Theme: "Exchanging Words" - One word in each common phrase is replaced by X.
21. Big name in health insurance associations: BLUE X BLUE SHIELD. Blue Cross Blue Shield.
35. Quaint emporium: FIVE AND X CENT STORE. Five-and-ten-cent store.
47. Preschool activity with crayons: COLOR X NUMBER. Color by number.
67. Go it alone: X OUT ON ONE'S OWN. Strike out on one's own.
87. Hopeful expression after two failures: THIRD X A CHARM. Third time's a charm.
96. Tony Award-winning musical based on a Manuel Puig novel: X OF THE SPIDER WOMAN. Kiss of the Spider Woman.
116. Irving Stone novel about Michelangelo: THE AGONY AND THE X. The Agony and the Ecstasy.
We've had a few puzzles in which X has different meanings. I don't recall such a replacement approach.
Hard to believe, but this is Tracy's first LAT Sunday. She's a veteran constructor known for her creative themes.
Low-word count. Only 138 entries. Our average is between 142 and 144.
Across:
8. Bear claw or beaver tail: PASTRY. Unfamiliar with beaver tail.
14. Hunk of granite: SLAB.
18. Seething: AT A BOIL.
19. Former first lady, familiarly: JACKIE O. Often see musty Life & Look magazines at our local flea market. So many articles about her.
20. Room: SPACE.
23. Foam art medium: LATTE.
24. Lacking: SANS.
25. Like many Etsy shops: ARTSY.
26. "Don't change a thing!": I ADORE IT.
28. Mirror fogger: STEAM.
31. Old Pontiac muscle car: GTO.
32. Long time: EON.
34. Tabloid twosome: ITEM.
41. "The Voice" coach Gwen: STEFANI. No Doubt.
45. Measles symptom: RED DOT.
46. Pop star: IDOL.
51. Bogus: NOT REAL.
53. Big exporter of saffron: IRAN. Vidwan probably has this from time to time.
54. Tart-tasting fruit: SLOE.
55. Firewood protector: TARP.
58. Nintendo princess: ZELDA.
59. Sheet type: FITTED.
62. Mmes., in Mérida: SRAS.
64. Electronic control mechanisms, briefly: SERVOS. Learning moment for me.
66. Base for some sashimi: ICE.
70. Actress Vardalos: NIA.
73. Squanders: WASTES.
74. Entwined: WOVE.
75. Line that intersects a circle in two places: SECANT.
77. Three-dimensional: CUBIC.
80. 61-Down follower: TRES. 61. 80-Across preceder: DOS.
82. Belgian surrealist Magritte: RENE.
84. "Hold __ your hat!": ON TO.
85. Like pedi-showing shoes: OPEN TOE.
91. Lemon drinks: ADES.
92. European capital known as the "City of a Hundred Spires": PRAGUE.
95. Melodic passages: ARIOSOS.
101. Like the Atacama Desert: ARID.
102. __ port in a storm: ANY.
103. Mork's planet: ORK.
104. Software test versions: BETAS.
108. "__ Files": long-running true-crime series: FORENSIC.
111. Structural girder: I BEAM. And 115. WWII sub: U BOAT.
113. __ snuff: UP TO.
121. Where Ducks and Penguins play?: RINKS. Great clue.
122. Diehards: ZEALOTS.
123. Same old same old: ROUTINE.
124. Garlands of okika or pikake: LEIS. Did you know that the plural of lei is still lei in Hawaiian language?
125. Star-shaped bloomers: ASTERS.
126. Prodded: EGGED ON.
Down:
2. Book replaced by GPS: ATLAS.
3. Short excursion: JAUNT.
4. Like Nero Wolfe: OBESE.
5. Cured salmon: LOX. Also 76. Silver salmon: COHO.
6. Ad follower: LIB.
7. Penne __ vodka: ALLA.
8. Turn down: PASS ON.
9. Heading for the whirlpool, say: ACHY.
10. Enjoy Stowe: SKI.
11. Knotted accessory: TIE.
12. Repaired, as car brakes: RE-LINED.
13. Jedi who said, "Always in motion is the future": YODA.
14. Extras in trunks: SPARE TIRES. And
15. Newer, as an automobile: LATE MODEL. 19. Passat alternative: JETTA. 65. 19-Down and others, briefly: VWS.
16. When Alexander meets Eliza, in "Hamilton": ACT I.
17. Borscht base: BEET.
20. Roulette wheel components: SLOTS.
22. Craving: URGE.
27. "Same for me!": DITTO.
