Theme: Stereo Types - Different sounds bookend each theme entry.
22. *Space to recover: BREATHING ROOM. Boom.
37. *Sending mixed messages, maybe?: DRUNK TEXTING. Ding.
50. *Pickle-y condiment: SWEET RELISH. Swish.
67. *Ham it up for the camera, say: PUT ON A SHOW. Pow.
70. *Chewable candy with a comic in its wrapper: BAZOOKA GUM. Bam.
83. *Satisfactory compromise: HAPPY MEDIUM. Hum.
98. *10 or 11, at many hotels: CHECK OUT TIME. Chime.
Reveal:
113. Home theater feature, and a feature of the answers to the starred clues?: SURROUND SOUND.
My type of Sundays. Simple theme that's never done before. Reminds me of the great Gail Grabowski.
Amie also took advantage of Patti's 144 word limit and black square limit. Clean fill. Lots of great entries in Down slots.
Across:
5. Golden State sch.: USC. The Trojans. Also 25. Ohio college town: OBERLIN.
8. Lambs' moms: EWES.
12. Loose-fitting tops: TUNICS.
18. Whittle (down): PARE.
19. Sold-out letters: SRO.
20. Egg-shaped tomato: ROMA.
21. 100%: TOTALLY.
26. Smoothie berry: ACAI. Ingredient in so many products.
27. Warty hopper: TOAD.
28. Pro __: gratis: BONO.
30. Received: GOT.
31. Food Network garb: APRONS.
33. Have a bite: EAT.
34. Westley's repeated line in "The Princess Bride": AS YOU WISH. He meant "I love you".
41. GPS tech: SAT NAV. Satellite Navigation.
42. Iditarod runners: DOGS.
43. Steel-cut grain: OAT.
44. Raccoon kin: COATI. So cute.
46. Word with market or circus: FLEA.
48. Smartphone tech: SMS. Short Message Service.
49. Pediatricians, e.g.: Abbr.: DRS.
54. Part of a parfait: LAYER. Durian parfait! The smell will
repel many of you. Very thorny & hard to cut. But the taste, oh my
goodness, wish I could have fresh durian every day.
56. Air filter acronym: HEPA.
57. Baton: ROD.
58. Sheridan of "Ready Player One": TYE.
59. Indian tea region: ASSAM.
62. Historical divisions: ERAS.
64. Skate park fixture: RAIL.
66. "Sarah, Plain and __": Newbery winner by Patricia MacLachlan: TALL.
72. Spanish model Sastre: INES.
73. Not quite dry: DAMP.
74. Director Preminger: OTTO.
75. Science class models: ATOMS.
76. Gas additive brand: STP.
77. Actress Gadot: GAL. "Wonder Woman".
78. Obstacles to good teamwork: EGOS.
80. Panoramic view: VISTA.
86. Secret agent: SPY.
87. Genetic material in some vaccines: RNA.
90. Warm, in a way: NEAR.
91. Not fitting: INAPT.
93. Latvia, once: Abbr.: SSR.
94. Notary's imprint: SEAL. Guess how long the probate process take in Minnesota? At least 6 months. Boomer would be so mad.
95. Risked putting one's students to sleep, say: DRONED.
101. Virgo and Scorpio, for two: STAR SIGNS.
104. Poke bowl tuna: AHI.
105. Brings about: CAUSES.
106. Holds: HAS.
107. Peacekeeping gp. since 1949: NATO.
108. Classic muscle cars: GTOS.
109. "House" actor Omar: EPPS.
110. Left out: OMITTED.
118. Cinnamon candies: RED HOTS.
119. Brunei's continent: ASIA. Surrounded by Malaysia, big durian exporter.
120. "We'll square up later" letters: IOU.
121. Paper unit: REAM.
122. Accord: TREATY.
123. Claim to be untrue: DENY.
124. Recipe amt.: TSP.
125. Phased-out jets: SSTS.
Down:
2. 2022 film starring Cate Blanchett as a conductor: TAR.
3. Some floor decor: AREA RUGS.
4. Church officers: DEACONS.
5. Required H.S. course, often: US HISTORY. I learned more while studying for my citizenship exam.
6. __ Lanka: SRI.
