching name : KNUTE (Rockne)
28. Dean's list topper : A STUDENT
31. Not exactly new : DATED
32. Repeat : ECHO
33. Picked at, say : ATE
34. Coffee order: Abbr. : REG
37. Second Commandment word : GRAVEN. "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image". Difficult clue for me.
38. Annual reviews : AUDITS
39. Rueful words about an opportunity : I MISSED OUT. And 48. It may be affected by a tough loss : TEAM SPIRIT. A pair of 10's.
40. "__ Ben Adhem" : ABOU. Also learned from doing crosswords.
42. Give the right : ENTITLE
44. Legendary storyteller : AESOP
46. Future D.A.'s hurdle : LSAT
47. Like some custody : JOINT
49. Tail movement : WAG
50. Salem home: Abbr. : ORE. Where our Melissa Bee now lives.
55. Lawyer's petition : WRIT. Got via crosses.
57. Women's __ : LIB
58. Then, in Toulouse : ALORS. Et alors...
59. Egyptian currency : POUND
60. Hardware fastener : SCREW
67. Half a soft drink : COCA
69. Place for deleted files? : TRASH CAN. On your PC.
70. Spanish song : CANTO. Spanish for "song"?
71. Offense : SIN
73. "The Quiet American" author : GREENE (Graham)
74. Not so wordy : TERSER. Argyle knows I'm in trouble if I send him long emails.
76. Baccarat call : BANCO. Never played Baccarat.
79. Sore : ACHY
81. [Originally shown this way] : SIC
82. Park __: airport facility : 'N GO. Google shows that we have a Park 'N Go here in Minneapolis. Never used their service though.
85. Like a lion's coat : TAWNY
86. Hindu royal : RANI
88. "In my opinion ... " : AS I SEE IT. Nice entry also.
89. Editor's mark : STET
93. Master Kan portrayer on "Kung Fu" : AHN. Felt guilty using it in our Squad puzzle last Sunday.
94. Part of TGIF: Abbr. : FRI
95. Disappointing result : NET LOSS. Great clue.
96. "Perry Mason" lieutenant : TRAGG. Stranger to me.
97. Spaghetti sauce staple : GARLIC. Have you tried Hasselback Potatoes, D-Otto?
100. Corday victim : MARAT
101. Luigi's love : AMORE
102. European island nation : MALTA
104. Night in Nogales : NOCHE
106. Composition : PIECE
108. Engrave : ETCH
110. "__ boy!" : ATTA
111. Part of CDC: Abbr. : CTRS (Centers)
112. Rooty Jr. server : IHOP. Never had Rooty Jr.
113. __-eyed : DEWY
114. Sea eagles : ERNS
116. Key for Ravel? : ILE. Last time Rich clued it as "Key for Debussy?" for mislead. Nothing musical.
117. __ Moines : DES
119. Played the first card : LED
121. Fluffy toy, briefly : POM
C.C.
Greetings!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Matt and CC!
Fun puzzle!
No problems. TE'O and AMAR'E were perped.
The Blacklist was very disappointing this week. Anyone agree?
Have a great Sunday!
Morning, all!
ReplyDeleteMostly smooth sailing. I struggled with the last theme answer, however. Partially because, like CC, I was completely unfamiliar with the phrase CLAP TOGETHER and partially because I was also unfamiliar with Scottish ALE (although I have, of course, heard of SCOTCH) and had no idea about TRAGG. So, yeah, that entire section was a bit rough, but fortunately I knew NOCHE and figured out the trick on ILE, so that eventually let me work things out down there.
Lots of little missteps here and there, but nothing the perps couldn't take care of. NAYS before NAES (where the heck is "Troon"?), GAEA before GAIA, COLA before COCA and, most notable, HORROR before GOTHIC. That last one was the most problematic because I was so sure it was right...
Good morning!
ReplyDeleteYes, I did complete the puzzle. No, I didn't get the theme. Some things never change.