29. Many miles off: AFAR.
30. Cable series about an erotic magazine for women: MINX. Unknown to me.
32. Put forth, as energy: EXERT.
33. Med. condition portrayed on "Monk": OCD.
36. French wines: VINS.
37. Beats by __: DRE.
38. Amateur: NON-PRO.
39. Map line: ROAD.
40. Spanish "she": ELLA.
41. Hugo Award genre: SCI-FI.
42. Cheerio-shaped: TORIC.
43. Make happy: ELATE.
44. Arial, for one: FONT.
48. Belfast's province: ULSTER.
49. Despondent: MOROSE.
50. "Ivy and __": kid-lit series by Annie Barrows: BEAN.
52. Breakout area, to dermatologists: T ZONE. Real thing, guys.
56. "Yours" alternative: AS EVER.
57. Deal with an email error message, maybe: RESEND.
60. On the money: EXACT.
63. Farm noun or verb: SOW.
68. Speaks: UTTERS.
69. Onigiri wrapper: NORI. Cute.
70. Grannies: NANAS.
71. Prologue: INTRO.
72. Bohr model subjects: ATOMS.
73. Series of successes: WIN STREAKS. And 79. Chef Boyardee concoction: BEEFARONI. Nice stack here.
77. Cable cable, familiarly: COAX.
78. Off-the-neck hairstyle: UP DO.
81. Prepare for an 83-Down, say: STUDY.
83. Apt rhyme for "cram": EXAM.
86. Slanted columns: OP-EDS.
88. Laugh half: HEE.
89. Many a Saudi native: ARAB.
90. French film: CINE.
93. Southwestern people: APACHES.
94. Negroni need: GIN.
97. Help for those at sea: HINTS.
98. Many "Westworld" characters: ROBOTS.
99. Builders of dome-shaped nests: WRENS.
100. "Works for me!": OKAY.
105. Mozart's "Così fan __": TUTTE.
106. Peony pest: APHID.
107. __ pad: STENO.
108. Roll up: FURL.
109. Stage honor: OBIE.
110. Chichén __: pyramid site: ITZA.
111. Grammy-winning album for Tyler, the Creator: IGOR.
112. Female horse: MARE. And
114. Yoked bovines: OXEN.
117. Scarf down: EAT. Plenty of food and drinks in this grid.
118. Hoppy quaff: ALE. And
119. Eggy quaff: NOG.
120. Sought buried treasure, perhaps: DUG.
C.C.
I got the “x” gimmick with the first themed solve, so that helped with the rest of the puzzle. One thing: I couldn’t remember if it was “I-beam” or “T-beam” so at first I had “Thor” for the rap album. However, I soon set that right with “I-beam “ and “Igor.” Anyway , FIR, so I’m happy.
ReplyDeleteGood morning!
ReplyDeleteMade it 2/3 through this one before the "blue screen of death" appeared. Grrrrrr. That seems to happen at least twice a day now. (Any W11 techies have a cure?) Remembered what I'd entered, so the second time through went pretty fast. That'll teach me to try solving online rather than on paper. With SPAR in place, I was looking for a boxing trainer for "Extras in trunks" -- my car doesn't have a spare. Got the theme early, but think 'X' for 'Ecstasy' is a stretch. Thanx, Tracy and C.C.
"Fall has fell," but we're still flirting with triple digit temps. At least there's a good chance for measurable rain this week. Hoping.
Still working on the puzzle, but need to get going on our adventure. FLN, Sumdaze you are correct. This trip is especially fun for me. I'll explain later today or tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteUntil then...