7. Frame of reference: CONTEXT.
8. Unpredictable: ERRATIC.
9. Lumber: WOOD.
10. Punk offshoot: EMO.
11. Afro-Brazilian dance: SAMBA.
12. As well: TO BOOT.
13. Four Corners Native: UTE.
14. Professional org. for some brokers: NAR. The National Association of Realtors.
15. "All right, let me try": I'LL GIVE IT A GO. Great fill.
16. Ad prizes: CLIOS.
17. Keytar, e.g., briefly: SYNTH.
21. Skater Harding played by Margot Robbie: TONYA.
23. Lose purposefully: TANK.
24. Billy __: GOAT.
29. "Do the Right Thing" actor Davis: OSSIE.
31. Does the math: ADDS.
32. Teen soiree: PROM.
35. Hungry, probably: UNFED.
36. Outlet site: WALL.
38. Lighten: EASE.
39. Snoops (around): NOSES.
40. Stare open-mouthed: GAWP.
45. Try to rip: TEAR AT.
47. Sanctuary: ASYLUM.
49. Pulitzer-winning Kendrick Lamar album: DAMN.
51. Half a sextet: TRIO.
52. Caramel candy: ROLO.
53. Command posts: HELMS.
54. Thailand neighbor: LAOS. I finally tried the green papaya
salad last week. A bit heavy on the fish sauce & shrimp paste for my
taste. That Asian grocery store also carries Lao beef larb and pork
larb.
55. Longtime NPR host Diane: REHM. 86 years old. Still working.
56. Hem's counterpart: HAW.
59. Mighty silly: APISH.
60. Beach acquisition: SUNTAN.
61. Got out of the way: STEPPED ASIDE.
63. Convince to participate: ROPE IN.
65. Sea of __: Black Sea arm: AZOV.
66. "Toodles!": TA TA.
68. "Severance" actor Scott: ADAM. Also a great golfer.
69. Blowout event: SALE.
70. "Dynamite" K-pop group: BTS. Their "Butter" is my favorite.
71. "Harleys in Hawaii" singer Perry: KATY.
74. Zing: OOMPH.
77. Greek wraps: GYROS. 79. Avocado dip, casually: GUAC.
Food. Here's our Foodie Steve at his NBC Universal Studio office. I just
learned that he's 98% Irish. Guess what's the other 2%.
81. "This __ unfair!": IS SO.
82. Refreshed, as decor: SPRUCED UP.
84. "The Incredibles" family name: PARR.
85. Neglected to: DIDN'T.
87. Prints a new edition of: RE-ISSUES.
88. Identify: NAME.
89. Brewpub libations: ALES.
92. Serving piece for an afternoon social: TEA TRAY.
93. Slopes outfit: SKI SUIT.
94. Fogs: STUPORS. Is it a verb?
96. A- on a test, e.g.: NINETY.
97. "Jeepers!": EGADS.
99. Shoe designer Jimmy: CHOO. His real name is CHOW. CHOO is a misspelling. Chow is the same character as the Zhou in my Zhouqin.
100. Designates: TAPS.
101. Brief: SHORT.
102. Less wild: TAMER.
103. "Such a pity": SO SAD.
108. Broad smile: GRIN.
111. Fourth letter of the Arabic alphabet: THA. Learning moment for me. Glad of the new clue angle.
112. Small fry: TOT.
114. Mileage, in a sense: USE.
115. Crossword clue features: Abbr.: NOS.
116. MLBer since '05: NAT.
117. "__ are open": invitation to reach out on social media: DMS.
42 comments:
Will someone please explain this to me what “DMS are open” means? I don’t get it. Also, the clue for “tar” was another gratuitous use of pop culture to define a simple word. Other than that, I don’t have too much to say about this puzzle. FIR, so I’m happy.
A fortune teller, to fight the tedium,
Added palm reading as a premium.
She'd PUT ON A SHOW
For the gullible's dough --
Her fortune made her a HAPPY MEDIUM!
Let us feel pity for Mr. PARR
He isn't feeling up to par.
A super hero
Without an ego.
His nemesis out of him, beat the TAR!