Five-letter TV channel? Gotta be A AND E. Nope! So is GNOCCHI both singular and plural? Started out with GNOCCis. Nope!
Wound up with CLA_TOGETHER and _OM. An alphabet run gave me P as the most likely choice. Then I realized that, of course, the "toy" was a Pomeranian. Still, CLAP TOGETHER is a very odd phrase. Slap together, yes. Throw together, yes. Clap together????
C.C., I hadn't heard of Hasselback potatoes, so I looked it up. They do sound delicious! It'd be an entire meal, rather than a side. I may have to try making them.
I would use STREAK of lightning the same as a BOLT, the visible path the electricity takes from cloud to ground (or another cloud), while a FLASH is the light you get from it even if the bolt is behind a cloud or below the horizon.
ReplyDeleteGood morning all. Thank you Matt and CC. Challenging and rewarding, but alas no TADA.
ReplyDeleteHad to step away a few times. Couldn't get on a roll, so it was mostly fits and starts. Another thing, I had plenty of tail movements on this one.
For instance, after one break, I realized that I was looking for "caught in THE ACT" and DATED, and also quickly saw that it was GRAVEN and I just needed the G and V. Elvis sang "Caught in a ----" in his hit Suspicious Mind and it was firmly entrenched when I first read that clue.
ESKER was new, but got the needed R from DEAR SIRS. Not so fortunate with ENSENiDo and the unknown GAMBA. GiMBA looked ok, and I didn't slow down long enough to consider that it should be NABES and not NoBES.
Fluffy toy was cute. Key for Ravel was also cute and deceptive. I'm thinking NBA fan PK knew AMARE. PK, how about Seth Curry ? Is he the best shooter ever ?
The south was tougher for me. Initially typed ingredient tomato rather than staple GARLIC, but it didn't last long with ROLL TIDE. Then had to wait to see which ARTICLE, and should have assumed the 1st. No idea on Master Kan's portrayer. GOTHIC gave me that AHN answer.
TEAM SPIRIT remains high for the Joe Madden led 8 win and 2 loss Chicago Cubs despite losing last year's surprise sensation Kyle Schwarber
for the rest of 2016 season after colliding with Dexter Fowler in left center field while chasing down a line drive, resulting in full tears to both his ACL and MCL ligaments.
CC, I don't have a good GNOCCHI sauce. As for golf, let Boomer know that the estimate is that 80 % of people that golf can't break 100 if they count all of their strokes, take all their penalty shots, count all their putts, and play by the rules.
All I can say is that I muddled through this one a final lucky guess at the cross of MARAT & AMARE, two unknowns to go along with TEO, PIM, NABES, GREENE, AHN, GAMBA, N'GO ( there's a Park N'FLY at MSY). Rooty Jr.- something I've never heard of but my first thought was a 'small plumber' or device to unclog a drain line. The NE gave the most trouble because I filled 12D with BE AROUND and sloppily filled 31A as DEAR SONS (???), don't drink coffee, and only play real golf. After changing sons to SIRS and around to FRIEND I got it worked out. I also had two ILEs in 116D & 120D before I realized that I couldn't TAP an ILE, and like C.C., CLAP TOGETHER was an expression I had never seen; had CLIP TOGETHER.
ReplyDeletePoor Lt. TRAGG always arrested the wrong person who was always represented by Perry Mason who never defended a guilty client. But the murderer was always watching the trial and burst out and confessed.
I wouldn't consider the CRASH OF TWENTY-NINE a disaster, just overly optimistic people who thought that they could do no wrong. Another housing bubble brewing?
BEN HOGAN to NIKE to WEB.COM TOUR. It originally honored Hogan and then they got sponsors. Ever hear of the HOOTER'S Tour? That's even more minor league. And then there's me, who has never broken 80.
Grand Marquis-20025-my wife and daughter call it my AARP car. I have four cars-JEEP, Murano, Mercedes. Guess which one has 128,000 miles, is trouble free and only goes in the shop for oil changes and tire rotation?