Today is:
GOLD STAR MOTHER’S AND FAMILY DAY (since WWI, we honor families of fallen military service members on this day)
NATIONAL PUNCTUATION DAY (we don’t know what our history will be, but we do know it will be written without punctuation and with misspellings)
NATIONAL CHERRIES JUBILEE DAY (another fat pellet I haven’t tried)
SCHWENKFELDER THANKSGIVING (Schwenkfelders live among the Amish, also Saturday puzzle candidates)
INNERGIZE DAY (a day to focus on your personal well-being, invented by someone who wants to be famous)
I'm afraid i have some complaints with today's theme entries. The concepts were good, and most were reasonable, but there were exceptions. Color by number (more understandable as color by THE numberS) is a hobby for adults, or maybe an activity for older students with a high degree of motor control. It most certainly is not for preschoolers with poor motor control and no understanding of numbers as symbols.
ReplyDeleteMost used X for things that X actually represented in that context. Cross, ten, by, kiss. Times is a bit shaky, and Strike is definitely an exception. X as Strike is peculiar to bowling, which was not the sense used in that answer. X as strike-out also doesn't fit, since the "out" would be redoubled.
Finally, and it may be a slang term I'm not familiar with, but why is X used for the entire word ecstasy, when it's only the first of 3 syllables? Xtasy maybe, but that's not what's in the puzzle.
It’s short for the drug, iirc.
Delete====> Darren/ L.A.
FIR. I agree with OwenKL about the X representations. Although I got the idea early on, some of them were truly lame. Strike was a stretch and ecstasy was definitely off the wall.
ReplyDeleteOverall this Sunday puzzle was quite doable, although I found it a bit on the crunchy side. The X theme didn't help that at all.
ReplyDeleteEcstasy is the street name for an illegal drug. MDMA. 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine. It's also known as Molly or Mandy.
Very popular at concerts and raves, ecstasy is also known simply as X.
Q.E.D. -- THE AGONY AND THE X
Took 23:25.
ReplyDeleteVery clever theme/uses of "X".
I will be less critical than OKL & KS (who I often tend to agree with), as I believe "ecstasy" (the drug) is sometimes shortened to "X" (at least it is in a few shows I've seen). Also, you can "x" out a word when editing, as in "strike" a word when editing.
I haven't done enough Sunday puzzles yet to determine what's fair or not.
Just couldn't remember Ulster as the province for Belfast. That was my key for the upper middle of the puzzle. Looked it up and the rest is history.
ReplyDeleteTTP's extension of the meaning of "X" shows the flexibility of spoken English. Anon@9:27 also helped to complete the thinking that went into the puzzle themes.
Thanks to Tracy for a well done theme and to C.C. for her recap.
Stay dry!
Lee, please don't tell us to stay dry. We really need some rain.
ReplyDeleteFor DO
ReplyDeleteI had the same daily blue screen problem with a new system I just had built. One of the sticks of RAM was bad. That might be a place fot you to start checking.
Musings
ReplyDelete-FIVE AND X CENT STORE gave me the oh so clever gimmick!
-I made my breakfast on one of our SLABS of granite
-SEETHING: My paper on the sidewalk three feet from the covered porch in the rain. No reup here!
-SEETHING 2: Trying to fold a fitted sheet!
-A ROUTINE is not always a rut.
-We’re taking a JAUNT to Omaha where each of us can do our own thing and then EAT together
-My colleague always had me tie his TIE for him for parent/teacher conferences
-OCD: It bothered me yesterday that the ATM did not have my 20’s all facing the same way
-With NIL money, there are many official NONPRO college athletes today.
-I had kids make models of the BOHR atom for years
-My KC Royals are on a big WIN STREAK but have lost 102 games already.
-Yesterday’s puzzle had HE HE and not HEE HEE
-Roll up today is FURL and not CURL
It took a while, but FIR with no problems with obscure proper names, at least the few there were easy to suss.