I enjoyed the theme and breezed through the grid (some great long Downs, SPRUCEDUP ILLGIVEITAGO STEPPEDASIDE). But OBERLIN crossing TONYA and NAR(?) can be brutal for a non-American (could be TANYA...). Maybe TOPICS and TONALLY would've worked better in the NE.
Good morning!
Didn't get the theme until the reveal. On the other hand, d-o actually read the reveal. That's progress. Is there really such a thing as "boob polish?" Learning moment. Got through this one in a tad over 20 minutes. That's a pretty good Sunday time for moi. Thanx, Amie and C.C. (No, it's not a verb. He's in a fog. He's in a stupor. You can fog something up, but you can't stupor it.)
COATI: I have a vague memory of Mr. Greenjeans bringing a COATI onto the set of Captain Kangaroo.
REHM: For years Diane Rehm was a weekday morning fixture on NPR. I think she's doing podcasts now.
Sub, DM is "direct message" in smart(ass) phone speak, so "DMS are open" is 21st century for "the phone lines are open" of our ute.
FIW, anguishing between wanting HEPA and being certain that it couldn't be GAWP. GAWk won. Didn't get the theme until CC 'splained it. Erased GAL, then put it back in when I erased toga for GYRO. mds-->DRS, and gape-->GAWk. Had to wait for WALL or MALL for "outlet site." (We have a big outlet mall here, part of the "Mills" chain.)
For some reason, I'm now an ACAI fan. Didn't know it could be applied to BAZOOKAs.
I knew Jimmy CHOO. Where do I surrender my man card? Now that I know "opi", I need to work on BTS. Maybe after it appears another 100 times.
I go shopping with my SHORTs showing, but (usually) not my briefs. (I practice Social Security - I double-check my zipper.)
I'm so old I remember when US HISTORY was taught in high school.
Thanks for the fun and informative review, CC.
FIR. Didn't get the theme till I got here, but it wasn't really needed for the solve. I found this to be a rather easy Sunday romp.
Thanks, Jinx. Someone before you said “direct messages “ but I still didn’t get it until you explained it with a “generational “ reference. Now I got it!
Musings
- Themers with double letters and stereo in the title were red herrings in this fun puzzle
-GAW_/HE_A. A “K” cost me a TOTALLY correct effort. Careless.
-SRO tickets for the 2022 Super Bowl went for $395 apiece
-You can also get Jimmy CHOO shoes for well over $1,000 so…
-NEAR – In last week’s Easter egg hunt, I had to go to “You’re getting warmer/colder” for the last one
-SEAL – The line of bureaucrats and lawyers can seem endless
-RED HOTS and my tongue do not agree with each other any more
-Albanian foreign exchange student next door is taking AP U.S. HISTORY
-The weather on PROM nights here is a real crap shoot
-SUNTAN – My golf partner just returned from winter on the Roi Grande last week
Thank you C.C. for the explanation of the SURROUND SOUND because I didn't go back and look for it after I FIR.
TAR, NAR, THA, DMS, INES, TYE, PARR, KEYTAR, REHM- never heard of those. Still don't have any idea about DMS but the perps were solid. DAMN, KATY- unknown as clued.
NOS for 'Xword features'? never would have got that without perps
TANK- wanted dive but it wouldn't work
US HISTORY- winners always get to write the history. Also rans get to whine.
SAT NAV- know what it is but I never used that abbr.
ASIA and durian- I read that it was the worst smelling fruit in the world. Somebody must have been very hungry to have been the first person to try it after smelling it.
26A-"ACAI you Boobies"- never heard of 'BOOB POLISH'- can't wait to see that as a crossword fill.
The Theme?
I didn't see it, I didn't hear it...
how do you plug this thing in?
(Beginning of rant)
Newspaper wouldn't load this morning...
Called for assistance...
Was told to delete cookies...
Now nothing works, including blogger. Google wants me to sign in 3 ways to Sunday, but when I do I get the spinning wheel of death.
(End of rant)
I try to look on the positive side of things.
When xfinityTV crapped out one time too many, I switched to YoutubeTV. Saved $50+/month + got better channel line up and a free DVR to record shows.
No newspaper?
Hmm,
No paper=no news...