Good morning, folks. Thank you, Matt McKinley, for a fine puzzle. Thank you, C.C., for a fine review.
ReplyDeleteFirst, C.C., I liked the TEA CHEST you showed. I spotted the Earl Grey in it. I am having some right now.
Second, C.C., I liked the Scottish ALE you showed. Sure looks good.
This puzzle was pretty tough for me. I slogged through it and it did get easier as i got closer to the end. Took me about 2 1/2 hours.
The theme appeared after I was done and seemed like a good one. Did not help me with getting the puzzle done, however.
TRAGG was easy. I watch Perry Mason reruns on many evenings on TV, late at night. Lt TRAGG is in many of them. I also read just about every Erle Stanley Gardner Perry Mason book that was written, as a youth. They were great! Gardner also wrote with the name A A Fair.
Took me a while to get ARTICLE I. I had AMOUR instead of AMORE. Once I straightened that out ARTICLE I jumped off the page at me.
Had CLEAN for a while for 124A. That whole corner was hosed up. Tried CROWN and that fixed that problem.
Do not recall anything about RUMBLE IN THE JUNGLE.
Since I do not own a pair of BOLT CUTTERS I would have to use a hack saw.
Well, have to get ready for church. see you tomorrow.
Abejo
( )
TTP, I can almost always break 100. I've usually got at least 5 20's in my wallet. Breaking 80 would be even easier!
ReplyDeleteI usually play golf in the low 70's. If it gets any warmer than that, it's no longer comfortable outdoors.
ReplyDeletePretty tough puzzle today. At least a Thursday level. Got it all, but did have to change slap together to clap together. The latter is what you do at a concert, not McGyver's forte..
*seriously, best game was 108. But then I don't claim to be a golfer. I'd have to practice a lot to qualify as a hack.
Good Morning:
ReplyDeleteThis was fun and clever, although it took a tad longer than usual to complete. The title was a dead giveaway after getting the first theme answer, so that helped with the other themers. I, too, find clap together an unfamiliar term.
Thanks, Matt, for a Sunday stroll and thanks, CC, for guiding us along.
Have a great day.
Musings
ReplyDelete-I had to quit looking for a more complicated gimmick on Matt’s lovely puzzle. C.C.’s summation and picture also make for a good start to my Sunday!
-BOLT CUTTERS have been used to find lots of contraband in HS lockers
-Good old American greed GREASED the skids for the CRASH OF TWENTY NINE
-Two of my NEICES stand out at reunions with multiple tats and piercings
-SUCCINCT - substitute student for reader. Be TERSER!
-Seinfeld fans know George was caught in THE ACT
-Frank Wills in The Watergate Complex thought this was ODD on June 17, 1972
-C.C., I hope you will be active so Joann and I can keep up with you and Boomer
-It’s hard to TILT a game of PACMAN
-NETFLIX lends itself to binge-watching
-I actually heard the word HELOTS watching this series
-UNBELIEVABLE ENL exercise!! Zoom in!
-Cool? Still okay. Nifty? DATED
-NET LOSS – I detassled a field for $225/acre in mud. Got paid $125/acre.
-Gotta run to that Sunday place where nothing is SUCCINCT
Fine puzzle and review. Thanks Matt and C.C.
ReplyDeleteI had "arête" for a long time - couldn't believe it was wrong. I read "Troon" as "Toon" and that slowed me down a bit. Must confess I had almost finished before I caught on to the theme.
Have a lovely day, everyone.
Blacklist. Not sure she is really dead. Maybe a ruse to hide her from her pursuers.
ReplyDeleteI tried CLEAN before CROWN which made the southwest tough, but eventually it came together. I didn't know CLAP TOGETHER either.
ReplyDeleteScottish Ale is a style of brew, very malty and hoppy. The Irish brewers are mainly known for their stouts (Guinness, Murphy's, etc.)
Nice picture in Vegas!
Neat picture H-G.