ReplyDeleteI liked the theme very much. I got it a with the first one and so made for a fun hunting trip.
A few days ago I read an article about saffron and its main exporters. I had assumed that Spain would be the top one, but was surprised to notice it is Iran.
ReplyDeleteThank You Tracy Gray for a 'doable' and therefore, a fun puzzle. I kept moving along, and I never felt that this was something I could not solve. An ideal Sunday. I caught onto the X quickly, ....
.... although the Ecstasy used as an X gave me some room for thought. I faintly remember a time when I used to know the entire chemical process of making MDMA, but I never even thought of making it at home, or any lab ... But, recently, I haven't come across the name Ecstasy often, and I don't know or hear of users ( or dealers ...) ;-)) so the slang of the name totally escaped me .... Unfortunately, I never saw any episode of 'Breaking Bad'...
Thank You CC for a charming and interesting commentary blog on the puzzle.
CC, regarding Saffron ... I'm afraid I haven't used saffron for such a long time that I've grown used to not using it at all. Saffron is like .... say, like an expensive wine, like Chateau Lafitte (sp.?) ... its no use giving it to your guests in a plain glass, your guests will never realize what they are drinking ! So, you have to "show off" the bottle itself ! So, the guests can properly appreciate it !!
So, I have atleast three small boxes of Saffron, which have not been opened in the last 5 years.... and thus never use it at all. FWIW, the indian saffron is generally not very pure ... always buy the Iranian or Spanish kind...
I had forgotten Secant ... I only remember that it is a reciprocal of a CoSine. Especially useful while differentiation and integration of functions, in calculus.
Have a great week, everyone !!
An enjoyable challenge today! FIR but needed DH to explain how X is Ecstasy. Seems that for quite a few of us, the drug MDMA did not spring to mind!
ReplyDeleteA few of the other answers felt awkward to me -- aren't those series of successes called WINning STREAKS? -- but perps helped me get there. Thanks, all!
Am I the only one that wanted “Rockford” instead of “forensic” at 108 across?
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I always enjoyed going to the Windansea Beach in La Jolla,CA.
Fun puzzle for a Sunday, thank you C.C.
Curious,
ReplyDeleteWhy exchange "words," when just the single word "eXchange" would have the same meaning...
Just some thoughts from my Mousepad...
FIR cuz I got the theme early. Very enjoyable puzzle. Nice job. Thanks CC for giving me a great guide to check my work. GC
ReplyDeleteStarted the puzzle after the Saints-Packers kickoff and RIF as the Saints scored their 2nd TD 4 minutes into the 2nd qtr. I caught the X gimmick at the DIME store (what we called the 5&10 Cents Stores). Now known as $ stores. I would have finished it faster but hit some dead ends with wrong guesses. Ad HOC before ad LIB; COTTON sheets became FITTED sheets; and the ARAPAHO converted to APACHES.
ReplyDeleteDNK Nero Wolfe was OBESE, ICE was needed for sashimi, LA JOLLA had a surfing park, Ivy and BEAN, MINX, NORI wrapped the unknown Onigiri, or either Tyler, the creator & IGOR.
A GTO met a JETTA today in the puzzle.
MINX- where can I order that mag for DW?
BEEFARONI- never tried it and probably never will. It's too easy to boil pasta, add Ragu or Prego, and add some type of meat.
OP-EDS- Slanted columns? Slanted newspapers- corrected that clue.
2nd half starting. Gotta go.
A very "gettable" offering today. Took some effort, but got the FIR. Nice that the tough answers sparked more Aha! Moments than "who cares?" An enjoyable Sunday outing, and now back to the Packer game.
ReplyDeleteSunday Stumper. Thanks for the fun, Tracy and C.C.
ReplyDeleteI required some red letter help to finish, but I did see the eXchange. It took a while to see the different meanings for the X. Thanks for all the clarifications here, for the full Aha.
I wanted HahHah before HEEHEE.
Arenas was too long, but RINKS fit. (Plus we had ICE).