This could be a win, win. "And" I save money
Did so well on the initial across run, that I never saw most of the downs. That was a good thing, because most of the pop culture and A&E answers were not in my wheelhouse. Speaking of which, the Commander is not always co-located with the HELM. FIR after figuring out GAPE/GAWK/GAWP. Once again, the theme eluded me until CC 'sprained it. D'OH!
CED @9:46: After a decades long Chicago Tribune habit, the paper cut most of its reporters and columnists and raised the price to $4.00 per issue. I kicked the habit.
Hola!
Wow! I haven't heard nor thought of BAZOOKA GUM in ages! It was fun to read that comic strip then trade it for another. Memories of childhood!
CHECK OUT TIME is usually 11:00 A.M. CHECK in starts at 3:00 P.M. True at most hotels and motels.
I had GAPE instead of GAWK so bad cells there and did not notice SpEET RELISH.
My late brother-in-law installed SURROUND SOUND in their basement and what a way to watch/hear TV! It's fantastic!
One of my late friends drove until she was past NINETY and I hope I can too! Five years to go!
CSO to d-OTTO!
I love RED HOTS!
Is that the best clue for PARR? I think not.
Time to go. Have a spectacular Sunday, everyone!
Only $4.00 per issue? You have a bargain! Ours is considerably more but I have to LIU to see exactly how much. It's automatically charged to my credit card.
Oh, happy day! FIR saved by a final glance which caught two blank squares just in time. Thanks Amie for a fun Sunday morning activity and thanks C.C. for telling us all about it!
After the reveal, I found the SOUNDs. I too put GAWk before GAWP as well as page before REAM. I didn't have many WOs because the puzzle filled smoothly. The last time we had GAL Gadot I tried to remember her, but put GAy first. Maybe this time.... Perps definitely were appreciated.
It was nice to see you reviewing the puzzle this week, C.C. Hope you and everyone else have a wonderful Sunday!
The worst part was starting out with Abit rather than ATAD. That bollixed up the NW until I realized that ATAD was right. The rest was all P & P.
After SUNTAN, ASSAM came out of the deep recesses and the SW was toast. TUNICS and TOTALLY worked just fine for me since I knew UTE and OBERLIN. That got the NE started.
Filling in BAZOOKAGUM continued the flow into the SE. Long time to finish but it worked out.
Thanks for the puzzle C.C.
Another Sunday another puzzle full of proper names..poor
The incredible family name = Parr?
This has got to be the most obscure clue ever..,
I'm a big fan of the Incredibles, seen both movies several times, family name, Parr? (Not a clue)
although, they seem perfectly normal though...
Bless you, C.C., for highlighting those surrounding sounds! I searched but did not see them. I haven't been a regular here for a while, and missed the news of Boomer's passing. I am so sorry for your loss, and for the legal complications that compound the suffering.
I got the theme right away because I started with the reveal. Is that cheating? Yet, the East got me. Didn’t know TYE, TALL as clued, BAZOOKA GUM, KATY. For SAT NAV, I was fixated on the word tech referring to a person. Too bad because the rest was a breeze, and other proper names I didn’t know, weren’t clustered in one area.
Lots of fun clues. DH graduated from USC.
Have a nice Sunday everyone.
Valerie and I found this one to be a bit tougher than the typical Sunday puzzle - particularly in the NE until we took a while to figure out that the "ad prizes" clue was not something along the lines of a product tie-in but was referring to awards for copywriters. The TO BOOT idiom also did not come quickly to mind. Elsewhere, the "Greek wrap"/GYRO bit first elicited TOGA.
It was good to see a COATI make an appearance like they would regularly do years ago. I wonder if it was wearing a SNOOD.
Tante Nique I always start with the reveal, if possible. I don't consider it cheating. In this case, I struggled to see the SURROUND SOUND theme. I don't consider I have finished until I understand the theme. But I did finally get it.
Once again I cry foul with a science clue/answer involving ATOMS. The SCIENCE CLASS MODELS are MOLECULES. It would be like this clue: Flying model and the answer being "propeller" instead of "airplane". Yes, the airplane includes a propeller. But no one sets out to fly a model propeller.
Here is my short video at our local SKATE PARK.
Did anyone else have RAMP before RAIL?
From Friday:
AnonT, desper-otto Thanks for your comments on my RED ANT video. Yes, it could be they are moving sand that is too small to see. I really couldn't understand most of what they were doing!