ReplyDeleteWhat ? You didn't think my Team Spirit comments was terse enough ? I think I only covered 5 subjects in that sentence... :>)
Desper-otto, I checked my billfold, and at this moment, I could only break 75% of a $20. Looks like I'll have to use plastic at Home Depot this afternoon.
Since when did the clunker from Friday, ONAANDE, and today's ONNBC become accepted fill? Thought I would only see those in the TV Guide puzzle. Weak!
ReplyDeleteA former employer always held a golf outing at the annual meeting. Participation was mandatory. My best score was a 90 -- for the first 9 holes. According to the rules we were playing under, after 10 strokes on a single hole you were to put the ball in your pocket and move on to the next hole. At the following year's meeting I was unanimously elected to drive the beer cart. Just a single game, and my golfing career was over. (In my defense, I'm a lefty and the course had no left-landed loaner clubs.)
ReplyDeleteHi Y'all! This went much better than yesterday although it wasn't easy. Thanks, Matt! Thanks, C.C. for your special take on things.
ReplyDeleteFor some reason, I didn't have any questions about CLAP TOGETHER. I think of it as a temporary fix in house renovation done so it doesn't mess up another procedure in the project -- like support studs to jack up a sagging ceiling until a sturdier beam can be installed.
TPP: yes, AMARE was a gimmee. He played very well for Phoenix when I started watching NBA in 2005 and then for several years when they were my favorite team. He was one of the players who did very well when fed passes by then MVP Steve Nash. Had some injuries and didn't do as well when he was traded away.
As for Seth Curry, he is a phenom first class and so fun to watch. He is so nonchalant about his shooting. It's almost like he has a hoop magnet in his basketball along with very tricky moves. Now that he has re-injured his ankle and had to leave the game yesterday, I'm not sure what will happen. The rest of the team did very well without him and embarrassed "that other team" badly. Hope his injury won't end his playoff career.
Viola da Gamba, I knew. I had an old friend with whom I re-established contact on line several years ago. One of his children played one professionally and I had to google to find out what it was. My daughter played cello but I think this thing is larger than that but smaller than bass viol.
I enjoyed this puzzle. Seemed to have an even mix of long fill, medium length fill, and good ole 3-letter fill many of which were abbreviations. Didn't get the theme until after I had filled a few answers.
ReplyDeleteMaybe, just for fun, it would be interesting to have a puzzle that allowed and contained ampersands and other punctuation marks, and also numerical digits. I bet Marti could SLAP one together, like she did with that Gawd-awful Puzzle she did a couple of years ago.
Big Easy, the Jeep? Hahahahahaha!
Best wishes to you all.
Are you folks referring to Steph Curry?
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteJayce, good catch. We are referring to Steph. I erred first and led PK astray, but we both meant Steph.
Great golf story Desper-Otto. You should submit that to one of the golf magazines.
Good grief! I can't believe I wrote Seth Curry. Stephen Curry is my favorite current player. Old age plays cruel tricks on one's brain.
ReplyDeleteHasselback potatoes were created at the Hasselbacken restaurant in Stockholm Sweden. If you're going to make them, kick it up a notch and add sharp cheddar between the slits in the potatoes and top with sour cream and chopped chives. A great side to these is French cut green beans chilled in the fridge and topped with a dollop of mayo. Seriously.
ReplyDeleteAfter eight years at The Corner I have now broken my vow to never discuss recipes on a crossword blog. It will take a couple of extra beers today to wash the horrid taste out of my mouth and the guilt in my soul........... Never again!
Thanks to Matt and C.C. for the diversions today. C.C., I enjoy your perspective on things.
ReplyDeleteToday didn't start well as my paper was a no-show and I had to print the puzzle from the Mensa site. Luckily it's always available there. One drawback is that the theme isn't printed on there so had to quickly glance at today's Blog to get it. Then, off to the grid which I rate as fairly easy and mostly filled in 30 minutes except for several unknowns which finally had to be researched (read: Google) ALGICIDE, TRAGG (know it but couldn't recall) and GAMBA.