This Canadian skipped over 1A until I had more perps, as I don’t know all your American healthcare names. But I am familiar with Blue Cross (but not that plan).
But this Canadian knows what Beavertails are. Yummers. They are sold at outdoor RINKS, Rideau Canal winter skating, Quebec Carnival, and a plethora of other shops, food trucks. I see they are now international.
Wishing you all a great day.
I found this quite challenging and was slow to catch on to the X theme. I figured out all of them except for STRIKE and ECSTACY. Pleased to FIR.
ReplyDeleteI am still not sure I get X for ECSTASY. Is that only used in the drug world?
Here is one of my photos at CHICHEN ITZA.
My boss called it "Chicken Pizza".
From yesterday:
TTP, CrossEyeDave Thank you for your replies regarding PIXIE DUST. I was aware of the reference, just not how it represented a FLIGHT PLAN. I sort of GET it.
Vidwan Scary if you are dependent on Ambien. I was given it once in the hospital and it caused me to become dangerously delusional and hallucinatory. Good luck weaning yourself off of it. "Sleep hygiene" is the operative term.
Hola!
ReplyDeleteIt's good to be back and have a newspaper with a puzzle to solve! Our trip was wonderful with our friend, Claire, who is 93 years young. But since we can't seem to let go of each other, we met for a late breakfast today before the Benson (a town about 200 miles away) resident leaves for home. As I am the elder of the group they allow me to join them.
As for the puzzle it was one of the easiest Sunday solves in a long time. Thank you, Tracy Gray and many thanks, C.C., for your guidance.
If I had not read the book and seen the movie, The Agony and the Ecstasy, I would be completely flummoxed by 116A. Sixty-seven across wasn't that clear, either.
SERVOS is a new term for me.
I heard that NIA Vardolos has My Big Fat Greek Wedding #3.
I hope you are all enjoying a wonderful Sunday and are not MOROSE!
Picard
ReplyDeleteThank you for the photo of Chichen ITZA. Great memories of my trip come flooding back.
Congrats to Tracy on her L.A. Times debut! I liked the multiples translations of X.
ReplyDeleteThanks to C.C. for her helpful review.
XXOO!
Okay
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteDear Picard, Thank you for your sympathy and caring-ness. I really appreciate it. I was/got hooked on to Ambiem ( Zolpidem ) late last year, when I spent 84 days in the ICU, while the docs tossed a bunch of sedatives down my throat, like a human guinea pig. I was taking Ambien, Mirtazapine, and a couple more of drugs, I don't care to remember. I was having restless sleep, high or fluctuating BP and had paranoidal, homicidal and suicidal thoughts. Finally, my wife put her foot down and stopped all the drugs, save the Ambien...
To wean off the last one, she started cutting the 5 mg tablet,.... into halves,.... then quarters, .... then eighths ... and those became my daily dose .... until it became like a couple of specks of the drug - like a placebo. I finally realized that it didn't matter at all...
Now, I'm pretty much rid of the fear of going to sleep, .... without the powder altogether.
Thanks to a whole bunch of MDs, who have treated us thru the years, for various ailments .... and their careless, free spirit, easy going, style of writing Rxs, ... we have a real,
plethora, of an arsenal of sedative and pain killing drugs which were overprescribed, and thus, not used .... and which are now collecting dust on our shelves. The very fact that they have not caused any addiction amongst us as a family, gives me great confidence that we, individually, have great resistance to getting addicted to such drugs. ;-)
But thank you for your thoughts, and I will never criticize any other, drug addict again...
Mowed through this one much easier than our back lawn (which is why it’s taken me til today Wed to do the Sun. puzzle). Had a lot of fun with Tracy’s X-factor theme, with the exception of COLORXNUMBER, for the exact reason cited by @OwenKL — just too far a stretch to imagine li’l preschool tots doing that chore!
ReplyDeleteApology for inserting the reply about X=ecstasy the narcotic; that’ll teach me to read the whole blog before opening my big fat keyboard…😖
Thanks for the fun review, C.C.!
====> Darren / L.A.