Picard : thanks for the validation of my puzzle trick. Interesting comment and analogy on the ATOMS clue.
My daughter teaches advanced placement U.S. History in high school
Thanks AMIE and thanks C.C. for a Sunday FIR. I didn't get the theme, even after filling the reveal, because I didn't really need it to complete the puzzle: it SOUNDED a little AHI to me. DRUNK TEXTING for "Sending mixed messages" also seemed like a bit of a stretch.
The fill that was really strange was 26A ACAI. I say strange because, in my experience Blogger usually uses the first graphic it finds for the splash screen on cell phones, but in this case it seems to have skipped over the jpeg of the ACAI product for the pic of the PARFAIT. Maybe Blogger's AI filter has gotten smart enough to OCR BITMAPS and found something offensive about the FORMER. I wonder if they have flavored versions? I'm sure they would sell like RED HOTS.
Cheers,
Bill
Picard @12:27 PM I'm with you on ATOMS. I couldn't figure out how you'd use a ball and stick model to represent an electron cloud.
You're right CC it does remind me of Gail's puzzles. Still miss those gems she used to create. Six months for probating... that's ridiculous. GC
I like Sunday puzzles because I like the large size. This one had plenty to like and plenty to dislike.
What I liked were the neat-o fills, such as:
BAZOOKA GUM
AS YOU WISH
AREA RUGS
DRONED
RED HOTS
I'LL GIVE IT A GO
STEPPED ASIDE
and SPRUCED UP.
What I disliked:
DRS
NAR
APISH
BTS
SKI SUIT
THA
ATOM as clued
NOS as clued.
Also strongly disliked the "fill in name of show/book/song" actor/character/author: unlikely-to-be-known NAME format of cluing. The format getting pretty shop-worn. And, as I've whined before, it's pretty DAMN unimaginative and uninspiring; just pull random stuff out of IMDB, library catalogs, and other databases. The following ones deface this puzzle:
Westley's repeated line in "The Princess Bride": AS YOU WISH
Sheridan of "Ready Player One": TYE
"Sarah, Plain and __": Newbery winner by Patricia MacLachlan: TALL
"House" actor Omar: EPPS
2022 film starring Cate Blanchett as a conductor: TAR
"Do the Right Thing" actor Davis: OSSIE
Pulitzer-winning Kendrick Lamar album: DAMN
Longtime NPR host Diane: REHM
"Severance" actor Scott: ADAM
"Dynamite" K-pop group: BTS
"Harleys in Hawaii" singer Perry
"The Incredibles" family name: PARR
I'm guessing Steve's other 2% is English.
Hand up for having RAMP before RAIL
Good wishes to you all.
Sunday Lurk say...
SubG - Let me add to Jinx's explanation. It's typical on Twitter or other social media that allows for Direct MessageS. "DMS are open" means you can reply to my tweet directly without tweeting to the whole world and you don't have to be "following" me. If they're on Twitter and DMs open, I'll slide into a Constructors DM to let them know that I expo'd their grid and invite them to come play at The Corner.
D-O: Lt. "State of the Union Baby!" buddy and I would listen to Diane Rehm on our way to work. He always imaged her as a grizzled journalist with a cigarette & glass of scotch while on-air. His bubble burst when he actually saw a picture of her and found out her voice was due to spasmodic dysphonia.
Houston Chronicle is $2 (daily, $4 on Sunday) at the stand and discounted for subscriptions. Further discounted for seniors' delivery.
Picard / Waseeley - read another way, ATOMs are a MODEL proposed by Bohr.
There's a mini-skatepark where DW & I walk. Only once have I seen as many people as your video depicts.
Nobody commented that Steve's office is the men's room?!? #Demoted :-)
//alternatively, #TheFonz
DW & Youngest come home from conference tonight. I hope their plane isn't delayed - apparently there's a snow storm in Minneapolis(?) [That Dog] //Steve, as a fan of No Doubt, did you like That Dog?
Cheers, -T
Thanks for this, we could not figure out what the theme had to do with the starred clues, and searching around the web we found your blog. Going to have to bookmark this!
I like Amie's puzzles! She comes up with clever themes.