I love The Scarlet Pimpernel and watch it every now and then so MARAT was easy, HELOTS is used in much literature, spelled GAEA first then corrected to GAIA. Ditto for being unfamiliar with CLAPTOGETHER though I accept PK's explanation as the most plausible. AMAR'E was in Phoenix for a long time so I can't help but know about him.
What's the beef? Many puzzles use AandE, ONTV, so why not ONNBC?
I hope you're all having a pleasant and relaxing Sunday!
Seth Curry (Sacramento Kings of the NBA)is the brother of Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors of the NBA).
ReplyDeleteQuite the storm today. Thanks Matt and C.C.
ReplyDeleteSome missteps today. My princess was Elsa not LEIA (too much Frozen with the granddaughters I guess!) I had Mess not MUSS and had no idea who Vols were; official DNF with ETENN.
I am familiar with Pk's interpretation of CLAP TOGETHER. I'll have Red Rose in my TEA CHEST.
Many Niagara residents have season tickets for the SABREs as Buffalo is often quicker for driving, better for parking, and cheaper (maybe not at the current exchange rate) than Toronto to see the Maple Leafs.
We finally have beautiful spring weather.
Jayce- the Jeep was on its FOURTH fuel pump 8 months after I bought it. It was on its THIRD torque converter before the warranty ran out. Water from the air conditioner drains to the INSIDE above the passenger's feet; did that before I had compressor, condenser, and evaporator replaced and did it after. Radio has a short that causes an ozone smell so I pulled the fuse.
ReplyDeleteBut it's a nice car to haul around junk and has never leaked oil in its 180,000 mile life.
My boss apparently just loves his Jeep Grand Cherokees. He keeps buying a new one every year. A few years ago a colleague and I were riding with him to go someplace, and I was in the back seat. I kept hearing odd sort of groaning and grinding noises from below, and I told my boss it sounded like his rear end was going out. As he so often does, he just smirked and shook his head "Naw." A few months later, when I saw he had a new vehicle I commented on it and asked him why he got a new one so soon. He told me, "The differential blew." Within a year the differential one that new one blew too. Know what he bought to replace it? Another Jeep Grand Cherokee! And yes, it sure can haul a pretty good amount of stuff, such as our earthquake monitoring equipment.
ReplyDeleteI've owned two Jeeps. I actually liked them. The first was a pretty good car that I probably sold too soon, but the only penalty was a serious hit on the depreciation. The second was a good driver, and it was nicely equipped. But it leaked like a sieve. It started spewing fluids at around 110,000 miles, and by the time I sold it at 142,000 miles it had left an oil stain on my garage floor that looked like the outline of a body at a crime scene. Maybe bigger.
ReplyDeleteI'd had enough. I then bought a used 4Runner that now has over 200,000 miles, and it is still a better vehicle than anything I've ever owned. And the depreciation is at a fourth of what I'd experienced with the Jeeps. YMMV.
Did this puzzle on the 3 hour flight home.
ReplyDelete(it took 3 hours because I had to wait forever between clicks on my iphone...)
Hmm, Hasselback Potatoes,
Had to look it up!
Yes, this does look awesome!
But!
Like Jerome said, maybe cheese between the slices,
Ooh! and Bacon! (Not bacon bits)
but crumbled fresh bacon!
(hmm, would scallion garnish be too much?)
Sunday lurk say:
ReplyDeleteWelcome home CED...
Jerome why not share a recipie here? Good friends, good food, good drink. I like the bacon idea!
AveJoe, et.al.. Thanks for the heads up on JEEPs - a buddy is headed to Egypt and selling his. I was thinking about it for Eldest. You just helped w/ that option. I'll find her a Honda.
The golf stories were LOL from all y'all. Mine, you ask? A gentleman's 8 / hole is par for me. See you on the 19th green.
Cheers, -T