FIW at ASSAr/DArN and OBERLeN/CLeOS TO BOOT. I was excited to suss out CLeOS, only to find I spelled it incorrectly. DING!
BTW, "TO BOOT" comes to us from the wonderful world of Accounting.
I have been to Borneo but not to Brunei.
OKL@4:52. Good ones!
Thank you for your helpful write-up, C.C. I love green papaya salad. Different restaurants have their own recipes so you might give it a second chance at another restaurant.
sum1els@4:11. That's how a lot of us came to be regulars here. Welcome!
Tar is a fascinating movie featuring Cate Blanchette as a talented, complicated conductor of world orchestras. I have wondered whether female conductors are watched and followed as carefully as male conductors by orchestra members.
sumdaze - how does "to boot" have to do with accounting? Is that everything is counted down to a boot? I'm aware of "to boot" meaning something was added [usage: "And they gave us chips ta' boot!"]
sum1els - When LA Crossword Confidential shut down ~2011, I found C.C.'s site.
Take off your coat, have a seat, Welcome to The Corner. You're going to meet the nicest/smartest folks here who love wordplay. Some are even constructors!
Cheers, -T
I agree--the "theme" was far-fetched but unneeded. A 90 min. run for me (great time for an old grump like me)!! FINALLY can eat my dinner without a grumbling tummy. Thanks for the fun today!
Anon-T @ 4:46. I'm sure there's someone on the Corner who can explain it better than I. Basically, let's say you and I want to trade our rental properties but yours is worth more than mine. I could offer you some extra cash, along with my property, to make the trade even. That cash is called "boot". A 1031 exchange is this type of business asset trade. In order for the 1031 exchange to be completely tax-free, the taxpayer may not receive "boot" as part of the deal.
Another example... someone might say, "I traded my horse for this yearling and Slim threw in a saddle TO BOOT". It's an accounting of the trade.
Make sense?
sumdaze - YES! Thank you.
DW & Youngest's plane will land only 19 minutes late - I guess MSP has better deicing system than DFW* :-)
Cheers, -T
*waited on tarmac @DFW for 2 hours before the deicer got to us.
Anonymous @4:37 PM The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra had a woman conductor that you may have heard of by the name of Marin Alsop. Not only she was she watched more carefully, but was actually opposed by the players when she was first named to the position. She met with them as a group and told them that she wouldn't accept the position if she didn't have their complete support. They backed down and she turned out to be a great conductor, not surprising because she'd been a protege of Leonard Bernstein.
When Tar was released (which I've not seen) the character was immediately compared to Maestra Alsop, who as it turns out, like Tar is also gay. Alsop, who implemented many programs (e.g. Orchkids" to nurture young musicians) to bring the BSO out of a decline, justifiably objected to these comparisons, as she is nothing like Tar, who I understand would stop at nothing to advance her career. Regrettably Alsop moved on after 6 years, but is now a Conductor Emerita of the BSO.
Another great woman conductor is JoAnn Falletta, currently with the Buffalo Philharmonic. I was hoping she might replace Alsop, but I don't think she was offered the position. As luck would have it however Alsop's successor is a young (29 yrs) Wunderkind named Jonathon Heyward. We were very lucky to get him.
OBW* strikes again. I went from gape to GAWk/GAWP so HEPA became HEkA(Hi Jinx)
I had no clue about the SURROUND SOUNDS.
Entertaining xword but slow going for moi
WC
* One box Wilbur (FIW)
Puzzle went smoothly, but SURROUND SOUND didn't compute, so I gave up. Today, I didn't care as long as my answers were correct.
Anon-T @3:18. The other day (weekday), my always reliable carrier must've had a problem (car?), and no newspaper - rats! Chronicle is now $3 for daily, and who knows how high the Sunday's will cost. One would think with all the darn Sunday ads (pretty much a whole section) and their ad sales profits, the powers-that-be would cut us some slack. Yes, I get the e-edition also, but I'm a luddite (thanks, D-Otto, for that term as I use it often to describe myself) and only have a desktop computer.
Thank you Waseeley for this interesting information. You might enjoy Tar. I hope the LA Philharmonic will hire a female conductor when Dudamel moves to New York.
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